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Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable production in the South East European countries - Principles for sustainable intensification of smallholder farms
... A disinfectant is successful when it is broad spectrum (or when it is capable of targeting multiple organisms at once like bacteria, fungi, viruses etc) and also is safe for environment as well as application to the plants. For example, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a broad-spectrum disinfectant which is fast acting and is highly effective, but its dosage must be carefully measured as it can lead to environmental degradation by its phytotoxic effects (Baudoin et al., 2017). UV-C radiation and Ozone (O3) are some examples of physical methods of disinfection. ...
... These practices reduce pest introduction and breeding in the greenhouse environment. Such practices are crucial in hydroponics where the pest can spread rapidly (Baudoin et al., 2017). ...
... The most critical and underemphasized area of IPM is the education and training of farmers. According to (Baudoin et al., 2013;Baudoin et al., 2017), the keys to sustainable pest management and its success in hydroponics and greenhouse systems is early detection, farmer awareness and pest monitoring. ...
Hydroponics is a soilless farming which is revolutionizing agriculture by improving yield, space utilization and water efficiency. However, microbial contamination, biofilm development and pest infestation pose major threats to food security and system sustainability. In this review we researched about cleaning, disinfection and pest control techniques used in hydroponic farming. Most efficient disinfection is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) but we also present environmentally friendly alternatives like sodium percarbonate (SPC) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O₂). Preventing pests sustainably using integrated pest management (IPM) methodologies (e.g. physical barriers, biological controls). If hygiene techniques are properly followed through rigorous sanitization practices and adherence to food safety regulations for hydroponic systems. Future studies should focus on novel disinfection techniques to further enhance biosecurity. Hydroponic systems, however, rely on strict sanitization measures and must comply with food safety legislation to maintain their integrity.
... However, tomato production posed with numerous threats related to pest and diseases. There has been 80-100% depreciation in tomatoes production due to disease outbreak (Baudoin et al., 2017;FAO, 2019). Pest and diseases have negatively affected production success of small-scale farming. ...
In this paper, we present an integrated mobile system designed to empower tomato farmers with effective disease management strategies. Our approach harmonizes advanced machine learning techniques: Pre-trained Networks (MobileNetV2), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Universal Sentence Encoder (USE), enabling precise disease identification and classification. This innovation introduces a pioneering recommender system aiding farmers in disease recognition through symptom analysis and preventive measures. In contrast to conventional methods, our system offers a holistic solution uniting technological innovation with pivotal information science components, thereby enhancing sustainability in tomato agriculture. We assess model performance in multi-class classification-encompassing ten classes (healthy and unhealthy)-utilizing an extensive dataset of 11,000 tomato images from Plant Village. Existing tomato leaf disease classification models are scrutinized, encompassing model types, datasets, recommender systems, and mobile integration. Predominantly, consulted research employs customized Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), demonstrating enhanced performance through hyper-parameter tuning. However, these models primarily focus on classification, lacking a recommender system that informs farmers of symptoms and preventive measures at the early disease stages. Our investigation reveals that the pretrained MobileNetV2 in conjunction with SVM yields exceptional performance, achieving 93.68% precision, 93.84% F-1 score, 96.81% accuracy, and 95.4% recall-surpassing alternative pre-trained models.
... However, plastic is still utilized inside greenhouses for other purposes and has a relatively poor recycling rate, creating plastic waste. Plastic films continue to be the most popular low-cost choice in less developed nations (Gruda and Popsimonova, 2017). Although protective netting and greenhouse films are made to last through several harvests, eventually they must be replaced due to weathering and photodeterioration, and the old materials must be properly recycled. ...
Over the years, soil contamination has been considered a major environmental pollution possibly
due to the multiple roles of soil in supporting life on earth. A substance or chemical that initially
finds its ways into the soil, either through natural processes or human activities, and has the capacity
of influencing soil nature and properties is known as a contaminant (Enerijiofi and Ekhaise, 2019a).
Contaminants based on their properties are generally grouped as either chemical, biological, or
physical. They can exist in sufficient or less sufficient concentrations but do not adversely affect
organisms and their environments. Soil contamination has raised serious concerns due to the fear
that it may lead to soil pollution. Soil pollution is generally seen as a pressing issue in agricultural
production because when the soil is polluted, the healthy status of the soil is compromised, thereby
affecting the life of other organisms that depend on it. This situation over the years has resulted in
loss of biodiversity and has affected food security and safety all over the world. Furthermore, pol
lutants in the soil have been observed to infiltrate the food chain, threatening food system sustain
ability (Musa and Ikhajiagbe, 2021).
The devastating effects of these contaminants in agricultural soil are not only limited to the
plants but also extend to the microbiome of the arable land as well as any other forms of life
found in the agricultural soil. Beyond the environmental impact, the consequences of agricultural
contamination can be felt in national economies through decreased crop productivity and qual
ity. Furthermore, there are some plants that are considered as bioaccumulators. These plants may
survive the presence of certain contaminants but will pass the contaminants as the food chain pro
gresses which may bring about serious health implication and also affect food security and safety
(Ikhajiagbe et al., 2021).
... Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a globally cultivated leafy vegetable with 26.2 Mt of production annually 27 . Spinach being a glycophytic (salt sensitive) plant has relatively low salt tolerance with high nutritive values and important vitamins 28,29 . Salinity induced alterations in the nutritional composition of spinach, as well as physiological modifications 21,30 . ...
Soil salinity is a major nutritional challenge with poor agriculture production characterized by high sodium (Na⁺) ions in the soil. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and biochar have received attention as a sustainable strategy to reduce biotic and abiotic stress. However, there is a lack of information regarding the incorporation of ZnO NPs with biochar to ameliorate the salinity stress (0, 50,100 mM). Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the potentials of ZnO NPs application (priming and foliar) alone and with a combination of biochar on the growth and nutrient availability of spinach plants under salinity stress. Results demonstrated that salinity stress at a higher rate (100 mM) showed maximum growth retardation by inducing oxidative stress, resulted in reduced photosynthetic rate and nutrient availability. ZnO NPs (priming and foliar) alone enhanced growth, chlorophyll contents and gas exchange parameters by improving the antioxidant enzymes activity of spinach under salinity stress. While, a significant and more pronounced effect was observed at combined treatments of ZnO NPs with biochar amendment. More importantly, ZnO NPs foliar application with biochar significantly reduced the Na⁺ contents in root 57.69%, and leaves 61.27% of spinach as compared to the respective control. Furthermore, higher nutrient contents were also found at the combined treatment of ZnO NPs foliar application with biochar. Overall, ZnO NPs combined application with biochar proved to be an efficient and sustainable strategy to alleviate salinity stress and improve crop nutritional quality under salinity stress. We inferred that ZnO NPs foliar application with a combination of biochar is more effectual in improving crop nutritional status and salinity mitigation than priming treatments with a combination of biochar.
... Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a globally cultivated leafy vegetable with 26.2 Mt of production annually 27 . Spinach being a glycophytic (salt sensitive) plant has relatively low salt tolerance with high nutritive values and important vitamins 28,29 . Salinity induced alterations in the nutritional composition of spinach, as well as physiological modifications 21,30 . ...
Soil salinity is a major nutritional challenge with poor agriculture production characterized by
high sodium (Na+) ions in the soil. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and biochar have received
attention as a sustainable strategy to reduce biotic and abiotic stress. However, there is a lack of
information regarding the incorporation of ZnO NPs with biochar to ameliorate the salinity stress (0,
50,100 mM). Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the potentials of ZnO NPs application
(priming and foliar) alone and with a combination of biochar on the growth and nutrient availability
of spinach plants under salinity stress. Results demonstrated that salinity stress at a higher rate
(100 mM) showed maximum growth retardation by inducing oxidative stress, resulted in reduced
photosynthetic rate and nutrient availability. ZnO NPs (priming and foliar) alone enhanced growth,
chlorophyll contents and gas exchange parameters by improving the antioxidant enzymes activity
of spinach under salinity stress. While, a significant and more pronounced effect was observed at
combined treatments of ZnO NPs with biochar amendment. More importantly, ZnO NPs foliar
application with biochar significantly reduced the Na+ contents in root 57.69%, and leaves 61.27% of
spinach as compared to the respective control. Furthermore, higher nutrient contents were also found
at the combined treatment of ZnO NPs foliar application with biochar. Overall, ZnO NPs combined
application with biochar proved to be an efficient and sustainable strategy to alleviate salinity stress
and improve crop nutritional quality under salinity stress. We inferred that ZnO NPs foliar application
with a combination of biochar is more effectual in improving crop nutritional status and salinity
mitigation than priming treatments with a combination of biochar.
Purpose
The agribusiness sector faces mounting pressure due to a persistently challenging business environment, rapidly increasing population and rising food demand. Drawing on institutional theory, this study aims to explore the role of sustainable project management in enhancing the short- and long-term performance of agri-business projects, with a particular focus on technological orientation as an alternative to traditional approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was employed using a questionnaire survey, with data collected from 342 project managers engaged in agri-business infrastructure projects.
Findings
The findings confirm that sustainable project management has both direct and indirect positive effects on project performance through technological orientation. These results highlight the critical need for agriculture managers to integrate advanced technologies alongside sustainable project management practices across all project phases – from planning to completion – to effectively address current and future agricultural demands in the context of rapid population growth.
Originality/value
This study was the first of its kind to examine how the short- and long-run performance of agricultural business projects can be enhanced through sustainable project management and technological orientation to meet the demands of foods.
The research to focuses on spraying the plant leaves from the bottom and top by developing a sprayer. The sprayer was making a sprayer made of aluminum with a movable arm containing a nozzle holder divided into three pieces. Each piece contains a nozzle of the type Flat Fan 120-C3. The tasting of the sprayer was done in one of the greenhouses of the Department of Horticulture and Forestry. The study has two factors, the first is changing eff changing the positions of the nozzle holder tube to two levels A1, A2. The second factors were the spray pressure with three levels P1=2, P2=3, P3=4 bar. The spraying speed was 3.12 km/h. The effect of the previous factors on the following characteristics namely: spray losses, spray penetration, and spraying homogeneity. The research began in 2021.The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) according to the SPLIT-PLOT system and with three replications using a significant difference LSD with a probability level of 0.05. The results showed that the study factors at the level of A1 position and pressure 4 bar were superior to the losses and penetration. The level of A2 and P3 pressure achieved the highest result with the uniformity of the spray.
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