Volume 7 Number 6 (November 2022)

Identification of Bacteria as Health Indicators of Mangrove Crab (Scylla Serrata) at Farm Suppliers in South Kalimantan

Anny Rimalia, Yulius Kisworo, Bahrun, Husinsyah, Ahmad hidayat

This study aims to identify the types of pathogenic bacteria in mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata) and determine the health condition of mud crabs (Scylla serrata) at farm supply in South Kalimantan Province. The research method used is a case study, with sampling of mangrove crabs by purposive sampling at the farm supplier by considering the form supplier is already a legal entity, is still active in shipping and the frequency of shipments is quite a lot as well as continuous delivery to domestic and export destinations. For locations, sampling of mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata) was carried out at 3 (three) farm suppliers, namely CV. ACS in Banjarbaru City, CV. Three A's in Banjar Regency and UD. SLM in Banjarbaru City. For bacterial examination, it was repeated three times with the number of crab samples adjusted to the delivery population at the time of the study. The results showed that 15 mud crabs were infected with the pathogenic bacteria Plesiomonas sp (42%) followed by Actinobacillus sp. (39%), Vibrio sp. (16%) and Moraxella sp. (3%). The most common type of pathogenic bacteria infecting the farm supplier CV. ACS is a type of Actinobacillus sp. as many as 5 tails, while on the farm supplier CV. Three A are Plesiomonas sp. and Actinobacillus sp each as many as 5 tails and on farm supplier UD. SLM is a type of Plesiomonas sp as many as 6 tails. The condition of the mud crab (Scylla serrata) is declared physically healthy with the characteristics when the swimming legs are pulled away from the carapace and then released, the legs move quickly to their original position, the eye stalks are very responsive, that is, they enter the orbital area when touched, the mouth does not release foam, color The carapace is bright and does not have a bad smell and there are no pathogenic bacteria found in mud crabs that are harmful to the human body or safe for consumption.

An Assessment of a Major Global Full-Service Network Airlineâ€™s Waste Management: A Case Study of Korean Air

Glenn Baxter

Using an in-depth longitudinal research approach, this study has examined how Korean Air, a major global full-service network airline, manages its wastes in an environmentally sustainable manner. The study period was from 2007 to 2021. Korean Air has defined and implemented a “Green” Management Policy that underpins its sustainability goals. The airline’s waste management is underpinned by the 3Rs Waste Management Framework. Korean Air aims to reduce wastes wherever possible. Where this is not possible then the airline aims to re-use its wastes. Wastes that are unsuitable for re-use are recycled when their characteristics are suitable for such an approach. Wastes that cannot be re-used, recycled, or incinerated are disposed to landfill. The airline’s cabin wastes are disinfected and incinerated in accordance with the relevant regulations. Wastes generated by Korean Air can be broadly split into domestic waste generated from transportation services and designated or hazardous waste generated from aircraft maintenance. The case study found that there was an overall upward trend in Korean Air’s annual recycled wastes from 2010 to 2019. The airline’s incinerated wastes exhibited a general upward trend from 2007 to 2019. Koreans Air’s annual wastes disposed to landfill displayed a general downward trend during the study period. Koreans Air’s annual wastes were influenced by the reduced passenger traffic and flight operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the global aviation industry and has the global pandemic resulted in a downturn in passenger traffic and flight operations.

Wild mushrooms in the hillside of Landour, Mussoorie

Chandrima Debi

Landour is located at an altitude of about 6,800 to 7,798 ft in the Lower Western Himalaya, in the Mussoorie Range. Along the hillside of Landour one of the oldest residential schools in Asia, Woodstock School is situated. It encompasses a considerable forested area, which is mostly monoculture of Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) with intermittent Deodars, Pines and Rhododendrons. The climatic condition, forest type and soil in the hillside are congenial for growth and development of different species of mushrooms. A variety of mushrooms belong to edible, poisonous and medicinal species can be seen during rainy season. In the present study, six different mushroom species were collected during rainy season (July to September, 2022). Amongst the six species, five species were mycorrhizal, four species were edible, three species were medicinal and two species were non edible, while one species was poisonous. This study unravelled the abundance of the mushrooms in the campus.

Selected lines from Tai Nguyen Cho Dao for drought tolerance and good grain quality in rice (Oryza saltiva.L) at Long An , VietNam

Lang thi Nguyen, Khoa Bien Anh, Linh Nguyen Van Huu, Hieu Bui Chi, Buu Bui Chi

Selected of Tai Nguyen Cho Dao (TNCD)rice varieties tolerant to drought, high-yielding and good quality is very essential demands has raised to provide poor farmers in coastlines conditions as lowland in Long An ,VietNam. The purpose of this experiment is to selected of 22 lines from TNCD rice varieties tolerant to drought on the basis of a combination of two methods by molecular markers and evaluated phenotype. Evaluating drought tolerance of 22 lines from TNCD on the basis in the field of drought conditions to select promising lines to meet for farmers applying into production. Methods: selection of drought tolerant alleles for landrace rice at Long An by SSR( simple sequence repeated) markers and evaluated phenotype. Results: Some high yielding and good drought tolerant lines as lines: (TNCD 01, TNCD 15 and TNCD 22), however, also many lines failed due to many reasons: expansion of growth day, high rate of unfilled grain, not good for grain quality. Three lines (TNCD01, TNCD15, TNCD22) good for three characters such as high yield, and tolerance with drought. Based on morphological and SSR marker the line TNCD 01, TNCD 22 was identified as good quality which was further confirmed through molecular characterization techniques using RM201, HATRI13D, RM328, RM316, RM 5353, RM3480 primers. Sequence of TNCD01; TNCD22 were submitted to GenBank with accession number MT992254 and MW917241 respectively. Tolerant lines from Tai Nguyen Cho Dao have high-yielding rice varieties. This is a opportunity to improve good landrace rice varieties for condition of selected drought landrace rice varieties in Long An ,Vietnam.

The Role of Animal Traction Technology in enhancing Production for Small Scale Farmers in Sierra Leone

This paper summarises the results of a base line survey conducted in 2019 and gives an overview of the current status of animal traction in the country. The study assessed the socio-economic characteristics of household heads utilizing the technology, the application of animal power and its associated opportunities and constraints. A total of 130 households were targeted and data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Majority (99.2%) of household heads using this technology were males. The ethnic groups mostly involved in animal traction were Madingos (18.6%), with the least being the Shebro tribe (1.6%). Farming was the main source of income for about (96.1%) of the respondents. The level of awareness of the technology was very high and most (71.3%) of the household heads became aware about traction from other farmers. Cattle was the sole draught animal used and was mainly sourced through purchase (69%). In the selection of oxen for traction, bulls of medium sizes and aged 2 years were the most preferred. Household heads possessed an average of 9.73 years of experience in animal traction and owned at least a farm site with mean sizes of 6.93 acres. Animal power was mostly preferred over traction due to ease of management, cost effectiveness and its potential to give higher crop yields. Traction services was estimated as readily available by (32.6%) of the farmers, with (10.1%) citing the service as not readily available. Animal traction was used solely for agricultural purposes and ploughing was the most common activity. A set of oxen was reported to plough about 1.4 acres within 5.1 hours with weekly and annual work cycles of 5.2 days and 5.3 months respectively. Operators of work oxen were mostly males with few adolescent boys and rarely women. (77.5%) of household heads owned implements with about (22.5%) not owning implements. Majority (80.6%) of the implements were imported with (19.4%) locally fabricated. In conclusion, the awareness and use of animal traction for agricultural purposes was quite high and due to its numerous advantages is highly recommended for small scale farmers.

Poultry Farmers Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Insurance Policy in Kogi State, Nigeria

J. A. Ojogbane, T. M. Gbigbi

This study looked at the factors that affect poultry farmers' willingness to pay for insurance. Using a standardized questionnaire, 120 farmers was randomly chosen. Binary logistic regression, the t-test, means, frequency distribution, and percentages were utilized to examine the data. One of the main conclusions was that most farmers were men. The bulk of respondents (96.7%) were found to be literate, with the average age of farmers being 44 years old. The majority of responders (72.5%) were married, and poultry farmers had an average of about 12 years of experience. The majority of respondents (62.5%) lived in households with an average of six people and did not belong to any cooperative societies. About 70% of survey participants said they had never used extension services. Before and after owning an insurance policy, a farmer's average yearly income was N145,110.83 and N252,692.92 respectively. About N5466.87 was the average price that poultry farmers were ready to pay. Income, extension access, awareness, cooperative society membership, access to credit, gender, flock size, marital status, and distance, at 5% probability levels, were the characteristics that affected willingness to pay. In order to enhance willingness to pay for poultry insurance, the study recommends measures that would increase poultry farmers' access to agricultural insurance at subsidized rates.

The Selectivity of Buton Pot’s Escape Gap in Kotania Bay, Maluku, Indonesia

Agustinus Tupamahu, Jacobus B Pailin, Haruna, Selfi Sangadji

This research was aimed at proving the differences between the catch results of fish trapped inside the bubu buton (fish pot) and those that escaped through the escape gap and to analyze the selectivity of the escape gap for the dominant trapped fish. This research was carried out in Kotania Bay in the period of March-May 2019 through fishing experiment. Five units of bubu buton with a dimension of 70x70x26 cm, containing 4 escape gaps in each unit, were used during the experiments carried out with a total of 11 trips. The results showed that there were 19 fish families caught during the study, dominated by Scaridae family. There was a significant difference between the weight of the trapped fish and those that escaped through the escape gap at the significance level of t_α0,05. Among the 19 families caught, the trapped percentage was different between the fish trapped inside the fish pot and those that escaped through the escape gap. The 50% trapped and escape chance (L50) of the Scaridae family from the escape gap was found in fish with a total length of 22.3 cm, which became the indication of sustainable management.

The Epidemiology of Peste des Petits Ruminant of Small Ruminants in Sierra Leone

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a major constraint to the productivity of small ruminants in Sierra Leone. The survey aimed to investigate the prevalence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and create awareness among livestock farmers on the dangers of the disease to the livestock sector in the study districts. The sampling frame was small ruminants rearing households in Sierra Leone and 298 households were included in the study. A multi-stage sampling was utilized for the selection of individual livestock households. First purposive selection of the five districts, then random selection of chiefdoms, sections, and small ruminant rearing households in the village/locality respectively. Structured questionnaires were developed and administered to the 298 selected households in each locality/village. Data collected were entered into CSEntry using tablets and later imported and stored in the SPSS (version 21). Males are the dominant household heads and most of them went through a non-formal system of education. Goats, chickens, and sheep, are the predominant livestock reared by the households. Many of the respondents can identify the clinical signs and symptoms of PPR, and reported the incident of the disease in their farms. Free range management system in the dries and uncontrolled movement of animals along borderlines are the main sources of PPR outbreaks. The unavailability of vaccines and drugs are principal problem hindering the disease control programmes in the study localities. Though the livestock owners are aware of the morbidity and mortality effects of PPR disease, they have little knowledge of the preventive and treatment measures of the disease on their farms.

Livestock Systems and Forage Resources of Small Ruminant Farms in Some Selected Districts in Sierra Leone

This survey was conducted to ascertain the demographic attributes of household heads, type of livestock kept, rearing systems, feed resources utilized and also to assess farmer’s knowledge on feed production and conservation. A total of 298 household heads were randomly selected within five districts and interviewed. Results indicated that majority of the households (73.2%) were headed by men with only (26.8%) headed by women. In terms of educational status 54.7% of the household heads did not go to school, while 24.1% attained formal education and (21.2%) attained Koranic education. Data for religion showed that 94.3% of the respondents were Muslims with 5.7% being Christians. Among the households, (95.6%) kept poultry, (89.5%) kept goats, (51.3%) kept sheep, 5% reared cattle, with only 1% keeping pigs and none rearing rabbits or grasscutters. In terms of average numbers of livestock per household; chickens were (12), ducks (4), and guinea fowl (3). Goats were (5), sheep (4) and cattle (5). Management system for poultry, small ruminants and cattle was mostly semi-intensive in the wet season and extensive in the dry season except for pigs which were managed intensively during the rains, and extensively during the dries. Housing provided for poultry was mostly in the form of cages and baskets, with small ruminants mostly housed in sheds and within fenced areas. Cattle were majorly sheltered in paddocks and pigs confined in fenced areas during the rains and left to roam during the dries. Few farmers reported that they do not provide housing for their animals. Most household heads (83.6%) practiced grazing/scavenging as the main source of feeding animals with only (16.4%) practicing zero-grazing. The grasses most browsed by the animals were Panicum maximum (21.5%), Andropogon gayanus (17.1%) and Pennisetum purpureum (10.1%). The legumes; Centrosema pubescens, Pueraria phaseoloides, and Mucuna pruriens were hardly grazed by the animals with values < or = 1.0%. Majority (91%) of the household heads fed their animals with forages, with only (3.4%) providing concentrate and (7.4%) utilizing supplements. None of the famers (N=298) fed their animals with hay or silage as they lacked knowledge on animal feed production. Crop residues were utilized by (30.2%) of the household heads, with cassava leaves residues (77%) the most fed and soybean haulms (17.8%) the least fed. Shortage of animal feed was most severe in the peak of the dry season (February-march), with 75.9% of households feeding their animals on forages during this lean period through the cut and carry method. From this survey, findings indicated that the inclusivity of women in livestock rearing is low, with management systems still traditional and mostly characterized by low numbers of conventional and a total absence of non-conventional livestock. Furthermore, un-balanced feed rations, feed scarcity and lack of technical know-how in compounding and conservation of animal feed was mostly existent.

An Assessment of the use of the ISO 50001 Certified Energy Management Systems by Airports

Glenn Baxter

This study has examined the airports located throughout the world that have implemented an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System (EMS). The research used an in-depth instrumental case study research design. The study period was from 2011 to 2022. The study found that ISO 50001 certified Energy Management Systems are increasingly being adopted by airports and these systems are playing a key role in their environmental management. Airports located in China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Europe, India, Turkey, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America have implemented ISO 50001 certified Energy Management Systems since the inception of this standard in 2011. ISO 50001 certified Energy Management Systems have been implemented by hub airports, by airports that service both domestic and international airlines services, and by smaller regional airport. The case study found that airports are using their ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System to optimize their energy efficiency. These airports have implemented a very wide range of energy conservation measures, including the use of light emitting diode (LED) systems, the electrification of ground service equipment and vehicles, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, building heating and cooling systems optimization, and the optimization of energy for plant and equipment. The case study also highlighted the importance that the airports using an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System are placing on the use of more environmentally friendly renewable energy sources.

Soil carbon stock and physico-chemical properties in important plantations of Tamil Nadu, India

A. C. Surya Prabha, A. Rajkamal, M. Senthivelu, S. Pragadeesh

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an important role in soil fertility and is of paramount importance for its contributions to mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The present study was undertaken to estimate the SOC stock and soil properties in important plantations of the Southern zone in Tamil Nadu. Four different species were selected for the study viz, Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Melia and Teak. In all the plantations selected for estimation of biomass, composite soil samples were collected at three different depths; i.e., 0-15, 15- 30 and 30-45 cm. The soil samples were analysed for the carbon stock and various properties such as pH, Electrical conductivity, Organic carbon, Available N, Available P, Available K. Among Eucalyptus plantations, clonal plantation of >6 years sequestered the highest amount of soil carbon (19.8 Mg ha-1) at 30 cm depth. SOC stock was maximum in Casuarina plantation of > 5 years (23.3 Mg ha-1). Among the different Melia plantations, maximum SOC stock was observed in Melia plantation of 5 to7 years old (15.6 Mg ha-1), and in Teak plantations, SOC stock was highest in plantations of > 15 years old (22.1 Mg ha-1). The soil pH and Electrical conductivity significantly differed among the plantations and decreased with an increase in the age of plantation. Nitrogen availability was highest (303.98 kg ha-1 ) in >5 years of Casuarina clonal plantation at 0-15 cm depth. Among the plantations the available potassium was high in surface soils (0-15 cm) of >5 years Casuarina clonal plantation (329.50 kg ha-1). The data generated in the present study would provide valuable information on the scope of afforestation and reforestation projects for sustaining the livelihoods of the farming community and also will encourage them to contribute to mitigating global carbon emissions and expanding forest and tree cover.

Effect of Corn Waste Fermentation as Livestock Feed on Fiber Fraction Content

Corn straw and cob are wastes from corn farming which are not utilized. These corn wastes have potential as an alternative feed for livestock, but have low nutritional quality. Therefore, these corn wastes are fermented to improve its nutritional quality. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of corn straw and cob fermentation on the fiber fraction content. This experiment used a completely randomized design with 6 treatments, namely control (elephant grass and grinting grass), corn straw, fermented corn straw, corn cob, and fermented corn cob. Each treatment was repeated 5 times. The variables measured were Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The results showed that the treatment had a very significant effect on the content of NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Based on the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that corn cob fermentation can reduce lignin content thus corn cob lignin content can match elephant grass but on the contrary corn straw fermentation cannot be able to reduce lignin content.

Impact of Occupational Hazards on the Technical Efficiencies of Oil Palm Processors in Edo State, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of occupational hazards on the technical efficiencies of oil palm processors in Edo State. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 210 oil palm processors in the study area. Data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, Occupational Hazard Indices and Stochastic Frontier Production Analysis (SFPA). Results revealed that 79%, 90.5% and 80.5% of the processors were male, married and educated respectively. Also, the mean age, processing experience and household size were 42 years, 15 years and 7 persons respectively. The most prevalent occupational hazards experienced were smoke irritation (100%), presser injury (94.3%) and spikelet injury (83.8%). The occupational hazards indices computed were, lost time rate, incidence rate and severity rate with values of 15.85, 23.77 and 2.4 respectively. SFPA revealed that the mean technical efficiency of the oil palm processors was 0.75. Furthermore, palm fruits (β = 0.662, p

Impact of Fecal Waste Management on the Profitability of Poultry Farmers in Nigeria

Eric Okomado, Christopher Osamudiamen Emokaro, Peace Chukwuyem Ugbekile

The observation that there is far more quantity of poultry waste than can be managed by land disposal being produced yearly suggests the obvious problem of poultry waste management. This scenario offers great opportunities for organic farming and bio-energy generation in Nigeria. Hence, this study examined the economic contribution of fecal waste to the profitability of poultry farmers in Delta State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling process was used to select the 123 poultry farmers for this study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, profitability ratios and the Stochastic Frontier Profit Function model. The Gross Margin analysis gave a value of ₦5,771,437.10 and a Net Farm Income of ₦1,960.18 per bird. The profitability ratios showed a Profitability Index of 0.86, a Rate of Return on Investment of about 19.25%, and a Return per Naira Invested (RNI) of ₦0.23. From the Stochastic Frontier Profit Function analysis, veterinary cost and cost of labor for fecal waste management had a significant positive effect on profit efficiency. The cost of birds and depreciation on fixed input had a significant negative effect on profit efficiency. Age and cooperative membership of layer farmers were significant socioeconomic factors positively influencing profit inefficiency. While education and household size were shown to negatively influence profit inefficiency. It was therefore concluded that farmers should focus on improved quality feed either self-compounded or purchased and better emolument for their workers as these positively influenced their profit. They should also be enlightened on the huge benefit of fecal wastes-to-biogas-electricity technology.

Effectiveness of some biological control agents and agricultural practices in controlling pea leaf blight caused by Ascochyta spp. under field conditions

Ahmed I. S. Ahmed, Mohamed K. M. Agha

Ascochyta blight is one of the most common diseases that threaten pea and cause severe crop losses. The research is concerned with the integrated control of this disease by studying the effect of biological control agents with inorganic salts, planting dates and planting distances, especially in light of climate change and the impact of these factors on the spread of the disease. In this study, two bacterial strains Bacillus megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescens as biocontrol agents; potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate were evaluated with the effect of planting dates, where the first date was at the beginning of October, and the second date was at the beginning of November. Also the distance between the irrigation lines (0.75 and 1.5 meter) in two successive seasons 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 under the conditions of the Dakhla Oasis, the New Valley Governorate. The best results were with the first date of planting and a planting distance of 1.5 meters, which led to a significant reduction of disease severity, with a significant increase in traits associated with vegetative growth. Also, treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens led to an increase in vegetative growth and plant height compared to treatment with Bacillus megaterium. By studying the interaction between planting dates with biocontrol agents, it led to a significant decrease in disease incidence and severity, with a significant increase in vegetative growth. Also, there was no significant effect with interaction between planting dates and planting distances, while it had a significant effect on the incidence and severity of infection. Bacterial isolates used in this study with mineral salts contributed to increasing plant growth rates and reducing ascochyta blight infection rates. Further studies can be conducted to include these treatments within the integrated control programs for Ascochyta blight on pea.

Evaluation of heat stress tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes using stress tolerance indices in the western region of Nepal

Heat stress is the major constraint for wheat production causing significant drops in the yield and potential productivity making it difficult to achieve the target yield by 2030, increasing food insecurity in Nepal. The main aim of the study is to help plant breeders to select appropriate heat stress-tolerant indices for increasing wheat yield by coping with the major problem of heat stress. The experiment holds the study for three years at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Paklihawa campus. The experimental trial was of alpha-lattice design with 5 blocks and 4 plots. There were in total of 2 replications each of 20 genotypes. MP (Mean Productivity) had the highest strong correlation with the stress tolerance indices followed by STI (Stress Tolerance Index) for all three years, whereas YSI (Yield Stability Index) had the lowest tolerance index with a negative correlation for the years 2019 and 2021. The selection of MP and STI is encouraged for the production of heat-stress-tolerant varieties for high-yielding with tolerance.

Correlation analysis of maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes: A review

In many regions of world, maize is one of the most significant crops grown for staple foods. To increase the effectiveness of breeding programs using the right selection indices, it is very important to be aware of the correlations between grain yield and its numerous causal (contributory) components. This article presents the results of many studies that were carried out to ascertain the nature of relationships between grain yield and its contributing factors and to pinpoint those factors with significant effects on yield with the goal of using them as selection criteria by using path coefficient analysis (PCA). The direct and indirect impacts of cause factors on effect variables are displayed through path analysis. This approach divides the components of the correlation coefficient between two traits into those that assess the direct and indirect effects. Plant height, number of kernels per row, ear per pant, ear height, leaf width, days to 50% silking, tasseling, ear diameter, ear length, thousand kernel weight, days to physiological maturity, tassel length, and ear weight may have significant (or non-significant) influence on grain yield, either positively or negatively. The present review of different studies might be useful to the breeders to select the potential parental materials for maize improvement program in Nepal as well as region with similar geographical topography.

Bilimbi Fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) Juice: Nutritional Analysis and Microbial Analysis

Jessica D. Astillo

Food’s nutritional analysis guarantees that it contains the correct number of vitamins and minerals while also allowing for a better understanding of the food's fat, carbohydrate dilution, protein, fiber, sugar, etc. Identifying pathogens and food spoilage microorganisms is essential to food microbiology because it ensures consumer safety, prevents brand desecration, and reduces the cost of remediation after failed inspections or food poisoning outbreaks. This study's primary objective was to determine the nutritional content and identify the hazardous microbes in the Bilimbi Fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) Juice. The study used an experimental methodology and underwent careful analysis to get detailed results regarding the product. To ascertain the product's nutritional value, samples of the three treatments—plain, grapes, and apple—were sent to theF.A.S.T. Laboratory. Analysis revealed that Bilimbi Fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) Juice contains Vitamins and minerals that benefit consumers; it includes Crude Fiber, Calcium, Vitamin C, and phosphorus. The result is that each of the three treatments' nutritional contents of "Bilimbi Fruit Juice" is within the recommended dietary requirement for Filipinos. Microbial Analysis reveals no hazardous microbes and bacteria found in the products. Therefore, Bilimbi Fruit Juice is an organic and nutritional juice safe for consumption and an excellent alternative to existing fruit juice on the market.

Perception of Farmers on Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies Employed to Enhance Rice Production in Taraba State, Nigeria

This study examined perception of farmers on climate change and adaptation strategies used to enhance rice production in Taraba State. Specifically, the study sought to determine the awareness level of rice farmers about climate change, perception of rice farmers regarding climate change and adaptation strategies used by the farmers in rice production in Taraba State. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses. The study employed survey research design. The population of the study was 608 rice farmers; using multi stage random sampling technique a sample size of 315 was selected and used for the study. Instrument used for data collection was a researchers’ designed structured questionnaire. The instrument was face validated by 3 experts, a field trial of the instrument was done using 20 rice farmers in Mayo Belwa Local Government Area, Adamawa state; using Cronbach Alpha technique, a reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained. The researchers administered 315 questionnaire instruments but 300 were retrieved (95% return rate). The data generated were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions while z-test was used to test the three null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. Findings showed that the perception of farmers about climate change is positive, their level of awareness is high and multifarious adaptation strategies were used by rice farmers in Taraba State to combat the menace of climate change. The study concluded that the meteorological agency should keep on creating awareness for farmers. The study recommended among others, an up-to-date and continuous flow of information about climate change from government agencies to local farmers and vice versa for better use of current adaptive strategies to enhance rice production in Taraba State. Also, Farmers need supports regarding climate change which would help them to apply different mitigating measures against climate change for enhanced rice production in Taraba State.

Analyzing dynamic of changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Semi-arid of Eastern Sudan, Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Mapping land use and land cover (LULC) changes at regional scales is essential for a wide range of applications, including landslide, erosion, land planning, global warming etc. LULC alterations (based especially on human activities), negatively affect the patterns of climate, the patterns of natural hazard and socio-economic dynamics in global and local scale. However, LULC change, especially those caused by human activities, is one of the most important component environmental changes (Jensen, 2005). LULC is an important component in understanding the interactions of the human activities with the environment and thus it is necessary to be able to simulate changes. The aim of this study is to identify, evaluate and examines the spatial and temporal change detection of LULC in the study area during the time periods of 1984 to 2018 with emphasis on accuracy assessment to judge the applicability of maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) method in this case of study, and to ensure the accurate change detection. To investigate the (LULCC) changes in the semi-arid of Eastern Sudan from 1984 to 2018, the study has been done through remote sensing and (GIS) approach incorporated with field verifications for extracting information. This was done by downloading free of cloud and processing multi-spectral Landsat satellite imageries covering the study area over successive periods (1984 and 2018). The maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) method applied for mapping of LULC based on pixel-by-pixel and image differencing, which are used to enhance the change assessment. Ground truth observations are also performing to check the accuracy assessment of the classification. The methods employed in this study were, data identification and acquisition, image pre-processing and processing, validation, post classification, matrix of change, interpretation and maps change presentation. The images were classified into five thematic LULC classes which were; Dense trees and shrubs, low dense vegetation, farmland bare/grassland, moving sand and stabilized sand by means of (MLC) based on supervised classification technique with acceptable accuracy assessment. Pre-classification and post-classification change detection (CD) methodologies were executed using image change detection (CD) and image differencing by matrix of change respectively. These methods gave different results in term of LULC areas, and it is generally concluding that supervised classification gave the most accurate results with the images of medium spatial resolution. The present study has brought to light that dense trees and shrubs that occupied an area about 27401.7ha (11.27%) of the study area in 1984 has increased to 46614.3ha (19.17%) in 2018. Whereas, the moving sand occupies an area about 38519.2ha (15.85%) in 1984 has increased to 43198ha (17.76%) in 2018 respectively, which are the most dominant classes in the study area. Low dense vegetation, farm, bare, grassland and stabilized sand also have experienced change. Low dense vegetation has decreases from 20.41% to 19.38%, while the farm, bare, grassland has decreases from 24.22% in 1984 to 19.75% in 2018, which represented the cultivated land, as well as decreases in stabilized sand from 26.65% in 1984 to 23.84% in 2018 respectively over the 34-year period. Maps of the LULC changes available in GIS platform can be used for enhancement of the available tools for further planning and environmental factor for future in the region.

3D Numerical Simulation of Submerged Vane

Yusuf Can Özdemir, Fatih Üneş, Bestami Taşar, Hakan Varçin, Ercan Gemici

When water is taken from desired parts of the natural or regulated riverbed, it is necessary to use river regulating structures to prevent slope and bed erosion. The main project criterion used in this type of river regulation structures is the flow discharge and velocity. Submerged vane structures are an effective and alternative method used to control the flow in river regulation studies. In this study, the river regulation study with submerged wane structures was modeled in 3D with computational fluid dynamics programs (CFD). Submerged vane model results obtained using 3D computational fluid dynamics were evaluated by comparing them with flow velocities obtained from previous submerged vane experimental results. In the generated numerical model, nonlinear and continuity, turbulence model equations were used. The k-ε turbulence model was used for turbulent viscosity. When the results of the current model were compared with the previous experimental study, it was seen that the experimental results and the modeling analysis results were compatible.

Association of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria with Sanitation of Street Vendors Food

Indira Kunwor, Anup Basnet

A cross-sectional study was conducted on street-vended food randomly from different areas of Kathmandu Valley to assess the number of viable bacteria in street food, distribution of different bacteria, antibiotics resistance profile of isolated bacteria, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Vancomycin-Resistant S. aureus (VRSA) in Kathmandu valley. Altogether 339 isolates were identified from one hundred eighty (180) food samples. The average mean plate count ranges from the highest TMTC to the lowest 3.26*108 CFU/ml. In this study, four different spp. of bacteria were identified from different food samples, among them, Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the most frequent isolate 147(43.36%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) 120(35.39%), Salmonella spp. 51(15.04%) and Shigella spp. 21(6.19%). S. aureus was susceptible to penicillin (95%) followed by amoxicillin (75%), ciprofloxacin (60%), and nitrofurantoin (57.5%). E. coli was highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin (63.3%) but the Salmonella isolates showed sensitivity towards Amoxicillin which is (76.5%) and Shigella spp. was highly susceptibility towards penicillin (100%) and ciprofloxacin (100%). Distribution of (Multi-Drug Resistant) MDR among total isolates was found to be the highest in Shigella spp. (100%) followed by Salmonella spp. (76.4%), S. aureus (70%) and E. coli (69.38%). Out of 339 isolates, 93 isolates were MRSA and 81 isolates were VRSA, 57 were both MRSA and VRSA. This study showed that the majority of street-vended food items in Kathmandu valley were contaminated with one or more different multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, there is a dire need to implement stringent public health measures to mitigate food-borne diseases.

Evaluation of the cross-pollination in maize (Zea mays L.) synthetic varieties grown in the High Guinean savannah zone conditions

In Cameroon, maize is the most widely cultivated cereal and is consumed by more than one third of the population. This study aimed to evaluate in the tropical conditions the cross-pollination rate in four recipient synthetic maize varieties by xenia phenomenon depending on distance to the pollen source and wind direction. The experimental design was triplicated split plot with each replication arranged as a 576 m2 Latin square area. The combined analysis of variance showed a highly significant effect (p10 m) is recommended for reducing genetic pollution and ensuring coexistence of different genotypes in maize production field.

Trend of Changes in Quantitative and Qualitative Traits in the Next Generation of BC3F2 Genotype from Crosses of Parent of High Protein Corn with Local Waxy Corn

Edy, Andi Takdir, St. Subaedah

Corn can be used as an alternative staple food, but it is underdeveloped because it generally does not taste fluffier like rice. Therefore, it is necessary to develop corn that tastes fluffier, has high protein and has high production. The purpose of this study was to determine the trend of changes in quantitative (production) and qualitative (protein and amylopectin levels) traits in the next generation of BC3F2 genotype from a cross between high protein maize parents (Srikandi Putih variety) and high amylopectin maize (Local variety of Waxy corn). Seeds of Waxy corn, Srikandi Putih Varieties, BC2F1 and BC3F1 will be used as basic materials in this study. The study was designed in the form of a Randomized Block Design. The treatments consisted of genotypes BC2F1, BC3F1, Srikandi Putih Variety and Local variety of Waxy Corn. For the BC3F1 genotype, 210 plants were self-treated to produce the BC3F2 genotype. The results showed that there was an increasing trend of high protein and production characters from the inheritance of the Srikandi Putih Variety to the BC3F1 and BC3F2 genotypes. This was supported by an increase in ear length, ear diameter, weight of 100 seeds, seed weight per plot and seed production per hectare and an increase in protein content. The same trend also occurred in the character of amylopectin levels from the inheritance of local waxy corn parents to the BC3F1 and BC3F2 genotypes which were increasing.