Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research
Not a member yet
588 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of Crop Bio-life on Growth and Yield of Wild Okra (Corchorus olitorious L.) in a Sub-tropical Environment
No full textCrop bio-life is used as a foliar spray to enhance the symbiotic effect between roots and soil micro-organisms enabling the plant to better assimilate nutrients essential for growth. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of crop bio-life on growth, yield and quality of wild okra. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The experiment consisted of four treatments. The treatments were different crop bio-life concentrations of 0, 25, 50 and 75 ppm. The highest plant height (103.5 cm) was obtained in plants treated with 25 ppm crop bio-life and the lowest plant height (91.2 cm) was in plants treated with 75 ppm crop bio-life. Plants with the highest chlorophyll content (29.08 µmol per m2) were those treated with 50 ppm crop bio-life while the lowest (18.6 µmol per m2) was 0 ppm treatment. The highest wild okra yield of 22.3 g leaf wet mass was obtained in plants treated with 25 ppm crop bio-life and the lowest yield (12.9 g) obtained from plants applied with 75 ppm crop bio-life. From the results of this study, it was observed that the plants treated with 25 ppm crop bio-life grew better and had a higher yield, therefore, it is the treatment recommended to farmers
The Effect of Different Phosphorus Doses on the Growth of Pepper Seedling (Capsicum annuum L.)
No full textPhosphorus (P) is part of the nucleic acid structure of plants which is responsible for the regulation of protein synthesis. Phosphorus plays a major role in the growth of new tissue and division of cells. Plants perform complex energy transmissions, a function that requires phosphorus. If the value of phosphorus in your land is low, this can be stressed enough. One of the benefits of phosphorus in plants is proper development of the roots and hastening of maturity. Phosphorus is an effective element in root development. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of phosphorus fertilizer on seedling development in seedling production. Amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as fertilizer applications in seedling cultivation affect seedling quality. Effects of different doses phosphorus (0, 50, 100 and 150 ppm) application on the quality of cucumber seedlings were investigated at in the study. Istek F1 pepper cultivar was used. Macro nutrients were 100 ppm N, 100 ppm K, and the appropriate nutrients were given in the appropriate amount. Phosphorus applications on plant seedlings were effective on the development of vegetative parts of the plant at a statistically significant 1% level. At the end of a 35-day development period, seedling length was measured as 6.56 cm in the control application and 10.7 and 10.4 cm in the 100 and 150 ppm application of phosphorus doses, respectively. Hypocotyl length was 1.58 cm in control application, 1.66 in 50 ppm, 2.02 cm in 100 ppm P and 1.56 cm in 150 ppm application. Leaf number, stem diameter, root height, root weight and leaf wiegt were determined in the study. Phosphorus applications increased the amount of leaf weight and root weight. It was determined that 50 ppm P application was insufficient, ideal results were obtained in between 100 and 150 ppm P application. The ideal seedling for sale is neither too short nor too long. Medium size and good root development is the desired feature in seedlings
A Critical Appraisal of Ancient Agricultural Genesis in China Emphasis on Rice, Millet and Mixed Farming: An Archaeobotanical Endeavor
No full textChina has been noted as one of the three sovereign hubs of the origin of ancient agriculture. Specifically, millets like foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and rice (Oryza sativa), were and are imperative crops for the ancient as well as present Chinese people. In this regard, rice and millets are valuable crops in the history of China. It is also a fact that rice and millets belong to the important river such as Yellow River (North China) and Yangtze River (South China) which are the ancient centers of Chinese civilization as well. It is also unanimously accepted that rice and millets were domesticated at the same time within a solitary expanse in China but in different regions. The available archaeobotanical record also suggests the emergence and development of the mixed farming of millets and rice in different regions in China during the Neolithic age. This paper illustrates the archaeobotanical perspectives and retrospectives of the important crops such as foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, and rice. With this, the imperative archaeological sites, ancient agricultural activities, agricultural philosophy, crop dispersal, and further archaeobotanical scenarios since Pre-historic age in China are also the chief themes of this manuscript. 
Characterization of Engineering Properties (Electrical Properties) of Rubus fruticosus
No full textSome engineering properties of Rubus fruticosus fruits were characterized in order to provide fundamental information about their properties that will aid in designing modern technology for their handling, processing, storage, preservation, quality evaluation, distribution and marketing. The engineering properties studied are electrical properties. The fruits samples of moisture content (5, 15, 30, 45, 60% (wb)) were conditioned to four different temperature levels, respectively before testing. American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE) standard procedures were used to test all the properties considered. Genstat, Mathlab, JMP in SAS, Duncan in SPSS and Microsoft excel statistical packages were used to analyze the generated data and the means were compared using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of probability. Dielectric constant and loss factor of the fruits decreased with increase in frequency (200 MHz – 20 GHz) and increased with temperature. The study was carried out in Anambra State Nigeria and took duration of 9 months. This information is recommended for design and development of efficient and effective technology for mechanizing Rubus fruticosus products
Determinants of China’s Rice Export after WTO Accession: A Gravity Model Analysis
No full textThis paper applied the commodity-specific gravity approach to investigate the influenced factors to China’s rice export to its major trading partners after World Trade Organization (WTO) accession over 2001- 2014 period. The gravity model was augmented with factors from both exporter’s and importer’s sides. The empirical results revealed that, excepting distance, the remained variables including Gross Domestic Product, population, income, exchange rate, production and price had statistical significance and correlated with the total export as hypothesized. Among these variables, price and production reported as the best predictors, explaining 81.30% and 80.54% variation in China’s total export, respectively. Moreover, the determinants of China’s rice export highly depended on the components of exporter side than that of importer sides. This study results provide the statistical and practical significance for trade policy formulation to promote China’s rice exports in world markets
Design and Construction of Thermal Control Solar Heated Poultry House
No full textIntroduction: Chickens in extensive and semi-intensive poultry production systems account for more than 75% of all poultry in the Southern Nigeria.
Aims: To design, construct and test a thermal control solar heated poultry house.
Methodology: Thermally controlled solar heated poultry house was designed and constructed in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Research Farm, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. The poultry house consists of seven sections/rooms of which five rooms were regulated into five different temperature levels while one of the last two serve as control experiment section and the other serve as the observation section. The poultry house was tested and evaluated using developed and calibrated data logger to determine the environmental condition in the thermally controlled animal house with respect to the ambient conditions. The results obtained from the pre-stock test were analyzed graphically using Microsoft excel software version 2016
Results: The dry bulb temperature in the poultry house is 28.91±0.02ºC, 31.75±0.14ºC, 34.93 ±0.06ºC, 37.92±0.07ºC, 40.95±0.06ºC and 26.47±1.72ºC for sections with preconditioned temperature of 29ºC, 32ºC, 35ºC, 38ºC 41ºC and control respectively, dry bulb temperature in the poultry house is 20.39±0.32ºC, 21.64±0.1ºC, 19.13±0.2ºC, 17.57±0.27ºC, 16.26±0.27ºC and 24.77 ±0.1ºC for sections with preconditioned temperature of 29ºC, 32ºC, 35ºC, 38ºC 41ºC and control respectively, the relative humidity in the poultry house is 44.69±2.37%, 41.9±1.21%, 38.43±0.38%, 33.8.
Conclusion: There was little or no temperature stability in the non-thermally controlled section of the poultry house, the temperature of the thermally controlled section of the poultry house was found in a close range with low deviation from the preset temperature in the sections
Zinc Accumulation in Amaranthus caudatus and Corchorus olitorius: Relevance for Phytoextraction
No full textAim: In a pot experiment the accumulation of zinc in Amaranthus caudatus and Corchorus olitorius from contaminated soil and its relevance for phytoextraction were studied.
Study Design: Plants were exposed to three levels of zinc concentration as zinc sulphate heptahydrate (0,150, 300, 450 ppm), laid in completely randomized design.
Place and Duration of Study: The study lasted for a total of 37 days in a housing facility used for phytoplankton culture at National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Technology New-Bussa Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: Seeds were raised in a nursery for 16 days, and transplanted to pots containing each 2 kg of air-dried and sieved soil. Zinc was artificially applied to soil for each vegetable. They were watered at 60-70 % field capacity and growth parameters measured every 7 days. Plants were carefully uprooted after 3 weeks of transplanting, washed, and weighed before and after oven drying. They were analyzed for zinc concentration.
Results: Results of this study showed decreases in growth and yield at 300 and 450 ppm zinc concentrations. Plant height for both vegetables increased at 150 ppm however these increases were significantly different (P≤0.05) with control for Corchorus only. There were also significant differences (P≤0.05) between treatments in zinc accumulation. Results further showed that zinc was accumulated in the leaves more than the roots. Concentrations of zinc in plant tissues of both vegetables followed a similar order of leaves > roots > stem indicating their efficiency in zinc translocation from roots to leaves. Translocation factors were generally greater than unity.
Conclusion: Despite their lack of hyperaccumulation properties, both vegetables exhibited good potential for phytoextraction. The higher translocation factor of C. olitorius indicated better phytoextraction potential
Effect of Ambient Temperature on the Performance of Shaver Brown Hens in Hot Humid Environment
No full textThe effect of temperature on the performance of Shaver brown hens in the hot humid environment was investigated using seventy-five Shaver brown hens in their 14th week of lay. Each hen was housed in individual battery cage and fed daily with 125 g of commercial layers mash containing 16.5% crude protein, 2650 kcal/kg metabolizable energy, 4% crude fat, 6.5% crude fibre, 3.6% calcium and 0.4% phosphorus for 10 weeks. Water was supplied ad libitum to the birds. Eggs were collected daily and recorded for each hen. Data were collected on average daily feed intake(ADFI), egg weight, eggshell weight, egg shell thickness, egg shape index, albumin height, yolk height, albumin index, yolk index, haugh unit and hen day egg production. Results showed that ADFI, hen day egg production, egg shape index, albumin height, yolk height, yolk index and Haugh units were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increase in ambient temperature. However, high ambient temperature did not have significant (P > 0.05) effect on egg weight, eggshell thickness and albumin index. Based on the results obtained in the study, it was concluded that ambient temperature had an effect on the performance of Shaver brown hens in the humid tropics
Functional Analysis Evolution History of Gonadal Soma-derived Factor (gsdf) in Black Rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii
No full textAs a teleost- and gonad-specific growth factor, gsdf has been indicated to play an important role in sex differentiation and determination. In this study, the complete open reading frame (ORF) of gsdf was isolated from black rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii. Bioinformatics analysis showed that there is a conserved transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) domain located on the C-terminus of Gsdf. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that fish gsdf were highly conserved in TGF-β domain which suggested their functional conservatism. Synteny analysis provided evidence for the hypothesis that gsdf was originated from fish-specific genome duplication (FSGD). To further explore its function, the expression pattern was examined based on the RNA-seq data and the result showed that significantly sexually dimorphic expression existing between male and female individuals. These results suggested that gsdf might play an important role in maintenance of male characteristics in Sebastes schlegelii
Influence of Nitrogen on the Plant Growth and Seed Quality of Three T. (Transplanting) Aman Rice Varieties
No full textA field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy field of central research farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from June 2014 to December 2014 to study the influence of nitrogen on growth and seed quality of T. Aman rice variety with interaction effects between nitrogen doses and T. Aman rice varieties. The experiment consisted of two factors such as nitrogen fertilizer and variety. these were as follows: Factor A: Nitrogenous fertilizer (6 levels) viz. N0- controlled, N1- 50% less than BRRI recommended dose, N2- 25% less than BRRI recommended dose, N3- BRRI Recommended dose, N4- 25% higher than BRRI recommended dose, N5- 50% higher than BRRI recommended dose and Factor B: T. Aman rice (3 varieties) viz. V1 – BRRI dhan44, V2 - BRRI dhan54, V3 - BRRI dhan56. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. Nitrogen was assigned to main plots and variety to sub-plots. In case of different levels of nitrogen, the treatment N4 (25% higher than BRRI recommended dose) showed good morphological growth and also produced good quality seed than other treatments which is also true for variety V1 (BRRI dhan44). The interaction of N4V1 (25% higher than recommended dose with BRRI dhan44) treatment is suitable for producing better plant growth and seed of T. Aman rice. The study was concluded that higher dose of urea than BRRI recommendation dose with BRRI dhan44 variety produced good quality seed