Banana Plantations Research Articles

Species description of Tylenchorhynchus leviterminalis isolated from banana plantations in Yogyakarta Special Region of Indonesia

Species description of Tylenchorhynchus leviterminalis isolated from banana plantations in Yogyakarta Special Region of Indonesia

Soil fungal networks exhibit sparser interactions than bacterial networks in diseased banana plantations.

Soil microorganisms are pivotal in mitigating soil-borne diseases. The intricate mechanisms underlying the interactions among microbes and their impact on disease occurrence remain enigmatic. This study underscores that a reduction in fungal network interactions correlates with the incidence of soil-borne Fusarium wilt.

Biocontrol Agents Inhibit Banana Fusarium Wilt and Alter the Rooted Soil Bacterial Community in the Field

Banana is an important fruit and food crop in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Banana production is seriously threatened by Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), a disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, and biological control is an important means of curbing this soil-borne disease. To reveal the effects of biocontrol agents on inhibiting FWB and altering the soil bacterial community under natural ecosystems, we conducted experiments at a banana plantation. The control efficiency of a compound microbial agent (CM), Paenibacillus polymyxa (PP), Trichoderma harzianum (TH), and carbendazim (CA) on this disease were compared in the field. Meanwhile, the alterations in structure and function of the rooted soil bacterial community in different treatments during the vigorous growth and fruit development stages of banana were analyzed by microbiomics method. The results confirmed that the different biocontrol agents could effectively control FWB. In particular, CM significantly reduced the incidence of the disease and showed a field control efficiency of 60.53%. In terms of bacterial community, there were no significant differences in the richness and diversity of banana rooted soil bacteria among the different treatments at either growth stage, but their relative abundances differed substantially. CM treatment significantly increased the ratios of Bacillus, Bryobacter, Pseudomonas, Jatrophihabitans, Hathewaya, and Chujaibacter in the vigorous growth stage and Jatrophihabitans, Occallatibacter, Cupriavidus, and 1921-3 in the fruit development stage. Furthermore, bacterial community function in the banana rooted soil was affected differently by the various biocontrol agents. CM application increased the relative abundance of multiple soil bacterial functions, including carbohydrate metabolism, xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism, terpenoid and polyketide metabolism, lipid metabolism, and metabolism of other amino acids. In summary, our results suggest that the tested biocontrol agents can effectively inhibit the occurrence of banana Fusarium wilt and alter the soil bacterial community in the field. They mainly modified the relative abundance of bacterial taxa and the metabolic functions rather than the richness and diversity. These findings provide a scientific basis for the use of biocontrol agents to control banana Fusarium wilt under field conditions, which serves as a reference for the study of the soil microbiological mechanisms of other biocontrol agents.

Evaluating the Impact of Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on Land Productivity, Crop Residue Decomposition and Abundance of Soil Organisms in a Banana Plantation in Sri Lanka

The fertilization practices heavily influence the decomposition rate of organic materials added to soil. Hence, the nutrient management strategies that aim to improve crop yields may not necessarily support organic carbon accumulation in soil and overall soil fertility. This study investigated how land productivity, crop residue decomposition and diversity of soil organisms were affected by the combined use of chemical fertilizers (CF) and poultry manure (PM) in a banana plantation in Buttala, Sri Lanka. Banana yield, soil properties and decomposition of crop residues were studied in six treatments as, CF1+PM1, CF1+PM2, CF1+PM3, CF2 +PM1, CF2+PM2, and CF2+PM3. CF1 and CF2 correspond with 75% and 100% of recommended CF application rate. PM1, PM2 and PM3 correspond with PM application rates of 0, 2.5 and 5 kg/plant. Crop residue decomposition was assessed using litter bags containing two litter materials as banana pseudo-stem pieces and banana leaves and placed at two depths (surface and at 7.5 cm depth). Litter bags were recovered at 17, 31 and 45 days after placement (DAP) and weight loss of crop residues was determined. The application of poultry manure significantly increased (P<0.01) banana yield at first harvest and decreased (P<0.1) bulk density. Type of material and time of exposure to decomposition had significant effects (P<0.05) on litter decomposition but depth of placement and nutrient management strategy had no significant effect (P>0.05) on decomposition. By 45 DAP pseudo-stems were degraded more than leaves (67.47±13.99 % and 46.90±5.76 %, respectively). The abundance of culturable bacteria and cellulose decomposers in soil and the abundance of soil fauna in decomposing litter were significantly (P<0.1) increased with the PM application to soil. In conclusion, in the studied banana plantation, incorporation of PM in nutrient management increased land productivity and had positive impact on some soil properties, which are important determinants of soil fertility but did not register any effects on crop residue decomposition during the study period.

Assessment of Crop Loss Due to Elephant Crop Raids and Its Eco Friendly Mitigation

The crop raiding by elephants is one of the important concern causing loss of livelihood and affects the farmer’s economy. Hence a study was conducted to estimate the crop losses and to evolve an economically feasible mitigation measures. The studies were conducted in villages belonging to Kodihalli and Uyyamballi Hobli of Kanakapura Taluka, Ramanagara District, Karnataka which is surrounded by thick forest cover during 2022 to 2023. The estimation on crop loss revealed that the highest crop losses were recorded in banana (5.26 to 46.54%) plantations followed by maize (2.47 to 41.87%), ragi (2.31 to 38.95%), mango (1.28 to 32.54%), pigeon pea (1.31-21.41%) and cowpea (1.46 to 12.68%). The highest economic loss was recorded in banana and mango crops. The evaluation of mitigation measures in ragi and maize crop revealed the use of bioacoustics and predator deterrent lights provided better economical feasible mitigation measures with the cost benefit ratio of 1:2.9 and 1:3.5 respectively. The use of barbed wire fence and use of solar fence (Agri solar) was also found effective in mitigating the crop raids by elephants. However, these mitigation measures are short term and has to be used in vulnerable stages of the crop only.

Variations in the structure and function of the soil fungal communities in the traditional cropping systems from Madeira Island.

Agricultural soils are responsible for ecological functions and services that include primary production of food, fiber and fuel, nutrient cycling, carbon cycling and storage, water infiltration and purification, among others. Fungi are important drivers of most of those ecosystem services. Given the importance of fungi in agricultural soils, in this study, we aimed to characterize and analyse the changes of the soil fungal communities of three cropping systems from Madeira Island, where family farming is predominant, and investigate the response of fungi and its functional groups to soil physicochemical properties. To achieve that, we sequenced amplicons targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of the rRNA region, to analyse soil samples from 18 agrosystems: 6 vineyards (V), 6 banana plantations (B) and 6 vegetable plantations (H). Our results showed that alpha diversity indices of fungal communities are similar in the three cropping systems, but fungal composition and functional aspects varied among them, with more pronounced differences in B. Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota were the main phyla found in the three cropping systems. Agaricomycetes and Sordariomycetes are the predominant classes in B, representing 23.8 and 22.4%, respectively, while Sordariomycetes (27.9%) followed by Eurotiomycetes (12.3%) were the predominant classes in V and Sordariomycetes (39.2%) followed by Tremellomycetes (8.9%) in the H. Saprotrophs are the fungal group showing higher relative abundance in the three cropping systems, followed by plant pathogens. Regarding symbionts, endophytes were highly observed in B, while mycorrhizal fungi was predominant in V and H. The structure of fungal communities was mainly correlated with soil content of P, K, N, Fe, and Cu. In addition, we identified bioindicators for each cropping system, which means that cultivated crops are also drivers of functional groups and the composition of communities. Overall, the three cropping systems favored diversity and growth of taxa that play important roles in soil, which highlights the importance of conservative management practices to maintain a healthy and resilient agrosystem.

Peduncle Rot of Banana Caused by Fusarium petroliphilum and F. pernambucanum in Guangxi, China.

Banana is one of the main fruit crops worldwide. In October 2020, peduncles with rot were observed on bananas (Musa sp. ABB, Pisang Awak subgroup) at a about 1600 square meter commercial banana plantation in Dayu Town (23.17° N, 109.80° E), Guigang, Guangxi, China. The incidence of the disease was about 40%. The interior of the peduncle initially appeared reddish-brown and gradually turned black, and the peduncle eventually rotted. Two whole diseased bunches diseased samples were collected from banana plantations. Small pieces of tissues from the peduncle at the junction of disease and health were surface-disinfected in 75% ethanol for 10 s, 2% NaClO for 1 min, and rinsed three times in sterile water, then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) for incubation at 25°C. Forty-nine fungal isolates with similar morphology were recovered from diseased tissues, with 82% isolation frequency. Six isolates (GG3-1, GG3-2, GG3-3, GG4-1, GG4-2 and GG4-3) were selected for further study. Genomic DNAs of these isolates were extracted from 7-day-old mycelia. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor (TEF1), calmodulin (CAM), and partial RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) of six representative isolates were amplified and sequenced (O'Donnell et al. 2000, 2010; White et al. 1990). Sequences were deposited in GenBank. (accessions PP087392-PP087397 for ITS; PP102792-PP102797 for TEF1; PP102798-PP102803 for CAM; PP102804-P102809 for RPB2). A phylogenetic tree based on concatenated sequences of all markers using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm (Xia et al. 2019; Schroers et al. 2016). Based on phylogenetic analyses, GG3-1, -2 and -3 were identified as F. petroliphilum with 100% bootstrap support, and GG4-1, -2 and -3 were tightly clustered with F. pernambucanum with 95% bootstrap support. The two representative isolates GG3-2 and GG4-2 were selected for morphology and pathogenicity observation. Colonies of GG3-2 were light yellow and flat mycelium. They produced falciform macroconidia of 46.1 ± 5.3 × 2.6 ± 0.4 μm with 3 to 5 septates, and hyaline, ovoid microconidia of 7.6 ± 0.9 × 4.0 ± 0.6 μm with 0 septate (Brown et al. 2022). Mycelia were whitish to yellowish aerial mycelium for GG4-2. Their macroconidia were falcate of 31.6 ± 3.0 × 4.3 ± 0.3 μm with curved apical cells, foot-shaped basal cells, and 3 to 5 septates. The microconidia were fusoid of 8.9 ± 1.0 × 2.7 ± 0.3 μm with 0 to 1 septate (Santos et al. 2019). For pathogenicity tests, the ends of the banana peduncles were cut off. Needle punctures were made on the ethanol-treated peduncle pieces, followed by inoculation with 20 μL of conidial suspension (106 spores/ml) of each of the two isolates with three replications each. Sterilized water was used as a control. Peduncle pieces were placed in a humid box and incubated at 28ºC. After 7 days, reddish-brown to black lesions were observed on all inoculated peduncle pieces, while no symptoms were observed on the control pieces. The fungus was isolated from the inoculated peduncle pieces and found to match the morphological characteristics and marker sequences of the original isolates, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of peduncle rot on banana caused by F. petroliphilum and F. pernambucanum in China. This study will provide valuable information on causal pathogens of this disease which can contribute to improving prevention and disease management strategies for growers.

Montane evergreen forest deforestation for banana plantations decreased soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stores to alarming levels

Forest conversion to agricultural land has been shown to deplete soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) stocks. However, research on how soil properties respond to forest conversion to shifting cultivation has produced conflicting results. The conflicting findings suggest that the agricultural system may influence the response of SOC and STN to forest conversion to agriculture, depending on the presence of vegetative cover throughout the year. Due to the unique characteristics of montane evergreen forests (MEF) and banana plantations (BP), SOC and STN response to MEF conversion to BP may differ from existing models. Nevertheless, research on how soil properties are affected by MEF conversion to BP is scarce globally. In order to fill this research gap, the goal of this study was to evaluate how much deforestation for BP affects SOC, STN, and soil quality by analysing these soil parameters in MEF and BP fields down to 1-m depth, using standard profile-based procedures. Contrary to the specified hypothesis that SOC and STN losses would be restricted to the upper 20-cm soil layer, SOC losses were extended to the 40-cm depth layer and STN losses to the 60-cm depth layer. The soils lost 18.56 Mg ha – 1 (37%) of SOC from the upper 20 cm and 33.15 Mg ha – 1 (37%) from the upper 40 cm, following MEF conversion to BP. In terms of STN, the upper 20, 40, and 60 cm lost 2.98 (43%), 6.62 (47%), and 8.30 Mg ha – 1 (44%), respectively. Following MEF conversion to BP, the SOC stratification ratio decreased by 49%, implying a decline in soil quality. Massive exportation of nutrients, reduced C inputs due to complete removal of the arboreal component and crop residues, the erodibility of the soils on the study area’s steep hillslopes, and the potential for banana plantations to increase throughfall kinetic energy, and splash erosion through canopy dripping are thought to be the leading causes of SOC and STN losses. More research is needed to identify the extent to which each cause influences SOC and STN losses.

Impact of New Fermentation Systems on the Health Quality of Cocoa Beans (Theobroma cacao L. 1753) in the Main Cocoa-Growing Regions of Côte D'ivoire: Nawa, Bas-Sassandra and Haut-Sassandra

Aims: Cocoa cultivation plays a crucial role in the Ivorian economy, requiring rigorous post-harvest processes to ensure the quality of the chocolate produced. Fermentation is a fundamental step in these processes, directly influencing the development of the flavor and aromatic characteristics of cocoa beans. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of various fermentation supports on the microbiological quality of cocoa beans after drying. Study Design: The beans were fermented on six types of supports: palm leaves, cocoa pods, polypropylene tarps, polypropylene bags, jute bags, and banana leaves (control), using two varieties of cocoa, Forasteros and Mercedes in the San Pedro, Soubré and Daloa regions. Methodology: At the end of the drying process, 2 kg of dried beans from each fermentation support were collected. The analyses focused on moisture, pH, and the level of microbiological contamination, including fungal flora and Bacillus (spore-forming bacteria). The analyses were performed in triplicate. The fungal flora was identified through macroscopic and microscopic observations, while biochemical tests were used to identify presumptive Bacillus cereus. Results: The results indicate that beans fermented in pods showed a pH above 5.5, and those fermented on polypropylene bags had moisture exceeding 8%. Bacillus bacteria were more frequent in the beans fermented in cacao pods. Molds, primarily Aspergillus ochraceus and Aspergillus niger, were more prevalent on jute bags and in the pods compared to the control. The presence of Bacillus spores and ochratoxigenic molds in the fermented beans, in the pods, and on jute bags poses a risk to the quality and safety of the cocoa beans. Conclusion: In contrast, polypropylene bags, polypropylene tarps, and palm leaves are identified as suitable supports for maintaining the sanitary quality of the beans, similar to banana leaves (control support). These results show that, despite the gradual decline in banana plantations, cocoa producers will benefit from adequate support for the fermentation process, thereby guaranteeing the quality of cocoa beans and enabling them to obtain a competitive purchase price in the field, while offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to acquire higher quality products to increase their turnover.

A Territorialized Memory of Colombian Conflict

A review of Huellas de desaparición: Los casos de Urabá, Palacio de Justicia y territorio Nukak (Traces of Disappearance: The Cases of Urabá, Palace of Justice and Nukak Territory), an exhibition held in Bogotá, Colombia, at the Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia (MAMU), December 10 to July 18, 2021, and in Medellín, Colombia, at the Museo de Antioquia, September 15, 2022 to January 2, 2023; the exhibition was curated by Forensic Architecture and the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento de la Verdad la Convivencia y la No Repetición de la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP). The exhibition used architectural tools to reconstruct three episodes of the Colombian armed conflict: the displacement of the Nukak Indigenous people, the dispossession of Campesino farmers to accommodate banana plantations for multinational companies, and the response of Colombian armed forces to the siege of Colombia’s Palace of Justice.

Influence of climate and banana growth stages on spatio‐temporal variation of banana mealybug Pseudococcus elisaeBorchsenius (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) population ecology

Abstract The banana mealybug Pseudococcus elisae Borchsenius (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) is a pest of economic importance in Cameroon that requires effective control practices, especially after the routinely used chlorpyrifos insecticide was banned in 2019. For effective mealybug control, it is imperative to understand their ecology in relation to banana growth stages and climate‐induced seasonal variations. Therefore, the influence of climatic variables and banana growth stages on a spatio‐temporal distribution of mealybugs in Esuke and Benoe banana plantations of the Cameroon Development Corporation in Tiko was assessed. A 60‐ha area was mapped in each plantation and divided into 12 plots of 5 ha each, which were further sub‐divided into four quadrants of 1.25 ha. A total of 10 banana suckers, 10 pre‐flowering, 10 flowering and 10 bunchy plants were sampled per quadrant. Monthly mealybug population dynamics were assessed across 2 years in 2021 and 2022 on lower or upper pseudostem, leaves and banana bunches. Significant yearly and monthly mealybug population variation on banana plants were observed, with more mealybugs in 2022 than 2021, and two monthly mealybug peaks in February and November (p < 0.001). Mealybug population was higher on banana bunches and lower or upper pseudostem than on leaves (p < 0.001). Mealybugs preferred bunchy plants than suckers or pre‐flowering and flowering plants, and exhibited clumped distribution with Taylor aggregation index (b) greater than one (p < 0.001). A simple linear regression revealed strong positive effects of high temperature on mealybug population ecology, while relative humidity and rainfall had inverse effects on the population of mealybug. These highlight the dynamics of banana mealybug population ecology under variable climatic conditions and banana growth stages, which provides valuable baseline information to facilitate developing effective control strategies for mealybugs in banana plantations.

Water quality under intensive banana (Musa Acuminate) plantations of varying ages in south western Cameroon

Water quality under intensive banana (Musa Acuminate) plantations of varying ages in south western Cameroon

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in banana plantations in Türkiye

important disease for banana production. Presence and prevalence of FocTR4 in banana plantations on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye were assessed during 2018 to 2020 in a total of 117 banana plantations in open fields and protected plastic greenhouses. Rhizome, pseudostem, and root samples were taken from plants showing typical symptoms associated to the disease and from suspected affected plants. Fungi were isolated from the plant internal tissues, and Fusarium oxysporum-like colonies were sub-cultured for further analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of 36 isolates showed that they belonged to four different Fusarium species: F. musae, F. oxysporum, F. sacchari, and F. solani. Eight representative F. oxysporum isolates were identified as FocTR4 by specific PCR and qPCR tests. Pathogenicity tests were carried out on tissue-cultured ‘Cavendish’ type banana seedlings (‘Grand Naine’) for 36 Fusarium isolates, and their virulence was assessed based on the internal necrosis observed in the rhizomes. Approx. 40 to 65 d after inoculations, FocTR4, F. oxysporum, and F. sacchari isolates caused severe to mild necroses in the seedling rhizomes. This is the first report of F. sacchari associated with root and collar rot of bananas in Türkiye. This study showed that Fusarium wilt caused by FocTR4 is present, but at low incidence (6.8%) in Turkish banana plantations.

First Report of bacterial wilt disease of banana caused by Klebsiella variicola in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, bananas (Musa spp.) are the second most cultivated fruit and the fourth most cultivated fruit in terms of export revenue. In October 2018, about 5.0 out of 6.6 hectares of a banana plantation located in Teluk Intan, Malaysia, was impacted by an outbreak of banana disease. The onset of bacterial wilt symptoms is characterized by initial leaf wilting, followed by the subsequent withering of the entire plant during later stages, fruit stalk and fruit pulp discoloration, fruit rotting, and pseudostem necrosis. The diseased banana's symptomatic pseudostems and fruit pulps were surface-sterilised in 70% ethanol for 30 s, followed by 2% NaClO for 3 min, rinsed three times in sterilised water, and cut into small pieces approximately 5 mm2 in size. The tissues were macerated in a sterilised 0.85% NaCl solution for 5 min, and the resulting suspension was streaked onto nutrient agar, followed by incubation at 28°C for 2 days. After incubation, bacterial colonies with five unique morphological characteristics were observed. Two colonies of each unique morphological type were randomly chosen and subjected to preliminary bacterial identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on BLASTn analysis, the five unique morphological types of bacteria were preliminarily identified as Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter farmeri, Klebsiella variicola, Kosakonia radicincitans, and Phytobacter ursingii. Previous reports identified K. variicola and K. radicincitans as banana pathogens, but Malaysia has yet to report the former. The amplified partial 16S rDNA sequences of both K. variicola isolates (designated as UTAR-BC1 and UTAR-BC2; GenBank accession numbers: PP531448 and PP531460, respectively), which were chosen to be the focus of this study, exhibited complete similarity to each other and were 100% identical (1426/1426 identity and 1420/1420 identity, respectively) to K. variicola (CP026013.1). To verify the identity of the bacterial isolate, three housekeeping genes, namely, infB(PP538994), rpoB (PP538995), and gyrB (PP538996) of UTAR-BC1, were amplified, sequenced, and subjected to multilocus phylogenetic analysis via the neighbour-joining method (1,000 bootstrap values). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that UTAR-BC1 belongs to the K. variicola clade. A pathogenicity assay of UTAR-BC1 was conducted on 4-month-old healthy banana plantlets (cv. Nangka) using the pseudostem injection method (Tripathi et al., 2008). First, UTAR-BC1 was grown overnight in nutrient broth and then adjusted to 108 CFU/ml in a sterile 10 mM MgCl2 solution. A total volume of 100 µL of the bacterial suspension was injected into the pseudostem of five healthy banana plantlets via a syringe with a needle. Control plants were mock-inoculated with a sterile 10 mM MgCl2 solution. The experiments were replicated thrice and inoculated plants were maintained at room temperature with natural sunlight and humidity, which resembled the field conditions. Two months after inoculation, all of the UTAR-BC1 inoculated spots of banana plantlets showed severe necrosis, while the banana leaves showed symptoms of wilted appearance, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The reisolated pathogen from 90% of the symptomatic pseudostems and leaf blades shares the same morphological and molecular features as UTAR-BC1, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. Previously, K. variicola has been reported to be a banana pathogen causing rhizome rot in India (Loganathan et al., 2021), plantain soft rot in Haiti (Fulton et al. 2020), and sheath rot and bulb rot in China (Sun et al., 2023; Jiang et al., 2024). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial wilt disease in bananas attributed to K. variicola in Malaysia. This finding will facilitate the surveillance of K. variicola as an emerging pathogen in banana plants in this region, thereby safeguarding the country's food security and promoting socio-economic growth.

Utilising Banana Peel as a Food Ingredient for Enhancing Nutritional Value of Yellow Noodles and Beef Patties

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits around the world. There are more than 150 different countries that have banana plantations. Most of the bananas can be either eaten raw or processed to become tasty banana products such as banana chips, banana cake or banana milk. However, a lot of consumption will make a lot of waste at the same time. Therefore, the high demand for bananas in the market causes the problem of environmental pollution due to the higher production of banana peel waste which is becoming serious nowadays. The wastes derived from bananas can be transformed into other useful products. Based on the result from proximate analysis, the chemical compositions of the banana peel are ash (7.0%), carbohydrate (71.0%), moisture content (8.9%), fat (13.0%), dietary fibre (35.9%), crude fibre (16.6%), and finally the protein (6.5%). From its chemical composition, the carbohydrate content of the banana peel is the highest among other components. Because of this high carbohydrate and fibre content, banana peels have the potential to become a nutritional ingredient to produce healthy food or beverage products. In this paper, the fibre content can be observed by the increase in the carbohydrate content. The results show that the addition of banana peel powder had helped to improve the nutritional value of fibre content for yellow noodles from 19.4% to 21.3% after 10% of banana peel powder (BPP) was added. However, the results of fibre content for each beef patties sample were not consistent and this may be due to the agglomeration of BPP in the patties. Nevertheless, the fibre content of patties which contain the highest value of BPP (6%) achieved the highest fibre content at the same time. In short, the pollution issue caused by the banana peel can be solved efficiently if humans can learn to manage the banana peel as a material, not a waste.

Symbolic Elements and Their Connection to Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Depiction of Latin American History

This paper explores the profound impact of symbolic elements in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s works on the depiction of Latin American history and culture through the lens of magical realism. Focusing on key symbols in One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Autumn of the Patriarch, and Love in the Time of Cholera, the study delves into how these symbols enhance the narrative and offer deeper insights into historical and cultural contexts. The analysis reveals how Marquez uses symbols such as the banana plantation, the decaying palace, and the river to critique colonialism, political corruption, and societal upheaval. Furthermore, the paper examines the interplay between reality and fantasy in Marquez’s works and its role in shaping readers’ understanding of historical events and cultural identity. By connecting personal stories with broader historical and cultural themes, Marquez’s symbolism fosters a nuanced and imaginative engagement with Latin American history, encouraging readers to reflect on the complexities and enduring legacies of the region.

A dataset of UAV multispectral images for a banana Fusarium wilt survey

Banana Fusarium wilt, also known as "banana cancer", currently poses a significant threat to banana production worldwide. Timely and accurate identification of Fusarium wilt disease is crucial for effective disease control and optimizing agricultural planting structure. To explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing for identifying banana wilt disease, in this study, we obtained comprehensive experimental data on wilted banana plants in a banana plantation in Long'an County, Guangxi. The dataset includes UAV multispectral reflectance data and ground survey data on the incidence of banana wilt disease. The UAV multispectral imagery was acquired under clear, cloud-free, and well-illuminated weather conditions, at a flying altitude of 120 meters with a spatial resolution of 8 cm/pixel. The ground sample points survey on the occurrence of banana wilt disease was conducted using a high-precision handheld GPS unit to collect latitude and longitude information for each sample point, and the positions were matched with the corresponding center positions of banana plants in the UAV imagery indoors. The dataset provides high- spatial-resolution UAV multispectral imagery data and accurate ground sample point survey data. It can be applied in the research and monitoring of UAV remote sensing identification and surveillance of banana wilt disease. It plays a crucial role in advancing research and application of remote sensing monitoring for agricultural crop diseases.

Stereo visual-inertial localization algorithm for orchard robots based on point-line features

The vision-based localization of orchard mobile robots is an indispensable component of orchard intelligent management, applicable to scenarios such as navigation and harvesting. Due to the rugged terrain and lack of texture features in orchard environments, the accuracy of Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) based on feature point is compromised, making it challenging to meet practical application requirements. Addressing these issues, this paper proposes an algorithm for stereo visual-inertial localization based on point-line features, by enhancing VINS-Fusion. The algorithm incorporates the line feature detector algorithm (LSD) into the odometry front-end to detect line features, addressing the insufficient effective feature points and low-quality feature matching issues in orchard environments. Simultaneously, strategies for length filtering and feature matching are introduced for line features, eliminating poor-quality line features and matches caused by rugged terrain, thereby reducing adverse impacts on localization accuracy. To prevent keyframe redundancy due to a scarcity of stable feature points in areas with missing textures, such as tree trunks and leaves, a keyframe criteria optimization method based on point-line features is designed. Back-end optimization minimizes the cost function containing residuals of point-line features, prior information, and IMU, ultimately improving the localization accuracy of mobile robots. To validate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed algorithm, a self-built dataset was created in real orchard environments, including scenes from banana plantation, mango orchard, and wampee orchard. Localization experiments were conducted using Rosario, EuRoC public datasets and self-built orchard dataset. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm consistently achieves lower ATE-RMSE than VINS-Fusion, with a maximum reduction of 79.2 % in the Rosario dataset sequence, 23.3 % in the EuRoC dataset sequence, and ATE-RMSE values of 0.091 m, 0.107 m, and 0.093 m in banana plantation, mango orchard, and wampee orchard, respectively. These represent reductions of 22.9 %, 7.6 %, and 27.3 % compared to VINS-Fusion. In the self-built orchard dataset, the average frame processing times for the algorithm front-end is 56.3 ms, while for the back-end is 31 ms, meeting the practical localization requirements. The proposed algorithm effectively enhances the localization accuracy of orchard mobile robots, offering a viable solution for autonomous navigation in orchard robot systems.

A method for measuring banana pseudo-stem phenotypic parameters based on handheld mobile LiDAR and IMU fusion.

Diameter and height are crucial morphological parameters of banana pseudo-stems, serving as indicators of the plant's growth status. Currently, in densely cultivated banana plantations, there is a lack of applicable research methods for the scalable measurement of phenotypic parameters such as diameter and height of banana pseudo-stems. This paper introduces a handheld mobile LiDAR and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)-fused laser scanning system designed for measuring phenotypic parameters of banana pseudo-stems within banana orchards. To address the challenges posed by dense canopy cover in banana orchards, a distance-weighted feature extraction method is proposed. This method, coupled with Lidar-IMU integration, constructs a three-dimensional point cloud map of the banana plantation area. To overcome difficulties in segmenting individual banana plants in complex environments, a combined segmentation approach is proposed, involving Euclidean clustering, Kmeans clustering, and threshold segmentation. A sliding window recognition method is presented to determine the connection points between pseudo-stems and leaves, mitigating issues caused by crown closure and heavy leaf overlap. Experimental results in banana orchards demonstrate that, compared with manual measurements, the mean absolute errors and relative errors for banana pseudo-stem diameter and height are 0.2127 cm (4.06%) and 3.52 cm (1.91%), respectively. These findings indicate that the proposed method is suitable for scalable measurements of banana pseudo-stem diameter and height in complex, obscured environments, providing a rapid and accurate inter-orchard measurement approach for banana plantation managers.

Banana crop by-products in the Canary Islands in a biorefinery’s context

The waste from banana food production and their use within a circular economy framework are briefly analyzed within this review. Firstly, general information on the economic value of the crop, and its relevance in the economic development of the Canary Islands are presented. Secondly, an analysis on the types of by-products that are generated in banana cultivation, both in the plantation itself (pseudostem, leaves, and flower), and in the sorting and packaging facilities (rachis and discarded bananas) is shown. The authors conclude that banana plantation residues could be recovered by applying the biorefinery concept, in line with the European guidelines on efficient use of resources.