Agriculture

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2008-04-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

rrtes

Vase-life of Gladiolus Flower

2008-03-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

Upon arrival at destination, the spikes should be immediately taken out of the cardboard
boxes. About2.5 cm long basal ends of the spikes should be cut off and the spikes placed
in acid solution having pH between 3-3.5 to increase the shelf life. Spikes can also be
kept in floral preservatives containing sucrose (3000-5000ppm) and Streptocycline. Spikes
should be opened at a moderate temperature of 21-23° C, in diffused light but not in the
open sun. It is advisable to store the spikes in air-conditioned chambers for sale.
Vase-life of gladiolus spikes varies from 5-10 days, depending upon the cultivar and room
temperature.

About2.5 cm long basal ends of the spikes should be cut off and the spikes placed
in acid solution having pH between 3-3.5 to increase the shelf life. Spikes can also be
kept in floral preservatives containing sucrose (3000-5000ppm) and Streptocycline. Spikes
should be opened at a moderate temperature of 21-23° C, in diffused light but not in the
open sun.

Gladiolus are used as line flowers in arrangements when tall blooms with a linear shape are needed.
Glads have a vase life of one to two weeks, depending on how fresh they are when you buy them. Those harvested from your cutting garden can last two weeks if you condition them properly.

POMEGRANATE

2008-02-17T00:45:00.000-08:00

Planting

Pits of 30x30x30 cm are made well in advance and filled back with a mixture of FYM and soil. In subtropical climate, where plants remain dormant in winter, planting should be done in the beginning of spring season. However, in places where the plant behaves evergreen, the proper time of planting is beginning of monsoons.

Training and pruning

Pomegranate plant can be trained on a single stem or in multi stem system. In our country, multi stem training is more prevalent and useful. If the plant looses one stem it continues to survive. But under Tamil Nadu conditions, single stem with six scaffold branches give more yield. Pomegranate fruits are born terminally on short spurs arising from mature shoots. These bear fruits for 3 to 4 years. Hence, the gradual growth of new shoots should be encouraged by restricted cutting back of bearing shoots. However, suckers are to be removed regularly to maintain the shape of the frame work and also maintain the balance between vegetative and reproductive phase.

To more about Pomegranate http://indianholidays.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=184&st=0&sk=t&sd=d&start=0

Pomegranate

2008-02-17T00:25:00.000-08:00

Planting

Training and pruning

To know more about pomegranate
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VANILLA

2007-03-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

VANILLA
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids in the genus Vanilla. The name came from the Spanish word "vainilla", meaning "little pod".

Artificial Pollination

A simple and efficient artificial pollination method was introduced in 1841 by a 12 year-old slave named Edmond Albius on Réunion, then a French colony, in the Indian Ocean. This method is still used today. Using a bevelled sliver of bamboo, an agricultural worker folds back the membrane separating the anther and the stigma, then presses the anther on the stigma. The flower is then self-pollinated, and will produce a fruit. The vanilla flower lasts about one day, sometimes less, thus growers have to inspect their plantations every day for open flowers, a labor-intensive task.The fruit (a seed pod), if left on the plant, will ripen and open at the end; it will then exhaust the distinctive vanilla smell. The fruit contains tiny black seeds which carry no vanilla flavor. These black seeds are the tiny black specks found in dishes prepared with whole natural vanilla.Like other orchids, vanilla seed will not germinate without the presence of certain mycorrhizal fungi. Growers reproduce the plant by cutting: they cut sections of the vine with six or more leaf nodes, which have a root opposite each leaf. The lower two leaves are removed and this portion is covered in loose soil at the base of the support tree or post. The remaining upper roots will cling to the support and often will eventually also grow down into the soil. Growth is rapid under good conditions.

Preparation and Storage

Vanilla extract is made by percolating alcohol and water through chopped, cured beans, somewhat like making coffee. Vanilla extract is very powerful, a few drops sufficing for most uses. Vanilla bean is a bit more time consuming to use than the extract, but imparts the stongest vanilla flavour without the alcohol of extract.To flavour a liquid base for creme sauces, puddings, ice creams, etc., allow one bean per pint to steep in the liquid by boiling and allowing to cool for an hour before removing the bean. This can be repeated a few times if the bean is washed after use, dried and kept airtight. Ground vanilla can also be used, but use half as much and leave in the liquid. Many recipes call for slitting the bean lengthwise and scraping out the tiny black seeds. Airtight storage is necessary, otherwise the aroma will dissipate. A good way to store whole vanilla is to bury it in sugar. Use a jar with a tight-fitting lid that will hold about a pound of sugar, burying the bean so that no light can reach it. After 2 -3 weeks the sugar tastes of vanilla and can be used in coffee or in other recipes and the bean can be removed for other uses and returned to the sugar after cleaning. Keep topping up the sugar.

Culinary Uses

Vanilla’s mellow fragrance enhances a variety of sweet dishes: puddings, cakes, custards, creams, soufflés and, of course, ice cream. Classic examples include crème caramel, peach Melba and apple Charlotte. Vanilla flavour is detectable in many chocolate and confectionery items and several liqueurs such as Crème de Cacao and Galliano.

Attributed Medicinal Properties

From the time of the Aztecs, vanilla was considered an aphrodisiac. This reputation was much enhanced in 1762 when a German study found that a medication based on vanilla extract cured impotence — all 342 smiling subjects claimed they were cured.It was also once believed that vanilla was a febrifuge, used to reduce fevers, though it is rarely used for any medicinal purposes other than as a pharmaceutical flavouring.

Plant Description and Cultivation

Vanilla is a tropical climbing orchid, with a long green fleshy stem that sprouts roots that cling to trees parasitically. Its yellow or orange orchidaceous flowers grow in bunches, which bloom one flower each day, opening one by one during the two month season. Vanilla is a tropical crop and cannot grow naturally in temperate climates. When cultivated the vines are trained using posts and support trees.In nature they are only pollinated by Mexican bees and hummingbirds that are capable of penetrating a tough membrane that separates the plant’s pistol and stamen. European entrepreneurs had transplanted vanilla to grow in other tropical locations but could not get them to produce the pods. It wasn’t until 1836 that a botanist from Belgium, Charles Morren, recognized that the flowers were not being pollinated and would require some human assistance. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a former slave, on the French Island of Réunion, perfected a method to artificially fertilize the short-lived vanilla flower using a thin bamboo skewer to lift the membrane and use his thumb to smear the pollen. This gave great impetus to vanilla bean husbandry, and the method is still used today.The pods take about nine months to mature and are harvested when the tips begin to turn from yellow. Until recently, the curing process was long and complicated. The beans are first wrapped and subjected to high temperature and humidity to ‘kill’ the vegetative life. The next process involves alternate drying in the sun by day and sweating by night for several days. At this point the beans are dark, oily and pliable and are then slowly dried in the shade for up to two months. They are then sorted and graded and placed in chests for a further conditioning period of one or two months.

ABOUT GINGER

2007-03-14T01:47:00.000-07:00

GINGER
Ginger has been used in ancient India both for culinary and medicinal purposes. For the household cooking, it is the fresh rhizome that is commonly used. For medicinal
uses, however, the common form used is the dry ginger. In ayurvedic system system the mixture of three spices, viz black pepper, long pepper and ginger forms the famous Trikatu. Ginger is also popular in the cooking of Western and other cultures and finds reference in ancient literature as well as in the records of Marco Polo and Vasco da Gamma.

Ginger is a rhizome of the ginger plant. It is cultivated throughout the world for local culinary needs. But the countries which have excess, process it in dried form and export. The major producers of dry ginger are India, China, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Jamaica etc. In the world trade Jamaican ginger is rated high (but the production is very limited), with India’s Cochin ginger coming closely. Nigerian is also now regarded nearly as good, but with slightly different note. China produces lot of ginger, but the dry ginger is generally regarded as inferior in flavour. Australia grows ginger with lemony flavour. The harvesting is done a ginger is preserved in either brine or syrup.
Ginger oil can made by steam distillation. The typical aroma cannot be attributed to any single compound. It is a combined effect. Dry ginger yields 1 to 2 % oil and 5 to 6% oleoresin when extracted with organic solvent. The hotness of ginger is caused by gingerols which consists of true gingerols, shogaols, zingerone and paradols. The latter compounds are mainly formed from true gingerols during processing and heat treatment.
Ginger is used in culinary practices. Among the processed food, it specially finds use in soft drinks and baked products, besides use in meat, sea food and vegetable curries.

CARDAMOM

2006-12-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

About Cardamom
Cardamom is one of the world’s very ancient spices. It is native to the East originating in the forests of the western ghats in southern India, where it grows wild. Today it also grows in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Indo China and Tanzania. The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds as a tooth cleaner; the Greeks and Romans used it as a perfume. Vikings came upon cardamom about one thousand years ago, in Constantinople, and introduced it into Scandinavia, where it remains popular to this day.Cardamom is an expensive spice, second only to saffron. It is often adulterated and there are many inferior substitutes from cardamom-related plants, such as Siam cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged Java cardamom, and bastard cardamom. However, it is only Elettaria cardamomum which is the true cardamom. Indian cardamom is known in two main varieties: Malabar cardamom and Mysore cardamom. The Mysore variety contains higher levels of cineol and limonene and hence is more aromatic
Spice Description
Cardamom comes from the seeds of a ginger-like plant. The small, brown-black sticky seeds are contained in a pod in three double rows with about six seeds in each row. The pods are between 5-20 mm (1/4”-3/4”) long, the larger variety known as ‘black’, being brown and the smaller being green. White-bleached pods are also available. The pods are roughly triangular in cross section and oval or oblate. Their dried surface is rough and furrowed, the large ‘blacks’ having deep wrinkles. The texture of the pod is that of tough paper. Pods are available whole or split and the seeds are sold loose or ground. It is best to buy the whole pods as ground cardamom quickly loses flavour.
USES OF CARDAMOM:
Cardamom ‘the queen of spices’ has been in use in perfumery, confectionery and as a wholly consumed spice for centuries together. It was a pricedspice, traded from India since time immemorial and was an extremely popular in Europe and Arab countries. It is used mostly in confectionery in Europe and in ARAB countries it is used as a spice and as a blend with ‘gahwa’ coffee, a regular drink among the Arabs. It is also used in Asia as a major spice in a number of food preparations, in masalas and in curry mixtures.It is used in preparation of AYURVEDIC MEDICINES and is also widely used as a FLAVORING AGENT
In traditional medicine
In India, green cardamom (A. subulatum) is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation of eyelids and also digestive disorders. It is also reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom.Species in the genus Amomum are also used in traditional Indian medicine. Among other species, varieties and cultivars, Amomum villosum is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat stomach-aches, constipation, dysentery, and other digestion problems. "Tsaoko" cardamom is cultivated in Yunnan, China, both for medicinal purposes and as a spice.
Cultivation
Cardamom grows abundantly in altitudes ranging from 900 to 1370 m above sea level, with a warm humid atmosphere, evenly distributed rainfall and humus-rich loamy soil. It thrives best under moderate shade. Cardamom is propagated both vegetatively and by seeds. Seeds from well ripened fruits are sown in raised beds and when the seedlings attain a height of 25-30 cm they are transplanted into field or secondary nursery beds. Vegetativepropagation is by means of clones, a portion of the rhizome with one or two new tillers. Micropropagation is also widely employed for the propagationof cardamom. Planting is normally done in June-July with the receipt of south-west monsoon rains in pits or trenches at a spacing varying from 0.9 to 3.0 m depending on the type of cardamom.

The maiden crop in cardamom is obtained in the third year of planting. Flowering commences in April-May and continues till July-August. Harvesting is done at an interval of 30-40 days and only fruits which are just nearing ripeness are harvested. Harvested fruits are dried by exposing them to sun light or by heating or by flue curing. The dried capsules are cleaned, sorted and graded based on bulk density, colour and size. Capsules which lack
uniform green colour are bleached by using bleaching powder, sulphur dioxide or hydrogen peroxide.

The chemical composition of cardamom varies considerably with variety, region and age of the product. The principal quality of determinant is thecontent and compositon of the volatile oil. Cardamom contains between 2% and 10% essential oil, out of which the major portion is in seeds. Thevolatile oil contains about 25-40% cineole, 30-40% a-terpinyl acetate and about 1-2% limonene.
Harvesting & Curing
Cardamom starts yielding from the second year after planting. The ideal stage for harvesting is just before ripening. Capsules are to be harvested at an interval of 15 days between August and December. The post harvest operation consists of washing, pre-treatment with chemicals, curing,cleaning, grading and packing. Wash the capsules in water, immediately after harvest to remove the adhering soil and treat them with 2% washing soda for 10 minutes to retain green colour. Dry them either in sun or in drying houses by heat radiation, under controlled temperature (50 o C is optimum) to retain the delicate flavour and green colour. After drying, rub the capsules with coir mat / gunny cloth / steel mesh, sieve and grade.Cured cardamom has to be protected against light, air and temperature by packing in polythene lined gunny or cloth bags

Climate
Cardamom thrives well in areas having warm humid climate and fairly well distributed annual rainfall (1500 - 4000 mm). A temperature range of 18-280 C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL is ideal. The crop requires 40-60% shade for proper growth and flowering. Being a surface feeder,availability of moisture during dry period is essential
Soil
Cardamom thrives well in areas having warm humid climate and fairly well distributed annual rainfall (1500 - 4000 mm). A temperature range of 18-280 C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL is ideal. The crop requires 40-60% shade for proper growth and flowering. Being a surface feeder, availability of moisture during dry period is essential

pepper

2006-12-06T03:41:00.000-08:00

Pepper plant
The pepper plant is a perennial woody vine growing to four metres in height on supporting trees, poles, or trellises. It is a spreading vine, rooting readily where trailing stems touch the ground. The leaves are alternate, entire, five to ten centimetres long and three to six centimetres broad. The flowers are small, produced on pendulous spikes four to eight centimetres long at the leaf nodes, the spikes lengthening to seven to 15 centimetres as the fruit matures.Black pepper is grown in soil that is neither too dry nor susceptible to flooding, is moist, well-drained and rich in organic matter. The plants are propagated by cuttings about 40 to 50 centimetres long, tied up to neighbouring trees or climbing frames at distances of about two metres apart; trees with rough bark are favoured over those with smooth bark, as the pepper plants climb rough bark more readily. Competing plants are cleared away, leaving only sufficient trees to provide shade and permit free ventilation. The roots are covered in leaf mulch and manure, and the shoots are trimmed twice a year. On dry soils the young plants require watering every other day during the dry season for the first three years. The plants bear fruit from the fourth or fifth year, and typically continue to bear fruit for seven years. The cuttings are usually cultivars, selected both for yield and quality of fruit.A single stem will bear 20 to 30 fruiting spikes. The harvest begins as soon as one or two berries at the base of the spikes begin to turn red, and before the fruit is mature, but when full grown and still hard; if allowed to ripen, the berries lose pungency, and ultimately fall off and are lost. The spikes are collected and spread out to dry in the sun, then the peppercorns are stripped off the spikes.

Black pepper
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The same fruit is also used to produce white pepper and green pepper. Black pepper is native to South India and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe five millimetres in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single seed.Dried, ground pepper is one of the most common spices in European cuisine and its descendants, having been known and prized since antiquity for both its flavour and its use as a medicine. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine. Ground black peppercorn, usually referred to simply as "pepper", may be found on nearly every dinner table in some parts of the world, often alongside table salt.

Verieties of pepper
Black pepper is produced from the still-green unripe berries of the pepper plant. The berries are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the fruit, speeding the work of browning enzymes during drying. The berries are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the fruit around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer around the seed. Once dried, the fruits are called black peppercorns.White pepper consists of the seed only, with the fruit removed. This is usually accomplished by allowing fully ripe berries to soak in water for about a week, during which time the flesh of the fruit softens and decomposes. Rubbing then removes what remains of the fruit, and the naked seed is dried. Alternative processes are used for removing the outer fruit from the seed, including removal of the outer layer from black pepper produced from unripe berries.Black pepper is the most common, while white pepper is mainly used in dishes like light-coloured sauces or mashed potatoes, where ground black pepper would visibly stand out. There is disagreement regarding which is generally spicier. They do have differing flavours due to the presence of certain compounds in the outer fruit layer of the berry that are not found in the seed. Green pepper, like black, is made from the unripe berries. Dried green peppercorns are treated in a manner that retains the green colour, such as treatment with sulphur dioxide or freeze-drying. Pickled peppercorns, also green, are unripe berries preserved in brine or vinegar. Fresh, unpreserved green pepper berries, largely unknown in the West, are used in some Asian cuisines, particularly Thai cuisine. Their flavour has been described as piquant and fresh, with a bright aroma.They decay quickly if not dried or preserved.A rarely seen product called pink pepper or red pepper consists of ripe red pepper berries preserved in brine and vinegar. Even more rarely seen, the ripe red peppercorns can also be dried using the same colour-preserving techniques used to produce green pepper. Pink pepper from Piper nigrum is distinct from the more-common dried "pink peppercorns", which are the fruits of a plant from a different family, the Peruvian pepper tree, Schinus molle, and its relative the Brazilian pepper tree, Schinus terebinthifolius. Sichuan peppercorn is another "pepper" that is botanically unrelated to black pepper.Peppercorns are often categorised under a label describing their region or port of origin. Two well-known types come from India's Malabar Coast: Malabar pepper and Tellicherry pepper. Tellicherry is a higher-grade pepper, made from the largest, ripest 10% of berries from Malabar plants grown on Mount Tellicherry. Sarawak pepper is produced in the Malaysian portion of Borneo, and Lampong pepper on Indonesia's island of Sumatra. White Muntok pepper is another Indonesian product, from Bangka Island

Useses of pepper
Aroma and Flavour: Black pepper is used in almost all applications where spice is used, with exception of baked goods. It is used universally in sauces, gravies, processed meats, poultry, snack foods etc. Both black and white pepper are used in cuisine worldwide, at all stages of the cooking process and as a table condiment. White pepper has a distinguishably different flavor but is utilized to a lesser extent.
Culinary use: It is used in processed meats and in applications where dark specking is not desired. Black pepper is added to fruit cakes and gingerbread and is also used as a light seasoning on fresh fruit. Black pepper oleoresin is also used for similar purposes.
Medicinal and other use: Black pepper has long been recognized as a stimulant to appetite as well as an aid in the relief of nausea. In India it is being used since time immemorial as a medicine for a number of health problems.

Cultivation of pepper
The plant requires a long rainy season, fairly high temperatures, and partial shade for the best growth. Propagation is usually by stem cuttings. The cuttings are set out near a tree or a pole that will serve as a support. Black pepper plants are sometimes interspersed in tea or coffee plantations. They begin bearing in 2 to 5 years and may produce for as long as 40 years. The berries are picked when they begin to turn red.

Chilli

2006-11-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

Description.

The native land of Chilli is considered to be Mexico with secondary origin in Gautemala.Chilli is an annual sub herb belonging to the family Solanaceae. It is also called as hot pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper, capsicum, etc. Most of the cultivated varieties in India belongs to the species Capsicum annum. Chilli of commerce is the dried pod.
India is the only country rich in many varieties of chillies with different quality factors. Chilli is the universal spice of India. It is grown in almost all the states in India.
Chilli has two important commercial qualities. If some varieties are famous for red colour because of the pigment casanthin, others are known for biting pungency attributed by capsaicin. Chilli imparts pungency and colour to the dishes. It is an important ingredient in day to day curries, pickles and chutnies. It is also a rich source of Vitamin A, C and E and assists in digestion. It also prevents heart diseases by dilating blood vessels.

Crop Management
Chilli requires warm and humid climate for its best growth and dry weather during the maturation of fruits. It grows in wide range of altitudes ranging from sea level upto nearly 2100 m above MSL. It is generally a cold weather crop but can be grown throughout the year under irrigation. Black soils which retain moisture for long periods are suitable for rainfed crop whereas well drained chalka soils and sandy loams are good under irrigated condition.
Chilli is propagted by seeds. Direct sowing is recommended for rainfed crop under retentive black soils. For direct sown crop, the seeds are drilled by the end of July of first week of August. Seed rate is 6.25 kg per hectare. After 30-40 days of sowing, thinning and gap filling is done on a cloudy day. Plant to plat distance of 15 cm is maintained in the rows which are 56 cm apart.
For transplanted crop, seedling are grown in raised beds and 40-45 days old seedlings are used for transplantation. For cold weather crop, transplanting is do

Tomato

2006-11-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

description
The tomato should have a firm flesh and a uniform colour with no blemishes, wrinkles or cracks. It should weigh heavy in the hand. Light puffy tomatoes usually have a poor texture and taste
legends
There are many legends about the tomato. For example, it has been claimed that tomatoes were not widely eaten in the U.S until the late 1800s. It has sometimes been claimed that tomatoes were considered aphrodisiacs and so were shunned by the Puritans. Other claims center on the supposed fear that tomatoes were poisonous, based on the fact that they belong to the Solanales Order, or "Nightshade" family, which contains many toxic plants. Many legends also maintain that the tomato was introduced into the U.S. from South America by one particular person; Thomas Jefferson is sometimes mentioned.
Tomatoes' status as an aphrodisiac may be due to a mistranslation. Legend has it a Frenchman on his travels ate a meal with tomatoes in it and was fascinated with the new taste. He went back to the chef who was Italian and asked him what this new ingredient was. The chef said "Pomme de' Moors" (Apple of the Moors), but the Frenchman misunderstood and thought he said "Pomme d'Amore" (Apple of Love).
The most famous legend of this sort was introduced by Joseph S. Sickler in the mid-1900s, and became the subject of a CBS broadcast of You Are There in 1949. The story goes that the lingering doubts about the safety of the tomato in the United States were largely put to rest in 1820, when Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson announced that at noon on September 26, he would eat a basket of tomatoes in front of the Salem, New Jersey, courthouse. Reportedly, a crowd of more than 2,000 persons gathered in front of the courthouse to watch the poor man die after eating the poisonous fruits, and were shocked when he lived. In his book Smith notes that there is little, if any, historical evidence for any of these legends, and that they continue to be repeated largely because they are entertaining stories.
It is also said that the tomato became popular in France during the French Revolution, because the revolutionaries' iconic color was red; and at one point it was suggested that they should eat red food as a show of loyalty. Since European royalty was still leery of the nightshade-related tomato, it apparently was the perfect choice. This may also be why the first reported use of the tomato in the U.S. was in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1812, because of the French influence in that region.
There is also a story which claims that an agent for Britain attempted to kill General George Washington by feeding him a dish laced with tomatoes during the American Revolution.
growing of tomato
Early tomatoes are grown by starting the plants in a greenhouse, hotbed, or in shallow boxes placed in windows. A pinch of seed sown in March in the northern hemisphere, or September in the southern hemisphere, will give all the early plants a large family can use. When the plants have reached the height of 2 or 3 inches, they should be transplanted into 3-inch flower-pots, old berry boxes, or other receptacles, and allowed to grow slowly and stocky until time to set them out, which is from May 15 on (in New York). They should be set in rows 4 or 5 feet apart, the plants being the same distance in the rows.
uses of tomato
Tomatoes are now eaten freely throughout the world, although their seeds cannot be digested and pass straight through human intestines. Today, their consumption is believed to benefit the heart. Lycopene, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants, is present in tomatoes and has been found to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer, among other things. The greatest benefits are accrued through eating cooked tomatoes rather than raw
DiseasesAnd Pests
Tomato cultivars vary widely in their resistance to disease. Modern hybrids focus on improving disease resistance over the heirloom plants. One common tomato disease is tobacco mosaic virus, and for this reason smoking or use of tobacco products should be avoided around tomatoes.[2] Various forms of mildew and blight are also common tomato afflictions, which is why tomato cultivars are usually marked with letters like VFN, which refers to disease resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium fungus, and nematodes.
Some common tomato pests are cutworms, tomato hornworms, aphids, cabbage loopers, whiteflies, tomato fruitworms, flea beetles, slugs,[3] and Colorado potato beetles.

Tomato leaf-spot
The distinguishing character of this disease is that it begins on the lower leaves and works towards the top, killing the foliage as it goes. It is controlled with difficulty because it is carried over winter in the diseased leaves and tops that fall to the ground. When setting out plants, pinch off all the lower leaves that touch the ground; also any leaves that show suspicious-looking dead-spots. The trouble often starts in the seed-bed. Spray plants very thoroughly with bordeaux, 5-5-50, beginning as soon as the plants are set out. Stake and tie up for greater convenience in spraying. Spray under side of the leaves. Spray every week or ten days.

ANTHURIUM

2006-10-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

ANTHURIUM

Anthurium Schott 1829, is a large neotropical genus of about 600- 800 (possibly 1,000) species, belonging to the arum family (Araceae). It is the largest and probably the most complex genus of this family. Many species are undoubtedly not described yet and new ones are being found every year.
They grow in the most diverse habitats, mostly in wet tropical mountain forest of Central America and South America, but some in semi-arid environments. Most species occur in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.
Anthurium grows in the many forms, mostly evergreen, bushy or climbing epiphytes with relatively few roots. They occur also as terrestrials or lithophytes. Some are only found in association with arboreal ant colonies or growing on rocks in midstream (such as A. amnicola).
The stems are short to elongate with a length between 15 and 30 cm. The simple leaves come in many shapes. Most leaves are to be found at the end of the stem. They can be spatulate, rounded, or obtuse at the apex. They may be erect or spreading in a rosette, with a length up to 40 cm. The upper surface is matted or semiglossy. The leaves are petiolate. In drier environments, the leaves can take a bird's-nest-shape rosette that enables the plant to collect water. Terrestrials or epiphytes usually have cordate leaves. Some grow as vines with rosettes of lanceolate leaves. Some species have many-lobed leaves.
The flowers are small (about 3 mm) and develop crowded in a spike with a fleshy axis and called a spadix, a characteristic of the arums. This spadix can take on many forms (club-shaped, tapered, spiraled, and globe-shaped) and colors (white, green, purple, red, pink, or a combination).
Usually just below the flower spike lies a colorful, solitary spathe: a showy modified bract that can be somewhat leathery in texture. The spathe consists of a tightly packed column of spirally arranged, tiny flowers. The spathe can vary in color from pale green to white, rose, orange or shiny red (such as A. andrenaum). The color changes between the bud stage and the anthesis, (the time the flower expands). Thus the color might change from pale green to reddish purple to reddish brown.
The flowers are hermaphrodite, containing male and female flowers. The fruits are usually berries with one to multiple seeds on a pendent infructescence.
The flowers of Anthurium give off a variety of fragrances, each attracting a variety of specific pollinators.
Several species are popular in the florist trade as pot plants or cut flowers and for interior decoration. They include forms such as A. crystallinum f peltifolium with its large, velvety, darkgreen leaves and silvery white venation. Most hybrids are based on A. andreanum or A. scherzerianum because of their colorful spathes.
PRODUCTION
Best growth and flowering of anthuriums depend on many factors of which potting medium, fertilizer and light levels may be considered the most important. Due to their epiphytic nature anthuriums require well-aerated soil mixes, however, the mixes need to provide sufficient moisture as well as support for the plant. Mixes successfully used in Hawaii include wood shavings, tree fern chips, macadamia nut shells, volcanic cinder, taro peel and sugarcane bagasse. Other media that have provided good anthurium growth include mixtures such as 1:1:1 peat:perlite:bark or 1:1 peat:perlite. A medium of 2:1 peat:perlite has also been suggested as good for anthurium.
A light level of 1500 to 2000 ft-candles has been proposed as best for anthurium under Florida conditions. Anthurium `Lady Jane' liners from tissue culture grew better at 1200 ft-c than at 2400 or 3600. Best growth and flowering of Anthurium `Southern Blush' in 6-inch pots was obtained with a maximum light intensity of 2000 ft-c compared to 1000 ft-c. Studies in Hawaii with cutflower cultivars showed that flower peduncles were longer and spathe size was increased at lower light levels, while flower production was increased slightly with an increase in light.
The proper fertilizer level necessary to produce anthurium depends upon production light levels. Fertilizer requirements of Osmocote 19-6-12 was 7-13 gm for good quality 6-inch pots of A. scherzeranum at light levels of 3500 ft-c compared to 1-9 gm at 1000 ft-c. A level of 5 gm Osmocote 14-14-14 per 6-inch pot was suggested for anthurium grown at 1500-2000 ft-c.

JACK FRUIT

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Description:

It is a small evergreen tree growing to 10-15 m tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, elliptical, 5-25 cm long and 3-12 cm broad, often lobed onyoung trees but entire on mature trees. The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences 3-7 cm long and 1-2.5 cm broad; the male and female flowers produced on separate inflorescences, the female inflorescences commonly borne on thick branches or the trunk of the tree (cauliflory).
The fruit is huge, seldom less than about 25cm in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree (circa 10 cm) can have these huge fruits hanging on it. The fruits can reach 36kg in weight and up to 90cm long and 50 cm in diameter.The sweet yellow sheaths around the seeds are about 3-5mm thick and have a taste similar to pineapple but milder and less juicy.Jackfruit is widely grown in South and Southeast Asia and Brazil. The jackfruit is in the mulberry family Moraceae. It is also grown in parts of central and eastern Africa, Brazil, and Suriname. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh

Fruits mature 3 to 8 months from flowering.In India, a good yield is 150 large fruits per tree annually, though some trees bear as many as 250 and a fully mature tree may produce 500, these probably of medium or small size

jackfruit seeds

The seeds can be eaten cooked or baked like beans. They taste similar to chestnuts.

where jackfruit tree grow

The jackfruit tree flourishes in rich, deep soil of medium or open texture, sometimes on deep gravelly or laterite soil. It will grow, but more slowly and not as tall in shallow limestone. In India, they say that the tree grows tall and thin on sand, short and thick on stony land. It cannot tolerate "wet feet". If the roots touch water, the tree will not bear fruit or may die

Jackfruit wood is useful for furniture

It is widely used for manufacture of furniture. Jackwood is an important timber in Ceylon and India; some is exported to Europe. It changes with age from orange or yellow to brown or dark-red; is termite proof, fairly resistant to fungal and bacterial decay, seasons without difficulty, resembles mahogany and is superior to teak for furniture, construction, turnery, masts, oars, implements, brush backs and musical instruments(Indian drums mridangam and kanjira.). Its strength is 75 to 80% that of teak. Though sharp tools are needed to achieve a smooth surface, it polishes beautifully. Roots of old trees are greatly prized for carving and picture framing. Dried branches are employed to produce fire by friction in religious ceremonies in Malabar.

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ROSE PLANT

DESCRIPTION: The Rose is the most popular garden flower. Highly valued for its form, fragrance and endless variety of color. Tremendous progress has been made in raising new varieties by crossbreeding and selection. New types have arisen; the season of blooming has been prolonged to such an extent that many modern varieties (including climbers) bloom intermittently or in some instances continuously throughout the summer and autumn months. Only a severe frost puts an end to their blooming season. The species of wild Roses are classed under Rosa and a few hybrids that resemble wild kinds, but for garden purposes, the remaining types are grouped in various ways: according to their habits of growth (ie., Shrub Roses, Trailers, Climbers); according to their ancestry (ie., Teas, Hybrid Teas, Hybrid Sweetbriers); according to the manner in which they are grafted, budded or trained (ie., Bushes, Standards or Trees); and in a number of other ways. These groups are not always clear. They often overlap, but are generally convenient and practicable. It's important that the person interested in Roses be familiar with the different types of Roses even though he may not be able, at sight, to place any given Rose in a specific category.
Roses are woody shrubs or vines that are prized for their stunning flowers.

ROSE FLOWER The most popular garden roses are hybrid teas and similar types of roses that are grafted onto vigorous, disease-resistant rootstock. The flowers are usually double or semi-double, sometimes fragrant, and come in just about every imaginable color except blue. The most popular garden roses are hybrid teas and similar types of roses that are grafted onto vigorous, disease-resistant rootstock. The flowers are usually double or semi-double, sometimes fragrant, and come in just about every imaginable color except blue.

ROSE-SHURB Shrub-type roses are regaining popularity due to their relatively care-free growth habit.

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The British Agricultural Revolution describes a period of agricultural development in Britain between the 16th century and the mid-19th century, which saw a massive increase in agricultural productivity and net output. This in turn supported unprecedented population growth, freeing up a significant percentage of the workforce, and thereby helped drive the Industrial Revolution. How this came about is not entirely clear. In recent decades, historians cited four key changes in agricultural practices, enclosure, mechanization, four-field crop rotation, and selective breeding, and gave credit to a relatively few individuals. However, current thinking suggests that fundamental changes in workforce organization, crops and farming methods were largely responsible. For this reason, historians may argue that there was in fact no "revolution", simply a rapid evolution of methods that led to a sharp rise in productivity.

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Agriculture (a term which encompasses farming) is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals.

Agri is from Latin ager ("a field"), and culture is from Latin cultura, meaning "cultivation" in the strict sense of tillage of the soil. A literal reading of the English word yields: tillage of the soil of a field. In modern usage, the word Agriculture covers all activities essential to food/feed/fiber production, including all techniques for raising and processing livestock no less than those essential to crop farming.
In some cultures, continual improvement in agricultural methods has been the key factor in the specialization of human activity.
42% of the world's laborers are employed in agriculture, making it by far the most common occupation, yet it accounts for less than 5% of the Gross World Product