Evaluation of new papaya hybrids
June 2018
To augment a narrow genetic base in papaya, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of new hybrids produced by Caliman Agrícola® S.A. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, with 12 treatments four replications and ten plants per plot. The treatments were the variety THB and the hybrids were CR1 × São Mateus, CR1 × 72/12, CR2 × São Mateus, CR3...
Integrating crop and livestock in smallholder production systems for food security and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa
June 2018
The resource base that ensures food supply and the socio-economic component which depends on this resource base are the two major components that make up the food system in sub-Saharan Africa. The sequence of the food system is organized in a spatial flow framework of biomass base. The components of rural production system consist of food production biomass at homestead and farm level, and often at the communal base...
The effects of drought on rice cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa and its mitigation: A review
June 2018
Drought is the primary cause of yield loss in agriculture throughout the world, and is currently the most common reason for global food shortages. Three-quarter of the most severe droughts in the last ten years have been in Africa, the continent which already has the lowest level of crop production and drought adaptive capacity. The increased incidences of drought and erratic rainfall have thrown small holder farmers in...
Soil organic carbon stock under different land use types in Kersa Sub Watershed, Eastern Ethiopia
June 2018
Understanding and assessing soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) within the framework of greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation is so crucial in combating climate change and enhancing ecological restoration. The goal of this study was to quantify the current SOCS in major land use types in Kersa sub watershed, eastern Ethiopia. Replicated soil samples from 0 to 20, 20 to 40, and 40 to 60 cm depth were collected from...
Effect of seed rate on upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) seedling emergence
June 2018
The most important factor to achieving profitable cotton yields is obtaining a uniform stand of healthy and vigorously growing seedlings. Cotton seedling emergence highly depends on the number of seeds that are planted on the same planting station. The cotton seedling stalk is weak and may fail to push up and crack the soil in order to emerge. Therefore several seedlings put together may use the power of numbers to push...
Efficiency of pre-inoculation of soybeans with Bradyrhizobium up to 60 days before sowing
June 2018
The inoculation of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soybean crops allows the achievement of high crop yield by reducing or eliminating the application of nitrogen fertilizers. Pre-inoculation of seeds can reduce costs and increase the efficacy of this agricultural practice. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of pre-inoculation of soybean seeds with a commercial inoculant of Bradyrhizobium (RIZOLIQ...
Is quantitative genetics still necessary in this age of genomics?
June 2018
Quantitative genetics and genomics are two different disciplines that have separate evolutions. The quantitative genetics has enormous applications and has contributed a lot in four main distinct fields of plant breeding, animal breeding, evolutionary genetics and human genetics. This field is based on study of inheritance patterns and their underlying mechanisms using biometrical or statistical methods. The analysis of...
An agronomic approach to screen sugar and energy cane genotypes for drought tolerance
June 2018
Sugarcane production can be affected by extreme environmental conditions, such as drought stress. This study focused on establishing a screening method to evaluate and select drought tolerant germplasm of Saccharum species. A new drought screening methodology is presented in this paper. A randomized block design experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions with 2 months old seedlings of five genotypes of...
Estimation of amylose, protein and moisture content stability of rice in multi locations
June 2018
Rice quality is measured of the rice grown on different five locations by an auto grain analyzer. Auto Grain analyzer works on the Near-Infrared transmittance (720 - 1100 nm). Protein, amylose and moisture contents of the rice samples of 9 fine lines were tested. Different environment tested entries were evaluated and found that all the values have highly significant effect of environment and genotypes. The environment...
Climate analysis for agricultural improvement of the Economic Community of West African States according to Köppen and Thornthwaite
June 2018
The Economic Community of West African States (also known as ECOWAS from its name in French: Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine) is composed of eight countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. This study is restricted to ECOWAS because it stems from a survey mission headed by the second author and aims to characterize the climate of the territory...
Response of taro (Colocasia esculenyta (L.)) to variation in planting density and planting dates on growth, radiation interception, corm and cormels yield in Southern Ethiopia
June 2018
Taro production is mainly affected by agroecology, planting time and planting density. To this effect, a field study was conducted to determine influences of planting density and planting dates on growth, radiation interception and yields of taro (Colocasia esculenyta (L.)). The experiment was conducted using four levels of planting density (15037, 19607, 26666 and 38461 plants ha-1) and four planting dates from...
The effect of velvet bean (Mucuna cinerea) extract on seedling growth of winter cereals
June 2018
Some plants can have a beneficial or harmful effect on the germination and growth of other plants. This is known as the allelopathic effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of velvet bean (Mucuna cineruim) aqueous extract on germination and initial seedling growth of three winter cereals: white oat (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). The...
An on-farm comparison of the agronomics and economics of irrigated maize production systems in the Somali Deyr season
June 2018
Domestic production only supplies half of Somalia’s cereal requirements and more than half of the country’s population is considered food insecure. In this study, the Somali Agriculture Technical Group (SATG) used an on-farm participatory research approach to compare the economic viability and plant yield parameters of an improved maize production system (SATG system) with those of the traditional...
What factors influence performance of farmer groups? A review of literature on parameters that measure group performance
June 2018
Farmers form and participate in groups in order to benefit socially and economically through collective activities. However, membership in groups alone is not enough to facilitate improvement of livelihoods, owing to the fact that only successful groups would be able to fully exploit their potential and meet the interests of their members. Understanding group performance is therefore a pertinent issue among social...
Effect of splitting nitrogen fertilization on Tifton 85: Yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen nutritional status of plants and soil
May 2018
This two year study aims to verify the necessity of splitting nitrogen (N) fertilization by assessing the effect of different N fertilization strategies (split and not split), on cultivated Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) accumulation rate and total dry matter (DM) production, as well as quantifying the levels of nitrate (NO3) in Red Dystrophic Oxisol. Research was carried out at the experimental unit of the Agronomic...
Plant cover management and nitrogen fertilization in maize crop in a dystrophic red Latosol Brazilian Cerrado (Savannah)
May 2018
An experiment was conducted in the agricultural year 2014/2015, aiming to evaluate the management of anticipated nitrogen fertilization, applied with a slow-release source in maize crop with two plant covers, in a Dystrophic Red Latosol. Matching the Oxisols in Soil Taxonomy and Ferralsols FAO/United States WRB (Unesco soil classification and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources. Pennisetum glaucus (Pennisetum...
Nutritive potential of amaranth weed grains
May 2018
Amaranthus is a species with immense potential; however, information on its nutritional properties is limited, though widely cultivated in some countries. The objective of this work is to characterise the grains of three species of Amaranthus sp. aiming at their food potential, comparing two species considered as weed with a commercially grown species. The selected materials were cultivated and submitted to the same...
Can early peroxidase quantification detect graft-compatible in anonaceous rootstocks?
May 2018
This study aimed to quantify the class III peroxidase activity in young plants of different species belonging to Annonaceae botany family, with high potential as a rootstock, for early detection of graft-compatible atemoya (Annona x atemoya Mabb.). The experimental design was randomized block, that evaluated the species araticum-de-terra-fria (Annona emarginata (Schltdl.) H. Rainer ‘variety terra-fria’),...
Characterization and evaluation of volatile compounds of three grape varieties (Vitis labrusca) from the region of Bento Gonçalves – RS
May 2018
In grape must, the aroma is an indication of adequate conservation status. It is able to indicate losses due to thermal degradation, besides representing a great contribution in the properties of the sensorial quality of the grape juices most appreciated by consumers. This study identified the volatile compounds in different must cultivars of Vitis labrusca grapes. The volatile composition was evaluated by the solid...
Harnessing cultivar performance and stability for deploying superior groundnut plant types in the Lake Albert Crescent Zone of Uganda
May 2018
Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are the second most important legume crops after beans, an important source of protein (23 to 25%), fats/oils (40 to 52%) and carbohydrates (10 to 20 %) and widely grown and consumed in Uganda including the Lake Albert Crescent Zone (LACZ). Due to susceptibility of local varieties to groundnut rosette, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) through the National Semi Arid...
In vitro regeneration of Treculia africana Decne. from embryo explants on different nutrients and sucrose conditions
May 2018
The study is essential in reducing germination time of Treculia africana var. inversa. The effect of three different concentrations of sucrose namely 2, 3 and 4% were investigated on the in vitro regeneration of embryo explants of T. africana Decne. on the media of Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Gamborg et al. (B5) respectively without any growth regulator. The experimental design was a 2 × 5 factorial in a...
Determinants of mobile phones usage in sweet potato vine business in Gulu district northern Uganda
May 2018
Seed systems that provide farmers with planting materials may be divided into formal and informal systems. For the sweet potato sector, the informal seed system is the main provider of planting materials to small and medium sized farmers in developing countries. This informal system provides planting materials to smallholder farmers at the right time, place and quantity. However, for it to be effective there must be an...
Major biotic maize production stresses in Ethiopia and their management through host resistance
May 2018
Biotic stresses are recently evolving very rapidly and posing significant yield losses of maize production in Ethiopia. A number of high yielding maize hybrids, initially developed as tolerant/resistant, have been taken out of production due to their susceptibility to major maize diseases. Furthermore, recent disease and insect pest epidemics have clearly shown the importance of breeding maize for biotic stresses and...
Defense response by inter-active bio-protector and chitosan to Sclerotium rolfsii Wilt disease on cowpea, Brazilian Oxisol
May 2018
Pathogenic microorganisms increase enzyme production and plant response, causing injuries and even plant death. Chitosan has shown potential to induce reactions in plant pathogens. An “in vitro” assay determines the action of chitosan and evaluates the optimal concentration to act against (Sclerotium rolfsii). The anti-microbial activity of chitosan and the bio-protector produced by the inter-active bacteria...
Use of biochar for increased crop yields and reduced climate change impacts from agricultural ecosystems: “Chinese farmers’ perception and adoption strategyâ€
May 2018
Biochar is a carbon-rich product from pyrolysis of biomass at relatively low temperatures in a closed system with limited oxygen. The product has been shown to have economic and environmental benefits, ranging from improved soil moisture retention for carbon sequestration, reduced pollution and dependence on inorganic fertilizers. Additionally, biochar can be produced on-farm by small scale farmers using locally made...
Effects of biochar and gypsum soil amendments on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) dry matter yield and selected soil properties under water stress
May 2018
The effects of amending soil with gypsum and biochar on groundnut chlorophyll concentration, water use efficiency (WUE), biomass yield and selected soil properties were investigated under water stress. Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) was applied at 0 and 200 kg/ha, groundnut shell biochar at 1, 2 and 4% w/w of soil, and water at 100, 70 and 40% of daily plant water requirement (PWR) as main, sub and sub-sub plots, respectively, in...
Use of organic alternatives in the production system of habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) under greenhouse conditions
May 2018
Cultivation of pepper has become the fastest growing practice in recent years, and specifically, habanero pepper which has surpassed its traditional area of ​​cultivation, and has expanded to other areas, conquering the markets of the rest of the country and the world. In the present study, 3 doses of solarized manure (40, 60 and 80 t ha-¹) and an absolute control were evaluated for the production of habanero...
Comparative microscopic observations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi after colonization of five Tunisian olive cultivars
May 2018
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMFs) are known as a symbiotic microorganism which ameliorates growth and tolerance against stressful conditions of their host plants. It is characterized by morphological, physiological and biochemical events that are controlled by the interaction of both plants and fungus. The aim of this research was to evaluate the intensity (M%) and the Arbuscules abundance (A%) of mycorrhizal...
Maize response to doubled-up legumes, compost manure and inorganic fertiliser on smallholder farms in Ntcheu district of Malawi
May 2018
A study was carried out in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 growing seasons in Kandeu and Manjawira Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in Ntcheu district, Central Malawi, to determine maize response to crop residue incorporation from legume cropping systems and compost manure. In 2011/2012 growing season, maize with or without compost manure, sole and intercropped legumes (pigeon pea, groundnut, soyabean and cowpea) were...
Rainfed rice response to fertilizer in the Sudan Savanna of West Africa
May 2018
In West Africa, rice (Oryza sativa L. and Oryza glaberrimaI Steud) production is not meeting current demand. Low yields are attributed to diverse biotic and abiotic constraints including nutrient deficiencies, inadequate agronomic practices, and socio-economic constraints. This study quantified yield and profit responses of rainfed rice produced in the Sudan Savanna of Burkina Faso and Mali to fertilizer N, P, K, and...
Cowpea nutrient responses for Malawi and Tanzania
May 2018
Research was conducted in Malawi and Tanzania to determine cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) grain yield responses to applied P and K, the agronomic and economic efficiency of nutrient application, and the importance of other nutrient deficiencies. Nine site-years of research were conducted. Cowpea did not respond to fertilizer P and K in Malawi. In Tanzania, the yield response to applied P was linear with 21 kg of...
Correlation of climatic factors between the development of tomato cultivars (Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae) with adults of two key pests
May 2018
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae) is a crop has suffered from insect attacks and environmental factors. The objective of this work was to evaluate the correlations of climatic factors and two key pests at the development of cultivars. The study was conducted in Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil, monitored from September 2016 to August 2017. The experimental randomized with five treatments and twelve...
Nutritional and fermentative quality of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) top ensiled with or without urea and molasses
May 2018
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of urea and molasses addition on physical properties, pH, temperature, dry matter loss and chemical composition of sugarcane top (SCT) silage. Treatments were arranged as 2*4 factorial, with two SCT types (green and burnt) and four silage treatment types (without additive, 4% molasses, 1% urea and 1% urea + 4% molasses) in a completely randomized design. Forages were...
Doses of cattle manure and levels of irrigation with wastewater in the cultivation of peppers
May 2018
In areas with water scarcity, recycled water and cow manure in organic substrate makes the cultivation of peppers possible, supplying water and nutrition to pepper. The present research was conducted to evaluate the effect of cattle manure doses and levels of irrigation using wastewater on pepper cultivation (Capsicum frutescens L.). The treatments include: three replacement levels of wastewater treated, based on the...
Nutritional quality of tomatoes as a function of nitrogen sources and doses
May 2018
Vegetable consumers are increasingly demanding high quality products. Among factors that can influence the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, mineral nutrition stands out. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen sources and doses on the nutritional quality of tomato fruits. The experiment was carried out in pots in an experimental area at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa -...
Productivity of Irish potato varieties under increasing nitrogen fertilizer application rates in Eastern Rwanda
May 2018
Irish potatoes are an important crop only promoted in cool and high moist conditions of Rwanda. This study explored the productivity of Irish potatoes varieties under increasing nitrogen fertilizer applications in drier agro-climatic conditions of the eastern Rwanda. Potato seeds mass-selected from locally-grown varieties in the region surrounding Kibungo town (-2.160897°, 30.543591°) were planted under rain-fed...
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic diversity in a set of Burkina Faso cowpea germplasm
May 2018
The potential of cowpea to address food security in Burkina Faso in particular is well established as it is a nutritious, cash and cover crop. However, there is limited information on existing germplasm diversity in Burkina Faso. This study was designed to gather some information on the genetic diversity in a set of cowpea lines introduced from different breeding programs. The diversity was therefore assessed using 181...
On-farm irrigated maize production in the Somali Gu season
May 2018
Domestic production satisfies less than half of Somalia’s cereal requirements. In this study, the Somali Agriculture Technical Group (SATG) evaluated different methods of nitrogen application (Broadcast, Hill, or Row) within an improved irrigated maize production system in Somalia’s Lower Shebelle riverine region. This improved system consisted of the best management practices (BMPs) recommended by SATG...
Productivity of radish fertilized with different doses of bovine manure
May 2018
The application of organic matter to the soil has considerable benefits for agricultural land, including an improvement in the physical structure and fertility of the soil, which can often be extended from one crop to another. Animal manure is one of the most widely-used types of organic fertilizer, due in part to its availability. The present study investigated the productivity of radish exposed to different doses of...
Agro morphological characterization of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and yautia (Xanthosoma mafaffa) in Togo, West Africa
May 2018
Taro and yautia are two edible aroids grown in the humid tropics of Asia, Africa and Latin America and used as staple food crops by millions of people in developing countries. They are mainly propagated vegetatively. Selection and improvement of these crops require characterization using desirable morphological traits for various end-uses. An agro morphological characterization study was conducted at the experimental...
Evaluation of some Musa accessions in field collection at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
May 2018
The study was conducted to characterize and evaluate the agronomic potentials of eight Musa accessions in Ebonyi State University Musa field genebank. Qualitative descriptors were used to characterize the genotypes, while eight growth and yield traits were evaluated. Results indicated that the accessions were similar in thirteen characteristics, but differed in nine traits including pseudostem/foliage pigmentation,...
Evaluation of cassava hybrids performance obtained by controlled pollination of elite accessions from Niari landscape in the Republic of Congo
May 2018
Cassava is the main crop in the Congo but its low yield doesn’t meet the needs of Congolese populations. The low yield is due to the use of less effective sensitive varieties to diseases, non-mastering of techniques and biotic constraint of which the African cassava mosaic. This study aims at selecting resistant genotypes to the African cassava mosaic and assessing their agronomic and production performances. Six...
Response of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) to plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria in degraded soils
April 2018
The effects of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the growth, plant nutrient content and crop yield of groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) cv. Golden were investigated under rainfed conditions in degraded lands within 2011 and 2014. The experiment was planned with a randomized complete block design having three replication. The two PGPR treatments alone or in combination with FYM were tested and compared with...
Genotype by environment interaction (GxE) as a measure of yield stability of Dutch potato varieties in Uganda
April 2018
Twenty one (21) Dutch potato varieties were introduced in Uganda during 2015-2016 seasons for national yield performance and adaptability studies so that most stable varieties could be identified for production. The effect of genotype (G), environment (E) and their interaction (G x E) on tuber yield was assessed to establish variety adaptation in different agro ecologies. Five sites were used in the study that...
Uncertainty, risk aversion, and management strategies – A case of cocoa farmers in Osun State Nigeria
April 2018
Risk is a major issue that affects so many aspects of people’s livelihoods in the developing world. It is imminent in all management decisions of agricultural systems, as a result of fluctuations in price, yield and resource uncertainty. Hence, uncertainty, risk aversion and management strategies were investigated among the cocoa farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. Primary data employed in the study were obtained from...
The permanence in the plantation after harvest damages physical characteristics of Conilon coffee grains
April 2018
The permanence of harvested fruits in the plantation can cause irreversible damage to Conilon coffee quality, possibly increasing the overall number of defects, causing losses to crop yield and changing the organoleptic properties of the product. The objective of this study was to quantify the changes caused by permanence time of the Conilon coffee in the plantation after harvest over the mass and classification of the...
Single-line automated sorter using mechatronics and machine vision system for Philippine table eggs
April 2018
An automated single-line table egg sorting machine that integrates machine vision and mechatronics principles was developed in this study. The machine was fabricated using low cost and locally available materials. The developed machine was composed of the feeding unit, computing unit and the sorting unit. The conveyor was powered by a 12V DC geared motor, and the sorting arm was actuated by a DC servo motor which...
Performance of bread wheat genotypes under different environment in lowland irrigated areas of Afar Region, Ethiopia
April 2018
Wheat is an important staple food for Ethiopian people, and its straw has been used as sources of feed for animals. Nine wheat genotypes introduced from International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) were evaluated at Werer Agricultural Research Center from 2010/2011 to 2013/2014, at Gewane from 2011/2012 to 2012/2013 and at Waidulale in 2013/2014 cropping seasons using randomized complete...
Thermal comfort analysis of agricultural machinery operators with thermography
April 2018
Heat stress appears as a strong candidate for physical wear and tear, leading to lower yields and high risks of accidents due to lack of attention. In this context, this work aims to study the possible influence of the internal temperature of metal roof tractor, skin temperature of face operator, relating it to possible physiological responses connected with environmental variables such as relative humidity air and wind...
Towards being equal to them: Impact of organic certified production systems on women empowerment in agriculture
April 2018
The objective of the study was to determine the degree of women empowerment in agriculture as well as examine the effect of organic certification and other socio-economic and cultural factors on women empowerment in agriculture in Kenya. This objective was achieved using data from peri-urban vegetable and rural honey producing households. It followed the innovative multidimensional measurement of women empowerment in...
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