Project Time Management Essay

This essay on project management will briefly give a proper description of the project management and what it entails. It will further discuss all the tasks that are normally involved in proper time management. The major focus of this particular essay will be on the time constraint and how time can be properly managed and the general importance of managing time in IT projects. It will then be concluded by giving reasons as to why project managers should actually have their projects well managed especially in the time part of it if at all he would want to realize success at the end of the projects. Introduction Project management is that discipline that is concerned with planning, organization and resource management to bringing a specific project to a successful completion of its major objectives and goals (Baker, 2000). The major challenge of managing projects is to achieve its set objectives and goals while at the same time adhering to the constraints of project management which are normally scope, time, quality and budget. The secondary challenge is normally the optimization of the allocation and to integrate the necessary inputs in such a way that the pre-defined objectives may be met. A project may be well defined as set of different or even similar activities that make use of available resources such as money, materials, people, space and many others to achieve the set project goals and objectives. According to Conn, M (2007) the job of managing a project is quite often the major responsibility of an individual person who in this case is the project manager or the project management team. In most cases the project manager seldom takes part in a direct way in the various activities that will produce the final result, but rather he will strive to make sure that the general progress and the mutual interaction between his workers is well maintained so that the overall risk of the project failing is reduced or eradicated. The manager of a project is often an ambassador of his clients and therefore the needs of his clients are well determined and implemented by the project manager and this is usually based on the kind of enterprise they are representing. In any given field, the project manager should be able to envision the whole project that is from start to finish. He should also have the ability to ensure that the vision is realized by the project. This clearly tells someone that before you become a project manager, one should make sure that he is well informed and be ready to listen to the needs of clients which in most cases they are varied. Just like any other human undertaking, all projects have to be done and delivered through some well known constraints. Traditionally, the constraints are listed as time, scope and scope. These constraints are better known as the triangle of project management, where constraints are represented by each side of the triangle. This particular essay will have its major focus on the time constraint of project management (Cable, D. 2004). Project time management Project time management basically means the planning of the processes and organization of resources in a project to ensure its well-timed completion. The management of time is an important skill that is very critical and any project manager should have this vital skill. From surveys done by scholars on project management, the survey reports claim that most of the successful project managers have the history of completing their projects within their stipulated time and the project budget. Project failure from the past may have been caused by lack or absence of schedule management that is, defining, scheduling and implementing these tasks or activities that are to be undertaken by the steering team or manager. In the present world, there are so many softwares that project managers can use in time or schedule management within a project (Brooks, 2001). Tasks in a project The first task in a project time management is the activity definition. Here the main activities in the project are defined so that the management team knows what they are dealing within as the progress goes on. In preparation of the project schedule, the manager of the project should be fully aware of the content of each given tasks that are involved in the project, the length of time the task will require to be completed, the kind of resources that the tasks will need and the exact order the tasks should be done. The project manager should know that each of the said elements normally will have direct bearing on the time or schedule of the project. And if the project manager omits certain tasks then the project stands higher chances of not being completed. Once more, if a manager of a task does not take seriously the amount of required resources or the length of time required for a particular task then the project manager stands higher chances of missing the time schedule for his project. The time schedule can also be missed or rather be blown if the project manager makes a bad sequencing of the project tasks. While project schedule can be build by either listing, in a particular order, all the important tasks that have to be completed in some specific manner. This task is often referred to as activity sequencing. Assigning of order and specific duration in which it should occur in every given task will also help the project management team a great deal. After assigning of this sequence requirement project management team should now allocate all the required resources for that particular task. This should be followed by determining the tasks that should first be completed (predecessors) and determining the tasks should be completed last (successors) and this is normally a pretty simple exercise. Normally difficulties do arise in managing project schedule. In most cases the difficulty will arise when there is not enough time and resources for the proper completion of the tasks of a given project sequentially. It is therefore advised that the given tasks in a project be overlapped in such a way that more than one task is attended to at the same time (Cable, 2004). The softwares that are commonly used in managing projects normally simplify the tasks that are involved in the creation and management of project schedules by handling all sorts of iterations in the time logic for the project manager. When all the required tasks have been put in an ordered list, then they have been well resourced and put in a correct sequence, the manager of the project will be able to notice that some of the laid down tasks are flexible in terms of start and finish dates. Such flexibility in project management is well known as float. And other tasks do not have any kind of flexibility at all and therefore are zero floats. Therefore any line through all the given tasks that have zero floats is referred to as the critical path. All the tasks that are found on the critical path, and there is possibility that there can be multiple of them, paths that are parallel, they must come to a completion on the stated time if the entire project has also to be completed on time. The key task of a project manager is time management and the management of the critical path (Cavendish, 2003). The project manager should however be aware of any items can be removed or even added in the critical path, this may be due to changing of circumstances that may occur during the project execution. Regardless of how well a project manager manages his time schedule and the available resources then the project manager would only have budget management as the only critical element left. At this particular point, it is therefore advised that all managers of different projects be fully aware of all the tasks that are involved in the projects that they are managing. This will enable them to have full control of every progress in the tasks and it will ensure that the project in progress is completed within the specified time in the budget (Clough, 2005). Importance of project time management Project time management is an important aspect of project management. The following are some of the major importance of project time management. Proper project time management will ensure that project managers deliver their projects within the stated time on the project budget. That means that time and good schedule management will always work to the advantage of the project manager in that the project manager will always be delivering his projects without unnecessary delays that are normally brought about by poor time management (Baker, 2000). Another importance of time management in an IT project is that the project manager will be in a very good position to allocate resources and everything that will be needed in that particular project because when time is managed properly, the manager will be able to tell all that will required by specific tasks in the project. This will have a very positive impact on the IT project in that time will be well managed and resources well allocated and the end result will completion of the project in good time (Cohn, 2007). With time management in a project, the project manager will be able to plan everything that will have to take in every step. And this is one of the most vital things of time management that most managers of different projects agree upon. Effective management of time in projects often motivates the participating team members in such a way that they will always be willing to actively involved in planning the project. Involvement of the fellow members of the team in planning for the project will definitely increase the chances of the project realizing success. Time management will help the project manager to have his deadlines set. Normally projects should be done within a set period of time, but deadlines most of the times if not so well planned become unrealistic. With proper project time management skills together with skilled project manager, proper and realistic deadlines will be set which will ensure that a sense of urgency has been inducted into the team members. Again, the use of project time management skills in managing IT projects will ensure that the project manager keeps good track of the progress of the project and he will also be able to make priorities in his own work (Duane, 2007). Another important task in time project management is the scheduling of the project activities in the order that they should occur. This is very vital because it defines the activities to be prioritized and the trailing ones. This helps in determining the most important step from the less important step at any given time. Project time management is an important tool in project management in such a way that it helps the manager of the project to sift and sort out ideas concerning the progress of the project before the manager of the project commits himself in allocating resources. This is normally achieved by having objective criteria for his project selection and this will enable the manager to only approve those projects that are on priority (David, 2000). Conclusion Drawing from the essay, it can be said that it is very important for a project manager to be fully aware of what his project entails. Putting down all the activities in an ordered list or manner will help in time allocation of the various activities in the project. Using all the available tools of project management, a project manager will be able to deliver his projects on time since his work will be well planned. Meeting the deadlines in project management is the most important thing and using project time management is the only way towards achieving it.

Donor card

â€Å"Sleep after toil, port after stormy seas, / Peace after war, death after life, / does greatly please. † This is a phrase by Edmund Spenser, a 16th-century poet. He asserted death to be a â€Å"pleasant† thing. But it is not the case for many of us. Death is not so easy. In fact, we are afraid of its pain. In fact, we are afraid of its loneliness. In fact, we are afraid of its irrevocability. And it is much more scary if we feel all those agonies even â€Å"after† our death. I am not going to write about horror movies however, but a true story of brain death. And through the arguments, I want you to realize the significance of the decision: whether to own a donor card. Donor card†¦ I guess most of you already know about it. Thanks to that card, you can save other people without any special skills by providing your organs. That is wonderful. When you watch a moving story of transplantation on a TV program, you may have a feeling that you, too, want to be like that â€Å"warm-hearted† donor. Especially, in case of heart transplantation, the donor must be a â€Å"brain-dead† person, who can no longer maintain life but still has a beating heart. If you are wanted and cannot live anyway, you may think you have a clear resolution. However, remember that you always have to pay something if you try to save others. So let me remind you that the â€Å"warm-hearted† donor is a â€Å"warm-blood-running† dead body. Into a soft and warm body, a knife cuts in, and organs are taken out. If that is all, it may not be a problem. But, the body moves, sheds tears, and even has a possibility of feeling pain. That is the reality. It may be only a spinal reflex, but may not be, too. And it may be only a possibility, but may not be, too. The diagnosis by doctors may be done in a right way, but any human-made criteria and human-performed examinations must not always be perfect. There is a fact that the donor is often anesthetized during the extraction, so that the body will not disturb doctors by moving around. Once we are misjudged in the court of death, we can never be allowed to appeal again. And even if the judgment is done in justice, the prosecution itself is fatal in this court. Once doctors start to examine if you are brain-dead or not, they will try it again and again literally till your death. Needless to say, during that testing, you cannot receive appropriate treatments for your recovery, which means, you are locked in the death court until your tombstone gets upon you. In old days, death was something absolute. We got it suddenly by divine will and we could easily tell if someone was dead or alive. However, today human beings refuse the will with their well-developed technologies. As a result, now they have got an extremely significant role of defining â€Å"death. If someone's brain is dead but heart is alive, is he or she totally dead or not? At what point do we regard the brain to be â€Å"dead? † More fundamentally, what is death indeed? Actually, we can never be sure of the answers. They are beyond our capacity. But we have decided to make the answers. So, today our death is human-made. Contrary to such an obscure definition of death, I have an obvious vision for death. I do not want my last moment to be in an agony of organ extraction. I do not want to admit my family's death when they are still moving. I do not want to leave my death to anyone's discretion. I want nobody to face any unexpected misery. And I am sure that I am not the only one. I know that I am a human being who should equally be saved as the recipients. To make my death like peace after war, I do deny writing my will to be a donor. But still, that is my opinion. The important thing is that you get interested in the issue. Today, you can easily get a donor card. But the action must not be easy. To be a guarantor of life, you must take the risk it deserves. And after distress and uneasiness, torment and bewilderment, if you still reach a conclusion of saving others, you should be proud of your devotion. If you reach a conclusion of saving yourself, you should be proud of your cautiousness. If you do not reach a conclusion, you should be proud of your sincerity to life. If you have never thought about this issue, you can start thinking from this moment. Do you really want to help others? Can you be responsible enough for your decision? How can you make your death after life most pleasant?

Questions On Authentic Assessment And Quality Assessment...

For your paper, respond to the following: 1. What you know understand about authentic assessment? 2. Why the term â€Å"authentic†? 3. What kinds of assessments are authentic? Why? 4. What are rubrics and what role do they play in authentic assessment? 1. Authentic assessment Authentic assessment is a type of alternative assessments. It evaluates students’ learning progress and achievement through performing tasks that enhance and resemble language use in real-life settings. According to O’Malley and Valdes Pierce (1996), â€Å"the key requirement of an authentic assessment is that it requires the test taker to demonstrate that they are able to complete a particular task or tasks that resemble something that they are likely to have to do in real life† (As cited in Coombe, Purmensky Davidson, 2012, p. 148). Authentic assessment is also referred to as performance assessment, alternative assessment, and direct assessment (Mueller, 2005). It is known as performance assessment because it allows students to perform meaningful tasks. It is an alternative assessment because it suggests an alternative way to the traditional standardized assessment. Last, it is known as a direct assessment because its results are directly linked to students’ knowledge and skills in real-life settings. In other words, it provides direct evidence of students’ learning progress. However, it is necessary to note that authentic assessments should not substitute the traditional assessment but usedShow MoreRelatedThe Performance Of The Spring Concert1675 Words   |  7 PagesAchievement in band is often judged by the band’s performance at concerts. Concerts are typically considered the culminating event of the class. Students, parents, and teachers alike judge the quality of learning by the qualit y of performance. 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Tobacco Is A Common Pleasure Among Millions Of Americans

Tobacco use is a common pleasure among millions of Americans. Tobacco use is a great source of disagreement, and people either support it or disapprove of it. Smoking is a personal choice, and we need to accept that adults can decide to harm themselves (hypothetically) to some degree as long as there not harming another person. We also need to stop criticizing people about the decisions others choose to make, so long as you don’t choose to do it, it shouldn’t be a problem if someone decides differently. I believe at this point it would be impossible to ban tobacco use in the United States because tobacco is known to be one of the most important cash crops in American farming (J. Young, 2000). Tobacco is a plant that grows naturally around North and South America (V. Randall, 1999). Tobacco has a long history around the world. Thousands of years ago during cultural and religious events, people would smoke or chew tobacco as a ritual. Tobacco chewing was the first way tob acco was utilized. It became known to the rest of the world in the 1400’s when Christopher Columbus ran into some American Indians that offered him tobacco leaves as a gift. Later sailors brought it back to Europe, then it spread and was grown all over Europe (V. Randall, 1999). Tobacco became popular all over Europe because Europeans believed it be a medicine and that it could cure almost anything (J. Young, 2000). Tobacco was the first plant grown for money in North America. Around the 1600’s inShow MoreRelatedTobacco Companies And Responsibility Of Tobacco1446 Words   |  6 Pages Tobacco Companies and Responsibility Tobacco companies should be held responsible for any smoking related illness or death. 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A Raisin Review - 673 Words

A Raisin Review Kenneth Hawthorne English/125 3/15/2016 University of Phoenix A Raisin Review â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or faster like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode†. (Langston Hughes, Harlem) The author Lorraine Hansberry was born May 19, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. Lorraine Hansberrys writing style is autobiographical, and was the first black playwright to create realistic black characters for the stage. Leanne Hansberrys play a raisin in the sun received multiple most notably the (New York drama critics Circle award for the best player of the year) she†¦show more content†¦Ruth also works very and it becomes noticeable after she becomes pregnant. Lena Younger is the mother and inspirational leader of the Younger family. She knows exactly how to regulate her son and keep him in sync with his wife. Although Beneatha Younger is a very strong character younger sister to Walter she has dreams of her own and does not work or participate in the dreams of the family until the very end. The focus on these two characters is very strong and it shows the true leadership of the family. Internal conflict. Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies. Walter is having an internal conflict is a good test of his values. The question is, does Walter give in to temptation or rise above it? Does he demand the most from himself or settle for something less? Does he even bother to struggle? The internal conflicts of a character and how they are resolved are good clues to the character’s inner strength. Although there are four conflicts going on at the same time Lorraine Hansberry does a great job accessing the reader imagination, so they can put themselves into Walter’s position. As the reader you knew that Walter was going to lose the money, you prayed that he was able to make good on his promise to his family, but it is hard to stop time go back and rewrite the play in the favor of success in every case. As aShow MoreRelatedMajor Works Review Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1375 Words   |  6 PagesMAJOR WORKS REVIEW GENERAL 1. Title A Raisin in the Sun 2. Author Lorraine Hansberry 3. Date of Original Publication 1958 4. Novel Type Play STRUCTURE 1. Point of View Play; there is direct characterization from the playwright 2. Relationship to Meaning Not available 3. Plot Structure a. Exposition The characters are introduced by Hansberry. It is the 1950’s in a tiny apartment in Southside Chicago. 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Although HansberryRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s The Sun Essay1723 Words   |  7 Pagesraisin in the sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, who was one of the very first African American ever to have her play performed on Broadway, during the civil rights movement. The play takes place in an uncomfortable small two bedroom apartment which the Younger family stays in. Throughout the play the family faces money, as well as family problems, but when they receive a large check the oldest son lets it get the best of him. According to Frank Ardolino journal artic le of Hansberry’s

Decisions in Hamlet free essay sample

We as people bear the onerous task of decision-making every day of our lives. Some decisions are small, and thus require little or no thinking, while others are major and require difficult pondering. On the other hand, some people choose to base their actions on whatever their heart tells them to do. They say we should â€Å"trust our gut feeling;† however, our most important decisions in life should not be made based on our inner feelings. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet must decide between avenging his father’s death by murdering his uncle, or letting his kingdom go to the grave father and rot under his uncle’s corruption. When Hamlet is confronted by his father’s ghost and encouraged to get revenge on his uncle, Hamlet assumes that the only appropriate vengeance is murder. This exemplifies Hamlet making a quick decision based solely on his inner feelings. If he had considered all the possible options for revenge, then he would not have gone down a path of destruction. We will write a custom essay sample on Decisions in Hamlet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The idea of murdering his own uncle certainly gets him contemplating, for even Hamlet knows that he cannot just trust his inner feelings. Hamlet contemplates for quite a while when his passion finally gets the better of him. Hamlet believes that killing his uncle is the only way to bring justice to his father and get rid of the corruption in the kingdom. Ultimately Hamlet gets his revenge, but for a huge price. His friends and family are killed in the process and even he takes his last breath after he kills his uncle. Hamlet could not have predicted the series of events that unfolded as a result of his plans for vengeance; however, all could have been avoided if he had carefully considered all the consequences prior to his decision-making. Sometimes our inner feelings are more biased towards what we think is best for our loved ones or ourselves. We end up taking the path that our â€Å"heart tells us to take† rather than the reasonable approach. Therefore we must carefully consider the circumstances and possible consequences of our actions and choose our actions depending on if the pros outweigh the cons. Important decisions usually mean significant consequences, therefore taking time to contemplate never hurts.

Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Essay Example

Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca Paper Induction of Resistance in Abaca Against Wilt Disease Complex caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (E. F. Smith) and Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et. al. Using Chemical and Biological Elicitors Abstract Resistance in plants has been reported to be inducible using biological and or chemical elicitors. Fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt diseases are two major diseases hampering abaca production in the Philippines. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biological and chemical eliciors of resistance to control wilt disease complex in abaca caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ubense (FOC) and Ralstonia solanacearum. Suspected biological elicitors (Fomes and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae or Xoo) and known chemical elicitors (Asprin or Acetyl Salicylic acid and Boost) were sprayed to the abaca tissue cultured seedlings at 15 days interval together with water and Nordox (fungicide with bactericidal activity) as checks. The sprayed seedlings were challenged by s imultaneous inoculation with FOC and Ralstonia solanacearum. The parameters used to compare the treatments were: percent infected plants, disease severity rating, percent area of vascular discoloration and number of remaining live plants. Results show that Boost and Fomes resulted to an effective control of the wilt disease complex which were comparable or even better compared to Nordox, the fungicide check. Xoo and Acetyl Salicylic Acid on the other hand produced higher disease compared to the control. This study has demonstrated the potential of Fomes and Boost as biological and chemical elicitors of resistance, respectively in abaca which protected it from wilt disease complex. Keywords: Abaca, SAR, chemical elicitors, biological elicitors, Fusarium wilt, Bacterial wilt - Student Researcher, VSU 2 Associate Professor, DPM, VSU and Research Adviser INTRODUCTION Abaca (Musa textilis Nee) is indigenous to the Philippines, and is one of the major dollar earners of our country. Abaca plant has many slender stalks, upright and pointed leaves. It is harvested for its strong but flexible fiber usually called as Manila hemp used for making twines, ropes, cordage, pulp and specialty papers, fiber crafts, textile and fabrics. It is also one of the few cash crops that can grow with relatively little input compared to the other crops (FIDA, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper Fusarium Wilt on Abaca specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Abaca has a high market potential but its production has been limited due to the occurrence of diseases, such as bunchy top, bacterial wilt and fusarium wilt which have taken their toll on many abaca farms. This devastation caused by viruses, bacterial wilt and fusarium wilt in abaca aggravates the farmers’ production problems. Fusarium wilt disease is caused Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (E. F. Smith) Snyd. And Hans. which is also referred to as Agent Green. This fungus does so by colonizing the water-conducting vessels (xylem) of the abaca plant resulting for a blockage and breakdown of xylem. Yellowing of the leaves, followed by drying and wilting and eventually plant death are the external symptoms of the disease. Most affected plants have discolored vascular bundles and eventually die before maturity thus, forcing the farmers to harvest the abaca plant prematurely. Another equally important disease is the bacterial wilt disease. Bacterial wilt is caused by the bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. , 1995). The early symptoms of this disease include rusty brown streaks in the leaves which later turn blighted and water soaked and finally wilting of the whole plant. The internal symptoms are the vascular discoloration, water soaking and finally the rotting of pseudo- stem. Fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt may occur singly or together as a complex in the field and had contributed much to the devastation of abaca in major growing areas in the Philippines. Host plant resistance is the most effective means of controlling wilt diseases. But the development of a resistant plant however takes time, effort and many resources. Resistance in plants however can be induced using chemical and biological elicitors. Several studies have shown that certain chemicals can induce the resistance of plants and some of which are boost and salicylic acid. Boost is a novel synthetic chemical, benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-8-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) was intially shown to induce acquired resistance in wheat (Gorlach, et al, 1996) and which is produced by Novartis and distributed in the Philippines by Syngenta. Aspirin or acetyl salicylic acid was also found to induce resistance in some plants (Gleason, 1999; Owen, 1996). Salicylic acid (SA) has been reported to be elevated on plants that exhibit SAR for example in cucumber (Metraux, et al, 1990), tobacco (Malamy, et al, 1990), and Arabidopsis (Uknes, et al, 1993). There are evidences that suggest that SA plays an important role in the transduction pathway leading to SAR. Recent studies however indicate that SA is not likely to be the systematically transmitted signal (Vernooij, et al, 1994). ] There are also biotic elicitors that have been reported to elicit resistance in plants which includes chitin and chitosan. Chitin is a safe material and was reported to induce resistance against soil-borne diseases ((Kuchitsu, et al, 1993). Moreover, chitin was reported to be used as soil fertilizer. Chitosan which can be extracted from chitin has anti-fungal activity against many plant pathogens (Herano, et al, 1990; El-mougy, et al, 2002). Moreover, chitosan is also reported to induce resistance against soil-borne fungi. Chitosan was also found to have anti-bacterial property and is capable of inducing resistance to the bacterial blight disease of rice cause Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Modina, 2007). Boost is a novel synthetic chemical, benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-8-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) was intially shown to induce acquired resistance in wheat (Gorlach, et al, 1996) and which is produced by Novartis and distributed in the Philippines by Syngenta. Aspirin or acetyl salicylic acid was also found to induce resistance in some plants (Gleason, 1999; Owen, 1996). Salicylic acid (SA) has been reported to be elevated on plants that exhibit SAR for example in cucumber (Metraux, et al, 1990), tobacco (Malamy, et al, 1990), and Arabidopsis (Uknes, et al, 1993). There are evidences that suggest that SA lays an important role in the transduction pathway leading to SAR. Recent studies however indicate that SA is not likely to be the systematically transmitted signal (Vernooij, et al, 1994). ] This study therefore aimed to compare and contrast the efficacy of suspected elicitors of resistance in controlling the wilt disease complex in abaca. The efficacy of potential biological a nd chemical elicitors of systemic acquired resistance to control wilt disease complex of abaca caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Ralstonia solanacearum was also evaluated. METHODOLOGY Preparation and Sterilization of Culture Media Potato dextrose agar (PDA) for the culture of FOC was prepared by dissolving 39 grams dehydrated PDA to 1 liter dH2O in a double boiler and cooked until the agar dissolves in H2O. It was dispensed to 250 ml Erlenmeyer Flasks and test tubes. Nutrient agar for the culture of Ralstonia solanacearum was prepared by dissolving 3g beef extract, 5 grams peptone and 17g agar to 1 liter dH2O in a double boiler and cooked until agar dissolves in H2O. It was dispensed to 250 Erlenmeyer Flasks and test tubes. The media were sterilized in a pressure cooker at 15 lbs/in2 pressure or 121 °C temperature for 15 minutes. Sterile media were allowed to cool. PDA and NA in tubes were slanted and stored in the refrigerator until use. Collection, Isolation and Culture of FOC Isolation plates were prepared by melting the stored PDA in flasks, pouring into sterile Petri plates and allowed to solidify. Fusarium wilt– infected abaca was collected from the National Abaca Research Center and it was brought to the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for isolation of the pathogen. Infected tissues from the advancing portion of the disease were disinfected with 1% sodium hypochlorite and were planted onto solidified PDA in plates (4 sections per plate). After 2 or more days, mycelia that have radiated from the planted abaca tissue were cut aseptically using flamed sterilized flattened needle and were transferred to PDA slants where they were stored and maintained until use. Collection, Isolation and Culture of Ralstonia solanacearum Nutrient agar in flasks were melted and aseptically poured to Petri plates. The medium were allowed to solidify. The bacterial wilt pathogen, R. solanacaerum was isolated from a banana fruit infected with â€Å"Bugtok† disease. Infected tissues from the advancing portion of the disease were cut, disinfected with 1% hypochlorite and reused with sterile H20. The sections were then placed in sterile water in a test tube and allowed to stand for 10 minutes to allow the bacteria to ooze out of the tissue. A loopful of the resulting bacterial suspension was streaked onto the solidified NA on plates and incubated. After 2 days individual colonies were picked with sterile wire loop and transferred to NA slants to purify. The cultures were incubated for 2 days and stored in the refrigerator for future use. Procurement and Preparation of Test Plants Four weeks old tissue cultured abaca plantlets were procured from National Abaca Research Center (NARC). They were maintained in the vicinity of the Department of Pest Management and were given necessary care and maintenance such as watering, weeding, and fertilization. The plants were numbered and tagged according to the desired treatments. In numbering and tagging the plants, we gave them equal chances in belonging to a group. We did this through the drawn by lot method. Thus, we have used the technique randomization in giving names to the plants. Preparation and Application of Treatments The plants were sprayed with the different treatments (Fig. 1) at 15 days interval starting when the plants were 6 weeks old. Treatments| Illustration| T0 (Water)| | T1 (Fomes at 100ppm)| | T2 (Attenuated Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae)| | T3 (Aspirin or Acetyl Salicylic Acid at 100ppm)| | T4 (Boost at 100ppm)| | T5 (Nordox at 100ppm)| | Fig. 1. The different treatments used Fomes was prepared by oven drying (50? C for 3 days) and by pulverizing using mortar and pestle. After pulverizing, 0. 75g was obtained and was mixed with 750ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was prepared by transferring an isolate of Xoo (courtesy of PDDL at VSU) in NA slants 2 days before its scheduled time of application. On the application time, 10ml sterile H20 was poured on the test tube slants and the bacteria were scraped using a wire loop without causing damage to the medium. Ten slants were used and the solution was diluted into a beaker to make 100 ml suspension. An approximately 650 ml H20 was added to have a total of 750 ml suspension. The suspension was heated for 5 minutes to attenuate the bacterium. Aspirin or Acetyl Salicylic Acid was prepared by making a stock solution. A tablet of aspirin was diluted to 1L H20 to make a 300 ppm suspension. Then, a volume of 37. 5ml was measured out from the stock and was added to 712. ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Boost was obtained from Syngenta Philippines. Two ml Boost was diluted and mixed to 1998 ml H20 to make a 2000 ppm suspension. A volume of 37. 5 ml was obtained out from the stock and was added to 712. 5 ml H20 to make a 100 ppm suspension. Nordox, copper-based fungicide with bactericidal activity was used as the positive check at the manufacturer’s recommended rate. It was prepared by weighing 1. 9g of Nordox and by mixing it thoroughly to 750 ml H2O. After preparing, the treatments were sprayed to the plants using a sprayit gun powered by an electric compressor starting from Water down to Nordox. Each plant equally received 50ml of the said treatments (Fig. 2). The experiment was laid in a Completely Randomized Design. The six treatments were replicated 3 times and 5 plantlets constituted one replicate making a total of 90 plantlets needed for the experiment. Two consecutive spray applications of the treatments at 15 days interval were done before pathogen inoculation and sprayings were done until the last disease scoring. Fig. 2 Application of treatments to the plants Preparation of FOC Inoculum The pure cultures were first examined under the microscope to confirm the presence of real FOC pathogen (Fig. ) before they were mass cultured for inoculation. FOC that was used for inoculation to test plants was cultured and mass produced in corn meal-sand medium (CMS) which was prepared by mixing 1 part ground corn every 20 parts of sand. The mixture was placed in glass jars about 2/3 full and moistened and covered with aluminum foil then bound with rubber band at rim (Fig 4). They were sterilized at 15 lbs/in2 pressure and 121 °C temperature for 1 hour. Pure culture of FOC from the PDA slant were aseptically seeded into the prepared CMS medium and incubated at room temperature until completely colonized by the fungus. Fig 3. Photomicrograph of FOC macroconidia and microconidia Fig 4. Corn meal-sand medium with FOC Inoculation of FOC CMS cultures of FOC were first mixed thoroughly on a tray to assure even distribution of the fungal spores to the CMS medium before inoculation. FOC was inoculated into the soil of each potted plant by incorporating 1 tbsp of the inoculum near the base of the abaca plantlet and covering the inoculum with soil. Inoculation was done 2 days after the second spraying of the different treatments. Preparation of Ralstonia solanacearum, the bacterial wilt pathogen Bacterial wilt pathogen was transferred to fresh NA slants. Two days after the isolation, each NA culture was mixed with 10ml dH2O and the pathogen was scraped using a wire loop without causing damage to the medium. Overall, 120ml of the bacterial suspension was used. One ml was injected to the stem of each plant. Bacterial Inoculation was done 12 days after FOC inoculation. Data Gathered The following data were gathered: A. Initial and Final Plant Height – This was gathered per plant basis before the application of treatments and inoculation of the pathogen and during the termination of the study. B. Percent infection – (No. of plants showing foliage yellowing or wilting / Total No. of plants) x 100 starting 1 week after inoculation and weekly until most of the plants have died in any of the treatments. C. Visual Disease Severity Rating – This was gathered using a devised scale below: We gathered this data at 1 week interval until the termination of the study. Rating| Description| 0| No wilting| 1| Slight yellowing of lower leaves| 2| Yellowing of most leaves but no dried leaves yet| 3| Extensive yellowing and moderate wilting| 4| Extensive wilting but plant still alive| | Plant totally dead| D. Percent Area of Vascular Discoloration – This was taken during the termination of the study wherein all the plants were uprooted and the pseudostems were sliced longitudinally (Fig 5). Each plant was rated using the following scale (Borines et al. 2007) Rating | Description| 0-1| No discoloration| 1-2| Isolated points of vascular discoloration| 2. 1-3| Discoloratio n up to 1/3 of vascular tissue| 3. 1-4| Discoloration between 1/3 – 2/3 of vascular tissue| 4. 1-5| Discoloration greater than 2/3 of vascular tissue| 5. -6| Total discoloration of vascular tissue| Fig. 5 Slicing of pseudostem longitudinally E. No. of surviving plants per replicate per treatment. (Gathered at the termination of the experiment. ) Data gathered were analyzed using simple CRD with three replications. Treatments were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (DMRT). 9) Disposal of Inoculated Plants After the experiment, the inoculated plants were exposed to direct sunlight and burned when dried. RESULTS and DISCUSSION Table 1 shows the percent infected plants at 14, 21, and 28 days after inoculation. Based on the results, Boost produced significantly lower percentage infected plants compared to the control especially at 14 days after inoculation. At 21 and 28 days after inoculation, Boost still produced lower disease incidence although not statistically different from the control. Fomes, Boost and Nordox also showed lesser disease incidence values although not significantly different from the control. Table 1. Percent infected plants at 14, 21 and 28 days after inoculation Treatment| Percent Infected Plants| Days After Inoculation| 14 days| 21 days| 28 days| T0 (Control)| 73. 3 ab| 93. 33| 100| T1 (Fomes)| 66. 67 ab| 73. 33| 73. 33| T2 (Xoo)| 100. 00 a| 100. 00| 100| T3 (Aspirin)| 73. 33 ab| 100. 00| 100| T4 (Boost)| 26. 67 c| 60. 00| 80| T5 (Nordox)| 53. 33 bc| 66. 67| 83. 33| CV(%)| 26. 91| 26. 27| 21. 60| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT. Another parameter used to measure the effect of the treatments was the mean disease severity rat ing per plant (Table 2). Based on this parameter, Boost, Nordox and Fomes have lower means of disease severity compared to the Control especially at 21 days after inoculation. Xoo and Acetyl Salicylic Acid on the other hand have significantly higher means compared to Water. Thus the two treatments have even triggered the increase in wilt disease severity ratings of the plants. Table 2. Mean wilt severity rating per plant as affected by the different treatments Treatment| Mean Disease Severity Rating| Days After Inoculation| 14 days| 21 days| 28 days| T0 (Control)| 0. 93 c| 2. 47 ab| 3. 13 ab| T1 (Fomes)| 0. 80 c| 1. 53 bc| 2. 27 b| T2 (Xoo)| 2. 87 a| 3. 45 a| 3. 92 ab| T3 (Aspirin. )| 2. 07 b| 3. 20 a| 4. 33 a| T4 (Boost)| 0. 40 c | 1. 27 c| 2. 3 b| T5 (Nordox)| 0. 73 c| 1. 07 c| 2. 47 b| CV (%)| 27. 6| 25. 7| 27. 6| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT. The percent area of vascular discoloration per plant is shown in Table 3. This was gathered upon termination of the study. All plants were uprooted and the pseudostems were sliced longitudinally. This actually shows the internal manifestations of disease and effects of the treatments to the plants. Based on statistical analysis, Boost still consistently showed lesser percent area of vascular discoloration compared to Water (Fig. ) which further confirm its effectiveness in controlling the wilt disease complex. Fomes and Nordox also showed much lower percent area of vascular discoloration compared to control, Xoo and Aspirin. Table No. 3 Percent Area of Vascular Discoloration Treatment| Percent area of vascular discoloration| No. of Live Plants Remaining| T0 (Control)| 55. 27 ab| 3. 00 ab| T1 (Fomes)| 38. 47 b | 3. 33 ab| T2 (Xoo)| 79. 27 a| 2. 00 bc| T3 (Aspirin)| 80. 27 a| 1. 33 c| T4 (Boost)| 37. 67 b| 4. 00 a| T5 (Nordox)| 38. 47 ab| 3. 33 ab| CV (%)| 31. 37| 52. 18| Means followed by a common letter are not significantly different at 5% DMRT Fig. 6 Internal Vascular Discoloration of Plants (left-right) Control, Fomes, Xoo, Salicylic Acid, Boost, Nordox The number of live plants remaining was also gathered during the termination of the study and shown in Table 3. Boost, had the highest average number of remaining live plants followed by Fomes and Nordox. Aspirin had the lowest no. of live plants or highest mortality which was even higher than that of water (Fig. 8d, p. 24). The height of abaca plants is shown in Fig. 7. Based on the graph, the plants sprayed with Boost and Nordox have higher plant height compared to Conrol, Xoo, Fomes, and Aspirin. Among the parameters used to measure the effects of the different treatments, the mean disease severity rating on a per plant basis and mean percent area of vascular discoloration were able to differentiate more the effect of the different treatments and were considered more reliable compared to the rest of the parameters used. Fig. 7 Height of Abaca Plants at the start of the experiment, at 7, 14, 21 days and the final height before the termination of the study b c d ef Fig. 8. Group of abaca plants treated with a) water, b) Fomes, c) Xoo, d) Aspirin, e) Boost and f) Nordox. Boost is a commercially available elicitor of resistance in plants and it was found very effective in controlling the wilt disease complex in abaca. Boost, however is a little expensive, one spray cost P0. 65. Nordox is a commercial fungicide with bactericidal activity and it has als o reduced the wilt disease incidence and severity. This is a little cheaper (P0. 45) compared to Boost. A cost-effective control for the wilt disease complex was Fomes. It was able also to reduce disease incidence and severity. Although not as effective as Boost but, no cost has been incurred, except for the labor in gathering, drying and pulverizing. The use of Fomes as a biological elicitor of resistance in abaca to control wilt disease complex has been explored in this research. Most probably, being a fungus, the chitin in Fomes could be the elicitor of resistance. Kutchitsu et al (1993) reported that chitin induced resistance of plants. The active component of Fomes, that could elicit resistance in plants could be isolated in future research endeavor. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Boost (chemical elicitor) and Fomes (potential biological elicitor and Nordox (fungicide with bactericidal activity), were able to effectively control the fusarium wilt and bacterial wilt disease complex of abaca. Xoo and Aspirin were not able to control the disease but instead has aggravated the wilting of the plants. A follow-up study maybe conducted to re-evaluate the same elicitors for their effect on either fusarium wilt or bacterial wilt alone. Likewise, a study maybe conducted to further evaluate the potential of Fomes as biological elicitors of resistance to other diseases of abaca or to other plant diseases. Furthermore, several other indigenously occurring biological elicitors of resistance may be evaluated against the wilt diseases of abaca. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, we would like to extend our gratitude to all the people behind the success of this study. We would like to thank our adviser, Dr. Lucia Borines for sharing to us her knowledge, skills effort and even her time though with a hectic schedule. To Ms. Christine Advincula, Ms. Victoria Palermo and Ms. Robleyn Piamonte, thank you so much for patiently guiding and helping us everytime we need assistance especially when our adviser is on travel. Thank you also to Mr. George Valenzona, for the analysis of our data, and Mr. Marlon Tambis and Mr. Victor Calunangan for the computer assistance. In addition, our heartfelt thanks is extended to our loving parents who supported us in our financial needs and for enlightening our faith that we could be able to finish this research on time. No words indeed can express how much we owe you this success. REFERENCES 1) BASTASA, G. N. and A. A. BALIAD. 2005. Biological control of fusarium wilt of abaca (Fusarium oxysporum) with Trichoderma and Yeast. http://cropscience Philippines. blogspot. om/2006/032005-vol30-no-2-v30n02p01-02. html 2) BORINES, L. M. 2008. Efficacy of chemical activators of systemic acquired resistance for the control of bacterial blight and diseases of rice. Paper presented during the 2008 RD Regional Conference held at Baybayon ni Agalon, Albuera Leyte, June 17-18, 2008. 3) BORINES, L. M. SALAMAT, E. E. CARDINES, R. B. 2007. Reaction of abaca (Musa textiles Nee) access ions and varieties to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense. (E. F. Smith) Snyd. And Hanns. Annals of Tropical Research. Volume 29 (No. 1). 4) EL-MOUGY, N. S. , R. ABB-L-KAREEM and M. A. ABB-ALLA. 2002. Postharvest Diseases Control: Preventive Effect of Chitosan and Bioagents Against Green and Gray Moulds of Apple Fruits. Egypt. J. Phytopathol. , 30: 99-113. 5) FIDA. 2007. http://fida. da. gov. ph/Abaca6. html/ 6) GLEASON, M. 1999. Sick Plants take aspirin. http://www. extension. iastate. edu/newsrel/1999/jan99/jan9901. htm 7) GORLACH, J. , S. VOLRATH, G. KNAUF-BEITER, G. HENGY, and U, BECKHOVE, K. H. KOGEN M. OOSTENDORP, T. STAUB, E. WARD and H. KESSMANN. 1996. Benzothiadiazole, a novel class of inducers of systematic acquired resistance, activates gene expression and disease resistance in wheat. Plant Cell 8:629-643. 8) HERANO, S. , C. ITAKURA, H. SEINO, Y. AKIYAMA,I. NOTATA, N. KANBARA and N. KAWAKAMI. (1990). Chitosan as an Ingredient for Domestic Animal Feeds. J. Agric. Food Chem. , 38:1214-1217. 9) KUTCHITSU, K. , M. KIKUYAMA and N. SHIBUYA. 1993. N-acetylchito-oligosaccharides, Biotic Elicitor for Phytoalexin Production, Induced Transient Membrane Depolarization in Suspension-Cultured Rice Cells. Protoplasma. 174:79-81. 10) MALAMY, J. , CARR, J. P. , KLESSIG, D. F. , and RASKIN, I. (1990). Salicylic Acid: A Likely Endogenous Signal in the Resistance Response of Tobacco to Viral Infection. Science 250,1002-1004. 11) METRAUX, J. -P. , SIGNER, H. , RYALS, J. , WARD, E. , WYSS-BENZ, M. , GAUDIN. J. , RASCHDORF, K. , SCHMID, E. , BLUM, W. ,and INVERARDI, B. (1990). Increase in Salicylic Acid at the Onset of Systemic Acquired Resistance in Cucumber. Science 250, 1004-1006. 12) MODINA, IVY M. 2007. Antimicrobial Property of Chitosan and Induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance for the control of Rice Bacterial Blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Swings et al. ). B. S. Thesis, Visayas State University, Visca, Baybay City, Leyte. 38pp. 13) OWEN, M. 1996. Plants feeling under Weather? Give them Aspirin Water. http://www. plantea. com/plant-aspirin. htm 14) UKNES, S. , WINTER, A. , DELANEY, T. , VERNOOIJ, B. , MORSE, A. , FRIEDRICH, L. , NYE, G. , POTTER, S. , WARD, E. , and RYALS, J. (1993). Biological Induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance in Arabidopsis. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 6,692-698. 15) VERNOOIJ. B. , FRIEDRICH, L. , MORSE, A. , REIST, R. , KOLDITZ-JAWHAR, R. , WARD, E. , UKNES, S. , KESSMANN, H. , and RYALS, J. (1994). Salicylic Acid is not the Translocated Signal Responsible for Inducing Systemic Acquired Resistance but is Required in Signal Transduction. Plant Cell 6,959-965. .