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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
February 2014 | Vol. 9 No. 2 |
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Title: |
Toxicological study of heavy metals on early growth
responses of sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) |
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Author (s): |
Muhammad
Imran Atta, Allah Bakhsh Gulshan, Nazir Ahmad and Sadia
Saeed |
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Abstract: |
Environmental contamination due to heavy
metals is a major problem in recent time. We studied effects
of Pb, Hg and Cr heavy metals on two sunflower varieties
(Hysun-33 and SF-5009). Application of these heavy metals
significantly (p<0.05) affected seed germination time and
seedling growth. Plant tolerance index (T.I) also reflected
negative impacts of heavy metals on plant vigor. In
sunflower seedlings, Pb accumulation was less than Hg and Cr
but its toxicity was more (Pb>Hg>Cr). Present study
suggested heavy metals induced seed dormancy, phytotoxicity
on meristemetic cell division and inhibited activity of
growth hormones due to which seedlings attained stressed
growth along metal concentration gradient. |
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Title: |
Mineral
composition and properties of modified flyash |
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Author (s): |
Pham Anh Hung and Nguyen Xuan
Hai |
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Abstract: |
Fly ash
is one of the surplus product created in the
combustion process. In industry, fly ash usually refers to
ash produced during combustion of coal and is usually taken
from the chimneys of thermal power plants. Currently, in
Vietnam burning coal to generate electric energy are
necessary. Fly ash discharged
occupied
huge area and polluting the environment. Thus the study of
fly ash recycling reasonable to reuse waste enormous
resources will have significant economic and environmental.
Fly ash of Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant (FA-PL) was modified
in strong alkaline conditions (NaOH 3N), stirred at a
temperature of 1000C for 1h obtained with a
mixture of minerals including: quartz accounts for 24 - 26%,
accounting for 22-24% mullite, zeolite Na-P2 accounted for
24-26%, other types of small mineral occupies 10-16%, the
rest is amorphous accounted for 8-20%. This modified product
has cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 170 cmol/kg, it’s 5.6
times larger than the original fly ash (30 cmol/kg). With
high CEC values open up new vistas in using modified fly ash
material to handle with polluted soil and water environment. |
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Title: |
Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi metarhizium
anisopliae and beauveria bassiana on larvae of the legume
pod borer maruca vitrata (lepidoptera: crambidae) |
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Author (s): |
Joelle
Toffa Mehinto, Pierre Atachi, Ouorou
Kobi Douro Kpindou and Manuele Tamò |
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Abstract: |
Objectives:
Experiments were performed to evaluate the pathogenicity of
conidia from seven isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bb6,
Bb115, Bb116, Bb17, Bb42, Bb362, Bb24) and four isolates of
Metarhizium anisopliae (Ma361, Ma29, Ma356, Ma 359) on
larvae of the legume pod borer Maruca vitrata in order to
select the most promising isolates to be used in cowpea
fields.
Methodology and results: Pathogenicity was evaluated under
laboratory conditions by applying 2 µl of conidia
suspension, formulated in peanut oil, on different larval
stages (first, second, third, fourth and the fifth instars)
of M. vitrata. The concentrations of 107, 108, 109 and 1010
conidia/ml were used and mortality and sporulation of dead
larvae were recorded. Taken separately, each isolate caused
less mortality among fifth instar larvae than in younger
instars. Mortality rates and high sporulation were recorded
for Bb 115 and Ma29. Mortality rates ranged from 65.8 ± 3.5%
(fifth instar) to 79.0 ± 3.0% (first instar) for B. bassiana
isolate Bb 115. The M. anisopliae isolate Ma 29 showed
significantly higher mortality rates ranging from 31.7 ±
3.3% (fifth instar) to 50.4 ± 1.5% (second instar). Host
development stage at inoculation affected both survival
times compared to controls (control and absolute control
with oil).
Conclusions and application of findings: The results of the
presented study showed that the isolates of Beauveria (Bb
115) can be promising isolates for the control of the legume
pod borer, M vitrata. |
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Title: |
Investigation on monthly and annual changes of forage
production and consumption of Platychaete Aucheri (boiss.)
boiss. in the coast of Persian gulf and Oman sea, hormozgan
province, Iran |
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Author (s): |
Kian Najafi Tireh Shabankareh,
Morteza Akbarzadeh, Ehsan Zandi Esfahan and
Khadijeh
Abbaszadeh |
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Abstract: |
Forage
production in rangelands differs at different times of the
grazing season and also in the same months of different
years. In the present, grazing capacity is calculated for
one time during the grazing season which coincides with the
maximum growth of rangeland species. This causes more
livestock entry in to the rangeland during the grazing
season and consequently more degradation is occurred. Since
it is not possible to measure the range production during
the grazing season each year, therefore, it is necessary to
measure it during the months of grazing season in a few
years and, based on it, the long-term grazing capacity of
key range species could be calculated. The aim of this study
was to determine the seasonal changes of forage production
and consumption of
Platychaete aucheri
(Boiss.) Boiss.
during the
growing season in different years. This research was
performed for four years in the vegetation type of
Gymnocarpos decander-Euphorbia larica, in
Jevengane region of Genou, located at an altitude of 265
meters above sea level and 40 km from Bandar Abbas. For this
purpose, the production of this species was measured in a
one-hectare exclosure with one month intervals until the
growth dormancy. The rest of production was measured outside
the exclosure, and the amount of consumption was calculated
by subtracting it from the production of inside the
exclosure. The amount of forage production and consumption,
after air-drying, were analyzed by SAS software. Results
showed that, due to the high variability of monthly and
annual rainfall in the region, forage production and
consumption of
P. aucheri
showed
significant differences at the 1% level. |
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Title: |
The
introduction impact of predatory bird Lanius Schach Linn.
on population of long horn grasshopper sexava nubila stal.
and leaves damage of coconut |
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Author (s): |
Fredy Lala, Fransiskus Xaverius Wagiman and Nugroho Susetya
Putra |
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Abstract: |
The
predatory bird Lanius
schach
Linn.
(Passeriformes:
Laniidae)
was
introduced
from
Yogyakarta
in August 2011 for the control of
long horn
grasshopper Sexava
nubila Stal.
(Orthoptera:
Tettigoniidae)
in
Salibabu
Island,
Talaud
Islands Regency,
North
Sulawesi Province.
Moronge Districts
was
chosen as the release site. Ten females and 30 males
of the
predatory bird were
released in the district.
The predatory
bird
was
well established.
The
grasshopper populations and
leaf
damage
of coconut
were observed at one month before and 10
consecutive
months after the release on the 120 sampled trees
which were
attacked by pest insect.
Within 10
months after the release of predators,
the S.
nubila populations and
the leaf
damage intensity showed downward trend.
Trend of
declining population of S.
nubila increasingly evident
in the more severely damaged coconut. Introduction of the
predator did not change the population structure of
S. nubila.
The mean
population of S. nubila at 10 months after release (21.05
individuals/tree) was
significantly
lower than at one month before the release (23.65
individuals/tree).The
intensity of light damage,
moderate,
and severe
turned into light damage at one, three,
and five
months after the release of
L. schach. |
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Title: |
Small
scale maize production in northern Ghana: stochastic profit
frontier analysis |
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Author (s): |
J. K.
Bidzakin, S. C. Fialor and D. Asuming-Brempong |
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Abstract: |
The importance of small scale maize
production to the development of Ghana is quiet clear
however very little is known about their profit efficiency
and its determinants. The study used the stochastic
efficiency frontier model. A multistage random sampling
method was used to obtain 144 small scale maize farmers
across northern Ghana. The average measure of profit
efficiency of 61% was recorded in the area with a minimum
and maximum efficiency of 11% and 100% respectively. This
implies there is an opportunity to increase profit by 40%.
The inefficiency model showed that educational level,
farming experience, and household size have negative
coefficients, meaning that as these variables increases the
profit efficiency of the farmer increases. Whiles the
variables sex of farmer and age are positive and vice versa.
This implies female farmers are more efficient than their
male counterparts. |
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