Impact of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Moisture and Biomass Water Productivity | InformativeBD

O. A. Akilapa, from the institute of Nigeria. L. O. Adebisi, from the institute of Nigeria and C. O. Farayola, from the institute of Nigeria. wrote a Research Article about, Impact of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Moisture and Biomass Water Productivity. entitled, Effect of conservation agriculture on soil moisture content and biomass water productivity: Case study of crop residues as soil cover. This research paper published by the International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR). an open access scholarly research journal on Agronomy . under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

One of the important principles of Conservation Agriculture is the permanent soil cover with crop residues which enhances soil and water productivity that leads to improved agricultural productivity. The effect of crop residues on soil moisture content, relative growth rate and biomass water productivity were examined in a completely randomized design at the University of Reading, Berkshire district, England. Straw treatment was significant on moisture content and water use efficiency at (p< 0.01) respectively while there is no significant difference on mean relative growth rate and dry final biomass weights. The study concluded that soil moisture content is conserved with increased use of crop residues as soil cover. The study therefore recommended that project based research on Conservation Agriculture should be carried out by governments and NGO’s that will involve farmers; also they should provide support for the knowledge diffusion of Conservation Agriculture to local farmers since it will improve yield and productivity. Extension agents and other agencies that work with farmers should also be properly trained to be able to disseminate this technology to farmers.

Read more : Odonata Diversity in Riparian Agriland and Urbanland of Muvattupuzha River, Kerala | InformativeBD

Introduction 

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a resource saving concept of agricultural production which aims to achieve acceptable profits and sustainable production levels while saving environmental costs (STOA, 2009). It is based on three basic principles which are minimum soil disturbance or zero tillage operations; permanent soil cover with crop residues or the use of cover crops; and diversification of crops through crop rotation, mainly the rotation of staple crops with legumes depending on farming systems (Dumanski et al., 2006). One of the important principles of Conservation Agriculture is the permanent soil cover with crop residues which enhances soil and water productivity (Hobbs et al., 2007), its water saving capacity through the reduction of evaporation, increased infiltration and run-off reduction has made it very important in improving agricultural productivity (Ling-ling et al., 2011)

Soils under CA are expected to be 100% covered by crop residues and a minimum of 30% coverage is allowed under this system and anything below this is not regarded as Conservation Agriculture (Kassam et al., 2009). Crop residues help in preventing erosion by intercepting rain drops and reducing its energy before hitting the soil, thereby preventing the clogging of soil micro pores and reducing the risk of runoff and erosion (Hobbs et al., 2007); it was found to increase crop yields in Mexico, where zero till plots with residues resulted in higher yields than those without residues (Sayre and Hobbs, 2004); it reduces weed infestation by reducing light access to the weeds and also by the release of allelopatic chemicals that suppresses the growth of weeds by inhibition of surface weed seed germination (Hobbs et al., 2007); it was found to reduce evaporation, soil temperature, increasing aggregate stability, soil porosity and improving water infiltration (Giller et al., 2009); it was also found to reduce the risk of crop failure and drought due to a better water use efficiency in semiarid regions (Scopel et al., 2004; Bationo et al., 2007; Parry et al, 2005). Water availability for crop use is often a major problem to crop production in the tropics (Muchow et al., 1994) and improved use of crop residue can provide a more efficient management of water quality (Unger, 1994; Steiner, 1994). The effect of water conservation using crop residue may potentially lead to increase crop yields in tropical environments especially areas where there are potential risks of drought stress (Lal, 1998).

There have been studies on water conservation capacity of crop residues used as soil cover which is successfully done by the reduction of evaporation of soil moisture and the reduction of water loss through run-off and a reduction of wind and water pressure (Klocke et al., 2004; Klocke et al., 2006; Gicheru, 1994; Powell and Unger, 1997) but there are few studies on the effect of crop residues on water productivity. Therefore, this study examined the effect of conservation agriculture on soil moisture content and biomass water productivity: case study of crop residues as soil cover. 

Hence, this study seeks to:

 • Examine the effect of crop residues on soil moisture content; 

• Examine the effect of crop residues on relative growth rate;

 • Examine the effect of crop residues on water use efficiency; and

 • Examine the effect of crop residues on biomass production

Reference

Bationo A, Kihara J, Vanlauwe B, Waswa B, Kinetu J. 2007. Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics, Functions and Management in West African Agro-ecosystems. Agricultural Systems 94,12-25.

Dumanski J, Peiretti R, Benetis J, McGarry D, Pieri C. 2006. The paradigm of conservation tillage. In: Proceedings of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation P1-7, pp. 58–65. Beijing, P.R. China.

Gicheru PT. 1994. Effects of residue mulch and tillage on soil moisture conservation. SoilTechnology 7(3), 209-220.

Giller KE, Witter E, Corbeels M, Tittonell P. 2009. Conservation Agriculture and Small Holder Farming in Africa: The heretics view. Field Crops Research 144(1), 23-34

Hobbs PR, Sayre K, Gupta R. 2007. The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. Phil. Trans. The Royal Society B. 363(1491), 543-555.

International Seed Testing Association. 2005. Germination Test. International rules for seed testing. The Seed Testing Association, Bassersdorf, CH-Switzerland.

Kassam A, Friedrich T, Shaxson F, Pretty J. 2009. The Spread of Conservation Agriculture: Justification, Sustainability and Uptake. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 7(4), 292-320. DOI: 10.3763/ijas.2009.0477

Klocke NL, Currie RS, Dumler TJ. 2006. The effects of crop residue on sprinkler irrigation management. In: Colby, K.S., (Edt) Central plains irrigation conference and exposition proceedings pp. 115-121.

Klocke NL, Schneekloth JP, Melvin SR, Clark RT, Payero JO. 2004. Field Scale Limited Irrigation Scenarios for Water Policy Strategies. J. of App. Eng. in Agric 20(5), 623-631.

Lal R. 1998. Mulching effects on runoff, soil erosion and crop response on alfisols in western Nigeria, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 11, 135-154.

Ling-ling LI, Gao-bao H, Ren-zhi Z, Belloti B, Li G, Chan KY. 2011. Benefits of conservation agriculture on soil and water conservation and its progress in China. Agricultural Sciences in China 10(6), 850-859.

Muchow RC, Hammer GL, Vanderlip RL. 1994. Assessing climatic risk to sorghum production in water-limited subtropical environments II Effects of planting date, soil water at planting and cultivar phenology. Field Crop Research 36, 235-246.

Parry MAJ, Flexas J, Medrano H. 2005. Prospects for crop production under drought: research priorities and future directions. Annuals for Applied Biology 147, 211-226.

Powell JM, Unger PW. 1997. Alternatives to Crop Residues for SoilAmendment. In: Renard, C., (Edtr.) Crop Residue in sustainable Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming System. CAB international. Wallingford Oxon OX 10 8DE UK.

Sayre KD, Hobbs PR. 2004. The Raised-bed System of Cultivation for Irrigated Production Conditions. In: Lal, R., Hobbs, P., Uphoff, N. and Hansen, D.O., (Eds) Sustainable agriculture and rice-wheat system. Paper 20 2004 pp.337-355. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University.

Scopel E, Triomph B, Seguy L, dos Santos Ribeiro MF, Denardin JE, Kochhan RA. 2004. Direct Seeding Mulch-Based Cropping Systems (DMC) in Latin America. Communication presented at the 4th International crop science congress Brisbane, Australia. 26th September to 1st October 2004.

STOA. 2009. Conservation Agriculture: Final Report, Agricultural Technologies for Developing Countries, STOA project “Agricultural technologies for developing countries” April 2009. European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG). ITAS. DBT. Viwta. POST. Rathenau.

Verhulst N, Govaets B, Nelissen V, Sayre KD, Crossa J, Raes D, Deckers J. 2011. The Effect of Tillage, Crop Rotation and Residue Management on Maize and Wheat Growth and Development Evaluated with Optical Sensor. Field Crops Research 120(1), 58-67. DOI:10.1016/j.fcr.2010.08.012.

Source : Effect of conservation agriculture on soil moisture content and biomass water productivity: Case studyof crop residues as soil cover 

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Odonata Diversity in Riparian Agriland and Urbanland of Muvattupuzha River, Kerala | InformativeBD

Geetha Paul, from the institute of India. Priscilla Suresh, from the institute of India. Agnes T. Sebastian, from the institute of India and Ninan Sajeeth Philip, from the institute of India. wrote a Research Article about, Odonata Diversity in Riparian Agriland and Urbanland of Muvattupuzha River, Kerala. Entitled, Odonata fauna in adjoining riparian agriland and the riparian urbanland of Muvattupuzha river, Kerala, India. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES). an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

This study, conducted between February and May 2019, coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown period in India. Researchers examined dragonfly (Anisoptera) and damselfly (Zygoptera) assemblages in riparian habitats bordering the Muvattupuzha River, Kerala, India. The investigation revealed a fascinating contrast: odonate diversity was significantly higher in agricultural land than in urban areas. A total of 46 species from nine families were documented across both habitats. The urban zone displayed a community of 19 species, with an even split between dragonflies (19) and damselflies (9). Conversely, the agricultural land teemed with a richer assemblage of 28 species, including a surprising dominance of damselflies (17) compared to dragonflies (11). This finding highlights the potential of agricultural landscapes to support odonate populations, particularly damselflies. Furthermore, the agri-land was a refuge for two endemic Western Ghats species, Macrogomphus wynaadicus and Heliocypha bisignata, adding to its ecological significance. Researchers conducted a physico-chemical analysis of Muvattupuzha River water samples collected near the study sites to understand potential environmental influences. The analysis revealed variations in 14 measured parameters, which may warrant further investigation to elucidate their role in shaping odonate diversity across these contrasting riparian habitats. The timing of this study, coinciding with the lockdown, offers a unique opportunity to understand how reduced human activity might influence odonate populations. With less traffic and potentially altered land-use patterns during the lockdown, the study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of reduced anthropogenic pressure on freshwater ecosystems and their biodiversity.

Read more : Enhancing Broiler Meat Quality: Sensory Impact of Fermented Turmeric Supplementation I InformativeBD

Introduction

Odonata, which includes dragonflies and damselflies, is an ancient order of insects that first appeared in the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago (Bora, 2014). They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and their larvae and adults play essential roles in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (Samways, 2008). Some species can accept brackish and contaminated water, but most species survive only in freshwater, so they are considered indicators of water quality (Klym, 2003; Harisha, 2018). Both larval and adult stages are predatory for beneficial and harmful insects (Subramanian, 2005). The larval stages of odonates, also known as nymphs, are predators that live in freshwater. They have long, slender bodies with large jaws to catch and eat small aquatic animals like insects, larvae, and even small fish. Nymphs can remain in the larval stage for several years, growing larger and larger until they are ready to metamorphose into adults. Adult odonates are also predators, but they catch their prey in flight. They have large, compound eyes that give them excellent vision, and they can fly at high speeds and make sudden changes in direction. Adult odonates typically eat other insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, and bees. They are also important pollinators, and they help to control populations of pest insects. Odonates are essential members of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Their larvae help to control populations of aquatic insects, which can be pests of fish and other aquatic organisms. Adult odonates help to control populations of pest insects, and they are also important pollinators. Odonata nymphs usually prey on aquatic insects, diatoms, mosquito larvae, tadpoles, small fishes, etc., and adults feed on other terrestrial and aerial insects in flight, such as grasshoppers, butterflies, bees, moths, mosquitoes, flies, aphids (Subramanian, 2005). They are also cannibalistic (feeding their species).

Reference

Bora A, Meitei LR. 2014. Odonates of ICAR, Research Complex for NEH Region campus, Umiam, Meghalaya, India. Journal of entomology & zoological society 2(6), 16–21.

Bybee S, Córdoba-Aguilar A, Duryea MC, Hibbett DS, McMillan WO, Whiting MF. 2016. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) as a bridge between ecology and evolutionary genomics. Frontiers in Zoology 13, 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-016-0176-7.

Corbet PS. 1999. Dragonflies: behaviour and ecology of Odonata. Aquatic Insects 23(1), 83–83.

Emiliyamma KG, Radhakrishnan C, Palot Md J. 2005. Pictorial handbook on common dragonflies and damselflies of Kerala. Western Ghats Field Research Station, Zoological Survey of India, Calicut, Kerala, India.

Harisha MN, Hosetti BB. 2018. Species richness, diversity and conservation threats of Odonates in Dyamannana Lake (kere), Karnataka. International Journal of Zoology Studies 3(1), 197–200.

Jacob S, Thomas AP. 2017. Odonates (Damselflies and Dragonflies) as water quality indicators. IJIRSET 6(9), 19464–19474.

Joseph KJ, Lahiri AR. 1989. The diel patterns of communal roosting behaviour in the dragonfly Potamarcha congener (Rambur) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Adv Odonatology 4, 45–52.

Kiran CG, Raju DV. 2013. Dragonflies and damselflies of Kerala. Tropical Institute of Ecological Studies.

Klym M, Quinn M. 2003. Introduction to dragonfly and damselfly watching. Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Nair VM. 2011. Dragonflies and damselflies of Orissa and eastern India. Orissa Wildlife Organisation.

Payra S, Dijkstra KD, Carchini G. 2022. Up and above: northernmost records of Macromidia donaldi donaldi (Fraser, 1924) and Merogomphus longistigma (Fraser, 1922) from the Western Ghats of India (Odonata: Synthemistidae: Gomphidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 81(2), 63–69. https://doi.org/10.25085/rsea.810307.

Samways MJ. 2008. Dragonflies and damselflies of South Africa. Pensoft, Sofia, 297–297.

Subramanian KA. 2005. Dragonflies and damselflies of peninsular India. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.

Susmita G, Veeneela R. 2016. A preliminary study on Odonata diversity in three diverse landscapes of Cachar district, Assam, India. Current World Environment 11(2), 477–485.

Source : Odonata fauna in adjoining riparian agriland and the riparian urbanland of Muvattupuzha river,Kerala, India 

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Enhancing Broiler Meat Quality: Sensory Impact of Fermented Turmeric Supplementation I InformativeBD

Nena V. Siaboc, and Reylon M. Bedro, from the different institute of Philippines. wrote a Research Article about, Enhancing Broiler Meat Quality: Sensory Impact of Fermented Turmeric Supplementation. Entitled, Sensory Attributes of Broiler Meat with Dietary Supplementation of Fermented Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Tubers (FTT). This research paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences (IJB). an open access scholarly research journal on Biosciences. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Broilers are specifically raised for meat purposes.  Feed and water supplements are provided to the birds in order to hasten growth and development.  The study was conducted to evaluate the sensory attributes of broiler chickens with Dietary Supplementation of Fermented Turmeric Tubers (FTT).  A total of sixty (60) day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned into four treatment groups with three (3) replicates with (5) birds per replication. The experimental treatments were T1(antibiotic-control), T2 (20 ml FTT), T3 (30ml FTT) and T4 (40 ml FTT) per liter of water. The birds were raised under standard management practices for thirty (30) days. After 30 days, the breast cut of the experimented birds was roasted and sensory attributes of meat based on taste, tenderness, juiciness, odor, texture and overall acceptability were determined by a group of testing panel using hedonic scale of evaluation.  The data gathered were analyzed using ANOVA for Complete Randomized Design (CRD). Results showed that T3 got the highest mean value for Taste, T1 for Tenderness, T4 for juiciness and odor, T1 and T4 for Texture, T2 and T4 for the overall acceptability. However, Statistical Analysis showed no significant differences among treatment means which indicates that supplementation of FTT in broilers did not markedly vary in all treatments. Nevertheless, the supplementation of FTT in the diet of broilers proved to have a positive influence on the taste, juiciness, odor, texture and overall acceptability of broiler meat.  It could be concluded that the use FTT as water supplement had enhanced the sensory attributes of broiler chickens.

Read More : Enhancing Maize Productivity: Assessing Human Urine as a Sustainable Top-Dressing Fertilizer |InformativeBD

Introduction

Broiler chickens need supplements and nutrients to have faster growth rates and development. Feed supplement and feed additive are nutrient substances used to improve the growth performances (Choi et al., 2023) of broilers chickens. One of feed additives that are frequently used in broiler production is Antibiotic Growth Promoter (AGP) that was reported to increase the bacterial resistance resistance (Haque et al. 2020; Untari et al., 2021;) in human consuming the broiler’s meat due to the residue of AGP in the broiler tissue. The issues of antibiotic resistance make some countries to prohibit the use of AGP in broiler chickens and food producing animals (Maron et al., 2021). In order to counteract this issue, alternatives to substitute the use of AGP in animal husbandry that improve productivity and health performances were studied and one of this are the utilization of herbal products (Sugiharto, 2021) with the purpose of producing safe meat for human consumption (Ratiq et al., 2022).Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) is one of these herbs to substitute antibiotic that exhibit antimicrobial activity (Gobiraju et al., 2019; Lagua et al., 2021; Samarasinghe et al., 2023). It is known as the “Golden Spice” from Asia to Africa (Jagganath, 2020) that contains bioactive compounds with powerful medicinal properties, curcumin a natural inflammatory compound (Sharifi-Rad et al., 2020). The medicinal properties of turmeric (Prasad et al., 2011) have been proven to be very effective in broilers, but the use in broilers through fermentation process was not yet studied, hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fermented turmeric tubers on the sensory attributes of broiler meat as water dietary supplement.

Turmeric tubers are locally available, widely cultivated, very affordable because it is considered as one of the cheapest spices (Haque et al., 2020), herbal remedy (Rolfe et al., 2020) and extensively utilized as dietary spice (Jagganath, 2020). As medicinal herb, it is used to treat inflammation, pain, for wound healing, and digestive syndromes (Singletary, 2020). Current studies have shown that turmeric can be a practical alternative to antibiotics considering that misuse of synthetic drug like antibiotics can led to the development of antibioticresistant bacteria that poses a risk in both animals and human health (Aderemi et al., 2023).

In this notion, this study was brought about to prove the valuable influence of turmeric in broilers. The main objective of the study was to determine the effects of Fermented Turmeric Tubers (FTT) dietary supplementation on the sensory attributes of broiler meat based on its tenderness, juiciness, texture, odor, taste and overall acceptability. 

Reference

Adams MR. 1990. Topical aspects of fermented foods, Trends in Food Science & Technology 1, 140-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/0924-2244(90)90111-B.

Aderemi FA, Alabi OM. 2023. Turmeric (Curcuma longa): an alternative to antibiotics in poultry nutrition. Translational Animal Science 7(1), txad 133. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txad133.

Choi J, Kong B, Bowker  BC, Zhuang H, Kim WK. 2023. Nutritional strategies to improve meat quality and composition in the challenging conditions of broiler production: A Review”. Animals (Basel) 13(8), 1386. PMID: 37106949; PMCID: PMC10135100.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081386.

Gobiraju S, Vasan P, Rajendran K, Purushothaman MR. 2019. Gut morphology, immunocompetence, blood and meat quality profile of broiler chickens fed turmeric (Curcuma longa) oil as an antibiotic substitute. Indian Journal of Animal Science 89(1), 77-81. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v89i1.86388.

Haque MH, Sarker S, Islam MS, Islam MA, Karim MR, Kayesh MEH, Shiddiky MJ,  Sawat Anwer M. 2020. Sustainable antibiotic-free broiler meat production: Current trends, challenges, and possibilities in a developing country perspective. Biology 9(11), 411. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology9110411.

Jagganath G. 2020.  Turmeric, the golden spice: From Asia to Africa. Open Access J Arch & Anthropol 2(3): Open Access Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology. MS.ID.000540.

Jensen H, Guilaran L, Jarantilla R, Garingalao G. 2006. Nature farming manual A handbook of preparations, techniques and organic amendments. The fermented preparations 6, 5-10.

Lagua EB, Ampode KMB. 2021. Turmeric powder: Potential alternative to antibiotics in broiler chicken diets. Journal of Animal Health and Production 9(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.jahp/2021/9.3.243.253.

Łukasiewicz M, Mucha K, Puppel K, Kuczyńska B, Matuszewski A. 2017. Influence of the dietary turmeric supplementation on performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. Roczniki Naukowe Zootechniki 44(1), 107-119.

Maron DF, Smith TJ, Nachman KE. 2013.  Restrictions on antimicrobial use in food animal production: an International Regulatory and Economic Survey. Global Health 9(48). https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8603-9-48.

Prasad S, Aggarwal BB. 2011. Turmeric, the golden spice: From traditional medicine to modern medicine. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. Chapter 13. PMID: 22593922.

Rafiq K, Hossain MT, Ahmad R, Hasan MM, Islam R, Hossen MI, Shaha SN, Islam MR.  2022.  Role of Different Growth Enhancers as Alternative to In-feed Antibiotics in Poultry Industry. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 794588. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.794588.

Raskar SS, Bhagat DJ, Agare HR, Desai BG, Chorage NT. 2019. Effect of feeding turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder on the meat quality of broilers. The Pharma Innovation Journal 8(1), 52-55.

Rolfe V, Mackonochie M, Mills S, Maclennan, E. 2020.  Turmeric / curcumin and health outcomes: A meta-review of systematic reviews. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 40, 101252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2020.101252.

Samarasinghe K, Wenk C, Silva KEFT, Gunasekera, JMDM. 2003.  Turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder and mannanoligosaccharides as alternatives to antibiotics in broiler chicken diets. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 16(10), 1495–1500. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2003.1495.

Sharifi-Rad J, Rayess YE, Rizk AA, Sadaka C, Zgheib R, Zam W, Sestito S, Rapposelli S, Neffe-Skocińska K, Zielińska D, Salehi B, Setzer WN, Dosoky NS, Taheri Y, El Beyrouthy M, Martorell M, Ostrander EA, Suleria HAR, Cho WC, Maroyi A, Martins N. 2020.  Turmeric and its major compound curcumin on health: Bioactive effects and safety profiles for food, pharmaceutical, biotechnological and medicinal applications. Frontiers in Pharmacology 11, 01021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.01021.

Singletary K. 2020.  Turmeric: Potential health benefits. Nutrition today 55(1), 45-46. https://doi.org/10.1097/NT.0000000000000392.

Soemarie YB, Milanda T, Barliana MI. 2021. Fermented foods as probiotics: A Review.  Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 12(4), 335–339. https://doi.org/10.4103/japtr.japtr_116_21.

Sugiharto S. 2021. Herbal supplements for sustainable broiler production during post antibiotic era in Indonesia- an overview. Livestock Research for Rural Development 33(8). http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd33/8/33103sgh_u.html.

Sugiharto S, Pratama AR, Yudiarti T, Wahyuni TH, Widiastuti E, Sartono TA. 2019. Fermented feed as a Potential Source of Natural Antioxidants for Broiler Chickens – A Mini Review. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus 84(4), 313-318.

Sugiharto S, Pratama AR, Yudiarti T, Wahyuni TH, Widiastuti E, Sartono TA. 2020. Effect of acidified turmeric and/or black pepper on growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. International Journal of Veterinary Science and Medicine. 8, 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/23144599.2020.1830691.

Untari T, Herawati O, Anggita M, Asmara W, Wahyuni AETH, Wibowo MH. 2021. The effect of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) on antibiotic resistance and the digestive system of broiler chicken in Sleman, Yogyakarta.  BIO Web Conferences 33, 04005. https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20213304005.

Source : Sensory Attributes of Broiler Meat with Dietary Supplementation of Fermented Turmeric (Curcuma longa)Tubers (FTT)

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Enhancing Maize Productivity: Assessing Human Urine as a Sustainable Top-Dressing Fertilizer | InformativeBD

Douglas Marowa, from the different institute of India.  wrote a Research Article about, Enhancing Maize Productivity: Assessing Human Urine as a Sustainable Top-Dressing Fertilizer. Entitled, Sustainable agriculture for food security: An assessment on the influence of human urine on maize (Zea mays) productivity as a top dressing fertilizer. This research paper published by the International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR). an open access scholarly research journal on Agronomy. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

The world’s agriculture and food systems are not presently delivering desirable outcomes on food security, hence threatening attainment of second sustainable development goal, which has a commitment to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture’ by 2030. The research sought to assess the influence of Human Urine on maize productivity as a top dressing fertilizer and remove sceptical view on the use of Human Urine. An experimental research was carried out at a homestead in Marange communal area. Randomize complete block design of three treatments; Human Urine, Ammonium Nitrate and Untreated were replicated three times. The Spearmen’s Rank Correlation Coefficient method was used. Results revealed that the Human Urine treatment had a high incremental growth rate and 3.7 tonnes per hectare at harvesting, which was a good yield for a household in the rural area and would have enough maize grain for the year. The research concur with the reviewed literature that human urine would influence the growth rate and the productivity of crops. It revealed that there was a positive relationship between plant growth and the plant productivity. The researcher concluded that Human Urine has influence on the maize productivity and if promoted could improve food security in the study area. The promotion of biological fertilizer like Human Urine would increase crop production and household food security in the country of Zimbabwe. Further research on the influence of the human urine as a top dressing fertiliser on other cereal crops in Zimbabwe. 

 Read more : Performing Monkeys in Bangladesh: Acquisition, Rearing, and Human Interactions | InformativeBD

Introduction

The world’s agriculture and food systems are not presently delivering desirable outcomes on food security and nutrition (Edmundo et al., 2020). In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, with SDG2 committing to ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture’ by 2030 (Edmundo et al., 2020). The SDGs recognized, well beyond previous global goals, the strong interconnectivity among development goals. Thus, issues of hunger and malnutrition are linked to issues of equity, justice and employment, along with environmental sustainability hence the need for holistic approaches. Maize production in Zimbabwe has been generally on the decline especially in the recent past years, which has been influenced by the global and economic climate. FAO (2010) reviewed that globally about 925 million people remained food insecure in 2010. FAO (2019) revealed that the average maize production in Zimbabwe has been going down, averaging 1,313,000 tonnes in the years 1996/97 to 2017, 2018 the yield was 970,000 tonnes, 2019 the yield was 830, 000, then 2020 was estimated to go down further to 777,000 tonnes. As the economy continue to dwindle, rural farmers had not been able to purchase fertilizers due to their ever escalating prizes and this has subsequently witnessed the reduction on maize yield. Mashingaidze (2004) indicated that the fertilizer manufacturers have been operating below capacity since the mid-1990s due to general shortage of foreign currency, which subsequently caused fertilizers to be a rare commodity to be assessed by especially smallholder farmers due to its prohibitive costs, caused by the high cost of foreign exchange sourced in the black market.

Maize production in Zimbabwe has been generally on the decline especially in the recent past years, which has been influenced by the global and economic climate. FAO (2010) reviewed that globally about 925 million people remained food insecure in 2010. FAO (2019) revealed that the average maize production in Zimbabwe has been going down, averaging 1,313,000 tonnes in the years 1996/97 to 2017, 2018 the yield was 970,000 tonnes, 2019 the yield was 830, 000, then 2020 was estimated to go down further to 777,000 tonnes. As the economy continue to dwindle, rural farmers had not been able to purchase fertilizers due to their ever escalating prizes and this has subsequently witnessed the reduction on maize yield. Mashingaidze (2004) indicated that the fertilizer manufacturers have been operating below capacity since the mid-1990s due to general shortage of foreign currency, which subsequently caused fertilizers to be a rare commodity to be assessed by especially smallholder farmers due to its prohibitive costs, caused by the high cost of foreign exchange sourced in the black market. The green revolution in agriculture led many people to forget about basic ecological rules in agriculture that include the use of animal waste to fertilize their crops. In a balanced ecosystems urine fertilizes the soil and thus helps plants to grow, hence the need to harness human urine in particular to boost maize production as some farmers may not alternatively have animals especially cattle to tap the urine. Human Urine as a biological fertiliser, according to Kirchmann and Petterson (1994) studies have shown that stored human urine has pH values of 8.9, nitrogen was mainly (> 90%) present as ammoniacal nitrogen, with ammonium bicarbonate being the dominant compound. Urea and urate decomposed during storage. Heavy metal concentrations in urine samples were low compared with other organic fertilizers, but copper, mercury, nickel and zinc were 10-500 times higher in urine than in precipitation and surface waters (Kirchmann and Petterson, 1994). In a pot experiment with15N labelled human urine, higher gaseous losses and lower crop uptake (barley) of urine N than of labelled ammonium nitrate were found. Phosphorus present in urine was utilized at a higher rate than soluble phosphate, showing that urine P is at least as available to crops as soluble P fertilizers (Kirchmann and Petterson, 1994).

However, despite these positive and importance facts about human urine, its uses is relatively rare because of lack of promotion of biological fertilisers, inadequate knowledge and the public still skeptical. This research proposed to test human urine on maize, being the target species as the staple diet of the people of Zimbabwe.

Steinfeld (2004) revealed that Human urine is one of the fastest-acting, excellent sources of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and trace elements for plants, delivered in a form that is perfect for assimilation.

Not only that, there is a constant, year round supply of it and it is free. Most of the arable lands in Zimbabwe are characterized by highly degraded areas and infertile soils hence low production in maize yield. The cost of buying inorganic fertilizers has just become unbearable. Maize crop yields have continued to deteriorate mainly due to the above-cited challenges. Hence, the need to research on the use of Human Urine in order to address the problem low production, poor soil fertility and reduce production cost as farmers would avoid purchasing expensive inorganic fertilizer like ammonium nitrate.

Mashingaidze (2004) reviewed that despite the government having been subsidizing fertilizers through input schemes in the past, it has never been enough for most of the farmers in the country, especially in the smallholder farming sectors. The questions remain, “Can farmers use human urine as fertilizer in maize production? Is urine good for the maize plant? Will urine kill the plants? Is urine good for the soil? “The research sought to assess the influence of Human Urine on maize productivity as a top dressing fertilizer. This was done so as to recommend its suitability as sustainable agriculture input that is found locallly, cheap and affordable top dressing fertilizer to farmers in the study area. It will also help to remove the skeptical view on the use of Human Urine by farmers.

Reference

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Edmundo Barrios, Barbara Gemmill-Herren, Abram Bicksler, Emma Siliprandi, Ronnie Brathwaite and Soren Moller. 2020. The 10 Elements of Agroecology: enabling transitions towards sustainable agriculture and food systems through visual narratives. Pages 230-247: Published online: https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916. 2020.

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Kirchmann H, Pettersson S. 1994. Fertilizer research volume 40, 149-154

Mashingaidze AB. 2004. Improving Weed Management and Crop Productivity in Maize Systems in Zimbabwe. PhD Dissertation, Wageningen University, Wageningen.

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Saidou A, Kossou D, Acakpo C, Richards P, Kuyper WT. 2012. Effects of farmers’ practices of fertilizer application and land use types on subsequent maize yield and nutrient uptake in central Bénin. Int J Biol Chem Sci 6(1),  365-378

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Source : Sustainable agriculture for food security: An assessment on the influence of human urine on maize (Zeamays) productivity as a top dressing fertilizer

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Performing Monkeys in Bangladesh: Acquisition, Rearing, and Human Interactions | InformativeBD

Sharmin Akhtar, Mohammed Mostafa Feeroz, Lisa Jones-Engel, and Sajeda Begum, from the  different institute of the Bangladesh ans USA. wrote a Research Article about, Performing Monkeys in Bangladesh: Acquisition, Rearing, and Human Interactions. Entitled, Performing monkeys in Bangladesh: Monkey acquisition, rearing practices and human-monkey interactions. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES). an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

The study on performing monkeys has been conducted at the largest monkey performer’s village at Kashipur of Jhenaidah district between August 2012 and June 2014. Field observations along with a pre-designed questionnaire survey were conducted among the 228 monkey performers with their families. This study revealed about 5000 performing monkeys which were trained to perform in road-side gatherings or street show to earn their livelihoods in this community. Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) was the mostly used species (88%) followed by Pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) which is 9% and Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) consists of 3%. Among six age-sex categories, adult male was used widely (54.15%) followed by adult female (22.93%) and sub-adult male (10.24%) for performance. Monkey performers catch monkey from the wild. The number of monkey individuals owned by each family varied from 1 to 6 with the mean 1.79 ± 1.02. During the harsh training procedure many monkeys (n=6) could not survive. Monkey performers and their family members have a frequent contact with the monkeys during handling, sharing food and training with monkey performance. As a result, monkey owners (42.5%) were bitten and the children (11.5%) were bitten as well while play with their monkeys. Most of the monkey performers (97.8%) did not take care of the wound even did not wash the wound after bitten which can increase the risk of bidirectional disease transmission. 

 Read more :  Current Fish Fauna of Mandulog River, Iligan City, Philippines | InformativeBD

Introduction

Five species of macaques are found in Bangladesh of which four species, Macaca leonina, Macaca fascicularis, Macaca arctoides, Macaca assamensis, are distributed only in the northeastern and southeastern hill areas. In contrast, Rhesus macaques are distributed throughout the country both in all types of forests and urban areas (Hasan et al., 2013). They are synanthropic, thriving in human-altered environments, including urban areas and play a significant role in the culture and traditions of some communities (Teas et al., 1980; Richard et al., 1989; Southwick et al., 2005). Monkey species those have been using to perform different acrobats in street show or other gatherings are known as performing monkey and groups of people who train the monkey and use them to perform in street show or any other gatherings to earn their livelihood, are known as monkey performers. Monkey performers are usually semi-nomad people; they collect monkeys from wild in different parts of the country and train them for acrobats.

Macaques, especially the Rhesus Macaque, and African Green Monkeys are widely used animal model, either wild-caught or purpose-bred (Kyes et al., 2006). Monkeys are prevalent in numerous books, television programs, and movies. Moreover, performing monkeys has a rich European history. There is long history to use monkeys by the travelers. Monkeys also used in circuses. Monkeys took the place in European arts (Boon, 1990). In America usually new world monkeys and apes are used for entertainments. These primates are used as a pet, showing different acrobats in different shows (Wolfe, 2003).

Although performing non-human primates (NHPs) are encountered throughout the world, Asian cultures have perhaps the longest and most vibrant tradition of using NHPs for entertainment. In Japan, a thousand-year history of training performance monkeys (Macaca fuscata) continues today through the Suo-Sarumawashi (Japanese Monkey Performance) (Sebeok, 1986; Hirasaki et al., 2004).

Not surprisingly then, in China, urban performing monkeys are a common site, drawing large crowds of onlookers (Lai, 1993). Monkeys also play a very important role in the Hindu culture. It is common to see monkey performing on the streets or near the beaches during certain Hindu festivals (Fuentes, 2006). Thailand has a deep tradition of training M. leonina as coconut picking monkeys, so it is not uncommon to see these extremely dexterous monkeys performing their tricks on the streets. Similar training schools can be found throughout South and Southeast Asia (Bertrand, 1967; Ratnambal, 2007). Masked Monkey or “Topeng Monyet” is a traditional play or performance in Indonesian villages involving performing monkeys with their handlers and usually finishing with a snake act or two (Schillaci et al., 2006).

In Bangladesh, monkey performers move one place to another place with carrying the performing monkeys on their back and use them to entertain the people especially, to show gymnastic perform. This intimate interaction of human with monkeys could transmit many zoonotic pathogens including Simian Foamy Virus (SFV) which is highly prevalent and can efficiently transmit through saliva among rhesus macaques (up to 100% of free ranging macaques are infected by age 3) (Jones-Engel et al., 2007). SFV replicates actively in the oral mucosae of infected monkeys, achieving high concentrations in saliva (Murray et al., 2006). Non-human Primates (NHP) to human transmission of SFV is thought to occur most commonly through bites. It was evident that the traveling of monkey performers with their monkeys and their frequent release of monkeys in nearby habitats played a vital role for the transmission of SFV among humans in Bangladesh (Feeroz et al., 2013). In this study, the population status of performing monkeys, their sources, health condition and the contexts of human–macaque contact were investigated which will ultimately help to understand the contribution of demographic variables to the likelihood of retroviral transmission among the people in this region. Considering this scenario, the study was focused to assess the performing monkey population, monkey acquisition, rearing practices and human-monkey interactions in Bangladesh.

Reference

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Engel GA, Small CT, Soliven K, Feeroz MM, Wang X, Hasan MK, Oh G, Alam SMR, Craig KL, Jackson DL, Matsen IVF, Linial ML, Jones-Engel L. 2013. Zoonotic simian foamy virus in Bangladesh reflects diverse patterns of transmission and co-infection. Emerging Microbes and Infections 2(1), 1–10. e58. https://doi.org/10.1038/emi.2013.60.

Feeroz MM, Soliven K, Small C, Engel GA, Pacheco MA, Yee J, Wang X, Hasan MK, Oh G, Levine K, Alam SMR, Craig K, Jackson D, Lee E, Barry P, Lerche N, Escalante A, Matsen IVF, Maxine F, Linial L, Jones-Engel L. 2013. Population dynamics of rhesus macaques and associated foamy virus in Bangladesh. Emerging Microbes & Infections 2(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/emi.2013.23.

Fuentes A. 2006. Human culture and monkey behavior: assessing the contexts of potential pathogen transmission between macaques and humans. American Journal of Primatology 68(9), 880–896.

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Hasan MK, Aziz MA, Alam SMR, Kawamoto Y, Jones-Engel L, Kyes RC, Akhtar S, Begum S, Feeroz MM. 2013. Distribution of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh: inter-population variation in group size and composition. Primate Conservation 26, 125–132.

Hasan MK, Datta AK, Nahid MI, Hossain FH, Feeroz MM. 2022. Status and distribution of Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) in Bangladesh. Asian Primates Journal 10(1), 41–51.

Hasan MK, Feeroz MM, Akhtar S, Jones-Engel L, Engel GA, Kanthaswamy S, Smith DG. 2016. Performing monkeys of Bangladesh: characterizing their source and genetic variation. Primates 57, 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-015-0508-9.

Hasan MM, Hakim MA. 2023. Diet, feeding habit, and behavioral activity of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) at Charmuguria of Madaripur, Bangladesh. Jagannath University Journal of Life and Earth Sciences 9(2), 147–162.

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Jones-Engel L, Steinkraus KA, Murray SM, Engel GA, Grant R, Aggimarangsee N, Lee BPH, May C, Scillaci MA, Somgrid C, Sutthipat T. 2007. Sensitive assays for simian foamy viruses reveal a high prevalence of infection in commensal, free-ranging, Asian monkeys. Journal of Virology 81, 7330–7337.

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Kyes RC, Engle LJ, Chalise MK, Engle G, Heidrich J, Grant R, Bajimaya SS, McDonough J, Smith DG, Ferguson B. 2006. Genetic characterization of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) in Nepal. American Journal of Primatology 68, 445–455.

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Source : Performing monkeys in Bangladesh: Monkey acquisition, rearing practices and human-monkey interactions 

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Current Fish Fauna of Mandulog River, Iligan City, Philippines | InformativeBD

Anylin P. Sanchez,  from the institute of the Philippines. Frandel Louis S. Dagoc, from the institute of the Philippines . Jaime Q. Guihawan, from the different of the Philippines . Wella T. Tatil, from the  institute of the Philippines.  Corazon V. Ligaray, from the institute of the Philippines . and Armi G. Torres, from the institute of the Philippines. wrote a Research Article about, Current Fish Fauna of Mandulog River, Iligan City, Philippines. Entitled, Current fish fauna in Mandulog River, Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte, Philippines. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and EnvironmentalSciences (JBES). an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

This paper provides the current fish species richness, composition, distribution, and conservation status in the Mandulog River Iligan City, Philippines, highlighting its ecological significance and the impact of anthropogenic activities. A total of Fourteen species from 13 families were recorded, consisting of- 12 native and two introduced species from three sampling sites (upstream, midstream, and downstream). Native species dominated the fish assemblage, with Fibramia thermalis (44.22%) and Planiliza subviridis (18.03%) being the most abundant. This study confirmed the first record of Barbodes tumba, a threatened endemic species confined to upstream areas, reflecting their vulnerability to habitat disturbance. Conservation assessments of the 12 native revealed that ten species (85.7%) are classified as “Least Concern”, one as “Endangered” and another one species as “Data Deficient”. This study also documented two invasive alien species, Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias batrachus. The recent findings underscore significant threats to the Mandulog River’s biodiversity, including pollution, quarry mining, sedimentation, and invasive alien species. Recommendations emphasize conservation strategies targeting habitat restoration, invasive alien species management, and community-driven biodiversity monitoring to sustain the river’s ecological health and align with global conservation goals.

Read more : Physicochemical Properties of Locally Sourced Root Crop-Based Culture Media | InformativeBD

Introduction

Freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers, play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and providing ecosystem services to human and natural systems. They are essential habitats for various aquatic species, including fish that contribute to the ecological balance, support livelihoods, and serve as indicators of environmental health (Jamandre, 2023). Among these, rivers in the Philippines, including the Mandulog River in Iligan City, stand out due to their rich ichthyofauna, comprising native and endemic species. However, these ecosystems face mounting challenges from human-induced disturbances such as overfishing, pollution, and invasive alien species environmental degradation (Guerrero, 2023).

The Mandulog River traverses urban and rural areas and supports diverse freshwater fish species. This river system, previously studied by Sempio et al. (2013), Vedra et al. (2013), and Tampus et al. (2015), has been a focal point for understanding the impacts of human activities such as quarrying, urbanization, unregulated fishing activities and landscape alterations on freshwater biodiversity. Quarrying activities, sedimentation, and pollution from surrounding communities significantly threaten aquatic habitats, as Buot et al. (2014) and (Vedra and Ocampo, 2016) highlighted. These threats have led to declines in native and endemic fish populations, echoing trends observed in similar freshwater systems across the Philippines (Gonzalez et al., 2023; Macalisang et al., 2023; Guerrero, 2023).

Past research efforts across Philippine rivers emphasieze the need to understand fish species composition and abundance, particularly as many species remain threatened or poorly documented (IUCN, 2019). Thus, this study aims to build on existing knowledge by providing the current of fish species composition, abundance, distribution, and conservation status in the Mandulog River. This work addresses critical gaps in understanding the river's current ecological state, focusing on its biodiversity's sustainability. The study align with global conservation priorities under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6.6, which emphasizes the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, SDG 15.1, which focuses on the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems and their services, SDG 15.5, which seeks to protect habitats, halt biodiversity loss and safeguard species from extinction, and SDG 15.8 which aims for prevention, reduction, control, and eradication of invasive alien species (UN SDG 2024).

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Gonzalez JB, Gado VJH, Mantes BG. 2023. Freshwater ichthyofauna of wetlands in Tablas Island, Romblon, The Philippines. Academia Journal of Biology 45(1), 121–138.

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Lubos L, Carina J, Barroso, Tantoy O. 2022. Diversity of freshwater fish in Sawaga River, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, Philippines. Asian Journal of Biodiversity 11, 125–136.

Macalisang MJCC, Mazo XJC, Gonzalez JB. 2023. Freshwater fishes of wetlands in San Agustin, Romblon, Philippines. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology 44(15), 55–63.

Sempio JH, Sarmiento CS, Paringit EC. 2013. The effects of the changing landscape along the Mandulog River to lowland flood risk. Proceedings of the 2nd Philippine Geomatics Symposium (PhilGEOS), pp. 78.

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Tampus AD, De Guzman CE, Valdez SAL, Tumang VMC, Moneva CSO, Canalita EE. 2015. Species composition and gut content analysis of fishes in Mandulog River System, Iligan City. Advances in Environmental Biology 9(19), 23–31.

Torres AG, Eza ND, Nacua SS, Gimena RV, Guerrero RD III, Kesner-Reyes K, Leander NJS, Ame EC, Gonzales JC, Gaerlan RSP, Palla HP, Ballad EL, Angeles IJP, Reyes AT, Guino-o RS II, Cecilio MAF, Garcia MPC, Mamalangkap MD. 2022. Barbodes tumba. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.

Vedra S, Ocampo P. 2016. Estimating pollutant loads into Mandulog River. Journal of Environment & Aquatic Resources 4.

Vedra SA, Ocampo PP, De Lara AV, Rebamcos CM, Pacardo EP, Briones ND. 2013. Indigenous goby population in the Mandulog River System and its conservation by communities in Iligan City, Philippines. Journal of Environmental Science and Management 16(2), 11–18.

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Source : Current fish fauna in Mandulog River, Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte, Philippines  

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