Volume 3, Issue 1

Reliable yield performance is important in cucumber because seed companies prefer to market cultivars adapted to multiple rather than single regions of the U.S. Also, growers benefit by using a cultivar that performs well in many environments. Future performance of cultivars is also important. The objectives of the study were to (i) evaluate the yield of cucumber genotypes over successive years and in different locations, and (ii) identify cucumber genotypes with high stability for yield. A diverse set of 22 pickling genotypes was evaluated over 3 years (1986, 1987 and 1988) and in 7 locations across the United States. Yield traits were evaluated using once-over harvest and counting the number of fruit that were marketable, culled or oversize. Total yield, marketable yield (total minus culled fruit), early yield (number of oversize fruit), percent culls and fruit per plant were calculated. Data were analyzed with SASGxE and RGxE programs using SAS and R programming languages, respectively. There were strong effects of environment(E) as well as genotype(G) xE interaction for all traits. Genotypes ‘Regal F1’, ‘Calypso F1’, ‘Carolina F1’, ‘Gy 3’, ‘Gy 14’ and ‘Fremont F1’ had high marketable yield and medium to high stability for all traits. There was an advantage of hybrids over inbreds for trait performance. Hybrids fell into a single cluster with large prediction intervals. Based on the stability statistics and divisive clusters, it appears possible to breed stable cucumber genotypes with high yield. The genotype with highest performance for marketable yield, greatest stability for yield, lowest 1-R2 ratio value (diverse and representative) were ‘Marbel F1’ and Gy 14.

Triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) is a cereal used in Argentina as a winter seasonal pasture or feeding grain. Efforts made on breeding have led to varieties with potential grain yield similar or greater than with wheat. The aim of this study was to determine the gene effects, heritability, genetic gain, heterosis and inbreeding depression in various quantitative traits of a cross from contrasting lines of triticale using generation means analysis. The thousand kernel weight was adjusted to a model of additive-dominance, while the rest of the traits exhibited significant epistatic effects: additive x additive (i) for hectoliter weight, additive x dominance (j) for number grains per spike and grain yield per plant. Other traits showed a more complex as inheritance additive x additive (i) and additive x dominance (j) interactions effects for spike length or additive x dominance (j) and dominance x dominance (l) interactions effects for number of spikes per plant and number of spikelets per spike. High values of heritability and genetic gain were also detected for grain yield, spikelets per spike, spike per plant and hectoliter weight. All traits except spike per plant had positive relative mid-parent heterosis, but none resulted in positive heterobeltiosis, therefore this cross is not recommended for obtaining hybrids varieties. Selection in early generations by thousand kernel weight and hectoliter weight would be efficient, while the selection in advanced generations where segregation is minimal would be recommended for the remaining traits.

Heavy metal accumulation in vegetable tissues often poses a great risk for human health. In the present study, accumulation of heavy metal in green leafy vegetable crops of coriander, garden cress, lettuce and spinach were evaluated under waste water irrigation in fields located in Kahrizak, on the southern edge of the metropolitan city of Tehran, Iran. Atomic absorption spectrophotometery was used for determination of heavy metal concentrations in leaf tissue. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in soil and irrigation water were significantly high than allowable levels. Analysis of plant leaf tissue showed that spinach and garden cress accumulated higher concentrations of heavy metals compared to coriander and lettuce plants. Central leaves of lettuce showed the lowest heavy metal concentration compared to outer leaves or leaves of other vegetable crops, and can be the safer product for fresh consumption. The results indicate that the vegetables produced in the region are not suitable for fresh consumption and the agricultural activities should change towards ornamental or industrial crops production.

The estimation of genetic parameters such as heterosis (Mh), heterobeltiosis (Hh), general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) allows inferences about the predominant action of the genes, indicates the appropriate selection strategy, and facilitates identification of the best parents. The present study was carried out using a diallel cross system among five genotypes of Triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmak). Genotypes CIMMYT 829 (G1), CIMMYT 830 (G2), CIMMYT 834 (G3), CIMMYT 820 (G4) and Antonio UNLPam (G5) were crossed in a complete diallel combination without reciprocal crosses, in La Pampa, Argentina. The additive genetic effects were of greater importance than the nonadditive ones for the following traits: spike length (SL), days to anthesis (AD), spikelets per spike (SS); grains per spike (GS), 1000-kernel weight (1000-KW), grain yield (GY), test weight (TW) and harvest index (HI). The G1 and G4 parents showed better GCA for GY, HI, 1000-KW and SL indicating a greater contribution of additive gene action and a promising feature to obtain prominent recombination lines. The G1xG4 cross showed Hh and a significant SCA value for GY, indicating a greater contribution of the non-additive gene action, useful to develop hybrids.

The utilization of Cardaba banana as food or functional food requires knowledge about its preservation (drying), and physical and functional characteristics of the crop. The study is aimed at determining the drying kinetics of Cardaba slices as well as to determine the physio-chemical and rehydration properties. Unripe Cardaba banana and plantain bunches were produced into flour separately. The drying kinetics of the slices (sun, 50°C and 70°C) with and without blanching were monitored. The rehydration capacities of the slices at room temperature, 45°C, 75°C and 95°C were determined. The functional and proximate properties of the flour samples were determined. Results showed that the higher the drying temperature, the faster the drying and the shorter the drying time. Furthermore, the greater the rehydration capacity and the greater the shrinkage of the Cardaba banana and plantain slices. Cardaba banana flour samples were higher in bulk density (0.52 to 0.65 g/ ml), oil absorption capacity (76.47 to 98.83%), swelling power (4.42 to 6.36 g/g) and protein content (4.73 to 9.92%) than plantain flour samples in bulk density (0.56 g/ml to 0.73 g/ml), oil absorption capacity (66.20 to 90.67%), swelling power (4.15 to 5.65 g/g) and protein content (3.66 to 8.43%). The result obtained in this study proved that Cardaba banana compares favorably with plantain and can be used as a substituted for plantain.

In South Asia, including Bangladesh, most farmers sow wheat under residual soil moisture after rice is harvested, but the upper layer of soil dries quickly after soil has been prepared for wheat sowing. Crop seeds that are sown either deeply or shallowly can result in failed emergence, low dry matter accumulation, and reduced grain yield. Therefore, appropriate sowing depth is crucial for seedling emergence and successful crop establishment. Considering this, a two-year field experiment was conducted at the research field of the Agricultural Research Station of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute at Dinajpur during the dry, rabi (winter) season of 2013-14 and 2014-15, at four sowing depths, i.e., 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm, to identify the most appropriate sowing depth for higher grain yield. Wheat seeds sown at a depth of 4 cm resulted in significantly highest number of seedlings and seminal roots, tallest plants as well as largest roots and plant biomass followed by sowing at a depth of 6, or 2 cm. Depth of sowing also significantly affected the yield and yield-related attributes, all performing best at a depth of 4 cm. The highest number of spikes m-2, grain yield, straw yield and harvest index were observed when seeds were sown at depths of 4 or 6 cm, relative to 2 or 8 cm. Therefore, a sowing depth of 4 to 6 cm is recommended for wheat cultivation in South Asia, including Northern Bangladesh.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important tropical legume crop contributing significantly to food security in tropical regions. The present study was carried out to determine the extent of genetic variation, to estimate character associations, heritability and genetic advance of 25 quantitative traits in 30 genotypes of cultivated Vigna unguiculata from the western highland region of Cameroon. These quantitative traits were selected among cowpea descriptor lists. For all these traits, the analysis of variance showed significant difference among genotypes, highlighting the existence of important genetic divergence among the studied accessions. The highest phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was observed in grain yield, pod yield and 100 seed weight. Genetic advance of these three characters was also the highest. Broad sense heritability was high in general, with 20 traits out of 25 having heritability values greater than 70%. This high heritability indicates little influence of the environment on these characters in cowpea. The highest heritability was recorded for 100 seed weight (98.15%) and the lowest for shoot weight (41.38%). At 0.05 probability level, grain yield correlated significantly with 21 out of the 24 other quantitative traits. Among others, grain yield correlated positively and significantly with 100 seed weight, number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant, number of nodes per plant, plant height, plant width, pod length, pod width, seed length, seed width and number of seeds per pod. These positive correlations between grain yield and many other traits indicate that a selection program based on any of these traits will result in increasing yield. Cluster analysis using UPGMA method revealed five distinct clusters. Genotypes named KEBCP025, KEB-CP006, KEB-CP098, KEB-CP070, and more importantly KEB-CP054 and KEB-CP004, were grouped in a single cluster and were characterized by a significantly higher grain yield, pod yield, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod, plant height, pod length and pod width compared to other clusters. Accessions KEB-CP036 and KEB-CP031 produced significantly more important fresh biomass. These genotypes could be used as parents in genetic improvement programs aiming to increase yield and fresh biomass in cowpea.

The goal of this paper is to investigate the transition towards a bio-based economy as part of a broader sustainable transition in Europe. To analyse the challenges and opportunities associated with the bio-based economy, we applied the Strategic Niche Management approach to investigate the drivers that boost the emergence of the bio-based economy, the factors hindering it, as well as institutional changes which are at the base of the socio-technological transition. Although considered as just one piece of the sustainability puzzle, the bio-based economy behaves as a socio-technical system on its own, providing valuable hints on systemic transitions.

Increased light interception (LI), along with concomitant increases in crop growth rate (CGR), is the main factor explaining how cultural factors such as row spacing, plant population, and planting date affect soybean yield. Leaf area index (LAI), LI, and CGR are interrelated in a “virtuous spiral” where increased LAI leads to greater LI resulting in a higher CGR and more total dry matter per area (TDM). This increases LAI, thus accelerating the entire physiological process to a higher level. A greater understanding of this complex growth dynamic process could be achieved through use of cluster analysis and principle components analysis (PCA). Cluster analysis involves grouping of similar objects in such way that objects in same cluster are similar to each other and dissimilar to objects in other cluster. PCA is a technique used to reduce a large set of variables to a few meaningful ones. Seasonal relative leaf area index (RLAI), relative light interception (RLI), and relative total dry matter (RTDM) response curves were determined from the data by a stepwise regression analysis in which these parameters were regressed against relative days after emergence (RDAE). Greatest levels of RLAI, RLI and RTDM were observed in soybean planted early on narrow row spacings and recorded greater plant population. In contrast, lower levels of these parameters occurred on plants with wide row spacings at late planting dates. For farmers, these results are useful in terms of adopting certain cultural practices which can help in the management of stress in soybean.

Vines are the major source of planting material in sweetpotato. Extended dry spells hinder conservation of vines and in turn affect the availability of planting material at the onset of rains in southern Africa. In some cases, improved sweetpotato germplasm has been lost by smallholder farmers in Mozambique due to prolonged dry spells. Small to medium roots provide an opportunity to conserve germplasm and get planting material at the beginning of the rainy season. The objectives of the study were to (i) measure sprouting ability of diverse germplasm of sweetpotato - farmer varieties, improved clones and released varieties and (ii) estimate their ability to provide planting material for the next crop in southern Mozambique. Trials with 29 genotypes were established in a randomized complete block design with two replications at Umbeluzi Research Station and Nwalate Farm in 2015, 2016 and 2017. At harvest, 14 small to medium roots were selected and stored in small plastic dishes filled with dry sand at Nwalate Farm. After four months in storage, 10 similar roots were taken and planted in 1 m row plots arranged in a randomized complete block design with two replications. The trials were irrigated to initiate sprouting and support plant growth during the first four weeks. Data collected were analysed using SAS 1996. All the tested genotypes sprouted after sowing. The number of sprouts per root were significantly affected by the genotype, location and genotype x location x year interactions. Caelan had the most sprouts per root. Sprout length measured at six weeks after sprouting was also significantly affected by genotype, location, year and genotype x location x year interactions. Caelan had vines each long enough to provide 10 cuttings of 10 cm length for rapid multiplication. The number of cuttings depended on the growth habit of the variety. Irene, a popular variety in Mozambique, is erect and bushy and could only provide four cuttings over the same period. Growth habit especially under a changing climate should be considered in breeding programs as an option of facilitating a sustainable and easy seed system.

The objective of this article is to provide information on pertinent propagation techniques for increased banana productivity. Banana, a very important crop in many tropical and subtropical countries of the world, is propagated with extreme difficulties. Its ordinary propagation technique of using suckers directly detached from a mother plant is limited by low multiplication rates and propensity of disseminating pests and diseases, which culminates in reduced banana productivity. Improved propagation techniques such as mother plant stripping, decapitation and mini-corms that increase the number of suckers are also somewhat deficient for large scale seed production and quality. Consequently, tissue and cell culture methods have been developed to address some of the challenges of seed quantity and quality although they are yet to be widely adopted. In this detailed review that includes results from hard-to-find literature, we discuss the traditional and modern methods of banana propagation, their benefits and limitations. Specifically, tissue culture stands out as the most prolific method of delivering high quantity and quality seed in banana. Its applicability, however, is limited by high costs of production and a need for skilled personnel and specialized equipment. It is imperative that to build a sustainable and viable banana seed production system, a multiplication scheme that combines two or more multiplication methods including tissue culture for cleaning the seed stock is utilized. The information provided gives premise for interventions to alleviate the problems of low banana seed availability, quantity and quality.

Organic-based chelate fertilizers can effectively improve nutrient uptake and use efficiency of plants. In the present study, foliar applications of three organic-chelate fertilizers on green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants were compared to soil application of a mix chemical fertilizer (NPK) under greenhouse conditions. The treatments were foliar application (six sprays at 0.2% concentration) of Biomin, Humifolin, DelfonPlus, a mixture of micro and macronutrients, soil application of chemical fertilizer (NPK 0.5 g.kg-1 soil), and no fertilizer control. Foliar applications of organic-chelate fertilizers improved plant height, leaf area, shoot dry weight, leaf N and K concentration, pod number and pod yield compared to control plants. Pod soluble solids, vitamin C and total protein contents were significantly increased by foliar application of organic-chelate fertilizers. Soil applied NPK also improved green bean productivity compared to no fertilizer control. For most plant growth traits, there was no significant difference among the three organic-chelates. Foliar application of the macro- micro- nutrient mixture was not able to enhance the same growth, yield and pod quality traits like organic-chelates. Therefore, application of nutrient elements in form of organic-chelate and particularly by foliar application can guarantee better green bean plant performance.

Multifunctional forestry in Germany is characterized by long production periods and complex biological-technical processes. Private forest enterprises are complex systems which are closely interwoven with the economic environment. To ensure their economic success, forest landowners need to take the economic development into consideration and adapt their management strategies. Management accounting is an important source for information needed to fulfil main tasks of accounting that help to manage forest enterprises: ‘description’, ‘explanation’ and ‘decision making’. To get general data, long time series data, taken from Forest Accountancy Networks (FAN), can be analysed. For more than 45 years, data from the FAN Westfalen-Lippe in Germany has been collected and analysed by the department of Forest Economics and Forest Management at the University of Göttingen. The long-term development and adaptation strategies of defined groups of private forest enterprises can be illustrated using this data. These valuable time series can support decision-making processes for private forest landowners and provide tools for forest policy. The data shows that private forest enterprises, with spruce as the dominating tree species, have performed above average in terms of operating revenues and profit margins, but are also more susceptible to calamities resulting in higher involuntary timber harvests.

Foodborne illnesses have been a heavy burden in the United States and globally. Many medicinal herbs have been cultivated in the US and many of which contain antimicrobial compounds with the potential to be used for food preservation. Methanol/water extracts of pomegranate peel (“PP”, Punica Granatum L.), Chinese gallnut (“CG”, Galla chinensis), Forsythia fruit (“FF”, Forsythia suspensa) and Baikal skullcap root (“BS”, Scutellaria baicalensis) were tested for antimicrobial activity using the agar diffusion assay on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and microdilution assay in tryptic soy broth (TSB). CG and PP extracts showed good to excellent inhibitory effect against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes in both assays, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range from 0.04 to 5 mg/mL. BS had moderate inhibitory effects against V. parahaemolyticus with an MIC of 5 mg/mL in TSB, and against L. monocytogenes with an MIC of 20 mg/mL on TSA. CG was analyzed using LC-MS and fractionated using HPLC. The major components were identified as gallic acid, digallic acid, methyl gallate, and gallotannins (oligo-galloyl-D-glucose, nGG, n = 1~10). Six fractions (I - VI) were collected and their antibacterial activities were tested against L. monocytogenes, and V. parahaemolyticus both on TSA and in TSB. On TSA, fraction III, IV and V inhibited V. parahaemolyticus but no fraction inhibited L. monocytogenes. In TSB, all fractions inhibited V. parahaemolyticus and fractions II - V inhibited L. monocytogenes. Future studies are needed to investigate the effects of medicinal plants on food products.

According to potato experts from ten Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries working together in a community of practice (CoP) over a 3-years period, potato farmers across SSA can increase their current annual production of 10.8 million metric tons by 140% if they had access to high quality seed along with improved management practices. This paper describes this innovative new methodology tested on potato for the first time, combining modelling and a comprehensive online survey through a CoP. The intent was to overcome the paucity of experimental information required for crop modelling. Researchers, whose data contributed to estimating model parameters, participated in the study using Solanum, a crop model developed by the International Potato Center (CIP). The first finding was that model parameters estimated through participatory modelling using experts’ knowledge were good approximations of those obtained experimentally. The estimated yield gap was 58 Mg ha-1, of which 35 corresponded to a research gap (potential yield minus research yield) and 24 to farmers’ gap (research yield minus farmer’s yield). Over a 6-month period, SurveyMonkey, a Web-based platform was used to assess yield gap drivers. The survey revealed that poor quality seed and bacterial wilt were the main yield gap drivers as perceived by survey respondents.

Aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) is a crop of great economic importance and an excellent candidate for improving food security in developing countries. Understanding the genetic variability of any crop species is a decisive step for its improvement and requires characterization and evaluation of available germplasm. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of genetic variability, estimate the association between agromorphological traits and clustering among 57 genotypes of aerial yam from three distinct agro-ecological zones in Cameroon using multivariate analysis. Thirty nine characters (23 qualitative and 16 quantitative) were used for the study. Significant differences in genetic diversity indices were found. Accessions from the bimodal humid forest zone (Na = 2.08, He = 0.27) showed significantly lower diversity compared to both western highland (Na = 2.30, He = 0.34) and humid monomodal forest zones (Na = 2.57, He = 0.32). Means values of most quantitative traits also showed significant differences between agro-ecological zones. Batingla-3 and Bawouwoua-1 had important bulbil yield, reaching 3500 g / plant. Significant associations were found between many traits. The use of the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean allowed the distribution of the 57 genotypes into six distinct clusters with the clustering pattern not showing any parallelism with location sites or agro-ecological zones. Mahalanobis D2 statistics revealed the highest inter-cluster distance between cluster II and VI. Accessions of these clusters are potential parents for future breeding programs. This study showed that aerial yam from Cameroon has an enormous wealth of traits variation, indicating huge potential for its genetic improvement through selection and hybridization.

The aim of the study was to isolate moderately halophilic bacteria that produce proteolytic enzymes with industrial biotechnological value. Screening of halophiles from various saline habitats, led to the isolation of 210 moderately halophilic bacteria producing industrially important hydrolases; such as proteases, which are enzymes that hydrolyze the peptide bonds of proteins, represent one of the three groups of industrial enzymes. The present study of halophilic bacteria, producing proteases and isolated from different saline soils of Sonora State, was divided in two parts: the first part included screening of moderately halophiles bacteria collected from various regions, while the second part consisted of enzyme production by fermentation in liquid medium in flask. Three strains of bacteria with potential proteolytic activity (BLRMAM1066, BLCLAM1064, PPSE3AM1053) were selected to continue the electrophoresis and zymogram tests, obtaining molecular weights from 19 to 193 kDa. One of the a priori objectives of this research is to have a collection of halophilic bacteria with high proteolytic activity

An experiment was conducted to determine the nutrient composition and effects of cockroach (Periplaneta americana) meal on the growth performance, economics of production and the absolute and relative weights of some internal organs of albino rats. Twelve (12) male albino rats with an average weight of 67.5g were randomly allotted three dietary treatments: T0 with no cockroach meal, and T1 and T2 with 2% and 4% cockroach meal respectively in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). Each treatment had four rats and each rat served as a replicate. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The rats were euthanized and their internal organs were weighed at the end of a 28-day feeding trial. Data obtained were analysed using the analysis of variance procedure of the GenStat Statistical Package version 11.1. There were no significant differences in feed intake (P = 0.633), average daily gain (ADG)(P = 0.670) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)(P = 0.326) for the various treatments. The FCR figures recorded for T0, T1 and T2 were 4.81, 4.37 and 4.17 respectively whilst the inclusion of cockroach meal reduced feed cost by 3% and 7% in dietary treatments T1 and T2 respectively. Most of the internal organs recorded no significant difference (P >0.05) but rats on the cockroach meal diets recorded significantly (P = 0.001) lower relative heart weights. Relative kidney weights were also smaller (P = 0.034) for rats on diets containing 4% cockroach meal. Feeding diets containing up to 4% cockroach meal had no negative effects on the feed intake, ADG and FCR of the rats, and can therefore be safely fed to monogastrics up to 4% of the diet.

This study considered the level of inclusion of landless farmers in extension services in Delta State, Nigeria. A sample size of 355 landless farmers who were randomly selected formed the respondents used for this study. The results show that they had a mean age of 45 years and were mostly females who were also mostly married with little level of formal education as their highest level of formal education was secondary education. They had a mean household size of 7 persons and average farming experience of 11.5 years with mean farm size of 2 ha and very many of them did not subscribe to farmer’s groups. They were mostly (70.70%) indigenes of the communities where they resided. Their level of social inclusion in agricultural extension benefits was poor (inclusion index = 0.45). They had an average crop output of 9000kg annually. Their level of social inclusion in agricultural extension services influenced their level of outputs. Their level of social inclusion was significantly influenced by their socioeconomic attributes of age, gender, marital status, and level of formal education, household size, farming experiences, group membership and indigene status. It was concluded that the landless farmers were socially excluded from agricultural extension services. It is recommended that extension agents should change their attitudes towards this class of farmers; and extension agents should persuasively convince the farmers to subscribe to membership of their relevant farmers’ groups

The cinnamon flowers exhibit protogynous dichogamy with 2 flower types “Type A” and “Type B” which first flowers during morning and evening respectively. This floral cycle causes a temporal barrier to the maintenance of elite breeding material and for hybridization with desired parents. Determination of variation in flower and inflorescence morphology can shed light on functional diversity in “Type A” and “Type B” flowers. In order to study these variations, a survey of cultivated cinnamon lands and wild habitats was conducted in fifteen locations in the Matara district. Peduncle length (PDL), flower length (FL), flower width (FW), and floral tube length (FTL) varied among cinnamon accessions collected. The variation in tepal shape was distinct: the two whorls of tepals of a single flower exhibited two shapes. The current investigation of differences in inflorescence, floral morphology and floral abnormalities of Cinnamomum verum provides information about their diversity, and recommends molecular analysis to further determine the genetic basis of two flower types in progynous dichogamy.

Using historic lactation records for Ayrshire cattle, we report a gradual increase in the production of milk, butter fat and protein levels across four decades. This was generally at the extent of attaining a level of increase per decade which was similar to the increase seen between animals during their first and second lactations in the previous decade. However these increases were achieved without significantly affecting the percentage of butter fat or protein throughout the time examined, and also without changing the heifer: second lactation ratios

New agronomic systems need scientific proof before being adapted by farmers. To increase the informative value of field trials, expensive samplings throughout the cropping season are required. In a series of trials where different application techniques and rates of liquid manure in maize were tested, a handheld sensor metering the red edge inflection point (REIP) was compared to conventional biomass sampling at different growth stages and in different environments. In a repeatedly measured trial during the 2014, 2015, and 2016 growing seasons, the coefficients of determination between REIP and biomass / nitrogen uptake (N upt ) ascended from 4 leaves stage to 8 leaves stage, followed by a decent towards tasseling. In a series of trials in 2014, and 2015, the mean coefficients of determination at 8 leaves stage were 0.65, and 0.67 for biomass and N upt , respectively. The predictability of biomass or N upt by REIP however, is limited to similar conditions (e.g. variety). In this study, REIP values of e.g. ~721, represent N upt values from ~8 kg ha -1 to ~38 kg ha -1 . Consequently, the handheld sensor derived REIP used in this series of experiments can show growth differences between treatments, but referential samples are necessary to assess growth parameters.

The Andean region is the most important center of potato diversity in the world. The global warming trend which has taken place since the 1950s, that is 2-3 times the reported global warming and the continuous presence of extreme events makes this region a live laboratory to study the impact of climate change. In this review, we first present the current knowledge on climate change in the Andes, as compared to changes in other mountain areas, and the globe in general. Then, the review describes the ecophysiological strategies to cope and adapt to changes in atmospheric CO 2 levels, temperature and soil water availability. As climate change also has a significant effect on the magnitude and frequency of the incidence of pests and diseases, the current knowledge of the dynamics of vectors in the Andean region is discussed. The use of modeling techniques to describe changes in the range expansion and number of insect pest generations per year as affected by increases in temperature is also presented. Finally, the review deals with the use of crop modeling to analyze the likely impact of projected climate scenarios on potato yield and tuber initiation.

Pyrolysis of biomass, reduces its volume, mass, odour, and potential pathogens, while concentrating nutrients in the resulting biochar. However, the plant availability of nutrients in particular of nitrogen remains largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the nutrient availability of carbonized poultry litter. A nutrient poor soil was either fertilized with poultry litter or poultry litter carbonized at 500°C at the rates of 1.5, 3 and 6 t/ha. These organic amendments were compared with corresponding rates of mineral fertilizers (NH 4 NO 3 , KCl, CaHPO 4 , MgSO 4 ) in a pot experiment. After four successive harvests of ryegrass (Lolium sp.) in a greenhouse we analyzed plant nutrient uptake and nutrient concentrations in the soil. While all treatments showed a linear increase in plant growth and nitrogen uptake, the plants fertilized with carbonized poultry litter did not show such a response. The carbonized poultry litter treatment produced more biomass than the unfertilized control, but the tissue concentration of nitrogen was below that of the control. Mehlich 1 extractable nutrients in the soil showed that there is more available phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the soil fertilized with the carbonized poultry manure, but these available nutrients were not utilized due to the nitrogen limitation to plant growth. The results clearly show that nitrogen contained in carbonized poultry litter is not available for plants

This study is presenting results from an experiment with two well-known dye plants and their interaction with different types of textile fibres. Briefly, fresh and dry inflorescences of Tagetes patula and dry inflorescences of Tanacetum vulgare were used for the preparation of a dyeing bath. Then, different samples of cloth (made from natural plant fibres (wool), artificial fibres (sloter and ortalion), both artificial and plant fibres (canvas) and natural animal fibres (wool)) were immersed into the hot dyeing baths. Results showed that both chosen plant species are suitable for textile dyeing, but they differ in colour density.

Potato is Kenya’s second staple food crop, grown by small scale farmers who recycle seed due to unavailability of certified one, resulting in diseases build-up that reduces yields. The subdivision of once seed farms and change of use in the 1980’s effectively limit availability of suitable land for seed production against high demand of quality seed. Hence search for alternative sites in the North Rift for seed production are being explored. However, current varieties in commercial production were not evaluated for their performance in this region. The objectives of the study were to identify suitable potato varieties for seed production and for which elevation in the region.Well sprouted seed tubers of six local varieties were planted at Kitale (1901 m), Kapcherop (2386 m) and Kibigos (2887 m) above sea level following recommended management practices. Plant emergence was slowest at Kibigos while fastest at Kitale. Stem density varied with varieties and attained maximum numbers at 56 days after planting. Most of the varieties had 80% of tubers in seed grade 70 days after planting at Kitale. Introduction of potato varieties should be preceded by evaluation for their performance as some varieties seem more suitable while others do well across the sites for seed production. In cooler areas like Kapcherop and Kibigos potato tubers remain younger, emerge slowly compared to warmer areas, but attain maximum emergence 30 days after planting. Some varieties like Dutch Ronjin, have high number of tubers in seed size category while some have more ware size potatoes grown in same elevation for the same growth period.

This study estimated the amount of loss in storage roots caused by various levels of damage caused by sweetpotato weevils (Cylas spp). Seven varieties of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam)) were evaluated in three production sites in northern Ghana for two years (2014 and 2015). Yield data for each experimental plot were collected. A regression analysis was carried out using the generalized linear model approach. In the study, nonmarketable roots were classified as all undersized roots (<100g) and spoilt roots due to weevil, millipede, and soft rot. The results indicated weevil damage as the only significant predictor of nonmarketable yield at 5% level of significance. From the study, the average values for total root yield, marketable root yield, and nonmarketable root yield were 9.39, 6.71, and 2.67 ton/ha respectively. The minimum weevil damage (score 2) resulted in a yield loss of 2 ton/ha which represents 8.3% while severe damage at score 9 could cause a loss of 7.43 ton/ha of storage roots representing 31% of the attainable yield of sweetpotato. Weevil susceptibility needs to be treated as a serious trait when evaluating sweetpotato genotypes to be released as varieties.

Low soil nitrogen is one of the principal abiotic stresses affecting maize productivity in Sub-saharan Africa. Field studies were conducted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan during the cropping seasons for three years, from 2010 to 2012, with ten open pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) derived from two breeding eras (1 and 2). The ten OPVs and their crosses were evaluated under high-N and low-N conditions. The aim was to identify superior populations that may be useful sources genes for inbred line extraction and hybrid development for grain yield. Under low-N condition, mid and high parent heterosis for grain yield were low indicating the suitability of the hybrids for cultivation only in environments with high productivity index. Hybrid DMR-LSR-W (Era 1) × TZSR-Y-I (Era 2) had greatest mid and high-parent heterosis for grain yield under high-N and across the other four test environments. Parent AMATZBR-WC2B with higher general combining ability effects and mean values for grain yield, and cross combinations DMR-LSR-W (Era 1) x BR9928DMRSR (Era 2) and BR9922DMRSR (Era 2) x TZBRELD-4C0W (Era 2) with higher specific combining ability for grain yield under low-N environment are promising candidates for the development of nitrogen use efficient varieties for cultivation in low-N environments.

Spatial market integration ensures price discovery, market efficiency and market competition. Price integration in fed cattle markets is a significant subject of research due to perishable nature of fed cattle, geographical distance between production and consumptions areas, and considerable transportation cost. This study examines United States fed cattle market integration using weekly price series of live steer and heifer for five major fed cattle markets in the era of Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act. Results indicate that all markets are cointegrated with sharing a common stochastic trend suggesting the Law of One Price. Causal relationship was found among most of the regional markets in case of steer prices, while the relationship was absent among most of the markets for heifer prices.

A nutrient solution experiment was performed to evaluate the growth, yield and fruit biochemical characteristics of strawberry under different potassium levels of nutrient solution. Potassium concentrations including 235 (control), 350, 450 and 600 mg L -1 were applied to three strawberry genotypes of Camarosa, Selva and Parus under hydroponic culture. In the three genotypes, the maximum leaf area was observed at 350 mg L -1 K, and the maximum shoot fresh weight was either at 350 mg L -1 (in Camarosa and Parus) or at 400 mg L -1 (in Selva). In Selva, higher yield was produced by higher K concentrations than control (17-33%) and in Camarosa, the maximum yield was produced at 350 mg L -1 (16%), whereas fruit yield in Parus was not affected by K concentrations. In Selva and Parus application of 350 mg L -1 potassium produced more fruits than control. The maximum fruit vitamin C content in Camarosa and Selva was at 350 mg L -1 , and in Parus at 450 mg L -1 , while the significant lowest in three genotypes was at 600 mg L -1 . Fruit titratable acidity and pH in Camarosa and Selva, and fruit TSS in Parus were not affected by K levels. Fruit total soluble solids (TSS) in Camarosa and Selva were maximum in 350 and 450 mg L -1 . Increasing K concentrations of nutrient solution increased leaf and fruit K concentration than control. The results indicate that overall plant growth and fruit quality of three strawberry genotypes were increased by 350 mg L -1 potassium, while application of 600 mg L -1 reduced most traits than control. The Selva genotype had also a better response to higher concentration of K than two other genotypes.

The allele for black coat colour is dominant relative to the allele for lilac in Jacob sheep and is affected by a single gene locus. The percentage of this colouration, as opposed to white fleece, across the body has a heritability value of 0.255. The mode of inheritance for horn number in these animals is less clear, with neither the trait for 2 horns, nor for 4 horns being totally dominant, based on crosses of 2 x 2-horned parents and 4 x 4-horned parents; although in these examples the majority of lambs had the same number of horns as their parents. However, when one parent had 2 horns and the other had 4 horns, the gender of the 4-horned parent appeared to influence the frequency of 4-horned offspring; 77% of lambs born to a 4-horned dam being 4-horned, but only 50% when the 4-horned parent was the sire. These data suggest evidence for sex-limiting factors being involved in determining the number of horns in this breed.

This research intended to evaluate to what extent the managers in family farms tend to adopt practices of organic farming and identify the possible factors that might be associated with those choices. For that, a survey was undertaken in Portuguese and Spanish municipalities. The participation, by direct interview, was voluntary and 125 valid responses were obtained distributed as: 30 in Viseu (PT), 30 in Braga (PT), 30 in Barcelos (PT), 16 in Pontevedra (SP) and 19 in Padron (SP). For the treatment of the data, basic descriptive statistics tools were used in combination with crosstabs and chi square tests. Also tree classifications were conducted following the Classification and Regression Trees algorithm. In all tests a level of significance of 5% was considered. The results identified factors that influenced the behaviour of the managers in family farms towards an approximation to organic farming practices, which were the level of education and municipality, found as major determinants of the level of compliance with organic farming practices. Also, other factors like age or gender influence, although to a lesser extent, the compliance with organic farming. These results were the same for the chisquare tests or the tree classification analysis, and they thus indicate that improvements could be achieved towards a more expressive adoption of organic farming practices if planned to target the influential factors identified.

Soil compaction is a serious problem, which is aggravated due to its difficulty to locate and reverse. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a non-invasive geophysical method that can be used to identify compacted areas, soil horizon thickness and assess soil physical properties. This study assesses the relationship between ERT and soil compaction. Data were collected on a 4-m transect in a fallow plot located at Braganca (Portugal). Measurements were performed before and after tillage and tractor passage. Soil samples at different depths (0-0.05, 0.05-0.1 and 0.1-0.2 m depth) were taken to determine: soil bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water content. The effect of tillage and tractor passage was more significant on the first 0.05 m depth. In the wheel track areas, ERT suffered a reduction of about 40%, saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased by 70% and bulk density increased by 24%. These results proved that ERT can be a useful tool for assessing soil compaction.

The objective of this work was to compare the effect of different priming osmotic agents and durations on melon germination in: 1) low temperature stress; 2) saline stress; and 3) low temperature and saline stress. The osmotic agents were polyethylene glycol 6000, KNO 3 +K 3 PO 4 , CaCl 2 and NaCl, with -1.5 MPa osmotic potential. Priming durations were 3 and 6 days (d). Germination percentage (GP) and mean germination time (MGT) were measured. At 12°C the best GP was 14% with CaCl 2 /3-d, without germination in control. At 25°C the best GP was 100% with CaCl 2 /3-d. MGT was reduced one day. At -0.7 MPa GP was 100% with CaCl 2 /3-d and NaCl 3d. At -1.0 MPa the best GP were 46 and 50% for 3d with NaCl and CaCl 2 respectively without germination in control treatment. At 12°C and -1.0 MPa the best GP were CaCl 2 /3-d and CaCl 2 /3-d (14 and 10% respectively). It is concluded that at 12°C, the increase in GP would not justify the use of priming. At 25°C priming increased GP and reduced MGT. At -0.7 MPa priming increased germination, while at -1.0 MPa the increase is not agronomical considerable. At 12°C and -1.0 MPa the increase of germination is not agronomical important.

Pollination reservoirs are pollen and nectar rich wildflower plantings intended to enhance pollination services in pollinator-dependent crops. Despite government assistance, plantings often fail to establish. Our focal crop, wild blueberries, is a unique cropping-system native to the U.S.A. It is never planted or cultivated, and typically exists in isolated fields within a mostly coniferous forest matrix. Our study takes place in Maine, U.S.A., where growers could economically benefit by switching reliance from rented honey bees to native bee pollination. Lowbush blueberry growers support wild bee enhancement efforts, but the low pH (4.0-5.0) of this agro-ecosystem presents unique challenges to wildflower establishment. We sought to identify methods that Organic certified growers can use to successfully establish pollination reservoirs in this system. We tested the effects of nurse crops and mowing on the success of a custom wildflower mixture over four years. Success was considered in terms of longevity, sown species diversity, above-ground biomass, and the number and weight of inflorescences. The authors present an economic analysis of cost versus projected planting longevity. In the fourth year of establishment, sown plant diversity significantly decreased, Solidago spp. weeds became dominant, and treatments were not a strong determinant of planting success. The economic analysis suggests that the high cost of pollination reservoir establishment may be a barrier to grower adoption. This study provides evidence and economic justification that weeds must be controlled prior to planting and represents one of the first studies to empirically test organic strategies for wildflower establishment in an agricultural context.

It is important to identify and develop stable wheat varieties that can grow under heat stress. This important issue was addressed in Bangladesh using six wheat genotypes, including three existing elite cultivars (‘BARI Gom 26’, ‘BARI Gom 27’, ‘BARI Gom 28’) and three advanced lines (‘BAW 1130’, ‘BAW 1138’, ‘BAW 1140’). Six sowing dates, namely early sowing (ES) (10 November), optimum sowing (OS) (20 November), slightly late sowing (SLS) (30 November), late sowing (LS) (10 December), very late sowing (VLS) (20 December) and extremely late sowing (ELS) (30 December) were assessed over two years in four locations, representative of the diversity in Bangladesh’s agro-ecological zones. In a split plot design, sowing dates were allocated as main plots and genotypes as subplots. A GGE biplot analysis was applied to identify heat tolerance and to select and recommend genotypes for cultivation in heat-prone zones. All tested genotypes gave greatest grain yield (GY) after OS, followed by SLS, ES and LS, while VLS and ELS gave smallest GY. When GY and the correlations between GY and stress tolerance indices were considered, ‘BAW 1140’, ‘BARI Gom 28’ and ‘BARI Gom26’ performed best under heat stress, regardless of location or sowing date. In contrast, ‘BARI Gom 27’ and ‘BAW 1130’ were susceptible to heat stress in all locations in both years. Ranking of genotypes and environments using GGE biplot analysis for yield stability showed ‘BAW1140’ to be most stable, followed by ‘BARI Gom 28’ and ‘BARI Gom 26’. Wheat sown on November 20 resulted in highest GY but that sown on December 30 resulted in lowest GY in both years. In conclusion, ‘BAW 1140’, ‘BARI Gom 28’ and ‘BARI Gom 26’ are the recommended wheat genotypes for use under prevailing conditions in Bangladesh.

The study investigated the level of heavy metal contamination in plants {maize (Zea mays) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)} from thirty soil samples of three locations (Epe, Igun and Ijana) in the Ilesha gold mining area, Osun State, Nigeria. Total concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Spatial variations were observed for all metals across the locations which was adduced to pH and the clay contents of the soils of each location. The results showed that heavy metals are more concentrated in the areas that are closer to the mining site and the concentrations in soil and plants (maize and tomato) decreased with increasing perpendicular distance from the mining site, indicating that the gold mine was the main sources of pollution. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in plants (tomato and maize) samples were considered to be contaminated as As, Cd and Pb respectively ranged from 0.6 - 2.04 mg kg-1, 0.8 - 5.2 mg kg-1, 0.8 - 3.04 mg kg-1 for tomato and respectively 0.60 - 2.00 mg kg-1, 1.50 - 4.60 mg kg-1 and 0.90 - 2.50 mg kg-1 for maize. These levels exceeded the maximum permissible limits set by FAO/WHO for vegetables. In conclusion, monitoring of crops for toxic heavy metals is essential for food safety in Nigeria.

Animal fat and proteins, such as milk butter and eggs, are the main ingredients of baked products, and are frequently blamed for food allergies, obesity, cancer and type II diabetes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to replace these ingredients with healthier ones without degrading the organoleptic characteristics of the final product. Microalgae are a great source of protein, minerals and lipids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health, offering multiple health benefits such as antioxidant and anti-aging activity. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris microalgae were the selected raw material for the innovative replacers because of their high content in proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The obtained microalgal oil was colour corrected and used to produce brioche-type baked products with 100% animal fat substitution. For protein recovery, the aquatic extract was freeze-dried, producing a dry protein powder that fully substituted the animal protein in the baked products. Finally, the development of bakery products with 100% replacement of both animal fat and protein was achieved. These innovative bakery products showed equal performance to the commercial ones, and even improved organoleptic characteristics according to the sensorial analysis that occurred.

Tillage operations play an important role in soil manipulation processes. This paper aim to design a vibratory mechanism for agricultural tillage operation which would provide the desired motion and path to the cutting tool in the soil. A four-bar mechanism is designed through the principles of mechanism synthesis technique. The dimensions obtained are modelled and validated through MATLAB and MSC Adams to examine whether the tillage tool follows the required trajectory or not. Velocity and acceleration analysis are also studied for the designed mechanism. The study confirmed that the tillage tool followed the required sinusoidal path and completed the objective of vibratory tillage operation.

Potato is the third most important food crop worldwide after rice and wheat in terms of human consumption, and global production exceeds 374 million metric tons. Despite this immense importance, potato yields from small-scale farmers in most developing countries including Ethiopia fall far below their capacity, mainly because of insufficient access to high quality seed and limited knowledge on crop husbandry. Moreover, 98.7% of the seed being used come from the informal seed system which lacks appropriate phytosanitary schemes. Frequent seed degeneration nature and low multiplication rate of the crop also provoked less productivity of potato. Hence, technological improvements are necessary for increasing potato productivity and decreasing different bottlenecks of the crop. Aeroponics, sand hydroponics and tissue culture based seed multiplication techniques are currently accelerating the supply of disease free seed potato to the country. Thus, to take advantage of the yield capability of potato by improving the maximum production determinant elements like seed quality, these alternative pre-basic seed potato multiplication technologies could be duly verified and used as an option to boost the yield of potato.

Knowledge about genetic composition of a character helps plant breeders to plan their breeding programs. Grain yield and related traits are very important in maize breeding programs. In our experiment four each of parents, F 1 s, F 2 s, BC 1 s and BC 2 s were evaluated at Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI), Pirsabak, Nowshehra and Agriculture University Peshawar. The experimental material at both locations were replicated thrice in randomized complete block design. In all crosses dominance gene action was found to be important in the inheritance of ear diameter, ear length, percent shelling and grain yield. Additive genetic effects were found negative and non-significant in all four crosses for percent shelling. Duplicate type of non-allelic interactions was observed for shelling percentage in all crosses. Duplicate type of epistasis was observed in cross, PS-1 × BD-1 and PS-2 × BD-1 for ear length. For grain yield both complementary and duplicate type of epistasis were observed. Additive genetic effects werefound significant with positive and negative magnitude in two crosses each. It is concluded that crosses, where dominant gene action was found predominant, should be effectively utilized in hybrid maize programs for improved grain yield and related traits.

Technological advances in baking have enabled the use of bread as a food vehicle for various nutrients through use of composite flours. Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) puree subjected to cold chain storage has been used to enrich bread with beta-carotene. However, this has proven expensive and inconsistent in supply of puree. This study sought to develop shelf-storable OFSP puree bread with similar sensory qualities to fresh OFSP puree bread. Bread in which two treatments of shelf-storable OFSP puree (treatments 1 and 2 with 0.5% potassium sorbate+0.5% sodium benzoate+1% citric acid and 0.2% potassium sorbate+0.2% sodium benzoate+1%citric acid respectively) were incorporated at 30% and 40% and were subjected to descriptive sensory analysis with white and fresh puree breads as controls. The results indicate that both the 40% and 30% wheat substitution with either treatment 1 or 2 OFSP puree bread are acceptable to the consumers, p<0.05. The saltiness, smoothness and crumb color scores for shelfstorable OFSP puree bread were similar to those of fresh puree bread but were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of white bread. Shelf-storable OFSP puree bread had similar sensory profile to fresh OFSP puree bread thus can be exploited as an alternative to fresh puree bread.

Ghana’s National Agricultural Research Systems have officially released 24 improved cassava varieties, which are high yielding, disease and pest resistant and early maturing. However, adoption of these varieties by mainly smallholder farmers is very low, leading to low yields and incomes. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development and adoption of improved cassava varieties by assessing the preferences of farmers for cassava variety traits. The study explored Ghanaian cassava producers’ decision-making behaviour towards variety selection and the values they place on different cassava traits. It employed mixed logit and latent class models to estimate the values place on cassava traits, by using choice experiment data of 450 cassava producers from Ghana. Results revealed farmers’ preferences for longevity of root storage in the soil and disease resistance traits of cassava. The latent class model revealed that male youths were more likely to participate in improved varieties that take into account in-soil storage and multiple usages. The need for agricultural research systems to focus on other traits in addition to high yielding and disease resistance in order to boost adoption and increase production is imperative.

Availability of nutrients in soil plays an important role in the productivity and quality of flowers in chrysanthemum. A set of novel biofilm inoculants- Anabaena-Azotobacter, Anabaena-Pseudomonas fluorescens (An-Psf) and Anabaena-Trichoderma (An-Tr) were applied as carrier based dry formulation or soil drench and their performance compared in two varieties of chrysanthemum (White Star and Zembla), in a climate-controlled greenhouse. Both the An-Psf and (An-Tr) inoculants enhanced glomalin related soil proteins in the rhizosphere of White Star, while in terms of polysaccharide content of soil, both these inoculants performed better in Zembla variety. Significant increases in the availability of selected macro and micronutrients in rhizosphere soil samples, in both chrysanthemum varieties were recorded, particularly when the inoculants were applied as soil drench. Principal Component analysis illustrated the significant interaction among soil and plant parameters, more specifically, the distinct effect of the inoculants, as compared to the application of carrier alone or control treatment. This investigation demonstrated the varietal effects on soil biological activities and significance of mode of application of microbial inoculants in influencing plant growth and rhizospheric metabolic activities.

This paper presents the optimal design procedure of a flywheel using a cubic B-spline curve. The flywheel plays a vital role in storing kinetic energy in modern machines. The kinetic energy evaluates the performance of the flywheel. In order to improve the kinetic energy of a flywheel, a shape optimization model of the flywheel, with maximization of kinetic energy, is formulated using a cubic spline curve under the constraints of the mass of flywheel, and the maximum value of Von Mises stresses at all points along the radial direction. The Von Mises stresses at all points are determined using the two-point boundary value differential equation. The control points of the cubic B-spline curve are taken as design variables. Then the formulated problem is solved using particle swarm algorithm (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and Jaya algorithm. The proposed approach is applied to the flywheel of an agricultural thresher machine. It is found that the Jaya algorithm gives better results compared to the other algorithms. The optimized shape of the flywheel is simulated using MSC ADAMS software.

Soil acidity is among the major limiting factors for common bean nodulation and productivity. Therefore, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the application of phosphorus (P), lime, and compost on nodulation and dry-matter accumulation of common bean under field conditions at Areka during the long rainy season (belg) and short rainy season (meher). Three rates of compost (0, 5 and 10 t ha-1), three rates of lime (0, 0.64 and 1.28 t ha-1) and three rates of phosphorus (0, 23 and 46 kg P2O5 ha-1) were laid out as a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement and replicated three times. All data on nodulation and aboveground drymatter were collected. Results showed that the combined application of P at rates of 46 kg P2O5 ha-1 and lime at rates of 1.28 t ha-1 resulted in the maximum number of total and effective nodules during the long rainy season. Similarly, application of the highest rates of compost along with the highest rates of lime increased the aboveground dry biomass yield significantly over the control during both seasons. Finally, it can be concluded that the application of compost, lime and phosphorus can boost biomass accumulation and nodulation of common bean in acid soils.

The aim of this study was to analyze whether there are differences between the inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and the silicon application, thus enabling a higher efficiency of nitrogen fertilization, evaluating micronutrients and silicon concentration in shoots and roots of irrigated corn (Zea mays). The experiment was conducted in Selviria, Brazil, under a no-till system, on a Typic Rhodic Hapludox. The experiment was set up as a randomized block design with four replications, in a 2 × 5 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of two soil corrective sources (dolomitic limestone and Ca and Mg silicate as source of Si); five N rates (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha -1 ); with and without inoculation with A. brasilense. N rates increased B, Cu and Fe concentrations in shoots and B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and Si in roots. Inoculation provided greater concentrations of B and Fe in shoots, and B in roots. Although inoculation with A. brasilense favored micronutrient uptake, it negatively affected Si concentration in shoots in 2015/16 crop. The use of Si in the form of Ca and Mg silicate promotes an increase in Mn, Si and Zn uptake in shoots and Mn and Si concentration in roots.

Countries and international organizations are making conscious effort to address climate change threat to humanity. Rising fossil fuel burning and land use changes to meet human demands continuously emit large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere thus causing climate change. The research used Talensi District as a case study to determine factors influencing farmers’ adaptation response and the actual practices used to avert climate change impact. A total of 225 small-scale farmers were sampled for survey and 100 key informants were used in focus group discussions. Utilizing the logistic regression model, the study indicated that education, transportation, inputs cost and extension services were the factors with high tendency of undermining farmers’ ability to adapt to climate change. In addition, Weighted Average Index used to measure weather extremes revealed that drought and temperature had the highest level of occurrence. Climate change adaptation practices assessed in the study showed that change in planting date, improved crops varieties and land rotation were the most preferred practices. The study concluded that farmers resilience could be enhanced if governments and concerned organizations intensify adaptation campaigns, increase access to weather information, and train farmers on adaptable practices including, timely planting and alternative sources of livelihood. In addition, intensifying government support for agriculture including input subsidies, and provision of irrigation facilities were also good interventions to improve climate change resilience.

The study has been conducted to assess the micro level impact of fertilizer subsidy on farming efficiency given the heterogeneous farm structures and universal subsidy policy in Bangladesh. The research utilizes primary data, which were collected through personal interview of 300 farm households located in three districts from northern part of Bangladesh. Multistage purposive sampling was followed for selecting the sampling units based on concentration of rice farming. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) reveals that the farms are inefficient in combining inputs in a cost minimizing way, although they are technically more efficient. Results from Tobit models for different farm size groups prove that fertilizer subsidy has significant impact on improving farming efficiencies for marginal and small farms in study areas while leaving insignificant impact for medium and large farms. Further increases in fertilizer subsidy will bring significant productivity increases for these smallholder farmers. Therefore, policy interventions should favor these farms for acceleration of agricultural growth.

Salinity intrusion is a global concern in relation to sustainable agricultural practices. About three-fourths of the coastal area in Bangladesh is affected by different levels of salinity. This study was conducted to observe the effects of NaCl-salinity on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants in a pot experiment. Morphological properties and yield of five varieties of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute tomato (BARI-T 1, BARI-T 2, BARI-T 3, BARI-T 4, and BARI-T 5) plants were exposed to NaCl-salinity (2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m) through irrigation. Morphological properties such as number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, number of days of flowering, number of flowers and number of branches were observed. Results showed that morphological properties of all studied tomato plants were affected by increasing NaCl-salinity, except number of days of flowering, and yield was reduced compared to the control group (tap water; 0.043 dS/m). The post-harvest pot soil was also affected by NaCl-salinity irrigation. This study can be useful in selecting salt-tolerant varieties in saline-affected areas.

Kenya tea and coffee are major foreign exchange earners and have high reputation among consumers in the international market. Faced by declining prices and competition from other sub-sectors, production area under these commodities has been declining. Use of intellectual property (IP) rights to protect and market agricultural commodities has been on the increase. Geographical indications as IP have been successfully implemented in developed countries and increasingly in developing countries. The study assesses producers’ awareness and perceptions of territorial-based qualities and the influence on product profits from the two export beverage crops, tea and coffee. Factor analysis was conducted on Likert scale perception questions administered to producers of coffee and tea from Muranga and Kirinyaga, respectively, in the Central region of Kenya. Producers of the two products were aware of the uniqueness of their products and their geographical source. Only perceptions related to market access in coffee and tea, and policies and rules as well as role of county government in coffee positively influenced income. Rather than have GI as a certification trademark, a prescriptive sui generis law would provide the required streamlining needed for collective participation of various actors along the value chain of potential GI products.

Two proposed containers (50 kg-polypropylene sack and 50 kg-wooden crate) were compared with existing packaging containers (100 kg-polypropylene and jute sacks) to transport sweetpotato storage roots from major aggregation sites to distant urban market centers. The extent of breaks, bruises and the impacts, incurred by storage roots packaged in the different containers, were assessed. Additionally, at the urban market centers, the visual quality of the transported storage roots was evaluated by both aggregators and consumers. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) for each of packaging options was calculated to ascertain their profitability for sweetpotato roots transportation. The existing polypropylene/jute sacks resulted in significant major breakages in both years (p = 0.028, 0.016) after transportation for the Afram Plains-Accra route in truck. The donkey-driven carts or tricycles used for the Bawku-Bitou route did not show any significant (p > 0.05) influence on the storage roots contained in the existing polypropylene/jute sacks. The average impact recorded at both loading and offloading sites was significantly different (13.4 - 19.3 g vs. 0 - 30.0 g; p = 0.045) for all the containers. The proposed 50 kg-woodencrate had a significantly superior (mean rank of 127; p < 0.0001) visual quality compared with the other packages. All the packaging options showed profitability, because they had a BCR > 1.40, except for the 50 kg-wooden-crate. The 50 kg-polypropylene container delivered better quality roots to urban market centers than the existing packaging containers, and was more profitable than the 50 kg-wooden crates. The 50 kg-polypropylene container is recommended for the transport of sweetpotato storage roots in Ghana.

Micro-nutrients especially zinc can not only increase the yield of sweet potato but can also improve the quality of tubers. Hence, experiments were carried out in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons to determine the impact of various levels of ZnSO 4 fertilizer on soil chemical properties, foliage and storage root yields and proximate qualities of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.). The experiments consisted of 5 levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg ha -1 ) of ZnSO 4 fertilizer. These were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. ZnSO 4 increased (with the exception of P) soil chemical properties compared with the control. N, K, Ca, Mg and Zn were increased up to the 20 kg ha -1 ZnSO 4 level in both years. ZnSO 4 reduced P concentrations in soil as the level increased. For sweet potato performance, 5 kg ha -1 ZnSO 4 fertilizer had the highest values of foliage yield (vine length and vine weight) and storage root yield. Using the mean of the two years and compared with the control, ZnSO 4 fertilizer at 5 kg ha -1 increased storage root yield of sweet potato by 17.4%. On fitting the mean storage root yield data of the two years with a cubic equation, the optimum rate of Zn for sweet potato was found to be 3.9 kg ha -1 to achieve the maximum sweet potato yield. In this study, relative to the control, ZnSO 4 fertilizer increased moisture and decreased the fibre contents of sweet potato. There were no consistent patterns of variation between the 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg ha -1 ZnSO 4 treatments for proximate qualities except that the highest values of fat, protein, carbohydrate and ash was at 5 kg ha -1 ZnSO 4 .

Because wheat straw has a high cost as a feed for livestock, this work aims to use straw of Egyptian pea (Sesbania sesban) in compost preparation as an alternative for the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus. Six composts were used within this study on two mushroom strains A. bisporus (C9 and F599 strains). The type of compost has a significant (p<0.05) effect on the size of button mushroom fruits. WHS1 compost exhibited the best diameter of pileus at 5.28 cm while WCS1 compost showed the lowest diameter reaching 4.68 cm. A. bisporus C9 had the longest stipe while A. bisporus F599 has the greatest cap diameter.A. bisporus F599 showed a larger ratio of the diameter of pileus to the length of stipe (DP/ LS ratio) (1.14) compared with C9 (1.07). C:N ratios of compost decreased significantly (p<0.05) after cultivation of mushrooms because of the high increase of nitrogen content in spent mushroom compost (SMC). Finally, the straw of S. sesban is suitable as a supplement for the cultivation of A. bisporus.

Lead is presently a significant heavy metal pollutant that is toxic for all types of life and is of worldwide concern. Various strategies may be applied to increase tolerance of plants to heavy metals, for example nitrogenous compounds have been shown to exert such effects. In the present study combinations of lead levels (0, 15, 30 mgL-1) and nitrate levels (0, 50, 100 mgL-1) applied through irrigation water, were evaluated for interactions affecting growth of ornamental Judas tree seedlings. The treatments were arranged in a randomized factorial design with four replications. The results showed that interactions between lead and nitrate levels on growth traits were not significant; however, the simple effects of lead and nitrate were significant on most morphological traits. The morphological traits of leaf SPAD (Soil and Plant Analysis Development) value, leaf area, new shoots growth and relative water content of leaf were reduced by application of lead (particularly at 30 mgL-1). Nevertheless, application of nitrate particularly at 100 mgL-1 significantly offset the reduced plant growth traits induced by high levels of lead. The results indicate that presence of nitrate can significantly improve plant growth under high lead toxicity.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of wax, polyethylene film (19 μm thickness) and storage time on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics and shelf life of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin fruit (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. ‘Kinnow’) stored at 5°C for 90 days. The mandarins were analyzed for physicochemical characters such as weight loss, weight of fruit, flesh, pulp, juice and peel, as well as total soluble solids (TSS) content, titratable acidity (TA), and pH. Polyethylene film wrapping reduced fresh weight loss and resulted in the highest fruit weight at the end of the 90-day cold storage period. No significant differences were found among coating treatments in pH, TSS, TA content and TSS/TA. The results revealed an increasing trend in TSS and TSS/TA during storage. It is recommended to use polyethylene coating on ‘Kinnow’ mandarins to prevent weight loss and preserve quality during storage at low temperature (5°C) up to 90 days.

Application of organic compounds in cotton balances its vegetative and reproductive growth, as well as to improve the seed cotton yield and lint quality properties. Field experiments were conducted with some organic compounds to determine their effects on cotton yield and quality properties of cotton under two sowing times.The experiment was conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Cotton Research Institute, Egypt in 2015 and 2016. In these studies, two sowing times viz. optimum and delay sowing and two levels (200 and 400 ppm) of organic compounds viz. ascorbic, ascobine and salicylic acids were used. The results indicated that the optimum sowing date gave the largest area of single leaf at 90 and 120 DAS, as well as it induced an increase in dry weight (g) of plant organs at 120 DAS, while, the late sowing significantly reduced the leaves dry weight both at 90 and 120 DAS. Both seed cotton yield and lint cotton yield (kentar feddan-1) were significantly increased in optimum sowing condition and sharply declined as delayed sowing date. The number of opened bolls plant-1 were also significantly reduced in late sowing. Lint percentage, seed index and seed cotton weight boll-1 were also significantly affected by sowing dates. Leaf pigment (total chlorophyll) was significantly affected by sowing date recorded at 90 and 120 DAS, while lower values of total chlorophyll was recorded in late sown plants. Also, sowing dates had no significant effect on both oil and protein seed content. This study has shown that timely sowing of cotton seed and foliar application of ascorbic acid, ascobine or salicylic acid with concentration of 200 or 400 ppm at flower initiation stage and peak of flowering stage had significant positive effects on seed cotton yield and lint quality properties. According to these results it can be suggested that usage of organic compounds to improve the yield and quality properties, especially in late sowing for ‘Giza 94' cotton cultivar at Kafr- Elsheikh district, Egypt.

Over the last few decades, Bangladesh has experienced significant structural changes within the agricultural sector. This research estimates the current and forecasts the future changes of farm size and labor occupational mobility over time and across the region. A panel dataset, which is used in this study, was collected in the three different years (1988, 2000 and 2008) from 62 villages across 57 districts. Stationary Markov chain approach was used in this analysis to estimate structural change. The results of this study imply that the agricultural sector is dominated by small farms in past, present and also in the future. The forecasting predicts that the numbers of marginal, medium and large farms are going to decrease in future. Moreover, it indicates that the average farm size of small landholders will slightly increase as the numbers of marginal and large landowners reduces. The analyses of the transition probabilities of labor occupational change show that rural households are gradually shifting to non-farm activities and mostly part-time farming from other income generating activities over time. In general, the forecast also suggests narrowing of agricultural activities and expansion of part-time farming and non-farm activities in future.

Despite the importance of maintaining a high productivity level for the future viability of the dairy sector in the face of changing climate, very few studies have investigated how climatic conditions impact total factor productivity (TFP) growth in dairy farming. In order to bridge this gap in literature, we conducted a TFP decomposition exercise using dairy farm summary records from the New York state which is one of the historically major milk producing regions of the United States. Stochastic frontier models with air temperature, incorporated as an environmental input in an otherwise conventional dairy production function, are estimated using an unbalanced panel of constructed ‘average’ dairy farms of various size-classes covering a sufficiently long time-period. Change in TFP is then decomposed into various components namely technological change, technical efficiency change, and scale efficiency change. Further analysis also establishes that the introduction of average air temperature in the stochastic production frontier soaks what otherwise could be attributed to inefficiency and/or model residual.

Agriculture in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro State is characterized by intensive soil use and input. Such mountainous environments are vulnerable to climate events; thus, the current article presents a report on methods applied to exchange academic and traditional knowledge. The aim is to expand farmers’ perception about the need of implementing agro-ecological practices, mainly soil management practices, which are important for agricultural sustainability in mountainous environments. The study was conducted in a Nova Friburgo family production unit, in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil). It consisted of implementing three observation and soil organic-matter management units. The idea was to reduce the incidence of clubroot of crucifers disease caused by Plasmidiophora brassicae. The soil fauna was discussed with local farmers, with emphasis on the association between ecological processes and soil management. The present study improved the discussion with farmers and the need of introducing other innovative conservation practices such as no-tillage system and participatory research based on agro-ecological propositions.

This paper aims to characterize small ruminant farming systems in the Moroccan mountain regions and to assess undergoing socio-economic and ecological changes. Livestock farming systems in these regions are extensive with large flock sizes, especially sheep and goats raised mainly for meat production. Sheep producers utilized the inherent genetic diversity of their stock and developed adaptations to cope with seasonal availability of the mountain pastures and the need to diversify their own activities. Nowadays, farming systems in mountainous regions are undergoing socio-economic and ecological transformations that impact directly or indirectly on natural resources. Reduction and/or disappearance of herd transhumance, where flocks were moved seasonally from one climatic zone/vegetation type to another, was an important feature of the Middle Atlas sixty years ago Along with this reduced contribution from natural rangelands, other external resources and agricultural by-products (straw, stubble) are offered which make the system heavily dependent on agriculture. Intensification of feeding systems is associated with a choice for more productive but less hardy breeds from lowland areas. As a consequence of the reduction in mobility and the sedentarization of herds, there is an increase in the grazing pressure causing new and significant degradation of rangeland resources. Other profound institutional modifications concern the management and the utilization of the mountainous pasture. Indeed, the power of the group and the institutions for managing the resources is being replaced by the individual initiatives.

Reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in the agricultural sector is the main target for reducing non-CO 2 emissions. In Indonesia, the agricultural sector is the third largest GHG emitter, far behind that from Land Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) and the energy sector. However, the agricultural sector is the biggest contributor of non-CO 2 emissions and is also the most vulnerable sector to climate change. The Indonesian government is committed to reduce total emission inform current levels by 29% by 2030 under Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This will require reductions in emissions from all sectors including agriculture. Several mitigation technologies have been recommended by UNFCCC for implementation such as replacing urea with ammonium sulfate fertilizer; replacing nitrogen fertilizer with multicontent fertilizer; water irrigation management; replacing roughage with concentrate as livestock feed; and building biogas digesters. From our Computer General Equilibrium (CGE) simulation, if the focus of mitigation technology implementation in agriculture is to reduce non-CO 2 emissions gases such as CH 4 and N 2 O, then a comprehensive approach is needed. If the government implements the technology partially, we predict there will be a trade-off between CH 4 and N 2 O emission. However, our simulation shows the loss to GDP caused by a new emission mitigation policy is very high even though Indonesia has invested for mitigation technology in agriculture. This is because we consider the additional investment needed will be costly and some technologies may not be suitable for implementation in Indonesia. In this research, we review current literature and examine each technology and its cost and compatibility with Indonesian situations in order to make policy recommendations for implementation by the Indonesia government.

Indonesia is now the country with the highest deforestation rate in the world, and due to the high rate of associated land use change, Indonesia has also become one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world. It is commonly thought that the cause of this is Indonesia’s high dependence on the forest-related sector. To investigate the role of forest-related sectors to the Indonesian economy, this study tried to analyze the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) multiplier from 1985-2008. It was found that there is a tendency for the forest-related sector to contribute a higher multiplier effect to the economy, meaning that Indonesia’s economy is very dependent on the forest-related sector. However, the contribution to the economy is paid for by a high rate of deforestation. Our analysis predicts that the high deforestation rate is mainly due to the establishment of new commercial plantation areas, especially palm oil, and the high rate of illegal logging.

Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) is a major threat to chilli (Capsicum annum) cultivation, by forming root galls and subsequent wilting. These nematodes live in soil, roots debris and reported surviving in other Solanaceae crops. Chemical application of nematicides cause impact on environment, therefore biocontrol using antagonistic fungi is desired to tackle this problem. This research is aimed to evaluate the effect of Trichoderma viride and its formulations on management of M. incognita. Oil cakes such as neem (Azadiracta indica), gingelly (Sesamum indicum), Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) and garlic (Allium sativum) extracts were used to evaluate the growth and sporulation of T. viride. Chilli variety MI-2 was used. Among the four preparations, neem oil cake recorded high spore yield of 1.75 ×10 7 spores/ml. Similarly gingelly oil cake and garlic produced the spore yields of 1.57 ×10 7 spores/ml and 1.368 ×10 7 spores/ml, respectively. Comparatively Mahua oil cake obtained low spore yield of 7.87×10 6 spores/ml. Plant growth was significant (P<0.05) in the application of neem oil cake formulation (30.42 cm). Extent of galling was significantly low with garlic (9.00) and neem (9.25). These results confirmed that the formulations of neem, gingelly oil cake extracts and garlic aqueous extract stimulated the chilli plant growth, productivity and reduced the nematode infestation. Above all, neem oil cake and garlic are the best formulations that can be used to manage M. incognita

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) influence plant growth by a number of direct (producing plant growth promoting substances) and indirect (through prevention of deleterious effects of phytopathogenic microorganisms) mechanisms. Five species of bacteria were isolated from rhizospheric soils of soybean and peanut fields from several locations in North Sumatra. On the basis of morphological and biochemical characteristics, the bacteria were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia ficaria, Pantoea spp. 2, and Vibrio alginolyticus. These species were tested in vitro against the causal pathogen of collar rot disease of soybean, Athelia rolfsii, which is an important soybean disease in Indonesia. The five species of bacteria were subjected to screening of antagonistic activities against A. rolfsii in vitro with a dual culture-technique. Of the five species, B. cepacia, S. ficaria and V. alginolyticus were the most effective antagonistic bacteria to control A. rolfsii. B. cepacia, S. ficaria and V. algynolitycus produced inhibiting zones against A. rolfsii of 98.35%, 97.83% and 96.97% respectively. All bacterial species showed their antagonistic activity significantly with the inhibiting zone percentage being more than 60%. The experimental results suggested that all bacterial species have a future potency as a biocontrol agent to reduce A. rolfsii collar rot disease of soybean

Pimenta dioica (Allspice) leaf essential oil was isolated using hydro-distillation and insecticidal properties were evaluated for their ability to suppress post-harvest insect pest Callosobruchus maculatus in storage legumes and pulses. Four concentrations of leaf oil (0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 v/v% ) were tested to evaluate their contact and fumigation repellency as well as insecticidal activities. Volatile organic compounds of leaf oil were analyzed by headspace solid-phase micro extraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GCMS) using polar and medium polar fibers. All concentrations elicited significantly higher repellent effects on insects after 2 hour exposure when compared with those of the control with the highest concentration producing 98.0% and 92.0% contact and fumigation repellency effects. Contact and fumigation toxicity tests exhibited 100% mortality for the highest concentration after 6 and 12 hour exposure respectively giving low LC50 values of 0.3 (v/v%). Volatile oil analysis indicated that the leaf essential oil comprised of high amount of Eugenol (89.8%), Methyl eugenol (2.3%) and caryophyllene (4.1%) for the polar fiber. Eugenol (42.6%), Caryophyllene (27.9%), Humulene (6.8%) and 1,8 Cineol (8.1%) were obtained for the medium polar fiber. Results indicate that the leaf essential oil of P.dioica would be a safe, eco-friendly alternative botanical insecticide in managing C.maculatus during storage.

The present study has focused on the extraction and utilization of antioxidant compounds from the agricultural produce Zingiber officinale for its sustainable use in terms of stabilizing food from oxidation. Two extraction methods, traditional soxhlet and green supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2), were used to compare yields of antioxidant (6-gingerol) rich extracts. For the SC-CO2 method, operating parameters including pressure (10000-20000 kPa), temperature (30- 40°C) and CO2 flow rate (5-20 g/min.) were optimized to get maximum recovery of [6]-gingerol rich extracts. The results of the extraction study revealed that ginger extract collected after soxhlet extraction (GE1) gives more yield (3.85%) than the extract (2.41%) collected after SC-CO2 extraction (GE2) at an optimum condition of 20000 kPa pressure, 40°C temperature and 20 g/min. flow rate. Contrarily, the yield of [6]-gingerol was found to be greater in GE2 (389 mg/g) than GE1. Total phenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content of GE1 and GE2 were measured against equivalent concentrations of gallic acid and quercetin. TPC and TFC of GE1 show slightly higher values (38.50 mg GAE/g, 5.62 mg QE/g) than GE2. At the concentration of 3000 μg/mL, DPPH percent inhibition activity of GE1 was again higher (up to 94%) than GE2 (up to 82%). Stability study result of both GE1 and GE2 revealed on the basis of antioxidant indices, showed desirable antioxidant index by stabilizing all three experimented oils and also found to be comparable with synthetic antioxidants (BHA, BHT). Therefore, it could be concluded that [6]-gingerol rich extracts from the SC-CO2 method have comparable phenol flavonoid, antioxidant and stability potential as those found in ginger extracts from the traditional soxhlet method.

Application of appropriate level of nitrogen fertilization is a major objective to increase nitrogen use efficiency by rice varieties. Field experiments were conducted during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons to evaluate the efficiency of varying nitrogen fertilizer rates on growth and yield parameters, along with nitrogen use efficiency of some newly released rice varieties (Sakha 108) and some promising lines GZ9399-4-1-1-3-2-2, GZ10101- 5-1-1-1 and GZ10154-3-1-1-1. Five nitrogen levels (i.e. 0, 55, 110, 165 and 220 kg N ha-1) were used. The results from both growing seasons indicated that, Sakha 108 recorded the highest grain yield while GZ10154 and GZ10101 recorded the lowest grain yields. A linear increase in grain yield was observed with continuous rate increase of nitrogen from 0 to 220 kg ha-1, while 220 kg N ha-1 treatment showed maximum grain yield followed by 165 kg N ha-1, with control as minimum. Agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (AE) for studied rice genotypes varied significantly, and ranged from 3.63 to 32.9 and from 2.72 to 34.12 kg grain yield produced per kg of nitrogen applied in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Across N levels, GZ9399 recorded the highest values of AE for the nitrogen fertilizer rate of 165 kg N ha-1 in both seasons.

In Europe, agroecology has become the center of many debates that animate political and professional arenas, particularly regarding the definition and scope of the concept itself. This paper attempts to understand the ways that the term agroecology is conceptualized by different participantsparticipants and how these concepts circulate so as to explore the interests at stake in the institutionalization of agroecology within the research and education institutions of Europe. We address the core research question of: what dynamics emerge in the networks of European stakeholders of agroecology? By combining different approaches of institutionalization based on network and discourse analysis, we study the dynamics of research, education and training organizations. We identify 10 different concepts of agroecology, distributed among 103 organizations. The significant difference that has been observed between the agroecological concepts in research and those in education/training emphasizes the gap between these two disciplines. The latter support a more political, transdisciplinary and holistic view of agroecology when compared to the former. Moreover, collaboration among European agroecology stakeholders is limited in both research and education/training. We also found that in most cases, collaboration between scholars does not guarantee a shared notion of agroecology, and conversely, sharing the same notion of agroecology does not assure collaboration. This led us to question the feasibility of institutionalizing agroecology and the missing link between a shared vision and the collective mobilization of stakeholders around a strong agroecology programme.

In this paper we evaluate whether the course “System Analysis and Scenario Technique” at BOKU University can equip students with the necessary competencies to perform transdisciplinary research to foster the integration of science, technology, policy and practice. Furthermore, we investigate what the most effective didactic methods applied in the course are, and whether the course qualifies as transdisciplinary pedagogy. The course follows the simplified framework of a transdisciplinary case study and tries to transfer such an approach into the traditional curricula of Master programs. An online survey among former participants of the course was conducted. Results for the years 2015/16 and 2016/17 indicate that the course indeed has potential to increase transdisciplinary competencies among participants and could therefore qualify as transdisciplinary pedagogy. Students expressed that work with real-world cases and stakeholders from outside the university was the most effective didactic method. However, the study also showed that there were limits in integrating real-world cases within the course. Students complained about the high workload and time constraints. Short-term solutions might include optimizing case selection and student guidance. Long-term solutions beg for a reorganization of traditional Austrian curricula that would allow for the appropriate arrangement of the course with other classes. These results highlight some of the advantages, but also drawbacks of moving transdisciplinary education outside of standard curricula.

The ending of milk quotas marks a breach in the mode of milk supply management. Farmers and actors of territorial development are concerned about the future of dairy farming since we can observe a loss of autonomy and sovereignty in front of agro-industries. In this context a group of dairy farmers in the Chartreuse massif (French Northern Alps) wished to conduct a reflection on their future. It consisted in better understanding the territorial embeddedness of dairy value chains, compared with what could be done elsewhere (geographical perspective), and what has been done in the history of the area (historical perspective). We used a same reading grid based on six criteria relative to the geographic embeddedness of the value chains, the ability of the producers to specify their resources, and to organize themselves and be autonomous. Of the 18 initiatives analyzed concerning dairy products, we identified four types of territorial embeddedness. The history of Chartreuse shows different trajectories of loss and gain of autonomy for the dairy producers and a loss of collective. We discuss the cross-reading of these geographical and historical perspectives and their meanings in terms of territorial embeddedness and for the Chartreuse producers.

This article describes the actions taken by the National Federation of Organic Farming (FNAB) to try to influence the course of organic agriculture's development in France. This federation wields the strength that accrues from its network of regional associations, but has no direct control over the economic actions of farmers and enterprises in the organic sector. It is trying to influence these actions in three different ways. First, it is drawing up a normative framework, a stabilised discourse about the risks that are linked to the current strong growth of the market and about the economic model and values that it wants to defend in this context. Second, the FNAB tries to affect the ways that the food supply chains are organised by promoting certain production and trade organisation schemes. Third, the FNAB produces information and references to help farmers and economic operators get their market bearings.