Effects of Organic Fertilizer on Growth Performance and Postharvest Quality of Pak Choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis L.)

Long-term use of inorganic fertilizers on leafy vegetables can increase soil acidity, harmful to the environment and leaving bad effects on human health. Organic fertilizer application is one of the safer alternatives with many beneficial effects by supplying nutrients for plant growth, environmental-friendly and producing an optimum quality of vegetables. Different organic amendment such as vermicompost, biochar and microbial compost has different effect on plant growth performance since good bacteria could improve structure of the soil and nutrient absorption. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer on the growth performance and postharvest quality. The experimental design during planting was conducted in randomized completely block design with a factorial arrangement of treatmentswhile for postharvest quality study was conducted in completely randomized design. Organic fertilizer of vermicompost (110 g/plant), biochar (100 g/plant), microbial compost (80 g/plant) and chicken manure (37.5 g/plant) were treated on Pak choy two times on day 10 and day 24 after transplant. This research revealed the plant growth including plant height, leaf number and leaf length of Pak choy in all treatments were increased as growing stage increased. However, at the end of growing stage, microbial compost and vermicompost resulted in the highest of growth characteristics. In terms of postharvest quality, microbial compost showed the highest fresh weight and premium quality. This study proved that microbial compost at 80 g/plant exhibited optimum growth performance and the best postharvest quality of Pak choy.

Germinability and Seedling Growth Performance of Chilli (Capsicum annuum) Seeds in Response to Different Gibberellic Acid Concentrations Pre-Treatment

Chilli seeds are always associated with physiological dormancy characteristics or endogenous dormancy that has affected their germination potential. Problems noticed on the low seed germination rate, vigour growth, further may lead to the poor seedling growth pattern of chilli crop production. Gibberellic Acid (GA3) which is usually used as a treatment solution is not a new advent of seed dormancy breaking methods for chilli. But, looking forwards to a better GA3 concentration is still needed for the discovery of this treatment potential effect on chilli seed germinability and seedling growth. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different GA3 concentrations on seed emergence and seedling growth performance in chilli. In this experiment, chilli seeds were imbibed with 25 mg/L, 75 mg/L and 125 mg/L concentration of GA3 with three replications each; for 24 hours at room temperature (32±4°C) and the untreated seeds as a control. The data collection on final germination percentage was taken daily for 21 days after sowing. While the 15 germinated seeds were directly planted on the 5 polybags arranged in the net house of Junaidy Jonik Farm, Sabah, Malaysia. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were subjected to analysis of variance with SAS version 9.4 and the significant means were separated by the least significant difference test at P<0.05. Significant differences were observed in the seed germinability measured; germination rate index (GRI), mean germination time (MGT) and final germination percentage (FGP), as well as on seedling vigour index (SVI) between treated and control seeds. Conversely, plant height, number of internodes, number of leaves and fresh weight of seedlings showed no significant differences among treatments. It was concluded that the use of GA3 was able to enhance chilli seeds germinability and could display a better SVI than the control. It is recommended to use GA3 treatment at 25 mg/L of concentration, as it may give an advantage to both economic and biological importance in producing higher germinability and seedling growth performance in chilli.

The Effect of Different Growing Media on Physical Morphology of Rockmelon (Cucumis Melo Linn cv. Glamour) Seedling

Rockmelon (Cucumis melo L.) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which can adapt to various soil and climate areas, especially in Malaysia. The production of rockmelon in Malaysia has highly declined, and for this reason, farmers have opted to use the concept of soilless cultivation due to it benefits accrued from soilless media such as cocopeat, perlite, and burnt rice husk. The study was carried out to determine the effect of different growing media on the physical morphology of rockmelon seedlings. This experiment was set up using RCBD arrangements with four replications. Different growing media used were: (i) 100% Black Soil (BS), (ii) 75% cocopeat + 15% burnt rice husk + 10% perlite (M1) and (iii) 75% cocopeat + 20% burnt rice husk + 5% perlite (M2). The parameters measured were plant height, number of leaves and total leaves area, and stem girth. The data were collected within two weeks after transplanting. The parameters measured were subjected to ANOVA and LSD was applied to compare means. In this study, rockmelon seedlings treated on BS showed significantly (P<0.001) the highest plant height, number of leaves per plant, and total leaves area and stem girth. Seedlings on soilless M1, however, grew in slightly good conditions, as it showed the insignificantly higher values on morphological parameters measured. Thus, BS is still suitable for better use of media for 15 days old rockmelon seedlings (after transplanting). It gives the optimum conditions for adapting seedlings to the new exposure environment.

Analysis on Resource Use Efficiency of Smallholder's Rice Production Farmers in Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria: Probit Model Approach

This study examined the resource-use efficiency of smallholder rice production farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. The problem of resource use among small-scale rice production farmers is preponderance in the country. Hence, the study investigated the drivers of the problem in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to determine the factors influencing the resource-use efficiency of the respondents. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of one hundred and seventy-five (175) rice farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Seven estimators such as age, household size, farming experience, educational level, extension services, access to credit, and off-farm income in the Probit model were found statistically significant. Results show that the probability of resource use efficiency of inputs used by the farmers increases with age, farm size, household size, educational level, extension services, experiences in farming, access to credits, but decreases where they have off-farm income. Mc Fadden Pseudo-R2 gives 0.6772, and the Probit model explains a significant proportion of the variations in smallholder farmers' resource use. The study concluded that the socio-economic variables in the model play an important role in influencing resource use efficiency. The study recommends that government agencies and donors should provide simplified, accessible and obtainable credits and grants to existing and prospective rice farmers in order to sustain the current giant stride in rice production in the country.

Effect of Hydroponic and Conventional Production Systems on Plant Growth Performance and Nitrate Content of Green Coral Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Crispa)

Overfertilization on leafy vegetables could accumulate high nitrate content. Exceeded recommended limit of nitrate content can cause detrimental effects on the environment and human health, such as methemoglobinemia and stomach cancer. Green coral lettuce (GCL) is a leafy vegetable commonly grown under various production systems. Production system and physiological age have affected the growth and accumulation of nitrate levels in most leafy vegetables. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effects of hydroponic and conventional production on the growth performance and nitrate concentration of GCL at different harvest ages. This research was conducted in a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of treatments. A stagnant hydroponic was prepared using stock A and B complete Hoagland nutrient solutions as liquid fertilizer. A commercial biofertilizer (NPK 8: 8: 8) was applied at the rate of 100 g per plant. Plant growth performance, including plant height, number of leaves, and leaf length, was measured at 7, 14, 21, 28, 31, 34, 41, and 44 days after transplanting (DAT). The fresh weight and nitrate content were measured at 31, 34, 41, and 44 DAT. The results showed hydroponic GCL exhibited higher plant height than conventional GCL. However, both productions were not significantly affected regarding the number of leaves, leaf length, and fresh weight. At 41 and 44 DAT, the hydroponic GCL was markedly higher in nitrate content than conventional. This study found that conventional production was recommended for GCL because lower in nitrate content compared to hydroponic and fair in growth performance.

Consumer’s Behaviour in The Consumption of Fresh Farm Product During Covid-19 Pandemic at Alor Gajah, Melaka

The Malaysian Government implemented stringent containment measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19, including social isolation and the closure of businesses and schools. Although these steps are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading, many voices have raised concerns about their possible effects on the agri-food system. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on fresh farm consumption among consumers in Alor Gajah, Melaka. This study was guided by the following research objectives: (i) to investigate the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on consumer attitudes and behaviours on food consumption at Alor Gajah. (ii) to find out the implications of the closure of Covid-19 on food security in Alor Gajah, Melaka. Besides, this study uses quantitative methods involving (n=154) residents in the district of Alor Gajah, Melaka. The research data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive analysis was used, and the result shows that the food consumption behaviour changes during the Covid-19 pandemic especially on the fresh farm produce. The findings may provide information for the local government to develop a framework that will help to address the shortage of fresh agriculture products that were affected by the pandemic at Alor Gajah, Melaka. It will also help to prepare for an unexpected future crisis by building on existing emergency plans as well as long-term food-related strategies.

User Perception on The Waste Utilization in The Upcycled Garden Design at Taman Samudera, Seri Manjung Perak

Many cities becoming unsustainable due to the massive volumes of unrecycled municipal garbage that end up in suburban landfills. Our culture, on the other hand, appears to be generating trash in an almost inevitable manner. However, in the recent years, the merits of using salvaged and upcycled materials are started to be addressed in the landscape design and recently arose in the hardscape construction. This highlights the importance of educating people, raising awareness and promoting a better way of dealing with solid waste. Based on studies conducted in Taman Samudera, Seri Manjung, Perak, this paper attempts to analyze the user perception on the waste utilization for the upcycled garden design. This quantitative research was conducted in two phases; Phase 1; to study the user awareness, user acceptance and user preference on the upcycling hardscape and Phase 2; to propose a landscape master plan of the upcycled garden. The respondent (n=92) involved in this study are the residents of Taman Samudera, Seri Manjung, Perak. It shows that most of the respondents were aware and accepted the use of recycled materials in the upcycled garden. The finding indicates that the highest mean score for preferred recycled material used for hardscape construction were plastic bottles, tyres, and Compact Discs were suitable to be included in the master plan of the upcycled garden. The proposed Upcycled Garden at Taman Samudera, Seri Manjung, Perak will be a valuable recreational area that is environmental friendly while educating the public tackling the serious issues of poor recycling rates and waste management in Malaysia.