Water Tray Research Articles

A Rapid and Cost Effective Hardening Method for Tissue Culture Derived Banana Plantlets

The present study was aimed to develop a cost effective method for the hardening of tissue culture derived plants of banana var. Robusta. Two approaches were investigated to reduce cost. First, the shoots inoculated in rooting medium were incubated in (i) growth room under controlled temperature and light conditions for four weeks (RL) (ii) shadehouse exposed to natural light and ambient temperature (RP). The plants obtained from these treatments were given five hardening treatments (a) direct planting in polybags (filled with 1 : 1 Soil and leaf mould) (DP), (b) DP plants covered individually with transparent polybags (DPC), (c) DPC plants placed in tray of water (up to 3 cm height)-DPCW (d) DP plants kept in polytunnel (DPP) (e) DP plants placed in tray of water and kept in polytunnel DPWP, (f) control plants (CN)-primary hardened in potrays kept in polytunnel for four weeks followed by transplantation to polybags (filled with3:1 Soil and leaf mould). RP Plants were greener and sturdier with less hyperhydricity. Rooting outside the lab (RP) reduced the cost as the growth room space during rooting could be saved and so there is saving in electricity of lighting and climate control. 80% of plants in control and 50% plants in direct planting (DP) survived. In all other treatments 100% survival was observed. RP-DPCW and RP-DPWP plants showed the best performance in terms of visible appearance and accumulation of biomass. The method employed could reduce the hardening period from 12 weeks (CN) to 8 weeks. The cost reduction occurs in this process by a) omitting primary hardening process which requires costly potting media, manpower and climate controlled greenhouse, b) Lab space could be saved as incubation for rooting can be done in shade house thereby saving electricity c) As there is 4 weeks saving in hardening, shade house space could be utilized for hardening more plants. The method could be adopted for hardening in small nurseries to large industries and can result in cost reduction of plantlets. Saving of 4 weeks for hardening will be highly beneficial to the micropropagation industries for delivering plants to farmers in time during peak planting seasons. Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 34(1): 11-24, 2024 (June)

An A to Z of enhancements: U is for Under the Sea

Water trays, books, small-world toys and real-world objects can all be part of a sealife enhancement, explains Amy Jackson

Health impacts of poor water quality on an endangered shorebird breeding programme in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT Case history Two clusters of mortality among endangered tūturuatu/tchūriwat’/shore plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae) have occurred at captive breeding facilities around New Zealand in recent years. In the first, four chicks died at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre (Mount Bruce, NZ) in February 2016, and in the second five adult birds at the Cape Sanctuary (Cape Kidnappers, NZ) died in 2022. Clinical findings In 2016, four chicks were noted to become weak, have increased vocalisations and closed eyes prior to death. The remaining chicks were treated for 5 days with amoxycillin/clavulanate orally twice daily. Water containers and brooders were cleaned and disinfected with chlorhexidine. No further mortality was seen. In the 2022 cluster, three adult breeding birds died acutely and five others showed inappetence, weight loss and diarrhoea approximately 10 days after heavy rains flooded the local river. The five birds were treated with amoxycillin/clavulanate orally twice daily and oral fluids for 5 days. Two birds died and three survived. No breeding occurred in the aviaries in the following season. Pathological findings In 2016, the chicks showed pulmonary changes ranging from congestion and oedema to heterophilic inflammation consistent with septicaemia. In 2022, the adult birds showed proliferation of bacteria in the distal small intestine associated with mucosal ulceration and heterophilic infiltration. Acid-fast staining of the caecal contents in one bird showed organisms consistent with Cryptosporidium spp. Laboratory findings Aerobic bacterial cultures of the lung and liver of two affected chicks carried out in 2016 showed heavy growth of Plesiomonas shigelloides. The same organism was cultured from water trays and holding tanks containing water boatmen (Sigara arguta) on which the chicks were fed. In 2022, cultures from the livers of three dead birds each showed a mixed bacterial growth with differing dominant organisms (Aeromonas sobria, Hafnia alvei, Citrobacter freundii and an Enterococcus sp.). PCR and sequencing confirmed Cryptosporidium parvum in the caecum of one bird. Fresh faeces from 24 breeding birds from the captive breeding facilities were negative by PCR for Cryptosporidium spp. The captive breeding facilities obtain water for the aviaries and aquatic invertebrates to feed to the chicks from local freshwater sources. Water quality testing at the Cape Sanctuary revealed concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria in excess of safe drinking water guidelines, with peaks following heavy rainfall. Clinical relevance Fluctuations in water quality associated with mammalian faecal bacteria can adversely affect bird health and impact on captive rearing of endangered wildlife.

A recombinant Aspergillus oryzae fungus transmitted from larvae to adults of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes inhibits malaria parasite oocyst development

The control of malaria parasite transmission from mosquitoes to humans is hampered by decreasing efficacies of insecticides, development of drug resistance against the last-resort antimalarials, and the absence of effective vaccines. Herein, the anti-plasmodial transmission blocking activity of a recombinant Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae-R) fungus strain, which is used in human food industry, was investigated in laboratory-reared Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. The recombinant fungus strain was genetically modified to secrete two anti-plasmodial effector peptides, MP2 (midgut peptide 2) and EPIP (enolase-plasminogen interaction peptide) peptides. The transstadial transmission of the fungus from larvae to adult mosquitoes was confirmed following inoculation of A. oryzae-R in the water trays used for larval rearing. Secretion of the anti-plasmodial effector peptides inside the mosquito midguts inhibited oocyst formation of P. berghei parasites. These results indicate that A. oryzae can be used as a paratransgenesis model carrying effector proteins to inhibit malaria parasite development in An. stephensi. Further studies are needed to determine if this recombinant fungus can be adapted under natural conditions, with a minimal or no impact on the environment, to target mosquito-borne infectious disease agents inside their vectors.

Investigating the application of artificial hot and cold reference surfaces for improved ETc estimation using the UAS-METRIC energy balance model

The METRIC energy balance model requires the temperature of a hot (dry bare agricultural soil) and cold (fully transpiring crop) surfaces for the internal calibration and estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc). A previous study indicated that because of the limited field-of-view of UAS-based imagery, the application of unmanned aerial systems (UAS)-based METRIC could not guarantee the availability of representative hot and cold pixels in the field-of-view of the flight mission, even if the pixels were manually chosen. A study was conducted for two years (2017 and 2018) to evaluate the suitability of various artificial and portable hot (dry red mulch, dry terra cotta saucer plate, coconut fiber, wheat straw) and cold (surface of water, wet terra cotta saucer plate, green sponge, and white granite tile on top of polystyrene foam floating on water) artificial surfaces for use in the calibration of the UAS-METRIC model. The temperature of the surfaces was measured with a thermal infrared sensor mounted on a ground vehicle with a retractable mast (up to 7-m) facing downward to capture images at around the nadir hours (11 AM to 3 PM). The results showed that a green sponge floating in a water tray and a dry terra cotta saucer plate full of water best matched (rwet sponge= 0.93, rwet saucer =0.86) the temperature dynamics of fully irrigated short grass. Dry red mulch and a dry terra cotta saucer plate best matched (rdry red mulch= 0.98, rdry saucer =0.97) the temperature dynamics of bare and dry agricultural soil. These artificial hot and cold reference surfaces were then located within a field of view of nine different UAS flight missions over a spearmint field during the summer of 2021. Although the temperatures of the cold artificial surfaces correlated well with fully irrigated short grass planted near the spearmint field, they were 1.9–8.3 °C warmer than the taller spearmint crop canopy. The temperature of a dry red mulch/wet sponge and dry/wet terra cotta saucer plate used as artificial hot/cold anchor temperatures for ET estimation by the UAS-METRIC model resulted in overestimating the ETc obtained using field hot/cold pixels (dry bare soil/fully irrigated spearmint), or the ETc estimation based on a soil water balance measured by neutron probe and TEROS-10 sensors. The best hot/cold temperatures for internal calibration of the UAS-based imagery ET model are from dry soil and a fully irrigated canopy located in the field of view. In the absence of dry bare soil within the image, the use of dry red mulch is suggested. Additional research is needed to find artificial cold surfaces with temperatures closer to the temperature of fully irrigated canopies, which can be conveniently located for auto-selection within the images. In the meantime, for farm-scale applications, maintaining a field section guaranteed to be well irrigated is recommended.

Water distillation tower: Experimental investigation, economic assessment, and performance prediction using optimized machine-learning model

Here we present a new compact design of a vertical water distillation tower based on solar stills. The experimental setup consisted of a vertical tower with five water trays, supported by a metal duct and surrounded by a glass enclosure. The water yield and thermal, exergic, and economic features of the tower were investigated and analyzed. A new performance prediction hybrid model was also developed. A powerful artificial intelligence tool called the random vector functional link (RVFL) neural network was integrated with the Runge Kutta optimizer (RUN) to predict the water yield and temperature of the established tower. The model efficiency was compared to that of pure RVFL and an optimized RVFL model using a particle swarm optimizer (PSO). The drinkable water yield of the proposed design was 2.1 L/m2 (considering the tray area) and 5.3 L/m2 (considering the land use area); energy and exergy efficiencies were ∼31.7% and ∼3.3%, respectively. The cost of the produced drinkable water was approximately $0.013/L. The developed system provides considerable improvement compared with conventional designs of solar stills. The proposed RVFL–RUN model outperformed the pure RVFL and RVFL–PSO models for predicting system performance. The coefficients of determination between the experimental water productivity and water temperature and the predicted values, using the RVFL–RUN model, were 0.91 and 0.97, respectively.

Environmental Sampling for Avian Influenza Virus Detection in Commercial Layer Facilities.

The present study was designed to evaluate the utility of environmental samples for convenient but accurate detection of avian influenza virus (AIV) in commercial poultry houses. First, environmental samples from AIV-negative commercial layer facilities were spiked with an H5N2 low pathogenic AIV and were evaluated for their effect on the detection of viral RNA immediately or after incubation at -20 C, 4 C, 22 C, or 37 C for 24, 48, or 72 hr. Second, Swiffer pads, drag swabs, and boot cover swabs were evaluated for their efficiency in collecting feces and water spiked with the H5N2 LPAIV under a condition simulated for a poultry facility floor. Third, environmental samples collected from commercial layer facilities that experienced an H5N2 highly pathogenic AIV outbreak in 2014-15 were evaluated for the effect of sampling locations on AIV detection. The half-life of AIV was comparable across all environmental samples but decreased with increasing temperatures. Additionally, sampling devices did not differ significantly in their ability to collect AIV-spiked environmental samples from a concrete floor for viral RNA detection. Some locations within a poultry house, such as cages, egg belts, house floor, manure belts, and manure pits, were better choices for sampling than other locations (feed trough, ventilation fan, and water trays) to detect AIV RNA after cleaning and disinfection. Samples representing cages, floor, and manure belts yielded significantly more PCR positives than the other environmental samples. In conclusion, environmental samples can be routinely collected from a poultry barn as noninvasive samples for monitoring AIV.

First Report of Phytophthora Root Rot Caused by Phytophthora cryptogea on Field-Grown Lettuce in California

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 105, No. 8First Report of Phytophthora Root Rot Caused by Phytophthora cryptogea on Field-Grown Lettuce in California PreviousNext DISEASE NOTE OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Phytophthora Root Rot Caused by Phytophthora cryptogea on Field-Grown Lettuce in CaliforniaS. T. Koike, H. Stanghellini, and A. BurkhardtS. T. Koike†Corresponding author: S. T. Koike; E-mail Address: skoike@trieal.comhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3184-3778TriCal Diagnostics, Gilroy, CA 95020Search for more papers by this author, H. StanghelliniTriCal Diagnostics, Gilroy, CA 95020Search for more papers by this author, and A. BurkhardtTriCal Diagnostics, Gilroy, CA 95020Search for more papers by this author AffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations S. T. Koike † H. Stanghellini A. Burkhardt TriCal Diagnostics, Gilroy, CA 95020 Published Online:22 Sep 2021https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-21-0076-PDNAboutSectionsView articlePDFPDF Plus ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat View articleIn 2019, commercial field grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in Monterey County, CA, showed symptoms of a soilborne disease. Plants were stunted with chlorotic outer leaves. Outer leaves later wilted, turned brown, and collapsed. Taproots and small feeder roots were brown and decayed, but crowns were not necrotic. To test for pathogens, roots were surface sterilized in 0.001% NaOCl for 10 s and plated on corn meal agar (CMA) amended with 2 ml of 25% lactic acid/liter (LA-CMA), and CMA amended with pimaricin, ampicillin, rifampicin, and pentachloronitrobenzene (PARP) (Kannwischer et al. 1978). After 3 to 4 days, slow-growing, coenocytic, white fluffy mycelium emerged on PARP. No fungi were recovered on LA-CMA. Isolates grown on V8 medium and transferred to filtered (0.20-µm) soil extract solution (Erwin and Ribeiro 1996) developed sporangia that were pyriform, nonpapillate, with rounded bases. Sporangiophores proliferated internally through empty sporangia. On CMA, isolates formed hyphal swellings but not oospores or chlamydospores. To test pathogenicity, inocula of two isolates were prepared separately by incubating colonized V8 medium plugs in filtered soil extract solution to induce formation of sporangia and zoospores. For each isolate, 2 ml of inoculum (1 × 103 zoospores/ml) were poured around the bases of 20 potted lettuce (cv. El Guapo) plants. Plants were then maintained for 6 h at 22 to 24°C in trays of water to create saturated soil conditions. Within 7 days, all inoculated plants were chlorotic, wilted, and had necrotic roots. Roots plated on PARP resulted in colonies that morphologically were identical to the original isolates. Control plants, inoculated with sterile water, developed no root or foliar symptoms. To confirm identification of the isolates, DNA was extracted from mycelium pre- and postinoculation and amplified by PCR using the ITS1/ITS4 primers to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (White et al. 1990) and the COI primers to amplify the cytochrome c oxidase subunit (Robideau et al. 2011). The ITS locus from the preinoculation isolate (GenBank no. MW397014) matched Phytophthora cryptogea with 100% identity and with 657/657 base pairs, matching the isolate with sequence ID KF234765.1. From the postinoculation isolate (MW397015), the ITS sequence perfectly matched 639/639 base pairs of P. cryptogea (MK789592.1). The COI loci from both the preinoculation isolate (MW421635) and the postinoculation isolate (MW421636) matched P. cryptogea (MG817500.1) with 100% query cover and 100% identity with 525 and 526 bp matching P. cryptogea, respectively. Based on these molecular and morphological data, the isolates were identified as P. cryptogea Pethybr. & Laff. (Martin et al. 2014; Safaiefarahani et al. 2015). This is the first report of P. cryptogea infecting field-grown lettuce in California. Previously on lettuce, P. cryptogea was reported only on a hydroponic crop (Linde et al. 1990). This new detection of a Phytophthora disease on field-grown lettuce was found at two sites in the main part of the Salinas Valley, the main lettuce-producing region of the country. In addition to being a new potential problem on field-grown lettuce, the Phytophthora root rot symptoms are very similar to those of Pythium wilt disease caused by Pythium uncinulatum (Davis et al. 1995), which is already widespread in the Salinas Valley. Differentiating between these two oomycete diseases in the field will create a diagnostic challenge for growers and field personnel.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Using Low-Heat Decontamination to Allow N95 and PPE Reuse During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: US healthcare facilities experienced significant personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, including N95 masks, in the spring and summer of 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance for extended use, reprocessing, and reuse of N95s. Eskenazi Health (EH) implemented a program to reprocess N95s and other PPE on-site using low-heat decontamination (LHD). EH considered large-scale and small-scale ultraviolet (UV), hydrogen peroxide vapor, and LHD for on-site reprocessing of N95s. All of these methods allowed up to 3 reprocessing cycles according to most literature available at the time. However, each method differed in feasibility and acceptability to staff. EH chose to implement LHD based on both considerations. Methods: Numerous small-group meetings were held in April 2020 to determine the feasibility and acceptability of N95 reprocessing methods. Staff wanted a method that was easy for the end user, had quick turnaround, and allowed them to retrieve their own N95s. They favored a method that could be used for all PPE. EH had deployed numerous small UV machines that individuals could use for N95s. The UV machines could not be scaled up easily. To scale up, a multidisciplinary team comprising infection prevention, biomedical engineering, and sterile processing representatives reviewed available methods and implemented LHD. Biomedical engineers determined that existing blanket warmers could be reprogrammed and repurposed for low-heat decontamination. Food warmers were also available but were not needed. Biomedical engineers reprogrammed the blanket warmers to 70°C and developed a wicking system using a towel and water tray to maintain humidity; decontamination took 30 minutes. Testing runs determined that both N95s and eye protection tolerated LHD without apparent damage. Infection prevention staff developed a workflow in which staff deposited all PPE in a paper bag; the PPE bag was centrally reprocessed, marked (Figure 1), and returned to designated locations (Figure 2) for staff to retrieve their original PPE. Sterile processing staff facilitated the reprocessing workflow, and elective surgeries were canceled during the COVID-19 surge. Results: From April 20, 2020, to July 19, 2020, 7,512 units were decontaminated with LHD. If each N95 was sterilized thrice (4 uses per N95), then LHD reduced the need to purchase 22,536 N95s. Restarting elective surgeries decreased staff and support from sterile processing; the space was needed for other purposes; and N95 availability increased. All of these factors led to the discontinuation of LHD. Conclusions: LHD enables reprocessing of N95s and other PPE using existing assets. LHD is advantageous because of scalability and the capacity to provide staff with their own reprocessed PPE.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

Suicide transport blockade of motor neuron survival generates a focal graded injury and functional deficit.

We describe a pre-clinical spinal cord motor neuron injury model that is minimal invasive, reproducible, focal and easily applied to small rodents. Retrograde axonal transport of a pro-apoptotic phosphatidylinosotol 3'-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, via the sciatic nerve results in loss of ipsilateral lumbar motor neurons proportional to the level of drug administered. Motor neuron loss was detected by choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostaining and with a transgenic thy1-eGFP marker. The short half-life of wortmannin generates minimal wound spread, and wortmannin does not affect axon transport, as determined by co-injection of a pseudorabies virus tracer. Using quantitative transcript analysis, we found that ChAT transcripts significantly decreased at 14 days post-delivery of 1 μg wortmannin, relative to sham controls, and remained low after 90 days. Smaller effects were observed with 200 ng and 100 ng wortmannin. Wortmannin also generated a transient and significant increase in astrocyte Gfap transcripts after 14 days with a return to control levels at 90 days. Treated mice had hind limb spasticity and a forced motor function defect that was quantified using a water exit test. Controls rapidly exit a shallow water tray, and wortmannin treated animals were up to 12-fold slower, a phenotype that persisted for at least 3 months. Thus the focal delivery of wortmannin to motor neurons generates a reproducible and scalable injury that can facilitate quantitative studies on neural regeneration and repair. The efficacy of sciatic nerve suicide transport can also explain neurotoxin-mediated selective loss of motor neurons in diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. All procedures were performed at Rutgers under established Institutional Animal Care and Use protocols (eIACUC_TR201800022, approved on March 20, 2018).

New design of trays solar still with enhanced evaporation methods – Comprehensive study

In this work, a novel single basin solar still namely trays solar still (TSS) has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Two solar stills have been fabricated, the first one is conventional solar still (CSS) and the second one is TSS. TSS is a single basin solar still modified by adding trays on its internal sides. This modification obtained a large increase in the evaporative surface area and the exposed area to solar radiation. The water depth over the trays is investigated using different values such as 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 cm. Additionally, internal and external mirrors have been used with TSS to increase the solar energy input. The results showed that TSS without reflectors has about 1.5 times of CSS daily productivity at 1 and 0.5 cm basin water level and trays height, respectively. While, TSS with internal mirrors (TSSIM) showed a productivity rise of 58% over that of CSS. Furthermore, employing external bottom (TSSIBM) and top mirrors (TSSITM) improved the productivity of TSSIM by 84 and 75%, respectively when compared with CSS productivity. Also, using both external bottom and top mirrors (TSSIBTM) with TSSIM showed 95% higher productivity than that of CSS. The thermal efficiency of CSS, TSS, TSSIM, TSSIBM and TSSIBTM was 34, 41, 42, 44 and 50%, respectively at 1 cm basin water depth and 0.5 cm trays height.

Species Variation in Root Tolerance of Soil Compaction and Poor Drainage

Loam-over-compacted-clay and loam soil profiles were created in 10 cm × 10 cm × 25 cm containers. Containers were placed in trays of water to simulate poor subsoil drainage in the landscape. Four urban tolerant species, Acer negundo, Catalpa speciosa, Gleditsia triacanthos, Ulmus americana, and two less tolerant species, Quercus rubra and Acer saccharum, were direct seeded in the containers. Soil volumetric water content and oxygen diffusion rate were monitored. At the conclusion of the study, length of fine roots (< 2 mm diameter) was measured throughout the soil profile. Oxygen decreased and moisture increased with soil depth. Fine root density of all species decreased with depth except Ulmus Americana. Catalpa speciose was the only species showing a difference in root growth between soil types throughout the profile and had up to seven times the root density of other species at the surface and up to four times at the bottom. Root growth of most species seemed to be reduced more by high soil moisture and reduced aeration than soil texture and compaction.

Effects of dropleg application technique during flowering of oilseed rape on insect pests

Spraying of insecticides and fungicides during the flowering stage of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) could be necessary to control insect pests (such as Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) and Dasineura brassicae (Winnertz)) and pathogens (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary). In contrast to the conventional application technique, dropleg nozzles are kept below the flowering canopy to restrict the exposure of pollinators to active ingredients of insecticides. The Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) tested the efficacy of different insecticides using the dropleg technique compared to the conventional technique, on insect pests in field trials conducted from 2015 to 2017 in the area of Braunschweig. The crop was treated at full flowering (BBCH 65) for three consecutive years. The tested insecticides were Biscaya (72 g a. i. ha−1 thiacloprid), Mavrik (48 g a. i. ha−1 tau-fluvalinate), and Mospilan SG (40 g a. i. ha−1 acetamiprid). The adults and larvae of oilseed rape pests that drop to the ground were collected using water trays. The emergence of new generation beetles (Brassicogethes aeneus (Fabricius), C. obstrictus) was recorded from BBCH 78 onwards, using photoeclectors. At least twice during each season, oilseed rape plants were assessed for D. brassicae injury. The new dropleg application technique showed similar efficacy on pest insects compared to the conventional spraying technique. Nevertheless, the abundance of pests was not always sufficient to get clear results. Results especially on D. brassicae indicate that the dropleg technique had a comparable efficacy under moderate pest pressure conditions observed in our study. Further research under conditions with a higher abundance of C. obstrictus, as well as research on the effects of dropleg technique on parasitoids of oilseed rape pests, is needed. The population of B. aeneus population was reduced slightly less using dropleg instead of conventional application technique. In all the years, the yields did not differ significantly with regard to the conventional and dropleg application techniques.

Diversity of insects under the effect of Bt maize and insecticides

ABSTRACT: The genetically modified maize to control some caterpillars has been widely used in Brazil. The effect of Bt maize and insecticides was evaluated on the diversity of insects (species richness and abundance), based on the insect community, functional groups and species. This study was conducted in genetically modified maize MON810, which expresses the Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, and conventional maize with and without insecticide sprays (lufenuron and lambda-cyhalothrin) under field conditions in Ponta Grossa (Paraná state, Brazil). Insect samplings were performed by using pitfall trap, water tray trap and yellow sticky card. A total of 253,454 insects were collected, distributed among nine orders, 82 families and 241 species. No differences were observed in the insect community based on the richness, diversity and evenness indices. Predators and pollinators were more abundant in genetically modified maize. Parasitoids, detritivores, sap-sucking herbivores and chewing herbivores were more abundant in conventional maize with insecticide sprays. Significant differences were found for the species Colopterus sp., Colaspis occidentalis (L.) and Nusalala tessellata (Gerstaecker) which were most abundant in Bt maize, and Dalbulus maidis and Condylostylus sp.2 in conventional maize.

How Not to Overwater a Rheophyte

Many herbaceous plants native to Malesian perhumid tropical forests are difficult to cultivate long term in traditional (peat, coir and bark) compost mixes. As a result, many appear to be underrepresented in ex situ living plant collections. Under the leaf-litter, lowland rainforest soils are typically surprisingly low in organic content (< 2%) and many of the smaller forest-floor-dwelling plants exist mainly on steep slopes of bare mineral soils with limited leaf-litter cover. By adopting purely inorganic compost media and placing pots in trays of water the wet mineral soils of their natural habitats are replicated and the plants can be cultivated long term with notable ease. The use of wholly inorganic media reduces the incidence of root rot to such an extent that it is suggested that they should be used more often for the cultivation of slow-growing taxa from other regions which are often considered to be ‘difficult’.

STUDI KOMPUTASI ALIRAN PEMANAS PADA INKUBATOR TELUR BERKAPASITAS 400 TELUR DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN SUMBER PANAS BUMI BERENTALPI RENDAH

This study aims to analyze the possibility of using geothermal energy as an alternative energy source for the egg incubator hatchery with capacity of 400 eggs. Geothermal resource used in the process of retrofitting has a temperature of 70°C with a maximum flow of 2 liters/s in accordance with the data of geothermal resources at Tangeung - Cibugur, Cianjur regency. Based on the results of the feasibility studies that have been done, the source of geothermal energy can be used for heating egg incubator in order to reach adequate incubation conditions (temperature 36 to 38.5 ° C and a relative humidity of 50-60%). In the process of retrofitting, the design of the incubator used is forced draft incubator. Its components are heat exchanger, fans, and a water tray. The type of heat exchanger that used is cross flow, one fluid mixed, one fluid unmixed. It uses a staggered arrangement of copper pipe as a heat exchange surface. Incubator with geothermal energy is well used by using 5 fans with volume flow rate 0,0094 – 0,0141 m 3 /s on the condition of the inlet air temperature is 23-27°C and a minimum pipe temperature is 65°C.

Mass Production and Application of Spodoptera pectinicornis as Biological Control Agent of Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)

<p>Water lettuce (<em>Pistia stratiotes</em>) is one of the important aquatic weeds because it can cause many problems for humans and the environment. In addition, the declining quality and quantity of water is also due to the invasion of water lettuce weeds covering the surface of waters, which can lead to the increasing transpiration and destruction of plankton making the balance of the ecosystem disrupted. This study was conducted in an attempt to control <em>P.</em><em> Stratiotes</em> by utilizing the biological control agent <em>Spodoptera pectinicornis</em> with mass production and its releasing applications in South Kalimantan’s waters. The study was started by taking and collecting <em>S. pectinicornis</em> from several places/fields. The moths were then placed in trays of water and put in a gauze cage of 75 cm x 75 cm x 75 cm in order to keep the air circulation. They were nourished in the laboratory to produce groups of eggs. The groups of eggs were then transferred to rearing ponds. When a fair number of agents were obtained, the treatment of liquid fertilizer AB Mix was carried out. The results showed that the fertilization treatment to water lettuce weeds as the food for the biological control agent <em>S. pectinicornis</em> did not differ from the condition when there was no fertilization treatment either on the feeding ability, weight of larvae and pupae or fitness of imago. However, its destructive ability is high that it has a big potential as a biological control of water lettuce.</p>

Your best activity…: ‘Observing change will expand inquisitive minds

This time of year is synonymous with glitter and sparkle of all sorts. It can be added to many types of resources – including the sand and water tray, and play dough. If you are going to use a lot of glitter, why not procure a bargain box with a variety? By Kathy Brodie.

Experimental Analysis of Effect of Vegetation under PV Solar Panel on Performance of Polycrystalline Solar Panel

The polycrystalline photovoltaic cell has an efficiency around 11-14%. The efficiency is low because of different factor, out of which the temperature is one of affecting factor on efficiency. The solar cell efficiency decreases with increase in temperature. So it is necessary to cool the PV panel to improve its efficiency. Cooling of PV panel is one of critical issue during the planning of installation of PV plant. In the present work cooling of photovoltaic panel via different vegetation and water tray is carried out. The aim of this project is to optimize the panel efficiency by controlling the panel surface temperature by cultivating different vegetation below the panel. The experiment is done for polycrystalline silicon cell. The plants selected for the experimentation has a good evapotranspiration effect except aloe vera. The numerical value of increase in instantaneous efficiency is 3-4%, 1.8-2.2%, 1.2 -2%, 0.2 -0.5% for water tray, peppermint, tulsi and aloe vera respectively. The economical benefits due to cultivation of peppermint, tulsi aloe vera and water tray and also due to increase in power production from 1MW solar plant per year is forecasted has Rs. /- 455250, 436012, 219150 and 778850 respectively.

Making a real mess of it

Sue Gascoyne explores the use of messy play in Play Therapy, and suggests that by understanding its value and hidden meaning, the same benefits can be reaped in early years sand and water trays.