African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6832

Table of Content: 5 June, 2012; 7(21)

June 2012

Reducing the number of new constraints and variables in a linearised quadratic assignment problem

The quadratic assignment problem is a well known difficult discrete combinatorial optimization problem. The problem seeks to locate n facilities among n fixed locations in the most economical way. We propose a technique to reduce the number of new constraints and variables in a linearised quadratic assignment problem. It is computationally cheaper to solve a mathematical model with half the...

Author(s): Elias Munapo

June 2012

Status of quantitative distribution for forest roads based on village development of Tajan forestry project (Mazandaran paper and wood Co)

This study was carried out to survey the role of forest roads in the development of forest villages at the north forest margins in villages that are under coverage of one of the biggest Mazandaran aper and Wood Company, with 112 series and 70 villages in watershed (Tajan, Talar, Siahrood) as regards the last watershed maps (Tajan, Talar, Siahrood) of Mazandaran paper & wood industries and present villages in this...

Author(s): Sareh Hosseini, Seyed Ataollah Hosseini and Sanaz Tahmooresi

June 2012

Effect of pre-commercial thinning on diameter class distribution and total merchantable volume growth in Chinese fir stands in Southern China

The effect of thinning has not been investigated previously in young even-aged Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.] stands in Southern China. In long-term experiments, the effect of thinning on growth and yield of Chinese fir trees at five spacing levels was studied (2 × 3 m, 2 × 1.5 m, 2 × 1 m, 1 × 1.5 m and 1 × 1 m) thinned or left unthinned every 2 years from age 10....

Author(s): Honggang Sun, Jianguo Zhang, Aiguo Duan and Guobin Zhang  

June 2012

Prokaryotic expression of vitellogenin receptor gene of Actias selene Hubner

Vitellogenin receptor plays a key role in the embryonic development of oviparous animals. A vitellogenin receptor (VgR) gene was cloned from Actias selene using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA end PCR. Sequence analysis revealed that this gene was 5848 bp and encoded a protein of 1812 amino acids peptide with high similarity to Bombyx mori VgR. Sodium...

Author(s): Yingying Xu, Baojian Zhu, Qiuning Liu, Guoqing Wei, Li Chen,S Lei Yu and Chaoliang Liu

June 2012

Efficacy of four essential oils against Sitophilus granarius (L.) adults after short-term exposure

A trial was conducted to assess the fumigant toxicity of the essential oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Mentha balsamea Willd. against the adults of Sitophilus granarius(L.). The relationships between the time after treatment (1, 2, and 3 days), temperature (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C), concentration of essential...

Author(s): Žiga Laznik, Matej Vidrih and Stanislav Trdan  

June 2012

Estimating the number and inheritance of controlling genes for some important quantitative traits in crossing of Omid bread wheat and la/b tritipyrum primary line

In order to heritability estimate and identify the number of controlling gene of some traits in crossing Omid bread wheat and La/b tritipyrum primary line, parent seeds and F1, F2 and F3 generations obtained from crossing Omid wheat variety and La/b tritipyrum primary line were planted in farm condition. The traits such as tiller number, high plant, stem length, leaf number, node number, inter node distance,...

Author(s): Golestani, M., Shahsevand Hassani, H., Baghizadeh, A., Galavi, M. and Kazemipour, A.

June 2012

Evaluation of genetic diversity using morphological markers and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis in some Aloe sp. accessions

Thirty three Aloe accessions were collected from different geographical regions of Iran. Morphological evaluation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis were applied for showing genetic variations among the studied accessions. Morphological analysis indicated that all the studied characters have a significant difference of P < 0.01 among Aloe accessions. Cluster analysis...

Author(s): Mansour Saljooghianpour, Mansour Omidi, Shamsali Rezazadeh and Mohammadreza Naghavi

June 2012

Classification of chickpea seeds using supervised and unsupervised artificial neural networks

As a result of varietal variability in agricultural crops, identification of seed varieties is an important problem. In this study, the ability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in classification of chickpea seeds varieties was considered based on morphological properties of seeds. Experimentally, the seven morphological feature of 400 seeds (including four varieties; Kaka, Piroz, Ilc and Jam) were obtained. Using a...

Author(s): Salah Ghamari

June 2012

Influence of seed priming on seed germination and vigor traits of Vicia villosa ssp. dasycarpa (Ten.)

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of hydro- and osmotic priming on seed germination and vigor traits of two seed lots of wooly pod vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. dasycarpaTen.). Factorial combinations of two seed lots (two periods of storage) and six levels of priming treatment (unprimed control, distilled water (hydro-primed), 0.155, 0.310, 0.465 and 0.620 M KNO3) were laid out...

Author(s): Karta K. Kalsa and Bekele Abebie

June 2012

Assessment of selected Hevea brasiliensis (RRIM 2000 Series) seeds for rootstocks production

Rubber tree or Hevea brasiliensis is a tropical crop from the Amazon forest, South America. The name ‘rubber’ was been given to natural rubber by Priestly, in 1770. Today, rubber tree has been the main source of natural rubber for use worldwide. South East Asia is the main producer of natural rubber in the world. Seeds used for rootstocks production are very important to nursery and rubber...

Author(s): Noordin Wan Daud, Shafar Jefri Mokhatar and Che Fauziah Ishak

June 2012

Effects of cutting frequency and nitrogen fertilizer application on yield, proportion of crop fractions and leaf to stem ratio in guinea grass (Panicum maximum) pasture

In a sandy loam soil at Nsukka, the effects of fertilizer-N application and cutting management on the yield and proportions of crop fractions of Panicum maximum sown pasture were investigated in 2001 through 2004. The experiment was a 4 × 4 factorial laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments comprised four levels of nitrogen of 0, 150, 300 and 450 kg N...

Author(s): Onyeonagu C. C. and Asiegbu J. E.

June 2012

Effects of soil water deficit on seedlings of different Medicago falcata L. populations

Medicago falcata L. survives in desiccation conditions and is used to provide the genetic material for improved drought survival of this otherwise productive forage species (crosses referred to as M. media). Seedlings were grown in one of three soil water contents (80, 50 and 25% of field capacity) to compare physiological and morphological response under soil water stress. After eight weeks, populations differed...

Author(s): He Wang, Li Liu and Daowei Zhou  

June 2012

Characterization of powdery mildew in cucumber plants under greenhouse conditions in the Culiacan Valley, Sinaloa, Mexico

Powdery mildew is an important disease of cucumber and melon caused by the species of the order Erysiphales. In 1991, Erysiphe (Golovinomyces) cichoracearum was reported as the only causal agent of powdery mildew in Cucurbitaceae and other plant families in the Culiacan Valley center of Sinaloa Mexico. Due to the prevalence of powdery mildew on cucumbers grown in greenhouses and problems related to its...

Author(s): Bojórquez-Ramos Cosme, León-Félix Josefina, Allende-Molar Raúl, Muy-Rangel María Dolores, Carrillo-Fasio José Armando, Valdez-Torres José Benigno, López-Soto Fabiola Sary Mell and García-Estrada Raymundo Saúl

June 2012

Response of growth and antioxidant system of heavy metal-contaminated tomato plants to 24-epibrassinolide

The plants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were grown in the presence of cadmium or lead (100 to 200 μM Cd2+ or Pb2+) and sprayed with 2 μM of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), and were sampled at 4 weeks after transplanting. The plants exposed to Cd2+ or Pb2+ exhibited an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione...

Author(s): Mostafa M. Rady and Ashraf Sh. Osman

June 2012

Analysis of the codon use frequency of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) family genes from different species

In mammals, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) play essential roles in the regulation of cellular differentiation, development, and metabolism (carbohydrate, lipid, protein), and tumorigenesis of higher organisms. In this paper, the relative synonymous codon use frequency of 32 PPAR family genes from seven mammal species (Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Bos...

Author(s): Wenzong Lu, Guangfeng Jia, Xiangyan Meng, Chen Zhao, Liang Zhang, Haixian Pan, Yumiao Ren and Yuan Ni