Development and yield of maize (Zea mays) under plant densities using single and twin-row spacing
March 2015
Among the main factors that influence higher maize yield are the use of more productive materials, plant arrangement more suitable to the cultivar, reduced spacing between rows and/or higher population density. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the development and yield of maize under different plant densities using single and twin-row spacing configurations. The work was developed in the...
Incidence and severity of potentially toxigenic Aspergillus flavus in maize (Zea mays L.) from different major maize growing regions of Uganda
March 2015
Maize is grown in most regions of Uganda. Aflatoxin contamination of maize occurs in Uganda but there is lack of information on the distribution of Aspergillus flavus in major maize production regions of the country. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and severity of Aspergillus flavus in major maize growing regions of Uganda. Hierarchical sampling procedure was used to randomly collect maize...
Prevalence of major ectoparasites of calves and associated risk factors in and around Bishoftu town
March 2015
A cross sectional study was carried out from October 2013 to March 2014 in and around Bishoftu town with the objectives of determining the prevalence of major external parasite species of calves, preferred predilection sites and determine the associated risk factors. The calves were selected randomly from small holder farms in and around the town. According to this study; out of 384 calves observationally examined, and...
Physical and chemical characteristics and instrumental color parameters of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims)
March 2015
The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics and variations of instrumental color parameters of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) at different maturation stages. Fruits were harvested directly from passion fruit plants, selected according to maturation stage and distributed into three distinct groups: Fruits with 1/3 yellow peel (stage 1); fruits with 2/3 yellow peel (stage 2) and...
Can an anti-erosive Andropogon gayanus live hedge help regulate millet stem borer infestation in neighbouring millet fields?
March 2015
From 2008 to 2010, the effect of a wind erosion-alleviating practice, that is, planting of windbreaks of the perennial grass Andropogon gayanus Kunth on the populations of millet stem borer (MSB) Coniesta ignefusalis (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the damage induced by this pest to pearl millet, was studied at Sadore (Niger). The extent of bored stems in the A. gayanus hedge bordering millet plots (23% on...
Natural vulnerability of water resources in the Formoso River basin, Northern Brazil
March 2015
The natural vulnerability characterization provides fundamental support for identification of areas more susceptible from the hydrology point of view, assuring the maintenance of water resource features. In this context, this study aimed to characterize the natural vulnerability of water resources based on long-term streamflows, base flow and aquifers’ susceptibility to contamination, for Formoso River basin,...
Factors influencing maize crop production at household levels: A case of Rukwa Region in the southern highlands of Tanzania
March 2015
Production of staple food occupies an important part in Sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural production. Maize crop in particular is the most important staple food in this area. The article mainly examines households’ socio-economic characteristics affecting maize production in Rukwa in the context of the market reforms carried out in Tanzania in the mid 1980’s. Rukwa region is one of Tanzania’s...
Growth of eucalyptus plants irrigated with saline water
March 2015
The study was aimed at evaluating the growth of eucalyptus seedlings irrigated with saline water. It was conducted on full-sun bench in the Goiás State University. The experiment was set up following the completely randomized design, with five treatments (plants irrigated daily with water with an electrical conductivity equal to 0; 2; 4; 6 and 8 dS m-1) and six replications. The eucalyptus plants showed small...
An agronomic and economic evaluation of lettuce cultivars intercropped with rocket over two cultivation seasons
March 2015
The objective of this study was to investigate the agronomic and economic viability of lettuce intercropped with rocket over two cultivation seasons. The experimental designs were in randomized blocks in 3 × 3 + 2 factorial arrangement with four repetitions. The treatments were made up of a combination of three lettuce cultivars (Elisa, Veronica and Lucy Brown) and three cultivation systems (monocrop, intercrop...
Genetic analysis in a six parent diallel cross of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)
March 2015
There are concerted efforts in promoting cassava production in sub Saharan Africa as a staple food crop as well as income earner at both household and commercial level. These efforts can bear meaningful results if breeding strategies are properly coordinated. Efficient breeding methods require a thorough understanding of the genetic background of planting materials. Therefore, a genetic study was conducted to establish...
Indigenous knowledge system weather forecasts as a climate change adaptation strategy in smallholder farming systems of Zimbabwe: Case study of Murehwa, Tsholotsho and Chiredzi districts
March 2015
The smallholder sector is vulnerable to climate change due to its reliance on rainfed agriculture and has the least ability to adapt. Based on appropriate weather forecasts, farmers can mitigate and adapt to climate change through sound crop management decisions. A study was conducted to explore indigenous knowledge system (IKS) weather forecasts as a climate change adaptation strategy in smallholder farming systems of...
Assessment of variation in pear genotypes through genetic divergence and cluster analysis using D2 statistics
March 2015
The genetic divergence among twenty-three pear genotypes under the present study was of medium quantum. The studied genotypes, on the basis of total variability were grouped into three distinct clusters. Maximum number of cultivars were accommodated in Cluster II (Ishiwase, Seckel, Anjou, Beurre Hardy, Lisnova Karavista, Jargonelle, Kala Hathi, Autumn of Yaklove, Kashmir Pear, Hengal, Flemish Beauty, Awal Number and...
Dispersion of proteins from Moringa oleifera seeds using pouche immersed in aqueous medium
March 2015
Due to the need for proper water quality for human consumption, some studies have developed new treatment techniques. Some have used a natural coagulant based on Moringa oleifera, which has the capacity to clarify turbidity water and has anti-microbial properties. This paper aimed at developing a new technique to apply the coagulant. This technique consists of putting the M. oleifera powder into pouches. Five different...
Bio-efficacy of insecticides and biorationals against the incidence of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and yellow mosaic virus in mungbean
March 2015
Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and yellow mosaic virus disease incidence in mungbean, Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek is a most serious problem in northern states of India. Bioefficacy of some insecticides and biorational were tested during kharif 2010 to 2011 and 2011 to 2012 at Pulses Research Farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The results revealed that 30 days...
Physical-chemical characterization of two peanut extract based beverages enriched with fruit pulp
March 2015
The goal of this paper is to contribute to research on the peanut crop by studying the making of two beverages based on peanut extract in order to be first by rural communities, which work with familiar agriculture and school meals. In the experiment it was studied the enrichment of the peanut extract with umbu pulp and peanut extract with guava pulp in three formulations as well as the storage of the beverages in...
An efficient protocol for indirect somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis from leaf segments of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) CV. Quntar
March 2015
The establishment of an efficient protocol for plantlets regeneration and micropropagation from leaf cultures of date palm cv. Quntar is reported. The two types of leaflet segments used in the experiment )First piece of leaf base which have white color, and second piece of leaf tip which have green color(, were taken from micro propagated shoots of date palm cv. These leaf segments were in vitro culture on MS media...
Quality levels of organic coffee seedlings in black and white nonwoven fabric (NWF) containers of various sizes
February 2015
The introduction of organic production in coffee growing has demanded an increase for information on seedling production with standard of quality. Hence, the purpose of the present work was to evaluate how the amount of organic substrate in black and white nonwoven fabric (NWF) bags in four different sizes influences the quality index of Coffea arabica L. seedling produced in an organic system. The quality parameters...
Agricultural micro-credit repayment performance: Evidence from Minna Microfinance Bank, Nigeria
February 2015
Agricultural micro-credit repayment has been a thorny issue in Nigeria, and in particular, Niger State. This study therefore assessed the socio-economic characteristics of Agricultural micro-credit beneficiaries under Minna Micro-finance Bank; determined the volume of micro-credit applications and receipts; ascertained the determinants of micro-credit repayments by beneficiaries and examined the challenges encountered...
Dairy cow welfare assessment on Algerian farms
February 2015
This study is the first to use the Welfare Quality Assessment Protocol (WQ® AP) in Algerian farms, with all dimensions of welfare considered together. It aims at estimating the welfare level of dairy cows by identifying their positive and negative aspects in order to improve them and prioritize corrective action for their better sustainability. The observations were conducted in 100 dairy farms; scores were...
Response of soil-surface dwelling invertebrates to alien invasive and indigenous plant cover in a sub-tropical Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa
February 2015
The soil-surface dwelling invertebrate assemblage of four sites (habitat patches) in Luchaba Nature Reserve was assessed using pitfall traps. A total of 335 specimens in three phyla (Arthropoda, Annelida and Mollusca) were sampled. Of the nine arthropod orders recorded, four were identified to seven families and ten species while five orders and two phyla (Annelida and Mollusca) were separated into 15 morphospecies. The...
Study of reproductive compatibility and morphological characterization of interspecific hybrids in Sesamum sp.
February 2015
In the present study, three wild species of sesame, Sesamum alatum, Sesamum malabaricum and Sesamum radiatum and one wild variety of Sesamum indicum, that is, S. indicum var. yanamalaiensis were crossed with eight cultivated varieties of S. indicum L. in both direct and reciprocal forms. All the wild species exhibited different degrees of cross compatibility with cultivated S. indicum. There was no crossed seed set in...
Spatial variation of quality traits in Algerian durum wheat cultivated in different environments
February 2015
Wheat covers more than 2.5 million hectares in Algeria and is the main staple food crop and income generation for resources-limited farmers. Area cropped in wheat is expanding however, the quality is not well known and varies from region to region. Improvement of durum wheat quality is a major concern in Algeria to better cope with the consumers’ needs. Local landraces are highly appreciated for local bread and...
Soil and water loss in Ultisol of the Cerrado-Pantanal Ecotone under different management systems
February 2015
Soil and water losses were evaluated in dystrophic ultisol of the Cerrado-Pantanal Ecotone cropped with common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L, under different tillage systems. The treatments studied were conventional tillage with primary and double secondary disking (CT), minimum tillage with chisel plow (MT) and no-tillage (NT) systems, the last associated to 4 crop densities: 0, 3, 6 and 9 Mg ha-1. In order to...
Biomass yield and partitioning of greenhouse-grown wild watermelon Cucumis africanus in response to different irrigation intervals and NPK fertilizer levels
February 2015
A study was conducted during the 2009-2010 summer growing season to determine the effects of varying irrigation frequencies and NPK application rate on biomass yield and partitioning to fractions of Cucumis africanus. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design arrangement and replicated three times. Three irrigation frequencies, namely, 2, 4 and 6 days interval, were the main plots and sub-plot treatments were...
Response of vegetative yield characters and yield of biomass fractions of wild-watermelon Cucumis africanus to irrigation interval and NPK fertilizer
February 2015
Wild-watermelon, Cucumis africanus, is among important indigenous crop plants in rural Limpopo Province of South Africa, primarily used as an ethno-botanical crop and a leafy green vegetable. An experiment laid out in a split-plot design and replicated five times was conducted at the Horticultural Research Unit, University of Limpopo, South Africa. The objective was to study the effects of irrigation frequency (2, 4 and...
Population, production and improvement of local fowl of southern Nigeria ecotype
February 2015
There is paucity of data on local fowls’ production in Southern Nigeria. The population and identity of the farmers involved in raising the fowl is lacking. Studies were carried out in the areas that covered Anambra, Oyo and Imo States to ascertain the population, production and improvement of the local fowl. In six hundred households in Anambra State the population of local birds was 4,971. These consisted...
Chemical constituents of chichá (Sterculia striata St. Hil. et Naud.) seeds
February 2015
The proximate and mineral composition of chichá seeds was evaluated, as well as protein digestibility, bioactive compounds (phenols and flavonoids) and profiles of organic and fatty acids, in order to provide information to support the dietary use of this seed, adding value to the fruit and contributing to the preservation of the Brazilian Cerrado. Chichá (Sterculia striata St. Hil. et Naud.) fruits were...
Breeding and biotechnological opportunities in saffron crop improvement
February 2015
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) being triploid in nature is propagated by vegetative means through corms. The natural propagation rate of such plant species is relatively low, therefore some breeding and biotechnological technique like introduction, clonal selection, mutagenesis, micro-propagation and molecular markers have been used earlier as an alternative method of propagation for saffron. The creation of a germplasm...
Emission of CO2 and soil microbial activity in sugarcane management systems
February 2015
Because of the great importance of sugarcane in the Brazilian agricultural sector, this study was developed in order to evaluate the soil CO2 flux and the soil microbial activity in the systems of burned sugarcane and green sugarcane. For this end, three areas were evaluated with different histories of sugarcane management: (1) burned sugarcane BS); (2) green sugarcane for 5 years (GS-5); (3) green sugarcane for 10...
Rainfall variability analysis and its impact on crop production in Bihar
February 2015
Rainfall of Pusa, Purnia, Sabour and Gaya representing different Agro-ecological zones (Zone I, II, IIIA, IIIB respectively) of Bihar were analyzed on monthly, seasonal and annual time scales using long period data. Mann-Kendall non-parametric test was employed for observational trend detection of monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation for different period viz. 1971-1980 (DP1), 1981-1990 (DP2), 1991-2000 (DP3),...
Causality relationship between agricultural exports and agriculture’s share of gross domestic product in South Africa: A case of avocado, apple, mango and orange from 1994 to 2011
February 2015
The study analysed causality between agricultural exports and its share of gross domestic product in South Africa from 1994 to 2011. Apple, avocado, mango and orange exports in tonnes were used to Granger analyse agricultural exports versa agricultural GDP contribution. The results of the Granger causality test showed a unidirectional causality between exports and GDP. Policies and programmes can help farmers with...
Assessing the effect of farmers’ practices on the severity of groundnut rosette virus disease in Uganda
February 2015
Groundnut rosette virus disease is the most destructive disease of groundnut in Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive. Over the past years, a wide range of management options for this disease have been developed and recommended for farmers in Uganda. Relevant efforts have also been made by researchers in disseminating improved technologies to farmers in several parts of the country. However, questions on the extent...
Allelopathy in weed management: A critical review
February 2015
Allelopathy is defined as both beneficial and deleterious biochemical interaction between plant and weeds, and / or plants and microorganisms through the production of chemical compounds that escape into the environment and subsequently influence the growth and development of neighboring plants. Allelochemicals are present in all types of tissues and are released into the rhizosphere by a variety of mechanism, including...
Comparative study on some egg quality traits of exotic chickens in different production systems in East Shewa, Ethiopia
February 2015
A total of 227 eggs were collected during summer 2013 from Isa Brown (IB), Bovan Brown (BB) and Potchefstroom Koekoek (PK) chickens for comparative study of internal and external egg quality traits under intensive and village production systems in East Shewa, Ethiopia. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS and significant differences in egg quality traits were compared using post hoc multiple comparisons. Average...
Efficacy of mycorrhizal inoculations on seed germination and plant growth of Bambara groundnut, Vigna subterranea (TVsu 283)â€
February 2015
This Research work was conducted to study the effects of mycorhizal fungal inoculation on seed germination and plant growth of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea). The impacts of Glomus mosseae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Malbranchea gypsea on some plant growth parameters were studied both in their crude and pure forms. Compared to un-inoculated plants, the fungal strains significantly increased...
Farmers' climate change adaptation options and their determinants in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia
February 2015
Exploring micro-level evidences is critical to fine tune effective adaptation options to cope with the adverse impact of climate change. In this regard, detailed studies on climate change adaptation options are not available in the study areas. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess farmers’ climate change adaptation options and determinant factors that influence their choice. Data were collected from...
Evaluation of indigenous technologies of fresh cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) Storage in Southeastern Nigeria
February 2015
Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) also referred to as taro is an herbaceous root crop and its non availability throughout the year has implicated lack of good storage methods. Survey and storage experiments were therefore, conducted at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka to establish the scientific basis for adopting the indigenous technologies by the farmers and indentify the best among the...
Analysis of light transmission ratio and yield advantages of pigeonpea in relation to intercrop and different plant population
February 2015
A field experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during kharif 2011 to optimize the spacing for medium maturation pigeonpea at different planting geometry and row proportions under intercropped and irrigated situation. The experiment was laid out in Randomized block Design with 3 replications. Adjacent to the treatment plots, sole pigeonpea and greengram were also raised in dummy plots...
Economic viability of cucumber cultivation under NVPH
February 2015
The economic analysis was conducted for cultivation of parthenocarpic cucumber cv. Dinamik under naturally ventilated polyhouse for two consecutive years, 2013 and 2014. The actual value of economic inputs along with subsidy component (65 and 75%) imparted by Government of Gujarat in coordination with Government of India was considered for fitting into simulation model. The differences in net realization of Rs....
Chemical profile, somatic cell count and milk production of Holstein, Girolando and Jersolando cows
February 2015
The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical profile, somatic cell count (SCC) and milk production of Holstein, Girolando and Jersolando cows. Fresh milk samples were collected from 34 high-production cows, averaging 31 L/day, belonging to three genetic groups (Holstein, Girolando and Jersolando). Experimental design was completely randomized, in which data collected were submitted to analysis of variance...
Effect of biochar application on microbial biomass and enzymatic activities in degraded red soil
February 2015
To assess biochar effect on soil microbial biomass, community and enzymatic activities, degraded acidic soil was amended with three different rates (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0%) of oak wood biochar (W0.5, W1.0 and W2.0) and bamboo biochar (B0.5, B1.0 and B2.0), with control as 0%. The soil and the biochar were mixed thoroughly, wetted and incubated at a constant temperature of 25°C. The amended soil properties were evaluated...
Evaluation of some soil test methods in acid soils for available phosphorus for soybean of Imphal East District, Manipur (India)
February 2015
Evaluation of nutrient status in soil is important for nutritional, environmental and economical aspects. Phosphorus is a very important nutrient for leguminous crops. In order to evaluate the phosphorus availability, six soil test methods were carried out for predicting response of soybean to phosphorus application on twenty surface soils (0 - 15 cm) of Imphal East District, Manipur were studied. The suitability of...
Increasing farmers and breeders access to yam (Dioscorea spp) diversity: The case of Forest-Savannah Transition Agroecology
February 2015
A study was conducted in five yam-growing communities in the Forest Transition Agroecological Zone of Ghana to identify cultivated yam varieties, their distribution and intensity of cultivation and to document the rate and causes of landrace germplasm loss. Generally, the cultivated varieties ranged from 9 to 16 with a mean of 12. The most diversity was found in Sankore (Asunafo South District), followed by Sampa in the...
Drought coping strategies at Lonhlupheko community, a semi-arid rural area in Swaziland
February 2015
Climate change predictions reflect that temperatures in Swaziland will increase by 2.5°C and annual rainfall could decrease by 100 mm by 2050. Drought frequency and intensity is likely to increase in future and its occurrence could not be divorced from climate change. A descriptive research using questionnaire survey procedures and personal interviews was designed to determine drought coping strategies at...
The effect of temperature and cutting time on curd yield and quality made from goat, buffalo and cow milk
February 2015
For the present study, two species of lactating animals, that is, Bubalusbubalis (Buffalo) and Bosindicus (Cow) was selected. In both types of milk, highest curd yield at 34°C was obtained at 60 min of cutting time after the addition of rennet followed by 39°C at 60 min of cutting time while at 28°C and 60 min of cutting time the yield was low and cutting times. This may be due to the improper...
Production practices of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by farmers in Mzimba District, Northern Malawi
February 2015
Potato (Solanum tuberosum [L.]) is one of the food and cash crops in Malawi. Almost all potato farmers in the country are smallholders with low productivity. In order to develop appropriate interventions to improve productivity, it is important to first understand farmers’ characteristics and prevailing production practices. This study was therefore carried out in October 2010 in Champhira Extension Planning Area...
Natural seed germination and seedling dynamics in cultivated population of Cassia fistula Linn. in Nigeria
February 2015
For the first time, natural seed germination in cultivated population of Cassia fistula Linn. is reported in this paper. Natural seed germination occurred under many mother trees at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria; while no germination occurred under some other mother trees. Random soil samples were taken in representative areas and analysed. Seedling dynamics were also investigated by fencing the...
Effect of magnetic field on germination, seedling growth and cytogenetic of onion (Allium cepa L.)
February 2015
Magnetic field is considered a simple and cheap method for stimulation of germination process compared to traditional chemical processes. In this research, laboratory experiment was conducted at Seed Technology Unit, Mansoura, Egypt to evaluate the effect of magnetic field on germination, seedling growth and cytogenetic characters of fresh and carry over (old) onion seeds (c.v.Giza Red). Seeds were magnetically...
Review of patents on life cycle assessment
February 2015
Many tools are developed and used in order to evaluate the environmental impacts in products and services. One tool that is gaining prominence is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which can analyze environmental aspects and impacts along the life cycle of product. However, not much is known about the patent generation through the use of LCA. In this sense, this paper aims to investigate LCA studies that generated patents...
Agricultural yield components of dual purpose wheat cv. BRS Tarumã under cutting and nitrogen fertilization handlings
February 2015
This experiment aimed to study the effects on grain and forage productivity in dual-purpose wheat cv. BRS Tarumã under cutting handlings and nitrogen fertilization. The experiment was conducted in area of ​​Rhodic Hapludox in the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná State, in a randomized block design with 12 treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of surface nitrogen levels...
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