Highest Leaf Yield Research Articles

Towards the establishment of “lagundi” (Vitex trifolia s.l.) reference germplasm from the Philippines: An agro-morphological and phytochemical evaluation of native genotypes

An identified reference germplasm is needed to facilitate the stable sourcing of medicinal plants with correct genotype(s). We aimed to evaluate phytochemical and agro-morphological properties of four pre-selected, genetically stable, and native Vitex trifolia s.l. accessions from the Philippines to provide baseline information and present promising and available genetic materials as standards. Yield and yield components of four V. trifolia s.l. accessions from the Philippine Biorepository Network (PBN) were evaluated using a randomized complete block design in one growing season. Quantification of macromolecules of the dried samples were determined through proximate analysis. Phytochemicals were qualitatively screened while antioxidant activity were evaluated for total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. PBN 2019–138 had the highest dry yield at 128 ± 21.16 g per plant and showed moderate to high antioxidant activity. Its high biomass throughput was attributed to its higher number of leaves per plant, heavier petiole weight, and high fiber content at 25.29%. PBN 2019–332 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among all assays but with relatively lower fiber content (24.24%) and lower yield at 60.62 ± 17.63 g per plant. The genotypes varied significantly in 17 out of 29 evaluation parameters. Thirteen traits had moderate to high heritability values, indicating the potential for clonal selection of promising types. Using principal component analysis, we identified PBN 2019–138 as the most promising genotype across the four accessions as it had the highest leaf yield per plant and intermediate antioxidant activity. Thus, the accessions presented can be asexually propagated and used as genotypic standards for subsequent RDE activities centered on the medicinal use of V. trifolia s.l. genotypes.

Efficacy of Vegetables Intercropping in Mulberry on Sericulture Productivity and Economy

A field experiment was carried out in three (03) areas viz: experimental field of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi, 05 farmers field of Bholahat, Chapainawabganj and 05 farmers of Paba, Rajshahi during 2020–2022. The objective of this research was to assess the effect of vegetables intercropping in mulberry garden on sericulture productivity and economy. Randomized completely block design (RCBD) with 3 replications and 7 treatments which includes, T0 = Sole mulberry (Control) T1 = Mulberry + Potato, T2 = Mulberry + Cabbage, T3 = Mulberry + Cauliflower, T4 = Mulberry + Red amaranth, T5 = Mulberry + Spinach and T6 = Mulberry + Data shak. The growth and yield parameters of mulberry viz average branch number per plant, total leaf number per plant, total branches height per plant (cm), nodes per meter per plant, length of longest shoot (cm), leaf present per branch, 10 leaves area (cm2), total leaf weight per plant (g), total shoots weight per plant (g) and total leaf yield/ha/crop (mt) were higher in T1 (10.89, 1223.35, 753.12, 23.03, 118.16, 20.58, 537.98, 833.35, 402.84 and 10.37) followed by other treatments except control (12.3, 1365.77, 768.82, 23.62, 122.5, 23, 572.92, 901.03, 414.76 and 10.82), respectively. Leaf quality viz moisture, total chlorophyll, crude protein, total sugar, reducing sugar and mineral percentage were significantly higher in T3 (75.7, 38.8, 20.85, 6.48, 4.1 and 12.71) respectively over the T6 (74.86, 38.05, 19.61, 5.59, 3.12 and 11.1). The silk cocoon attributes like weight of 15 larvae (g), single cocoon weight (g), shell weight (g), cocoon shell ratio, highest filament length (m), renditta and cocoon productivity/100 dfls (kg) were higher also in T3 (53.46, 32.41, 0.21, 19.85, 977.84, 11.1 and 70.66) as compared to T6 (51.48, 31.42, 0.18, 18.24, 966.04, 12.31 and 69.24), respectively. The growing of Cauliflower as an intercrop was given maximum B: C (2.31) due to expansion soil fertility, higher leaf yield (except control), leaf quality, cocoon yield and additional income paralleled with other intercrops (cabbage-2.09, red amaranth-2.05, spinach-1.67, potato-1.49, sole mulberry-1.34 and data shak-1.22).

Understanding the Genetic Variability for Growth and Leaf Yield of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)

Background: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a popular herbaceous annual seed spice crop. It is mainly grown for seed as well as green leaf, the leaf and seed yield is varied with the genetic background of genotypes. Therefore, the selection of genotypes with high leaf yield is highly desired, along with the magnitude of heritability and genetic advance for wider adaptation and cultivation. In this view, the accessions were collected and their genetic variables were assessed. Methods: The experimental material included 48 coriander accessions along with two check varieties CO4 and CO5. The plant materials were obtained from the coriander germplasm repository at the Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with two replications. Results: The results of the analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the accessions. High heritability coupled with high GAM was observed for the economical trait (87% and 48.93% for leaf yield) indicating that, the traits were highly heritable in nature, hence selection breeding is most effective. The PCV and GCV were moderate to high for all traits except the number of days for harvest and moisture content among all the accessions of coriander. The leaf yield was highly significant, and positively correlated with all the traits except the number of days for harvest and leaf protein. The genotypic correlation was greater than the phenotypic correlation among the genotypes. Therefore, to increase the seed yield of coriander accessions, either simple selection or mass selection of desirable traits and their associated traits would be effective.

Intercropping pulses with mulberry on sericulture productivity and profitability

This study was conducted during 2020-2021 in three locations viz: research field of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi, five farmer’s fields of Bholahat, Chapainawabganj and Paba, Rajshahi to evaluate the effect of growing pulses intercrops with mulberry productivity, silkworm rearing, soil properties and economy. The experiments were laid out in RCBD methods with three replications and six treatments.The growth and yield parameters of mulberry like average branch number/plant, total leaf number/plant, total branches length/plant, nodes/ meter/plant, length of longest shoot, leaf present/branch, 10 leaves area, total leaf weight/plant, total shoots weight/plant and total leaf yield were higher in T4. Leaf quality viz: moisture content, total chlorophyll, crude protein, total sugar, reducing sugar and mineral in percentage (%) were significantly greater in T4. The cocoon attributes like weight of 15 larvae, single cocoon weight, shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, highest filament length, renditta and cocoon productivity/100 dfls were better also in T4 (54.68, 33.75, 0.27, 21.98, 990.41, 10.29 and 72.67) as compared to control (51.23, 31.21,0.19, 19.05, 962.96, 12.44, 69.07) respectively. Chickpea as an intercrop was given higher benefit: cost (1.30) due to increased soil fertility, higher leaf yield (except control), leaf quality, cocoon yield and additional income as compared with other intercrops (1.14, 1.07, 1.01, 0.93 and 0.86 for pea, grasspea, mugbean, sole mulberry and lentil respectively). Bangladesh J. Agri. 2022, 47(2): 107-118

Yield and Chemical Composition of Marandu Grass Fertilized with Macro-and Micronutrients at Planting and for Pasture Maintenance

ABSTRACT The conditions in tropical regions are favorable for growth of Urochloa brizantha, but inadequate management can make the forage highly susceptible to degradation, so that the pasture quantity and quality are very poor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fertilization at planting and for maintenance of U. brizantha cv. “Marandu” pasture, consisting of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) associated with sulfur (S), boron (B) and zinc (Zn) on forage yield and the morphological and chemical composition. The experiment was carried out in a Typic Ultisol, and the experiment was arranged in a randomized block design, with four replicates and eight treatments. In the PK treatments, rates of 80 kg ha−1 P2O5 plus 50 kg ha−1 of K2O were applied. In all treatments, 120 kg ha1 of N was applied as ammonium nitrate split in four (4 × 30 kg). In the treatment with N fertilization only, the dry weight of U. brizantha was in the lowest yield group in all evaluations of the 2-year period. The total dry weight and leaf yield of U. brizantha was strongly and positively correlated with P, K, and S application, moderately correlated with B, and weakly with Zn supply. The soil and fertilization, climate and management conditions of forage cuts were favorable for the U. brizantha yield, with a high leaf/stem + sheath ratio (>1.94), i.e, an indicator of high leaf yield. The contents of neutral and acid detergent fiber did not vary according to the type of fertilization and that of crude protein varied only slightly in the first year in forage samples of the dry period.

Thermal sum in the determination of the phenological stages of Chihuahua and Cuauhtémoc oats in Güémez Tamaulipas

Objective: To determine the thermal sum requirements in degrees days of development (GDD) of the varieties of Avena sativa, Cuauhtémoc and Chihuahua by phenological stage and its effect on the accumulation of total forage and by morphological component in Güémez, Tamaulipas.
 Design/methodology/approach: The sowing was carried out in plots of 6×6 m and four repetitions of the Cuauhtémoc and Chihuahua varieties through the mechanized preparation of the land, with doses of 120 kg ha-1 of seed and, subsequently, irrigation and fertilization work was carried out. The treatments were made up of the two varieties and six phenological stages (Zadoks scale: Z2, Z3, Z4, Z7, Z8, Z9) in a random complete block design.
 Results: It was found that, the months of November to March allow to obtain 1923.5 and 1831.5 GDD as a requirement of the crop to complete the biological cycle of the Chihuahua and Cuauhtémoc varieties. Yields by morphological component depended on the observed phenological stage and the highest leaf yield was obtained with 2.7 and 3.6 t ha-1 in Cuauhtémoc and Chihuahua, respectively (P<0.05) in stage Z3, with an accumulation of 1032 and 980 GDD in the stem elongation stage.
 Limitations on study/implications: These results are applicable only for the evaluation area, because they are physiological responses where the environment intervenes.
 Findings/conclusions: In Güémez, Tamaulipas, the Chihuahua oat variety requires 1923.5 GDD to complete the biological cycle, while Cuauhtémoc 1831.5 GDD. The difference between the thermal accumulation of the varieties and the phenological stages has an impact on the total forage yield and by morphological component.

Evaluation of morphology, nutrients, phytochemistry and pigments suggests the optimum harvest date for high-quality quinoa leafy vegetable

Consumed as a leafy vegetable, quinoa has high value for its unique nutritional and functional composition; however, optimal harvesting time is unknown. Leafy green quinoa was evaluated for morphological traits, nutritional content, phytochemical composition and pigments at eight different harvesting dates. Harvesting time had a significant influence on morphological traits. Leafy green quinoa picked at 55 days after sowing (DAS) was highest with thickest stem, largest leaf number and leaf area, and heaviest leaf yield. Nutritional composition—reducing sugar, crude fat, ash, minerals, and amino acids—varied with harvesting time. Fat content decreased as the harvest date was delayed, quinoa vegetable harvesting at 25 DAS had highest contents of K, Ca, acidic amino acids (AAA), and neutral amino acids (NAA), while harvesting at 45 DAS had highest contents of ash and Ca. Phytochemical composition—total flavonoids (TF), total phenolics (TP), and total saponin (TS) content—were different among harvesting time. Maximum contents of β-carotene, lycopene, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b were harvested at 25 DAS. Principal component analysis (PCA) and relationship analysis showed that late harvest (50-55 DAS) was beneficial for yield formation of quinoa vegetables with higher plant, thicker stem, more leaf numbers, larger leaf area and higher leaf yield as well as higher contents of TP, TS and Mg. Earlier medium harvest (25-35 DAS) was suggested to harvest quinoa vegetables with higher contents of AAA, BAA, HAA, NAA, K, β-carotene, lycopene, and reducing sugar. For the purpose of ash and Ca, later medium harvest (40-45 DAS) was recommended. To pursue higher contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, TS, fat and Cu, earliest harvest (20 DAS) was recommended. Overall, 25 DAS might be considered the best time for harvesting high-quality leafy green quinoa for commercial purposes.

Performance of Radish in Aonla based Multistoried Agroforestry System

An experiment was conducted in a 19-years old aonla orchard from October 2019 to January 2020 at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) research farm to determine the performance of different radish varieties in aonla based multistoried agroforestry systems. The study consisted of two factors viz. four agroforestry systems (aonla + carambola, aonla + lemon, aonla only, and open field) and four radish varieties (BU mula-1, BARI Mula-1, BARI Mula-2 and Rocky 45) laid out in a two factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Findings exhibited that light availability in the open field was 727.02 µmol m-2s-1 which was significantly higher over the aonla based multistoried agroforestry systems. Light received by the aonla + lemon, aonla, and aonla + carambola systems were 74.13, 65.57, and 52.77% of the open field, respectively. The highest (276.47 g) leaf fresh weight produced by Rocky 45 was noticed in aonla + carambola system and the lowest leaf weight produced by BU mula-1 was found in an open field. The highest root fresh weight (592 g) was produced by Rocky 45 in the open field, and the lowest root fresh weight (102.60 g) was produced by BU mula-1 in aonla + carambola based system. The highest root yield (39.47 t/ha) of Rocky 45 was produced in an open field and a higher leaf yield (18.43 t/ha) was reported in BU mula-1 among four radish varieties. Among four radish varieties, Rocky 45 performed better yield in open field conditions and aonla based agroforestry system.

Effect of levels and types of organic, biological, and chemical fertilizers on morphological traits, yield, and uptake rate of elements in Satureja mutica

Satureja species are of great economic and medical importance due to their high content of essential oils and use in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Due to the domestication and introduction of Satureja mutica cultivars, for the first time and the lack of comprehensive research on its cultivation, the need for research on the nutritional needs of this plant and the introduction of suitable fertilizer treatments that can be used by farmers is important. This experiment was carried out in 2018 and 2019 in field conditions using randomized complete blocks with three replications and 21 treatments in the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. The results of mean comparisons of fertilizer treatments (mean of two years) showed that the highest plant height, with 88 and 80 cm, was related to cow manure treatments of 30 and 60 tons per hectare, respectively. The highest flowering shoot yield, with 4427, 4266, and 4113 kg ha−1, was obtained from N50P25K25 + vermicompost10 and N50P25K25 + cow manure60 and N50P25K25 + cow manure30 treatments in the second year, respectively. The lowest yield of the flowering shoot (849 kg ha−1) belonged to Pseudomonas putida treatment. The highest leaf yield, with 2556 and 2441 kg ha−1, was obtained from N25P25K25 + vermicompost10 and N25, P25, K25 +cow manure60 treatments, respectively. According to the results, the highest nitrogen content, with 2.44 and 2.32 g/100 g, was obtained from the cow manure30 treatment in the first and second year, respectively. The maximum nitrogen uptake with 94.43 kg ha−1 was obtained from N50, P25, K25 + vermicompost10. The lowest nitrogen uptake at 24 kg ha−1 was related to Pseudomonas putida treatment. The mean comparison of two years showed that the highest essential oil percentage (2.11 g/100 g) and yield (79.27 kg ha−1) were obtained from the second year compared with the first year. Carvacrol, γ-terpinene, thymol, and p-cymene were the major components in the essential oil. The results showed that the combined treatments of chemical fertilizers with animal manure and vermicompost are suitable treatments to increase the yield of different organs and essential oil yield in field conditions.

Influence of Varieties and Spacings on Growth, Biomass Yield and Nutritional Value of Corn Silage in Paddy Field

Abstract The objectives of the experiment were to determine plant spacing and variety to produce the suitable growth, yield components, biomass yield of field corn and nutritional value of corn silage in paddy field condition. The field experiment was conducted at the Lopburi Research Station, Khok Charoen district, Lopburi province, Thailand in 2018-2019 and was arranged in a split plot design in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 4 replications. The main plot contained 3 plant spacings viz. 75×15, 75×20 and 75×25 cm and sub plot consisted of 5 field corn varieties (CP888, NS3, S7328, SW4452 and SW5). The results showed that wide spacing tended to produce higher ears per plant than narrow spacing. CP888 was the highest ears per plant variety. NS3 was the highest leaf/stem ratio variety. SW5 showed high leaf, stem and fresh biomass yield and it also produce ear yield closing to a high ear yield variety at 75×25 cm spacing. Moreover, SW5 also had high crude protein (CP) content, while plant spacing did not significantly affect acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), ash, and lactic acid of corn silage. The widest spacing (75×25 cm) showed lower NDF than the narrowest spacing (75×15 cm). It was evident that SW5 and 75×25 cm spacing may be considered optimum for biomass yields without negatively affecting the corn silage quality. Keywords: Nutritional value, Paddy field, Plant spacing, Silage corn, Variety

Prominent Doses of Nitrogen Enhance Mulberry and Silk Cocoon Productivity

Nitrogen (N) has potential to improve leaf yield and quality of mulberry plant. However, optimum doses of N for mulberry cultivation have not been updated for long times on the newly developed mulberry varieties in Bangladesh. A study was conducted at the research field and laboratories of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi to determine the nitrogen (N) requirements and optimum age of mulberry plants to get higher leaf yield, better quality of leaves, successful silkworm rearing performance and suppresses of foliar diseases in mulberry plant. The six treatments executed for trials on N requirements of mulberry plants were: N: 0, 80, 160, 240, 320 and 400 kg/ha/yr. The blanket doses of P & K for N trial were fixed as per recommended doses of BSRTI. Research results indicated that the added nutrient elements (N) favored in increasing growth, leaf yield, improving quality of mulberry leaves, suppresses foliar diseases as well as improved silk cocoon productivity. The leaf yield increased with increased rates of N application. The highest leaf yield was 51.88 Mt/ha/yr found in older plants of 6-10 years of age with the application of N @ 400 kg/ha/yr which was 6.57% higher than the maximum average yield of less than 5 years ages of mulberry plant. All the growth and quality parameters of leaves viz: moisture, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, total sugar, soluble carbohydrate, reducing sugar and crude protein exhibited the best performance with the better silkworm rearing performances viz: wt. of 10 matured larval (g), effective rate of rearing by number, single cocoon wt. (g), single shell wt. (g), SR%, highest filament length (m), rendita and cocoon yield/100 dfls (kg) through the treatment of N400 P150 K100 kg/ha/yr (T5) with four split doses in 6-10 years ages of mulberry plant, where the cocoon productivity was 57.85% greater than the control treatment. Furthermore, the average incidence percentages of leaf spot, tukra and powdery mildew diseases were also reduced for the increasing doses of nitrogen. This study concluded that elevated N enhances mulberry leaf yield, quality, silk cocoon productivity as well as suppresses the foliar diseases incidence of mulberry plant.

Effect of planting dates on the growth and yield of five varieties of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.)

An experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, from November 2014 to April 2015, to study the effect of planting dates on the growth and yield of five varieties of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.). The experiment consisted of two planting dates such as 16 November and 30 November and five varieties, viz., Serenada, Aranka, Belleza, Danicia, and Natura. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Observations were made on yield and different plant characters, e.g., plant height, number of leaves/plants, root length, fresh weight of root/plant, root yield/plot, root yield/ha, fresh weight of leaves/plant, leaf yield/plot, leaf yield/ha, dry weight of root/plant, dry weight of leaves/plant, root diameter and total soluble solids (TSS). The results showed that planting dates significantly affected yield and all the plant characters of sugarbeet under study. The higher root yield (27.69, 32.10 and 32.71 t ha-1) and the higher leaf yield (13.61, 25.728 and 26.93 t ha-1) were recorded from 16 November planting at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively. The root yield and leaf yield decreased gradually after planting on 16 November. The effect of varieties significantly influenced the growth and yield of sugarbeet. The higher root yield (25.14, 39.68 and 41.96 t ha-1) and leaf yield (17.56, 30.12 and 31.64 t ha-1) were found in the variety Serenada at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively. The lower root yield (17.20, 21.24 and 24.81 t ha-1) and leaf yield (4.74, 17.83 and 18.73 t ha-1) were obtained from the variety Danicia at 90, 120, and 150 DAP, respectively. The combined effect of planting dates and variety significantly affected growth and yield. Serenada variety gave the maximum root yield (31.63, 41.43 and 45.14 t ha-1) and leaf yield (21.6, 30.20, and 31.94 t ha-1) with 16 November planting at 90, 120, 150 DAP, respectively. The minimum root yield (10.24, 20.36 and 24.08 t ha-1) and leaf yield (2.4, 17.41 and 18.07 t ha-1) with 30 November planting at 90, 120 and 150 DAP, respectively were obtained from the variety Danicia. The results indicated that all the varieties gave a higher yield on 16 November planting than the planting on 30 November and the Serenada variety gave the highest yield among the varieties.

Effects of temperatures on growth, physiological, and antioxidant characteristics in Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HC) is a traditional medicinal plant with a variety of pharmaceutical activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth, photosynthetic parameters, and antioxidant properties of HC plants in response to various temperatures. Pots of HC plants were maintained in day/night temperatures of 15/10 °C, 20/15 °C, 25/20 °C (control), 30/25 °C, and 35/30 °C for two months in each of five growth chambers having a 13.5 h photoperiod at 396, 432, 474, 449, and 619 µmol·m-2·s-1 radiation, respectively. Eight plants for each temperature were randomly placed in a growth chamber. HC plants survived at 30/25 °C and 35/30 °C treatments and had significantly higher plant heights, leaf numbers, and soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values compared to other treatments. However, long-term 35/30 °C treatment caused reductions in leaf length and width, significantly decreasing shoot and leaf fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) compared to 30/25 °C treatment and controls. These results indicate that HC leaf development was affected during the 35/30 °C treatment, and that both SPAD and NDVI can help in advancing our understanding of the photosynthesis process in HC. Moreover, all plants subjected to 15/10 °C suffered more severely in all traits and parameters than other treatments. Therefore, HC plants tended to be heat-tolerant and exhibited adaptive morphologic plasticity to 30/25 °C conditions. Positive and significant correlations were observed among temperatures and total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), chlorogenic acid (CGA), and hyperoside (HO) content, and all bioactive contents increased as temperature increased, except that both CGA and HO content were remarkably decreased after 30/25 °C treatment. Thus, 30/25 °C treatment would be more beneficial for high marketability resulting from increased leaf number, DW, and all secondary metabolites compared to other treatments, and for use as a health food and for medicinal purposes. In addition, leaf growth, physiological parameters, and secondary metabolite accumulations in HC plants can be optimized for commercial production via temperature control technologies. This approach may also be applicable to leafy vegetables to produce stable industrial supplies having high leaf yields and metabolite content.

English

Ethiopia is the center of origin for Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata). The crop is one of the oldest oil crops and farmers in the highlands of the country grow as a leafy vegetable in their gardens. However, no attempt has been made to assess the association of characters and path analysis in Ethiopian mustard leaf. This study was conducted to assess association of traits among leafy vegetable yield and yield related traits and to determine the direct and indirect effects of the traits. A total of 36 Ethiopian mustard genotypes were evaluated at Holleta in 2017/2018. The results from correlation study showed that the genotypic correlation coefficient among edible vegetable leaf yield as well as all of agro-morphological qualities was positive and significant apart from leaves per plant and leaf width ratio to length. Length of leaf petiole, leaf length, leaf width, petiole width and plant height had positive and highly significant correlation with edible vegetable leaf yield both at levels of genotypic and phenotypic. These traits also had indirect positive effect on yield either though each other or via other traits at genotypic level. The strong association of these traits with leaf yield, the high to low effects of direct and indirect through other traits at level of genotypic for these traits is an indication of the importance of the traits to use in Ethiopian mustard genotypes for high edible vegetable leaf yield selection.   Key words:  Correlation, direct, indirect and edible vegetable leaf yield.

Genotype x Environment interaction and stability analysis for leaf yield of mulberry (Morus alba L.) under alkali affected soils

The objective of this study was to determine the stability analysis and genotype x environment interaction of alkali tolerant mulberry genotypes at different alkali soils (untreated/unreclaimed, reclaimed with inorganic/organic amendment) on leaf yield to understand their adaptation. Five alkali tolerant mulberry genotypes along with two improved genotypes and one ruling local check were evaluated in an alkali hotspot. The large variation in mean leaf yield/microplot, regression coefficient (bi) and deviation from regression (Sdi2) indicates the different responses of genotypes to soil reclaimed with amendments. Average two year leaf yield/microplot, maximum of 18.240 kg was produced by the AR-12 followed by the AR-14, AR-29, AR-08, V1, AR-10 and S-34. Genotypes AR-12 and AR-14 showed high leaf yield (AR-12: 18.240 kg, AR-14: 16.15 kg), the low deviation from regression (Sdi2) (AR-12: -0.04, AR-14: 0.03) and their regression coefficient values (bi) were close to unity (AR-12: 1.41, AR-14: 1.34) and could be classified as stable genotypes. Key wordsGenotype x Environment Interaction, Stability analysis, Leaf Yield, Morus alba. &nbsp

Soil-cum-nutrient management package for achieving high yield and quality of mulberry (Morus indica L.) leaf in acid soil of North Eastern India

Mulberry (Morus indica L.) is a foliage crop cultivated extensively in the North-Eastern India under rainfed condition for rearing silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). An attempt was made through field experimentation to develop a soil-cum-nutrient management package for mulberry cultivation in acid soil under rainfed condition. Effects of different treatment combinations comprising of NPK, farmyard manure (FYM), lime and boron (B) on important soil properties, yield and quality of mulberry (Morus indica L. var. S1635) leaf were assessed to identify the best soil-cum-nutrient management package. Results indicated that fertilizer dosage based on ready-reckoner soil test value was not effective for the production of high-quality leaf with specific targeted yield of the crop (4.5 t/ha/crop-cutting). Integrated soil application of NPK @ 150:50:50 kg ha−1, FYM@10 t ha−1, lime as per requirement (3t ha−1 in present case) and foliar application of boric acid solution (0.1% w/v) was the most effective soil-cum-nutrient management package for the production of higher leaf yield which is comparable with the targeted yield. As far as leaf quality is concerned, increased moisture content, total N, P, K and B content of leaf are also attributed to the package. The package resulted in increased pH, organic carbon, dehydrogenase activity, available N, P, K and decreased exchangeable aluminum, exchangeable acidity and total potential acidity of soil. The study indicates the usefulness of soil-cum-nutrient management package for improved soil health of acid soils as well as achieving high yield and quality of mulberry leaf in such acid soils of the North-Eastern India and elsewhere.

Forage yield of Urochloa brizantha [(Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) R.D.] cv. Insurgente at different cutting heights

Objective: Evaluate the forage yield of Urochloa brizantha cv. Insurgente at differentcutting heights.Design/ methodology/ approach: the experiment was carried out at the Universidaddel Papaloapan, Loma Bonita, Oaxaca, Mexico. Four cutting heights were evaluated (5,10, 15, and 20 cm) during the rainy, norther, and dry seasons. The experiment followeda randomized block design with four replicates. We evaluated plant height (PH), greenmatter yield (GMY), dry matter yield (DMY), growth rate (GR), and morphologicalcomponents, such as leaf yield (LY), sheath yield (SY), and stem yield (StY).Results: the cutting height and season interaction was significant for all the evaluatedvariables (P?0.01). The highest PH (42 cm) was obtained with a cutting height of 20 cmduring the rainy season. The highest GMY and DMY (2,484 and 606 kg ha -1 ,respectively) were obtained with cutting heights of 15 cm during the rainy season. Thesevalues were similar (P>0.05) to those obtained at 20 cm (2,410 and 582 kg ha -1 ,respectively). The highest LY, SY, and StY values were obtained with cutting heights of15 and 20 cm during the rainy season. The highest GR (31 kg MS ha -1 day -1 ) wasobserved during the rainy season, regardless of cutting height.Findings/ conclusions: for each of the evaluated seasons, cutting heights of 15 and 20cm resulted in the highest forage yields of U. brizantha cv. Insurgente.

ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ЗАКЛАДКИ И УХОДА ЗА ЧАЙНЫМИ ПЛАНТАЦИЯМИ

The use of fertilizers is one of the most eff ective methods for ensuring a steady increase in the yield of tea plantations and maintaining it at a high level. The author analyzed agrotechnical requirements for the establishment and maintenance of tea plantations, taking into account the specifi c natural production and physiological characteristics of tea plants. The paper considers the infl uence of agrotechnical methods for the care of tea plantations on their productivity, such as: fertilizing, pruning, and cultivating the soil in the inter-rows. It has been established that both mineral and organic fertilizers greatly infl uencence on the development and productivity of tea plants. The latter type in the form of manure or peat compost, when applied in 4 years one time at a rate of 50 t/ha, gives an excellent eff ect. First, organic fertilizers are used for plantations located on slopes or fl at areas with heavy soils. Doses of nitrogen fertilizers are set depending on the age and yield of the tea plantation. It is noted that plantations with closed rows and trellis trimming do not need deep tillage. On such plantations, it is recommended to carry out winter tillage every 3-4 years with the simultaneous intra-soil application of phosphorus and organic fertilizers. The timing of applying phosphorus fertilizers can be adjusted depending on their content in the soil. It is recommended to leave the trellis pruning material on the plantations as an organic fertilizer for plant nutrition. According to the current agrotechnical requirements, the optimal indicator of soil acidity, at which a tea plant shows maximum viability and can give the highest leaf yield, is PH = 4.0…6.5.

Effect of bio-inoculants on growth and yield of betel vine (Piper betle)

Betel vine (Piper betel) cultivation and the consumption of betel leaves is a very traditional and widespread practice in India and many South-East Asian countries. The marginal and small farmers generally cultivate betel vine in their small holdings which provide them with a means of alternative cash earning to meet their day to day livelihood. Chewing betel leaves is an old habit of the people residing in subtropical countries. It is used in several traditional remedies for the treatment of stomach ailments, infections and as a general tonic. As betel leaf is directly chewed, there is a need to improve the leaf yield and to optimize the usage of manures for the leaf production. A study was taken up to assess the efficacy of some of the bio-inoculants in combination with inorganic fertilizers in betel vine cv. SGM 1 under an open system of deep trench method. Among the various treatments, Azospirillum @ 5 kg coupled with 100 kg each of P and K ha-1 had recorded the highest vine length (195.6 cm), more number of laterals per vine (22.3) and highest leaf yield ha-1 (44.7 lakh).

Flavonoid Compounds and Photosynthesis in Passiflora Plant Leaves under Varying Light Intensities.

Functional constituents in the leaves of Passiflora plants contain antidepressant and antianxiety effects which are beneficial to human health and fitness. The objective of this study was to investigate leaf growth, physiological parameters, and secondary metabolite contents of Tainung No. 1 variety (P. edulis × P. edulis f. flavicarpa.) and P. suberosa in response to three light intensity conditions, including 100% light intensity (LI-100), 50% light intensity (LI-50), and 15% light intensity (LI-15) for 2 months. The leaf number, length, width, area, dry weight (DW), minimal fluorescence (Fo), maximal fluorescence (Fm), maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, and soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) values of all tested plants increased with a decreasing light intensity, except for the leaf number and DW of P. suberosa plants. Low values of the net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance of Tainung No. 1 leaves in the LI-15 treatment showed the acclimation capacity of these plants. These observations together with high values of leaf growth traits of Fo, Fm, SPAD, and the intercellular-to-atmospheric CO2 concentration ratio indicate their physiological plasticity, which is of fundamental importance when cultivating plants in environments with different light availabilities. Wide variations occurred in total phenol (TP), total flavonoid (TF), orientin (OR), and isovitexin (IV) contents of the two Passiflora varieties, and P. suberosa contained higher TP and TF contents than did Tainung No. 1 in each light treatment but IV content of P. suberosa was lower than that of Tainung No. 1 in the LI-15 treatment. Moreover, increases in TF, OR, and IV contents of Tainung No. 1 and P. suberosa were clear in the LI-50 and LI-100 treatments, respectively, compared to LI-15 treatment. Leaf growth, physiological parameters, and secondary metabolite accumulations in Passiflora species can be optimized for commercial production via lighting control technologies, and this approach may also be applicable to leafy vegetables to produce a stable industrial supply of high leaf yields and metabolite contents.