Prawarun Agricultural Journal

Extension of Fertilizer Use Based on Soil Analysis to Reduce Rice Production Costs of Rice Farmers in Don Toei Subdistrict, Na Thom District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Songwit Tiyabut — 2025-07-23

This research was a survey study. The objective was to examine the promotion of fertilizer application based on soil analysis to reduce rice production costs among farmers. The population consisted of 1,535 farmers in Don Toei Sub-district who had registered and received services from the Na Thom District Agricultural Extension Office in 2023. A sample of 181 farmers was determined using the Taro Yamane formula with a margin of error of 0.07. Data was collected through interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that 51.38% of the farmers were male, with an average age of 53.49 years. About 54.69% had completed primary education, and the average experience in rice farming was 34.18 years. The average rice cultivation area was 18.24 rai. The average income from rice production was 4,085.13 Baht per rai per year, while the average expense was 2,798.54 Baht per rai per year. Most farmers had a moderate level of knowledge and understanding of fertilizer application based on soil analysis. Overall, they received a high level of extension support, especially through mentoring by agricultural officers, which was rated at the highest level. Farmers faced problems in applying fertilizer based on soil analysis for reducing production costs at a high level, with the most critical issue being a lack of knowledge. They strongly agreed with the recommendations to promote fertilizer application based on soil analysis for cost reduction. In particular, they agreed at a high level on the need for training programs to help farmers properly collect soil samples. Farmers expressed a high need for guidelines on fertilizer application based on soil analysis and emphasized the importance of government support to improve access to soil analysis services in public laboratories.

Effects of dietary supplementation with ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens

Thipsuda Boonmatan — 2025-08-18

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder on the productive performance and egg quality of laying hens. Ninety CP brown laying hens, aged 30 weeks were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: a control group (no supplementation) and supplemented with 0.2 % and 0.4 % ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder. The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with three replicates of ten birds per treatment group. The study lasted for 12 weeks. The results showed that supplementation with 0.2 % and 0.4 % ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder had no significant effect on egg production rate, egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (P > 0.05). Additionally, the supplementation with two levels of ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder had no significant effects on egg quality at 33 and 37 weeks of age (P > 0.05). However, supplementation with 0.2 % ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder in the laying hen diet at 41 weeks of age resulted in shell thickness, egg yolk height and egg yolk color higher than those of supplementation with 0.4 % ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder and the control group (P < 0.05). Therefore, supplementation with 0.2 % ripe Artocarpus lakoocha fruit powder can enhance shell thickness, egg yolk height and egg yolk color without any important change in egg production performance.

Evaluation of the physical characteristics and chemical composition of rice straw fermented with Volvariella volvacea for utilization as a roughage source in ruminants

Atichat Thongnum — 2025-09-02

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical characteristics and chemical composition of rice straw fermented with Volvariella volvacea (straw mushroom) for use as roughage in ruminants. A completely randomized design (CRD) was employed with five fermentation periods: 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days (RSVV 0D, 7D, 14D, 21D, and 28D), each with three replications. Water-saturated rice straw was mixed with mushroom spawn at a 2:1 ratio, packed into molds lined with waterproof plastic, and covered with a black tarp. Physical characteristics, including color, odor, texture, mycelial growth, and pH, were assessed. Chemical composition parameters such as dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash, and organic matter (OM) were analyzed. The results revealed that fermentation for 28 days (RSVV 28D) yielded the highest physical quality score (18 points) with an appropriate pH of 7.70. DM and EE contents were significantly increased, while NDF and ADF levels were reduced, indicating degradation of lignocellulosic structures by fungal enzymes. Crude protein content increased until day 21, then decreased on day 28 (p<0.01). In conclusion, fermenting rice straw with V. volvacea for 21–28 days is the most effective duration for improving its quality as roughage for ruminants.

Online Marketing Needs for Khao Yai Pomelo Farmers in Bang Sakae Subdistrict, Bang Khonthi District, Samut Songkhram Province

Supakarn Khunna — 2025-09-05

This research aims to study 1) personal, economic, and social background factors 2) production of Khao Yai pomelo 3) media exposure 4) needs for online marketing of Khao Yai pomelo 5) factors affecting the needs for online marketing of Khao Yai pomelo. The sample group consisted of 152 farmers growing Khao Yai pomelo, randomly selected from a population of 249 farmers in Bang Sa Kae Subdistrict by accidental random sampling. Data was collected by using questionnaires. The statistics used for data analysis included descriptive statistics, t - test, F - test and LSD. Results Most of the farmers were male, with an average age of 49.30 years. They had completed secondary education or vocational certificates (Vocational Certificate or Diploma). The average experience in pomelo cultivation was 14.95 years. The average income was 78,815.79 baht per rai per year, while the average expense was 20,243.42 baht per rai per year. On average, farmers watered their pomelo trees 3–4 times per week. The average yield was more than 2,000 kilograms per rai per year. YouTube was the most frequently used online source for media exposure. Overall, farmers had the highest level of needs for all aspects of the online market mean = 4.45. Farmers with different ages, education levels, pomelo cultivation experiences, irrigation practices, average yields, and types of online media usage exhibited significantly different levels of online market needs at the 0.05 and 0.01 statistical significance levels.

Development of cotton fiber preparation machine from knowledge base for spin cotton thread group in Loei Province

Yutthasin Chaisit — 2025-09-24

This research aimed to design and developed a cotton fiber preparation machine based on local knowledge for the cotton-spinning group in Loei Province. The objective was to reduce the time and labor burden on the group's elderly members. The machine was designed as a semi-automatic system capable of performing both seed separation and cotton fluffing within a single unit. Emphasis was placed on ease of operation, safety, simple maintenance, and compatibility with single-phase electrical power. The study revealed that the fabricated machine measured 75 cm in width, 114 cm in length, and 108.5 cm in height. Its operational mechanism comprised three distinct components: a seed-ginning blade set, a cotton-fluffing blade set, and a conveyor roller shaft assembly coupled with a centrifugal fan. Performance evaluation showed that the machine could efficiently gin and fluff the 'Khao Yai' cotton variety at an average rate of 55.50 kg/hour. This was achieved with the seed-ginning blades operating at 620 revolutions per minute (rpm) and the fluffing blades at 1,250 rpm. The processed cotton exhibited high quality, with 30.27% by weight being clean, impurity-free fiber, while 69.73% by weight consisted of cotton seeds and associated impurities. Economic analysis indicated that the break-even point for using the machine was 3,490.33 kilograms per year.