jandtaa

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In Thailand, the following insect species have been recorded feeding on seed/pod of tamarind, not differentiated between regular and sour or sweet tamarind:                                                

Caryodon serratus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) - seed boring grub

Cryptophlebia ombrodelta Lower (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) - pod borer

Pachymerus gonager (gonagra?) F. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) - seed boring grub

Sinoxylon crassumum Lesne (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) - pod boring grub

Sitophilus (Calandra) linearis (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Something to help in your research Lickey (maybe a google image search I find this helpful when getting the missus to help me identify plants and insects etc.)

J

Hi Kan Win

WOW !! Bling with a capital B !! Great photo.

Hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of playing with the sliders (all moved to the right a shade) in lightroom; clarity, exposure and contrast to "stretch" the histogram as well as a touch of luminance.

Also tried a bit of a crop Trying to create a frame from the first two pillars and enlarge the golden Buddha a fraction. Doesn't work perfectly as The Buddha is not dead centre but either the pillars are not symmetrical or the angle is slightly off. As I say great shot, if it was mine I would play in PS extract the first two pillars and resize, stretch as nessecary to make my crop work but keep Buddha central and placed on the line created by the rule of thirds.

But then again why try to fix something that aint broke !!

Cheers for sharing J   

Hi Folks

Just stumbled across this forum the other day (don't usually venture that far down the index !!). What a great little forum. Kan Win and the rest of you have obviously put in a great deal of hard work  keep it up guys and gals !

Personally I'm just a bit of a dabbler but keen to learn and there's a great deal of helpful advice and tips amongst these pages which is sure to help me improve.

OK now for the negative . Photography as are most art forms is a highly subjective (beauty is in the eye of the beholder blah blah blah ) and often emotive medium and can be a very personal creative process. I can't help but notice that in the "evaluate my photo" thread some posters are letting their emotions get in the way of posting constructive criticism which should be just that. We all learn from our mistakes and I doubt that many of us achieve a "perfect" shot everytime. Personally I find there is so much to concentrate on at once, focus, framing, exposure etc... and I seldom if ever get them to get them to all come together at once  . Indeed often when I do it is because I have faffed around with the camera for so long adjusting settings and then miss the "moment" and the essence of the image I was trying to capture has disappeared !! Therefore I am usually happy to get it nearly right and just capture the shot.

I feel that if posters were to post their images in this thread along with acknowledged flaws this may help with people giving more useful advice on how to correct the image rather than just simply rubbishing it (some of the comments could well be perceived as flaming and I'm sure you are all aware of forum rules ). In a similar vein some posters such as "Yumidesign" have a unique artistic style which relies heavily on the use of techniques such as under/over exposing shots, out of focus shots and unusual compositions (sometimes somehow managing to combine all three). If you use such techniques it might help to comment on the artistic reason they were employed to prevent them being mistaken for technical errors. 

Back to a positive . The "post what I want" challenge is a great idea and a great place to post your "keepers" however I wonder if it would help to give two scores out of ten, one for artistic merit and one for technical ability ( i.e. A10 T5 ). The reason being as this thread could act as a great barometer of personal development. If you were to constantly achieve high marks for artistic merit but score low on technique you would know that you needed to work on this area if however the reverse was happening you would become aware that you might need to read up on composition etc. There is a potential problem with this due to the fact that some people are able to download an image and view it through software that displays histograms, blown highlights etc whilst others are viewing through their browser on a netbook so I think if you are unhappy on commenting on a technical level just mark your score with an "A". At the moment I am adding the 2 scores together and then dividing by 2 to arrive at my posted score.

Unfortunately I am currently in the UK for 6 months so cannot enter the challenges but will do so as soon as I return. There does seem to be some lively debate as to what the subject matter should be. Obviously we can't all post challenges simultaneously as it would create too much work setting up polls etc.. I think it's a good idea to have the winner set the challenge. How about having 2 monthly challenges running concurrently ? One purely subject based with minimal post production (clouds etc) and another based on technique; macro, black and white, forced perspective, motion shots, delayed exposure and so on that can easily achieved with most cameras and minimal software. You could also have a seperate challenge for computer generated images such as HDR, Composites, vexel art and other more graphical disciplines. 

As Kan Win chose clouds, because of the time of year, personally I feel a good technical challenge during rainy season would be macro as you don't even have to venture outdoors to find your subject matter !! It would also be good if the challenge setter could provide a link to a website showing examples such as this macro photography . But hey I haven't even entered one so I best shut up !

Anyway thats enough blather from me for one day I shall quietly retire back beneath my rock and leave you to digest what as I have already stated is just my two-penneth

cheers for now J

PS The Vulcan we need you !!   

Hi Lickey

Incredible how fast the weeds grow out here !! I guess it would provide a sanctuary for insect pests and possibly any beneficials. In the UK I have a problem with flea beetle whose larvae over winter in weedy areas, as we get on top of the plot ( 7 years  and still reclaiming areas and putting them into production) and clear away the weeds the problem is diminishing. I think observation is the key, find out what pests affect your trees, identify if you have a problem with them. Research their life cycle, preferred habitat etc find out if they have natural predators (plant up small areas  to attract these if possible), are repelled by certain plants  and so on. Prevention is the best cure !! 

Maybe DrTreelove can help us out on this one  ??

cheers for now J

Hi Soulwy

I agree with PondLife, there is a great deal of info in all the previous posts and it would be worth your while reading them. It is very difficult to answer "how long is a piece of string" type questions. Local conditions will vary on KPG depending whether you are on the coast or on a mountainside inland as do soil conditions from plot to plot. As PL suggested look for local varieties and find out when the locals plant them. Some plants do well in full sun and are heat tolerant, others require a degree of shade and some require a temperate climate and will not grow in the tropics. How long to harvest ??Days from sowing to harvest vary with each species of vegetable and indeed can vary between different varieties of the same species (as in potatoes 1st earlies, earlies, maincrop and late are all available) growing conditions such as weather, soil type, irrigation and fertiliser regime will also have an effect. Most seed companies give info on Days to Harvest on the seed packets or their websites which can be used as a guideline.

As you seem concerned about the effects of salinity I have put together the following guide on the salt tolerance of some common vegetables. A general indication of high salinity is the appearance of a white crust forming on the soil surface. It probably depends on whether you wish to grow for personal use or commercially as to whether it is worthwile testing, try to talk to locals to see if they experience any problems.

best of luck J   

Plant species vary in how well they tolerate salt-affected soils. Some plants will tolerate high levels of salinity while others can tolerate little or no salinity. The relative growth of plants in the presence of salinity is termed their salt tolerance. 

"Salt tolerances are usually given in terms of the stage of plant growth over a range of electrical conductivity (EC) levels. Electrical conductivity is the ability of a solution to transmit an electrical current. To determine soil salinity EC, an electrical current is imposed in a glass cell using two electrodes in a soil extract solution taken from the soil being measured (soil salinity). The units are usually given in deciSiemens per metre (dS/m). 

A high salt level interferes with the germination of new seeds. Salinity acts like drought on plants, preventing roots from performing their osmotic activity where water and nutrients move from an area of low concentration into an area of high concentration. Therefore, because of the salt levels in the soil, water and nutrients cannot move into the plant roots. 

As soil salinity levels increase, the stress on germinating seedlings also increases. Perennial plants seem to handle salinity better than annual plants. In some cases, salinity also has a toxic effect on plants because of the high concentration of certain salts in the soil. Salinity prevents the plants from taking up the proper balance of nutrients they require for healthy growth." 

Asparagus Asparagus officinalis 4.1  T

Bean Phaseolus vulgaris 1.0  S

Bean, mung Vigna radiata 1.8  S

Beet, red (h) Beta Vulgaris 4.0  MT

Broccoli Brassica oleracea botrytis 2.8   MS

Brussel Sprouts B. oleracea gemmifera -- -- MS*

Cabbage B. oleracea capitata 1.8  MS

Carrot Daucus carota 1.0  S

Cauliflower Brassica oleracea botrytis -- -- MS*

Celery Apium graveolens 1.8  MS

Corn, sweet Zea mays 1.7  MS

Cucumber Cucumis sativus 2.5  MS

Eggplant Solanum Melongena esculentum 1.1  MS

Kale Brassica oleracea acephala -- -- MS*

Kohlrabi B. oleracea gongylode -- -- MS*

Lettuce Lactuca sativa 1.3  MS

Muskmelon Cucumis Melo -- -- MS

Okra Abelmoschus esculentus -- -- S

Onion Allium Cepa 1.2  S

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa -- -- S*

Pea Pisum sativum -- -- S*

Pepper Capsicum annuum 1.5  MS

Potato Solanum tuberosum 1.7  MS

Pumpkin Cucurbita Pepo Pepo -- -- MS*

Radish Raphanus sativus 1.2  MS

Spinach Spinacia oleracea 2.0  MS

Squash, scallop Cucurbita Pepo Melopepo 3.2  MS

Squash, zucchini C. Pepo Melopepo 4.7  MT

Strawberry Fragaria sp. 1  S

Sweet potato Ipomoea Batatas 1.5  MS

Tomato Lycopersicon Lycopersicum 2.5  MS

Tomato, cherry L. esculentum var cerasiforme 1.7  MS

Turnip Brassica Rapa 0.9  S

Watermelon Citrullus lanatus -- -- MS*

T-Tolerant MT-Medium Tolerance MS-Medium Sensitivity S-Sensitive  *-estimated

Figures are expressed as dS/m

cheers The Vulcan

These look like very useful tools, will download and try to have a play around with them !

cheers for now J

Hi loong

yes there is a "red crab" franchise in our nearest town and litre bottles of the liquid version (which I use) can be found in some mom & pop stores.This is the 25 KG granular version.

another brand can be found at this website pts international

cheers for now J

Hi folks

I mentioned chitosan and its possible anti-fungal benefits in the damping off thread. Loads of companies on the web selling it as an organic fungicide, available in Thailand under the "red crab" brandname. Here's an interesting article on another claimed effect.

NY Times article

cheers J

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Okay here's a couple of possibilities to work with

solar steriliser

let us know how you get on and post some pics if you knock something up.

Also google "chitosan damping off" loads of technical papers to wade through 

cheers for now J

soil_steriliser.pdf

Hi JDG

I have been using my small electric oven for small amounts but am thinking of building a DIY contraption. Thinking of using steam injected through either some blue PVC or irrigation tubing with the soil sitting above on a fine mesh (old insect screen ??) so interested if you come up with something. I have a day off today so I might do a spot of googling and report back.

Also try searching in the farming forum for chitosan or red crab fertiliser there was a thread there. The liquid version is available fairly readily and although I'm not sure if it is effective against damping off the chitosan promotes general plant health and root production of seedlings so might be worth a try. In the UK I use this product

softguard

cheers for now J

Hi Jaideeguy

Using a sterile seed starting base is an important step in preventing damping off. I also read in an article from the university of Ohio that adding 5% "hot compost" (from a recently heated pile) to your starting mixture will help as it is full of disease preventing beneficials.

When it's wet and humid make sure the surface is kept damp and not wet and give the seedlings as much light as possible.Consider using artificial light and maybe using a fan for improved air flow (using a wider spacing when sowing up trays will also help)

You could use a brew of chamomile tea (include some dried horsetail equisetum arvense for a really potent brew) if you can get hold of some. Water the starter trays with this brew before sowing and then spray the seedlings with it daily for a couple of weeks until the seedlings are past the vunerable stage. 

cheers for now

J

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Cheers The Vulcan

Thanks for your time and effort (and the kind words) !! Yeah this really helps and was really what I was after  .You'll have to bear with me a bit when it comes down to technique and correct terms I'm just a bit of a dabbler although keen to learn . What I wanted to do was remove the grain from the face area now understand I should have been looking to smooth not sharpen, also like your other enhancements (must learn to mask in PS to make these sort of selective changes rather than relying on Lightroom to make image wide changes) . No choice as to whether it's a keeper as the model is the missus and it's one of her favourites  !! 

Thanks once again J

Took this shot early morning after a visit to the local temple up at the local lake.During the cold season heavy mists shroud the mountains. The mist creates some interesting opportunities for shots and a nice soft light but seems to make images quite grainy if trying to shoot through it. I think it works just about ok in this snap but would be interested to know if anyone has ideas for making the image sharper either a filter or something in post production.

cheers for now J

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Hi RPVCguy

I did post a recipe I found for a bait to be used in this type of trap a couple of posts ago but have yet to try it. Is it similar to the bait that you use ? please can you share your recipe with us seeing that it has proved effective for you  !!

cheers for now J

Very interesting Don cheers for the heads up,was not aware of one of the methods he is trialling, must try and get down there and meet Jeff some time !!

J

Anybody know if Zucchinis grow on the ground or a vine like beans etc ??

Hi MrWiggle

Zucchini/courgette (Italian/French)

Members of the curcubita pepo family as are squash,pumkin,and gourds. Available as either bush or trailing varieties.Can be left to mature to become marrows. Although both marrow and courgette seed is offered by seed companies it is because some varieties (sold as courgette) have been specifically bred to produce a larger number of small fruits but they are the same plant .

cheers for now J