Comparison of some yield and quality criteria in organically and conventionally-grown lettuce

The simplest definition organic farming is a production system, which excludes synthetic inputs and resorts to external inputs only where the system cannot be sustained by internal recycling. Recentstudies comparing conventional and organic farming have shown an increase in organic matter, nutrient content, and microbial biomass in organically managed soils. The present study was undertaken to evaluate how conventional and organic farming systems affected the yield and some quality properties of lettuce by investigating the effects of some natural substances (blood flour, manure, liquid seaweed extract etc.) on yield, quality and nutrient content of organically versusconventionally-grown lettuces. As a conclusion, results of both years showed that the conventional growing had higher yield than organic growing, respectively 20% in total yield and 21% in marketableyield. On the other hand there was no difference in terms of food nutrition value and quality and that is why it is possible to recommend organic lettuce growing as it has much more positive effects onhuman health

Effects of spent mushroom compost on quality and productivity of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in greenhouses

This study was conducted to determine the effects of spent mushroom compost (SMC), which is a waste product of mushroom processing through a year, on greenhouse cucumber growth as an organicmatter source for the soil. The effects of SMC on several yield related characteristics, such as total yield, fruit width, fruit length, total soluble solids, first quality fruit yield in total yield and nutritioncontent of the cucumber fruit were investigated. The effects of SMC on total yield and fruit width obtained during the whole vegetation period were statistically significant. On the other hand, no significant differences were determined among the SMC treatments for the first quality fruit yield, total soluble solids and fruit length. The highest total fruit yield was obtained at 40 ton ha-1 and it was followed by 80 and 20 ton ha-1 SMC applications. The highest values of fruit width and the nitrogen contents in cucumber were found at 80 ton ha-1 SMC application. Based on the present study it was concluded that as an organic material source and amendment of greenhouse soil application of at least 6 months waited SMC was very effective and beneficiary for cucumber growth, productivity and recycling the spent mushroom compost

Breeding behaviour of Kunzea pomifera (Myrtaceae): self-incompatibility, intraspecific and interspecific cross-compatibility

To examine breeding system characteristics of the endemic Australian prostrate shrub Kunzea pomifera, artificial hybridisations were undertaken using thirteen different genotypes of K. pomifera, to elucidate: (1) self-incompatibility, (2) intraspecific cross-compatibility in the species and (3) interspecific cross-compatibility with each of K. ambigua and K. ericoides. K. pomifera exhibited very low self-compatibility, with the barrier to self-fertilisation being prevention of pollen-tube growth in the style or ovary. Following intraspecific pollination amongst a number of different genotypes of K. pomifera, 38.4% of pollinated flowers developed fruit; arrest of compatible pollen-tubes in the style, preventing fertilisation, contributes to the low fruit set in this species. Interspecific compatibility was examined between K. pomifera (pistillate parent) and K. ambigua (staminate parent) where seed set per pollinated flower (4.47) was not significantly different from intraspecific crosses (4.66). In crosses between K. pomifera (pistillate parent) and K. ericoides as staminate plant, 0.037% of pollinated flowers produced fruit, with 0.0075 seeds per pollinated flower. Reproductive barriers between these two species were evident in the style of K. pomifera, where the growing tips of the K. ericoides pollen-tubes swelled and ceased to grow