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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
July 2014 | Vol. 9 No. 7 |
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Title: |
Standardized database of land evaluation for agricultural
production |
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Author (s): |
Nguyen
Xuan Hai, Pham Thi Ha Nhung |
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Abstract: |
This research has built and standardized
database of land resources, integrated interdisciplinary
fully with the land evaluation framework of FAO. On this
standardized database was proposed assessment of suitability
with 3 main land use types (rice, vegetable and flower
cultivations) in former Ha Tay province’s districts, serving
the proper land use, planning and management. The
application of remote sensing methods and GIS showed
flexibility in digital data handling, storing, extracting
and providing information fully and quickly on the thematic
map. Soil map and map of suitability for 3 land use types,
presenting the result of land evaluation in 1: 50, 000
scales, were established according to VN2000 projection
(2012). On soil maps, in addition to the soil type elements,
shows the results of natural factors such as slope,
topography, soil depth, soil texture, stoniness and depth of
gley. |
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Title: |
Growth
enhancement support scheme (GESS) and the challenges of food
security in Nigeria: A review |
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Author (s): |
G.D. Tiri,
E.A. Ojoko and A. Aruwayo |
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Abstract: |
Considering the fact that Nigeria’s food
insecurity status keeps increasing and with the recent
estimates which puts the number of hungry people in Nigeria
at over 13 million out of 842 million hungry people
worldwide, This paper highlights the Growth Enhancement
Support Scheme (GESS) of the Agricultural Transformation
Agenda of the present administration viz a viz the food
security situation of the country using relevant information
and data collected from the internet, literatures, dailies,
libraries, relevant federal ministries, National Bureau of
Statistics and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The
findings revealed that Growth Enhancement Support Scheme is
an innovative approach to fertilizer subsidy and other input
administration through electronic system that ensures that
only registered farmers benefit through engagement of the
private sector in the delivery and distribution of
fertilizer and other input directly to the farmers. Analyses
of the Nigerian government effort in tackling food
insecurity and the prospects of Growth Enhancement Support
Scheme have also been highlighted. Resistance of bureaucrats
to change, over dependence on foreign institutions, low
technical capacity of farmers and downgrading of National
Research Institutes and Universities research findings are
the major challenges of the scheme. To sustain this laudable
effort of government, this paper recommended an enabling
legislation backing the scheme, review of the traditional
land tenure system that hinders the acquisition of land for
farming, increase government expenditure on agriculture and
continuity of the programme without misplacing its priority.
These are key issues that will bring about the success of
the scheme for the attainment of food security in Nigeria. |
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Title: |
Impact of crop residue, fetilizer and
their placement technique on yield and related traits of
maize (Zea Mays L) |
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Author (s): |
Farooq
Shah, Muhammad Tariq Jan, Jianliang Huang, Lixiao Nie, Kehui
Cui, Tariq Shah, Wei Wu, Qiang Wang, Kai Wang, Zafar Hayat
Khan, Chang Chen and Lian Yun |
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Abstract: |
Crop residue incorporation is an environment
friendly strategy which is becoming a common soil management
practice for sustainability of soil fertility. To study the
impact of various placement techniques of different crop
residues (i.e. legume residue and wheat straw), fertilizer-N
and their various combinations on maize crop; an experiment
was conducted at New Developmental Research Farm of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, Peshawar. The crop
residue/fertilizer was applied at three-placement depths
i.e. surface, shallow (3 cm) and deep (6 cm) incorporation
for the utilization efficiency by maize. Randomized complete
block design in a split plot arrangement was used in the
experiment. Placement depths of the residues/fertilizer
showed inconsistent results and did not express significant
differences for most of the observations. However, shallow
incorporation of the treatments showed good results in terms
of ears per plant, total aboveground biomass yield, grains
per ear and grain yield. Recommended rate of N-fertilizer
and mixture of half fertilizer and full rate of legume
residues showed better performance than all other
treatments. Maize showed better utilization of N-fertilizer
and responded with best results in terms of 1000-grain
weight, aboveground biomass and grain yield. Mixture of half
fertilizer and legume residue increased performance of maize
showing good results for ears per plant and grains per ear.
Control (no residue/no fertilizer) showed poor results for
almost all traits. While wheat straw amended treatments also
had poor effect on the overall growth and development of
maize. |
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Title: |
Antagonism and primary in vitro probiotic evaluation of
lactic acid bacteria (Lab) recovered from ergo |
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Author (s): |
Anteneh
Tesfaye |
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Abstract: |
Ergo
is a naturally processed indigenous fermented dairy product,
which is commonly prepared at household level and consumed
in Ethiopia. The fermentation of this product is lactic acid
bacterial dominated process. During this study 500 lactic
acid bacterial isolates were recovered from ergo and
tested for antagonism against four foodborne pathogens (E.
coli O57:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium DT104,
Shigella shigelea SH10-1 and Staphylococcus aureus
MERSA). Based on screening agar spot test method 41.8% of
LAB formed lysis zone against the test foodborne pathogens
on modified MRS agar medium. Crude extracts of 40 lactic
acid bacteria (LAB) that inhibited the test pathogens with ≥
10 mm lysis zone were tested against the pathogens. Of these
40 LABS, 55% (22 LAB isolates) of extracts were observed
inhibitory to the test pathogens with the well diffusion
method. Purified extracts (ammonium sulfate precipitated) of
72% (16 isolates) of those shown active with crude extracts
test were exhibited inhibitory activity against the test
foodborne pathogens. From inhibitory LAB from purified
extracts, 17.5% were found antagonistic to three or four of
the test foodborne pathogens. The same 16 LAB isolates with
antagonistic characteristics were tested for acid tolerance
at pH 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 for 3 and 6 hrs. Of these 16, none of
the LAB isolates survived exposure to pH 2.0 for 3 hrs. Only
7 LAB isolates survived (with survival rate of >50%) the
exposure at pH 2.5 for 3 and further incubation for 6 hours.
All 16 isolates tolerated pH 3.0 for 3 hours. Further
incubation for 6 hours reduced the survivors to 12. The 7
LAB isolates those survived exposure to pH 2.5 for 6 hrs
were tolerated 0.3% bile (with survival rate of >95%) for 48
hours. The study indicated that the LAB isolates that are
observed antagonistic to foodborne pathogens with purified
extract could serve to formulate starter culture that can
produce bioprotective ergo. |
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Title: |
Phytoplankton fauna abundance and diversity in
aquaculture pond,
Jimma Town, Jimma zone South West Ethiopia |
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Author (s): |
Tesfaye
Koricho and Eba Alemayehu |
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Abstract: |
The main objective of this study was to
assess the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton
communities in the aquaculture pond in Jimma University,
College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine campus Jimma
Town. The study was conducted from April 1-30, 2013 by
selecting three central ponds. Phytoplankton samples were
identified using stereo microscope in Zoological Sciences
Laboratory in Jimma University main campus. Physical
parameters were measured using portable PH and Dissolved
Oxygen meter in situ. From the collected samples 25
phytoplanktons genera, belonging to 5 classes were
identified. Chlorophyceae (green algae) was the most
dominant and abundant phytoplankton group which contributed
49%-76.6% of the total observed phytoplankton community. In
Pond-I the total contribution of the group was about 75.7%,
in Pond - II 59.7% and 49% in Pond-III. Interestingly among
the observed Chlorophyceae taxa the genus Pediastrum was the
most dominant and abundant group in all the three Ponds. The
second most dominant and abundant Chlorophyceae genus was
Scenedesmus in Pond-I and Pond-II. The second most dominated
and abundant phytoplankton group was Bacillariophyceae
(Diatoms) which contributed 18.9%-40.4% of the total
observed phytoplankton population. |
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Title: |
Effects of non-uniform airflow
distribution on grain moisture contents during aeration |
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Author (s): |
Desmond
Essien, Richard Bani and Edward Sabi |
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Abstract: |
Maintaining the quality of
grains in storage over long periods of time is dependent on
several factors, including the provision of a functional
aeration system and an adequate management strategy. The
growth and activities of insects in stored grains is a
function of time, grain moisture content and grain
temperature, but this can be controlled with effective
aeration. To ensure effective aeration the conditions of the
grains in storage must be monitored. Though several models
exist for the prediction of grain moisture contents during
aeration, most of these models assume airflow to be uniform
during aeration. Thompson’s model which is commonly used for
predicting grain moisture content assumes uniform airflow
during aeration. Conversely, airflow is non-uniform in
hopper bottom silos and partially perforated floors.
Therefore the objective of this study is to modify
Thompson’s model used for natural drying so it could be used
to predict the moisture contents of grains during aeration
when non-uniform flow of air is considered. A hopper bottom
silo of 3m radius filled to a grain height of 1.8m was used
for this study. Four tests, each test under different
testing conditions and lasting 120 hours, were carried out
to investigate the non-uniform movement of air. The
investigations revealed that the modified model presented in
this study is useful for predicting moisture content to
within 0.5% of measured moisture content when non-uniform
airflow is considered. The coefficient of determination (R2)
between the measured and predicted values obtained for the
moisture tests ranged from 0.97 to 0.98. |
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