First adaptation of quinoa in the Bhutanese mountain agriculture systems

Bhutan represents typical mountain agriculture farming systems with unique challenges. The agriculture production systems under environmental constraints are typical of small-scale agricultural subsistence systems related to family farming in the Himalayan Mountains with very low level of mechanization, numerous abiotic stresses influenced by climate and other socio-economic constraints. Quinoa was first introduced in 2015 through FAO's support to Bhutan as a new crop to enhance the food and nutritional security of the Bhutanese people. The main objective was to adapt this versatile crop to the local mountain agriculture conditions as a climate resilient crop for diversifying the farmer's traditional potato and maize based cropping systems. Ten quinoa varieties were evaluated at two different sites representing contrasted mountain agroecologies in Bhutan and were tested during the two agricultural campaigns 2016 and 2017. Yusipang (2600 masl) represents the cool temperate agroecological zone, and Lingmethang (640 masl) the dry subtropical agroecological zone. The sowing time differed depending on the growing season and elevation of the sites. Results indicate that quinoa can be successfully grown in Bhutan for the two different agroecological zones. The grain yields varied from 0.61 to 2.68 t.ha-1 in the high altitude areas where quinoa was seeded in spring and harvested in autumn season. The grain yield in the lower elevation ranged from 1.59 to 2.98 t.ha-1 where the crop was sown in autumn and harvested in winter season. Depending on genotypes' characteristics and agroecological zones, crop maturity significantly varied from 92 to 197 days with all genotypes maturing much earlier in the lower elevations where mean minimum and maximum temperatures during the growing season were higher. Quinoa is rapidly promoted across different agroecological contexts in the country as a new climate resilient and nutrient dense pseudo cereal to diversify the traditional existing cropping system with some necessary adjustments in sowing time, suitable varieties and crop management practices. To fast track the rapid promotion of this new crop in Bhutan, four varieties have been released in 2018. In just over three years, the cultivation of quinoa as a new cereal has been demonstrated and partially adapted to the maize and potato based traditional cropping systems under the Himalayan mountain agriculture. Quinoa is also being adapted to the rice based cropping system and rapidly promoted as an alternative food security crop in the current 12th Five Year national development plan of Bhutan. To rapidly promote quinoa cultivation, the Royal Government of Bhutan is supporting the supply of free quinoa seeds, cultivation technologies and milling machines to the rural communities. To promote the consumption and utilization of quinoa at national level, consumer awareness are created by preparing and serving local Bhutanese dishes from quinoa during local food fairs and farmer's field days. In addition, the Royal Government of Bhutan has included quinoa in the school feeding programme recognizing the high nutrient value of the crop for enhancing and securing the nutritional needs of the young children

Growth And Production Of Various Wheat Genotypes At Various Peg Concentration In Hydroponic

Wheat is a sub-tropical cereal that can be planted in the tropics, on the highland with altitude >1000 m asl. The development of wheat in the highlands compete with horticultural crops, so the creation of tropical wheat that is adaptive to lowland and drought tolerance is an alternative problem-solving. The aims of this study is to test the generation and to screen three type of mutant that is adaptive in lowland with high temperature. The study was conducted at Tamalanrea Jaya, Tamalanrea regency, Makassar province from May to August 2017. The research was conducted on hydroponic media in the plastic house (green house) at altitude <800 m asl with an average temperature of 28oC (morning) and an average temperature of 33oC (afternoon). The study was used split-plot design with the main plot of polyethylene glycol (PEG), ie 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%; the plot was 15 wheat genotypes. The results showed that the addition of PEG concentrations at 5%, 10% and 15% decreased the crop yield by 35.91%, 55.63%, and 71.83%. Adaptive and potential genotypes developed in lowland with dry climatic conditions are genotype N.200 2.4.B.6 and genotype N.300 4.3.

A Platform-Agnostic Deployment Framework for Machine Learning Models: A Case Study with an Image Accessibility Application

This thesis explores the integration of DevOps practices into deploying machine learning (ML) models across various cloud platforms. It addresses the challenges of deploying across multiple cloud environments by proposing a platform-independent framework that automates provisioning and deployment through continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD). Utilizing tools like Terraform for infrastructure provisioning and GitLab CI/CD for deployment automation, the framework aims to enhance operational flexibility and reduce reliance on any single cloud provider. The methodology includes analyzing existing strategies, developing the framework, and conducting experiments to test the automated processes’ efficacy compared to traditional methods. The results show significant reductions in deployment times and errors, demonstrating a reliable process for deploying ML applications. Furthermore, this thesis analyses specific challenges associated with automating the deployment of ML models, which typically require extensive development and deployment time, leading to significant resource consumption and complexity, particularly when migrating between different cloud providers. For our case study, we concentrated on developing a deployment strategy for an image accessibility application. This application includes an image description generator, and a model to assess the quality of the descriptions it produces. Our goal was to automate the building of these containerized services and ensure they could be scaled and maintained effortlessly across different cloud environments. By implementing CI/CD principles, using infrastructure-as-code software, and employing Docker and Kubernetes for containerization, we were able to reduce the time and complexity involved in deploying and managing these containerized ML services. This framework has shown great potential in enhancing operational efficiencies and simplifying deployment processes in cloud settings, making it a crucial asset in the rapidly evolving field of AI-driven applications. Keywords: DevOps, CI/CI, GitLab, Image Accessibility Applications, Platform-agnostic, Automation, Microservices, Containerization, etc

Seleksi Jagung Inbrida Dengan Marka Molekuler Dan Toleransinya Terhadap Kekeringan Dan Nitrogen Rendah

Information on genetic diversity, homozygosity, drought stress and low N tolerance of maize inbred line are useful for parental selection in developing maize varieties tolerant to drought and low N. The objectives of this study were (a) selection for homozygoes lines and analysis of genetic diversity among 51 maize inbred lines applying simple sequence repeats (SSRs) using thirty six markers (b) selection for inbred lines (homozygosity over 80%) for drought and low nitrogen (N) tolerance. Experiment was conducted using split-split plots design with three replications. Water treatments were as the main plots (well-watered and drought stress conditions), subplots were nitrogen fertilization at rate of 75 and 150 kg N/ha and the sub-sub plots were 51 inbred lines. The results showed that there were broad ranges of genetic variability among inbred lines with genetic similarity coefficient values ranging from 0.22 to 0.87 and polymorphism information content average was 0.57. Thirty inbreds having homozygosity over 80% were spread into six heterotic groups. Drought tolerance inbreds were in heterotic groups C and F, namely DTPYC9-F46-3-9-1-1-B and 1044-30, the drought medium tolerance in heterotic group A and B, namely CML 161/NEI 9008 and MR 14. Inbred for low-N fertility tolerance was in the heterotic group D namely G20133077, while medium tolerance to low-N fertility inbreds were in heterotic group A, B, C, D, and F, and they were CML 161/NEI 9008, CY 11, CY 15, CY 6, CLRCY039, Nei9008, DTPYC9-F46-1-2-1-2-B, G2013627, G2013649, 1044-30. Inbreds tolerance to both medium drought and to low-N fertility were in heterotic group C and F they were DTPYC9-F46-1-2-1-2-B and 1044-30. Inbred lines of maize tolerant to drought and to low-N fertility can be used as parent to develop hybrid or synthetic varieties, posessing stress tolerances, by cross recombination between heterotic groups

Genetic Variability and Heritability of in vitro Chrysanthemum on Various Combination of Plant Growth Regulators

Heritability is a measure that describes the magnitude of a genetic influence on a character rather than an environmental factor. The higher the heritability value of a character, the higher the genetic variability. The aim of the study was to know the interaction between the combination of growth regulators and chrysanthemum varieties that gave the best chrysanthemum growth in vitro and analyzed the heritability of various chrysanthemum characters. The research was carried out at the In vitro Laboratory of Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Makassar from May to September 2016. The study used a separate plot design in the group. The main plot was a combination of growth regulator consisting of 200 ml Coconut Water, 0.5 ppm BAP + Coconut Water 100 ml, BAP 1 ppm + Coconut Water 100 ml, 2,4-D 0.5 ppm + Coconut Water 200 ml, 2,4-D 0.5 ppm + BAP 0.5 ppm + Coconut Water 100 ml, 2,4-D 0.5 ppm + BAP 1 ppm + Coconut Water 100 ml. The subplots included 8 varieties of chrysanthemum (Fiji Pink, Marimar, Pasopati, Salzieta, Solida Pelangi, Limeron, Arosuka Pelangi, Yellow Tumohon). The basic media used was MS medium. The results showed that adding 200 ml young coconut to the culture media gave the best in-vitro chrysanthemum growth in terms of shoot and root formation, shoot count, root number, and shoot height in all chrysanthemum varieties; as well as all observed characters have high heritability and genetic variabilit

GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF VARIOUS WHEAT GENOTYPES AT VARIOUS PEG CONCENTRATION IN HYDROPONIC

Wheat is a sub-tropical cereal that can be planted in the tropics, on the highland with altitude 1000 m asl. The development of wheat in the highlands compete with horticultural crops, so the creation of tropical wheat that is adaptive to lowland and drought tolerance is an alternative problem-solving. The aims of this study is to test the generation and to screen three type of  mutant that is adaptive in lowland with high temperature. The study was conducted at Tamalanrea Jaya, Tamalanrea regency, Makassar province from May to August 2017. The research was conducted on hydroponic media in the plastic house (green house) at altitude 800 m asl with an average temperature of 28oC (morning) and an average temperature of 33oC (afternoon). The study was used split-plot design with the main plot of polyethylene glycol (PEG), ie 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%; the plot was 15 wheat genotypes. The results showed that the addition of PEG concentrations at 5%, 10% and 15% decreased the crop yield by 35.91%, 55.63%, and 71.83%. Adaptive and potential genotypes developed in lowland with dry climatic conditions are genotype N.200 2.4.B.6 and genotype N.300 4.3.

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in response to Pb stress in Catharanthus roseus

Lead (Pb) is a widespread nonessential heavy metal in cells and causes molecular damage to plants through the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can be alleviated by enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant machinery of the plant. In the present study, proteomic studies at 3, 6, 12 and 24 days demonstrated that the effect of 150 &mu;M Pb on Catharanthus roseus. In response to Pb, a total of 76 proteins, out of the 95 differentially expressed proteins, were subjected to MALDI-TOF-MS Of these, 46 identities were identified by PMF and 19 identities were identified by microsequencing. Basic metabolisms such as photosynthesis, photorespiration and protein biosynthesis in C. roseus leaves were without exception strongly inhibited at the beginning of Pb treatment. On the other hand, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glycolysis, shikimate pathway, phytochelatin synthesis, redox homeostasis and signaling proteins were induced during recovery period. Such defense systems play an important role in maintaining the survival and growth of C. roseus under strong and sustained oxidative stress.Key words: Antioxidants, chlorophyll, MALDI-TOF-MS, oxidative stress, protein identification

PERBENIHAN JAGUNG HIBRIDA DI DESA SAMAELO, KECAMATAN BAREBBO KABUPATEN BONE

Perbenihan jagung merupakan salah satu usaha agribisnis yang dapat dikelola oleh kelompok tani untuk memenuhi kebutuhan benih jagung secara mandiri. Kegiatan ini untuk  membina kelompok tani menjadi penangkar benih jagung melalui pelatihan dan demplot dalam  memanfaatkan limbah tanaman dan hewan sebagai kompos, pupuk cair dan biopetisida dalam proses produksi benih jagung hibrida. Kegiatan berlangsung selama 6 bulan sejak April sampai September 2017 di Desa Samaelo, Kecamatan Barebbo, Kabupaten Bone. Kegiatan dilaksanakan dalam bentuk sosialisasi, pelatihan dan produksi pupuk kompos, produksi pupuk cair dan biopestisida dari limbah tanaman dan ternak, pelatihan perbenihan jagung hibrida (teknik pengujian daya kecambah, metode pengujian kadar air benih, metode seleksi dan manajemen usaha), serta demplot perbenihan Jagung hibrida melalui produksi benih dari penanaman, pemeliharaan, panen, dan pasca panen. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa kelompok tani (UMKM) yang dibina sudah mampu memproduksi mikroorganisme lokal yang dapat digunakan sebagai dekomposer dalam memproduksi pupuk kompos, pupuk cair dan biopestida; selain itu minat kelompok tani dalam berusaha tani jagung semakin meningkat dengan kemampuan memproduksi benih jagung hibrida sebagai usaha tani komersial. Kemampuan UMKM memproduksi kompos, pupuk cair, biopestida, dan benih jagung hibrida mampu mengurangi biaya produksi jagung Rp. 1.500.000 – Rp. 2.000.000 per hektar, keuntungan petani melalui perbenihan jagung meningkat dua kali lipat (Rp. 25.000.000/ha) dibandingkan dengan produksi jagung pakan (Rp. 12.500.000/ha), serta tambahan pendapatan melalui penjualan kompos Rp. 750/ kg dan pupuk cair/biopestisida Rp. 8.000/liter. Kata Kunci: perbenihan, jagung hibrida, kompos, pupuk cair dan biopestisida

Quantifiying relative coin production during the reigns of Nerva and Trajan (AD 96-117): Reka Devnia reconsidered in light of regional coin finds from Romania and the Northwest

Given the difficulty in systematically collecting and analysing hoard data, quantification of coinage output for the Roman imperial period has principally relied on one very large hoard (Reka Devnia, Bulgaria) as a proxy for relative production. This paper uses a vast body of hoard evidence collected from Roman hoards in Romania and the northwest of continental Europe to test whether the Reka Devnia hoard can be considered as being representative of denarius production during the reigns of Nerva and Trajan (ad 96-117). Furthermore, it considers the relative frequency of issues and calculates a normalized average output on the basis of the hoard finds. By using these two metrics, similarities and differences between the various control groups and Reka Devnia are highlighted. It can be concluded that for particular issues and reigns, the Reka Devnia hoard is not necessarily reliable for quantification purposes, but also that, despite some regional differences, coin supply to the two regions of the Roman Empire examined here, as reflected by general averages, was to some extent surprisingly similar

PENERAPAN SISTEM LEGOWO DAN PEMUPUKAN UNTUK PRODUKSI BENIH JAGUNG SINHAS 1 DI KELOMPOK TANI PATTAROWANTA

Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian pada masyarakat ini adalah terjadinya peningkatan pendapatan petani melalui penerapan TTG Sistem Legowo dan paket pemupukan pada jagung dan produksi benih jagung sintetik Unhas (Sinhas 1), yang telah dilepas Kementan RI Tahun 2019, serta peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan petani dalam memproduksi biokompos, biopestisida, pupuk cair dan cara aplikasinya. Produk yang dihasilkan akan digunakan sebagai usaha agribisnis melalui bekerjasama dengan lembaga Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes) Desa Tarowang. Metode dan tahapan pelaksanaan adalah melalui sosialisasi program yang dilanjutkan dengan pelatihan tatap muka tentang teknologi yang akan diterapkan. Hasil dari pelaksanaan pengabdian pada masyarakat adalah terjadinya peningkatan pemahaman dan keterampilan petani dalam pembuatan pupuk organik cair dan kompos dengan memanfaatkan limbah pertanian yang ada di sekitar desa. Selain itu, demplot yang telah dibuat untuk mempraktekkan produksi benih Jagung Sintetik Unhas (Sinhas 1) oleh petani juga mendapat respon yang cukup besar. Hal ini ditunjukkan dari minat dan pertanyaan yang diajukan petani saat penyuluhan dan pelatihan berlangsung. Dengan adanya kegiatan pegabdian ini, maka petani bertambah wawasannya terkait pentingnya pemupukan pada tanaman Jagung untuk mencapai produksi yang maksimal. Produk yang dihasilkan berupa POC dan Kompos selain untuk kebutuhan sendiri, maka dapat dijadikan produk BUMDes Desa Tarowang. Kata kunci: Benih, jagung Sinhas 1, pupuk, agribisnis.   ABSTRACT The purpose of this community service activity is to increase farmers' income through the application of the Legowo System and fertilizer packages on corn and corn seed production from Unhas Synthetic Corn (Sinhas-1), which was released by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture in 2019, as well as to increase farmers' knowledge and skills in producing biocompost, biopesticide, liquid fertilizer and how to apply it. The resulting product will be used as an agribusiness business in collaboration with the Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) of Tarowang Village. The method and stages of implementation were through program of socialization followed by face-to-face training on the technology to be applied. The result of the implementation of community service is an increase in the understanding and skills of farmers in making liquid organic fertilizer and compost by utilizing agricultural waste around the village. In addition, the demonstration plots that have been made to practice the production of Synthetic Corn seeds of Unhas (Sinhas 1) by farmers have also received a fairly large response. This is shown by the interest and questions asked by farmers during the extension and training. With this community service activity, farmers gain insight regarding the importance of fertilization on corn plants to achieve maximum production. The products produced in the form of Liquid Organic Fertilizers and Compost other than for their own needs, can be used as BUMDes products in Tarowang Village. Keywords: Seeds, Maize variety Sinhas 1, fertilizer, agribusiness