Iris Publishers Agriculture Soil Science

Abstract Crude oil utilization has improved our living standard, but it has also threatened the aquatic and terrestrial environment with its harmful effects. It contains harmful substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that can cause mutation and cancer. Soil contamination is of particular concern as it does not only effects human health but also vegetation growth and biological environment. Many remediation techniques have been devised but a quick, nature friendly and cost-effective method is required to remove and minimize the dangerous effects of crude oil. In this review, different remediation techniques to remove crude oil from the soil have been discussed, focusing on their current advancement. Chemical, physical and thermal methods used for the cleanup of soil have many demerits, so focus is shifted toward biological methods such as microbial remediation and phytoremediation. Recently microbes and plants are used together as rhizoremediation techni...

  Goat Breeding Objectives in Relation To Agroecological Zonation Under Dryland Farming Conditions of North Kordofan, Sudan Authored by Faisal M El Hag Goats are one of the most important livestock species in rural farming systems in Sudan and the most widely distributed animal in the country. They occupy the second position after sheep in population size and third position in economic importance after cattle and sheep [1]. Increasing pressure on land and natural resources, poverty, hunger, changing climatic conditions, and pricing of livestock products driven by increased population and consumer demand present unprecedented development challenges for smallholder traditional dryland farming communities [2]. Improvement of livestock production using more productive livestock genotypes has been advocated as a sustainable means of improving the livelihoods of some of the poorest farmers [3]. In Sudan, the productivity and contribution of goats to the national economy is relatively ...

Current Application of Microencapsulation Technology in Bioremediation of Polluted Groundwater Authored by Stalis Norma Ethica The long-term establishment of the global water supply and sustainability is closely related with the world population growth and global climate change. Steadfast growth of the world’s population forecasted to be almost multiplied by two from 3.4 to 6.3 billion between 2009 - 2050, is presented by a predicted required growth of 70% agriculture production by 2050 [1]. Hence, the need for fresh water is dramatically increasing, especially for food production. It is because 70% of the withdrawals of world’s freshwater are already adjudged for agricultural land irrigation. Today each year, 64 billion cubic meters of fresh water are consumed progressively by worlds’ population [2]. In developing countries, ground water contamination is a key issue, with high levels of pollutants being reported in various regions. Various contamination control and groundwater trea...

Biofertilizer Impacts on Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Cultivation: Improved Soil Health and Quality, Igbariam, Nigeria Authored by Ayodele A Otaiku Introduction Many diseases are caused by pathogens, whose damage symptoms appear on the leaves, stems and storage roots [1] during cassava cultivation. The common diseases of cassava are cassava mosaic disease, cassava bacterial blight, cassava anthracnose disease, cassava bud necrosis and root rot. Some of these diseases attack the leaves and stems of cassava plants while others attack the storage roots [2]. Cassava mosaic disease is caused by the African cassava mosaic virus which occurs inside the leaves and stems and causes yield reductions of up to 90 percent [3]. Economical damage by diseases, pests and weeds of cassava is relatively moderate, although white flies can be a menace in some regions, if the problem is not identified early, and remedial action not implemented in a timely manner (Figure 1). Correct identification o...