Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research

Higher bedding plant yields per unit greenhouse area was reaching through two grower´s currently decision-making: plug cell volume during nursery and growing media quality for both nursery and pot cycle. With the goal of maximizing bedding plant yield to identify the main limiting factor at the pot stage, we evaluated Impatiens walleriana yield to the end of the pot growth stage when four different pre-transplant cell volume and four pre or post-transplant growing media with different physical properties were used. The hypothesis tested was that only one of the potentially negative stress source (pre-transplant cell volume or growing medium quality) is the main responsible for decreasing biomass accumulation at the post-transplant pot growing cycle. The experimental design was a randomised factorial with three blocks of five single-pot replications of each treatment combination (plug cell volume × growing medium × pre- and post-transplant).The main result was that, in I. walleriana seedlings, the combining abiotic stresses imposed by both the growing medium quality and nursery plug cell volume defined biomass accumulation (on a fresh and dry base), leaf area expanded and photo assimilates partitioned as opposed to a previous report, which indicate that that growing media quality would be a more limited factor than plug cell volume for I. walleriana seedlings during nursery.

Aims: The response of “Murcott” mandarin trees budded on Volkamer Lemon rootstock grown in salt-affected soil to different alleviating salinity stress additions was studied.

Study Design: This research was designed to fit The complete randomize block design (CRBD).

Place and Duration of Study: The present study was carried out in a private “Murcott” mandarin orchard located in “El-Adlia Association”, El-Sharqia Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons 2014/2015 and 2016/2017.

Methodology: Eight different treatments were used as follow: 1) Control, 2) Magnetite at 138 kg/ha (Mag, knowing that ha = 10000 m²), 3) Effective microorganisms at the rate of 12 L/ha. (EM), 4) Biotic at the rate of 12 L/ha. (B), 5) Mag+B, 6) Mag+EM, 7) B+EM and 8) Mag+B+EM.

Results: These different treatments mitigated salinity stress, reduced leaves osmotic pressure, thus increased fruit set, fruit yield, fruit quality, root distribution, photosynthetic pigments and mineral concentrations in leaves of Murcott trees compared with the control. Proline accumulations in fresh leaves, as well as soil pH and EC at the end of the two seasons also were recorded.

Conclusion: The combination between B and EM in the presence or absence of Mag enhanced the ability of mandarin to alleviate salt stress and produced the highest yield and fruit quality.

‘Power’ tomato cultivar was harvested at the mature green stage and studied to determine how different 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) concentrations and storage conditions may influence its quality and shelf-life. A 3 x 2 factorial arrangement in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used and it was replicated three times. The factors were the tomato cultivar: ‘Power’, three 1-MCP concentration levels: 1 ppm, 2 ppm, untreated was 0 ppm and two storage conditions: Ambient and refrigerator conditions. The research was conducted between January and May 2017 at the Department of Horticulture, KNUST in Kumasi, Ghana. The 1-MCP concentration required were obtained by adding 100 ml of heated distilled water at 50°C to appropriate amounts of 1-MCP (MaxFresh, 3.3%) powder to obtain the 1 ppm and 2 ppm concentrations. After the 1-MCP powder has completely dissolved, it was then placed in a sealed bottle with a mini fan attached and then placed in the treatment chamber and released in a form of vapour on fruits and sealed immediately to avoid gas loss for a period of 24 hours. They were then stored in the refrigerator and ambient conditions at a temperature of 13°C-15°C and 29.5°C with Relative Humidity of 60-75% and 80-85% respectively. There was a significantly (P<0.01) delayed in ripening as characterized by changes in pH, firmness and total titratable acidity. Tomatoes treated with 1 ppm and 2 ppm of 1-MCP concentrations had delayed ripening when stored in the refrigerator and as a result had a longer shelf-life of 74 and 90 days respectively compared to fruits that were not treated and kept at ambient condition which took 60 days. There is confirmation from these results that the use of 1-MCP have saleable outlook for those who grow and trade in a way of delaying the ripening of green tomatoes.

The investigation was carried out under field conditions to characterize yield contributing traits of eighteen (18) advanced Aus rice lines (F₅) and three commercial check varieties. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The field was divided into three blocks; each block was sub-divided into 21 plots (lines) where genotypes were randomly assigned. The experiment was conducted during the period of Transplanting Aus season (April 2015 to August 2015) at the genetics and plant breeding experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Bangladesh. All the genotypes were characterized and categorized as per the descriptors developed by Biodiversity International, IRRI and WARDA-2007 for DUS test of inbred rice. All the genotypes were grouped and classified as well as described based on yield contributing characters as per descriptors so that all the observed genotypes containing described characters can be easily evaluated and identified at a glance for further studies.

Organic farming is gaining attention and increasing globally because of its eco-friendly, safety and its health benefits to humans. A field experiment was conducted at Federal College of Forestry Jos, to determine the influence of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on the growth, yield and phytochemical constituents of cabbage. Randomized Complete Block Design was used as experimental design involving five treatments with T₀ as control (No application of manure), T₁ (N.P.K fertilizer), T₂ (Poultry droppings), T₃ (Cow droppings) and T₄ (Goat droppings). Data was taken on plant height, number of leaves, head diameter and head weight of cabbage. Qualitative phytochemical analysis on saponins, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins, phenols, amino acids, steroids and terpenoids were carried out and quantitative analysis was done for phytochemicals present. The result obtained showed a significant difference for the plant height, leaf count, head diameter and head weight at p≤0.05. Flavonoids, alkaloids, amino acids, terpenoids, tannins and phenols were present in the qualitative analysis and at different rates. Cabbage cultivation with poultry droppings (T₂) was observed to stand out from the other treatments for the yield parameters and the phytochemical analysis. Result of the quantitative phytochemicals revealed that more phenolics, alkaloids and flavonoids were present in cabbage grown with organic manure than in inorganic fertilizer.