Journal of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Animal Sciences

Effects of Biostimulants on Cold Stress in Late Sowing of Rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera L.) under Arak Province Conditions in Iran

2024-06-15T15:24:33+03:00

Cold stress limits the yield of rapeseed (Brassica napus spp. oleifera L., Okapi) in late sowing. The experimental design was a split plot with three replications in two years (2018-2019). The main plot had two sowing dates (the first sowing on 18 September and the second one on 10 October). Biostimulants treatment included: Blank (fertilizers according to the soil test without biostimulants); Blank with humic acid fertigation; Blank with fulvic acid; Blank with amino acid; Blank with seaweed extract; Mixed treatment consisted of humic acid, fulvic acid, seaweed, and amino acid. Humic acid was used at the second irrigation and six-leaf stage (5 kg ha^-1). Fulvic acid, amino acid, and seaweed extract were used as foliar at the six-leaf stage and stem elongation (0.5% and 0.3% w/v in mix treatment). Based on the results, the main effect of biostimulants on grain yield, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) uptake was significant. The difference between the two sowing dates on shoot dry weight (DW) and grain yield (3458 vs. 3048 kg ha^-1) was significant. The seaweed improved the grain yield in delayed cultivation by 34% compared to the control and had the highest profit-to-cost ratio in normal cultivation (15.1) and in delayed cultivation (13.7).

Resting Systems During Spawning Season; A Determinant Factor Inthe Production of Ecotype Cichlid Wasefu

2024-07-18T12:58:26+03:00

The study evaluated the production rate of wasefu tilapia paired for spawning and rested in two different receptacles of hapa and earthen pond. The resting period was 12 days after each production cycle. Hapa was placed in an earthen pond of (7 x 1.5 x 4) m in a (1 x 1 x 1) m. A pairing of 3:1 was grouped into (A) production of larvae without rest (this served as a control), (B) spawning broodstock that was rested in hapa for 12 days, and (C) spawning broodstock that was rested in Earthen Pond in triplicates. A total of 120 broodstock were selected and stocked in the hapa consisting of 90 females and 30 males gravid broodstock of (110-188) g for the male and female at a range of (110-145) g in the hapa that was hung in the earthen pond mate and produced swim-up fries continually for control experimental units and rested in hapa and earthen pond for the B and C. Rested broodstock in the earthen pond produced a considerable number of fry compared to the ones rested in the hapa. In contrast, the unit that was not rested during the study period produced the lowest number of fry.

Effect of Soaking, Malting and Fermentation on Nutritional and Phytochemical Properties of Red Sorghum as A Livestock Feed Ingredient

2024-08-16T16:01:15+03:00

The study was designed to investigate the effects of soaking, malting and fermentation on the nutritional and phytochemical properties of red sorghum as a livestock feed ingredient. A completely randomized design with four treatments (unprocessed, soaked, malted, fermented) and 12 units were used in the study. Significant differences (p<0.05) were noted in % value of ash among the treatments. Fermented grains had the highest (4.35%) ash content and malted grains had the lowest (0.95%). Processing methods had a significant effect (p<0.05) on % value of the crude protein. However, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) between % value of crude protein of the unprocessed and soaked grains. Treatment methods significantly (p<0.05) reduced the phytate content. No significant differences (p>0.05) were noted on the alkaloid content of sorghum grains. The oxalate content decreased from 33.66mg/100g in unprocessed grains to 9.26mg/100g in soaked grains and, 3.68mg/100g in malted grains. In conclusion, processing techniques such soaking, malting and fermentation can be employed to improve nutritive value of grains with high antinutrient content. Therefore, processed sorghum grain can be an alternative to maize grain in the production of livestock feeds especially in arid and semi-arid areas where maize is not very productive.

Investigation of the Suitability of Chinese Solar Greenhouse for Türkiye's Climate Conditions

2024-07-01T05:50:04+03:00

In this study, the suitability of the greenhouse type known as the Chinese solar greenhouse to the climate conditions of Turkiye was investigated. For this reason, the climate conditions of Balikesir Province, one of Turkey's important agricultural cities, were taken as reference. In Chinese solar greenhouses, solar collectors collect solar energy from the transparent polyethene south roof during the day. The heat given to the greenhouse environment at night ensures that the internal environment of the greenhouse is kept at a constant temperature and humidity level day and night. Thus, the necessary climate conditions are provided for agricultural products to grow in a more suitable environment. This is very important to prevent agricultural frost, especially in January, which is the coldest month of the winter. The most important structural components of Chinese solar greenhouses are the northern wall and roof made of brick or concrete and the transparent southern roof. In addition, optional east and west walls can be constructed using brick, concrete, or transparent materials. Solar energy is absorbed through the transparent cover of the southern roof during the day and stored by collectors. To prevent heat loss at night, the transparent cover is typically insulated with a wrap-around blanket. In the study, the south roof is 4.4 m high; the greenhouse is 40 m long and 10 m wide. A constant temperature of 10 ⁰C was required for the greenhouse.

Market Channel Analysis of Mud Crab (Scylla Olivacea) in the Southwest Coastal Region of Bangladesh

2024-10-14T09:27:09+03:00

The study has been conducted to identify the existing marketing channel of the mud crab (Scylla olivacea) business in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through 180 individual interviews, 15 focus group discussions, and 10 key informant interviews conducted from March to December 2022. The results revealed that around 95% of crabs were harvested from wild sources and the highest amounts of crabs are harvested in the rainy season. However, 80% of the total harvested mud crab was primarily distributed to farias, 9% to soft-shell crab farms, and 11% to the depots. Around 51% of the total harvest comes to the depots and about 60.78% of those landed crabs were sent to the exporter in Dhaka city. The marketing map divulged that soft-shell crab farms have collected 58% of the total harvested mud crab through different market actors. However, after farming only 39.5% of total harvested crabs were exported as frozen soft-shell crabs while 24% of the total harvest was exported as live crabs. Crab is a growing sub-sector in this region but the involvement of too many market actors creates a complex market system, especially for live carb. Moreover, lack of mud crab hatcheries, export regulation, and government support as well as insufficient knowledge and awareness are thwarting the sustainable improvement of this sector.

Sensitivity of Dairy Buffalo to Temperature-Humidity Index: Preliminary Study

2024-11-15T09:55:45+03:00

The study highlights the significant impact of temperature and humidity on milk production and the reproductive aspects of buffalo in Italy. Meteorological data were obtained from a meteorological archive, while production and re-production data were obtained from the archive of the Italian Breeders Association. Northern, central and southern Italy comprised the three regions in the study. Production and reproductive parameters were considered for this analysis. Data analysis revealed that THI had a significant impact on production and reproduction parameters. The results indicated that higher THI values were associated with lower milk production, higher fat and protein content and shorter lactation period. Additionally, a longer conception interval was observed in buffalo exposed to higher THI levels. Overall, the dataset provided valuable information on the influence of environmental factors on buffalo performance. These results could influence future management practices to mitigate the negative effects of thermal stress on milk production and reproduction.

Farmer Adoption of Precision Livestock Farming in USA: Current and Future

2024-10-22T16:57:43+03:00

Egg Production and Quality of Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica) Fed Diets with various Levels of Pawpaw Pomace Meal (Carica papaya L.)

2024-10-25T08:44:04+03:00

The high cost of soybeans in developing countries is driving up feed expenses in poultry diets. This study sought to address this by replacing soybean meal with pawpaw pomace meal (PPM) in Japanese quail diets. 140 female quails were split into 4 groups in a completely randomized design and were reared for 56 days on varying levels of PPM in their diets consisting 0% 2.5%, 5% and 7.5%. The quails were supplied respective feeds, and ordinary water ad libitum. The performance results showed hen-day-egg production (HDEP), feed intake (FI), egg weight (EW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by treatment. PPM2.5 and PPM5 had the highest HDEP and the best FCR, while PPM 7.5 had the lowest HDEP and poor FCR. PPM7.5 had higher FI, while the control diet, PPM2.5 and PPM5 had lower FI. PPM5 had the highest EW, followed by PPM7.5, while the control diet and PPM had the lowest EW. In regard the egg quality performance, yolk colour, yolk weight, albumen weight and Haugh unit were significantly (p<0.05) affected by treatment. All the diets containing PPM had dark-yellowed yolk than the control diet. PPM2.5 and PPM5 had higher yolk and albumen weights, while PPM7.5 had lower. In a different trend, the control diet, PPM2.5 and PPM5 had higher Haugh unit, while PPM7.5 had lower Haugh unit. The optimal choice for egg production and quality was concluded to be the 5% inclusion level of PPM in the quail diets.

Evaluating Heat Stress Impacts and Management Strategies in Rice: A Review

2024-10-01T12:06:31+03:00

Rice, a staple crop in Nepal and a critical component of the national economy has experienced severe yield declines due to temperatures rise. This paper digs into numerous strategies to improve rice heat tolerance, analyzing the impact of heat stress on rice productivity and the mechanisms by which plants adapt. Elevated temperatures impair rice, particularly during the flowering stage, resulting in spikelet sterility and decreased yields. Early flowering to avoid high temperatures, panicle cooling through improved transpiration to reduce heat, and genetic modifications conferring heat tolerance are all important mechanisms for handling heat stress. Recent advances in genetic modification, sustainable agriculture practices, and agronomic techniques offer great promise for improving rice resilience to heat stress. Particularly, marker-assisted selection (MAS) and mutations that increase heat shock proteins (HSPs) play critical roles in developing heat-resistant rice variants. Furthermore, improvement in water management procedures and the application of growth regulators can dramatically reduce the detrimental effects of heat stress. This study underlines the crucial importance of current researches in incorporating stress-tolerance features into high-yielding rice cultivars and advancing genomic methods. Such efforts are critical for guaranteeing global food security in the face of climate change problems and sustaining rice output as temperatures rise.

The Use of Red Beet Powder As A Colorant in Ice Cream Formulation

2024-10-24T14:32:59+03:00

In this study, the chemical and sensory properties of ice creams prepared with the addition of red beet powder were investigated. Red beet juice was dried using two different methods, vacuum oven (V) and lyophilizer (L), and the resulting powders were added to ice cream formulations as colorants. The pH, dry matter, and viscosity values of the ice cream mixtures, as well as the overrun, initial and final dripping time, color, dry matter, and sensory properties of the ice cream samples produced from these mixtures, were determined. The pH values of the ice cream mixtures ranged between 6.36 and 6.38. The highest dry matter content was observed in samples containing 12% red beet powder (V12 and L12), with values of 43.73% and 43.78%, respectively. The addition of red beet powder increased the viscosity of the mixtures. Overrun was highest in the control sample (42%) and lowest in the L12 sample (18%). As the amount of red beet powder increased, the L* value decreased, while a* and b* values increased. According to sensory evaluation results, the L12 sample was the most preferred in terms of color, appearance, taste, aroma, and mouthfeel.

Smart Packaging Technologies and Applications in Foods

2024-10-18T19:23:22+03:00

The shelf life of food is defined as the time between when the food is produced and when it becomes unacceptable to the consumer. This is sometimes caused by the metabolites produced by bacteria, molds and yeasts that grow in foods using the energy sources in the food, and sometimes by the temperature, pH value, water activity, the presence of certain gases (ethylene, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.). Food packaging is one of the main processes applied to preserve the quality of food from transportation, storage and consumption. The increase in the variety of food products and the increasingly extensive and complex logistics of products have resulted in the need for new technologies in food packaging to ensure specified shelf life, product quality, nutritional value and food safety. In this review, information about active and smart packaging systems used in foods, the working principles of these systems, developed smart packaging and food applications are given.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Poultry Farmers in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State

2024-11-01T15:18:51+03:00

This study assessed climate change adaptation strategies by poultry farmers in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State. The specific objectives were to determine the socio-economic characteristics of poultry farmers in the study area and determine the adaptation strategies adopted by the farmers in the study area. Primary data were collected from 50 respondents in Esan West LGA using multistage sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using descriptive and such as frequency, percentage mean and correlation. The findings from the study revealed that most (40%) of the respondents fall within the age range of 31-40years, most of the farmers have either primary school education (40%) or tertiary education (38%). Most of the farmers are married (60%). A significant proportion of the farmers (58%) have less than 100 birds. All the surveyed farmers (100%) have implemented an improved housing system as a strategy to adapt to climate change. While some farmers (40%) have adopted the use of shade nets and vaccines, most of them (60%) have not yet implemented these strategies. The findings indicate that there are significant correlations between certain socio-economic characteristics and the adoption of adaptation strategies. The study concluded that the poultry farmers implemented an improved housing system as a strategic in adapting to climate change. Therefore, the study recommends that addressing the high cost of adaptation strategies and limited financial issues should be prioritize by government and other relevant agencies by supporting poultry farmers to implement effective adaptation strategies and enhance their resilience to climate change impacts.

Utilization of Agricultural Extension Services Among Farmers in South Eastern, Nigeria

2024-11-06T11:59:58+03:00

Relative Effect of Tillage Methods and Weeding Regimes on Seasonal Weeds Biomass and Maize Performance

2024-10-31T16:59:34+03:00

An experiment to investigate relational effect of tillage methods and weeding regimes on seasonal weeds biomass, maize growth and yield parameters was conducted in both major and minor cropping seasons. On randomized complete block design, 2-tillage methods and 4-weeding regimes were factorially assigned at three replicate levels. A no-tillage (NT) and plough + harrow (P+H) with a 47 hp tractor were the tillage methods, whereas 0-hoeing, 1-hoeing, 2-hoeing and 3-hoeing were the weeding regimes at 2, 5 and 7 weeks after sowing (WAS). Akposoe maize (Zea mays. L) variety was sown and monitored over a period of 10 WAS. And there was higher growth and yield parameters on P+H than NT treatments at various weeding regimes, whereas weeds biomass was greater on NT than in P+H. An interaction of 2-hoeing regime on P+H recorded mean maximum growth parameters of 14.2 number of leaves, 82.89 mm stem girth, 45.53 cm root length in major seasons and 225.7 cm plant height in minor seasons than NT at different weeding regimes. Also, yield attributes from P+H at 2-hoeing regimes recorded maximum maize dry matter yield (9.189 tha^-1) in minor season but total grain yield of approximately 8.167 tha^-1 in major season. A 0-hoeing on NT produced denser weed biomass of 6.4497 tha^-1 in minor season and 9.0967 tha^-1 in major season. It is therefore recommended to plant maize on plough and harrow fields, and clear weeds by hoeing at 2 and 5 WAS for optimum growth and yield parameters at reduced weeds interaction.

Udder Diversity: A Genetic Exploitation across Cattle Breeds under Extensive Management System in Nigeria

2024-10-31T20:05:46+03:00

This study investigates the genetic diversity of udder traits in three prominent Nigerian cattle breeds: Red Bororo, White Fulani, and Sokoto Gudali, all raised under extensive management systems. A total of 270 cows, 90 from each breed were used for the study. Mahalanobis squared distances (D²⁾ were calculated to quantify the genetic divergence between breeds within the same location. The results revealed that Wilks Lambda (0.349, 0.910) and Bartlett's test chi-square were 84.823 at the level of significance (p<0.001) for function 1 and 7.597 at the level of significance (p<0.05) for function 2, which provides validity for the canonical discriminant analysis. The percentage of share variance of 94.20 in function 1 is higher than 69.16 in function 2. The canonical correlation of function 1 is also higher (0.785) than 0.300 in function 2. Standardized Canonical Discriminant Function Coefficients showed that hind teat length (0.966) was the highest, followed by udder length (0.549) and udder depth (0.348) in their standardized canonical discriminant coefficients in function 1, whereas udder length had the highest (0.883), followed by front teat length (1.321) in function 2. The pairwise genetic distance between Sokoto Gudali and Red Bororo was 34.713 at the 0.001 significance level, Sokoto Gudali and White Fulani were 45.428 at the 0.001 significance level, and 1.995 was the genetic distance between Red Bororo and White Fulani at the 0.143 significance level. The study has explored the possibility of exploiting this udder diversity for breeding purposes or to improve milk production in these systems.

Genetic Evaluation of Semen Characteristics Traits Using a Multi-Trait Animal Model and Selection Index in Nigerian Local Chickens

2024-12-05T10:30:03+03:00

This study aims to investigate appropriate genetic models and selection indices to ascertain the genetic characteristics and breeding values in Nigerian local chicken cocks. A total of 614 records of six semen traits focusing on essential reproductive factors such as sperm volume, concentration, motility, viability, morphology, and pH. The average sperm volume was 0.26 ± 0.07 mL with a concentration of 3.53 ± 0.82 (10⁹/mL). Sperm motility and viability averaged 76.90 ± 3.85% and 82.29 ± 10.21%, respectively, with a 74.98 ± 3.92% morphology. The pH of the semen was 7.31 ± 0.40. Model comparisons discovered that the multi-trait animal model using LG4 formed the most accurate genetic parameter estimates. Heritability values ranged from 0.20 for sperm volume to 0.40 for sperm concentration, motility, and viability, indicating a strong genetic influence on these parameters. There were favorable genetic and phenotypic relationships among characteristics, with substantial associations between volume, concentration, motility, and morphology. The selection index (SI) for the major features showed that sperm concentration (14% economic weight) was more important than motility (4%) and viability (5%). This study emphasizes the importance of sperm quality in breeding programs to improve reproductive success and genetic diversity in poultry production