Storage Temperature Influences Postharvest Quality of Wild Plum (Ximmenia Americana L.) Fruit

Wild plum has many medicinal, therapeutic and nutritive uses, but its fruits are collected in the wild and less researched. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of storage tem­perature on postharvest fruit quality of wild plum. The fruits of wild plum were subjected to different storage treatments at 0, 5, 10 and 15 ± 1°C in a completely randomized design. The results showed that as storage temperature decreased below 15°C, the incidence and severity of chilling injury significantly (p<0.05) increased. As storage temperature increased from 0 to 15°C fruit titratable acidity (TTA) and vitamin C content significantly (p< 0.05) decreased, but juice pH, soluble solids content (SSC) and weight loss significantly (p< 0.05) increased. The decrease in TTA and vitamin C content, and increase in SSC and juice pH was attributed to fruit ripening. The increase in fruit weight loss was attributed to higher transpiration and respiration. It was concluded that to extend the storage-life and marketing period of wild plum fruits, the fruits should be stored at 15°C and 90-95% RH. Keywords: Ximenia americana, Chilling injury and incidence, Vitamin C, Soluble solids content, Acidit

SAFFLOWER GENOTYPE BY PLANT DENSITY ON YIELD AND PHENOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a temperate plant grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, and is the most drought tolerant oilseed crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of genotype and plant density on growth, phenology and yield of safflower. Treatments included five safflower genotypes and six plant densities laid out in a randomised block design. Increasing plant density from 62,500 to 100,000 plants ha-1 significantly (P < 0.05) increased leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), total leaf chlorophyll content (Tchl) and net assimilation rate (NAR) at all phenological stages in both winter and summer. For all genotypes, the highest LAI, LAD, Tchl, NAR, total dry matter accumulation (TDM) and seed yield resulted at a plant density of 100,000 plants ha-1. Maximum LAI, LAD, NAR and Tchl were observed at 50% flowering, compared to other phenological stages in all genotypes and plant densities. In general, genotype \u2018Sina\u2019 at 100,000 plants ha-1 significantly (P < 0.05) had the highest LAI, LAD, Tchl, TDM and seed yield compared to other genotypes and plant densities in both summer and winter.Le carthame ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) est une plante temp\ue9r\ue9e cultiv\ue9e dans les r\ue9gions arides et semi-arides du monde. Il est la plante ol\ue9agineuse la plus tol\ue9rante \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer l\u2019effet du g\ue9notype et de la densit\ue9 v\ue9g\ue9tale sur la croissance, la ph\ue9nologie et le rendement du carthame. Les traitements comprenaient cinq g\ue9notypes de carthame et six densit\ue9s de plantes dispos\ue9es dans une conception en blocs randomis\ue9s. L\u2019augmentation de la densit\ue9 v\ue9g\ue9tale de 62500 \ue0 100000 plantes ha-1 de mani\ue8re significative (P <0,05) a augment\ue9 l\u2019indice de surface foliaire (LAI), la dur\ue9e de la surface foliaire (DAL), la teneur totale en chlorophylle des feuilles (Tchl) et le taux net d\u2019assimilation (NAR) \ue0 toutes les \ue9tapes ph\ue9nologiques en hiver et en \ue9t\ue9. Pour tous les g\ue9notypes, les plus hauts LAI, LAD, Tchl, NAR, l\u2019accumulation totale de mati\ue8re s\ue8che (TDM) et le rendement en graines ont abouti \ue0 une densit\ue9 v\ue9g\ue9tale de 100 000 plantes ha-1. Un maximum de LAI, LAD, NAR et Tchl a \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9 \ue0 50% de floraison, par rapport \ue0 d\u2019autres \ue9tapes ph\ue9nologiques dans tous les g\ue9notypes et densit\ue9s v\ue9g\ue9tales. En g\ue9n\ue9ral, le g\ue9notype \uabSina\ubb \ue0 100 000 plantes ha-1 (P <0,05) avait le rendement en LAI, LAD, Tchl, TDM et en graines le plus \ue9lev\ue9 par rapport aux autres g\ue9notypes et densit\ue9s v\ue9g\ue9tales en \ue9t\ue9 et en hiver

Surface sterilant effect on the regeneration efficiency from cotyledon explants of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties adapted to eastern and Southern Africa

Five groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties - ICGV-12991, ICGV-99568, ICGV-90704, CG-2 and Chalimbana - that are adapted to Eastern and Southern Africa were compared to variety JL 24 for their regeneration response in tissue culture. Sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride were compared for efficiency as sterilizing agents and subsequent effect on regeneration. All five varieties formed shoot buds that elongated well on shoot elongation medium. ICGV-90704 and Chalimbana performed better than the other three varieties for shoot organogenesis although all varieties produced healthy rooted plants in vitro that were successfully transferred to the greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth, flowering and seed set. Both sterilizing agents were suitable, but mercuric chloride was less harmful than sodium hypochlorite. This study established a basis for genetic engineering activities on African groundnuts in the future

Reducing the role of the food, tobacco, and alcohol industries in non-communicable disease risk in South Africa

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) impose a growing burden on the health, economy, and development of South Africa. According to the World Health Organization, four risk factors, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity, account for a significant proportion of major NCDs. We analyze the role of tobacco, alcohol, and food corporations in promoting NCD risk and unhealthy lifestyles in South Africa and in exacerbating inequities in NCD distribution among populations. Through their business practices such as product design, marketing, retail distribution, and pricing and their business practices such as lobbying, public relations, philanthropy, and sponsored research, national and transnational corporations in South Africa shape the social and physical environments that structure opportunities for NCD risk behavior. Since the election of a democratic government in 1994, the South African government and civil society groups have used regulation, public education, health services, and community mobilization to modify corporate practices that increase NCD risk. By expanding the practice of health education to include activities that seek to modify the practices of corporations as well as individuals, South Africa can reduce the growing burden of NCDs