African Journal of Agriculture

African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of straw mulch application on nutrient concentration in runoff and sediment in a humid region in Kenya

I. I. C Wakindiki¹* and B. O. Danga^2,3

¹Department of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314 King William’s Town Road, 5700 Alice, South Africa.

²Deaprtment of Soil Science, Moi University, P. O. Box 3900 Eldoret, 30100 Kenya.

³Department of Agricultural Resources Management, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

Accepted 15 October, 2019

Abstract

Straw mulch use has been studied extensively especially for soil erosion and runoff control in arid and semi-arid regions but few studies have been done with regard to nutrient loss and accumulation in humid climate regions in Africa. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of straw mulch application using different methods on nutrient loss and accumulation in a humid region in Kenya. Straw mulch was applied to runoff plots at 0, 3 and 5 Mg ha^-1, either incorporated into the 0 to 0.2 m soil layer or placed on the soil surface. The concentration of NH₄–N, NO₃–N, and PO₄–P in the runoff decreased exponentially and significantly with advancing time. The K concentration in the runoff followed a hyperbolic pattern with a minimum value between 33 and 55 days after planting. In all the treatments, the concentrations of the NH₄–N associated with the sediments decreased, in general, with advancing time. However, no corresponding progressive increases of the NO₃–N concentration in the sediments were observed. The concentrations of the sediments-associated NH₄–N, NO₃–N, PO₄–P and K in the mulch treatments were higher than those in the control, although these differences were not significant in all the rainstorms. Under this humid climate, either surface placement or incorporation of straw mulch at 3 or 5 Mg ha^-1 enriched the soil with NO₃–N, PO₄–P and K. The soil was enriched with NH₄–N after incorporating straw mulch at 3 Mg ha^-1 and or surface application at 3 and 5 Mg ha^-1.

Key words: Erosion, nutrient accumulation, nutrient loss, sediment enrichment, water quality.

Key words: Corn, diallel, combining ability, heterosis.

African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 6 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Genetic analysis of some quantitative traits in bread wheat across environments

Farhad Ahmad¹, Saleem Khan¹*, Sahibzada Qayyum Ahmad¹, Hakim Khan², Ayub Khan² and Fida Muhammad³

¹Agricultural Research Station, Baffa, Mansehra, KPK, Pakistan.

²Department of Agriculture, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan.

³Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan.

Accepted 24 May, 2019

Abstract

Performance of eight bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes; namely, Wafaq-2001, Takbeer, Tatara, Iqbal-2000, Margalla-99, Ghaznavi-98, Khattakwal and Inqalab-91, were evaluated under three diverse environments (early, normal and late sown conditions) through an 8x8 diallel cross. Observations were recorded on days to heading, productive tillers plant^{- 1}, number of grains spike^-1, 1000-grain weight and grain yield plant^-1. Highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes for all traits. Analysis of genetic components revealed significant additive (D) and dominant (H) genetic variations for days to heading, productive tillers plant^-1, number of grains spike^-1, 1000-grain weight and grain yield plant^-1 under early planting. Under normal planting both additive (D) and dominant (H) genetic components were significant for days to heading, productive tillers plant^-1, grain yield plant^-1 and 1000-grain weight. Similarly, under late planting significant additive (D) and dominant (H) genetic variations were observed for number of grains spike^-1 and grain yield plant^-1, while for 1000-grain weight only additive (D) genetic component was found significant. Genetic analyses of the traits confirm the involvement of both additive and non-additive gene effects in governing the inheritance.

Key words: Genetic analysis, bread wheat, quantitative traits, environmental variations.

African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-005, November, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Determination of optimum dose and frequency of application of free-living diazotrophs (FLD) on lettuce

M. H. Kifle* and M. D. Laing

Discipline of Plant Pathology, School of Agricultural Science and Agribusiness, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Accepted 20 August, 2019

Abstract

Free-living diazotrophic isolates L1 (Bacillus cereus Frankland) and Br2 (Bacillus subtilis Ehrenberg Cohn) were evaluated in greenhouse trials for their optimum dose and frequency of application on seedlings of a single lettuce variety (Great Lakes) in a composted pine bark medium. Bacterial isolates were grown in Burke’s broth and were applied as a drench at four different doses (10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷ and 10⁸ colony forming units (cfu) ml^-1) and at different frequencies of application (1, 7, 14 and 21 days). Two months later, wet weight, dry weight and plant N levels were measured. Lettuce growth and plant N level responded positively to both bacterial isolates inoculated at 10⁶cfuml^-1 weekly and fortnightly. Isolate Br2 inoculated at 10⁶cfuml^-1 fixed 32.4% plant N when applied weekly and 26.7% when applied every two weeks. Isolate L1, at the same dose, applied weekly or every two weeks, fixed 27.7 and 29.1% of plant N requirement, respectively. The lettuce seedlings responded less well to a higher dose at 10⁸cfu ml^-1 of either isolate applied weekly and every two weeks. The response to dosage depended on frequency of application. Doses of 10⁶ cfu ml^-1 of both isolates applied weekly or every two weeks had the best effect on lettuce seedling growth and plant N.

Key words: Free-living diazotrophs, lettuce, optimum dosage, frequency of application.

African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-011, November, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of different pesticide application methods on spray deposits, residues and biological efficacy on strawberries

Nigar Yarpuz-Bozdogan¹*, Ekrem Atakan², Ali Musa Bozdogan³, Huseyin Yilmaz⁴, Nebile Daglioglu⁵, Tunahan Erdem³ and Ebru Kafkas⁶

¹ Vocational School of Technical Sciences, University of Çukurova, Adana/Turkey.

²Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana/Turkey.

³Department of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana/Turkey.

⁴NetKim Laboratory Equipment Marketing Co., Adana/Turkey.

⁵Department of Forensic Medicine , Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana/Turkey.

⁶Biotechnology Research and Experimental Center, University of Çukurova, Adana/Turkey.

Accepted 31 August, 2019

Abstract

In agricultural food production, positive results can be obtained by using appropriate pesticides through the application of appropriate methods. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of different spraying methods on spray deposits and drift, pesticide residues and biological efficacy on strawberries. For this purpose, strawberries were sprayed with dicofol by broadcast and band spraying. The effectiveness of different application methods was studied on 09 May, 2007 and 16 April, 2008. Broadcast sprayings were applied via hollow cone nozzles (HC) and air-assisted spinning cage nozzles (ASC). Band spraying was applied via flat fan nozzles (FF). Pesticide deposits on leaf surfaces, ground, drift and pesticide residues on strawberries were analyzed with Gas Chromatography/Electron capture detector (GC/ECD). Strawberries were analyzed based on dicofol residues up to 6 days after spraying. The results obtained showed that the highest pesticide deposits on leaf surfaces and also biological efficiency were obtained with FF in 2007 and 2008. The lowest pesticide deposits on ground were obtained by HC and the highest deposit of drift was obtained by ASC in 2007 and 2008. According to Commission Directive 2000/42/EC, the MRL’s of dicofol on strawberry is 0.02 mg/kg. In this study, residues on strawberries for all types of nozzles were below the suggested maximum residue level (MRL) of dicofol by Commission Directive 2000/42/EC in 2007 and 2008.

Key words: Broadcast spraying, band spraying, hollow cone nozzle, flat fan nozzle, air-assisted spinning cage nozzle, biological efficacy, red spider mites, gas chromatography, electron capture detector (ECD).

African Journal of Agriculture ISSN 2375-1134 Vol. 6 (10), pp. 001-008, October, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The effects of supplementing an organic acid blend and/or microbial phytase to a corn-soybean based diet fed to broiler chickens

Hasan Akyurek*, Mehmet Levent Ozduven, Aylin Agma Okur, Fisun Koc and Hasan Ersin Samli

Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Namık Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.

Accepted 05 August, 2019

Abstract

This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of supplementation with phytase, either alone or in combination with an organic acid blend on growth performance, some internal organs measurements and tibia development, intestinal and cecal microbiology. One-day-old male Ross 308 strain broiler chickens (n=140) were allocated to 5 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. The treatments were as follows: (1) Positive control (PC); (2) Negative control (NC) that was the same as diet PC except that available phosphorus was reduced by 0.25 percentage units; (3) NC plus microbial phytase (MP) (NC + MP; 500 FTU/kg); (4) NC plus organic acid blend (OA) (NC + OA), and (5) NC + MP + OA. Body weight gain (BWG) was not improved by supplementation of OA to the NC diet. In contrast, BWG was increased by MP, and MP+OA interaction (P<0.001) compared to NC group. Tibia ash content was lowest (P<0.05) for birds fed the all NC diets compared to the PC and NC+P diet. The addition of phytase slightly increased tibia phosphorus according to NC+OA and NC+P+OA diets (P<0.05). NC diet resulted in increased weight of gizzard, heart, liver and bursa of Fabricious and length of duodenum, jejunum and ileum. In ileal digesta, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were significantly increased for birds fed OA, whereas Escherichia coli were significantly decreased compared to PC group (P<0.001).

Key words: Broiler, phytase, organic acid, performance, bone development, intestinal measurements, intestinal microbiota.