International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Full Length Research Paper

 The effect of nitrogen fertilizer split application on the nitrogen use efficiency, grain yield and economic benefit of maize production

Tilahun Tadesse^1*, Alemayehu Assefa², Minale Liben¹ and Zelalem Tadesse¹

¹Agronomist, ²Agronomist/physiologist Adet Research Center,P. O. Box 08, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

 *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 10 May, 2013

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Adet Research station, northwest-Ethiopia in order to determine the influence of the application time of nitrogen fertilizer on two varieties of maize (Zea mays). A split plot design in randomized complete block (RCB), with three replicates was used. Variety was the main plot and fertilizer application time the sub-plot. Intermediate maturing and late maturing maize varieties, BH-540 and BH-660, respectively, were used for the experiment. Ten different times of nitrogen fertilizer application were studied: 1/2 at planting (p) + 1/2 at knee height (k) (control), all at planting, 1/2 p + 1/2 near tasseling (t), 1/3 p + 1/3 k + 1/3 t, 1/3 p + 2/3 k, 1/3 p + 2/3 t, 1/4 p + 2/4 k + 1/4 t, 1/4 p + 1/4 k + 2/4 t, 1/4 p + 3/4 k, and 1/4 p +3/4 t. The same rate of nitrogen, 128 kg N /ha, was used in all the cases. Results obtained indicated that for the intermediate maturing BH-540 variety nitrogen application of 1/3 at planting + 2/3 at knee height was found to produce the highest yield. The application method gave a yield advantage of 1005 kg/ha over the commonly practiced 1/2 at planting + 1/2 at knee height application. Concerning the late maturing variety BH-660, nitrogen application of 1/4 at planting + 3/4 at knee height gave a yield advantage of 296.2 kg/ha over 1/2 at planting + 1/2 at knee height application. The best yielding split applications and timings exhibited the highest agronomic Nutrient Use Efficiencies (NUE) and better economic advantages for the respective varieties.

Key words: Nitrogen split, medium maturing, late maturing, profitable, nutrient use efficiency, zea mays.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 483-492, May, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of salinity and silicon application on photosynthetic characteristics of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

Jafar Nabati¹, Mohammad Kafi2, Ali Masoumi³ and Mohammad Zare Mehrjerdi ²

¹Ph.D. in crop physiology, Yakta Seed Technologists Company

²Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

³Faculty of Agriculture, Payam Noor University

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 10 April, 2013

Abstract

Supplementing Si to the soil is one of the alternative strategies for overcoming the negative effects of salinity on crop yield. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of silicon application on photosynthesis characteristics of two sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) cultivars (CV) (Omidbakhsh and Sepideh) under three levels of salt stress (5.2, 10.5 and 23.1 dS m^-1), two levels of Si (1.44 and 1.92 g.kg^-1soil) application and control (0 g.kg^-1 soil) arranged as a split, split plot design. Salinity significantly decreased photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll a (Cha), chlorophyll b (Chb), and dry matter accumulation (DM) of the sorghum plants, indicating that plants suffered from stress. In addition, salinity imposed a remarkable decrease on variable fluorescence (Fv) and quantum yield. At highest level of salinity supply of 1.92 g.kg^-1soil Si, alleviated negative effects of salinity and increased photosynthetic rate (24%), transpiration rate (19%), quantum yield (38%), total pigments (22%) and dry matter accumulation (65%) compare with 1.44 g.kg^-1soil Si application. Correlation between shoot dry weight, Cha and Chb were no significant. In the relative salt sensitive CV (Sepideh) leaf Cha, Chb content and Cha/Chb, was higher than salt tolerance CV (Omidbakhsh), however, Omidbakhsh showed higher photosynthetic rate and dry matter accumulation.

Key words: Salinity stress, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, transpiration rate.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447  Vol. 3 (4), pp. 470-472, April, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Sewage irrigation can sustain the soil health: A review

Pavan Kumar Reddy Yerasi^1* Y.sharath Kumar Reddy², G.Kiran Reddy³, Dr.M.Ram Prasad⁴

^1,2S.V.Agricultural College, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati, India. 517502.

^3,4College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hydebrabad, 500030, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 1 April, 2013

Abstract

Water is becoming the most important limiting natural resource nowadays and more than 70% of water is being utilized for irrigation. Shortage of surface and underground water could be partially overcome by reuse or recycling of sewage water and its multiple uses are becoming more and more important to meet the increased demand of agricultural production. Poor water quality degrades soil quality, results in the accumulation of heavy metals and alteration of soil physical, physico-chemical and chemical properties and influences the soil health to a great extent. Studies by different authors on different soil properties, by the effect of domestic sewage irrigation on quality of soils, soil nutrient status, properties are reviewed in this paper.

Key words: Sewage water, soil properties, soil health, irrigation.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (4), pp. 473-482, April, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Studies on the impact of water deficit on morphological, physiological and yield of banana (Musa spp.,) cultivars and hybrids

K. Krishna Surendar^*1, D. Durga Devi¹, I. Ravi², P. Jeyakumar¹ and K. Velayudham³

^*1Department of Crop Physiology, TNAU, Coimbatore-641 003, India.
²National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR), Thiruchirapalli, India.
³Department of Farm Management, TNAU, Coimbatore-641 003, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 27 February, 2013

Abstract

Field investigations were undertaken to screen the banana cultivars and hybrids for water stress tolerance and to elucidate information on morphological, physiological and yield characteristics mechanism of banana cultivars and hybrids. Stress was imposed at different critical stages viz., 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th and 9^th month after planting. The stress was given by scheduling irrigation at the 50 per cent available soil moisture (ASM) characteristic during critical stages. The soil moisture content was analyzed by using pressure plate membrane apparatus. In control plots, the irrigation was given at the ASM of 80 per cent with the soil water potential of around -6 bars and in the case of stressed plots; the irrigation was given when an ASM reached 50 per cent with the soil water potential of -14 bars. In stressed plots, 50 per cent ASM was reached around 30 days. In this present study conducted with twelve cultivars and hybrids with three replications. The data were analyzed by using split plot design. The morphological characters viz., plant height, and number of leaves were significantly enhanced by control when compared to stress-treated plants and physiological characters like RWC, total chlorophyll content and osmotic potential can be considered good indicators of leaf water status in banana and can therefore be used for irrigation scheduling. Among the twelve cultivars and hybrids, Karpuravalli, Karpuravalli x Pisang Jajee, Saba, and Sannachenkathali was identified as tolerant to water stress and showed lesser reduction in the range of 3 to 14 per cent in morphological characters and 8-10 per cent over control in physiological characters leads to maintained its superiority over control and get higher bunch yield; whereas, Matti, Pisang Jajee x Matti, Matti x Anaikomban and Anaikomban x  Pisang Jajee were notified as sensitive cultivars and hybrids with mean reduction of 22 per cent in morphological and physiological characters than control due to irrigation at 50 ASM.

Key words: water deficit, morphological, physiological characters, yield, banana cultivars.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (3), pp. 459-469, March, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Ethnobotanical and floristical study of Alstonia boonei De Wild. (Apocynaceae) in the Makokou region, Ogoué-Ivindo province, Gabon

Jean Lagarde Betti¹, Olga Diane Yongo², Diosdado Obiang Mbomio³, Donald Midoko Iponga⁴, Alfred Ngoye⁴

¹Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, Cameroon, BP 24 157 Douala.

²Faculty of Sciences, University of Bangui, ,BP 908, Avenue des Martyrs, Bangui, Central African Republic.

³INDEFOR, APDO 207, Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

⁴Institut des Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENAREST), BP: 13 354 – Libreville, Gabon

*Correspnding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 18 February, 2013

Abstract

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted between May and August 2011 in the Makokou region, Ogooué Ivindo province of Gabon. The survey aimed at identifying medicinal plants used by villagers in the popular pharmacopoeia. Inventories were conducted in one village (Minkouala) in the same region, with the aim to assess the abundance of medicinal plants in the surrounding forest. A total of 38 informants distributed in four ethnic groups prescribed recipes with Alstonia boonei (Apocynaceae) in the treatment of 14 ailments (diseases, symptoms or physiological effects). Malaria or fever (50.63% of citations), intestinal worms (19%) and wounds (07.6%) appear to be the most cited ailments. There are ailments such as malaria, fever, or stomach disorder of which the pharmacological activity of A. boonei is almost established in the litterature. The management inventory was conducted in the 5 000 ha of the production forest delimitated in the Minkouala village, with a sampling intensity of 0.5%.  Ten trees of A. boonei were inventoried, which gived a density of 0.4 stems/ha. The stock and the biomass of the stem barks of A. boonei were estimated based on paramaters developed with similar studies conducted in other African countries. The exploitable stock of A. boonei for the Minkouala village is 1 400 trees, while the the total biomass of the fresh barks to harvest in a sustainable manner is 70 000 kg, or 14 000 kg of fresh bark per year.  

Key words: Alstonia boonei, popular pharmacopoeia, Makokou region, management inventories, stock, biomass, Malaria, ACP-FORENET.

Full Length Research Paper

Population dynamics of fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) species associated with mango in the Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecological zone of Ghana

Nboyine J. A.^1*, Abudulai M.¹, Nutsugah S.K.¹, Badii B.² and Acheampong A.²

¹Entomology Section, CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, P. O. Box 52, Tamale, Ghana.

²Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box 1882, Tamale, Ghana.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]  

Accepted 04 January, 2013.

Abstract

Fruit flies are a major threat to the mango industry in Ghana. Effective control of these flies requires understanding the dynamics in the population of the species present. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the population dynamics of fruit fly species associated with mango in the Guinea Savanna Agro-ecological zone of Ghana. Traps baited with methyl eugenol, terpinyl acetate, and trimedlure and the killing agent Dimethyl 2, 2-DichloroVinyl Phosphate were used to trap the flies. A total of 6,889 fruit flies belonging to the genera Bactrocera and Ceratitis were captured during the study. Ceratitis cosyra was the dominant species recorded in traps and from incubated fruits during the dry and main fruiting periods of January to April, while Bactrocera invadens was the dominant species recorded during the wet and towards the end of the mango season of May to November. Populations of C. cosyra were positively correlated with temperature but negatively correlated with relative humidity, while populations of B. invadens were positively correlated with relative humidity but negatively correlated with temperature. These findings demonstrate that fruit fly management in the study area should be targeted at C. cosyra during the dry periods and B. invadens during the wet season.    

Key words: Mango, fruit flies, Ceratitis cosyra, Bactrocera invadens, Guinea Savanna zone, weather, Ghana.