Terms Of Food Security Research Articles

3D Printing Technology: Role in Safeguarding Food Security.

The rising threats to food security include several factors, such as population growth, low agricultural investment, and poor distribution systems. Consequently, food insecurity results from a confluence of issues, including diseases, processing limitations, and distribution deficiencies. Food insecurity usually occurs in vulnerable areas where certain technologies and traditional food safety testing are not a viable solution for foodborne disease detection. In this regard, 3D printing technologies and 3D printed sensors open the platform to produce portable, accurate, and low-cost sensors that address the gaps and challenges in food security. In this paper, we discuss the perspective role of 3D printed sensors in food security in terms of food safety and food quality monitoring to provide reliable access to nutritious, affordable food. In each section, we highlight the advantages of 3D printing technology in terms of cost-effectiveness, accuracy, accessibility, and reproducibility compared to traditional manufacturing methodologies. Recent developments in robotic technologies for mechanization, such as food handling with soft grippers, are also discussed. Lastly, we delve into the applications of advanced 3D printing technologies in agricultural monitoring, particularly the future of plant wearables, environmental sensing, and overall plant health monitoring.

Successive national agricultural policies/programmes, growth of gross domestic product (GDP) and expansion of agribusinesses in Nigeria.

In Sub Saharan Africa, agriculture's contribution to employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to be higher than other sectors. Policies designed and implemented for the agricultural sector could be an influencing factor to the variations in the contributions of agriculture to the annual national GDP. These policies are believed to have shaped and (some) still shaping the landscape of agriculture and national economy. The study analysed agriculture's GDP contribution during the implementation of various national agricultural policies, and the potential of the policies to foster agrobusiness development in Nigeria between 2000 and 2021. The study adopted mixed-method approach. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered on 29 purposively sampled state Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) directors across Nigeria. The questionnaire was face-validated by three experts. Reliability test was carryout using Cronbach Alpha approach, which yielded an index of 0.89. Copies of the questionnaire were administered on the respondents through direct contact. Secondary data were collected from the Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Bureau of Statistics, and World Bank. Data was analysed with mean, standard deviation, percentages and ANOVA. Findings of the study revealed that the performance of implemented agricultural policies had influence on agricultural sector's percentage contribution to national GDP, and changes in agriculture's GDP contribution had significant impact on national GDP growth. The duration of active life of the policies did not influence their performance, like the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme which lasted longer yet performed less than the National Special Programme on Food Security in terms of improvement in agriculture's GDP contributions. All the policies implemented had several limitations in their ability to foster agribusinesses in Nigeria. The study recommends that future policies should focus on providing sustainable frameworks for developing the business in agriculture through value chain optimisation and the use of the teeming, young, and affordable labour force like China and India did to become global food producers.

Identifying the COVID-19 Transmission Channels on Poverty and Food Security in Refugee-Hosting Districts of Uganda

It is well documented that COVID-19 increased poverty and food insecurity all over the world, especially in fragile contexts. However, it is still unclear how its effects were transmitted to these two outcomes. This paper aims to identify the mechanisms through which COVID-19 affected poverty and food insecurity in refugee-hosting districts in Uganda. We use path analysis with household fixed effects to identify the main pathways, differentiating between refugee and host households, and considering the heterogeneity among them in terms of income source (agricultural vs. non-agricultural households), and market position (food net-buyers vs. net-sellers vs. self-sufficient households). The analysis shows that COVID-19 significantly affected labour participation and increased food value chain disruption, increasing poverty and food insecurity. Refugees have been affected more than hosts by the COVID-19 direct and indirect effects. Host households could benefit from the increase in food prices, while refugees were mainly affected by the effect on the labour market. As expected, net-buyers are the group most affected by food value chain disruption and, along with non-agricultural households, the ones that were most affected in terms of food security.

Training Refugees: Lights and Shadows in the Context of the Self-Reliance Strategy Implemented in Uganda

Uganda currently hosts about 1.5 million refugees. Only a fraction is likely to revert to their home countries. Therefore, a key policy question is how to help the displaced communities to integrate into Uganda’s economic system. One strategy to integrate the refugees in the local economy is to provide them trainings on agricultural production or off-farm business opportunities. This study, using panel data coming from the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA) survey, estimates the causal impact of training activities on refugees’ food security and market access. Potential endogeneity issues are addressed through an instrumental variable approach. Results indicate that, on average, agricultural training increases both market access and food security. However, disentangling thmic, the findings highlight substantial differences across population sub-groups. The impact of business training, instead, is never statistically different from zero, except for the households experiencing economic losses due to COVID-19, who mainly benefit in terms of food security. These results highlight the existence of challenges to integrate the refugees in the national economy and indicate that training activities are necessary but not sufficient to reach self-reliance.

Spatial and economic dynamics of bean crops in an important production hub in Brazil

Beans are a traditional grain crop consumed by humans that is of great importance for food security and farmers in terms of income in Brazil. Paraná is one of the largest bean-producing states in the country, but the area needed for its production is being lost, changing the dynamics of bean cultivation, and generating social and economic impacts. The objective of this study was to verify the spatiotemporal and economic dynamics of bean production in Paraná. For this purpose, using mainly data from the 2006 and 2017 agricultural censuses, the location quotient, the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index (HHI), the Williamson coefficient ([Formula: see text]), exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied. From the results, it was possible to verify that there was a 13.95% reduction in the number of municipalities that specialized in bean production, from 98 municipalities in 2006 to 86 in 2017. Most specialized municipalities produced black beans or a combination of other colored beans. The HHI revealed that the specialized municipalities accounted for the most income from bean production. The [Formula: see text] indicated that the economic development of the central-eastern and southeastern Paraná mesoregions was related to bean production. Based on the ESDA, it was found a statistically significant and positive presence of spatial concentration in 2006 (Moran’ I = 0.36) and 2017 (Moran’ I = 0.51). Based on the PCA, it was possible to identify two main components that together explained 71.52% of the data variability. The reduction in the planted area, the decrease in the number of specialized municipalities, and the concentration of income from bean production in some municipalities make it difficult to reduce regional disparities in Paraná, and in addition, these factors increase concern about food security; thus, public policies are needed to reduce such impacts.

Utilizing Modern Technology and Sustainable Methods for Storing Rice

Since the dawn of civilization, grain storage has been necessary to ensure food security. Grain storage has a more extended history than one might think and is connected to farming history. India is the next-largest producer of wheat, followed by China. In terms of food security, storage is primarily intended to keep grains for a longer time. It guards against degradation, exposure to the outside environment, and potential microbe and insect attacks. Silo, CAP storage, and Godown storage were used to test the wheat’s temperature and moisture content. To obtain the reading, a temperature sensor and a RH sensor were installed within the silo. Grain storage in underground pits was employed in the past and is still used in some regions today. The holes were excavated and measured at 1 m in diameter and 1 m in depth, with a mixture of 3:3:1 cow dung, straw, and sorghum, amounting to around two quintals each. A total of 10–20 wheat samples kept in the silo were examined for fungus and fungal development. The samples were placed inside a glass bottle filled with sterile water and closely watched to ensure that no fungal source entered the container used for collection. Each colony was isolated and purified separately once it emerged to obtain an isolated single fungus. The pure fungus was positioned and examined using imaging and organized on figurative plates under a microscope. The germination percentage in various storage arrangements was tested for seed viability using wet paper towels. For the following three months of storage, the temperature within the silo increased rapidly from 28°C to 35°C. The grain retained its quality during the first three months, and there was little to no infestation. The lower ambient temperature and measured relative humidity of 95–97% are to blame for this. Before drying, the moisture content in the silo increased from 11 to 17%. During the storage period from April 2006 to November 2006, the moisture content in Godown bag storage increased at the same pace as in the silo. Wheat moisture content rises in direct proportion to its storage time. This is thought to be the result of an increase in insect population brought on by the respiration of insects and wheat, which helped raise moisture content. All of the isolated fungi in the silo were discovered to produce a significant number of spores and conidia on their surfaces. Aspergillus is a harmful toxin-producing fungus well-known for damaging various seeds, grains, and nuts. It is also famous for its destructive properties.

The Effects of Biofuels on Food Security in Selected Countries

Biofuels are produced as replacements for fossil fuels. Nevertheless, these fuels may jeopardize food security. No research has examined the relationship between the production of biofuels and food security in terms of their various dimensions. This study examined the effects of biofuels on food security in several developed and developing countries comprising oil-producing and developed countries. Dimensions of food security were including food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and food stability. To this end, standard and neo-Malthusian theories combined with the food availability decline (FAD) theory were employed. In addition, the panel generalized method of moments (GMM) was used to estimate the relationships between variables. The results showed that food stability, population growth, and income inequality were measured by the Gini index, and unemployment was significantly higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Conversely, food security, food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, land area, total biofuel production, agricultural credit allocation, and food product prices were higher in developed countries than in developing countries. The increase in biofuel production reduced food security by 0.031%, 0.047%, and 0.064% in all countries, developing and developed countries, respectively. In developing countries, biofuels had a significant impact on food accessibility and food availability. However, biofuels had significant and positive effects on food stability and utilization. In developed countries, biofuels had negative effects on food accessibility, stability, and availability and positive effects on food utilization (0.016%). In conclusion, policies are needed to mitigate the negative effects of biofuels on food security.

Using free Wi-Fi to assess impact of COVID-19 pandemic on traditional wet markets in Hanoi

Traditional wet markets are the main source of fresh food and the largest source of daily nutrient intake for citizens of Hanoi. Nevertheless, due to the lack of traceability and sales registration systems, food flows within these markets remain largely invisible. This makes it challenging to assess the impact of shocks, such as pandemics, on these markets. In this paper, we characterize the impact of COVID-19 by analyzing data from 25 Wi-Fi access points installed in five formally established wet markets. The study timeframe covers a pre-pandemic period from July 2019 to the end of the initial stage of the pandemic in November 2020. While providing free Internet access, data were continuously collected about devices in close vicinity to the access points. Based on this information, we tested five hypotheses about the number, frequency, time, and duration of visits to the markets as well as changes in inter-market activities. The results show that during the shock (February to mid-April 2020) and aftershock (mid-April to July 2020) periods, market actors significantly decreased the total number of market visits (-26% P < 0.001) and the frequency of market visits (up to -47% for very frequent market users, P < 0.001). The number of inter-market visits dropped sharply during the shock period (66% ±\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\pm$$\\end{document} 17% of the baseline level, P < 0.001), and the peak time for market shopping shifted significantly by 90 min later in the day, P < 0.001. No change was observed in visit duration. Several factors identified in existing literature as affecting consumer behaviors provide possible explanations for the changes observed. We present a set of recommendations to limit the negative impact of the pandemic in terms of food security and livelihoods in Hanoi and to mitigate consumers’ negative perception of wet markets in terms of food safety.

THE MARKET FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WHITE CABBAGE AS AN ELEMENT OF FOOD SECURITY

The article presents and analyzes the indicators of white cabbage production in Russia (by districts, subjects of the federation and categories of farms). The purpose of this study is to analyze the state of white cabbage production in the Russian Federation and in the world in terms of food security. Materials and methods. The information base of the research is information and scientific material, statistical data of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), official periodicals of modern analytical centers. The study used general scientific methods of systematization, comparison and analysis of data. Study results. To increase the level of food security in Russia, it is necessary to ensure sustainable development of domestic production, physical and economic accessibility of high-quality food for the population. According to the new Food Security Doctrine, the strategic goal is to increase the export potential. The study revealed that about 70,150,406 tons of cabbage are produced. China is the largest cabbage producer in the world. In the Russian Federation, 14.3% of all cultivated areas of open ground crops are occupied for cabbage. The area under crop for cabbage in farms of all categories has decreased over the past six years. Many farmers and agricultural organizations refuse to grow cabbage due to its low profitability. The main cabbage production in 2022 is concentrated in the North Caucasus Federal District. In 2022, the volume of gross cabbage harvest amounted to 23,200.2 thousand tons. The current situation in the country makes it possible to implement import substitution of varieties and hybrids of white cabbage. Currently, the main task is to abandon the import of seeds of foreign breeding, and therefore it is important to focus on creating new hybrids that will be of high quality, good yield and shelf life, as well as resistance to diseases and pests. Conclusions. Today, the Russian Federation is under severe sanctions from the United States and European countries, so the issue of food security is acute. An important role in solving the problem of forming sufficient amounts of food resources belongs to the agro-industrial complex, which plays an important role in the country's economy. An important role belongs to the vegetable growing industry, which provides the population with a variety of vegetable products all year round. The country remains dependent on imported seeds, and for accelerated import substitution it is advisable to develop such forms of support as direct financing of seed production costs, provision of benefits, loans and guarantees. It is also necessary to develop a targeted state program for the transition of the industry to domestic seed material. According to analysts, Russia will be able to fully provide itself with seeds by 2025–2030.

Assessment of Farmers’ Knowledge on Integrated Farming System (IFS)

Majority of Indian farmers are either small or marginal. With the increase in population, the per capita availability of land is decreasing. Increasing population and decline in per capita availability of land in the country raises the issue of food security. Realizing the benefit of Integrated Farming System (IFS), in terms of food security, environmental sustainability the farmers are to be encouraged to go for adopting the IFS in their own. The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge of the respondents on IFS and explore the association between respondents’ knowledge and certain independent variables. Hence, three objectives was identified by the researcher for the following research and they are: To study the background information of the respondents. To assess the knowledge of the respondents on Integrated Farming System (IFS). To find out the association between respondents’ knowledge and independent variables. The present study, was conducted in Jorhat district of Assam. A total of 180 respondents were selected from three development Blocks of Jorhat district. The study revealed that 37.22% of the total respondents belonged to the age group 36-46 years and 43.33% attained education upto high school level. A large majority i.e., 90 per cent of the total respondents were married. The study depicted that 37.78% belonged to Other Backward Classes. Around 50.00 per cent of the respondents were from joint family system. Nearly 70 per cent of the total respondents stayed in semi pucca houses. Majority of the total respondents i.e., 85 per cent were in the range of Rs (50,000-1,00,000) in terms of their annual income. A higher percentage of the total respondents (95.00%) practice farming as their occupation for livelihood. A large majority (95.00%) of the respondents were marginal farmer. None of the respondents cultivate through IFS. In all three assessed blocks 98.89 % of respondents did not receive any trainings on IFS. All the respondents (100.00%) were interested in receiving trainings on Integrated Farming System. Knowledge of the respondents was significantly associated with educational qualifications of the respondents.

Information and analytical support for the formation of the city farm business plan

The article provides a theoretical substantiation of information and analytical support for the formation of a business plan for a city farm, in order to implement food security in terms of providing the population with organic and environmentally friendly agricultural products. Development of the functioning of the accounting and analytical system of city farms, as well as the development of the agro-industrial complex in the form of city farms in urban conditions. In modern conditions, our country needs import substitution, including in agricultural products. To solve this problem, the article presents the author’s models of accounting and analytical systems, as well as information and analytical support for the formation of a business plan for city farms, which will help economically for our country.

Sustainable Development of the Agro-Industrial Complex as a Factor of Food Security of the Country

Ensuring food security is one of the main tasks of the state, the quality of life of citizens directly depends on it. The article provides a literary review of publications and works of scientists and economists dealing with the problems of sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) as a factor in ensuring food security. Based on the conducted research, mechanisms for strengthening the stability of the agro-industrial complex are proposed. The primary role in solving food security issues should be solved mainly on the basis of economic methods focused on the sustainable development of agro-industrial enterprises and rural areas, technological and agricultural production growth affect the economic efficiency of the industry, the main purpose of which is import substitution. The country's food security should be based on solving the problem of sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex and the economic efficiency of the farming and industrial parks. It is also necessary to monitor food security to prevent negative socio-economic phenomena, which ultimately entails the introduction of specific criteria and assessment methods. Competent and economically sound tools will help to increase the production of essential agricultural products. The authors propose to further study the problems of sustainable development of agriculture and food security in terms of learning international experience in solving problems, issues of development of own production, development of the agricultural sector of the economy and others.

Performance, Challenges and Policies, Food Security in India

Food availability is a necessary condition for food security. India is more or less self sufficient in cereals but deficit in pulses and oilseeds. Due to changes in consumption patterns, demand for fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, and fisheries has been increasing. There is need to increase crop diversification and improve allied activities. It may be noted that the slowdown in agriculture growth could be attributed to structural factors on the supply side, such as public investment, credit, technology, land and water management, etc., rather than globalization and trade reforms per se. Access to food can be increased through employment due to growth in labour intensive sectors and/or through social protection programmes. The malnutrition problem is much broader than that of access to food. The South Asian Enigma (levels of malnutrition in Asia are higher than in Africa) is well known. India has malnutrition levels almost the levels double those of many countries in Africa. This problem needs a multi-disciplinary approach covering diet diversification including micronutrients, women’s empowerment, education, health, safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. India has government programmes such as TPDS including AAY, nutrition programmes like mid-day meals, and ICDS to improve food and nutrition security. NREGS and self employment programmes can also increase access to food and nutrition. Social protection programmes in India helped in improving incomes and providing protection from shocks for the population, particularly the poor. However, there are a number of gaps and inefficiencies in social protection programmes. Under national food security law, the government wants to provide rice and wheat to the poorest of poor at Rs. 3 per kilogram. This is too narrow an approach for implementation of the Right to Food. The Right to Food campaign specifies several other things to be included, apart from universal PDS, under the Food Entitlements Act. This research paper examines performance, challenges, and policies in food security in terms of availability, access, and absorption or nutrition.

Determination of Production and Marketing Behaviors of Producers Selling Products to the Turkish Grain Board, (Kırşehir Province Mucur District Micro Field Study)

The aim of this study is to examine the socio-economic characteristics of producers who sell wheat to the Turkish Grain Board (TGB), which is an interventionist organization in the purchase and sale of grain in Türkiye, as well as some of their behaviors regarding production, marketing preferences, and their relations with TGB. The sample of the study consisted of 100 wheat producers in the Mucur district of Kırşehir province. The obtained data were interpreted by converting them into tables, cross-tabulations, and graphs. The data in the cross tables were statistically interpreted using Chi-square analysis. It can be said that producers are not satisfied with TGBs’ purchasing practices for some reasons. The most important reason for this is that quality-based purchasing practices have an extremely negative impact on prices. It was determined that they were not satisfied, and this resulted in high price reductions in quality-based purchasing, and as a result, there was distrust in analysis practices. Quality-based purchasing policy is a method that allows wheat quality characteristics to be determined with various devices in a short time. This method, which is decisive in quality classification and product pricing scale, must be explained correctly to producers. Otherwise, the producer ’s trust in the TGB may gradually decrease. This can be achieved through initiatives taken by the institution or through various publications and training activities. One of the most important results of this study is that TGBs and decision-makers are more sensitive to local producers. For decision-makers to maintain their influence on the producer, they must carefully examine the details of the processes with an inductive approach, starting from the bottom up. This situation is considered critical in terms of food security.

Screening of widely used accessions of tomato for resistance/tolerance to the &lt;i&gt;Pepper yellow vein Mali virus&lt;/i&gt; in the central region of Burkina Faso

Tomatoes are a widely consumed fruit, important economically and in terms of food security. Despite this importance, tomato crops are confronted with constraints, including begomoviruses, such as the Pepper yellow vein Mali virus (PepYVMLV). Responsible for leaf deformation and yellowing in cultivated Solanaceae, it is the most virulent begomovirus infecting tomatoes in Burkina Faso. The use of resistant/tolerant accessions would be of great help in finding suitable solutions. This study aims to contribute to the appropriate and effective management of tomato diseases due to PepYVMLV. To achieve this objective, an inventory of tomato accessions sold and produced in the central region of Burkina Faso and a screening of the preferred accessions of tomatoes in semi-control conditions were conducted. Our results showed that sixteen varieties are sold in shops, with Mongal F1, Emerald F1, and Cobra 26 F1 reported to be the most preferred by farmers. Monitoring of the tomato plants inoculated using whitefly-mediated transmission during 32 days showed that Diva F1, a newly introduced accession, was the least susceptible to PepYVMLV, followed by Emerald F1, Cobra 26 F1, and Mongal F1, with yield losses ranging from 25.38 to 359.9 g/plant. Our results suggest that even if the productivity of Diva F1 seems to be slightly impacted by the virus, it is unsuitable for farmers because of its lower yield.&#x0D;

Mathematical Modeling of Agricultural Insurance Pricing in Morocco

The world risks having an imbalance in terms of food security; this is why Morocco started the Moroccan Green Plan strategy in 2008 which aims to develop the agricultural sector. Agricultural insurance is considered among the levers of agricultural development. For this reason, the professionals must attach great importance to the pricing of agricultural insurance which allows the increase in the demand for this type of insurance and consequently the increase in agricultural investment. But, the existing approaches of pricing in agriculture insurance are limited to statistical modelling of the pure premium which consists of the estimation of the distribution assumptions of the yield. In this regard, this article aims to use a mathematical model in the pricing of agricultural insurance, with a view to offering a fair pure premium. The approach of this research seeks to build a powerful mathematical model taking into account the wheat yield growth stages and the weather conditions. The studied model will be used to price yield index insurance for wheat crops. The results showed that the mathematical model provided an adequate approximation of futures losses and the pure premiums expected. Furthermore, that model allows indemnifying the farmers in advance without waiting until the harvest time. This paper helps the insurers to establish an agriculture insurance price when the historical data are not enough to build a frequency-cost model.

Does fish production influence the GDP and food security in Gulf Cooperation Council countries? Evidence from the dynamic panel data analysis

The significance of fish production in human life has been proven in terms of food security as well as in increasing fishery income and economic growth. This study investigates the model of the long-run connection between marine fish production, economic growth, and food security. The study applies an annual panel data set comprising six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, covering the sample period 2000–2019. We have selected marine fish production as most of the fish production in the Gulf region is originated from marine sources with broad geographic distribution and better accessibility of marine fish production data. Testing the recently developed panel unit root tests, cointegration test, and the heterogeneous dynamic panel data named as a mean group, pooled mean group, and dynamic fixed effect estimation techniques on cross-country panel data, the result confirms the theoretical hypothesis of a positive relationship between fish export and GDP and fish import and food security. The Hausman tests suggest that the pooled mean group results are the appropriate ones. Further studies need to re-investigate the potential of fish production in explaining the economic growth and food security to meet the fast-growing population in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

County-level corn yield prediction using supervised machine learning

ABSTRACT The main objectives of this study are (1) to compare several machine learning models to predict county-level corn yield in the study area and (2) to compare the feasibility of machine learning models for in-season yield prediction. We acquired remotely sensed vegetation indices data from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer using the Google Earth Engine (GEE). Vegetation indices for a span of 15 years (2006–2020) were processed and downloaded using GEE for the months corresponding to crop growth (April–October). We compared nine machine learning models to predict county-level corn yield. Furthermore, we analyzed the in-season yield prediction performance using the top three machine learning models. The results show that partial least square regression (PLSR) outperformed other machine learning models for corn yield prediction by achieving the highest training and testing performance. The study area’s top three models for county-level corn yield prediction were PLSR, support vector regression (SVR) and ridge regression. For in-season yield prediction, the SVR model performed comparatively well by achieving testing R2 = 0.875. For in-season corn yield prediction, SVR outperformed other models. The results show that machine learning models can predict both in-season yield (best model R2 = 0.875) and end-of-season yield (best model R2 = 0.861) with satisfactory performance. The results indicate that remote sensing data and machine learning models can be used to predict crop yield before the harvest with decent performance. This can provide useful insights in terms of food security and early decision making related to climate change impacts on food security.

Physiological and biochemical characterization of biochar-induced resistance against bacterial wilt of eggplants.

The abrupt variation in climatic patterns has become a global concern in terms of food security. Biochar, known to ameliorate climatic adversities by sequestering carbon and activating systemic resistance pathways in plants, has become increasingly relevant. Therefore, the study was aimed to characterize leaf waste biochar (LWB) by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction analytical techniques as well as determination of its impact on the development of bacterial wilt (BW) in eggplant (Solanum melongena) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS). The effect of LWB on the physiology and defence-associated biochemistry of eggplants was investigated thoroughly. Eggplants either inoculated (+RS) or uninoculated (-RS) were cultivated in potting mixture containing 3 and 6% (v/v) LWB separately. In comparison with substrate (soil only), percentage disease index was significantly reduced (71%) in plants grown in 6% LWB-amended treatments. Biochar-induced increase in level of total chlorophyll content as well as in biochemicals such as phenolics, flavonoids and peroxidases were evident on plants in terms of resistance response against BW. Moreover, biochar also significantly affected the level of NPK in the eggplants. In conclusion, biochar-triggered biochemical alterations played a pivotal role in the management of BW along with the curing of the disease-infested soils.

Effects of threshing and storage conditions on post-harvest insect infestation and physical characteristics of maize grain

Maize is the most significant cereal crop in Ethiopia in terms of production, and it is essential in terms of food security. However, ineffective threshing and storage of maize grain had a substantial impact on its physical attributes and loss. This study aimed to investigate the impact of threshing, and storage conditions on the physical properties and insect infestation of maize grain during storage. For this, a freshly harvested maize grain of BH-540 variety was used. Maize was threshed at two moisture content levels (17, and 23%) using two threshing methods (hand & mechanical). After threshing, the grains were dried to safe moisture content (13%) for storage using a solar bubble dryer and stored in five different bags (Purdue Improved Crop Storage bag, GrainPro, ZeroFly, woven polypropylene bag with plastic liner, and woven polypropylene bag) at a room temperature for 6-months. Each post-harvest loss indicator parameter and the physical properties of the grain were measured over 6-months. Minitab software (version 19.2) was used to analyze the data. During threshing, the highest broken kernel was observed on maize grain threshed mechanically at 23% moisture content (44.00). The threshing and storage conditions showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) on all post-harvest loss indicator parameters. The maximum total number of adult live weevils (227.67 adult/kg) were observed for maize threshed mechanically at 23% moisture and stored in a woven polypropylene bag for 6-months. Similarly, maize threshed mechanically at 23% moisture and stored in a woven polypropylene bag had the highest weight loss percentage (5.45%), and grain damage (20.06%) after six months of storage. No loss was observed in both threshing conditions stored in hermetic bags and all physical properties of maize have remained good during the six months of storage. Generally, to reduce the high percentage of postharvest loss of grains, grains should be threshed and dried immediately using appropriate artificial dryers, and stored in hermetic storage structures.