Bipolaris oryzae causes brown spot disease which is one of the most devastating diseases in rice. Nowadays, biological methods are effective controls which need to be developed in order to use less chemical control. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to characterize the B. oryzae as a biocontrol agent and to measure the performance of encapsulated T. harzianum in controlling brown spot disease. Bipolaris oryzae was characterized based on morphological characteristics and alginate encapsulation was produced from conidial suspension by adding sodium alginate and calcium chloride which results in small beads. Alginate formulation was applied to the rice seedling to find the result on this formulation. As a result, the application of encapsulation T. harzianum to control brown spot disease showed the inhibition of the disease. As a conclusion, this can be an alternative method to control brown spot disease which will render easier application to rice plantation in the future.

Background: Research has shown regular and texture modified menus in long term care (LTC) homes provide less than the recommended Dietary Reference Intake for dietary fibre. Constipation may result from inadequate fibre intake and be treated with laxatives and enemas, which may have implications for quality of life. Increasing the amount of fibre provided from texture modified diets may decrease use of such treatments and improve daily fibre intake. Objective: This study was part of a health improvement initiative for residents at Sherbrooke Community Centre (SCC). The goal of this study was to measure the baseline amount of fibre provided to residents on texture modified diets and to increase fibre provision by 5-10 grams per day. Methods: This study involved: 1) determining the fibre content of the texture modified menu for residents on pureed and minced diets; 2) identifying fibres and foods suitable for a fibre fortification trial; 3) conducting a fibre fortification trial and identifying fibre-food combinations for a taste test; and 4) conducting a taste test with SCC staff to assess acceptability of fibre fortified menu items. Thirty SCC staff were included. Results: The average daily fibre provided was 13.4 grams. The fibre fortified foods best accepted by participants were mashed potatoes with red lentils, pudding with pea hull fibre, and gravy with pea hull fibre. Implications: We recommended SCC incorporate the best accepted fibre fortified menu items into their regular and texture modified menus, allowing the daily average amount of fibre to increase by 5.39 grams per day.