ISSN 2375-1177
Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 118-124, May, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Incidence of fusariosis in Montes Claros and effects of temperature and photoperiod on the development of Fusarium guttiforme
Camilo Hermes Braga
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 24 April, 2015
Abstract
We examined the incidence of fusariosis in Montes Claros–MG and determined the effect of temperature and photoperiod on the development of Fusarium guttiforme. Four family production units were investigated, from which four isolates of F. guttiforme were isolated. For each isolate, two experiments were set up to assess mycelial growth for 144 h in environments with different temperatures and either a 12 h photoperiod or continuous darkness. To evaluate the development of isolates of F. guttiforme, we used a portion sub-divided randomized block design. The number of conidia produced by each isolate was counted according to the above-mentioned conditions. All production units had occurrence rates ranging from 12.2 to 64.4%. The fungal isolates showed a higher mycelial growth rate when incubated at 25°C under a 12 h photoperiod. However, the production of conidia varied depending on the temperature and on the isolate. With these overall results better understand how the spread of this fungus occurred so quickly. We may use this information to suggest management practices that reduce the incidence of pineapple fusariosis.
Key words: Light, mycelial growth rate, Fusarium guttiforme, temperature.
Camilo Hermes Braga
Page: 118 - 124
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1017Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security ISSN 2375-1177 Vol. 3 (1), pp. 113-117, April, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Changing food security: The challenges of climate change in Ukpeko, Etsako East, Edo State Nigeria
Onakuse Stephen
Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods, National University of Ireland College - Cork, Ireland.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 27 January, 2015
Abstract
Rural communities’ livelihoods as well as the economies in developing countries depend on rain-fed agriculture (crops), fisheries, and livestock herding, which are heavily affected by changes in climate.The impact of climate change has become more catastrophic at different levels and has greatly exacerbated food insecurity in communities already vulnerable to hunger. This study analyses the interconnectivity between food security, climate change and flood risk and the critical challenges for food production in Ukpeko and Ogwoyor. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study, along with 120 participants. At 5% significant level, the result shows that flooding had a negative relationship with crop and fish production, leading to a complete loss of livelihoods and the eventual displacement of the people of the two communities studied. In addition, there is a correlation between climate change and changing poverty/vulnerability levels across the two communities. The evidence from the research supports the need for country specific adaptation of and migration development of climate-smart food systems that are more resilient when it comes to the impact of climate change on food security and in relation to displacement. This paper suggests a more nuanced policy alternative that secures livelihoods and protects agricultural lands most associated with vulnerable local populations.
Key Words: Food security, climate change, flooding, displacement, food production.
Onakuse Stephen
Page: 113 - 117
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1016Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 2 (1), pp. 106-112, September, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Determinants of rural household food insecurity in Laelay Maichew Woreda Tigray, Ethiopia
Shishay Kahsay and Messay Mulugeta
College of Agriculture, Aksum University, Shire, Ethiopia. College of Geography and Environmental studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Email:[email protected]
Accepted 13 February, 2014
Abstract
The study was conducted in Tigray, Laelay Maichew woreda. Different concepts and empirical findings are profoundly organized and presented. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The primary data was collected using survey questionnaires, key informant interview, focus group discussion and observation. One hundred fifty households were randomly selected for the survey type while secondary data were collected from published and unpublished materials. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. To undertake regression analysis, linearity, normality and homoscedasticity tests were employed. For the multiple regression analysis, total calorie availability/adult equivalent/day was taken as dependent variable and 16 explanatory variables were taken. Off these variables only five variables are found to be significant at 95% confidence level and the selected explanatory variables explains 39.9% of the variation in calorie availability. In general, age of household head, use of improved seeds, number of TLU/household, number of adult equivalent/household and land size in hectare were found to be significant at 95% (α=0.05) confidence level. The government should exhaustively work on promoting irrigation, providing credit and subsidize the farmers to solve the problem of food insecurity.
Key words: Food security, household, Linear regression, Food insecurity, Laelay Maichew, Tigray.
Shishay Kahsay, Messay Mulugeta
Page: 106 - 112
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1015Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (4), pp. 075-081, October, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Optimal food plan for rural households’ food security in Kwara State, Nigeria: The goal programming approach
O. A. Omotesho and A. Muhammad-Lawal*
Department Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. [email protected].
Accepted 20 May, 2013
Abstract
This study developed optimal food consumption plan for the rural households in Kwara State, Nigeria. A two-stage simple random sampling technique was employed in collecting data used for the study between October, 2005 and January, 2007. The main tools of analysis used in this study are the Food Security Index and the Linear Goal Programming (LGP) Model. This study reveals that 65.45% of the rural households are food insecure. Rice, maize, cowpea, gari, fish and palm oil consumed at 4.17, 18.59, 2.92, 2.66, 8.53 and 3.10 Kg per week respectively constituted the least-cost food plan for the rural households. With an average household size of eight male adult equivalents, this plan has a cost implication of N 73.73 per person per day. This shows that the cost of meeting this least-cost food plan was 38% lower than the one U.S. Dollar World Bank poverty line per person per day. This study recommends the need for the rural households to be educated on the nutritional implication of the consumption of various food items.
Key words: Goal programming, optimal combination, food plan, rural households, food security, Kwara State, Nigeria.
O. A. Omotesho, A. Muhammad-Lawal
Page: 75 - 81
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1012Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (4), pp. 082-092, October, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Measuring diet quantity and quality dimensions of food security in rural Ethiopia
Degye Goshu*, Belay Kassa and Mengistu Ketema
School of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Haramaya University, P.O. Box: 05, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 251 (0)911057147.
Accepted 04 March, 2013
Abstract
Food insecurity is an overriding problem of most developing countries like Ethiopia, which requires empirical evidence pertinent to food security policy formulation and implementation. This paper investigates food security situation of households by surveying 260 farm households randomly and proportionately sampled from the major farming systems in Ethiopia. Households’ daily calorie availability and dietary diversity were measured to capture the diet quantity and quality dimensions of food security of households. A seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model results of the two measures suggested that the mean daily calorie intake per adult equivalent and dietary diversity level of households were about 1871 kcal and 6.8, respectively, with significant differences in farming systems and household idiosyncratic characteristics. The univariate probit model results show that the likelihood of households to be food security was 42.3%, while their probability to have semi-diversified diet was 37.2%. However, food security status and dietary diversity status were weakly interdependent and their determinant factors were significantly different. The major contribution of this paper is that it employs econometric estimation of dietary diversity scores and status and measures their interactions with diet quantity scales and food security status at household level.
Key words: Food security, dietary diversity, seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model, bivariate probit.
Belay Kassa and Mengistu Ketema, Degye Goshu
Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (5), pp. 100-105, November, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Why some rural people become members of agricultural cooperatives while others do not
Woldegebrial Zeweld Nugussie
Natural Resources and Development Economics, Mekelle University P. O. Box 1198, Mekelle, Ethiopia. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +251914729526. Fax: +251344409304.
Accepted 28 September, 2013
Abstract
Though agricultural cooperatives are considered as a basis for household food security, there are many rural people in Tigray (Ethiopia) who do not so far become members. The study explores why some rural people become member of cooperatives while others do not using group discussion, household survey and probit model. The result of the study shows the prominent variables that strongly and significantly induce rural people to join agricultural cooperatives are being male household head, member in rural associations, attending public meeting and/or workshop; membership in TABIA/WOREDA administrating committees; accessibility to credit services, exposure visits and training access; number of family sizes, family members in secondary school, and information access. Therefore, intensive awareness enhancement initiatives should be done in rural areas so that more people become members of agricultural cooperatives and ensure their sustainable food security, and contributes their parts in the development endeavor of the region.
Key words: Agricultural cooperative, membership and participation.
Nugussie WZ
Page: 100 - 105
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1014