American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015

  • Estimates of Tree Biomass, and Its Uncertainties Through Mean-of-Ratios, Ratio-of-Means, and Regression Estimators in Double Sampling: A Comparative Study of Mecrusse Woodlands

    Tarquinio Mateus Magalhães, Thomas Seifert

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 161-170
    Received: Jul. 11, 2015
    Accepted: Jul. 18, 2015
    Published: Jul. 29, 2015
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    Abstract: Frequently, biomass expansion factors (BEFs), the respective biomass densities, and their uncertainties are computed without taking into account the appropriate estimators. The objective of this study was to compare the estimates of BEF, BEF-based biomass densities, and their uncertainties using different estimators (mean-of-ratios, ratio-of-means,... Show More
  • Photorhabdus Luminescens: Virulent Properties and Agricultural Applications

    Elizabeth Gerdes, Devang Upadhyay, Sivanadane Mandjiny, Rebecca Bullard-Dillard, Meredith Storms, Michael Menefee, Leonard D. Holmes

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 171-177
    Received: Jul. 21, 2015
    Accepted: Aug. 01, 2015
    Published: Aug. 10, 2015
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    Abstract: Photorhabdus luminescens is a gram-negative, bioluminescent bacterium from the family Enterobacteriaceae which has been found in countries across the globe. It is part of a symbiotic relationship with, and resides in the gut of the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Photorhabdus luminescens produces many virulence factors, to... Show More
  • Influence of Groundnut and Machine Characteristics on Motorised Sheller Performance

    Wangette Isaac Simiyu, Nyaanga Daudi M., Njue Musa R.

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 178-191
    Received: Jul. 15, 2015
    Accepted: Jul. 28, 2015
    Published: Aug. 21, 2015
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    Abstract: Groundnut shelling is a fundamental process in post-harvest management. Manual shelling is inefficient and laborious with low throughput. Motorised shellers experience less than 100% shelling efficiency and varying levels of kernel damage, hence, the need for optimization. Research work involving many factors require large numbers of experimental r... Show More
  • Comparative Effects of Foliar Application of Gibberellic Acid and Benzylaminopurine on Seed Potato Tuber Sprouting and Yield of Resultant Plants

    Martin Kagiki Njogu, Geofrey Kingori Gathungu, Peter Muchiri Daniel

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 192-201
    Received: Aug. 22, 2015
    Accepted: Sep. 02, 2015
    Published: Sep. 18, 2015
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    Abstract: Seed potato tubers planted immediately after harvest is characterized by delayed plant emergence, poor establishment and low yields. Gibberellic acid (GA) and Benzylaminopurine (BA) or their combinations cause dormancy breakage though little information is available on their combined application to dormancy termination. The effects of foliar applic... Show More
  • Farmers’ Need for an Agricultural Meteorological Information System in a Tropical Wet and Dry Climate: Imo as a Case Study

    Okpara Okechukwu Dominic

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 202-207
    Received: Sep. 22, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 04, 2015
    Published: Oct. 19, 2015
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    Abstract: In this paper, the Agricultural Meteorological Information System needs for rural farmers in Imo State, Nigeria, was determined in a survey of five hundred farmers using purposive sampling method and structured questionnaires. The study was able to reveal that there was need for the establishment of effective Agricultural Meteorological Information... Show More
  • Ecology of Basal Stem Rot Disease of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Cameroon

    Afui Mathias Mih, Tonjock Rosemary Kinge

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 208-215
    Received: Oct. 06, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 16, 2015
    Published: Oct. 28, 2015
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    Abstract: Basal stem rot (BSR) disease caused by species of Ganoderma { XE "Ganoderma"}is of immense importance in oil palm production. Although much is known on the occurrence of this devastating disease, fundamental studies on the ecology in oil palm in plantations are rather limited. This study sought to determine the incidence, severity, distribution and... Show More
  • Analysis of Genetic Diversity Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers and Growth Regulator Response in Biofield Treated Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

    Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Mayank Gangwar, Snehasis Jana

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 216-221
    Received: Oct. 11, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 20, 2015
    Published: Nov. 14, 2015
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    Abstract: Cotton is the most important crop for the production of fiber that plays a key role in economic and social affairs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of biofield energy treatment on cotton seeds regarding its growth, germination of seedling, glutathione (GSH) concentration, indole acetic acid (IAA) content and DNA fingerprinting using... Show More
  • Water Stress Tolerance of Six Rangeland Grasses in the Kenyan Semi-arid Rangelands

    Koech Oscar Kipchirchir, Kinuthia Robinson Ngugi, Mureithi Stephen Mwangi, Karuku George Njomo, Wanjogu Raphael

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 222-229
    Received: Sep. 10, 2015
    Accepted: Sep. 30, 2015
    Published: Nov. 14, 2015
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    Abstract: This study evaluated six grass species in terms of water stress responses by visual quality and living ground cover attributes and the recovery responses post water stress grown at 80, 50, 30% field capacity soil moisture contents. The grass species evaluated were Chloris roxburghiana, Eragrostis superba, Enteropogon macrostachyus, Cenchrus ciliari... Show More
  • Effect of GA3, Girdling or Pruning on Yield and Quality of 'Parletta' Seedless Grape

    Ismail Ali Abu-Zinada

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 230-233
    Received: Sep. 29, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 29, 2015
    Published: Nov. 14, 2015
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    Abstract: Grape vines of cultivar 'Parletta' were sprayed with GA3 at 10 (G1), 15 (G2), 20 (G3), 30 (G4) or 40ppm (G5) when cluster was 7-12cm length (S1), at full bloom (S2) or when berry was 2-4mm (S3). Treatments were as the following combinations: Water spray (T0) as a control, G1S1 (T1), G1S1 + G2S2 (T2), G1S1 + G3S3 (T3), G1S1 + G5S3 (T4), G2S1 (T5), G... Show More
  • Humic Acid to Decrease Fertilization Rate on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

    Ismail Ali Abu-Zinada, Kamal Soliman Sekh-Eleid

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 234-238
    Received: Sep. 30, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 29, 2015
    Published: Nov. 13, 2015
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    Abstract: The current study aimed at decreasing fertilizers applications on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Spunta. Plants were subjected to six treatments as follows: unfertilized control (T0), fertilization program (166-N+ 80-P2O5+ 80-k2O + 30M3 cattle manure ha-1) of Ministry (MAP) of Agriculture (T1), 100% MAP + 20kg humic acid (HA) ha-1 (T2), 100... Show More
  • Supply Chain to Industrialization of Pig Excrete by Biotransformation to Increase Corn Performance

    José Antonio Valles Romero, Emilio Raymundo Morales Maldonado

    Issue: Volume 3, Issue 5, September 2015
    Pages: 239-243
    Received: Oct. 16, 2015
    Accepted: Oct. 26, 2015
    Published: Nov. 17, 2015
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    Abstract: The objective of this work is evaluate manure of Mexican Hairless Pig (MHP) from the three energy levels: high 3.5, medium 2.5 and under 1.5 of metabolizable energy for maintenance (MEM) kg body weight-1 processed as fertilizer in shape in dry, mature and fresh for corn yield. In this work was established a design completely randomized with factori... Show More