Survey on Pest and Disease of Corn (Zea Mays Linn) grown at BRIS Soil Area

A field survey was conducted to identified insect pest, beneficial insect and plant disease that associated with corn (Zea mays Linn) at BRIS soil area. Hybrid sweet corn variety Sugar King 516 was used as a sentinel plant in this study. All insect pest and beneficial insect observed at the experimental plot was collected and identified in the laboratory. Corn plant that shows the symptom of disease infection was collected for the isolation of pathogen and identification. The data on plant growth such as plant height, corn ear height, dry straw weight, ear weight, ear length, grain dry weight and shell weight was recorded. Data obtained shows the performance and adaptability of hybrid sweet corn variety Sweet King 516 in this experiment was comparable to the local hybrid sweet corn grown at other BRIS soil area at Terengganu. There is no strange pattern on the plant growth, thus prove that the insect infestation or disease infection does not disturb the plant development. Thirteen species of insect pest were identified. There are grasshopper (family Acrididae), katydid (family Tettigoniidae), sweet potato bug (Physomerus grossipes- family Coreidae), derbid plant hopper (Proutista moesta- family Derbidae), cotton stainer (Dysdercus sp- family Pyrrhocoridae), largid bug (Physopelta sp- family Largidae), corn leaf hopper (Peregrinus maidis- family Delphacidae), corn rootworms (Diabrotica virgifera- family Chrysomelidae), green chafer beetle (Anomala albopilosa- family Scarabaeidae) and tussock moth (Orgyia sp- family Erebidae). Three species of predatory insect were identified; Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis- family Coccinellidae), transverse lady beetle (Coccinella transversalis- family Coccinellidae) and assassin bug (family Reduviidae). Two species of fungal pathogen that attacks corn in this experiment were identified as Fusarium sp. and Puccinia sp. Data obtained in this study provides info on pests and diseases associateed with corn, thus could be beneficial for the farmers to be prepared with the best pest and management strategies for their corn plantation at BRIS soil area. Keywords: Sweet corn, insect pest, plant disease, BRIS soi

Effect of amending organic and inorganic fertilizer on selected soil physical properties in entisols

Application of organic amendment has become a substantial option and it is originated from oil palm waste. The integrated application of organic and inorganic amendment on crops could effectively gain high yield of production. After application of treatments, variables such as pressure head, water content, hydraulic capacity, hydraulic conductivity, and diffusivity are important to determine and observe its effect on soil physical properties using RETC model. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of organic and inorganic amendments on Rasau soil series (Entisols). The comparison was made on the effect of organic amendments (Biogreen–BG and treated POME Sludge-TPS), and NPK fertilizer, and on maize yield which two of the treatments are the combination of organic and inorganic amendments (BG+NPK and TPS+NPK). The soil water holding capacity for NPK+TPS treatment was the highest compared to the control treatment. Hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was shown higher in NPK+BG treatment compared to the other treatments. In addition, the soil physical properties measurement in each treatment improved the soil hydraulic capacity uptake and moisture content. The combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer has shown a significant result in improving soil hydraulic properties compared to the NPK and control treatment

Effects of temperature treatment on seed germination, root development and seedling growth of Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)

The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of temperature on the seed germination, root development and seedling growth of watermelon. Yellow flesh watermelon seeds were incubated with control (normal temperature 25°C, 20°C, 30°C, 35°C and 40°C under lab condition. This experiment was carried out with Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and each treatment consists of five replications. The morphological and physiological parameters were measured once a week for five weeks during the germination and early seedling establishment. The results showed that seed treated under 35°C treatment produced the best results for the days require to germination, germination percentage, root development, vine and root length, leaf expansion and seedling growth of watermelon. In addition, chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic yield and stomatal conductance also affected positively with the temperature treatments. Fresh and dry biomass accumulation in the seedlings of watermelon was also the highest in 35°C treatment. It can be concluded that seeds incubated with 35°C during the germination increased the germination rate, root development and seedlings growth of watermelon

Membership function model for defining optimality of vapor pressure deficit in closed-field cultivation of tomato

Estimation of plant’s evapotranspiration (ET) or water loss to the atmosphere depends on the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) of the closed-field environment (greenhouse). The objective of this work was to develop a membership function model for defining optimal VPD of greenhouse air for tomato cultivation (Lycopersicon esculentum) at different growth stages (GS) and light conditions (sun, cloud, night). Mathematical descriptions of a peer-reviewed published growth response (GR) model for optimal greenhouse air temperature (T) and relative humidity (rH) were derived and implemented in a computer program. An incremental algorithm was written in MATLAB© based on definitive concepts in VPD equations and the GR model. Non-linear regression was applied to describe mathematical relationship between the incremented outputs of the model and the calculated VPD values (R2=0.999 to 1). Results were validated with three published literatures and were shown to be capable of exploring optimal levels of VPD by means of real numbers between 0 and 1. This study can contribute to knowledge-based information and decision support systems in greenhouse climate control and management by quantifying comfort level of microclimate

Ameliorating plant available water by addition of treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) sludge on entisols

Palm oil mill contributed a significant benefit to agro-based industry and social-economic for Malaysia. The treated POME sludge was produced from the open treatment ponds and palm oil mill effluent (POME) without any treatment is considered as a polluted wastewater. This study is to determine the effect of POME sludge on Entisols for plant available water (PAW). The data obtained from this study were selected to measure physicochemical parameters (bulk density, porosity, compaction, organic matter), hydraulic parameter (hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic capacity and water retention) to determine the PAW. The POME sludge from different treatment ponds (control, mixing pond, anaerobic pond, facultative pond, algae pond and dumping pond) was applied to the Zea mays (Hibrimas) as a test crops. The results showed that maize treated with POME sludge from the dumping pond indicated significant difference on soil organic matter, bulk density, porosity, soil compaction and plant available water compared to mixing and anaerobic ponds. As a conclusion, POME sludge from the dumping might improve soil physical properties of Entisols. The dumping pond sludge has significant potential to be used as an organic amendment for plant growth in the future

Shear strength and root length density analyses of Entisols treated with palm oil mill effluent sludge

The underutilized and improper management of wastewater such as palm oil mill effluent sludge (POME) sludge might create pollution and give a negative impact towards the environment. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of shear strength parameter and root length density of maize on Entisols applied with POME sludge as a soil amendment. The maize was planted on Rasau soil series (Entisols) amended with different POME sludge treatment systems from various ponds (mixing, anaerobic, facultative, algae, and dumping). Standard direct shear box test was used to identify the cohesion (c) and angle of internal friction (φ) after application of treatments. The bulk density, porosity, moisture content, organic matter, root length and root density of Zea mays L. (Hibrimas) applied with POME sludge from dumping pond (DP), aglae pond (ALP) and facultative pond (FP) were significantly difference against the control treatment. The positive effect of root length and root length density (RLD) treated with POME sludge from the dumping pond was 26% and 38% compared to the other treatments. The results highlighted that roots enhanced soil shear strength by reducing the cohesion and increased the angle of internal friction component. The shear strength analysis showed that high shear strength of normal stress at 500.72 kN/m2 was measured from the dumping pond's POME sludge treatment after maize harvesting. The POME sludge from the DP, ALP and FP was ameliorating some nutrients deficiencies for the plant growth and improved the root length density. In conclusion, the POME sludge from the DP indicated the high shear strength and root length densities due to the adequate nutrients for roots distribution and maize growth

Development of a home-based wrist rehabilitation system

There are several factors that may result to wrist injuries such as athlete injuries and stroke. Most of the patients are unable to undergo rehabilitation at healthcare providers due to cost and logistic constraint. To solve this problem, this project proposes a home-based wrist rehabilitation system. The goal is to create a wrist rehabilitation device that incorporates an interactive computer game so that patients can use it at home without assistance. The main structure of the device is developed using 3D printer. The device is connected to a computer, where the device provides exercises for the wrist, as the user completes a computer game which requires moving a ball to four target positions. Data from an InvenSense MPU-6050 accelerometer is used to measure wrist movements. The accelerometer values are read and used to control a mouse cursor for the computer game. The pattern of wrist movements can be recorded periodically and displayed back as sample run for analysis purposes. In this paper, the usefulness of the proposed system is demonstrated through preliminary experiment of a subject using the device to complete a wrist exercise task based on the developed computer game. The result shows the usefulness of the proposed system

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Establishment and Optimization of Plant Growth Media for the Propagation of Mas Cotek (Ficus deltoidea Jack var. trengganuensis)

The propagation of Mas Cotek using tissue culture techniques is time-consuming and requires specific conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the best rooting media formulation to propagate Mas Cotek under field conditions. First, the effects of plant growth media (rice husk biochar (RHB), bris soil, cocopeat (CC), peatmoss, and a mixture of 3CC: 7RHB) on plant traits were investigated. Subsequently, the optimal ratio of CC and RHB for Mas Cotek propagation was carried out. In addition, the evaluation of the traits of the Mas Cotek plant when grown with the mixture of 3CC: 7RHB enriched with different rooting-promoting materials (effective microorganism, Agromedia™, Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), organic fertilizer, peatmoss, and seasol) was also performed. Plant growth variables measured were the total number of roots, length, plant biomass, chlorophyll content, and stem diameter. Planting media characters observed were soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, and plant growth media biomass. The results showed that Mas Cotek propagated best in the combination of 3CC:7RHB growth media added with IBA. This plant growth media has enhanced the total root, root length, plant biomass, root biomass, stem diameter and chlorophyll content of the plant seedlings. The pH of plant growth media (7.00-neutral) and electrical conductivity (0.61 mS/m) are also suitable for growing many types of plants. Findings will help farmers choose the best plant growth media to propagate their plant seedlings. Keywords: Mas Cotek, Ficus Deltoidea, Plant Growth Media, Plant Propagation, Rootin