Fruit Fresh Mass Research Articles

Long-term effects of silver nanoparticles and mineral nutrition components on the photosynthetic processes, chloroplast ultrastructure and productivity of Solanum lycopersicum plants

The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), both alone and in combination with mineral nutrients, on the growth and photosynthesis of Solanum lycopersicum plants during ontogeny were studied. The experiment involved weekly applications of 10 μmol of AgNPs for 15 weeks in a greenhouse over a summer period. A comprehensive characterization of the AgNPs was performed via TEM, ESI/EELS, and zeta potential measurements before and throughout the experiment. The activity of PSII, stomatal conductivity, photosynthesis, transpiration and respiration rates were measured, and the photosynthetic pigments, chloroplast ultrastructure, and dry and fresh masses of leaves, roots, and fruits were assessed. The results indicated that combining AgNPs with mineral nutrients increased PSII activity and the photosynthesis rate and altered the chloroplast ultrastructure. However, the use of mineral nutrients or AgNPs alone did not induce these changes. Atomic absorption spectrometry detected AgNPs in all the plant organs except the fruits. The highest fruit yield was associated with Veni Prisma®, a commercial product containing colloidal silver, which also caused desynchronized fruit maturation. This study hypothesizes that the synergistic effect of AgNPs and mineral nutrients enhances silver accumulation in chloroplasts, improving light utilization and photosynthetic efficiency, particularly under low light, thus increasing fruit quantity and dry mass. Conversely, long-term use of AgNPs alone was accompanied by silver accumulation outside the chloroplasts and did not lead to increased photosynthesis or an increase in fresh fruit mass.

Computer-aided design and optimization of a multi-level fruit catching system for fresh-market fruit harvesting

Tree fruit harvesting is a labor-intensive operation. Multi-level fruit catching and retrieval (MFCR) systems have been proposed for the mass harvesting of soft fruits using trunk shaking. However, overcoming excessive fruit damage as fruits fall through the canopy is very challenging and requires optimization of several aspects of an MFCR’s design. In this work, we present a novel computer-aided design approach for optimizing design parameters of MFCR systems. A simplified index that utilizes geometry and simple mechanics is developed to quantify the interference between an MFCR’s catching booms and tree branches. Also, an index is introduced that utilizes geometry and simplified collision kinematics to represent accumulated damage on fruits falling through the canopy. These two indices are used in a case study to determine the optimal solution – and its sensitivity – for the number of layers of an MFCR system that maximizes marketable fruit collection over twenty digitized pear trees. In conjunction with more elaborate machine-tree-fruit interaction models, the proposed methodology can be used to optimize the design of fresh-fruit mass harvesters that utilize multi-level catching and retrieval systems.

Agronomic potential of nine strawberry cultivars for two consecutive cycles in a greenhouse

The lack of information about strawberry cultivation for more than one production cycle ends up generating high costs for producers to acquire daughter plants to reestablish their crops. Therefore, aiming at technical alternatives for a transition to more sustainable crops, the objective of this work was to investigate whether strawberry cultivars grown in a greenhouse for two cycles differ in terms of yield potential and fruit chemical quality. The treatments were nine strawberry cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘Aromas’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Camino Real’, ‘Fronteras’, ‘Merced’, ‘Monterey’, ‘Portola’, and ‘San Andreas’) and two production cycles (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), arranged in a randomized block design with six replications. The results showed that in the second cycle the ‘Aromas’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Camino Real’, ‘Merced’, and ‘Monterey’ cultivars stood out in terms of the highest number of fruits produced. ‘Fronteras’ and ‘Merced’ had the highest total production of strawberries in the second cycle. ‘Merced’ and ‘Monterey’ produced the highest fruits in the first cycle and ‘Fronteras’ produced strawberries with the highest average fresh fruit mass in the second cycle. ‘Albion’ and ‘Camarosa’ stood out for the higher sugar content in the fruits produced. The least acidic and most flavorful strawberries were produced in the first cycle. In conclusion, strawberry cultivars grown in greenhouses for two cycles differ in terms of yield potential and chemical fruit quality. This study indicates that the nine cultivars can be grown for two consecutive cycles without compromising berry production.

Influência do nitrogênio na produtividade do pimentão em condições de campo aberto no outono-inverno

ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) deserves special attention in the fertilization recommendation for bell peppers, as it is the nutrient absorbed in greater quantity, standing out for the amount required and the functions it performs in the plant. The objective was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen applied as top dressing on bell pepper production in open field during the autumn/winter period. The experiment was conducted in Red-Yellow Argisol. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Treatments consisted of nitrogen rates applied as top dressing (0, 75; 150; 300; and 450 kg/ha). Nitrogen increased the number and fresh mass of fruits per plant. The SPAD Reading increased with the increment of nitrogen rates in the three evaluation periods and with the evaluation period. Bell peppers grown during the autumn/winter period showed high productive potential associated with nitrogen rates higher than currently recommended. The yield of marketable fruits increases until 214 kg/ha of N. The critical level for the SPAD reading varied with the age of the plants, with estimated critical values of 53.2, 66.5, and 61.9 at 35, 56, and 154 days after transplanting (DAT).

Inoculação com fungo micorrízico arbuscular Rhizophagus clarus em tomateiro proporciona aumento de produtividade em cultivo orgânico

ABSTRACT: Organic agriculture comprises farming practices that discard synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Tomato production demands huge amounts of fertilizers and pesticides. Improving efficiency of the inputs allowed for organic tomato production is a challenge to upgrade yields. Thereby, we studied the effects of the inoculation of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus clarus, supplying rock thermophosphate and bioactivator, alone or associated, on tomato development and yield. The experiment was achieved in a greenhouse using undetermined tomato cv. BRS-Nagai sown in polystyrene trays and afterwards transplanted to pots. Treatments included R. clarus; thermophosphate (TH) (130 g/pot); bioactivator (PenergeticK® + Penergetic®) (BI); R. clarus + TH; R. clarus + BI; R. clarus + TH+ BI and TH + BI and control (CO). From the flowering onset, plant height, height of insertion of first truss, trusses space, length, and also the diameter and fresh weight of ripe fruits of the three first trusses were assessed. AMF colonization in the roots and macronutrients in leaves and petioles were also measured. Trusses spacing variable was affected by mycorrhiza and thermophosphate. R. clarus inoculation incremented 10 and 31.85% of fresh mass of ripe fruits and mass of ripe fruits per plant, respectively. Soluble solids contents in fruits and N, P and K in the leaves and petioles were similar among treatments. AMF colonization decreased on thermophosphate fertilized plants and increased in bioactivator treatment. Results showed that root inoculation with R. clarus promoted better plant development and yield and may be used as biological inoculant mostly on organic tomato production.

Productive Performance and Fruit Quality of Short Days Italian Genetic-based Strawberry Cultivars and Genotypes in Southern Brazil

When grown under different climatic conditions, short days Italian genetic-based strawberry (IGBS) cultivars and genotypes present variations in productive performance and fruit quality. The objective of this study was to assess different productive performance and fruit quality of IGBS cultivars and genotypes grown in highland regions of southern Brazil. The experiment were conducted in randomized block design using three cultivars and 21 genotypes during the 2019, 2020 and 2021 growth seasons. The data were subjected to multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA). IGBS cultivars and genotypes differed significantly in terms of productive and fruit quality parameters, according to PCA data. The first and second main components of PCA, respectively, were responsible for 61.9% and 72.4% of the productive performance and fruit quality parameters. The Pircinque cultivar and FRF PIR 256.04, ITA 13.097.05, ITA 12.103.22, ITA 10.107.07, and ITA 10.133.02 genotypes showed the highest indices of productive parameters of total production per plant, commercial production per plant, total fruit number per plant and commercial fruits number per plant. Among these, the Pircinque cultivar and the FRF PIR 256.04 genotypes demonstrated the best fruit quality parameters of fruit color (skin luminosity, chroma, and hue angle), flavor (soluble solids/ titratable acidity ratio), and fresh commercial fruit mass in highland regions of southern Brazil during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 growth seasons.

Combined fertilization with nitrogen-potassium to mitigate salt stress in okra

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is sensitive to the salinity of water and soil, a common abiotic stress in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil; however, such sensitivity is variable with water management in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the fertilization with nitrogen-potassium combinations in okra cultivated under salt stress. Photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, growth and fruit quality were evaluated. Fertilization with N1:K1 (40% N + 40% K2O) reduced the damage caused by salt stress and increased the chlorophyll contents, while the application of N4:K4 (130% N + 100% K2O) decreased the damage caused by salt stress and increased the carotenoid contents. The combination of N:K fertilization did not affect gas exchange, however, salt stress decreased these variables. Fertilization with N2:K2 (70% N + 60% K2O) reduced the damage caused by salt stress and increased the leaf area of okra. In addition, salt stress decreased the number of fruits and increased the fresh mass of okra fruits. The N:K fertilization also reduced the damage caused by salt stress and in the soluble solids content, titratable acidity, SS/TA ratio, and ascorbic acid content. Thus, N:K fertilization can be seen as an important agronomic strategy to improve the performance of okra quality subjected to saline conditions.

Response of cucumber to target spot as a function of plant age

The target spot of cucurbits, caused by Corynespora cassiicola, occurs in several cultivated species, being considered an important disease on cucumbers. The objetive was to determine the cucumber response to the target leaf spot as a function of plant age, seeking a better understanding of the pathosystem in orderto avoid economic damages to producers. Cucumber ‘Soldier’ plants were inoculated at 20, 30 and 40 days after sowing. Disease severity was evaluated at three, six and nine days after inoculation of the pathogen; thenumber of leaves and plant height at intervals of 7 to 10 days after inoculation of the pathogen; the number and fresh mass of fruits and the fresh and dry mass of the aerial parts of the plants at 60 days after sowing. A lower disease severity was observed on younger leaves, on plants inoculated at 20 days of age from the sixthday of evaluation, with plants inoculated at 30 days being the most susceptible, reaching 64% disease severity after nine days of inoculation. The variables plant height, number of leaves and fruits, fruit production and fresh and dry mass of the aerial part of the plant were significantly affected by the age of the plant at the timeof inoculation of the pathogen C. cassiicola, with the lowest values, in general, in the youngest inoculated plants, at 20 days, while the 40-day-old plants had the least affected vegetative development and production, evidencing the importance of delaying the entry of the disease in the area.

Production of tomato cultivated in different nutritive solutions

The objective this paper is determine the highest performance of fresh mass and number of fruits in tomato crops using different nutrient solution. An absolute hybrid with a semi-determined growth was used. It was grown in a protected environment using a fertigated substrate inside plastic bags containing ten liters of solution. The experiment was completely randomized with four levels of fertilization and five replications. Two experiments were carried out in two cultivation cycles (spring 2018 and autumn 2019) by performing an analysis of variance and Scott & Knott test and estimating the parameters of nonlinear logistic model and its critical points for both variables in each treatment. The mean fruit mass per plant was 3.70 kg for the spring experiment and 3.80 kg for the autumn experiment. The mean number of fruits per plant was 10.50 and 10.70 fruits for spring and autumn, respectively. There are significant differences between the treatments KO46, KO45 and KO56 compared to KO69 for fruit mass in the autumn experiment. For the other variables and cultivation cycles, the treatments did not show statistical differences. The logistic growth model fitted the weight and number of tomato fruits according to days after transplanting the seedlings and evidenced production cycle data, highlighting the main differences between the nutrient solutions. The nutritional solutions KO46, KO45 and KO56 are recommended for growing Gaúcho tomatoes in substrate. The nutrient solution KO56 has the best performance because it has a higher K availability, meets the balance of loads and antagonism between nutrients, provides equal response of means mass and number of fruits, and has a lower N:K ratio and balance of K over Ca and Mg, thus favoring fruit production, precocity, and development.

Use of alternative fertilization in eggplant production

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the vegetables that has gained prominence in production in recent years due to the demand for foods with nutraceutical properties. However, few studies have been developed evaluating the effects of the use of organic residues in the fertilization of this crop, with the potential to both increase its productivity and reduce environmental impacts. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the effect of organic fertilization with cattle manure and pasture on the productivity of eggplant cv. Cica. The experimental design adopted was in randomized blocks, with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments consisted of 4 types of fertilization: T1, without fertilization (control); T2, bovine manure (20 t ha-1); T3, incorporated mulcher (8 t ha-1); and T4, mineral fertilization. There was a significant effect (p<0.05) of fertilization on plant height, stem diameter, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, fresh fruit mass and on eggplant productivity. Fertilization with incorporated pasture vegetation did not increase productivity, while fertilization with bovine manure and mineral fertilization showed positive effects on the development and productivity of eggplant fruits. Bovine manure is a good alternative to replace mineral fertilizers in the production of eggplant cv. Ciça.

Genomic studies of the additive and dominant genetic control on production traits of Euterpe edulis fruits

In forest genetic improvement programs for non-domesticated species, limited knowledge of kinship can compromise or make the estimation of variance components and genetic parameters of traits of interest unfeasible. We used mixed models and genomics (in the latter, considering additive and non-additive effects) to evaluate the genetic architecture of 12 traits in juçaizeiro for fruit production. A population of 275 genotypes without genetic relationship knowledge was phenotyped over three years and genotyped by whole genome SNP markers. We have verified superiority in the quality of the fits, the prediction accuracy for unbalanced data, and the possibility of unfolding the genetic effects into their additive and non-additive terms in the genomic models. Estimates of the variance components and genetic parameters obtained by the additive models may be overestimated since, when considering the dominance effect in the model, there are substantial reductions in them. The number of bunches, fresh fruit mass of bunch, rachis length, fresh mass of 25 fruits, and amount of pulp were strongly influenced by the dominance effect, showing that genomic models with such effect should be considered for these traits, which may result in selective improvements by being able to return more accurate genomic breeding values. The present study reveals the additive and non-additive genetic control of the evaluated traits and highlights the importance of genomic information-based approaches for populations without knowledge of kinship and experimental design. Our findings underscore the critical role of genomic data in elucidating the genetic control architecture of quantitative traits, thereby providing crucial insights for driving species' genetic improvement.

Interference with sex expression, estimation of yield and bioactive compounds in bitter gourd under PGRs-induced conditions

BackgroundThe bitter gourd fruit yields are not at a desirable level due to maleness. Maleness is one of the biggest difficulties with bitter gourd, reducing fruit yields substantially. On the other hand, plant stages are the most important consideration for PGR application because of their sensitive responsiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how bitter gourd plants respond to plant growth regulators, namely PGR0 (control: application of water as control treatment), PGR1 (GA3-Gibberellic acid, 100 mgL−1), PGR2 (NAA-Naphthalene acetic acid, 100 mgL−1), and PGR3 (MH- Maleic hydrazide, 100 mgL−1) at three application phases, S1: soaking of seeds; S2: four-leaf; and S3: flower bud in terms of vegetative development, male–female flower sex alteration, and fruit features including bioactive compounds.ResultsPhysiological, floral and yield characteristics of bitter gourd exposed significant changes by GA3 and MH at various stages. The number of leaves plant−1, the fresh mass of the plant, and the fresh mass of fruit and fruit dry matter content were enhanced remarkably for MH application at the seed soaking stage except for plant height and the number of branches plant−1. MH increased the number of female flowers plant−1, the number of fruits plant−1 and the yield at the 4-leaf stage of application. PGRs substantially influenced the quantity of sugar, chlorophyll, total carotenoids, protein, and water content at various phases of their application but not on ascorbic acid, TSS, or total phenol concentration.ConclusionsFor sex expression and yield attributes, 100 mgL−1 MH at the 4-leaf stage would be effective in bitter gourd. Exogenous NAA showed a considerable dual influence on plant development and antioxidant enzyme activity in bitter gourd fruits.

Quality of strawberries of Italian origin grown in the mountainous region of Rio Grande do Sul

Studies that evaluate the quality of the strawberry fruit, depending on the different genetic materials and places of cultivation, are still scarce in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of fruits of advanced genotypes of strawberry with Italian genetics, in the municipality of Farroupilha, belonging to the Serrana region of Rio Grande do Sul. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replications and 10 plants per plot, in two production cycles, containing 21 treatments in the 2018/2019 cycle and 23 treatments in the 2019/2020 cycle. The variables were quantified: fresh mass of commercial fruits (g fruit-1); luminosity and chroma of the epidermis; hue angle; pulp firmness (g); titratable acidity content (g 100g-1 of citric acid); soluble solids content (°Brix) and soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio (SS/AT). Among the genotypes evaluated, the genotypes FRF PIR 075.08, ITA 10.128.09, and FRF FC 104.01, have superior fruit quality, showing greater potential to become recommended cultivars for cultivation in the Serrana region of Rio Grande do Sul, together with the cultivar pircinque.

Multivariate Contrasts of Seven Strawberry Cultivars in Soilless Cultivation and Greenhouse in Southern Brazil

Understanding the performance of strawberry cultivars in response to the evolving environment and growth medium is a key factor in choosing materials with the aptitude to serve the consumer market. Here, we investigated whether strawberry cultivars in soilless cultivation and greenhouse differ in their agronomic potential. We have studied seven cultivars in an experiment designed in randomized blocks, with four replications. We used analysis of variance and multivariate to examine production attributes, the chemical quality of fruits, and their phytochemical profile. Among the seven cultivars, three heterogeneous groups were formed, gathering the materials mainly due to the similarity in terms of the content of total polyphenols (TPO) and average fresh fruit mass (AFFM). ‘Aromas’ produced the greatest number of strawberries. ‘Fronteras’ and ‘Monterey’, in turn, were the most productive cultivars, and ‘Albion’ and ‘Fronteras’ produced the largest fruits. ‘Albion’ produced the sweetest and tastiest fruits, with an adequate relationship between sugar and acidity. ‘Camino Real’ produced fruits with higher phytochemical content. We conclude that the seven strawberry cultivars in soilless cultivation and greenhouse have contrasting agronomic potential, which indicates that the producers can establish their crops with different materials. We suggest the use of ‘Fronteras’ to obtain greater yield and fruit size, ‘Albion’ to producers looking to grow sweeter and tastier fruits, and ‘Camino Real’ to obtain strawberries rich in secondary metabolites.

In-situ fruit analysis by means of LiDAR 3D point cloud of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)

A feasible method to analyse fruit at the tree is requested in precise production management. The employment of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) was approached aimed at measuring the number of fruit, quality-related size, and ripeness-related chlorophyll of fruit skin.During fruit development (65 – 130 day after full bloom, DAFB), apples were harvested and analysed in the laboratory (n = 225) with two LiDAR laser scanners measuring at 660 and 905 nm. From these two 3D point clouds, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVILiDAR) was calculated. The correlation analysis of NDVILiDAR and chemically analysed fruit chlorophyll content showed R2 = 0.81 and RMSE = 3.63 % on the last measuring date, when fruit size reached 76 mm.The method was tested on 3D point clouds of 12 fruit trees measured directly in the orchard, during fruit growth on five measuring dates, and validated with manual fruit analysis in the orchard (n = 4632). Point clouds of individual apples were segmented from 3D point clouds of trees and fruit NDVILiDAR were calculated. The non-invasively obtained field data showed good calibration performance capturing number of fruit, fruit size, fruit NDVILiDAR, and chemically analysed chlorophyll content of R2 = 0.99, R2 = 0.98 with RMSE = 3.02 %, R2 = 0.65 with RMSE = 0.65 %, R2 = 0.78 with RMSE = 1.31 %, respectively, considering the related reference data at last measuring date 130 DAFB.The new approach of non-invasive laser scanning provided physiologically and agronomically valuable time series data on differences in fruit chlorophyll affected by the leaf area to number of fruit and leaf area to fruit fresh mass ratios. Concluding, the method provides a tool for gaining production-relevant plant data for, e.g., crop load management and selective harvesting by harvest robots.

Quantitative responses of tomato yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency to soil salinity under different water regimes in Northwest China

Reduced irrigation and high soil salinity are widely recognized to decrease tomato yield, but they can improve fruit quality and water use efficiency (WUE) when imposed appropriately. However, the response of plant to their interaction is still unclear, and the quantitative relationship of WUE and fruit quality with salinity under different water regimes is also lacking. This study investigated the responses of tomatoes in terms of yield, fruit quality, and WUE based on yield (WUEy), biomass (WUEb), and leaf (iWUE) to twelve treatments, consisting of combinations of three water regimes relative to the field capacity (FC) (W0, W1, and W2 refer to 95 % FC, 75 % FC, and 60 % FC, respectively) and four soil salinity levels (0 g, 2 g, 4 g, and 6 g salt mixtures added to 1000 g air-dried soil, respectively). Results showed that WUEy and WUEb had a negative correlation with salinity under different water regimes. Salinity resulted in a greater reduction in yield and biomass than water consumption compared to the control treatment. Therefore, lower water consumption of plants under W2 treatment alleviated the decrease of WUEy induced by salinity to a certain extent. From the leaf scale, iWUE was positively and linearly related with salinity, indicating that stomatal regulation was more prone to reduced stomatal conductance than the net photosynthetic rate under W0 and W1. Whilst it showed a quadratic relationship under W2, the results supported that a highly salinity-induced iWUE was dependent on water supply. In addition, although salinity had a negative correlation with fruit fresh mass (FM), dry matter content, and water content (WC) under W0 and W1, fruit titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS) were proportional to salinity regardless of water regimes. The results also showed that W1 increased the sensitivity of TA and TSS to salinity, but W2 resulted in weak sensitivity of FM and WC to salinity. Thus, we deduced that mildly reduced irrigation was an appropriate strategy to regulate iWUE and fruit quality under high salinity conditions. This study provides a water regime management basis for comprehensive changes in yield, WUE, and fruit quality of tomatoes grown in saline soils.

Fisiologia e produção de pinheira sob estresse hídrico e aplicação de prolina

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiology and production of sugar-apple as a function of irrigation intervals and foliar application of proline under the conditions of Paraíba's semi-arid region. A randomized block design was laid out in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with treatments resulting from the combination of four irrigation intervals (1, 4, 8 and 12 days) and two concentrations of proline (0 and 10 mM), with four replicates, and the plot consisted of four usable plants. Increase in irrigation intervals reduced the gas exchange of sugar-apple plants at 298 days after transplanting. Exogenous application of proline at concentration of 10 mM increased contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids and fruit fresh mass in plants grown under 12-day irrigation intervals.

Maturation and harvest time of Ateleia glazioveana Baill. seeds.

Ateleia glazioveana Baill. is a pioneer, rustic and can be used for forest recovery. This work aimed to study the process of physiological maturation of this species. The research was carried out in the city of Alegre - ES, the trees were identified in the floral anthesis and accompanied during the filling of the fruits and development of the seeds until the complete maturation. The fruits were harvested at the following stages 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days after anthesis, and characterized according to: morphometry, moisture, fresh and dry mass of fruits and seeds, germination, germination speed index, shoot and root length and dry mass of seedlings. The regression equations were adjusted for the main characteristics analyzed as a function of the harvest period. The point of physiological maturity of timbó occurred at 42 days after anthesis.

Diversidade genética, produtividade e qualidade de frutos de caqui nos trópicos

Abstract The objective of this work was to determine the genetic diversity, yield, and fruit quality of persimmon genotypes grown in the tropics, in order to select promising genetic materials. DNA extraction was performed on young leaves of 19 persimmon genotypes. For pomological characterization, 15 genotypes were selected. From each genotype, 50 fruit at the physiological maturity stage were harvested in the morning, in order to determine the following parameters: physicochemical characteristics; and the productive variables number of fruit per plant, average fruit fresh mass, average yield, and estimated average yield in two seasons. Twenty SSR markers were tested, out of which 12 were selected to evaluate genetic similarity, which allowed of the identification of distinct groups. The mean genetic diversity value found was 0.41, which is an indicative of low diversity among the analyzed persimmon genotypes. The 'Guiombo', 'Iapar 125', 'Kakimel', 'Mikado RJ', 'Rama Forte Tardio', and 'Taubaté' genotypes show a high yield. The genotypes classified as pollination-constant astringent ('Pomelo', 'Regina', 'Rubi', and 'Taubaté') and those classified as pollination-variant astringent ('Rama Forte', 'Guiombo', and 'Cereja') are potential materials for selection and genetic breeding programs due to their excellent fruit physicochemical characteristics. The investigation through molecular markers is an efficient approach to study the genetic diversity of persimmon genotypes grown in the tropics.

Consumo hídrico e eficiência do uso da água da pimenta ‘Biquinho’ em cultivo hidropônico com água salobra

ABSTRACT: The knowledge of water consumption and the efficiency of water use by crops is extremely important in the elaboration of agronomic and hydraulic projects of hydroponic systems. Thus, the present study determined the water consumption and water use efficiency of ‘Biquinho’ pepper cultivated in the hydroponic system using seven levels of electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution (ECsol) of 2.70, 3.64, 4.58, 5.28, 6.09, 6.90, and 7.77 dS m-1 and six replicates in randomized blocks. The hydroponic system used was the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). The water consumption per plant was determined at an interval of ten days in the crop cycle (120 days after transplanting). The maximum mean daily water consumption was equal to 5.88 L plant-1 during the period 111-120 DAT, for ECsol of 4.58 dS m-1. The maximum water consumption for the crop cycle (120 DAT) was 275.66 L per plant for an estimated ECsol = 4.11 dS m-1. The highest water use efficiency (WUE), based on the total production of fruit fresh mass (ripe and unripe fruits) of ‘Biquinho’ pepper was 10.84 kg m-3 up to an estimated ECsol of 5.18 dS m-1, with an exponential reduction thereafter. The salinity of the nutrient solution, biomass production, and evapotranspiration are factors that influence the most water consumption of ‘Biquinho’ pepper.