March 2015
Modeling site-specific fertilizer recommendations for maize production in the Sudan savannah agro-ecology of Ghana
Maize (Zea mays L.) production in the Sudan savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana is hindered by erratic rainfall and low soil fertility. This study was conducted to refine profitable fertilizer recommendations for maize production on a selected benchmark soil in Sudan savannah agro-ecological zone using Decision Support System for Agro-technology transfer (DSSAT). Maize variety Obaatanpa was used for the experiment...
March 2015
Stay-green effects on adaptability and stability in wheat
The delayed leaf senescence (stay-green) has been frequently attributed to significant yield gains in different crops, especially under stress conditions. The goal of the study was to elucidate if the delayed leaf senescence of the wheat plant through the expression of the stay-green character brings effective contributions to adaptability and stability parameters for yield and weight of a thousand grains, aiming for...
March 2015
Identification and control of fungi causing fruits rot in pipiana pumpkin (Cucurbita argyrosperma Huber)
Severe rot symptoms were observed in samples collected during 2012 in a small farm in Cocula, Guerrero, Mexico. One oomycete and two deuteromycetes fungus were isolated from collected symptomatic fruits. In order to carry out the molecular analysis by the amplification of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) two representative isolates of each fungus were chosen. The pathogenicity of each isolate was verified...
March 2015
Soil DNA isolation to use in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a relatively simple technique that amplifies a DNA template to produce specific DNA fragments in vitro. Basic PCR is commonplace in many molecular biology labs where it is used to amplify DNA fragments and detect DNA or RNA sequences within a cell or environment. The method is rapid, cost efficient, and when combined with suitable internal controls can be applied to the...
March 2015
Postharvest conservation of cherry tomato with edible coating
This study aimed at evaluating quality maintenance in cherry tomatoes covered with edible films of yam starch and glycerol. Cherry tomatoes were acquired in the region of Viçosa (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) and carried to UFV's Centreinar Laboratory. The tomatoes were washed and sanitized, then immersed in three suspensions of yam starch and glycerol: I - 7.5% starch and 30% glycerol, II - 7.5% starch and...
March 2015
Environmental constraints and sustainability of dairy cattle farms in the suburban area of the city of Blida (Mitidja, Algeria)
The purpose of this study was to assess the agro-ecological sustainability of dairy cattle farms in the suburban area of the city of Blida. An investigation was carried out on 19 farms. The study area, located in the Mitidja plain, is well known for its farming tradition and has suffered over the last decades from countless environmental constraints. The assessment tool used is the IDEA method (Indicateurs de...
March 2015
Yield, quality and profitability of rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties grown in the eastern Himalayan region of India
Rice is a major staple food for over 3 billion people, representing the major carbohydrate and even protein source in South Eastern Asia, but also in Africa. Unfortunately, rice is a poor source of many essential micronutrients. Thus, a rice-based diet is the primary cause of micronutrient malnutrition throughout much of the developing world. Iron, zinc, and vitamin A deficiencies are common in rice-consuming regions....
March 2015
Controlled environmental conditions on germination of bermudagrass seeds
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., widely known as bermudagrass, is a cosmopolitan species used to form lawns, what provides aesthetic effects in parks and gardens, but also composes pastures and sports fields, such as golf and football. The use of seeds for the formation of new lawns is a common practice in Europe and in the United States, and is currently considerably expanding also in Brazil. It is important to understand...
March 2015
Effect of weather parameters on activity of chiku bud borer, Anarsia achrasella Bradley on sapota
An experiment on effect of weather parameters on activity of sapota bud borer, Anarsia achrasella Bradley on sapota was carried out under middle Gujarat conditions at Anand Agricultural University, Anand. The higher population (6.00 to 17.50 larvae /50 twigs) and bud damage (14.50 to 36.11%) of A. achrasella were found during January to May. The correlation between bright sunshine hours and larval population (r=0.500)...
March 2015
Management of Nguni goats to control gastrointestinal parasites and anthelmintic resistance at KwaMthethwa and Owen Sitole College of Agriculture area
Management techniques that can assist in treating only parasite infested animals can reduce anthelmintic resistance arousing from frequent dosing of all animals. This study aimed to investigate the application of FAMACHA© with no formal training of resource-poor farmers to identify anaemic or helminthes infested animals. Two sites (KwaMthethwa (KM) village and Owen Sitole College of Agriculture (OSCA) farm) with 40...
March 2015
Free radical scavenging properties and their relationship with bioactive compounds content of dehydrated calyces of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) also called roselle fruit or flower of jamaica is a plant used in the traditional medicine due to its wealth of bioactive compounds. These compounds confer beneficial health benefits on it in aqueous infusions prepared with the blossoms of the jamaica flower. In the present study, we determined the antioxidant activity of 64 roselle varieties and quantified the following bioactive...
March 2015
Collection and characterization of indigenous genotypes of Tikhur (Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.) under Bastar Plateau of Chhattisgarh
The investigation was undertaken during the year of kharif seasons 2010-11 and 2011-12 at Shaheed Gundadhoor College of Agriculture and Research Station (IGKV) Kumhrawand, Jagdalpur, Bastar (C.G.) India. Twenty indigenous genotypes of Tikhur (Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.) collected from thirteen districts of Chhattisgarh viz., Bastar, Korba, Dhamtari, Rajnandgaon, Surguja, Jashpur, Korea, Bilaspur, Kondagaon, Narayanpur,...
March 2015
Diversity and agronomic status of tomato and pepper fruit pests in two agro-ecological zones of Southern Cameroon: Western Highland and the Southern Plateau of Cameroon
Tomato and pepper are two major market gardening crops in Cameroon. In order improve pest insects control strategies, we assessed their diversity and evaluated their impact on yield losses in two agro-ecological areas of southern Cameroon. To achieve this, estimations of damages by visual observations were done twice per month from March 2010 to February 2011, in trap gardens set up respectively at Koutaba (Western...
March 2015
Environmental and socio-economic effects of timber harvesting in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
This study was carried out to evaluate the socio-economic and environmental effects of timber harvesting in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Three Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected from the timber producing areas of the state, and multi stage random sampling technique was employed to select a total of 160 respondents – composed of 50 randomly selected farmers from each of the three LGAs and 10...
March 2015
Effect of different levels of NaCl and Na2SO4 salinity on dry matter and ionic contents of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)
Salinity is an environmental stress that limits growth and development in plants. The present study was to assess the effect of salinity on dry matter and ionic contents in cowpea accessions. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different levels of salinity on growth and ionic contents of cowpea plant. There were three levels of NaCl and Na2SO4 salinity which includes 0 (control), 50, 100 and...
March 2015
Incidence and severity of potentially toxigenic Aspergillus flavus in maize (Zea mays L.) from different major maize growing regions of Uganda
Maize is grown in most regions of Uganda. Aflatoxin contamination of maize occurs in Uganda but there is lack of information on the distribution of Aspergillus flavus in major maize production regions of the country. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and severity of Aspergillus flavus in major maize growing regions of Uganda. Hierarchical sampling procedure was used to randomly collect maize...
March 2015
Initial growth of eucalyptus plants treated with gibberellin
This study was aimed at studying the effect of gibberellin (GA3) on the growth of Eucalyptus plants. The experiment was conducted with 90-day-old seedlings on full sun bench at Goiás State University, Brazil, following the completely randomized design in a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement (five eucalyptus samples and two treatments with gibberellins). The application of gibberellin to eucalyptus is a promising...
March 2015
Electrolytic leakage as a tool to assess seedling health in pine
Electrolytic leakage in infected Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana) needles was monitored by measuring conductivity change in pine needles affected by Lophodermium needle blight disease. Electrolytic leakage in infected Blue pine needles varied significantly between severity categories. Highest electrolytic leakage of 345.33 µmoh/cm was noticed in pine needles having > 81% disease severity in comparison to...
March 2015
Sources and levels of glycerin for broilers from 22 to 35 days
The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the performance and carcass yield of broilers from 22 to 35 days old, receiving diets with different levels of soybean glycerin (SG) and semipurified glycerin (PURG). A total of 792 male broilers of the Cobb 500 strain, a 4x2+1 factorial arrangement was used designed in randomized blocks by the weight of the birds, with four inclusion levels (17.5, 35.0, 52.5 and 70, 0 g/kg) of...
March 2015
Fuel demand as a function of furrow opener and soil conditions in no-tillage system
In a no-tillage system, the timing of beginning to work with agricultural machines and tools is of great importance because it may be the key to the low cost of the operation. This study was conducted to evaluate the fuel consumption of a tractor and the effects of using different types of hoe-type openers on the soil disturbance at two soil moisture contents in a no‑tillage system. The experiment was conducted in an...
March 2015
Profitability analysis and determinants of fruit tree based agroforestry system in Wondo District, Ethiopia
Fruit-tree based agroforestry represents a more environmentally friendly system, the economic returns and adoption determinants of which have only been modestly studied to date. This study investigated the determinants of practicing fruit-tree based agroforestry and the associated costs incurred and returns earned by practitioners. It contrasted the economic performance of agroforestry based systems versus monocropping...
March 2015
Assessment of plant biodiversity on and off mature stands of Androstachys johnsonii Prain and Colophospermum mopane (J.Kirk ex Benth.) J. Leonard
The species that were growing on the stands of C. mopane and on open space stands weighed more than those on the stands of A. johnsonii in both loam and sandy soil areas. This is probably an indication that there are some toxic chemicals that are excreted from various parts of A. johnsonii that caused the suffering and hence lesser weights of the understory species of A. johnsonii. The conditions were found to be...
March 2015
Farmers’ perception on climate change in Sokoto State, Nigeria
The study examined farmer’s perception on changes in climate variables in Sokoto State. Eight local government areas in Sokoto East senatorial district were purposively selected due to their vulnerability to climatic changes. Proportionate sampling was employed to select the eight villages. A total of two hundred and twenty three (223) questionnaires were administered. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze...
March 2015
Effects of some insecticidal chemicals under laboratory condition on honeybees [Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)] that forage on onion flowers
In Ethiopia, Apis mellifera L. are the most important honeybees to produce diverse bee products. In addition, bees also improve crop yields through their active and efficient pollination. However, they have been killed due to the misuse of various insecticides. For this reason this study was proposed to determine in the laboratory the level of toxicity of some insecticides used widely on honeybees foraging on onion...
March 2015
Efficacy of fungicides for the control of leaf spot disease of ginger under the field conditions of Chhattisgarh (India)
Leaf spot of ginger caused by Phyllosticta zingiberi is a very serious phytopathological constraint in the cultivation of ginger in India. Among the five fungicides (Copper-Oxy-Chloride, Mancozeb, Thiophanate Methyl, Metalaxyl, and Carbendazim), tested for the control of Phyllosticta leaf spot of ginger, Carbendazim (0.1%) three sprays, starting with the first symptoms appearance in the field followed by two more sprays...
March 2015
Profile distribution and degradation of soil properties of an ultisol in Nsukka semi-humid area of Nigeria
Better understanding of how soils respond to land use is needed to enable science-based land management interventions. The present study investigated the relative changes in properties of ultisol under conventional tillage for arable crops and compared with fallowed plot (greater than 10 years of continuous no-till fallow) in the semi-humid Nsukka of southeastern Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from designated...
March 2015
Effects of season and species on in sacco degradability of forages in the sub-humid subtropical savannah
Effect of season and plant species on in sacco dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) degradability of five plant species were investigated. Plant species were Acacia natalitia, Acacia nilotica, Dichrostachys cinerea, Scutia myrtina and Chromolaena odorata. Leaves were harvested during dry, early wet and late wet seasons, subjected to degradation in cows’ rumen using nylon bags technique. Season affected potential...
March 2015
Fertigation studies in Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis L.) under humid climate in Odisha, India
The study was conducted to optimize the use of water and nutrients by Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis L.) with three moisture regimes [I1 drip irrigation at 100%, I2 at 80% and I3 at 60% pan evaporation (PE)] and three fertility levels (F1 100%, F2 75% and F3 50% recommended dose of NPK) with an extra (control) treatment having surface irrigation and soil application of fertilizer. The experiment was laid out in...
March 2015
Comparison of clustering methods for study of genetic dissimilarity in soybean genotypes
This study aimed to compare clustering methods based on the dissimilarity measures and get information on genetic diversity in twelve soybean genotypes. The experiment was conducted at the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul - Unit Aquidauna. The genotypes were grown in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The following quantitative traits were measured: Plant height, first pod insertion height,...
March 2015
Quality evaluation of sunflower and groundnut oil produced by two cooperatives under the one village one product programme in central Malawi
Physicochemical properties of cooking oil as quality parameters are very important in predicting the appropriate uses of cooking oil. These properties have been known to be affected by several factors such as processing and storage conditions. In this study, quality evaluation was carried out on sunflower and groundnut cooking oils obtained from two cooperatives under the Malawi government initiated programme called One...
March 2015
Development and yield of maize (Zea mays) under plant densities using single and twin-row spacing
Among the main factors that influence higher maize yield are the use of more productive materials, plant arrangement more suitable to the cultivar, reduced spacing between rows and/or higher population density. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the development and yield of maize under different plant densities using single and twin-row spacing configurations. The work was developed in the...
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