Cultivation Of Horticultural Crops Research Articles

Growth and Decomposition Analysis of Major Fruits Grown in Punjab

Background: Punjab has been gifted with the suitable agro climatic conditions and topography for the cultivation of horticultural crops, particularly fruits and vegetables. Due to its easy cultivation on sandy loam soils, increased profitability and good market value in comparison to several other crops in the state, Punjab has gained popularity among fruit growers. Methods: The study was based on secondary data obtained on the basis of the largest area sown over the period of 13 years i.e., from 2010-11 to 2022-23. Statistical tools like Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), instability index and decomposition analysis were used to analyze the trends in area, production and productivity of major fruits in Punjab. Result: Results revealed that growth rates of area, production and productivity had shown positive and significant in all the major fruits during the study period. The growth rate of area and production under kinnow was found to be lowest due to decline in area and production during the last three years. Cuddy-Della Valle Index indicates that fluctuations in area and production was found to be tremendously high under lemon and litchi. Decomposition analysis revealed that area under kinnow was the major contributing factor causing the change in production but it was the yield that played a major role in other fruits.

Advancing Horticulture: The Role of Marker-Assisted Breeding in Crop Improvement

Marker-assisted breeding (MAB) is revolutionizing the cultivation of horticultural crops by enabling more accurate genetic selection of desired traits. Unlike traditional breeding methods, which depend heavily on selecting traits based on visible characteristics, a process often hindered by complex inheritance patterns and environmental influences, MAB uses molecular markers tied to specific genes. This allows breeders to more efficiently identify and choose plants with the desired genetic features. MAB has significantly accelerated the breeding process for crops with traits like disease resistance, higher yields, and enhanced nutritional and visual qualities. It also reduces the time needed for breeding cycles; while traditional methods may require multiple generations to achieve desired traits, MAB can confirm the presence of beneficial genes early, speeding up the development of improved varieties. This is particularly crucial in addressing challenges like climate change, where crops must quickly adapt to stressors such as drought, salinity, and temperature fluctuations. In essence, MAB represents a major advancement in horticultural crop development, increasing the precision and efficiency of breeding efforts. It also plays a vital role in creating crops suited to specific environmental and market needs, while helping tackle global issues like food security, climate change resilience, and sustainable farming. MAB positions horticulture to better meet evolving consumer expectations and agricultural demands.

Effectiveness of Biochar application on the growth of red chili plants during the vegetative stage under waterlogging

The riparian wetland offers potential for horticultural crop cultivation, such as chili peppers. It is important to consider cultivation techniques and the use of organic matter to improve soil properties, particularly to combat waterlogging during the rainy season. This study aimed to assess the impact of biochar application on the growth of chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) during the vegetative stage under waterlogging conditions. This research was conducted at the experimental land of the Agrotechnology Department, Faculty of Plant and Animal Sciences, Universitas Bina Insan from December 2022 to February 2023. This research employed a complete randomized design (RAL) factorial with two factors. The first factor involved waterlogging stress, including control (C) and waterlogging stress (W). The second factor (N) encompassed the application of biochar, namely without biochar (N0), rice husk biochar (N1) and coconut shell biochar (N2) at a dose of 200 g plant-1. The results showed that waterlogging conditions (W) and biochar application (N) showed significantly different results in shoot length, root length, number of leaves, and total dry weight of chili plants, while the interaction (WxN) showed significantly different in shoot length and root length of plants. Treatment without biochar (N0) in waterlogging conditions actually showed shoot length, root length, number of leaves and total dry weight of plants that were significantly higher than treatment coconut shell biochar (N1) and rice husk applications (N2).

Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops: A Comprehensive Review

Horticultural crops grown under protection are becoming more and more significant in modern agriculture, offering a number of benefits such as increased yields, better quality, and protection from pests and bad weather. This comprehensive review aims to demonstrate protected cultivation methods as they currently exist and explore their future applications in horticulture. The first part of the examination covers the many types of protected production structures, including high tunnels, shade houses, and greenhouses, along with their advantages and disadvantages. The significance of protected farming in tackling concerns associated with worldwide food security is further underscored by preserving crop productivity throughout the year and limiting dependence on seasonal variations. This review looks more closely at the effects of protected cultivation methods on the growth and development of horticultural crops. These methods include improved crop morphogenesis, precipitation control, and the optimisation of environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. Furthermore, the utilisation of advanced technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics, and vertical farming in protected growing systems is examined and its capacity to optimise crop yield while minimising resource consumption is emphasised. The difficulties and limitations associated with adopting protected cultivation are also examined in the study, including the need for artificial inputs, energy requirements, and financial considerations. It talks about environmentally friendly and sustainable ways to reduce these problems and preserve ecological balance, like switching to organic farming methods and using renewable energy sources. Future trends and developments in protected cultivation are covered in detail in the study's final section. These include the application of artificial intelligence, the adoption of smart farming technologies, and the employment of precision agriculture techniques. Higher yields and higher-quality horticultural crop output could be the outcome of these developments, which further optimise resource utilisation, improve automation, and better crop monitoring and management.

A Comparative Analysis of Land, Water and Energy Requirements for Hydroponic and Conventional Cultivation of Horticultural Crops

The increasing global population and limited availability of arable land have necessitated the development of efficient and sustainable agricultural practices. Hydroponic cultivation has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional soil-based farming, particularly for horticultural crops. This review paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the land, water, and energy requirements for hydroponic and conventional cultivation methods. The study aims to evaluate the sustainability and resource efficiency of these two approaches in the context of horticultural crop production. A thorough literature review was conducted, focusing on peer-reviewed articles, research reports, and case studies that compared hydroponic and conventional cultivation in terms of their resource utilization. The analysis encompassed various horticultural crops, including leafy greens, fruiting vegetables, and herbs. Key parameters such as land use efficiency, water consumption, nutrient management, energy inputs, and yield were examined. The findings revealed that hydroponic systems exhibited significantly higher land use efficiency compared to conventional farming. Vertical stacking and intensive production in controlled environments allowed for greater crop yields per unit area. Furthermore, hydroponic cultivation demonstrated superior water use efficiency, with recirculating systems reducing water consumption by up to 90% compared to traditional irrigation methods. Precision nutrient management in hydroponics minimized nutrient waste and runoff, contributing to enhanced resource conservation. However, the energy requirements for hydroponic cultivation were found to be higher than those for conventional farming, primarily due to the need for artificial lighting, climate control, and pumping systems. Strategies for optimizing energy efficiency, such as the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient equipment, were explored.

Trends in Greenhouse Production Technology with Special Reference to Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops

Greenhouse is an important application scenario of modern agriculture. With the improvement of people's life quality, the demand for vegetables, fruits, flowers and has also increased, and the amount of greenhouses has developed rapidly. Greenhouse adopts artificial technical means to change natural light and temperature conditions, and to create environmental factors to optimize the growth of animals and plants, so that greenhouse crops can grow throughout the year and the weather. Compared with traditional planting methods, the greenhouse is more automated, intelligent, and mechanized. Greenhouse farming (Protected cultivation) refers to the practice of growing crops in an enclosed or partially enclosed environment, such as greenhouses, shade houses, or high tunnels. The primary purpose of protected cultivation is to create a controlled microclimate that shields the crops from adverse weather conditions, pests, and diseases, while optimizing environmental factors. It involves the use of structures, materials, and technologies that provide a protective barrier and allow for manipulation of temperature, humidity, light, and other environmental variables. The benefits of greenhouses are high production per unit area because the genetic potential of the crop can be completely exploited, vegetables and nurseries can be grown off-season that obtain high market prices, good quality products and it is easy to protect the crops from pests, diseases and extreme climatic conditions. Greenhouse farming is a highly intensive industry that needs considerable labour and capital inputs. Because of this, all factors important for a successful enterprisers should be carefully considered by potential growers.

Unlocking Rapid and User-Friendly Strategies to Improve Horticultural Crop Qualities

Climatic changes and global warming affect the growth, development, and productivity of crops. In this review, we highlight the possible benefits of using innovative breeding techniques like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), exogenous phytohormone-like strigolactones (SLs), nanomaterials (NMs), and beneficial microbial endophytes to address the challenges in sustainable cultivation of horticultural crops. These applications are evaluated by examining how they affect different metabolic, morphological, and biochemical parameters in diverse crops. Endophytes are symbiotic microorganisms and can be used as nematicides for improving crop yield. With an emphasis on quality control, we examined the impacts of applying NMs, a novel family of phytohormones called SLs, and microbial endophytes on horticultural commodities. Furthermore, we reviewed the benefits of CRISPR for the editing of plant genomes, as well as how it affects gene expression and transcription factors to increase crop tolerance and yield. These innovations hold the potential to improve crop yield, quality, and resilience by acting as safe, natural components in biofertilizers and plant protection solutions. Gradually adopting these methods could decrease reliance on agrochemicals, thereby reducing their negative effects on biodiversity, soil fertility, and human health.

A Comprehensive Review on Protected Cultivation: Importance, Scope and Status

The practice of protected cultivation of horticultural crops has become increasingly important in contemporary agriculture, providing a host of advantages including higher yields, improved quality, and defence against pests and unfavourable weather. This thorough analysis seeks to illustrate protected cultivation practices as they stand today and investigate their potential in horticulture going forward. The examination starts out by going over the many kinds of protected production buildings and their benefits and drawbacks, such as greenhouses, high tunnels, and shade houses. The importance of protected farming in addressing issues related to global food security is then emphasised by maintaining crop output all year round and minimising reliance on seasonal changes. The impact of protected cultivation techniques which include enhanced crop morphogenesis, precipitation control, and the optimisation of environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels on the growth and development of horticultural crops is further examined in this review. In addition, the application of cutting-edge technologies such as aeroponics, hydroponics, and vertical farming in protected growing systems is discussed and its potential to maximise crop output while consuming the least amount of resources is highlighted. The study also explores the difficulties and limitations associated with adopting protected cultivation, such as the need for synthetic inputs, energy requirements, and financial issues. It talks about environmentally friendly and sustainable ways to reduce these problems and support ecological balance, like using renewable energy sources and switching to organic farming methods. The investigation concludes that discussing some potential developments and trends in protected cultivation going forward, including as the application of artificial intelligence, the integration of precision agriculture methods, and the uptake of smart farming technologies. These developments could lead to increased yield and quality improvements in the production of horticulture crops by further optimising resource utilisation, enhancing automation, and improving crop monitoring and management.

Economics of Capsicum and Tomato Crops Production under Protected Cultivation in the Regions of Kalyana-Karnataka, India

Protected cultivation is an important initiative for cultivating the high value horticultural crops especially during the off-season which enables the farming communities to generate higher revenues in the limited area. In this context, a study has been undertaken to find out the viability of the protected cultivation structures for the cultivation of horticulture crops of capsicum and tomato in the regions of Kalyana-Karnataka. The research study was conducted in the district of Koppal and Ballari in regions of Kalyana-Karnataka based on the existence of highest number of protected structures. The study was based on primary data through personal interview method of the farmers who have adopted protected cultivation technology. A sample of 60 farmers were drawn as respondents from each district based on their size and composition of the structures and also on the basis of crops grown under protected condition. The data collected from the farmers with respect to the cost and return of capsicum and tomato under protected cultivation were analysed using cost and returns analysis techniques. The results reported that, the net returns of capsicum and tomato crops in protected cultivation were Rs. 2,92,768 and Rs. 2,28,289 respectively in an area of of 1008 sqm and the B:C ratios of capsicum and tomato crops were reported as 1:3.40 and 1:2.89 respectively. Thus, the protected cultivation structures in the regions of Kalyana-Karnataka for the cultivation of tomato and capsicum crops were found as economically viable unit. Hence, effort may be needed from the farmers of this region with further government support for increasing the adoption of protected cultivation structures in the cultivation of high value horticultural crops like tomato and capsicum.

Effect of Compost from Cardoon Biomass, as Partial Replacement of Peat, on the Production and Quality of Baby Leaf Lettuce

The use of peat, the standard substrate used for soilless cultivation of horticultural crops, is becoming of increasing concern as peat is a non-renewable resource and its extraction can degrade wetland ecosystems, creating a strong environmental impact. For this reason, the search for organic materials that can totally or partially replace peat has become increasingly important. In this research, three types of composts (C1, C2, C3), derived from cardoon biomass mixed in different volumes with woody and/or fruit wastes, were utilized as the constituents of growing media, at two dilution rates with peat (60:40 and 30:70 v:v), to assess their effect on the growth and quality of baby leaf lettuce in a greenhouse trial. The two cultivars Imperiale and Verde d’Inverno, belonging to the butterhead and romaine lettuce types, respectively, were employed. Plant performance and yield were unaffected or were positively affected by compost-containing growing medium compared to the control. The cultivars responded differently to the growing medium; the Imperiale showed the highest yield with C1 compost at a 60% rate while the Verde d’Inverno with the C2 was at 30%. The total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid were found higher in the Verde d’Inverno than in the Imperiale variety while the total polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were lower. Also, the content of chlorophylls as well as of antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity were differently affected by the growing medium, depending on the lettuce cultivar. The results obtained indicate that cultivated cardoon waste-based compost is a promising constituent of the growing media for baby leaf production. The specific varietal response observed should be considered to optimize both yield and product quality.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A MICROCONTROLLER-BASED TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, AND PH MONITORING SYSTEM FOR HYDROPONIC GROWING MEDIA

The current government is actively promoting the cultivation of horticultural crops as a means of cost savings, reducing air pollution, and environmental conservation. Due to the limited available land, the community has shifted to using hydroponic growing media. However, to ensure optimal plant growth, it is essential to implement a system that controls temperature, humidity, and the pH level of the nutrient solution in the hydroponic setup. This research employs an experimental methodology, leveraging temperature sensors, pH sensors, NodeMCU, and the Blynk application. The findings of this study demonstrate that to optimize the control of temperature, humidity, and pH levels of the nutrient solution, it is necessary to periodically add both pure water and nutrient solution. The addition of pure water alone to the nutrient solution in the growing media causes the pH to fluctuate by an average of 0.4 units per 1000mL of pure water added. Temperature and humidity control within the nutrient solution of the hydroponic media can be maintained by adding pure water. The study results showed that the temperature was controlled between 18°C and 25.2°C, with humidity levels ranging from 60% to 75%. The data processing time, from sensor data acquisition, data processing on the NodeMCU, to data transmission from NodeMCU to the Blynk application, averages 1.22 seconds. The command transmission time to execution varies from 30 seconds to 90 seconds, depending on the distance between the system and the growing media. This study concludes that the addition of pure water must be accompanied by the addition of nutrients to ensure that, alongside maintaining temperature and humidity, the pH level remains within the desired set point range.

A Comprehensive Review on Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops: Present Status and Future Prospects

Protected cultivation of horticultural crops has emerged as a crucial technique in modern agriculture, offering numerous benefits such as increased yield, enhanced quality, and protection against adverse climatic conditions and pests. This comprehensive review aims to present the current status of protected cultivation practices and explore its future prospects in horticulture. The review begins by discussing the various types of protected cultivation structures, including greenhouses, high tunnels, and shade houses, along with their advantages and limitations. It then highlights the significance of protected cultivation in addressing global food security challenges by ensuring year-round crop production and reducing dependence on seasonal variations. The review further explores the impact of protected cultivation techniques on the growth and development of horticultural crops, including improved crop morphogenesis, precipitation management, and the optimization of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. Furthermore, the utilization of advanced technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics, and vertical farming within protected cultivation systems is examined, with an emphasis on their potential for maximizing crop productivity while minimizing resource consumption. Moreover, the paper delves into the challenges and constraints faced in implementing protected cultivation, including cost considerations, energy requirements, and the use of synthetic inputs. It discusses sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches, such as utilizing renewable energy sources and adopting organic farming practices, to mitigate these challenges and promote ecological balance. Lastly, the review discusses some future prospects and trends in protected cultivation, including the integration of precision agriculture techniques, the use of artificial intelligence, and the adoption of smart farming technologies. These advancements have the potential to further optimize resource utilization, improve automation, and enhance crop monitoring and management, ultimately leading to greater yield and quality improvements in horticultural crop production.

Community Empowerment through Assistance on the Basics of Islam and Organic Horticulture Cultivation in Mu’allaf Village, Lembang Village Pinrang District

This community service activity aims to: 1) empower the community in the Muallaf village through mentoring the basics of Islam and Organic Horticulture Cultivation, 2) Developing the potential of students by involving them in community service activities, 3) Adding International Cooperation which will have an impact on the development of study programs, and 4) Adding lecturer recognition in the Tri Darma of Higher Education, namely in community service. Community Service activities are focused on two fields of activity, namely: 1. assistance in the basics of Islam in the form of reading and writing the Qur'an, prayer procedures, and other mass worship intended for all people who live in the mu'allaf village. 2. Assistance on how to grow horticultural crops organically which will be given to farmers who live in the Mu'allaf village. The solutions offered in community service are 1) Assisting the community by becoming a religious companion by assigning 2 students who are tasked with becoming preachers and staying for 2 months in the mu'allaf village. 2) Conducting training in making organic fertilizer by utilizing household waste, manure and other materials that are easily obtained from the surrounding environment, 3) Conducting training on horticultural plant cultivation procedures to farmers who live in mu'allaf villages and 4) Provide assistance to farmers to conduct trials of horticultural crop cultivation. This community service is planned to be carried out in 2 stages of activity, namely the first is fostering the basics of Islam in the form of mubaligh assistance by students who join the Community Service Team and the second is training and assistance in cultivating horticultural crops using organic fertilizers.

Exhausted fire-extinguishing powders: A potential source of mineral nutrients for reuse and valorisation in compost enrichment for soilless cultivation

Fire-extinguishing powders (FEPs) are constituted by an inner mineral core of (NH4)H2PO4 and (NH4)2SO4 salts (>95 %, by weight) externally coated with Si-based additives, which make problematic reuse after their service life has expired (36 months). This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using the composting process as an environmentally friendly strategy to lyse the external coating and recycle this nutrient-rich solid waste for replacement of inorganic fertilization in soilless cultivation of horticultural crops. A microcosm-scale experiment with lettuce plants grown into a soil/quartz sand mixture under controlled conditions for 28 days was used to investigate plant responses (fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, root morphology, ash and nutrients content) to amendment with increasing dosages (equivalent at 0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha−1) of an exhausted FEPs-enriched compost. Chemical properties (pH, EC, TOC, TN) and content of soluble nutrients (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, H2PO4−, SO42−, NO3−, Cl−) released into the growing substrate were also monitored. Non-amended microcosms and non-enriched compost treatments were taken as controls. Results showed, beside the expected rise of phosphate, sulphate and ammonium ions, exhausted FEPs contributed Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ content. Whereas compost determined a dose-dependent release of K+, which was particularly useful in maintaining the K/Na ratio in a range not harmful to plant physiology. It was also found that the compost enriched with 5 % (w/w) exhausted FEPs was no phytotoxic to lettuce. On the contrary, it stimulated the plant growth, increased the photosynthetic efficiency and the shoot biomass accumulation, thus incrementing the shoot/root ratio. Moreover, it oriented the root morphology development and promoted the plant uptake of both water and solutes. To sum up, composting represents a suitable alternative to chemical treatment to recover readily available nutrients contained in exhausted FEPs and produce an enriched compost for use in soilless cultivation.

Influences of social environment on farmers’ behavioural to practice an agricultural technology, screenhouse: An application of social cognitive theory

Climate change has a high impact on the agricultural sector, especially horticulture farming which aims to increase the welfare of farmers. Screenhouse technology can be a solution to increase the productivity and quality of agricultural products. This study is aimed to analyse the behaviour of farmers in imitating the model of applying the screen house for horticultural crop cultivation (decorative plants and vegetables) and to analyse the factors that influence farmer behaviour in imitating the model of applying the screen house for the cultivation of horticultural crops (decorative plants and vegetables). This study used the Social Cognitive theory by Albert Bandura. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach to the survey method. Data were taken through interviews using a questionnaire to 70 farmers who already knew or did not know screenhouse technology and were analysed using Partial Least Square (PLS) Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that the influence of personal factors on the behaviour of applying screen house technology was 0.572, the influence of environmental factors on farmer behaviour was 0.255, personal factors had an influence on environmental factors by 0.595, and personal factors were mediated by environmental factors on farmer behaviour by 0.152. This study concluded that there was a real influence between personal factors on environmental factors, personal factors on farmer behaviour, environmental factors on farmer behaviour, and personal factors on farmer behaviour mediated by environmental factors.

Protected cultivation of horticultural crops in Nepal: Current practices and future needs

Protected cultivation infers the cultivation under guarded conditions or we can say simply, cultivation under a modified atmosphere or man-made micro-climatic conditions such as alteration in the CO2 concentration also use of different temperature levels on specific protected structures such as hoop houses, cold houses, shade houses, hot frames or hotbeds, hot-bed manures as well as high tunnels which are less costly as well and can be easily afforded by Nepalese farmers. Horticultural crops rely heavily on specific environmental conditions i.e., temperature, soil moisture, sunlight, and soil fertility. However, with climate change, weather patterns worldwide are shifting, significantly impacting horticultural crops directly and indirectly in the mid-hills as well as high-hills of Nepal. The people of the mountainous region are getting malnutrition due to the scarcity of food. By adapting the different climate-smart practices we can increase the productivity of the seasonal crop as well as the availability of off-season crops throughout the year which not only improves the malnutrition status of Nepalese people but also helps the country to lower the vulnerability towards climate change. This review highlights the common protected practices used in Nepal and their need in the future.

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in catchment areas raises the seasonal pH in natural freshwater lakes of the subtropical monsoon climate region

In recent years, the pH of some oligotrophic natural freshwater lakes in the subtropical monsoon climate region has generally reached an extremely high level of approximately 9.0 during the summer and autumn. It has not been proven that the explanation for why carbon assimilation in productive lakes exceeds carbon supply and causes a rise in pH also applies to oligotrophic freshwater lakes. Regardless, this may have been caused by changes in the solute composition of inflowing rivers as a result of changes in land use in catchment areas. Beimiao Reservoir in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, where pH has increased significantly in summer and fall over the past few years, was chosen for this research in order to verify this hypothesis. This paper evaluates the status quo of water quality and nutrition in this reservoir. In addition, this paper analyzes the effects of water temperature, the metabolism of aquatic organisms, and river input on the horizontal and vertical spatial differences, diurnal variations, seasonal changes, and annual changes in the pH of the reservoir. It was discovered that one of the primary causes of the pH increase in natural freshwater lakes in the subtropical monsoon climate region during summer and autumn can be summarized as follows: A large amount of nitric acid and sulfuric acid are produced in the soil when chemical fertilizers are overused in runoff areas, particularly during intensive horticultural crop cultivation. Therefore, the subtropical monsoon climate region's soil loses calcium and magnesium ions, whose combined equivalent concentrations significantly exceed those of bicarbonate ions. The combined equivalent concentrations of calcium ions and magnesium ions in the inflowing rivers in summer and autumn are also significantly higher than those in the lake, resulting in the depletion of free carbon dioxide caused by calcium carbonate precipitation and an increase in pH. The conclusion of this research casts new light on the preservation and treatment of the ecological environment of lake water with similar issues.

Effect of seed priming on growth and physiological responses of chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) under salinity stress

Increasing soil salinity in some agricultural areas due to global climate change is an obstacle in horticultural crop cultivation. Chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is an important horticultural crop that has high economic values but the extensive cultivation in saline land can reduce yields. Plant tolerance must be increased to be able to adapt in salinity stress conditions. One method that can be used is seed priming, which is pre-soaking the seeds to increase germination under unfavourable conditions. This study aimed to determine the effect of seed osmopriming using PEG 6000 on growth and physiological responses of chili pepper under salinity stress. The experimental design of this study included two factors: concentration of PEG 6000 (0, 12.5 and 25%) and salinity stress of 0, 2000, and 4000 ppm of NaCl. The observed parameters were 1) germination (percentage and rate of germination, germination synchronization); 2) growth (plant height; root length; dry weight of roots and shoot, number of fruits, fruit weight and capsaicin level); 3) physiological analysis (chlorophyll and proline levels). Seed osmopriming with 25% of PEG 6000 increased germination and plant growth of chili pepper under salinity stress conditions. Chlorophyll level increased while proline and capsaicin level decreased on osmopriming with 25% of PEG 6000. By studying the growth and physiological responses of chili pepper under salinity stress, the role of osmopriming in reducing the harmful effects of salinity stress can be determined.

PENINGKATAN EKONOMI MASYARAKAT BERBASIS KELUARGA MELALUI BUDIDAYA HORTIKULTURA DI KECAMATAN TEHORU KABUPATEN MALUKU TENGAH

Agricultural business has an important role for the national economy. In 2020, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released the agricultural sector's GDP as the highest contributor to national economic growth in the second quarter of 2020, which decreased by 4.19% and year on year (yoy) decreased by 5.32%. . Agricultural GDP grew by 16.24% in the second quarter of 2020, which means that the agricultural sector still contributes 2.19% to national economic growth (Dirjen Horticulture: 2021). In an effort to increase the production of various agricultural commodities in Wanasa Hamlet, Tehoru District, Central Maluku Regency, there are still quite large opportunities for the family sector. The main purpose of this volunteer activity is to provide new understanding and knowledge as well as to carry out direct practice of horticultural crop cultivation techniques and patterns that were originally known by the community conventionally but are more academically improved to the people who make up most of their livelihoods. as a farmer and hunter, to utilize vacant land and yards by cultivating Horticultural crops with the aim of meeting household consumption needs and also providing additional income for the family. Community service activities are carried out in Wanasa Village which is located in Tehoru District, Central Maluku Regency and takes place on October 15-17 2021.

CFD simulation and experimental study of the irrigation performance of new ebb-and-flow soilless cultivation troughs

Irrigation water savings constitute an important incentive for sustainable agricultural development. Ebb-and-flow irrigation provides prominent water-saving advantages in regard to the irrigation of horticultural crops. In this study, two new ebb-and-flow soilless cultivation troughs, i.e., T- and U-type troughs, were designed based on available ebb-and-flow cultivation troughs to further improve the water use efficiency. They could be divided into substrate and water supply areas by convex separating plates. The long walls of the troughs were inclined and curved. To study the performance of these new troughs, water supply and water retention processes were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. A trough with an inverted triangular profile configuration was used as the control group (CK). It was found that the water supply time consumption of the U-type troughs was the lowest, accounting for 34.48% of that of the CK troughs, and the rate of the T-type troughs was the second lowest, accounting for 55.7% of that of the CK troughs; the variation in the water retention process was negligible, at<0.5%. In addition, field experiments indicated that the U-type troughs supplied water at the highest rate and exhibited a high substrate water content, and it was determined that the U-type troughs achieved the highest irrigation efficiency, which was 1.38–1.60 times higher than that of the CK troughs, and the lowest energy consumption, accounting for 18.57%-20.28% of that of the CK troughs. Moreover, cultivation trials demonstrated that the two newly designed cultivation troughs were better than the CK trough. Consequently, the U-type cultivation trough was found to be the best choice. This study provides a theoretical basis for the ebb-and-flow soilless cultivation of horticultural crops and introduces new products to improve the irrigation water use efficiency and reduce energy consumption.