Agriculture

The experiment was conducted in the Desert Guide Way Farm which belongs to the Agricultural Extension Department / Agricultural Office in Karbala Governors to investigate operating of pumping unit of drip irrigation system by using multi-power sources. Multi- power Sources with three levels including: pump with motor operated with charged battery by solar and wind power, pump with motor operated with internal combustion engine by bio fuel , pump with motor operated with internal combustion engine by natural fuel (gasoline) which represent main plot and discharge levels including 3.5 let. h^(-1) and 1.8 let.h^(-1) which represent sub plot were used in this study. Water horse power, break horse power, pumping efficiency, operating cost, were studied in this experiment. Randomized complete block design ( RCBD ) with three replications was studied in this experiment.The results showed that pump with motor operated with internal combustion engine by natural fuel (gasoline) treatment got higher brake horse power reached 0.238 hp mean while pump with motor operated with charged battery by solar and wind power treatment managed to have less operating costs reached 0.71 $/day also the results showed that discharge 3.5 let ?ha?^(-1)tertment mange to have highest water horse power reached 0.203 hp and brake horse power 0.289 hp and highest pumping efficiency stood 70.28% and least operating cost stood 2.74 $/day. The interaction between the pump with motor operated with charged battery by solar and wind power with discharge 3.5 let.h^(-1) treatment gave highest water horse power and pumping efficiency and least operating cost stood 0.202 hp and 70.72% , 0.71 $ / day respectively.

Maize (TZSR-Y variety) sown at 75x25 cm and leaf amaranth (NH Ac 23) seed rates at 2, 4 and 6 kg.ha^-1 drilled in rows 30 cm apart were grown sole and as intercrops in four replications and laid out in randomized complete block design during the rainy season of 2009 and 2010 on the Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Amaranth yield was determined as weight of >15 cm tall plants uprooted weekly from one month old for four harvests; weight of shoots repeatedly cut at 15 cm fortnightly; and weight of seeds from mature inflorescences after threshing. Maize cobs were harvested dry, shelled, and sun-dried and weighed. Cropping system had no significant effect on leaf amaranth yield obtained by uprooting and repeated cutting but seed yield was higher in sole cropping in 2009. Yield obtained by uprooting and repeated cutting and seed yield increased with amaranth seed rate. In sole and intercropping systems, optimum marketable amaranth yields were obtained at 4 and 6 kg.ha^-1 by uprooting and 2 and 4 kg.ha^-1 by repeated cutting.  Intercropping slightly depressed maize grain yield and the reduction was higher as amaranth seed rate increased. Land Equivalent Ratio exceeded 1.0 in all intercropping systems and was highest at 6 and 4 kg.ha^-1 seed rate for marketable yield and seed yield, respectively at the established maize population.

Determination of pesticide residues in food is very essential in human health and it is becoming a major priority in the cocoa value chain. Hence, organophosphorous pesticide residues in dried cocoa beans from Ondo and Osun States, Nigeria were determined using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and the detected levels of these residues were compared with the European Union Maximum Residue Levels (EU MRLs). Samples were milled separately and 10 g milled samples were weighed into 40 ml Dichloromethane (DCM) in a beaker and later sonicated. The extracts were subjected to gel permeation chromatography to separate lipids from the extracts, which were later subjected to fractionation. Among the organophosphous pesticide residues detected in the samples from the states were dichlorvos, diazion, phosphamidon, pirimiphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, isofenphos and carbofenothion with their being levels higher than EU MRLs, suggesting that the produce were not safe for human consumption and the residues could pose some health risk to the consumers.

Changes in soil properties, soil organic C (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks associated with different heating temperatures from 50, 100, and 150 kg/m2 dry biomass that provided for different heat intensities were compared with natural soil temperature of arable land adjacent to the burnt plots. Soil samples were collected in three replicates from control and burnt plots and soil temperatures were measured with soil thermometer placed at surface and sub-surface layers, while gas emissions were measured with sensitive gas dictators. The induced temperatures were highly variable at the soil surface whereas below 15cm depth, the temperature rise was not more than 370C. Modifications of various soil physico-chemical parameters caused by fire were related to increasing temperatures. The passage of fire promoted SOC and TN stocks, mean weight diameter, the aggregation of 2 mm stable structures which become even more resistant to disrupting action of water. The pH decreased to 5.4 at higher temperatures following burning before ashes mineralized. However, both organic matter and ECEC increased at increasing soil temperature. Potassium content remained surprisingly constant as the soil temperature increased. Air quality measurement revealed that NO2, SO2 H2S and CO2 were above the limits indicating air pollution through these activities. Despite the merits of quick release of occluded nutrients, heating temperatures of slash-and-burn method of land clearing altered soil and air quality.

The phytochemical analysis of mechanically extracted castor (Ricinus communis L.) seed oil (CSO) was carried out using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GCMS). A total of seven compounds {oleic acid (54.97%), stearic acid (16.53%), palmitic (10.35%), ricinoleic (9.61%), squalene (3.17%), palmitin, 1, 3-di- (3%) and octadecanoic acid (2.37%) } were identified from the spectra. The ability of CSO to protect bambara groundnut seed against Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius was also evaluated under laboratory conditions (26±2°C temperature and 75±5% relative humidity). Percentage repellency was concentration-depedendent, with 13.07% observed in the control being significantly (p<0.05) lower than percentage repellency observed in other treatments. Contact toxicity increased with exposure period. At 2 hours after treatment (HAT), mortality of C. maculatus was significantly higher (p<0.05) at 1.0µl/ beetle than the control. When CSO was applied at 0.5 µl/ beetle, the LT50 value was 0.59 (0.25-0.83) h. Percentage mortality of C. maculatus in bambara groundnut treated with CSO increased with concentration. The LD50 against C. maculatus was 0.14 (0.05-0.22) µl per 50 grams seeds. Application of CSO at the rate of 0.7- 1.5 µl per 50 g bambara groundnut seed gave significantly (p<0.05) higher percentage oviposition inhibition rate than what were obtained in methanol-treated and untreated controls. Percentage seed damage (4.74%) observed in 1.5 µl/ 50 g was significantly (p<0.05) lower than 15.26 and 17.66 % observed in methanol-treated and untreated control respectively. The results obtained indicate that CSO could be used to control Callosobruchus maculatus in stored bambara groundnut.

Crop-Benefit analysis was used to assess fresh fruit yield responses of two day-neutral okra varieties: NHAe 47-4 and LD 88-1-8 to nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in trials conducted over three years at Ado-Ekiti in the sub-humid agro-ecological zone of south-western Nigeria. Fruit yield increased with N application in all years and reflected in high returns at subsidized and unsubsidized fertilizer (urea) prices. Value-Cost ratio (VCR) was highest at 60 kg N.ha^-1 for the two varieties in 2007 and for NHAe 47-4 in 2008 but at 30 and 120 kg N.ha^-1 for LD 88-1-8 and NHAe 47-4, respectively in 2009. The current economic environment in 2010, characterized by higher producer prices due to nationwide inflationary pressure on food items and regime of high fertilizer prices from a deregulating market necessitated an assessment of the returns from the responses to application of subsidized and unsubsidized urea. Profitability of N application increased as VCR rose to 1.57 and 2.39 for NHAe 47-4 and LD 88-1-8 at 60 kg N.ha^-1. This 60 kg N.ha^-1 is the economic rate to recommend for fresh fruit production in sole okra.

This study was conducted to evaluation of wheat application on barley yield under drought condition at RCBD design with 3 replications. First factor included wheat (application of cytokenin and control) and second factor was drought stress (control, mild stress, sever stress). At the end of experiment some properties were studied such as height, spike length, number of seeds per spike, 1000seed weight and yield. SAS statistical software was performed for analysis and by Duncan's multiple range test used at the level of 5% for mean comparisons. Totally, results showed that drought stress had significant effect on studied traits, so severe stress led to 31, 38, 34, 37 and 60% reduction of height, spike length, number of seeds per spike, 1000seed weight and yield in compare to control, respectively. Also cytokenine led to 21, 20, 21, 22 and 40% increasing of height, spike length, number of seeds per spike, 1000seed weight and yield in compare to control, respectively

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif, 2013-14 at Main Agricultural Research Station to study the impact of intercropping on sucking pests and their natural enemies in Bt cotton. The results showed that the sucking pests were significantly lower on cotton under intercropping system than sole crop. Among the different intercrops, cotton intercropped with cowpea (1:2) was the best intercropping system which recorded less incidence of leafhopper (2.75/3 leaves), thrips (4.66/leaves) and whitefly (1.03/3 leaves) with more number of natural enemies followed by the cotton intercropped with coriander (1:2) and greengram (1:2). However, cotton + beans was significantly superior in recording the highest total yield (20.46 q/ha) followed by cotton + okra (16.86 q/ha) and cotton + cowpea (16.42 q/ha).

In order to study the effects of increasing corn plant densities on competitive ability of corn with natural weed populations in Khouzestan climate, a split plot based on randomized Complete Block design with four replications were conducted in 2011 in a field experiment station at Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of Mollasani, Ahvaz. Treatments included pure stands of corn at three densities (40000, 70000 and 100000 plants ha-1) and weed-interference period to v9 and v13 in any of plant densities (40000, 70000 and 100000 plants ha-1). The following results were observed that there was significantly difference between studied characters, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, grain number per and row number per ear, grain number per row and 1000-grains weight among treatments. The studied characters were severely reduced by increasing the duration of weed interference after corn emergence. In addition, results showed that with corn plant increasing densities, corn plants tolerated the presence of weeds until v9 stage with approximately 6-15% in yield loss.

The need for intensive germplasm collection to broaden the genetic base of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) breeding to safeguard the vulnerability and the rate at which wild oil palm are becoming extinct as these wild oil palms are very imperative. The paper highlights oil palm accessions that were collected from the Central Region of Ghana. Thirty seven (37) accessions were collected from seven (7) locations in the Central Region. Data on stem height, bunch weight, bunch length, bunch breadth, bunch depth, stalk weight, weight of ten fruits, weight of ten nuts, mesocarp to fruit ratio, fruit length, fruit diameter, nut diameter, kernel diameter, shell thickness and other qualitative traits were examined. The mean, co-efficient of variation and range of the individual traits, were statistically analysed using standard procedures. Differences in the qualitative traits were recorded with most of the oil palm accessions having nigrescens fruits. The Tenera (T) type recorded the highest mesocarp to fruit ratio of 63.8%. These prospected germplasm accessions are being germinated and raised for future planting in the germplasm fields of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R) - Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) to be introduced for breeding programmes.