Research paper
Azadeh Pagard; Mohammad Rreza Zare-Bavani; Seyed Abdollah Eftekhari
Abstract
Boron deficiency is a prevalent challenge for plant nutrition supply in many alkaline/calcareous soils. The current research aimed to examine the effects of boron supply to bell pepper plants through fertigation and foliar application. The experiment had seven treatments, comprising a control group, ...
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Boron deficiency is a prevalent challenge for plant nutrition supply in many alkaline/calcareous soils. The current research aimed to examine the effects of boron supply to bell pepper plants through fertigation and foliar application. The experiment had seven treatments, comprising a control group, boric acid as fertigation (0.5, 1, and 2 g L-1), and foliar application (0.5, 1, and 2 g L-1) with three replications in controlled greenhouse conditions. The treatments were applied on Lorca bell peppers in a completely randomized design. The results showed that fertigation and foliar application increased all measured characteristics compared to the control group. Increasing the boric acid concentration in foliar application caused a decrease in fruit count per plant, fruit fresh weight, fruit yield per plant, and fruit width. Both fertigation and foliar boric acid applications at a low level (0.5 g L-1) and as separate treatments caused the highest fruit weight, length, width, and fruit count per plant. Higher boric acid concentrations increased chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, leaf carotenoid content, soluble sugars, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total phenols, and fruit ascorbic acid content. The highest chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, leaf carotenoid content, and fruit ascorbic acid were observed in response to the high concentration of boric acid foliar application (2 g L-1). Overall, the boron supplement as a foliar application (0.5 to 1 g L-1) or fertigation (0.5 to 1 g L-1) improved quantitative and qualitative performance in bell peppers.
Research paper
Naser Askari
Abstract
Sucrose has a significant role in promoting microtuberization in potato. It acts as a crucial modifier, influencing the growth and development of microtuber in potato. Understanding the role of sucrose in microtuberization is vital for improving potato cultivation practices and enhancing crop productivity. ...
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Sucrose has a significant role in promoting microtuberization in potato. It acts as a crucial modifier, influencing the growth and development of microtuber in potato. Understanding the role of sucrose in microtuberization is vital for improving potato cultivation practices and enhancing crop productivity. In this experiment, different concentrations of sucrose (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15%) were investigated to determine their effects on the microtuberization of a potato cultivar ‘Sante’. The findings revealed that high concentrations of sucrose (12 and 15%) inhibited microtuberization percentage, microtuber count, and shoot growth. Tuberization percentage reached its maximum value (100%) when exposed to a sucrose concentration of 9%. The microtuber count was 2 per explant and 4.6 per vessel. However, using a 12% sucrose concentration resulted in the highest microtuber diameter (5 mm), microtuber fresh weight (120 mg) and dry weight (26 mg), and microtuber yield (FW: 752 mg; DW: 170 mg). The highest explant fresh weight (44 mg) and dry weight (9.5 mg) occurred in response to 15% sucrose concentration. Biomass allocation was influenced by sucrose concentration, with higher concentrations leading to a greater biomass allocation to the microtuber and explant, rather than the shoot. Accordingly, it can be concluded that a sucrose concentration of 12% was an optimal treatment for ‘Sante’ potato microtuber production.
Research paper
Afsaneh Yavari Kondori; Roohangiz Naderi; Mahmood Khosrowshali; Kambiz Larijani
Abstract
Cyclamen, a popular decorative plant, is commonly found in gardens and pots. Since wild Cyclamen are endangered, a study was conducted to explore the genetic potential of wild Cyclamen, focusing on their morphology and chromosomal diversity among eight accessions. A total of 23 phenotypic-biochemical ...
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Cyclamen, a popular decorative plant, is commonly found in gardens and pots. Since wild Cyclamen are endangered, a study was conducted to explore the genetic potential of wild Cyclamen, focusing on their morphology and chromosomal diversity among eight accessions. A total of 23 phenotypic-biochemical traits were evaluated along with chromosome counting. The morphological measures showed a humble range of variation, particularly in the number of flowers, peduncle diameter, number of leaves, hypocotyl length, and hypocotyl weight, with the Kordkuy accession being the largest and the Deylaman accession the most seeded. Cyclamen chromosome counting indicated 15 chromosomal levels, implying a significant chromosomal diversity among the accessions, with the Pasand accession exhibiting the highest level of chromosomal diversity (14 chromosomal levels). Furthermore, only the Pasand accession had the greatest chromosomal level (2n=48) among the accessions. By describing the results based on the median, the smallest chromosomal diversity was recorded in the Kordkuy accession. Cyclamen accessions were divided into two main clusters and a single accession. The Kordkuy accession was separated from the other accessions. HCA analysis confirmed the separation of the Kordkuy accession from the other accessions, as expected from its superiority in most morphological traits. The current findings can be used for improving Cyclamen breeding programs as well as evolutionary studies. We suggest more focus on the utilization of wild genetic resources to conserve Cyclamen varieties and strengthen their genetic background.
Research paper
Soheila Mohammadrezakhani; Zahra Pakkish
Abstract
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is known for its social, environmental, and economic importance by many people in tropical and subtropical regions. Dates are an essential agricultural product in Iran and sometimes a staple food because of their high sugar content, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, ...
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Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is known for its social, environmental, and economic importance by many people in tropical and subtropical regions. Dates are an essential agricultural product in Iran and sometimes a staple food because of their high sugar content, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidants. This research aimed to explore the changes that occur in chemical compounds at different stages of fruit ripening. Five palm cultivars were comparable with each other in this regard. The fruits were harvested at various ripening stages (Hobabok, Kimri, Khalal, Rutab, and Tamar) from five date varieties, i.e., ‘Khenizi,’ ‘Mazafati,’ ‘Kaloteh,’ ‘Shahani,’ and ‘Mordasang.’ We measured phenolic compounds, anthocyanin, tannin, moisture, and total soluble solids (TSS) in the fruits at their different ripening stages. Average comparisons showed that the TSS content, anthocyanin, and phenol compounds increased during ripening. In contrast, antioxidant capacity, tannins, flavonoids, and moisture content decreased. Chemical compounds in the cultivars were different from one another at ripening. Thus, harvesting should take place according to the harvest purpose in each cultivar.
Research paper
Aman Mehta; Pratikshya Lamichhane; Rubi Khatiwada; Ashmita Mandal; Priyanka Kumari Chaudhary; Sabnam Aryal
Abstract
In Nepal, dragon fruit farming is promising but faces limited operation due to its high initial cost during the establishment years. However, its market demand and export potential could provide an economic opportunity for farmers. Here, dragon fruit farmers were categorized as 39 small-scale and 25 ...
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In Nepal, dragon fruit farming is promising but faces limited operation due to its high initial cost during the establishment years. However, its market demand and export potential could provide an economic opportunity for farmers. Here, dragon fruit farmers were categorized as 39 small-scale and 25 large-scale farmers based on an average farm size of 20 kattha (6772.6 m2). A total of 64 dragon fruit farmers were selected randomly from different clusters through a multi-stage sampling technique. The results revealed that the average cost of dragon fruit production per kattha during the establishment year was NRs 259098.58 (1941.89 USD). The gross benefit was NRs 540972.00 (4054.98 USD) in a large-scale farm and NRs 402928.33 (3019.87 USD) in a small-scale farm. Also, an average BC ratio of 1.87 indicated a profitable farming business. Provision of extension services and cooperative engagement were significant among socioeconomic characteristics for the farm category. Land preparation, manure, labor, fertilizers, and plant protection costs were substantial parts of the total cost incurred in dragon fruit cultivation. Pillar and plant protection costs were positively significant in the production function analysis, and the cost of irrigation was negatively significant to gross returns. These findings will encourage the adoption of dragon fruit farming by providing farmers with essential information on production costs and profitability. Market stability, training, extension, and subsidies should be top priorities in authoritative management.
Research paper
Hossein Meighani; Mohammad Sadat-Hosseini
Abstract
Indian jujubes are perishable fruits with a short storage life after harvest. In this study, Indian jujube fruits were stored at 5 °C and 90% RH for 30 days after treating the fruits with 1% chitosan (CHS), 1 mM putrescine (PUT), and a combination of 1% CHS and 1 mM PUT (CHS+ PUT). Physicochemical ...
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Indian jujubes are perishable fruits with a short storage life after harvest. In this study, Indian jujube fruits were stored at 5 °C and 90% RH for 30 days after treating the fruits with 1% chitosan (CHS), 1 mM putrescine (PUT), and a combination of 1% CHS and 1 mM PUT (CHS+ PUT). Physicochemical characteristics and cell wall degrading enzymes were measured at 10-day intervals. The results indicated that the efficiency of the CHS+PUT was better than CHS or PUT as individual treatments. The CHS+PUT treatment substantially decreased weight loss, decay incidence, and malondialdehyde content in Indian jujube fruits. The CHS+PUT treatment minimized losses of bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid and phenols), total antioxidant activity, and titratable acidity. In addition, CHS+PUT treatment delayed fruit softening by suppressing polygalacturonase activity and pectin methylesterase enzymes. Soluble solids content significantly increased through storage time, but applying CHS and PUT individually or in combination inhibited this increase. These results confirmed that the 1% CHS and 1 mM PUT treatments maintained the postharvest quality of Indian jujube fruits in cold storage.
Research paper
Maryam Ebrahimi; Rouhollah Karimi; Amir Daraei Garmakhany; Narjes Aghajani; Alireza Shayganfar
Abstract
Artificial neural networks (ANN) are a nondestructive method for estimating fruit and vegetable shelf life and quality attributes. This research used artificial neural networks to model a storage process for fruit grapes (Vitis vinifera cv. Rishbaba) coated with maltodextrin, including different levels ...
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Artificial neural networks (ANN) are a nondestructive method for estimating fruit and vegetable shelf life and quality attributes. This research used artificial neural networks to model a storage process for fruit grapes (Vitis vinifera cv. Rishbaba) coated with maltodextrin, including different levels of potassium nanocarbonate (0-2%) and pyracantha extract (0-1.5%). After applying these coatings, the fruits were stored for 60 days in cold storage (-1 °C), with a relative humidity of 90%. Measurements considered weight loss percentage, titrable acidity (TA), pH, texture firmness, color index (a), and general fruit acceptance. Artificial neural networks predicted changes in fruits during the storage process. By examining different networks, the feedforward backpropagation network had 3-10-6 topologies with a coefficient of determination (R2) greater than 0.988 and a mean square error (MSE) less than 0.005. With a hyperbolic sigmoid tangent activation function, a resilient learning pattern and 1000 learning process were determined as the best neural method. On the other hand, the results of the optimized models showed that this model had the highest and lowest accuracy for predicting the weight loss percentage (R2 = 0.9975) and a (R2 = 0.5671) of the samples, respectively.
Research paper
Suleiman Leiser Araujo; Fernanda Pacheco de Almeida Prado Bortolheiro; Ítala Layane Duarte; Kelly Gabriela Pereira da Silva; Murilo Battistuzi Martins; Edilson Costa; Eduardo Pradi Vendruscolo; Fernanda Cristina Silva Ribeiro
Abstract
Protected environment and substrate, as well as interaction between both, influence the formation of pepper seedlings and promote adequate plant growth. The present study evaluated different types of protected environments and substrate compositions in the initial growth of “Guaraci Cumari do Pará” ...
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Protected environment and substrate, as well as interaction between both, influence the formation of pepper seedlings and promote adequate plant growth. The present study evaluated different types of protected environments and substrate compositions in the initial growth of “Guaraci Cumari do Pará” pepper (Capsicum chinense) seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme (4 protected environments x 5 substrate compositions). Agricultural screenhouses with black polyethylene screens of 18% and 30% shading and agricultural greenhouses with polyethylene screens of 35% and 42-50% shading under the plastic film were used. In the environments, substrates 100% Carolina Soil® + 0% vermiculite, 80% Carolina Soil® + 20% vermiculite, 60% Carolina Soil® + 40% vermiculite; 40% Carolina Soil® + 60% vermiculite and 20% Carolina Soil® + 80% vermiculite were tested. The environment that provided higher growth for all substrates was with 35% shading, which increased seedling quality 2.9 times. In the 30% shading environment, better performance of the substrate (80% Carolina Soil® + 20% vermiculite) was observed, while in the 35% shading environment, better performance of the commercial substrate (100% Carolina Soil®) was observed, with greater plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and dry biomass. However, the 35% shading environment increased 2.4 times the quality of seedlings with the commercial substrate, regarding 40% Carolina Soil® + 60% vermiculite. Regarding seedling quality, the best substrate was the commercial substrate, i.e., 95% superior to 40% Carolina Soil® + 60% vermiculite in the average environment.
Research paper
MD. FARID HOSSAIN; Md. Serazul Islam
Abstract
The application of balanced fertilizers is essential to produce highquality broccoli. A field experiment was conducted to find an appropriate fertilizer management practice for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. ‘Italica’) that can generate higher yield and quality. The experiment comprised ...
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The application of balanced fertilizers is essential to produce highquality broccoli. A field experiment was conducted to find an appropriate fertilizer management practice for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. ‘Italica’) that can generate higher yield and quality. The experiment comprised 24 treatment combinations with six fertilizer management practices, i.e., T1: control. T2: cow dung at 10 t ha-1. T3: chicken manure at 10 t ha-1. T4: recommended NPK dose. T5: cow dung at 5 t ha-1 + 50% of the recommended NPK dose. T6: chicken manure at 5 t ha-1 + 50% of the recommended NPK dose. The highest plant height (60.00 cm) occurred in response to T6, the highest stem length (22.25 cm) in T4, and the maximum number of leaves per plant (22.00) in T4 and T6 treatments. Maximum fresh leaf weight per plant (609 g), stem diameter (3.98 cm), curd diameter (16.63 cm), and individual curd weight (494.50 g) occurred in response to the T5 treatment. The optimum yield (25.78 t ha-1) of broccoli can be obtained by application of cow dung (5 t ha-1) with a recommended dose of 50% inorganic fertilizer NPK (T5). Maximum TSS value (10.54%) occurred in response to T3, which was statistically similar to the effect of T6 (10.52%). Vitamin C content (80.77 mg 100 g-1) became significantly high in response to the T4 treatment (100% recommended dose of NPK). Minimum vitamin C content (53.84 mg 100 g-1) occurred in the control treatment (T1). Applying cow dung at 5 t ha-1 in addition to the 50% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (T5) led to superior yield values in broccoli.
Research paper
Saeed Alah Tavakoli; Abdolhossein Abootalebi Jahromi; Abdolrasoul Zakerin; Abdolkarim Ejraei; Hamed Hassanzadeh Khankahdani
Abstract
Plant growth in hydroponic systems is affected by the nutrient solution concentration. The present study evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) on the concentration of some nutrients, chemical fruit qualities, and yield in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. Hirad). The experiment was ...
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Plant growth in hydroponic systems is affected by the nutrient solution concentration. The present study evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) on the concentration of some nutrients, chemical fruit qualities, and yield in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. Hirad). The experiment was arranged as a completely randomized design with four treatments (T1: N160 + K350 ppm at the vegetative stage and N130 + K250 ppm at the reproductive stage, T2: N170 + K360 ppm at the vegetative stage and N140 + K260 ppm at the reproductive stage, T3: N180 + K370 ppm at the vegetative stage and N150 + K270 ppm at the reproductive stage and T4: N190 + K380 ppm at the vegetative stage and N160 + K280 ppm at the reproductive stage). Results indicated that higher N and K supplies in the nutrient solutiondecreased Ca, Na, Mn, and Zn concentrations in leaf samples. In contrast, the concentration of various elements in fruits was unaffected by the increase in N and K (except for Cu). The second treatment (T2) had the most beneficial effect on the Cu concentration in tomato leaves and fruits. The increase in total soluble solids, chlorophyll, lycopene, and total acids could improve fruit quality in tomato fruits. The best treatment in the present study was N170 + K360 ppm at the vegetative stage and N140 + K260 ppm at the reproductive stage.
