African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6883

Table of Content: June, 2020; 16(6)

June 2020

Production of liquid fertilizer by fermented livestock liquid and application on crops

The livestock liquid commonly contains humic acid, amino acids and minerals; hence, it can be used for the fertilization of crops. These studies were conducted to examine the use of livestock fermented liquid in producing liquid fertilizers and irrigation application on two kinds of crops (tomato and wax apple). The experiments were designed as common liquid fertilizer and diluted by groundwater (CF), fermented...

Author(s): Yong-Hong Lin, Yi-Lang Wei, Juei-Yu Chiu, Tai-Yuan Chen and Chih-Hang Chang  

June 2020

Effects of combined salt and flooding stresses on the growth and physiological behavior of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

The present work focused on evaluation of the physiological and metabolic behavior of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., var. Siriver), when faced with two important ecosystems constraints, namely salinity and flooding-associated hypoxia. After germination, seedlings in symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti were grown on different salt concentrations (0, 20 and 50 mM NaCl). At four weeks post-germination, plants were...

Author(s): Hajer Sghaier, Achref Aloui, Ayda Khadri, Samira Aschi-Smiti and Renaud Brouquisse  

June 2020

Promotion of rice growth and productivity as a result of seed inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense

The present study refers to the results obtained in four experiments carried out in the 2015/2016 crop: Toledo/PR; Palotina/PR; Cascavel/PR; and São Miguel do Iguaçu/PR. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of Azospirillum brasilense (pest strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6) in four distinct rice culture regions (Oryza sativa L.). The tests were performed to meet the...

Author(s): Vandeir Francisco Guimarães, Jeferson Klein, Marcos Barbosa Ferreira and Débora Kestring Klein  

June 2020

Severity and prevalence of the destructive fall armyworm on maize in Uganda: A case of Bulambuli District

Maize kernel contains a large quantity of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, oils, fats and competes favorably with root and tuber crops as a rich energy source. In Uganda, the per capita consumption ranges from 28 to 125 kg per annum. However, the yields remain low, fluctuating around 1.5 tons per hectare. Although some losses to maize production occur through the post-harvest period, pre-harvest factors such as biotic...

Author(s): Buteme Sharon, Masanza Michael and Masika Fred Bwayo  

June 2020

Potential of reduced agricultural lime application rates to increase yield and profitability of maize through microdosing in central Malawi - A short note

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food crop in Malawi, with average yields of 1.8 -2.2 t ha-1 compared to potential yields of 5 to 10 t ha-1. In some areas, soil acidity is a serious constraint in crop production. The current recommendation is to apply 2.0 t ha-1 of lime as pre-plant broadcast and incorporated into soils with pHW < 5.5. A pilot study was conducted during 2015/2016 season at Bunda Campus (14° 35...

Author(s): Martin Lolani and Vernon H. Kabambe  

June 2020

Role of leaf rolling on agronomic performances of durum wheat subjected to water stress

In arid and semi-arid climates characterized by low rainfall with a great annual and inter-annual irregularity, drought can occur at any time inducing large losses in crop yield. Leaf rolling is one of the adaptive morphological responses to the water deficit observed in a number of species including cereals. It reduces the leaf area exposed to sunlight and transpiration. The aim of the present work was to characterize...

Author(s): Amal Ben-Amar, Anne-Aliénor Véry, Hervé Sentenac, Abdelaziz Bouizgaren, Said Mahboub, Nasser Elhaq Nsarellah and Keltoum El Bouhmadi  

June 2020

Fertilizer-nitrogen use optimization for Tef in South Wollo Zone of Ethiopia

Tef [Eragrotis tef] is a major staple cereal crop in Ethiopia but yields are low due to inadequate nutrient supply and other constraints. A field study was conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Jamma district of South Wollo Zone of Amhara Region to determine the economic optimum rate of fertilizer-N for tef. Fertilizer-N rates of 0, 23, 46, 69, 92, 115 and 138 kg ha-1 were evaluated. The randomized complete block design with...

Author(s): Abebe Getu Asfaw, Samuel Adissie Gedamu, Habtemariam Teshome Abushe, Tilahun Taye Mekonen, Seid Belay Muhamed and Tadesse Hailu Shibeshi  

June 2020

Perception and uptake of aquaculture technologies in Kogi state, central Nigeria: imperative for Improved Management practices for sustainable aquaculture development

The drivers of perception and adoption of aquaculture innovations were studied. Data obtained from 300 aquaculture operators, were analyzed using Heckman Probit sample selection model. Results revealed that perception and adoption of aquaculture innovations were high. Education (a=0.281), extension contact (a=0.149), experience (a=0.021), gender (a=0.440) and information source (a=0.145) increased the likelihood of...

Author(s): Unekwu Onuche, Mojisola Abosede Oladipo, Tina Enize and Ogala Daikwo  

June 2020

Effects of pre-rice cassava/legume intercrops and weed management practices on weed dynamics and yield of low land rice in Badeggi, Nigeria

The effects of cassava/legume intercrop-rice relay and weed management practices on weed infestation, growth and yield of rice were investigated at Badeggi, Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria in 2011 to 2013 cropping seasons. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of cassava (IIT 427) intercrop with: Mucuna or Velvet bean [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.], Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], Soybean [Glycine max...

Author(s): A. U. Gbanguba, E. Daniya, M. G. M. Kolo, P. A. Ibrahim, U. Ismaila and A. Umar  

June 2020

Analysing chicken meat production comparative advantage of South Africa

The study examined the relative efficiency of producing chicken meat in South Africa, in 2017, and its comparative advantage in chicken meat production in Southern African Development Community (SADC). The study used the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) to calculate the net financial and economic profitability, Nominal Protection Coefficient of output (NPCO), Nominal Protection Coefficient of input (NPCI), Effective...

Author(s): K. V. Pilusa, A. Belete and V. A. Baloi  

June 2020

Assessing landuse effect on soil properties in the Coastal plains sand, Imo State, Nigeria

Impacts of landuses [old home garden (HG), oilpalm plantation (OP), fallow arable field (FA), grass lawn (GL)] on physico-chemical properties of an ultisol on a flat in the Coastal plains sand of Imo State, Nigeria were evaluated. Landuse significantly (at 5%) influenced the properties sand, organic matter (OM) content, soil reaction (pH), exchangeable cations Ca, Mg, K, exchangeable acidity (Al+H), effective cation...

Author(s): Ukaegbu E. P. and Nnawuihe C. O.  

June 2020

Comparison of laboratory methods in predicting the lime requirement of acid soil in Wombera District, North western Ethiopia

Soil acidity is one of the major constraints of crop production in the Ethiopian highlands where precipitation is high enough to leach basic cations leaving the soil acidic. Liming is the major practice used to ameliorate the problem of soil acidity. Currently farmers use Ag lime in their fields to reduce soil acidity. However, the suitability of the existing methods of lime requirement (LR) has not yet being...

Author(s): Tesfaye Hirpo, Abebe Abay and Ayele Abebe  

June 2020

Effect of different rates of filter cake against bruchids (Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) and Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on common bean and cowpea

Storage of common bean and cowpea is limited due to different species of bruchids. Zabrotes subfasciatus and Callosobruchus maculatus are the most important species of bruchids attacking stored common beans and cowpeas, causing yield losses reaching up to 38-100%. Two experiments, one on the effect of different rates of Filter Cake against Z. subfasciatus on common bean, and the other experiment on the effect of...

Author(s): Mulatwa Wondimu, Emana Getu and Ahmed Ibrahim   

June 2020

Comparison of yield performance and rice quality between direct-seeded and hand-transplanted rice under different nitrogen rates in Eastern China

In order to clarify whether the shift from hand-transplanting seedlings to direct seeding will bring negative effects to rice production and to find optimal nitrogen management for direct-seeded rice in Eastern China, research has been conducted in Quzhou City, in the Zhejiang Province of China in the year 2017 and 2018. One indica inbred rice variety, “Zhongjiazao-17” was planted by two different rice...

Author(s): Yu-Tiao Chen, Jia-Yu Song, Yan Chuan, Guang-Long Zhu and Xiao-Fu Hong  

June 2020

Effect of food types of Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on biological aspects and life table of Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

In the present work, laboratory and field strains of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepdoptera: Pyralidae) were reared on two food types (artificial diet for laboratory strain and wax frames for field strain) to study some biological aspects of the developmental stages of braconid wasp, Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) the parasitoid of G. mellonella. Results of total developmental...

Author(s): Kandel M. A., Said S. M. and Abdelaal A. A. A.  

June 2020

Extent and pattern of genetic diversity for pheno-agro-morphological traits in Ethiopian improved and selected farmers’ varieties of Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter

Forty-nine tef, Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter, genotypes comprising 36 improved and 10 farmers’ varieties, and, three elite breeding lines were field evaluated using 7 × 7 simple lattice design at two contrasting locations (Debre Zeit and Alem Tena) in central Ethiopia during the main cropping season. The objective was to assess the extent and pattern of genetic diversity for 23 quantitative...

Author(s): Tsion Fikre, Kebebew Assefa and Kassahun Tesfaye    

June 2020

Natural parasitism of hymenoptera (insect) on bruquids associated with Fabaceae seeds in Northern Sinaloa, Mexico

With the purpose of identifying the parasitic hymenoptera species associated with the diversity of bruchidae over Fabaceae, in 2017 seeds of 25 plant species were collected from the municipalities of Ahome, El Fuerte, Choix and Guasave (Sinaloa, Mexico). From 68,344 seeds, 19,396 adult bruquids were obtained, distributed in nine species: Acanthoscelides desmanthi, Callosobruchus maculatus, Merobruchus insolitus,...

Author(s): Isiordia-Aquino N., Lugo-García G. A., Reyes-Olivas A., Acuña-Soto J. A., Arvizu-Gómez J. L., López-Mora F. and Flores-Canales R. J.  

June 2020

Water use efficiency and fodder yield of maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) under hydroponic condition as affected by sources of water and days to harvest

This study was conducted at Soilless Culture Unit, Azemor Agribiz Limited, Ibadan to evaluate the effects of sources of water (fish hatchery wastewater (FHW), borehole water (BW) and nutrient solution (NS)) and days to harvest (8, 10 and 12 days after sowing (DAS)) of two forage crops (maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum)) for green fodder production and water use efficiency under hydroponic conditions. The...

Author(s): Adekeye Adetayo Bamikole, Onifade Olufemi Sunday, Amole Goke Tunde, Aderinboye Ronke Yemisi and Jolaoso Olufunmilayo Alaba  

June 2020

Gender differences in agri-marketing farmer organizations in Uganda and Malawi: Implications for R4D delivery mechanisms

Although farmer organizations are acknowledged to link their members to markets, enhance their business skills and enable access to services, there is need for evidence that ascertains if all members benefit equitably. This paper examines benefit distribution and sources of gender differences in mixed-sex collective marketing farmer organizations in Uganda and Malawi. Through a cross-sectional survey, key informant...

Author(s): Edidah L. Ampaire, Enid M. Katungi, Amare Tegbaru and Robin Buruchara  

June 2020

Response of wild smooth-head catfish (Clarias liocephalus) fingerlings reared in earthen ponds

Clarias liocephalus, an important small fish in the diet of rural households, is threatened by wetland degradation and overfishing for use as live bait. This study aimed at establishing the survival, condition, growth rate and feed utilization indices of C. liocephalus wild fingerlings reared outside the wetland environment through a feeding experiment. Fingerlings were fed with an isocaloric feed with four levels of...

Author(s): Jane Yatuha, Jeremiah Kang’ombe, Daniel Sikawa, Lauren Chapman and Justus Rutaisire