Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Dietary Flaxseed Supplementation to Enhance Productivity and Omega-3 Enrichment in Laying Hens

Ala'a Abu Al dabaat — 2025-12-01

Flaxseed is increasingly recognized as an effective functional dietary supplement in poultry nutrition due to its high content of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and various bioactive components. Current evidence demonstrates that incorporating flaxseed into poultry diets markedly improves the nutritional profile of animal products by significantly reducing the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ratio, thereby enhancing lipid balance and contributing to potential health benefits for consumers. Moreover, studies have shown that flaxseed supplementation does not impair production performance; instead, it may enhance key indicators such as egg production rate, egg weight, and internal egg quality. These improvements are attributed to its antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects, as well as its positive regulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism. Collectively, the findings underscore the value of flaxseed as a sustainable nutritional intervention capable of enriching poultry products, supporting animal performance, and contributing to improved public health outcomes.

Estimating the Multidimensional Poverty among Rice Producers in North Central, Nigeria

Olugbenga Omotayo ALABI — 2025-12-01

This study investigated the multidimensional poverty among rice producers in North Central, Nigeria. A simple random sampling approach was employed. Data were collected from 200 rice growers (100 per state) through a validated questionnaire. The analysis analysesutilized were descriptive statistics, multidimensional poverty indices (MPI), Logit regression, and t-test statistics to address four objectives: describing the socio-economic and farm-specific characteristics, estimating the poverty indices, evaluating the dimensional contributions to MPI, and identifying the predictors of multidimensional poverty. The results revealed that 70.07% of rice growers are multidimensional poor, with an MPI of 0.4701, driven by deprivations in standard of living (42.4%), health (33.7%), and education (23.9%), respectively. The significant predictors of poverty include education, household size, farming experience, and food expenditure (p < 0.05), while age and credit access were non-significant. The t-test confirmed the rice farming’s profitability, with mean returns (₦1,357,090) significantly exceeding costs (₦577,140.23) per hectare (t = 29.52, p < 0.05). These findings reject the null hypotheses that rice growers are not multidimensional poor, also that the socio-economic factors do not significantly influence poverty status, and rice farming is not profitable. The high poverty incidence underscores the need for targeted interventions addressing the living standards, health, and education, alongside enhancing access to inputs and markets to sustain profitability. Policy recommendations include improving rural infrastructure, promoting education, and supporting financial inclusion to alleviate multidimensional poverty among rice producers.

Mediterranean Saltbush (Atriplex halimus L.): A promising Halophyte for Combating Desertification in Jordan

Malek A. Sraiwy — 2025-12-01

Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus L.) belongs to the family Amaranthaceae. It is a halophyte and perennial shrub, which is a resilient and versatile plant species native to the Mediterranean basin. It has remarkable adaptation to arid and semi-arid environments. Jordan is considered one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of natural water resources, and the desert areas occupy more than three-quarters of the country. Considering the conditions of global warming, desertification, lack of rainfall, and scarcity of pastures and green fodder, A. halimus is promising to confront these challenges. This review presents the scientific classification of A. halimus, its geographical distribution, its presence in Jordan, its uses, and its anatomical and phenotypic characteristics. The study sheds light on its most important characteristics that make it an adapted plant to a desert environment. It can be concluded that by leveraging the unique properties of A. halimus, Jordan can address critical environmental challenges while supporting sustainable practices. This aligns with the nation's long-term goals of water conservation, land reclamation, and food security.

Narrative Literature Reviews in Scientific Research: Pros and Cons

Mousa Numan Ahmad — 2025-03-01

Narrative literature reviews play a crucial role in scientific research by providing a comprehensive overview of the available knowledge on a particular topic. Unlike systematic reviews, which follow rigid methodologies, narrative reviews offer a more flexible and qualitative approach, allowing researchers to synthesize and interpret the findings of different studies. This type of review is particularly valuable in fields with a high literature diversity, as it can help identify trends, gaps, and emerging themes. A key strength of narrative reviews is their ability to provide broader context, integrate insights from diverse disciplines, and enable a deeper understanding of complex issues. They also facilitate the exploration of theories and frameworks, often leading to new hypotheses and research questions. Narrative reviews are valuable resources for practitioners and policymakers, extracting key findings that can inform practice and decision-making. However, these reviews are not without limitations. The subjective nature of narrative synthesis can introduce bias, and the lack of a standardized methodology makes the reliability of conclusions uncertain. To enhance the rigor of narrative reviews, researchers should clearly define their objectives, thoroughly document their search strategies, and critically evaluate the quality of included studies. Although narrative literature reviews may not have the same empirical basis as systematic reviews, they remain a significant tool for knowledge dissemination and theoretical exploration in scientific research. On average, only a relatively small proportion of recent scientific publications provide high levels of evidence, though the journal review process should discourage unsubstantiated conclusions in original research articles. This introductory editorial is a brief preview that aims to help read, understand, and evaluate narrative review articles.