Selection and Characterization of Burkholderia spp. for Their Plant-Growth Promoting Effects and Influence on Maize Seed Germination

Burkholderia sp. is a bacterial genus extremely versatile in the environment and has been reported for a great potential to promote plant growth via different mechanisms. Here we evaluate the plant growth-promoting mechanisms in twenty-six Burkholderia strains. Strains were evaluated for their ability to promote plant growth by means of: indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production under different conditions of pH, salt stress and the presence or absence of L-tryptophan; exopolysaccharides (EPS) production and quorum sensing (ALH). The strains were also characterized in terms of their genetic variability and species identification through Sanger sequencing. Then, the bacteria most responsive in the greatest number of plant-growth promotion mechanisms were selected for a corn seed germination test. All bacteria synthesized IAA in medium with 0.0 or 5.0 mM of L-tryptophan in combination with either 1 or 5% of NaCl, and pH values of either 4.5 or 7.2. The EPS production was confirmed for 61.54% of the bacterial strains. Quorum sensing also occurred in 92.3% of the selected bacteria. The Jaccard similarity coefficient revealed 16 clusters with high genetic variability between bacterial strains. Bacterial strains were assigned to seven species: B. anthina, B. cepacia, B. gladioli, B. ambifaria, B. graminis, B. heleia, and Burkholderia spp. The corn seed bacterization did not affect the germination velocity index (GSI), as well as the first count of germinated seeds (FC). However, inoculations formulated with B. heleia strain G28, B. gladioli strain UAGC723, and B. graminis strain UAGC348 promoted significant increases in root length, seedling height and fresh and dry seedling phytomass, respectively. These results indicate the high biotechnological potential of several strains in the genus Burkholderia sp. as seed inoculants, favoring germination and seedling initial development.

Identification of internal cracks in corn seed using convolutional neural networks

The identification of seed quality is very important for which the quality of seed is crucial to the yield and quality of crops. There are two main problems with the acquisition and identification of cracks inside corn seed. One is that most of the methods of near-infrared spectroscopy or X-ray are used to obtain images of cracks inside the seed, the acquisition equipment is expensive and the operation is complicated. The other is the identification of crack images, and the traditional image processing method is usually used which requires professionals to design different model parameters each time, resulting in poor model robustness and low model accuracy. In this study, we originally proposed a simple but effective method to obtain the picture of corn seed internal cracks, which is combined with visible light transmission and ordinary camera acquisition method. We also proposed using the transfer learning methods not only solving the problem of the small scale of our corn seed internal cracks dataset but also avoiding extracting features manually. Our proposed method achieved a promising result, which is able to correctly identify the cracked and intact corn seed 100% in our training stage and testing stage.

Automated Corn Seed Fusarium Disease Classification System Using Hybrid Feature Space and Conventional Machine Learning Techniques

The purpose of this learning is to detect the Corn Seed Fusarium Disease using Hybrid Feature Space and Conventional machine learning (ML) approaches. A novel machine learning approach is employed for the classification of a total of six types of corn seed are collected which contain Infected Fusarium (moniliforme, graminearum, gibberella, verticillioides, kernel) as well as healthy corn seed, based on a multi-feature dataset, which is the grouping of geometric, texture and histogram features extracted from digital images. For each corn seed image, a total of twenty-five multi-features have been developed on every area of interest (AOI), sizes (50 × 50), (100 × 100), (150 × 150), and (200 × 200). A total of seven optimized features were selected by using a machine learning-based algorithm named “Correlation-based Feature Selection”. For experimentation, “Random forest”, “BayesNet” and “LogitBoost” have been employed using an optimized multi-feature user-supplied dataset divided with 70% training and 30 % testing. A comparative analysis of three ML classifiers RF, BN, and LB have been used and a considerably very high classification ratio of 96.67 %, 97.22 %, and 97.78 % have been achieved respectively when the AOI size (200×200) have been deployed to the classifiers.

PENERAPAN TEKNOLOGI ALAT PENANAM BENIH JAGUNG TIPE ROW SEEDER DI KELOMPOK TANI SUKA MAJU UNTUK MENDUKUNG KETAHANAN PANGAN WILAYAH PERBATASAN KALIMANTAN UTARA

ABSTRAKPermasalahan yang dihadapi oleh Kelompok tani Suka Maju hingga saat ini yaitu masih menggunakan metode manual dalam proses penanaman benih jagung, hal ini membuat waktu pengerjaan lebih lama dan posisi lubang tidak sejajar dan presisi. Dampak dari dua hal tersebut yaitu akan menambah biaya tenaga kerja dan posisi jagung yang tidak sejajar ataupun berhimpitan akan membuat petumbuhan tanaman jagung tidak optimal. Pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk menerapkan teknologi alat penanam benih tipe row seeder untuk mengurangi jerih kerja petani pada saat proses penanaman benih khususnya tanaman jagung. Kegiatan PKM ini dilakukan di lahan Kelompok tani Suka Maju Kelurahan Juata Laut Kecamatan Tarakan Utara, Kota Tarakan. Kegiatan ini dibagi dalam beberapa tahapan yaitu survey, sosialisasi, pembuatan alat, bimbingan teknis serta evaluasi pelaksanaan dan keberlanjutan program oleh Kelompok Tani. Kegiatan PKM penerapan teknologi alat penanam tipe row seeder di kelompok tani Suka Maju berjalan dengan baik serta para petani bersemangat untuk mengaplikasikan alat penanam di setiap lahan mereka. Selain itu terjadi peningkatan efisiensi dalam proses budidaya tanaman jagung dikelompok tani suka maju yaitu proses penananam jagung bisa lebih cepat 45% dibandingkan pada saat penanaman benih jagung secara manual Kata kunci: penerapan; alat penanam benih jagung; tipe row seeder. ABSTRACTThe problem faced by the Suka Maju farmer group until now is that they still use manual methods in the process of planting corn seeds, this makes the processing time longer and the position of the planting holes is not parallel and precise. The impact of these two things is that it will increase labor costs and the position of corn that is not parallel or coincides will make corn plant growth not optimal. This service aims to apply row seeder type seed planter technology to reduce the labor of farmers during the seed planting process, especially for corn plants. This PKM activity was carried out on agricultural land belonging to the Suka Maju farmer group, Juata Laut Village, North Tarakan District, Tarakan City. This activity is divided into several stages, namely survey, socialization, tool making, technical guidance and evaluation of the implementation and sustainability of the program by the Farmer Group. The PKM activity for the application of row seeder type planter technology in the Suka Maju farmer group is going well and the farmers are excited to apply the planter in each of their lands. In addition, there is an increase in efficiency in the corn cultivation process in the advanced farmer group, namely the corn planting process can be 45% faster than when planting corn seeds manually. Keywords: application; corn seed planter; row seeder type.

Kemitraan Produksi Benih Jagung Hibrida Antara PT. Agri Makmur Pertiwi, Agen (Grower) dan Kelompok Tani Sidodadi di Kecamatan Prambanan Kabupaten Sleman

This research was conducted in Sumberharjo village, Prambanan district, Sleman regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. It aims to study (1) the partnership process, (2) the determination of the partnership pattern, (3) the application of the partnership’s principles, and (4) the independence of Sidodadi Farmers with the existence of the production partnership of hybrid corn seed operated among Agri Makmur Pertiwi Inc., Agent (grower), and Sidodadi Farmers in Prambanan district, Sleman regency. This study utilized qualitative approach and the case study in Sumberharjo village. The data retrieval technique key informant was carried out purposively, namely Field Assistant and Quality Control of Agri Makmur Pertiwi Inc. in Central Java and Yogyakarta, Field Assistant of the Agent, the head as well as members of the Sidodadi farmers. Meanwhile, the data collection was done by observation, interview, and documentation, whereas the qualitative data analysis technique was obtained interactively and went on continuously until the data were saturated, and the validity of the data collected will be tested by the triangulation of the data collection method. The result of the study revealed that (1) the partnership process was gained from the stage of socialization, cooperation agreement, cultivation process, up to the crops deposition to the company, (2) the partnership pattern formed was Sub-contract and Agribusiness Operational Cooperation, (3) the partnership principles fulfilled were equality, transparency, result-oriented, responsibility, and complementarity, and (4) the independence of Sidodadi farmers had only reached the stage of independent fertilizer procurement and collective farmers’ cards management.

Factors underlying the prevalence of Pythium infection of corn seeds following seed treatment application of tebuconazole

Microbial communities are essential for soil health, but fungicide application may have significant effects on their structure. It is difficult to predict whether non-target pathogens of applied fungicides in the soil will cause crop damage. Tebuconazole is a triazole fungicide that can be used as a seed treatment and thereby introduced to the soil. However, seed-applied tebuconazole has a potential risk of causing poor emergence of corn (Zea mays) seedlings. Using soil with a history of poor corn seedling emergence, we demonstrate through TA-cloning and isolation that the poor emergence of corn seedlings from tebuconazole-coated corn seeds was primarily due to infection by surviving soil pathogens, specifically Pythium species that are not targeted by tebuconazole, rather than the phytotoxic effects of tebuconazole. Bioassay tests on tebuconazole amended media showed that tebuconazole can suppress soil fungi while allowing Pythium to grow. Pythium species primarily contributing to the corn seed rot were more pathogenic at cooler temperatures. Furthermore, the non-target biocontrol agent of Trichoderma spp. was strongly inhibited by tebuconazole. Taken together, the non-target effects of tebuconazole are likely not significant under favorable plant growing conditions, but are considerable due to low-temperature stress.

The role of institutions in enhancing farmer motivation to carryout corn seed production under corporation system

A farmercorporation-based seed production system is needed to bring seeds closer to farmers. Its developmen requires support from several institutions related to the policy of providing seeds for farmers. This study aims to determine the role of the institution in the farmer-based hybrid maize production system. Five institutions evaluated for their role, namely Indonesian Cereals Research Institute (ICERI) as a source of seeds and technology, Assessment for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) as aassistence for application technology in the field, Agricultural Service Office as a policymaker in available seed for farmer, Seed Certification and Inspection Center (SSO) as the supervisor of seed quality, and the grower local as an absorber of the results by farmer groups. The role of the institution is observed through: socialization activity, field observations, and discussions. The results showed that all institutions have gave various supports. ICERI has provided seeds in a timelymanner, the right quality and the right quantity, and also conducts regular training and monitoring to provide instructions for implementing good technology application to farmers and by farmers it is considered very good. AIAT provides field assistance for the application of production technology, but the activities are considered by farmers to be inadequate, the staff of Agriculture Service continue to motivate farmers and farmers are deemed adequate. SCIC as a seed supervisor continues to assist farmers in the field, in addition to monitoring irregularities, it also continues to provide guidance to farmers in accordance withthe standar operational procedure of hybrid maize seeds and is considered very good by farmers. Then the seed producers who absorb the results of the farmers have carried out excellent guidance such as placing quality control personnel in the field to control implementation, absorbing farmers’ products at an agreed price, building a processing unit in the site area, and by the farmers it is considered very good. With adequate support from related institutions, farmers continue to be motivated to produce hybrid maize seeds, which were originally only 100 ha in Minahasa district, then expanded to surrounding districts, sothat the area production increase from 253,4 ha in 2019 to 480 ha in 2020.