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Abstract: Application of nitrogen fixing biofertilizer, such as Azotobacter, has a potential for reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of nitrogen fixing biofertilizer addition to common practices of urea and fresh cattle manure usages for maize (Zea mays L.) growing on N2O emission. The field experiment was conducted at GunungKidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The treatments were addition of fresh cattle manure (M), fresh cattle manure added with nitrogen fixing biofertilizer (MB), urea (U), urea added with nitrogen fixing biofertilizer (UB), and control (no N fertilizer added). Nitrogen contents of the added urea and fresh cattle manure were adjusted to be equal. Urea and fresh cattle manure were given three times throughout the experiment period, i.e. 12, 30, and 48 days after planting (DAP). Urea was given at a rate of 44, 29, and 15 kg.ha-1, respectively while fresh cattle manure was given at a rate of 6000, 4000, and 2000 kg.ha-1, respectively. The emitted N2O was collected using a closed-chamber method at 24, 42, 60, and 72 DAP and were determined using Gas Chromatograph. Soil properties including available N (NH4+-N and NO3--N) and organic C contents were also analyzed. On the harvesting time, the harvest index and the grain yield were determined. Biofertilizer addition influence decomposition process of cattle manure and urea that led to mineralization and nitrification of residual organic matterand hence to cause soil NH4+N in the order concentration of M treatment > MB > U > UB>C, and soil NO3--N of MB treatment > M > U > UB>C. Reduction of NO3-N was resulted in the highest N2O emission of M >U>MB>UB>C(P < 0.01). The grain yield, and harvest index of maize wereresulted in the order value of MB> UB > U > M>C treatments.Available mineral N and soil organic C contents strongly affected N2O emission (P < 0.01).The results suggested that biofertilizer addition to common agricultural practices reduce N2O emission and simultaneusly increased grain yield, and harvest index of maize. Keywords: Azotobacter, urea, cattle manure, nitrous oxide.Download Full Article |
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Abstract: A field study was carried out during 2013 at the experimental area of Entomology Section, Agriculture Research Institute, (ARI) Tando Jam to examine the effect of bio-pesticides against sucking insect pests of brinjal crop under field conditions. Five treatments with three replications were applied. The treatments were: T1=chemical control (confidor/Diamond), T2=Neem (Azadirachta indica), T3= Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), T4= Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globus), T5= Untreated (Control). Three insect pests were found infesting brinjal including white flies, jassid and mites. Pre treatment- and post-treatment observations were recorded. The results revealed that against white fly, the first spray of chemical control(confidor) showed highest reduction percent (96.62%) followed by Neem extract (82.60%), Tobacco extract (75.95%), Eucalyptus extract (73.93%) and lowest for untreated control (11.07%); while in the second spray also, chemical control(Diamond) showed highest effect against white fly (78.32%); followed by Neem extract (67.53%), Tobacco extract (56.43%), Eucalyptus extract (42.25%) and least by untreated plot (5.49%). Against jassid, chemical control (confidor) showed highest effect (77.90%) as observed during 1st spray, followed by Neem extract (55.95%), Tobacco extract (53.38%), Eucalyptus extract (53.99%) and untreated control (8.00%), while after second spray also chemical control (Diamond) showed highest reduction percent (81.70%) followed by Neem extract (68.73%), Tobacco extract (55.72%), Eucalyptus extract (50.66%) and the lowest was resulted by untreated control (13.91%). Against mites population on brinjal the first spray results showed that chemical control (confidor) showed highest effect (98.19%) followed by Neem extract (96.19%), Tobacco extract (95.75%), Eucalyptus extract (86.86%) and least population was recorded in untreated control (9.96%). After second spray, chemical control (Diamond) showed highest reduction percent (99.65%), followed by Neem extract (98.33%), Tobacco extract (92.85%), Eucalyptus extract (88.93%) and the lowest reduction percent was resulted by untreated control (9.14%) respectively. Chemical control (confidor/Diamond) showed its superiority in effect to combat sucking insect pests studied in brinjal, followed by Neem extract, Tobacco extract, Eucalyptus extract and untreated control remained the least. Keywords: Plant extract, Synthetic pesticides, Sucking pests, Brinjal. Download Full Article |
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Abstract: Phytotoxicity or allelopathy means poisonous results by a composite onplantgrowth, composites may be trace metals, pesticides salinity or phytotoxins. Some of the medicinal plants have phytotoxic activities which inhibit the growth of weeds and unwanted plants which are not of our desire. The present study is aimed to investigate the phytotoxic assessment of Centaurea pullata methanolic extract (CPME) roots. Dried plant were ground and extracted with methanol to prepare methanol crude extract. In-vitro phytotoxicity activity was conducted using these methanolic extracts as per standard procedures. The inhibitory effect of Centaurea pullata extract is tested on stalk and root of Portulaca oleracea and using four concentrations (3, 1.5, 0.75 and 0.37mg/ml) of plant extract and distal water in control. The result is noted on 5th and 10th days. The results obtained from these experiments showed that the crude methanolic extract of Centaurea pullata slightly inhibits the roots and shoots of Portulaca oleracea seeds as compared to the control plate which was not treated by the above mentioned sample extracts shown in Figures as. From the results obtained that, Phytotoxicity activity of Centaurea pullata methanolic extract showed non-significant results. Purification and in vivo studies of these plant are required for further verification. Keywords: Phytotoxicity, Alelopathic, Portulaca oleracea, Centaurea pullata. |
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Abstract: One hundred and twenty white leghorn layers of 80 weeks having uniform body weight were randomly divided into 15 experimental units of 8 birds each and reared under standard managemental conditions. Five treatments (each having three replicates) i.e. control T1 (commercial layer mash), T2 (layer mash having 6% fiber + 1X enzyme), T3 (layer mash having 8% fiber + 1X enzyme), T4 (layer mash having 6% fiber + 2X enzyme) and T5 (layer mash having 8% fiber + 2X enzyme) were randomly allotted to experimental units. Egg production, egg weight and feed consumption were recorded for eight weeks. Egg mass, feed conversion ratio/dozen egg and feed conversion ration/kg egg mass was also calculated. Data was analyzed statistically using analysis of variance technique under completely randomized design. Treatment means were compared using least significant test. It was found that egg production increased significantly by the T2 but was non-significant with the control group. The different treatments showed significant decrease in feed consumption as compared with control group. Significant improvement in egg mass was found in control group and was non-significant with T2 and T4. There was significant effect of enzyme supplementation on feed conversion ration/dozen egg and feed conversion ratio/kg egg mass. T2 and T4 showed best feed conversion ratios per dozen and per kg egg mass. Maximum profit/bird was observed in T2 followed by T4, T5, T3 and T1, respectively Keywords: Fiber degrading enzyme, Layers, production performance, Economical appraisal.Download Full Article |
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Abstract: A rapid urbanization results in increased levels of atmospheric pollutants and magnitude of this increase is much higher in the cities of developing world. Speciation of chemicals in rainwater is one way to assess the degree and nature of atmospheric contaminant accumulation and sources of these contaminants. In June 2010 an episode of heavy rain in the megacity of Karachi occurred due to the impact of Cyclone PHET, which was expected to hit Karachi city along the Arabian Sea. Cyclone impacted rainwater samples were collected from all over Karachi city and analyzed by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. A wide range of concentrations were observed among different sites i.e. pH (range 6.13 - 7.92, average 7.31), conductivity (range 9µS/cm - 154µS/cm), major anions F- (0 - 9.22µeq/L), Cl- (31.7 - 184.7µeq/L), NO3- (2.2 - 13.7µeq/L), SO42- (9.3 - 614µeq/L) and cations Ca2+ (13.1 - 364.3µeq/L), Mg2+ (5.83 - 72.65µeq/L), Na+ (49.1 - 344.7µeq/L), NH4+ (0.86 - 58.59µeq/L) and K+ (0 - 61.44µeq/L). This wide variation of distribution was attributed to the long range transportation and climatic conditions due to cyclone effect. Industrial area samples showed a dominating character of industrial influence whereas residential areas were influenced more with the coastal impact. Spatial interpolations were used to interpret the chemical data on geographical maps using ArcGIS®. Keywords: Rainwater, cyclone, urbanization, industrialization, contaminants.Download Full Article |