Agricultural Season Research Articles

A study of Three Planting Dates and Spraying with Zinc, Boron and Polyamine (Putrescine) on the Qualitative Characteristics of Broccoli

The experiment was carried out during the two winter agricultural seasons 2020-2021 AD and 2021-2022 AD in Anbar Governorate / Fallujah District, 60 km west of Baghdad on the banks of the Euphrates River. The factorial experiment included 18 treatments of 2x3x3 using a factorial experimental within split-plot according to the randomized complete block design. Planting dates were placed in the main plot, zinc and boron factors in the sub-plot, and the polyamines puterscine in sub-plot.They distributed randomly within the dates with three replications, so that the treatments become 54, the results showed that the second date was superior in the percentage of chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, reaching 313.99, 299.76 mg 100 g−1, 4.51, 4.30%, 0.37, 0.36%, 1.37, 1.30% for the two seasons, respectively, the third date excelled by giving the highest vitamin C date, which reached 294.07 and 292.97 mg g−1, while the triple interaction showed the superiority of the plants planted on the second date of the first and second seasons between the planting date and spraying with zinc, boron and spraying polyamine, the highest rate in the percentage of chlorophyll and the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which amounted to 339.70, 325.83 mg 100 gm−1, 4.85, 4.56%, 0.40, 0.44%, 1.58, and 1.56%, compared to the lowest rate for the third date, which amounted to 243.73 and 236.06 mg 100 g−1, 2.97, 2.49%, 0.25, 0.23%, 0.89, 0.96% for the two seasons, respectively.

The Effect of Nano-Fertilization and Tube Size on the Qualitative Characteristics of Two Types of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch)

This experiment was conducted in the unheated plastic house of the Horticulture and Landscaping Department of the College of Agriculture / University of Tikrit in the agricultural season 2021-2022. To study the effect of nano-fertilization at a concentration of 0, 1.5, and 3 g, and planting with different sizes of plastic tubes with a diameter of 4, 6, and 8 inches on the qualitative characteristics of two varieties of seedlings of the Fragaria ananassa Duch plant. Anthocyanins reached 18.16 mg 100gm-1, tube 6 inch was superior in terms of total acidity and reached 1.26%, while tubes 6 and 8 inch were superior in percentage of soluble solids, total sugars and percentage of dry matter in fruits. The cultivar Albion was significantly superior to the cultivar Rubygem in terms of total acidity, reaching 1.25%, while the cultivar Rubygem was superior to Albion in the percentage of total sugars, amounting to 2.23%, and the percentage of anthocyanins in the fruits, amounting to 17.51 mg 100g-1. Significant in the percentage of total solids, which amounted to 12.00%, and the percentage of total sugars, which amounted to 2.24%.

The role of silicon and salt stress in some vegetative traits and mineral content of mint plant Mentha piperita L.

The experiment was carried out during agricultural season 2021, to study the effect of adding two types of silicon on the vegetative growth characteristics and mineral content of mint plant grown under the salt stress. The experiment was designed using Randomized Complete Block Design RCBD as a factorial experiment with two factors and three replicates, each replicate contains 9 experimental units, each unit consists 3 pots. The first factor included adding two types of silicon oxide as well as the comparison (S0 control, S1 nano-silicon, and S2 normal silicon); the second factor is salt stress included adding pure NaCl in three concentrations, (N0 0 g L-1, N1 0.45 g L-1and N2 1.45 g L-1). The results of study showed that there are significant differences caused by the experiment factors in number of lateral branches, number of leaves, and total leaf area, as the treatment S2N2 outperformed significantly with highest value of branches number, leaves number, and total leaves area which were 8.60 branches plant-1, 286.80 leaves plant-1, 1211.5 cm2 plant-1 respectively compared with control S0N0 which gave the lowest values; 7.10 branches plant-1, 182.90 leaves plant-1, 643.3 cm2 plant-1 for the same traits. S2N0 treatment was significantly superior in mineral content of NPK in leaves and gave the highest percentages of N 3.30%, P 0.5550%, K 1.96% compared with S0N2 treatment with the lowest percentages of N 2.90%, P 0.4283%, K 1.81%.

Effect of spraying with balanced nano fertilizer and boron on yield and chemical characteristics of two hybrids of cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.

This study was conducted during agricultural season 2021-2022 at the research station of Department of Horticulture and Landscape/ College of Agriculture/ Tikrit University, to study the effect of foliar application of balanced nano-fertilizer and boron on two hybrids of cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. The experiment included three factors, the first factor is three concentrations of balanced nano-fertilizer viz, 0, 20 and 30 g L-1 the second factor is spraying of boron at two concentrations namely, 0 and 5 mg L-1. The third factor is using two hybrids namely, Dlal and Globe Master. The experiment was laid out according to Randomized Completed Block Design (R.C.B.D.) With split plot arrangement with three replications. The results showed that, the spraying with boron at 5 mg L-1 concentration led to a significant increase in the total head weight, marketable head weight, head circumference, total plant yield, and nitrate ratio. The hybrid Dlal had highest values in all studied characteristics except the nitrate percentage compared with the hybrid Globe Master.

Seasonal Crop Yield Prediction in Nigeria Using Machine Learning Technique

The old methods adopted in the past by were very slow, undependable and sizable quantity of crops are damaged in fields because bacterial attacks and lack of adequate information. automating agriculture processes may likely be the solution to feed the nation in the future. Though there is still debate on its application to agriculture. The importance of food security in any society cannot be over emphasized, therefore balancing the inputs and outputs on a farm is fundamental to its success and profitability. With the increase in population index food production need to meet population growth, creating a wide gap between demand and supply of food. Data Mining is emerging research field in crop yield analysis. In the past farmers make use past yield to predict what they may likely have when farming in the current season The yield prediction is a major issue that remains to be solved based on available data. Data mining are the better choice for this purpose. Three (3) Different Data Mining techniques will be used for predicting crop yields during rainy and dry season. This research proposes and implements a system to predict crop yield from previous data. This can be done by using association rule mining on agriculture data. This research focuses on creation of a prediction model which may be used to future prediction of crop yield. It also shows that South East has the best in terms of accuracy for rainy season farming with model performance evaluation 138.9 using Decision Tree Classifier.

Commercialization of teff growers and determinants in west Ethiopia: Double hurdle model analysis

Promoting commercialization of agricultural production is a cornerstone of the rural development strategies of Ethiopia and commercialization of smallholder farming is not yet adequate enough to enable farmers be profitable. This study was designed to analyze the smallholder farmers’ teff commercialization in Guduru District, Western Ethiopia. Two-stages sampling procedure was followed to select 154 teff producer farmers from four randomly selected kebeles. An interview schedule was used to collect household survey data during the 2016/2017 farming season. The Household Commercialization Index was used to assess the levels of market participation. Double Hurdle Model was used to identify the key factors that influence farmers’ teff commercialization. The results revealed that about 78% of sampled farmers sold teff during a production year of 2016/2017. The model result indicated that education of household head, family size, land holding size, land allocated to teff, farm output, participation in off/non-farm activities, lagged teff market price, access to market information and cooperative membership were found to significantly influence the probability of participation in teff output market. Intensity of participation in the teff output market was significantly determined by sex of household head, age of household head, family size, family labor and distance to the nearest market. Based on the findings, the study recommends that government should give emphasize on rural education system, family planning program, productivity improving measures, access to communication facilities and institutional services, enhance the female headed households and improving rural roads.

Effect of organic and bio-fertilizers on okra plant growth

This experiment aimed to determine the impact of organic and biological fertilizers on the development of the okra plant. The research was carried out in a private field in the Al- Madinah district north of Basra during the 2022 agricultural season. Organic manure (cow manure) was added to the soil at two different rates of 5% and 10% of the soil weight at a depth of 30 cm. Biofertilizer was sprayed on the leaves at three different rates of 2%, 4%, and 8 g/l of yeast suspension. Comparisons were made between the outcomes and the control group (without any addition). The experiment outcomes demonstrate that all indicators of vegetative growth and production were maximized by treating organic fertilizer at 10% concentration and spraying biofertilizer at 8 g/liter concentration. It attained the most significant values for plant height, leaf number, leaf area, fruit weight, and overall plant yield, measuring 156.18 cm, 85.34 leaves, 1.48 m2, 4.86 g, and 338.16 g/plant, respectively.

Evaluation of herbicide in growth and yield of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and associated weeds

This study was conducted for the aim of evaluating the performance of three types of selectivity herbicide to control weeds in the fields of soft wheat (bread wheat). A variety in the agricultural season 2020 - 2021 in two locations, the first site in Bashiqa district north of the city of Mosul on the rain line and the second site in the research station of the field crop department At the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, the experiment was carried out Randomized Complete Design .The Results show two study sites recorded the highest average dry weight trait of the weed (82.28, 55.69) gm-2 and (18.33, 18.67) plants .m-2 sequentially, and differed effect from most herbicide coefficients at both sites. While the treatment of Lancelot and Claudia herbicide when applied the recommended concentration and recorded the lowest average dry weight of the weed and number at both study sites. All herbicide coefficients superiority significant the comparative treatment in the adjective (plant height, number of spikes, spike length, weight of 1000 grains, and grain harvest) in the first location and excelled in the adjective (plant height, number of grains in spike, and spike length) at the second location. Lancelot and Claudia’s treatment outperformed the rest of the studies in the grain quotient status and scored the highest average of (285.0, 277.5) gm-2 respectively at first position (349.26, 324.75) gm-2 respectively in the second position.

Effect of humic application on qualitative traits of bread wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was carried out at the research station of the Department of Field Crops in the College of Agriculture at the University of Tikrit during the winter agricultural season 2020-2021 AD in gypsum soil. The aim of study was the effect of three stages of ground addition of humic with an amount of 32 kg.ha, which is the stage of four leaves and flowering in addition to (control treatment) in the chemical traits of soft wheat varieties, which are Al-Rasheed, Tammuz 2 and Ibaa 99). The results were as follows. Significant differences were observed between the studied varieties. The cultivar Tammuz 2 excelled in the traits of protein percentages (13.23) %, gluten (26.66) %, and dry gluten (9.60%), while the rational cultivar recorded the highest average of the two labels, the gluten coefficient (60.14) and the sedimentation coefficient (26.22). The date of addition in the branching stage excelled in the traits of humidity, protein and wet gluten, and the addition stage in the flowering stage excelled in the trait of the gluten coefficient. Sedimentation coefficient, while the overlapping treatment of cultivar Tammuz 2 with the date of addition in the branching stage was superior in the proportions of protein and wet gluten, and the treatment of overlap Tammuz 2 with the date of addition in the flowering stage was superior in the percentage of dry gluten.

Effects of calving season on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo steers

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the effect of calving season on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic efficacy of Hanwoo (Korean native) steers. Three hundred and forty-four Hanwoo calves were employed. The calves were divided into the following two groups: spring-born calves (end of February to April; n = 167) and autumn-born calves (end of August to October; n = 177). The average daily gain (ADG) of the 3–6 months, fattening period(12-30 months of age) and experimental period (birth-30 months of age) tended to be higher for spring-born calves than for autumn-born calves(p < 0.01). The body conformation traits almost part was higher spring-born calves than autumn-born calves(p < 0.05). Spring-born calves also had higher carcass weight and back fat thickness than autumn-born calves (p < 0.05) and net income. Thus, based on birth weight, growth performance, carcass weight, and farmers’ income, we recommend that calves should be produced in spring rather than autumn on seasonal breeding farms.

Qualitative traits of two types of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and their content of medically active substance sulforaphane in response to treatments with zeolite and nano-potassium

The experiment was carried out in the agricultural fields of the College of Agriculture/ University of Kerbala, during the winter agricultural season 2022-2023. The experiment included adding three levels of zeolite 0, 10, and 20 t ha-1 (Z0, Z1, Z2) and spraying three concentrations of nano-potassium 0, 1, 2 g L-1 (K0, K1, K2), and the treatments were applied on two types of radish, the Spanish black radish (B) and the local red radish (R), according to a factorial experiment with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed a significant effect of zeolite and nano-potassium, either alone or in combination, in improving the chemical content of the two types of radish The treatment BZ1K1 was superior in both the percentage of carbohydrates in the roots 5.19% and the content of the roots of sulphate 68.00 mg 100g-1, while the treatment BZ2K1 had a significant effect on the content of the roots of the medically active substance sulforaphane, reaching 12.36 μg ml-1. It can be concluded from this study that, in order to confront the environmental pollution, it is possible to rely on natural soil conditioners such as natural zeolite and reduce the quantities of added fertilizers through the optimal use of nano-fertilizers, but their long-term environmental and health effects should be concerned.&#x0D;

Evaluation of Some Morphological Characteristics of Several Genotypes of Capsicum Plant (Capsicum annuum L.) in northwestern Syria

For protect biodiversity and preserve local genetic types, the research was carried out to evaluate some morphological traits of several locally types from Capsicum annuum Plant (Qarn-Aljamous, Qarn-Alghazal, Haskuria, Long-Mutabasha, Short-Mutabasha, Safrania, and Harimia) of Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria for the agricultural season 2022. The morphological characterization was carried out by applying 20 qualitative characterizations that included the characteristics of plants, flowers, fruits and seeds. The distinctive qualitative morphological characteristics were the nature of the flower growth, the shape of the fruit, the appearance or absence of the base of the fruit, and the wavy cross-section of the fruit. Morphological characterization results of the studied types, based on some morphological characteristics, showed that there is a difference between these types, especially in the character of the nature of flower growth and fruit traits. The results of the cluster analysis also showed that the studied models were distributed into two groups: the first included (Long-Mutabasha, Short-Mutabasha, Safrania, and Qarn-Aljamous) and the second included (Qarn-Alghazal, Haskuria, and Harmia

Effect of vermicompost, Mycorrhiza and humic acid on some bi-chemical and yield characteristics of pepper Capsicum annuum L. under greenhouse conditions

A field experiment was carried out under the conditions of protected agriculture in the agricultural season 2020-2021 to study the effects of three factors: The first is the addition of vermicompost, with three levels: 0, 10 and 20 tons ha-1, the second factor is the addition of Mycorrhiza to the soil with two levels: without and with vaccination of 10 g per plant; and the third factor is spraying humic acid in three concentrations: 0, 2.5 and 5 ml l-1 on some biochemical properties and yield characteristics of pepper, according to randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results showed a significant effect on chlorophyll a, b, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in leaves, ascorbic acid content in fruit, and yield per plant. The best interaction was when adding the third level of vermicompost (20 tons ha-1) with vaccination of Mycorrhiza and spraying the third level of humic acid (5 ml l-1) on most of the studied characteristics of the plant. Keywords: vermicompost, humic acid, Mycorrhiza, Capsicum annuum L.

Effect of adding chemical, organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on the availability of NPK and organic material in calcareous soil

A field experiment was carried out in the agricultural season 2021-2022 in one of the farming fields in the region of Muqdadiya, Al-Harouniya district, located 40 km northeast of Baquba district of Diyala governorate. (Soil Survey Staff, 2006). It is located at a longitude of 53° 34' N and latitude of 56° 04° 45° S. The experiment aimed to study the effect of adding chemical and organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on NPKS concentrations and cauliflower yield. The investigation included three factors; the first factor was the addition of organic fertilizer (buffalo waste) at three levels (0, 5 and 10%) of the terrace size, which M1, M2 and M3 respectively symbolize. It was added at a depth of 0-30 cm a month before planting the seedlings in the field. The second factor was the addition of NPK compound chemical fertilizer (20:20:20) at two levels (0 and the full fertilizer recommendation is 300 kg H-1 when planted as a feed) and symbolized by C1 and C2, respectively. The third factor is spraying seaweed extract with three levels (0, 2 and 4) ml L-1 represented by A1, A2 and A3. The experiment results showed that adding chemical fertilizer significantly affected the availability of organic material in the soil. The 2C treatment (and the full fertilizer recommendation of 300 kg H-1) outperformed and reached 2.96 gm kg-1; nitrogen availability in the soil amounted to 2.96 %. As well as the availability of phosphorous in the soil, which amounted to 76.28 mg P kg 1-soil, and potassium availability in the soil amounted to 76.28 %. The addition of buffalo manure to calcareous soils significantly affected the readiness of the organic material. Also, treatments M2 and M3 outperformed in soil with a value of 3.34 and 23. 4 g/kg-1, and nitrogen availability in soil amounted to 29.88 and 31.25 mg N kg-1-. The M3 treatment also excelled in the availability of phosphorous in soils, which amounted to 86.98 mg P kg-1-soil mg M kg-1-soil. The availability of potassium in the soil amounted to 361.33 %. The triple interaction between the studied factors significantly affected the availability of organic material in soils. The M2×C2×A3 treatment also excelled in recording the highest value, which was 3.85 gm kg-1, nitrogen availability in soil amounted to 37.75 %, phosphorous availability in soil amounted to 94.16 mg P kg-1 and potassium availability in soil amounted to 436.42 mg kg1-soil. Keywords: chemical fertilization, organic fertilization, seaweed extracts.

Effect of adding chemical and organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on NPKS concentrations and cauliflower yield

A field experiment was carried out in the agricultural season 2021-2022 in one of the agricultural fields in the Muqdadiya, Al-Harouniya district, located 40 km northeast of the Baquba district of Diyala governorate. The agrarian soil was classified as silty clay (Soil Survey Staff, 2006). It is located at a longitude of 53° 34’ N and latitude of 56° 04° 45° S. The experiment aimed to study the effect of adding chemical and organic fertilizers and spraying seaweed extracts on NPKS concentrations and cauliflower yield. The investigation included three factors: adding organic fertilizer (buffalo waste) at three levels (0, 5 and 10)% of the terrace’s size, symbolized by M1, M2 and 3M, respectively. It was added at a depth of 0-30 cm a month before planting the seedlings in the field. The second factor was the addition of NPK compound chemical fertilizer (20:20:20) at two levels (0 and the full fertilizer recommendation is 300 kg H-1 when planted as a feed) and symbolized by 1 C and 2 C, respectively. The third factor is spraying seaweed extract with three levels (0, 2 and 4) ml L-1 illustrated by A1, A2 and according to an RCBD randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment results showed that adding organic fertilizer (10% of the size of the terrace) led to a significant increase in the head’s weight, reaching 1.611 kg. The results of the experiment showed that the addition of organic fertilizer (10% of the size of the terrace) led to a significant increase in the weight of the head, as it reached 1.611 kg plant-1, the sulfur concentration in the fruits was 2.00 mg sulfur kg-1, the nitrogen concentration in the leaves was 4.68%. The phosphorous concentration in the leaves was 25%, and the potassium concentration in the leaves was 2.05%; chemical fertilization also increased head weight from 1.385 kg. Plant-1 to 1,108 kg Plant-1.There was an increase in each of the sulfur concentrations in fruits from 2.00% to 1.53%, in the nitrogen concentration in the leaves from 4.60% to 3.48% and an increase in the phosphorous concentration in the leaves from 0.37% to 0.26% and an increase in the potassium concentration in the leaves from 2.78% to 2.27 %, spraying seaweed extracts at a concentration of 4 mmol. L-1 led to a significant increase in head weight, which reached 1.282 kg. Plant-1, nitrogen concentration in leaves 803% and potassium concentration in leaves 2.58%.As for the triple interaction .Keywords: chemical fertilization, organic fertilization, seaweed extracts, cauliflower.

Effect of a native bacterial consortium on growth, yield, and grain quality of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) under different nitrogen rates in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico

ABSTRACT A field experiment was carried out to quantify the effect of a native bacterial inoculant on the growth, yield, and quality of the wheat crop, under different nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates in two agricultural seasons. Wheat was sown under field conditions at the Experimental Technology Transfer Center (CETT-910), as a representative wheat crop area from the Yaqui Valley, Sonora México. The experiment was conducted using different doses of nitrogen (0, 130, and 250 kg N ha−1) and a bacterial consortium (BC) (Bacillus subtilis TSO9, B. cabrialesii subsp. tritici TSO2T, B. subtilis TSO22, B. paralicheniformis TRQ65, and Priestia megaterium TRQ8). Results showed that the agricultural season affected chlorophyll content, spike size, grains per spike, protein content, and whole meal yellowness. The highest chlorophyll and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, as well as lower canopy temperature values, were observed in treatments under the application of 130 and 250 kg N ha−1 (the conventional Nitrogen dose). Wheat quality parameters such as yellow berry, protein content, Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-Sedimentation, and whole meal yellowness were affected by the N dose. Moreover, the application of the native bacterial consortium, under 130 kg N ha−1, resulted in a higher spike length and grain number per spike, which led to a higher yield (+1.0 ton ha−1 vs. un-inoculated treatment), without compromising the quality of grains. In conclusion, the use of this bacterial consortium has the potential to significantly enhance wheat growth, yield, and quality while reducing the nitrogen fertilizer application, thereby offering a promising agro-biotechnological alternative for improving wheat production.

Quantifying the Economic Impact on Farmers from Agricultural Machinery: A Case Study of Farmers in Sudan

The adoption of agricultural technologies in developing economy countries has the potential to reduce poverty through sustainable intensification. Mechanized farming can also improve perceptions of farming and mitigate rural out-migration. However, many traditional farmers do not have access to machinery and/or machinery is cost prohibitive. The objective of this paper is to quantify how the use of machinery affects costs, revenue, net-profits, and returns on investment for a case study of farmers in Sudan, Africa. A treatment control study (N = 36) was performed across the 2019 (baseline), 2020, and 2021 farming seasons, where the treatment group was provided tractors. ANOVAs and t-tests were used to compare financial values between these groups across the farming seasons, to quantify economic differences associated with farming machinery. We show that all farmers had similar net-profits when farming without machinery, while mechanized farming yielded significantly higher net-profits (USD 16.61/acre more in 2020, USD 27.10/acre more in 2021). Our study also finds that the volatility of the black-market exchange rate and labor shortages have a significant impact on farming net-profits. These results provide a quantified difference between farming with and without machinery, which can provide a financial basis for purchasing and borrowing models, machinery design requirements, and educational value to farmers.

Ecotoxicology of agrochemicals used in valle de Santiago Guanajuato, Mexico

The application of pesticides in the agricultural sector represents multiple benefits such as pest and disease control, however, their application entails risks to the environment and the health of people, which can be accidental or due to improper handling. Therefore, this work focuses on the qualitative determination of the ecotoxicology of pesticides used by seasonal farmers in the Municipality of Valle de Santiago. Information on the most commonly used pesticides in the study area was collected through surveys of seasonal agricultural producers and the main points of sale for agrochemicals. The registry of commercial products with the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks in Mexico was consulted to verify the active ingredient and its registered use. The environmental impact of the active ingredient was estimated based on a qualitative matrix to determine total ecotoxicology. The use of pesticides in the study area registered a total of 19 products, of which six are insecticides, 12 are herbicides, and one fungicide. The qualitative estimation of the total ecotoxicology of the active ingredients contained in the pesticides shows that the highest value is possessed by insecticides and to a lesser extent by herbicides.

Exploring the Nexus between Agricultural Seasonal Dynamics and Rural Household Food Security in Kilombero Wetland, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

It is recognized that wetlands have great potential for enhancing agricultural activities due to their prolonged periods of water availability and good fertile soils making great expansion and intensification of agricultural production enhancing household food security in rural areas hence, communities have been relying on those wetlands for their livelihoods in different ways. It is from this interdependence that this study was proposed to examine the seasonal patterns of agriculture in the wetland and their implications on food security in three villages, Njage, Mngeta and Mkangawalo in the Kilombero wetland. The study employed mixed method approach whereby household questionnaires,-key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, wealth ranking and documentary review were used to collect primary and secondary data. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain 150 respondents. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data while descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. Chi-square test was used to test the statistical significances of the differences between wetland and upland yields as well as size of wetland plots cultivated among socio-economic groups. The findings revealed that wetland users were the average wealthy (42.7%) and poor farmers (40.7%) who depended on the wetland for their survival. Crop production in Kilombero wetland was low as farmers practiced mono-cropping of rice and maize in both dry and wet seasons depending on rain-fed agriculture. Very few wealthy (8.7%) practiced dry season farming. The small size of the wetland plots cultivated, inadequate use of agro-inputs and over dependence on subsistence led to low crop production. Consequently, farmers experienced seasonal food shortages and food insecurity, particularly among the poor and very poor households. The study concludes that, despite its agricultural potential, Kilombero wetland had not contributed much to improve the food security status of the poor and very poor households, only the well-off and average wealthy were benefiting from the wetland. Therefore, Kilombero district authorities should ensure that village governments allocate adequate land for both the poor and very poor farmers to enable them increase crop production. The agricultural extension officials of Kilombero district should build capacity to farmers on the importance of intensive agriculture, use of improved seeds and use of a variety of cropping methods in order to improve their produce.

Effects of Adding Anti-saline and Humic Acid Foliar Spraying on Yield Parameters of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis)

Spraying humic acid on a growing plant cauliflower enhances chlorophyll and carotene levels in the leaves; its crucial role in protecting plants from salt stress, water stress, and heavy metals, and its many other advantages in saline soils. The research study was carried out in one of the agricultural fields in the Muqdadiyah area, Haruniyah area, 21km, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and a normal factorial experiment during the agricultural season 2019-2020. It was located 40 kilometers North-East of Diyala governorate, Baquba district. This study aimed to determine how adding anti-saline and spraying humic acid affects the yield parameters of Nahar cauliflower. The results demonstrated that the addition of anti-saline when treated with N2 was superior in the majority of the studied traits, including: (head weight, head diameter, percentage of dry matter in the heads, total yield, and total plant weight without the heads). Sequentially, the results demonstrated (4349 g, 26.39 mm, 15.79 %, 13.39 mcg ha-1, 1.971 kg plant-1) superiority over the control treatment. The majority of the analyzed parameters, including (head weight, head diameter, percentage of dry matter in heads, total yield, and total plant weight without heads) (3584 g, 26.52 mm, 16.80 percent, 15.15 tons H-1, 2.182 kg plant-1), were superior to the control treatment (3584 g, 26.52 mm, 16.80 percent, 15.15 tons H-1, 2.182 kg plant-1). The N2H2 treatment was found to be higher in most of the analyzed parameters, including (head weight, head diameter, percentage of dry matter in the heads, total yield, and total plant weight without the heads), which were (4684 g, 29.80 mm, 19.33 percent, 15.47 tons h-1, 3.224 kg plant-1) respectively compared to the control.