Browsing by Author "Vuzi, Peter"

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    Folk Classification of Shea Butter Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica) Ethno-varieties in Uganda
    (Ethnobotany research and applications, 2011) Gwali, Samson; Okullo, John Bosco Lamoris; Eilu, Gerald; Nakabonge, Grace; Nyeko, Philip; Vuzi, Peter
    Folk knowledge has been the basis for selection and improvement of many food crops such as potatoes, sorghum, yams, cassava and rice. In Uganda, there is strong potential to utilize folk knowledge to select and domesticate the shea butter tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.subsp. nilotica (Kotschy) A.N. Henry & Chithra & N.C. Nair), an important economic tree species. Farmers report high variation in fruit yield, tree form and pulp taste. In this study, we documented shea tree folk classification by interviewing 300 respondents, 15 focus groups and 41 key informants across three farming systems of Uganda. Data were analyzed using Kruskall-Wallis and Spearman’s tests, Chi-square, Multivariate, Factor and Discriminant Function Analyses. Folk classification and nomenclature of shea tree ethno-varieties is based on fruit/nut organoleptic (color and taste) and morphological attributes. Interestingly, despite the socio-cultural importance of shea oil, it does not feature as a factor in the folk classification and nomenclature of shea tree ethno-varieties. There was no significant difference in classification knowledge across the three farming systems (Kruskal – Wallis χ2 = 28, df = 28, p > 0.05; Spearman’s R > 0.8, p < 0.0001) although there was significant influence from ethnicity of the respondents (Pillai’s trace = 0.817, p < 0.001). While this study provides a record of shea tree ethno-varieties and associated classification criteria, there is need to validate these ‘ethno-varieties’ using detailed morphological, biochemical and molecular analyses.
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    Morphological Variation among Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica) ‘Ethnovarieties’ in Uganda
    (Genetic resources and crop evolution, 2012) Gwali, Samson; Nakabonge, Grace; Okullo, John Bosco Lamoris; Eilu, Gerald; Nyeko, Philip; Vuzi, Peter
    Vitellaria paradoxa C. Gaertn. (shea butter tree) is an indigenous African tree species that is widely distributed in the dry areas of northern and eastern Uganda. The species is widely known for its oil which is used in cooking, cosmetics and traditional medicine. Local folk classification recognises the presence of different ethno-varieties on the basis of fruit and nut characters. In the present study, 176 trees representing 44 ethno-varieties from three farming systems of Uganda were assessed to determine the patterns of morphological variation and establish the congruence between morphological variation and folk classification. The results show high variation in pulp weight (CV = 35.9 %), stem diameter (CV = 28.48 %), fruit weight (CV = 27.81 %) and canopy diameter (CV = 26.69 %). There was a strong positive correlation between pulp and fruit weight (r = 0.963, p < 0.001), leaf length and leaf width (r = 0.652, p < 0.001) and between petiole length and leaf length (r = 0.788, p < 0.001). There was no underlying quantitative morphological structuring among the 44 ethno-varieties. Hierarchical cluster analysis using quantitative morphometric data produced three groups without clear aggregation based on ethnographic or geographic separation. However, a combination with qualitative traits as perceived by farmers provided good congruence with folk classification. Quantitative morphological data alone does not resolve any discrete forms of V. paradoxa that are related to folk classification. There is need to utilise biochemical and molecular markers to unravel the underlying variation for use in selection and improvement of shea butter tree ethno-varieties.
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    Occupational hazards among laboratory hub riders in selected health centres in central region of Uganda
    (Direct Research Journal of Public Health and Environmental Technology, 2021) Agondeze, Sandra; Kizza, Stephen S.; Vuzi, Peter; Ddamulira, Christopher
    Laboratory hub riders (LHRs) are motorcycle riders employed by health centres to handle, package, and transport biological samples within and between different health centres. Their nature of work exposes them to infectious microorganisms through accidental splash exposure or sharps injuries. The study was carried out in selected health centres in Central region, Uganda. The objective was to assess the factors influencing Occupational hazards. The population of the study was 140 LHRs proportionately allocated in selected Health centres in central region of Uganda, with a sample size of 103 LHRs. It was a cross sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to derive means, frequencies and standard deviations as well as inferential statistics to derive odds ratios and significances using logistic regression and multivariate analysis. The study revealed that majority of the LHRs was youths, aged 20-35 years, with Ordinary level certificate as their highest level of education. About 63.7% reported occupational exposure occurrences to management, and were knowledgeable about risks and hazards at work place. Majority 92.2% viewed their jobs as high risk and used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 85.4%, to reduce occupational hazards. Very few 12.3 % of the LHRs received training before commencing with their duties as new recruits. The prevalence of occupational hazards was quite low with 36.9% reported having experienced splash exposures, and 7.8% reported having experienced sharps injuries in the past 12 months. Job specific training was found to be the influential factor for occupational hazards in regard to splash exposure (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.33, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.12 - 0.93, p-value (p) = 0.04) and sharps injuries (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.73 - 0.66, p = 0.01). There is need for health centres to incorporate job specific training such as safety precautions on infection prevention and control for newly recruited LHRs before they commence with their duties.
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    Traditional management and conservation of Shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxasubspeciesnilotica) in Uganda
    (Springer, 2016) Gwali, Samson; Okullo, John Bosco Lamoris; Eilu, Gerald; Nakabonge, Grace; Nyeko, Philip; Vuzi, Peter
    Traditional practices are universally recognised as a basis for conservation ofbiodiversity. However, such practices are often not included in natural resource conser-vation policies. This study assessed local conservation practices of shea trees (Vitellariaparadoxa) within different farming systems in Uganda and developed conservationguidelines for the species. The assessment involved 300 respondents, 15 focus groups and41 key informants. Content analysis was used to identify the most important managementand conservation practices. Local uses were categorised on the basis of shea tree productswhile differences in conservation practices were analysed using the Friedman test. Theresults show that eight shea tree products are used for 36 different purposes. Respondents’age significantly influenced their knowledge about the shea tree. Traditional conservationpractices include on-farm retention during cultivation and the use of folklore (mainly taboos), customs and rituals. Traditional management practices include weeding, bushburning, pollarding and pruning. Based on the current management and traditional con-servation practices, a framework for the conservation of shea trees is proposed for inte-gration into conservation policy decisions.