Horticultural Science
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Item MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF MORINGA (Moringa stenopetala L.) ACCESSIONS SEEDLING TO WATER STRESS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITION AT HAWASSA, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA(Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2019) GEBRE GARMAMEMoringa stenopetala L. is a plant sometimes called miracle plant due to its adaptability and versatility in use. Indeed, it is considered as a super food, store house of nutrients, remedy for more than 300 diseases, water purification material, oil and biogas source, post-harvest preservative, and climate change mitigate plant. However, in spite of its marvelous importance, the plant has not got research attention for morphological and physiological responses of accession to water stress. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the morphological and physiological responses of Moringa stenopetala L. accessions seedling to water stress under greenhouse condition from October to January, 2018 at the college of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Ethiopia. The experiment was consisted of three accessions (Konso, Arbaminch Zuria and Humbo) and four water stress levels imposed as irrigation interval (daily, 5 days interval, 10 days interval and 15 days interval watering) assigned in completely randomized design with three replications. The results revealed that accessions significantly differed for most of the morphological and physiological parameters studied in this experiment. The accession “Arbaminch Zuria” was higher in seedling height, stem collar girth, leaf area, root length, fresh and dry weights, total seedling fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll a, b and total and instantaneous water use efficiency than other accessions. Oppositely, the accession “Humbo” was lower in all parameters except root length, stomata number and instantaneous water use efficiency. The accession “Konso” and “Humbo” was stastically similar in root length and instantaneous water use efficiency. The accession “Konso” and “Arbaminch Zuria” was stastically similar in leaf number, root diameter, stomata number, length and width. Regarding to water stress, the experiment shown that, increased water stress significantly reduced stem collar girth, leaf area, root length, diameter, fresh and dry weights, total seedling fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll a, b and total. Additionally, fresh and dry leaf weight, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf relative water content were significantly influenced due to the interaction effect of accession and water stress. Accession “Arbaminch Zuria” grown under daily watering was higher in all parameters except leaf relative water content those indicated significant due to interaction. The present results therefore, indicated that accession “Arbaminch Zuria” with daily watering performs better in raising Moringa stenopetala seedling. As the experiment was a single trail with limited resources, study is still needed on more indigenous and exotic accession under different water stress including under field conditionsItem Assessment of Postharvest Management and Effects of Harvesting Methods and Drying Structures on Unwashed Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Quality in Kercha District, Southern Ethiopia(Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2019) DANIEL DUBA BULULAArabica coffee, which has 75-80% share in the world coffee production and marketing is the most important economic crop in Ethiopia. Unwashed coffee shares 71% of total coffee processed in the country. There is lack of profound assessment work to identify the specific postharvest management practices that affecting the quality of unwashed coffee in Kercha district, and effect of harvesting method and drying structures on each quality parameters of the coffee as general. The study was designed to assess the postharvest management practices, and evaluate the effects of harvesting methods and drying structures on unwashed coffee quality in 2018 production season. For the assessment, from 3 representative kebeles, 120 households were selected randomly. A total of 9 focused group discussion (role model, non-role model and women farmers) and 15 key informant interviews were employed. Survey data were analyzed by using Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The experiment was conducted as a factorial combination of two harvesting methods (selective picking and stripping) and four drying structures (bare ground, cemented floor, bamboo mat bed and mesh wire bed) in Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Coffee quality analysis was done in laboratory by certified panelists’ team of Ethiopia commodity exchange (ECX) enterprise following the standardized grading scale procedures. Experimental data were analyzed by using Software for Agricultural Sciences (SAS) and General Linear Model (GLM) procedures. The results showed that in the district, 50.8%, 100%, 82.5% and 33.3% of the farmers harvesting their coffee by stripping at inappropriate fruit maturity stage, packing with polyethylene sack, storing at inappropriate place and transacting at illegal market respectively. The interaction of the harvesting methods and drying structures showed significant effect (P<0.0266) on the primary defects, acidity and body of unwashed coffee. Similarly, the interaction effect was significantly (P<0.0018) affected the flavor and total cup quality of the coffee. The main effect of the harvesting method s showed significant effect (P<0.0001) on the secondary defects and total raw bean quality. The main effect of the drying structures revealed significant effect (P<0.0001) on the odor of the beans. Both the main effects of harvesting methods and drying structures showed significant effects (P<0.0001) and (P=0.0002) on the overall coffee quality. Generally, in Kercha district, postharvest management practices of unwashed coffee are amongst the main problems that affecting the coffee quality. Selective picking with mesh wire bed, bamboo mat bed and cemented floor resulted in better quality coffee than stripping with all of these structures, and selective picking with bare ground. Therefore, there should be improvement in coffee harvesting methods, storage and transactions conditions in the district. Besides, selective picking with drying on bamboo mat bed which maintains the inherent quality of unwashed coffee is recommended for the farmers.
