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Background: The bitter gourd fruit yields are not at a desirable level due to maleness. Maleness is one of the biggest difficulties with bitter gourd, reducing fruit yields substantially. On the other hand, plant stages are the most important consideration for PGR application because of their sensitive responsiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how bitter gourd plants respond to plant growth regulators, namely PGR0 (control: application of water as control treatment), PGR1 (GA3-Gibberellic acid, 100 mgL−1), PGR2 (NAA-Naphthalene acetic acid, 100 mgL−1), and PGR3 (MH- Maleic hydrazide, 100 mgL−1) at three application phases, S1: soaking of seeds; S2: four-leaf; and S3: flower bud in terms of vegetative development, male–female flower sex alteration, and fruit features including bioactive compounds. Results: Physiological, floral and yield characteristics of bitter gourd exposed significant changes by GA3 and MH at various stages. The number of leaves plant−1, the fresh mass of the plant, and the fresh mass of fruit and fruit dry matter content were enhanced remarkably for MH application at the seed soaking stage except for plant height and the number of branches plant−1. MH increased the number of female flowers plant−1, the number of fruits plant−1 and the yield at the 4-leaf stage of application. PGRs substantially influenced the quantity of sugar, chlorophyll, total carotenoids, protein, and water content at various phases of their application but not on ascorbic acid, TSS, or total phenol concentration. Conclusions: For sex expression and yield attributes, 100 mgL−1 MH at the 4-leaf stage would be effective in bitter gourd. Exogenous NAA showed a considerable dual influence on plant development and antioxidant enzyme activity in bitter gourd fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron application at proper concentration is necessary to enhance the leaf gas exchange, physiological growth, reproductive development and nutritional improvement of crops. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of boron to evaluate the effect on the leaf gas exchange, reproductive development, physiological and nutritional changes of peanut. Treatments comprised six levels of boron (B), viz., B1 (0 ppm), B2 (0.5 ppm), B3 (1 ppm), B4 (2 ppm), B5 (4 ppm) and B6 (8 ppm). Results revealed that the vegetative growth, physiological growth parameters, leaf gas exchange, reproductive characters, peg strength, shelling (%) and nutritional elements were increased for boron application. Some vegetative, physiological and reproductive traits are positively correlated with each other. Thus, this finding showed that boron can be used to culture peanut as it provides high yield and nutritional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamant, Asterix, and Granola varieties differed significantly in foliage coverage, plant height, and yield. They produced lower graded minituber (67.62%, 78.16% ha−1, and 66.27% of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.) as per seed rule of the National Seed Board of Bangladesh, while foliage coverage (74.38%) was the maximum in Diamant. Microtuber in field condition showed the maximum survivability, plant height, foliage coverage, number of stems plant−1, and SPAD value as well as yield of minituber compared to plantlet. On the contrary, microtuber derived plants of the three varieties gave the maximum yield (20.49 t ha−1, 19.12 t/ha−1, and 19.98 t ha−1 of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.) and it was the minimum in plants of plantlets derived from all varieties (9.50 t ha−1, 7.88 t ha−1, and 9.70 t ha−1 of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.). Microtuber derived plants produced a minimum percentage of <28 mm size of minituber compared to plantlet derived plants in case of all varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crops specific proper concentration of micronutrient application is necessary to improve the yield and quality of crops. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to identify the optimum dose of boron for groundnut plant. Six level of boron (B) application, B0(0 ppm), B1(0.5 ppm), B2(1 ppm), B3(2 ppm), B4(4 ppm) and B5(8 ppm) were evaluated. Photosynthetic rate, transpiration and stomatal conductance were increased for boron application but leaf vapor pressure deficit decreased. Physiological growth parameters, yield and yield contributing character, and shelling percentage was highest for B3. The values of biochemical traits including protein, oil and vitamin E content were higher for B4. Thus, leaf gas exchange showed that boron can be used to culture groundnut as it provides high yield and biochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Boron is an important micronutrient that enhances vegetative growth and yield of crops, like peanut. Light also plays an important role in pegging of peanut. There has been little information regarding the application of boron and light in peanut in Bangladesh. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to study the response of boron and light on morph-physiology and pod yield of two peanut varieties. Treatments considered two peanut varieties, namely, Dhaka-1 and BARI Chinabadam-8, three levels of boron (B), namely, 0-kg B ha−1 (B0), 1-kg B ha−1 (B1), and 2-kg B ha−1 (B2), and two levels of light, namely, normal day light (≈12 h light) and normal day light + 6 h extended red light at night (≈18 h light). Result revealed that days to first-last emergence and days to first-50% flowering took shorter times and vegetative growth, pods dry weight plant−1, pod yield, and germination were markedly increased with the application of boron. Vegetative growth and germinations were significantly increased in light, but the lowest leaf area, pods dry weight plant−1, and pod yield were found in light. Without germination, the highest vegetative growth, reproductive unit, and pod yield were observed from BARI Chinabadam-8. Days to first-last emergence, days to first-50% flowering, and number of branches plant−1 were found linearly related to pod yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was studied to modify the floral and yield contributing characters of tuberose by the influence of gibberellic acid. During the experiment four treatments were tested: control, 100 ppm, 200 ppm and 300 ppm with three replications. The experiment was conducted over two growing periods during April 2013 to March 2015 at Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh. Gibberellic acid regulated the development of spike, bulb and bulblet. GA3 @ 200 ppm was more effectiveon floral initiation, floret iflorescence-1, bulb and bulblet production compared to control. Maximum flowering plants about 92.56%, bulb yield about 15.86 t ha-1 and bulblet yield about 13.60 t ha-1 were found from the plants treated with GA3 @ 200 ppm. Therefore, GA3 @ 200 ppm were found to be effective for the tuberose production rather than other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic substrates on the growth yield, photosynthetic response, and nutritional profile of red leaf lettuce grown in different compositions of cocopeat (CP), sawdust (SD), and rice husk (RH). The result showed that the properties of substrates were influenced variably by their mixing ratios. The highest water holding capacity and moisture content were found in CP, and it provided the preferable pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, and air-filled porosity in association with other categories of the substrate. Cocopeat-based media provides ample microclimate conditions in the root region of plants and increased their height, number of leaves, and fresh biomass components. The utmost dry biomass of plant parts also remarkably increased in CP; L*, a*, and b* chromaticity of leaves remained unchanged. The maximum chlorophyll content was attained in CP substrate, except for chlorophyll a/b, which was higher in RH. The net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and nitrate in leaves were enhanced substantially in CP, while it was lower in SD. Biochemical compositions and nutrients in leaves were likewise stimulated under the culture of cocopeat-based media. Results indicate that cocopeat, sawdust, and rice husk are a possible substrates mixture in a volume ratio of 3:1:1, which would be a better choice in the cultivation of red leaf lettuce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]