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Sub Saharan African soils have low organic matter contents, hence applying compost is therefore instrumental to improve their fertility. In this study, we investigated the quantity and the quality of compost produced by smallholder farmers in five provinces (Gnagna, Gourma, Komondjari, Kompienga and Tapoa) from Eastern Burkina Faso. Compost quality was determined by the main physical and chemical characteristics including...
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The study was conducted to evaluate feeding value of sorghum varieties in laying hen performances. The 210 Bovan Brown hens, aging 22-33 weeks, were used and equally and randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments with three replications. Treatment rations were control i.e., T1 (0% inclusion of sorghum variety melkam [SVM]), T2 (20% SVM), T3 (30% SVM), T4 (40% SVM), T5 (20% inclusion of sorghum variety degalityellow,...
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A naturally ventilated solar-venturi dryer (NSD) was constructed using locally available materials to improve the quality of dry sweet potato slices (SPS) for small to medium scale farmers. The study investigated the efficiency of the NSD to reduce relative humidity (RH), solar radiation and temperature effect on firmness and color of dried SPS. The maximum temperature inside NSD was 44.4°C (12:00 pm) in an empty dryer and...
Farmers’ perceptions of fertilizer micro-dosing adoption and continued use in Burkina Faso.
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This study analyzes fertilizer micro-dosing adoption and focuses on farmers' perceptions. Data used are from households selected based on agroecological characteristics. The bivariate probit model estimation results show that fertilizer microdosing adoption is a process. After the first adoption, 22.67% of farmers continued to apply fertilizer micro-dosing compared to 33.25% who discontinued. In addition, analysis results...
Determinants of market outlet choices of smallholder chickpea producers in Estie District, Ethiopia
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In Ethiopia chickpea is a source of food and provides cash income for majority of smallholder farmers. To commercialize chickpea producers, selecting an appropriate market channel is mandatory. Multivariate probit model was employed to identify factors affecting chickpea market outlet choices. The result shows that five major chickpea marketing channels were identified and among them wholesalers and retailers purchased...
Cassava use in southern Benin: Importance and perception of the actors involved in the value chain
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In Benin, many families resort not only to consumption but also to the therapeutic use of cassava (Manihot esculenta). The study assessed the impact of socio-economic factors on the use of cassava, and the perception of the actors involved in the value chain in Benin. Four areas of high production and processing, with 516 producers and processors of cassava roots were surveyed. The results reveal that producers are...
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Polycentric irrigation water governance allows community institutions to deliver better irrigation services. This study examined the Irrigation Water User Associations service delivery performance in the Ketar subbasin, Ethiopia, focusing on four irrigation schemes. The irrigation water user associations in the subbasin were measured on their legal registration and financial status, while the four schemes were examined on...
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Coffee is an important crop in the Kenyan economy as it’s the 3rd highest foreign exchange earner. However, its production has been deteriorating in the recent past due to various factors. Conducted in Meru County in three cooperatives, this study used questionnaires as data collecting instrument. The study sought to investigate the factors that have influenced the withdrawal of coffee farmers from coffee production. The...
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The significant role rice imports play in meeting the high demand for rice in most West African countries including Nigeria has made these countries to focus on increased rice production. Climate change is a vital environmental issue for sustainable development goals hence greenhouse gas emissions from paddy ecosystem is of great environmental concern. Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) is used in this study to ascertain the...
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Levels of cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel and lead were determined in cabbages, tsunga (mustard), green beans and tomatoes from Mbare Musika vegetable market in Harare and one of its major supplier, Mutoko. Cabbages and tsunga exceeded the stipulated safe limit for lead levels whereas the tomatoes and sugar beans went above the 0.02ppm threshold for cadmium. Hazard Quotients of the vegetables showed adult health...
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Women play crucial roles in agriculture for the welfare of their households as labor-force, caregivers and as independent and joint farm owners but they continue to face multitude of challenges affecting their productivity. This qualitative research article highlights challenges being faced by women in agriculture under small scale. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to obtain data from women and...
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Partial substituting wheat with high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) in bread making would be economically beneficial in Tanzania. However, cassava varieties with the best pasting quality for this use are unknown. In addition, the appropriate time of harvesting the varieties to attain the best pasting quality is also unknown. This study, therefore, aimed at identifying the most appropriate cassava varieties and their...
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Coffee berry disease (CBD) caused by Colletotrichum kahawae, is the main disease that affects arabica coffee production in Africa. Isolates of C. kahawae were collected from different altitude in the West Region of Cameroon and characterised for cultural and morphological variations. The results showed a significant variation among C. kahawae isolates related to their morpho-cultural features with respect to altitude. All...
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Diversification has been argued to be the future of small farms and more so in developing countries given its benefits to mitigating against risk, increase economic and social benefits. This study built on an earlier study by Mpiira et al. (2021). 247 respondents were interviewed using pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaires in three districts of Central Uganda, Kiboga, Nakaseke and Sembabule. . Using a cost-benefit...
Development and testing of a vertical-spikes shelling machine for bambara groundnuts
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This paper is aimed to develop a low-cost Bambara groundnuts sheller that uses vertical spikes as the shelling mechanism. A vertical spikes shelling machine was designed, constructed, and evaluated. The Bambara groundnut shelling machine consisted of a hopper, shelling system, frame, motor, and power transmission system. The Bambara groundnut sheller used a low-cost shelling mechanism of spikes and shaft system, as it has...
Work ethics and its impact on efficiency of workers performance of agricultural extension zone
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This study objective to identify commitment level of employees in the Department of Agricultural Extension of Baghdad Governorate through opinions and perceptions of respondents.If work ethics (respect of laws and regulations, justice sense, work perfection, respect for time and confidentiality, trust and responsibility, Integrity, transparency, cooperation and good treatment). Also, this study aimed to identify level of...
Impacts of exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on biochemistry and growth of maize and soybean
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Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid produced by plants that play an important role in metabolic homeostasis and energy balance. In this study, we evaluated the effects of exogenous application of GABA on antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic pigments, total protein content, and growth of maize and soybean in four different regions of Brazil under field conditions. GABA was applied with...
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Thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on the cotton plant is an extremely invasive and destructive pest consequently reducing yield. Field studies were conducted at Werer Agricultural Research Center, Middle Awash, Afar, Ethiopia, for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) to determine the effectiveness of different synthetic chemical insecticides for the control of Cotton thrips (Thrips tabaci) on the...
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The study examined factors that determine adoption and choice of SWC technologies under CGIAR-related agricultural innovations in Ethiopia, using data from Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey (ESS4). Specifically, the study assessed the effect of poverty, socioeconomic and plot level factors on adoption and choice of SWC technologies. Poverty is found as an important factor in adoption and choice of SWC technologies by farm...
Integrated fertilization for wheat cultivation in Northwestern Ethiopian highlands
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The productivity of bread wheat has declined in Fagita Lekoma district mainly by the depletion of nutrients. Integrating fertilizers use can improve sustainable crop yield but meager information is available on optimum rate The combinations of four vermicompost rates (0, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 t/ha) and three levels of inorganic fertilizer (INOF) (0, 50% and 100% ha-1of the recommended rate) treatments were laid out in...
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Agricultural technologies have been identified as one of the key ways to improve smallholder farmers' food security and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the adoption of these technologies remains low. Previous studies have focused more on the agronomic and socio-economic aspects influencing agricultural technology adoption. The social and cultural dimensions of adoption have hardly been addressed. The main...
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Despite the fact that maize is a crucial cereal crop for food security, several foliar diseases are the main threats and limitations maize production in Ethiopia, resulting in low yields, particularly quality protein maize(QPM). Accordingly, national maize research program of Ethiopia has released QPM maize varieties adapted to the mid-altitude, low moisture stress and highland agro-ecologies of the country. Nonetheless,...
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The purpose of this paper was analyzed the tef value chain in selected zones of western Oromia to identify major tef value chain actors, assess major constraints and opportunities regarding tef, and estimate the margins of channels. Data were collected through surveys, key informants’ interviews, and focus group discussions. The data were analyzed by analytical and descriptive statistical tools. In the study areas, there...
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A study was undertaken over two cropping seasons, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, to determine the economic injury level for carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) on tomato Solanum lycopersicum in Botswana. Tomato plants were infested with adult spider mites for durations of 0 (no exposure), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 weeks (complete exposure). The corresponding treatments were 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 sprays...
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Tef is the most important food and cash crop for more than 70 million people. It is the second-largest crop in terms of acreage, but its average productivity is lower compared to other that may arise from different factors. Therefore, this research was intended to assess the technical, allocative, and economic efficiency of tef producers, and factors affecting the technical inefficiency of tef producers using primary data...
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This study aimed to characterize cropping systems of greater nightshade (Solanum macrocarpon) in the market garden areas located along the coastal zone in the South. Socio-economic profile of producers, soil fertility management practices, constraints and nuisances related to the use of organic fertilizers, as well as the endogenous solutions desired by producers were collected from 120 producers in the communes of...
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Through the interpretation of soil attributes, it is possible to characterize the changes resulting from the adoption of different managements. The use of sustainable and conservationist production systems, such as the use of cover crops, has contributed to the improvement of the physical, chemical and biological attributes of the soil. This study aimed to analyze the effects of cover crops of brachiaria (Urochloa...
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The importance of adopting innovations for agricultural productivity is well known. However, adoption rates are generally sub-optimal. This study investigates the determinants for adopting innovations by rice farmers in Cameroon. A multi-stage sampling approach was employed to identify and collect data from 800 rice farmers; using a structured and pretested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic...
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Rice paddy cultivation in Senegal is subject to climatic fluctuations that affect its vegetative development. Although climatic conditions are a concern, we hypothesized that the new rice paddy ISRIZ would be better adapted to these fluctuations and would allow double cropping. We studied the vegetative behavior according to the date and mode sowing under low temperatures. An experiment was carried out in a split-split...
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An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of metabolizeable energy (ME, kcal/kg) and crude protein (% CP) levels on the production performance, egg quality, hatchability, and fertility of the DZ-White chicken breed at Debre-Zeit Agricultural Research Center. A total of 594 twenty weeks age DZ-white chickens were randomly distributed to the nine dietary treatments, with 3*3 factorial...
Morphological characterization of purple-grain maize (zea mays L.) Diversity in Côte d’Ivoire
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Purple-grain maize is a marginal cereal grown exclusively and consumed in the Central-North of Côte d'Ivoire. However, few studies have been done on the diversity of this cultivar. Whereas, the use of local genetic resources available for breeding purposes requires a good knowledge of their agronomic and morphological characteristics. Thus, 70 accessions of purple-grain maize collected in the Hambol region were subject to...
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Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. elaeidis (Foe) is a fungus that attacks oil palm and affects its production. This study aimed at characterizing phenolic compounds and evaluating their spatiotemporal evolution in two cultivars (sensitive and tolerant to fusariosis). For this, total phenols were quantified during the latency period [0 to 28 Days After Inoculation (DAI)] of Foe. Thereafter, phenolic extracts from plant organs (roots...
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A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the problems associated with artificial insemination effectiveness in dairy cattle in four selected villages of Toke Kutaye district. Semi- structured questionnaires were developed for a total of 217 dairy cattle owners. In addition, four artificial insemination technicians and nine experts were involved in the interview process. The study indicated that 129 (59.4 %) of the...
Unlocking Major challenges to increasing coffee production in Tanzania
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The agricultural policies advocated by the Tanzanian government for the cooperative societies and the coffee sector have not been stable. Frequent policy changes have affected the sector, hindering the effectiveness of the institutions that deal with the coffee sector. Most of these policy changes have failed to foster the growth of coffee production. Despite the market potential of Tanzanian coffee, policies and...
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Liquid Cattle manure (LCM) has long been recognized to be very important organic fertilizer. This paper reports the effectiveness of different levels of LCM on the yield of maize (Zea mays L.), and soil properties. The study was carried out at Luannan Science and Technology Backyard (LSTB), Hebei province, China in the year 2020. The experiment was conducted in pot and has seven treatments with 10 replications: CK(without...
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South African democratic governments instituted several policies aimed at developing the capabilities of smallholder foresters to ensure economic inclusion and rural development. Skills development to build smallholder capabilities were deemed necessary to improve productivity, food security and conserve forestry resources. However, systemic blockages within the South African skills system hinder skills development,...
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Amaranthus species is an important leafy vegetable in Ghana; however, fungal foliar diseases of the crop reduce the marketable and edible portions as well as income to farmers. To facilitate the development of disease management strategy, there is the need to document various diseases limiting amaranth production. In view of this, surveys were carried out in forty-three peri-urban vegetable farms in the Kumasi and Tamale...
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The study was conducted to investigate the effect of social media on rice marketing innovation system in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using regression analysis. The result of Double Log Regression showed the goodness of fit correctness of the specified assumption of the composite error. Results revealed that the use of twitter was positively insignificant on the...
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Fonio (Digitaria exilis [Kippist] Stapf) species is from Africa.In Burkina Faso, the genetic diversity of fonio is little known. It is the same for its mode of management and the understanding of its culture. The objective of this study is to contribute to a better knowledge of fonio grown in Burkina Faso. Prospecting collects a permit to identify production areas and collect 60 accessions. The ethnobotanical survey made...
Enhancing Maize Yield in Ethiopia a Meta-Analysis
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Accurate nitrogen (N) fertilization and optimum plant density increases crop yields. In this study I report the effects of N fertilization rate and plant density on maize yield a meta-analysis, by using observations from 15 studies conducted in Ethiopia since the 2000s for possible refinement of N fertilizer and plant density recommendations. I assessed the response of maize to: different N rates ha?1 compared to the...
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Green manure (GM) is widely adopted for agricultural productivity and sustainability. The present supplemented the GM effect with that of water retaining agent (WRA) to enhance the sustainability of tobacco planting purple soils in Sichuan Province, China. Our study employed three GM legumes varieties (Trifolium repens, Vicia villosa, and Medicago sativa), while the WRA used was polyacrylamide at different application...
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The study determined farmers’ perception on e-extension as means of technology dissemination among crop farmers in Oyo state, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 210 farmers. Primary data was obtained using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that the e-extension available to farmers in the study area was mobile phone (x? = 0.91)...
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The contribution of smallholder agriculture to reducing poverty and hunger in low-income countries depends on sustainable access to markets. In Kenya, Vihiga County, various development practitioners have promoted the production of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs). However, AIVs marketing component has been given little attention. The farmers, therefore, have not taken advantage of the full potential of the gains of...
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Grid and quadrants size selection to determine crop density and spatial variability are still very controversial, either when accessing isolated sampling factors, either, combining both. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the ideal sampling grid and quadrant size to determine the crop density and spatial variability of African pumpkin (Momordica balsamina. L.). The trial was conducted in Pambara, Vilankulo district,...
Impact of Human Wildlife Conflicts on wildlife conservation in southwest Ethiopia
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The south western part of Ethiopia is the biodiversity hotspot of the country but the rising conflict between wildlife and human beings due to crop raiding has become a serious problem for wildlife conservation. The objective of this paper was to review the impact of crop raiding by wild animals on conservation in southwest Ethiopia. To write this paper I was surveyed different published and unpublished journal articles,...
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Onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most important vegetables grown for its nutritional and medicinal values. However, it is highly exposed to onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) which can cause severe yield loss in vulnerable varieties. A study was carried out at the Bindura University Farm Teaching Unit to evaluate the susceptibility/tolerance of ten commonly-grown Zimbabwean onion varieties to thrips infestation. The trial was...
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Maize (Zea mays L., 2n=20) is the first productive and sources of food in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, mainly at Metekel zone. However striga weed, improved varieties and certified seed access are the major challenges. Therefore the objectives of this study were: to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize hybrids depend on different genetic parameters, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation,...
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This research aimed at analyzing livelihood diversification and its effect on poverty status of rural households in the Kamba district, southern Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, cross-sectional data were collected from 394 randomly selected households of the district. A two stage sampling technique was used to select representative sample respondents. The data were analyzed using Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)...
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Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is an invasive insect pest and a major maize production bottleneck since 2016 in Ethiopia. A field experiment was undertaken in 2019/20 at Werer Agricultural Center to assess the effectiveness and economics of handpicking against S. frugiperda management on maize at Middle-Awash, Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of nine laid out into a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and...
Urban and Peri-urban Vegetable Production Effects on Farmers’ Livelihoods in Lagos State, Nigeria
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The issue of urban poverty as a result of population growth is becoming topical. City dwellers have long considered urban agriculture as a panacea to these problems. However, an assessment of the factors that influence urban and peri-urban production of subsistence vegetables (UPVP) by farmers in Lagos State has not gained prominence. Therefore, the study examined the effects UPVP on local livelihood subscales of farmers...
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