ABSTRACT
Introduction: The degradation of soil fertility in West Bengal has become a pressing issue on both an ecological and agricultural level due to years of intensive agricultural practices, the use of unbalanced fertilizers, nutrient depletion (mining), decreasing organic matter content (soil organic carbon), salinity encroachment in coastal areas, arsenic contamination, and widespread erosion of riverine terrain. The decline in organic matter in agricultural soils in the state is one of the most significant drivers of reduced fertility in West Bengal. Objectives: The aims of study are to assess the impact of soil fertility degradation upon agricultural productivity and sustainability and suggest appropriate soil management and conservation measures. Research Methodology: The methodology for this study is qualitative and quantitative, using a combination of descriptive analysis with comparative and interpretive assessments. The methodology enables an assessment of soil fertility over time spatially without having to conduct new field experiments on soil fertility. Result and Discussion: Impacts of Diminishing Soil Fertility on Agricultural Products and Productivity, Soil Management and Conservation Strategies, Limitations of the Study have been discussed. Conclusion: Soil fertility degradation in the Cooch Behar District has in fact become an obstacle to the sustainability of agricultural production.

ABSTRACT
Eggplant, Solanum melongena L., is one of the major vegetable crops in the Sudan. Eggplant is infested by some species of insect pests. However, the cotton jassid (Jacobiasca lybica) is the major one. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of botanical oils, castor bean seed oil, cotton seed oil and sunflower seed oil on population of the cotton jassid on eggplant, cultivar Wizzo. Two field experiments were executed during season 2015/16 at two sites, the experimental farm in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Gezira and Elalafoon at the eastern Bank of the Blue Nile, in Khartoum state. The experiments in both sites were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The botanical seed oils at a concentration of 5% were applied at 7 days interval with four sprays. Post-treatment observations on number of jassid were taken after 2 days from the application. The results indicated that all oil treatments were apparently effective against the cotton Jassid compared to the untreated control. The study found that the cotton seed oil was more effective in reducing the number of Jassid on eggplant ( 64 insects/100 leaves) followed by sunflower seed oil (132 insects/100 leaves), castor bean seed oil (140 insects/100 leaves) and the untreated control (312 insects/ 100 leaves) at Wad Medani site while, at Khartoum Site the cotton seed oil recorded high reduction of jassid population (92 insects/100 leaves) followed by castor bean seed oil (140 insects/100 leaves), sunflower oil (208 insects/100 leaves) and the untreated control (608 insects/ 100 leaves). This study recommended that, cotton seed oil can be used to reduce the number of cottons jassid on the eggplant crop.

ABSTRACT
Tomato production is an important source of income and food for many households in Beledweyne District, Hiran Region, Somalia. However, postharvest losses remain a major challenge, particularly during transportation from production areas to the main markets, so this study examined the impact of road condition on postharvest losses in tomato production in Beledweyne District, Hiiraan Region, Somalia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative approach was used. Data were collected from 92 tomato farmers who supply tomatoes to the main market in Beledweyne District. The sample size was determined by using Slovin’s formula with a 5% margin of error. Primary data was used through A structured questionnaire was used to collect data at the local main market in Beledweyne, where farmers bring their products. Using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, and figures, with Stata version 17. The findings indicate that postharvest tomato losses in the study area are a considerable majority of farmers reported losses ranging between 21% and 30%, and also a significant proportion experienced losses exceeding 30% of total production. The results indicated that poor road conditions are the main cause of these losses. The farmers indicate that rough and unpaved roads, long transportation distances, and frequent delays and also long travel times all negatively affect tomato quality, resulting in physical damage such as bruising, cracking, rotting, and softening. In addition to that, the study results show that postharvest losses have a serious negative impact on farmers' income, reducing profitability. All respondents agreed that also improving road condition would significantly reduce postharvest losses.

ABSTRACT
Ambarella (Spondias dulcis) is a tropical plant with excellent phytochemicals properties and has long been used in many traditional medical practices. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different heat preservation methods; pasteurization (85ºC in 30 seconds), water bath canning (100ºC in 10 minutes) and jar processing (121ºC in 1 minute), on the antioxidant activity of Ambarella (Spondias dulcis) fruit juice. The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) of Ambarella juice was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu’s assay, while DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy) was used to analyze the free radical scavenging activity. The reducing power of Ambarella juice was assessed using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP). The result of Folin-Ciocalteu’s assay showed that the highest TPC value was detected in the raw juice (5.3002 ± 0.114 mg GAE/g) while the lowest was in the water bath juice (3.6137 ± 0.174 mg GAE/g). The result of free radical scavenging activity of the juice samples found that pasteurized juice exhibited the highest percentage of scavenging activity (55.81 ± 0.55%), while retorted juice was the lowest (33.44 ± 0.61%). The highest reducing power was obtained in the raw juice (98.30 ± 0.85%), while water bath juice recorded the lowest percentage of reducing power (65.66 ± 0.68%) out of all juice samples tested. The correlation between the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities was determined as a positive, linear correlation with DPPH (r = 0.407) and FRAP (r 0.963). Similarly, a positive correlation was also observed between both of the DPPH and FRAP antioxidant assays (r = 0.625). The pasteurization method was determined as the best heat preservation method compared to water bath canning and jar processing, since it exhibited comparatively high TPC value and higher antioxidant activity percentage.

ABSTRACT
The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda J.E Smith poses a serious threat to cereal production in general and corn production in particular. It causes enormous damage and significant yield losses in Niger. To counter this damage, farmers are increasingly using synthetic pesticides despite their toxicity to humans and the environment. There is therefore an urgent need to find an alternative to this chemical control method, this is why a study on the biological effectiveness of biopesticides on FAW larvae was conducted during the cold dry season of 2023 and the wet season of 2024 in Kalapaté in the Birni department. The design was a completely randomized block with four replicates. The insecticide treatments were as follows: Emacot, Bocia senegalensis, Jatropha curcas, and Eucalyptus sp, 250 g of each fresh leaf/5 L of water), Neem (Azadirachta indica) grain powder 125g/2.5l of water and a negative control that was treated with plain water, i.e., 4L of water. The results shows that the severity rate was higher in the dry season (85%) than in the wet season (18%). The damage was more severe in the negative control than in the treated ones. In both seasons, the application of Emacot reduced the damage to corn plants, followed by Neem. These results reveal that aqueous neem seed extract (125 g/5 L of water) can be applied alternatively to the chemical insecticide against S. frugiperda in Niger in the presence and absence of rainfall.

ABSTRACT
This thesis investigates the proximate composition, antioxidant activity, and probiotic viability of smoked banana probiotic leather. Four samples were subjected to the proximate analysis, which included measurements of moisture, ash, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content: the non-smoked banana control (NSBC), smoked banana F1 (SBF1), smoked banana F2 (SBF2), and smoked banana F3 (SBF3). According to the findings, all samples had moisture content below 20%, with SBF3 having the greatest moisture level (3.36%) and SBF1 having the lowest (1.50%). SBF3 had the greatest ash content (0.46%), although there was a considerable variation in the ash content. The protein composition of the smoked and control samples varied significantly, ranging from 1.82% to 2.80%. The fat content remained low across all samples, while fiber content varied slightly, with SBF1 having the highest fiber content (4.17%). There were significant differences in the antioxidant activity between the samples, as determined by the DPPH radical scavenging activity, with SBF2 and SBF3 exhibiting higher activity. The product's antioxidant qualities may be strengthened by the smoking process and the addition of probiotics. There were no discernible variations between the groups in the probiotic viability ANOVA results, suggesting that Lactobacillus acidophilus was consistently viable throughout samples. This constancy is explained by the probiotic strain's stability and the homogeneity of the coating procedure. According to the study's findings, smoked banana probiotic leather can provide improved antioxidant qualities and nutritional advantages while preserving Lactobacillus acidophilus's viability. To further enhance the product's quality and health advantages, future studies should concentrate on refining the formulation and processing methods. According to the research, smoked banana probiotic leather has the potential to be a useful meal with a number of health advantages.

ABSTRACT
The Kenya Agricultural Marketing Strategy (AMS) 2023-2032 highlights on leveraging digital technologies to enhance market access for smallholder farmers by integrating mobile applications and e-commerce platforms into the agricultural landscape. Yet, implementation of these technologies among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains a challenge. This paper analyzes the role of stakeholder involvement in the development process and implementation of agri e-commerce platforms in Kenya. A participatory action research (PAR) design was adopted, integrating Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile methodologies within the Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) framework. Data were collected through baseline and endline surveys bearing in mind the platform analytics through user interaction with the agri e-commerce platform. Results of the study indicate that participatory co-design significantly improved platform outcomes with users increasing by 88.9% at exit / endline survey. Average transaction time for farmers decreased by more than half while user satisfaction scores improved by 37.5%. Additionally, stakeholder participation levels increased by 46%, confirming that inclusive engagement and iterative feedback loops enhanced usability, adoption, and implementation success. Statistical t-tests further revealed that users with higher digital literacy achieved significantly greater implementation success (p < 0.05). This study was however limited to one county context and a single digital platform namely warumarket presenting difficulty in generalization of results to other regions. The findings underscore the value of participatory innovation frameworks for sustainable agri e-commerce adoption in developing regions.