Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences

Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2381-3911 Vol. 6 (5), pp. 001-006, May, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of garlic (allium sativum l.) in fattening chicks nutrition

Vidica Stanacev¹*, Dragan Glamocic¹, Niko Miloševic¹, Nikola Puvaca¹, Vladislav Stanacev² and Nada Plavša¹

¹Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad,Trg Dositeja Obradovi a 8, Novi Sad, Serbia.

²˝Tehno oprema˝, Ba ka Topola, Serbia.

Accepted 19 November, 2019

Abstract

The paper examines the effects of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and Cu separately as well as their combined effects on the production parameters and carcass quality in broiler chicks. Garlic has antimicrobial, antihypertensive and antioxidative properties, while high copper levels in feed (100 ppm) displays stimulating and bacterial effects, which may be an alternative to antibiotics whose use is prohibited by the EU. Bearing in mind the aforementioned, the objective of this study was to prove the effects of garlic in broiler feed on production parameters, health status and carcass quality. The testing was carried out under production conditions with one-day-old Hubbard broilers of the same weight divided in 4 groups, each consisting of 75 birds, in 4 repetitions. Treatment groups were given: 2% of commercial garlic in group II, 2% garlic and 100 ppm Cu in group III, and 100 ppm Cu in group IV. At the end of the experiment which lasted 42 days it was found that the addition of garlic led to a significant (P<  0.05) increase of body mass in group II (2055.55 g) and group III (2038.65 g) in comparison to the control group (1964.52 g). The feed exploitation was found to be better in groups treated with garlic.

Key words: Garlic, copper, broilers, production parameters, carcass quality.

Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2381-3911 Vol. 6 (5), pp. 001-006, May, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Detection of Staphylococcus species and staphylococcal enterotoxins by ELISA in ice cream and cheese consumed in Burdur Province

Fulya Tasci¹*, Fatma Sahindokuyucu² and Dilek Ozturk³

¹Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15100, Burdur, Turkey.

²Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15100, Burdur, Turkey.

³Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15100, Burdur, Turkey.

Accepted 12 January, 2020

Abstract

In this study, 50 ice cream and 50 cheese samples from Burdur Province of Turkey were examined for total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Micrococcus/Staphylococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. In ice cream, total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, Micrococcus/Staphylococcus and S. aureus were determined at levels of 4.29, 3.78 and 3.00 log₁₀cfu/g, respectively. In cheese, these organisms were present at 8.21, 6.21 and 5.80 log₁₀cfu/g, respectively. Enterotoxin analyses were performed with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Enterotoxins were detected in 3 cheese samples and were identified as staphylococcal enterotoxins B, C and E. Further attention should be given to the bacteriological standards for milk used in cheese and ice cream production.

Key words: Staphylococcal enterotoxin, ELISA, cheese, ice cream.

Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2381-3911 Vol. 6 (4), pp. 001-008, April, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Rainfall characteristics, runoff rate and traffic flow on gully morphometric parameter growth and soil loss in sand-mined peri-urban, Uyo, Nigeria

O. E. Essien¹* and E. G. Okon²

¹Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, University of Uyo, P. O. Box 4309, Uniuyo Post Office, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

²Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, University of Uyo, P. O. Box 1014, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Accepted 14 January, 2020

Abstract

The number of rain days, rainfall amount, intensity and erosivity, runoff rates and traffic count influenced soil losses or degradation of gully morphometric parameters of length, width and depth, and semi-circular ratio (SCR) and contributed significantly (p<0.01) to gully initiation and growth in sand-mined peri-urban. 42 gullies in 42.80 m² were studied, indicating that gully initiation and development on sand-mined land use in peri- urban was very intense. Rill/gully erosion initiation was more severe from the onset of rains in March to June than from July to August. June experienced high rainfall intensity, the most erosive rain and the highest gully frequency (21%) in the study area. June to August accounted for 57% of all gully frequencies, which correlated significantly (p <0.01) with runoff discharge (r = 0.811) and traffic count (r = 0.811) and their combined increase led to increased frequency or number of gullies developed. Highest monthly gully frequency (52%) occurred at the middle of the slope with 10, 21 and 17% frequencies at upper, lower slopes and valley sections respectively gully erosion grew by the degradation of the individual morphometric parameters of length, width and depth severally. The only 2nd order gully widened to increase gully growth and soil loss while the 1st order gullies lengthened to achieve gully growth and soil loss. For the 2nd order gully with final stage depth/width (D/W) ratio of 2.20, total soil loss was 155.00T per year.

Key words: Uyo, sand-mined, soil loss, semi-circular ratio, gullies.

Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2381-3911 Vol. 6 (3), pp. 001-006, March, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Labour use efficiency in food crop production by farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria

A. M. Shittu¹, S. A. Adewuyi¹*, H. K. Sowemimo¹ and O. E. Fapojuwo²

¹Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

²Department of Agricultural Administration, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Accepted 07 January, 2020

Abstract

This study examined the pattern (sources and contract form) of labour use and the effects on production efficiency of food crop farms in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study was based on primary data collected from a cross - section of 170 food crop farmers that were selected using a multistage sampling technique. The data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and regression (Multinomial logit, Tobit and Stochastic frontier) techniques. The study showed that majority (82.4%) of the food crop farmers were males, aged between 41 and 60 years (66.4%) and had at least primary school education (91.2%). The mean household size was five persons. The mean farm size was 1.8 ha with a mean farming experience of 25 years. The most widely used labour source for crop production in the area was household members. However, 64.1% of the farmers also recruited some hired labour. These were mostly employed on annual (46.8%) and /or job specific (33.9%) contracts. The mean labour use by farmers in the sample was 72.6 manday/ha; 34.6% of which were supplied by household members, 33.5% by labour hired on Annual Contract (AC), 14.5% by labour hired on Job Specific Contract (JSC) and the rest (10.8%) by Daily Paid Contract (DPC). The mean technical, allocative and overall economic efficiency were respectively 81.9, 42.0 and 34.4.0%. Stochastic frontier and Tobit regression analysis revealed that while the use of labour hired on DPC is associated with higher Technical Efficiency (TE), Allocative Efficiency (AE) and overall Economic Efficiency (EE) than what obtained with reliance on only household labour, the difference are not statistically significant. However, the use of labour hired on JSC is associated with significantly (p<0.01) higher TE but significantly (p<0.01) lower AE and overall EE. Similar results were obtained in respect of AC, while the use of labour saving technologies (herbicides and tractor services) were revealed to be associated with significantly (p<0.05) higher TE, AE and EE. The study concludes that although the use of JSC and AC could increase TE of farmers, it is at a cost of higher allocative and overall economic inefficiency. However, EE could be enhanced by increase use of labour saving technology including herbicides and tractor services. Hence the study recommends farmers should be taught the modern technology of food crop production to enhance the efficiency of production.

Key words: Food crop farms, production efficiency, Ogun State, Nigeria.