Enhancing agricultural sustainability and productivity under changing climate conditions through improved agroforestry practices in smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
February 2019
Fighting climate change and its nefarious effects is at the forefront of the United Nations’ SDGs, agenda 2030. This comes at a time when the global climate is changing rapidly owing to increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere resulting principally from fossil fuel combustion and agricultural lands taking the place of tropical forests. Climate change...
Involving small holder farmers in the agricultural land use planning process using Analytic Hierarchy Process in rice farming systems of Kilombero Valley, Tanzania
February 2019
Despite the truth that the agricultural land use planning exercises have so far covered small and fragmented part of the African continent, the involvement of farmers who are among the direct beneficiaries of the outputs have been limited. This work demonstrates the contributions of farmers on the land use planning process for rice production in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Analytic hierarchic process (AHP) was used to...
Boosting self-sufficiency in maize crop production in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government with internet of things (IOT)-climate messaging: A model
February 2019
The cultivation of maize round the year is a great challenge to both subsistence and mechanized farmers in Abia State owing to the changes in climatic conditions especially precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature during the two traditional seasons, which affect the growth and yield of the cereal crop. This paper is the first of a two-part study aimed to evolving an internet-based remote monitoring and...
Genetic variability of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes under sole and maize-bean cropping systems in Bako, Western Oromia, Ethiopia
February 2019
Knowledge of the sources and magnitude of variability among genotypes plays a pivotal role in any crop improvement program to maximize gains from selection. This experiment was conducted at Bako Agricultural Research Center in 2011 cropping season with the objective of studying and estimating the extent of genetic variability in common bean genotypes under sole and mixed cropping systems. Meanwhile, the wider range of...
Performance evaluation of improved bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties and production technologies in Central High Lands of Ethiopia
February 2019
A study was carried out to evaluate the performance of five improved varieties of bread wheat and production technologies in Becho district of Oromia, Centeral Ethiopia: Sanate (T1), Mada-Walabu (T2), Hobora (T3), Hogana (T4), and Hidase as standard check (T5)) arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six replications using six farmers’ fields. Yield and yield related parameters were analyzed...
Selection of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes based on agro-morphological traits in Angola
February 2019
The aim of the present study is to select superior cassava genotypes based on agro-morphological traits using three non-parametric indices and to correlate them in order to verify the degree of agreement between them. Traits such as number of branches, plant height, stem diameter, distance between internodes, height of the first branch, number of roots, root diameter, root length, shoot yield and root yield in...
Effect of different doses of Azospirillum brasilense and nitrogen fertilizer in wheat crop
February 2019
The objective of the present work is to evaluate the effect of different doses of nitrogen combined with different doses of A. brasilense in the agronomic characteristics of wheat. The experiment was conducted in Curuguaty, Paraguay in 2017 and the variety used was Canindé 11. The experimental design is a completely randomized block with factorial ordering and four repetitions. The treatments are a combination...
Fungal endophytes in bananas cv Manzano affected by Fusarium
February 2019
Endophytes microorganisms have the potential to control vascular diseases caused by Fusarium spp. which does not have an effective chemical control. In this study, endophytes populations present in Manzano -apple bananas- affected by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 1 were studied. Endophytes were isolated in two commercial farms in Urabá-Colombia, taking leaf, pseudostem, corm and root tissues from healthy...
Photosynthetic profiles and nutrimental characterization of yellow mango in Mexico
February 2019
Worldwide, Mexico represents the first exporter of mango. However, in recent years mango exports have decreased by 29 points due to a change in the preference of the American market; hence, it is essential to diversify the supply of mangoes exports. Measurement of the net photosynthesis response and internal CO2 concentrations can provide data on important parameters of the physiology of a variety; these have been...
Different dry matters content used for the conservation of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in anaerobic environment
February 2019
Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is widely used for feeding ruminants, and the conservation of this material as haylage can be an alternative to farms. The aim of this work is to study the nutritional and microbiological value of annual ryegrass (L. multiflorum Lam.) pre-dried and stored with different dry matter contents (250, 350, 450, 550, 650 and 750 g kg-1) in anaerobic environment. The experimental design...
Osmotic stress in Chenopodium quinoa Willd.: Variations in osmoprotectants at different phenological stages
February 2019
Chenopodium quinoa Willd. is an edible crop plant adapted to the climatic conditions of the South American Andes, where it thrives under extreme environmental conditions such as saline soils, drought, high UV radiation and broad temperature fluctuations. The prolonged exposure of this crop to high salinity and low relative humidity has promoted the development of efficient mechanisms to retain water within the...
Isotopic signature of the relation between environment and the quality of spatial coffee
February 2019
The intrinsic quality of the Bourbon cultivar is well known for a high level of sweetness, intense aroma and pleasant acidity. With the evident relationship between product quality and the environment in mind, the need arises for scientific studies to provide a foundation for discrimination of product origin. Given this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of stable isotopes in discrimination of...
Biomass accumulation and potassium concentrations in tissue of Teff (Eragrostis tef Zucc. Trotter) at three growth stages in Vertisols and Nitisols of the Central Highlands of Ethiopia
February 2019
Understanding the physiology and time-course of above ground biomass (AGBM) and potassium (K) accumulation pattern in plants and removal from soil is essential to simultaneously increase crop yield and synchronize K demand and K supply, thereby predict crop yield. It is also an essential criterion for optimizing fertilizer practices, and may help to enhance soil and crop quality. A pot experiment was conducted using...
Comparison of bioslurry to common nitrogen sources on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield and yield components in andisols and oxisols of Northern Rwanda
February 2019
This study evaluated the effect of bioslurry from on-farm biogas production units and other sources of nitrogen fertilizer on Irish potato yield and yield components in northern Rwanda. To achieve this, an on-farm experiment was undertaken in the Andisols of Musanze District and the Oxisols of Gicumbi District in 2012. Three farms were selected to host the study in each District. Six treatments were randomly tested in...
An assessment of adaptation options enhancing smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate variability and change: Case of Mbengwi Central Sub-Division, North-West Region of Cameroon
February 2019
Farmers’ implementation of suitable adaptation measures in the face of climate variability and change (CVC) depends first and foremost on their ability to perceive CVC. This paper analyzes the adaptation measures implemented by smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Mbengwi Central Sub-Division, North-West Region of Cameroon in the face of CVC as well as the determinants of smallholder farmers’ choice of adaptation...
Virulence and characterization of isolates of potato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) in Rwanda
February 2019
Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) is one of the major potato diseases in Rwanda. An in vitro study was carried out to identify and characterize the pathogen isolated from three potato cultivars (Kinigi, Kirundo and Gikungu) in Rwanda. This was achieved by cultural and morphological tests on triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and casamino peptone glucose (CPG) agar as well as biochemical tests through Gram...
Growth of parica seedlings (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) cultivated in different organic substrates
February 2019
The forest plantations depends on appropriate initial seedling establishment, which occurs when primary factors (water, light, CO2 and nutrients) are within appropriate ranges. The purpose this study was to evaluate the growth of young parica plants (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) grown in different organic substrates (chicken manure, goat manure and organic matter) in proportions of 5, 10, 15 and 20% in yellow...
Maize-lupine intercrop response to applied nitrogen and phosphorus in North-Western Ethiopia
February 2019
Maize (Zea mays) is a major staple crop in North-Western Ethiopia. Narrow leaf lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) grain is a commercial concentrates for livestock feed. Maize-lupine intercropping is a sustainable and emerging crop production approach for the resource poor smallholder farmers of North-Western Ethiopia; however, there is no recommended fertilizer rate for the intercrop. Therefore, field experiment was...
Use of vegetable oils in the control of Colletotrichum sp. in banana fruits
February 2019
Anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus of the genus Colletotrichum. It is considered an important post-harvest disease in fruits of banana (Musa sp.) which depreciates the commercial value of the fruit. The use of vegetable oils to control fungal growth and disease progression in plants is an important alternative to minimize the deleterious effects of toxic chemicals. Studies were carried out to evaluate the...
Women involvement in the fishery activities of two coastal communities in Sierra Leone
January 2019
Women make up an important part of the fishing sector and play critical roles, particularly, in small-scale fisheries and increasingly in capture fishing and other activities. However, the roles of women are often undervalued due to the lack of attention to gender roles in fisheries, especially in Africa. This research was therefore motivated to investigate the roles of women in two coastal communities of Sierra Leone....
Performance of garlic cultivars under rain-fed cultivation practice at South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia
January 2019
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important edible bulbous crop with unique culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a major cash crop widely cultivated in Libokemkem and other districts of South Gondar zone of Amhara Region in Ethiopia. However, productivity of garlic in Ethiopia in general and in South Gondar Zone in particular is very low largely due to the use of unimproved local cultivars and traditional cultural...
Efficiency of Trichoderma asperellum UFT 201 as plant growth promoter in soybean
January 2019
Filamentous fungi of the genus Trichoderma are known for their activity as plant growth promoters. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of the Trichoderma asperellum UFT 201 strain as a plant growth promoter in soybean. The ability of phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid synthesis and the effect on soybean plant growth under greenhouse conditions were evaluated in four experiments. In vitro...
Socio-economic aspects related to feeding resources and practices in selected intensive dairy farms in Central Ethiopia
January 2019
Dairy cattle productivity is affected by many factors such as genetics, infectious diseases, husbandry and diet. Fodder resources, fodder availability and feeding strategies were assessed by means of questionnaires and interviews in seventeen dairy farms in Addis Ababa, Sendafa and Debre Zeit. Nutrient content was analyzed from hay sample. The farms were categorized as small, medium or large. Nutrient content, as well...
Nutrient cycling in multifunctional agroecosystems with the use of plant cocktail as cover crop and green manure in the semi-arid
January 2019
Plant cocktails used as cover crop present a significant multifunctional resource compared to monoculture, which may increase functional diversity within crop rotation and is particularly effective for designing mixtures with characteristics that increase the multifunctionality and sustainability of the agroecosystem. The objective was to evaluate sustainable agroecosystems models that improve the efficiency of nutrient...
Management and organization of shina-hamusit and selamko irrigation schemes to preliminary assessment in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia
January 2019
The utilization of small-scale irrigation schemes plays a significant role in addressing food security problems as a supplementary with rain-fed or irrigation agriculture in the basin and as a whole in the country. The conveyance efficiency values at Shina-Hamusit was 73%, while at Selamko it was 59%. These values showed that the conveyance loss is huge in both irrigation schemes, especially at Selamko that has canals...
Effects of reduced spacing on maize productivity, CO2 assimilation and gas exchange
January 2019
The objective of this study is to evaluate the interference of reduced spacing in the physiological and characteristics production components of maize hybrids (Zea mays L.). Four line spacings (95, 80, 60 and 40 cm) were tested using three commercial hybrids (H1, H2 and H3) in Senador Guiomard, Acre, Brazil. The experimental design of randomized complete blocks was used in subdivided plots. The experiment lasted four...
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) production practices and constraints in major production regions of Ethiopia
January 2019
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the second among fruit crops in Ethiopia in its production coverage and economical importance. However, compared to the countries’ potential, it is at the infant stage. This study was conducted to identify the main mango cultivars, production practices and constraints in east and western Ethiopia in 2016. Study areas were selected purposively based on their extensive mango...
Management of the nematode of the nodule of Meloidogyne incognita in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with extracts in a biospace condition
January 2019
For the management of the nematode of Meloidogyne incognita nodule in plants of Solanum lycopersicum L., the effectiveness of plant extracts: Ruta graveolens, Eucalyptus spp., Ocimum basilicum, Acacia farnesiana, and Nicotiana tabacum, and as a control fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus 6.5x1013 UFC/g were used. For each treatment, 5000 nematodes J2 of M. incognita/plant were used. The extracts were applied per intervals of...
Growth and yield performance of selected upland and lowland rainfed rice varieties grown in farmers’ and researchers’ managed fields at Ifakara, Tanzania
January 2019
Bridging the yield gaps is of major concern to rice breeders and agronomists under rainfed rice cultivation. The yield performance of lowland and upland rainfed rice varieties was investigated in farmers’ and researchers’ field conditions at four locations in Ifakara. Selected agronomic practices namely; recommended fertilizer (80 kgN/ha), spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm, weed free fields and high yielding...
Food Barley Land races Characterization in the Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia
January 2019
Barley is an important crop for the North Gondar highlands of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. To assess the characterization of barley landraces, 180 farmers from six villages in three districts of north Gondar zone were selected and surveyed. With regard to distribution status, most of the recorded landraces of barley were endangered. The main end uses of barley in the study area were kolo, beso, tela, injera, korefe, kita...
Organic amendments applied to a degraded soil: Short term effects on soil quality indicators
January 2019
Low agricultural productivity is a threat to achieving global food security. Improving productivity of degraded soils is key to achieving sustainable food production. This study investigated the effects of four organic amendments (OAs) (Mushroom Compost, MC; PAS-100 compost, PAS; Anaerobic Digestate Solid Waste, AD_SW; and Poultry Manure, PM), applied at 10 t ha-1 and 30 t ha-1 on the physical, chemical and biological...
Adjustments for axial and sieves systems of coffee harvesters
January 2019
During the mechanized harvesting of the coffee, there is a fall of fruits in the order of 10 to 20%. This coffee must be later collected. For that, it is necessary to use harvester adjustments that promote a greater picking efficiency. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to define the best adjustments for the axial and sieves system for coffee harvesters. The experiment was carried out using an axial system...
Comparative performance of commonly used portable coffee harvesters
January 2019
In mountain regions due to the high slopes, the coffee harvest is carried out manually, generating higher production costs. An alternative to reducing these costs is to use portable breakers. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of portable coffee breakers in coffee harvesting. The experiment was carried out in a field of Catucaí Amarelo 24/137, 3.5 years old. In the study, six types of...
Identification of drought selection indices of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
January 2019
A study was conducted to evaluate common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes for drought tolerance in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Treatments included 18 genotypes laid out in a 3×18 split plot arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. The data on yield under water stress and non-water stress treatments were used to calculate indices that can be used for predicting tolerant...
Seed treatment and pre-inoculation of soybean: effect of storage period and agrochemicals on the physiological quality of seed and yield
January 2019
Industrial seed treatment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has increased over the last years. New technologies have been developed to allow the inoculation procedure, which is traditionally done at the day of sowing, to be performed with the industrial treatment days or even weeks before sowing. Since little is known about the compatibility of agrochemicals and pre-inoculation, the objective of this study was to...
Genetic diversity of rice (Oryza sativa L.) accessions collected from Sudan and IRRI using SSR markers
January 2019
The assessment of genetic diversity of the traditional rice varieties or landraces is an essential component in germplasm characterization and conservation to identify potential parents. In the present study SSR markers (588 SSR markers) were used for the assessment of genetic diversity and relatedness among 31 rice accessions. These included 18 accessions from Sudan and 13 from IRRI. Among the SSR markers used only 483...
Characterization of Pico Island (Azores) wood-pastures
January 2019
Wood-pastures are gaining importance in various parts of the planet, either for their role in combating desertification, protecting endemic faunas and flora, or their role in animal welfare or nutritional value in all year round grazing systems. On Pico Island and on other islands in the Azores, farmers have been using tree pastures for a long time, especially in the winter, when there is a shortage of grass and the...
Crop abiotic stresses and nutrition of harvested food crops: A Review of impacts, interventions and their effectiveness
January 2019
In tandem with the accelerating effects of climate change, efforts to increase agricultural productivity to feed the growing population are still being extensively rolled out in Africa. That notwithstanding, a large population in the continent remains food and nutrition insecure; rendering malnutrition the biggest public health challenge. Coupled with the increased incidences of abiotic stresses, developing countries...
Levels of some selected metals (Fe, Cu and Zn) in selected vegetables and soil around eastern industry zone, central Ethiopia
January 2019
The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration of selected metals (Fe, Zn and Cu) in vegetables and the soil contaminating levels due to irrigation, using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). The wet digestion and sequential fractionation extraction procedures were employed to solubilize the metals from the collected samples. The results obtained from this study showed overall concentration of...
Difficulties in adaptation to climate change by oil palm farmers in Southern Nigeria
January 2019
There is an increasing concern that climate change is already having an impact on poor, small scale oil palm farmers in Southern Nigeria. Researchers have shown that Nigeria is already being plagued with diverse ecological problems which have been linked to climate change. More so, increase in the severity of extreme weather events, sea level rise, coastal erosion, changes in weather pattern that affect oil palm...
Effects of moisture stresses during vegetative and reproductive growth phases on productivity of six selected rain-fed rice varieties in Ifakara, Tanzania
January 2019
In order to study the critical growth stages and the most tolerant rice varieties in both lowland and upland rainfed ecosystems, an experiment arranged in split plots based on randomized complete block design was conducted under field conditions with 3 replications. Three stress timing irrigation treatments (no stress, vegetative moisture stress, and reproductive moisture stress) were assigned as th main plots, while 6...
Responses of Moringa oleifera root growth to container size during overwintering in temperate regions
January 2019
Due to its fast growth rates, Moringa oleifera is being grown as an annual crop in temperate areas with freezing winter temperatures. Seedlings are raised under greenhouse conditions for overwintering and then transplanted outside at the beginning of spring, which allows for several cuttings prior to onset of the subsequent winter. However, there is limited information on container-size for overwintering of M. oleifera...
Assessment of technical conformity of bench terraces for soil erosion control in Rwanda
January 2019
The purpose of this paper was to evaluate technical conformity of bench terraces in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. A sample of 180 actual bench terraces from 12 sites located in this Province was tested against technical standards and models provided for by the Ministry of Agriculture of Rwanda and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The results showed that many sites have been constructed with no...
Levels of some toxic heavy metals (Cr, Cd and Pb) in selected vegetables and soil around eastern industry zone, central Ethiopia
January 2019
The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Cr, Cd and Pb) in vegetables and the soil contaminating levels as a result of irrigation using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). The wet digestion and sequential fractionation extraction procedures were employed to solubilize the metals from the collected samples. The results obtained from this study showed overall...
Land Use Land Cover Change Trend and Its Drivers in Somodo Watershed South Western, Ethiopia
January 2019
Land use land cover (LULC) dynamics are a widespread, accelerating, and significant process driven by human actions. LULC changes analysis is one of the most precise techniques to understand how land was used in the past, what types of changes are to be expected in the future, as well as the forces and processes behind the changes. This study was carried out to evaluate the historical and future trends as well as...
Review on bio-intensive management of African bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.): Botanicals and semiochemicals perspectives
January 2019
African bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is a serious pest of cereals, sorghum, cotton, pepper, maize, sunflower, flax and niger. To control this insect pest, doses of insecticides have been used. The use of indiscriminate synthetic insecticides causes adverse effect like environmental pollution, human and animal health hazards, and development of pesticide resistance. To alleviate these bottleneck...
Degradation assessment of wetlands under different uses: implications on soil quality and productivity
January 2019
The assessment of degradation status of wetland soils under five different land use types (LUTs) in Ogun state, Nigeria were studied. The laboratory study was conducted to determine the physical, chemical and biological properties of these wetlands and the results obtained were compared with the food and agriculture organization (FAO) standard indicators and criteria for land degradation assessment. The textural...
Natural occurrence of Diadiplosis megalamellae (Barnes) in mealybugs on roses in Kenya
January 2019
Over the last decade there has been an increasing adoption of Integrated Pest Management on rose farms in Kenya. As a consequence, there has been a rise in secondary pests on rose plants, including in particular the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso). On cut flowerrose farms in Kenya, the presence of the predatory midge Diadiplosis megalamellae (Barnes) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) was observed. Therefore, a survey...
Evaluation of sugarcane hybrid clones for cane and sugar yield in Nigeria
January 2019
Field experiment was conducted in year 2015/2016 at the National Cereals Research Institute Badeggi, Niger State (sugarcane research field) to evaluate the performance of sixteen sugarcane genotypes. The clones were planted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Analysis of variance showed significant differentiation among studied genotypes. The results revealed that among the evaluated...
Status and distribution of soil available micronutrients along a hillslope at Ekpri Ibami in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria
January 2019
A field study of the status and distribution of available soil micronutrients along a hillslope of Ekpri Ibami was carried out on a 50 ha land. The aim of the study is to evaluate the micronutrient status and distribution and their relationship with some selected soil properties. A total of 16 soil samples were collected from each pedogenic horizons of four profile pits dug along a hillslope classified as upper slope,...
Page 18 of 138, showing 50 records out of 6894 total, starting on record 851, ending on 900
Advertisement
Advertisement