Critical stages for post-harvest losses and nutrition outcomes in the value chains of bush beans and nightshade in Uganda

The reduction of post-harvest losses (PHLs) has been identified as a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite policy prioritisation, knowledge about the severity of PHLs remains scant, especially when it comes to nutrient-dense crops such as African nightshade and bush beans. Therefore, this paper identifies loss hotspots, causes and effects throughout the value chains of nightshade and bush beans in eastern Uganda. Primary data collected following the Informal Food Loss Assessment Method, combined with small-scale load tracking and secondary data, allows for an analysis of physical, economic, quality, and nutritional losses throughout the value chains of both crops. Results show that in the bush bean value chain, severe physical and quality losses occur during post-harvest handling by farmers, leading to high economic losses at this stage of the chain. Nutritional losses are not expected to be significant in the bush bean value chain. By contrast, due to the shortness of the nightshade value chain, where produce is moved from harvest to consumption within one or two days, physical losses in most parts of the chain are relatively minor. Only at consumption stage, high physical losses occur. This is also the stage where economic losses and potential nutritional losses are most pronounced. The results of this study offer a deeper understanding of the value chain dynamics of bush beans and nightshade, including underlying gender relations, and identify concrete loss hotspots, upon which further research and practical interventions can build.

Pengaruh pupuk guano dan media tanam terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman buncis tegak

Penurunan kualitas tanah karena akumulasi penggunaan pupuk kimia berdampak pada penurunan hasil tanaman buncis tegak. Teknik budidaya organik dengan menggunakan media tanam campuran tanah, arang sekam, dan cocopeat serta penggunaan pupuk guano dilakukan sebagai upaya alternatif peningkatan produksi buncis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh dosis pupuk guano dan berbagai jenis media tanam terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman buncis tegak (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Penelitian dilaksanakan dari April hingga Mei 2020 di Desa Cileunyi Kulon, Kecamatan Cileunyi, Kabupaten Bandung. Rancangan percobaan berupa Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) faktorial dua faktor. Faktor pertama yaitu dosis pupuk guano terdiri atas 4 taraf: kontrol, 5 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1, dan 15 t ha-1. Faktor kedua yaitu media tanam dengan 5 taraf: tanah (kontrol), arang sekam padi, cocopeat, tanah + arang sekam padi, dan tanah + cocopeat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan interaksi antara dosis pupuk guano dengan media tanam pada tinggi tanaman 28 HST. Dosis pupuk guano berkorelasi positif dengan variabel pertumbuhan tanaman dengan dosis terbaik yaitu 15 t ha-1. Media tanam campuran tanah dan arang sekam menghasilkan tanaman dengan tinggi tanaman, bobot polong segar, dan bobot polong kering tertinggi di antara semua perlakuan. Pupuk guano dapat di aplikasikan pada berbagai media tanam untuk menghasilkan pertumbuhan tanaman buncis yang optimal.AbstractThe decline in soil quality cause by chemical fertilizer affected to the growth and yield of bush bean. Organic farming using guano fertilizer and combination of soil, husk charcoal, and cocopeat as the planting media can be used as an alternative technology to increase bush bean production. This study aimed to determine the effect of guano fertilizer dosage and various type of growing media on growth and yield of bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). This study was conducted from April to May 2020 at Cikandang village, Cileunyi Kulon, Cileunyi, Bandung. The experimental design used was factorial randomized block design with two factors. The first factor was dosage of guano fertilizer consisted of 4 levels i.e. control, 5 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1, and 15 t ha-1. The second factor was growing media with 5 levels i.e. soil (control), husk charcoal, cocopeat, soil + husk charcoal, and soil + cocopeat. The results showed the interaction between dosage of guano fertilizer and growing media on plant height in 28 days after planting. The dosage of guano fertilizer had a positive correlation with plant growth traits, and 15 t ha-1 as the best dosage for bush bean growth and yield. The media soil + husk charcoal produced plants with the highest plant height, fresh pod weight, and dry pod weight among all treatments. Guano fertilizer can be applied to various growing media to produce the optimal bush bean growth.

Soil Nutrient Supply in Cultivated Bush Bean–Potato Intercropping Grown in Subarctic Soil Managed with Agroforestry

To address food insecurity in northern Canada, some isolated communities started gardening initiatives to reduce dependencies on expensive foods flown in to communities. From 2012–2014, soils in northern Ontario James Bay lowlands were cultivated with bush beans and potatoes, grown in sole and intercropping configurations, in an open field and an agroforestry system enclosed by willow trees. The objective of this study was to compare the supply rates of 15 plant-available nutrients in these soils using in situ ion exchange membranes. After three years of cultivation, the agroforestry site had significantly greater supply of PO4, Ca, and Zn and these nutrients had positive correlations with yield. By contrast, the open site had significantly greater supply of Mg, SO4, and B; these nutrients, and Al, had negative correlations with yield. Whilst there were no differences between sole and intercropping configurations, significantly greater supply of NO3, Ca, Cu, Fe, and Zn occurred early in the growing season, compared to significantly greater supply of K, SO4, B, and Al later in the season. Significantly greater yields have been harvested in the agroforestry site and it is suspected that the presence of a willow shelterbelt improves the microclimate and plant-available PO4, Ca, and Zn.

Seasonal dynamics of bean aphids and its relationship with the abundance of Lady Bird Beetles

The seasonal dynamics of aphid Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on four bean species namely country bean Lablab purpureus, yard long bean Vigna sesquipedalis, hyacinth bean Dolichos lablab and bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris were studied from September to December 2017 in the experimental field of the Department of Entomology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The study also investigated the relationship between the abundance of aphid and its predatory insect lady bird beetle. Aphid abundance on the bean species showed increasing trend from the 4th week of September and reached to the peak during the 2nd week of November and then declined. Bush bean and yard long bean, respectively depicted the higher and lower abundances of aphid throughout the study. Relationship between the abundance of aphid and lady bird beetle on the bean species were positively correlated. Aphid showed negatively correlation with temperature and rainfall, and positive correlation with relative humidity, and the correlations were not significant. Multiple regression equation showed that temperature had the highest effect which contributed 16.1 - 19.2% role on the population of aphid. Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 357-363, 2020

A Multi-Objective Model Exploration of Banana-Canopy Management and Nutrient Input Scenarios for Optimal Banana-Legume Intercrop Performance

Bananas on smallholder farmers in the African Great Lakes region are often pruned to illuminate shorter understory intercrops, reducing overall farm profitability. The impact of this practice on environmental and nutritional indicators are not known. This study determined the effect of this practice on operating profit, protein yield, soil organic matter (SOM) balance, and nitrogen input; and the management options for optimal performance of the intercrops. Alternative scenarios for improving soil nutrient balances of the system were also explored. Data from an experiment intercropping bush beans with banana at three leaf pruning levels (i.e., retaining all, seven, and four leaves) was used as the input for the multi-objective optimization FarmDESIGN model. Retention of four functional leaves mimicked a worst-case scenario observed on farms. Banana and bush bean monocrops served as controls. The model maximized operating profit, protein yield, and SOM, and minimized nitrogen input. Nutrient input scenarios in which (i) farmyard manure was only applied at planting (business as usual (‘BaU’)); and ‘BaU’, was combined with (ii) hedges, (iii) inorganic fertilizers, (iv) hedges and goat manure, (v) hedges and inorganic fertilizers, (vi) inorganic fertilizers and goat manure, and (vii) hedges, inorganic fertilizers, and goat manure, were also explored. Severe banana leaf pruning reduced profitability, SOM, and protein yield, although it’s less nutrient demanding. In contrast, the “un-pruned banana-bush bean intercrop” and “sole banana crop” had a higher profitability, SOM balance, and protein yield, whereas they demand more soil nutrients. No profound improvements in operating profit, SOM balance, and protein yield occurred for ‘BaU’, while hedges resulted in mild improvements. Profound improvements in all objectives occurred with the addition of the inorganic fertilizers, while goat manure resulted in a high SOM balance and N input. For ‘BaU’ and hedges, “severely pruned banana-bush bean intercrop” dominated the optimal solution set for improving farm performance. In contrast, when the inorganic fertilizers and/or goat manure was introduced, “un-pruned banana-bush bean intercrop” and/or “sole un-pruned banana crop” were the optimal solutions. The study confirms severe leaf pruning to negatively impact profitability, while the more profitable un-pruned crop options are unsustainable without external input of nutrients. Thus, investments in external inputs are crucial for a sustainable banana-intercrop system. The FarmDESIGN model made the trade-offs and synergies in this complex intercrop system explicit, thus was also helpful for field-level decision making.

Effect of biostimulants on the yield of bush bean (Lablab purpureus var. typicus)

A field experiment was conducted assess the influences of biostimuants on the yield of bush bean cv. Co (Gb) 14 at Poothurai village, Tamil Nadu during kharif season of 2019 in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. Biostimulants adopted for the study were seaweed extract, panchagavya, chitosan and effective microorganism with two different concentrations applied as foliar spray on 30, 45 and 60 days after sowing.Results revealed that the maximum values of yield parameters viz., length of the raceme(51.2 cm), number of racemes plant-1(8.5), number of flowers raceme-1 (26.4), number of flowers (221.5), days to 50 % flowering (36.6 days), number of pods plant-1(41.6), pod length (10.6 cm), pod width (3.2 cm), single pod weight (4.6 g), number of seeds (5.2), total pod yield (12.6 t/ha), net income (Rs. 1,71,628 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.14)were recorded under the treatment of seaweed extract (5mL-1) + RDF. The RDF + 3% panchagavya proved next best treatment in respect of these parameters. Among all the biostimulants, seaweed proved superior to others in respect of flowering and yield attributes. The minimum values of all these characters were recorded under control