Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (JARTS)
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Hydrothermal Variations and Physio-Osmotic Conditioning E.ects on Five African Millet Varieties during Short Term Substrate Desiccation
Get PDFEnvironmental factors di.erentially a.ect the germination of millet (Pennisetum americanum L.) and impact both the rate and extent of .eld emergence. The extent and uniformity of emergence depends on hydrothermal variations in both soil moisture and temperature levels. To determine the impact of these two factors and counteracting physiological and osmotic conditioning seed treatments, two growth chamber trials were conducted on African millet. Five genotypes responded to di.erences in temperature or osmotic seed conditioning. Seed conditioning with GA3, Kinetin, NaCl and KNO3 was tested. Increasing incubation temperature decreased the final proportion of seeds germinating and slowed germination for each of the five genotypes tested when exceeding a 29°C threshold. GA3 improved the performance of seed lots, while physio-osmotic conditioning and temperature interacted to affect the proportion of germinating millet seeds. These germination tests partially explain interspecific differences in the impact of timing of heat fluctuations in the field. Patterns of millet germination in response to temperature and rainfall fluctuations could be explained by its response to seed conditioning, temperature or moisture levels
The Role and Breeds, Management Systems, Productivity and Development Strategies of Goats in Indonesia: A Review
Get PDFSmall ruminants like sheep and goats are important for a larger part of the Indonesian rural population. The major breeds of goats found in Indonesia are the Kacang and Etawah goats. The biological and economic function of goats have long been recognised. Besides producing animal products, they also provide manure to maintain soil fertility. Goats are kept as an important component of farming activities, particularly by smallholders. The existing goat husbandry is normally the result of hundreds of years of tradition. Different systems of goat production have evolved in response to factors such as climate, need of the owner, economic environment, and level of technology available. The general aim in the management of goat production units is to increase the productivity. The biological productivity of goats is determined by the fundamental processes of reproduction, growth and development and death. Key production traits which should be considered for improving goats’ productivity are adaptability and productivity conditions, reproductive rate, growth rate and carcass value. The objectives of this paper are to review the role and breeds of goats, current management systems and productivity for goats with particular reference to Indonesia, and to discuss the development strategies that may have specific applications in the Indonesian situation
Grain Yield Response of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to Tied Ridges and Planting Methods on Entisols and Vertisols of Alemaya Area, Eastern Ethiopian Highlands
Get PDFField experiments were conducted under rain-fed conditions between 1986 and 1995 to investigate the effects of soil and water conservation treatments (tied ridges and planting methods) on the yield of an improved sorghum variety (ETS-2752) grown with and without N and P fertilizers on two major soils of Alemaya area, eastern Ethiopian highlands. The yield responded significantly (P ≤ 0.01) to the treatments both under fertilized and unfertilized conditions of the soils studied. However, the magnitude of the yield response and the relative efficiency of the tied ridges and planting methods varied with soil type, fertilization, and total rainfall and its distribution during the cropping season. Regardless of the type of tied ridge used, furrow planting, specifically, closed end tied ridge planting in furrows gave the highest yield in three of the four sets of experiments. Flat bed planting produced the lowest grain yields on all sets of experiments except under the unfertilized condition of Entisols in which open end planting on ridges produced the lowest sorghum yield. Within the tied ridges, closed end performed better than open end in all except the Vertisols without N and P fertilizers. Compared with the traditional (flat bed) planting method, the highest yield increment of 1361 kg/ha (34.5%) due to tied ridges was obtained on the Entisols with NP followed by 1255 kg/ha (48.5%) on the Alemaya black clay soils (Vertisols) under fertilized condition, indicating that the yield response to water conservation treatments was higher under fertilized than under unfertilized conditions on the two soils. Fertilization increased the yield of sorghum by as high as 1576 kg/ha (69.5%) on Vertisols and by 1468 kg/ha (38.3%) on Entisols both from planting in the furrows of closed end tied ridges. The study also revealed that the yield response was higher in seasons with low or poorly distributed rains and on shallow and coarse textured soils.T he results indicate that in areas with low and erratic rainfall such as the Alemaya area, soil and water conservation is indispensable for increasing crop yield
Goats Husbandry for Extensive Use
Get PDFTwenty-six crossbred dams of the F3 generation and twenty Cashmere dams were surveyed with regard to their productivity, hardiness and resilience. The endoparasite situation was recorded for both the dams and lambs of both breeding groups. Productivity data of both breeding groups included figures on reproduction and dressing percentage. Using a scoring key, the rate of claw growth of both breeding groups was recorded as a possibility of comparison
Influencing Factors of Infestation of Endo and Ectoparasites on Hair Sheep in Tropical Ecuador
Get PDF120 hair sheep were tested for faecal, skin and blood parasites. After three parasitological studies in humid Sucumbíos, it was proved that the parasitic charge is influenced by different factors. In the case of air temperature and humidity there was no variation detected between the seasons, although the parasitical charge rose in the course of this study. With regard to parasitic charge some systematic differences were found between the farming systems. Prophylactic measures such as rotational grazing, guarantee the food alternatives in the case of grass shortage, the strategic treatment with de-wormers and removal of excrement and garbage were recommended
Poverty, Land Resource Management and Gender Participation in Libokemkem District of Northern Ethiopia
Get PDFHigh population pressure and land degradation are threats of food security in the highlands of Ethiopia. Poverty and food insecurity are closely related phenomena.Both of them compel poor farmers to practice unwise use and resource management, which lead to low resource productivity. This study examines the various factors determining poverty and resource management at a household level with gender perspective in Libokemekem district of Ethiopia. Farm level diversification of crops and mitigating food insecurity is highly constrained due to lack of farm resources principally limited land size. Consequently, households with large family sizes and limited resources are vulnerable to food insecurity. Although households practice various coping mechanisms and alternative resource management strategies, they are not sufficient to curb household food security. The magnitude however, varies between female and male-headed households.Socioeconomic factors such as age, soil type, farm size, sex of household heads, area under rice production, number of oxen, and slope of the land are among the major factors to influence and discriminate between female and male-headed households. This study concludes by highlighting and indicating possible direction for policy intervention in view of enhancing food security and sustainable resource management
Livelihoods at Risk: Coping Strategies of War-affected Communities in Sri Lanka
Get PDFRural societies in war-affected areas can be described as ’distressed livelihoods’: they experience a dramatic increase in risk and uncertainty. How does this affect land use and agricultural coping strategies of small-scale farm households? This was the key research question of a multi-disciplinary, comparative village study carried out in the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka. The study employed the analytical framework of rural livelihoods promoted by DFID. In addition, theoretical models of risk management were instrumental in illustrating behavioural patterns of households in the war zones. The study shows that changed patterns of mobility are a key response of people to adjust to the risk-prone environment. These strategies place heavy demands on the extended family network. Furthermore, access to and priority claims for resources are critical in determining differences in livelihood strategies in different communities. Limited accessibility to natural resources due to war restricts the freedom of livelihood options. Many adapting strategies of farm households thus reflect the declining entitlements to resources due to war and violence. Households gradually deplete their capital stock after each political crisis. Investment in sustainable land management is not rational for farm households that are uncertain about future developments affecting the fundamentals of their lives. Households therefore employ risk minimisation strategies to downsize possible losses and focus on cash earning (especially from overseas employment) and/or state welfare for survival
Milk Yield During the First Four Months of Lactation and Cow Productivity of Brahman and Tuli Beef Cattle in South-East Botswana
Get PDFThe climate of Botswana because of its semi-aridity, is mostly suitable for livestock farming, especially beef cattle production under extensive grazing conditions. The major indigenous cattle breed is the Tswana, while the Tuli (TT) and Brahman (BB) are popular and increasing in numbers to the cattle population of 2.5 million. In the present study, the TT (n=15) and BB (n=24) breeds were compared for cow productivity and milk production using the weigh-suckle-weigh technique. The TT cows produced more milk than BB cows (12.4 vs 9.2 kg/d) during the first four months of lactation. However, BB cows produced heavier (P0.001) calves at weaning than TT cows (164.8 vs 150.4 kg). Similarly, BB cows produced faster (P0.001) growing calves than TT cows (.69 vs .64 kg/d). Across breeds, calves born earlier in the season had a higher (P0.01) average daily gain (ADG) than those born later in the season (.69 vs .64 kg/d). It is an advantage to producers to have the majority of calves born early in the calving season (September/October) so that calves are bigger and heavier at weaning than those calves born late in the season (November/December)
Effects of Compound Fertilization on Growth and Alkaloids of Datura (Datura innoxia Mill.) Plants
Get PDFThe effect of 0, 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 kg ha−1 of Sangral, a complex chemical fertilizer at rates, on growth, alkaloid content, drug yield and nutrient uptake of datura (Datura innoxia Mill.) plants was studied during two successive seasons. The plant height, the number of branches and leaves/plant, the fresh and the dry weights increased with increasing fertilizer rates up to 800 kg ha−1; however, the maximum increase was recorded at 600 kg ha−1. Total alkaloid and drug (hyoscyamine + scopolamine) contents also increased with increasing the fertilization level to a peak value of 600 kg ha−1. It then, decreased at 800 kg ha−1 level. Plant leaves and fruits were the most valuable organs for alkaloid and drug accumulation followed by stems, roots and crowns, respectively. N, P and K in the leaves were linearly increased by increasing fertilizer level. It seems that compound fertilizers increase the availability of essential nutrient elements necessary for datura growth and metabolism, causing vigorous vegetation and high chemical production
Nutrient Composition of some Tropical Legumes Capable of Substituting Fish Meal in Fish Diets
Get PDFSword beans (Canavalia gladiata); Jackbean (Canavalia enciformis (L)); Mucuna bean (Mucuna pruriens); Mucuna cochiunensis; Bambara (Voandzeia subterranea) and Limabean (Phaseolus lunatus) are the tropical legumes considered in this paper. They have been used in the feed of ruminants but very scarcely considered in fish feed. Information about their nutrient composition are also scarce. Results from this study show that the protein contents of the test seeds ranged from 19.94% dry matter (DM), (Bambara) to 36.95% DM (Mucuna cochiunensis). Considering the high protein level required by fish for maximum growth and the presence of some ANFs, the seeds may not be able to be used in isolation without supplementing them with other food stuffs having higher protein value. The relatively high content of Nitrogen Free Extract (+ fibre) seem to suggest that the test seeds can be used in a semi-intensive setting to supply carbohydrate in fish diets. The seeds contain considerable amount of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6). The highest occurring in Lima beans. Sword beans and Jack beans are rich in oleic acid (18:1n-9). Palmatic acid (16:0) is high, while stearic acid (18:0) and myristic acid (14:0) are low. The amino acid compositions of the test seeds are not very adequate. Sword beans had a better amino acid profile though it seems deficient in some of the amino acids. The amino acid contents of Jack bean, Mucuna bean, Bambara and Lima bean look inadequate to provide a possible alternative to fish meal on individual basis. If to be used in fish feed formulation, combinating them with other protein sources, possessing higher contents of the limiting amino acids is strongly suggested. The potentials of these seeds in fish feed formulation seem high