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Fonio is an easy crop to grow because it grows well even on poor sandy soils, as well as in areas with low rainfall. The crop can withstand long dry spells during the production season which are becoming a common occurrence in the West African sub-region. In The Gambia, the common name for the crop is 'Findi'. It is commonly grown in fields that were previously cultivated with groundnut. Fonio is one of the oldest cereal crops grown in the country; however, its cultivation has drastically declined to the extent that it is currently considered a minor crop in the country. Fonio is a very fast-growing crop and matures earlier than most cereals. Its ability to withstand dry spells and its high nutritive value makes it an ideal climate-smart crop. For this reason, there is renewed momentum in promoting the crop in the country. Despite these renewed efforts in its promotion, there still exists a huge gap in terms of information on improved production practices that could help uplift the existing low yields. Appropriate agronomic practices that can boost fonio productivity are not well documented at national level. To gather information on the input requirements and utilizations, adaptability and productivity of fonio in The Gambia, experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 with the aim of generating important production information that could guide efficient production and enhance productivity. Results obtained showed that fonio responded positively to application of fertilizer. Application of 100 kg [ha.sup.-1] comprising half NRK (15-15-15) and half urea was sufficient to produce financially beneficial yields. Results also indicated that 'Findiba', which is a landrace may not be suitable for cultivation anymore due to its long growth period amidst the short and erratic nature of the rainfall. The Momo and the Momosato varieties which are of shorter durations and high-yielding are more suitable in the existing climatic conditions of the country. Key words: Crop, fonio, fertilizer, variety, production, yield, adaptability, The Gambia, INTRODUCTION Fonio (Digitaria exilis) is one of the oldest native, but neglected, cereal crops of cultural, nutritional and economic importance of West Africa [1]. Fonio seeds are rich in methionine [...]

The integration of organic fertilisers into agricultural practices is one approach to enable more efficient agricultural management systems to decrease adverse environmental impacts of agriculture. In this context, the objective of this research was to determine the impact of long-term crop rotation and organic and mineral fertilisation on soil humus content, humic and fulvic acids, organic matter humification in organic and sustainable agricultural management systems with low (1.90-2.01%) and moderate (2.10-2.40%) initial humus contents. Long-term field experiments with different agricultural management systems started in 1960 at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry and soil humus dynamics experiments were conducted from 2006 to 2017. Results of the long-term use of organic and sustainable agricultural management systems with different crop rotations and fertilisation revealed the positive effect of the applied supplies on soil humus, especially for farmyard manure in combination with green manure. The incorporation of farmyard manure and biomass of white mustard resulted in a lower degree of humification when compared to green manure alone, green manure + mineral N, and farmyard and green manure + mineral N. In the low humus content soil, the degree of humification under all agricultural management systems was significantly improved, on average by 0.9% compared to soil with a moderate humus content. Keywords: green manure, crop rotation, organic and sustainable agriculture, humus, humic and fulvic acids., Introduction One of the most important indicators of soil fertility is the soil organic matter and/or humus content. Under normal conditions, humus is of utmost importance as it supplies most [...]

Soybean is a non-indigenous crop in Nigeria, but has become an important food security crop due to its nutritive, economic and agronomic benefits. In recognition of these benefits, numerous efforts have been made to boost soybean output and productivity in Nigeria through the 'green revolution' pathway. However, despite the impressive widespread adoption of high yielding varieties of soybean in Nigeria, observed yields are still below regional and global averages, prompting research into the disparity between actual yields observed and obtainable potential yield. One of the reasons suggested in literature is that farmers do not fully adopt the 'green revolution' technology package that includes fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, leading to sub-optimal yields. This study therefore assessed the adoption rate and determinants of adopting the complementary components of high yielding varieties of soybean (fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides) among its farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study made use of primary data collected from 108 soybean farmers in a cross-sectional survey with the aid of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Probit regression model. The results show that most of the soybean farmers are male, married and middle aged (average of 50 years), with a mean household size and years of formal education of 9 persons and 4 years respectively. However, while herbicides (93.5%) and pesticides (92.6%) are widely adopted, the adoption rate of fertilizer is low (38.9%) among the soybean farmers. The adoption of these technologies is significantly influenced by gender, education, age, household size, extension contact and credit access, albeit heterogeneously. Soybean farmers that had contact with extension service are more likely to adopt fertilizers, while education and credit access positively influence the adoption of herbicides and pesticides. Female farmers have a higher likelihood of adopting herbicides, but are less likely to adopt fertilizers relative to male farmers. Based on these findings, it is recommended that efforts to expand the rural financial market to improve farmers' access to credit should be made. Similarly, extension activities designed to inform, train and monitor farmers about fertilizer use in soybean production should be intensified in order to encourage the adoption of these complementary components for improved yield, nutrition and welfare of soybean farmers. JEL Classifications: Q01, Q12, Q16 Keywords: Adoption, Multivariate Probit, Soybean, green revolution, Nigeria Corresponding Author's Email Address: peteniy@gmail.com, INTRODUCTION Soybean is a non-indigenous crop in Nigeria, but has become an important food security crop due to its nutritive, economic and agronomic benefits. Although it was introduced to Nigeria [...]

Bioassays were undertaken in a controlled environment to assess whether the potential for suppression of Rhizoctonia root rot of wheat, in a highly calcareous topsoil, was positively influenced by nutrient (nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P)) addition and whether any disease suppression response to augmented nutrition was affected by the addition of carbon (C), either as a readily available C source (sucrose) or as wheat stubble. The soil was P deficient, which limited plant growth, populations of putatively beneficial soil microorganisms, and microbial activity and diversity. This ultimately reduced potential for suppression of Rhizoctonia solani AG8. Addition of fertiliser P to the soil increased R. solani AG8 DNA and percent root infection but not the effectiveness of the pathogen. A positive effect of P fertiliser on plant growth partially compensated for the negative effect of increased root infection. Addition of P increased DNA for Microbacterium spp. where labile C had been added and in the presence of plant roots. Stubble addition alone, after 6 weeks of incubation, increased DNA for Pantoea agglomerans, Trichoderma A and Microbacterium spp. although differences in microbial activity and diversity between stubble treatments were only detected after the bioassay had commenced and P was added. Fertiliser P addition to stubble-amended soil resulted in less Rhizoctonia infection compared with that in soil without P or stubble addition. Effectiveness of R. solani AG8 was decreased by 50% with stubble amendment. The application of N alone did not have a marked effect on plant growth or potential for suppression of Rhizoctonia root disease. Agronomic management practices that affect quantity and lability of C input to soil, when combined with strategic P fertiliser decisions, are likely to improve the potential for development of suppression of Rhizoctonia root rot disease in cereal crops on alkaline and highly calcareous soils. Keywords: calcareous, microbial diversity, nitrogen, phosphorus, soil-bome diseases, Rhizoctonia, stubble management, suppression., Introduction A large proportion of cereal production in Australia occurs in semiarid regions on coarse-textured soils that have many edaphic limitations to agricultural productivity (McKenzie et at. 2004). These limitations [...]

'Farmers should get analysis of their soil first and then use fertilisers according to needs of crops. In this way, they could increase their cotton production by 25-30 per cent [...]

The excessive use of fertilizers in horticulture applications generates subsoil and groundwater contamination due to their high solubility. A possible solution to this problem is the incorporation of nutrients in biodegradable matrices, allowing nutrients to be released in a controlled manner depending on the needs of the crops. The principal objective of this work was the evaluation of the incorporation of different salts into soy protein-based matrices to develop devices that could release micronutrients in a controlled manner. Thus, the processability of matrices with different incorporated salts such as zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnS[O.sub.4]*7[H.sub.2]O), zinc sulfate monohydrate (ZnS[O.sub.4]*7[H.sub.2]O), zinc carbonate (ZnC[O.sub.3]), and zinc perchlorate (Zn[(C1[O.sub.3]).sub.2]), as well as their integrity and functionality have been evaluated. Results show the great potential of soy protein-based matrices for the incorporation of micronutrients such as zinc. However, salt incorporation has a detrimental effect on the water uptake capacity of the matrices. KEYWORDS biodegradable, injection-molding, matrix, proteins, 1 | INTRODUCTION Growing population combined with the increasing consumption economy generates a need for overproduction. [1] Regarding horticulture, this need results in farmland depletion because soils do not have [...]