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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
March 2010 | Vol. 5 No. 2 |
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Title: |
Efficacy
of different control methods against oriental fruit fly
Bactrocera zonata (saunders) |
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Author (s): |
Hussain Ali, Sajjad Ahmad,
Salim Jan and Safiullah |
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Abstract: |
Oriental fruit fly is a major
threat to fruit in Pakistan; the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera
zonata) attacks fruits including guava, persimmon, peach
and apple. A study was carried out to evaluate different
control methods and their efficacy in District Peshawar NWFP,
Pakistan during 2007. IPM was adopted for controlling
oriental fruit fly that comprised cultural control, Bait
Application Technique (BAT) and Male Annihilation Technique
(MAT). Farmers were randomly interviewed through
questionnaire. Statistical analysis of the data revealed
that farmers favored MAT as it was found to be economically
feasible and environment friendly. Maximum control was found
in MAT which was followed by BAT; however the lowest control
was noted in cultural control. Present study suggested that
farmers should be encouraged to adopt the Integrated Pest
Management that involves MAT, which was found the most
effective control method. Further studies should be carried
out in other regions of province and country to find out
economic and effective control methods for this pest. |
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Title: |
The
influences of metals on the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide
dismutase, present in the cyanobacterium, anabaena
variabilis kütz |
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Author (s): |
V.
Padmapriya and Anand N. |
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Abstract: |
Cyanobacteria have a highly
evolved antioxidant system that catalyzes the harmful oxy
radicals produced during photosynthesis. The differential
responses of superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitrogenase, growth
and physiological processes in the presence of four
different metals ions at varying concentrations were
investigated in the heterocystous cyanobacterium,
Anabaena variabilis. Growth and enzyme activities were
influenced by the metal ions. SOD activity was optimum at
100 mcM concentration of FeSO4 but nitrogenase activity
decreased in the presence of the metal salts. SOD activities
increased with increasing concentrations of MnSO4 while nitrogenase activities dropped compared with control levels.
In the presence of CuSO4, all the enzyme activities were
increased compared with control and optimal enzyme activity
was observed at 300 mcM concentration. In the presence of
ZnSO4, nitrogenase and glutamine synthetase activities
reduced with increasing concentrations of the metal salt
while SOD activity increased in direct proportion with metal
concentration. The differential effect of FeSOD and MnSOD in
the cells of A. variabilis were also investigated and
are presented in this paper. |
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Title: |
Short
rain season fallow: window of opportunity for integrating
improved fallow legumes into the farming system of Molo District, Kenya |
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Author (s): |
Onwonga
R. N., Lelei J. J., Freyer B., Friedel J. K. and Mwonga S.
M. |
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Abstract: |
The rainfall pattern in
Molo District, situated in the central Rift Valley province
of Kenya, is bimodal in nature with long (4-5 months) and
short (2-3months) rain seasons being experienced annually.
The short rains are often unutilized by farmers partly due
to the acidic nature of the soils that is a hindrance to
growth of short maturing crops such as legumes. It was thus
hypothesized that planting improved fallow legumes; cowpea
(CP) and crotalaria (CR) with application of soil
amendments; lime (L), rock phosphate (RP), and farm yard
manure (FYM) in the short rain season (SRS) would better
utilize the SRS fallow. CP and CR were planted in the SRS of
2005 and 2006 with (CPL+RP, CRL+RP and
CRL+RP+FYM) and without (CP0 and CR0)
application of soil amendments. The experiment was laid out
in a randomized complete block design. At CP maturity and CR
flowering, the aboveground biomass was incorporated in the
soil except in the CRL+RP+FYM treatment where the
aboveground
biomass was removed and FYM added
instead. A weed fallow (WF) was included as a control. Soil
pH, available N and P were measured at 0, 15, 90 and 120
days after sowing (DAS) of legumes. Biological nitrogen
fixation was measured at late pod fill stage of CP and
flowering stage of CR, respectively. The aboveground
biomass, grain yield (CP), N and P contents were measured at
CP maturity and CR flowering, respectively. The measured
soil pH (H2O), at the end of 2006 SRS, had
significantly increased from the initial value of 4.94 to
6.0, 6.2 and 6.1 in the treatments; CPL+RP, CR
L+RP and CRL+,RP+FYM, respectively. CR
fixed significantly (P<0.05) higher amounts of N2
(127 - 158 kg ha-1) than CP (37 – 56 kg ha-1)
in both seasons with significantly higher amounts fixed in
CRL+RP treatment. There were marked fluctuations
in soil available N and P across sampling periods with
treatments; CRL+RP+FYM, CRL+RP (N and
P), CR0 (N) and CPL+RP (P)
recording significantly higher levels of N at 120 DAS. CP
grain yield was significantly higher in treatment; CPL+RP
(0.6 and 0.68 t ha-1) than in CP0
(0.20 and 0.17 t ha-1) for both seasons.
Aboveground biomass (t ha-1) across treatments
and seasons increased in the
order WF, CR and CP. The plant N and P content (kg ha-1)
were significantly higher in CPL+RP and CRL+RP+FYM
for both seasons. There were no significant differences in
the measured parameters between CRL+RP and CRL+RP+FYM.
CR residue can therefore be incorporated directly
into soil or fed to livestock and
recycled back
to the cropland as FYM. Planting improved fallow legumes,
with application of soil amendments, better utilized the SRS
fallow and is a sustainable approach to ameliorating soil pH
and enhancing soil available N and P to the benefit of the
subsequent LRS crop. The legumes would further provide a
cheaper source of protein in the farmers’ diet (CP grains)
besides being sold to fetch income and used as livestock
feed (CR). |
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Title: |
Chlorophyll fluorescence, protein and chlorophyll content of
three NERICA rainfed rice varieties under varying irrigation
regimes |
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Author (s): |
Sikuku
P. A., Netondo G. W., Onyango J. C. and Musyimi D. M. |
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Abstract: |
Water deficit affects growth
and development of rainfed rice leading to a considerable
yield reduction or crop failure. Although the rice crop is
susceptible to water deficit, there is a marked genotypic
variation in protein and chlorophyll content in response to
water deficit. The objective of this study was to
investigate the effects of water deficit on chlorophyll
fluorescence, protein and chlorophyll content of three
recently developed rainfed rice varieties that is, New Rice
for Africa (NERICA coded as N2, N4 and
N11) with a view of determining their tolerance
levels to water d deficit. This study was carried out in the
University Botanic Garden, Maseno during 2005- 2006. Plants
were subjected to water deficit treatments in the green
house and in the field in a factorial set up. The seeds of
the three NERICA cultivars of rice were planted in 20 Litre
PVC pots in the greenhouse and in the experimental plots in
the field, arranged in a completely randomized block design
(CRBD) with four treatments and four replications. The
treatments included watering a litre of water once a day
(control), Watering every 2, 4 and 6 days. The parameters
measured included chlorophyll fluorescence, protein and
chlorophyll content. The water deficit had no significant
effect on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The total
chlorophyll and protein content declined with increasing
water deficit. Results indicate that under moisture deficit
conditions, there is no significant damage to the
photosynthetic apparatus of the three rice varieties. NERICA
2 exhibited superior qualities indicating that it may
perform well under water deficit conditions. |
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Title: |
Effect of
different tillage methods on yield and yield components of
tomato (lycopersicon esculentum) |
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Author (s): |
Majid Rashidi, Mohammad
Gholami and Saeed Abbassi |
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Abstract: |
A field experiment was
conducted at the Research Site of Varamin Agricultural
Research Center, Varamin, Iran on the sandy loam soils to
study the effect of different tillage methods on yield and
yield components of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)
during 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Tillage treatments in
the study included were conventional tillage (CT; moldboard
plowing + two passes of disk harrowing), minimum tillage
(MT; one pass of disk harrowing) and no-tillage (NT). Yield,
yield components (plant population density, PPD; number of
fruits per plant, NFPP; fruit weight, FW; fruit length, FL;
fruit diameter, FD) and fruit quality parameter (total
soluble solids, TSS) were determined for all treatments.
Results indicated that tillage methods significantly (P ≤
0.05) influenced the yield, yield components and TSS.
Results also showed that PPD and NFPP were the most
important yield components explaining yield difference under
the different tillage methods. The maximum PPD (10025 plants
ha-1), NFPP (19.1) and as a result yield (12.2 t
ha-1) were observed with the CT, while maximum
values of FW (71.2 g), FL (70.0 mm), FD (59.2 mm) and TSS
(7.27%) were noted NT plots. On the other hand, minimum PPD
(5117 plants ha-1), NFPP (10.2) and hence yield
(3.70 t ha-1) were obtained with NT, while the
minimum values of FW (63.6 g), FL (61.0 mm), FD (53.6 mm)
and TSS (5.81%) were noted in case of the CT treatment.
Therefore, one pass of moldboard plow followed by two passes
of disk harrow was found to be more appropriate and
profitable tillage method in improving yield of tomato in
the arid lands of Iran. |
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Title: |
Litterfall dynamics in leuceana leucocephala (lam)
de wit plantation in the Nigerian derived Savanna |
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Author (s): |
Oladoye A. O., Ola-Adams
B. A. and Adedire M. O. |
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Abstract: |
The pattern of litterfall and impact of rainfall and temperature variables on litterfall were investigated in Leuceana leucocephala
plantation in the University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta, Ogun State,
Nigeria. Litterfall pattern was examined for 12 months
using twenty wooden litter trays with nylon net (1m x 1m
x0.2mm) distributed randomly within the study site. The
litter trays were raised above ground level with pegs of
20cm high to avoid contact with soil. Total annual litter
fall was 12,435.75kg/ha/yr., leaf, twig, pod, seed, and
flower components accounted for 65% and 27.5%, 4%, 3.76% and
0.32% respectively. The quantity of litter fall was higher
between September and November, This indicates the
transition phase between the wet and dry season, however
litterfall was more during the wet season and accounted for
54.33% of the total litter fall during the year. This
reflects the greater number of days considered for this
season. Only 45.67% of the total litter fell during the dry
season. The coefficients (R) of multiple regression analysis
showed that number of wet days contributed significantly to
the monthly total litter and leaf litter (72.9 and 73.4)
respectively. Litter fall was negatively correlated with
monthly temperature. The general trend of litter components
was in the order leaf > wood > seed > pod > flowers. Leaf
litter was high in dry season, high wood fall was observed
in September and this reflects the heavy rains and storms
that consistently occurred during the wet season. High value
of seed collected in September reflects the impacts of
rainfall and wind that led to the fall of premature seeds. |
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Title: |
Roots
spatial distribution and growth in Bambara groundnuts (Vigna
subterranea) and NERICA rice (Oryza sativa) intercrop
system |
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Author (s): |
Andika D. O., Abukutsa
M. O. O., Onyango J. C. and Stutzel H. |
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Abstract: |
Intercropping offers
advantages if well planned including improved soil fertility
and yields. Bambara groundnuts have been shown to yield in
low fertility soils and have been described as a complete
food. Nerica rice has been reported to offer higher yields
and shorter growing seasons. Cropping systems that combine
both these crops in production systems will help alleviate
malnutrition and food insecurity. Despite these benefits,
interaction of the intercrop species in the intercrop system
is key to its success. Differential niche resource
mobilization is required for the two crop species to
interact positively and eliminate un-necessary competition.
Therefore the objective of this study was to evaluate the
roots spatial distribution and their growth in Bambara
groundnuts (Vigna subterranea) and NERICA rice (Oryza
sativa) intercrop system. Greenhouse experiments was set
up involving root zone partitioning to allow the roots of
the two crops grow separately and unpartitioning which
allowed the roots of the two crops to intermingle and
interact. The roots length, root density, and root volume
was evaluated and subjected to analysis of variance and
means separated by LSD at 5% level of significance. Root
length, root volume and root density of bambara groundnuts
did not show any significant (P>0.05) differences at 24 and
38 DAS but showed significant (P≤0.05) differences in some
root diameter classes at 52 DAS. Root length was
significantly (P≤0.05) higher in bambara groundnuts grown in
association with NERICA rice in the same root zone in the
greenhouse at 52 DAS than roots of plants grown in separated
root zones as sole crops. On the other hand NERICA rice 11
grown as sole crop in partitioned root zones showed
significantly (P≤0.05) higher root length per diameter class
as compared to NERICA rice 11 grown in association with
bambara groundnuts as intercrops in unpartitioned root
zones. The soil volume occupied by bambara roots grown in
association with NERICA rice was significantly (P≤0.05)
higher than volume occupied by roots of plants grown in sole
system in partitioned root zones. NERICA rice 11 roots of
plants grown in sole system in partitioned root zone showed
significantly (P≤0.05) higher root volume occupation than
roots of NERICA rice grown in association with bambara
groundnuts in intercrop system in unpartitioned root zone at
52 DAS. The root length of bambara groundnuts grown in
association with NERICA rice 11 was higher while the root
length of NERICA rice was reduced. Similarly growing the two
crops in the same root zone resulted in bambara groundnuts
occupying greater soil volume and having higher root
density. Therefore, this demonstrates differences in niche
activities of the two crops showing better resources
mobilization under intercropping system. |
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Title: |
Soil
microbial enzymatic activity relate to role of
methanotrophic bacteria in the tropical forest soil of
Gunung Salak national park |
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Author(s): |
Maman
Rahmansyah and I Made Sudiana |
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Abstract: |
Study on link between
soil enzymes activity and net methane emission from the
tropical forest soil have not yet been intensively
investigated. This observation was intended to elucidate the
link between organic substrate hydrolyses, net methane
emission, and possible role of soil microbial communities in
the soil collected from the forest of
Gunung Salak National Park. Microbial community structure of
forest soil was reasonably divers, and several important
functional microbial groups in soil could become indicator
of environmental damage. Higher population of functional
microbes of cellulolytic, amylolytic, proteolytic, and
phosphate solubilizing bacteria, assumed to be positively
maintain the ecological forest in the altitude of 1000 to
900 m above sea level (als), compared to the lower of
riparian soil that obtain from tea plantation areas at 800 m
asl. Soil enzymatic activities (cellulase, amylase,
invertase, urease, and phosphatase) hydrolyze polymer
organic substrate to become soluble as importance soil
nutrient. Along with continuous bio-processing, some
nutrients could take turns to the carbon sources for both of
methanogen and methanotrophic organism. Subsequently, the
net methane emission likely was governed by polymeric
substances hydrolyzing microbes and do to keep
methanotrophic and methanogenic activities. In well
preserved forest, methanotrophic bacteria were luxurious and
controlling net methane emission from forest soil.
Accordingly, forest ecosystem is not only important for
maintaining ecosystem health but also important to preserve
microbial diversity and its genetic resources.
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Title: |
Genetic
and phenotypic differentiation of qualitative traits in
Nigerian indigenous goat and sheep populations |
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Author (s): |
A.
Yakubu, A. O. Raji and J. N. Omeje |
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Abstract: |
Data from smallholder flocks
of adult West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto goats (n =
824) and Yankasa, Uda and Balami sheep (n = 636) were
utilized to investigate the distribution and frequencies of
certain qualitative traits. The animals were randomly
sampled in Northern parts of Nigeria. They were scored for
the presence or absence of wattle, beard, horn, coat colour
[Phaeomelanic standard pigmentation, Eumelanic Standard
pigmentation and Brown Eumelanin (goats); White, White and
Black and White and Brown (sheep)] and hair type (smooth or
coarse). Breed-dependence and sexual dimorphism were
observed in the qualitative variables considered. In both
WAD and Red Sokoto goats, the dominant genes for wattle (Waw),
beard (Brb), and polledness (HoP)
were found to segregate at low frequencies (0.09 vs. 0.02;
0.05 vs. 0.12 and 0.00 vs. 0.00). The values were also much
lower than the expected Mendelian value of 0.75. However, a
different trend was observed for phaeomelanic standard
pigmentation (Awt), where gene frequency was low
in WAD (0.20); but high in Red Sokoto goats (0.63),
conforming with the underlying assumption of complete
dominance. Low gene frequencies were also recorded for
wattle and beard in Yankasa, Uda and Balami sheep
respectively (0.08, 0.02 and 0.09; 0.00, 0.00 and 0.00).
Lower frequencies of wattle gene and variable coat colours
obtained in both species are indicative of the fact that
they have not been purified through artificial breeding.
Estimates of genetic distance between WAD and Red Sokoto
goats were, 0.005, 0.005 and 0.18 for wattle, beard and coat
colour loci. In sheep, the estimates ranged from 0.0001 to
0.005 at the wattle locus. This shows that the two goat
populations are more closely related at both the wattle and
beard loci, thereby aiding in classical phylogenetic
inference. The same is applicable to the sheep populations
at the only estimated locus. |
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Title: |
Effects
of global food price crisis on nutritional status of
Nigerians: determinants, coping strategies, policy responses
and implications |
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Author (s): |
Obayelu Abiodun Elijah |
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Abstract: |
Nigeria was already in a
serious food insecure situation prior to increases in the
basic food prices which started in 2006. The increases in
food prices has been a major source of worry and concern
especially by the poor and vulnerable compared to other
price shocks like high electricity and transport prices in
Nigeria. The soaring food price is undermining government
efforts on poverty reduction, food and nutrition security.
It poses threat to humanitarian crisis, socio-economic,
environmental, developmental, political and security-related
challenges of millions of people. This study therefore
examines the severity of food price increases and
articulates its immediate and remote causes on nutritional
status of Nigerians. Two main approaches were used to
generate information. The first approach was the use of
primary data from 396 households in North Central Nigeria
for empirical evidence. The second approach was the
collection of secondary information from the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) report, World Bank (WB),
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Food
Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping System (FIVIMS),
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSN), Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP),
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) food security
assessment. The results from the descriptive analysis show
that, food price increases affect nearly every agricultural
product in Nigeria without corresponding increase in
disposable income of families and population groups
(especially the vulnerable groups). Households in Nigeria
spend between 70 to 80% of their income on food leaving
about 60% people to food difficulty problem. Although
government had intervened through distribution of 65,000
metric tons of assorted food from the Strategic Food
Reserve, release of N80 billion for the importation
of 500,000 metric tons of rice and 11,000 metric tons of
grains to complement the local output, six months waiver on
import duties on rice, much concentration on grain alone has
not significantly improved the nutritional status of people.
As coping strategies, majority of people are forced to
reduce their nutritional intake, consume more carbohydrate
food at the neglect of protein, pulling out of children from
school for work and sale of key productive assets. The need
for safety net programmes, provisions of critical community
services are therefore essential to enhance households’
nutritional status. |
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