International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology (IJARIT)
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Analyzing the existing value chains of fruits and vegetables in selected upazilas of Bangladesh
Full text linkReducing postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables is a major pathway to food and nutrition security in Bangladesh. A survey was conducted in 30 selected upazilas of Bangladesh from February to October 2021 to explore the nature and magnitude of postharvest losses. This study assessed the knowledge gap, attitudes and practices of the value chain’s key actors, and the status of market opportunities in the country. A total of 515 farmers and 295 traders were interviewed from selected upazilas of the country. The findings of this study revealed that 50-70% of growers showed a positive attitude toward good agriculture practices (GAP), maturity indices, and the role of good packaging in keeping the products safe for consumers. More than 41% of farmers aggregated their harvested commodities beside the field on direct soil contact under open sunlight. Only 27% of farmers and traders washed fruits and vegetables before marketing, of which 32% used unsafe water found in the canal or ditches. On average, 86.91% of farmers and traders sorted out their products before marketing for a better price. More than 56% of farmers and traders used jute or nylon sac for packaging fresh fruit and vegetables. Nevertheless, only 20.2% of farmers and 24.41% of traders used plastic crates as packaging containers. Generally, the farmer used different local vehicles, including three-wheeler van, rickshaw, bi-cycle, tempo, etc. In contrast, the traders transported their produce to the wholesale market using a truck and pick-up van. The average postharvest losses were estimated 12.5% at the farm level, whereas 6.7% at trader’s level up to the wholesale market.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(1): 123-130, June 202
Le traitement de la Covid-19 dans les espaces publics en Afrique, révélateur du glissement des paradigmes relatifs à la communication de l'information scientifique et technique
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Contribution of forest products to rural household’s income and factor determining forest income in Masha district of Sheka zone, SWEPR, Ethiopia
Full text linkRural people living around forests in Ethiopia depend on income from forest product collection as one of their livelihood activities. The forests of Sheka are threatened by unsustainable use and conversion to alternative land uses. This study was conducted to identify and quantify income from major forest products collected from the Sheka forest and examine factors that determine income from forest product collection. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources. By stratified random sampling method, three kebeles were selected from the Masha district and 156 households were randomly selected from those kebeles and interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were determined by SPSS and STATA software. Multiple linear regression models were employed to determine the relationship between socio-economic factors and forest income. The result indicates 17 major forest product were collected and contributes an average of $1553.75 or 41.17% of their total annual income and was the highest contributor to total income. Forest income varies with agro-ecology and distance from the nearby markets in the study area. Households in the study area utilize more forest products for home consumption. Incomes from forest product collection are significantly related to the level of education of the household head, family size, and distance of home from the forest and market. Households in the study area depend to a higher degree on income from forest product collection and have an implication of sustainable management of forests in the long term.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 46-52, December 202
Evaluation of yield performance of early maturing soybean (Glycine max L. Merill) genotypes in Ethiopia by using GGE Biplot model
Full text linkGenotype main effect and genotype by environment interaction biplot analysis is the best fit model for which-won-where pattern analysis, genotype, and test environment evaluation. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify stable and high-yielding soybean genotypes for production in diverse environments by using the genotype main effect and genotype by environment biplot stability model. Eighteen soybean genotypes were evaluated across six environments during the 2019 cropping season by using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Among evaluated environments and genotypes, Tiro-afeta gave the highest yield (3.71 t ha -1); while Humera gave the lowest yield (1.37 t ha-1), and genotype JM-HAR/PR142-15-SB gave the highest mean grain yield of 2.9 t ha -1 across the six locations. Based on the information generated from the GGE biplot, Tiro Afeta and Areka were identified as ideal environments, whereas genotypes PR-143-(14), JM-HAR/G99-15-SD-2 and JM-HAR/PR142-15-SB were ideal genotype. The ‘which won where’ biplot of the GGE analysis revealed that the six environments grouped into three different mega-environments with different winning genotypes. Among the testing environments, Areka, Sirinka and Humera grouped into one mega environment; while Tiro afeta grouped into the second mega environment and Jimma and Hawasa were classified into the third mega environment with the winning genotypes JM-HAR/PR142-15-SB, PR-143-(14) and KS4895 for each mega environment, respectively. Based on the GGE biplot stability model used in the study, JM-HAR/G99-15-SD-2, JM-HAR/PR142-15SB, and PR-143-(14) were high yielder and stable genotypes. Hence, these genotypes were recommended for variety verification and release after additional evaluation for more seasons.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 101-110, December 202
Growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of grower rabbits fed graded levels of Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) leaf meal
Full text linkThis study aimed to determine the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of grower rabbits fed diets containing graded Bambusa vulgaris leaf meal (BVLM) levels. Thirty rabbits weighing an average of 999 g were allocated in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to five treatments (BVLM 0%, which was the control diet, BVLM 5%, BVLM 10%, BVLM 15% and BVLM 20%) with six replicates. The rabbits were adapted to the assigned diets for one week and fed for ten weeks. Feed intake, live weight changes and feed conversion ratio were the performance parameters measured. Existing market prices for feed items were used to appraise the diets economically. A digestibility study was undertaken during the 10th week. No mortality was recorded during the study. Before termination of the feeding trial, 15 rabbits (3 from each treatment) were selected randomly, taken off feed for 24 hours and humanely slaughtered. Carcass parameters and weights of internal organs were measured and recorded. Results revealed that live weight changes, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were similar for all treatments. However, the cost of feed/kg and feed/kg gain decreased linearly with an increase in the inclusion level of BVLM. The results also showed that BVLM could be utilized in up to 15% of grower rabbit diets without lowering nutrient digestibility and dressing percentage. It was concluded that BVLM could be used up to 20% of the diet of grower rabbits to reduce the cost of feed/kg and cost of feed/kg gain without any adverse effects on live weight changes and weights of internal organs.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(1): 6-14, June 202
On-farm evaluation of drip irrigation system on coffee production in Western Oromia, Ethiopia
Full text linkEthiopian coffee production is greatly hampered by frequent droughts.This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a drip irrigation system for coffee production on a farm. Additionally, it estimated the amount of water required for coffee crops. An experiment was conducted on a 5-year-old coffee plant with 2m spacing between lines and 2m between plants. Catch cans were used to evaluate the system performance of the installed drip irrigation system. Based on these, the average hydraulic characteristics of the installed drip irrigation system, distribution uniformity was 93.55%, Christiansen uniformity coefficient was 95.40%, flow variation was 18.52%, and coefficient of variation was 5.59%. Coffee plants grew and produced more when irrigation was used. A fresh cherry yield of 6785 kg ha-1 was obtained under irrigated coffee and 2346 kg ha-1 under non-irrigated coffee. Compared to non-irrigated coffee, irrigated coffee had the highest crop water use efficiency of 2.5 kg ha-1 mm-1, and the lowest was obtained 1.7 kg ha-1 mm-1, under non-irrigated coffee. Similarly, irrigated coffee had the highest irrigation water use efficiency (3.6 kg m-3), whereas non-irrigated coffee had the lowest (1.4 kg m-3). These findings show that drip irrigation, compared to non-irrigated coffee plants, enhances yield and water use efficiency by 65% and 60%, respectively. In order to boost production, yield, yield components, and irrigation water use efficiency, drip irrigation is a helpful irrigation technique in locations with limited water resources and extended drought spells.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(1): 42-47, June 202
Evaluation and Demonstration of Dual-purpose “Koekoek Potchefstroom” Chickens in Pastoral areas of Hammer woreda, South Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Full text linkThe objective of this study was to evaluate and demonstrate the production performance of “Koekoek Potchefstroom” chickens in pastoral areas of Hammer woreda. Twenty women pastorals from rural areas were purposely selected based on their interest to construct chicken shelters or who had house access, interest to rear exotic chickens, well-managing ability and up-come all related challenges, enough time for chickens, cover the required inputs costs and ability to recording production data. Training on poultry housing construction, poultry health, feeds and feeding, watering and important data recording system were given. Quantitative data like body weight, egg weight and first egg laying date were taken. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (v-21). Results revealed that the mortality of chicks from 45 to 60 days was 5%. The overall mortality from 60 days to 90 days was 8.75%. About 83.5% of the chicken survived until the laying age. The overall mean body weights were 0.96, 1.91, 2.14 and 2.12 kg at 3, 5, 7 and 9th month’s age, respectively. Body weight at different ages was significantly different between the sexes. The average weight of eggs at 24, 28, 34 and 38 weeks of age were 47.3±0.9, 47.3±1.1, and 48.2±0.9 and 46.9±1.3 g, respectively. Age at first egg laying was recorded as 167.4 days. The major causes of death were diseases (Coccidiosis) and poor management practices like lack of follow-up, letting them go out of their home and allowing them to scavenge and poor nutrition. In a conclusion, this breed has been familiarized with scavenging and partial-scavenging production areas of the existing pastoral system with appropriate housing, feeding and good health service provision. Verification in large-scale pastoral areas with different breeds should also be seen to look at its full potential as compared to agrarian areas.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 1-6, December 202
Groundnut production performance based on chemical fertilizer practices and its profitability conditions
Full text linkFrom the mid of the 19th-century chemical fertilizers were introduced into Bangladesh as an additional source of plant nutrients. After that the use of fertilizer in crop production increases. However, the extreme use of chemical fertilizers can create hazardous environmental degradation, which in turn can lower yields. So, the optimum level should maintain that can help in turn increase production. In this current study, 150 groundnut farmers in the research areas were taken based on their fertilizer application methods. It shows that the number of chemical fertilizer users constituted a major share of the total almost 44.67%. Among all the farmers, chemical fertilizer users incurred the highest return on investment by 1.48. Land area, cost of irrigation and chemical fertilizer affect the adoption of chemical fertilizer usage positively. The higher cost of production due to the application cost of inorganic fertilizer also increases the yield simultaneously. The study shows that farmers who avoid using fertilizer result in lower production compare to others. In that case, age and education were identified as factors that pushed the farmers towards chemical fertilizer and enjoying higher production.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 126-133, December 202
Clinical and Epidemiological Changes in French Soldiers After Deployment: Impact of Doxycycline Malaria Prophylaxis on Body Weight
No full textInternational audienceABSTRACT Background Antibiotics are growth promotors used in animal farming. Doxycycline (DOXY) is a tetracycline antibiotic taken daily and continued 1 month after return to protect against malaria during travel and deployment in endemic areas. We evaluated DOXY impact on body weight in military international travelers. Materiel and Methods A prospective cohort analysis was conducted in 2016-2018, recruiting 170 French soldiers before a 4-month assignment overseas. Many clinical data including anthropometric measures by an investigator were collected before and after deployment. Weight gain was defined by an increase of 2% from baseline. The study protocol was supported by the French Armed Forces Health Services and approved by the French ethics committee (IRB no. 2015–A01961–48, ref promoter 2015RC0). Written, informed consent was obtained with signature from each volunteer before inclusion. Results After deployment, 84 soldiers were followed up. Overall, 38/84 (45%) were deployed to Mali with DOXY malaria prophylaxis, and others were deployed to Iraq or Lebanon without malaria prophylaxis according to international recommendations. Body weight increased in 24/84 (30%), of whom 14/24 (58%) were exposed to DOXY. In bivariate analysis, DOXY had a positive but not significant effect on weight gain (P-value = .4). In the final logistic regression model (Fig. 3), weight gain after deployment positively correlated with an increase in waist circumference (odds ratio [OR] 1.23 with 95% CI [1.06-1.47]) suggesting fat gain; with sedentary work (OR 5.34; 95% CI [1.07-31.90]); and with probiotic intake (OR 5.27; 95% CI [1.51-20.40]). Weight impact of probiotics was more important when associated with DOXY intake (OR 6.86; 95% CI [1.52-38.1]; P-value = .016). Conclusions Doxycycline (DOXY) malaria prophylaxis during several months did not cause significant weight gain in soldiers. Further studies are required in older and less sportive traveling populations, and to investigate a cumulative effect over time and recurrent DOXY exposure. Doxycycline (DOXY) may enhance other growth-promoting factors including fatty food, sedentariness, and strain-specific probiotics contained in fermented dairy products which are also used as growth promotors
Role of vermicomposting for smallholder farmers in wondo-genet woreda, Sidama region, Ethiopia: a success story
Full text linkBoth organic and chemical fertilizers play a vital role in enhancing crop productivity and maintaining soil health. However, inflated prices of chemical fertilizers also reduced their rate of application, hence, reducing crop productivity in Ethiopia. Therefore, to sustain the productivity of lands and crops, there is an urgent need to promote the use of organic fertilizers. Vermicomposting is one method of preparing enriched compost with the use of earthworms. With the support of the second phase of the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP-II), the introduction and promotion of vermicomposting technology were conducted. However, the production status and role of vermicomposting for smallholder farmers in the area are unclear. Therefore documenting the achievement and progress of vermicomposting is necessary. Both primary and secondary data (2018-2021) were collected by using snowball sampling techniques. The descriptive statistics reveal that in addition to potato production, farmers are using vermicompost for chat, enset, coffee, forage and vegetable production. Accordingly, the production, utilization, and sale trend of vermicompost increased from 2018 to 2021. In addition, vermicomposting created an opportunity for farmers to participate in earthworms and vermicompost selling. Due to this, those who had vermicompost in their home garden do not use inorganic fertilizers for any crop production during the last four years. In addition, the average cultivated cropland coverage by vermicompost-based production also increased from 2018 to 2021. Its preparation procedure is also consistent with the manual provided to them. Therefore expanding vermicomposting technology in the area has the potential to enhance sustainable crop and land productivity.
Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 88-95, December 202