Phytochemical composition, health effects and crop management of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.): a medicinal plant

Liquorice has been widely appreciated as an important medicinal plant. Its rhizomes and roots have been used for centuries in traditional medicine due to their renowned therapeutic properties. However, increasing market demands and irrational harvesting of wild liquorice plants has rendered the cultivation of the species of major importance. This review, presents aspects related with chemical composition and health effects of the species, and the effect of various cultivation practices. Particular interest is given on glycyrrhizin and its extraction procedures, since it is the main bioactive compound of liquorice roots and its content determines the final product quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effects of Plant Density and Row Arrangement on Weed Management and Yield in Organic Cabbage Crop (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.)

Cabbage is an important vegetable crop species. To obtain high yield of cabbage, good weed management practice must be implemented. A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of plant density and row arrangement on weed flora and yield of a cabbage crop under Mediterranean climatic conditions. A randomized complete block design was employed with 4 replicates per treatment (single rows 60 cm x 40 cm, single rows 70 cm x 30 cm, single rows 50 cm x 34 cm and paired-rows: the distances between two rows in a pair and between two consecutive paired-rows were 25 cm and 85 cm, respectively, and plant-to-plant spacing was 40 cm; 58,800 plants ha-1). The intercepted PAR by the cabbage canopy increased with increases in plant density to about 59,000 plants ha-1 and this increased interception of PAR resulted in a decrease in weed biomass. Weed density and weed biomass decreased with increasing plant populations. There were also no significant differences between paired-rows and single row pattern at high density. Moreover, plant density affected cabbage yield. The highest yield (10.54 t∙ha-1) was observed in the paired-rows planting pattern and the next highest in the single-rows 50 x 34 cm. Our results indicate that paired-rows cabbage production is feasible and the control of various weeds was better in paired-rows than single-rows pattern at lower cabbage density

The effect of nutrient solution composition on development of Cichorium spinosum plants

In the present study, the effect of nutrient solution composition on plant growth and quality of Cichorium spinosum L. was examined. Five fertilizer treatments were applied through irrigation water differing in the nitrate: ammonium nitrogen ratio of total nitrogen, namely (1) 100:0, (2) 75:25, (3) 50:50, (4) 25:75, 5) 0:100 NO3:NH4, while an extra treatment (6) with total nitrogen only in urea form was applied. All the treatments received the same amount of fertilizer units (20-20-20 mg L-1 of N, P and K, respectively). Plants were grown in 2 L pots containing peat (Klassman-Deilmann KTS2) and harvested three times during the growing period, and when they reached marketable size. At each harvest day, plant development was assessed (number, fresh and dry weight of leaves, and rosette diameter). The results suggest that nitrogen form has a significant effect on plant growth and yield of C. spinosum plants. In particular, fresh weight and number of leaves, and rosette diameter were significantly increased when ratio of nitrate: ammonium nitrogen was 75:25 or 0:100, especially in the 1st harvest, while in the 3rd harvest treatment 100:0 showed the best results. However, this did not affect total fresh weight and number of leaves which were higher for treatments 100:0 and 75:25, respectively. Therefore, higher ammonium nitrogen rates seem to be beneficial for plant development only during the early stages, while at later growth stages nitrate nitrogen has better results. In any case, ureic nitrogen is not suggested since it has severe effects on plant development, probably due to toxicity issues.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of Cropping System (Organic and Conventional) on the Fiber Quality Index, Spinning Consistency Index and Multiplicative Analytic Hierarchy Process of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Markets for organically produced high quality cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) are projected to increase. Field experiments were conducted in Palamas, Karditsa in Central Greece, to compare the effects of two cropping systems on fiber quality of three cotton cultivars. The experiments, conducted during three years, were laid out in a split plot design with four replicates, two main plots (organic and conventional system) and three sub-plots (cotton cultivars). Findings suggest that fiber quality index (FQI), spinning consistency index (SCI) and multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (MAHP) are three indices that could be integrated in a useful protocol for the evaluation of different cropping systems for cotton cultivation. In particular, our results indicate that in general there was not any superiority of conventional compared to the organic cropping system regarding fiber quality as shown by the above mentioned indices. Regarding the length of the cotton fiber, this was positively correlated with micronair and the uniformity index of the cotton fiber. The organic system resulted to higher values of SCI than the ones of the conventional (1547.9 and 1522.3, respectively). The present 3-years study shows that organic cultivation of cotton can ensure high fiber quality and this was clearly confirmed by means of the several important indices

Successive harvesting affects yield, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Cichorium spinosum L.

In the present study, the effect of successive harvesting on yield, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Cichorium spinosum plants was examined. C. spinosum plants were grown from seeds sown in seed trays containing peat and young seedlings were transplanted in 2L pots containing peat and perlite (1:1 v/v). Plants were harvested two or three times during two consecutive growing periods. Total fresh weight and number of leaves were higher for successive harvests in both growing periods comparing to a single harvest. The application of more than two harvests resulted in quality loss during the 1st growing period, while in the 2nd growing period the overall chemical composition, antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds content was higher than the 1st period. In conclusion, cultivation practices such as sowing date and successive harvesting may be useful tools towards the production of high quality end-product with increased bioactive properties without compromising total yield.The authors would like to thank Miss Constantina Fassoli and Stavroula Anesti for their technical assistance throughout the experiment. The authors are also grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) and L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) grant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutrient solution composition and growing season affect yield and chemical composition of Cichorium spinosum plants

Nitrogen fertilizer form may affect quality and yield of leafy vegetables. In the present study, the effect of ammonium nitrogen rates on yield and chemical composition of Cichorium spinosum L. was examined. Five fertilizer treatments with different amounts of ammonium nitrogen (F1: 14%, F2: 24%, F3: 34%, F4: 43% and F5: 53% NH 4 -0N of total N) were applied. Fertilizer treatments had a significant effect on both plant fresh weight and chemical composition, depending on growing period and harvest stage. For both harvests of the 1st growing period, yield was higher in treatments F4 (43% NH 4 -N) and F5 (53% NH 4 -N), whereas in the 2nd growing period yield was higher for treatments F1, F2 and F3. Moreover, the highest content of total phenolics were recorded in the 2nd growing period. Antioxidant properties were also affected by fertilization treatments and growing periods, with antioxidant potency being higher in the 2nd growing period and for treatments F1 and F2. According to the results of the present study, nitrogen fertilizer form should be considered together with growing period and harvest stage as a useful means towards increasing the quality of the final product without compromising total yield.The authors thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) and L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015) grant. This work was also financially supported by: Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984–Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)–and by national funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio