Unraveling the Potential of Household Electrolytes on Extricating Imidacloprid Residues from Tomatoes: Toxicity Assessment

Farmers that cultivate tomatoes use imidacloprid to combat sucking bugs even while the fruits are being harvested so that they can maintain a five- to six-time harvest. Decontaminating tomato fruits before eating is absolutely necessary due to the insecticide's slow dissipation rate and the fact that residues last in vegetables for 15–25 days. The quality of fruit has been compromised and cannot be used in salads, despite the fact that various heat procedures are effective in removing imidacloprid residue. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of common electrolytes, namely NaCl and NaHCO3, and their combinations, on imidacloprid removal from tomato fruits. Fruits and washing solutions were extracted for imidacloprid residue and determined using the UFLC-PDA besides optimizing the concentration and period of decontamination or washing without dietary risk. Results indicates that the washing of the fruits with NaCl @ 1, 2 and 3% solutions for 10 minutes are efficient (98-100% removal) in decontaminating to below hazard quotient when sprayed with recommended 20 g ai/ha. Whereas, the NaHCO3 or its combination with NaCl 1% for 10 minutes was found to be efficient (92-100%) in decontaminating the fruits when sprayed with 40 g ai/ha. Increasing the decontamination period beyond 10 minutes increased the residue load on fruits to above hazard quotient and was above 1.0 when NaCl was used. Study suggests the washing of tomato fruits with 2%NaHCO3 or 1%NaCl+2% NaHCO3 for 10 minutes is the efficient decontamination way and to ensure safety to the consumers.

Green Nanotechnology: Harnessing Rice Husk Ash for Nano-Silica and Characterization Insights

In the form of nanoparticles, silica is a significant inorganic component of rice husk. Consequently, it is feasible to extract high purity amorphous silica nanoparticles by straightforward thermo-chemical processes. So, in this study, an eco-friendly chemical treatment method (Green Synthesis) was used to try and manufacture amorphous silica nanoparticles from rice husk ash. I had done synthesizing silica nanoparticle in Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore in the year 2023 and the aim of this study is to characterize the silica nano particle and use it on agricultural crops. Selected region from X-ray diffraction analysis and Transmission Electron Microscopy, silica sample exhibited amorphous behaviour as seen in the electron diffraction patterns, whereas the Fourier-transform infrared Spectroscopy spectra primarily contained siloxane and silanol groups. Images obtained in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed the existence of primary nanoparticles with secondary microparticles, possibly as a result of their agglomeration. These silica nanoparticles can therefore be used in the fields of microelectronics, sensors, nano-additives and will be suitable on implication on agricultural crops.

Enhancing the Shelf Life of Palak and Coriander through Modified Atmosphere Packaging under Diverse Storage Environments

Aim: Green leafy vegetables are renowned for their rich vitamin and mineral content as well as their nutritional value. However, these vegetables are highly perishable due to their accelerated rates of respiration and transpiration. The process of packing and the choice of packaging materials play a crucial role in extending their shelf life. The main aim of this study was to prolong the shelf life of two prominent leafy greens, Palak (Beta vulgaris L. var. bengalensis) and Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), using Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP) and various packaging materials.Study Design: The study employed an FCRD experimental design with 12 treatments and 3 replications.Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at Department of Vegetable Science, HC&RI, TNAU, Coimbatore during the year 2023.Methodology: Freshly harvested Palak and Coriander were collected, sorted, and prepared as 250-gram samples. Two packaging materials (LDPE and PP) and three gas compositions (G1, G2, G3) was employed. The vegetables were stored under both ambient (35±5°C) and refrigerated (5°C) conditions and their physiological loss in weight (PLW %) was monitored. The observations were taken every day up to the spoilage of the produce.Results: According to the research findings, vegetables could remain fresh under ambient storage for up to 4 days and under refrigeration for up to 15 days. In ambient storage conditions, Palak exhibited the longest shelf life in treatment T3 - G3M1 (4% O2, 5% CO2, LDPE), followed by T5 - G2M2 (6% O2, 5% CO2, PP). Meanwhile, Coriander showed better shelf life in treatment T2 - G2M1 (6% O2, 5% CO2, LDPE), followed by T6 - G3M2 (4% O2, 5% CO2, PP). Under refrigerated storage conditions, Palak exhibited an extended shelf life in treatment T9 - G3M1 (4% O2, 5% CO2, LDPE), followed by T12 - G3M2 (4% O2, 5% CO2, PP). For Coriander, the best results were achieved with treatment T12 - G3M2 (4% O2, 5% CO2, PP), followed by T8 - G2M1 (6% O2, 5% CO2, LDPE).Conclusion: Proper packaging and gas composition significantly increased the shelf life of these leafy greens, offering potential benefits for both producers and consumers. Palak had a longer shelf life when stored under refrigerated conditions, up to 14 days, while Coriander could be kept fresh for up to 12 days in the refrigerator. Gas composition G3 (4% O2, 5% CO2) was found to be effective and LDPE was generally the preferred packaging material in extending the shelf life of the vegetables.

Potentials of Constructed Wetland for the Treatment of Wastewater from Cocopeat Production Industry

The cocopeat production industry generates a significant amount of wastewater containing high organic loads and chemical residues, posing environmental challenges and economic concerns. This study aims to assess the potential of constructed wetlands as an innovative and sustainable approach for managing coco peat production industry wastewater. An artificial wetland was created and filled with 30% soil, 40% sand, 10% bio and hydrochar, and 20% gravel along with Canna indica was used as the plant component. Three types of hydraulic loading rates were studied: 5 ml/min, 10 ml/min, and 15 ml/min, with a retention time of 7 days.The results showed that the wastewater contains significant levels of Electrical Conductivity (5.24 – 6.31 dS m-1), Total Dissolved Solids (4190 - 5150 mg/L), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (730 - 818 mg/L), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (1825 – 2045 mg/L). The utilization of artificial wetlands along with Canna indica decreased the pollution loads by 42% of Electrical Conductivity, 41% of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, and Chemical Oxygen Demand, 45% of Total Suspended Solids, and 55% of Total Dissolved Solids.Based on the above results, constructed wetlands are recognized as a reliable wastewater treatment technique and a good solution for the treatment of coirpith washwater, which is a step towards a greener and more sustainable future. By integrating these natural filtration systems into the wastewater treatment process, industries can foster a harmonious coexistence with the environment, ensuring a balance between economic growth and environmental well-being.

Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer and Spacing on the Plant Growth of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus costaricencis) under Tamil Nadu Agro-Climatic Conditions

The dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricencis) is a new emerging fruit crop, there is very less information available on the spacing and fertilizer dose requirements of this crop so the present study was carried out to find the effect of fertilizer doses, spacings, and interaction effect of both on plant growth of dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricencis) at the Orchard, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. during the year 2022. The design of the experiment was a split plot with four main plots viz. M1 = 3.5 x 2.0 m2, M2 = 3.0 x 3.0 m2, M3 = 3.0 x 2.5 m2, M4 = 2.5 x 2.5 m2 and six sub plots viz. S1 = N540 P420 K360, S2 = N495 P385 K330, S3 = N450 P350 K300, S4 = N340 P260 K225, S5 = N225 P175 K150, S6 = N0 P0 K0 g per pillar was applied and replicate four times. A significant difference was observed in terms of vine length (m), cladode girth (cm), cladode length (cm), and cladode number when different doses of fertilizers were applied. The highest vine length (2.96), cladode girth (24.52), cladode length (67.21), and number of cladodes (67.48) were observed in S3 (N450 P350 K300). Similarly, the highest vine length (2.503) and cladode girth (19.78) were observed in M4 (2.5 x 2.5 m2). The highest cladode length (67.47) was observed in treatment combination M2S3. Hence, the application of fertilizer dose S3 (N450 P350 K300) and adoption of spacing M4 (2.5 x 2.5 m2) is good to enhance the vegetative growth characters of dragon fruit under Tamil Nadu conditions.

Fresh Insight: Enhancing Verdant Leafy Vegetable’s Shelf Life Via Modified Atmosphere Packing and Storage

This study aimed to enhance the durability of selected green leafy vegetables, including Lettuce and Palak, by manipulating influential factors such as storage conditions (Ambient (35±5°C) and Refrigerated (5±5°C)), packing substrate (Low-density polyethylene and High-density polyethylene covers), and gas composition using modified atmosphere packaging. Factorial completely randomized design (FCRD) was employed, incorporating a total of 12 treatments for each crop. The evaluation primarily relied on calculating physiological weight loss. Lettuce showed optimal results with treatment T5 (0.38%) exhibiting superior performance, followed by T6 (0.45%) and T3 (0.58%) under ambient conditions. Similarly, for palak, T5 (0.18%) outperformed T3 (0.19%) and T2 (0.37%). Thus, it is advisable to adopt T5 (R1G3M1) as the preferred treatment with T3 (R1G2M1) as a viable alternative for ambient storage conditions. Refrigerated lettuce performed optimally with T11 (0.54%) leading, followed by T7 (0.56%) and T9 (0.69%). Similarly, palak exhibited superior results with T9 (0.61%) in the fore, succeeded by T11 (0.77%) and T7 (0.97%). Notably, produce stored under ambient conditions had a relatively short shelf life of approximately 5 days, while refrigeration extended it to 15 days, after which a decline in quality was observed across all treatments. Therefore, refrigerated produce has an extended shelf life, with T9 (R2G2M1) followed by T7 (R2G1M1) yielding highly favorable outcomes.