Italy: Fruitylife promotes fruit and vegetables via internet and social media

All about EU seasonal fruit, plus info on production process phases, on certifications, on seasonal products and on healthy nutrition. All this and more, on the www.fruitylife.eu/en website, created for the European Fruitylife project, headed by Alimos and co-financed by the EU and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The site has various different sections and uses a refreshingly lively design. By clicking on Fruitylife, visitors can access information on soil-to-table fruit and vegetable traceability, on geographical origin certificates, and on integrated and organic production methods.



The subject of diet is treated from two viewpoints: on the one hand, visitors can find useful nutritional hints for keeping fit and healthy, and on the other, in the Calendar section, they can navigate different months to see which are its natural seasonal products and, in the Recipes section, find original and appetizing ways to make the most of them in the kitchen.



The site is completed by a section called FruiTV, dedicated to a series of videos containing interviews with sector specialists and also flash-documentaries, made to express the project's message in amusing ways.



The project headed by Alimos is also present on social media. On Facebook, the fanpage (www.facebook.com/FruitylifeEurope) accompanies information on the project with info on a wider range of related subjects, in order to stimulate and satisfy users' interest. For real-time updates on the project and on news from the fruit&vegetable front, there's also the Twitter profile (twitter.com/Frulife), while the YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/fruitylifeeurope) offers interviews with, and videos by, the public.



The aim of extending the project's user-pool is also furthered by an internet campaign across the three EU countries, aimed at increasing its visibility both for consumers and in trade circles.

For more information:
Francesco Reggiani / Luca Speroni
FruitylifeFruitecom
Tel: +39 059-7863894

Citrus Fruits of Pakistan

Citrus Fruits of Pakistan

 

Citrus are the fruits belonging to the Rutacease family and mostly from the genus Citrus which are usually mix of sweet and acidic fruits. They are widely cultivated fruits in the world with areas under cultivation and production increasing greatly from 2000 - 2010. Citrus is ranked world number 21st in Pakistan with respect to its area and production among fruits. There is a huge demand from both the fresh and processed oranges by the consumer.

According to FAO, Brazil is the largest producer of citrus in the world, followed by China and USA, data for Pakistan is not available. In Pakistan, it is cultivated its 95% area of cultivation is in Punjab because of favorable temperature and environmental conditions and the total production according to approx. 1.8 annually on an estimated area of 194,000ha with the per acre yield standing at 4.6 tons.

IMPORTANCE AND USES:

1. Sweet orange, mandarin and grapefruit are eaten fresh or processed for squash (sweetened fruit juice) and juice preparation.

2. Lemon and lime are acidic in nature and largely used in preparation of culinary products such as pickles and for flavoring food items. They are also processed for juice, squash and lemonade.

3. Citrus fruits are a rich source of sugar, citric acid and vitamin C, and they possess valuable medicinal properties, being used in the prevention of colds and malaria and to promote blood coagulation.

 

MAJOR CITRUS GROWING AREAS IN PAKISTAN

PUJAB

Districts of Sargodha, Jhang, Sahiwal, Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mianwali

SINDH

Districts of Sukkur, Nawabshah, Khairpur

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Hazzara, Nowshera, Swabi

BALOCHISTAN

Sibbi, Makran, Kech

 

CITRUS SPECIES BEING CULTIVATED IN PAKISTAN

1. Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad.)

Local Varieties: Mash Seedless, Duncan, Foster and Shamber

2. Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Local Varieties: Fuetrells Early and Kinnow

3. Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck)

Local Varieties: Mausami, Washington Navel, Succri, Red Blood, Jaffa, Ruby Red and Valencia Late.

4. Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium L.)

Also called, Seville orange, Sour Orange, Marmalade orange or bigarade orange.

5. Lime (Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle)

Also called, Key Lime, Bartender's lime, Omani lime or West Indian lime

Local Varieties: Sweet Lime and Kaghazi Lime

6. Lemon (Citrus Limon (L.) Burm. f.)

Local Varieties: Eureka and Lisbon Lemon

7. Rough Lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.)

It is the most common rootstock for propagation of citrus in the subcontinent.

8. Kinnow (It is a Hybrid of Citrus nobilis and Citrus deliciosa)

It was first developed at the Citrus Research Center at the University of California in 1935 and then Punjab Agriculture College and Research Institute Faisalabad (then, Lyallpur) Pakistan, introduced it in the sub-continent in 1940.

It is a very famous citrus plant knows for delicious juicy fruit. Environmental and soil conditions are ideal for kinnow in Punjab. Hence the kinnow is a prime export fruit of Pakistan which is in great demand due to its juicy, soft, scented and refreshing fruit not found anywhere else in the world. Seedless kinnow is also very popular.

Socio-economic correlates of pesticide usage: the case of citrus farmers

Socio-economic correlates of pesticide usage: the case of citrus farmersGhulam Yasin, Muhammad Aslam, Ijaz Parvez and Safina Naz
University College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan,

Abstract: The socio-economic factors affecting adoption of pesticides on citrus trees in Sargodha Division, Pakistan was studied. Six villages were selected (three from each sub division) for data collection. Overall 150 orchard owners (25 from each sample village) were interviewed. Data were analyzed using SPSS programme. Gamma test and chi-square were used to check the direction and magnitude of relationship between independent and dependent variables. Among the sample, 48% respondents were spray users. The socio-economic factors that influenced farmer’s receptivity to citrus spray were age (negatively correlated), education (positively correlated), social status (positively correlated), farm size (negatively correlated) and farming experience (negatively correlated). By incurring Rs. 3,600/= per ha on spray farmers received Rs. 19,000/= as an incremental benefit. Marginal rate of return indicated that by spending Re. 1.00 on spray farmers would get an increase of Rs. 5.27 in their income.
Keywords: adoption, citrus, pesticide, socio-economic correlates.

INTRODUCTIONCitrus, among various fruits grown in Pakistan, is considered to be the most important for better economic earning and its dietetic value. The importance of citrus has generally been recognized throughout the world. Citrus has generally been a source of foreign exchange earning and its domestic need is also growing in the country. As a result of its importance more area is brought under cultivation to enhance its production.
Area under citrus is increasing substantially every year but production is increasing at a very low pace. The production of citrus was consistent from 1994 to 1998. The fruit yield during 1994-95 was 10,135.0 kg per hectare and after five years (in 1999-2000) it fell down to 9,829.0 kg [Pakistan Agricultural Statistics 2001]. In Pakistan, average productivity is 9.5 tones per hectare [Pakistan Agricultural Statistics 2001], which is very low as compared with developed countries like United States, Japan and Australia. In developed countries average yield is approximately 40 tons per hectare [FAO 1998]. There are a number of obstacles in obtaining higher yield of citrus. It is generally thought that the primary factor responsible for decrease in citrus production and quality is poor plant nutrition. Low yield in Pakistan is also attributed to disease incidence and insect pests’ attack and poor or no pest management practices by the farmers [PARC 1989]. AKRSP [1987] revealed that prior to introduction of pest and disease control technology, not only fruit production was low, but quality was also of low standards.

To increase yield and improve the quality of citrus in Pakistan, there is a need to introduce proper pests and disease control technology. It has been reported that adoption of insect and disease control methods has not only helped to increase the quantity of fruit but improved the quality as well [Cheema et al. 1989, Cheema and Asghar 1990]. Thus, there is a need to introduce disease and insect control technology among all the citrus growers in the country. Not much work has been done in Pakistan despite significant importance of citrus fruit. So, the present study aims at filling this gap and identifies the characteristics of the citrus growers who are using spray and examines the impacts of spray on citrus in Sargodha district.
Some studies have been conducted on the adoption of plant protection measures against pests and diseases of different fruits but no specific work has been carried out on the use of pesticide spray and its socio-economic correlates. Related work is reviewed as follows:
Milne and Willers [1980] treated two mature Valencia orange orchards with Fenamiphos 40% E.C. in 1978. In 1980 these were retreated and there were significant increase in yield, i.e. 83 to 130 kg per tree. Rashid [1980] studied some personal and socio-economic factors associated with adoption of recommended agricultural practices in Rural Egypt. He reported that education and income were associated with the uses of pesticide. However, age of farmer was not related to the said uses. Ahmad [1992] conducted a study on the adoption of plant protection measures by citrus growers and found that there was a positive relationship between age group, educational level, social status, size of holding, size of orchard and adoption of plant protection measures.
Cheema et al. [1989] in their study in Gilgit district found that net benefit for apple tree received was Rs. 111/= per tree with a spray cost of Rs. 5.00 per tree, this gives a ratio of 1: 22. Cheema and Asghar [1990] reported that on the basis of cost structure involved in spray application to citrus, it was found that an average return to investment on citrus spray was 1 to 2.60.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The average production of citrus in Pakistan is 1960.80 (‘000’ tones) per annum. The Sargodha district is producing 744,000 tones (37% of Pakistan’s total production) citrus fruit per annum [Pakistan Agricultural Statistics 2002]. Based on information gathered from the Revenue Department of the District Management Office two sub divisions were selected. Six villages, three from each sub-division, Sargodha and Bhalwal were taken randomly. Over all samples of 150 orchard owners (25 from each village) were drawn. The data were collected with the help of personal interviews based on structured questionnaire. Questionnaire contained information on the socio-economic factors, which were likely to influence the adoption of pesticide spray on citrus. Farmer’s age, education (years of schooling), social status, farm size and farming experience were used as the main indicators for the use of pesticide technology.
Fieldwork was done in August-September 2001. Using SPSS program, data were analyzed to identify the various socio-economic characteristics of the users and non–users of pesticides application. Gamma statistics and chi-square test were also used to check the direction and magnitude of relationship between independent and dependent variables. Calculations were made by using the following formula:

Gamma = (Ns – Nd) / (Ns + Nd)
Where
Ns = number of same order-pairs.
Nd = number of different order-pairs.
If gamma is equal to 1.0, it means that dependent variable is explained fully by independent variable without error.

Chi – Square Test:
X2 = ∑(o – e) 2 / e
Where
o = observed frequency
e = expected frequency
Both Gamma and Chi-Square values were considered significant at 0.05 probability level.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
It was found that over all 48% of the respondents were adopters of spray based on the parameters given in Table 1. The relationship between different socio-economic factors and adoption of pesticides spray is presented in Table 1. The relationship between age and adoption of pesticide spray is strongly negative. It is clear that farmers between age group of 22-40 adopted the pesticide spray more (57.6%) than elders. Our results are similar to those of Cheema and Asghar [1990].

A strongly positive relationship was found between education level and adoption. Farmers with higher education were better adopters (61.5). These findings are in accordance with what Ali [1972] and Cheema and Asghar [1990] have reported.

Size of holding is one of the main determinant of financial status of a farmer, which in turn affects farmer’s receptivity to adopt modern production practices, like uses of pesticides. The relationship between adoption of pesticide spray and size of holding was weak, which indicates that size of holding did not affect the adoption of citrus spray in the study area.

There was a strong and negative relationship between farming experience and adoption of insecticide spray. Farmers adopted pesticide spray when they had less farming experience as compared with those having more farming experience. The relationship between social status and adoption was strongly positive, which shows that higher social status leads to adoption of pesticides spray more as compared to low social status. These findings are similar to those of Cheema and Asghar [1990].

Data presented in Table 2 indicate the difference in production between users and non-users of pesticides. Non-users had 17 tons citrus yield per hectare, valuing Rs. 86,000/= whereas users produced 21 tons per hectare, valuing Rs. 105,000/=. A significant difference was found in production by incurring Rs. 3,600/= on pesticide spray. Farmers were able to get extra 4 tones of citrus per hectare.

Data presented in Table 3 reveal that farmers, who made use of spray had gross benefit of Rs. 105,000/= per hectare by spending Rs. 3,600/= as a cost of spray. So, by incurring Rs. 3,600/= per hectare farmers received Rs. 19,000/= as an incremental benefit. Marginal rate of return on citrus spray is 1:5.27 showing that by increasing cost on spray per hectare by Re. 1.00 farmers were able to get an increase of Rs. 5.27 in their income. Results of the study were quite encouraging.

ONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The present study is an attempt to identify the socio-economic factors affecting the use of pesticide, which ultimately affects the rate of return per unit of investment on citrus spray. Information on the socio-economic factors that were likely to influence farmer’s receptivity to citrus spray was gathered and was analyzed. Farmer’s age had negative and strong correlation with pesticide usage; it implies that farmers used citrus spray in younger age. The positive and strong correlation was also found with education. Educated farmers used more sprays than those with little education or uneducated. Size of holding had no effect on usage of citrus spray, while strong and negative relationship has been found with farming experience. Farmers used spray when they had less farming experience. In case of social status farmers with higher social status used spray. As far as the economic benefit of pesticide use is concerned farmers, who made use of spray, had gross benefit of Rs. 105,000/= per hectare by spending Rs. 3,600/= per hectare. So, farmers received Rs. 19,000/= as an incremental benefit. Marginal rate of return on citrus spray is 1: 5.27 showing that by increasing cost on spray per hectare by Rs. 1.00 farmers were able to get an increase of Rs. 5.27 in their income.

Taking all the findings into account following suggestions are given for policy implication:
1) The extension people should play an important role for the dissemination of knowledge regarding pesticide applications and should create awareness among farmers for the said application, so that farmers could get benefit and have better production by reducing losses.

2) The pesticide should be made available to the farmers at the proper time and proper places.

3) The application of pesticides to citrus fruit requires mechanical sprayers, which are expensive, and beyond the purchasing power of farmers, so these should be made available at cheaper prices.

References
Ahmad, I. (1992) “A study into the adoption of plant protection measures by the citrus fruit growers of Toba Tek Singh Distt.”, Report Department of Agriculture Extension, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

AKRSP (1987) “Fifth Annual Review”, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, Gilgit, Northern Areas.
Ali, A. (1972) “Study of some of the selected socio-economic factors which influence the adoption of improved agriculture practices by the farmers”, Report Department of Agriculture Extension, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Cheema, A.M., Khaleel, A. and Alam, M. (1989) “Income Impact of Spray Package in Gilgit”, A report, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Cheema, N.M. and Asghar, M. (1990) “Economic Impact of spray on Citrus”, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

FAO (1998) “Report on fruit production in Pakistan”, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nation Publications, July 1998.

Govt. of Pakistan (2001) “Pakistan Agricultural Statistical Year Book”, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Govt. of Pakistan (2002) “Pakistan Agricultural Statistical Year Book”, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Milne, D.Z. and Willers, P. (1980) “Yield and fruit size increase due to control of citrus nematode with phenomiphas”, Information Bulletin, Citrus and sub-trop. Fruit Res. Inst., 90, 11-14 [Hort. Abst., 51(9), 1981, 647].
PARC (1989) “Citrus Research in Pakistan”, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Rashid, M. (1980) “Some personal and socio-economic factors associated with the adoption of recommended agricultural practices in Rural Egypt”, World Agric. Economics and Rural Sociology Abst., 19(12), 800.

Source: Journal of Research (Science), Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. Vol.14, No.1, June 2003, pp. 43-48 ISSN 1021 1012

Better Tools for Saving Water and Keeping Peaches Healthy

Dec. 13, 2012 — Peach growers in California may soon have better tools for saving water because of work by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Parlier, Calif.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Dong Wang is evaluating whether infrared sensors and thermal technology can help peach growers decide precisely when to irrigate in California's San Joaquin Valley. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency, and the research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

Irrigation is the primary source of water for agriculture in the valley during the summer, and wells have been forced to reach deeper to bring up enough water to meet increasing demands. Peaches also require much of their water from June through September, when temperatures and demands for water are at their highest.

Wang and Jim Gartung, an ARS agricultural engineer, installed 12 infrared temperature sensors in peach orchards at the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier and gave trees one of four irrigation treatments: applying furrow or subsurface drip irrigation, with or without postharvest water stress.

They also measured crop yields and assessed the quality of the fruit to compare the output of trees grown under deficit irrigation with trees grown under normal conditions. Deficit irrigation has been used to produce some varieties of grapes and has been studied for its potential in fruit tree and row crop production. But it has yet to be widely adopted, in part because growers need better tools to strike a balance between saving water and keeping crops viable and healthy, according to Wang.

They used the sensors to measure temperatures in the tree canopies, and calculated a "crop water stress index" based on the differences between tree canopy temperatures and the surrounding air temperatures. Higher index numbers indicated more stressed trees.

The researchers found that midday canopy-to-air temperature differences in trees that were water-stressed postharvest were in the 10- to 15-degree Fahrenheit range, consistently higher than the 3- to 4-degree Fahrenheit range in the trees that were not water-stressed.

For comparison purposes, the researchers placed leaves from stressed and non-stressed trees in a pressure chamber and measured the pressure required to squeeze water out of them. When the trees are water-stressed, it takes more pressure to squeeze moisture from them.

The results, published in Agricultural Water Management, show that the pressure chamber results were consistent with data collected by the infrared sensors, which means the sensors may be an effective tool for managing water use in peach orchards.

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213151512.htm
Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by United States Department of Agriculture - Research, Education and Economics. The original article was written by Dennis O'Brien.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Graps in Sindh By: M.H. Panhwar

Grapes are said to have originated from Pakistan to the Caucasus Mountains area. There still are wild varieties of grapes in hilly tracts of the northern area of Pakistan and Dr. Maxime Thompson of the University of Oregon has collected more than 100 wild varieties recently. They still are in quarantine with the USDA.

Some 12,000 years ago temperatures were some 10°F (5.5°C) lower than today and Sindh (see the climatic map of Sindh drawn by the present writer) probably had wild grapes growing all over the Province (State). Warming started 10,000 years ago and as the area was arid most of the grapes in the wild were destroyed by grazing animals. There is archaeological evidence of grapes being cultivated in Sindh by Neolithic farmers 7,000 years ago and afterwards. The varieties grown then must have come from wild ancestors. Since then grapes have been raised in this area throughout the centuries.

Around 2,800 years ago tribes in northern Pakistan, developed Vedic religion (Hinduism descended from it). Among their four early religious texts, one describes making wines and liquors in great details and their taking on religious occasions. This shows large scale use of grapes for the purposes. There was no prohibition or inhibition about hard liquors in South Asia until Islam was introduced in Sindh by Muslim conquerors in 711 AD. Having been committed to prohibition of alcohol, they banned its use in public and followers of Vedic religion called Hindus (a word derived from Sindh to Ind to Hind to Hindus or dwellers of India), had to manufacture and use liquor virtually in secret from locally grown grapes to avoid conflict with followers of this faith. Muslims rulers and elite themselves were fond of liquors and probably encouraged its cultivation among non-Muslims. A well known variety of grapes “Bukhari” was introduced by them in South India. The Muslim attitude about raising grapes was an outcome of pleasing staunch clergy.

While a student at High School Mehar a town of 5000 souls, I saw eight vineyard each less than 1 acre within the municipality limits, owned by Hindu business men and being looked after by Hindu labour from the present Northern India. Grapes were harvested in early July and converted into liquor. Most of the grapes grown in Sindh were never seen in the market and were unsuitable for table use. Table grapes were imported from other areas. Such small vineyards existed in the urban towns in the whole Sindh and the cultural practices involved were not known to the Muslim cultivators, who resided in the rural areas as against Hindus who lived in urban settlements. In 1947 after the creation of two independent States of India and Pakistan, there was mass migration of Hindus to India and newly settled urban Muslims did not know what to do with the vines, so they were destroyed by neglect.

In the School my performance was good and this helped me to make friendships with Hindus students, some of whom came from the families of vine owners. Vines were irrigated by lifting water with Persian wheels from dug and brick lined wells. Average temperature of well water was 80°F against 118°F in June and minimum of 30°F on coldest nights of January. Bathing in water drawn from wells was the normal custom and also fun in the summer or winter. Free bathing water reservoirs were constructed by owners. Early morning bath just before sunrise was a religious rite among the Hindus and there invariably was a rush at the wells. Since school insisted on personal hygiene all Muslim students also took daily baths at these wells and I visited one or the other wells every day. In the process I had a chance to see most of the cultural practices involved in raising vines, stopping water in December/January defoliation manuall7y and pruning in February. I had no chance to taste the fruit as school was closed for summer vacation at harvest time during early July. What were the varieties raised for wine is not known, but a table variety known as Karachi Gulabi has survived in south India and is recognised as a dark red Muscat. It is certain that some plants may have survived now in the wild state in the abandoned fields of their original owners and collection from those localities is possible.

Knowing the background. I thought I could introduce the grape cultivation on commercial scale in the mild climate (300 chill hours below 7.2°C) at my farm by stopping water for creating stress. Small scale experiments with Thompson Seedless and its two local variations, Sunderkhani and Kishhmish, besides a few European varieties and also recent hybrids like Italia, Cardinal, Ruby Red, Alphono Lavalle, Ribier, Flame Seedless, etc., showed varying amounts of success. Being on 25°-30’N, 3 miles east of Tando Jam, the maximum angle of the sun is 49° on December 23. We therefore have run vine rows east and west and have built inclined trellis at 35° to the horizontal with 6 feet long arm to carry five wires. It works fine but under our sunny and arid weather and with irrigation there is profuse growth and I thought, we can manipulate two crops a year. We stated experiments in 1985 and put commercial crop on 2 ½ acres in 1990. We had small crop in June 1991. We are putting another 4 ½ acres in January 1993. We do not have well defined winter as our climatic chart will show you. We have not taken two crops a year as yet as rains come in July and August and water stress can be created only after rains. We plan to do so in August of 1993 hopping to get the first crop in March of 1993 and the second in June of 1994. The latter by pruning at the end of January 1994. We had succeeded in getting two crops from our experimental plots, this way. We have completed pruning only two days before Christmas and have sprayed the buds with Dormex (a new German chemical for breaking dormancy and producing uniform flowering), and expect new growth by about 10-15^th January, flowers in early February and harvest at end of May.

We came to know about the Minnesota Grape Growers Association at the University of California Davis from the library. This is how I got in touch with you. I am a graduate in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I worked as Agricultural Engineer and later on as Chief Agriculture Engineer for Sindh Province for 16 ½ years and then started a consultancy company. I have successfully introduced peaches, plums, apples, pears, almonds and pomegranates on small scale in weather climatic charts of which is enclosed. I visit USA regularly. My wife Farzana is a Bio-chemist and has been working with me as a consultant as well as on the farm. She helps me to manipulate the environment for introducing these crops. We grew mangoes and banana on our farm and were very comfortable. We helped the people of whole Sindh to introduce these fruit crops. Expansion of area, reduced to the real income to about 40%, so we thought of changing cropping pattern. To the bad luck of the whole Province more than 150,000 acres under banana was destroyed by Bunchy Top Virus during past 4 years. I recognised the disease and one year later this was confirmed by Dr. Stover of Canada, a writer of the latest book on bananas. As token of this scientific work, President of Pakistan awarded me the highest civilian title, “Sitara-e-Imtiaz” or “Star of Excellence”. I and my wife travel to USA once a year primarily to learn from various specialists but have not stopped over in Minnesota except touching the twin city airport. Many years ago I had visited Minneapolis to contact Howard Johnson about tube-well screens. We now are planning to introduce low chill stone fruits, pome fruits, grapes, nuts (almonds and pecan) and pomegranates. We have varietal collection and plan their propagation. We need your blessings.

 

Source: http://panhwar.com/Article85.htm