Potency of plant-derived biological nematicides on root-knot disease of tomato, Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L.) Mill

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of plant-derived biological nematicides in the management of root-knot nematode disease of tomato. A piece of land measuring 8 m × 54 m was ploughed and raised beds were the experimental plots. The land was divided into 4 blocks, each block comprising 12 treatments and 4 replicates with a total of 48 experimental plots were fitted into randomized complete block design (RCBD). The experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farms, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria (Longitude 40E and Latitude 8010N) during 2018 planting season. 20 g macerated root gall of Celosia was applied to tomato root rhizosphere (inoculation). The plant-derived biological nematicides that were assessed on root-knot nematode disease of tomato, UC8 cultivar, include the leaf water extract of neem, castor, wild sunflower, cleome, siam weed, phyllanthus, nitta, tobacco, lantana and calotropis, mixed with black soap, at rate of 9:1 v/w. The black soap and distilled water served as adjuvant and solvent respectively, and as the control experiments. The results showed that the root galling and soil population of root-knot nematode were significantly reduced with consequent enhanced growth and yield of tomato in the plots treated with plant-derived biological nematicides, compared with the tomato in the control experiments. The study has demonstrated that the use of plant-derived biological nematicides can be effectively explored in the management of root-knot nematode disease. The application of plant-derived biological nematicides is therefore recommended for sustainable management of root-knot nematode disease in tomato production.

An inventory of the types of rodent spread in Houses with a study of external parasites of the most dominant species at Esna area, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

This study was conducted to identify of rodent species and the ectoparasites are widely recognized for the type prevalent in homes, at Esna District, Luxor Governorate, Egypt, during 2020 year. The results were revealed that the presence of three species of rats included gray-bellied rat, Rattus rattus alexandrinus the dominant species from, Rattus rattus frugivorus and the Nile grass rat, Arvicanthis niloticus. The results also indicated that the identification of two types of fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis & Pulex irritans, and one species of lice, Polyplax spinulosa, associated with the gray-bellied was identified. The study reports the interest in making integrated control programs for rodents to get rid of them and the risks of their external parasites. Keywords: Rattus r. alexandrinus, Rattus r. frugivorus, A. niloticus Xenopsylla cheopis,Pulex irritans, Polyplax spinulosa

Comparative Advantage of Using Bio-pesticides in Indian Agro-ecosystems

The use of unsustainable levels of plant protection chemicals and fertilizershas resulted in a steady decline in soil quality and crop productivity the world over. To combat this decline, agricultural practices must evolve to meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging the world’s natural resources.Biopesticides have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture and environmental safety.This article is part of a larger study conducted in India by the authors at theUniversité de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. In this research, farmers, manufacturers or suppliers of biopesticides, and R&D scientistswere interviewed, and their responses demonstratethe advantages of applyingmicrobial biopesticidesto field crops. Participants reported a15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application ofbiopesticides, with better quality and quantity of fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of croploss is high (60-70%) with chemicallygrown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average when crops are grown using biopesticides. The risk of crop loss is thus considerably reducedby the use ofbiopesticides.Yet, despite their positive impact on the health of humans, soil,ecosystems, andfriendly invertebrates,biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. The development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of improper formulations, short shelf life, delayed action, and high market costs, as well as a variety oflegal/registration issues.

Performance of Soybean Marketing in Emby, Tharaka Nithi and Meru Countries, Kenya

Current demand for soybean in Kenya exceeds supply despite numerous efforts by the government to increase production. Soybean farmers are faced with the difficulty in accessing the market reason for their reluctance in producing. Little is known about the soybean market in the central highlands of Kenya. This study was carried out with the aim to assess the structure conduct and performance of soybean markets in EmbuTharaka-Nithi and Meru Counties. Key informant interviews were carried out among soybean farmers’ groups, Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries and soybean processing companies. A structured questionnaire was administered to processors, wholesalers, retailers and assemblers of soybean. Data was collected mainly on characteristics of respondents and marketing information. The collected data were used to calculate Herfindahl Hirschman Index (HHI), gross margins, marketing margin, and marketing efficiency. The results of the study showed that there were eight important marketing channels with channel 1 being the most efficient followed by channel 7, 3, 8, 4, 2, 6 and 5 respectively. The HHI showed that wholesalers were competitive (0.0997); retailers were relatively competitive (0.1701) while processors indicated an oligopolistic market structure with an HHI index of 0.18. Farmers groups, wholesalers and assemblers sold their soybean to processors at a fixed price (60ksh) given by the processors. Quantities traded were low with an average of 333.3kg for wholesalers, 793.33kg for assemblers and 47kg for retailers. There were no trader associations in the study area even though farmers engaged in group marketing. The study concluded that Constraints to marketing by farmers included low prices, lack of processing equipment’s, inadequate marketing arrangements, and high cost of processing.