Agricultural Research最新文献

Termites provide ecosystem services and have been used as a biological index of soil quality and fertility because of their key role in soil nutrient cycling that enables trees associated with their activities to remain evergreen throughout the year. To gain further insight into this situation, we compared the soil physico-chemical properties of termitaria and their surrounding soils in three Nigerian ecological zones including savannah, derived savannah and rainforest. Parameters evaluated were the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC), available phosphorus (Av.P) and total nitrogen (TN); base saturation (BS) and soil texture were also determined alongside the elemental (K, Na, Ca, Mn, H, Al) composition. The pH, OC, Av.P and TN in the termitaria were significantly higher than those in the surrounding soils. There were significant differences in the composition of the elements among sites in the termitaria and surrounding soils. The predominant analyte in the termitaria was Al, being in significantly higher concentration than in the surrounding soil. Na and Ca were also much higher in the termitaria than the surrounding soils in the guinea savannah zone. Soil pH had strong positive correlation with OC and CEC in the termitaria soil, but negative correlation with the surrounding soils outside the termitaria. On the other hand, both the termitaria and surrounding soils, base saturation, cation and soil texture were highly correlated between the ecozones. The findings from this study might promote nature conservation and enrichment of biodiversity in the different ecological zones, and could also support the local and poor farmers’ decisions in growing specific crops closer to the termitaria, especially the crops that require higher uptake of OC, N, Na and Ca for their growth and yields.

This study reports information on the small-scale mass production of spirulina utilizing low cost and locally available media under refined culture conditions in northern Mindanao, Philippines. A low-cost alternative culture medium was formulated using NPK 30-10-10 fertilizer as the main nutrient source, after which the optimum nutrient levels were first determined, followed by refinement of the culture conditions (i.e., salinity, aeration intensity, photoperiod, inoculum density, and inoculum growth phase). Furthermore, the proximate composition of the product, spirulina powder, was determined, and a cost-return analysis was performed. The optimum level for the NPK 30-10-10 fertilizer was found to be 1.0 mM N, which resulted in the highest biomass production of 0.750 ± 0.06 g L⁻¹. The highest biomass and best growth indices were observed at 30 ppt salinity, 90 L h⁻¹ aeration intensity, 24:0 L:D photoperiod, and 1.5 g L⁻¹ inoculum density in the exponential phase. The spirulina powder produced was of good quality based on its proximate composition, with 62.87 ± 1.38% crude protein, 6.62 ± 0.05% minerals, 0.38 ± 0.01% crude fat, 3.91 ± 0.47% crude fiber, 14.84 ± 1.76% carbohydrate, 11.38 ± 0.02% moisture, and 314.24 ± 2.04 kcal 100 g⁻¹ total digestible energy. The cost-return analysis showed that small-scale production is profitable, with a 65.22% return on investment and a payback period of 1.82 years. This small-scale production technology of spirulina can be adapted by local companies and cooperatives to spur local spirulina production in the country.

The cultivation of acai palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is widely practiced in the Amazon region due to its economic and nutritional value. However, to ensure sustainable and productive cultivation, it is essential to understand the factors influencing its nutrition, including the availability of magnesium (Mg). In this context, this study aimed to investigate the impact of acai palm plant age on total and effective Mg requirements, as well as on the accumulation, use, and dynamics of this nutrient. The experiment was conducted in a commercial acai palm cultivation area in Tomé-Açu, Pará, Brazil. The experimental design used was in strips, with six treatments corresponding to different crop ages (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years), with four replications. The results demonstrated that the Mg accumulation in different parts of acai palm plants increased with plant age up to a certain point, showing a tendency to stabilize at more advanced ages. Furthermore, variations were observed in the rates of immobilization, recycling, and export of Mg throughout the plant ages, with greater immobilization at the expense of recycling and export. Total and effective Mg requirements also increased with the advancement of plant age. In conclusion, the age of acai palm plants influences both total and effective Mg requirements, as well as the processes of nutrient use. This information is relevant for appropriate nutritional management of acai palms, aiming to ensure an adequate supply of Mg throughout the plant’s life cycle and maximize its growth and yield.

The study explored the impacts of climate change on poultry production in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. Other control variables such as gross national income (GNI) per capita (GNI), official exchange rate of the Naira and value of loans guaranteed to the poultry sector were also considered. Times-series data from 1981 to 2020 were obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, World Development Indicators, FAOSTAT and World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Leveraging on the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) and threshold analysis the study revealed that 1% increase in annual days with heat index > 35 °C will cause a significant decrease in poultry production by 0.14% in the long-run. In addition, the coefficient of annual maximum number of consecutive dry days was positively related to poultry production. It was revealed that 1% increase in rainfall will cause a significant increase in poultry production by 0.84% in the long-run and 0.60% in the short-run. The study further indicated that 1% increase in GNI per capita will lead to a 0.38% increase in poultry production in the short-run and 0.54% in the long-run. In accordance, the official exchange rate of the naira was also positively related to poultry production and 1% increase in official exchange rate tends to result in 0.04% and 0.05% increases in poultry production in the short-run and long-run. However, increase in value of loans guaranteed to the poultry sector appeared to be insignificant and could assist the poultry farmers in sourcing for poultry inputs targeted at increasing poultry production. According to threshold analysis, the country's poultry output may be negatively impacted by rainfall and dry days above certain threshold levels, which are 122–135 days and 1146–1237 mm, respectively. The findings of the study present an opportunity for poultry farmers in Nigeria to embrace climate smart agricultural practices in the face of changing climate in Nigeria. The Nigerian government should maintain stable and sustainable exchange rate of the naira and sustain the loans guaranteed to the poultry sector to improve the uptake of climate smart poultry production, increase agricultural gross domestic product and gross national income in the country.

Juglans regia L. (Walnut) generally renowned as English Walnut or Persian Walnut. It is popular for its quality edible nuts and strong wood resulted into cultivation in wide area. Walnut is a prime member of Juglandaceae family with sporophytic chromosome number 2n = 2x = 32. The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir had a significant walnut gene pool represented by seedling trees for decades. The region’s rich walnut diversity in terms of morphology, phenology, biochemical and biological traits is due to presence of the large variability of native Walnut trees. This largely resulted from cross-pollination and seedling propagation. This study was conducted during 2021–2022 in JKUT and Himachal Pradesh. It was based on data collected during a preliminary survey during the current research work. As part of our research, the variability and genetic parameters of nut characters were evaluated to identify and marking of elite walnut genotypes owning superior characteristics and high-quality traits and also to understand the existing genetic variability in walnut germplasm. The data were collected from one hundred two (102) walnut trees located in various geographical regions of JKUT and Himachal Pradesh. We also calculated phenotypic and genotypic variances (PCV and GCV), heritability (in a broad sense), and expected genetic gain (GG percentage of the mean) on the basis of data collected during the research work and resulted into the high heritability (h²) and high to moderate genetic gain (GG) in the walnut species from JKUT and Himachal Pradesh.

This study was carried out in Morogoro district, Tanzania to characterize and classify soils using USDA Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil classification methods. The site characteristics were identified during the reconnaissance survey for the determination of sampling units. Six soil profile pits namely TUG-P1, TUG-P2, TUG-P3, TUG-P4, TUG-P5, and TUG-P6 were excavated, described, and sampled for laboratory physico-chemical analysis. Topsoil bulky densities were determined and ranged from 1.23 to 1.37 g cm⁻³. The surface soil pH ranged from moderately acidic to slightly acidic (5.69–6.58) and subsoil from strongly acidic to neutral (4.72–7.30). Soil organic carbon (OC) was low for both top (2.93–4.79 g kg⁻¹) and subsoil (2.34–3.51 g kg⁻¹). Total nitrogen was medium (2–4 g kg⁻¹ for the topsoil and 2–3 g kg⁻¹ for the subsoil. Available P rated low with the top soil having 4.81–6.22 cmol kg⁻¹ and subsoil recording 3.12–6.14 cmol kg⁻¹. The cation exchange capacity for topsoil ranged from 5.31 to 8.10 cmol kg⁻¹ whereas for subsoil it was 4.91–8.10 cmol kg⁻¹. Using the USDA Soil Taxonomy, soils were classified as Rhodic Siderudox (TUG- P1), Typic Sombrustert (TUG- P2), Typic Eutrustolls (TUG- P3), Psamm Haplustepts (TUG- P4), Typic siderustepts (TUG- P5) and Typic Siderudox (TUG- P6). Under WRB, soil was classified as Rhodic Umbric Ferralsols (Eutric, Arenic) (TUG- P1), Haplic Vertsols (Aric, Orchric) (TUG- P2), Rhodic Eutric Cambisols (Arenic, Aric) (TUG- P3), Haplic Arenosols (Aric, Orchric) (TUG- P4), Rhodic Umbric Ferralsols (Eutric, Arenic) (TUG- P5) and Umbric Ferralsols (Eutric, Arenic) (TUG- P6). Soils showed a high level of weathering of parent material with deep depth, and fine texture dominated by sesquioxides and kaolinitic clays. To sustain yields, the soil’s nutrient management ought to involve the use of integrated approaches such as the application of inorganic (synthetic fertilizer) and organic nutrient inputs.

Market traders have recently deceived consumers about the quality and fair price of rice in Bangladesh, causing serious health concerns and unintended financial losses for consumers. Therefore, this study explores the availability, market share, concentration, and traces the varietal origin of popular rice brands in the market. Moreover, it shows the food security consequences of over-polishing in the manufacture of popular rice brands. Primary data were collected through an intensive survey with rice farmers, paddy and rice traders, and millers. We employed a snowball sampling technique and evaluated 30 different supply chains as case studies to find out the varietal sources of different rice brands. The results show that BR28 was the most popular rice brand, representing about 40% of the rice available in the Upazila-level markets, followed by Miniket (17.7%), Swarna (14.5%), BR29 (12.1%), and others (15.7%). In contrast, in the city markets, the contribution of Miniket was the highest (33.5%), followed by BR28 (19.4%), Zira (19.2%), Nazir (8.5%), and others (19.4%). The traders and millers did not confirm any specific variety against the available popular rice brands in the markets. We explored the varietal origin and found that the brand name Miniket is given to every kind of rice that falls under the medium-slender-type grain category. The market traders concentrated on producing the top four to five rice brands without exercising competition. Producing rice brands by over-polishing and receiving returns from by-products are indeed a double-edged benefit for millers, whereas consumers are paying more for finer polished rice without considering its nutritional value. Therefore, strong market regulations, notably on rice milling and branding, should be enforced to protect against adverse health conditions and financial losses, and also to ensure food and nutrition security in Bangladesh.

Hull-less seed trait is readily available in Cucurbita pepo, but to enhance its yield in diverse climatic conditions transfer of this trait in another related species, viz. C. moschata, is highly desirable. Consequently, a set of total 33 hull-less seeded genotypes including 31 derived from interspecific hybridization between C. pepo (hull-less) and C. moschata (hulled), and two C. pepo genotypes were evaluated for various fruit and seed traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant variation among the genotypes for fruit (fruit weight, polar and equatorial diameter) and seed (seed length, width, thickness, number of seeds, and 100-seed weight) traits. An interspecific hybridization-derived genotype, viz. HL3643-6, was comparable to check C. pepo genotypes for most of the traits. All studied traits exhibited high heritability and genetic advance, with a significant positive correlation confirming their interrelationship. Principal component analysis indicated that the first two components contributed to 82.66% of the cumulative variance, with all eight traits contributing to PC1 and seed thickness along with hundred-seed weight being the major contributors to PC2. Overall, the investigation highlighted substantial variation in the interspecific derived lines and their potential for exploitation in improving the hull-less seed trait.

With the progress in sensor and cloud technologies in contemporary times, a range of intelligent agriculture applications has gained considerable prominence. It is predicted that these developments can continue to pique the interest of researchers in the future. On the other hand, it is seen that IoT (Internet of Things)-based models are used in various fields. Herein, the primary objectives of this study are to enable farmers to remotely monitor and manage field conditions through sensor technology and IoT integration. In addition, these technological advancements make it possible to take the required measurements. Farmers can optimize their agricultural practices based on the analysis of the data obtained for this application. Thus, the aim is to manage the agricultural process more effectively and efficiently. In this study, an IoT-based framework is proposed for agricultural data monitoring. Light, temperature–pressure, smoke, humidity, and soil dryness values can be measured from GY-30, BME280, MQ-2, DHT11, and YL-69, respectively. An ESP-32S development board is used to collect data from sensors, and this board is coded using Arduino IDE. Subsequently, using ESP-32S, it is sent to the ThingSpeak cloud service provided by MATLAB via a Wi-Fi connection. Thus, these data can be easily transferred to MATLAB. We create a user-friendly Graphical User Interface application so that the data can be monitored and analyzed in MATLAB as well as ThingSpeak. This application allows users to monitor the data flow in real time and can easily provide the requested values such as maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation, and current with the help of a button. In addition, the proposed system sends an e-mail to the user when soil dryness and smoke values exceed a certain threshold value. The results obtained in the study indicate that the proposed model can save time and labor in addition to providing reliable and fast data flow.

Poor farming practices have contributed to the degradation of the majority of soils in Burkina Faso. This has led to the formation of bare soils and new clearings. These soils are generally reclaimed by zaï, an ancestral water and soil conservation practice that needs further improvement to ensure food security. The following study consisted of giving a rectangular shape to the usually spherical zaï pits in order to measure sorghum yield’s parameters in a factorial design: type of amendments (compost + NPK and compost + urea + Burkina phosphate); length (35 and 45 cm) and depth of the pits (10 and 20 cm) with 4 replications. Using the sites of Kiembara (Sahelian zone) and Arbollé (Southern Sudan-Sahelian zone), sorghum growth, biomass, grain yield, harvest index and threshing rate were measured. Overall, highlight the importance of rainwater harvesting using zaï pits and the use of manure in combination with mineral fertilizer supplements in improving soil fertility and enhancing crop yields. There is good evidence that grain yield was significantly improved under rectangular zaï with 45-cm-long pits (2032.7 kg.ha⁻¹ in Kiembara, 1561.7 kg.ha⁻¹ in Arbollé) than under ordinary zaï (1053.6 kg.ha⁻¹ in Kiembara; 990.2 kg.ha⁻¹ at Arbollé). This yield improved further with the application of compost combined with Burkina phosphate and urea under the rectangular zaï of 45-cm-long and 20-cm deep pits, 2333.9 kg.ha⁻¹ in Kiembara and 1967.7 kg.ha⁻¹ in Arbollé. Under ordinary zaï, the same inputs resulted in a grain yield of around 1034.5 kg.ha⁻¹ in Kiembara and 916 kg.ha⁻¹ in Arbollé. Hence, rectangular zaï was better than ordinary zaï in increasing the agronomic parameters of sorghum, especially in the Sahelian agroclimatic zone, providing good water conditions to produce enough useful cobs and therefore a solution to reduce food insecurity.