ABSTRACT There is a high retail demand for ‘Crimson Seedless’ grape. Cluster shape, berry size, colour, and sugar contents influence the overall fruit quality and marketability. In many commercial vineyards of flood-irrigated clay soils under warm and humid semi-arid climates, adequate irrigation may lead to an enhanced fruit set that could potentially be associated with restricted berry growth, compact clusters, and poor berry colour and taste. To assess the role of some agronomic practices that may influence the canopy microclimate, and affect primary and secondary metabolites, seven treatments arranged in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) system with three replicates each (three vines per replicate) were applied as follow; the control (T1), 5-leaf basal defoliation at pre-bloom (BDPB) (T2), BDPB + foliar spray (FS) of 200 mg · L–1 salicylic acid (SA) (T3), BDPB + FS of 20 mg · L–1 cyanocobalamin (CCA) (T4), 5-leaf basal defoliation at full bloom (BDFB) (T5), BDFP + SA (T6) and BDFB + CCA (T7). Foliar applications were applied at 1) 2 weeks after the beginning of vegetative growth, 2) full bloom and 3) veraison stages. The analysis of variance (ANOVA), the principle component analysis (PCA) and the two-way hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated that BDPB (T2) generally has a better effect than that of BDFB (T5). The most pronounced effect on vegetative growth (shoot length and leaf area), photosynthesis activity (leaf chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents), fruit weight and dimensions, and total yield was observed in the case of T3, followed by T6, whereas concerning berry firmness, colour (anthocyanins) and sensory characteristics (soluble solids: acids ratio, total sugars and phenols), the most pronounced effect was observed in the case of T4, followed by T7.

ABSTRACT This paper describes research conducted on the polyphenolic compounds found in wine and different parts of the grapevine. The research consisted of two experiments. In the first, extracts of polyphenols from the leaves, stems, skins and seeds were measured. In the second, these parts were macerated and left in the must during fermentation. For this experiment, the Souvignier gris wine grape variety was used. In both cases, 33 polyphenolic compounds were measured. These measurements were made using the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Based on the results, the individual concentrations of all the polyphenolic compounds in different parts of the plant were measured. Addition of the individual parts of the grapevine to the must during fermentation was shown to increase the concentration of the individual polyphenols in the wine. It is therefore important not to forget the importance of the stems and the maceration of the grapes during the winemaking process.

ABSTRACT Impatiens is rich in germplasm resources, with more than 260 species in China. A study on the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the pollen characteristics were richly diverse, and there was some correlation among the characteristics. In addition, the micromorphological index can be used for an effective cluster analysis of Impatiens. However, there was high interspecific similarity in some Impatiens, and the classification of Impatiens cannot be accurate to the species using pollen characteristics. Based on the classification conditions of Impatiens, the characteristics of the pollen structure were found to be useful to classify Impatiens into subgenera or smaller groups. The macroscopic characteristics and the number of sepals (NS) were used as references, which enabled the conclusion that there were 11 indices in the pollen micromorphological index, and the taxonomic effect was greater than the NS. In summary, the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens plays an important role in the classification of Impatiens. The purpose of this study was to explore this characteristic of Impatiens, which has some reference significance to supplement the pollen characteristics and palynological classification of Impatiens. The goal for this research was to aid in the interspecific identification and genetic breeding of Impatiens.

ABSTRACT Scanning microscopic imaging has become a valuable research tool in micromorphology with improved techniques playing an important role in analysing the ultrastructure of leaf specimens. The foliar epidermal anatomy of 25 selected poisonous plants with special emphasis on stomata and trichomes was reported using microscopic techniques, for instance, light micrographs (LMs) and scanning micrographs (SEMs). This study aimed to investigate micromorphologies of studied species that are helpful for the identification of poisonous plants. Plants were collected, pressed, dried, identified and then analysed for microscopic study. For making microscopic slides, 1 or 2 leaves were taken in a test tube and dipped in 30% nitric acid and 70% lactic acid for few minutes, and then placed on petri plates for separating the epidermis. Numerous quantitative and qualitative foliar anatomical features of adaxial and abaxial surfaces, including epidermal cell shapes, stomata size, subsidiary cell size, the pattern of the anticlinal wall, the morphology of the stomatal complex and trichome diversity, were examined. A small number of the considered species had anomocytic and anisocytic stomata; a few species had paracytic stomata, for instance, Ricinus communis, Euphorbia royleana, Buxus pilosula and Sorghum halepense; and only Ipomoea carnea had cyclocytic stomata in the studied taxa. The epidermal cells of the analysed species were irregular, while some exhibited polygonal, wavy, tetragonal and elongated cell morphologies. Overall, this study emphasises the significance of foliar micromorphology analysis as a valuable resource for identifying potentially poisonous plants and demonstrates its contribution to maintaining public welfare, thereby benefitting public health and safety.

ABSTRACT Natural and environmental-friendly approaches to control pests and diseases in horticultural production systems are showing an increasing trend. Biological alternatives, such as botanical extracts and basic substances, show promise in the reduction of the necessity for conventional plant protectants. In ornamentals, less is known about the usage, behaviour and potential of botanicals and basic substances for plant protection. In two trials, we investigated the effect of a weekly foliar spray of an aqueous extract of nettle (Urtica sp.; dried material 15 g · L–1) on two aphids, Macrosiphum euphorbiae and Aulacorthum solani. Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse with Ranunculus asiaticus as hostplant. The Urtica tea and azadirachtin (NeemAzal-T/S) as a standard used in common horticultural production were compared with the water control. Both previously infested and noninfested plants were built up to examine the effect on aphid population growth and migration. As a result, we showed that both treatments, Urtica tea and azadirachtin, reduce the aphid density significantly in comparison with the water control, although the effect of the Urtica tea was not as substantial as that of azadirachtin. Contrarily, treatments could not prevent aphid migration on previously noninfested plants. The study demonstrates that the basic substance Urtica tea can be suitable for the reduction of aphid pests in ornamental plant production, and thus, reduce the amount of synthetic plant protectants in horticulture.

ABSTRACT This article reflects on the conventional open pollination breeding method of the genus Hylotelephium. Six-year-old seedlings were evaluated and compared with the mother plants for 3 years. A total of 1 063 seedlings were evaluated (54 in the H. ‘Red Cauli’, 90 descendants in the H. ‘Xenox’, 919 descendants in the H. ‘Purple Emperor’). This study deals with six evaluated characters of vegetative parts of plants (habit, height and width of plants, length and width of leaves and the colour of the upper side of the leaves). The most significant phenotypic variability was confirmed for habit, plant height, leaf colour in summer and leaf length in population H. ‘Xenox’ and for spring colouration of lower leaves in population H. ‘Red Cauli’. The highest degree of variability was found for plant height, where the monitored populations split into a total of seven different sizes. On the contrary, the lowest degree of variability was demonstrated for the length and width of leaves, where all populations showed shorter and narrower leaves compared to the mother plants, with minimal differences.

ABSTRACT To improve the utilisation of mushroom residue waste resources and identify a replaceable matrix material for peat, 10 different formula substrates and three commercially available substrates were examined to determine their physiochemical properties. Furthermore, the correlation and influence of these physicochemical properties on the substrates were explored. Pot experiments were conducted using Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino var. communis Tsen et Lee (cabbage), Brassica chinensis L. (pakchoi), Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber), and Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex-Poiret (pumpkin). The results showed that the matrix was most significantly affected by water-holding porosity, aeration porosity, air-water ratio, total porosity, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorous (AP), and available potassium (AK). The random forest (RFF) model indicated that pH and total nitrogen (TN) had the strongest influence on the plant height and stem diameter of the cabbage. Moreover, pH, water-holding porosity, and total porosity most significantly influenced the plant height, stem diameter, and seedling vigour index. AP and air-water ratio substantially affected the root length and root-to-crown ratio of the cucumbers, while EC, air-water ratio, and AP influenced the stem diameter, root length, and seedling vigour index of the pumpkin most. The biological characteristics of the four vegetables during the pot experiment indicated that the overall effect of the 10 substrates supplemented with perlite and vermiculite was better than in the basic group. Of these, T2 (mushroom waste: sawdust: catalyst: vermiculite = 8:2:5:5) displayed the best result and could be used as an alternative for peat seedling.

ABSTRACT Strawberry fruit quality traits can be affected by genotype-environment interactions, which determine the consumer acceptance of fruits. This factorial experiment was based on completely randomised blocks (RCBD) with two planting dates (5 and 20 April) and cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘San Andreas’ and ‘Portola’) of strawberry with three replications, and some of pomological and qualitative factors of berry were investigated at harvest. The results showed no significant difference on fruit width, length, weight and firmness, while the plant yield and stem diameter (SD) were affected by different cultivars and planting dates. The minimum SD (19.80) was recorded in cv. ‘Portola’ in the planting date of 20 April. Although the lowest fruit yield was achieved in cv. ‘Portola’ at both planting dates, it had the highest titratable acidity (TA) (0.83%) at the first planting date (5 April). The amount of soluble solid concentration (SSC), electrolyte conductivity (EC), pH, TA and chlorophyll were not affected by cultivar and planting dates. The effect of planting dates and cultivar had no significant effect on berry colour. The highest total phenolic (275.44 mg GAE · 100 mL-1 FW) was recorded in cv. ‘San Andreas’ on the planting date of 20 April, while the lowest value (251.22 mg GAE · 100 mL-1 FW) was recorded in cv. ‘Portola’ on the planting date of 5 April. In general, it is suggested that the least fruit yield in strawberry cv. ‘Portola’ can be correlated with the least SD of the cultivar.

ABSTRACT Pecan nut production is quite commonly limited by zinc (Zn) deficiency. Here, we evaluate the response in terms of the concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates, yield components, foliar nutrient levels and oxidative metabolism in young ‘Western Schley’ pecan nut trees in response to foliar applications of 200 mg · L−1 of Zn as one of the following: ZnSO4, Zn-EDTA, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) or the proprietary product ‘nitrazinc’ (NZN) (the control). Across two consecutive growing seasons, the spraying of Zn in these various forms helped maintain the foliar concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates, foliar nutrients (total-N, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and the kernel percentage of nuts. Likewise, trees sprayed with ZnSO4 maintained the concentrations of Zn in the leaflets across seasons. On the other hand, Zn-EDTA decreased the concentration of chlorophyll and total carotenoids. In general, leaflets treated with ZnSO4, Zn-EDTA and ZnO NPs reduced their oxidative metabolism. Sources of Zn – such as ZnSO4 – are commercially viable alternatives suitable for increasing the performance of some parameters associated with the yield and quality of nuts in pecan. It would be worthwhile to determine the optimal Zn dose rates for the various pecan cultivars in common use and also to increase our understanding of the physiological and biochemical changes associated with foliar Zn applications.

ABSTRACT Phillyrea latifolia L. is a type of shrubland, which is widely known as mock privet, and belongs to the Oleaceae family. The objective of this study was to compare and assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts of the fruit and leaves of P. latifolia L. Phenolics were analysed by detecting individual bioactive compounds using an LCMS-2020 quadrupole mass spectrometer and by calculating total phenolic content (TPC). For the first time, the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of both leaves and fruit were determined using DPPH radical scavenging. The aqueous extract was indicated to have higher antioxidant activities than ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. The individual constituents within the different extracts for both fruit and leaves were detected as the luteolin-7-O-glucoside in the ethyl acetate (854 μg · g–1 and 1,098 μg · g–1), methanol (1,241 μg · g–1 and 2,136.43 μg · g–1) and aqueous (509 μg · g–1 and 898.23 μg · g–1) extracts, respectively. Extractions of ethyl acetate and methanol demonstrated stronger inhibitory activity against human salivary α-amylase than the aqueous extract of both parts of the mock privet. Similarly, extraction of ethyl acetate from the leaves and fruit of the mock privet indicated significantly better inhibitory activity than the methanol and aqueous extracts, respectively, for the inhibition of α-glucosidase activity. This study indicates that both fruit and leaves of mock privet may use as a potential source of natural biomolecules to promote healthy activities.