Agriculture

Economic empowerment of women precedes all other empowerment and in order to understand how SHG have enabled women economic empowerment, the present study was taken up in four villages of Dharwad taluk, Dharwad district of Karnataka state. One hundred and fifty nine SHGs were selected for the study. The study revealed that 184 women have taken up individual income generation activities and most of them in the young and middle age categories, had some formal education and were either home makers or involved occasionally in farming. Group income generation activities were taken up by 29 groups. The entrepreneurial activities varied from business/ trading, food and agriculture related to others like candle, agarbatti, flour mill, chilli pounding unit etc. Among individual activities chilli pounding unit earned the highest income of Rs. 40,000/ year followed by vermicelli making with an average Rs. 20,294/ year. Among group activities vermicelli earned highest income of Rs 40,000-50,000 followed by poultry with Rs. 30,000-40,000.

The level of poverty in the developing countries of the world is becoming increasingly alarming given the figures consistently reported for the area. This study examined the effect of agricultural cooperatives as a means of alleviating poverty among farmers in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun state. A total of 100 questionnaires were administered out of which 90 were retrieved. 57 of the respondents were participants of cooperatives while 33 of them were non participants. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) and probit regression models. It was discovered that poverty exists among all categories of farmers (participants and non-participants of cooperatives). Though, non participants of cooperatives had the highest poverty incidence, depth and severity of 0.47, 0.17 and 0.56 respectively. The analysis of socio-economic characteristics showed that age, educational status, household size, farm size and land acquisition have relationship with incidence of poverty among participants of cooperatives and non-participants. Income and farm size significantly and positively influence the effectiveness of cooperatives on household poverty status at 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance respectively. The study therefore recommends that the farmers should engage themselves in other income generating activities to have a higher purchasing power in order for them to break out of poverty.

An experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki to study effect of integrated nutrient management on some soil selected physical properties and grain yield of maize. The field was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design. There were five treatments namely poultry droppings mixed with burnt rice husk dust (PBRHD), cow dung mixed with unburnt rice husk dust (CURHD), goat dung mixed with saw dust (GSD) and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer and control replicated four times. The data obtained from the study were subjected to Statistical Analysis System for Agriculture. The result showed that poultry droppings mixed with burnt rice husk dust (PBRHD), cow dung mixed with unburnt rice husk dust (CURHD), goat dung mixed with sawdust (GSD) and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer had significantly (P<0.05) higher effect on total porosity, hydraulic conductivity, gravimetric moisture content (GMC) relative to control. The amendment of PBRHD showed significant (P<0.05) effect on hydraulic conductivity, gravimetric moisture content (GMC) and water retention (WR) when compared with control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer treatment. Significantly (P<0.05) lower dispersion ratio was obtained under PBRHD amended plots relative to control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer treatment. Furthermore, CURHD and GSD significantly (P<0.05) increased water retention relative to control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer application. Total porosity, hydraulic conductivity, gravimetric moisture content and dispersion ratio were higher by 6, 13, 87 and 64% in PBRHD amended plots when compared with NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer amended plots. The texture remained sandy clay loam after cropping. There was significantly (P<0.05) higher effect of PBRHD amendment on grain yield of maize compared to control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer treated plots. This was 22 and 20% increments of grain yield of maize in plots amended with PBRHD relative to control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer treatment. Generally, the integrated nutrient management improved soil physical properties and grain yield of maize more than control and NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer treatment. The order of improvement is PBRHD>CURHD>GSD>NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer>C. Integrated nutrient management could be recommended for soil management and sustainable productivity in Abakaliki agro-ecosystem of Nigeria.

Wheat is the most important crops in Iran and study to reduce losses and costs related to this product are essential. Wheat like any other crop, have losses during harvest and trying to reduce losses in all the time is justifiable. Yet Combine John Deere 955 for harvesting operations is most used combines in Iran and study in order to reduce losses this combine is important. The aims of this study are assess these factors: combine forward speed, Grain moisture content (%, w.b.) and yield per hectare on combine losses John Deere 955 in Ahvaz city (Khuzestan province). One of the ways that reduces losses of combines is mathematical models based on survey and measurement of factors affecting on different combine losses. In order to perform this research was surveyed 28 combines in at different points of Ahvaz city and was calculated cutting platform, back combine, plots and natural losses. In this study, parameters such as combine forward speed, Grain moisture content (%, w.b.) and yield per hectare were considered as independent variables and cutting platform and back combine losses as dependent variables. To express the mathematical relationship between the dependent and independent variables was used multivariate regression test. Results of regression analysis of variance showed there is significant relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. Finally was estimated most appropriate models to cutting platform losses (CPL) and back combine losses (BCL).

41 (31 females and 10 males) 50% Boer and 50% Abergelle crossbred goats were distributed to evaluate and compare their kids growth performance, farmers' perception and their survivable rate under farm management system. Housing, feeding and health care were thoroughly attended. The average BW, WW, SMW and NMW of the crossbred (25% Boer and 75% Abergelle) male and female kids were (2.68 kg, 2.62 kg),(12.17 kg, 11.95 kg)and (18.25 kg, 17.38 kg) respectively. While, the local kids average BW, WW, and SMW were (2.30kg, 2.23kg), (10.5kg,10.5kg) and (14.17kg,13.38kg) for male and female respectively. The result indicated that crossbred body weight increment at different growth stage was better than the local breed. Farmers were also perceive the crossbred goat have docile behavior which easily adopt for zero grazing, non selective and voracious in feeding and high growth rate, even though they criticize as short in body length and lowest disease resistant. The survivable rate of the crossbred kids at pre weaning and post weaning were 90.7% and 97.4% respectively which more related to low disease resistance. So that with applying of good management practice scaling up activities has to be strengthened to make farmers better benefited from Abergelle cross Boer goat breed.

Trials were carried out using five composite maize varieties in a Striga lutea (Lour) endemic soil of Temidire-Eruwa, Oyo State, Nigeria, in 2004 and 2005. The composite maize varieties were tested under varied fertilizer types, Nitrogen (N) concentrations and artificial striga infestation. The objective was to test these striga resistant maize varieties for yield and agronomic performance under the above conditions. The result showed that, variety and year of evaluation differed significantly (P<0.01) for almost all agronomic characters such as plant stand, days to anthesis (silking and tasselling), plant and ear heights as well as root and stalk lodging resistance at both 100kgN and 200kgN/ha. Variety x Year interaction were also significantly different (P<0.01) for all agronomic characters except root lodging and husk tip cover. Fertilizer type differed only for days to silking, plant height and plant aspect, while Year x Nitrogen source and Variety x Nitrogen source was highly significant (P<0.01) for field weight. Plant stands were better in 2004 than 2005 for all varieties except Acr 97syn-W and DMR-LSR-W. The composite maize varieties tolerated high N-concentration except DMR-LSR-Y which do not utilize excess Nitrogen above 100kgN/ha. Use of striga resistant maize varieties concomitantly with Nitrogen fertilizer is recommended for farmers in Striga lutea endemic ecology, for higher grain yield.

This paper evaluates the economic impact of projects fund and personnel costs of propagation on operating performance of the country's two main products, namely wheat and canola, between the years 1997-2007, in Parsabad Moghan region. In this study, data is consisting of three sections: descriptive analysis, and regression relations. In regression analysis, "projects’ fund and propagation of personnel costs" is the independent variable; and “wheat yield" as well as "canola yield" are dependent variables which are inserted into two separate equations, respectively. And given the significance of the value of F (P = 0/0000), in both equations, and also with regard to the high amount of R ¬ 2, it can be concluded that propagation credits are the major role in increasing or reducing the performance of these two products. It can also be concluded that the effect of propagation in increasing the wheat is more than canola yield and it is able to explain 91% of the performance of this product. Also, given the amount of R2, the credits in the case of canola is able to explain 71% of the changes in performance of this product.

Suitability of alternative mixes for container vegetable production was studied in a Plant and Screen house of Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Ebonyi state University, Abakaliki. There were 5 growth media mixes and topsoil which included coconut husk mixed with pig dung, sawdust mixed with pig dung, burnt rice husk mixed with pig dung, fresh rice husk mixed with pig dung, burnt rice husk mixed with fresh rice husk mixed with sawdust mixed with coconut husk mixed with pig dung and native topsoil. The design used was a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments were replicated four times to give a total of twenty-four experimental units. Amaranthus cruntus L. was used as a container vegetable to serve as a test crop. Data from both media mixes, topsoil chemical properties and agronomic yield of Amaranthus cruntus L. were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results showed that organic wastes based media mixes had superior chemical properties for vegetable production compared to native topsoil. Mixing each organic based media with pig dung significantly (P<0.05) improved their percent N,OC and pH contents relative to top soil. Percent N,OC and pH were 46, 46,91 and 15 % for sawdust mixed with pig dung, burnt rice husk mixed with unburnt rice husk mixed with sawdust mixed with coconut mixed with pig dung, coconut husk mixed with pig dung and sawdust mixed with pig dung when compared with control. There was generally significantly (P<0.05) better Amaranthus cruntus L. performance in organic based mixes when compared to topsoil. Coconut husk mixed with pig doing had superior significant (P< 0.05) effect on leaf number, number of branches, plant height, leaf area index and fresh shoot weight of Amaranthus cruntus L. in the study compared to topsoil and other media mixes. Coconut husk mixed with pig dung was higher by 23, 18, 15, 39, 37 and 14% than topsoil for leaf number, number of branches, plant height, leaf area index and fresh shoot weight of Amaranthus cruntus L. respectively. The media mixes and topsoil enhanced chemical properties and agronomic yield in the order of coconut husks mixed with pig dung > fresh rice husk mixed with pig dung > burnt rice husk with fresh rice husk mixed with coconut husk mixed with sawdust mixed with pig dung > burnt rice husk mixed with pig dung > sawdust mixed with pig dung > topsoil. It was concluded that growing Amaranthus cruntus L. in media mixes and particularly coconut husk mixed with pig dung could serve as suitable alternative to soil in container vegetable production in Abakaliki agro ecology.

The diameter distribution models of a natural stand in Shasha forest reserve (1.44ha permanent sample plots), South West Nigeria, were modeled with Beta distribution function. The data consisted of dbh measurement of all the trees with dbh ? 10cm. The data set for 1960 was used to model the diameter distribution while 1976 data set was used for model validation which should not be significance to the observed values. Simple linear regression equation was used to fit the Beta function/models. The best model from all the parameters was selected based on least values of standard deviation error, significance and high coefficient of determination. The result revealed that 68 tree species were currently available in the study area. The maximum dbh was observed in 1960 data set (164.91cm) while the least was observed in 2011 data set (81cm). The best model fit was (a+b) = 0.80lnDq – 200.79 (R2 = 61.31%, SE = 24.78 and p = 0.0003). The results of the models validation revealed that there were no significant differences between the observed and the predicted value of the parameters. Models developed are therefore recommended for application in the projection of diameter distribution for proper management.

Pearl millet is an important food and feed crop mostly cultivated in the semi-arid region of the world. Ionizing radiation has been widely used as a tool in plant breeding programs. Similar to other techniques of crop improvement, irradiation can induce alterations that can modify the chemical composition and the nutritional value of food crops. These changes depend on the irradiation dose and the crop species and give plant breeders the opportunity to select induced desirable mutants. In this paper, we discuss the usefulness of gamma radiation in achieving improvements in the grain yield and nutritional quality of pearl millet.