A review on integrated agro-technology of vegetables

The aim of this review was threefold: First, to explore the effect of different preharvest treatments on postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables. Second, the principles of biological, chemical and biochemical changes in fruits and vegetables during development, maturation, ripening and storage were reviewed. Third postharvest handling and factors affecting quality of fruits and vegetables were examined. These include disinfecting, packaging and storage temperature. Pre- and postharvest treatments were found to have an effect on postharvest quality of fruit and vegetables, suggesting that postharvest quality of produce subjected to preharvest treatments should be assessed from a quality improvement, maintenance and consumer safety point of view. Literature recommends an integratedagro-technology approach towards improving quality at harvest and maintenance of qualities of fruits and vegetables.Keywords: Agro-technology, vegetables, fruits, preharvest treatments, ripening, postharvest handling, storag

Integrated agrotechnology with preharvest ComCat® treatment, modified atmosphere packaging and forced ventilation evaporative cooling of carrots

Preharvest ComCat® treatment of carrots was investigated for storage characteristics of treated vegetables in forced ventilation evaporative cooling. The forced ventilation evaporative cooling system was designed such that the temperature could be reduced by 8.4 - 13.4°C below ambient temperature, while maintaining a relative humidity up to 91%. Storage in this EC increased shelf lives of carrots to 24 days, compared to 4 days when stored at ambient conditions. ComCat® treatment of carrots significantly (P 0.05) affected pH, total sugar content and the population of moulds and yeasts during storage at evaporative cooling. Modified atmosphere packaging significantly (P 0.001) reduced physiological weight loss, moisture and juice content of carrots stored inside evaporative cooling. Modified atmosphere packaging coupled with evaporative cooling reduced the rate of sugar utilization for metabolic activities, compared to unpackaged carrots stored at ambient conditions. The populations of aerobic bacteria and fungi were significantly (P 0.001) affected by modified atmosphere packaging coupled with evaporative cooling temperature. Disinfecting with chlorinated water helped additionally to limit microbial growth during evaporative cooling storage

Effects of relative humidity and temperature on small scale peach fruit drying using a tunnel solar dryer: a case study of peach fruit produced by small scale farmers in the midlands of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

The study investigated the relationships between tunnel and ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) and their effects on the performance of a tunnel solar dryer tested by drying peach slices. The temperature and RH showed an inverse proportion because if the ambient temperature increased, both the tunnel and ambient RH dropped. There was a direct proportion between the increasing ambient temperature and increased tunnel temperature. The use of treatment such as ascorbic acid or lemon juice did not have a significant effect on the overall drying between the yellow and white landraces. Ascorbic acid had a tendency to perform better than lemon juice which was also better than the untreated slices in terms of the taste and overall acceptability of the dried products. White peach slices were of better quality than yellow slices. It was concluded that solar drying is possible in the Midlands region. Extension officers and researchers can work hand in hand in partnerships with communities in implementing old and cheap but ignored technologies such as this method of food drying.Keywords: Ambient temperature, ambient RH, tunnel RH, tunnel temperature, lemon juice, ascorbic aci

Rising Conservation Tillage Acreage: Implications for Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot of Soybean

Cropping practices are shifting to conservation tillage to counter the growing threat of wind and water erosion due to excessive soil disturbances by conventional tillage practices. In addition, reduction in costs of production and the availability of effective herbicides and drill-planters have played a significant part in decision making. Conservation tillage is defined as any tillage systems that maintain at least 30% of the soil surface covered by residues after planting (National Resource Conservation Service). No-till, mulch-till and ridge-till tillage systems meet the residue level requirement, and their practice is currently on the rise both at the state and national level

Developing low-cost household water supply options: the potential of self supply in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has launched a Universal Access Plan (UAP) to achieve safe water supply and sanitation for the country’s 77 million people by 2012. This would mean providing safe water service to 50.9 million new users in just 7 years. The government recently reviewed the progress of UAP and concluded that it would be challenging to achieve its targets with the existing implementation approach. The review strongly recommended that lowcost options need to be pursued to accelerate progress. Self Supply is proposed to be one such approach, providing safe water supply to households without external subsidy. This paper briefly discusses the practice and potential of Self Supply approach; and proposes key next steps needed to help achieve the UAP target for safe water supply in Ethiopia

Regional Assessment of Soybean Brown Stem Rot, Phytophthora sojae, and Heterodera glycines Using Area-Frame Sampling: Prevalence and Effects of Tillage

The prevalence of brown stem rot (caused by Phialophora gregata), Heterodera glycines, and Phytophthora sojae in the north central United States was investigated during the fall of 1995 and 1996. Soybean fields were randomly selected using an area-frame sampling design in collaboration with the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil and soybean stem samples, along with tillage information, were collected from 1,462 fields in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio. An additional 275 soil samples collected from Indiana were assessed for H. glycines. For each field, the incidence and prevalence of brown stem rot was assessed in 20 soybean stem pieces. The prevalence and recovery (expressed as the percentage of leaf disks colonized) of P. sojae and the prevalence and population densities of H. glycines were determined from the soil samples. The prevalence of brown stem rot ranged from 28% in Missouri to 73% in Illinois; 68 and 72% of the fields in Minnesota and Iowa, respectively, showed symptomatic samples. The incidence of brown stem rot was greater in conservation-till than in conventional-till fields in all states except Minnesota, which had few no-till fields. P. sojae was detected in two-thirds of the soybean fields in Ohio and Minnesota, whereas 63, 55, and 41% of the fields in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, respectively, were infested with the pathogen. The recovery rates of P. sojae were significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) in conservation-till than in conventional-till fields in all states except Iowa. H. glycines was detected in 83% of the soybean fields in Illinois, 74% in Iowa, 71% in Missouri, 60% in Ohio, 54% in Minnesota, and 47% in Indiana. Both the prevalence and population densities of H. glycines were consistently greater in tilled than in no-till fields in all states for which tillage information was available

Feeding your soil-nurturing the people

United States Agency for International Developmen

Natural resource management: Africa RISING science, innovations and technologies with scaling potential from the Ethiopian highlands

United States Agency for International Developmen

Decision support tools for fertilizer recommendation

United States Agency for International Developmen