Determination of yield and biochemical characteristics of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) grown in subtropical climate zone

Effects of cadmium and lead on seed germination, morphological traits, and essential oil composition of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

هدف انجام این آزمایش بررسی تغییرات عملکرد بوته، اسانس و برخی ویژگی­های فیزیولوژیک برگ دو اکوتیپ گیاه داروئی زوفایی به اعمال تنش رطوبتی بود. آزمایش در قالب طرح کرت­های خرد­شده بر پایه بلوک­های کامل تصادفی در سه تکرار و در دو سال (1395 و 1396) در مزرعه تحقیقاتی دانشگاه ایلام انجام گرفت. کرت­های اصلی شامل سه سطح تنش رطوبتی (آبیاری نرمال، تنش ملایم و تنش شدید) و کرت­های فرعی دربرگیرنده فاکتور فرعی شامل دو اکوتیپ گیاه زوفایی بود. نتایج آزمایش نشان داد که سطوح مختلف تیمارهای تنش رطوبتی بر صفات موردبررسی ازجمله عملکرد خشک برگ و بوته، درصد و عملکرد اسانس، شاخص سطح برگ، ارتفاع بوته و رنگیزه­ های فتوسنتزی تأثیر معنی­داری داشت. به‌طوری‌که افزایش فاصله آبیاری از آبیاری نرمال تا تنش شدید سبب کاهش معنی­دار تمامی صفات مذکور شد. بیشترین عملکرد خشک برگ، بوته، شاخص سطح برگ و کلروفیل a در تیمار آبیاری نرمال و بیشترین میزان درصد و عملکرد اسانس، کلروفیل b، کلروفیل کل و کاروتنوئید در تیمار تنش ملایم حاصل گردید. با توجه به یافته­های آزمایش اکوتیپ ملکشاهی ازنظر عملکرد خشک برگ و بوته، درصد و عملکرد اسانس نسبت به اکوتیپ سومار برتری داشت. نتیجه بررسی دوساله آزمایش نشان داد که طی سال دوم به دلیل افزایش ارتفاع و شاخص سطح برگ بوته­ ها، میانگین صفاتی از قبیل عملکرد خشک برگ و بوته و عملکرد اسانس 1.7 درصد نسبت به سال اول آزمایش افزایش نشان داد. ازآنجاکه دو اکوتیپ مورد آزمایش در طبیعت به‌صورت خودرو بوده و با شرایط اقلیمی ناپایدار و نامنظم بارشی سازگاری یافته­اند، بنابراین اعمال آبیاری منظم در کشت آن‌ها به‌صورت زراعی در مقایسه با ایجاد محدودیت آبی ملایم موجب پاسخ منفی این گیاه ازنظر درصد و عملکرد اسانس و سایر خصوصیات رشدی می­گردد که در مدیریت زراعی آن باید در نظر گرفته شود.

Aim: To study the effect of shade net on the growth characteristics of two medicinal plants viz., Tulsi and Indian Borage in terms of plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and flowering in relation to open condition.
 Place and Duration of Study: Lawspet, Puducherry, India between June 2018 and October 2018.
 Methodology: Tulsi and Indian Borage plants were grown in similar type of soil. The potted plants were kept in open, 35% and 75% shade net conditions and studied for 3 months. The plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area were measured including number of inflorescence branches for Tulsi.
 Results: The average air temperature was lower under shade net. Relative humidity was more in shade net conditions with maximum in 75% shade and least in open conditions. The number of leaves of Tulsi and Indian Borage recorded was maximum when grown under 35% shade and least in open conditions. Plant height was maximum in 75% shade for Tulsi and 35% shade in Indian Borage and least in open conditions on both the cases. Leaf area was maximum for both Tulsi and Indian Borage in 75% shade.
 Conclusion: Growth of the two medicinal plants was influenced by the microclimate conditions. The present study shows that the medicinal plants can be grown in shade net conditions to increase the yield of medicinally useful parts.

An experiment was conducted at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore, during 2017-18 to study the production potentials of CO (CR) 4 coriander sown under shade net house and open field environmental conditions. Observations on biometric and quality traits were recorded at every month of sowing so as to study the environmental influence on growth and yield of foliage coriander. Among the growing conditions, the plants grown under shade net house exhibited superior performance in terms of growth, yield and good quality on leafy coriander. The days taken for germination was earlier (7.67) in the seeds sown during October under shade net house condition compared to open field condition. The vegetative and yield attributes viz., plant height (29.88 cm), number of leaves (39.56) and yield (5.69 kg/plot) was found to be the highest during the month of October sown seeds followed by September month in green house condition. Whereas, in open condition sowing during the months of March, April and May seeds does not germinated which resulted in crop failure. In this study the yield was almost tripled under shade net house condition, as compared to open field condition.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of geographic variation on the risk of digital ulcer (DU) development in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.Methods: This cross-sectional, multicentre study evaluated patients with SSc from centres located in different geographic regions of Brazil (subtropical and tropical climate zones). Demographic and clinical data were collected.Results: The study included 141 patients with SSc (26 from the subtropical and 115 from the tropical zone). In total, 43 DUs were observed in 23 (16%) of the patients. By a simple logistic regression model, the presence of DUs was associated with a higher modified Rodnan skin score, previous necrosis or amputation of the extremities, flexion contracture of the fingers, active smoking, higher avascular score on capillaroscopy, higher severity of Raynaud’s phenomenon, a higher Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score, a higher visual analogue scale score for Raynaud’s phenomenon and overall disease, and the subtropical climate zone. Using multiple logistic regression, the presence of DUs was significantly associated with patients living in the subtropical climate zone [odds ratio (OR) = 5.4, p = 0.002], necrosis or amputation (OR = 5.2, p = 0.011), and a higher HAQ-DI score (OR = 2.6, p = 0.021).Conclusion: In this multicentre study in a continental country with different climates, patients with SSc living in a subtropical climate region had a 5.4 times higher risk of developing DUs than patients living in a warmer region (tropical climate), suggesting a more severe course of peripheral vasculopathy among patients living in geographic regions with relatively cold weather.

To investigate the effect of horsetail extract containing high silicon on morphological traits, growth, content, and compositions of essential oil of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) an experiment turned into carried out in the shape of a randomized complete block design with three replications. Foliar treatment of horsetail extract with zero, 0.5, 1, and 2% concentrations was applied on 6–8 leaf plants. The assessed traits include plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of sub-branches, leaf area index, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, total anthocyanin, the content of total phenol and total flavonoid, antioxidant activity, essential oil content, and compounds were measured. The findings demonstrated that the increase of silicon-containing horsetail extract enhanced the improved increase in growth and phytochemical trait values. The use of horsetail extract in the 2% treatment increased plant height, the number of leaves per plant, the number of sub-branches, leaf area index, fresh weight, and dry weight of the plant by 49.79, 45.61, 91.09, 99.78, 52.78 and 109.25%, respectively, compared to the control. The highest content of total phenol (2.12 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoid (1.73 mg RE/g DW), total anthocyanin (0.83 mg C3G/g DW), and antioxidant activity (184.3 µg/ml) was observed in the 2% extract treatment. The content of essential oil increased with increasing the concentration of horsetail extract, so the highest amount of essential oil was obtained at the concentration of 2%, which increased by 134.78% compared to the control. By using GC–MS, the essential oil was analyzed. The main components of the essential oil include methyl eugenol (12.93–25.93%), eugenol (17.63–27.51%), 1,8-cineole (15.63–20.84%), linalool (8.31–19.63%) and (Z)-caryophyllene (6.02–14.93%). Increasing the concentration of horsetail extract increased the compounds of eugenol, 1,8-cineole, and linalool in essential oil compared to the control, but decreased the compounds of methyl eugenol and (Z)-caryophyllene. Foliar spraying of horsetail extract, which contains high amounts of silicon, as a stimulant and biological fertilizer, can be a beneficial ingredient in increasing the yield and production of medicinal plants, especially in organic essential oil production.

Tomato crop is infested by large number of insect pests, causing significant yield loss. Fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera) feeds on fruits which leads to quality detoriation and economic loss. Genetic engineering is recognised as a viable tool to engineer resistance in crops against insect pests. Transgenic tomato plants over-expressing cry2AX1 gene under the control of CaMV35S promoter were developed. The T0 and T1 plants were characterized by PCR for the presence and segregation of transgenes. Segregation of cry2AX1 gene in T1 progeny plants followed the Mendelian pattern of monogenic inheritance of 3:1 ratio. The expression of Cry2AX1 at 55 days after sowing ranged from 0.034 to 0.219 µg/g of fresh leaf tissue and 0.030 to 0.249 µg/g of fresh leaf tissue at 80 days after sowing. Insect bioassay of detached leaf bits performed on the ELISA positive transgenic tomato plants against Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura resulted in mortality of neonates upto 100 per cent in H. armigera and 53 per cent in S. litura.

The current research was conducted on twenty plus trees of Peltophorum pterocarpum from different locations in Bihar to study the association among different morphological and biomass traits. It was found that PPT12 (Rajgir Park) and PPT4 (Muraura, Nalanda) performed better for germination metrics under open field and greenhouse conditions, respectively. PPT6 (Nari, Nalanda) and PPT13 (Sathopur, Nalanda) outperformed all other superior tree progenies in terms of morphological and biomass attributes in green house and open field conditions, respectively. The phenotypic coefficient of variability was greater than the genotypic coefficient of variability for all morphological and biomass variables tested under green house and field conditions, showing that the environment played a greater role. Germination value heritability was found to be high in both environments. High heritability with high genetic advance was associated with shoot length in greenhouse condition, indicating additive gene action. Under greenhouse conditions, the phenotypic correlation coefficients among the seedling parameters evaluated varied from a non-significant 0.211 (P=0.01) between shoot root ratio and root dry weight and between shoot length and collar diameter to a very significant 0.967 (P=0.01).Accessions showing higher values for one or the other attributes could be selected as parents for further improvement.

The present investigation was under taken in the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during August, 2023 to February, 2024. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with eight different dieffenbachia varieties, viz. Tropic Marianne, Star Bright, Picta, Sterling, Tropic Snow, Green Magic, Perfecta, Chandra, replicated thrice, under 50% shade net conditions. The variety V5 (Tropic Snow) recorded significantly better performance compared to other varieties, in terms of growth parameters like plant height (54.6 cm), number of leaves (11.2), plant spread (46.31 cm2), stem girth (11.6cm), leaf area (210.41 cm2), minimum leaf production interval (15 .3 days), plant growth index based on height of the plants (0.045), survival percentage (100%). The study concluded that the variety tropic snow observed to be the best at survival and establishment among other varieties under shade net condition.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of microbial biostimulants on the morphology and fruit of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus var. Poinsett) under greenhouse conditions. Theoretical Framework: Cucumber production is gaining importance among farmers due to its beneficial and nutritional potential; this, coupled with an increase in demand, leads to higher yields and higher incomes in a shorter period. However, new, sustainable alternatives have been sought to improve fruit quality through plant growth-promoting microorganisms. Method: Cucumber seeds (var. Poinsett) were inoculated directly onto the root with 10 mL of the inoculum. The microorganisms used were: Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Debaryomyces hansenii, and Mix (a combination of the three microorganisms). A completely randomized block experimental design was established with 5 treatments and 20 repetitions for each treatment with a total of 100 plants as experimental units. The variables evaluated were plant height, stem diameter, root length, root volume, plant yield, total sugars, and chlorophyll. The data were analyzed using SAS for Windows, version 9.1. Results and Discussion: According to the statistical results, treatment T1 (Trichoderma harzianum) was the one that achieved the best results on the study variables: plant height, stem diameter, yield per plant, quantification of total sugars (°Brix) and chlorophyll, followed by T2 (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens). The beneficial potential of various species of Trichoderma has been demonstrated. They can promote the growth of roots, stems and leaf area in plants because they favor the increase in nutrient absorption (Rodríguez-García and Vargas-Rojas, 2022). Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by reporting the potential of various microorganisms as agricultural production alternatives, which have a lower environmental impact while simultaneously improving economic efficiency and enhancing crop qualities.

Global warming and lack of irrigation water put immense pressure on the production of highly economic and water stress sensitive plants such as Ocimum basilicum which is commonly known as “basil”. The study aims to determine the morphological and physiological effects of trinexapac-ethyl (TE) foliar biweekly sprays with 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 L ha−1 and/or four irrigation intervals of 1, 2, 3 and 4 days on Ocimum basilicum bush green and purple ruffle cultivars grown in PVC containers under greenhouse conditions. After 8 weeks of irrigation intervals, basil cultivars exhibited significant reduction in leaf number and area, plant dry weight, root dry weight, plant height, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate, but increased essential oil content in leaves in both cultivars. The application of TE reduced leaf number, leaf area, plant dry weight and plant height but increased root dry weight, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and essential oil content in leaves in both cultivars compared to untreated plants at different irrigation intervals. The 4 days irrigation intervals and TE spray with 0.3 L ha−1 increased leaves essential oils quality and quantity compared to 1 day irrigation intervals in untreated plants, but at the same time reduced economic parameters such as plant dry weight. The results of this study suggest the possibility of growing basil cultivars under prolonged irrigation intervals using TE foliar sprays; however, the economic revenue needs to be evaluated. Reduction of plant biomass, increased root weight, and protective effects of TE on photosynthetic efficiency play a major role in drought avoidance mechanism in basil cultivars grown under moderate drought conditions.

Morphophysiological and phytochemical responses to cadmium and lead stress in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)

Vegetable and other crop producers face numerous challenges, including high input costs, water shortages, and soil degradation. Zeolite, a microporous aluminosilicate mineral with high cation exchange capacity and water retention properties, is receiving a growing research interest due to its positive effects as a soil amendment on various crops, including vegetables, however, specific studies on its impact on Swiss chard are relatively limited. This study investigated the effects of zeolite application on the growth and yield of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla) cv. Ford Hook Giant under greenhouse conditions over two growing seasons (2018 and 2019). Zeolite was applied at weight-to-weight ratios of 0:10, 1:9, 2:8, and 3:7 to sandy soil. Growth parameters (plant height, leaf area, and chlorophyll content) were monitored weekly, and fresh and dry yields were measured at 59 days after transplanting. Results indicated that zeolite application improved (p≤0.05) leaf area, leaf number, fresh and dry yield in the second growing season, including their growth rate per week. These improvements were linked to improved soil quality due to zeolite application. The initial season exhibited inconsistent trends, likely due to the integration period required for zeolite to stabilise in the soil system. Swiss chard leaf moisture also reduced (p≤0.05) with increased zeolite application in the second season, this was linked to Swiss chard cultivated under the zeolite-amended treatments having higher leaf growth which may have encouraged greater transpiration losses. Furthermore, chlorophyll content index and leaf moisture percentage showed limited direct correlation with yield, suggesting that growth parameters such as plant height and leaf area are better indicators of yield potential in Swiss chard. These findings demonstrate zeolite’s potential to enhance vegetable production, emphasising the need for a stabilisation period in sandy soils. Future research should explore the long-term effects of zeolite application on crop performance and soil health.

An experiment was conducted to find the effect of inorganicand organic fertilizers application on growth, yield andnutrient uptake of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) under shadenet condition. Fertigation with water soluble fertilizers at100 % RDF along with liquid phosphobacteria andvermicompost treatment (T7) showed the best performancein almost all the parameters studied in both the crops (I andII) with the highest mean plant height (16.76, 45.50 and 43.22cm), leaf area (260.23, 1929.95 and 1101.46 cm2) and dry matterproduction (419.40, 2008.17 and 2338.62 kg ha-1) on 30, 60and 90 DAS. The highest uptake of NPK also recorded in T7treatment with the highest mean nitrogen (11.60, 61.90 and76.76 kg ha-1), phosphorus (1.36, 7.21 and 12.75 kg ha-1) andpotassium uptake (11.60, 55.30 and 69.27 kg ha-1) on 30, 60and 90 DAS. Highest yield hectare-1 was also observed inthe same treatment with the value of 37.97 and 34.52 t ha-1 incrop I and II, respectively.

The recent development of technologies of the laboratory systems in microbiology, providing detailed genome sequencing, has paved the ways for isolating new pathogens and carrying out in-depth study of long-known microorganisms. Moreover, the progressing of science and technology contributes to study changes in the ecology of microorganisms and the epidemiological characteristics of their spreading over the world. These advances enable scientists to find out some "new" diseases, known as emergent infectious diseases. Emergent diseases have emerged as a new type of rapidly evolving, long-known infectious diseases. A prime example of an emergent infection is the Zika virus (ZIKV). ZIKV belongs to the family Flaviviridae of the Flavivirus genus. It was first isolated from the blood of a rhesus macaque in 1947 in East Africa (Uganda), in the Zika forest, where its name came from. A year later, in the same area, ZIKV was detected in mosquitoes of the Aedes africanus genus. For a long time following the initial isolation of ZIKV, isolated sporadic cases of the disease caused by this pathogen were recorded in Asia and Africa. In 2007, an ZIKV outbreak was reported on the island of YAP (Micronesia). This was the first outbreak outside Asia and Africa. Zika virus is primarily transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus in tropical and subtropical regions. But according to literature data, this virus can be spread by 17 species of mosquitoes of this genus. AE. aegypti and Ae. Albopictus have been known a leading role of spreading the infection. Considering that these mosquitoes are not only carriers of ZIKV, but also some other flavivirusiv representatives, their wide geographical distribution has become an issue of great concern. AE. aegypti mosquitoes are thermophilic and live only in tropical and subtropical climate zones and this fact has played as significant rope in the ZIKV spread. Ae. albopictus mosquitoes promote the circulation of this pathogen and cause a rapid expansion of the virus in the world, since this species has become widely distributed in countries of subtropical and temperate climate zones. To date, besides the main vector-borne transmission of the virus, there are a number of reports about ZIKV transplacental transmission from an infected mother to the foetus. ZIKV caused viral infection during the pregnancy results in microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development and abnormally small size of the skull. This viral infection can also lead to such complications as miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth. According to the literature, there is the connection between ZIKV and not congenital CNS abnormalities, but also with Guillain-Barre syndrome. There have been publications on not only ZIKV mosquito transmission and transplacental transmission, but a few reports on ZIKV sexual transmission when no barrier contraceptives are used. ZIKV can be isolated from ejaculate within 14-28 days from the onset of the first symptoms of the disease.