Agricultural sciences最新文献

{"title":"Economic efficiency and profitability analysis of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) production in Kaduna state, Nigeria","authors":"O. Oluleye, O. Alabi, J. Bayei, Hassan Isah, Jeremiah Aluwong, Paul Atteh, Sarah Okoh, Tosin Olawoye, Opemipo Olajide, Babaranti Olumuyiwa, Ojuh Haruna","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2024.41.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2024.41.009","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluated the economic efficiency and profitability analysis of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) production in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The sampling design employed for this research was a multi-stage sampling technique. A total sample size of 140 catfish farmers was selected. Primary sources of data were used and the data were obtained by administering a well-designed and well-structured questionnaire to the respondent. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting technique, gross margin analysis, financial analysis, stochastic production frontier efficiency model, Tobit dichotomous regression model, and principal component model. The results show that about 70% of the catfish farmers are male, and the average age of catfish farmers was 39 years. The types of fish ponds used include concrete, earthen, tarpaulin, cage, and plastic. The average capacity of fish ponds was 1706 fingerlings. The gross margin and net farm income was 886,250.51 Naira and 865,021.37 Naira per production cycle respectively. This implies that catfish production is profitable. The mean economic, technical and allocative efficiencies are 36.97%, 61.89% and 59.73% respectively. This left inefficiency gaps of 63.03%, 38.11% and 40.27% for improvement. The significant factors influencing the economic efficiency of catfish production include age, farming experience, educational level, fish feed, drugs, fingerlings, and pond size. The constraints facing catfish farmers include the lack of credit facilities, the high cost of fingerlings, the high cost of feeds, problems with pests, diseases, and predators, the lack of access to markets, and the lack of access to land. The study recommended that credit facilities should be provided for catfish farmers at a low interest rate devoid of cumbersome administrative procedures. The fish feeds, fingerlings, drugs, and chemical inputs should be provided for catfish farmers at affordable prices. Keywords: еconomic еfficiency, profitability analysis, stochastic production efficiency frontier, catfish production, Kaduna State, Nigeria","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"25 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141709428","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":"Farm-level production efficiency of smallholder rice farmers in Southwest, Nigeria","authors":"A.S. Coster, Ayodele Adewuyi, Kayode Oladeinde","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2024.41.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2024.41.008","url":null,"abstract":"An efficient food production system is a panacea for better output among farming households. However, this is not the case for Nigerian farmers who lacked access to resources for optimum food production thereby their productivity potential were undermined. Based on this premise, this study aimed to investigate the production efficiency of rice farming households in Southwest Nigeria using secondary data from the ECOWAS-RAAF-PASANAO Project. The study extracted data from 278 rice farming households sampled across six states in southwestern, Nigeria from the master data set. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and Tobin regression model. The results revealed that the majority of the rice farmers were male in their active and productive age and with low educational level. 62.9% of them had access to extension service and 64.7% had no access to credit. The average land area cultivated and the rice output of the respondents were 1.65 ha and 3123.57 kg, respectively, indicating smallholder and low productivity farm households. The result of the stochastic frontier analysis revealed that farm size, labour, herbicide and fertilizer were the factors that significantly increased the rice output, while the prices of land, tractor, herbicide and rice input significantly increased the production cost. The mean technical, allocative and economic efficiency of rice farmers were 0.62, 0.638 and 0.47 respectively, suggesting a potential for increasing rice production using the current technology, prices and fixed level of resources. Rice farmers’ production efficiency was significantly determined by gender, education, access to credit and extension contacts. The government policy intervention should address the efficiency challenges of the rice farmers in the study area. Keywords: farm-level, production efficiency, rice, smallholder, southwest","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"76 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141696077","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":"High voltage pylons as roost sites of the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) during the pre-migratory period in the Southeastern Balkans","authors":"Gradimir Gradev, I. Klisurov, Simeon A. Marin, Stilyana Yaneva, G. Stoyanov, Hristo Peshev, Petar Stankov, R. Petrov, Torsten Ryslavy","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.003","url":null,"abstract":"Although the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni, Fleischer, 1818) was a widespread species in Bulgaria, there are no detailed surveys on its biology and ecology like the ones implemented in countries still harbouring abundant populations, such as Spain, Italy, Greece, etc. After 2014 when “Green Balkans”, as a breeder, launched the reinforcement of the species and its recovery in Bulgaria now it is possible to study the species using modern technologies and methods like radio and satellite transmitters. The known roost sites (n=12), the subject of our study, are located from 55 to 745 m above the sea level, as the main part of them is situated about 100 - 200 m above the sea level. The most numerous roost site, which is located in the North-eastern Greece, is comprised of about 80 individuals but in the other roost sites the number of the Lesser Kestrel reach 20-40 individuals. During the period 2014 - 2021 the Lesser Kestrels in the largest known colony of the species in Bulgaria, which is located in SPA Sakar, have used different high voltage pylons from the same power lines, alternating pylons depending on the type of agricultural crops in the area. It has been found that the birds express preferences for cereal crops around high voltage pylons, which they use as roost sites. Keywords: communal roost sites, LIFE for Lesser Kestrel, post-breeding dispersal.","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"12 524 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282801","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":"Analysis of guest ratings and reviews from the platform “Booking’’ for destination Plovdiv","authors":"S. Videv","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.005","url":null,"abstract":"Using the methods of comprehensive statistical research, case study and content analysis, the current article tries to summarize the information from guest reviews available in the platform “Booking” for destination Plovdiv, to compare the data for the different types of accommodation, to prepare specific user profiles for the destination as well as for the typical Plovdiv accommodation facilities – hotels, guest houses, apartments and hostels according to their customers. Keywords: “Booking”, tourist destination Plovdiv, case study, content analysis","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282982","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":"Hazardous effects of heavy metal toxicity on soil and plants and their bioremediation: a review","authors":"M. Rehman, Naseer Ahmad, Aziz Ullah, Paul John Pangilinan, Endalamaw Alebachew","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.002","url":null,"abstract":"Heavy metal-polluted soils have grown ubiquitous worldwide due to increased geologic and anthropogenic activity, and the plants growing in these soils exhibit decreased growth, performance, and yield. Contaminated soil with heavy metals has become a concern for agricultural scientists because of the progress made in agricultural product safety. Heavy metals are metalloids with biological toxicity. The most common are arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). These metals exist throughout the terrestrial environment and have spread out due to anthropogenic and natural activities. Soil heavy metal pollution leads to human health risks, groundwater pollution, plant phytotoxicity, and a decline in crop and soil production. Bioremediation is an effective method of treating heavy metal-polluted soils. It is a widely accepted method that is mostly carried out in situ; hence it is suitable for the establishment/reestablishment of crops on treated soils. Using plants in the treatment of polluted soils is a more common approach in the bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted soils. Bioremediation ensures a more efficient clean-up of heavy metal-polluted soils. However, the success of this approach largely depends on the species of organisms. This paper is aimed to review the hazardous effects of heavy metal toxicity on soil and plants and their bioremediation. This paper also discusses numerous strategies for addressing heavy metal contamination in soil. Keywords: heavy metals, anthropogenic sources, natural sources, bioremediation","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"13 2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282893","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":"First report of leaf spot on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) caused by Alternaria alternata in Bulgaria","authors":"Ivelina Daradzhanska","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.008","url":null,"abstract":"For the first time in Bulgaria, leaf spotting on sweet potatoes was investigated, and the causative agent, Alternaria alternata, was reported. The collected morphological data aimed to determine the identity of the fungus. According to Koch, the primary isolates from the damaged parts are identical to those produced from pathogenicity tests. In a laboratory we tested sixty-two leaves which had similar symptoms, with slight to medium-sized lesions with concentric circles and a yellowish halo. In general, the attack from Alt. alternate affected 7% of all plants and 32% of the examined leaves. The pathogen tests proved that the pathogen could also cause damage to tubers during storage. Knowing the etiology of diseases is essential for taking preventive measures and thus preserving the quality and quantity of agricultural production. Keywords: Alternaria alternata, sweet potato, leaf spots, pathogen, pathogenicity","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282509","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":"Effect of soil tillage on soil organic matter in a clay field","authors":"C. Gülser","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.001","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, effect of soil tillage on spatial variability of soil organic matter content (OM) in a clay field was determined by geostatistical method. The clay field was cultivated using a mouldboard plough at a depth of 15 cm. After conventional tillage, soil samples were taken from a square grid at 5 m spacing of a 30 x 30 m2 plot selected in the clay field. Soil OM contents of the samples varied between 2.03 % and 2.98 %. Clay content (31.48 to 43.97 %), bulk density (BD) (1.12 to 1.41 g/cm3), total porosity (F) (46.79 to 57.73 %), volumetric water content (θ) (19.64 to 43.86%), soil pH (6.47 to 7.40) and electrical conductivity (EC) (0.31 to 0.80 dS/m) values also showed variations among the soil samples. In kriging interpolation for the spatial variability of SOM, the biggest r2 (0.766) and the smallest RSS (0.0013) values were determined with Gaussian model. Spatial dependences of the SOM was strong in the field with 6.4 of nugget/sill ratio. The semivariogram of SOM showed spatial dependence with a range of 157.61 m. SOM had significant positive correlations with clay (0.365**), F (0.287*) and significant negative correlations with BD (-0.286*), θ (-0.362*) and silt (-0.429**) content. This study showed there is a spatial variability of SOM in arable fields, it can be predicted for precision agricultural practices and monitoring organic carbon in global warming researches by geostatistically. Keywords: Soil organic matter, tillage, soil properties, spatial variability, kriging","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282560","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":"Effect of vermicompost and biochar amendments on uptake of heavy metals, micro and macroelements by Sedum Plumbizincicola","authors":"Onyinye Ezeifeka, V. Angelova","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.009","url":null,"abstract":"Comparative research on the impact of organic amendments on the uptake of heavy metals and micro and macroelements of Sedum Plumbizincicola has been carried out. Experiments have been implemented in controlled conditions. The soil used in this experiment was sampled from the vicinity of the Non-Ferrous Metals Work near Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The pot experiment was a randomised complete block design containing five treatments and three replications (15 pots). The treatments consisted of a control (no organic amendments) and vermicompost and biochar amendments (added at 5% and 10%, respectively, recalculated based on dry soil weight). Applying organic additives to the soil influences the physicochemical properties. It leads to increased organic matter, electrical conductivity and content of macroelements (P, K, Ca and Mg) and microelements (Fe, Mn, Zn) in the soil. Applying organic additives to the soil affects the uptake of heavy metals and micro and macro elements by Sedum Plumbizincicola. Organic additives affect yield, influenced by the type of additive and dose. Cd and Zn yields were up to 3 times higher in the variant with 10% vermicompost application. Application of 10% biochar resulted in a negligible increase. Keywords: phytoextraction, organic amendments, contaminated soils, Sedum Plumbizincicola","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282998","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":"The Great Reset – a key for transformation of Bulgarian agriculture","authors":"George Guerov","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.004","url":null,"abstract":"This scientific article explores the potential of The Great Reset initiative to revive Bulgarian agriculture by proposing a transformative approach to address the critical challenges faced by the sector. The paper employs a logical sequence of analysis and argumentation beginning with a literature review on The Great Reset and its potential impact on the sector. The analysis highlights the pressing need for a structural reform in Bulgarian agriculture. The paper proposes a reframing process to address these challenges through The Great Reset framework, drawing on insights and findings to develop specific recommendations for policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders. The results section of the paper highlights the potential impact of The Initiative on the transformation of Bulgarian agriculture. The discussion section analyzes the positive and negative correlation between The Great Reset policies and the transformation of Bulgarian agriculture. The paper concludes that The Great Reset is not only desirable, but could also be a necessary catalyst for the transformation of Bulgarian agriculture. The conclusion section provides practical guidance for stakeholders seeking to embrace a divergent vision for the sector. This scientific article offers a convincing case for why The Great Reset initiative can be crucial for the transformation of Bulgarian agriculture. It underscores the importance of a holistic, collaborative, and forward-looking approach that can help unlock the potential of Bulgarian agriculture and position it for long-term sustainability and growth. As such, it contributes to the ongoing debates about the future of agriculture in Bulgaria and offers action oriented recommendations. Keywords: Great Reset, agriculture, Bulgaria","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"237 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282535","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":"Enhancing the Efficacy of Allium (Garlic) Extract and Maize-Legume Intercropping Agroecological Practices in Mitigating the Fall Armyworm Damage on Maize","authors":"Kizito S. Eboh, D. Agbor, D. K. Sama, Betrand A. S. Bambe, G. T. Tanyi, A. Tening","doi":"10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22620/agrisci.2023.38.007","url":null,"abstract":"Several biotic and abiotic variables limit the maize yield in Africa. The fall armyworm (FAW), a new invasive pest in Africa, and particularly in Cameroon, has exacerbated the problem. This study was done to demonstrate the fall armyworm control on maize in an intercrop system with legumes, and the locally made organic Allium (garlic) emulsion. In this study, a field experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with nine treatments (control, insecticide, Allium (garlic), maize dwarf-bean, maize-dwarf bean insecticide, maize-dwarf bean Allium (garlic), maize-cowpea, maize-cowpea insecticide and maize-cowpea Allium (garlic) and three replicates. Maize vegetative data (plant height, stem girth, and number of leaves) were collected, as well as pest occurrence and severity (fall armyworm) and maize yield. The best outcomes for the fall armyworm control in this study came from maize intercropped with legumes (dwarf bean and cowpea), in combination with either synthetic insecticides or the locally made organic garlic emulsion. Control had the most damaged plants for FAW (14) and the number of damaged plants differed significantly (P< 0.05) across treatments. The highest number of FAW (4 FAW) were found in the control, which differed significantly (P<0.05) across treatments. The maize grain yield ranged from 2.1 tha-1 to 5.7 tha-1 and differed significantly across treatments (P<0.05), with the highest yields (5.7 tha-1) in the maize-cowpea insecticide and maize-cowpea garlic treatments, and the lowest yields (2.1 tha-1) in the control. Conclusively, the maize intercrop with legumes and the locally made organic Allium (garlic) emulsion served as sustainable alternative to the synthetic pesticide that effectively controlled FAW without jeopardizing environmental sustainability and increased maize yield. Keywords: Allium (garlic) botanical, pest incidence, pest severity, fall armyworm (FAW), yield, maize, intercropping.","PeriodicalId":7600,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural sciences","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139282864","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}