A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different intercrops on the management of pests and yield contributing characteristics of chilli. Among the various intercrops tested, chilli intercropped with garlic and carrot performed well, recording the lowest population of sucking pests, leaf curl index, larval population of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura, as well as reduced fruit damage. In contrast, the highest pest population of aphids, thrips, mite, and leaf curl index, larval population of H. armigera and S. litura, and fruit damage were observed in the sole chilli crop. Mean yield data revealed that chilli intercropped with garlic yielded the highest red ripe chilli with 11.70 t/ha. Maximum chlorophyll concentration index, fruit length, fruit diameter and single fruit weight were also found in chilli intercropped with garlic. Among the different intercrops, the highest marginal benefit-cost ratio (22.73) was recorded for chilli + garlic, followed by chilli + coriander (21.89), chilli + carrot (21.15) and chilli + tomato (20.71). In contrast, the chilli +groundnut intercrop had the lowest marginal benefit-cost ratio (9.47). Predators such as coccinellids were found to be well distributed in the crop with various intercrops. Chilli intercropped with garlic and coriander supported the presence of these predators. It appeared that growing intercrops alongside the main crop was found advantageous in managing the complex of chilli pests, in addition to providing yield benefits.

Crop losses due to root-knot nematodes are typically mitigated by the application of highly toxic chemical nematicides. Which can be expensive. Consequently, ongoing efforts are focused on the search for ecofriendly and sustainable strategies. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of soil amendments in management of Meloidogyne incognita both a screen house and a field setting. Four varieties of cucumber, all infected were evaluated for the effectiveness of soil amendments against in nematodes. The experimental design included a factorial set-up in a completely randomised design and for the screen house and a randomized complete block design for the field. Phytochemical screenings of botanicals were carried out using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Data were collected on various parameters, including fresh root weight, fresh shoot weight, fruit yield, soil and root nematode population, reproduction factor, number of egg mass, and gall index. Numerical data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics of Microsoft excel packaged and analysis of variance (ANOVA). In the screen house, all four susceptible cucumber varieties exhibited highly pathogenicity when exposed to 2000 juveniles of root-knot nematodes. Powdered poultry manure demonstrated comparable efficacy to carbofuran in reducing the number of root-knot nematodes in the root of cucumber and soil, as well as the number of egg mass, root galling and reproduction factor within the screen house. Cucumber treated with carbofuran (C1cb) and powdered poultry manure (C1pd) showed reduction of 0.01 and 0.001 respectively. Notably, cucumber treated with powdered poultry manure recorded gall index of 24.50 (C1pd), while untreated cucumbers had a gall index of 5.25 (C4c). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of Xanthane, Imidazole and Boron etc. The extract of powdered poultry manure significantly (P<0.05) inhibited egg hatching, increased juvenile mortality, and enhanced yield cucumber compared to other treatments. Phytochemicals such as Xanthane, Imidazole and Boron in botanicals likely contributed to the observed effects in the results.

Insect pests have caused considerable losses in okra and maize production leading to the widespread use of chemicals to achieve increased yield. Unfortunately, these chemicals have contributed to human, animal and environmental pollution, necessitating the search for alternative means of insect pest control. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of intercropping and weeding on the control of field insect pests damaging okra/maize intercrop. A field experiment was conducted at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm in the southern Guinea savanna agro-ecological zone in Nigeria during the 2023 cropping season. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The experimental field size was 10 m × 3.5 m, consisting of 3 blocks. Each block consisted three plots each measured 1.1 m × 0.5 m, resulting in a total of 18 plots. Alleyways of 0.5 m separated the plots and replicates. The findings of the study showed that intercropping and weeding of okra/maize yielded positive result. The cropping pattern and weeding had varying success in reducing pest populations in a maize/okra combination. Weeded plots exhibited the highest insects’ pest population. However, despite this observed trend, weeded plots gave the highest yield compared to un-weeded plots. The crops performed well as intercrops, with an LER value of 2.175, with maize being the dominant crop.

Pineapple (Ananus comosus) slices were washed with normal tap water and a solution of aqua containing 2% citric acid, 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite and 0.1% calcinated calcium. After removing the surface water with a fan, the pineapple slices were placed in a polypropylene (PP) box and refrigerated at 4±1°C and 50±5% relative humidity (RH). The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated by determining the respiration rate, firmness, external colour, ascorbic acid content, total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity, pH, total sugar and reducing sugar, and sensory quality. The lowest amount of CO ₂ produced (around 29 mg/kg-h) was observed in pineapple slices wash with sanitizers, while the maximum amount (49.63 mg/kg-h) was found in tap water, followed by 37.03 mg/kg-h in unwashed samples after 6 ^th day of storage in the refrigerator. Samples washed with tap water, in particular, showed a severe increase in respiration rate, indicating decay of the samples. Pineapple slices washed with sanitizers and unwashed samples were observed to be in good condition and received scores ranging from ‘neither like nor dislike’ to ‘like slightly’, whereas tap water washed samples scored ‘dislike moderately’, indicating they were unacceptable at 5 ^th day of refrigerated storage.

Border plants serve as management tools based on secondary plants utilized within or bordering a primary crop to control pests and diseases. During flowering, these crops provide abundant nectar, pollen and shelter for resident parasitoids and predators. A field study was conducted during the Rabi season of 2021-2022 at the Spices Research Centre, BARI, Shibganj, Bogura, Bangladesh (geographic coordinates 25.0167° N, 89.3167° E) to investigate the effect of border crop on the management of thrips-mite complex and the activity of natural enemy of chilli. Among different treatments, it was found that chilli crop bordered by two rows of maize, with two interventions of spray (first spray with Azadirachtin at 1 ml per litre at 7 WAT and second spray with Diafenthiuron at 1 ml per litre at 9 WAT), recorded higher yield (11.90 t/ha) with the least leaf curl damage due to thrips (0.77 LCI) and mites (0.28 LCI) per plant at 13 WAT, and were significantly superior to all other treatments and standard check. Thus, chilli crop bordered by two rows of maize, with two interventions of spray (first spray with Azadirachtin at 1 ml per litre at 7 WAT and second spray with Diafenthiuron at 1 ml per litre at 9 WAT) may be recommended for effective management of thrips-mite complex in chilli.

Bee pollinators play a crucial role on crops pollination. Pollination significantly enhances the yield of most crop species and contributes to the increase in global crop production. Here, we provide insights into the relationships between crop and bee pollinators. The interactions between crops and bee pollinators depends on various factors, including different crops species and floral morphological characters such as color, scent, nectar composition, and pollen secondary metabolites. In this review, we discuss how crop species, floral morphological characteristics, floral volatile compounds, floral nectar and pollen secondary metabolites influences interactions between crops and bee pollinators.

Food and nutritional security is poised to become a significant challenge in meeting the needs of a population, exacerbate by climate change and limited agricultural land. Therefore, it is imperative to explore alternative methods for crop cultivation with efficient management practices. Additionally, ensuring a consistent and adequate water supply remains a critical concern, which can be addressed through the use of mulch during crop cultivation. Furthermore, micronutrient deficiencies, particularly boron, can lead to issues such as flower dropping and fruits malformation, resulting in reduced yields. Hence, a pot experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Shere-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh, from October 2019 to March 2020 to assess the morpho-physiological and yield response of cherry tomato under soilless crop cultivation system, considering the influence of boron and different mulch materials. The experiment comprised two factors: Factor A included: three types of mulch, namely M ₀ = No mulch, M ₁ = rice straw and M ₂ = Black polythene, while Factor B: uncompressed four doses of Boron (B) fertilizer, denoted as B ₁ = 0.5 ppm, B ₂ = 1.5 ppm, B ₃ = 2.5 ppm and B ₄ = 3.5 ppm. This resulted in a total of 12 treatment combinations, arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The results revealed significant variations in the pheno- morphological characteristics, photosynthetic pigment content, total soluble solid (TSS), and yield traits of cherry tomatoes, significantly varied due to the different mulch materials and foliar application of boron. Specifically, plants grown with black polythene mulch and treated with 2.5 ppm of boron (M ₂ B ₃ ) exhibited superior performance across these traits. In terms of economic return, the same combination appeared to be the most promising, yielding higher productivity (3.31 kg/plant) and a favorable benefit-cost ratio (3.36) for cherry tomato production.

The study conducted a gender analysis of group participation among agro-processing groups in Kwara and Niger States, Nigeria. A three-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the respondents with a total of 573 arable crop processors selected. Structured interview schedule was designed, validated and tested for reliability before being administered to the respondents. Only 570 well-completed schedules were retrieved and analyzed. Frequency count, percentages, mean score, standard deviation and multiple regression were used to analyse the collected data. Findings revealed that aggregate participation in group activities was higher among male (mean= 4.08) compared to female (mean=3.30) with males ranking first and females second. Factors influencing male members’ participation included age (B=0.216), educational status (B=0.222) and household size (B=0.043) while female members were influence by age (B=0.127), educational level (B=0.220), and income (B=0.198). Male members faced challenges of high level such as family responsibility, significant group duties and difficulties in accessing credit facilities whereas female members encountered high level of family responsibility, greater access to and control over key processing factors and significant group duties. The study concluded that male agro-processors participated significantly more than their female counterparts. Consequently, the study therefore recommends that group extension programmes designed for agro-processing in the study area should include in training time management skills to mitigate delays in adopting of agro-processing innovations due to household responsibilities.

The soils of the Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria are low in plant nutrients, and crops are primarily cultivated using inorganic fertilizer. However, the cost of inorganic fertilizer is increasing, and many farmers cannot afford it, thus exacerbating an already perilous situation. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Ilorin, Nigeria during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons to evaluate the influence of NPK fertilizer and leaves of some plants; Chlomoleana odoranta, Parkia biglobosa, Gliricida sepium, Azadirachta indica, Tithonia diversifolia and Panicum maximum as green manure on the growth and yield of sesame. Data were collected on soil properties, growth, morphological characters, yield, and quality of sesame. The results showed that incorporating green manures at 20 Mg/ha reduced the soil bulk density (14.1% and 13.3%), improved porosity (16.1% and 18.9%) in both seasons compared to NPK-treated, and control plots. G. sepium also produced the highest plant height (23.4% and 15.6%), number of leaves (33.3% and 39.2%), leaf area (58.3% and 57.5%), and leaf area index (58.5% and 57.6%) more than the control plot in both seasons. G. sepium-treated plot produced the highest yield, which was 58.3% and 62.3% better than the control plot. The incorporation of 20 Mg/ha G. sepium as green manure improved soil physical and chemical properties and the yield of sesame. The use of 20 Mg/ha G. sepium as green manure is recommended for resource poor farmers as it will improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil.

Sesame production in Bangladesh is considered underprivileged, primarily due to low cultivar yields. To address the issue, a field experiment was conducted in Raingamary village, Batiaghata, Khulna to evaluate the growth and yield performance of five improved sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties in Bangladesh. The five varieties included Bina Til-1, Bina Til-2, Bina Til-3, BARI Til-3 and BARI Til-4. The experiment was designed using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and repeated four times. Data were collected on various growth and yield parameters of sesame. Bina Til-2 exhibited the maximum plant height at 75 days after sowing (DAS) (104.46 cm) and height up to the first capsule (39.37 cm). BARI Til-3 demonstrated a higher mean number of primary branches (5.45) and secondary branches (2.45). Conversely, Bina Til-1 had superior capsule length (3.82 cm), capsule width (2.54 cm) and number of seeds per capsule (78.56). The number of capsules per plant and thousand seed weight did not differ significantly among varieties. BARI Til-3 produced the highest seed yield per plant (7.83 g) and seed yield per hectare (1.14 t/ha) due to a relatively higher number of capsules per plant, more seeds per capsule, and increased harvest index (HI). Additionally, BARI Til-3 yielded the highest biological yield (3.54 t/ha). The results of this study indicate that BARI Til-3 is superior in terms of growth and yield.