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Volume 6 Number 5 May 2020

Performance Evaluation of Early Maturing Ground Nut Varieties in West Guji lowland, Southern Ethiopia


Authors: Ejigu Ejara ; Kemal Kitaba ; Zinash Misganaa ; Mulatu Gabisa ; Ganene Tesama
Pages: 73-77
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/jac.65.73.77
Abstract
Groundnut is an important oil seed crop, grown throughout the tropics and sub tropics worldwide. It is one of the three economically important oilseed crops grown in Ethiopia. Groundnut is commonly produced by small scale farmers as food and cash crops in the study area. The area has potential to the production of Ground nut for food and nutrition security as well as export commodity. However, scarcity of varieties that fit to the environment is one of the major constraints of production. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate five Ground nut varieties and select early maturing varieties with considerable yield and agronomic traits. The field experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018 at Abaya and varieties were planted in Randomized complete block design (RCBD). Data were collected on yield and important agronomic traits. The computed analysis of variance revealed significant variations among varieties for days to maturity, number of primary branches, number of pegs per plants, Grain yield and shelling percentage. The pooled over year mean of varieties indicated , Tole- 1 variety ( Check) is high yielding with mean grain yield of 4174.7kg followed by variety Sedi (3552.5kg/ha) and Babile local (3550.4kg/ha).Variety Sedi has special merit in terms of earliness  and therefore recommended for moisture stress areas of Abaya and location with similar agro ecologies while Tole -1 (Standard check) is high yielding varieties and should be used in production until new varieties will be developed through selection/breeding program.

Foliar Application of Liquid-Silicate Rock Fertilizer Reduced Pest and Disease Attacks and Improved Bean Production of Cocoa


Authors: Joko Priyono ; I. G. M. Parta Tanaya ; Muliatiningsih
Pages: 68-72
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/jac.65.68.72
Abstract
Besides the lack of soil fertilization, the primary biotic stressor limiting the production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) in Indonesia is pest and disease attacks (PDAs). As a part of the efforts to find out the appropriate solution for the farming constraints, a field trial was carried out for 14 months (2015 – 2016) in Genggelang - North Lombok Regency, Indonesia. The main objective of the experiment was to identify the effects of the use of locally-available materials, i.e., liquid-silicate rock fertilizer (LSRF), botanical pesticide (BP) of neem, and black ants (BA) of Doliccoderus thoracic, on PDAs, bean production, and polyphenol and lignin contents of cocoa pod shell. A randomized complete block design was laid out in three blocks, and the treatments were LSRF, LSRF+BP, LSRF+BA, BA, and control. Results reveal that the application of those materials reduced the intensity of pest and disease attacks (e.i., respectively, 6 - 24 % and 3 - 9 % lower than for that of the control), increased 18 – 119 % of bean production, and improved the polyphenol and lignin contents of pod shell. The highest increase (119 %) of bean production was due to the foliar application of LSRF. The positive effect of the treatments, especially the use of LSRF, associated with the improvement of the resistance of cocoa to PDAs and appropriate supply of plant-essential nutrients. Therefore, the foliar application of LSRF may be promoted as a proper method to improve the production of cocoa, especially of that grown on less fertile soils.