Pineapple Plantations Research Articles

Short Communication: Isolation and identification of actinomycetes potential as the antagonist of Dickeya zeae pineapple soft rot in Lampung, Indonesia

Aeny TN, Prasetyo J, Suharjo R, Dirmawati SR, Efri, Niswati A. 2018. Isolation and Identification of actinomycetes potential as the antagonist of Dickeya zeae pineapple soft rot in Lampung, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 19: 2052-2058. This study was aimed to collect and identify actinomycetes from the rhizosphere of pineapple with the potency as a biocontrol agent of Dickeya zeae, the pathogen of pineapple soft rot. Soil samples were collected from four different pineapple plantations in Lampung Province, in December 2016. Samples were air-dried, serially diluted, and plated on modified ISP2 medium and several single characterized colonies were sub cultured and purified. The growing colonies were grouped into different colour series based on their aerial-mycelia and substrate-mycelia colors. Antagonistic activity of the actinomycetes isolates were evaluated against Dickeya zeae by agar diffusion method using the same medium agar lawn with the bacterial cultures. Selected antagonistic actinomycete isolates with the biggest clear zone formation were further characterized and identified molecularly based on 16S rDNA sequences. The results showed that as many as 34 actinomycete isolates collected from pineapple rhizosphere produced clear zones. Two isolates, namely GGF2-i5 and GGF4-i18, presented the biggest clear zone were proposed as the potential antagonist strains against D. zeae and identified as Streptomyces parvulus and Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. hygroscopicus, respectively. Both of the 16S rRNA gene sequences from those strains were deposited in the GenBank with the accession number MH170279 and MH170280, respectively.

Use of satellite remote sensing as a monitoring tool for land and water resources development activities in an Indian tropical site.

With the availability of satellite data from free data domain, remote sensing has increasingly become a fast-hand tool for monitoring of land and water resources development activities with minimal cost and time. Here, we verified construction of check dams and implementation of plantation activities in two districts of Tripura state using Landsat and Sentinel-2 images for the years 2008 and 2016-2017, respectively. We applied spectral reflectance curves and index-based proxies to quantify these activities for two time periods. A subset of the total check dams and plantation sites was chosen on the basis of site condition, nature of check dams, and planted species for identification on satellite images, and another subset was randomly chosen to validate identification procedure. The normalized difference water index (NDWI) derived from Landsat and Senitnel-2 were used to quantify water area evolved, qualify the water quality, and influence of associated tree shadows. Three types of check dams were observed, i.e., full, partial, and fully soil exposed on the basis of the presence of grass or scrub on the check dams. Based on the nature of check dam and site characteristics, we classified the water bodies under 11-categories using six interpretation keys (size, shape, water depth, quality, shadow of associated trees, catchment area). The check dams constructed on existing narrow gullies totally covered by branches or associated plants were not identified without field verification. Further, use of EVI enabled us to approve the plantation activities and adjudge the corresponding increase in vegetation vigor. The plantation activities were established based on the presence and absence of existing vegetation. Clearing on the plantation sites for plantation shows differential increase in EVI values during the initial years. The 403 plantation sites were categorized into 12 major groups on the basis of presence of dominant species and site conditions. The dominant species were Areca catechu, Musa paradisiaca, Ananas comosus, Bambusa sp., and mix plantation of A. catechu and M. paradisiaca. However, the highest maximum increase in average EVI was observed for the pine apple plantation sites (0.11), followed by Bambussa sp. (0.10). These sites were fully covered with plantation without any exposed soil. The present study successfully demonstrates a satellite-based survey supplemented with ground information evaluating the changes in vegetation profile due to plantation activities, locations of check dams, extent of water bodies, downstream irrigation, and catchment area of water bodies.

Contamination of soil and pineapple fruits under fertilization with sewage sludge

ABSTRACT Sewage sludge is rich in organic matter and nutrients for the plants, and can be used in pineapple production, but there are few studies with scientific evaluation of possible inorganic and biological contaminants in pineapple plantations. In view of the above, this study aimed to evaluate the contamination of the soil and in fruits of pineapple fertilized with sewage sludge. The study was conducted in the municipality of Janaúba-MG. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design, with four replicates, in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, consisting of two different fertilizers: sewage sludge (SS) and mineral fertilizers (MF), and five pineapple varieties (Pérola, Vitória, Smooth Cayenne, MD-2, Fantastic IAC). Nitrogen was adopted as the base element to calculate the sewage sludge dose in the pineapple crop. Fertilization with sewage sludge increased the Zn and Cu contents in the soil and the Zn content in the leaves of the pineapple plants. Sewage sludge did not change the contents of As, Pb, Ba, Cu and Zn in the fruit, and Cr, Ni and Cd contents were not detected by the method used. Pineapple fruits did not show microbiological contamination above the limits established by the Brazilian legislation.

PENGGUNAAN DAUN NANAS SEBAGAI BAHAN BAKU PEMBUATAN KERTAS SENI BERWARNA

Pineapple plantations are common in Indonesia. The plantation provides a lot of waste both processed pineapple fruit and waste from the pineapple tree which is the result of post-harvest. The waste has not been optimized to obtain products that have high economic value. One of these wastes in the form of a pineapple leaf natural fiber containing 69.6 to 71% of the basic materials. The natural fibers have the potential to be processed into paper although in general the fibers used for paper materials derived from plants hard. In this research, the color art paper made from pineapple leaves using auxiliary materials NAOH, TiO2, and tapioca. Physical appearance art paper produced from this research can still compete with the art of paper on the market.

Mapping the rainfall distribution for irrigation planning in dry season at pineapple plantation, Lampung Province, Indonesia (Study case at Great Giant Pineapple Co. Ltd.)

One of the problems caused by climate change is unpredictable of the dry season. Understanding when the dry season will start is very important to planning the irrigation schedule especially on large plantation. Data of rainfall for 30 years in Lampung, especially in Pineapple Plantation show that dry month occurs from June to October. If in two decadals (ten days period) rainfall less than 100 mm then it is predicted that next decadal will be dry season. Great Giant Pineapple Co. Ltd. has 32,000 hectares plantation area and located in three regencies at Lampung Province, Indonesia with varies rainfall between regions within a plantation. Therefore, monitoring the rainfall distribution by using ombrometer installed at 10 representative location points can be used to determine irrigation period at the beginning of dry season. Mapping method using the server program and data source is from 10 monitoring rainfall stations installed at the observed points. Preparation of rainfall distribution mapping is important to know the beginning of the dry season and thus planning the irrigation. The results show that 2nd decadal of April is indicated as the starting time of dry season, which is similar with Indonesian government for climate agency’s result.

Tree ferns dominate secondary succession in abandoned pineapple plantations around Manu National Park, Peru

Habitat management and restoration in buffer zones of national parks is critical for maintaining ecosystem services and biological connectivity in and around the parks’ core protected areas. Vegetation succession in abandoned plantations in buffer zones may take different paths that reach climax ecosystems in more or less time depending on the conditions of initial succession, thus enhancing or hindering biological connectivity and ecosystem services. This study documents the dominance of tree ferns in the initial stages of vegetation succession on abandoned pineapple plantations on the Andean foothills around Manu National Park, Peru, and discusses the role it may have on ecosystem restoration. Four years after abandonment, tree fern gametophytes grow under the shade of pineapple plants and melastomes. After 6-10 years of succession, the vegetation is dominated by a tree fern community composed of at least eight species, of which the most common are by far Cyathea delgadii and Cyathea microdonta. Cyathea microdonta functions as a short-lived pioneer, reaching its peak of live stem density in 6 to10 years and dying off in older plots. Cyathea delgadii, on the other hand, continues to grow and persists beyond 10 years of succession. Areas adjacent to abandoned pineapple fields have few tree ferns and higher tree species diversity, suggesting that pineapple agriculture and the resulting tree fern community may be a longer pathway to reach climax vegetation stages than other types of plantation.

Tree ferns dominate secondary succession in abandoned pineapple plantations around Manu National Park, Peru

Habitat management and restoration in buffer zones of national parks is critical for maintaining ecosystem services and biological connectivity in and around the parks’ core protected areas. Vegetation succession in abandoned plantations in buffer zones may take different paths that reach climax ecosystems in more or less time depending on the conditions of initial succession, thus enhancing or hindering biological connectivity and ecosystem services. This study documents the dominance of tree ferns in the initial stages of vegetation succession on abandoned pineapple plantations on the Andean foothills around Manu National Park, Peru, and discusses the role it may have on ecosystem restoration. Four years after abandonment, tree fern gametophytes grow under the shade of pineapple plants and melastomes. After 6-10 years of succession, the vegetation is dominated by a tree fern community composed of at least eight species, of which the most common are by far Cyathea delgadii and Cyathea microdonta. Cyathea microdonta functions as a short-lived pioneer, reaching its peak of live stem density in 6 to10 years and dying off in older plots. Cyathea delgadii, on the other hand, continues to grow and persists beyond 10 years of succession. Areas adjacent to abandoned pineapple fields have few tree ferns and higher tree species diversity, suggesting that pineapple agriculture and the resulting tree fern community may be a longer pathway to reach climax vegetation stages than other types of plantation.

Picture Bride Stories by Barbara F. Kawakami

Reviewed by: Picture Bride Stories by Barbara F. Kawakami Kelli Y. Nakamura (bio) Barbara F. Kawakami. Picture Bride Stories. U of Hawai'i P, 2016,ix + 299 pp. ISBN 978-0824866242, $39.99. Picture Bride Stories, by Barbara Kawakami, is the culmination of nearly four decades of research on the lives of Issei women in Hawai'i. This text provides invaluable insight into the picture-bride practice in the early twentieth century, which involved immigrant workers marrying Japanese women on the recommendation of a matchmaker who exchanged photographs between the prospective bride and groom. Through interviews with these picture brides, Kawakami explores their motivations and experiences, as arranged marriages were not unusual in Japan, and women had different reasons for becoming picture brides. Kawakami's book represents an invaluable contribution to the history of Japanese Americans in Hawai'i because it gives voice and agency to women who are often a silent presence in historical accounts. As the experiences of picture brides are often romanticized and little understood, Kawakami's book illuminates their experiences and shows how these women helped establish the foundations of the Japanese community in the islands. [End Page 696] Between 1885 and 1924, both single and married Japanese immigrant men came to Hawai'i to work on plantations under a three-year contract with the goal of returning home with more money. Due to the exploitative plantation environment, many found this goal to be impossible, and, rather than return to Japan as failures, they decided to establish families in Hawai'i. Some wrote home to their families, asking them to join them, while others asked relatives to find them suitable young women as wives. While the motivations of these men are clearly understood, it is often difficult to discern the reasons why young women would leave their families and communities for a distant island home to marry strangers. Kawakami's interviews with sixteen former picture brides illustrate the diverse circumstances under which picture brides came to Hawai'i. Some, like Kishi Oki Tsujimura, married a neighbor, as both families knew one another and her husband's family had watched her grow up to become a hardworking, efficient young woman. Others, like Tei Saito, had her mother plan her marriage without her consent, but with good intentions. Regardless of the reasons why these women married men that many had only seen in photographs sent across an ocean, after arriving in Hawai'i, numerous women experienced great hardship, doing backbreaking field labor on Hawai'i's sugar and pineapple plantations. Many also faced a "double-shift" or "double day": after laboring in the fields all day, they returned home to a series of domestic duties that included raising children, cleaning, and holding multiple jobs to make ends meet, such as cooking and doing laundry for bachelors. In recounting her experiences on the plantation, Soto Kimura recalls that she "work[ed] all day, without eating anything. When I think about those days, I wonder how I managed to do it. … How many times I cried myself to sleep. I thought … I should have stayed in Japan" (65). Due to the financial and physical hardships that were compounded by the fact that her husband drank and gambled, Kimura could only gaman (persevere) and endure what must have seemed to be overwhelming circumstances. Kawakami, who began her research in 1979, conducted some of her interviews as late as 2001 when one of the last picture brides, Kishi Tsujimura, was 103 years old. Her book represents a lifetime spent documenting the lives of Issei women in Hawai'i, research that is no longer possible with the death of these women who came to Hawai'i more than a century ago. To contextualize their stories, Kawakami also contacted the families of these picture brides and was able to unearth historical artifacts, like an interview with Hisa Kawakami (no relation) done in 1976 that the family had forgotten about until Kawakami contacted them for more information about their mother. Kawakami's book is unusual because it is not a traditional oral history collection but instead is a series of narratives based upon conversations [End Page 697] that Kawakami had with the picture brides as...

Defining Human Factor and Ergonomic and its related issues in Malaysia Pineapple Plantations

Human factor and ergonomic has been a standardized as synonymous for a long time and has great potential to contribute in designing all kinds of systems with people. However, some opinions draw precisely distinctions among these terms. Numerous studies have been conducted in their attempt to understand the concept of human factor and ergonomic. The meaning of each term must be clearly understood before using them in any research to understand how human beings interact with surroundings. So, this paper seeks to review the definition of human factor and ergonomic. English articles and books dated as far 1970 were compiled from Taylor and Francis Online, Google Scholar and Science Direct. The keywords used in the selection of the articles are human factors, human factors engineering, ergonomics, industrial ergonomics, reviews, definition, difference and risk factors. A risk model related to each term is also provided to have more understanding towards it. Based on the finding of the literature review of human factor and ergonomic issue in pineapple plantation were explore and are categorized accordingly.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Gene Family in Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) Reveal the Role of AcABCG38 in Pollen Development.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) cultivation commonly relies on asexual reproduction which is easily impeded by many factors in agriculture production. Sexual reproduction might be a novel approach to improve the pineapple planting. However, genes controlling pineapple sexual reproduction are still remain elusive. In different organisms a conserved superfamily proteins known as ATP binding cassette (ABC) participate in various biological processes. Whereas, till today the ABC gene family has not been identified in pineapple. Here 100 ABC genes were identified in the pineapple genome and grouped into eight subfamilies (5 ABCAs, 20 ABCBs, 16 ABCCs, 2 ABCDs, one ABCEs, 5 ABCFs, 42 ABCGs and 9 ABCIs). Gene expression profiling revealed the dynamic expression pattern of ABC gene family in various tissues and different developmental stages. AcABCA5, AcABCB6, AcABCC4, AcABCC7, AcABCC9, AcABCG26, AcABCG38 and AcABCG42 exhibited preferential expression in ovule and stamen. Over-expression of AcABCG38 in the Arabidopsis double mutant abcg1-2abcg16-2 partially restored its pollen abortion defects, indicating that AcABCG38 plays important roles in pollen development. Our study on ABC gene family in pineapple provides useful information for developing sexual pineapple plantation which could be utilized to improve pineapple agricultural production.

Tracking pesticide fate in conventional banana cultivation in Costa Rica: A disconnect between protecting ecosystems and consumer health

Conventional banana cultivation in Costa Rica relies on heavy pesticide use. While pesticide residues in exported bananas do not generally represent a safety concern for consumers abroad, ecosystem and human health in producing regions are not likewise protected. In Costa Rica, most studies on pesticide residues in the environment are snapshots, limiting our ability to identify temporal dynamics that can inform risk mitigation strategies. To help bridge this gap, we created a dynamic multimedia model for the Caño Azul River drainage area, which is heavily influenced by banana and pineapple plantations. This model estimates chemical concentrations in water, air, soil, sediments, and banana plants through time, based on pesticide properties and emission patterns and on variable environmental conditions. Case studies for three representative chemicals—the herbicide diuron, the nematicide ethoprofos, and the fungicide epoxiconazole—show that concentrations in fruit remain below EU and US maximum residue limits set to ensure consumer health, while those in the environment are highly variable, reaching peak concentrations in water that can exceed thresholds for ecosystem health. Critical research needs, including incorporating sediment dynamics and the effects of adjuvants on the properties and transport of active ingredients into multimedia models, were identified.

Comparative landscape genetics of two frugivorous bats in a biological corridor undergoing agricultural intensification.

Agricultural intensification in tropical landscapes poses a new threat to the ability of biological corridors to maintain functional connectivity for native species. We use a landscape genetics approach to evaluate impacts of expanding pineapple plantations on two widespread and abundant frugivorous bats in a biological corridor in Costa Rica. We hypothesize that the larger, more mobile Artibeus jamaicensis will be less impacted by pineapple than the smaller Carollia castanea. In 2012 and 2013, we sampled 735 bats in 26 remnant forest patches surrounded by different proportions of forest, pasture, crops and pineapple. We used 10 microsatellite loci for A.jamaicensis and 16 microsatellite loci for C.castanea to estimate genetic diversity and gene flow. Canonical correspondence analyses indicate that land cover type surrounding patches has no impact on genetic diversity ofA.jamaicensis.However, for C.castanea, both percentage forest and pineapple surrounding patches explained a significant proportion of the variation in genetic diversity. Least-cost transect analyses (LCTA) and pairwise G″st suggest that for A.jamaicensis, pineapple is more permeable to gene flow than expected, while as expected, forest is the most permeable land cover for gene flow of C.castanea. For both species, LCTA indicate that development may play a role in inhibiting gene flow. The current study answers the call for landscape genetic research focused on tropical and agricultural landscapes, highlights the value of comparative landscape genetics in biological corridor design and management and is one of the few studies of biological corridors in any ecosystem to implement a genetic approach to test corridor efficacy.

Relationship of Soil Physicochemical Properties and Existence of Phytophthora sp. in Pineapple Plantations

One of the tropical fruits with high economic value is pineapple. Pineapple plantation has several limitations, especially in cultivating period and diseases caused by Phytophthora sp. (called heart rot disease). The spread of Phytophthora sp. in pineapple plantation is influenced by physical of soil (called as soil borne pathogen). Here, the purpose of this study was to examine physical properties of soil (compaction), specifically on heart rot disease in pineapple plantation. We used pineaple farm locating in Central Lampung, Indonesia. In this paper, we analyzed the disease impact from the soil compaction point of view. We investigated the difference between soil samples with and without sick plant. The results showed that the disease area were affected by Phytophthora sp. area have high soil compaction. Indeed, this soil condition is good for growing Phytophthora sp.

Production and Characterization of Extracellular Protease from Bacillus sp. 140-B Isolated from Pineapple Plantation in Lampung, Indonesia

<p class="Els-Abstract-text"><em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>.</em> being industrially important organisms produces a wide variety of extracellular enzymes including protease. <em>Bacillus </em>sp. 140-B isolated from rhizosphere area of pineapple plantation in Lampung Province, Indonesia was tested for production of protease on skim milk agar medium. The aims of this study were to characterize and investigate some properties of protease activity from <em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>. </em>140-B. <em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>. </em>140-B showed protease activity qualitatively by clear zone diameter of 15.0 mm and the highest protease activity was 35.02 Unit · mg<strong><sup>–1</sup></strong> protein at 14 h after incubation. Some properties of protease activities from <em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>. </em>140-B including effects of temperature, pH and several metals were observed in this experiment. The protease activity from <em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>. </em>140-B had optimum pH of 7,0 and the optimum temperature was 60 °C. Several metals which were evaluated on protease activity showed that Mn could increase protease activity, while other metals (Ca, Co, and Hg) showed decreasing protease activity of <em>Bacillus </em>sp<em>. </em>140-B.</p><div><p class="Els-keywords"><em> </em></p><p class="Els-keywords"><strong>Keywords: </strong><em>Bacillus sp.</em> 140-B; enzyme activity; enzyme properties; protease</p></div>

Pesticide Exposure and Cholinesterase Levels in Migrant Farm Workers in Thailand

ABSTRACTObjectives: In this study, we examined the effects of pesticides in migrant farm workers from Cambodia after workplace exposure on fruit plantations in eastern Thailand. Methods: We studied 891 migrant farm workers employed on pineapple, durian, and rambutan plantations in Thailand. Data were collected via a detailed questionnaire survey and measurements of serum cholinesterase level (SChE). Results: The majority of subjects was male (57.7%), with an average age of 30.3 years. Most subjects (76.8%) were moderately aware of good industrial hygiene practices. SChE level was divided into four groups based on the results. Only 4.4% had normal levels of cholinesterase activity, 20.5% had slightly reduced levels, 58.5% had markedly reduced levels and were “at risk,” and 16.6% who had highest levels of cholinesterase inhibition were deemed to be in an “unsafe” range. SChE was classified into two groups, SChE value of 87.5 was “normal” and <87.5 units/mL “abnormal.” For the multiple logistic regression analysis of the abnormal SChE levels, the variables entered in the model included gender, period of insecticide use, the total area of plantation, frequency of spraying, period of daily insecticide spraying, and insecticide spraying method. The results indicated that the aOR (adjust odds ratio) for male migrant farm workers (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 1.58 (1.14, 2.17). The OR for farm migrant workers who worked on larger plantations of more than 39.5 acres (95% CI) was 2.69 (1.51, 4.82). Finally, the OR for the migrant farm workers who used a backpack sprayer (95% CI) was 2.07 (1.28, 3.34). Conclusions: These results suggest that health screening should be provided to migrant farm workers, especially those who spray pesticides on plantations of >39 acres, use a backpack sprayer, or have a low level of compliance with accepted industrial hygiene practices. These three classes of workers are at increased risk of chemical exposures and developing acute or chronic illness from pesticide exposures.

Lower tier toxicity risk assessment of agriculture pesticides detected on the Río Madre de Dios watershed, Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a tropical country with one of the highest biodiversity on Earth. It also has an intensive agriculture, and pesticide runoff from banana and pineapple plantations may cause a high toxicity risk to non-target species in rivers downstream the plantations. We performed a first tier risk assessment of the maximum measured concentrations of 32 pesticides detected over 4years in the River Madre de Dios (RMD) and its coastal lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) were plotted in order to derive HC5 values for each pesticide, i.e., hazard concentrations for 5% of the species, often used as environmental criteria values in other countries. We also carried out toxicity tests for selected pesticides with native Costa Rican species in order to calculate risk coefficients according to national guidelines in Costa Rica. The concentrations of herbicides diuron and ametryn and insecticides carbofuran, diazinon, and ethoprophos exceeded either the HC5 value or the lower limit of its 90% confidence interval suggesting toxic risks above accepted levels. Risk coefficients of diuron and carbofuran derived using local guidelines indicate toxicity risks as well. The assessed fungicides did not present acute toxic risks according to our analysis. Overall, these results show a possible toxicity of detected pesticides to aquatic organisms and provide a comparison of Costa Rican national guidelines with more refined methods for risk assessment based on SSDs. Further higher tier risk assessments of pesticides in this watershed are also necessary in order to consider pesticide water concentrations over time, toxicity from pesticide mixtures, and eventual effects on ecosystem functions.

Effects of rubber leaf litter vermicompost on earthworm population and yield of pineapple (Ananas comosus) in West Tripura, India

Rubber leaves are the abundant agro-waste and pineapple, the most economically important fruit crop in Tripura. So, in our present study, different amounts of rubber leaf vermicompost have been applied to the soils of pineapple plantation to determine their effects on earthworms—the soil ecosystem engineers, coupled with the vegetative growth and yield of pineapples. During 30 months of field trial (2010–2012) in ICAR regional station, Lembucherra, West Tripura, the control plot (T 0) received no fertilizer, while experimental plots were fertilized with four different amounts of vermicompost viz. T 1 (5 tons ha−1 year−1), T 2 (10 tons ha−1 year−1), T 3 (20 tons ha−1 year−1) and T 4 (30 tons ha−1 year−1). A significant (p < 0.05) but gradual increase in density (up to T 3 treatment) and biomass (up to T 4 treatment) of earthworms were recorded with the increasing amounts of vermicompost. During the second year, average length and width of leaves, number of leaves per plant, plant girth, fruit weight, fruit yield and fruiting percentage were highest in the T 3 plot compared to other treated plots and control. The present study reveals that crop yield is very much related to the particular concentration of vermicompost, beyond the level of which production declines and increase in vegetative growth, fruit weight and fruiting percentage of pineapple are strongly linked with the soil pH, av. P, av. K, clay content and the earthworm density of soils.

Interspecies care and aging in a gorilla 2.0 world

Two key figures analyzed in Donna Haraway’s monograph, Primate Visions: Gender Race and Nature in The World of Modern Science (1989) warrant further analysis in the emerging cyber politics of environmental conservation. These figures are Koko, a female lowland gorilla born in the San Francisco Zoo and her companion Dr. Francine (Penny) Patterson, a developmental psychologist who taught Koko how to communicate with a modified form of American Sign Language (ASL). Nine years after Haraway’s initial analysis, Koko and Patterson became early examples of conservation-related Web 2.0 engagement with their unprecedented inter-species America Online chat room encounter with 7811 member participants. Today, Koko has a Twitter account (@kokotweets), a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and a website where users watch videos of Koko celebrating birthdays and donate to ‘distant’ conservation projects. One project site is a gorilla reserve in Cameroon and another is a former pineapple plantation turned private nature preserve in Maui, Hawai’i. Inspired by recent analytical work in animal geographies and feminist political ecology, this article explores complex landscapes of caring, aging and conservation in a time of proliferating social media engagement from colonized sites of enduring privilege. The article argues that new media adds layers of violence, disciplinary techniques and co-dependence to the aging bodies, caring practices and landscapes that Koko, Patterson and others inhabit in California and in the proposed physical spaces of a repurposed pineapple field in Maui.

Pineapple plantation information system – application of geo-informatics and unmanned aerial sensing technology for efficient land use management

Pineapple plantation information system – application of geo-informatics and unmanned aerial sensing technology for efficient land use management

Species Richness, Community Organization, and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Earthworms in the Pineapple Agroecosystems of Tripura, India

The impact that plant communities may have on underground faunal diversity is unclear. Therefore, understanding the links between plants and organisms is of major interest. Earthworm population dynamics were studied in the pineapple agroecosystems of Tripura to evaluate the impact of monoculture plantation on earthworm communities. A total of thirteen earthworm species belonging to four families and five genera were collected from different sampling sites. Application of sample-based rarefaction curve and nonparametric richness estimators reveal 90–95% completeness of sampling. Earthworm community of pineapple agroecosystems was dominated by endogeic earthworms andDrawida assamensiswas the dominant species with respect to its density, biomass, and relative abundance. Vertical distribution of earthworms was greatly influenced by seasonal variations. Population density and biomass of earthworms peaked during monsoon and postmonsoon period, respectively. Overall density and biomass of earthworms were in increasing trend with an increase in plantation age and were highest in the 30–35-year-old plantation. Significant decrease in the Shannon diversity and evenness index and increase in Simpson’s dominance and spatial aggregation index with an increase in the age of pineapple plantation were recorded. Soil temperature and soil moisture were identified as the most potent regulators of earthworm distribution in the pineapple plantation.