Sustainable Horticulture

Mardhiana, Pradana AP, Adiwena M, Kartina, Santoso D, Wijaya R, Maliki A. 2017. Effects of pruning on growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Mercy variety in The acid soil of North Kalimantan, Indonesia. Cell Biol Dev 1: 13-17. In recent years, cucumber production in Tarakan, North Kalimantan only reaches 20 tons ha-1. In fact, cucumber production potential could reach 49 tons ha-1. Several factors that limit the low productivity of cucumbers in Tarakan are acid soil and cultivation techniques which are still limited. This study aimed to determine the effect of pruning on the growth and yield of cucumbers in acid soil in Tarakan. The study was conducted using Randomized Complete Block Design with the treatment of without pruning (P0), shoot of prunings on the main stem (P1), pruning of whole lateral branches above the third section (P2), and pruning of 2 lateral branches that emerged first above the third section (P4). The results showed that plant height was 16.17% (P1) and...

At the end of the 19th century, the Norwegian traveller and anthropologist Carl Lumhotz made his first trip to what he would call "unknown Mexico", those parts of the north and west of the country barely explored by locals and foreigners, where those who could still be called "original peoples" still lived. Less than a century later, the communication specialist and publicist Mayo Möller began an editorial proposal with the same name. Unknown Mexico was a project of discovery of the country itself aimed at the Mexican public. The analysis of the covers of this magazine shows how the magazine served to turn the landscapes of the Republic into national heritage.

A good quality pechay (Batishak) has been developed at BRAC Agricultural Research and Development Centre (BARDC) to meet the increasing demand of fast-growing and productive leafy vegetables in the vegetable market of Bangladesh performing conventional breeding method -introduction followed by reselection method. Compared to check varieties this newly developed pechay variety (commercial name Sufola Batishak) gave higher yield, exhibited late in flowering and it was found to be tolerant to major diseases & pests as well. This new pechay variety is also a year round variety and besides its open field cultivation, it gave a very good yield when cultivated under a polythene tunnel in the rainy season during the crisis period of vegetables. At BARDC, satisfactory production of the new pechay variety was also noticed following the cut-and-come-again method. Due to the better performance of the newly developed pechay line at the farmer's level, it was released by the BRAC Seed Enterprise Division giving the commercial name as 'Sufola Batishak'. Its fresh vegetable production has been recorded as 25-30 Mt/ha. Since at the growers level a very good seed production performance of this 'Sufola Batishak' was found in Bangladeshi agro-climatic conditions this pechay variety was found to be a profitable vegetable for seed business and sustainable 'Batishak' cultivation as well in this country.

This presentation emphasized the importance of seed saving for individuals, communities, and the planet. It traced the history of seed saving from pre-colonial Native American practices to the Spanish colonial era, highlighting the role of missions in introducing new plant varieties. The talk provided practical guidance on seed selection, harvesting, and storage, encouraging attendees to contribute to biodiversity and food security by saving seeds from their gardens.

The Bhotiya tribes of Chamoli district residing in the border regions of Garhwal Himalayas are well known for their traditional expertise in making a range of woolen garments and materials. The Garhwal Himalayan region is gifted with a variety of plants that have been considered as a source of number of natural products. Decades ago, these plants were used by Bhotiya people for wool dyeing. The indigenous practice has declined manifold due to invasion of use of synthetic dyes. In the present study, effort has been made to revive the century old tradition of natural dyeing by the available resources of the region. Botanical survey was done for the exploration of the flora of the region with the view of identifying plants with the potential of yielding natural textile dyes. A catalogue of fifty dye yielding plants in Indian Himalayan region was prepared along with their availability, family, color potential, altitude and commercial viability. This catalogue was supported by the second...

The beauty, fragrance, wide range of colour and form make them the most attractive group among bulbous flowers. The changing life style of Indians with a tendency to "say it with flower" and celebration of festivals like Valentine's day, Christmas, Mather's day has created a tremendous demand of cut flowers like rose, carnation, gerbera, gladiolus, and tuberose. In cut flower industry, the most important aspect is post-harvest handling in order to maintain freshness and original colour of the flowers for longer period after harvest. Generally, gladiolus flower spikes last for 7-8 days in tap water (Singh and Sharma, 2003, Singh et al., 2008). The qualitative and quantitative post-harvest losses of gladiolus can be reduced by adopting improved technologies like harvesting at proper stage, use of floral preservatives and bud opening solution, pulsing, precooling, improved

The study was conducted in the Central Gonja District located at the southern end of the Northern region of Ghana which lies between latitude 9° 15′ and 9° 05′ N and longitude 0° 45′ and 1° 0′ W. The study focused on the contribution of cassava processing to the standard of living of women processors. Information on the level of income of processors, cost of processing, level of food security as well as challenges facing processors were obtained with structured and semi-structured questionnaires from 50 selected women processors. Data was pooled, collated and summarized into frequency distribution and percentages using Microsoft Excel. The average monthly revenue was 88.1, Ghana cedis and the average monthly total cost was 44 Ghana cedis implying a monthly net profit of 44.1 Ghana cedis for an average cassava processor. Challenges faced by the processors include: Inadequate funds (100%), inadequate storage facilities (98%), low price of processed products (90%), poor packaging materials (84%) and health hazards (64%). Cassava processing is profitable and contributes significantly to the standards of living of women, however, the challenges processors encounter could drastically reduce the level of processing and economic returns affecting the standards of living of the processors.

The aim of this paper is to find a green way to reduce the carbon dioxide released into the environment due to the heating system for buildings. The amount of carbon dioxide is 10500 kg per year for University of Pitesti. For compensation this is necessary to plant trees around the building of Faculty of Sciences. We studied about the advantages of Paulownia trees in terms of absorption of carbon dioxide and quick-growing speed. In the first three years they reach maturity and have a height of about 20 meters. Our researches estimate that a number of 40 Paulownia trees could eliminate this pollution.

Afforestation of bottomland hardwood species has increased in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV) in recent years. Rising demand for hardwood nursery stock and poor performance of some planted seedlings has created concern regarding the quality of seedlings currently available for afforestation in the LMRAV. Furthermore, no definitive guidelines for optimal seedling morphological quality of bottomland hardwoods in the LMRAV have been developed. We measured initial morphology of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) and water oak (Quercus nigra L.) seedlings from 3 nurseries and examined field response after planting with or without chemical weed control on a LMRAV site in Mississippi. Seedlings from different nurseries varied significantly in initial morphology and field performance during the first growing season. Weed control had a relatively minor influence on seedling survival, but growth was significantly increased when weed control was applied. Seedlings exhibited considerable transplant shock during the first growing season, and this stress was most pronounced in seedlings with larger shoot heights, implying possible shoot-to-root imbalance. Though we currently present only preliminary results from a portion of data collected, our results suggest that morphological quality of hardwood seedlings available for afforestation in the LMRAV varies considerably depending on nursery source, and this variation leads to differences in plantation performance.

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a tropical fruit which can be cultivated successfully in subtropical conditions. The fruit has a high nutritional and medicinal value and rich in Vitamin A (2020IU/100g) making it very popular among the farmers of Assam. A study was conducted during 2019-2020 and 2020-21 on performance of Red Lady at farmers' field under rainfed conditions representing four agro climatic zones of Assam. The study revealed that the plant height was 281.27 cm tall with maximum fruit weight of 1.65 kg. Additionally, the fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit cavity diameter were found to be 19.22cm, 12.84 cm and 6.51 cm respectively with Yield per plant (40.72 kg), Yield per hectare (119.67 t/ha), B:C ratio (4.27) was found higher against the local varieties in all the locations. From the study, it can be inferred that the farmers may adopt Papaya var. Red lady over their local varieties for better yield and returns.

The main objective of this study is to see how the royal insecticide influences the energetic metabolism, the breathing rhythm, the blood sugar and the number of red blood cells at the Prussian carp individuals. Experimental samples were subjected to under-lethal concentrations of 0.00125, 0.0025 and 0.005 ml/l royal insecticide from 24 to 336 hours. The physiologic parameter with the highest growth rate was the oxygen consumption, which, at the concentration of 0.005 ml/l grew by 50.81% in 168 hours, compared to the witness values, registering the value of 216.66 ml oxygen/kilo/hour compared to 143.66 oxygen ml/kilo/hour. The blood sugar was the single physiological biomarker which decreased, so that the lowest value was 48 mg/dl, 29.62% approximately lower compared to the witness value (68.2 mg/dl) at a concentration of 0.00125 ml/l.

Organic orchard systems are a significant and growing component of Washington State agriculture, yet sustainable methods of nitrogen (N) fertility and weed management remain a challenge. Nutrient supply is dependent on decomposition and mineralization of organic matter, yet intensive cultivation commonly used to control weeds can disrupt biological processes and cause loss of organic matter. To address the often-competing goals of organic fertility and weed control, a number of alternative orchard floor management strategies were implemented and evaluated for their impact on N cycling, soil quality, and tree health in a newly established orchard. The standard practice of weed control using extensive tillage resulted in trees with good growth and acceptable levels of leaf N and most other essential nutrients, conversely, soil quality was in decline and may negatively impact long-term nutrient dynamics. Maintenance of a living cover understory resulted in greater N retention and availability, and rapid soil quality improvement, yet it severely competed with young trees, resulting in reduced tree growth. Covering the understory with wood chip mulch enhanced soil moisture and resulted in adequate tree growth, but it also facilitated N loss and correspondingly resulted in low tree leaf N. Application of a clove oil herbicide resulted in lower leaf N and tree growth in comparison to cultivated treatments and did not positively impact soil quality parameters. In contrast, Brassicaceae seedmeal (BSM) applications enhanced N availability and soil faunal biomass, yet leaf N did not reach acceptable levels and many of the other essential nutrients were lowest in this treatment. Tree leaf chlorosis was observed following an early season BSM application and may have been the result of reduced soil iron availability. None of the treatments applied produced an ideal combination of weed control, maximum tree growth, adequate leaf nutrients, and improved soil quality. Rather, soil quality improvements tended to compete with tree performance.

Alamro, M., Mahadeen, A. & Mohawesh, O. (2019). Effect of degradable mulch on tomato growth and yield under fi eld conditions. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25 (6), 1122–1132 The degradable mulch was synthesized to be as anenvironmentally friendly alternative to polyethylene plastic mulch; its adoption could help in alleviating the environmental pollution as well as the removal and disposal problems of polyethylene mulch. The present study was conducted to evaluate the degradable mulch performance on tomato growth and yield under Jordan environmental conditions. The study consisted of four mulch treatments (polyethylene, oxo-degradable, biodegradable mulches and no mulch (bare soil) as a control). The current results showed that oxo-degradable and biodegradable mulches are capable of soil moisture preservation similar to polyethylene mulch. All mulching plot had signifi cantly higher soil temperature than bare soil. The benefi ts of biodegradable mulch on soil microbial...

Seed quality is an important determinant in field performance and marketable yields of crop production. Low quality and small quantities of available seeds are major constraints in African leafy vegetable (ALV) production and limit the ability to provide farmers more options for growing health food. Capacity building was done through the Horticultural Innovation Lab, programme to assist farmer groups to produce quality ALV seed using the semi-informal seed system (SSS) for the dissemination of five newly released, high yielding improved ALV varieties. The ALVs seed plots were monitored by programme implementers during seed production. Thereafter, to determine the quality of ALVs seed produced through the SSS, seed samples of African nightshade (Solanum scabrum), spider plant (Cleome gynandra) and amaranth (Amaranth cruentus) were collected from farmer group members in Nandi South and Busia Counties. Another set of seed samples of the same species of vegetables produced through the Informal seed system (ISS), were sourced from the local market in Kakamega for quality comparison with seeds from the SSS.

This experiment was conducted on cut Rosa hybrida L. (cv. Tereasa) during two summer seasons; 2015 and 2016 at the laboratory of the Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University. Stems of cut Rosa flowers were dipped in five different pH solutions; 3.0, 4.6, 5.6, 6.6 and 7.0 in the presence of 2% sucrose. The pH values were adjusted through using 0.2 M Na 2 HPO 4 and 0.1 M citric acid. The results revealed that, the maximum values of vase-life and in turn the water uptake (4.54 ml/g) which was highly correlated with vase life duration, over the two seasons, was recorded with solution pH 3.0 followed by pH 4.6. Also, the lowest significant reduction in flower fresh weight was recorded with pH 3.0. The highest mean count of total spores forming bacteria in vase solution was recorded at pH 6.6, whereas the lowest was obtained with pH 3.0. Increasing pH level negatively influenced Rose flowers longevity through increasing free total amino acid as well as reducing total sugar and total chlorophyll and anthocyanin concentrations. Whereas, pH 3.0 was able to maintain a higher osmotic potential of cells through enhancing the total sugar and the total chlorophyll and anthocyanin concentrations which were in conformity with enhancing antioxidant enzymes, i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD)

The paper is a review of the literature on the application of biodegradable materials (agroplastics) in modern agriculture, and particularly in horticulture. Agroplastics are used within the so-called plasticulture system-in mulches, different forms of plant covers, pots for seedlings, strings, and other materials. Although they leave behind a considerable amount of waste, their recycling has been implemented in only some European countries. The positive solution of this environmental problem lies in propagation and implementation of biodegradable plastics in agricultural practice. In order to achieve this, a clear system of classification and assessment has been introduced in the European Union. Results of experiments with biodegradable plastics applications as soil and plant covers, and their impact on the environment are presented.

The present study aimed to synthesize the CuO-MCM-41-Ag nanocomposites by hydrothermal method and evaluate their antibacterial activity by disc diffusion method. The synergistic effects of the transition metal-based nanocomposites are supposed to possess highly strong antimicrobial actions. SEM and TEM analyzed the morphological features of the synthesized Copper xide-MCM-41-silver nanocomposites. According to these morphological analyses, the biosynthesized CuO-MCM-41-silver nanocomposites are composed of regularly distributed hexagonal-shaped particles in aggregated form. The crystallinity of the prepared nanocomposites was confirmed through the XRD technique. From the FTIR results, the peaks obtained are closely Si-OH deformational vibrations, stretching vibrations of the surface Si-O2 groups, and various other groups. The antibacterial activity of nanocomposites was evaluated on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. It was monitored that the MIC of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli was 0.135 mL-1. The nanocomposites synthesized by the hydrothermal study were good antibacterial against specific gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the morphological characterization of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev) genotypes under central dry zone of Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Among the sixteen genotypes studied there were wide and highly significant variations observed for various growth, flowering and yield parameters. The result showed that among the 16 genotypes evaluated the genotype Lakkundi recorded maximum plant height (69.87 cm), stem girth (6.72 mm) and internodal length (4.86 cm). The genotype Chandani recorded maximum plant spread both at E-W (47.27 cm) and N-S (50.20 cm) direction, number of primary (23.67) and secondary (36.80) branches per plant, number of nodes per plant (15.53), number of leaves per plant (720.67), leaf area per plant (18718.33 cm), leaf area index (9.22), number of flowers per plant (692.40), flower yield per hectare (41.01 t/ha). The genotype Marigold recorde...

Background. The evaluation of crop variety in the field involves large expanse of land and could be expensive but container evaluation of crops is thought to complement field evaluation. Objective. To compare the growth and fruit yield of yellow passion fruit in the field and container (mega-pots) as influenced by varying rates of poultry manure with the hypothesis that vines grown in containers could predict the performance of the crop in the field. Methodology. Two yellow passion fruit genotypes (KPF-4 and 'Conventional') received varying rates of poultry manure (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 t/ha) in both the field and containers. These were laid out as split plot in randomized complete block design and completely randomized design, replicated four and ten times, respectively in the field and pots. Results. In both field and pot, days to first flowering and fruit dropping were earlier in KPF-4 than 'Conventional'. Vine girth and number of branches were not significant different (p>0.05) between the genotypes in both field and container. Most of the fruit yield traits obtained from either field or pot experiment did not statistically vary between the genotypes except fruit length and circumference. The application of poultry manure (PM) reduced the days to first flowering but enhanced the growth characteristics of the vines compared to vines that received no manure. Increase in PM rate increased the number of fruits picked per plant. The economic analysis of both studies indicated that net return and return per naira invested increased with increase in PM rates with the peak at 20 t/ha PM application. Implications. Pot studies could be utilized for preliminary evaluation of crops and prediction of field performances. Conclusion. The study revealed that phenology, growth and fruit yield of the two genotypes had relatively similar responses to PM rates in both pot and field studies, yet less inputs were made in the pot study.

An investigation was undertaken to determine the fruit and juice metric traits of fresh fruits obtained from two yellow passion fruit genotypes grown in southeastern Nigeria in two seasons. The passion fruit genotypes (Conventional and KPF-4)

Yellow passion fruit, consumed mainly as juice in many parts of the world, is an emerging fruit crop in southeastern Nigeria. Farmers need vigorous seedlings for optimum performance in the field. For such, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of poultry manure (PM) rates on seedling development and juvenile growth of yellow passion fruit. Two yellow passion fruit genotypes ('KPF-4' and 'Conventional') received five poultry manure rates (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t/ha). The experiment was laid out as a split plot in completely randomized design and replicated thrice. The result revealed that the early seedling growth performance of the two genotypes did not statistically (P>0.05) vary. On the other hand, there was a progressive increase in the growth parameters with increasing rate of PM. Specifically, the application of 20 t/ha PM produced tallest seedlings, broadest stems and highest number of leaves in the first five weeks after PM application. However, most vigorous vines (vine length, number of leaves, fresh weights of leaves, shoots, roots) and highest accumulation of dry matter were produced by KPF-4 vines grown with 40 t/ha PM although these did not vary significantly with values recorded with 20 t/ha PM application. In view of the economics of fertilizer use, it was recommended to apply poultry manure at 20 t/ha during nursery in the study area.

This study is the outcome of close cooperation with partners from Mozambican and Brazilian scientific institutions. Without the collaboration of the Instituto Politécnico Superior de Manica (ISPM) and the Universidade Federal Rural de Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) we would not have achieved the study results. The active participation of

Purpose Passion fruit cultivation and utilization is fast emerging in Nigeria. Poultry farms are increasing with the corresponding increase in poultry manure production which is relatively affordable by farmers. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of placement method and time of poultry manure (PM) application on early growth and dry matter partitioning of yellow passion fruit. Method PM placement methods were incorporation, top-dressing, bottom-dressing and split combination of top-and bottom-dressing while time of PM application comprised application at transplanting, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after transplanting (WAT). The experiments were laid out as completely randomized design, replicated five and six times, respectively for PM placement methods and time of PM application. Growth and dry matter yield were determined at two weeks' interval and 20 WAT, respectively. Results Longest vines (78.5 cm) were significantly (P<0.05) produced by plants that were grown in ...

Weed management is an important component in fruit crop production. The current review is (1) a meta analyses of the literature on the yield losses of fruit crops by weeds, (2) it comprises the databases of weed species and density, the period of weed competition, safe weed management in the fruit crops in terms of adverse effects of weeds on the soil, growth, nutrient statutes and productivity of fruit trees, advantages and disadvantages of weed control measures, and (3) it excluded the cover crops, biological weed control, natural herbicides and non-traditional weed control methods as well as small fruit crops such as blueberry, blackberries, raspberries and strawberry. The ranges of yield losses in fruit cropsdue to weeds observed from the literature were varied widely from 23.7% to 82% and in some instances of weed infestation;there wasno production of fruits with commercial value obtained. The yield lossdepends on weed speciesand its densityand fruit crop species.So, weed management in fruit crops is necessary to prevent or reduce yield losses and the search for more effective and environmentally friendly approaches forweed control will be needed. Acombined approach could result in an effective weed control technology.

Normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is characterized by a classic triad of symptoms namely urinary incontinence, dementia, and gait disturbances. It may present initially with psychiatric symptoms like depression, perceptual disturbances, anxiety, etc. This case report describes a 58-year-old male patient with alcohol dependence who presented with complaints of urinary incontinence, forgetfulness, imbalance while walking and standing, fearfulness, hearing of unreal voices along with sleep appetite impairment since 3-4 months. He was consuming alcohol since the last 20 years. On examination, he was conscious, oriented to time and place. He had mild tremors. Vitals were stable. Mental status examination revealed patient was shabby, ill kempt, uncooperative, irritable, along with delusion of persecution and auditory hallucinations. Insight about his illness was impaired. MMSE score was 18. MRI suggested a disproportionate dilatation of the ventricular system as compared to the basal cisterns, sylvian fissures and cortical sulci. Careful examination of patients presenting with above symptoms is necessary for proper management of patients with NPH.

The aim of this study has been to analyse the value chain of African leafy vegetables in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This was done by identifying the prominent value chain actors, institutions governing the chain, the infrastructural endowments, key factors and challenges affecting the success or failure of the value chains for African leafy vegetables. Relationships among the value chain actors were weak, with transactions based mostly on spot markets. While smallholder farmers attain high gross margins, their intention to take part in the mainstream markets are prevented by lack of technical advice on production, lack of packaging and processing services, poor infrastructure, deficiency of contractual agreements between actors, and lack of access to finance. Although producers currently attain relatively higher gross margins, more benefits might be realized if government services (such as training, seed production and distribution) could either be decentralized or privatized. Future policy interventions should focus on promoting value addition along the African leafy vegetable chain, provision of cold

Smart Service Systems are becoming increasingly important in almost all industries and areas of life. In order to make use of data from the Internet of Things for individualizing and automatizing service offerings, Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key technology. However, only little is known about how users and potential customers perceive quality of these AI-based Smart Services and how companies can develop them accordingly. To this end, our paper presents a framework concept for addressing quality of Smart Services systematically. The framework integrates known and novel quality aspects and thus supports a systematic and quality-focused development. In addition, our paper presents exemplary AI-relevant quality aspects in more detail. First of all, AI-based Smart Service Systems will be characterized in more detail and existing quality concepts will be presented in order to enable a holistic quality assessment.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a produtividade e o retorno econômico da cenoura "Brasília" e do cravo-de-defunto, conduzidos em cultivo solteiro e consorciado, com três e quatro (C3 e C4) e duas e três (T2 e T3) linhas de plantas por canteiro. A produção média de massa fresca das plantas de cenoura sob cultivo solteiro teve aumento significativo de 9,68 t ha-1 (134,26%) em relação àquela sob consórcio (7,21 t ha-1). No cravo-de-defunto, houve diminuição produtiva na massa de inflorescências de 0,90 t ha-1 (23,32%) do cultivo consorciado, em relação ao solteiro (3,86 t ha-1). As razões de área equivalente (RAE) para os consórcios cenoura e cravo-de-defunto foram superiores em 13% (C3T2) e 26% (C4T3) em relação aos cultivos solteiros. Para o produtor de cravo-de-defunto, os dois consórcios foram economicamente viáveis, com ganho médio de R$ 5043,00 ha-1. Por outro lado, para o produtor de cenoura, apesar de a RAE ter sido superior a 1,00, o consórcio não foi efetiv...

Yellow passion fruit, consumed mainly as juice in many parts of the world, is an emerging fruit crop in southeastern Nigeria. Farmers need vigorous seedlings for optimum performance in the field. For such, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of poultry manure (PM) rates on seedling development and juvenile growth of yellow passion fruit. Two yellow passion fruit genotypes ('KPF-4' and 'Conventional') received five poultry manure rates (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t/ha). The experiment was laid out as a split plot in completely randomized design and replicated thrice. The result revealed that the early seedling growth performance of the two genotypes did not statistically (P>0.05) vary. On the other hand, there was a progressive increase in the growth parameters with increasing rate of PM. Specifically, the application of 20 t/ha PM produced tallest seedlings, broadest stems and highest number of leaves in the first five weeks after PM application. However, most vigorous vines (vine length, number of leaves, fresh weights of leaves, shoots, roots) and highest accumulation of dry matter were produced by KPF-4 vines grown with 40 t/ha PM although these did not vary significantly with values recorded with 20 t/ha PM application. In view of the economics of fertilizer use, it was recommended to apply poultry manure at 20 t/ha during nursery in the study area.

Although Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) together with Jomo Kenyatta University of  Science and Technology (JKUAT) have developed pathogen-free banana cultivars that are early maturing, high yielding and have uniformity in growth from tissue culture laboratory, farmers are still growing by sucker propagation as opposed to TCB method (Kiplagat & Ocholla 2005, Njuguna 2007 & Munya 2008).  Evidence from Kenya shows that of the 74,000 hectares of  the total arable predominantly used by small holder farmers who are the majority in banana cultivation,  only a meager 7% only is currently farmed with Tissue culture bananas (Dubois et al., 2013; Njuguna et al., 2010).Of our interviewees, 70% were male while 30% were female, all together with an average age of 58 years. Also, majority of the interviewed farmers were married with an average family size of 6-7 members. Furthermore, 35% of the farmers had attended tertiary level education while 50% and 15% of the farmers had attended primary and tertiary education respectively. These  low literacy levels greatly affect access, interpretation , use and uptake of these various ICT technologies inform of social media, online applications, and even the ability to use smartphones (Irungu et al., 2015; Nthukuri et al., 2021).
Although, all the farmers that were interviewed had access to electricity, 83% of the farmers have no access to social media platforms with 75% relying on broadcast media. Furthermore, farmers obtained their information from government agencies like JKUAT, KALRO (31%), CBOs like co-operatives and other farmers (16%), and Non-governmental Organizations (11%). Also, having access to broadcast media inform of radios and televisions such as Kamene Fm and Inooro TV clearly shows that these are important for information flow as they provide information in the local language that’s easily understood (Bandewar et al., 2017; Irungu et al., 2015; Nthukuri et al., 2021).
Yet still, 71% of the farmers not only had no access to Smartphones but also didn’t know how to use them. To add on, 79% of the farmers spent less than 50 kshs on airtime and this is mainly used for making phone calls. This clearly shows that farmers are constrained as they don’t have timely access information for use in agriculture with over 60% receiving information only seasonally. This further explains the 67% of the farmers who are unsatisfied with their source information. There was a negative correlation between the level of education and use of ICT tools. Also the age of the farmers was negatively correlated with the use of ICT tools.

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to use innovative sensor technology for non-destructive determination and prediction of optimum harvest date (OHD), using sweet cherry as a model fruit, based on different ripening parameters. (2) Methods: Two cherry varieties in two growing systems viz. field and polytunnel in two years were employed. The fruit quality parameters such as fruit weight and size proved unsuitable to detect OHD alone due to their dependence on crop load, climatic conditions, cultural practices, and season. Coloration during cherry ripening was characterized by a complete decline of green chlorophyll and saturation of the red anthocyanins, and was measured with a portable sensor viz. spectrometer 3-4 weeks before expected harvest until 2 weeks after harvest. (3) Results: Expressed as green NDVI (normalized differential vegetation index) and red NAI (normalized anthocyanin index) values, NAI increased from −0.5 (unripe) to +0.7 to +0.8 in mature fruit and remained at this saturation level with overripe fruits, irrespective of variety, treatment, and year. A model was developed to predict the OHD, which coincided with when NDVI reached and exceeded zero and the first derivative of NAI asymptotically approached zero. (4) Conclusion: The use of this sensor technology appears suitable for several cherry varieties and growing systems to predict the optimum harvest date.

The objective of this study was to examine organic mulches as an alternative for herbicides in organic fruit orchards, in order to improve yield, fruit quality and soil properties. In March 2002, the 1-1.2 m wide apple tree rows at Michurin Research Institute of Horticulture were mulched with sawdust or pine bark at ca. 25-30 t dry matter (DM) ha-1 or grass clippings, with between-tree herbicide (glyphosate) and/or manual weeding serving as control treatment. Grass alleyways in all the treatments were regularly mowed. Over the 4 years of the experiment, the herbicide-treated control reduced the weed cover to 2-25% and their dry mass to 3-27%, compared with the manual-weeded control values. The three organic mulches decreased the number of emerged weeds to 5-30%, compared with the manual-weeded control and was comprised of 25-30 weed species (making organic mulches an ecological alternative to herbicide). The three organic mulches improved soil properties, conserved soil moisture and increased N, P, and K content, compared with manual weeding. Apple trees with mulch developed a shallower root system. The three organic mulches, compared with manual weeding, enhanced vegetative growth, measured as length of one-year shoots, leaf area for leaves taken from bourse shoots (by 27 versus 12%) and tree trunk cross-section area (by 23 versus 13%). With the mulches, yield and fruit mass were increased by 35 and 17% compared with manual weeding.

The main objective of this study is to see how the royal insecticide influences the energetic metabolism, the breathing rhythm, the blood sugar and the number of red blood cells at the Prussian carp individuals. Experimental samples were subjected to under-lethal concentrations of 0.00125, 0.0025 and 0.005 ml/l royal insecticide from 24 to 336 hours. The physiologic parameter with the highest growth rate was the oxygen consumption, which, at the concentration of 0.005 ml/l grew by 50.81% in 168 hours, compared to the witness values, registering the value of 216.66 ml oxygen/kilo/hour compared to 143.66 oxygen ml/kilo/hour. The blood sugar was the single physiological biomarker which decreased, so that the lowest value was 48 mg/dl, 29.62% approximately lower compared to the witness value (68.2 mg/dl) at a concentration of 0.00125 ml/l.

The study investigated the efficacy of five (5) different growth media on seedling emergence and juvenile phenology of Monodora myristica in the nursery. The growth media were sawdust only, equal mixture of topsoil and sawdust (50:50) by volume, topsoil only, standard nursery soil mixture (3:2:1 ratio) and topsoil arranged in-depth with sawdust (50:50) by volume. All the growth media were bagged in the standard perforated (perforated to allow for water drainage) nursery polybags of 27 cm × 25 cm and laid flat the thickness of 1mm. The polybags each containing 3 stands of Monodora myristica were arranged in a cluster of bags per treatment and replicated three times. Data on percentage seedling emergence, number of leaves, plant height and leaf area at 4, 6 and 8 weeks after planting were collected. The analysis of variance was carried out using Genestat. The results showed that Monodora myristica seeds sown in sawdust emerged significantly (P<0.05) early. Juvenile growth was significantly enhanced by standard nursery soil mixture (3:2:1) and topsoil in-depth with sawdust arrangements. The seedling vigour further facilitated field establishment of M. myristica at the Crop Genetic Resource Conservation Centre, Federal University of Technology Owerri. Monitoring and evaluation of the field growth pattern of Monodora myristica is in progress.

Indigenous African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) play a significant role in alleviating hidden hunger and malnutrition and contribute to income security for smallholder farmers. However, their potential to contribute to food, nutrition and income security has not been fully realized due to dysfunctional market chains. The Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA), which aims to stimulate gender-responsive innovations in commodity chains, was used to improve the performance of ALVs market chains in central Uganda. This paper presents the results of applying the PMCA in a phased manner on the ALV commodity chain in the context of a collaborative research project implemented in central Uganda. Phase 1 of the project interfaced with 121 chain actors and subquently, 70 and 103 actors and stakeholders participated in phase 2 and phase 3 activities, respectively. Through this collaborative process, iterative learning, stronger linkages and trust were built amongst the chain actors leading to sy...

Though mining promotes global industrialization and economy, it disrupts natural ecosystem that calls for sustainable reclamation. A field study was conducted at Base titanium limited - Kwale County to investigate the potential of mined soils to support growth and yield of green grams when subjected to organic and inorganic fertilizers. A two factor experiment was laid down in RCBD with split plot arrangement and three replications. Green gram varieties (KS20 and N26) and amendments (organic and inorganic fertilizers) were tested. Obtained data that included: soil properties, plant height, leaf development, pods and grains per plant, root nodules, biomass, and grain yield was subjected to ANOVA using the Genstat statistical package and means ranked using Fisher&#39;s protected least significant difference at (P≤0.05). Results showed that combined manure and fertilizer significantly improved plant plant height by 36% and 36.4% for KS20 and N26 varieties respectively in season one and...

Pesticides, plant bio-stimulants and chemical fertilizers used in intensified viticulture affects negatively the viability of the plants pollen causing relevant economic losses to viticulturists. Given these conditions, we aimed to identify the environmentally friendly phytosanitary treatments which does not negatively affect the evolution of pollen grains. The experiment took place in the greenhouse on 120 grapevine plants from the genotypes Feteasca alba 97 St., Feteasca regala 72 St., Feteasca neagra 6 St., Cabernet Sauvignon 131 St., 30 plants/genotype. These have been treated to combat the Plasmopara viticola and Uncinula necator pathogens with pesticides, biological products, plant extract and nanostructured mixture. The studied genotypes reacted differently regarding the evolution of the viability of pollen grains, the average pollen grains size and the total number of pollen grains. The best results have been registered at F. regala 72 St. (the viability was significantly im...

The decision to apply sustainable horticulture practices can be categorized as pro-environment behavior where motivation or needs are one of the determinants of behavior. The objective of this study was to analyze the factor and discover the farmer group compositions and motivation of farmers to adopt sustainable horticultural practices. The surveys involved 350 members of horticulture farmer groups in Yogyakarta Special Region Province, Indonesia. The results of second-order confirmatory factor analysis show the highest score of the underlying subs-construct of motivation construct is social needs (healthy family and group reference). The highest score of the underlying subs-construct of the level of sustainable horticulture practices (SHP) adoption are inputs (organic fertilizer and superior seeds). There are two clusters of SHP adoption and three clusters of motivation. This study provides information to make an effective strategy for extension education that makes farmers adopt ...

There is a decline in the production, utilization and diversity of underutilized crops including African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs), which poses a threat to the status of food security and rural development. This study examines the factors influencing households' participation decision in the production of African leafy vegetables in the Limpopo Province of South Africa using a double-hurdle model that accounts for whether or not smallholder farmers produce ALVs (decision to participate) and how much land was allocated for ALV production (level of participation). Participation and level of participation decisions were analysed using cross section data collected from 126 smallholder farmers in 2013. The empirical results suggest that factors explaining participation decision and the level of participation are different. Hence, it is imperative that policies that are aimed at incentivising participation and level of participation and their impacts on food security and nutrition target different groups. The commercialization of ALVs could also promote rural development in the study area.

A trial assessing the suitability of multifunctional living mulch to maintain the soil and reduce weed infestation was carried out in an organic apple orchard in the years of 2019-2020. Perennial plants (Alchemilla vulgaris, Fragaria vesca, Mentha piperita) and annual crops (Tropaeolum majus and Cucurbita maxima) were grown in the in the rows of the apple trees. The weeds number and soil weeds coverage in tree rows were assessed. Regardless of the living mulch species utilized, the soil resulted to be mostly covered by perennial weed species such as: Equisetum arvense and Taraxacum officinale and annual species such as: Lamium purpureum, Stellaria media, Galinsoga parviflora, Capsella bursa-pastoris and Poa annua, which were the most common species also for the natural cover used as control. However, all living mulch species limited weed infestation and M. piperita, F. vesca  and T. majus most strongly limited weeds growth. It is concluded that living mulch species can be a feasible...

INTRODUCTION. Pour mieux comprendre la croissance du plant de grenadille afin d&#39;ameliorer, ensuite, sa culture, les premieres phases de son cycle de developpement ont ete analysees. MATERIEL ET METHODES. Les plantules, issues de la germination des graines sous ombriere, ont ete repiquees en sacs de polyethylene remplis d&#39;un substrat approprie ; une partie d&#39;entre elles a ete placee sous abri, l&#39;autre partie a ete laissee sous ombrage. L&#39;apparition, la forme, le nombre et la localisation des radicelles, des feuilles, des vrilles, des bourgeons, des ramifications et des fleurs ont ete observes. La longueur des entre-noeuds et la surface foliaire ont ete mesurees sur les quatre premieres helices foliaires de l&#39;axe principal du plant. RESULTATS ET DISCUSSION. Au cours de sa croissance et de son developpement, le plant passe par les phases embryonnaire, juvenile et de transition avant d&#39;atteindre sa phase adulte. Germination et emergence interviennent respecti...

Debido a lo promisorio de muestra ser la Moringa oleífera Lam, en la
zona de Urabá y el municipio de Turbo para la alimentación animal, humana y los
servicios ecosistémicos de la planta se realizó una investigación que caracterizó
los frutos y evaluó características reproductivas (germinación) y vegetativas en la
etapa de vivero. Esta evaluación se realizó a árboles aislados que fueron
encontrados y que pueden servir como fuente semillera para la propagación de la
especie en el territorio. Los árboles del estudio (4) fueron georreferenciados y de
ellos fueron colectados 20 frutos tipo silicuas para finalmente seleccionar 10 de
cada uno. En la fase de caracterización se estudiaron las variables largo total del
fruto, diámetro del fruto, número total de semillas, diámetro de semillas y peso de
la semilla; en la fase de vivero se estudiaron las variables germinación, largo de la
raíz, peso de la planta y largo de la planta. A los datos obtenidos se les aplicó
Análisis de varianza a un nivel de (p≤0,05). Cuando se encontraron diferencias
significativas se realizó una prueba de Tukey. En la fase de caracterización se
encontró diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la variable largo del fruto y
en la fase de vivero fueron encontradas en las variables largo de la raíz, peso de
la planta y largo de la planta, lo que indica que las características físicas de los
frutos y las características reproductivas de los árboles evaluados permite una
multiplicación de la especie igual a la que se ha reportado en otros estudios. A
partir de estos resultados es conveniente realizar otros estudios relacionados con
el crecimiento en campo de la especie y la evaluación de los productos y
subproductos que se obtienen para los diferentes campos de interés.

Enjeux et objectifs de Recherche-Développement Le renforcement de la filière horticole est susceptible de générer une augmentation substantielle des revenus des producteurs ainsi que la pérennité d’emploi. Parmi les fruits tropicaux, le manguier est un de ceux qui ont le plus grand potentiel dans l’économie rurale des zones soudaniennes OuestAfricaines. En effet, en fin de saison sèche, la mangue constitue un apport nutritionnel fondamental par sa forte teneur en nutriments et contribue également, dans ces zones, à la sécurité alimentaire en période de soudure. Mais les producteurs de mangues sont confrontés à une contrainte majeure, les mouches des fruits (Diptera Tephritidae) qui sont aussi des ravageurs de quarantaine pour les exportations de mangues. Les espèces de mouches des fruits sont communes à l’ensemble des pays Ouest-Africains, d’où la nécessité d’aborder ce problème sous un angle régional. Une nouvelle espèce invasive a été signalée en 2004 en Afrique de l’Ouest, Bactro...