821 research outputs found
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Screening cultivated and wild genotypes of water melon Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) to identify resistance against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum race 2
Full text linkThe present experiment was carried out to screen 341 Citrullus sp. accessions for identification of resistant genotypes against Fon race 2. The accessions were screened across two consecutive experiments conducted during the late-rainy season of 2017. Spore suspension of Fon race 2 was inoculated following the standard pipette method at 14-day seedling stage. An accession showing a mean survival of > 67% at 28 days post-inoculation (DPI) was categorized as resistant and the remaining accessions were categorized as susceptible. A total of 30 accessions were found resistant. Of them, eight accessions possessed a mean survival of > 90% at 28 DPI and were categorized as highly resistant. All these highly resistant accessions belong to C. lanatus with moderate fruit quality traits. Therefore, these genotypes could be used for watermelon improvement programs in the future that aim to incorporate resistance to Fon race 2 into the crop’s elite and commercial market segments without incurring linkage drag
Impact of Aloe vera gel with chitosan and coconut oil coatings onpostharvest nutritional quality and antioxidant enzymes in ‘Mishribhog’mango during storage
Full text linkThe present study sought to assess the effects of Aloe vera gel (AV; 1:1 v/v), 1.5% chitosan solution (CH; w/v), coconut oil (CoO; 1:1 v/v), A. vera gel+1.5% chitosan solution (AV+CH; 1:1 v/v) and Aloe vera gel+coconut oil (AV+CoO; 1:1 v/v) on postharvest quality at 16 days of storage with ambient condition (25±2°C and 80-85% relative humidity). The results revealed that AV+CH coatings considerably reduced weight loss, respiration, and ethylene generation, as well as the decay percentage, when compared to the control. AV+CH also preserve fruit quality signs such as acidity, TSS, pH, fruit firmness, peel color, and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, phenolic content decreased modestly after storage, whereas control fruits displayed rapid oxidation of phenolic and antioxidant activity. PPO activity was significantly decreased in coated fruits, but CAT and POD enzyme activity increased throughout the storage period. The yellowing tendency of coated fruit peels during storage was significantly decreased when compared to control fruits. These findings showed that the AV+CH coating, at the appropriate dose with time, might be helpful in retaining bioactive components and post-harvest quality of ‘Mishribhog’ mango
The Seed dormancy in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.): Insights and interventions
No full textCucumber seeds that have been freshly extracted show dormancy. In the first experiment, cucumber var. Pusa Uday seeds were subjected to various treatments viz., running with tap water, GA3, benzyl adenine, ethylene, KNO3, HNO3 and control (dry seed). The results revealed that seeds treated with benzyl adenine at 150 ppm for 12 hr recorded the highest germination (5.5%). Second experiment was carried out to find out an effective method for breaking seed dormancy and also to study how long it persists when stored under ambient conditions. When the initial trial with chemical treatments failed to break seed dormancy, the seeds were exposed to varying durations of dry heat treatment. Results revealed that seed dormancy in fresh seeds of the cucumber var. Pusa Uday could be totally overcome by a four-day dry heat treatment at 70°C without impacting other seed quality parameters. Such seeds could be stored for 24 months under ambient conditions without any reduction in viability and vigour. Additionally, it was observed that seed dormancy was naturally broken within 4 months when seeds were stored under ambient conditions, without any specific treatment
Royal jelly as a novel bio-stimulant for asymbiotic seed germination andprotocorm development in Phalaenopsis
Full text linkOrchid micropropagation is often limited by slow seed germination and early seedling development. This study evaluated the potential of royal jelly (RJ), a nutrient-rich organic substance, as a growth-promoting additive in the asymbiotic culture of five Phalaenopsis varieties viz., Nottingham, Dubrovnik, Andorra, Memphis, and Bucharest. A factorial experiment was conducted using two peptone concentrations (1/ gL{ 1 and 2/ gL{ 1) combined with four RJ levels (0, 150, 300, and 450/ ppm) in half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Results demonstrated that RJ significantly enhanced germination and seedling development in a concentration- dependent manner. The variety Nottingham cultured in 2/ gL{ 1 peptone medium supplemented with 300/ ppm RJ achieved the highest germination rate of 96.33%, reduced the time to protocorm formation by 2–3/ days, and increased leaf and root primordia numbers by 15–20% compared with the control. Higher RJ concentrations (450/ ppm) occasionally reduced germination and delayed early growth, indicating an optimal range for supplementation. These findings suggest that RJ can serve as an effective organic bio-stimulant for Phalaenopsis micropropagation, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic growth regulators. Future studies should isolate active compounds in RJ and assess its scalability across different orchid species
Influence of plant growth regulators and chitosan elicitation oncallus induction and improvement of morphophysiological, metabolic andantioxidant traits in Chrysanthemum indicum L.
Full text linkChitosan, as a natural elicitor, can enhance plant defense mechanisms and modulate physiological, biochemical, metabolic, and antioxidant pathways. Its application in vitro offers a promising strategy to improve the production of valuable secondary metabolites in Chrysanthemum indicum L. In this study, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was supplemented with various hormonal combinations viz., H1 (control), H2 (1 mgL-1 NAA + 2 mgL-1 BAP), H3 (0.2 mgL-1 2,4-D), H4 (0.2 mgL-1 BAP + 0.5 mgL-1 2,4-D), and H5 (2 mgL-1 BAP + 2 mgL-1 2,4-D) and applied to different explants (leaf and stem) to optimize callus induction. Optimization was performed by evaluating callus induction percentage, initiation time, fresh weights, and callus volume. Following chitosan elicitation, several metabolic and biochemical traits were evaluated, including carotenoids, total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proline content, antioxidant capacity, and the enzymatic activities of catalase and peroxidase. Among the treatments, the combination of 2 mg/L BAP + 2 mg/L 2,4-D applied to leaf explants under light conditions, produced the highest callus induction rate (96.66%), minimum days to response, and significantly increased fresh weights and callus volume. Chitosan treatments (25, 50, and75 mgL-1) were applied to calluses derived from the optimized treatment (2 mg/L BAP+2 mg/L 2,4-D applied to leaf explants). Among the tested concentrations, chitosan at 50 mgL-1 was the most effective, leading to the maximum increases in fresh weight (2.63 g), callus volume (1.81 mm³), carotenoids (2.93 mg/g FW), total phenolics (67.40 mg/g FW), flavonoids (41.32 mg/g FW), and antioxidant activity (62.75%). Additionally, this treatment enhanced anthocyanins (5.19 mg/g FW), proline (6.14 mg/g FW), catalase (14.37 U/mg FW), and peroxidase (2.45 U/mg FW) activities. Overall, the combined use of plant growth regulators (BAP+2,4-D) and chitosan, particularly at 50 mgL-1, presents an efficient approach to enhance callus development and improve physiological, metabolic, and antioxidant responses in Chrysanthemum indicum L. under in vitro conditions
Evaluation of pre-treatments for shelf life extension of minimally processedfenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.)
Full text linkPotential of different pretreatments for shelf life enhancement and nutritional quality maintenance in minimally processed fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) leaves (MPFL) at 8°C storage were evaluated. Pretreatment agents such as calcium propionate, calcium chloride, kinetin, gibberellic acid, 1-methyl cyclo propene, neutral electrolysed water and sodium hypochlorite were used. The results have proven that a five minutes dip in kinetin solution (50 mg L-1) was the best among all tested pretreatments; and it resulted in achieving eight days shelf life compared to four days in control samples. Besides this, better maintenance of total antioxidants (1735 mg ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity kg-1) and proteins (44 g kg-1), at levels close to that of fresh leaves, could be achieved. Calcium propionate (1.5 g L-1) was identified as the second best treatment. It was also shown that minimally processed fenugreek leaves (MPFL) is a rich source of vitamins B1, B2, E and K. The B vitamins were susceptible to deterioration during storage, while their loss could be minimized with kinetin treatment. Sanitizers like chlorine (100 mg L-1 available chlorine) and neutral electrolysed water (100 and 200 mg L-1) have reduced the shelf life of MPFL indicating their phytotoxicity to FL. The results of the study open up the possibility of using kinetin as an effective pretreatment tool for MPFL in minimal processing industry
Bio-efficacy of Annona formulation for the management ofAphis gossypii on vegetable crops
Full text linkField experiments were conducted to optimize the dose and assess the efficacy of an Annona formulation against Aphis gossypii Glover on vegetable crops such as cucumber, bitter gourd, okra and dolichos. Based on LC50 values, different doses of the Annona formulation were evaluated specifically on bitter gourd and cucumber. The dose optimization study determined that a concentration of 3.5 ml/L of water of the Annona formulation effectively managed A. gossypii under field conditions. Subsequently, the efficacy of this dosage was further evaluated in field trials against A. gossypii in comparison with other botanicals and insecticides. The Annona formulation at 3.5 ml/L of water demonstrated significant effectiveness, reducing aphid populations by 97% compared to alternative botanicals and insecticides. This study suggests that the developed Annona formulation could serve as a promising eco-friendly approach for managing aphids on vegetable crops
Impact of genotype, nutrients and type of cuttings on rose (Rosa spp.)rootstock propagation
Full text linkAn experiment was undertaken to standardize the type of rootstock, nutrient scheduling and type of cuttings for rooting of rose rootstock in factorial completely randomised design with five replications during 2022 to 2023. The treatment includes two rootstocks (V1 : Rosa multiflora and V2 : Natal Briar), four different nutrient doses (N1 : 400:200:200 kg, N2 : 600:200:700 kg, N3 : 450:150:525 kg and N4 : 300:100:350 kg NPK ha-1 year-1) and three types of cuttings (hardwood, semi-hardwood and soft wood). Results revealed that the maximum number of sprouts (1.84), leaves (9.66) and roots (7.83) per cutting, and length of longest root (5.19 cm) were recorded in rootstock Rosa multiflora compared to Natal Briar. Application of 400:200:200 kg NPK ha-1 year-1, recorded maximum survival of cuttings (79.11%), minimum days to first sprouting (8.47) maximum number of sprouts (1.91), leaves (10.54) and roots (9.65) per cutting, and length of longest root (6.33 cm) compared to other fertilizer treatments. Among the different types of cuttings, hardwood cuttings recorded minimum days to first sprouting (8.54), greatest thickness of cutting (7.62 mm), number of roots per cutting (7.67) and length of longest root (5.85 cm). These findings could be used to produce high-quality planting material in rose
Breeding potential of multi-parent derived populations in chilli(Capsicum annuum L.)
Full text linkSelection from multi-parent (MP) derived populations is most likely to fix a greater number of alleles governing complex traits compared to two parents’-derived populations which result in fixation of only two alleles. It is hypothesized that more than two-parents’-derived populations harbour greater variability than those derived from two-parents’. To test this hypothesis, ten multi-parents’ (MP) populations (8 parents) were field evaluated for average fruit length and fruit weight, fruits plant-1 and green fruit yield plant-1. Breeding potential of these ten MP populations was assessed in terms of means, standardized range (SR), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and frequency of transgressive segregants (TS). The MP populations with greater trait mean, SR, PCV and TS are interpreted as those with high breeding potential (BP). When each statistical criteria considered separately, the results suggested that BP of the MP populations differed. Hence, a rank-sum method, which combines all the statistical criteria into one criterion was used to identify MP populations with high BP. MP populations designated as D5×D2, D4×D2 and D6×D2 with lower rank-sum were considered to possess high BP. These MP populations are suggested for preferential use to isolate new inbred lines to develop new hybrid
Effect of seed soaking and drying on germination, growth andvigour of Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche)
Full text linkMacadamia nut (Macadamia integrifolia) is among the world’s premium nuts and is gaining popularity in India due to its high market value. However, its germination is poor and slow owing to the presence of a hard seed coat, often delaying emergence for 5–6 months. The present study evaluated the effect of seed soaking and drying treatments on germination and early growth attributes. Seeds soaked for three days followed by oven drying at 40 °C for 18 hours exhibited significantly earlier germination (47 days) and higher germination percentage (88.13%) compared with the control. These treatments also enhanced seedling growth parameters, including plant height (16.16 cm), stem girth (0.47 cm), number of leaves per plant (11.22), fresh weight (10.73 g), dry weight (4.66 g), vigour index-I (1429.11 cm), and vigour index-II (411.40 g). Correlation analysis revealed that initiation of germination was positively associated with the time required for 50% and complete germination. Overall, soaking macadamia seeds for three days followed by oven drying improved germination efficiency, growth performance, and vigour of seedlings, and can be recommended for commercial propagation