Design and Build a Soil Nutrient Measurement Tool for Citrus Plants Using NPK Soil Sensors Based on the Internet of Things

A suitable planting medium is a medium of good quality soil that can support plant growth quickly. Fertile soil is the primary need for plants. The quality of the planting medium dramatically affects plant growth. The types of soil needed for plant growth vary, namely sandy soil, red soil, alluvial soil, and humus soil. Using an NPK sensor that functions to detect nutrients in the soil and can work if the tip of the sensor is plugged into the soil they want to detect, the results detected by the sensor will be sent in the form of analog signal data to nodemcu, which will be processed and displayed on the screen. Thingspeak. This tool is controlled by nodemcu with an NPK sensor to detect nutrients in the soil with output to thingspeak. The function of the NPK sensor tool will measure the nutrients in the soil for citrus seedlings, and the results read by the Npk sensor will be sent to the Thingspeak web, making it easier for farmers to seed citrus seeds. The data read by the sensor will be sent to thingspeak, making it easier to monitor nutrients in the soil. From the results of the tests carried out, it is found that the nutrient content in wet soil is higher than in dry soil; from the tests carried out, the NPK sensor accuracy rate is 90%.

The effect of using uncertified citrus seeds on huanglongbing disease incidence in Karo District

North Sumatra Province is one of the major citrus producers for Siam cultivars in Indonesia. Recently, it experienced a significant decline in citrus production. One of the causes is the presence of huanglongbing (HLB) disease which results in decreased production and plant mortality. The research aim to obtain information on the origin of citrus seeds and to map HLB incidence in eight subdistricts within Karo District. This research was carried out through direct questionnaires to farmers, visual symptoms scoring, and molecular detection with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). At least two villages were taken from each sub-district and three orchards were taken from each village as samples in January 2019. The results showed that in general, citrus plants aged 3 to 15 years. Mostly, citrus planted in Karo originated from uncertified seedlings bought from local and outside seed breeders in the province of North Sumatra. The highest symptoms severity of HLB diseases based on leaf scores and canopy scores were recorded in Barus Jahe subdistrict with 82-83% intensity. The highest HLB incidence were recorded in three subdistricts namely Kabanjahe, Munte, and Brastagi, each with 100% HLB prevalence. This shows that asymptomatic plants are not always free from CLas pathogens. Certified citrus seeds which are free from systemic diseases, followed by improve farmer’s awareness to apply good agriculture practice the initial to sustain Indonesian citrus agroindustry.

Kualitas Nutrisi dan Organoleptik Non-Flaky Crackers dengan Penambahan Berbagai Bahan Pangan Alami Kaya Serat Pangan

Dietary fibre is a food component, which has an important role in human health. Dietary fiber consumption promotes cardiovascular health, weight management, and other benefits. Indonesia has an abundance of natural food ingredients, making it easy to meet human dietary fiber requirements. Non-flaky crackers are a bakery product such as snacks with no layers inside and have a neutral or slightly sweet and salty favour. Some natural ingredients added to non-flaky crackers are green bean, microalgae, citrus seeds, broccoli co-products, Hibiscus sabdariffa residue and blackcurrant pomace. The addition of natural ingredients can increase the nutrition and organoleptic quality of non-flaky crackers. Keywords: Dietary fibre; natural ingredients; non-flaky crackers; nutrition content; organoleptic ABSTRAK Serat pangan merupakan komponen pada makanan yang memiliki peran penting bagi kesehatan manusia. Konsumsi serat pangan dapat membantu meregulasi kesehatan kardiovaskular, menyeimbangkan berat badan dan kesehatan lainnya. Indonesia memiliki keberagaman bahan pangan alami yang berlimpah, oleh karena itu mudah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan serat pangan bagi manusia. Non-flaky crackers adalah produk bakery berupa snack, yang tidak memiliki lapisan di dalamnya dan memiliki rasa netral, atau sedikit manis dan asin. Beberapa bahan yang dapat ditambahkan pada non-flaky crackers untuk meningkatkan kadar serat diantaranya adalah kacang polong, mikroalga, biji jeruk, brokoli co-products, Hibiscus sabdariffa residue dan blackcurrant pomace. Penambahan bahan pangan alami tersebut meningkatkan kualitas nutrisi dan organoleptik non-flaky crackers. Kata kunci: Bahan alami; kadar nutrisi; non-flaky crackers, organoleptik; serat pangan

Phytotoxic Tryptoquialanines Produced In Vivo by Penicillium digitatum Are Exported in Extracellular Vesicles

ABSTRACT Penicillium digitatum is the most aggressive pathogen of citrus fruits. Tryptoquialanines are major indole alkaloids produced by P. digitatum. It is unknown if tryptoquialanines are involved in the damage of citrus fruits caused by P. digitatum. To investigate the pathogenic roles of tryptoquialanines, we initially asked if tryptoquialanines could affect the germination of Citrus sinensis seeds. Exposure of the citrus seeds to tryptoquialanine A resulted in a complete inhibition of germination and an altered metabolic response. Since this phytotoxic effect requires the extracellular export of tryptoquialanine A, we investigated the mechanisms of extracellular delivery of this alkaloid in P. digitatum. We detected extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by P. digitatum both in culture and during infection of citrus fruits. Compositional analysis of EVs produced during infection revealed the presence of a complex cargo, which included tryptoquialanines and the mycotoxin fungisporin. The EVs also presented phytotoxicity activity in vitro and caused damage to the tissues of citrus seeds. Through molecular networking, it was observed that the metabolites present in the P. digitatum EVs are produced in all of its possible hosts. Our results reveal a novel phytopathogenic role of P. digitatum EVs and tryptoquialanine A, implying that this alkaloid is exported in EVs during plant infection. IMPORTANCE During the postharvest period, citrus fruits can be affected by phytopathogens such as Penicillium digitatum, which causes green mold disease and is responsible for up to 90% of total citrus losses. Chemical fungicides are widely used to prevent green mold disease, leading to concerns about environmental and health risks. To develop safer alternatives to control phytopathogens, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis of infection during the host-pathogen interaction. In the P. digitatum model, the virulence strategies are poorly known. Here, we describe the production of phytotoxic extracellular vesicles (EVs) by P. digitatum during the infection of citrus fruits. We also characterized the secondary metabolites in the cargo of EVs and found in this set of molecules an inhibitor of seed germination. Since EVs and secondary metabolites have been related to virulence mechanisms in other host-pathogen interactions, our data are important for the comprehension of how P. digitatum causes damage to its primary hosts.

Citrus limonoids induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells

In our recent study, we have demonstrated certain limonoids isolated from citrus seeds have induced apoptosis in human pancreatic (Panc-28) cells. In the current study, limonin, nomilin and limonexic acid...

Phytotoxic tryptoquialanines produced in vivo by Penicillium digitatum are exported in extracellular vesicles

ABSTRACTPenicillium digitatum is the most aggressive pathogen of citrus fruits. Tryptoquialanines are major indole alkaloids produced by P. digitatum. It is unknown if tryptoquialanines are involved in the damage of citrus fruits caused by P. digitatum. To investigate the pathogenic roles of tryptoquialanines, we initially asked if tryptoquialanines could affect the germination of Citrus sinensis seeds. Exposure of the citrus seeds to tryptoquialanine A resulted in a complete inhibition of germination and an altered metabolic response. Since this phytotoxic effect requires the extracellular export of tryptoquialanine A, we investigated the mechanisms of extracellular delivery of this alkaloid in P. digitatum. We detected extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by P. digitatum both in culture and during infection of citrus fruits. Compositional analysis of EVs produced during infection revealed the presence of a complex cargo, which included tryptoquialanines and the mycotoxin fungisporin. The EVs also presented phytotoxicity activity in vitro, and caused damage to the tissues of citrus seeds. Through molecular networking, it was observed that the metabolites present in the P. digitatum EVs are produced in all of its possible hosts. Our results reveal a novel phytopathogenic role of P. digitatum EVs and tryptoquialanine A, implying that this alkaloid is exported in EVs during plant infection.IMPORTANCEDuring the post-harvest period, citrus fruits can be affected by phytopathogens such as Penicillium digitatum, which causes the green mold disease and is responsible for up to 90 % of the total citrus losses. Chemical fungicides are widely used to prevent the green mold disease, leading to concerns about environmental and health risks. To develop safer alternatives to control phytopathogens, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis of infection during the host-pathogen interaction. In the P. digitatum model, the virulence strategies are poorly known. Here, we describe the production of phytotoxic extracellular vesicles (EVs) by P. digitatum during the infection of citrus fruits. We also characterized the secondary metabolites in the cargo of EVs and found in this set of molecules an inhibitor of seed germination. Since EVs and secondary metabolites have been related to virulence mechanisms in other host-pathogen interactions, our data are important for the comprehension of how P. digitatum causes damage to its primary hosts.

Physiological quality of citrandarins, Poncirus trifoliata and Sunki mandarin seeds

Rangpur lime is the rootstock most used in Brazil, mainly due to its resistance to drought; however, it is susceptible to several diseases, requiring the search for other rootstocks tolerant to factors limiting citrus cultivation. In addition, the Brazilian legislation stipulates that citrus seeds can only be commercialized with at least 50% germination rate. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds of seven citrus rootstocks. The following citrus fruits were harvested: Poncirus trifoliata, Sunki mandarin and their hybrids –citrandarins (70, 106, 254, 299 and 310). Fruit mass, diameter and height were measured. Seeds were extracted from fruits, counting the number of normal seeds (not aborted). Seeds were dried up to 20% water content and stored for 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The physiological quality of seeds was evaluated before storage (time 0) up to 12 months of storage. The quality of Poncirus trifoliata, Sunki mandarin and citrandarins 70, 106, 254, 299 and 310 seeds was reduced during storage. However, their germination rate remained above 50%, evidencing that seeds of all rootstocks could be marketed until 12 months of storage. The new rootstocks tested have seeds with physiological quality compatible with their parents, in compliance with current legislation.

Maturation and physiological quality of IAC-863 Rangpur lime seeds

There is a growing demand for high quality seeds to obtain citrus rootstocks. Normative Instruction 48 (MAPA) of September 24, 2013, requires minimum of 50% germination for the marketing of citrus seeds. Harvest season is one of the stages of seed production with great importance to ensure quality, which makes knowing its maturation process an important step. Thus, the objective of this study was to monitor physicochemical changes in IAC-863 Rangpur lime fruits in order to characterize the physiological maturity of seeds, and to define the ideal harvest point in order to obtain seeds with high physiological quality to obtain rootstocks. Physicochemical analysis of fruits (mass loss, color, soluble solids and acidity) and analysis of seeds (water content, germination and emergence) was performed. Higher germination results were observed in seeds obtained from fruits with higher color index and soluble solids content. The storage of IAC-863 Rangpur lime fruits after harvest increases germination rate, especially in mid-season fruits.