Agriculture

A field experiment was conducted at Gwalior in M.P. during the Rabi season of 2010 to study the Growth, Productivity and Economics of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. Capitata L.)in Gird Zone as influenced by different levels of Zinc and Sulphur levels. Results revealed that growth parameters like plant height, plant spread and number of leaves per plant at all crop growth stages (except 20 DAT), yield attributing characters, length and diameter of head and weight per head, cabbage yield per hectare net return and benefit cost ratio increased with increasing levels of sulphur from 20 to 80 kg/ha and zinc from 2 to 8 kg/ha. The crop responded only upto 60 kg S/ha and 6 kg Zn/ha.

Barley is believed to have originated in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Southeast Asia .Sixty four barley genotypes were tested in 8x8 simple lattice design at Atsbi, Ofla and Quiha environments in Tigray region, in 2009/10. The overall objective was to determine the nature and degree of variability in morpho- agronomic traits of barley germplasm. Three types of seed/kernel colors, as quality criteria observed were white, tan/red and black in the percentage of 96.87%, except the genotypes Eritrea07 1, and ISEBON 14 with a seed color of tan red and black respectively added to the variability of 1.56% each. From this study, 60.69 % found as two-row type, 31.26% six-row types and 7.81% irregular type across locations. It was observed that from these barley genotypes had a spike density of which 6.25% were lax, 64.06% intermediate and 29.69% dense. All the testing entries were awnletted and the caryopsis or kernel covering with a percentage of the genotypes were, 21.88%, 10.94% and 65.64% stands for naked, semi-covered and covered types respectively across locations. The phenotypic diversity index values for qualitative traits ranged from 0.0 (monomorphic) for lemma/ hood to 0.86 high polymorphic for row number, for awn color (H’= 0.71), kernel covering (H’=0.84) and spike density (H’=0.82) revealed the highest diversity. Glume color (H’=0.34) and gain color (H’=0.16), relatively showed the lowest diversity

Two sets of field experiments were performed in two successive summer seasons to study the effect of soil and foliar fertilization of mungbean. The first set included the effect of late foliar applied N or K under different levels of phosphatic fertilization on mungbean yield and chemical constituents. Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L) Wilczek) var. Kawmy-l was fertilized with 0,19,38,57 and 76 Kg P205 ha-1 at sowing. Foliar applied N was sprayed as 1 % urea solution and K was applied as potassium sulphate 36% K20 solution; both N and K sprays were carried out at early pod formation stage. The second set of experiments aimed to study the effect of micronutrient application when combined with urea. The foliar applied treatments were urea (1%); and four key micronutrients; i.e. Fe (0.5%); Zn (0.1%); Mn (0.2%) and CuSO4 (0.05%). Micronutrient treatments were sprayed either alone or combined with urea at early pod formation. The obtained results showed that P fertilization significantly increased mungbean pod weight per plant, 100-seed weight, yield per plant and per hectare compared with the untreated control. Mungbean seed yield per hectare showed more response to foliar applied N than that with K. The best seed yield per hectare was reported from the combined effect of 76 Kg P205 ha-1 and foliar spraying with N. Protein percentage in mungbean seeds was not affected by either soil or foliar applications and ranged between 20.6 to 22.9%. However, protein yield kg ha-1 significantly increased when the plants were fertilized with 76 Kg P205 ha1 and foliar sprayed with N. In addition, soil application of P and foliar spray treatments showed significant effects on carbohydrate percentage and carbohydrate yield ha-1of mungbean seeds. Micronutrient application showed beneficial effects on yield and yield components from the association of urea with Zn on pod-number and with all micronutrients on pod-weight per plant. The highest seed yield per plant was recorded when the plants were foliar sprayed with Fe and Mn alone or Urea+Zn. Meanwhile, the highest seed yield per hectare was achieved by foliar spraying with Fe or Zn alone as well as by the combined application with urea Fe, Mn or Zn. Micronutrient concentrations in mungbean seeds were elevated more than in the control treatment due to foliar spray treatments but it did not reach the level of significance for Fe, Zn and Cu. It could be concluded from this study that mungbean productivity responds to combined soil application of P at 57 Kg P205 ha-1 and late foliar applied N at early pod formation stage. Foliar spray of urea combined with Fe or Zn may increase seed yield and improve the quality of seeds.

Vermicomposting of textile and dye sludge is an economically viable and environmentally safer method of final disposal. The low level of carbon content is considered as a limiting factor for the decomposition of textile and dye sludge, but it contains higher amount of calcium and micronutrients. So, it could potentially be used as an alternate substrate for vermicomposting, if it is mixed with carbonaceous materials and animal wastes. In this study, textile and dye sludge had only four per cent organic carbon content. The C: N ratio is one among the important factors that affects manure quality. To adjust the C: N ratio of the initial materials, the carbonaceous material like sawdust and crop waste were added at different proportions. The saw dust appeared to be an ideal bulking agent for composting because of its ability to absorb moisture, and its structure that provides adequate porosity in the compost heap (Mahimairaja, 1996). The C: N ratio of compost in the present investigation ranged between 15.50: 1 and 20.1:1, which could be readily utilized for crop production as suggested by Gaur (1982). The finished vermicompost obtained by mixing 30 per cent sludge with 20 per cent poultry waste and 50 per cent crop waste contains higher nutrient status (NPK) with narrow C: N ratio (15.5).

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.