Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS)

A preliminary study on the effect of the combination of Blaptica dubia (Order: Blattodea) and commercial fish feed on red hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis sp.

Munirah Mokhtar — 2024-12-23

Fish meal and soybean meal are the main sources of protein in most fish feeds. Changes in feed and fish production costs are a concern for aquaculturists. Because they are a natural component of fish diets and have a high protein, vitamin, and digestibility profile, insects may be able to contribute to meeting the growing demand for fishmeal. This study was a preliminary investigation on the effect of various dietary combinations (Blaptica dubia + commercial pellet) on the weight of red hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis sp. fry. The Oreochromis sp. fingerlings were acclimatized to the laboratory condition for seven days. Five different mixtures of feed were concocted [T1 (60% B. dubia + 40% commercial pellet), T2 (70% B. dubia + 30% commercial pellet), T3 (80% B. dubia + 20% commercial pellet), T4 (90% B. dubia + 10% commercial pellet) and T5 (100% B. dubia)]. The control group of Oreochromis sp. was fed with 100% commercial pellet. Throughout the experiment period, the growth of the fish was monitored weekly for 15 weeks. Then, the fish were euthanatized, and the liver was subjected to histology analysis. The results show that T3, T4, and T5 feed mixtures promote the best growth and survival rate for Oreochromis sp. while causing liver damage. T1 and T2 fish feed ratios are better alternatives as they promote healthy fish and increased weight (p < 0.05).

Modeling the impact of urbanization and climate change on groundwater flow pattern in Warri-Effurun area of the western Niger Delta

Ohwoghere-Asuma Oghenero — 2024-12-23

Warri-Effurun is one of the oil regions in the Niger Delta and has experienced industrial expansion with upsurge in population growth in the last five decades. The attendant effect of such growth is synonymous with more groundwater pumping needed to satisfy domestic, industrial and other purposes. The consequence is the subjection of aquifers to intensive abstraction of groundwater to meet the water needs of the inhabitants. The high demand for groundwater may be worsened by the climate change. The impact of climate change on groundwater is complex but can better be understood by modeling. The study used groundwater modeling software to understand groundwater flow pattern under high groundwater over-abstraction under climate change conditions. Model scenarios output revealed that pumping is sustainable when the aquifer was recharged with 2*10-4mm/year of precipitation and pumping rate of 6.1776m3/day, groundwater flow is towards the Warri River. However, flow direction was reversed when pumping rate was increased geometrically to 13,590.72m3/day with zero net recharge (drought conditions precipitated by climate change). The reversal in the flow direction is indicative of interaction between groundwater and river water. The implication is that contaminants may be transported from the river into the aquifer, consequently compromising groundwater quality and thus making it unsuitable for drinking. The study concludes that groundwater modeling is a better tool in understanding how stressed aquifer under the influence of climate change may respond to heavy groundwater over-pumping.

Effect of abootre (Senna siamea) leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer on the growth and yield of hot pepper, Capsicum frutescens (L.)

Adams Latif Mohammed — 2024-12-23

Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are often deterred from using fertilizers on their crops due to the high cost of inorganic fertilizers and the environmental strain associated with intensive agriculture, which relies heavily on inputs. However, a comprehensive understanding of how the integration of organic biomass, such as Senna siamea leafy biomass, and conventional fertilizers like NPK (15:15:15) impacts the growth and yield of specific crops like hot pepper is lacking. A field experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Demonstration Farm, KNUST-Kumasi, Ghana in 2023 to assess the effect of S. siamea leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) inorganic fertilizer on the growth and yield of hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in a randomized complete block design. Four treatments were used and allocated as T1 (Control), T2 (0.096kg of NPK), T3 (0.32063kg of S. siamea leafy biomass) and T4 (0.1532kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048kg of NPK). The treatments were replicated four times. The parameters investigated were; height, number of leaves, fruit yield and fruit dry weight. Treatments showed significant difference between them in the parameters investigated on, p?0.05. The combined application of S. siamea leafy biomass and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer significantly increased the growth in height (42.75 cm), number of leaves (40.75), fruit yield (305291 fruits/ha) and dry fruit weight (484 kg/ha) of hot pepper compared to the sole application of the individual materials and the control, p?0.05. In terms of effect of these treatments, T4 [(0.1532 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048 kg NPK (15:15:15)] favored the growth and yield of hot pepper the most, followed by the sole application of S. siamea leafy biomass T3 (0.32063 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass), sole NPK (0.09 kg of NPK) and then T1 (control) recording the lowest growth in height (19.32 cm), number of leaves (21.25), fruit yield (129693 fruits/ha) and fruit dry weight (115 kg/ha) of hot pepper. Therefore, the combined application of T4[(0.1532 kg of S. siamea leafy biomass + 0.048 kg NPK (15:15:15)] could be adopted by farmers as an economically fit fertilizer treatment for optimum hot pepper performance. Additionally, S. siamea leafy biomass might be adopted by hot pepper farmers as an alternative to inorganic in terms of cost and availability in sub-Saharan Africa.

Level of perception on fertigation technology among Indigenous people in Perak, Malaysia

Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf — 2024-12-23

Fertigation technology has proven to be a successful method for enhancing crop yields by applying nutrients. It is cost-effective, easy to install, and simple to operate, which is why many farmers in Malaysia have adopted it. However, indigenous people have hesitated to use it due to negative perceptions. This study aims to determine the level of perception of indigenous people in Perak towards fertigation technology. The study uses a quantitative approach based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), with attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control as independent variables and perception towards fertigation technology as the dependent variable. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 150 respondents, and descriptive analysis was employed for data analysis. The findings demonstrate that the mean score for indigenous people's perception of fertigation technology was moderate (M = 2.7667, SD = 0.87774) including their attitude (M = 2.5875, SD = .94309). While subjective norm (M = 2.3343, SD = 0.90242), and perceived behavioural control (M =2.3933, SD = .86919) have a low mean score. These empirical findings provide valuable insights for policy-makers to help indigenous people adapt to modern technology and boost their economic growth, especially into actionable strategies that facilitate the adaptation of indigenous people to modern agricultural practices while respecting their cultural identity and promoting sustainable development.

Tomato fruit: Origin and its developmental regulation

Paramita Cahyaningrum Kuswandi — 2024-12-23

Fruit development and ripening genes have a close relationship with the regulatory elements that control the development of floral organs. Furthermore, like with many other aspects of plant development, understanding the processes that drive fruit development and ripening necessitates disclosing both the genetic and epigenetic architecture that underpins gene structure and expression. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that epigenetic regulators are important in fruit development and ripening, and that they may work together with hormones and transcription factors. To determine particular chromatin states, epigenetic changes like-as DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, and noncoding RNAs can interact with one another. Developments in the plant's molecular biology have enabled researchers to surpass the limits of classical methodology of study for other crops especially the tomato's ancestor. In this review, we cover a variety of subjects, including the history of the tomato, the evolution of fruit ripening regulation, and the mechanisms relating to epigenetic regulation in tomato fruit ripening. These findings, according to researchers, may have a significant impact on crop development strategies in fruit-bearing species.

Preliminary testing for utilising oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre in home compost making and its usability in planting medium towards growth of bird’s-eye chili (Capsicum annum)

Vanessa Carmel Lopez — 2024-12-23

In this preliminary study, a home-based composting routine utilising waste oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre, garden and kitchen waste, and home-made effective microorganism (EM) solution was carried out. The purpose of this research was to explore potential waste utilisation practice which can start from home. The 9 compost premix samples prepared with different amounts (7%, 14%, 50%, 100%) of OPEFB fibre displayed varying durations of composting time from 4 to 8 weeks. It was observed that compost containing higher amounts of OPEFB fibre took a longer time to mature. The addition of the EM solution to the compost premix samples aided the decomposition of the OPEFB fibre. The compost sample made of 100% OPEFB fibre took 8 weeks of composting period while its replicate sample which was treated with EM took 7 weeks to compost. The usableness of the home-made compost in a planting medium consisting of soil, compost and cocopeat with a ratio of 3:1:1 was tested to grow bird’s-eye chili seeds. Based on the results, soil treated with compost containing OPEFB fibres showed better results for plant growth compared to soil having no compost and with control compost sample (0% OPEFB fibre). It was also observed that compost treated with EM containing 14% OPEFB fibre and 86% vegetable scraps with an initial C: N ratio of 29.9:1 showed the best result towards the plants growth. Based on this finding, home-made compost utilising OPEFB fibre can be included as part of planting medium to support plant growth.

Detection of aflatoxin M1 in raw cow milk in Perak district

Azima Laili Hanifah — 2024-12-23

Milk and dairy products are potentially contaminated with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), especially in tropical and subtropical regions like Malaysia. This study aimed to detect the concentration of AFM1 in raw cow milk samples by ELISA method. A total of 46 samples of raw cow milk were received from four Milk Collection Centres (MCC) in Perak (A, B, C and D). 13.0% of the samples examined were found to exceed the European Commission (EC) 0.05 µg/kg maximum limit, with samples from MCC B and D accounting for 25.0% and 21.1% respectively. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the mean concentration of AFM1 between the four MCCs at p<0.05. Among all these MCC groups, MCC A-B showed that there was a significant difference in concentration of AFM1 mean value at p<0.0125, while other groups of MCC groups were not significantly different. Nevertheless, all AFM1 concentration values in this study were below the 0.5 µg/kg limit set by the Food Act 1983 (Act 281) & Food Regulation (1985). However, the low concentration of aflatoxin observed in this study does not guarantee its absence in the future. Therefore, improvements especially in the process of handling and storing livestock feed and products (milk and meat) as well as consistent monitoring for the presence of aflatoxin to reduce the risk of aflatoxin toxicity to consumers.

The farmer in the Dell: Hi-Ho, the Derry-O, the current status of worldwide science mapping on precision irrigation

Mohd Fauzie Jusoh — 2024-12-23

Precision irrigation is essential to water-saving agricultural practices because agriculture and food are vital sectors for nations. This study evaluated how precision irrigation in agriculture is discussed in the current academic literature via science mapping of bibliometric data. A total of 967 documents spanning an 83-year publication timeline were accessed from the Scopus database using keywords related to precision irrigation. The extracted bibliographical information was analysed using Biblioshiny packages in R programming for trends, citation analysis, and intellectual structure. The findings show that precision irrigation research has grown over the past 20 years, with an average annual growth rate of 13.52% in publications. India is the most productive country in precision irrigation research, followed by China and the United States. Additionally, Hohai University has emerged as one of the top research institutions conducting precision irrigation research. In contrast, this study also shows that precision irrigation research has advanced from examining soil water and medium moisture content to creating an intelligent irrigation system to automate farmer decisions regarding crop water requirements and irrigation scheduling processes. These findings offer valuable insights for scholars seeking a deeper understanding of the global science mapping of precision irrigation for future research endeavours.

Effects of silicon treatments on Nilaparvata lugens and rice yield under field conditions

NurulNahar Esa — 2024-12-23

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a destructive pest of rice crops. In the present work, experiments were conducted to study the impact of an ideal Si rate of 200 kg/ha applied at different splits on brown planthopper infestation and rice yield components under natural field conditions. Results showed that application at a two-equal split of 100 kg Si/ha at 7 and 45 days after transplanting (DAT) significantly controlled the brown planthopper infestation by an average of 59.2% compared to control. However, the fertilisation time did not contribute to giving maximum rice grain yield. The maximum rice grain yield was achieved with 200 kg Si/ha applied once at 25 days after transplanting. The agronomic efficiency of these two methods were 3.79 kg/ha and 4.25 kg/ha, respectively. This may help to explain why a single application of Si during the maximum tillering-reproductive stages (25 DAT) is critical for producing rice grain yield. The application of Si effectively increased the uptake of N, P, and K in rice plants. An increase in these macronutrients in rice plants may be the reason why rice plants effectively hindered the brown planthopper infestation and also provided greater nutrients for sustaining the rice grain yield. Overall, the application during the early vegetative (7 DAT) and reproductive (45 DAT) stages sheds light on how Si application influences the rice plants' defence mechanisms against brown planthoppers but sacrifices the grain yield. Future research on silicon applications and integration with biological control for ecologically sustainable pest management in rice should be considered.

Sensory evaluation of four red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis Sp.) strains among fish consumers

Zharif Ramli — 2024-12-23

The viability of tilapia in the aquaculture industry is due to the market demands that consumers decide. Since every aquaculture species had distinct sensory attributes, a hedonic sensory evaluation was performed to assess the sensory characteristics of the flesh of four red hybrid tilapia strains: (i) ?O.niloticus x ?O.niloticus (A)(MF280061), ?O.mossambicus x ?O.mossambicus (B) (MF509596), ?O.niloticus x ?O.mossambicus (C)(MF509597) and ?O.mossambicus x ?O. niloticus (D)(MF509598). Hedonic and ranking tests were carried out by 120 participants who assessed each strain's 25 g steamed flesh. The sensory analysis was carried out by using five hedonic scales. They participated through a volunteer invitation. The surveyed population participated by 62.50% and 37.50% females and males, respectively. Participants were asked to complete the questionnaires, including demographic questions hedonic scores, and rank according to their preferences. Means of sensory attributes were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test at p<0.05. No significant differences (p>0.05) exist between strains in the sensory attributes related to taste, odour, and juiciness. Strain D had the highest scores in all sensory attributes compared to other strains. However, only the texture (3.97±0.71) attribute was found to be significantly different (p<0.05). Overall acceptability by participants demonstrated that the variations between strains were not statistically different (p>0.05). Nevertheless, strain D (141.00) was ranked significantly higher compared to other strains. Thus, the participant's distinct, undistinguishable sensory attributes revealed that all strains could be commercialised as table fish.