Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry
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Factors Influencing Fertilizer Usage by Medium and Large Scale Coconut Farmers in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka
No full textAims: This study attempts to identify the factors affecting the usage of fertilizer by medium- and large-scale coconut farmers in the Gampaha District, Sri Lanka with a view to recommend pragmatic strategies to increase coconut production in Sri Lanka.
Study Design: Multistage quota sampling with a proportion allocation method.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted during the year 2017 in the Gampaha administrative district, which is a leading coconut-producing region, under the coconut triangle of Sri Lanka.
Methodology: Both primary and secondary data were utilized in the study. Descriptive analytical techniques, factor analysis, and Binary Logistic Regression techniques were used in the data analysis.
Results: The factor analysis disclosed five-factor groups that cumulatively explain 55% of the total variation. Binary Logistic Regression revealed that the prevalence of favorable weather patterns, usage of supplementary materials, availability of credit facilities, and organic fertilizer application significantly affect the application of inorganic fertilizer for coconut cultivation. The availability of a fertilizer subsidy, practicing moisture conservation, practicing animal husbandry, and applying inorganic fertilizer significantly determined the application of organic fertilizer for coconut cultivation. Usage of supplementary materials, yield of the last coconut picking, and household size significantly affected the fertilizer application for coconut cultivation in general.
Conclusion: Prevalence of favorable weather patterns, supplementary materials, and credit usage increase the chance of applying inorganic fertilizer for coconut. Organic fertilizer application decreases the likelihood of applying inorganic fertilizer for coconut. Availability of a fertilizer subsidy, practicing moisture conservation, practicing animal husbandry increase the chance of applying organic fertilizer for coconut, whilst the inorganic fertilizer application decreases the likelihood of applying organic fertilizer for coconut
Collection and Processing of Non-timber Forest Products in North Eastern Pakistan of Azad Jammu and Kashmir: An Empirical Study
No full textHimalayan region has diversity of Non-Timber Forest Products and is considered as biodiversity hotspot. Current research is baseline study providing information on extraction and processing of Non-Timber Forest Products especially medicinal plants in North Eastern Pakistan of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 60 respondents (local collectors) were selected based on snowball sampling procedure. Results revealed that income generation remained the prime reason for collection of Non-Timber Forest Products in both regions and collectors have to travel up to 4-6km for collection. Most (i.e.,91%) of the respondents collected Non-Timber Forest Products for medicinal reasons in Bagh District whereas vegetable collection (i.e.,86%) is the prime reason for collection in Neelam valley. Non-Timber Forest Products are mostly collected manually during summer for 6-10 hours with frequency of 1-3 times in a season. It was also observed that most of the respondents in Bagh district opted for sun drying whereas sun and shade drying remained a preference of respondents in Neelam valley. It was concluded that a public-private partnership is inevitable for sustainable harvesting, processing and marketing of Non-Timber Forest Products in the region
Effect of Variegated Forest Soil Amendments on the Germination and Early Growth of Irvingia gabonensis (O Rorke, Baill)
No full textThis study evaluated the early germination and growth variables of Irvingia gabonensis under organically primed and thermally amended soil media. Six media were prepared from Gmelina plantation topsoil by amendment with poultry waste (T2), river sand (T3) and combusted forest floor litters for 5 (T4), 10 (T5), 15 (T6) and 20 (T7) minutes respectively to contrast a control topsoil (T1). Soil media were analyzed for critical nutrient properties and engaged in the germination and early growth trial of Irvingia replicated three times, and arranged in a completely randomized design. Data collected were analyzed with ANOVA and significant means separated with the Duncan multiple range test. The results showed that Ca/Mg ratio was widest for T3, least CEC (13.2 meq/100 g soil) by T7 and slightly acidic pH (H2O) for T1 and T2 while T3, T4, T6 and T7 were alkaline. Germination at 6WAS was T4 (100%)> T1=T2=T5 (85.71%) > T3 (71.43%) > T6 (42.86%) > T7 (0%). The growth variables of seedling varied significantly (P<0.05) with T3 and T4 comparing favorably in collar diameter (4.50x10-1± 0.05 mm) and leaf area (35.08±4.85 mm2) although T3 recorded the highest stem height (117.79±0.42 mm). The study recommends the use of least thermally modified media (T4) and primed topsoil-riversand (T3) for fast germination in view of conserving food reserve for the critical early growth period of I. gabonensis in pursuit of its domestication in nutrient degraded soils
Tree Diversity in Urban Parks and Gardens of Ibadan City, Nigeria
No full textAims: To assess the species diversity of trees in parks and gardens across the urban area of the city of Ibadan.
Study Design: Total enumeration was conducted for data collection; All the trees in the urban parks and gardens were identified. The species similarity and diversity of trees were computed.
Place and Duration of Study: Parks and gardens within the urban area of Ibadan city, Nigeria, Department of Forestry Technology, Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan, Nigeria, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, between April, 2019 and March, 2020.
Methodology: The parks and gardens were identified on google earth image. The species and family of all the trees within the parks and gardens were identified. The density, species richness, relative abundance, similarity, diversity and evenness were also estimated. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson’s diversity index, and Pielou’s species evenness index were used in estimating the species diversity.
Results: The findings reveal a significant species composition of 82 species distributed across 34 families, with Senna sesame and Fabaceae being the most abundant species and family respectively. The trees with a population of 2,471 trees are largely dominated by exotic and evergreen species. The species richness, similarity, and diversity were relatively high.
Conclusion: The study provides an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of urban parks and gardens to the ecological integrity and health of a city, thereby serving as essential information for preparing workable conservation strategies
Demonstration of Maize-Nougcake Concentrate Based Sheep Fattening in Horro District, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
No full textThis activity was conducted in Horro district of western Oromia, Ethiopia with the objective of popularizing proven sheep fattening technology. The study sites were Leku and Gitilo kebeles where community based sheep breeding project is underway. The rams to be fattened were weighed; body condition was recorded, de-wormed and sprayed against internal and external parasites. Initial price of the rams was estimated by a panel of three price informed estimators. The rams were supplemented with 400 g/h/day concentrate composed of 49.5% Noug cake, 49.5% ground maize, 1% salt for 90 days fattening period. The mean initial weight, final weight, initial price and selling prices of the rams were 21.05 kg, 28.51 kg, 517 birr and 1577.5 birr, respectively. Total body weight gain (TWG) of the rams on average was 7.5 kg over the fattening period with a range of 4.5-13.5 kg. The average daily gain (ADG) for the fattening period was 83.3 g/h/ day. The difference between initial and final body weight (7.5 kg) and initial and final body condition (1.7 kg) were statistically significant (p=0.00) and (p=.04), respectively. On average, a net return of birr 456.7 was accrued to the farmers from sale of the fattened rams. An increase in input price by 10%, keeping the price of fattened rams constant would result in marginal return of 1.6 and a net return of 396 birr. The technology is still profitable on the face of the expected escalation in input prices. The escalation is counteracted by the current attractive sale price of fattened rams. It is thus important to go for further scaling up in areas where there is access to these inputs
Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Populations of Soil of Bagale Forest Reserve, Girei Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria
No full textThis study evaluated the relationship between selected physicochemical properties and microbial populations of the soil of Bagale Forest Reserve, Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Five plots of 20 x 20 m were laid. Soil samples were collected from five different positions at two soil depths of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The soil samples were isolated in the laboratory for microbial populations and determination of physical and chemical properties. The results obtained revealed that fungal population (7.65 x 105 cfu/ml) was the highest at the soil depth of 0-15 cm, representing 39% of the total microbial populations in the sampled soil of the study area. The results further revealed that the population (6.84 x 105 cfu/ml) of the bacteria had a positive effect on soils of the study area in terms of nitrogen fixation by Rhizobacterial spp. Chemical properties of the soil samples revealed that the available phosphorus exhibited the highest percentage (61.7%) at 0-15 cm soil depth. Analyses of soil physical properties recorded the highest percentage (49.0%) of sand at 0-15 cm soil depth. A similar percentage (50.0%) of sand was exhibited at the depth of 15-30 cm. These percentages accounted for the high porosity (29.0%) of the soil observed at the two soil levels in the study area and could be improved through the application of lime fertilizers. Application of appropriate fertilizers like NPK to improve the soil condition of the study area is highly recommended
Seed and Seedling Response of Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O’Rorke) Baill. to Lengths of Storage at Room Temperature and Pretreatments
No full textAims: This study was carried out to evaluate the response of seeds and seedlings of Irvingia gabonensis to different lengths of storage at room temperature and pretreatments.
Study Design: Randomized Complete Block Design was used.
Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at the nursery of the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
Methods: Mature fruits of I. gabonensis were obtained from its area of natural range in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Depulped seeds were subjected to different lengths of storage and pretreatments. The different lengths of storage were Fresh, 7days, 14days, 21days and 28days represented as LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4 and LS5 respectively. Pretreatments were control, steeping in water at room temperature, soaking in hot water and scarification represented as PT1, PT2, PT3 and PT4 respectively.
Results: In LS1, germination began under PT1, PT2 and PT4 at 20, 19 and 21 Days after Sowing (DAS) respectively producing 90%, 100% and 100% germination respectively. Under LS2, seeds subjected to PT1, PT2 and PT4 germinated at 23, 24 and 23 DAS giving 90%, 90% and 80% germination respectively. At LS3, germination began in PT1, PT2 and PT4 at 26, 27 and 26 DAS producing 60%, 90% and 60% germination. However, seeds subjected to PT3 did not germinate throughout duration of experiment. Although, Analysis of Variance revealed significant difference at certain assessment period for seedling growth variables, there were no marked differences.
Conclusion: Seeds of Irvingia gabonensis can be successfully stored for up to four weeks at room temperature without a significant loss in viability although germination percentage would reduce with increasing length of storage. Soaking I. gabonensis seeds in water at room temperature can be adopted for pretreating its seeds prior to sowing although untreated seeds still produced good germination
Impact of Climate Change on Arable Crops among Farmers in Akko Local Government, Gombe State, Nigeria
No full textThe study was conducted on the impact of climate change on arable crops production among farmers in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling method was adopted selecting one hundred and fifty respondents. Both primary and secondary data were collected covering a period of five years. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics. The research found that male farmers within the age bracket of 20-40 years dominate the farming system, with 62.2% being married and having one form of formal education or the other. The result indicated that 92.9% of the respondents are aware of climate change and are predominantly small land holders. The farmers highlighted increased in drought period, higher temperature, erosion, desert encroachment, loss of vegetation and reduced vegetation as effects of climate change. It was revealed that 92.9% of the respondents’ cropping patterns have been affected by climate change. To cope with these effects, farmers diversify their enterprises. The findings show that farming activities such as deforestation, clean clearing, bush burning, open grazing contributes to climate change. The amount of rainfall experienced from 2015-2019 in the area was moderate. The respondents use farmers’ saved seed as planting materials with 62.2% comprising of improved seed. The result indicates that over 95% of the sampled population uses synthetic and organic fertilizers in soil management. From the result, 52.0% of the respondents obtained good yield during the period under study. However, farmers engaged in different cropping systems to mitigate the effect of climate change. It is recommended that extension services should be improved to educate farmers more on adaptation strategies to increase output; Research Institutes should develop more advance or improved seeds as well as disseminate same to farmers timely and adequately
Assessment of Tree Species for Fuelwood Consumption in Northern Guinea Savannah Eco-region: A Case Study of Selected Local Government Areas of Katsina State, Nigeria
No full textEvaluation of preferred tree species for fuelwood consumption in selected local overnment area of Katsina State was studied. Random sampling techniques was used to administer thirty (30) questionnaire in each of the four (4) selected local government areas to make a total of one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires. One hundred (100) were retrieved. The result revealed that Isoberlinia doka was the most preferred (24%) tree species for fuel consumption because of its high fire retaining capacity, low smoke and low moisture holding capacity while Cassia species and Odina barteri were the least (3% each). The major (70%) source of fuel wood supply to the market was from the forest. Funtua local government consumed more Fuelwood/head/year (64.06t/person/year) than all the other selected local government areas, while Sabuwa had the least (38.64 t/person/year). Fuelwood was the major (33%) energy source while gas (2%) was the least. Socio economic characteristics of the respondents were also examined. The percentage of male was 68%, while that of their female counterpart was 32%. Majority (50%) are married with many (35%) having 7-8 house hold size. 37% of the respondents had primary education while 26% had no formal education and majority (42%) were farmers. However, it is recommended that there is need for artificial regeneration of tree species exploited in form of woodlots, community forest plantation for continuous supply of wood on a sustainable bases and also other alternative sources of energy such as kerosene stove, gas cooker, solar etc should be encouraged and subsidized to the general populace to reduce the pressure on forest reserve
Assessment of Species Diversity and Forest Regeneration Potentiality in Buruku Forest Reserve, Kaduna State, Nigeria
No full textSpecies diversity and forest regeneration potentiality in Buruku Forest Reserve was assessed. Four (4) plots (A–D) of 60 m x 60 m were laid in each plot. Point centred quadrant method of sampling was used. Transect were selected on pure random basis where data were collected on species diversity and families, density of woody stem, diameter class distribution, regeneration potentials and relative frequency. 21 families with a total of 135 species were obtained on the species diversity at Buruku Forest Reserve. The densities of woody plant varied between 434.03 - 771.60 per hectare in plots A, B, C and D. While the highest number of trees in diameter-class distribution were apportioned to 10 – 19 cm class interval in plots A, B, C and D respectively. Diameter class 50 cm and above had the lowest number of trees allocated to it. The regeneration potential of the diversified species was very poor, which has a great implication for regeneration and conservation of the various species encountered. Although Isoberlinia doka Craib & Stapf. had the highest regeneration potential from each of the examined plots followed closely by Acacia senegal, Parkia biglobosa and Terminalia avicennoides Gull & Peer. Important woody plants of economic importance, like Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum had zero regeneration potential. However, it is recommended that Buruku Forest Reserve Should be regenerated artificially (through enrichment planting, re-afforestation programme and so on) to increase the plant diversity in the forest and regeneration potentials of the species for sustainability of the forest reserve