Polymorphism of morphometric parameters of the flower and fruit of the Sargent apple tree (Malus sargentii Rehl)

The Sargent apple tree is highly valued for its decorative qualities, it is used in breeding work when developing new ornamental varieties. To assess the breeding potential, as well as planning crosses, information is needed on the variability of the morphometric traits of the apple flower and fruit, as well as the presence of a relationship between these traits. The research was carried out in the laboratory of cultivated plants of the Tsytsin Main Botanical Garden on 12 quantitative traits of flower and fruit. It was found that almost all traits are characterized by a low level of polymorphism of 7-15% (flower diameter - 13.2%, pedicel thickness - 14.9%, peduncle length - 8.3%, fruit length - 4.7%, fruit diameter - 5.7%) or an average level (16-25%), except for the mass of seeds (40%) and the number of seeds in the fruit (33.9%). An inverse correlation was found between the length of the anther and the number of seeds inside the fruit (r = -0.46), as well as strong direct relationships between the diameter of the fruit and the weight of the fruit (r = 0.79) and the diameter of the fruit and the length of the fruit (r = 0, 78). A reliable direct relationship between the group was also revealed: flower length, filament length, pedicel thickness, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight. Keywords: POLYMORPHISM, FLOWERS, CRABAPPLES, SORBOMALUS, MALUS SARGENTII, SARGENT APPLE TREE

Influence of Day-length Enhancement through Night-breaking by Artificial Lighting on Off-season Dragon Fruit Production

The effect of artificial lighting in order to enhance day length for off-season dragon fruit production was examined for the first time in Bangladesh. A two factorial experiment was conducted at dragon fruit orchard of Agricultural Research Station, Pahartali, Khulshi, Chattogram to find out the best lighting duration and bulb for off-season dragon fruit production. Two factors were bulb and lighting duration for this experiment. The performance 6 hours lighting duration was significantly superior than other treatments in case of bud/pillar (43.80), fruit/pillar (43.80), fruit length (9.31 cm), fruit breadth (8.5 cm), individual fruit weight (344.62 g), yield (16.58 t/ha). 100 W IB having light intensity 225.96 lux showed superior performance over other treatments in case of bud/ pillar (49.44), fruit/pillar (34.56), fruit length (9.54), fruit weight (336.99 g), TSS (9.28%), yield (18.13 t/ha). The treatment combination (100 W IB for 6 hrs lighting) produced the highest number of fruit/ pillar (36.33), bud/pillar (54.00), fruit length (9.66 cm), fruit breadth (8.99 cm), yield/ pillar (12.41 kg) and yield (19.85 t/ha).In control dragon fruit was unable to produce flowering due to short day length. So artificial lighting of 6 hrs with 100 W IB from 18 pm to 24 am was superior method for off-season dragon fruit production.

The effect of trichoderma harzianum dose and shallot population (Allium cepa L.) on chili production (Capsicum annuum L.) by intercropping system

Trichoderma harzianum is a soil fungus that plays a role in decomposing soil organic matter, and contains several components of substances such as N, P, S and Mg and nutrients needed by plants for their growth. Intercropping is one way to increase the efficiency of land use by planting several types of plants on the same land and at the same time. Meanwhile, to increase land use efficiency and reduce the risk of chili farming failure, it can be achieved by implementing an intercropping system of chili with shallots. The research aimed to determine of T.harzianum dosage and the shallots population (Allium cepa L.). The interaction between these on the chili production (Capsicum annuum L.) by intercropping system. The experimental design used was Randomized Block Design 4 × 3 factorial with three replications. Threre were interactions between T. harzianum dosage and shallots population on fruits number per plant, fruit weight per plant and fruit length per plant. The best result were found at 20 g per plant T. harzianum dosage and two shallots population on fruits number per plant (153,33 fruit), fruit weight per plant (121,55 g) and fruit length per plant (126,41 cm).

Evaluation of Growth and Yield of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Varieties under Net Protected Conditions

An experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Horticulture Department, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh during winter season of 2013-2014 to evaluate growth and yield of sweet pepper varieties under net protected condition. The two-factor experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Three popular sweet pepper varieties viz. BARI Mistimorich-1, California Wonder and Yolo Wonder were grown under three protected systems viz. fine net (120 mesh), coarse net (40 mesh) and open field. Considering the effect of varieties, the highest value for all the parameters viz. fruit length (10.01 cm), fruit diameter (5.90 cm), number of fruits/plant (13.61), fruit yield per plant (0.77 kg), fruit yield (21.31 t/ha) were found in California Wonder followed by BARI Mistimorich-1 and Yolo Wonder. Again, considering the effect of net protection system, maximum values for parameters viz. early flowering, fruit length (10.58 cm), fruit diameter (6.29 cm), number of fruits/ plant (16.14), fruit yield/plant (0.94 kg) and per hectare (26.86 t/ha) were recorded under fine net protection system. Under fine net covering plants produced better quality fruit than open field condition. The earliest flowering (60.67 days), the highest number of fruits per plant (19.18) and the maximum fruit yield (35.71 t/ha) were observed in BARI Mistimorich-1grown under fine net system followed by California Wonder grown under coarse net protected system. Benefit cost ratio (BCR) for fine net (5.28) and coarse net (6.75) protected system were much higher than that of open field (1.64) condition indicating bright future for sweet pepper cultivation under net protected system. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. (2020) 24(2) : 85-94

Correlation and Path Analysis Studies on Yield and Yield Components in Musk Melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Problem: The correlation co-efficient indicates the nature of association among the different traits, path analysis splits the correlation co-efficient into measure of direct and indirect effects thus providing understanding of the direct and indirect association of each character towards yield. Methods: An experiment on correlation and path analysis involving thirty F1 and six parents in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) was carried out at Department of Horticulture, Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu India. Results: The fruit yield per plant had exhibited highly significant and positive correlation with individual fruit weight (0.845), fruit diameter (0.656), fruit length (0.536) and flesh thickness (0.503). Path coefficient analysis revealed that the characters viz., fruit weight exerted the highest positive direct effect (1.034) on fruit yield per vine followed by number of fruits per vine (0.497), days to first female flower anthesis (0.088), vine length (0.072) and fruit length (0.070). Conclusion: The fruit yield per plant can be improved by making selection of these traits in yield improvement programme.

Use Of Liquid Organic Fertilizer Fish Waste And Chicken Manure Fertilizer On The Production Of Pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata)

The study was carried out at altitude of ± 27 mdpl using factorial randomized block design (RAK). Firstly, Fish Waste POC (P) with 3 treatment levels, P1 = 20 ml/l water, P2 = 30 ml/l water and P3 = 40 ml/l water. Secondly, Chicken Manure (K) with 3 treatment levels, K1 = 0.75 kg/plot, K2 = 1.5 kg/plot and K3 = 2.25 kg/plot. The observed parameters were fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruit per plot and fruit weight per plot.Based on the study, it was found that Fish Waste POC did not significantly affect on all the parameters observed. Chicken manure had a significant effect on the observed parameters, fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit weight per plot, while the combination of both treatments showed that there was no significant effect on all observed parameters

Half Diallel Analysis for Biochemical and Morphological Traits in Cultivated Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.)

Eleven morphologically diverse cultivated eggplant accessions were used for hybridization following half diallel mating design to obtain 55 hybrids. Evaluation of hybrids along with the parents was conducted over two locations followed by randomised complete block design with three replications to study gene action and combining ability of 15 morphological and biochemical traits. The analysis of variance indicated highly significant differences among the environments and interaction of genotype and environment, except for fruit length to width ratio. Additive gene effects were significant for the inheritance of these traits and expression of these additive genes were greatly affected by environments. The general combining ability (GCA) was greater than their respective specific combining ability (SCA) for all traits except for fruit yield per plant. High values of GCA and SCA effects for characters of interest were dispersed among different genotypes. From this study it was observed that the best parental line was BT15 based on days to first flowering, total number of fruits per plant, total soluble solids and total phenol content. Besides, the parent BM5 showed good general combining ability effects for fruit yield per plant, fruit length and fruit length to width ratio and the parent BB1 performed good general combining ability for fruit diameter, fruit girth and fruit weight. Besides, other parents showed the best performance for only one trait. On the other hand, the hybrid BT6 × BT15 was reported bearing early flowering with high total phenol content and the hybrid BM9 × BB26 has high fruit yield with high soluble solids. Besides, the hybrid BM9 × BB1 has a high fruit diameter and fruit weight. All other hybrids except for these three (BT6 × BT15, BM9 × BB26 and BM9 × BB1) were shown the best performance for only one trait. Hence, based on the desired trait, the hybrid can be selected for future use after large scale evaluation.

Assessment of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance of biparental progenies in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]

In the present investigation, the four cross combinations of Punjab Padmini X Panruti local, Dharmapuri local X Panruti local, Punjab Padmini X Parbanikranthi and Dharmapuri local X Parbanikranthi and three bhendi populations, BIP, F2, and F3, were developed in 2019, and these populations were evaluated in 2020 to determine the extent of genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for twelve bhendicharacters. Significant variances in BIP compared to the population of F2 and F3 in most characters have been noted that showed high mean and wider variations in PCV and GCV in fruit length, number of fruits per plant and plant yield. High heritability of BIPS was revealed by Punjab Padmini x Parbanikranthi for the traits viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit girth and fruit yield per plant which revealed the importance of additive gene action for these traits. This is indicative of both additive and non-additive gene action (dominance and epistasis). Hence, selection could not be practiced in the immediate segregating generations. These two characters also showed unfavourable association with fruit yield per plant in BIPs which indicated that all the unfavourable linkages were not broken down through intermating in the early segregating generation. Thus, selection should be postponed to later generations after intermating in one or two subsequent to obtain potential recombinants.

Contribution to the Selection of Blackberry Through Fruit Physical Variables

To contribute to commercial classification, this work sought to evaluate correlations between fruit mass and other physical characteristics of blackberry fruit, indicating direct and indirect effects of morphology and physical characteristics on blackberry fruit mass. The variables evaluated were the total mass of the blackberry fruit along with its physical components: fruit length, greater transverse diameter, smaller transverse diameter, fruit area, fruit perimeter, and fruit volume. Results of our analyses show that an increase in fruit length, fruit perimeter, and fruit volume reflects an increase in the total mass of the blackberry fruit. Indirectly, greater values of fruit length, greater transverse diameter, and smaller transverse diameter reflect an increase in the perimeter and volume of the blackberry fruit, thus contributing to larger, more attractive fruit.

Influence of Geographical and Climatic Factors on Quercus variabilis Blume Fruit Phenotypic Diversity

Quercus variabilis Blume is one of the most ecologically valuable tree species in China and is known to have adaptive mechanisms to climate change. Our objective was to quantify the variation pattern in the fruit morphology of Q. variabilis. Fruit samples were collected from 43 natural populations in autumn of 2019. Our results indicated that the coefficient of variation (CV) of the fruit length (FL) and fruit width (FW) were 10.08% and 11.21%, respectively. There were significant differences in the FL, FW, and fruit length-to-width ratios (FL/FW) among the studied populations. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between the FW and FL. The FL decreased with increasing precipitation in the wettest quarter (PWQ). A concave trend was observed in the variations in FL with the equivalent latitude (ELAT), longitude (LON), annual mean air temperature (MAT), and annual precipitation (AP). A similar concave trend was observed for the FL/FW with LON, MAT, and AP. A positive correlation was observed between the FW, FL and FL/FW, and the ELAT. The cluster analysis revealed five groups of the 43 natural populations. Our study findings suggests that Q. variabilis has high levels of phenotypic plasticity for geographical and climatic factors.