Agriculture

An economic evaluation of crop and dairy production system study was taken up in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu, India to study the post-harvest losses in crop production system, milk losses in dairy production system, to analyse the factors influencing the post-harvest losses and milk losses and finally analyze the resource use efficiency and technical efficiency of crop and dairy production system. In crop production system, net income was higher in turmeric than sugarcane by 10.98 per cent. The gross income and net income was higher in foreign breed by 99.95 per cent and 79.24 per cent over local breed respectively and hence turmeric and foreign breed are more profitable in crop and dairy production system respectively. The post-harvest losses in turmeric production were 0.048 per cent of total production. Milk losses in dairy production system due to various diseases were 9.97 per cent in local breed and 13.34 per cent in foreign breed. The education and inadequate storage had significant positive influence on post-harvest losses. The milk fever, Mastitis and foot and mouth disease in local breed had influence on milk losses. In foreign breed, milk fever and Mastitis had significant positive influence on milk losses. In crop production system, the planting material, manures and fertilizer, irrigation and human labour were significant in turmeric production. In sugarcane production, planting material and irrigation were positively significant. In dairy production system, green fodder, dry fodder and human labor were significant in local breed. With respect to foreign breed, green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates were positively significant. The mean technical efficiency and scale efficiency of sugarcane and turmeric was almost similar in crop production system. In dairy production system, the mean technical efficiency and scale efficiency of foreign breed and local breed was almost similar. The policy advocacy is finally suggested for Agriculture Department, Animal Husbandry Department and Government for minimizing economic losses, for achieving efficiency in production systems and finally for sustainable agricultural development of the region.

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is used with Arc-Hydro tool of Arc-GIS to described flow direction, flow accumulation, streams orders and basins in the republic of Iraq. The Republic of Iraq is in southwest Asia between latitudes 29° 5' and 37° 22' N and longitudes 38° 45' and 48° 45' E; it forms the eastern frontier of the Arab countries. Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Jordan, Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi to the west, and the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south, border it (see Figure 1). Its unique environmental, biological and social features, which are unlike anywhere else in the Arabian Peninsula, characterize the country. It has a total area of 438 317 km2. The results referred to there are five stream orders and two main basins in the study area.

Studies were carried out to assess the influence of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the performance of Solanum macrocarpon L. (African egg plant) in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria. Organic fertilizers (Poultry manure and cow dung) were applied at the rate of 150g per pot and the inorganic (NPK 20:15:15 and Urea) at 6g per pot to make a field equivalent of 8t ha¬-1 and 200kg ha-1 respectively. Poultry manure gave the best performance in terms of height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot biomass, relative growth rate and fruit weight. The relative growth rate, number of leaves and plant height were similar in NPK and Urea applied pots but lower than those of poultry manure. The results obtain from this study indicated that poultry manure could be an alternative source of fertilizer to S. macrocarpon production in place of the inorganic NPK and Urea fertilizers. The study further suggests that poultry manure used for crop improvement is a means of turning waste to wealth in crop production. The leaves and fruits produced from poultry manure fertilized soil supports the current global campaigns for organic food production.

The study investigated constraints and extent of access to productive resources and agricultural services among women farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, it identified income generating activities of women farmers in the state, identified the productive resources and agricultural services available to them and determined the extent of availability of the resources and services and constraints to accessing the resources. Purposive random sampling technique was used to select a total of 120 women farmers. Data were collected with aid of a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, percentages and frequencies. Results showed that majority (60%) of the respondents are married and a majority (50%) has formal education. It was further revealed that the respondents had diversified income generating activities with a majority engaging in processing of agricultural products (98.3%) and farming (95.8%). The results also showed that majority of the respondents indicated labour as the most available productive resource in the area. On the extent of access to productive resources, the result revealed that labour (x=3.0) and processing facilities (x = 2.50) are the accessible productive resources. Finally, the result revealed sharing of knowledge (x = 2.56) and marketing facilities (x = 2.98) as the only agricultural services accessible to the farmers. Constraints encountered lack of capital, poor electricity connection, lack of access roads, poor radio signals, illiteracy among others. It was recommended that the existing land ownership policies in the country should be reviewed to promote ownership by women farmers and extension education/visit be improved as well.

The agro hydrological model SWAP3.03 was used for two wheat crops, cultivars “Ghods” and “Rowshan” under different irrigation regimes. The field study was conducted during 2005-2006 growing season in the Research Field of Birjand University. Different qualities of irrigation water (namely 1.4, 4.5 and 9.6 dS/m) obtained from three local wells were used in a factorial plot design with four levels of water depths (namely, 50, 75, 100 and 125% of ETc). The model was initially calibrated with respect to the winter wheat crop coefficients, based on a study in the province of S. Khorasan. The simulated values fitted well the trend of actual crop production for various amounts and qualities of irrigation water. Maximum yield was obtained for a deficit irrigation of 75% ETc with the best water quality, that of 1.4 (dS/m). Results also showed that different levels of water and salinity stress would affect crop production. The correlation coefficients between the simulated and actual crop production were 0.72 for “Ghods” and 0.83 for “Rowshan”, both statistically significant at 1% level. As compared to the actual yield, the Average simulated yield was 15% higher for “Ghods” and 10% lower for “Rowshan”. A t-test showed that such deviation between simulated and observed values were not lower than required for significant differences. The results of this study, therefore, show that SWAP3.03 model is a useful tool to estimate wheat production under different levels of water and salinity stress.

As we know that organic farming is the need of hour to feed the present population without eroding the health of soil and environment also to give sustainable agriculture this is one of best method for farming that’s why we should go for Organic Farming.

Although the mean of combine losses is about 4-5% in advanced countries, unfortunately in Iran is about 20% and higher. In order to obtain little loss it is necessary that product process such as cutting, convayting, threshing, separating, etc., would be optimized. Threshing is one of these processes which has more effect on combine performance. Reduction of MOG passing concave could reduce the load on shoes that would increase cleaning system efficiency and decrease foreign materials in the bin. In order to evaluate effecting parameters on MOG passing concave, experiments were conducted in 4×3×3 factorial pattern with Randomized Blocks design. Independent variables in this experiment were, stem height, feed rate, threshing clearance ratio and rotational speed of threshing cylinder. To offer an intelligent model to forecasting of MOG passing concave and evaluating of these parameters’ effects on MOG passing, Neurosolution was used. Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) network with four inputs and one output was used to analysise. Results showed that the amount of MOG passing concave had dependent to rotational velocity of threshing cylinder, stem height, feed rate and threshing clearance ratio, respectively. The amount of MOG passing has increased with reduction in stem height, feed rate, threshing clearance ratio and speed up of threshing cylinder.

The current global challenges of ensuring the availability of and access to food, in both quantity and quality, require deliberate and far-reaching solutions. Historically, research for development in agriculture and extension services has been a strong driving force for meeting food supply around the world. Agriculture is changing, and with it, a revised set of skills is needed to address new challenges in agriculture. As attitudes, expectations and employment in agriculture have changed, there is evidence that the skills and competencies of graduates do not meet the needs of today’s agricultural sector. Industrial development is not possible without agricultural development so, maximum people must live in the villages and help in the agricultural development, there is vast difference between rural and urban life and this should be lessened. The standard of living of rural people can be uplifted permanently only when they themselves make an effort in this direction and encourage people to take initiative; it is prerequisite that the change in the field of knowledge, understanding, skill and attitude should be brought about. Extension Education is primarily for the rural development. Its main objective is to bring necessary change in the beliefs or views of people. Extension education is an educational process by which capabilities among people are developed to understand their problems and resources. It is utilized to make scientific methods available to the rural people, so that they can raise their agricultural production and their standard of living. The aim of extension education is community development, which is possible only by bringing change in the behaviour complex of rural people. Extension education plays major role in bringing desirable change in rural people.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect furrow opener (ridge), operation speed and samples depth from furrow on soil physical properties and maize yield during the summer growing season of 2013 in the experimental at fields of Faculty Agricultural University of Baghdad in silt clay soil. The experimental treatments were arranged in Randomize Complete Block Design with three replicates. The main plots were assigned to the machinery unit speeds (3.69, 4.23, 6.27 and11.17 km h-1), whereas sample depth of furrows was assigned to the sub plots included top of furrow (0.00-0.15 m) and bottom of furrow (0.00-0.25 m). Grains of corn (synthetic cv. Maize 5018) were sowing was done on August 18th; harvest was done on December 10th. Irrigation were scheduled when soil water content in the root zone was depleted by the crop to specific fraction of available water (irrigation was imposed at 55% depletion of available water). Soil samples from furrow were taken from each experimental unit of depth 0.0 -0.15 and 0.0 -0.25 m after month of planting, middle season and after harvest to determine soil bulk density and the same samples measured saturated hydraulic conductivity and calculated mean weight diameter (MWD), geo-metric diameter (GMD). At harvest time, two central rows in each plot were harvested to determining grain yield and then; grain yield per hectare was calculated. The results the operating speeds significantly affected the soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity values. As the operating speed increased, soil bulk density increased and hydraulic conductivity decreased. An increase operating speeds from 3.69 t0 4.23 and 11.17 km.h-1 decreased hydraulic conductivity and increased soil bulk density values for all planting growth stages (after month of planting, middle season and after harvest) except the speed 6.27 km.h-1. Different operating speeds and depth were significantly for mean weight diameter (MWD) and geo metric diameter (GMD) for all planting growth stages.

Assessment of climate variability at local level, where the driver of the economy is agriculture, has enormous advantage in Ethiopia, . This study was then initiated to analyze the variability of rainfall features and their likely implications on long season growing crop; sorghum in Alamata Wereda. Daily climate data was obtained from the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia (NMA) and the historical temporal variability of the rainfall features was assessed using Instat and Mann-Kendall statistical softwares. Apart from the interannual variability (26.2%), the annual rainfall has also revealed a decreasing trend. Similarly, the Belg (FMAM) rainfall demonstrated a significant decreasing trend with a very high seasonal variability (53.1%). The Markov chain first order model indicates that the probability of 15 and 20 days consecutive dry spell occurrence on May (90%) and June (75%) were very high signaling that sowing on these months could possibly lead to complete or partial failure of seedling establishments. Even though the correlations between yield and monthly rainfalls was positive, only April (r=0.48) and September (r=0.55) rainfall was statistically significant. This indicates that for sorghum production, rainfall during April (for seedling establishment) and September (grain filling) appears to be particularly important (sensitive). Hence, as there is early cessation and high rainfall variability during the Belg season (part of sowing period for sorghum), different adaptation strategies such as soil moisture conservation and early maturing cultivars should be practiced to minimize the impact of rainfall variability on sorghum production.