Total Fruit Yield Research Articles

Nano-enhanced growth and resilience strategies for Pomegranate cv. Wonderful: Unveiling the impact of zinc and boron nanoparticles on fruit quality and abiotic stress management

The pomegranate fruit is an extremely popular fruit that is grown in various regions around the world. Pomegranate cv. Wonderful confronts severe abiotic stress disorders, like fruit cracking and sunburn, which decrease fruit quality. Nanoparticles offer potential for improving nutrient usage efficiency and lowering undesirable environmental repercussions. During three consecutive stages of development, namely the peak flowering stage, six weeks after peak flowering, and one month prior to harvest, magnificent pomegranate trees were subjected to separate applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and boron oxide nanoparticles (B2O3NPs) at concentrations of 0, 250, 500, and 1000 parts per million (ppm). These treatments were carried out in both the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. Positive effects were observed at concentrations of 500 and 1000 ppm for ZnONPs and a concentration of 1000 ppm for B2O3NPs on the vegetative growth parameters such as shoot length, leaf area, leaves number per shoot, and canopy volume, besides, leaf chemical characteristics such as leaf chlorophyll concentration and leaf nutrient content such as of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), and boron (B). Spraying with 500 and 1000 ppm B2O3NPs reduces the percentage of fruit sunburn, cracking and increased fruiting percentage such as initial fruit set (%), fruit retention (%), total yield of fruits (kg/tree), and increasing yield (%), while fruit drop % was decreased in comparison to other treatments. In both seasons, T4 (22.37, 22.0 %) and T7 (18.74, 19.490 %) showed an increase in initial fruit set (%). Similarly, there was an increase in fruit retention (%) with T4 (33.08, 34.550 %) and T7 (29.13, 29.430 %) compared to the control. The highest yield increasing percentages were observed with T4 (98.88, 100.270 %) and T3 (66.65, 64.980 %) compared to the control. On the other hand, T4 (8.24, 8.04 %) had the lowest fruit cracking, followed by T7 (12.73, 9.9 %) in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Similarly, the lowest percentage of sunburned fruit was observed with T4 (20.47, 20.4 %) and T4 (18.43, 16.77 %) in the two seasons compared to the control. In general, our findings indicate that the application of ZnONPs and B2O3NPs on fully bloomed wonderful pomegranate trees, six weeks after full bloom, and one month prior to harvest, resulted in enhanced growth and yield. Additionally, this treatment exhibited a reduction in abiotic stress-related issues, such as fruit cracking and sunburn.

Assessment of Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance among Different Characters in Tomato [Solanum lycopersicum (Mill.) Wettsd

The field experiment was carried out at Horticulture Research Farm No.1, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow during Rabi season 2021-22. In this, twenty genotypes including check cultivars were evaluated to estimate the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for different characters. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Characters viz., days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of primary branches per plant, polar diameter of fruit, equatorial diameter of fruit, total soluble solids, number of fruits per cluster, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, marketable fruit yield per plant, unmarketable fruit yield per plant and total fruit yield per plant were studied during the experiment. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among genotypes for all the characters under study during the investigation. The Phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) was higher than the genotypic coefficient of the variation (GCV) for the characters studied. The highest genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was observed for unmarketable fruit yield per plant. The moderate GCV was reported for total fruit yield per plant followed by plant height and average fruit weight, polar diameter of fruit, no. of primary branches per plant, marketable fruit yield per plant and equatorial diameter of fruit whereas it was least for TSS followed by days to 50% flowering and number of fruits per cluster. Therefore these characters exhibited high heritability coupled with genetic advance thus show some scope for improvement through selection.

Nano and chelated iron fertilization influences marketable yield, phytochemical properties, and antioxidant capacity of tomatoes.

Iron (Fe) is one of the limiting micronutrients essential for crop productivity. The goal of our study was to evaluate the effects of different sources and rates of Fe fertilization on the marketable yield, physical and chemical properties, and phytochemical quality of fresh market tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum L., cv. Sunbrite). A factorial experiment under a drip-irrigated plasticulture system was conducted in a completely randomized design with two sources of Fe (nano vs. chelated) and four rates of application (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) with four replications. Results indicated that relative chlorophyll concentration in the leaf (SPAD index) increased significantly (by 24 to 27%) with 10 and 20 mg/L of both nano- and chelated Fe fertilization compared to the control. Increasing Fe fertilization decreased the leaf SPAD readings. The total fruit yield of tomato was 1.6 to 1.8 times higher under the chelated- and nano Fe fertilization and the increase in yield was significantly higher under the chelated Fe fertilization, when compared to the control. In contrast, the tomato harvest index was highest under 10 and 20 mg/L of nano Fe than under other Fe treatments. While the chelated Fe fertilized tomatoes had significantly higher concentrations of vitamin C (34%), ß-carotene (6%), total carotene (25%), flavonoid (17%), and polyphenol (66%), the nano Fe, in contrast, increased ß-carotene, total carotene, and polyphenol concentrations by 25, 33, 51, and 7%, respectively, compared to the control. The 20 mg/L chelated Fe significantly increased the vitamin C, total carotene, flavonoid, polyphenol concentration, and antioxidant capacity more than any other Fe treatments. Based on the principal components analyses, vitamin C, lycopene, and anthocyanin were identified as the core indicators of the tomato nutrition quality index (NQIndex). The NQIndex ranged from 47 to 54, falling within the medium level of nutritional quality (40 to <70). In conclusion, the chelated Fe, when applied at 20 mg/L, was the most appropriate rate based on highly correlated connectivity for the phytochemicals syntheses associated with the improved tomato antioxidant capacity.

Effect of Different Rootstocks on the Salt Stress Tolerance and Fruit Quality of Grafted Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.).

Vegetable grafting is considered a rapid, non-chemical alternative method to relatively slow and expensive breeding to overcome the adverse effect of salinity. Therefore, a soilless experiment was performed to determine the salinity tolerance of eggplant (Solanum melongena) cv. Madonna grafted onto two different rootstocks, Solanum grandifolium × Solanum melongena (SH) and Solanum torvum (ST), as well as self-grafted (SG) and self-rooted (SR) as controls. All groups of plants were treated with 0 mM NaCl or 80 mM NaCl. A significant decrease in the relative leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and chlorophyll concentrations were found in response to NaCl. However, the grafted plants had a higher photosynthetic pigment level than the non-grafted plants grown under saline conditions. Grafting eggplants onto SH significantly enhanced the total fruit yield as compared to the self-rooted plants exposed to salinity by increasing the average fruit weight. Moreover, salt stress significantly increased the whitening index and oxidation potential of fruits. The plants grafted onto SH or ST accumulated more Na+ in their roots than in their fruit or leaves, thus the Na+ partitioning between the above-ground and root parts most probably determines the increased salinity tolerance of the grafted ST and SH plants. To conclude, both the SH and ST rootstocks protected the scions against salinity; the scion showed both increased photosynthetic pigment concentration and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters as well as a lower Na+ concentration under stress that resulted in a higher fruit yield and quality.

Heterosis and combining ability estimates for okra (&lt;i&gt;Abelmoschus esculentus&lt;/i&gt; L. Moench) varieties for yield attributing characters in Sudan savanna of Nigeria

Two location trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Maiduguri and screen house of the Faculty of Agriculture during 2018/2019 dry season to estimate the combining ability variance, general combining ability (GCA) effects of parents and specific combining ability (SCA) effects of crosses with six okra genotypes. They include: three improved varieties NHAe 47-4, LD-88, Clemson spineless and three locals, Chalawa, Syria and Sola, crossed in a 3 x 3 line x tester mating design to generate nine F1 hybrids. All the F1s along with their parents were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and Completely Randomise Design (CRD), with 3 replications. Positive heterosis were observed for number of fruits per plant in the crosses Chalawa x NHAe47-4, Chalawa x Clemson Spineless, this directly indicated their important contributions toward total fruit yield in okra. The variance of GCA and SCA revealed that both additive and non-additive gene actions were important in the control of most agronomic.The ratio of GCA/ SCA indicates greater preponderance of non-additive gene action for the characters in all the traits except number of leaves per plant and days to 50% flowering which were controlled by additive gene actions. The parent Syria was the overall best general combiner among the lines for all characters in the field and Chalawa was the overall best general combiner for all characters measured among lines in the screen house. LD88 recorded the highest GCA effects for all of the characters among testers in both experiments. Similarly, in the field, the hybrid Sola x NHAe47-4 recorded the maximum SCA effect for all characters except days to 50% flowering; Syria x NHAe47-4 was the best SCA for most characters except plant height and also the cross between Syria x Clemson Spineless was the best SCA for most characters except number of fruits per plant. In the screen house, the cross between Chalawa x NHAe47-4, showed superior SCA for all characters measured. Appreciable level of heterosis was observed for most of the characters studied, the overall maximum positive significant heterosis for total fruit yield (kg/ha) was observed in crosses Syria x LD88 (52.80) and Chalawa x NHAe47-4(123.30) over better parents. The preponderance of non-additive genetic effect and the tremendous level of heterosis observed among the characters in the parents and their crosses studied would be great asset in choosing the okra varieties for intercrossing and development of hybrids varieties for commercial production of okra.

Fruit Yield Loss Assessment of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) due to Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) Disease in Central Parts of Ethiopia

Tomato is an important vegetable crop grown around the world. Tomato is the most widely cultivated and lucrative vegetable in Ethiopia in particular and in the world in general. It is well known that disease late blight affects tomato crop production and late blight is one of the most devastating diseases of tomatoes worldwide and causes significant loss in production. The objective of this study is to update fruit yield loss assessment data for tomato late blight disease. In this study, 3 treatments were used in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) results for AUDPC and total fruit yield shows significant differences (P&lt;0.05) among treatments. As compared to the unsprayed (control) plot both fungicides significantly controlled the disease at both early and late stage of the crop. The lowest AUDPC (560) was recorded on fungicide Fahem-Gold 72% WP sprayed treatment followed by Mancozeb (752.5). The control treatment (water sprayed) had the highest AUDPC (1592.5). The highest mean fruit yield (16.5 t ha-1) was obtained from fungicide Fahem-Gold 72% WP followed by the standard fungicide (Mancozeb) which gave (8.98 t ha -1) whereas the control treatment gave 4.67 t ha -1. The highest levels of yield loss 71.7% occurred in the unsprayed plots of variety Gulelema as compared to the best protected plot sprayed with Fahem fungicide. Generally, disease and yield parameters indicate that among the two fungicides spray; Fahem was the most effective followed by Mancozeb sprayed plot as compared to unsprayed plots.

Blossoming Heterosis: Unveiling the Potential of Hybridization in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

A study was conducted to assess 24 crosses created through the Line × Tester mating design. These crosses were obtained from seeds collected during the kharif season of 2022 at the Post Graduate Research Farm, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab. Alongside the hybrids, 10 parent lines and 1 check were cultivated for evaluation. The entire experiment followed a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications during the kharif season of 2023. The mean squares of the 10 traits revealed significant differences among the entries. The hybrid JBR-20-02 x JBR-20-05 demonstrated the highest standard heterosis among all the crosses, with JBR-20-03 x JBR-21-06 ranking second in terms of total fruit yield per plant. Notably, all these crosses exhibited significant and desirable standard heterosis not only for fruit yield per plant but also for other traits, indicating their potential for improved overall performance. The application of heterosis in brinjal will aid in the production of superior cross combinations, which will help meet the expanding demand for brinjal due to its bioactive properties.

Estimation of Heterosis for Yield and Quality Traits in Bottle Gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (mol.) Standl.] Over Seasons under Salt Affected Soil

Present investigations were carried out in bottle gourd to assess the magnitude of heterosis over better-parent and standard variety for yield and quality traits. Twenty seven bottle gourd hybrids generated by crossing 9 lines with 3 testers cross, along with their twelve parents evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replication at the Main Experiment Station (which is salt affected), Department of Vegetable Science, ANDUA&amp;T, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, during the of Zaid seasons of year 2020 and 2021. The pooled estimates of heterosis for total fruit yield per plant ranged from -9.71% (Narendra Pooja × Narendra Rashmi) to 119.39% (NDBG-13 × Narendra Rashmi) and -1.57% (Narendra Pooja × Narendra Rashmi) to 116.18% (NDBG-13 × Narendra Rashmi) over better parent and standard variety, respectively. The best heterotic cross for number of fruit per plant was NDBG-21 × Pusa Naveen and NDBG-13 × Narendra Rashmi was over better parent and standard variety, respectively. Maximum heterotic effect in respect of number of fruit per plant was found in the cross NDBG-21 × Pusa Naveen over better parent and NDBG-13 × Narendra Rashmi over standard variety and maximum picking duration was observed in the cross NDBG-Sel-1 × Narendra Prabha over better parent and standard variety. In terms of fruit yield per plant the highest heterobeltiosis was shown by the crosses NDBG-13 × Narendra Rashmi and standard heterosis was observed in cross NDBG-13 × Narendra Prabha. The soil type of experimental site was sandy loam with average fertility level and pH in the range of 7.5-8.5.

Nutrient Solution Electrical Conductivity Affects Yield and Growth of Sub-Irrigated Tomatoes

Sub-irrigation of greenhouse crops has the potential to increase water and nutrient use efficiency; however, fertilizer salts that are not absorbed by the plants tend to accumulate in the substrate and eventually raise the substrate’s electrical conductivity (EC). The objective of this study was to determine the optimum EC of the nutrient solution in sub-irrigated tomatoes to allow maximum yield. Total fruit yield was higher in sub-irrigated plants with solutions at 2.0 dS m−1 (5105 g per plant), and it was comparable to that obtained for drip-irrigated plants (4903 g per plant); however, the yield of fruits from the second truss was 37% higher in sub-irrigated than in drip-irrigated plants when the EC was 2.0 dS m−1. In contrast, at the end of the growing season, the yield of plants sub-irrigated with nutrient solutions of 2.0 dS m−1 was the lowest, being surpassed by 37% by that of plants treated with 1.4 dS m−1. The dry weight of vegetative plant parts was reduced in sub-irrigated plants, suggesting a shift in dry mass partitioning. Our results show that with sub-irrigation, the growing season should be started using nutrient solutions with higher EC, but eventually, this EC should be decreased to maintain proper substrate EC and high yield.

Physiological, growth, yield, and quality responses of hot pepper due to shade level

ABSTRACT High temperatures, high relative humidity, and frequent rainfall limit productivity and quality of red chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L) with 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. Growers in greenhouses use shading screens to limit incidence radiation in order to avoid the issue of too high temperatures and high radiation. A pot experiment was conducted to assess growth, physiology, yield, and quality responses of three pepper varieties under four shade levels. The combined effects of shade level and pepper variety affected days to 50% flowering, days to breaker stage, plant height, node number, internode length, branch number, relative growth rate, leaf number, leaf area, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, fruit length, fruit weight per plant, total soluble solids, marketable fruit yield, cull fruit yield, total fresh fruit yield, and total dry fruit yield. Shade levels from 25% to 50% positively affected chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, fruit yield, and quality parameters; above this shade level, these parameters were negatively affected in all pepper varieties. Light and shade influenced growth, physiology, yield, and quality of hot peppers. The hot pepper variety Mareko Fana, grown under 25% shade, improved its productivity and pod quality.

Response Of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) To The Integrated Application Of NPK, Desert Lion Foliar And Urea Fertilizers

A field trial was conducted to investigate the effect of NPK 15:15:15 at 50:30:30 kg ha-1, Desert-Lion foliar fertilizer (DL) at 25 ml/15 l water, Urea at 50 kg ha- 1, P2O5 and K2O at 30 kg ha-1+Desert-lion foliar fertilizer at 25 ml/15 l water (DPK) and P2O5 and K2O at 30 kg ha-1+ urea at 50 kg ha-1 + Desert-lion foliar fertilizer at 25 ml/15 l water (DPKU) on the performance of okra. A randomized complete block design was used with four replications. Data were collected on growth and yield components. The DPKU, DPK, sole urea and NPK exhibited superior performances in plant height, leaf and branch per plant compare with the sole DL and the control. The DPKU, DPK, NPK and sole urea recorded 40, 39, 38 and 37 fruits per plant respectively, compared to 23 and 35 registered by sole DL and the control respectively. The NPK, DPKU, DPK and sole urea recorded significant total fruit yields of about 7.5 t ha-1, 7.5 t ha-1, 6.5 t ha-1 and 6 t ha-1 respectively, whiles sole DL and the control produced 2.5 t ha-1 and 1.5 t ha-1 yields respectively. The treatment combinations, sole Urea and NPK performed higher than the sole DL. Therefore, for high yield of okra, the DL at 25 ml/15 liters of water should be applied with basal application of 30 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and K2O + urea at 50 kg ha-1 at flowering.

Effect of Different Level of NPK Fertilizers, FYM and Vermicompost on Yield Attributes of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) var. Devika

The field experiment was carried out at soil science research farm of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during kharif season 2022. The soil experimental area was sandy loam in texture. The design was laid out in randomized block design with three levels of NPK (0%,50%, &amp; 100%), three levels of FYM and three levels of Vermicompost (0%, 50%, &amp; 100%) respectively. The results obtained with treatment T9-[120:60:50 Kg NPK + 25 t FYM + 6 t Vermicompost] showed highest plant height, number of branches plant-1, number of leaves plants-1, number of fruits plant-1, total fruit yield. No significant was observed in yield and growth of okra under control. Application of Organic manures well as its mixture with full NPK considerably increase in growth and total yield attributes of okra. In contrast to all other treatments, use of 100% NPK, 100% FYM and 100% Vermicompost shows the most significant impact with effective on okra growth.

Response Growth and Yield of Three Cucumber Hybrids (Cucumis sativus L.) to Nano Fertilizer N20P20K20 under Protected House

The experiment was run in the spring of 2021 in one of the unheated plastic houses in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape in the College of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Mosul to examine the impact of two variables: Second: spraying three different concentrations of Nano fertilizer N20 P20 K20 on three different cucumber hybrids (Roni, Modhish, and Baher) alongside a control treatment that received no Nano fertilizer spraying. The hybrid factor was positioned in the main plots, and Nano-fertilizer spray concentrations were positioned in the split plots, all within the context of a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) for the experiment’s layout. The information was recorded, then analyzed statistically, yielding the following findings: Concentrations of 3 mg L-1 of Nano fertilizer sprayed on Roni hybrids significantly increased plant length and leaf area; concentrations of 3 mg L-1 on Modhish hybrids significantly increased yield per plant, fruit yield, and total fruit yield; and concentrations of 3 mg L-1 on Baher hybrids significantly increased the value of leaves per plant.

Spectrum of chlorophyll mutations and morphological variations in Abelmoschus esculentus L. induced through gamma radiation

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench], is an economically exploited important traditional vegetable crop of the world. The present investigation examined the variability in induced chlorophyll mutants and othermorphological variations in okra. Seeds of two open pollinated popular varieties of okra namely Arka Anamika and Arka Abhay were irradiated with gamma doses of 30, 50 and 80 kR. The treatment 50 kR enhanced plant height, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, single fruit weight and total fruit yield per plant. Spectrum of several chlorophyll mutants were observed in the M1 generation. Other macro-mutants such as early and late flowering types, dwarf statured plants, leaf and flower mutants were also noticed at different doses of gamma radiation. The total number of visible mutation followed a trend of increasing frequency with the increase in dose of radiation.

Humic Acid Improves the Resilience to Salinity Stress of Drip-Irrigated Mexican Lime Trees in Saline Clay Soils

Organic fertilization improves soil fertility and ameliorates the deleterious effects of accumulated salts in soil for sustainable agricultural production. This research was carried out on thirteen-year-old Mexican lime trees to study the effect of humic acid (HA), applied as soil (10, 20 or 30 mL·tree−1) and foliar (0.1 or 0.2%) applications, on soil fertility, tree growth, productivity and fruit quality. The experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons in a randomized complete block design of twelve treatments with three replicates with two trees each. Soil and foliar applications of HA were performed once and twice a month in Marsh, May and July, respectively. HA enhanced the soil’s N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and B availability and microbial activity, in addition to improved tree growth, canopy size, leaf chlorophyll and nutrient contents with reduced proline levels. The total yield and number of fruit per tree were increased with increased HA levels. Fruit weight, juice and soluble solids were also increased. The best results were achieved with the combined soil (30 mL·tree−1) and foliar (0.2%) applications of HA, which indicated a great potential to alleviate the effects of salinity stress on Mexican lime growth and productivity.

Zucchini squash yield response to fertilization with different doses and sources of Potassium

Potassium (K) is essential nutrient to the physiological and biochemical activities of plants, acting in the cation-anion balance, water movement, osmoregulation, and transference of energy. This study aimed to evaluate the yield response of the zucchini squash cultivar 'Caserta' to different doses and sources of potassium. The experiment was carried out under field conditions in a complete randomized block experimental design in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, with six K2O doses (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg ha-1) and two sources (chloride and potassium sulfate), with four replications. The fruit mass, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, total and marketable fruit yields were evaluated. The results showed that the sulfate and potassium chloride sources promoted the maximum length and number of fruits per plant. K2O fertilization in the form of potassium sulfate promoted higher mass and total fruit yield. The doses of 108.41 and 130.78 kg ha-1 of K2O in the chloride and potassium sulfate sources provided the maximum marketable yield of fruits, with 22.84 and 27.0 t ha-1, respectively. Regardless of the source, potassium fertilization must be provided to increase the production parameters of the zucchini squash 'Caserta' cultivar.

Performance of Tomato Genotypes for Growth and Yield under Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka, India

The study assessed the growth, reproductive and yield attributes of 200 tomato genotypes assembled from AVRDC, Taiwan, IIVR, Varanasi, NBPGR, New Delhi and SAU of India and some Research centers of Karnataka. Field experiments were conducted in 2015-17 at Dept. of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The main aim was to assess some of growth and yield attributes of 200 tomato genotypes. These 200 genotypes collected from AVRDC, Taiwan, IIVR, Varanasi, NBPGR, New Delhi and SAU of India and some research centers of Karnataka. The growth parameters like plant height, maximum plant height noticed in genotype (13P3) 202.33 cm. The number of branches per plant maximum was observed in genotype (AR-56) i.e. 11.33 branches per plant. Wide variability was observed for fruit width in tomato. The highest fruit width reported (H-86) 8.15cm. Wide variability was observed for tomato fruit length also, the length of tomato fruit maximum noticed in genotype (EC-321426) 7.45 cm. The highest average fruit weight was observed in H-86 (131.94 g) and the lowest in 73P2 (20.00 g). The total tomato fruit yield recorded per plant ranged between 0.39 kg (Roma) and 6.48 kg (4P1). This study gives information on the agronomic variation in the 200 tomato genotypes assessed which can invariably serve as an index to selecting putative parents in breeding for new tomato variety that will combine desirable agronomic characteristics with high yield and its attributing characters.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Fruit Yield under Irrigation and Mycorrhiza Conditions

The size and quality of the melon fruit yield depend on the cultivar, climatic and agronomic factors. A three-year field experiment investigated the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) application and irrigation (IR) on the fruit yield of melon (Cucumis melo L. var. saccharinus Naud.) cultivars. The study was conducted on a certified organic farm located in south-eastern Poland (51.36° N, 22.83° E). The factors of the experiment were as follows: cultivar (Melba, Emir F1, Seledyn F1, Oliwin) and cultivation method (AMF and IR; AMF and non-IR; non-AMF and IR; non-AMF and non-IR as control). The dry matter (%), soluble solid (%), total sugar and reducing sugar (% fresh weight, FM), L-ascorbic acid (mg · 100 g−1 FM), and carotenoid (mg · 100 g−1 FM) contents of the fruit were determined. The highest total and marketable fruit yields were obtained using AMF and IR. Fruit from the AMF series (IR and non-IR) had the most carotenoids (respectively: 801.5 and 788.8 µg · 100 g−1 FM). The fruits of the AMF and IR plants contained the most total sugars (5.98%) and reducing sugars (2.91%) compared to the others. The control plants had the lowest number of marketable fruit, total and marketable fruit yield, and accumulated the least L-ascorbic acid, total sugars and reducing sugars. We suggest that AMF and IR can be recommended as a practical agronomic solutions for the field cultivation of melon under temperate climate conditions.

Chlorophyll fluorescence parameter as a predictor of tomato growth and yield under CO2 enrichment in protective cultivation

Greenhouse crops production has been improved by CO2 enrichment commercially. The impact of a threshold level of elevated CO2 (e[CO2]) on the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ФPSII, chlorophyll fluorescence parameter), which is linked to crop yield, crop growth and fruit quality, is still uncertain. Many previous studies cultivated C3 crops under 550–700 µmol·mol-1, not beyond this range. Hence, tomato plants were grown under ambient CO2 (a[CO2], 500 µmol·mol-1) and e[CO2] (700, 850, and 1000 µmol·mol-1): named as EC700, EC850, and EC1000, respectively, under uniform environmental conditions for two growing seasons to investigate the response of ФPSII along with four photosynthetically active radiation intensities and plant growth to continuous CO2 concentration [CO2]. Under four constant PAR intensities during autumn-winter 2020 and spring-summer 2021, the order of mean ФPSII values under e[CO2] were explored as EC700 > EC1000 > EC850 > a[CO2] and EC700 > EC850 > EC1000 > a[CO2], respectively. The optimum total fruit yield was stimulated under EC700 by 74.04% and 55.86% during autumn-winter 2020 and spring-summer 2021, respectively, as compared to a[CO2]. The results showed that water use efficiency related to yield (WUEy) were enhanced by reducing the stomatal conductance under e[CO2] as compared to a[CO2]. Optimum WUEy was enhanced by 55.91–210.87% under EC700 compared to a[CO2]. The principal component analysis showed strong correlation of ФPSII with plant height, yield and water use efficiency in autumn-winter 2020 and spring-summer 2021, LAI in spring-summer 2021, weak correlation with stem diamter in autumn-winter 2020 and spring-summer 2021, indicated the strong effect of ФPSII on plant growth and yield under e[CO2]. The EC1000 in autumn-winter 2020 and EC700 in spring-summer 2021 were found more influential by the analytic hierarchy process to get optimum crop production, no significant difference between the ranking scores of EC1000 and EC700 during autumn-winter 2020 was found. Thus, the overall optimum impact of e[CO2] on tomato growth was explored under EC700. The findings of this study are beneficial to greenhouses crops production commercially and could be used as references for validating the climate change impact modelling.

Studies on correlation, heritability and genetic advance in Cape-gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) under sub-tropical condition of Bihar

Aim: The present investigation was undertaken to assess the per se performance, correlation, heritability and genetic advance of temperate genotypes of Cape-gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) under sub-tropical condition of District, Nalanda, Bihar (India). Methodology: About 4-6 leaf stage seedlings of 18 temperate genotypes of Cape-gooseberry were arranged in the field in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Each plot consisted 3.00 m x 2.00 m with spacing of 60 cm and 45 cm between and within rows, respectively. Recommended package of practices were applied to raise a good crop. The data were recorded on ten randomly selected plants for eight characters viz., plant height, number of fruit bearing branches per plant, number of fruits per plant, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit weight, total soluble solids and fruit yield per plant at maturity, and finally data were subjected to statistical analysis to derive valid conclusion. Results: Significant variation was observed for yield and all the yield traits studied except for plant height. High heritability was observed for fruit weight (0.85) and Total solble solids (0.87). Genetic advance was high for branches per plant (25.87), fruit yield per plant (23.21) and fruit weight (22.57). The fruit yield per plant was strongly positively associated with number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and Total soluble solids at genotypic level. Interpretation: Exhisting variability can be utilized for improvement of the crop. Number of branches per plant and number of fruits per plant are governed by additive genes. Heterosis breeding can be rewarding for the trait having high heritability coupled with low genetic advance. Strong genotypic correlation indicated that yield can be enhanced by giving due weightage to number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and total soluble solids during selection. Key words: Cape-gooseberry, Correlation, Genotypes, Genetic advance, Heritability, Yield