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Sowing date and time are important agronomic practices determining the growth and yield of any crop. To improve the growth and yield of bush beans through the proper date of sowing, a field experiment was conducted from March 2022 to July 2022 at the Vegetable Seed Production Centre, Chapa, Musikot-04, West Rukum. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with the 5 different sowing dates, viz., (17th February), (4th March), (19th March), (4th April), and (19th April), and replicated four times. The observations on parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, number of pods per plant, pod length, pod diameter, number of seeds per pod, and yield were recorded. The results obtained were in favor of the planting made on March 4, which was significantly different from the plant sown on February 17, March 19, March 3, and April 18. The result shows that the best sowing date for bush beans was found in the first week of March. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 5 % of all seeds at a seed company are discarded because of their underutilization. Bitter gourd contains a large number of seeds that are discarded, which are difficult to treat and cause severe environmental pollution. However, these seeds are a rich source of bioactive metabolites (such as glycosides, saponin, alkaloids, triterpenes, steroids, dietary fibers, essential oils, and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) with antioxidant, antimicrobial properties, and health-promoting effects. So, it is important to find ways to treat this waste and use it in various food products and health-promoting effects to benefit humans and prevent environmental pollution as per Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. This review discussed the extraction of different functional compounds by using traditional and modern extraction techniques, nutraceutical and food applications, as well as the toxicological effects of the bitter gourd seeds, aiming to give a new research direction to the researchers of concerned fields to find more potential applications of this natural waste. Both in vivo and in vitro study results showed that bitter gourd seeds in powder, extract, and oils can be used as antioxidant and antitumor agents and showed antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Bitter gourd seeds also have healthy and technological compounds that could be used in food industries to improve food products' quality, stability, and nutritional characteristics. Bitter gourd seeds can also be used to purify drinking water. Further studies are needed to find more applications of this natural by-product in developing functional and nutritious foods.

This research was conducted to test the effect of oxygen content (low O2, high O2, air) during hermetic seed storage at 20±2℃ over 8 and 12 months on seed germination and seedling root and shoot length in tomato, onion, cabbage, and marrow seeds. Samples with low oxygen storage had higher seed germination as well as longer root and shoot lengths than both control and high oxygen storage. When the storage period extended from 8 to 12 months, the germination percentages also reduced. However, these results varied among the species. The greatest advantage of low oxygen storage was obtained in tomatoes, which exhibited 15% and 9% higher germination compared to the control after 8 and 12 months of storage, respectively. The longest root and shoot lengths of 6.4 cm and 11.6 cm, respectively, were obtained from the low oxygen storage treatments. A similar positive effect of low oxygen storage was observed in onion and cabbage seeds but not in marrows. Results indicated that oxygen level in the packets during storage can be an effective component to maintain high seed germination and seedling growth potential (seed vigour). The difference in the effect on different species is a matter of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-sowing treatment of seeds with an α static magnetic field has been reported in the literature as a means of enhancing plant development. In this work, we have designed, characterized, and constructed a setup for exposing small vegetable seeds to a static magnetic field. In a series of experiments, we have treated the seeds of vegetables that are important for the Mediterranean diet, i.e., tomato, lettuce, and salad rocket. The results show that tomato seedlings significantly benefit from a pre-sowing treatment with a magnetic flux density of 45 mT, for both an exposure time of 60 and 90 min compared to control, while the time of treatment that leads to improved growth is 90 min. In order to improve the growth of salad rocket seedlings the magnetic field had to be 150 mT, whereas the results for lettuce seeds were a bit inconsistent, i.e., it is not clear whether a lower (45 mT) or a higher (300 mT) magnetic flux density should be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables are not only consumed fresh but also have an important place in nutrition in terms of vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Parts of these plants such as roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds are used and consumed. This study was carried out in the laboratories of Bingol and Ege Universities in 2022. In the study, some physical properties (length, width, surface area, mean arithmetic and geometric diameters, and sphericity) of seeds belonging to five different vegetables (dill, lettuce, parsley, arugula and tongue grass) were investigated. Since the seeds examined in the study are "heirloom seeds", the values obtained will enable sowing operations to be carried out with minimum seed loss by making use of mechanization applications in small and narrow areas as well as breeding studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient seed marketing system is very crucial for boosting vegetable production in Bangladesh. This study evaluated the vegetable seed marketing channels in Bangladesh including profit margins of various traders and different problems faced by them. Primary data from 45 vegetable farmers and 30 seed traders in Rajshahi district were collected by face-to-face interview. Descriptive and profitability analysis were employed, while problem confrontation index (PCI) was used to rank the problems. The findings revealed that vegetable seeds were traded through six major marketing channels. Private agents supply the majority of seeds where dealers, wholesalers, retailers and farmers were the key actors in the channels. However, rural market traders had the highest marketing margin and terminal market traders had the lowest. BCR for terminal market traders was 1.53 that is highest among the traders’ categories where BCR for rural market traders was lowest (1.36). Lack of bank loan facilities, inadequate capital, lack of separate market place, and lack of technical know-how were the major ranked problems faced by traders. The study recommends providing credit facilities to the traders, arranging a separated market place and proper training to increase technical knowledge.

This article presents the results of a study on the effectiveness of processing vegetable seeds with a humic preparation. In the region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the influence of the humic preparation "Rostok" on the germination and productivity of vegetable crops was studied. Seed treatment with a humic preparation "Rostok" involves the improvement of production technologies not only in terms of quantitative and qualitative improvement, but also in terms of maintaining environmental safety and balance of agro ecosystems. Presowing seed treatment with a humic preparation "Rostok" contributed to an increase in the field germination of seeds of the "Rubin" radish - by 15% and increased the yield by 1.3 kg / m2. Presowing treatment with a humic preparation "Rostok" allows to increase the germination energy of vegetable seeds, allows unconditioned seeds to be brought to sowing conditions in terms of germination, which makes it possible to save seed material, increase the yield of vegetable crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA‐based approaches have greatly improved the applicability of dietary studies aimed at investigating ecological processes. These studies have provided direct insights into, otherwise difficult to measure, interactions between species and trophic levels, food web structure and ecosystem functioning. However, despite these advances, DNA‐based methods have struggled to accurately quantify the whole breadth of diet constituents because of methodological biases, such as amplification bias and digestive processes. The present study is, to our knowledge, the first diet study to use droplet digital PCR to quantify diet constituents. We manipulated the diet of wild‐caught wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) by feeding them with a known amount of small vegetable seeds (onion and carrot) and quantified the DNA traces of these diet constituents in faecal samples. The sensitivity of the technique combined with the control on the experimental design allowed mitigation of methodological bias. We were able to accurately determine DNA concentrations of small vegetable seeds in the diet of wood mice. Quantification of target DNA demonstrated significant differences in DNA content when one vs. five seeds were consumed. These differences remained significant when the age, sex and other diet constituents of the mice were altered. Different DNA markers, targeting different parts of the chloroplast, influenced onion DNA detectability. However, all onion and carrot markers showed higher DNA content for higher seed numbers. Overall, the sensitive DNA‐based approach developed in this study allows for minimally invasive quantification of small diet constituents in faeces, which would otherwise be undetectable with traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anther culture technique is one of the commonly used method in order to obtain haploid plants in eggplant. It is known that androgenic response in eggplant is variable and one of the most important factors determining success is the genotype effect. Low or insufficient embryogenic response limits the use of doubled haploid technology in breeding programs. Therefore, determining the embryogenic responses of genotypes is a step for the use of this technology in breeding studies. In this study, 61 eggplant genotypes at various breeding stages (F1, F2, and F3) in the gene pool of United Genetics Vegetable Seeds Company (Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa, Turkey) were evaluated in terms of androgenic responses. Significant differences were determined among eggplant genotypes in terms about embryo induction and conversion rates of embryos to full plantlets. In the study, responsiveness to anther culture based on genotype ranged from 0.0%-21.58%. The conversion rate of induced embryos to plants varied between 0.0% and 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted at Musikot, Western Rukum, Nepal in 2019 to analyze the economic results of vegetable seed production using a well-structured pre-tested questionnaire. The average landholding per household was 8.14 ropani (1 ropani = 0.05 ha), as 33.74% of landholding (equal to 50.36% of the cultivated land) was under vegetable seed production. Vegetable seed production generated 46% of on-farm income equal to 23% of total household income. The share of on-farm activities and off-farm activities in household income was almost equal. 64% of the farming households were food self-sufficient. 39% of the farmers were new to the vegetable seed production enterprise whereas 5% of the farmers were involved from 40 years. 49% of the cost in vegetable seed production was incurred in labor. About eight thousand rupee were sufficient to run a vegetable seed production enterprise per ropani that had made a gross margin of NRs 9,614.36 per ropani. Radish occupied 46.5% of the vegetable seed producing land and generated 53.5% of the vegetable seed revenue. BCR of 2.21 suggested that vegetable seed production enterprise brings NRs 2.21 at the investment of NRs 1. Swiss-chard had the highest price spread (90%) whereas radish and turnip had the lowest (57%). Sensitivity analysis showed that vegetable seed production enterprise was a viable business even after a 20% increase in cost and 20% reduction of revenue simultaneously. Disease infestation and insect attack were two major production problems and price fluctuation and inadequate market information were two major marketing problems faced by vegetable seed producers at Musikot, Western-Rukum, Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid that displays multi-pharmacological activities, as well as phytotoxicity. In this study, seeds of four typical vegetables including lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), onion (Allium cepa L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were selected to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of acacetin, and the model plant lettuce, which is also the most sensitive species to acacetin of the four vegetables, was used to research the phytotoxic mechanism of acacetin. Bioassays showed that the germination rate and germination potential of vegetable seeds were both decreased under a high concentration of acacetin. Acacetin displayed strong inhibitory effects on root growth, shoot growth and fresh weight of vegetable seedlings in a concentration dependent manner. After treatments with acacetin, the levels of O2−, H2O2, MDA, free proline and the number of dead cells in lettuce root tips were increased, while the mitosis index (MI) was decreased. These results indicated that acacetin could cause stress on lettuce seedlings and induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells, leading to lipid peroxidation and then loss of cell viability and even cell death. Moreover, acacetin influenced the mitosis of the target plant, resulting in a decreased proportion of cells during the division phase. Together, acacetin showed strongly phytotoxic effects on vegetables, and the allelopathic activity mainly depended on the influence of ROS and mitosis of the receptor plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Indonesia, vegetable seeding technique in nursery plug trays still uses manual mechanism. Furthermore, the small size of vegetable seeds makes it difficult to allocate the seeds evenly (1 seed per planting hole). This study aims to design and construct a portable vegetable seeder with a vacuum-type mechanism for nursery needs in plug trays. The methods used in this study were: 1) preliminary test of seed characteristics, 2) functional analysis of the design, 3) structural analysis of the design using CAD, 4) fabricating a prototype, and 5) performance test of the seeder prototype. Seed characteristic used as reference analysis was mustard green seeds. The nursery plug tray used was TS-128L tray (128 planting holes). The results show that the suction requirement of the seeder was 23.119 Pa and the seed suction holes diameter was 1 mm with a cone angle of 120o. The overall dimensions of the machine are 585 × 430 × 105 mm with 5.26 kg of weight. The suction power uses 220 V AC electric blower with 1.5 A of electric current, 2.5 inches of inlet hole, 3600 rpm of blower rotation and 412.02 Pa of suction power (bigger than the suction requirement of the seeder). The performance test results of seeder using mustard green seeds have been able to achieve the uniformity level of 93.75% (1 seed per planting hole), germination percentage of 95.05% and seeding capacity of 102 trays/hour.

Improved seed propagation technologies (ISPTs) curb the shortage of quality seedlings for vegetable farmers. This study examines factors that influence the choice of improved vegetable seed propagation technologies in Arumeru and Mvomero districts, Tanzania for nursery beds and seedling trays. Descriptive statistics and a logit model are used to analyse data from 240 randomly sampled farmers. The results show that seedling trays are used by only 13% of all vegetable farmers, despite the technology's higher productivity and efficiency; and nursery beds are used by 87% of all farmers. The binary logit model results show that the choice of ISPTs is determined by access to seedling trays, credit, extension services and marital status. Thus, to increase the efficiency of transplant production and yield, the use of seedling trays for propagating vegetable seedlings should be promoted by increasing the availability of seedling trays and availing credit and extension services to vegetable farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil contents of seeds changed between 15.89 g/100 g (purslane) and 38.97 g/100 g (black radish). Palmitic acid contents of oil samples were found between 2.2 g/100 g (turnip) and 15.0 g/100 g (purslane). While oleic acid contents of oil samples change between 12.1% (turnip) and 69.8% (purple carrot), linoleic acid contents of oils were determined between 8.9% (black radish) and 57.0% (onion). The highest linolenic acid was found in purslane oil (26.7%). While a-tocopherol contents of oil samples range from 2.01 mg/kg (purple carrot) to 903.01 mg/kg (onion), α-tocopherol contents of vegetable seed oils changed between 1.14 mg/kg (curly lettuce) and 557.22 mg/kg (purslane). While campesterin contents of seed oils change between 203.2 mg/kg (purple carrot) and 2808.5 mg/kg (cabbage Yalova), stosterin contents of oil samples varied from 981.5 (curly lettuce) to 4843.3 mg/kg (purslane). The highest brassicasterin and d5-avenasterin were found in red cabbage oil (894.5 mg/kg) and purslane seed oils (971.3 mg/kg), respectively. Total sterol contents of seed oils changed between 2960.4 mg/kg (purple carrot) and 9185.1 mg/kg (purslane). According to the results, vegetable seeds have different bioactive compound such as fatty acid, tocopherol and phytosterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: Effluent of wastewater treatment plant after reaching to the standards is commonly used as the source of irrigation in agriculture in many developing and developed countries. Before using wastewater in agriculture, it is better to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of wastewater on crops. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of raw and treated hospital wastewater on seed germination and growth parameters of selected vegetable species. Methods: In this study, the toxicity effects of different concentrations (i.e., 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 10% v/v) of raw and treated hospital wastewater on seed germination, root growth, as well as stems and leaves of three vegetables, namely Coriandrum sativum, Anethum graveolens, and Lepidium sativum, using Petri dish cultivation method were studied through three replications in a completely randomized design. The parameters, such as germination percentage, germination rate index, and growth parameters (i.e., the length of the root, shoot, and leaf), were calculated after 0-10 days. In addition, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), Toxic Shock Syndrome, pH, Total Dissolved Solids, EC (Electrical Conductivity), free chlorine residual, and microbial quality of wastewater were analyzed in the present study. Results: Obtained results showed that no significant relationship was observed between the control, as well as raw and treated wastewater samples, in seed germination capacity. According to the finding, the length of the root, shoot, and leaf increased with an increase in the concentration of wastewater. Therefore, hospital wastewater had no negative effect on the seed germination of the plants. Conclusion: Hospital wastewater can contain hazardous substances, such as pharmaceutical residues, chemical hazardous substances, pathogens, and radioisotopes. In this regard, it is required to investigate more qualitative parameters regarding the reuse of hospital wastewater in agriculture.

Acacetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid that displays multi-pharmacological activities, as well as phytotoxicity. In this study, seeds of four typical vegetables including lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), onion (Allium cepa L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were selected to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of acacetin, and the model plant lettuce, which is also the most sensitive species to acacetin of the four vegetables, was used to research the phytotoxic mechanism of acacetin. Bioassays showed that the germination rate and germination potential of vegetable seeds were both decreased under a high concentration of acacetin. Acacetin displayed strong inhibitory effects on root growth, shoot growth and fresh weight of vegetable seedlings in a concentration dependent manner. After treatments with acacetin, the levels of O2−, H2O2, MDA, free proline and the number of dead cells in lettuce root tips were increased, while the mitosis index (MI) was decreased. These results indicated that acacetin could cause stress on lettuce seedlings and induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells, leading to lipid peroxidation and then loss of cell viability and even cell death. Moreover, acacetin influenced the mitosis of the target plant, resulting in a decreased proportion of cells during the division phase. Together, acacetin showed strongly phytotoxic effects on vegetables, and the allelopathic activity mainly depended on the influence of ROS and mitosis of the receptor plant.

The physical and mechanical properties of pea, bean, spinach and radish seeds, both processed and packaged for sale, were examined under laboratory conditions. The experiment was conducted in order to determine the initial parameters necessary for adjusting the harvester mode so as to reduce the seed damage and losses. Therefore, the results obtained are of immense importance to the selection of appropriate feeds, i.e. the metering mechanism, and setting the operating mode. The following basic physical properties of seeds were measured: dimensions, shape, moisture content, mass of 1000 seeds, the bulk density and the angle of static friction. Mechanical properties were determined by measuring the slope of the load depending on the strain. The slope of the curve load/deflection was determined in three intervals. The first slope of the curve was measured in the area of elastic deformation, the second slope in the area of elastic/plastic deformation, and the third for the rupture point. On the basis of the mean value of the cross-section, the destruction stress and the secant modulus of elasticity were calculated at the point of destruction.

Although light-emitting diode (LED) lamps have been broadly applied in horticultural production to improve plant yield and quality, compared to natural light there is a disadvantage in the lack of far-red light in the LED spectrum. Far-red light has been studied widely to control plant growth and development. Therefore, this study aimed to find the effect of supplemental far-red-enriched LED lights to control the growth of tomato, red pepper, cucumber, gourd, watermelon and bottle gourd seedlings. The treatments were cool white LED:far-red LED at ratios of 5:0, 5:1, 5:2 and 5:3. The growth of tomato and red pepper seedlings, including hypocotyl length, was correlated to far-red light and light intensity. The phytochrome photostationary state (PSS) value of maximum hypocotyl length by supplemental far-red-enriched light ranged from 0.69 to 0.77 in tomato and red pepper seedlings. Although hypocotyl lengths of cucumber and watermelon were greatly affected by PSS, the PSS value for maximum hypocotyl length was lower than for tomato and red pepper. These results show that manipulating supplemental far-red enrichment can be used to control vegetable seedling growth with some variation among plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Ege Universitesi, Ziraat Fakultesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Contaminated vegetable seeds have been identified as a potential source of foodborne bacterial pathogens. This study was undertaken to observe the behavior of Salmonella and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) on vegetable seeds, contaminated by direct contact with artificially inoculated soil, during germination. Sterile sandy soil inoculated with lyophilized cells of four individual strains of Salmonella or EHEC (three O157:H7 strains and one O104:H4 strain) was mixed with sanitized seeds (2 g) of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato at 20°C for 1 h. The contaminated seeds were germinated on 1% water agar at 25°C for 9 days in the dark. Populations of Salmonella and EHEC on various tissues (seed coat, root, cotyledon, and stem, etc.) of sprouts and seedlings were determined every other day over the germination period. Overall, 70.4 and 72.4% of collected tissue samples (n = 544) tested positive for Salmonella and EHEC, respectively. In general, the mean populations of Salmonella and EHEC on sprout and seedling tissues increased with the prolongation of germination time. Seed coats had the highest bacterial counts (4.00 to 4.06 log CFU/0.01 g), followed by the root (3.36 to 3.38 log CFU/0.01 g), cotyledon (3.13 to 3.38 log CFU/0.01 g), and stem tissues (2.67 to 2.84 log CFU/0.01 g). On average, tissue sections of fenugreek sprouts and lettuce seedlings had significantly higher (P < 0.05) numbers of Salmonella and EHEC cells than that of alfalfa sprouts and tomato seedlings. Data suggest that the growth and dissemination of Salmonella and EHEC cells on alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato sprout and seedling tissues are influenced by the type of vegetable seeds and sprout and seedling tissues involved. The study provides useful information on the fate of two important foodborne bacterial pathogens on selected vegetable seeds, contaminated by direct contact with inoculated soil, during the germination process. Vegetable seeds were contaminated via contact with pathogen-bearing sandy soil. Pathogens on contaminated seeds were recovered from tissues of sprouts and seedlings. Tomato and alfalfa tissues had lower pathogen counts than fenugreek and lettuce tissues. Seed coats had higher pathogen counts than the root and cotyledon tissues. Stem tissues had lower Salmonella/EHEC counts compared with all other tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality seed is the foundation block of vegetable production system. Proper post-harvest processing of seed is important to maximize yield, longevity, vigour, and overall quality. The engineering properties determination is the first and foremost step for the design of any seed processing, storage and handling machine or equipment. Engineering properties like geometric, gravimetric, frictional and aerodynamic properties of bottle gourd, sponge gourd, garden pea, and radish seeds have been determined at different levels of moisture content (7.5 % to 19 % dry basis). Results revealed a quadratic increase in all properties with moisture content except for gravimetric properties. The properties like sphericity (0.83), bulk density (710.61 kg/m3), true density (1109.79 kg/m3), angle of repose (26.41°), terminal velocity (10.13 m/s) and drag coefficient (0.92) were highest for garden pea seeds. Whereas, bottle gourd seeds exhibited maximum values for size (7.17 mm), projected area (115.68 mm2), porosity (53.4%) and coefficient of friction (0.727).

Abstract Seeds contaminated with bacterial pathogens were found to be the primary cause of sprout-associated outbreaks of human gastrointestinal infections. This study was undertaken to determine if cells of selected Salmonella enterica and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains, artificially inoculated onto the flowers of vegetable plants, will result in contamination of sprouts/seedlings that develop from seeds produced by the inoculated flowers. Pistils of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato flowers were inoculated with cells of selected S. enterica or EHEC strains. A total of 906, 715, 1236, and 1276 mature seeds, produced by lettuce, tomato, alfalfa or fenugreek flowers inoculated with Salmonella were collected as 48, 94, 109, and 116 composite samples (367 in total), respectively. Correspondingly, 934, 640, 1827 and 1027 seeds, produced by the four respective types of flowers after inoculation with E. coli were divided into 42, 81, 162, and 107 composite samples (392 in total), respectively. Seeds in each composite sample were surface-decontaminated with NaOCl solution and germinated at 25 °C in the dark for 5 days. Subsequently, pathogen populations on the sprouts/seedlings developed from each composite seed sample were determined by the plate count assay. The overall Salmonella recovery rate from vegetable sprouts/seedlings developed from the 367 composite seed samples was 2.7%, while none of the sprouts/seedlings grown from the 392 composite seed samples with prior E. coli inoculation tested positive for the pathogen. One of the 94 tomato seedling samples contained 4 CFU of Salmonella and five additional samples tested positive by enrichment (6.4%). Two out of 109 (1.8%) alfalfa and 116 (1.7%) fenugreek composite samples tested positive for Salmonella by enrichment. However, none of the lettuce seedlings tested positive for Salmonella or E. coli even after enrichment. This study suggests that under controlled environmental conditions, human pathogens inoculated onto flowers of vegetable plants can result in the contamination of sprouts/seedlings via seeds produced by the inoculated flowers. However, the frequency of sprout/seedling contamination was low and could be affected by characteristics of the pathogens and plant species tested. Highlights • Salmonella cells inoculated to flowers transmitted to sprouts/seedlings via seeds. • Incidence of Salmonella transmission through the floral pathway was low. • Salmonella transmission frequency was pathogen type- and vegetable type-dependent. • Contamination of vegetable seeds through floral pathway was not observed with EHEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okra seed from fibrous okra that cannot be easily cut with kitchen knife was fermented using the conventional traditional method of chance fermentation used for condiment production in Nigeria. Samples were taken at 24 h interval for the determination of antinutrients, B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine) and mineral profile using standard methods. Mineral and molar ratios were calculated. Fermentation substantially decreased the phytate contents by 64.98%, tannin contents by 85.10%. oxalate content by 92.85% and saponin by 2.80%. The B vitamins reduced with fermentation but as the fermentation period increased from 72 h to 120 h, all the B vitamins were increasing in quantity, thiamine by 29.32%, riboflavin by 0.9% and pyridoxine by 22.11%. K, Ca, Mg and Na were the most abundant elements in the fermented and unfermented okra seed. At the end of the fermentation period of 120 h, P, Na and Ca increased, while K and Mg reduced. The mineral ratios Ca: P, Na: K, Ca: Mg, Ca: K, Fe: Zn and the miliequivalent ratio K: (Ca + Mg) were within the required standard for their availability for absorption. [Ca][Phytate]/ [Zn] molar ratio for both the fermented and unfermented okra seed (0.0015-0.0033 mol/kg) were below 0.5mol/kg the critical value. Fermented okra seed can be used as a condiment and as food for domestic animals in order to curtail the postharvest loss of fibrous okra. However, future studies to estimate the safety of the food could be carried out since it involved micro-organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interests in using biological agents for control of human pathogens on vegetable seeds are rising. This study evaluated whether probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, bacterial strains previously used as biocontrol agents in plant science, as well as a selected plant pathogen could compete with foodborne human pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), for growth in microbiological media and attachment to vegetable seeds; and to determine whether the metabolites in cell-free supernatants of competitive bacterial spent cultures could inhibit the growth of the two pathogens. The results suggest that the co-presence of competitive bacteria, especially L. rhamnosus GG, significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the growth of Salmonella and EHEC. Cell-free supernatants of L. rhamnosus GG cultures significantly reduced the pathogen populations in microbiological media. Although not as effective as L. rhamnosus GG in inhibiting the growth of Salmonella and EHEC, the biocontrol agents were more effective in competing for attachment to vegetable seeds. The study observed the inhibition of human bacterial pathogens by competitive bacteria or their metabolites and the competitive attachment to sprout seeds among all bacteria involved. The results will help strategize interventions to produce vegetable seeds and seed sprouts free of foodborne pathogens.

Copyright of Kastamonu University Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences Faculty / Kastamonu Üniversitesi Iktisadi ve Idari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Kastamonu University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A fast and effective determination method of different species of vegetable seeds oil is vital in the plant oil industry. The near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) method was developed in this study to analyze the oil and moisture contents of Camellia gauchowensis Chang and C. semiserrata Chi seeds kernels. Calibration and validation models were established using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression methods. In the prediction models of NIRS, the levels of accuracy obtained were sufficient for C. gauchowensis Chang and C. semiserrata Chi, the correlation coefficients of which for oil were 0.98 and 0.95, respectively, and those for moisture were 0.92 and 0.89, respectively. The near infrared spectrum of crush seeds kernels was more precise compared to intact kernels. Based on the calibration models of the two Camellia species, the NIRS predictive oil contents of C. gauchowensis Chang and C. semiserrata Chi seeds kernels were 48.71 ± 8.94% and 58.37 ± 7.39%, and the NIRS predictive moisture contents were 4.39 ± 1.08% and 3.49 ± 0.71%, respectively. The NIRS technique could determine successfully the oil and moisture contents of C. gauchowensis Chang and C. semiserrata Chi seeds kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) hold potential to address food security and nutrition in Africa. Their production and consumption remain constrained by lack of quality seed. Efforts to promote commercial seed production lack information about the effective demand of AIV seed. This study estimated derived demand for input seed in central Uganda using trans-log production model. Own-price and cross-price elasticities for production inputs were estimated using marginal approach. Seed demand analysis showed that farmers would utilise seed from market sources of approximately 32 tons per year, against current formal supply of 4.4 tons. Estimated price elasticities showed that purchased seed was less sensitive to its own price, implying less significant effect of price change on the quantity of seed demanded over time. Seed production exhibited higher gross margins and returns to labour day compared to vegetable production, suggesting prospects of profitability and sustainability of farmer-seed enterprises as an alternative source of quality seed for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research study, biodiesel has been successfully produced from vegetable seed oil of an indigenous plant Salvadora persica L. that meets the international biodiesel standard (ASTM D6751). The biodiesel yield was 1.57 g/5 g (31.4% by weight) and the in-situ transesterification ester content conversion was 97.7%. The produced biodiesel density was 0.894 g/mL, its kinematic viscosity 5.51 mm2/s, HHV 35.26 MJ/kg, flash point 210°C, cetane no. 61, and sulfur content 0.0844%. Thermal analysis of the biodiesel showed that 97% weight loss was achieved at 595°C with total oxidation of the biodiesel. The production energy efficiency was 0.46% with a lab scale setup, assuming the volume fraction ratio (volume of the sample/total volume of the equipment used). The results revealed that single-step in-situ transesterification method is suitable for the production of biodiesel from S. persica seed oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contaminated vegetable seeds have been identified as a potential source of foodborne pathogens. This study was undertaken to observe the physiological behavior of various Salmonella enterica and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cells attached to different types of vegetable seeds during germination. Surface-sanitized seeds (2 g) of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato were exposed to four individual strains of Salmonella (Baildon, Cubana, Montevideo, and Stanley) or EHEC (three O157:H7 and one O104:H4 strain[s]) at 20 °C for 1 h. Vegetable seeds with attached bacterial cells were germinated on 1% water agar at 25 °C in the dark. Populations of Salmonella and EHEC on various tissues of sprouts/seedlings (seed coat, root, cotyledon, stem, etc .) were determined every other day over a 9-day germination period. The mean populations of Salmonella and EHEC on sprout/seedling tissues increased as the prolongation of germination time. Overall, 93.0% and 92.3% of collected tissue samples (n = 544) tested positive for Salmonella and EHEC, respectively. Seed coats had significantly higher ( P  < 0.05) bacterial counts (7.8 log CFU/g) compared to the root, cotyledon, and stem tissues (7.1–6.2 log CFU/g). On average, lettuce seedlings and alfalfa sprouts had significantly higher ( P  < 0.05) numbers of Salmonella and EHEC cells, followed by fenugreek sprouts, and tomato seedlings. The E. coli O104:H4 strain established the lowest ( P  < 0.05) cell population (5.2 log CFU/g) on sprout/seedling tissues among all EHEC strains used in the study. Among the three E. coli O157:H7 strains, F4546 (7.2 log CFU/g) and H1730 (7.0 log CFU/g) had significantly ( P  < 0.05) higher mean cell population than K4499 (6.8 log CFU/g). The mean population of S. Cubana (7.0 log CFU/g) was significantly higher ( P  < 0.05) than the populations of the other 3 Salmonella strains (6.5–6.6 log CFU/ g) used in this study. These data suggested that the growth and dissemination of Salmonella and EHEC cells on alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato sprouts/seedlings were influenced by the bacterial strains, type of sprouts/seedlings, and specific sprout/seedling tissues involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous vegetables play an important role in Kenyan food security, but production is limited by poor seed quality. Traditionally, seeds have been traded through informal networks, but a new formal seed sector is emerging. This study assessed the relative potential for formal or informal seed systems to meet the need for high-quality indigenous vegetable seed. By evaluating determinants of farmers' seed purchasing behaviour, we conclude that informal seed systems have greater potential to meet this need and should be strengthened. This study suggests that policy-makers should use context-specific data to guide decisions on seed policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational inefficiencies in a vegetable seed marketing system can lead to reduced marketing margins and profitability. The vegetable seed marketing system in Bangladesh was examined with particular reference to marketing costs and marketing margins of the marketing channel members. The highest quantity of vegetable seed (21%) was distributed through the channel seed company → wholesaler → retailer → mobile seed vendor → seed user. Marketing costs for the various value chain actors were as follows: importers, Bangladeshi taka (BDT) 220; seed companies, BDT 246; seed-producing farmers, BDT 131; wholesalers, BDT 64; retailers, BDT 47; and mobile seed vendors, BDT 20·kg−1; the exchange rate in 2014 when the data was collected was US$1 = approximately 78 BDT. The marketing margin and return on investment of the importer, seed company, and seed-producing farmer were higher than for the wholesaler, retailer, and mobile seed vendor. Lack of capital for seed import, high research and development costs for new varieties, inadequate storage facilities, inadequate supply of good quality seed in the peak season, and high purchase price of seed were problems in vegetable seed production, processing, and marketing systems. Collaboration among stakeholders in the vegetable seed system might help address the problems and make the vegetable seed sector more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vegetable seeds contaminated with bacterial pathogens have been linked to fresh-produce-associated outbreaks of gastrointestinal infections. This study was undertaken to observe the physiological behavior of Salmonella enterica and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cells artificially internalized into vegetable seeds during the germination process. Surface-decontaminated seeds of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato were vacuum-infiltrated with four individual strains of Salmonella or EHEC. Contaminated seeds were germinated at 25°C for 9 days, and different sprout/seedling tissues were microbiologically analyzed every other day. The internalization of Salmonella and EHEC cells into vegetable seeds was confirmed by the absence of pathogens in seed-rinsing water and the presence of pathogens in seed homogenates after postinternalization seed surface decontamination. Results show that 317 (62%) and 343 (67%) of the 512 collected sprout/seedling tissue samples were positive for Salmonella and EHEC, respectively. The average Salmonella populations were significantly larger (P<0.05) than the EHEC populations. Significantly larger Salmonella populations were recovered from the cotyledon and seed coat tissues, followed by the root tissues, but the mean EHEC populations from all sampled tissue sections were statistically similar, except in pregerminated seeds. Three Salmonella and two EHEC strains had significantly larger cell populations on sprout/seedling tissues than other strains used in the study. Salmonella and EHEC populations from fenugreek and alfalfa tissues were significantly larger than those from tomato and lettuce tissues. The study showed the fate of internalized human pathogens on germinating vegetable seeds and sprout/seedling tissues and emphasized the importance of using pathogen-free seeds for sprout production,IMPORTANCE The internalization of microorganisms into vegetable seeds could occur naturally and represents a possible pathway of vegetable seed contamination by human pathogens. The present study investigated the ability of two important bacterial pathogens, Salmonella and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), when artificially internalized into vegetable seeds, to grow and disseminate along vegetable sprouts/seedlings during germination. The data from the study revealed that the pathogen cells artificially internalized into vegetable seeds caused the contamination of different tissues of sprouts/seedlings and that pathogen growth on germinating seeds is bacterial species and vegetable seed-type dependent. These results further stress the necessity of using pathogen-free vegetable seeds for edible sprout production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable seeds are carrier of mycoflora inciting bulk of diseases, responsible for quality and yield losses. Majority of microbes are saprophyte and few are potential pathogen for the crop. In this research seed mycoflora were isolated by using standard blotter paper and agar plate technique. Major vegetables of summer and winter seeds were collected from regional local markets of Punjab province. Among these 15 fungal genera and 18 different species were identified. According to results highest incidence of fungal pathogens were Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Penicillium camemberti and Bipolaris spp. and low incidence of Stemphylium spp., Cladosporim spp., F. semitectum, Curvularia lunata, Trichoderma spp., Rhizopus nigricans, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Fusarium oxysporum, Drechslera australiensis, Ascochyta spp., A. fumigatus, Rhizoctonia spp., Alternaria alternata and Chaetomium globosum. The agar plate method was found to be the most suitable technique for detection of seed-borne fungi in vegetable seed. The results of this study could be helpful for management of seed borne fungal pathogens of different vegetables. Our findings may also helpful for seed treatment before sowing with appropriate fungicides to overcome the losses caused by seed borne fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable seeds have the potential to disseminate and transmit foodborne bacterial pathogens. This study was undertaken to assess the abilities of selected Salmonella and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains to attach to fungicide-treated versus untreated, and intact versus mechanically damaged, seeds of alfalfa, fenugreek, lettuce, and tomato. Surface-sanitized seeds (2 g) were exposed to four individual strains of Salmonella or EHEC at 20°C for 5 h. Contaminated seeds were rinsed twice, each with 10 ml of sterilized water, before being soaked overnight in 5 ml of phosphate-buffered saline at 4°C. The seeds were then vortexed vigorously for 1 min, and pathogen populations in seed rinse water and soaking buffer were determined using a standard plate count assay. In general, the Salmonella cells had higher attachment ratios than the EHEC cells. Lettuce seeds by unit weight had the highest numbers of attached Salmonella or EHEC cells, followed by tomato, alfalfa, and fenugreek seeds. In contrast, individual fenugreek seeds had more attached pathogen cells, followed by lettuce, alfalfa, and tomato seeds. Significantly more Salmonella and EHEC cells attached to mechanically damaged seeds than to intact seeds (P < 0.05). Although, on average, significantly more Salmonella and EHEC cells were recovered from untreated than fungicide-treated seeds (P < 0.05), fungicide treatment did not significantly affect the attachment of individual bacterial strains to vegetable seeds (P < 0.05), with a few exceptions. This study fills gaps in the current body of literature and helps explain bacterial interactions with vegetable seeds with differing surface characteristics. IMPORTANCE Vegetable seeds, specifically sprout seeds, have the potential to disseminate and transmit foodborne bacterial pathogens. This study investigated the interaction between two important bacterial pathogens, i.e., Salmonella and EHEC, and vegetable seeds with differing surface characteristics. This research helps understand whether seed surface structure, integrity, and fungicide treatment affect the interaction between bacterial cells and vegetable seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the years 2002 − 2004 research was carried out on the effect of onion (Allium cepa L.) ‘Wolska’ bulb size on selected morphological characteristics of seed stalks, seed yield and quality. Commercial bulbs (vernalised, one-year-old mother bulbs) were divided into three groups: small, medium and large, with diameters of 4.2-5.3 cm, 5.4-6.3 cm and 6.4-8.5 cm, respectively. Then, the bulbs of each group were planted in the field and grown routinely with the purpose of producing seeds. The following characters were measured on the seed stalks: number and height of seed stalks grown out from one bulb, the seed stalks’ diameter at the height of 10 cm above the ground, the diameter of the inflorescence, seed yield from a single stalk and from the entire plant, the weight of 1000 seeds, number of seeds in 1 g, length and width of the seeds, length and width of the embryos, and germination energy and capacity. Our experiments showed a significant influence of bulb size on the number of seed stalks and the inflorescence diameter. It was discovered that the big bulbs gave larger numbers of seed stalks than the seed stalks grown from the medium and small ones. Small bulbs gave seed stalks with smaller inflorescences than the medium and large ones. The bulb size had no effect on the seed stalk height or their diameter when measured at the level of 10 cm above the ground. The bulb size also did not affect seed yield per one seed stalk, but it did affect the seed yield obtained from the entire plant, which was bigger for plants grown from large bulbs in comparison with the small ones. The size of the bulbs had no effect on either the weight of 1000 seeds or the number of seeds in 1 g. It did not affect either the seed and embryo length and width or the seed germination energy and capacity.

Syringomycin E ( SRE) is a cyclic lipodepsinonapeptide with potent antifungal activity and is produced by certain strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. In this study, its potential as an organic-compatible agrofungicide and vegetable seed treatment against the soilborne pathogen Pythium ultimum var. ultimum was examined. A variant of P. syringae pv. syringae strain B301D with enhanced SRE-producing capabilities was isolated and grown in a bioreactor with SRE yields averaging 50 mg/l in 40 h. SRE was extracted and purified through a large-scale chromatography system using organic-compatible processes and reagents. The minimum concentrations of the purified product required to inhibit 50 and 90% of P. ultimum oospore germination were determined as 31.3 and 250 μg/ml, respectively. Drench treatment of cucumber seeds in P. ultimum-infested potting medium (500 oospores/g) with 50 μg/ml SRE or water with no SRE resulted in 90.2 ± 4.5% and 65.7 ± 4.6% germination rates, respectively. Seed coating with 0.03% (w/w) SRE allowed 65.7 ± 4.6% seedlings to germinate on naturally infested soil while 100.0 ± 0.0% of non-coated seeds were unable to germinate due to Pythium infection. Organic-compatible and scalably produced SRE is potentially a novel organic fungicide seed protectant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New vegetable variety development is generally non-existent in most developing countries, with seed typically sourced from developed countries. This situation results in a dependence on developed countries to supply vegetable seed for most of the world's demands. This dependence is troubling as it creates a myriad of problems, from improper recommendations of vegetable varieties to products growing in areas to which they are not necessarily adapted. This paper provides an overview and analysis of vegetable seed industries in developing countries, with a focus on Morocco, and the resulting influences on smaller subsistence farmers. The three types of vegetable seed materials (landraces, pure- line inbred and hybrid varieties) are discussed in the context of these farmers. The ongoing problems and issues related to the absence of vegetable seed industries in developing countries will undoubtedly affect food production, nutritional health and the resulting food security in these countries for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional detection ways of seed vigor cannot meet currently development demands of automation and efficient breeding because of its subjectivity, high-cost and complicated operations. In the study, a visual detection system of vegetable seed vigor was developed, to calculate the seed vigor index (SVI) through image feature extraction, the aim to explore new method for detecting automatically vegetable seed vigor. The detection system was composed of four platforms including image acquisition, image processing, germination index computing and seed vigor index calculating. Vegetable seeds, cucumber, chilli, tomato, and aubergine were chosen to evaluate the capacity of detection system. Via experimental tests between manual and self-developed SVI system, the latter shown higher recognition accuracy through comparative analysis of four vegetable seeds, as well as deviations were respectively 4.32, 4.90, 5.95 and 3.22% and within acceptable limit. Thus, this work provides a reliable reference and research foundation for streamline detection of vegetable seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers need access to certified seed stocks for efficient production of traditional African vegetable seed. However, access to quality certified seed is constrained by several factors. Primary data from four selected regions of Tanzania was analyzed to examine the causal linkages among traditional African vegetable farmers' decisions to participate in farmer-led seed enterprises and their access to quality certified seeds. The effect of farmers' access to certified traditional African vegetable seed on revenue generated from their seed sales in the study locale was assessed. This study concludes that farmers' revenue from traditional vegetable seed sales is positively and significantly influenced by access to certified seed. Indeed, access to certified seed can be increased, if farmers participate in farmer-led seed enterprises, and if they have more frequent contact with village extensionists. Relevant policy actions and recommendations for improving farmer-led seed enterprises are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most precise methods for qualification of vegetable seeds, which gives more full information, than just values of germination, is the determination of seed vigor. In the present paper are described the history of development, definitions, principles and priorities of the seed vigor and its significance for agricultural practices and especially for complex characterization of vegetable seed quality. The main part of the presentation is dedicated to the importance of seed vigor. Included are the other non-destructive and rapid methods for establishment of the vegetable seed quality and their relation with vigor. Some of the suitable and available indexes and parameters of vegetable seed for estimation of the current status and for prevention of the losses are pointed out. In this article are presented the results of last years investigations form which concern the different means for establishing the quality and viability status of vegetable seeds.