In vitro bioassays of some plant extracts against Banana anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum musae

Anthracnose of banana caused by Colletotrichum musae is an invasive disease, which is difficult to control in the export process. Plant extracts used to control plant diseases are gradually becoming substitutes for traditional fungicides because they are safe for the human body and environmentally friendly. The study was conducted to record the prevalence of banana anthracnose in two locations and to determine the best medium for the growth of C. musae and botanical extracts for managing the fungus under in-vitro conditions. Six media viz., Ripen banana peels media (RBPM), Unripen banana peels media (URBPM), Ripen banana flash fruit media (RBFFM), Unripen banana flash fruit media (URBFFM), Banana leaf media (BLM) and Potato dextrose agar media (PDA), four botanical extracts including Garlic (GC), Mint (MT), Eucalyptus (EC) and Neem seed (NS) at 2, 4 and 6% concentrations were tested against the fungus and the control (CL) remain untreated. Potato dextrose agar media (PDA) was used as a standard semi-synthetic growth media. The prevailing frequency of the disease was high in the investigation area. The maximum linear mycelial growth of the C. musae was recorded on PDA (85 mm) followed by URBFFM (40 mm), RBFFM (26 mm) whereas the lowest mycelial growth was recorded on BLM (20 mm) and URBPM (8 mm). In-vitro experiments showed that PDA was the best medium for the mycelial growth of C. musae. Moreover, tested botanical extracts showed high variation in reducing the colony growth of the fungus. EC was found most effective in reducing the colony growth of the fungus followed by NS, GC and MT. These results suggest that all the botanical extracts may be potentially useful for controlling anthracnose of bananas, EC extract can be effectively used for the field experiment

Prospective study on safety climate of surface mining in Pakistan

The purpose of this study was to assess miners’ perceptions about the safety climate of their workplace. To achieve the research aim, the relationship between demographic characteristics and occupational hazards was first determined, and finally, the relationship of safety climate with occupational hazards and health-seeking behavior was discovered. The data was collected through a self-reporting questionnaire. The results revealed that the subjects have to deal with severe occupational hazards, and they possess poor health-seeking behavior. A safety climate assessment showed that only one of the seven dimensions (i.e. safety communication, learning, and trust in co-worker safety competence) was at a satisfactory level. With respect to the first objective, we found that age, education, and experience were statistically significant with occupational hazards, while marital status had no significant impact on occupational hazards. Regarding the second objective, three dimensions (management safety justice, safety communication, learning, and trust in co-worker safety competence, and workers’ trust in the efficacy of safety systems) were significant predictors of occupational hazards. The study reflects that workers’ participation is the main factor in setting up an adequate safety climate within the organization. Suggestions provided in this study could provide useful information to managers and safety practitioners to improve safety performance and promote the safety climate in the organization

Prospective study on safety climate of surface mining in Pakistan

The purpose of this study was to assess miners’ perceptions about the safety climate of their workplace. To achieve the research aim, the relationship between demographic characteristics and occupational hazards was first determined, and finally, the relationship of safety climate with occupational hazards and health-seeking behavior was discovered. The data was collected through a self-reporting questionnaire. The results revealed that the subjects have to deal with severe occupational hazards, and they possess poor health-seeking behavior. A safety climate assessment showed that only one of the seven dimensions (i.e. safety communication, learning, and trust in co-worker safety competence) was at a satisfactory level. With respect to the first objective, we found that age, education, and experience were statistically significant with occupational hazards, while marital status had no significant impact on occupational hazards. Regarding the second objective, three dimensions (management safety justice, safety communication, learning, and trust in co-worker safety competence, and workers’ trust in the efficacy of safety systems) were significant predictors of occupational hazards. The study reflects that workers’ participation is the main factor in setting up an adequate safety climate within the organization. Suggestions provided in this study could provide useful information to managers and safety practitioners to improve safety performance and promote the safety climate in the organization