International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:1 Issue: 4, Dec 2011

The paper determined optimum farm plan for food security among smallholder farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured and validated questionnaire from 180 smallholder crops farmers in Imo State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency distribution and percentages), budgetary analysis and linear programming model. Results show that the mean age of the farmers was 41 years, mean household size was 9 persons, mean farm size was 1.25 hectares mean farming experience was 19years and mean level of education was 8.3 years. The enterprises that contributed greatly to the smallholder farmers’ net return were food crops and cash crops with net returns per annum of N122666 and N116850 respectively. The profit lines as determined with the linear programming model were 6.8 and 4.9 for food crops and cash crops respectively, and this is the optimal feasible solution. [Ohajianya, D. O et al. Optimum Farm Plan for Food Security among Smallholder Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):145-148].

Plant biomass harvested after heavy-metal phytoremediation must be considered as a hazardous waste that should be contained or treated appropriately before disposal or reuse. This study provides an evaluation of extractants for the removal of lead from Abutilon Theophrastus biomass. The research was carried out a leaching study to determine the lead-extraction efficiency of the different leachants (water, several aqueous ammonium salts, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solution as lead extractants). The result of this study showed that, lead concentrations measured in leached biomass and in leachates were significantly different among the various leachants. Also the extraction strength of the leachants followed the order ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid>ammonium citrate> water ammonium phosphate > ammonium acetate, to , achieving lead extraction efficiencies of 96%, 67%, 4.2%, 3.9% and 0.3%, respectively, in single-stage extractions. In this study, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is the most frequently lead extractants. (Akbarpour, F et al. Leaching of heavy metal from native plants by chemical leachants. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):149-157).

Accurate estimation of evaporation is important for design, planning and operation of water systems. In arid zones where water resources are scarce, the estimation of this loss becomes more interesting in the planning and management of irrigation practices. This paper investigates the ability of artificial neural networks (ANNs) technique to improve the accuracy of daily evaporation estimation. Four different ANNs model comprising various combinations of daily climatic variables, that is, air temperature, daily sunshine hours, wind speed, and relative humidity are developed to evaluate degree of effect of each mentioned variables on evaporation for two stations located in central part if I.R. of Iran. A comparison is made between the estimates provided by the ANNs model and the multiple linear regression models. Various statistic measures are used to evaluate the performance of the models. Based on the comparisons, it was revealed that the ANNs computing technique could be employed successfully in modeling of evaporation process from the available climatic data. The ANN also increased dramatically the accuracy of evaporation estimation compare to the multiple linear regression models. [SH, Karimi-Googhari. Daily Pan Evaporation Estimation Using Artificial Neural Network-based Models. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):159-163].

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of livestock cooperatives in improving economic status of animal holders in Hamedan province. The study has used a surveying methodology. For gathering data a structured questionnaire was used and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach's Alpha test and it was (α=0.80). The research samples consisted of 300 animal holders (beef cattle breeders) included 150 members of livestock cooperatives and 150 non-members. In order to data analysis both correlation coefficients and t test were used. Results showed that there was a negative relationship between the age and membership in the livestock co-ops, there was also a positive relationship between education level and membership. Results revealed a difference between two groups of animal holders in terms of red meat production. This shows that members of livestock co-ops had a higher meat production in comparison with the non-members. In addition, the members of livestock co-ops participated in more training courses and they had a higher mean on technical knowledge than non-members. [Samira Jeyhooni et al. The Role of Livestock Cooperatives in Improving Economic Status of Animal Raisers: A Case Study on Cattle Breeders, Hamedan, Iran. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):165-169].

The present research aimed at identifying employment limitations and constraints facing the university graduates in agricultural majors, also finding the solutions to enhance opportunities and job potentials for the agricultural graduates. The study used qualitative research methods. Qualitative data collection was done with the help of semi-structured interviews. Data were gathered from 30 employers working on both public and private agricultural related organizations of Iran. Poor practical agricultural competencies of the graduates, limitations of government and private sectors to employ the graduates, irrelevant of curriculum development to labor needs, and the lack of entrepreneurship and self-employment skills identified as the most important employment limitations for the agricultural graduates. Therefore, a supportive mechanism should be installed by government, private sector, bank, universities, legislators’ centers, and graduates’ organizations to improve present employment situation of agricultural graduates in Iran. [R, Movahedi and M, Mantashloo. Employment Limitations and Constraints for Iranian University Graduates in Agricultural Majors. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):171-176].

One of the most important measures, in order to increase animal products and reduce imports, is the industrialization of animal husbandry units, specially the dairy cattle. The condition of milk production would be improved by this industrialization, which is in the direction of increasing the efficiency of milk production units. The purpose of this study is calculate , the efficiency of the traditional and industrial milk production units of Khuzestan province in 2011. The method of research was causal comparative. Data envelope analysis, in both forms of constant and variable return to scale, was used to calculate the types of efficiency. The needed information of industrial and traditional cattle houses was gained using capitation and random sampling from 384 production units, respectively. According to the results, the rate of total efficiency among the milk producers of traditional and industrial milk production units of Khuzestan is significantly different. In addition, the size of cattle house, manger`s level of education and experience, having a secondary job, animal`s race, and the production method are factors affecting the efficiency of units. [M. A Sabaghi et al. Daily Comparison of the efficiency of traditional and industrial milk production units in Khuzestan province. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):177-183].

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic variables of farmers on their choice of cassava varieties in Kogi State of Nigeria. A total of 360 cassava farmers were selected through multi-stage random sampling procedure. Data collected through structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, customer-buying behavioral model and dynamic programming model. The results showed that TMS cassava variety (variety A) is more popular among the college-graduate farmers, farm experience of above 20years, farm size of 3–5hectares and farm income of N50,000-100,000. Similarly, the educational status of farmers, farm size, farming experience and farm income also influenced the choice NS variety (variety B) and local variety (variety C). The small scale farmers, illiterates and farmers with small farm income dominated the use of local variety. The study then recommends special credit scheme for small scale farmers and education of illiterate farmers on the advantages of using improved cassava variety. [S. J. Ibitoye. The Influence of Socio-Economic Variables of Farmers on their Choice of Cassava Varieties in Kogi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):185-193].

Special sites or areas that have one or more attributes which distinguish them as somehow extraordinary, usually in a religious or spiritual sense, are called sacred places. They tend to evoke a feeling of some awesome, mysterious, and transcendent power that merits special reverence and treatment. Sacred groves are stands of trees or patches of forest that local communities conserve primarily because of their religious importance. These groves can also serve economic, medicinal, social, and cultural functions. Many sacred places in nature are associated with indigenous cultures. ‘Oran’, a sacred grove is a piece of land that is held by the Bishnoi community in honour and respect of a local deity. Here indigenous societies commonly use a wide variety of natural resources for their survival, economy, medicines, rituals, and other purposes. Historical, cultural, and spiritual aspects of the ecology of indigenous societies are grounded in the biodiversity, ecosystems, and landforms in their habitat. Thus, indigenes are most important to consider in exploring the relationships between sacred places, biodiversity, and conservation. Sacred groves that have a conservation role, whether actual or potential and intentional or coincidental, may need to be strengthened or augmented by economic incentives for local communities; legal, government, and/or international environmental protection schemes; and the establishment and maintenance of buffer zones. Recognition and protection of sacred places by scientific, environmental, governmental, and non-governmental organizations can simultaneously promote their conservation as well as that of the associated biodiversity and cultures. [M. S. Rathore and N. S. Shekhawat. Ethnobotanical Importance of Orans - As a Means of Conserving Biodiversity. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):195-200].

The main purpose of this research is to determine the effective factors in adopting biological control in the Farmer Field School approach. The method used in this research is descriptive-correlation and comparative, which has been done by survey. The rice farmers of the township of Babol, Mazandaran, Iran were selected as the sample population of this research. The statistical sample of the research was 472 which included 92 rice farmers who attended the Farmer Field School and 380 people who did not participate in this course The designed questionnaire, after some modifications according to the corresponding experts’ opinion, was distributed between the two groups of rice farmers. At last, 433 collected questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS software (81 of the rice farmers who participated and 352 of them that did not participate). The findings show that the independent variables of rice farmer's attitude toward to biological control, use of information sources and knowledge of biological control determine 85.5% of the changes in the dependent variable of adopting biological control. [H, Moumeni Helali and A, Ahmadpour. The Effective Factors on the Adoption of Biological Control in Farmers' Field School by Rice Producers: The Case of Babol Township International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology, 2011; 1(4):201-206].