Depletion of phosphate rock reserves and world food crisis: Reality or hoax?
September 2020
Phosphate rock (PR) deposits are the major source of phosphate (P) fertilizers for soil fertility replenishment. The demand for P fertilizers in the year 2014 was 42,706,000 tons and was expected to reach 46,648,000 tons in 2018. Majority of PR deposits are found in only a few countries including Morocco, USA and China. There is however conflicting information on the extent of world PR reserves, therefore, complicating...
Phenotyping sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for drought tolerance with special emphasis to root angle
August 2020
The study was conducted to characterize early maturing sorghum genotypes under moisture stress and non-stress environments based on root angle. Phenotyping of 23 early maturing sorghum genotypes was carried out under post-flowering moisture stress and non-stressed environment using randomized complete block design (RCBD) in two replications at Werer Agricultural Research Center in 2018 off season. The genotypes were...
Grass species for range rehabilitation: Perceptions of a pastoral community in Narok North sub-county, Kenya
August 2020
Land degradation is a global problem leading to a diminished production capacity of the rangelands. The consequence is reduced potential to provide ecosystem services and increased vulnerability to the inhabitants. Biological soil water conservation measures can reverse the trend. Different communities prefer different grass species for rehabilitation as communities vary in location, needs, priorities, preferences and...
Intrapopulation phenotypic variation in Piartal (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) from the Department of Boyacá, Colombia
August 2020
Chenopodium quinoa Willd., is an interesting plant with a great adaptation to adverse environmental factors and exceptional nutritional qualities. It shows great genetic variation, which organization remains poorly documented. In Boyacá, there are few studies on the morphological characterization of cultivated materials, and there is no certified planting material, resulting that the farmers are planting a...
Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of resistance to coffee berry disease (Colletotrichum kahawae Waller & Bridge) in Coffea arabica L. variety Rume Sudan
August 2020
Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) is a major constraint that limits Coffea arabica production, whose resistance is governed by three genes, T, R that are dominant and recessive k in varieties Hibrido de Timor (HDT), Rume Sudan (RS) and K7 respectively. This study identified the genomic region occupied by R-gene using F2 genotypes from varieties RS and SL28; and Single Nucleotide Polymorphic (SNP) markers obtained through...
A literature review on yield gaps of various root, tuber and banana crops as a background for assessing banana yield reductions due to pests and diseases at a field site in western Burundi
August 2020
Banana pests (corm weevil and root nematodes) and diseases (Xanthomonas wilt of banana, banana bunchy top disease and fusarium wilt) are major constraints to banana production in Central Africa. The pests cause various degrees of yield reduction, while plants affected by three of the diseases eventually die before producing an edible bunch. Studies on yield gaps for most of these constraints are currently limited. This...
Constraints limiting the improvement of manure management as climate smart technology for smallholder dairy farmers
August 2020
The global quest for a sustainable bio-economy has brought to the fore importance of engaging agricultural systems in the production and in practice change. There have been issues limiting farmers from improving the practice of manure management as smart climate technology. The objective of this paper was to highlight the constraints, type, and valuation of manure types and information sources that smallholder dairy...
Inhibition of root growth as mode of action of two rice yellow mottle virus pathotypes isolated in Mali
August 2020
In Mali, the economy is mainly based on agriculture. Rice contributes about 5% of the GDP and constitutes a strategic sector with enormous potential. Despite its strategic importance, rice cultivation faces multiple biotic constraints among which rice yellow mottle virus disease is the most important one with an incidence varying from 60 to 100%. To reduce yield loses due to this disease, we determined the mode of...
Retrospective study of the contamination of exported sesame by Salmonella species from 2007 to 2017 in Burkina Faso
August 2020
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is one of the oldest and most traditional oilseed crops, valued for its high-quality seed oil. This culture was introduced in Burkina Faso at the beginning of the 20th century where it occupies a place of cash crop. The majority of sesame produced in Burkina Faso is export oriented. However, the contamination by Salmonella remains an unsolved problem. This retrospective study was carried out in...
Global analysis of millet-based household farms: Characterization of the Senegalese production system of Niayes and Groundnut basin areas
August 2020
Niayes and Groundnut basin areas are among the largest strongholds of rainfed agriculture in Senegal. In the agricultural holdings of both agro-ecological areas, main speculations are far from optimizing their agronomic production potential. In order to analyze the organizational capacity and decision-making processes of producers, a global agronomic diagnostic work was undertaken out on the scale of 180 agricultural...
Impact of soil management and irrigation techniques on water use efficiency in cauliflower cultivation
August 2020
The objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of soil management and localized irrigation techniques on water use efficiency in the cultivation of cauliflower. The treatments consisted of 4 different types of soil management: Direct seeding using crotalaria and brachiaria cover crops, a treatment used both in conjunction, and another that employed a conventional system. Two different irrigation techniques...
An update of sweet potato viral disease incidence and spread in Ethiopia
August 2020
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is an important root crop for poor farmers in developing countries. Since the late 1980s, viral diseases have increasingly become a threat to sweet potato production in Ethiopia. This review paper presents the role of sweet potato production for ensuring food security, the level of sweet potato virus research, including the types of viral species identified and their current...
Performance of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties grown under broomrape (Orobanche spp.) infestation in South Tigray, Ethiopia
August 2020
Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are the serious roots parasitic weed to legumes crop production in many countries. In Ethiopia, Orobanche crenata is a dominant parasite and a major constraint to faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cultivation, especially in the Northern parts of the country. Presently, it reduces crop production and has forced farmers to stop growing faba bean crop. Thus, it is necessary to find new sources of...
Participatory upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) seed rate determination for row method of sowing under irrigated eco-system
August 2020
A field experiment was conducted in 2013 cropping season at Bedloale and Werer sites in Amibara district, Afar Regional State, to determine optimum seeding rate for row method of sowing for productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under irrigated ecosystem. The experiment was conducted with five levels of seed rate treatments (50, 60, 70, and 80 kg ha-1 and local practice) laid out in a randomized complete block design...
Influence of distance between plants and pruning of axillary buds on morphological and productive characteristics of tomato plants
August 2020
This research was carried out for 120 days in the horticulture area of the Universidad Nacional de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias to evaluate how morphological and productive characteristics of tomato plants were influenced by the distance between plants and the pruning of axillary buds. The design used in the experiment was the randomized block method with factorial arrangement (3x3); factor A was the...
Effect of scattered tree species on the diversity, abundance and biomass of pastures in a sedentary grazing system in South-western Uganda
August 2020
Tree species play a significant role in sustaining the productivity of grazing lands. However, information on appropriate species to use in restoring degraded grazing areas is limited. This study used 120 trees to assess the effect of 8 tree species on pasture diversity, abundance and biomass. This was done in a total of 960 quadrats of 1 m2 established under tree canopies and 5 m away from the edge of tree canopies. In...
Assessment of the effects of water stress on seed yield of common bean genotypes
July 2020
Drought stress is among the most important abiotic factors that contribute to the significant yield reduction of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Due to unreliable and poor distribution of rainfall, drought tolerance has become the important train in common bean in bean growing areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate 16 common bean genotypes for drought tolerance under three moisture regimes and identify...
Relationship between leaf rolling and some physiological parameters in durum wheat under water stress
July 2020
Durum wheat is an important staple food in Morocco. Wheat and barley are mostly grown in drought prone areas in this country. Drought is the most limiting factor under Mediterranean climate. Leaf rolling ability has been identified as a potential selection criterion for drought tolerance in cereals. The objective of this study is to test this hypothesis. The role of leaf rolling in water stress tolerance was assessed in...
Effect of growth and yield modelling on forest regulation and earnings
July 2020
The elaboration of a forest schedule involves constructing and solving a forest regulation model. The regulated structure is not easy to obtain, considering the fluctuations in the effective planting area during the planning horizon, technological advances, and changes in annual demand. Nevertheless, the establishment and implementation of a regulation model often results in an improvement of the forest, in terms of the...
Cracking and breaking response in four rice varieties as influenced by fertilization regime and storage duration
July 2020
In Northern Ghana, harvesting of the bulk of paddy, which is cultivated under rain-fed conditions, coincides with the harmattan season. This season is characterized by low relative humidity and dry weather conditions which hasten drying and increase the tendency of the paddy to crack during milling. The farmers also store paddy for longer periods in anticipation of higher price in the open market, thus the paddy may...
Determinants of ecosystem-based adaptation to drought in the central cattle corridor of Uganda
July 2020
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is widely recognised as an important strategy for strengthening climate change resilience. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence on the factors that facilitate or impede EbA for ecosystem services, adaptation benefits and livelihood improvement. In this study, the determinants of EbA to drought were assessed. A mixed quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional survey among 183 farmer...
Nitrate contamination of groundwater: An issue for livelihood in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka
July 2020
Groundwater stored in large cavities and channels of Miocene limestone is the only source of portable water in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. It is increasingly exploited and polluted by various contaminants that results in less availability of potable water. Nitrate contamination in drinking water is one of the major concerns which causes severe health impacts, such as methemoglobinemia especially in infants and...
Evaluation of cowpea rust disease incidence and severity on selected cowpea genotypes in Western Kenya
July 2020
Cowpea production is common among smallholder subsistence farmers of Western Kenya due to its wide ecological adaptation. However, this crop is affected by cowpea rust Uromyces phaseoli var vignae (Baarel) Arth disease, causing economic yield losses with limited control measures. This study therefore, evaluated cowpea rust disease incidence (DI) and severity (DS) on growth of selected improved cowpea genotypes. A...
A cluster analysis of variables essential for climate change adaptation of smallholder dairy farmers of Nandi County, Kenya
July 2020
Smallholder dairy farmers occupy high potential areas of Kenya and are a source of manure, crops and milk. There is need to use other means of characterising smallholder dairy farmers as they mostly practice mixed farming. The objective of this paper is to use cluster analysis method to characterize the smallholder dairy farmers with added farmer and activity data variables. Clusters of 336 farmers in this study were...
Relative costs and benefits of implementing desiccant bead drying/hermetic storage and alternative drying and storage technologies for vegetable seeds in Kenya and Tanzania
July 2020
This paper assesses the relative costs and benefits of desiccant beads drying/hermetic storage and alternative drying and storage technologies. The study was conducted in Kenya and Tanzania in areas producing and trading vegetable seeds using a sample size of 280 respondents. The study revealed that costs of desiccant bead drying/hermetic storage are relatively higher for smaller quantities of seeds compared to...
Agroclimatic risk zoning of mango (Mangifera indica) in the hydrographic basin of Paraná River III, Brazil
July 2020
Mango cultivation is one of the key economic agricultural activities of fruit in Brazil. In Southern Brazil, mango presents vulnerability thanks to its frost sensitivity, indicating the relevance of climate studies to improve the production and agricultural techniques, in the context of sustainable agriculture and climate change. Agroclimatic zoning should be one of the first information to be considered when starting...
Physical and mechanical properties of cement bonded strand board produced from Gmelina arborea (Roxb.) harvesting residues
July 2020
Finding use for residues from felling operations has been a major focus on increasing volume recovery of harvested woody biomass. Strands and sawdust processed from left-over of Gmelina arborea residues recovered from the forest were used to produce cement bonded composites. Physical and mechanical properties of the boards were assessed showing the relationship between diverse variables such as density, wood strand and...
Market prospects and willingness to pay for indigenous products: The case of Morama (Tylosema esculentum)
July 2020
This study analyzes the market potential of the underutilized indigenous Morama (Tylosema esculentum) products by determining the consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay. Simple random sampling was used to select 372 respondents to participate in the cross-sectional survey. Contingent valuation method was used to determine the customers’ willingness to pay and the two-step Heckman selection model was...
Effect of agricultural wastes on some soil physicochemical properties of ultisol, growth parameters and yield of cocoyam (Xanthosoma mafafa) at Umudike, southeastern Nigeria
July 2020
This research was conducted on a degraded Ultisol at the Eastern farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike during 2014 and 2015 planting seasons, to determine the effect of different rates of sawdust and poultry manure application on soil physicochemical properties of acid sandy Ultisol, and growth and yield of cocoyam. The treatments comprised of two organic amendments at five levels each: Sawdust (0,...
Growth and yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) (Garten) as affected by varying nitrogen levels at Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria
July 2020
A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Adamawa State College of Agriculture at Mubi, Nigeria to determine effect of Nitrogen fertilization on the growth and yield of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L. (Garten). Results indicated that all the growth and yield components were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced by increasing nitrogen fertilizer application rates. The highest...
Assessment of genetic variability for yield and attributed traits among rice doubled haploid (DH) lines in semi-arid zone Sudan
July 2020
Anther culture is one of the biotechnology tools using for quick recovery of fixed breeding pure lines in rice. The development of new rice varieties is highly dependent on genetic diversity in desirable agronomic traits. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential genotypes having the characters of Tongil-type and to study suitable traits of tested Double Haploid (DH) lines which can be applied in breeding...
Gender differences in agri-marketing farmer organizations in Uganda and Malawi: Implications for R4D delivery mechanisms
June 2020
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...
Production of liquid fertilizer by fermented livestock liquid and application on crops
June 2020
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...
Effects of combined salt and flooding stresses on the growth and physiological behavior of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
June 2020
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...
Promotion of rice growth and productivity as a result of seed inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense
June 2020
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...
Severity and prevalence of the destructive fall armyworm on maize in Uganda: A case of Bulambuli District
June 2020
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...
Potential of reduced agricultural lime application rates to increase yield and profitability of maize through microdosing in central Malawi - A short note
June 2020
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...
Role of leaf rolling on agronomic performances of durum wheat subjected to water stress
June 2020
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...
Fertilizer-nitrogen use optimization for Tef in South Wollo Zone of Ethiopia
June 2020
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...
Perception and uptake of aquaculture technologies in Kogi state, central Nigeria: imperative for Improved Management practices for sustainable aquaculture development
June 2020
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...
Effects of pre-rice cassava/legume intercrops and weed management practices on weed dynamics and yield of low land rice in Badeggi, Nigeria
June 2020
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...
Analysing chicken meat production comparative advantage of South Africa
June 2020
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...
Comparison of laboratory methods in predicting the lime requirement of acid soil in Wombera District, North western Ethiopia
June 2020
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...
Assessing landuse effect on soil properties in the Coastal plains sand, Imo State, Nigeria
June 2020
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...
Response of wild smooth-head catfish (Clarias liocephalus) fingerlings reared in earthen ponds
June 2020
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...
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
June 2020
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...
Natural parasitism of hymenoptera (insect) on bruquids associated with Fabaceae seeds in Northern Sinaloa, Mexico
June 2020
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,...
Effect of food types of Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on biological aspects and life table of Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
June 2020
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...
Effect of different rates of filter cake against bruchids (Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) and Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on common bean and cowpea
June 2020
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...
Extent and pattern of genetic diversity for pheno-agro-morphological traits in Ethiopian improved and selected farmers’ varieties of Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter
June 2020
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...
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