Rural population health risks caused by nitrate contamination of locally grown vegetables

Objectives to assess the levels of health risks in the rural population associated with the consumption of local vegetables contaminated with nitrates. Material and methods. We established the concentration of nitrates in local vegetables, grown on farms and private subsidiary plots of agricultural areas of the region using a retrospective analysis of the statistics from the Office of Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) in the Saratov region and our own research results. The health risks in the rural population from exposure to nitrates in local vegetables were assessed according to the Risk Assessment Guidelines (R 2.1.10. 1920-04). Results. It was revealed that local vegetable products are widely used in the diet of the rural population of the agricultural areas of the Saratov region, amounting to 203.422.5 kg/year per adult resident. Significant differences were revealed in the nitrate contamination of vegetables grown by farmers and on private subsidiary plots of agricultural areas of the Saratov region. Discussion. The high nitrate load detected in vegetable products of farms was determined by a significant amount of fertilizers applied to the soil in the form of ammonium nitrate. On the contrary, the use of special biomass from plants of the legume family by workers of personal subsidiary farms for feeding the growing vegetables, made it possible to obtain vegetable products with a significantly lower quantitative content of nitrates. Conclusion. The assessment of the hazard coefficients of nitrates in vegetable products of the studied areas testified to the possible effect of the nitrate component on the health of the local population. The individual carcinogenic risk caused by nitrate contamination of local vegetables was assessed as low; the population carcinogenic risk value associated with the presence of nitrates in vegetables had the possibility to contribute from 0.01 to 1.3 additional cases of malignant neoplasms to the general level of oncological morbidity in the population of the surveyed territories.

Consumer demand for novel fruit and vegetable products with extended shelf-lives in East Africa – a multinational multi-product analysis

Objective: To evaluate the potential of products made out of underutilized fruits and vegetables for closing seasonal nutritional gaps among rural and urban consumers in East Africa. Design: The multinational analysis combines sensory testing and experimental auctions to assess consumers’ perceptions and willingness to pay for six different fruit and vegetable products. Setting: Open markets in rural and urban areas in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Participants: There were 939 male and female adults who were at least 18 years old. Results: Tobit models for each product show that besides sensory perception, similar sociodemographic characteristics influence consumers’ willingness to pay for these products in all three countries. The products are especially liked among younger, male, and urban consumers. Conclusion: We conclude that there is demand and a market for processed fruit and vegetable products based on indigenous raw material in East Africa. The products, thus, have promising potential to improve nutrition, especially during off-season conditions when access to fresh produce is limited.

Evaluating technological feasibility of fruit and vegetable transportation by sea between ports of Caspian Sea

The modern process of fruit and vegetable transportation between countries depends not only on geographical, but also on political and economic factors, which makes for searching more efficient and shorter routes. The availability of such a transport opportunity as sea transportation between the ports of the Caspian Sea makes it possible to analyze new routes for the product transportation from Iran, Azerbaijan and other countries to Russia using dry cargo vessels that are currently used as the general cargo vessels. There have been analyzed the new routes for transportation of perishable products in refrigerated containers and assessed the possibility of their transportation on the “Volga” type bulk carriers. The routes “Astara (Azerbaijan) - Moscow”, “Astara - port Alat - port Kuryk - Moscow” have been illustrated. A general arrangement drawing of a “Volga” type dry cargo vessel (project 19610) is presented, the photographs of transporting timber and containers on the decks of dry cargo vessels are given. Calculating the load of the dry cargo ship’s power plant has shown a technical possibility of transporting 16 refrigerated containers on deck of the “Volga” type vessel without changes in the design of the ship’s power plant. Conclusions are made about the need to develop effective cargo transportation by waterways in modern conditions of the loss of traditional Russian suppliers of fruit and vegetable products, about the possibility of additional use of dry cargo ships, as well as the feasibility of developing a backup diesel generator for emergency power supply of deck refrigerated containers in connection with a possible increase in the capacity of the ship power plant.

Accumulation of heavy metals in the soil – plant system in areas with the developed mining industry

Introduction. The proximity of mining enterprises to settlements contributes to the pollution of the soil cover with heavy metals. Crops grown in garden plots accumulate chemical elements and are an intermediate link in the “soil - plant - human” chain. Purpose of the work. Assessment of the level of anthropogenic load on the territory adjacent to the mining enterprise, based on the study of the translocation of metals in the soil - plant system. Materials and methods. For the purpose of hygienic assessment of the chemical composition of the soil and vegetable products grown on it, the content of 7 microelements was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. With the help of the coefficient of concentration of a chemical substance (Kc) and the total indicator of pollution (Zc), the level of chemical contamination of soils was determined. Using the total coefficient of anthropogenic load (Ka.n. = ∑Ci/PDUi), the territory was ranked according to the contamination of vegetables with toxic elements. The rate of accumulation of metals by vegetable crops was assessed by the coefficient of biological absorption (Ax) and the index of biochemical activity of the species (BAS). Results. The soil cover in the district is contaminated with a complex of metals, the content of gross forms of which exceeds the MPC by up to 1.9 times, mobile - up to 4.6 times. At a distance of up to 5 km around the mining enterprise, the maximum indicators of the total soil pollution (Zc = 44-65) have been established. Lead and zinc are elements of “biological accumulation” for all types of studied vegetable products grown in the zone of influence of the mining enterprise; cadmium is additionally concentrated in beets and carrots, and nickel in carrots. In vegetable samples, exceeding the permissible levels of cadmium and lead was noted. The most significant accumulation of heavy metals was found in the southern, southeastern, northern and northwestern directions from emissions. Conclusion. To eliminate the toxic effects of heavy metals in vegetables produced in the zone of influence of mining enterprises, it is recommended to include additional monitoring of nickel and zinc content in the social and hygienic monitoring system.

Use of Natural Products on the Control of Aspergillus flavus and Production of Aflatoxins In Vitro and on Tomato Fruit

Aspergillus flavus affects fresh and dry fruit and vegetable products, and its toxic metabolites, namely aflatoxins, cause serious damage in humans. The objective of this research study was to evaluate the effect of commercial natural products as well as edible and nanostructured chitosan coatings on the development of A. flavus and on the production of aflatoxins in vitro and in tomato. Treatments were as follows: chitosan 1%, chitosan coating, chitosan nanostructured coating, Citrocover 1% (citrus seed extract), Resinadher 0.5% (pine resin extract), mancozeb 2%, and water. The variables were as follows: halo inhibition, spore production, and aflatoxins content. In fruit, the following were evaluated: disease incidence, mycelial growth, and aflatoxin production. An ANOVA (Tukey: p < 0.05) was used. In vitro results showed that Citrocover and Resinadher reduced sporulation (0.2 and 0.9 × 105 spores mL−1, respectively), while chitosan inhibited the production of aflatoxins. With Resinadher and Citrocover, tomato fruit had the lowest incidence, mycelial growth, and aflatoxin production with corresponding values of 0%, 0.0 cm2, and 0.95 ppb, respectively, and 7%, 0.2 cm2, and 1.77 ppb, respectively. The use of Citrocover and Resinadher could be a viable alternative to decrease the development of A. flavus in tomato fruit.

Increasing the production of environmentally friendly high-quality vegetable products

For the first time in the zone of chestnut soils, complex scientific studies of resource-saving methods for increasing the productivity of vegetable crops in an acutely arid climate by regulating physiological and biological processes during drip irrigation were conducted and a system for applying these methods was developed. Research in the experiment was carried out according to generally accepted methods. As research has shown, irrigation and the use of mineral fertilizers and a growth regulator to a certain extent affected the content of dry matter, vitamin C and raw fiber in the fruits of sweet pepper and other indicators. The maximum amount of dry matter was observed on the variant N300P180K165 + Rastvorin + Energy-M on the Pompeo F1 hybrid – 7.98 and 8.06%, respectively, according to irrigation modes. Indicators such as vitamin C, fiber and sugar content in fruits increased with the improvement of the nutritional and water regimes of sweet pepper growth. As the result of the variety study of vegetable crops of domestic and foreign selection, the best was the Pompeo F1 sweet pepper hybrid, which surpasses the standard variety of the Podarok of Moldova by 30.10 t/ha, on average for irrigation modes.

Resource efficiency in ecological technologies of tomato production in the conditions of hydrothermal climate tension

The complex conditions of the modern period of agricultural production development determine the need to develop new elements of technologies adapted to modern conditions of land use. The article presents the results of studies of the growth regulator effect on obtaining high-quality tomato products. It is proved that the organosilicon preparation Energy-M stimulated the growth and development of plants, increased the productivity of tomatoes in the acutely arid conditions of the Lower Volga region. The object of the study was the tomato variety Hercules. The highest yield of tomatoes with the formation of a large number of large fruits with good taste indicators was obtained on the variety Hercules on the variant with pre-sowing seed treatment, as well as non-root treatment of plants in the initial growth period and in the budding-flowering phase. The use of the Energy-M growth regulator on tomato culture is an effective measure. It is recommended that producers of high-quality vegetable products widely use this drug against the background of sufficient mineral nutrition by soaking the seeds before sowing and processing the plant throughout the growing season.

Consumer learning behavior in adoption Tani Hub e-commerce

As e-commerce develops in Indonesia, sales of fresh fruit and vegetable products move from physical stores to virtual markets through technological innovation. The adoption of e-commerce is marked by changes in purchasing behavior of fresh fruits and vegetables that originally relied on the senses, now mediated by a screen measuring at least 7 inches. Interaction between seller and buyer, or buyer with buyer also mediated. This condition does not require consumers to be able to see, hold and smell the product they want directly. When compared with conventional methods, the purchase of fresh vegetables and fruit through e-commerce has risks, namely uncertainty such as the physical quality of the product, taste or freshness. Consumers need knowledge and experience to reduce this uncertainty, where this knowledge and experience is obtained through a consumer learning process. This study describes the forms of consumer learning behavior starting from the beginning to get acquainted with adopting e-commerce. The research method used is qualitative with descriptive research type, and the method of data collection in the form of in-depth interviews with informants who are adopters of the Surabaya branch of the E-Commerce Tani Hub. This informant consists of a group of friends who have the same values, namely implementing a lifestyle and eating healthy food. The results of this study are in the form of learning behaviors shown by Tani Hub consumers through the process of information exchange with information sources that they consider credible, namely friendship circles and also primary information from the Tani Hub’ company itself.

Recommended cucumber hybrids for growing in greenhouses under conditions artificial lighting

For plants, light is a determining factor in growth and development. The use of artificial lighting in greenhouses has a huge impact on the yield, cost and timing of the receipt of vegetable products. The development of light culture in the country allows greenhouse complexes to use their greenhouses year-round, significantly increase plant productivity, receive most of the harvest in the winter months of the year and sell it at a higher price. The use of artificial light made it possible to increase the yield of the cucumber crop to 200 kg from 1 m2 or more. From the economic point of view, the cucumber culture is most effective in greenhouses. Russia is a cucumber country, more than half of the protected ground area is occupied by this crop. And photoculture in greenhouses began with the cultivation of a cucumber crop. Today we say with confidence that artificial lighting in greenhouses is more efficient than natural lighting. So to get one kilogram of vegetables using artificial lighting, it is necessary to spend 4.5-5.0 thousand J/cm2, and in the case of using natural light – 5.0-6.5 thousand J/cm2. This can be explained by the fact that in the conditions of using artificial lighting in cultivation facilities, we strive to create the most comfortable growing conditions for plants. An increase in the yield of cucumber crops under artificial lighting occurs mainly due to an increase in the lighting power per unit area of greenhouses to 220 W/m2and more. However, this is not the only way to increase yields. One of the most important criteria for increasing yields and improving the quality of fruits is the choice of the grown hybrid. Cucumber hybrids for cultivation under light culture conditions will be discussed in this work.The methods used in agronomic science were used. The information base of the research was made up of reference materials from specialized publications on the subject under study (catalogs of breeding companies); materials received from participants in the greenhouse vegetable market (breeding companies, greenhouse plants); own research, articles and reviews in specialized journals.Correctly selected cucumber hybrids provide a significant increase in yields in greenhouses, an improvement in fruit quality and a balanced cultivation technology in specific conditions. An assortment of recommended cucumber hybrids for cultivation under photoculture conditions is presented, an analysis of their advantages and disadvantages is made, and the main requirements for hybrids for these conditions are formulated.

Pemasaran Produk Sayur Kelompok Wanita Tani Kecamatan Tanah Sareal, Kota Bogor di Era Pandemi Covid-19

AbstrakKesadaran masyarakat terkait kesehatan khususnya di perkotaan semakin meningkat. Hal tersebut mendorong masyarakat atau konsumen untuk mengkonsumsi sayuran sebagai bagian dari hidup sehat. Kondisi ini tentu menjadi peluang pasar hortikultura, sehingga mendorong para Kelompok Wanita Tani (KWT) perkotaan di Kecamatan Tanah Sareal melakukan pemasaran khususnya produk sayuran. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, peneliti tertarik mendeskripsikan secara kualitatif kegiatan pemasaran produk sayuran KWT di Kecamatan Tanah Sareal. Peneliti melakukan pengamatan, survei, wawancara, maupun studi pustaka. Metode pendekatan analisis data yang dipakai adalah pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif. Hasilnya, terdapat empat KWT di Kecamatan Tanah Sareal yang melakukan kegiatan pemasaran komoditas hortikultura. Keempat KWT tersebut adalah KWT Puspasari, KWT Srikandi, KWT Kentagor Mandiri, dan KWT Griya Amanah. Kegiatan pemasaran yang dilakukan oleh keempat KWT yaitu; pertama, mengidentifikasi dan mengevaluasi kesempatan pasar. Kedua, menganalisis segmen pasar hortikultura dan memilih target pasar. Ketiga, sudah merencanakan dan menerapkan bauran pemasaran yang memberikan nilai bagi pelanggan dan sesuai dengan tujuan dari organisasi. Keempat, KWT sudah menganalisis kinerja kelompok wanita tani. Upaya mengembangkan kegiatan pemasaran KWT di Kecamatan Tanah Sareal adalah memperhatikan sumber daya manusia dalam menangani sub unit pemasaran, mengembangkan keterampilan administrasi pemasaran, memperluas segmen pasar dan memperhatikan kondisi pasar.AbstractPublic awareness related to health, especially in urban areas, is increasing. This encourages people or consumers to consume vegetables as part of a healthy life. This condition is certainly an opportunity for the horticultural market, thus encouraging urban Women Farmers Groups (KWT) in Tanah Sareal District to do marketing, especially vegetable products. Based on this, researchers are interested in qualitatively describing the marketing activities of KWT vegetable products in Tanah Sareal District. Researchers conducted observations, surveys, interviews, and literature studies. The data analysis approach used is a qualitative descriptive approach. As a result, there are four KWTs in Tanah Sareal District that carry out marketing activities for horticultural commodities. The four KWTs are KWT Puspasari, KWT Srikandi, KWT Kentagor Mandiri, and KWT Griya Amanah. The marketing activities carried out by the four KWTs are; first, identify and evaluate market opportunities. Second, analyze the horticultural market segment and select the target market. Third, have planned and implemented a marketing mix that provides value to customers and is in line with the goals of the organization. Fourth, KWT has analyzed the performance of women farmer groups. Efforts to develop KWT marketing activities in Tanah Sareal District are paying attention to human resources in handling marketing sub-units, developing marketing administration skills, expanding market segments and paying attention to market conditions.