African Journal of Agronomy

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Combining ability for maize grain yield in striga endemic and non-endemic environments of the southern guinea savanna of Nigeria

G. Olaoye and O. B. Bello*

Department of Agronomy, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Accepted 22 November, 2018

Abstract

Combining ability studies for maize grain yield and other agronomic characters were carried out using ten open-pollinated maize varieties and their 45 F₁ hybrids in a Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth endemic zone (Shonga) and non-endemic zone (Ilorin) in Kwara State, Nigeria, during the 2005 cropping season. Both general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for Striga related characters such as Striga shoot counts, syndrome ratings, flowering Striga shoots and barren maize plants were generally low, suggesting the role of additive and dominant gene action in tolerance to S. hermonthica (Del.) Benth. Parents Acr 94 Tze Comp5 and Tze Comp3 C2 had significant (p < 0.05) positive GCA effects for grain yield and other agronomic characters in both Striga endemic and non-endemic environments respectively. Crosses Tze Comp3 C2 x Hei 97 Tze Comp3 C4, Tze Comp3 C2 x Acr 94 Tze Comp5 and Ak 95 Dmr - Esrw x Acr 94 Tze Comp5 had significant (p < 0.05) positive SCA effects for grain yield only in Striga endemic environment. These parents and hybrids appeared to have gene pools for S. hermonthica tolerance that can be manipulated and used to develop promising hybrids for early maturity and high grain yield across the Southern Guinea Savanna ecology.

Key words: Striga hermonthica, tolerance, combining ability, grain yield, Nigeria.

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

Evaluation of staking in a climbing bean production system as practiced by smallholder farmers in Uganda

Dani Kajura¹, Grace Ibingira² and Isaac Eriyo³

¹National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Namulonge, P.O Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda.

²Faculty of Agriculture, Uganda Martyrs University, P.O. Box 5498 Kampala, Uganda

³College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University (MAK), P.O.Box 7062, Kampala Uganda.

Accepted 14 April, 2017

Abstract

Adoption of climbing bean production in Eastern Africa is faced with the challenge of finding suitable staking materials which is prerequisite for high yield potential. The objective of this study was to contribute to understanding the trends in staking and staking requirements in climbing bean production and the related ecological management practices in the Ugandan highland agro-ecosystem. Sampling was done using a four-stage sampling procedure, based on 150 households selected randomly each in Kabale and Kisoro districts. Results revealed that long term maturing trees such as eucalyptus were the most commonly used types of stakes (92.7%) in Kabale. On the other hand in Kisoro, it was stems of elephant grass (62%) followed by long term maturing trees (50.6%), shrubs mainly vernonia (30%) and maize plant, maize and sorghum Stover (22%). The study revealed several challenges smallholders faced with stakes and staking such as costly stakes, breaking of stakes due to heavy pod load or becoming old, theft, multiple uses of stakes (fire wood, building), termites and the cumbersome activities (cutting, transporting). However, some farmers have not perceived staking as a problem and have developed some initiatives to cope with the shortage. Further research on the sources of stakes is recommended.

Keywords: Abiotic, Agro-forestry, Climbers, Eucalyptus, indeterminate, intercropping, maize, Phaseolus vulgaris, stakes.

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-012, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

Shifting rural women livelihood in cocoa-based system in Cote d'Ivoire by cassava-based innovation process

Jacob NANDJUI¹*, Bomoh Catherine EBAH-DJEDJI² and Latifou IDRISSOU³

¹Département de formation et de recherche Agriculture et Ressources Animales, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

²Laboratory of Technological Research Station, National Agronomic Research Centre (CNRA).

³International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, PMB 5320, Oyo Rd, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Corresponding author: [email protected]. Tel: +225 09733775

Accepted 05 November, 2018

Abstract

This paper is a case study of how agricultural innovation system implementation in the Nawa region (Southwest Cote d'Ivoire) allowed improving cassava-based business through improving women skills for production and processing and therefore increased women livelihood and increased food security in the village of Krohon. This region is known as a major cocoa-producing area where food crops diversification appeared as a dire need. Different types of actors were mainstreamed in the multistakeholder process through three types of platforms. The research for development platform (R4DP) performed the situation analysis of food crops production and identified in interaction with others stakeholders’ women as core actors of food crop production. The R4DP also implemented trials together with women farmers who were in charge of data collection. The innovation platform (IP) defined agricultural issues and challenges in the region and identified entry theme of the project to be implemented. Village innovation platforms (VIPs) were operational platforms that implemented field activities closely with researchers. The strong interactions within and between platforms allowed continuously performed field- and post-harvest 'demand-driven' oriented activities. The strong implication of women farmers in trials and trainings also allowed them to select the best fit innovations in accordance with their aspirations.

Keywords: agricultural innovation system, platforms, 'demand-driven' activities, woman farmers, cassava, Nawa region.

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of different rates of compound D and cattle manure as basal dressing with different rates of ammonium nitrate as top-dressing under wetland conditions

Peter Nkomo¹, Mujuru Kembo² and Ndlovu Msika³

¹Seed Services Institute, P. O. Box CY 550, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe.

²Chiredzi Research Station, P. O. Box 97, Chiredzi, Zimbabwe.

³Chinhoyi University of Technology, P. Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.

Accepted 05 November, 2018

Abstract

Smallholder farmers are facing problems of low soil fertility causing maize yield reduction of up to 1.5 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) compared to 5 t/ha obtained in the commercial sector. A maize trial was conducted on two wetlands in Natural Region IV of Zimbabwe at Zungwi vlei to determine effects of different rates of compound D and cattle manure as basal dressing with different rates of ammonium nitrate as top-dressing. The maize used was a two-way early maturing hybrid developed by Seed Co. (SC513) for marginal areas. Four basal applications were applied in the trial as treatments for two seasons with four different levels of nitrogen applied as subplots factor. The analysis revealed a highest significant increase in grain yield when 300 kilogrammes per hectare (kg/ha) of compound D was applied with 150 kg/ha of ammonium nitrate (N) as top-dressing. Significant increase in grain yield was also observed when cattle manure was applied with 150 kg/ha top-dressing of N. There was a significant yield advantage when the nitrogen was increased after applying a basal dressing in both sites for the two seasons. In order to achieve high yields, the use of compound D at 300 kg/ha as basal dressing and top-dressing at 150 kg/ha N is highly recommended to farmers. However, for the low-resourced and poor farmers, the use of cattle manure which is generally cheaper and affordable is recommended.

Key words: Cattle manure, ammonium nitrate, wetland, yield, maize.

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-017, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper 

A study of some of the quality attributes of fresh mango and pineapple fruits 

Yona Jafo¹, James Nyalandu² and Nagu Bwanamdogo²

¹Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute, Coca Cola Road 22, P.O. Box 6226 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

²Department of Crop Sciences, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.

Accepted July 03, 2017

Abstract

Horticulture in Tanzania has become a very important sector because the demand for organically produced tropical fruits has dramatically increased worldwide. In this study, organically and conventionally grown mango and pineapple from different origins were analyzed for nutritional variables. Characterization of fruit derivatives was achieved using several variables, namely fruits size and colour, ^o brix (measurement for the sugar concentration of liquids), titratable acidity, pH, organic acids, free sugars, and minerals. Fruit samples analyzed were: fresh organic mangoes local cultivars ‘Dodo’, ‘Bolibo’, ‘Viringe’, cultivar ‘Tommy Atkins’ and conventionally produced cultivars ‘Kent’, organic and conventional pineapple cultivars ‘Smooth cayenne’. The cultivars and their type of cultivations have shown an influence on the levels of titratable acidity, organic acids, sugars and mineral contents like calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese. Titratable acidity was higher in organic than conventional mango cultivars. Fructose and glucose contents were 22 and 28% higher in conventional than in organically produced mango fruits, respectively. Conventional pineapple fruits have shown higher fructose and glucose content by 18 and 10% as compared with organic pineapple fruits. Malic and citric acids levels were 30 and 16% higher in conventional than organically grown mango cultivars. Manganese, calcium and magnesium contents were 33, 18 and 12% in organic than conventionally grown pineapple fruit. Organic mango cultivars were shown to have higher contents of phosphorus and potassium by 17 and 6%.

Key words: Mango, pineapple, organic cultivation, nutritional variables.

African Journal of Agronomy ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 6 (1), pp. 346-355, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Processing and culturing of microalgae in biofuel production  

*Stanislaw Alfred Tarski¹, Wislama H. Leonid² and Czeslaw Krupa²

¹Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.

²Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland.

Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 January, 2017

Abstract

Microalgae can provide several different types of renewable biofuels. These include methane produced by anaerobic digestion of the algal biomass; biodiesel derived from microalgal oil and photobiologically produced biohydrogen. This review presents the current classification of biofuels, with special focus on microalgae and their applicability for the production of biodiesel. The paper considered issues related with the processing and culturing of microalgae, for not only those that are involved in biofuel production, but as well as the possibility of their utilization in environmental pollution control, especially with relation to greenhouse gas emissions and the process of sewage purification. The paper gives also a characterization of microalgae used in the production of biofuels and of their advantages relative to other raw materials used in fuel production.

Key words: Biodiesel, biofuels, microalgae, photobioreactors, environmental applications.