Asian Journal of Research in Crop Science

Effects of Eichhornia crassipes Aqueous Extract and Organic Manure on Root Gall Severity in Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) in Togo

Yao Félicité Amenuti — 2026-03-19

Plant-parasitic nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne represent a major constraint to beetroot production in Togo. This study, conducted at the Agronomic Experimental Station of the University of Lomé, aimed to evaluate the combined effectiveness of organic manure and aqueous extracts of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in nematode management and yield improvement. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with nine treatments and three replications, In this experiment, the main plot factor consisted of three organic manure application rates (0, 10, and 15 t/ha), while the subplot factor consisted of three formulations: Furadan, aqueous extract from the aerial parts of water hyacinth, and aqueous extract from the submerged parts of water hyacinth..Results showed that organic manure and aqueous extracts enhanced nematode control and promoted plant growth. The combination of 15 t/ha organic manure with Furadan reduced soil nematode density by 60.69%. In roots, the greatest reduction (65.03%) was obtained with 15 t/ha manure combined with the submerged-part extract, lowering the mean nematode population to 5.01 individuals. This treatment also produced the highest root yield (54.25 t/ha). The lowest gall index (1.93) was recorded under the same treatment, corresponding to a 69.56% reduction in infestation compared with Furadan alone. These findings suggest that the integration of organic manure with water hyacinth extract, particularly the submerged-part extract, may serve as an effective alternative approach for nematode management in beetroot production.

Adaptation and Agronomic Characterization Trials of 14 Rice Genotypes in Contrasting High-Altitude Marshes of Gisha and Akagoma, Ngozi Province, Burundi

Privat Rwasa — 2026-03-21

Rice is a strategic crop for food security and sustainable development in Burundi, yet its productivity in high-altitude marshes remains severely constrained by low nighttime temperatures (<15°C), which induce spikelet sterility during reproductive stages. Despite breeding efforts by ISABU, FACAGRO, and IRRI, the availability of high-yielding, stable varieties adapted to these medium-altitude ecological conditions remains limited. Understanding genotype × environment (G×E) interaction is essential for identifying superior genotypes that combine high yield potential with stability across diverse environments, thereby supporting targeted breeding programs. This study evaluated the agronomic performance and stability of 14 rice varieties, 11 from ISABU preliminary trials and 3 locally cultivated, in the high-altitude marshes of Gisha and Akagoma (Ngozi Province) during the 2013–2014 growing season. Using a randomized complete block design with three replications, nine agronomic and yield-related traits were analyzed through two-way ANOVA, multiple regression, and the AMMI model to dissect G×E interaction. Multiple regression analysis revealed that effective tillering, thousand-grain weight, spikelet sterility rate, and total grains per panicle significantly influenced paddy yield (R² = 0.512; p < 0.001), highlighting these components as key selection criteria for direct breeding improvement. ANOVA demonstrated highly significant differences between sites and varieties for plant height, grains per panicle, thousand grain weight, sterility rate, and yield (p < 0.001). The AMMI analysis identified varieties UNG, 74, 71, and 46 as exhibiting general adaptation across both sites, with UNG combining the highest mean yield (6.4 t/ha) with superior stability. Varieties 54 and 12 achieved exceptional yields (7.58 and 6.02 t/ha, respectively) but displayed specific adaptation to Akagoma conditions. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for varietal dissemination and selection criteria to enhance rice productivity in Burundi's high-altitude zones. Multi-season and multi-location testing is recommended to further validate stability patterns and support breeding strategies for climate-resilient rice varieties.

Multi-Environments Evaluation of Elite Mutant Lines of Improved Ginger for Yield Stability and Selection

G. A. Iwo — 2026-03-24

A multi-location evaluation of 15 improved elite ginger mutant lines was conducted in the 2023 and 2024 cropping seasons across 10 states in Nigeria. The states were Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Osun, Plateau and FCT. The objective of the work was to evaluate the newly developed improved ginger lines across the major producing areas in Nigeria to ascertain their yield potential, yield stability,adaptability and suitability for selection. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete block Design with 3 replications. Data were collected on yield- related traits including plant height, number of tillers per plant, number of rhizome fingers, rhizome length and rhizome yield.The combined analysis of variance showed that Genotype, Environment, Genotype by Environment Interaction(GEI) and Years were significant at P< 0.01 and P< 0.05 for all yield related traits but no significant difference in G xY interaction in rhizome yield. Multivariate analysis using AMMI and GGE biplots was performed to identify stable and high- yielding ginger mutant lines. The AMMI analysis of variance showed a high level of environmental effect, accounting for a larger percentage of 66.5% (plant height) , 52.43% (rhizome fingers), 46.26% ( numbers of tillers) ,40.95% (rhizome length) and 49.10% (rhizome yield) of the total variation across all yield components. The interaction sum of squares was partitioned into IPCA 1 and IPCA 2 which joinly accounted for the total variations with IPCA 1 being significant in plant height (10.85%) ,Tillers (9.0%), rhizome fingers (8.05%) , rhizome length (5.53%) and rhizome yield(8.06%) .The GGE biplot analysis was used to visualize the relationship between tester environment and the ginger mutant lines to determine the Which-Won-Where portion which reveals the stability of genotypes. The GGE biplot explained 88.2% of the total variation in rhizome yield attributable to genotype and GE interactions. The E4 (Cross River) and E10 (Abia) were the most discriminatory environments for rhizome yield. The polygon view of the GGE biplot for rhizome yield identified the best genotypes for the environment and the result showed G13(UG2-5-49) as winner in the mega environment of E4(Cross River) and E10(Abia). Two environments E1 (Bauchi) ,E7 (FCT) favors UG2-5-04, UG2-5-52, UG2-9-01, UG1-13-02) while the environments E2 (Benue) ,E3 (Borno), E5(Kaduna), E8,(Osun) and E9 (Plateau) favors UG1-11-07, UG1-5-31 and UG2-5-48. From multiple environment testing, five best- performing genotypes with relative stability across all yield attributes were identified and selected. These genotypes are UG1-11-03, UG1-13-02, UG2-5-04, UG2-5-49 and UG2-9-01. These genotypes will be recommended for registration and release to farmers.

Availability of N from Prilled Urea, USG and Manures to Flooded Boro Rice in Bangladesh

Md. Shahidul Haque Bir — 2026-03-26

This study was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University farm during the Boro season of 2025 to find out the effect of prilled urea (PU), and urea super granules (USG), applied alone or in combination, with poultry manure or cowdung on field water properties, nitrogen use efficiency, and the yield of BRRI dhan50. The treatments were: T₁ (Control), T₂ (78 kg N ha^-1 from USG), T₃ (136 kg N ha^-1from prilled urea), T₄ (58 kg N ha^-1 from USG), T₅ (58 kg N ha^-1 from USG + 3 t ha^-1 poultry manure), and T₆ (58 kg N ha^-1 from USG + 5 t ha^-1cowdung). Application of fertilizers and poultry manure (T₅) significantly increased the highest grain yield of 4700 kg ha^-1 as well as the highest straw yield of 5888 kg ha^-1. T₂performed better than T₃ which was statically significant and indicated the superiority of USG over prilled urea. Yield performances of both T₂ and T₅ remained statistically similar, and they both differed significantly over the rest of the treatments. In rice field water, urea super granules (USG) gradually released available NH₄⁺-N and maintained its presence throughout the entire growth period, in contrast to prilled urea, indicating the beneficial role of USG. Other water properties, including pH and electrical conductivity (EC), were also affected by the application of both prilled urea and USG. Overall, the results suggest that the combined application of USG and poultry manure is more effective for rice production, as it reduces nitrogen losses, conserves nitrogen, and enhances the efficiency of applied nitrogen.