International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 087- 089, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of breed, age and body condition score on hematology, blood chemistry and fecal parasitic load of indigenous bulls in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Addass P. A.¹, Midau A.¹*, Muktar Y. M. ² and Mshelia Z. B.³

¹Department Animal Production, Adamawa State University, P.M.B 25 Mubi Adamawa State, Nigeria.

²Department of Animal Science and Range Management, Federal University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

³Department of Biological Science, Adamawa State University, P.M.B 25 Mubi Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Received December 17, 2011; Accepted January 23, 2012

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The blood chemistry of most common bull cattle breeds were randomly collected and assessed. Significant (P<0.01) breed variation on packed cell volume (PCV) was observed. Adamawa Gudali (AG) had highest (55.29±0.77%) PCV value followed by Rahaji (RJ) (46.83±0.80%) then Sokoto Gudali (SG) (46.19±0.78%) while Bunaji had the least (43.59±0.74%). Significant (P< 0.001) breed differences were also depicted on mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC). Highest (40.35±0.62×10¹⁵ FL) MCV was observed on AG followed by RJ (36.57±0.65×10¹⁵ FL) while similar values were recorded on BJ (33.95±0.6×10¹⁵×FL) and SG (34.27±0.63×10¹⁵FL). On MCHC, AG had the highest (25.940.55g/dl) while similar values were observed on BJ (29.32±0.54g/dl), SG (28.75±0.56) and RJ (27.62±0.58g/dl). Significant (P<0.001) breed difference was pronounced on fecal parasitic egg count (FPEC) indicating SG with highest (18.21±0.68) value followed by RJ (16.35±0.71) while Ag (9.57±0.67) and BJ (10.21±0.66) had similar least values. Significant (P<0.001) age group difference was observed on PCV with similar highest values observed on age groups 1.5 to 2 years (48.45±0.66%),2¹_/2­-3years(50.28±0.80%) and 3.5 to 4  years while age group ≥4years had least (45.76±0.66%) value. Significant (P<0.001) age group on FPEC with age group 2.5 to 3 years had highest (15.50±0.70) followed by age group 3.5 to 4 years (14.62±0.58) while similar least values were recorded on age groups 1.5 to 2 years (9.56±1.18) and ≥4 years (10.82±0.58). Significant (P<0.001) BCS difference was observed on PCV with highest (50.78±0.85%) value on BCS₅ followed by BCS₄ (49.18±0.60%) while similar values were recorded on BSC₂ (43.36±1.19%) and BCS₃ (45.48±0.72%). Significant (P<0.001) breed effect on FPEC was evident showing BCS₂ with highest (21.83±0.05) egg count followed BCS₃ (14.95±0.064) then BCS₄ (11.60±0.53), BCS₅ had the least (9.39±0.75).

Key words: Cattle, breed, bulls, hematology, age, fecal parasitic load.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 087- 089, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Irrigation versus Rain-fed Agriculture: Driving for Households’ Income Disparity, A Study from Central Tigray, Ethiopia 

Kinfe Asayehegn

School of Environment, Gender and Development Studies, Awassa College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Ethiopia P.O.box: 271

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: [email protected]

Received December 17, 2011; Accepted January 23, 2012

Abstract 

Ethiopia is endowed with three major resources (Land, Water and Human Labor), an opportunity for intensive agriculture such as irrigation farming. Although small-scale irrigation provides wider benefits for the livelihood improvement of rural farm households, some of them owned irrigation while others not yet, due to different reasons. This irrigation ownership difference leads to household income disparity. To this end, this paper is aimed to analyze the effect of small-scale irrigation on households’ income. A two-stage sampling procedure was used to first select peasant associations and then sample respondents. Descriptive statistics and Heckman’s two-stage estimation were used to estimate the effects of small-scale irrigation on households’ income. The results of the study indicated that in addition to land and livestock, access and utilization to working capital is determinant for irrigation utilization decision that leads to better income. Irrigation users comparatively participate in social positions and owned comfortable residence homes than non-users. Formation of self-help cooperatives and saving-credit associations in rural areas bridges producers with their clientele solving the working capital deficiencies.

Keywords:  Ethiopia, Household, Income Disparity, Irrigation and Small-Scale

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 059-066, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Status, cost and profitability of aquaculture enterprises in Nigeria: implications for food security

¹Adeogun, O. A., T. ²Alimi and R. ²Adeyemo

¹Nigerian Institute for Oceanography & Marine Research

²Department of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Nigeria

³Wilmot Point Road, Victoria Island, Lagos

*Corresponding Author's Email: [email protected]

Received December 15, 2011; Accepted January 28, 2012

Abstract 

Although aquaculture in Nigeria has the potential for satisfying the increased demand for protein and has been experiencing unprecedented growth during the last decade, question remains regarding the sustainable development of the industry. This study summarises the aquaculture practices in Nigeria and compares the productivity, costs and benefits across various types of enterprises. The study was based on field survey conducted between 2008 and 2009, with data drawn from 700 fish farmers. More than half (58.3 %) of the fish farmers raised fish in concrete tanks. Monoculture of Clarias species was the most dominant culture practice by 75.0% of fish farmers in the study area. Economic analysis of the production systems using various farming enterprises revealed that the profit margin was found to be as low as N207.92 per kilogramme of fish in flow techniques to N314.00 per kilogramme in stagnant system. Mean overall profitability was 4.7. The F-value (6.08) showed a significant difference in the profitability ratio of different fish farming enterprises. This shows that fish farming in Lagos State achieved on the average some levels of profitability that should guarantee its economic sustainability.

Keywords: Aquaculture, status, costs, profitability, Nigeria

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 075-080, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

ELISA-based detection of major potato viruses in tissue culture produced potato germplasm 

Muhammad Nasir¹*, Syed Sajjid Hussain Zaidi², Asia Batool³, Mumtaz Hussain¹, Babar Iqbal¹, Waseem Abbas² and Muhammad Makky Javed²

¹Plant Pathology Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

²Plant Virology Section, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

³Plant Pathology Section, PPRI, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: [email protected]

Received December 8, 2011; Accepted January 25, 2012

Abstract

Potato leaves samples of different potato plantlets of three varieties (Cardinal, Desiree, Diamont) produced through tissue culture, were collected from incubation room, glass houses, tunnels (Faisalabad and Murree) and field and tested against major potato viruses through ELISA. 537 out of 6581 samples were infected with different potato viruses. Maximum incidence was of PVX (4.51%) whereas 1.21% of PVY, 0.41% of PLRV, 1.52% of PVS, 0.39% of PVM and incidence of PVA was 0.11% in all tissue cultured potato plantlets. Cardinal variety was infected with PVX (3.21%), PVY (1.27%), PLRV (0.63%), PVS (1.99%); PVM (0.63%) and PVA (0.23%) and Desiree potato variety was infected with PVX (5.90%), PVY (1.52%), PLRV (0.38%), PVS (1.35%); PVM (0.42%) and PVA (0.08%) where as Diamont was infected with PVX (4.30%), PVY (0.80%), PLRV (0.20%), PVS (1.20%) and PVM (0.10%). No virus infection was observed in the samples of all three varieties collected from incubation room. Plantlets collected from glass house, Cardinal variety was infected with PLRV (1.25%), PVS (0.42%) and PVM (0.42%) and plantlets of Desiree infected with PVX (0.75%), PVY (0.75%), PLRV (0.93%), PVS (0.37%) and PVM (0.56%) where as plantlets of Diamont were infected with PVX (1.71%), PVY (0.86%), PLRV (1.14%), PVS (0.57%) and PVM (0.29%). The samples collected from tunnels, Cardinal plantlets were infected with PVX (10.32%), PVY (7.74%), PLRV (2.58%), PVS (12.90%) and Desiree plantlets were infected with PVX (13.92), PVY (4.40)  andd PVS (5.86) and plantlets of Diamont were infected with (8.89), PVY (5.93) and PVS (8.89%). The samples collected from Murree tunnels, Cardinal was infected with PVX (2.44%), PLRV (0.28%), PVS (0.70%), PVM (0.42%) and PVA (0.14%) where as samples of Desiree and Diamont were infected with only PVX (4.51%, 3.65% respectively). The samples collected from field, Cardinal variety was infected with PVX (25.00%), PVY (20.00%), PVS (15.00%), PVM (7.50%), PVA (3.75%) and plantlets of Desiree were infected with PVX (44%), PVY (26.67%), PLRV (5.33%), PVS (18.67%), PVM (9.33), PVA (2.67%) and plantlets of Diamont were infected with PVX (34.78%), PVY (8.70%) and PVS (21.74%). These samples were collected from the suspected plantlets and ELISA test was carried out to identify the infecting virus in order to produce healthy potato plantlets for further multiplication of disease free seed potato.

Key words: Potato viruses, symptomatology, ELISA, germplasm, screening.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 040-045, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Balance of rice for the Mekong Delta – Viet Nam to 2050 in terms of industrialization and climate change

Nguyen Van Song and Do Thi Diep

Head of Department of Resources & Environment Economics Hanoi University of Agriculture – Vietnam

Tel: (0084)438760222 Home: (0084)438766448 Mobile: 0984148879 Fax:(0084)438276522

*Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

Received December 11, 2011; Accepted January 3, 2012

Abstract

Rice area of ​​the Mekong Delta (MD) has decreased in recent years, especially the shift from rice land into land for industrial parks and saline land due to sea level rise and effects of climate change. In addition, the rate of population growth also requires increasingly high demand for rice in the region. By using the model, results showed that the population of the Mekong Delta will be at 26,956.5 thousand inhabitants, paddy land is 993.9 thousand hectares, rice balance will achieve 4729.9 thousand tons in 2050. Scenarios of sea level rise due to the impact of climate change shows that the sea level rise to 0.3 m in 2050, corresponding to the rice area is reduced by 0.6 million hectares, the paddy land remained only 851.6 thousand hectares, balance rice  reached 2.6 million tons. Although rice yield and output increased due to intensive investment and increasing the use of rice land, but the rate of declining rice land under the influence of climate change and industrialization plus increasing population is faster led to rice balance in 2050 only was 2.5 million tons. This is a huge pressure to national food security in the near future. So the strategy set for the Mekong Delta in the near future is to stabilize rice area, slowing population growth and application of scientific and technical measures to improve productivity and rice output.

Keywords:  rice land, population, rice output, industrialization, climate change.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (1), pp. 046 -053, January 2012, ISSN: 2167-0447 ©2012 International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research paper

Chemical treated IPM strategies for insect pests of cauliflower vegetable crop

Hakim Ali Sahito¹, Shafique Ahmed Memon², Nazim Hussain Kaleri³, Bhugro Mal⁴, Ashfaque Ahmed Dhaunro⁵ and Sakhawat Kaleri⁶

¹Entomologist, (Sindh) CABI Southeast and West Asia, Rawalpindi- Pakistan

²Lecturer, LUAWMS, Uthal- Baluchistan

³Research Fellow, ARI, Tandojam- Sindh

⁴Scientific Officer, PARC, Karachi- Sindh

⁵Research Associate, SAU, Tandojam- Sindh

⁶122Research Fellow, ARI, Tandojam- Sindh                                                                                                            

Received January 9, 2012; Accepted January 28, 2012

 *Corresponding Author's E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

In order to compare the population of insect pests and predators under IPM and chemical control application in cauliflower, the studies were carried out during the year 2010-2011. Riverm (Biopesticide) along with farmyard manure (FYM), Chrysoperla carnea and Trichograma chilonis were used as IPM strategies. While, Confidor 20SL and Prophenophos 50EC pesticides were applied for controlling cauliflower insect pests. The data of both the plots were compared with Check plot. The results indicated that lowest activities of all insect pests were recorded in non-IPM except whitefly. The overall mean population 23.29, 3.32, 1.92, 0.36 and 0.09 per leaf/plant of thrip, whitefly, aphid, diamond backmoth and semilooper were recorded in non-IPM while, their populations 27.40, 3.17, 2.25, 0.77 and 0.12, respectively were recorded in IPM plot as compared to check plot where their populations were recorded as 47.22, 8.88, 7.72, 1.18 and 0.38, respectively. In contrast to pest population, the predators, parasitoid were found more active in check plot. In check plot the population of predators such as spiders, paedeurs, zigzag beetle, Chrysoperla carnea and Trichograma chilonis were recorded as 0.119, 0.076, 0.073, 0.043 and 0.016, respectively. However their populations 0.17, 0.06, 0.05, 0.26 and 0.005, respectively were recorded in IPM plot. The T-test showed significant different in pest and predators population between IPM and non-IPM and between non-IPM and check plot except parasitoid which non-significantly appeared in IPM and non-IPM plots. 

Key words: Brassica oleraceae, sucking complex, DBM, IPM, Chemical control.