Agriculture

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is a promising biocontrol agent against coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei in coffee. The fungus conidial survival was influenced by both environment and agrochemicals normally used to protect crop plants. The present study evaluates the fungitoxic effect of commonly used chemical insecticides (endosulfan, chlorpyriphos, dimethoate and quinalphos) and fungicides (bordeaux, hexaconazole and triadimefon) on germination, vegetative growth and sporulation of B. bassiana. The insecticides and fungicides were tested at three concentrations (Field Recommendation (FR), half FR, and twice FR). All the tested concentrations inhibited the germination (9.0-81.19% and 19.3-100%), vegetative growth (0.5-62.9% and 37.1-100%) and sporulation (7.0-99.9% and 99-100%) of B. bassiana by the insecticides and fungicides respectively, but dimethoate exhibited minimum inhibitory effect. Dimethoate showed better compatibility to B. bassiana in all the three concentrations. As dimethoate is safer to biological control agent, could be used as an integrated pest management in coffee.

The aim of this study was to examine energy use pattern and predict the output energy for dry wheat production in Silakhor plain from Lorestan province of Iran. The data used in this study were collected from farmers by using a face to face survey. The results revealed that chemical fertilizer with seed and diesel fuel have consumed 57.93% and 36.58% of total energy, respectively. In this study, several direct and indirect factors have been identified to create an artificial neural networks (ANN) model to predict output energy for dry wheat production. The final model can predict output energy based on human power, machinery, diesel fuel, chemical fertilizer with seed and transportation. The results of ANNs analyze showed that the (5-10-10-1)-MLP, namely, a network having ten neurons in the first and second hidden layer was the best-suited model estimating the output energy. For this topology, MSE and R2 were 0.029 and 90%, respectively. The sensitivity analysis of input parameters on output showed that chemical fertilizer with seed and human power had the highest and lowest sensitivity on output energy with 0.21and 0.03, respectively.

Cotton is the world’s most used fibre. Cotton is number one fibre used for apparel in United States. In 1994, a survey on cotton found that 63 percent of cotton was used for apparel, 29 percent for home furnishings and 8 percent for industrial type products and exportation. Cotton comes in several types, depending on the way it is grown or processed. There is no way to the consumer to know the true quality of Egyptian cotton used in manufacture of a product. It is possible to purchase a product labeled 100% Egyptian cotton with the expectation of it being made from the very finest cotton, when in fact it could be made from lesser quality, non-ELS Egyptian cotton. Therefore, a modest attempt is made to divulge the nature, characteristics and applications of various types of cotton grown in the world and their significance.

Salinity is one of the major stresses in arid and semi-arid regions causing adverse effects at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels, limiting crop productivity. In this research, three canola cultivars (Licord, Talayeh, Zarfam) were compared at 5 salinity levels (control, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) for their catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activity,proline and yield in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. In our study, we found that NaCl concentrations greater than 150 and 200 mM caused the irreversible disorders. Increased salt concentrations led to significant changes in the levels of antioxidative enzymes and proline in three canola cultivars. Also, yield rates in three varieties decreased in the presence of NaCl concentrations.

Sugarcane is one of the most important major economic plants under cultivation in Iran. Heavy equipment and the intensive use of machinery can cause to soil compaction in sugarcane fields. In order to studying quantity of compaction in soil depth in two ages of ratoon 3rd and 6th, cone penetrometer was used for soil resistance measurements was conducted in 45 km south of Khuzestan province Amir kabir Agro-industry (31º03´N, 48º14´E) which has total area 12000 hectare which most of time 9500 hectare is under cultivation. Values were determined by using variograms maps of variable produced by kriging technique. Geostatistical software (GS+5.1, 2001; Gamma Design Software) was used to construct semivariograms and spatial structure analysis for variables fields. results showed differences were found both in soil depth and percentage of soil penetrometer resistance values ? 2 MPa and results shows differences between 61-80cm soil depth in furrows of 3rd and 6th ratoon are very obvious than 0-61cm of soil depth. In 61-80 cm of soil depth resistance in both ratoon field have increased and usage of mechanical loosening techniques subsoiling to remove soil compaction is necessary. In general combination of geostatics data with primary analysis can assist agricultural mechanization studies field and scientists through a previous identification of degraded zones within the field (e.g. block kriging) and management methods involved in slightly areas.

The University of message and specific objectives of teaching, scientific research and community service, they play an important and significant role in the practice of scientific research. The scientific research of the most important pillars of universities, a standard measure of scientific and academic level. The first universities and the natural place to conduct research because of the large number of specialists from faculty members as well as provide search requirements of laboratories and equipment, and the necessary resources for scientific research data collection. The research aims to shed light on the reality of experiments fields in the College of Agriculture and the statement of efficiency usability fields experiments in scientific research and to highlight the shortcomings and weaknesses and their impact on the conduct of the research process of The perspective of professors of the Faculty of Agriculture the aim of identifying determine inhibiting factors and the factors that help in the development of efficient use of the fields and converted of research fields to the research and production for the purposes of development.

Sugarcane fertilization in Kenyan plantations is largely concentrated on Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Use of Potassium, secondary nutrients and micronutrients is altogether missing. Recent soil analysis results indicate that soils in the Mumias Sugar zone of western Kenya that accounts for 50-60 % of national production are K- deficient. In examining the quality factor in sugarcane payment systems as envisaged in recent legislation, adoption of balanced nutrition by inclusion of K would help improve sugar cane productivity and enhance sugar recovery. This paper reports the effect of K, N and their interaction on sugarcane yield and juice quality on acrisols. Four experiments were established in several locations from 2009-2011. The treatments included a factorial combination of four rates of K at 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg/ha K2O and four rates of N at 0, 46, 92 and 138 kg/ha N. Recommended basal phosphate was included in every plot at 92 kg/ha P2O5. Each experiment was harvested after 18 months of growth. Results showed significant responses to K and N. Agronomic efficiency was higher in plots supplied with K along with N. Nitrogen and K2O application rates that produced optimum cane yields were: N = 46kg/ha and K2O = 60 kg/ha; however, economically profitable rates were N = 46-92 kg/ha and K2O at 60 kg/ha. Productivity gains did not offset costs when rates were higher than 120 kg/ha of K2O and 138 kg/ha of N. The results imply that the inclusion of K in the sugar cane fertilization regime at Mumias will be beneficial. An initial rate of 60kg/ha K2O (2 bags of 50 kg muriate of potash is recommended on soils with K-deficiency. There were strong indications that with K fertilization the current N recommendation of 120 – 150 kg N/ha could be reduced to only 78-92 kg/ha due to better N utilization from the interaction with K.

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, It occurs because dry land ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to over exploitation and inappropriate use. Land degradation is a major obstacle militating sustainable use of land resources for agriculture. The relative role of climate, drought and human impact was discussed. This menace which manifested in the forms of soil erosion, desertification, salting of river and ponds, acidification and Stalinization, loss of soil fauna and flora e.t.c. is seriously militating productive parts of the soil, Poverty, political instability, deforestation over grazing and bad irrigation practices also undermine the land's fertility, thus, resulted in a negative effect on the socio-economic status of the inhabitants. These consequences can be properly addressed through the establishment of shelterbelts and woodlots, improvement of agricultural productivity, creation of awareness of the drought-hazard through provision of necessary resources for meteorological services in the area as well as legislation against indiscriminate felling of trees.

Ground nut seed beetle is a serious pest of ground nut in stored condition. Thirteen ground nut cultivars were selected to study their resistance and susceptibility to Caryedon serratus in the laboratory at 70% RH and 28 ? 1°C. The physical characters of ground nut pod like length and breadth of pod, pod colour, pod size, pod weight, pod texture, shell thickness were directly influencing intensity of the attack of ground nut beetle. Pod circumference of g.nut were varied from 3.44 to 4.38 cm. Variety having thicker shell are resistant to the pest.

This work highlights the interactions between fungus-growing termites (Isoptera, Termitidae), and mound building components. As major eco-engineers in tropical ecosystems, termites create biogenic structures with galleries, sheeting’s, fungus-comb chambers where the exosymbiotic interaction between termites and the fungus is well documented. Odontotermes spp. a fungus cultivator build mounds of different dimension that strongly influence the physical and chemical properties of soils there by clay mineralogy and SOM gets altered. In dry land ecosystems, termite mounds are often hotspots of primary production.