Pitaya-Xia Fruits Trading

Mr. Xia , whom from Xia Fruits Trading, run a fruits trading company in Yong Peng. Local fruits such as Pitaya, Guava, papaya  etc are grown locally. They import assortment of fruits like kiwi, orange, pear etc and distribute out to direct and indirect customers.

He is a gungho person, whom dare to test out new products.

Wish him success

Jambu Luohan

We are priviledged to work with MOA (Ministry of Agriculture) to test out our products with the owner , En Borham (2nd from right). En Borham is an experienced farmer, this farm at Parit Pedang Patah ,Minyak Beku . We are using MPOB F4 blend with our inoculants and spread to the crops 
From here we will monitor the progress through soil pH reading, yield and crop growth parameter.

Bagworm

The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 600 species described. Bagworm species are found globally, with some, such as the Snailcase Bagworm (Apterona helicoidella), settling continents where they are not native in modern times.

Most bagworms are inoffensive to humans and not at all conspicuous; some are occasional nuisance pests.

Witnessing spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis to  bagworm attacking palm oil estate in Chaah , Johor on 19Jan2012

Soil Germination Problems

You ever wonder why those seeds don’t germinate? Here are some things that might stop your seeds from germinating in soil!

Too Wet
Seeds need to be damp, not wet for germination. Excess water prevents oxygen getting to the seed. Poorly drained soils may also cause soil fungus diseases. The condition of wet soils may be improved by adding perlite. which will aerate your soil.

Too Dry
A certain amount of water is essential for germination, so maintaining a constant soil moisture during the germination period is vital, cover containers with glass or glad wrap to prevent you soil drying out.

Too Hot
High temperatures result in excessive soil desiccation and injury to seeds and seedlings.

Too Cold
Cold temperatures can kill seedlings and prevent germination. Cool temperatures can result in slow, uneven germination, and attack by soil diseases. You may want to start your seeds indoors, before out planting. Make sure planting dose not done too early, when it is still cold and there is a frost hazard.

Planting Too Deep
This will result in delayed emergence. seeds may not be able to grow enough to reach the surface on the limited food storage within the seed. Soil temperature is also lower with depth. Plant your seed 1/2 and inch to an inch down for best results.

Planting Seeds Too Shallow
If you plant your seeds to shallow the seeds can dry out.

Soil Too Firm
Making your soil mix to firm can prevent oxygen getting to your seeds also drainage is also affected.

Soil Too Loose
Soil which is too loose results in too much air surrounding the seed, and they will not absorb moisture and will most likely dry out.

Soil Fungus
Seeds may root or seedlings fall over. Over watering, poor drainage and lack of aeration will increase the likelihood of this occurring. Plant seeds in sterilised potting mix, and make sure you containers are clean.

Non-Viable seeds
If your seeds have not been stored correctly they can deteriorate. Look for dark brown seeds. Avoid and light colour or whitish seeds as they are not mature.

My favourite method to stores seeds is to place your seeds in a film canister, then fill it up to the top with rice, this will absorb any moisture, and either freeze them for long term storage or place in a dry, dark cool place for a shorter time period.

Author: hopefulgrower

Germination

The first space plant to flower and produce in the zero gravity of space is called Arabidopsis. It was grown on board the Soviet Union's Salyut-7 space station in 1982.

Germination happens when a baby plant is growing. The plant is between the cotyledons This is a seed. The seed is underground and is collecting nutrients.

When a seed starts to grow, we say it germinates. The cotyledons store food for the baby plant inside the seed. When the seed starts to germinate, the first thing to come out is the main root. The skin starts to split and the tiny shoot straightens, carrying the cotyledon(s) with it. The main root gets bigger. Side roots appear and so do leave. To grow, the seed's growing conditions usually have to be damp, warm, and dark, like springtime soil. A dry seed will stay dormant unless it soaks in some water. Then it will start to germinate

Source: Oracle Think Quest

Organic farming-advance sowing

Advance Sowing (also known as "no kill cropping") is an agricultural method developed by Bruce Maynard in 1996 in NSW, Australia that allows the production of annual crops from perennial grasslands. It consists in dry-sowing crops directly into existing pastures without using tillage, fertilizer or chemicals.

Advance Sowing has 5 major principles:

1. Sowing is done when the topsoil is dry.
2. Counter type sowing equipment must be used.
3. No Herbicides or pesticides are applied at any stage.
4. No Fertilizers are applied at any stage.
5. Grazing management must be good.

The rationale behind the method is to produce crops without simplifying the biodiversity. All other commonly used sowing methods of cropping rely on eliminating some or all of the plant and animals present to create an advantage for the growing crop. Advance Sowing relies on complementarity of plant/animal interactions to produce biomass that can be utilised directly for human consumption or fed to animals.

Source Wiki

Organic farming-companion plants

Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity (in gardening and agriculture), on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity. Companion planting is a form of poly culture.

Companion planting is used by farmers and gardeners in both industrialized and developing countries for many reasons. Many of the modern principles of companion planting were present many centuries ago in cottage gardens in England and home gardens in Asia.

For farmers using an integrated pest management system, increased yield and/or reduction of pesticides is the goal. For gardeners, the combinations of plants also make for a more varied, attractive vegetable garden, as well as allowing more productive use of space

In China, the mosquito fern has been used for at least one thousand years, as a companion plant for rice crops. It hosts a special cyanobacteria that fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere, and also blocks out light from getting to any competing plants, aside from the rice, which is planted when tall enough to stick out of the water above the azolla layer.

Companion planting was practiced in various forms by Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. One common system was the planting of corn and pole beans together. The cornstalk would serve as a trellis for the beans to climb while the beans would fix nitrogen for the corn. The inclusion of squash with these two plants completes the Three Sisters technique, pioneered by Native American peoples.

Companion planting was widely touted in the 1970s as part of the organic gardening movement. It was encouraged for pragmatic reasons, such as natural trellising, but mainly with the idea that different species of plant may thrive more when close together. It is also a technique frequently used in permaculture, together with mulching, poly culture, and changing of crops.