July 2020

Biochar as an alternative growth medium for tree seedlings in the Guinea Savanna Zone of Ghana

A good planting medium is required for raising tree seedlings in the nursery, however Guinea savanna soils are generally poor in nitrogen and organic matter. This poses a challenge in accessing fertile soil for tree nurseries in Northern Ghana. The experiment was conducted in the Nyankpala campus to explore the potential of plant biochar as growth media for raising tree seedlings. Growth media prepared from six...

Author(s): Bernard Nouleyeng Baatuuwie, Latif Iddrisu Nasare and Edmond Gameli Tefuttor  

July 2020

Lead-induced changes in germination behavior, growth and inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in Raphanus sativus L.

The seed germination test under lead (Pb) stress could be a quick test to understand plant tolerance to this heavy metal. The aim of this study was to compare the germination behavior of Raphanus sativus L. germinated in solution with different increasing concentration of lead, also to assess its accumulation and toxicity. The test was carried out in an incubator at 25 ± 1°C for 7 days and in a greenhouse for...

Author(s): K. Bendaoud Si Ahmed, A. Aoues, O. Kharoubi and I. Hetraf  

July 2020

Effects of sowing depth on seed germination and seedling growth of Aframomum citratum (Pereira) K. Schum

Series of investigations have been carried out on the effect of sowing depths on seed germination and early seedlings growth of Aframomum citratum and has shown that sowing depth influences germination and early growth of most plant species. Thus, the importance of varying planting depths has received much attention from researchers for some time now. The depths studied in this research were 0, 3 and 6 cm, respectively....

Author(s): Anjah Mendi Grace and Christiana Ngyete Nyikob Mbogue  

July 2020

Morphological and molecular characterization of cultivated yam (Dioscorea species) in selected counties in Kenya

This study was conducted to characterize Dioscorea spp. in Kenya using morphological and molecular characteristics. Data on 22 morphological traits were subjected to cluster analysis and multivariate analysis using principal component (PCA). The dendrogram of cluster analysis revealed three main groups: Species distribution based on PC-1 and PC-2 showed the distantly related species in each quarter; D. alata L. (1st...

Author(s): Valentine Atieno, Grace W. Gatheri, Joseph W. Kamau and Morris Muthini  

July 2020

Evaluating the incidence and severity of rice yellow mottle virus and maize streak virus on rice (Oryza sativa L.) and associated insects in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Rice is an important staple food in Nigeria, affected by several diseases especially viruses. This study was carried out to evaluate the incidence and severity of two important viruses on rice plants and to identify associated insects in the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T), Abuja in 2019. Field experiment was carried out from June to October, 2019 at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture,...

Author(s): Oladapo Oluwatobi Folarin, Shatu Wudiri Asala, Akeem Abolade Oyerinde and Tolani Islamiat Okelola  

July 2020

Sensor based validation of nitrogen fertilizer for quality protein maize variety using a handheld normalized difference vegetative index sensor at Bako, Western Ethiopia

Regardless of the huge yield potential and area under maize production, its current productivity in Ethiopia is by far below its potential. Declining of soil fertility and poor nutrient management is among the major factors limiting the productivity of the crop. As a result, an experiment was conducted at Bako, Ethiopia in 2016 to validate the N application and determine the best rate for side dressing using handheld...

Author(s): Hailu Feyisa and Tolera Abera