An agroforestry system that combines trees and shrubs with crops, increases organic carbon accumulation in soil by providing continuous supply of organic matter over time. Soil organic carbon is a key component of terrestrial ecosystem that helps in enhanced sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in the soil. This study was carried out during the year 2017 in Tehri Garhwal of Uttarakhand. Three agroforestry systems selected were Agrihorticulture (AH), Agrisilviculture (AS) and Agrihortisilviculture (AHS) in three altitude viz., Lower altitude (286-1200 m), Middle altitude (1200-2000 m), and Upper altitude (2000-2800 m). Ten sample plots (100m2) were randomly laid out in each agroforestry system on each altitude of each block. Soil organic carbon was determined using the Walkley and Black method. Soil physico-chemical properties revealed that maximum bulk density (1.38 g cm-3) was recorded in the agrisilviculture system and minimum in agrihorticulture system (1.29 g cm-3). Maximum soil organic carbon (2.74%) was found in the agrihorticulture system and minimum in agrisilviculture system (2.48%). The soil organic carbon percent also increased significantly with the ascending altitudes. It was concluded that upper altitude (2000-2800m) and agrihorticulture system had accumulated greater soil organic carbon pool and suggested that, if need be, conversion of agriculture field should be into agrihorticulture system in Northwestern Himalayas for better soil carbon sequestration.
In many parts of the world, domestic as well as wild cattle are affected by infectious bovine rhinotracheitis. The causative organism is Varicellovirus in the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae of the family Herpesviridae. This review is mainly concerned with the etiology, epidemiology, economic importance, clinical presentation of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control apart from its status in Ethiopia.
Tobacco in any form is harmful. It affects our heart, lungs, blood circulation, stomach, mouth, eye, skin, reproduction, and fertility, but nicotine which is the main constituent of tobacco has a history, which is irreprehensible. Even after it was popularized in Europe tobacco was considered a panacea for more than 65 ailments. These include treatment of minor problems like bleeding, fever, and insect bite to major pathologies like rodent ulcers, strangulated hernia, tetanus, gout, and neuralgia. Recent epidemiologic and animal model studies have proven various potential benefits of tobacco in diseases like Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune conditions, inflammatory diseases, and endometrial and thyroid carcinoma. If we can get to the bottom of the cellular and molecular mechanism of the components of tobacco and repress the detrimental effect of tobacco with more experiments and research, tobacco can be the panpharmacon. This topic incorporates the history, beneficial effects of tobacco, and the mechanism of action of its components so that it may be used for the benefit of society.
Fruit, commonly eaten raw, contains contain some nutrients good for diabetics health. Since most fruits taste sweet, it was interesting to investigate the dietary behaviour of diabetics towards fruits in the main diabetic center in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Of a total of 846 patients surveyed of the antidiabetic center in Abidjan, 73.3% awared of the health benefits of fruit for diabetics. 48.5%, awared fruit contained free sugar considered harmful for them. Regarding frequency and fruit, 29.8% of them consumed at least one fruit one or two days and 62.2% preferred to consume whole fruits rather than fruit juices (9.7%) while almost half (44.6%) consumed them much more after the meal. As for their amount, the majority of respondents consumed an average of 1 (20.57%) or 2 (69.50%) pieces of fruit at each intake and paid attention to their degree of ripeness (58%). The most consumed fruits were orange (61.5%), apple (57.4%), sweet banana (46.1%), papaya (39.6%), and mango (29.6%), contained between 2.21 and 9.02% total free sugars and between 0.52 and 1.33% total fiber. A large proportion of diabetic patients regularly consumed them at ripe (37.1%) or very ripe (32.7%) stage, ingesting a significant amount of fast sugar. Fruit consumption should be promoted to diabetics to enable them making more healthy choices.
The study was aimed at investigating the effect of supplemental irrigations on physiological and agronomic responses of mungbean through evaluation of transpiration, leaf water potential, chlorophyll content and seeds yield during drought pockets. A completely randomized block device with three replications was used to conduct the rainy season study. Four watering regimes were applied from the 26th day after seed sowing and during drought pockets: rain only (0J), tap water after 5 days without rain (5J), after 10 days without rain (10J) and after 15 days without rain (15J). Supplemental irrigation had a significant effect on transpiration, leaf water potential and chlorophyll content of plant leaves. Leaf water potential was the lowest and the highest transpiration at 70 DAS under the 5J supplemental irrigation regime, with higher chlorophyll content. The study also revealed that the frequency of irrigation every 5 days without rain significantly improved the harvest index (p?0.004), the number and mass of seeds per plant (p?0.001), justifying the choice of this water treatment for a better production of well-filled seeds and tops.
In the cities of Cameroon, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) more precisely spice plants, occupy a place of choice for the well-being of the population. NTFPs such as Irvingia gabonensis, Ricinodendron heudelotii and Tetrapleura tetraptera, which are among the most consumed in the city of Bertoua. The objective of this study was to make a socio-economic diagnosis of the state of these NTFPs. A questionnaire was administered to 500 people, including 18 collectors, 22 wholesalers, 165 retailers and 295 consumers in the sub-districts of Bertoua 1, Bertoua 2 and Mandjou. We found that the female gender was predominantly represented in all categories of actors (68-94%). Fruits/seeds represent the most used parts of these NTFPs (98-99%). The uses of these NTFPs are mainly for food and pharmacological (40-80% depending on the species). The mode of use is mainly decoction especially in soup (95-99%). The main constraints linked to the commercialization of these NTFPs are the seasonality of production for collectors, the price variation for retailers on the market, and the lack of customers for traders. The satisfaction levels of wholesalers, retailers and collectors are divided between the difficulties encountered during marketing and the speed of sale of the different species. This study confirms the importance of spice plants for the well-being of households. For a sustainable management of spice plants in Bertoua and its periphery, the integration between the actors, the economy and the preservation of natural resources should be at the centre of any forestry policy.
There is worldwide need for alternative source of high quality and protein rich food components which control food insecurity and malnutrition. Due to the nutritional importance, macrofungi (mushrooms) are utilized and consumed frequently by villagers of Ayodhya district, India. In this district the nutritional value of reported macrofungi has been not studied. In current study, eight selective wild macrofungal samples were collected from different sites of study area such as Macrolepiota procera, Tuber aestivum, Auricularia auricula-judae, Hygrocybe eburneus and Ganoderma leucidum. The sample was prepared for nutritional analysis and their nutrient composition has been analyzed as findings result. Nutritionally the protein, carbohydrate, lipid, fibre, and ash content were analyzed and ranged from 21.14 – 36.32%, 11.70 – 60.90%, 0.96 – 3.25%, 4.32 – 41.13% and 3.91 – 10.92% respectively. The overall nutrient showed that all collected (selected) macrofungi contains rich protein and carbohydrate content with low lipid (fat) content. The present study expresses and revel the nutritional component as useful awareness to minimize malnutrition for peoples as well as society.
In the world, since the beginning of mankind soil has been the basis for the sustenance of life. The discovery of microorganisms within soil and their importance in recycling organic matter dates back to the 17th century when John Evelyn stated that soil fertility could be maintained by the addition of organic materials. By the 20th century, large farming devices and chemicals for improving the production of crops on a large scale had been developed and the utilization of these resources resulted in drastic increases in land areas under cultivation. Although agricultural chemicals and machinery increased crop productivity exponentially, the intensive application of these agricultural management tools has also had many negative effects on agricultural soils. As a result the impacts of human activities on soil microorganisms are many and varied. The effects of human activities vary with land use, ranging from agricultural wastes such as farm animal sewerage and fertilizer runoff, to commercial and industrial wastes of every conceivable type and magnitude. A better understanding of the linkages between soil life and ecosystem function and the impact of human interventions will enable the reduction of negative impacts and the more effective capture of the benefits of soil biological activity for sustainable and productive agriculture. Therefore the objective of this review was to summarize the literatures and the current knowledge on the impact of different anthropogenic activities on soil microorganisms.
Medicinal plants are the part of human Society to combat many disorders. The plant derived drugs and other herbal therapeutics are widely used against several malfunctions. Other than medicinal herbs, mistletoe–hemi parasitic plants are also used to treat many diseases. Usually, mistletoe family is recognized based on their host plants. Loranthaceae, the largest family in the order Santalales with 76 genera and more than 1,100 species. Most of the Loranthaceae family members are aerial parasites. Family comprises of 10 genera and 60 species which are found in India. It has been scientifically established that every part of these plants has medicinal properties (flower, stem, leaf, fruits, seed and whole plants). Only a few species are having potential traditional medicinal values and extensively used in several medicinal systems. Dendrophthoe falcata holds the major part in this taxon. This species shows traditional medicinal values in Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine and other systems of natural medicine widely. There are many biologically active components present in the parasitic plants, flavonoid, quercetin, kaempferol, rutin, tannins, β- sitosterol, stigmasterol, β- amyrin and oleanolic acid. Dendrophthoe falcata was rich in flavonoids and quercetin and the major components are reportedly present in the leaves. Quercitrin (quercetin 3-0-α- rhamnoside) has been separately isolated as a major component from the ethanolic extract of Dendrophthoe falcata leaves and this quercitrin phytochemical is highly responsible for antioxidative potency. Nanoparticles phytosynthesized from these plants are also studied for their pharmacological activities. It has been revealed that the medicinal properties of mistletoes based on host plants are scanty.
Balanced fertilizer application is an important management practice to improve soil fertility and quality in the agricultural lands. In present study, we examined the effects of nine different rates of blended NPSB fertilizer rates on soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, available sulphur (ava.S), available boron (ava.B) and available phosphorus (ava.P) in the plowed layer (0-20 cm). The results obtained from this study indicated that, the values of soil pH obtained from all treatments are lower than that of soil pH before fertilizer application. The application of fertilizer have remarkably improved soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) values compared with soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) recorded before fertilization. Except soil total nitrogen (TN) and soil organic carbon (SOC), application of different rates of blended NPSB fertilizer were highly significantly affected the values of soil pH, available phosphorus (ava.P), available sulphur (ava.S), and available boron (ava.B). The highest values of available phosphorus (ava.P), available sulphur (ava.S), and available boron (ava.B) were obtained from the plot treated with the highest (300kg/ha) fertilizer rate, were as the lowest was recorded from the control plot. Unlike available phosphorus (ava.P), available sulphur (ava.S), and available boron (ava.B), the values of soil pH recorded after fertilizer application becomes declined as the rate of fertilizer applied to the soil is increased dramatically. Thus, these indicated that, as the rate of blended NPSB fertilizer increased soil acidity becomes increased due to the presence of soil acidifying compounds such as nitrate, sulphate and boric acid in blended form.
Veterinary treatments, mainly antibiotics, used for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes in dairy farming can be the cause of the presence of antibiotic residues in milk. However, these residues constitute a major health concern for consumers. For the dairy industry, whose objective is to have a raw material suitable for processing, it is necessary to screen for antibiotic residues in milk at each collection. This study is based on two parts, a survey of seventy people (10 practicing veterinarians and 60 milk producers) to describe the main molecules of antibiotics used in dairy cattle farming in the two basins of Tienfala and Kasséla in the Koulikoro region, and a search for residues by Delvotest SP with confirmation of positive samples by liquid chromatography (HPLC). To this end, sixty (60) samples of raw milk were collected in two sampling campaigns per site carried out 15 days apart. All samples were analyzed using the Delvotest SP rapid detection of antibiotic residues in milk kit first before being analyzed by liquid chromatography (HPLC) for positive samples. The results of the surveys revealed the predominance of three pathologies within dairy herds: diarrhoea, mastitis and pulmonary infections with a combination of several antibiotics belonging to five (5) different families of antibiotics. Of the 60 samples submitted for analysis, 38 were found to be positive with Delvotest SP, i.e. a contamination rate of around 63.33%. Of the 38 samples positive to the rapid test, 26 responded positively to confirmation by liquid chromatography, i.e. a rate of 68.42% with mainly four antibiotics belonging to the families of β-lactams and tetracyclines. The results of the study effectively prove the effective presence of antibiotic residues in raw cow's milk from the mini-dairies of Kassela and Tienfala. They thus characterize current practices in the treatment of dairy cattle with antibiotics in the farming areas studied. Compliance with withdrawal periods with the elimination of milk from treated cows must be obtained by raising the awareness of producers by animal health professionals.
Small pod hot pepper (chili pepper) is a seasonal plant of the family Solanaceae. It is grown as an annual crop and produced for its fruits (pods). It is one of the most important vegetable crops for fresh consumption (as chilies), for processing and as a spice (for making stew)and it the main source of income. A field experiment was conducted at Haro Sabu on station and Meti (Sayo Woreda) sub sites of Kellem Wollega zone, Western Ethiopia, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 main cropping season. A total of five small pod hot pepper varieties collected from Melkasa and Bako Agricultural Research centers and one local check variety were used as testing materials. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) for total yield and other agronomic traits of six small pod hot pepper varieties grown at two locations revealed significant difference on days to flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, number of fruit (pods) per plant, fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit weight total pod dry weight. Likewise there was highly significant difference of variety on pod anthracnose and cercospora leaf spot (frog eye). In this experimentation, Melka Oli and Melka Dera Dinsire varieties were found superior in terms of total dry pod yield and other important yield related parameters. Melka Oli and Melka Dera varieties are also tolerant to major hot pepper diseases. Thus these varieties were recommended for demonstration and wider production in the studied areas and similar agro-ecologies in the Western Oromia in particular and hot pepper producing regions of Ethiopia in general under main natural rain fed condition.
Mushrooms have been a culinary and folk medicine since ancient times. Recently overwhelming interest in pharmaceutical potential of mushrooms have been witnessed. One of the main reasons being the properties of mushroom such as immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-allergic, nephroprotective, and anti-microbial gents. The anti-cancer compounds present in medicinal mushrooms leads to apoptosis, and eventually inhibiting cancer cells proliferation. The review undertaken explores the types of medicinal mushrooms and active compounds where, clinical trials undertaken shows a good prospect in cancer treating properties such as anti-tumour potential and biological role. Study on the mechanism of compounds such as polysaccharides need to be carried out at an extensive level, additional clinical studies and further research should look at the preventive benefits of medicinal mushrooms in lowering the incidence of cancer by incorporating them into a healthy diet.
While exploring the floral wealth of the district in Short trips to the localities of Jalgaon district in 2022-23 authors came across Theriophonum minutum (Willd.) Baillon reported for the first time from dist. Jalgaon Maharashtra. Perusal of literature shows the reports of it from various parts of country such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka. Species can be easily identified on the basis of habit and position of two types of sterile flowers and staminate flowers in the spadix enclosed in spathe. Its Taxonomy and distribution with color photographs are discussed here for easy identification.
Agriculture today is characterized by a sharp reduction in the diversity of cultivated plant due to human and natural event. Plant breeding contributes to decrease of crop diversity through expansion of genetically homogeneous cultivars and promotion of few widely adapted varieties. The size of germplasm collections frequently restricts access to them and consequently, their use in plant breeding and research. Therefore management and use of germplasm collections could be enhanced if a limited number of genetically diverse accessions within the collection were selected as the core collection. The paper, therefore, aims to reviewing the way for core collection establishment and its implication in breeding program for crop improvement. A core collection is a subset of a large germplasm collection that involves of accessions selected to represent the genetic diversity of the collection. The core collection’s objective is to improve the use and management of a germplasm collection. Creating a core collection is challenging and time taking process and can be done for any germplasm collection. Typically, accessions are grouped and selections are made from/within these groupings to create core collection. A basic process for creating a core collection can be divided into four steps, which include definition of domain, division in group, allocation of entries and choice of accession. A core collection provides a manageable sample size of the collection that is structured and smaller than the entire collection. Generally core collection is essential in crop improvement by simplifying the use of germplasm in gene bank operation, basic research and education.
The lack of organic matter in soils and the high cost of mineral fertilizers are constraints to the intensification of agricultural production in Burkina Faso. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the joint application of organic and mineral matter on soil fertility under crop rotation conditions. The study was carried out at the research station in Farakoba, from 2018 to 2020. The system was a 4x4 split-plot factorial with 3 replications. The 4 treatments corresponded to 4 crop rotations used as the main factor and 4 manures as the secondary factor. We used 4 rotation sequences: Sorghum-Fonio, Soya-Fonio, Mung bean-fonio, Sorghum-Mung bean. The four secondary treatments corresponded to four fertilizers: control with no fertilizer application; NPK and urea; Compost+poultry manure; Compost+poultry manure+Burkina phosphate). Results showed that legume-cereal rotations resulted in a 2.3% drop in C/N ratio, while the total exchangeable base (TEB) and the cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased by 82.53% and 24.08% respectively compared to the soil at the start of cultivation. Compared to the soil at the beginning of the crop, the soya-fonio rotation resulted in CEC and TEB increases of 26.87% and 86.55% respectively. The Compost+poultry manure treatment recorded significantly higher TEB and CEC contents, followed by the Compost+poultry manure+Burkina Phosphate and Compost+NPK+Urea treatments. Compared to the Compost+NPK+Urea treatment, the Compost+Poultry manure +Burkina Phosphate treatment resulted in TEB and CEC increases of 18.7% and 5.06% respectively. The results showed a negative and non-significant correlation between C/N and the parameters Ca, Na, Mg, TEB, CEC and saturation level. On the other hand, the correlation between C/N and K was positive and non-significant (r=0.036). In a context of high mineral fertilizer costs, fertilization techniques and productivity of systems can therefore be improved by combining local fertilizing resources such as poultry manure, Burkina phosphate and legume rotations.
Microbes producing L-asparaginase are usually screened on plates containing L-asparagine and phenol red. The contrast of the colored zone formed by microorganisms varies from yellow and pink in this method and we cannot differentiate between L-asparaginase producers and non-producers. Later an improved method was developed for screening of extracellular L-asparaginase producing microbes with bromothymol blue as pH indicator instead of phenol red. The reported results were not very sharp for the isolates producing extracellular L-asparaginase as they produce dark blue colored zones at alkaline pH. The present method is novel, more sensitive, simple and rapid than the existing methods for screening of both bacteria and fungi producing L-asparaginase extracellularly. Nutrient asparagine agar and potato dextrose asparagine agar media stained with Gram s iodine solution were used for detection of extracellular L-asparaginase producing bacteria and fungi respectively. Plate detection assay with Gram s iodine exhibited clear zones around the colonies producing L-asparaginase. The present method is more accurate for screening of potent isolates based on the diameter of hydrolyzed zones formed. The reported method can be utilized to identify the prominent isolates producing L-asparaginase.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome, union rate, and complications of a consecutive series of scaphoid excision and four-corner arthrodeses performed by a three surgeon using distal radius bone graft Herbert screws or K-wires or cannulated Synthes screws or Flower plate fixation. Mean duration of follow-up was 16 months. The results of the present study revealed that, patient satisfaction is high, and the procedure offers well to excellent pain relief. Advances in surgical exposures, fixation techniques, and implants have allowed for rigid fixation that enables for rapid union and the commencement of early range of motion. Failure rates and complication rates are relatively low, and long-term outcomes have been promising
The biodiversity of the Bénoué National Park is subject to high anthropic pressures, responsible of the fragmentation of the wild fauna. The present study aims to i) study the different anthropic activities contributing to the parceling out of habitats of fauna, ii) show the evolution of the fragmentation of the vegetation in the study area, iii) study the influence of the anthropological activities on the floristic composition, the ecologic structuration and characterization of the vegetation of BNP and at last iv) propose some precautionary measures of the biodiversity of the park. A sample of 150 people was surveyed on the level of the villages (Banda, Bouck, Dogba, Gamba and Sackdjé) and 30 people on the level of the forest agents of PNB and from the administration. The satellite images were used to evaluate the evolution of the fragmentation of the habitat fauna. 48 squares of 20 m × 20 m were installed in four non-fragmented vegetable formations (pilot zones) and four fragmented vegetable formations for the record of the vegetation. Analysis of the data by Statgraphics plus 5.0, XLstat, and Excel showed that gold washing and transhumance (100%), poaching (77%), the exploitation of the wood of heating (57%) are the principal activities which split up more the habitat of fauna. The satellite images showed that the annual loss of surface of the dense vegetable formations and the opening of the landscape of the Park is estimated at 0.98% per hectare a year from 2000 to 2015. The impacts of the fragmentation of the habitat of fauna result in the threat of disappearance of the vegetable biodiversity The installation of the services of sensitization anti-poaching (98.33%), the sanction of the coalmen (97.08%), the installation of the local structures for management of the Park (95.00%), the creation of drillings in all the bordering villages (93.33%), the availability of the ecological guard, the means of conveyance. The functioning of the local committees of vigilance in all the villages (92.50%), the very strong implication of ministries MINFOF (96.67%), MINEP (79.66%), MINESUP (74.25%) and MINEPAT (71.33%) constitute the principal proposals for conservation and protection of the BNP.
Red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor L) is a horticultural vegetable that contains anthocyanins, protein, calcium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamin. However, this plant has not become a major commodity, so it is generally grown in lands with a low level of soil fertility. Application of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in powder dosage form can help plant growth with a positive effect. However, this dosage form has several weaknesses, so a study aimed at knowing the effectiveness of AM fungi in different dosage forms is needed in physiological studies to analyze plant growth and the level of colonization of red spinach roots in the vegetative stage. This research was carried out using the model of the Latin square design (LSD) with three treatments for AM dosage forms of fungi: tablets, sachets, and powders, and without mycorrhizal application (control). The results showed that AM fungi in sachet dosage form could colonize the roots of spinach plants with the highest percentage, although physiological studies have not given consistent results. The sachet dosage form of AM fungi is the novelty of this study. AM fungi in a sachet dosage form can are recommended as the dosage form the most attractive, efficient, and effective to be applied and mobilized to farmers' fields.
