Commercial Plots Research Articles

First report of bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae on carrots in Spain.

In September 2019, symptoms resembling those of bacterial leaf blight were observed on carrot plants (Daucus carota L. subsp. sativus Hoffm.) cv. Romance cultivated in commercial plots in Chañe (Segovia), Spain. Symptoms were observed in two plots surveyed representing three hectares, with an incidence greater than 90%, and also in some plots in other nearby municipalities sown with the same batch of seeds. The lesions observed at the ends of the leaves were initially yellow that develop dark brown to black with chlorotic halos on leaflets that turned necrotic. Yellow, Xanthomonas-like colonies were isolated onto YPGA medium (Ridé 1969) from leaf lesions. Two bacterial isolates were selected and confirmed by real-time PCR using a specific primer set for Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae (Temple et al. 2013). All isolates were gram-negative, aerobic rods positive for catalase, able of hydrolyzing casein and aesculin and growing at 2% NaCl, while were negative for oxidase and urease tests. Sequences of 16S rRNA gene showed 100% similarity with Xanthomonas campestris, X. arboricola, X. gardneri, X. cynarae strains (GenBank accession numbers: MW077507.1 and MW077508.1 for the isolates CRD19-206.3 and CRD19-206.4, respectively). However, the resulting phylogeny of multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of a concatenation of the housekeeping genes atpD, dnaK, and efp (Bui Thi Ngoc et al. 2010), by using neighbour-joining trees generated with 500 bootstrap replicates, grouped the two isolates with the X. hortorum pv. carotae M081 strain (Kimbrel et al. 2011) (GenBank accession numbers: MW161270 and MW161271 for atpD for the two isolates, respectively; MW161268 and MW161269 for dnaK; MW161272 and MW161273 for efp). A pairwise identity analysis revealed a 100% identity between all three isolates. Pathogenicity of the isolates was tested by spray inoculation (Christianson et al. 2015) with a bacterial suspension (108 CFU/ml) prepared in sterile distilled water at 3 to 4 true-leaf stage (six plants per isolate). Sterile distilled water was used as negative control. The inoculated plants were incubated in a growth chamber (25°C and 95% relative humidity [RH]) for 72 h, and then transferred to a greenhouse at 24 to 28°C and 65% RH. Characteristic leaf blight symptoms developed on inoculated carrot plants, while no symptoms were observed on the negative control plants 20 days after inoculation. The bacterium was re-isolated from symptomatic tissue and the identity confirmed through PCR analysis. Based on PCR, morphological and phenotypic tests, sequence analysis, and pathogenicity assays, the isolates were identified as X. hortorum pv. carotae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial leaf blight of carrot caused by X. hortorum pv. carotae in Spain, and the first molecular and pathological characterization. It is important to early detect this pathogen and take suitable measures to prevent its spread, since it could cause yield losses for a locally important crop such as carrot.

Plant resilience and physiological modifications induced by curettage of Esca-diseased grapevines

The re-emergence of Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs), mainly Esca, has been observed in most of the world’s vineyards during the last two decades. Development of necrosis in grapevine wood, especially white-rot, is typically associated with Esca-diseased plants. One of the different methods being used in attempts to eradicate GTDs is curettage. This old cultural practice, which consists in surgically removing the necrotic wood, specifically white-rot, retaining only the non-necrotic tissue of Esca-diseased grapevine, is used in some European vineyards (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal), and is being increasingly reintroduced since 10 years ago in France. We, therefore, wanted to study the effect of curettage on vigour, fertility and berry quality, and year after year plant recovery. Our study synthetizes a 3-year experiment on Esca-diseased cv. Sauvignon blanc grapevines curetted in a commercial plot in the Bordeaux region. Asymptomatic control grapevines were compared to Esca-diseased grapevines without curettage (with typical foliar symptoms), and with curetted Esca-diseased grapevines (without foliar symptoms). Even if the curetted grapevines recovered lower vigour and fertility than the control plants, their grape berry quality was comparable, unlike for Esca-diseased grapevines. This cultural practice proved particularly effective in helping Esca-symptomatic grapevines to recover asymptomatic after treatment. Over time, curettage induces the resilience of grapevines, allowing them to recuperate their full physiological functioning, thereby compensating for Esca’s detrimental impact on berry quality.

Diseases and disorders associated with different stages of crop development and factors that determine the incidence in Hass avocado crops

Hass avocado production systems in Colombia have increased to become the third largest area planted for fruit production. A number of factors that limit productivity such as diseases have become of high economic importance. The objectives of this study were to identify the causal agents associated with pathologies in Hass avocado crops in different stages of development and to determine main environmental factors associated with their incidence. This work was conducted over a period of eight years (2009-2016), during which plots and nurseries were monitored. Results showed that the most common disease of Hass avocado was avocado wilt complex (AWC) caused mainly by Phytophthora cinnamomi. In addition, it was found that pathogens such as Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato, and Phytophthora palmivora, can affect diverse tissues of avocado plants, appearing in different stages of crop development. Incidence of different pathologies in commercial plots were influenced by technological level, the sampling season (rainy and dry), and environmental and topographical variables such as precipitation, slope and elevation. This work presented a holistic approach for analysis of pathologies in Hass avocado crops, which were determined by the stage of crop development, environmental and topographic variability and the technological level of the productive system.

Agricultural sustainable production in vulnerable zones to nitrate pollution

WHO (World Health Organization) stablishes an illustrative threshold for nitrates in drinkable water of 50 mg L-1. In order to reach this objective, Council Directive 91/676/EEC indicates that countries should define vulnerable zones, which are or could be affected by high nitrate levels and eutrophication. The aim of this research is to determine different fertilization treatments impact on yield and quality for two legume crops cultivated in a rotation system in vulnerable zones to nitrate pollution of La Rioja, northern Spain. Four fertilizing treatments were tested in two commercial plots for two years. One of them was the control treatment usually performed by the farmer, and the other treatments were designed to reduce N fertilization requirements looking to increase crop sustainability. Moreover, N amount in soil, in plant were measured weighing crop biomass and yield to analyse the effect of fertilizing treatment. Furthermore, harvest quality was assessed specifically for each crop such as tenderness for pea or seed to pod ratio for green bean. Each crop was monitored using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and UAV multispectral imagery acquired during crop development. Results showed no significant differences between treatments in pea, whose yield varied from 9.4 ± 0.4 t ha-1 to 13.4 ± 0.9 t ha-1. Tenderness degree showed a bit high values which oscillated from 85 ± 4 to 122 ± 10. Green bean crop provided larger but scattered yield values which changed from 6.6 ± 2.9 t ha-1 to 18.2 ± 3.6 t ha-1. Seed to pod ratio showed slight but opposed differences to yield varying from 2.8 ± 0.4 % to 6.0 ± 3.4 %. In conclusion, legume crops will be over fertilized even if nitrogen application is reduced between 59.6 % to 86.3 % during a one-year rotation.

Postharvest diseases and disorders in avocado cv. Hass and their relationship to preharvest management practices

Postharvest diseases and disorders are two of the most important parameters associated with the quality of avocado fruit. The aim of this study was to identify postharvest diseases and disorders in Hass avocado plots and to evaluate their relationships with different preharvest agronomical practices. This work was developed in 20 commercial plots of Hass avocado dedicated to production for national and export markets. The first part of this work was associated with the identification and characterization of diseases and disorders related with postharvest of avocado. In addition, it was determined the incidence of each disease and disorder based on simulation of postharvest scenarios for the national and export markets. Using a multinomial logistic regression model, it was possible to determine that the presence of each disease and disorder were related to crop management practices, soil and leaf and fruit nutrients levels. Most relevant postharvest disease and disorders were anthracnose, stem-end rot, chilling injury, and lenticel damage. Additionally, variables such as dry matter, plant pruning, and tissue concentration of Ca+2 were related with some pathologies and disorders. This work presents an advance in the recognition of postharvest diseases and disorders in avocado under tropical conditions, besides determining the main edaphic and anthropogenic associated factors.

Evaluation of Remote Sensing-Based Irrigation Water Accounting at River Basin District Management Scale

The Water Framework Directive in Europe requires extending metering and water abstraction controls to accurately satisfy the necessary water resource requirements. However, in situ measurement instruments are inappropriate for large irrigation surface areas, considering the high investment and maintenance service costs. In this study, Remote Sensing-based Irrigation Water Accounting (RS-IWA) (previously evaluated for commercial plots, water user associations, and groundwater water management scales) was applied to over 11 Spanish river basin districts during the period of 2014–2018. Using the FAO56 methodology and incorporating remote sensing basal crop coefficient time series to simulate the Remote Sensing-based Soil Water Balance (RS-SWB), we were able to provide spatially and temporally distributed net irrigation requirements. The results were evaluated against the irrigation water demands estimated by the Hydrological Planning Offices and published in the River Basin Management Plans applying the same spatial (Agricultural Demand Units and Exploitation Systems) and temporal (annual and monthly) water management scales used by these public water managers, ultimately returning ranges of agreement (r2 and dr) (Willmott refined index) of 0.79 and 0.99, respectively. Thus, this paper presents an operational tool for providing updated spatio-temporal maps of RS-IWA over large and diverse irrigation surface areas, which is ready to serve as a complementary irrigation water monitoring and management tool.

Early Performances of Topaz Gen-1 Tenera Clones in Clonal Trials and Commercial Plots in Indonesia

Asian Agri’s oil palm research station’s (OPRS-Topaz) breeding programme involves the complementary development of both seedling and clonal planting materials. From 2010-2018, a total of 18 clonal trials and 890 hectares of commercial clonal plots were established in two provinces (North Sumatra, Riau) and on three major soil types (volcanic, inland, peat). This paper reports on the early performances of the clones in the latter sites. Comparatively, elite clones only achieved 82 per cent and 85 per cent of their ortet fresh fruit bunch (FFB) and crude palm oil (CPO) yields, respectively. Analysis undertaken in five of the oldest mineral soil trials indicated either a negative or very low positive correlation between clone and ortet FFB yield, but correlations of oil to bunch (O/B) and annual height increment (Hi) were positive and highly significant, confirming the better heritability of the latter two parameters and their suitability as criteria for ortet selection. In clonal trials, the highest yields were obtained on inland soils in Riau province, with elite clones recording average peak FFB and CPO yields of 45.1 tonnes per hectare and 11.6 tonnes per hectare, respectively. Slightly lower yields were attained on volcanic soils (36.2 tonnes FFB/ha; 9.9 tonnes CPO/ha) and on deep peat (32.6 tonnes FFB/ha; 8.5 tonnes CPO/ha) in North Sumatra. However, as the latter two sites contained some younger trials, they may have yet to achieve their maximum potential. O/B values also differed for the same clones planted on three different soil types. On average, oil content of clones planted on peat was approximately 3 percentage points lower than their counterparts planted on either inland or volcanic soils. In all nine trials which included DxP seedling controls, the top five clones recorded higher CPO yield over their seedling controls by 7-47 per cent. However, these results should be interpreted with caution as all the DxP seedling controls belonged to the same generation as the clones. Their true yield superiority can only be ascertained when evaluated against the latest improved Topaz Series 4 DxP crosses. Nevertheless, nine clones showed good potential for commercial scale propagation, having high CPO yield (9.5 tonnes/ha), O/B (32 %) and good adaptability and consistency in performance over a wide range of sites. Performances of untested clones (directly planted in commercial plots without evaluation in clonal trials) followed the same trend as in clonal trials. Highest yields were recorded on inland soils (39.4 tonnes FFB/ha), followed by volcanic (30.8-36.0 tonnes FFB/ha) and peat soils (27.1-29.8 tonnes FFB/ha). Likewise, as some of the latter commercial plantings were only 5-6 years of age, it is likely that their peak yields have yet to be attained. Census conducted from 2014 to 2016 indicated a low incidence of palms with mantled fruit, averaging 3.3 per cent in clonal trials and only 0.3 per cent in commercial plantings. Such acceptable to low abnormality levels are a reflection of the good quality control practices adopted by AA’s tissue culture laboratory. Keywords: Clones, height increment, oil to bunch, oil palm, tissue culture.

Automatic Irrigation Scheduling on a Hedgerow Olive Orchard Using an Algorithm of Water Balance Readjusted with Soil Moisture Sensors

Recent technological advances have made possible automated irrigation scheduling using decision-support tools. These tools help farmers to make better decisions in the management of their irrigation system, thus increasing yields while preserving water resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate in a commercial plot an automated irrigation system combined with remote-sensing techniques and soil mapping that allows the establishment of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies. The study was carried out over 3 years (2015–2017) in a commercial hedgerow olive orchard of the variety ‘Arbequina’ located in Alvarado (Extremadura, Spain). An apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) map and a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) map were generated to characterize the spatial variability of the plot and classify the zones in homogeneous areas. Then, reference points were selected to monitor the different irrigation sectors. In 2015, the plot was irrigated according to the farmer’s technical criteria throughout the plot. In 2016 and 2017, two different areas of the plot were irrigated applying an RDI strategy, one under expert supervision and the other automatically. The results show that in a heterogeneous plot the use of new technologies can be useful to establish the ideal location for an automatic irrigation system. Furthermore, automatic irrigation scheduling made it possible to establish an RDI strategy recommended by an expert, resulting in the homogenization of production throughout the plot without the need for human intervention.

Evaluation of full-season programs for the management of Fusarium wilt of blackberry caused by a new lineage of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex

Wilt is currently the most critical disease affecting blackberry crops in Mexico, and more than 2,500 ha have been lost to the disease to date. Thus, the objectives of this research were: a) to determine the etiology of blackberry crop wilt in Mexico and b) to evaluate strategies for season-long integrated disease management. From 2013 to 2015, fungal isolates were recovered from the vascular tissue of symptomatic blackberry plants cv ‘Tupy.’ Morphological features were determined, and phylogenetic identification of the fungal isolates was performed by amplifying and sequencing the partial translation elongation factor (TEF-1 alpha) gene. Pathogenicity tests were completed in the greenhouse on 6-month-old blackberry plants from the same cultivar. Thirteen disease management programs consisting of fungicides, biocontrol agents, and plant resistance inducers were evaluated during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 growing seasons in a commercial plot with 30% disease incidence. The results of this study suggest that blackberry wilt in Mexico is caused by a new lineage in the F. oxysporum species complex. In the two crop seasons, the programs with the most consistent effect on the reduction of disease intensity were based on sequential applications of the microbial soil inoculant Maya Magic®. Also, those that started with 2 or 3 applications of prochloraz or difenoconazole followed with biweekly applications of the biostimulant Kendal Nem®. These results indicate the feasibility of using soil microbial inoculants and the integration of technologies for the season-long management of epidemics caused by F. oxysporum in infected commercial blackberry crops.

Nationwide survey reveals high diversity of Fusarium species and related mycotoxins in Brazilian rice: 2014 and 2015 harvests

Ninety three samples of rice were obtained from both research and commercial plots at eight rice-growing regions of Brazil. These were assessed for the presence of Fusarium species complex and 14 mycotoxins. A total of 352 Fusarium-like isolates were obtained from 85% of the samples and assigned to four species complexes (SC) based on morphological identification. F. incarnatum-equiseti was the most frequent (FIESC, 32.4%) followed by F. fujikuroi (FFSC, 26.1%), F. graminearum (FGSC, 24.7%) and F. chlamydosporum (FCSC, 16.8%). FGSC was limited geographically and dominant in the southern subtropical Brazil while the others occurred in all regions, particularly FIESC. The samples were individually contaminated with at least three and a maximum of eight mycotoxins. The most common were zearalenone (ZEA), beauvericin, and acetylated forms of deoxynivalenol (AcDON). In addition, enniatins, T-2, HT-2, DON, neosolaniol and moniliformin at lower frequency. The concentration levels were all below the Brazilian limits currently promugalted for DON (<750 ppb), and ZEA (<100 ppb). There was on sample with ZEA above the limit. Most mycotoxins toxins were found in both the husk and flour fractions, but AcDON tended to show higher concentration in the husk. Results of this survey extends the knowledge of the Fusarium complexes infecting rice and provides an update on the status of rice mycotoxin contamination at the country level, which can be considered generally safe. However, attention should be paid to the widespread contamination of beauvericin.

Presencia de Bemisia tabaci Gennadius y Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood en el norte-centro de México

Cultivos hortícolas y extensivos en los estados de Aguascalientes, Durango y Zacatecas, localizados en el norte centro de México son susceptibles de ser infectadas con virus transmitidos por la mosquita blanca del camote Bemisia tabaci Genn. (SPWF). Poblaciones de SPWF pueden coexistir en esta región con otra especie, la mosquita blanca de los invernaderos (Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood) (GHWF), el objetivo del trabajo fue confirmar la presencia de SPWF y GHWF en parcelas comerciales de cultivos hortícolas y extensivos y zonas de maleza en el norte centro de México. Durante 2017 fueron colectadas cantidades variables de mosquitas blancas en parcelas seleccionadas al azar, de chile, frijol, tomate, melón, sandía y un manchón de maleza. En la mayoría de las parcelas muestreadas coexisten poblaciones de SPWF y GHWF, aunque el número de GHWF fue generalmente superior que el de SPWF.

Enraizamiento de esquejes de Salicornia bigelovii (Torr.) por quitosano como un bioproducto de origen marino.

The use of halophytes such as Salicornia bigelovii represents an alternative with economic potential for desert agriculture and coastal areas. However, the success in the establishment of commercial plots has been limited by the low germination percentages of this species. Propagation using plant cuttings represents a viable and rapid alternative to this problem. The formation of functional roots is fundamental in the propagation of plant cuttings and has been achieved through the application of chemical growth regulators. The application of chitosan in some crops has evidenced to be an alternative for the germination process and an enhancer of harvest performance; however, there are no studies that evaluate its effect on the halophyte S. bigelovii. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of marine-derived chitosan and indole butyric acid as root-promoting agents in cuttings of Salicornia bigelovii. The concentrations (individually and combined) of chitosan at 100 and 50% and indole butyric acid were applied at a rate of 0.937 and 1.25 g kg‑1. A completely randomized design of nine treatments and f ive repetitions was used and 225 experimental units were evaluated. The following variables were measured: root length, fresh weight and total dry weight of the root, and number and length of new shoots. The results showed that the most eff icient treatment was 100% chitosan + 0.937 g kg-1 indole butyric acid, promoting the production of photosynthetic shoots up to 800%. These results indicate that it is feasible to achieve the propagation of Salicornia by means of cuttings using marine-derived chitosan as a growth promoter.

Selección de plantas de papaya sobresalientes en ambientes comerciales con fines de mejoramiento

Por la demanda del mercado, en las regiones productoras de México la variedad dominante es la Maradol, en diferentes niveles de calidad de fruta, ya que el tipo de semilla que se utiliza varía desde las originales F1, hasta selecciones descendientes identificadas como F2 a F5. Lo anterior, conlleva a una degeneración y segregación genotípica. De esta manera es necesaria una adecuada selección de progenitores y polinización controlada para la producción de semilla, y que este adaptada a la región de interés. Por ello, el objetivo fue seleccionar plantas de papaya sobresalientes y adaptadas a la zona productora de Michoacán. Mediante exploraciones de campo en parcelas comerciales, se identificaron y caracterizaron plantas de papaya del tipo Maradol hermafroditas y con características sobresalientes. En las plantas se seleccionaron botones florales y fueron cubiertos para provocar la autopolinización. Los frutos se colectaron en etapa de madurez y se obtuvieron las semillas. Se registraron variables morfológicas de planta y frutos, sanidad y germinación. 12 huertas presentaron plantas sobresalientes. La caracterización del progreso en el desarrollo de botón floral a frutos fue variable, pues se redujo la cantidad de frutos formados con relación a los botones cubiertos inicialmente, así como también, redujo la cantidad de frutos colectados en relación con los frutos formados. En cuanto al estado fitosanitario, se registró la presencia de virus, ácaros y otros insectos en la mayoría de las huertas registradas. La germinación fue aceptable. Se concluyó que se identificaron y caracterizaron plantas de papaya seleccionadas con base a características sobresalientes y adaptadas a la zona productora de Michoacán, para posterior estudio de mejoramiento.

Antibiotic resistance gene distribution in agricultural fields and crops. A soil-to-food analysis

Despite the social concern about the generalization of antibiotic resistance hotspots worldwide, very little is known about the contribution of different potential sources to the global risk. Here we present a quantitative analysis of the distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs) in soil, rhizospheric soil, roots, leaves and beans in tomato, lettuce and broad beans crops (165 samples in total), grown in nine commercial plots distributed in four geographical zones in the vicinity of Barcelona (North East Spain). We also analyzed five soil samples from a nearby forest, with no record of agricultural activities. DNA samples were analyzed for their content in the ARGs sul1, tetM, qnrS1, blaCTX-M-32, blaOXA-58, mecA, and blaTEM, plus the integron intI1, using qPCR methods. In addition, soil microbiomes from the different plots were analyzed by amplicon-targeted 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our data show a decreasing gradient of ARG loads from soil to fruits and beans, the latter showing only from 0.1 to 0.01% of the abundance values in soil. The type of crop was the main determinant for both ARG distribution and microbiome composition among the different plots, with minor contributions of geographic location and irrigation water source. We propose that soil amendment and/or fertilization, more than irrigation water, are the main drivers of ARG loads on the edible parts of the crop, and that they should therefore be specifically controlled.

Identification of Smut Resistance in Wild Arachis Species and Its Introgression into Peanut Elite Lines

ABSTRACTPeanut smut caused by Thecaphora frezii Carranza &amp; Lindquist has been an issue for farmers and the peanut industry (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Argentina since the mid‐1990s. This disease causes pod malformation due to hypertrophy of seed tissues; in addition, colonized cells filled with teliospores give seeds a smutted mass appearance. Incidence may reach up to 52% in commercial plots, with up to 35% yield losses. Cultural management strategies and chemical treatment have not been effective; therefore, growing resistant varieties is likely to be the most effective control method for this disease. This study is aimed to identify sources of resistance in wild Arachis and to develop pre‐breeding materials for transferring the trait to cultivated peanut. After 3 yr of field trials using a randomized complete block design, the seven accessions of wild species assayed were resistant to smut. An amphidiploid [A. correntina (Burkart) Krapov. &amp; W.C. Greg. × A. cardenasii Krapov. &amp; W.C. Greg.] × A. batizocoi Krapov. &amp; W.C. Greg.)4× was obtained and subsequently crossed with and experimental line of A. hypogaea for the development of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (89 lines). The RIL population showed a high phenotypic variability for resistance to peanut smut. The amphidiploid and 22 RILs were highly resistant, illustrating the effective transmission of resistance to peanut smut from the wild diploids into A. hypogaea. The development of RILs with resistance derived from wild species is a significant step towards the development of new peanut cultivars with different sources of resistance to peanut smut.

Factors in the development of urban underground space surrounding metro stations: A case study of Osaka, Japan

Most previous studies have simply revealed the relationship between urban underground space (UUS) potential and influential factors for a city but have not revealed the relationship for each metro station, or lack quantitative analyses of their relationship. Actually, it is essential to identify the relationship of UUS area (UUSA) and relative factors because UUS tends to be aggregated around metro stations. This study investigated the quantitative relationship between several candidate influential factors and the UUS distribution surrounding metro stations on two lines in Osaka, Japan. A correlation regression analysis showed that passenger flow rate and land price were highly related with UUSA. Although the land use index, floor area ratio, and transfer line number did not have significant linear relationships, the spatial distribution of land use was related with UUSA. We argue that underground shopping malls should be constructed in station areas with high passenger flow rate, high land price, and large commercial plots. This model may be of great assistance to decision-makers owing to its realistic forecasts for UUS development.

Vibration Monitoring of the Mechanical Harvesting of Citrus to Improve Fruit Detachment Efficiency.

The introduction of a mechanical harvesting process for oranges can contribute to enhancing farm profitability and reducing labour dependency. The objective of this work is to determine the spread of the vibration in citrus tree canopies to establish recommendations to reach high values of fruit detachment efficiency and eliminate the need for subsequent hand-harvesting processes. Field tests were carried out with a lateral tractor-drawn canopy shaker on four commercial plots of sweet oranges. Canopy vibration during the harvesting process was measured with a set of triaxial accelerometer sensors with a datalogger placed on 90 bearing branches. Monitoring of the vibration process, fruit production, and branch properties were analysed. The improvement of fruit detachment efficiency was possible if both the hedge tree and the machinery were mutually adjusted. The hedge should be trained to facilitate access of the rods and to encourage external fructification since the internal canopy branches showed 43% of the acceleration vibration level of the external branches. The machine should be adjusted to vibrate the branches at a vibration time of at least 5.8 s, after the interaction of the rod with the branch, together with a root mean square acceleration value of 23.9 m/s2 to a complete process of fruit detachment.

KARAKTERISTIK KORIDOR JALAN DITINJAU DARI FISIK RUANG Studi Kasus : Koridor Jalan MT Haryono Kota Kendari

ABSTRACTUrban economic growth is gradually change the land use from the residential into commercial. This kind of development character could decrease the quality of the physical space and its impact that the cities were losing its’ character. Shop-lined along the road is not good in terms of the aesthetics of the city. These symptoms appear during the difficult of road users to identify their location. The elements in the corridors look physically diverse, random and not unique to easily recognizable because of those problems the need for the study of the physical characteristics of the corridor space Jl. MT Haryono is had to be done which is one of the commercial corridor in Kendari so that it can be seen should be noticed in order to accommodate changes.The method that used in this study is a qualitative method that aims to make a systematic description or picture of the physical characteristics of the corridor space Jl. MT Haryono, stock of knowledge that is presented in the study of the theory does not become limiting the study but is used as an opening insight to recognize the object of research. The analysis technique used is the visual analysis, and descriptive empirical. While the discussion is done by using several approaches. The output generated is the physical characteristics of the corridor space Jl. MT Haryono as seen from the path element, enclosure space, architectural pattern and street trees surrounding the corridor. The research results are influenced by the characteristics of the corridor function ± 80% of commercial buildings including the type of large commercial building plots with a single function or mix-used, and the type of commercial building single row. Commercial buildings represent the value of local distinctiveness and uniqueness in social and economic activities are shown through the decomposing of the southeast Sulawesi’s custom house.Keywords: Characteristics,Corridor

Impact of Microbial Products on the Biometric Parameters and Productivity of Rice in Madhya Pradesh, India

Despite the increase in chemical and technological inputs, rice production in India has stagnated due to excessive use of chemical inputs and overexploitation of land. This has given rise to the need for adopting sustainable agricultural inputs and practices. This study explores the effect of two organic microbial consortium based products, Magicgro DripSOL and Magicgro Super when used in combination for improving the productivity of commercially grown varieties of Basmati; PB1 and PS4 as well as local scented variety MTU-1010. The trials were conducted on commercial plots spanning across Mandala and Kotma regions of Madhya Pradesh, which were cultivated organically with no external irrigation. The impact of microbial intervention was assessed through biometric and quantitative yield analysis and the data was compared by unpaired T test analysis. In case of PB1, PS4 and MTU 1010, the mean yield increased by 72, 55 and 36%, respectively as compared to the untreated plots. The results signify that a single point intervention using microbial products is capable of bringing about significant improvement in yield. In addition to this, the microbial product application helped in imparting protection against abiotic stress. Therefore, the usage of such products could be considered as part of the solution towards achieving the Nation's mission of promoting sustainable agriculture.

Diversidad de chicharritas (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) colectadas en parcelas de chile en el norte-centro de México

El chile para secado (Capsicum annuum L.) es un cultivo importante en el norte centro de México donde las enfermedades virales y bacterianas transmitidas por chicharritas son emergentes; sin embargo, muy poco es conocido sobre la presencia y composición de las poblaciones de chicharritas en las parcelas de chile, por lo tanto, el propósito de este trabajo fue identificar los géneros de chicharritas en las parcelas comerciales de chile en los estados de Aguascalientes, Durango y Zacatecas. Se capturaron chicharritas por medio de una red entomológica en 57 parcelas comerciales de los estados mencionados. Se encontraron cicadelidos 86% de las parcelas muestreadas. Individuos pertenecientes a los géneros Aceratagallia spp., Acinopterus spp., Balclutha spp., Carneocephala spp., Circulifer spp., Cuerna spp., Dalbulus spp., Draeculacephala spp., Empoasca spp., Exitianus spp., Graminella spp., Graphocephala spp., Hordnia spp., Ollerianus spp., Scaphytopius spp., Stirellus spp. y Texananus spp., fueron identificados en las parcelas de chile.&#x0D;