scholarly journals Nitrogen effect on zinc biofortification of maize and cowpea in Zimbabwean smallholder farms

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 2256-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muneta G. Manzeke ◽  
Florence Mtambanengwe ◽  
Michael J. Watts ◽  
Martin R. Broadley ◽  
Lark R. Murray ◽  
...  
Nature Food ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-221
Author(s):  
Annisa Chand

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4728
Author(s):  
Zinhle Mashaba-Munghemezulu ◽  
George Johannes Chirima ◽  
Cilence Munghemezulu

Rural communities rely on smallholder maize farms for subsistence agriculture, the main driver of local economic activity and food security. However, their planted area estimates are unknown in most developing countries. This study explores the use of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data to map smallholder maize farms. The random forest (RF), support vector (SVM) machine learning algorithms and model stacking (ST) were applied. Results show that the classification of combined Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data improved the RF, SVM and ST algorithms by 24.2%, 8.7%, and 9.1%, respectively, compared to the classification of Sentinel-1 data individually. Similarities in the estimated areas (7001.35 ± 1.2 ha for RF, 7926.03 ± 0.7 ha for SVM and 7099.59 ± 0.8 ha for ST) show that machine learning can estimate smallholder maize areas with high accuracies. The study concludes that the single-date Sentinel-1 data were insufficient to map smallholder maize farms. However, single-date Sentinel-1 combined with Sentinel-2 data were sufficient in mapping smallholder farms. These results can be used to support the generation and validation of national crop statistics, thus contributing to food security.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-171
Author(s):  
MAS Sarker ◽  
MS Rahman ◽  
MT Islam ◽  
AKMA Rahman ◽  
MB Rahman ◽  
...  

Brucellosis causes a great economic loss to the livestock industries through abortion, infertility,birth of weak and dead offspring, increased calving interval and reduction of milk yield and it is endemic in Bangladesh. In this study we collected milk and blood samples simultaneously from533 cows of Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm, Savar, Dhaka and different Upazilas of Gaibandha and Mymensingh District. Five hundred thirty three samples were examined for antibodies to Brucella using the Milk Ring Test (MRT) and Rose Bengal Test (RBT). Overall 2.62 % of milk samples were positive according to MRT, while2.06 % of the serum samples were positive to the RBT. Only 6 (1.13 %) of the samples were positive for both test (MRT and RBT). Out of 312 samples only 10 (3.20 %) were positive to MRT while 8(2.06%) were positive to RBT in Holstein Friesian cross (p>0.05) on the other hand out of 221 samples only 4 (1.80%) were positive to MRT while 3(1.35%) were positive to RBT in Sahiwal cross. The prevalence of brucellosis was significantly higher in the age group of > 5 years than other age groups (p?0.01) on both test (MRT 2.75%and RBT 2.25%).Based on parity, significantly higher prevalence (MRT 2.93% and RBT 2.44%) of MRT and RBT were obtainedin parity 3-5in comparison to other parity group (p?0.01). It is, however, obvious that although the MRT is 1st-line screening tests for brucellosis in cows in some countries, their lack of specificity is of concern. Therefore, the requirement for other confirmatory tests that are more specific should be used for the diagnosis of the disease, especially in Bangladesh.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjvm.v12i2.21280 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2014). 12 (2): 167-171 


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 295-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bong-Jin Kim ◽  
Hyung-Jun Kim ◽  
Sung Mok Jung ◽  
Tae-Sik Yoon ◽  
Yong-Sang Kim ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Wanjiku Kamau ◽  
Lisa Biber-Freudenberger ◽  
John P.A. Lamers ◽  
Till Stellmacher ◽  
Christian Borgemeister

Author(s):  
Juliet Wanjiku Kamau ◽  
Christian Schader ◽  
Lisa Biber-Freudenberger ◽  
Till Stellmacher ◽  
David M. Amudavi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe introduction of organic farm management practices in sub-Saharan Africa could act as a lever for supporting regional sustainable development. In this study, we sought to assess the sustainability performance of organic (certified and non-certified) and non-organic farms in the dry Kajiado County and the wet Murang’a County in Kenya, based on four sustainability dimensions: Good Governance, Environmental Integrity, Economic Resilience and Social Well-Being. We collected household survey data from 400 smallholder farms, which were formally characterized into five types (mixed organic and conventional, certified organic, organic, conventional, and subsistence farms). We used multivariate analysis of variance, linear fixed-effects and general linear models to examine differences in sustainability performance. Model results indicate that all farms lack reliable farm management information and that only limited knowledge, skills and social security exist for farmers and farm workers. Comparison of the five farm types indicates no significant differences in their sustainability performance. Nonetheless, certified organic farms had better sustainability performance than non-certified farms due to higher economic resilience, environmental integrity, better support and training for workers. However, except for avoiding the use of agrochemicals in certified farms, there is relatively little difference in the farm management practices across farm types. Our results also indicate that farms in Murang’a were more sustainable than those in Kajiado due to better regional land-tenure security and conflict resolution mechanisms, soil and water conservation measures, and farm commercial viability. Nonetheless, unlike Kajiado, farms in Murang’a showed a tendency toward poor animal husbandry practices which affects overall animal welfare, limited credit uptake and market involvement. The results of this study can support decision making to identify appropriate interventions for improving sustainability in smallholder farms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91
Author(s):  
Cesar Edwin García ◽  
David Montero ◽  
Hector Alberto Chica

The main objective of the research carried out in the sugar productive sector in Colombia is to improve crop productivity of sugarcane. The rise of RPAS, together with the use of multispectral cameras, which allows for high spatial resolution images and spectral information outside the visible spectrum, has generated an alternative nondestructive technological approach to monitoring crop sugarcane that must be evaluated and adapted to the specific conditions of Colombia's sugar productive sector. In this context, this paper assesses the potential of a modified camera (NIR) to discriminate three varieties of sugarcane, as well as three doses of fertilization and estimating the sugarcane yield at an early stage, for the three varieties through multiple vegetation indices. In this study, no significant differences were found by vegetation index between fertilization doses, and only significant differences between varieties were found when the fertilization was normal or high. Likewise, multiple regressions between scores derived from vegetation indices after applying PCA and productivity produced determinations of up to 56%.


Author(s):  
Julus H. Vodounnou ◽  
Emmanuel A. Ajav ◽  
Gontrand C. Bagan ◽  
Victorin K. Chegnimonhan

A small-scale maize harvester was designed and fabricated for developing countries and is composed of a harvester header, a chain conveyor, a drive power unit and a five-wheel tricycle. Fabrication of components was made and assembling of the devices on the tricycle was done. The performance evaluation of the small-scale maize harvester was done at 15% kernels moisture content (wet basis). Three rotational speeds of the engine, 1347, 1521 and 1937 rpm were used, while the forward velocity of the harvester was kept at an average of 0.617 km.hr-1. The testing experiment revealed significant effect of physical properties of maize (p<0,05). The highest machine capacity was obtained at 0.05 ha.hr-1, while the highest driving efficiency was 97.30% and the highest picking and conveying efficiencies were 84.11% and 98.21%, respectively. However, it was observed that the machine noise level decreased with increase in engine speed. Also, the engine speed affected both picking and conveying efficiencies. The designed machine is found suitable for most smallholder farms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1185-1214
Author(s):  
Johnny Kofi Awoonor ◽  
Edward Yeboah ◽  
Bright Fafali Dogbey ◽  
Fowzia Adiyah

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