Watermelon A member of the Cucumber family, native to tropical Africa, the watermelon needs a long, dry growing season. Soil, for good watermelons, should be light, fertile, deep, and well drained. A pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is preferred. Preparing the planting bed Soil preparation should begin the fall before planting. At that time, turn […]
Growing Watermelon in the Home Garden History Africa is considered to be the native home of the watermelon. It was found growing wild by Livingstone in 1854. On the American continent, watermelons were grown as early as 1629 in Massachusetts, and prior to 1664 in Florida. Climate The watermelon is tender to frost and requires […]
Corn Rootworms Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte Northern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber Appearance and Life History Male (left) and Female (right) western corn rootworms Photo by B. Christine Corn rootworms are important insect pest of corn in the Midwest. Two species of rootworms that may cause severe damage to […]
Western Corn Rootworm Quick Facts… Western corn rootworm larvae feed on root hairs and small roots; larger rootworms feed on primary roots. Crop rotation is the most consistent and economical means of controlling western corn rootworm populations. Cultural practices that promote strong root systems and a vigorous crop will make corn more tolerant to rootworm […]
Corn: More Active Genes in Roots Mean Higher Yields Hybrid plants provide much higher yield than their homozygous parents. Plant breeders have known this for more than 100 years and used this effect called heterosis for richer harvests. Until now, science has puzzled over the molecular processes underlying this phenomenon. Researchers at the University of […]
Rice Cultivates Green Batteries from Plant Purpurin, left, extracted from madder root, center, is chemically lithiated, right, for use as an organic cathode in batteries. The material was developed as a less expensive, easier-to-recycle alternative to cobalt oxide cathodes now used in lithium-ion batteries. Here’s a reason to be glad about madder: The climbing plant […]
Quantifying Corn Rootworm Damage Every year farmers spend a lot of money trying to control corn rootworm larvae, which are a significant threat to maize production in the United States and, more recently, in Europe. University of Illinois researchers have been working on validating a model for estimating damage functions. Nicholas Tinsley, a doctoral candidate […]
Fertile Soil Doesn’t Fall from the Sky Remains of dead bacteria have far greater meaning for soils than previously assumed. The electron micrograph shows bacteria (Hyphomicrobium sp.; Yellow) growing up partly on solid surfaces, floors and sediment grains. During growth whatsoever cells die and deformed or fragmenting cell envelopes remain. Small-scale fragments of these shells […]
Rice Uses Light to Remotely Trigger Biochemical Reactions Chemical processes can be activated by light without the need for bulk heating of a material through a process developed by researchers at Rice University. The technique involves coating nanorods with thermophilic enzymes that are activated at high temperatures. Lighting the plasmonic gold nanorod causes highly localized […]
Farm Soil Determines Environmental Fate of Phosphorous Just 20 years ago, the soils of the Amazon basin were thought unsuitable for large-scale agriculture, but then industrial agriculture — and the ability to fertilize on a massive scale — came to the Amazon. A rhea looks out among the thriving soybean plants in a field in […]
Using Their Genes Against Them: Fighting Insect Pests with Genetic Targeting When you look out on a golden-yellow field of oilseed rape you might not think you’re seeing a battleground, but crops including oilseed rape, wheat, potato and tomato are engaged in a constant fight with pests and disease, trying to stay one step ahead. […]
Benefits and Variety of Strawberry in Pakistan! Strawberry is well-known as the most appetizing and very nutritive fruit. According to agricultural experts, it has enormous dietetic value and one of the potential sources of protein, carbohydrates, fats and vitamin. In Pakistan, it is consumed in fresh form as well as in processed form for making squashes, […]
Strawberry cultivation Pakistan is producing a limited quantity of strawberries which are either eaten or used in preparing ice-cream, jam, jelly, pickle, cake or milk shake. The fruit fetches Rs100 to Rs120 per kg in big cities. The wholesale price of the fruit comes down to Rs 50 per kg during the second fortnight of […]
Maize: cereal with a variety of uses MAIZE ranks third most grown crop in the world with an area of more than 118 million hectares with an annual production of about 600 million metric tones. In Pakistan, maize is the fourth largest grown crop after wheat, cotton and rice. The area under maize here is […]
ORGANIC GARDENING 1. Introduction : Grapes (Vitis vinifera) belonging to the Vitaceae family, originated in Western Asia and Europe. It was introduced to India by the Persian invaders in 1300 A. D. Grapes is a non-climacteric fruit that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody climbing vine. Grapes is a cross pollinated vine with simple, […]
Rowing Kakri (Armenian Cucumber) It is a no-demanding type of plant, very disease resistant and pest resistant.. needs least fertilizer for growth and good yield.. Its is generally ready for harvest after 70 days…. The fruits can grow from 2-3 feet long and 2 inches in diameter, but are best eaten when between 12-15 inches […]
Eggplant Profile Overview Eggplant is a widely grown specialty vegetable in the United States. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture (2009), eggplant was harvested on over 2,900 farms in 2007, an increase of over 690 farms since 2002. However, acreage declined to 6,038 acres during those five years. An estimated 159.8 million pounds of eggplants […]
Production Technology (CPT) of GRAPES in Pakistan INTRODUCTION The European grape (Vitis vinifera) is the most important species of the family Vitaceae. Two other commercial species are V.labrusca and V.rotundifolia. Biological Classification Kingdom Plantae Division Magnoliophyta Class Magnoliopsida Order Vitales Family Vitaceae Genus Vitis Species V. vinifera ———————————————————– OUTLINE OF THE TOPIC a) Introduction […]
Beet Production Douglas C. Sanders Extension Horticultural Specialist Department of Horticultural Science College of Agriculture & Life Sciences North Carolina State University Beets have been cultivated for centuries. Though grown mostly for the roots, beet greens are also popular in many areas. Beets are a common item in vegetable gardens, but few are produced in […]
Growing Beets in the Home Garden Climatic Requirements Beets prefer a cooler climate although they are tolerant of heat. Temperatures of 60 to 65 F and bright sunny days are ideal for beet plant growth and development. They can withstand cold weather short of severe freezing, making them a good long-season crop. Soils Beets prefer […]