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This study aimed to determine the effects of low biuret urea and calcium nitrate application on earliness, fruit set, yield, and fruit quality characteristics in 'Astoria', 'Maya' peaches, and 'Garbaja' nectarine cultivars. In the study, Bud Feed (low biuret urea 15%) and calcium nitrate (calcium oxide 12% and total nitrogen 7%) were applied 35 days before bud break. In this study, flowering and fruit set, harvest times, fruit yield, and quality characteristics were evaluated. The source of temperatures used to calculate chill accumulation (expressed as hours below 7°C and chill unit) and growing degree hours was investigated. Bud Feed application provided earliness of 2 days in 'Astoria' and 'Garbaja' cultivars and 3 days in 'Maya' cultivar. This application was showed positive effect on flowering and final fruit set in all cultivars compared to control plants. The application was more effective in increasing the yield per tree by 33.72% ('Astoria'), 41.00% ('Maya'), and 52.18% ('Garbaja'). Bud Feed application was improved fruit size in 'Garbaja' and 'Astoria' cultivars, whereas provided more intense fruit skin color in 'Maya' and 'Garbaja' cultivars. These results showed that bud feed and calcium nitrate application can be used to prevent yield and fruit quality losses in peach-nectarines in warm winter under Mediterranean climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits are an important source of vitamins and antioxidants that can effectively delay aging and contribute to health and well-being of the human kind. However, they are growing to be one of the primary elicitors of food allergies around the world. Fruit allergens can induce an IgE-mediated (Immunoglobulin E) reaction, presenting with a symptom like localized oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Numerous studies showed that varying environmental and cultivation conditions can influence the fruit allergen content during flowering and ripening stages. Further, the variety, harvesting maturity, and storage conditions can also significantly influence the allergenicity potential. For example, unripe apples and tomatoes have lower levels of allergens compared to ripened fruits. Researchers have also reported that modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can help reduce Mal d 3 content present in apples during storage. Post-harvest processing like peeling is also considered a good method to help reduce the overall allergenicity in few fruits whose peel might contain majority of the allergens. This review will discuss the overall influence of both pre-harvest and post-harvest factors on the fruit allergens. We will also discuss the progress regarding the cause, symptoms and diagnostic methods of fruit based allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering at the right time is of great importance; it secures seed production and therefore species survival and crop yield. In addition to the genetic network controlling flowering time, there are a number of much less studied metabolites and exogenously applied chemicals that may influence the transition to flowering as well as flower opening. Increased emphasis on research within this area has the potential to counteract the negative effects of global warming on flowering time, especially in perennial crop plants. Perennial crops have a requirement for winter chill, but winters become increasingly warm in temperate regions. This has dramatic effects on crop yield. Different strategies are therefore being developed to engineer flowering time to match local growing conditions. The majority of these efforts are within plant breeding, which benefits from a substantial amount of knowledge on the genetic aspects of flowering time regulation in annuals, but less so in perennials. An alternative to plant breeding approaches is to engineer flowering time chemically via the external application of flower-inducing compounds. This review discusses a variety of exogenously applied compounds used in fruit farming to date, as well as endogenous growth substances and metabolites that can influence flowering time of annuals and perennials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores ways in which Christian business educators can integrate Adam Smith's views on marketplace ethics into a biblical framework. Often Smith's thoughts on self-interest are highlighted without reference to his insights regarding the role of virtue in commercial life. After outlining two dominant interpretations of Smith, his ideas are integrated with a biblical conception of commercial life as stewardship. The goal of this integration is to aid Christian business faculty in their continued efforts to go beyond career preparation in their courses to include the higher telos of Christ-like character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the functions of poll books in Great Britain. Poll books are comprehensive lists of voting behavior of identifiable individuals from a defined area at an election contest. The list of parliamentary poll books follows the format of John Sims' "Handlist." The author surveyed several poll books in existence in the country and analyzed their roles in the nation's politics.

Examines the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer and paclobutrazol on flowering precocity and abundance in Eucalyptus nitens Deane & Maid. Trials to test these effects that consisted of a factorial nitrogen by phosphorus experiment replicated on two sites and factorial nitrogen by paclobutrazol experiments conducted separately on reproductively immature and reproductively mature trees; Increase in tree size due to nitrogen fertilization that increased the occurrence and abundance of precocious flower buds; Increase in tree size alone that could not account for the nitrogen effect on flowering, indicating a secondary mechanism of flower induction by nitrogen; Application of both nitrogen fertilizer and paclobutrazol that substantially increased the occurrence of precociously flowering trees over that of either treatment applied alone; Efficacy of both paclobutrazol and nitrogen in stimulating the flowering of the reproductively mature trees that was affected by soil type, but this effect was overcome through the combination of nitrogen and paclobutrazol; Combination of nitrogen and paclobutrazol that also restricted tree growth and combined applications on nitrogen deficient sites that will be beneficial in commercial systems for producing eucalypt seed.

The article lists several reviewers of the journal for 2012 including Miguel Abal, Georg Benker and Ali Abbasi.