Analysis of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) Sustainability Status in Bantaeng District

Cocoa cultivation business that still has great potential in the future. The problem faced by farmers in cocoa cultivation is that farmers are still lacking in implementing post-harvest management that can provide added value and competitiveness of cocoa quality in the market. This study aimed to 1) analyze the status of cocoa sustainability in Gantarangkeke sub-regency, Bantaeng Regency; 2) analysing the sensitive leverage to the sustainability of cocoa in the Gantarangkeke sub-district. Based on the results of the analysis of the social and cultural dimension index value of 55.19 percent and infrastructure and technology of 51.66 with the category of quite sustainable. While the ecological dimension is 46.68 percent, economy 36.69 percent and legal and institutional 27.45 percent with the category of less sustainable. The results of the analysis of leverage factor, there are fourteen sensitive attributes that affect the sustainability of cocoa in Gantarangkeke sub-district, Bantaeng district. Improvement of attributes, especially sensitive attributes, can improve the cocoa sustainability index.

Analisis Pengembangan Usaha Tani Kakao Di Desa Taulo Kecamatan Alla Kabupaten Enrekang

Penelitian ini dilaksanakan Di Desa Taulo Kecamatan Alla Kabupaten Enrekang dari bulan November 2020 sampai dengan bulan Januari 2021. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui pendapatan yang diperoleh dalam usaha tani kakao, kelayakan usaha tani kakao dan strategi pengembangannya dengan menggunakan metode analisis kelayakan dan analisis Interpretativ Stuktural Modelling ISM dengan pengambilan data melalui wawancara dengan pengisian kuisioner untuk analisis pendapatan dan kelayakan sebanyak 32 orang responden dan 16 responden untuk analisis ISM. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa tingkat kelayakan 2,25 dan Hasil analisis ISM diperoleh program strategi yang strategis adalah : (2) Pembinaan kelompok tani/gapoktan, (1) Rehabilitas tanaman kakoa, (6) Peningkatan kualitas produk/mutu biji kakao, (4) Peningkatan peran penyuluhan, (3) Pengelolaan pasca panen, (5) Pengembangan produktivitas lahan, (8) Pengembangan pemasaran produksi, (12) pemberantasan hama dan penyakit, (11) Peningkatan sarana produksi, (10) Peningkatan agroimput, (7) Pengstabilan harga. ABSTRACT This research was conducted in Taulo Village, Alla District, Enrekang Regency from November 2020 to January 2021. The study aims to find out how the income earned in cocoa farming is, how is the feasibility of cocoa farming and how is the development strategy using feasibility analysis methods and Interpretative analysis. ISM Structural Modeling with data collection through interviews by filling out questionnaires for income and feasibility analysis as many as 32 respondents and 16 respondents for ISM analysis. The results of this study indicate that the feasibility level is 2.25 and the results of the ISM analysis obtained that strategic strategic programs are: (2) Fostering farmer groups/gapoktan, (1) Rehabilitation of cocoa plants, (6) Improving product quality/quality of cocoa beans, (4 ) Increasing the role of extension, (3) Post-harvest management, (5) Development of land productivity, (8) Development of production marketing, (12) eradicating pests and diseases, (11) Increasing production facilities, (10) Increasing agro-imput, (7) Price stabilization

On-Farm Diversity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Farmers’ Varieties in Eastern Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is considered as the secondary centre of faba bean diversity. However, the extent of its diversity at present time is not well known in the eastern Hararghe Zone. Therefore, survey study was conducted from December 2018 to March 2019 to identify patterns of on-farm diversity of faba bean farmers’ varieties and their use; and to assess production attributes, constraints, and role of gender in the production and management of faba bean farmers’ varieties in eastern Hararghe Zone. Two stratified agro-ecological zones (Tepid moist mid-highland, M3 and Tepid sub-humid mid-highland, SH3) were selected from the zone. Three Kebeles from each agroecologies were randomly selected. From each Kebele, 12 general informants and two key informants based on their gender and wealth status were selected, making a total of 72 general and 12 key informants, a total of 84 informants. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used for the general and key informants, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using R (version 3.5.2) software. Eight farmers’ varieties of faba bean were identified. Highest varietal diversity (Hꞌ = 1.35) was recorded at Gara Abdula kebele of M3 while the lowest diversity value (Hꞌ = 0.81) was at Obi Kutir 1 kebele of SH3. Variety Safisa was reported for its highest market price (32.8 ETB kg−1) and variety Dabale was the highest yielder (1900 kg ha−1). Most farmers (94%) use traditional seeds and 72% of farmers grow faba bean on < 0.125 ha land area. Baqela Faranji was the widely (33%) cultivated variety. Diseases (100%), weeds (89%) and land shortage (85%) were the main faba bean production constraints. Roles of male adult and female adult family members take the upper hand in all faba bean production and post-harvest management activities. In conclusion, expansion of chat crop and shortage of land are the major reasons for low faba bean diversity.

Early Optimization Stages of Agave lechuguilla Bagasse Processing toward Biorefinement: Drying Procedure and Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Flavonoid Extraction

Agave lechuguilla agro-waste is a promising renewable material for biorefining purposes. The procurement of added-value co-products, such as bioactive phytochemicals, is required to improve bioprocesses and promote the bio-based economy of the productive areas of Mexico. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of post-harvest management and enzymatic pretreatment as the first stages of the A. lechuguilla valorization process. Four drying methods were compared, and enzymatic hydrolysis was optimized to obtain a flavonoid-enriched extract applying ultrasound-assisted extraction. In both experiments, the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, HPLC-UV flavonoid profiles, and radical scavenging capacity (DPPH) were considered as response variables. The results demonstrated that light exposure during the drying process particularly affected the flavonoid content, whereas oven-dehydration at 40 °C in the dark preserved the flavonoid diversity and antioxidant functionality of the extracts. Flavonoid glycoside recovery, particularly anthocyanidins, was 1.5–1.4-fold enhanced by enzymatic hydrolysis using the commercial mix Ultraflo© under optimized conditions (pH 4, 40 °C, 180 rpm, and 2.5 h) compared to the unpretreated biomass. The extraction of flavonoids from A. lechuguilla bagasse can be carried out using a scalable drying method and enzymatic pretreatment. This study confirmed the potential of this agro-waste as a source of marketable natural products.

Effect of Agricultural Extension Services in Minimizing Post-Harvest Losses of Yam Produce in Benue State, Nigeria

The study assessed the effect of agricultural extension services in minimizing post-harvest losses of yam in Benue State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 240 yam producers. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean and standard deviation, post-harvest management coefficient (PMC) and binary logistic regression (BLR) were used to analyse the data. Results on producers’ capabilities to manage PHLs revealed that 58.5% of the total yam produce (PMC = 0.585) was preserved while a sizeable proportion (41.5%) of losses were incurred after harvest. The availability of agricultural extension services showed that, the provision of agricultural information ( ̅ = 1.54), access to agricultural markets ( ̅ = 1.50) and facilitation of the formation of producers’ self-help groups ( ̅ = 1.50) were the prime extension services rendered in the study area. Empirical result on the effect of agricultural extension services on PHLs management revealed that the number of agricultural extension services (P ≤ 0.01) and access to agricultural credit (P ≤ 0.01) exerted positive and significant influence on PHLs management. Also, the level of producers’ education (P ≤ 0.1) enhanced significantly and consistently, their capabilities to minimize PHLs. Conversely, the number of agricultural information sources (P ≤ 0.1) exerted negative and significant influence on yam producers’ capabilities to manage post-harvest losses. The study concludes that agricultural extension services are potent in the management of post-harvest losses. The study thus recommends the provision of agricultural extension service by service agencies, given that the capacities of yam producers’ in minimizing post-harvest losses could be enhanced significantly and consistently with increase in the numbers of agricultural extension services at their disposal, and the enhancement of access to agricultural extension services by yam producers, individually and cooperatively, to curtail the incidences incidence of post-harvest losses on yam.

Physical-chemical characterization and sensory evaluation of coffees submitted to different post-harvest processing

Coffee is one of the agricultural products whose processing requires special attention, in order to maintain its qualities preserved, in the post-harvest, different grain patterns can be obtained due to the adoption of techniques and the use of equipment that enable the separation of fruits by maturation stage, thus enabling the formation of more homogeneous coffee batches when compared to the coffee batch without this separation (fruit mixture). The chemical composition of the coffee bean depends on genetic and environmental factors and pre and post-harvest management conditions. The presentwork aimed to characterize the physical-chemical attributes of the different coffee patterns obtained during the post-harvest of the fruits. Thirteen patterns were obtained, being: mix of dried fruits in high wind, mix of dried fruits in low wind, more mature green, natural float, natural raisin, float, natural cane green, natural ripe, natural ripe fermenting in water, natural ripe dried fermented, peeled, ripe peeled and pulped, in three random repetitions. The evaluated attributes were: Brix, total titratable acidity, pH, and ash content. The Natural Mature (MN) treatment was the best processing evaluated, as it provided the highest Brix value and the lowest titratable acidity value. The mature peeled, pulped mature, and natural mature treatments showed better sensory values, so they are recommended for post-harvest management to obtain a good drink quality.

Harvest Management Problem with a Fractional Logistic Equation

In this article, we study a fractional control problem that models the maximization of the profit obtained by exploiting a certain resource whose dynamics are governed by the fractional logistic equation. Due to the singularity of this problem, we develop different resolution techniques, both for the classical case and for the fractional case. We perform several numerical simulations to make a comparison between both cases.

Lemon maturation causes anatomical and biochemical changes at the flavedo tissue level

Plants mobilize the photosynthates by three transport pathways: apoplastic, symplastic through plasmodesmata (PD), and transcellular. In flavedo of postharvest mature lemons, a high activity of cell wall-bound invertase (WI), an enzyme associated with transcellular transport of monosaccharides, has been detected. In order to elucidate whether this high enzymatic activity is related to restricted transport in the symplastic pathway with fruit maturation, the aim of the present work was to compare anatomical and biochemical parameters in peel tissues of immature and mature lemons. Anatomical structure focusing on cell walls, callose deposition, WI activity, and sucrose content were analyzed in peel tissues of immature and mature lemons. The parenchyma of flavedo tissue of immature lemons presented an elevated number of primary pit fields (PPF). These PPF, associated to PD or cell wall interruptions, had the appearance of a string of beads. However, in mature lemons, the number of PPF was scarce due to callose deposition. WI activity and apoplastic sucrose content increased significantly in flavedo of mature lemons in comparison to immature lemons. Present findings lay structural and functional bases relevant to understand differences between immature and mature lemons, which would help to design agricultural practices in pre- and post-harvest management.

Haskap Preharvest Fruit Drop and Stop-drop Treatment Testing

Haskap (Lonicera caerulea), also known as honeyberry, is a relatively new fruit crop in North America. To date, most academic activity and research in North America involving haskap has focused on cultivar development and health benefits, with relatively few field experiments providing information to guide field planning and harvest management for the recently released cultivars. In 2020, we documented preharvest fruit drop (PHFD) rates for 15 haskap cultivars planted in a randomized block design at our research center in western Montana with the aim of preliminarily determining whether certain cultivars may be prone to this phenomenon. Additionally, we evaluated two plant growth regulators (PGRs) to reduce PHFD in two cultivars previously observed to have high rates of PHFD. Results suggest cultivar-specific variations in PHFD near berry maturation. Because haskap harvest indices are not well-defined and may be cultivar-specific, we share our 1-year study results as preliminary information and as a call for further research. Cultivars Aurora, Boreal Blizzard, Borealis, Indigo Gem, Kapu, and Tana all had PHFD rates less than 12% of yield, where yield is the weight of berries lost to PHFD plus marketable yield and marketable yield is fruit remaining on the shrub at harvest. Cultivars Chito, Kawai, and Taka had the highest rates of PHFD, although marketable yields were still relatively high, especially for Kawai. We note that ease of fruit detachment is an important consideration in mechanical harvest, and this characteristic could be advantageous if managed appropriately. The PGRs evaluated (1-napthaleneacetic acid and aminoethoxyvinylglycine) did not influence PHFD rates; however, our study was limited by the sample size and by the lack of information regarding haskap abscission physiology. In summary, the haskap cultivars evaluated exhibited variable PHFD rates in the year of the study, and further research is needed to understand haskap fruit maturation, harvest indices, and abscission.