Effect of substrate and cultivar on growth characteristic of strawberry in soilless culture system

The investigation was carried out for evaluation effect of substrate and cultivar on growth characteristic of strawberry in soilless culture system. Experimental treatment consisted of three strawberry cultivars (Camarosa, Mrak and Selva) and six growing media (rice hull, sycamore pruning waste, cocopeat + perlite (50:50), vermicomposts + perlite + coco peat (5:45:50), (15:40:45) and (25:35:40). Measured factors were dry and fresh weight of root and shoot, runner number, petiole length, leaf area, total biomass and root/shoot ratio. Measured physical and chemical characteristics of different substrate consisted of pH, EC, porosity, bulk density, particle density, % organic material and % inorganic material. Results show that these cultivars responded differently to different substrates under this investigation. Furthermore, these substrates had significant effects on cultivars. Camarosa cultivar had the highest of leaf area, length of petiole, runner number and total biomass. Mrak cultivar was the highest of yield. Adding vermicompost to substrates was effected in most of traits.Keywords: Substrate, vermicompost, strawberry, growth characteristics, cultiva

EFFECTS OF CALCIUM FORMS ON ELECTROLYTE LEAKAGE, TOTAL NITROGEN, YIELD AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION BY STRAWBERRY PLANTS UNDER NACL SALINITY

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) plants cv. Selva was grown in soilless culture under greenhouse conditions to present the effects of application of supplementary calcium combined with nutrient solution on plants grown under NaCl (35 mmol) salinity. Treatments: (1) Commercial nutrient solution or control; (2) the addition of NaCl (35 mmol); (3) NaCl (35 mmol) + CaCl2 (5 mmol); (4) NaCl (35 mmol) + CaCl2 (10 mmol); (5) NaCl (35 mmol) + CaSO4 (5 mmol); (6) NaCl (35 mmol) +CaSO4 (10 mmol). Data showed that NaCl stress strongly decreased leaf and runner number, flower production, fruit set, shoot and root fresh weight, total yield and calcium contents of root. On the other hand, it was found that calcium salts had an impact on negative effects of NaCl stress on these variables and reduced it. These results showed that calcium sulfate was better than calcium chloride ameliorating the negative effects of NaCl salinity on this cultivar

Evaluation of Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Biochemical Traits of Lettuce under Drought Stress and Super Absorbent or Bentonite Application

The effects of two superabsorbents (natural-bentonite) and (synthetic-A 200) on the chlorophyll fluorescence index, proline accumulation, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and total carbohydrate in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was evaluated. For this purpose, a factorial experiment using completely randomized design with superabsorbents at 3 levels (0, 0.15, 0.30 w/w%), drought stress at 2 levels (60 and 100% of field capacity) and 4 replicates was conducted. Results showed that photosystem photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) II under drought stress (60% FC) as well as lower levels of bentonite superabsorbent polymer reduced. The minimum and maximum proline content were obtained in 0.3% bentonite, 100% FC and 0 benetonite, 60% FC, respectively. The lowest and highest phenolic compounds was corresponded to the highest levels in both super absorbents and control respectively, so that the super absorbent and bentonite, reduced phenolic compounds by 62.65 and 66.21% compared to control. 0 and 0.15 wt % bentonite in high drought stress (60% FC) showed the highest and 0.3 wt % bentonite and 100% FC attained the lowest level of antioxidant activity. Control bentonite treatment beds at 60% FC and beds containing 0.3 wt. % bentonite in 100% FC, showed the lowest and the highest total carbohydrate content respectively. Results of this study indicate that bentonite can reduce the negative effects of drought stress similar to artificial super absorbent

International Journal of Farming and Allied Sciences Salicylic Acid Alleviates the Copper Toxicity in Tagetes Erecta

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of salicylic acid on the growth, ecophysiological and biochemical characteristics in Tagetes erecta plant exposed to copper stress. Effects of copper (Cu) on biomass, root length and shoot height and Cu uptake are also discussed. This experiment was arranged as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with four replications under greenhouse conditions. The experimental treatment consisted of four levels of Cu (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg-1 in potted soil) and three levels of salicylic acid (0, 1, 2mM) as foliar spray or chelate into soil. Results showed that with increasing levels of copper, reductions in shoot and root growth, leaf area and leaves number were statistically significant at 1 percent level. Analysis of some biochemical indices (chlorophyll content) and eco-physiological indices such as primary florescence chlorophyll (Fo), ratio of variable chlorophyll to maximum (Fv/Fm) in treated plants were statistically significant at one percent level. Biomass, leaf area and leaf number and root and shoot elongation decreased with increasing of Cu. Plants took more Cu up with increasing Cu in the copper containment soil. The results showed that copper accumulation was higher in the roots than shoots. The Fluorescence measurements showed that primary florescence chlorophyll (Fo) was increased but Fm was decreased progressively with increasing Cu. Salicylic acid significantly increased root and shoot growth, chlorophyll in copper stressed plants. In addition SA reduced the primary florescence chlorophyll. Salicylic acid treatments as chelate in concentration of 2mM also increased level of tolerance toward high Cu concentrations as indicated by chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The results support the conclusion that SA alleviates Cu toxicity

Effect of ethanol, methanol and essential oils as novel agents to improve vase-life of alstroemeria flowers

The production of Alstroemeria flowers has been rapidly increasing in the world. In this research effect of different concentrations of ethanol (4, 7, 10%) methanol (4, 7, 10%) as pulse treatments and some essential oils (50 or 100 mg L−1 peppermint (Mentha piperata L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and black cumin (Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch)) on flower longevity, solution uptake, fresh weight and SPAD value as a measure of leaf greenness of Alstroemeria peruviana ‘santorini’ were analyzed. Results showed alcohol treatments had no positive effect on increasing vase life of Alstroemeria. Applying essential oils could extend the vase-life. The greatest longevity of vase life was related to 50 mg L−1 of thyme essential oil treatment and approximately it improved inflorescence cut vase life more than 2 days longer than control treatment. The greatest solution uptake and decrease in fresh weight were seen in 100 mg L−1 peppermint essential oil and 100 mg L−1 thyme essential oil, respectively. Essential oils could not maintain SPAD value in higher amount than control treatment but these compounds particularly 50 mg L−1 thyme, peppermint and black cumin essential oil are useful for increasing vase life of Alstroemeria

Effect of essential oils, ethanol and methanol to extend the vase-life of carnation (dianthus caryophyllus L.) flowers

In this study we investigated the effect of some essential oils, ethanol and methanol as novel and old antimicrobial agents (respectively) in extending the vase-life of Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) flowers. Cut flowers of carnation were kept in solution containing essential oils of Thyme, Black cumin and Peppermint (50 and 100 mgL−1 ), ethanol, methanol (4, 7 and 10%) and control. Data showed just solution containing ethanol 7% could increase flower longevity than control. Vase life and flower fresh weight losses in solution containing essential oils didn’t have significantly difference than control, ethanol and methanol. Maximum solution uptake was observed for flower kept in solution containing ethanol 4%. Totally our results suggest the application of ethanol and methanol in preservative solutions for carnation flowers

Biochemical changes in barberries during adventitious root formation: the role of indole-3-butyric acid and hydrogen peroxide

Peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenolic compounds and total sugars (TS) were investigated during root formation in cuttings of Berberis vulgaris var. asperma (BVA) and Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea (BTA) treated with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and IBA+H2O2. Rooting was observed on BTA cuttings but not on BVA cuttings. The BTA cuttings treated with IBA and IBA+H2O2 showed higher rooting percentages, number of roots, and root length over the control. Those treated with IBA+H2O2 recorded the lowest peroxidase activity after planting. BTA cuttings treated with IBA+H2O2 showed the highest peroxidase activity at 50 d after planting; BVA cuttings under different treatments showed no significant difference for peroxidase activity at planting time or up to 80 d after planting. PPO activity for the BTA cuttings in the control treatment was lower than for other treatments during root formation. The cuttings in the IBA and IBA+H2O2 treatments showed increased PPO activity from 0 to 50 d after planting and a slight decrease in PPO activity from 60 to 80 d after planting. PPO activity for the BVA cuttings was significantly lower than for BTA during root formation. The BTA cuttings treated with IBA and IBA+H2O2 showed the highest phenolic compound content during root formation. The BVA cuttings displayed higher TS than BTA during the initial stage of root formation. A comparison of the anatomical structure of easy-to-root and difficult-to-root cuttings indicated that physical inhibitors did not affect the rooting capacity of BVA

Pomegranate seed clustering by machine vision

Application of new procedures for reliable and fast recognition and classification of seeds in the agricultural industry is very important. Recent advances in computer image analysis made applicable the approach of automated quantitative analysis in order to group cultivars according to minor differences in seed traits that would be indiscernible in ocular inspection. In this work, in order to cluster 20 cultivars of pomegranate seed, nine image features and 21 physicochemical properties of them were extracted. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the information extracted from image of pomegranate seeds could be used instead of time‐consuming and partly expensive experiments of measuring their physicochemical properties. After data reduction with principal component analysis (PCA), different kinds of overlapping between these two types of data were controlled. The results showed that clustering base on all variables of image features contain more similar cultivars with clustering base on physicochemical properties (66.67% for cluster 1, 75% for cluster 2, and 50% for cluster 3). Therefore, by applying image analysis technique, the seeds almost were placed in different pomegranate clusters without spending time and additional costs

Early Season Foliar Iron Fertilization Increases Fruit Yield and Quality in Pomegranate

© 2020 by the authors.Early season foliar fertilization with different nutrients is a promising tool in pomegranate grown in poor, high pH soils. The effects of foliar fertilization with FeSO4 and the synthetic chelate Fe(III)-EDDHA (Fe(III)-ethylendiaminedi(o-hydroxyphenylacetate)) on fruit yield and physicochemical characteristics were assessed in a two-season field trial. Fertilizers were sprayed at full bloom and one month later, using Fe concentrations of 1.3 and 2.6 mM for FeSO4 and 1.1 and 2.1 mM for the Fe-chelate. Both doses of FeSO4 and the higher chelate dose increased leaf Fe concentrations and fruit yield, with the best results being observed with 2.6 mM FeSO4 (20–31% increases in yield). On the other hand, leaf N, P, K, Ca, and Mn concentrations were not affected by foliar Fe fertilization. The only treatment that increased the number of fruits per tree, aril juice content and juice total soluble solids and decreased juice total acidity in both seasons was 2.6 mM FeSO4. Both FeSO4 doses caused consistent increases in the maturity index and total sugars in juice, along with minor decreases in juice total phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity in juice was slightly decreased by 2.6 mM FeSO4. In conclusion, early season foliar Fe fertilization had positive effects on pomegranate yield and quality, with FeSO4 being better than Fe(III)-EDDHA.The study was funded by the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (code: 3/32199). J.A. was partially supported by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (project AGL2016-75226-R; AEI/FEDER, UE) and the Aragón Government (group A09-20R).Peer reviewe