Agriculture

Abstract: The present field study was conducted to find out the effect of different planting dates during rabi season from November to February in 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively on the infection of various viral diseases caused by Aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Aphis gossypii Glover and white fly, Bemisia tabaci Genn on potato at Adisaptagram Block Seed Farm, Hooghly, West Bengal. The four types of viral diseases, viz. mild mosaic, severe mosaic, leaf roll and apical leaf curl diseases were found to infect the potato crop in this locality. The incidence of viral diseases on potato crop was observed in between first and third week of January and then their infection was gradually increased up to full maturity of the crop. The percentage of viral disease infection was higher in late planted and harvested crop compared to those planted and harvested early. Per cent viral disease incidence was found maximum in P5 (26.25-35.50%), followed by P4 (28.00-30.75%), P3 (26.00-29.00%), P2 (24.00-25.50%) and P1 (17.75-18.00%) respectively. The per cent leaf roll disease incidence (9.00-20.75%) outnumbered the other viral diseases and maximum percentage of PLRV infection was found during later stage of the crop grown in all the five planting dates. The incidence of mild mosaic was slightly higher (4.00-8.00%) than the incidence of severe mosaic (2.50-5.50%) and it was mainly confined in early to middle phase of crop growth. The incidence of apical leaf curl disease was least and its infection was always higher in later planted crops. The maximum yield of potato tuber was found in P2, followed by P1, P3 and P5 respectively.

The objective of the study was assessment and mapping of the community villages in order to rank degree of vulnerabilities to climate change. On sensitivity to vulnerability, the majority of the respondents indicated that it was high (59.6%), medium (16.3%) and low (20.8%).of which on response to exposure to vulnerability, the respondents who indicated high (61.7%), medium (24.2% and low (11.3%).On vulnerabilities in response to adaptive capacity to vulnerability, was high (3.3%), medium (12.5%) and low (81.3%).This study demonstrated that participatory approach of addressing vulnerability to climate change which involved all stakeholders is effective in this dry forested pastoral ecosystem.

The biological effectiveness of jute bags impregnated with Eucalyptus camaldulensis essential oils, Cymbopogon citratus, and vegetable oil of Azadirachta indica was evaluated on the adults of Callosobruchus maculatus of cowpea and the molds of the genus Aspergilus and Penicillium, in post-harvest conservation conditions. The results reveal that the jute bags tested have significant insecticidal and antimicrobial activity on Callosobruchus maculatus adults, when the dose and exposure time increase from 0 to 2% for 26 weeks.

In order to get the knowledge easily and quickly for the new countryside to meet the requests on agriculture development by the advanced science and technology, emphasis on the regional agriculture. We put forward an integrated platform model that provide the demonstration and query on regional agriculture information. The solution is to set up the regional multimedia system based on the comprehensive agriculture information system, meanwhile, considering the current situations, including the network equipments and information system operations. After the analysis and design of the system function and structure, we introduce the operation and the realization of models in detail. It can achieve the general data by the demonstration system easily and the especially data by the query system, also the immediate data exchanging and sharing by the information exchange platform.

ABSTRACT Suitability of growing media or substrates is essential for production of quality seedlings for transplant. It directly affects the development and later maintenance of the extensive functional system. A good growing medium would provide sufficient anchorage of support to plant, serves a reservoir for nutrient and water, allow oxygen diffusion to the root and permit gaseous exchange between the root and atmosphere outside the root substrate. In the present of study different growth media were used to germinate the seed of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) under a controlled growth chamber to identify which among the tried media is best for yam seed. The growth media tested were Cocopeat, Peat pellet, Carbonized rice husk, Top soil, Cocopeat + Top soil and Carbonized rice husk + Top soil. Each treatment was measured into a nursery seedling basket, arranged in randomized complete block design, and replicated four times. Daily minimum and maximum Temperature and Relative humidity records were recorded throughout the experiment. At 60 and 90 days after seed sowing, growth response parameters were recorded and were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were separated using least significant difference at 5% probability level. Highest germination of 71.65 and 88.65% at 60 and 90 days after sowing respectively were recorded from yam seed planted in Cocopeat and the same trend was observed in respect of growth response parameters observed. Top soil had the least influence as growth medium, which was not significantly different from response from its mixture with other growth media.

Inappropriate fertilizer application usage is among the problems associated with eggplant production in Ogbomoso agro-ecological zone. Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso to assess the effects of different fertilizers on the performance of five varieties of eggplant. The treatments consisted of five fertilizer types (No fertilizer, Inorganic fertilizer (NPK 100%), Organic fertilizer (100% compost), 50% compost + 50% NPK and 75% compost + 25% NPK) and five varieties of eggplant (Nacy, Ravenna, Nathelie, Reth and Orma). The fertilizer treatments were supplied at the equivalent rate of 60 kg N/ha. The experiment was a factorial experiment laid out in randomized complete block design. The five fertilizer types and five eggplant varieties translates to 25 treatment combinations, which was replicated three times. The agronomic and yield data collected were analyzed using the analysis of variance procedure while the treatment means were separated using the Duncan Multiple range test at 5% level of probability. It was observed that application of fertilizer improved the growth and yield attributes of eggplant when compared with where no fertilizer was applied. Combined application of 50% compost + 50% NPK and 75% compost and 25% NPK gave the highest fruit yields of 31.8 and 29.9 t/ha, respectively, which were not different significantly from each other. Ravenna variety produced the highest fruit yield (37.1t/ha). Planting of Ravenna variety with application of 50% NPK + 50% compost could be recommended for production of eggplant in the study area.

This study was conducted to evaluation of vermicompost and split nitrogen application on yield and some yield components of sesame. Experimental design was in RCBD with two factors and four replications, first factor included vermicompost with three levels (10, 20 and 30 ton/ha) and second factor included Urea with three levels (30, 60 and 90 kg/ha). Urea was used in two installments, one of them was applied at the 6 to 8 leaf and another 20 days after the first installment. According to our result, we suggest using of 20 ton/ha vermicompost for sesame culture, also using of 90kg/ha nitrogen is best treatment. For combination using, it suggest 30ton/ha vermicompost + 60kh/ha nitrogen for Firouzabad region and sesame.

The regular maintenance of the fields and harvesting of the pods had in itself made it possible to maintain a good sanitary state of the Congolese plantations. Black rot and mirid diseases were still under control at that time. The plantations managed by the planters under the supervision of the "CABEN" Company, Cacaoyère de Bengamisa, were well maintained and monitored. However, in recent years, farmers, especially those in the Bengamisa cocoa zone, have observed their production to be declining.In order to accurately determine the level of this disease in this zone, where abnormal production losses have been reported, observations were carried out in the cocoa farms at the Kisangani, Kapalata and Yangambi posts in the Banalia Territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo "DRC".Weekly passages during which pods affected by black rot and healthy pods were counted revealed very high and increasing levels of infection over two successive harvest seasons (2018 and 2019) (i.e. a growth rate of 17.5 in Kisangani, 14.08 in Kapalata and 9.25 in Yangambi). These rates are similar to those recorded in countries where Phytophtora megakarya, a species known for its aggressiveness, regularly occurs. This serious disease becomes more important in 2019, which evokes the evolution of the latter from year to year. However, it remains understood that the environmental conditions created by the demotivation of coffee and cocoa growers from 1980 onwards, combined with the lack of maintenance of orchards, would have favoured a rapid emergence of black rot. Lasiodiplodia theobromae is becoming a major constraint to cocoa production in DRC. This study is the first to report the effects of L. theobromae causing the decline of cocoa pods in DRC.

The study was conducted to determine the influence of Trichoderma applied alone or in combination with organic fertilizer on the growth and yield of garlic (Allium sativum L.). Four treatments were evaluated: T1 (Recommended Rate of Organic Fertilizer (RROF) at 4.5 t ha-1), T2 (Recommended Rate of Trichoderma (RRTP) at 250 kg ha-1), T3 (½ RROF + ½ RRTP) and T4 (Full RROF + Full RRTP), the experiment was laid out following the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replication. Results of the study revealed that application of full recommended rate of organic fertilizer (RROF) + full recommended rate of Trichoderma plus (RRTP) significantly influences the plant height of garlic at 30 DAP (38.95 cm) and at harvest (41.09 cm), bulb diameter (28.94 mm), number of bulb per kilogram (90.50) and the yield obtained per hectare (18.0t/ha). Based from this result, combination of full recommended rate of organic fertilizer and Trichoderma is effective source of nutrients for garlic production under pure organic cultivation.

Objective: The objective is to compare the sugarcane performance under contour -zonary cultivation techniques with the one under traditional cultivation techniques. Method: Sugarcanes of both Qiantang 4 and Qiantang 5 were planted with different techniques. When they reached technical maturity, the samples of their roots, leaves, stems, number of ratoon cane buds etc. were collected, measured and compared to find out the differences of the yield and quality of the sugarcanes cultivated with different techniques. Result: It is found that sugarcanes under the cultivation with contour -zonary techniques had following characters that were fresh root weight increasing by 92.81-117.57%, functional leaf number increasing by 10.11-14.68%, cane stem production increasing by 16.65-17.57%, cane sucrose contents increasing by 4.05-4.07% and ratoon number increasing by 62.81-65.10%. Conclusion: Sugarcanes cultivated with contour -zonary cultivation techniques perform better than the ones cultivated with traditional cultivation techniques in both their yield and their qualities.