Agriculture Journal: Volume-10, Issue-6, June, 2024

Abstract- Anthracnose of chilli has been reported to cause more than 50 % of yield loss in Malaysia. The popular approach for disease management of chilli is by the integration of several practices such as cultural, mechanical, chemical and biological control. With the current awareness of the importance of healthy and natural product, more chilli farmers and consumers are showing interest on safer pest and disease control practices. In this study, Trichoderma asperellum has been identified as an excellent biocontrol agent against Colletotrichum spp, the causal agent of anthracnose disease. To be able to be used in the field, it was mass-produced and then formulated in talc. Studies on liquid substrates for mass production of T. asperellum and shelf life for the talc formulation were conducted to evaluate the spore viability. Results showed formulation added with 5% glycerol gave highest initial colony forming unit (CFU) (2.33x 108) of T. asperellum and retained the spore count at 1.12 x 106 after 120 days of storage. Keywords— Mass production, shelf life, talc formulation, Trichoderma.

Abstract- This article explores the concept of organic agriculture, highlighting its core principles and outlining the certification process. Organic agriculture is a holistic approach to food production that prioritizes the well-being of soil, ecosystems, and individuals. It emphasizes natural processes, biodiversity, and minimal external inputs to cultivate healthy crops and promote environmental sustainability.
The article also details the certification process for organic farms, outlining the steps involved in complying with organic standards and obtaining official certification. Keywords— Organic agriculture, Sustainable agriculture, Organic farming principles, Organic certification, IFOAM principles of organic agriculture, Soil health, Biodiversity in agriculture.

Abstract- Precise assessment of crop and weed densities is essential in precision agriculture to maximize resource allocation and enhance crop management techniques. This work offers a novel method for classifying and measuring the population density of weeds and crops inside agricultural land regions by utilizing the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object identification algorithm. We obtain high-precision detection and classification by combining the YOLOv8 model with the quadrat approach, which makes it easier to conduct in-depth spatial analyses of plant distributions. Our approach uses annotated datasets for rigorous training and validation of the YOLO model, guaranteeing strong performance in a range of agricultural contexts. According to experimental findings, the suggested strategy considerably improves density estimation accuracy over conventional techniques. In addition to offering quick and accurate plant species identification, the YOLO-based detection technology facilitates efficient frequency analysis within predefined quadrats. The development of tailored fertilization and pest management techniques is facilitated by this integration, which makes it possible to precisely extrapolate plant population data to wider field areas. The results highlight how cutting-edge object identification methods can revolutionize farming methods and enhance effective and sustainable land management. Keywords— YOLO, Object Detection, Crop Density Estimation, Weed Density Analysis, Quadrat Method, Agricultural Image Analysis, Plant Species Classification, Resource Optimization, Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract- This paper proposes to analyze a solar drying model with an Arduino controller for controlled temperature drying to ensure efficient drying. The biggest limitation of the traditional sun drying method is that the temperature is not properly controlled. An automatic temperature-controlled drying process produces high-quality drying of fruits. The goal of this project is to produce an affordable, easy-to-use solar dryer with automatic temperature control capability for home and industrial use. It provides a continuous monitoring function and eliminates the need for regular temperature testing. In this created miniature model, the drying efficiency of automatic temperature-controlled solar drying is 6% higher than that of conventional solar drying, and temperature drying removes 8.33% more moisture from the product for lemon peel. The dried final product of the miniature model has 20% more ascorbic acid than the sun-dried product. Keywords— Automatic Temperature controller, Solar dryer, LM35 sensor, Arduino UNO, Ascorbic acid retention.

Abstract- The present study was conducted in Kalaburagi district of North Eastern Karnataka, during the year 2018-19. Kalaburagi district was purposively selected because the district is the pulse bowl of the state with highest area. The study was conducted in eight villages selected from four talukas of Kalaburagi district which included 30 farmers from each selected village thus making a sample of 240 farmers using random sampling method. Ex-post-facto research design was employed for conducting study. Data was collected by using a detailed interview schedule employing personal interview method and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage. The analysis of profile characteristics of farmers indicated that little over half (52.50 %) of the farmers were in middle age group (31-50 years), had high school education (25.00 %), belonged to nuclear family (55.42 %), medium size of land holding (63.33 %), had more than 20 years of farming experience (55.83 %), medium annual income (42.08 %), low cropping intensity (41.25 %), medium material possession (46.67 %), low livestock possession (48.33 %), medium extension orientation (42.08 %), medium mass media utilization (42.08 %), medium level of innovativeness (52.92 %), medium level of achievement motivation (42.92 %), medium scientific orientation (47.92 %), medium risk orientation (55.42 %) and medium management orientation (41.67 %). Keywords— Profile characteristics, Redgram Based Farming System, Sustainable Practices.

Abstract- Field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2018-19 at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Dhule with the objective of studying the growth parameters of deshi cotton in skip row planting with intercrops. Results showed that plant height of cotton was influenced due to different intercrops at all the growth stages, except at 30 DAS. Skip row planting of cotton + sesamum (2:1) recorded significantly the maximum plant height (150.20 cm) and was on par with remaining intercrops of green gram, black gram, soybean and sesamum except pearl millet. However, pearl millet reduced plant height of cotton (106.73 cm) drastically and shown its dominance. Leaf area per plant of cotton at flowering stage (60 DAS), sole cotton recorded the highest leaf area than with green gram and pearl millet as an intercrop. However, at fruiting stage (90 DAS), there was no difference in leaf area among both the sole cotton and with intercrop, except with pearl millet. In later stage (120 DAS), similar results were noticed with reduced leaf area with soybean as intercrop as compared to other intercrops and sole cotton. At the time of harvest, sesamum was the superior intercrop for sustaining cotton leaf area (322.07). However, both sole cotton and cotton intercropped with green gram and black gram were equally effective in maintaining the leaf area of cotton. Number of sympodial branches per plant was highest (20.40) under skip row planting of cotton + intercropping of black gram (2:1) and lowest (13.33) under skip row planting of cotton + intercropping of pearl millet (2:1). Flower initiation was earlier under sole skip row planting of cotton and 2-3 days late with the growing of intercrops in skip row planting. Keywords— deshi cotton, growth, intercropping, pearl millet.

Abstract- The goal of this research is to investigate the success factors (business competencies, marketing skills, government support, self-confidence, risk-taking and sociocultural factors) and their synergistic relationship and provide key recommendations on how to promote the success and growth of women agripreneurs going forward, to not only have a sustainable and desirably diversified agrifood industry. Moreover, the moderating role of family support has been studied in the framework. This study utilized a quantitative and causal research methodology to examine the relationship between antecedents of business success in women entrepreneurs. A web-based survey was conducted to gather data from 309 women engaged in different agro-food businesses in Northern India. The findings affirm that having practical business competencies, strong government backup, enhanced market proficiency, favourable social-cultural contexts, high self-esteem, and risk-taking are critical determinants of business success. Self-confidence also underlines the significance of family support in increasing the impact of some factors on business success. In this regard, family support enhances and amplifies the positive effects of sociocultural factors, self-confidence, and risk-taking abilities. This goes a long way to demonstrate the value of the familial setup when encouraging women in business. Keywords— business competencies, marketing skills, government support, self-confidence, risk-taking and sociocultural factors.

Abstract- The changes in climatic variables is a challenge for the humanity as they affect different ecosystems important for life. This study assessed the impact of climate variability on maize production from 2012 to 2021. Specifically, this study 1) assessed the pattern of precipitation and temperature variability, 2) analysed the production of maize, and 3) investigated the relation between climate variability and maize production in Gakenke district. This study was conducted in three sectors, with a sample of 322 maize farmers. Climatic data were obtained from the Rwanda Meteorological Agency. Both descriptive statistic and regression and correlation analysis were performed in RStudio. The results show a remarkable variability in the annual mean temperature and annual rainfall. The mean temperature and amount of rain have increased by +1.34oC and 1.74 mm in Cyabingo, by +1.47oC and 1.997 mm in Gakenke, and by +1.52oC and 3.389 mm in Gashenyi. An overall increase in maize yields was highlighted and much dependent on temperature variation than precipitation variability. A strong correlation was between the temperature and yields, with r values of 0.98 for Cyabingo, 0.90 for Gakenke, and 0.94 for Gashenyi. The regression analysis indicates that maize yields were significantly influenced by temperature variability, with R-squared values of 0.960 (p-value = 0.000), 0.815 (p-value = 0.000), and 0.885 (p-value = 0.000) respectively in Cyabingo, Gakenke, and Gashenyi. On the other side, a mild positive correlation (r = 0. 43), a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.59), and a weak negative correlation (r = -0.1) were between precipitation and maize yields in Cyabingo, Gakenke, and Gashenyi, respectively. The regression analysis also indicates that maize yield of was not significantly influenced by precipitation variability. Although this study shows the temperature as an important factor for maize production, its continuing rise could bring to heavy rains and unexpected strong weather events, with ultimate negative impacts. Thus, adaptation strategies on climatic variability should be enhanced in order to minimize its disastrous effects on maize production. Keywords— Climate variability, Climate change, Maize production, Gakenke district, Rwanda.

Abstract- Women in contemporary times have excelled in many ventures, including the growing organic food sector. The cross-sectional quantitative survey seeks to understand how work and life balance, access to resources, business challenges and support, and market opportunities impact the participation and development of women in organic commerce. This study investigated the association between the determinants (market opportunities, support, challenges, work-life balance and resources) of business growth among organic women entrepreneurs using a quantitative and causal research methodology. A survey was used to collect information from 317 women in Northern India who were involved in various organic food enterprises. The analysis was carried out using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 25.0 using regression analysis. The regression analysis used in the work is SEM (structural equation modelling). Results show that market opportunities, support systems, and access to resources are vital to the success and growth of Women Entrepreneurs in this sector. On the other hand, business challenges show that challenges affecting women's entrepreneurship are likely to hinder business development. These findings support the need for support systems to address these hurdles and improve women's promotion in the organic foods sector. The general implications of the results from research on the global organic food sector and women's contributions are potentially far-reaching for all categories of stakeholders, from governmental and policymaker levels to community leaders and financial institutions. The findings show the overall net positive effects of market opportunities on business growth, indicating that when women entrepreneurs enjoy better access to these markets and resources, their businesses grow. Keywords— business growth; business development; women entrepreneurs; organic food sector; growth factors.