Physiochemical and Phytochemical Properties of Wax Apple (Syzygium samarangense [Blume] Merrill & L. M. Perry var. Jambu Madu) as Affected by Growth Regulator Application

This study represents the first paper of the effects of growth regulators on the physiochemical and phytochemical properties of the wax apple fruit, a widely cultivated fruit tree in southeast Asia. Net photosynthesis, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity, peel color, fruit firmness, juice content, pH value, total soluble solids (TSSs), and the sugar acid ratio were all significantly increased in growth regulators (PGRs) treated fruits. The application of gibberellin (GA3), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) significantly reduced titratable acidity and increased total sugar and carbohydrate content compared to the control. The 50 mg/L GA3, 10 mg/L NAA, and 5 mg/L 2,4-D treatments produced the greatest increases in phenol and flavonoid content; vitamin C content was also higher for these treatments. PGR treatment significantly affected chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and carotene content and produced higher phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and antioxidant activity levels. There was a positive correlation between peel color and TSS and antioxidant activity and both phenol and flavonoid content and PAL activity and anthocyanin formation. A taste panel assessment was also performed, and the highest scores were given to fruits that had been treated with GA3 or auxin. The study showed that application of 50 mg/L GA3, 10 mg/L NAA, and 5 mg/L 2,4-D once a week from bud development to fruit maturation increased the physiochemical and phytochemical properties of wax apple fruits

The Performance of Durum and Bread Wheat Genotypes Associated with Yield and Yield Component under Different Water Deficit Conditions

Abstract: Although drought stress has been well documented as an effective parameter in decreasing crop production in arid and semi arid regions, developing and releasing new varieties which are adaptable to water deficit conditions can be a constructive program to overcome unsuitable environmental conditions. The present study was carried out to study the performance of durum and bread wheat genotypes in relation to yield and yield component under different water deficit conditions. The experiment was laid out in split plot based on a complete randomized block design, with three replications at Mashhad Agricultural Research stations in Iran. Irrigation regimes were considered as the main plots and included four levels. Sub-plots were assigned to five wheat genotypes, four durum promising lines and a bread wheat cultivar. The number of spike m , number -2 of kernel spike , 1000-kernel weight, plant height, day to maturity, maturity duration, harvest index -1 and grain yield were highly significant (P<0.01) affected by water deficit conditions and genotype effects. In addition to this, the effect of genotype on the biological and grain yield was significant (P<0.05). It was observed that water limitation significantly decreased plant height in the early water deficit, while water limitation during double ridge to anthesis reduced the number of spike m and -2 number of kernel spike . Besides, water deficit condition at post-anthesis decreased the number of day -1 to maturity, maturity duration, 1000-kernel weight, harvest index and grain yield. Chamran bread wheat cultivar and a promising durum wheat genotype (RASCON_37/BEJAH_7) produced the highest values for the plant height, kernel numbers, harvest index traits and lastly grain yield compared to all the other genotypes

Spike Traits and Characteristics of Durum and Bread Wheat Genotypes at Different Growth and Developmental Stages under Water Deficit Conditions

Abstract: Drought is an abiotic stress affecting the growth and development in plants and its negative effects during the vegetative and reproductive phases of growth causes different changes in the spike characteristics and traits in durum and bread wheat. A study was carried out to compare and evaluate these differences in spike traits in durum and bread wheat genotypes under different irrigation regimes. The experiments were laid out in split-plot arrangement based on a complete randomized block design with three replications at the Mashhad research stations of the Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center, Iran. Irrigation regimes were considered as the main plots and included four levels, Subplots were assigned to four durum-promising lines and a bread wheat cultivar. The results indicated that the spikelets spike , potential florets spike , spike length, spike dry weight, spike -1 -1 partitioning coefficient and spike harvest index significantly decreased under water deficit during floral initiation to anthesis stage. In addition to this, the bread wheat cultivar (Chamran) showed the highest values for spikelets spike , spike length, spike dry weight, spike partitioning coefficient and spike harvest index compared to durum wheat genotypes. However, a durum wheat genotype (RASCON_37/BEJAH_7) also exhibited higher values amongst the durum wheat genotypes. There were significant correlations among spike traits with the strongest association shown between spike partitioning coefficient and spike harvest index. Based on the results, any water limitation during the floral initiation to the anthesis stage have been caused negative effects on spike structure and its related trait

The Performance of Durum and Bread Wheat Genotypes Associated with Yield and Yield Component under Different Water Deficit Conditions

Abstract: Although drought stress has been well documented as an effective parameter in decreasing crop production in arid and semi arid regions, developing and releasing new varieties which are adaptable to water deficit conditions can be a constructive program to overcome unsuitable environmental conditions. The present study was carried out to study the performance of durum and bread wheat genotypes in relation to yield and yield component under different water deficit conditions. The experiment was laid out in split plot based on a complete randomized block design, with three replications at Mashhad Agricultural Research stations in Iran. Irrigation regimes were considered as the main plots and included four levels. Sub-plots were assigned to five wheat genotypes, four durum promising lines and a bread wheat cultivar. The number of spike m , number -2 of kernel spike , 1000-kernel weight, plant height, day to maturity, maturity duration, harvest index -1 and grain yield were highly significant (P<0.01) affected by water deficit conditions and genotype effects. In addition to this, the effect of genotype on the biological and grain yield was significant (P<0.05). It was observed that water limitation significantly decreased plant height in the early water deficit, while water limitation during double ridge to anthesis reduced the number of spike m and -2 number of kernel spike . Besides, water deficit condition at post-anthesis decreased the number of day -1 to maturity, maturity duration, 1000-kernel weight, harvest index and grain yield. Chamran bread wheat cultivar and a promising durum wheat genotype (RASCON_37/BEJAH_7) produced the highest values for the plant height, kernel numbers, harvest index traits and lastly grain yield compared to all the other genotypes

The Influence of 1-Triacontanol on the Growth, Flowering, and Quality of Potted Bougainvillea

Selected physiological and biochemical parameters were monitored at the vegetative and reproductive growth stages in potted Bougainvillea plants treated with five different concentrations of TRIA. Advanced flowering, flower bud number, and blooming rate increased significantly with 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. Similarly, photosynthetic rate, pigment content, quantum yield, and stomatal conductance increased significantly with 2.5, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. Higher levels of N, P, and K, as well as increased total soluble solids (TSS) and higher sugar and protein contents, were recorded in treated plants. Furthermore, 46% more flowers, a 1.5-fold increase in bract weight, increased longevity, and 40% less leaf abscission were recorded following 2.5 mg/L TRIA treatment. Phenol and flavonoid contents, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), and antioxidant activities were also markedly increased with 2.5 and 1.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. However, ethylene production was significantly lower in the treated plants. Positive correlations were observed between leaf TSS and flowering time and flower number, between leaf sugar content and bract weight, and between net photosynthesis and bract growth and dry matter production. It can be concluded that the foliar spray of TRIA stimulates growth, enhances flowering, and improves the quality of potted Bougainvillea plants

Effects of the phloemic stress on the growth, development and quality of wax apple (Syzygium samarangense) cv. Jambu madu

A study was carried out to investigate the effects of different girdling techniques on the growth, development and quality of red wax apple fruits (Syzygium samarangense). Selected horticultural parameters were monitored at one week interval during the growth period from December 2008 to October 2010, using I, C, V shaped, 50%, and 100% girdling. Girdling was applied 2 weeks before flowering. The results showed that the C-shaped girdling technique produced the best results with regard to the fruit setting and chlorophyll content in comparison to the control and the other girdling techniques employed. Furthermore, C-shaped girdling enhanced faster fruit growth producing the best final fruit length and diameter. In addition to significantly increased yield, juice percentage, leaf dry matter, biomass and TSS content of fruits. It was also observed that 50% girdling decreased fruit dropping. V-shaped girdling also increased the number of bud and reduced bud dropping compared to control. I-shaped girdle fruits produced the highest amount of K+ content in fruit juice compared to other treatments. The color development of the fruit peel in 100% girdling was also the highest among the treatments. From this study, it can be concluded that C-shaped girdling applied two weeks before flowering produced better fruit growth, yield and quality of red wax apple fruits under field conditions

The influence of hydrogen peroxide on the growth, development and quality of wax apple (Syzygium samarangense, [Blume] Merrill & L.M. Perry var. jambu madu) fruits

The present study represents the first report of the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the growth, development and quality of the wax apple fruit, a widely cultivated fruit tree in South East Asia. The wax apple trees were spray treated with 0, 5, 20 and 50 mM H2O2 under field conditions. Photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, transpiration, chlorophyll and dry matter content of the leaves and total soluble solids and total sugar content of the fruits of wax apple (Syzygium samarangense, var. jambu madu) were significantly increased after treatment with 5 mM H2O2. The application of 20 mM H2O2 significantly reduced bud drop and enhanced fruit growth, resulting in larger fruit size, increased fruit set, fruit number, fruit biomass and yield compared to the control. In addition, the endogenous level of H2O2 in wax apple leaves increased significantly with H2O2 treatments. With regard to fruit quality, 20 mM H2O2 treatment increased the K+, anthocyanin and carotene contents of the fruits by 65%, 67%, and 41%, respectively. In addition, higher flavonoid. phenol and soluble protein content, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and antioxidant activities were recorded in the treated fruits. There was a positive correlation between peel colour (hue) and TSS, between net photosynthesis and SPS activity and between phenol and flavonoid content with antioxidant activity in H2O2-treated fruits. It is concluded that spraying with 5 and 20 mM H2O2 once a week produced better fruit growth, maximising the yield and quality of wax apple fruits under field conditions. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Influence of water deficit during different growth and developmental stages on the contribution of stored pre-anthesis assimilates to grain in selected durum and bread wheat genotypes

Under water deficit conditions, declining photosynthesis and the subsequent decline in assimilates during the grain filling stage can increase the contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates stored in the stems, to grain filling in order to prevent severe reduction in grain yield. Results of the present study, which tested five durum and bread wheat genotypes under four irrigation regimes in different growth and developmental stages, have shown that apart from the contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates to grain filling, which increased during the one-leaf until grain filling period under water deficit, dry matter translocation and dry matter translocation efficiency decreased at the floral initiation to grain filling stage. The remobilization contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates increased by 20 under water limitation during grain filling compared to optimum irrigation. In addition to this, genotype G2 (durum wheat) and cultivar G3 (bread wheat) exhibited the highest contribution of preanthesis assimilates to grain filling, which was associated with longer day to the heading and the plant height under the optimum moisture conditions. Furthermore, the spike dry weight, spike harvest index and spike partitioning coefficient were also higher in the G2 and G3 genotypes. © 2009, INSInet Publication

Isolation and Identification of Myo-Inositol Crystals from Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

Crystals isolated from Hylocereus polyrhizus were analyzed using four different approaches—X-ray Crystallography, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and identified as myo-inositol. The X-ray crystallography analysis showed that the unit-cell parameters were: a = 6.6226 (3) Å, b = 12.0462 (5) Å, c = 18.8942 (8) Å, α = 90.00, β = 93.98, δ = 90.00. The purity of the crystals were checked using HPLC, whereupon a clean single peak was obtained at 4.8 min with a peak area of 41232 μV*s. The LC-MS/MS technique, which is highly sensitive and selective, was used to provide a comparison of the isolated crystals with a myo-inositol standard where the results gave an identical match for both precursor and product ions. NMR was employed to confirm the molecular structure and conformation of the crystals, and the results were in agreement with the earlier results in this study. The discovery of myo-inositol crystals in substantial amount in H. polyrhizus has thus far not been reported and this is an important finding which will increase the marketability and importance of H. polyrhizus as a crop with a wide array of health properties