Fruit Plants Research Articles

A Comprehensive Review Article on Herbal Cosmetics

Nowadays, Herbal cosmetic is growing rapidly as most women prefer natural products rather than chemicals products for their personal care. Herbal cosmetic contains natural nutrients to improve and provide consumers satisfaction due to relatively fewer side effects compared to synthetic cosmetics. The herbal Cosmetics have been the first choice of the customers, for being more potent, easily available and thought to be less side effective. These were used for food, medicine, or cosmetics. Flower, leaf, fruit, root, bark, inner stem, wood, beans, rhizome, endosperm, bulb, seed or whole plant are used to produce bioactive ingredients Herbal cosmetic are the beauty products, which having a physiological activities, such as smoothening, appearance, enhancing and conditioning properties, because of Herbal excipients. The bioactive components from botanicals contains vitamins, alkaloids, proteins, and terpenoid which serve as cosmetics for caring of body and it’s body part. The Herbal cosmetic contains herbal shampoo, herbal hair conditioner, herbal soap, herbal face wash etc. That’s are used to improve skin appearance. Used in skin care and used in hair herbal cosmetic products avoid the adverse effects such as itching, burning or irritation the skin. Cosmeceuticals is the fastest growing segment of the personal care products these are cosmetic preparations which contain biologically active principles or ingredients of plant origin. In recent years there is an increased demand for the use of herbs in cosmetics due to their mild action and less toxic in nature and they are found to be more effective.

Deciphering the Traits Association and Path Coefficient Analysis among Yield Attributing Traits of Snap Melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica) Genotypes

An investigation was carried out at the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, Karnataka, during the Rabi season of 2021. The experiment employed a randomized complete block design with two replications and aimed to assess twenty-five snap melon genotypes alongside three check varieties, sourced from various regions in India. Seventeen yield-related traits were observed for each genotype, and the mean data was utilized for subsequent analysis. The study on trait associations revealed that genotypic correlations exhibited higher values compared to their respective phenotypic counterparts, indicating stronger, consistent correlations independent of environmental factors. Notably, yield plant-1 exhibited positive and significant correlations with vine length, number of fruits vine-1, fruit weight, length of fruit, fruit circumference, and flesh thickness at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Path coefficient analysis unveiled that the total number of fruits plant-1 and average fruit weight exerted positive direct effects on yield plant-1. Consequently, the study suggests that selection based on traits such as number of fruits-1 plant and average fruit weight would be effective for enhancing yield in snap melon.

Dormancy dynamics and cold hardiness of apple trees grown in a mild winter region

In temperate fruit plants, climate is the main factor correlating changes in plant physiology, mainly those related to entry and exit from dormancy and cold hardiness. Acclimation to cold and its relationship with dormancy are still unknown in areas with a subtropical climate. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the dormancy dynamics and their interaction with the cold hardiness of different tissues of apple cultivars with different chilling requirements in two cultivation sites in a mild winter region in southern Brazil. The analyses were conducted from 2018 to 2022. The cultivars Gala, Fuji, and Eva were used in two environments with different altitudes. The dormancy dynamics were analyzed using the single-node cutting test, and the cold hardiness of the different tissues of each genotype was evaluated through electrolyte leakage in laboratory freezing tests. Cultivars Gala and Fuji had a greater depth of dormancy than Eva. Plants grown in orchards with higher chill accumulation had a greater depth of dormancy. Cold hardiness varied among cultivars, with the Eva cultivar having the lowest cold hardiness in mid-winter. The tissues (bud, bark, and wood) had different cold hardiness in early winter, with wood having the greatest cold hardiness, followed by bud and bark. As Eva did not go into deep dormancy, a superficial and short acclimation to cold was observed, in addition to rapid sprouting, even in winter. This condition predisposed it to cold damage to tissues in the pre-sprouting period. In this study, we found that maximum cold hardiness occurred after the end of the deep-endodormancy phase. Deacclimation of all cultivars occurred very quickly.

Fruits of Emblica officinalis Linn. and its Phytochemicals in the Prevention of Ethanol-induced Hepatotoxicity: A Mini-Review

Abstract:: Excessive alcohol consumption over time is one of the primary causes of liver disease and death globally. Because there is no effective treatment, the situation has become more complicated, and the emphasis has shifted to the use of alternative and complementary medicine to treat liver problems. Herbs with dietary use have played an important part in the treatment of liver diseases since antiquity. Amla or Indian gooseberry, scientifically known as Phyllanthus emblica or Emblica officinalis, is a fruiting plant of the Phyllanthaceae family that is used in a variety of traditional and folk medical systems. The fruits have both dietary and medicinal value and are used to prevent chemical-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and reduce experimentally induced hyperlipidemia and metabolic syndrome in laboratory animals. They also have hepatoprotective effects against a variety of hepatotoxins such as heavy metals, iron overload, ochratoxins, hexachlorocyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, therapeutic drugs such as paracetamol, and antitubercular. Amla fruits and phytochemicals such as quercetin, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and kaempferol are known to reduce ethanol-induced liver damage, and mechanistic studies have shown that the beneficial effects of these phytochemicals are mediated in part by free radical scavenging, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. This review examines the positive effects of amla fruit and its phytochemicals for the first time, as well as the mechanisms underlying the protective effects.

New productive pear variety Favoritka

The results of the selection and variety study of pears in the conditions of the Southern Urals are considered. At the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Urfanits Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, breeding work was carried out to improve the assortment of pears for the Ural region. As a result of many years of breeding work, the range of fruit and berry plants was replenished with a new pear variety, Favoritka, which in 2022 was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use. In the process of breeding work, the winter hardiness of pear varieties in the harsh climatic conditions of the Chelyabinsk region was studied, as a result it was noted that infield conditions when the temperature dropped to -40 ° C, freezing of trees of local varieties did not exceed 1 point. An assessment was made of the yield of local varieties, among which the following varieties stand out: Vekovaya, Myth, Favoritka, and Zolotoy Shar, with an average yield of 24 - 28 kg per tree. The economic indicators of the Favoritka pear variety (profitability level of 253.5%) indicate its suitability for cultivation in both industrial and amateur gardening in the Ural region. A pomological description and assessment of the economic usefulness of the new Favoritka pear variety are presented, which combines large fruit (fruit weight can reach 340 g), high winter hardiness, productivity, resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors (not affected by scab, resistant to pear gall mite), has fruits of excellent taste, suitable for fresh consumption, as well as for processing (preparing jams, preserves, compotes, etc.). The variety is in demand among the population and is of interest as a source of giant fruit in further breeding work.

Robust deep learning method for fruit decay detection and plant identification: enhancing food security and quality control.

This paper presents a robust deep learning method for fruit decay detection and plant identification. By addressing the limitations of previous studies that primarily focused on model accuracy, our approach aims to provide a more comprehensive solution that considers the challenges of robustness and limited data scenarios. The proposed method achieves exceptional accuracy of 99.93%, surpassing established models. In addition to its exceptional accuracy, the proposed method highlights the significance of robustness and adaptability in limited data scenarios. The proposed model exhibits strong performance even under the challenging conditions, such as intense lighting variations and partial image obstructions. Extensive evaluations demonstrate its robust performance, generalization ability, and minimal misclassifications. The inclusion of Class Activation Maps enhances the model's capability to identify distinguishing features between fresh and rotten fruits. This research has significant implications for fruit quality control, economic loss reduction, and applications in agriculture, transportation, and scientific research. The proposed method serves as a valuable resource for fruit and plant-related industries. It offers precise adaptation to specific data, customization of the network architecture, and effective training even with limited data. Overall, this research contributes to fruit quality control, economic loss reduction, and waste minimization.

Ecological and economic evaluation of modern systems for apple tree protection from codling moth

This work substantiates the transition to biorational systems of plantation protection using low-toxic preparations to ensure high-quality yields. Regularities in the development of codling moth in Krasnodar Krai are revealed. During the period of 2021–2023, a 30% increase in the expenditures on protective measures in horticultural organizations of Krasnodar Krai was established. As a result, the production costs grew by an average of 17%, decreasing the entire efficiency of fruit production. This explains the need to develop modern protection systems for perennial plantations. Differentiated approaches to apple-tree protection from pests (on the example of codling moth), which are based on application of low-toxic chemical and biorational preparations according to phytophage development stages, are reviewed. An integrated system for protection of industrial fruit plantations in the Krasnodar Krai against coddling moth is proposed. The advantages of the proposed system over the existing approaches that apply highly toxic chemicals are described. These relate to the possibility of introducing flexible changes in protective measures in accordance with phytosanitary characteristics of orchards, including activation of local apple varieties and use of agrotechnical and biological methods based on toxicological monitoring. An ecological and economic evaluation of the integrated system of fruit plantation protection from codling moth is provided. This system enables a reduction in the background pesticide content in food chains (a 2-fold and 5-fold decrease in soils and fruits, respectively), a 1.3-fold reduction in pesticide load, the preservation of yield by more than 98% while complying with the regulations of ecological agrocenosis safety regulations, a 1.5-fold reduction in production costs, and a 10.5% increase in the product profitability.

The prospects of intercropping of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) with other vegetables on sorjan system in vulnerable southern coastal saline and non-saline areas of Bangladesh

The demand for food in Bangladesh is increasing due to the increasing population. Land is the primary natural resource that affords habitat and sustenance for living beings. In Bangladesh, the coastal areas cover an area of 47,201 km2 or 32 % of the total land under 19 districts of Bangladesh. The coastal southern saline and non-saline areas are vulnerable to water logging conditions and farmers cannot grow any crops except dry season (rabi). However, in some areas, farmers are trying to use their indigenous technologies to combat natural disasters to ensure food security. For example, floating, sorjan or raised bed systems are potential and farmers are practicing in these areas. Among these techniques, the sorjan bed system is one of the potential techniques that is extensively used in southern Bangladesh, particularly water logging conditions to improve food security. To enhance the production and make land cultivation profitable, the experiments were carried out at the farmers’ fields under the sorjan system in consecutive two growing seasons. The sole crop was brinjal (cv. BARI Begun-12), BARI Lalshak-1 (cv. Red amaranth), BARI Dhania-1 (cv. Coriander leaf), Cauliflower (cv. Cold queen), Cabbage (cv. Equatoria) and Knol Khol were utilized as intercropping with brinjal. The treatments were i) Sole brinjal, ii) Brinjal + Red amaranth, iii) Brinjal + Coriander leaf, iv) Brinjal + Cauliflower, v) Brinjal + Cabbage, and vi) Brinjal +. 24-day-old seedlings of the BARI Begun-12 grown in a nursery bed were transferred to the plots where the seeds of Red amaranth and Coriander leaf were directly sown. However, the seedlings of Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Knol Khol were also transplanted to the field after one week of transplanting brinjal. The results exposed that sole crops had the highest results in terms of days to flowering, days to first fruit set, days to first harvesting, leaf area, fruit length, fruit breadth, single fruit weight, fruits plant−1, fruit yield, TSS %, and dry matter %. In both years, brinjal exhibited the highest yield as the sole crop compared to intercropping. 48.12 t/ha and 46.27 t/ha in the first and second cropping seasons, respectively. In the first cropping season, Red amaranth, Coriander leaf, Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Knol Khol performed with a yield of 10.12, 7.23, 23.14, 22.87, and 9.05 t/ha. During the second cropping season, the same crops exhibited a yield of 10.05, 7.01, 23.09, 22.68, and 9.98 t/ha. The highest land equivalent ratio, gross return, net return, and BCR were obtained from brinjal-cauliflower intercropping, which was 1.74, 1049300 BDT, 553820 BDT, and 2.12, respectively, in the 2021–2022 cropping season and 1.78, 1057900 BDT, 562010 BDT, and 2.13, respectively, in the next season in 2022–2023. This intercropping approach resulted in a higher land equivalent ratio, net return, and benefit-cost ratio of 1.76, 557915 BDT, and 2.125, respectively, over the average of two successive cropping seasons.

Effectiveness of sod and humus soil maintenance and biologized protection in intensive apple orchards (Malus domestica Borkh.) in the south of Russia

Application of intensive technologies in horticulture with a high mechanical and chemical load on soils and fruit plants leads to deterioration of soil properties, environmental pollution, and development of resistance among pathogens and phytophages. In this study, we aim to developing a biologized technology for apple tree cultivation using a sod and humus system of inter-row maintenance and biopreparations based on active strains of microorganisms, entomoacariphages, and pheromones. The research was conducted in 2019-2023 in intensive apple orchards of the central plain-steppe region of Crimea by the methods conventionally used in soil science, agrochemistry, horticulture, and plant protection. The use of a mixture of cereal-legume grasses in combination with microbiological fertilizers based on nitrogen-fixing microorganisms was found to increase apple yields by 11–12 t/ha, or 64 % compared to the control, by increasing the number of fruits and the average weight of one fruit. A positive balance of nutrition elements in soil with an intensity of 135-270 % was established. The efficiency of controlling the number of phytophages and pathogen harmfulness through the integrated use of biological and biotechnical methods was shown. Thus, the “attract-and-kill” method for Cydia pomonella L. pheromones demonstrated a 98 % efficiency along with a reduction in pesticide load to 7.7 kg/ha season by the preparation. Release of phitoseiid mites for control of tetranychus mites by the method of seasonal colonization provides for a reduction and retention of phytophagous population at the economic threshold of harmfulness during the entire vegetation period. The use of fungicides based on pathogenic bacteria of the Bacillus genus and antagonist fungi of the Trichoderma genus against scab is eff ective only in the years unfavorable for the development of the disease. The results obtained form the basis for a biologized resource-saving technology for exploitation of intensive apple orchards. This technology contributes to increased soil fertility, reduced chemical and pesticide load, and increased productivity of horticultural agrocenosis under the conditions of the Crimea and southern Russia.

The distribution of Syzygium sp. and its potential use in green space of Universitas Sumatera Utara

Syzygium sp. is one of the tree species that can be found in the green space at USU. This type is better known by the local name jambu-jambuan and belongs to the family Myrtaceae. Syzygium sp. is known for its various uses, such as medicine, fruit plants, building green spaces, etc. Research on the distribution and opportunities for the utilization of this species has never been carried out in the green space of the USU campus. This type has many benefits as well as the potential to be developed and studied further. Preliminary surveys show species are easy to find and scattered in several locations. The results of this study will be useful as initial data in managing campus green space, information on the use of this type, and a source of data for further research. Therefore, research on the potential species at USU needs to be done and studied further. This study used field observation techniques by visiting various locations. Field findings are described descriptively and cumulatively. The number of Syzygium sp. in the USU green space is estimated to be 451 individuals. It consists of 5 species, such as Syzygium aqueum, Syzygium malaccense, Syzygium myrtifolium, Syzygium polyanthum, and Syzygium cumini. They have many potential uses, such as food security, traditional medicine, biomass and carbon stock, green belts, and revegetation species.

Variation of plant species as feed sources in honey beekeeping in Jambi and South Sumatera Indonesia

Plant species as a feed source for honey bees are an important factor in their survival. In addition to supporting the production process of honey bees, plants also affect the quality of honey produced. This study aimed to study plant species’ presence in honey bees’ lives and behaviors. The research used a survey method with honey beekeepers as respondents in Jambi and South Sumatra, asking about various plants grown around rearing boxes. Beekeepers have planted various plants producing pollen, resin, and nectar. Plants can also be categorized into three major groups: annual fruit, ornamental, and industrial plants. The distance between plants and rearing boxes will affect the different behaviors of honey bees. In honeybees such as Apis cerana, planting was done at a radius of 5–100 meters, while Apis mellifera in Jambi was mostly farmed around acacia and oil palm trees. For stingless bees, such as Heterotrigona itama, the presence of plants must be closer, considering their ability to fly was more limited than that of honey bees. Ornamental plants such as Antigonon flavescens were visited by honey bees in the morning (7–9 am) and afternoon (3–5 pm), while annual fruit plants were visited in the morning (7–9 am).

Chili Growth-Yield Improvement under Different Experience-Creativity Farmer Levels, Agronomical Components, and Their Partial Economic Analysis

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.), though it is one of the strategic and important vegetable commodities in Indonesia; still faces a main problem, i.e. low productivity with 7.78 tons ha-1 nationally and 6.45 tons ha-1 specifically in Jawa Tengah. Consequently, the improvement of chili growth yield under different experience and creativity farmer levels (ECFLs), components of agronomy (ACs), and their economic analysis partially was addressed as the main objective of the research. C. annuum ‘Akar’, healthy and farmer seedlings were used in the field research. The factorial experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. ECFLs from high (ECFL-1), moderate (ECFL-2), less (ECFL-3), and initially developed (ECFL-4) were used as the first treatment, and five different ACs with gradual component reduction of ACs-1, ACs-2, ACs-3, ACs-4 and ACs-5 as second treatment. The research clearly revealed that different seedlings, ECFLs, and ACs significantly affected the ‘Akar’ growth yield. Cultivation of the healthy seedlings by ECFL-1, who had ± thirty years’ experience in chili cultivation and fast response to all and potential problems during chili cultivation, under ACs-1, as a complete and optimal ACs, increased vegetative growth and yielded 417.8 flowers and 289.7 fruits plant-1, 1,040.6 g chili plant-1, and 1,044.8 kg chili plot-1; 110-337% improvement; IDR. 16,750,081 farmer income from 250 m2 plot size; and 4.77 R/C ratio, respectively. However, for positive income, R/C ratio, and low production cost for all farmers, further applications of ACs-2 were promisingly chosen. Entirely the optimal growth yield of chili was established by using healthy seedlings, choosing suitable Acs, and paying more attention to the ECFL. The results can be applied to other chili types and varieties.

Influence of Naphthalene Acetic Acid (PGR) on the Growth, Yield and Susceptibility to Specific Chili Paper Disease in Different Chilies Cultivars (Capsicum annuum) in the Upland of Baluchistan

Capsicum annuum, commonly known as chili pepper, is a significant spice crop worldwide, and its yield and fruit quality are important factors affecting economic returns for growers. However, these can be impacted by various abiotic and biotic stresses, including environmental conditions, nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases. Utilizing growth regulators for plants, such NAA, has emerged as a viable strategy to enhance growth, improve yield, and mitigate stress effects in chili production. To ascertain the impact of the plant growth regulator (NAA) on the development and yield of chilies, a field experiment was carried out. Plant pathogens pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity worldwide. The main challenge in this scenario is that the plant pathogens are dynamic organisms that adapt to changing environmental conditions and agricultural methods. Examples of this kind of evolution include the appearance and spread of novel diseases or more aggressive pathogens that are resistant to fungicides. Using three replications and seven treatments, randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to perform the experiment. Control (applying no naphthalene acetic acid), 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 75 ppm, 100 ppm, 125 ppm, and 150 ppm applications of naphthalene acetic acid. The result shows that chili crop treated with application of NAA @ 125 ppm exhibited significantly maximum resulted with 80.95 cm plant height, 15.13 quantity of branches plant-1, 84.24 days to flowering, 100.02 days to fruit set, 8.65 cm fruit length, 42.89 g fruit weight, 36.72 quantity of fruits plant-1 and 0.43 kg yield plant-1. In contrast, chili treated under control exhibited the lowest performance, 53.98 cm plant height, 10.49 quantity of branches plant-1, 82.46 days to flowering, 90.77 days to fruit set, 5.66 cm fruit length, 22.54 g fruit weight, 20.39 quantity of fruits plant-1 and 0.02 kg yield plant-1. Among the chili variety, Hot chilies yielded the best results, with 69.31 cm plant height, 13.15 quantity of branches plant-1, 83.52 days to flowering, 96.05 days to fruit set, 7.39 cm fruit length, 34.07 g fruit weight, 29.71 quantity of fruits plant-1 and 0.25 kg yield plant-1. On the other hand, the variety SKY Cross showed the lowest performance, with 65.41 cm plant height, 12.49 quantity of branches plant-1, 83.24 days to flowering, 94.73 days to fruit set, 6.96 cm fruit length, 31.17 g fruit weight, 27.36 quantity of fruits plant-1 and 0.19 kg yield plant-1. After going through the findings of the present research, it was concluded that the application of NAA at 125 ppm showed superior results in terms of plant height, quantity of branches, days to flowering and fruit set, fruit length, fruit weight, quantity of fruits per plant, and overall yield per plant compared to other concentrations of NAA and the control group. The research findings show that that NAA at 125 ppm can be an effective growth regulator for chili crops, leading to improved growth and increased yields.

Fruit Quality and Plant Productivity of A Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) Grown under Different Irrigation Regimes during the Reproductive Phase

The impact of water deficit severity and the specific growth stages at which water stress is applied have been found to have significant implications for both tomato yield and fruit quality. Recent findings have highlighted the influence of water deficits during the reproductive phase on tomato fruit quality. This study aimed to assess the effects of deficit irrigation on tomato fruit quality and overall plant productivity. Cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) were grown in a greenhouse from August to November 2022. Three distinct watering regimes were implemented: Daily watering (T1), watering every 3 days (T2) and watering every 7 days (T3), starting from the flowering stage and continuing through subsequent plant development stages. The mean soil metric potentials (SMP) were −4.9, −29.7 and −52.8 kPa for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Various traits of fruit size, fruit biomass, total soluble solids (TSS), water content, glucose content and lycopene content were measured. Additionally, the overall plant biomass and root-to-shoot ratio were evaluated. The results revealed that traits of the fruit size, such as diameter, length, volume and fresh weight, were most favorable when plants were subjected to the T2 watering regime, while higher and lower watering frequencies led to smaller fruit sizes. Interestingly, the TSS concentration had the most pronounced response to drought stress, indicating increased fruit sweetness. However, the fruit water content, glucose content and lycopene content remained unaffected by the different watering regimes. Furthermore, plants subjected to the T3 with the minimum SMP at −196.4 kPa exhibited enhanced development of the root system, prioritizing resource acquisition such as water and mineral nutrients over shoot components. In conclusion, this study provided valuable insights for agricultural practitioners, offering a range of alternatives that can inform optimal irrigation strategies that effectively enhance the quality of cherry tomato yields. HIGHLIGHTS Water deficits during the reproductive phase have a notable impact on tomato fruit quality Three distinct watering regimes, including daily watering (T1), watering every 3 days (T2) and watering every 7 days (T3), were implemented, with mean soil metric potentials for T1, T2 and T3 recorded at −4.9, −29.7 and −52.8 kPa, respectively T2 watering regime resulted in the most favorable fruit size (diameter, length, volume and fresh weight), while higher and lower watering frequencies led to smaller fruit sizes Total soluble solid concentration showed a pronounced response to drought stress, indicating increased fruit sweetness, while glucose content and lycopene content were unaffected by different watering regimes The study provides valuable insights for agricultural practitioners, suggesting alternative irrigation strategies to enhance the quality of cherry tomato yields GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Response of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus sp.) Cuttings to Different Plant Growth Regulators.

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus sp.) is an exotic crop with a great potential for its cultivation in semi arid tracts throughout India. Its planting is mainly confined to harsh climates and degraded lands facing challenges in its establishment. Hence, availability of quality planting material is essential for attaining success. Due to long juvenile phase of the sexually propagated seedlings it can be propagated asexually by stem cuttings but proper rooting is not possible without exogenous auxin application. Hence, during 2022-2023 a research was carried out at the Horticultural Experimental area of Khalsa College, Amritsar to standardize the concentration of plant growth regulators viz. IBA, NAA and PHB for rooting and success rate in stem cuttings comprising of sixteen treatments with three replications arranged in randomized block design. The results revealed that the stem cuttings treated with IBA 4000 ppm proved to be superior for the sprouting and survival of the cuttings resulting in the improved vegetative growth with profuse, longer, thicker and the heaviest roots. Hence, the cutting treatment of IBA 4000 ppm can be proposed for dragon fruit plant propagation to meet the market demand in India.

Influence of mineral, organic, organomineral fertilization on winter hardiness components of columnar apple tree (<i>Malus domestica</i> Borkh.)

Intensive biological technologies of apple-tree cultivation with application of organic and mineral fertilizers form high nitrogen nutrition, thus leading to prolonged growth of fruit plants and reducing their winter hardiness. Columnar apple tree fail to demonstrate high potential for winter hardiness. Therefore, research into regularities and mechanisms behind the influence of nutritional status of columnar apple tree on indicators of plant winter hardiness is considered relevant. The research was aimed at establishing the influence of mineral, organic, organomineral fertilization on the components of winter hardiness of columnar apple trees grown on podzolic soil. Materials and methods. The research involved the ‘Triumph’, ‘President’, ‘Ostankino’ columnar apple varieties, as well as organic and mineral fertilizers. The experiment was conducted in 2016–2021 in the agrochemical experiment station of the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery (Moscow region) on podzolic soil of medium-loam particle size distribution. The experimental design included 4 variants: 1) control without fertilizers; 2) N90K90; 3) organic fertilizers 100 t/ha; 4) N90K90 organic fertilizers 100 t/ha. Naa (ammonium saltpeter), KCl mineral fertilizers were applied annually, organic fertilizer (horse manure with sawdust) was applied in 2014. Winter hardiness components and plant samples were analyzed according to generally accepted methods. According to the research into the influence of mineral, organic, organomineral fertilization on the components of winter hardiness of columnar apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) grown on podzolic soil in the conditions of the Moscow region, the fertilizer is found inefficient in terms of providing the optimal level of nitrogen nutrition of columnar apple tree plants, except for ‘Triumph’ variety when getting organic fertilizers at a dose of 100 t/ha. In January, fructose prevailed in the sugars of annual shoots of columnar apple tree plants. The ‘Triumph’ and ‘President’ varieties showed a tendency to increase in the content of fructose and glucose as compared with the control when getting organic fertilizers and their combination with mineral fertilizers. The same tendency was observed in the ‘Ostankino’ variety for the content of ascorbic acid in annual shoots, whereas this indicator of the ‘Triumph’ and ‘President’ varieties demonstrated the opposite trend. The ascorbic acid content in annual shoots in winter appeared consistent with its content in August shoots and remained independent on the content in leaves in August. With a decrease in temperature to -40 °C (component II of winter hardiness), the ‘Triumph ‘and ‘Ostankino’ varieties suffered reversible damage to the vegetative buds from 0 to 2.0 points, the ‘President’ variety introduced with 100 tons/ha organic fertilizers demonstrated an increase in damage to the vegetative buds to 3.17 points. The greatest damage to reproductive buds in the ‘President’ and ‘Ostankino’ varieties (3.85-3.91 on the control) was observed in component II of winter hardiness. The application of mineral and organic fertilizers increased these damages to complete death of reproductive buds. Injuries to bark, cambium in all variants of the studied varieties did not exceed 2.0 points. Wood appeared more damaged in the ‘Ostankino’ variety (up to 4.03 points in the combined application of N90K90 and 100 t/ha of organic fertilizers) as well as in the Triumph variety (up to 3.80 points in the N90K90 variant). As for component III of winter hardiness, an irreversible damage was noted for reproductive buds of the studied varieties in all variants of the experiment. In terms of component IV of winter hardiness, irreversible changes occurred in reproductive buds to the greatest extent (complete death in the ‘Triumph’ and ‘President’ varieties); in the tissue under reproductive buds, to the greatest extent in the ‘President’ variety (3.07 points in the variant of 100 tons/ha of organic fertilizers) and in the ‘Ostankino’ variety (2.76 points in N90K90), at the core, the maximum damage was noted in the N90K90 variant in the ‘Triumph’ (3.22 points) and ‘Ostankino’ (2.76 points) varieties.

Diversity and Host Ranges of Whiteflies in Mekarsari Fruit Park, Bogor: a Comprehensive Study of 20 Whitefly Species Across 56 Fruit Plant Species

Diversity and Host Ranges of Whiteflies in Mekarsari Fruit Park, Bogor: a Comprehensive Study of 20 Whitefly Species Across 56 Fruit Plant Species

Genetic Variability, Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis in Bottle Gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] Genotypes

The present investigation was carried out at the Experimental field of Urban Technological Park Habbak, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir during kharif-2022. The experiment was laid out in Augmented Randomized Block Design with three blocks and plant spacing of 2×1 m for seventy- seven genotypes including two checks, Pusa Naveen and Pusa Santushti. Observations were recorded for growth and yield traits, seed traits and quality parameters. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes for all the traits. The estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were slightly higher than the corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the characters studied indicating little influence of environment in the expression of these traits. The highest phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation were observed for seed weight fruit-1 (45.15 and 45.13). High heritability coupled with high genetic gain was recorded for seed weight fruit-1 (0.99 and 93.01), indicating that the heritability is most likely due to additive gene effects and thus the chances of fixing this trait by selection are more. The estimates of heritability in broad sense were high for all the traits. Correlation studies indicated that fruit yield plant-1 followed by fruit weight, vine length, number of primary branches and number of fruits plant-1 had significant and positive correlation with fruit yield ha-1. Path coefficient analysis showed that fruit yield plant-1 followed by fruit weight, number of primary branches, node number at which 1st male flower appeared and fruit diameter had highest direct effects on the yield per ha-1.

What is evolving in an economy?

Modern evolutionary economics consists of several areas of research that differ significantly both in objects and research methods. One of these areas includes in its tasks the search for evidence that changes occurring in the economy are similar to those that were studied in Darwin’s theory of the living nature’s evolution. The article poses and solves two main tasks: firstly, to demonstrate the incorrectness of the interpretation of “Generalized Darwinism” as a model of evolution, the features of which coincide with the original Darwinian understanding, and, secondly, to show that in economics it is really possible to identify objects in which changes occur in a way close to what was discovered by Charles Darwin. It is shown that “Generalized Darwinism” is in fact a model of those types of evolution that are not Darwinian. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that in economics it is indeed possible to distinguish subsystems called “systems for creating product families,” whose properties are similar to fruit plants, and changes are carried out through natural Darwinian selection. The final part presents directions in which the use of the proposed approach can make a certain contribution to further development of evolutionary economics.

HortGenome Search Engine, a universal genomic search engine for horticultural crops.

Horticultural crops comprising fruit, vegetable, ornamental, beverage, medicinal and aromatic plants play essential roles in food security and human health, as well as landscaping. With the advances of sequencing technologies, genomes for hundreds of horticultural crops have been deciphered in recent years, providing a basis for understanding gene functions and regulatory networks and for the improvement of horticultural crops. However, these valuable genomic data are scattered in warehouses with various complex searching and displaying strategies, which increases learning and usage costs and makes comparative and functional genomic analyses across different horticultural crops very challenging. To this end, we have developed a lightweight universal search engine, HortGenome Search Engine (HSE; http://hort.moilab.net), which allows for the querying of genes, functional annotations, protein domains, homologs, and other gene-related functional information of more than 500 horticultural crops. In addition, four commonly used tools, including 'BLAST', 'Batch Query', 'Enrichment analysis', and 'Synteny Viewer' have been developed for efficient mining and analysis of these genomic data.