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The present investigation was undertaken in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) to estimate combining ability and gene action following a half diallel mating design using ten parents. The ratio of genetic variance components, σ2gca/σ2sca and σ2D/σ2A, showed dominant gene action, indicating the presence of non-additive genetic variance for days to 50% flowering, fruit yield per plant, total phenol, antioxidant activity and total soluble sugar. The traits fruits per plant, fruit girth, and fruit weight showed additive genetic variance. Among the parental genotypes, AB 15-08, ABSR 2 and AB 20-13 were found to be good general combiners for fruit yield, fruits per plant, and total soluble solids. The three highest-ranking hybrids were AB 15-08 × AB 20-13, AB 15-08 × AB 20-03 and AB 20-07 × GP BRJ 224. The above hybrids would be rewarding for harnessing heterosis.

The experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–23 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to study the improvement in yield and quality parameters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivar using brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) rootstock. Three improved cultivars of tomatoes i.e. Kashi Aman, Kashi Adarsh and Kashi Chayan were grafted over three brinjal rootstocks, IC-111056, IC- 354557, and Surya. Experimental findings revealed that brinjal rootstocks significantly affected photosynthetic traits, root architectures, fruit yields and quality traits of tomatoes. Maximum photosynthetic rate (23.8 µmol/m2/s) and stomatal conductance (492.74 mmol/m2/s) were recorded in Kashi Chayan grafted over Surya rootstock, whereas chlorophyll fluorescence yields (Fv/Fm) was significantly higher in Kashi Aman self-rooted plants (0.452–0.457). Grafting tomato onto brinjal rootstocks significantly enhanced most of the yield traits, such as fruit number, weight, size and yields. Surya + Kashi Chayan graft combination registered an enhancement in number of fruits and yields by 8.65% and 8.4%, respectively over self-rooted Kashi Chayan. Significantly higher root volumes were noticed in two graft combinations i.e. IC-354557 + Kashi Aman (28.53 cm2) and Surya + Kashi Chayan (27.98 cm2), while 63% and 44.5% higher root length density (RLD) were registered in graft combinations IC-354557 + Kashi Chayan and Surya + Kashi Chayan, respectively over self-rooted Kashi Chayan. Fruit quality such as lycopene and ascorbic acid contents were significantly affected in different rootstocks and scions, whereas fruit acidity was unaffected. From the present study it may be conclude that use of brinjal rootstock Surya significantly improved most of the physiological, yield, root architecture and fruit quality in Kashi Chayan tomato cultivars.

The present investigation was undertaken in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) to estimate combining ability and gene action following a half diallel mating design using ten parents. The ratio of genetic variance components, σ² gca/σ² sca and σ² D/σ² A, showed dominant gene action, indicating the presence of non-additive genetic variance for days to 50% flowering, fruit yield per plant, total phenol, antioxidant activity and total soluble sugar. The traits fruits per plant, fruit girth, and fruit weight showed additive genetic variance. Among the parental genotypes, AB 15-08, ABSR 2 and AB 20- 13 were found to be good general combiners for fruit yield, fruits per plant, and total soluble solids. The three highestranking hybrids were AB 15-08 × AB 20-13, AB 15-08 × AB 20-03 and AB 20-07 × GP BRJ 224. The above hybrids would be rewarding for harnessing heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustained higher profitability of a pomegranate orchard relies heavily on the production of a greater proportion of high-quality fruits, a goal achievable through the implementation of effective management practices. The objective of this study is to provide site-specific supplementary knowledge regarding the response of pomegranate plants to various management practices under arid conditions. With the aim of enhancing both marketable fruit yield and quality of pomegranate in arid regions, four separate and simultaneous experiments were conducted in the same orchard to evaluate (i) the response of planting materials derived from tissue culture, air layering, and cutting; (ii) the impact of crop (fruit) load; (iii) the response of crop regulation; and (iv) the application response of organo-mineral fertilizers containing potassium (OMF-K) and phosphorus (OMF-P). The results obtained for plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality did not exhibit significant differences among pomegranate plants raised through the three different methods of vegetative propagation. Striking results in terms of producing superior-grade fruits, higher marketable yield, and overall fruit quality were achieved with crop loads of 80 fruits per plant. Staggering the crop regulation from June to September effectively extended the harvesting season to four months, from the last week of November to March, with eventual benefit of reduced fruit cracking compared to the standard two-month harvesting period obtained from normal regulation. Soil application of the indigenously developed OMF-K in two equal splits, along with the recommended N and P through inorganic sources, significantly reduced fruit cracking (only 6.23%) compared to the recommended NPK through inorganic sources (26.9%), while maintaining similar physicochemical quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current work, the effects of foliar application of two commercial fertilizers [CalfalB (containing calcium and boron) and Rice (containing macro- and micronutrients)] on leaf minerals, chlorophyll content, yield, and fruit quality, as well as some phytochemical characteristics of mandarins ‘Page’ was investigated for two consecutive years. The solutions were applied three times: mid-June and two more sprays at intervals of 18 days. Based on the results, leaves of fertilized mandarin plants with Rice and CalfalB accumulated higher N, P K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, and Fe concentrations than unfertilized plants. Application of fertilizers, especially Rice, increased significantly the content of chlorophyll a (p < 0.001) and total chlorophyll (p = 0.0013) in the leaves. Trees fertilized with Rice showed a higher percentage of fruit yield, juice, pulp, and rind. Moreover, mandarins treated with fertilizers, especially Rice, had a higher level of TSS (total soluble solids), TSS/TA (titratable acidity), color parameters of the rind [L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)], vitamin C, phenol compounds, carotenoid, and antioxidant activity. The results of our research work showed that an application of fertilizers containing macro- and microelements by spraying can considerably improve fruit yield and quality of the mandarin ‘Page’, especially in areas with poor soils.

Abstract High-quality red/dry chilli for spice, pharmaceutical and medicinal purposes is a major goal in chilli breeding. The male sterile lines have greater potential for the exploitation of heterosis in chilli to achieve this objective. Genetic male sterile lines with special traits like destalking and ability to withstand high rainfall were involved in heterosis breeding to identify hybrids for commercial and industrial purposes. Forty F1 hybrids were developed by crossing 4 diverse GMS lines with 10 testers using Line × Tester mating design to estimate heterosis, combing ability and gene action. The experiment involving 14 parents and 40 F1s, along with standard variety ‘CH-27’ was laid out in α-lattice square design in three replications during summer 2020 and 2021. The GMS lines MS 9-2 and MS 26-1 along with testers DPCh 10, VVG, DPCh 40 and Him Palam Mirch-2 showed significant GCA for marketable red/dry fruit yield and majority of their component traits. Ten F1 hybrids were identified with superiority for fruit yield based on mean performance, significant heterosis and SCA effects, providing an opportunity to utilize them in value-added products and dried spice purposes viz., MS 9-2 × HPM-2, MS 11-2 × DPCh 40, MS 9-2 × DPCh 40 and MS 9-2 × DPCh 101 with erect fruiting habit and that of MS 9-2 × DPCh 10, MS 26-1 × DPCh 10, MS 9-2 × PBC 535, MS 26-1 × VVG, MS 29-2 × DPCh 10 and MS 26-1 × DPCh 22- C with pendent fruits. The non-additive gene action was predominant in the expression of fruit yield, total red fruits/plant, oleoresin and capsanthin. A significant positive correlation among SCA, economic heterosis and per se performance is an indicative to identify superior hybrids. Multi-location testing of these hybrids shall pave way to exploit them commercially by making them available to the farmers.

The Fruit Harvest Helper, a mobile application developed by Northwest Nazarene University's (NNU) Robotics Vision Lab, aims to assist farmers in estimating fruit yield for apple orchards. Currently, farmers manually estimate the fruit yield for an orchard, which is a laborious task. The Fruit Harvest Helper seeks to simplify their process by detecting apples on images of apple trees. Once the number of apples is detected, a correlation can then be applied to this value to obtain a usable yield estimate for an apple tree. While prior research efforts at NNU concentrated on developing an iOS app for blossom detection, this current research aims to adapt that smart farming application for apple detection across multiple platforms, iOS and Android. Borrowing ideas from the former iOS app, the new application was designed with an intuitive user interface that is easy for farmers to use, allowing for quick image selection and processing. Unlike before, the adapted app uses a color ratio-based image-segmentation algorithm written in C++ to detect apples. This algorithm detects apples within apple tree images that farmers select for processing by using OpenCV functions and C++ code. The results of testing the algorithm on a dataset of images indicate an 8.52% Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.6 between detected and actual apples on the trees. These findings were obtained by evaluating the images from both the east and west sides of the trees, which was the best method to reduce the error of this algorithm. The algorithm's processing time was tested for Android and iOS, yielding an average performance of 1.16 s on Android and 0.14 s on iOS. Although the Fruit Harvest Helper shows promise, there are many opportunities for improvement. These opportunities include exploring alternative machine-learning approaches for apple detection, conducting real-world testing without any human assistance, and expanding the app to detect various types of fruit. The Fruit Harvest Helper mobile application is among the many mobile applications contributing to precision agriculture. The app is nearing readiness for farmers to use for the purpose of yield monitoring and farm management within Pink Lady apple orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is an extreme global concern due to changing climate and rapid population growth. Worldwide, freshwater sources are depleting and there is a need to implement water-conserving approaches in water-limited or arid areas for sustainable crop production. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of deficit irrigation on cucumber plant physiology, growth, and fruit yield traits grown under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized design with four water regimes, 100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% crop water requirement (ETc). Results showed that the highest plant leaf chlorophyll contents (43.2 µmol m-2), plant biomass (12.43 g), plant height (172.39 cm), number of leaves (19.85), fruit yield (2.49 kg), and total soluble solids (3.73 °Brix) were in plants irrigated at 100% level. In comparison, the lowest plant height (115.73 cm), number of leaves (15.77) and fruit yield (1.81 kg) were recorded at 40% irrigation. Results revealed that reduced irrigation regimes up to 80% or 60% have no significant inhibitory effects on cucumber agro-morphological traits. However, 40% of irrigation levels showed significantly reduced plant morphological and fruit yield traits. Overall, the result demonstrated that regulated deficit irrigation can significantly conserve water without negatively impacting cucumber yield.

Introduction Pepper is a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals. Like tomatoes, pepper plays an important role in preventing heart diseases due to its high amount of antioxidants. Fruit yield is a complex trait that is not only controlled by several genes, but also greatly influenced by the environment. On the other hand, fruit yield is affected by a large number of other traits and their interaction. Therefore, it is very important for plant breeders to know the relationships between these traits and their interaction effects. The path coefficient analysis is a method that clarifies the relationships between traits and their direct and indirect effects on fruit yield. In this method, the correlation coefficient between two attributes is divided into components that measure direct and indirect effects. Considering the limited studies regarding the evaluation of relationships between fruit yield and other traits affecting fruit yield in pepper, this research was conducted with the aim of identifying these important relationships and evaluating their direct and indirect effects in Iranian pepper populations. Materials and Methods In order to carry out this research, the seeds of 30 Iranian pepper accessions were collected directly from the farmers. The experiment was conducted in the form of pot cultivation in the research greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture of Urmia University in a completely randomized design with five replications during 2015-2016. After the flowering stage, the desired traits were estimated. Variance analysis was estimated, after examining the basic hypotheses of variance analysis by SAS9.4, as well as the genotypic and phenotypic correlation between traits based on the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure in the SAS9.4 software. Step-by-step regression analysis was used to determine the traits with the most variation justified the fruit yield. The Durbin-Watson test was performed to investigate the independence of experimental errors. Analysis of path coefficients was performed based on the results of stepwise regression and genotypic correlation of traits in the R V.4.0.5. Results and Discussion In order to understand the relationships between traits and use them in breeding programs, the phenotypic correlation was estimated. In this study based on the results of phenotypic correlation, leaf width and leaf length (0.651), single fruit weight and fruit circumference (0.784), fruit circumference and fruit diameter (0.625) and pulp weight and fruit diameter (0.610), showed positive and significant correlation. The purpose of estimating genotypic correlation coefficient is to determine relationships in conditions which in environmental factors are not involved. In the investigation of genotypic correlation, a positive, strong and significant relationship between fruit yield and pulp weight (0.907), fruit circumference (0.891), fruit diameter (0.697), single fruit weight (0.646) and around the plant (0.381) were observed. Given that most of these traits are factors contributing to fruit yield, the presence of such positive and significant genotypic correlation coefficients is reasonable. It can be inferred that pepper accessions with higher fruit characteristics, encompassing factors such as plant density and branching, are likely to exhibit higher fruit yields as well. It's important to note that correlation coefficients are mathematical tools used to measure the linear relationship between two variables. Their significance lies in their mathematical interpretation, and as such, they alone do not provide sufficient proof of a cause-and-effect relationship. Utilizing the results of stepwise regression, less impactful traits or those with minimal effects were eliminated from the model. As a result, seven key traits were identified as the most influential factors affecting fruit yield: pulp weight, plant density, fruit diameter, fruit count, plant height, total seed weight, and branch count.The first characteristic was pulp weight, which was included in the model and explained 78.8% of the fruit yield changes between genotypes. The second characteristic (around the plant) along with pulp weight explained 80.9% of the fruit yield variations. Fruit diameter, together with the previous two characteristics, explained 81.5% of fruit yield variations. In total, the traits included in the model for fruit yield justified 84.6% of the total changes in fruit yield in 30 pepper accessions. In order to better understanding and more accurately interpret of the results, as well as to know the direct and indirect effects and the effect of the traits that were entered into the model through stepwise regression, the path coefficient analysis method was used in this research. Fruit diameter (0.709) and pulp weight (0.289) respectively showed the most positive and direct effect on fruit yield. Fruit pulp weight through fruit diameter had the most positive indirect effect (0.595) on fruit yield. Around the plant showed an indirect positive effect on fruit yield through pulp weight (0.157), fruit diameter (0.392) and number of branches (0.080). Conclusion In the present study, the trait of fruit diameter had a positive, strong and significant genotypic correlation (0.697) with fruit yield, and it also showed a positive direct effect (0.709) on fruit yield, these two coefficients can be considered equal, Approximately. Therefore, direct selection based on fruit diameter proves to be a valuable strategy for enhancing fruit yield. The magnitude of residual effects serves as an indicator of the model's accuracy in path analysis. When this value is substantial, it may be advisable to incorporate additional causal variables into the model. In the current study, the residual effects value (0.213) affirms the model's optimal accuracy.This research highlights the effectiveness of employing stepwise multivariate regression and path coefficient analysis to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationships between traits. It underscores that relying solely on correlation relationships is insufficient for comprehensively justifying the associations between these traits.

In recent years, an increase in the frequency of low-sunlight conditions due to climate change has resulted in a decline in the yield and quality of crops for greenhouse farmers, leading to significant challenges in maintaining optimal plant growth. The crop growth model can be used to predict changes in cucumber yield in response to variations in sunlight, which can help efficiently address sunlight shortages. The objective of this study was to improve and validate the model for predicting cucumber yield under different light environment conditions, including shading and supplemental lighting. The model comprises three steps: LAI prediction, daily assimilate yield prediction, and fruit yield prediction, each of which involves modifying the coefficients applied to suit the cucumber cultivar and environment condition. The improved model demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in predicting cucumber yields in the control and low-sunlight treatments (10, 20, and 30% shading), with a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.98. When supplemental lighting was incorporated into the control and shading treatments, the accuracy of the improved model in predicting cucumber yield was also high, with a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.99. The model also accurately predicted the decrease in cucumber fruit yield under low-sunlight conditions (shading treatments) and the increase in yield due to supplemental lighting. The findings of this study indicate that the improved cucumber yield prediction model can be applied to assess the efficacy of yield reduction in low-sunlight conditions and the potential for yield enhancement through supplemental lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato is one of the most widely grown vegetable crops in Europe. This study describes an approach for treating tomato plants with an extract of Ascophyllum nodosum (ANF) prior to a stress event, which prepares the plants at the molecular level to respond more effectively to stress conditions, through a process known as molecular priming. Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom, a dwarf tomato variety, was pre-treated with ANF via foliar spray during the flowering phase and subsequently subjected to drought conditions. ANF-treated plants exhibited enhanced growth, fruit yield, and stress tolerance under both moderate and severe drought conditions compared to untreated plants. Transcriptomic studies in leaves revealed that the priming treatment preserved the photosynthetic machinery, inducing stress-protective genes involved in ascorbate, peroxidase, GABA, glutathione, and flavanol biosynthesis. Simultaneously, the treatment repressed key senescence-related genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis, as well as several WRKY and NAC transcription factors. Metabolome analysis demonstrated that ANF induces drought tolerance by promoting the accumulation of stress-protective primary and secondary metabolites, such as GABA, proline, maltose, ascorbic acid, quercetin, and biotin, which can act as osmoprotectants and free radical scavengers during drought. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses suggest that ANF treatment represses the senescence process, maintains photosynthetic activity, and induces the accumulation of protective metabolites and amino acids, promoting plant survival and growth under drought. Overall, this research provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying biostimulant-based molecular priming and offers a knowledge-based approach for the accurate application of this ANF molecular priming agent to increase crop productivity and mitigate yield loss during drought, contributing to food security in the era of climate change.

The degree of association between yield and its components can be identified using correlation and Principal Component Analyses (PCA). PCA also reveals key characteristics that explain most of the differences between genotypes. A study was formulated to evaluate the relationship between yield and its contributing traits in cucumber. The experiment was conducted with 16 cucumber genotypes in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replications. The correlation analysis revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship in number of pistillate flowers (r = 0.58**), number of branches (r = 0.43**), vine length (r = 0.69**), number of leaves (r = 0.73**), leaf area (r = 0.70**), number of fruits (r = 0.91**), fruit length (r = 0.40**), fruit girth (r = 0.39**), and fruit weight (r = 0.74**) with fruit yield. PCA revealed that PC1 accounted for 51.53% of the total variation, while PC2 explained 13.91% of the total variability. This study demonstrated that choosing traits such as number of pistillate flowers, number of branches, vine length, number of leaves, leaf area, number of fruits, fruit length, fruit girth, and fruit weight that have a strong positive correlation with fruit yield could be given priority in selection for yield improvement.

The Fruit Harvest Helper, a mobile application developed by Northwest Nazarene University’s (NNU) Robotics Vision Lab, aims to assist farmers in estimating fruit yield for apple orchards. Currently, farmers manually estimate the fruit yield for an orchard, which is a laborious task. The Fruit Harvest Helper seeks to simplify their process by detecting apples on images of apple trees. Once the number of apples is detected, a correlation can then be applied to this value to obtain a usable yield estimate for an apple tree. While prior research efforts at NNU concentrated on developing an iOS app for blossom detection, this current research aims to adapt that smart farming application for apple detection across multiple platforms, iOS and Android. Borrowing ideas from the former iOS app, the new application was designed with an intuitive user interface that is easy for farmers to use, allowing for quick image selection and processing. Unlike before, the adapted app uses a color ratio-based image-segmentation algorithm written in C++ to detect apples. This algorithm detects apples within apple tree images that farmers select for processing by using OpenCV functions and C++ code. The results of testing the algorithm on a dataset of images indicate an 8.52% Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.6 between detected and actual apples on the trees. These findings were obtained by evaluating the images from both the east and west sides of the trees, which was the best method to reduce the error of this algorithm. The algorithm’s processing time was tested for Android and iOS, yielding an average performance of 1.16 s on Android and 0.14 s on iOS. Although the Fruit Harvest Helper shows promise, there are many opportunities for improvement. These opportunities include exploring alternative machine-learning approaches for apple detection, conducting real-world testing without any human assistance, and expanding the app to detect various types of fruit. The Fruit Harvest Helper mobile application is among the many mobile applications contributing to precision agriculture. The app is nearing readiness for farmers to use for the purpose of yield monitoring and farm management within Pink Lady apple orchards.

Background: Sowing density optimal is rated a less expensive solution for enhancing the output of tomato yield in the background of extending food requirements worldwide. Methods: The main objective of this study is to investigate the sowing density effect on the growth and tomato yield planted in Don Duong district of Lam Dong province, Vietnam. The study was conducted during the spring tomato crop (January to June 2020) with five different sowing densities varying from 33000 to 50000 plants/ha based on drip irrigation system supply approximately 100% of actual evapotranspiration. Result: Results pointed out that among investigated sowing densities, sowing density 45830 plants/ha obtained the optimal fruit yield (OFY) up to 87.8 tons/ha compared with different sowing densities while other observed variations as the number of bunches, fruit weight per plant and diameter were no significant difference. Based on the findings, tomato growers can sow with a density 45830 plants/ha to obtain the OFY thereby contributing to increase profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in producing organic tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) in high tunnels (HTs) in the southeast United States. HTs are unheated, passively cooled structures that allow tomato growers to harvest high-quality fruit out of season. However, excessive temperatures inside HTs may negatively impact tomato plant growth and fruit yield. Shade nets have been reported to reduce temperatures inside the HTs. Plastic mulch color has also significantly influenced plant growth and yield under high-temperature conditions. This study aimed to determine the effects of shade net color and plastic mulch color on plant growth, fruit yield, and incidence of tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLC) in 'Red Snapper' tomato grown in HTs under elevated temperatures (summer-fall) in southern Georgia, USA. Organic 'Red Snapper' tomato seedlings were transplanted in HTs in 2019 (Season 1) and 2020 (Season 2). The design was a split-plot randomized block where the main plots were externally mounted shade nets (black, silver, and unshaded; 30% shade factor), and the subplots were plastic mulches (black and white). Compared with black mulch, white mulch improved plant height and stem diameter but did not influence fruit yields. Shade nets reduced HT air temperature and root zone temperature (RZT) but did not affect plant height and stem diameter. The diminished photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) under the shade nets reduced marketable fruit yield. Thus, shade nets are not recommended once heat challenges do not limit HT tomato production in Georgia (after about mid-October). Shade nets and plastic mulch inconsistently affected TYLC incidence, severity, and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). Additional fruit yield reductions occurred due to TYLC because the incidence was 100% 6 weeks after transplanting. Preliminary insect data showed that shade net treatments had similar sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) numbers. The high TYLC incidence indicates that 'Red Snapper' may not be suitable for fall HT tomato production in the southeast United States. More research on shading and heat stress management in HT organic tomato production is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first occurrence of Huanglongbing (HLB) in the Florida commercial citrus industry in 2004, fruit yield and yield components of HLB-affected citrus have declined in endemically affected citrus tree groves. Optimal fertilization is thus critical for improving tree performance because nutrients are vital for tree growth and development, and play a significant role in tree disease resistance against various biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of the current study was to determine whether leaf nutrient concentration, tree growth, yield, and postharvest quality of HLB-affected citrus trees were improved by the split application of nutrients. The four micronutrient application rates were used as fixed factors and the three nitrogen (N) rates were used as random factors for leaf nutrient analyses, tree growth, fruit yield, and postharvest analyses. Significant leaf manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were detected when trees received foliar and soil-applied micronutrients regardless of the N rates. There was a strong regression analysis of leaf Mn and Zn nutrient concentration and nutrient rates with R2: 0.61 and 0.59, respectively. As a result, a significant leaf area index associated with foliar and soil-applied micronutrient rates had a positive correlation with leaf area index and soil pH with R2: 0.58 and 0.63 during the spring and summer seasons, respectively. Trees that received a moderate (224 kg·ha−1) N rate showed the least fruit decay percentage and total soluble solids (TSS) of 8% more than the lowest (168 kg·ha−1) and highest (280 kg·ha−1) N rates, even though fruit yield variations were barely detected as these micronutrients promoted vegetative growth. Moreover, the TSS to titratable acidity (TA) ratio of foliar and soil-applied micronutrient-treated trees showed 2% and 7% greater values than the foliar-only treated and control trees, respectively. Although micronutrients exacerbated stem-end rind breakdown (SERB), these nutrients significantly improved fruit storage when the fruits were stored for extended periods (8–11 weeks). Thus, moderate N rate, foliar (1×), and soil-applied (1×) micronutrient treatments improved tree growth, fruit postharvest, and fruit storage characteristics.

Abstract Leguminous crop Tephrosia candida has high biomass production and contains a substantial quantity of nutrients within its biomass. Starting in 2019, a long-term study was done to find the best Tephrosia candida dose for mulching in guava orchards. The study had four treatments: T1 = 3.0 kg dry biomass m−2 of the plant basin, T2 = 2.0 kg, T3 = 1.0 kg, and T4 = control (no mulch). Every year, the treatments imposed in the month of August. The third year (2021–2022) results indicated that mulching with 3 kg of biomass m−2 increased trunk diameter, fruit yield, fruit weight, specific leaf area, total leaf chlorophyll, and leaf macro- and micro-nutrients. At 3.0 kg m−2, mulching improved soil properties such as EC, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, DTPA extractable micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn), total organic carbon (Ctoc), soil organic carbon (Csoc), organic carbon fractions, and microbial biomass carbon between 0–0.15 m and 0.15–0.30 m. There was an increasing trend in dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The Tephrosia leaf litter exhibited decay constants of 1.27 year−1, and the carbon content was 40.11%. Therefore, applying Tephrosia biomass mulching at a rate of 3.0 kg m−2 is a viable long-term solution for enhancing soil fertility and sequestering carbon.

Optimal fruit production from many tree crops relies on the transfer of cross-pollen between trees of different cultivars rather than the transfer of self-pollen between trees of the same cultivar. However, many orchards are established with wide blocks of single cultivars, which can result in high percentages of self-fertilised fruit and sub-optimal yield and quality. We aimed to determine whether outcrossing rates and yield of Hass avocado fruit decline with increasing distance from polliniser trees of cultivar Shepard and whether selfed fruit are smaller than outcrossed fruit. Outcrossing rates declined from 49% at six trees (40 m) from a block of Shepard trees to 30% at thirty trees (160 m) from a block of Shepard trees. Tree yield across this distance declined by 44% as a result of a 69% decline in the number of outcrossed fruit per tree, without a significant decline in the number of selfed fruit per tree. Outcrossed Hass fruit were 12% heavier than selfed Hass fruit, with 3% greater diameter and 5% greater length. The study results demonstrate the importance of interplanting Type B avocado pollinisers closely with Type A Hass trees to increase fruit yield and size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean tillage frequently causes the loss of soil nutrients and weakens microbial ecosystem service functions. In order to improve orchard soil nutrient cycling, enhance enzyme activities and microbial community structure in a “Jiro” sweet persimmon orchard, sod culture management was carried out to clarify the relationship among soil nutrient, microbial communities, and fruit yield and quality in persimmon orchard. The results showed that sod culture management increased the content of organic matter, total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil, thus improving soil fertility. Compared with clean tillage orchards, sod culture methods significantly increased soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content. The abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE) and the simplest richness estimators (Chao l) indices of the bacterial community and all diversity and richness indices of the fungal community significantly increased in the sod culture orchard, which indicated that sod culture could increase the richness and diversity of the soil microbial community. The dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria (32.21~41.13%) and Acidobacteria (18.76~23.86%), and the dominant fungal phyla were Mortierellomycota (31.11~83.40%) and Ascomycota (3.45~60.14%). Sod culture drove the composition of the microbial community to increase the beneficial microbiome. Correlation analyses and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) comparative analyses showed that the soil chemical properties (mainly including soil organic matter content, total organic carbon content, total potassium content, and total nitrogen content), soil enzyme activities and soil microorganisms were strongly correlated with fruit yield and quality. Meanwhile, soil nutrient, soil enzyme, and soil microbes had also influenced each other. Our results showed that long-term ryegrass planting could improve soil fertility, enzyme activities, and microbial community compositions. Such changes might lead to a cascading effect on the fruit yield and quality of “Jiro” sweet persimmons.

The sustained higher profitability of a pomegranate orchard relies heavily on the production of a greater proportion of high-quality fruits, a goal achievable through the implementation of effective management practices. The objective of this study is to provide site-specific supplementary knowledge regarding the response of pomegranate plants to various management practices under arid conditions. With the aim of enhancing both marketable fruit yield and quality of pomegranate in arid regions, four separate and simultaneous experiments were conducted in the same orchard to evaluate (i) the response of planting materials derived from tissue culture, air layering, and cutting; (ii) the impact of crop (fruit) load; (iii) the response of crop regulation; and (iv) the application response of organo-mineral fertilizers containing potassium (OMF-K) and phosphorus (OMF-P). The results obtained for plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality did not exhibit significant differences among pomegranate plants raised through the three different methods of vegetative propagation. Striking results in terms of producing superior-grade fruits, higher marketable yield, and overall fruit quality were achieved with crop loads of 80 fruits per plant. Staggering the crop regulation from June to September effectively extended the harvesting season to four months, from the last week of November to March, with eventual benefit of reduced fruit cracking compared to the standard two-month harvesting period obtained from normal regulation. Soil application of the indigenously developed OMF-K in two equal splits, along with the recommended N and P through inorganic sources, significantly reduced fruit cracking (only 6.23%) compared to the recommended NPK through inorganic sources (26.9%), while maintaining similar physicochemical quality attributes.

Background Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) is well-known for its high pungency and pleasant aroma. The recent years witnessed a significant decline in popularity of this important crop due to the use of inferior planting material and lack of elite lines. To maintain constant performance across a variety of settings, it is crucial to choose stable lines with high yield and capsaicin content, as these are the most promising traits of Ghost Pepper. Method In this study, 120 high-capsaicin genotypes were subjected to a 3-year (kharif 2017, 2018 and 2019) stability investigation utilizing two well-known stability methods: Eberhart-Russell (ER) and additive main effects and multiple interaction (AMMI). Three replications were used following Randomized Complete Block Design for 11 traits. The experiment soil was sandy loam with pH 4.9. Minimum and maximum temperature of 18.5 °C, 17.5 °C, 17.4 °C and 32.2 °C, 31.3 °C, 32.7 °C and rainfall of 1,781, 2,099, 1,972 mm respectively was recorded for the study period. Result The genotype-environment linear interaction (G×E Lin.) was highly significant for days to 50% flowering, capsaicin content, fruit length and girth, fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant at p < 0.005. G×E interaction for fruit yield and capsaicin content in AMMI-analysis of variance reported 67.07% and 71.51% contribution by IPCA-1 (interactive principal component axis) and 32.76% and 28.49% by IPCA-2, respectively. Eight genotypes were identified to be stable with high yield and capsaicin content. The identified stable lines can be opted for cultivation to reduce the impact of crop failure when grown in different macro-environments. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and spice sectors will also be benefitted from the lines with high capsaicin content. Further research assessing the lines’ performance across various regions of India can provide a solid foundation for the crop’s evaluation at national level.

The experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–2023 at ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi, Jharkhand focused on assessing the genetic diversity for fruit yield and quality parameters among 46 unique pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.) genotypes. The data collected underwent thorough statistical analyses, encompassing genetic variability, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation coefficients, path analysis, exploration of genetic divergence and biochemical characterization. The ANOVA results revealed significant variations across the selected genotypes in terms of fruit yield and quality traits. Key attributes, such as the number of fruits/plant, harvest frequency, pulp seed ratio and total phenol content, displayed significant positive correlations with total fruit yield. The noteworthy was the positive direct effect of pulp weight on total fruit yield indicated by a coefficient of 0.99. Further, this study identified total fruit yield as the primary contributor to the observed genetic diversity. Cluster analysis results in to the grouping of 46 genotypes into 12 distinct clusters based on D2 values. The study highlighted significant variability among pointed gourd genotypes, suggesting ample opportunities for selection-based improvement. Selection based on characteristics such as the number of fruits per plant, pulp weight and pulp seed ratio is expected to enhance yield potential. Identified genotypes, such as Swarna Alaukik, HAP-79, HAP-70 (for yield-related attributes) and HAP-106 (for quality traits), emerged as promising which hold potential for future breeding initiatives and are recommended for cultivation in the eastern plateau and hill region for augmenting yield potential. Cluster III and cluster XII offer diverse genetics for breeding. Crossing these clusters can create new high-yield cultivars. This strategic cultivation aims to enhance the nutritional well-being of the local population in that area.

The practice of intercropping in Rosa roxburghii Tratt orchards holds potential for enhancing fruit yield and financial benefits, yet remains insufficiently explored. To address this, we delved into the effects of intercropping on fruit yield and financial viability of R. roxburghii orchards in Longli County, southern China. Orchards of varying ages (4 years old and 5 years old; 7 years old and 8 years old) were subjected to different treatments: (i) Zea mays and Capsicum annuum intercropping, and clean tillage for younger orchards, and (ii) Lolium perenne, natural grass, and clean tillage for older orchards. Each treatment was assessed for its impact on fruit yield and financial benefits. In younger orchards, intercropping with Z. mays and C. annuum did not significantly elevate fruit yield compared to clean tillage in the 4-year-old orchard; however, C. annuum intercropping significantly improved fruit yield in the 5-year-old orchard. Concurrently, intercropping significantly augmented the total financial benefit by 9234.35–10,486.25 CNY ha−1 (Z. mays) and 14,304.90–16,629.18 CNY ha−1 (C. annuum) compared to clean tillage. In older orchards, L. perenne intercropping significantly elevated fruit yield by 598.84–803.64 kg·ha−1, while natural grass reduced it by 394.61–986.24 kg·ha−1, compared to clean tillage. Additionally, L. perenne intercropping significantly boosted the total financial benefit by 8873.92–9956.56 CNY ha−1, whereas natural grass negatively impacted financial benefits by 78.42–2444.94 CNY ha−1 compared to clean tillage. Collectively, our results illustrate that judicious selection of intercrops, based on orchard age and conditions, can significantly enhance both fruit yield and financial advantages in R. roxburghii orchards. This study furnishes vital insights for orchard management and accentuates the prospective merits of intercropping in fruit production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Genetic diversity of the different origin genotypes is one of the most important topics to evaluate the desired properties and select high-yield genotypes. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual plant native to the Mediterranean region, Western Europe, and Asia that belongs to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. The fruits and essential oils of coriander are used for spice, folk remedies, perfumery, food, tobacco, soft and alcoholic beverages, and pharmaceutical industries in the different parts of the world. The yield and some quality characteristics of coriander genotypes of different origins should be investigated for the breeding program. In this study, both phenotypic, morphological, and yield values showed wide variations. Also, some analyses, such as cluster, heat map, and PCA analyses, revealed important results for the coriander genotypes. In this study, 119 different coriander genotypes (38 different countries), including 114 genotypes and five cultivars, were undertaken to characterize the genotypes based on phenotypic, morphological, yield, and International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) properties, along with some chemical properties. The yield components were between 1.34 and 21.49 g for thousand-grain weight, 0.02–9.58 g/plant for fruit yield, 0.01–50.78 g/plant for biological yield, and 8.48–73.36% for harvest index. Similarly, the results of this study revealed significant variations in essential oil (0.05–1.86%v/w) and fixed oil content (10.22–34.03%v/w). The main components of the essential oil were determined as linalool (3.13–45.70%v/v), p-cymene (0.10–15.77%v/v), ɣ-terpinene (0.04–13.80%v/v), while the fixed oil main acids were determined as petroselinic (24.47–87.70%v/v), palmitic (7.13–23.04%v/v), elaidic (1.55–47.44%v/v), and behenic acids (3.17–12.56%v/v). The cluster, heat map, correlation, and principal coordinate (PCA) analyses were conducted to determine the genetic diversity and relationship among the genotypes based on the examined properties. The cluster and heat map analyses showed differences in the same origin genotypes. Petroselinic acid was the major contributing factor for PCA. As a result of this study, Ames 13900 and Ames 18595 genotypes had high values for fruit yield, fixed oil content, and essential oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biochar application has been reported to have a positive effect on crop yield and nutrient utilization. However, the effects of the joint application of biochar and nitrogen (N) on soil physical properties, fruit yield, quality, crop water productivity (WP) and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) of water-stressed greenhouse tomato under drip fertigation remain poorly understood. In this study, a two-season experiment was conducted on greenhouse tomato in autumn 2021 and spring 2022, involving two biochar application rates (0 and 30 t ha–1 only in the first season before sowing), two N fertilization rates (175 and 250 kg N ha–1), and three irrigation levels (100%, 75%, and 50% of crop evapotranspiration). The results showed that biochar application significantly decreased soil bulk density by 7–13%, but significantly increased soil porosity by 5.5%− 10% and fruit yield by 43.2–73.8% compared with the non-biochar treatment. The biochar application significantly affected the total soluble solids (TSS), soluble sugar (SS), and vitamin C of tomato fruits. The interaction of biochar application and N fertilization increased PFPN and WP by 67.4% and 76.3% in autumn 2021, and by 38.1% and 51.8% in spring 2022, respectively. Biochar rate and irrigation level had significant effects on TSS and SS contents in both seasons, but N rate significantly affected TSS in autumn 2021 only and SS in both seasons. The interaction of biochar application, N rate and irrigation level had significant effects on fruit yield. The effects of biochar rate, N rate, and irrigation level on PFPN were significant in both growing seasons. The joint application of biochar and nitrogen significantly enhanced fruit yield, quality and water-nitrogen productivity of water-stressed greenhouse tomato. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that PC1 accounted for 47.7% and 48%of the variation in autumn 2021 and spring 2022, while PC2 accounted for 14.6% and 15.6% in autumn 2021 and spring 2022, respectively. This study underscores the significance of biochar application in drip-fertigated greenhouse tomato cultivation and highlights its sustained positive effects in the next growing season.

Flowering time and fruit yield are important traits in watermelon crop improvement. There is limited information on the inheritance and genomic loci underlying flowering time and yield performance, especially in citron watermelon. A total of 125 citron watermelon accessions were evaluated in field trials over two growing seasons for days to male and female flowers, fruit count, fruit weight, and fruit yield. The germplasm was genotyped with more than two million single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated via whole-genome resequencing. Trait mapping was conducted using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Broad-sense heritability for all traits ranged from moderate to high, indicating that genetic improvement through breeding and selection is feasible. Significant marker-trait associations were uncovered for days to female flower (chromosomes Ca04, Ca05, Ca08, and Ca09), fruit count (on Ca02, Ca03, and Ca05), fruit weight (on Ca02, Ca06, Ca08, Ca10, and Ca11), and fruit yield on chromosomes Ca05, Ca07, and Ca09. The phenotypic variation explained by the significant SNPs ranged from 1.6 to 25.4, highlighting the complex genetic architecture of the evaluated traits. Candidate genes relevant to flowering time and fruit yield component traits were uncovered on chromosomes Ca02, Ca04, Ca05, Ca06, Ca09, and Ca11. These results lay a foundation for marker-assisted trait introgression of flowering time and fruit yield component traits in watermelons.

Although distributed across the Sudano-Sahelian region as an agroforestry system tree species, Vitellaria paradoxa has yet to be reported as successfully established outside of Africa, significantly limiting its yield and further exploitation. In this paper, in order to assess a well-established population of V. paradoxa in the Yuanjiang dry-hot valley of China and examine the relationships between morphological-geological factors and fruit yield, we monitored dendrometric traits and fruiting across 844 shea trees located on different aspects, and applied partial least square regression to build a yield model based on dendrometric and geographical variables. Results revealed climatic resemblance of the introduction site in Yuanjiang to the natural habitat in Ghana, and the growth performance and fruit yield were also comparable, but accumulated precipitation of about 600 mm was better for fruit yield when heat accumulation reached about 2,000 °C. Apart from crown diameter (p < 0.05), dendrometric parameters (basal diameter, basal area and tree height) had positively weak relationships with fruit yield. On the contrary, aside from north and northeast aspect, other aspects showed a strong negative influence. The findings presented that growth and productivity of V. paradoxa increased with dendrometric parameters and monthly average temperature on shady and semi-shady slope, providing a theoretical basis for the development of shea tree and construction of agroforestry system in dry tropical areas outside Africa.

Abstract The objective of this work was to determine the fruit yield and water productivity of the 'Prata Anã' banana plant, under different combinations of planting densities and irrigation depths in its fourth production cycle. The experiment was designed in randomized complete blocks in a split-plot arrangement with four replicates, with the following factors: two levels of irrigation depth (50 and 100% crop evapotranspiration) in the plots and four levels of planting density (1,666, 2,083, 2,666, and 3,333 plants per hectare) in the subplots. Crop evapotranspiration and yield characteristics were evaluated. Reductions in the mass of hands, number of hands, and number of fruits were observed as planting density increased, as well as increments in the yield of hands and in water productivity and a reduction in water footprint. It is possible to increase the yield of the banana plant by increasing its planting density and reducing the irrigation depth applied in its fourth production cycle.

Abstract India in today’s scenario is implementing an agroecologically based, diversified agricultural system that includes functional biodiversity along with crops, trees and livestock. Therefore, advocating natural farming, an agroecologically based diverse farming system that includes crops, trees and animals as well as functional biodiversity. It is primarily focused on the recycling of biomass inside the farm, with a focus on the use of formulations made on the farm from cow dung and urine (Jeevamrit & Ghanjeevamrit) and the elimination of all synthetic chemical inputs. It aims to lessen smallholder farmers' reliance on inputs that must be purchased as well as their credit load. With all of these facts in mind, this study investigated how the application of bioorganic nutrient sources like Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit used in natural farming system affected the crop performance in strawberry grown under mid hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh, India. Farmyard manure, freshly prepared Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit was used for manuring in twelve different treatment combinations replicated thrice planned on the basis of recommended dose of nitrogen. The nitrogen content in bioorganic nutrient sources like Jeevamrit (1.71%) and Ghanjeevamrit (1.68%) was analyzed before application. Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit treatments significantly increased plant growth, flowering, fruit yield and fruit quality. The findings indicated that application of treatment combination T4 (100% RDN through Jeevamrit + Ghanjeevamrit in the ratio of 1:1) resulted in better effects on strawberry plant growth, fruit quality and yield (17.50 tonnes/ha) as compared to the recommended practices.

Purpose: Wood ash is an important alternative source of inorganic potassium especially for farmers in areas with acidic soils. Method: The experiment was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, treatments consisted of the application of inorganic fertilizer sources (0 kgha-1, 130.44 kgha-1 of urea, and 300 kgha-1 of NPK of 20:10:10) and wood ash (0 tha-1, 5 tha-1 , and 10 tha-1) to garden egg seedlings. In the second phase of the experiment, garden eggfruits were analyzed for nutrient contents. Results: Significant (p≤0.05) fruit yield followed this order: 10 tha-1 of wood ash > control > 5 tha-1 of wood ash. Inorganic fertilizer sources effect on fruit yield followed this sequence: 300 kgha-1 of NPK 20:10:10 > 130.44 kgha-1 of urea > control. The interaction of 10 tha-1 of wood ash and 300 kgha-1 of NPK 20:10:10 produced the highest fruit yield (57 ± 0.50 tha-1). A combined application of 300 kgha-1 of NPK and 5 tha-1 of wood ash showed a greater improvement in vitamin C while an integrated application of 130.44 kgha-1 of urea and 10 tha-1 of wood ash increased vitamin A contents of garden egg. Conclusion: Integration of 10 tha-1 of wood ash and 300 kgha-1 of NPK 20:10:10 positively improved the growth and yield of the garden egg. The addition of a lower rate of wood ash to NPK fertilizer and a higher rate of wood ash to urea significantly improved the nutrient contents of garden eggs. Highlights ● Wood ash is an effective organic lime used in soil amendment of acidic soils. ● Fruit yield in garden eggs showed a linear increase with increasing rates of wood ash. ● Application of NPK fertilizer had superior fruit yield and quality to urea fertilizer. ● Potassium in wood ash and NPK fertilizer accounts for high fruit yield in garden egg. ●Integration of wood ash and inorganic fertilizers produced higher nutrient contents.

Introduction Cucumis sativus L. (2n=2x=14) originates from the south of the Himalayan mountains and has at least 3000 years of history of cultivation in India. According to the latest statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture, about 75% of greenhouse production belongs to greenhouse cucumbers. This plant, with a cultivated area of 7539 ha-1 and a production amounting to 1923865 t year-1, is considered one of the most important vegetable and summer greenhouse products in the country. Cucumber varieties should have characteristics such as high yield, quality of taste, shelf life and resistance to diseases. Based on this, modified cultivars and imported cultivars must pass compatibility tests in order to be able to enter commercial fields. Recent research in Japan shows that by creating suitable conditions for various factors in the greenhouse (light distribution, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, irrigation, nutrition and pruning), the yield of greenhouse cucumbers can be up to 40 kg m-2 year-1 year. The difference between different varieties of cucumber is primarily due to characteristics such as the number of fruits per plant, fruit size (fruit length and length-to-diameter ratio) and fruit surface characteristics (the presence of grooves, surface smoothness, and fruit color). The number of cucumbers per plant is one of the most important yield components. The study of 9 varieties of cucumbers in greenhouse conditions showed that the range of changes in the number of cucumbers per plant varied from 19 to 54.3, and Khasib variety had the highest yield with the production of 14.9 kg of fresh weight per square meter. Material and Methods In order to compare the yield, yield components and some morpho-physiological characteristics of greenhouse cucumber hybrids produced in the country, a research was conducted in 2022 under greenhouse conditions in Varamin city. In this research, 11 greenhouse cucumber hybrids along with 4 regional control cultivars were evaluated in a completely randomized block design with three replications. The initial tillage including plowing, disc and soil disinfection was done through sunning the soil. The width of the seed planting bed was considered to be 70 cm in order to provide the possibility of two-row cultivation. The width of the corridors was considered to be 80 cm in order to provide proper ventilation and access of workers to the bushes for operations and harvest during the period. The drip irrigation system was chosen so that one tape strip could be used for each row of crops. The plant needed fertilizer during the growth period and was determined based on the soil test and provided to the plant through the irrigation system. Fruit yield for different harvests (once every 10 harvests) and total fresh fruit yield based on the total area of the plot (after removing the margins) and traits such as plant height (meters), internode length (cm), leaf length (cm), Leaf width (cm), petiole length (cm), fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (mm), number of fruits per plant and fruit weight per plant (grams) based on the selection of 10 plants per plot was taken. The fruit shape index was obtained from the ratio of the length to the diameter of the fruit. For the experimental hybrids, after harvest fruit color was determined by grouping (light green to green), (green), (green to dark green) and dark green. Results and Discussion Based on the obtained results, the hybrid (IR4) with a total fresh fruit yield of 11.49 kg m-2 had a significantly higher performance than other hybrids, but there is not a significant difference between this hybrid and the hybrid (IR5) with a fruit weight of 10.61 kg m-2. 10 harvested stages for two hybrids (IR4) and (IR5) constituted 24.6 and 22.9% of the total yield, respectively. The hybrids (IR11) and (IR6) had the longest and shortest fruit length with 16.60 cm and 11.12 cm, respectively. The fruit shape index (the ratio of fruit length to diameter) in hybrid (IR11) had the highest value (6.35). The hybrids (IR4) and (IR5) that produced the highest yields per hectare had the highest number of fruits plant-1 with 108.72 and 84.22 cucumbers plant-1, respectively. The presence of this number of fruits is one of the important factors for producing high yields in these two hybrids, and the number of fruits in the rest of the hybrids is often in the range of 50 to 70 cucumbers per plant. Although in some studies the number of 135 fruits plant-1 is also mentioned for greenhouse cucumbers, but in most cases this number is less than 50. The color of the fruit is also an important quality attribute that is very important in the cucumber market. This trait varies from light green to dark green. Hybrid (IR9) dark green, hybrids (IR2), (IR6), (IR13) (IR15) dark green to green, hybrids (IR1), (IR3), (IR4), (IR5), (IR12) and (IR14) was green and hybrids (IR7), (IR8), (IR10) and (IR11) had light green to green color. The superior performance of two experimental hybrids and the equal performance of 7 other experimental hybrids (out of 11 studied hybrids) compared to the control hybrids can be a good promise for the production of greenhouse cucumber hybrid varieties by domestic companies.

Abstract Citrus fruit yield is essential for market stability, as it allows businesses to plan for production and distribution. However, yield estimation is a complex and time-consuming process that often requires a large number of field samples to ensure representativeness. To address this challenge, we investigated the optimal altitude for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging to estimate the yield of Citrus unshiu fruit. We captured images from five different altitudes (30 m, 50 m, 70 m, 90 m, and 110 m), and determined that a resolution of approximately 5 pixels/cm is necessary for reliable estimation of fruit size based on the average diameter of C. unshiu fruit (46.7 mm). Additionally, we found that histogram equalization of the images improved fruit count estimation compared to using untreated images. At the images from 30 m height, the normal image estimates fruit numbers as 73, 55, and 88. However, the histogram equalized image estimates 88, 71, 105. The actual number of fruits is 124, 88, and 141. Using a Vegetation Index such as IPCA showed a similar estimation value to histogram equalization, but I1 estimation represents a gap to actual yields. Our results provide a valuable database for future UAV field investigations of citrus fruit yield. Using flying platforms like UAVs can provide a step towards adopting this sort of model spanning ever greater regions at a cheap cost, with this system generating accurate results in this manner.

Okra is an important vegetable crop with high nutritional and economic value. Various approaches have been attempted to increase its production, including foliar fertilisers. This study aims to determine the optimal time to apply foliar fertiliser in a day to improve the final yield in Abelmoschus esculentus L. var. Torpedo and evaluate okra's growth and yield responses by integrating foliar fertiliser as supplementary fertiliser with granule fertiliser in a controlled environment. The study was conducted in a rain shelter under a randomised complete block design with 3 blocks comprising 3 replications within each block. The treatments involved a combination of foliar and granule application at different timings: sunrise, midday, and dusk, and solely granule fertiliser at labelled recommended rates. The control group was treated with only granule fertiliser at the same rate as the combined foliar and granule application. The study found that the application of foliar fertiliser during dusk (6-7 p.m.) showed a higher trend of potential yield, which revealed the potential of dusk foliar fertiliser application timing as the optimal timing for foliar fertilisation. The study also demonstrated that incorporating liquid foliar fertiliser with granular fertiliser can enhance nutrient uptake and promote plant growth, leading to a more sustainable farming practice by reducing inorganic soil granule fertilisers. The potential yield under the combined fertiliser treatments was 5% to 20% higher when compared to experiment control while comparable to the conventional fertiliser application treatment, despite using 45% less nitrogen. Therefore, the study suggests that farmers integrate foliar and soil fertilisation methods to achieve optimal crop yield production and promote sustainable farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of root system directly affects the absorption and utilization of soil water and nitrogen, and understanding the responses of root characteristics to water and nitrogen regimes is thus crucial for optimizing water and nitrogen management. The root characteristics of each soil layer, i.e., root length, root surface area, and root volume, as well as fruit yield and water use efficiency of greenhouse tomato under drip fertigation in response to different irrigation levels and nitrogen rates were explored in northwest China. There were four irrigation levels, i.e., 50% ETC (W1), 75% ETC (W2), 100% ETC (W3), and 125% ETC (W4), where ETC is the crop evapotranspiration, and four nitrogen rates, i.e., 0 kg ha−1 (N1), 150 kg ha−1 (N2), 250 kg ha−1 (N3), and 350 kg ha−1 (N4). The results showed that reasonable irrigation and nitrogen regimes (W3N3) significantly increased fruit yield by 31.64% and root length, root surface area, and root volume by 45.03%, 61.24%, and 148.21% compare to W3N1, respectively. The promoting effect of increasing irrigation level on root characteristics increased with soil depth and had the greatest increases in root volume by 27.07%, 123.43%, and 211.47% for the 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm soil layers, respectively. In addition, reducing irrigation level significantly increased the percentages of roots in the top soil by 29.71%, 26.77%, and 18.53% for root length, root surface area, and root volume, respectively. The reasonable nitrogen rate (N3) significantly increased fruit yield by 41.11%, water use efficiency by 34.42%, and root length, root surface area, and root volume by 40.42%, 41.44%, and 112.76%, respectively. The over-application of nitrogen (N4) reduced root characteristics of all soil layers, fruit yield, and water use efficiency. The promoting effect of increasing nitrogen rate on root length of each soil layer decreased with soil depth, by 71.01%, 48.96%, and 15.71% for 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm soil layers, respectively. Irrigation level was the main factor dominating the root growth of each soil layer. The correlation analysis showed that fruit yield had significantly positive correlations with root characteristics in all soil layers, while water use efficiency had significantly positive correlations with the percentages of root length and root surface area in the 0–10 cm soil layer. In conclusion, rational water and nitrogen regimes achieved better fruit yield by promoting root growth of greenhouse tomato, and the water use efficiency of greenhouse tomato was improved by increasing the root percentage in the topsoil layer to alleviate the adverse effects under water stress conditions. This study reveals how irrigation volume and nitrogen application can enhance tomato yield and water use efficiency by regulating root characteristics and vertical root distribution, providing support for understanding the response of root systems to changes in soil water and nitrogen conditions.

In recent years, an increase in the frequency of low-sunlight conditions due to climate change has resulted in a decline in the yield and quality of crops for greenhouse farmers, leading to significant challenges in maintaining optimal plant growth. The crop growth model can be used to predict changes in cucumber yield in response to variations in sunlight, which can help efficiently address sunlight shortages. The objective of this study was to improve and validate the model for predicting cucumber yield under different light environment conditions, including shading and supplemental lighting. The model comprises three steps: LAI prediction, daily assimilate yield prediction, and fruit yield prediction, each of which involves modifying the coefficients applied to suit the cucumber cultivar and environment condition. The improved model demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in predicting cucumber yields in the control and low-sunlight treatments (10, 20, and 30% shading), with a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.98. When supplemental lighting was incorporated into the control and shading treatments, the accuracy of the improved model in predicting cucumber yield was also high, with a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.99. The model also accurately predicted the decrease in cucumber fruit yield under low-sunlight conditions (shading treatments) and the increase in yield due to supplemental lighting. The findings of this study indicate that the improved cucumber yield prediction model can be applied to assess the efficacy of yield reduction in low-sunlight conditions and the potential for yield enhancement through supplemental lighting.

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