Caraka Tani: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
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Media Manipulation to Enhance In Vitro Pitcher Formation in Nepenthes mirabilis (Lour.) Druce for Microfloriculture Development
Full text linkMicrofloriculture refers to souvenirs and Living Room Ornaments made from the in vitro cultured ornamental plants, which are innovative, unique, environmentally friendly, and can be produced across the year. In vitro pitcher-forming Nepenthes mirabilis will increase the attractiveness and market value of microfloriculture products. Two experiments have been carried out to stimulate in vitro pitcher formation in N. mirabilis using a completely randomized design (CRD) of a two-factorial treatment pattern with three replicates. The first experiment tested different Murashige and Skoog (MS) media formulations (full-strength, 3/4MS, 1/2MS, and 1/4MS) and phytagel concentrations (0, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 g l-1). The same media formulations and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 μM) were tested in the second experiment. The results showed that the explants cultured on 1/4MS media produced the greatest number of shoots (3.83-8.25) and leaves (26.17-26.75), the earliest pitcher formation (27.75±2.06 days), the highest number of pitchers (6.50±2.65), and pitcher-forming leaves (23.30±5.10%). Liquid media enhanced leaves (28.33±4.97) and pitchers (6.42±3.36) formation as well as pitcher-forming leaves percentage (21.37±8.01%). A 1/4MS supplemented with 0.5 μM BAP maximized pitcher-forming leaves (21.08±7.78%) and pitcher number (5.67±2.52). Adding 1.5 μM BAP on 1/4MS media produced the highest number of leaves (38.67±5.69). Full-strength MS produced the lowest number of shoots, leaves, pitchers, and pitcher-forming leaves. This study developed an affordable and effective method to improve in vitro pitcher development in N. mirabilis, highlighting how nutrient levels and BAP concentration influence pitcher formation, which aids in optimizing culture techniques for ornamental carnivorous plants
Antifungal Activity of Rice Husk-Derived Liquid Smoke: Growth Suppression of Rhizoctonia solani and Bioactive Compound Profiling
No full textSheath blight poses a major challenge in rice cultivation, with current control methods relying heavily on synthetic fungicides. Environmentally sustainable alternatives, such as bioactive compounds derived from agricultural waste, offer promising potential for integrated disease management. This study investigated the antifungal efficacy of rice husk-derived liquid smoke against Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of rice sheath blight, and identified its active compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Liquid smoke was produced through the pyrolysis of rice husks and incorporated into potato dextrose agar at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% (v/v). R. solani was isolated from infected rice plants, and its pathogenicity was confirmed on rice seeds and seedlings. The in vitro antifungal activity was assessed by measuring colony diameter and calculating the percentage of mycelial growth inhibition over 7 days. The results demonstrated that liquid smoke significantly inhibited the growth of R. solani in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.001; exact p = 4.36 × 10-²⁴), with the 5% concentration achieving 100% inhibition. Qualitative microscopic observations revealed morphological abnormalities in fungal hyphae at higher concentrations. GC-MS analysis identified 40 bioactive compounds in the liquid smoke, including phenolic compounds and organic acids, which are known for their antimicrobial properties. The findings suggest that rice husk-derived liquid smoke possesses potent antifungal activity against R. solani due to the presence of these compounds. This study concludes that rice husk liquid smoke can serve as an effective, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides for controlling sheath blight disease in rice cultivation
Yield Trial of Doubled-Haploid Rice Lines with Multiple Abiotic Stress Tolerance
Full text linkRice production is facing a decline due to climate change and land conversion. The development of high-yielding and multi-tolerant abiotic stress rice varieties (such as drought, salinity, and flooding) is needed for adaptation to a changing climate. This research aimed to identify potential doubled-haploid (DH) rice lines with good agronomic performance and high yield through index selection. The study was conducted in the rainy season of 2024, and used a randomized complete block design with a single genotype factor and three replications. The genetic material evaluated consisted of 56 DH rice lines and 5 check varieties, i.e., Inpari 18, Inpari 30, Inpari 34, Inpari 35, and Ciherang. Observation was conducted on plant height (PH), number of vegetative tillers (NVT), number of productive tillers (NPT), days to 50% flowering (DF), days to harvesting (DTH), number of filled grains (NFG), total grains per panicle (TG), panicle length (PL), and productivity. The results showed high heritability in all observed variables, indicating that the variables could be used as selection criteria. The weighted index selection involving PH, NPT, DTH, and productivity resulted in 30 DH rice lines with good agronomic traits such as medium PH, medium NPT, medium maturity, and productivity above the check varieties. Those selected DH lines can be evaluated further in more diverse environments to study the effects of genotype, environment, and G×E interactions
Impact of Agricultural Technical Efficiency on Farm-Gate Emission: An Implementation of Environmental Kuznets Curve in Asian Developing Countries
Full text linkThe Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) explains that economic activities in developing countries, including agriculture, increase environmental damage. Increased technical efficiency is one approach that is frequently suggested for reducing the negative impacts of farming practices. Unfortunately, there are no studies that investigate this at the macro (national) level. This study examines the impact of technical efficiency on farm-gate emissions in Asian developing countries. Data were collected from 25 developing countries in Asia from 1992 to 2021 and were analyzed using frontiers and the generalized method of moments. The findings demonstrate that technical efficiency is insufficient to prevent increases in CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions. This finding is consistent with the EKC. Gas emissions also rise because of gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth. Human development is the only way to prevent a rise in emissions of these 3 gases. Meanwhile, renewable energy and food prices have varying impacts on CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions reduction. Therefore, based on these findings, it is suggested that developing countries increase the utilization of natural production factors and organic farming, improve human capital development, and conduct a wise selection of renewable energy sources
Sustainability of the Different Rice Cultivation Practices in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Full text linkThe current food crisis has become a serious threat to humanity. Other issues such as climate change, farmer regeneration, and excessive use of chemical inputs at the producer level threaten sustainability in agriculture. The sustainability of agricultural practices among farmers remains questionable due to the small number of organic farmers in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of sustainability of rice cultivation and the factors that influence the sustainability of rice cultivation in various types of cultivation in Yogyakarta. Research on farm sustainability that is analyzed in a multidimensional (5 dimensions) and compares 3 types of cultivation has not been widely carried out in Indonesia. This research was conducted in Bantul and Sleman with 90 respondents. The analysis method used Multidimensional Scaling-RAPFISH and Tobit regression. The results showed interesting findings where the 3 types of rice cultivation are in the sufficient (moderately sustainable) category even though the 3 have differences in the use of inputs, especially in the ecological dimension. The factors of education, frequency of attending extension and activity in farmer groups, the use of good agricultural practices, land ownership, and type of cultivation had a positive effect on increasing the sustainability of rice cultivation in various types of cultivation in Yogyakarta. The results of this research have an impact on agricultural extension field education provided by the government to increase the sustainability of rice cultivation in Yogyakarta. It is recommended that the 3 types of rice farmers to pay more attention to the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to increase sustainability
Farmers’ Income and the Driving Forces for the Switch from Shifting Cultivation to Settled Agriculture in Meghalaya, India
Full text linkThis study assesses the dependence of farmers on semi-settled (a combination of shifting and settled cultivation) and settled agriculture as a source of family income. The farmers residing in the hilly tracts of West Garo Hills mostly adopt semi-settled cultivation. Farmers are also transitioning from semi-settled to settled agriculture. This study was conducted to investigate the factors influencing the transition and the socioeconomic conditions of farmers practicing semi-settled and settled agriculture. The researchers surveyed 119 randomly selected households in West Garo Hills, a district of Meghalaya, India, using a structured questionnaire. Exploration of influencing factors for transitioning is important to provide insights into how factors interact, thereby facilitating the development of effective adaptation strategies and policies that will ensure farmers’ future well-being. Results showed that settled farmers generate more income and possess more land area than semi-settled farmers. Besides available land area, a stable source of income for a family is a strong determinant for abandoning shifting cultivation and transitioning to settled agriculture to boost income with less time investment and labor. The farmers found that shifting cultivation helped meet their dietary needs and some income during the COVID-19 lockdown. Alongside efforts to boost commercial agriculture, the government should also assist farmers with limited resources in transitioning to settled agriculture by building market networks for the goods produced from shifting cultivation
The Efficiency of Seed Priming with Dead Sea Water for Improving Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Salinity
Full text linkSalinity is considered the most critical environmental factor which negatively affects the germination and growth of plants. In this study, the potential of using Dead Sea water (DS) as a seed priming agent for the mitigation of the adverse effects of salinity on seed germination and growth performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated. Germination of wheat seeds primed with different doses of DS; 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were evaluated under different saline conditions (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl). High salinity (300 mM NaCl) remarkably inhibited germination attributes and reduced seedling length. However, seeds primed with DS exhibited improved germination parameters and seedling growth. Among the different DS concentrations used, the 10% DS priming achieved the highest increase in final germination percentage tolerance, germination index, relative germination salt tolerance, and seedling length. The increased tolerance to salinity was associated with improved water imbibition, α-amylase activity, antioxidant capacity and osmotic homeostasis correlated with high proline and soluble sugar levels. In addition, DS priming increased the membrane stability index, and reduced malondialdehyde content and K+ leakage besides lowering Na+/K+ ratio. Overall, priming with DS could be a promising strategy for minimizing the damaging effects of salinity in wheat
Status and Development of Agricultural Public-Private Partnership Program Implementation in China
Full text linkAs the initiator of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese Government’s goal in agriculture is to promote the sustainable development of agriculture throughout China and the world. One of the feasible ways to realize this goal is to adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This study aims to analyze the current status of agricultural PPP projects in China and their impacts. This study utilized the Ministry of Finance database to collect 2014 to 2022 data on agricultural PPP projects in China. The collected data were organized and analyzed to analyze the current situation and return mechanism of Chinese agricultural PPP projects. The results show that China’s agricultural PPP projects are less attractive than other sectors, government and social-private sector cooperation is less sustainable, and laws and regulations and risk assessment are not well developed. Therefore, this study proposes to promote the development of agricultural PPP projects by standardizing the law, improving the return mechanism, and strengthening the risk assessment. Thus, it further promotes the sustainable development of agriculture and plays a certain positive role
Biocontrol of Grey Mold on Strawberry Fruit by Bacillus spp. and Study of the Mechanisms Involved
Full text linkGrey mold, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting strawberry plants (Fragaria ananassa). The objective of this study was to assess the antagonistic effect of 5 bacterial strains belonging to the genus Bacillus spp. (BA1, BF2, BB3, BI3, and BO4) against B. cinerea, tested both in vitro and in vivo on strawberry fruits. The strains exhibited antifungal activity against B. cinerea under in vitro conditions, both through direct confrontations and antibiosis tests, as well as through the effect of organic compounds. Strain BO4 could inhibit mycelial growth by 62.92% through direct confrontation and 64.58% through the secretion of volatile organic compounds. Additionally, the strain BF2 demonstrated a high antibiosis effect (74.64%) compared to the control at a concentration of 25%. Treating fruits with the bacterial suspension and culture filtrate of the 5 studied strains controlled grey mold growth in vivo, as indicated by low severity indices in strawberries treated with strains BI3, BF2, and BA1, marked by percentages of 24.44%, 24.44%, and 37.78%, respectively, for preventive treatment. The difference in the effectiveness of various strains depended on the treatment mode; preventive treatment proved to be more effective compared to curative treatment
Effect of Colchicine and Bio-catharantin on the DNA Relative Content and Stomatal Structure of Black Rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Jeliteng)
Full text linkBlack rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Jeliteng), known for its health benefits compared to white rice, faces challenges in productivity. Among varieties, this black rice is popular in Indonesia but shows low yield. Research on improving black rice through genetic manipulation with antimitotic substances is limited. Therefore, this study aims to compare the effects of colchicine and Bio-catharantin on the germination rate, DNA relative content, and stomatal structure of O. sativa L. var. Jeliteng. Seeds were treated with colchicine (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) and Bio-catharantin (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%) at soaking durations of 12, 24, and 48 hours. Germination was assayed, ploidy was determined using flow cytometry, and stomatal traits, including size and density, were examined microscopically. The results showed that Bio-catharantin did not exhibit any toxic effects on germination rates, whereas colchicine reduced germination starting at 0.2% concentration. Both chemical agents modified the DNA relative content of Jeliteng black rice. Colchicine generally increased stomatal length and width while decreasing stomatal density, with significant changes at 0.3% concentration for 24 hours. Bio-catharantin also altered stomatal traits, enhancing length and width in most cases but significantly reducing density under certain conditions. Bio-catharantin emerged as a promising alternative to colchicine for inducing chromosomal mutations in plants, offering benefits in altered stomatal structures without the toxic effects on germination, compared to colchicine