African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6900

AJAR Articles

Effects of seed tuber size on growth and yield performance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties under field conditions

September 2018

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food and cash crop in Ethiopia; serving, as a food security crop due to its nutrition content, wider adaptability and early maturing behavior. However, the yield of the crop is constrained by a number of factors. Among which unspecified seed tuber size and limited availability and distribution of improved varieties are among the important limiting factors. A field experiment...

Author(s): Sadik Ebrahim, Hussien Mohammed and Tewodros Ayalew  

Determination of tomato drying conditions with solar energy family type shelf dryer

September 2018

In this study, working parameters of the system consisting of air heaters and dryer with solar energy of 0.20 m2 with a space of 0.72 m2 and 10 pieces in the cabin were investigated experimentally. Average atmospheric air temperature and relative humidity values during the dry daylight hours were measured at 49°C and 35%, respectively. As a result of the examination of the test results, the atmospheric air...

Author(s): Bekir YELMEN  

Bioactivity and phenolic composition of extracts of noni (Morinda citrifolia L., Rubiaceae) in tomato moth (Tuta absoluta Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

September 2018

We evaluated the bioactivity of Morinda citrifolia L., Rubiaceae on Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and quantified the phenolic components. Ethanolic extracts of leaves and fruits were used in five concentrations (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 mg / L). The leaves of the plants were immersed in the solution (10 s) and placed in contact with five caterpillars of the same instar in Petri dishes. The caterpillars...

Author(s): Rubens Pessoa de Barros, Ligia Sampaio Reis, João Gomes da Costa, Amanda Lima Cunha , Isabelle Cristina Santos Magalhães, Claudio Galdino da Silva, Aldenir Feitosa dos Santos, Jhonatan David Santos das Neves, Adriana Guimarães Duarte, Gabriela Souto Vieira de Mello, Johnnatan Duarte de Freitas, Jonas dos Santos Sousa and Simone Paes Bastos Franco  

Agronomic effectiveness of water hyacinth-based composts

September 2018

Because water hyacinth-based compost contains substantial amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) its application can boost crop production. We evaluated the agronomic performance of water hyacinth - based composts using field experiments and five treatments which were; water hyacinth compost made using cattle manure (WH+CM), poultry manure (WH+PM), molasses (WH+MO), water hyacinth alone (WH alone) and...

Author(s): Dennis Beesigamukama, Alice Amoding-Katusabe, John Baptist Tumuhairwe, John Muoma, John M. Maingi, Omwoyo Ombori, Josephine Nakanwagi  and Dative Mukaminega

Use of renewable energy resources in agriculture the case of Turkey

September 2018

The rapid growth in the world economy has led to significant increases in energy demand. However, due to the limited formation of fossil fuel reserves such as petroleum, coal and natural gas, and the damage they cause to the environment,it has brought the trend towards renewable energy sources.The main renewable energy sources that can be effectively utilized in agriculture sector are; solar, biomass, geothermal and...

Author(s): Bekir Yelmen  

The use of Information Communication and Technology in advancement of African agriculture

September 2018

Food security in Africa continues to be a big a challenge and one of the key constraints is lack of information on many facets of agricultural research and development to the key sector stakeholders. However, in recent years a wide range of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) platforms and mechanisms have been used across Africa in enhancement of exchange of agricultural related information for increased...

Author(s): Dionysious Kiambi  

Impact of shade on morpho-physiological characteristics of coffee plants, their pests and diseases: A review

September 2018

Traditionally, coffee plant has been considered as a shade demanding species and intolerant of direct sunlight, although it performs well without shade. Still controversy result and recommendation have been reported among investigators in the optimal shading level for coffee growth. This controversy will probably continue endlessly until the effects of shade up on the performance of morphology and physiology of the...

Author(s): Biruk Ayalew  

Diallel analysis in Citrullus mucosospermus (Fursa) for fruit traits

September 2018

For the estimation of genetic parameters (such as heterosis effect, potence ratio, combining ability and reciprocal effects) of five fruit traits, in order to suggest breeding strategies in Citrullus mucosospermus (Fursa), a field trial was carried out at Kononfla city in Western Côte d’Ivoire using 4x4 full diallel. All 12 F1 hybrids and their parents were planted in a randomized complete block design with...

Author(s): Kouakou Fulgence BROU, Raoul Sylvère SIE, Koffi ADJOUMANI, Yao Didier Martial SARAKA, Badie Arnaud KOUAGO and Cynthia Deborah ADAHI  

Combining ability of selected maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines for major diseases, grain yield and selected agronomic traits evaluated at Melko, South West Oromia region, Ethiopia

September 2018

The genetic potentials of resistance to turcicum leaf blight (TLB), grey leaf spot (GLS), and common rust (CR) disease, grain yield and selected agronomic trait were studied in 45 F1 hybrids from a half diallel following Griffing’s Model 1, Method 4. The 45 hybrids excluding parents were evaluated in 5 × 9 alpha lattice designs with three replications. The study was carried out at Jimma Agricultural Research...

Author(s): Gemechu Nedi, Leta Tulu, Sentayehu Alamerew and Dagne Wakgery  

Hot water immersion disinfests enset (Ensete ventricosum) suckers from the enset root mealybug Cataenococcus ensete Williams and Matile-Ferrero

September 2018

The enset root mealybug, Cataenococcus ensete Williams and Matile-Ferrero (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) is a pest of national significance attacking enset in south and south-western Ethiopia. Adults and nymphs of several overlapping generations feed on the crops’ underground corms and roots, making them hard to reach and thus control. The main means of pest spread is through infested planting material. The objective...

Author(s): Sisay Lemawork, Ferdu Azerefegne, Tameru Alemu, Temesgen Addis and Guy Blomme  

Analysis of a bacterial community structure and the diversity of phzF gene in samples of the Amazonian Dark Earths cultivated with cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Wald]

September 2018

It is important to understand the Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) diversified microbial communities which colonize agricultural soils and interact with plants, allowing a more sustainable way of soil utilization. Genomic prospection of biotechnological interest, such as the phenazine biosynthesis genes, was carried out by the characterization of the bacterial community structure through the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene in...

Author(s): Rosineide C. de Souza, Fabiana de S. Cannavan, Luís I. B. Kanzaki, Lucas W. Mendes, Beatriz M. Ferrari, Rogério E. Hanada and Siu M. Tsai  

A study of poultry farms in Enugu State Nigeria and mapping of their mechanization needs using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS)

September 2018

Poultry has been identified by the World Bank funded Commercial Agricultural Development Program (CADP) as a value chain in the agricultural sector of Enugu State and thus has the potential for commercial agriculture. This work has investigated poultry farms in three production cluster areas in Enugu State namely: Emene (in Enugu East) located on 6.523815°N, 7.4151535°E and 1236 ft; Ngwo (in Enugu North/Udi)...

Author(s): Ozoemena A. Ani, B. B. Uzoejinwa, N. K. Alameze and E. U. Ezugwu  

Opportunities and challenges of Islamic microfinance in livestock production: An evidence from Syria

September 2018

Islamic rural microfinance represents the confluence of three rapidly growing activities: microfinance, Islamic finance and agricultural development. It has the potential to not only respond to unmet demand but also to combine the Islamic social principle of caring for the less fortunate with microfinance’s power to provide financial access to the poor people involved in rural farming. This paper aims to analyze...

Author(s): Salwa Almohamed and Darwish Cheikh  

Alellopathic effects of aqueous extracts from Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Ex J. C. Wendl. on seed germination and vigor from Lactuca sativa

September 2018

The aim of this work was to evaluate allelopathic effects of aqueous extracts from Bambusa vulgaris leaves and culm on Lactuca sativa L. germination. Plant material was collected at Dois Irmãos State Park in Recife, Brazil, and analysis was performed at Laboratory of Forest Seeds Analysis at Rural Federal University of Pernambuco. Experiments were conducted under natural conditions using leaf and culm extracts at...

Author(s): Danielle Roballo de Moura, Emmanoella Costa Guaraná Araujo, César Henrique Alves Borges, Luan Henrique Barbosa Araújo, Tarcísio Viana de Lima, Thiago Cardoso Silva and Camila Costa da Nóbrega  

Effect of planting dates and spacing on growth and flowering of French marigold Sel. ‘FM – 786’

September 2018

The present study was carried out in an experimental farm in the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.) during March to December, 2010. The experiment was laid out in split plot design, comprising of eight different planting dates and two spacing, (viz., 30 × 20 cm and 30 × 30 cm) as sub-plot treatment at monthly intervals...

Author(s): Pratibha, C., Gupta, Y. C., Dhiman, S. R. and Gupta, R. K.  

Modeling of hypsometric distribution of Handroanthus heptaphyllus seedlings in different containers

September 2018

Hypsometric information of seedlings allows greater assertiveness of silvicultural decisions in nurseries. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different Probability Density Functions (PDF) to estimate and compare the height distribution of Handroanthus heptaphyllus seedlings in different cultivation containers. One hundred and thirty one seedlings were produce in two types of containers; 81 units in tubes and...

Author(s): Bruno Oliveira Lafetá, Renolde Rodrigues, Tamires Mousslech Andrade Penido and Patrícia Lage

Identification and estimation of the sugarcane production potential of Mozambique

September 2018

Identifying the potential areas that can produce sugarcane is extremely important, especially for developing countries. Most of the territories in Mozambique have soils with high and medium agricultural potential but are hampered by water conditions. Therefore, irrigation is the only solution to ensure certainty in agricultural production. In addition, to set up new business a minimum of infrastructure is required, like...

Author(s): Rafael Aldighieri Moraes, Edgar Gomes Ferreira de Beauclair, Felipe Haenel Gomes, Marcelo Melo Ramalho Moreira and Rui da Maia  

Evapotranspiration and crop coefficient for Radish under protected cultivation

September 2018

The objective of this study was to evaluate the real crop evapotranspiration and radish crop coefficient, “Crimson Gigante” cultivar, for different phenological stages under protected cultivation. The research was performed from March to April 2015 in pots arranged in greenhouse located at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG). Dripping irrigation system was used for plants irrigation and the...

Author(s): P. F. Silva, R. M. Matos, M. O. Pereira, A.P. Melo Junior, J. Dantas Neto and V. L. A. Lima  

Broadcast and in line application of phosphorus in soils with different densities

September 2018

The efficiency of broadcast versus in line phosphate fertilization has been studied; however, soil density as a determining factor for soil efficiency has been less studied.  Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of broadcast and in line phosphate fertilization in soil with different densities on corn development. The experiment was conducted in pots under greenhouse condition. A completely...

Author(s): Luciano de Souza Maria, Ivone da Silva Neves, Henildo de Souza Pereira, Guilherme Ferreira Ferbonink, Gustavo Caione and Flavia de Bastos Agostinho  

Reaction of watermelon accessions to Meloidogyne enterolobii

September 2018

Identification of resistant germplasms is crucial for crop breeding. The aim of this study was to determine the reaction of accessions of watermelon plants to Meloidogine enterolobii using two experiments. In the first experiment, 20 accessions were evaluated, and in the second, the four most promising accessions were selected in the first experiment and two controls. Both experiments were implemented under a completely...

Author(s): José Hamilton da Costa Filho, Manoel Abílio de Queiroz, José Mauro da Cunha Castro, Larissa de Oliveira Fontes, Hailson Alves Ferreira Preston, Tarciana Silva Santos, Nickson Fernandes de Oliveira Carvalho, Saulo Candido de Andrade Silva, Murilo Ferreira dos Santos and Debora Candido  

Soil nitrate, phosphorus and potassium concentration after four years of liquid swine manure application on Tifton 85

September 2018

One major problem of swine production is the huge volume of manure generated; this involve difficulties in proper handling of the residue when applied to the soil, given that such elements can be toxic to the environment. This study examined the vertical movement of the P, K and mineral N in the soil profile cultivated with Cynodon dactylon cv. Tifton 85 which was submitted consecutively to rates of Liquid Swine Manure...

Author(s): Tangriani Simioni Assmann, Alceu Luiz Assmann, Laércio Ricardo Sartor, and Talyta Zortéa  

Productive capacity of Brachiaria brizantha (Syn. Urochloa brizantha) cv. Marandu subjected to liming and nitrogen application

September 2018

This work aims to evaluate production of Brachiaria brizantha (Syn. Urochloa brizantha) cv. Marandu subjected to liming and nitrogen fertilization on climatic conditions in the municipality of Humaitá State of Amazonas, Amazônia, Brazil. For both, pot experiment with soil after sowing was kept in a greenhouse at the Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Education (IEAA / UFAM). Part of the soil pots...

Author(s): Raimundo Nonato Vieira Teixeira, Carlos Eduardo Pereira, Hamilton Kikuti, Bruno Borges Deminicis and Tiago Neves Pereira Valente    

Factors affecting the adoption of agricultural innovations on underutilized cereals: The case of finger millet among smallholder farmers in Kenya

September 2018

Agricultural innovation adoption is fundamental in increasing incomes and food output in developing countries. However, the factors that influence farmers’ decisions to adopt innovations in underutilized crops are not well-documented. Underutilized crops like finger millet have been an alternative form of sustenance for resource-poor farmers especially in arid and semi-arid areas in Kenya. They are more nutritive...

Author(s): Rebecca Jerop, Peter Dannenberg, George Owuor, Patience Mshenga, Paul Kimurto Maximilian Willkomm and Gideon Hartmann  

Response of potato to different soils and fecal matter fertilizers

September 2018

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food and cash crop in Kenya. However, its production has declined over the years due to extensive nutrient mining without adequate replacement. A study was conducted to evaluate the response of potato grown under three soil types (Planosol, Andosol and Acrisol) using three fecal matter fertilizers (FMFs). This included vermicompost, normal compost and dried sludge. In...

Author(s): Kevin N. Juma, Lenah Nakhone, Amos A. O. Musandu, Samuel Nyalala, Joshua O. Ogendo and Lawrence Kimaru  

Performance of varieties of green manure in conventionally used soil

September 2018

The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of different types of summer green manures in conventionally used soil. This research project was carried out in the district of Concepción (Paraguay). A Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used, consisting of four treatments and five repetitions. The treatments were Mucuna pruriens (T1); Canavalia ensiformis (T2); Dolichos lablab (T3) and...

Author(s): Amilcar Isidro Servín Niz, Wilfrido Daniel Lugo Pereira, Derlys Fernando López Ávalos, Alexis Saúl Muñoz Pérez, Modesto Osmar Da Silva Oviedo and Eulalio Morel López  

Allometric relationships and carbon content for biomass-carbon estimation of East African Highland Bananas (Musa spp. AAA-EAHB) cv. Kibuzi, Nakitembe, Enyeru and Nakinyika

September 2018

Globally, interests to increase carbon stocks have gained momentum in both woody and non-woody ecosystems. Despite efforts made to generate appropriate methods to estimate these stocks, most equations developed do not cater for intraspecific variabilities across e.g. species, regions or growth stages; especially in the case of bananas. Therefore, there is need to develop more robust equations to improve on the precision...

Author(s): Daphine Kamusingize, Jackson Mwanjalolo Majaliwa, Everline Komutunga, Susan Tumwebaze, Kephas Nowakunda, Priver Namanya and Jerome Kubiriba  

Rural public policies and the state of smallholders: Recent evidence from Brazil

August 2018

The aim of this article is to characterize the current situation of family farmers or smallholders in Brazil and establish a connection with the rural public policies that exist in the country. This study analyzed the most current available data regarding family farming in Brazil, which included almost 4.7 million smallholders and their characteristics. Two analytical tools for unsupervised learning were combined,...

Author(s): Gabriel Paes Herrera, Fernando Silva Bernardes, Reginaldo Brito da Costa, Benedito Albuquerque da Silva, Dany Rafael Fonseca Mendes and Michel Constantino  

Production performance evaluation of Koekoek chickens at Adami Tulu research center

August 2018

A study was conducted to evaluate the production performance of koekoek chickens at Adami Tulu Research Center. Feed consumption, age at point of laying, annual egg production, mortality, and egg quality parameters were used as evaluation parameters. Mean feed consumption of starter, grower and layer of koekoek chickens at Adami Tulu Research Center was 56.4±4.6, 84.3±6.3 and 124±8.6 g/day,...

Author(s): Tesfa Geleta and Usman Abdulkadir  

Welfare effect of eliminating commodity price volatility: Evidence from Tanzania coffee farmers

August 2018

This paper investigated the welfare consequences of reducing coffee price volatility in Tanzania. GARCH (1,1) model is fitted with monthly coffee prices from 1998 to 2017 to estimate the conditional and unconditional variance of the residual. The coefficient of relative risk aversion and unconditional variance of GARCH (1,1) model are applied in a typical Lucas-like representative argent model to examine the welfare...

Author(s): Godfrey J. Kweka  

Critical variables for estimating productivity in maize as a function of plant population and spacing

August 2018

The objective of this study was to find a group of independent variables that would influence and estimate maize (Zea mays L.) productivity, modeled by multiple linear regression. For that, an experimental delinquency in random order was used in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, from two populations (45,000 and 65,000 ha-1 plants) and two spacings (0.45 and 0.90 m), with 20 replicates. Soil attributes and maize production...

Author(s): Valberto Rômulo Feitosa Pereira, Carlos Alessandro Chioderoli, Elivania Maria Sousa Nascimento, Paulo Ricardo Alves dos Santos, Daniel Albiero, Alexsandro Oliveira da Silva and Walisson Marques Silveira  

Combined agronomic and climatic approaches for sorghum adaptation in Mali

August 2018

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Genotype-Environment interaction plays a key role in formulating strategies for crop improvement. Multi-location trials have created enabling structure to determine varieties yield performance and stability. Crop modeling led to prediction of long-term and spatial effects of climate variability. Three improved varieties were compared to three landraces. Optimum cultivation areas minimizing the...

Author(s): Salifou Sissoko, , Mohamed L. Tékété, , Mamoutou Kouressy, Korotimi Thera, , Yacouba Dembélé, Mohamed Doumbia, Aliou Sissoko, Sékouba Sanogo, Youssouf Diarra, Moussa Samaké, Jean François Rami,  Abdoulaye G. Diallo, Michel Vaksmann, Oumar Niangado and Niaba Témé  

Cinnamon and citronella essential oils in the in vitro control of the fungi Aspergillus sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

August 2018

Among the fungi that cause damage and/or are spread by seeds, Aspergillus sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum stand out, which have a worldwide distribution and a wide range of hosts. A viable and safer option than chemicals would be to use natural compounds for plant disease management. The objective of this study was to evaluate cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) and citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) essential oils in the in...

Author(s): Simone de Paiva Caetano Bucker Moraes, Willian Bucker Moraes, Wanderson Bucker Moraes, Guilherme de Resende Camara, Khétrin Silva Maciel, Paula Aparecida Muniz de Lima, Adésio Ferreira, Rodrigo Sobreira Alexandre and José Carlos Lopes  

Identification of important morphological traits in Mozambican sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] germplasm using multivariate analysis

August 2018

Classification of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] breeding material based on multiple crucial characters is important towards the possible formation of homogeneous groups of genotypes and groups that can be exploited in the identification of parents for use in a breeding program. The objective was to determine the morphological characters that distinguish desirable breeding material and group the genotypes of...

Author(s): Eduardo Mulima, Julia Sibiya, Cousin Musvosvi and Egas Nhamucho,  

Multivariate analysis of phenotypic variability in Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] genotypes from Ethiopia

August 2018

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an important food crop in Ethiopia. The present research was conducted to characterize the phenotypic variability of 68 tef genotypes collected from Ethiopia. Where a Bi-replicated 7×10 alpha lattice design was used to evaluate the 70 tef genotypes at Holetta and Debre Zeit Research Centers during 2015. Based on the results of cluster analysis (CA), genotypes were grouped...

Author(s): Thomas Tsige, Andagrachew Gedebo and Kebebew Assefa  

Foliar application of bio-fertilizers influenced the endogenous concentrations of phytohormones and amino acids in leaves and roots of olive trees (Olea europaea L. cv. Chemlali)

August 2018

The chemical composition of olive leaves and roots of Chemlali variety was evaluated regarding the contents of amino acids and endogenous phytohormones under foliar application of biofertilizers (F1: rich in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K); F2: rich in calcium (Ca); F3: application of F1 and F2). The results of this study demonstrated significant effects of tested fertilizers on the concentrations of amino...

Author(s): Olfa Dabbaghi, Meriem Tekaya,  Sevgi Öden, Tim Willems, Faouzi Attia, Mohamed Hammami, Els Prinsen and  Beligh Mechri  

Handling and utilization pattern of cattle milk and milk products in Northern Ethiopia

August 2018

A study was carried out in Enderta district, northern Ethiopia, with the objective of investigating traditional cattle milk and butter production, off take and traditional handling and utilization pattern of bovine milk and butter. Respondents who have milking cows and experience of dairying were purposively selected for the study. A semi structured questionnaire and checklist were prepared to collect the data through...

Author(s): Tsadkan Zegeye and Gurja Belay  

Implications of climate change and variability on food security in Kenya

August 2018

This study assessed the impact of climate change and climate variability on food security in Kenya based on a sample size of 270 farmers randomly selected from semi-arid agro-ecological zones in Kenya. Both primary and secondary data were used in the present study. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and regression models. The results revealed that increase in temperature and reduction in rainfall...

Author(s): Irene Nambuya Musebe, Abdi-Khalil Edriss, Beston Billy Maonga, Harwick Tchale, Steven Mbogo and Richard Onyango Musebe  

Herbicidal effects of Datura stramonium (L.) leaf extracts on Amaranthus hybridus (L.) and Tagetes minuta (L.)

August 2018

Evolution of weeds resistant to herbicides demands new solutions to cope with the problem since economic losses generated by weeds can be higher than those caused by insect pests. Bioactive compounds known as allelochemicals have the potential to act as natural herbicides in weed management in agro-ecosystems. Laboratory, pot and greenhouse experiments were carried out to investigate the herbicidal effects of Datura...

Author(s): Nyasha Sakadzo, Innocent Pahla, Simbarashe Muzemu, Ronald Mandumbu and Kasirayi Makaza  

Physiological quality of seeds of shepherd's purse (Zeyheria montana M. Bignoniaceae) as a function of substrate temperature and storage

August 2018

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of different substrates, temperatures and storage conditions on shepherd's purse seed quality. It was evaluated in germination paper substrates Germitest®, vermiculite, sand and Plantmax®, and roller temperatures of 25, 30, 15-25 and 20-30°C. Longevity was measured by the temporal response to different packaging (paper, plastic and aluminum) and...

Author(s): Sara Dousseau Arantes, Izabel de Souza Chaves, Lúcio de Oliveira Arantes, Amauri Alves de Alvarenga, Rafael Costa de Sant’Ana, Dayane Littig Barker, Daniele Freisleben Lavanhole and Sheila Cristina Prucoli Posse  

Farmers’ synergistic selection criteria and practices for livelihood security through the sustainable uses of on-farm Sorghum landrace diversity, Ethiopia

August 2018

The relationships among the multiple criteria that farmers in this study area, the north Shewa and south Wollo regions of Ethiopia, use to select which sorghum landraces to grow were examined in order to assess the extent of synergistic relatedness among them as they fulfilled their roles in meeting the farmers’ goals. Surveys were conducted on 300 randomly selected farmers’ fields during the 2011/2012...

Author(s): Awegechew Teshome, Kenneth Torrance and Laura Breuer  

Agricultural mechanization in small rural properties in the State of Piauí, Brazil

August 2018

The use of machines in the rural sector increases crop productivity in the field, making it essential to use these technologies for a successful rural enterprise in the market. In this way, this study aimed to analyze the current situation of agricultural mechanization in farms of small producers. The study was conducted in State of Piauí, in Brazil with 30 farmers in the region. This was a quantitative and...

Author(s): Antônio Veimar da Silva, Carla Michelle da Silva, Wagner Rogério Leocádio Soares Pessoa, Milena Almeida Vaz, Karine Matos de Oliveira and Francisco Sérgio  Ribeiro dos Santos  

Evaluation of chemical and non-chemical weed control practices on weed communities and maize yield in two agroecological zones of Swaziland

August 2018

Manual weeding, maize-cowpea intercropping, pre-emergence (PRE) and early post-emergence (EPOST) herbicide applications comprised ten weed control practices evaluated in the 2015-16 cropping season on weed species structure and maize (Zea mays L.) yield in the Middleveld and Highveld of Swaziland. The herbicides used were Harness (acetochlor) and Dual Gold (S-metolachlor) as pre-emergence applications and Micro-Tech...

Author(s): T. L. Mncube and H. R. Mloza Banda  

Moisture content, moisture-related properties and agricultural management strategies of the Benue floodplain vertisols in North Cameroon

August 2018

Vertisols are widespread in North Cameroon, but are undercultivated due to difficulties linked to their shrink-swell behaviour under different moisture conditions. Eighteen vertisol samples from five profiles representative of the studied area (Benue floodplain in North Cameroon) were studied to establish a relationship between moisture and physico-chemical characteristics and supplement data for planning sustainable...

Author(s): Primus Azinwi Tamfuh, Emmanuel Djoufac Woumfo, Emile Temgoua, Alexis Boukong and Dieudonné Bitom  

Public policy on the family farming sector in Brazil: Towards a model of sustainable agriculture

August 2018

This study is based on a review of the literature that analyses the repercussions of the principal public policies established for the promotion of the family farming sector in Brazil. In this review, the processes that have contributed to the establishment of these policies are assessed critically, together with their mechanisms and the connections for the evaluation of their contributions to the promotion of...

Author(s): Flaviana Cavalcanti da Silva, Antonio Lázaro Sant’Ana and Ana Heloisa Maia  

Nitrogen fertilization in Oncidium baueri seedling growth

August 2018

This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the nitrogen fertilization in orchid seedling formation. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse environment with a coated polypropylene mesh with retention capacity of 60% of the solar radiation flux at the greenhouse of the Department of Agronomy of State University of Londrina – PR, Brazil. One year old seedlings of the orchid species Oncidium...

Author(s): Jenniffer Aparecida Schnitzer, Osmar Rodrigues Brito and Ricardo Tadeu de Faria  

Evaluation and differential expression of genes conferring drought tolerance in selected maize genotypes in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania

August 2018

Experiments were conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania to assess the growth performance and grain yield of ten maize cultivars under well-watered and water stressed conditions. The ten cultivars (CML 444, CML395, CML539, WE 4107, WE 2112, WE 3102, WE 4112 and WE 4116) obtained from Water Efficiency Maize for Africa (WEMA) project and two local market cultivars (‘STAHA’ and...

Author(s): Gertrude G. Kanyairita, Desmond G. Mortley, George T. Muhamba, Marceline Egnin and Conrad K. Bonsi  

Physical characteristics of colza seeds treated and coated with different filling materials

August 2018

The knowledge about the physical characteristics of seeds, whether coated or not, is essential for the design of machines and equipment. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the physical characteristics of colza (Brassica napus L.) seeds coated with bentonite, gypsum and kaolin, treated with fungicide (carboxin + thiram) and aqueous extract of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.). The untreated colza seeds...

Author(s): Bruno Adelino de Melo, Francisco de Assis Cardoso Almeida, Wilton Pereira da Silva, Josivanda Palmeira Gomes, Juliana Ferreira da Silva, Antonio Jackson Ribeiro Barroso, Jaime José da Silveira Barros Neto, Semirames do Nascimento Silva and Polyana Barbosa da Silva

Yield and water use efficiency of cauliflower under irrigation different levels in tropical climate

August 2018

The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of different irrigation blades on the growth and yield of cauliflower cv. Verona CMS. The plants were cultivated in Red-yellow Latosol during the dry period (winter-spring 2014 and 2015), in the Cerrado-Amazon transition region, Middle-Northern of Mato Grasso State, Brazil. The reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was recorded through the Class A pan method by using...

Author(s): Adilson Pacheco de Souza, Andréa Carvalho da Silva, Adriana Aki Tanaka, Manoel Euzébio de Souza, Mariana Pizzatto, Rafaella Teles Arantes Felipe, Charles Campoe Martim, Brena Geliane Ferneda and Suzana Grassi da Silva  

Comparative analysis of antioxidant activities of different varieties of mangos with some selected fruits

August 2018

Natural antioxidants and secondary metabolites found in vegetables and fruits play significant role in human health. The juices obtained from fruits and vegetables are more convenient to consume than fresh vegetables and fruits. In the current study, the total phenolic, vitamin C, total carotene and B-carotene content and antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables juices were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2picryl...

Author(s): Abdul Ghani Dars, Kai Hu,  Aqleem Abbas  Yashu Chen, Ashfaque Ahmed Khaskheli, Qiudou Liu, Xiaopeng Li, Mamoun A Homaida, Allah Bakhsh Javaid Lakho, Bijun Xie  and Zhida Sun  

A clue for generating a new leucine-rich repeat gene in maize

August 2018

Plant leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins play an important role in cell adhesion and signaling, neuronal development, disease resistance response and pathogen recognition. Therefore, the origin and evolution of the LRR genes had been studied deeply. However, there were no evidence of generating new LRR genes. In this study, the genomic and amino acid sequences of the LRR genes or proteins were aligned based on Maize GDB...

Author(s): Zheng Yang and Kui Xiang  

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