Total Weight Of Seeds Research Articles

Effects of gamma-ray irradiation dose and dose rates on the growth and radiosensitivity of soybean varieties Grobogan and Mutiara 1

Abstract Enhancing soybean production can be achieved through plant breeding, utilizing gamma ray radiation mutation techniques to develop superior varieties. Understanding radiosensitivity is crucial for comprehending the impact of radiation on plant morphology and physiology. This study aims to investigate the impacts of varying doses and dose rates of Cobalt-60 gamma radiation on the growth and development of two soybean varieties, Grobogan and Mutiara 1. This study was conducted to understand how varied radiation doses influence growth parameters and to determine the radiosensitivity, LD50 value, in mutants of the Grobogan and Mutiara 1 soybean varieties. The study employed a randomized complete design with two factors. The first factor was radiation dose ranging from 0 to 1000 Gy. The second factor was dose rate, categorized into low dose rate (219.5 Gy/hour) and high dose rate (4470.2 Gy/hour). The results revealed that the LD50 value of Grobogan variety was estimated at 588.56 Gy at a low dose rate and 657.17 Gy at a high dose rate, while the Mutiara 1 variety had an LD50 value estimate of 512.36 Gy at a low dose rate and 514.30 Gy at a high dose rate. The study also found that the gamma ray radiation dose in the seedling phase trial influenced several growth parameters, including germination percentage, seedling height, development of stem nodes, and formation of leaves. Furthermore, field phase trial showed that a range of radiation dose at 100-300 Gy led to an increase in the number of branches in both soybean varieties and plant height in the Grobogan variety. It also resulted in an increase in the production of pods and total weight of seeds in the Mutiara 1 variety. These findings offer valuable insights into optimizing radiation doses for increasing genetic diversity in soybean.

Organic fertilization as a sustainable alternative in the production of bean varieties in the brazilian semiarid region

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic fertilization and the use of rock powder in different varieties of cowpea in an agroecological family farming system in a semi-arid region of Brazil. The design was in randomized blocks 4 blocks x 4 treatments (T1 - witness; T2 - 4.0 t ha-1 rock powder; T3 - 10 t ha-1 bovine manure + organic matter; and T4 - 4 t ha-1 rock powder + 2.1 t ha-1 organic compound) x 3 varieties. At 65 days, plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), number of leaves (NL), leaf area (LA), and crop yield were evalueted: number of pods (NP), number of pods per plant (NPP), total seed weight (TSW), grain production (GP) and shoot dry matter production (SDMA). The creole variety Sedinha obtained better results in the development and yield of the crop, the organic compost was the most efficient for all varieties, the addition of rock powder did not result in significant effects compared to other treatments. This study highlights the potential for producing Creole seeds, in addition to demonstrating that organic fertilization is an efficient alternative, and reduces the use of chemical fertilizers contributing to the sustainable use of natural resources.

The Effect of Compost and Liquid Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Production of Corn (Zea Mays L.) in Red Yellow Podzolic Land

Corn production in society is currently still low due to one of them, namely due to reduced soil fertility. The purpose of this study was to see the effect of applying compost with liquid fertilizer on the growth and production of corn plants. The materials used in this study were compost enriched with Trichoderma sp, liquid fertilizer, bran, goat manure, water, corn, sugar and marginal soil media while the tools used are polybags measuring 30x40 cm, buckets, shovels, hoes, scales, seedling houses, rulers, plastic sheeting, calipers and writing implements. This research method is arranged in a factorial form consisting of two factors, namely the first factor is the application of compost which consists of three levels and the second factor is the application of liquid fertilizer which consists of four levels. The parameters observed in this study were plant height (cm), number of leaves (strands), stem diameter (cm), weight of corn fruit (grams), weight of cobs (grams), total weight of seeds per cob (grams), and root weight. (m3), the results showed that the combination treatment of compost from EM4 and without liquid fertilizer gave the best results for plant height 225.00 cm, stem diameter 1.32cm, fruit weight 110.50g, seed weight 70.17g, cob weight 21.83 g, and root weight 32.67 g, while the combination of treatment with terichoderma sp compost and liquid fertilizer enriched with 2% NPK gave the best results for the number of leaves 12.83. The results showed that the combination of compost from EM4 and without liquid fertilizer gave the best results for the growth and production of corn plants.

Indirect Selection for Seed Yield in Sacha-Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) in Brazil

Breeding programs for improvement of sacha-inchi, Plukenetia volubilis L., generally aim to select individuals with greater seed yield since there is a strong correlation between seed yield and oil production. However, the manual removal of seed husks for evaluating this trait is laborious and costly, thereby discouraging breeding efforts. Accordingly, the objective of the present study was to estimate gains from indirect selection of seed production in sacha-inchi progenies, focusing on maximizing efficiency in improvement programs. Genetic parameters along with direct and indirect selection gains were estimated for seed yield traits in 12 open-pollinated progenies. Strong genetic correlations were observed between total number of fruits (TNF), total weight of fruits (TWF), and total weight of seeds (TWS) per plant (r > 0.96). Notably, all three traits demonstrated high heritability (h2 > 0.81). Therefore, plants with high TNF and TWF (Cuzco, Dos de Mayo, Shanao, Aucaloma, and AM-7) can be used to indirectly select the genetic traits of higher seed yields (GS% = 23%). Genetic gain for dry seed production with a selection index of 42% was estimated at 23%, which corresponds to 118 kg·ha−1. Future sacha-inchi improvement programs can select progenies with high TNF and TWF to facilitate the selection of progenies with high TWS.

Design and simulation of seed metering device for aerosowing of forest pelleted seeds

The issues of research of work of seed metering devices by the method of discrete elements (DEM) are considered. A 3d-model of the developed metering devices intended for use with an unmanned aerial vehicle is presented. Its main design parameters and characteristics of the virtual stand used in the study are described. A brief description of the physical model of the interaction of seeds with the working elements of the metering devices is given. As a result of the study, data were obtained on the capacity of the hopper of the metering devices. With a particle diameter of 5 mm, the total capacity of the hopper and the throat of the seeding unit was at least 7426 pieces. With a diameter of 6 and 7 mm, the capacity was 4210 and 2551 pieces. The total weight of seeds in a fully loaded hopper was 920.8, 905.2, 870.4 g. With an increase in the rotation speed of the seed drum from 90 to 180 deg/s, the stability of the capture of seeds decreased from 0.7 to 3.5%. Changing the seed diameter did not have a noticeable effect on the number of skips. Also, the average value of the torque during one working cycle (full revolution of the seed drum) was obtained equal to 0.129 Nm.

Assessmentof seed productivity of complex hybrid populations of red clover

In the conditions of the Kirov region, the productivity of seeds of four complex hybrid populations (SGP) of red clover was studied, including those formed against an infectious fusarium background (SGPF). The research was carried out in the nursery for evaluating the seed productivity of 2017 sowing in comparison with the standard (st.) Dymkovsky for 2 years of use (y.u.). The characteristics of the SGP and SGPF according to winter hardiness, the start of vegetation phases of development, plant height, structure of seedgrass stand, yield and quality of seed material are given. All studied varieties were more productive than the standard (1.97 c/ha). Reliably high seed yield on average for 2 years was shown by SGPF-158-3 – 2.48 c/ha, SGP-188 – 2.32 c/ha, SGPF-157-3 – 2.16 c/ha. According to fruiting indicators, in 2019SGPF-158-3 with small heads, but with the largest number of flowers and seeds (132.2 and 77.4 pcs., respectively), good seediness (58.8 %) and high seed weight per head (0.153 g) was selected. Also, high rates were noted in the populations of SGPF-157-3 and SGPF-160-3. A strong correlation between seed yield and fruiting rates was revealed: the number of flowers in the head (r = 0.92), the total number of seeds in the head (r = 0.92), the number of filled seeds in the head (r = 0.94), the seediness of the head (r = 0.90), the total weight of seeds in the head (r = 0.85), the mass of filledseeds in the head (r = 0.87). A close positive correlation was noted between the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) value and length (r = 0.86), width (r = 0.86) of the red clover head during the intergrowth period “regrowth - the beginning of flowering”. It has been established that the average daily air temperature and the sum of effective temperatures during the “beginning of flowering - ripening” period have a positive effect on the fruiting performance: “seediness of the heads” (r = 0.97 and r = 0.87) and “the number of seeds in the head” (r = 0.95 and r = 0.89, respectively). In the same interphase period, a close negative dependence of the indicated fruiting indices on the HTC values was revealed (r = -0.95 and r = -0.94). The sowing qualities of the seeds of the 2019 harvest were determined; it was found that all seed material corresponds to the category of “original and elite seeds”. As the result of the research, the populations of red clover SGPF-158-3, SGP-188 and SGPF-157-3, superior to st. Dymkovsky on seed productivity (by 0.51; 0.35 and 0.9 c/ha, respectively, LSD05 = 0.12 c/ha) and fruiting indicators, were selected.

Root biomass and production of cotton cultivars subjected to saline water irrigation

Water scarcity and high levels of salinity in irrigation water limit irrigated cotton cultivation in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. So, it is necessary to adopt cultivation strategies that make the production system feasible. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the biomass and production of cotton cultivars subjected to different levels of saline water irrigation. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions, with treatments distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement, corresponding to five levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity - ECw (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 dS m-1) and two cotton cultivars (BRS 368 RF and BRS Safira), with 4 replicates. Treatment effects were measured by the number of bolls per plant, lint weight, number of seeds per plant, total weight of seeds and dry and fresh biomass of stem, roots and leaves. Irrigation using water with electrical conductivity from 1.5 dS m-1 negatively affects the production of the cotton cultivars BRS SAFIRA and BRS 368 RF, causing reductions in all production variables analyzed. The cultivar BRS Safira has better production performance than BRS 368 RF when exposed to water salinity.

Evaluation of Yield Performance of Soybean Mutant FM6-847 in North Carolina

Soybean is a well-known crop for its protein, oil, fatty acids, minerals, isoflavones, and other bioactive compounds. The high yielding mutant FM6-847 was developed through ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis. FM6-847 was derived from soybean cultivar Forrest and the yield performance of FM6-847 was not evaluated in North Carolina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield performance of the mutant FM6-847 compared to three USDA reference lines LD00-2817, LD06-7620, and LD07-3395 in a field trial in Fayetteville, NC over a period of two years (2016–2017). We compared plant height (PH), pod numbers (Pod#), seed number (Seed#), 100-seed weight (100-SW), and total seed weight (TSW) of the mutant and USDA reference lines. In addition, we investigated the presence of Rhizobia, nitrogen fixing bacteria that help in increasing the yield of legumes through enriching nutrients by nitrogen fixation. The results showed that the mean TSW of mutant line was significantly higher (P<0.05) than all of the USDA reference lines in 2017 trial. The yield parameters of PH, pod#, seed#, and 100-SW were also significantly different between the soybean mutant line with more than one USDA reference lines. The contribution of yield parameters to the TSW was also analyzed and these parameters were significantly contributing to the TSW based on linear fixed model. The first two principal components explained more than 70% phenotypic variation among variables in the dataset based on the results of principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, a total of 13 bacterial strains including nitrogen fixation bacteria Rhizobium giardinii were identified in the soil of the field trial.

Impacts of salinity, yeast extract and drought treatments on Silybum marianum L. seed-silymarin content and constituents

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity by two salts (NaCl and CuSO4), yeast extract and drought on content and constituents of silymarin in the seeds of cultivated Silybum marianum in the green house to the fruiting growth stage. The used NaCl treatment increased the number of Inflorescences per plant, weight of seeds per each Inflorescence and total weight of seeds per plant. The other treatments reduced these seed parameters especially drought which caused their reductions by 53.3, 52.1, and 77.6% compared to control respectively. The significant polynomial regression equation between number of Inflorescences and seed weight showed that production of more than 3 Inflorescences per plant decreased the weight of seed of Inflorescences. All of the used treatments except yeast extract increased seed silymarin content with a highest value by NaCl. The total silymarin produced per plant was high by NaCl followed by Cu SO4 while by yeast extract and drought it was low compared to the control as it was mainly a function of the effect on the plant seed weight. The HPLC analysis of silymarin revealed the presence of all important silymarin constituents (silychristin, silydianin, silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A&B), and silydianin represented the major component under all treatments. Drought and yeast extract mostly decreased all silymarin constituents while NaCl and Cu SO4 increased them except silybin A which decreased by all treatment compared to the control. Silymarin efficiency was high under drought stress in comparison with the other treatments due to acquiring high content of the medicinally important silybin constituents. The study suggests cultivation of Silybum marianum in newly reclaimed desert area and slightly saline area as an important plant for the production silymarin.

ВПЛИВ ПОЗАКОРЕНЕВОГО ПІДЖИВЛЕННЯ ПЛАНТАФОЛОМ НА ДЕЯКІ ФІЗІОЛОГІЧНІ ПОКАЗНИКИ І ПРОДУКТИВНІСТЬ СОЇ КУЛЬТУРНОЇ (GLYCINE MAX MOENCH.)

The efficiency of influence of Plantafol (10.54.10) foliage application on soybeans in soil and climatic conditions of the Ternopil region was investigated. It was found that Plantafol increased the green weight of top and plant density, the total mass of grain per plant, its significance and therefore increased the grain crop by 4.9 c/ha.The crop growth was due to the formation of 15.0% higher biomass green weight of top with higher plant stand by 8% and the increase of seed productivity mainly by increasing of the total weight of seeds in plants by 10.2% and its significance by 7.9 % in comparison with the control. By the influence of Plantafol, there was an increase of the height of beans fastening by 6.4%, as well as a tendency to increase the number of beans by 5.7% and the number of seeds per plant by 2.1%.The chlorophyll fluorescence induction technique was used to isolate a group of fluorescence parameters of chlorophyll a, in particular φNPQ, φNO, which can determinate variations in the productivity of the variety, as they are sensitive to the foliage application.There wasn’t found the direct influence of the mineral fertilizer on the quantum yield of photochemistry PS II (ФPSII). At the same time, the abundance of chlorophyll (SPAD) increased.It is assumed that the decrease of the ECSt level, observed under the conditions of Plantafol foliage application of plants, led to the decrease of NPQt and φNPQ levels in soybean.In the absence of significant difference in the rate of linear electron flux in the experimental and control groups, Plantafol decreases the NPQt level and causes the increase of the total number of active RC FS I.The obtained data proved the significance and the perspective of foliage application using as of complex mineral fertilizers during soybean cultivation that increases its productivity in local soil and climatic conditions.The Plantafol reduces the negative effect of some nutritional elements in soil and increases the soybean crop in the conditions of Ternopil region by stimulating photosynthetic, growth and production processes.

Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis among Yield Component Traits of Ethiopian Korerima [Aframomum Corrorima (Braun) P. C. M. Jansen] Genotypes at Tepi, Ethiopia

An experiment was conducted in research fields to study Phenotypic and genotypic correlation co-efficient of quantitative characters and character association of korerima. Twenty-five korerima germplasm of diverse sources were used to assess the character association and contribution of characters towards capsule/seed yield. Path coefficient analyses were carried out for selected genotypes and to find out the direct and indirect effect of component characters on capsule/seed yield. Analysis of phenotypic and genotypic correlation co-efficient of quantitative characters and partitioning of genotypic correlation to pure seed revealed positive and significant correlation both at genotypic and phenotypic levels with number of capsule bearing suckers per plant, number of capsules per plant, dry capsules weight, number of seeds per capsule, total seeds weight per capsule, dry capsule yield per plot and dry capsule yield ha -1 . Number of seeds per capsule, total seed weight per plot, dry capsule yield per plot and dry capsule yield had high and positive direct effects on pure seed yield, however, number of capsule bearing sackers per plant, dry capsule weight and number of capsule per plant had negative direct effects on pure seed yield at genotypic level. The result indicated that the positive and significant correlation of number of capsule bearing suckers per plant, dry capsule weight, total seed weight per plot, dry capsule yield per plot and dry capsule yield kg ha -1 with pure seed yield per plot were due to the high direct effect of the characters. Data of this study might be useful for quantitative assessment of the variation in yield and yield components, their interrelationship, and direct and indirect effects of different characters on seed yield of korerima. Keywords: Correlation, Direct Effect, Indirect Effect, Path Coefficien, Aframomum corrorima , Korerima DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-9-06 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

VARIACIÓN MORFOLÓGICA DE FRUTOS Y SEMILLAS DE CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.) DE PLANTACIONES EN TABASCO, MÉXICO

Conocer la diversidad morfológica y genética presente en plantaciones, especialmente en especies nativas, es importante para el manejo y utilización de los recursos vegetales disponibles. Los objetivos del estudio fueron determinar la variación morfológica del fruto y semillas de cacao existente en plantaciones comerciales (PL) establecidas por semilla en Tabasco, México, e identificar colectas en estas PL con características sobresalientes asociadas al rendimiento. La recolecta de frutos se realizó en 33 PL de siete municipios de Tabasco y un municipio de Chiapas. En total 101 árboles fueron muestreados en PL; además, se incluyeron 69 accesiones de bancos de germoplasma CEHUI-INIFAP y Ex-Finca el Danubio como germoplasma de referencia. La caracterización incluyó 11 características cualitativas y 18 cuantitativas del fruto y de la semilla. Se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos básicos, así como los coeficientes de correlación de Pearson y se realizó un análisis de coordenadas principales para conocer los patrones de variación de las características evaluadas, su relación e identificar la variables que más discriminan entre colectas. En PL la forma dominante del fruto fue cundeamor (26.8 %) seguida del amelonado (22.1 %) y no se observaron frutos con forma criollo. La forma del fruto, junto con características como constricción basal y rugosidad escasa, reflejan la hibridación de cacao criollo × forastero del bajo Amazonas que se ha dado en estas plantaciones a través del tiempo. Otras características como peso, longitud y diámetro del fruto también presentaron intervalos de variación amplios en PL. La variación en peso del fruto, espesor del caballete, peso de semilla, proporción del mesocarpo, el número y peso total de semillas por fruto y pigmentación del mucílago definieron la distribución espacial entre las colectas de PL. Las colectas Tc29487, Tc29745, Tc29747, Tc29749 y Tc29775 presentaron una combinación sobresaliente de número y peso total de semillas por fruto, proporción de mesocarpo e índice de fruto.

SALINE WATER IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON THE CULTIVATION OF COLORED FIBER COTTON

ABSTRACT In Northeast Brazil, the cultivation of colored fiber cotton has stood out as one of the agricultural activities of expressive importance because its fiber has various applications in the industry and it is a labor-demanding crop. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the growth, water consumption, water use efficiency and production of the colored fiber cotton cv. ‘BRS Rubi’, as a function of saline water irrigation and nitrogen (N) doses. The experiment was conducted in lysimeters, under greenhouse conditions, in eutrophic Regolithic Neosol, with a sandy loam texture, in Campina Grande-PB, Brazil. The plants were irrigated using water with electrical conductivities (ECw) of 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 9.1 dS m-1 and fertilized with N doses (ND) of 65, 100, 135, 170 and 205 mg N kg-1 soil, in a completely randomized block design, with three replicates. Irrigation using water with an ECw above 5.1 dS m-1, hampered growth, water consumption and water use efficiency of ‘BRS Rubi’ cotton. Among the organs, the cotton root system was less affected by the salt stress in comparison to the shoots. N fertilization did not mitigate the deleterious effect of salt stress on cotton growth, water consumption, water use efficiency and production. The interaction between water salinity and N fertilization had positive effects on total weight of seeds and lint, and the highest values were obtained in plants irrigated with water of ECw 7.6 and 7.5 dS m-1 and ND of 65 mg N kg-1 of soil.

Aplikasi Bakteri Probiotik Pseudomonas Kelompok Fluorescens untuk Meningkatkan Produksi dan Mutu Benih Cabai

ABSTRACT<br /><br />The use of high quality seed is one of the key factors to improve productivity. Probiotic bacteria has been used to increase plant growth and to control pathogens. The objective of the research was to evaluate methods of chili seed production that yielded high physiological and pathological quality using probiotic fluorescent bacteria Pseudomonas (P24). The bacteria was expected to function as plant growth promoting bacteria as well as capable of controling seedborne pathogen Colletotrichum acutatum causes antrachnose. The experiment was conducted during March until October 2014 in Seed Health Laboratory, Plant Bacteriology Laboratory, and Leuwikopo experimental garden, IPB. The experiment was arranged in a split plot randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plots were untreated and inoculation of C. acutatum. The subplot was six treatments of fluorescent Pseudomonas (P24) application. The results showed that matriconditioning and spraying of fluorescent Pseudomonas (P24) on nursery decreased disease incidence significantly. Matriconditioning and spraying of fluorescent Pseudomonas (P24) on nursery and flowering phase increased number of healthy fruit and total weight of seeds per plant significantly. These applications also increased seed physiological quality indicated by germination percentage (GP) 77.04%, growth rate (GR) 9.72% etmal-1, vigor index (VI) 29.74%, and seed health by suppresed C. acutatum infection up to 12.25%.<br /><br />Keywords: anthracnose, Colletotrichum acutatum, control, matriconditioning, spraying<br /><br />

Stalk rot fungi affect grain sorghum yield components in an inoculation stage-specific manner

Although stalk rots are among the most prevalent and destructive diseases of sorghum, no systematic crop loss assessment has been reported for these diseases under controlled-inoculations. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of Fusarium stalk rot and charcoal rot on grain sorghum yield components when plants were inoculated at two growth stages (GS). Four genotypes were field evaluated against three Fusarium spp. (F. thapsinum, F. proliferatum, F. andiyazi) and Macrophomina phaseolina. Inoculations were performed at GS1 (30 d after emergence) and GS3 (14 d after flowering). Panicles were harvested at physiological maturity and assessed for total seed weight (TSW), 100-seed weight (100-SW), and total seeds per panicle (TSP). The total number of reproductive sites and unfilled spikelets were counted per rachis (TRSR and NUSR, respectively) and panicle (TRSP, NUSP) bases. Length and nodes crossed by the lesion in split stems were measured to evaluate disease severity. Pathogens significantly reduced TSW in comparison to the control at both GS1 and GS3. The four pathogens, on average, caused greater TSW reductions when inoculated at GS1 (52%) than at GS3 (37%). All pathogens reduced TSP upon GS1 inoculation and 100-SW upon GS3 inoculations. All pathogens significantly reduced seed set percentage when plants were inoculated at GS1 while inoculations at GS3 did not have a significant impact. GS1 inoculations significantly decreased TRSP, demonstrating pathogen interference with head formation resulting in smaller heads than control. Although inoculations at GS1 had a greater impact on yield, inoculations at GS1 and GS3 did not significantly differ in disease severity. This study revealed inoculation stage-specific effects of stalk rot pathogens on yield parameters and provided insights into key yield traits to be emphasized in sorghum breeding programs to produce stalk rot tolerant sorghum genotypes.

English

Flaxseed is the seed of the linen (Linum usitatissimum L.) and the most produced varieties are brown and golden flaxseed. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of irrigation and nitrogen application in cultivation of the golden flax cultivation. The irrigation it was made by dripping, daily, except for days of rain occurrences, according to evapotranspiration. The treatments were separated by 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250% of the daily irrigation, and the control value of 100% of the amount of evaporation by area. The seeds were planted on April 22, 2013. After flowering, data were analyzed as: Plant height, number of branches and siliques and the fresh and dry mass of silica and twigs on August 8, 2013. The crop occurred on October 10, 2013 and they were analyzed: amount of silica, number of seeds, total weight of seeds per plant, weight of 100 seeds, the production per meter and the proportion by hectare. Urea application resulted in an improvement in the production of two varieties. The combined irrigation also increases the production; however, in quantities exceeding 150% of irrigation, there was a decrease. Key words: Linum Usitatissimum L., evapotranspiration, production.

Physico-chemical characterization and biometry of fruits of ‘pequi’ in Western Bahia

<title>ABSTRACT</title><p>In Cerrado, there are numerous native fruit species with potential for use in traditional systems of agricultural production. In this context, the ‘pequi’ stands out in this biome by its great economic value in Central Brazil. Therefore, this work aimed to study the physical and physico-chemical characterization of Pequi fruits in the Western Region of Bahia. Three hundred fruits were sampled from ten matrices which were collected in an area of the municipality of Angical, BA and conducted to the Seed Laboratory of the State University of Bahia - UNEB. For physical evaluations, the fruit weight; longitudinal and transversal diameters of the fruit; total weight of seeds per fruit; pulp weight, peel weight and pulp yield were considered. As for the physico-chemical evaluations, the fruit pulp was subjected to the determinations of pH, the soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA) and the relation between soluble solids and titratable acidity. For the variables, longitudinal and transversal diameters, the pulp weight, peel weight, seed weight, fruit weight and pulp yield, the mean were, respectively, 63.49 and 61.29 mm, 12.51, 101.91, 27.48, 114.41 g and 11.17%. However, with regard to pH, SS, AT and SS/AT, means were 5.32, 11.95 °Brix, 1.76 and 11.53. The results indicated that there are statistically significant differences between all the physical and physico-chemical variables evaluated.</p>

Efficiency of dual inoculation by Glomus mosseae and Azotobacter chroococcum on growth, productivity of some wheat)Triticum aestivum L.( recombinations

This investigation was conducted to determine the response of 24 genetic recombination of wheat crop to bioinoculation with mixture of Glomus mosseae (Nicolson&Trappe.) Gerd&Trappe 250 spores/gram soil and 10ml (107cfu/ml) of Azotobacter chroococcum /0.5meter seeded line. Treatments were distributed in randomly block design with three replicates on 2010-2011growing season. Growth parameters: Percentage of germination, flowering after 106 days of germination, Maturity after 130 days of cultivation, Number of branches after 126 days of cultivation, dry weight of vegetative growth, number of spikes in the line, number of grains per spike, average weight of 1000 grain, and total weight of seeds in the line were taken. Results revealed different response of the tested recombinations for biofertilizers effects.The recombination wahat al Iraq, Babil, M707, Mexipaq, Furat, Dijla, Um-rabee, Tamose2, Tamose3, Ure, M619B, M613, M606, M615A, M630, M621, and Noor reveald significant increasing differences in most growth and productivity parameters specialy Wahat al Iraq, M707, Mexipaq, M613 which recorded yield increament at 96,89,59,57% respectively,while the recombination Tellaafar3, Adnaaia, Medaaen , M612, M633A, M615B, M633B showed negative response and recorded reduction percentages 10,15 ,4 ,12 ,9,45,24% as comparison with control respectively.

Fungal endophytes enhance wheat heat and drought tolerance in terms of grain yield and second-generation seed viability

We evaluated the impact of fungal endophyte symbiosis on the growth, ecophysiological and reproductive success of wheat exposed to heat and drought. The resistance of pot-grown wheat to heat or drought stress was measured by quantifying efficiency of photosystem II (Fv /Fm), plant height, average seed weight (ASW), total seed weight (TSW), water-use efficiency (WUE) as well as time to 50% germination and percentage germination of second-generation seeds produced under heat stress, drought stress or well-watered conditions. The endophytic fungi tested increased wheat tolerance for drought and heat. Endophyte SMCD 2206 was the most beneficial, followed by SMCD 2210 and 2215. Surprisingly, second-generation seeds produced by drought-stressed wheat colonized by SMCD 2206, 2210 or 2215 had decreased WUE relative to those produced by endophyte-free, drought-stressed plants. However, these seeds germinated more rapidly than those produced by endophyte-free, stressed parental plants. The tested consortium of endophytes has the potential to improve wheat adaptation to heat and drought. The capacity of endophytes to increase wheat tolerance for abiotic stress and to improved germination in endophyte-free second-generation seeds arising from stressed plants could be applicable to agriculture. The mechanisms by which intergenerational endophyte-mediated affects occurs warrant further research.

Use of Mutants to Dissect the Role of Ethylene Signalling in Organ Senescence and the Regulation of Yield in Arabidopsis thaliana

The role of ethylene in regulating organ senescence in Arabidopsis has been investigated by studying the development of mutants that have an attenuated capacity to perceive the gas. The onset of leaf senescence and floral organ abscission was delayed in the ethylene-insensitive mutant etr1. The photosynthetic life span of rosette leaves was similarly extended in the gain-of-function mutant ers2, and this mutant also exhibited a delay in the timing of pod dehiscence primarily as a consequence of an extension in the final stages of senescence. A detailed analysis of yield revealed that whilst thousand grain weight was increased, by as much as 20 %, in etr1, ein4, and the loss-of-function mutant etr2, only the latter showed a significant increase in total weight of seeds produced per plant. The other studied mutants exhibited a reduction in total seed yield of almost 40 %. These observations are discussed in the context of the possible role of ethylene in regulating organ senescence and their significance in the breeding of crop plants with enhanced phenotypic characteristics.