Asian Journal of Agriculture and Allied Sciences
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Assessment of Genetic Variability and Performance of Field Pea (Pisum sativum) Advanced Genotypes Across Environments
Get PDFField peas (Pisum sativum L.) belong to the Leguminosae family. The crop provides valuable and accessible protein, complementing cereals and providing valuable food and feed to many poor people. The foundation of plant breeding lies in genetic variability, which is generated by the genetic differences among individuals within a population. This variability is essential for developing new crop varieties and improving traits. Therefore, this experiment was conducted at Bekoji and Debre Markos research sites. It consisted of 35 advanced field pea genotypes evaluated under rain fed conditions during the 2023 cropping season utilizing α-lattice design with two replications. The study aims to identify patterns of genetic variation through morpho-agronomic assessments, offering valuable insights for future breeding programs. The analyses of variance for all traits studied indicated significant differences (P < 0.001) between testing locations. The traits of grain yield and plant height showed significant differences at (P < 0.01). Most traits, except for days to flowering, including grain yield, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, days to maturity, and ascochyta blight, did not show significant differences due to genotype × environment interaction. The study examined variability, heritability, genetic advance, and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean for all the characters under investigation. Selection based on highly heritable traits often leads to more successful outcomes. By using heritability along with other variability measures, we can predict gains under specific selection intensities, enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of crop improvement. The number of pods per plant and seeds per pod also demonstrated moderate genetic advances, making them important selection criteria. In contrast, plant height exhibited low heritability (H2b) values and a low genetic advance. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was generally higher than the genetic coefficient of variation for most of the traits, indicating substantial environmental influences on genetic expression. The findings also indicate that a narrow base population will not generate wide genetic variation for crop improvement. This lack of diversity can limit the potential for developing new varieties and enhancing desirable traits in plants, emphasizing the importance of a broader genetic base in breeding programs
Assessing Spatial Variability of Soil Physical and Chemical Quality as Affected by Slope Curvature and Aspect of Acid Soils in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
No full textThe study was conducted to evaluate the spatial variability of soil physical quality affected by slope aspect and curvature in acid soils of Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. Twenty-four soil samples were collected from three locations in three slope positions on two slope characteristics in the study area. The soil samples were air-dried and sieved through 2mm sieve for the determination of the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Indices of soil quality (modified clay ratio, silt clay ratio, sodium absorption ratio, weight of organic matter) were calculated. The data generated were summarized using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between slope curvature and aspect with physical properties of the soil. The results show that in physical properties, south facing slope recorded higher sand, Bulk density and Total porosity (922.33 %, 27.83 %, 1.61 Mgm-3and 0.76 m3m-3) respectively, while north-facing had high clay and low hydraulic conductivity (59 % and 4.10 cmhr-1) respectively. In slope curvature, concave slope recorded high mean content of silt, Bulk density and Total porosity (26 %, 2.45 Mgm-3 and 0.81 m3m-3) respectively, the convex slope had a high content of silt, clay and saturated hydraulic conductivity (919 %, 58.83 % and 4.14 cmhr-1) respectively. The results of soil chemical properties in comparing the slope aspect indicated that north-facing slope recorded a high mean value in pH (6.04) and base saturation (51.73 %), while south facing slope recorded high mean value in organic matter (3.90 %), available phosphorus (5.81 mgkg-1), calcium (17.77 cmolkg-1), magnesium (1.17 cmolkg-1), potassium (0.30 cmolkg-1), sodium (0.38 cmolkg-1), exchangeable acidity (5.04 cmolkg-1), and effective cation exchange capacity (9.50 cmolkg-1). Results on indices of soil physical properties in north facing slope had mean value of (19.59, 0.18, 673 and 17.65) for Silt Clay Ratio (SCR), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Weight of Organic Matter (WOM) and Modified Clay Ratio (MCR), respectively, while south facing slope had 20.34, 0.46, 780 and 30.78, for SCR, SAR, WOM and MCR respectively. Concave slope had mean values of 18.02, 0.20, 739 and 15.94 for SCR, SAR, WOM and MCR respectively. Convex slope indicated mean values of 18.55, 1.20, 67 and 17.70 for SCR, SAR, WOM and MCR respectively
Determination of Giftii Bio Pesticide Rate for the Control of Fussarium Head Blight Disease of Wheat in Arsi Area
Get PDFThe average national yield of wheat is about 2.8 t/ha. However, poor yields are partially attributed by losses from Fusarium head blight (FHB), Septoria Spp, and rust diseases three main biotic threats to wheat productivity in Ethiopia and around the world. These losses are made worse by climate change, and a sizable amount of wheat which makes up 9% of the country's total cereal production is imported annually to make up the difference. In order to control FHB in wheat-potential areas in 2022 and 2023, the trial seeks to ascertain the proper rate of new product (GBP). Fertilizer application, weed control, and planting at the suggested seed rate were all part of the trial. Plant surfaces were treated with a mixture of test bio pesticides and a check fungicide and tap water. Grain yield, HLW, and TKW were measured, and bleached spikes were used to gauge the severity of the disease. In Kulumsa, Fusarium head blight (FHB) was shown to be more severe over the course of two years in the trial field. The productivity of sensitive cultivars Boru demonstrated higher yield with various treatments of G_BP and standard check Nativo 300Sc compared to untreated plots. The study also looked at the effect of G_BP on other agronomic variables. In terms of grain yield, weight of thousand kernels, and floor contents of Boru, the results indicate that 1liter/hectar of G_BP bio pesticides are comparable to standard check Nativo 300Sc. At 5% degree of freedom, however, they differ considerably from the untreated plot and are not significant from standard check
Diversity Analysis among Ethiopian Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Accessions Based on Morpho-agronomic Traits
Get PDFA field experiment was carried out in the meher season (July–November 2021 and 2022) at Kulumsa, Southeastern Ethiopia. Genetic diversity study among the available genetic resources is the most important step in improving crops through selection or hybridization. The aim of this study is to determine the magnitude of diversity among Ethiopian fenugreek accessions based on morpho-agronomic traits. Twenty-eight Ethiopian fenugreek accessions were arranged in a 4×7 alpha lattice design with three replicates. Fifteen morpho-agronomic traits of the fenugreek accessions showed highly significant differences (p≤0.01)) in the pooled analysis of variance. The first three principal components contributed 83.1% of the genotypic variation. The number of fertile pods plant-1, days to 50% flowering, number of primary branches plant-1, seed yield and number plant-1, and plant height are the most contributing characters for the total variation. The accessions were clustered into three; the first, second, and third accounted for 11, 6, and 11 accessions, respectively. Accessions grouped under cluster I was characterized by a late grain-filling period, a high primary branches plant-1, a long pod length, and a higher number of seeds plant-1. The second cluster accessions were early emerging but flowered and matured late, with short pod length and low yielders; however, cluster III accessions were high yielders, with higher fertile pods, seeds, and seed yield plant-1. The highest inter-cluster distances were observed between the I and III and I and II clusters. The first cluster was mostly responsible for the particularly heterotic returns and segregants that might result from hybridization between accessions included in this cluster. The findings have practical implications for breeding programs and stakeholders who are going to exploit the advantage of each accession in each cluster. The phenotypic and genotypic correlation, direct and indirect effects of the traits and the genetic variability and advance from selection for those accessions needs to be checked for inclusion in the next breeding program
Evaluation of Biopesticide Potential of Rabbit Urine in the Control of Spodoptera frugiperda Larvae in Maize Cultivation
No full textThe fall armyworm caterpillars (Spodoptera frugiperda larvae) poses a major threat to maize production in Burundi, where maize is a staple crop for food security. The repeated use of chemical pesticides leads to health and environmental risks, prompting the search for ecological alternatives. Among these, rabbit urine is gaining increasing interest as a biopesticide.
An experimental study was conducted in Cankuzo (Burundi) between January and June 2024 to evaluate the effect of rabbit urine against the fall armyworm. Four treatments were tested: control without urine (T0), urine diluted tenfold (T1), urine diluted fivefold (T2), and undiluted urine (T3). The urine was sprayed three times at two-week intervals, starting from the appearance of the first infestations.
The results show that urine treatments, particularly the undiluted one (T3), significantly reduced the number of caterpillars and plant damage. Treatment T3 recorded the lowest infestation rate (31.5% of plants attacked) and the highest caterpillar mortality (85 dead), compared to only 2 dead caterpillars in the control treatment. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference between the urine treatments and the control without urine (p < 0.05).
Undiluted rabbit urine has repellent and insecticidal properties against the fall armyworm. It enhances plant resistance and could be a sustainable and accessible solution for small-scale farmers. For optimal effectiveness, it is recommended to apply undiluted urine at least three times, starting from the detection of the first caterpillar attacks
An Examination through Cross-culture of Ethnomedical Plants and Their Parts Used in Sindh Forest
No full textSince the beginning of time, people have employed plants to treat their illnesses and afflictions. Field visits to the research region were conducted from March to September of 2022–2023, as part of the current project's efforts to investigate and record the medicinal plants used to treat a variety of illnesses. The survey team from the Department of Botany at Glocal University Saharanpur conducted the fieldwork. However, in the recent two quarters, medicinal plants have acquired widespread awareness again because of increased confidence in herbal medicine, which is seen to have fewer side effects than allopathic medication and to be able to satisfy the medical needs of the world's expanding population. Using ethnomedical remedies to treat a variety of illnesses is inexpensive and safe. Data on the therapeutic plants utilized by the Sindh Forest Division was gathered from the designated area. Thirty plants from nineteen families were identified for local use. The results of this study showed that several ailments can be treated with either the complete plant or specific plant components. Additionally, it was noted that most plant species have several uses in medicine and that a given condition can be treated by more than one plant species. The research will raise awareness among students and researchers in the area to learn more about their rich natural surroundings and to foster a sense of responsibility to preserve them
Determination of Efficacy of Newly Introduced Herbicides on Weed Floras in Coffee Farm under Rain-Fed Production System in Ethiopia
No full textWeed is the major limiting factor of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) production in Ethiopia. Weeds in coffee cause a 65% yield reduction in the country. Nowadays, the expense of weed management has been a principal issue in Ethiopia's economic analysis of coffee production. Herbicide is the best weed management option in coffee production. Thus, the newly introduced herbicide verification trial was conducted on-site at the Hawassa Agricultural Research Center and Awada Coffee Research sub-center site in 2024, during the cropping season, to evaluate the efficacy of the newly introduced herbicide. The experiment consists of five (5) treatments of Wanda 48%SL (Glyphosate 48% g/l SL) test herbicide and XTrim 48%Sl, True killer, and Gly care 480%g/l SL, as a standard check and weedy control as a negative control. The herbicides effectively reduced weed density and improved weed control efficiency compared to weedy control. The tested herbicide Wanda 48%SL (Glyphosate 48 g/l SL) was fully controlled in the experimental plot, similar to a standard herbicide with one-time application for one season. This result suggested that one-time application at vigorous weed growth is mandatory to achieve full control throughout the season equivalent to standard control herbicides. Therefore, Wanda 48%SL (Glyphosate 48g/l SL) at 3 L/ha within 250L/ha water with one-time application per season is recommended to control weeds in coffee as an alternative management option. According to this study, all the evaluated herbicides can control coffee weeds, without different control duration. All standard checks True killer, Glycare 480% g/l SL, XTrim 48% SL, and the tested herbicide Wanda 48%SL (Glyphosate 48g/l SL) controlled weed species within 7 to 21 days
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Roselle (H. sabdariffa L.) Germplasm from Africa and Maintained at Wondogenet, Ethiopia Using a Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Marker
No full textRoselle (H. sabdariffa L.) is an economically important nutritional, medicinal, and industrial plant that belongs to the Malvaceae family and is native to Africa. In Ethiopia Roselle (H. sabdariffa L.) germplasm was introduced from different parts of Africa and maintained for breeding purposes in the Wondogenet agricultural research center, but there was no information on genetic diversity by using molecular markers. Thus, assessment of the genetic diversity of available accessions is a prerequisite for genetic improvement. Therefore, the present study was aimed at assessing the extent of genetic diversity and population structure in Roselle (H. sabdariffa L.) accessions maintained in Ethiopia. A sample of 75 accessions was obtained from the, Wondogenet Agricultural Research Center. A total of 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers produced 55 alleles in the range of 3 to 6, with an average of 4.58 per locus. Overall genetic diversity parameters such as the number of effective alleles (Ne), polymorphic information content (PIC), observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), Shannon’s index (I), fixation index (F), and gene flow (Nm) were estimated to be 0.24, 0.72, 0.07, 0.5, 0.86, and 1.19, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance showed highly significant (P<0.001) molecular variances. The highest (88%) of the variation was attributed to genetic variability among individuals within populations, while 12% of the variation was observed among populations. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) analysis in the two-dimensional plot showed that accessions from different country collections were often grouped. The dendrogram derived from UPGMA analysis of the 12 SSR data with 75 accessions showed two major distinct clusters. In all clustering analyses, most of the accessions clustered together without considering their respective geographic origins. Generally, the present study showed the existence of wide genetic variation among Roselle accession germplasm maintained in Ethiopia. Thus, the information generated serves as baseline information for available germplasm conservation and genetic improvement
Genotype by Environment Interaction and Grain Yield Stability of Food Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Genotypes in East Shewa
Get PDFThis study, conducted at the Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center (ATARC) in Lume and Dugda Districts during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons, aimed to identify stable, high-yielding food barley genotypes suitable for the East Shewa Zone and similar agro-ecologies. Fourteen genotypes were evaluated across six environments using the AMMI and GGE-Biplot models. Data on yield and related factors were collected and analyzed, showing significant effects of genotype, environment, and their interaction on food barley performance. The AMMI model showed that the environment contributed 54.55%, GXE 16.15%, and genotype 9.08% to total variation. The higher influence of the environment suggests its crucial role in determining food barley yields. The first two IPCAs, IPCA-I (44.6%) and IPCA-II (27.7%), were the most accurate models predicting genotype stability within GEI. Genotypes G-5 and G-6 were the most stable and high-yielding across test sites, making them potential release candidates. These findings have significant implications for improving food security in drought-prone regions by providing stable barley varieties for diverse agro-ecologies
Genetic Variability, Heritability, and Genetic Advance of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Genotypes among Bulb Yield and Related Traits at Kulumsa, Southeastern Ethiopia
Get PDFOne of the fundamental goals of plant breeding is to evaluate genetic diversity in crop species, which aids in the development of breeding approaches. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted to assess mean performance, the genetic variability in garlic genotypes on bulb yield and related traits. The field evaluation of thirteen garlic genotypes and one released variety Holetta local (HL) was conducted at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center using a randomized complete block design with three replications during the main growing seasons of 2020 and 2021. The analysis of variance indicated there were highly significant differences among the genotypes for all traits except clove diameter. Some of the genotypes namely, G-043/19, G-005/19, G-045/19, G-009/19, G-134/19, G-010/19, and GOG-049/18 had mean performances higher than the standard check variety Holetta local (HL). Highest phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficients of variation recorded for total bulb yield tons per hectare and number of cloves per bulb, while the days to physiological maturity had the lowest heritability (h2b) in broad sense and genetic advance as a percent of mean (GAM) ranged between 37% (clove weight) to 78% (plant height) and 1.84% (day to maturity) to 49.13% (total bulb yield per hectare) respectively. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation coupled with high heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean were observed for total bulb yield tons per hectare number of cloves per bulb and clove weight. Therefore, selection for these characters would be effective for selecting genotypes for future garlic breeding programs