Disease occurrence and fruit quality of pre-harvest calcium treated red flesh dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

A study aiming at increasing Ca content in red flesh dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) via pre-harvest fruit CaCl2 spray in relations to postharvest disease occurrence and fruit quality parameters was conducted. From day 7 after anthesis, red flesh dragon fruits (H.  polyrhizus) were sprayed at weekly interval for four times with different concentration of CaCl2 (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 gl-1). Fruit Ca content in fruitpeel (DW basis) were markedly increased with the increasing Ca  concentration in the applied solution but the Ca application did not affect Ca content in flesh. The compositions of N, P, K and Mg were not affected by the treatment. The severity of anthracnose and brown rot, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Monilinia fructicola, respectively, of artificially wounded fruits was reduced in preharvest CaCl2-treated fruits. The concentrations of soluble solids and titratable acidity in fruit were notaffected by the treatment. The firmness of fresh cut fruit was markedly enhanced at higher concentration of CaCl2. Beneficial effects of increasing Ca in fruit can be seen in the increase of fruit firmness although this did not contribute in enhancement of fruit quality-related parameters. Increased Ca content in treated fruits, together with no effects of treatment on other mineral nutrients, increased the ratio of Ca to other elements and this may contribute directly to the reduction of anthracnose and brown rot severity in CaCl2-treated fruits.Key words: Pitaya, anthracnose, brown rot, calcium chloride, fruit quality

Analisis Pemanfaatan Media Pembelajaran IPA SD

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui ketersediaan dan pemanfaatan media pembelajaran IPA serta untuk mengetahui upaya yang dilakukan guru dalam pemanfaatan media pembelajaran Pada Siswa Kelas IV, V, VI Sekolah Dasar di Desa Sungai Ayak Kabupaten Sekadau. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dan bentuk penelitian ini adalah survei. Ketersediaan media pembelajaran IPA di 5 SD di Desa Sungai Ayak, Kabupaten Sekadau termasuk dalam kategori “Kuat”. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian media yang tersedia di 5 SD tersebut adalah poster IPA, model tata surya, kit IPA, kaca pembesar (Lup), globe, cermin, mikroskop, proyektor, komputer, model tubuh manusia, torso, benda-benda konkret dan lingkungan alam dengan rata-rata persentase sebesar 71,42%. Pemanfaatan media pembelajaran IPA pada siswa kelas Tinggi di 5 SD di Desa Sungai Ayak, Kabupaten Sekadau diperoleh secara keseluruhan pemanfaatannya sebesar 82,14%. Ketersediaan media pembelajaran IPA di setiap SD di Desa Sungai Ayak, dengan rata-rata persentase 65,64% sedangkan pemanfaatan media pembelajaran IPA di setiap SD di Desa Sungai Ayak, Kabupaten Sekadau dengan rata-rata persentase 81,9%

Growth and development of symbiotic Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus mossea(Nicol. and Gerd.), in alachlor and glyphosate treated soils

Herbicides are applied to control weeds in agricultural practices and could also be detrimental to the development of some microorganisms living in the soil ecosystem. This study was conducted to determine the growth and development of mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus mossea (Nicol. and Gerd.), in soils treated with herbicides. Herbicide treatments were alachlor at 1.8, 3.6, 5.4 and 36 μg active ingredient (a.i.) g-1 or glyphosate at 1.1, 2.2, 3.3 and 21.6 μg a.i. g-1 dry soil, representing 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 10 x their recommended field application rates. Spore germination percentage and hyphal growth length were determined from spores germinated on cellulose membrane filters, sandwiched between the herbicide treated soil layers in Perti-dish after 30 days incubation in darkness at 22±1°C. External and internal hyphae and their active portions were determined from soil samples of the host growing medium and colonized host plant root systems, respectively. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) staining techniques were used to determine the respective active portion of the hyphae. Spores from the prepared inoculum source have high germination percentage (93%) in nonherbicide treated soil. Germination of spores and its hyphal growth were not significantly affected in soil treated with alachlor and glyphosate at the recommended field application rates or less. Alachlor reduced the spore germination and hyphal growth significantly at treatments higher than recommended field application rates, but non-significant effect caused by the glyphosate. The development of external hyphae was insignificantly affected in the herbicides treated soils compared with that of the untreated soil. Colonization and development of internal hyphae on host plant roots were not affected by the herbicide treatments to the soil growing medium at recommended field application rates or less. There was a tendency for the higher treatment rates of alachlor (1.5 and 10x) to affect the development of internal mycorrhizal tissues. Application of alachlor or glyphosate herbicide at their recommended field application rates were not harmful to mycorrhizal development and symbiotic colonization of plant roots. Alachlor, at higher treatments than the recommended field application rates affected the presymbiotic stages of the spore germination and the internal mycorrhizal tissues development substantially.Key words: Arbuscular mycorhrizal fungi, Glomus mossea (Nicol. and Gerd.), alachlor, glyphosate

Pembelajaran Bangun Ruang Berbasis Augmented Reality dengan Metode Marker Augmented Reality

Siswa SMP merasa kesulitan dalam memahami materi bangun ruang, karena tanpa alat peraga mereka hanya mampu membayangkan saja atau mengimajinasikan sendiri objek bangun ruang tersebut. Karena itu dibutuhkan aplikasi yang dapat menampilkan bentuk bangun ruang 3 dimensi agar siswa dapat memahami bentuk dari masing -masing bangun ruang. Pembelajaran bangun ruang berbasis augmented reality dengan metode marker augmented reality adalah aplikasi multimedia yang menggabungkan data grafis bentuk bangun ruang 3 dimensi dengan media buku. Menampilkan bangun ruang seperti kubus, balok, prisma, limas, tabung, kerucut, dan bola, beserta elemen -elemen dan rumus-rumus yang berlaku pada bangun ruang tersebut. Dengan metode marker augmented reality yang mengidentifikasi pola dari marker untuk menampilkan objek virtual kedunia nyata. Dengan menggunakan tahapan pengembangan multimedia yaitu concept, design, material collecting, assembly, testing, dandistribution agar dalam membangun pembelajaran bangun ruang berbasis augmented reality dengan terstruktur. Aplikasi ini dapat menjadi salah satu media pembelajaran alternatif materi bangun ruang untuk tingkat SMP

Special based isolation system for low-rise RC building

In the past decade, there were a lot of seismic activities around the world that cause low rise reinforced concrete suffered severe damage and total collapse. A special based isolation system can be equipped to the low rise building to prevent it from damaged and collapse by improving the period, stiffness and damping of the structures. The based isolation system can increase the natural period of a rigid structure under first mode shape by applying low stiffness rubber isolators. These method can provide a better structural behaviour of low rise RC building as compared to moderate or high stiffness rubber isolators. Furthermore, the special based isolation system with maximum damping of 15% for 4 storey and 6 storey RC building. However, the value of optimum damping depends upon the characteristics of ground motions and frequencies of the earthquakes

A Case of Feline Panleukopenia in Malaysia Confirmed by Electron Microscopy

A typical case of feline panleuk0penia in ~n 18 ;month-old domestic ca~ is repoted. The disease was characterised clinically by anorexza, depresszon, diarrhoea and dehydratzon. Typzcal pathologzcal changes of severe villous atrophy and erosion of the small intestial epitheliun were o~served. Electron microscopic examination of the faeces revealed the presence of partzcles resemblzng parvovzrus