Inflorescence Removal Research Articles

Pruning inflorescences reduces the yield of neutral-day strawberry cultivars

The lack of information on inflorescence pruning of strawberry cultivars can compromise fruit yield and quality. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inflorescence pruning intensities interfere with the horticultural potential of strawberry cultivars. The treatments studied were three cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘Monterey’, and ‘San Andreas’) and four inflorescence pruning intensities (no pruning, removal of the first inflorescence, removal of the first two inflorescences, and removal of the first three inflorescences). The experiment was laid out in randomized blocks, with four replications. Fruit production and quality were assessed. ‘Monterey’ produced the most fruit and had the highest total strawberry production. Regardless of the cultivar, the total number of fruits and the total yield decreased linearly as the intensity of inflorescence pruning increased. In conclusion, increasing the intensity of inflorescence pruning reduces the productive potential of strawberry plants. Regardless of pruning, ‘Monterey’ has the best productive performance. The chemical quality of strawberries is not influenced by the pruning and cultivars studied.

Cytokinin signaling regulates two-stage inflorescence arrest in Arabidopsis.

To maximize reproductive success, flowering plants must correctly time entry and exit from the reproductive phase. While much is known about mechanisms that regulate initiation of flowering, end-of-flowering remains largely uncharacterized. End-of-flowering in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) consists of quasi-synchronous arrest of inflorescences, but it is unclear how arrest is correctly timed with respect to environmental stimuli and reproductive success. Here, we showed that Arabidopsis inflorescence arrest is a complex developmental phenomenon, which includes the arrest of the inflorescence meristem (IM), coupled with a separable "floral arrest" of all unopened floral primordia; these events occur well before visible inflorescence arrest. We showed that global inflorescence removal delays both IM and floral arrest, but that local fruit removal only delays floral arrest, emphasizing their separability. We tested whether cytokinin regulates inflorescence arrest, and found that cytokinin signaling dynamics mirror IM activity, while cytokinin treatment can delay both IM and floral arrest. We further showed that gain-of-function cytokinin receptor mutants can delay IM and floral arrest; conversely, loss-of-function mutants prevented the extension of flowering in response to inflorescence removal. Collectively, our data suggest that the dilution of cytokinin among an increasing number of sink organs leads to end-of-flowering in Arabidopsis by triggering IM and floral arrest.

The spatiotemporal regulations of epicatechin biosynthesis under normal flowering and the continuous inflorescence removal treatment in Fagopyrum dibotrys

BackgroundFlowering is a critical physiological change that interferes with not only biomass yield but also secondary metabolism, such as the biosynthesis of flavonoids, in rhizome/root plants. The continuous inflorescence removal (CIR) treatment is frequently conducted to weaken this effect. Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) H.Hara (Golden buckwheat) is a kind of rhizome medicinal plant rich in flavonoids and is widely used for the treatment of lung diseases. The CIR treatment is usually conducted in F. dibotrys because of its excessive reproductive growth. To uncover the molecular mechanisms, comprehensive analysis was performed using metabolome and transcriptome data obtained from normally bloomed and the CIR treated plants.ResultsMetabolome results demonstrated that in the rhizomes of F. dibotrys, its bioactive compound called epicatechin has higher amount than most of the detected precursors. Compared with the normally bloomed plants, the level of epicatechin in the rhizomes of the CIR group increased by 25% at the withering stage. Based on 96 samples of the control and the CIR groups at 4 flowering stages for 4 tissues, RNA-Seq results revealed a 3 ~ 5 times upregulations of all the key enzyme genes involved in the biosynthesis of epicatechin in both time (from the bud stage to the withering stage) and spatial dimensions (from the top of branch to rhizome) under the CIR treatment compared to normal flowering. Integrated analysis of LC–MS/MS and transcriptome revealed the key roles of several key enzyme genes besides anthocyanidin reductase (ANR). A total of 93 transcription factors were identified to co-expressed with the genes in epicatechin biosynthetic pathway. The flowering activator SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein like (SPLs) exhibited opposite spatiotemporal expression patterns to that of the epicatechin pathway genes; SPL3 could significantly co-express with all the key enzyme genes rather than the flowering repressor DELLA. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further confirmed the correlations among chalcone synthases (CHSs), chalcone isomerases (CHIs), ANRs, SPLs and other transcription factors.ConclusionsSPL3 might dominantly mediate the effect of normal flowering and the CIR treatment on the biosynthesis of epicatechin in rhizomes mainly through the negative regulations of its key enzyme genes including CHS, CHI and ANR.

Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Changes Triggered by Inflorescence Removal in Panax notoginseng (Burk.).

The root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.), in which saponins are the major active components, is a famous traditional Chinese medicine used to stop bleeding and to decrease inflammation and heart disease. Inflorescence removal increases the yield and quality of P. notoginseng, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here, the differences between inflorescence-removal treatment and control groups of P. notoginseng were compared using transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses. Illumina sequencing of cDNA libraries prepared from the rhizomes, leaves and roots of the two groups independently identified 6,464, 4,584, and 7,220 differentially expressed genes (DEG), respectively. In total, 345 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), including MYB and WRKY family members, were induced by the inflorescence-removal treatment. Additionally, 215 DEGs involved in saponin terpenoid backbone biosynthetic pathways were identified. Most genes involved in the mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways were activated by inflorescence removal. The co-expression analysis showed that the low expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes (e.g., C4H and F3H) decreased the biosynthesis and accumulation of some flavonoids after inflorescence removal. The results not only provide new insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying the poorly studied inflorescence-removal process in P. notoginseng and other rhizome crops, but they also represent an important resource for future research on gene functions during inflorescence-removal treatments and the reproductive stage.

Standing crops and nutrient attributes of litchi (Litchi chinensis) floral nectar in response to the removal of inflorescences

ABSTRACT Litchi inflorescences bear hundreds of small flowers, but most flowers need to be removed to reduce the consumption of carbohydrates and increase fruit setting. The production and secretion of nectar are largely affected by the availability and metabolism of carbohydrates. However, the secretion pattern and constituents of litchi nectar in response to the removal of inflorescences are unclear. Here, we showed that the litchi nectar secretion amount ranged from 4 to 10 mg per flower with the cultivar ‘Nuomici’ having the strongest secretion ability. The concentration of total soluble solids in litchi nectar was approximately 30%. Fructose was present in the highest concentration in nectar, followed by glucose and sucrose. Cultivar, flower sex and inflorescence-removal treatment had no significant main effect on soluble sugars but had two-way interaction effects on sucrose. Twenty-seven amino acids were detected, including seven essential amino acids. The concentration of amino acids was significantly affected by cultivar and flower sex, with nectar from the cultivar ‘Guiwei’ and male flowers having a significantly higher concentration. Removal of inflorescences did not show the main effect on the nectar amount, total soluble solids, or protein contents, but had interactive effects on the concentration of sucrose and amino acids.

Early removal of mango inflorescences increase tree production and fruit quality (Mangifera indica L. cv. ‘Tommy Atkins’)

The present investigation was carried out throughout the two successive seasons 2018 and 2019. Mango trees were grown in a private farm located at Wadi Elmullak El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of pinching early flowering in the winter severity on tree yield and fruit quality of Mango ‘Tommy Atkins’ cultivar. The old of the mango cultivar under this study was 15 years old and planted as 3x4 m apart grafted on ‘Saber’ seedling rootstocks, grown in sandy soil and irrigated through drip irrigation system. Mango trees were subjected to deinflorescence in mid-February by manual removing emerged inflorescence as follows complete removing (removing of 100% of emerging inflorescences), sever removing (75% of emerging inflorescences), moderated removing (50% of emerging inflorescences), light removing (25% of emerging inflorescences) and control (without removing inflorescences). Results showed that complete removing treatment significantly increased fruit yield as compared with other applications or untreated trees in the two studied seasons. Similar trend was observed regarding yield increment (%) where was superior to control treatment in the two seasons. Moderated and light treatments caused enhancement in some fruit physical properties when compared with 100% or 75% removal treatments. Complete removing treatment was superior to other treatments regarding total acidity percentage and vitamin C. In conclusion complete removing (100% of emerging inflorescences) in mid- Feb. could be a practicable choice for continued production for the ‘Tommy Atkins’ under the environmental conditions of exported mango orchards

Removal of the main inflorescence to induce reflowering of loquat

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is an evergreen fruit tree species of the Rosaceae, and its unique flowering time greatly hinders its production. To explore the artificial regulation of loquat flowering time, we removed the main inflorescence (by cutting it) to induce reflowering. For different loquat tree cultivars with different stages, the inflorescence was removed by cutting the main floral axis at two alternative positions: the upper or the lower position beneath the inflorescence, and it was found that the proportion of reflowering resulting from removing the upper position of the main floral axis of yellow-flesh loquat cultivars during the full-bloom stage was the highest. In addition, compared with those of the normal-growing panicles, the number of flower buds and branch axes of the reflowering panicles decreased significantly after cutting. Importantly, these newly produced inflorescences flowered 2–4 months later than normal-growing inflorescences did, effectively prolonging both the flowering and fruiting time. In addition, qRT-PCR results showed that EjFT1, EjFT2, EjAP1–1 and EjAP1–2 were highly expressed in the floral axis. These findings highlighted a new method for extending the production cycle of loquat and provided a reference for the flowering regulation of loquat and other economically important fruit tree species.

Вплив краплинного зрошення та навантаження суцвіттями на ріст і розвиток маточних кущів винограду

The high yield of grafted grape seedlings and their quality depend on many factors, including the quality of graft and rootstock components, which in turn is determined by proper care of the mother plantations of grape. Their farming techniques should be aimed at better growth and maturation of shoots. On mother bushes, the technological reception of shoot fragments is mandatory, partial removal of inflorescence is not so common in the agricultural techniques of mother plantings, but has a positive effect on the overall development of plants. Mother plantings should be irrigated if possible, as insufficient moisture supply negatively affects the condition of the bushes throughout the growing season and winter. In this work, the effect of partial removal of inflorescence (load of inflorescence 100, 75 and 50% of their total number) on mother bushes and the effect of different irrigation regimes (levels of pre-irrigation soil moisture 90, 80 and 70% of the lowest moisture capacity) on the condition of mother plantations, in particular on physiological, biochemical and biometric parameters of plants. It is shown that irrigation of bushes and reduction of inflorescence load to 50 and 75% of their total number stimulated the accumulation of chlorophyll in the leaves of mother plants, improved watering of leaf tissues, increased respiration during active growth and development of grapes. There is a positive effect of irrigation and reducing the load of inflorescence bushes to 50 and 75% on the biometrical parameters of mother grape bushes. The largest values of the total length of shoots and the degree of their maturation were in the bushes of variants with 90% the lowest moisture capacity, 50% inflorescence, 80% the lowest moisture capacity 50% inflorescence, 70% the lowest moisture capacity 50 and 75% inflorescence. Thus, effective irrigation regimes and reducing the load of inflorescence contributed to the growth of medium and strong full-fledged shoots, which are more productive.

Transcriptome profiling of Bupleurum chinense DC. root provides new insights into the continuous inflorescence removal induced improvements to root growth and saikosaponin biosynthesis

The root of Bupleurum chinense DC. is the major source of Radix Bupleuri and widely used for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases in Asia. However, the excessive reproductive growth of B. chinense DC. strongly interferes with its root biomass accumulation and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Although inflorescence removal or disbudding has been used to improve the yield and quality in rhizome crops, the molecular mechanism is unknown. Here, we compared the differences between the control groups and the continuous inflorescence removal (CIR) treatment groups of B. chinense DC. on physiological, chemical and molecular levels. The results of 2-year field experiments showed that the primary root length and biomass accumulation, as well as the saikosaponin a and d (SS-a and SS-d) contents were all increased under CIR treatment. Illumina sequencing of cDNA libraries prepared from the roots of control groups and CIR groups during four flowering stages identified 172, 243, 1974 and 3024 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) respectively. Most DEGs were involved in brassinolide (BR) signal transduction, jasmonic acid (JA) signal tranduction, 2-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway/Mevalonate (MVA/MEP) pathways and SS pathways. There were 295 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) including members of the MYB, bHLH, bZIP, and NAC families that also induced by CIR treatment. Irrigation experiments further showed that 0.05 mg/L exogenous BR improved the root fresh weight and the root/shoot ratio of B. chinense DC. mainly through cyclin D3, BIR1, BSK1 and ARFs; the SS-a and SS-d contents in the roots of B. chinense DC. were increased under 100 mM exogenous Me-JA treatment, most genes involved in MVA, MEP and SS pathways were activated. In all, this study not only provides new insights into the fundamental mechanism underlying the poorly studied inflorescence removal process in B. chinense DC. and other rhizome crops, but also represents an important resource for future research on gene functions during CIR treatment or the reproductive stage.

Reducing Flower Competition for Assimilates by Half Results in Higher Yield of Fagopyrum esculentum.

Despite abundant flowering throughout the season, common buckwheat develops a very low number of kernels probably due to competition for assimilates. We hypothesized that plants with a shorter flowering period may give a higher seed yield. To verify the hypothesis, we studied nutrient stress in vitro and in planta and analyzed different embryological and yield parameters, including hormone profile in the flowers. In vitro cultivated flowers on media with strongly reduced nutrient content demonstrated a drastic increase in degenerated embryo sacs. In in planta experiments, where 50% or 75% of flowers or all lateral ramifications were removed, the reduction of the flower competition by half turned out to be the most promising treatment for improving yield. This treatment increased the frequency of properly developed embryo sacs, the average number of mature seeds per plant, and their mass. Strong seed compensation under 50% inflorescence removal could result from increased production of salicylic and jasmonic acid that both favor more effective pollinator attraction. Plants in single-shoot cultivation finished their vegetation earlier, and they demonstrated greater single seed mass per plant than in control. This result suggests that plants of common buckwheat with shorter blooming period could deliver higher seed yield.

Influence of Detasseling Methods on Seed Yield of Some Parent Inbred Lines of Turda Maize Hybrids

During the process of maize seed production, in order to ensure the genetic purity of parental forms of hybrid maize, an important work performed is the removal of male inflorescences from plants on mother rows. Hand detasseling has high precision but is labor-intensive. Mechanical detasseling offers the possibility to cover large acreages in a short period of time, but the number of leaves removed has a varying influence on plant performance and seed yield. The aim of this study was to simulate three types of damages on plants similar to those induced through mechanical detasseling and to assess the effects for five inbred lines during the course of three years. Results show that when tassels alone were removed, the average seed yield decreased an average of 4–21%. When two leaves were removed with the tassel, yield decreased an average of 22–31%, while when plants were cut above the main ear, seed yield decreased an average of 31–66%. Environmental conditions influenced seed yield, especially high temperatures during flowering. Yield response to tassel and leaves removal varied between the inbred lines. Genotype controls maize ear and kernel characters, while environmental factors exercise a strong influence on seed yield, due to the succession of years with contrasting weather conditions in a key phenophase. Within the trend of full mechanization in agriculture, identification of inbred lines that cope better with plant damage can assist in optimizing seed production.

Removal of flowers or inflorescences affects ‘Barnea’ olive fruitlet post-anthesis abscission

ABSTRACT A typical olive (Olea europaea L.) inflorescence consists of about 20 flowers. However, in many cultivars, only one fruit develops. This is due to massive abscission of flowers and fruitlets, which occurs during the first month after anthesis. In this study, we used the olive cultivar 'Barnea' to characterize the abscission mechanism and to try to increase fruit set by increasing the number of developed fruit per inflorescence. Removing the lateral flowers 3 weeks before anthesis increased fruit set by more than 50%. Removing all inflorescences but one from a branch increased the number of developed fruits from 0.93 to 2.8 during 2017 and from 0.91 to 3.34 fruits per inflorescence in 2018. Sugar quantification in the pistil revealed that starch level is high on the day of anthesis and low 25 days later in abscised as well as in developed fruit. Soluble carbohydrates are low on the day of anthesis, low in abscised flowers/fruitlets 25 days after anthesis and high in developed fruit. Screening the natural variation found in the Israeli germplasm collection revealed that in most cultivars less than one fruit per inflorescence has developed. However, there are unique cultivars with a higher fruit set.

The Performance and Potentiality of Monoecious Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars as a Multipurpose Crop

Given the growing interest in multipurpose hemp crop, eight monoecious cultivars were compared in a two-year trial for quantitative and qualitative yield in a Mediterranean environment characterized by a temperate and humid climate with hot summers. All hemp cultivars were evaluated for yield potential of (i) seed plus stem at seed maturity, and (ii) essential oil yield from inflorescences harvested at full flowering. The second goal was set to test the ability of cultivars to supply new seeds after the removal of inflorescence at full flowering. Among the cultivars, Fedora obtained the best results for seed (0.79 and 0.52 t ha−1) and vegetable oil yield (0.17 and 0.09 t ha−1) normally and with inflorescence removed plants, respectively. Futura, conversely, showed the best results for inflorescence (3.0 t ha−1), essential oil (9 L ha−1), and stem yield at seed maturity (8.34 t ha−1), as means across the two years. The cultivars studied generally reached the grain-filling stage during a period that was drier and warmer than the average of the same multi-year period, and this negatively affected seed quality. The oil fatty acid composition was mainly composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (75% on average) and not affected by the cultivar. In conclusion, although the hemp grower should always clearly know the main production objective of the crop, the monoecious cultivars available today allow a multipurpose use of hemp crop, improving the sustainability of the cultivation activity.

Integrated control of mango blossom malformation in South Africa

Mango malformation disease (MMD) is a serious disease worldwide, causing severe economic losses annually. In South Africa, recommendations for managing MMD are to break out malformed inflorescences when clearly visible. Despite these recommendations, high incidences of MMD were reported during the 2010 to 2012 seasons. The aim of this study was to develop an integrated strategy for optimum control of MMD and to determine the effect of prochloraz on malformation. Treatments included removal of malformed inflorescences alone and/or in combination with one or several prochloraz sprays applied at various times. Percentage infection was calculated and yield data were recorded at harvest. Removal of malformed inflorescences in year one resulted in a decrease in malformation from 19.9% to 3.55% over the four-year period (Trial A), but no significant differences were observed between the treatments. Yield data did not differ significantly between treatments but there was a significant increase in yield from the first to the second year, which then remained constant. Spraying of prochloraz-Zn at three-week intervals combined with removal of malformed inflorescences at regular intervals (Trial B) resulted in a significant decrease in disease incidence. The combined prochloraz and sanitation treatments significantly increased yield over three seasons by 26.9 t ha−1.

Growth responses of the common arctic graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum to simulated grazing are independent of soil nitrogen availability

Plant compensatory growth responses to herbivory are mediated by soil fertility and can have significant feedbacks that affect overall ecosystem nutrient cycling. The sedge Eriophorum vaginatum is the dominant graminoid in arctic mesic tundra, and is heavily consumed by caribou. Here, we compare the principal compensatory growth models in explaining the impact of a single episode of simulated caribou grazing at two clipping intensities on E. vaginatum total growing season shoot production, nitrogen concentrations, and nitrogen pools, over two successive years across a soil nitrogen fertilisation gradient. The clipping treatments had no effect on shoot production in the growing season when they were applied, but substantially reduced growth in the following year. Surprisingly, these reductions were consistent across all levels of soil nitrogen availability. The Limiting Resource Model can best explain this legacy effect on production because it predicts alternate compensatory growth responses depending on whether or not the herbivory affects availability of the resource that most limits plant growth. Accordingly, our results suggest that shoot compensatory growth in the year after the clipping was limited by some resource other than nitrogen-probably internal carbohydrate reserves or soil phosphorus. The clipping treatments initially enhanced shoot nitrogen concentrations and pools, but shoot nitrogen pools had decreased by the end of the second year due to the legacy effect of reduced shoot production. Finally, inflorescence removal substantially stimulated new shoot production in both years. Together, our results suggest that herbivory can significantly enhance temporal and local spatial heterogeneity in graminoid growth and nitrogen cycling.

Defense Responses in Grapevine (cv. Mourvèdre) after Inoculation with the Botryosphaeria Dieback Pathogens Neofusicoccum parvum and Diplodia seriata and Their Relationship with Flowering.

As a result of the increasing economic impact of grapevine trunk diseases on viticulture worldwide, efficient and viable control strategies are urgently needed. However, understanding both plant-pathogen interactions and plant physiological changes related to these diseases is fundamental to such an achievement. In this study, we analyzed the effect of inoculation with the Botryosphaeria dieback fungal agents, Neofusicoccum parvum and Diplodia seriata, with and without inflorescence removal at the onset of G stage (separated clusters), I stage (flowering) and M stage (veraison). A measure of lesion size and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-based analysis were carried out. The results clearly show the importance of inflorescences in the development of lesions associated with Botryosphaeria dieback pathogens inoculated on green stems of adult vines, especially at the onset of flowering. At flowering, the biggest necroses were observed with the inflorescences present, as well as an activation of the studied defense responses. Thus, an ineffective response to the pathogen could be consistent with a possible metabolic reprogramming linked to the host phenophase.

Phosphorus fertilization and inflorescence removal in American ginseng culture

The recent increase in the demand for American ginseng as a health food supplement has stimulated interest in studying the possibility of improvement of its yield and quality. The current study was aimed at determination of the optimum conditions for high-yielding raw material production by increasing phosphorus fertilization and manual inflorescence removal. The four-year-long field experiment clearly demonstrates that phosphorus plays an important role in American ginseng yield and quality. Along with increasing P doses, improvement in the root shape and weight, ginsenoside content and yield was observed. A similar tendency was noted in the case of leaf and stem; however, they contained higher amounts of ginsenosides and could be a valuable source of active substances under study (especially Rb2, Re, and Rd). Deflowering during three of the four vegetation periods of American ginseng resulted in the highest yield of aerial parts (by 24%) and the highest root yield (by 86%), whereas deflowering performed in the 2nd and 3rd year was connected with a 31% increase in root and 16% in leaf and stem yield, compared with the treatment with no inflorescence removal. Deflowering was also connected with higher root weight and a higher content of ginsenosides. Moreover, by increasing the phosphorus dose, reduction of the raw material yield caused by discontinuation of inflorescence removal can be narrowed.

The Influence of Plant Growth Regulators and Inflorescence Removal on Plant Growth, Yield, and Skin Color of Red LaSoda Tubers

Foliar applications of the synthetic auxin compound 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) have been used to enhance skin color of red potato cultivars for many years. Relatively, little is known about the mode of action of this compound, but it has been proposed that 2,4-D stimulates ethylene production and enhances the activity of enzymes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. The objective of this study was to compare several other plant growth regulators to 2,4-D for their effect on plant growth, tuber yield, and skin color of the light red-skinned cultivar “Red Lasoda.” Trials were conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the effects of foliar applications of the ethylene-stimulating growth regulator ethephon, the ethylene-inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), and 2,4-D. Manual inflorescence removal was also included as a treatment to determine the influence of anthocyanin sink competition between tubers and flowers on tuber skin color. Ethephon application caused floral abscission in treated plants and reduced plant height compared to other treatments and the non-treated control. While 2,4-D caused foliar injury and ethephon slightly increased the yield of <56 g tubers, neither growth regulator affected total and marketable yield. Both ethephon and 2,4-D increased tuber skin color at harvest compared to the non-treated control. In contrast, 1-MCP and inflorescence removal had no effect on yield, tuber size, and skin color. The results indicate that ethephon and 2,4-D foliar applications have similar effects on skin color and appearance, supporting the hypothesis that 2,4-D works by stimulating ethylene production within the plant.

Implications of the harvest time on Syngonanthus nitens (Bong.) Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae) management in the state of Minas Gerais

Syngonanthus nitens (Bong.) Ruhland is an everlasting plant known as golden grass (states of TO, GO, DF) and as sedinha (states of MG, BA), and its inflorescences are used in internationally renowned handicraft. In the state of Minas Gerais, the use of the inflorescences in handcraft began only in 2006. Up until then, the inflorescences were only marketed in bulk with no added value. The harvest usually begins in August, which matches the time when anthropic fires usually occur. That has helped to make harvest begin increasingly earlier so as to guarantee the raw material will be collected in the fields. Early harvest may compromise the species’ conservation since the removal of inflorescences may take place even before seed production or full maturation. Knowing the time of seed production and dispersal as well as germination is crucial to define management techniques. The present study sought to find out the best time to begin the harvest of the species in Minas Gerais, whether the seeds from inflorescences harvested for handicraft could be stored for sowing at the beginning of the wet season and whether the seeds from inflorescences kept in the field germinate in the wet season subsequent to the flowering. The date of harvest time of the capitula was related to the production and germination of seeds from inflorescences harvested in 2008, 2009, and 2010; the germination, in the early wet season, of seeds from capitula harvested between August and November, the germination of seeds of ripe capitula left in the field, and to the biometry of inflorescences and seeds of two morphotypes, the large and small sedinha, were assessed. Seed production began in August. The largest number of seeds per capitulum and the highest germination rates were seen in September. Capitula that remained in the field for 7 months had germinable seeds. The seeds of small and large golden grass measured, respectively, 0.645 and 0.745 mm and weighed 0.024 and 0.035 mg. The results showed that starting harvest in September and returning the capitula of inflorescences used in handicraft to the field, besides leaving the remaining capitula in the field at the time of harvest, may represent important tools for the sustainable management of golden grass in Minas Gerais since these actions minimize the impacts of harvest on the reproduction through seeds.

Influence of Induced Growth Patterns on Green Yield Components of Amaranthus cruentus L.

The influence of induced growth patterns on the yield of Amaranthus cruentus L. (Large Green variety) was investigated in the 2009 and 2010 early cropping seasons at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Kuru, Nigeria. Four growth patterns (periodic harvesting without cut back, cut back at 10 cm from the base of the stem, cut back at 20 cm from the base of the stem and continuous removal of inflorescence) were compared in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. The three induced growth patterns enhanced shoot regrowth and development of leaves and branches. In the 2009 trial, green yield from the cut back at 10 cm (9.22 t ha –1 ) was significantly (P–1) was significantly different from the yield for cut back at 20 cm (6.07 t ha –1 ). Floral initiation which was delayed by 29 days (2009) and 21 days (2010) after cutting the stem at 10 cm from the base prolonged the proliferation of branches. The lowest number of branches and weight of leaves were recorded under natural growth conditions in the two trials. The findings in this study indicate that Amaranthus cruentus growers could adopt the method of cutting back the stem at 10 cm from the base at 21 days after transplanting in order to take full advantage of the yield potential of the crop.