Browsing by Author "Mpewo, Maxmillan"

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    Evaluation of Agricultural Waste-Based Briquettes as an Alternative Biomass Fuel for Cooking in Uganda
    (East African Nature and Science Organization, 2024-02-27) Omino, Joseph Oteu; Nkambwe, Sarah - Kizza; Kasima, Junior Senyonga; Mpewo, Maxmillan; Agunyo, Miria Frances
    Wood fuel has been adopted as a feasible alternative to cooking energy sources in efforts to replace fossil fuels. However, the exorbitant use of wood fuel has raised concern as it is the major cause of forest cover loss in Uganda. Briquettes have been recommended as sources of cooking energy with potential to substitute wood fuel. Unfortunately, sawdust, a product of deforestation, is the primary material used in making briquettes in Uganda. This instead augments the problem of fuel-induced deforestation. Agricultural wastes could potentially be converted into briquetting materials for generation of cooking energy, although these are less studied in Uganda. Thus, this study established the potential of agricultural wastes as alternative briquetting materials for use in cooking. Four fuel types: charcoal from Mangifera indica, firewood of Eucalyptus grandis, carbonized and non-carbonized briquettes from agricultural wastes, all from within Mukono District were used for the study. Laboratory based experiments were used to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the fuels. Data were analysed using R software, Ver. 4.2.3. Carbonised briquettes’ mean performance measures were higher than conventional fuels (p≤0.05) and non-carbonised briquettes. The amount of energy required to attain experimental boiling point of water was higher (p≤0.05) in conventional fuels and non-carbonised briquettes than in carbonised briquettes. Duration to boil 5 litres of water was least with the conventional fuel sources. All the fuel sources’ emissions exceeded the maximum range recommended for indoor carbon monoxide levels. However, the particulate matter emission was lower in carbonised briquettes and charcoal than the other fuel sources. Agricultural waste-based carbonised briquettes could effectively be used as an alternative cooking energy source in Uganda. The study recommends conducting cost-benefit analyses on the use of agricultural waste-based briquettes as cooking energy sources
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    Soil Physical and Chemical Properties under Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) at Different Stages of Growth
    (East African Nature and Science Organization, 2024-09-02) Ogwok, Gertrude; Kizza-Nkambwe, Sarah; Kasima, Junior Senyonga; Mpewo, Maxmillan; Alele, Peter O.
    Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), is one of the dominant agro-forestry species in Otuke district of Northern Uganda. Due to its economic importance and, in line with the numerous threats the tree is faced with, there is an urgent need for measures to conserve this species, for example, through incorporating annual food crops in the Shea tree parkland. This, however, requires a better understanding of tree-soil-food crop interactions. A number of studies of this aspect either considered only the mature Shea tree gardens or did not provide a clear distinction between the physiological states of the Shea tree. This was the motivation for this study where we compare variation in soil properties under mature and young Shea tree gardens with sites not having trees in Okwang sub-county, Otuke district. Five soil samples (up to 15 cm deep for top soil and 15-30 cm for sub-soil) were obtained per treatment using a soil auger. Our results show that in the top soil, only percent sand varied among the treatments, while, in the sub-soil, only percentage nitrogen and average phosphorus varied among the treatments. We also found that percentage top soil organic matter and percentage of sub-soil sand had negative strong correlations with maize and soybean yields, while percentage sub-soil clay had a strong positive correlation with maize and soybean yield. We conclude that variations in soil physical and chemical properties under Mature and Young Shea gardens only occur for those properties that have a direct link to tree residues