Soil status and yield response of different varieties of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) grown at Mubi floodplain, North Eastern, Nigeria
September 2011
The performance of three okra Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench varieties were evaluated under irrigation on the floodplain soils of Mubi, North Eastern Nigeria. The treatments consisted of three okra varieties: V1 (improved), V2 (serial) and V3 (local okra) laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The land was cleared, ploughed, harrowed, leveled and...
Food production and consumption pattern in Pakistan during 1979 to 2010
September 2011
The paper is about change in food production and consumption pattern in Pakistan. Food availability per capita per annum in Pakistan increased from 298.1 kg in 1979 to 1980 to 414.8 kg in 2007 to 2008 at a rate slower than Population growth (from 85.09 million to 163.8 million over the same period) (Government of Pakistan, 2010). Food consumption pattern in Pakistan are exception and changing by weight nearly three...
Urbanization of arable land in Lahore City in Pakistan: A case-study
September 2011
This study is intended to explore the extent of converting arable land for urban use and the pace of construction activities on the residential housing schemes. In most of the schemes, more than half of the plots are inbuilt because by-laws are very flexible and owners of vacant plots have no fear of cancellation and they consider this investment a better safeguard against inflation. Moreover, speculators invested their...
A field trial of crude extract from Phytophthora palmivora - infected cocoa pods to control black pod disease in a farm in Iworoko Ekiti, Ekiti State
August 2011
In this study, the effect of crude extract of cocoa infected with Phytophthora palmivora were tested for and their ability to confer protection on cocoa pods in the field against black pod disease/pod rot. Dichloromethane was used to extract the phytochemicals from infected cocoa pods. The extract was concentrated using rotatory evaporator at 40°C. Three categories of matured unriped and...
The effect of gamma irradiation on the ovaries and testes of Plodia interpunctella (Phycitidae: Lepidoptera)
August 2011
Plodia interpunctella (Hubn) male and female full grown pupae were exposed to 50, 150, 250 and 350 Gy. The ovaries and testes were investigated following the emergence of the moth. Irradiation of female pupae reduced the number of developing oocytes and fewer eggs were laid. This effect was referred to the reduction in the length of ovariole. Irradiation further induced oocyte reabsorption as...
In vitro regeneration of Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Del from nodes on B5 medium
June 2011
Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Del epicotyls buds were initiated in a medium supplemented by a combination of naphthalene acetic acid NAA (0.1 mg/L), benzyl amino purine BA (1.5 mg/L) and gibberellic acid GA (1.5 mg/L) were then used to produce a factorial experiment on B5 medium supplemented with auxin indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and cytokinin BA with five levels (0.0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/L) of...
The endogenous growth theory and innovation in Egypt
June 2011
In today’s economy and society, performance analyses of the government attract more and more attention. This paper presents an evaluation of the Egyptian government of using R&D expenditure from (1996 to 2008) using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Special emphasis was placed on how to present the DEA results to government to provide more guidance to it on what to manage and how to accomplish the...
Performance evaluation of a mixed-mode solar dryer for evaporating moisture in beans
April 2011
This research includes the design and manufacture of a solar dryer and its performance test on bean. Solar dryer consists of three parts; 1) the air heating section (solar collector), 2) two fins and 3) the drying chamber section with four trays. The drying test was conducted after setting the drying air speed at 1.5 m/s at the drying chamber. The drying process continued until the total beans weight was (100...
Effect of ridge height and planting orientation on Ipomea batatas (sweet potato) production
April 2011
Ipomea batatas (sweet potato) yield vary widely among farmers due to improper ridging and planting orientation. This study was to establish the proper ridging and planting orientation, so as to enhance constant reliable yields among sweet potato producing farmers. The objectives of the study were to compare vine length and to determine root yield, central root diameter and root length among...
Department of Agriculture, Bindura University of Science Education, P. Bag 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
April 2011
Brassica carinata (BBCC, 2n = 34) has still to emerge as a major oilseed crop owing to poor agronomic attributes like long stature, long maturity duration and low seed yield. The restricted amount of genetic variability available in natural B. carinata necessitates utilization of new sources of variability for broadening the genetic base of the source population. Interspecific hybridization...
Genetic variation in nitrogen efficiency among cultivars of irrigated rice in Senegal
March 2011
Due to increasing fertiliser costs as well as environmental concerns, N-efficiency became an attractive breeding topic. Genotypes can be considered as N-efficient if they realise an above average yield at low N level or if they convert high N input comparatively better into yield than other genotypes. To evaluate potential of Oryza sativa L. in nitrogen use efficiency compared to Oryza...
Morpho-characterization of different populations of black caraway (Bunium persicum Bioss. Fedts) with respect to yield and yield traits across important growing sites of Kashmir Valley
March 2011
Analysis of variance revealed highly significant genotypic differences for all the characters under study. Wide range of variation was observed among the plants of six different ecotypes for various morphological yield and yield attributing traits. Phenotypic coefficient of variation for all the traits was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation, indicating that all these characters had interacted...
Effect of pre-emergence herbicides on weed infestation and productivity of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in the Sudan Savanna Zone of Nigeria
February 2011
Field trials were conducted in 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons at the University of Maiduguri Teaching and Research Farm located in Maiduguri (11°50’N; 13°10’E), Nigeria, to evaluate the effect of different pre-emergence herbicides on weed infestation and productivity of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) The experiment consisted of 22 treatments, which included 4 different pre-emergence...
Optimizing gari quality attributes for different groups of consumers with response surface methodology
February 2011
Different groups of consumers prefer different sensory attributes of gari. Therefore it is difficult to produce one stock of the product for all sectors of the market. Fermentation time (h), frying temperature (°C) and resident time (min.) and their interaction effect on quality attributes of gari; swelling capacity, texture, colour, taste and acceptability of gari was investigated. Optimization...
Biofertilization of banana (Musa spp. L.) with free-living N2 fixing bacteria and their effect on mycorrhization and the nematode Radopholus similis
January 2011
Banana plants (Musa spp. L.) cv 'Great dwarf' were amended with free-living N2 fixing bacteria (FLNFB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the presence of the burrowing nematode Radopholus similis was monitored in the field. Five treatments were applied by inoculating banana roots with four strains of FLNFB, that is C1, C2, C3 and C4 isolated from the...
Effect of different land use types and their implications on land degradation and productivity in Ogun State, Nigeria
January 2011
This study was designed to assess the extent to which land use types influence soil nutrients and productivity in Ogun State. Soils under four land uses were sampled for physical, chemical and biological analyses. The land use types studied were arable cropping (land use 1); oil palm (land use 2), secondary forest (land use 3) and building sites (land use 4). The results showed that soil nutrients vary from...
Investigating Fe and Zn foliar application on yield and its components of soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr.) at different growth stages
November 2010
In order to investigate Zn, Fe and Zn+Fe foliar application effects on soybean (Glycine max L.) yield and its components (number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and 1000 grain weight), a field experiment was conducted at Minodasht, Iran during 2009 and 2010 growth season. The experiment was arranged in split plot of a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Parameters...
Partial purification of leaf lectin from Manihot esculenta and screening its fungicidal activity
September 2010
Lectins have various biotechnological applications including their use in agriculture as antimicrobials and pesticides. Lectin from manioc leaf powder has been extracted, partially purified and evaluated in terms of its haemagglutination activity and fungicidal properties against Fusarium oxysporum. Ground, dried and the entire leaves of Manihot esculenta (Cacao cultivar) were extracted...
Effects of organic amendments on the growth and performance of Celosia argentea on an oxic Paleustalf in South western Nigeria
September 2010
The problems associated with availability of space for cultivation due to high demands on land for other uses has made virtually all farmers to embark on continuous cropping at the expense of soil fertility management. This study was therefore conducted to assess the effect of organic amendments on the yield and yield components of Celosia argentea. A field experiment was carried out to examine the...
Embarking on a second green revolution for sustainable agriculture by vermiculture biotechnology using earthworms: Reviving the dreams of Sir Charles Darwin
August 2010
Vermiculture biotechnology promises to usher in the ‘Second Green Revolution’ by completely replacing the destructive agro-chemicals which did more harm than good to both the farmers and their farmland. Earthworms restore and improve soil fertility and significantly boost crop productivity. Earthworms excreta (vermicast) is a nutritive ‘organic fertilizer’ rich in humus, NKP,...
Effect of explant type, source and genotype on in vitro shoot regeneration in Macadamia (Macadamia spp.)
August 2010
Macadamia, (Macadamia spp.) is conventionally propagated by grafting scions from selected superior cultivars onto rootstocks raised from seed, a process that takes about two years in addition to high inputs thus ending up with costly seedlings. A study was conducted to investigate the possibilities of applying tissue culture techniques in mass production of clean planting materials. Different types of...
Assessment of large population of cassava accessions for resistant to cassava bacterial blight infection in the screen house environment
June 2010
Cassava bacterial blight (CBB) is caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv manihotis (Xam) a major cassava disease in all cassava growing area of the world. Resistance to the disease is found in Manihot esculenta and, in addition, has been introduced from a wild relative, M. glaziovii. We introduced a novel method of screening large population of cassava accessions in a...
Production and characterization of flour produced from ripe “apem†plantain (Musa sapientum L. var. paradisiacal; French horn) grown in Ghana
June 2010
The importation and processing of wheat grain into flour by economies like Ghana does constitute an enormous economic drain. To remedy this situation, FAO of the United Nations launched its Compost Flour Programme, which aimed to formulate flour mixtures consisting mainly of indigenous raw materials and raw wheat to a lesser extent. The production of plantain baked products, instant breakfast meals and baby...
Effect of water deficit at grain repining stage on rice grain quality
June 2010
Rice production is usually reduced by water stress that can evenly occur during rice cycle in West Africa under bimodal rainfall pattern. In order to determine the effects of water stress on rice grain quality, experiments were conducted on upland site (on ferralsol) at the main AfricaRice research center at M’be, 30 km North of Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire. The rice varieties CG14 (Oryza...
Effects of an environmentally friendly seed coating agent on combating head smut of corn caused by Sphacelotheca reiliana and corn growth
June 2010
Head smut of corn is caused by the fungus Sphacelotheca reiliana and occurs in the North-east of China and in regions of similar climate. Yield losses due to the disease are variable and directly depend on the severity of the disease. The objective of this study was to produce a coating technology to protect corn from S. reiliana and to avoid environmental pollution. The effects of...
Effect of NPK fertilization on yield and inflorescenc
May 2010
Application of three levels of nitrogen as urea (0, 60 and 120 kg/ha), phosphorus as single super phosphate (SSP) (0, 72 and 144 kg/ha) and potassium as muriate of potash (MOP) (0, 24 and 48 kg/ha) fertilizers on inflorescence blight of cashew caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae and yield of cashew were studied on acid sand soils of Ochaja, Nigeria in 2000 and 2001. Results showed that single...
Studying of oil yield variations in winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) cultivars under drought stress conditions
May 2010
This experiment was carried out using a split plot design with three replications to study the effect of drought stress on oil yield variations in winter rapeseed cultivars at Iran. The factors including irrigation regimes (control, irrigation interrupted from flowering stage, irrigation interrupted fromsilique formation stage and irrigation interrupted from seed filling stage)...
The struggle against Phragmanthera capitata (Sprengel) S. Balle (Loranthaceae) parasite of agroecosystems’ fruit trees in Cameroon
May 2010
In Central Africa sub region, Phragmanthera capitata (Sprengel) S. Balle (Loranthaceae) is better adapted to the conditions of environment modified by man. This species causes often considerable loss of harvests. Struggle methods used in the littoral region of Cameroon against P. capitata are manual removal of tufts and the “ethephon” chemical struggle. Impacts of these...
Studying the interactive effect of potassium application and individual field crops on root penetration under drought condition
May 2010
In this study, interactive effects of different potassium application and water restrict on: root penetration at Iran. The experimental unit had designed by achieved treatment in factorial on the basis completely randomized block design with three replications. Certain factors including potassium and non-potassium applications (0 and 200 kg/ha), certain field crops (maize, sorghum and...
Epidemiological investigation of death cases by pesticide poisoning
April 2010
This study gives the report of an epidemiological investigation of seven death cases in a police force headquarters by pesticide poisoning diagnosed by the decrease of the enzyme choline esterase activity. A case control study with an environmental description has been realized, permitting the establishment of temporarily dynamic relationships among the death cases. In Africa, there are many incidents of...
Variance balanced designs for complete diallel cross
April 2010
Optimal block designs for complete diallel cross system IV was investigated by several authors in presence and absence of specific combining ability parameters in the model. But there are drawbacks in their designs. Firstly, their designs consume more experimental units when these are used for experiments to estimate general and specific combining ability effects and secondly, these designs are not available...
Nutritional and mycoflora changes during storage of plantain chips and the health implications
April 2010
Mycoflora of sundried plantain chips during storage and the effects of these fungi on the nutrient composition of chips were determined. Eight fungi: Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Mucor sp., Neurospora sp., Fusarium sp., Rhizopus sp., and Penicillum sp were found associated with the sundried plantain chips in storage while the freshly prepared...
Haematological and serum indices of goat fed fungi treated Jatropha curcas kernel cake in a mixed ration
March 2010
The study evaluates the efficacy of fungi (Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma longibrachitum) treated Jatropha curcas kernel cake in a mixed ration on percentage packed cell volume, red blood cell, white blood cell, haemoglobin, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil, neutrophil, urea, creatinine, aspertate amino transferase, alanine phosphateses and alanine transference of goat. The...
Design, construction and performance evaluation of solar maize dryer
March 2010
This paper presents the design, construction and performance evaluation of solar drying for maize, the solar drying system consists of V-groove collector of 2.04 m² area, drying chamber and blower. It was designed in such a way that solar radiation is not incident directly on the maize. K-type thermocouples were used for temperature measurement, while solar radiation was measured by solar meter m od.776....
Histopathology of Raphia hookeri leaf infected with Glomerella cingulata causing seedling blight
March 2010
The host-pathogen relationship between the Raphia hookeri seedling leaf and Glomerella cingulatashowed that the host cells were macerated. This allowed penetration of the pathogen through the hypodermis to the palisade tissue which resulted in dark coloration and disruption of the transfusion tissues. Hypersensitivity reaction was observed. The xylem and phloem were left without any attachment...
Economic assessment of some pre-emergence herbicides in the Sudan Savanna Zone of Nigeria
February 2010
Field trials were conducted in 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons at the University of Maiduguri Teaching and Research Farm located in Maiduguri (11°50’N; 13°10’E) to carry out an economic analysis of the use of some pre-emergence herbicides for the production of sesame. The experiment consisted of 22 treatments which included 4 different pre-emergence herbicides applied at 5 different rates...
Phenotypic correlation of bodyweight and linear body measurement in Chinchilla rabbits (Orycotolagus cuniculus)
February 2010
Data on bodyweight and linear body measurements (LBMs) namely ear length (EL), heart girth (HG), body length (BL), head to shoulder (HS), leg length (LL) and tail length (TL) of 178 Chinchilla breed of rabbits at 3, 6 and 8 weeks of age were analyzed to obtain the phenotypic correlation between the various LBMs on one hand and LBMs on bodyweight on the other. The value of the Pearson’s linear...
Resynthesis of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata L.) from related digenomic species: An unexplored possibility
February 2010
Linkage mapping of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) genome using recombinant inbred lines revealed by AFLP, ISSR, RAPD and some morphologic markers
January 2010
We have constructed a molecular linkage map of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) in a RIL population (developed from the parents Precoz x WA8949041) of 94 plants with 166 markers. The resulting linkage map consists of 11 (varying between 50.9 – 436.5 cM) linkage groups covering 1396.3 cM with an average map distance between framework markers of 8.4 cM. Most of the...
Optimal food plan for rural households’ food security in Kwara State, Nigeria: The goal programming approach
January 2010
This study developed optimal food consumption plan for the rural households in Kwara State, Nigeria. A two-stage simple random sampling technique was employed in collecting data used for the study between October, 2005 and January, 2007. The main tools of analysis used in this study are the Food Security Index and the Linear Goal Programming (LGP) Model. This study reveals that 65.45% of the rural households...
Studies on genetic variability and interrelationship among the different traits in Microsperma lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)
January 2010
The genetic parameters, character association and path coefficient analysis between yield and yield contributing characters of 25 lentil genotypes were studied during 2007 - 2008 at Kisan (PG) College, Simbhaoil. The genotypes exhibited a wide range of variability for all the traits studied. High heritability accompained by moderate to high GCV and genetic gain were observed for number of pods plant-1, number...
Sustainable energy: Challenges of implementing renewable technologies
October 2009
Sudan is an agricultural country with fertile land, plenty of water resources, livestock, forestry resources and agricultural residues. Energy is one of the key factors for the development of national economies in Sudan. An overview of the energy situation in Sudan is introduced with reference to the end uses and regional distribution. Energy sources are divided into two main types; conventional energy (woody biomass,...
Effects of nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation regimes on seed yield of calendula (Calendula officinalis L.)
October 2009
This research was conducted in experimental field of Islamic Azad University of Takestan branch in Iran during 2006. The experimental unit was designed by achieved treatment in factorial on the basis of completely randomized block design with fourreplicates. The nitrogen was applied to the main plots at the rate of non-application, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1 and the irrigation...
Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus intraradices) – (fungus aided)in zinc nutrition of maize
October 2009
A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the nutritional improvement of maize plants (variety COHM5) inoculated with and without arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith) under varying levels of Zn concentration (0, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5.0 mg kg-1). Growth (leaf area index and root morphological attributes) and nutrient status (Zn and P concentrations) were measured...
Page 3 of 3, showing 44 records out of 144 total, starting on record 101, ending on 144
