Concentration Levels Of Solution Research Articles

Effect of topographic slope on the export of nitrate in humid catchments: a 3D model study

Abstract. Excess export of nitrate to streams affects ecosystem structure and functions and has been an environmental issue attracting worldwide attention. The dynamics of catchment-scale solute export from diffuse nitrogen sources can be explained by the changes of dominant flow paths, as solute attenuation (including the degradation of nitrate) is linked to the age composition of outflow. Previous data-driven studies suggested that catchment topographic slope has strong impacts on the age composition of streamflow and consequently on in-stream solute concentrations. However, the impacts have not been systematically assessed in terms of solute mass fluxes and solute concentration levels, particularly in humid catchments with strong seasonality in meteorological forcing. To fill this gap, we modeled the groundwater flow and nitrate transport for a small agricultural catchment in Central Germany. We used the fully coupled surface and subsurface numerical simulator HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to model groundwater and overland flow and nitrate transport. We computed the water ages using numerical tracer experiments. To represent various topographic slopes, we additionally simulated 10 synthetic catchments generated by modifying the topographic slope from the real-world scenario. Results suggest a negative correlation between the young streamflow fraction and the topographic slope. This correlation is more pronounced in flat landscapes with slopes <1:60. Flatter landscapes tend to retain more N mass in the soil (including mass degraded in soil) and export less N mass to the stream, due to reduced leaching and increased degradation. The mean in-stream nitrate concentration shows a decreasing trend in response to a decreasing topographic slope, suggesting that a large young streamflow fraction is not sufficient for high in-stream concentrations. Our results improve the understanding of nitrate export in response to topographic slope in a temperate humid climate, with important implications for the management of stream water quality.

On-station evaluation of straws and stovers with urea to increase utilization in Somali Region

Wheat straw (WS), barley straw (BS), sorghum stover (SS), and maize stover (MS) were subjected to different times of ensiling and urea treatment levels in order to identify the most effective ensiling time and urea treatment level to attain preferable nutritional aptitude. Both straws and stovers were treated with 0.40 and 0.50 g concentration levels of urea solution dissolved in 0.8 L of water and sealed plastic sheet for one to four weeks. Accordingly, to the general observation at the time of opening, there was no mold growth, appeared golden brown in color, and had soft consistency with a strong ammonia smell ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment. The chemical analyses and IVDMD were done at HRCL. The results showed that the urea level had a no-significant effect on all chemical compositions and IVDMD for all urea-treated straws and stovers. Therefore, treatment with 40 g urea may be more economical. On the other hand, negative and significant (P<0.001) correlations existed between IVDMD and fiber fractions for all treatments. While other quality parameters, IVDMD and CP, were strongly correlated (r=0.90) (P<0.01) for WS and BS. The results also revealed that the treatment duration on both straws and stovers should be 28 days. Key words: Treatment, ensiling time, chemical analysis, digestibility, crop residues.

Stress corrosion cracking of AISI 304 under chromium variation within the standard limits: Failure analysis implementing microcapillary method

This study focuses on the failure analysis of an industrial part made of AISI 304 that severely ruptured, while another identical part operated under identical service conditions has no sign of fracture. Various electrochemical polarization responses and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility were compared by employing the microcapillary method on representative samples. The dominant factor was identified to be the chromium (Cr) content variation within the range of standard designations. Various concentration levels of sodium chloride aqueous solution were studied for both strained and unstrained conditions. Results highlighted higher susceptibility to pitting and SCC for the specimens with lower Cr content, indicating a more severe condition at higher chloride concentrations.

EFFECT OF SUBSTRATES AND FERTIGATION ON GROWTH AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY OF MAGUEY PULQUERO PLANTS OF MEZQUITAL VALLEY LANDRACES

Maguey pulquero (Agave spp.) seedling cultivation is an emerging alternative capable of supply the demand of its diverse products. This research aimed to evaluate the growth and maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of three landraces of maguey pulquero young plants (10 months-old) germinated from seeds, growing under greenhouse within interaction effect of four substrates and four concentration levels of nutrient solution. The hypothesis was that phenotypic variation of young maguey pulquero landraces growing under greenhouse conditions could help to identify genotypes ideal for commercial production and to elucidate its nutrient and substrate requirements. The variables evaluated were: Fv/Fm, number of leaves, length and width (cm) of biggest leaf, and plant dry biomass (g), the results were analyzed by a two-way ANOVA and means comparison by Tukey’s test. The results demonstrated that Penca larga landrace (Agave mapisaga Trel.) had the highest values in all the growth variables evaluated compared to Manso and Xamini landraces (both A. salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck). Penca larga exhibited similar growth in the substrate agricultural soil and volcanic scoria mixture (SVM), and substrate agricultural soil alone (S) regardless of the nutrient solution concentration used, while both A. salmiana landraces exhibited total biomass reduction in the maximum nutrient concentration added in the S substrate (S+L4 treatment) compared to their respective effect on SVM substrate without nutrient addition (SVM+L1 treatment). All landraces exhibited growth inhibition in the commercial substrate mixture (CSM) and volcanic scoria alone (VS) without nutrient addition (CSM+L1 and VS+L1), while growth increase of all landraces in those substrates was relative to the increasing nutrient concentration. Photoinhibition was observed in all landraces in the treatment VS+L1. The growth variations observed across the landraces were helpful to identify potential genotypes ideal for commercial production and to set adequate substrates and nutrient requirements for agave cultivation,

Design of Bridge Type C-Band Planar RF Sensor for Detection of Solute Concentration Level in Water

In this paper, a planar Micro-strip-based bridge topology CSRR is proposed for the detection of various solute concentrations in water sample. The designed bridge topology CSRR (B-CSRR) sensors resonates at 5.18 GHz with a Q-factor of 170, which exhibits a fractional sensitivity (10.17%). To avoid the contamination of test liquids, use of the thin Teflon layer is incorporated on top of the sensor region. The numerical analysis of the sensors for various scenarios including the sensor loaded with several lossy samples are carried out and accordingly shift in resonant frequency is recorded. The optimized design topology helps to attain better electric field confinement at the resonant frequency, which eventually leads to improved dielectric sensitivity. In the next part, an equivalent circuit of the proposed sensor is developed using the Advanced Design System (ADS) software. Afterwards, the designed sensor is fabricated on 0.8mm thick Taconic TLY-5 substrate ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\boldsymbol {\varepsilon }_{r}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> = 2.2). Finally, the measurement of B-CSRR sensor is carried out for different solute concentration in pure water, which is in present scenario are salt and detergent concentration, respectively. The developed sensor is found to be quite sensitive which produces a substantial change in the measured insertion loss even for small variation in solute concentration. For instance, a typical 2% variation in detergent, and salt concentration leads to nearly 1.5 dB, and 2.0 dB, change in measured S21.

Pengaruh Berbagai Perlakuan Nutrisi Larutan Hidroponik Pada Pertumbuhan Tanaman Kangkung (Ipomoea aquatica)

Hydroponic cultivation systems are often applied to overcome the shortage of agricultural land in this case food crops, especially vegetables. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is the one of various ways to grow crops hydroponically. Hydroponic systems are carried out without the use of soil media and it can be an alternative solution for the efficient use of land. Uniformity of nutrients and nutrient solution concentration levels required to be adjusted. Nutrient solution as a water supply source and minerals. Nutrition is an important factor for the growth and quality of hydroponic plants should be appropriate in terms of the number of ion composition of nutrients. This study aimed to determined the effect of various treatments of hydroponic nutrient solution on plant growth kale. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications. Kale seed sowing in the growing media rockwool and nourished by nutrient A, nutrient B, combination of nutrients A and B (3: 1), or a combination of nutrients A and B (1: 3). Plant growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, wet weight, dry weight, and dry weight without root measured. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance ANOVA and DMRT test with α = 95%. The results showed that affect the nutrient solution hydroponic plant growth kale. Kale plants with a combination of nutrient A and nutrient B ratio of 3: 1 (treatment C) give the best response compared with other treatments.

Corrosion Characteristics of Anchor Cables in Electrolytic Corrosion Test and the Applicability of the Test Method in Study of Anchor Cable Corrosion

The selection of corrosion test method in the corrosion study of the prestressed anchors is an important issue. In this paper, the corrosion test of anchors was conducted with electrolytic corrosion test method. The corrosion characteristics of the anchor cables were examined. The effects of sodium chloride solution concentration, current, test time, and prestress level on corrosion were studied. The applicability of electrolytic corrosion method in anchor cable corrosion study is discussed subsequently. The results show that the corrosion of the anchor appears to be uniform corrosion. With the corrosion of the anchor, the central wire of the cable was basically not corroded, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer wire changes from a round to fan shape. The sodium chloride concentration and prestress level have no obvious effects on the corrosion of the anchor. The variation of test time does not affect the difference between the measured and theoretical calculated results, while a proper current in the electrolysis test may help reduce the difference. The measured corrosion rate fluctuates from −4% to 10% and tends to be higher compared with calculated results based on Faraday’s law. The study indicates that the electrolytic corrosion test is applicable in the anchor corrosion study.

Osmotic dehydration of bottle gourd (Legeneria siceraria)

Osmotic dehydration of fruits and vegetables an effective method for preservation. The Bottle gourd (Legeneria siceraria) belongs to Cucurbitaceous family. Average composition of fresh bottle gourd is constituted by water (96.0%), carbohydrates (2.5%), fibre (0.6%), proteins (0.2%) and calcium (20mg). The bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India subcontinental. It is moderately perishable vegetable. In this report, efforts were made to analyze the effect of different concentration, temperature and mass ratio of fruit to osmotic solution on osmotic dehydration process of bottle gourd cubes. comparative study for different parameters variables (solid gain weight reduction, water loss) was also studies. Five concentration levels of salt solution were 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% (w/w) used in this study to compare the effect of the concentration of the osmotic agents on osmotic dehydration. Bottle gourd cubes were immersed in the osmotic reagents with a fruit to osmotic solution mass ratio of 10:1, 20:1 and 30:1 soaking experiment were conducted at 40, 50 and 600C in a 500 mi capacity water bath. The osmotic dehydration was done for a period of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 h and replicated thrice. Quality analysis of osmotically dehydrated bottle gourd cubes was done according to ISI (1971) and Ranganna (1991) with 9-point hedonic scale. The moisture content of bottle gourd cubes observed decreases with higher concentration, temperature and mass ratio. The weight reduction, water loss and solid gain were very fast during initial period of osmosis but equilibrium did reach even after 9h. The solid gain, water loss and weight reduction were observed higher for higher temperature, concentration and mass ratio of bottle gourd cubes. The sensory evaluation performed for the approximately central conditions processing parameters gave average scores of 7 or above.

Effects of Copper (Cu) on Yield Components and Associated Traits in Segregating Populations of Lowland Rice (O. sativa L.)

Trace elements are very critical for rice growth of which Cu is one of the essential trace elements for rice and excess of cupper becomes toxic to rice growth. The aim of this study was to determine the productivity increase in rice crop and genotype reactions to application of Copper under the tropical rainforest condition. Three experiments were established concurrently in randomized complete block design in three replications in pots. Treatment comprised of 6 breeding lines each from two rice populations of F2 and F3 generations and two popular checks. Experiment one is the control without CuSO4 treatment, while experiment two and three is the F2 and F3 populations, respectively treated with CuSO4 solution. Three concentration levels of CuSO4 solution (15mg Cu /kg of soil, 30mg Cu /kg of soil and 60mg Cu /kg of soil) were applied into each pots a week before transplanting in the treated experiments. This study observed that at 30mg of Cu/kg of soil is the optimum level for rice performance based on these experiments beyond, reduction in rice performance. Reduction of 24.92% and 22.12% of total grain yield of F2 and F3 populations at 60mg of Cu/kg of soil as compared to the control were recorded, stable and high yielding genotypes across the copper concentration levels were identified for copper breeding programme.

Respon Kembang Kol Dataran Rendah Terhadap Kepekatan Nutrisi pada Floating Hydroponic System Termodifikasi

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Cauliflower has a high consumption level but its production is limited to its region in the highlands and the planting season. An effort to increase its production outside the highland in all seasons is using hydroponics on tolerant varieties. Selection of varieties and giving the right amounts of nutrients will optimize the production of lowland cauliflower. This study aims to determine the types of varieties and concentration of nutrient solution suitable for the cultivation of hydroponic cauliflower in the lowlands. This research uses a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) which consists of 2 factors namely varieties and nutrient solution concentration level with 9 combination treatments and each treatment consisted of 4 plants. The results showed that variety of Mona and PM 126 are better than the Diamond in the hydroponic cultivation of cauliflower in the lowlands. Concentrations of the nutrient solution did not improve growth and show no significant results, so nutrient solution from EC 2.2 to 2.4 mS/cm is better in the hydroponic cultivation of cauliflower in the lowlands.&lt;/p&gt;

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN TINGKAT KONSENTRASI LARUTAN FERMENTASI URIN SAPI DAN LAMA PERENDAMAN TERHADAP PERKECAMBAHAN BENIH TREMBESI (Samanea saman)

The research was aimed to know the effect of giving various concentrations level of cow urine fermentation solution and soaking time to seed germination of trembesi ( Sam a nea saman ). Research was conducted from April to June 2017 at Greenhouse Agroecotechnology Laboratory Faculty of Agriculture University of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa. The research used a Randomized Complete Design and arranged in factorial, consisted of two factors. The first factor was cow urine concentration consisted of four factors: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%. The second factor was the duration of immersion consisting of three factors namely: 6 hours,12 hours, and 18 hours. The results showed that cow urine fermentation concentration 75% gave best result to germination age parameter 1,77%/day, maximum growth potential 36,11%, germination 31,11%, growth rate 1,20%, normal sprout potency 33,8% and abnormal germination potential 2,22%. The duration of soaking of (6 hours) trembesi seeds gave the best results on the germination age parameter 3,41%/day, maximum growth potential 31,66%, germination 25,41%, growth rate 1,05 %, Potency of normal sprout 30,41%. There was no interaction between the various concentration levels of cow urine fermentation solution and the soaking time to seed to the observed parameters except on the observed age germination parameters at 0% cow urine treatment with soaking time to seed 6 hours, and 75% cow urine treatment with soaking time to seed 6 hours (1,33% / day). Keywords: Soaking time to seed, Trembesi ( Samanea saman ), Urine concentration

Osmotic Dehydration Characteristics of Pumpkin Slices using Ternary Osmotic Solution of Sucrose and Sodium Chloride

In this study, drying characteristics of osmotically treated pumpkin slices were scrutinized at temperature within range of 30°C to 50°C and at the amalgamation of nine ternary solution (Sugar: Salt) concentration levels (30:5%, 30:10%, 30:15% w/w) (40:5%, 40:10%, 40:15% w/w) and (50:5%, 50:10%, 50:15% w/w). At eight time intervals (30 min, 60 min, 90 min, 120 min, 150 min, 180 min, 210 min and 240 min) moisture loss and solid gain were ascertained at all amalgamation. Sample to Solution ratio of 1:5 w/w was kept invariable from beginning to end of the experiments. The consequence of solution concentration and temperature was examined and it was established that preliminary water loss and solid gain are related to solution concentration and temperature. Both moisture loss and solid gain amplified non- linearly at dissimilar temperatures and at all concentrations. The investigational drying statistics for the pumpkin fruit was used to fit four thin layer drying models Parabolic, Hunderson and Pabis, Page and Logarithmic model. Non-linear regression assessment was used to check the statistical validness of models. The Parabolic model offered preeminent fit for all circumstances of drying, conferring utmost value of R2 (0.999) and lowest RMSE values (0.004).

The effects of spraying methanol solution and drought stress on level of antioxidant enzyme activity, growth, biomass and yield of beans (&lt;italic&gt;Phaseolus vulgaris&lt;/italic&gt; L.cv.COS16)

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of methanol solution spray treatment on growth, biomass, and functional properties of bean plant under drought stress. The experiment was set up as a fully-randomized design with three replications. The first factor was four concentration levels of spray solution (Control, 10, 20, and 30%) and the spray was applied three times during the plant growth season at 10-day intervals. The second factor was three levels of drought stress; severe drought stress (25% field capacity), moderate drought stress (75% field capacity), and non-stress (100% field capacity). Test results showed that under 20% of methanol and conditions of non-stress there was significant growth of protein content of root and leaf in comparison with the control. Antioxidant enzyme activity was not affected by application of methanol solution spray but leaf antioxidant enzymes activity declined. Under non-stress and methanol concentrations of 10 and 20%, results showed a significant increase in all morphological properties compared with the control treatment. Under conditions of severe and moderate drought stress, level of methanol solution spray did not mitigate the negative effects of drought stress on the studied properties.

Poly(ortho ester) nanoparticles targeted for chronic intraocular diseases: ocular safety and localization after intravitreal injection

Treatment of posterior eye diseases is more challenging than the anterior segment ailments due to a series of anatomical barriers and physiological constraints confronted by drug delivery to the back of the eye. In recent years, concerted efforts in drug delivery have been made to prolong the residence time of drugs injected in the vitreous humor of the eye. Our previous studies demonstrated that poly(ortho ester) (POE) nanoparticles were biodegradable/biocompatible and were capable of long-term sustained release. The objective of the present study was to investigate the safety and localization of POE nanoparticles in New Zealand white rabbits and C57BL/6 mice after intravitreal administration for the treatment of chronic posterior ocular diseases. Two concentration levels of POE nanoparticles solution were chosen for intravitreal injection: 1.5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml. Our results demonstrate that POE nanoparticles were distributed throughout the vitreous cavity by optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination 14 days post-intravitreal injection. Intraocular pressure was not changed from baseline. Inflammatory or adverse effects were undetectable by slit lamp biomicroscopy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that POE nanoparticles have negligible toxicity assessed at the cellular level evidenced by a lack of glia activation or apoptosis estimation after intravitreal injection. Collectively, POE nanoparticles are a novel and nontoxic as an ocular drug delivery system for the treatment of posterior ocular diseases.

Sulfate attack of Portland cement concrete under dynamic flexural loading: A coupling function

In saline regions, infrastructures (e.g., structures under earthquake, pavement slabs, bridge decks, airfield runways, railway sleepers and railway bridges, even high-speed railways and concrete structures in ocean) are attacked by sulfate compounds (Na2SO4, MgSO4, etc.), coupled with dynamic loading. This report studied the flexural strength, relative dynamic elastic modulus and sulfate content under sulfate attack incorporating with dynamic flexural loading (stress level=20%, 40% and 60%), and also analyzed the microstructure and atom ratio of attached samples via SEM and EDS. The result shows that solution concentration and stress level are two primary and important factors in sulfate attack cases. Meanwhile, opposite with the static attack case, dynamic loading will also make the strength loss occur earlier, especially under high stress level of dynamic loading (60%). The reinforcement contributed by new phase forming on flexural strength is offset because of the additional dynamic loading. Additionally, the experimental result revealed that the relative dynamic elastic modulus can be used to semi-quantitatively evaluate the long-term sulfate attack samples, but is not suggested to be used on short-term sulfate attacked samples because the result does not match the flexural strength trend. Based on the updated data in this study, sulfate attack stages coupled with dynamic flexural loading are summarized.

In-situ modification of cellulose nanofibrils by organosilanes during spray drying

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have shown their potential as the sustainable choice for reinforcements in thermoplastic composites. Studies on surface properties are important because they directly relate to the compatibility between CNFs and polymer matrices. In this study, CNF suspensions were treated with two different organosilane functionalities before being spray-dried (SD). Three concentration levels of organosilane solution were applied based on the mass of the CNFs in suspension: 1wt. %, 3wt. % and 5wt. %. Morphological and surface properties of the CNFs were measured to understand changes induced by the organosilane modification. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows some aggregation of larger particles as well as many small twisted rectangular particles. Particle size distribution analysis (PSD) indicates certain differences among treated and untreated CNFs. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) reveals that the organosilane treatment reduces the dispersion component of surface energy of dried CNFs and changed the acid-base characteristic of CNFs by the attachment of different functional end-groups.

Osmotic potential calculations of inorganic and organic aqueous solutions over wide solute concentration levels and temperatures.

To demonstrate that the authors' new "aqueous solution vs pure water" equation to calculate osmotic potential may be used to calculate the osmotic potentials of inorganic and organic aqueous solutions over wide ranges of solute concentrations and temperatures. Currently, the osmotic potentials of solutions used for medical purposes are calculated from equations based on the thermodynamics of the gas laws which are only accurate at low temperature and solute concentration levels. Some solutions used in medicine may need their osmotic potentials calculated more accurately to take into account solute concentrations and temperatures. The authors experimented with their new equation for calculating the osmotic potentials of inorganic and organic aqueous solutions up to and beyond body temperatures by adjusting three of its factors; (a) the volume property of pure water, (b) the number of "free" water molecules per unit volume of solution, "Nf," and (c) the "t" factor expressing the cooperative structural relaxation time of pure water at given temperatures. Adequate information on the volume property of pure water at different temperatures is available in the literature. However, as little information on the relative densities of inorganic and organic solutions, respectively, at varying temperatures needed to calculate Nf was available, provisional equations were formulated to approximate values. Those values together with tentative t values for different temperatures chosen from values calculated by different workers were substituted into the authors' equation to demonstrate how osmotic potentials could be estimated over temperatures up to and beyond bodily temperatures. The provisional equations formulated to calculate Nf, the number of free water molecules per unit volume of inorganic and organic solute solutions, respectively, over wide concentration ranges compared well with the calculations of Nf using recorded relative density data at 20 °C. They were subsequently used to estimate Nf values at temperatures up to and excess of body temperatures. Those values, together with t values at temperatures up to and in excess of body temperatures recorded in the literature, were substituted in the authors' equation for the provisional calculation of osmotic potentials. The calculations indicated that solution temperatures and solute concentrations have a marked effect on osmotic potentials. Following work to measure the relative densities of aqueous solutions for the calculation of Nf values and the determination of definitive t values up to and beyond bodily temperatures, the authors' equation would enable the accurate estimations of the osmotic potentials of wide concentrations of aqueous solutions of inorganic and organic solutes over the temperature range. The study illustrates that not only solute concentrations but also temperatures have a marked effect on osmotic potentials, an observation of medical and biological significance.

Pollutant’s Horizontal Dispersion Along and Against Sinusoidally Varying Velocity from a Pulse Type Point Source

An analytical solution of a two-dimensional advection diffusion equation with time dependent coefficients is obtained by using Laplace Integral Transformation Technique. The horizontal medium of solute transport is considered of semi-infinite extent along both the longitudinal and lateral directions. The input concentration is assumed at an intermediate position of the domain. It helps to evaluate concentration level along the flow as well as against the flow through one model only. The source of the input concentration is considered to be of pulse type. In the presence of the source, it is assumed to be decreasing very slowly with time, and just after the elimination of the source it is assumed to be zero. The dispersion coefficient and the advection parameter are considered directly proportional to each other. The analytical solution may be used to predict the solute concentration level with position and time in an open medium as well as in a porous medium. The effect of heterogeneity on the solute transport may also be predicted.

極少量培地耕におけるトマトの生育，養分吸収および着色不良果の発生に及ぼす培養液濃度と組成の影響

In order to modify nutrient solution for tomatoes grown in extremely low-volume substrate (ELVS) combined with low-node-order pinching and high-density planting (LN&HD), the effects of nutrient solution concentration and supplemented K and P were investigated. Plant growth, nutrient uptake, and fruit yellow-shoulder disorder were measured in two experiments. Treatments included three nutrient solution concentration levels (0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 dS·m−1 EC) in Experiment 1 and added K or P (EC 0.9+K, EC 0.9+P) and P+K (EC 0.9+P+K) on the basis of Enshi nutrient solution at EC 0.9 dS·m−1 in Experiment 2. Tomatoes ‘CF Momotaro York’ were grown in a 250 mL pot filled with granular rockwool combined with LN&HD. A high-frequency and small-volume fertigation system was used based on the integrated solar radiation amount. In Experiment 1, mineral elemental uptake rate, plant growth and fruit yield increased with increasing nutrient solution concentration, and fruit yellow-shoulder disorder decreased. In Experiment 2, P supplementation treatments of EC 0.9+P and EC 0.9+P+K largely enhanced fruit yield, shoot weight and all nutrient uptake rates. In contrast, yield improvement was not observed at EC 0.9+K, and only K uptake was promoted in K-supplemented treatment. The fruit yellow-shoulder incidence and index tended to decrease in the following order: EC 0.9 > EC 0.9+P > EC 0.9+K > EC 0.9+P+K. In conclusion, it was effective to increase P and K concentrations of nutrient solution on the basis of Enshi nutrient solution formula (EC 0.9 dS·m−1), to maintain optimal tomato vegetative growth, achieve higher yield comparable to that with EC 1.2 dS·m−1, and produce fewer P- and K-deficiency symptoms in the case of ELVS combined with LN&HD culture by a high-frequency and small-volume application method.

Seed Germination Performance in Syzygium Travancoricum Gamble a Critically Endangered Species of Southern Western Ghats

The seeds of Syzygium travancoricum and survival of seedlings in natural habitats was observed in detail and recorded as lower than 2%. Detailed investigations on seed germination of this taxon revealed that the rate of germination fluctuate 2% to a maximum 8% under normal natural conditions. However, 70-80% germination has been achieved by soaking in monocrotophose 36% solution (50 ml in 1500 ml water). It is observed that the percentage of germinations was varied from 5%-80% accordance with different concentration levels of monocrotophose solution between the temperature from 280C to 320C temperature and at varied humidity from 75% to 85%. The optimum temperature and humidity for seed germination of Syzygium travancoricum was found as 30±20C and 80 ±5 %.