82 research outputs found
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
This 7 page publications explains how to grow vegetables in containers when insufficient space or unsutable soil conditions make a traditional garden difficult to achieve. Topics include: container materials, crop selection, growing media, seeding and transplanting, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting, among others
Impact of Low and Moderate Salinity Water on Plant Performance of Leafy Vegetables in a Recirculating NFT System
Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to examine the growth and mineral nutrition of four leafy vegetables in a nutrient film technique (NFT) system with water with low to moderate salinity. In Expt. 1, a nutrient solution was prepared using reverse osmosis (RO) water and treatments consisted of supplementing with RO water, tap water, or nutrient solution. In Expt. 2, nutrient solution was prepared using three different water sources (treatments), namely, RO water, tap water, or tap water, plus sodium chloride (NaCl), and supplementing solution was prepared using the same three water sources at one third strength. For both of the experiments, seeds of pac choi âTokyo Bekanaâ, âMei Qing Choiâ, and âRosieâ (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) and leaf lettuce âTropicanaâ (Lactuca sativa) were sown and were grown in a growth chamber. Two weeks after sowing, seedlings were transplanted to the NFT systems. Expt. 1 was conducted from 19 April to 19 May 2016 and Expt. 2 from 6 September to 12 October 2016. In Expt. 1, nitrate (NO3â) and phosphorus (P) levels in the tanks decreased, and potassium (K+) levels reached almost zero at the end of the experiment when supplemented with RO or tap water. However, calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and sulfate (SO42â) either did not decrease or increased over time. Supplementing water type did not affect the growth of leaf lettuce and âMei Qing Choiâ pac choi; however, fresh weight of âRosieâ pac choi and both fresh and dry weight of âTokyo Bekanaâ pac choi were reduced when supplemented with RO water. Leaf sap NO3â was reduced in âTokyo Bekanaâ pac choi, but not in other varieties, when supplemented with RO or tap water. Leaf sap K+ decreased in âTokyo Bekanaâ, but not in other varieties. The supplementing water type did not impact leaf sap Ca2+, regardless of vegetable varieties. In Expt. 2, NO3â in all of the treatments, P in RO water, and K+ in RO or tap water decreased in the last week of the experiment. Other macronutrients did not change substantially over time. The addition of NaCl significantly reduced the growth of all the vegetables. âTropicanaâ leaf lettuce was the least tolerant to NaCl, followed by âRosieâ pac choi. Water source did not affect leaf Ca2+, K+, P, SO42â, and Mg2+ except for âTokyo Bekanaâ where NaCl addition decreased Ca2+ and Mg2+. Our results indicated that the tested leafy vegetables differed in response to various types of water used as supplementing or as source water. N, P, and especially K, should be supplemented in the late stage of the experiment, while replacing the whole tank nutrient solution is only necessary when Na+ and/Clâ build up to harmful levels
Relative Salt Tolerance of 22 Pomegranate (\u3ci\u3ePunica granatum\u3c/i\u3e) Cultivars
A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the relative salt tolerance of pomegranate (Punica granatum) cultivars. Twenty-two pomegranate cultivars were irrigated weekly with a saline solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 10.0 dS¡mâ1 for 4 weeks and subsequently with a saline solution at an EC of 15.0 dS¡mâ1 for another 3 weeks (salt treatment). Another group of uniform plants was watered with a nutrient solution without additional salts at an EC of 1.2 dS¡mâ1 (control). No visual foliar salt damage (leaf burn, necrosis, or discoloration) was observed during the entire experimental period; however, salt treatment impacted pomegranate growth negatively, with a large variation among cultivars. Salt treatment reduced shoot length by 25% and dry weight (DW) by 32% on average for all cultivars. Cluster analysis classified the 22 tested pomegranate cultivars in two groups. The group consisting of âArturo Iveyâ, âDeAndaâ, âKazakeâ, âRussian 8â, âApseronskiâ, âPurple Heartâ, âCarolina Vernumâ, âChivaâ, âKunduzskiâ, âLarry Ceballos 1â, âMLâ, âSalavatskiâ, âSpanish Sweetâ, and âWonderfulâ was more salt tolerant than the group including âAl-Sirin-Narâ, âKandaharâ, âSurhAnorâ, âEarly Wonderfulâ, âAngel Redâ, âBen Iveyâ, âUtah Sweetâ, and âMollarâ. The sodium (Na) concentration in the leaf tissue of all 22 pomegranate cultivars was less than 1 mg¡gâ1 on a DW basis. All pomegranate cultivars in the salt treatment had an average leaf chloride (Cl) content of 10.03 mg¡gâ1 DWâan increase of 17% from the control. These results indicate that pomegranate plants have a strong capability to exclude Na and Cl accumulation in leaf tissue. In conclusion, the pomegranate plant is very tolerant to saline water irrigation up to an EC of 15 dS¡mâ1 with little foliar salt damage and a slight growth reduction. Investigation is needed to determine the effects of saline water on the fruit yield and nutritional quality of pomegranate
Is Esophagectomy for Benign Conditions Benign?
BACKGROUND: Outcomes data on esophagectomy performed for benign conditions is scarce. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we sought to analyze outcomes of esophagectomy performed for benign conditions.
METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all esophagectomies performed from 2005 to 2015. Outcomes for benign conditions were analyzed and compared with outcomes for malignant conditions.
RESULTS: Esophagectomy was performed in 7,477 patients during the study period. Of those, 6,762 underwent esophagectomy for malignant conditions and 715 for benign conditions. For patients with benign conditions, reconstruction was performed using gastric conduit in 631 and colon/intestine in 84. The anastomosis was intrathoracic in 420 and cervical in 295. Benign esophagectomies were more likely to be emergent (10.1% vs 0.4%, p \u3c 0.001). In addition, these patients had a longer hospital length of stay (17.2 days vs 14.5 days, p \u3c 0.001) and higher occurrence of Clavien-Dindo grade IV complications (25% vs 20%, p = 0.003). Mortality was similar at 4%. In patients with benign conditions, reconstruction with colon/intestine had higher occurrence of Clavien-Dindo Grade IV complications (37% vs 23%, p = 0.006), surgical wound infections (33% vs 16%, p \u3c 0.001), and death (10% vs 4%, p = 0.017) compared with gastric reconstruction. Site of anastomosis did not affect outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Benign esophagectomies are associated with significant morbidity. Although the site of the anastomosis does not alter outcomes, use of colon/intestine conduit should be pursued with caution
Onion Peel Waste Has the Potential to Be Converted into a Useful Agricultural Product to Improve Vegetable Crop Growth
The onion processing industry produces hundreds of thousands of tons of onion waste annually. Normally, onion peel waste is dumped in landfills, which creates additional sources of greenhouse gases. Research has validated that onion peel is a concentrated source of bioactive compounds; therefore, it can be turned into useful agricultural products such as soil amendments and possibly biostimulants. This study conducted three experiments to investigate the plant growth-promoting potential of an onion juice concentrate (OJC). The first experiment explored whether the application of OJC could increase plant growth of Bermuda grass, lettuce, and bok choy. The second experiment evaluated the effects of foliar and subsurface drench applications of OJC on bok choy and lettuce growth. The third experiment investigated the interaction between OJC application methods and fertilizer type on bok choy and radish growth. The results indicated that foliar applications of OJC of 1% to 2% concentrations increased the yield of bok choy and its overall growth. Subirrigation with OJC, however, enhanced the root growth of bok choy, lettuce, and radish. Notably, the combined approach of foliar and subirrigation applications further promoted the growth of both bok choy and radish. Comparing across experiments, longer OJC application periods emerged as a promising strategy for amplifying its growth-promoting benefits. Overall, our findings suggest that OJC holds promise for promoting sustainable agriculture. This potential comes from its ability to enhance both the growth and yield of vegetable crops like bok choy, lettuce, and radish while simultaneously reducing waste
Effect of ultrasonic, thermal and ozone pre-treatments on waste activated sludge solubilisation and anaerobic biodegradability
In order to enhance the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, the effects of ultrasounds, ozonation and thermal pre-treatment have been studied on waste activated sludge. The feature of this study was to carry out the comparison of the three pre-treatments in the same conditions and on the same sludge sample. Each treatment was tested in two conditions close to optimum conditions to maximise batch anaerobic sludge biodegradability. All treatments led to chemical oxygen demand and matter solubilisation and had little influence on mineral matter. In terms of solubilisation thermal pre-treatment was better than sonication or ozonation. But, in terms of batch anaerobic biodegradability, best results were obtained with ultrasounds with an energy of 6250 or 9350 kJ/kg TS and a thermal treatment at 170 or 190°C. Moreover, treatments had effects on physicochemical characteristics of sludge samples: apparent viscosity decreased after all treatments but the reduction was more important with thermal treatment. Median diameter of sludge flocs were reduced after sonication, increased after thermal treatment and did not change after ozonation. Finally, capillary suction time (CST) increased after ozonation, increased highly after sonication and was reduced after thermal treatmen
Growing Herbs in Texas
11 pp., 3 tablesThis publication explains how to grow herbs in Texas. Topics include site selection, establishment, harvesting, managing pests, preservation, and storage
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