| 1 |
Author(s):
Natasha Isabel Tanatsiwa Mbiza, Wanzu Feng, Pengliang Xia, Haoran Zhang, Zongwei Hu, Qian Chen, Man Zeng, Yi Zhang, Yazhen Yang, Chuanren Li, Jianmin Zhang.
Page No : 1-11
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Insect Chitinase: Molecular Biology and the Potential Roles in Insect Pest Management
Abstract
Insect chitinase and chitinase-like proteins play a significant regulatory role in degrading chitin in the exoskeletal and gut linings of insects. For several years, researches on insect chitinase have been carried out on their development as biopesticides or chemical defence proteins in transgenic plants. Targeting chitin degraded by insect chitinases may be an effective approach in integrated pest management programs because they are harmless for the plants and vertebrates, which do not have chitin in their tissues. The ability of chitinases to digest chitin in the peritrophic matrix or exoskeleton raises the possibility to use them as an insect pest control strategy. New technologies were continually applied for the studies on the structure, time and space expression, tissue specific expression and biological function of insect chitinases with the rapid development of molecular biology, and many innovative achievements were reached. The research advances of insect chitinases were reviewed in the paper.
| 2 |
Author(s):
N. S. Amadi, Raji Wale Isaiah.
Page No : 12-21
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Skills Required by Agricultural Education Students for Successful Operation of Farm Workshops in Rivers State Tertiary Institutions
Abstract
The study investigated the skills required by agricultural education students for the successful operation of farm workshops in Rivers State Tertiary Institutions. The purpose of the study was to determine the mechanization, management, and crop and soil operation skill required by agricultural education students for the successful operation of farm workshops in Rivers State Tertiary Institutions. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was all farm workshop technicians and agricultural education lecturers in the tertiary institutions in Rivers State. Due to the fact that the population was manageable, the study engaged all the population in the study. That is, census sampling was used. The instrument used in this study was a self-structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by experts, the instrument was also tested for reliability using Kuder Richardson-20, which yielded a coefficient index of 0.89. The data collected through this instrument was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The hypotheses were tested using a t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed the ability to operate tractors properly, ability to fix farm implements on the power take-off shaft, ability to maintain workshop tools and machines, ability to observe tool and machine maintenance and care, communication and human relationship skills, ability to process local crops, ability to use farm machine for crop management activities among others are farm workshop skill required for the successful operation of agricultural workshops. It was recommended that the agricultural education curriculum should include students’ workshop practice for students to properly acquire mechanization skills during their academic program.
| 3 |
Author(s):
A.M. El Sawy, Mona M. Aly, Assem A. A. Mohamed.
Page No : 22-35
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Profitability of Lilium Flowers as Influenced by Light and Ascorbic Acid in a Greenhouse
Abstract
The experiment was conducted under greenhouse at Dokki- Giza, Egypt during two seasons 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 to study the effects of ascorbic acid and artificial light on vegetative growth and flowering parameters of lilium plants (plant height, plant weight, number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter, number of flower buds, inflorescence length, number of days to flowering, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium content and chlorophyll). White LED lamps (11 W- A60 – 1200 lm) were used as an artificial light. They were applied during the night to elongate the photoperiod; Control (without artificial light), Continuous light and Intermittent light. Ascorbic acid treatments were spraying plant foliar at concentration 300 ppm. The results indicated that there was a significant increase in all lilium parameters, achieved by treating plants with intermittent light and spraying ascorbic acid twice. Light is a major factor in the control of lilium height. Using lighting technology and ascorbic acid can improve lilium plants quality. The study reveals that the total production cost of lilium was estimated to be 20048 Egyptian pounds (LE) per 540 square meters area in the first season, while the total production cost of lilium in the second season was estimated to be LE 20213. The (intermittent light+ twice foliar spraying of ascorbic acid) treatment had the highest gross margin which is LE 48251 and LE 48231 for the first and second seasons, respectively. The benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) per 540 squares meters were analysed, and (intermittent light+ twice foliar spraying of ascorbic acid) treatment had the highest BCR with 21.2 in the first season and 21.02 in the second season.
| 4 |
Author(s):
Dr. Lassana Toure, Dr. Ousmane Konipo, Atoumane Diagne.
Page No : 36-57
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Typology and Economic Profitability of Farms in Mali: Case of Cotton Producers in the CMDT Zones of Fana and Koutiala
Abstract
This paper reports an analysis of the operating account and the economic profitability of farms according to the typology of cotton farmers in the CMDT zones of Fana and Koutiala in Mali, highlighting the causes of the level of profitability. The methodological approach adopted was first of all a descriptive and inferential analysis of the socio-demographic characteristics of the farms, the farm account and the economic profitability by type of farm (well-equipped, equipped and less equipped). It has been found that only well-equipped farms make a positive profit if we value family labour and organic manure. The other types of farms had difficulty covering the costs involved in seed cotton production. Cotton farmers use far too much family labour (10 people on average) without seeing their profits increase exponentially. As a result, the productivity of family labour is extremely low (almost 216 FCFA of Average Labour Remuneration Rate on average overall), making the activity economically unprofitable from this point of view. Moreover, producers of the equipped or less equipped type have negative IRRs (respectively -15% and -36%) as opposed to the well-equipped type with an IRR of 26%. Therefore, only producers of the well-equipped type have an economically profitable activity from the point of view of capital productivity, considering the 12% threshold set by credit institutions. At the end of this investigation, we propose to train cotton farmers in farm management by helping them to better optimise their production costs; reorient some active members of the household towards other income-generating activities; grant access to equipment credit for both well-equipped and less-equipped farms so that they can increase their yields and net cotton profits; and easily grant access to land to farms, especially well-equipped ones, so that they can sow more land.
| 5 |
Author(s):
Chamalki Madhusha, Imalka Munaweera, Nilwala Kottegoda.
Page No : 58-78
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Functional Nanomaterials as Smart Food Packaging: A Brief Review
Abstract
In order to safeguard the sustainability of world food production, it is important to explore innovative pathways to enhance crop yields, to minimize post-harvest loss and to escalate the shelf life of food. Nanotechnology has offered a new template in developing new strategies for sustainable food production. It enables the engineering of multifunctional materials through manipulating the matter at 1-100 nm where quantum effects dominate the particle properties. Among many potential materials, nanohybrids and nanocomposites have already conjured up speculation about a seismic shift, but the pace of development is modest. In the context of modern developments, smart packaging has gained a greater scientific interest due to their ability to offer much functionality other than providing the physical protection of food against environmental impacts. Here, we explore the role of engineered nanomaterials as smart packaging materials with a particular insight into recently developed strategies to curtail the post-harvest loss and to improve the shelf life. A particular emphasis will be made to discuss bio-nanocoatings, nanoclays, metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, and carbon-based nanohybrids/nanocomposites along with current challenges, safety concerns, and future prospects of these nanotechnological advancements in diminishing the post-harvest loss.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Atsen S.N., Mafuyai G.M., Eneji I.S..
Page No : 79-88
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Pesticide Residue in Maize Stored in Bassa, Bokkos, Jos – North and Mangu Local Government Area Warehouses, Plateau State
Abstract
Maize grains are highly susceptible to infestation by weevils and are consequently often subjected to post-harvest treatment with pesticides, to maintain good quality during storage and to avoid economic losses. Pesticide residues have become a major group of environmental contaminants as a result of the application of pesticides on harvested maize. In this study, it was revealed that Dichlorvos T. found in maize, was below detectable limit in the four local government areas, while aluminium phosphide in all the areas studied was above the EU/WHO permissible limit of 0.01ppm. Atrazine, a herbicide used to control weeds in farms, was found to be 0.14ppm in maize in MG, higher than the permissible limit of 0.05ppm. Therefore, these may cause health hazards.
| 7 |
Author(s):
Usman M., Ali A., Olatunji O..
Page No : 89-108
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Effect of Fertilizer Application on Soil Properties and Yield of Sesame (sesamum indicum l.) Varieties in Southern Guinea and Sudan Savanna Agro-Ecological Zones of Nigeria
Abstract
Field experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons to determine the effect of fertilizer application on soil properties and yield of sesame varieties in Southern Guinea and Sudan Savanna Agro-ecological Zones of Nigeria. Treatments consisted of three varieties of sesame (Jigida, NCRIBEN-01M and NCRIBEN-032) and four levels of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer (0, 50,100 and 150 kg ha-1). Treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated thrice. Prior to planting, surface (0-15 cm) soil samples were collected from eight points and bulked; post-harvest composite soil samples were also collected on the basis of treatments. All soil samples were analyzed using standard analytical procedures. Data on yield parameters collected include number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, length of capsule (cm), 1000 capsule weight (g), 1000 seeds weight (g) and seed yield (t ha-1). The crop data generated from the study were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Genstat Release 10.3 DE after which significant means were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5 % level of probability. Results indicated that the soils of both locations were inherently poor in essential plant nutrients. The improved varieties (NCRIBEN-01M and NCRIBEN-032) performed better than the local variety in terms of yields in both cropping seasons. Sesame yield increased with increase in fertilizer application rates up to 150 kg ha-1. The effect of varieties on soil properties did not differ significantly however, the improved varieties left lower essential nutrients in soil when compared with the local variety. Fertilizer application at 150 kg ha-1 favoured the retention of organic matter as well as other essential nutrient elements in soil. Location effect showed that the Potiskum soil had more nutrients than that of Makurdi. For sustainable sesame production and maintenance of soil fertility in both locations, application of 150 kg ha-1 of NPK 15:15:15 to sesame fields is recommended.
