African Journal of Crop Science

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (5), pp. 001-003, May, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

A Critical Analysis of Intercropping Techniques for Improved Banana Cultivation in East Africa

George Ouma

Department of Botany and Horticulture, Maseno University, P. O. BOX 333, Maseno, Kenya.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. Tel.: 254-725-512-646.

Accepted 8 April, 2023

Abstract

Bananas are very important in Kenya for domestic consumption and export. They are extensively grown where they are mainly intercropped with short term crops. There has been an increase in the grower interest in using intercropping, growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same land in the development of new cropping systems for their land. Intercropping could reduce management inputs and result in sustainable systems that more effectively use and even potentially replenish natural resources used during crop production for long term management of farmland. While intercropping has been practiced more widely in the developing countries of Central America, Asia and Africa, developed countries have not adopted it well. Some benefits of intercropping to the grower are risk minimization, effective use of available resources, efficient use of labour, increased production per unit area of land, erosion control and food security. This paper discusses the effects of intercropping on pest and disease control, physiology of the crops grown, cultural practices such as date of planting, spacing and plant density, soil fertility and time of planting among other effects and lastly banana production in East Africa in relation to intercropping and declining soil fertility in banana-based cropping systems.

Key words: Sustainable, cultural, food security, crops, efficient, cropping system, management.
 

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (5), pp. 001-005, May, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of Sugar Deficiency on Grain Filling Rate in Large-Grain Wheat

Guohua Mi*, Fanjun Chen and Fusuo Zhang

The Key Lab of Plant Nutrition, MOA, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences. China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.

Accepted 27 January, 2023

Abstract

Wheat grain yield can be limited by source, sink or by both. Inconsistency of the previous results reflects the interactions between genotypes and environments. In north China where the hot, dry wind was frequent during grain filling, new winter wheat cultivars with large grains suffer from loss of grain weight quite often because the grain filling rate (GFR) is low. In the present study, the carbohydrate assimilation and utilization was investigated to possible role of carbon assimilation and utilization in limiting grain filling rate by comparing two winter wheat cultivars, a large-grain cultivar Jing9428 (slow GFR), and a small-grain cultivar CAU3291 (fast GFR). It was shown that there was no significant difference in net photosynthetic rate and leaf area index during grain filling between the two cultivars. However, soluble sugar concentration in stems of Jing9428 decreased much more sharply than CAU3291 when the linear grain growth phase began suggesting an insufficient supply of photosynthates for grain filling. In grains, the ratio of starch to sucrose, glucose and fructose content of Jing9428 was significantly lower than CAU3291. It was suggested that insufficient photosynthate supply rather than weak sink strength was the main reason limiting grain filling rate of the large-grain type wheat cultivars in north China.

Key words: Winter wheat, grain filling, source-sink relationship, carbohydrate.

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (4), pp. 001-011, April, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

Exploring pest and disease control methods in traditional farming systems of north East India

Gopal Kumar Niroula Chhetry¹ and Lassaad Belbahri²*

¹Manipur University, Department of Life Sciences, Imphal 795003, India.
²Agronomy Department, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland technology, architecture and landscape,
150 Route de Presinge, 1254 Jussy, Switzerland.

Accepted 22 November, 2023

Abstract

Traditional farming system is an ecologically based age-old farming system developed by ancient farmers through generations of their interaction with nature and natural resources for food, fodder and fiber. Indigenous knowledge is the knowledge of the indigenous people inhabiting different geographical regions of the world with their own language, culture, tradition, belief, folklore, rites and rituals. This report is an attempt to document some of the indigenous practices followed by traditional farmers for the management of pests of certain common crops grown in traditional farms in general and north east India in particular.

Key words: Agricultural farming, indigenous traditional knowledge, pest and disease management, traditional ecological knowledge.
 

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (3), pp. 001-011, March, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Biotechnology as a key driver in the advancement of macadamia production in Kenya: Genetic improvement perspective

L. N. Gitonga^1,3*, A. W. T. Muigai², E. M. Kahangi³, K. Ngamau³ and S. T. Gichuki⁴

¹Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, National Horticultural Research Center, P. O. Box 01000 - 220, Thika.
²Department of Botany, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O. Box 00200-62000, Nairobi.
³Department of Horticulture, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O. Box 00200-62000, Nairobi.
⁴Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Biotechnology Center, P. O. Box 00200-57811, Nairobi.

Accepted 7 May, 2023

Abstract

Macadamia (Macadamia spp.) is considered the world’s finest dessert nut because of its delicate taste and numerous health benefits. It is grown in Kenya both as a cash crop and foreign exchange earner with Kenya producing about 10% of the world’s total production. Macadamia has great potential for poverty reduction due to the high value of its products and its low requirement for external inputs. Although the crop has been grown in the country for over 5 decades, the growth of the industry is not commensurate with the demand and market potential that exists. Some of the challenges facing the macadamia industry in Kenya include lack of cultivars adapted to various agro ecological zones, inadequate planting materials of high quality, high cost of the available good quality planting materials and pests and diseases that affect nuts thus lowering post harvest quality. This paper discusses the potential of agricultural biotechnology relevant to genetic improvement of macadamia to compliment other efforts for its improved productivity and value.

Key words: Macadamia, dessert nut, biotechnology, genetic improvement.
 

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (2), pp. 001-007, February, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Epidemiology and impact of three nepoviruses on ornamental crops in Iran

T. Ghotbi and N. Shahraeen*

Department of Plant Virus Research, Iranian Research Institute for Plant Protection (IRIPP), Agricultural Research and Education Organization, Tehran, Iran.

Accepted 22 October, 2023

Abstract

Damage to ornamental crops by nepoviruses has occurred sporadically in Iran in the past. However, since 2006, outbreaks of nepoviruses have been recorded every year. The most affected ornamental crops were surveyed in two main cultivation areas in provinces of Markazi (Mahallat) and Tehran in 2006 - 2007. In all, 420 samples (with or without any conspicuous virus symptoms) were collected and analyzed by double- antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) with polyclonal antibody to Tomato ring spot virus (ToRSV), Tobacco ring spot virus (TRSV) and Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) . These viruses frequently were detected in samples of many different ornamentals (33 species) and often in mixed infections. Where as 8 samples found to be infected by one virus, 3 samples double infection and 6 samples were mix infected by three viruses. ArMV, ToRSV and TRSV were mechanically transmitted to Vigna unguiculata, Nicotiana tabacum, Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. quinoa, Petunia hybrida, Datura stramonium and D. metel indicator host plants and virus recovery was rechecked by ELISA. Of the total of 420 samples tested, 106 samples were reacted with the above virus antiserum. In Tehran, ToRSV was identified in 19 samples (4.52%), TRSV in 7 samples (1.66%), and ArMV in 5 samples (1.19%). In Markazi province, ToRSV was identified in 20 samples (4.76%), TRSV in 20 samples (4.76%), and ArMV in 23 samples (5.47%). In all, TRSV was shown to be prevalent nepovirus infecting ornamentals in these regions.

Key words: Tomato ring spot virus, tobacco ring spot virus, arabis mosaic virus, DAS-ELISA.

African Journal of Crop Science ISSN: 2375-1231 Vol. 12 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2024. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Understanding the diversity of groundnut responses to Cercospora Leaf Spot Disease and Its Significance for Breeding

A. U. Izge¹*, Z. H. Mohammed² and A. Goni²

¹Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

²Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

Accepted 19 April, 2023

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop both in subsistence and commercial agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Leaf spot diseases caused by fungus have been a major destructive disease of groundnut and could cause a yield loss of up to 50 % or more. A two-year experiment was conducted during the cropping seasons of 2002 and 2003 at the Faculty of Agriculture Research Farm, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to determine the reaction of different groundnut varieties to cercospora leaf spot disease to create basis for selection for cercospora leaf spot disease tolerance. The experiment consisted of twenty-four groundnut varieties, laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated highly significant difference among the groundnut varieties in all the characters studied. The results indicated that ICGV-SM-93531, ICGV-IS-96802, ICGV-IS-96827 and ICGV-IS-96808 had the lowest cercospora leaf spot incidence. The variety ICGV-IS-96808 that produced the highest kernel yield also had the lowest days to 50% flowering and incidentally is among varieties that recorded the lowest leaf spot incidence. The study found tremendous level of variability existing among the groundnut varieties that is essential in crop improvement. This study recommends that development or selection of tolerant varieties to leaf spot should be based on their level of incidence. This will be the only effective measure in decreasing production costs and protect the environment from pollution. Potential therefore exist for selection among the groundnut varieties evaluated for cercospora leaf spot disease tolerance. There is however, a need to undertake further studies in order to determine the type and the number of genes controlling cercospora leaf spot disease tolerance in groundnuts for enhanced breeding strategies.

Key words: Groundnut, leaf spot, tolerance, incidence, selection, breeding strategy.