Influence of Lead and Cadmium on Some Physiologic Indices of Allium Cepa

The influence of the two heavy metals (Pb and Cd), in different concentrations, on the seeds germination and roots growing of Allium cepa of the two varieties (yellow onion and red onion), was studied. Sterilized Petri boxes were used; the germination substratum was cotton wool; the seeds were disinfected and wetted in appropriate solutions. For every working variant, 50 seeds of yellow onion and red onion were put in every Petri box. The following variants were used: V 1 - control, distilled water; V 2 - 0.1%Pb acetate; V3 - 0.4%Pb acetate; V4 - 0.1%Cd sulphate; and V5 - 0.4%Cd sulfate. In order to determine the germinative energy, the counting was performed after 5 days and for the germinative faculty after 11 days. The obtained results proved that the germinative energy and the germinative faculty were much more reduced for the red onion than for the yellow onion. As about lead, the best tolerance is that of the yellow onion; and for cadmium, the best tolerance is that of the red onion. The presence of heavy metals in the germination environment determines a reduced growing pace for the roots. By comparison, we may state that the most toxic is lead; for concentrations of 0.4% the roots of the yellow onion appeared only in the 18 th culture day

Earliness and Blooming Time in the Tulip Collection of “Al. Borza†Botanical Garden, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

The present paper reveals the results of a study on the tulip collection in the environmental conditions of “Al. Borza†Botanical Garden Cluj-Napoca, concerning two characteristics: earliness of flowering and blooming time. Most tulip cultivars are originated in the Netherlands where environmental conditions are different from those in Cluj-Napoca. The tulip collection of “Alexandru Borza†Botanical Garden of Cluj-Napoca has been set up in order to maintain its decorative value as long as possible. In this regard, there were planted cultivars with various ranges of earliness of flowering and long duration of blooming period. Flowering time of the tulips, which make up the “Alexandru Borza†Botanical Garden of Cluj-Napoca collection last between 6-22 days. The blooming period of these cultivars is not as homogenous within the groups as expected, each group exhibiting cultivars with shorter or longer flowering period than the mean of experiment. The main objective of this study was to identify the genetic sources for earliness and blooming period, which could be used in a breeding program for early flowering tulips, as it is stated by most of the important tulip breeding.  Â

The Assessement of the Compositional and Microbiological Parameters of some Meat Products Manufactured in a Small Processing Unit

The hygienic quality of meat products can be substantially improved by respecting strictly the rules of Good Hygienic Practice (GHP) and the rules of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) along the entire food chain.The aim of this study was to evaluate the compositional and hygienic parameters of meat and meat products processed in a small scale processing unit, and to assess the microbial risk represented by the total plate count, E. coli and Salmonella spp. The research materials were collected from a small scale meat processing unit located in Maramures County during January-Mai 2014, 15 samples from each of the following types of products: fresh pork meat, smoked salami, cold smoked sausages, raw dry smoked specialities. In order to assess the quality of meat products, all the samples were processed through standardized protocols. Also, the results were statistically analysed using ANOVA monofactorial analysis. Some compositional parameters are accordence with the standards (salt, nitrates and total ammonia content). For the previously mentioned category of products the following compositional parameters were not in accordence with the maximum and minimum limits of the standards: proteins, fatness and humidity. The microbial load ranged between 3.56± 0.32 and 5.85 ± 0.22 log cfu/cm2, 20% of samples presented elevated values according with EU standards. The main nonconformities identified regarding compositional parameters in case of smoked salami were the lower values for protein content and the higher values in case of fat. Regarding the fresh sausages nonconformities they were represented mainly by the increased moisture and fat content. In case of raw meat products, the identified nonconformities were represented by the low protein and high fat and moisture content. The microbiological risk parameters were represented by total bacterial load, E. coli and Salmonella was low in all meat products except for fresh raw meat, because total bacterial load exceeds the maximum limits

PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC CORELLATIONS AMONG QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS CONFERRING ORNAMENTAL VALUE IN GILLYFLOWER (M. INCANA L.)

Seven cultivars of gillyflower (Matthiola incana L.), differentiated on the basis of their homogeneity of distinctive plant and flower characters (height of plant, flower color, predominance of plants with composite flowers) were tested in three successive years (2003-2005) in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania. The experiment aimed at an accurate evaluation of respective cultivars on the basis of their performances for six quantitative characters considered as having ornamental value (plant height, no. of inflorescences/plant, no. of flowers in inflorescence, flower diameter, start of blooming and persistence of flowering). Heritability in wide sense (H) was computed for these six characters and phenotypic and genotypic correlations among all possible pairs of characters were evaluated and discussed in view of efficiency of tandem selection

A New Source of Genetic Resistance to Potato Blight (Phytophthora infestans)

Abstract. A local potatoes selection was evaluated, under field condition, for its resistance to potato blight (Phytophthora infestans). Data obtained during 2011-2013 assessments suggest that this selection is highly resistant to potato blight (AD = 0,03%) and could be used as a source for breeding new varieties genetically resistant to this disease. Since there were no reliable data concerning the origins of this selection, it was named MB-1

VARIABILITY OF SEVERAL QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS OF ORNAMENTAL VALUE IN MATTHIOLA GENUS

Two species of Matthiola (M. incana L. and M. longipetala ssp. bicornis) as well as eight cultivars of M. incana were analysed in three succesive years (2003-3005) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and biometrics were computed for seven quantitative characters (plant height, no. of inflorescences/plant, no of flowers in inflorescence, flower diameter, length of siliqua, start of blooming and persistence of flowering) wich are considered of interest in breeding programs for ornamental purposes. It is quite obvious, from data discussed in the paper, that in plants with simple flowers the studied characters showed low to medium variability, coeficients of variability higher than 30% being registered only for no. of flower/inflorescence. When the two species are compared, the differences are always negative in the favor of M. incana and significant for all characters under study. Similarlly with results obtained in plants with simple flowers, the values of coefficients of variability were low to medium for most of the analysed characters but excceptions are more often found. Thus, very high variability can be found in the no. of inflorescences/plant, no. of flowers/inflorescence and start of blooming. Similar results on earliness of blooming were reported by YANIV et.al., 1992. This means that for such characters there are fair possibilities of choosing valuable genitors for breeding programs in Matthiola as well as attaining an acceptable genetic advance through simple individual selection either in natural populations or in hybrid ones

The Diversity of the Genus Diplotaxis and the Spreading of the Species

The neglected and underutilized crops are more and more advertised due to the recognition of their nutritional value. Some of these species are used as crop wild relatives in plant breeding, for the infusion of useful characters in the commercial varieties and others are used as fourth generation vegetables. Different scientific reports on their chemical composition and the benefic effect on the human health to the conclusion that the wild rocket is a desirable vegetable. This is the case of the genus Diplotaxis , with its 31 species showing a wide degree of heterogeneity in the morphology, chromosome number and geographical distribution of these species. The accessions within the genus Diplotaxis  are investigated worldwide especially D. tenuifolia and D. muralis , because there is an increasing interest in them due to the fact that they are picked or cultivated for human consumption. The origin of the genus Diplotaxis is considered the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East but its area of spreading is very wide. It was observed that the only areas that have not entered this very adaptable species are arctic and subarctic areas and East Asia. Although the species are so cosmopolitan, it is important to keep their diversity especially in the original places such as Romania for D. tenuifolia and D. muralis

PHENOTYPIC STABILITY OF MAIN APPLE CULTIVARS GROWN IN TRANSYLVANIA DETERMINED BY MEANS OF NONPARAMETRIC ANALYSES

Most often, in nominating promising genitors for apple breeding programs, their performance stability stands as a major criterion. This means that an increase in speed, accessibility and accuracy of performance stability evaluation will translate into more efficient crossing programs in apple. Five apple cultivars, widely grown in Transylvania (Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Starkrimson, Idared, Florina) were analyzed in five commercial orchards located in areas with obvious different environments, during 2004 and 2005. Fruit yield as well as tree (height, crown diameter) and fruit (weight, size) characters were registered, the resulting data being evaluated by means of HUHN (1990a and 1990b) nonparametric stability indices: Si(1) = mean of the absolute rank differences of a genotype over environments and Si(2) = variance among the ranks over environments. For a genotype with maximum stability Si(1) = 0 and Si(2) = 0. The results obtained show that there is a fairly good correspondence between the two stability indices at the phenotypic level not only for fruit yield but also for fruit characters. It has to be emphasized the fact that the highest stability of fruit yield was found in Florina (Si(1) = 1.60 and Si(2) = 2.0) which is the only domestic variety tested in this experiment and, quite expectedly, best adapted to the studied environments. On the contrary, for fruit weight the highest stability indices were obtained with Jonathan, in 2004 (Si(1) = 1.70 and Si(2) = 0.800) and Florina and Jonathan in 2005, and the lowest with Idared (Si(1) = 2.3-3.2 in 2004 and 2.8-2.9in 2005) and Starkrimson ( Si(2) = 4.6-5,2 in 2005). Based on these results it could be stated that Huhn’s indices of stability seem to be a rather appropriate approach to achieving an accurate classification of genotypes on the basis of their phenotypic stabilit