Scholarly Work - Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/8870
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Item Aquaponics a modern approach for integrated farming and wise utilization of components for sustainability of food security: A review(Agriculture and Environmental Science Academy, 2022-03) KC, Shreejana; Thapa, Ronika; Lamsal, Ashish; Ghimire, Shirish; Kurunju, Kabita; Pradeep, ShresthaAquaponics is the sustainable approaches of present day’s world for raising fish species along with vegetables in a symbiotic association for sustainable food production. People are facing food crisis not only because of the adverse environmental condition but also due to unbalance environment population ratio. That is the main reason why the entire world is more concerned about the production of more food for security and sustainability. Present day’s modern farming system mainly focus on the productivity increasing technology and in due course individual are utilizing more chemical compounds that result in the degradation of soil. It shows great impact on ecological environment. Most of the cultivable land is also turned out as a site of construction which reduces the cultivable land on earth and ultimately arising the food insecurity. In such a circumstance a new approach of aquaponics might be beneficial where water solely covers the two third of the total mass. Aquaponics is a soilless culture which gained immense popularity as it focuses on organic production of vegetables within a single recirculating aquaponics system. Along with the sustainability it also emphasis economic efficacy and enhancement of productivity. It can be grown used on non-arable lands such as deserts, degraded soil or salty, sandy islands. So, it can integrate livelihood strategies to secure food and small incomes for landless and poor households.Item The Toothpick Project: commercialization of a virulence-selected fungal bioherbicide for Striga hermonthica (witchweed) biocontrol in Kenya(Wiley, 2023-09) Baker, Claire S.; Sands, David C.; Nzioki, Henry SilaThe high-level view of global food systems identifies three all-encompassing barriers to the adoption of food systems solutions: knowledge, policy, and finance. These barriers, and the siloed characteristics of each of these, have hindered the development and adoption of microbial herbicides. How knowledge, policy, and finance are related to the Toothpick Project's path of commercializing a new bioherbicide, early in the scope of the industry, is discussed here. The Toothpick Project's innovation, developed over four decades and commercialized in 2021, uses strains of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae selected for overproduction and excretion of specific amino acids, killing the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Striga or witchweed), Africa's worst pest threat to food security. Historically, bioherbicides have not been a sufficient alternative to the dominant use of synthetic chemical herbicides. To be used safely as bioherbicides, plant pathogens need to be host specific, non-toxic, and yet sufficiently virulent to control a specific weed. For commercialization, bioherbicides must be affordable and require a sufficient shelf life for distribution. Given the current triple storm encountered by the chemical herbicide industry (herbicide-resistant weeds, lawsuits, and consumer pushback), there exists an opportunity to use certain plant pathogens as bioherbicides by enhancing their virulence. By discussing barriers in the scope of knowledge, policy, and finance in the development of the Toothpick Project's new microbial bioherbicide, we hope to help others to anticipate the challenges and provide change-leaders, particularly in policy and finance, a ground level perspective of bioherbicide development. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.