scholarly journals Evaluation of the yield performance of maize cultivars (Zea mays L.) Semi-Arid Region of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 327-330
Author(s):  
Mtyobile Mxolisi
Keyword(s):  
Animal Feed ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Yield Performance ◽  
Maize Cultivars ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Semi Arid

Maize is considered as one of the important grain crop in the world. Maize is in high demand within district because it is one of the staple food and also used for animal feed. Current yield attained by small scale farmers is lower than the potential of our existing varieties. In field experiment at Njizweni situated in Gqeleni sub-district was conducted in November 2018 to evaluate the agronomic and yield performance maize cultivars in a semi-arid environment. Plant population, plant height, leaf area, number of cobs/plant, cob length, number of grains per cob, 100 grain weight and number of cobs were significantly different (p<0.05) between cultivars. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) on maize grain yield although maximum number of cobs per plant (1.76) was recorded on PAN 6R-710BR, PAN5R-591R, BG 5285 and WE 6208B.

scholarly journals A Threat of Farmers’ Suicide and the Opportunity in Organic Farming for Sustainable Agricultural Development in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan Mariappan ◽  
Deyi Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Input Cost

Agriculture is the main sources of income for humans. Likewise, agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. In India, Tamil Nadu regional state has a wide range of possibilities to produce all varieties of organic products due to its diverse agro-climatic condition. This research aimed to identify the economics and efficiency of organic farming, and the possibilities to reduce farmers’ suicides in the Tamil Nadu region through the organic agriculture concept. The emphasis was on farmers, producers, researchers, and marketers entering the sustainable economy through organic farming by reducing input cost and high profit in cultivation. A survey was conducted to gather data. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been used to test the hypothesis regards the cost and profit of rice production. The results showed that there was a significant difference in profitability between organic and conventional farming methods. It is very transparent that organic farming is the leading concept of sustainable agricultural development with better organic manures that can improve soil fertility, better yield, less input cost and better return than conventional farming. The study suggests that by reducing the cost of cultivation and get a marginal return through organic farming method to poor and small scale farmers will reduce socio-economic problems such as farmers’ suicides in the future of Indian agriculture.

scholarly journals Productive performance and parasitological control of kids supplemented with umbu fruits (Spondias tuberosa Arruda)

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 520-528
Author(s):  
Thiago Vinicius Costa NASCIMENTO ◽  
Daniel Maia NOGUEIRA ◽  
Nilton de Brito CAVALCANTE
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Gastrointestinal Nematodes ◽  
Daily Weight Gain ◽  
Productive Performance ◽  
Buffel Grass ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Semi Arid

Summary Native fruits from Caatinga vegetation can be an important alternative to improve the productive performance of kids in the semi-arid region of Brazil. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Umbuzeiro fruits in natura over the weight gain and anthelmintic control of kids kept in Buffel grass pasture in the semi-arid zone of Pernambuco, Brazil. Twenty-four castrated, crossbreed kids were allocated into three treatments: 1) Control (n = 8) fed exclusively with Buffel grass; 2) Umbu 1x (n = 8) fed with fruits once a week and 3) Umbu 3x (n = 8) fed with fruits for three times a week. The following parameters were evaluated: variation of body weight, faecal egg counts (FEC) and coproculture. Overall, the average consumption of Umbu fruits in natura was 1.48 kg/animal/day, which corresponded to 133.5 g daily dry matter intake (DMI/animal/day). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) for any parameters evaluated. During the experimental period, the overall daily weight gain was variable between 108.75 to 116.70 g/animal/day and the average FEC was 436 eggs. In the present study, the goat kids supplemented with fresh umbu fruits showed a good productive performance, however the supplementation with umbu did not control the infestation of gastrointestinal nematodes in kids.

scholarly journals Insects and Their Products as a Potential Source of Food, Feed and Economic Security: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
S. A Dattijo
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Global Commerce ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
High Level

Due to many ways by which they are exploited, insects and their products could be a very big business. They are sold for agricultural protection, crop pollination, as well as human, livestock and pet nutrition. In addition, their products are sold for pharmaceuticals, health, and the implements for research, art works and a host of other uses. This review focused on commercialization of insects and their products with a view of sharing existing knowledge on global commerce of various insects and their products. Available literature revealed that there was an increase in demand for edible insects in the United States of America and prices were as high as $150 kg-1. Similarly, between 2010 and 2015, animal feed market in the United Kingdom grew at 3.5% annually and is currently worth £5 billion. Because of its scarcity, high demand, and recognition of its healing properties, royal jelly, one of the most sought after from bee products commands astronomical price internationally. In addition, no any other industry could generate high level of employment as sericulture, especially in rural areas where it takes 11 workdays to produce a Kg of raw silk. The contribution insects and their products can give to improve the economy of a developing country such as Nigeria is considerable, but underestimated or neglected. Insects are unlikely to make a major contribution in the near future, but the idea that they are potential source of overcoming the economic problems is not as farfetched as it seemed. Therefore, there is the need to adopt an added value approach to insects and their products and sensitize as well as encourage small-scale farmers, who are disadvantaged in international market participation due to lack of access to information, services, technology or the capacity, to produce larger volumes of quality insect products.

Determinants of small-scale farmers’ intention to adopt insect farming for animal feed in Colombia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
S. Espinosa Diaz ◽  
S. Speelman ◽  
R. Moruzzo ◽  
H. De Steur
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Alternative Feed ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Acceptance Model

While it is recognised that insect farming as an alternative feed production system can yield substantial benefits for rural communities, farmers will ultimately have to decide whether to adopt these systems or not. This study aims to understand the factors that influence the intention of farmers to adopt insect farming for animal feed in the context of a developing country. Building upon two well-established theories (theory of planned behaviour and technology acceptance model), a survey was administered with 100 small-scale farmers in the region of Santander, Colombia. Findings demonstrate that the majority of farmers are positively oriented towards the implementation of this alternative feed production strategy. Both psychological and technology-oriented aspects related to this innovative practice play a crucial role in decision-making of small-scale farmers. Thereby, adoption intention was mainly determined by their subjective norms and perceived ease of use, with education and importance of feed attributes as significant external variables.

Effect of field storage on quantity and quality of sorghum(sorghum bicolor moech) stover and lablab (lablab purpureus [L] sweet) haulm

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 199-199
Author(s):  
Aichi J Kitalyi ◽  
E Owen ◽  
L A Mtenga
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Lablab Purpureus ◽  
Tropical Africa ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Qualitative Changes

In situ grazing is the most common method of feeding crop residues in semi-arid tropical Africa. The prevailing method of storing is to leave the crop residues standing in the field until grazing. Although such field storage would be expected to result in reduced nutritive value (eg loss of leaf), costs of residue harvesting (eg baling) and storing using conventional forage conservation methods would probably be prohibitive to small-scale farmers (Mlay, 1987).There is a dearth of information on quantitative and qualitative changes in crop residues left standing in fields after grain harvesting. A study was therefore carried out at Mpwapwa, Tanzania to measure the effects of varying the duration of field storage upon the quantity and quality of sorghum stover and lablab bean haulm.

scholarly journals A survey of plants used by rural small-scale farmers to control pests of cabbage in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nolitha L. Skenjana ◽  
Maxwell A. Poswal
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Diamondback Moth ◽  
Botanical Insecticides ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Background: Resource-poor small-scale farmers often cannot afford the high prices of chemical insecticides to control pests on crops; as a result, some use botanical insecticides. Aim: The aim of the study was to document ethnobotanical pest control methods used by rural small-scale farmers to control pests of cabbage in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Setting: 217 rural small-scale crop-producing farmers from 14 towns in the Amathole, Joe Gqabi, Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani and OR Tambo Districts participated in the study. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to consenting farmers between July and November in 2012, using the convenience and stratified purposive sampling techniques. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Results: The majority of farmers using botanical insecticides were females above the age of 60 years. The farmers identified 23 plants, which they use in their pest control strategies against seven pests of cabbage. The annual herb Tagetes minuta L. (Asteraceae) was cited as the most commonly used herb by 47% of the respondents, followed by Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Chenopodiceae), Aloe ferox Mills. (Asphodelaceae) and Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae). Various plant parts were used in combinations or alone in the preparation of formulations mainly against aphids, cutworms and the diamondback moth. Conclusion: The plants, plant parts, combinations and formulations used by farmers in their cabbage pest control strategies need to be scientifically authenticated for efficacy.

scholarly journals Nutrient support via fertigation with domestic effluent and growth of cotton

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1135
Author(s):  
Francisco Gonçalo Filho ◽  
Miguel Ferreira Neto ◽  
Cleyton dos Santos Fernandes ◽  
Francisco Vanies da Silva Sá ◽  
Nildo da Silva Dias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Block Design ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Domestic Sewage ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Cotton Plants ◽  
Phosphate Fertilization ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Domestic Effluent ◽  
Semi Arid

Because of climatic problems in the Brazilian semi-arid region, it is of fundamental importance to seek a culture that considers water scarcity and available natural resources. Thus, a randomized block design, with subdivided plots and six replications, was carried out in the experimental area of the treatment and wastewater reuse station of the Milagres Settlement, Apodi, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating cultivation of herbaceous cotton (Gossipyum hirsutum) fertigated with domestic sewage treated in a semi-arid environment. Two cultivation cycles were carried out, and the cotton plants were fed with three different solutions containing treated domestic sewage (TDE) plus supply water (PSW), to supply the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) (100% PSW – control, 50% PSW + 50% TDE and 100% TDE), with and without phosphate fertilization in pre-planting. The contribution of nutrients to the soil and plant growth were analyzed. The results indicated that the wastewater presents potential fertilizer, reaching to the soil amounts of some nutrients exceeding the cotton’s needs, when 100% of the ETc was supplied via fertigation with domestic effluent, resulting in an increase in the growth rates of the plants. There was no interaction between the percentages of wastewater and phosphate fertilization in pre-planting. Phosphorus alone promoted significant variation only in the first cycle, indicating that there is a residual fertigation effect with domestic effluent on the nutrient supply.

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