International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

The Earth has become increasingly overcrowded as a result of rapid urbanization and population growth, with strong predictions that its carrying capacity could be overstretched soon. As a result, it is important to test the possibilities of growing plants under space exploration conditions, especially gravitational balance. Since microgravity impedes plant development, it is important to evaluate the extents by which plant growth stimulators can reverse or enhance this trend. A total of 12 maize seeds were weighed and placed sideways in petri dishes and inoculated with plant growth stimulators, indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), and ascorbate (AA). They were clinorotated at different rates (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 rpm), while the control seeds were just placed on a balanced table. Results of this research showed that under microgravity, the maize seeds had a decreased level of germination percentage with increasing clinorotation rates at 72 hrs, compared to the control group. But when stimulated with IAA, GA and AA, they improved in germination percentage, compared to the control, even under microgravity conditions. The seedling dry weight, germination time and other germination parameters also showed similar improvements. Comparatively, the three growth stimulators showed no major variations in their ability to improve germination percentage under micro-gravitational impact. However, IAA caused more improvements in seedling vigor, compared to the other growth regulators, while GA had more effects on the rate of germination. This research confirmed the possibilities of improving germinability in maize seeds under space exploration conditions.

Freesia belongs to the family Iridaceae and is one of the most popular bulbous species that can be used both as a cut flower and as a pot flower, depending on the situation. This study was carried out to produce new, high-quality offspring by intervarietal hybridization between five commercial cultivars of freesia hybrids. Eighteen morphometric traits, which were mostly related to flower organs, were evaluated on twelve progenies and five parental plants in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three replications (2014-2018). The assessments were based on instructions of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The highest heritability of broad-sense traits was related to the outer segmental width of the perianth and the inner segmental width and length of the perianth. The lowest heritability was related to the length of stem between the first and second flowers. The number of flowers and buds had the most significant, positive correlation with spike length (r=+0.75). Likewise, the strongest positive, significant correlation was observed between the length of the inner and outer segments of the perianth (r=+0.79). Superior progenies consisted of the 20A hybrid, with a white color, which originated from the parental cross P1×P5. The 3A hybrid, with a yellow color, was obtained from the parental cross P2×P5, and the 28P hybrid, with a reddish brown color, was obtained from the parental cross P4×P5. These progenies were superior in terms of important traits such as plant height, branch number of the peduncle, spike length, number of buds and florets, compared to the parents. Thus, intervarietal hybridization in this research was proved as an effective way to generate new phenotypic variations of freesia hybrids, thereby providing opportunities to produce new plant materials for breeding purposes and release new cultivars.

Cape gooseberry is a climacteric, temperature-sensitive fruit from the Solanaceae family. Its quality and quantity are characterized by phenolic and antioxidant substances, the stability of which depends on temperature and storage conditions. In this research, the effects of calyx cover (fruits without calyx cover and fruits covered with calyx) and storage conditions were evaluated on the storage life of Cape gooseberry fruits. For this purpose, the fruits were kept in with and without calyx conditions at three temperature levels of 10, 15, and 20 °C for 30 days. The results showed that, at the end of storage, the titratable acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C, total flavonoid, and total antioxidants decreased significantly. However, total phenol content and flavor index increased during the storage period. The increase in total flavor and phenol content during storage can be due to a significant reduction in the titratable acidity (as reflected in the flavor index), because of cellular destruction and cold damage. In addition, at the end of the storage period, the calyx-covered fruits which were stored at 10 °C had good physicochemical and antioxidant qualities. The highest titratable acidity (0.633%), soluble solids (14.96%), vitamin C, and total antioxidants (59.33%) were observed in fruits covered with calyx at 10 °C. Also, the results of this study showed that storing berries at cooler temperatures increased the shelf life and maintained the quality of the Cape gooseberry.

During the dry season (November to April), a field experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Field Research Center of the Bangladesh Open University, Gazipur. The effects of different levels of irrigation with various mulches were evaluated on the growth and yield of tomatoes. The trial comprised raised-bed furrow irrigation methods with three mulching treatments (i.e. without mulch, black polyethylene mulch and grass straw mulch) and two irrigation plans (6-day and 3-day intervals). The 6 treatments were designed in a randomized complete block (RCB) design in three replicates. In response to the 6-day and 3-day irrigation intervals, raised-bed furrow irrigation, with black polyethylene mulch, resulted in a significantly higher yield (96.46 t/ha and 102.19 t/ha) compared to the effect of no mulch on the yield (77.70 t/ha and 82.04 t/ha), respectively. The use of grass straw mulch (87.15 t/ha and 91.76 t/ha) also resulted in a significant yield, compared to no mulch. All three factors significantly influenced unit crop weight, fruit size at the age of 16, 18 and 20 weeks after transplanting, marketable fruit yield, plant water consumption and water use efficiency. The interaction between raised-bed furrow irrigation, mulching and irrigation schedule had a significant influence on the water use efficiency (WUE) of tomato production. The raised-bed furrow irrigation method in a two-row crop cultivation pattern was statistically equivalent in terms of WUE if it was mulched by black polyethylene and irrigated every 3 days.

Glycine betaine (GB) plays a crucial role in plants and in their response to abiotic stress. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the application of glycine betaine (GB) and its ability to alleviate the effects of salinity stress (SS) on fruit yield and ion accumulation in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch cv. Paros). Three levels of SS (0, 20, and 40 mM NaCl) and GB (0, 5, 10 mM) were used on the plants in a greenhouse experiment. The results indicated that increasing the salinity level reduced the yield and altered the dynamism of ion accumulation. Leaf area, relative water content (RWC), leaf fresh weight, and yield decreased under salinity stress (36.7%, 9.2%, 28%, and 41%, respectively), especially at 40 mM NaCl. Under SS, there was an increase in Na content of the roots, fruits, and leaves (78%, 54%, and 78%, respectively) as well as in K content of the fruits (50%), but with a decrease in the K content of the leaves (29%) and the roots (25%), and P content of the leaves (55%). Overall, salinity increased the Na content, but reduced the K/Na ratio. Salinity and glycine betaine interactions had a significant effect on the Na content of the roots and leaves, the K content in the leaves, and K/Na ratio in the leaves and roots. At 40 mM NaCl, using 10 mM GB reduced the leaf and root Na content by 22% and 30%, respectively. Although the application of exogenous GB on strawberry changed the pattern of ion accumulation, it was not effective in diminishing the adverse effects of salinity stress on strawberry plants cv. ‘Paros’.

To evaluate the effects of four licorice plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), i.e. Pantoea agglomerans (S72), Serratia rubidaea (S28) Pseudomonas azotoformans (E101), Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis (E56) on licorice seed germination and seedling growth, two experiments were conducted at the Research Laboratory and Greenhouse, University of Tehran in 2019. Treatments were bacterial strains in eight levels (sole or in combination) and growing media at four levels of M1 (sand + perlite (1: 1)), M2 (soil + cow manure), M3 (soil + mycorrhiza fungi) and M4 (soil + mycorrhiza fungi+ cow manure). Germination quality criteria and some morphological traits of two-month-old seedlings were evaluated. The results of seed germination showed that in most of the evaluated traits, bacterial treatments performed better than the control, although in some cases, there were no significant differences with the control. Also, in some cases, endophytic bacteria had an effective role in improving seed germination index compared to rhizospheric bacteria. According to the experiment results of seedling growth, M4 in combination with two endophytic bacteria (E101 and E56), of the Pseudomonas genus in licorice plants, had a superior performance in improving the initial growth and establishment qualities of the licorice plants. Regarding most of the traits, the co-application of mycorrhiza with S28 (M3B3) showed the lowest values. The results of this study indicated the potential use of licorice endophytic bacteria as a source of biofertilizer for the improvement of licorice seed germination and growth and, if possible, for similar applications in other plant species. Abbreviations M1 (sand + perlite (1: 1)), M2 (soil + cow manure), M3 (soil + mycorrhiza fungi) and M4 (soil + mycorrhiza fungi + cow manure), Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), B1 (Pantoea agglomeransz (S72)), B2 (Serratia rubidaea (S28)), B3 (Pseudomonas azotoformans (E101)), B4 (Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis (E56)

Bunch fading disorder in date palm is a serious problem in date fruit production around the world. During their growth and development, bunches of date fruit were treated with amino chelates of Mn (2 or 4 ppm), Cu (2 or 4 ppm), Zn (2 or 4 ppm), Ca (4 or 6 ppm), K (5 or 7 ppm). The effects were evaluated on bunch fading disorder, as well as on qualitative features and quantitative traits of date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.). This research was conducted on 15-year-old date palm trees (cv. ʻMazafatiʼ) in a randomized complete block design with 11 treatments in three replications. Fruit bunches were sprayed with amino chelates twice during fruit development, i.e. in the Hababook and Khalal stages. The results showed that all amino chelates reduced the percentage of damage caused by the fading disorder. The highest percentage of damage (36.67%) was recorded in the control group because it had received no spraying treatment. In treatment groups, however, the amino chelates had significant effects on fruit yield, seed weight, seed length, pH, TSS, and fruit moisture. The lowest amount of fruit yield was observed in the control group (44.5 kg), whereas all treatment groups staged a significant increase in yield. Specifically, high amounts of fruit yield were caused by Mn-2ppm (65.83 kg), Cu-2ppm (64.33 kg), Ca-4ppm (62.17 kg) and Cu-4ppm (60.83 kg). All treatments increased the fruit moisture content, compared to the control, and had significant effects on some chemical traits of date leaves and fruits. A significant increase in pigments occurred as a result of amino chelate spraying. In sum, amino chelates were significantly effective in reducing the bunch fading disorder.

Phytohormones are naturally-occurring substances produced by plants which promote vegetative and reproductive development and senescence. Similar to other crops, phytohormones affect the flowering and fruit development of pineapple. This writing provides an overview on the association and effects of phytohormones in pineapple flowering and fruit development. The effects of phytohormones are integrated and discussed in three sections: 1) flower induction in pineapple, 2) flower initiation and flowering in pineapple, and 3) pineapple fruit development. Based on the findings of multiple research, phytohormones involved in pineapple inflorescence initiation and inflorescence development include auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, and abscisic acid (ABA). Auxin, gibberellin and cytokinin are known as phytohormones that improve the fruit size and quality of pineapple. These sets of information can serve as a guide to commercial pineapple growers in formulating a low-cost input of technology for pineapple production.

The study was conducted in Polashi, Manirampur Upazila, Jashore, Bangladesh, during Rabi seasons of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 to evaluate the effects of organic nutrient sources on yield and shelf life of broccoli. The experimental layout was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and six treatments which were: T1= Vermicompost 3 t ha-1, T2 = Vermicompost 4 t ha-1, T3 = Trichocompost 3 t ha-1, T4 = Trichocompost 4 t ha-1, T5 = FYM 12 t ha-1, T6 = (control). A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was designed to determine the shelf life of broccoli with three replications, considering three factors, (i) the effects of organic sources of nutrient, (ii) storage materials at room temperature and (iii) storage materials at cold storage condition. The findings revealed that the effects of organic nutrient sources significantly influenced the yield and shelf life of broccoli. The treatment T2 (vermicompost 4 t ha-1) produced significant (p≤0.05) amounts of marketable curd yield of broccoli (22.33 t ha-1 and 21.27 t ha-1), followed by T4 (Trichocompost  4 t ha-1) with marketable curd yield (19.76 t ha-1, 18.78 t ha-1). In contrast, the minimum marketable curd yield (7.76 t ha-1 and 7.29 t ha-1) occurred in T6 (control) in the respective years. The treatment of T2 led to the highest shelf life (7.33 and 7.55 days) at room temperature (14-220C with RH 60-65%). At cold storage (40C with RH 90-95%), using High-Density Polyethylene (HDP;15 micron) vacuum pack, the shelf life was also significant (24.75 & 25.19 days) during the years of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, respectively.

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is an important spice crop in Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is low due to low soil fertility and poor soil fertility management practices. Here, a field research was conducted to evaluate the effects of applying mineral and organic fertilizers on seed yield and oil content of black cumin. The treatment consisted of three rates of combined nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizer (20/15, 40/30, 60/45 kg N/P2O5 ha-1), three rates of blended mineral nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and boron (NPSB) fertilizers (0, 50 and 100 kg NPSB ha–1), and three rates of vermicompost (VC) (0, 3 and 6 t ha–1). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The results showed that the interaction of mineral fertilizers and VC significantly (P < 0.05) influenced seed yield and seed oil content. Increasing rates of the three fertilizers increased seed yield, but reduced the seed oil content. We concluded that applying 60/45 kg N/P2O5, 100 kg NPSB, and 3 t ha–1 of VC resulted in optimum seed yield (2.1 t ha–1), which is twice as much as the average yield of the crop in the country. However, the highest seed oil content (39.70%) was recorded at the rates of minimum N/P2O5 and zero rates of both NPSB and VC. This implies that integrated application of mineral and organic fertilizers can double productivity of the crop and improve farmers’ income in the study area.