ESRJ

Effects of Moisture Conservation and Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Soybean

2025-08-30T09:12:59+00:00

This study evaluates the effects of moisture conservation and nutrient management on soybean growth, yield, and economic returns. The objective is to identify the combined strategies that effectively enhance yield, improve seed quality, optimize water use efficiency (WUE), and increase farmers’ economic benefits. The findings indicate that the use of plastic and organic mulches significantly improves soybean yield, WUE, and net economic returns. Plastic mulch proved most effective, increasing yield to 2,950 kg/ha and WUE to 0.88 kg/m³. Combined application of farmyard manure (FYM) with chemical fertilizers (NPK) further enhanced yield, water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and soil nitrogen retention. With this combined treatment (FYM + NPK), yield reached 3,150 kg/ha and WUE 0.89 kg/m³. These results demonstrate that mulch maintains soil moisture, promotes root development, and improves plant physiological activities, while balanced NPK and FYM application increases seed protein, oil content, and weight. Simultaneous water–nitrogen management ensures efficient resource use, and economic analyses indicate that integrated management significantly improves net returns and benefit-cost ratio (BCR), providing stable income for farmers. Overall, this study recommends the integrated application of moisture conservation and nutrient management as a practical and effective strategy for sustainable and high-yield soybean production.

Impact of Salinity Stress on Germination of Maize Seed under Controlled Laboratory Condition

2025-10-29T10:21:07+00:00

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an annual broadleaf crop with high nutritional value, containing considerable amounts of starch, protein, vitamins, minerals, and the amino acid lysine. Salinity stress is one of the major global challenges limiting crop growth and productivity. To evaluate the effect of salinity stress on maize germination indices, this experiment was conducted during the spring of 2024 at the laboratory and research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University. The treatments consisted of five NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM). The results revealed that increasing salinity levels significantly reduced germination percentage, root and shoot length, and fresh and dry weights of maize seedlings. The highest values for these parameters were recorded at 0 mM NaCl, while the lowest were observed at 200 mM. High salinity decreased water potential and caused ionic imbalance, which consequently slowed the germination process. Overall, the findings indicate that salinity has a markedly negative effect on maize seed germination and early growth, which may further influence yield and development at later growth stages.

Effects of Humic Acid on Yield of Rice

2025-07-07T04:14:05+00:00

Rice is one of the most significant crops in the world, and in Afghanistan. Recently, due to increases in the application of chemical fertilizers, many environmental problems have occurred in rice fields. Humic acid originates from natural, organic sources and can increase crop yield. The effects of Humic Acid on the yield of rice have not been studied in previous research and need to be investigated further. Thus, the current research was conducted in the Kohkaran research farm, Kandahar. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments, including T0 (control), T1 (500 kg HA ha-1), T2 (1000 kg HA ha-1), and T3 (1500 kg HA ha-1) replicated three times. Results demonstrated that yield parameters of rice, such as No of panicle, filled grain fer panicle, 1000 grain weight, and yield increased significantly by 24.73%, 27.06%, 26.15%, and 34.80% compared to control suing 1500 kg/ha Humic acid. Moreover, according to the results between the two rice varieties in the research Bara variety demonstrated higher yield compared to the Surkha-e-Zraati variety by application of Humic Acid.

Role of Plant Biotechnology in Climate Change Adaptation

2025-10-13T06:27:55+00:00

Climate change severely threatens global agriculture through rising temperatures, droughts, soil salinity, and irregular rainfall, leading to reduced yields and food insecurity. Plant biotechnology provides an effective solution to enhance crop resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. Modern approaches such as genetic engineering, genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9), and marker-assisted selection (MAS) enable the development of stress-tolerant varieties adapted to drought, heat, and salinity. The use of beneficial microorganisms—such as rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) improves nutrient uptake, growth, and environmental adaptation. Moreover, biotechnology enhances nutrient-use efficiency and carbon sequestration, contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable farming systems. Despite challenges including biosafety concerns, high costs, and limited public acceptance, successful cases like Bt cotton, Golden Rice, and drought-tolerant maize highlight biotechnology’s vital role in climate change adaptation. Achieving sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture requires close collaboration among biotechnologists, climate scientists, policymakers, and farmers to ensure global food security and environmental stability.

Studying the Damage Caused by the Wheat Sunn Pest on Wheat Grains, Flour, and Bread

2025-10-05T07:07:33+00:00

The sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps Puton) is one of the most important pests of cereal crops in warm and dry regions. This insect feeds on the milky and dough stages of developing grains, causing shriveling, hollowing, and weight loss of the kernels. Reduction in the thousand-grain weight and overall yield are considered the major quantitative damages, with yield losses ranging from 10 to 50 percent depending on pest population density. The qualitative damage results from the injection of proteolytic enzymes into the grain, which degrade gluten proteins. Consequently, flour obtained from infested kernels lacks sufficient elasticity and stickiness, and the dough prepared from it loses its gas-holding capacity. As a result, the bread baked from such flour has reduced volume, a dense and compact texture, is hard and brittle, and shows diminished sensory quality and shelf life. This article aims to describe the biology, mechanisms of damage, and factors influencing its severity (planting date, variety, seeding rate, and crop rotation) to facilitate further scientific research in the future.

Application of Artificial Insemination in Laying Hens

2025-09-16T11:52:29+00:00

Artificial insemination (AI) is one of the most important assisted reproductive technologies in the poultry industry, playing an effective role in improving fertility, genetic improvement, and reducing the costs associated with maintaining males. In this narrative review article, a total of 84 scientific papers were retrieved from reputable international databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, as well as domestic sources. After screening, removal of duplicates, and full-text evaluation, 65 relevant articles were included in the study. According to the findings, roosters produce on average 0.1 to 1.5 mL of semen per ejaculation, with a mean volume of approximately 0.6 mL, whereas the semen volume collected using the abdominal massage method is typically reported to be in the range of 0.25 to 0.28 ± 0.14 mL. The sperm concentration in the semen of domestic roosters generally varies between 3,000 and 7,000 × 10⁶ spermatozoa per milliliter, and semen pH is most often within the range of 7.0 to 7.4, which is considered optimal for maintaining sperm motility and fertilizing capacity. In vaginal insemination, which is regarded as the most common and effective method of insemination in poultry, the semen volume used is usually less than 0.1 mL, and each insemination dose should contain at least 100 to 200 million viable spermatozoa. Studies have shown that the use of appropriate extenders can preserve poultry semen for up to 24 hours without a significant reduction in sperm viability and fertilizing ability. Overall, the results of this review indicate that artificial insemination, when proper techniques are applied, appropriate semen doses are selected, and standard extenders are used, can significantly enhance reproductive efficiency, biosecurity, and economic effectiveness in laying hens.

Effects of Different Levels of Sodium Chloride Salinity on Germination Indices of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Seeds

2025-10-29T10:30:58+00:00

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of salinity stress on germination and early seedling growth of local faba bean seeds from Badakhshan Province in 2025 at the laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and three salinity levels. Data were collected on germination percentage, radicle length, plumule length, fresh weight, and dry weight. The results indicated that salinity had no significant effect on germination percentage (p > 0.05), but significantly reduced radicle and plumule growth (p < 0.05), which was almost inhibited at higher salinity levels. Fresh and dry weights showed no significant differences among treatments. These findings suggest that although faba bean seeds can germinate under saline conditions, seedling growth is severely affected. Therefore, germination percentage alone may not be a reliable indicator of salt tolerance. The use of radicle and plumule growth parameters is recommended as more sensitive indices for assessing salinity tolerance.

Constraints for Crop Production in Dryland and their Management: Agronomic Practices

2025-08-20T08:06:45+00:00

Dryland comprises nearly half of the land mass, more than forty % of the earth surface, where plenty of people live and mostly depend on agriculture to support their basic needs. Several factors, however, have an important effect on agriculture in these regions, including the lack of water, severe temperatures, frequent droughts, bare and marginal soil, topography that is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, erosive rain, and wind. To maintain agricultural productivity in these areas, a variety of crucial scientific studies and cultural practices have been regularly released, altered, and advised in order to address these problems. These important studies and practices included using crops that tolerate stress, integrating multiple farming systems, harvesting rainwater and using it for supplemental irrigation, conserving soil and water. Thus, an attempt has been made in this review to discuss several topics regarding agricultural constraints on dryland and the strategies that have been implemented to address such constraints.

Effect of Irrigation Interruption at Critical Growth Stages on Yield and Yield Compo-nents of Maize

2025-10-22T09:20:56+00:00

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of irrigation cut-off at critical growth stages on grain yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L.) under the climatic conditions of Samangan province. Given the limited research conducted in the country on maize sensitivity to water stress and irrigation interruption, this study is of considerable importance. The experiment was carried out in 2024 at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Samangan University, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and four treatments: full irrigation (control), irrigation cut-off at tasseling, silking, and grain filling stages. Morphological and yield-related traits including plant height, ear length and diameter, number of grains per ear, 100-grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, and harvest index were measured. The results showed that irrigation interruption has a significant effect on most of the evaluated traits. The greatest reduction in grain yield (56.5%) occurred when irrigation was stopped at the silking stage, while the highest reduction in grain number per ear (42.0%) was also observed at this stage. The 100-grain weight decreased by 44.3% when irrigation was interrupted during grain filling. Plant height and ear length decreased by 17.8% and 26.8% at tasseling and silking stages, respectively. The harvest index also showed a 40.6% reduction when irrigation was withheld at the tasseling stage. Overall, the tasseling and silking stages were identified as the most sensitive growth phases of maize to water stress, whereas irrigation cut-off at the grain filling stage had a relatively smaller impact on yield components. The findings emphasize the necessity of precise irrigation management during critical growth stages to avoid substantial yield losses. Future studies are recommended to focus on evaluating drought-tolerant genotypes and the use of mulching or plant growth regulators to mitigate water stress impacts.

Analysis of Challenges, Opportunities, and Global Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Development: A Review of Recent Trends

2025-04-27T11:45:25+00:00

Achieving sustainable agriculture requires a comprehensive and multidimensional approach that includes macro-level policymaking, strengthened support systems, education and promotion of traditional farming models, active community participation, and addressing the challenges of climate change; effective macro policies should provide financial incentives, land reforms, and investments in agricultural infrastructure to enable optimal resource utilization, while strengthened support systems such as access to financial services, insurance, and extension services empower farmers to adopt innovative and sustainable practices; education and promotion of traditional agriculture, rooted in local knowledge and biodiversity, play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and cultural sustainability, and active community participation along with continuous cooperation among stakeholders ensures equitable distribution of resources and knowledge, thereby enhancing the long-term resilience of agricultural systems; additionally, the use of climate-adaptive technologies, agroecology, and early warning systems helps mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability, water scarcity, and soil degradation, and the integrated implementation of these solutions leads to sustainable, resilient, and balanced agriculture systems that ensures food security.

Effect of Zinc (Zn) on Enhancing the Drought Tolerance of Two Wheat Varieties in Kabul Province

2025-10-09T09:26:31+00:00

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) holds the highest nutritional importance among cereal crops. As wheat consumption is globally significant particularly in Afghanistan and considering the increasing environmental challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, global warming, and recurrent droughts in recent decades, it is essential to apply all possible strategies to mitigate these stresses and ensure the sustainability of this strategic crop. Therefore, in this study, the foliar application of zinc (Zn) was investigated as a means to alleviate drought stress in wheat plants. The results indicated that zinc application on the Dima-17 wheat variety effectively improved drought tolerance, leading to higher yields compared to untreated plants under drought conditions. However, in the Lalmi-15 variety, this treatment did not show a significant positive effect.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Traditional Marketing versus Digital Marketing

2025-10-02T04:58:33+00:00

This study provides a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of digital marketing versus traditional marketing. This review study is based on previous research and existing literature. Traditional marketing methods such as television, radio, newspapers, and billboards have long been used to promote products and services; however, they often involve high costs, limited geographic reach, one-way communication, and difficulties in measuring results. In contrast, digital marketing, through tools such as social media, email campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), and online advertising, enables businesses to achieve cost efficiency, precise targeting, real-time feedback, personalization, and measurable outcomes. The findings suggest that while traditional marketing remains relevant for certain local audiences and brand awareness campaigns, the global trend is shifting rapidly toward digital marketing due to its greater flexibility, broader reach, and higher return on investment (ROI). This transition highlights the importance of adopting integrated marketing strategies that combine the strengths of both approaches, especially in developing countries where digital infrastructure is still growing.

Effect of Dietary Cinnamon Powder (Cinnamon cassia) on Feed Conversion Ratio and Carcass Traits in Broiler Chickens

2025-11-05T09:29:46+00:00

The present study was conducted on one-day-old broiler chicks. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with different levels of cinnamon powder on feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency, and carcass traits. The experiment lasted for 35 days and involved 48 broiler chicks. The chicks were randomly allocated into four groups, each with three replicates of four birds under standard feeding and management conditions. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used. The experimental groups were as follows: Group 0 (control) received 0% cinnamon powder, Group 1 received 2% cinnamon powder, Group2 received 3% cinnamon powder, and Group 3 received 4% cinnamon powder. The chicks were fed twice daily, in the morning and evening. The results showed that the feed conversion ratio in Groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 was 1.68, 1.72, 1.78, and 1.56, respectively, with Group 3 (4% cinnamon supplementation) showing the most significant improvement. Feed efficiency in Groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 was 59.47%, 58.08%, 56.14%, and 64.29%, respectively, with Group 4 achieving the highest efficiency. Carcass traits in the supplemented groups were improved compared to the control group. Overall, the findings of this study indicated that dietary supplementation with 4% cinnamon powder enhanced feed conversion ratio and improved carcass characteristics in broiler chicks.