High natural loads of microorganisms on fresh vegetables justify antimicrobial treatments of minimally processed vegetables. We evaluated the efficiency of the following chemical and physical decontamination methods on cut cabbage and carrot: washing in distilled water, disinfection by hydrogen peroxide (500 ppm), chlorine (100 ppm), peroxyacetic acid (500 ppm), high-pressure at 300, 400 or 500 MPa, water steam and hot air. Microbiological analyses, ascorbic acid determination and sensorial evaluation were carried out just after processing and after 5 days in cold storage. Counts of total mesophilic organisms (TMO), coliforms (C) and yeasts and moulds (M) were determined using the standard methods, HPLC was used for ascorbic acid determination. Microbial contamination after water washing was assessed as TMO 10(4)-10(6) /g, C 10(3)-10(5) /g, M 10(2)-10(5) /g. Disinfectants in the washing bath reduced the microbial loads 100-fold maximum, the peroxyacetic acid was the most efficient. The five-day storage led to the re-growth of microbes, the counts increased about 1 log10 in cabbage and 2 log10 in carrots. High-pressure treatment reduced significantly the counts; application of 500 MPa led to total microbial inactivation even after two-weeks´ storage. No decontamination effect was found after steaming. Retention of ascorbic acid varied from 50 to 70% and the losses increased with storage duration. No significant sensorial changes were detected after chemical treatments, while physical treatments led to changes in appearance and texture.

The pot experiment determined the nutrient release pattern in soil amended with different organic materials under green house conditions. NH4-N was released at 31 to 66 days after pot incubation (DAPI), the highest of which was from the combination of 0.6 t/ha CRH [carbonized rice hull] + 1 t/ha CM [chicken manure]. The lowest NH4-N was released from 0.5 t/ha COF. Flooding the soil increased the availability of soil P, released 6 to 31 DAPI. It declined at 48 DAPI and increased at 62 and 66 DAPI in all treatments. At 31 DAPI, 5 t/ha CRH had the highest release while 2.5 t/ha RSC gave the lowest. The slowest release was observed at 48 DAPI, possibly due to fixation of P in the soil surface or by microorganisms. A higher amount of exchangeable K was found in the treatments with 0.6 t.ha CRH+CM and 5 t/ha CRH, released from 21 to 66 DAPI. The combination of CRH + CM could have enhanced the mineralization of the organic materials, thus a comparable result was obtained as compared with the higher application of CRH at 5 t/ha. The highest soil K was observed in the combination of 0.6 t/ha CRH + 1t/ha CM at 20 and 31 DAPI, while the least was observed from 0.6 t/ha CRH alone at 62 DAPI. The trend of soil K continued to decline from 20 until 62 DAPI. Upon flooding, available S increased and almost leveled off at 21 DAPI. Its release declined at 20 to 31 DAPI and increased at 31 to 62 DAPI. The decline might be attributed to temporary fixation of S by microorganisms, while the increase could be due to higher amount of S released upon their death. At 62 DAPI, the highest S was from the soil with 2.5 t/ha RSC and the lowest from the untreated. Except for the soil applied with 2.5 t/ha RSC and 0.6 t/ha CRH, all other treatments increased microbial activity at 21 to 66 DAPI, with the combination of 0.6 t/ha CRH + 1 t/ha CM having the highest result followed by soil with 5 t/ha CRH. As the level of P in soil solution increased, less P leached. More K leached through time. The highest amount of K in water was observed in pots applied with 0.6 t/ha CRH + 1 t/ha CM. These results are being verified in a field experiment

Bacillus pumilus and B. macerans had antifungal and bactericidal activities that can inhibit the growth of Xanthomonas oryzae (causing bacterial leaf blight), Fusarium moniliforme (Bakanae), and X. campestris (causing bacterial leaf streak), and can enhance root formation. Paenibacillus polymyxa and Pseudomonas stutziri are also root growth promoters. Other species that can enhance composting are Azotobacter, Pantoea ananas, Anthrobacter histidinolovoran, and Enterobacter cloacae, Their expected role in non-legume nitrogen fixation will be evaluated. Yeast can provide vitamins, thus, it was also added to the formulation. The efficacy of the microorganisms as tested against X. oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) using the bio-assay technique. Isolates of Actinomycetes and B. macerans effectively inhibited the growth of Xoo after 3-5 days of incubation. Bacillus species, which are widely known to be the most useful of all isolates, were observed to be the most prevalent during the WS [wet season]: B. pumilus, B. macerans, Actinomycetes sp., P. polymyxa, P. ananas and Klebsiella pnuemoniae. The study determined the impact of using microbial inoculants as good source of indigenous microorganisms that can give beneficial effects to the rice rhizosphere as well as to the environment. The least number of bacterial species and lowest colony count were observed in the plots applied with commercial fertilizers. Beneficial organisms were adversely affected. EM [effective microorganisms] technology + commercial fertilizer gave the highest beneficial species and colony count as well

Two types of edible coatings: protein based coating-casein (8

Anhydrous ammonia was a common nitrogen fertilizer in past decades. Producers have speculated the change in their standard anhydrous ammonia fertilizer applications may have facilitated the increase of the reniform nematode since anhydrous is known to kill the microbial populations in the soil in the localized region where it is injected. Twelve tests over three states have been conducted between 2000 and 2002. Anhydrous ammonia was compared to the fertilizer standards ammonium nitrate, N-sol, and urea plus ammonium nitrate at similar rates. Temik 15G, Telone II, and Vydate treatments were also included as standard nematicide comparisons. In only two of twelve tests, anhydrous significantly increase yield over the nitrogen standard. Over all tests, anhydrous ammonium increase lint yield 34.9 pounds over the nitrogen standard for an additional value of $ 7.45/acre. However, the commercial nematicide materials (Temik 15G, Telone II, and Vydate), increased lint yield an average of 101 pounds over the nitrogen standard for an additonal value of $31.88/acre.

This paper uses extensive data on production outcomes for processing tomato growers in California to examine the efficacy of explicit incentives observed in grower-processor contracts. Our data include all deliveries of tomatoes to some 51 processors over a period of 7 years in which at least 65 unique types of contracts are employed. Results indicate that incentives account for a significant proportion of observed variation in production outcomes, and that complementarities across different sorts of "incentive instruments" play a prominent role in contract design. Although explicit incentives explain a substantial portion of the variation in production outcomes relative to that which could be explained by incentives (as captured by processor/year fixed effects), there remains considerable variation which might be accounted for by unobserved or implicit incentives. Finally, we control for a quite exhaustive set of factors other than incentive provisions that might conceivably affect expected production outcomes, yet are still left with a substantial amount of unexplained variation.

Experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy, absorption, and translocation of glyphosate, glufosinate, and imazethapyr with selected weed species. In the greenhouse glyphosate, glufosinate, and imazethapyr were applied at 0.25, 0.5, and 1 times their label rates of 1,121, 410, and 70 g ha⁻⁻¹, respectively, on 10- to 15-cm black nightshade, common waterhemp, eastern black nightshade, field bindweed, giant ragweed, ivyleaf morningglory, prairie cupgrass, velvetleaf, and yellow nutsedge. Glyphosate applied at the 1-time rate caused injury greater than or similar to injury from the 1-time rate of glufosinate or imazethapyr on black nightshade, common waterhemp, eastern black nightshade, field bindweed, giant ragweed, prairie cupgrass, and velvetleaf. The 1-time rate of glufosinate injured ivyleaf morningglory and yellow nutsedge more than did the 1-time rate of glyphosate or imazethapyr. Under field conditions glyphosate caused the greatest injury to common waterhemp, prairie cupgrass, and velvetleaf across plant growth stages. Giant ragweed and ivyleaf morningglory injury was more dependent on growth stage, with the 15- and 30-cm growth stages more susceptible to glyphosate than to glufosinate or imazethapyr. Differential response of these weed species may be caused by differences in herbicide translocation. Glyphosate was translocated more in both giant ragweed and ivyleaf morningglory, and these species were injured more by glyphosate than by glufosinate or imazethapyr at the larger growth stages.Nomenclature: Glufosinate; glyphosate; imazethapyr; black nightshade, Solanum nigrum L. SOLNI; common waterhemp, Amaranthus rudis Sauer AMATA; eastern black nightshade, Solanum ptycanthum Dun. SOLPT; field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis L. CONAR; giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L. AMBTR; ivyleaf morningglory, Ipomoea hederacea (L.) Jacq. IPOHE; prairie cupgrass, Eriochloa contracta Hitchc. ERICO; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medicus ABUTH; yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. CYPES.

The post-harvest application of chlorine dioxide (CIO2) was evaluated as a disease suppressant for stored potatoes. Chlorine dioxide was prepared by acidifying a buffered sodium chlorite solution with a food grade acid. In vitro studies verified the effectiveness of CIO2 at low concentrations (ED50 = 2 to 122 ppm) against Erwinia carotovora (soft rot), Fusarium spp. (dry rot) and Helminthosporium solani (silver scurf). Evaluations of tubers inoculated with Phytophthora infestans (late blight) and Fusarium spp. or infected with H. solani and then treated with CIO2 either going into storage or through the humidification system resulted in a lack of disease suppression. Inconsistent performance of CIO2 in storage appeared to be a result of several contributing factors. Chlorine dioxide concentrations varied greatly (up to six-fold), depending upon the method of activating and diluting sodium chlorite solutions. Chlorine dioxide is a gas soluble in water and, therefore, is easily released from solution (25%-75% loss) into the air when applied as an aqueous spray. Chlorine dioxide reacts quickly with the tuber and associated organic matter, thereby reducing the effectiveness. Applying higher than currently registered rates may be necessary to achieve measurable disease suppression.