Comparative Study on Profitability of Sorghum-Legumes Intercropping Systems in Ethiopia

The imbalance between the crop production and population growth is currently the major issue in Ethiopia. To feed the growing population, increasing the production of food through growing more crop types in the same field as an intercropping is the right strategy. The study was aimed at evaluating the profitability of sorghum-legume intercropping on yield of sorghum. Intercropping sorghum with legumes crops increases the land productivity as its Land Equivalent Ratio is greater than one. In these cases, the land equivalent ratio is greater than one indicating the benefits of intercropping. In general, legume crops contributed to the yield of sorghum either intercropped with legume or grown up using residual contribution of legumes after a year. Therefore, for maximum sorghum production, farmers should plant either as intercrop or after residual effect of legumes crops. In addition to agronomic parameters used to compare the advantages of any cropping system in small scale farming conditions, total gross monetary value is also used to evaluate economic advantages of intercropping system.

Study on the Ecological Circulation Agricultural System of Combining Planting and Raising of Berry Tea

Berry tea is a perennial vine. Its scientific name is ampelopsis grossedentata. It belongs to vitaceae and is widely spread in the Tujia people of Xiangxi, Hunan Province. By adopting appropriate agricultural planting technology, rational use of organic selenium fertilizer and nutritional conditioner, we can produce high-quality berry tea with more healthy and even medicinal value and high selenium content, and realize double protection of human health with high selenium content and high flavonoids. Under the existing planting system, through the supplement of breeding links, constructing ecological recycling agricultural system combining planting and raising, not only can greatly enrich the supply of table agricultural products, but also can effectively ensure the high quality and high safety of agricultural products, and can effectively enrich the local agricultural industrial structure.Key words: berry tea; selenium-enriched; ecological agriculture; industrial revitalization and economic development

Efficacy of Acid-Modified Sawdust in Decolourization of Tanning Waste Water

Colour removal from dye-bearing effluent is a serious challenge due to the difficulty in treating such wastewater by conventional treatment methods. The present investigation explores the decolourization of contaminated wastewater using saw dust as an adsorbent. The physicochemical properties of waste water samples labelled A, B and C viz average temperature; pH; electrical conductivity; and total dissolved solids were 302.63; 6.1; 284.47 µS/cm; 35116.66 mg/L respectively. Colour removal efficiency of the adsorbent was studied under variable conditions (contact time, rate of agitation, loading). Experimental results demonstrated that the sawdust adsorbent has a significant capacity for colour removal from tannery effluent. There was significant variation in the absorbance of the treated samples. Adsorbent dose, stirring rate and contact time showed significant effects in colour removal.

Introduction to the Field Practice and Application Analysis of “Century Tianwang Bio-Organic Fertilizer” in the Past 20 Years

Ensuring food security, increasing farmers’ income and improving people’s living standards are the focus of attention of all countries in the world today. “Centrey Tianwang” biological organic fertilizer has been upgraded to multi-functional biological organic fertilizer innovation, accepted as a new invention patent. “Centrey Tianwang” multifunctional biological organic fertilizer is a long-term natural biological organic fertilizer with high concentration. It is a new kind of slow-release fertilizer, with both quick and long-term effects. It can both fully meet the nutrient requirements of the crop, and maintain water and fertilizer, improve soil and prevent disease. It can not only control agriculture pollution, improve the crop quality and promote the yield of various crops, but also have special effects on the improvement of saline-alkali land, restoration of polluted cultivated land and degradation of agricultural residues. It is a kind of slow-release, long-acting bio-organic fertilizer that does not need any other fertilizer to be used with field crops and does not need topdressing during the whole growing period of crops. “Centrey Tianwang” multi-functional bio-organic fertilizer collects the essences of various medicinal plants, natural minerals, nano organic compounds and aerospace microbial agents, through special process, refined and processed, non-toxic, harmless, without side effects.

Research Achievements in Relation to Maize (Zea mays L) Crop Production and Productivity in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Despite the conducting much number of maize researches in different centers a little change on production and productivity in Ethiopia. Hence this review aimed to indicate how a maize production and productivity have been developed and used to inform that food security concern body of the country. I researched for different papers reporting maize production achievements, databases of peer review journal articles, scholar Google and other web sites. A total of 70 papers were reviewed from which 20 papers are included and from this 51.2% describe about maize production, 34.6% describe about productivity of a crop per area and 14.2% describe about deficiency of agricultural input utilization by local farmers. The use of new crop variety and artificial fertilizers is relatively a wide spread throughout the country. However, practical application on small holder’s field has less technical support and comparatively traditional way of crop managements have been involved. Most of the research findings, particularly those from agronomic practices, indicated that Maize has wide flexibility that is suitable for production.

Technical Efficiency and Technology Gap Ratio in Cocoa Production in Nigeria: A Stochastic Metafrontier-Tobit (Sm-Tobit) Approach

The study analysed the technical efficiency and technology gap ratio in cocoa production in Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 390 cocoa farmers from three zones where cocoa is commercially grown in Nigeria. Separate stochastic frontier models were estimated for farmers in Kwara, Edo and Ondo States, along with a metafrontier model to obtain alternative estimates for the technical efficiencies of farmers in the different states. Subsequently, a Tobit model was used to access the factors influencing cocoa production in the study area. Results revealed that, the average technical efficiency level was 0.685 for the pooled sample, 0.506, 0.837 and 0.713 for Kwara, Edo and Ondo States respectively, suggesting that there is substantial scope to improve cocoa production in Nigeria. The mean MTR values of 0.506, 0.837 and 0.712 for Kwara, Edo and Ondo States respectively, implied that Edo State was more technically efficient than other states in the study area. The mean technology gap ratio (TGR) value of 84.3% indicated that, on the average, the cocoa farmers in the study areas would have to close a gap of about 15.7% in order for them to be technically efficient. The study recommended that cocoa farmers in Edo and Ondo States could improve their technical efficiency through a better management using the available technologies and resources while intervention to raise technology that will help close the gap between the regional frontier curve and the global frontier curve through raising and distributing disease resistant and high yielding cocoa seedlings to the farmers should be adopted in Kwara State.

Practice and Thinking of Traditional Chinese Medicine Agriculture Helping Rural Revitalization

China is a big agricultural country with a long history, and has created a brilliant agricultural civilization. Agriculture has always been an important foundation of China's national economy and has made great achievements. At present, promoting sustainable agricultural development has become an important part of the strategic adjustment of China's economic development mode, and it is of great significance to explore and strive to blaze a path of sustainable agricultural development with Chinese characteristics.

Carcass Traits, Organ Proportion and Bio-Economic Cost Benefits Analysis of Broiler Chickens Fed Different Dietary Plant Protein Sources In Sorghum-Based Diet

A 56-day study was carried out to evaluate the carcass characteristics and organ proportions of broiler chickens fed sorghum-based diets with varying plant protein. A total of 120 day-old broiler chickens from a reputable and disease free farm were used for this study. There were four treatments, each having thirty broiler birds replicated thrice with ten broiler birds per replicate using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The broiler birds were offered feed and water ad libitum. The growth parameters were taken on weekly basis. Carcass evaluation was carried out at the end of the trial. One bird per replicate was randomly selected, fasted over-night and slaughtered by severing the jugular vein. After scalding in warm water for about a minute, the feathers were manually plucked, each bird was cut into parts for carcass evaluation. The relative weights of the cut parts were as a percentage of dressed weight. The internal organs, such as heart, kidney, gizzard/proventriculus were all weighed separately and recorded using electric micrometer (3000g weighing gauge). The findings from this study showed that all the carcass parameters considered showed significant differences (p<0.05). Birds fed diet 3 gave the best live weight, slaughtered weight, defeathered weight, dressed weight and commensurate cut-parts. Soybean (whether cake or full-fat) demonstrate superiority over groundnut cake and cashew nut cake. Birds fed diet 3 gave the highest value of thigh, breast -cut, drumstick and wings, while birds fed diets 2, 1 and 4 gave less. The organ proportions of broiler chickens fed different dietary plant sources have all the parameters significantly difference (p<0.05), except the lungs though without any definite pattern. Average weight gain and feed conversion ratio were better (p<0.05) among birds fed diet 2, and 3. Cost benefits analysis per kilogram in naira terms for birds fed different plant protein sources in a sorghum-based diets were significant (p<0.05) among treatment levels. Least cost per kg feed was obtained in diet 1 (p<0.05). Cost of weight gained was (p<0.05) low in T1. Cost of feed consumed was low for diet T1 and T3. Revenue, gross margin and cost benefit ratio estimated were found to high (p<0.05) among T2 and T3. Broiler chickens fed diet 3 gave the best parameters. The actual contributions of the experiment, is to alternatively replace corn with sorghum completely at least cost with optimum performance.

Discussion on High-Yield Cultivation and Assembly Technology of Selenium-Rich Rice and Rapeseed Rotation in Taoyuan County

Taoyuan County is a large grain and rapeseed production county. Taking advantage of the resource advantage of soil rich in selenium in Taoyuan County [1], it promotes high-yield cultivation and assembly technology of selenium-rich rice and rapeseed rotation in one-season rice area, optimizing the aggregate structure of the soil, improving the soil ecology and reducing the content of heavy metals in the soil [2], laying the foundation for the continuous increase in agricultural efficiency and farmers' income. Through rice and rapeseed rotation, the overwintering base of rice field borers are reduced, and the incidence of pests and diseases in the coming year is effectively reduced [3]. The implementation of supporting technologies for rice-rapeseed rotation cropping and the widespread promotion of high-quality varieties and planting techniques have improved the level of farmers’ planting. After one season of rice harvesting, most of the farmland is left unused. Using winter fallow fields to develop selenium-enriched rapeseed industry can actually increase the income of farmers.

Exploring How Human Activities Disturb the Balance of Biogeochemical Cycles: Evidence from the Carbon, Nitrogen and Hydrologic Cycles

All around us today there is a clear evidence proof suggesting an observable influence by human on biogeochemical cycles which are likely to cause serious consequences for humanity. Activities of human affects the biogeochemical cycles, both directly as well as indirectly. If scholars were able to make clear the degree of how specific human actions is affecting the biogeochemical cycles, they (researchers) would be able to come up with ideas on how to better position toward suggesting strategies aimed at mitigating against disturbances that are worst. This paper aims at exploring how human activities affect the balance of biogeochemical cycles in relation to the Carbon, Nitrogen and Hydrologic Cycles. A literature analysis attempts to use a diversity of search engines such as Scopus, Researchgate, PubMed, Google Scholar, Summon, Hinari, CAB Abstract, OARE Abstract, Academia, Dimension, Mendeley, SSRN search strategy toward retrieving research publications, “grey literature” as well as expert reports from working group. This paper review some of the work done on this topic as well as locate the converging results of interest in all the studies as well as proffered solutions toward this menace with the purpose of forestalling future occurrence. Due to the actions of numerous human activities, the characteristics/features of several components of biogeochemical cycles are experiencing changes which are most likely led to long-term changes. It is essential to forecast the magnitude as well as degree of these changes so that the needed ameliorative actions could be originated well in time.