Income Of Growers Research Articles

Self-financing model for cabbage crops with pest management.

Smallholder farmers rely on their farm earnings to cover operating costs and generate income. That is not an easy task because of the pests, which reduce yields and generate plant protection costs. The farm yield and plant protection depend on the budget capacity of the farmer. In this work, we want to explore conditions for a sustainable and self-financing cabbage farm. We propose then a non-linear mathematical model for cabbage crops by considering the current account of the plantation as a dynamic variable. We assume that this variable increases due to the sale of cabbages, and provides for the seedling purchase, the plant protection costs, and the grower's income. In the first part, we analyze the model without pest management. We determine how the budget must be spent and we show the existence of a double transcritical bifurcation. We quantify the seasonal yield and income, and estimate the damage due to pest herbivory. In the second part, we analyze a slightly simplified version of our model and obtain the existence of a backward bifurcation. Furthermore, we show that botanical pesticides can be used to prevent pest spread with relatively low plant protection costs.

The technological impact of production and farmers' income of vegetable pigeon pea growers under the rainfed situation in Panchmahal of Gujarat

The technological impact of production and farmers' income of vegetable pigeon pea growers under the rainfed situation in Panchmahal of Gujarat

Biological characterization and in vitro fungicide screening of a new causal agent of walnut leaf spot in Guizhou Province, China.

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a widely grown nut plant worldwide, including in Guizhou Province, located in southwest China. The high quality and special taste make Guizhou walnuts, particularly those produced in Hezhang County, a "Chinese National Geographical Indication Product" that substantially contributes to the local economy and grower's income. In July 2022, a serious occurrence of leaf spot disease was observed in a walnut plantation area, Shuitang Town, Hezhang County, Guizhou Province, China (27°07'67″N, 104°64'61″E). The causal agent was identified as Didymella segeticola through morphological characterization and amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, beta-tubulin (TUB) gene, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PD) gene. Koch's postulates, including re-isolation and identification, were performed to confirm its pathogenicity on healthy leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. segeticola causing leaf spot on walnuts worldwide. Further, to determine its biological characteristics, which could be utilized for future disease management, the effects of temperature, light, and carbon and nitrogen resources on mycelial growth, conidia production, and conidia germination and the effects of humidity on conidia germination were studied. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of representative strain D. segeticola C27 was 20°C. Increasing the light period significantly decreased conidia production and conidia germination. Maltose and beef extract were the best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for the pathogen. Conidia germination was enhanced at 90% humidity. In vitro screening of effective fungicides was conducted. Among the 20 screened fungicides, difenoconazole showed the best inhibition rate, with an EC50 (concentration for 50% of the maximal effect) of 0.0007 μg/mL. Tetramycin also showed sufficient inhibitory effects against D. segeticola, with an EC50 value of 0.0009 μg/mL. Our study provides new insights into the causal agent of walnut leaf spot in Guizhou, China, as well as the first pathogen characteristics and promising candidate fungicides for its management.

Bioactive Compounds and Valorization of Coffee By-Products from the Origin: A Circular Economy Model from Local Practices in Zongolica, Mexico.

The by-products of green coffee processing are rich in compounds that can be recycled for their possible use in the production of beverages, fertilizers and weed control in production areas. The objective of this work was to identify the organic and inorganic bioactive compounds of green coffee and the coffee by-products related to the production of origin, such as dried cascara (skin-pulp), parchment and silverskin (unroasted), in order to investigate the role their biomolecules may have in reuse through practices and local knowledge, not yet valued. The metabolomic profile by HPLC-ESI-HRMS of the aqueous extract of the dried cascara highlighted 93 non-volatile molecules, the highest number reported for dried cascara. They belong to groups of organic acids (12), alkaloids (5), sugars (5), fatty acids (2), diglycerides (1), amino acids (18), phospholipids (7), vitamins (5), phenolic acids (11), flavonoids (8), chlorogenic acids (17), flavones (1) and terpenes (1). For the first time, we report the use of direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the identification of metabolites in aqueous extracts of dried cascara, parchment, silverskin and green coffee. The DART analysis mainly showed the presence of caffeine and chlorogenic acids in all the extracts; additionally, sugar adducts and antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols were detected. The mineral content (K, Ca, P, S, Mg and Cl) by EDS spectrometry in the by-products and green coffee showed a relatively high content of K in the dried cascara and green coffee, while Ca was detected in double quantity in the silverskin. These metabolomic and mineral profile data allow enhancement of the link between the quality of green coffee and its by-products and the traditional local practices in the crop-growing area. This consolidates the community's experience in reusing by-products, thereby minimizing the impact on the environment and generating additional income for coffee growers' work, in accordance with the principles of circular economy and bioeconomy.

Comparison of Yield and Cost Data of Cotton Crop Production During 2019 and 2020 in Baluchistan

The study was carried out through a primary as well as secondary data collection from several stakeholders to examine the average position of cotton production, average per acre cost of production, physical and income productivity, economic profit, input output ratio, problems and constraints, faced by cotton farmers and to recommend policy measures for maintainable cotton production and marketing in study area. Statistics examines were performed by retaining the descriptive figures as well as standard economic methods. A mixture of qualitative and measurable methodical procedures such as cost of production, market limits, regression analysis, cross tabulation analysis were carried out. The study was carry out in Lasbella, Sibi, Noshki, Turbat, Dera Bugti and Khuzdar districts in Balochistan. The data were gathered from 77 farmers of cotton growers and collected material was related to cotton production in Kharif 2019 and 2020. Majority of cotton growers were small land holders and age was 48.33 years. The average seed rate was 10.50kgs/acre and purchasing price was Rs.344.33/kg during 2019 & 2020 correspondingly. The budget of production was Rs.91762.50 and total revenue was Rs. 192297.5 per acre in 2020 respectively. The average profit/net income of cotton growers received was Rs. 100535 and Rs.95225.77 per acre in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

Deep learning for image-based detection of weeds from emergence to maturity in wheat fields

Effective weed control in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields is crucial for optimizing production and ensuring food security in semi-arid regions. The implementation of deep learning for weed detection could enable precise weed management, leading to enhanced wheat yield, increased income for growers through targeted herbicide use, and a reduced environmental footprint associated with herbicide application. Charlock mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.) [CM], creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop) [CT], and forking larkspur (Consolida regalis Gray) [FL]) are among the most invasive weed species in wheat fields. Effective management of these weeds is essential to ensure optimal wheat productivity in the semi-arid regions. To detect weeds, an unmanned arial vehicle was used to collect images and videos from 185 wheat fields in Tokat, Turkey. The images were collected from five phenological periods of each species including seedling, rosette, vegetative, flowering, and fruiting (in total 15 classification process). These stages are either important for timely weed control or essential for understanding weed pressure threshold, the potential for increasing weed seedbank increase, and identifying herbicide resistant weeds. A total of 145,792 objects were labeled in the images to create the dataset, divided into 80 % for training + validation and 20 % for testing. The dataset was used with the YOLOv5 (You Only Look Once) deep learning architecture. The YOLOv5 was the newest YOLO model during this study carried out. All neural networks provided by YOLOv5 (nano, small, medium, large, and xlarge) were trained and the Precision, Recall, F-1 Score, and AUC (Area under the Curve) performances of the neural networks were evaluated. The YOLOv5s (small) was the most precise neural network in detecting weeds regardless of the species. In contrast, nano was the least precise neural network in detecting each weed species. For CT, when small neural network was used, precision of detection ranged from 0.87 (fruit stage) to 0.96 (rosette and vegetative stages). For, forking larkspur, the best neural network was achieved with YOLOv5 small and the precision ranged from 0.45 (fruit stage) to 0.93 (vegetative stage). Using YOLOv5 small in Charlock mustard, the most precise detection occurred at seedling, rosette, and vegetative stages (with precision of 0.96) and the least precise detection was recorded at the fruit stage (0.81). Other performance evaluations (Recall, F-1 Score, and AUC) were in agreement with those of Precision. Our results indicated that by using YOLOv5 small neural network, all three weed species could be detected at all growth stages with the precision of 0.86 with the exception of fruit stage. Future research should (1) focus on assessing YOLOv5 small neural network with the newest versions of YOLO and also (2) evaluate this neural network for detecting weed species in wheat fields to allow for improved weed control and future recommendations.

Dynamic Jobs of Ladies in the Development of Consumable and Restorative Mushrooms of Focal India as a Pay Age Movement

The world's population is growing, leading to increased concerns about hunger, malnutrition, and declining nutritional value in commonly consumed foods. As a result, there is a growing need for alternative sources of protein, particularly in developing countries where the production of pulses has not kept pace with population growth. Edible mushrooms, recommended by the FAO for their nutritional value, are gaining attention as a viable solution. Mushrooms are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibers, and essential salts, making them an ideal supplement to cereal-based diets. However, fresh mushrooms have a short shelf life, making their commercialization challenging. To address this issue, various preservation methods, such as canning and drying, along with value addition techniques, are employed. Additionally, surplus mushrooms can be processed into novel value-added products to reduce losses and enhance income for growers. Mushrooms are not only valued for their nutritional content but also for their medicinal and therapeutic properties. They contain bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, dietary fibers, triterpenoids, and vitamins, which contribute to their antioxidant, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, mushroom cultivation has the potential to alleviate food insecurity and create economic opportunities, particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. This study evaluates the suitability of waste paper supplemented with cornstalk and wheat bran as substrates for oyster mushroom cultivation in Axum, Ethiopia. The economic importance of mushrooms lies in their rich nutrient profile, including high levels of vitamins, minerals, and protein, making them beneficial for human health. Oyster mushrooms, in particular, are known for their ability to grow in a wide range of temperatures and utilize various organic substrates. Overall, mushrooms offer a cost-effective means of supplementing nutrition and promoting health, making them an important food source with significant economic potential.

A Case Study of Thailand and Vietnam Agriculture and Farmer Productivity

Recently, market requirements have become increasingly higher and regulations of importing countries have become increasingly strict, requiring rice quality to be improved and food safety to be ensured, including minimizing production inputs of chemical origin, production reduces emissions. The overall goal of the project is to maintain high-quality and low-emission rice growing areas associated with reorganizing the production system along the value chain, applying sustainable farming processes to increase price and sustainable development of the rice industry, improving production and business efficiency, income and life of rice growers, protecting the environment, adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to implementing Vietnam's international commitments. Interest and intention for farming of farmers are the key factors of adoption SLM (Sustainable land management) practices. Understanding, knowledge and capacity building of farmers about the short-term and long-term benefit of SLM practices is needed. Also, policy supporting the young generation to adopt farming as a life project is needed.

Water Loss: A Postharvest Quality Marker in Apple Storage

AbstractApple fruit can be stored for long periods of time, especially with the use of controlled atmosphere storage, but like many fruits and vegetables are susceptible to water loss. Water loss can result in compromised appearance such as skin shriveling, as well as loss of firmness, and reduced saleable weight, which in turn affect the income of growers and other industry stakeholders. Preharvest factors that can influence water loss in apples during the postharvest period include climate, cultivar, fruit size, tree age, orchard practices, and harvest maturity. Postharvest factors such as the storage temperature, relative humidity, storage type, and duration can also affect water loss in apple fruit during storage. The mechanisms of cuticle biosynthesis in water permeance, the role of stomata and lenticels, microcracking, crosstalk with mechanical injuries, storage disorders, and decay incidence during the storage of apples are reviewed. Additionally, the review summarizes: preharvest and postharvest factors influencing water loss; recent management strategies including pre-cooling, cold storage, controlled atmospheres, packaging, and anti-senescence chemicals; the use of edible coatings, as well as other non-chemical approaches for modulating water loss and maintaining storage quality. The review also provides direction for the industry to manage this destructive problem in the postharvest supply chain of apple fruit.

Fruit Thinning Improves Fruit Size, Yield and Return Flowering in ‘Washington Navel’ Orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)

ABSTRACT “Washington Navel” orange is the principal mid-season maturing cultivar grown in south-eastern Australia. The cultivar has strong export potential and earns high returns for citrus growers. However, trees bear a large number of small-sized fruit in an on-year followed by a small number of large-sized fruit the next year if crop load is not properly managed. Thinning can be used as a crop management strategy to adjust crop load. A thinning experiment was conducted, and crop loads were adjusted on a whole tree basis to 2, 4, 6 or 8 fruit/0.125 m3 canopy volume (CV), removing 46%, 30%, 20% and 8% of the crop respectively, and compared to non-thinned control trees. Fruit diameter was measured at regular intervals from February to July. Fruit yield and number were recorded for two consecutive seasons. Return bloom after thinning was also recorded. Thinning treatments 2, 4 and 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV resulted in higher fruit growth rates of 24%, 9% and 14% compared to the control. Thinning to a crop load of 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV produced the best results for fruit size and yield during the treatment year. The following year return bloom was increased in the 2, 4 and 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV compared to the control. The 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV treatment resulted in a higher cumulative yield of 169 kg/tree over two cropping seasons and 42% fruit in the size class > 75 mm diameter compared to the control. Economic analysis revealed that 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV could generate an extra $4,240/ha of income for citrus growers. It was concluded that a fruit load of 6 fruit/0.125 m3 CV was required to produce high yields and large fruit size over two cropping seasons.

The impact of participation in agricultural industry organizational models on crop yields: evidence from Chinese wheat growers

Increasing income for grain farmers is crucial to mobilise farmers’ incentive for grain cultivation. This article, based on the survey data of 2032 wheat growers in Anhui Province, China, employs the Logit model, multinomial Logit model, and entropy balance-OLS regression method to empirically analyze the factors influencing wheat growers’ participation in agricultural industrial organization models and the impact of their participation decisions on planting returns. The research found that: (1) Wheat growers with richer resource endowments are more likely to participate in agricultural industrial organization models. Factors such as household head’s education level, training experience, quality of arable land, scale of operation, and labor endowment are crucial determinants of wheat growers’ decisions to participate in industrial organization models. (2) Participation in agricultural industrial organizations significantly enhances the net income of wheat growers. Comparatively, the income-boosting effect is more pronounced for those participating in the “household + farmer cooperatives/agricultural enterprises” model. (3) The mechanisms through which wheat growers’ participation in different agricultural industrial organization models affects their crop yields vary. The income-enhancing effects of wheat growers' participation in the “household + farmer cooperatives/agricultural enterprises” model of industrial organization primarily stem from the improvement in land productivity and market bargaining power. On the other hand, the income-enhancing effects of participation in the “household + village collective + farmer cooperatives/agricultural enterprises” model are mainly attributed to the improvement in market bargaining power. The policy implication is that priority should be given to cultivating and developing industrial organisations based on the model of “household + farmers’ co-operatives/agribusinesses” in regions where farmers are richly endowed with resources, and at the same time, the development of industrial organisations based on the model of “household + village collectives + farmers’ co-operatives/agribusinesses” should be supplemented in accordance with local conditions. At the same time, the development of “household + village collectives + farmers’ cooperatives/agribusinesses” mode is supplemented according to local conditions.

Analysis of Exogenous Factors to Thailand Coffee Price Volatility: Using Multiple Exogenous Bayesian GARCH-X Model

Price volatility is a significant risk factor affecting the income of farmers in the agriculture sector, especially for international trade in products such as coffee in Thailand. This study proposes an alternative model to analyze the major factors in terms of internal and external factors, which are expected to affect price volatility simultaneously, by applying multiple exogenous Bayesian GARCH-X models. The empirical results of the comparison between the multiple exogenous Bayesian GARCH-X model and the standard Bayesian GARCH-X model, which estimated the impact of individual exogenous variables separately, show that the standard error of the first model is the smallest compared to the others, which means the multiple exogenous Bayesian GARCH-X model is more fitted to the data than the others. The results indicate that the increase in demand for manufactories for coffee beans in Thailand (TDD) and coffee bean export volume in Indonesia (INEX) leads to an increase in the volatility of raw coffee prices. On the other hand, if coffee bean export volume in Brazil (BEX) increases, this will cause a decrease in the volatility of raw coffee bean prices. Therefore, the Thai government should carefully consider the changes in the production and marketing policies of those countries in the formulation of the coffee policy. The appropriate policy on coffee price volatility in Thailand should not concern only reduce the uncertainty in the coffee bean market but also consider the impact on the long-term income and livelihoods of coffee growers. Therefore, external factors of the competing countries should be taken into account in the coffee production policy.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Low-Cost 2WT-Operated Earthing-Up Machine for Sugarcane Cultivation in Bangladesh

Like most crops, sugarcane needs to be kept upright until it is harvested. The lodging of sugarcane has significant negative effects on the cane yield and sugar content of sugarcane. To keep sugarcane upright, earthing up is an essential in the cultural part of the operation. In Bangladesh, most of the sugarcane cultivation operations, including earthing-up, are generally performed in a traditional manual method which increases the production costs as well as reduces the income of sugarcane growers. Therefore, a cost-effective two-wheeled tractor (2WT)-mounted earthing-up machine was developed at the Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI), Pabna, to reduce drudgery and the cost of sugarcane production. Field tests were conducted in an experimental sugarcane field at BSRI and technical and economic performances of the developed earthing-up machine were also carried out based on the field test. The average effective field capacity and field efficiency of the earthing-up machine were found to be 0.16 ha/h and 77.41%, respectively. The 2WT-driven earthing-up machine was not found to be economically viable when it was used only for earthing-up operations. However, when the 2WT was used as the main driver for other activities, including earthing-up operation, the earthing-up machine became economically beneficial with net cash flow (NCF), net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), benefit–cost ratio (BCR), and payback period (PP) of BDT 148,497/ha, BDT 23,184, 3%, 3.81:1, and approximately 1 year, respectively. On the contrary, considering the cost of only earthing-up tool without 2WT, it was found to be economically beneficial with NCF, NPV, IRR, BCR, and PP of BDT 16,428/ha, BDT 3053, 4.7%, 2.71:1, and approximately 2 years, respectively. In Bangladesh, 2WT is commonly used for versatile farming purposes. Therefore, the versatile use of 2WT as a prime mover for other machines, including the earthing-up machine, can make earthing-up machine economically viable and beneficial for sugarcane growers in Bangladesh.

First Report of Neck Rot Caused by Botrytis aclada on Onion (Allium cepa L.) in Gansu Province, China.

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the most important cultivated vegetable crops in many countries, including China (Hanci 2018; Steentjes et al. 2021). Gansu, in the northwest region of China, is a major area of onion production (Zhang et al. 2022). In October 2021, typical symptoms of neck rot were observed on stored onion bulbs (cv. Honghe) in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, China. Further surveys of 20 bags of onion bulbs randomly selected in a storage facility with bulbs harvested from 73 ha indicated that approximately 5% of the bulbs had typical neck rot symptoms. The neck of infected bulbs developed a water-soaked decay, with softened and discolored inner scales with white to gray mycelium in the neck. Infection usually began in the neck and sometimes spread through the entire bulb. In severely affected bulbs, the fleshy scales were span style="font-family:'Times New Roman'">decayed and the bulbs had shrunk, with black sclerotia between the rotting scales in the neck and shoulders of the bulb. Small pieces cut from the margins of lesions were surface-disinfested with 75% ethanol for 10 s, and 1% NaClO for 1 min, rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, dried on sterile filter paper, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 20 ± 1℃ for 5 days in the dark. Ten pure cultures were obtained by single-spore isolation (one from each of 10 bulbs). All 10 isolates produced colonies that initially were white, and became gray to dark in color with gray mycelium that was covered with abundant conidia resembling Botrytis species when cultured on PDA at 20 ± 1℃ for 10 days in the dark. Conidia (n = 100 per isolate) were one-celled, ellipsoid or ovoid, beige to dark brown, and 5.6 to 14.8 × 3.9 to 8.5 μm. Sclerotia were not produced by any of the isolates on PDA after incubation at 20 ± 1°C for 30 days. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) gene, heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) gene, and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II core subunit (RPB2) gene of two representative isolates, JQ21AC03 and JQ21AC09, were amplified and sequenced with primers ITS1/ITS4, G3PDH-F/G3PDH-R, HSP60-F/HSP60-R, and RPB2-F/RPB2-R, respectively (Staats et al. 2005), and deposited in GenBank (ITS: OP604277 and OP604283; G3PDH: OP627512 and OP627515; HSP60: OP627513 and OP627516; and RPB2: OP627514 and OP627517). BLASTn analysis of the resulting sequences showed 98 to 100% similarity with those of Botrytis aclada. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree generated by combining the sequenced loci using MEGA11.0, clustered isolates JQ21AC03 and JQ21AC09 with B. aclada with 99% bootstrap support. Based on these results, isolates JQ21AC03 and JQ21AC09 were identified as B. aclada. Pathogenicity of the two isolates on the onion cv. Honghe was confirmed by inoculating 30 heathy onion bulbs per isolate with 100 μL of conidial suspension (1×105 conidia/ml), while control bulbs were inoculated with 100 μL sterile distilled water. All 30 bulbs inoculated with each isolates developed neck rot symptoms after 30 days incubation at 15 ± 1ºC in the dark, with symptoms identical to those observed in the original storage facility, whereas control bulbs remained symptomless. The pathogen was re-isolated from the symptomatic tissue of inoculated bulbs, fulfilling Koch's postulates. hang et al (2008) documented this pathogen causing bulb rot of onions in Wuhan, Hubei Province, 1,700 km from Gansu. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. aclada causing neck rot on onion bulbs in storage in Gansu Province, which is the main onion production region in China. Considering that onion is the main source of income for growers in Gansu, further studies will be required to understand the epidemiology of this disease and foster appropriate disease management measures to avert disease outbreaks in the future.

Advantages of altering cropping schedules in the face of climate variability: A case study of Tan Ky sugarcane cultivation area, Nghe An province

Tan Ky is known as one of the sugarcane cultivation regions (SCRs) of Nghe An Province, Vietnam. In recent years, the area is facing adverse weather factors, as a part of climate variability, resulting in a significant decrease in the income of cane growers. The study, therefore, is to estimate the benefits of the sugarcane growing practical (SGP) for the SCRs of Tan Ky district in the background of climate change and further seek effective adaptation solutions as well as optimize profits. Sugarcane yield was evaluated by simulating the APSIM-Sugar model (Version 7.0) based on the soil, crop varieties, field management and climate data during the period of 2000-21. The performance of the proposed model was appraised by comparing the simulated results with observed biomass and sugarcane yield data through the statistical indices with R2=0.83 ÷ 0.86, d=0.80 ÷ 0.88, and RMSE=0.16 ÷ 0.18. Results indicated that under the same cultivation conditions, the SGP in the adverse weather period could lead to a slight decline in the sugarcane yield around 6.8% for spring crop season compared to the favourable weather period. In general, the SGP across the SCRs of Tan Ky district are not suitable for the local cane growers and that may be one of the main causes leading to the decline in sugarcane yield and further decrease in cane growers’ incomes.

A Study on Socio-economic Status of Tomato Growers in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh

Tomato is one of the most consumed and produced horticulture crops in the world. It is more economical than food grains due to their higher production per unit area in less time as they provide a good source of income to farmers. The present study has been conducted to study the socio-economic status of tomato growers in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. The multi-stage sampling technique and pre-tested interview schedule were used for data collection for the study. A sample was collected from eight villages in Solan district to make a total sample size of 80 tomato growers in the study area for the agricultural year 2021-2022. Mean, percentage, frequency, and standard deviation were used to find out the socio-economic status of tomato growers. The result revealed that majority i.e., 80 per cent of tomato growers belonged to middle aged group and 33.75 per cent had primary school education. About 76.25 per cent of tomato growers had joint family with 3 to 7 family members. 77.5 per cent of tomato growers had 0.5 to 3.17 bigha under tomato cultivation with 11 to 42 years of farming experience. The gross income of tomato growers was Rs. 60,000 per bigha and net income was Rs. 38,353 per bigha. The output input ratio worked out to be 1.77. The majority i.e., 55 per cent of tomato growers had medium level of socio-economic class. This study suggests the appointment of more extension personnel at grass root level. This study will be helpful in developing suitable and effective extension programmes to increase tomato production.

Design and Implementation of Peach Leaf Disease Identification System

Peach trees are widely cultivated in China. With the improvement of people's living standards, the requirements for the quality of peaches are constantly improving. The occurrence of peach leaf diseases has seriously affected the yield and quality of peach fruits. The production of high-quality peach fruit requires the necessary management of peach leaf diseases. The traditional identification method of diseased leaves is manual identification, which is subjective and difficult. This paper proposes a method of peach leaf disease detection using Anaconda+Python+Pycharm software and YOLOv5 model after adding attention mechanism CBAM, and develops a GUI interface recognition system for users to operate. The software design interface mainly includes login interface, registration interface and main detection interface. Fruit growers can import the collected peach leaf disease pictures into the recognition system, and then check the selection weight module of the main interface in this software to select the appropriate weight. Then initialize the model, and automatically compare it with the data set types of five leaf diseases including peach leaf shrinkage disease, bacterial perforation disease, yellow leaf disease, brown spot perforation disease and anthrax in this system through the picture detection module, so as to obtain the type of peach leaf disease, and provide corresponding prevention and control suggestions according to the type of leaf disease. The development of this system has improved the identification accuracy of peach leaf diseases by 2.15%. IOU increased by 3.02% to 82.37%. It reduces the misdiagnosis rate of fruit growers, increases the recognition accuracy of peach leaf disease, takes correct control measures, reduces the harm of leaf disease, and improves the income of fruit growers.

First report of Burkholderia gladioli causing bacterial panicle blight of rice in Malaysia.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food for most of the world's populations, particularly in Asia (Gumma et al. 2011). The rice sector provides Malaysians with a food supply, food sufficiency, and income for growers (Man et al. 2009). From January to February 2022, panicle samples showing symptoms of bacterial panicle blight (BPB) disease, including reddish-brown, linear lesions with indistinct margins on flag-leaf sheaths and blighted, upright, grayish straw-colored florets with sterile and aborted grains on panicles were collected in granary areas in Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia with 90% disease incidence in fields. Surface-sterilization of infected leaf tissue was performed using 75% ethanol and 1% sodium hypochlorite, followed by rinsing three times in sterilized water. Leaf tissue was macerated in sterilized water and aliquots were spread on King's B agar medium, then cultured for 24 h to 48 h at 35 °C. All isolated bacteria were Gram-negative rods, positive for catalase and gelatinase but negative for indole, oxidase and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and utilized sucrose, inositol, mannitol, glucose, and citrate. Colonies were circular and smooth-margined, producing a diffusible yellowish-green pigment on King's B agar medium, which are characteristics of Burkholderia species (Keith et al. 2005). Five representative isolates (UPMBG7, UPMBG8, UPMBG9, UPMBG15, UPMBG17) were selected for molecular and pathogenicity tests. PCR using specific primers targeting the gyrB gene for molecular characterization was performed, and the ∼470 bp amplicons were sequenced (Maeda et al. 2006) and deposited in GenBank (OM824438 to OM824442). A BLASTn analysis revealed that the five isolates were 99% identical to the B. gladioli reference strains MAFF 302533, GRBB15041, and LMG19584 in GenBank (AB190628, KX638432, and AB220898). A phylogenetic tree using Maximum-likelihood analysis of the gyrB gene sequences showed that the five isolates were 99% identical to B. gladioli reference strains (AB190628, KX638432, and AB220898). To verify the identification of these isolates, the 16S rDNA gene was amplified using 16SF/16SR primers (Ramachandran et al. 2021), producing ~1,400 bp amplicons. The resulting sequences of the five isolates (OM869953 to OM869957) were 98% identical to the reference strains of B. gladioli (NR113629 and NR117553). To confirm pathogenicity, 10 ml suspensions of the five isolates at of 108 CFU/ml were inoculated into the panicles and crowns of 75-day-old rice seedlings of local rice varieties MR269 and MR219 grown in a glasshouse with temperatures ranging from 37 °C to 41 °C (Nandakumar et al. 2009). Control rice seedlings were inoculated with sterilized water. All isolates produced BPB disease symptoms like those originally found in the rice fields at four weeks after inoculation. Control seedlings remained asymptomatic. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the bacteria were reisolated from symptomatic panicles and were confirmed as B. gladioli by sequence analysis of the gyrB and 16S rDNA genes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. gladioli causing BPB disease of rice in Malaysia. Since BPB disease causes a significant threat to the rice industry, it is crucial to investigate the diversity of this destructive pathogen for effective disease management strategies in Malaysia.

Viruses and Phytoplasma Reported on the Most Important Vegetable Crops in Syria: A Review

Ismaeil, F., J. Mando, M. Alkhalaf and S.G. Kumari. 2023. Viruses and Phytoplasma Reported on the Most Important Vegetable Crops in Syria: A Review. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 41(4): 444-458. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-41.4.444458 Syria is famous for cultivation of many different vegetable crops in most governorates during both winter and summer growing seasons, due to its Mediterranean moderate climate conditions, characterized by a mild winter and a hot dry summer. Vegetables cultivation is a very important sector of the Syrian agriculture, as it represents an important source of income for growers and a source of hard currency through export. The most important vegetables cultivated in Syria are solanaceous crops (potato, tomato, sweet potato, pepper and eggplant), cucurbits (watermelon, melon, cucumber, squash and pumpkin), legumes (broad bean, green bean, green pea and cowpea), cruciferaceous (white cabbage and white cauliflower) and other species such as: green onion, green garlic, lettuce, okra … etc. These vegetable crops are affected by many diseases caused by different causal agents, among them, viruses, viroids and phytoplasmas that are considered the most important pathogens causing many serious and significant diseases. In Syria, during the past forty years, many viruses and few phytoplasmas were investigated and most of them (especially viruses) were recorded on these vegetable crops through many field surveys carried out to evaluate their sanitary status and to determine the economic losses and damages caused by those pathogens. Tens of studies were implemented with the aim of identifying those causal agents on the most important vegetable crops grown in the country and finding out the appropriate approaches for their effective control. Many available and appropriate diagnostic methods such as biological, serological and molecular techniques were used to assess the sanitary status of these crops. Keywords: Diseases, Vegetable crops, Viruses, Phytoplasmas, Syria

Strategies to improve the quantity and quality of export coffee in Ethiopia, a look at multiple opportunities

Coffee is the most popular mild stimulant crop due to its refreshment properties and several health advantages. It's also an industrial crop, with its flavor and perfume making it a popular addition to processed foods. Ethiopia provides the highest quality coffee since it is the birthplace of Arabica coffee. It is Ethiopia's most important export item. In the country, smallholders produce 95% of the coffee, with little or no intensification of the production system. Furthermore, half of the coffee produced is consumed locally. Coffee is being commercialized not only in Ethiopia, but also in the world, with Brazil being the biggest coffee grower. Despite Ethiopia's good agroclimatic conditions, coffee is not grown “commercially” throughout the country. Harar, Sidama, Limu/Djimmah, Teppi/Bebeka, and Yirgachefe are the five main regions of coffee production. They are found in Oromia and Souther Nations and Nationalities People (SNNP) regions of Ethiopia. Even the coffee consumed locally is sourced from the five major coffee-producing regions mentioned. This domestic consumption can minimize the export potential of the country. Therefore, Ethiopia should consider a variety of options in order to improve its coffee export status. 1. Ethiopia should expand its commercial coffee production areas to include Amhara, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz, and Tigrai, as these regions have suitable agroclimatic conditions for coffee production. 2. Ethiopia should adopt a system of intense coffee production. Commercial farms should be encouraged, and at least half of the coffee exported should come from commercial farms that can produce coffee in a high-volume manner. 3. The process of combining and diversifying the coffee producing system with other crops should be encouraged. Coffee can be combined with spices, bananas, and other similar crops. As a result, coffee will not be the primary source of income for growers, and they will be able to maximize their earnings from the same land they used to cultivate. This may entice both the commercial and public sectors to invest in high-quality coffee for export. As a result, the country will be able to produce more for domestic consumption as well as export market. • Coffee is the main mean of livelihood for many Ethiopians. • Ethiopia is the birthplace of best quality coffee. • The commercial production of coffee in Ethiopia is limited to its place of origin. • The country should boost its production together with maintaining quality. • All potential areas of the country should be explored at least to fill the domestic consumption. • Commercialization of the coffee farm (intensive farming system). • Intercropping coffee with other crops (Banana, Spice). • Coffee Honey bee Integration should be adopted.