Local Cultivars Research Articles

Exploring the prebiotic characteristics of crude polysaccharides from coconut testa flour: A comparative analysis of local cultivar

Crude polysaccharides (CPs) of coconut testa flour (CTF) of five local cultivars; Commercial hybrid (COM), Gon Thembili (GT), Ran Thembili (RT), San Ramon (SR), and Tall × Tall (TT) were isolated in this study to examine to evaluate potential prebiotic properties and structural characteristics. The isolated CPs were subjected to FTIR analysis to identify functional groups of biomolecules. Digestibility tests were performed on CPs of different coconut cultivars using artificial human gastric juice. CPs were applied to Lactobacillus sp. and Escherichia coli to evaluate their proliferation in vitro. FTIR results showed that the occurrence of peaks between 1200 cm−1 – 1000 cm−1 was indicative of the presence of C–O side groups and C–O–C glycosidic bonds. CPs of all cultivars displayed strong resistance to hydrolysis (94–97 %) by human gastric juice when compared to inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS). The higher proliferation of Lactobacillus sp. was detected on all five CPs when compared to that of glucose. The SR cultivar (1.09) showed a higher prebiotic activity score compared to fructooligosaccharides (0.92) and inulin (0.81). These findings suggest that CPs isolated from CTF of local coconut cultivars possess potential prebiotic characteristics that can be used in the preparation of functional foods. Further studies on this aspect are granted to enable the effective use of CTF in promoting human gut health.

Olive reproductive biology: implications for yield, compatibility conundrum, and environmental constraints.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an important Mediterranean tree species with a longstanding history of cultivation, boasting a diverse array of local cultivars. While traditional olive orchards are valued for their cultural and aesthetic significance, they often face economic sustainability challenges in the modern context. The success of both traditional and newly introduced cultivars (e.g. those obtained by cross-breeding) is hindered by self-incompatibility, a prevalent issue for this species that results in low fruit set when limited genetic diversity is present. Further, biological, environmental, and agronomic factors have been shown to interlink in shaping fertilization patterns, hence impacting on the final yield. Climatic conditions during pollination, such as excessive rainfall or high temperatures, can further exacerbate the problem. In this work, we provide an overview of the various factors that trigger the phenomenon of suboptimal fruit set in olive trees. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the interplay among these factors, shedding light on potential mechanisms and pathways that contribute to the observed outcomes in the context of self-incompatibility in olive.

A Case Study of RNA-Silencing Resistance against Potato Virus (PVY) in Condition of Climate Change

Abstract Global environmental issues shift crop production to the new conditions. This increases all kinds of biotic and abiotic stresses, beside others also plant diseases. Such changes are also in Kazakhstan where potato production is dramatically increasing, and crop is growing in regions with continental climate. Problems with potato virus type Y (PVY) need cultivars with better resistance. Introduction of silencing small interfering RNA (siRNA) is new technology. In vitro experiment was done on potato (Solanium tuberosum L.) local cultivar Izolda. Results show significant effect of siRNA in decreasing mortality and occurrence of PVY symptoms and allow expansion of potato cultivation to continental climate conditions, where are faced with new virus problems.

The first draft genome sequence of Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) in Iran

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) is a native tree species of Iran and the Caucasus region growing in both wild habitats and cultivated settings. The area under cultivation of this tree has been increasing in recent years due to its ability to withstand drought and soil salinity. Revealing the complete genome of this tree holds great importance. To achieve this, a local cultivar of Russian olive was sampled from the northwest region of Iran for whole genome sequencing using the Illumina platform resulting in approximately 6GB of raw data. A quality check of the raw data indicated that approximately 45,011,388 read pairs were obtained from sequences totalling around 6.7×109bp with CG content of 31%. To assemble the genome of the Russian olive tree, the raw data was aligned to a reference sequence of the jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) genome, which is the taxonomically closest plant to the Russian olive. Assembly of alignments yielded a genome size of 553,696,299bp consisting of 339,701 contigs. The N50 value was 5,300 with an L50 value of 24,921 and GC content of the Russian olive genome was 31.5%. This research represents the first report on the genome of the Iranian cultivar of the Russian olive tree.

Response Two Cultivars of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) to Phosphate Fertilization Level and Bacterial Inoculum

The research was conducted during season 2020 in Al-Shallalat area, 5 km northeast of Mosul. The study included three factors, namely, the treatment of seed soaking with water and the bacterial inoculum, two local cultivars of chickpea: large seeds (Kabuli) and small seeds (Desi) and three levels of phosphate fertilization (zero, 50 kg, and 100 kg P2O5. h-1). The study was conducted according to the factorial experiment system, in (R. C. B. D) design. In three replication, some traits of plant are obtained such as: plant height (cm), the height of the first pod above the ground (cm), pod length (cm), number of seeds/ pod, number of pods/plant (total), number of pods/plant (full) number of pods cleavage (empty), percentage of yield, the weight of 100 seeds (g), biological yield (g/plant), Seed yield (g/plant) and harvest index. The results indicate a significantly excelled of the treatment of soaking with bacteria inoculum on the treatment of soaking with water for all the studied traits. And highly significantly excelled in most of the studied traits of Kabuli over Desi cultivar. Most of the binary and triple interactions recorded a significant difference between the bacterial inoculum and the seeds of the Kabuli cultivar.

Cultivar-Specific Growth and Yield of Mukunuwenna (<em>Alternanthera sessilis</em>) in the Low Country Wet Zone, Sri Lanka

Joyweed/Mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessile) is a globally significant leafy vegetable, yet its maximum yield potential remains largely unrealized due to the limited genetic diversity of existing varieties. Farmers frequently lack precise knowledge about the yield potential, growth characteristics, and quality of the produce. Few attempts of research attentions were given to assess its growth characteristics, susceptibility to diseases and pests, consumer acceptability, and yield potential. Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate growth and yield traits, sensory qualities and morphological features of eight carefully selected Mukunuwenna cultivars. Thus, identifying the most suitable Mukunuwenna cultivars for the Low Country Wet Zone, Sri Lanka. In this investigation, we assessed four Mukunuwenna selections, including one wild (red) variety, alongside three local Mukunuwenna cultivars, focusing on their growth, yield and morphological characteristics under upland field conditions at the Agriculture Research Station, Thelijjawila, Sri Lanka. The study followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Data were meticulously collected for eight growth parameters and two yield parameters including average internodal distance, average leaf length, average leaf width, average number of shoots per unit area, average number of leaves per stem, average number of flowers per stem, average shoot height, average chlorophyll content, average leaf to stem ratio, and average yield per plot. The results, analyzed through ANOVA and mean separation demonstrated significant differences (P< 0.05) among Mukunuwenna cultivars across various attributes, To assess the diversity in growth and yield, a principle component analysis was conducted. A sensory evaluation was performed to assess the consumer preference. Notably, the Piliyandala selection exhibited the most promising growth and yield traits, particularly excelling leaf to stem ratio and gaining the highest consumer preference. Other notable performers were the Colombo selection, Weda Mukunuwenna and Cultivar M7 showing preferable growth and yield traits with strong consumer appeal. Considering these findings, we conclude that Piliyandala selection, Colombo selection, and Cultivar M7 exhibit preferable growth and yield traits for commercial cultivation, while Weda Mukunuwenna stands out as an ideal choice for home garden cultivation under upland conditions in the Low Country Wet Zone, following recommended agronomic practices. This study’s outcomes hold significant promise for further research endeavors, focusing on enhancing desirable growth and yield traits.

Starch spectra of Ampelopteris prolifera (Retz.) Copel, a new addition to the existing lexicon and its comparison with a local potato cultivar (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kufri Jyoti)

Novel kinds of starch spectra were generated from a lesser-known plant, making this investigation unique. The recent trend of starch characterization shows the establishment of novel bioresources from nonconventional unexplored databases. The present endeavor was made to obtain the starch fingerprint of Ampelopteris prolifera (rhizome) belonging to seedless vascular plants. For comparison, a commercial local cultivar of potato (Kufri Jyoti) was taken. The starch particle of A. prolifera shows much uniqueness depicting its novelty viz., crystallinity index of 60.04 %, powder diffractogram at (2θ scale)17.57° to 39.78°; this diffractogram pattern is reported from this study as newer one i.e. R type(whereas potato starch is CB type); characteristic peak at 2θ = 20.07° suggests starch-lipid complex formation and V type crystallinity (i.e. RS 5 type); FTIR spectra showing the presence of more short chain branching; high gelatinization temperature(84.62 ± 0.10), particle size and zeta value of A. prolifera is 4.00 ± 0.81 μm and − 18.91 ± 3.58 mV respectively. Bragg's peak from the single crystal X-ray diffraction has been generated for the first time of A. prolifera. Extraction of the starch particle was performed in chilled water. Therefore, the present study suggests wide-spectrum commercial utility and cost-effective production.

Metabolite Profiling Foamy Substance of Cucumis sativus L. white local cultivar studied by HR-LCMS

Cucumis sativus L. belong to Cucurbitaceous. The Phytochemical profiling of white foamy substance was performed using HR-LCMS, details of projecting compounds with MS spectra, peak list, and compound structure were studied. The prominent constituent analysis (PCA) of the investigative data displayed the existence of Triterpenes: Gitoxigenin (7.76ppm), Strophanthidin(13.79ppm), Cucurbita in-C (-0.8ppm), Cucurbita in-E(5.53ppm), and Cardiac glycosides: and Digitoxigenin(-2.13ppm) in 10µl of the loaded sample.100 other composites were identified by accurate mass of Q-TOF/MS and confirmed by database compounds (IRM calibration) which comprises, abscisic acid amino acids, fatty acids pyridylactic acid etc. Strophanthidin in the premier attention in the white foamy extract is a noteworthy finding where it has interaction with various proteins in biochemical reactions. This study reports the customary implication of removing white foamy substances before slicing for ingestion. It is used as both vegetables as well as fruit in Indian traditional medicine. It is a source of bioactive compounds.

Selection of fast-growing seaweed cultivars in Palawan, Philippines

Seaweed farming in Palawan currently involves different local cultivars. At least 12 of these cultivars were successfully grown in an indoor facility employing the branch culture techniques and were sea-out planted in Puerto Princesa Bay since 2015. Six of these cultivars yielded relatively high daily growth rates and were selected for the year-round field-testing experiment to compare the growth rates among cultivars and species, between farming sites, and across seasons from 01 July 2021 until 15 August 2022. Monitoring of cultivars’ daily growth rates (DGRs) was conducted in 100 m2 experimental floating monoline plots in Green Island and Sitio Amogues of the municipalities of Roxas and Taytay, Palawan, respectively. Findings revealed that seaweed DGRs significantly varied among cultivars and species (p = 0.001; p = 0.008). The “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa and “sacol” green from Green Island, Roxas had higher DGRs, 4.28% and 4.10%, respectively. Grouping the cultivars per species, the cultivars of Eucheuma denticulatum (L. Burmann) Collins & Hervey had higher DGRs compared to Kappaphycus striatus (F. Schmitz) L. M. Liao and Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L. M. Liao. Spatial and seasonal variabilities in cultivar DGRs were also evident. Four cultivars obtained significantly different DGRs between planting sites. The “tambalang” (p = 0.010) and “magnolia” (p = 0.006) with DGRs of 3.26% and 4.08%, respectively in Green Island Roxas, while the “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa (p < 0.001; 4.86% DGR) and San Vicente (p < 0.001; 4.45% DGR) in Amogues, Taytay. Three cultivars in Green Island, Roxas, obtained significantly higher DGRs during the wet season. These were the “tambalang” (p = 0.000; 3.98% DGR), “magnolia” (p = 0.000; 4.57% DGR), and “spinosum”-brown from Puerto Princesa (p = 0.006; 5.23% DGR). In Amogues, Taytay, all six cultivars obtained significantly higher DGRs during the wet season: “tambalang” (p = 0.210; 3.17% DGR); “lakatan” (p = 0.004; 2.69% DGR); “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa (p = 0.00; 3.97% DGR); and San Vicente (p = 0.00; 3.39% DGR). A cropping calendar that indicates the fast-growing cultivars to be planted at a particular site and season is provided in this study. This information shall aid local farmers in cultivar selection towards a sustainable seaweed farm management in Palawan.

Phytonutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Southern African, Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) Storage Roots.

Purple sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) genotype) in Southern Africa have a phytonutritional composition and antioxidant properties that can increase incomes and improve nutrition. This study compared the phytonutrient composition and antioxidant properties of four purple-colour sweet potato genotypes (local Purple-purple, '2019-1-1', and USA genotypes, '08-21P' and '16-283P'). These purple sweet potato genotypes were characterised by UPLC/QTOF/MS and 16 phenolic compounds were identified. Purple-purple (very dark purple) showed the highest concentration of cyanidins and peonidin derivatives. Chlorogenic acid derivatives were highest in the genotype '16-283P'. 'Puple-purple' and '16-283P' displayed the strongest antioxidant power and scavenging activities. Diaffeoylquinic acid isomer 1 was identified as the marker candidate for distinguishing the four purple sweet potato genotypes. Southern Africa's highest-protein sweet potato genotypes are Purple-purple (28.81 g/100 g) and '08-21 P' (24.31 g/100 g). A 13.65 g portion of '2019-1-1' would meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron for men, while 25.59 g would meet the RDA for children, and 30.72 g would meet the RDA for women. The sweet potato root of genotype '2019-1-1' provides 31.43 g of Zn per day for children and 22.86 g for adults. The roots of local cultivar Purple-purple can be used as functional food ingredients.

Morphology Characteristics of Local Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Rice Lands of Long Tebulo Village, North Kalimantan

Local rice (Oriza sativa L). is an annual plant cultivated by local people once a year. Local rice in the Malinau Regency area has different names for rice cultivars based on the local community's ethnicity or the person who brought the seeds. The aim of this research is to find out the local rice cultivars in the rice fields in Long Tebulo village and to find out the characteristics of the local rice fields in Long Tebulo village. This research was carried out from November 2020 to February 2021. The methods used in the research were qualitative analysis, exploration and characterization. The research results are available. There are 10 types of local rice cultivars, there are 6 sticky rice cultivars including Adan Saleng, Adan Bala, Adan Pute, Uro, Pulut Embeng, Pulut Bu'ung, and 4 ordinary rice cultivars, namely Bere, Bawang, and Gula/bread, based on plant characteristics. Rice has different ages. plant height, panicle length, grain shape, age, and rice color.

Postharvest diseases of mangoes in Fiji

ABSTRACT Despite considerable research globally on postharvest diseases of mango, virtually no work has been done to determine the occurrence of these diseases and their causal agents in Fiji. This study is the first major field and market survey of postharvest diseases of mango in Fiji. For the field survey, fruits from five local mango cultivars were harvested at each of five locations. Fruits from five imported cultivars were also harvested from one location in Nadi. For the market survey, vendors were selected at five municipal markets for fruit collection, along with ten roadside stalls. For field and market surveys, fruits were incubated at 23°C and assessed for postharvest disease (incidence and severity of body rots and stem end rots) when ripe. Isolations were made from disease lesions and fungal cultures were identified using multilocus sequence typing. High incidences of body and stem end rots were recorded across all surveys. In the field survey of local cultivars, ‘Salusalu’ fruits were found to have the lowest severity of body rot and stem end rot on average, while for imported cultivars, ‘Nam Doc Mai’ had the lowest average severity of these diseases. The market survey showed that ‘Salusalu’ had a lower incidence of anthracnose on the body of fruit compared to all other cultivars, although it did have a surprisingly high incidence of stem end rot at some localities. Fungal isolates from anthracnose lesions in the field and market surveys were identified as Colletotrichum asianum, C. simmondsii and C. fructicola. C. asianum was the predominant species associated with anthracnose symptoms, accounting for 97% of isolations. Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum were the predominant species found in association with mango stem end rot symptoms. Other species isolated from mango stem end rot in lesser numbers included L. brasiliensis, N. umdonicola and N. kwambonambiense. All of these fungi represent new reports for Fiji.

Revealing the Diversity and Complex Relationships of Croatian Olive Germplasm.

Olive growing in Croatia has a long tradition and is of great economic and social impact. The present study includes a set of 108 tree samples (88 samples corresponding to 60 presumed cultivars and 20 trees of unnamed ones) collected from 27 groves in the entire olive growing area, and is the most comprehensive survey to be conducted in Croatia. The genetic diversity, relationships, and structures of olive plants were studied using eight microsatellite loci. All loci were polymorphic and revealed a total of 90 alleles. A total of 74 different genotypes were detected that were subjected to further diversity and genetic relationship studies. The Fitch-Margoliash tree and Bayesian analysis of population structure revealed a complex relationship between the identified olive genotypes, which were clustered into three gene pools, indicating different origins of Croatian olive germplasms. Excluding the redundant germplasms, 44 different genotypes among the sampled trees of well-known cultivars and 16 new local germplasms were identified. In addition, we provide the etymology of 46 vernacular names, which confirms that the vast majority of traditional Croatian cultivars have common and widespread names. The results presented herein underline the importance of safeguarding local cultivars and conducting continuous surveys.

A Novel Sorbitol-Based Flow Cytometry Buffer Is Effective for Genome Size Estimation across a Cypriot Grapevine Collection.

Flow cytometry (FCM) is a widely used technique to study genome size (C-value), but recalcitrant metabolites in grapevines often hinder its efficiency in grapevine research. The aim of the present study was (i) to develop a novel buffer tailormade for the nuclei isolation of grapevines and (ii) to characterize a Cypriot germplasm collection based on C-values. A local cultivar "Xinisteri" was used as a pilot test to evaluate a Sorbitol-based buffer, while sprouting, young, and fully matured leaves were examined to evaluate the developmental parameter. The novel Sorbitol buffer was shown to have a coefficient of variation (CV) of 4.06%, indicating improved properties compared to other commonly used FCM buffers [WPB (7.69%), LB01 (6.69%), and LB (7.13%), respectively]. In addition, a significant variation in genome size between genotypes was found in a comprehensive application with 24 grape varieties. Nucleic content (2C) ranged from 0.577/1C pg for the "Assyrtiko" cultivar up to 0.597/1C pg for the "Spourtiko" cultivar, revealing a 17.6/1C Mbp difference. The lowest coefficient of variation (CV) across all entries was found in the variety "Ofthalmo" (2.29%), while the highest was observed in "Pinot Noir" (3.44%). Anova analysis revealed several distinct clusters, showing that in several cases, C-values can be used as a simple method to distinguish grapevine cultivars.

Role of Jasmonic acid and Nano-fertilizer in the vegetative growth indicators of three cultivars of Rocket Plant (Eruca sativa Mill.)

The experiment was conducted in the orchards and nurseries development project belonging to Karbala Agriculture Directorate for the two seasons 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 to study the physiological effects of jasmonic acid (JA) and NPK Nano-fertilizer on the vegetative growth indicators of three cultivars of rocket plant (Eruca sativa Mill). The experiment was designed according to the split split plot design using the Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D). This experiment included 27 treatments from three factors distributed randomly with three replicates (81 experimental units). The first factor represented by three cultivars of rocket plant; (French, Turkish, and the local cultivar) was set up in the main plots. The second factor, NPK nano fertilizer (0, 2, 4) g.L-1 was set up in the subplots, while the third factor comprised three concentrations of jasmonic acid JA (0, 15, 30) mg. L-1 was set up in the sub-subplots. The most important results indicated that spraying with jasmonic acid and nano fertilizer on the three varieties of rocket plants revealed significant differences in the studied indicators. The local cultivar that was sprayed with nano-fertilizer at 4 g.L-1 significantly excelled, and jasmonic acid at 30 mg.L-1 denoted by (V1N2J2) gave the highest results for both seasons compared to plants of the other two cultivars in all indicators of plant vegetative growth. The average plant height was (87.91 and 88.37 cm), number of leaves per plant (28.41 and 28.73 leaves), leaf area(774.67 and 717.57 cm.plant-1), dry weight of vegetative growth(8.53 and 7.43 g.plant-1) and the productivity of leaves (2440.7 and 2328.6 g.m2) for both seasons, respectively. However, the plants of the French cultivar, which were sprayed with distilled water (J0N0V2) recorded the lowest results (55.68 and 55.89 cm) and (13.69 and 13.65 leaves.plant-1), (327.43 and 294.80 cm².plant-1), (5.83 and 5.75 g.plant-1), and (1258.4 and 1136.5 g.m²) for both seasons of the experiment, consecutively.

Evaluation of the <i>GhMAPK</i> gene expression level under salt stress in cotton cultivars

Background: Abiotic environmental stress factors such as salt stress, drought, oxidative stress adversely affect the development and productivity of plants. To combat adverse environmental conditions, plants have developed a number of protective mechanisms. MAP kinases are protein kinases that regulate cellular activity in response to extracellular stimuli. Given the significant role of MAP kinase mechanisms in universal biological processes, elucidation of its role and mechanisms can be used to create stress-resistant genotypes. The use of stimulators and blockers of MAP kinase mechanisms is promising as a new direction in the management of plant stress resistance. The main goal of the conducted research is the comparative analysis of expression patterns of cotton accessions under salt stress conditions, the study of the relation between an increase in salt concentration and the change in the level of transcripts. Thirteen cultivars from Azerbaijan, nine from Turkey, four from Uzbekistan, four from Greece and one from Kyrgyzstan were used in the research, and changes in the expression level of the GhMAPK gene in cotton accessions was studied with the application of the real-time PCR analysis. In the present study, the evaluation of thirty-one cotton cultivars under different salt stress (NaCl) concentrations revealed significant differences in gene expression levels between cultivars of the same species. The ‘Navai-9’ cultivar from Uzbekistan had the highest expression level at both 100 mM and 200 mM salt concentrations compared to all other cultivars. Among local cultivars, cv. ‘Ganja-110’ (at 100 mM salt concentration), and cv. ‘Zafar’ (at 200 mM) differed from others in the level of changes in transcripts. In addition, there was a wide variation in the expression levels of stress-related genes between groups of accessions identified as resistant and sensitive, and within groups. Thus, both the increase and decrease in the expression level were found within these groups. This diversity in gene expression in sensitive and resistant cultivars in response to the salt stress shows that the mechanisms providing salt tolerance in the studied cultivars are different.

Adaptive morphological aspects on the in vitro development of the plantlets from the local potato cultivars collection, preserved in slow growth conditions at Suceava Genebank

Adaptive morphological aspects on the in vitro development of the plantlets from the local potato cultivars collection, preserved in <i>slow growth</i> conditions at Suceava Genebank

Agrobacterium Transformation of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) KUNTZE): A Small Experiment with Great Prospects.

Tea has historically been one of the most popular beverages, and it is currently an economically significant crop cultivated in over 50 countries. The Northwestern Caucasus is one of the northernmost regions for industrial tea cultivation worldwide. The domestication of the tea plant in this region took approximately 150 years, during which plantations spreading from the Ozurgeti region in northern Georgia to the southern city of Maykop in Russia. Consequently, tea plantations in the Northern Caucasus can serve as a source of unique genotypes with exceptional cold tolerance. Tea plants are known to be recalcitrant to Agrobacterium-mediated transfection. Research into optimal transfection and regeneration methodologies, as well as the identification of tea varieties with enhanced transformation efficiency, is an advanced strategy for improving tea plant culture. The aim of this study was to search for the optimal Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transfection protocol for the Kolkhida tea variety. As a result of optimizing the transfection medium with potassium phosphate buffer at the stages of pre-inoculation, inoculation and co-cultivation, the restoration of normal morphology and improvement in the attachment of Agrobacterium cells to the surface of tea explants were observed by scanning electron microscopy. And an effective method of high-efficiency Agrobacteria tumefaciens-mediated transfection of the best local tea cultivar, Kolkhida, was demonstrated for the first time.

Economic and Yield Gap Analysis of High Yielding Ragi Varieties Under Rainfed Situations of Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu, India

Ragi is an important millet crop cultivated in about 82919 ha in Tamil Nadu and accounts for 77% of the total millet cultivated area. It is rich in protein, dietary fibre, minerals like calcium and iron and has been recommended for diabetes and heart diseases. Ragi is being cultivated in an area of 350ha in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu and has a potential to be expanded in terms of cultivable area under this major rice growing district owing to the changing climatic situations. Farmers of the district could realize only low yields and gross returns due to cultivation of local varieties and non adoption of improved package of practices. Hence the present study was undertaken by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tiruvallur situated in Tirur village in order to assess the performance of high yielding ragi varieties and to perform the yield gap and economic analysis under improved management practices and to motivate the farmers in cultivating high yielding ragi varieties. The improved varieties ML 365 and CO (Ra) 15 performed better than the local cultivar Balamani and gave higher yields, net returns and BC ratio. However the technology gap noticed under the demonstration could be abridged by improving the soil nutrient status and following improved package of practices. ML 365 recorded higher yield and returns and has high effective gain in comparison to CO (Ra) 15 and hence could be recommended for cultivation in Tiruvallur district.

Determination and comparison of morpho-physiological characteristics of Turkish sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) grown in Afyonkarahisar: local cultivars and genotypes

The research focused on analyzing qualitative and quantitative morpho-physiological characteristics of local sweet cherry cultivars and genotypes. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics (fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit shape, fruit pistil end, fruit suture, fruit skin colour, fruit flesh colour, length of fruit stalk, thickness of fruit stalk, weight of fruit stalk, colour of fruit juice, fruit juiciness, eating quality, fruit sweetness, stone weight, stone shape, TA, pH, L*, a*, b*, H, croma, cracking index, sensitivity class) with UPOV descriptors were used in the evaluation. The findings revealed a significant variation among local cultivars and genotypes. It was determined that there was a low-level negative correlation between cracking index and fruit weight, fruit length, stone weight, TA, pH and L*; and a low-level positive correlation between fruit width, fruit stem length, thickness and weight, SCC, a*, b*, H and croma. The heat map and clustering analysis classified local cultivars and genotypes into two main clusters, each containing several secondary sub-clusters. This classification indicates a significant potential within the characterized sweet cherry collection for targeted breeding purposes. In particular, local sweet cherry cultivars and genotypes classified into several clusters show promise as potential parental candidates for hybridization in breeding. As a result of the research, local cultivars and genotypes with high fruit weight and cracking resistance were identified. The dendrogram showing the examined characteristics visually expresses the differentiation between local cultivars and genotypes, thus indicating clear distinctions. We believe these genotypes can be employed in breeding and breeding research.