International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 5 (1), pp. 367-374, January, 2015.  © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research paper

Influences of rainfall on crop production and suggestions for adaptation

Francis Ndamani And Tsunemi Watanabe

Graduate School of Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185-1 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami City, Kochi 782-0003,Japan.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 2^ndSeptember, 2014.

Abstract 

In recent years, rainfall anomalies have led to numerous incidences of droughts in the Lawra district of the Upper West Region of Ghana. These anomalies have the potential to cause undesirable effects on crop production and food security. This study analyzed annual and seasonal rainfall variability and their relationships with crop production. The adaptation techniques required to mitigate the effects of rainfall anomalies were also suggested. Monthly rainfall data for 33 years available at the Babile weather station was used. Seasonal and annual rainfall variability and concentration were analyzed using the coefficient of variation and the precipitation concentration index respectively. Available data on annual production volumes of major crops produced between 1992 and 2012 was used. Correlation analysis was used to assess the influence of rainfall on crop production. The results revealed moderate seasonal and irregular annual rainfall concentration. Generally, rainfall in the district starts in May. However, the number of rain days and volume (mm) tend to decrease in June before peaking up in July and August. Correlation between annual rainfall and crop production were negative for all the crops studied. At seasonal level only sorghum, millet and groundnut were negatively correlated with rainfall. Based on the results obtained, this study concluded that identifying and implementing appropriate adaptation techniques through effective stakeholder collaboration was essential in boosting the production of sorghum, millet and groundnut.

Key Words: Precipitation, concentration, rainfall variability, crop production, farmers, adaptation techniques, stakeholders.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 4(12), pp. 351-366, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A practical study for new design of essential oils extraction apparatus using ohmic heating

Asaad Rehman Saeed Al-Hilphy

Food Sciences Department, Agriculture College, Basrah University, Basrah, Iraq.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 24 July, 2014

Abstract

Ohmic heated hydro-distillation (OHHD) apparatus was designed and manufactured in the food engineering Laboratory, Agriculture College, Basrah University. It consists of poles, glass condenser, plastic cylinder and voltage regulator. OHHD at 60, 70 and 80 V and hydro-distillation (HD) (conventional method) are compared and evaluated in  extraction time, input power, energy consumption of essential oil, heating rate, essential oil yield, predicted yield, specific gravity, reflective index and chemical composition by using GC-MS. Eucalyptus oil was extracted from dried Eucalyptus leaves using OHHD at 60, 70, 80 V and HD. The results showed that OHHD at 60, 70, 80 V and HD have the extraction time of 110, 90, 70 and 142 min. respectively, and essential oil yield were 1.64, 1.90, 2.19 and 1.36 % respectively. Also, the energy consumption of essential oil by using OHHD at 60, 70 and 80 V was significantly (p<0.05) lesser than HD. As well as, the input power (kW) at using OHHD was lesser than HD. The higher heating rate was by using OHHD at 80 V. Fick’s second law of one-dimensional unsteady-state diffusion was applied, and both transfer kinetic coefficients increased with increasing applied voltage. However, there is no significant differences among OHHD at 60, 70, 80 V and HD for the specific gravity and reflective index.  GC-MS analysis of the Eucalyptus leaves essential oil revealed the presence of 29, 30, 27 and 28 compounds from the OHHD at 60, 70, 80 V and HD respectively. 

Key words: Ohmic heating, eucalyptus leaves, essential oil, hydro-distillation, oil yield.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 4 (12), pp. 341-350, December, 2014.  © International Scholars Journals 

Full length Research paper

Studies on Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) for drought tolerance using Dreb 1 gene

Ravindra Donde, K. C. Samal and G. R. Rout

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar-751003, Orissa, India.

Accepted 12 September,2014

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract 

Improving crops that are better adapted to abiotic and biotic stresses is gaining importance for sustainable food production in the present era of rapid climate change. The present investigation was carried out to optimize genetic transformation method in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Lalat) employing Agrobacterium strains GV3107 harbouring binary vector pCAMBIA2300 with rd29A::DREB1 gene construct. De-husked mature seeds of rice cv. ‘Lalat’ treated with Bavistin (1%) for 10 minutes followed by 0.1% HgCl₂ + Tween-20 for 6 minutes resulted better asceptic culture with the maximum survival percentage. Incorporation of phytohormone 2, 4-D (2.5 mg/l) in the modified MS medium induced profuse, white, friable, embryogenic calli. The best in vitro regeneration from calli was obtained in the modified MS medium supplemented with BAP, NAA and Kinetin. The modified MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP, and 0.2 mg/l NAA was able to induce the maximum multiple shoots and organogenesis. The maximum number of multiple shoots (9.75) was recorded in modified MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP and 0.2 mg/l NAA within 30.75 days of culture. For root induction NAA was found to be the most effective phytohormone and effective rooting was recorded on modified MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l NAA and 0.2 mg/l BAP within 25 to 30 days after culture of shoots on rooting medium. Various factor influencing transformation of rice callus and multiple shoots were optimized such as co-cultivation period (3 days) and bacterial inoculum density (0.6-0.8 at 600 nm), acetosyringone concentration (200 µM) and Kanamycin sensitivity (120 mg/l).  The transformation efficiency based on Kanamycin selection was found to be 8.97 % whereas the transformation frequency on the basis of the PCR was found to be 2.56%.

Key Words: Agrobacterium tumefaciens, DREB1A, genetic transformation, Oryza sativa, abiotic stress. 

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 4 (12), pp. 334-340, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

AFLP aids the selection of explicit (Cucurbita pepo) crosses resulting in hopeful vigor hybrids.

M.S. Elias¹, K.D. Al-Jubouri¹ and A. Al-Daoude²*

¹ Department of Horticulture, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq.

² Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Atomic Energy Commission (AECS), P.O. Box 6091, Damascus, Syria.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 13 November, 2014

Abstract 

In this study, morphological characterization and the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism technique (AFLP) were used to estimate the genetic diversity among fifteen pure inbred lines (S1, S2, --- and S15) of C. pepo. Out of the 28 primers screened, eleven EcoR1 and Mse1primer combinations were selected and amplified 622 loci of which 520 (85.3%) were polymorphic. Genetic distance values were calculated and they ranged from 0.11 to 0.56 indicating high polymorphism among studied accessions that were classified into two main clusters using the unweighted pair group’s method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Phenotypic studies indicated that S15 x S13 and S15 x S14 crosses were favorable as they were the most distant parents. Based on AFLP data, S1 was found to be genetically the most distant accession. Thus, S1 x S7 (PDV 0.52) and S1 x S5 (PDV 0.56) crosses were performed and their progeny was evaluated in the field mainly for productivity. S1 x S5 and S1 x S7 plants had higher yields (1.27 and 1.62Kg per plant) than their respective parents and than the commercial hybrid, Amjad (1.12kg per plant). In contrast, yields of S15 x S13 and S15 x S14 plants (0.91 and 0.89kg per plant), chosen according to morphological classification, were much lower than those resulting from AFLP crosses.  AFLP data seems to be more accurate than the morphological one and should be deployed in determining parents for crosses. However the new hybrids should be tested for other important characteristics such as disease and pest resistance before they can be considered in any breeding programs.

Key words: AFLP, C. pepo, vigor hybrid, Genetic distance, plant breeding.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 4 (12), pp. 326-333, December, 2014. © International Scholars Journals  

Full Length Research Paper

Studies on Ecology of mound-building termites in the Central rift valley of Ethiopia

Daniel Getahun Debelo¹ and Emana Getu Degaga²

¹Department of Biology, Adama Science and Technology University, P. O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.

²Faculty of Life Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Accepted 13, June 2014

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Despite the high density of epigeal termite mounds making a peculiar feature of the landscape of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia, no systematic ecological studies of termites had been conducted. Hence, this study was conducted from September 2011 to November 2012 in Dugda district of East Shawa Zone to assess termite mound density, status, and dimensions, and compare chemical properties of mound soil with adjacent soil, and the effect of mound soil on crop growth. The density of termite mounds was 9.72 mounds/ha. About 43% of the mounds were dead and they were 1.26 ± 0.09 m high with a basal diameter of 2.70 ± 0.19 m. Live mounds were 1.67 ± 0.09 m high with a basal diameter of 3.17 ± 0.67 m. A higher percentage of dead mounds were excavated by aardvarks (41%) and occupied by ants (64%) than live mounds, 21 and 24% for aardvark excavation and ant occupancy, respectively. Exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K), electrical conductivity, pH, percent organic matter (OM) and total nitrogen (TN) and available K were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in mound soil than adjacent soil. Percent TN and OM, pH, and available K were significantly higher in mound perimeter than in adjacent soil. The higher accumulation of plant nutrients in mounds and their deposition in the mound perimeter  by erosion have contributed to significantly higher differences in stem length, dry biomass, and yield of teff (Eragrostis teff L.) grown in the mound perimeter than on adjacent soil. 

Key words: Adjacent soil, ecosystem engineer, Maki, mound perimeter, mound soil, nutrient accumulation, termite.