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The scope for natural colours is increasing because of the awareness of allergic, toxic, and hazardous reactions associated with synthetic dyes. Natural colours are extracted from sources that are naturally available, such as flora, fauna, and minerals. Nature sourced us multiple possibilities of colours with varied shades and hues that are subtle and harmonious when combined. Reasons like the instability of natural colours during industrial processing, seasonal availability of raw materials, fading of colour over time, cost of the benefit, and struggles in attaining sustainability have reduced commercialisation success as synthetic colours. Some plants that yield natural colours are also included in crop rotation practice. Natural dye extraction is a source of employment for the countrified subdivisions of poor developing countries. Indigenous technologies on natural colour extraction are available and have been practiced over the years; due to a lack of documentation and information on colour-yielding plants or products from horticultural crops, and their extraction methods, the use of natural colours is diminishing day by day. Even in recent years, emerging techniques have been adopted in research and development, and the information has not been brought together for the use of industries and allied sectors. Several modern approaches, such as Ultrasonication, microwave, enzymatic, supercritical, pressurised liquid extraction, etc., have proven to give better results in extracting natural colours. Thereby, having instantaneous information will help to go green, be eco-friendly, and effectively utilise all the resources without compromising industrial benefits. Reviewing the availability of natural colours from horticultural crops, classifications, recent trends in their extraction process, and applications in various fields will help achieve the above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits and vegetables are essential horticultural crops for humans. The quality of fruits and vegetables is critical in determining their nutritional value and edibility, which are decisive to their commercial value. Besides, it is also important to understand the changes in key substances involved in the preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), a powerful technique for investigating biological surfaces, has been widely used to characterize the quality of fruits and vegetables and the substances involved in their preservation and processing from the perspective of nanoscale structure and mechanics. This review summarizes the applications of AFM to investigate the texture, appearance, and nutrients of fruits and vegetables based on structural imaging and force measurements. Additionally, the review highlights the application of AFM in characterizing the morphological and mechanical properties of nanomaterials involved in preserving and processing fruits and vegetables, including films and coatings for preservation, bioactive compounds for processing purposes, nanofiltration membrane for concentration, and nanoencapsulation for delivery of bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the strengths and weaknesses of AFM for characterizing the quality of fruits and vegetables and the substances involved in their preservation and processing are examined, followed by a discussion on the prospects of AFM in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how soil management practices influence the agrobiodiversity of cropping systems is crucial to promoting and maintaining agronomic sustainability in the long term. This study aimed to analyze seed bank diversity and to evaluate the effects of conventional (CONV) and alternative monoculture (ALTMO) and biannual rotation (BIROT) soil management practices in a horticultural cropping system. Soil cores were collected to identify seed bank composition and diversity indices were calculated. Additionally, soil parameters, CO2 efflux, temperature, and moisture were monitored. The results showed that management systems did not influence the composition of soil seed banks showing a prevalence of nitrophilous species in CONV management. Furthermore, the abundance and richness in the CONV and BIROT managements were high and low respectively due to the higher nitrogen rates in the soil. In contrast, ALTMO showed low abundance and a high number of species favoring higher competitiveness with positive effects on crop productivity. A positive correlation between CO2 soil efflux and temperature with species richness and Simpson's diversity index was observed in all management systems while the soil moisture was negatively influenced. Finally, adopting alternative management strategies can preserve and enhance agrobiodiversity, and crop yields, and may contribute to developing more eco-friendly cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most farmers rely heavily on inorganic fertilisers to enhance the production of horticultural crops. This can lead to environmental pollution, soil degradation and even human health problems. Reducing the usage of inorganic fertilisers by incorporating organic fertilisers (e.g. moringa leaf powder (MLP) and chicken litter (CL)) into inorganic fertiliser blends is likely to impact the environment less negatively than the sole application of inorganic fertiliser. The aim of this study was to produce sweet peppers using a combination of organic and inorganic fertilisers. In a controlled environment, MLP (20 g) was blended with CL (30 g) and inorganic fertiliser (Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK 3:1:3)) at different concentrations (10 g (33,33%), 20 g (66,66%), and 30 g (100%)), and applied to the root zone of transplanted sweet pepper seedlings. Treating sweet pepper plants with NPK (20 g) + CL (30 g) + MLP (20 g) resulted in the highest yield, with fruit containing higher total carotenoid concentrations than other treatments. Neither leaf number nor plant height was positively correlated with fruit weight per plant. Leaf chlorophyll and fruit carotenoids were present in the highest concentration in the chemical fertiliser (20 g) + CL (30 g) + MLP (20 g) (T11). Based on the yield, the best-performing combination (3:1:3 fertiliser with CL and MLP), optimal carotenoid concentration on pepper fruits was obtained on chemical fertiliser (20 g) + CL (30 g) + MLP (20 g), suggesting that peppers perform well, despite chemical fertiliser reduction from 30 to 20 g per plant, if CL and MLP are added to the medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sargassum is exploited as a biostimulant in agriculture for its rich bioactive compounds. Extracts from Sargassum promote plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance in agricultural and horticultural crops. Sargassum is a most abundant seaweed, and it occupies a huge proportion of coastal plants. This review unveils key active constituents present in Sargassum such as proximate and ultimate compounds, antioxidants, phytohormones, glucosinoids, bioactive compounds, and enzymes. As a biostimulant, Sargassum mitigates biotic and abiotic stresses. It has a positive impact on soil health, plant physiology, crop yield, animal antimicrobials, and animal feeding, as well as highlighting some sustainable agricultural practices discussed in the review. Integrating Sargassum-based biostimulants in agriculture holds promise for resilient and productive crops with minimal environmental impact. These characteristics are considered the future of ideal agrochemical properties in all dimensions of plant growth and development. These kinds of organic-based biostimulants will be ideal alternatives to toxic chemical agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits the growth and productivity of horticultural crops. Most fruit crops are glycophytes, and their production is adversely affected by salt stress. The key findings indicate that salinity reduces several plant growth parameters such as shoot and root length, number of leaves, plant biomass and relative water content as well as biochemical parameters such as photosynthetic pigments and proline. Physiological results show decreased water absorption, nutrient imbalances such as changes in ion concentrations and hormone levels and increased oxidative stress. Several mitigation strategies are recommended, such as the use of salt-tolerant rootstocks, application of growth regulators and soil amendments to enhance salt tolerance in tropical fruit crops. This review concludes that integrating physiological and agronomic strategies is essential for mitigating the adverse effects of salinity on tropical fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant tissue culture biotechnology offers a sustainable way to adapt to climate change by propagating disease-free plants with the desired traits. This study investigated stakeholders' agronomic, social and economic evaluation of tissue culture plants (TCPs). It unravels micro-level outcomes and indicators that determine TCPs evaluation through a systematic literature review. The 35 articles examined show an imbalance of studies in the three evaluation streams, with social studies on horticultural crops, especially bananas in developing countries, dominating. The results of the TCPs evaluation vary considerably between stakeholders. The main determinants of evaluation are TCPs attributes. TCPs are very knowledge-intensive and costly to establish and manage. Therefore, customising of TCPs to local conditions and closer collaboration between stakeholders are essential for successful implementation. Advisory services, social entrepreneurship and networks are needed to create knowledge-sharing platforms and ecosystems. While single-stream evaluations reveal TCPs superiority over conventionally propagated crops, it is suggested that an integrated assessment be undertaken to combine social, economic, and agronomic indicators and evaluate the technology simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractScarabs are pests of horticultural crops in the north-western Himalayan regions. However, our current understanding falls short in comprehending the factors driving the population flare-ups of these pests. We investigated the pest population dynamic of Melolontha sp. Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and Polyphylla sikkimensis Brenske (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) by monitoring seven sites using UV traps and damage caused by them in 2017 and 2018. Melolontha furcicauda (Ancey) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was the most dominant species, followed by Melolontha Cuprescens Blanchard (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and Melolontha indica Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and P. sikkimensis. The activity of species peaked in July. The highest Shannon (1.35–1.36), Simpson (0.73–0.74) and Pielou’s evenness indices (0.97–0.98) were recorded at Badagaon in both years. Scarab species from Badagaon and Janjehli were similar in species richness and abundance while Palampur and Sangla were most dissimilar. Melolontha indica and M. furcicauda preferred rose the most and M. cuprescens preferred apple. Maximum damage rate of potato (42.5–47.5%), cabbage (26.2–28.8%) and kidney beans (18.7–20.0%) by P. sikkimensis was recorded at Badagaon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLeopard moth Zeuzera multistrigata (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) is a xylophagous insect whose larval stages are cryptic woodborers in apple and many other horticultural and forestry crops. The present study was carried out to test effectiveness of some biocontrol agents along with most effective pesticide against this pest on apple (cv. Royal Delicious) in Himachal Pradesh, India, for three consecutive years by injecting biocontrol agents/chemicals directly into galleries made by pest larvae. Investigations were conducted to observe the effect of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Steinernemma feltiae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and azadirachtin along with a synthetic pesticide chlorpyriphos. The application of chlorpyriphos (0.04%) caused a 100%%larval mortality, whereas among the biocontrol agents H. bacteriophora (5000 IJs/gallery) exhibited the highest mortality of 66.7 to 80.0%% during these three years, which was significantly at par with application of azadirachtin (Neem baan) 1500 ppm @ 2 ml/Litre and S. feltiae @ 5000 IJs/gallery. The lowest mortality (33.3%) was observed with B. bassiana (5 g/Litre) for the first two years and with M. anisopliae (5 g/L) in the third year i.e. 40.0%. Application of entomopathogenic nematode H. bacteriophora (5000 IJs/gallery) is proven to be best among all biocontrol agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables are among the world's most widely produced horticultural crops and are processed into salads, canned foods, juices, pickles, and powders. Processing vegetables into different value-added products generates a large quantity of byproducts, which can have significant socio-economic and environmental impacts. This review summarizes the role of vegetable byproducts, extraction methods, and applications in the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and related industries. It looks at future research and discovery in vegetable byproduct utilization. Vegetable byproducts provide numerous beneficial bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fibers, enzymes, essential oils, pectin, organic acids, food additives, and minerals. These bioactive compounds can be utilized in different industries, including the food industry for the development of functional foods for various population groups and in the medicine and pharmaceutical industries. Different emerging valorization techniques have been successfully used to extract high-value-added products from vegetable byproducts. However, some methods are limited to the laboratory scale, and scaling up these techniques to the industrial scale still has impediments. Future studies are recommended to scale up the extraction methods and beneficial bioactive compounds to fully exploit these vegetable byproducts for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allium sativum (garlic) certainly is one of the oldest horticultural crops in the world and presents bioactive compounds that are related to the garlic's effects on human health. Several authors have shown beneficial effects on diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are among the most relevant causes of mortality in the world. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of garlic in the risk factors of CVD and evaluate its economic importance. MEDLINE–PubMed, COCHRANE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched. The included studies showed that the use of garlic can reduce blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index, LDL-c, non-HDL-c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers. It also can increase the levels of HDL-c and can improve cardiovascular parameters such as coronary artery calcium, microcirculation, epicardial and periaortic adipose tissue, post occlusive reactive hyperemia, low attenuation plaque, carotid intima-media thickness; and carotid intima-media thickness. Due to these reasons, garlic can be considered in the prevention and treatment of CVD risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These biotic stresses cause damages to all parts of the plant including underground tubers and can lead to decreased yield of the plant significantly. In stress conditions such as transplant shock, plants produce high levels of ethylene, a plant hormone that is normally present but the overproduction of which deters plant growth. I Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada i Potato ( I Solanum tuberosum i L.) is an annual tetraploid and heterozygous plant that belongs to the family Solanaceae. [Extracted from the article]

Among the organophosphate pesticides, the wide and indiscriminate use of profenofos (PFF) in agricultural and horticultural crops has resulted in serious environmental and animal health concerns and therefore demands an urgent need to develop a biological solution for its effective removal from the environment. For the bioremediation of PFF, a strain PF1, capable of utilizing profenofos as the sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from the soil samples of apple orchards of Shimla region of Himachal Pradesh, India. Based on the biochemical, FAME, and 16S rRNA gene analysis the bacterium PF1 was identified as Bacillus altitudinis (GenBank: MH986176). The strain was able to degrade 50μg mL−1 PFF up to 93% within 30 days of incubation at 28°C, pH 7.0. A linear regression analysis performed on the data-set revealed the statistical significance of the relationship between the growth of the bacterial population and the degradation of pesticides. The compound 4-Bromo-2-chlorophenol (BCP) was detected as one of the pathway metabolites which further were completely degraded to lower pathway metabolites. A probable PFF degradation pathway has been proposed which follows the path from PFF to BCP and ultimately enters into the TCA cycle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PFF biodegradation by any Bacillus species of western Himalayan origin exhibiting close phylogenetic association with Bacillus altitudinis. This indigenous bacterium can be useful to bio-remediate the PFF contaminated soil as this pesticide is extensively used in the different horticulture fields in Himachal Pradesh, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial lighting systems have tremendously aided the provision of efficient energy for photosynthesis in crop plants but these are seldom fine-tuned to optimally regulate plant growth. Plants are endowed with photoreceptors that enable them to utilise light of different wavelengths as cues for growth and development. These photoreceptors initiate downstream signalling pathways that modulate gene expression which regulates growth and development in the plant. Numerous studies have described these photoreceptors as biochemical switches that can be selectively regulated to control plant growth and development. The rapid advances in our understanding of plant photo-sensory processes, have propelled efforts to extend these findings to the design of plant growth strategies aimed at enhancing plant traits of agronomic importance in crops by manipulating the light environment. Here, we provide an overview of the different known plant photoreceptors and how the quality, quantity or duration of light can affect plant traits such as yield, quality/nutrition, disease/pathogen resistance and flowering; that can enhance the agricultural and/or horticultural value of crops. The objective of the review is to highlight the potential of (and need for) transfer of information gained from laboratory experiments, for optimising photoreceptor activity towards improving specific plant traits, thereby facilitating sustainable and market-oriented crop production in agricultural and horticultural crops along with enhancement in yield and nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species, much like clothing, go in and out of fashion. The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural life of the Lombardy poplar and how it evolved from being greatly admired to reviled in the USA. Despite early widespread popularity, the Lombardy poplar fell swiftly from grace and bore the brunt of an unusually high level of hostility—it was variously called odious, nasty, greedy, and worthless. The country's growing xenophobia and hostility to immigrants in the nineteenth century and the Know-Nothing Movement certainly reinforced and prolonged the hatred of the Lombardy Poplar as a 'useless foreigner', but this paper argues that though certainly tied to the early nativist movement, the shunning of the tree was more complex. It began in Philadelphia, with an unfounded claim that the Lombardy poplar produced a worm whose bite caused instant death, which led to panicked calls for the destruction of all poplars in the city. The worm fiasco was followed by changes in horticultural fashion, a growing sense of pride in all things American, and a greater appreciation for the admirable, even superior, qualities of their own native trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-harvest commodities wastage due to decay caused by the pathogenic fungi generates a huge amount of economic losses worldwide. Different species of Penicillium spoil various foodstuffs and produce mycotoxins, alkaloids and other harmful cellular metabolites in the food. Presently, synthetic fungicides, mainly used for fungal diseases control, are associated with harmful impacts on the environment and consumer health. Hence, non-fungicide based eco-friendly and commercially viable alternative is proposed for ensuring food safety. In recent years, the safer options that have been explored include microbe mediated biological control, botanical pesticides, use of generally regarded as safe (GRAS) compounds, and innovative physical approaches including cold plasma, and pulsed light techniques. These emerging technologies could be utilized in the multiple hurdle concept of disease management for suppressing pathogens growth at different stages of spoilage development. This review, first of its kind, summarizes the exclusive information on Penicillium spp. induced spoilage, associated toxicological concerns and the potential of non-fungicide-based promising approaches for managing fungal wastage in the harvested horticultural commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple (Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh., 1803) is economically important horticultural fruit crop in the world. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Korean apple cultivar 'Kamhong' was characterized through the de novo assembly of Illumina sequencing data. The chloroplast genome is a circular molecule of 161,069 bp length with 36.55% GC content and has a total of 112 genes including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis with protein-coding sequences of chloroplast genome revealed that 'Kamhong' was closely grouped with M. domestica cultivars reported in China. The genomic data generated in this study can extend a molecular basis for phylogenetic relationships of Korean cultivar 'Kamhong' with other M. domestica cultivars bred in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry has high nutritional and economic value and is an important horticultural crop widely cultivated worldwide. Strawberry anthracnose is the most harmful disease in strawberry production, which causes huge production losses every year. Mining disease resistance genes and breeding high-quality strawberry varieties are the fundamental way to solve the problem of strawberry anthracnose. In this study, transcriptome analysis and disease resistance-related genes mining were targeted on strawberry anthracnose. The main results are as follows: (1) A total of 100.45 Gb clean reads were obtained, with no less than 6.26 Gb for each sample; (2) The clean reads for each sample were aligned to the reference genome efficiently at 91.30% − 92.27%; (3) 93,042 genes were annotated; (4) 16 anti-anthracnose-related genes were identified, including FaAUX1, FaARF18, FaSAUR50, FaGH3.6, FaAHP1, FaARR (3, 5 and 11), FaPYR1, FaPYL11, FaPP2C (6, 16, 24, 37 and 51) and FaPR1. The above results can provide theoretical guidance for the molecular breeding of disease resistance of strawberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important for Indonesia as a country with agricultural bases to develop crop insurance. Until now, Indonesia has not had any insurance for horticultural crops other than for corn. This paper discusses horticultural multicrop insurance products based on revenue risk that can be triggered by low prices, low yields, or a combination of both. In designing multicrop insurance products, it is important to model the variability of revenue risk through the implementation of copula toward crop yield and price and to estimate indemnity of the revenue-based multicrop insurance. The analysis employed Gumbel and Clayton copulas to model the dependency structure between crop yield and price of multicrops. Each marginal variable was modeled by using the ARIMA model. The results showed that multicrop revenue insurance tends to reduce the price of agricultural insurance in Indonesia, and thus this program has the potential to have good acceptance in agricultural insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) is classified as a beneficial element in higher plants. Although there is an abundance of literature on Si extraction and analysis in graminaceous crops such as rice and sugarcane, there is limited information on the validation of these methods for most dicotyledonous horticultural crops. These methods include gravimetric extraction, which requires a larger sample size the smaller the Si content in the test plant. A autoclave inductive digestion is considered effective by some and criticized by others due to the use of a strong oxidant and its sensitivity to the level of Si in the plant material. Microwave digestion method occurs in a closed system, which avoids contamination, is quick and results in a high recovery rate due to its high extraction temperature. The aim of this experiment was to validate Si measurement following microwave digestion using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and molybdenum blue colorimetry. The recovery of Si additions as SiO2 was 82%-96% by ICP-OES and 85–94% by colorimetry. The recoveries did not differ between measurement methods (P >.05) but the ICP-OES results were more consistent. The limit of detection for Si determination by means of ICP-OES and that for the spectrophotometry method were 48 µg L−1 and 200 µg L−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a major abiotic stress limiting growth and productivity of field and horticultural crops. Exogenous application of silicon (Si) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation has the potential to alleviate the adverse effect of drought stress on plant. A factorial experiment consisting of four monosilicic acid (MSA) doses (0, 75, 150 and 300 kg ha−1), two levels of AMF inoculation (inoculation of AMF [+AMF] and without inoculation of AMF [–AMF]) and three soil moisture regimes (100%, 75% and 50% field capacity [FC]) was conducted to evaluate the effect of Si and AMF inoculation on growth, yield and water productivity of rice under water-deficit stress. The soil moisture regimes of 75% and 50% FC indicate a 25% and 50% depletion of the maximum amount of water held in the soil, respectively, whereas 100% FC refers to the maximum amount of water held in the soil after gravitational water drainage stops. An overall reduction in growth and yield of rice was observed with decreasing soil moisture regime; however, application of 300 kg MSA ha−1 increased shoot dry matter by 28% compared with 0 kg MSA ha−1 under limited soil moisture availability of 75% and 50% FC. Similarly, grain yield was increased by 37% and 39% at 300 kg MSA ha−1 compared with the control in the –AMF and + AMF plants, respectively, under moderate soil moisture level of 75% FC. The corresponding increase at 50% FC was 52% and 55%, respectively. The present results demonstrated a synergistic effect of exogenous application of MSA at 300 kg ha−1 (60 kg ha−1 soluble Si) and AMF inoculation on rice under water-deficit stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently X-ray fluorescence techniques have been widely used in food and agricultural science areas. Minimal sample preparation, nondestructive analysis, high spatial resolution, and multiple elements measurements within a single sample are among its advantages. In this review, literature of X-ray fluorescence are extensively researched and summarized from food and agricultural science areas focusing on food safety inspection, food nutrition, plant science, soil science, and Ca-related problems in horticultural crops. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of X-ray fluorescence comparing with traditional analytical techniques of elements are also discussed. The more advanced technology such as developments of detector, scanning system, beamline capability among others would significantly increase future application of X-ray fluorescence techniques. Combination use of XRF with other tools such as chemometrics or data analytics would greatly improve its prediction performance. These further improvements offer exciting perspectives for the application of X-ray fluorescence in the food and agricultural science areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB) are often used in the field of vegetable and horticultural crops. In this study, a strain of Bacillus pseudomycoides was used as the KSB strain and different combinations of muriate of potash (MoP) and mica waste (MW) along with that strain were applied in soil to evaluate its effect on exchangeable K content in soil and yield of tea shoots. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the possibility of applying an indigenous KSB strain and MW combination for reducing doses of MoP during cultivation of perennial crops like tea. The study over two consecutive years revealed that cumulative tea production of some of the applied treatments was significantly higher than that of recommended MoP treatment. Application of KSB and MW in the first split instead of MoP recorded higher exchangeable K content in soil during August to October, especially in the second year of the study. The study confirmed B. pseudomycoides can be used as a KSB biofertilizer in soil and application of MW and KSB combined replacing MoP in the first split could be economical as well as improving K use-efficiency in soil and increased yield and K-uptake by the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic engineering techniques offer opportunities for deliberate modulation and enhance the bio-functionality and bio-availability of horticultural crops, particularly fruit and vegetable which can aid in realising the goals of food and nutritional security for the burgeoning world population. The need of the hour calls upon us to use modern-day technologies such as genetic engineering in horticultural field as well for eradication of globally widespread hunger and malnutrition while the population is escalating and climate change is imminent. However, rigorous testing and trials to elucidate any unfounded fear and notion are warranted before the release of genetically modified (GM) crops for ensuring environmental and food safety. In this review, there is an attempt by the authors to compile and discuss the modulation in postharvest biology, edible quality, functional properties and storage life of genetically modified fruit and vegetable along with challenges in their use and consumer acceptance. The review also provides an outline of GM fruit and vegetable research prioritisation along with road map for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional requirement of orchids is similar to other plants. Still, being mostly epiphytic, they have special mechanisms by which they can survive in limited nutrient condition without showing any deficiency symptom. Also because of their epiphytic nature, domesticating them as a pot plant is quite challenging. Nutritional management in orchids is more complicated than any other agri-horticultural crops. For orchids, water-soluble nutrients are applied in solution form, at a regular interval at once or twice a week. Unlike other crops, basal application or two to three split application of nutrients are not recommended for orchids. Studies conducted throughout the world show N, P and K play a significant role for successful orchid growing. Most of the orchid nutritional study in the world had considered N, P and K as the key elements of study. There are several reports on the benefit of the integrated application of organic and inorganic nutrients to the orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nacobbus aberrans affects plants growth and development, and decreases the production of numerous horticultural crops. Several investigations have shown that symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizae can confer tolerance to pathogens through different action mechanisms, such as nutrient space competition and plant resistance induction. The aim of this study was to analyse the potential of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF): Rhizophagus intraradices B1, Rhizophagus intraradices A2 and Funneliformis mosseae in the control of N. aberrans, and to evaluate the physiological and biochemical responses to inoculation in pepper plants. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions. Mycorrhization percentages, chlorophyll, carotenes, soluble proteins, proline, phenolic compounds, total and reducing sugar content, relative conductivity of root cell membranes and final nematode population were determined. The mycorrhization percentages were higher in plants parasitised by N. aberrans than in those not parasitised. The final population of nematodes was reduced in the presence of mycorrhizae. In the absence of AMF, parasitism by N. aberrans caused a decrease in the soluble proteins and chlorophyll content. The loss of functionality of infected roots in the plants induced water stress, reflected by the accumulation of proline, sugar and increased the relative conductivity of cell membranes. At the same time, as a product of pathogenesis, phenolic compounds accumulated. Inoculation with AMF decreased the proline, sugars, phenolic compounds content and relative conductivity. These results show the potential for the use of AMF in pepper production to reduce the population of N. aberrans, being the strain R. intraradices B1 as the most promising candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinator conservation has become a key challenge to achieve sustainable agricultural landscapes and safeguard food supplies. Considering the potential negative effects of pollinator decline, international efforts have been developed to promote agri-environmental measures and pollinator-friendly management practices. However, little effort has been devoted to farmers' perceptions and knowledge about pollinators, or to farmers' role in enhancing pollination. We administered 376 face-to-face questionnaires in four areas of Spain with different dominant pollinator-dependent crops, to assess the factors behind farmers' perceptions, knowledge, and practices adopted to promote pollination. Overall, 92.7% of the respondents recognized that pollinator insects are necessary for crop production, and 73.4% perceived pollinator decline in their farms. We found that farmers had moderate knowledge about pollinators (6.1 ± 1.8, on a 1–10 scale). The most applied practices to promote pollinators were reducing insecticide spraying (53.2% of respondents), diversifying crops (42.8%), and increasing fallow fields (39.1%). Factors such as education, age, concern about the pollinator crisis, and professional dedication to agriculture strongly influenced farmers' knowledge and current application of pollinator-friendly practices. Implications of our results for the ongoing reform of the Common Agricultural Policy are discussed, highlighting the need to increase engagement and trust of farmers through communication and technical assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coming decades, ensuring food security is one of the greatest challenges in Ethiopia. Most Ethiopians practice mixed agricultural activity which represents about 33.88% of the country's GDP. Therefore, this paper is devoted to reviewing the existing agricultural challenges and future prospects in the country. Majorly, it focused on the shortage of farmland, climate change, fragmentation and degradation of farmland, unevenly distributed constructions and urbanizations, pests, lack of integration among stakeholders, political instabilities, and its prospects. Despite the numerous challenges, Ethiopia has marvelous opportunities like the commercialization of fruit, vegetable, and ornamental plant productions. The country has also ample opportunity in the areas of animal production that ranks first in Africa in the number of livestock heads. The country has a huge labor force and water resources. It is proximity to Middle East markets is valuable to transport fresh products within a short period of time to the needed destination. However, Ethiopia's current fruit, vegetable, and animal production for export are very limited because of fragmented cultivation and lack of quality. The country has also a great variety of climate and soil types that enables it to grow a diversity of horticultural crops. Therefore, emphasizing agriculture in Ethiopia requires the political as well as the economic commitment of all parties concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otiorhynchus sulcatus, known as the vine weevil, is a polyphagous pest that causes economically important damage to horticultural crops worldwide. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum is widely used to control this pest. Little research has investigated variation in susceptibility to this pathogen between vine weevil populations at different locations. This study addresses this knowledge gap by comparing survival rates of larvae from adults collected in two UK areas when treated with M. brunneum. Larvae from these locations did not differ in their susceptibility, suggesting that location per se may not affect the efficacy of M. brunneum against vine weevil larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable methods to estimate nitrogen (N) mineralization from organic amendments are needed to improve the fertilization recommendations for organic horticultural crops. With this aim, N mineralization from farmyard manure compost (FYMC), commercial organic fertilizer (COF) based on materials that are prompt to rapid N mineralization and green manure was determined in field situation where environmental factors affect mineralization rates and under controlled laboratory conditions that may not reflect conditions in the field. The ability of field and laboratory incubations to predict N mineralization was estimated during a field organic crop rotation set up with a cover crop of rye and vetch, followed by Portuguese cabbage and carrot. The relationship between mineralized N in field incubation and crop N accumulation suggests that field incubation is effective to predict N mineralization from FYMC, COF and green manure. However, the pattern of N mineralization from FYMC and green manure was different in field and laboratory incubation conditions as opposed to N mineralization from COF that was similar in both incubations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squash leaf curl (SLC) disease causes serious damage in a great diversity of horticultural crops worldwide and is due to infection by different ssDNA bipartite begomoviruses (Family Geminiviridae). Symptoms of leaf yellowing, stunting and curling have been observed in squash crops in the southern region of the Baja California (BC) Peninsula in the northwestern region of Mexico for at least a decade. The damage estimated for all localities showed disease incidence of 73.3% to 97.7% and severity of 49%. Infected plants were collected in three localities in addition to adult whiteflies for species determination. Squash leaf curl virus (SLCuV) was detected in both infected plants and whiteflies by PCR using specific primers that amplified a 601 bp fragment. The full-length DNA-A sequence was 99.1% identical to sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic studies using the core CP region showed that the BC isolate grouped within a well-defined clade together with SLCuV from the Mediterranean Middle East and USA. The molecular analysis in individual adult whiteflies determined that all populations belonged to Bemisia tabaci (MEAM1) (biotype B) species. No evidence of the Mediterranean (MED) species (biotype Q) was found. The SLC disease has prevailed in squash in the region in several growing cycles and in geographically separated localities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of SLCuV associated with squash plants in BCS, Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, lack of irrigation water is critical factor that reduce horticultural crop production and productivity. This serious shortage of irrigation water requires improvement of our irrigation methods and irrigation management techniques. "One of the possible methods to maximize crop production with limited irrigation water was deficit irrigation one way of deficit irrigation was partial rootzone drying". Therefore, the objective of the review was to assess impact of partial root zone drying on soil water content, and physiology of plants mainly, water absorption, movement, its use efficiency by plants and to suggest role chlorophyll fluorescence on partial root zone dying irrigation management. Result of different studies showed that partial rootzone drying irrigation preserve soil moisture lessening and irrigation water absorption by compensating water absorbed from dry part of the root zone to the wetter part and dry part is irrigated or rewetted alternatively. When we use partial root-zone drying irrigation ABA mediated aquaporin activity increases, which in turn increase the movement of water upward in to stem and leaf. This occurs in both the wet to dried zones. Partial rootzone drying irrigation saves 518 m3 ha−1 irrigation water in moisture deficit year and increase irrigation water use efficiency by 70%, and it reduce grain yield by only 10% compared to full irrigation. Chlorophyll fluorescence may help in early detection of plant water stress and ultimately to irrigation scheduling o f partial rootzone drying irrigation. Generally, this review highlights some importance of partial rootzone drying irrigation and suggests methods to manage it mainly chlorophyll fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of protein-encoding genes in determining phenotype is well established, whereas the impact of small RNAs in regulating horticultural traits is being gradually recognized. Small RNAs are small noncoding RNAs of 20–24-nt, which regulate target genes by post-transcriptional regulation or de-novo DNA methylation. In plants, small RNAs are classified into the following two major categories, microRNA (miRNA) and short interfering RNA (siRNA). Most small RNA research focuses on model plants (e.g. Arabidopsis, tomato and rice), and has identified the function of small RNAs on plant development (e.g. meristem organization, leaf development, flower organ identity and transition to flowering). Recently, small RNA sequencing has been applied to study gene regulation in horticultural crops. Plant specific small RNA (miRNAs and phasiRNAs) families have similar function across model plants to horticultural crops. In addition, most plants have unique nonconserved small RNAs, which might affect specific traits. This review focuses on small RNA biogenesis, function prediction and the roles of small RNAs in horticultural traits (e.g. flowering, fruit quality, abiotic and biotic stress), and summarizes small RNA information for future horticultural crop research and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of New Zealand Journal of Crop & Horticultural Science includes papers describing some current research activities in mānuka. The research projects were planned and undertaken with various degree of Māori involvement. Here we give a perspective as three of the senior authors, and discuss science at the intersection of Māori and Pākehā cultures, focusing on mānuka. The underlying conclusion is that the processes for accessing plant material, engaging with Māori on the use of this material in science, and the ownership and dissemination of resulting data, have not often been appropriate and there should be a greater degree of inclusion of Māori in research involving taonga species. There is increasing recognition amongst non-Māori scientists within the Aotearoa New Zealand science community that research involving taonga species must follow the country's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, and be led by Māori cultural values, concepts and practices. On this basis future research involving taonga species should include co-design and co-management of research projects, analysis of the risks and benefits, and prior discussion and agreement on the use and implications of any new knowledge generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of horticultural crops, such as green peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers is very common in semi-arid Mediterranean climate conditions. Two field experiments were performed to determine the effect of mycorrhizal species, plant species and phosphorus levels on mycorrhizal effectiveness and phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) nutrient uptake. In the first experiment, under field conditions, four plants species were inoculated with five arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) species. In the second field experiment, under the same soil conditions, the same plant species were treated with three levels of phosphorus (P), i.e., control; 50 kg and 100 kg P2O5 ha−1. The most effective mycorrhiza species Claroideoglomus etunicatum selected in the first experiment was used in the second field first experiment. In the first experiment, fruit yield enhancement, yield increase, inoculation effectiveness and nutrient concentration in the plant leaves were analyzed. Under field conditions, plant species growth is strongly dependent on the species of AM fungi. Tomato and green pepper plants were inoculated with Cl. etunicatum, eggplants were inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae and bell peppers were inoculated with Rhizophagus clarus, which are high fruit-yielding plant species. In general, Fu. mosseae and Cl. etunicatum increased the yield of the tomatoes, green peppers and eggplants. It seems mycorrhiza species specific to plant species. In the second experiment, mycorrhizal inoculation with P fertilizer application, in particular a moderate amount of P (50 kg ha−1 P2O5) fertilizer increased the green pepper, bell pepper and tomato fruit yield compared with non-inoculated plants and non-P fertilizer application treatments. Increasing the application of P level reduced the mycorrhizal inoculation effectiveness (MIE). The results indicate that for all four solanaceae family plants 50 kg ha−1 P2O5 is a P level threshold for mycorrhizal development, which enhanced plant growth and addition of fertilizer over 50 kg ha−1 P2O5 reduced MIE. P and Zn uptake were significantly increased with mycorrhizal inoculation. These findings are supported by our hypothesis that mycorrhiza inoculation can reduce mycorrhizal dependent horticultural plants P fertilizer requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Not only is 2019 the 100th anniversary of the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, but to celebrate 150 years since Dmitri Mendeleev formally proposed the system of organising the chemical elements it is also the International Year of the Periodic table of Chemical Elements. This Centenary Review highlights work that has been published in this journal across its full history, illustrating how horticultural research involving the chemical elements of the periodic table has evolved over the past 100 years. The development of understanding of mineral nutrition is particularly highlighted, along with research through the century on crop protection and post-harvest spoilage prevention. More recent areas of research such as how mineral composition of horticultural crops affects the nutritional qualities of our food as well as investigations into bio-fortification are reviewed. How research into the importance of other elements such as silicon can mediate against environmental stressors is also included. Abbreviation: N: Nitrogen; P: Phosphorus; K: Potassium; Ca: Calcium; Mg: Magnesium; S: Sulfur; Cl: Chlorine; Fe: Iron; B: Boron; Zn: Zinc; Mn: Manganese; Cu: Copper; Ni: Nickel; Mo: Molybdenum [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of nitrogen (N) is a common practice used to achieve profitable yields in horticultural crops and N application can be used as a tool to manipulate the enhancement of phytochemicals in vegetable crops to address consumer-oriented quality production. Our previous findings recommended 90 kg ha−1 for certain types of cauliflower varieties without compromising yields. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of N application on glucosinolates and phenolic acids, at harvest, in varieties 'Largardo', 'Eskimo' and 'CF-744' grown in the field. N was applied as ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) at concentrations from 0, 60, 90, 120, 150 to 180 kg ha−1. Variety 'CF-744' was more sensitive to N supply and at 180 kg ha−1 N it showed the highest accumulation of glucosinolates (sinigrin, glucoiberin, progoitrin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin) at harvest. However, 90 kg ha−1 N supply demonstrated the highest accumulation of majority of the glucosinolates in varieties 'Largardo' and 'Eskimo'. Different varieties responded differently to N supply and glucosinolate levels in cauliflowers. Also, different varieties responded differently to N supply and antioxidant property. In all three varieties, the N supply at 120 kg ha−1 showed the highest accumulation of protocatechoic acid, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, ρ-coumaric acid and caffeic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (JHSB) celebrates, in 2019, a century of continuously publishing peer-review, research-based articles and reviews. Since 1919 scientific discoveries and their application through subsequently-evolved industrial technologies have formed the basis for enormous advances and changes in the production of fruit, vegetables and ornamentals. New industries have been founded and expanded. Science has brought greater precision, predictability and reliability into horticultural crop production, raising the quality and range of products Market forces themselves have imposed vast change in the manner by which horticultural products are produced. Horticultural industries have coped with and thrived on these changes because of their swift and effective adoption of discoveries in horticultural science, which in turn has driven the need for more research in a cyclic process. This review follows, through a selection of articles published in JHSB, the evolution of aspects of horticultural science and identifies how change has influenced crops and their production. The history of change in horticultural science and the industries which it serves is contained within the articles selected. They demonstrate the successful manner in which JHSB has fulfilled the aspirations of its founders for a science-based journal which offers new ideas for industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), are one of the most serious pests of horticultural crops worldwide. Despite one third of its lifecycle being in the soil, the potential for biological control of WFT in the soil is poorly understood and requires further elucidation. A number of studies report that polyphagous predatory mites prey on pupal stages of WFT in the soil, but little has been done on consumption rates. Therefore, we designed a laboratory study to examine the rate of consumption of WFT pupae in potting media, by the soil-dwelling mite Hypoaspis sclerotarsa (Costa). Five predator densities were evaluated (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) against four densities of WFT prey (5, 10, 15 and 20 pupae). Pupal consumption was assessed at 2 hourly intervals over a six-hour period. The study confirmed that H. sclerotarsa did consume WFT pupae and that the rate of consumption increased with increasing density of H. sclerotarsa. The rate of consumption also increased with the density of WFT pupae. However, this was not consistent because, as the numbers of WFT pupae increased, so did the ratio of WFT pupae remaining to those consumed, increase. This paper is the first report of H. sclerotarsa in Kenya, and of its potential as a biocontrol agent of WFT. Further studies are now needed to understand interaction of foliar and soil dwelling predatory mites (H. sclerotarsa) for control of WFT under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfactants are often used in seed coatings to homogenise seed size and to protect seeds from injuries. Being near developing seeds surfactants may affect germination. Therefore the potential toxicity of different common surfactants on onion (Allium cepa) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds was evaluated. Anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate and Aerosol 22) and non-ionic surfactants (Triton X100, Brij35, Tween 80 and Glucopone 600) were tested at 0.65, 6.5 and 32.5 g L−1. Seed germination, defined as seeds with a root > 3 mm, root length, fresh and dry weight of emerged plantlets were measured. In general, the highest surfactant concentration totally inhibited seed germination. Sodium dodecyl sulfate was the most hazardous while Tween 80 for onion and Brij35 for both plant seeds were the least phytotoxic compounds. Both non-ionic surfactants and Aerosol 22 were the recommended compounds for onion and lettuce seed coating at low concentrations (< 0.65 g L−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to a better understanding of climate change adaptation by investigating different farming systems and by including cognitive factors as explanatory variables. We compared a food crop and a horticultural farming system, regarding applied adaptation measures and factors influencing adaptation. The data were based on a field survey of 267 smallholder farmers in Laikipia County of Kenya. A binary logistic regression was conducted against individual adaptation measures to identify determinants of adaptation. Adaptation measures employed by food crop farmers were mainly risk-reducing, such as mixed- and inter-cropping, planting early-maturing crop varieties and early planting. In contrast, horticultural farmers tended to focus more on intensifying crop production and applied crop rotation, irrigation and application of agro-chemicals, artificial fertilizer and manure. Factors positively influencing adaptation included access to extension services and risk perception among horticultural farmers, and access to workforce and farmers groups among food crop farmers. Furthermore, food crop farmers with access to less risk-prone income sources than agriculture seemed to have less motivation to adapt. The study showed that as climate change progresses, social differences between horticultural and food crop farmers are likely to increase, hence leading to inequalities in adaptation at local levels. Adaptation planners need to address these differences if sustainable adaptation is to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kiwifruit was originally called "Chinese gooseberry", because people thought the fruit had a gooseberry flavour. China and New Zealand have a long history of close ties and cooperation in the horticultural industry. Kiwifruit seed was first brought to New Zealand from Yichang by Mary Isabel Fraser in 1904 and was subsequently used by Hayward Wright to breed the first commercial kiwifruit cultivar "Hayward". [Extracted from the article]

A review of publications on "Strawberry" was done by using the Scopus database for the period 1960–2016. A total of 10,400 articles were found in the database and analyzed using a variety of measures. Results show that publication increased exponentially from 1960 to 2016. Multiple authors are collaborating in strawberry research. Acta Horticulturae was the most productive journal. The United States of America was the most productive country. The greatest portion of the research was concerned with medicinal benefits of strawberries to humans. This work will be useful to researchers in identifying trends in strawberry research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiments were performed to explore the effect of moisture on fragmentation properties of Mengdong (MD) lignite, Xiao Longtan (XLT) lignite, and Zhaotong (ZT) lignite with temperature of 200°C and particle size of 13-10 mm using the fixed bed reactor. It showed fragmentation ratio and pulverization ratio increased, and particle size variation ratio decreased with an increase in initial moisture of lignite. The distribution of moisture in pores under different initial moisture contents was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance. The distribution of moisture in pores between raw and dried lignite was different. The water content in macropores rapidly decreased, but water content in mesopores remained constant in prior period and then slightly decreased with the residence time increasing. There was a good connectivity between macropores and mesopores. The water in micropores, which hardly influenced fragmentation, was generally closed and not favored for the mobility of water. The water in macropores had a significant effect on fragmentation of lignite. However, when the moisture content in macropores was less than 0.10 g/g coal, the degree of fragmentation became little. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined practice of sulfuration and drying is widely applied for extending shelf life of fruits. The differences in fruit size are not taken into consideration during these applications and during fresh fruit consumption. In this study, effect of fruit size and drying methods (hot air-drying and sun drying) on the chemical composition of fresh and sulfurated apricot was investigated. Total drying times for sun drying and hot air-drying were 11 d and 51 h, respectively. A temperature gradient was applied during hot air-drying. The fruit size substantially affects the composition of both fresh and dried apricots. The results were subjected to principal component analysis. The small-sized fresh apricots discriminate themselves from large ones with higher amounts of phenolic compounds, whereas the large-sized fresh apricots contain more sugar and organic acids. Size classification and hot air-drying are advisable for high-quality dried apricot production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of variation in fruit quality in relation to tree age can help understand the issue of poor fruit quality in young orchards; however, limited information is available on the citrus fruit. In this study, the endogenous nutritional status in rind, rag, and leaves; pectin status in rind and rag; and anatomical fruit growth parameter in rind tissues were studied in ‘Kinnow’ mandarins fruit during their development on trees from three age (6-, 18-, and 35-year-old) groups. In older (35-year-old) trees, rind, rag, and leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations were superior. In fruit from all tree age groups, total pectin and protopectin reduced; however water-soluble pectin (WSP) improved. In rind tissues harvested from young (6-year-old) trees, cell density was more while cell size was less. In all tree age groups, cell density in rind tissues correlated negatively with rind WSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation sequencing techniques provide a new insight into the genetic bases of the most important commercial traits in fruit trees. The genomic deep sequencing results of peach cultivar ‘Xiaobaitao’ and its bud variation type ‘Jinliuzaohong’ are reported here. The numbers of detected Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in wild type and in mutant were 591,485 and 593,484, with that of InDel as 113,934 and 115,065, respectively. Interestingly, the numbers of SNPs and InDels that differentiate ‘Jinliuzaohong’ from ‘Xiaobaitao’ were 50,217 and 19,368, respectively. The number of genes with non-synonymous mutation was 887, which involved in 109 pathways. The authors found dozens of genes involved in the important commercial traits of peach fruit which are of variations in Coding sequence (CDS) regions, including 3 NAC family genes, i.e. NAC66, NAC68, and NAC78. The relevant commercial traits of peach fruit include colour coverage, maturity date, fruit size, and sugar content. A phylogenetic tree of homological NAC proteins indicated relationship among the species. Genome sequence data suggested that a series of genes and several genetic pathways were likely involved in the formation of the important traits in peach fruits. The findings provide new evidence for the functions of the candidate genes controlling peach fruit traits which were proposed previously by researchers using QTL analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]