Residuos de repollo para biocontrol de Fusarium spp. en el cultivo de tomate

Uno de los principales problemas fitosanitarios en la producción de tomate o jitomate (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) donde se utiliza el suelo como medio de cultivo es Fusarium spp., el control químico es el método frecuentemente utilizado para su manejo; con impactos económicos y ambientales importantes. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron: evaluar el repollo como cultivo de rotación y la incorporación de los residuos al suelo sobre la incidencia de la marchitez permanente en plantas de tomate e incidencia de Fusarium spp., en el suelo y evaluar la supresión de Fusarium spp., mediante la aplicación de subproductos de hojas y tallos de repollo. El trabajo se realizó en dos etapas: en la primera se documentó la evolución de Fusarium spp., en un cultivo comercial de tomate, establecido bajo condiciones de malla antiáfidos y repollo como cultivo de rotación, durante el periodo de 2012 a 2019. En la segunda etapa, se evaluó un extracto acuoso y un polvo deshidratado, obtenidos de hojas y tallos residuales de repollo. Los resultados muestran que el repollo utilizado como cultivo de rotación y la incorporación al suelo de las hojas y tallos residuales, redujeron la incidencia de marchitez permanente en el cultivo de tomate y suprimieron eficazmente Fusarium spp. Asimismo, el polvo deshidratado obtenido de estos residuos mostró un efecto similar sobre el control de Fusarium spp., al obtenido en los tratamientos con metilditiocarbamato de sodio.

A Case Study of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon var. Legend) Production and Water Productivity in Agrivoltaic Systems

The challenge of meeting growing food and energy demand while also mitigating climate change drives the development and adoption of renewable technologies ad approaches. Agrivoltaic systems are an approach that allows for both agricultural and electrical production on the same land area. These systems have the potential to reduced water demand and increase the overall water productivity of certain crops. We observed the microclimate and growth characteristics of Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicon var. Legend) grown within three locations on an Agrivoltaic field (control, interrow, and below panels) and with two different irrigation treatments (full and deficit). Total crop yield was highest in the control fully irrigated areas a, b (88.42 kg/row, 68.13 kg/row), and decreased as shading increased, row full irrigated areas a, b had 53.59 kg/row, 32.76 kg/row, panel full irrigated areas a, b had (33.61 kg/row, 21.64 kg/row). Water productivity in the interrow deficit treatments was 53.98 kg/m3 greater than the control deficit, and 24.21 kg/m3 greater than the panel deficit, respectively. These results indicate the potential of Agrivoltaic systems to improve water productivity even for crops that are traditionally considered shade-intolerant.

Blood glucose lowering effect of Solanum melongena (garden egg), Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes), Daucus carota subsp. Sativus (carrot) extracts on lead induced toxicity in albino wistar rats

Lead is one of the heavy metal humans are often expose to either through food, cosmetics or environment. This study is aimed at investigating the positive effect of Solanum melongena (garden egg), Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes) and Daucus carrots subsp.sativus (carrot) on blood glucose concentration, body weight, and feeding habits of albino rats on lead toxicity. In this study 35 albino rats weighing 80-120g were grouped into five. Group 1 served as normal control, group 2 negative control. The remaining three groups served as treatment groups 1, 2 and 3. All groups except group 1 (normal control) were administered 50mg/kg of lead acetate. Treatment groups were administered 200mg/kg of Solanum melongena (garden egg), Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes) and Daucus carrots subsp.sativus (carrot). Group 3 was administered Solanum malongen and Daucus carrots subsp.sativus while group 4 was given Daucus carrots subsp.sativus and solanum lycopersicon. Group 5 was administered Solanum malongen, Daucus carrots subsp.sativus and Solanum lycopersicon. Changes in blood glucose concentration, body weight, feed and water consumption recorded at intervals. The result showed a significant decrease (P<0.05 and P<0.01) in blood glucose concentration in treatment groups compared to negative control. There was also significant increase (P>0.05, P>0.01 and P>0.001) in body weight and feed consumed in treatment groups compared to negative control. Combined therapy of any two of Solanum malongen, Daucus carrots subsp.sativus and Solanum lycopersicon juice can help in the management of hyperglycemia and reverse internal abnormality or injury resulting in weight loss in lead induced toxicity.

Effects of Earthing up and Pruning Systems on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon.)

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) is an important crop cultivated and consumed worldwide. It provides wide variety of nutrients with many health-related benefits like, protection against cancer, maintains blood pressure and reduces blood glucose level in people with diabetes. Despite the importance of tomato, its growth and yield is limited by choice of cultural practices mainly earthing up and pruning system. There is also limited knowledge on the effect of integrating pruning and earthing up on tomato growth and yield. This study investigated the effect of integration of pruning and earthing up on the growth and yield of tomato. A split-plot experimental design, arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replications was used. The study investigated two factors i.e. pruning system in the main plot (single stem, double stem, and triple stem) and earthing up in sub-plots. (0 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm. The findings of the study revealed that earthing up and pruning system had a significant (p ˂ .05) effect on plant height and stem girth diameter at 45, 52, and 59 days after transplanting. The single stem pruning system and earthing up to 30 cm gave the tallest plant height with an average plant height of 69.80 cm in cultivation 1 and 71.50 cm in cultivation 2. Single stem pruning system and earthing up to 30 cm gave the largest stem girth diameter with mean stem girth diameter of 2.16 cm in cultivation 1 and 2.25 cm in cultivation 2. Triple stem pruning system, earthing up to 30 cm recorded the highest number of marketable fruits with 64500 fruits/hectare in cultivation 1 and 64333 fruits/hectare in cultivation 2. To improve tomato growth and development which consequently improves marketable yields, farmers are encouraged to consider triple stem pruning system with earthing up to level 30 cm.

Inorganic and Organic Amendments Affect Soil Fertility, Nutrition, Photosystem II Activity, and Fruit Weight and May Enhance the Sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. (cv. ‘Mountain Fresh’) Crop

One of the most important issues for modern agriculture is how to decrease fertilization rates and enhance the sustainability of crops, without decreasing yields. Two inorganic (zeolite—zeo; vermiculite—ver) amendments and their mixtures with an organic soil amendment (goat manure) (i.e., zeo + ver, manure + ver, manure + zeo) were tested, and compared to the application of a controlled release fertilizer (CRF), in order to investigate if they were able to satisfy the nutritional needs of Solanum lycopersicon L. plants. For this purpose, a 112-day pot experiment was performed. After zeo and manure application, exchangeable K was increased from 16.5 times to 37.5 times. At the end of the experiment, total plant biomass was significantly higher in the CRF treatment, compared to the ver treatments (ver, ver + manure). Leaf K concentration was significantly higher in the zeo treatment (5.93% dw), compared to those determined in the CRF, ver, and ver + manure. In contrast, significantly higher foliar N was found in the CRF (4.83% dw) and zeo + ver (4.24% dw) treatments, compared to manure + ver. Finally, photosystem II (PSII) activity was significantly higher in ver, and this was ascribed to the optimum foliar Mn found in this treatment (138 mg kg−1 dw). It is expected that these data will provide a thorough insight towards decreasing chemical fertilization inputs and enhancing the sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. crop.