Annotated world bibliography of host fruits of Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) infests fruits and vegetables of a number of different plant species, with host plants primarily found in the plant families Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae. Although B. latifrons is of primarily Asian distribution (e.g., Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, China [Fujian, Yunnan, Hong Kong, Hainan], Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei), its range has expanded through introductions into Hawaii, Okinawa, Tanzania, and Kenya, and poses a threat of introduction into other countries where it does not presently occur. As with other tephritid fruit fly species, establishment of B. latifrons can have significant economic consequences, including damage and loss of food production, as well as requirements for implementation of costly quarantine treatments to permit export of commodities susceptible to infestation by B. latifrons. In order to avoid these adverse economic consequences, one needs to prevent the entry, establishment and spread of B. latifrons into a new habitat. To successfully achieve this, an accurate knowledge of the fly’s host plants is essential. Cognizant of this need, we prepared, and present here, a worldwide list of host plants for B. latifrons, with annotations on reported laboratory and field infestation data. Overall, a total of 59 plant species from 14 plant families are identified as hosts of B. latifrons, based on reported field infestation data

Efficiency of Farmer Organisations in Supplying Supermarkets with Quality Food in Vietnam

The development of supermarkets in Vietnam, as in other emerging countries, goes along with an increasing concern on the part of purchasers for food quality. The paper investigates whether farmer organisations are able to help small-scale farmers get access to supermarkets, and the role that supermarkets and public support play in their emergence and development. It is based on case studies involving a number of stakeholders marketing vegetables, flavoured rice and litchi fruit in Vietnam. The interviews investigated patterns of horizontal and vertical coordination that link farmers to supermarkets, the distribution of costs and benefits between farmers and traders along the chains in relation to the strategy of quality differentiation. Eight farmer associations that work in the form of private commercial organisations are regular supermarket suppliers for the selected products. Their ability to supply supermarkets is related to the combination of functions they make available to their members, especially as regards training to improve quality (appearance, taste, safety), quality promotion and control, for which they receive public support, as well as their participation in flexible contracts with supermarkets, shops and schools. Supermarket supply through farmer associations increases farmer incomes when compared with traditional chains, yet the situation is reported to change with the increase in supermarket competition. The paper argues that changes in farmer organisation are not only due to supplying supermarkets, but also to public and international support to food quality improvement, which have been of benefit to supermarkets.Agribusiness, Industrial Organization,

Effect of chlorine dioxide on the control of postharvest diseases and quality of litchi fruit

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important subtropical fruit crop with high market value. However, rapid pericarp browning and decay of litchi fruits caused by infection of microorganisms during storage can result in up to 50% of postharvest loss prior to consumption. New methods are urgently needed for effectively overcoming these problems. In this study, we tested the efficacy of chlorine dioxide for the control of postharvest diseases of litchi fruit. Inactivation kinetics of litchi anthracnose by ClO2 solution concentrations ranging from 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 120 mg/l was also studied. The fruits of the cultivar ‘Huaizhi’ were first treated with 80 and 120 mg/l ClO2 and then stored at 20°C for 7 days. The effect of the ClO2 treatments on the postharvest physiology was investigated. The results showed that 5 mg/l ClO2 solution could significantly inhibit litchi anthracnose spore germination. In addition, treatments with 80 and 120 mg/l of ClO2 significantly reduced postharvest decay and peel browning of the fruit, inhibited polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activity, retained total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) content, and increased phenylalnine ammonialyase (PAL) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. However, ClO2 solution did not significantly influence CO2 and C2H4 production of the fruits, compared with those in the untreated control. Overall, 120 mg/l ClO2 solution treatment was effective in inhibiting postharvest diseases and improving the quality of litchi fruits.Key words: Litchi, chlorine dioxide, Colletotrichum spp, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase

Comparison of satellite image-based vegetation indices for extraction and mapping of litchi (Litchi Chinensis) cultivation area in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, India

The aim of present study was to evaluate the suitability of various vegetation indices (VIs) to ex- tract litchi cultivation area in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. VIs computed from the multispectral bands of Landsat satellites have been used in delineating litchi cultivation areas from other land cover cate- gories. In this study, ten selected VIs have been applied and compared their effectiveness in litchi cultiva- tion area mapping for years 2016 and 2020 respectively. The results showed that the Normalized Green Blue Difference Index (NGBDI) was found to be most appropriate for extracting and mapping the litchi cultivation area. The area statistics of litchi cultivation was validated and are in closer correspondence with the data reported by the state horticulture department. It was found that the area of Litchi cultivation field is increased from 10272.79 ha to 10400.63 ha during the period of 4 years (2016-2020) in the area under in- vestigation. The spatial distribution maps of litchi fruit represent a vital reference suitable for developing a regional action plan to promote its cultivation and benefits to farmers