Asian Research Journal of Agriculture

Two field experiments were carried out during two successive winter seasons of 2013/14 and 2014/15 at the experimental farm, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Bahkt ALruda, Ed Duiem, Sudan.  The aim of this study was to evaluate four tomato varieties performance under Ed Duiem locality conditions. Experiments consisted of four varieties, viz .Zahrat Enile, Darmali, Castle Rock and Strain B arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Significant differences were observed in tomato vegetative growth, yield and yield components and fruit quality among the varieties. “Darmali” variety showed the maximum number of leaves, the tallest plant, the highest values of stem girth and the shortest period to maturity in the two successive seasons. “Zahrt Elnile” variety produced the highest number of fruits/ plant, the total yield (ton/ha), total marketable yield, the maximum fruit weight and the highest fruit length values in the two seasons. The highest values of fruit diameter obtained with Zahrt Elnile variety and Darmali variety in the first and second season, respectively. No significant differences in the total soluble solids content and total acidity were recorded among the varieties. The recently released tomato varieties were found to be superior as compared to commercial tomato varieties in all parameters tested in the two seasons.

Aims: To determine the effect of seed treatment and foliar spray of fungicide on rhizome rot of ginger.

Study Design: The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the plant pathology Field Laboratory Of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh during 2016-2017.

Methodology: Fungicide namely Contaf 5 EC @ 1ml/L water, Bavistin DF @ 1 g/L water, Companion @ 2 g/L water, Fiasta Z-78 @ 2 g/L water, Matco 72 WP @ 2 g/L water, Blitox 50 WP @ 2 g/L water, Cabriotop @ 3 g/L water were applied as seed treatment and foliar spray with one control plot (without fungicide). The total number of unit plots was 24 and the size of unit plot was 15 m × 7 m.

Results: Fungicide Cabriotop was found as the most effective in increasing plant growth and by reducing disease severity of rhizome rot of ginger. Among the treatments, capriotop exhibited least disease severity (45.08%) of rhizome and maximum yield (4.13 t/ha) of ginger as compared to control plot (69.04% disease severity and 0.33 t/ha rhizome).

Conclusion: Application of the fungicide Cabriotop may be recommended for better performance in controlling of rhizome rot disease of ginger.

An experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of the Horticulture Department of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology between January and March, 2012 within temperature and humidity ranges of 18–32°C and 63–85%, respectively. The purpose of the investigation was to develop an effective insecticidal cassava bait to control insect pests of cocoa in storage using Araecerus fasciculatus (De Geer) as model species.  A completely randomized design was used for the study. It was conducted in a five-roomed glass cage of 60 cm x 60 cm x 200 cm with the backside made of a net to improve aeration in the cage. It was observed that A. fasciculatus preferred sun-dried chips to fresh chips, fermented dough, flour and cocoa beans and that soaking of sun-dried chips in brown sugar solution of 500 g per litre of water further enhanced the preference. Deltamost emerged superior to Fastrack and Confidor insecticides by registering 4–6 minutes of lethal time, 21–30 days persistence and attract-and-kill potential of 76.7 – 86.7% of infested bagged cocoa beans. However, cassava bait at 25% of Deltamost insecticide was at equal strength (p < 0.05) with the 50 and 75% of the label dosage and should be the obvious choice for the insecticidal cassava bait preparation.

A field experiment was carried out during the cropping seasons of 2014 and 2015 at the                    Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The experiment sought to determine the influence of intercropping maize and sweet potato on the yield and yield components of five newly introduced maize varieties to improving the productivity of maize/sweet potato intercropping in Makurdi. The experiment was a 2 x 5 factorial laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments consisted of two cropping systems (sole cropping (maize, sweet potato) and intercropping (maize + sweet                        potato)] and 5 improved maize varieties (Pool-18R/AK94DMRESR-Y, Pool 18SR/AK933/              DMRESR, OBATANPA, and POP.66SR/ACR.91 SUWAH 1-SR, OBATANPA/T2LCOMP.1SYN-W-1). A result obtained from the experiment showed that intercropping led to growth and yield decline, the extent of which depended on the maize variety used in combination with sweet potato. Maize variety pool 18R/AK94 DMR ESR- Y was least depressed while Obantakpa was most. There was higher total output per unit area in intercropping compared to sole LER of all maize varieties intercropped with sweet potato were higher than unity, a development which showed intercrop advantage over the sole. Intercropping maize variety 18R/AK94 DMR ESR- Y with sweet potato was most productive and therefore recommended for Makurdi location of Southern Guinea Savannah of Nigeria.

Viral diseases are known to be one of the major limiting aspects in tomato production in different countries. Almost 75 viruses are known to infect this crop and adversely affecting the yield annually. Combined attack of more than one viruses become more dangerous and show very drastic effects on the crop. Keeping in view the acuteness of the viral diseases and their effects on tomato yield, the interaction between Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV), was investigated under controlled conditions. Effects on plant developments and yield was evaluated under viral attack separately as well as in combination and the percent plant infection was recorded. The tested viruses significantly reduced the plant height and fruit yield of infected tomato plants. The greatest effect was obtained in the double infection with TLCV and ToMV with mean fruit yield of plants was 112.28 gm. While singly ToMV and TLCV were slightly reduced fruit yield as 156.08 gm and 141.685 gm respectively. The plant height was also greatly reduced in case of double infection i.e. with mean height of plants was 26.32 cm. While, on other hand it was slightly reduced when ToMV and TLCV were infested separately that was 38.18 cm and 33.22 cm respectively.