The Journal of Agriculture and Development

●The Journal of Agriculture and Development (JAD) is a peer reviewed journal publishing novel and significant research in a wide range of topics such as Agribusiness and Economics, Agricultural Mechanics, Agronomy and Forestry Sciences, Animal Sciences, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Biotechnology, Environmental and Natural Resources, Food Science and Technology, and Veterinary Medicine. The JAD is an open access journal that includes primary research, review articles, short communications, and special invited papers. We also publish special issues which focus on the current emerging topics in agricultural sciences.

●The JAD (the formerly named Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology) is published in 6 issues per year (4 issues in Vietnamese with English abstracts and 2 issues in English). The journal has published over 19 volumes since 2002. From 06/2018, the Journal started to publish online issues in two languages (English and Vietnamese).

●Period of publication: Issue 1 (FEB), Issue 2 (APR), Issue 3 (JUN, English), Issue 4 (AUG), Issue 5 (OCT), Issue 6 (DEC, English)

●The Journal's number of articles per issue ranges from 6 to 12.

●Publisher: Nong Lam University, HCMC (NLU)

Evaluating the growth performance of all male sex reversal and mixed ser tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) cultured in earthen ponds in Binh Phuo province, Vietnam

Loi N. Nguyen, Dang H. Nguyen, Nam B. Nguyen, Nhung T. H. Nguyen, & Hien T. Nguyen
Electronic version: 21 Jun 2024 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.3.04.2024
Abstract | PDF (203.9K)

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, survival rate and yield of all male sex reversed and mixed sex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) cultured in earthen ponds for 180 days. The reversed sex and mixed sex fingerlings (mean weight 7.43 ± 0.35 g) was randomly stocked in six earthen ponds (1,000 m2/pond). The stocking density maintained was 5 fish/m2. The stocked fish were fed a commercial pellet feed containing 35% crude protein. The feeding rate was adjusted according the size of fish, 5% at the beginning to 3% at harvest. Water environment parameters including dissolved oxygen (DO) (4.3 ± 0.8 mg/L), temperature (30 ± 0.7°C), NH3 (0.18 ± 0.2 mg/L), and pH (6.9 ± 0.5) were always within the appropriate range for the normal growth and development of tilapia. The growth rate of sex reversed tilapia was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of mixed tilapia throughout the experiment. The harvest weight and length of reversed sex tilapia were 410.5 ± 5.15 g and 25.48 ± 0.48 cm, respectively, and were significantly higher than that of mixed sex tilapia (P < 0.05). The survival rates and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of mono and mixed sex were 90.1% and 89.9%, respectively, but no significant differences were observed (P > 0.05). The relationship of fish lengths and weights expressed by power function revealed that the slope of the length weight regression lines was normal for reversed sex (2.72) and mixed sex Tilapia (2.93) with the high correlation coefficient (> 0.9). The findings of this study demonstrate that reversed sex tilapia has better growth performance compared to mixed sex tilapia. Therefore, reversed sex fingerlings should be used in commercial farming to increase tilapia production.

Investigation of small-scale farming status of Tire track eel (Mastacembelus favus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Nhi H. Y. Nguyen, Hang T. T. Nguyen, Hanh T. B. Nguyen, Van T. T. Phan, Thang D. Tran, Man V. M. Ho, & Lan T. Trinh
Electronic version: 21 Jun 2024 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.3.02.2024
Abstract | PDF (780.2K)

Abstract

Tire track eel (Mastacembelus favus) is an economically important freshwater fish in the Mekong Delta. However, there is a lack of academic information about the current farming status, feed, and feeding related to this species in the region. Therefore, a field survey of small scale farming of tire track eel was conducted in An Giang, Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang provinces of Vietnam. The objective of the survey was to determine the current farming practices information on households, especially the feed and feeding status of tire track eel in order to improve and develop a suitable feed for this fish in the future. The results showed that most of the small-scale farmers cultured fish in earthen ponds with or without plastic liners. Tire track eels were fed with feeds of other species and typically fed 3 - 5 times/d during the fingerling stage, and twice per day during the grow-out period. In terms of feed ingredients, crude protein contents in the feeds were 39.5 - 45.5% while crude lipid contents were 7.7 - 12.7%. Feed conversion ratios of tire track eels were 2 - 5. The farming periods of fish were 11.8 - 14 months when the fish reached the harvesting sizes of 318.2 - 421.4 g/fish, with the survival rates of 40 - 80%. It took 2.5 months to cultivate the fingerling stage (around 3 g/fish) from the fry with the survival rate of 55.7%. It was reported that this species was raised with a simple technique and got less illness compared to other fish species. However, the main reason of fish deaths during farming period related to management factors such as poor water quality due to decomposition of uneaten feed in water or lacks of dissolved oxygen due to high stocking density or power supply failures.

Inventorying and proposing solutions for street tree management in Thu Duc city, Ho Chi Minh City

Tien T. M. Duong, Thuy T. Vuong, The T. M. Ngo, & Thanh T. Nguyen
Electronic version: 21 Jun 2024 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.3.06.2024
Abstract | PDF (730.8K)

Abstract

Tree inventory plays an essential role in the urban landscape master plan. It serves as the foundation for data acquisition that supports the planning strategy and decisions relating to the community’s interests, particularly in recently established cities like Thu Duc city. This research was carried out from October 2021 to December 2022 in this city and aimed to inventory to gather qualified information for managing the city’s street trees. The study used an inventory form of street trees including criteria such as name, family, diameter at breast height (DBH), total height, and indicators of vitality and distance from trees to infrastructure. By this form, 287 streets were surveyed. The total number of investigated trees was 31.023 trees belonging to 65 species and 24 flora families, of which the species with a high percentage (from 10% or more) were Dipterocarpus alatus, Hopea odorata, Peltophorum pterocarpum, and Lagerstroemia speciosa. The most numerous plant family was Fabaceae. These trees typically had a height of less than 10 m, with a DBH of less than 20 cm. Many streets did not guarantee the distance between trees and infrastructure, particularly the distance to the electrical systems. The survey also showed that the majority of trees were healthy and grow healthily. From the current situation of Thu Duc city street trees, three solutions must be prioritized in order to improve street trees in this city.

Influence of the supplementation of macadamia oil cake powder on nutritional and sensory qualities of bread

Chuyen V. Hoang, & Duy L. A. Do
Electronic version: 21 Jun 2024 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.3.08.2024
Abstract | PDF (253.5K)

Abstract

Although macadamia oil cake (MOC) is a by-product of macadamia oil processing, this material still has high nutritional value, making it a promising ingredient for food products. This study aimed to investigate effects of the MOC supplementation at different ratios on physical properties, nutritional composition and sensory quality of bread. The results show that the addition of MOC led to increases in protein, ash and fat content, while carbohydrate content was lower in the supplemented bread. The specific volume and springiness of the bread were significantly affected by the MOC supplementation while no significant change in hardness and spread ratio was observed (P < 0.05). For the sensory quality of fortified bread, the differences in color, flavor, texture and overall acceptability among 4 levels of MOC addition were insignificant, except for the taste score. Microbiological analyses also confirmed that the MOC supplemented bread product met microbial safety standards. The obtained results suggest that the bread sample with 20% MOC addition (9.35 g protein, 12.32 g fat, 46.13 g carbohydrate, 4.29 g dietary fiber and 332.77 kcal per 100 g) should be selected for developing high nutritional bread product.

Comparison of the physicochemical properties and biological compounds of acerola fruit varieties grown in Vietnam through the various maturation stages

Diep T. N. Duong, Nhi X. Ngo, & Binh Q. Hoang
Electronic version: 21 Jun 2024 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.3.07.2024
Abstract | PDF (365.3K)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to find the changes in physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of acerola fruits under different cultivars (i.e., Brazilian acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C) and sour acerola (Malpighia glabra L.)) and maturation stages (unripe, half-ripe, and ripe). For any species, the study found an increase in total soluble solid and a* value, whereas there was a decrease in the content of bioactive compounds (i.e., polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C), total acidity, and antioxidant activity, which followed the maturation development of fruits. Briefly, the unripe acerola fruits (Brazillan cultivar) were an excellent source of vitamin C (32.97 mg/g) and phenolic content (25.62 mg GAE/g).
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  • Fish composition in Dong Nai biosphere reserve in Vietnam
    Electronic version: 27 Dec 2019 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.5.06.2019
    Abstract | PDF (317.1K)

    Abstract

    Dong Nai biosphere reserve (DNBR) is well known for its high level of biodiversity and of global meaningful ecosystem. The fauna includes 84 species of mammals belonging to 28 families, 10 orders; 407 bird species; 141 reptile and amphibian species; 175 fish species; 2,017 insect species. The fish fauna of DNBR maintains many rare and endangered fish species recorded in the Vietnam red book and international union for conservation of nature red list (IUCN's red list) such as Scleropages formosus and many other rare fish species, such as Morulius chrysophekadion, Chitala ornata, Probarbus jullieni, Cyclocheilichthys enoplos... This study was aimed to identify fish composition distributed in DNBR. After the sampling period (01/2019 to 08/2019), a total of 114 fish species belonging to 11 orders and 28 families were recorded in DNBR. There were 09 species of fish on the list of rare and endangered fish species of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, 3 species (Chitala ornata, Cosmochilus harmandi and Hemibagus filamentus) on the Vietnam red list book; 01 species (Ompok bimaculatus) on the IUCN's red list, 11 exotic species, 78 commercial species and 13 species having potential as aquarium fish. In addition, the study also found the first presence of a species of phallostethid, Phenacostethus smithi in DNBR.
  • Effects of different extraction methods on the recovery yield of bixin from annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.)
    Electronic version: 27 Dec 2019 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.8.06.2019
    Abstract | PDF (460.1K)

    Abstract

    Bixin is a principal color component of annatto pigment which is obtained from the seed coat of Bixa orellana L., a tropical shrub. The extraction yield of bixin from annatto seeds using acetone, soybean oil and sodium hydroxide solution with different extraction conditions were investigated in this study. The extraction time, temperature, solid-liquid ratio and light exposure showed significant effects on the bixin yield. The extraction using soybean oil had the lowest bixin yield followed by the extraction using sodium hydroxide solution. The extraction using acetone resulted in the highest extraction yield (68.1%) after only 40 min. The extraction using soybean oil at 100oC led to two-fold bixin yield compared to that operated at 80oC while the mild temperature (50oC) was found to be the most suitable for the extraction using sodium hydroxide solution. The exclusion of light exposure by covering extraction beakers with aluminum foil could significantly improve the bixin extraction yield due to the reduction in bixin degradation. Therefore, the extraction using acetone avoiding light exposure is suggested for recovering bixin from annatto seeds.
  • The use of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) in domestic wastewater treatment
    Electronic version: 28 Jun 2018 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.7.03.2018
    Abstract | PDF (260.1K)

    Abstract

    The main objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and capacity of using hydroponic systems in municipal  pollutant removal at household scale. Three pilot scaled hydroponic systems [dimensionfor each system: 4.5 m (L) x Φ 114 mm] were installed to investigate the optimal age of vegetable, planting density and retention time for household wastewater treatment, respectively. Water spinach (Ipomoeaaquatica) planted in 27 plastic cups throughout 4.5-m-length and 114- mm-diameter uPVC pipes filled with wastewater was employed as the treating agent of pollutants. The averaged influent contained proximately 32.5 mg/L suspended solids (SS), 76.0 mg/L biological oxygen demand (BOD5), 220.5 mg/L chemical oxygen demand (COD), 26mg/L NH4+, 5.0 mg/L NO3−, and 8.5 mg/L PO43− at pH 7.3. Results showed that a designed system consisting of 10 plants of 15-day-old water spinach pre-planted in baked clay in each cup was capable oftreating 30 L of domestic wastewater meeting the current municipal wastewater discharge standards in Vietnam (column A standards of QCVN 14:2008/BTNMT) after 4 days of wastewater retention time. Ifoperated under conditions of the above parameters, the pilot-plant hydroponic system can achieve the removal of 65% SS, 82% BOD5, 74% COD, 90% NH4+, 30% NO3− and 86% PO43−. The result of this studyhas provided an applicable domestic wastewater treatment system ecofriendly and suitable for small and medium household areas.
  • The effects of plant spacing on yield and quality of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) cultivated in organic-oriented farming system on grey soil
    Electronic version: 30 Jun 2020 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.2.03.2020
    Abstract | PDF (260.1K)

    Abstract

    Clitoria ternatea L. is a plant species that can be used in food and pharmaceutical industry. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different plant spacing on the productivity and quality of butterfly pea grown on grey soil in Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City. Six treatments correspond to plant spacing of 80 x 15 cm, 80 x 20 cm, 80 x 25 cm, 80 x 30 cm, 80 x 35 cm and 80 x 40 cm. The results showed that the highest flower amount (296.8 flowers/plant) was obtained with butterfly pea planted at the spacing of 80 x 15 cm, commercial flower weight (7.86 g/100 flowers), theoretical yield of fresh flower (1,779.0 kg/1,000 m2, actual yield of fresh flower (841.9 kg/1,000 m2), theoretical yield of commercial flower (194.6 kg/1,000 m2 and actual yield of commercial flower (89.0 kg/1,000 m2. Nevertheless, plant spacings did not affect the dry matter ratio, anthocyanin and tannin content in the commercial butterfly flowers.
  • Price risk perceptions and management strategies in Vietnamese pangasius production
    Electronic version: 28 Jun 2018 | DOI: 10.52997/jad.1.03.2018
    Abstract | PDF (260.1K)

    Abstract

    Vietnamese pangasius prices have become more volatile over the past decade exposing the business to risk and uncertainty. This study explored Vietnamese pangasius farmers’ perceptions about the sources of price risk and the effectiveness of price risk management strategies through Likert scales. The relationships between farm and farmer socioeconomic characteristics and their perceptions were also examined by using Chi-square analysis. Data were obtained through a structured survey with 110 farmers in three provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, and Dong Thap. Results suggested that pangasius farmers mostly concerned the instability of input prices, the volume of input supply, the instability of output prices, and the legislation of sales contracts between farmers and processors. We further found that price risk management strategies were not perceived as less effective measures to mitigate the price risk. Gender, farmers’ experience, farm size, crop period, farm types, and access to credit are positively related to the farmers’ perceptions. Findings on the price risk perceptions and management strategies are useful to support public and private of price risk management decision towards increasing the sustainability of pangasius production.