Adoption of Chemical Pesticides Under Commercial Vegetable Cultivation inSri Ganganagar District of Rajasthan

The study was conducted in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan to assess the extent of use of chemical pesticides under commercial vegetable cultivation. The primary data were collected from 100 farm households across 18 villages from 2016 to 2019. Chemical insecticides were used by all farmers whereas biopesticides and botanical pesticides were used by <5% for insect pest control in vegetables. The average number of chemical pesticide sprays in a crop cycle was 14, 15, 15 and 13 in cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and pea crops respectively. Average quantity of chemical pesticides used was 4.23, 3.87, 5.16 and 3.47 kg active ingredient per hectare in cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and pea crops respectively. The study highlights the overuse and misuse of chemical pesticides in vegetable crops where the economic part is edible unlike cotton where the economic part is nonedible.The direct negative impact of chemical pesticides on health of farm workers is estimated in the paper.

MONITORING AND CONTROL OF THE PEST TUTA ABSOLUTA (MEYRICK) IN TOMATO CROPS UNDER HIGH PLASTIC TUNNELS

Tuta absoluta – tomato leafminer (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a major pest of tomato crops in protected areas, which attacks both foliage and fruit, in all phases of plant growth. Its invasion has led to yield and quality decrease, increased costs to control and high dependence on chemical insecticides. With pheromone traps it is possible to monitor and reduce the density of the pest population. The experience was established in 2020, at a farmer in Dobreni village (Giurgiu county). In the first and second crop cycle, the population of the pest Tuta absoluta was monitored, by placing Delta pheromone traps in tomato crops. The Sahmat F1 tomato hybrid was planted in both crop cycles. Pest monitoring was performed weekly, by changing the adhesive plates with pheromones from Delta traps, on the dates: 03.06, 10.06, 17.06, 24.06, 01.07, 08.07, 15.07, 22.07 in the first cycle of crop and on the dates: 29.07, 05.08, 12.08, 19.08, 02.09 , 09.09, 16.09, 23.09 in the second cycle. The appearance and evolution of the attack were recorded in the both crop cycles and its influence on production was established.

USO DO SOFTWARE AQUACROP PARA SIMULAR A RESPOSTA DO FEIJÃO À DIFERENTES REGIMES DE IRRIGAÇÃO

USO DO SOFTWARE AQUACROP PARA SIMULAR A RESPOSTA DO FEIJÃO À DIFERENTES REGIMES DE IRRIGAÇÃO MONALISA SOARES COSTA1*; EVERARDO CHARTUNI MANTOVANI2; FERNANDA LAMEDE FERREIRA DE JESUS3; ARTHUR CARNIATO SANCHES 4; JHON LENNON BEZERRA DA SILVA5 E JANNAYLTON ÉVERTON DE OLIVEIRA SANTOS6 1 Bolsista de longa duração – desenvolvimento tecnológico, Instituto Nacional do Semiárido, rua Antônio Aragão, 169, Nova Brasília, CEP 49680-000, Nossa Senhora da Glória, Sergipe, Brasil, Parte da dissertação de mestrado, [email protected] 2Professor Sênior doutor, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n - Campus Universitário, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, [email protected] 3Professora Doutora, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Campus Tomé-Açu, Rod. PA 140, km 03, 68680-000, Tomé-Açu, PA, Brasil, [email protected] 4Professor Doutor, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Rod. Dourados-Itahum, km 12 – Cidade Universitária, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil, [email protected] 5 Doutorando em Engenharia de Agrícola, Departamento de Engenharia, UFRPE, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n - Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, [email protected] 6 Professor Doutor, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Campus Tomé-Açu, Rod. PA 140, km 03, 68680-000, Tomé-Açu, PA, Brasil, [email protected] 1 RESUMO Os softwares de simulação de crescimento e desenvolvimento das culturas no campo têm tido bastante aplicação, visto o objetivo de técnicos e pesquisadores em evitar perdas no campo e almejar melhorias a cada cultivo. O feijão é bastante cultivado e consumido no Brasil, o que atrai atenção para o ajuste do software AquaCrop à cultura nas condições edafoclimáticas brasileiras. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a resposta do software AquaCrop quando ajustado para condições de ambiente e irrigação em que o feijoeiro foi cultivado. Observou-se dados simulados semelhantes e em concordância estatística com o observado, com maiores diferenças no acúmulo de biomassa e balanço hídrico ao longo do ciclo da cultura. A semelhança entre os dados simulados e observados na cobertura do dossel ao longo do ciclo da cultura traduzem uma boa resposta da equação utilizada para converter o índice de área foliar em cobertura do dossel para a cultura do feijão. Conclui-se com o estudo, que o software AquaCrop é confiável para a simulação do crescimento e desenvolvimento do feijão, pois os dados obtidos em campo são semelhantes aos simulados pelo modelo. Palavras-chave: manejo, eficiência do uso da água, função de produção. COSTA, M. S.; MANTOVANI, E. C.; JESUS, F. L. F.; SANCHES, A. C.; SILVA, J. L. B.; SANTOS, J. E. O. U 2 ABSTRACT The simulation software’s of crop growth and development in the field has had many applications, since the aim of technicians and research in avoiding losses on the field and to target for improvements in each crop. The crop bean is highly cultivated and consumed in Brazil, what draws attention to the adjustment of the AquaCrop software for this crop under Brazilian edaphoclimatic conditions. This study aimed to analyze the response of the AquaCrop when adjusted for irrigation and greenhouse conditions in which the crop bean was cultivated. It was observed simulated data were similar and in statistical accordance with the observance in the field, to higher differences in biomass accumulation and water balance throughout the crop cycle. The similarity between the simulated and observed data for canopy coverage throughout the crop cycle translates a good answer of the equation used to convert the leaf area index canopy coverage for crop bean. We concluded with this study, that AquaCrop software is reliably simulating the growth and development of the crop bean because the data obtained on the field are similar to those simulated by the model. Keywords: management, water use efficiency, production function.

Crop Cycle Length Determines Optimal Transplanting Date for Seedlings from Hybrid True Potato Seeds

The technology of hybrid breeding in diploid potatoes creates opportunities to design novel and improved cultivation systems based on hybrid true potato seeds. A promising cultivation pathway to produce seed or ware tubers is by transplanting greenhouse-raised seedlings into the field. This study explored the effects of transplanting date and seedling age on tuber yield, using greenhouse-raised seedlings. Field trials with experimental hybrid genotypes were conducted in three consecutive years. In 2017 and 2018, 4- and 6-week-old seedlings were transplanted at four dates: March, April, May and June. In 2019, transplanting dates included April, May and June and seedling age was 5 weeks. In 2018, the March planting experienced severe frost during the initial field period resulting in crop failure. In 2017 and 2019, plants could withstand shorter and less severe frost events. Seedling age did not significantly affect tuber parameters. Transplanting in June resulted in lower marketable yield (> 28 mm) compared with earlier transplanting dates when crops were harvested in September. At full crop senescence, no differences in marketable yield were observed. The optimal transplanting window, taking into account weather-related risks, is approximately between early April and end May. For some genotypes, crop cycle length was observed to be a more important yield-determining factor than transplanting date.

Oxyfertigation and Transplanting Conditions of Strawberries

Soilless growing systems can improve water-use efficiency, especially in closed soilless growing systems. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different transplanting conditions, and determine how supplying H2O2 as an oxygen source to the rhizosphere of strawberry plants in a soilless growing system affects plant growth, fruit yield and fruit quality. Strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. ‘Fortuna’ were cultivated in 12 L pots filled with peat substrate, and maintained under conditions of natural light and temperature. Treated plants were supplied with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (H1) and control plants did not receive H2O2 (H0). In terms of the transplanting conditions, the plants were transplanted in October (T1), and either maintained in a culture chamber (T2), or refrigerated (T3), for one month, before being transplanted. A completely randomized block design with two treatment factors (transplanting conditions, and H2O2 treatment) and five replications was established. Then, we determined the fruit per plant, yield per plant (g plant−1), fruit weight (g fruit−1), fruit size (mm), SPAD values, crown number, crown diameter (mm), flower number, firmness (g cm−1), pH, total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA. During the early crop cycle, there were not significant differences between treatment and the transplanting conditions that significantly affected the fruit weight and fruit size, although T3 produced the highest values. During the late crop cycle, the H2O2 treatment affected fruit per plant, yield per plant (g plant−1), and crown diameter, with H1 producing the highest values. Furthermore, the transplanting conditions affected yield per plant (g plant−1), old SPAD values, crown diameter, firmness, TSS, TA and TSS/TA.

Differential regulation of flower transpiration during abiotic stress in plants

Heat waves, occurring during droughts, can have a devastating impact on yield, especially if they happen during the flowering and seed set stages of the crop cycle. Global warming and climate change are driving an alarming increase in the frequency and intensity of combined drought and heat stress episodes, critically threatening global food security. Previous studies revealed that during a combination of drought and heat stress stomata on leaves of many plants are closed, preventing cooling by transpiration. Because high temperature is detrimental to reproductive processes, essential for plant yield, we measured the inner temperature, transpiration, and sepal stomatal aperture of closed soybean flowers, developing on plants subjected to a combination of drought and heat stress. Here, we report that during a combination of drought and heat stress soybean plants prioritize transpiration through flowers over transpiration through leaves by opening their flower stomata, while keeping their leaf stomata closed. This acclimation strategy, termed differential transpiration, lowers flower inner temperature by about 2-3oC, protecting reproductive processes at the expense of vegetative tissues. Manipulating stomatal regulation, stomatal size and/or stomatal density of flowers could therefore serve as a viable strategy to enhance the yield of different crops and mitigate some of the current and future impacts of global warming and climate change on agriculture.

Evaluation of the Fertilizing and Nematicidal Effects of Lixiviate from Banana Rachis and Purpureocillium lilacinum for a Reduction of Fallow Frequency in Dessert Banana Monoculture

The practice of fallowing for one year represents a viable alternative to chemical control of Radopholus similis and Pratylenchus coffeae in dessert banana monoculture. Although necessary, fallowing has an economic disadvantage for farmers. The objective of this work is to evaluate the nematicidal and fertilizing effects of lixiviate from banana rachis and Purpureocillium lilacinum in order to reduce the frequency of fallowing. In this study, we performed a chemical analysis of the lixiviate and then compared the two types (plantain lixiviate and dessert lixiviate) at 25% concentration, Bioact (Purpureocillium lilacinum) at 106 spores/ml) and two mixed treatments (plantain lixiviate + Bioact and dessert lixiviate + Bioact) to an untreated control and a reference nematicide, fluopyram at 10% (Verango) during three cycles of cultivation of the dessert banana seedling Grande naine. At the end of each crop cycle, the evolution of the nematode population and the yield of banana plants were evaluated. Chemical analysis revealed a high potassium content in both products and a more remarkable amount of nitrogen in the plantain lixiviate. The results showed that Bioact did not show antagonistic effect against nematodes and impact on production. On the other hand, despite less nematicidal activity, the lixiviate significantly increased the yield compared to the chemical nematicide treatment. Therefore, only in the plots treated with lixiviate, it was possible to carry out several successive crop cycles. This result was more marked with the plantain lixiviate. The results presented in this work are encouraging for the development of biological control methods of banana nematodes by lixiviate.

Management for Paddy, Oil Palm, and Pineapple Plantations in Malaysia: Current Status and Reviews

Heavy rainfall causes a loss of fertiliser to the environment, and it leads to environmental issues such as eutrophication. Replenishment of fertiliser to replace the loss imposes a financial impact since frequent applications are costly and labour intensive. Therefore, investigations on proper fertiliser application in maintaining good soil pH, improving plant growth, and increasing crop yield from various plantations across Malaysia are of paramount importance. Meanwhile, limited agricultural-related studies about crop management in Malaysia have been done. This study presents a state-of-the-art review of Malaysia’s paddy, oil palm, pineapple plantations, and the existing nutrient management and fertilisation practices throughout the crop cycle. A systematic study of the existing crop management in terms of farming practices, nutrient management, and fertiliser application on the plantations of paddy, oil palm, and pineapple in Malaysia was carried out. Industry overviews for these three crop types based on past situations and future directions are also included. Recommendations on how to better manage these plantations are also outlined to promote a better understanding of the past, current, and future direction of the agricultural activities and management for principal edible crops like paddy, oil palm, and pineapple in Malaysia.

Seasonal Changes in Climate Variables in Rainfed Crop Areas in the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago Basin, Mexico

This paper shows the effects of changes in the spatial-temporal behavior and phase shift of climate variables on rainfed agriculture in the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago Basin in central Mexico. Specifically, changes in rainfall (R), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin) were analyzed over two 25-year periods (1960 to 1985 and 1986 to 2010). Climate surfaces were generated by interpolation using the thin-plate smoothing spline algorithm in the software ANUSPLIN. Climate data were Fourier-transformed and fitted to a sinusoidal curve model, and changes in amplitude (increase) and phase were analyzed. The temporal behavior (1960–2010) indicated that rainfall was the most stable variable at the monthly level and presented no significant changes. However, Tmax increased by 2°C in the final period, and Tmin increased by 0.7°C at the end of the final period. The basin was discretized into ten rainfed crop areas (RCAs) according to the extent of changes in the amplitude and phase of the climate variables. The central and southern portions (55% of the area) presented more significant changes in amplitude, mainly in Tmin and Tmax. The remaining RCAs were smaller (14.6%) but presented greater variation: the amplitude of the Tmin decreased in addition to showing a phase shift, whereas Tmax increased in addition to showing a phase shift. These results translate into a delay in the characteristic temperatures of the spring and summer seasons, which can impact the rainfed crop cycle. Additionally, rainfall showed an annual decrease of approximately 50 mm in all RCAs, which can affect the phenological development of crops during critical stages (emergence through flowering). These changes represent a significant threat to the regional economy and food security of Mexico.