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A field experiment was conducted during kharif season 2019to study and identify the impact of weather on growth and fruit yield of tomato under open field Crop was planted on eight different dates viz., 02 Jul, 12 Jul, 22 Jul, 02 Aug, 11 Aug, 23 Aug, 03 Sep and 13 Sep as main plots and two cultivars viz., US 440 and TO-3251 (Saaho) as sub-plots in split plot design and replicated thrice. Result revealed that, significantly more yield attributes and fruit yield of tomato was recorded with maximum temperature range of 30.7 to 32.8oC during vegetative phase, morning Relative humidity (RH) of 88 to 92% during fruit development phase, Vapour Pressure Defficient (VPD) of 0.6 to 0.7 kPa and 0.4 to 0.6kPa during fruit development and harvest phase. Further correlation studies revealed that the most critical weather parameter from fruit initiation to first picking stage was morning RH as this was negatively correlated with drymatter production at fruit development (-0.93**), harvest (-0.95**) and total fruit yield (-0.91**) of tomato, which accounted for 86%, 89% and 83% variation in drymatter production during fruit development, harvest phase and total fruit yield respectively.

Jatropha curcas L. seeds possess high oil content. However, the low fruit yield is a bottleneck for its utilisation in biodiesel production. To date, the genes related to fruit yield of J. curcas are still poorly studied. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the transcriptome profiles of two J. curcas clones with high and low fruit yield. The results showed that 52 381 unigenes were obtained and annotated to 55 orthologous terms. More than 9 653 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)/Indels and 15 971 SSR loci were identified. In addition, 76 differential expression genes (DEGs) were obtained and mainly down-regulated in a high fruit yield sample. Moreover, the DEGs were significantly enriched in phytohormone signalling pathways, including gibberellin, brassinolide and jasmonic acid. Furthermore, we suggested that some genes might inhibit the initiation of female floral differentiation to decrease the fruit yield in J. curcas. These data will create a reference transcriptome for the genomics database of J. curcas for future studies. We expect that the dataset will serve as a foundation to study the genes function, which help in engineering high-yielding varieties in J. curcas.

Estimation the magnitude of heterosis for yield and yield contributing parameters of Okra was conducted. Fifty-four F1 hybrids were generated by line x tester mating design. These F1s along with 21 parents and commercial check (Mhyco-10) were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications. Analysis of variance with respect to yield and quality characters in parents and hybrids were highly significant. This indicates the existence of high variation in parents and hybrids for different characters studied. Out of 54 cross combinations, seven crosses revealed the significant and positive heterosis over better parent. While 11 crosses showed positive and significant heterosis over economic parent. It is pertinent to mention that the crop has potential to produce the heterotic cross combinations and such crosses can be used for further improvement of this crop. Five crosses, namely L43 × T44, L22 × T36, L22 × T44, L53 × T36 and L31 × T23 were found to be potential for the production of fruit yield per plant and other desired characters. The high heterosis and per se performance was found in hybrid L43 × T44 over both better parents and standard check for fruit yield per plant. This indicates that the cross can be exploited commercially. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(3): 531-540, 2021 (September)

Background and aimsThe application of chemical fungicides is the first strategy to control plant fungal diseases. This approach is highly polluting for the environment and affects human health. Artificial introduction of beneficial rhizobacteria into the soil can be an economical and practical way to control phytopathogenic fungi in commercial greenhouses. Here, we recount the travel of a rare Actinomycete (Amycolatopsis strain 1119) from a maize field to a commercial cucumber greenhouse.Methods and resultsCulturable bacteria from rhizosphere and bulk soils of dicot and monocot crops were isolated and screened. About 20% of the representative colonies showed Actinomycetes appearance. 106 Actinomycetes that had antagonistic activity against Phytophthora capsici and were able to produce IAA were selected for further analysis. Two Streptomyces strains (432 and 615) and 2 Amycolatopsis strains (3513 and 1119) that showed a positive effect on plant growth in greenhouse conditions were selected to evaluate for biocontrol potential. Strains 432, 3513, 615 and 1119 controlled incidence of the damping-off by 65%, 42%, 83% and 100% respectively. Application of strain 1119 under commercial greenhouse conditions resulted in an increase in fruit yield (20%) and a decrease in fruit nitrate content (70%). Increased antioxidant enzymes activity and increased LOX and APX transcription and also, increased expression of two genes PR1-1a and GLU (SAR genes) showed that strain 1119 could induce both ISR and SAR in cucumber without pathogen exposure. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the Amycolatopsis strain 1119, has a great potential to enter the market as a bio-stimulator.

Twenty four Okra genotypes were evaluated for marketable fruit yield and its related traits for genotype environment interaction during 2015-16 and 2016-17. The genotypes were exposed to alkaline environment with a pH range of 8.0±0.2, 8.5±0.2, 9.0±0.2 and 9.5±0.2. A significant level of deviation in expression of different traits was observed in all the genotypes with increasing pH. Based on Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), Genotype and Genotype Environment Interaction (GGE) biplot, Wrick’s ecovalence (Wi2 ), AMMI Stability Value (ASV) and Yield Stability Index (YSi) stable genotypes with high fruit yield were identified over the eight environments. The combined AMMI analysis of variance indicated that genotype main effect, environment and genotype-by-environment interaction effects showed variation of 19.83%, 63.07% and 17.10%, respectively for fruit yield. On the basis of different stability measures, VRO-112, VRO-110, Kashi Kranti, VROB178, AE-70 and VRO-108 were differentiated as high yielding and stable genotypes over the tested environments. This study will be helpful for selecting alkali tolerant okra parents for further breeding programme and recommending the suitable genotypes for alkalinity prone area

Field experiment was carried out to study the effect of pre-harvest fruit bagging on fruit weight, fruit yield and biochemical properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Phule Bhagwa Super during 2019-2020 in Randomized Block Design with six treatments replicated four times. The bagging treatments were Butter paper bag (T1), Brown paper bag (T2), Parchment bag (T3), English newspaper bag (60 gsm) (T4), Marathi newspaper bag (35 gsm) (T5) and Control (without bagging) (T6). Pomegranate fruits were covered with bags 30 days after fruit set. Bagging treatments influenced the yield and biochemical parameter of the pomegranate fruit. The highest fruit weight and fruit yield per plant was recorded by the bagging treatment Parchment bag (T3) which was 316.44 g and 25.68 kg plant-1, respectively. In general decreasing trend for values of biochemical characters was observed. Maximum TSS, total sugars, non-reducing sugars and reducing sugars whereas lowest acidity was recorded in control (T6) i.e. unbagged fruits. Among the bagging treatment, the bagging treatment Parchment bag (T3) recorded maximum values for TSS, total sugars, non-reducing sugars and reducing sugars and lowest for acidity.

The present investigation was conducted to estimate genetic parameters such as genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), heritability and genetic advance (GA) along with correlations and path coefficients from data collected on 52 okra genotypes collected from the IIHR, Bengaluru, India. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences among the genotypes for different morphological characters. High GCV and PCV were observed for yield per plant, no. of fruits per plant, no. of seeds per fruit, where as moderate GCV and PCV was observed for average fruit weight. High heritability coupled with high GAM were observed for almost all the characters studied, except days to 50% flowering and days to 80 % maturity shows low heritability with low GAM. The yield per plant, plant height and number of seeds per fruit showed high genetic advance that helped in effective and reliable selection through these characters for crop improvement. Fruit yield per plant showed positive association with stem girth, number of branches per plant, plant height, first fruit producing node, fruit length, fruit diameter, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, number of seeds per fruit and 100 seed weight while, negative association with days to 50% flowering, number of locules per fruit and days to 80 % maturity. The number of fruits per plant had maximum direct effect on fruit yield per plant followed by average fruit weight. Number of branches per plant, plant height and first fruit producing node contributed to fruit yield per plant indirectly via stem girth, average fruit weight, and number of fruits per plant. Hence, number of fruits and average fruit weight are identified as key traits for developing high fruit yielding genotypes of okra for future breeding programme.

The production of okra is affected by improper seedling growth and abiotic factors like temperature and soil. This study was aimed to examine the effect of paclobutrazol (PBZ) seed priming on the growth, seedling vigor and yield of okra. A pot experiment was conducted in completely randomized design under natural conditions and seeds of two okra varieties were soaked in 0, 4, 8, 10 and 20 mg L-1 of PBZ solution. Results showed that PBZ seed soaking affected the germination rate and maximum reduction in germination rate was observed at 20 mg L-1 of PBZ. A gradual decrease in plant height was recorded in PBZ treated plants as compared to control. A decrease in plant height of PBZ treated plants was accompanied with an increase in plant biomass and number of branches. PBZ seed soaking resulted in darker green leaves with higher chlorophyll, protein and total free amino acid contents than control plants. The activity of antioxidant enzymes, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase was also higher in PBZ treated plants. The improvement in all vegetative and physiological parameters ultimately had a positive effect on yield. PBZ treated plants showed an increase in the number of pods and pod length while seed weight remained unaffected. Thus, seed priming with optimum doses of PBZ could improve the seedlings and yield of okra. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers

The prediction of fruit yield in the next generation is one of the most important breeding objectives in agricultural research. For this purpose, different generations of coriander consisted of six...

Background Larvae of many hoverfly species prey upon aphids, whereas the adults, by relying on nectar and pollen, contribute to the pollination of many plant species. Despite their great potential for pest control and pollination, important gaps still exist regarding the efficacy of hoverflies in regulating infestations of major aphid pests in augmentative biological control programs. Here, we tested the potential of the commercially available hoverflies Eupeodes corollae and Sphaerophoria rueppellii to regulate populations of the foxglove aphid Aulacorthum solani in sweet pepper. Results In a semi-field experiment, aphid numbers were 93.2% and 78.4% lower in the E. corollae and S. rueppellii treatments, respectively, compared to the control. Fruit yield was increased by 390% and 361% and seed set by 395% and 399% for E. corollae and S. rueppellii. In a separate laboratory trial, we found that under conditions of limited prey, hoverfly larvae did not complete development, but that larvae of S. rueppellii survived significantly longer than larvae of E. corollae. Conclusion We have shown for the first time that E. corollae and S. rueppellii can reduce infestations of foxglove aphid in sweet pepper. The limited amount of prey, related to the small size of the A. solani colonies, means that hoverfly larvae were often not able to complete development. In practice, repeated releases of hoverflies possibly in combination with other natural enemies might be used to achieve effective suppression of A. solani infestations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Strawberry cultivation is associated with high mineral fertilizer doses and extensive use of chemical plant protection products. Based on previous research, we expected that chitin application to peat substrate would increase the nutrient availability and activate the plant systemic defense response, resulting in higher strawberry yields and fewer disease symptoms. We set up two experiments in which the temporal variability and differences in initial nutrient concentrations of the growing media were taken into account. Chitin treatment resulted in the attraction of plant growth–promoting fungi toward the plant root, such as species from genera Mortierella and Umbelopsis. In addition, by the end of the experiments 87 mg of mineral nitrogen (N) per liter of substrate was mineralized, which can be related to the observed increase in plant shoot biomass. This, however, led to nutrient imbalances in plant shoots and fruit; N concentration in the leaves increased over 30%, exceeding the optimal range, while phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies occurred, with concentrations lower than 50% of the optimal range. This may explain the decreased fruit yield and disease resistance of the fruit toward Botrytis cinerea. In contrast, chitin caused a clear defense priming effect in the strawberry leaves, with a strong induction of the jasmonic acid response, resulting in fewer foliar disease symptoms. Chitin causes positive effects on shoot growth and foliar disease resistance, but caution needs to be taken for nutrient imbalances leading to negative influences on root growth, fruit production, and disease susceptibility toward B. cinerea. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

A field experiment was conducted during two growing seasons to study the effect of foliar application of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (KH2PO4) at different concentrations; 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 ppm, and sowing date (15th October, 1st November and 15th November) on the growth, fruit yield, and essential oil productivity of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.). Among the three sowing dates tested, plants sown on 1st November recorded the best results regarding all characteristics during both seasons, except for plant height during the second season only and stem diameter during both seasons which were significantly increased for the plants sown on 15th October. Plants grown on 15th October significantly surpassed those grown on 15th November in most of the studied parameters. Foliar application of KH2PO4 fertilizer exhibited a significant effect on plant height, branch number/plant, stem diameter, umbel number/plant, fruit dry weight per plant and per fed, harvest index, essential oil percentage and essential oil yield per plant and per fed. The highest concentration of KH2PO4 (4000 ppm) showed the best results of all studied parameters comparing to the control and the other concentrations in both seasons. The best results were noticed in the plants grown on 1st November and treated with potassium at 4000 ppm in all parameters except for plant height which achieved the best combination when plants were sown on 15th October and treated with potassium at 4000 ppm.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a broadly consumed fruit vegetable globally. It is one of the research mandate vegetable of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Nigeria. The institute’s contains diverse collections of tomato accessions and wild relatives, without utilization information for the African continent. With the decline in diversity and potential of cultivars, a robust tomato breeding pipeline with broad genetic base that eliminates redundancy in the development of lines with desired horticultural traits is paramount. This study evaluated the mean performance and variations of thirteen wild tomato accessions obtained from the C.M. Rick Tomato Genetic Resource Center, University of California, Davis, USA, evaluated for agronomic, nutritional and physicochemical traits under a rain forest zone in Nigeria. The accessions were planted and grown in three replications with randomized complete block design. Agronomic traits, physicochemical and nutritional parameters were measured and analyzed. There was significant (P < 0.001) variation among accessions for all traits measured. Accession LA0130 was separated from others by cluster analysis and was outstanding for its unique attributes which include: fruit yield parameters, total soluble solids, acidity and content. The principal component analysis suggests fruit yield related traits, acidity and contributed most to the variation among the 13 accessions. The results obtained can be used to breed materials adapted to a rain forest . These wild tomato accessions have genes with desirable agronomic, nutritional and physicochemical traits that could be into breeding lines to improve commercial tomato varieties.

Field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Garki-Abuja in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons to evaluate response of pruning on growth, fruit yield, nutritional quality and nutrient uptake of okra. The experiment had eight treatment combinations viz: Two okra varieties (Clemson spinless and Gungo Local) and four pruning rates (0, 1 stem, 2 stems and 3 stems), replicated three times. The experiment was factorial fitted into Randomized Complete Block Design. Data were collected on number of leaves per plant, number of fruits, green fruit yield, nutritional quality and nutrient uptake. Data was analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) M.STAT package and treatment means compared using least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. Pruning is beneficial to performance of okra. Plants with 2 stems pruning produced the highest fruit yield (11.60 t ha-1) in 2018 while control plots had the least values (1.80 t ha-1, 1.60 t ha-1) in 2017 and 2018, respectively. It could be concluded that 2 stems pruning increased fruit yield of okra and Clemson spinless performed better than Gungo Local variety and could be recommended for farmers within the study area.

The field experiment was conducted at Research cum Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture & Research Station, Singarbhat, Kanker, Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) during Kharif 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Complete Design with four replication, in-situ sixty genotypes of about 10 year age were selected for investigation, which were found as wild seedling plants on forest land and rice bunds in Kanker District- (Chhattisgarh). The treatments comprised of sixty genotypes for with different qualitative character viz total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, titration acetic acid, keeping days, pulp ratio, pulp seed ratio, peel percentage and fruit yield per plant. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that direct selection for quantitative traits i.e., length of pedicel, number of seeds per fruits, number of fruits per tree, areole weight, pulp weight, fruit yield per plant and qualitative traits viz., reducing sugar, pulp-seed ratio, peel percentage and pulp ratio may lead to the development of high-yielding custard apple genotypes. Peel percentage showed negligible positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant due to low positive indirect effect via total sugar, reducing sugar and negligible positive indirect effect via keeping days, pulp ratio. The result acidity and non-reducing sugar have negligible negative indirect effect.

Heterosis breeding has proven to be a potential method of increasing yield in the crops. It enables early identification of superior/potential crosses which is necessary to handle the material in advance generations, effectively and gainfully. An experiment was conducted to evaluate 35 genotypes in four different environments at Navsari Agricultural University. The experimental material consisted of 35 genotypes; representing 24 hybrids developed in line x tester mating of 10 diverse parents and commercial hybrid check ‘OH-102’. Significant and high estimates of standard heterosis were observed for fruit yield/plant in all environments. Among the hybrids, AOL-16-04 x Parbhani Kranti was consistent with respect to higher heterotic effect for fruit yield/plant across the environments, while cross AOL-16-04 x Arka Anamika was consistent for heterotic effects in environments E1, E2 and E3 and the cross NOL 17-09 x Arka Anamika was consistent in E1, E3 and E4 for fruit yield/plant. These crosses may be exploited for commercial cultivation and may also be advanced as those would likely yield superior transgressive segregants.

The evergreen tree olive (Olea europaea L.) is the only species of the genus Olea that produces edible fruits with high ecological and economic value. This tree species has developed a series of physiochemical mechanisms to tolerate drought stress and grow under adverse climatic environments. One of these mechanisms is photosynthesis activities, so that as yet little information achieved about the relations between olive production and photosynthetic parameters under drought conditions. An experiment was carried out during two consecutive years (2015–2017) to study the response of 20 different olive tree cultivars (Olea europaea L.) to drought stress. Several parameters like net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (GS), transpiration rate (TE), photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid) and fruit yield were measured. The results of combined analysis of variance for fruit yield and other measured traits showed that year, drought treatment, cultivar main effects and their interactions were highly significant. The results indicated that drought stress reduced all traits, however GS (42.80%), PN (37.21%) and TE (37.17%) significantly affected by drought. Lower reduction in photosynthetic performance (PN, GS and TE) in the cultivar T7 compared to other olive cultivars allowed them to maintain better fruit yield. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified two PCs that accounted for 82.04 and 83.27% of the total variation in photosynthetic parameters under optimal and drought stress conditions, respectively. Taken together, mean comparison, relative changes due to drought and biplot analysis revealed that cultivars ‘T7’, ‘Roghani’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Korfolia’ and ‘Abou-satl’ displayed better response against drought stress. According to our results, one olive cultivar namely ‘T7’, could be used in olive breeding programs to improve new high yielding cultivars with drought tolerance for use in the drought-prone environments.

Background and Aims Understanding how plant allometry, plant architecture and phenology contribute to fruit production can identify those plant traits that maximize fruit yield. In this study, we compared these variables and fruit yield for two shrub species, Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium myrtilloides, to test the hypothesis that phenology is linked to the plants’ allometric traits, which are predictors of fruit production. Methods We measured leaf and flower phenology and the above-ground biomass of both Vaccinium species in a commercial wild lowbush blueberry field (Quebec, Canada) over a 2-year crop cycle; 1 year of pruning followed by 1 year of harvest. Leaf and flower phenology were measured, and the allometric traits of shoots and buds were monitored over the crop cycle. We hand-collected the fruits of each plant to determine fruit attributes and biomass. Key Results During the harvesting year, the leafing and flowering of V. angustifolium occurred earlier than that of V. myrtilloides. This difference was related to the allometric characteristics of the buds due to differences in carbon partitioning by the plants during the pruning year. Through structural equation modelling, we identified that the earlier leafing in V. angustifolium was related to a lower leaf bud number, while earlier flowering was linked to a lower number of flowers per bud. Despite differences in reproductive allometric traits, vegetative biomass still determined reproductive biomass in a log–log scale model. Conclusions Growing buds are competing sinks for non-structural carbohydrates. Their differences in both number and characteristics (e.g. number of flowers per bud) influence levels of fruit production and explain some of the phenological differences observed between the two Vaccinium species. For similar above-ground biomass, both Vaccinium species had similar reproductive outputs in terms of fruit biomass, despite differences in reproductive traits such as fruit size and number.

Having substantial and working knowledge on phosphorus fertilization is a pre-requisite to profitable tomato production. Thus, the present research was conducted to determine the optimum phosphorus (P) fertilizer rate for better fruit yield of tomato in Ilorin, a location in the Southern Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria. Five levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60, 90 and120kgP/ha) were tested on UC82B tomato variety. The experiment waslaid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Data were collected on plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and number of branches at different growth stages while data on fruit yield as well as its components were collected at harvest. Results showed that application of 30kgP/ha produced plants with the highest leaf area. The control and 30kgP/ha produced the highest number of leaves. Application of 90kgP/ha and 120kgP/ha resulted in production of highest number of fruits while application of 90kgP/ha alone resulted in production of the tallest plants, highest number of branches and highest fruit yield. The yield was 66% better than the control. It was, therefore, concluded that 90kgP/ha should be used for optimum tomato fruit production in the agro-ecological zone of the research and places with the same climatic and edaphic conditions. Keywords: Phosphorus fertilization, tomato, growth improvement and fruit yield

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2015-16. Geographically Lucknow is situated at 26050’ N latitude, 80052’ E longitude and altitude of 111 miter above mean sea level (MSL)at Horticulture Research Farm-1, Babasaheb Bheemrao Ambedkar University Vidya Vihar, Rae Bareli Road, Lucknow, (U.P.) 226025, Studies on the “Effect of boron and zinc on Physical characters, Yield attributing characters and Bio-chemical aspects of fruits, yield and quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), cv. Bhagwa”, revealed that Physical characters viz. Fruit weight(101.33g), Fruit length (0.53m), fruit diameter maximum (0.39m), Fruit volume (89.67ml) and Pericarp thickness (0.17mm), Peel weight(0.039g), Number of aril/fruit (302.67) and Aril weight(0.06 g), Aril length (0.48), Aril diameter (0.30), Yield attributing characters viz. Fruit yield g/plant (435.35g), Fruit yield kg/ha(299.67kg/ha), and Bio-chemical aspects viz. Specific gravity of fruit (2.07), Titratable Acidity (0.43%), Ascorbic acid (10.80mg/100g), Total Soluble Solids (14.470 Brix), Total sugars (6.00%), Reducing sugar (4.63%), Non-reducing sugar, (1.91%), of fruits were maximized. When we use with recommended dose of micronutrients (Boron 0.2%) + (Zinc 0.5%).

The present investigation was undertaken to study the magnitude of heterosis in 45 hybrids (F1s) developed by following the Line × Tester mating design using fifteen lines and three testers for earliness and high fruit yield. Among the parents, OBGCBR-2 and IC-085611 have performed as superior genotypes for heterosis. Highest degree of heterosis for most of the traits i.e., earliness and fruit yield traits were registered in desired direction in the hybrid OBGCBR-2 × Jaunpuri Green. Estimation of standard heterosis in cross OBGCBR-1 × IC-085611 recorded desired relative heterosis for days to 50% pistillate flowering. Heterosis for node at which 1st pistillate flower appears was in the desired direction in cross OBGCBR-2 × Jaunpuri Green for standard check and; hybrid Meghna × Jaunpuri Green for relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis. Hybrids Katehi × IC-085612 exhibited negative and significant relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis for internodal length. In case of sex ratio and fruit length cross OBGCV-2 × IC-085612 showed heterosis in desired direction for relative parent and heterobeltiosis. The positive and significant, relative parent and heterobeltiosis was in the hybrid Green Jhalari × Jaunpuri Green for fruit diameter. For average fruit weight positive and significant heterosis observed in cross OBGCBR-2 × IC-085611 over standard parent. Estimation of standard heterosis for number of fruit plant-1 indicated that the hybrids OBGCBR-2 × IC-085611 found to be desirable superior cross combinations over standard heterosis followed by Meghna × Jaunpuri Green for relative parent and heterobeltiosis.

Yield and fruit size are under the control of many interacting factors and crop failures can be caused by climatic extremes and poor flowering. Nevertheless, this study has shown that mulching, through the creation of improved soil properties and reduced environmental stress, has the potential to substantially increase A. arguta fruit size and yield. The mulched site performed better than the site without mulch in reducing soil temperature, increasing soil moisture and controlling available phosphorus. Moreover, mulching improved both yield and fruit size. In light of this, we hope that the results of our research will provide useful information for the cultivation of A. arguta in South Korea. However, it also seems necessary to conduct research on the use of different types of mulch and on the economic profitability of mulch in the future.

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a major devastating soil-borne disease impeding eggplant cultivation worldwide. The present investigation was conducted to recognize and assess bacterial wilt resistant rootstocks among Solanum melongena (Haritha, Surya, SM 1, SM 2, SM 3, SM116, and SM 398), Solanum torvum (St TNAU 1 and St KAU 1), and Solanum sisymbrifolium (SS 1) for vigor, yield and qualitative traits of ‘Green Long Hybrid’ scion through grafting. The artificial inoculation method as well as the sick plot method of bacteria wilt screening were adopted. The root dip method of artificial inoculation was found to be the most reliable method as compared to media drenching and stem inoculation methods. All the rootstocks except Solanum sisymbrifolium possessed a high degree of bacterial wilt resistance (in artificial as well as sick plot conditions). Maximum plant spread, stem girth, number of primary branches, yield per plant (6.69 kg), number of fruits per plant (94.80), fruit length (22.22 cm), root length (63.65 cm), and root spread (87.05 cm) were exhibited by Green Long Hybrid scion when grafted onto Solanum melongena cv. Haritha rootstock. Taller plants with high fruit girth (10.97 cm) and average fruit weight (78.00 g) of scion were recorded on SM 116 rootstock. The highest dry matter content (11.12%) and total phenolic content (113.30 mg/100 g) of fruits were observed in scion when SM 398 and SM 3 were used as rootstocks, respectively. Overall, ‘Haritha’ cultivar was found to be the best rootstock for grafting in the current study. Thus, grafting technology can be effectively used for the control of bacterial wilt as well as for acquiring higher yield in eggplant.

Farmers and plant breeders are often faced with the problem of selecting the best genotypes of okra as a result of lack of adequate knowledge of association among yield and its component characters which has led to the inefficiency of crop improvement. Efficient selection in any breeding programme will not only depend on yield alone but on yield together with other yield components. Based on this fact, this research was carried out on forty genotypes of okra to determine the association of different agronomic characters with pod yield and their direct and indirect effects on pod yield so as to select the best genotype for further breeding work. The seed of each genotype was sown in a plot laid out in randomised complete block design with three replications, and data were collected on fourteen agronomic characters and analysed. Pod yield per plant had highly significant and positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations with plant height, number of leaves, petiole length, internode length, plant height at flowering, peduncle length, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of seeds and number of pods, indicating that pod yield in okra could be a function of these traits. Highly significant, negative genotypic and phenotypic correlations were observed for pod yield per plant with days to 50% flowering and days to maturity, suggesting that early flowering and maturity are desirable traits for improved productivity in okra. Path coefficient analysis revealed that number of pod per plant had the highest positive direct effect on pod yield per plant with its largest indirect effect with days to 50% flowering and reduction in days to maturity. Due to close associations among these traits, they could be used as basis of selection when high yield is the breeding objective.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) productivity is largely governed by the growing condition and cultivar type. In this context a study was undertaken to find out the effect of zinc (Zn) and boron (B...

To study the effects of mulching on fine roots and fruits of Camellia oleifera Abel, four materials (Peanut stalk + straw, black mulch, eco-film, C. oleifera shell) were used to mulch on the C. ole...

The present experiment was carried out during December 2018 to May 2019 in Central Research Field, Department of Horticulture, SHUATS, Prayagraj. it is concluded that treatment T2 (20 cm pruning) was best in terms of vegetative growth parameters like plant height, plant spread, number of branches etc. and treatment T4 (40 cm pruning) was best in terms of earliness and fruit yield parameters, in terms of quality treatment T3 (30 cm pruning) was best. In terms of economics treatment T4 (40 cm pruning) recorded maximum benefit and cost benefit ratio.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the basic and applied aspects of different plant growth regulators in the regulation of growth and development of cucumber plants. The study is completely based on the use of secondary sources of data; related journals, government institutes, and relevant reports. Foliar application of PGRs has been shown to change the physiological and developmental processes, including plant vegetative growth, sex expression, yield, and yield components in cucumber. There are basically two types of growth regulators; plant growth promoters such as auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins, maleic hydrazide, ethephon, etc. and plant growth inhibitors such as ethylene, abscisic acids, dormins, etc. The combined use of auxins and gibberellins result in increased secondary growth. Maleic hydrazide (MH) along with Ethephon at 100 ppm each increases the number of nodes and primary branches. Ethrel at 300-400 ppm retards the secondary development and increase femaleness, and at 200-300 ppm make fruit surface smooth. Silver nitrate (AgNO3) at 400 ppm enhances the maleness in cucumber. Application of Ethephon at 300 ppm reduces the harvesting time of the fruit. Salicylic acid (at 2 doses of 0.07 mm/l + 0.18 mm/l) increases chlorophyll content and its exogenous application increases the fruit yield. Maleic Hydrazide (MH) alone at 100 ppm increases the femaleness, inhibits apical growth at 50-100 ppm, and increases fruit size at 200 ppm. Therefore, various auxin [indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), NAA], auxin transport inhibitor (TIBA), cytokinins (KIN), gibberellin [gibberellic acid (GA3)], ABA, ethylene [(2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethrel; ethephon; CEPA)] and growth retardant (MH) have been applied to control the vegetative growth and to maximize yield of cucumber. Numerous obstacles have hindered the quality cucumber production in Nepal; like environmental stresses, biotic and abiotic constraints, pest and disease outbreaks, and many others. The use of exogenous plant growth regulators has been crucial to Nepali cucumber producers as plant growth regulators has hasty effect on vegetative as well as the quality yield of plants. This study aims to reveal the suitable concentrations for the applications of growth regulators so that the use of such regulators is environmentally and toxicologically safe for both plants and the consumers.

Soil properties are important environmental conditions affecting fruit quality and yield in new cultivars of Actinidia arguta. The yield of three A. arguta cultivars (cv. Autumn Sense, cv. Chungsan, and cv. Greenball) from Wonju city, South Korea was investigated from 2017 to 2019 and the relationships to soil properties are discussed. The yield of cv. Autumn Sense, cv. Chungsan, and cv. Greenball fruits ranged from 6.8 to 24.5, 14.0 to 29.0, and 10.5 to 38.5 kg/vine. cv. Autumn Sense had the highest soil organic matter content and soil C/N ratio over the three-year period. The yield of A. arguta fruits was positively correlated with soil C/N ratio and could be described by a power model (y = axb), suggesting that soil C/N ratio plays an important role in limiting the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of organic matter in A. arguta fruits. In addition, C/N ratio in the soil was influenced by the soil available phosphate. However, the threshold of the C/N ratio for A. arguta fruit differed according to cultivar, and especially the lowest threshold was observed in cv. Chungsan. Therefore, the application of an appropriate C/N ratio depending on the cultivar is required for improved fruit yield. Our results present the soil properties required to increase the yield of the new A. arguta cultivars in South Korea.

The performance of plantain fruit yield and quality under different planting densities under an influence of irrigation system was investigated at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Experiments were set up as a split plot fitted into randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Main plots are irrigation system while sub-plots are plant densities. Treatments included four plant densities (1 x 2, 2 x 2, 2 x 3, and 3 x 3 m), two irrigation systems and their combination where irrigation system was the main plot and plant density the sub-plot. Over 2,000 agbagba suckers were pared and hot–water treated, and planted during the first week of the experiment. Manure was applied at the rate of three spades full per plant for nutrient supplement; and mulching was done. Weeds were manually controlled as at when due. Plantain diseases like yellow sigatoka and black sigatoka were also controlled manually by de-leafing infected leaves to prevent disease spread. Data were collected and analyzed using ANOVA. Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) was used for mean separation at 5% level of significance. The results of ANOVA showed that there were significant effects (P < 0.05) due to irrigation application for all measured parameters whereas effects due to plant densities were significant for only these parameters; number of suckers (NOS), sucker height (SUHT), number of leaves on sucker (NLSC), bunch weight (BWT), number of hand (NHND), total number of finger (TFNG) and number of sucker at flowering (NSCK). Therefore, it can be concluded that plant spacing, and regular water supply plays a significant role in obtaining good yield in plantain production

There is an immense need to replace chemical fertilizers with biofertilizers to address the soil, environment, and health issues. Endophytic bacteria act as biocontrol agents and promote plant growth and yield. Present study was designed to evaluate the microbial effect of endophytic bacteria on growth, fruit yield and quality of phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.). Three years old healthy, disease and insect-pest free plants were selected for the study. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with four treatments; control, two bacteria such as Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN, Bacillus sp. strain MN54 and their combination (PsJN + MN54) with three replications. The treatments were applied after pruning (January) and flowering (March) as plants need nutrition for both vegetative and reproductive growth. Combined application of PsJN + MN54 resulted in greater vegetative and reproductive growths of plants i.e. number of shoots/plant (29.6), number of leaves/shoot (15.9), number of fruit clusters/shoot (14.0), number of fruits/cluster (14.1), fruit weight (13.7 g) and yield/plant (8.8 kg) than PsJN or MN54 alone and control. Fruit biochemical characteristic i.e. TSS (8.78 °Brix), TA (0.53%), ascorbic acid (44.44 mg 100 mL-1), total sugar (12.29%), reducing sugar (9.59%) and non-reducing sugar (4.92%) contents were also higher in plants treated with PsJN + MN54. All growth, yield and biochemical parameters correlated positively with each other except titratable acidity. Based on performance, the combined treatment (PsJN + MN54) can be applied at two stages, after pruning and at flowering, for better growth, yield and quality of phalsa crop.

Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and Niger State College of Agriculture, Mokwa in 2013 cropping season to examine the effects of mineral fertilizers on growth, fruit yield and nutrient uptake of tomato. Tomato cultivation in the country has improved from the traditional intercropping system with major staple crops to a much more commercially oriented system. The treatments consisted of 3 mineral fertilizer types at 3 rates each and their combinations were used, namely: N (0, 30 and 60 in kg N ha-1), P (0, 25 and 50 kg P2O5ha-1), K (0, 16.5 and 33 kg K2O ha-1). The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated 3 times. Data were collected on plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of flowers per plant, number of fruits per plant, total fruit yield and nutrient uptake. The determination of leaf phytochemical contents were randomly selected per plot and analyzed for nutrient uptake such as N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) SAS package and treatment means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% probability level. The objective of the study was to determine mineral fertilizer combinations that will increase the nutrient uptake for optimum tomato performance. External input of mineral fertilizer improved tomato yield and nutrient uptake of tomato. Application of 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1 gave the highest fruit yield (27.81 t ha-1) while control plot had the least (9.96 t ha-1). Nutrient uptake (P, K) was best at fertilizer rates of 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1. In conclusion, external input of mineral fertilizer is necessary to improve tomato yield and nutrient uptake contents. Plants fertilized with 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1 responded better than other rates and therefore can be recommended for farmers to increase production within the study areas.

Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) is a drought tolerant fruit crop and well adapted to sub-tropical to tropical climates. Seasonal pruning in jujube is essential to sustain the plants as productive with quality fruits because flowers and fruits are borne on young shoots of current season’s growth. This experiment was initiated and accomplished during 2016-18 to assess appropriate extent of pruning in various cultivars of Indian jujube with regard to productivity and fruit quality. Four cultivars of jujube i.e., Dehli Sufaid, Pak White, Umran and Alu Bukhara were subjected to four pruning levels i.e. no pruning, 25%, 50% and 75% pruning by removing unproductive, over-crowded secondary and tertiary branches leaving 3/4 (light), 1/2 (medium) and 1/4 (severe pruning) portion of branch intact with main limb, respectively. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications and statistically analysed in 2-factors factorial way. Pak White initiated new growth earlier (39 days), produced maximum branches per plant (77), shoots (15), panicles (63) and fruits (90) per branch, heavier (38 g) and bulky fruits (44 cm3), with minimum fruit drop (13%), higher yield (184 kg) per plant and fruits carrying the maximum pulp ratio (90%), total soluble solids (16 °Brix), vitamin C content (121 mg /100 g pulp) and total sugars (5.7%). Fifty percent pruning level proved more judicious in all jujube cultivars. Pak White performed the best when subjected to 50% pruning level for all the parameters under study as calculated by interaction between two factors.

An experiment was conducted at Main Experiment Station of Department of Vegetable Science at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P). The experimental material consisted of 28 pumpkin genotypes including three standard checks viz., Arka Chandan, Azad Kaddu and Pusa Vikash was conducted in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Analysis of variance studies indicated significant differences among all the genotypes for all the characters under study. Genetic diversity was worked out using Mahalanobis D2 statistic. Based on D2 analysis, the genotypes were grouped into 7 distinct non-overlapping clusters. Cluster I, II and III had 6 genotypes in each clusters. Cluster IV, V and VI also had 3 genotypes and cluster VII had presented only one genotype. The maximum intra-cluster distance was in cluster V (139.09) and minimum intra-cluster distance was found for cluster VII (0.00). Clustering pattern revealed that geographical diversity was not associated with genetic diversity of genotypes. The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters III to cluster VII (503.329), which suggested that members of these two clusters are genetically very diverse to each other. The inter cluster values between cluster I to cluster VII (398.733), V to VII (325.792), II to VII (315.975), V to VI (312.753) and I to V (309.983) were also high. The minimum inter-cluster D2 value was recorded in case of cluster III to cluster IV (174.606). The wider genetic diversity were observed in cluster clusters I to VII, V to VII, II to VII, V to VI and I to V which indicated the potentiality of these diverse genotypes collection for providing basic material for future breeding programmes.