Effect of different rates of filter cake against bruchids (Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) and Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on common bean and cowpea
June 2020
Storage of common bean and cowpea is limited due to different species of bruchids. Zabrotes subfasciatus and Callosobruchus maculatus are the most important species of bruchids attacking stored common beans and cowpeas, causing yield losses reaching up to 38-100%. Two experiments, one on the effect of different rates of Filter Cake against Z. subfasciatus on common bean, and the other experiment on the effect of...
Comparison of laboratory methods in predicting the lime requirement of acid soil in Wombera District, North western Ethiopia
June 2020
Soil acidity is one of the major constraints of crop production in the Ethiopian highlands where precipitation is high enough to leach basic cations leaving the soil acidic. Liming is the major practice used to ameliorate the problem of soil acidity. Currently farmers use Ag lime in their fields to reduce soil acidity. However, the suitability of the existing methods of lime requirement (LR) has not yet being...
Assessing landuse effect on soil properties in the Coastal plains sand, Imo State, Nigeria
June 2020
Impacts of landuses [old home garden (HG), oilpalm plantation (OP), fallow arable field (FA), grass lawn (GL)] on physico-chemical properties of an ultisol on a flat in the Coastal plains sand of Imo State, Nigeria were evaluated. Landuse significantly (at 5%) influenced the properties sand, organic matter (OM) content, soil reaction (pH), exchangeable cations Ca, Mg, K, exchangeable acidity (Al+H), effective cation...
Analysing chicken meat production comparative advantage of South Africa
June 2020
The study examined the relative efficiency of producing chicken meat in South Africa, in 2017, and its comparative advantage in chicken meat production in Southern African Development Community (SADC). The study used the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) to calculate the net financial and economic profitability, Nominal Protection Coefficient of output (NPCO), Nominal Protection Coefficient of input (NPCI), Effective...
Effects of pre-rice cassava/legume intercrops and weed management practices on weed dynamics and yield of low land rice in Badeggi, Nigeria
June 2020
The effects of cassava/legume intercrop-rice relay and weed management practices on weed infestation, growth and yield of rice were investigated at Badeggi, Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria in 2011 to 2013 cropping seasons. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of cassava (IIT 427) intercrop with: Mucuna or Velvet bean [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.], Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], Soybean [Glycine max...
Perception and uptake of aquaculture technologies in Kogi state, central Nigeria: imperative for Improved Management practices for sustainable aquaculture development
June 2020
The drivers of perception and adoption of aquaculture innovations were studied. Data obtained from 300 aquaculture operators, were analyzed using Heckman Probit sample selection model. Results revealed that perception and adoption of aquaculture innovations were high. Education (a=0.281), extension contact (a=0.149), experience (a=0.021), gender (a=0.440) and information source (a=0.145) increased the likelihood of...
Fertilizer-nitrogen use optimization for Tef in South Wollo Zone of Ethiopia
June 2020
Tef [Eragrotis tef] is a major staple cereal crop in Ethiopia but yields are low due to inadequate nutrient supply and other constraints. A field study was conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Jamma district of South Wollo Zone of Amhara Region to determine the economic optimum rate of fertilizer-N for tef. Fertilizer-N rates of 0, 23, 46, 69, 92, 115 and 138 kg ha-1 were evaluated. The randomized complete block design with...
Role of leaf rolling on agronomic performances of durum wheat subjected to water stress
June 2020
In arid and semi-arid climates characterized by low rainfall with a great annual and inter-annual irregularity, drought can occur at any time inducing large losses in crop yield. Leaf rolling is one of the adaptive morphological responses to the water deficit observed in a number of species including cereals. It reduces the leaf area exposed to sunlight and transpiration. The aim of the present work was to characterize...
Potential of reduced agricultural lime application rates to increase yield and profitability of maize through microdosing in central Malawi - A short note
June 2020
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food crop in Malawi, with average yields of 1.8 -2.2 t ha-1 compared to potential yields of 5 to 10 t ha-1. In some areas, soil acidity is a serious constraint in crop production. The current recommendation is to apply 2.0 t ha-1 of lime as pre-plant broadcast and incorporated into soils with pHW < 5.5. A pilot study was conducted during 2015/2016 season at Bunda Campus (14° 35...
Severity and prevalence of the destructive fall armyworm on maize in Uganda: A case of Bulambuli District
June 2020
Maize kernel contains a large quantity of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, oils, fats and competes favorably with root and tuber crops as a rich energy source. In Uganda, the per capita consumption ranges from 28 to 125 kg per annum. However, the yields remain low, fluctuating around 1.5 tons per hectare. Although some losses to maize production occur through the post-harvest period, pre-harvest factors such as biotic...
Promotion of rice growth and productivity as a result of seed inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense
June 2020
The present study refers to the results obtained in four experiments carried out in the 2015/2016 crop: Toledo/PR; Palotina/PR; Cascavel/PR; and São Miguel do Iguaçu/PR. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of Azospirillum brasilense (pest strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6) in four distinct rice culture regions (Oryza sativa L.). The tests were performed to meet the...
Effects of combined salt and flooding stresses on the growth and physiological behavior of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
June 2020
The present work focused on evaluation of the physiological and metabolic behavior of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., var. Siriver), when faced with two important ecosystems constraints, namely salinity and flooding-associated hypoxia. After germination, seedlings in symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti were grown on different salt concentrations (0, 20 and 50 mM NaCl). At four weeks post-germination, plants were...
Production of liquid fertilizer by fermented livestock liquid and application on crops
June 2020
The livestock liquid commonly contains humic acid, amino acids and minerals; hence, it can be used for the fertilization of crops. These studies were conducted to examine the use of livestock fermented liquid in producing liquid fertilizers and irrigation application on two kinds of crops (tomato and wax apple). The experiments were designed as common liquid fertilizer and diluted by groundwater (CF), fermented...
Inoculant production of Pisolithus sp. in submerged culture under agitation
May 2020
Ectomycorrhizal fungi inoculation can increase the sustainability of planted forests hence the inoculant production should be optimized. The objective of this study was to determine the agitation speed and time of growth for maximum production of mycelium of D216 isolate of Pisolithus sp. The treatments were established by factorial 6x3, being six agitation conditions and three different times (days) of growth. The...
Gender roles and constraints in the aquaculture value chain in Western Kenya
May 2020
Aquaculture plays a critical role in food and nutrition security, economic empowerment and creation of employment opportunities for millions of people. However, the beneï¬ts from aquaculture are not evenly distributed between men and women due to gender-based constraints which limit maximum returns. The present study investigated gender roles and constraints in the aquaculture value chain in Western Kenya. A household...
Determinants of sorghum productivity among small-scale farmers in Siaya County, Kenya
May 2020
The productivity of sorghum in Kenya is on decline despite sorghum being one of the suitable crops for the arid and semi-arid areas commonly found in Kenya. The study therefore aimed at establishing the effect of the selected socio-economic factors on sorghum productivity using a case of small-scale farmers in Siaya County. The four sub-counties considered for this study were selected on the basis of sorghum production....
Effects of variable light intensities on seedling photomorphorgenesis and field performances of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon ‘Lindo F1)
May 2020
Six tomato (Solanum lycopersicon ‘Lindo F1) nursery shades and no shade control were evaluated for their effects on seedling photomorphogenesis and field performances as influenced by variable light transmission through the shades. The shades were constructed with wooden frames and different coloured polyethylene sheets as cover (roof). Different polyethylene colours showed varying effects on all the parameters...
Yield increase of soybean inoculated with a commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculant in Brazil
May 2020
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in plant growth. However, there are no records of the use of AMF-based inoculants in agricultural crops in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of a commercial inoculant containing the AMF Rhizophagus intraradices in combination with phosphate fertilization in soybean under different edaphoclimatic conditions in Brazil....
Evaluation of genotype × environment interaction effect on performance of garlic (Allium sativum L.) genotypes in Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia using AMMI and GGE biplot analysis
May 2020
Garlic is the major bulb crop next to onion in Ethiopia. Lack of stable and high yielding cultivars is one of the major problems for production and productivity of garlic in the country. Identification of adaptable, stable and high yielding genotypes under varying environmental conditions prior to release as a cultivar is the first steps for plant breeding. Therefore, developing high yielding and stable varieties is the...
Mitigating loan default in Nigeria through joint liability approach: The case of beneficiaries of microfinance bank agricultural loan in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria
May 2020
Due to persistent increase in loan default in developing countries especially Nigeria, several lending institutions resort to group lending that is based on joint liability approach to mitigate default. This study analyzes the mitigation of loan default in Nigeria through joint liability approach: The case of beneficiaries of microfinance bank agricultural loan in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State. It...
Effects of land use on soil physicochemical properties at Barkachha, Mirzapur District, Varanasi, India
May 2020
Types of land use practice significantly affect the soil physico-chemical properties. Four different land use types were selected (natural forest, bamboo plantation, degraded forest and agricultural land) to analyze the effect of land uses change on soil chemical and physical properties. Among all land use pattern, the highest water holding capacity (40.06±0.74%), porosity (0.539±0.011%), soil...
Technical efficiency in tomato production among smallholder farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya
May 2020
The study was conducted to assess tomato productivity and determine characteristics that influence technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in Kirinyaga County using the production function approach. Data were collected by administering structured questionnaires to a sample of 384 respondents randomly selected from six wards using multistage stratified and probability proportionate to size sampling procedures. The...
Evaluation of chemical and elemental constituents of Centella asiatica leaf meal
May 2020
Medicinal plants include various types of plants used in herbalism or herbal medicine. It is the use of plants for medicinal purposes, and the study of such uses. The use of medicinal plants is gaining popularity all over the world; hence the need to exploit various plant that could be of economic importance to both man and animal. Centella asiatica is one of such plants that are underutilized. Therefore, investigating...
Inoculation of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi based bio-fertilizers for improvement of maize productivity in Central Benin
May 2020
The response of maize to a composite inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in fields in Central Benin was evaluated. The 2000 SYNEE maize variety underwent 3 AMF groups involved in treatments namely: T1 = "Control (AMF and fertilizer free)"; T2 = "Glomeraceae"; T3 = Acau "Acaulosporacea"; T4 = Diversi " Diversisporaceae"; T5 = "50% NPK + Urea"; T6 =...
Selenium in Caprine feeding, its transference to the milk and relation with other minerals
May 2020
The experiment was performed in the campus of the State University of Alagoas, in Santana do Ipanema, in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. This work is aimed at studying the transferences of Se from animals’ food to milk in various levels of offers and its correlations with Ca, P, Mg and soluble Fe. The work also analyzed the somatic cells counts, total bacteria count and chemical composition of milk: Fat,...
Phytophthora seedling blight disease of cacao and its control measures
May 2020
Symptoms of Phytophthora seedling blight disease of cacao were found on 3 weeks old cacao seedlings at the nursery of Seed Production Division of Ghana Cocoa Board in New Tafo-Akim during routine surveys of cacao diseases in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Survey of seedlings in the nursery was conducted to determine disease incidence (DI). Heat sterilization of soil and drenching with Ridomil Gold plus 66 WP (6%...
Agro-morphological response of some groundnut genotypes (Arachis hypogaea L.) in water deficit conditions
May 2020
Groundnut is a crop that can be grown under varied production conditions (in intercropping or rotation with cereals). In Niger, the production of groundnut is decreasing over the year due to drought and low soil nutrients. In this work, an agro-morphological evaluation of five groundnut genotypes (55-437, ICG12697, ICG4750, JL24 and ICG8751) under water deficit was carried out in order to identify the best performing...
Assessment and characterization of mung bean (Vigna radiata) bacterial brown spot in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia
May 2020
Mung bean is one of the major early maturing pulse crop grown all over the world including Ethiopia. The production of the crop in Ethiopia, however, suffers from many diseases caused by bacteria. The study aims to assess the intensity and identify the major foliar bacterial and fungal pathogens of the crop. Purposively, 3 districts and randomly 90 mung bean fields were surveyed during the study period....
Evaluation of maize (Zea mays L.) performance under minimum and conventional tillage practice in two distinct agroecological zones of Uganda
May 2020
Maize is one of the major staple foods in Uganda, providing over 40% of Uganda’s daily calorie consumption. Tillage practice is one of the crucial factors that influence crop productivity through maintenance of soil health. The aim of this study therefore is to validate the effect of tillage practice on the vegetative growth and yield of maize in Uganda. The trial was established on-station at Ngetta Zonal...
Role of farmers’ organizations (FOs) in the strengthening of the technical and organizational capacities of farmers in Mezam Division of the North West Region of Cameroon
May 2020
This study was carried out from January 2018 to March 2019 in Mezam Division of the North West Region of Cameroon on the role of farmers organization (FOs) in the strengthening of the technical and organizational capacities of farmers, particularly the case of the Program for the Improvement of Competiveness of Family Agro-pastoral Farms (PCP-ACEFA) and the North West Farmers’ Organization (NOWEFOR). The objective...
Nitrogen value of stockpiled cattle manure for crop production
May 2020
Cattle manure is a common source of fertilizer throughout Sub-Saharan Africa given problems with supply and pricing of inorganic fertilizers. The optimum rate of manure to use is often unknown and further compounded by variable N contents arising from long periods of stockpiling. This study investigated the rates of cattle manure required to optimize plant growth at different N contents arising from different storage...
Risk assessment of the economic efficiency of rubber production: Case of smallholder rubber production in QuangBinh Province, Vietnam
May 2020
The paper reviews the economic risk of rubber production due to fluctuations of input factors, product price, natural disasters, epidemics, interest rates, and market demand. The data collected in this work were analyzed with accounting of production costs methods and accounting results and production efficiency method, benefit-cost analysis, sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis. QuangBinh, a province in Vietnam...
Potential causes of postharvest losses, low-cost cooling technology for fresh produce farmers in Sub-Sahara Africa
May 2020
The aim of this review was to identify the causes of postharvest losses (PHL) in fruit and vegetables in relation to small-scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The reduction of PHL can improve food security at household level. Farmers involved in small-scale production of fresh produce experience high PHL due to physiological deterioration associated with technical, biological and environmental factors and lack...
Initiation of callus from different genotypes of Sorghum bicolor L. Moench
April 2020
The study aimed to examine three genotypes of sorghum for their response in tissue culture using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with auxins (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)) and cytokinins (Kinetin, 6-benzyle amino purine (BAP)) at different concentrations. The cultures were initiated from different explants (seed, embryo and hypocotyl). The response of explants...
The response of pigs to diets containing varying levels of cocoa placenta meal (CPM) supplemented with an exogenous enzyme complex
April 2020
A nineteen-week experiment was conducted to establish the effects of an enzyme supplementation on growth performance, economics of production, carcass components and blood profile of pigs fed diets containing different levels of cocoa placenta meal (CPM). Twenty-five Large White grower pigs with mean initial live weight of 15.4 kg were randomly allocated to five treatments: T1 (0% CPM), T2 (5% CPM), T3 (10% CPM), T4...
Lime requirements for bean production on two contrasting soils of Lake Victoria Crescent agro-ecological zone
April 2020
In East Africa, research has indicated that N, P and soil acidity are the major production constraints to common bean production. The optimum pH for bean production in tropical soils ranges from 5.8 to 6.5. But in Uganda, 23% of beans are grown in soils with pH below 5.0. Research conducted on common bean production is mainly about the major nutrients and information about lime requirements to address soil acidity in...
New microchondrometer to measure hectoliter weight in small samples of wheat
April 2020
The hectoliter weight or test weight is an important wheat quality parameter for international trade and is traditionally evaluated on devices with a volume of 250, 500, 1000 or 1100 ml. At the experimental level, especially in crop improvement and in greenhouse studies, the amount of grain is often insufficient to determine hectoliter weight. The present work aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a new 15.30 ml...
Assessment of physicochemical properties of Besease wetland soils, Ghana
April 2020
The shallow and erodible soils of low fertility uplands have led to farmers extending their cultivable areas to wetlands for optimal crop production since these systems have the potential for exploitation in the dry season. To ensure its sustainable use, the physicochemical and the hydrological characteristics of the valley bottom should be ascertained. Studies were conducted to assess the suitability of wetlands for...
Vertical versus horizontal expansion of food security crops in Sudan: A causality analysis of 1961-2017
April 2020
This research used FAO statistical data to test the causality between production, area and yield for Sudan’s three major food crops; sorghum, wheat and millet. Results indicated a sizable gap in yield between Sudan and some selected top producing countries for the selected crops. Two-way causality was observed from production to area and vice versa for sorghum crops, accentuating horizontal expansion, while the...
Integrated management of Meloidogyne incognita in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) through botanical and intercropping
April 2020
Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, is the major limiting factor in tomato production in many regions of the world, including Ethiopia. Hence, there is a need for development of root-knot nematode management methods that are cheap and environmentally friendly. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with an objective to evaluate the integrated effect of botanicals and intercropping against M. incognita on tomato....
Contribution of parkland agroforestry in supplying fuel wood and its main challenges in Tigray, Northern, Ethiopia
March 2020
Agroforestry is an aged practice in the Ethiopian farming systems of which parkland trees comprise the large part of agricultural landscapes. It is also the most dominant agroforestry practice in the semi-arid and sub-humid zones of Ethiopia. However, there is lack of research based evidence that shows the contribution of parkland agroforestry on fulfilling households’ fuel wood demand and towards improving the...
Interaction effect between Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici on selected tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes
March 2020
Development of diseases in cultivated crops depends on the complex inter-relationship between host, pathogen and prevailing environmental conditions. The significant role of nematodes in the development of nematode–fungus interaction is demonstrated in many crops throughout the world. However, there is scanty research information in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to: (i) investigate...
Effective policies to mitigate food waste in Qatar
March 2020
This paper highlighted food waste as one of the biggest threats to food security that put pressure on the natural resources and limit the ecological capacity of land of Qatar to continue providing renewable resources. Climate change, desertification of farmland, water shortages, soil degradation and arable land per capita decline are the main characteristics of the state of Qatar. This arid and semi-arid environment...
Technical efficiency and its determinants in sugarcane production among smallholder sugarcane farmers in Malava sub-county, Kenya
March 2020
The aim of the study was to determine the farm level technical efficiency and its determinants among smallholder sugarcane farmers in Malava Sub-county, Western Kenya. Primary data were collected using questionnaires from a sample of 384 farmers through systematic random sampling. The study applied stochastic frontier analysis and Tobit regression analysis using computer software STATA. The results found that...
Production of banana bunchy top virus (BBTV)-free plantain plants by in vitro culture
March 2020
Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) caused by the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) is one of the most important banana diseases in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study focused on the production of BBTV-free plantain seedlings from infected banana plants. A total of 10 suckers from the French plantain Litete (Musa AAB) and the False Horn plantain Libanga Likale (Musa AAB) with advanced BBTD symptoms were collected....
Influence of supplementary hoe weeding on the efficacy of ButaForce for lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) weed management
March 2020
Field experiments to determine the influence of supplementary hoe weeding on the efficacy of ButaForce (N-(butoxymethyl)-2-chloro-N-2,6-dimethyl acetanilide) for low land rice (Oryza sativa L.) weed management was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Port Harcourt during the early cropping seasons of 2018 and 2019. Seven treatments were used for the experiment...
Selection efficiency of yield based drought tolerance indices to identify superior sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes under two-contrasting environments
March 2020
Drought is the most significant environmental calamity on sorghum in Ethiopia and hence improving yield under drought is a major goal of plant breeding. This study was designed to introgress drought tolerant genes into adapted varieties through marker-assisted backcrossing and select based on tolerance indices. Sixty-one backcrossed lines and along with their nine parental lines were evaluated under full-irrigation and...
Influence of clam shells and Tithonia diversifolia powder on growth of plantain PIF seedlings (var. French) and their sensitivity to Mycosphaerella fijiensis
March 2020
Plantain prices in sub-Saharan markets are very high due to the fact that the supply does not cover the large demand. The main constraint of plantain cultivation is the seedlings unavailability in quantity and quality, which is essential to boost the creation of new plantations. The PIF technique could solve this problem if its substrate of production is amended with natural products for quality enhancement. This study...
Ultraviolet B radiation affects growth, physiology and fiber quality of cotton
March 2020
The effects of artificial biologically effective UV-B radiation on a range of growth and physiological parameters in two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars (Romanos and Allegria) were recorded. Three levels of biologically effective UV-B were used: (1) zero (2) ambient and (3) elevated (determined as that associated with a notional 15% depletion of stratospheric ozone). Plants were grown under artificial light in...
Effect of time of Azolla incorporation and inorganic fertilizer application on growth and yield of Basmati rice
March 2020
Azolla tissue contains 5% N, which is slowly released into the soil upon decomposition. Timing of incorporation is therefore important for maximum benefit to a crop. The effect of time to incorporate Azolla biomass on growth and yield of rice was investigated in Mwea-Kenya. Treatments consisted of 7.5 t ha-1 Azolla biomass applied at transplanting, 7.5 t ha-1 Azolla applied at 21 days after transplanting (DAT) and 30 kg...
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