Moroccan Journal of Agricultural Sciences
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Essential oil chemical diversity of Moroccan mint (Mentha spicata L.)
Get PDFSpearmint (Mentha spicata L.) is one of the best known aromatic and medicinal plants. The characterization of essential oil variation is of commercial importance as well as helpful for appropriate use of M. spicata. Thirteen strains of cultivated or spontaneous mints were collected from 10 Moroccan regions and acclimatized for two years in Meknes. Their leaves collected at full flowering were dried for hydrodistillation. Essential oil yields were found to vary from 1.32 % to 5.83 %. Analysis of these oils by GC/MS indicated a large variation in chemical composition among the studied strains of Moroccan M. spicata (9 to 51 compounds). The highest yields characterize the cultivated strains of Agadir (5.83 %), S2 of Larache (4.84 %) and the spontaneous strain S3 of Ifrane (4.17%). The richest strain in number of compounds is S3 of Ifrane with 51 compounds whereas uncultivated S2 from the same region has only 9 compounds. Some strains are rich in carvone such as the cultivated strain of Ouarzazate (65.94%) and the spontaneous S2 of Ifrane (72.3 %). Others are rich in eucalyptol, pulegone or 3-Cyclopenten-1-one, 2-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) such as those of Marrakech (21.1 %), Agadir (30.7 %) and S1 of Larache (22.1 %), respectively. The strains of Settat and Ifrane (S1) have high levels of limonene (17.8-18.1%).
Keywords: Mentha spicata, Essential oils, Carvone, Eucalyptol, Cluster analysis, GC/M
Water management of maize-cowpea intercropping system under surface irrigation
Get PDFA two-year study was carried out at Giza Agricultural Experiments Station, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt during 2020 and 2021 to study the effect of three irrigation treatments (120, 100 and 80% ETo) on yields, amounts of applied irrigation water (AIW), water equivalent ratio (WER), of intercropped maize-cowpea, sole maize and cowpea cultivations. Water use efficiency (WUE) and water productivity (WP) were evaluated for sole cultivation of maize and cowpea. Results indicated that the AIW depths under 120, 100 and 80% ETo were respectively 1081, 926 and 772 mm in the 1st season and 1036, 889 and 742 mm in 2nd. There were no significant differences between yields of intercropped maize and cowpea irrigated with 120 and 100% ETo. Adopting the 100% ETo treatment will save 14% of irrigation water, however the highest WER values were obtained from 80% ETo treatment, namely 1.21 and 1.26 respectively in the 1st and 2ndseasons. For sole cultivation of maize and cowpea, the highest WUE and WP were obtained under 100% ETo. The two-season average local Kc values for maize and cowpea under 120% ETo were 0.73 and 0.70, respectively. It could be concluded that irrigating cowpea intercropped with maize with 100% ETo irrigation treatment resulted in insignificantly less yield than that obtained under 120% ETo treatment, but with 14% less applied irrigation water.
Keywords: Maize, cowpea, intercropping, Irrigation water amounts, Water equivalent ratio, Water productivity, Water use efficiency, Crop coefficient
Exposure to herbicide Atrazine impairs growth and energy budget in African Catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings
Get PDFThis study aims to determine, in a controlled environment, the impact of exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of the herbicide Atrazine on growth, feed utilization and energy budget in Clarias gariepinus. Fingerlings of C. gariepinus (2.54 ± 0.02 g mean weight, 7.32 ± 1.6 cm mean length) were exposed to concentrations of 0; 0.03165 and 0.3165 ppm Atrazine for 28 days. Biomass was assessed weekly and fish samples were taken from different aquaria to determine weight gain, specific growth rate, feed efficiency rate, protein efficiency ratio and the biochemical composition of fish. Results showed important behavioral reactions of the fish such as hyperexcitation, depth activity and surfacing activity during the first two weeks. Fish survival significanlty declined in exposed fish only during the first week. Atrazine inhibited the growth of C. gariepinus fingerlings throughout the exposure period without influencing feed utilization and protein efficiency compared with control fish. Carbohydrates were used primarily, followed by proteins and then lipids, as sources of energy in exposed fish, to meet energy demand generated by this chemical stressor.
Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, Chemical stressor, Growth parameters, Bioenergeti
Productivity of date palm as affected by irrigation in a sandy soil
Get PDFA field experiment was conducted on drip irrigated date palm trees (Barhi var.) in a private farm during the 2020 and 2021 seasons to evaluate the effect of five irrigation treatments (120, 100, 80, and 60% ETo and farmer practice) on amounts of applied irrigation water (AIW), consumptive use (CU), date yield and its components, fruit quality, water use efficiency (WUE), water productivity (WP), consumed electric energy, net income, a local date crop coefficient (Kc) and yield response factor (Ky). Results revealed that, average ETo values varied between 1.26 mm/day in December and 9.85 mm/day in July. The 2–year average AIW values were 17 377, 14 546, 11 715, 8 885 and 24 680 m3/ha for the 120, 100, 80 and 60% ETo treatments and farmer practice, respectively. Highest and lowest fruit yields of 39.2 and 15.2 t/ha were recorded for the 120% and 60% ETo treatments, respectively. The WP values of the same treatments were 2.27 and 1.23 kg fruits/m3. Seasonal average Kc value of 0.74 is obtained for the 120% ETo treatment. The Ky value of 1.187 is obtained for the Barhi variety. The lowest consumed energy (64.7%) and highest net income (31.8%) were recorded for 60% and 120% ETo treatments compared with farmer practice.
Keywords: Applied water, water consumption, water use efficiency, water productivity, crop coefficient, yield response factor, energy saving, net incom
Typology and status of cattle farms using artificial insemination in Burkina Faso
Get PDFThe aim of the study was to assess the challenges and prospects of cattle artificial insemination (AI) in Burkina Faso. Data were collected from 50 farms in the peri-urban area of Bobo-Dioulasso. The results show that AI is used by 40.4% of the respondents and 42.1% of them use both strategies (natural and induced estrus) of AI improvement to optimize their chance of success. These producers are gradually moving towards AI over natural estrus which they describe as better. The average cost of AI with state AI services was XOF 12 500 for natural estrus and XOF 17 500 for induced estrus, and about XOF 30 000 to 50 000 with private AI providers. The success rate of AI was 32.5%. The use of AI had a significant positive effect on milk production. Producers stated that AI was a good method of improving cattle production. Three groups of producers emerged based on their level of AI practice. Several constraints limit AI adoption. It is important to reconsider the opinions of farmers who are the first to be concerned in the implementation of the new innovation strategies of animal production, in order to achieve the goals of food and nutritional self-sufficiency.
Keywords: Artificial insemination, Biotechnology, Cattle, Rate of adoption, Typolog
Potassium silicate for mitigation of irrigation water deficiency for Faba bean intercropped with sugar beet in a sandy soil
Get PDFA field experiment was carried out at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Ismailia governorate (Lat. 30° 35' 30" N, Long. 32° 14' 50" E, 10 m a.s.l.), Egypt, during 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 growing seasons to determine the suitable rate of potassium silicate that could mitigate the effect of irrigation water deficiency on productivity of both faba bean and sugar beet under intercropping system. Three irrigation treatments (I1 (120% ETo), I2 (100% ETo) and I3 (80% ETo)) and three rates of sprayed potassium silicate (Si0 unsprayed-control), Si1 (200 ppm) and Si2 (300 ppm)) were used. The results showed the highest intercropped faba bean and sugar beet yields and their components were attained under spraying with Si1 under the three irrigation treatments in both growing seasons. Furthermore, spraying intercropped faba bean and sugar beet with Si1 under I2 and I3 relieved water deficiency and increased the yields, compared to no spraying. The 2-year average values of applied irrigation water to sugar beet intercropping system were 9252, 7730, 6184 m3/ha under I1, I2 and I3, respectively. Using cereal units analysis revealed that the highest values WUE and WP were found under application of I3, namely 0.29 CU/mm and 0.36 CU/mm for WUE and 0.24 CU/mm and 0.25 CU/mm for WP in the first and second seasons, respectively. The highest values of WER were 1.41 and 1.42 obtained from the interaction between irrigation with I2 and spraying with Si1 in the first and second season, respectively. Thus, it could be concluded that to mitigate the effect of irrigation deficiency applied to faba bean intercropped with sugar beet, spraying with 200 ppm of potassium silicate should be applied.
Keywords: Deficit irrigation, potassium silicate, Cereal Units analysis, water use efficiency, water productivity, waterequivalent rati
Effect of irrigation with fish farm effluent on two legume crops interplanted with orange trees in a sandy soil
Get PDFThis research was conducted to study the effect of applying three irrigation water quality treatments (Full irrigation using Nile water and 100% NPK fertilizer (Irr I, control); full irrigation using 50% fish farm effluent + 50% Nile water + 50% NPK fertilizer (Irr II); full irrigation using fish farm effluent (Irr III) to two legume crops (faba bean and lupine) interplanted under young orange trees, in addition to the solid planting of all crops in a two-year experiment. The highest yield of the two legume crops under interplanting systems with orange and its solid planting was obtained using only fish farm effluent (Irr III). The highest values of orange yield and water equivalent ratio were obtained when lupine was interplanted under orange trees using Irr III. Similarly, the highest values of land equivalent ratio were obtained for lupine interplanted under orange trees using Irrigation III in the first growing season and faba bean in the second growing in the same treatment. Thus, to reduce pressure on Nile water, we recommend the use of fish farm effluent in irrigation, in general, and use it particularly to irrigate lupine interplanted under orange trees, which increase land and water equivalent ratios.
Keywords: Faba bean, lupine, fish farm effluent, water equivalent ratio, land equivalent rati
Inocybaceae and affiliated taxa from West Africa
Get PDFInocybaceae and affiliated taxa reported in West Africa were examined through a survey of available publications coupled with field data collections. Twenty-eight Inocyboid taxa have been reported in the region, including six species validly described in the genera Inocybe, Inosperma and Mallocybe. All taxonomic names have been confirmed in Index Fungorum (http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/names.asp). Among them, four taxa were synonyms of other species of Inocybaceae, Crepidotaceae or Chromocyphellaceae. Consequently, only six taxa, Inocybe ghanaensis, Mallocybe africana, Inosperma africanum, I. bulbomarginatum, I. flavobrunneum and Pseudosperma squamatum make the diversity of Inocybaceae from West Africa. Here the distribution of known taxa has been reported along with checklist. In addition, results of BLAST searches including any potential environmental matches (>97%) similarity is reported.
Key words: Checklist, Ectomycorrhizal fungi, Inocybe, Distribution, Pseudosperma, West Afric
Non Typhoidal Salmonella in food products
Get PDFFood-Borne Diseases (FDB) include a large number of diseases resulting from the ingestion of food contaminated with microorganism’s toxins or other chemicals. One of the most common FBD is Salmonellosis, a zoonosis caused by Salmonella, considered as one of the four leading causes of zoonotic diseases in the world. The present review aims to collect and update information about Salmonella and its prevalence in food products worldwide based on published research studying this pathogenic organism in addition to a general view of regulations implemented by the World Health Organizations and recommendations guidelines adapted by food industries. After describing Salmonella and its different bacterial, biochemical and environmental characteristics, several research have been analyzed to determine prevalence of Salmonella in different countries to determine the most important sources of contamination of food products. The first source of contamination found is poultry products and raw egg products due to ease of their contamination by Salmonella, while contamination of other food products was variable. Severe effects of Salmonella prove the importance of having regulations to limit the negative consequences of the emergence of Salmonella.
Keywords: Salmonella, Human Salmonellosis, Prevalence, food produc
Impact of farmers-herders conflict on livelihoods of farming households in Nigeria’s middle-belt region
Get PDFThis research determined the impact of farmers-herders conflict on the livelihoods of farming households in Nigeria’s middle belt region using field survey data elicited from 290 respondents chosen through a multi-stage sampling technique. Inferential statistic was used to analyze the collected data. The empirical evidences showed that conflict has affected the livelihoods of highly conflict-prone households both in the short and long runs, thus hampering the rural economy and the national economy in general. Besides, the negative impact of the conflict is more pronounced on the farm income, which owes to farmland invasion by the nomads, thus affecting the income that accrues from the marketable surplus. Furthermore, the extent of conflict has induced discrimination into the various kinds of income earned vis-à-vis highly and less conflict-prone households. Likewise, the income gap due to conflict was more pronounced on farm income, accounting for 79.34% as against the non-farm income which is 55.51%. Generally, it can be inferred that farmers-herders conflict has affected the rural economy in particular and the economy in general. Therefore, the study advise all the concerned stakeholders viz. states and local governments, crop farmers, pastoralists/nomads and communities to accept and embrace the federal government initiatives aimed at finding lasting solutions to farmers-herders conflict in the studied area. This singular act will enhance the food security of the area, avert wanton and incessant bloodbath and loss of properties, contain growth of destitute and enhance harmonious peaceful coexistence in the studied area.
Keywords: Farmers; Herders; Conflict; Income; Nigeri