Seasonal influence on polymorphic flowering behaviour, fruitset and seed recovery in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars

Flowering behavior in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) shows that it produces four type of flowers viz., long, medium, short and pseudoshort styled flowers. Among these flowers, the long and medium styled flowers have the biggest ovary and set fruits in both the cultivars viz., PLR 1 and PLR (Br.) 2. Whereas, short and pseudoshort styled flowers did not set fruits. In addition, the highest fruitset (84.7%) was recorded in long styled flowers than the medium styled flowers (77.7%). However, no significant difference in seed recovery was observed in the fruits from long and medium styled flowers. The seasonal influence on flowering and fruitset was also noticed; in which, Kharif season with less difference in day-night temperatures, high rainfall and relative humidity and less wind velocity favoured occurrence of more number of long and medium styled flowers with high fruitset in both the cultivars.

Influence of different organic sources of nutrients on growth and flowering behaviour of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa

A field experiment on the influence of different organic sources of nutrients on growth and flowering behaviour of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Bhagwa was conducted at College Farm, College of Horticulture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Jagudan, District-Mehsana in Gujarat, India during Mrig bahar (June-January) 2017-18 and 2018-19. The present investigation was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications consisting of twenty-two treatments with four different organic manures viz., farmyard manure, vermicompost, poultry manure and neem cake as a source of nitrogen and recommended dose of manure and fertilizers based on plant age with or without biofertilizers (Azotobacter, PSB & KMB) and biopesticides (Trichoderma viride and Paecilomyces lilacinus). The results based on pooled data revealed that a maximum number of hermaphrodite flowers (85.17) and incomplete flowers (96.50) up to two months after treatment application, fruit set (69.45 %) along with minimum fruit drop (13.18 %) and days taken for marketable picking (168.83) were significantly (@5%) noted under treatment 100 % RDN through poultry manure + 50 ml PSB + 25 ml KMB + 5 g Trichoderma viride + 5 ml Paecilomyces lilacinus. However, significantly (@5%) highest incremental primary growth parameters viz., plant height (0.60 m), plant spread (E-W: 0.41 m and N-S: 0.43 m) and stem girth (1.47 cm) after two months of treatment application were observed under treatment 100 % RDN through vermicompost + 50 ml PSB + 25 ml KMB + 5 g Trichoderma viride + 5 ml Paecilomyces lilacinus. Thus, the organic sources viz., vermicompost and poultry manure with biofertilizers and biopesticides would be very helpful for enhancing vegetative growth and flowering behaviour of the pomegranate.

Evaluation of Different Cultivars of Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) under Humid agro Climatic conditions of Goa

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) is one of the most important tropical bulbous-ornamental cultivated for production of long-lasting flowers spikes. Adaptation and acclimatization of different cultivars under humid agro-climatic conditions of Goa are to be confirmed for their better performance. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of tuberose cultivars under agro-climatic conditions of Goa during 2014- 2017. Five single and six double cultivars of tuberose were evaluated during the study period. All the cultivars differed in their growth and flowering behaviour. Among the single cultivars, evaluated, maximum number of florets per spike (47.00) was observed in Pune local whereas spike-length (75.59 cm) was maximum in Mexican Single. Among the double cultivars, evaluated, maximum plant height (52.21 cm) and maximum number of leaves per plant (59.63) were recorded with cultivar Arka Suvasini. Leaf length was significantly higher (52.93 cm) in Pearl double whereas leaf width (2.04 cm) was maximum in Calcutta Double. Days to appearance of flower spike were earlier in Arka Suvasini. Minimum days taken for opening of basal floret (84.88 days) were recorded with cultivar Arka Suvasini. Spike girth (0.68 cm), Spike fresh-weight (69.06 cm), floret stalk-length (3.6 cm), floret diameter (5.24 cm), weight of individual floret (3.49 g) and vase life (7.93 days) was significantly maximum in Cv. Arka Suvasini followed by Pearl Double. Based on the performance evaluation cv. Mexican Single among single types and cv. Arka Suvasini and Pearl Double among double types could be recommended for commercial cultivation under agro climatic conditions of Goa.

Flowering behaviour in Arabis alpina ensures the maintenance of a perennating dormant bud bank

ABSTRACTArabis alpina, similar to woody perennials, has a complex architecture with a zone of axillary vegetative branches and a zone of dormant buds that serve as perennating organs. We show that floral development during vernalization is the key for shaping the dormant bud zone by facilitating a synchronized and rapid growth after vernalization and thereby causing an increase in auxin response and transport and endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels in the stem. Floral development during vernalization is associated with the development of axillary buds in subapical nodes. Our transcriptome analysis indicated that these buds are not dormant during vernalization but only attain sustained growth after the return to warm temperatures. Floral and subapical vegetative branches grow after vernalization and inhibit the development of the buds below. Dormancy in these buds is regulated across the A. alpina life cycle by low temperatures and by apical dominance in a BRANCHED 1-dependent mechanism.