Burrowing nematodes (Radopholus spp.) are the most significant parasites of bananas (Musa spp.) world over. They feed on the root tissue of bananas resulting to toppling disease at the fruit bearing stage. This study assessed the impact of farmers selected agronomic practices that influenced distribution of burrowing nematodes. We also assessed the abundance of Radopholus spp. across four AEZs namely; UM 2, UM 3, LM 3 and LM 4 of Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Purposive sampling was done on April, 2024 targeting farmers that grew ‘dwarf Cavendish’ variety of bananas, those that grew an average of 25 banana stems and those whose farms that were 1km apart. A structured questionnaire was issued to ninety farmers to collect demographic information and to determine their awareness of burrowing nematodes and toppling disease. Soil and banana root samples were also collected to determine abundance and distribution of burrowing nematodes. Data from the questionnaire and samples was subjected to R -statistical software and analysed at p≤ 0.02. The study revealed that majority of banana farmers practised mixed cropping and were not aware of toppling disease associated with Radopholus spp. It also revealed that majority of banana farmers were male and of ˃ 50 years of age. The findings also showed Radopholus spp was rarely distributed in lower AEZs of LM 3 and LM 4 compared to Pratylenchus spp. which was pre- dominantly distributed in upper AEZs of UM 2 and UM 3 in both soil and root samples.

The 'terroir' character of wines can be shaped with certain technological elements such as bentonite fining. Bentonite is an agent used for the removal of thermolabile proteins in wines. However, during fining, the quantity of certain wine components can change, including the elemental composition of the wine. According to the recommendations of bentonite suppliers, wines should be racked off the bentonite fining sediment within 2-3 weeks. However, in winemaking practice, wines can remain on bentonite fining sediment for up to 1-4 months. One reason for this is that racking wines off the sediment has a negative impact on wine quality. Thus, it is a question of how much the later or earlier racking time can alter the elemental content of the wine. Our study aimed to examine the elemental content of wines treated with three different bentonite products sampled from over the bentonite fining sediment at various time points. Our investigation was conducted with the 2019 vintage white wine of the University of Debrecen. Fining was performed with three bentonite products: Nucleobent, BW200, and Granubent Poretec. The sampling schedule following fining was: 0 days - unfined control, 7th, 14th, 27th, 56th, and 85th days. The macro-, meso-, and microelement contents (P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Al, Na, B, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, and Pb) of the wines were determined using ICP OES and ICP MS devices. Our results showed significant changes in the Al, Na, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb contents of the wines depending on the sampling time. It is noteworthy that all three bentonite products increased the Al and Pb contents of the wines. For Fe, dynamic increases were observed over time with the BW200 product, reaching the threshold value of susceptibility to brakeage. However, from a winemaking technology perspective, it was favorable for the Cu content of the wines to decrease with both earlier and later racking times, for all bentonite products examined. Based on the elemental analyzes of the white wines studied, it can be concluded that racking of wines should be timed according to the recommendations of suppliers.

This experiment was conducted to determine the influence of fertilizer types and ethylene remediation agents on postharvest shelf-life of tomato fruit. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.  Fruits were produced under four fertilizer treatment levels (Poultry manure, NPK 15:15:15, Poultry manure + NPK 15:15:15 and Control) and were harvested at breaker stage of maturity. The post-harvest treatments consist of eight ethylene remediation agents (ERAs) which includes three levels of 1-Methylcyclopropene (0.1 µL/L 1-MCP, 0.3 µL/L 1-MCP, 0.5 µL/L 1-MCP), two levels of Potassium tetraoxomanganate VII (5% 10% KMnO₄), two levels of Zeolite (10 g and 20 g) and Open shelf as control. The parameters observed included fruit weight loss and days to spoilage (1^st, 50% and 100%). It was observed that fruits produced with sole poultry manure and NPK 15-15-15 and stored in the media of 5% KMnO₄ had a shelf life of 45 days, longer than observed in other fertilizer regimes. Fruits stored in 0.3 µL/L1-MCP, 0.5µL/L1-MCP and 5% KMnO₄ concentrations as ERAs had reduced weight loss and delayed spoilage that translated to longer shelf-life. Fruits grown with poultry manure and treated with 0.3 µL/L1-MCP, 0.5µL/L1-MCP and 5% KMnO₄ had better performance in terms of fruit firmness and shelf life compared to other treatments. The use of either 1-MCP or 5% KMnO₄ is recommended as efficient ethylene scavengers in a storage medium for tomato fruit shelf-life extension.

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is an important vegetable and spice crop grown worldwide for its pungency, which is derived from high concentrations of capsaicinoids. Despite the economic importance of sweet pepper as an export vegetable in Kenya, its production is currently constrained by the false codling moth (FCM) (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) and inadequate management strategies for the pest, among other factors. This study, therefore, evaluated repellent plants (Artemisia (Artemisia absinthium), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and Spearmint (Mentha spicata) under different irrigation frequencies to control FCM. A split-plot factorial greenhouse experiment was conducted at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Muguga (trial 1) and the Horticulture Research and Teaching Field, Egerton University, Kenya (trial 2). Irrigation frequency at three levels (irrigating once a week, irrigating twice a week and irrigating thrice a week) was the main-plot factor, while repellent plants at four levels: sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.), artemisia (Artemisia absinthium), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) constituted the sub-plot factor. Irrigating thrice or twice a week and using lavender as a repellent plant significantly reduced false codling moth infestation by 90%, increased yield by 28% and improved fruit quality in terms of fruit collar diameter and total soluble salts (TSS). The findings demonstrate that integrating lavender repellent plants with frequent irrigation can be adopted as an eco-friendly management strategy for FCM and enhancing sweet pepper yield and quality.

Hydroponic farming, particularly using the nutrient film technique, is gaining traction as a sustainable approach for cultivating leafy vegetables such as lettuce. However, the selection of appropriate growing media remains critical for optimizing plant growth and yield in a soilless system. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used in this study to assess the impact of six distinct growing media (sponge made up of cellulose, perlite, saw dust, sand, cocopeat, and rice husk) on the growth and yield of lettuce under NFT conditions at Mutha Agro Pvt. Ltd., Lalitpur, Nepal. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) in RStudio (v4.4.1) was used to examine the data, and Tukey HSD test was used to differentiate treatment means at a 5% significance level. Lettuce grown in sponge media exhibited the highest performance in terms of number of leaves (11), longest leaf length (17.55 cm), greatest leaf width (9.43cm), plant height (35.81 cm), root length (12.51 cm), canopy diameter (36.07 cm), and stem diameter (0.62 cm). The highest fresh root weight (24.67 g) and moisture loss (98.7%) were obtained by perlite. The highest yield was recorded in sponge (146.45 g), followed by perlite (139.65 g), while the lowest was observed in rice husk (117.83 g). Overall, sponge made up of cellulose proved to be the most effective growing medium for hydroponic lettuce cultivation using NFT, followed by perlite. These findings can help guide growers in selecting suitable substrates to improve yield and quality in hydroponic production systems.

This study investigates the structure and growth of a 73-year-old Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna L.) plantation in Hungary. The stand had a tree density of 290 per ha, mean height of 18.2 m, quadratic mean diameter of 34.2 cm, and a basal area of 26.7 m² ha⁻¹. The slenderness ratio of 0.55 indicates moderate stability. Diameter distribution was normal (22–53 cm). Crown structure parameters showed moderate correlations with diameter (R² = 0.59 for crown diameter; R² = 0.53 for crown projection area), emphasizing the role of crown traits in yield modelling. An optimal planting density of 434 trees ha⁻¹ was estimated based on the average crown projection area (23 m²). Turkish hazel, with its drought resilience and valuable wood, is a promising species for afforestation in semi-arid climates. However, further research is needed on its management and genetic improvement to support wider application. This study can be considered gap-filling both in a Hungarian and, to some extent, an international context.