Moroccan Journal of Agricultural Sciences
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Multivariate analysis of interactive effects of sowing dates and sesame genotypes
Full text linkSix divergent genotypes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) were crossed using a half diallel mating design according to Griffing (1956) excluding reciprocal crosses, to estimate stability for studied traits under three sowing dates in the experimental farm at Agricultural Research Station in Ismailia Governorate during summer season 2018. The 15 hybrids and their 6 parents were grown in field experiments in two geographical locations (Ismailia and El-Sharkia Governorates) and two seasons (2019 and 2020) under three sowing dates (April 1st and 2nd (SD1), May 1st and 2nd (SD2) and June 1st and 2nd (SD3) in Ismailia and Sharkia, respectively. A split plot design was used in randomized complete blocks with four replications, the main plots included planting dates while the 21 genotypes were in sub-plots. Combined analysis of variance over locations and seasons gave highly significant differences. Most of the interactions between the studied factors showed high significance for most of the traits under study. Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) analysis for seed yield for 12 environments (two locations, two seasons and three sowing dates) showed significant effect of environments, genotypes and their interactions. The E2, E3, E8 and E9 had high mean seed yield above the grand mean environments values and are considered suitable and favorable for sesame seed production due to its low interactive effects. Sesame genotypes 7, 18, 10, 19, 12, 13, 15 were nearly close to the origin and thus the most stable and less responsive to the GEI (Genotype-by-Environment Interaction). In contrast, genotypes 1, 20, 8, 11 and 2 were far from the origin, sensitive to environmental changes and their yields are unstable.
Keywords: Sesame, half diallel, sowing dates, AMMI, biplo
Effect of essential oils from Thymus satureioides and Origanum compactum on wheat root rot induced by Fusarium culmorum and Bipolaris sorokiniana
Full text linkDurum wheat, which is a major crop in Moroccan agriculture, faces significant constraints in its production. Among these constraints, root rot is disease is one of the most important and of which control is more or less ineffective, leading to the search for alternative control methods. The aims of the present study is to investigate the effect of essential oils extracted from Thymus satureioides and Origanum compactum on wheat root rot caused by Fusarium culmorum and Bipolaris sorokiniana. The plant material used was the durum wheat variety Ourgh. Foliar treatments were carried out using the essential oils of Origanum compactum and Thymus satureioides. Disease assessment focused on severity in the root system and at the base of the stems, specifically at the first nodes. The application of Origanum compactum at a concentration of 0.31 µl/ml and Thymus satureioides at 1.25 µl/ml reduced disease severity and increased yield. However, Thymus satureioides essential oil showed a significantly higher activity in increasing yield and both essential oils resulted in a similar reduction in disease severity. Based on these results, the evaluated essential oils represent a promising alternative for controlling wheat root rot disease.
Keywords: Durum wheat, Ourgh, essential oils, Thymus satureioides, Origanum compactum, Fusarium culmorum, Bipolaris sorokinian
Impact of Sustainable Land Management Technologies Adoption on maize farmers' well-being in North East Benin
Full text linkSustainable Land Management (SLM) plays an important role in balancing human demands and ecosystem services of available natural resources. It improves food security, reduces the risk of conflict and supports adaptation to climate change. This study examines the impact of Sustainable Land Management Technologies (SLMT) adoption on yield, profit, and labor productivity of smallholder farmers in North East of Benin. The study uses primary data from smallholder farmers through a three-level stratified random sampling of 431 maize farmers and the Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) model to account for selection bias and endogeneity. We used Instrumental Variable Estimators to estimate the LATE of SLMT adoption on yield, profit and labor productivity. We studied four SLMT, namely cattle manure (CM), Mucuna pruriens (MP), pigeon pea (PP), and crop residue management (CR). The results showed that SLMT adoption increased maize yield, labor productivity and profit. Promotion of these technologies should consider heterogeneous conditions, agroecological environments and farmers' characteristics, including the resources available at the farm level.
Keywords: Sustainable Land Management, Yield, Average Labor Productivity, Local Average Treatment Effect, North East Beni
Ethnobotanical survey on threatened medicinal plants in Togo
Full text linkLocal communities heavily rely on the use of plants for disease treatment, notwithstanding modern medicine's progress. However, climate change and anthropic actions exacerbate threat to these medicinal plant’s survival. This study aims to list Threatened Medicinal Plants (TMP) in the Guinean Zone of Togo and to access community’s traditional knowledge about them. For this purpose, 31 localities were investigated and ethno-medicinal data was collected through semi-structured methods, including individual interviews and focus groups. A total, of 124 TMP were recorded, belonging to 118 genera and 47 families. The top five plant taxa were Khaya senegalensis (49.4%), Sarcocephalus latifolius (35.5%), Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides (26.1%), Flueggea virosa (19.3%) and Caesalpinia bonduc (19.0%). The plant parts and mode of preparation most used were respectively leaves (64.8%) and decoction (76.6%). The high Informant Consensus Factor (IFC) (0.79) calculated shows strong agreement on TMP usage according to the disease categories identified. TMP such as K. grandifoliola, K. senegalensis, A. africana, G. afzelii, V. paradoxa, P. erinaceus and M. excelsa are vulnerable worldwide according to IUCN criteria. Safeguarding these TMP through their domestication and culture will help to safeguarding TMP and the traditional knowledge about them.
Keywords: threatened medicinal plant, ethnobotany, conservation, Tog
Farmers’ storage practices and nutritional quality of fodder from dual-purpose cowpea and sorghum crops
Full text linkThe study aim was to analyze the effect of storage practices for cultivated forages on their nutritional qualities. Post-harvest fodder storage practices for cowpea var. KVX 745-11p and sorghum var. Grinkan were observed at 44 farms. Samples of green fodder and fodder stored under different conditions after drying were analyzed in laboratory to determine chemical composition parameters using near infrared spectrometry. The results showed that the most common storage is exposure in sheds (34% of farmers). The sensory assessment of the forage showed that sheltered premises help to maintain a relatively very good (52%) to good (40%) quality of stored forage. In unsheltered premises, stored fodder is essentially of good (68%) to fair (26%) quality. The quality of fodder stored in unsheltered premises deteriorates with a significant reduction in crude protein content. This content varies significantly from 20% for green fodder to 16% in sheltered premises, then to 15% in unsheltered premises for cowpea, and for sorghum from 7.9% to 6.6% and then to 4.5%. West African livestock farmers need to adopt better storage practices for cultivated fodder and crop residues to preserve their nutritional value.
Keywords: Fodder, Dual-purpose crop, Storage practices, Nutritional value, Sub-Saharan Afric
Real-time monitoring device “panigraph” for bread fermentation with an Arduino-based data acquisition and management system
Full text linkMonitoring and evaluating fermentative performance of sourdough used in bakery products typically involves discontinuous, destructive and costly analyses, resulting in substantial data that is expensive to exploit using conventional methods. The performance of sourdough is determined by its capacity to efficiently leaven the dough in the briefest timeframe possible, while simultaneously reducing the pH to an optimal level. This pH reduction facilitates the activity of enzymes, notably phytases, which break down phytates. Additionally, sourdough has the ability to generate ethanol, a crucial element contributing to the flavor and shelf life of the bread. A new, low-cost, non-destructive device has been developed with a system for real-time data acquisition, monitoring, visualization, as well as data processing, consolidation, and storage, thus simplifying the study of sourdough performance. Multiple specific sensors were integrated into an Arduino Uno board and placed in a connected fermentation chamber controlled by computer-installed software. The developed device enables real-time monitoring of critical parameters during sourdough fermentation. These include dough rising DRC (cm), gas release (CO2, ethanol) (ppmv or ml), pH, conductivity (uS/cm), moisture (%) and dough mass loss (g). Additionally, it measures temperature (°C), air humidity (%) and pressure (mbar) within the fermentation chamber. The device generates graphs, facilitating visual comparisons of sourdough fermentative performance. This graphical representation makes it easy to determine the end of fermentation. The developed application facilitated the management and utilization of the sourdough database. The device enables researchers to save time, reagents and equipment that are usually dedicated to such analyses. It achieves this by offering continuous and simultaneous monitoring of various sourdough fermentation parameters, allowing for an assessment of their fermenting capacity.
Keywords: Sourdough, bread, fermentative capacity, data acquisition, monitorin
Evaluation of the toxicity of aqueous extract of the Ganoderma applanatum mushroom
Full text linkPlants and fungi, are widely used around the world as a source of traditional medicine and human food. Nowadays, scientists and nutritionists encourage the use of plants and fungi although cases of poisoning are frequently reported. Many countries around the world, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, use Ganoderma applanatum mushroom for its proven therapeutic virtues. However, the people of Sankuru have often suspected it of being poisonous. The purpose of this study was therefore to evaluate the supposed toxicity of this mushroom. For this, a chemical screening was carried out in test tubes containing methanolic and aqueous extracts, followed by a screening by thin layer chromatography in order to detect the presence of secondary metabolites. The aqueous extract was administered to mice at rates ranging from 5000 to 1000 mg/kg to assess the toxicity of the G. applanatum sample. Examination of Alanine amino-transferase (ALAT) and Asparate amino-transferase (ASAT) in the mice blood showed no resistance and no alteration of vital organs (liver and heart) even at the highest rate (5000 mg/kg). The results of the chemical screening revealed the presence of various compounds, including alkaloids, terpenes, flavonoids, phenols and others. The administration of the different doses did not cause any lethality to the animals. The results of this study argue in favor of the safety of Ganoderma applanatum in the traditional treatment of certain diseases by oral route.
Keywords: Ganoderma applanatum, traditional use, chemical compounds, Sankuru, Democratic Republic of the Cong
Management practices to improve the cocoa bean value chain in Sierra Leone
Full text linkThe cocoa bean value chain creates the largest source of employment and livelihood in the agricultural sector of Eastern Sierra Leone. The present review spans solutions to poor management practices, thereby improving the quality of cocoa beans and, by extension, the income of cocoa farmers. The major problems leading to the low yield of cocoa are unimproved varieties, low soil fertility, inadequate phytosanitary practices, climate change, aging of some plantations, and poor postharvest handling practices. The Sierra Leonean cocoa farmers adopt cocoa agroforestry systems. However, the typology of plantation management practices (climate-smart agriculture, organic agriculture, and conventional agriculture) that influence the cocoa quality parameters remains little known. Fairtrade, UTZ certified (Rainforest Alliance), Ecocert, and USDA Organic are the external certification organizations regulating the phytosanitary requirements of dried cocoa beans in Sierra Leone. The certifications influence the prices of cocoa bean export which remain vague to the farmers. The concise review helps recommend the conceptual framework of the cocoa bean value chain to all actors. There is a need for specific certification skills training courses in the country for proper inspection and audit of cocoa phytosanitary practices.
Keywords: Cocoa production, postharvest handling practices, phytosanitary regulations, cocoa bean value chain, Sierra Leon
Meat quality of Tunisian local breed lambs supplemented with olive pomace blocks
Full text linkAnimal feed cost in Tunisia is extremely high and the search for alternative solutions is imperative. In this study, we tested the supplementation of weaned lambs with olive pomace-based blocks to evaluate their effect on meat quality and profitability of lamb fattening. For this purpose, we divided sixteen weaned male lambs of the "Noir de Thibar" breed into two distinct groups of 8 lambs each. The experiment was conducted over a period of 3 months. Each group received 700 g of oat hay/lamb/day and a specific feed supplement: Control group (group C) received 500 g of commercial feed concentrate/lamb/day during the 3 months of the fattening experiment. The set of lambs supplemented with feed blocks (set B) received 200 g of feed blocks containing 32% olive meal and 300 g of feed concentrate/lamb/day. The carcass yield of the control lambs (C) was higher than that of the lambs in the other group. The lambs' consumption of feed blocks resulted in a decrease in the redness and yellowing of the meat they produced. Supplementation with feed blocks as well as feed restriction reduced the concentration of lauric and myristic acids (saturated fatty acids) in the intramuscular fat of the lambs compared to the control group, and lambs fed with feed blocks based on oilcake produced meat with high percentage of oleic acid (monounsaturated fatty acid) compared to lambs consuming contaminated feed concentrates.
Keywords: Olive cake, feed blocks, Carcass characteristics, Meat quality, Intramuscular fatty acid
Economic analysis of the traditional Beldi Chicken value chain in Morocco
Full text linkPoultry meat production in Morocco has experienced a considerable growth over the past two decades. Indeed, the poultry sector has a significant economic weight in Moroccan agriculture with 23.3 million days of labor and 9.9 billion dirhams in added value in 2019. However, there is a huge gap between the traditional and industrial poultry sectors in terms of production, processing, promotion and support. This work focuses on the traditional beldi chicken value chain in the Morocco. Its general objective is to contribute to the detailed economic analysis of the “Beldi” chicken value chain. In addition, this study will analyze the main factors that determine the income from traditional chicken production. We note that the traditional Beldi chicken sector is characterized by a high degree of informality, which can make it difficult to track supply and demand and ensure fair prices for all actors of the value chain. It represents an important source of income for small farmers and the most deprived families and contributes to reducing poverty.
Keywords: Poultry, Traditional Beldi Chicken, value chain, actors, income, povert