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Assessment of Wind Erosion in Bare and Lucerne-cultivated Lands in South East Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan
No full textA field experiment was conducted in Goz Alhalag village, about 50 km south east
Atbara, River Nile State, to produce broad–base data on wind erosion in two-successive
seasons (August 2008 - March 2009, August 2009 - March 2010) The intensity of wind
erosion (IWE) was measured monthly in four directions; namely, north east (NE), north
(N), north west (NW) and West (W) using vertical (IWEv) and horizontal soil traps
(IWEh) in a bare and a lucerne-cultivated land. In the first season, IWEh in the bare land
ranged from 99.9 (W) to 109.8 (NE) with a mean of 104.4 tons/ha/day and a coefficient
of variation (CV) of 3.9%. Furthermore, IWEh ranged from 2.1 (Nov.) to 260 tons/ha/day
(Sept.) with a CV of 93.4%. The variation due to direction was much lower than the
monthly values; due to the higher monthly variability of wind erosivity. The overall
means of IWEh and IWEV in the first season were 2.25- and 1.90-fold those in the second
season, respectively. This effect was attributed to the higher wind erosivity in the first
season. In bare lands, the overall mean IWEh was 2.42- and 2.04-fold the corresponding
IWEV values in the first and second seasons, respectively. This was attributed to the fact
that horizontal traps measure cumulative wind erosion by saltation, surface creep and
suspension, whereas vertical traps measure soil erosion by saltation only. The result may
also explain the higher variation of measurements made by horizontal as compared to
vertical traps. In the cultivated fields, the reverse trend was found. The ratio IWEv/ IWEh
of the overall mean values was 3.2 and 2.7 in the first and second seasons, respectively.
This is because, in addition to reducing wind erosivity, lucerne obstructed soil particles
transport to the traps, more so by surface creep than saltation. The impact of lucerne
cover on soil erosion was colossal. The IWEh in the bare lands were 522- and 220.5-fold
that of the cultivated fields in the two successive seasons. Growing summer and winter
crops with appropriate crop-residue management offer good land protection against soil
erosion. However, this does not preclude the establishment of a shelterbelt
Effect of Seed Pelleting and Water Regime on the Performance of Some Forage Species under Arid Condition
No full textA pot experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Khartoum Nursery during January to September 2008 to evaluate the effect of different
water regimes and different pelleting materials on the performance of two forage legumes
and two forage grasses. The treatments consisted of three irrigation intervals (Ir1= every
other day, Ir2= every 4 days, Ir3= every 6 days), two pelleting materials (farmyard
manure and clay) in addition to the control (no pelleting). The test crops were two forage
legumes: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum) and
two cereal forages: Teff (Eragrostis teff) and Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana L.). The
experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The
parameters measured were plant density, number of leaves per plant and forage
productivity. The results showed that, seed pelleting resulted in higher plant density,
number of leaves and productivity than the control. However, differences between
pelleting materials were not significant. Irrigation every other day resulted in a
significantly higher plant density, higher number of leaves per plant and higher fresh and
dry yields than longer irrigation interval (irrigation every 6 days). The two grasses (teff
and Rhodes grass) were more drought tolerant than the two legumes (alfalfa and siratro)
as they resulted in higher plant density, number of leaves and productivity under all
treatments
Impact of the Micro-catchment’s Water-harvesting Technique on Sorghum Growth and Yield in South Darfur State
No full textA field experiment was conducted in Mershing village, 85 km north of Nyala, for
two consecutive seasons (2000 and 2001) to investigate the effect of the shape of microcatchment’s
water-harvesting method on sorghum growth, yield and water use efficiency.
The soil of the experimental site is sandy loam over clay loam derived from an
undifferentiated basement complex and classified as Rhodic/ Aridic Paleustalf. The
treatments consisted of three types of micro-catchments; namely, C-, V- and L-shaped
and the natural land as control (N). Each treatment was replicated four times in a
randomized complete block design. The results of the two seasons consistently showed
that the C-shaped micro-catchment was the most effective in water harvesting, soil water
conservation and crop growth and production. The second season had favorable amount
(378.5 mm) and distribution of rainfall, and hence it resulted in better growth and yield of
sorghum. In this season, the mean dry fodder yield was 2.933, 1.904, 1.511 and 1.004
ton/ha for the C, V, N and L treatments, respectively. The mean grain yield was 1.845,
0.992, 0.764 and 0.333 ton/ha for the same treatments in sequence. Furthermore, plant
height, leaf area index, 1000 grain weight, water use and water use efficiency for the Cshaped
micro-catchment were 123 cm, 2.9, 22.1 g, 355 mm and 5.2 kg/ha.mm,
respectively. The C-shaped catchment was most effective in water harvesting, and thus it
gave the highest number of plants and heads, the tallest plants, the broadest leaves, the
largest grains and hence the highest fodder and grain yields. The yield and the water use
efficiency of sorghum in this study are comparable to those obtained, under comparable
conditions, in various countries in Africa
Use of Supplementary Irrigation for Improvement of Growth and Yield of Sorghum {Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech} in North Darfur State
No full textA field experiment was conducted in two consecutive seasons (2006 and 2007) in
Al –Fashir University Farm, North Darfur State, to investigate the impact of
supplementary irrigation at three available water depletion levels (AWDL); namely, 25%,
50% and 75% on growth and yield of two sorghum varieties (Wad Ahmed and Tabat)
grown on a fine loamy, mixed isohyperthermic Typic Haplocambid. The experimental
design was a split- plot design with four replicates. Irrigation treatments were assigned to
the main plots and the varieties to the subplots. In both seasons, variety Wad Ahmed was
significantly better than Tabat in germination percentage, plant height, leaf area index
and number of heads. For the two seasons, the mean plant height, leave area index and
number of heads ranged from 147.0 to 173.5 cm, 3.3 to 7.4 and 77 to 158, respectively. In
the two successive seasons, the mean dry matter yield was 11.2 and 12.8 tons/ha for Wad
Ahmed and 7.9 and 9.9 tons/ha for Tabat. In both seasons, the mean thousand grain
weight and grain yield ranged from 26.0 to 29.59 g and from 6.2 to 9.4 tons/ ha,
respectively. Wad Ahmed gave significantly (P ≤ 0.05) greater yield than Tabat in the
first season, but the difference was not significant in the second season. Furthermore, in
most cases, application of water at 25% AWDL gave better growth and yield than at 50%
or 75%. However, the impact of AWDL was not significant because of the random
variation of occurrence and quantity of rainfall. The experiment showed that
supplementary irrigation, using harvested water, offers a great potential for improving
crop production in North Darfur Stat
Effect of Uterine Bacterial Infection during Postpartum on Reproductive Efficiency in Cross-bred Dairy Cows
No full textThis study was designed to determine the intensity of bacterial load in the uteri of postpartum
(PP) dairy cows, and the effects of this uterine bacterial infection on some of their reproductive
traits. Six reproductive traits were evaluated: uterine involution (UI), appearance of the first
dominant follicle (DF), recrudescence of the first oestrus (FO), length of the days open (DO),
calving interval (CI) and the rate of service per conception. Uterine endometrial swabs were
collected on day 5 PP from 130 dairy cows and cultured within 2 hours of collection onto blood
agar and MacConkey agar media. The uteri of 120 cows (93%) were infected. From the total
infected cows, 40 were used to evaluate the effect of bacterial uterine infection on their
reproductive performance. Twenty cows were severely infected and the remaining 20 were mildly
infected. The results showed that dairy cows suffering severe uterine bacterial infection had a
significantly (P≤0.001) extended uterine involution period, long time for the appearance of the
first DF and FO, length of DO and CI compared with the dairy cows that suffered mild uterine
bacterial infection. Moreover, the dairy cows which suffered severe uterine bacterial infection had
a significantly (P≤0.001) increased rate of service per conception compared with the cows with
mild uterine bacterial infection. It is concluded that the reduced reproductive efficiency of crossbred
dairy cows in the Sudan is likely to be due to early PP uterine bacterial infectio
Constraints of Sustainable Management of Non-Timber Forest Products in a Semi-arid Region
No full textIn recent years, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have attracted considerable
global interest due to the increasing recognition of their contribution to household and
national economies and support biodiversity conservation. However, in Sudan NTFPs
were neglected by foresters and policy makers leading to lack of attention to their value.
This study aimed at investigating constraints of management of forests for NTFPs. Data
were collected in June 2008, in Rashad Locality of Nuba Mountains through a structured
questionnaire of households. There were three hundreds respondents in twenty-two
villages. Descriptive statistics and regression models were applied to analyze the data.
The results indicated the vital role of NTFPs in rural livelihood in Nuba Mountains. The
study came out with quantitative result confirming the high dependency of households on
NTFPs in their daily lives, as an indispensable agent on poverty alleviation. The results
showed that majority of the households rely on NTFPs to generate products for nutrition,
medicine, construction materials and animal feeding. The study showed that the main
constraints facing the NTFPs collection in Rashad Locality were long distance to
collection sites, lack of transport means and climatic conditions. The conclude that more
management emphasis for NTFPs could contribute to both sustainability and
conservation of resources
Regeneration and Growth of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd Seedlings in the Nursery as Affected by Tree Manures and NPK Fertilizer
No full textThis study aimed to assess the effects of tree manures in comparison with NPK
fertilizer on growth of Acacia senegal seedlings. It was conducted in the nursery of the
Faculty of Forestry, Shambat, during August 2008 and January 2009. The growing media
were prepared by mixing ground foliage of tree with a clay soil (weight/volume) as
follows:- Albizia lebbeck (AL): 25 g, 50 g and 75 g; Azadirachta indica (AZ): 25 g, 50 g
and 75 g; Khaya senegalensis (KH): 25 g, 50 g and 75 g; NPK fertilizer: 30 g per
seedling. A. senegal seed germination percentage increased significantly in tree manures
in comparison with NPK and control media. A. senegal seedlings’ growth in the
treatments varied as follows:- AZ = NPK <AL < KH < control for shoot length; KH >
AL > AZ > NPK > control for root length; AZ < NPK > KH > AL < control for diameter;
NPK = AZ > AL > KH > control for shoot biomass and AZ > NPK > KH > AL < control
for root biomass. Therefore, A. senegal seedlings' growth was higher in A. indica and
NPK fertilizer media, moderate in A. lebbeck media and poor in K. senegalensis and the
control media. However, the root growth occurred at an opposite rate outlined for the
other growth parameters. These findings indicate good fertilizing and ameliorating
potential of tree manures and can be used in nursery growing media and as substitutes for
inorganic fertilizer
Identification And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Common 1 Pumpkin Viruses In Sudan
No full textIdentification And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Common 1 Pumpkin Viruses In SudanThe objective of this study was to identify viral species infecting pumpkin in Khartoum and 21 Gezira states, Sudan, and to evaluate the genetic variability among members of the same 22 identified species. A total of 60 symptomatic pumpkin leaf samples were collected from three 23 different locations, around Khartoum State, and examined for viral incidence. Symptoms 24 observed varied from leaf mosaic, malformation, blistering and stunting. Degenerate genus-25 specific and species-specific primers were used for the detection of common cucurbit viruses. 26 Results obtained showed that the highest incidence (21.7%) was for Cucurbit chlorotic yellows 27 virus (CCYV) and Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), followed by (18.3%) 28 Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), and (15%) Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV). 29 Multiple infections with more than one virus were also detected. The partial nucleotide 30 sequences of the regions encoding for CI and CP, CP, Hsp70h, and AV2 proteins of ZYMV, 31 CYSDV, CCYV and WmCSV, respectively, have been deposited in the NCBI GenBank. 32 Phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences showed no or little variation among the 33 studied viral isolates since each is grouped well with its corresponding reference species
Advances in Agricultural Research on Basic Food crops in Dry Land Ecosystems: Opportunities and Handicaps
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the University of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at [email protected] presentation will give a historical introduction and comparison of
winter rainfall and summer rainfall ecosystems, including initiation of
research and development (R&D.) in each. This will be followed by a
brief statement of the components of each of the two systems: biotic,
abiotic, socio-economic and socio-political. Commodity crop breeding
spearheaded research all the way till the turn of the 21st Century. This
was supported by research in crop husbandry, IPM, pathology, soils,
water including supplementary irrigation....etc. The paper will touch on
genetically modified crops and the role of multinationals in this regard.
Handicaps and potentials for futuristic outlook will be discussed
Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Gum Arabic (Acacia senegal) on Performance and Blood Chemistry of Broiler Chicks
No full textThis paper had been presented for promotion at the university of Khartoum. To get the full text please contact the other at Siham Abdalla1- Khadija, A. Atti2 -Howida, E. E Malik1The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels
of gum Arabic on the performance of broiler chicks and on blood
chemistry. A total of 192 unsexed broiler chicks (Cobb strain) were
randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5% gum
Arabic), each treatment contained six replicates (8 birds/ replicate). Feed
and water were offered ad libitum throughout the 42-days experimental
period. Growth performance parameters and blood parameters (albumin,
glucose, phosphorus, calcium, total protein, cholesterol, creatinine and
triglyceride) were determined. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed
conversion ratio were not influenced by the dietary inclusion of gum
Arabic. The different levels of gum Arabic had no effect on blood serum
constituents, except total protein which increased significantly.
Cholesterol, creatinine and triglyceride levels were decreased
significantly in bird fed 5% and 7.5% gum Arabic. It is concluded that the
incorporation of gum Arabic in broiler chickens diets has a positive
effects on broiler chicks' performance and reduced serum cholesterol
levels, creatinine and triglyceride