Advances in Agriculture最新文献

{"title":"Cost-Effective Forage and Browse Legume Feed for Dairy Production: An Optimisation Approach Using Jaya Optimisation Algorithm","authors":"Godfrey Chagwiza","doi":"10.1155/2022/5838723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5838723","url":null,"abstract":"Livestock feed mix or feed choice decision-making is encountered by farmers in their daily operations. Livestock feed choice and mixing is emerging as a key research area considering the impact of climate change and emergence of new technology. Smallholder dairy farmers are usually capital constrained and hence a need to investigate cost-effective feed choice that maximises profit. A study to investigate the cost-effective feed among forage and browse legumes was conducted among smallholder dairy farmers in Zimbabwe. An optimisation problem was formulated with the objective of maximising profit by selecting the most cost-effective feed among forage and browse legumes. Secondary data are used to solve the optimisation problem by implementing the Jaya optimisation algorithm. Results show that grain crop silage is the best feed choice resulting in a maximum profit of $ 66.00 per day per farmer. Further research can be directed towards investigating the effect of combining the next best feed, quality hay, and grain crop silage for profit contribution.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84165574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economics of Bulk Storage Techniques: Maize and Cowpea Storage in Ghana","authors":"J. K. Bidzakin, Osei Yeboah, I. Sugri, A. Graves, D. Awunyo-Vitor","doi":"10.1155/2022/8953918","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8953918","url":null,"abstract":"High postharvest loss is one of the major challenges faced by farmers in many African countries in their efforts to achieve food and nutrition security. Several postharvest techniques have been developed and introduced to farmers aimed at reducing food losses. This study evaluated the economic viability of four such grain storage techniques using capital budgeting techniques. Two grain protectants were applied at recommended rates in three treatment combinations to jute sacks, PICS sacks, polytanks, and poly sacks at different treatment levels and at different discount rates. Under maize storage, the net present value of all treatments yielded positive net returns. The polytank technique proved to be the most economically viable storage technique, followed by PICS and then jute sacks. Under cowpea storage, polytank proved to be the most viable, followed by PICS. This is consistent under replacement chain method and equivalent annual annuity under the three different discount rates used. Cowpea is best stored in polytanks and PICS sacks. Polytank is recommended as the most economically viable storage technique for both maize and cowpea storage. PICS is also recommend for both maize and cowpea storage. However, jute sacks and poly sacks are not suitable for cowpea storage even under chemical treatment, especially under long-term storage (over 6 months). The choice of storage technique should consider the commodity under consideration.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78146499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How Arabidopsis Receptor-Like Kinase 7 (RLK7) Manifests: Delineating Its Structure and Function","authors":"Ramen Chowdhury, M. Mubassir","doi":"10.1155/2022/4715110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4715110","url":null,"abstract":"Like animals, plants customarily utilize cell surface-localized receptors to keep track of environmental stimuli, specifically by plasma membrane-associated receptor-like kinases (RLKs). In comparison to other organisms, plants own a variety of RLKs, which insinuates that ligand-receptor-facilitated molecular mechanisms regulate an array of processes during plant development. Here, we take up Arabidopsis receptor-like kinase 7 (RLK7), which shares the archetypal structure of transmembrane receptor kinases accompanied by a receptor-like ectodomain comprising of leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) along with a functional intracellular kinase domain. Interestingly, this distinctive receptor-like kinase not only orchestrates crucial steps during plant development, including the regulation of seed longevity, dormancy, and seed germination speed, but also plays a role in oxidative stress tolerance, salt stress tolerance, and pattern-triggered immunity. This review deciphers the sequence and structure and evaluates existing knowledge of the function and expression pattern of RLK7.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"460 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79820585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of Adoption of Improved Dairy Technologies: The Case of Offa Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia","authors":"Zekarias Zemarku, M. Senapathy, Elias Bojago","doi":"10.1155/2022/3947794","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3947794","url":null,"abstract":"One of the agricultural activities of rural farmers is dairy farming. Furthermore, by providing income, it has the potential to make farm households rich. The objective of this study was to analyze the general factors that influence adoption decisions, as well as the status of adoption of dairy technology in the Offa district, Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. The study area has fundamental factors influencing the adoption of dairy technologies which were unknown. This research was started to fill a knowledge gap for responsible bodies. Four kebeles were selected randomly for the study. 150 sample households (63 adopters and 87 nonadopters) were chosen using the SRS (systematic random sampling) method. The interview schedule was used to collect primary data from these households. Secondary data were gathered from a variety of sources, including reports, research findings, documents, and publications. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed by using descriptive and econometric analyzes by SPSS version 21. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were also used to collect qualitative data. A binary logistic regression model was used to examine the factors that influence the adoption of dairy technologies. The results of the binary logistic regression model revealed that both dairy technology participants and nonparticipant households experienced a combination of personal, demographic, economic, and institutional factors that hindered adoption. Respondent age, access to credit services, size of household landholding, frequency of the extension contact, involvement of outside income, livestock ownership, and distance from the nearest market were all significant negative contributing factors. On the other hand, farm income and dairy farming experience were positively significant variables in the model. Technical assistance to improve farm productivity and income, experience sharing and field visit programs to the fields of early experienced dairy farmers, improvement of farmland usage, improvement of road infrastructure in the study area, provision of appropriate and modernized training and extension services, and so on are among the recommendations.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75882334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analyzing Potato Market Participation, Market Surplus, and Market Outlet Choice on Small Farm Household Level in Lemo District, Southern Ethiopia","authors":"Chaimiso Demisse, M. Melese, Mebratu Alemu, Afework Berhanu, Tamrat Sinore","doi":"10.1155/2022/7199929","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7199929","url":null,"abstract":"This study was aimed to analyze potato market participation, market surplus, and market outlet choice in Lemo District of southern Ethiopia. To achieve the objective, primary and secondary data sources were employed and 202 potato producers were selected following simple random sampling techniques. The collected data were analyzed by using Heckman second-stage and multivariate probit models to identify factors that determine potato market participation decision and potato farmer market outlet choice, respectively. The Heckman’s first-stage (probit) result indicates that education level, sex, membership in the cooperative, distance to the nearest market, remittent from family members, own transportation facilities, seed types, frequency of extension contact, lagged market price, and amount of credit that farm household used for potato production significantly (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ) determined producers’ participation in potato market. Heckman second-stage (OLS) result showed that education level, cooperative membership, family size, total cropland size, oxen owned, types of seed, and lagged market price were significantly (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ) determined potato marketed surplus. Multivariate probit results showed the probability to choose wholesalers (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ), retailers (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ), collectors (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ), and consumers (\u0000 \u0000 P\u0000 <\u0000 \u0000 ) market outlets who were significantly affected by age, educational levels, sex, farm experiences, distance to near market, family size, remittance, land size, product supplied to the market, own transport facility, and extension service. Therefore, we recommend that the government and concerned stakeholders should focus on promoting improved potato seed, encouraging education, promoting farmers’ cooperatives, empowering females, strengthening rural-urban infrastructure, and protecting informal labor trading.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"52 3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85434536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pesticidal Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi and Selected Medicinal Plants against Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.)","authors":"Gebreegziabher Gebreyohans, Nafyad Ibrahim Batu, J. Sasikumar","doi":"10.1155/2022/7334151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7334151","url":null,"abstract":"Pesticidal agents such as entomopathogenic fungi and medicinal plant extracts can be used as a component of integrated pest management. Biocontrol agents such as fungal isolates can be used as a component of integrated pest management. An evaluation of plant extracts from Azadirachta indica and Justicia schimperiana and two strains of entomopathogenic fungi were carried out on Ethiopian rape (Brassica carinata) against two stages (adult and nymph) of cabbage insect pests (aphids) in the laboratory and greenhouse condition. The efficacies of different treatments were examined, and results were recorded for plant extracts and entomopathogenic fungi on cabbage aphids. A significant difference was observed in the mortality of aphid insect pests recorded at different intervals of days. The adult aphid was reduced gradually from 8.65/plant to 2.77/plant after six days of spraying with A. indica indicating the highest efficacy. Moreover, the adult aphids after spraying of entomopathogenic fungi (BEI1) reduced from 11.2/plant to 6.5/plant after six days of spraying at 1 × 108 conidia/mL, showing the highest efficacy. The present results suggest the possibility of using a combination of entomopathogenic fungi and plant extracts to manage Brevicoryne brassicae (aphids). It revealed that a given combination displayed considerable efficacy to reduce B. brassicae (aphids) infestation. From the result, the adult aphids sprayed with A. indica + BEI1 reduced from 7.01/plant to 1.74/plant after six days of spraying with the highest efficacy. Generally, maximum percent of mortality was identified in plant extract treatment next to coapplication against adult aphids on sixth day of application. Similarly, conidial suspension of entomopathogenic fungi was found to have high activities for adult aphids. Therefore, based on the present result, products of fungal isolates and plant extracts should be used for further tests against other insect pests.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84268862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of Small-Scale Irrigation Use for Poverty Reduction: The Case of Offa Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia","authors":"Zekarias Zemarku, Mulumels Abrham, Elias Bojago, Tsegeye Bojago Dado","doi":"10.1155/2022/4049868","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4049868","url":null,"abstract":"Small-scale irrigation is one of the agricultural activities used by rural farmers to improve the overall livelihood of the rural community by increasing income, securing food, meeting social requirements, and reducing poverty. The main objective of this study was to look into the factors that influence small-scale irrigation for poverty reduction among small-holder farmers in the Offa Woreda, Wolaita Zone. Government and nongovernmental organizations supplied small-scale irrigation and training to small-holder farmers in the study area at various times; however, the key determinants impacting small-scale irrigation use were not fully identified in the study area. The study location was chosen for this study purpose because no prior in-depth research had been conducted. Simple random sampling was used to select the three kebeles for the study. A total of 134 people were included in the study sample frame. The sample was chosen using simple random sampling and the proportional probability-to-size (pps) method, which was proportional to the size and used multistage sampling procedure. The primary data were collected using the interview schedule. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and econometric analyzes in SPSS version 21. Qualitative data were also collected through focus groups and key informant interviews. A factor that influences small-scale irrigation use was investigated using a binary logistic regression model. The binary logistic regression model revealed that both the irrigation participants (37.3%) and the nonparticipant (62.7%) families had a combination of personal and demographic, economic, institutional, and social influencing factors that hinder their likelihood of using irrigation. HH age, annual income of the household, distance from the closest farm sight, farm experience, participation in training, access to irrigation, and sex of HH were positively and significantly influencing factors in the model, while total ownership of livestock of households and health status of households were negatively significant variables. As a result, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Development Office, as well as the Water Mining and Energy Offices, should devote scientific attention to the significant factors that influence irrigation use to boost farm family production and productivity.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"88 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76398821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photoperiod Sensitivity and Variability of Agromorphological Traits and Brix Content of Sweet Sorghum Cultivated in Burkina Faso under Two Sowing Dates","authors":"N. Sawadogo, J. Tiendrébéogo, G. Naoura, T. Bere, W. H. Tondé, B. Sawadogo, P. Bationo-Kando","doi":"10.1155/2022/9504150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9504150","url":null,"abstract":"Sweet sorghum is mainly cultivated for the sweetness of its stems and the quality of its fodder. Unfortunately, its cultivation is gradually being abandoned in Burkina Faso due to climatic hazards. In a general context of strong variations in the rainfall regime, it is, therefore, important to determine the effect of the sowing period on the expression of agromorphological traits and Brix content. Thus, 29 sweet sorghum accessions were evaluated using 15 quantitative variables in a three-replicate Fisher block design with two sowing dates spaced 25 days apart. The results of the study showed that only stalk length (pr. = 0.519) and internode length (pr. = 0.367) were not significantly influenced by sowing date. Indeed, delayed sowing resulted in an increase in the number of vegetative (+2.44) and useful (+1.3) tillers, as well as Brix (+1.16%). However, a reduction in leaf area (−4.35 cm × 1.43 cm), plant height (−85.69 cm), panicle length (−2.63 cm), and panicle weight (−6.19 g), as well as a reduction in the sowing-to-flowering cycle from 3 to 21 days, was obtained at the second sowing date. Thus, all accessions are sensitive to photoperiod with photoperiodic coefficients varying from 0.19 (GB02) to 0.93 (BSA5). These results could be exploited in the sweet sorghum improvement program.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79354105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of Modern Agricultural Technology Adoption for Teff Production: The Case of Minjar Shenkora Woreda, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia","authors":"Abebaw Hailu Fikire, Girma Mulugeta Emeru","doi":"10.1155/2022/2384345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2384345","url":null,"abstract":"Agriculture is one of Ethiopia’s economic cornerstones, although its production remains low. Since then, the implementation of modern agricultural technologies has remained a promising strategy in Ethiopia for increasing agricultural production, achieving food security, and reducing poverty. The objective of the study is to examine the determinants of modern agricultural technology adoption for teff production in Minjar Shenkora woreda. The data were collected from the representatives of 362 rural households. This study employed both descriptive statistics and multinomial logit model. The estimations of the multinomial logit model revealed that sex, age, marital status, tropical livestock units, educational level of household head, distance to market, extension contact, active household members, access to credit, off-farm activities participation, and cultivated land size are the determinants of modern agricultural technology adoption for teff production in Minjar Shenkora woreda, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Therefore, this study recommended that the country’s federal and regional governments, agricultural development offices, nongovernmental organizations, and donor agencies should collaborate with farm households to improve access to information, access to credit, encourage off-farm participation and provide training and consulting services to increase the adoption of modern agricultural technologies.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72922930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil and Water Conservation Nexus Agricultural Productivity in Ethiopia","authors":"Wudu Abiye","doi":"10.1155/2022/8611733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8611733","url":null,"abstract":"Soil and water conservation practices contribute to long-term agricultural sustainability and sustainable agriculture. This review examines the primary agronomic practices and their role in soil and water conservation. The review revealed that Ethiopia's significant agronomic soil and water conservation practices are strip cropping, mixed cropping, intercropping, fallowing, mulching, contour plowing, crop rotation, preservation of tillage, and agroforestry. A significant difference was found between conserved and nonconserved land in terms of soil chemical and physical properties, soil organic matter, total N, available phosphorous (P), bulk density, infiltration rate, and soil texture. The non-conserved land had lower soil organic matter, total N, and infiltration rate with higher bulk density, clay content, and available P. Soil organic matter content positively correlated with infiltration rate and total N, and it negatively correlated with soil bulk density. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) positively correlated with soil pH and available P. The undulating lands were moderately suitable for rain fed agriculture. The plant canopies, litter, and mulching intercept rain by decreasing the amount, intensity, and spatial distribution of the precipitation reaching the soil surface, protecting the soil surface from the direct impact of raindrops that can cause splash and sheet erosion. In soil and water conservation, this practice is higher than others because crops and leguminous woody perennials improve and enrich soil conditions through atmospheric nitrogen fixation, organic matter through litterfall and dead and decaying roots, nutrient cycles, modification of soil porosity, and contribution to infiltration rates. It also relieves and maintains salinity, alkalinity, acid, and water retention problems. To increase the water table and increase soil moisture, water conservation is based on trapping as much of this water as possible and storing it on the surface (intanks) or allowing it to sink into the soil. Even where storage pans are dug, they are small and cannot keep the premises afloat when the drought lasts for days, as they have done recently. It is strongly recommended that the productivity of soil and water conservation measures is promoted through an integrated approach in which farmers are intensively involved in every implementation stage.","PeriodicalId":30608,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Agriculture","volume":"120 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77966748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}