Cashew Research Articles

EXPLORING THE EFFICACY OF CNSL-BASED BOTANICAL PESTICIDES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PESTS OF BHINDI (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS)

The consistent use of chemical pesticides over the years has led to various issues. To mitigate these problems, botanical insecticides have been used as a better alternative. One such botanical insecticide is cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL 20% EC), which contains a mixture of phenolic compounds. Under laboratory conditions, this insecticide was assessed against Sylepta derogata larvae in different concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1, along with a chemical control. At 5, 7, and 10 DAT, CNSL 1% was found to be the most effective treatment, with 90% mortality recorded. A probit analysis was conducted to determine the effective dose, which was found to be 1%. The CNSL 20% EC was modified to produce two combination products, EC1 and EC2, by substituting half of the active ingredient with neem oil and pongam oil respectively, without changing other ingredients and their proportion. The developed formulations were evaluated for product stability and emulsion properties. A pot culture experiment was conducted on bhindi crops once during the vegetative and reproductive phases. At 7 DAT, EC1 @ 1% and CNSL 20% EC @ 1% caused over 95% reduction of sucking pests such as Amrasca biguttula biguttula and Aphis gossypi compared to the control. However, CNSL 20% EC produced only a 76.48% reduction of the chewing pest S. derogata, whereas treatments with EC1 and EC2 showed over 80% reduction. Sucking pests were effectively reduced (by more than 90%) by the application of EC2 as well. It was concluded that the combination products EC1 and EC2 were more effective in controlling pests than CNSL alone.

Optimization of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) oil extraction yield by the enzymatic method

This study aimed to extract as much cashew oil as possible by enzymatic means, an environmentally friendly method. To achieve this, cashew almond paste was reacted with the enzyme alcalase 2.4 L, taking into account the matrix provided by a Box-Behnken design. The factors highlighted were those of enzyme concentration, incubation temperature, incubation time, pH ratio of the medium, and substrate/water. These factors were optimized to obtain the maximum cashew oil yield. The results showed that the alcalase 2.4 L enzyme optimized the cashew oil yield. The optimum yield (38.20 %) was achieved with an enzyme concentration of 2.5 %, a temperature of 60 °C, an incubation time of 8 h, a pH of 8 and a substrate/water ratio of 1:5. Thus, enzymatic extraction using alcalase 2.4 L can be considered an effective extraction method for obtaining oil from cashew nuts.

LEAF ANATOMICAL ADAPTATIONS OF FOURTEEN TREE SPECIES GROWING IN LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY, OJO CAMPUS. LAGOS, NIGERIA

Plants growing in different locations exhibit various anatomical adaptations which make them survive in their various habitats. Therefore, this study examined the leaf anatomical adaptations  of fourteen tree species namely Acacia auriculiformis, Albizia lebbeck, Anacardium occidentale, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Delonix regia, Gmelina arborea, Lagestroemia speciosa, Mangifera indica, Polyalthia longifolia, Tectona grandis, Terminalia catappa, Terminalia ivoriensis and Yucca gigantea growing in Lagos State University, Ojo Campus.. The leaf epidermal layers were isolated using nail polish; and were observed under the light microscope to determine the stomata features, epidermal cell and trichome types. The results showed that all the species were hypostomatic, with the exception of Acacia auriculiformis and Terminalia ivorensis that were amphistomatic. Eight stomatal complex types such as anomotetracytic, staurocytic, anisosytic, brachyparacytic, paracytic, pericytic, brachyparatetracytic and anomocytic were observed among the species. The stomatal density ranged from 46.05 mm-2 342.11 mm-2 on both leaf surfaces. The stomatal index ranged from 16.17% - 91.23% on both leaf surfaces. Trichomes were found in Albizia lebbeck, Delonix regia, Gmelina arborea, Polyalthia longifolia, Tectona grandis and Terminali aivorensis. The anticlinal cell wall patterns observed were round, curved, wavy and straight; while the epidermal cell shapes were irregular, isodiametric and polygonal. This study revealed that leaf anatomical adaptations such as amphistomatic leaf type, presence of stomatal complex types (anomocytic, anomotetracytic, brachyparatetracytic, staurocytic and anisocytic) with many subsidiary cells; high stomatal density and index; absence of trichomes; and wavy anticlinal cell wall pattern might be responsible for survival of the species in their locations.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L) bark extract for eco-safe dyeing of mordanted cotton fabric: Colorimetric and biomedical functional properties

Large volume of wastewater containing toxic chemicals often discharged into the environment by textile industry is adversely damaging the quality of the ecosystem. This study aimed to circumvent this unfortunate practice through replacement of toxic chemical-mordants with eco-safe herbal-mordants in the cashew bark (CB) naturally dyed cotton fabric. The high dye yield obtained within short period of time vindicated microwave (MW) radiator as a cost, time and labor efficient modern heating tool in dye extraction from natural source. The MW-assisted CB dye extract was chosen for dyeing cotton fabric based on its desired properties (like high yield, low moisture content and bulk density). It was discovered that dye exhaustion, dye-uptake and tint strength of cotton fabric were enhanced after 4 min MW treatment. Utilization of calcium (II) chloride (CaCl2) and iron (II) sulfate (FeSO4) as chemical mordants, Vernonia amygdalina and Sorghum bicolor leaf extracts as bio-mordants has given a set of attractive shades (yellow to chocolate). The mordanted CB dyed cotton fabrics have desired dye exhaustion, dye-uptake and tint strength. The good colorfastness and biomedical functional properties of MW induced CB dyed cotton fabric were enhanced to excellent after post-mordanted with the herbal-anchors. Overall, MW treatment and exploitation of herbal-anchors have showcased the cotton natural dyeing process as the potential industrial cleaner, ecological-friendly and sustainable practice.

Optimization of Tannin’s Extraction from Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) Nut Testa for Use in Leather Tanning

Extensive researches have been conducted over the years, focusing on the use of vegetable tannins to reduce pollution caused by mineral tanning. Vegetable tannins have been utilized commercially, but they remain costly and are not easily accessible. The purpose of this study was to optimize the tannin’s extraction from cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nut testa using water in order to determine their suitability in leather tanning. Samples of cashew nut testa were collected randomly from cashew nut processors in Mtwara region, Southern Tanzania. They were shade-dried and ground into powder. Various ratio of powder/water (1:6, 1:9, 1:12 and 1:15) -on weight basis were made for extraction, maintained at a temperature of 70 0C for 90 minutes. Results showed that, depending on the extract ratios, different tannin concentrations were obtained which had an implication on tannin extracted from powder. Experiment was found solution with ratio 1:9 have shown to extract about 50.73% of total tannins presented on cashew nut testa powder followed by solutions with ratio 1:12, ratio 1:15, and ratio 1:6 extracted about 46.27%, 43.51% and 38.95% respectively. Suitability of various tannins solution extracted from cashew nut testa was tested using conventional tanning process on sheepskins. The physical properties of the resultant leathers were determined using the standard methods (TBS/ISO). Under given condition, it has shown that using the ratios of 1:6, 1:9, 1:12 and 1:15 resulted in leather with tensile strength ranging between 19.41+6.36 MPa and 43.00+8.18 MPa and elongation at maximum load in the range of 34.48+10.12 % to 77.56+10.96 %., average shrinkage temperatures were above 75oC, and flexing test gave no damage of leather at 100,000 flexes. The physical properties of leather recorded have shown to meet the minimum recommended values from the standard (ISO 14931-2021). The mixing ratio 1:9 of cashew nut testa powder/water has been recommended for extracting tannin for vegetable tanning.

Effects of nut and legume powder substitution in crackers prepared with wheat flour on postprandial plasma glucose response among healthy Thai adults

Introduction: Crackers, one of the most consumed baked products, primarily contain refined wheat flour and have a moderate glycaemic index (GI). Nut and legume powders are used in baked goods to help regulate postprandial glycaemia; however, their glycaemic responses remain controversial. Our study aimed to compare the postprandial glycaemic responses between crackers with 30% wheat flour substitution by white kidney beans, cashew nuts, and almonds versus standard wheat crackers. Methods: Twelve adults were recruited for a five-session randomised controlled crossover study. In each session, they were randomly assigned to receive 50g carbohydrates from either a glucose solution or one of the four crackers. Plasma glucose levels were measured at baseline and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after consumption. Satiety and hunger were evaluated using 100mm visual analogue scales at baseline and every 30 minutes until 120 minutes. Results: Mean incremental area under the curve (IAUC) for plasma glucose did not differ between the alternatives and wheat crackers, but was lowest for almond crackers. Compared with GI value of glucose solution, that of wheat, cashew nut, white kidney bean, and almond crackers were 39.97±23.13, 37.66±24.66, 35.85±10.86, and 28.09±17.92, respectively. Almond cracker consumption resulted in the highest mean IAUC for satiety and lowest for hunger, though non-significant. Conclusion: Crackers with 30% wheat flour substitution by nut and legume powders tended to improve postprandial glycaemia more than the standard crackers; however, acute responses on insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 require further examination.

Effectiveness of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as a Green Additive for Warm-Mix Asphalt

Effectiveness of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as a Green Additive for Warm-Mix Asphalt

Effect of Pretreatment Methods on Juice Extraction Yield and Nutritional Composition of Cashew Apple (Anacardium Occidentale L.) Harvested from Binh Phuoc (Vietnam)

Nowadays, cashew trees are mainly cultivated to collect cashew nuts, leading to the large amounts of cashew apples (known as the by-product of the cashew industry) being eliminated due to astringent taste caused by tannin. This is the reason why although cashew apples contain many nutritious compounds as vitamin C, polyphenols, sugars, antioxidants are still underutilized in manufacturing beverages. Hence, aiming to evaluate the potential of cashew in terms of effect of pretreatment methods on extraction yield and nutritional values of extracted cashew apple juice, the organic cashew apples collected in Binh Phuoc, Vietnam were examined. The impact of 11 pretreatment methods including blanching cashew apple in different media and incubating in pectinase on extraction yield, tannin and other nutritional values were evaluated. Using enzyme Pectinex Ultra SP-L 0.01% in 2 hours gave extraction yield of 83.89±0.4% which was highest compared to other examined pretreatment methods in the study. Enzymatic pretreatment resulted in 36.5% reduction in tannin content and other nutritious values changed slightly. The obtained results emphasis the potential of cashew apples as a raw material for nutritional beverage production in hope of reducing the quantity of discarded cashew apples. Consequently, this study developed methods in order to add economic value to cashew apple and decrease the negative impacts of the cashew industry to the environment.

Effect of cashew nut flour on hematological parameters of children living with HIV.

Aim: To assess the effect of cashew nut flour on the hematological parameters of children living with HIV-AIDS. Method: A 32-week randomized, blind clinical trial conducted at a specialized outpatient clinic. Children aged 2-12 years were allocated to intervention groups (IGs) (n = 11) receiving 12 g/day of cashew nut flour and control groups (CGs) (n = 9) receiving 12 g/day of carboxymethyl cellulose. Parameters of erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, and lipid profiles were evaluated. Results: In the IG, the elevation and reduction of leukocyte and lipid profile biomarkers, respectively, were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). A clinically and statistically significant increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was observed in the CG (p = 0.018), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.9). There were no statistically significant changes in platelet counts among participants (p = 0.18). The effect size for white blood cell count, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides was moderate in the IG compared to the CG. Conclusion: Cashew nut flour supplementation may increase levels of leukocytes and lipid profile parameters in children living with HIV. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC): U1111.1276.6591.

Optimization for improved biomethane yield from cashew nut hulls through response surface methodology

Optimization for improved biomethane yield from cashew nut hulls through response surface methodology

Dietary total antioxidant capacity of Moroccan Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients.

A new approach to a healthy diet is the assessment of dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC). The aim of this study was to assess the dietary TAC among Moroccan Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients and identify the main food sources contributing to the total antioxidant capacity intake. A total of 254 patients with T2DM was included in the study. The usual dietary intakes were assessed by means of a validated food frequency questionnaire. The dietary TAC was estimated using published databases of the antioxidant content of foods measured by the FRAP (ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential) method. The mean (SD) dietary TAC of the studied type 2 diabetes patients was 10.86 (3.42) mmol/day. Correlation analyses showed a positive association between dietary TAC and the consumption of healthy food groups, such as fruits and vegetables. Tea and coffee beverages (38.6%), vegetables (21.9%), cereals and pulses (18.8%), fruits and fruit juices (12.4%) were major food sources of dietary antioxidant intake. The relatively short list of twenty food items that contributed most to dietary TAC presented an important explanation of roughly 94%. These included tea, coffee, broad beans, artichoke, pepper, beetroot, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, mandarin, figs, strawberry, orange juice, olives, cashew nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, dchicha and white beans. This study supplies baseline dietary TAC data for Moroccan T2DM patients that may help to elucidate which aspects of the eating habits and behaviours require improvement and provide the opportunity to develop dietary guidelines as part of the nutritional diabetes management.

Single and basal crop coefficients for estimation of water requirements of subtropical and tropical orchards and plantations with consideration of fraction of ground cover, height, and training system

AbstractThis paper provides an overview of the research carried out over the last 25 years on the FAO56 single and basal crop coefficients of subtropical and tropical orchards and plantations of cactus pear, dragon fruit, fig, jujube, passion fruit, pomegranate, cape gooseberry, cherimoya, guava, longan, lychee, mango, papaya, acerola, carambola, cashew, cacao, coffee, jaboticaba, jatropha, macadamia, açai palm, coconut, date palm, guayule, oil palm, peach palm, ramie and rubber tree. The main objective of this review is to update standard single crop coefficients (Kc) and basal crop coefficients (Kcb) and complete the Kc and Kcb values tabulated in FAO56. Kc is the ratio between the non-stressed crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and the grass reference evapotranspiration (ETo), and Kcb is the ratio between the crop transpiration (Tc) and the ETo. When selecting and analysing the literature, only studies that used the FAO Penman–Monteith equation, or another equation well related to the former to compute ETo were considered, while ETc or Tc were obtained from accurate field measurements on crops under pristine (non-stress cropping conditions) or eustress (“good stress”) conditions. Articles meeting these conditions were selected to provide data for updating Kc and Kcb under standard conditions. The related description of orchards and plantations refers to crop cultivar and rootstock, irrigation systems and scheduling, planting spacing, fraction of ground cover (fc) by the crops, crop height (h), crop age and training systems, as Kc and Kcb values depend on these characteristics. To define the standard Kc and Kcb values of the selected crops, the values collected in the literature were compared with previously tabulated standard Kc and Kcb values. The updated tabulated values are transferable to other locations and climates and can be used to calculate and model crop water requirements, primarily for irrigation planning and scheduling, and thereby supporting of improved water use and savings, which is the overall aim of the current review.

Larval diet of the carpenter bee Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) cearensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini) from Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area

The genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Apidae: Xylocopini) Latreille includes efficient pollinating bees that visit a wide range of botanical species. Although several studies have investigated their interactions with plants in dune ecosystems, there is still a limited understanding of these bee communities in coastal environments. This study aimed to characterize the larval diet of Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) cearensis Ducke, 1910 by analyzing pollen from their nests to assess the presence of specialization or generalization in relation to botanical species. The research was carried out in coastal sandbanks of the Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area, Tutóia, Maranhão-BR, over a 12-month. The natural nests were inventoried by active searches and, when possible, transported to the Federal University of Maranhão. Pollen samples were collected from 19 brood cells of 12 nests in total. All the nests were found on branches of Anacardium occidentale L. Using the cetolysis method, 21 types of pollen were recognized, representing 14 botanical families. Three of those types of pollen were considered to be Frequent pollen, Mouriri cearensis Huber (35.44%), Chamaecrista ramosa (Vogel) H. S. Irwin & Barneby (32.80%) and Myrcia multiflora (Lam.) DC (27.05%). Based on these results, X. cearensis can be characterized as a polylectic species that demonstrates adaptability. These floral resources serve as essential protein sources for the nutrition of their brood, highlighting the importance of these plant species in supporting their reproductive success. This study provides useful information that can serve as a reference for future research on other Xylocopa species in similar ecosystems.

Cashew apple in Tanzania: status of utilization, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development

Cashew apples, although widely available and rich in nutrients are still underutilized after harvest in Tanzania. Approximately 2,327,000 metric tonnes of cashew apples are lost each year. Their counterpart, the cashew nut is highly appreciated and successfully contributes to the national economy. The huge underutilization of cashew apples is a challenge that requires urgent attention in order to achieve both national and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Improvement of the cashew apple sector could have a positive impact on global SDGs 1, 2, and 3 targets of no poverty, zero hunger, and good health and well-being respectively. At national level, this sector could contribute to the goals of the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025, namely: high quality livelihood, particularly food self-sufficiency and food security; and a strong and competitive economy, particularly a diversified and semi-industrialized economy with a substantial industrial sector comparable to typical middle-income countries. In addition, the country’s Third Five Year Development Plan III (FYDP III) 2021/22 – 2025/26 has established key strategic interventions, notably those related to competitive industrialization, energy, and food and nutrition security to ultimately achieve the goals of the TDV 2025. To be effective, however, these strategic interventions require continued strong central and local government support and active involvement of stakeholders to ensure program effectiveness yielded towards efficient utilization of widely available natural resources such as cashew apples which has cross-cutting benefits in food, agriculture, health, energy, and economic perspectives. Therefore, the work provides evidence on the utilization status, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable development in Tanzania.

Small size CNN (CAS-CNN), and modified MobileNetV2 (CAS-MODMOBNET) to identify cashew nut and fruit diseases

Small size CNN (CAS-CNN), and modified MobileNetV2 (CAS-MODMOBNET) to identify cashew nut and fruit diseases

Isolation of Cardanol Fractions from Cashew Nutshell Liquid (CNSL): A Sustainable Approach

Exploring sustainable approaches to replace petroleum-based chemicals is an ongoing challenge in reducing the carbon footprint. Due to the complexity and percentage variation in nature-generated molecules, which further varies based on geographical origin and the purification protocol adopted, a better isolation strategy for individual components is required. Agrowaste from the cashew industry generates phenolic lipid (cardanol)-rich cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) and has recently shown extensive commercial utility. Cardanol naturally exists as a mixture of three structurally different components with C15-alkylene chains: monoene, diene, and triene. The separation of these three fractions has been a bottleneck and is crucial for certain structural designs and reproducibility. Herein, we describe the gram-scale purification of cardanol into each component using flash column chromatography within the sustainability framework. The solvent used for elution is recovered and reused after each stage (up to 82%), making it a cost-effective and sustainable purification strategy. This simple purification technique replaces the alternative high-temperature vacuum distillation, which requires substantial energy consumption and poses vacuum fluctuation and maintenance challenges. Three components (monoene 42%, diene 22%, and triene 36%) were isolated with good purity and were fully characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, GC-MS, HPLC, and FTIR spectroscopy. The present work demonstrates that greener and simpler strategies pave the way for the isolation of constituents from nature-sourced biochemicals and unleash the potential of CNSL-derived fractions for high-end applications.

Optimizing Activated Carbon Production from Waste Cashew Nut Shell with Zinc Chloride: A Box-Behnken Design and Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) Application

In this study, Response surface methodology (RSM) and innovative Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) approaches are applied to investigate the optimal process conditions of zinc chloride activated cashew nut production process. The effects of activation conditions (i.e. activation temperature, activation time, and impregnation ratio) on the achievable BET surface areas were studied with the aid of Box Behnken Design (BBD) and GMDH. Comparative analyses of RSM and GMDH-type neural models were further researched. During the process, the polynomial model equations developed were modified and fine-tuned to predict the highest BET surface area(s) using regression analysis and GMDH multi-layered iterative algorithm (MIA). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the significant factor(s) were impregnation ratio, impregnation ratio product, and the 2-way interactions (activation temperature and impregnation ratio) for ZnCl2 activated cashew nut shell. The best activation conditions for producing highest BET surface area of 504 m2.g-1 was activation temperature (873K), activation time (60 min), and impregnation ratio (1.50).The proposed GMDH-type BET model was ascertained to be the best model with average correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.925 and 32.0 respectively. Sensitivity analysis conducted for GMDH-type neural network also revealed that the activation temperature and activation time with sensitivity values of 90.6% and 74.1% respectively were the most influential parameters in the basic (ZnCl2) activation process. The results of this study show that RSM and GMDH-type neural network could be applied as effective analytical tools for optimizing the ZCNS (zinc chloride-activated cashew nut shells) manufacturing process.

Selenium in plant-based beverages: How can in vitro bioaccessibility contribute to an accurate daily intake?

BackgroundLactose intolerance, cow milk protein allergy, and environmental and ethical concerns drive the global market for plant-based beverages (PPBs). Despite this, data on the occurrence of selenium (Se) in these beverages are scarce. ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to assess total selenium and determine the bioaccessible fractions in plant-based beverages (PBBs) from cereals, oilseeds, and pumpkin seeds, using an in vitro static method to simulate human digestion; and estimate the contribution these beverages have to the reference daily intake (RDI) for children and adults. MethodologyThe study involved beverages made under laboratory conditions. Samples and extracts were submitted to acid digestion (ultrasonic and block digester); total and bioaccessible Se levels were determined by ICP-MS. In vitro bioaccessibility was assessed using the INFOGEST protocol. ResultsThe results revealed a wide variation in Se content in the studied plant-based beverages from 10.3 µg kg−1 (sunflower seeds) to 3509 µg kg−1 (Brazil nuts). The bioaccessibility of Se was found only in PBBs made from oilseeds with macadamia, cashew and Brazil nut, with a variation in values from 86 to 96 %. The Se content and its bioaccessible fraction of Brazil nut PBB may contribute to 1276 % and 1218 % of the RDI for children and adults, respectively. ConclusionsThe Se content varied among samples of cereals, oilseeds and pumpkin seeds, reflecting the diversity in the studied PBBs. Only PBBs containing oilseeds (macadamia, cashews, and Brazil nuts) exhibited measurable amounts of bioaccessible Se, indicating an association with the raw material. However, the consumption of the PBB containing Brazil nuts may pose a risk of adverse effects, due to its high contribution to the RDI in both children and adults.

Antimicrobial activity of some plant extracts against Kosakonia sacchari causing diseases on a Vietnamese climbing perch (Anabas testudineus)

The aquaculture of the climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) is presently focused on growth; however, pathogenic infections are an urgent threat, and multi-drug resistant bacteria may transfer and cause disease in other species. Due to its antimicrobial action and growth stimulant, herb medicine has been widely employed as feed additives in environmentally friendly strategies. This study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo activity of EtOH 96% leaf extracts obtained from five plants including Anacardium occidentale (Ex1), Vitex negundo (Ex2), Vitex rotundifolia (Ex3), Acrostichum aureum L (Ex4), and Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume (Ex5). Using disk diffusion method, the Ex1 exhibited higher antibacterial effect than the other four plant extracts with a concentration of MIC at 12.5 µg/ml. Survival ratio was higher in fish challenged with selected virulence Kosakonia sacchari and then medicated by feed-supplemented with plant extract Ex1 compared to those in non-medicated group. In particular, EX1 help to protect fish from ammonia toxins with survival rates remain at 82%. In addition, supplementation with Ex1 also helped increase the weight gain of fish in each treatment respectively for each fish reach as 1.33 ± 0.07, 0.93 ± 0.03 and 1.35 ± 0.05 g. For efficacy protection of herb medicine. In conclusion, natural herb plant supplement to fish feed will have the potential to replace antibiotics in prophylaxis and be material for enhancing stress tolerant as well as growth promoter. Future study needs to conducted the protection efficacy in pilot scale of aquaculture.

Agronomic Performance of Young Cashew Trees Cultivated in Association with Groundnuts

Cultural association is widely practiced in rural areas by cashew nut producers. These producers typically cultivate annual plants between the rows of young cashew trees. However, there are interactions between these associated crops, which can either result in complementarity or competition among the plants for environmental resources such as water and nutrients. Consequently, young cashew seedlings newly planted were associated with groundnuts during their first two years. The aim of this study was to investigate the compatibility of the cashew/groundnut system. The results showed that there is competition between groundnuts and young cashew trees in the first year, leading to poor cashew growth in association. Nevertheless, from the second year onwards, cashew trees cultivated in association exhibited similar growth to those cultivated in monoculture. Therefore, it would be advisable to plant groundnut seeds sufficiently far from cashew tree seedlings to avoid potential competition in the first year of cultivation.