Treatments Of T1 Research Articles

Potassium Management for Corn Growth, Yield and Sweetness under Sabah Sandy Soil

A study was conducted to determine the effect of potassium (K) with organic fertilizers on the growth, yield and sweetness of reddish waxy corn. The treatments were: (T1) standard fertilizer rate of 60 kg ha-1 K2O without organic fertilizer (control); (T2) 30 kg ha-1 K with organic fertilizer; (T3) 90 kg ha-1 K with organic fertilizer and (T4) 120 kg ha-1 K with organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer used was 1.5 t ha-1 Bokashi and 20 t ha-1 chicken manure biochar (CMB). The planted corn received 120 kg ha-1 N and 60 kg ha-1 P2O5. The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six replications. Stem girth, number of leaves, the height of the first cob, fresh weight of the first cob, 100 grains weight, cob girth, cob length and sweetness (Brix scale, %) data were analyzed using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) at 5% significant levels. The Least Significant Different (LSD) was used to compare the means for significantly different results. Significant differences in growth were obtained at (p<0.05) in waxy corn for the number of leaves, the height of the first cob, length of cob, and girth between the control and all treatments. However, there is no significant difference for the sweetness of waxy corn for all treatments. Mean total for growth parameters; the number of leaves, stem girth and height of the first cob from soil surfaces and mean total for yield parameters; cob girth, length of cob, fresh weight of cob, 100 grains weight and the number of kernels was significantly higher for all treatments of T2, T3 and T4 compared to control the treatment of T1. The study showed no significant difference in the sweetness of waxy corn with increasing potassium application, resulting in increased total soluble content. Similar studies for a different rate of organic fertilizers and soil analysis can be done to ascertain further the effects on growth, yield, and sweetness parameters of reddish waxy corn with selected soil properties.

Growth performance, Haematological and Serum biochemistry of broilers fed diets containing Vitex doniana leaf meal

This experiment was conducted to investigate the growth performance, haematological and serum biochemistry indices of broilers fed diets containing Vitex doniana leaf meal (VDLM). A total of 120 unsexed broilers were allocated to four treatments of T1, T2, T3 and T4 and replicated three times with ten birds per replicate in a Completely Randomized Design. The birds in each treatment were fed with diets containing 0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% VDLM respectively. Growth performances, packed cell volume, red blood cell count, haemoglobin, white blood cell count, lymphocytes, neutrophils, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, platelet count, aspartate amino transaminase, alanine amino transaminase, alkaline phosphate, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, cholesterol, albumin, globulin, urea, glucose, total protein and creatinine were evaluated. Growth performance results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) in all the measured parameters except feed cost. The result of the experiment showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) in all the heamatological and serum biochemistry parameters at starter and finisher phases, except for haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration which were not significantly different (P>0.05) at the starter phase. Growth performances of broilers fed control diets were better than the other treatment diets. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin, platelet count and low density lipoprotein decreased progressively while mean corpuscular volume, neutrophils, alanine amino transaminase, aspartate amino transaminase and creatinine increased progressively with increase in the inclusion of VDLM at the finisher phase. At the finisher phase, haemoglobin, packed cell volume and glucose decreased progressively while high density lipoprotein increased progressively with increase in VDLM. The results show that VDLM reduced the growth performance but improved the heamatological and serum biochemistry of broiler at lower levels of inclusion.

Response of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Yield to Combined Biochar, Lime, and Inorganic-Fertilizer Rates in the Case of Gimbi District, Western Ethiopia

Soil degradation due to acidity is a serious problem in western Ethiopia, which would lower soil productivity and crop production. Implementing integrated soil fertility management is the most efficient approach for enhancing agronomic efficacy and boosting crop output while addressing the issue of soil acidity. This experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of combined coffee husk biochar (CHB), soil test-based value lime (STV), and inorganic-fertilizer (NPSB-fertilizer) rates on the optimum yield of garlic in Gimbi district, western Ethiopia. The field experiment was conducted during the 2022 cropping season on two sites. The experiment comprised 14 treatments laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Application of integrated biochar, lime, and inorganic-fertilizer rates showed a highly significant impact (p <0.01) on the yield and yield components of garlic. The treatment unit with T11 ha−1 had the significantly highest total fresh biomass yield (TFBY) per plant for both Farm-1 (65.9 g) and Farm-2 (75.3 g). Bulb yield fresh weight per plant (BWp) was highest in treatments of T4 and T8 ha−1 in Farm-1 (27.7–28.1 g) and in treatments of T4 and T11 ha−1, in Farm-2 (31.4–31.6 g). Marketable bulb yield (MBY) was significantly highest in treatments; T4, T7, T8, and T11 ha−1 in Farm-1 (8.5–9.3 tons ha−1) and Farm-2 (10.1–10.5 tons ha−1). Therefore, by combining, the application of 10 tons of biochar (CHB) + 75% of lime (STV) + 75% of inorganic-fertilizer (NPSB-fertilizer) ha−1 in strongly acid soil, and 7.5 tons of CHB + 50% of STV + 50% of NPSB-fertilizer ha−1 rates in very strongly acid soil are recommended for garlic production in Gimbi district, western Ethiopia, and similar areas. In order to draw firm conclusions, future research on more sites is necessary because this study was logically limited to two sites.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON NUTRACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS WITH LODHRA PWDER FOR WOMEN HEALTH

Introduction- One of the most significant therapeutic herbs in the Symplocaceae family is Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa roxb). It possesses several anti-inflammatory, anti-acne, anti-ulcer, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic qualities. It is widely used to treat a wide range of illnesses, including Alzheimer's, PCOS, leprosy, and many more. Objective- The purpose of this study was to develop nutraceutical products incorporating dehydrated Lodhra bark powder, such as Lodhra Powder Chyawanprash and Lodhra Orange Squash, and then assess their sensory and nutritional properties. Method- Along with control (T0), three variations (treatments) of the lodhra powder Chyawanprash T1, T2, and T3 were prepared, which contain 1g, 3 g, and 5g of lodhra powder, respectively. Along with control (T0), five variations (treatments) of the lodhra orange squash (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) were prepared, which contain 1g, 2g, 3g, 4 g, and 5g of lodhra powder respectively. The sensory attributes of products were analysed organoleptically by the panel of judges using a 9-point hedonic scale score card. The nutritional composition of value-added products was calculated using AOAC 2020 standard procedure.Result- The lodhra powder product was more nutritious as the addition of lodhra powder increased the fiber content of the product. It can be concluded that the addition of lodhra powder adds a fragrance and taste, and it also enhances the quality of lodhra powder chyawanprash and lodhra orange squash. Conclusion- It was concluded that the addition of lodhra powder added therapeutic value for reducing leucorrhea and improving reproductive health in the female population. It also enhanced the quality of the prepared nutraceuticals.

Improving the productive performance of growing lambs using prebiotic and probiotic as growth promoters

The feed additives (prebiotics and probiotics) are used to stabilize the healthy gut microbiome by supporting beneficial microorganisms, thereby improving the animal growth rate. Thirty growing lambs, with around 20.50 ± 0.65 kg live weight were placed into five equal groups (6 animals each). The concentrate feed mixture (CFM) + roughage was given to the control groups. The treatments (T) of T1, T2, and T3 treatments were fed the control ration with three levels of prebiotic supplementation: 0.50, 1.00, and 1.50 g/kg CFM of mannan oligosaccharids + beta glucan, respectively. The T4 received the control ration and was supplemented with 1.0 g/kg CFM probiotic (3.0 × 108 CFU/g, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens). The roughage was provided ad libitum, and the animals were supplemented with CFM at 2.00% of the body weight. A digestibility trial was conducted at the end of the 150-day feeding trial. The results demonstrated that increasing the prebiotic to 0.15% enhanced average daily gain and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group. Although daily gain and feed efficiency in probiotic-fed animals were higher (P < 0.05) than in the control group, they were lower in prebiotic-fed lambs. The blood parameters were within normal range. The animals that received 0.10% prebiotic had the highest economic feed efficiency when compared to the other groups. Prebiotic treatment improved nutrient digestibility and nutritive values; however, the results for control and probiotic treatment were practically identical. Additionally, further research is needed to investigate the effects of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics as feed additives on productive and reproductive performance in ruminants.

Effectiveness of Bio Activator of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria Consortium on Composting Bag-log Waste Incorporated with Cow Dung

Bag-log waste is an organic material that is difficult to decompose. This is due to the bag log's high content of lignin compounds. Therefore, to speed up the composting process, it is necessary to include other organic materials and bio activators. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the bio-activator consortium of Phosphate Dissolving Bacteria (KBPF) in composting bag-log waste mixed with cow dung. The experiment consisted of 5 treatments with three replications, namely (T1) bag-log waste, (T2) a mixture of bag-log waste and cow manure with a composition of 1:2 (wt/wt), (T3) a mixture of bag-log waste and cow manure with 2:1 ( wt/wt), (T4) a mixture of bag-log waste and cow manure with a composition of 1:2 (wt/wt) plus KBPF (200 ml) with a density of 108 CFU/ml (T5) a mixture of bag-log waste and cow manure with a composition of 2:1 (wt/wt) plus KBPF (200 ml) with a density of 108 CFU/ml. The experiment was created as - Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The experimental results show that bag-log waste cannot be decomposed fastly without cow dung and bio activators. The treatments of T2, T3, T4 and T5 produced compost with quality not significantly different from one another. Under these treatments, the temperature was controlled in the mesophilic stage, and the composting pH was returned to neutral, while the moisture content and C/N ratio decreased to almost half of their original levels at the end of the composting period. It seems that inoculation of KBPF into the mixture of cow dung and bag-log waste has no role in accelerating the composting process. The mix of Bag-log and cow dung, with a minimal proportion of 2:1 without inoculation KBPF, was the recommended combination in composting bag-log in which the final product (compost) could fulfil its pH (neutral), the threshold of temperature and water content. The C/N ratio of the treatment was close C/N ratio of mature compost, and total N and total P contents were more than the standard of SNI 19-7030-2004.

Effects of Phenological Changes on Plant Production—From the View of Stipa krylovii

Global warming has changed plant phenology and induced variations in the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the influence of phenological changes on plant production. We carried out a three-year in situ experiment in Inner Mongolia and used Stipa krylovii as an example to examine the phenological changes and their importance to plant production under changes in temperature and precipitation. We found that precipitation, temperature, and their interactions had no significant impact on the start of the growing season (SOS) or vegetative growth length (VGL). Precipitation had significant impacts on the end of the growing season (EOS), the length of the growing season (LOS), and reproductive growth length (RGL). The precipitation addition treatments of T2.0W + 50% (2 °C warming and 50% precipitation addition) and T1.5W + 50% (1.5 °C warming and 50% precipitation addition) significantly delayed the EOS by 6.7 d and 5.4 d, and significantly prolonged the LOS by 9.3 d and 9.3 d, respectively. Precipitation significantly changed the net CO2 assimilation rate (Pn) of the heading stage. There was no significant difference in the dry mass among all the treatments. The SOS and VGL had significant negative impacts on the dry mass of Stipa krylovii, while temperature, precipitation, and the EOS had no significant direct effect on it. Our results imply that the SOS was more important than the EOS in regulating the plant production of Stipa krylovii. This study can facilitate the understanding of the response of productivity to phenological dynamics and improve the accuracy of simulating the terrestrial ecosystem carbon budget.

Assessment of Thepax and Bio Boost for promoting microbial growth in common carp intestines Cyprinus carpio.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Thepax and BioBoost as food additives on the microorganisms in the intestines of fish. From March 4 to October 22, the total number of common carp was 900 fish with an average weight of 163.41 ±10.16 g and a density of 100 fish/cage; three replicates were used for each treatment. The fish were fed three times daily. The included T1(0%additive), T2(1g/kgThepax)and T3 (1 g/kgBioBoost). The highest final weight value is Thepax treatment (2209.34 g), followed by Bio Boost and control. Microorganisms showed significant differences (P&lt;0.05) in T2 for Lactobacillus sp. (10² x 65 CFU/ml) followed by T3 (10² x 55 CFU/ml) and control T1 (10² x 23 CFU/ml), also for Cellulomonas sp. in T2 (10² x 54 CFU/ml) followed by T3 (10² x 39 CFU/ml) and control T1 (10² x 7 CFU/ml). At the same time, Aeromonas sp. bacteria was higher in T1 (10² x 34 CFU/ml) over the treatments of T2 and T3 (10² x 2 CFU/ml) for both. We concluded the best additive was 1 g of Thepax / kg of feed in the recommended diets for common carp. Keywords: Thepax; Additives; Microorganisms; Intestines; Bacteria; Lactobacillus; Endo Bio Boost

Uso de dendrómetros para la programación de riego en cultivo de cacao (Theobroma cacao) en la Estación Experimental de Sapecho

The management of water resources is very important for the production and profitability of crops. However, the growing scarcity of water makes it necessary to implement irrigation scheduling under efficient irrigation systems to optimize water use efficiency. The objective was focused on developing the necessary bases to program the irrigation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) exclusively using measurements of the maximum daily contraction of the trunk (MCD), which was carried out at the Sapecho Experimental Station, Sud Yungas province of the department of La Paz, with a completely randomized block design, with treatments of T1 = 100% irrigation and T2 = 50% irrigation plus a Witness (T0), the results indicated that the MCD is a sensitive indicator to diagnose changes in the state cocoa water, in this sense it was possible to obtain reference equations for the MCD with respect to the climatic variables of maximum and average temperature. It was possible to verify that the application of irrigation had an effect on the production of fruits that had an increase in yield with the application of the different treatments, being that T1 presented better results with 852.47 kg/ha, followed by T2 with 652.67 kg/ha unlike the control T0 that presented 205.93 kg/ha.

Vegetative and Reproductive Parameters of Carrot Influenced by Tree Fresh Leaf Biomass Application as a Source of Organic Matter

Bangladesh's soil organic matter is quite low. To replenish biodegradable materials, it is important to investigate the best organic amendment for enhanced crop production. A field study was carried out at the Agroforestry Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh from December 2019 to March 2020 to assess the influence of different tree leaf biomass applications on vegetative characters, yield contributing characters and yield of carrot. In this research, six experimental treatments were imposed, T0= represents the Control (recommended fertilizer dose), T1= Mander (Erythrina orientalis) tree leaf biomass, T2= Ipil-Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) tree leaf biomass, T3= Minjiri (Cassia siamea) tree leaf biomass, T4= Jhau (Casuarina equisetifolia), T5= Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) tree leaf biomass, the experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results revealed that the tree fresh leaf biomasses significantly influenced the growth, yield and yield contributing parameters of carrots viz. plant height (cm), the number of leaves per plant, leaf length (cm), leaf breadth (cm), length of root (cm), diameter of root (cm), fresh weight of root (gm), dry weight of root (%) and yield of carrot (t/ha) at different days after seed sowing. The highest (28.72 t ha-1) root yield of carrot was obtained in the recommended fertilizer dose followed by the treatments of T2, T1, T3, T4 (23.98, 21.98, 21.26, 20.22 t ha-1) respectively, while the lowest (18.29 t ha-1) root yield was produced in the T5 treatment. When it came to root yield, the ipil-ipil tree outperformed the other tree leaf biomasses because it was closest to the appropriate fertilizer dose. The sissoo tree leaf biomass produced the lowest output in this situation. However, the green leaf biomass of ipil-ipil tree might be substituted for or applied in conjunction with inorganic fertilizer. In the agroforestry system, tree leaves can be used as a source of organic matter. This would greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer needed to grow carrots in Bangladesh.

Effect of dietary nano- selenium, astaxanthin and their combination on antioxidant status and immune function in Ross-308 broiler chicks

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding nano-selenium and astaxanthin and their mixture to broiler rations on oxidation and immunity indicators. Unsexed Ross-308 broiler chicks were used. The results of the study showed that there was a significant (P≤ 0.05) decrease in the concentration of ALT enzyme in the treatments of T2 and T5 compared to the control treatment T1. Also, there was a significant decrease (P≤ 0.05) in the concentration of AST enzyme in the blood serum of the experimental treatments compared to the control treatment T1, and the two treatments T2 and T7 outperformed significantly (P≤ 0.05) in the concentration of glutathione peroxidase enzyme compared to the control treatment T1, and the increase in the concentration of catalase enzyme in the T6 treatment compared to the control treatment T1, while the concentration of malondehyde decreased in the experimental treatments compared to the control. There was a significant increase (P≤ 0.05) for treatment T4 and T7 in the weight bursa of Fabricia compared with the control treatment T1, as well as a significant increase (P≤ 0.05) in the value of the relative weight and index of bursa of Fabricia for treatments T7, T4, T2 when compared with the control treatment. T1 .There was a significant increase (p≤ 0.05) for treatment T3 and T6 in the volumetric criterion of antibodies to Kamboru disease when compared with the control treatment T1, while the volumetric ratio of antibodies to Newcastle disease decreased in all experiment treatments when compared with the control treatment T1.

Evaluation of key microbial community succession and enzyme activities of nitrogen transformation in pig manure composting process through multi angle analysis

This experiment aimed to investigate changes in enzyme activity, microbial succession, and nitrogen conversion caused by different initial carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of 25:1, 35:1 and 20:1 (namely CK, T1 and T2) during pig manure composting. The results showed that the lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (T2) after composting retained 19.64 g/kg of TN which was more than 16.74 and 17.32 g/kg in treatments of CK and T1, respectively, but excessive conversion of ammonium nitrogen to ammonia gas resulted in nitrogen loss. Additional straw in T1 could play the role as a bulking agent. After composting, TN in T1 retained the most, and TN contents were 63.51 %, 67.34 % and 56.24 % in CK, T1 and T2, respectively. Network analysis indicated that many types of microorganisms functioned as a whole community at various stages of nitrogen cycle. This study suggests that microbial community structure modification might be a good strategy to reduce ammonium nitrogen loss.

Technical and economic study of irrigation scheduling devices on corn water productivity in a semi-arid region

It is essential to consider water allocation control and on-farm irrigation scheduling to increase water productivity in agriculture. There are several devices used for irrigation scheduling, however the best device with the most priority is not identified yet. In the present study, the effect of using several irrigation scheduling devices on increasing water productivity in a corn field was investigated. The devices were classified technically and economically using analytic hierarchy process. The experimental farm was located in a semi-arid region in Iran, which was managed by a farmer and irrigated with drip irrigation system. Six techniques for irrigation scheduling were studied including Penman-Monteith model (T2), infrared thermometer (T3), soil moisture meter (T4), tensiometer (T5), and gypsum block (T6). The irrigation scheduling treatments were compared with the conventional treatment adopted by the farmer (T1). Economic analysis was performed. The ease of use of the devices was also evaluated. Results showed for the irrigation scheduling treatments of T3 to T6, applied irrigation water was reduced by 11 to 26% compared to T1. The corn yield in irrigation scheduling treatments was not reduced significantly compared to T1. As a result, water productivity increased by 35% from 2.0 to 2.7 kg/m3. The best irrigation scheduling device in terms of water productivity was gypsum block. In regard to affordability and ease of use by farmers, the Penman-Monteith model had more priority. Considering all assessment criteria, tensiometer (T5) was given the first priority. The infrared thermometer (T3) and Penman-Monteith model (T2) were identified as the next priorities.

Optimized Phosphorus Application Alleviated Adverse Effects of Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Enhancing Photosynthesis and Improved Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry Matter

Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, a cold-sensitive cultivar). We employed traditional phosphorus application (TPA, i.e., R1) and optimized phosphorus application (OPA, i.e., R2) methods. Plants undertook chilling (T1 at 4 °C) and freezing treatment (T2 at −4 °C) as well as ambient temperature (CK at 11 °C) during the anther differentiation period to investigate the effects of OPA and TPA on photosynthetic parameters and the accumulation and distribution of dry matter. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of flag leaves decreased in low-temperature treatments, whereas intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) increased. Compared with R1CK, Pn in R1T1 and R1T2 treatments was reduced by 26.8% and 42.2% in YN19 and 34.2% and 54.7% in XM26, respectively. In contrast, it increased by 6.5%, 8.9% and 12.7% in YN19 and 7.7%, 15.6% and 22.6% in XM26 for R2CK, R2T1 and R2T2 treatments, respectively, under OPA compared with TPA at the same temperature treatments. Moreover, low-temperature stress reduced dry matter accumulation at the reproductive growth stage. OPA increased dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after the flowering stage and promoted the transportation of assimilates to grains. Hence, the grain number per spike (GNPS), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and yield per plant (YPP) increased. The low-temperature treatments of T1 and T2 caused yield losses of 24.1~64.1%, and the yield increased by 8.6~20.5% under OPA treatments among the two wheat cultivars. In brief, OPA enhances low-temperature tolerance in wheat, effectively improves wheat architecture and photosynthesis, increases GNPS and TGW and ultimately lessens yield losses.

The Synergistic Effects of Combined Use of Mentha longifolia, Thymus carmanicus, and Trachyspermum copticum on Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, and Expression of Key Immune Genes in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Medicinal plants exhibit remarkable positive effects on different aspects of fish physiology. This study aimed to evaluate the possible impact of a combination of plants (Mentha longifolia, Thymus carmanicus, and Trachyspermum copticum) on growth performance, immune responses and key immune gene expression of rainbow trout. For this purpose, four diets were designed, including zero, 0.25, 0.5, and 1% of a mixture of plants per kg of diet, representing dietary treatments of control, T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Two hundred forty fish (weighing 23.11 ± 0.57 g) were fed 3% of body weight twice a day for 45 days. The results showed that growth parameters of weight gain (except for T1) and FCR were significantly improved in fish receiving all levels of plants, with T3 showing the best growth results. Digestive enzymes activities were notably increased in T1 and T2 compared to the control. Stress biomarkers (glucose and cortisol) were significantly decreased in T1 and T2, while T3 was not significantly different from the control. Immunological responses were significantly improved in T2, while T1 andT3 did not show a statistical difference in terms of lysozyme activity. Catalase activity was noticeably decreased in T1, although superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were highest in T2. Immune-related genes were significantly up-regulated in T3 compared to other treatments. Also, antioxidant enzyme coding genes were strongly up-regulated in T2 and T3. Overall, the present results suggest that 1% inclusion of the mixture of M. longifolia, T. carmanicus, and T. copticum (T2) can be used to improve the growth and immunity of rainbow trout.

EFFECT OF AMELIORATION PROCESSES ON SALT AFFECTED SOIL PROPERTIES AND ITS PRODUCTIVITY OF WHEAT PLANT

A field experiment were carried out saline soil at the region of Demro Village, Sidi salem City, Kafr El Shiekh Governorate, Egypt, during two successive growing winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. Therefore this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of leaching technique. i.e. uncontinuous process and continuous process CLP under individual and combined gypsum application rates as a percent of soil gypsum requirements GR.i.e. 0, 50 and 100 % ( G1,G2 and G3, respectively) and tillage depth .i.e. without T1, 20 cm T2 and 50 cm T3. These treatments were arranged with in the experimental plots in split-split plot at randomized complete block design in three replicates. The effect of the studied treatments on soil salinity, bulk density and hydraulic conductivity as well as productivity on wheat (Triticum aestivum, Masr3) plants were studied. Increasing rate of added gypsum as well as increasing in tillage depth resulted in a significant decrease of both soil salinity and its bulk density while resulted in a significant increase of soil hydraulic conductivity. The high changes of the studied soil properties were observed with ULP technique. In addition straw and grains yields of wheat plants were increased significantly as a resulted of gypsum applications and increase of tillage depth, where the highest yields were found with the combined treatments of GR3 and T3 with ULP technique. The data of this study show the high efficiency of combined amelioration processes in improve properties of saline soil and its productivity of crops compared with the single process.

Evaluation of Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal for hepato nephro-protective potentials in broiler chickens

Phyllanthus amarus is an important medicinal plant that is widely distributed in all tropical and subtropical regions of the planet and has the ability to prevent and treat several human and animal diseases but has been associated with pathological defects on various organs on dose-dependent pattern. This study was carried out to evaluate Phyllanthus amarus leaf meal (PALM) for hepato-nephro-protective potentials in broiler chickens. One hundred and twenty (120) day old marshal broiler chickens were used for the experiment that lasted for 56 days. The birds were randomly allotted to five treatments of T0 (control, no PALM), T1 (2.5g/kg PALM), T2 (5.0g/kg PALM), T3 (7.5g/kg PALM) and T4 (10g/kg PALM) in a complete randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated thrice with 8 birds per replicate. The birds were fed with commercial Top® feed and water was given ad-libitum. At the end of the experiment, blood was aseptically collected via venipuncture from a randomly selected bird per replicate to determine the serum biochemical parameters and later was humanely sacrificed for organs harvest. The liver and kidney were carefully dissected out and fixed in buffered 10% formalin for histological study. The biochemical data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and statistical difference in means was separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The histo-pathological slides were interpreted by experts. ALT for T1 – T4 were statistically similar but differed significantly (P&lt;0.05) from T1 . The ALP, however, showed T2 – T4 differing significantly (P&lt;0.05) from T0 and T1 . The uric acid was highest in T4 and differed significantly (P&lt;0.05) from other groups. The urea was highest in quantity in T3 and T4 and as well differed significantly (P&lt;0.05) from other treatments. Therefore, the results showed significant differences (P&lt;0.05) across treatment groups except for AST. PALM gradually increased the ALT, ALP, uric acid and urea in a dose dependent manner across treatments except urea that slightly decreased at T4 . The findings indicated that the PALM had varied time and dose dependent pathological effects on the liver and kidney of treated groups. It can therefore be concluded that PALM enhances serum biochemical parameters and has deleterious effects on the cyto-architecture of liver and kidney. It is recommended that PALM (crude) up to 2.5 g/kg should not be administered protractedly in chickens since it could constitute damage to visceral organs.

Microbial and composition changes during vermicomposting process resulting from decomposable domestic waste, cow manure and dewatered sludge

Aim: Although vermicomposting is rich in nutrients, the virulent microbes and pathogens present in it may be a threat to human health and the environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the microbial quality of produced vermicompost, including fecal coliform and parasitic eggs, at a pilot scale, and compare it to present standards. Materials and Methods: Three various reactors containing decomposable domestic waste (T1), cow manure (T2), and dewatered sludge (T3) were used to produce vermicompost using Eisenia fetida. According to the standard methods, fecal coliforms, parasitic eggs, and some of the treatment characteristics including organic carbons, nitrogen, temperature, humidity, pH, electrical conductivity and metals were evaluated during the 56-day operation period. Results: According to the results, the number of fecal coliforms in treatments of T1, T2 and T3 reduced from 2.5 × 104, 6 × 105 and 15 × 106 to 1000, 1500 and 1500 MPN/g dw, respectively. All parasite eggs reached zero after the 3rd week. At the end of the study, the average of organic carbon in T1, T2, and T3 were 35.4 ± 6%, 50.7 ± 5%, and 58.4 ± 7%, respectively. This value for total nitrogen were 0.9 ± 0.2%, 1.8 ± 0.7%, and 4.2 ± 1.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Results showed that the worm E. fetida has a great ability to reduce pathogens without the need for an increase in temperature. Furthermore, it can be concluded that vermicompost can improve the quality of compost in 8 weeks. The vermicomposting process can also greatly destroy the fecal coliforms and all parasite eggs.

Tolerance of African giant land snails (Archachatina marginata) to varying levels of table Salt

An experiment was conducted to determine the growth response of African giant land snail Archachatina marginata fed diets containing different levels of sodium chloride. One hundred and twenty snails were subjected to four dietary treatments of T1, T2, T3 and T4 with 0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75% sodium chloride respectively. The treatments were replicated thrice with 10 snails per replicate. The measured parameters included weight gain, feed intake, shell length, shell circumference and shell thickness. Feed cost, cost of feed per kg weight gain and feed conversion ratio were also calculated. Results showed that there were significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) in average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, feed cost and shell thickness but there were no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) in cost of feed per kg weight gain, shell length and shell circumference in the snails fed the treatment diets. Treatment 2 had the highest average daily weight gain (0.07±0.01), average daily feed intake (0.91±0.08) and feed cost (7.19±0.64) but the lowest feed conversion ratio (13.15±61.76) while treatment 1 had the lowest average daily weight gain (0.04±0.01), average daily feed intake (0.70±0.20) and feed cost (5.54±0.18) but the highest feed conversion ratio (15.86±0.5). This shows that inclusion of sodium chloride above 0.25% in the diet of Archachatina marginata affects both the feed intake and weight gain of the snails.

Effect addition of the peppermint oil to barley straw in some characteristics of fermentation in the rumen, in vitro digestibility and metabolic energy

This study aimed to investigate the influence of adding different concentrations of peppermint oil to barley straw in some fermented rumen features, in vitro digestibility and energy of metabolism. The results showed a significant decrease (p<0.01) in the pH of all treatments except T4, during all incubation period in comparison with the control treatment. The results also presented a significant increase (p<0.01) in the concentration of the nitrogen of ammonia in treatments of T3 and T4 and during every part of incubation periods in comparing with the control treatment. Additionally, a significant decrease (p<0.01) was discovered in the in vitro dry matter, digestibility organic substances and metabolic energy compared with the treatment of control.