Journal of Agricultural Science, Issue: Vol.18, No.10

Interspecific Competitive Relationships Between Crop Components and Weeds in Mixed Cropped Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) With False Flax (Camelina sativa Crantz)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:22:36 +0000

Mixed cropping of Vicia faba with Camelina sativa enhances weed suppression and resource use efficiency, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical weed control. Early canopy closure by C. sativa—driven by rapid seedling establishment—created a functional living mulch that reduced bare soil exposure and suppressed weed seedlings by 78% compared to non-weeded controls, primarily through niche disruption. Although overyielding was moderate, the system maintained the absolute amount of nitrogen fixed symbiotically by V. faba, with no significant difference between sole and mixed cropping systems. However, V. faba performance was critically dependent on early soil nitrogen availability, which could not be fully compensated for by fixed nitrogen. To optimize yield stability, pairing short-strawed C. sativa with tall, high-yielding V. faba genotypes is recommended. This study demonstrates that C. sativa improves system resilience through weed suppression and efficient resource use, but its effectiveness hinges on strategic cultivar matching to balance competition and complementarity in mixed cropping systems.

Characterization of the Content and Physicochemical Properties of Oil From Babassu Seeds (Attalea compta Mart.)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:29:36 +0000

Babassu, the popular name for palm trees native to South America belonging to the genus Attalea, has great economic viability through products derived from this plant. Among this wide diversity, the oil extracted from its seeds has great potential for use as an alternative source of biofuels. This study aimed to analyze the content and physicochemical properties of Attalea compta seeds oil. Fruits were obtained from different populations located in the northwestern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the seeds were extracted. The lipid content was obtained by the hot extraction method, using continuous reflux with solvent in a Goldfish equipment, and the yield calculated gravimetrically. Acidity, moisture, viscosity, and fatty acid profile analyses were performed using crude oil extracted by cold mechanical pressing, with subsequent centrifugation to separate impurities. The average lipid content obtained from different accessions of these studied populations was 49.96% of area A, 50.42% of area B, and 57.10% of area C. The oil’s acidity index was 0.09 mg KOH/g, while the moisture content seeds and viscosity obtained from these analyses were 5.60% and 37.61 mm²/s, respectively. The fatty acid profile assay, using gas chromatography, identified a high concentration of saturated fats, especially lauric acid, with 38.68% of the oil’s composition. Other relevant saturated fatty acids were also identified. This composition confers high stability and resistance to oxidation to the oil, and the high oil content found in A. compta seeds, together with the physical and chemical analyses performed, demonstrate its potential for use in agroindustry as bioenergy.

CO2-Sequestration & Neutralization in Subaerially Exposed Bauxite Tailings: Identifications Using X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:32:39 +0000

Sequestration of atmospheric CO₂, currently a necessary process, occurs within the 0-30 cm depths of drying bauxite (red mud) (BR) lakes. However, at greater depths, carbonation occurs at less than half the rate that it does in the 0-30 cm zone. Maximizing atmospheric exposure can increase the rates of carbonation in bauxite wastes. This study aimed to identify the restrictions on carbonation operating at greater depths in such waste. With carbonation hardening calcium-rich red muds, the strength of bauxite waste was used as a surrogate for inferring carbonation. Samples were taken from two depths (cm): 15-25 and 25-35. There were three groups of samples. Samples taken from 25-35-cm depth were placed subaerially (outdoors) for 12 months (OBR), while others were located indoors (IBR) at room temperature, while controls remained in situ underground (UBR), unmoved and undisturbed in the ground in the natural semi-viscous state at a depth of 15-25 cm. All were revisited and re-tested after 12 months. Strength tests were done on the samples (a) in the fresh state (b) after 12 months of subaerial exposure, using a hand-held penetrometer. For strength of samples, the Chi square test revealed a significant difference between treatments and controls. Samples stored subaerially and those stored in the laboratory exhibited a 7-fold and 5-fold increase in strength respectively, above that of the in-situ controls, while 12 extra months in the ground failed to measurably increase the strength of the in-situ BR anywhere at 15-25- or 25-35-cm depth. As carbonation does occur in all bauxite red muds, all BR originally contains some free calcium ions. After the 12-month subaerial exposure, X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests revealed significant levels of calcite in the subaerially stored samples. The large increase in the strength of these samples could be due to atmospheric carbonation to produce calcium carbonate. This result shows that transferring viscous BR from underground to subaerial locations could substantially increase the rate of sequestering atmospheric CO₂ in red mud residues. Carbonation also decreases the high levels of alkalinity in such residues.in such residues.

Beyond Role Counts: Sex-Disaggregated Shea Processing and Resources Access in Northern Uganda

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:35:07 +0000

An earlier paper from the same parent survey documented overlapping value-chain roles and descriptive sex differences in processor and seller participation. This secondary analysis extends that work by assessing whether the contrasts remained under multiplicity and covariate adjustment and whether sex differentiation was evident across selected access and decision indicators. Data came from an April 2025 survey of 266 shea actors in Arilo Sub County, Uganda (150 women and 116 men). Non-exclusive role indicators were reconstructed from occupation fields. Within-sex percentages, Pearson chi-square and exact tests, post hoc Holm and Benjamini-Hochberg adjustments, binary models with robust covariance, a multinomial market information model and a married-subsample credit-use sensitivity model were applied. Estimates are unweighted sample-level associations. The previously reported processor role contrast (62.7% of women versus 41.4% of men) remained after Holm correction and covariate adjustment (odds ratio = 1.94, 95% CI 1.13-3.34, p = 0.017). The seller role contrast was not sustained under stricter inference, and no adjusted sex associations were detected for land ownership, income sufficiency and market-information access. The credit use pattern differed descriptively but was not confirmed in the adjusted sensitivity model. Sex differentiation was therefore concentrated in processing. The findings support role-responsive services that attend both to participation and to control over resources and benefits.

Agronomic Performance and AMMI Stability Analysis of Solenostemon rotundifolius Response to Key Climatic Parameters

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:38:38 +0000

Solenostemon rotundifolius, an indigenous West African tuber crop known as “fabirama”, faces production challenges due to climate variability. Farmers lack knowledge regarding genotype-by-planting date interactions, which limits yield and crop cycle optimization. Therefore, this study evaluated the stability of yield and cycle, two critical agronomic traits. Twelve accessions were tested using a randomized complete block design with three replications across three distinct planting dates. Fourteen quantitative traits linked to canopy, leaf size, cycle, and yield were recorded. The two-way analysis of variance revealed significant genotype-planting date interactions for most traits. Furthermore, AMMI and GGE biplot models demonstrated that planting dates, genotypes, and their interaction significantly influenced tuber production and cycle length. Planting date had a higher mean square magnitude than genotype and interaction effects. Consequently, regressions between climatic parameters and agronomic performance were significant. Choosing the right planting date remains crucial to optimizing S. rotundifolius yield and cycle.