Agriculture

The study analyzed the demand Analysis for household consumption of garri in Imo State. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 180 garri consumers from the state and the primary data were collected with structured questionnaire from the respondents. Descriptive and Inferential statistical tools such as means, standard deviation, percentage, multiple regression and logit regression analysis were used to achieve the specific objectives of the study. The result showed total expenditure on garri and fufu was N2,056.75 of which yellow garri has the highest share of N1,092.88 (53.14%), followed by white garri that was N588.88 (28.63%), and fufu’s share was N375 (18.23%), It further showed that garri is a normal, price inelastic good that has strong degree of competitiveness and suitability with fufu and income elastic. Age of the household head, household monthly income and price of garri are important factors influencing preference of yellow garri consumption. It was recommended that Price of garri should be stabilized across the markets to ensure consumers’ greater access and affordability, Households should be encourage to aggressively engage in cassava production and processing into preferred types of garri, fufu and other cassava products to stem ensure all year round availability of garri and other products in the country. 

Liquid 13C-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) spectra of HA (humic acid) extracted from a Hanslope Soil, Writtle College, UK under five types of land management: grassland under permanent pasture on 5 y ley before stocking; grassland under permanent pasture sown with red clover a y before stocking; grassland under permanent pasture treated with N-fertilizer a y before stocking; arable land under barley and deciduous woodland showed four major fragments: the aliphatic (alkyl C) region between 10 – 48 ppm; the carbohydrate (o-alkyl C) region between 49 and 110 ppm; the aromatic (aryl C) region between 111 and 165 ppm and the carboxyl region between 166 and 195 ppm. The study also revealed carboxyl conspicuous spectra between 150 and 200 ppm. The highest concentration of humic acid was in deciduous woodland, 55.2 mg g-1, and least in permanent pasture on a 5 y ley before stocking, 33.8 mg g-1.. Since soil organic matter (SOM) influences soil structure and fertility, humic substances effects bioavailability of elements and chemical compounds in the environment. The degradation of humic substances are slow. Hence, they do not appear to be a major direct source of nutrients – carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.

A study is conducted to investigate the effects of socio economic factors on agricultural land use in Malaysia. Relevant socio – economic variables for the study were aggregated from the databases of various international and national agencies such as FAO, Index Mundi and Malaysian Departments of Agriculture and Statistics. These data were subjected to statistical analysis using stepwise regression method in SPSS version 18. Findings indicated that, relevant socio – economic factors in agricultural land use in Malaysia are available workforce in the population and their working conditions in the agricultural and non – agricultural sectors. This study has revealed that labour supply and their conditions of service are major factors in agricultural land use in Malaysia. This study further underscores the need for greater application labour saving technology in agricultural practices given the competition between agricultural and non – agricultural uses of available workforce in the population.

Gypsum, pressmud, farm yard manure, ETP sludge were tried to ameliorate the textile and dye effluent polluted soil habitat, using sunflower (CO4) as a test crop. The sludge along with effluent irrigation added considerable quantities of cations (calcium, magnesium and sodium) to the soil system. Application of pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 along with 100 per cent GR + NPK reduced the soil ESP by 44.96 per cent. The heavy metal content were also reduced due to addition of pressmud. Higher microbial population was also observed under effluent irrigation than well water. Application of 100 per cent GR + pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 + NPK under effluent irrigation increased the crop growth, yield attributes (head diameter, head weight, seed test weight) and yield of sunflower in effluent polluted soil habitat. The yield under pressmud amended plots was 36 per cent higher over control. Reclamation and restoration of textile dye effluent polluted soil habitat is possible by leaching the soil with 100 per cent GR followed by application of pressmud @ 5 t ha-1 and recommended NPK.

This paper analysed cowpea markets and consumers’ preferences in Ogbomoso metropolis using a household hedonic approach. 60 cowpea sellers were selected by a purposive random sampling technique in four major markets from Ogbomoso North (Sabo market and New Waso market) and Ogbomoso South (Arada market and Caretaker market) Local Government Areas of Oyo State, Nigeria. 50% of the cowpea sellers were male and female respectively. 96.67% of them sell more than one varieties. 96.67% of respondents sell a combination of varieties i.e. Peu/Drum, Sokoto, Mala, Olo and Oloyin for their nutritive value, popularity and availability which may be used for boiled whole grain cooking, fried cowpea balls (akara), and steamed cowpea cake (moin-moin). Over 50% of respondents (cowpea marketers) use storage chemical which reduces the attack of weevils to be able to sell cowpea that has no or few numbers of bruchid holes. The mean prices of peu/drum cowpea, sokoto cowpea, mala cowpea, olo cowpea and oloyin cowpea are ?359.67, ?291.83, ?324.00, ?376.00, and ?394.17. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) which was used capture price-quality relationship of the type of cowpea purchased by consumers revealed that there is a significant relationship between the number of holes in each of the cowpea varieties and their respective prices in the various markets sampled in the study area. Hence, the numbers of holes appear to be the major determining factors affecting the prices of various cowpea types in the study area.

Thirty-two male male Large White weanling pigs of 8-9 weeks of age averaging 7.50 + 0.36kg were used to evaluate the effect of dietary copper on fertility of pubertal sows. The animals were randomly assigned in a Completely Randomized Design experiment to 4 diets containing 0, 100, 200 and 300ppm Cu/kg constituting the control(diet 1), diets 2, 3 and 4 respectively, in a 6-month feeding trial such that each treatment had 8 animals. The feeding trial was divided into 3 physiological phases [weanling (starter), pre-pubertal (grower) and pubertal (finisher)]. At the end of the feeding trial, 4 treated boars selected at random from each treatment were mated to 8 gilts (i.e. 1 boar to 2 gilts) following the gilts’ synchronization to determine the fertility rate of the boars. The mated gilts were sacrificed at the end of the 1st trimester and their uteri cut open longitudinally to check for conception, count the number of embryos therein and the embryo survival rate determined. The results showed significant (p<0.05) difference on fertility parameters assessed except foetal crown-rump length and litter weight. The conception rate tended to be constant across the treatment except for treatment 3 with 75%. The study revealed that male weanling pigs for breeding can be fed dietary Cu of between 100-300ppm for optimum reproductive performance.

In this study the effect of land size on energy use of strawberry production in Iran was investigated. The data were collected from 110 farmers in 13 villages growing strawberry in Kurdistan province of Iran. The land size was categorized into 4 groups. Total input energy for the first group, second group, third group, and last group was 60556.6 MJ ha^-1, 49313.5 MJ ha^-1, 49823.7 MJ ha^-1, and 37234.1 MJ ha^-1, respectively. The difference between mean values of first group and last group was significant at the 5% significance level. The difference between mean values of other groups was not significant at the 5% significance level.

Agriculture is the most beautiful and easy profession in the world; yet marked by drudgery and exploitations. It is a beauty to behold nature: plants, animals, insects, air, water, soil, rock, food, medicine, drugs. It is prestigious and honourable to have food on the table: morning, afternoon and evening. It is very appetizing to have various food stuff and ingredients. Food is always delicious if not abused. A well fed man is a happy man. A hungry man is an angry and sad man. Food! Food! Food everywhere; yet they are unavailable and unaffordable. Something must be wrong: with ourselves or how we embrace agriculture. But nothing is wrong with agriculture; except where we checkmate and abuse nature, in the name of agricultural revolution and increased food production. This paper reviews agriculture in peril. Happy reading.

Subterranean termites Odontotermes sp. and Trinervieus sp. modify the soil properties through their mound- building activities, subterranean galleries, storage chambers, aggregate formation, aeration, organic content and soil fertility. Gut of subterranean termites are structured habitats with numerous microniches created by a combination of host and microbial activities with rich population of diazotrophs. The Azotobacter isolates of Odontotermes sp. and Trinervieus sp. worker caste showed a positive response in the production of enzyme dehydrogenase and biological exopolysaccharide. Biological exopolysaccharide producers influence soil quality cum plant growth increasing agricultural productivity.

This paper investigated the influence of cowpea characteristics on cowpea prices in Akure Metropolis of Ondo State, Nigeria, using an analysis of covariance model approach. A total of 104 cowpea sellers were randomly selected from chosen in the markets. Interview schedule with the aid of structural questionnaire was used to collect data from markets: Oja oba, Isinkan, Adedeji, Araromi, and Isolo in the study area. 12% of the cowpea sellers were from Oja-oba, 27.88% from Isinkan, 18.27% from Araromi, 16.35% from Adedeji and 15.38% from Isolo market respectively. 72.12% were female while the rest 27.88% were male. 64.42% of the cowpea sellers sold all the varieties of cowpea in the study area i.e. Peu/Drum, Sokoto white, Mala, Olo and Oloyin. 38.46% of the cowpea sellers sold Peu/Drum for its popularity. 44.23% of them sold Sokoto for its popularity. 30.77% of them sold Mala for customary reasons, 31.73% of them sold Olo for its popularity, 30.77% of them sold Oloyin for its availability and nutritive value. 49.04% of the cowpea sellers said that their customers use the cowpea bought for all it can be used for. From the study, 37.50% of the cowpea sellers said that their customers prefer Oloyin for whole grain cooking because of its colour and flavour, 8.65% of them said that their customers prefer Oloyin for whole grain cooking due to its quick cooking quality. 31.73% of the cowpea sellers said that their customers prefer both Peu/Drum and Sokoto for making fried balls (akara) because of its peeling and binding quality. 32.69% of the cowpea sellers said that their customers prefer both Peu/Drum and Sokoto for steamed cake (moin-moin) for its flavour and texture. The mean prices of peu/drum cowpea, sokoto white cowpea, mala cowpea, olo cowpea and oloyin cowpea are ?362.50, ?263.75, ?296.83, ?304.81, and ?393.85. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) which was used capture price-quality relationship of the type of cowpea purchased by consumers revealed that there is a significant relationship between the number of holes in each of the cowpea varieties and their respective prices in the various markets sampled in the study area. Hence, the numbers of holes appear to be the major determining factors affecting the prices of various cowpea types in the study area.