American Research Journal of Agriculture

Sawsan, F. A. Salih., I. Bushara and Muna, M. M. Ahmed

The experiment was conducted on desert male sheep’s to evaluate the effect feeding moringa on body weight gain, feed intake and body weight change. Twelve (12) rams of desert sheep aged 4-5 months and weighing 12.1 Kg (11.7-12.4 Kg) were used in these experiments. The goats were divided randomly into three groups; each group (4 males) in complete randomized design. The results revealed that the group one which fed mixture of rang plants showed the heaviest body weight gain as 104.48 g/day compared with other feeds. The effect of feeds on body weight change and final gain, was significant (P ≤ 0.001) with the mixture of range plants with moringa (26.77±0.68kg) and mixture of range plants alone (25.33±0.76kg) compared with moringa alone (22.77±3.87kg).

Djang-Fordjour, H.,Hamidu, J.A. Adomako, K.

The hatchery and hatching egg industry has performed minimally in Ghana over past two decades in Ghana. As a result, importation of day old chicks in Ghana has increased considerably. The objective of the current study was to provide inventory of actively operating hatcheries in Ghana and to discover opportunities on improvement in Ghanaian hatcheries. Survey was carried out on known and active hatcheries in Ghana to take inventory of human resource strength and qualification, hatchery output, capacity of operation, availability of parent stock, common hatchery practices maintained to increased chick quality, day old chick production and market outlets, rates of chick mortality, distance of hatcheries from breeding farms, hatcheries importation of eggs to hatch, types of incubators and the type of incubation systems in used and whether hatcheries provide any follow-up on farms that take chicks from them. Structured questionnaires administered to local hatcheries were assessed and all data expressed as percentage. The data collected showed that there are 9 hatcheries in Ghana operating actively in hatching broiler or layer chicks or both. While 7 hatcheries assessed showed averagely 29.9% utilization of their installed capacity, only two of these hatcheries were operating at 60 and 68.42% of their full capacity. The capacity of these hatcheries were 38,000 and 115,200 eggs respectively. The type of incubators used by all the hatcheries includes Chick Master, Buckeye, Asefac, Petersime, Westing and Beckier while the major incubation system practiced was the multistage incubation system. Only one hatchery had a single stage incubator. All these hatcheries reported using doing multistage incubation, all the incubators appeared to have single stage incubation principle. Three of the 7 hatcheries provided basic training for all staff members and additional three provided training for about 40 to 70 % of their staff. Only 3 hatcheries had their own parent stock, the rest bought or depend on other farmers or contracting them to supply fertile eggs for hatching. Major challenges reported were dead in shells, unsealed navels, twisted beak, wet chicks, and blind chicks among others. The study concludes that the major challenges confronting the hatchery industry in Ghana were more due to high incubation temperatures, low relative humidity, and lack of staff training on basic principles of incubation. 

Bhati Praveesh1, Shouche Shobha2, Jain Sudhir Kumar3, Dhundhale Kavita4

The application of vermicompost to improve the physical properties of soils is a promising technology to meet the requirements of high plant growth and cost-effective recovery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effect of different proportion of vermicom post and cattle dung mixed soil on Triticum astivum (Wheat) and Faciolus mungo (Urad) Plant. Different growth parameters viz. germination studies, plant length, dry weight and photosynthetic pigment were analyzed. In the present investigation highest germination percentage, plant length,dry weight of root /shoot and chlorophyll-carotenoid percentage were recorded in 50% soil treated with vermicompost and cattle dung than control soil and other proportions. It has also found that all the selected growth parameters of both Wheat and Urad plant showed significant improvement in vermicompost treated soil than cattle dung treated soil. The present investigation clearly revealed that the addition of vermicompost to soil greatly enhanced the yield in Wheat and Urad plant

Chala Hailu*1, Chalchisa Fana1

 This study tried to investigate ‘Determinants of Smallholder Commercialization as Buyers of Agro-chemicals and improved seed in Ambo and Toke-Kutaye Districts’. Its’ main objective is to examine factors determining smallholder input market participation and level of commercialization. A total of 291 sampled households randomly selected from both districts for an interview using semi-structured questionnaire. Double-Hurdle model was used for analysis of decision to participate and level of commercialization of inputs. The findings from probit regression model analysis revealed that being male, being model farmer, literate, livestock ownership, and frequencies of extension contact had positive sign and significantly affect the probability of being buyers of chemical fertilizer. Similarly, livestock ownership, access to credit services, and frequencies of extension contact had positive sign and significantly affect the probability of being buyers of improved seed while land size had negative sign and significant. The probability of being buyers of herbicides is influenced by livestock ownership and had positive sign while family size, and distance from home to input market had negative sign. In the second hurdle, the result of Truncated Regression Model revealed that, being male, being model farmer, family size, land size, livestock ownership, access to credit services, frequencies of extension contact, membership to farmer cooperative, distance from home to input market are key determinants of level of commercialization of inputs as buyers. Synthesis of double-hurdle model result revealed that being model farmer, land size, livestock ownership, and farmers’ cooperatives were main determinants of smallholder input commercialization as buyers.

Aziz Gül1, Nuray Şahi̇nler2

In this research, antibiotic (sulfamethazine, tetracycline, streptomycin), pesticides (amitraz, coumaphos, fluvalinate) and naphthalene and phosphine residues in 210 honey samples collected from 7 different geographic regions of Turkey were investigated. Accordingly, in the investigations conducted during 2007, out of 210 analyzed honey samples, 92 samples tested positive for antibiotic, 19 samples tested positive for pesticides, 7 samples tested positive for naphthalene and 11 samples tested positive for phosphine residue. Also, antibiotic, pesticides and naphthalene residues were not found in 92 samples out of 210. The obtained results from the study confirmed the routine use of antibiotics and pesticides by beekeepers for the control of certain honey bee diseases and parasites. The results show that some beekeepers in Turkey used antibiotics and pesticides whereas some beekeepers did not use these veterinary drugs. Generally, the risk of residue remaining in the honey in not high and could be reduced with the use of licensed for honey bee veterinary drugs, the correct use of these veterinary drugs and correct application of these prescribed treatment against honey bee disease.

*Md. Mahbubul Islam, Md. Shahadat Hossain, Md. Saheb Ali Md. Siddiqur Rahman

The experiment was conducted at JAES, Manikganj, JRRS, Rangpur and JRSS, Jessore during 2015-16 to determine the optimum plant spacing of BJRI Deshi Pat-8 (BJC-2197) for seed production at late season. The experiment was laid out in RCBD design with three replications. Different plant spacing viz., 30cm×10cm, 30cm×12.5cm, 30cm×15cm, 35cm×10cm, 35cm×12.5cm, 35cm×15cm, 40cm×10cm, 40cm×12.5cm, 40cm×15cm, 45cm×10cm, 45cm×12.5cm and 45cm×15cm were used as treatment. The crop was harvested at proper maturity of the pods of plant as per BJRI recommendation. Results revealed that all the yield and quality contributing characters were differed significantly except branch plant-1, 1000 seeds weight and Moisture percentage due to different plant spacing. The highest seed yields and germination 1398.33kgha-1 and 92.33% at Manikganj, 1164.73kgha-1 and 92.67% at Rangpur and; 1197.00kgha-1 and 91.33% at Jessore, respectively were obtained from the spacing treatment 35cm×12.5cm.