Volume-7, Issue-10, October 2021

Abstract

The correlation studies of brown spot disease incidence of rice with weather factors found that during the first year of studies (2014-15) the disease incidence was significant and negatively correlated with temperature (Tmax.=-.98), (Tmin.=-.93) and wind speed (WS=-.71) whereas others weather factors RHmax, RHmin., Rainfall (RF) were nonsignificant and positively correlated with brown spot disease severity. Therefore, Tmax., Tmin. and Wind speeds are the key weather factors that influenced the brown spot disease severity of Rice. The multiple analysis stepwise equation showed that maximum temperature was found to be an important key factor for brown spot developments during (2014-15) which is supported by highly significant coefficient value of determination also maximum temperature (Tmax.) was found important predictor incase of Propiconazole application and it could be able to explain variation by more than 95% for the Kharif season (2014-15). The value R2 = 0.96 which indicate that the model is fitted welland is good for predicting brown spot incidence providing 95.6% prediction.

Keywords: Brown spot, Helminthosporium oryzae, Prediction model, weather variable, disease index, correlation, coefficient

References

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Abstract

The study examined socioeconomic determinants and availability of ICT for use among smallholder rice farmers in Southeast, Nigeria. Specifically, it described enterprise characteristics of the farmers, ICT availability to rice farmers, enterprise characteristics and their level of use of ICT. Data were collected with a well-structured questionnaire from 476 randomly selected rice farmers and were analyzed using a combination of analytical tools such as descriptive statistics, Tobit regression, Analysis of variance, correlation and z-test. The result revealed male dominance (61.3%), active age (mean age of 38 years), high percentage of married farmers (65.5%). The mean years of formal education (10 years), mean farming experience was 9 years while the mean household size, farm size and annual income from rice were 5 persons, 11.42 plots, and N426, 499.76 respectively. Also, the primary occupation was majorly (64.5%) farmers. The study equally showed that majority (62.0% and 99.7%) of the farmers sampled in Ebonyi and Enugu were members of farmer’scooperative. The result of farmer’sresponse on ICT availability revealed that most of the ICT tools were scarcely available. Tobit regression analysis showed that age, marital status, primary occupation, household size and farm size were significant, while result of significant relationship between the levels of use of ICT tools/format and availability showed a positive and strong relationship with the level of use of ICT. It was recommended that Government and other relevant bodies should ensure that ICT facilities are installed in rural communities and the cost of ICT tools/format and other ICT infrastructures should be subsidized for rice farmers in order to increase their access to information that is beneficial for rice production.

Keywords: Determinants, use of ICT, rice farmers, Southeast

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Abstract

This study analysed the decision-making role among maize farming households in Agricultural Zone of Kogi state, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 160 households from which the male and female heads were interviewed. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and decision-making index. The mean age of male respondents was about 40 years while that of female respondents was about 33 years. Average income of male farmers was N147,321.90 while that of female farmers was N143,475.0. The average household size of the respondents was approximately 8 persons. The mean years of experience of male respondents was 16 years while that of the females was 10 years. It was observed that majority (95.9%) of the households depended on inherited land. Male respondents were more dominant in tertiary education than female respondents. The average DMI overall activities was 0.5 meaning that women on the overall were dominated by their men counterparts in terms of decision-making. It was recommended that the female gender must be more involved in households’ decision-making as their insights and perspectives can lead to higher productivity. Most constraints identified bothers around institutional and infrastructural inadequacies in Nigeria’srurality therefore better extension service provision should be provided to the rural farmers, higher access to credits and provision of more access roads in rural areas.

Keywords: Gender, Gender analysis, Gender roles, Decision-making, Households

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Abstract

The tropical forest harbors the most enriched and highly diverse ecosystem in the world. Presently, many natural, as well as human-induced activities, are causing a deliberating impact on the biodiversity of this forest. The loss of primary vegetation in these forests has imbalanced the natural cycle of the surrounding environment. Among natural drivers, floods, drought, hurricane, and biotic stresses like pathogen and pest attack, whereas several anthropogenic activities such as forest fire, grazing, land modification through agricultural activities, exploitation of trees for fuel-wood and timber purpose, illegal cutting of vegetation are altogether responsible for massive destruction and degradation of tropical forestry. Various awareness drives has halted the rate of deforestation in last three decades; however, during the same time period, the global area of tropical forest cover has reduced at an alarming rate. In order to restore the loss, there is an urgent need to focus on conservation strategies like habitat rehabilitation, preservation of rare and endangered tree species, application of the new scientific methodology, and most importantly the rehabilitation of barren and waste forestland to ensure the functioning of a forest ecosystem. This research highlights the present status of plant diversity and the main drivers of biodiversity loss in tropical forests.

Keywords: Tropical forest, biodiversity loss, conservation, habitat rehabilitation

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Abstract

A study has been undertaken to assess the number of important tree species outside forests in rural areas of district Varanasi. Varanasi is a commercial center and a consumption center for the tree based needs. The species selected were Teak, Mango, Shisham, Mahua, Neem, Aonla and Eucalyptus. These species are very common species as Trees outside Forests (ToF) in rural area of the district. Mango, Neem and Shisham are most demanded species of the region. The district Varanasi has 1277 villages, out of which 12 villages (1 %) were taken for the study. The number of trees on the basis of girth classes was recorded in selected villages of respective blocks. Incase of Teak, a total of 272390 trees, in Mango species, a total of 86648 trees, a total of 53116 trees in Neem, incase of Shisham, a total of 23917trees, in Eucalyptus species, a total of 24851 trees, incase of Aonla, a total of 8795 and for Mahua, 16556 trees were enumerated indifferent girth classes. It was found that Mahua and Aonla trees were very less as compared to other species. Thus, introduction of these species in large areas / private land of farmer may be a viable option for minimizing demand supply gap as well as to increase the tree cover.

Keywords: Agroforestry, afforestation projects rural region, trees outside forests, timber and firewood species

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Abstract

Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world,which acts as a pathogen with significant host range and host specificity. Use of chemical products to protect plants and other environmental factors affects the conidial survival of beauveria bassiana fungus. This research paper mentions the compatibility of beauveria bassiana with fungicides such as Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, Gentamicin, Mancozeb + Metalaxyl, Fluconazol. A positive result was obtained for Fluconazole, Mancozeb+Metalaxyl, Dithane (Amoxicillin + Streptomycin + Tetracycline + Chloramphenicol + Mancozeb).

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana, Fungicides, soils, plants, environmental factors

References

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Abstract

Excessive agro-chemical usage has created a serious threat to the environment and human health. On the other hand, inappropriate bio solid waste management has given rise to social and environmental issues. Vermicomposting can be one of the solutions for both problems. Vermiwash is a product from vermicomposting which is generally used as a foliar fertiliser. Besides, it can also be used as a mild biopesticide inorganic farming. In this study, three different substrates (cow dung, goat manure and vegetable waste) were used to produce vermiwash. Neem seed kernel (NSK) extract was combined with the vermiwash obtained from the different substrates to treat papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) and its predators on Carica papaya. 40% vermiwash and 10% NSK extract were used for the field study. The foliar application of vermiwash (cow dung) + NSK extract (1:1), vermiwash (goat manure) + NSK extract (1:1), vermiwash (vegetable waste) + NSK extract (1:1), vermiwash (cow dung), vermiwash (goat manure), vermiwash (vegetable waste) and control treatment resulted 75.72%, 67.19%, 57.62%, 45.00 %, 40.90%, 33.78% and 00.00% of papaya mealybug population reduction respectively. The combination of vermiwash obtained from cow dung and neem seed kernel extract (1:1) showed a higher performance in suppressing papaya mealybug population infield condition. There was no remarkable population reduction of the mealybug predators after the application.

Keywords: Vermiwash, Paracoccus marginatus, Natural predators, Neem seed kernel extract, Organic farming

References

References not available