Balanced mineral nutrition, especially macronutrients and micronutrients involved in plant physiological and biochemical activities, is a key factor in improving the productivity and fruit quality of squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The study was conducted at the Zakho Technical Institute, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, under greenhouse conditions during the 2025–2026 growing season to examine the effects of boron (B), potassium (K), and iron (Fe) on the growth and fruit characteristics of squash. The experiment was laid out as a split-split plot, Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Two levels of iron fertigation (0 and 2 g L⁻¹), two levels of potassium fertilizer (0 and 2 g L⁻¹), and two levels of boron foliar (0 and 2 mL L⁻¹) were applied. The results indicated that plant fertigation with an Iron concentration of 2 g L-1 improved the number of fruits to 8.250 fruit plant-1. However, foliar application of potassium at a concentration of 2 g L-1 increased the number of fruits to 8.583 fruit plant-1, fruit length to 12.900 cm, plant height to 81.500 cm, fruit weight to 100.588 g, and fruit diameter to 3.850 cm. Furthermore, spraying Boron at a concentration of 2 mL L-1 increased the number of fruits to 8.417 fruits plant-1 and plant height to 80.124 cm. The study emphasized the need to properly manage nutrients in greenhouse squash production and the possibility for balanced potassium fertilization to greatly increase fruit quality and yield.
This study evaluated 37 multi-environment trials (METs) comprising 787 bread wheat genotypes, using Alpha lattice and partially replicated designs across the highland agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia from 2021 to 2024. The study identified significant phenotypic variation, with grain yields ranging from 1.54 to 7.39 t ha⁻¹ across environmental trials. The genotypes EBW170049 and EBW170074 appeared as superior performers, yielding 5.31 t ha⁻¹ and 5.17 t ha⁻¹, respectively, while 65% of the genotypes exceeded the 4.5 t ha⁻¹ productivity threshold. The superior performance of EBW170049 was complemented by strong grain quality parameters, with HLW of 70.37 kg hl-1 and TKW of 38.46 g, suggesting a stable and efficient grain-filling period. A Factor Analytic Mixed Model (FAMM) captured over 99.9% of the cumulative genetic variance, facilitating a precise decomposition of environmental interactions. Broad-sense heritability reached 99.16% for days to heading and 98.16% for grain yield in high-potential sites, although environmental sensitivity reduced plant height heritability to 52.65% in strained locations. Trait-based environmental clustering helped delineate principal mega-environments and identified specific trial outliers. The finding revealed that early-to-medium maturity demonstrated by superior genotypes serves as a critical terminal stress-escape strategy. Furthermore, top-performing genotypes generally exhibited medium plant height as lodging resistance potential. Regarding biotic stress, genotypes EBW170051 and EBW170058 showed superior yellow rust resistance, while EBW222276 remained resistant to stem rust. Overall, the study confirmed high genetic gain potential and demonstrated that FAMM-based MET analysis is a robust framework for identifying superior genotypes and enhancing productivity and climate resilience in bread wheat breeding programs.
Wood energy valorization dominates and accelerates deforestation with negative consequences for climate change. To reduce pressure on forests and mitigate climate change, this study proposes a sustainable solution aimed at producing ecological charcoal briquettes from digestates derived from cow dung and Titonia diversifolia. For this purpose, digestates from a 45-day mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion were dried to 8% moisture content over 35 days. The dried digestates were then submitted to uncontrolled pyrolysis. The parallelepiped and the cylindrical charcoal briquette were produced and tested. The results are as follows: the maximum pyrolysis temperature reached 390°C. The produced biochar was compressed into parallelepiped and cylindrical briquettes. Physicochemically, no difference between the two shapes was observed. Thermally, the heating value of the cylindrical and parallelepiped briquettes was 19 kJ/kg. Practically, the cylindrical shape, although less energy-efficient per unit of time, offers better heat utilization efficiency (a greater amount of water evaporated for an equivalent mass consumed), while the parallelepiped shape is characterized by higher instantaneous power, but with greater heat losses to the environment. Finally, optimizing the geometry and pressing of briquettes is essential to improving the efficiency and sustainability of biofuels, particularly in low-resource artisanal contexts.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly recognized for improving service delivery, yet their role in monitoring and supervising agricultural extension services remains underexplored. This study examined the determinants of the use of the E-dairy ICT application, introduced in Uganda in 2019 to strengthen monitoring and supervision within the public agricultural extension system. Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design involving 246 randomly selected extension workers. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in R and thematic content analysis were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results revealed low overall usage (22%), particularly among frontline extension workers. Technical capacity was the strongest determinant of use (β = 0.562), followed by attitudes (β = 0.309) and motivation (β = 0.242), while social influence negatively affected use (β = −0.178). The findings suggest the need for continuous technical training, decentralized support systems, and institutional facilitation to enhance ICT uptake. The study concludes that effective digital extension systems require not only technological investment but also strengthened human and organizational capacity to support sustainable agricultural service delivery.
The cost-benefit analysis performance of weaner and grower rabbits fed processed sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed meal (SFSM) and diets treated with enzymes in the research area was assessed. Nine diets (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, and T9) were administered to 72 rabbits in a completely randomized manner employing a 3x3 factorial configuration. Treatments T1, T2, and T3 had 0% inclusion rate of SFS meal and 0, 150, and 250 ppm of the enzyme. These diets were designed to be isocaloric (2500 kcal/kg, ME) and isonitrogenous (15%). All management protocols were adhered to produce grower and weaner rabbits. During the weaner phase, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the average daily intake of feed, protein, and energy between levels. In contrast to 77.48g, 1532g, and 255.18g in 0% SF and 78.76g, 15.45g, and 25.56g in 10% SFSM, the highest values were 80.36g, 10.46g, and 262.73g in 20% SFSM. The 250ppm (15.85g) enzyme had a significantly (P<0.05) higher protein intake than 0ppm (15.49g) and 15.54g, which were not statistically (P>0.05) different from each other. The sunflower seed meal (SFSM)-based diet enhanced with an enzyme affected rabbit production economics. Rabbits fed 20% sunflower seed meal showed much better weight growth, revenue, and net income than rabbits fed 0% and 10% sunflower seed meal. The feed conversion ratio, cost per kilogram of weight gain, and cost of production per kilogram of weight gain were significantly (P<0.05) lower in rabbits fed 20% compared to those fed other diets. The 10% and 20% sunflower seed meal treatments, respectively, had significantly higher total feed consumption than the control diet (P<0.05).
