ISSN 2375-091X
Research Article
African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 2 (9), pp. 098-104, September, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
A survey on Market garden features in Nigeria
Nwangbo V. Okonkwo
Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
Accepted 27 August, 2014
Abstract
The study examined the characteristics of market gardens in Anambra State Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 48 respondents using snow ball sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Majority (79.2%) of the respondents were sole owners of the gardens. About 38% of the respondents used personal savings as initial investment in their operations. A greater proportion (31%) of the respondents invested N111,000 - N140,000 in establishing gardens. The output of the gardens include Citrus aurantifolia (100%), hedge seedlings such as Ixora coccinea (100%), Solanum melongena (87.5%), medicinal seedlings (e.g. Ocimium viridus) and grasses (52.1%). All the respondents sold their produce at farm gates. Majority (98.0%) of the operators used wheel barrow for transportation of the produce for sale. Watering, planting in polythene bags, and manure application were practiced by all the respondents. All the respondents used rain harvested water in their gardens. However, 60.4% of the gardeners dug shallow wells. Some (29.2%) of the respondents had pruning saw, 25.0% raffia rope and 22.9% budding knife as tools used for budding. Constraints encountered by farmers include difficulty in securing land, lack of capital and ability to control fire outbreak.
Key words: Market garden, characteristics, fruits, vegetables, grasses, Nigeria.
Nwangbo V. Okonkwo
Page: 98 - 104
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1016Research Article
African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 2 (8), pp. 093-097, August, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
A survey of Fish sold in Liverpool market in Lagos
Adebayor T. Fumilayo
Department of Oceanography and Marine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Nigeria.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 12 July, 2014
Abstract
A survey of the Liverpool Fish Market in Lagos State, Nigeria was carried out to assess the market structure, the socio- economic characteristics of the fish marketers and the nature of fish sold. The Liverpool fish market was headed by a woman, Alhaja Aminat Abdukalim, the Iyalode of Sanni Market Apapa who co-coordinated the activities in the market. The market was dominated mostly by women and only few men were found in a ratio 1:4 (male: female). Eighty-six percent of the respondents were within 21 – 50 years age bracket which fell within the active age in human beings while only 2% of them were above 60 years. Majority of the marketers (70%) had only primary school education while only 5% had tertiary education. Smoked fish (65%) constituted a majority of the fish marketed while the remaining 35% were fresh and live fish. Liverpool market was identified as an important secondary fish market in Lagos State which played critical role in channeling fishery products to the citizens of Lagos Metropolis. Major problems faced by the marketers were erratic supply of electricity, inadequate cold storage facilities and stalls to display the fish products.
Key words: Fish market structure, fish marketers, socio-economic characteristics, fish sold.
Adebayor T. Fumilayo
Page: 93 - 97
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1015Research Article
African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 2 (7), pp. 090-092, July, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
An improvement in Production frontiers of Cowpea in Northern Adamawa, Nigeria
Okadigbo Amarachi, Chibezue Ikechukwu and Okezie E. M
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Anambra State University, Uli, Anambra, Nigeria.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 24 June, 2014
Abstract
The stochastic frontier production model represents an improvement over the traditional average function and the deterministic functions, which use mathematical programming to construct production frontiers. The study was conducted to analyze the technical efficiency of sole cowpea production in the Northern part of Adamawa State using a stochastic frontier model. The result revealed that the variance of parameter (gamma and sigma squared) of the frontier production function was both significant at 10 and 1% levels. Farm size, seeds, agro-chemicals and hired labour were positive and had significant effect on output at 1%. The mean technical efficiency index was 0.89 while the minimum and maximum efficiency values were 0.55 and 0.95 respectively. This implies that the farmers were not fully efficient as the observed output was 11% less than the maximum output.
Key words: Stochastic frontier, efficiency technical, production, sole cowpea.
Okadigbo Amarachi, Chibezue Ikechukwu and Okezie E. M
Page: 90 - 92
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1014Research Article
African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 2 (6), pp. 083-089, June, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Highlighted threats to insect biodiversity associated with rice crop agroecosystem
Farzana N. Zubairy
Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Email: [email protected]
Accepted 14 May, 2014
Abstract
During a survey and through face to face interviews of rice farmers, their attitudes and substandard farming practices were investigated as threats to insect biodiversity associated with rice crop agroecosystem. Excessive and increasing use of agrochemicals (78.7%) and rice straw burning (68%) along with animal grazing were explored as major threats. Rational use of agrochemicals and legislation about bans of rice straw burning and cattle grazing in harvested rice fields were proposed.
Key words: Insect biodiversity, rice farmers, straw burning, animal grazing.
Farzana N. Zubairy
Page: 83 - 89
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1013Research Article
African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 2 (5), pp. 079-082, May, 2014. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Photoperiod effects on propagation of strawberry
Michelle Yuna Nurhaliza
Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Selangor, Malaysia.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 3 April, 2014
Abstract
The effect of photoperiod on multiplication of commercial strawberry cultivars was investigated at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Station in Cameron Highlands. Two strawberry cultivars, Camarosa and Camaroga, were grown under a plastic rain-shelter supplemented with three levels of photoperiod, 12 (normal day length of Cameron Highland), 15 and 17 h. The result showed that photoperiod, cultivars, photoperiod × cultivars had significantly affected on a number of runners per plant and increased the length of runner and number of plantlets per runner and per plant. 15 h long-day were found to be very efficient in multiplying the strawberry plant under which the number of plantlets per plant had significantly increased to about 19.79 as compared to about 7.4 under the 12 h photoperiod. The result also showed that cultivar Camaroga was capable to produce a significant number of about 17.31 plantlets per plant compared to about 13.06 in Camarosa. The analysis of photoperiod × cultivar interaction indicated that the highest number of about 22.06 plantlets per plant was obtained from Camaroga, grown under the 17 h photoperiod. This study indicated that propagating performance in Camaroga is better than Camarosa under Cameron Highland climatic condition.
Key words: Fragaria × ananassa, photoperiod, propagation.
Michelle Yuna Nurhaliza
Page: 79 - 82
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1012Research Article
Full Length Research Paper
Conservation and improvement of valuable traits and intensified production of Acer pseudoplatanus cv Atropurpureum planting material
Stevan Lubarda Konjović
Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 20 March, 2014
Abstract
Aiming at the conservation and improvement of valuable traits and intensified production of Acer pseudoplatanus cv Atropurpureum planting material for domestic and foreign market, a series of experiments was established to monitor the phenotype expression and stability of the character of purple leaf underside, the study results showed the continuous presence of the analysed character in the progeny of all mother trees, in higher or lower percentages, which can be used as a starting point for mass production of this cultivar, both by generative and vegetative methods.
Key words: cv Atropurpureum , half-sib lines, phenotype stability, seedling production, sycamore maple.
Stevan Lubarda Konjović
Page: 75 - 78
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJTA/1011