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Leaf Yield of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) as Influenced by Harvesting Regimes Under Greenhouse Conditions
Harun Odhiambo,
Mercyline Ong'awa,
Job Maangi,
Lusike Wasilwa
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 2, December 2021
Pages:
14-18
Received:
17 May 2021
Accepted:
31 May 2021
Published:
18 August 2021
Abstract: With the rising global human population, decreasing mass of arable land, increasing demand for food and the emergence of biotic and abiotic constrains to crop production in the advent of climate change, the future of food security stares at intensified production under controlled environments such as greenhouses. Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], is an economically and nutritionally important vegetable crop widely cultivated by smallholder farmers both for subsistence and income generation. Uprooting the entire plant as a form of harvest is common in open-field subsistence farming systems. However, little is known about the effect of harvesting regimes on total productivity of cowpea under greenhouse conditions. This study was conducted in a greenhouse at Mundika Boys’ High School farm, Busia County with an objective of evaluating growth and yield of cowpea (M66 variety) in response to different harvest regimes under controlled (greenhouse) conditions. Plots of cowpea stands/clusters each with four plants were subjected to three different treatments, i.e., harvest 1 (H1), harvest 2 (H2), harvest 3 (H3) and a control (no harvest or H0) in a randomized complete block design. Overall crop yield was measured by the number of trifoliate leaves (NTL) and plant height (PH) at 7-day intervals. Data collection was initiated at week 1 (for PH) and week 2 (for NTL) after emergence. The results revealed significant differences in both PH and NTL between H0 and H1, H2, or H3 (p≤0.05), implying that cowpea yields can be significantly improved by applying harvesting regimes to vegetable-only production systems. For PH, maximum values were obtained for H1 and H3. Thus, farmers can obtain higher vegetable productivity by harvesting cowpea for consumption or sale at intervals, as opposed to a one-time mass harvesting.
Abstract: With the rising global human population, decreasing mass of arable land, increasing demand for food and the emergence of biotic and abiotic constrains to crop production in the advent of climate change, the future of food security stares at intensified production under controlled environments such as greenhouses. Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp...
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Effect and Roles of Nitrogen Supply on Photosynthesis
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 2, December 2021
Pages:
19-27
Received:
20 October 2021
Accepted:
13 November 2021
Published:
23 November 2021
Abstract: N deficiency caused a decrease in leaf N content, Chlorophyll a and carbon assimilation of crop plants, resulting in a lower dry matter accumulation. It increases overall plant growth, but the nature of this response depends upon patterns of plant, nitrogen allocation, nutrient that vary throughout the growing season and depend upon canopy position. Decreased photosynthetic capacity is not only associated with direct effects of N deficiency but also with a negative feedback mechanism from the leaf carbohydrate pool. Because of the high requirement of crop plants for elemental N and its numerous important roles in growth and development, N is the mineral element that most often limits crop productivity. Because N mineralization from the soil is normally too low to support desired production levels, soil N levels are typically increased through fertilization. However, the complex cycle of N in the environment causes uncertainty in N fertilizer management, increasing the chances for economic loss and environmental damage. Nitrogen use and productivity of crop plants is also complex, resulting from an interaction of biochemical, physiological, and morphological processes in the plant. Application of N increases N content in the leaves of the soybean plant which increase growth rate, Leaf are, leaf area index and other physiology of the plant during the study.
Abstract: N deficiency caused a decrease in leaf N content, Chlorophyll a and carbon assimilation of crop plants, resulting in a lower dry matter accumulation. It increases overall plant growth, but the nature of this response depends upon patterns of plant, nitrogen allocation, nutrient that vary throughout the growing season and depend upon canopy position...
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Effect of Increasing Temperature on 1.5 μm Spectroscopic Emission of Er3+ Ions Activated Phospho-silicate Thin Film
Eman Helmy Ahmed,
Magdy Mohamed Hussein Ayoub,
Ahmed Ismael Hashem,
Claudia Wickleder,
Matthias Adlung,
Amal Amin,
Inas Kamal Battisha
Issue:
Volume 5, Issue 2, December 2021
Pages:
28-35
Received:
16 October 2021
Accepted:
15 November 2021
Published:
24 November 2021
Abstract: Different concentrations of Er3+ ions- embedded nano-composite phospho-silicate ranging from 1 up to 3.5 mol % in thin film, symbolic as (S20P), (S20P1Er)T, (S20P2.5Er)T and (S20P3.5Er)T, respectively were prepared as advanced materials for planar waveguide application. Spin coating sol gel technique will be used to prepare the thin films. The prepared thin films optical and spectroscopic assessments were performed using transmittance, absorption, Raman, photoluminescence and refractive index (n) calculations. The observed transmittance T (%) and reflectance R (%) spectra were measured using Jasco V-570 spectrophotometer, in wavelength range (0.2-2.5 µm), confirmed good transparency for the prepared films, where the T (%) was higher than 92% and S20P1ErT was the most transparent one. The mentioned higher transparency presence was considered as a big challenge, especially after doping the silica gel with such higher phosphorus molar percent up to 20 mol %. Such challenge confirmed that the prepared thin films were suitable for the low losses and active planar waveguide fabrication. The room temperature photoluminescence (RTPL) quenching was observed at lower temperature 100°C for (S20P3.5Er)T. Emission at 1.5 µm upon excitation at 514.5 nm was detected and characteristic to the 4I13/2→4I15/2 erbium ions intra-4F transition for all prepared samples. The morphology of the prepared thin films was examined by using the Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), while the measured film thickness obtained from cross section view from the (FESEM) give rise to 1.791 µm value for (S20P3.5Er)T. The bigger moderate thickness than 1 µm was an adequate parameter for supporting planar optical wave guide applications.
Abstract: Different concentrations of Er3+ ions- embedded nano-composite phospho-silicate ranging from 1 up to 3.5 mol % in thin film, symbolic as (S20P), (S20P1Er)T, (S20P2.5Er)T and (S20P3.5Er)T, respectively were prepared as advanced materials for planar waveguide application. Spin coating sol gel technique will be used to prepare the thin films. The prep...
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