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Effect of feeding selected farm residues on growth performance, digestibility and nitrogen balance of West African dwarf bucks
Full text linkThis study investigated the
effects of feeding selected farm residues on
the growth performance, nutrient
digestibility, and nitrogen balance of West
African dwarf (WAD) bucks. A total of 16
bucks aged 16–18 months and weighing
14.45 ± 0.78 kg were randomly assigned to 4
dietary treatments: control, cacao pod shells
(T1); peanut shells (T2), corn cobs (T3), and
mixed residues of cacao pod shells, peanut
shells, and corn cobs in equal proportions
(T4). This study spanned 92 days, during
which feed intake, weight gain, digestibility,
and nitrogen utilisation were evaluated. The
T2 diet significantly enhanced growth
performance, with the highest final weight
(19.8 ± 0.20 kg), weight gain (5.30 ± 0.15 kg),
and average daily gain (57.6 ± 1.2 g/day). The
nutrient intake and digestibility were also
highest in the T2 group, with a crude protein
intake of 131 g/day and crude protein
digestibility of 78.2%. Similarly, nitrogen
retention was greatest in T2 bucks (13.7 ± 0.4
g/day), reflecting efficient protein utilisation.
The findings suggest that peanut shells are a
highly digestible and nutrient-rich feed
resource, offering significant advantages over
the control and other treatments. By
improving growth rates, feed efficiency, and
nitrogen balance, peanut shells provide a
cost-effective and sustainable solution for
smallholder farmers facing feed shortages.
These results support the adoption of farm
residues as alternative feed resources to
enhance the productivity and economic
viability of small ruminant farming systems
in West Africa
Winter wheat yield depending on different soil tillage systems in short-term crop rotations under Black Sea region conditions
Full text linkA crop rotation system with
optimal placement and saturation of leading
agricultural crops can improve the
environmental conditions of the surrounding
environment and increase the agricultural
efficiency. Therefore, solving this task is
relevant both scientifically and practically,
especially in the current conditions of
deteriorating environmental conditions in
Ukraine. The development of
environmentally safe technologies for the
competitive production of high-quality crop
products in the Black Sea Steppe. The
primary method was fieldwork,
supplemented by analytical studies,
measurements, calculations, and observations
according to generally accepted
methodologies and guidelines in agriculture
and crop production. This study focused on
crop rotation systems and primary soil tillage
systems. This study examined the impact of
different primary soil tillage systems on the
yield of winter wheat and oats in a shortrotation
system. For the 1st and 4th crops, the
most favourable conditions for winter wheat
yield formation were observed when it was
planted after black fallow and green manure
fallow with winter vetch. In these cases,
almost identical grain yields were recorded,
averaging 3.98 and 4.08 t/ha for the 1st crop
and 3.29 and 3.16 t/ha for the 4th crop. The
differences in yield were not significant. For
the 2nd crop, when comparing yield with the
control (black fallow), an increase in yield
was observed in the background of green
manure fallow with winter vetch. The
increase of 6.9% was statistically significant.
The no-till system of primary soil cultivation
provided the best conditions for the formation
of winter wheat grain yield in the 1st, 2nd, and
4th crops, with increases of 10.4, 6.9, and
5.4%, respectively, compared to conventional
tillage. In the experimental variants, for the
1st and 4th crops, green manure fallow with
winter vetch affected winter wheat yield,
almost at the level of black fallow. For the
2nd crop, green manure fallow with winter
vetch showed a clear advantage. Across all
winter wheat crops, a positive impact on yield
formation was observed with the no-till
system. This system resulted in the highest
yield compared to other soil tillage systems
Comparative analysis of digestion methods for quantifying heavy metals in plum orchards
Full text linkIncreasing interest in healthy
food among the population raises concerns
about heavy metals in fruit and their impact
on public health. To assess this issue, this
study presents a comparative analysis of
digestion methods for quantifying heavy
metals in plum orchards managed under
conventional and ecological practices in the
“Adamachi” Farm district of Iasi University
of Life Sciences (IULS). We evaluated and
optimised two wet digestion methods - in an
open system and microwave-assisted - to
determine the concentrations of heavy metals,
such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni),
lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), which pose
environmental and health risks. The metal
concentrations were measured using an
atomic absorption spectrophotometer,
according to standard methods. Microwaveassisted
digestion was more efficient and
faster than the conventional method (in an
open system). The ecologically managed
orchards showed a lower heavy metal content
overall, with the exception of Cu levels, due
to the Cu-based treatments. By determining
the estimated daily intake (EDI), target
hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI)
for both children and adults, the potential
health risks from heavy metals were
determined. There were no related associated
risks to human health (THQ and HI < 1), and
the accumulated metals in plum fruit samples
showed that the EDI values followed the
descending order of Cu > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cd.
The analysis revealed non-significant
differences for most data obtained after
processing using the two methods. These
results highlight the importance of selecting
the optimal digestion methods for heavy
metal analysis in plums and sustainable
agricultural practices to safeguard the
environment and consumer health from heavy
metal contamination
Plant diversity at selected dumpsites in Abakaliki: exploring species tolerance and carbon storage functions
Full text linkThe aim of this study was to
determine the species diversity and carbon
storage potential of herbaceous plants
growing within selected dumpsites in the
Abakaliki metropolis. The line transect
method was used to collect plants from five
study stations: Waterworks (A), Kpirikpiri
(B), Newlayout (C), FETHA (D) and Presco
(E). At each study station, a 15 m×30 m area
was measured using tape and demarcated
with pegs and ropes. The identified species
were collected, the biomass, species
frequency, density, dominance, diversity and
carbon uptake were measured. The diversity
indices evaluated showed that active dump
station A was the most diverse and evenly
distributed site (Shannon–Weiner diversity
index: A=2.43, B=1.09, C=1.16, D=1.14,
E=0.99, Pileou’s evenness index, A=1.53,
B=0.70, C=0.68, D=0.66, E=0.69).
Additionally, at station D, Simpson’s
dominance (A=0.27, B=0.32, C=0.24,
D=0.43, E=0.10) and Magalef (species
richness) indices (A=1.7, B=4.07, C=3.75,
D=4.20, E=3.38) were the highest. The
herbaceous Ghomphrena celeisoides had the
highest relative dominance, relative
frequency and important value index across
the studied stations. Analysis of variance of
the carbon uptake potentials of species
showed significant values for abandoned
dump stations C (Newlayout) and D
(FETHA) when p<0.05. Therefore, total
sequestered carbon in stations C (F=15.97,
p<0.001) and D (F=8.33, p<0.001) and
sequestered carbon dioxide equivalent at
stations C (F=15.96, p<0.001) and D
(F=43.68, p<0.001) were significant at 95％
confidence level. The results indicate that
species at dormant waste disposal sites
sequester significant amounts of carbon;
therefore, they are recommended for the
phytoremediation of disturbed or destroyed
ecosystems
Genetic assessment of yield traits and heterosis in maize testcrosses under different soil nitrogen conditions
Full text linkYield trials demand significant
time and resources, necessitating efficient
data collection on parental lines to optimise
breeding programs and reduce costs. This
study assessed the correlation between
parental traits and hybrid performance,
consistency, and predictability of trait
expression in F1 hybrids and the heterotic
advantage of agronomic traits. A total of 82
parental lines (79 lines and 3 testers) and 237
testcrosses were evaluated alongside 3
standard checks under low- and optimum-soil
nitrogen (N) conditions at the Institute for
Agricultural Research experimental fields in
Zaria and Mokwa during the 2019/20 and
2020/21 growing seasons. Significant genetic
variability was observed among parental lines
and testcrosses, offering strategic breeding
opportunities. Grain yield reductions under
low-N conditions (35–95% in inbreds and
1.3–89% in hybrids) highlighted the impact
of N stress and the need for N tolerance in
maize genotypes. Correlation analysis and
repeatability results linked yield
improvement in low-N tolerant maize hybrids
to the selection of parental lines with superior
performance in traits, such as grain yield,
stay-green characteristics, and flowering
traits. Parental lines P69 and P14, which
showed high tolerance to low N and
consistent high yields, were identified as
valuable genetic resources. Among the
hybrids, P65×T2, P66×T3, and P66×T2 stood
out, with grain yields exceeding 6000 kg/ha,
representing a 42% yield advantage over the
best check. These hybrids also demonstrated
a high heterotic advantage over their parents
and standard checks, indicating their potential
for adoption as commercial hybrids in
Nigeria
Insights into the environmental benefits of using apple pomace for biosorption of lead from contaminated water
Full text linkThe apple processing industry generates large quantities of organic waste, presenting a major source of organic contamination. Consequently, finding an effective solution for valorizing this waste has become a pressing issue. This study aims to address two key concerns: (i) solving an agricultural problem by efficiently using agri-food residue, and (ii) removing lead, an extremely toxic element, from contaminated waters to mitigate environmental pollution. Two biosorbents were tested: raw apple waste (RA), obtained from a mixture of apple varieties, and the same material after extracting valuable bioactive and reusable components, extracted apple (EA). The study evaluated the influence of pH, initial biosorbent mass, adsorption kinetics, and equilibrium isotherms. The results are very promising, showing a lead removal efficiency of 82 % for RA and 100 % for EA at a low initial concentration of the solution of 20 mg Pb2⁺/L and an optimal pH of 5 ± 0.5. The Langmuir model predicted a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.6 mg/g for RA and 48.6 mg/g for EA. These findings demonstrate that apple waste, even after selective extraction of valuable bioactive components, can be effectively used for environmental remediation on a practical scale
Effect of salicylic acid application on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield and fibre quality
No full textThis study was carried out to
determine the effect of SA (salicylic acid)
application on the yield, yield components,
and fibre quality characteristics of cotton at
different growth stages (squaring, flowering
and squaring + flowering). The experiment
was carried out at Siirt University, Faculty of
Agriculture, Department of Field Crop’s
experimental area during the 2022 cotton
growing season. The experimental design was
a split-plot design with four replications. The
main plot and sub-plots consisted of SA
applications [Control (0.0 mM), squaring (1.0
mM), flowering (1.0 mM), squaring (0.5 mM)
+ flowering (0.5 mM)] and varieties (MAY
455, Stoneville 468, Fiona), respectively. SA
application and variety interactions were
significant in terms of the first boll opening
days and the number of nodes. There were
significant differences between varieties,
except for the number of monopodial
branches, number of bolls, chlorophyll
content value, normalised difference
vegetation index value, and micronaire and
fibre strength. The MAY 455 cotton variety
had the highest values in terms of seed cotton
yield (2993.1 kg ha-1) plant height (62.14 cm),
boll weight (6.51 g), seed cotton weight per
boll (4.90 g), number of seeds per boll
(29.46), number of nodes to first fruiting
branch (8.65), fibre yield (1361.0 kg ha−1) and
100-seed weight (8.82 g), while the Fiona
variety came to the fore in terms of number of
days to first boll opening (118.0 d), number
of sympodial branches (7.56), number of
nodes per plant (17.79), ginning percentage
(46.45%), fibre length (828.52 mm) and fibre
reflectance (82.18 Rd). There was a slight
increase in yield (223.8 kg ha−1) compared to
the control. SA application may show
different effects on each cotton variety, and
the positive effect may increase by applying
SA at different intervals
Adsorption of Ni(II) from Aqueous Media on Biodegradable Natural Polymers—Sarkanda Grass Lignin
Full text linkHeavy metals are pollutants that pose a risk to living systems due to their high toxicity and ability to accumulate and contaminate. This study proposes an alternative approach to the static adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous media using Sarkanda grass lignin crystals, the non-cellulosic aromatic component of biomass, as an adsorbent substrate. To determine the best experimental conditions, we conducted tests on several parameters, including the initial and adsorbent solution pH, the concentration of Ni(II) in the aqueous solution, the amount of adsorbent used, and the contact time at the interface. The lignin’s adsorption capacity was evaluated using the Freundlich and Langmuir models to establish equilibrium conditions. The Lagergren I and Ho–McKay II kinetic models were used to determine the adsorption mechanism based on surface analyses and biological parameters such as the number of germinated seeds, energy, and germination capacity in wheat caryopses (variety Glosa) incorporated in the contaminated lignin and in the filtrates resulting from phase separation. The results suggest that Sarkanda grass lignin is effective in adsorbing Ni(II) from aqueous media, particularly in terms of adsorbent/adsorbate dosage and interfacial contact time
