Growing vegetables
Kazem Hokmabadi; Seyyed Hosein Nemati; Reza Tavakkol Afshari
Abstract
Breeding of nutty watermelon: evaluation and selection from among the populations of some landracesAbstractIntroductionSelecting desirable traits in plants and improving them for desired traits requires the existence of sufficient genetic diversity within the population or between them and on the other ...
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Breeding of nutty watermelon: evaluation and selection from among the populations of some landracesAbstractIntroductionSelecting desirable traits in plants and improving them for desired traits requires the existence of sufficient genetic diversity within the population or between them and on the other hand, the use of genetic diversity within a population can be used as a suitable solution to deal with genetic vulnerability in plants. Usually, the genetic diversity of plants changes in time and place. Genetic diversity of a trait is the different value of individuals or genotypes for that trait. Usually, in the classical breeding program, varieties are identified based on the morphological characteristics of leaves, flowers and fruits. However, most cultivars cannot be identified based on these traits, especially if they are closely related. In addition, phenotypic identification based on morphology is affected by environmental changes. The success of breeding programs depends on the existence of diversity in germplasms in terms of the desired trait or traits. Collecting superior watermelons and examining their characteristics provides valuable resources to researchers for breeding programs. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) has great diversity in terms of shape, fruit size, fruit skin pattern, fruit flesh color, seed length and width, and number The seed in the fruit as well as the quality of the fruit is among its cultivars and varieties, therefore it seems that by examining the native cultivars and populations, it is possible to find desirable traits and use them in future commercial cultivars for breeding processes.Materials and MethodsIn order to evaluate the genetic diversity of 10 native stands of Iranian watermelon by examining the growth and seed-related traits, a research was conducted in Farouj city in 2019 in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. The seeds of Jabani, Sonbek and Kalaleh trees were collected from Joven, Kashan and Gorgan. After the selection in the first year, the desired traits were also checked in the selected populations in the second year.ConclusionIn this research, it was found that the type of mass and the choice of generation had a significant effect on the yield of the product. The highest fruit yield, i.e. 65 tons per hectare, corresponds to Jabani 1 mass. After Jabani cluster 1, Kalaleh cluster 1 had the highest yield with a yield of 45 tons per hectare, which seems to have a direct relationship with the fruit weight per plant. There was a significant difference in the yield between the stands in terms of seed characteristics and yield, fruit flesh and skin yield, fruit length and width. In the breeding goals of nutty watermelons, the most important are the characteristics of the seeds. Coarseness of the seed and high percentage of the kernel compared to the skin of the seed and the softness of the seed texture are also among the other improvement goals in these watermelons. In the first year experiment, among these traits that determine the quality and quantity of seeds, the highest 1,000-seed weight (326.6 grams) in Jabani stand 1, the highest percentage of brain to seed weight (50%) in Sanbek stand 1, the longest seed (average 20 mm) and the widest fruit (average 11.7 mm) belongs to Jabani 1, while the lowest thickness of the seed coat (0.37 mm) is evident in Sanbek 3 mass. Therefore, Jabani mass and stigma are desirable for the cultivation of a nut watermelon. In the second generation of the first experiment, Jabani mass 1 with an average weight of 1000 seeds was 350 grams, seed length was 20.35 mm, seed width was 12.44 mm, seed diameter was 3.39 mm, and seed coat thickness was 0.86 mm. m and seed yield of 1.39 tons per hectare was the best group among the tested groups. Regarding fruit traits, Jabani 1 had the heaviest fruit weight (3.14 kg), the heaviest weight of fruit flesh (1.80 kg) and the highest fruit yield per hectare (62.80 tons per hectare).The examination of traits that determine the quality and quantity of seeds, such as the weight of 1000 seeds, percentage of kernel weight to seed, length, width and diameter, thickness of the seed coat, showed that Jabani 1 and 3 are the most desirable types. In the second year, Jabani 1 and 3 have the highest quantity and quality of seeds and they are suitable for cultivation as nut watermelon. The comparison of two generations of each of the selected populations showed that most of the fruit and seed traits improved under the influence of the generation and the second generation produced heavier fruits with better seed yield. Also, this improvement of fruit traits in Jabani population 1 and the improvement of seed traits in Kalaleh population 1 is more significant than other populations.
Medicinal Plants
M. Fadaei; V. Akbarpour; S. J. Mousavizadeh; K. Ghasemi
Abstract
Introduction
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family and the order Cucurbitals. The seeds of this plant are a rich source of essential oils and proteins for the body. It is used in the production of various drugs such as Peponen, Pepostrin, Grunfig and treatment ...
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Introduction
Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family and the order Cucurbitals. The seeds of this plant are a rich source of essential oils and proteins for the body. It is used in the production of various drugs such as Peponen, Pepostrin, Grunfig and treatment of prostate swelling, urinary tract inflammation, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal regulation, etc. Since the components of medicinal plants are low at natural condition, and could be increased by means of different environmental conditions, nutrition or application of elicitors; thus, it is necessary to work on mentioned parameters effects on quantitative and qualitative attributes of medicinal plants. Recent years, many researches have been done based on natural components for increment of yield and secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Ascorbic acid is one of these materials which its effect on plant growth has been validated. In the management of agricultural inputs, especially in the cultivation of medicinal plants, the application of substances that have the least harmful side effects on human health and the environment is recommended. Meanwhile, sucrose and ascorbic acid are healthy substances to improve growth and increase crop yield. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of these two substances on yield, yield components and phytochemical characteristics of pumpkins.
Materials and Methods
Pumpkin seeds were prepared from Pakan Bazr Esfahan by purity of 99%. Then, planted in a farm of 500 m2 at Behshar. After plant growth, spray treatments were conducted at three times as before flowering, onset of flowering and fruit set stages. This experiment was conducted in factorial with sucrose factor at four levels (0, 5, 10, 15 g.l-1) and ascorbic acid factor at four levels (0, 15, 30, 45 mM), based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The studied characteristics included number of leaves and fruits, plant yield, 1000-seed weight, total number of seeds, number of healthy seeds, percentage of healthy seeds, number of blank (deaf) seeds, percentage of blank seeds, total chlorophyll, antioxidant activity, phenol, flavonoids, protein and oil percentage. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS statistical software and comparison of mean was performed using the least significant difference (LSD) at the level of 5% probability. Figures were graphed with Excel software.
Results and Discussion
According to this study results, the effect of foliar application of sucrose and ascorbic acid and their interaction on most of the studied traits was significant. Application of 15 g.l-1 sucrose with 15 mM ascorbic acid increased the number of fruits to 1.68 per plant, which showed an increase compared to the control treatment. The highest total number of seeds with an average of 464 seeds per fruit was obtained by applying 5 g.l-1 sucrose with 45 mM ascorbic acid, which compared to the control (247.33) recorded an increase of 87.60%. The highest total chlorophyll content was measured with an average of 2.081 (mg.g-1 fresh weight) using 5 g.l-1 sucrose with 15 mM ascorbic acid, which showed an increase of 1.81% compared to the control treatment (2.044). Also, application of 15 g.l-1 sucrose along with 15 mM ascorbic acid increased protein by 40.03%, which showed an increase of 79.26% compared to the control (22.33). Other results indicate that increasing the amount of seed oil up to 44.50% is available with the application of 15 g.l-1 sucrose with 30 mM ascorbic acid and also with the application of 10 g.l-1 sucrose with 45 mM ascorbic acid; which had an increase of 16.61% compared to the control (38.16). The results of the present study showed that the application of combined ratios of sucrose and ascorbic acid has been effective in improving the quantitative and qualitative attributes of pumpkin, including protein content and percentage of pumpkin seed oil.
Conclusion
Since the treatment of sucrose 10 g.l-1 with 45 mM ascorbic acid significantly affected most of important attributes such as total antioxidant activity, total flavonoids, protein content and high oil content, therefore, this combination of treatment can be applied to increase the quality of pumpkin seeds. However, if only quantity is important, the treatment of sucrose 15 g.l-1 with 15 mM ascorbic acid, which caused the highest number of fruits per plant, the highest yield as well as the highest protein, can be recommended.
Pomology
P. Sadeghi; H. Hassanpour
Abstract
Introduction
Strawberry with the scientific name Fragaria × ananassa Dutch from the Rosaceae family is an important commercial fruit in the world, which is widely considered in terms of nutrition due to its rich content of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Water scarcity stress is one ...
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Introduction
Strawberry with the scientific name Fragaria × ananassa Dutch from the Rosaceae family is an important commercial fruit in the world, which is widely considered in terms of nutrition due to its rich content of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Water scarcity stress is one of the important sources of abiotic stresses, so that it reduces growth, development and yield during the vegetative, reproductive and maturing stages of the crop. Studies have shown that application of nano-fertilizers can be useful in order to achieve high yield while reducing the amount of fertilizer consumption due to its higher absorption due to its high specific surface area. Despite its low consumption, zinc is involved in chromosome synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, sugar-to-starch conversion, protein metabolism, auxin metabolism, pollen grain formation, biological membrane preservation, and resistance to infections by pathogens. Zinc is also needed for chlorophyll production, pollen grain yield, fertility and pollen grain germination. Zinc as a coenzyme is also involved in the activation of many enzymes in the biosynthesis pathway of secondary metabolites. The use of zinc nanoparticles can have very positive effects on the quantitative and qualitative properties of strawberry fruit during low solubility
Materials and Methods
The present study was conducted in the greenhouses of the Department of Horticulture, Urmia University.Sabrina cultivar strawberry seedlings were planted in culture bags containing 50% cocopeat, 25% pithomass and 25% perlite in three rows containing 27 plants and evenly pruned. The first week was used to establish the plants from water, the second week to the sixth week for vegetative growth of half-concentrated Hoagland solution and from the seventh week to the end of the harvest period, depending on the stages of flowering to fruiting, modified Hoagland nutrient solution was used. By calculating the amount of solution output from each nozzle and the amount of each plant need, the time required for solution was calculated and this time was divided into 5 times a day and was automatically pumped to the foot of each plant. To apply low solubility stress, the first row (without stress) was used with solution 5 times a day, the second row with solution 4 times a day and the third row with solution 3 times a day. Foliar application of different concentrations of zinc chelate nanoparticles was performed once a week (5 times) after pruning of primary flowers, from the fourteenth to the eighteenth week. Zinc chelate nanoparticles were used in three levels (0, 1 and 1.5 g / l) and nutrient solution treatment was performed in three levels (90, 110 and 130 ml) daily. Then fruits that were more than 70% colored were harvested and different quantitative and qualitative characteristics were measured. At the end of the experiment, fruit weight was measured using a digital scale, fruit length and width by caliper, fruit acidity by pH meter, titratable acids by titration method and TSS by refractometer. Chlorophyll a, b and total carotenoids were also measured using Dynamica spectrophotometer (HALODB-20) according to Lichtanthaler & wallborn (1985). Also, fresh weight of shoots and roots were measured in the last stage after fruit harvest. For this purpose, the plants were completely removed from the bed and the roots were washed with water and then exposed to air to remove moisture. The aerial parts were then separated from the roots and weighed 0.001 g by digital scale. To measure dry weight, the roots and aerial parts were placed separately in the bag and then placed in a 70 ° oven for 72 hours and then weighed 0.001 g with a digital scale.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the interaction effect of low solubility treatment and zinc chelate nanoparticles treatment on fruit weight, shoot dry weight and yield was significant, so that the highest amount was in the treatment of 130 ml of nutrient solution and concentration of 1.5 g / l of zinc chelate nanoparticles. Also in fruit length and width, pH, TA, TSS, chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids, the main effects of low solubility treatment and of chelate nanoparticles were significant. As in the treatment of chelate nanoparticles, the highest amount of these traits was observed in the concentration of 1.5 g / l nanoparticles and in the low solubility factor, the highest amount was observed in the control treatment (complete solubility).
Conclusion
Low solubility stress reduced the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of strawberry fruit. The use of different concentrations of nano-chelate zinc improved these properties, so that the greatest effect was related to the concentration of 1.5 g per liter of nanoparticles. This concentration increased the yield of the product more than 1.6 times compared to the control sample in complete solution and more than 1.7 times compared to the low solution. Also, the growth traits studied were significantly increased by the use of nanoparticles. These nanoparticles also improved the taste of the fruit by reducing the acidity and increasing the soluble solids.
Seyyed Mehdi Hosseinifarahi; Ghazanfar Mohamadineia
Abstract
Introduction: Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) belongs to solanaceae family, which is cultivated and consumed in the world due to its high economic value. Bell peppers also have valuable nutritional and medicinal compounds, including natural colors, antioxidants and vitamins A, B and E. Salinity stress ...
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Introduction: Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) belongs to solanaceae family, which is cultivated and consumed in the world due to its high economic value. Bell peppers also have valuable nutritional and medicinal compounds, including natural colors, antioxidants and vitamins A, B and E. Salinity stress is one of the most important environmental factors limiting growth, which has very adverse effects on plant growth and yield. Salinity stress reduced the yield of agricultural products due to the effect on the competitive absorption and transfer of nutrients in the plant. Nowadays, the increased tolerance of plants to environmental stresses from different pathways involve breeding programs and the use of plant growth regulators and organic substances. In comparison to breeding methods that are often long-term and cost-intensive, it is easy and inexpensive to use plant growth regulators such as Salicylic Acid (SA) and humic acid (HA).
Material and Methods: To investigate the effect of Salicylic Acid (SA) and Humic Acid (HA) on the improvement of tolerance to salinity and absorption of mineral elements under salinity stress in greenhouse culture, a factorial experiment based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was conducted in Yasooj. The first factor was SA in three levels (0, 1, and 2 mM), the second factors HA in two levels (0 and 5 g l-1), and the third factors salinity in three levels (0, 50, and 100 mM). The bell pepper seedlings cv. California were obtained from a commercial producer and planted in 4-liter plastic pots containing perlite and cocopeat (1:1) in 2015. Plants were grown in a hydroponic greenhouse with day/night temperature (24.3 and 15.4 oC) and 60 to 80% RH in the village of Nahrgah in Yasouj. After the plants were established (having about 4–5 leaves), sodium chloride salt was used in the concentrations of 0, 50, and 100 mmol in the nutrient solution for salinity stress. To prevent a sudden shock, the first one week all the pots were irrigated with a 10 mM-food solution and in the second week with a 25 mM salt solution. After that, the plants irrigated 50 and finally 100 mg of sodium chloride. Traits such as plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, number of fruits, and average fruit weight, and yield, fresh and dry weight of leaf were measured. The content of K, Ca, Fe and Na elements in the leaves and roots of treated and untreated plants were measured by an atomic absorption device equipped with a graphite furnace system. Data analysis (ANOVA) was performed using MSTAT-C statistical software. The means were compared with the Tukey test (P≤ 0.05) and the graphs were plotted with Excel.
Results and Discussion: Results showed that the salinity has negative effects on growth factors. The application of HA and SA reduced the negative effects of salinity and increased growth parameters. The application of HA and Salicylic acid increased the number of pepper fruits under salt stress conditions. The highest number of fruits was obtained in the plants treated with 5 g l-1 HA and 2 mM salicylic acid compared to the other treatments. The results of this experiment showed that the application of HA and Salicylic acid had a significant effect on the content of mineral elements in the leaves and roots of sweet peppers under salt stress. The highest amount of Fe was observed in the leaves of pepper plants treated with 100 mM and the lowest in untreated plants. The highest amount of leaf calcium was obtained in peppers treated with SA 2 mM and HA 5 g l-1 in comparison to other treatments. Application of SA 1 and 2 mM increased the concentration of calcium of the leaves and roots of the pepper plant. The highest root potassium were obtained in plants treated with 5 g l-1 HA and 1mM SA at salinity level of 100 mM in comparison to the other treatments.
Conclusion: Salinity is an environmental factor limiting the production of crops in plants. According to the results of present study, it can be concluded that salinity reduced the growth parameters of the bell pepper plant. The use of SA and HA increased bell pepper tolerance to salinity and improved the vegetative and reproductive characteristics and absorption of mineral elements. Therefore, the application of HA 5 g l-1 and 2 mM SA is suggested to reduce the negative effects of salinity stress on bell pepper.
Farzaneh Paimard; Mokhtar Heidari; Mohammad Hossein Daneshvar; Norollah Moallemi
Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important fruit crop cultivated for fruit and processing in the Iran. Delaying fruit harvest of pomegranate may increase fruit losses due to fruit cracking; however, early harvest may influence physical and biochemical indices of fruit. An experiment was carried out ...
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Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important fruit crop cultivated for fruit and processing in the Iran. Delaying fruit harvest of pomegranate may increase fruit losses due to fruit cracking; however, early harvest may influence physical and biochemical indices of fruit. An experiment was carried out in 2011 at ‘Baghmalek’ (North West of Ahwaz, Khuzestan province, Iran) to determine the effects of three stages of fruit harvest (fruit maturity) on quality of fruit in three local cultivars of pomegranate. Fruit weight, density, percentage of juice, peel and seed, vitamin C, total soluble solid (TSS), acidity (TA), anthocyanin and maturity index (TSS/TA) were used for fruit quality assessment. A close relationship was observed between fruit quality and time of fruit harvest (fruit maturity). The fruit quality in respect of TSS, maturity index (TSS/TA), fruit juice color intensity and quality, anthocyanin was superior in fruit harvested from fruits harvested at the 2th and 3th harvest time. Results revealed that the aril weight, TSS, fruit juice color quality was high in ‘Poost Sabz’. Also, lowest fruit L/D, fruit juice, anthocyanin/browning substances ratio and fruit juice color intensity was recorded by ‘Poost Sabz’. Percentage of fruit juice, fruit L/D and vitamin C was high for the fruits of ‘Poost Zard’. Overall, pomegranate fruits harvested at the end of summer had significantly lower quality than fruits harvested at the later stages.
Vahid Rouhi; Aniseh Esmaeilzadeh
Abstract
Abstract
Fruit cracking of pomegranate is a phenomenon that is shown at most growing zones of the world. Pomegranate cracking is the main obstacle for production and export, and have a lot of annual economic damage, the present study has been done about pomegranate trees. The purpose of this research ...
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Abstract
Fruit cracking of pomegranate is a phenomenon that is shown at most growing zones of the world. Pomegranate cracking is the main obstacle for production and export, and have a lot of annual economic damage, the present study has been done about pomegranate trees. The purpose of this research is surveying the decreasing of pomegranate cracking and increasing the fruit quantities and qualifies characteristic by using of diverse concentrations of gibberellic acid that is sprayed at the different times. This experiment has been done at pomegranate orchard of Isfahan Center for Research of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources. This study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design in three replicates. Experimental treatments including gibberellin sprayed with four concentrations of 0, 150, 300 and 450 mg/L, which was applied in three times, including full bloom, a month and two months after full bloom. Gibberellin decreased cracking percentage compared to control. Different stages of gibberellin application did not show any significant difference on cracking percentage. However, by increasing of concentrations and application close to 3rd stage, the cracking rate was decreased. In the first stage, all of used gibberellin concentrations were caused parthenocarpy, and the fruits didn't grow. The effect of gibberellin at different stages and concentrations was significant on the total weight and skin fresh weight. Length, diameter, total acidity, size and volume of fruit were increased by increasing of gibberellin concentrations. The concentration of 450 mg/L showed the maximum effects on fruit quantities and qualities characteristics.
