Effect Of Different Rates Research Articles

Biochar and clinoptilolite zeolite on selected chemical properties of soil cultivated with maize (Zea mays L.)

Increase in cost of chemical fertilizers encourages the use of soil amendments such as biochar and zeolites to improve soil fertility. In this study, biochar produced from empty fruit bunch-palm oil mill effluent (EFB-POME) and clinoptilolite zeolite were used as soil amendments to improve soil fertility. The field experiment was carried out for two planting cycles to determine the effects of different rates of EFB POME biochar (0, 10, and 20 t ha -1 ), clinoptilolite zeolite (0, 1.25, and 2.5 t ha -1 ), and urea (60 and 120 kg ha -1 ) on selected soil chemical properties of Tanjung Lipat ( Typic Paleudults ). Biochar produced from EFB-POME increase soil total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. The higher soil total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg could be related to the increase in soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and total organic carbon in soil with EFB-POME biochar but not with clinoptilolite zeolite. Thus, EFB-POME biochar was more suitable to be used in a tropical soil ( Typic Paleudults ) compared to clinoptilolite zeolite for improving the selected soil pH, CEC, TOC and available P, K, Ca and Mg.

Korelaciona zavisnost prinosa zrna i komponenti prinosa prolećnog ječma gajenog na kiselom zemljištu

A field trial was conducted in 2016-2017 to determine the effect of different rates of mineral fertilisers, especially phosphorus, and lime on grain yield, yield components and their correlation in the spring barley cultivars 'Dunavac' and 'Novosadski 456' under dryland farming conditions at the experimental field of the Secondary School of Agriculture, Kraljevo. The experiment was performed on a very acidic soil (pHH2O 4.5), in a randomised block design with three replications. Grain yield, stem length, number of spikes m-2, spike length, number of grains per spike and grain weight per spike increased in response to mineral fertilisers and lime. Both cultivars performed better under mineral fertilisation and liming treatment than under increased phosphorus fertilisation, as the availability of macro- and micronutrients increased with increasing soil pH i.e. due to phosphorus immobilisation in the highly acidic environment. In general, significant positive correlations were observed among yield components, and between grain yield and its components. Grain yield was significantly positively correlated with number of spikes m-2, spike length, number of grains per spike and stem length. Correlations between grain yield and its components under diverse agroenvironmental conditions can guide the selection of cultural practices as well as the choice of cultivars for unfavourable growing conditions.

Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to rates of nitrogen and zinc application in Minna, Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

A field experiment was conducted in 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Minna to evaluate the effects of different rates of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) on the growth and yield of maize. The treatments included four levels of N: 0, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1 and three levels of Zn: 0, 2.5 and 5 kg ha-1. The experimental design was a 4 ? 3 factorial design fitted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The soil was relatively low in initial N content and relatively high in soil extractable Zn of 2.30 mg kg-1. The main effect of N on the plant height of maize was significant (p<0.05) only at 8 weeks after sowing (WAS) in 2014 and 8 and 12 WAS in 2015. In 2014, the interaction effect of N and Zn on the plant height of maize was only significant (p<0.05) at 8 WAS in both seasons, and application of nitrogen rate of 90 kg N ha-1 with 5 kg Zn ha-1 produced the highest plant height at 8 WAS. The treatments without N produced the lowest grain and stover yields. There was a significant (p<0.05) response to N fertilization on grain yield in both seasons. The main effects of Zn on both stover and grain yields were only significant in 2015. The nitrogen rate of 60 kg N ha-1 with 2.5 kg Zn ha-1 was optimum for maize production in Minna, Nigeria.

Effects of slaughter house wastes on soil properties and cocoyam corm yield in Abakaliki, Nigeria

A research was carried out in research and teaching farm of, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki to determine effects of different rates of slaughter house wastes on soil properties and cocoyam corm yield. Four rates of slaughter house wastes namely 0 (control), 3, 6 and 9 t ha‒1 were used as amendment. Soil and cocoyam were analysed using analysis of variance and differences between treatment means detected using Fisher's least significant difference (FLSD) at 5% probability level. Results from the study showed that slaughter house wastes application significant (P < 0.05) improved soil properties and cocoyam corm yield compared to control. Also, the higher the application of slaughter house wastes in the plots, the higher the improvements in soil properties though not all the improvements were significant (p < 0.05). Slaughter house wastes significantly increased cocoyam corm yield compared to control.

The Effect of Different Rates of Biochar and Biochar in Combination with N Fertilizer on the Parameters of Soil Organic Matter and Soil Structure

The Effect of Different Rates of Biochar and Biochar in Combination with N Fertilizer on the Parameters of Soil Organic Matter and Soil Structure

Effects of Different Seed Coating Ratios of an Organic Acid Mixture on Yield and Quality of Bread Wheat

This research was conducted during 2016-2017 awheat growing season to investigate the effects of different rates of seed coating of an organic acid mixture (citric acid, glutamate, and proline) on yield and quality of wheat. The field experiments were established in Dogankent and Haciali locations of Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute in Turkey. Study was carried out with randomised complete block design with 4 replications and Ceyhan-99 bread wheat variety was used as seed material. Before seeding, wheat seeds were coated with organic acid mixture product (0.75% citric acid, 0.25% glutamate, 0.25% proline, 2% Zn and 96.75 water), in three different doses (500 ml ton-1, 1 l ton-1, 1.5 l ton-1) to compare with control (uncoated). There were statistically significant differences at 5% level in 1000 grain weight and grain yield values in Dogankent location and 1000 grain weight, grain yield and number of spikes in Hacialilocation. Highest yield values were obtained from 500 ml t-1 application dose for both locations. With 500 ml t-1 application dose at Dogankent location, grain yield was 11.9 t ha-1 which was 8.97% higher over control. In Hacali location, 500 ml t-1 application dose was increased yield by 15.96% compared to control which resulted with 10.5 t ha-1 grain yield. No statistically significant difference was observed in quality characteristics (protein, gluten, hardiness and sedimentation) in trials.

Effects of organic fertilization on soil properties and chamomile flower yield

The effects of different rates of organic fertilizers upon the yield of dry chamomile flowers were studied in an exact field trial setup on Luvisols in Podravina region, Croatia. The trial was set up according to the randomized block design with four replications. During three years of research (2013/2014, 2014/2015, and 2015/2016), changes in the soil chemical complex were monitored. Organic fertilization rendered significantly higher yields of dry chamomile flower than the control treatment. Organic fertilizers did not significantly affect soil pH, soil organic matter, and plant available phosphorus and potassium. The optimum amount of fertilizer for chamomile on this type of soil is 70 kg of nitrogen and 35 kg of plant available phosphorus and potassium. The study has also shown that the most effective parameter in the process is the weather conditions during the year, i.e., precipitation intensity, especially in the last few weeks prior to harvest.

Rates of Agricultural Gypsum in Soil Under No-tillage System With Surface Lime in the Southern of Brazil

At the no-tillage system, the surface liming is a good environmental practice, which aims to maintain the physical structure and stocks of carbon in the soil. However, the acidity amelioration is restricted to the surface layer and the use of the gypsum can be an alternative to improve the chemical conditions in subsurface without the soil revolving. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different rates of gypsum, estimated by different methods, in acid soils with application of superficial limestone since the beginning of the implementation of the no-tillage system. The experiment was conduct at a commercial cropping field located at the municipally of Muitos Cap&amp;otilde;es, RS, Southern Brazil in a Red Oxisol. The experiment was conducted in randomized completely blocks design (RCBD), with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of the superficial application of gypsum in the rates: 0, 3100, 6014, 7875, 9750 and 12400 kg ha-1. At this area, soybean and corn were cultivated and have their productivity evaluated. After 4 and 16 months of the experiment, Ca, Mg and K levels were evaluated at different depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 cm). The results showed an increase in Ca contents to the depth of 10 cm at 4 months after application and at all depths evaluated at 16 months after their application. The application of gypsum decreases the Mg contents to the depth of 20 cm and of potassium at all the depths after 16 months of their application. The effects on soil chemical properties with increasing rate of applied gypsum resulted in higher maize grain yield. So, agricultural gypsum applied in the soil with surface liming is efficient in improving soil chemical conditions in deeper layers in a no-tillage system.

Effect of Titanium Dioxide on Lettuce Plants Grown on Sandy Soil

The titanium role in plants nutrition is not so far fully clear. Many positive beneficial influences and a few adverse influences of titanium addition are described in literature. The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of different rates of Ti soil application on the plant growth parameters, chemical constituents, quality parameters and elements concentration in the soil after harvesting of lettuce plants grown on sandy soil with irrigation by H. Cooper’s nutrient solution during the winter season of 2017/2018. The experimental design was randomize complete block with four replicates for each treatment. The titanium application rates were: (T1) 0 ppm, (T2) 25ppm, (T3) 50 ppm and (T4) 75ppm, added as Titanium dioxide (TiO2). The results showed that, the values of all studied growth parameters of lettuce plant significantly increased with raising of titanium addition from 0.0 to 25 ppm and then significantly decreased with any increase in titanium dioxide. The same trend was found for N, P, K, Fe, carotein, vitamin C, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll. On the contrary, of above trend; sharply and significantly decreases were happened in the mean values of nitrate (NO3-N) and nitrite (NO2-N) in lettuce leaves. For Ti concentration, the values significantly increased with increasing Ti application rates.

Effect of Timing and Rates of Nitrogen Application on Yield, Chemical Compositions, Pharmacologic Activities, and Cytotoxicity of Herbal Bush Tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.)

Bush tea is a popular South African herbal and medicinal tea with the potential for commercialization. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of different rates of applied nitrogen (N) and timing (early and late) of N application on yield, chemical composition, pharmacologic activity, and cytotoxicity of bush tea. Factorial treatments consisted of timed N application rates (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg·ha–1) for both early and late N application. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. The results show a significant positive response of bush tea fresh and dry leaf and twig weight, chlorophyll, leaf tissue N, total polyphenols, and total flavonoids in response to applied N rates, regardless of the timing of N application, reaching a maximum at 225 kg·ha–1 of N. Later, regardless of the timing of N application, total tannins and total antioxidant activity increased with increasing applied N from 0 to 225 kg·ha–1, reaching a maximum of 150 kg·ha–1 N. The results of this study suggest that, with the exception of antimicrobial activity, most of the parameters recorded increased with increasing rates of N applied. The results further denote that parameters recorded were consistently greater on early applied N compared with late applied N. However, there was no significant difference between the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicide concentration (MMC) of early and late applied N. Bush tea applied with 75 N and 150 N had a significant MIC value (3.1 mg·mL–1) for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia compared with 6.3 mg·mL–1 reached at 225 kg·ha–1 N. Among N rates applied, the MIC for Klebsiella oxytoca, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhi, Serratia marcescence, and Staphylococcus aureus were not significantly different. Hence, N rates applied did not have a significant effect on bush tea MMC values of all microbial species tested. The cytotoxicity of bush tea leaf and twigs harvested from early and late N application were significantly reduced with increasing nitrogen levels reaching a maximum at 225 kg·ha─1. There was a wide variation of compounds despite rates of N applied as well as timing of application, with most compounds such as norfenfluramine, phytol, caryophyllene, propylene glycol, α-copaene, and squalene detected in greater quantities.

EFFECT OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER, GYPSUM AND FOLIAR-CA ON YIELD, YIELD COMPONENTS AND QUALITY OF PEANUT PLANT GROWN IN SANDY SOIL

Two field experiment were conducted at Ismailia Experiment Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the effect of different rates of compost application (0, 12.5 and 25 Mg ha-1), gypsum at rates of (0, 0.6 and 1.2 Mg ha-1) and Ca-foliar (300 mg L-1) and its combination application on yield and quality of peanut grown in a sandy soil. Application of compost significantly increased pods and grain yield, shelling percentage and 100 grain weight of peanut as compared to control. The increases were 29.6 and 35.4 % for pod and 35.5 and 41.40 % for grain due applications of 12.5 and 25 Mg ha-1 compost. Application any of the two gypsum rates increased pods, grain yield, shelling percentage and 100 seed weight with non-significant difference between two rates. Addition any of the two rates of compost significantly increased N, K, Fe, Zn and Mn contents of straw and seed. Two rates of gypsum also increased the same nutrient with non-significant difference between two rates. Oil and protein contents of grain significantly increased due to application of compost and /or gypsum.

Sunflower Seedlings Hyperaccumulate Selenium

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for animals and humans, but not plants. However, the capacity of some plants to accumulate and transform Se into bioactive compounds has important implications for human nutrition and health. In this study, sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and maize (Zea mays) seedlings were cultivated in soil to investigate the effect of different rates of sodium selenite (1–90 mg kg−1 soil) and sodium selenate (1–30 mg kg−1 soil) on absorption and translocation of Se and sulphur (S). Sodium selenate decreased growth of sunflower roots at all applied rates and of maize roots at the highest rate applied. In contrast, sodium selenite up to 30 mg kg−1 for sunfower and 3 mg kg−1 for maize resulted in increased shoot and root growth. An increase in Se concentration in soil resulted in an increase in Se and a decrease in S accumulation in roots and shoots of both maize and sunflower. Selenium translocation from roots to shoot was higher in sunflower than maize. Root-to-shoot translocation of Se was 5 to 30 times greater in sunflower and 0.4 to 3 times greater in maize in the sodium selenate than sodium selenite treatments. Sunflower, as a Se-hyperaccumulator with up to 1.8 g kg−1 in shoots (with no significant decrease in shoot biomass) can be a valuable plant in biofortification to improve animal/human nutrition, as well as in phytoremediation of contaminated sites to restore ecosystem services.

EFFECT OF SALICYLIC ACID APPLICATION ON THE GROWTH AND ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF FENNEL PLANTS UNDER SALINITY STRESS CONDITIONS

Nowadays, Egypt faces a problem in the amount of available irrigation water because the Egyptian water quota is fixed, thus the cornerstone of the current Egyptian strategy is increasing crop productivity from unit area with the lowest possible amount of irrigation water. So, a pots experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt (30.52oN and 30.99oE) during two successive growth winter seasons, i.e. 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 to study the effect of different rates of salicylic acid (SA), different salinity levels of irrigation water and their interactions on growth, yield and chemical compositions of fennel plants (Foeniculum vulgare, Mill.), variety of purple-bronze foliage grown on clayey-textured soil. SA was added as foliar applications at four rates namely 50, 100, 150 and 200 (mg/l) in addition to control treatment with SA-free water. The water used for irrigation (artificial water) has EC of 3, 5 and 7 (dS m-1) for W2, W3 and W4 respectively, beside Nile water (W1) which is characterized by EC of 0.37 dSm-1. The design of the experiment is a complete randomized block with three replicates. In two growing seasons, a vegetative growth characters, i.e. plant height (cm), number of main branches/plant and fresh weight of whole plant (g) as well as yield parameters, i.e. number of umbels/plant, fresh and dry weights of umbels/plant (g), weight of 100 fruits (g/plant) and fruit yield (g/plant), chemical composition together with volatile oil percentage, oil constituents, photosynthetic pigments, N, P, K and total carbohydrate contents were estimated of fennel plants. The obtained results indicated that, all vegetative growth characters and yield parameters were significantly reduced with increasing salinity levels of irrigation water, excluding those irrigated by W2 level, in which slight increments in all of studied criteria were induced. Also, chlorophyll a and b contents followed the same order, where the highest decrease in values was observed in plants irrigated by W4 level either individually or together with SA compared to control treatment. Contents (%) of N, P and K were reduced with increasing salinity levels. While carotenoids, volatile oil and total carbohydrate contents (%) were gradually increased with increasing salinity levels, especially in those irrigated by W3 level. Foliar spraying with different SA concentrations could have alleviated the harmful effect of salinity stress and was associated with high significant values in the most traits under study. Interactions betweensalinity levels of irrigation water and SA concentrations appeared to be the most effective on growth and yield parameters especially when fennel plants irrigated with W2 level and spraying with SA at 150 mg/l. Generally, the results of this study concluded that, under-irrigation by using saline water, salicylic acid should be used as foliar application especially at rate 150 mg/l to reduce the hazardous effects of irrigation water salinity on both quantity and quality of fennel plants.

The use of iron (III) ferrocyanide soil amendment for removing salt from the soil surface

Accelerated soil salinization is a worldwide concern. Our study was carried out to determine the effects of different rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 mmol kg−1) of iron (III) ferrocyanide application to remove salts from the soil. Within two weeks of its application, iron (III) ferrocyanide at 5, 10, and 15 mmol kg−1 removed 12.2%, 26.5%, and 42.9% of the total salts from the soil, respectively. Results suggested that iron (III) ferrocyanide application at 15 mmol kg−1 is one of the most rapid and effective ways to remove substantial amounts of salts from undrained soil (land) where fresh water is scarce.

Effect of increasing rate of insecticides on its selectivity for Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

The present study evaluated the effect of different rates of chlorantraniliprole, chlorantraniliprole + lambda-cyhalothrin, spinosad, and chlorfenapyr on their selectivity for the pupae and adults of Trichogramma pretiosum. The negative effect of majority of the insecticides tested on most of the parasitoids was directly proportional to the rate of the insecticide applied. Chlorantraniliprole at a rate of 10 g a.i. ha-1 was classified as harmless (class 1) to both pupae and adults of the parasitoid. The effect of chlorantraniliprole at a rate of 20 to 50 g a.i. ha-1 varied from harmless (class 1) to slightly harmful (class 2) to the adults of T. pretiosum. Chlorantraniliprole 10 + lambda-cyhalothrin at 5 g a.i. ha-1 was classified as harmless (class 1) to the pupae and moderately harmful (class 3) to the adults of T. pretiosum. On the contrary, the highest rate of chlorantraniliprole 50 + lambda-cyhalothrin tested (i.e., 25 g a.i. ha-1) was classified as slightly harmful (class 2) to the pupae and harmful (class 4) to the adults of the parasitoid. Similarly, increasing the application rate of spinosad and chlorfenapyr also exhibited an increase in toxicity. Spinosad at a rate of 24 g a.i. ha-1 was classified as slightly harmful (class 2) and harmless (class 1) to the pupae and adults of T. pretiosum, respectively. Spinosad at 96 g a.i. ha-1 was classified as both moderately harmful (class 3) and harmful (class 4) to the pupae of the parasitoid. Chlorfenapyr at a rate of 192 g a.i. ha-1 was classified as both slightly harmful (class 2) and moderately harmful (class 3) to the pupae of T. pretiosum, whereas chlorfenapyr at 336 g a.i. ha-1 was categorized as slightly harmful (class 3) and harmful (class 4) to the pupae. These results indicate that an increase in the rate of insecticide affected T. pretiosum negatively. Therefore, higher insecticide rates should only be adopted when strictly necessary to control the target pest, because they might compromise the biological pest control process in the field.

Effect of fertilization combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on four phenolic compounds of cultivated Rhodiola crenulata

This study is aimed to explore the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combined application on the active components of Rhodiola crenulata. R. crenulata was used as the research object, "3414" fertilization experiment were conducted with regular fertilization of NPK(N 60 kg·hm⁻², P₂O₅ 100 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 160 kg·hm⁻²) to study the effect of different rates of NPK fertilization on the total amount of 4 phenolic constituents of gallic acid, salidroside, tyrol and ethyl gallate through field test. The results show that the content of salidroside was higher in the treatment of N₁P₂K₁ and N₁P₂K₂, andthe total amount of four phenols was higher in the treatment of N₁P₂K₂ and N₂P₂K₂. The suitable level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium promoted the accumulation of the 4 kinds of phenols.The amount of fertilizer recommended by the three factor fertilizer effect equation,(N 0 kg·hm⁻²,P₂O₅ 150 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 31.71 kg·hm⁻²) obtained the highest content of salidroside, and it was 1.54%.（N 35.54 kg·hm⁻²,P₂O₅ 150 kg·hm⁻²,KCl 237.73 kg·hm⁻²）obtained the highest content of 4 kinds of phenolic compounds, and it was 1.93%. This study provides a reference for the standardization of artificial planting of endangered Tibetan medicine.

Effect of Different Rates of Poultry Manure and Bio-Slurry on the Yield of Solanum aethiopicum Shum

Poor soil fertility remains the major cause of low crop productivity on smallholder farms that are engaging in vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate soil fertility regimes are therefore critical for improving crop productivity. Its yield has remained low mainly due to poor soil fertility. A field experiment in two different seasons was planted in a Completely Randomized Block Design using Solanum aethiopicum Shum (Nakati). The treatments were 3 sole fertilizer options applied at the following rates: poultry manure and bio-slurry manure at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 t ha-1, NPK (25:5:5) at the recommend application rate for tomato which is a sister crop and a control without any fertilizer. Crop budgets were used to determine the economic optimum rates of both sole applications of manure and combinations of manure with NPK. The sole applications and showed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the yield of S. aethiopicum compared with the control. The established biological optimum rates were at 24.19 t ha-1 and 21.51 t ha-1 for poultry manure and bio-slurry respectively. Using the crop budgets it was concluded that the established economic optimum rates were 20 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 for sole poultry manure and bio-slurry respectively. Recommendations for use of sole poultry manure and bio- slurry at the rate of 20 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 respectively were made.

Phytoaccumulation of Copper from Irrigation Water and Its Effect on the Internal Structure of Lettuce

There is much concern about the cleanup of toxic contaminants in the environment as human activities increase. The objective of this research was to study the effects of different rates (0, 0.3 and 0.5 g·L−1) of (CuCl2) used for irrigation and its translocation in shoots and roots of three varieties: Romaine lettuce (local), Redina lettuce (red) and iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) after 97 days. There was a significant difference in fresh weight and dry weigh for all varieties of lettuce. Differential accumulation and translocation of copper (Cu) in the root and leaf of vegetables were investigated using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Red plant accumulated higher amounts of Cu (1.89 mg·kg−1) in root and (0.71 mg·kg−1) in shoot compared to the other three plant species. The accumulation coefficient (AC) and translocation factor (TF) of Cu in three varieties was higher in red followed by local and iceberg. At high concentrations (CuCl2: 0.5 g·L−1), the light micrographs obtained from the leaf samples of copper-treated plants showed changes and a reduction in the number and the distribution of chloroplasts in palisade and spongy parenchyma cells. All cultivars were able to accumulate significant amounts of Cu, but they have severe symptoms of phytotoxicity when the copper concentration was high.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Some Pre-Emergence Herbicides in Cotton (&lt;i&gt;Gossypium Spp.&lt;/i&gt;) in Northern Ghana

A field experiment was conducted at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute to investigate the effects of pre-emergence herbicides for weed control in cotton during the 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons. The study determined the effects of different rates of three novel cotton herbicides with different formulations on weeds, yield components and yield of seed cotton, applied as pre-emergence. The treatments were laid out in randomized complete block design with four replications and consisted of Diflufenican + Flufenicent and Diflufenican + Flufenicent + Flurtamone as 500SC formulations of each and applied at the rate of 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 l/ha, whilst Diflufenican + Flufenicent + Flurtamone as 200SC formulation was applied at 0.4, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0L/ha. A reference herbicide + product with active ingredients Promotrin + Metolachlor applied at 3.0l /ha and untreated weedy and weed free checks were included. Results showed that. Diflufenican + Flufenicent + as 200SC applied at 0.8 l/ha gave the lowest weed dry weight (65.0 g/m2) similar to the reference herbicide (189.4 g/m2) and Diflufenican + Flufenicent + Flurtamone as 200SC applied at 0.8 l/ha (144.8 g/m2), whilst weedy check gave highest (548.7 kg/m2). Consequently, Diflufenican+ Flufenicent applied at 0.8 l/ha gave significantly (p&lt;0.05) the highest number of bolls and number of opened bolls than the reference herbicide; but similar to weed free. Diflufenican + Flufenicent +Flurtamone as 500SC, applied at 1.0 l/ha supported tallest plants similar to Diflufenican + Flufenicent + Flurtamone as 200SC at 0.4 and 0.6 l/ha and Diflufenican + Flufenicent as 500SC applied at 0.6 and 0.8 l/ha and better than the reference herbicide. Diflufenican+ Flufenicent as 500SC applied at 0.8L/ha (81.3 %), Diflufenican + Flufenicent + Flurtamone as 500SC at 0.8 l/ha (78.7 %) and the reference herbicide (76.3 %) did better (90 %) than weed free. Generally, early control of weeds with the tested herbicides using 0.4 to 1.0 l/ha minimized weed growth and supported high seed cotton yields.

LiST modelling with monitoring data to estimate impact on child mortality of an ORS and zinc programme with public sector providers in Bihar, India

BackgroundMany interventions have attempted to increase vulnerable and remote populations’ access to ORS and zinc to reduce child mortality from diarrhoea. However, the impact of these interventions is difficult to measure. From 2010 to 15, Micronutrient Initiative (MI), worked with the public sector in Bihar, India to enable community health workers to treat and report uncomplicated child diarrhoea with ORS and zinc. We describe how we estimated programme’s impact on child mortality with Lives Saved Tool (LiST) modelling and data from MI’s management information system (MIS). This study demonstrates that using LiST modelling and MIS data are viable options for evaluating programmes to reduce child mortality.MethodsWe used MI’s programme monitoring data to estimate coverage rates and LiST modelling software to estimate programme impact on child mortality. Four scenarios estimated the effects of different rates of programme scale-up and programme coverage on estimated child mortality by measuring children’s lives saved.ResultsThe programme saved an estimated 806–975 children under-5 who had diarrhoea during five-year project phase. Increasing ORS and zinc coverage rates to 19.8% & 18.3% respectively under public sector coverage with effective treatment would have increased the programme’s impact on child mortality and could have achieved the project goal of saving 4200 children’s lives during the five-year programme.ConclusionsProgramme monitoring data can be used with LiST modelling software to estimate coverage rates and programme impact on child mortality. This modelling approach may cost less and yield estimates sooner than directly measuring programme impact with population-based surveys. However, users must be cautious about relying on modelled estimates of impact and ensure that the programme monitoring data used is complete and precise about the programme aspects that are modelled. Otherwise, LiST may mis-estimate impact on child mortality. Further, LiST software may require modifications to its built-in assumptions to capture programmatic inputs. LiST assumes that mortality rates and cause of death structure change only in response to changes in programme coverage. In Bihar, overall child mortality has decreased and diarrhoea seems to be less lethal than previously, but at present LiST does not adjust its estimates for these sorts of changes.