Some sources of nitrogen fertilizer can be easily lost in the soil and result with yield reduction in grain sorghum. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen fertilizer sources and field conditions on yield of grain sorghum. A 2 x 5 x 2 factorial field experiment arranged in a split-split plot design was executed in North-West University experimental farm during 2018/19 and 2019/20 planting seasons. The main plots were two field conditions (irrigated and rainfed), the subplots were two sorghum cultivars (Titan and Avenger) and the sub-subplots were nitrogen sources (LAN, Urea, ammonium sulphate, ammonium sulphate nitrate and control). The measured yield parameters were plant population, field biomass yield, panicle mass, grain yield and 1000 grain mass. Though no significant differences were observed amongst the nitrogen sources, sorghum treated with limestone ammonium nitrate showed a higher panicle mass of 6173.14 and 5979.08 kg/ha during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 planting seasons respectively. During the 2018/19 planting season, sorghum treated with limestone ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate nitrate had a higher grain yield of 4132.43 and 4088.33 kg/ha respectively. During the 2019/20 planting season, sorghum treated with ammonium sulphate nitrate, limestone ammonium nitrate and urea had a higher grain yield of 4656 kg/ha each. Field condition had a significant effect on sorghum panicle mass and grain yield during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 planting seasons. Sorghum planted under irrigation had a significantly higher panicle mass of 6316.53 and 6781.75 kg/ha during both planting seasons respectively. Sorghum planted under irrigation had a significantly higher grain yield of 4198.02 and 4823.59 kg/ha during both planting seasons respectively. In this study, limestone ammonium nitrate and urea are recommended to farmers since both fertilizers were found to improve sorghum biomass, panicle mass and grain yields. Irrigation field condition was found to enhance panicle mass and grain yield of sorghum.

Pathogens infect rice plants during vegetative and generative growth and can cause a decrease in rice production were estimated Root-knot nematode (RKN). This study aimed to identify pathogen infected rice paddy field in West Papua Province and to reveal genetic relationships among isolates using the ITS rDNA sequence data. The RKN isolates were isolated from rice plantations centre in West Papua Province and other RKN rDNA sequences were retrieved from the GenBank. Based od ITS rDNA sequence data, RKN infects rice faddy field in West Papua Province were identified species of Meloidogyne graminicola and were observed four genotypes, namely genotype-1 for Prafi-1 isolates, genotype-2 for Prafi-2 isolates, genotype-3 for Sidey isolates, and genotype-4 for Oransbary isolates. M. garminicola is closely related with M. garminicola from Thailand-1 (MT271020.1), Thailand-2 (MT271021.1), Nepal-1 (DQ909035.1), Nepal-3 (DQ909038.1), and Nepal-7 (DQ909049.1) with genetic distance range from 0.28 to 2.14 and being in the same sub-clades. This pest is first reported infects rice paddy field in West Papua Province and need awareness so that unspread to any rice faddy field.

The importance of gender approach in climate change discourse cannot be over emphasized in holistically capturing the differences in men and women farmers’ perspectives of climate change issues. This study examined gender perspectives on climate change awareness, causes and observations of climate change variables in Ekiti and Ogun State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to collect data from 358 men and 222 women farmers using questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Chi square, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and t-test. Results show that 29.6% of men and women farmers (41.9%) were within the age range of 41-50years while 13.5% of men and women farmers (24.2%) had no formal education. The study shows that the majority of men (94.7%) and women (94.6%) farmers were aware of climate change. Also, men and women farmers respectively were aware of climate change via their personal experiences (62.1% and 63.9%), traditional knowledge (55.2% and 56.8%), and observation of climatic indicators (96.1% and 92.8%). The majority of men and women farmers’ respective perceived causes of climate change were bush burning (80.0% and 66.1%) and deforestation (70.1% and 75.1%). Significant associations (p<0.01) existed between men and women farmers’ perspectives on climate variability and education (χ2- men- 316.66 and women- 523.39) and, membership of other associations (χ2= men-51.77 and χ2=women-64.46). Statistically, two climatic indicators (temperature, t=-1.45 and heat waves, t=-0.17) were significantly observed by female farmers. The study recommends a gender sensitive enlightenment on climate change variability and causes in order to curb and minimize activities that aggravate climate change.

Agriculture has intervened, modified and simplified ecosystems to obtain some goods and services. Conventional o industrial agriculture emphasizes the use of external inputs and the homogeneity of the landscape; agroecology promotes biodiversity to maximize biological interactions and their ecosystem services. The objective was to evaluate the agrobiodiversity and its trophic interactions as an indicator of sustainability by comparing: industrial productive system, agro-ecological and semi-natural site in the southern Pampas region. Samples were taken of mammals and birds; with different indices, the food chains and the state of the system was evaluated. The results show that agricultural intensification simplifies landscape structure with loss of biodiversity and absence of functional groups (herbivores and nectivorous). In agroecological wheat, the highest density of links was found and in agroecological pastures the highest grouping coefficient, this reveals greater cohesion and integration among the components of the system, and more mechanisms of self-regulation. The agroecological diversity Index showed no differences between the management, this could be related to the presence of a biological corridor in the conventional field that would be increasing biodiversity. The key to achieving sustainable agroecosystems is to procure biodiverse landscapes with patches and corridors of shrub and herbaceous species.

Heavy doses of synthetic weed control chemicals have facilitated herbicide resistance in weeds. Natural compounds can be screened as environmentally safe herbicides. Experiments were conducted on selected weeds viz. Rumex dentatus, Euphorbia helioscopia, Chenopodium album, Avena fatua, Phalaris minor to study allelopathic potential of poisonous plant \'Rhazya stricta\' (Sihar or Hisawarg). Experiments were performed using 0.75 per cent (w/v) agar, filter paper and soil as medium. Parameters studied for assessing allelopathic effects were germination inhibition (%) and reduction in radicle and plumule length (cm). Results showed that seed germination of R. dentatus, P. minor and C. album is inhibited by leaves of R. stricta. Minimum germination for C. album was noted whereas there is non-significant effect on the germination of E. helioscopia, T. aestivum and A. fatua. Leaf extract of R. stricta on the agar, filter paper, and the soil has inhibited the radicle and plumule length of test species.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of storage period on physicochemical, weight loss and sensory characteristics of Sudanese white cheese packed in beeswax. In this trial Seventy-five liters of fresh raw cow’s milk were used to make cheese, two storage containers (Beeswax and Plastic containers)were used. Sudanese white cheese was made in the laboratory of Sudan University of Science and Technology. The cheese samples were stored for zero, 10,20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days.Weight loss, chemical composition and sensory characteristics of white cheese were determined.Results indicatedthat the total solids, crude fat, crude protein, ash, acidity and volatile fatty acid content of the cheese samples were significantly (p<0.001) affected by storage period, whereas the weight loss did not affected significantly (p>0.05) by the storage period. The storage period significantly (p<0.05) affected the color, flavor, texture, and acceptability of the cheese samples except the taste, however all the sensory parameters scores improved during storage period from day zero till day 60.

This study exposes the situation of the Quechua indigenous community of Iquiuca and its particularities from a rural development approach based on agroecological production. It conceptualizes the importance of peasant family agriculture through sustainability indicators. The analysis was carried out through the construction of indicators based on a diagnosis made on a dialogue of knowledge of the community itself and the effect of management practices on the components or resources of the productive system. The indicators were integrated by means of the amoeba diagram, which allowed to visualize and contrast the current state with the defined thresholds, identifying the critical points of the system in which the farmers who do not generate pecuniary economic income present a high profitability in the social, cultural and environmental sphere. Therefore, it is recommended that the program continue to improve its capacity for adsorption and transmission to farmers.

Weeds are considered to be a serious constraint to increase the yield of chickpea. For the purpose to increase the chickpea yield and to reduce the weeds infestation, field trials were conducted during two years i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Ahmad wala Research Station, District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design with split plot arrangement having four replications. There were four main plots assigned to seed rates i.e. 60, 70, 80 and 90 kg ha-1 and seven sub-plots included different weed control techniques i.e. s-metolachlor, pendimethalin, clodinafop, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, hand weeding, parthenium extract and weedy check. The recorded parameters were weed density (m-2), fresh weed biomass (kg ha-1), plant height at maturity (cm), number of pods plant-1, 100 seed weight (g) and seed yield (kg ha-1). The results showed that during both the experimental years i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19 the lowest weed density (115.18 and 64.40 m-2) was recorded in pendimethalin followed by s-metolachlor. In case of chickpea parameters highest 100 seed weight (18.66 and 26.49 g) and seed yield (1226.2 and 1411.5 kg ha-1) were recorded in pendimethalin for both the years respectively followed by the application of s-metolachlor and hand weeding. Similarly among the chickpea seeding rates the outmost 100 seed weight (18.65 and 24.45 g) and seed yield (1268.8 and 1353.9 kg ha-1) were observed for 70 kg ha-1 seed rate during the year 2017-18 and 2018-19. Hence, from the instant study it is concluded that the sowing of chickpea @ 70 kg ha-1 under the application of herbicides pendimethalin and s-metolachlor may be undertaken for achieving satisfactory weed control and maximum yield of chickpea under rainfed conditions in Pakistan.

Field dodder (Cuscuta spp.) is a parasitic annual plant that infects many crops, ornamentals and native plants. Genetic diversity of 65 dodder populations belonging to three different species were collected from different regions in Tunisia was evaluated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Amplification using RAPD primers yielded 56 fragments, of which 52 were polymorphic (93.75%) while ISSR markers resulted in 45 amplification products of which 41 (92.55%) were polymorphic. Average PIC was ranging from 0.35 for ISSR to 0.39 in RAPD and respective Shannon�s Information Index (I) values of 0.4 and 0.43. The un-weighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis clustered the 65 studied dodder populations to 3 clear different groups. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) also revealed a significant genetic structure in the tested populations of three Cuscuta species. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that a high proportion of genetic variation (84.78%) was found among the studied Cuscuta populations. This phenomenon was associated with the considerable amount of gene flow between populations. The results of the present study could be considered as a starting point for future research activities on the evolutionary genetics of different Cuscuta spp. populations and especially their impact on crop production under climate change.