Agricultural Disciplines Research Articles

Modern methods of teaching agricultural disciplines in vocational high schools of agriculture

The mission of the agricultural sciences has always been to seek how to grow crops and manage farm animals in order to produce high quality and quantity food and fiber to satisfy the needs of an ever-growing population. In the modern world, the quality training of agricultural specialists starts from the high school stage. Vocational agricultural education is one of the most effective and powerful tools in society which moves humanity forward and cares for the sustenance of all mankind. The present article examines the modern concepts of agricultural education and analyses the teaching methods in agricultural study program. It also describes in detail the modern teaching methods, their purpose, advantages and disadvantages. This article recommends the implementation of modern teaching methods, as it finds that they would ideally fit into the modern students’ idea of a learning process suitable for the new era of artificial intelligence (AI), technology and digitization.

Genome-wide analysis of the WRKY family in Nicotiana benthamiana reveals key members regulating lignin synthesis and Bemisia tabaci resistance

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play a pivotal role in plant resistance against stress. Lignin is a plant component that is of great importance in many industrial and agricultural disciplines. However, how WRKYs regulate plant lignin synthesis pathways and defense against insects is largely unknown. Here, we investigate WRKYs in Nicotiana benthamiana, a model plant and biofactory widely used worldwide, elucidating their responses to the Bemisia tabaci whitefly, a globally significant agricultural pest, and their functions in regulating plant defense by regulating lignin synthesis. Firstly, we identified a total of 118 NbWRKYs in the N. benthamiana genome and performed necessary bioinformatics analyses. Then, we studied nine whitefly-inducible NbWRKYs and found that they were localized in the nucleus, significantly expressed in leaf tissues, and affected the phytohormone pathways. Meanwhile, NbWRKY21, NbWRKY45, NbWRKY81, and NbWRKY117 were proved to be involved in defense against whiteflies. Additionally, through DNA-TFs interaction experiments, we demonstrated that the WRKYs activated the expression of key genes—Cinnamate-4-hydroxymate (C4H), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), and Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR)—in the lignin synthesis pathway. Specifically, NbWRKY81 activated the NbC4H and Nb4CL, while NbWRKY45 promoted NbCCR, by binding to their promoters, affecting whitefly feeding behavior, and therefore enhancing whitefly defense. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive knowledge of the WRKYs in plant defense against herbivore insects by regulating lignin synthesis.

An investigation into the unveiling of information-seeking anxiety among agriculture university library users

PurposeThis study aims to explore information-seeking anxiety (ISA) among undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students at Dr Babasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, located in Dapoli, Distt. Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The research focuses on evaluating the intensity of ISA, understanding its underlying causes and identifying potential strategies to reduce its effects, particularly within the context of an agricultural university.Design/methodology/approachThis research intends to examine Information seeking anxiety (ISA) among undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students at Dr Babasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth located in Dapoli District, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. This research intends to examine and investigate the intensity of ISA among students at an agriculture university, its root causes and possible methods to reduce its effects. The research adopts quantitative surveys with qualitative secondary sources to achieve a comprehensive understanding of ISA among students. A standardized scale was used as the primary data collection tool to assess participants’ levels of ISA. A total of 122 students participated in the study, completing the survey and providing valuable data for analysis.FindingsThe findings reveal a range of ISA levels among students, indicating the presence of varied information skills and abilities. This underscores the need for well-structured information literacy programs tailored to address these disparities. A significant gender-based difference in ISA was observed, with female students exhibiting lower anxiety levels in relation to “integrated elements 3” at a significance level of .05 (t = 1.327). Interestingly, the study found that the students' rural or urban backgrounds did not significantly impact their ISA levels. Additionally, various integrated elements within the information seeking anxiety scale were found to be interconnected, contributing to the overall anxiety experienced by students.Research limitations/implicationsThe study highlights the importance of designing and implementing targeted interventions to address ISA in academic settings. These findings suggest that tailored information literacy programs could be effective in reducing ISA among students. Future research could build on these results by examining ISA across different disciplines and institutions, thereby contributing to the development of broader, more generalized strategies for mitigating ISA in diverse educational contexts. Individuals may not accurately recall or report their anxiety levels, potentially affecting the study’s findings. This study’s findings may not be generalizable to all agriculture university users due to factors such as the specific university setting, student demographics and agricultural disciplines represented.Practical implicationsThis study provides actionable insights for academic institutions, particularly agricultural universities, in developing targeted information literacy programs. These programs can be designed to address varying levels of ISA among students, enhancing their ability to effectively seek and use information. Additionally, understanding the gender differences in ISA can guide the creation of more inclusive resources and support systems, ultimately improving the overall academic experience and reducing anxiety-related barriers to learning.Social implicationsThe research highlights the broader societal impact of ISA, particularly how it can affect students’ academic success and overall well-being. By addressing ISA through tailored interventions, institutions can contribute to reducing educational inequalities, especially in rural and underrepresented communities. This can foster a more equitable learning environment where all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to thrive academically and socially.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the relatively underexplored area of ISA within the context of agricultural universities. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, the research offers a comprehensive understanding of ISA, its causes and potential solutions. The findings provide new insights into how gender and integrated elements of ISA influence anxiety levels, offering valuable contributions to the field of library and information science, particularly in specialized educational settings like agricultural universities.

Integrating evidence synthesis services in Zimbabwean state university libraries

This article explores how Zimbabwean state university libraries incorporate evidence synthesis services in their traditional research support services as the evidence synthesis methodology begins to gain popularity among researchers beyond the health sciences. The literature indicates that academic libraries around the world are responding to the need for evidence synthesis services. However, there is a lack of evidence concerning how libraries in Zimbabwean state university libraries have adapted to this trend. Exploratory research that involved sub-librarians and faculty librarians as participants was conducted. Purposive and self-selection sampling techniques were utilised in addition to the use of questionnaires and interviews for data gathering. The results reveal that some libraries have started offering evidence synthesis services, particularly in the disciplines of agriculture and applied sciences. The results also show that systematic and scoping reviews are evidence synthesis types commonly conducted by researchers. While the study shows that some librarians demonstrated a good understanding of evidence synthesis, most lacked practical experience and relied on self-teaching and peer-to-peer learning for skill acquisition.

On the Issue of Cattle Necrobacteriosis in Lenkoran Farms

The study of various epizootological conditions for necrobacteriosis and the factors that cause it is relevant. The research was carried out on the basis of the Department of Veterinary and Agricultural Disciplines of Lenkoran State University in disadvantaged livestock farms. Microscopic studies have established that the main causative agent of hoof disease in cows is Bacterium necrophorum. As experimental observations have shown, recovered animals remain carriers of the pathogen for a long time. In an experiment on two experimental subjects and one control group, it was proven that for the manifestation of clinical signs and relapses of necrobacteriosis, a necessary condition was an increase in skin looseness, making it susceptible to Fusobacterium necrophorum. This is possible with high humidity and injury, as well as in the absence of preventive treatments for the hooves. Swelling of the corolla associated with aseptic osteitis manifested itself against the background of a concentrated type of feeding. Such changes in the hooves are characteristic of an increased intake of histamine into the body, which is abundant in the shells of grains. For treatment, the use of the antibacterial drug Amoxicillin-150, at the rate of 1 ml per 10 kg of live weight, once intramuscularly or subcutaneously, is advisable and cost-effective.

Agricultural extension debatable issues

Extension, and extension workers in particular, drive the agricultural modernization process and the rest of those in associated professions and positions are ‘support staff.’ Whether you are a lecturer, a professor, a dean, a researcher, an extension director or a head of a non-government organization, if your mission is to develop smallholder agriculture at farmer level, you are supporting the field extension worker to achieve your/farmers’ goals. To this extent, it is no surprise that, when no perceptible improvement takes place at the farmer level, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of extension. Despite its importance, agricultural extension is the most misunderstood of all agricultural disciplines, and the lack of understanding reveals itself in several ways. This paper discusses some of the misconceptions and debatable issues that affect the way extension is supported, the way it is structured, the way it is staffed and the way extension workers are trained and capacitated. The misconceptions also affect the kinds and levels of expectations people have of extension. The misconceptions include: unending definitions of extension, expanding extension concepts, blaming extension for perceived failures in agriculture, undermining the extension discipline, inadequacies in extension teaching and training, markets and the role of extension and structural changes in extension. The origins of some of these debatable issues can be traced to development partners who come with their conceptions of what is needed while others come from development theorists who have not done any extension work in the field. Unfortunately, there are no strong extension professional associations in many African countries that could: raise the profile of extension as a discipline, interrogate some of the agricultural development interventions before implementation and help clear some of the misconceptions. In the absence of extension platforms, extensionists operate as individuals, each struggling the best way they know how to make a difference at the farmer level. There is no way of harnessing the experiences the individuals are going through for purposes of learning, sharing and developing common positions. The purpose of this paper is to promote debate on, and scrutiny of these extension issues which are often presented as facts and absolute truths. Key words: Extension issues, debatable, agricultural discipline, misconceptions, professionals, smallholder farmers

Levels of Utilization of Farmer Assurance Centres Services by the Farmers of Kurnool District in Andhra Pradesh

Farmer Assurance Centres (FAC) also called Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) have been transforming the agriculture sector in Andhra Pradesh by catering to the needs of the farmers, from supplying the needed inputs to product procurement and it called “one-stop shops” that provide solutions to farmers from “seed to sale”. They provide a range of services like Agri-input shops, Farmer knowledge centers, kiosks, Community Hiring Centers (CHC), etc., and are equipped with experts from various disciplines of agriculture and allied sectors to assist the farmers. The present study was conducted in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh to analyze the extent of utilization of Rythu Bharosa Kendra (RBK) services by the farmers. The data was collected from a total of 80 beneficiary farmers under four RBKs from the selected villages. A simple random sampling technique and descriptive research design were used for the study. The majority of the respondents had a medium level of utilization of RBK services and technologies. Regarding the extent of utilization of services of RBK by the farmers, among the five categories of different services provided by RBKs, marketing services were most utilized by the farmers with the highest mean score values ranging from 2.10 followed by capacity building services and consultancy services with the mean score range of 2.07. Similarly input and veterinary services with the mean score range of 2.07.

Retron Library Recombineering: Next Powerful Tool for Genome Editing after CRISPR/Cas.

Retron library recombineering (RLR) is a powerful tool in the field of genome editing that exceeds the scope and specificity of the CRISPR/Cas technique. In RLR, single-stranded DNA produced in vivo by harnessing the in-built potential of bacterial retrons is used for replication-dependent genome editing. RLR introduces several genomic variations at once, resulting in pooled and barcoded variant libraries, thus permitting multiplexed applications. Retron-generated RT-DNA has already shown promise for use in genome editing. Thus, this new tool will result in fresh, intriguing, and surprising developments in molecular biology and its juncture with other disciplines of research, including medicine, agriculture, and microbiology. In this review, we discuss the current state of this brand-new tool that could eventually boost genome editing research.

Dairy Farming – a Case Study

Dairy farming is an important discipline of agriculture aimed for production of milk and dairy products. India, being a predominantly agrarian economy, has about, 70% of its population living in villages, where Dairy farming play a crucial rule in the socio-economic life. India is not only one of the top producers of milk in the world, but also the largest consumer of milk and milk products in the world. Dairy sector is instrumental in bringing, socio-economic transformation in India. There exists a great need to enlighten and make the society aware of various opportunities and challenges in the dairy farming. In this context, we have visited SAARA DIARY FARM - situated at Nampally, Hyderabad to observe and understand the daily operations of a functioning dairy farm. The farm houses a total of 40 Cows yielding 3 quintal of milk per day. After the distribution of milk, the remaining was used to prepare dairy products like curd, cheese, butter, ghee etc. The visit to a dairy farm provided us with firsthand experience of dairy farming operations, caring for cows, milking processing and the milk processing. This experience has contributed to personal and professional development and enlightened us with potential career opportunities in the agricultural sector. However, the low productivity per animal and availability and affordability of the quality feed and fodder remains to be the major challenges. In these circumstances, Government should take initiative to promote the dairy farming as major industry to meet the global demand.

Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Various Players in Agricultural Technologies and Innovations Development

Technologies and innovations have revolutionized the agricultural industry throughout time; as more technologies and innovations keep gaining prominence in the agricultural industry, there is an increasing divergence of views on their origin, creators, and meaning among scholars across the scientific fields. Students in agricultural programs emerge from different fields in the agricultural disciplines; as a result, they have different exposure and experience with different technologies and innovations. Their varied backgrounds influence how they define, explain, and conceptualize technologies and innovations in agriculture, giving rise to varied perceptions of who should be recognized and who should not. The present study sought to explore agricultural students' perceptions of technologies and innovations and the role of farmers and extension agents in their development. The study adopted a qualitative content analysis approach by analyzing the views expressed by seventeen students from two different universities. The results showed that agricultural students have varied perceptions of what technologies and innovations represent in agriculture. Most of the students perceived technology as equipment and tools, and innovation as improved techniques and as a discovery of new methods. They also had conflicting views on the role played by the farmers, extension agents, and researchers in technology and innovation development. While the majority viewed farmers as adaptors of technologies and innovations, none viewed extension agents as contributors to technologies and innovation development rather than as disseminators. Our findings suggest a lack of knowledge in the collective role played by farmers, extension agents, and scientists in technology and innovation development. The repercussion of this is that it may contribute towards limited inclusion of diverse perspectives in technology and innovation creation and dissemination, which may affect sustainable agricultural development.

Science Mapping of Meta-Analysis in Agricultural Science

As a powerful statistical method, meta-analysis has been applied increasingly in agricultural science with remarkable progress. However, meta-analysis research reports in the agricultural discipline still need to be systematically combed. Scientometrics is often used to quantitatively analyze research on certain themes. In this study, the literature from a 30-year period (1992–2021) was retrieved based on the Web of Science database, and a quantitative analysis was performed using the VOSviewer and CiteSpace visual analysis software packages. The objective of this study was to investigate the current application of meta-analysis in agricultural sciences, the latest research hotspots, and trends, and to identify influential authors, research institutions, countries, articles, and journal sources. Over the past 30 years, the volume of the meta-analysis literature in agriculture has increased rapidly. We identified the top three authors (Sauvant D, Kebreab E, and Huhtanen P), the top three contributing organizations (Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Institute for Agricultural Research, and Northwest A&F University), and top three productive countries (the USA, China, and France). Keyword cluster analysis shows that the meta-analysis research in agricultural sciences falls into four categories: climate change, crop yield, soil, and animal husbandry. Jeffrey (2011) is the most influential and cited research paper, with the highest utilization rate for the Journal of Dairy Science. This paper objectively evaluates the development of meta-analysis in the agricultural sciences using bibliometrics analysis, grasps the development frontier of agricultural research, and provides insights into the future of related research in the agricultural sciences.

Gaps and opportunities in research on food systems; a micro-institutional analysis of the University of Nairobi

Research conducted on food systems by higher institutions can contribute to sustainable food security and nutrition at a local level and reduce the impact of societal challenges such as malnutrition. Unfortunately, malnutrition itself manifests as hidden hunger causing unintended consequences such as illness negatively affecting economic progress. Traditionally, research in agriculture has not taken a food systems approach which is looking at challenges of food systems from farm to fork (all stages from production to consumption). Therefore, as we embrace the compelling call to transition from agriculture to food systems research approaches, mapping studies at a local level are needed. However, studies on food systems have been carried out at a macro (global or regional level), a micro-perspective investigation is needed to inform future research. A systematic review on existing literature (journals and thesis) was conducted to identify gaps and opportunities in research on food systems undertaken by researchers at the University of Nairobi. Information collected included; 1. institutions (faculties and department at the university, national policy, and international institutions collaborating with university of Nairobi), 2. crop types (cereals, legumes, vegetables, roots and tubers, and nuts), 3. food systems activities (production, postharvest, processing, and preservation, value addition and branding, consuming foods, input and output markets, obtaining nutrients as well as logistics and distribution) driving research on food systems. The contribution of each of the components (institutions, food systems activity and crop type) was also investigated through citation scores. The findings show that low research outputs on food systems were generated by the university of Nairobi compared to selected universities in Africa and across the globe. Research was focused on carbohydrate rich crops (maize, sorghum, cassava, irish potato, sweet potato, and rice) as compared to protective bioactive vitamin crops (vegetables, mango, and beans). This demonstrated low crop diversity and dietary quality. Research priority was given mainly to maize compared to traditional crops such as sorghum, African Leafy Vegetables, cassava and millets. Faculties such as health, science and technology, engineering, and humanities were involved in research in food systems in addition to agriculture, a potential indication of transdisciplinary research. Additionally, there was more collaborative research between university of Nairobi with institutions at a global level than with local institutions. The involvement of policy institutions in research was low, mainly restricted to the discipline of agriculture, production food system activity and in a few crops such as maize, cassava, and medicinal plants. Disparities in research existed along the food systems activities as more attention was focused on production activities. Other food system activities such as harvesting, processing and preservation, consumption, value addition and branding, input and output markets, as well as logistics and distribution activities, received low research priority. Each component (food system activity, crop type and institution) demonstrated contribution to sustainable food security as shown by citation scores. The findings demonstrate skewed focus in food systems research at the university of Nairobi. Agricultural research investment within institutions of higher learning will need to consider all food systems activities, under-researched crops and collaborations that advance transdisciplinary studies to promote inclusive contribution of food systems to food security at a local level. Further studies can focus on developing frameworks to advance transdisciplinary research.

Reflection on the program requirements of doctoral students majoring in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China

The cultivation of frontier science and technology talent to adapt to social needs and national rejuvenation is a challenging task faced by doctoral education in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China. Ensuring the quality of doctoral education should begin with improving the related program requirements. Investigating 1142 frontier science and technology talents, this article summarizes the high-level abilities and essential characteristics that frontier science and technology talents should master from five perspectives: knowledge, ability, values, motivation, and traits. Using this as a reference, the problems in the current program requirements for 72 first-level disciplines in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are analyzed. The study found that the program requirements highlighted high-level ability; however, the essential character was not sufficiently stressed. Therefore, it could be adjusted by following the overall cultivation concept of doctoral students' core quality and adding the content of essential characters with clear guidance and discipline characteristics.

Green Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles: A Therapeutic Boon from Nature to Mankind

The pharmaceutical and biomedical industries are increasingly using novel nanomaterials or nanostructures, which encourage the biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles with lower toxicity because of its straightforward mechanism, wide availability, affordable price, and environmental friendliness. Green nanoparticles, which are increasingly important in the disciplines of medicine, agriculture, and bioremediation, are created primarily through the phytogenic reduction process. When used effectively, the phytochemicals in the plant extract can act as reducing agents to convert metal salts or ions into metal or metal oxide nanoparticles. Although metal nanoparticles are being used in various economic sectors, there is a growing curiosity about how safe their production is for humans and for the environment. The two main processes for making nanoparticles are chemical and physical, both of which can be expensive and potentially damaging to the environment. The potential for synthesizing metal nanoparticles from plant extracts is the focus of the current review. It has been actively pursued in recent years as a different, efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly way to make nanoparticles with specific properties.

Black doctoral women’s socialization experiences in agricultural science and education departments

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how intersecting oppressed identities shape the socialization experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in agricultural disciplines at historically white institutions. This paper addresses a gap in literature examining the experiences of Black women within the context of higher agricultural sciences education.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses narrative inquiry to examine the experiences of five Black women doctoral candidates through a set of three interviews per participant.FindingsThree themes regarding participants’ socialization experiences were identified. Themes are presented according to its site of socialization: lack of trust in advising relationships, departmental belonging and negative interactions with department faculty and isolation and exclusion at conferences.Originality/valueThis study adds to the small body of research on Black women in higher agricultural sciences education. Further, this study contributes to the larger body of socialization research and the minimal research on socialization for marginalized populations in higher agricultural sciences education.

Wolf prize awarded to Rien van Genuchten

Martinus Th. (“Rien”) van Genuchten has been awarded the 2023 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. The Wolf Prize is awarded to “outstanding scientists and artists from around the world for achievements in the interest of humanity and friendly relations among people.” The prize is awarded in the disciplines of medicine, agriculture, mathematics, chemistry, and physics. For agricultural sciences, the Wolf Prize is widely considered one of the world's most prestigious recognitions. Rien van Genuchten was born in 1945 in Vught, The Netherlands. He received his early education at the Agricultural University of Wageningen, The Netherlands, and his PhD at New Mexico State University in the United States. He then spent most of his career at the US Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, CA, before moving to the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to Utrecht University, The Netherlands. One of his most influential publications describes a closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils, known as the van Genuchten equation (van Genuchten, 1980). He was, together with Jirka Simunek, the developer of the widely used HYDRUS software package for simulating the movement of water, heat, and solutes in variably saturated media (Šimůnek et al., 2016). Early in his career, he also published a compendium on analytical solutions of the one-dimensional convection–dispersion equation (van Genuchten & Alves, 1982), a resource widely used to analyse solute transport at the column and field scale. Rien van Genuchten was the founding editor of Vadose Zone Journal, when he, 21 years ago, had the insight to initiate a new, multi-disciplinary journal to promote research related to the vadose zone, the zone between the soil surface and the groundwater table. This was at a time when environmental research was still in its infancy, and the new journal provided a common outlet for agronomy, soil science, hydrology, hydrogeophysics, biogeochemistry, civil engineering, and the emerging environmental sciences. Rien van Genuchten's foresight paved the way for innovative research and helped elevate vadose zone science to an established and respected field of research. The Wolf Prize was awarded to Rien van Genuchten “for his ground-breaking work in understanding water flow and predicting contaminant transport in soils.” On behalf of the editorial board of Vadose Zone Journal, we congratulate and celebrate Rien van Genuchten and his receipt of the Wolf Prize. Venkataraman Lakshmi: Conceptualization; writing—review and editing. Markus Flury: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing.

Exploring graduate students’ socialization to international agriculture: A mixed methods needs assessment

Internationalization of higher education’s agricultural disciplines is essential to account for agrifood system trends toward globalization and multiculturalism. Professional and academic associations can play a formative role preparing graduate students for their agricultural careers. Guided by socialization theory, this needs assessment explores graduate students’ perceived needs, expectations, and ideas to optimize engagement with associations focused on international agriculture. A convergent mixed methods design integrated and contrasted quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey—filled by 26 student participants—and qualitative data from a virtual fishbone focus group with seven participants. Students’ perceptions appear responsive to trends toward globalized food systems and demonstrate their desire for socialization to gain internationally focused capacities and connections to opportunities in a variety of global agricultural areas. Findings indicate associations geared toward internationally oriented scholarship and academics should expand to better encompass international development practice. Doing so would provide greater insight into practitioners’ priorities and facilitate alternative career pathways for graduate students interested in practice. Additionally, findings point to needs for student mentoring and communication efforts focused on equitable and inclusive engagement with first generation students and students in developing countries who may be financially inhibited from traveling for in-person socialization activities.

Influence of Spraying Nano-Curcumin and Nano-Glycyrrhizic Acid on Resistance Enhancement and Some Growth Parameters of Soybean (Glycine max) in Response to Tetranychus urticae Infestation and Drought Stress.

Modern nanotechnology has been credited as one of the most significant inventions of the 21st century. Many agricultural disciplines have been affected by nanotechnology in agriculture. Pest control based on natural compounds needs to be enhanced, and enhancing plant growth under climate change conditions, with increasing periods of drought in many countries, is a very vital aim. Thus, the effect of curcumin nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) and glycyrrhizic acid nanoparticles (GA-NPs) as a foliar application under water deficit on natural infestation with the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, plant growth and yield, anatomical and chemical parameters were investigated during this study. The obtained results revealed that drought stress over the two studied seasons significantly increased the population of T. urticae and decreased all morphological and yield characteristics. The application of three mM GA-NPs reduced the mite population average by 39% while using the same concentration of Cu-NPs caused a 33.9% reduction percentage under drought stress. Using 1 mM GA-NPs gave the highest averages of plant height, number of branches, and leaves/plant fresh and dry weight. Moreover, the number of pods, 100 seed weight and seed yield (kg/ha) increased significantly as a result of spraying with GA-NPs under water deficit. From the results, water deficit decreased the values of the leaf and stem anatomical parameters. Treatment with Cu-NPs or GA-NPs under drought stress increased the thickness of mid-vein, xylem, and phloem tissues. Likewise, such treatment increased stem diameter due mainly to the increase in the thickness of cortex, phloem, and xylem tissues compared with the control. Spraying plants with GA-NPs at 1 mM increased the percentages of nitrogen, phosphor, and potassium in seeds in addition to total chlorophyll. Moreover, glutamate, aspartate, leucine, arginine, Lysine, glycine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and methionine concentrations did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) in response to all the studied levels of Cu-NPs or GA-NPs either under normal irrigation or drought condition. In light of these findings, researchers and producers should apply and test both Cu-NPs and GA-NP as nano-fertilizer natural sources on economically viable crops.

Determinants of students learning competencies in agriculture through hands-on experiences

The overall goal of this study was to assess the implementation of curricula for agricultural courses aimed at equipping students with the requisite emerging competencies that should make them self-reliant after training. Most technical and vocational colleges lack infrastructure such as agricultural laboratories, agricultural tools, equipment and farms for teaching the courses. In Kenya, there is currently no data indicating whether or not students study agricultural courses due to personal interest and conviction or because it was the only option available. The study sought to establish: ways in which teaching methodologies used by teachers’ impact the practical competencies gained by learners through hands on experiences, and find out the perceptions of learners towards pursuing further studies and activities in agricultural disciplines. The study observed 89% of those who had two practical lessons in a term indicated that they can practice agriculture on their own. It is concluded that, most teachers engage resource persons in their teaching. Majority of the teachers do not also embark on field trips with their students to places where students can have a real experience of certain concepts or materials that cannot be made available in their school environment for studies. More studies should be carried to explore ways of infusing value based learning by employing modern online techniques that enhance learners’ competencies in their careers.

Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in Lebanese Vegetables and Agricultural Soils and Their Impact on Soil Microbiological Properties

The practice of pesticide application in agriculture done in Lebanon deviate from standard agricultural disciplines, raising awareness of their contamination of soil and vegetables as well as their repercussions on microbial communities. To this end, soil and vegetable samples from different pesticide-treated sites were quantified for chlorpyrifos (C) and methomyl (M) residues using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Moreover, clear soil specimens were treated with different concentrations of C, M, and CM assortment to assess their repercussion on the microbial population. High pesticide concentrations were recovered ranging between 31.13 and 53.74 mg/kg in eight agricultural fields, which abate gradually with time. After 20 days of pesticide implementation, their residues were above the maximum residual levels for lettuce, cabbage, tomato, and corn. Soil altered with pesticides showed fluctuation in its microbial community by suppressing some groups while favouring the propagation of tolerant species. Our data indicate the need for the requirement of strict laws to minimise pesticide usage and reduce their impact on soil quality, human health, and non-target organisms.