The use of microchondrometer to assess test weight in small samples of triticales and oats
October 2020
The test weight or hectoliter weight is an important parameter used to classify the quality of the grain. Globally, it is evaluated by using 250, 500 or 1000 ml devices. Despite its importance, there is no standard equipment to assess it in small samples from the research plots. This study aims to test a newly developed microchondrometer (15.30 ml) in the triticale and oats. A second microchondrometer (31.26 ml) was...
Genetic diversity analysis and construction of selection index of selected tomato genotypes
October 2020
To study the genetic variability and selection index of selected tomato genotypes, an experiment was conducted at the farmer’s field of Chirirbandar Upazilla of Dinajpur District, Bangladesh. Ten tomato genotypes were evaluated in a randomized completely block design with four replications. The study results displayed high heritability plus higher genetic advance for all the traits studied. Among the traits, plant...
Field evaluation of lentil germplasms for their resistance to Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta lentis) under field conditions
October 2020
Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta lentis is a fungal disease with a major importance in Ethiopia. It has the potential to cause appreciable reduction in yield. The present study was conducted to identify the sources of resistance in lentil to ascochyta blight in 2018 main cropping season in hot spot area in AlemTena research station. The total of 148 accessions were received from Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute were...
Determination of solar energy requirements for indirect cooling combined with evaporative cooling for storage of fresh produce
October 2020
A solar photovoltaic (SPV) system generating power to run a 53-m3 storage for indirect air-cooling combined with evaporating cooling (IAC+EC) for providing a cool environment for storage of tomatoes under small-scale farming was evaluated. The experiment consisted of nine 330 W solar modules, twelve 230 AH Gel batteries, 145 VDC solar charge controller, 5 kW inverter, 290 W ventilation fan, 260 W water pump,...
Challenges in greenhouse crop production by smallholder farmers in Kisii County, Kenya
October 2020
Despite the success in greenhouse farming by large scale horticultural farmers in Kenya, smallholder greenhouse farming is beset by many challenges leading to over 30% failure rates. Reasons for the high failure rate are not clearly understood. The objective of this study was to assess the challenges in greenhouse crop production by small-scale farmers in Kisii County, Kenya and provide recommendations for sustained...
Response of eight sorghum varieties to plant density and nitrogen fertilization in the Sudano-Sahelian zone in Mali
October 2020
This work was conducted to study the performance of eight sorghum varieties that contrasted with intensified practices in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali. Two experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 rainy seasons at Sotuba Agricultural Research Station in Mali. The experimental design used was a Split-split-plot with three replications and three factors including two plant densities (D1: 26666 plants ha-1 and D2:...
Biofortified bean genotypes under integrated soil fertility management across sub-humid agro-ecological zones of The Democratic Republic of Congo
October 2020
This study was implemented to evaluate the performance of biofortified bean under different integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) options and agro-ecological conditions in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A Split-plot design with eight genotypes as main factors and four ISFM options as secondary factors was carried out in eight production zones distributed across South-Kivu, North-Kivu, and Katanga provinces....
Leaf organic content variation of 2 durum wheat genotypes under water stress by applying phytohormone (IAA)
October 2020
Water stress is the most important problem in plant growth and development. Greenhouse trial is carried out on 2 durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) genotypes (MBB and WAHA), to evaluate the effect of water stress on the biochemical content of leaves, and the possibility of reducing this effect by applying a growth regulator Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by seeds soaking and foliar spraying. Water stress causes a large...
Agronomic and economic evaluation of phosphate fertilizer use in maize-bean cropping systems in Western Kenya
October 2020
Effects of phosphorus rate and crop arrangement on yields and economic benefits in maize-bean cropping systems were investigated for two seasons: Short rains (SR) of 2015 and long rains (LR) of 2016 in Western Kenya. A split plot design with five crop arrangements in the main plots; one row of maize and beans alternating (conventional), maize and beans planted in the same hole (SH), two rows of maize alternating with...
Comparing productivity of rice under system of rice intensification and conventional flooding: A switching regression approach
October 2020
This paper examined the factors influencing rice productivity in Mwea Irrigation Scheme using the System of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional flooding (CF). Stratified sampling was used to obtain 364 smallholder rice farmers for interviewing. Data collection was done with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using the Endogenous Switching regression Model (ESRM). The results of ESRM...
Evaluation of a motorized cassava peeler with four lining materials
October 2020
Cassava processing requires peeling, which is mainly done manually and not effective for large scale processing, hence, the need to mechanise the peeling process. A motorized cassava peeler with four drum and disc linings (concrete, metal, rubber and wood) was designed. The prototype was tested at three disc speeds; (250, 350 and 500 rpm) to determine peeling capacity, peel removal efficiency, and flesh loss. The...
Cultural practices and pesticides contamination level of tomato in two gardening sites in the region of Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Faso
October 2020
The present study consisted of evaluation of cultural practices and pesticides contamination level of tomato in some gardening sites in the region of Boucle du Mouhoun (Burkina Faso). A survey of phytosanitary practices among 30 producers was carried out at the Di and Dedougou sites. The pesticide contamination level of tomatoes collected was determined by the QuEChERS method. The survey revealed a low level of literacy...
Effect of different planting techniques and sowing density rates on the development of quinoa
September 2020
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a crop of increasing interest due to its agro-ecological adaptability and high nutritional properties. Few information is available on the adaptability of quinoa in the Sahel region, and on genotype’s phenological, morphological and agronomical responses to different planting methods and sowing density rates. To test the effect of planting and sowing methods, two separate...
Field evaluation of introduced and local cowpea genotypes performance in Botswana
September 2020
A set of twenty four cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) genotypes were evaluated in field conditions for three consequtive seasons based on 13 quantitative characters. A combined analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference among the genotypes for most of the traits (P <0.001). Introduced genotypes performed better in nine of the characters, revealing the advantage of introduced genotypes. Principal...
Effect of potassium on yield and growth of Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) in Dale District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia
September 2020
Only limited work has been done on fertilizer requirement of Enset crop. An experiment was conducted in Dale district, Sidama region, Ethiopia to investigate the response of Enset to potassium (K) fertilizer for two years (2016-2018). The treatments were: 0, 80, 150 and 200 kg K/ha as potassium chloride (KCl), single levels of phosphorus (P) (20 kg/ha), sulfur (S) (11.15 kg/ha) and boron (B) (0.57 kg/ha) as blended NPSB...
Impact of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi based fertilizers on to increase maize productivity in North Benin
September 2020
Mycorrhizae are symbiotic associations between fungi and host plants, which confer several advantages, including good mineral nutrition. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) then present an effective alternative in order to develop a sustainable agriculture that is less dependent on mineral fertilizers. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of organic fertilizers based on native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi...
Floral activity of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Bidens steppia (Asteraceae), Cordia africana (Boraginaceae), Pittosporum viridiflorum (Pittosporaceae) and Psychotria mahonii (Rubiaceae) in Nyambaka (Adamawa, Cameroon)
September 2020
Experiments were conducted at Nyambaka in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon, from March 2017 to November 2018, for assessing the apicultural potential of Bidens steppia, Cordia africana, Pittosporum viridiflorum and Psychotria mahonii. In order to improve the beekeeping productivity, it is important to investigate the diversity of bee plants in a given apiary site. To that end, the foraging behaviour of Apis mellifera...
Spatiotemporal hotspot patterns of wheat rust incidence and severity in Ethiopia
September 2020
Wheat rusts, stem rust, leaf rust, and stripe or yellow rust are the major biotic constraints in all wheat-growing regions of Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to identify the temporal-spatial hot spot pattern of wheat rust incidence and severity in Ethiopia. A GIS-based hotspot analysis tool was employed to identify the spatial distribution of hot spot patterns and temporal trends using survey...
Enhancing maize production in a Striga infested environment through weed management practices, sowing date and improved crop varieties
September 2020
A two-year investigation into the effects of weed management practices, sowing dates and maize varieties was made in a Striga endemic field at Minna, Nigeria. The treatment was a factorial combination of variety (SAMMAZ 15, 17, 37, 40 and SUWAN-1-SR-Y), weed management practices (weedy check, two hoe weeding (HW) at 3 + 6 weeks after sowing (WAS), pre-emergence (PE) Atrazine at 2.4 kg a.i ha-1 + 1 HW at 6 WAS and PE...
Banana pest risk assessment along banana trade axes running from low to high altitude sites, in the Eastern DR Congo and in Burundi
September 2020
Pests and diseases greatly contribute to the decline in banana yields, food and income insecurity in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Understanding people’s role in pest and disease spread at landscape level is crucial for effective pest and disease management. To determine this, focus group discussions (FGDs) targeting 10 experienced farmers (50% female and 50% male) were conducted in 27 villages along four...
Household determinants of food security in rural Central Uganda
September 2020
This study contributes to the literature by presenting empirical evidence on the drivers of rural household food security, which is critical for food security policy implementation. We used household survey data collected from 265 households from rural central Uganda, and a binary logistic regression model to estimate the determinants of household food security. Households with more land size, no livestock, and smaller...
Evaluation of blended fertilizer on growth performance and yield of onion (Allium cepa L.) at irrigated conditions Tselemti District North Western Tigray, Ethiopia
September 2020
Onion has economically important crop in the study area. However, its low production is due to poor soil fertility management. Thus, the present study was initiated to determine the optimal rate of blended fertilizer required for onion production. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during 2018 and 2019 at farmer's field Tselemti district, the experiment had 8 treatments arranged in a...
Pastoral farming system and its temporal shift: A case of Borana zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia
September 2020
The study was conducted in Borana zone, which is located at about 570 km from Addis Ababa with the objective of understanding the farming system of Borana pastoral area. The primary data was collected using survey questionnaires from 160 households selected using multistage sampling design. The study confirmed that the farming system in Borana pastoral area has been increasingly diluted, unlike the earlier decades where...
Growth performance of royal purple and white guinea fowl varieties and their crosses under an intensive management system
September 2020
Commercialization of guinea fowl production in many countries is growing and the demand for their meat is high. The study evaluated the growth of crossbred royal purple x white variety relative to purebred royal purple and white varieties. Twenty pure-bred white, 20 purebred royal purple and 20 cross-bred keets were housed together in 4 houses resulting in 4 replications. The keets were fed broiler starter crumbs from...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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