African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6901

Table of Content: 18 MAY 2010; 5(10)

May 2010

The Turkish olive oil sector’s priorities related to the factors affecting domestic and international competition

  Many researchers treat firm-level competition as the origin of competition between nations. In other words, nations are as strong as their companies. Therefore, competition lies in “firm-level competitiveness.” To evaluate firm-level competitiveness, a survey was conducted in this study. Information was gathered from players in the olive oil industry, including olive oil mills, refiners, and...

Author(s): Cihat Günden, Berna Türkekul, Bülent Miran and Canan Abay

May 2010

A research on the structure and problems of agrochemical markets in Isparta province

  In recent days, healthy and reliable food has become one of the most important issues. Therefore, social-economic situation and status of agrochemical firms which are important information sources for farmers are examined. In this study, the data obtained from the owners of agrochemical markets in Isparta province were investigated by survey method. Data were evaluated to investigate the employer structure,...

Author(s): Mevlut Gul, Tufan Bal and Hilal YIlmaz

May 2010

Community participation is a necessity for project success: A case study of rural water supply project in Jeppes Reefs, South Africa

  In South Africa more than 12 million people do not have access to clean water and less than half of the rural population has a safe and accessible water supply. The study attempts to investigate the challenges that hinder participation of rural communities in the delivery of a clean water supply. The study looks at the definition of participation, the involvement of the community in decision making, and the...

Author(s): Wellington Didibhuku Thwala

May 2010

Determining information sources used by crop producers: A case study of Gaziantep province in Turkey

  This study was conducted to search for crop producers’ sources of soil operation, seed selection and seeding techniques, fertilizers and fertilizing, pest management, irrigation, input selection and product marketing information. Socioeconomic characteristics and information- seeking behavior influencing farmers’ decisions to select their information sources was also the purpose of the study. Data...

Author(s): Ismet Boz and Orhan Ozcatalbas

May 2010

Energy balance of direct seeding applications used in wheat production in middle Anatolia

  In the present study, which was conducted at Polatlı agricultural farms, three different applications were used for wheat production. These were conventional tillage, reduced tillage and direct seeding applications. It was found that seed energy had the highest percentage of use among the portions of total input energy. Seed energy was followed by fertilizer, diesel-oil, chemicals and machinery,...

Author(s): Tamer MarakoÄŸlu and Kazım Çarman

May 2010

Assessment of machinery energy ratio in potato production by means of Artificial Neural Network

  A single hidden layer Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed to estimate a machinery energy ratio (MER) indicator, used to characterize and assess mechanization status of potato farms in Iran with a view point of energy expenditure in farm machinery. A wide range of variables of farming activities were examined. Initially, 90 attributes were used as input variables to predict desired MER output....

Author(s): M. Zangeneh, M. Omid and A. Akram

May 2010

Performance of pumped irrigation systems and evaluation of energy efficiency: A case study of the Bagarasi and Turkelli systems in Turkey

  The sustainability (SAI and AIR), cost (MBR, PCR, ECR and CPA) and energy consumption (SEC and RAI) performance of Bagarasi pumping irrigation system (BPIS) and Turkelli pumping irrigation system (TPIS) pumped irrigation systems were determined according to these 8 indicators. Also, the potential energy saving and repayment period on investment for replacing the standard electric...

Author(s): H. Baki Unal, H. Ibrahim Yilmaz, R. Cengiz Akdeniz and Serkan Boyar

May 2010

Effects of moisture content and compression positions on mechanical properties of carob pod (Ceratonia siliqua L.)

  Mechanical properties should be investigated for the harvest and post harvest operations of carob pod which is the fruit of carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua L.). These properties are pre-requisite for the design and development of harvesting, transportation, storage, and grinding machines used for carob pod. In this study, rupture force, bioyield force, rupture deformation, bioyield deformation, modulus of...

Author(s): K. Ekinci, D. Yılmazand C. Ertekin

May 2010

Biochemical polymorphism of erythrocyte potassium and glutathione protein: The relationship with some blood parameters in Kivircik sheep breed

  This paper aims to search genetic structures of purebred Kivircik sheep raised in Turkey based on erythrocyte potassium and glutathione types and also to determine the relationship between these components and some blood parameters. The phenotypic frequencies were 68% for LK and 32% for HK erythrocyte potassium types in the purebred Kivircik breed. The allele gene frequency of KH and...

Author(s): Eser Kemal Gurcan ,Cengizhan Erbas and Ozden Cobanoglu

May 2010

Tourists’ perception of landscape design: The case of resorts in the Belek Specially Protected Area

  Tourism development in protected areas is highly critical for the sustainability of resources. Landscape design of the resorts can make a great contribution to physical environments by emphasizing the protection of natural character and cultural identity. The purpose of the study is to analyze the landscape designs of the resorts of the Belek region, which is one of the most important Specially Protected...

Author(s): Dicle OÄŸuz, Elif Dikmen Diriöz and Nur Belkayalı

May 2010

An evaluation of green areas from the point of user satisfaction in Ankara, Turkey: Gap analyses method

  Green spaces contribute to the urban environment by producing positive ecological impacts and providing spaces for recreation and contact with nature. It is proven in various researches that urban green spaces and especially the parks increase the quality of life by presenting a variety of recreational experiences. Benefits and performances of green spaces are assessed by user satisfaction studies. This study...

Author(s): Haldun Muderrisoglu, Dicle OÄŸuz and Nihan Åžensoy

May 2010

An ecological approach for the evaluation of an abandoned cemetery as a green area: The case of Ankara /Karakusunlar cemetery

  This paper concentrates on the evaluation of an abandoned cemetery as a green area. The study area is an abandoned cemetery which was once an active cemetery where no new interment is made now and which is tucked among dwellings as a result of urban development. The study is about an ecological approach for evaluation of this abandoned cemetery as an urban greening without changing its function. The...

Author(s): Aysel Uslu

May 2010

Ambrosia beetles, hosts and distribution in Turkey with a study on the species of Istanbul province

Ambrosia beetles were investigated in Istanbul province. Trap logs were used to collect the insects. In total, 4 insect species, Xyleborus dispar, Xyleborinussaxeseni, Trypodendron lineatum and Trypodendron signatum were identified in 2008. Up to date, 12 ambrosia beetles were recorded in Turkey. The faunal composition, host plants and geographical distribution of the species were...

Author(s): H. H. Cebeci and H. Ayberk

May 2010

Depletion of magnesium in Egyptian soils, its content in crops and estimated needs

  Soil and leaf analyses were used to survey magnesium status of different soils and crops in different governorates of Egypt during the period from 1986 - 2006. Results show that large areas in different governorates were suffering from decreasing magnesium content. Mg content of crops grown in new lands is generally lower than of same crops grown in old lands. However, both are in need of adding magnesium to...

Author(s): Mohamed .M. El-Fouly, A.I. Rezk, O.A. Nofal and E. A.A. Abou El-Nour

May 2010

Pattern of variation for seed characteristics in Turkish populations of Cucurbita moschata Duch.

  Pumpkins are one of the most important Cucurbit crops in Turkey. For this research, 40 populations of pumpkin, Cucurbita moschata Duch., were collected from different regions of Turkey and variation in seed characters was assessed. The present collection showed appreciable genotypic variation in color, shape, brightness, dimension, and weight of seed. With regard to seed dimensions,...

Author(s): Ahmet  Balkaya,  Mehtap Özbakır   and Onur KaraaÄŸaç

May 2010

Fruit yield and quality of Santa Teresa lemon on seven rootstocks in Adana (Turkey)

  The effects of various rootstocks on yield, yield efficiency, vegetative growth and fruit quality of Santa Teresa lemon variety were evaluated under Adana ecological conditions during 2004 and 2005. Canopy volume was the lowest for trees on Carrizo citrange, followed by Troyer citrange and Citrus ampullacea. Total cumulative yield over two years of production was highest on C....

Author(s): Bilge Yildirim, Turgut YeÅŸiloÄŸlu, Müge Uysal KamiloÄŸlu, Meral Incesu, Önder Tuzcu and Berken Çimen

May 2010

Detection of unintended effects in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) rice in comparison with non-target phenotypic characteristics

  In the process of safety assessments of genetically modified (GM) crops, particular attention should be paid to their unintended effects. This study was focused on detection of unintended effects in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) Bar68 -1 in comparison with non-target phenotypic characteristics between Bar68 -1 and its unmodified counterpart, D68....

Author(s): Xianbin Jiang , ,  and Guoying Xiao 

May 2010

Response of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) cultivars to salt priming of seeds

  Laboratory tests and a field experiment were carried out to evaluate the effects of salt priming (0.8% NaCl with electrical conductivity of 15.3 dsm-1 and 0.8% KNO3 with electrical conductivity of 12.5 dsm-1 for 8 h at 20±1°C) on seed invigoration and field performance of three winter rapeseed cultivars (Okapi, Opera and Talayeh). The field experiment was arranged as split plot...

Author(s): Kazem Ghassemi-Golezani, Sakineh Jabbarpour, Saeed Zehtab-Salmasi and Abulghasem Mohammadi

May 2010

Cloning and characterization of the first actin gene in Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi

  The first actin gene in Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Apactin) was cloned and characterized. Remarkably, two types of the Apactin cDNA clones were isolated from the pupal cDNA library, which differed by the length and sequence of 5’ untranslated region (UTR). The open reading frame (ORF) of the Apactin gene is 1131 bp and encodes a protein of 376 amino acids with a predicted...

Author(s): Song Wu, Zhi-xing Xuan, Yu-Ping Li, Qun Li, Run-Xi Xia, Sheng-Lin Shi, Li Qin, Zhen-Dong Wang and Yan-Qun Liu

May 2010

Effects of seed size and drought stress on germination and seedling growth of some oat genotypes (Avena sativa L.)

  Effects of seed size and osmotic stress on germination and seedling growth of fifty-five oat genotypes obtained from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania were investigated. Small, medium and large seeds of fifty-five oat genotypes were germinated in polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) solutions with initial osmotic potentials ranging from 0 to -0.75 MPa at 8°C. In this study final germination...

Author(s): Zeki Mut, Hasan Akay and Nevzat Aydin

May 2010

Influence of PGPR and AMF on antioxidant activity, lycopene and potassium contents in tomato

  In this study, the impact of inoculating tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum F1Hybrid, GS -15) roots with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) andarbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) on fruit quality was evaluated. The control treatment was non-inoculated, the PGPR treatments were inoculated withPseudomonas putida, Azotobacter chroococcum and Azosprillum lipoferum,and the AMF treatment was...

Author(s): Kourosh Ordookhani, Kazem Khavazi, Abdolamir Moezzi  and Farhad Rejali

May 2010

Pathogenicity of fungi associated with leguminous seeds in eastern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  The study aimed to identify fungi associated with ten varieties of legumes seeds in the eastern region: Lupine (Lupinus albus L.), dry and kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpea and mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), faba and field beans (Vicia faba L.), brown and green lentil (Lens culinaris), chickpea (Cicer judaicum). The highest percentage of fungal infection was associated with mung...

Author(s): Amira Hassan Abdullah Al-Abdalall

May 2010

Spatial analysis of some physical soil properties in a saline and alkaline grassland soil of Kayseri, Turkey

  In this study, geostatistical analysis of electrical conductivity (EC) and soil pH values, soil clay (C), silt (Si), and sand (S) content, permanent wilting point (PWP), organic matter (OM), field capacity (FC) and water stable aggregates (WSA) were investigated in 1500 ha degraded grassland of Kayseri, Turkey. Coefficients of variations (CVs) of EC (125 -103 dS m-1) were higher than the other soil properties...

Author(s): Zeki Gokalp, Mustafa Basaran, Oguzhan Uzun and Yunus Serin

May 2010

Weed interference on coffee fruit production during a four-year investigation after planting

  Aiming to investigate the effects of crescent weedy periods on the extension of the period before weed interference on coffee fruit production under two kinds of weed control, field trials were conducted in Arceburgo-MG, Brazil, during the period 2000 - 2004. Two groups of treatments were established according to the kind of weed control: (i) total area control and (ii) 0.5 m strip control at each side of...

Author(s): L. N. Lemes, L. B. Carvalho, M. C. Souza and P. L. C. A. Alves

May 2010

Determination on quality characteristics of some important Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) cultivars grown in Mersin-Turkey

  This experiment was conducted in Mut-Mersin from 2008 to 2009 to determine the phenological and pomological characteristics of  ‘Angeleno’, ‘Autumn Giant’, ‘Bella Di Barbiano’, ‘Black Amber’, ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Globe Sun’, ‘Obilnaja’, ‘October Sun’,...

Author(s): Levent Son