Abstract Recent studies have identified several challenges associated with rice production, which hinder the achievement of self-sufficiency in rice. As a crop that heavily relies on irrigation water, rice production has implications for the nation’s water security. Nevertheless, there is still hope for reducing the future food gap by implementing agricultural policies that encourage farmers to increase production. Therefore, it has become essential to understand the responsiveness of rice cultivation area supply to changes, as this is crucial for making decisions regarding agricultural policies related to production and farm prices during the period from 2010 to 2023. The aim is to estimate farmers’ responsiveness, and the time required to achieve this response, as well as the supply elasticity. To achieve the research objective, both descriptive and quantitative statistical analysis were used, applying the Stepwise method in its logarithmic form to estimate the Supply Response. The elasticity of supply response for the rice cultivation area was estimated to be approximately 1.86% in the short term and 2.09% in the long term. It was also found that the response time of the cultivated rice area supply in Egypt to changes is low, estimated at around 1.12. This may be due to the inability to expand the cultivated area of this crop in the following year, as rice cultivation requires large amounts of water, posing a challenge given the scarcity of water resources. Additionally, farmers aim to maximize profits from the crops they cultivate.

Abstract Climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in Afghanistan are critical issues that require urgent attention from national, regional, and global climate-savvy stakeholders. This study investigates the climate change perception and adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers in Nangarhar province, utilizing the social-ecological systems perspective. The study employs a qualitative research design, conducting 11 semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers to explore their lived experience about climate change, adaptation challenges, and indigenous coping strategies. The study used thematic analysis to examine the collected data. The analysis revealed several key themes that emerged from the data, namely climate change perception, adaptation challenges, indigenous coping strategies, government support and intervention, crop-specific impact, economic impact and livelihood, information sources and communication channels, and concerns about floods. The study highlights the challenges faced by farmers, including difficulties in crop production, limited access to quality inputs, and the adverse effects of drought on agricultural productivity. The findings underscore the importance of developing effective adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on the agricultural sector and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Afghanistan. The study contributes to the understanding of the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change and the importance of enhancing their adaptive capacity, with a specific focus on conflict-affected agrarian regions like Afghanistan.

Abstract Combining ability analysis serves as an invaluable tool for evaluating the compatibility of parental lines and testers, as well as for elucidating the intricate genetic mechanisms at play within their hybrid progeny. This study was designed to ascertain the combining ability of maize lines when paired with testers, specifically focusing on yield-related traits through the utilization of a line × tester mating design. A total of fifteen advanced lines were systematically crossbred with three distinct testers to produce forty-five hybrid test crosses. The performance of these progenies was rigorously assessed across three distinct locations, thereby enhancing the robustness of the findings. The field trials were conducted using an alpha lattice design. Variance analysis, combining ability effects, and genetic components were estimated following a line × tester analysis. Employing variance analysis, significant variations were discerned in both general and specific combining abilities, underscoring the contribution of both additive and non-additive gene actions to the expression of the targeted traits. Notably, the magnitudes variance component indicated the prevalence of additive gene effects across the traits studied. Amidst the comprehensive exploration of parental lines and testers, it was evident that lines L10 and Tester T2 exhibited notable compatibility as general combiners, particularly in the context of maize grain yield. Additionally, Line L12 demonstrated favorable characteristics related to earliness. The superior performance of certain hybrid combinations emerged as a noteworthy outcome of this investigation. Specifically, the hybrid cross L10 × T2 displayed remarkable performance in terms of grain yield, while L12 × T1 demonstrated strong potential for the trait days to anthesis. Furthermore, in terms of specific combining ability, the cross L13 × T1 demonstrated the most pronounced effect, particularly concerning grain yield. Following closely were the combinations L5 × T1 and L2 × T2, each exhibiting significant potential for enhancing maize productivity. To conclude, this study underscores the indispensable role of combining ability analysis in elucidating the interplay between parental lines and testers, thus unraveling the intricate genetic dynamics within their hybrid offspring. The insights gathered hold promise for advancing maize production by employing judicious selection strategies, with a specific focus on the highlighted hybrid combinations.