Total Dry Mass Research Articles

Effectiveness of some biorationals in controlling damping-off diseases and promoting growth and yield of wheat crop

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of treating wheat seeds with some indigenous medicinal plants powder on the germination rate, growth and yield of wheat, as well as, a commercial fungicide (Tebuconazole) and a bio growth promoter Bacillus subtilis bacteria+ amino acid were applied for the same purpose. The results of this study indicated that seed coated with Chamomile flower powder (T1) suppressed damping-off by 89.22% compared with 0% in control and gave a significantly higher number of tillers (6.583 ± 0.617) compared to T0 and other treatments. Meanwhile, the T1 gave the highest plant heights, straw, and total shoot dry mass (94.0± 1.684, 9.096 ± 1.154, and 10.192 ± 1.216), respectively. in the meantime, T1 significantly provided the uppermost number of spikes, spike length, and yield (6.083 ± 0.594 spike/plant, and 3.380±0.017 ton.ha-1), respectively. On the other hand, T4 treatment performed a significantly higher weight of spikes and grains per spike (1.521 ± 0.092 and 1.065 ± 0.068), respectively. Furthermore, T4 conferred a higher number of grains per spike (33.431 ± 1.915) than other treatments. The yield in all the treatments was significantly higher than in the control (p-value ≤ 0.05), and the highest yield was recorded in the T1 (mean =3.380±0.017).

Redução do estresse salino em quiabeiro sob fertirrigação potássica

ABSTRACT Potassium fertigation may be a strategy to reduce saline stress in okra. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of potassium supplementation as a salinity-attenuating agent in okra. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, in Mossoró-RN, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, in 2x5 factorial scheme with 4 replicates. Two okra cultivars (Santa Cruz 47 and Valença) fertigated with five fertigation managements [F1= irrigation with non-saline water (0.55 dS/m) and fertigation with a standard dose of potassium (6 g/plant); F2= irrigation with saline water (3.5 dS/m) and fertigation with 6 g/plant of K, F3= irrigation with saline water (3.5 dS/m) and fertigation with 9 g/plant of K, F4= irrigation with saline water (3.5 dS/m) and fertigation with 12 g/plant of K, and F5= irrigation with saline water (3.5 dS/m) and fertigation with 15 g/plant of K]. Plants were collected 110 days after emergence and evaluated for growth variables (leaf number, leaf area, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, total dry mass) and yield (fruit number, average fruit mass and fruit production). Potassium influenced the growth and yield characteristics of okra irrigated with saline water. The highest yields of fruits occurred at 9.56 and 10.23 g/plant of K, being 330.24 and 733.36 g/plant obtained from cultivars Santa Cruz 47 and Valença, respectively. Okra irrigated with saline water is more demanding in potassium.

Effect of substrate fertility on tank-bromeliad performances

Members of the plant family Bromeliaceae can uptake nutrients directly from their leaves via leaf absorbing trichomes and their roots have long been reduced to anchorage function, thus overlooked. Recently, evidence has accumulated for a significant role for the roots of some species of tank bromeliads in both water and nutrients absorption. However, to date, little attention has been paid to the importance of the substrate fertility for the structure of the roots and the growth and performances of tank bromeliads. This study investigated the effect of substrate fertility on Aechmea aquilega regarding leaf and root traits, nutrient content, and growth. Seeds of this tank bromeliad were sowed in a greenhouse in French Guiana in three different substrates: a nutrient-poor, a nutrient-rich and a mixed substrate. The performances of 15-month-old A. aquilega were assessed by measuring leaf and root traits related to nutrient acquisition and resources capture. We show that plants growing in nutrient-poor substrate grew twice slower and were smaller than plants grown on the nutrient-rich substrate with fewer leaves and roots, lower total dry mass, and smaller leaves and root length. Overall, 70% of measured traits responded significantly to the experimental treatments indicating that the response of A. aquilega to nutrient availability is a combination of physiological processes, leaf and root structure, and chemistry. This study is the first to show that the fertility of the substrate on which the bromeliad A. aquilega grows has a strong and lasting effect on the plant performances and may be a relevant factor for bromeliad ecology.

Hydroponic forage of corn and millet grown on different organic substrates

The objective of this study was to evaluate the production and nutritive value of the hydroponic forage of corn and pearl millet grown in different organic substrates. It was carried out in a completely randomized design in 2 x 3 factorial scheme with four replications. The grasses used were corn and pearl millet and sugarcane bagasse, chopped elephant grass and chopped Brachiaria grass as substrates. The harvest was carried out 15 days after sowing, with seed density of 2 kg/m², irrigated with water and commercial nutrient solution. The productive parameters and chemical composition of the hydroponic forage were evaluated. The use of sugarcane bagasse substrate resulted in a greater production of total dry mass for corn among the other treatments, which reflected in better efficiency in the production parameters. As for substrates composed of chopped grass, lower values ​​of neutral detergent fiber were identified in both corn and pearl millet. The substrates and grass species affect the evaluated parameters, in which the use of sugarcane bagasse resulted in greater total production of dry mass using corn. The substrates based on chopped grass reflected in biomass with reduced fiber content, high levels of digestible nutrients, in addition to high protein content.

Emergence and initial growth of açaí palm under different light levels after seed dormancy breaking treatments

Light availability and dormancy are two factors that interfere with germination and initial plant growth. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different pre-germination treatments on the emergence and initial growth of Euterpe oleracea Mart. seedlings subjected to different levels of luminosity. A completely randomized design was adopted in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme with four methods of overcoming dormancy (intact seed, hot water at 60 °C, soaking for 24 h in water, and mechanical scarification with sandpaper No. 100) and three levels of luminosity (25 %, 65 %, and 100 %) with 16 repetitions per treatment. The emergence percentage, speed index, and mean time were analyzed. The initial growth was evaluated using the following variables: plant height, stem diameter, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, total dry mass, leaf area, and root mass ratio. There was an interaction between light factors and dormancy breakage for plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area. The variables root dry mass, shoot dry mass, and root mass ratio showed better results with full sun. It was concluded that shade treatments provided greater initial growth for the açaí palm with intact seeds.

On the pros and cons of red photons for greenhouse tomato production: increasing the percentage of red photons improves LED efficacy but plant responses are cultivar-specific

ABSTRACT Supplemental lighting is necessary for winter greenhouse tomato production, and optimised spectra must consider both yield and energy use. In a 20-week winter greenhouse experiment, two common commercial tomato cultivars – ‘Merlice’ and ‘Brioso’ – were grown under four LED spectra with 38%, 63%, 81%, and 95% red photons. As the percentage of red photons increased, the blue and green percentages decreased (not at the same ratio). Stem length, specific leaf area, and dry mass partitioning were not significantly affected by spectra in either cultivar, but increasing the red percentage from 38% to 95% decreased harvested fruit fresh mass by 13%, total plant dry mass by 7.1%, and fruit dry mass by 9.5% in ‘Merlice’. There were no significant differences in these parameters for ‘Brioso’. The yield kWh−1 increased with increasing percent red in both cultivars because LED fixtures with higher fractions of photons from 660 nm red LEDs have higher photon efficacies (µmol J−1). The efficacies of the lamps in this study were estimated to range from 2.6 to 3.6 µmol J−1. Growers must consider tradeoffs that can occur between yield and efficacy in some cultivars, and how these factors apply to their situation, when choosing the spectrum for their greenhouse.

Native and invasive seedling drought-resistance under elevated temperature in common gorse populations

AbstractThe assumption that climatic growing requirements of invasive species are conserved between their native and non-native environment is a key ecological issue in the evaluation of invasion risk. We conducted a growth chamber experiment to compare the effect of water regime and temperature on the growth and mortality of native and invasive populations of common gorse seedlings (Ulex europaeus L.). Seeds were sampled from 20 populations of five areas from both native (continental France and Spain) and non-native areas (New Zealand, Canary and Reunion islands). The seedlings were grown over 36 days in two temperature treatments (ambient and elevated) combined with two water treatments (irrigated or droughted). The elevated temperature (ET) was defined as the highest temperature observed at the niche margin in the different countries. While ET increased seedlings growth, the drought treatment increased mortality rate and limited seedlings growth. Under ET and drought, native populations showed a greater mortality rate (53%) than invasive populations (16%). Invasive seedlings also showed higher above- and belowground development than native ones under these constrained climatic conditions. While phenotypic plasticity did not differ between native and invasive populations, the difference between populations in terms of total dry mass could be related to differences in the climate of origin (precipitation in particular). Assessing the importance of phenotypic changes between populations within invasive species is crucial to identify the margins of their climatic distribution range and to highlight areas where management efforts should be concentrated in order to limit its spread.

Salix gordejevii females exhibit more resistance against wind erosion than males under aeolian environment.

Effects of wind erosion on growth and adaptability have been widely reported in many plants, but little attention has been paid to dioecious plants. Recent studies have shown that sex-specific responses to environmental changes in many plants exist. To explore sexual differences in response to wind erosion, female and male Salix gordejevii saplings growing on inter-dune land (no erosion) and on the windward slope of the dune (20cm wind erosion) in Hunshandake Sandy Land were chosen and their morphology, biomass and physiological traits were investigated, respectively. Wind erosion significantly reduced plant growth, biomass accumulation, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, and obviously disrupted osmotic regulation function and antioxidant enzyme system in both sexes, especially in males. Under wind erosion condition, females exhibited higher sapling height (SH), basal diameter (BD), leaf dry mass (LDM), root dry mass (RDM), total dry mass (TDM), root percentage in total dry mass, net photosynthesis rate (P n), maximum efficiency of photosystem II (F v/F m), effective quantum yield of PSII (Φ PSII), relative water content (RWC) of leaves, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities, but lower malondialdehyde (MDA), proline as well as soluble sugar content than did males. However, no significant sexual differences in most of these traits were observed under no erosion condition. Our results demonstrated that females possess a greater resistance to wind erosion than do males, with females having a better photosynthetic capacity, stronger water retention capacity and more efficient antioxidant system to alleviate negative effects caused by aeolian environment.

Effect of different waterlogging periods on biochemistry, growth, and chlorophyll a fluorescence of Arachis hypogaea L.

Peanut is among the main oil crops in India with huge economic importance. The unpredictable rainy season during the growing time of peanuts causes waterlogging in peanut fields. Waterlogging triggers major environmental limitations that negatively affect the growth, physiology, and development of peanuts. Thus, the export and production of peanuts are severely affected by waterlogging. Therefore, the understanding of metabolic mechanisms under waterlogging is important to future water-stress tolerance breeding in peanuts. This study aimed to evaluate how peanuts responded to various waterlogging conditions in terms of their development, metabolic processes, and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics. The evaluations were carried out at different stages of peanut variety DH-86 treated with waterlogging. The peanut plants were subjected to different waterlogging periods of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 days. The growth parameters including total dry mass, total leaf area, and total leaves number were calculated in all treatments. The phenomenological and specific energy fluxes and maximum photosystem II efficiency (FV/Fm) were also determined. The measurements were done statistically using PCA, G-Means clustering, and correlation analysis to explore the interaction between different physiological parameters. The waterlogging for 100 days caused a significant reduction in the total number of leaves, dry mass, and total leaf area. The most sensitive parameters are specific and phenomenological energy fluxes and Fv/Fm, which notably decreased as waterlogging duration increased. The results indicated the growth and physiological performance of the peanut cv. DH-86 was affected significantly due to waterlogging and the interaction between all these parameters in waterlogging. This research focused on how peanuts respond to waterlogging stress and provides the basis for future plant breeding efforts to improve peanut waterlogging tolerance, especially in rainy regions. This will improve the sustainability of the entire peanut industry.

Analysis of the Effect of Fe2O3 Addition in the Combustion of a Wood-Based Fuel.

A comparative study was carried out of emissions from the catalytic combustion of pellets made from furniture board waste and pellets made from wood mixed with Fe2O3. The mass content of the Fe2O3 catalyst in the fuel was varied from 0% to 5%, 10%, and 15% in relation to the total dry mass weight of the pellets. The average flame temperature in the boiler was between 730 and 800 °C. The effect of the catalyst concentration in the fuel was analysed with respect to the contents of O2, CO2, CO, H2, and NOx in the flue gas and the combustion quality of the pellets in the heating boiler. Changes in the CO2 content and the proportion of unburned combustible components in the combustion residue were assessed. It was established that an increase in the Fe2O3 content of the prepared fuels had a positive effect on reducing NOx, CO, and H2 emissions. However, the proportion of iron oxide in the tested fuel pellets did not significantly influence changes in their combustion quality. A strong effect of the addition of Fe2O3 on the reduction of the average NOx content in the flue gas occurred with the combustion of furniture board fuel, from 51.4 ppm at 0% Fe2O3 to 7.7 ppm for an additive content of 15%. Based on the analysis of the residue in the boiler ash pan, the amount of unburned combustibles relative to their input amounts was found to be 0.09-0.22% for wood pellets and 0.50-0.31% for furniture board waste pellets.

Linear relationships between biometric variables in lettuce seedlings

Seedling production is an important step in growing vegetables. The study of relationships between variables has applications in practically all areas of study and is useful in identifying relationships among quality variables in vegetable seedlings. Thus, this work aims to estimate linear relationships between biometric variables in lettuce seedlings. The seedlings were grown in expanded polystyrene trays (n = 4) with 128 and 200 cells each. Leaf area, stem diameter, shoot height, length, area, volume of the root, dry and fresh shoot mass variables were measured and evaluated with Pearson's correlation analysis, multicollinearity diagnosis, condition number and the variance inflation factor, path analysis and canonical correlations. The results show linear relationships between the variables. For the 128 cell trays, there was a relationship between the total fresh mass and fresh shoot mass variables and between the total fresh mass and dry shoot mass variables. For the 200-cell trays, significant correlation was observed between the characters total fresh mass and fresh shoot mass variables and between root area and root volume variables, indicating that the greater the total fresh mass, the greater the fresh shoot mass and the greater the root area, the greater the root volume.

Growth regulation by air stream-based mechanical stimulation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) – Part II: Phenotypic and physiological responses

Plant responses to mechanical stimulation have a great potential for growth control of ornamentals plants and vegetable seedlings and is a major requirement to ensure plant compactness and stability. 21 days old tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. ‘Romello’) plants were exposed to regularly applied mechanical stimuli for 14 days by applying of a defined air stream through a custom-built air stream applicator. Air stream application gradually reduced total plant leaf area by 14% and promoted radial growth relative to internode length compared to the untreated control, resulting in a more compact and stable plant phenotype, which was also related to an increased stem dry matter content of the air stream-treated plants. The reduction in total plant leaf area was compensated for the translocation of proportionally more assimilates to light-harvesting tissues and to stems at the expense of dry mass accumulation in petioles. Total stem, leaf and root dry mass of air stream-treated plants were unaffected. The specific leaf area of the air stream treated plants was reduced compared to the control, resulting in an increased relative leaf greenness and consequently in an 8% higher net carbon assimilation rates on average compared to the control. Thereby, air stream-treated plants were able to maintain overall biomass accumulation at the same level as the control. Leaf transpiration rate of air stream treated plants was not markedly affected in the long-term. The technique presented should be easily transferable to other plants, such as ornamentals where the application of chemical plant growth regulators is still the most common technique for plant growth control.

Hidrogel como mitigador do estresse salino durante o estabelecimento de mudas de Tagetes patula L.

ABSTRACT Hydrogels favor moisture retention in the substrate and can attenuate the effects of salt stress on the production of potted plants. In this context, this research sought to evaluate the use of hydrogel to mitigate the damage caused by the salinity of irrigation water on the emergence, growth, and thermal index of Tagetes patula L. seedlings. The research was carried out in a greenhouse, in September 2020, in the municipality of Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil. The design used was randomized blocks in a split plot. The plots corresponded to seven levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water - ECw (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 dS m-1) and the subplots corresponded to four hydrogel concentrations (0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g L-1), with five replicates and each subplot consisted of 27 seeds. The application of 3.0 g hydrogel L-1 of substrate favored the production of leaves and reduced the thermal index in plants associated with the increase in the salinity of the substrate up to 6.0 dS m-1. The use of 3.0 g L-1 hydrogel increases seedling height, leaf dry mass, and total dry mass compared to treatments without water-retaining polymer, even at moderate (2.0 to 3.0 dS m-1) and high (4.0 to 6.0 dS m-1) salinity levels, thus indicating a possible effect of mitigation of damage caused by the salinity of the irrigation water. However, the intensity of this mitigating effect decreases at higher levels of salt stress.

ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ ФЛАВОНОИДОВ В ЛИСТЬЯХ МОРОШКИ ПРИЗЕМИСТОЙ (RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS), ПРОИЗРАСТАЮЩЕЙ В ВОЛОГОДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Relevance: The Cloudberry squat (Rubus chamaemorus) is a perennial low herbaceous plant growing in the northern and Arctic regions of the European part, in Siberia and the Far East. The plant raw materials of Rubus chamaemorus are actively used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For medicinal purposes, not only fruits are used, but also other parts of the plant – leaves, rhizome and sepals. Biologically active substances defined in this medicinal plant are diverse. Among them, flavonoids and their derivatives are of considerable interest for pharmacy, since they have versatile medicinal effects: hypotensive, antiatherogenic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial effects. The purpose of the study is to establish the presence of flavonoids and their quantitative determination in the leaves of Cloudberry squat, growing in the Vologda region for the possible determination of the raw materials of this plant as medicinal. Materials and methods: the presence and quantitative content of flavonoids in the raw materials of cloudberry squat (leaves) growing on the territory of the Vologda region was determined using the spectrophotometric method of chemical analysis. Results of the study: qualitative samples (cyanidin, reaction with a solution of basic lead acetate) confirmed the presence of flavonoids in the roots of the studied plant; the content of flavonoids relative to the total dry mass of raw materials was quantified, it was 0.63 ± 0.013% (95% confidence interval = 0.6199-0.6401). The results obtained are consistent with the data of other researchers, the average relative proportion of flavonoids in relation to the total mass of the dry plant corresponds to the average scientific results. The conclusion is made about the possibility of attributing Rubus chamaemorus, which grows in the Vologda region, to medicinal plants potentially recommended for use in the pharmaceutical industry.

Performance of distinct strategies on overcoming dormancy in Senna obtusifolia seeds

Senna obtusifolia presents structures favorable to the effects of the dormancy phenomenon, presenting low germination rates for a certain period. This panorama can be solved by the dormancy-breaking process, which is caused by the exposure of the seed to adverse conditions that stimulate the germination process. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different methods to overcome dormancy in Senna obtusifolia (L.) H. S. Irwin & Barneby seeds. A completely randomized design (CRD) was the experimental design adopted, with four treatments and eight replications of 25 seeds. The treatments consisted of mechanical scarification, water imbibition, and immersion in hot water. In this study, a statistically significant difference was seen between treatments for all parameters, where the treatment under mechanical scarification was the most effective for promoting germination (99 ± 1.51% of germinated seeds). Furthermore, the treatment presented the most promising results for average shoot length (ASL) (43.95 ± 8.66 mm), root length (ARL) (28.09 ± 5.27 mm), total fresh mass (MF) (1.97 ± 0.10 g), and total dry mass (MS) (0.37 ± 0.03 g). The mechanical scarification of seeds favored germination and this treatment was the most efficient for the process of overcoming the dormancy of S. obtusifolia seeds.

The planting effect of cover crop in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

The planting effect and the planting potential of 12 cover crops (Leguminous: alfalfa, smooth vetch, hairy vetch, red clover, white clover, common vetch; non-leguminous: sudangrass, green radish, Nitro radish, rape, kale, endive) in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China were comprehensively evaluated by soil penetration resistance, pre-winter biomass, root characteristics, and plant nitrogen accumulation. The results showed that all the 12 cover crops grew normally during the experimental sowing period. Compared with the control, all the cover crops successfully reduced soil compactness. The planting of green radish, nitro radish, and sudangrass decreased soil penetration resistance by 47.1%, 43.4% and 33.4%, respectively. The pre-winter total fresh biomass of cover crop populations was between 3.38 and 13.98 kg·m-2, and the total dry matter mass was between 0.78 and 2.43 kg·m-2. The biomass of non-leguminous cover crops was significantly higher than that of the leguminous cover crops. The group roots of radish, rape and endive had large volumes. In particular, the nitro radish roots had a vo-lume of 4018.5 cm3·m-2, and the root system of sudangrass extended over the widest horizontal range. The ash content of leguminous cover crops was significantly lower than that of non-leguminous species, which could provide more organic matter with high decomposability. The total nitrogen accumulation of cover crops varied from 18.72 to 53.09 g·m-2. Kale and endive accumulated the highest amount of nitrogen and large biomass, which could facilitate nitrogen fixation and accumulation. According to the type of main crops in Sanjiang Plain and canopy structure, planting leguminous (clover, vetch, and alfalfa) and non-leguminous (radish, kale and sudangrass) cover crops to plant inter-row or in a line mixed cropping pattern could regulate soil structure and promote nutrient cycing, with positive effects on the fertility of black soil in the Sanjiang Plain.

Impact of fruit tree hole storage brick treatment on the growth of grape seedlings and water transport in the root zone under root restriction and subsurface drip irrigation

Under the condition of root restriction, the fresh and dry weight of the root absorbed by grapes is reduced, the growth of the main root is hindered, and the upward movement of roots is caused by surface drip irrigation. To solve these problems, this paper designed a fruit tree hole storage brick combining organic fertilizer and polymer material. To investigate the mechanism of how the fruit tree hole storage bricks affect the root and shoot biomass, root distribution, leaf physiological function, and soil water content of grape seedlings, two-year-old ‘Summer Black’ was used as the test material, and three treatments were designed under root restriction conditions: (1) conventional drip irrigation (CK), (2) fruit tree hole storage brick a (T1), and (3) fruit tree hole storage brick b (T2). The results showed that the T1 and T2 treatments significantly increased the total dry matter mass and root-shoot ratio, well maintained the soil water content at a soil depth of 15–30 cm and enhanced the distribution of roots at different soil depths. At a soil depth of 30–45 cm, the total root length, total root surface area and absorbing root length were significantly different among the different treatments, presenting as T2>T1>CK. Under the T1 and T2 treatments, the net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and instantaneous water utilization rate of leaves all increased compared with CK. On the 13th day of irrigation, the difference between fluorescence intensity under the T1 and T2 treatments and that under CK increased over time. In conclusion, the fruit tree hole storage bricks made of materials such as organic fertilizer and biochar could well maintain the soil water content and promote the growth of the root system, and the T2 treatment performed the best.

EVALUATION OF ADVANCED TOMATO MUTANTS BASED ON GROWTH, YIELD ATTRIBUTES AND YIELD

Field experiment was conducted during November 2009 to March 2010, to investigate growth and yield attributes of advanced tomato mutants (TM-110 and TM-219) along with three cultivars (BARI tomato-3, BARI tomato-14 and BINA tomato-5) following randomized complete block design with three replications. There were significant genotypic differences in respect of morpho-physiological characters (plant height, branch and leaf area, total dry mass, absolute growth rate and relative growth rate), biochemical parameter (nitrate reductase), reproductive characters (number of effective and non-effective flower cluster, number of flowers and reproductive efficiency), phenological characters (days to flowering start, days to first harvest and harvesting duration), yield attributes and fruit yield. In general high yielding genotypes showed superior performance in plant height, branch number, leaf area, total dry mass production, absolute growth rate, nitrate reductase activity and fruit size compared to low yielding ones. Relative growth rate,chlorophyll, photosynthesis, reproductive characters and fruit number had no relationship with fruit yield in tomato. The variety BARI tomato-14 showed the highest fruit yield (77.7 t ha-1) due to its superiority in respect of morpho-physiological, biochemical and larger fruit sizes. In contrast, the mutant TM-110 and the variety BINA tomato-5 produced the lower fruit yield (average 51.2 t ha -1) due to poor performance in growth characters and smaller size of fruits. However, TM-110 matured 4-15 days earlier than the other mutant/varieties. Further, harvesting duration was higher in high yielding genotypes than low yielding ones. The highest harvesting duration was recorded in BARI tomato-14 (28 days) followed by BARI tomato-3 (26 days). This information may be implicated in future plant breeding programme.

Dry season forage assessment across senegalese rangelands using earth observation data

Strengthening of feed security in the Sahel is urgently needed given the climate change and growing human population. A prerequisite to this is sustainable use of rangeland forage resources for livestock. Many studies have focused on the assessment of rangeland resources during the rainy season, while only a few have focused on the dry season which is the longest and most demanding period for livestock in Sahelian rangelands. The objective of this study is to develop remote sensing-based models for estimating dry season forage vegetation mass. To that end, 29 vegetation indices calculated from each of the MODIS-MCD43A4 (500 m), Landsat-8 (30 m), and Sentinel-2 (10 m) satellite products were used and tested against in situ data collected during three field-measurement campaigns in 2021 at eleven monitoring sites across Senegalese rangelands. Four statistical models were tested, namely, random forest, gradient boosting machines, and simple linear and multiple linear regressions. The two main vegetation mass variables modeled from remote sensing imagery were the standing herbaceous and litter dry mass (BH) and total forage dry mass (BT) with a dry mass of woody plant leaves added to BH. Overall, Sentinel-2 data provided the best performance for the assessment of BH with multiple linear regression (R2 = 0.74; RMSE = 378 kg DM/ha) using NDI5 (Normalized Difference Index5), GRCI (Green Residue Cover Index), SRI (Simple Ratio Index), TCARI (Transformed Chlorophyll Absorption in Reflectance Index), and DFI (Dead Fuel Index) indices. For BT, the best model was also obtained from Sentinel-2 data, including RVI3 (Ratio Vegetation Index3) (R2 = 0.78; RMSE = 496 kg DM/ha). Results showed the suitability of combining the red, green, blue, NIR, SWIR1, and SWIR2 bands in monitoring forage availability during the dry season. Our study revealed that the spectral richness of the optical sensor systems Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, and MODIS-MCD43A4 allowed for accurate assessments of dry-season forage mass of semi-arid rangelands. Adding to this, the high spatial and temporal resolution of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery makes this a promising data source for timely monitoring. These findings can support the monitoring of the animal feed balance in Sahelian countries and contribute to enhancing the resilience of pastoralism toward feed shortage through early warning systems.

Possibility to use the different sizes and colors of carrots for the production of juices - comparison of bioactive compounds, nutritional quality, pro-health properties, and sensory evaluation.

Carrot is a popular vegetable consumed by people of all age groups and is used in various food products because of its high nutritional content, especially vitamin A. In the present study, colorful fresh carrot juices of 12 carrot varieties were investigated for in vitro antidiabetic, anti-aging, and anti-obesity activities with antioxidant potential by ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) assays. The studied juices were also compared for physicochemical characteristics: titratable acidity, pH, pectin content, total soluble solids, dry mass, ash, viscosity, turbidity, osmolality, and color. The results of the study showed that normal purple carrot juice exhibited the best activities in all biological and antioxidant tests, except for anti-α-glucosidase activity. Normal purple carrot juice also had the highest total mineral content with elevated results for titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, dry mass, ash, viscosity, and osmolality. Purple carrot juices demonstrated elevated health-promoting activities and could be used in blended beverage recipes to attract children's attention. The results of sensorial characteristics (appearance, color, and taste) of juices, however, showed that people are more familiar with orange carrot products. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.