Optimising Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Monitoring Tool Design

Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important insect pest of horticultural crops. To identify an effective and reliable monitoring system for adult vine weevil, this study investigated the influence of colour, height and entrance position on the efficacy of a model monitoring tool using modified paper cups as refuges. Vine weevil preferences were determined by the number of individuals recorded within a refuge. When provided with a binary choice between black or white refuges, vine weevil adults showed a preference for black refuges. Vine weevils provided with a range of coloured refuges (blue, green, red and yellow) in addition to black and white refuges showed a preference for black and blue over the other colours and white refuges in group choice experiments. Refuge height and entrance position also influenced vine weevil behaviour with individuals exhibiting a preference for taller refuges and those with entrance openings around the refuge base. These results provide insights into refuge selection by adult vine weevils, which can be exploited to improve monitoring tool design. The importance of developing an effective monitoring tool for vine weevil adults as part of an integrated pest management programme is discussed.

Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Management: Current State and Future Perspectives

Vine weevil, also known as black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, has been one of the most economically important pest species of global horticultural crops for the past five decades. This period has seen many changes in crop protection practices, including wide-scale adoption of biological controls such as entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi in place of conventional synthetic insecticides. Despite the experimental efficacy of these controls, growers continue to report significant crop losses associated with vine weevil infestation. We argue that simply switching from synthetic insecticides to biological controls, rather than using these controls as part of an integrated management program, is a key factor in the continued importance of this pest. An improved understanding of vine weevil biology and ecology is at the center of the development of truly integrated pest management programs. To this end, we identify opportunities created through recent vine weevil research and highlight key knowledge gaps in which further research may contribute to improved future management approaches.

Sustainable Horticultural Waste Management: Industrial and Environmental Perspective

Horticultural crops are highly nutritious and shared lion portion of our daily diet. These items are consumed in different ways according to their nature and processing processes. These days, a crucial concerning issue is arising globally to ensure nutrition security for huge population that leads to focus on production increase, quality improvement, food safety assurance, and processing strategies. Consequently, a large amount of waste generates in the processing industries, household kitchen, and supply chain of horticultural commodities that has led to a significant nutrition and economic loss, consequently creating environment pollution with extensive burden of landfills. However, these wastes showed magnificent potentiality of re-utilization in several industries owing to as rich source of different bioactive compounds and phytochemicals. Therefore, sustainable extraction methods and utilization strategies deserve the extensive investigations. This review paper extensively illustrates the horticultural waste generation options, sustainable recycling strategies, and potentiality of recycled products in different industries for betterment in population with the assurance of green environment and sustainable ecology.

Hormonal interactions underlying parthenocarpic fruit formation in horticultural crops

In some horticultural crops, such as Cucurbitaceae, Solanaceae, and Rosaceae species, fruit set and development can occur without the fertilization of ovules, a process known as parthenocarpy. Parthenocarpy is an important agricultural trait that can not only mitigate fruit yield losses caused by environmental stresses but can also induce the development of seedless fruit, which is a desirable trait for consumers. In the present review, the induction of parthenocarpic fruit by the application of hormones such as auxins (2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; naphthaleneacetic acid), cytokinins (forchlorfenuron; 6-benzylaminopurine), gibberellic acids, and brassinosteroids is first presented. Then, the molecular mechanisms of parthenocarpic fruit formation, mainly related to plant hormones, are presented. Auxins, gibberellic acids, and cytokinins are categorized as primary players in initiating fruit set. Other hormones, such as ethylene, brassinosteroids, and melatonin, also participate in parthenocarpic fruit formation. Additionally, synergistic and antagonistic crosstalk between these hormones is crucial for deciding the fate of fruit set. Finally, we highlight knowledge gaps and suggest future directions of research on parthenocarpic fruit formation in horticultural crops.

Impact of National Horticulture Mission on the Status of Beneficiary Farmers in Rajasthan District of India

India is mainly an agriculture-based country where majority of the people are engaged in agriculture. Diversified and boosted growth in agricultural is dependent upon the development of horticulture sector. Recognizing the importance of horticulture in stimulating the growth of Indian agriculture, government of India had launched NHM for the holistic development of this sector. NHM playing a important role in increase area as well as productivity of horticultural crops through motivation of farmers, providing guidance, subsidy and other facilities. It also plays an important role in improving the living standard of the farmers. It is a centrally sponsored scheme, launched by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India during 2005-06. Hence keeping the above facts in mind, the present study was conducted in 2020 to determine the socio-economic impact of NHM on the status of beneficiary farmers in Jaipur and Tonk districts of Rajasthan. A total of 240 beneficiary farmers were included in the sample of study. Study shows that NHM have positive impact with regard to occupation, annual income, saving pattern, expenditure, material possession, social development and employment generation of beneficiary farmers in the selected district. Thus, NHM improve overall socio-economic status of farmers.

Produksi, Karakteristik Fisik, dan Organoleptik Varietas Unggul Spesifik Lokasi “Srikayang” Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta

<p><strong>(<em>Production, Physical, and Organoleptic Characteristics of Superior Varieties Specific Location “Srikayang” Special Region of Yogyakarta</em>)</strong></p><p><strong><br /></strong>Bawang merah merupakan salah satu komoditas unggulan hortikultura semusim yang sejak lama telah diusahakan oleh petani secara intensif di Kabupaten Kulon Progo. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui produksi, karakteristik fisik, dan organoleptik bawang merah lokal Kabupaten Kulon Progo, yaitu varietas Srikayang. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap (RAKL) dengan lima ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa varietas lokal Srikayang memiliki keunggulan dibanding varietas eksisting lainnya, yaitu Tajuk, Bima, dan Siem. Hasil ubinan tertinggi varietas Srikayang 10,63 ton/ha. Varietas Srikayang memiliki, berat umbi 5,47 g sedangkan Tajuk 3,65 g, Bima 5,69 g, dan Siem 4,14 g. Jumlah umbi per rumpun verietas Srikayang lebih banyak dibanding varietas lain, yaitu 9,82 g, Tajuk 8,37 g, Bima 6,78 g, dan Siem 9,37 g. Hasil uji statistik menunjukkan bahwa varietas Siem dan Srikayang tidak berbeda nyata. Jumlah umbi per rumpun tertinggi varietas Srikayang 50,03 g. Kecerahan umbi varietas Srikayang tertinggi sebesar 43,74 dibanding varietas lainnya. Dari hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa varietas lokal Srikayang layak dibudidayakan karena memiliki keunggulan dibanding varietas lain (Tajuk, Bima, dan Siem).</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong></p><p>Karakteristik fisik; Organoleptik; Srikayang; Varietas lokal</p><p><strong>Abstract </strong></p><p>Shallot is one of the leading commodities of horticultural crops that have long been cultivated by farmers intensively at Kulon Progo Regency since long time. The aim of research was to know the production, physical and organoleptic characteristics of local shallot at Kulon Progo Regency, namely Srikayang variety. The experimental design used Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with five replications. The results showed that local variety of Srikayang have advantages compared to other existing varieties namely Tajuk, Bima, and Siem. Srikayang variety hads a weight tuber of 5.47 g, while Tajuk 3.65 g; Bima 5.69 g; and Siem 4.14 g. Total of tubers per clump Srikayang more than other varieties that was 9.82 Tajuk; 8.37, Bima, 6.78 and Siem 9.37. The results of statistical analysis show that Siem and Srikayang were not significantly different. Srikayang had highest of total of bulb was 50.03 g and yield was 10.63 tonnes/ha. The brightness of Srikayang was the highest 43.74 compared to other varieties. Srikayang variety had the highest panelist acceptance value of 3.33 means that this variety was favored based on the result of organoleptic test. From the result of research it can be concluded that Srikayang decent cultivated because it hads moreadvantages compared to other varieties (Tajuk, Bima, and Siem).</p>

Development of Suitable Microclimate Using Low˗tech Greenhouse for Off-Season Production of High Value Crops in Bangladesh

Low˗tech greenhouses (low˗techs) have been used globally to cultivate horticultural crops since many years, but their utilization in Bangladesh is a recent phenomenon. Moreover, information on altered microclimate inside the low˗tech is hardly reported. An investigation has been conducted in the Crop Botany Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University (24o72´N, 90o43´E and 18 masl), Mymensingh during the late autumn to winter seasons from mid-October to mid-February of 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 years to find out the variation in microclimatic parameters between inside and outside of low˗techs and to evaluate the suitability of altered microclimate inside the low˗techs for off˗season production of high value crops in Bangladesh. Three low˗techs were erected in each year using bamboo frame covered with single inflated polyethylene film (thickness = 0.2 mm). Major microclimatic parameters inside and aside outside the low˗techs were measured with standard devices or techniques. Around 30 percent incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was cut˗off by low˗tech cover during solar noon when the sun’s zenith gets minimum value (around 0o). However, this cut˗off portion of PAR was gradually increased with the sunrise and sunset when zenith is around 90o. During the daytime, low˗tech retains higher air temperature than that found at outside and the differences in air temperature between inside and outside of low˗techs was gradually increased after sunrise with a peak difference of 7 to 9 oC following the solar noon (i.e., 13:00-14:00 hour). No distinct variation in relative humidity was recorded between inside and outside of the low˗tech. Low˗tech cover retains higher soil temperature than that was recorded in outside. The variation of both air and soil temperatures between inside and outside of low˗techs was higher during the daytime but lower at nighttime or even at daytime when the sky remained overcast. The variation in microclimatic parameters under low˗techs not only protect the growing crops from climate vagaries during autumn, winter and spring seasons but also provide suitable warmer environment for growing many high value crops during that seasons and thus crop production in off˗season and/or season extension benefits can easily be achieved by low˗techs.

Analisis Struktur Pasar Sayuran di Desa Kanreapia Kecamatan Tinggimoncong Kabupaten Gowa Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan

Potensi tanaman hortikultura khususnya sayuran yang ada di Kecamatan Tinggimoncong cukup besar bahkan beberapa jenis sayuran seperti kubis, petsai, wortel, bawang daun dan kentang, selain dipasarkan dalam wilayah kabupaten juga dipasarkan sampai ibukota propinsi bahkan di antar pulaukan ke Kalimantan namun demikian sistem pemasarannya masih bersifat tradisional yang berimplikasi pada pendapatan petani sebagai produsen tidak optimal. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji stuktur pasar, saluran distribusi dan margin pemasaran produk usahatani sayur-sayuran yang berada di Desa Karenapia, Kecamatan Tinggimoncong, Kabupaten Gowa, Sulawesi Selatan. Dilaksanakan pada bulan April hingga Juni 2019, dengan menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa Struktur pasar sayuran yang terbentuk di desa Kanreapia mengarah pada pasar oligopsoni. Struktur pasar di tingkat kabupaten/kota, lebih memgarah pada pasar persaingan sempurna dan diferensiasi. petani sebagai produsen tidak memiliki sarana dan perlakuan pascapanen (standarisasi melalui grading), lemahnya informasi tentang pasar sehingga peranan petani dalam memanfaatkan peluang pasar sangat kecil, skala usaha yang relatif kecil dan usaha tani yang tidak didasarkan atas permintaan pasar, menyebabkan posisi tawar petani sangat lemah, hal ini memungkinkan kehadiran pedagang perantara yang kemudian lebih dominan dalam penentuan harga jual di tingkat petani. Bagian yang diterima petani dari harga yang dibayarkan konsumen untuk beberapa jenis sayuran, rata-rata lebih kecil dibandingkan yang diterima oleh pedagang perantara sehingga sistem pemasaran yang terjadi dinilai kurang efisien bagi petani. The potential of horticultural crops, especially vegetables in the District of Tinggimoncong is quite considerable. Some types of vegetables such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, leeks and potatoes, besides being marketed in the Regency Area, are also marketed to the provincial capital even inter-island to Kalimantan. The marketing system, however, is still traditional, and that makes the income of the farmers as the producers is not optimal. This study aimed to examine the market structures, distribution channels and marketing margins of the vegetable farming products located in Kanreapia village Tinggimoncong District Gowa Regency South Sulawesi. Using a quantitative descriptive approach, it was carried out from April to June 2019. The results showed that the structure of the vegetable market formed in Kanreapia village led to an oligopsony market. The market structure at the Regency/Municipal level was more likely to lead to a perfect competition and differentiation market. Because the farmers as the producers did not have post-harvest treatment and facilities (standardization through grading), and were weak in terms of market information, the role of the farmers in taking the advantages of market opportunities was very small. The relatively small business scales and non-market-demand farming have caused the farmers’ bargaining position very weak, allowing the presence of intermediary traders who in turn are more dominant in determining the selling prices at the farmer level. For several types of vegetables, the share received by the farmers from the price paid by the consumers is, on average, smaller than that received by the intermediary traders. Hence, the marketing system that occurs is considered less efficient for farmers.