Patchouli, botanically known as Pogostemon cablin Benth., belongs to the family Lamiaceae and is renowned for its significant medicinal and aromatic attributes. The primary purpose of its cultivation is to obtain its valuable essential oil, which is obtained by distillation of leaves and tender herbs. Patchouli and its essential oil have various medicinal and aromatic properties, which are used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, aromatherapy, food flavor, toiletries, perfumery and agarbatti produ...
Abstract The concept of sustainability has become central to all sectors all over the world, from agriculture to environment to business, engineering and industrialization. The principle of sustainability is the same all over these sectors. However, the understanding of the term may vary from sector to sector depending on how it may be applied to a specific sector. Sustainable agriculture is a term that continues to gain prominence in the agricultural sector but not without lots of misunders...
Abstract/Overview African nightshades ( Solanum nigrum- related species) are some of the most widely consumed traditional leafy herbs and vegetables, particularly in Africa and South-East Asia. The leaves contain high levels of vitamins (especially A, B and C), mineral fibres (such as iron, calcium and phosphorus), carbohydrates and proteins. They also contain phenolics and alkaloids, such as nicotine, quinine, cocaine, and morphine, which are known for their medicinal attributes. With th...
Abstract: Most developing countries like Ethiopia are striving hard to solve acute protein deficiency in the diets of their increasing populations through cultivation of mushrooms in the urban areas without heavily depending on agricultural lands and capital. This study was conducted in Debre Berhan University, College of Natural and computational Sciences, with the aim of assessing the proximate chemical composition, biological efficiency and suitability of the selected substrates (Millet s...
Abstract: Biogas technology, which is meant to produce methane rich gas through anaerobic digestion of biological materials, is an environmentally friendly technology that reduces emission of green house gases. Therefore, this research was initiated to utilize biomasses such as barley straw (BS) and goat manure (GM) for biogas production. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of the BS and GM in five mix ratios (100%BS, 75%BS: 25%GM, 50%BS: 50%GM, 25%BS: 75%GM and 100%GM mix) we...
Abstract: Organic liquid fertilizer not only increases organic fertility of crops but also accelerates their maturation and nutrient quality. Thus, the present study was aimed at producing organic liquid fertilizer from sheep manure and onion peels through aerobic conditions where after 50 days the solution was converted into organic liquid fertilizer. The experimental design used was complete randomized design (CRD) in two replications. Quantitative analysis was made for composition of plan...
Abstract: ABSTRACT The bioorganic fertilizer obtained through aerobic fermentation comprises a number of growth substances, vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids and useful micro-organisms. Bioorganic liquid fertilizer not only increases bioorganic fertility of crops (in comparison to the control and prototype fertilizer), but also accelerates their maturation and nutrient quality. Thus, the present study was aimed to produce bioorganic liquid fertilizer from camel manure and groundnut husks th...
Abstract: Bioorganic liquid fertilizers are applied in the agricultural field as a replacement of conventional chemical fertilizer. Thus, the present study was aimed to produce bioorganic liquid fertilizer from coffee ground and banana peels through aerobic fermentation in open containers. The fermentation process was carried out under aerobic condition in two replications. Quantitative analysis for composition of plant macronutrients including Percentage carbon(C ), nitrogen (N), carbon to ...
Abstract: The sub optimal fertilizer use and unbalanced fertilizer applications has led to a decline in soil productivity and low response of tef to N and P fertilizers, which might be due to insufficiency of micronutrients in the soil. This study was initiated to investigate and map the status of micronutrients in soil and tef grown on Vertisols of Ada’a district. A total of sixty composite samples for each of soil, tef leaf and grain were collected from twenty georeferenced tef fields of...
Abstract: Climate change presents a significant environmental challenge in the 21st century. This study analyzed rainfall and temperature trends in central Ethiopia from 1986-2018, evaluated farmers' perceptions of climate change impact, calibrated, evaluated, and used the CERES-Maize model in DSSAT to analyze impact and explore adaptations. The results showed significant increasing trends in Sen's Slope estimator at Ambo, Bako, Melkassa, Shashemane, Mojo, Batu, and Arsi Negele. The Kiremt s...
Abstract: Push-pull strategies involve the behavioral manipulation of insect pests and their natural enemies via the integration of stimuli that act to make the protected resource unattractive or unsuitable to the pests (push) while luring them toward an attractive source (pull) from where the pests are subsequently removed. The push and pull components are generally nontoxic. Therefore, the strategies are usually integrated with methods for population reduction, preferably biological contro...
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between chemical fertilizer adoption and agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. Our results suggest that average returns to fertilizer adoption are high. Further, we find substantial heterogeneity across farm households in returns to fertilizer adoption, with comparative advantage playing a significant role in the adoption decision of farmers. While the adoption decision of farmers was largely rational, fertilizer use across plots was sub-optima...
Abstract: The performance of entomopathogenic fungi in pest control is usually affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. This study aimed to determine the effects of various temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 30 ◦C) on conidial germination, mycelial growth and conidial density and virulence to the melon fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae of three selected isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae. The three isolates, ICIPE 18, ICIPE 30 and ICIPE 69, had previously been selected in laboratory bioassays. Perce...
Abstract: Animal food sources provide human beings with minerals considerably in adequate quantities. Fish is an indispensable reliable source of nutrients, as aquaculture is a sector that is fast growing and which provides 50% of the world’s fish production. However, fish production is hampered by the increasing costs of feeds due to the ever rising cost of fish meal, an integral component of fish feeds. Substituting fish meal with cheap, yet highly nutritious ingredients in fish feeds is...
Abstract: The maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca, is an important Lepidopteran pest of cereal crops in Central, East, and Southern Africa. Crop losses due to B. fusca feeding activity vary by region, but can result in total crop loss in areas with high levels of infestation. Genomic resources provide critical insight into the biology of pest species and can allow for the development of effective management tools and strategies to mitigate their impact on agriculture. To this end, we sequenced...