PROPOSED MODEL FOR HANDLING PESTICIDE CONTAINERS BY AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN ESWATINI

Pesticides are toxic, even in very small quantities can have an adverse impact on organisms. Consequently, improper disposal of pesticides or their containers can lead to health hazards and environmental contamination. From the Draft Policy on Pesticides Management of 1992, Eswatini drafted a Pesticides Management Bill of 2010. At the moment there is no legal document that enforces the management of pesticides in Eswatini. This study aims at proposing a model by which agriculture teachers in Eswatini can use in managing pesticide containers. The study used a qualitative approach, transformative paradigm employing action research design. Content analysis was employed at data collection and analysis. The content analysis involves the review of documents such as policies, bills and related documents. Findings revealed that the model of handling pesticide containers by pesticide users: firstly users should read the container label, triple rinse pesticide containers, properly store the containers, sort containers by pesticide material, recycle the container, send it back to manufacturer, incineration, and land filling. Conclusion drawn is that anyone using agricultural chemicals is equally responsible for the safe disposal of the pesticide container. The model is recommended for the handling of pesticide containers by agriculture teachers in Eswatini

THE MANAGEMENT OF POST-HARVEST LOSSES OF TOMATO IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Reducing post-harvest losses of fresh produce has been demonstrated to be an important part of sustainable agricultural development efforts meant to increase food availability. Failure to achieve food security in most developing countries can be attributed to over-reliance on production related activities and the lack of adequate training of farmers on post-harvest handling practices, slow or no development of appropriate post-harvest infrastructure or neglect of other aspects of the post-harvest chain during transportation and marketing. Reducing food losses offers an important pathway of availing food, alleviating poverty, and improving nutrition. Moreover, reducing post-harvest losses has positive impacts on the environment and climate as it enhances farm-level productivity and reduces the utilisation of production resources or expansion into fragile ecosystems to produce food that will be lost and not consumed. Tomato is a major vegetable crop that has achieved tremendous popularity over the last century. It is grown in practically every country of the world in outdoor fields, greenhouses and net houses. Global post-harvest losses of tomato are as high as 30-50%, but this can be much higher in developing countries due to improper handling procedures and lack of appropriate methods to prevent decay

THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF WHITE ASTERS (SYMPHYOTRICHUM ERICOIDES L.)

All good potting media should meet the needs of plant’s root for air, water, nutrients and support. Satisfactory growth of annual transplants and nursery crops can occur in soilless media made up of a wide range of components. White asters are important flowering plants usually grown in gardens, as potted plants and bedding plants. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different growing media on the growth and development of white asters. The different treatments combinations used included: garden soil; soil + sand (1:1); sand + kraal manure (1:1); soil + sand + compost (1:1:1), and soil + sand + shredded bark (1:1:3). The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). White asters grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture had the highest number of leaves (32.0), plant height (23.2 cm), leaf area (30.9 cm2), leaf area index (0.35), number of flowers (18.8), flower diameter (4.8 cm), shoot fresh mass (27.3 g), shoot dry mass (5.8 g), root fresh mass (3.6 g), root dry mass (0.6 g), and root length (13.2 cm). Plants grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture had twice the shoot dry mass of those grown in soil/sand/ compost medium. The roots dry mass of plants grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture was more than double that of plants grown in soil/sand/compost mixture. Plants grown in soil/sand/compost mixture had the lowest number of leaves (17.3), plant height (18.5 cm), leaf area (17.2 cm), leaf area index (0.19), number of flowers (11.5), flower diameter (4.2 cm), shoot fresh mass (13.6 g), shoot dry mass (2.9 g), root fresh mass (1.3 g), and root dry mass (0.3 g). Therefore, it can be recommended that farmers or florists who want to grow white asters may use soil/sand/shredded bark mixture for optimum growth and development of the plants

EFFORTS TOWARDS THE REDUCTION IN POST-HARVEST LOSSES OF CABBAGE

For a profitable cabbage production, growers should reduce losses in the field, enhance quality and safety of the produce after harvesting, and supply the produce at its best possible condition to the consumers. After harvesting, the quality of produce usually cannot be improved, but can only be maintained. The most basic factor affecting good quality is harvesting at proper stage of maturity. The most important quality characteristics of fresh market cabbage are colour, firmness, crispness, and freedom from decay and rot. High temperatures during post-harvest period and the use of non-protective packages are the major sources of high level damage and deterioration, which greatly reduces the potential post-harvest life of all fresh produce including cabbage. Assessing post-harvest losses of fresh produce provides benchmark information for determining loss reduction interventions to increase profitability and competitiveness of farming and marketing ventures. The most common post-harvest problems of cabbage in the supply chain are physical damage, bacterial soft rot, leaf yellowing, and wilting. Storage of cabbage at 4-10C, can effectively delay leaf yellowing and maintain leaf chlorophyll content. Low temperature or cold storage is the single most effective method of prolonging the post-harvest life of fresh produce. Weight loss, respiration rate and ethylene production can also be reduced at low temperatures and the head firmness maintained. In many developing countries, the fresh produce industry is hampered by lack of efficient and effective supply chains. The supply chains are generally not organised, are fragmented, and losses in product quality and quantity are usually high, which are absorbed by farmers as reduced farm-gate price and by consumers as increased purchase price

EFFORTS TOWARDS THE REDUCTION IN POST-HARVEST LOSSES OF CABBAGE

For a profitable cabbage production, growers should reduce losses in the field, enhance quality and safety of the produce after harvesting, and supply the produce at its best possible condition to the consumers. After harvesting, the quality of produce usually cannot be improved, but can only be maintained. The most basic factor affecting good quality is harvesting at proper stage of maturity. The most important quality characteristics of fresh market cabbage are colour, firmness, crispness, and freedom from decay and rot. High temperatures during post-harvest period and the use of non-protective packages are the major sources of high level damage and deterioration, which greatly reduces the potential post-harvest life of all fresh produce including cabbage. Assessing post-harvest losses of fresh produce provides benchmark information for determining loss reduction interventions to increase profitability and competitiveness of farming and marketing ventures. The most common post-harvest problems of cabbage in the supply chain are physical damage, bacterial soft rot, leaf yellowing, and wilting. Storage of cabbage at 4-10 C, can effectively delay leaf yellowing and maintain leaf chlorophyll content. Low temperature or cold storage is the single most effective method of prolonging the post-harvest life of fresh produce. Weight loss, respiration rate and ethylene production can also be reduced at low temperatures and the head firmness maintained. In many developing countries, the fresh produce industry is hampered by lack of efficient and effective supply chains. The supply chains are generally not organised, are fragmented, and losses in product quality and quantity are usually high, which are absorbed by farmers as reduced farm-gate price and by consumers as increased purchase price

THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF WHITE ASTERS (SYMPHYOTRICHUM ERICOIDES L.)

All good potting media should meet the needs of plant’s root for air, water, nutrients and support. Satisfactory growth of annual transplants and nursery crops can occur in soilless media made up of a wide range of components. White asters are important flowering plants usually grown in gardens, as potted plants and bedding plants. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different growing media on the growth and development of white asters. The different treatments combinations used included: garden soil; soil + sand (1:1); sand + kraal manure (1:1); soil + sand + compost (1:1:1), and soil + sand + shredded bark (1:1:3). The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). White asters grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture had the highest number of leaves (32.0), plant height (23.2 cm), leaf area (30.9 cm2), leaf area index (0.35), number of flowers (18.8), flower diameter (4.8 cm), shoot fresh mass (27.3 g), shoot dry mass (5.8 g), root fresh mass (3.6 g), root dry mass (0.6 g), and root length (13.2 cm). Plants grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture had twice the shoot dry mass of those grown in soil/sand/ compost medium. The roots dry mass of plants grown in soil/sand/shredded bark mixture was more than double that of plants grown in soil/sand/compost mixture. Plants grown in soil/sand/compost mixture had the lowest number of leaves (17.3), plant height (18.5 cm), leaf area (17.2 cm), leaf area index (0.19), number of flowers (11.5), flower diameter (4.2 cm), shoot fresh mass (13.6 g), shoot dry mass (2.9 g), root fresh mass (1.3 g), and root dry mass (0.3 g). Therefore, it can be recommended that farmers or florists who want to grow white asters may use soil/sand/shredded bark mixture for optimum growth and development of the plants

EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILISERS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF SNOW PEAS (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum)

Snow peas (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) are one of the widely used baby vegetable in Swaziland; however, there is a dearth of information pertaining to its organic production. A field study laid out in Factorial Randomised Complete Block Design was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Luyengo Campus, of the University of Swaziland. Organic fertilisers used were kraal manure, broiler manure, and Igrow, applied at 20, 40, and 60 (t/ha). Inorganic fertilisers 2:3:2 (22) + 0.5% zinc and limestone ammonium nitrate (28%) were applied at 100 kg/ha and 80 kg/ha respectively. A trend of superiority of the different levels of organic manure application was observed as snow peas provided with 40 t/ha and 60 t/ha exhibited higher values in vegetative and reproductive growth, marketable yield and protein content especially on broiler and kraal manure application. The use of broiler manure at 40 t/ha and 60 t/ha in the production of vegetables like snow peas should be encouraged, because their application resulted in increased growth and yield compared to synthetic fertilisers