The Importance of trees and fruits

Big trees and small trees

Trees are the natural vegetation in large parts of the tropics, in particular,
in humid regions. The importance of trees stems partly from their
large size and perennial character. Trees shape the landscape and
frame buildings; they cast their shade over man and beast. They protect
the soil against the hot sun, heavy rain and strong winds, especially
during seasons when there are no annual crops in the fields. The
roots explore deep soil layers, recycling water and nutrients that cannot
be reached by the roots of field crops. In these ways, trees ameliorate
their immediate environment.

There is increasing evidence that trees protect and exploit the environment
more effectively than annuals. Evergreen trees have the advantage
over seasonal crop plants in that the canopy of leaves is present
throughout the year. Agrodok 16: Agroforestry, explains the role
of trees in more detail, both in the environment and in the farming system.

As a fruit grower you harvest fruit, not leaves and wood. Unfortunately,
the so-called ‘harvest index’ – that is the share of fruit in the
total amount of organic matter produced – is often quite low, especially
for most freely branching fruit trees. The tomatoes, eggplants,
cucurbits, etc. of the vegetable grower may not exploit the environment
nearly as well as the tree fruits, but they yield many more tons of
fruit per ha than most trees. Perhaps you should grow vegetables...

People think it natural that trees grow to a large size, but in fact trees
grow big because poor flowering and fruiting leave enough energy for
ever more shoots to grow. As a fruit grower your aim should be to
produce fruit with a minimum of wood! If you could make a tree bear
a full crop – in relation to its size – each year, starting within a few
years from planting, it would never grow big.

Cleaning And Washing The Fruits Or Vegetables

First, the fruits or vegetables have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any dirt or insecticide residues. The outer layers of onions also have to be removed. This cleaning process usually involves washing the products under a faucet with running inking-water or in a bucket with clean water that is regularly refreshed. When cleaning leafy vegetables,
it is best to first remove the stems. Some types of fruit, such as cherries, strawberries and mushrooms are not washed, because this would actually increase the spread of micro-organisms. It is also not
advisable to wash cucumbers, because this shortens their shelf-life.

Dried beans and nuts are soaked in water for 16-20 hours before being processed further. To prevent the beans and nuts from turning black, a
stainless steel pan or bowl, or other galvanized material, should be used. The temperature of the soaking water should remain constant.

What do micro-organisms do to fruits and vegetables?

Micro-organisms take from food products the various substances they
need to survive and multiply. Their secreted waste products can have
either a negative or positive effect on the affected food and the humans
who eat it.

The Positive effects of micro-organisms in food

The waste products secreted by some micro-organisms can have a
positive effect on food. Lactic acid bacteria, for example, are used to
make cheese and yoghurt from milk, and sauerkraut from white cabbage.
Moulds are used to make tempeh from soy beans, and yeasts are
used to make beer and bread. These substances influence the taste and
structure of the food products and generally increase their shelf-life.
The products can be kept longer because the desired micro-organisms
decrease the food’s pH level or because they are present in such huge
numbers that other micro-organisms have no chance to grow. This use
of micro-organisms for the preparation of food is called fermentation.

The Negative effects of micro-organisms in food

Sometimes the negative effects of bacteria are clearly apparent, such
as when milk has turned sour and curdled, when meat is covered in
slime, when moulds and gasses have formed, and when food has a
distinctly putrid smell. However, food spoilage is not always this obvious.
There are bacteria whose presence in food does not always
cause a change in its taste or appearance. In any case, it is important to
avoid eating rotten food, because it can make a person seriously ill.
Eating rotten food can cause contamination or poisoning. A food con-
tamination occurs when a person consumes a large number of living
micro-organisms in a meal. These can multiply rapidly in the person’s
gastrointestinal tract and severely disturb the digestive system. The
result is often diarrhoea and sometimes also bleeding. The symptoms
appear between 3 and 24 hours after eating the rotten food. A food
contamination can be prevented by frying or boiling the food thoroughly,
since sufficient heating will kill the micro-organisms.

Food poisoning occurs when a person consumes food containing the
poisonous waste products secreted by the bacteria. Heating the food
does not help in this case: the bacteria will be killed, but the poisonous
waste will remain unharmed. Both food poisoning and food contaminations
can be lethal, but usually they only make a person sick.

What are micro-organisms, and what factors affect their growth?

There are three types: bacteria, moulds and yeasts. Bacteria and yeasts
cannot be seen with the naked eye, but moulds are often visible because they form
visible thin threads (filaments) or a solid cluster. Just like humans,
micro-organisms require certain minimum living conditions. They
cannot survive without:

* sufficient water
* oxygen
* the right degree of acidity
* nutrients
* the right temperature
Water is essential for maintaining many physical processes. Where
there is a shortage or lack of water micro-organisms cannot grow, such
as in dried legumes. Drying is therefore one way to prevent spoilage.
Meat and fish do not have to be 100% dry in order to preserve them.
By adding salt, the remaining water becomes unsuitable for microorganisms.
The same effect can be achieved by adding sugar to fruit.
Enzymatic spoilage is also inhibited by drying.

Most micro-organisms need oxygen. If there is a shortage of oxygen,
it is difficult for bacteria to survive, let alone multiply. But there are
always a few that manage to survive. As soon as the oxygen supply is
increased, these remaining bacteria will again grow and multiply.
Some types of micro-organisms even thrive in an oxygen-poor environment.

Bacteria grow best in an environment that is not too acidic. Less
acidic products are therefore especially susceptible to bacterial spoilage.
Examples of such products are meat, eggs, milk and various types
of vegetables. Beer, yoghurt, wine, vinegar and fruit are less sensitive
because they are more acidic. Adding acidity to products slows down
the process of microbial spoilage. The degree of acidity is measured as
a pH level. A neutral product like milk has a pH of 7; meat has a pH of
about 6, carrots have a pH of 5 and oranges about 4. The more acidic a
product is, the lower the pH value will be.

Just like humans, micro-organisms also need nutrients: sugars, proteins,
fats, minerals and vitamins. These are rarely in short supply,
because they can be found in all food products.

To thrive, micro-organisms need a temperature of between 5 and
65°C. At temperatures above 65°C it becomes very difficult for them
to survive; and they definitely die if boiled, as long as they are boiled
for a certain length of time, such as 10 minutes. When heated, the
micro-organisms slowly die off, but not all at the same time. Heating
at temperatures lower than 100°C thus has to be sustained for a longer
period. The growth of micro-organisms is also slowed down significantly
at temperatures between 0 and 5°C (as in a refrigerator), which
makes it possible to store the food products for a few additional days.
At temperatures below 0°C microbial growth is stopped completely,
but the micro-organisms themselves remain alive. They will become
active again as soon as the temperature rises above 0°C.

To preserve food, it is sometimes necessary to make drastic changes to
the micro-organisms’ living conditions. We can remove water (drying),
increase the acidity, or first heat the products (to kill the bacteria)
and then store them in air-tight containers to prevent oxygen from
entering (preserving/canning). These and other methods will be discussed
later in this booklet.

Do micro-organisms grow differently on vegetables and fruit?
Vegetables and fruit have a lot in common. But there are also important
differences, which determine the type of spoilage they are most
susceptible to. Damaged fruits, which are usually somewhat acidic,
are very susceptible to the growth of yeasts and moulds. Vegetables
are generally less acidic, and their spoilage is usually caused by bacteria.
Though not visible to the naked eye, bacteria can still be present
in large numbers.

What is food spoilage

Every change in food that causes it to lose its desired quality and
eventually become inedible is called food spoilage or rotting. As noted
earlier, this Agrodok focuses specifically on fruits and vegetables. As
long as they are not harvested, their quality remains relatively stable –
if they are not damaged by disease or eaten by insects or other animals.
However, the harvest cannot be postponed indefinitely: when
the time is right, it is time to act. As soon as the fruits and vegetables
are cut off from their natural nutrient supply, their quality begins to
diminish. This is due to a natural process that starts as soon as the
biological cycle is broken by harvesting. Once it is harvested, the agricultural
product is edible for only a limited time, which can vary from
a few days to weeks. The product then begins to spoil or ‘rot’. We
distinguish between various types of spoilage:

1 physical spoilage
2 physiological aging
3 spoilage due to insects or rodents
4 mechanical damage
5 chemical and enzyme spoilage
6 microbial spoilage

Physical spoilage is caused for example by dehydration. Physiological
aging occurs as soon as the biological cycle is broken through harvesting.
Neither process can be prevented, but they can be delayed by storing
the agricultural products in a dry and draft-free area at as low a
temperature as possible.

Insects and rodents can cause a lot of damage. Not only by eating the
products, but also by passing on micro-organisms through their hair
and droppings. The affected parts of the plants are then especially
susceptible to diseases.

Chemical and enzyme spoilage occurs especially when vegetables and
fruit are damaged by falling or breaking. Such damage can release
enzymes that trigger chemical reactions. Tomatoes become soft, for
example, and apples and other types of fruit turn brown. The fruit can
also become rancid. The same processes can also be triggered by insects:
the fruit becomes damaged, which causes enzymes to be released.
Enzymes can be deactivated by heating the fruit or vegetables.
The same effect can be achieved by making the fruit or vegetables
sour or by drying them, but the enzymes become active again as soon
as the acidity is reduced or water is added.

The peel of a fruit or vegetable provides natural protection against
micro-organisms. As soon as this shield is damaged by falling, crushing,
cutting, peeling or cooking, the chance of spoilage increases considerably.
Crushing occurs most often when fruits or vegetables are
piled up too high.

To prevent harvested products from spoiling, they can be preserved:
physiological aging and enzyme changes are then stopped and microorganisms
are prevented from multiplying on the product. To retain
the desired quality of a product longer than if it were simply stored
after harvesting, it must be preserved. To preserve food it must first be
treated, with the goal of stopping physiological aging and enzyme
changes and preventing the growth of micro-organisms.

Before discussing the specific treatment methods, we will first focus
on the subject of micro-organisms. What are micro-organisms? Why
are they dangerous? How can you prevent them from making you
sick? The answers to these questions will help you understand the
steps required to safely preserve food.

The Food spoilage: causes, effects and prevention

Every change in food that causes it to lose its desired quality and
eventually become inedible is called food spoilage or rotting. As noted
earlier, this Agrodok focuses specifically on fruits and vegetables. As
long as they are not harvested, their quality remains relatively stable –
if they are not damaged by disease or eaten by insects or other animals.
However, the harvest cannot be postponed indefinitely: when
the time is right, it is time to act. As soon as the fruits and vegetables
are cut off from their natural nutrient supply, their quality begins to
diminish. This is due to a natural process that starts as soon as the
biological cycle is broken by harvesting. Once it is harvested, the agricultural
product is edible for only a limited time, which can vary from
a few days to weeks. The product then begins to spoil or ‘rot’. We
distinguish between various types of spoilage:

1 physical spoilage
2 physiological aging
3 spoilage due to insects or rodents
4 mechanical damage
5 chemical and enzyme spoilage
6 microbial spoilage

Physical spoilage is caused for example by dehydration. Physiological
aging occurs as soon as the biological cycle is broken through harvesting.
Neither process can be prevented, but they can be delayed by storing
the agricultural products in a dry and draft-free area at as low a
temperature as possible.

Insects and rodents can cause a lot of damage. Not only by eating the
products, but also by passing on micro-organisms through their hair
and droppings. The affected parts of the plants are then especially
susceptible to diseases.

Chemical and enzyme spoilage occurs especially when vegetables and
fruit are damaged by falling or breaking. Such damage can release
enzymes that trigger chemical reactions. Tomatoes become soft, for
example, and apples and other types of fruit turn brown. The fruit can
also become rancid. The same processes can also be triggered by insects:
the fruit becomes damaged, which causes enzymes to be released.
Enzymes can be deactivated by heating the fruit or vegetables.
The same effect can be achieved by making the fruit or vegetables
sour or by drying them, but the enzymes become active again as soon
as the acidity is reduced or water is added.

The peel of a fruit or vegetable provides natural protection against
micro-organisms. As soon as this shield is damaged by falling, crushing,
cutting, peeling or cooking, the chance of spoilage increases considerably.
Crushing occurs most often when fruits or vegetables are
piled up too high.

To prevent harvested products from spoiling, they can be preserved:
physiological aging and enzyme changes are then stopped and microorganisms
are prevented from multiplying on the product. To retain
the desired quality of a product longer than if it were simply stored
after harvesting, it must be preserved. To preserve food it must first be
treated, with the goal of stopping physiological aging and enzyme
changes and preventing the growth of micro-organisms.

Before discussing the specific treatment methods, we will first focus
on the subject of micro-organisms. What are micro-organisms? Why
are they dangerous? How can you prevent them from making you
sick? The answers to these questions will help you understand the
steps required to safely preserve food.

Quality Agriculture Machineries And Tools Suppliers

Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers specialize in the manufactures of agricultural implements and specialized equipment for a variety of farming needs. The manufacturers like Toro, Coronet, New Holland, Unverferth, Woods Equipment Co., Worksaver Inc., Yetter Farm Equipment Co., Ag-Chem, AGCO, Automatic Ag Products, Beard Industries, Orthman, Seedburo, Bigham Brothers, Blu-Jet, Bomford Turner, Brillion Iron, Northwest Tillers, Stover Equipment Co. Inc., Sukup Manufacturing Co. Brownie Manufacturing Co. and Butler Mfg. Co. have an established presence in this niche market and are standing up to competition from the majors. The Agricultural Suppliers have some of the latest and most modern models of equipment in their stocks. These models have been well received in the market and are worth the money.

Since agriculture farming equipment is considered a market for consumer durables, the market also looks at the price. The American and European markets are quality conscious and are not very price sensitive. The market capturing depends on the quality of the product. There are other Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers like Case, Murray and Snapper. These manufacturers are very popular in the North America segment and in Europe. Most of the suppliers are good with the quality and production range they have. Also they have the capacity to make it big and stand up to the giants like Honda, Ford, John Deere.

The farming equipment makes the tasks associated with farming easier and the operations more productive. Such equipment mostly includes Tractors, Combines, Hay Equipment and the like. Agriculture machineries and tools suppliers offer many listings for equipment used in agricultural farming, cattle ranching, dairy and poultry to name a few. From planting all the way through to harvesting these farm equipment dealers have the proper equipment that farmers need. Whether the buyers are searching for new or used tractors by John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Agco, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, McCormick or others, along with combine, forage harvester, planter, tillage equipment, or other agricultural equipment, you can find the listing at Fuzing.

The fuzing agriculture chemical suppliers directory is a leading B2B portal for global buyers searching manufacturers, exporters and suppliers. There is an agriculture chemical page bringing you to our handpicked agricultural chemical manufacturers, exporters and suppliers from various regions. If you are an agricultural chemical supplier, exporter, manufacturer, factory, vendor or trading company/agent, and want to list in this supplier directory, please click Fuzing.com.

Global Agriculture and Cold Storage

Each year, 80 million people are added to the global population. In this growing populace, food consumption rates are soaring. As global agriculture grows, there is a worldwide demand to expand the cold storage industry. Perishable foods are the largest, most profitable and fastest growing sector of agricultural trade.

Additionally, the frozen and refrigerated food categories for both the retail and food service industries are on the rise. Given these dynamic increases, the cold chain is quickly becoming central to all kinds of global trade in just about all commodities. In turn, refrigerated warehouses are growing to keep up, and offering more specialized and individualized services to those in the food manufacturing industry.

Globalization has made the relative distance between areas of the world much smaller; however, the physical separation of these same regions is still a very important reality. The greater the physical separation, the more likely freight becomes damaged moving in the import and export processes. To ensure that shipments are not compromised during transport, many businesses are turning to, and relying on cold chain technology.

The cold storage industry is expanding and moving beyond a traditional freezer unit. The market consists of many quality warehouse facilities, but the ones that offer individualized, added value services as part of a complete package succeed far beyond competitors. In the current market, customers are demanding services such as inventory tracking, recall efforts, exporting and transportation services throughout the cold supply chain. They are looking for a single refrigerated warehouse company to perform all functions.

Factors such as high service levels, lower cost, faster inventory turns, quicker reporting and the ability to provide customers with faster and more efficient service have also prompted change. Instead of simply operating as overflow warehouses, refrigerated warehouses are offering much more to customers.

Refrigerated warehousing companies are consolidating services, making it more convenient and cost effective for their clients. The storage facility is no longer just storage. The facility receives fresh products, blast freezes them, obtain certificates of export and USDA stamps of approval. Certified third party logistics professionals pick and pack the containers, consolidate the load for distribution, and make all arrangements until the shipment leaves port.

Food companies are also being pressured to address the challenges that arise in food transportation. Fortunately, increasingly efficient global transport networks are making it possible to bring food from distant places to stores, restaurants and homes before it spoils. In turn, the manufacturers benefit from a further developed, more optimized, more streamlined cold supply chain. This link in the chain ensures that they are not burdened by the large investment of holding onto loads of inventory.

Since cold storage businesses carry such flexibility, their potential is unlimited. As cold storage services become more important with each passing day, the growing future of such facilities is difficult to deny. A cold storage warehouse that offers third party logistics is one of the most important links in the cold chain. It guarantees the most fresh and sanitary food and produce make it to shelves and onto kitchen tables.

The Reasons Agriculture is Important

Why is agriculture important? The concept of 'food security' is fundamentally important, and for that reason, agriculture is important. The task of feeding its people has been perhaps the first priority of its rulers throughout history. As such, agriculture is considered to be the very basis of political and social stability of a nation since times immemorial.

Moreover, the agricultural sector plays an important role in the sphere of providing large scale employment to people. Large and moderately large farms employ workers to undertake the various jobs relating to cultivation of crops and care of farm animals. In most of the countries of the world, agriculture still remains the biggest sector responsible for the employing and feeding a large percentage of the population.

Agriculture is also important from the point of view of appraising the standard of a country's development, based on the competence of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers cannot apply the advanced methods and new technologies. The prominence of science and technology in the development of agriculture is quite clear from the words of Deng Xiaoping -

The development of agriculture depends first on policy, and second on science. There is neither any limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role that they can play in the field of agricultural growth'.

Though agriculture often plays a contributory role in the 'Gross Domestic Product' - GDP - of most countries, it nevertheless requires a substantial boost from both the local and the international community.

Agriculture is traditionally based on bulk manufacturing. Harvesting is done once a season, most of the times, and stocked and used later. In fact, some thinkers opine that people have begun to adopt 'batch processing' and 'stocking' in manufacturing, as a result of the practices from agricultural thinking. Before industrialization, people with the biggest stocks of food and other supplies were considered more stable, and they were able to face challenges of nature without having to starve.

So important is the role of agriculture that new concepts keep 'cropping up' to give the traditional activity a modern turn. One such new concept the world is raving about these days is - the importance of 'organic farming'. There is evidence that, apart from their numerous other benefits, organic farms are more sustainable and environmentally sound, giving agriculture a new dimension.

The importance of agricultural practices was further established when 'Organic food' began as a small movement decades ago, with gardeners and farmers rejecting the use of conventional non-organic practices. With the growth of the Organic food market now outpacing much of the food industry, many big companies have ventured into it. With the emergence of multi-national companies, and with the creation of a legal certification framework such as the Soil Association, there is every doubt that the very definition of organic food will change, making it more of a commercial activity than ever before!

In fact, modern agriculture has already undergone a sea-change from the ancient times. Today, the importance of agriculture lies in the fact that it is practiced both for subsistence as well as commercial reasons!

Christopher Schwebius is an entrepreneur who seeks out sharply defined, specifically focused topics to research. Upon finishing his research he provides relevant, un-biased information to his readers based on his discoveries and/or personal experiences. One of his latest ongoing projects can be viewed at http://www.whyisagricultureimportant.com

Organic Agriculture - The Way to Progress

Seeing our society from the past centuries up to the present, it is very much evident that there are several developments that took place. Due to these developments, life has become complicated. As a result of complication, people have overlooked the problems brought about by developments because of the glittering gold and silver that supposed developments offer.

Among the problems that have been overlooked for the past decades are the environmental problems which are becoming worse as the years passed by. Several environmental problems which we are facing right now are the results of agricultural malpractices due to lack of education.

Among the environmental problems is the continuous destruction of the soil because of excessive use of inorganic fertilizers which has resulted to soil infertility. An evidence to justify this fact is the gradual extinction of wild plants which were in the past, just sprout from the soil without human interventions. Another problem is the contamination of the water source and air because of excessive use of pesticides and other chemicals which are being used to spray the plants. As a result, clean water are becoming lesser which also contribute to the spread of communicable diseases. One thing more, is the increasing number of pests and diseases to both plants and animals and even humans. Because of all these problems, some people from the agricultural industry propose organic agriculture believing that this would at least lessen these problems.

Organic agriculture is a holistic production management that discourages the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified organisms. Purposively, it would contribute to the lessening of air soil and water pollutions, and maximizes the health of the interdependent communities of plants animals and humans. This means that there should be a balance in the environment whereby none of these living organisms would out number the other. This is because through organic agriculture, the lives of the beneficial micro-organisms are preserved to avoid the flourishing of pests and diseases that destroy the said interdependent communities. They are called interdependent communities because as the word "interdependent" imply, plants, animals and humans rely on each other in order to survive. Plants give off oxygen and food to humans and animals. On the other hand, animals and humans give off carbon dioxide and waste products for the plants to use in food processing or photosynthesis. Another thing to be given attention is the balance number of preys and predators in the environment. In other words the food chain cycle should not be disturbed because if that will happen there'll be a dominance of one population which results to food scarcity for the other population. For instance, if the farmers continuously use synthetic pesticides, small organisms will be killed which results to growing number of pests because no other organisms that would eat them. Because of this, plants that serve as the food for humans and animals will be destroyed by these pests. That is why organic agriculture is said to be the solution for food scarcity in the future to come.

For organic agriculture to come in reality, farmers should be educated about the proper practices in agriculture. In fact, in the Philippines, there are certain radio programs and television programs allotted for the promotion of organic agriculture. Other than that, seminars are also conducted by experts in agriculture. There are also cooperatives that are being established to cater to the needs and address the problems of the farmers. Other than that are the various government programs that are implemented to different regions of the country. But most importantly is the cooperative effort among the sectors in the society in promoting and supporting the implementation of organic agriculture practices. Among the sectors in the society that should exert more effort is the education sector with the facilitation of educational institutions especially with State universities or any university that offers agricultural courses.