Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Effects of Poultry Manure on Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Production and Insect Infestation in a Humid Ecological Zone

Grace O. Awah, Sylvester R. Atijegbe, Usman Zakka, Ndowa E. S. Lale — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of poultry manure (PM) on the growth, yield, and infestation of insect pests of watermelon. There were five treatments namely; 1.25 tons of PM ha^-1, 2.5 tons of PM ha^-1, 5 tons of PM ha^-1, 300kg of NPK ha^-1,and an untreated control with three replications, which were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Data on vine length, stem girth, number of leaves, fruit weight, days to 50% emergence, days to 50% flowering, and number of insects were recorded. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the vine length, stem girth, number of leaves, fruit weight, and 50% emergence. However, there were significant differences in vine length at week 3 and week 4, stem girth at week 3, 50% days to flowering, and week 1 for insect population between the 1.25 tons of PM ha^-1and control. The study showed that C. lanatus can be economically grown in the humid ecological zone (October-January) and poultry manure at the rate of 1.25 tons of PM ha^-1was optimal for its cultivation

Enhancing Water Management in Jordan: A Fresh Tomato Water Footprint Analysis

Arwa Hamaideh, Tharaa Al-Zghoul, Nuha Dababseh, Ahmad Jamrah — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Water footprint (WF) analysis is crucial for comprehending agricultural water usage patterns. This study aims to determine the total WF for tomatoes in Jordan from 1994 to 2023, covering both summer and winter seasons, to inform decision-making regarding tomato cultivation practices in the area. Despite inconsistencies in data recording, particularly regarding fertilizer application and sunshine, the WF serves as a valuable tool for estimating seasonal variations in water requirements and facilitating comparisons between different approaches to water usage for tomatoes. Comparative studies globally suggest variability in WFs due to factors such as climate, irrigation methods, and soil conditions influencing results. In this study, the CROPWAT 8.0 model was employed to analyze input data obtained from the Department of Statistics, NASA POWER, and local farmers near the Baqoura, Deir Alla, and Ghour Alsafi stations. The analysis aimed to determine the green WF (rainfall), blue WF (irrigation), and gray WF (water required to dilute pollutants) at these stations. The results revealed that the total WF during winter was approximately 7217.62, 8417.65, and 14061.42 m³/ton for the Baqoura, Deir Alla, and Ghour Alsafi stations. In summer, the respective values were around 3107.67, 6026.52, and 11847.35 m³/ton. Significant findings include ET green, evapotranspiration (ET) blue, crop water use (CWU) green and blue, and production yield for 2023. The nitrogen application per dunum was also calculated as 368 kg/30 dunum, equating to 123 kg/ha. The significance of these results lies in their potential to inform and optimize water management practices in tomato cultivation, promoting sustainability and resource efficiency.

Evaluating the Performance of the AquaCrop Model to Soil Salinity in Jordan Valley

Luma Hamdi , Ayman Suleiman — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The demand to apply a decision support system to simulate salinity and drought is increasing with time, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like Jordan, where the threat of land degradation by salinization is of high concern. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the response of the AquaCrop model to soil salinity in Jordan Valley. Two experiments were conducted, one at the field and the other at the greenhouse. Three water salinity levels (S): S1 (control = 2 dS m−1), S2 (4 dS m−1), and S3 (8 dS m−1) with three irrigation amounts (R): R1 (control = 120%), R2 (100%), and R3 (70%) were used in the field. Four levels of saline water (S):S1 (control =0.65), (4) S2, (8) S3, and (10) dS m-1) S4 were used in the greenhouse. In both experiments, grain yield, and aboveground biomass were measured after harvesting. Soil salinity and pH were measured every three weeks during the growing season to monitor soil salinization. Results showed that the final field grain yield was good in calibration and validation, with a 0.96 agreement index (d). The efficiency factor (E) was 0.86 and 0.87 for calibration and validation, respectively, while the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) was less than 4 %. Field biomass d-index of 0.87 and 0.71 and E of 0.65 and 0.45 for Calibration and Validation were found, respectively. In the greenhouse experiment, the results were less satisfactory. Grain yield showed d-index of 0.84 and 0.88 in calibration and validation, respectively, while biomass showed poor results. All statistical criteria used in this research indicated that the model can simulate grain yield and biomass properly in the field, however, biomass statistical results were less accurate. Overall it is recommended, to use AquaCrop for soil salinity management in Jordan Valley.

Availability, Biomass Yield, and Nutritional Values of Fodder Tree Leaves in Mirab Abaya District in Southern Ethiopia

Wogaso Kodo, Yilkal Tadele — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The study was carried out to assess the availability; fodder yield and nutritional values of selected fodder tree leaves. Household surveys, field measurements, and laboratory analyses were used to generate the data. Survey data was collected from randomly selected 138 respondents using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Eleven, 18, and 13 fodder trees respectively in highland, midland, and lowland were identified and ranked. A total of 12 top-ranked fodder tree species were considered for leaf yield estimation and laboratory analysis. The average leaf yields (kg DM) per tree of the selected fodder species ranged from 15.96 for Rhus natalensis in the lowland to 128.43for Erythrinabrucei in the highland and varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the species. The crude protein /CP/ content (g/kg DM) was highest for Erythrinabrucei (198.3) and was least in Psydrax schimperiana (151). The highest Ether Extract /EE/ was observed in Mystroxylon aethiopicum (18.66 g/kg DM) and the lowest was noted in Nuxiacongesta (13.36 g/kg DM). The neutral detergent fiber/ NDF/ was highest for Arundinaria alpine (602g/kg DM) and least in Psydrax schimperiana (297.4g/kg DM). There were no significant differences in condensed tannin content among the fodder trees studied. Oxalate values ranged from 18.4g/kg DM in Terminalia brownii to 36.5 g/kg DM in Balanites aegyptiaca. Generally, the differences in leaf yield and nutrient contents between different fodder species were significant (p<0.05). From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the fodder tree species can be considered a potential source of CP to supplement poor-quality roughages to fill the gap.