Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research
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Field Survey of Cassava Susceptibility to Termite Infestation as Influenced by Time, Scale and Management Strategy in Selected Owerri Agricultural Zones, Southeast Nigeria
No full textAim: In Africa, cassava provides a basic daily source of dietary energy and has gained popularity as one of the most important root crops in Nigeria especially in the Southern States. However, a thorough survey on cassava susceptibility to termite infestation in relation to time and management strategy has not received attention by farmers in Owerri (Southeastern Nigeria).
Study Design: Therefore, the need to carry out a field survey of cassava susceptibility to termite infestation as an influence by time, scale and management strategy in selected Owerri Agricultural zones.
Place and Duration of Study: The field survey was conducted in 2016 in four selected Agricultural zones of Owerri, Namely; Ezinnihite Mbaise (Zone 1), Owerri North (Zone 2), Mbaitoli (Zone 3) and Owerri West (Zone 4).
Methodology: A random selection of 30 cassava farmers from each of the study areas was made, totalling 120 respondents. Data were collected through structural questionnaire administration to the respondents on the four selected zones and were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics.
Results: Result shows that cassava stems were more susceptible to termite attack than tubers, especially during dry periods. Equally cassava devastation by termite occurred mostly at planting where newly planted cuttings suffered most. Termite infestation on cassava was more between January and May as well as between October and December. On the other hand, the use of chemical control either singly or in synergy with other non-chemical means to control termites appears to be very popular amongst respondents. Youths and mature adults were actively engaged in cassava farming, but the majority of them were unskilled by virtue of their low literacy levels.
Conclusion: Farmer education is recommended to enable the integration of pest/termite avoidance principle into termite control strategy
Investment Analysis of Small Scale Private Forest Plantation Development in Ogun State, Nigeria
No full textForest plantation development has the capacity of increasing wood supply and stemming the pressure on natural forest in Nigeria. However, forest under public institution control has not been sustainably managed due to rate of forest resources exploitation and inadequate funding of forestry projects. Hence, this paper examines private investment in forest plantation development with a view to encourage and alert potential private investors on feasibility and benefits of forest plantation development. Measures such as Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Annual Equivalent Value (AEV), Land Expected Value (LEV), Return on Investment (ROI) and Discounted Payback Period (DPBP) were used to analyse the cash flow statement of the investment.
The study revealed that small scale Tectona grandis plantation of 0.4 ha with 12 year rotation had NPV of ₦1,096,118.00, BCR of 2.62, IRR of 35.30%, AEV of ₦208,262.42 ha-1, LEV of ₦1,608,350.84 ha-1, ROI of 162% and DPBP of 5.6 years. The results showed that investment in small scale forest plantation development is profitable going by the economic returns indices. It is recommended that private forest plantation development should incorporate multiple land use systems in order to increase economic returns and reduce the payback period
Determination of Socio-economic Influence of Tillage and Termite on Incidence, Severity and Yield of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Selected Owerri Agricultural Zones, Southeast Nigeria
No full textThe field investigation was conducted in 2015 in four selected Agricultural zones of Owerri, Southeastern Nigeria namely Ezinnihite Mbaise (Zone 1), Owerri North (Zone 2), Mbaitoli (Zone 3) and Owerri West (Zone 4). A random selection of thirty cassava farmers from each of the study areas was made. The sample size was made up of a total of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents. Data were collected through structural questionnaire administration to the respondents on the four selected zones and were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics such as the use of Percentages, Frequencies and Means. Result indicates that majority of the respondents sampled in this study practiced mounding for their cassava production. Also greater proportion of them (respondents) claimed that apart from other known endemic pests like grasshopper, mealybug, green mites etc., termite poses greater threat to their cassava farm. However, highest cassava yield occurred in areas where mounds and/or ridges were practiced. In view of the prevailing high water table of the sampled areas, farmers are advised to continue with the practice of mounding and/or ridging for their cassava production
Effects of Different Rates of Cattle Manure on Growth, Yield and Quality of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in a Sub-tropical Environment of Eswatini (Swaziland)
No full textGreen pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important vegetable in the Kingdom of Eswatini. However, there is rare information on pepper production using cattle manure. The experiment was conducted at the University of Swaziland, Luyengo Campus, in the Horticulture Department Lath-house to determine the effects of different rates of cattle manure on the growth and yield of green pepper in order to come up with a suitable application rate for green pepper. Cattle manure was applied at different rates of 20, 40, 60 and 80 tons/ha in a Randomized Complete Block Design, while 2:3:2 which was used as a control was applied at 150 kg/ha. For every increase in the application level/rate of the cattle manure, there was a considerable increase in the growth parameters that were measured. Results obtained from this experiment indicate that applying cattle manure at 80 tons/ha gave relatively higher yields. This cattle manure rate can be used by farmers in green pepper production
Market Integration and Price Movement of White and Brown Cowpea in Urban and Rural Markets of Gombe State, Nigeria: A Granger - Causality Approach
No full textThe study investigated the price movement and market integration of rural and urban price of brown and white cowpea in Gombe State, Nigeria. Monthly market prices (measured in Naira per kilogram) of brown and white cowpea in the rural and urban markets from January 2009 to December 2014. The data was obtained from the Gombe State Agricultural Development Programme (GSADP). Augmented Dickey Fuller test was used to detect for the presence of unit root in the series. The Granger causality test was used to test the direction of influence between prices.The descriptive statistics shows that the average price of rural brown cowpea was ₦109.88k, rural price of white was ₦95.71k, urban price of brown was ₦ 123.18k while urban price of white was ₦ 110. Unit root test indicated that the prices were stationary at level I(0) and first difference I(1). The Johansen co- integration analysis was used to test for the relationship between markets price and the results indicated that the rural and urban markets price were co- integrated. Pair-wise granger causality test indicated a bi-directional movement between the urban price of brown and urban price of white and a uni-directional movement between rural price of white cowpea and rural price of brown cowpea. There is need for the State government to establish market information centers and information centre of the GSADP should facilitate efficient communication and flow of information concerning prices of agricultural products using the mass media and social media
Management of Gray Mold of Iceberg Lettuce by Biological Control Agents and Chitosan Formulations
No full textGray mold caused by Botrytis is the major problem in iceberg lettuce cultivation in poly tunnels in Sri Lanka. Currently management of this disease of lettuce depends mainly on foliar application of fungicides. Continues application of fungicides for control of gray mold could not be recommended as lettuce mainly consume as fresh vegetables. Therefore, studies were conducted to identify the causal agent, varietal resistance to pathogen and effective chitosan formulation and biological control agents on control of gray mold diseases of ice berg lettuce in poly tunnels. Causal agent of this disease was identified as Botrytis cinerea. Commercially grown varieties Eden and Maruli were equally susceptible to the disease. Different isolates of pathogen were shown different virulence levels on iceberg lettuce variety Eden. In vitro test showed that, almost complete inhibition of mycelia growth of all Botrytis isolates at 600 ppm chitopower 2 and liquid formulation of Trichoderma asperellum (4x105 conidia/ml) but 600 ppm chitopower 1 or liquid formulation of fluorescent Pseudomonas (106 bacteria/ml) or fungicide-Dicloran 75WP (3000ppm) were suppressed some isolates only. Studies in poly tunnel showed that lowest disease severity index (3.6% DSI) of gray mold in iceberg lettuce plants treated with Trichoderma asperellum and highest DSI (77.7%) in control treatment. Dicloran 75WP, chitopower 2 and fluorescent Pseudomonas were recorded 16.6%, 18.5% and 46.2% DSI respectively. Results revealed that Trichoderma asperellum bio control agent and chitopower 2 could be used as alternatives to synthetic fungicides in controlling of gray mold disease of iceberg lettuce grown in poly tunnels
Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Probiotic Yogurt during Storage through Solid-phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography
No full textTwo different yogurts, control and probiotic with Bifidobacterium BB-12 were produced and analyzed for their contents of total solids, proteins, pH, counts of probiotic bacteria, and volatile composition during refrigerated storage for 28 days. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction of volatile compounds from the probiotic yogurt containing through HS-SPME combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Post-acidification and decrease in protein content were noted in both yogurts during storage. The results showed that the extraction temperature and the addition of salt were statistically the most influential factors for the extraction of higher amounts of volatile compounds. The volatile compounds detected in the probiotic yogurt were 2-butanone, 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanodione, acetone and hexanoic acid. During the 28 days of storage, the only differences noted were between the amounts of 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanodione and hexanoic acid
Effect of Zinc Fertilizer Application on Growth Yield and Yield Contributing Characters in Rice
No full textField experiment was carried out at the field of Department of Agronomy, BSMRAU campus, Gazipur, of Bangladesh during aman season (July-October) of 2017 to study the effect of zinc fertilizer application on growth, yield and zinc partitioning in three rice varieties: (BRRI dhan 56, BRRI dhan 57 and BRRI dhan 62) at three levels of zinc fertilization, no application of zinc, 10and 20 kg Zn ha-1. The highest leaf area indices of 3.15 in BRRI dhan 56, and 3.27 in BRRI dhan 57 were recorded with the application of 10 kg Zn ha-1 at 75 DAT and 3.28 in BRRI dhan 62 with 20 kg Zn ha-1. Through the growth period the SPAD value was the maximum at 10 kg Zn ha-1 in BRRI dhan 56 and BRRI dhan 57 and in BRRI dhan 62 at 20 kg Zn ha-1. The highest CGR, RGR, NAR were recorded at 10 kg Zn ha-1 in BRRI dhan 56 and BRRI dhan 57, and at 20 kg ha-1 in BRRI dhan 62.Zinc fertilizer at 10 kg Zn ha-1significantly increased the number of effective tiller m-2, length of panicle, total number of spikelet’s panicle-1,1000-grain weight, number of filled spikelet’s panicle-1, grain yield and straw yield in BRRI dhan 56 and BRRI dhan 57, and at 20 kg Zn ha-1 in BRRI dhan 62. It was revealed that the rice varieties BRRI dhan 56 and BRRI dhan 57 responded to the application of 10 kg Zn ha-1, while BRRI dhan 62 to 20 kg Zn ha-1.Overall results indicates, application of zinc might be necessary to ensure satisfactory yield
Diversity and Abundance of Foliage Insect Communities in Bitter Ground Field with Regard to Diurnal Rhythms within Faisalabad, Pakistan
No full textBiodiversity is the variability of life on earth that boosts up the ecosystem productivity. Diversity and abundance are the key components that are beneficial for the present and future researchers to control many problems being faced by harmful insects and to promote beneficial insect population for ecosystem sustainability. Therefore, the present study was designed to find out the “Diversity and abundance of foliage insect communities in Bitter gourd field” under the ecological conditions of District Faisalabad. After completing the whole research trials as per methodology, total 211 specimens were collected belonging to 9 orders, 38 families, 63 genera and 73 species in morning and total 213 specimens were collected belonging to 8 orders, 42 families, 58 genera and 65 species in evening. So, keeping in view the importance of these aspects, calculations were made as per Shannon Diversity Index. In bitter gourd fields, maximum diversity was recorded as (1.0533) for evening, while least was recorded (1.0528) for morning and, maximum diversity (H′max) was recorded (2.3284) for evening and least (2.3243) for morning. Maximum evenness was (0.0229) for evening and least (0.0227) for morning while maximum dominance was (1.0229) for evening and least (1.0227) for morning. The maximum value for richness was recorded as (17.1230) for evening while least value (17.0443) for morning
Characterization and Evolution of Dishevelled Genes in Paralichthys olivaceus
No full textThe study examined the key gene Dishevelled (Dvl or Dsh) in Wnt (Wingless and INT-1) signaling pathways. The gene (Dvl) was characterized in the flat fish Paralichthys olivaceus for its expression pattern structure and phylogenetics at the Ocean University of China in Qingdao, China in 2018. Three gene paralogues (Dvl1, Dvl2 and Dvl3) of the Dvl family were cloned in P. olivaceus and a N-terminal DAX domain, a central PDZ domain and a C-terminal DEP domain were discovered in all three protein paralogues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Dvl genes in P. olivaceus are most closely related to those in marine teleosts Larimichthys crocea and Stegastes partitus, followed by those in Cynoglossus semilaevis. For each Dvl gene, the genes in teleosts fall into a clade independent from the ones in other vertebrates, suggesting that the duplication of Dvl genes occurred prior to the divergence of vertebrates. The temporal expression patterns of the three Dvl genes were characterized during the embryonic development of teleosts. In P. olivaceus, all three Dvl genes remain at low expression levels during the early stages of development until gastrula stage, when the expression of Dvl1 was significantly up-regulated. The research revealed vastly different temporal expression patterns of Dvl genes and suggested that the structure of Dvl proteins is conserved, but the expression patterns of Dvl genes vary significantly among different classes