Category: AGRICULTURE

Rafflesia lagascae an enigma of the plant kingdom

Rafflesia lagascae an enigma of the plant kingdom

 

Rafflesia lagascae is also  known as the “corpse flower”  due to the fact that it emit a  stench  of a corpse.  In a recent study  by the group  of  Dr. Michael Purugganan they have discovered that the Rafflesia lagascae does not have an intact chloroplast genome and this shows that the plant does not have the capacity to do photosynthesis and in a way it survives by means of a different system.

 A possible way that it gets its nourishment is by holoparasitim per my opinion or maybe it is not a plant but a big fungi maybe…

Avian Influenza and Selenium

What is the Relationship Between Se and Avian Influenza?

 

Scientists say the selenium revolution has stimulated new research and provided practical applications in medicine and agriculture

By Peter Surai

 

 

Introduction

Among many minerals selenium has a special place being the most controversial trace element. Indeed a narrow gap between essentiality and toxicity and environmental issues from the one hand and global selenium deficiency from the other hand, fuel research in this field. There were several breakthroughs in selenium research. The first one was a discovery a Se essentially in early 1960th. The second was a discovery of gluthathione peroxidase being a selenoprotein in 1973. The third one came almost 30 years later with characterization of main selenoproteins in human and animal body and further understanding the role of selenium in nutrition and health. Indeed, this third breakthrough is really a selenium revolution creating many hypotheses, stimulating new research and providing practical applications in medicine and agriculture. Continue reading “Avian Influenza and Selenium”

Technology Breakthroughs from UPLB

Technology Breakthroughs from UPLB

New plant and flower varieties developed by brilliant scientists from Asia’s premiere agriculture university (Part 2).

By Jo Ann Ancheta-Oruga

 

 

Hot water treatment

The UPLB –Post Harvest Training and Research Center developed the hot water treatment chamber for treating mangoes so that these will have a longer shelf life. This technology gave way to the export of mangoes in Japan and the Middle East by ensuring that mango fruits are free from fruit fly larvae and eggs.

 

Eggplant ‘mistisa’

This variety is the spreading type with profuse branching. It is resistant to bacterial wilt and moderately resistant to phomopsis. ‘Mistisa’ has a longer shelf life than most varieties, which makes it still marketable seven days after harvest.

 

Tomato ‘ara’

‘Ara’, a heat-tolerant all season tomato, is very vigorous and highly prolific. When ripe, its fruits are moderately formed and red orange. It yields 20-30 ton/ha during the wet season and 40-60 ton/ha during the dry season.

 

Cashew red princess

The red princess has a red large apple, with conical shape, and acidic flavor. It is very juicy with moderate fiber and strong aroma. It is recommended for apple and nut production. This variety is erect to semi-spreading tree, vigorous , prolific, and bears 400-500 fruits per tree per season.

 

The hibiscus hybrid celebrity, centennial, millennium, and oblation series

The UPLB- Institute of Plant Breeding has released three series of Hibiscus hybrids. The Celebrity Series is composed of five varieties of garden-type Hibiscus, which were named after media’s bestowed titles for Filipina actresses, namely: Diamond Star, Megastar, Novastar, Star for All Seasons, and Superstar.

The Centennial Series is composed of seven varieties, which are named after courageous Filipino Heroines namely: Tandang Sora, Oryang, Lolay, Marcela, Nay Isa, Ningning, Nazaria, Gabriela, Henerala Aguenda, Sentenarya.

The Millenium Series is also composed of seven varieties, which are dedicated after Filipino women scientists of UPLB. These are Claire Baltazar, Emerita de Guzman, Dolores Ramirez, Gelia Castillo, Hellen Valmayor, Obdulia Sison, and Millenia.

The Oblation Series are composed of three varieties named after Estrella F. Albastro, Emerlinda R. Roman, and Nelia T. Gonzales.

 

Chico mapino

Its flesh has a very fine texture. ‘Chico Mapino’ is also very sweet and juicy, with a melting taste. The tree is a regular and very prolific bearer of medium-sized fruits, weighing about 122 grams.

 

Guyabano Aguinaldo

It has a source-type variety, which makes it ideal for processing industries for fruit juices, puree, candies, and other processed products. The fruit is well formed. It has less seeds. It is also less fibrous so a high portion of the fruit is edible. Each fruit weighs about 1.5 kg.

 

Jackfruit mabini

This variety bears 50-80 fruits which can be harvested from February to July. ‘Mabini’ has an oblong fruit with yellow-green peel which weighs 15.4kg. it has yellow-orange flesh which is smooth, sweet and juicy. It also has strong aroma.

 

Improved corn varieties (Makapuno, IPB 911. IPB 929)

Makapuno is an open-pollinated glutinous corn variety. It yields an average of 6.26 tons per hectare in only 70 days. It is less sticky when boiled and is therefore less messy. It is a good cash crop because it can be harvested early and the price is higher than field corn.

IPB 911 is the first single-cross yellow corn hybrid approved for release by the National Seed Industry Council. It yields an average of 7.2 tons/ha and matures in 105 days. It can be grown throughout the country, all year. It is also resistant to downy mildew and tolerant to corn borer.

IPB 929 is a modified single cross yellow corn hybrid with an average yield of 7.01 tons/ha. It matures in 106 days and can be grown anywhere in the country throughout the year. Like IPB 911, it is also resistant to downy mildew and tolerant corn borer.

 

REFERENCE:

Marid Agribusiness Digest

Vol. 17 No.11* April 2007


       

Lean pork

I demand! Lean Pork Please…

A glimpse within the growth hormone regulation of protein metabolism in pigs.

By Victor Allen M. Anas, DVM

 

The increase in consumer demand for lean meat has stimulated the need for technologies to reduce fat and increase lean in meat animals. Swine experts in genetics, nutrition and physiology have employed their respective fields of technology to achieve the continuing goal of the swine industry to produce fast growing pigs and increase the quantity of high-quality lean carcass. Supplementing growth hormone an anabolic agent increases muscle mass in pigs, while also improving the rate and efficiency in growth were demonstrated by various studies. Growth Hormone (GH) also known as Somatotropin (ST) viewed as the master hormone that regulates growth and performance has been shown to have impressive effects on nutrient partitioning between muscle and adipose tissue that leads to dramatic alterations in the growth of the tissues.

GH has markedly influenced Protein metabolism. Generally, growth hormone stimulates protein anabolism in many tissues. This effect reflect increased amino acid uptake, increased protein synthesis and decreased oxidation of proteins. One of the most important ways that it affects protein metabolism is to increase retention of nitrogen by the body. The loss of nitrogen into the urine as urea or other nitrogenous waste products is diminished indicating retention within the body. In addition, another and possibly more important effect of GH is to increase cell permeability to amino acids thereby favoring a buildup of the muscle mass of the body. Evidence suggests that GH favors protein synthesis by gene activation, mRNA synthesis and ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA production by liver cell. Continue reading “Lean pork”