rss_2.0Sciendo RSS Feed for Agricultura Tropica et Subtropicahttps://sciendo.com/journal/ATShttps://www.sciendo.comhttps://sciendo-parsed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6470bf4371e4585e08aa46a2/cover-image.jpghttps://sciendo.com/journal/ATS140216https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0018<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Finger millet is a drought-tolerant and nutritious cereal crop grown in semi-arid areas, especially in Africa and Asia. However, due to a lack of improved variety, the grain yield of the crop at the farmer’s field is lower than in research centers. Therefore, this field experiment aimed to compare the yield of eleven finger millet varieties in the Kebribeyah and Awbare districts in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. The experiment used a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The analysis of variance was computed for eight traits for each location, and the result revealed the presence of significant variability among varieties. However, there was no significant interaction between variety and location for most yield and yield-related traits. In both locations, the results of the analysis of variance results revealed that there was a highly significant difference (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01) among varieties for days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, thousand seed weight, grain yield, and biomass yield, but no significant difference was between the varieties for the number of tillers and traits of the harvest index (not in Awbare). The mean grain yield varied from 1005.0 to 2583.3 kg ha⁻¹ and 950.0 to 2266.7 kg ha⁻¹among the tested varieties in Kebribeyah and Awbare, respectively. Meba and Tessema had the highest mean grain yield and related traits in both locations. It showed that these varieties have superior performance and suitability in both locations. Therefore, these varieties are recommended for Kebribeyah and Awebare and areas with similar agro-ecologies.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00182024-12-30T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0017<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The growing concerns over antibiotic resistance and the need for safer alternatives in broiler production make exploring natural additives like plant extracts imperative to enhance broiler health and performance. This study evaluated the effect of aqueous bamboo leaf extract (BLE) in drinking water on broiler chickens’ performance, haematological indices, and blood oxidative status. Ninety-six Ross 308 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments: T1 (Control, ordinary water), T2 (antibiotics (Tetranor 5% at 5 g per litre of water)), T3 (50 ml BLE per litre of water) and T4 (100 ml BLE per litre of water), each with four replicates of six birds. Performance data were recorded weekly over 8 weeks, and blood samples were collected on day 56 for haematological and oxidative status analysis. Data were analysed using SAS (2000) with means separation via Tukey’s test. Results showed that broilers that consumed water containing 100ml/L BLE had the highest (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05) live weight (LW) of 1078.20 g and weight gain (WG) of 1029.19 g at the starter phase. At the finisher phase, broilers in the 100ml BLE group had the highest (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05) LW (2695.42 g) and zero mortality, whereas the control group recorded the lowest LW (1672.95 g). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05) in broilers that had access to water containing 100 ml/L BLE at both phases. Haematological analysis revealed increased (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05) packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentrations in the 100 ml/L BLE group. Oxidative stress markers showed lower (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) malondialdehyde levels for broilers in the 100 ml/L BLE group than those in the control group. Superoxide dismutase was reduced (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05) for broilers given ordinary water and those given antibiotics but increased for broilers with 100 ml/L BLE. In conclusion, including BLE at 100 ml/L in drinking water enhanced weight gain, FCR, and survival rate while reducing oxidative stress, indicating a promising natural alternative for improving broiler health and performance.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00172024-12-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0016<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Sesame (<italic>Sesamum indicum</italic> L.) grain yield has recently declined partly because of the limited use of organic nutrient sources on degraded tropical soils. The study assessed the agronomic performance of three sesame varieties (V) as affected by organic nutrient sources (T) application. The two factors were arranged in a split-plot with V (White Benue, Cameroun White, and E-8) as the main plot and T (T1: Control, T2: biochar at 2.5 t / ha, T3: biochar at 5.0 t / ha, T4: organic fertiliser at 5.0 t / ha, T5: organic fertiliser + biochar at 2.5 t / ha and T6: organic fertiliser + biochar 5.0 t / ha) as the subplot in a Randomised Complete Block Design and replicated three times. Data were collected on agronomic traits of sesame. The varieties were significantly (<italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05) different in number of days to flowering, capsule formation, and physiological maturity in 2020. Varietal and organic nutrient source effects were significant (<italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05) for height at flowering and harvest in both years. Factor T (T4 – T6) significantly (<italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05) increased capsule and seed weight per plant, and grain yield in both years relative to T1. The V × T interaction was significant for height to the first capsule and seed weight per plant in 2020. Sesame grain yields recorded under T3 – T6 were significantly higher (<italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05) than the control (T1) in 2020 (1.2 – 1.5 t / ha) and 2021 (1.3 – 1.6 t / ha). Prospective organic sesame producers can apply organic fertiliser at 5 t / ha (T4) alone in the humid tropics.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00162024-12-08T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0015<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The nutrient contents of a product can depend on the quantity of fertiliser supplied. An experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in the tropical rainforest‑savannah transitional zone of southwestern Nigeria to determine the nutrient contents of three cucumber varieties as influenced by Gateway Organic Fertiliser (GOF) rates. There were 48 plots of 3.0 × 2.0 m each, separated by 1.0 m pathways. The main plot was cucumber variety (Marketmore, Poinsett, and Marketer) while the sub‑treatment was organic fertiliser rate at 0, 5, 10, and 15 t.ha⁻¹ in a split‑plot arrangement fitted into Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 4 replicates. Fruit nutrient contents differed with cucumber varieties and rates of gateway organic fertiliser. Marketmore variety fruits without application of GOF had higher moisture contents. Poinsett variety fruits cultivated with the application of 5 t. ha⁻¹ GOF had higher dry matter contents. Poinsett variety fruits cultivated with either 10 or 15 t. ha⁻¹ GOF had higher crude protein and carbohydrate contents when compared with other interactions. Poinsett variety cultivated with either 10 or 15 t. ha⁻¹ GOF had higher vitamins A and C contents when compared with other interactions. It was concluded that cultivating the Poinsett cucumber variety with a 10 t.ha⁻¹ GOF rate gave optimum nutrient contents concerning the crude protein, carbohydrate, and vitamin content. The Poinsett cucumber variety cultivated with 10 t. ha⁻¹ Gateway Organic Fertiliser is recommended for optimum nutrient contents.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00152024-11-10T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0014<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Garden eggs are an important vegetable, but often yield poorly due to soil fertility depletion. Biochar has gained interest in mitigating nutrient loss, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) reportedly enhance plant nutrition. However, limited information exists on garden egg responses to biochar application and their interactions with mycorrhizal inoculation. Therefore, the effects of biochar and AMF inoculation on garden egg performance were investigated. In a 3 × 2 factorial field experiment during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons, biochar (0, 2.5, and 5 t/ha) and AMF inoculation (−AMF and +AMF) were evaluated in a randomised complete block design with three replicates. Garden egg (NHSg−3) seedlings were transplanted at 60 cm × 60 cm spacing. Data were subjected to ANOVA at <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05. Applying 5 t/ha biochar and AMF inoculation resulted in a significant leaf area increase compared with their respective controls. Fruit yield was significantly higher with 2.5 t/ha biochar than other treatments. The AMF-inoculated plants had significantly higher fruit yield (726.40 kg/ha) than the untreated plants (644.17 kg/ha). Fruit yield for biochar and AMF interactions ranged from 436.50 (− AMF) to 854.53 kg/ha (+AMF inoculation) at 5 t/ha biochar. However, 5 t/ha biochar resulted in significantly higher weed biomass and lower microbial count, while 2.5 t/ha biochar +AMF and −AMF treatments gave 771.63 and 802.08 kg/ha fruit yields, respectively, enhanced microbial counts, and reduced weed biomass. Applying 2.5 t/ha biochar without AMF inoculation was considered adequate for good garden egg performance and improved soil conditions.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00142024-11-07T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0013<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Amalgamation of inorganic and organic fertilisers can enhance the effectiveness of fertiliser application. Field experiments were conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture’s Teaching and Research Farm in Abeokuta, Nigeria (lat. 7°15’N and long. 3°25’E), to evaluate the impact of cucumber variety and rate of organomineral fertiliser on yield and nutritional value of three varieties of cucumber during the early and late growing seasons of 2019. Three replicates of a randomised complete block design were used in a split-plot layout used for the trial. Poinsett, Greengo, and Monalisa varieties were the main plot, while the subplots were organomineral fertiliser (OMF) rates of 0, 2.5, and 5.0 tons.ha⁻¹. Growth, fruit yield, and fruit proximate composition data were gathered and subjected to analysis of variance. More fruits/plant were produced by the Greengo variety than the Poinsett or Monalisa varieties. In the late season, fruits from the Poinsett variety had higher moisture content than those from the Monalisa variety. OMF rate of 5.0 tons.ha⁻¹ produced highest fruit yield, followed by 2.5 tons.ha⁻¹ OMF treatment whereas plots with no OMF produced the least fruit yield. Fruits from application of 5.0 tons.ha⁻¹ OMF had higher ash content than from 2.5 tons.ha⁻¹ OMF. Fruits from 2.5 tons.ha⁻¹ OMF in the late season had higher content of crude protein than the 5.0 tons.ha⁻¹ OMF in the early season of 2019. Fruits from unfertilised plots had the lowest ash, crude protein, and moisture content in both seasons. The results of the study show that the Poinsett variety with application of 5.0 tons.ha⁻¹ can be commercially cultivated for high cucumber yield and nutritional value.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00132024-11-07T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0011<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Termites are widely dispersed throughout the tropics and attain the highest diversity and abundance in the rainforests of Africa. Understanding their diversity in areas with human activities can provide insights into the local biodiversity and health of the ecosystem. The present study investigated the abundance and diversity of termite species at the Kwara State University campus. The study area was divided into five zones, and thorough examinations of all microhabitats were conducted to detect termite presence. Random handpicking and transect sampling methods were employed to evaluate termite diversity. There were 353 instances of termites encountered between May 2021 and August 2022. The analysis revealed eight termite species in seven genera and three subfamilies. Among these, Trinervitermes geminatus had the highest relative abundance at 48.7 %, whereas <italic>Fulleritermes tenebricus</italic> had the lowest at 1.98 %. All identified species belonged to the family Termitidae, with subfamilies Nasutitermitinae accounting for 50.7 %, Macrotermitinae for 37.7 %, and Termitinae for 11.6 % of the species. Grass-feeding <italic>Trinervitermes geminatus</italic> was the most frequently collected species, followed by fungus-growing <italic>Macrotermes subhyalinus</italic>; both were found across all five campus zones. The species diversity and richness indices observed in the five zones were moderately high. The considerable abundance of termites within the university campus suggests their significance in the ecosystem. There is a need to document termite species present in an ecosystem with human activities because it helps to monitor biodiversity loss in the environment.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00112024-09-12T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0012<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The practice of organic agriculture (OA) in Nigeria has undergone expansion due, among other things, to consumer interest in food safety issues. Organic Farming (OF) is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro‑ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. The study investigated adoption drivers for organic vegetable farming practices among vegetable farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 120 organic vegetable farmers were sampled through a multistage sampling procedure, and survey questions were administered. Data were analysed using frequency counts, mean, and Ordinary Least Square (OLS). The majority of farmers had a good knowledge of Organic Vegetable Farming Practices (OVFP), which aids adoption and is a good signal for economic returns and sustainable livelihoods. The most rated of the three benefit domains was health, which averagely was rated high (x̅ = 1.38), while economic (x̅ = 1.04) and environmental conservation benefits (x̅ = 1.00) were both rated average; with enhanced good health and long life; reduced climate change effects, as well as generation of greenhouse gases and higher premiums in the marketplace identified as top health, environmental conservation, and economic benefits, respectively. Although the majority of farmers highly adopted OVFP, however, a closer examination of the few practices that the majority of the farmers did not adopt was of health and environmental significance. Farmers’ age, education, farm size, household size, knowledge, health, and economic benefits of OF were important drivers of adoption and practices of OF among Oyo State, Nigeria vegetable farmers. OF, therefore, is a sustainable agricultural approach that holds great potential for effectively contributing to local food security, the health of citizens, increased family health, and environmental standards.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00122024-09-12T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0010<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The uptake of new agricultural technologies/innovations is not devoid of some challenges in Nigeria. However, to increase the production level in the sector, there is a need to enhance the adoption of new technologies/innovations. Therefore, this study examined the determinants of willingness to adopt farm service centres among farming households in Abia State, Nigeria. The study collected primary data from 300 farming households with a questionnaire using a three‑stage sampling procedure. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model. Results of socioeconomic characteristics revealed that farming activities in the area were male (58.7 %) dominated, mostly married (82 %) with a mean age of 50 ± 9.7, having 10.5 ± 5.8 mean years of formal education, operating on 0.87 ± 1.3 hectare of farmland with 21 years of farming experience. Binary logistic model result revealed that age, level of education, and farming experience were the factors determining the willingness to adopt farm service centres in the area. The need to boost farmers’ knowledge through an adult literacy programme, and involvement of relatively old farmers in empowerment programme as well as encouraging farmers’ participation in farmers’ associations in the study area is hereby recommended.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00102024-08-29T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0009<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Topography significantly influences soil development and characteristics within an uneven agricultural field. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of soil attributes and processes through detailed pedological knowledge is crucial for effective soil management. This research was carried out in Wasinmi, southwestern Nigeria, to delineate and categorise the soils across different slopes for agricultural insights. Three soil profiles were excavated across the topographical sequence, specifically designated as upper, middle, and lower slope positions. The prevailing soil texture was sandy loam with a discernible trend of lighter soil colour as the slope descended and soil depth increased. The pH of the soil ranged from moderately acidic to slightly acidic. The saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil organic matter content were lowest on the lower slope. Available phosphorus distribution varied inconsistently with higher concentrations of heavy minerals observed at the upper slope. The study underscored the influential role of topography in soil property variations and the need for tailored management practices. The classification of the soils revealed Typic Plintustults in the upper and middle slope positions, while the soils in the lower slope were identified as Typic Kandiaquults. This study demonstrated that topography significantly influenced soil properties, thereby emphasising the need for informed practices to better support the long-term sustainability of land use and agricultural outputs in topographically diverse landscapes.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00092024-08-09T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0008<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The experiments were conducted to investigate the resistance levels among forty‑five lowland rice accessions at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu (Latitude 5°56″N and Longitude 7°41″E) Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Forty‑five rice accessions were screened for their resistance to the blast disease in row planting during the 2017 and 2019 cropping seasons using Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) and were replicated thrice. The data on disease intensity and agronomic performance were subjected to Analysis of Variance and the significant means were separated with the Tukey HSD test at <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05. Assessment of blast disease showed that the incidence, severity, and resistance levels varied significantly among rice tested. Accession NG / SA / JAN / 023 had the highest disease incidence (59.06 %) while accessions NG / SA / DEC / 07 / 0300, TOG 5453, TOG 6804, FARO‑22 and FARO‑57 had no blast symptoms for the two cropping seasons. The disease severity ranged from 0.00 to 3.43 for the two cropping seasons. Five accessions (NG / SA / DEC / 07 / 0300, TOG‑5453, TOG‑6804, FARO‑22, and FARO‑57) were highly resistant, 10 were resistant, 14 moderately resistant, and 16 were moderately susceptible to the disease. In the 2017 cropping season, the result of the grain yield showed that accession Local Foreign and FARO 26 had the value of 46.77 g apiece while NG / SA / DEC / 07 / 0278 had the least (11.00 g). However, in the 2019 cropping season, the results of the grain yield showed that accession Local Foreign produced the highest yield (56.00 g), FARO 26 had 40.31 g grain yield while NG / SA / DEC / 07 / 0285 (22.0 g) had the lowest grain yield. The study concluded that using the blast‑resistant cultivars is the best option in managing blast disease, and the five highly resistant accessions could be planted out in other agroecological zones for further studies on managing rice blast disease in the field.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00082024-08-05T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0007<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Ensiling preserving a forage crop and its nutrients to feed later on as silage. In this study, elephant grass was ensiled with varying levels of molasses as an additive to evaluate its effect on the nutritive value and <italic>in-vitro</italic> digestibility of the silage. Four treatments of <italic>Pennisetum purpureum</italic> grass silage were produced with the inclusion of molasses at 0 (T1), 2.5 (T2), 5 (T3), and 7.5 % (T4) inclusion levels. Elephant grass ensiled with higher levels of molasses inclusions (T3, and T4) had significantly higher <italic>(p</italic> &lt; 0.05) dry matter, crude protein, nitrogen-free extract, and lactic acid than T1 and T2 silages. However, T1 and T2 silages had significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) crude fibre and ash contents. Furthermore, silage without molasses inclusion (T1) had significantly higher <italic>(p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in most of the fibre fractions compared to other silages in this study. At 6 and 15 hours, there were no significant differences (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05) in the means of <italic>in-vitro</italic> gas production. However, gas production was significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in silages with the inclusion of additives (T4, T3, and T2) at 9, 12, 18, 21, and 24 hours of incubation. Conspicuously, silages containing graded levels of molasses as an additive had significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) digestibility and organic matter digestibility than the silage without molasses. The methane gas and metabolisable contents were significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in T3 and T4 silages than T1 and T2 silages. However, T3 had significantly the highest (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) gas volume followed by T2, T4, and T1 silages. It can be concluded that our H1 hypothesis was confirmed and the inclusion of molasses as an additive in elephant grass silage resulted in improved dry matter, crude protein, lactic acid contents, reduced fibre fractions, and superior <italic>in-vitro</italic> digestibility values as well as relatively better gas production by the silage.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00072024-07-06T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0006<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study aimed to evaluate the field efficacy of plasma-activated water (PAW) as a novel technology in agriculture together with vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, and plant aqueous extracts against tomato late blight in a complete randomised block design. Ten treatments were evaluated: Plasma activated water (PAW), a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and vinegar at different ratios (25/75, 50/50 and 75/25) and different mixtures of aqueous plant extracts made up of ten plants: <italic>Ageratum conyzoides</italic>, <italic>Eucalyptus saligna</italic>, <italic>Azadirachta indica</italic>, <italic>Panax quinquefolius</italic>, <italic>Callistemon viminalis</italic>, <italic>Euphorbia hirta, E. cordifolia Laggera pterodonta</italic>, <italic>Ocimum gratissimum</italic> and avocado pit powder. Plantizeb and distilled water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. There was a significant difference (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) in the growth variables between treatments at 10 weeks after transplanting (WAT). All the treatments reduced late blight severity compared to the negative control (100 %) at 10 WAT. Late blight severity on plants treated with Plantizeb, PAW, the mixture of bicarbonate and vinegar (B+V) at 50/50 (33.24 %) and the mixture of <italic>E. hirta</italic> + <italic>E. cordifolia</italic> extract (33.33 %) was the lowest and significantly comparable (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) to Plantizeb (31.67 %). Tomato yield was 2.24 t/ha (negative control), 28.56 t/ha (Plantizeb), 27.23 t/ha (PAW), 30.32 t / ha (B+V at 50/50), and 27.69 t/ha (mixture of the aqueous extract of <italic>E. hirta + E. cordifolia</italic>). The PAW, the mixtures between B+V at 50/50, and the aqueous extract of <italic>E. hirta</italic> and <italic>E. cordifolia</italic> could be exploited for their bioactivity in late blight management in field conditions.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00062024-06-24T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0005<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study evaluated the health effects of feeding diets of different feed particle sizes supplemented with multienzyme to broiler chickens. Cobb500 (n = 450) broiler chicks (as hatched) were randomly distributed to nine treatments, with each treatment consisting of five replicates of ten birds. The experiment was arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial (three feed particle sizes [3, 4, and 5 mm] and three multienzyme supplementations [0, 1, and 2 g/kg]). The blood indices of the chickens were evaluated. The data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and means were compared using the Tukey Test at a 5 % probability level. The correlation between the growth performance and blood indices was also calculated. Birds fed the 3 mm particle sizes had decreased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) red blood cell (RBC) and lymphocyte counts with increased multienzyme at the starter phase, while the other haematological indicators increased as the multienzyme supplementation increased. Feeding the 4 mm particle size yielded similar (<italic>p</italic> &lt; <italic>0.05</italic>) total protein, triglyceride, and uric acid for all multienzyme inclusions. An increase in the multienzyme inclusion increased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) the RBC of birds fed the 5 mm particles with a decreased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) white blood cell (WBC) and eosinophil counts. At the finisher phase, serum albumin increased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05), with increased multienzyme inclusion in birds fed the diet of 3 mm particles. Birds fed 4 mm particles had increased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) ALP and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) with increased multienzyme, while those fed the 5 mm particle size had increased (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) albumin, aspartate transaminase (AST) as multienzyme supplementation increased. The correlation between growth performance and blood indices showed that feed intake (FI) has a significant (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) impact on the blood profile of broiler chickens. The study concluded that other growth performance indicators, except the feed intake, have no impact on the blood profile of broilers. Feed particle sizes impact feed intake in broiler chickens which consequently impacts their blood composition. Therefore, the size of broiler feed particles has an impact on the health and well-being of the birds.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00052024-04-16T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0004<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Land use changes influence soil quality, which is of fundamental importance in sustainable crop production and environmental management. This study evaluated land use impact on soil quality at Samaru College of Agriculture farm, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. The land use types were Tomato/Pepper, Grapevine/Fluted pumpkin, Mango/Orange, and Guava/Mango. A profile pit was dug in each land unit. Soil samples were collected from genetic horizons, prepared, and analysed in the laboratory using standard methods. Sand, silt, and clay differed significantly (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) among the land uses. The soil texture varied from clay loam to clay. Bulk density (BD) was significantly (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) higher under Mango/Orange and Guava/Mango than other land use types. The soil reaction (pH) ranged from 5.0 to 5.8 and was strongly to moderately acidic. Soil organic carbon was low (&lt; 10 g/kg), total nitrogen values of 0.19 – 0.24 g/kg were low, and available phosphorus values of 1.8 – 27.4 mg/kg were rated low to high across the land use types. Soils under the Grapevine/Fluted pumpkin land use type were significantly higher in organic carbon, exchangeable potassium, sodium, and effective cation exchange capacity than the other land use types. Soil quality under Grapevine/Fluted pumpkin was rated best (80 %), whereas soil quality under Tomato/Pepper land use type was the worst (40 %). The soils were low-to-high in quality and had a higher potential to support crop production if management practices that encourage the build-up of nutrients in the soil system were adopted. The application of manure, liming materials, and phosphorus-based fertilisers is advocated.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00042024-03-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0003<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The study determined the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption on crop yield, income, and food security status of smallholder farmers in north-western Nigeria using a sample of 377 farming households. Descriptive statistics, farm budgeting, probit regression model, and treatment effect model were used for data analysis. The result revealed that 82 % of the respondents are adopters of the CSA practices. Significant differences exist in the socioeconomic attributes of the adopters and non-adopters of CSA practices. More so, adopters had significantly larger farm sizes of about 4.0ha compared to 3.4ha for non-adopters. The major CSA practices adopted include crop rotation, application of organic and inorganic fertilisers, and multiple cropping. The major determinants of CSA practices adoption are age, membership of an association, and awareness of climate change impact. The result further shows that CSA adoption will increase technical efficiency scores by 21.9 %, crop income by ₦19,389 ($17.62) per hectare, while the household per capita expenditure on food will also increase by ₦21,938 ($20.0) This implies that the adoption of climate-smart agriculture significantly improved crop yield, income and food security status of smallholder farmers. To sustain the benefits of CSA practices adoption, farmers should be supported so that they do not discontinue its adoption. Credit availability should also be facilitated by the government to enable farmers to obtain relevant agricultural inputs to complement the adoption of CSA practices.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00032024-03-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0002<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study aims to update the list of Nitidulidae species observed on date palms in Algeria (Ziban region), their spatial dynamics according to the development stages (larva, pupa, adult), and the effectiveness of the bagging operation. In 2020, we sampled and examined 1800 dates of the Deglet Nour variety from three palm groves managed with different protection modes: yellow bagging, white bagging, and no bagging. The results obtained mention the presence of nine species of Nitidulidae with five species reported for the first time on dates in Algeria. The highest relative abundance (RA) of Nitidulidae beetles was noted in the southern (28%) direction. However, the variation of infestation rate (IR) according to the direction was not very accentuated. The GLM analysis showed that, except for the adult stage, the direction presented a highly significant effect on the RA variation of the total Nitudilidae, the larva and pupa stages (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), but there was no significant effect of direction on the IR in all studied cases. The highest RA of total Nitidulidae was found on the white plastic-protected dates (RA = 42%), the IR of the total Nitidulidae was higher on dates protected by yellow plastic (IR = 38%). The unprotected dates recorded the lowest RA and IR for all studied cases and the effect of bagging type on the RA variation of Nitidulidae, in all studied cases, was statistically highly significant (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001). This effect on the IR was very highly significant only for total Nitudilidae, larvae, and adults (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001). So, the southern direction presents the best conditions for sheltering the largest numbers of Nitidulidae. The latter also has a marked preference for bunches covered by plastic bags rather than for those left uncovered. This implies the ineffectiveness of the operation of protecting dates with plastic bags, especially the yellow-coloured ones.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00022024-03-02T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-0001<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The use of antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production has been the norm in developing countries, however, the increased rate of antibiotic resistance in humans has resulted in the search for alternatives without negative residual effects. This study investigated the effect of dietary olive garlic extract oil (OGEO) supplementation on the performance and haematological indices of broilers. The experiment lasted for 42 days and broilers were fed varying levels of OGEO‑supplemented diets at the starter (0–21 days) and finisher (22–42 days) phases using two hundred and forty unsexed Ross broilers. Four experimental diets were formulated for the two phases and the diets were designated as diet 1(control (without OGEO)) while diets 2, 3, and 4 were supplemented with OGEO at 1 % (10 g/kg diet) 3 % (30 g/kg diet) and 5 % (50 g/kg diet). Each had four replicates containing fifteen birds per replicate. Performance was measured weekly and haematological indices were determined on days 21 and 42. Data collected were analysed in a one‑way analysis of variance (SAS, 2000) and significant differences were determined using Tukey’s test. Body weight (BW) increased linearly (L) (<italic>p</italic> = 0.003) and quadratically (Q) (<italic>p</italic> = 0.006) with dietary supplementation of OGEO at 1 % for broilers on day 21. Similarly, at day 42, BW increased (L, <italic>p</italic> = 0.006; Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.029) for the broiler on the same treatment. Mortality reduced (Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.035) for broilers fed 1 % OGEO‑supplemented diet at day 42. At day 21, Packed cell volume (PCV, 47.33 %) (Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.033) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV, 130.83pg) (Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.008) increased for broilers fed 1 % and 3 % OGEO supplemented diet respectively. Supplementation of OGEO at 3 % increased (Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.036) PCV (37.33 %) and haemoglobin (Q, <italic>p</italic> = 0.021) (137.30 g/L) at day 42. In conclusion, the supplementation of OGEO in the diet of broilers at 1 % resulted in improved WG and reduced mortality. The PCV and haemoglobin of broilers can be increased with the supplementation of OGEO up to 3 % in the diet of broilers; it is thus a suitable alternative to antibiotics for improved performance and immunity.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2024-00012024-02-03T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2023-0024<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Pigs for commercial production are often housed intensively because of its benefits, such as proper management of the animals, record‑keeping, feed and water provision and management. However, intensive systems of production may also produce stress in animals, arising from operations such as weaning, feed reduction or manipulation, and vaccination. In Africa, pig farmers feed cassava peels to pigs to reduce the cost of production despite its low protein content and anti‑nutritional factor (hydrocyanide). However, little is known about the effect of this feed change in terms of stress on weaners. In this study, we replaced maize with cassava peels and supplemented the diets with a fixed amount of tryptophan (Trp) to investigate its effect on performance, haematology, behavioural response of pigs to weaning, and their response to metabolic stress. Crossbred weaner pigs were used and randomly assigned to three treatments in a completely randomised design. Each treatment had three replicates and each replicate had three animals. The feeding trial lasted for four weeks. Dietary manipulations did not influence the growth performance characteristics and behavioural response of the animals. Packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell counts, and neutrophils were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher for 20 % cassava peel as a replacement for maize but lower for a 40 % cassava peel‑based diet when compared with the control group. Feeding cassava peels as a replacement for maize in weaner pigs may be carefully considered, although further studies in this direction are recommended.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2023-00242023-12-29T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2023-0023<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Agricultural extension service in Nigeria is largely public sector driven. Unfortunately, the sector is not operating at its maximum largely due to weak institutional structure and poor extension to farmers’ ratio. As such, smallholder farmers often suffer low productivity and poor product quality. The study therefore examined the perceptions, utilisation and effectiveness of the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) extension practise in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 120 rice farmers enrolled under the initiative in the study area. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the average age of the respondents was 47.8 ± 1.72 years, 76.7% were male and married (73.1%). The study further revealed that the respondents were smallholder farmers (5.6 ± 7.22 acres). Respondent’s perception of CARI was favourable at 72.5% (36 ± 2.8), Rice Advice (<italic>x</italic>̄ = 1.32) ranked highest at the CARI tool utilised most, while the deployment of CARI extension practise was effective 65.8% (48 ± 3.4). There was a significant association between marital status (<italic>χ</italic>² = 3.242, p = 0.023), utilisation of CARI tools, and effectiveness of CARI in extension practise (r = 0.206, p = 0.001). The study recommends sustained capacity building for enrollees of the initiative to enhance utilisation and ensure optimum effectiveness.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ats-2023-00232023-12-21T00:00:00.000+00:00en-us-1