Mitotic response of Allium cepa L. to toxicity of pharmaceutical effluents
June 2023
The need to determine the mutagenic ability of waste waters from pharmaceutical industry is on the rise. With the aid of macro and micro assay of the root tip, this study was carried out to assess the genotoxic effects of varied concentrations of three pharmaceutical effluents (Ciprofloxacin, Arthemetrin and Psuedophedrin) on Allium cepa root tip during mitosis. The chemical evaluation of the effluents confirmed the...
Evaluation of Zimbabwean tobacco varieties for potential as a source of tobacco seed oil (TSO)
June 2023
The impending curtailment of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) use in its traditional smoking form demands that economies previously dependent on tobacco as a cash crop find alternative sources of income. Alternatively, to enable the continued use of existing infrastructure and experience by growers, these economies could continue to grow the crop for other uses. The objective of this trial was, therefore, to explore...
Status and management strategies of major insect pests and fungal diseases of maize in Africa: A review
June 2023
The escalating populations in Africa contribute to the already existing challenge of food insecurity, which is further exacerbated by the emergence and resurgence of pests and diseases, resulting in substantial annual yield losses. Maize, a vital staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, serves as crucial food source, animal fodder, and raw material for industries. Nonetheless, its vulnerability to pests and diseases puts...
On-farm participatory evaluation and selection of crop varieties at climate changes in Southern Niger
June 2023
Participatory varietal selection (PVS) is one of the most rapid and cost-effective ways for breeders, farmers, and agronomists to identify high-yielding and well adapted varieties to current climate threats and to obtain feedback from the potential end users in the early phases of the breeding cycle (s). On the other hand, a participatory evaluation of improved and local varieties of pearl millet, sorghum, cowpea, and...
Relative importance of functions of innovation system on cassava climate smart farming in Kenya
June 2023
Functions of innovation systems framework have established their value as tools for exploring socio-technological transitions and economic development. Although the “seven functions” model has demonstrated its academic value across a vast literature, there have been few attempts to explore the role of the model in climate smart farming. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine relative importance of...
Characterizing the cycle of heavy metals in horticultural production for Mbare Musika in Harare, Zimbabwe
June 2023
Heavy metal cycles in horticultural systems in areas supplying vegetables to Mbare Musika were characterized with reference to the soil, water, fertilizers used and crops grown from different ecological zones of Zimbabwe. Apart from inherent soil heavy metal properties, anthropogenic sources contributed through irrigation water and fertilizers. Different areas specialized in growing peculiar vegetables through influence...
Effect of molybdenum and nitrogen rates on the growth and vegetative structure of Megathyrsusmaximus (Syn. Panicum maximum)
June 2023
The objective of this study was to identify the rate of molybdenum that when associated with nitrogen fertilization, would provide the best responses on the vegetative structure of Mombasa grass. Forty days after planting, a uniform pruning was made when the established levels of molybdenum were applied and the experimental period started. The experimental design was a randomized block, with four replications (blocks),...
The competitiveness of The Gambia agro-food trade
June 2023
This paper examines the competitiveness of The Gambia agri-food exports from 2012 to 2021 utilizing the revealed comparative advantage index, the Kaplan-Meier survival function, and Cox regression model. The results indicate that thirteen of the twenty-four products have comparative advantages in the global market, while seven of the twenty-four products have comparative advantages in the regional market. In terms of...
Phenotypic characterization and beta-carotene quantification towards selection for high beta-carotene maize accessions
June 2023
Yellow maize varieties in Ghana have low beta-carotene levels, but if improved, they could lessen the negative health effects of vitamin-A deficiency. Finding promising yellow maize accessions that could be used to breed higher beta-carotene varieties was the goal of the study. The study involved the collection of 100 local accessions, phenotypic identification, evaluation of genetic relatedness, and quantification of...
Tolerance of sugarcane varieties to different levels of water depletion on soil
June 2023
Sugarcane is one of the most important crops for Brazilian agribusiness, despite water stress being one of the main limiting factors of growth and productivity. Thus, the objective was to verify if there is variation in the tolerance to water deficit among sugarcane varieties in the soil and climate conditions of Quirinópolis-GO (State of Goiás). The trial was conducted on a Red Latosol, with sugarcane...
High-density polyethylene containers and super grain bag reduce storage insect pests’ infestation in maize and preserve grain quality
June 2023
The study evaluated the performance of polypropylene bag (PP), polyethylene drum (PD), polyethylene silo tank (PST), and super grain bag (SGB) on preserving maize quality. The trials were conducted on-station and on-farm. Insect density, grain damage, weight loss, and grain moisture content were determined monthly for six months for on-station trials. For on-farm, insect density and grain damage were assessed every two...
Nutritional evaluation of twenty-four disease and pest resistance tomato varieties
May 2023
Tomato, a fruit vegetable, is widely used in many dish components such as soup, stew/sauce, salad, and juice with many benefits. Even though annual and perishable, tomatoes are required yearly for use. Tomato production thus serves as a livelihood and food security activity across the country with different varieties. Some of these varieties, however, do not meet production criteria and consumer preferences. As such,...
Harvest timing and nitrogen fertilization alter the production of biomass and antioxidant compound in the parsley
May 2023
Parsley is a plant widely used in cooking as a condiment and it has potential for pharmaceutical use due to flavonoids production, including the apiin, which has antioxidant activity. The current study investigates the influence of N fertilization on the biomass production, soluble fractions, total flavonoids and apiin in the parsley plants at 28 and 56 days after germination (DAG). The experiment was carried out in the...
Characterization and classification of greenbelt soils in Yambio and Nzara counties, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan
May 2023
The objectives of this study were to characterize, classify and evaluate the potential and constraints of the soils of Sakure and Nginda Payams in Nzara and Yambio counties in the Greenbelt zone of Western Equatoria State, South Sudan. Ten soil pits were dug, described and sampled based on FAO soil profile description guideline and samples were analysed using standard routine lab analyses for physical and...
Effect of salinity on physiological, and biochemical traits of two forage species: Albizia lebbeck and Faidherbia albida
May 2023
To maximize the productivity of crops in salty areas, the search for plant species having economic importance and able of reducing the amount of salt is therefore the main selection criterion for a regeneration program. So, the determination of salinity tolerance capacity during the vegetative stage of Faidherbia albida and Albizia lebbeck was studied. The seeds of each species were germinated and transplanted...
Combined effect of rates, insecticides and action mode on the controlling the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda on maize
May 2023
This work aimed to evaluate the combined effect of rates, insecticides and of action mode to control the Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda in the corn crop. The trial was conducted in, Vilankulo distrit, Mozambique, based on a completely randomized block design, on factorial arrangement, consisting of three factors: (i) Application rate, with five levels: 100% - recommended, -5% below the recommended, -10% - below...
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and local fruit species interaction: Case of Beilschmiedia mannii in traditional agroforestry systems in western Côte d'Ivoire
May 2023
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) cultivation in Côte d'Ivoire faces many constraints and remains one of the main causes of deforestation. However, cocoa-based agroforestry and the domestication of cocoa companion trees would be an alternative to overcome these constraints. This study was conducted to improve the sustainability of cocoa production through its association with "Bitéi" (Beilschmiedia...
Determinants of farmers’ choice of fodder market outlets in Laikipia County, Kenya
May 2023
Commercial fodder farming is rapidly expanding in Laikipia County, Kenya and there is an emerging market formation involving different market actors. Several market outlets are at the farmers’ disposal for channelling their fodder to consumers. The purpose of this study was therefore, to determine the factors which influence choices of fodder market outlets in Laikipia County. Using data from 204 fodder farmers,...
Economics of rice/ paddy production in Kano and Niger States of Nigeria in the presence of technological heterogeneity
May 2023
For decades, debates among African leaders have centred on possible solutions to the continent's food security dilemma. If not addressed, the continued increase in population density and the accompanying pressures from conflicting demands for land in many Sub-Saharan African nations, including Nigeria, have the potential to exacerbate the arable land situation in the near future. To achieve increased production,...
Sweetpotato breeding priority and preferred traits to increasing its utilisation in Niger and Nigeria
May 2023
Sweetpotato is an important food, feed and vegetable crop in Niger and Nigeria. The adoption of a new variety depends on famers and consumers preferences. The objective of this study was to identify sweetpotato preferred traits by end-users in Niger and Nigeria. The study was conducted in two countries through participatory rural appraisal. The results revealed that sweetpotato is produced by men in Niger, while it is...
Ethnobotany and perceptions on the value of taro (Colocasia esculenta) among farmers in Benin Republic
May 2023
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a widely grown vegetatively propagated food crop in the Benin Republic. The taro leaf blight (TLB) epidemic in 2009, caused by Phytophthora colocasiae, has destroyed taro production and wiped out many taro landraces in West Africa. A survey was conducted in the southern region of Benin to assess the status of taro and TLB, ethnobotany, farmers' perceptions of taro, and identify...
Zoning and agro-climatic characterization of hotspots in the Tana-Beles Sub-Basin – Ethiopia
April 2023
Agro-climatic zonation is very important for planning crop patterns and to bring out the agricultural potential of a region. It must be done based on a specific development objective and on a rational basis. The objective of the present study was to classify the Tana Beles sub-basins (TBSB) into homogenous agro-climatic patterns and assessing suitability for crops that could be growing in each Agro-climatic zone. The...
Effect of harvesting stage on yield and nutritive value of antelope grass (Echinochloa pyramidalis) hay under natural pasture in Nuer Zone of Gambella, Ethiopia
April 2023
The study was conducted to evaluate and identify the appropriate harvesting stage of growth and quality of antelopegrass (Echinochloa pyramidalis) hay under natural pasture. DM%, fresh biomass yield (FBY), dry matter yield (DMY) and gross energy (GE) were determined. The main analysis such as ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), ether extract...
Raising crop productivity of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Long-term Ugandan fertilizer study
April 2023
Peri-urban small-holder farms throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are predominantly run by women who traditionally use livestock manure as a fertiliser. The rates applied are often inadequate for optimum crop yields contributing to low farmer income and exacerbating food insecurity in the region. This report summarises targeted fertilizer experiments in Uganda from 2010 to 2019 aimed to improve crop yield. Preliminary...
Contrasting responses to prolonged drought stress and mitigation effects of manure application on plant growth of two tropical forage legumes
April 2023
Glycine and siratro are tropical forage legumes that especially thrive in regions with low precipitation such as sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigated legume responses to drought stress and cattle manure application in a greenhouse pot experiment aiming to contribute to their cultivation. Glycine was affected by drought stress-reducing plant physiology and growth expressed by leaf relative water content, stomatal...
Challenges and opportunities for up-scaling indigenous farming practices for adaptation to climate change induced food insecurity in Busega District, Simiyu Region, Tanzania
April 2023
In spite of their vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change, smallholder farmers have managed to utilize indigenous farming practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change and variability but only at low scale which needs to be scaled up. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities involved in such scaling up of indigenous farming practices. Specifically, the paper assesses existing indigenous...
Evaluation of the efficiency of three fungicides on radial mycelial growth, sporulation and germination of Curvularia lunata, a rice curvulariosis disease in Burkina Faso
April 2023
Rice curvulariosis caused by Curvularia lunata is an emerging disease in Burkina Faso. This study evaluated the efficiency of three contact fungicides on the developmental stages of this pathogen in vitro. The experimental design used was a split-plot. The main factor included fungicides with three modalities, and the secondary factor was the doses of fungicides with four levels, including the untreated control, which...
Assessment of different rates of neem extracts as bio-pesticide for the control of insect vectors and associated viral diseases in okra
April 2023
Neem extract as bio-pesticide is effective in reducing insect pest populations. However, farmers lack information on the effective application rate. This study ascertained the effective neem extract concentration for reducing insect vector numbers, incidence and severity of the viral diseases. Three rates 20, 30 and 40 ml/L of neem extract, commercial pesticide Akape® and water as control were sprayed as treatments...
Identification of resistance to Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis, agent of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) bacterial blight in Burkina Faso
April 2023
Cassava bacterial blight (CBB) is rife in all production areas in Burkina Faso. The use of resistant varieties is known as the best control against this disease. Our objective is to identify resistant varieties within a collection of local and introduced cassava varieties in Burkina Faso. Eleven varieties of cassava were screened in the field for two successive years using a randomized block of Fisher design with three...
Economic Injury level and yield loss assessment for carmine spider mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval) on tomato Solanum lycopersicum under greenhouse conditions
April 2023
A study was undertaken over two cropping seasons, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, to determine the economic injury level for carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) on tomato Solanum lycopersicum in Botswana. Tomato plants were infested with adult spider mites for durations of 0 (no exposure), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 weeks (complete exposure). The corresponding treatments were 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 sprays...
The effects of agricultural R&D investments on poverty and undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa
April 2023
The analysis explores the relationship between agricultural R&D investments, and rural poverty and undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Agricultural R&D knowledge stocks (KS) account for the lagged effects of research. Causal mediation analysis assesses the impacts of KS and measures the effect of KS-induced productivity growth on poverty and undernourishment. Evidence suggests that growth in KS helped...
Efficiency and diversity of nitrogen fixing bacteria colonizing Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb
April 2023
The objective of the present work was to study the efficiency and diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that colonize the weed Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb. M. lathyroides roots were collected in areas of natural infestation of the species in rural and periurban areas of the municipality of Alta Floresta-MT, Brazil. The roots that presented nodulation were washed and their nodules removed, disinfected and...
Exploration of challenges and associated recommendations to livestock sector development in South Africa using a stakeholder-driven approach
March 2023
Development of the livestock sector in South Africa has the potential to contribute significantly to national development. The aim of this study was to explore challenges and propose recommendations to support livestock sector development in South Africa using a stakeholder-driven approach. Interviews with high-level stakeholders across major livestock industries were conducted to gather insights. Responses were...
Coping with catastrophe: Crop diversity and crop production in Tigray National Regional State in Northern Ethiopia
March 2023
Tigray, the most northern of Ethiopia’s ethnically based regional states, covers an area of 53 386 km2 and has a population exceeding 5.17 million of whom some 24.3% are urban dwellers. Wide agroclimatic variations result from altitudinal differences (600 to 3000 m) and rainfall patterns. The area is a center of origin of many cultivated and wild plants. The mainly agricultural rural population, farming small...
Growth performance and carcass composition of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) fed on black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus, 1758) larvae based diets
March 2023
A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing fishmeal with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on growth performance and carcass composition of African catfish fingerlings. Five isonitrogenous (40% CP) diets of 0 (Control), 25, 50, 75 and 100% fishmeal with BSFL were used in triplicate. A randomized complete block design was used, and 600 fingerlings (0.46±0.02g) were randomly...
Effects of plant densities on the performance of common bean varieties in multiple environments of northwestern Tanzania
March 2023
A study was carried out at two sites in Tanzania to assess the effect of different planting densities on growth and yield of five recently released bush bean varieties. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design in a factorial arrangement with three replications during long and short rainy seasons of 2019/20 and 2020/21. The treatments comprised five bean varieties; TARIBEAN 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and five plant...
Biochar as an alternative to improve the in vitro environment for Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus Haw) and strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) growing
March 2023
In vitro cultivation is widely used for micropropagation of several plant species; however, the increase in the gas concentration, such as ethylene gas, inside the growth vials can cause physiological changes. Thus, 4 experiments were carried out at the Federal University of Minas Gerais to evaluate the biochar use from sugarcane bagasse in vials with or without caps with porous membrane in the in vitro growing of...
Design optimization of communal solar powered irrigation system
March 2023
Communal solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) have the potential for sharing the upfront costs hence encouraging farmers to adopt irrigation. Conventional methods of sizing photovoltaic water pumping (PVWP) system for irrigation consider the hydraulic energy requirement by the pump and PV generator capacity separately from the available water source capacity. As a result, the potential of the technology is not...
Systemic challenges hindering the flow of sustainable forestry knowledge among smallholder farmers in South Africa
March 2023
South African democratic governments instituted several policies aimed at developing the capabilities of smallholder foresters to ensure economic inclusion and rural development. Skills development to build smallholder capabilities was deemed necessary to improve productivity, food security and conserve forestry resources. However, systemic blockages within the South African skills system hinder skills development,...
Impacts of farmer field schools on food security and environmental conservation in Western Kenya
March 2023
This study assessed the impacts of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on household food security and environmental conservation in the Western Province of Kenya. The outcome variables were: Maize yield per acre, income per acre, household food insecurity score and environmental conservation score. Principal component analysis and propensity score matching techniques were used for analyses and regression method to test the...
Determination of import demand of wheat in Kenya; A time series analysis from 2000 to 2019
March 2023
Trade influences economic growth and entails imports and exports. In Kenya, wheat imports have been expanding with no sign of slowing down and this has become a matter of great concern because the country is losing over 30 billion Kenyan shillings in importing wheat on a yearly basis. This motivated the need to estimate wheat import demand model, which was conducted using secondary time series data from 2000 to 2019....
Typologies of pineapple-based farming systems in Centre-Cameroon
March 2023
The high diversity in pineapple fields and farmers provide huge challenges in farm management in already dwindling pineapple production sector in the center region of Cameroon. A first step to overcome these production challenges is to manage the afore-mentioned diversity to a reasonable level without loss of detail and specific management interventions for each category or typology proposed. Field surveys were...
Artificial intelligence and deep learning based technologies for emerging disease recognition and pest prediction in beans (phaseolus vulgaris l.): A systematic review
March 2023
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning have the capacity to reduce losses in crop production, such as low crop yields, food insecurity, and the negative impacts on a country’s economy caused by crop infections. This study aims to find the knowledge and technological gaps associated with the application of AI-based technologies for plant disease detection and pest prediction at an early stage and recommend...
Depth and soil physiochemical properties effects on soil compaction in agricultural field
February 2023
Physical and chemical properties of the soil are key determinants of farm soil compaction. The purpose of this study is to study the effects of depth and soil physiochemical properties on soil compaction. Soil compaction was measured using a Spot On digital compaction meter. During the soil compaction field test five different depths were selected. In the soil laboratory, soil texture, soil pH, soil electric...
Yields and soil chemical property changes in an intensive vegetable cropping system in the Sahel
February 2023
Irrigated vegetable production is an important agricultural activity and a significant source of income for millions of smallholder farmers in the Sahel. There is little information on the potential effects of intensive vegetable production using African Market Garden (AMG) technology on vegetable yields and soil chemical properties. Three contiguous 500-m2 plots were established to evaluate three vegetable management...
Effect of manure-based biochar amendment on soil chemical properties, total enzymic activities and tomato growth performance in acidic soil under controlled conditions
February 2023
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of biochar on tomato production under controlled conditions. Trials were installed using a complete randomized block design (CRD) with 5 replications of 4 treatments: T0 (0%); T1 (8%); T2 (12%) and T3 (16%). During plant growth, parameters including height, diameter, number of leaves, number of fruits and plant biomass were collected. Plants obtained from pot that received...
Nitrogen effects on leaf gas exchange, vegetative growth and yield of black pepper plants using Gliricidia sepium as living support
February 2023
For the implantation of one hectare of black pepper (Piper nigrum), about 25 to 30 trees are removed from the Amazon Forest to produce tutors for black pepper. As an alternative to the dead wooden stake (WS), there is sustainable cultivation of black pepper with tree species, with the living supports (LS) of gliricídia (Gliricidia sepium L.). However, there is inadequate technical information on the effect of...
Effects of corn-pea mixture and harvesting days on forage yield and quality
February 2023
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of mix-cropping, Yangtsepa corn variety with legume Sesbania, and single cropping on the forage yield and quality at 60-, 90-, and 120-days harvest. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications was used as an experimental design. The corn and pea were line sown at 20 cm apart with a seed ratio of 50:50. The results showed higher corn forage yield...
Role of income from rice cultivation on livelihoods of rice farmers: Evidence from Ahero Region, Kenya
February 2023
In Africa, the demand for rice has increased rapidly as urbanization progresses and assistance is being provided to improve productivity and rice farming management. In the rice-cultivation area near Lake Victoria in western Kenya, where farmers are called “outgrowers”, wage labor costs put pressure on rice farming and reduce profits. However, wage laborers were rice farmers living in the same area. The...
Bacillus subtilis UFMT-Pant001 as a plant growth promoter in soybean in a greenhouse
February 2023
This study aims at evaluating the agronomic efficiency of the Bacillus subtilis UFMT-Pant001 strain as a plant growth promoter in soybean at three greenhouses from distinct Brazilian regions. The treatments were formulated based on this strain at a concentration of 1x109 UFC.mL-1 in volumes of 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 or 400 mL for each 50 kg of seeds. Bradyrhizobium japonicum was added in all experiments, and the...
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