Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN: 2736-1624 Vol. 11 (4), pp. 001-006, April, 2021. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Study of pollen germination in pome fruit tree of Rosaceae family IN  VITRO

Yavar Sharafi

Islamic Azad University, Maragheh Branch, Department of Horticultural Science, Maragheh, Iran. E mail: [email protected] Tel: +989144200882. Fax: 984213254506.

Accepted 24 June, 2020

Abstract

Pollination and fertilization are the basic factors affecting fruit setting volume and pollination is an essential component in fruit tree cultivation. The most important goal for fruit growers is obtaining high quantities and qualities yield in fruit industry which depends on sufficient fruit setting. Commercial fruit trees in Iran belong to stone and pome fruits of Rosaceae family with gametophytic self-incompatibility make necessary the selection of favorable pollinizer in breeding and orchard planning programs. Therefore, knowledge about pollen traits of the species and cultivars in this family is one of the main issues for growers and breeders. In this research, pollen germination and tube growth were studied in some cultivars and selected favorable genotypes of 6 genus including; apple, pear loquat, medlar, red hawthorn and quince. Pollen traits were investigated using IN VITRO medium containing 17% sucrose, 10 ppm acid boric and 1.2% agar. Cultured pollens were incubated in dark condition at 25°C for 24 h and then, pollen germination percentage and pollen tube length evaluated using light-microscope. Results showed significant differences among cultivars and finally favorable cultivars/genotypes of each genus with high pollen germination percentage and tube growth were selected to application in the future breeding and orchard establishment programs.

Key words: Apple, pear, quince, loquat, medlar, red hawthorn, pollen germination, Rosaceae and in vitro condition.

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN: 2736-1624 Vol. 11 (3), pp. 001-008, March, 2021. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Soil physicochemical properties under Acacia senegal varieties in the dryland areas of Kenya

Eunice W. Githae¹*, Charles K. K. Gachene² and Jesse T. Njoka²

¹School of Natural Resource Management, Narok University College, P. O. Box 861, Narok, Kenya.

²Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya.

Accepted 8 July, 2020

Abstract

Acacia senegal is a multipurpose drought- tolerant tree or shrub legume and is commonly used in agroforestry systems in sub -Saharan Africa for gum arabic production and soil fertility improvement. Despite its wide distribution in Kenya, there has not been exhaustive evaluation on the effects of the extant varieties (kerensis, leiorhachis and senegal) on soil properties under their canopies for sustainable utilization of the species. Three sites in the drylands of Kenya representing the three varieties were selected for assessment. Soil samples were collected under tree canopies at a depth of 0 to 25 cm and were compared with the soils from the open canopies. There were significant differences in soil physicochemical properties among the three varieties (P<0.05 and P< 0.01). Soil nutrients under the canopies were higher than in the open canopies mainly due to effects of litter accumulation. The three varieties have beneficial effects on soil nutrient status in their natural ecosystems and would most likely improve crop productivity in agroforestry systems as well as enhance herbage productivity in the rangelands. The varieties growing under different soil types may have an effect on their gum Arabic production and quality.

Key words: Acacia senegal varieties, soil nutrients accumulation, sustainable utilization.

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN: 2736-1624 Vol. 11 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2021. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of anthelmintic activity of the stem bark extract and chemical constituents of Bridelia ferruginae (Benth) Euphorbiaceae

Lasisi A. A.¹* and Kareem S. O.²

¹Drug Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

²Department of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Accepted 15 June, 2020

Abstract

Anthelmintic properties of the stem bark extract and compounds isolated from Bridelia ferruginae were investigated. In relation to the traditional use of B. ferruginae against gastro-intestinal infections, bioactivity-guided fractionations of the CHCl₃^- and CH ₂Cl₂^- soluble fractions of the 80% MeOH extract from the stem barks of B. ferruginae yielded two known triterpenoids: betuline (1), glucoside of betulinic acid (2) and other two known flavonoids: quercetin (3) and kaempferol (4). Structures of compounds 1 to 4 were elucidated by spectroscopic studies and comparison with related compounds in literature. The time of paralysis and death of the parasitic worms: Fasciola gigantical (liver fluke), Taenia solium (tape worm) and Pheritima posthuma (earthworm, Annelid) were determined at 25, 50, 80 and 100 mg/ml. The stem barks extract of B. ferruginae and isolated compounds demonstrated concentration- dependent anthelmintic potencies against parasitic worms assayed. Structural-activity relationship is explained.

Key words: Bridelia ferruginae, anthelmintic activity, betulinic acid, betuline, quercetin, kaempferol.

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN: 2736-1624 Vol. 11 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2021. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of sheep grazing on forage yield, yield components and grain yield of local black barley, under rainfall conditions in Iraqi Kurdistan

Dilsouz Noori Abbas, Ahmed Salih Khalaf* and Kamal Noman Dosky

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Duhok University, Iraq.

Accepted 21 October, 2020

Abstract 

In Iraqi Kurdistan, farmers usually graze young barley if it sown early in fall and then let the crops recover for grain production. Barley field that was established from the seeds of harvest lost from the previous season (2008 to 2009), due to poor adjustment of the combine harvester. The plant population density was 190/m² at 13-2-2010; this was close to the normal rate 200 /m². The field was exposed to different grazing intensity; including two and four ewes which were fixed by ropes and wedges in the centre of the circle plots of 2.82 m radius to form an area of 25 m²; for three and six hours grazing duration in addition to none grazing treatment. Results revealed that, grazing treatments reduced significantly all measured characters (excluding number of tillers with no spike). The effect of grazing duration was more obvious than that of grazing intensity by increasing the number of ewes per plot. Therefore, the lowest plant height value was recorded for the treatment of four ewes grazed six hours; this was true for spike length, number of grain per spike, grain yield/spike, number of spike/m², grain yield/m², biological yield and grain yield/donum. There were reverse results for harvest index; it was increased with increasing number of ewes and grazing hours or by stress on plants this was attributed to the fact that, reduction of straw was more drastic than that of grains. The amount of reduction of straw and grain from the treatment of four ewes and six hours grazing was 59.63 and 49.15%, respectively.

Key words: Grazing, sheep, barley, grazing intensity, plant height.

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN 2736-1624 Vol. 10 (8), pp. 001-006, August, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research Paper

Regulatory mutations affecting the synthesis of cellulase in Pseudomonas fluorescens

M.K. Bakare¹, I.O. Adewale²*, A.O. Ajayi³, A.I.Okoh³ and O.O.Shonukan³

¹Department of General Studies, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Osun State, Nigeria.

²Department of Biochemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

³Department of Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Accepted 17 June, 2020

Abstract

Pseudomonas fluorescens, was cultured in basal medium containing carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) as inducer and glucose or glycerol as carbon and energy sources. Ethylmethanesulphonate (EMS) was used to mutagenize the wild-type organism to produce mutants. The isolated mutants were screened for the isolation of catabolite repression resistant mutants in the presence of 1% (w/v) glucose as carbon source. A total of fifty mutants were isolated. All the mutants produced cellulase in the presence of CMC as an inducer with specific activity of 0.057, 0.088 and 0.074 units/mg protein for the wild-type, catabolite repression resistant mutant4 (CRRmt₄) and catabolite repression resistant mutant24 (CRRmt₂₄), respectively. It was observed that addition of glucose or glycerol as carbon and energy sources to the culture medium resulted into considerable reduction in the cellulolytic activity. However, glycerol appeared to be a better carbon and energy source than glucose which inhibited enzyme expression in most of the strains used in this study. It was also observed that potent cellulase production occurred at the exponential growth phase of the organism. The isolated mutants were grouped into three classes based on their induction ratios namely; unimproved mutants, catabolite repression resistant mutants and mutants with highest induction ratio but sensitive to catabolite repression in the presence of high glucose concentration. The overall results obtained showed that cellulolytic activity in P. fluorescens was regulated by catabolite repression.

Key words: Pseudomonas fluorescens, ethylmethanesulphonate, mutants, cellulose, catabolite repression, induction ratio.

Frontiers of Agriculture and Food Technology ISSN 2736-1624 Vol. 10 (8), pp. 001-005, August, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Haematinic activity of Hibiscus cannabinus

Gabriel A. Agbor¹*, Julius E. Oben², Jeanne Y. Ngogang³

¹Centre of Research on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, P.O Box 6163, Yaounde, Cameroon.

²Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon.

³Department of Physiological Science, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon.

Accepted 23 March, 2020

Abstract

The haematinic activity of an orally administered aqueous extract of Hibiscus cannabinus leaves was studied on haemolytic anaemic rats. Anaemia was induced by an oral administration of phenylhydrazine for a period of 8 days. Red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, and pack cell volume were analysed as indices of anaemia. The mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin concentration were calculated accordingly. Phenylhydrazine induced a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the blood parameters indicating anaemia and also resulted to significant increase (P<0.05) in the mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell volume values, which are indicators of macrocytosis. Leaf extract of H. cannabinus induced a significant (P<0.05) increase in the red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, and pack cell volume which had been originally decreased by phenylhydrazine administration within one week of treatment. The presence of macrocytosis turn towards normal as the animals recovered from anaemic condition. The results obtained suggested that H. cannabinus leaves may have haematinic properties.

Key words: Haematinic activity, Hibiscus cannabinus, haemolytic anaemia, phenylhydrazine.