Horticulture ‘Science & Art’:

     

     Horticulture is the science, art, technology and business involved in intensive plant cultivation for human use. It is practiced from the individual level in a garden up to the activities of a multinational corporation. It is very diverse in its activities, incorporating plants for food (fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, culinary herbs) and non-food crops (flowers, trees and shrubs, turf-grass, hops, grapes, medicinal herbs). It also includes related services in plant conservation, landscape restoration, landscape and garden design/construction/maintenance, horticultural therapy, and much more. This range of food, medicinal, environmental, and social products and services are all fundamental to developing and maintaining human health and well-being. Horticulture is the science and art involved in the cultivation, propagation, processing and marketing of ornamental plants, flowers, turf, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. It is unique among plant sciences because it not only involves science and technology, but it also incorporates art and principles of design.

      Horticulture, literally garden culture, is a part of crop agriculture that also includes agronomy and forestry. By tradition, horticulture deals with garden crops such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, culinary herbs and spices, beverage crops, and medicinal, as well as ornamental plants. Agronomy is involved with grains, pasture grasses and forages, oil seeds  fiber crops, and industrial crops such as sugarcane, while forestry is involved with trees grown for timber and fiber as well as the incidental wildlife. The edible horticultural crops are used entirely as human food and are often utilized in the living state and thus highly perishable. In contrast, edible agronomic crops are often utilized in the nonliving state, are highly processed, are often used for animal feed, and usually contain a high percentage of dry matter. The precise distinction between horticultural and agronomic crops is traditional. In general, horticultural crops are intensively cultivated and warrant a large input of capital, labor, and technology per unit area of land, but in modern agriculture, horticultural crops may be extensively grown while many agronomic crops are now intensively cultivated. Many crops are claimed by more than one discipline. Horticulture is practiced in large agricultural operations, in small farm enterprises, and in home gardens.

For more information : http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/horticulture-'science-art' 

Non Chemical Safety:

  Many chemicals used to control pests are harmful for the environment including for human beings. It's important to use a non-toxic pest control method to safeguard environment. Using non-chemical ways to kill pests provides a safer alternative as compared to the toxic chemical ways. Non-chemical solutions are usually less expensive and offer long-term control for your pest problems.

Prevention

  Fertilize water and prune plants to keep them healthy and less prone to pests. Get rid of problems promptly. Letting an infestation go for a long period of time creates larger problems later. Keep weeds to a minimum, as pests usually start feeding on weeds and end up on plants. Use a rototiller to break down weeds and break up the soil so insects find it hard to survive. Clean up and remove dead plants to stop pests from hiding there. Pick off pests by hand and dispose of them. Plant those companion plants that repel pests from the garden. Plant garlic to repel Japanese beetles, spider mites and squash vine borers. Plant marigolds to repel squash bugs, white flies and tomato horned worms. Make collars of aluminum foil or cardboard and place them around young plants to prevent cutworms.

For m ore information visit: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/non-chemical-safety

Analog Forestry-An Inductive effort in Agriculture:

      Analog forestry is a particular method of agroforestry that was originally developed in Sri Lanka. It restores the productivity of degraded land and provides new sources of food and income to local people. In other words, an analog forest imitates the original native forest and possesses similar structures and ecological functions. Analog forestry adds certain crops and trees which provide food and marketable products such as pepper, cinnamon, other spices, mangoes and fruits. Tea and coffee also grow well in the shadow of the trees. This forest management system combines the value of local forest biodiversity with organic crop cultivation. It seeks to establish a forest type environment, analogous in architectural structure and ecological function to the original forest ecosystems that once existed in the area. Making use of the design of the natural forest, land is redesigned to incorporate economically viable trees and plants in a poly cultural system that aims to unite biodiversity and economic gain for the small-scale farmer.

History

The term ‘Analog Forestry’ was coined by the Sri Lankan biologist Ranil Senanayake in 1987; his ideas of creating an agricultural system adapted to the local context have been further investigated by the Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC) in Sri Lanka. Over 30 years ago, a group of environmentalists from the Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC), developed an agricultural method which would encourage native biodiversity to flourish. This system provided an alternative to monocrops which were being widely promoted for “reforestation” purposes. The name Analog Forestry was coined in 1987, and in April 1994 it was accepted as a methodology integrating the protection of biodiversity within the context of sound landscape management by scientific experts at the Open-ended Intergovernmental Meeting of Scientific Experts on Biological Diversity (sponsored by the UN) in Mexico City.

for more information visit: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/analog-forestry-an-inductive-effort-in-agriculture

Floral Spray Paint- New way to color your dreams:

    Being a human we always dream of something or the other. Every day we just keep asking us and other “What IF”. Sometimes you feel like changing the color of your favorite flower to your favorite color but have you ever tried to change it? It will be very fascinating when you get to know it is possible without hampering their natural nature.

Yes it is possible today! You just need to spray the color that matches to you as per your party or as per your room to make your loved one feel special without making any changes in the shape, size & smell of the flower and the best part of it is it’s non-toxic in nature so it doesn't destroy the flower. The process is facilitated by Floral Spray Paint. Though the concept of floral spray paint is new to the market it is very interesting to deal with.

FLORAL SPRAY PAINT:

       It is the perfect decorating tool when you cannot find the right color flowers to match your color scheme.


     This technique has been used by professional florists from a long time, but now anyone can find floral spray paint at their local crafts store.
    All you need to do is to decide the color of floral spray that you want, shake the can thoroughly and spray the flowers to be dyed lightly. Two or three or even five light coats are much better than a single heavy coat as you will not only avoid any drips but also will achieve a more natural effect.
Also it is possible to get two tone or even three tone effects if your aim with the spray paint can is good. Just layer the colors from lightest to darkest.
      It is an aerosol which moves through air like any other spray does. It is available in cans which doesn't harm as normal spray paints.

For more information visit: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/floral-spray-paint-new-way-to-color-your-dreams

Post Harvest Loss: A factor in food security:

The growing food crisis across the world has brought to notice the importance of managing food produced efficiently. Though the obvious solution to the problem may seem to be to increase food production, a more pragmatic approach could lie in preventing the post harvest loss of agricultural produce. Much of the food grown in developing countries never makes it past the farm gate, contributing to food insecurity. If this loss can be reduced significantly we may have found an answer to bridge the gap between demand and supply to increase food availability without requiring additional resources or placing additional burdens on the environment.

Post-harvest loss (PHL) is any loss in quantity or quality that occurs between the time of harvest and the time it reaches the consumer. It happens at every stage of the supply chain, but losses are most significant in the developing countries. Harvesting, drying and storage are all stages which see substantial losses, both quantitative and qualitative. Bio-deterioration by rodents, insects, infestations, fungi, birds, etc. is also a major cause.

Estimation of post harvest losses:

Though the post harvest loss is extremely significant and substantial, it is difficult to measure these losses and qualitative loss being more difficult to measure than quantitative. The impact of quantitative loss affects the developing countries more while the qualitative loss discourages consumers of the developed countries which lead to wastage at various levels. To estimate the loss one has to understand the following factors: the biological and environmental factors involved in post harvest deterioration, use of appropriate post harvest technology procedures that will slow down deterioration and maintain quality and safety of the commodities.

More information available in : http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/post-harvest-loss-a-factor-in-food-security

SEED BANKS:

       Did you ever stop to think about what might happen if the crops disappeared? Right now, for example, our wheat supply is dwindling. The world's stockpiles are at their lowest numbers in thirty years. Consumption is exceeding production, and farmers are having a tough time keeping up. But what if it's not? Or, what if a natural disaster wipes out the majority of wheat and other important crops? Scientists think they have hit upon a solution -- seed banks.

Think of a seed bank as a savings account. Seeds are "deposited" into secure storage with the intention of "withdrawing" them in the future when they are needed. Just as you might keep money saved for an unforeseen emergency, scientists are saving up seeds to use for replanting in case certain crops die out or are destroyed. When stored correctly, seeds can remain viable for decades or even centuries.

Case Study of Coleanthus subtilis:

Seed banks may play important roles in conservation of genetic diversity and natural restoration to wetland vegetation as well as to recover endangered plant species. Red data books document extinction and threat of species. The ephemeral species Coleanthus subtilis has not been reported for decades in the vegetation cover of any Austrian habitat. Positive experiences controlling Coleanthus localities documented by older herbarium material generally encouraged the idea to compare (old) herbar material of today highly endangered or extinct plant species with seeds of soil samples collected in corresponding localities. Most of those species, like the ones growing along the shoreline, need unique conditions to survive. Shoreline plants are able to colonize ephemeric semiaquatic environments, That means, conditions alternating between terrestric and hydric (BERNHARDT & POSCHLOD 1993). One characteristic of such plants is their capacity to survive in the soil seed bank during unsuitable conditions. Due to the longevity of seeds, those species remain present for decades (LECK 1989, BERNHARDT & POSCHLOD 1993). Therefore, the soil seed bank contains an important portion of the species diversity as well as the genetic diversity of populations. After its rediscovery the population biology of Coleanthus subtilis was investigated, especially the life cycle, germination, dormancy, presence in soil seed bank and seed bank dynamics.

Result of soil seed bank

We found a number of individuals of Coleanthus subtilis are represented in the soil seed bank. Coleanthus is still living in situ with a high density of seeds in the soil seed bank and it results in a higher appearance of Coleanthus in vegetation cover.

To conclude the study, the investigation shows that species listed as extinct or highly endangered might be recovered in the soil seed bank. This “in situ storage” as seed bank remained in the wetlands is an potential candidate for restoration of genetic variation and diversity of semiaquatic plant species, having high reproduction rates as it is characteristic for colonizing species and they are able to survive for a long time (BERNHARD Tet al. 2004). The reason why they do not grow up is most likely the lack of water level fluctuations (HEINY 1962, 1964, BERNHARDT 1999).

A seedbank stores seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity. The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. In the case of food crops, many useful plants that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare. Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, or war. Unlike seed libraries or seed swaps that encourage frequent reuse and sharing of seeds, seedbanks are not typically open to the public.
Stored specimens have to be regularly replanted when they begin to lose viability.
Only a limited part of the world's biodiversity is stored
It is difficult or impossible to store recalcitrant seeds.
There is a need to improve cataloging and data management. The documentation should include identity of the plant stored, location of the sampling, number of seeds stored and viability state. Other information, such as farming systems in which the crops were grown, or rotations they formed, should also be available to future farmers.
Facilities are expensive for third world countries which contain the most biodiversity.
Many of the same issues apply to seed banks as with fallout shelters. With regards to its use as an insurance policy against cataclysmic events, it's highly questionable whether a seed bank would be at all usable in staving off starvation and societal collapse in almost any conceivable situation.

For more information: http: //www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/seed-banks

Forest Gardening:

Forest Gardening is an intensive form of agro-forestry, where trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, annuals and climbers all form part of a carefully designed and interconnected agronomic system for growing food and other useful plant products. A forest garden is designed and maintained specifically, not using the normal tenets of gardening, but taking its vision from nature and very much based on a natural ecology of a young forest. It is a food production system based on replicating woodland ecosystems to grow trees, bushes, shrubs, herbs and vegetables that are directly useful to people. The different crops grow on multiple levels in the same area to gain maximum productivity from the available space. Whilst this is a common small scale food production approach in the tropics, models for temperate climates have more recently become popular.

For more information visit: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/forest-gardening

BRAZIL - A LEADING AGRIBUSINESS PLAYER:

       Brazilian agribusiness has had a significant increase in the past few years. For example, the grain production in Brazil increased from 96 to 160 million tons in the last 10 years. During the same period the planted area increased only by 25%, reaching approximately 50 million hectares.

     The technology used in agribusiness resulted in an important growth in volume rather than just in area. The combination of better cultivars, agricultural input and crop management practices increased the yield in several crops in Brazil.In 2012 the agricultural sector and agribusiness represented approximately 23% of the Brazilian GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and created an expressive number of new jobs, contributing for the country’s economy.

      The several different segments that form the agribusiness sector in Brazil remain in a top position in exportation. This solid growth of Brazilian agriculture created a large demand for agricultural supplies such as: fertilizers & plant nutrition products, agrochemicals, seeds, packaging materials, farmers’ equipment, etc.

     The seed segment, in particular, had a very significant growth in the country. The Brazilian seed production increased from 1.6 million tons in 2001/02 crop season to almost 3 million tons of seeds in 2010/11. For the next crop season, 2011/12, the estimated increase is another 5%. In addition hybrids have been used instead of open pollinated varieties.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/brazil-a-leading-agribusiness-player

Soybean breeding evolution in Brazil:

Brazil is the second largest soybean production and first exporter in the world. Such position was build based on a consistent evolution of yield increase and a lot of efforts coming from plant breeding. The tropical conditions we in the country are very favorable to the presence of a lot of plant diseases and insects. In addition the expansion of soybean crop in Brazil occurred in the “Cerrado” (savanna) areas where we need varieties for low latitudes. More recently the decision of farmers to grow corn after the harvest of soybean, (corn second crop) created a demand for early varieties. This required again a new approach of soybean research. If some of the problems increase, at same time we have to recognize that new and modern research tools become available which brought a tremendous help for breeding.

On the last 35 years, period in which we had the big expansion of soybean in Brazil the private seed companies, cooperatives and public entities were able to support with the appropriated cultivars the needs of farmers. The combination between breeding and biotech should help to assure to the farmers adequate cultivars for the future. Government projection for 2020 is that soybean area will expand up to 26.8 millions hectares which are almost 25% bigger than the area at this time.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/soybean-breeding-evolution-in-brazil

Bio Pesticides - Benefits & Barriers:

     Bio pesticides are biochemical pesticides that are naturally occurring substances that control pests by nontoxic mechanisms. Conventional pesticides, by contrast, are generally synthetic materials that directly kill or inactivate the pests. For example, a plant in the presence of chitosan will naturally induce systemic resistance (ISR) to allow the plant to defend itself against disease, pathogens and pests. These pesticides which are considered eco-friendly and are easy to use have no harmful effect on the soil.

     Due to public concern about the risks associated with chemical pesticides, the federal government of USA is re-evaluating registrations granted prior to 1995, with current expectations for public health and environmental protection in mind. The result has been that several older products that have not met the current standards for registration are no longer supported for registration by their manufacturers, and are no longer available for use in agricultural applications. Some bio-pesticides currently being developed in Canada may be excellent alternatives to chemical pesticides.

The advantages of using bio-pesticides

• Bio-pesticides are usually inherently less toxic than conventional pesticides.
• Bio-pesticides generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, in contrast to broad spectrum, conventional pesticides that may affect organisms as different as birds, insects, and mammals.
• Bio-pesticides often are effective in very small quantities and often decompose quickly, thereby resulting in lower exposures and largely avoiding the pollution problems caused by conventional pesticides.
• When used as a component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, bio-pesticides can greatly decrease the use of conventional pesticides, while crop yields remain high.
• To use bio-pesticides effectively, however, users need to know a great deal about managing pests.
• Cheap, renewable can be handled safely.
• Difficult for insects to develop resistance to these pesticides.

What are the disadvantages of using Bio-pesticides

• Slow effect.
• Lack persistence and wide spectrum activity.
• Rapidly degraded by UV lights so residual action is slow.
• Seasonal availability of plants products indicates the needs for storage.
• They are not available easily.
• Poor water solubility and generally not systemic in nature.
• All products applied followed by growers have not been scientifically verified. 

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/bio-pesticides-benefits-barriers

Weed & Its control:

      There are approximately 250,000 species of plants worldwide; of those about 3% or 8000 species behave as weeds. Weeds are troublesome in many ways. Primarily, they reduce crop yield by competing for water, light, soil nutrients, and space. Other problems associated with weeds in agriculture include:

                                                                                   

• Reduced crop quality by contaminating the commodity.
• Interference with harvest.
• Serve as hosts for crop diseases.
• provide shelter for insects to overwinter.
• Limit the choice of crop rotation sequences and cultural practices.
• Allelopathy :Production of chemical substances which are toxic to crop plants, animals, or humans.

      No matter what definition is used, weeds are plants whose undesirable qualities outweigh their good points, according to man. Our human activities create weed problems since no plant is a "weed" in nature. Though we may try to manipulate nature for our own good, nature is persistent. Through the manipulation process, certain weeds are controlled, while other more serious weeds may thrive because favorable growing conditions for them also have been met. Weeds are naturally strong competitors and those weeds that can best compete always tend to dominate. Both humans and nature are involved in plant breeding programs. The main difference between the two programs is that man breeds plants for yield, while nature breeds plants for survival.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/weed-its-control

ONION A BIG VEGETABLE CROP IN BRAZIL

  Onion is one of the largest vegetable crops in Brazil. According information we estimated on the project above mentioned we found out onion is the specie in the third position in volume and fourth position in value among the ones we included on the project.

Being so important and in spite of the high percentage of OP cultivars utilization, onion is still a very important seed market in Brazil. Among the 17 segments that was part of the project, onion seed value is the second one.

The hybrid utilization by growers associated with high density system applied in central Brazil region is making the onion seeds market value keep increasing.

In the central region of Brazil growers use hybrids that cost about US$350-400 per kg of seeds while in other regions we see growers using OP varieties that cost US$50-80.

The positive aspect of this situation is that, there is a very high percentage of the market to be converted to hybrids which will have a tremendous increase in the seed market value. Part of the onion seeds sowed in the South of Brazil is produced in the States in the South.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/onion-a-big-vegetable-crop-in-brazil

Seed Predation:

Seed predation, a ubiquitous phenomenon in tropical rain forests is an important factor of plant recruitment and forest regeneration. Although seed predation destroys large amounts of the seed crop of numerous tropical species, in many cases individual seed damage is only partial. The extent to which partial seed predation affects the recruitment of new individuals in the population depends on the type and magnitude of alteration of the germination behavior of the damaged seeds. This is a critical stage in the life history of plants. Seeds contribute to adult replacement and to increase in local population size and function as the means of dispersal to areas distant from the local population. Predation by animals can be a key factor affecting seed mortality, with consequences for plant abundance, distribution, and evolution. This includes any process inflicted on a plant’s seeds by an animal that results in the in-viability of the seed.

       For some species, damage by seed predators may account for the destruction of up to 100% of their seed crop in some sites and seasons and is high in a large number of species. Seed predation may be an important selective force guiding the evolution of seed characteristics, as well as a key determinant of population growth and recruitment, ultimately affecting forest dynamics and composition.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/seed-predation

Optimizing green house production:

     Inbred and mutant corn lines grown indoors often don’t yield adequate seed, slowing progress of the project. The difference between 75 and 100 seeds on an ear may seem negligible compared to a hybrid ear with 600 seeds, but just may make the difference between having enough seed for the next round of breeding or not. We address lighting and plant density together in this document because of their relationship to light reaching the lower canopy, which has been shown to correlate to seed yield. We’ve learned the hard way that the same lighting that produces excellent vegetative growth may not produce adequate seed yield if the plants are too closely spaced. Ears abort, silks fail to emerge from ears or emerge long after pollen shed. 
    It is generally accepted that if other environmental stresses are reduced, the limiting factor in corn yield is light. We believe the growing system that we propose eliminates water and nutrient stress, so maximizing light should be a focus to improve seed yield. This is a challenge for plant growth facilities. Over the course of a day, we have measured a 40% loss in daily light integral (solar accumulation) in our modern glass greenhouses due to glazing and superstructure. We took light intensity readings inside a cornfield on an overcast July day (1250 μmol/m2/s) and were surprised to measure 314 μmol/m2/s at the lowest leaves of the stalks. In a greenhouse, we may get a third of that intensity. In a growth room, where light source is directly above with little penetration into the tall canopy from the sides, we’ve measured light at soil surface below 10 μmol/m2/s. Field research that supplemented light to lower canopy (Ottman and Welch, 1988) increased kernels per ear by 14% and number of ears in the plot by 25%. This was accomplished by adding only 121 μmol/m2/s. From this, we suggest that a lot could be gained by lighting and plant spacing strategies that increase light to lower canopy. 
    None of our studies compared lighting or plant density, but we will report on what we have observed, studies we have collaborated with, and consensus from other facilities. It is by no means comprehensive.

For more information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/optimizing-green-house-production

The wheat seed business in Brazil:

       The wheat 2011 crop in Brazil should produce one of the greatest harvests in recent years, both in terms of productivity and quality. Wheat production has been estimated at 5.6 million tons, compared with 5.02 million tons in the last. Even with a reduction of 11.8% in acreage, wheat production will increase by 11.5%, being centered in the South.

From the seed point of view we can say Brazil has a good research program for wheat recent information indicates there are 7 organizations that develop wheat breeding. From the seven, 3 are public and 4 private. The seven organization doing wheat breeding releases about 5 cultivars per year and at this time more than 40 cultivars are available for farmers.

On more recent months we see more seed group become interest to create breeding activities for wheat. Generally to do it they are trying to use experienced breeders that are retiring from public institutes.

As far as seed producers (seed companies) Brazil has around 120 companies offering the 120 cultivars.

Majority of the seeds companies are located in the South of Brazil where we have the big concentration of the area. Assuming a planted area of 2, 5 million hectares, a seed utilization of 120 kgs per hectare we will have a potential demand for 300.000 tons of seeds.

More information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/the-wheat-seed-business-in-brazil

Brazil corn seed companies offer almost 500 hybrids to growers:




      The Brazilian corn seed companies offers almost 500 hybrids in the market for the 2012/13 crop. Conventional hybrids represent 55% of the total, while GMO represent 45%. It is an interesting fact since corn cultivated area with GMO is much bigger than the one with conventional hybrids.

From the total 479 cultivars, 93 were introduced this year, while the 103 offered last year dropped out.

From the 93 new cultivars, 5 are conventional and 34 are new cultivars introduce with a one GMO trait. When considering only GMO cultivars, we can find that 87 new cultivars were introduced in the market, while 42 dropped out. In the conventional segment, 6 news cultivars were introduced while 61 dropped out.

The information above was collected directly from seed companies and their promotional materials, as well as Seed Associations. Usually each GMO cultivar has a conventional version.


More information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/brazil-corn-seed-companies-offer-almost-500-hybrids-to-growers

Seed Enhancement:

image:materialscienceorganics.com


Seed is botanically defined as a matured ovule containing an embryo in an arrested state of development with food reserved in endosperm/ cotyledons surrounded by seed coat which is protective layer. In due respect to all agricultural inputs, seed is the most significant for two reasons. First, it is the propagule carrying unique genetics that culminate in optimum crop response to varying environments. Second, seed is the reproductive unit responsible for ensuring successful stand establishment for most agricultural crops (McDonald, 2003). There are many factors that can narrow down the gap between potential and farm level yield. Among them, use of quality seed is the most important one (Ahmad, 2001), as quality seeds ensure better germination as well as better yield. But if the seed is inferior quality crop failure is unavoidable. To the farmers for satisfactory crop production, a high quality seed is not only desirable but also satisfactory required. Although seed quality is governed by genetic make-up, commonly the quality of seeds may deteriorate in subsequent stages like harvesting, threshing, processing and storage period. Retention of seed germination always forms the important consideration in agricultural practices. Poor seed handling condition gives rise to deterioration of seed quality and the resultant loss of viability. Also this greatly affects seed vigor, as a result the quality of the seed becomes bad and the seed is unusable for crop production. Hence, some physical and chemical operations are performed with the seeds between the processing to storage time to overcome these problems.

More information: http://www.seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/article/seed-enhancements