Pomology
Saeedeh Keivanfar; Davood Hashemabadi; Behzad Kaviani
Abstract
Introduction Olive (Olea europea L.) fruit ripening is a slow and long process and has a great impact on fruit quality, including the amount of oil. Also, interrupting the harvest and extraction of olive oil causes unfavorable conditions in this fruit. Therefore, it is important to determine the best ...
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Introduction Olive (Olea europea L.) fruit ripening is a slow and long process and has a great impact on fruit quality, including the amount of oil. Also, interrupting the harvest and extraction of olive oil causes unfavorable conditions in this fruit. Therefore, it is important to determine the best time to harvest the fruit. Olive oil has unsaturated fatty acids and has an antioxidant activity. The analysis of maturation stages is a prerequisite for fruit harvest time in each cultivar and quality of olive products. The time of harvest and maintenance after harvest is two important factors in the quality and quality of olive fruit oil. The exact determination of olive harvest time depends on the geographical area, cultivar and climate, agronomic and fruiting conditions. Study on different olive cultivars in different regions of Iran and the world revealed that fruit harvest time plays an effective role on the morphological, physiological and metabolic parameters of fruit. The approximate time of olive fruit harvest is in different geographical points, November and October. The purpose of this study was to investigate the right time of olive fruit harvesting 'Arbequina' and 'Yellow' cultivars for obtaining maximum quality of fruit and oil.Materials and Methods A factorial experiment containing two factors; cultivar in two levels ('Yellow' and 'Arbequina') and harvest time in six levels (24th and 31th October, and 7th, 14th, 21th and 28th November) based on a completely randomized block design with two factors in 12 treatments, 3 replicates and 36 experimental units was done to determine the appropriate harvest time and its effect on oil quality. Physiologic parameters; percentage of oil, amount of phenolic compounds, degree of peroxidation, amount of oleic acid, force of separation of fruit from tail and acidity were evaluated. This research was conducted at the olive research station in Rudbar city in southern Guilan province using the removed olives from the Manjil ETKA station. The 6 trees from two cultivars; 'Arbakkin' and 'Yellow' (from each 3 tree) which were similar in terms of height, age, crown diameter, mean conditions and irrigation were evaluated. Trees were planted at 6 × 8 m intervals. After selecting trees, from each tree, 2 to 3 kg of olive was randomly harvested. In fruits with tail, the force needed to separate the tail of the fruit was measured by the force assessment device. Standard method numbers 4178 and 4179 standard institutes and industrial research of Iran were used to measure acidity and olive oil peroxide, respectively. Polyphenols were measured with spectrophotometer. To determine the percentage of oil, saccule was used. For measurement of oleic acid, gas chromatography (GC) was used. Data were analyzed using SAS software and their average comparison was done by Duncan.Results and Discussion Mean comparison of the interaction effect between cultivar and harvest time showed that the highest acidity of the fruit was obtained in 'Arbequina' cultivar, respectively harvested at two times 31th and 24th October. The highest fruit peroxide value and the highest percentage of oleic acid were calculated in 'Yellow' cultivar in 24th October. The highest value of polyphenol was obtained in 'Yellow' cultivar on 7th November. The highest percentage of fruit oil was obtained in 'Arbequina' cultivar on 31th October. The lowest force to separate the tail from the fruit was applied in 'Arbequina' cultivar on 31th October. The results showed that the best time to harvest 'Yellow' cultivar is 7th November and for 'Arbequina' cultivar is 14th November. The study on several olive cultivars in China showed that the most suitable fruit harvest time was in late October until mid-November. There was an adverse significant correlation between changes in total sugar content in fruit and leaf and oil accumulation in the fruit. The quality of fruit depends mainly to the type of cultivar, genetic characteristics, maturity and environmental conditions. Study on some olive cultivars showed that the ratio between sugars is different in various stages of fruit maturity and between different cultivars of olive fruit. Some studies have shown that the most suitable time of olive fruit harvest for canned preparation is early September and for extraction of oil, late September. Fruits should be harvested when they have the highest oil accumulation. The study on 'Koroneiki' and 'Mission' cultivars in Gorgan region showed that the amount of oil in the dry matter and the percentage of free fatty acids increased with increasing degree of maturity, while peroxide value was reduced. One of the causes of peroxide value reduction during maturity is reduction in lipoxygenase enzyme activity. This enzyme increases the peroxide value by effect on linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Based on these results, the best time to harvest for the above cultivars is early in December.
Pomology
Alireza Bonyanpour
Abstract
IntroductionPomegranate is a native fruit tree to Iran and has the best growth and performance in subtropical climate conditions. In recent years, due to environmental stresses conditions such as high temperature, high light intensity and low irrigation water a large number of orchards have faced to ...
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IntroductionPomegranate is a native fruit tree to Iran and has the best growth and performance in subtropical climate conditions. In recent years, due to environmental stresses conditions such as high temperature, high light intensity and low irrigation water a large number of orchards have faced to physiological problems such as fruit cracking, sunburn and a decrease in fruit quality. The high temperature along with high evaporation and transpiration can be considered as the main cause of these abnormalities, which causes disturbances in the process of plant metabolism and finally causes physiological disorders. Sunburn of the fruit is caused by high temperature and high sunlight intensity and has a negative effect on all the quality characteristics of the pomegranate fruit. Using net shade is one of the recommended ways to reduce the impact of climate change. Application of net shading in areas with high radiation levels has led to a decrease in the intensity of light radiation received by the canopy of the trees, which causes a decrease in the temperature of the leaf surface, and decrease the level of evaporation and transpiration in the trees. Materials and MethodsThis research was conducted during 2019-2020 for 2 years in a private orchard in the Kohmar area of Kazeron city of Iran. ́Rabab̕ pomegranate trees that were planted at a distance of 5 x 5 m and 15 years old were used. In this research, the effect of different types of net shading was investigated. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments and three replications in two years. The experimental treatments included the use of net shading in white and green colors with two different shading (30% and 50%) and two implementation methods (on the base and on the canopy of the tree) which were compared with control trees (without cover). During the growing season, measurements were made in relation to leaf temperature, sunlight intensity, soil moisture, relative water content of leaves, fresh and dry matter of leaves, and prolin content, and at the time of harvest, the percentage of sunburn, cracking and aril paleness of the fruit, thickness of fruit peel and anthocyanin content of fruit juice in all treatments were measured. Results and DiscusionsThe use of net shading increased the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of pomegranate fruits. The results of this research showed that the use of white and green nets 50% and green net 30% on the base had the best results. By using the appropriate type of net shading, the temperature of the pomegranate tree was reduced by about 6 degrees Celsius. Net shading also reduced the light intensity by at least 50%; the reduction of light intensity in green nets was more than in white nets.The highest relative water content was 85% in the green net shade (50% with base) treatment. Net shading significantly increased the water content of the leaves compared to the control.The use of net shading significantly reduced the percentage of sunburn on fruits compared to the control. Sunburn was about 14% in the control treatment and less than 5% in the net shading treatments. Net shading reduced the percentage of fruit cracking from 15 percent in the control treatment to about 7 percent in all shading treatments. ConclusionThe use of net shading as a cover for pomegranate trees reduces the temperature of the canopy of the plant by reducing the radiation of the sun, and by better maintaining the moisture of the soil of the pomegranate tree. It reduces the heat and drought stress condition and has a positive effect on the quantity and quality of the fruit produced. Among the treatments used, the use 3 types of net including 50% white nets on the base, and 30% and 50% green nets on the base had the best results. These treatments better than others in terms of shading percentage, temperature reduction, and improving the quantity and quality of pomegranate fruits . Net shading should be installed when the fruits are about 5 to 7 cm in diameter and will remain on the tree until mid-September. This type of tree shading did not leave any side effects on the quantity and quality of the fruits.
Pomology
Marziyeh Nezami; Mohammad Reza Fatahi Moghadam; Ali Ebadi; Zabihollah Zamani
Abstract
IntroductionStrawberry is known as one of the most important temperate small fruits which is cultivated in the field, greenhouse and high tunnels in the most regions of the world. The role of gibberellin and auxin in increasing fruit size of strawberries have been reported. One of the major problems ...
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IntroductionStrawberry is known as one of the most important temperate small fruits which is cultivated in the field, greenhouse and high tunnels in the most regions of the world. The role of gibberellin and auxin in increasing fruit size of strawberries have been reported. One of the major problems of strawberry production in greenhouse is the fruits malformation which has reduced the market value of the fruit. Gibberellin and auxin have been different effects in vegetative and reproductive of growth stages. The purpose of this research was to improve the vegetative and reproductive indices of the fruit and to control the malformation problem by stimulating the development of seeds on the fruit and stimulating the growth of the fruit receptacle by gibberellin GA3. Materials and MethodsExperiments were conducted in a commercial greenhouse in Karaj, Hashtgerd New City, Phase 7 during 2017-2019. Two separate experiments (spraying hormones on whole plant or immersing individual fruitlets on hormone solution) were designed and implemented in a commercial greenhouse unit. In the first experiment: GA3 was at concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 ppm and IBA at concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm in growth stages of 60 and 65 according to BBCH worldwide model. In the second experiment, fruits were immersed in NAA with concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm and GA3 with concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 ppm at fruit growth stages 70 and 73 according to BBCH procedure. After reaching the red stage, the fruits were manually harvested and transferred to the laboratories for additional tests. Vegetative and reproductive traits were evaluated including leaf area, number of leaves, crown circumference, plant height, number of flowers and fruit dimensions. Fruit biochemical characteristics include: total soluble solids, titratable acid content of fruit, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes activities and content of vitamin C were evaluated. The experiments were designed and implemented in the frame of a randomized complete block design. The data were analyzed by SAS ver.9.4 and SPSS ver. 22 software, the mean data were compared based on Duncan's multi-range test, and the graphs were drawn by Excel 2013 software. Results and DiscussionFoliar spraying with gibberellin had a significant effect on several characteristics, including leaf area, crown circumference, number of flowers, and plant height at the 1% level of significance. However, it did not yield a significant impact on the attribute of leaf number. The increase in vegetative growth could be due to the synthesis of more amino acids in the stimulation of gibberellin treatment. Gibberellin treatments increased the vegetative growth of the plant and increased the number of flowers, but their growth was stopped after fruit formation and no fruits were formed in gibberellin spraying. This can be due to the existence of an antagonistic relationship between vegetative parts and fruit developments. Auxin hormone treatments had a significant effect on increasing fruit size and reducing the percentage of malformed fruits. GA3 at concentration of 50 ppm improved plant vegetative characteristics such as: plant leaf area, plant crown circumference, plant height and number of flowers, while IBA reduced fruit deformity by 40% and also increased the amount of total soluble solids, the titratable acid content of the fruit and the antioxidant content of the fruit. In general, gibberellin at a concentration of 50 ppm in order to increase plant vegetative indices and auxin at a concentration of 60 ppm were statistically effective. In second experiment, it seems that three levels of gibberellin treatment have increased all traits related to fruit compared to auxin and control. GA3 at a concentration of 100 ppm, causing an increase in fruit size, fruit weight and the biochemical properties of the fruit and the deformity decreased by 37/5% while NAA at a concentration of 60 ppm increased the amount of fruit anthocyanin as well as total fruit phenolics and vitamin C content. ConclusionIn the first experiment, gibberellin foliar application at a concentration of 50 ppm had the greatest effect on vegetative growth indicators. Also, in the same experiment, it was found that the use of GA3 in high concentrations has the negative effects on flowering and fruit growth., while it increases the amount of runner production. Also, IBA at a concentration of 60 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit indices. In the second experiment, gibberellin at a concentration of 100 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit and its biochemical traits, while NAA auxin in the second experiment showed a lower response to fruit than IBA auxin in the first experiment.
Pomology
Salahodin Maslahati fard; Hamid Hassanpoor
Abstract
Introduction
Strawberries with the scientific name Fragaria × ananassa Dutch. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. Strawberry is one of the fruits that has found many fans around the world due to its aroma, taste and nutritional value. The main characteristics of strawberry fruit quality are ...
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Introduction
Strawberries with the scientific name Fragaria × ananassa Dutch. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. Strawberry is one of the fruits that has found many fans around the world due to its aroma, taste and nutritional value. The main characteristics of strawberry fruit quality are flavor (ratio of sugar to acid and volatile compounds) and color. Excellent plants need nitrogen in addition to carbon to meet their growth and food needs. The most vital compounds in plant living cells are proteins, which are made up of amino acid building blocks. Different amino acid sequences cause variation in the resulting proteins. Arginine is a multifunctional amino acid found in living cells and is an important storage and transport form for organic nitrogen in plants. In addition to its function as a major component of protein, it is an essential metabolite for many cellular and growth processes. Studies have shown that arginine increases the synthesis of flowering hormones related to flowering and fruiting. This amino acid is also involved in the activity of various plant enzymes. This amino acid binds to membrane nucleic acids and phospholipids and increases the activity of enzymes such as catalase. Due to the importance of producing organic products and also due to the fact that so far no study has been done on the effect of arginine on the growth and physiological characteristics of strawberry cultivar Albion. Therefore, in this study, the role of arginine on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of albumin strawberry fruit in hydroponic conditions was investigated.
Materials and Methods
The present study was conducted in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Iran. In this study, the effect of arginine with three levels (0, 100 and 200 mg / l) on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Albion strawberry fruit under deficit fertigation conditions with two levels (140 and 180 ml) in a completely randomized design with 4 replications. In this study, traits such as fruit flavor, titratable acidity, soluble solids, fruit firmness, vitamin C, total phenol, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins and total antioxidant capacity were investigated. XTPlus-TA tissue analysis device was used to measure the firmness of fruit texture. Vitamin C content of fruit extract was measured by ascorbic acid based on dye reduction of 2,6 dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP). The Titration method was used to measure titratable acidity (TA). ATAGO manual refractometer was used to measure the amount of soluble solids. Also for measuring the taste of fruit by Voca et al. used. The Absorption difference method at different pHs was used to measure total anthocyanin. Total antioxidant capacity was assessed using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method. Folin-ciocalteau method was used to measure the total phenol content. Shin et al. Method was used to measure the total flavonoid content of fruit.
Results and Discussion
The results obtained from the analysis of variance of the data showed that the measured indices were affected by different treatments of arginine and deficit fertigation. Based on the results, arginine treatment on fruit flavor, titratable acidity, soluble solids, fruit firmness, total anthocyanin, vitamin C, phenol, flavonoids and total antioxidant capacity showed a significant difference. The highest amount of soluble solids, fruit flavor and firmness of fruit texture were recorded in arginine treatment with a concentration of 100 mg / l under normal fertigation conditions (180 ml). Also, the highest amount of phenol and total flavonoids was observed at the same level of fertigation, albeit with arginine treatment at a concentration of 200 mg / l. Also, the highest amount of anthocyanin, vitamin C and total antioxidant capacity were recorded in arginine treatment with a concentration of 200 mg / l, in conditions of mild deficit fertigation (140 ml).
Conclusion
Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production, especially in hydroponic cultivation in greenhouses, causes fertilizer wastage and as a result increases production costs as well as increases greenhouse drainage. Therefore, it has destructive effects on the environment, so reducing the amount of nutrient solution can be a management option to reduce the harmful effects on the environment and save water. Also, due to the importance of producing organic products and increasing demand, the use of healthy and organic compounds such as amino acids (arginine) to increase the quality and quality of the product, is very necessary. In the present study, arginine treatment increased the quality of strawberry fruit by affecting its photochemical content such as total antioxidant activity, vitamin C, total phenol, anthocyanin, etc. in low solubility conditions. Also, by increasing the firmness of the fruit texture, it improved the appearance quality of the fruit, which is important for attracting the consumer's attention. In general, the results showed that arginine spraying (200 mg / l) in normal solution and mild dissolution conditions can be effective in improving the quality of strawberries cultivated in hydroponic conditions.
Postharvest physiology
Saeid Shiukhy
Abstract
Introduction
Inefficient management of strawberry fields is one of the important factors in significantly reducing the strawberry fruit yield and quality. Nowadays application of polyethylene soil mulch is widely considered in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, with various purposes such ...
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Introduction
Inefficient management of strawberry fields is one of the important factors in significantly reducing the strawberry fruit yield and quality. Nowadays application of polyethylene soil mulch is widely considered in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, with various purposes such as improving quality, increasing yield and reducing weeds. The thermal and light environment around the plant due to the use of polyethylene mulch, can affect the quality and yield of strawberry fruit.
Material and Methods
In this study, In order to investigate the effect of colored polyethylene mulch on fluorescence parameters, leaf chlorophyll and strawberry fruit yield (cv. Camarosa), an experiment was carried out as completely randomized block design with four experimental treatments including; colored polyethylene mulch (black, red, white) and control (traditional cultivation without mulch) in three replication in the Caspian Sea region, Iran during the 2016-17 and 2017-2018 years. The experimental plots were 5 m long and 1.5 m wide, with 4 planting rows separated by 30 cm in each plot. Then polyethylene mulch was laid on the ridge and the plants were planted at a distance of 20 cm in a row (1 October). Three harvest times (170, 185 and 200 days after planting) were determined to assess the characteristics of harvested fruits.
Result and Discussion
Based on the results, the effect of mulches color on fruit yield was significantly (P ≤ 0.01). Considering fruit yield at the first harvest (175 DAP) and the second (185 DAP), red mulch showed the highest fruit yield and the lowest was observed in the control treatment. While at the third harvest time (200 DAP), it was the black and white mulches that resulted in the largest amount of yield. The effect of colored polyethylene mulch on the acidity (pH) and titratable acid (TA) of the fruit was not significant, but the amount of soluble solids (TSS) of the fruit at different harvest times showed a significant difference between the experimental treatments. So that in the first harvest time (170 DAP) and the second (185 DAP), the highest amount of soluble solids was observed in treatments with colored polyethylene mulch. The results also showed that colored polyethylene mulches effect on fluorescence parameters and leaf chlorophyll content was significant (P ≤ 0.05). The results showed that mulch color had a significant effect on Fv/Fo ratio, Fo and leaf chlorophyll content. During the both years, the highest Fv/Fo ratio, Fo and leaf chlorophyll were related to colored polyethylene mulches, and the lowest was observed in the control treatment, while colored mulches did not affect the Fv/Fm ratio. In fact, it can be explain that the plant's response to the colored polyethylene mulches, compared to the control treatment, improves fruit yield and increases the strawberry photosynthetic system.
Conclusion
Comparison of the average effect of polyethylene mulch on strawberry fruit yield during the growing season in both years, showed similar results. Polyethylene mulches can increase yields by increasing soil temperature, increasing nutrient availability, increasing root uptake in nutrients and increasing the efficiency of soil microorganisms. Based on the results, in the first harvest time (170 DAP), second harvest time (185 DAP) and third harvest time (200 DAP), the yield of strawberry fruit in both growing season showed that the highest yield was related to treatments with The colored polyethylene mulch and the lowest yield was observed in the control treatment. Red mulch had the highest fruit yield during the first and second harvests, but gradually decreased during the third harvest. It seems that red color, in addition to increasing yield, has also caused early ripening of the fruit. The amount of soluble solids (TSS) of the fruit at different harvest times showed a significant difference between the experimental treatments. During the first harvest (170 DAP) and the second (185 DAP), the highest amount of soluble solids was observed in treatments with colored polyethylene mulch. Based on the findings, the effect of colored polyethylene mulch on fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll content of leaves indicated that the color of polyethylene mulch had a significant effect on the amount of Fo and chlorophyll content of leaves. Therefore, the use of polyethylene mulch due to the increase in yield and quality of strawberry fruit compared to its traditional cultivation method seems very beneficial.
Pomology
Javad Fattahi Moghadam; Seyyedeh Elham Seyedghasemi; Tahereh Raiesi
Abstract
Introduction: The foreign and domestic markets are demanding for high quality citrus varieties. The physical and chemical properties of the newly released cultivars are also important for fresh market or processing. The fruit quality is a complex combination of size, firmness, taste, texture, pleasant ...
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Introduction: The foreign and domestic markets are demanding for high quality citrus varieties. The physical and chemical properties of the newly released cultivars are also important for fresh market or processing. The fruit quality is a complex combination of size, firmness, taste, texture, pleasant aromas caused by a chemical compounds (soluble solid content, sugars, organic acids, aromas) and bioactive properties. Therefore, it is important to consider these indices for the introduction of a new cultivar. In this regard, the Citrus and Subtropical fruits Research Center has focused on improving its appearance, internal and organoleptic quality in releasing the new Jahangir cultivar compared to the Clementine as control.Materials and Methods: In this study, Jahangir fruits a hybrid between Clementine mandarin (female parent) and Salustiana orange (male parent) (Citrus clementina Hort. Ex Tanaka × C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. Salustiana) was used for comparison with Clementine (Citrus clementina Hort. Ex) Tanaka) as control during the last two years lead to the cultivar introduction. Fruits were randomly selected from different locatiosn on the tree (15 fruits from three trees) and evaluated at harvesting time (zero storage point). Then 30 fruits per box selected and placed in cold storage (5 °C, 85% RH). Different physico-biochemical and sensory characteristics of fruits were evaluated at 0, 20 and 40 days intervals during storage. Characteristics evaluation were including fruit lenght, width, thickness, arithmetic, geometric, equivalent and harmonic means, fruit aspect ratio, sphericity, surface area, true volume, apparent volume, volume error, density, peel and pulp firmness, peel thickness, weight, juice percentage, seed number, peel color indices (L*, a*, b*, hue angle, chroma and CCI), total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), technological index (TI), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total phenol, ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacity during experiment.Results and Discussion: Results showed that fruit size (length and two diameters), weight, means of arithmetic, geometric, equivalent and harmonic diameters, surface area and true volume of Jahangir mandarin were significantly higher than Clementine. The different mean diameters of each cultivar was the same as that equivalent diameter that is the most real mean fruit diameter. The higher spherical coefficient (>1) also indicated that Jahangir fruit was longer than the control. Additionally, aspect ratio of Jahangir was also higher than Clementine, which means that Jahangir fruit was a few flat than control. Jahangir had higher levels of L*, b*, C and hue than the control of clementine. In contrast, Jahangir's a* and CCI indices were lower than those of clementine. Therefore, except for L* which is slightly lower than citrus standard (65-70), other indices in both cultivars were conformity within the citrus standard range. Seeds of Jahangir were more than control but both were in the mid seed group (9-15 seeds) of citrus. Jahangir peel was also less easily peeled than control. The weight loss of Jahangir fruit was significantly (almost half) lower than that of clementine at each sampling but increased during storage. It seems Jahangir has a peel with higher density and adhesion than to clementine, which partly prevents the fruit from dehydration. The amount of TSS of fruit juice was higher than that of clementine at harvest and storage but increased in both cultivars during storage. In addition, TA (0.34%) was lower in Jahangir fruit than Clementine (0.45%). Therefore, the ratio of TSS to TA was much higher in Jahangir mandarin (44.25) than clementine (26.16). Juice percentage of Jahangir fruit (44.87%) was significantly higher than Clementine (40.12%). The high percentage of Jahangir fruit juice is a positive trait for this cultivar. Technology index changed depending on cultivar and also during storage. This index was higher in Jahangir fruit than in Clementine with 6.45 and 4.67, respectively. The antioxidant capacity only affected significantly by storage time which showed a decreasing trend during storage. Ascorbic acid content was only affected by cultivar and was higher in control than Jahangir. Lower levels of ascorbic acid in the Jahangir may be due to increased respiration that results in the elimination of ascorbic acid. The phenolic content of Jahangir fruit was higher (0.43 mg/g) than clementine (0.4 mg/g). PCA analysis showed that most of the Jahangir samples placed in the left part of the PCA graph which were dominated by the traits such as taste, sweetness, good peel and pulp appearance and overall acceptance and were more accepted by the sensory evaluators.Conclusion: In this study, different qualitative characteristics of Jahangir fruit compared to Clementine which are important for the producers. Accordingly, the Jahangir fruit was larger in size but slightly flatter than the Clementine fruit. Jahangir fruit peel color indices were within the standard range of citrus fruits. Jahangir fruit is favored among commercial available mandarins due to ease of peeling, high juice percentage, technology index, vitamin C, phenol and antioxidant capacity. It also had better storability than Clementine because of less water loss and decline of organoleptic properties.
Pomology
Behzad Kaviani
Abstract
Introduction: The use of biofertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers has an effective role in increasing the health of plants, animals and humans and reducing environmental pollution. Biofertilizers are gradually being replaced by chemical fertilizers. Strawberry is a fruit with high nutritional value. ...
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Introduction: The use of biofertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers has an effective role in increasing the health of plants, animals and humans and reducing environmental pollution. Biofertilizers are gradually being replaced by chemical fertilizers. Strawberry is a fruit with high nutritional value. Choosing the right nutritional conditions such as fertilizers and suitable cultivation beds to achieve high quantitative and qualitative yield in this plant is inevitable. In recent years, the use of humic acid has been common in enhancing the vegetative and generative characteristics of crops. Humic acid is a rich source of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. The method of application of humic acid has an effective role in improving the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of plants. The leaf application of humic acid was effective in increasing the amount of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. The amount of potassium and phosphorus in strawberry fruit is more than other elements. Combining some cultivation beds (perlite and composts) and fertilizers such as agricultural waste (rice bran and tea wastes) into soil cultivation beds have an effective role in improving the quantity and quality of plants.Materials and Methods: A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar application of humic acid and different cultivation beds on nutrition uptake of strawberry. Different concentrations of humic acid (0, 300, 600, and 1000 mg.l−1) were applied as foliar application in two steps (late March and late April) on strawberry cultivated in different beds (usual soil, usual soil + rice bran, perlite, or tea wastes). This study was carried out as two factorial experiment in completely randomized design. Soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, soil pH and electrical conductivity and leaf and fruit nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content were measured. Measurement of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was carried out by Kjehldal, spectrophotometry and flame photometry, respectively.Results and Discussion: The interaction effect of humic acid ×cultivation beds on nitrogen and phosphorus content of leaves and fruits was significant at 1% of probability level and on fruit potassium at 5% of probability level. The interaction of these two factors on leaf potassium was non-significant. The results of comparing the mean comparison of humic acid and cultivation beds on soil elements showed that the highest amount of nitrogen was obtained in the treatment of 600 mg.l−1 humic acid and in the cultivation bed of usual soil+rice bran. The highest amount of phosphorus was obtained in the treatment of 1000 mg.l−1 humic acid and the cultivation bed of usual soil + tea wastes. The highest amount of potassium was obtained in the treatment of 600 mg.l−1 humic acid and in the cultivation bed of usual soil + tea wastes and the lowest one was obtained in the same bed without humic acid. Results showed that the highest potassium content (518 mg.l−1), and phosphorus (4.84 mg.l−1) of fruit were obtained in plants treated with 1000 mg.l−1 humic acid cultivated in usual soil + rice bran. The highest nitrogen content of fruit was obtained in plants cultivated in usual soil +tea wastes. The plants grown in this cultivation bed with humic acid application at 1000 mg.l−1 had maximum content of leaf nitrogen (5.47%). The highest content of leaf potassium (4.50 mg.l−1) and phosphorus (6.32 mg.l−1) were obtained in plants treated with 600 mg.l−1 humic acid in the cultivation beds of usual soil and usual soil + rice bran, respectively. The application of humic acid at 1000 mg.l−1 and using usual soil+rice bran as bed is recommended for strawberries production as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen are the most important elements for increasing the quality of strawberry fruits , respectively. A positive association has been reported between the use of humic acid and the increase in growth, yield and product quality in strawberries and other plants. Humic acid can improve quantitative and qualitative production of crops by providing more available essential elements and increasing plant resistance to various biological and non-biological stresses.Conclusion: Strawberries are widely cultivated worldwide due to their high nutritional value. Chemical fertilizers have been used as a way to increase crop yields, but have led to problems such as nitrate accumulation, short pot life, and poor quality and environmental pollution. Therefore, organic fertilizers have been recommended. A stimulating effect of humic acid on biomass production and plant growth is to increase the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Proper cultivation bed plays an important role in the optimal growth and development of plants. According the result of this study, the use of beds containing agricultural waste and foliar application of humic acid increased the growth, yield and quality of strawberry fruit.
Seyyed Mehdi Miri; Meysam Salari; Ahmad Ahmadpour
Abstract
Introduction. Citrus is one of the most commercially important horticultural crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. They are classified as non-climacteric fruits. Harvesting date and storage can influence citrus fruit quality and shelf life. In Iran, some members of citrus family ...
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Introduction. Citrus is one of the most commercially important horticultural crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. They are classified as non-climacteric fruits. Harvesting date and storage can influence citrus fruit quality and shelf life. In Iran, some members of citrus family including sweet orange and mandarin are produced as an export crop, so research on fruit quality and storage life is needed. There is no available scientific literature regarding the effect of harvesting date and storage duration on retaining the postharvest physicochemical properties of Kinnow mandarin under cold storage. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of harvesting date and storing time on shelf life and quality of Kinnow mandarin fruits under Jiroft weather conditions.
Materials and Methods. Investigations were carried out on mandarin (Citrus reticulata) cv. Kinnow grafted on sour orange rootstock in an orchard located in Jiroft and Kahnooj Agricultural Research Center, Jiroft, Iran. Fruits were harvested on 6th December, 21th December, 5th January, 20th January and 4th February. After cold storage for 30-90 days at 4-6 °C, the fruit was analyzed for quantitative and qualitative characteristics including weight of fruit, peel, meat, pulp and juice, fruit weight loss, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA. Experiment was arranged in a split plot based on randomized complete block design (RCBD). Data analysis and similarity coefficient (Pearson's method) were performed using SPSS.16 software, and means comparison was performed by using Duncan's multiple range test at 1 and 5% probability levels.
Results and Discussion. The results showed that the interaction effect of harvesting date and storage period on the weight of the fruit, meat, pulp and juice and TSS, TA and TSS/TA was significant at 1% probability level. Weight of harvested fruits from 6th December to 5th January was constant, but fruits harvested on 20th January and 4th February were heavier as much as 12.5 and 14.3 percent, respectively, compared to 6th December. Fruit weight loss increased along with the increase in storage time duration, so that mean fruits weight loss percentages were 3.5 and 16.5 at 30 and 90 days of storage, respectively, due to continued transpiration of the fruits after harvesting. As a result of transpiration, water enters into the atmosphere through the pores existing on fruit surface. The greatest fruit weight (121.8 g) was recorded for combination of harvesting on 20th January and 30-day storage. Fruits harvested on 20th January and 30-day storage had higher meat and pulp weight (89.6 and 52.3 g, respectively) and a significant correlation coefficient was detected between them. Changes of fruit juice pH at different stages of fruit ripening and storage times did not follow a fixed pattern, though pH slightly increased in some cases during storage, which can be due to oxidation of citric acid during storage. The maximum TSS was recorded for harvesting on 5th January and 90-day storage (11.7 °Brix) as well as 4th February and 60- and 90-day storages (11.8 °Brix), while the minimum TSS was observed on 6th December and 30-day storage (8.7 °Brix). The results exhibited that TSS content of fruit juice increased when storage period increased, which was possibly attributed to the hydrolysis of starch and increase in sucrose content. However, increase in TSS during storage is not always directly related to changes in the simple sugar content of fruit. During storage and maturation of the fruits on the tree, TA reduced due to the use of citric acid in respiration. Taste index (TSS/TA) in fruits harvested at full maturity was greater than that in fruits harvested in the fall. Besides, TSS/TA increased during storage, so that the highest and lowest average TSS/TA ratios were related to harvesting on 4th February and 30-day storage as well as 6th December and 30-day storage, respectively. According to the results, fruits did not reach full maturity until 5th January under Jiroft weather conditions.
Conclusion. Postharvest quality and shelf life of Kinnow mandarin fruits were affected by harvesting date and storage duration. Delay in harvest resulted in an increase in fruit weight, TSS and TSS/TA. TSS and TSS/TA were higher when fruits harvested on 4th February. Fruit weight loss increased when the storage period increased.. Overall, 4th February is the best date to harvest Kinnow mandarin fruit in Jiroft.
Mohammad Saeid Tadaion; Gholamreza Moafpourian
Abstract
Introduction: One of the latest efficient methods on increment of water use efficiency that confirmed by many scientists all over the world is deficit and alternative partial root zone deficit irrigation. In this experiment the effect of deficit and alternative partial root zone deficit irrigation on ...
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Introduction: One of the latest efficient methods on increment of water use efficiency that confirmed by many scientists all over the world is deficit and alternative partial root zone deficit irrigation. In this experiment the effect of deficit and alternative partial root zone deficit irrigation on fruit yield, quality and water use efficiency of pomegranate (Punicagranatum (L.) cv. Zarde-anar) were investigatedin Arsenjan semi-arid region.
Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out in a constant plots and randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicationsin five years.Treatmentswere 1- full flood irrigation (100 percent crop water requirement) (T1) 2- flood irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement as alternate partial root-zone irrigation(every irrigation conducted on one side of tree) (T2) 3- flood irrigation with 50 percent crop water requirement as regular deficit irrigation (T3) 4- full two-side drip irrigation(with regard to crop water requirement) (eight drippers with twolit/hour flow by two different individual networks) (T4) 5- alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement (T5) 6- regular deficit drip irrigation with 50 percent crop water requirement (T6) in every irrigation period. Each experimental treatment includes four trees and 96 similar twelve years old trees overall. Cultivation practice was conducted similarly on all of the trees.
Results and Discussion: Results showed that the highest yield and water use efficiency based on statistical analysis belong to both PRD treatments i.e. alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement and alternate partial root-zone flood irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement, respectively, that both of them decreased water requirement for irrigation up to 35 and 50 percent in comparison tocontrol. Application of partial root drying irrigation on both traditional flood irrigation and drip irrigation, in comparison todeficit irrigation, caused a significant increment of water use efficiency up to 78.34 and 71.4 percent than control in pomegranate trees, respectively. Reduction of water consumption caused a significant increase on pomegranate fruit set and there was a significant positive correlation between pomegranate yield and fruit set percentage. Increment of water use efficiency, fruit set percentage and yield had significant effects on fruit quality such as aril color, total soluble solid, total acid, TSS/TA and fruits peel color, so that, with decrease in water consumption, these traits were improved. Reducing water consumption caused an induction in reproductive characteristics, meanwhile reduced vegetative growth that is dominated in pomegranate trees. Under partial root drying irrigation and deficit irrigation on both traditional flood irrigation and drip irrigation, due to the differentiation in root morphology and structure by positive hydrotropism, increment of water absorption and use efficiency could be improved in consequence. Decreasing amount of water inirrigation had significant effect on fruit quality. Fruit peel thickness and cracking had significant relationship with each other and fruit cracking has affected by deficit irrigation. The highest total soluble solid to acid of fruit juice belong to regular deficit drip irrigation with 50 percent crop water requirement that caused an increment of 95.34 in comparison tocontrol. After that, alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement and flood irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement as alternate partial root-zone irrigation caused an increment intotal soluble solid to acid ratioof fruit juice with 61.94 and 52.99 percent. The highest amount of TSS in pomegranate fruit juice belong to alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation with 100 and 50 percent crop water requirement with 20.51 and 18.01 percent increment than control treatment, respectively. Maximum amount ofacidity infruit juice belongs to full flood irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement (control) and the minimum amount of thatbelong to regular deficit drip irrigation with 50 percent crop water requirement.
Conclusions: with regard to the irrigation management, the best applicable treatment for pomegranate cultivar Zarde-anar was alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement that could be recommended for the Arsenjan and same climate region. After that in the second place the alternative treatment were flood irrigation with 100 percent crop water requirement as alternate partial root-zone irrigation and followed with flood irrigation with 50 percent crop water requirement as regular deficit irrigation, respectively.
Reihane Mesgari; Taher Barzegar; Zahra Ghahremany
Abstract
Introduction: Cucumber is one of the most important vegetable crops for the local consumption and exportation. The use of grafted vegetable seedlings has been popular in many countries during recent years. Growing fruit-bearing vegetables, chiefly tomato, cucumber and watermelon through grafted seedlings ...
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Introduction: Cucumber is one of the most important vegetable crops for the local consumption and exportation. The use of grafted vegetable seedlings has been popular in many countries during recent years. Growing fruit-bearing vegetables, chiefly tomato, cucumber and watermelon through grafted seedlings become a widespread practice worldwide. Grafting is a valuable technique to avoid soil-borne diseases, provide biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, enhance nutrient uptake, optimize water use, and increase fruit yield and quality. Vegetable grafting is a new topic in Iran and there are a limited number of studies on grafted vegetable production. However, attention to grafting by researchers has recently increased. Suitable rootstocks should be identified and characterized for the effective utilization of grafting. The rootstock's vigorous root system increases the efficiency of water and nutrient absorption, and may also serve as a source of endogenous plant hormones, thus leading to increased growth and yield in addition to disease control. In the present study, we investigated the response of two Cucurbita sp. and an Iranian melon as rootstocks for cucumber.
Materials and methods: In order to study the effect of cucurbit rootstocks and grafting method on growth, yield and fruit quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Super Dominus), an experiment was conducted as a factorial design in the base of RCBD with three replications in the greenhouse and research farm, University of Zanjan. Treatments were included three rootstocks (Cucurbita moschata L., Lagenaria siceraria and Cucumis melo L.) and ungrafted plants (control) and two grafting method (hole insertion and splice grafting). Seeds were sown simultaneously in plastic pots. For obtaining the same stem diameter of scion and rootstocks, cucumber seeds were planted four days earlier than rootstocks seeds. The seedlings were grown in an environment-controlled greenhouse with 25/20 day/night temperatures. When seedlings reached the first true leaf stage (diameter of the leaf was about 2 cm) the grafting was performed. After grafting, grafted plants were transferred to a mist chamber for post-graft care (>95% RH, 27-30 °C) for 10 days, after which the relative humidity was reduced gradually for acclimatization. After 20 days of grafting, surviving grafted plants and ungrafted plants were transplanted to the field. Common agricultural practices like fertilizer application, insects and disease control were adopted. Vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality were measured. Data were analyzed using the SAS statistical program (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), and means were compared by Duncan’s multiple range tests at the 5% probability level.
Results and Discussion : The result showed that rootstocks had a significant effect on growth indexes. Cucumber was grafted on cucurbita moschata L. rootstock had the highest stem length and leaf numbers, while, the lowest values of plant height, leaf area, leaf number and yield were recorded with grafted plant on melon rootstock. Fruit numbers were significantly influenced by rootstock. The highest fruit number per plant was observed in cucumber plants that were grafted on cucurbita moschata rootstock. The results of the study showed that cucumber grafting on suitable rootstocks had positive effects on the yield. But rootstock had no significant effects on fruit quality like flesh firmness and total soluble solid. The Soluble solid content of fruit was reported to decrease in tomato, cucumber and eggplant due to grafting. chlorophyll content of leaf showed significantly different between grafted and non-grafted plants. The highest amount of leaf area was obtained from non-grafted plants. Grafting methods had no significant difference in growth, yield and fruit quality. Nitrogen and potassium leaf contents of grafted cucumber and ungrafted plants had no significant difference. The interaction between rootstocks and grafting method had no significant effect on yield and the other growth indexes.
Conclusion: Our findings showed that vegetative growth and yield of cucumber were affected by grafting. On the basis of these results, Cucurbita moschata rootstock had the highest effect on growth and yield of cucumber. It may also be concluded that the grafting method had relatively same growth response. Although the cost of a grafted seedling is surely one of the main concerns of growers, especially since grafted seedling costs from three to five times more than non-grafted seedling. However, investigation proved that, on-farm grafted cucumber transplant production can be successful and the results indicate that grafting of cucumber onto cucurbit rootstocks can increase on-farm net returns due to improve growth and yield.
Hamideh Fatemi; Hossein Arouiee; Majid Azizi; Seyyed Hossein Nemati
Abstract
Plastic mulches have been used in vegetable production in the most parts of the world. In order to evaluate the performance of the colored plastic mulch and different plant density on Cucurbita pepo var. Rada, an experiment was conducted in Agriculture Faculty of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during ...
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Plastic mulches have been used in vegetable production in the most parts of the world. In order to evaluate the performance of the colored plastic mulch and different plant density on Cucurbita pepo var. Rada, an experiment was conducted in Agriculture Faculty of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during the cultural seasons at 2010. The experiment was arranged in factorial experiment based on randomized complete design with four replications. Treatments were mulch at three levels (blue, red and without mulch) and plant spacing at two levels (120 × 30 and 120 × 40 cm). The results indicated that reducing the planting distance (120 × 30 cm) significantly increased the fruit weight and yield. The highest numbers of harvest and fruit yield were found in the red mulch treatment. The fruit yield per plant was 5/36, 3/57 and 2/69 kg in the red, blue mulch and control, respectively.
F. Salmanizade; S.M. Nassiri; majid rahemi; A.A. Jafari
Abstract
In the present study application of X-ray computed tomography as a nondestructive technique for estimation of some qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruit was studied. For this purpose, three local cultivars of pomegranate fruit of Fars province, Iran that included; Rabab Malas, Rabab Torsh and Khani ...
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In the present study application of X-ray computed tomography as a nondestructive technique for estimation of some qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruit was studied. For this purpose, three local cultivars of pomegranate fruit of Fars province, Iran that included; Rabab Malas, Rabab Torsh and Khani Kazeroon were used. The X-ray CT images of pomegranate fruits were prepared using CT-Scan device. Corresponding CT numbers that indicate X-ray absorption value of objective were extracted using K-PACS software. The qualitative parameters such as anthocyanin, titratable acidity, soluble solids, taste index and pH of different pomegranate fruits were measured. Relationships between qualitative parameters and the obtained CT numbers were evaluated using linear regression models. The results indicated that R2 for estimation of qualitative parameters for all models was more than 0.900. The CT number had positive correlation with titratable acidity and negative correlation with anthocyanin, soluble solids and pH for all pomegranate varieties. The relations for estimating the qualitative parameters of Rabab Malas variety showed the highest precision (0.971, 0.947, 0.963 and 0.946 for anthocyanin, soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH, respectively). The highest correlation was observed between the amount of anthocyanin and CT number for all pomegranate fruit cultivars (with coefficient of determination of 0.971, 0.943 and 0.960 for Rabab Malas, Rabab Torsh, Khani Kazeroon, respectively). Overall results revealed that CT number can be applied as a useful index for estimation of qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruit especially for real-time sensing situations.
