Crop Physiology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

A field experiment was conducted during seasons (2011/2012) in semi-arid zone at North Kordofan, Sudan to evaluate local sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes for early flowering and yielding. 19 early flowered and high yielding... more

A field experiment was conducted during seasons (2011/2012) in semi-arid zone at North Kordofan, Sudan to evaluate local sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes for early flowering and yielding. 19 early flowered and high yielding ability genotypes were selected from the previous experiment. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications was used. Selection was done visually based on early flowering and bigger panicle size plants. Morphological, yield and yield component traits were estimated. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences among all the studied traits. Duncan Multiple Range Test organized and ranked the significances among the trait means. Results of the experiment disclosed that the highest amount of grain yield per area produced by the following genotypes: Tagat 4 (2.3), Tagat 7B (1.9), Tagat 10 (2.2), Tagat 14 (2.7) and Tagat 19 (1.9 ton h-1).

In order to clarify the response of antioxidant systems in various cellular organelles to photo-oxidative stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enzymes of the ascorbateglutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle were investigated in... more

In order to clarify the response of antioxidant systems in various cellular organelles to photo-oxidative stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enzymes of the ascorbateglutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle were investigated in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol of cucumber leaves subjected to methyl viologen (MV) treatment. Photo-oxidation by MV resulted in significant reductions in net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and increases in the ratio of the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), U PSII to that of the quantum efficiency of CO 2 fixation (U CO 2), followed by increased activities of SOD, and a general increase of AsA-GSH cycle enzymes in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol. These increases were however, most significant in chloroplasts. There were also significant increases in dehydroascorbate (DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) except that the content of ascorbate (AsA) in chloroplasts and cytosol was slightly decreased and little effected, respectively. However, GSSG in mitochondria and GSH in cytosol were little influenced by the MV treatment. The activity of ascorbate oxidase (AO) in these organelles was independent of the MV treatment while the activity of L-galactono-1,4lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) in mitochondria was slightly inhibited by MV treatment. These results indicate that disturbance of electron transport in chloroplasts by MV influenced the metabolism of whole cell by a crosstalk signaling system and that the AsA-GSH cycle played a primary role in sustaining the levels of AsA.

Background: The effectiveness of oil palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) compost and hexaconazole (HEX) growth regulator in increasing the storage root yield of sweet potato varietry. VitAto grown on sandy tin tailing soil was investigated.... more

Background: The effectiveness of oil palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) compost and hexaconazole (HEX) growth regulator in increasing the
storage root yield of sweet potato varietry. VitAto grown on sandy tin tailing soil was investigated. Materials and Methods: Four treatments were used namely, the recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer practice (control), EFB compost and the combination of EFB compost with 10 and 30 ppm HEX. The field experiment layout was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications.
Results: At the maturity stage, the EFB compost with 30 ppm HEX treatment significantly increased the storage root number, fresh
weight, dry mass production and harvest index by 125, 35.1, 16.9 and 15.2% higher than control treatment, respectively. At this stage also,
this treatment significantly increased the storage root potassium (K) concentration (69.4%) and content (106.9%) higher than the control
treatment, respectively. The result showed that the K nutrient was the main nutrient that can be efficiently supplied by EFB compost to
the plant. Most nutrients, in particular K uptake were enhanced by the application of HEX. Both K nutrient and HEX at 30 ppm increased
the yield primarily through an increase in the storage root number. The higher storage root number and greater proportion of assimilate
translocation to the storage root contributed to an increase in the fresh weight and subsequent dry mass production. Conclusion: The
combination treatment of EFB compost with 30 ppm HEX was better than other treatments in term of increasing the storage root nutrient
concentrations, contents and most of yield parameters. The combination of EFB compost and PGR could be considered as an alternative practice to the application of inorganic fertilizer in VitAto cultivation on sandy soil.

Large areas of the world are not usable from the agricultural perspective due to the constraints posed by nature and human activities making the soil less or unproductive. Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress worldwide. The development... more

Large areas of the world are not usable from the agricultural perspective due to the constraints posed by nature and
human activities making the soil less or unproductive. Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress worldwide. The
development of salt-tolerant crops is not always an economical approach for sustainable agriculture, whereas
microbial inoculation to alleviate salt stress is a better option because it minimizes production costs and
environmental hazards. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been indicated as efficient growth
enhancer of crop plants and the growth promoting effect under stress conditions has also been suggested to be
beneficial for crop production. In this study two rice genotypes ADT43 and IR50 treated with PGPR (Pseudomonas
strains PF1 and TDK1) were subjected to 100mM NaCl, following IRRI method under laboratory environment. The
salt stress symptoms included stunted growth, poor root growth and the leaves from the tip turned to white. The
results of the experiment indicated that the plant height, root length, dry weight of shoot and root were significantly
increased due to Pseudomonas strain treatment even under salt stress whereas the plants grown without any
treatment had less growth. ADT43 genotype treated with Pseudomonas strain TDK1 recorded better plant
development under salt stress.

A study was conducted in two sites (Paoay, Atok and Balili, La Trinidad) in Benguet Province, Philippines to investigate the growth and development of lettuce variety 'Lollo Rossa' through vegetative, biomass and yield, physiological, and... more

A study was conducted in two sites (Paoay, Atok and Balili, La Trinidad) in Benguet Province, Philippines to investigate the growth and development of lettuce variety 'Lollo Rossa' through vegetative, biomass and yield, physiological, and phytochemical parameters using low tunnel and mulch (black polyethylene plastic [PEP], alnus leaves and white PEP) as mitigation strategies against cold stress. The average temperature in Atok and La Trinidad was 15 and 21 °C, respectively. In Atok,

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive seasons to assess the impact of four plant spacing (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) and three weeding levels (no weeding, weeding once (at two weeks from sowing) and weeding twice (at two weeks... more

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive seasons to assess the impact of four plant spacing (10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) and three weeding levels (no weeding, weeding once (at two weeks from sowing) and weeding twice (at two weeks and at four weeks) on growth and yield of peanut (groundnut) in rain-fed under Kordofan (Sudan) conditions. A randomized complete block design in four replications was used. The results showed that plant spacing of 10 cm gave 40% more yield than that at 40 cm and was the best for maximizing yield under rain-fed conditions. The growth and yield attributes of groundnut were significantly reduced when the crop was left un weeded. Weeding twice had the highest number of pods per plant, 100-Kernel weight, pods yield per plant and final pod yield (t/h). Weeds reduced pod yield by about 40%. The field was dominated by Cenchrus biflours L.

Two field studies to evaluate the effect of biochar and fertilizer application rates on soil and on the growth and yield of carrot (Daucus carota) were carried out in 2016 and 2017 at Mampong-Ashanti in the forest-savannah transitional... more

Two field studies to evaluate the effect of biochar and fertilizer application rates on soil and on the growth and yield of carrot (Daucus carota) were carried out in 2016 and 2017 at Mampong-Ashanti in the forest-savannah transitional zone of Ghana. Three rates of biochar - 0, 5 and 10 tons ha-1 and five rates of inorganic fertilizers - NPK 15:15:15 at 200 kg ha-1; P&K 50:50 at 50 kg ha-1; P&K 50:100 at 50 kg ha-1; Liquid Fertilizer at 1 L: 200 L water ha-1; and the control - were applied using 3×5 factorial arranged in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates. The analysis showed significant (P<0.01) interaction of fertilizer × biochar on bulk density, soil porosity, soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen and organic matter producing both positive and negative correlations between the soil variables and on total yield, partitioning coefficient and net assimilation rate. The significant two-way interactions and correlation results underscored the need to define expected production outcomes to inform which soil management system is needed to promote sustainable agriculture as different fertilizer and biochar rates affect growth and yield parameters differently.

The onset of rains during dry to wet transition fallow periods in rice-wheat production systems in Nepal cause substantial losses of soil nitrogen if the system is improperly managed. To make use of available nutrients and water, this... more

The onset of rains during dry to wet transition fallow periods in rice-wheat production systems in Nepal cause substantial losses of soil nitrogen if the system is improperly managed. To make use of available nutrients and water, this transition period can either be shortened by early rice planting, or be extended by late planting, allowing a third crop to be grown. Shifting planting dates would require rice genotypes adapted to the different environments. Crop duration is influenced by both vegetative and reproductive development, which in turn is influenced by the photo-thermal environment and genotypic responses to it. An experiment was conducted to derive genotypic photo-thermal constants from phenological observations on diverse rice cultivars, which were then applied to the concept of the phenological model RIDEV to design cropping calendar options. Environmental effects on variation of crop duration were determined by planting at different dates. The risk of yield losses to sterility caused by low temperatures was estimated by simulation. Thirty-one different genotypes of rice were planted at 8 dates in 15-day intervals starting 27 April 2004 at the experimental field of the Regional Agriculture Research Station, Lumle, Nepal. The shortest duration to flowering was observed for planting dates in late May and early June. Simulation of flowering dates with RIDEV yielded correct results only for the early planting dates. For later planting dates simulated flowering dates showed an increasing deviation from the observed. In most cultivars, minimum air temperature below 18 • C during booting to heading stages caused near-total spikelet sterility and a specific delay in flowering. However, the chilling tolerant cultivars Chomrong and Machhapuchre-3 cultivated at high altitude showed less than 30% spikelet sterility even at 15 • C. Simulating crop durations with the derived thermal constants allowed evaluating the different calendar options for high altitude systems.

An experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farms of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Nigeria (7°15’N, 3°25’E) in the Forest Savannah transition zone of South Western Nigeria between September and December... more

An experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farms of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Nigeria (7°15’N, 3°25’E) in the Forest Savannah transition zone of South Western Nigeria between September and December 2013 to study the effect of different inter-row spacings to the growth and yield of maize. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four plot arrangements and three replications with one meter between each replicate. The spacings were 30cm, 45cm, 60cm and 75cm. the maize variety planted during this experiment were SUWAN-1-SR . NPK 15:15:15 were applied in a blanket method 2WAP at the rate of 100kg per hectare. At 2WAP there was significant difference of planting densities on the plant height where 45cm by 25cm had 20.06cm followed by 90cm by 25cm but the four treatments were not significantly different from each other from the 3rd to 10th WAP. Also at 2WAP, there was a significant difference on the stem diameter where 75cm by 25cm had 5.78cm but the four treatments were not significantly different from each other from the 3rd to the 10th WAP. The number of leaves was also significant at 7WAP with 9.00 on 75cm by 25cm and the treatments were not significantly different from each other throughout the other planting weeks. The chlorophyll content was also significant at the 4WAP which represent the vegetative growth on 75cm by 25cm with 38.97. All the other growth and yield parameters were not significantly different from each other, though the grain weight per plant was significantly different with 12.63g. 75cm by 25cm had the highest grain weight of 41.10g which compared favourably with 60cm by 25cm that had 39.10g per plant.

The effect of sowing date and plant density on two cultivars were investigated in field trail in two successive seasons (2002/03 and 2003/04) at North Kordofan of Sudan, to determined the optimum sowing date and plant density. Peto 86 and... more

The effect of sowing date and plant density on two cultivars were investigated in field trail in two successive seasons (2002/03 and 2003/04) at North Kordofan of Sudan, to determined the optimum sowing date and plant density. Peto 86 and Red Star cultivars of tomato were sowing at October 1st , October 15th and November 1st in three plant densities of 71,428, 47,619 and 35,714 plants ha -1 . The results revealed that, the variety Red Star had a larger fruit diameter, highest fruit weight and highest yield (t/ha). The highest plant density (71,428 plant ha -1 ) gave the highest and marketable yield. The sowing at October 1st increased the productivity of tomato as it positively influenced the plant height, stem diameter, days to 50% flowering, fruit yield and marketable yield.

In present article a brief overview is presented on spectral vegetation indices and methods for estimation of crop main biophysical variables and their proxies. The main VIs used in estimation of nitrogen and chlorophyll, biomass, LAI and... more

In present article a brief overview is presented on spectral vegetation indices and methods for estimation of crop main biophysical variables and their proxies. The main VIs used in estimation of nitrogen and chlorophyll, biomass, LAI and fAPAR, fCover, and photosynthesis are summarized. Biophysical variables and vegetation indices A number of techniques have evolved to derive the biophysical variables of vegetation using remote sensing data; these can be grouped into three broad categories: the inversion of radiative transfer models [39], machine learning (for example neural networks) [4] and the use of vegetation Indices. There are generally few ways of deriving the biophysical estimates using empirical or semi-empirical relationships: 1) single regression; 2) stepwise linear regression; 3) partial least squares (PLS) regression; 4) artificial neural networks [12]. Methods based on vegetation indices (VIs) have the benefit of being computationally simple while they are generally less site specific and more universally applicable than the other methods. The performance of the different indices and selected "optimal" wavebands depends on vegetation and land cover type, the variables to be retrieved, sun/view geometry to name but a few [12]. Satellite spectral data has the potential to measure the reflected radiation from many plants, thus making assessment of biophysical variables feasible on canopy level. The regression models relate in situ measurements and VIs. The VIs are mathematical transformations of the original spectral reflectance that are designed to reduce the additive and multiplicative errors associated with atmospheric effects, solar illumination, soil background effects, and sensor viewing geometry [29].

Growth plant is the result of transfer of solar radiation in to the photosynthetic processes of green leaf and transmission of photosynthates into increased biomass. Recently, many researchers have manipulated plant row-spacing and... more

Growth plant is the result of transfer of solar radiation in to the photosynthetic processes of green leaf and transmission of photosynthates into increased biomass. Recently, many researchers have manipulated plant row-spacing and direction as well as plant populations within the row, to increase crop production through more efficient use of solar energy. A field experiment was conducted in North Kordofan State of Sudan, to investigate the effect of intra -row spacing (10, 20, 30 and 40cm) and planting stand (two and three plants per stand) on yield and yield components of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. The results showed that, plant population had a significant effect on most of the attributes measured. Closer spacing increased the number of branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to 95% physiological maturity, number of calyces per plant, calyces yield (g/plant) and decreased final calyces yield (t/ha). Spacing of 20 cm and three plants per stand gave highest calyces yield (t/ha).

Rice is generally grown by seedling transplanting on puddle land to facilitate easy crop establishment and weed control. Very recently, seedling transplanting is done in unpuddled land just after strip tillage (a form of conservation... more

Rice is generally grown by seedling transplanting on puddle land to facilitate easy crop establishment and weed control. Very recently, seedling transplanting is done in unpuddled land just after strip tillage (a form of conservation tillage that clears crop residues in a narrow zone of soil and loosen subsoil layers prior to planting, Mitchell et al., 2009) followed by irrigation. The unpuddled transplanted rice gives yield similar to that of puddle transplanted rice (Haque, 2009; Saharawat et al., 2009). The weed pressure during crop establishment is low in the puddle transplanted system, but weed is the major barrier in strip till unpuddled transplanted rice. The manual or mechanical weeding is no longer feasible because of scarcity of labourers and also for increased labour costs. This labour situation has forced the farmers to rely on herbicides as the best option for weed control. The continuous use of same herbicide aids the development of herbicide resistance in weeds which make weed control more difficult. Herbicide resistance can be managed by rotation of herbicides with alternate modes of action. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the weed control efficacy of herbicides with different modes of action for sustainable weed management for unpuddled transplanted rice under strip tillage system. The study revealed that herbicide treatments had significant effect on weed biomass as well grain yield of unpuddled transplanted aman rice. Pre-emergence application of pyrazosulfuron ethyl or pendimethalin or butachlor followed by orthosulfamuron followed by either (butachlor+ propanil) or 2,4-D can be used for effective weed control in unpuddled transplanted aman rice. However, repeated application of the herbicides having same mode of action should be avoided within the same crop to delay the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds.

One of the major issues facing humankind is global food security. A changing climate, coupled with a heightened consumer awareness of how food is produced and legislative changes governing the usage of agrichemicals for improving plant... more

One of the major issues facing humankind is global food security. A changing climate, coupled with a heightened consumer awareness of how food is produced and legislative changes governing the usage of agrichemicals for improving plant health and yield, means that alternative, more integrated and sustainable approaches are needed for crop management practices. To this end, there is increasing recognition of the value of the role of microbial inoculants in agriculture. The focus of this review is to understand how plant-growth-promoting bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can play a part in improving crop yield by promoting the health status of the plant through the sequestration of various nutrients and in the control of plant diseases.

Abstract Purpose Biochar and inorganic fertilizer when co-applied have been reported to increase crop yield and enhance soil fertility. However, studies on this complementary effect on soil properties and rain-fed upland rice performance... more

Abstract
Purpose Biochar and inorganic fertilizer when co-applied have been reported to increase crop yield and enhance soil fertility.
However, studies on this complementary effect on soil properties and rain-fed upland rice performance in Sub-Saharan
Africa are still scanty.
Methods Field factorial studies conducted over 2 years was set up to investigate the interactions between rice husk biochar
and inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on a sandy clay loam Alfisol. A two-factor (4 × 4) in RCBD where rice husk biochar
was incorporated at four doses, 0, 3, 6, and 12 t/ha−1, inorganic N fertilizer (urea) at four rates, 0, 30, 60 and 90 N kg/ha−1,
and their combinations was adopted.
Results Results showed that combination of biochar and N fertilizer exerted significant (P > 0.05) interactive effect on rice
harvest index, grain and straw yield and N-use efficiency. Interaction between biochar and N fertilizer increased agronomic
efficiency by 140% and grain nutrient recovery by 191% over 2 years. Combination of biochar and N fertilizer reduced soil
bulk density, increased water holding capacity and soil chemical status such as pH, N, P, K, Corg, Ca, ECEC and base saturation,
all within the top 10 cm depth of the soil.
Conclusions Overall, the results established that rice husk biochar can be used as a soil conditioner to enhance upland rice
yield on an Alfisol. The combined dose of 3–6 t/ha−1 biochar and 30 kg/ha−1 of N fertilizer is thus recommended for upland
rice farmers in the study area.

Now a day, multidrug resistance of pathogenic microbes throws a challenge to scientists to discover the source of alternative medicine. This study focuses on the antimicrobial properties of the leaf extracts of five... more

Now a day, multidrug resistance of pathogenic microbes throws a
challenge to scientists to discover the source of alternative medicine.
This study focuses on the antimicrobial properties of the leaf extracts
of five commonly known medicinal plants–Azadirachta indica,
Alpine besseya, Mentha longifolia, Manilkara zapota, Bryophyllum
pinnatum. The methanolic and ethanolic extracts of the leaf of the
above mentioned plants were prepared by distillation method. Then
comparative analysis of antimicrobial effects between those extracts
and available antibiotics in the market were tested in Escherichia
coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas sp. culture. All of the leaf
extracts have shown potent antimicrobial activity and the extract of
Bryophyllum pinnatum have shown the most potent activity compare
to others.

Biochar is an amendment that can be used for enhancing soil water storage which may increase crop productivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of biochar on physiology, yield and quality of tomato under... more

Biochar is an amendment that can be used for enhancing soil water storage which may increase crop productivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of biochar on physiology, yield and quality of tomato under different irrigation regimes. From early flowering to fruit maturity stages, the plants were subjected to full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRD) and two levels of biochar (0% and 5% by weight). In FI, the plants were irrigated daily to pot water holding capacity while in DI and PRD, 70% of FI was irrigated on either the whole or one side of the pots, respectively. In PRD, irrigation was switched between sides when the soil water content of the dry side decreased to 15%. The results showed that addition of biochar increased the soil moisture contents in DI and PRD, which consequently improved physiology, yield, and quality of tomato as compared with the non-biochar control. However, leaf N content and chlorophyll content index (CCI) were decreased significantly in biochar treated plants. Furthermore, given a same irrigation volume, PRD offered advantages over DI in improving water use efficiency, leaf relative water content, membrane stability index and fruit yield. Overall, fruit quality was improved under reduced irrigation (i.e. DI and PRD) as compared with FI. It was concluded that incorporation of biochar under DI and particularly, PRD might be a novel approach to improve water productivity and quality of tomato.

The low adoption rates of modern technologies in West Africa, such as improved rice varieties, suggest a gap between the motivations of farmers and development agencies. Many smallholder rice farmers in West Africa continue to rely on... more

The low adoption rates of modern technologies in West Africa, such as improved rice varieties, suggest a gap between the motivations of farmers and development agencies. Many smallholder rice farmers in West Africa continue to rely on farmer varieties, farmer saved seeds and farmer seed system innovations. A better understanding of local farming practices and how they relate to farmer communities and their culture, as well as to the landscapes and climate within which the crop is grown might result in more successful initiatives to strengthen rice cultivation and improve food security and the livelihood of the many small scale rice growers in West Africa. As African rice has never been improved scientifically or commercially it is an important entry point to study farmers’ variety selection and development. By studying farmer variety selection and development related to African rice within the Togo Hills in Ghana and Togo, a region that is ecologically as well as political-economically and culturally diverse, the research presented in this thesis tries to unravel the interactions between genetics, ecology and society (G × E × S).
Results show that in the Ghanaian Togo Hills cultural factors set additional and rice diversity enhancing criteria for selection, while in Togo selection criteria are mostly pragmatically agronomic and ecological factors dominate. This can be understood by the higher necessity in Ghana to construct identity and autonomy within the larger and more dynamic economic and political powers of competition and individualization. Here African rice has become a tool to shape such identity. Despite the ecological, cultural and political-economic differences within the Togo Hills, farmers in all the case studies selected a set of different varieties used for different purposes rather than a uniform type. This can be seen as a continuation of their earlier dynamic history in which the maintenance of diversity was part of a risk spreading strategy facilitating emergent innovations that suited such dynamics. Other examples from West Africa also show the different combinations of social and natural factors within the maintenance of rice diversity. Importantly farmers in West Africa have developed varieties that are robust and versatile: able to perform in very different ecologies and societal settings. African rice was found to be particularly robust.
This research therefore shows the importance of the “genealogies” between the genetic, the ecological and the social within variety development and food security issues. Therefore, it is the task of science to take an evolutionary perspective. These genealogies and their products should be made visible and need juxtaposition to formal scientific breeding strategies, strategies to tackle food security and agricultural and societal development issues in general. This indicates that there is a systemic alternative to a top-down Green Revolution in Africa. Trajectories of interaction between the social and the natural have produced a large variety of versatile resources and are crucial within tackling development issues in areas where such trajectories took place: there where farmer conditions are dynamic and suboptimal. Instead of anthropologically mapping local cultural preferences (these can change quickly over time and can vary over small distances) it is much more fruitful to emanate from and also disseminate the varieties farmers have already developed themselves.

The crop biological yield refers to the total dry matter accumulation of a plant system. Improved harvest index of the represents increased physiological capacity to mobilize photosynthates and translocate them into organs having economic... more

The crop biological yield refers to the total dry matter accumulation of a plant system. Improved harvest index of the represents increased physiological capacity to mobilize photosynthates and translocate them into organs having economic yield. The economic yield is a fraction of dry matter produced; the harvest index forms a useful measure of crop yield potential. Accordingly, multi agro-ecological field experiments were conducted for three consecutive seasons (2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08), to investigate the effect of five agro-ecological environments on the biological yield and harvest index of Faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The selection based on different soil types and different climatic growing conditions. Six Faba bean lines were used; namely: H.72/7/1, Daba.1/1, Z B F.1/1, C.86, Triple White and Turki. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that the environments had significant effect on the biological yield. The highest biological yield of faba bean crop was obtained from the lower terrace soil, Riverian (Al Salama location). However, the high terrace soils in Almatara location attained the lowest biological yield compared to other environments. The highest harvest index of faba bean crop was observed in the middle and lower terrace soils in Hudeiba and Al Salama environment. In all production environments tested in this study the line C.86 scored the highest biological yield and harvest index.

Growth, physiological response and productivity of four wheat varieties, namely Masr 1, Giza 171, Gemmeiza 12, and Sids 13, grown under salt-affected soil conditions irrigated with brackish water, and their feedback to reduce applied... more

Growth, physiological response and productivity of four wheat varieties, namely Masr 1, Giza 171, Gemmeiza 12, and Sids 13, grown under salt-affected soil conditions irrigated with brackish water, and their feedback to reduce applied mineral nitrogen fertilizers from 215 kg N/ha to 145 kg N/ha coupled with the foliar application of 10g L-1 yeast extract or 10g L-1 K2O or 0.3g L-1 ascorbic acid (AA) were the main objective of this study. Therefore, a field trial was conducted in salt-affected soils of South Port Said Governorate, Egypt, in two successive winter growing seasons 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. The experiments were performed in a split plot design with four replications. The main plots were devoted to the four wheat varieties, and the subplots for other treatments; i.e., 145 kg N with yeast extract, 145 kg N with 1% K2O, 145 kg N with 300 ppm ascorbic acid and control with 215 kg N fertilization. Masr 1 significantly surpassed the rest of varieties for grain productivity and proved the most tolerant variety in the present experiment, followed by Giza 171; Sids 13 seemed to be the lowest tolerant variety under such conditions. Non-significant differences were observed between plants fertilized with 215 kg N/ha and those received 145 kg N/ha plus foliar application of yeast extract for plant height, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), leaf potassium content, spike length, spike weight, 1000-grain weight, grain and straw yields. Plants treated with 145 kg N/ha plus foliar application of K2O or ascorbic acid (AA) followed the aforementioned treatments in their effects for all studied traits. Relative reduction in soil salinity and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) values during the studied two seasons along with increasing soluble Ca 2+ helped in the enhancement of wheat yield and its attributes.

Cowpea is an economically and nutritionally important vegetable crop widely cultivated by smallholder farmers both for subsistence and income generation. Uprooting the entire plant as a form of harvest is common in on-field subsistence... more

Cowpea is an economically and nutritionally important vegetable crop widely cultivated by smallholder farmers both for subsistence and income generation. Uprooting the entire plant as a form of harvest is common in on-field subsistence farming systems. However, little is known about the effect of harvesting regimes on total productivity of cowpea under greenhouse conditions. This study was conducted with an objective of evaluating growth and yield of cowpea in response to different harvest regimes under controlled conditions. Plots of cowpea stands/clusters each with four plants were subjected to three different treatments, i.e., harvest 1 (H1), harvest 2 (H2), and harvest 3 (H3) in a randomized complete block design. Overall crop yield was measured by the number of leaves and Plant Height (PH) at 7-day intervals. Data collection was initiated at week 1 and week 2 after emergence. The results revealed significant differences in both PH and NTL between H0 and H1, H2, or H3 (p≤0.05), ...

Field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 to study the response of rice varieties on morpho-physiological and yield under two nitrogen levels 120 kg N ha-1 [N120], 60 kg N ha-1 [N60] as main treatments and twenty six rice genotypes as... more

Field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 to study the response of rice varieties on morpho-physiological and yield under two nitrogen levels 120 kg N ha-1 [N120], 60 kg N ha-1 [N60] as main treatments and twenty six rice genotypes as sub treatments. In the present investigation among the nitrogen treatments application of 120 kg N ha-1 recorded significantly higher values for morpho-physiological parameters such as number of tillers hill-1, SCMR values, photosynthetic rate and also resulted in maximum number of panicles hill-1, number of filled grains hill-1, filled grain percentage, 1000 grain weight and grain yield. Spikelet sterility and number of unfilled grains hill-1 were minimum in this treatment. Among the genotypes, MTU-1001 recorded the maximum grain yield of 5021 kg ha-1 even under application of 60 kg N ha-1. This indicated that maximum yield can be attributed to maximum SCMR values, more photosynthetic rate, more tillers and panicles, more number of grains hill-1, maximum filled grain percentage and minimum spikelet sterility.

particularly in Africa and South-East Asia. The leaves contain high levels of vitamins (especially A, B and C), mineral fibres (such as iron, calcium and phosphorus), carbohydrates and proteins. They also contain phenolics and alkaloids,... more

particularly in Africa and South-East Asia. The leaves contain high levels of vitamins (especially A, B and C), mineral fibres (such as iron,
calcium and phosphorus), carbohydrates and proteins. They also contain phenolics and alkaloids, such as nicotine, quinine, cocaine, and
morphine, which are known for their medicinal attributes. With the realization of their high nutritional, medicinal and health benefits, the
demand for these vegetables has been on a rapid and steady rise in the recent years. However, due to very low leaf yields that are
considered uneconomical compared to other high-yielding and high-value horticultural crops, production of these vegetables remains on a
small scale. Prolific early flowering and excessive fruit- and seed-set, which compete with leaf production, are the main limiting factors
on leaf yields. To eliminate or reduce fruit-set, hence competition with leaves, induction of male-sterility is probably one of the most
immediate options. The main challenge that faces this strategy is propagation and maintenance of male-sterile lines. This review focuses
on the mutation breeding for improved leaf yields of African nightshades with special reference to male-sterility. Aspects of propagation
and maintenance of male-sterile lines are discussed

The search for tech niques that ex tend shelf life of guava (Psidium guajava) fruits, and re duce its postharvest losses is de sir able. The ob jec tive of this work was to eval u ate the ef fects of con cen tra tions of com pet i tive... more

The search for tech niques that ex tend shelf life of guava (Psidium guajava) fruits, and re duce its postharvest losses is de sir able. The ob jec tive of this work was to eval u ate the ef fects of con cen tra tions of com pet i tive eth yl ene an tag o nist cal cium salts on con ser va tion of 'Sardar' guava fruits. Treat ments con sisted of 0.5%, 1% Cal cium Ni trate, 1%, 2% Cal cium Chlo ride and 0.5%, 1% Cal cium Sul phate for 12 days fol lowed by stor age at room tem per a ture. The ap pli ca tion of 1% cal cium chlo ride for 12 days was ef fi cient in de lay ing loss of skin color and in keep ing fruit firm at room tem per a ture stor age. The cal cium ni trate at 1% con cen tra tion was ef fi cient in de lay ing skin colour loss only when fruits were stored at 25°C. The ef fect of cal cium ni trate was quite sig nif i cant on the re duc tion of ac cept abil ity in both the year. The prod uct was ef fi cient in de lay ing the rip en ing of fruits and the cal cium chlo ride 1% showed the best ef fect.

Weeds play an important role in the proper stand establishment of the growing crop, which ultimately affect the productivity and quality at the end of the growing season. Hand hoeing is still by far the most widely practiced cultural weed... more

Weeds play an important role in the proper stand establishment of the growing crop, which ultimately affect the productivity and quality at the end of the growing season. Hand hoeing is still by far the most widely practiced cultural weed control technique in field crop production throughout the traditional agricultural sector in Sudan, because of the prohibitive costs of herbicides and fear of toxic residue coupled with the lack of knowledge about their use. Fields studies were conducted at North Kordofan state, Sudan, on naturally infested fields within the same area, using three similar fields during 2007/2008 rainy season, to determine optimal weeding frequency for weeding management in two widely used cultivated varieties of Hibiscus sabdariffa L, (Elrahad and Elfashir). The majority of weeds in site were the broad leaves (dicotyledons), while grasses (monocotyledons) found in a lesser density. The dominant weed floras were Alhuskaneet (Cenchrus biflorus L), Sheilini (Zornia glochidiata L) and Alraba (Trienemara pentanture L). Weeds reduced yield of the crop by about 75 % compared to weeding twice during the season.

A field trial was conducted to examine the effect of integrated application of urea and FYM on the fodder yield of maize. N in the form of urea at the rates of 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg ha-1 and FYM at the rates of 1500, 3000 and 4500 kg... more

A field trial was conducted to examine the effect of integrated application of urea and FYM
on the fodder yield of maize. N in the form of urea at the rates of 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg ha-1 and
FYM at the rates of 1500, 3000 and 4500 kg ha-1 were applied separately and in all possible
combinations. The experiment was conducted in a three replicated Randomized Complete Block
Design. The results revealed significant (P<0.05) influence of different N and FYM levels on all the
parameters studied. The maize grown under T20 (N 150 kg ha-1 + FYM 4500 kg ha-1) performed
maximally with 90.48% germination, 200 cm plant height, 9.20 nodes plant-1, 8.28 internodes plant-1,
15.73 green leaves plant-1, 48.77 cm leaf length, 5.85 cm leaf width, 2.36 dry leaves plant-1, 4.88 cm
stem girth and 42200 kg green fodder yield ha-1. Reducing FYM (T19=N 150 kg + FYM 3000 kg ha-1)
resulted a reduced fodder yield with 87.52% germination, 190.33 cm plant height, 8.76 nodes plant-1,
7.88 internodes plant-1, 14.97 green leaves plant-1, 46.41 cm leaf length, 5.57 cm leaf width, 2.24 dry
leaves plant-1, 4.64 cm stem girth and 38257 kg green fodder yield ha-1. Effect of separate FYM indicates
that crop performance was relatively higher under 4500 kg ha-1 FYM than lower FYM levels. In separate
N treatment, the maize performance was higher under 150 kg ha-1 N as compared to lower N levels.
There was remarkable effect of combining N and FYM on fodder yield and its components, and N alone
or FYM alone could not produce such level of fodder yields. Nevertheless, higher fodder yields in maize
could be achieved by fertilizing only with inorganic nitrogen at higher levels (without FYM), but the
desired yields cannot be achieved with FYM as sole nutrient application (without inorganic N).
However, FYM was mainly effective to improve germination, because it is applied before sowing, and
it activates the soil microorganisms that results in improved germination. It was concluded that for
achieving high green fodder yields in maize, the crop may be fertilized with 150 kg ha-1 N in addition
to 4500 kg ha-1 well rotten farm yard manure.
Key Words: Integrated application,urea,FYM,fodder, yield and maize

Micropropagation of Coffea arabica cvs. Oudayni, Hammady and Dawaeiry from Yemen were initiated from seeds. Seeds were surface sterilized and inoculated into media supplemented with different salt strengths and germinated under dark.... more

Micropropagation of Coffea arabica cvs. Oudayni, Hammady and Dawaeiry from Yemen were initiated from seeds. Seeds were surface sterilized and inoculated into media supplemented with different salt strengths and germinated under dark. Seeds germinated on agar medium gave high hypocotyl length, high root length and full cotyledonary leaves expansion after 120 days of culture. Proliferation of these cultivars was experimented on MS media supplemented with different levels (0.0, 2.0, 4.0. 6.0 or 8.0 mg lG ) of 1 N6-Benzyladenine (BA), Thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-furfurylaminopurine (Kinetin), 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2butenylamino) purine (Zeatin) or 6-((,(-Dimethylallylamino) purine (2ip). Highest proliferation for all cultivars was obtained when BA was used at the highest level (8.0 mg lG ). Satisfactory proliferation rate in the three 1 cultivars was achieved at 8.0 mg lG kinetin and 6.0 mg lG TDZ. Zeatin and 2ip were both failed to promote 1 1 proliferation at any used level. Rooting was experimented on half-strength MS media supplemented with different levels (0.0, 2.0, or 3.0 mg lG ) of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or 1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Highest root number and length was achieved at 3.0 mg lG IAA or IBA for 1 all cultivars. Rooted plantlets were transferred to 1 peat: 1 perlite mixture and ex vitro acclimatization gave 100% survival.

Recently, thermal properties of the landscaped rooftops and walls have attracted the interest of researchers because of the potential to minimize energy consumption in urban areas and to aid summer-time thermal control. For this reason... more

Recently, thermal properties of the landscaped rooftops and walls have attracted the interest of researchers because of the potential to minimize energy consumption in urban areas and to aid summer-time thermal control. For this reason the creation of a plant-based shade for walls or above buildings is highly important. In this paper we evaluate using Lygodium japonicum, one of the many ferns and fern allies traditionally used in Japanese gardening, as a component of thermal-buffering green walls. Lygodium japonicum, the only climbing fern species in Japan, is fast-growing, adheres easily to walls and has a climbing nature. A simple thermal analysis of the sun-shading effect of Lygodium canopy suggested that local surface temperature above the ceramic tiles placed on the rooftop of a building can be buffered (lowered in daytime and maintained relatively warm at night) by the presence of leafy climbing ferns covering the tiles, possibly due to the reflection and absorbance of solar radiation. Furthermore, the presence of the plants may also slow the night-time release of heat from the building surface. Because plants installed on tall walls or on the tops of buildings are not easily accessed for manual care, we performed a real-time routine monitoring and control of plant growth status using various optical sensors that could be automated and monitored remotely for large-scale applications. For this purpose, the optical properties of a L. japonicum canopy under solar incident light have been determined. In order to evaluate the natural shading and growing properties of a green canopy, the incident solar radiation spectrum (J), leaf canopy-filtered light spectrum (transmittance, T) and leaf-reflectivity spectrum (R) were measured. By reading the reflectivity spectrum, concomitant chlorophyll fluorescence signals (F) from Lygodium leaves were also detected at 760 nm, which corresponds to the O2-A Fraunhofer line. Our data suggests that the daily change in photosynthetic status (P) can be traced by monitoring the change in relative F in relation to the estimated heat loss (H) and measured J, R, and T using a series of practical equations designed to roughly estimate the gross photosynthetic response within the plant canopy. Using our equations, the photosynthetic capacity in the plant canopy structure could be simply simulated and predictable by optical sensors.

There is a need to increase the rice production in nonwaterstressed rice-growing areas during the wet season in Asia by the use of a suitable combination of a medium-or long-duration variety and appropriate nutrient management strategy.... more

There is a need to increase the rice production in nonwaterstressed rice-growing areas during the wet season in Asia by the use of a suitable combination of a medium-or long-duration variety and appropriate nutrient management strategy. The crop growth simulation model ORYZA 1N was used for variety selection and N optimization in nonwaterstress conditions. Selection was made from 12 released rice varieties of 115 to 150 d duration. The model was calibrated using input data from field experiments that were conducted during the wet season (June-November) of 2001 at the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India. In the medium-duration varieties (115-130 d), there was good agreement between simulated and observed leaf area index, biomass, and grain yield. The simulated biomass of longduration varieties (135-150 d) showed large deviation from observed biomass at flowering. In the wet season of 2000, the model accurately predicted the grain yield, biomass, and leaf area index of medium-and long-duration varieties. When the ORYZA 1N model was used to simulate the effect of planting dates on rice yield, it predicted the decline in yield with late planting. It was recommended that farmers consider planting new variety Ranjit in the favorable lowlands that do not have water stress during the wet season and should apply 80 kg N ha 21 in four equal splits at transplanting, active tillering, panicle initiation, and flowering. Technology verification trials of this practice conducted during the wet season of 2002 produced 5.51 Mg ha 21 of rice, compared with 4.36 Mg ha 21 grown with the conventional practices of area farmers.

A field trail was conducted at three sites in East Delta Region, Egypt, during the two successive summer seasons 2015 and 2016 as well as winter seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 to study the physiological response of some field crops grown... more

A field trail was conducted at three sites in East Delta Region, Egypt, during the two successive summer seasons 2015 and 2016 as well as winter seasons 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 to study the physiological response of some field crops grown under saline soil conditions to foliar spraying with potassium at 1 and 2% K 2 O in the form of K-leaf fertilizer besides control treatment. Results indicated that plant height, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, potassium content in leaves, potassium and protein percentages in grains or seeds, as well as yield and yield components for all crops under study were significantly increased when plants received 1% or 2% K 2 O. Also, significant increase was achieved in proline, Na + , and Na + /K + ratio in leaves when plants sprayed with water (control) as compared with other potassium treatments for all crops wheat, barley, faba bean, rice, maize and clover. Foliar spraying with 2% K 2 O as K-leaf fertilizer was more efficient for increasing growth, biochemical, potassium percentage, protein percentage and yield of wheat, barley, faba bean, rice, maize and clover crops as compared to untreated potassium fertilizer (control) under saline soils conditions.

The effect of exogenously applied brassinolide (BR) at various concentrations viz. 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/l on growth and physiological attributes of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. was studied at low temperature stress in a pot culture.... more

The effect of exogenously applied brassinolide (BR) at various concentrations viz. 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/l on growth and physiological attributes of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. was studied at low temperature stress in a pot culture. Foliar application of BR exerted an ameliorative effect on plant height, leaf area, plant fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids and chlorophyll a/b ratio, while, further boosting the accumulation of proline, soluble proteins and sugars, exaggerating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reducing the accumulation of Malendialdehye (MDA). And the highest value was obtained by treatment with 0.1 mg/l BR. The application of BR enhanced the growth and development of L. chinensis under low temperature stress by improving the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments and reducing MDA accumulation by modulating the osmolyte contents and activity of antioxidant enzymes.

Nitrogen (N) is the important crop nutrient for improving crop productivity in wheat-rice cropping system. In order to study the application of different organic N sources (OS) applied alone and in various combinations with urea (U) to... more

Nitrogen (N) is the important crop nutrient for improving crop productivity in wheat-rice cropping system. In order to study the application of different organic N sources (OS) applied alone and in various combinations with urea (U) to rice hybrid (Oryza sativa L., Pukraj), and its residual effects on the yield and yield components of succeeding wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Siren), field experiments were conducted in Malakand (Butkhela) on farmer's field during 2010-12. Increase in yield and yield components of the succeeding wheat crop as obtained with the greater residual N from sole application of OS or mixed application of OS + U as compared with sole U and control (N not applied) to the previous rice crop. On the basis of grain yield, the 26 treatments were divided into five groups.

The mustard crop is commercially grown in the North Western drier tract of India. Different directions of sowing and crop phenotypes grown in the field create various planting geometry in combination which differ in yield and oil... more

The mustard crop is commercially grown in the North Western drier tract of India. Different directions of sowing and crop phenotypes grown in the field create various planting geometry in combination which differ in yield and oil productivity. The planting geometry affects the radiation use efficiency (RUE), intercepted photosynthetic active radiation (IPAR) and thereby the biomass and yield. Two different mustard varieties (erect and spreading types) were grown in two sowing directions (North-South and East-West) along with one replication as broadcast during the rabi 2004-05. The seasonal cumulated IPAR was significantly higher in East-West oriented plots than North-South in both the varieties, whereas, RUE depended on the crop phenotype. The differences in yield between the two varieties were highly significant at 5 % level with the spreading type yielding more. Direction wise, orientation in the East-West yielded more than in North-South. The difference in oil productivity was non-significant for different directions for spreading type variety. The East-West sown plots showed higher oil productivity than North-South sown plots for erect type variety.

The experiment was conducted for three consecutive seasons (2013, 2014 and 2015), at Elobeid Research Station research farm (12o -13o N, 3o-14o E), under rain fed conditions, to study the effect of plant spacing on hay and pod yield of... more

The experiment was conducted for three consecutive seasons (2013, 2014 and 2015), at Elobeid
Research Station research farm (12o -13o N, 3o-14o E), under rain fed conditions, to study the effect of plant
spacing on hay and pod yield of groundnut variety Geibish. Six treatment combinations (60, 40 and 30 for
inter-row and 20 and 15 for intra-row spacing) were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD)
factorial with four replications. Days to fifty percent flowering were significant in season 2014 and 2015. The
earliest flowering days were recorded for the spacing of 30×20 cm. reducing plant spacing from 60×20 cm to
30×20 cm decreased the number of weeds before first and second weeding to 50%. High significant
difference (P ≤ 5) among treatments in hay and pod yield of2643.5 kg/ha and2065.0 kg/ha were recorded for
the spacing of 30×20cm, respectively, the treatment combination of30×20 cm increased the pods 66.1% and
hay yield 52.2% on average across all season. Significant differences (P ≤5) were showed between treatments
in number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod for enter row. No significant differences (P ≤5)
were observed between treatments in shelling percent, maturity, harvest index

A field experiment was conducted during two successive seasons (1990/1991and 1991/1992) to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals (7, 14 and 21 days) and inter-row spacing of 15 and 30cm on yield, yields components and water use... more

A field experiment was conducted during two successive seasons (1990/1991and 1991/1992) to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals (7, 14 and 21 days) and inter-row spacing of 15 and 30cm on yield, yields components and water use efficiency of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L) hybrids, namely: sunwheat 101 and seed tech 1224, The results revealed that the irrigation interval of 7 days significantly improved seed yield (t/ha), oil content and oil yield (t/ha). Inter-row spacing and hybrids had no significant effect on yield and oil content. The highest value of water use efficiency was obtained by applying irrigation every 7 days.

The poblational density of corn yield is considered as the most important controllable factor for good performance, with the use of high densities of yield (greater than 80000 plants per hectare) is aimed to increase the collecting... more

The poblational density of corn yield is considered as the most important controllable factor for good performance, with the use of high densities of yield (greater than 80000 plants per hectare) is aimed to increase the collecting antenna daylight to improve controllable factor the production and profitability. The objective of this project was to find the impact of using different yield densities on chlorophyll concentration in the vegetative stage, cob height and four performance components as Prolificacy, number of corn kernels per row, the rows number and weight of these corn kernels, of the hybrid corn “Impact in the town of Valley off San Juan (Tolima)”.
The researching to develop a test with a completely randomized design in sub-divided plot with four replicates blocks, at the main estate is established treatments row spacing (0.7 m and 0.8 m) and the sub-estate the treatments number of plants per lineal meter (7, 8 and 9).
Results show that the content of chlorophyll, cob height, number of rows, the 1000 corn kernels weight and performance not affected at significant level (0.05) by high population densities were obtained, while the number of kernels per row is affected by the action of row spacing to significant level. Treatment with higher performance (11690.97 kg / ha ± 1303) and profitability (59.65%) was achieved with a density of 112500 plants per hectare.