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Effects of crop load on tree water use in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.)
29-31.Views:343Sap flow rate measurements were carried out during two consecutive ('on' and 'off') years in an apple orchard cv. 'Florina' M.26 to analyse the effects of various crop load on tree water use. Sap flow rate was measured by thermal dissipation method in trunks of nine trees from June to the harvest. Crop load was between 0.2-9.0 fruits • cm -2 of trunk cross section area (equal to 0.5-35.0 fruits•m-2 of leaf area), trunk diameter varied between 4.7-8.7 cm.
Total leaf area was estimated by leaf counting or using shoot girth and leaf area relationship. In both years, fruit growth rate was determined by measuring diameter of 280 marked fruits with 7 days frequency. Fruit volume calculated as a function of fruit diameter based on a previously determined relationship.
Total leaf area of trees ranged from 4.4 to 19.5 m2 and it was closely related to trunk cross section area. At high crop load the fruit growth rate peaked in August with 0.51.tree-l.day-1 and the leaf area specific total fruit volume reached 61 m2 before the harvest.
There was a linear relationship between total leaf area and daily water use, while the leaf area specific water use was influenced by crop load rate. The relationship was described by piecewise linear regression with the breakpoint at crop load rate of 12 fruits•m2 of leaf area. At low crop load the slope of the fitted regression line was less than at high crop load rate.
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Interaction of nutrient supply and crop load of apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.)
33-35.Views:353Long term fertilisation trials were combined with storage experiments with 'Jonathan' apple trees and fruits to study influence of tree nutrition on quantity and quality of crop. The site of experiments is a typical Carpathian-basin environment with loamy silt soil, high lime content and arid summers. Conclusions has been drown from six years' set of data. Augmented levels of soil fertilisation increased cropping capacity of apple trees, however, the fruit load has not met with cropping capacity in every year. More the def cit came into view in crop load, less the fruit quality resulted in. The deficit in cropping capacity, however, could not have been determined with simple rates as fruit weight per trunk circumference or similar. Better determination was obtained where foliar nutrient contents were correlated to crop per tree figures. In general terms, the N and Ca content in leaves increased with yields when K and P content formulated reciprocally. When storage quality of 'Jonathan' apple fruits were related to crop load (kg/tree), influence of crop deficit became visible. As the crop load and foliar nutrient levels interacted, the fruit quality (number of disordered apples after 6 month of storage) subjected of both physiological phenomena. Higher determination degree were obtained when crop load was assessed together with single or multiple foliar analysis data.
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Growth, phenological response, and yield of cucumber as influenced by variety, plant spacing and NPK fertilizer rate under tropical conditions
115-125.Views:47Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is the fourth most cultivated vegetable globally and an increasingly important cash crop in Nigeria. Yield stagnation from suboptimal variety selection, inappropriate plant spacing and inadequate fertiliser management constrains smallholder productivity in the humid tropics. This study determined the optimal combination of variety, plant spacing and NPK 15-15-15 fertiliser rate for maximising growth and fruit yield under tropical field conditions in the forest-savanna transition zone of SW Nigeria. Two field trials were conducted at FUNAAB (7°15′N, 3°25′E) in 2019 and 2020 using a split-split plot RCBD with three replications, evaluating two varieties (CU 999 and Monalisa), three plant spacings (75×25, 75×50, 75×75 cm) and four NPK rates (0, 100, 200, 300 kg ha⁻¹). Variety CU 999 produced significantly higher fruit yield (up to 9.18 t ha⁻¹) than Monalisa across all trials. Plants at 75×25 cm spacing consistently achieved the highest yield per hectare. NPK at 300 kg ha⁻¹ reduced days to 50% flowering by 3.8–6.4 days and increased yield across trials. The three-way interaction (Variety × Spacing × Fertiliser) was significant for fruit yield, with CU 999 × 75×25 cm × 300 kg ha⁻¹ recording peak performance. CU 999 sown at 75×25 cm and fertilised with 300 kg ha⁻¹ NPK 15-15-15 is recommended for maximum cucumber yield in the forest-savanna transition zone of Nigeria.
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Influence of time of planting on yam performance and pest infestation in humid rainforest of southwestern Nigeria
77-84.Views:68Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are annual or perennial tuber-bearing and climbing plants that belong to the family Dioscoreaceae. Only six principal species are grown for human consumption, while several others are produced for medicinal purposes. This study was designed to determine the influence of time of planting on yam performance and pest infestation in humid rainforest of southwestern Nigeria. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three treatments replicated five times. The planting materials are dipped into wood ash and allowed to dry up. The number of yam setts required for this work is 4 pieces, each of white yam sett, seed yam, and 4 pieces of water yam setts for the different planting times. The planting is done in five (5) phases. In each phase 12 heaps are planted, 4 white yams (seed yam), 4 yam setts (white yam) and 4 water yam setts. No significant difference was observed in 50% sprouting both in treatments and replication. There is significant difference in yield both in treatment and block. Yam planted in April (R5) has the highest yield with 3.7 kg, followed by those planted in ending March (R4) with 2.83 kg, followed by those planted in mid-February (R1) with 1.43 kg, then those planted in February ending (R2) with 1.2 kg and those planted in mid-March (R3) with 1.17 kg respectively. The highest level of destruction was witnessed in white seed yam planted in Mid-March and Mid-April as well as white yam sett planted in Mid-February. The lowest level of destruction was found in water yam sett planted in February ending. Shifting planting date can reduce larval survival and pest populations in yam tuber.
Keywords: Dioscorea spp., pest infestation, destruction, sprouting, yam performance.
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A review of the bee pollination research on temperate zone crop plants in the past decade: results and the need of further studies
7-23.Views:503Intense research was made on the pollination of cultivated crop plants in the temperate zone region during the past decade. Some 400 publications appeared on the subject and some additional 150 papers on the effect of pesticides to the most important pollinating insects, the honeybee and the wild bees. Progress of knowledge is discussed in this paper based on the most important publications. Most new results relate to field crops and deciduous fruit species and much less to field vegetables and small fruits. Great effort was taken to improve insect pollination of crops grown under cover. All these are connected to the utilization of the honeybee as a pollinating agent and much less to native or managed wild bees. However, a number of questions arose partly from the results of latest pollination research and partly from practical experiences in commercial plant production. These indicate several research tasks to understand and to solve the problems possibly in the near future. The questions concentrate on the effectiveness of bee visits in the pollination of individual crop plants and their different cultivars and on the reliable estimate of the overall amount of bees as well as on the control of bee density during the flowering periods of crops for optimal, controlled pollination in the changing environment of agricultural crop production.
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Impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of cabbage in Ghana
46-49.Views:1209A field experiment was conducted at Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana, to determine the impact of inorganic and organic fertilizers on the growth and yield of cabbage. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment treatment comprises of sole application of poultry manure (PM), NPK 15:15:5, the combined application of poultry manure and NPK fertilizer (PM+NPK) and the control (no fertilizer). Data was collected on the number of leaves, stem girth, plant height, head diameter, head weight and edible head weight. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) among all the treatments. The combined application of PM+NPK recorded the highest values for all the parameters measured. From the results obtained farmers should consider the combined application of PM and NPK to maximize yield on their farm.
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Phytobiome management in horticultural systems: beyond the rhizosphere toward whole-plant microbiome optimization
85-101.Views:170The plant microbiome is not confined to the soil. Across every anatomical compartment, the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, endosphere, anthosphere, spermosphere, and carposphere, structurally distinct and functionally specialized microbial communities orchestrate processes fundamental to plant health, productivity, and resilience. Yet horticultural science has remained disproportionately anchored to the rhizosphere, leaving the vast microbial landscape inhabiting aerial, floral, seed, and fruit tissues largely unexplored and unmanaged. This blind spot carries profound consequences at a time when global horticultural production confronts an unprecedented convergence of pressures: accelerating climate instability, stringent restrictions on synthetic agrochemicals, mounting soil degradation, and escalating consumer demand for sustainably produced, chemical-free, premium-quality produce. The biological potential embedded within the whole-plant phytobiome to address these intersecting crises remains critically underutilized. A fundamental barrier to progress is the absence of a unifying scientific framework. Existing reviews address plant-associated microbiomes in disciplinary silos, focusing narrowly on rhizosphere bacteria, individual crop species, or single microbial kingdoms, without synthesizing the full cross-compartment, cross-kingdom phytobiome in the horticultural context. No comprehensive framework has yet integrated microbial community dynamics spanning bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses across fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops within a single, coherent, and practically applicable model. This review addresses that gap directly. Through critical synthesis of compartment-resolved phytobiome research across major horticultural systems, we characterize the taxonomic composition, ecological assembly drivers, and agronomic functional roles of microbial communities inhabiting each plant compartment. We demonstrate that phyllosphere microbiomes confer photoprotection and pathogen exclusion; endophytic communities directly modulate secondary metabolite profiles and systemic immunity; anthosphere microbiomes influence pollinator attraction and fruit set; spermosphere communities determine seedling establishment success through vertical microbial inheritance; and carposphere microbiomes govern post-harvest storability and food safety outcomes. We further establish how host genotype, crop developmental stage, management-induced dysbiosis, and climate-driven perturbations collectively shape phytobiome assembly and functional integrity across compartments. Building on this synthesis, proposing to introduce the Whole-Plant Phytobiome Optimization (WPPO) framework, the first integrative, three-tier conceptual model designed specifically for horticultural systems. WPPO encompasses whole-plant phytobiome profiling using multi-omics platforms, identification of functional microbial modules linked to target agronomic traits, and precision compartment-targeted intervention through synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), encapsulated biostimulants, and digitally guided delivery systems integrated with IoT sensor networks and machine learning decision-support tools. Applied across the full crop life cycle, from spermosphere conditioning at seed priming to carposphere biopreservation at post-harvest, WPPO offers a scalable, evidence-based, and technologically integrated roadmap toward substantially reduced agrochemical dependence, enhanced crop resilience, superior produce quality, and the deployment of ecologically precise next-generation biocontrol and biostimulant strategies.
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Selenium enriched vegetables as biofortification alternative for alleviating micronutrient malnutrition
75-81.Views:955There is a very difficult equation for malnutrition and over-consumption. That means malnutrition even of vitamins and/or minerals (Ca, Cu, Fe, I, Mg, Se and Zn, vitamin A) affects more than two billion people worldwide, largely due to low concentrations or poor bioavailability of the nutrients in the diet. In some developed countries in contrast, over-consumption, particularly of over-refined cerealbased foods, has contributed to the development of an epidemic of metabolic diseases. So, producing nutritious and safe foods sufficiently and sustainably is important target at the same time challenge of modern agriculture. In the past, great efforts have focused only on increasing crop yields, but enhancing the concentrations of mineral micronutrients has become an urgent task. The main daily food source is the staple crops specially in developing countries of the world, i.e., wheat, rice, cassava, beans, sweet potato or maize. These kind of plants are often deficient in some of mineral elements. Thus, the increasing of bioavailable concentration of micronutrients in edible crop tissues (via biofortification) has become a promising strategy in modern agriculture, providing more nutritious foods, to more people, with the use of fewer lands. Biofortification of these trace elements can be achieved application with agronomic process such as soil or foliar fertilization or crop breeding even conventional technic and/or genetic engineering. This review highlight progress to date and identify challenges faced in delivering biofortified vegetable crops as well as the agronomic approaches and tools to improve crop yield and micronutrient content of food crops.
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Prospects of mango fruit powder production at farm level and its utilisation during mango off-season in Ghana
Views:1033Mango (Mangifera indica) is an important fruit served to customers as fresh-cut fruit, juice, ice cream and yogurts in many fruit juice joints, restaurants and hotels in Ghana. However, the crop’s highly seasonal and perishable nature is a challenge for food processors and farmers. Preservation of the fruit in dry particulate form can serve as a substitute in off-seasons. The study sought to determine mango fruit powder production prospects at the farm level and explore its potential use as a substitute during the off-season. Farmer groups and food enterprises were therefore interviewed. The study showed that Keitt and Kent varieties were the most cultivated varieties because of market demand and high yield. However, an average annual fruit loss of 29.8% at the farm level was observed. Postharvest extension delivery service to farmers is inadequate, and where available, frequency of contact is irregular. A limited number of farmers received training in fruit processing; and few were engaged in transformational value addition activities but were willing to add value through processing into powder. Probit regression analysis showed that a unit increase in training would increase transformational farm level value addition into mango fruit powder by 22.9%. The majority of the food enterprises source fruits within Ghana while 79% experienced mango fruit shortage in the off-seasons. Only a few of the enterprises used mango fruit-based substitutes to serve customers in off-seasons. Probit regression analysis showed that a marginal increase in processors’ use of substitute significantly (p≤0.05) increased willingness to use mango fruit powder as a substitute by 47%. The study has revealed that local production of mango fruit powder could serve as a substitute to fill the seasonal gap in mango supply and also reduce post-harvest losses.
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Irrigation Requirements for Grape Crop under Climate Changes Conditions in Egypt
23-27.Views:531The present work is mainly directed to discuss sensitivity of climate changes upon the irrigation demand for grape crop in Egypt. The Penman Monteith equation was used to calculate reference Evapotranspiration (ETo) under current and future climate for the two locations (El Menya and El Beheira). The historical climate data for ten years from (2000 – 2010) was used as current climate to calculate irrigation requirement for grape crop under Egyptian conditions. Two climate changes scenarios have been applied as changes in temperature. The first scenario supposed that increasing in temperature of 1.5°C would happen, and the second scenario supposed that increasing of 3.5°C would happen to calculate reference Evapotranspiration and irrigation requirement for future climate. The results showed that the evapotranspiration and irrigation requirement for grape crop at El Menya location higher than El Beheira location. Irrigation demand for grape plant under two climate changes scenario will increase in El Menya and El Beheira locations. El Menya location will take the highest irrigation demand under climate changes. Therefore, possible adaptation countermeasures should be developed to mitigate the negative effects of climate changes for the sustainable development of agro-ecosystems in Egypt.
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Identification of Rabbiteye Blueberry Cultivars (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and Analysis of Genetic Relationships Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP)
27-30.Views:239Proper cultivar identification is a requisite for commercial planting and breeding nurseries of cross-pollinated blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars to insure high crop yields and optimize germplasm maintenance and utilization. Fourteen rabbiteye blueberry cultivars and three non-identified clones were screened with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis with the aim of developing a fast and reliable identification technique. The selective primer pair applied (M-CTG/ E-ACC), which was previously tested, resulted in a large number of reproducible polymorphic fragments for cultivar identification. After comparison of the AFLP fingerprints, the Jaccard similarity indexes were calculated, and an UPGMA dendrogram was constructed. It was revealed that the three non-identified clones belong to the Tifblue' cultivar. Moreover, AFLP technique proved to be a fast, successful and reliable way in rabbiteye blueberry identification.
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Effect of biochar and inorganic fertilizer on the quality of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) in Kenya
7-13.Views:674Despite its health benefits, the production and quality of beetroot is still low in Kenya due to the application of non-recommended rates of fertiliser and soil amendment. This research aimed at contributing to the improvement of the beetroot quality in Kenya. It was designed to determine the effects of biochar and NPK (17-17-17) on the quality of beetroot in Kenya. An RCBD factorial experiment was conducted at Egerton University farm, Kenya, for two seasons. Biochar (0, 5, 10 t/ha) and NPK (0, 200, 300 and 400 kg/ha) were applied together before planting. Data were collected on beetroot diameter, total phenolics, total soluble solids, calcium, iron and phosphorus contents and analysed using SAS statistical software. The co-application of biochar and NPK significantly (p≤0.05) increased the beetroot diameter, iron, calcium, phosphorus, TSS and phenolics content in season two and not in season one. The sole application of biochar showed a significant increase in the iron content of beetroot in season one. However, biochar did not have a significant effect on beetroot diameter, mineral content, TSS and phenolics content of beetroot in season two. The sole application of NPK at 200, 300 and 400 kg/ha significantly (p≤0.05) increased the diameter of beetroot and iron content in both seasons one and two and also significantly improved the calcium and phosphorus content in season two. These NPK levels were not statistically different from each other, but different from the control. It is therefore recommended to apply NPK and biochar for quality beetroot.
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Development in intensive orchard systems of cherries in Hungary
76-86.Views:751High density central leader systems, the so called "spindle trees" are spreading in intensive stone fruit orchards established for hand picking in Hungary. Results of Brunner (1972, 1990) and Zahn (1967, 1996) inspired the researchers to implement their theories into practice under our climate and special soil conditions. For sweet cherry it is essential to apply an orchard system appropriate for hand picking because of the European market requirements. In intensive sweet cherry orchards two new training and orchard systems are developed and adapted to environmental conditions in Hungary based on previous inventions. The first step of the development is represented by modified Brunner-spindle, which applies the delayed heading of the central leader and the sectorial-double-pruning system from Brunner (1972), resulting intensive orchard of 600-800 trees/ha density, planted on standard vigour rootstocks. Modified Brunner-spindle trees are developed with a central leader and wide-angled branches on it. Light bearing wood is positioned on the central leader and wide-angled branches. During training, shoots for branches are bent or a sectorial double pruning is used. The growth of central leader is reduced by delayed heading, and the strong upright shoots are pinched in summer. Based upon tree size spacing of 5 m between row and 2.5-3 m between trees is recommended, tree height is around 3.5-4 m. This training system is useful for hand-picking; 60-70% of the crop can be harvested from ground. Modified Brunner-spindle is suitable for either standard or moderate vigorous rootstocks. The cherry spindle is an intensive orchard planted with 1250-2300 trees per hectare and it is recommended for sweet and sour cherries on semi dwarf to vigorous rootstocks, depending on soil fertility and quality. Trees are 2.5-3.5 m high, 75-80% of the crop can be harvested from the ground. Permanent basal scaffolds are developed on the basis of the canopy to counteract the stronger terminal growth. The tree is headed only once, after planting, from the following year the central leader grows from the terminal bud. The central leader developed from the terminal bud results moderated growth in the upper parts of the tree head. The strong upright shoots that may develop below the terminal bud are pinched to 3-4 leaves in the summer or removed entirely. The weaker, almost horizontal shoots growing from the central leader form fruiting twigs in the following year if their terminal bud is not removed. Brunner's double pruning is used only once or twice on the permanent basal branches because of its good branching effect. Trials on various rootstocks are running to find optimum spacing and fruiting wood management. The training and pruning guidelines are discussed in the paper. The average crop of bearing years is around 20-30 t/ha depending on site and cultivars. This new system is spreading in Hungary, around 70 ha sweet and sour cherry orchards are trained according to our guidelines.
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Differing effects of grass and polythene mulches on sweet potato productivity in derived savannah agro-ecology
24-30.Views:482Sweet potato as a food crop that is grown for both its tuberous roots and vegetative parts, the latter of which also serves as animal feed. Its production in the savanna regions can be limited by high evaporative demand, especially where soils with low water retentivity are involved. This work studied the effects of various locally available polythene as mulch materials for sweet potato growth in derived savanna agro-ecology. An experiment was thus conducted at Nsukka, a derived savannah in southeastern Nigeria, with orange fleshed variety of sweet potato. Treatments were polythene mulches of contrasting colours (black, white, red and blue polyethylene), including also organic mulch (dry grasses) as reference and a no-mulch control. The experiment was executed in two successive cropping seasons, and the data averaged and analysed. Agronomic and weed incidence data collection was done fortnightly from 2nd to 10th week of planting. The results showed that the polythene mulches (especially the black one) were better in the control of weeds. Furthermore, the sweet potato yields were affected significantly (p < 0.05) by mulching on the total number of tubers for each plant with grass-mulched plots showing the highest value (36) and transparent polyethylene-mulched plots the lowest (19). Also, total weight of tubers per plant at harvest differed (p < 0.05), with grass-mulched plots showing the highest value (2.39 kg), followed by the control (no mulching) plots (1.62 kg), then the coloured polyethylene mulched plots with the red polyethylene-mulched plots as the lowest (0.64 kg). This study recommends the use of organic mulch or no mulching in sweet potato production in this agro-ecological zone as they produced the best yields.
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Relation between the germination and infection ratio on Sida hermaphrodita L. Rusby seeds under hot water treatment
117-121.Views:542Sida hermephrodita or virginia mallow is a perspective perennial herb in the Malvaceae family able to yield a biomass crop through between ten and twenty years. Additionally, the plants have a lot of uses and benefits for instance it can use it as a fodder crop, honey crop, ornamental plant in public gardens. It has favorable features like fast growing and resistance against the disease and climatic fluctuations, etc. Sida is in base stage of domestication therefore has a serious disadvantage the low and slow germination as a big part of wild plants. Due to the expressly low germination percent the need of seed showing of driller is should tenfold, 200 thousand seed/acre instead of 10-20 thousand what is not available and expensive Therefore practical purposes of our research of seed physiology was to increase the seed germination percent in a disposable ,basically wild Sida population. We examined two factors relating to seed germination percent and seed germination power during our research: the influence of hot water treatment and the effect of exogenus or endogenus infection of seed. However, in our germination tests, utilizing scarified seeds with hot water (65, 80 and 95 oC), 29,33 to 46% germinated of the seeds collected from the population of S. hermaphrodita in Debrecen. The average germination for all season was 5-10 % wihitout treatment and rised using hot water up to almost 50%. When physically scarified used, the oldest seeds showed the best germination (46 %) after the hot water operation in spite of the previus studys (Spooner 1985; Chudik et al. 2010; Doliński R. 2009.). We discovered that there are a distinguished close relationship between the seeds collecting time and the infection, as well as germination percentage. Thus, 2009 season was the most favourable in case of contamination (control:17,33 and 80 oC treatment:0%) as well as germination percent. It could be concluded that, the best season for our findings was 2009 due to autumn harvest of Sida seeds. In our oppinion, the autumn harvesting should be the best time to overcome the problem of the low germination and high infection percentage.
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Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) anatomical, physiological, biochemical and production responses to drought stress - A mini-review essay
40-45.Views:1754The cultivated plant climate association in agricultural yields is getting expanded consideration with regards to changing climatic conditions. Abiotic stressors can lead to morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical alterations in harvests, resulting in a significant loss of profit. A comprehension of ecological elements and their communication with physiological cycles is critical for improving agricultural practices. Drought stress is among the main natural factor affecting plant development, growth, and yield measures. Assessing the impact of environmental change and atmospheric variability on tomato crop output will require a thorough understanding of this stress element. The physiology, development, improvement, yield, and quality of the tomato crop are all affected by dry season stress. This mini-review essay presents the most prominent features about the effects of drought stress on tomato crop plant physiology and production, with specific highlighting for the complex relationship between drought stress, and nutrients uptake.
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Enhancing African leafy vegetable productivity and nutrient levels through manure and fertilizer in Kitui County, Kenya
52-60.Views:213African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) are crucial components of diet globally due to their significant nutritional value. We conducted a field experiment in October 2022 to assess the effect of fertilizer application rates on the growth and nutritive value of four ALVs (Solanum nigrum, Cleome gynandra, Amaranthus hybridus, and Vigna unguiculata) at South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) Teaching and Research Farm. We collected data through a randomized complete block experimental design that comprised four treatments: manure alone (M), fertilizer alone (F), manure + fertilizer (M+F), and a control (C). Once the planted vegetable seeds had been established, we counted their leaves on a weekly basis and averaged after a month. At the end of the experiment, the ALVs leaves were harvested. They were analyzed for retinol, a precursor of vitamin A, iron, calcium and zinc. It was found that manure and fertilizer treatments significantly increased the number of ALVs leaves. Results also showed that the Solanum nigrum had the highest number of leaves at 118.5% in M+F treatment as compared to the control. Across all vegetables, a combined treatment (M+F) significantly affected the retinol mean (P=0.0063) while crop type and the interaction between crop type and the treatment had no statistically meaningful impact on any nutrient. This suggests that fertilization effects on retinol are independent of crop type. These results highlight the importance of soil fertilization in influencing vitamin A levels in ALVs.
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Fruit production and research in Hungary - An overview
7-11.Views:1508Hungary is traditionally a food producer country. 63% of its total land area can be cultivated. Horticulture is one of the fundamental agricultural branches. The country has a moderate continental climate, with a mean temperature of 10 °C. The average hours of sunshine ranges 1,700 to 2,100 hours. Under the geographical condition in the Carpathian Basin the chemical composition of the fruits has a good harmony. The total fruit acreage is 97,000 ha with a crop of 800,000 to 900,000 tons yearly. In 1982 1,934,000 tons of fruit crop were produced since then it has decreased. The most important fruits are apple, European plum, sour cherry and raspberry. The percentage of apple reaches almost up to 60%. In the new plantings sour cherry, apple and black elderberry is popular. The most important fruit-producing region is situated at the North-eastern part of the country. More than 40% of Hungary's fruit production is concentrated there. In ranking the 2nd place is taken by fruit growing area in the middle of Hungary, where the production of stone fruits and small fruits has a considerable proportion.
In the 70s and 80s of last century there was a developed research structure and wide range of research activity in Hungary. From that time the research capacity has considerably decreased first of all in the field of technological development. The main research area is fruit breeding and variety evaluation.
Fruit scientists and fruit grower specialists are held together by the Hungarian. Society for Horticultural Sciences which has a membership in ISHS. Fruit researches and scientists having academic degree are belonged to the Horticultural Board of Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
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Seed protectant potential of Mitracarpus villosus and Phyllanthus fraternus extracts on germinative capability of stored food grains
7-10.Views:511Seed storage is an essential post-harvest operation that decides the success of seeds viability and germination in next generation. The study explored Mitracarpus villosus and Phyllanthus fraternus extracts as bio-insecticides seed treatments on stored wheat and green gram seeds viability and germination. M. villosus and P. fraternus plants powder were sequentially extracted with solvents of increasing polarity (Petroleum ether, hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, chloroform and methanol), concentrated and tested for insecticidal activity by fumigant toxicity. The extract which showed maximum activity, was selected for seed viability and germination test. Five replications each were made for the treatment and the control. The plant extracts strengthen the non-phytotoxic nature of plant products against seed viability and germination. Seeds treated with extracts (50-400 μg seed-1) did not lose their viability as it resulted in successful and normal germination within the range of 90 – 97.67% irrespective of the extracts concentration. While, seeds in control recorded 95.55 and 100% germination which were not significantly different (P>0.05) compared to the treated seeds. Based on findings from the study, potential exploitation of M. villosus and P. fraternus as food grains protectant in insect pest management strategies is recommended for the resource poor farmers. However, further investigations are suggested on biosafety and effects of the extracts on the organoleptic contents of the grains prior to consumption.
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Genetic variation in the rose pathogen Marssonina rosae estimated by RAPD
63-67.Views:353Blackspot, caused by the fungus Marssonina rosae (Diplocarpon msae), is one of the most devastating and widespread diseases in garden roses, and it has as yet not been fully characterized in molecular terms. In this initial study we used RAPD analysis to investigate the genetic diversity among and within a few geographically diverse groups of single-spore isolates of M. rosae. DNA was extracted from in vitrogrown mycelia of 1 I single spore isolates grown on PDA medium. High levels of polymorphism were detected among the isolates. They clustered into three distinct groups: Group !consisted of isolates from eastern North America plus a European isolate (Germany), Group 2 included isolates from southern Sweden, and Group 3 included the isolates from Manitoba, Canada. The greater similarity of the environmental conditions in eastern North America and Europe as compared to the Canadian prairies suggest that. climate and weather could be key factors in influencing the potential race structure of M. rosae. However, variations among closely situated sites, e.g. southern Sweden, also occurred.
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Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.): A review of in vivo and in vitro propagation
131-136.Views:978Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is an old tuber crop with a recently renewed interest in multipurpose improvement. It is a perennial tuberous plant rich in inulin and is a potential energy crop. During food shortages in times of war Jerusalem artichoke received more attention by scientists and farmers because of its multiple uses as a vegetable, medicinal plant, forage plant and source for biofuel. The energy crisis of the 1970s motivated research on Jerusalem artichoke for biofuel as the aboveground plant biomass and the tubers can be used for this purpose. There are different methods to propagate Jerusalem artichoke using tubers, rhizomes, slips (transplants derived from sprouted tubers), stem cuttings, seeds and tissue culture. So, this review was presented to highlight on propagation of Jerusalem artichoke via in vivo and in vitro techniques.
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Evaluation of crop yield and fruit quality in organic apple production
7-10.Views:4517In this study, crop yield and fruit quality parameters (soluble solid concentration, sugar, total acid, and vitamin C content) of 15 apple cultivars including old, resistant and currently grown cultivars. The highest fruit yield among all 15 cultivars was obtained on CV. Jonagold with 15.5 kg/tree, while the lowest yield was measured on the resistant cultivar Reanda with 8.1 kg/tree. There were no significant differences among the cultivars in fruit diameter ranging from 70 mm in the case of cv. Húsvéti rozmaring to 82 mm for cv. Mutsu. Values of soluble solids concentration of the cultivars varied between 15.5% for cv. Téli Banán and 19.2% for cv. Renora. Sugar content values showed a similar tendency to soluble solids content. The highest and lowest total sugar content was observed on cvs. Jonagold and Renora and cv. Retina with 17% and 12.4%, respectively. Total acid content values ranged between 0.18% and 0.53% for cvs. Jonagold and Remo, respectively. Values of vitamin C content for the 15 apple cultivars varied between 2 mg% and 4 mg% for cv. Retina and cv. Mutsu, respectively.
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Foliar application of zinc and its effect on greenhouse grown cucumber
79-82.Views:668The experiment was conducted to examine the effect of the foliar application of zinc on yield and crop quality and on fruit mineral composition of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus cv. Mustang) which were grown in peat in containers under unheated conditions and were not showing visible signs of zinc deficiency.
In the trial the following 3 treatments were set up in 4 replications: Znl = 0.35 g/litre Zn, as foliar fertilizer; Zn2 = 0.7 g/litre Zn, as foliar fertilizer, control = no foliar fertilization. Foliar fertilization was applied 5 times with 10 day intervals. After their planting out the plants were fertigated daily with water soluble complex fertilisers. Fruits were harvested twice a week, 16 times in all, and were divided into three quality classes (class I, class II and substandard). Shoot length of the plants (plant height) was measured on 3 occasions. Zinc content of the fruits and leaves was analysed at two times.
From the results of the trials it can be concluded that the 0.35 g/litre Zn (0.35 mg/ml) foliar fertilisation had beneficial effect on cucumber both in terms of yield and quality. Under the conditions of the experiment (daily fertigation through drip irrigation) the effect of a more concentrated foliar application of zinc seemed less beneficial.
The zinc content of the fruits showed no evident increase in response to foliar fertilization, while a significant increase was seen in the leaves, particularly with the more concentrated Zn treatment. This indicates that in the case of cucumber zinc, through its assimilation in vegetative parts, has an indirect effect on fruit development.
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Effects of irregular cropping on nutrient uptake and status of apple trees
41-44.Views:1129Produce of harmonic nutrient balance and status of trees is basic task of growers for qualified fruit growing. The role of crop loaded is essential to grow the productivity of trees without nutrient disorder or other nutritional problems. To reduce the frequency of biennial bearing there are some ways (site and species selection, crop regulation, irrigation, nutrition etc.) from them one is the best easy way the proper site and species oriented nutrition. Sometimes the responsible for irregular cropping is the insufficient fertilization. Observed irregular cropping at two apple cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh., cv. ‘Summerred’ and cv. ‘Mutsu’) in an integrated apple orchard at Hajdúnánás-Tedej, in 2007 resulted a chance to determine nutritional status of “bearing” and “non bearing” trees and investigate the effects of irregular cropping on nutrient uptake and possibilities of correction. Our results pointed out that irregularity is connection on nutrition status of trees. Irregular cropping results in insufficient nutrient uptake and disharmony of nutrients. For this reason, the establishment of nutrient status of “non bearing” trees is could permit a chance to correct and improve the nutrient supply of trees which help to breakdown the vicious circle of irregularity.
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Impact of potassium fertilizers with different active ingredients and dosages on potato yield in experiments in the Nyírség region
71-74.Views:286A five-year experiment was carried out in the Nyírség on its characteristic soil type, brown forest soil to investigate the impact of three types of potassium fertilizers (potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and Patentkali) in three different dosages (80, 160, 240 kg/ha K20), under non-irrigated conditions applying the same dosages of N, P in all treatments (the applied amount was different between years) in 10 treatments including the control on 50 m2-parcels with 3 or 4 replicates. The test plant was cultivar Desiree, Kondor, Agria and Pannonia in 1998 and 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. The obtained yields were analyzed by an analysis of variance. Based on the five-year results, the highest yields on the acidic sandy and sandy loam soils were obtained in the treatments with 530-800 kg/ha Patentkali containing 30% of K and 10% of magnesium active ingredients in addition to the same amounts of N and P applications. The dosage of 530 kg/ha Patentkali contains 160 kg/ha K+ 53 kg/ha Mg active ingredients, while the dosage of 800 kg/ha Patentkali contains 240 kg/ha K+ 80 kg/ha Mg active ingredients. It can be concluded that the potassium chloride fertilizer (KCI) was the least effective as regards yields and Patentkali proved to be the most effective fertilizer, it had higher yields than even those of potassium sulfate, the difference in the 160 kg/ha treatments was 17.7%, which was a significant difference. Based on the results of the multi-year experiment, we recommend to apply 530 kg/ha Patentkali fertilizer (160 kg/ha K+ 53 kg/ha Mg active ingredients) for the fertilization in potato under non-irrigated conditions on the acidic sandy and sandy loam forest soils of the Nyírség, which proved to be the most effective treatment and with which we could obtain 30 t/ha yield in the average of the years (with the simultaneous application of N and P).
