Asian Research Journal of Agriculture

Thirty-seven Onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes comprising of twelve parents (12) and twenty-five hybrids were evaluated at the Fadama Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto during the 2015/2016 dry season. The objective of the study was to estimate heritability, phenotypic coefficient of variation, the genotypic coefficient of variation and environmental coefficient of variation. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. After harvesting, the genotypes were stored for five months under farmers practice. The analysis of the results indicated significant (P < 0.05) difference between the genotypes with respect to plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf area index, percentage bolting, days to maturity, bulb diameter, bulb height, average bulb weight, fresh bulb yield, cured bulb yield, and percentage weight loss after five months of storage. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed. However, cured bulb weight recorded the highest values for both phenotypic (176.57%) and genotypic coefficients of variation (167.67%) followed by percentage bolting with 65.51 and 56.58% respectively. Days to maturity and plant height, on the other hand, recorded the lowest phenotypic coefficient of variation of (11.64 and 12.79% respectively) as well as genotypic coefficient of variation of 11.43 and 9.18% respectively. Percentage loss had the highest heritability (98.01%) while leaf area index had the lowest heritability of 14.11%. At the end of the research, it was concluded that all the characters were highly heritable with the exception of leaf area index.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are often cited as the most limiting nutrients in agricultural soils of Ethiopia. Their availability in the soil solution also determines the growth and productivity of the soils and crops. Thus, experiments were conducted to investigate the response of upland rice and determine the optimum rates of N and P fertilizers.  Experiments were conducted at four sites of Tselemti district (Tsaeda-Kerni, Mizikir, Maitsebri and Sekota-Mariam), Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia. A factorial combination of two factors, four levels of nitrogen (0, 23, 46, 69, kg N ha^-1 designated as N0, N1, N2 and N3, respectively) and four levels of phosphorus (0, 10, 20, 30 kg P ha^-1 designated as P0, P1, P2 and P3, respectively) were conducted on complete randomized block design (CRBD). Data on yield and yield components of upland rice were collected and subjected to ANOVA through SAS software V9. Results showed that plant height, number of spikelet and total seed per panicle of upland rice were significantly increased when nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers interacted at higher doses There were significant differences of main effects on panicle length, grain yield and straw yields of rice. Significantly higher grain and straw yields were obtained in plots receiving 69 kg N ha^-1 compared to preceding treatments, and application of either 20 or 30 kg P fertilizer ha^-1 can also boost the yields of upland rice in the district. However, the optimum grain yield of rice to the application of N and P fertilizers was not found in the response curve which indicates an extra application rates should be tried. Further, the highest agronomic efficiencies were also observed in the lower rates of both main effects.

Impacts of cooking times (steaming and cooking on embers) on some physico-functional parameters of yam (D. bulbifera) flours cv Dougou-won were determined during 10, 20 and 30 min. Results showed that steaming and cooking on embers increased significantly (P <0.05) the dispersibility (D), water absorption capacity (WAC), paste clarity (PC), water solubility index (WSI), swelling power (SP), least gelation capacity (LGC) and solubility (S) but decreased significantly (P <0.05) foam capacity (FC), wettability (W) and foam stability (FS) of flours (D. bulbifera) cv Dougou-won. Steaming increased significantly (P <0.05) oils absorption capacity (OAC) and bulk density (BD). However, cooking on embers decreased significantly (P <0.05) oils absorption capacity (OAC) but not affected significantly (P <0.05) bulk density (BD). The steaming time (30 min) is recommended to considerably influence the physico-functional parameters of the yam (D. bulbifera) flours cv Dougou-won.

Aims: The beneficial role of earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae  in enhancing the populations of two phosphate solubilizing diazotrophic isolates viz., Bacillus sp. (DT) and Azotobacter chroococcum (DT),  isolated from the rhizosphere of finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L) Gaertn] was studied.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiments were conducted at the campus of M/s. Chaitra Biofertilizers and Chemicals (P) Ltd, Mysore, between January – June 2018.

Methodology: To the glass jars containing three week old partially decomposed green leafy material and cow dung, 0.5 gram of lignite based phosphate solubilizing diazotrophic isolates were added.  To this eight medium sized earthworms were allowed and moisture is maintained at 50-60%. The population of isolates in the gut  of earthworm and vermicasts were estimated on 2^nd, 20^th, 40^th and 60^th day by dilution plate method using Pikovskaya’s  and Jensen’s agar medium

Results: The population of Bacillus sp. (DT) and A. chroococcum (DT) increased by 22.14, 42.14 and 97.62 percent in the fore gut, mid gut and hind gut regions respectively while A. chroococcum (DT) by 24.05, 41.19 and 110.95 percent as compared to their initial population in the feeding material.  Both the isolates increased enormously in the vermicasts up to 40^th day and thereafter declined as recorded in 60 days old vermicasts.  Bacillus sp. (DT) increased by 196.91 and 247.16 percent in 20 and 40 day old vermicasts and decreased by 54.72 percent on 60^th day while A. chroococcum (DT) recorded an increase of 217.34 and 270.77 percent and thereafter declined by 41.18 percent in 60 days old casts.

Conclusion: The earthworm can be used as a tool for secondary level multiplication and biopelletization of the isolates to produce enriched vermicompost for use in finger millet cultivation.  It also indicated that the vermicasts should be applied soon after it is harvested.

This study was carried out in 2017 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi Nigeria. The study was aimed at evaluating the effect of packaging materials and storage period on the vigor parameters of some selected varieties of soybeans in Makurdi. The experimental design was 3x5x6 factorial CRD comprising 3 varieties, 5 storage periods and 6 packaging materials by 3 replicates. Samples were collected from National Cereal Research Institute, Yandev sub-station. The soybeans were cleaned, dried and the moisture content noted. Five hundred grams was measured into the various packaging material stored and at Strategic Grains Reserve, Federal Ministry of Agriculture Makurdi. The seeds in storage was sampled periodically (2, 4, 6 and 8 months) to determine quality by conducting standard germination test with 100 seeds (100 seeds/rep). The investigation revealed that V₃ (TGx 1448-2E) stored for 2 months had the highest Shoot seedling length while V₁ (TGx 923-3F) stored for 8 months had the least shoot seedling length. Soybeans stored in cloth had a very high Shoot seedling length at 2 months but dropped thereafter and turned out to be the lowest at the end of the storage period. V₂ (TGx 1904-6F) stored in laminate paper produced the longest Shoot seedling length and also produced the shortest with V₁. The seedling root length was longest in V₃ stored for 2 months and least in V₁ stored for 8months.Soybeans stored in cloth for 2 months produced very high SRL 2 months but dropped to 0.00 at the end of the storage period. V₂ did better in LDPE than all the packaging materials. V₁ had the shortest SRL in soybeans stored in bottle. The highest seedling vigor was recorded in V₃ stored for 2 months while the lowest seedling vigor was recorded in V₁ stored for 8 months. V₂ in plastic container had the highest seedling vigor whileV₁ in plastic had the lowest. However, significant differences were observed at (P< 0.05) in the interaction effect. In the present study, LDPE proved to be the best packaging material and the variety that had more resistance to deterioration was V₂ (TGx 1904-6F). Soybeans that are stored at ambient should be in storage material that are impervious to air and moisture otherwise the seeds will lose viability and vigor. In addition, varieties that are prone to fast deterioration should not be stored longer.