Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry
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Utilization of Parkia biglobosa Leaves as Green Manure for the Fertilization of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Southern Nigeria
No full textAim: To investigate the use of Parkia biglobosa leaves as a source of organic nutrients for maize production.
Place and Duration of Study: The field experiment was carried out at the research field of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lagos State Field Office, Nigeria during the early planting season (March/April) of 2018.
Methodology: A field research was carried out to compare the growth and yield of maize when Parkia biglobosa leaves and inorganic fertilizer were used as nutrients sources. Four factorial treatments combinations of Parkia biglobosa leaves, NPK fertilizer, combined Parkia biglobosa leaves and NPK fertilizer, and a control experiment was ordered in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replicates. The plants height, number of leaves and surface areas were recorded at 3, 6 and 9 weeks after planting while the maize yields were considered at the end of the experiment.
Results: The study showed that the treatment with the combination of Parkia biglobosa leaves and inorganic fertilizer produced the highest indexes of plant tallness, foliage number and surface areas. Maize yields of 2816.66, 2700, 2316.66 and 1566.66 kg/ha were recorded from treatments with Parkia biglobosa leaves and inorganic fertilizer combination, inorganic fertilizer, Parkia biglobosa leaves and the control experiment, respectively.
Conclusion: These results reflected that the incorporated effect of Parkia biglobosa leaves and inorganic fertilizer at the rate of 50:50 gives the best maize growth and yield index
Composition and Classification of Tree Species in a Degraded Tropical Humid Rainforest in Southwest Nigeria
No full textTree species information is essential for forest studies such as forest meteorology, botany and ecology, and across the relevant fields new techniques efficient for classifying tree species are desperately in demand. This study assessed tree species composition and classification in a degraded tropical rainforest in Southwest Nigeria. Data was collected from the Olukayode compartment of the study area of size 2 ha. Eight (8) Temporary sample plots of size 50 m x 50 m was laid using systematic line transect at 100 m intervals in the compartment. Hierarchical clustering in SPSS was used to find clusters of patterns in the measurement space. Tree species such as; Eucalyptus cameldulensis, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Khaya ivorensis, Khaya senegalensis,Nauclea diderichi, Terminalia randii, and Terminalia superba with a total frequency of 60 were identified, belonging to 3 different families. At similarity 5.0 from the dendrogram using ward linkage, samples 48 - 6 formed the first cluster, samples 28 - 9 constituted the second cluster while samples 20 - 13 constituted the third cluster. From the dendrogram using centroid linkage, at similarity 5.0, samples 59 - 7 formed the first cluster, samples 32 - 31 constituted the second cluster, and samples 8 - 28 formed the third cluster while the fourth cluster combined samples 17 - 21 which is a combination of trees from the three families. Histogram was used to show the diameter at breast height and total height distribution
Relationship between Leaf and Fibre Characteristics of Agave sisalana
No full textWith decrease in wood from the forest, non-wood fibres have attracted interest in the production of pulp and paper products in recent times due to their short growth cycles, moderate irrigation and fertilizer requirements as well as their low lignin content. The use of these plants will aid sustainable development in the pulp and paper industry. This study investigated leaf dimensions and fibre characteristics of Agave sisalana and how the leaf dimensions relates to its fibre characteristics. Leaves were collected from three sisal plant stands in Oyo State, Nigeria. The plant whorl was divided systematically into bottom, middle and top from which five leaves were randomly collected from each whorl position. The fibres of the leaves were extracted from which 2cm of fibres were taken from three positions on the leaf (top, middle and base). Extracted fibres were macerated and 3375 fibres were measured. The result shows that Agave sisalana leaves collected at the top had the longest length and was also widest at the base and middle. The average fibre length was 1.69 mm, while the fibre diameter, lumen width and cell wall thickness of Agave sisalana were 16.98 µm, 12.33 µm and 2.32 µm respectively. The slenderness ratio averaged 99.4 while the coefficient of flexibility averaged 72.61. The highest value of the runkel ratio of Agave sisalana was 0.42. There was significant negative correlation between leaf characteristics and fibre characteristics. Young sisal (Agave sisalana) leaves produced the best fibre characteristics suitable for the production of high quality paper
Diversity and Volume Assessment of Tree Species in the Tropical Forest at Obanla, Akure, Nigeria
No full textThis study focused on the assessment of tree species diversity and abundance at The Federal University of Technology, Akure Tropical Forest Obanla. The research was carried out from May, 2019 to September, 2019. Complete enumeration sampling was adopted for the data collection and all trees with diameter at breast height (Dbh) above 0.1 m were identified and measured. Other tree growth variables, such as diameter at the base (db), diameter at the middle (dm), diameter at the top (dt) and the total height were all measured for volume estimation. Ricinodendron heudelotii Hd the highest number of stems (13), so it was the dominant tree species.The result shows that mean tree volume ranges from a minimum of 0.26 m3 for Olalaceae family, to a maximum of 77.70 m3 for Euphorbiaceae family. Ceiba pentandra of Malvaceae family had the highest mean volume (14.62 m2) while the lowest was recorded for both Khaya senegalensis and Newbouldia laevis with a volume of 0.13 m2. The family of Euphorbiaceae was regarded as the dominant family in the natural forest with 26 tree species which is the highest in this study and with the highest volume (77.70 m2). Shannon Wiener diversity index and species equitability index according to Pielou’s of 3.24 and 0.92 were respectively obtained for the study area. This study revealed the efficacy of an undisturbed natural forest in in situ conservation. Active regeneration can be carried out for proper stocking of the forest so has to make it a potential biodiversity hotspot
From Inorganic to Organic: Initiatives from the Local Government of Malvar, Philippines
No full textAim: This paper aimed to discuss the development efforts of the Municipality of Malvar towards the achievement of its vision to be Organic Capital of Batangas.
Methodology: It made use of secondary data from Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office and Municipal Agriculture Office and qualitative methods of observation and interview from different stakeholders such as farmers, municipal agriculture officer, municipal environment and natural resources officer, partner-nongovernment organization, and community residents. Then, an analysis based on organic agriculture sustainability metrics was provided.
Results: As a result, the intensified waste management program had made segregation and collection of biodegradable wastes easier, thus shredding of wastes was made easier also. These shredded biodegradable wastes would be used to feed the African Night Crawler that produced vermicast which would be available as organic fertilizer and later on foliar and insecticide once fermented. The biogas facility, on the other hand, was expected to produce methane gas to promote and adopt organic farming technologies and transfer of technology on renewable energy. Last was the adoption of agro-silvo-pasture technology through planting long term cash crops and raising livestock. Indeed, there was a successful transition from inorganic to organic.
Conclusion: The making of the Organic Capital of Batangas could be realized because of the following factors: First is the strong political will of the LGU to implement the vision; second is the appropriateness of the projects that geared towards the attainment of the vision; third is the participation of the different stakeholders in the implementation of the projects. Thus, the intensified solid waste management of MENRO has resulted to successful vermin-composting producing organic fertilizer subsidy to farmers; biogas technology facility that also produces organic fertilizer for the agro-silvo-pasture technology
Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives of Forest-Water Interactions at Catchment Scales
No full textSustaining a resilient and reliable water cycle is a global challenge, which inevitably needs proper understanding and action at many levels. One quarter of the world’s population depends on water from forested catchments, where behavior of atmospheric water nonetheless governs the forest-water interactions and thus the ultimate water availability. As per a coarse estimation the water vapors comprise one quarter of 1% of atmospheric mass being equivalent to just 2.5 centimeters of liquid water over the entire Earth. Such water availability raises more tangible concerns for most people than do temperature and carbon. Ever escalating populations and living standards are badly impacting the earth’s surface in variety of ways, as 1.5 million Km2 of dense tree cover were reported to be lost between 2000-2012, leading to highly impeded access to fresh water. Majority of studies of how forest land use and its change influences climate and hydrology rely on models (mostly imperfect owing to pitiable/incomplete process understandings and poor parameterization). It is projected that land cover changes have caused a 5 to 6 % reduction in global atmospheric wetness. A plethora of alike estimations/inferences are included herein to offer relevant R&D insights on core theme of this paper, by encircling reviews of few global observations and findings towards forest influences on quality and quantity of water. With increasing demand for agricultural and urban land (owing to population/affluent life-styles) majority of forests are put under pressure. At this juncture tropical regions like India remains more crucial, as their water and land use policies are often influenced to big extent by many perceived effects from hydrological functioning of forested catchments. This paper offers certain food for thought by summarizing relevant scientific consensus of key aspects of forest-water relationships and couple of wider aspects towards ‘forest-water interactions’ and ‘water quality and pollution facets. Apprehensions and knowledge gaps about hydrological impacts of forest management and also the emerging futuristic R&D issues are elaborated with specified line of sights on effects of forests and forest management on various stream flow parameters, soil erosion, stream sedimentation, water quality, landslides and water uses. Owing to their inherent capabilities and capacities, the forests govern available moisture for tree growth, evapotranspiration (ET), soil infiltration, ground water recharge, and runoff; hence could be projected as futuristic ‘water towers’. Hydraulic redistribution of water in soil remains other important activities by the forest, where tree root structures plays a vital role to facilitate both upward and downward water dynamics. Even under low to intermediate tree cover each tree remains capable to improve soil hydraulic properties even up to 25 m from its canopy edge, with higher hydrologic gains in comparison to associated additional losses (transpiration and interception). Among most profound and alarming insights offered by this write up are; critical knowledge gaps on understanding importance of forests to water, trends of findings from a few catchments based hydrological experiments on water yield, roles forest may play in regulating water fluxes and rainfall patterns. Other key messages offered for water and forest policy makers includes issues like water use by forests, flood flows, water quality, erosion, climate change, energy forest, and forest water productivities
Effect of Potting Mixture of Poultry Manure and Horse-dung on the Growth of Tamarindus indica L. (Tamarind) Seedlings
No full textThis study examined the effect of potting mixture of poultry manure and horse-dung on the growth of Tamarindus indica L. The experiment was carried out at the Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan and lasted for Sixteen (16) weeks. Four weeks old seedlings were transplanted into polythene pots thoroughly mixed with varying levels of poultry manure and horse-dung at 5 g, 7.5 g and 10 g level of application with 2 kg of top soil each. Control plants received no treatments. The experiment was laid out in complete randomized design (CRD) with seven (7) treatments replicated four times each. The following variables were assessed weekly for a period of sixteen weeks: Plant height, number of leaves, stem girth and leaflet number. The data collected was afterwards subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of significance. The result shows the treatment T5 which is application of 7.5 g of horse-dung had the best performance with respect to plant height, treatment T3 which the application of 10 g of poultry manure performed best with respect to number of leaflet. Treatment T2 which is the application of 7.5 g of poultry manure had the best performance with respect to production of leaves and treatment T1 which is the application of 5 g of poultry manure performed best with respect to stem girth. Based on the results of this study treatment T5 (horse-dung at 7.5 g) and treatment T1 (poultry manure at 5 g) can be recommended for timber production and furniture making if the trait of desire is along that line. Also treatment T3 (poultry manure at 10g) and treatment T2 (poultry manure at 7.5 g) can be recommended for medicinal purpose and as food if the trait of desire is along that line
Impact of Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) on the Root Induction of Arbutus pavarii Pamp (Lybian Strawberry Tree) in in vitro Culture
No full textThe main objective of this study was to clarify the best concentration of the indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in order to induce the formation of strong roots of Arbutus pavarii Pamp, an endangered plant in the El-Jabel El-Akhdar region in Libya. A study was carried out to find a protocol for its in vitro propagation. The present paper aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of IBA plant growth regulator on the rooting. Three weeks old seedlings obtained with in vitro germination were transferred to Murashige and Skoog (M&S) roots induction medium supplemented with different concentrations of IBA (0, 1, 1.5 and 2 mg L-1). The highest response was obtained with the M&S medium half-strength supplemented with IBA 1 mg L-1 concentration. All the measured growth indicators (rooting percentage, root length and dry weight) significantly enhanced when using this concentration
Profitability of Watermelon (Citrillus lanatus) Marketing in Bauchi Metropolis of Bauchi State, Nigeria
No full textThe study sought to determine the profitability and constraints to watermelon marketing in Bauchi metropolis of Bauchi State and a sample of 75 marketers were randomly selected from the markets and streets in the metropolis. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire complemented with interview and were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and percentages) and farm budgeting technique. The results showed that all the marketers in Bauchi metropolis were male, with most (77.34%) within the age bracket of 21-40 while 56.0% of the marketers were married with household size of 1-5 person which constituted 74.67%. Most (89.34%) of the marketers had marketing experience of 1-10 years while 97.33% of the marketers had one form of education or the other. Furthermore, the result of the study revealed that water melon marketing was a profitable venture in the study area with N0.32k profit on every naira invested in the business. Despite the profit some constraints were encountered in the marketing of water melon, which include inadequate capital, followed by lack of credit facilities. It is therefore, recommended that the marketers should form association in order to access loans from financial institutions
Investment Analysis of Medium Scale Private Forest Plantation Development in Oyo State
No full textForest and non-forest products are becoming scarce in Nigeria due to insatiable want of the resources by the people. The performance of public sector forest plantation development in Nigeria has fallen short of expectation of various stakeholders, hence, the need for investment in Private Forest Plantation Development (PFPD), fostered towards increasing wood supply and reducing the pressure on natural forest. In this study, investment analysis of medium scale PFPD was investigated to show its feasibility. 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 showed that medium scale of Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea, with few Terminalia spp. plantation of 20ha with 18 year rotation had NPV of ₦1,504,841.70, BCR of 1.35, IRR of 24.03%, AEV of ₦316,016.76ha-1, LEV of ₦2,186,997.89ha-1, ROI of 35% and DPBP of 17.7years. The results showed that the investment is feasible based on economic returns indices. It is recommended that PFPD should incorporate multiple land use systems and apply appropriate silvicultural techniques in order to maximize the net return