African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6894

Table of Content: 23 May, 2013; 8(19)

May 2013

Antifungal activity of crude tea extracts

The tea polyphenols have been shown to possess many medicinal properties including antifungal activity, but there have been few studies regarding antifungal activity. The antifungal activity of tea polyphenols was evaluated on Candida albicans ATCC 90028 and a clinical isolate of Cryptococcus neoformans employing the disc diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tea...

Author(s): Koech K. R., Wachira F. N., Ngure R. M., Orina I. A., Wanyoko J. K., Bii C. and Karori S. M.

May 2013

Validating remote sensing derived evapotranspiration with the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model: A case study in Zhelin Basin, China

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a major component in the water and heat balance of terrestrial ecosystems as well as in the water, energy and carbon cycles on the Earth’s surface. A growing number of studies have focused on the retrieval of ET from remote sensing (RS) data. However,  the RS-derived ET results could not be validated by station-observed data directly for the difference of the scale. The objective of...

Author(s): Chongliang Sun, Dong Jiang , Juanle Wang and Yunqiang Zhu

May 2013

Application of artificial neural networks ANNs to predict energy output for wheat production in Iran

This work is done in Ahvaz Township in Iran to estimate the amount of energy consumption for wheat production with artificial neural network. Required information is obtained randomly by completing questionnaires and face to face interviews with 90 farmers. Results show that the fertilizer, seed, and herbicide were the major energy consumers, and minor energy consumers were transportation. Energy productivity,...

Author(s): Mohamad Javad Sheikh-Davoodi, Morteza Taki and Nasim Monjezi

May 2013

Forecasting cereals production based on regression and back-propagation (BP) network model in Eastern Province, Rwanda

In developing countries such as Rwanda whose economy depends on agriculture and where more than 70% of the population relies on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods and which is among the highly populated countries in the world, changes in temperature, precipitation, humidity and arable land extremely affect the agricultural production. In response to these changing risks, forecasting cereals production study...

Author(s): Jean de Dieu Bazimenyera, Fu Qiang, Li tianxiao, Théophila Niragire and Théoneste Ntakirutimana

May 2013

Genetic variability of features in some lines of potato in North-western plateau suceava

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperate climate plant species and two different types of fertilizer on the yield components related to summer maize crop productivity in an area with a history of 5 years of soybean/black oat succession cropping in a no-tillage system in ArenitoCaiua, Northwestern Paraná State, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in split blocks, with 6 blocks and 16...

Author(s): Ioan Gontariu, Ioan-Catalin Enea and Danela Murariu

May 2013

Detection of molecular markers associated with yield and yield components in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) under drought conditions

Durum wheat is one of the most important staple food crops grown mainly in the Mediterranean region where its productivity is drastically affected by drought. Detecting the important traits and molecular markers associated with drought and grain yield traits will aid breeders to understand the genetic mechanisms of drought tolerance of durum wheat that will assist in the development of drought tolerant varieties through...

Author(s): Susan A. M. Dura, Mahmud A. Duwayri and Miloudi M. Nachit

May 2013

Analysis of factors influencing people's participation in programs to protect and regenerate forests and pastures from the perspective of expert and managers: Ilam, Iran

Natural resources is vital to humans exposed to destructive agents of human, So that degradation rate is not comparable with the measures that the government is doing in the conservation of forests and pastures. For the beginning, to overcome the problems, the government's role is important as planning and supporting projects of natural resources. Hence, this study was to identify factors influencing popular...

Author(s): Bagher Arayesh

May 2013

Short-term effect of organic residue incorporation on soil aggregate stability along gradient in salinity in the lower cheliff plain (Algeria)

A field experiment was performed to examine the effectiveness of adding two kinds of organic materials (wheat Straw and cattle manure) on the soil aggregate stability along a gradient in salinity in the lower cheliff plain (western Algeria). The experiment was set up in a factorial design by complete randomized blocks with three replicates. The treatments were applied at a rate of 4 g C...

Author(s): El hadj Benbouali, Saad Abed el amir Hamoudi and Aziz Larich

May 2013

A simple model for predicting plant residue decomposition based upon their C/N ratio and soil water content

This paper develops and tests a simple relationship for predicting the decomposition of plant residues of diverse composition under varying soil water conditions. Known weights of four plants samples comprising of groundnut (Gn), mucuna (Mc), maize (Mz) and bush fallow (Bf), were put in nylon bags and randomly buried in three plots with varying soil moisture conditions (viz: W1 = 60% field capacity (FC); W2 = 75%...

Author(s): Mohammed A. M., Nartey E., Naab J. B. and Adiku S. G. K.

May 2013

Ecological restoration of the Lu’an mining area in China: An integrated model

Variances in the natural-environmental and artificial factors of the mining industry and of mining production were analyzed to achieve scientifically the ecological restoration of the Lu’an mining land system. The eco-environmental pressure of the evaluation index system was established. Each unit of land system was exposed to a different eco-environmental pressure, which resulted in differences in land...

Author(s): Sha Xue, Liangxin Fan, Guobin Liu and Hailong Ma

May 2013

Reproductive traits in relation to crossbreeding in pigs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding pure breeds on reproductive traits in pigs.The study was conducted on 2,431 record concerning reproductive traits of four pure breeds (large yorkshire (LY), swedish landrace (SL), duroc (D) and hampshire (H) and their reciprocal F1 crosses. Data processing method was by the least...

Author(s): Dragomir Lukač

May 2013

Effect of irrigation intervals during different growth stages on cotton (Gossypium barbadence L.) yield and fiber characteristics in semi- arid region of Sudan

A field experiments were conducted for two consecutive seasons (2006/2007 and 2007/2008) in Demonstrated Farm, Sudan University of Science and Technology, to study the effect of  irrigation intervals at different growth stages on growth, yield component and fiber characteristics of cotton (Gossypium barbadence L.). The experiment was lied out in a complete plots design with four replications. The treatments...

Author(s): Samia Osman Yagoub, Hassan Elsherif Abderhaman and Abderhman Hassan Abdellatif

May 2013

Effect of morphological stage and clipping intervals of Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Setaria (Setaria anceps Stapf.) on biochemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility in mid hill Himalayan region

Four varieties of Tall fescue and three varieties of Setaria were analyzed for variation in chemical compositionviz., dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), hemicellulose, oxalate content and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) at different morpho-physiological stages and clipping intervals. In Tall fescue the crude protein (11.81%) and IVDMD...

Author(s): Rajan Katoch, Meenakshi Thakur and Naveen Kumar

May 2013

Monitoring population density and fluctuations of Xyleborus dispar and Xyleborinus saxesenii (Coleoptera: Scolytıdae) with red winged sticky traps in hazelnut orchards

Bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae:Scolytinae) include many important pest species of forest and fruit trees.  They usually prefer the physiologically stressed trees for colonization but also it is known that they attack healthy trees. Bark and ambrosia beetles are consisted of two main ecological groups, bark beetles grow in bark and ambrosia beetles in sapwood. Especially ambrosia beetles are...

Author(s): Islam Saruhan and Hüseyin Akyol

May 2013

Effect of some environmental and biological factors on reproductive characters of Trichogramma spp.

Many studies have demonstrated that many species of parasitoid wasps can control offspring sex ratio in response to environmental variables. This article tests the effects of temperature, relative humidity, photoperiod, foundress number, foundress age, host number, interval time of host supplying, species of food, species of host and symbiotic bacterium (Wolbachia) on sex ratio of Trichogramma ostriniae. Results...

Author(s): Haitao QIAN, Bin CONG, Zaolin ZHANG and Qiuhui DAI

May 2013

Efficacy of phytase and glycanase enzymes on the performance, serum mineral levels and antibody titer against newcastle disease virus (NDV) of broilers fed nutritionally marginal diets

An experiment was conducted from 1 to 42 day post hatching to determine the effects of a microbial phytase (Natuphos) and glycanase preparations with predominantly xylanase and β-glucanase (Feedzyme) on the performance, serum mineral levels and antibody titer against newcastle disease, of broilers fed nutritionally marginal diets. A completely randomized experimental design was used, and chicks were divided into 5...

Author(s): Hasan Ghahri, Tohid Toloei, Ali Gardali and Kave Ahmadi

May 2013

Influence of soil and foliar applications of potassium fertilization on growth, yield and fiber quality traits in two Gossypium barbadense L. varieties

Two field experiments were conducted at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture at Fayoum, Egypt, to study the effect of soil and foliar applications of potassium in the form of potassium sulphate. The treated cotton plants with potassium soil application and with foliar spray improved all the studied growth traits, that is, number of leaf per plant, the total leaf area per plant (dm-2) and the dry weight of...

Author(s): M. D. H. Dewdar and M. M. Rady

May 2013

Development of cover crops under different water levels in the soil

The objective was to evaluate the effect of intervals of irrigation frequency (water deficit) in the development of cover crops. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the experimental campus of the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) in Bom Jesus-PI in the period between June to August 2011, on soil classified as Typic Dystrophic - Lad. The experimental design was randomized blocks in factorial scheme 5...

Author(s): Leandro Pereira Pacheco, Fabiano André Petter, Marluce Pereira Damasceno Lima, Tamnata Ferreira Alixandre, Luana Maria Alves da Silva, Raphael Reis da Silva and Wendell Rezende Moreira Ribeiro

May 2013

Weed interference periods on potato crop in Botucatu region, Brazil

This study was carried out in Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil in order to evaluate the interference periods of weeds on potato crop. The experimental design was a randomized complete blocks, with four replications, and treatments were arranged in two groups: 1) the crop was kept free from weeds through the periods of 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days after emergence, after each period weeds were allowed to grow; 2)...

Author(s): D. Martins, S. R. Marchi and N. V. Costa

May 2013

Agronomic efficiency of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize hybrids in pests control on Lucas do Rio Verde city, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

The present study aimed to evaluate under field conditions, the effect of genetically modified maize hybridsin control of Spodoptera frugiperda, Elasmopalpus lignosellus and Diatraea saccharalis, to identify Trais which is more efficient in controlling this complex caterpillars. The experiment was conducted in city of Lucas doRio Verde, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil,...

Author(s): Ricardo Shigueru Okumura, Daiane de Cinque Mariano, Rivanildo Dallacort, Thiago Ometto Zorzenoni, Paulo Vicente Contador Zaccheo, Cândido Ferreira de Oliveira Neto, Heráclito Eugênio Oliveira da Conceição and Allan Klynger da Silva Lobato

May 2013

Postharvest and sensory quality of pineapples grown under micronutrients doses and two types of mulching

Mineral nutrition has a major influence on growth and, consequently, on the production and quality of fruits. However, little is known about the effect of fertilization with micronutrients on pineapple, especially under tropical conditions. So, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of soil and leaf fertilization with micronutrients on the postharvest and sensory quality of pineapple cv....

Author(s): Aiala Vieira Amorim, Deborah dos Santos Garruti, Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda, Carlos Farley Herbster Moura and Enéas Gomes-Filho

May 2013

Sources and rates of nitrogen in the cultivation of flax

This study aimed to evaluate the potential development of golden flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) under the influence of the application of sources and rates of nitrogen. The experiment was conducted in the field Unioeste, Campus Cascavel, State of Paraná, using the factorial design (2×5) randomized, two nitrogen sources (urea and ammonium sulphate) and five rates of nitrogen (0, 50 , 100, 150 and 200...

Author(s): Geovan Soethe, Armin Feiden, Doglas Bassegio, Reginaldo Ferreira Santos, Samuel Nelson Melegari de Souza and Deonir Secco

May 2013

Allelopathic effects of Emex spinosus L. against wheat and mustard

Emex spinosus L. (Family Polygonaceae), a decumbent, branched annual herb, was assayed for its allelopathic potential because of it weedy habit. Aqueous extracts were obtained from powdered shoots and leaves at room temperature and by boiling. Various extracts significantly inhibited the germination and seedling growth of Triticum aestivum and Brassica compestris used as test species. The...

Author(s): Muhammad Naseem, Farrukh Hussain and Zaman Sher

May 2013

A comparison of various iron fertilizers with regard to their effects on the iron content of Satsuma tangerine plants

In this study, an examination was made of the effects of various iron fertilizers on the iron content of the various organs of tangerine plants. To this purpose, four different iron fertilizers [Fe-Citrate, FeSO4.7H2O, Fe-EDTA and Fe-EDDHA (Sequestren)] were applied to Satsuma plants. At the end of the experiment, the effects of the applications on the Fe and active Fe content of the roots, stems and leaves were...

Author(s): Nilgün MordoÄŸan, Hüseyin Hakerlerler, Tuba Barlas and Bihter Çolak Esetlili

May 2013

Agricultural productivity growth in Orissa, India: Crop diversification to pulses, oilseeds and other high value crops

The extent of India's regional disparities has been an issue since many decades, and this concern has been partly motivated by a desire to alleviate poverty. Agriculture remains an important feature of the economic, cultural and political landscape in India. Orissa is one of the poorest States in India. Over the last four decades, there has been stagnation in agriculture in Orissa. During the period 1991 to 2008 the...

Author(s): A. Amarender Reddy

May 2013

The role of avocado production in coffee based farming systems of South Western Ethiopia: The case of Jimma zone

Empirical data collected from smallholder farmers (N = 99) residing in three Woredas of Jimma zone, was analyzed to investigate production issues pertaining to avocados, and the pros and cons of producing the crop was investigated. To address these tasks, field and desk research was accompanied by interviews and discussions with focus groups. Despite the crop’s potential, data suggest that avocados have not yet...

Author(s): Berhanu Megerssa

May 2013

Modulation of antioxidant responses of Medicago sativa under cadmium and copper stress

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants exposed for 8 weeks in pots to increasing concentrations of cadmium (Cd; 0.35 and 7 mg·kg-1dry soil) and copper (Cu; 3.5 and 70 mg.kg-1dry soil) were tested for metal accumulation, growth inhibition and oxidative stress response in roots and leaves. The investigated parameters were biometric measurements (root and shoot length), malondialdehyde accumulation (MDA; index of lipid...

Author(s): Sabrine HATTAB, Sara HATTAB, Mohamed BANNI, Luis Eduardo HERNÁNDEZ and Hamadi BOUSSETTA

May 2013

Assessment of the morphological and molecular diversity in Amaranthus spp.

Genetic diversity and relationships of 15 Amaranthus species were examined by using both morphological traits and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Ten morphological observations were recorded out of which seven were subjected to analysis of variance. Mean squares due to genotypes were highly significant. Wide mean range performance was observed for number of effective tillers...

Author(s): Kumari Anjali, Arunabh Joshi, S. R. Maloo and Radheshyam Sharma