This study was conducted at a private farm in Zawia Libya during the winter of 2015/2016 to study the effect of organic fertilizer (decomposed sheep residues) and complete chemical fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) on vegetative growth and yield of green onion class (Texas SR502), which cultured in sandy soil. The results showed that the significant effect of the type and concentration of the fertilizer which has been used, so the organic fertilizer of the decomposed sheep remnants by 20 tons / ha concentration revealed significant effect on studied characteristics, while there is no significant effect by using 10 tons/ha of organic fertilizer in comparison with the control except it is effect on the diameter of the bulb. Also, the results showed that there were no significant differences between the three fertilizer treatments on the percentage of total soluble solids contents of the crop. However, there were a significant difference between them and the control.

The study analyzed the economics of Moringa oleifera value chain in selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Northern Taraba state, namely: Ardo-kola, Karim-lamido, Yorro and Zing. The broad objective was to analyse Moringa oleifera value chain with a view to understand the contributions of the value chain to the participants‟ livelihood, namely: processors, marketers and consumers. The specific objectives were to determine the influence of the socio-economic characteristics on the efficiency of the market; analyse the structure, conduct and performance of the Moringa oleifera value chain. Data for the study was obtained from 284 respondents purposely selected consisting of 44 processors, 120 marketers and 120 consumers. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), and linear regression were used to analyse the data. Result revealed that Linear regression showed that age was significant at 10%, formal education was significant at 1%, marital status was significant at 5% and gender was significant at 10%. The HHI revealed that there was high competition and low concentration across all the markets; in Karim-lamido LGA, only the oil industry had HHI of 1804, implying a highly concentrated market with low competition. In Yorro LGA, all the markets had low concentration and high competition as revealed by the HHI fresh leaves (13.98), dry leaves (13.21), seeds (29.74) and oil (43.07). Zing LGA had HHI of fresh leaves (91.99), dry leaves (3856.78), seed (180.13) and oil (221.56). All the industries, as evident from the result, had low market concentration, except for the dry leaf industry, with HHI value of 3856.78. Processors‟ marketing efficiency value was 292.2%, which indicated a highly efficient market, while the marketers had marketing efficiency value of 96.59%. It was recommended that participants should form cooperatives, so that resources can be pooled together to obtain modern facilities to improve product processing. Also, the state Ministry of Agriculture should establish Moringa oleifera seed multiplication units and Moringa oleifera plantation.

Leafy vegetables (greens) are highly perishable and need immediate storage in a favourable environment after harvest for maintaining their freshness and marketability. Their importance is now-a-days gaining momentum among the consumers because of various health benefits. However, farmers are not interested to grow leafy vegetables due to their high perishability and lack of proper storage facilities which force them to sell their harvested material immediately at a lower price, resulting ultimately in reduced net profit to the growers. An attempt has therefore been made in this paper to study the feasibility of using a low cost and very low energy consuming storage device for short-term storage of leafy vegetable (spinach) of about 1 week and to encourage the farmers to go for cultivating greens in a small scale mostly in their back yard for achieving nutritional and livelihood security. One such storage device used for the present study is zero energy cool chamber, constructed at OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The Zero energy cool chamber for this study was provided with a gravity fed micro-dripper watering system for uniform and continuous wetting of sand bed. A zero energy cool chamber constructed in coastal area of Odisha i.e. at Bhubaneswar was used to study the storability of most prevailing leafy vegetable i.e. spinach during April-May 2015. It was found that spinach could be stored 4 days in the marketable form in zero energy cool chamber under coastal conditions compared to 1 day in room condition (temperature, 23-27 0C and Rh, 50-60 %) during summer period.

The study analyzed the economics of catfish production in Delta State Nigeria. The multi-stage random sampling technique was used in selecting 700 catfish farmers from the study area using the proportionate sampling method. Primary data were collected through the use of questionnaires and group discussions. Data were analyzed using budgeting techniques and the stochastic frontier production function. The result of socio-economic characteristics of the respondents indicate that majority of the farmers were within the age range of 20-39 years; male; had formal education and married with a household size of 1-5 persons. Catfish production was found to be a profitable business in the study area with a net farm income of N402; 654 and rate of return on investment of N1.48 and a gross ratio of N1.67 for every naira spent on production. The mean technical efficiency was 57%. Findings further revealed that none of the sampled catfish farmers reached the frontier threshold. However; variables included in the model for the efficiency effects were stocking density; Labour; feeds; drugs and fingerlings. The parameters of the stochastic frontier production function were estimated simultaneously with those of the inefficiency effects. It is therefore recommended that extension workers should intensify organization of training; workshops and seminars for catfish farmers on improved methods and technology; cost of farm implements and feeds should be subsidized to ease the risk of catfish farming and young unemployed youths should be encouraged to participate in the catfish business so as to generate employment and income towards sustainable rural development.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CL, ovary weight and ovary size, on follicular population, oocytes recovery, oocytes grades, oocytes index and cleavage rate on Indian buffalos. A total of 296 buffalo ovaries were collected from slaughterhouse and transported to laboratory for determination of ovaries weight, length, width, thickness, follicular population and oocytes grades, oocytes index and cleavage rate. The results obtained revealed that the number of small and large follicles were significantly higher in ovaries having weight more than 5g as compared to ovaries weight between 3-5g and less than 3g. The number of small follicles in large size ovaries was significantly higher as compared to small size ovaries. The mean number of oocytes recovery, number of oocytes for IVEP and number of cleavage, obtained from ovaries with CL was lower than that of ovaries without CL. No significant difference observed between presence and absence of CL, follicular population and oocytes grades.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Farmers-Herders conflict on the farming households of in southern Taraba State, Nigeria. The objective were to: describe the socioeconomic characteristics of crop farmers in southern Taraba State; ascertain the causes of conflict between farmers and herdsmen as perceived by crop farmers and ascertain the effects of the conflict on livelihood of farming households in southern Taraba State. Data were collected from 102 farming households using structured questionnaire, as respondents for the study. Multi-stage sampling was used for the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data collected. The results of the study shows that 61.8% of farmers were males, Majority (81.4%) of the farmers fell within 21-50 years with mean age of 41 years, majority (55.9%) were married with average household size of 11 persons. Majority of the farmers are predominantly small-scale farmers with average farm size of 2.82 ha, about 88.2% of the rural farmers had formal education. The major crops grown were cereals crops (47.1%), 73.5% of the respondents belonged to organizations with average annual income of farmers was N181, 050.52. The major perceived causes of conflicts by crop farmers in the study area was uncontrolled grazing and damage to crops by cattle (95.1%). The most severe consequences of conflicts were decrease in output and income of farmers (99.0%) and Loss of lives and injuries sustained (98.0%). It was concluded that Farmers-herders conflicts are destructive and have far reaching consequences on livelihoods farming household as well as rural development in Taraba State and Nigeria at large if left unchecked quickly. It was recommended that intensive system of grazing, through ranching should be introduced so that cattle’s are restricted to a particular place and chances of future clashes foreclosed.

The study aim at assessing rural farmer’s household’s livelihood security options amidst conflicts in Taraba state, Nigeria. Specifically, the study was to identify Farmers’ Alternative Livelihood activities and analyse the determinants of livelihood diversification strategies among rural households. Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted in the process of sample selection. Primary data were collected using well structure questionnaire administered to 84 respondents, out of which 82 questionnaires were properly filled and returned. Descriptive statistical tools such as frequency, percentage and ranking and inferential statistics such as Logit regression were used to achieve objectives of the study. The result revealed that the major choice of alternative livelihood activities for most of the rural farmers in the Taraba State in the midst of conflicts (famers-herders and inter-tribal conflicts) were petty trading (81.7%), casual daily labour (62.2%), food vending (54.9%) and Selling of firewood/Charcoal production (52.4%). Determinants of household livelihood alternative activities amidst conflict were level of formal education ((p<0.01), insecurity (p<0.01), farm size (p<0.01), reduced farm income (p<0.05), extension contact (p<0.01) and dependency households (p<0.01). it was concluded that was that farmers in conflicts affected area use diversify their income sources into non-farm activities to conserve livelihood security in the midst of conflicts. The study recommended Governmental and nongovernmental organizations should give attention for rural livelihood improvement through providing security in the conflicts areas.

Background: Leptospirosis is one of the most important contagious zoonosis diseases caused by different serovars of Leptospira interrogans. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence rate of Leptospira pathogen serovars in cows and relation to human population in Gilan province during 2003-2013. Methods: Totally 1250 serum samples were collected from different cities in Gilan (800 samples at 2003 and 450 samples at 2013 from cows). The serum samples were analyzed employing the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) at the Razi Research Institute Center. Results: The infection rate was high, in 3-4 years old cows and in spring seasons. In 2013, serum samples showed a positive reaction against leptospira which was higher compared to 2003. The most seroprevalent serovar was Grippotyphosa and the least was serovar Canicola in 2003 and predominant seroprevalent was Icterohaemprragia and the least was Pomona in 2013. The most percentage rates of MAT titers were 1:200 in 2003, and most percentage rates of MAT titers were 1:800 and1:1600 in 2013. The infection rate was high and according to the review of Leptospirosis prevalence in cows and its relation to the human population between 2003 and 2013. The relationship between human infection and an increase in animal titer with the highest rate of infection seen in the countryside. Conclusions: There is an important concern about the possibility of the occurrence of an acute form of the disease with low prevalence. There is, therefore, a need to control the disease in Gilan Province.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most widely grown cereals in the world and is the staple food for much of its population. Senegal, a major consumer of rice, uses the international market to cover its needs. Improving the productivity and organoleptic characteristics of grains is one of its research areas to secure this food. In this context a screening of 120 new rice lines from varietal selection with anther culture in VFS was undertaken on the basis of seven (7) characters. This study is carried out in the experimental station of ISRA Saint-Louis, in the commune of Fanaye. Its objective is to evaluate the variability existing between 4 control varieties. The design used is an "augmented design". The results obtained show that, apart from the yield, the six (6) other parameters have significantly significant differences between the controls. The comparison of them and the controls shows very interesting agronomic performances of some of them. Frequency analysis revealed that 44.16% of the lines were extra vigorous, 15% had a greater height at maturity than those that were popularized and 12.50% had a smaller height. The combination of all these variables permitted leaving of the collection 40 best varieties to be advanced in a preliminary participatory yield trial.