Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research

Development And Evaluation of a Sargassum-based Biostimulant Formulation for Improving Maize Seedling Vigour

K. Sivaranjani — 2026-08-31

Aims: To develop an acid-hydrolysed Sargassum-based biostimulant formulation and evaluate its biochemical characteristics and effectiveness in improving seed germination and early seedling growth of maize.

Study Design: A laboratory seed germination experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomised Design (CRD), with four treatments and three replicates.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, from April to July 2026.

Methodology: Sargassum biomass collected from Mandapam, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, was washed, shade-dried, powdered, and subjected to partial acid hydrolysis using 5% (v/v) nitric acid at a 1:10 solid-to-liquid ratio for 24 h at 30°C. The hydrolysed extract was characterised for phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phytosterols. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used to characterise the hydrolysed extract. Maize CO(H)M8 hybrid seeds were treated with 1, 2, and 3% acid-hydrolysed Sargassum formulation and evaluated using the roll-towel method for germination and seedling growth.

Results: The acid-hydrolysed extract contained phenolics (5.92 ± 0.14 mg GAE mL⁻¹), tannins (4.15 ± 0.11 mg TAE mL⁻¹), flavonoids (3.84 ± 0.09 mg QE mL⁻¹), terpenoids (2.71 ± 0.07 mg LE mL⁻¹), and phytosterols (2.24 ± 0.05 mg CE mL⁻¹). FTIR analysis showed characteristic absorption bands at 3344, 1631, 1324, and 1041 cm⁻¹, indicating changes in functional groups following acid treatment. MALDI-TOF MS showed major peaks at m/z 2053, 4664, 7569, 9322, 11934, 13736, and 18475. The Sargassum-based treatments improved maize seed germination and seedling growth compared with the untreated control. The 3% formulation recorded the highest germination (95.2%), root length (12.6 cm), shoot length (13.4 cm), stem girth (3.8 mm), fresh weight (1.42 g seedling⁻¹), and dry weight (0.33 g seedling⁻¹).

Conclusion: The acid-hydrolysed Sargassum-based formulation enhanced maize seed germination and early seedling growth, with the 3% formulation showing the best overall performance. The developed formulation has potential as a sustainable seaweed-based biostimulant for improving maize seedling establishment.

Weather-based Epidemiological Analysis and Disease Progression Curve of Gray Mold (Botryotinia ricini) in Castor (Ricinus communis L.) under Different Sowing Dates

Rajesh Manickam — 2026-08-31

A field investigation was conducted at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Yethapur, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India, to examine the relationship between prevailing weather conditions and progression of gray mold in castor sown in June and July 2025. Disease severity on primary and secondary spikes was recorded weekly and expressed as per cent disease index (PDI), while maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and rainy days were monitored concurrently. Gray mold symptoms first appeared during the 38th standard meteorological week, when the maximum temperature was 32.6°C, the minimum temperature was 24.2°C, and relative humidity was 76.7%. Disease severity subsequently increased, reaching peak PDI values of 60.4% in the June-sown crop and 60.9% in the July-sown crop during the 48th week. Maximum temperature was significantly and negatively correlated with disease incidence in the June- and July-sown crops (r = -0.8478 and -0.8544, respectively), as was minimum temperature (r = -0.7433 and -0.7407). Relative humidity showed significant positive correlations (r = 0.4904 and 0.5036), whereas rainfall and rainy days were not significantly associated with disease development. The observed disease progression indicates that moderate temperatures combined with elevated relative humidity favoured gray mold development. These relationships may support weather-based forewarning and the timely scheduling of protective disease-management measures.

Efficacy of Combined Herbicides on Weed Dynamics, Crop Quality, Nutrient Content and Uptake and Post-harvest Soil Nutrient Status in Summer Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.)

O. Kamaliya Jayraj — 2026-09-02

Weed infestation is a major constraint to summer black gram production because the crop exhibits relatively slow initial growth and limited early canopy development, allowing weeds to compete strongly for nutrients, moisture, light and space. Effective weed management is therefore important for reducing crop–weed competition and improving crop quality, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status. A field experiment was conducted during the summer season of 2019 at the Hill Millet Research Station, Rajendrapur farm, N. A. U., Waghai, to study the “Efficacy of combined herbicides in summer black gram (Vigna mungo L.)”. The study area was characterised by clayey soils low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and fairly rich in available potassium. The study comprised ten weed-management treatments, viz., T₁: Pendimethalin 900 g ha^-1 as pre-emergence + 1 HW at 30 DAS, T₂: Sodium acifluorfen + clodinafop-propargyl _(RM) 250 g ha^-1 as post-emergence at 20 DAS, T₃: Imazethapyr + pendimethalin _(RM) 750 g ha^-1 as pre-emergence, T₄: Imazethapyr + imazamox _(RM) 70 g ha^-1 as pre-emergence, T₅: Imazethapyr + propaquizafop _(RM) 125 g ha^-1 as post-emergence at 20 DAS, T₆: Quizalofop-p-ethyl 100 g ha^-1 post-emergence at 20 DAS, T₇: Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 100 g ha^-1 post-emergence at 20 DAS, T₈: 2 HW at 20 and 40 DAS, T₉: Unweeded control, T₁₀: Weed-free. The treatments were evaluated on black gram cv. GU-1 and arranged in a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications. The results indicated that the highest protein content (24.17%) and protein yield (261.92 kg ha⁻¹) were recorded under the weed-free treatment (T₁₀), followed by treatments T₁, T₂ and T₈. The lowest weed population and weed dry weight at harvest (326.67 kg ha⁻¹) were recorded with two hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS (T₈). The maximum weed control efficiency (83.20%) and the lowest weed index (7.98%) were also observed under the same treatment. The residual N, P₂O₅ and K₂O contents in the soil after crop harvest were significantly higher under the weed-free treatment, T₁₀ (277.67, 61.33 and 423.00 kg ha⁻¹, respectively), and were statistically at par with those recorded under treatments T₁, T₂ and T₈. Significantly higher N (3.87 and 1.12 %), P₂O₅ (0.49 and 0.29 %) and K₂O (2.03 and 1.03 %) contents were registered under the weed-free condition (T₁₀) in seed and haulm, respectively. The highest N, P₂O₅ and K₂O uptake by seed (41.91, 5.30 and 21.94 kg ha^-1, respectively) and haulm (27.53, 7.22 and 25.19 kg ha^-1 respectively) were registered under treatment T₁₀, in which the plot was kept weed-free.

Nature-Based Solutions, Agricultural Productivity and Household Livelihoods among Smallholder Farmers in Machakos County, Kenya

Kayamberi Pauline Agesa — 2026-09-04

Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer an approach to sustainable agricultural development by restoring ecological functions while supporting production and household welfare. This study evaluated the relationship of NbS adoption with agricultural productivity and household livelihoods among smallholder farmers in Machakos County, Kenya. The analysis was based on data from 202 smallholder farmers and focused exclusively on the study's fourth objective. A mixed-methods research design was used, with structured household questionnaires forming the principal source of quantitative evidence and qualitative observations and interviews providing contextual interpretation. Agricultural productivity was assessed using crop yield, soil fertility improvement and farm-output consistency, while livelihood outcomes were assessed using household income, food security and income diversification. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise outcome patterns, while an independent-samples t-test compared adopters and non-adopters and regression analysis examined the relationship between NbS adoption and the combined productivity and livelihood outcomes. Among farmers classified by adoption intensity, 18.8% had low adoption, 50.5% moderate adoption and 30.7% high adoption. Among the productivity indicators, soil-fertility improvement recorded the highest proportion of positive responses (46.5%), followed by crop yield (41.6%) and farm-output consistency (39.1%). Livelihood outcomes were also generally positive, with food security showing the highest proportion of improved outcomes (47.5%), followed by household income (44.1%) and income diversification (41.6%). Adopters had significantly higher productivity scores than non-adopters (4.12 versus 2.89; t = 6.74, p < 0.001) and significantly higher livelihood scores (4.05 versus 2.76; t = 5.98, p < 0.001). Regression analysis further indicated a positive association between NbS adoption and the combined agricultural productivity and livelihood outcomes (β = 0.68, SE = 0.09, t = 7.56, p < 0.001). The findings suggest that NbS adoption is associated with improved agricultural performance and household welfare among smallholder farmers in Machakos County. However, because the study was cross-sectional, the observed relationships should not be interpreted as definitive causal effects. Strengthening integrated NbS support, extension services and outcome-based monitoring is recommended to enhance the productivity and livelihood benefits of sustainable land management.

Effect of in-situ Soil Moisture Conservation Measures on Growth Parameters and Yield of Rain-fed Sorghum in Gash Barka, Lowlands of Eritrea

Berhane Teklit — 2026-09-09

Background: Rainfall variability and limited soil-moisture availability are major constraints to rain-fed crop production in the semi-arid lowlands of Eritrea. Improving in-situ soil moisture conservation is therefore important for enhancing sorghum productivity and water-use efficiency under these water-limited conditions.

Aims: The study aims to evaluate the effect of selected in situ soil moisture conservation technologies on the growth parameters and yield of rain-fed sorghum in the lowlands of Gash Barka, Eritrea.

Study Design: Randomised complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: Aklelet village, Goluj sub-region, Gash Barka, Eritrea, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Methodology: Fanya juu terraces, tied ridge, semi-circular bund, mulching at 10 t ha−1, and a farmers’ practice control were tested on plots of 8.4 m × 6 m (50.4 m²). Sorghum ICSV 111 IN was sown at 12 kg ha⁻¹ at 0.70 m × 0.25 m spacing. Growth and yield parameters and soil moisture at 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm were recorded. Rainfall was recorded throughout the growing seasons to calculate water use, and water use efficiency (WUE) was calculated as grain yield divided by seasonal crop water use. Analysis of variance was performed using GenStat 18th edition, with means separated by Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) at P = 0.05.

Results: All the structures significantly improved growth and yield over the control in both seasons. Mulching recorded the maximum grain yield in both seasons (4.30 and 4.53 t ha⁻¹), representing increases of 57.34% and 81.32%, respectively, followed by tied ridge (52.47% and 76.00%). WUE increased from 6.27 to 12.50 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (+99.4%) in 2024 and from 6.77 to 15.10 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (+123.0%) in 2025 under mulching, and by 89.8% and 109.7% under tied ridge.

Conclusion: Although all the structures had a significant effect on sorghum growth and yield, mulching and tied ridge were the most effective and are recommended for Vertisols of the Gash Barka lowlands. Since these findings are derived from two seasons at one site, multi-location testing is required before wider extrapolation.

Effect of Organic Amendments and Indole-3-butyric Acid (IBA) on Growth and Root Development of Fruitless Morus alba L. Cuttings

Moamenla Jamir — 2026-09-09

Morus alba L., the fruitless mulberry, is an economically important species, and efficient vegetative propagation is necessary for rapid multiplication and establishment. This study assessed the effects of organic amendments and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on the rooting and growth of fruitless Morus alba cuttings. Semi-hardwood cuttings were subjected to five treatments: the control (T0), farmyard manure (FYM; T1), vermicompost (T2), FYM combined with 1000 ppm IBA (T3), and vermicompost combined with 1000 ppm IBA (T4). The experiment was arranged in a randomised complete block design with five replications. Growth parameters, including shoot thickness, shoot length, root length, and total plant height, were recorded at 60, 90, and 120 days after planting. All parameters increased with growth duration, although the magnitude of the response varied among treatments. Treatment T3 produced the highest growth values, especially at 120 days, when it achieved a shoot thickness of 3.58 mm, a shoot length of 39.38 cm, a root length of 12.20 cm, and a total plant height of 57.08 cm. Treatment T4 also resulted in relatively greater rooting and vegetative growth, whereas FYM alone produced a moderate improvement compared with the control. Vermicompost alone produced inconsistent responses across the measured parameters. The performance of T3 indicates that combining FYM with 1000 ppm IBA creates favourable conditions for rooting and subsequent vegetative development of fruitless mulberry cuttings. The findings suggest that combining organic amendments with IBA may improve the early establishment of Morus alba cuttings. Further research involving IBA alone and different IBA concentrations is recommended to optimise propagation methods.

Genetic Variability, Broad-Sense Heritability, and Trait Associations of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Across Multiple Environments in Kenya

Ego Amos Kibiwott — 2026-09-10

Aims: This study evaluated phenotypic variation and genotypic differences, estimated broad-sense heritability for grain yield, and examined associations among agronomic traits in five bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes comprising two parental cultivars and three mutation-derived lines.

Study Design: Randomised complete block design with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: The genotypes were evaluated at Kitale, Eldoret, and Njoro, Kenya, during the 2021 and 2022 long-rain seasons, representing six environments.

Methodology: Seven agronomic traits were analysed using descriptive statistics, combined analysis of variance, restricted maximum likelihood estimation of variance components, entry-mean broad-sense heritability, and Pearson correlation analysis.

Results: Grain yield ranged from 1.80 to 3.50 t ha⁻¹, with a mean of 2.70 t ha⁻¹. Genotype significantly affected all evaluated traits, demonstrating differentiation among the wheat materials, while environmental effects varied among traits. Grain yield was significantly influenced by genotype, location, and season, with a significant genotype × location interaction indicating differential genotypic responses across locations. For grain yield, genotypic variance (σ²_G= 0.018) exceeded residual variance (σ²_e = 0.012) and genotype × environment interaction variance (σ²_GE = 0.006). Entry-mean broad-sense heritability was high (H² = 0.91), indicating strong repeatability of differences among genotype means under the multi-environment testing framework. Grain yield was moderately and positively associated with thousand-kernel weight (r = 0.42), while days to maturity was moderately and negatively associated with thousand-kernel weight (r = −0.53). Days to heading and days to maturity were moderately and positively correlated (r = 0.42).

Conclusion: The relatively large genotypic variance and high entry-mean heritability indicate that the evaluated materials could be reliably differentiated for grain yield across the testing framework, although environmental and interaction effects remained relevant. Integrating replicated grain-yield performance with genetic parameters and complementary agronomic traits, particularly thousand-kernel weight, provides a sound basis for identifying promising parental and mutation-derived materials for advancement in bread wheat improvement.

Effects of Seasonality and Scion on Grafting Persian Walnut in Vietnam

Nguyen Toan Thang — 2026-09-12

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) is one of the most economically important cultivated tree species worldwide, valued for both its high-quality timber and nutritionally valuable nuts. Walnut kernels are also recognised for their potential health-promoting properties, owing primarily to their high antioxidant capacity and substantial concentration of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids. Therefore, vegetative propagation by grafting is urgently needed in Vietnam to produce seedlings from superior genotypes with high nut productivity and quality. In this study, the side-stub grafting technique was applied in three seasons (October, December, and February) using two scion age classes (< 8 months old and 9-12 months old). The experiments were conducted in a completely randomised design with three replicates, each consisting of 35 rootstocks. The results indicated that grafting season and scion age significantly affected survival rate and shoot growth at 4 months after grafting. Scions aged 9-12 months resulted in a higher survival rate and greater shoot growth than scions aged < 8 months. The highest survival rate, 64.8%, was observed after December grafting with 9-12-month-old scions, followed by 58.1% after February grafting and 49.5% after October grafting. The lowest survival rate, 34.3%, was observed after October grafting with < 8-month-old scions. The greatest shoot growth, 36.8 cm, was observed after December grafting with 9-12-month-old scions. It is concluded that the side-stub grafting technique should be used for walnut grafting, with rootstocks aged 1.5-2 years and having a stump diameter of 1.5-2.0 cm.