Agriculture

In this study the energy consumption of orange orchards was surveyed and various Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) developed to estimate the farmer’s production in the Sari region as a case study. The data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire method from 86 farmers in the Sari region. The results indicated that the total amount of energy input and output were 54284.8 and 59223.4 MJ ha-1, respectively. Among all inputs involved, diesel fuel had the highest energy values per hectare. Also, energy efficiency, energy productivity and net energy were calculated as 1.09, 0.57 kg MJ-1 and 4938.5 MJ ha-1, respectively. Performance of developed ANN models were evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE). The resulting tests showed that best performance was achieved by a momentum training algorithm resulting in R2=0.84, and MAE= 0.32 and RMSE=0.38 with 8-4-1 topology. Additionally, sensitivity analysis revealed that fertilizer and electricity energy had the highest and the lowest sensitivity on output, respectively.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of organic fertilizer application in the production of organic onion. The study was conducted in a fully converted organic field at CLSU RM-CARES using the following treatment; treatment 1 was the control or no fertilizer, treatment 2 was the organic fertilizer at 8 t/ha applied before transplanting, treatment 3 was the vermicast at 8 t/ha applied before transplanting, treatment 4 was combined organic fertilizer and vermicast at the same rate of 4 t/ha applied before transplanting, and the treatment 5 was combine organic fertilizer at 4 t/ha and vermicast at 4 t/ha, half of each fertilizer material was applied before transplanting and another half was applied 30 days after transplanting. Results revealed that combined organic fertilizer vermicast application as biofertilizer had no influence on the diameter size and weight of individual bulb after harvest. However, application of combined organic fertilizer and vermicast at the rate of 4 t/ha of each fertilizer materials applied before transplanting significantly increased the production of marketable bulb, yield per plot and computed yield per hectare. On the other hand, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of onion was observed a comparable results to all fertilizers applied. Moreover, plants fertilized with combined organic fertilizer and vermicast at the same rate of 4 t/ha each of fertilizer materials applied before transplanting significantly obtained the highest potassium uptake with 2.36 t/ha . Follow up studies on the effect on growth and yield of combined fertilizer material should be conducted to confirm and further explain our findings.

The experiment was carried out during the period from 2011,2012 and 2013 to compare the morphology of five gladiolus flowers genotypes with respect to plant height, length and breadth of leaf, number of leaves per plant, length of flowers, breadth of flower, weight of flower, weight of single stick, length of spike, length of rachis, flowers per plant, days to reach 50% spike initiation, number of corm and cormel per plant, breadth of corm and weight of cormel per plant. The results indicated the significant variation amongst the gladiolus genotypes with respect to studied morphological characteristics as well as with yield, yield attributes and plant height. The plant height was higher (70.15cm) and lower (55.52cm) in (SKG14) yellow and(SKG18) orange /(SKG24)red respectively due to genotype. The lengths of leaves were almost same but higher with(SKG14) yellow and(SKG20) violet (50.20/51.10 cm) than the(SKG10) white and(SKG18) orange ones where the smallest length was recorded for(SKG24) red (40.36cm) one. Almost same trends were recorded for breadth of leaves with the exception of few. The average number of leaves was highest for(SKG10) white (14.10) followed by(SKG24) red, (SKG20) violet, (SKG18) orange and (SKG14)yellow respectively. Most of the parameters of flower characteristics did not maintain regular trend and correlation when considered in terms of sequences starting from white to red as shown in the table 1, 2 and 3. The recorded results clearly indicate that the(SKG10) white genotype has the best planting materials which may be planted for luxuriant growth of plants and production of excellent flowers.

Uromyces fabae (Uromyces viciae-fabae) the pea rust was first reported by D. C. H. Persoon in 1801. Later DeBary (1862) changed the genus and renamed it as Uromyces fabae (Pers) deBary. There after, Kispatic (1949) described f. sp. viciae-fabae by including host vicia fabae. The pathogen Uromyces fabae described as autoecious rust with aeciospores, urediospores and teliospores found on the surface of host plant (Arthur and Cummins, 1962; Gaumann, 1998). Gaumann proposed that the fungus be classified into nine forma speciales each with a host range limited to two or there species. Later it was observed that the isolates of Uromyces viciae-fabae share so many hosts in common that it was impossible to classify them into forma speciales (Conner and Bernier, 1982). Based on the distinctive shape and dimensions of substomatal vesicle, Uromyces viciae fabae has been described as a species complex (Emeran et al., 2005). It revealed that host specialized isolates of Uromyces viciae fabae were morphologically distinct, differing in both spore dimensions and infection structure.

The correlation and path coefficient analysis among seed yield and its components in pigeonpea were worked out in 25 erect and 25 semi spreading genotypes separately during 2007-08. Results of the correlation coefficient analysis revealed that seed yield plant^-1 was positively correlated with seeds plant^-1 in erect group whereas, pod clusters plant^-1, pods plant^-1 and 100 seed weight in semi-spreading group. Path coefficient analysis of various characters towards seed yield indicated that the maximum positive direct effect on seed yield was exhibited by seeds plant^-1 in erect group and days to 50% flowering in semi-spreading group. Whereas, path coefficients for 100 seed weight revealed the maximum positive direct effect due to days to 50% flowering in erect group and days to flower initiation in semi-spreading group.

The study examined the energy used for milling rice in Lafia rice mill. A sample of 50 randomly selected rice mills were used for the study. Simple descriptive statistics, production function analysis and correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The result shows that the average total energy used daily for rice milling was 2427.44MJ/mill with diesel energy having the largest share (54.66%) of the average total daily energy used. Furthermore, to mill a bag of paddy about 211.06MJ of energy was required. The energy productivity was 0.37MJ/mill. Diesel and paddy were the most significant inputs that influenced the output of milled rice. The elasticity value range from 0.19 to 7.37 for paddy and diesel respectively. Rice milling in the research area was observed to be dependent on direct and non renewable energy forms especially diesel. The study recommends development of cleaner and safer energy forms such as solar energy for rice milling in the study area.

Field trial was conducted during the rainy seasons of 2009 and 2010 to study the effects of nitrogen and intra row spacing on the growth and yield of sesame. The experiment consisted of three levels of nitrogen in the form of urea (0, 50, and 100 kg N ha-1) and three intra row spacing (7.5, 15 and 22.5cm). The nine treatment combinations were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant height, leaf area index, number of branches per plant, total dry matter per plant and days to 50% flowering were optimized at 100 kg N ha-1 and 22.5cm intra row spacing. Numbers of capsules per plant, capsule weight per plant, grain yield per plant and grain yield per hectare were optimized at 50 kg ha-1 of nitrogen. Maximum number capsules per plant, capsule weight per plant, grain yield per plant were recorded at 22.5cm intra row spacing while, maximum grain yield per hectare was recorded at 15cm intra row spacing. Application of 50 kg N ha-1 and planting at 15cm intra row spacing is therefore recommended for higher sesame yield in this area.

ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted during the growth season of 2013- 2014 autumn and spring at the desert of Najaf Governorate of plant cucumbers Toshika. The aim was to study the effect of soil mulches and garlic extract spray on the growth of cucumbers grown in a greenhouse. The experiment included 16 treatment interaction between soil mulches such as (without mulches , black polyethylene, transparent polyethylene and rice residues) and garlic extract spray at different rates (0.0 , 2.5 , 5.0, and 7.5 ml. L-1) on vegetative growth plants were sprayed. Then spray was adopted at two weeks internals that means two times plant were sprayed during the growing season. Design of the study was split Plot Design within Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicate. The means were compared at the probability of 0.05 by least Significant Differences (LSD). Results showed as follow. Plants grown under black polyethylene were higher in most vegetative growth Characteristics (leaves number , leaf dry matter percentage and leaf contents of nitrogen) which is Produced the highest values of the vegetative growth characteristics season as compared with control treatment (spray with distilled water only). Interaction effects between soil mulches and garlic extract spray were significant on studying vegetative growth characteristics for the two seasons. The interaction of black polyethylene with 5 ml.L-1 gave the highest means of vegetative growth as compared with the interaction of control that gave the least means for the above studied characteristics of the first and second season.

A field experiment was conducted at Firozabad region of Iran to study the effect of Effective Microorganisms Activate (EMa), EMa levels on growth, yield, Yield Components and Water Usage Efficiency of two Maize cultivars (Ns640 and Back cross 666). The experiment consisted of 10 treatments which were the combinations between two factors: two cultivars and five EMa levels.Ns640 cultivar significantly exceeded Back cross 666 in more growth characters, yield and its components. The result indicates that EMa increases growth and grain yield and water usage efficiency of Maize.

A study is conducted to investigate the effects of socio economic factors on agricultural land use in Malaysia. Relevant socio – economic variables (from 1965 to 2007) were aggregated from the databases of various international and national agencies. These data include agricultural and non agricultural land uses, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) & Gross National Product (GNI); labour force, population age distribution, numbers of cars per 1000 people; road density. GDP/capita & GNI/capita, labour efficiencies ie (ha/worker in agricultural subsectors), percentage of male and female in the agricultural labour force and % change in outputs of major crops were derived from relevant data. Data were then subjected to multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS version 18. Findings indicated that, relevant socio – economic factors in agricultural land use in Malaysia are available workforce of the population, percentage of workers engaged in plantation farming, female workforce in agriculture, farm size and the workers condition of service in non - agricultural sector. This study has revealed that labour supply and their conditions of service are major factors in agricultural land use. This study further underscores the need for technology – driven - agricultural practices in the face of better posited industries competing for available labour.