Tiger Prawns vs. Shrimp

By goGreen | January 31, 2012

Prawns and shrimp are two large families of closely-related crustaceans, shellfish with jointed shells that permit active motion. Like crabs and lobsters, they are part of a group referred to as decapods because they have 10 legs. Although there are differences between shrimp and prawns, the terms are used interchangeably in most of the world.

Physiological Differences

Shrimp and prawns are classed as two separate families: Shrimp are classed as Caridea, and prawns belong to the Penaeidae. Each family contains hundreds of individual species scattered throughout the world’s waters. There are subtle physical differences between them. Prawns’ legs are all the same length, but shrimp tend to have one pair longer than the others. Also, the first three pair of prawn legs have small claws or pincers on them, but shrimp only have them on the first two pair of legs. They reproduce differently as well, with prawns releasing clouds of eggs and shrimp incubating eggs on the female’s body.

Common Usage

In practice, the terms shrimp and prawn are applied without regard to marine biology. American fishmongers usually differentiate shrimp and prawns by size, with smaller specimens sold as shrimp and larger ones as prawns. Even this is not consistent, and the same shellfish might be sold in neighboring markets as tiger prawns or tiger shrimp. For culinary purposes, shrimp and prawns are both tasty and can be cooked in the same ways, so it’s more important to find a brand or supplier that provides you a consistently good product.

Tiger Prawns

Tiger prawns are one of the most widely sold species. Their shells, as the name suggests, are banded with black stripes. These prawns are imported from Asia, where high-volume aquaculture operations turn out millions of pounds of these tasty shellfish. Thailand is the largest producer and is the source of most tiger prawns sold in America. These will vary widely in quality, depending on the aquaculture operator. The best tiger prawns are sweet in flavor and firm in texture, but they can also be mushy and unpleasant. Canvass your local fishmongers for recommendations before buying in quantity.

Domestic Shrimp and Prawns

Some consumers have reservations about imported Asian shrimp, because of concerns over pollution, sustainable practices and safe food handling. For those who love seafood but would prefer to buy a domestic product, there are several shrimp fisheries in the U.S. There are commercial harvests of wild shrimp on both coasts, and shrimp are widely farmed across the country. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program considers these farms to be sustainably operated, because they are in areas where the shrimp cannot displace native species if they escape. Both farmed and wild-caught American shrimp earn their “Best Choice” rating.

 

 

Source: eHow.com

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Pointers on Growing Rambutan

By goGreen | January 31, 2012

Rambutan has long been grown in Southern Luzon and parts of Mindanao. It has started to be grown in other places where people thought the fruit tree could not be grown, like Northern Luzon and many other places. Some are successful, some are not.

Here are pointers on growing this exotic fruit.

THE PLACE FOR PLANTING
The best place for planting rambutan is where the dry season is shorter than the rainy months. However, even if the dry season is fairly long, one can still plant rambutan. The trees have to be adequately fertilized with organic and chemical fertilizers, and adequate moisture of the soil should be maintained.

Good soil for growing rambutan is clay loam or sandy loam soil. These are rich in organic matter and maintain good moisture content. If the soil is not ideal, i.e., clayey and rocky, still rambutan can be grown. Just dig a big hole and fill it up with top soil mixed with compost or organic fertilizer, rice hull or some other materials that will make the soil well drained.

PLANT THE RIGHT VARIETIES
One important key to success is to plant the right variety or varieties. There are many strains or varieties being grown in the Philippines. There are a few superior ones while many others are inferior. The superior ones produce fruits that are of good size, thick-fleshed, juicy, sweet, and the flesh readily separates from the seeds. There are also those that have longer shelf life, attractive color that does not easily deteriorate.

Among the superior varieties are R5, R162, Rongrein, Super Red, Malaysian Jade, Sakay Selection, Jetlee and some others. R5 is particularly superior in a number of ways. It was the first prize winner in the 1996 Fruit Search competition. It produces big fruits that are intense red, hence attractive to customers. The white flesh is thick, sweet, smooth in texture and separates readily from its seed.

Plant grafted trees. Ungrafted seedlings are not recommended because there are male and female trees. If it happens that a male seedling is planted, it will not bear fruit even if it produces flowers. Moreover, female seedling trees take many years to bear fruit.

 


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How to Repair Soil With Tomato Blight

By goGreen | January 31, 2012

Tomato blight is a damaging disease for the crop which requires careful management. There are two types of tomato blight: early and late blights. Early blight will overwinter in soil and on old plant material. Late blight will not survive in soil but is found on plant material and is the more dangerous of the two diseases. Both diseases can be brought into soil from contaminated plants or seed. The blights infect all Solanaceous plants which include potatoes. No Solanaceous plant should be grown in the same place. Crop rotation is crucial to controlling the disease, as is purchasing plants resistant to the blight.

Things You’ll Need

Instructions

1. Remove and destroy all infected plant parts and old Solanaceous plant pieces. Pull potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes at the end of the season and bag the plants and throw them out. The fungus can survive composting so do not throw them in your yard waste pile.

2. Rake up old tomato leaves and fruit. Bag these also and throw them out. Rake before you till or you risk mixing in the seeds from infected fruit.

3. Spread 3 to 5 inches of mulch over the infected area. Mulch will help prevent the infected soil from splashing up onto the foliage of the next season’s crop and infecting it.

4. Allow the soil to dry out. Both blights are caused by fungi which require moist conditions to survive and reproduce. If they are not given moisture, over time they will die out.

5. Prune out any tree branches which may be preventing the morning sun from reaching your soil. Morning sun dries the dew which supports the formation of spores.

 Source: eHow.com

Topics: Crops & Vegetables | No Comments »

Why Filipinos Should Cultivate Mushrooms?

By goGreen | January 30, 2012

The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and China knew of the importance of edible mushrooms as food. Egyptian pharaohs zealously kept the mushrooms for their own use, decreeing it was too delicate a morsel for commoners who could eat garlic!

The Romans restricted mushroom consumption to the nobility. Later, convinced that mushrooms gave their soldiers strength, the Romans permitted them to eat the fungus. The ancient Chinese called mushrooms the “divine fruit of immortality,” and Buddha is believed to have eaten them before being transported to nirvana.

Nutritionally speaking, mushrooms contain higher quality proteins than green plants, important minerals such as iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium and nearly all vitamins, including vitamin D. Edible mushrooms are rich in vitamins B1 and B2. They also contain fibers, which stimulate digestion in humans, as well as other elements favorable for health. Another advantage is that they can be grown at home without any great effort.

Despite being “an almost perfect food,” growing mushroom is still considered one of the “not too famous” business ventures in the Philippines. “But if this is tapped and one gets to know the techniques of its trade, mushroom culture could be remarkably profitable,” says the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which promotes its cultivation throughout the country.

“It is regrettable that, to date, cultivating mushrooms has been almost ignored in many developing countries, even though it could contribute significantly to feeding their population, for edible mushrooms are delicious and nutritionally valuable,” deplores Jan Lelley in an article on mushroom growing.

More than 100,000 varieties of mushrooms have been discovered, of which 700 are considered edible or fit for human consumption. The most widely cultivated mushroom species are kabuting saging, tainga ng daga, shiitake, abalone, and champignon.

Kabuting saging sprouts in the wild after thunderstorms and is usually cultivated in straw beds in open fields or in portable wooden frames. Tainga ng daga is usually found growing luxuriantly on decaying trees in the forest. Shiitake is also known as the Japanese forest mushroom since it grows profusely in the forests of Japan logs of shii, a tree closely related to the oak.

Abalone is commonly known as oyster mushroom because its fleshy gills look like ears growing sideways and overlapping one another, resembling oysters. Champignon is one of the few mushroom species with international commercial importance.

There are a number of species of mushroom that are poisonous, and although some resemble certain edible species, eating them could be fatal. “Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky,” experts usually caution.

Claudius II and Pope Clement VII were both killed by enemies who poisoned them with deadly mushrooms. Buddha died, according to legend, from a mushroom that grew underground. Buddha was given the mushroom by a peasant who believed it to be a delicacy.

Edible mushroom species have been found in association with 13,000 year old ruins in Chile, but the first reliable evidence of mushroom consumption dates to several hundred years BC in China. In Asia, mushrooms are favored for their earthy flavor and their therapeutic properties.

In fact, recent studies have confirmed that the health benefits associated with mushrooms are numerous and wide-ranging. Mushrooms are high in antioxidants, selenium, riboflavin and other healthful substances that may fight cancer, some experts claim.

Research conducted at California’s Beckman Research Institute shows that mushroom cells contain mechanisms that suppress breast and prostate cancer cells.

Other research suggests that some mushroom extracts can help reduce cancer treatment side effects. When people took the mushrooms a week before they started treatment, they did appear to help with side effects of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including sickness and hair loss.

In Japan, a study found shiitake mushroom to be a formidable cancer fighter. In 1969, scientists at Tokyo’s National Center Research Institute isolated a polysaccharide compound from shiitake they called lentinan. In laboratory trials, lentinan caused tumors in mice to regress or vanish in 80 percent to 100 percent of the subjects. Lentinan appears “to stimulate immune-system cells to clear the body of tumor cells.” It has also shown some effect on bowel cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer.

Eating shiitake mushroom can also lower cholesterol. Research conducted in Japan identified a specific amino acid in shiitake that helps speed up the processing of cholesterol in the liver. In a 1974 study, 40 elderly individuals and 420 young women consumed 9 grams of dried shiitake or the equivalent amount of fresh shiitake (90 grams) every day for 7 days. After a week, total cholesterol levels had dropped 7 percent to 15 percent in the older group, and 6 percent to 12 percent in the young women.

Here are more reasons for eating shiitake mushrooms: They may also lower blood pressure in those with hypertension, lower serum cholesterol levels, increase libido, stimulate the production of interferon which has anti-viral effects, and has proven effective against hepatitis in some cases.

The abalone mushrooms are a natural source of statin drugs, specifically the isomers of lovastatin. In 2009, a case control study of the eating habits of 2,018 woman revealed that women who consumed mushrooms had an approximately 50 percent lower incidence of breast cancer. Women who consumed mushrooms and green tea had a 90 percent lower incidence of breast cancer.

Edible mushrooms are not only good *for the stomach alone but for also for the total well-being of a person. As such, Filipino farmers are urged to cultivate mushroom as additional source of income. “Mushrooms can be grown in enclosed indigenous structures and with minimal capital,” said Alice Ilaga, the biotechnology program chief of the Department of Agriculture.

Mushroom cultivation is an income generating activity that can be done both in rural and urban areas. Mushrooms can be grown on commercial or small-scale using either highly urbane equipment or low-cost materials and agricultural wastes.

By going into mushroom production, farmers can utilize the huge volume of agricultural “waste” that are all over the country-rice straws, corn stalks and banana leaves, to name a few. The following lowing can also be used as bedding materials for mushroom culture: dry water lilies, jute sacks, legume straws, and sugarcane bagasse.

Economic analysts have seen mushrooms as another major Philippine crop. The local market for the crop is reportedly growing. In several Makati supermarkets, for instance, mushrooms are among the fast-selling items in their vegetables section.

 

SOURCE: Agri Business Week

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Weed Grass Identification

By goGreen | January 30, 2012

A properly maintained lawn grows thick enough to choke out any weeds. However, a lawn weakened by weather or disease gives way to the sprouting of unwanted weeds. Before starting any weed-killing program, identify the type of weeds growing in your lawn. Weed grasses in particular prove adept at blending in with the rest of your lawn, making it difficult to get rid of them.

Weed Grasses

Weed grasses closely resemble lawn grasses, making them more difficult to identify than other weed types. True grasses, grassy weeds grow as monocots, meaning they germinate from a seed and produce one leaf. According to Texas A&M University, these weeds develop hollow stems with joints and leaf blades that stretch longer than their width. They also grow a multitude of fibrous roots and have unremarkable flowers.

Preventing Weeds

The best weed prevention method is to maintain a healthy lawn. Proper lawn maintenance, according to American Lawns, includes fertilizing along soil test recommendations, watering deeply while letting the ground dry between watering, and mowing at an adequate height, usually no lower than 2 ½ inches.

Sometimes, though, weeds grow despite the best prevention attempts, and application of chemical herbicides becomes the next step. A preemergent herbicide usually works the best to combat the unwanted presence of weeds. When using any chemical or herbicide, make certain to read the label and follow directions.

Bermuda Grass

A summer-loving weed, Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) rapidly advances across your lawn as the weather warms. Also an annual grass, it has fine textured leaves and grows in a creeping pattern. If this weed grass sprouts in a lawn with cool season grasses, it can quickly take over.

Crabgrass

Another annual weed grass, crabgrass (Digitaria sp.) also grows best in the unrelenting summer heat that can quickly turn green lawns brown. Crabgrass does not grow in shady places, as it requires full sun. The life span of this grass weed begins as a seed that sprouts in May and dies at the first hard frost.

Dallis Grass

Dallis grass grows as a perennial grass weed best identified by its long seed heads. Its foliage has a light green color and it thrives in wet, hot conditions. Its growth pattern follows a circular motion as it expands out from the center of the weed.

Quackgrass and Bentgrass

These two weed grasses also grow as perennials. Bentgrass has shallow roots and puffy, fine-textured leaves; the best way to remove it is by cutting it out. Quackgrass, on the other hand, grows underground through rhizomes that continue to sprout if not completely removed.

 Source: eHow.com

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Food From Dragon Fruit

By goGreen | January 30, 2012

Other than the flesh of the Dragon Fruit, which commands a high price, the unopened buds, dried flowers, and fruit skin can also be processed into food, according to Edith Dacuycuy, owner of the REFMAD Farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, the first Dragon Fruit farm in the Ilocos Region.

She was more than glad to share her recipes. The unopened buds can be made into a delicious fresh salad. But that is if you can afford it since the buds are the ones that develop into fruits. All you need are five flower buds weighing about half a kilo. Wash the buds and slice into four from base to tip. Steam to preserve all food nutrients. Add a little salt to steaming water. Remove the steamed buds from the steamer and then mix it with mayonnaise, catsup, and a little pepper to taste.

The dried flowers, on the other hand, can be cooked into lumpiang shanghai. Soak the dried flowers in water for five minutes, wash twice, and then chop finely. Peel carrots and chop “finely with garlic. Mix all ingredients together, including a pinch of pepper and a small sachet of seasoning mix. Wrap the mixture with lumpia wrapper. Fry just before serving to maintain crispiness.

Likewise, the dried flowers can be used as an ingredient for sinigang na baboy or bulalo, which are cooked the traditional way. All you have to do is to take five dried flowers, and wash them. Cut the bottom portion, about an inch from the base and then strip the other parts by hand. Add to almost cooked meat.

The fruit skin can also be cooked with malunggay leaves. Wash the skin and slice it into the size of ampalaya cuts. Add to boiling water with seasoning mix. When the skin is already partly cooked, add malunggay leaves. Serve hot.

The fruit skin can also be processed into jam. All you need are 1 kg fruit skin, 200 grams, each of condensed milk, sugar, and margarine, and 100 grams water. Blend the fruit skin and then mix the ingredients together. Cook under medium heat. Constantly stir when the mixture has already become sticky. Let the mixture cool before placing it in jars.

You’ll never know how tasty these recipes are until you try.

 

SOURCE: Agri Business Week

Topics: Food Processing, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

Tomato Plant Problems

By goGreen | January 30, 2012

Tomatoes aren’t always the easiest vegetables to grow. A number of problems can affect tomato plants, decreasing harvest and causing headaches for gardeners.

Tomato Blight

Tomato blight is a fungus-like pathogen that attacks the plants. Signs of blight are brown spots or lesions and a white fungal growth. If blight is found on plants, the plants should be discarded. However, any green tomatoes on the plants can still be picked and allowed to ripen indoors.

Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot is when a dry, deep decay develops on the blossom end of the tomato. It is caused by low calcium levels in the tomato and can be difficult to correct. Instead, properly prepare soil prior to planting to prevent this condition.

Insects

Aphids, psyllids and hornworms can attack tomato plants. Judy Sedbrook, a master gardener with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, says that all can be controlled with insecticidal soap, which can be found in hardware stores and gardening centers.

Leaf Curl

Leaf curl is when leaves at the bottom of the plant begin to roll upward and become thick, and can be caused by periods of cool, rainy weather. Fortunately, it does not affect plant growth or fruit production.

Cracking

Cracking occurs after a period of wet weather, followed by a dry spell. While there’s no way to repair the damage, cracking can be prevented with regular watering.

 Source: eHow.com

Topics: Crops & Vegetables | No Comments »

The Exotic Marang of Mindanao and Its Recipes

By goGreen | January 29, 2012

Marang (Artocarpus odoratissimus) is not only as exotic as it sounds but also as it looks and tastes.

This tropical fruit tree that wouldn’t thrive in regions where temperature falls below 32° above zero looks like jackfruit and seeded breadfruit, but it is superior in quality to either of these. It’s indigenous in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao where it is popularly grown especially from July to September.

Marang tree is medium-sized to large. It grows to about 25 meters with a trunk diameter of 40 cm. It could grow in a wide range of soil types-from light to heavy soils-but it will grow better in deep, loamy soil with a pH ranging from 5.5-8. It also yields best in places that are elevated at 800 m above sea level.
It is propagated by budding, grafting, and marching. The seedlings are allowed to harden for at least two months when these are at least 1 foot tall with three pairs of leaves each. The ideal distance between seedlings in an open field is 6 m x 6 m in a square system. It can be intercropped while it is still unproductive. It starts to bear fruits at 4 to 5 years of age.

Its fruit is 16 cm long, 13 cm in diameter, and weighs about 1,000 to 1,800 grams. The thick, fleshy rind is thickly studded with greenish, yellowish, blunt spines. Inside it is a white, soft, sweet, and aromatic flesh from which many whites seeds easily separate. The fruit is also highly perishable that’s why it is carefully harvested by cutting its peduncle and then placing it in woven baskets or boxes.

Marang is a popular fruit dessert in Mindanao. After all, it is nutritious; it contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus, iron, retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. The fruit has also a strong scent especially when it is ripe. Once opened, it should be consumed immediately or in just a few hours as it easily loses flavor and oxidizes. The seeds are also edible; these are boiled or roasted and can be processed into flour.

These are just some of the reason why marang has market potential. Its short shelf life, however, limits its uses but studies on postharvest and processing of marang are already undertaken to extend its shelf life.

One of these is the ongoing study titled “Improved Postharvest Technologies and Techno-Transfer for Marang”, which is funded by the High Value Commercial Crops and the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture. It is being conducted by Dr. Emma K. Sales, Dr. Nicolas A. Turnos, and Prof. Josephine G. Tangonan of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM).

Recipes for marang are also formulated, and among these are marang jam, paste, marmalade, jelly, concentrate, brittle, and flour. These are formulated and tested by retired USM professor Virgilia Tacardon Paclibar.

 


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How to Grow an Avocado Tree From a Nut

By goGreen | January 29, 2012

Avocado trees are large,evergreen trees that produce small, oblong fruits. Avocados have a dark, tough outer skin with soft, squishy bright green flesh inside. At the center of an avocado fruit is a dark brown, hard pit, or nut, roughly the size of a ping pong ball. This pit is the seed of the avocado and when planted properly, grows into another avocado tree. So save your next avocado pit and try your hand at growing your very own avocado tree.

Things You’ll Need

 

Planting the Seed in Soil

1. Wash the seed to ensure it is free of debris, drying it off with a paper towel. Use a knife to make a small, thin slice in both the top and bottom of the seed.

2. Fill a small container with commercial potting soil mix. Make sure that the container is shallow and has plenty of drainage holes in the bottom.

3. Determine the approximate length of your seed. (There’s no need to measure it. Just get a visual approximation.) Plant the seed two to three times deeper than it is long.

4. Keep the seed in a warm area (with temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and keep the seed moist by watering daily. Do not allow the soil to become soggy.

5. Allow the seed to germinate for up to 15 days, finally re-potting the seed into a larger, well-drained container filled with high-quality potting mix. If you live in a warm climate or if there is no danger of frost in your climate, plant the seedling directly into the ground, if you wish.

 

Planting the Seed in Water

1. Poke three to four toothpicks into the avocado seed. Space them equally around the top and insert them horizontally into the seed, pushing them in just enough to hold the seed in place for the next step.

2. Fill a small container with water, placing the seed onto the top of the container. (Let the toothpicks rest on top of the container to suspend the seed in the water.)

3. Place the container with the seed in a warm location with indirect light.

4. Change the water in the container at least once each week for the next 15 days.

5. Re-pot the seed in a larger container filled with high-quality potting mix once it has sprouted.

 

Care of the Tree

1. Water your avocado tree at least daily whether planted indoors or outdoors. If you have a wet winter, avoid watering daily in December and January.

2. Fertilize your avocado tree regularly once it reaches one year in age. Fertilize every two weeks during spring and summer, and fertilize every six weeks during the winter.

3. Protect your tree from frost by covering it with a tarp when temperatures drop to freezing levels.

Tips and Warnings!

Over-watering your avocado tree or leaving it in soil that is too damp will cause root rot, a condition that causes the roots to die out and subsequently kills the tree. Signs of root rot include yellow, drooping leaves and muddy-looking soil surrounding your tree.

Source: eHow.com

Topics: Crops & Vegetables, Gardening, How to | No Comments »

How to Tell How Tall a Tree Is

By goGreen | January 29, 2012

According to the International Society of Arboriculture, trees have lived on Earth longer than any other organism. The oldest trees in the world, the Bristlecone pines, have existed for 4,600 years in the United States. Even more remarkably, the tallest tree in the world measures more than 360 feet. If you have ever wondered how tall a tree stands in your own yard, with a little bit of math you can figure out the answer. If you know your own height, then you can determine the height of a tree.

Things You’ll Need

Instructions

1. Pick a sunny day to perform the measuring process. After all, you need the sun in order to see shadows, so choose the brightest day possible.

2. Measure the distance from the base of the tree trunk to the end of the tree’s shadow. Use a measuring tape and carry a notebook and a pencil to write your findings. The longer the measuring tape, the better. Measuring tapes come in all sizes, some of the longest tape measures stretch to 300 feet.

3. Stand next to the base of the tree trunk and measure the length of your own shadow using the measuring tape. You will probably need some assistance with this measurement, so ask a friend to help you. Write the measurement in your notebook.

4. Multiply the length of the tree’s shadow by your own height. In other words, if the length of the tree’s shadow is 30 feet and you’re five feet tall, the equation would look like this: 30 x 5= 150.

5. Next, divide the result of the above equation by the length of your shadow. So, if the length of your shadow is 10 feet, then the next part of the equation should look like this: 150 ÷ 10= 15. Therefore, the tree in question has a height of 15 feet.

Source: eHow.com

Topics: Miscellaneous | No Comments »

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