International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (11), pp. 291-295, November, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

 Full Length Research Paper

Effects of NPK fertilizer and season on the flowering and sex expression of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo Linn.)

Agbaje G. O., Oloyede F. M.* and Obisesan I. O.

Department of Crop Production and Protection Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 30 June, 2012; Accepted 09 November, 2012

Abstract

Effects of NPK 15:15:15 compound fertilizer and planting season on flowering and sex expression of pumpkin were analyzed at the Teaching and Research Farm, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in year 2010. Results deciphered that day to 50% flowering, number of male and female flowers responded to season than fertilizer rates. Late season planting reached 50% flowering 5 days earlier than that of early season. At zero fertilizer rate 50% flowering was attained at 56 days after planting while the application of 250 kg ha^-1 NPK (15:15:15) delayed 50% flowering by 4 days; at 100 – 150 kg NPK ha^-1, the delay was 2 days. Early season had more number of male and female flowers per plant (25) than the late season ones (15). The ratio of male to female flowers was 3:1. Higher number of flowers per plant was obtained at 100 kg NPK ha^-1 (25) than in control (12). However, increasing fertilizer rate above 100 kg does not significantly (P<0.05) improve the number of flowers produced.   

Key words: Fertilizer rates, flowering, season, sex expression, pumpkin.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 281-284, October, 2012. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of substitution on the functional properties of flour, proximate and sensory properties of wheat/plantain composite bread

Eke-Ejiofor J.* and Kiin-Kabari D. B.

Department of Food Science and Technology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology,

Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 12 August, 2012; Accepted 22 October, 2012

Abstract

Bread was prepared from different levels of substitution of wheat flour (WF) and plantain flour (PF) ranging from 0 to 50%, including 100% wheat flour (WF) and 100% plantain flour (PF). Functional properties of the composite flours, proximate and sensory properties of the product (bread) were investigated. The highest value for bulk density of 0.47 g/cm³ was observed in 100% plantain flour (sample G) while the lowest of 0.34 g/cm³ was recorded in 100% wheat flour (sample A). Water absorption and foaming capacities decreased with an increase in the level of substitution of plantain flour from 84% for sample A (100% wheat) to 49% in sample G (100% plantain flour) and 50 ml in 100% wheat to 20 ml in 100% plantain flour. Proximate composition showed the following results. Moisture (28.20 to 33.49), ash (0.60 to 1.6), fat (1.11 to 1.55), crude protein (8.15 to 12.00) and total available carbohydrate (57.08 to 60.20). All sensory attributes reduced as substitution increased with the 10% substitution of plantain flour showing no significant difference (p<0.05) in color and taste while texture and overall acceptability showed significant difference (p>0.05) in all the samples. No sensory panelist showed a total dislike for any of the composite bread samples except the bread made from 100% plantain flour. Therefore it was concluded that wheat flour could be substituted with plantain flour up to the 20% level in bread making which will not adversely affect its nutritional and sensory properties.  

Key words: Substitution, wheat, plantain, bread, proximate, sensory. 

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 273-280, October, 2012. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

Sustainability and revitalization of irrigation systems: Searching for Innovative Approach

Prachanda Pradhan

Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems Promotion Trust, Kathmandu, Nepal. E-mail: [email protected],

Tel: 977-98510-27593.

Received 08 July, 2012; Accepted 19 October, 2012

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture with innovative and revitalized irrigation systems hold future of food security. Revitalizing irrigation systems to meet the food demands of the future are to be considered in an integrated manner consisting infrastructure rehabilitation, investment to raise yield productivity from irrigated land and promotion of appropriate institutions and innovative management modes. A case study of an assistance program to farmer managed irrigation systems of Indrawati Watershed basin of Sindhupalchowk District of Nepal is presented here and the case study highlights the innovative measures and its results of longitudinal study over period of time. The systems which have assistance from Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS) and International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI) program have been the candidates for evaluation of impact of intervention in three time slices respectively in 1985, 1991 and 1999. The findings of the impact analysis of those systems indicated that intervention is not a one shot process of transferring resources to the farmers. It has an essential role to play in determining the relationship between input variables such as maintenance effort and agriculture potentiality and measurement of cropping intensity at the tail end. Intervention should enhance rather than replace the effort of the local farmers in irrigation management. One way to look at the sustainability effect is by looking at temporal dimension of farmers’ adaptation of change and to observe how the intervention effect has affected the adaptation process. It was proposed to measure the  effect of intervention in short term  by the change in performance from time slice I to II and longer term effect  by the change from time slice II to III. The summation of the two impacts gives the result of net effect of intervention. Features of innovative approach are listed.

Key words: Innovative, sustainability, revitalization, irrigation, food security, longitudinal study, impact evaluation. 

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 266-272, October, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

'G X E interaction for grain yield and its contributing traits in grain amaranthus

S. Ramesh Kumar¹* and G. Mohamed Yassin²

¹Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai-625 104,

Tamil Nadu, India.

²Department of Horticulture, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, TNAU,

Karaikal-609603, Puduchery, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 19 July, 2012; Accepted 25 October, 2012

Abstract

In grain amaranthus (Amaranthus hypochondriacusL.) ten genotypes were evaluated for ten characters under four plant density levels viz., very high (D₁), high (D₂), normal (D₃) and low plant density (D₄) levels to study the stability parameters. The study was conducted at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal during November 2007 to 2008. The results revealed that, the genotypes Annapurna was identified as stable genotype for grain yield in all the four plant density levels. The genotypes BGA 2, GA 2 and IC 415290 recorded stable performance for total carbohydrates and protein content and could be utilized for improvement of these traits in breeding programme. The genotype GA 2 showed stable performance for fresh weight of the inflorescence, an important trait influencing the grain yield in all the four plant density levels. Similarly, SKNA 601 can be chosen as stable genotype for leaf area at 50% flowering, an important selection parameter for yield improvement in all the plant density levels. Among the characters studied, length of the rachis per inflorescence, total carbohydrates and protein content were found to be relatively stable in all the four plant density levels.

Key words: Grain amaranthus, stability parameters, selection.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 285-290, October, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Introgression of common bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli) resistance to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) adapted to Tanzania facilitated by marker assisted selection

George Muhamba Tryphone*, Luseko Amos Chilagane, Deogracious Protas, Paul Mbogo Kusolwa and Susan Nchimbi-Msolla

Department of Crop Science and Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P. O. Box 3005, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 22 May, 2012; Accepted 09 October, 2012

Abstract

Common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv phaseoli (Xap) is an important disease of common bean in Tanzania causing severe damage. This study was carried out to introgress resistance to CBB to the adapted common bean in Tanzania with the facilitation of molecular markers along with determining the inheritance and heritability of the disease. Crosses were made between the adapted parent Kablanketi and the resistant parent Vax 4 and their F₁, F₂ and the backcrosses to both parents generated. The phenotypic evaluation was carried out after inoculation with Xap and the molecular marker was applied on the F₂ generations using the SCAR marker SAP 6 linked to a QTL for CBB resistance. The result shows no significant deviation from the expected 3:1 (χ² = 0.47; P>0.05) in the F₂ population and 1:1 for the backcross to the susceptible parent. These results that resistance  in Vax 4 to Xap is conditioned by the presence of dominant genes. The moderate heritability of 0.32 was estimated implying that resistance is conditioned by one major gene which has effects of partial resistance. There were significant correlation between the phenotypic reaction and molecular marker screening (resistant QTL) (r = 0.502; p<0.05). This indicates there are greater chances of selecting resistant individuals using molecular markers  which also exhibited resistance  under  field  conditions .

Key words: Common bacterial blight, marker assisted selection, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv phaseoli, Tanzania.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 2 (9), pp. 263- 265, September, 2012. © International Scholars Journals 

Full Length Research Paper

Control of maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) using extracts of Gnetum africanum (Afang) leaves and Curcuma longa l. (Turmeric) rhizomes

Asawalam E. F.* and A. L. Chukwuekezie

Department of Plant Health Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B. 7267 Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 01 August, 2012; Accepted 18 September, 2012

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays [L.]) is a major staple food in many regions of the world. The maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais is a serious primary pest of maize in Nigeria. Laboratory investigations were carried out to compare the efficacy of the extracts of Curcuma longa rhizomes and Gnetum africanum leaves for the control of S. zeamais on stored maize grains. Three different solvents namely: petroleum ether, methanol and acetone were used to extract the essential oils from C. longa rhizomes and G. africanum leaves using a soxhlent extractor apparatus. The extracted oils were evaluated on S. zeamais for mortality effect. Weight loss of the maize grains was also assessed. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) in four replications. The results obtained showed that the essential oil of C. longa extracted with petroleum ether evoked significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher mortality (90%) in the maize weevil at 42 days after treatment (DAT). It also recorded a significant reduction in percentage weight loss when compared with the control treatments. No mortality was recorded in the control of all solvents and untreated control. C. longa extracted with petroleum ether was very effective in controlling S. zeamais in stored maize grains and can be incorporated for the control of S. zeamais in stored maize grains.

Key words: Curcuma longa, Gnetum africanum, extracts, Sitophilus zeamais, maize grains.