Positive effects of applying endophytic bacteria in eggplant-Sedum intercropping system on Cd phytoremediation and vegetable production in cadmium polluted greenhouse

AbstractThe diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L., is the most destructive pest affecting vegetable production in Kenya and around the world. Parasitoids have shown promising results in lowering the pest populations and damage caused by DBM. However, variations in host plant quality have been reported to have bottom-up effects up to the third and fourth trophic levels. We assessed the effects of two cultivated Brassica varieties (cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. cultivar ‘Gloria F1’ and kale, B. oleracea var. acephala L. cultivar ‘Thousand headed’) on the development and performance of the specialist pest P. xylostella and two exotic parasitoids Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) and Cotesia vestalis (Haliday). The exposed larval period of DBM took about 1.5 d longer on kale than cabbage and the total immature development time of both females and males was significantly longer on kale than cabbage. Higher pupal weight and higher fecundity were recorded on DBM fed on kale. Development time of D. semiclausum and C. vestalis was not affected by the host crop as was the parasitism rate of D. semiclausum. Heavier male pupae and larger adults of D. semiclausum, as well as more fecund adults of C. vestalis, were obtained from hosts fed on cabbage. Larger adults of C. vestalis were obtained from herbivores fed on kale. These results show potentially positive effects of host plant allelochemicals that are detrimental to herbivores while promoting parasitoid development and performance, which can be harnessed for the control of DBM.

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Welfare effects of vegetable producers' inclusiveness in supply chain coordination: direct effects and spillovers

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-07-2020-0652 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Qiao Liang ◽

Lin Li ◽

Rongrong Bai

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chain Coordination ◽

Spillover Effect ◽

Spillover Effects ◽

Production Performance ◽

Farm Income ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Content Type ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Quality Certification

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of vegetable producers' inclusiveness in supply chain coordination on vegetable production performance and potential spillover effect on farm and non-farm income.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive dataset comprised of 410 paired vegetable producers in China is applied. Propensity score matching (PSM) estimation method is used to control for the selection bias problem.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that contracting farming does not have significant effect on yield or profit of vegetable production, but promote producers to obtain quality certification. In comparison, cooperative membership has positive effects on the yield, profit and quality certification of producers. Additionally, cooperatives generate positive spillover effects on members' farm and non-farm income, though the results are sensitive to unobserved factors. The inclusion of spillover effects helps to find out the potential unobserved effects which are neglected by most studies and design better policies to promote the development of agricultural companies and farmer cooperatives.Originality/valueFirst, empirical evidence is provided for theories regarding the roles of different supply chain coordination modes on producers. Second, the analysis on evaluating the effects of supply chain coordination also considers the spillover effect on the farming of other products and even non-farm work of involved producers. Third, a unique dataset comprised of 420 paired vegetable producers, based on an extensive survey is built.

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The impact of cooperative participation on income: the case of vegetable production in Vietnam

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies ◽

10.1108/jadee-05-2021-0108 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Giang Thi Huong Tran ◽

Teruaki Nanseki ◽

Yosuke Chomei ◽

Ly Thi Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Selection Bias ◽

Household Head ◽

Primary Data ◽

Agricultural Cooperatives ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Service Access ◽

Content Type ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Vegetable Farmers ◽

The Impact

PurposeThe demand for clean vegetables has rapidly increased, many farmers gradually turn to vegetable cultivation to increase income; therefore, agricultural cooperative mobilized farmers group to facilitate them access to technical training and enhance compliance with the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of the participation on farmer’s income as well as the major factors that affect the participation in cooperatives by the vegetable farmers in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe study used primary data collected from vegetable farmers in Vietnam. This study utilized propensity score matching to avoid initial selection bias. The differences between participants and nonparticipants will be adjusted by matching each membership individual to a nonmember based on similar observable characteristics by summarizing the conditional probability of a member given pretreatment characteristics.FindingsThis study demonstrates that participation in cooperatives is significantly affected by ethnicity, age of household head, labor involving vegetable production and extension service access. The results of this study also confirm that agricultural cooperatives have positive effects on member farmers to enhance income and that participants – on average – have a higher income than nonparticipants.Research limitations/implicationsThe method cannot rule out the possibility of selection bias due to unobserved differences between participants and even an appropriate comparison group.Originality/valueThis study contributes to an improved understanding about impacts of cooperatives on farmers’ income in developing and emerging economies. Moreover, research also upgrades knowledge regarding the effectiveness of agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam, as well as guides policymakers in supporting the cooperatives in expanding the market and other necessary changes.

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Effect of management systems and cover crops on organic matter dynamics of soil under vegetables

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832014000300024 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 923-933 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rodrigo Fernandes de Souza ◽

Cícero Célio de Figueiredo ◽

Nuno Rodrigo Madeira ◽

Flávia Aparecida de Alcântara

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Block Design ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Management Systems ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Organic Matter Dynamics

Vegetable production in conservation tillage has increased in Brazil, with positive effects on the soil quality. Since management systems alter the quantity and quality of organic matter, this study evaluated the influence of different management systems and cover crops on the organic matter dynamics of a dystrophic Red Latosol under vegetables. The treatments consisted of the combination of three soil tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) and of two cover crops: maize monoculture and maize-mucuna intercrop. Vegetables were grown in the winter and the cover crops in the summer for straw production. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. Soil samples were collected between the crop rows in three layers (0.0-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.30 m) twice: in October, before planting cover crops for straw, and in July, during vegetable cultivation. The total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), oxidizable fractions, and the carbon fractions fulvic acid (C FA), humic acid (C HA) and humin (C HUM) were determined. The main changes in these properties occurred in the upper layers (0.0-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m) where, in general, TOC levels were highest in NT with maize straw. The MBC levels were lowest in CT systems, indicating sensitivity to soil disturbance. Under mucuna, the levels of C HA were lower in RT than NT systems, while the C FA levels were lower in RT than CT. For vegetable production, the C HUM values were lowest in the 0.05-0.10 m layer under CT. With regard to the oxidizable fractions, the tillage systems differed only in the most labile C fractions, with higher levels in NT than CT in the 0.0-0.05 m layer in both summer and winter, with no differences between these systems in the other layers. The cabbage yield was not influenced by the soil management system, but benefited from the mulch production of the preceding maize-mucuna intercrop as cover plant.

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Pesticide distribution and use in vegetable production in the Red River Delta of Vietnam

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170509002567 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 174-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Pham Van Hoi ◽

Arthur P.J. Mol ◽

Peter Oosterveer ◽

Paul J. van den Brink

Keyword(s):

Vital Role ◽

River Delta ◽

Plant Diseases ◽

Red River ◽

Natural Food ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Red River Delta ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The Government

AbstractFor a long time pesticides attracted interest from the Vietnamese governments and farmers for their positive effects in protecting crop yield losses resulting from pests and other plant diseases. Recently, the negative effects of pesticides on human health, natural food chains and the environment are increasingly being taken into account by both state and non-state actors. Striking a balance between positive and negative effects is complicated as, most likely, pesticides will continue to maintain their vital role in an agriculture-based country such as Vietnam. However, recently a shift can be noticed in farmers' selection and application of pesticides, initiated mainly by farmers themselves and to a lesser extent also by other actors such as the government, pesticide companies and distributors. This article provides an empirical insight into this shift, based on the results from research in four provinces in the Red River Delta. Possible implications for policies toward greening pesticide handling practices in vegetable production are drawn, such as removing inexpensive pesticides (often associated with high toxicity) from the market, giving technical training on pesticide selection and use to farmers, and reconsidering the role different actors can play in future safe vegetable production programs.

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The role of fertilization practices in the yield and quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Agricultural and Food Science ◽

10.23986/afsci.72362 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 61 (4) ◽

pp. 323-360

Author(s):

Aino-Maija Evers

Keyword(s):

Daucus Carota ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Future Research ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Dry Matter Content ◽

Single Application ◽

Npk Fertilizers ◽

Daucus Carota L ◽

Positive Effects

The influence of different fertilization practices on the growth, yield and inner quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.) was studied. The field experiments were carried out in Southern Finland, on the experimental farm of Kemira Oy, in 1985 and 1986. Unirrigated and irrigated placement and broadcast fertilization, NPK fertirrigations without or with basic fertilization, and PK placement with N fertirrigations were compared. Placement and broadcast fertilizations were carried out by single application, whereas NPK or N fertirrigations were performed as split applications. The highest yields were obtained when the total phytomass production was high. The yield increased by the placement of NPK fertilizer as compared to broadcast fertilization, and by the placement of P and K as compared to treatments where P and K were broadcasted or fertirrigated. The PK placement with N fertirrigations increased the root dry matter content as compared to NPK fertirrigations. The lowest NO3-N contents of roots were obtained by unirrigated placement fertilization. NPK fertirrigations caused higher root NO3-N contents than any other fertilization practice, and irrigation as such increased the NO3-N contents. Root N and P contents were increased by placement of PK or NPK fertilizers, but fertilization practices had no effects on K, Mg and Ca contents. Single application increased ash and dietary fibre contents as compared to split applications. In conclusion, the placement of NPK or PK fertilizers had positive effects on the above mentioned quality criteria and yield, and thus in future research and in commercial vegetable production these fertilization practices should be utilized. Fertilization practices had no or only slight effects on the carotene and sugar contents, taste, texture and the quality of stored carrots. Carotene content increased as the growing season progressed, and was 41 % higher in the climatically more favourable year 1986 than in 1985. Total sugar contents were higher in the climatically less favourable year 1985 and in unfertilized treatments than in 1986 and in fertilized treatments. It was hypothesized that carrot sugar contents are related to growth and total phytomass production. The indicative results showed that the NPK fertirrigations without basic fertilization had a slight positive effect on carrot taste and texture as compared to placement fertilization but, on the other hand, the NPK fertirrigations without basic fertilization showed a tendency to impair the storage ability as compared to single application. In conclusion, carotene and sugar contents are strongly influenced by genotype and climate and thus it is logical that the effects of fertilization practices remained slight. The results of carrot taste do not allow any final conclusions to be drawn; further investigation on the subject is needed.

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Practical Applications of Plant Biostimulants in Greenhouse Vegetable Crop Production

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10101569 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1569

Author(s):

Spyridon A. Petropoulos

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Vegetable Crop ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Crop Performance ◽

Macro Algae

The research interest on plant biostimulant applications in vegetable crop production is gradually increasing and several reports highlight the beneficial effects that such products may have not only on crop performance but also on the quality of the final product. Moreover, numerous products with biostimulatory activity are being developed which need further evaluation under variable growing conditions and different crops. Plant hydrolysates which contain amino acids and peptides have been acclaimed with several positive effects on crop performance of diverse horticultural crops, while macro-algae are also considered effective biostimulants on plants grown under stress conditions. A recent study evaluated the use of protein hydrolysates and brown macro-algae (Ascophyllum nodosum and Ecklonia maxima) as innovative and cost effective approaches for sustainable vegetable production. The present editorial provides an overview of the main findings of that study, while discussing the practical applications that biostimulants may have in the greenhouse production of vegetable crops, aiming to increase the yield and the quality of the final produce and improve crop tolerance to abiotic stressors.

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Effects of a 6-Week Straw Phonation in Water Exercise Program on the Aging Voice

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 1018-1032

Author(s):

Chia-Hsin Wu ◽

Roger W. Chan

Keyword(s):

Acoustic Analysis ◽

Vocal Tract ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Control Group ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Aging Voice ◽

Before And After

Purpose Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises with tubes or straws have been widely used for a variety of voice disorders. Yet, the effects of longer periods of SOVT exercises (lasting for weeks) on the aging voice are not well understood. This study investigated the effects of a 6-week straw phonation in water (SPW) exercise program. Method Thirty-seven elderly subjects with self-perceived voice problems were assigned into two groups: (a) SPW exercises with six weekly sessions and home practice (experimental group) and (b) vocal hygiene education (control group). Before and after intervention (2 weeks after the completion of the exercise program), acoustic analysis, auditory–perceptual evaluation, and self-assessment of vocal impairment were conducted. Results Analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between the two groups in smoothed cepstral peak prominence measures, harmonics-to-noise ratio, the auditory–perceptual parameter of breathiness, and Voice Handicap Index-10 scores postintervention. No significant differences between the two groups were found for other measures. Conclusions Our results supported the positive effects of SOVT exercises for the aging voice, with a 6-week SPW exercise program being a clinical option. Future studies should involve long-term follow-up and additional outcome measures to better understand the efficacy of SOVT exercises, particularly SPW exercises, for the aging voice.

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Clinical Success Using the Audio-Visual Feedback Training for Cluttering

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_pers-sig17-2019-0018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 1589-1594

Author(s):

Yvonne van Zaalen ◽

Isabella Reichel

Keyword(s):

Visual Feedback ◽

Clinical Success ◽

Pause Duration ◽

Digital Audio ◽

Male Adolescents ◽

Feedback Training ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Speech Monitoring ◽

Adolescents And Adults

Purpose Among the best strategies to address inadequate speech monitoring skills and other parameters of communication in people with cluttering (PWC) is the relatively new but very promising auditory–visual feedback (AVF) training ( van Zaalen & Reichel, 2015 ). This study examines the effects of AVF training on articulatory accuracy, pause duration, frequency, and type of disfluencies of PWC, as well as on the emotional and cognitive aspects that may be present in clients with this communication disorder ( Reichel, 2010 ; van Zaalen & Reichel, 2015 ). Methods In this study, 12 male adolescents and adults—6 with phonological and 6 with syntactic cluttering—were provided with weekly AVF training for 12 weeks, with a 3-month follow-up. Data was gathered on baseline (T0), Week 6 (T1), Week 12 (T2), and after follow-up (T3). Spontaneous speech was recorded and analyzed by using digital audio-recording and speech analysis software known as Praat ( Boersma & Weenink, 2017 ). Results The results of this study indicated that PWC demonstrated significant improvements in articulatory rate measurements and in pause duration following the AVF training. In addition, the PWC in the study reported positive effects on their ability to retell a story and to speak in more complete sentences. PWC felt better about formulating their ideas and were more satisfied with their interactions with people around them. Conclusions The AVF training was found to be an effective approach for improving monitoring skills of PWC with both quantitative and qualitative benefits in the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social domains of communication.

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