scholarly journals Macrophytes as a potential tool for crop production by providing nutrient as well as protection against common phyto pathogen

2021 ◽  
pp. bs202103
Author(s):  
Yachana Jha
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Leaf Extract ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Mineral Nutrient ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Agar Disc ◽  
Chemical Inputs

Applications of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides lead to several environmental hazards, causing damages to entire ecosystem. To reduce damage caused by such chemical inputs in agriculture and environment required a serious attention for replacement of chemicals input with eco-friendly options. In this study decaying macrophytes were selected as an option for organic agriculture, by analyzing its ability to provide important mineral nutrient to the maize crop grown in low nutrient soil as well as for providing resistant towards many common phyto-pathogens to enhance yield. The results of the study showed that decaying macrophytes have high concentration of stored important mineral nutrient in their body mass, which get released in the soil during its decay and to be used by the maize plant. The decaying macrophytes leaf extract have considerable amount of phenolic and flavonoids also having antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity of the leaf extract has been analyzed against the common phyto-pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and S. aureus by agar disc method and the formation of clear zone indicate its potential as bio-control agent. So under intensive agricultural practices, application of such biological waste is of particular importance for enhancing soil fertility without chemical input, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Comparative Advantage of Using Biopesticides in Ukrainian Agroecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasrat Arjjumend ◽  
Konstantia Koutouki ◽  
Olga Donets
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Soil Biology ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Irreversible Damage

The use of unsustainable levels of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has resulted in a steady decline in soil and crop productivity the world over. Soil biology has undergone irreversible damage, coupled with a high concentration of toxic chemical residues in plant tissues and human bodies. Agricultural practices must evolve to sustainably meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging soil. Microbial biocontrol agents have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture in a way that is safe for the environment. Biopesticides do not kill non-target insects, and biosafety is ensured because biopesticides act as antidotes and do not lead to chemical contamination in the soil. This article is part of a larger study conducted in Ukraine by researchers at the Université de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. The responses of farmers who use biofertilizers (“user farmers”) and those who do not (“non-user farmers”), along with the responses of manufacturers or suppliers of biofertilizers, and research and development (R&D) scientists are captured to demonstrate the advantages of applying microbial biopesticides to field crops. Participants reported a 15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application of biopesticides. With the use of biopesticides, farmers cultivated better quality fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of crop loss remains high (60-70%) with chemically grown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average if crops are grown using biopesticides. The findings indicate that a large proportion of farmers would prefer to use biopesticides if they are effective and high quality products. In this context, the quality and effectiveness of products is therefore very important. Despite their benefits to soil, human health, and ecosystems, biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of poor quality products, short shelf life, delayed action, high market costs, and legal/registration issues.

Landuse-based nonpoint source pollution. A threat to water resources in developing countries

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Tonderski
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Steady Rate ◽  
Chemical Inputs ◽  
Near Future

This article intends to raise some reflections on the increasing pollution from landuse-based nonpoint sources in developing countries. It is focused on historical development of agro-environmental factors such as deforestation, wetland transformation, monocultural crop production, agro-chemical inputs, concentrated animal production, and irrigation. It is shown that reduction of natural ecosystems in favour of agricultural land and intensification of the agricultural practices in developing countries continue on a larger scale and speed than in the industrialized countries. Some practices (e.g. the use of commercial fertilizers) show dramatic increases over last decades, others (e.g. deforestation) have increased at a steady rate over time. The major conclusion of this analysis is the necessity for urgent action of national and international communities on scientific and political level. If we do not focus our activities on controling pollution originating from landuse-based sources, developing countries will, in the near future, face dangerous deterioration of water resources with limited financial means to tackle the problem.

scholarly journals Weed Control Consideration in Compost Production and Use

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 698c-698
Author(s):  
Monica Ozores-Hampton
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Waste Materials ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Physical And Chemical

A rapid increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) production (2 kg/person per day), combined with a decreasing number of operating landfills, has increased waste disposal costs. Composting MSW can be an alternative method of waste disposal to traditional landfilling or incineration. Weed control methods using waste materials such as bark, straw, and sawdust were used in commercial crop production for many years before the advent of chemical weed control. Weed growth suppression by mulching can often be almost as effective as conventional herbicides. A 10 to 15 cm-deep mulch layer is needed to completely discourage weed growth in these systems, and best results are obtained with composted materials. In recent years, composts made from a large variety of waste materials have become available on a commercial scale. Preliminary investigations into the use of MSW compost as a weed control agent have shown that compost, especially in an immature state, applied to row crop middles reduced weed growth due to its high concentration of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids. Subsequently, compost can be incorporated into the soil for the following growing season to potentially improve soil physical and chemical properties. Integrated pest management programs that incorporate biological control should be adopted wherever possible because some weed species with persistent seeds can escape chemical control.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Allamanda cathartica L. Leaf Extract and Evaluation for Antimicrobial Activity

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 2260-2268
Author(s):  
M. Linga Rao ◽  
Bhumi G ◽  
Savithramma N
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Leaf Extract ◽  
Fusarium Species ◽  
Inhibition Zone ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Green Technology ◽  
Metallic Silver ◽  
Synthesis Of Nanoparticles ◽  
Aqueous Leaf Extract

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) exhibit tremendous applications in medicine as antimicrobial agent.  The use of different parts of plants for the synthesis of nanoparticles is considered as a green technology as it does not involve any harmful chemicals.  In the present study, we report a rapid biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous leaf extract of medicinal plant Allamanda cathartica.  The active phytochemicals present in the plant were responsible for the quick reduction of silver ion to metallic silver nanoparticles. The reduced silver nanoparticles were characterized by using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-ray (EDAX) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).  The spherical shaped silver nanoparticles were observed and it was found to 19-40 nm range of size.  These phytosynthesized SNPs were tested for their antimicrobial activity and it analyzed by measuring the inhibitory zone. A. cathartica aqueous leaf extract of SNPs showed highest toxicity to Pseudomonas followed by Klebsiella, Bacillus and E. coli and lowest toxicity towards Proteus. In fungal species, highest inhibition zone was noted against Rhizopus followed by Curvularia, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger and minimum inhibition zone was observed against Fusarium species.  These results suggest a promising potential of Indian plant-based green chemistry for production of SNPs for biomedical and nanotechnology applications.

scholarly journals Microbial Biocontrol as an Alternative to Synthetic Fungicides: Boundaries between Pre- and Postharvest Applications on Vegetables and Fruits

Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Michele Sellitto ◽  
Severino Zara ◽  
Fabio Fracchetti ◽  
Vittorio Capozzi ◽  
Tiziana Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Control Plant ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Postharvest Quality ◽  
Crucial Point ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits ◽  
And Storage

From a ‘farm to fork’ perspective, there are several phases in the production chain of fruits and vegetables in which undesired microbial contaminations can attack foodstuff. In managing these diseases, harvest is a crucial point for shifting the intervention criteria. While in preharvest, pest management consists of tailored agricultural practices, in postharvest, the contaminations are treated using specific (bio)technological approaches (physical, chemical, biological). Some issues connect the ‘pre’ and ‘post’, aligning some problems and possible solution. The colonisation of undesired microorganisms in preharvest can affect the postharvest quality, influencing crop production, yield and storage. Postharvest practices can ‘amplify’ the contamination, favouring microbial spread and provoking injures of the product, which can sustain microbial growth. In this context, microbial biocontrol is a biological strategy receiving increasing interest as sustainable innovation. Microbial-based biotools can find application both to control plant diseases and to reduce contaminations on the product, and therefore, can be considered biocontrol solutions in preharvest or in postharvest. Numerous microbial antagonists (fungi, yeasts and bacteria) can be used in the field and during storage, as reported by laboratory and industrial-scale studies. This review aims to examine the main microbial-based tools potentially representing sustainable bioprotective biotechnologies, focusing on the biotools that overtake the boundaries between pre- and postharvest applications protecting quality against microbial decay.

scholarly journals Biogenic synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of Ixora brachypoda (DC) leaf extract mediated silver nanoparticles

2020 ◽  
pp. 101296
Author(s):  
Meghashyama Bhat ◽  
Bidhayak Chakraborty ◽  
Raju Suresh Kumar ◽  
Abdulrahman I. Almansour ◽  
Natarajan Arumugam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Leaf Extract ◽  
Biogenic Synthesis

Exploiting the beneficial properties of microalgae for food and feed use

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 3634-3648
Author(s):  
Erika Koppányné Szabó ◽  
Krisztina Takács
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Food And Feed

By 2050, 9.8 billion people are projected to live on Earth, which means that we need to double our current food production to keep pace with such a large population increase. In addition, rising greenhouse gas emissions and the associated climate change are placing a significant strain on the planet’s ability to sustain itself. However, in order to increase the quantity of proteins of plant origin, it is necessary to increase crop production areas, harvesting frequencies and the quantity of crops produced. Unfortunately, the optimization of these factors is already very close to the available maximum in the current situation. The developed cultivation systems and maximum utilization of the soil power leads to very serious environmental problems, soil destruction, loss of biodiversity and serious environmental pollution through the transport of the produced plant raw materials. This poses a serious challenge to food security and further increases the risk of hunger. There is therefore a need for agricultural practices that can lead to the cultivation of food and feed crops that have better sustainability indicators and are more resilient to climate change, which can be used to safely produce health-promoting feeds, as well as novel and value-added foods. Within this group, a particular problem is presented by the protein supply of the population, as currently about one billion people do not have adequate protein intake. However, conventional protein sources are not sufficient to meet growing protein needs. As mentioned above, food and feed proteins are based on plant proteins. In recent years, a prominent role has been played by the research into alternative proteins and the mapping of their positive and negative properties. Among alternative proteins, special attention has been paid to various yeasts, fungi, bacteria, algae, singe cell proteins (SCPs) and insects. In this paper, we focus on the presentation of algae, particularly microalgae, which are of paramount importance not only because of their significant protein content and favorable amino acid composition, but also because they are also sources of many valuable molecules, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, antioxidants, drugs and other biologically active compounds. It is important to learn about microalgae biomass in order to be able to develop innovative health food products.

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