Role of inclusive finance in smallholder farmer’s growth and commercialisation in SADC
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Inclusive finance refers to the delivery of financial services and products that are available, accessible, and affordable to all segments of society, to achieve inclusive economic growth. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC), smallholder farmers are disadvantaged from accessing formal financial services and this has affected the commercialisation of smallholder farmers. This paper examines the role of...
Daily weight gain of goats until weaning receiving two schemes of mineral supplementation
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of commercial mineral supplementation and selective mineral supplements in which only elements known to be deficient in the animal's diet. In an experiment conducted in Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were analyzed: daily weight gain, nutritional and economic aspects of goats mixed breed receiving two types of mineral supplements. The sixteen...
EFFECTS OF POLICY REFORM ON SUPPLY RESPONSE OF SMALL-SCALE PADDY RICE PRODUCERS IN NIGERIA
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This study adopted the concept of marketed surplus to establish output supply response of paddy rice to input and output prices using cross sectional panel data produced by NBS in 2012/2013 and 2017/2018 later referred to in this report as period I and II respectively. A Tobit regression was performed on a semi-log functional form and the supply response elasticities estimated as products of coefficient of the marginal...
Plantleaf detection using Deep Learning
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Precision agriculture demands the recognition of plant species with help of distinct leaf characteristics such as form, texture, border, and colour etc. Plant leaf recognition has drawn special interest in the domain of computer vision.Existing models classifyspecific types of plants. These models classify limited number of plants at time. But there is need to recognize maximum number of plants in single model. This paper...
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This study aimed to identify fertilization options for improving cassava productivity and profitability in two contrasting regions of the Central African Republic. The Pissa (guinea forest) and Damara (savannah). The study adopted a randomized complete block design with four treatments replicated four times in a plot size of 7m by 7m. The treatments were; T1(Control), T2(Peasant practice), T3(sole NPK), and T4(Cow...
Evaluation of micro-irrigation and mulch systems on nectarine fruit production
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The study was conducted during 2018/2019 early summer season at Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology orchard which is located in region 11B. A factorial experiment to evaluate water use productivity, growth and development of nectarines tree under drip irrigation and different mulching treatments was done. A 2x4 factorial treatment of irrigation and mulching (no mulch, black plastic, grass and maize...
Protective Equipment Use By Veterinarians In Nigeria
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The transmissible nature of certain diseases makes anthropozoonosis an important hazard associated with veterinarians. For this reason, the attitude and compliance of veterinarians in Nigeria to personal protective equipment (PPE) use was studied using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were administered at the 2017 Veterinary continuing education seminar held at Akure (Ondo state),...
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During ripening, ‘Hass’ avocado fruit develops exocarp colour from emerald-green to purple, then black, which is regulated by anthocyanin; specifically, by cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. Branch girdling and maturity has been shown to increase carbohydrate accumulation and fruit colour in several fruit crops. This study determines the interactive effect between girdling and harvest maturity to improve avocado fruit exocarp colour...
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Most farmers in Tanzania implement risk reduction strategies of storing maize in local facilities and sell the grain soon after storage. The approach buffers against crop price fluctuation and market instability. This study aims at understanding the integration of hermetic bags technology to local storage facilities at smallholder farmers’ context and its contribution to maize crop net revenue. The Agronomic Survey (APS)...
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This study aimed to assess the production systems of the indigenous Tswana goats reared under typical smallholder farming settings in Botswana. A total of 310 households with Tswana goats were randomly selected from five agro-ecological regions of Botswana. Key structured questionnaires were used to collect baseline data on goats' socio-economic parameters, husbandry practises, breeding and selection, disease control,...
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The role of simulation models in understanding the processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system has increased significantly in recent years. This is attributed to increased computing capabilities available today. Mathematical models, be it physically or empirically based, have the promising potential to explore solutions to water management problems. In the sub basin, frequent events of high and low rainfall, less work...
Survey of the distribution and severity of white mango scale in mango production in Eastern Ethiopia
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Mango production in Ethiopia is harmed by a number of arthropod pests particularly the White Mango Scales (WMS) is major pest of grave concern to mango growers. The main objective of this study was to assess the current status of WMS insect pest in Mango production and farmers’ knowledge about the pest in eastern Ethiopia. WMS distribution and severity specifically in the major mango growing areas East Hararghe, Harari...
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Bambaranut (BN) (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is a nutrient rich, drought tolerant food legume that can contribute to food security and community resilience. In Uganda however, production and utilisation remain in relative obscurity. A study was conducted in Northern and Eastern Uganda to determine production and utilisation practices and identify challenges and opportunities for BN improvement. Primary data on...
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The purpose of this study was to assess Pastoralists Perceptions towards Rangeland Degradation and Management practices in Pastoralist Dry Land Area among the Borana pastoral communities. Mainly the data for this particular study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data obtained through household questionnaires, key informant interview, focus group discussions and field observation while...
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The variation of some growth, agronomical and biochemical parameters of Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp) under salinity stress were investigated in the greenhouse and farm conditions. Plants were subjected to 0, 50, 100 and 200 mM NaCl. The increases of NaCl in the culture medium significantly (P< 0.001) decreased the growth parameters (number of leaves, noose diameter, leaf area and stem height), dry biomass (roots, shoots and...
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This study was undertaken to determine the catch composition, length weight relationship and the condition factor of fish in Lake Turkana. Six field stations were sampled during the study covering a period of six months. An outboard motor boat was used to access the sampling sites while gillnet (mesh size ranging from 1.5-6.0 inches) was used as the fishing gear. The species caught were identified to species level and...
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Fifteen improved and two local genotypes of Vigna unguiculata were evaluated for their performance in grain yield, yield components and yield stability across years in: 2016, 2017 and 2018. Experiments were laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications. Data were collected on grain yield and yield components, and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and stability analysis for grain yield...
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Milk production could be responsible for zoonotic diseases which have public health and economic importance. The following study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) about zoonotic diseases among smallholder cattle farmers in Gicumbi District of Rwanda. The data were collected from 120 randomly farmers through a questionnaire, then coded and analyzed using SPSS software. The results show that the majority...
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Even though rice is becoming an important source of food in Ethiopia, land suitability studies in potential areas are limited. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of the Borkena Plain, Northeast Ethiopia for rice cultivation. The data for this study were entirely dependent on the FAO (1985) document produced by the FAO/UNDP/ETH/82/010 project. Two methods namely simple limitation method and parametric...
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The study was conducted to evaluate feeding value of sorghum varieties in laying hen performances. The 210 Bovan Brown hens, aging 22-33 weeks, were used and equally and randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments with three replications. Treatment rations were control i.e., T1 (0% inclusion of sorghum variety melkam [SVM]), T2 (20% SVM), T3 (30% SVM), T4 (40% SVM), T5 (20% inclusion of sorghum variety degalityellow,...
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Coffee is an important crop in the Kenyan economy as it’s the 3rd highest foreign exchange earner. However, its production has been deteriorating in the recent past due to various factors. Conducted in Meru County in three cooperatives, this study used questionnaires as data collecting instrument. The study sought to investigate the factors that have influenced the withdrawal of coffee farmers from coffee production. The...
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The significant role rice imports play in meeting the high demand for rice in most West African countries including Nigeria has made these countries to focus on increased rice production. Climate change is a vital environmental issue for sustainable development goals hence greenhouse gas emissions from paddy ecosystem is of great environmental concern. Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) is used in this study to ascertain the...
Impacts of exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on biochemistry and growth of maize and soybean
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Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid produced by plants that play an important role in metabolic homeostasis and energy balance. In this study, we evaluated the effects of exogenous application of GABA on antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic pigments, total protein content, and growth of maize and soybean in four different regions of Brazil under field conditions. GABA was applied with...
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Thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on the cotton plant is an extremely invasive and destructive pest consequently reducing yield. Field studies were conducted at Werer Agricultural Research Center, Middle Awash, Afar, Ethiopia, for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) to determine the effectiveness of different synthetic chemical insecticides for the control of Cotton thrips (Thrips tabaci) on the...
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The purpose of this paper was analyzed the tef value chain in selected zones of western Oromia to identify major tef value chain actors, assess major constraints and opportunities regarding tef, and estimate the margins of channels. Data were collected through surveys, key informants’ interviews, and focus group discussions. The data were analyzed by analytical and descriptive statistical tools. In the study areas, there...
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Tef is the most important food and cash crop for more than 70 million people. It is the second-largest crop in terms of acreage, but its average productivity is lower compared to other that may arise from different factors. Therefore, this research was intended to assess the technical, allocative, and economic efficiency of tef producers, and factors affecting the technical inefficiency of tef producers using primary data...
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A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the problems associated with artificial insemination effectiveness in dairy cattle in four selected villages of Toke Kutaye district. Semi- structured questionnaires were developed for a total of 217 dairy cattle owners. In addition, four artificial insemination technicians and nine experts were involved in the interview process. The study indicated that 129 (59.4 %) of the...
Unlocking Major challenges to increasing coffee production in Tanzania
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The agricultural policies advocated by the Tanzanian government for the cooperative societies and the coffee sector have not been stable. Frequent policy changes have affected the sector, hindering the effectiveness of the institutions that deal with the coffee sector. Most of these policy changes have failed to foster the growth of coffee production. Despite the market potential of Tanzanian coffee, policies and...
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The study was conducted to investigate the effect of social media on rice marketing innovation system in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using regression analysis. The result of Double Log Regression showed the goodness of fit correctness of the specified assumption of the composite error. Results revealed that the use of twitter was positively insignificant on the...
Enhancing Maize Yield in Ethiopia a Meta-Analysis
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Accurate nitrogen (N) fertilization and optimum plant density increases crop yields. In this study I report the effects of N fertilization rate and plant density on maize yield a meta-analysis, by using observations from 15 studies conducted in Ethiopia since the 2000s for possible refinement of N fertilizer and plant density recommendations. I assessed the response of maize to: different N rates ha?1 compared to the...
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The study determined farmers’ perception on e-extension as means of technology dissemination among crop farmers in Oyo state, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 210 farmers. Primary data was obtained using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that the e-extension available to farmers in the study area was mobile phone (x? = 0.91)...
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Onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most important vegetables grown for its nutritional and medicinal values. However, it is highly exposed to onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) which can cause severe yield loss in vulnerable varieties. A study was carried out at the Bindura University Farm Teaching Unit to evaluate the susceptibility/tolerance of ten commonly-grown Zimbabwean onion varieties to thrips infestation. The trial was...
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Maize (Zea mays L., 2n=20) is the first productive and sources of food in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, mainly at Metekel zone. However striga weed, improved varieties and certified seed access are the major challenges. Therefore the objectives of this study were: to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize hybrids depend on different genetic parameters, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation,...
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Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is an invasive insect pest and a major maize production bottleneck since 2016 in Ethiopia. A field experiment was undertaken in 2019/20 at Werer Agricultural Center to assess the effectiveness and economics of handpicking against S. frugiperda management on maize at Middle-Awash, Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of nine laid out into a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and...
Performance evaluation and identification of highland quality protein maize hybrids in Ethiopia
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Hybrid development from fixed inbred lines is one of the strategies for the improvement of maize production. Forty-two Quality Protein Maize (QPM) crosses along with three popular standard hybrids checks were evaluated in two replications using alpha lattice during the 2017 cropping season at three locations. The study aimed to evaluate and select the best new QPM hybrids for grain yield, and other traits. Significant...
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Evaluation of pepper genotypes for green pod purpose was carried out at Melkassa, Wonji and Fogera in 2018, 2019 and 2020 with the objective of identifying genotype by environment interaction and select elite lines of pepper from the genotypes. The data was subjected to analysis of variance, and means were obtained to perform the GGE-Biplot analysis. The graphic results showed variation in the performance of the genotypes...
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The variability in Agro-morphological and morphometric of 30 pigeon pea genotypes in two environments using seed image analysis was investigated. The experimental seeds were sourced from IITA, and IAR&T, Ibadan, Nigeria. An EPSON scanner was connected to a computer device to acquire an image of the seeds and the Regent instrument was used for the image analysis. For every replication, hundred seeds were placed on the...
Rice productivity and land ownership among rice farmers in Nigeria
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Access to land is a critical issue in agriculture production in developing countries; it affects farmers’ productivity and the adoption of improved agricultural technologies. Using a multi-stage random sampling technique this paper examines productivity and land ownership among rice farmers in two Nigerian states. Descriptive statistics, total factor productivity, and Multinomial Regression Model were employed. The result...
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Soybean is an economically important crop that provides oil and high-quality protein. In Burkina Faso, soybean is one of the promising crops identified in the framework of the strategy for the development of agricultural sectors. However, very few improved varieties have been developed. The identification of newly improved varieties with high agronomic potential and adapted to the climatic conditions will strengthen...
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Tree seeds of Milicia excelsa and Terminalia ivorensis always have seed germination difficulties. The main objective of this experiment is to study the seed germination of M. excelsa and T. ivorensis. In this study, a total of 1000 seeds of M. excelsa were tested using 9 pre-sowing treatments. On the other hand, a total of 300 seeds of T. ivorensis were tested using 2 pre-sowing treatments. Both tests were conducted at...
Economically Important of Sesame Insect Pests, Biology, Yield Damage, and Practice Management
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The current status of sesame insect pests in Ethiopia is reviewed. Sesame webworm, Antigastra catalaunali is the most common insect pest of sesame from seedling to harvest, causing a significant a seed yield loss. The pest life cycle took 24.13-25.99 days to complete. sesame seed bug, Elasmolmus sordidus the most serious pre-and post-harvest pest to sesame which causes a big weight loss during harvesting and threshing. In...
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A laboratory investigation to evaluate the use of Ocimum gratissimum, essential oil to control the development of Formicococcus njalensis, the main vector of Cocoa Swollen shoot virus (CSSV) in West Africa was conducted. Commercial biopesticides (Squad, Agriphy, Mycotal and Banole), the essential oil of O. gratissimum obtained by hydrodistillation were compared at the concentration of 0 µl.l-1; 1000 µl.l-1; 2000 µl.l-1...
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Non-availability of water during important growth stages is a major constraint reducing common bean productivity worldwide. Measures to develop water stress tolerance are hampered by inconsistent correlations and various mechanisms involved to screen many lines within stipulated time. Canopy temperature depression (CTD) has been recognized as an indicator of overall plant water status and speeds up the selection of plants...
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The study investigates the impact of foreign aid on agricultural research in Ethiopia for the period covering 2011-2020. The study revealed that donors’ allocations accounted for an average of 23% of the total funding received by the institute in 2020 in the form of loans and grants. The donor investment in agricultural research has been declining and has experienced negative growth rates over the past 5 years from 33% in...
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Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important tuber crops produced in Ethiopia. However, production and productivity of the crop is far below the world average due to poor crop, soil fertility and water management practices. An experiment was therefore conducted to study the effect of different Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) levels on growth, yield and quality of potato. Treatments consisted of four levels of...
Potential of aqueous neem extract for Thaumastocoris peregrinus control.
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Eucalyptus cultivation has undergone great expansion in recent years due to the increase in commercial production of this wood for the paper, cellulose and steel industries. One of the main factors responsible for production losses is insect attack. The main insect that acts as a pest, devastating eucalyptus plantations is Thaumastocoris peregrinus, being controlled through the application of synthetic insecticides. The...
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This study identified the challenges of youth entrepreneurial skills development in agriculture-base livelihoods among rural families in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Two-stage sampling procedure was used to select sample for the study. Data were collected with the use of questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistical tools. Results showed that the major non-agro based livelihood...
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The effects and applicability of conservation agriculture in different farming contexts are highly contested. Yet, there has been limited attempt to adapt the conservation agriculture system to the conditions of resource-poor farmers, focusing primarily on the existing farmers’ capacity and objective to practice conservation agriculture. The study assessed the factors that influence adoption and dis-adoption of...
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Globally, there is almost no comparison to the food losses and wastes recorded for fruits. With the Covid-19 pandemic necessitating that countries look inwards to combat hunger and improve food securitythrough proactive prevention of postharvest losses. Cell-free supernatants (CFS) of Aspergillus, Alternaria and Penicillium were tested for their preservative abilities using Agar well diffusion assay, on one hand, and...
Agrobiological characteristic and potential of Bulgarian pea varieties
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An agrobiological characteristic and capacity for green mass and seed production from Bulgarian pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties and a breeding line both created at the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (IPRG) – Sadovo has been carried out for fifteen years. The choice of varieties is based on their qualities such as early productivity and winter resistance. The pea yield, green mass, the yield of crude protein (kg/...
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