Microbial Ecology of Artisanal Feta and Kefalograviera Cheeses, Part I: Bacterial Community and Its Functional Characteristics with Focus on Lactic Acid Bacteria as Determined by Culture-Dependent Methods and Phenotype Microarrays

Artisanal cheesemaking is still performed using practices and conditions derived from tradition. Feta and Kefalograviera cheeses are very popular in Greece and have met worldwide commercial success. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding their lactic acid microecosystem composition and species dynamics during ripening. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the microecosystem as well as the autochthonous lactic acid microbiota during the ripening of artisanal Feta and Kefalograviera cheeses. For that purpose, raw sheep’s milk intended for cheesemaking, as well as Feta and Kefalograviera cheeses during early and late ripening were analyzed, and the lactic acid microbiota was identified using the classical phenotypic approach, clustering with PCR-RAPD and identification with sequencing of the 16S-rRNA gene, as well as with the Biolog GEN III microplates. In addition, the functional properties of the bacterial community were evaluated using the Biolog EcoPlates, which consists of 31 different carbon sources. In general, concordance between the techniques used was achieved. The most frequently isolated species from raw sheep’s milk were Enteroroccus faecium, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus. The microecosystem of Feta cheese in the early ripening stage was dominated by Lp. plantarum and E. faecium, whereas, in late ripening, the microecosystem was dominated by Weissella paramesenteroides. The microecosystem of Kefalograviera cheese in the early ripening stage was dominated by Levilactobacillus brevis and E. faecium, and in late ripening by W. paramesenteroides and E. faecium. Finally, Carbohydrates was the main carbon source category that metabolized by all microbial communities, but the extent of their utilization was varied. Kefalograviera samples, especially at early ripening, demonstrated higher metabolic activity compared to Feta cheese. However, dominating species within microbial communities of the cheese samples were not significantly different.

Profitability and productivity of drought tolerant Aus rice variety Binadhan-19 in some areas of Bangladesh

The present study was conducted in five districts namely Mymensingh, Ranpur, Pabna, Rajshahi and Chapainwabganj in Bangladesh. The objectives of the study were i) to identify the socio-economic characteristics of Aus rice growers; ii) to estimate profitability and productivity of Binadhan-19 in the study areas; and iii) to find out the major preferences and constraints for the variety cultivation. A total of 200 farmers were randomly selected (40 from each location) to collect the data with a pre-designed questionnaire. The distribution of the farmers by age showed that the mean age for Binadhan-19 cultivated farmers was 43 years. In the study areas among the farmer 86% was educated. Farmers average experience was 20 year and income were Tk. 235066 (USD 2611.84) per year. Per hectare average yield of rice was 1.37 ton. It was estimated that, to produce one kilogram of rice, total cost incurred was Tk. 14 where per kg average selling price of rice was Tk. 17. The average gross return and gross margin of rice cultivation were found Tk. 90679 (USD 1007.54)/ha and Tk. 51290 (USD 559.88)/ha, respectively. Per hectare average net return was Tk. 2459 (USD 27.32) which was found to be highest in Chapainwabganj Tk. 29739 (USD 330.43) and lowest in Rangpur Tk. 12692 (USD 141.02) district. BCR on total cost basis was found 1.37. The highest preference was for neat rice 98% and the highest constrain said by the farmer was crop destroy by animal and bird of paddy for early ripening in Binadhan-19 cultivation.

The reaction of early-ripening potato varieties to the planting rate in the Middle Urals

The article presents the yield of early potato varieties, considering the different planting rates of tubers. A two-factor field experiment was conducted in 2013 - 2015 at the experimental field of the Perm State Agro-Technological University named after Academician. The purpose of the research is to find ways to cultivate early-ripening potato varieties to obtain a yield of 35 t/ha. The soils of the experimental site are sod-finely podzolic medium loamy. The humus content is 1.9 - 3.2%, pH (KCl) 4.4-5.1, P2O5 185-300 mg/kg, K2O 143-431 mg/kg. The meteorological conditions of the growing seasons were opposite in terms of weather conditions and did not equally affect the yield. It was found that, on average, over three years, the goal of the experiment was achieved only in one variant of the experiment - in the Rosalind variety with a maximum thickening of 71.4 thousand tubers per hectare. The limit of thickening in the Red Scarlett variety was at the maximum thickening of tubers when planting 71.4 thousand. The limit of thickening of the Luck variety was 47.6 thousand tubers, the limit of compaction of plantings in the Rosalind variety was 57.1 thousand tubers. Keywords: POTATO, VARIETY, YIELD, PLANTING RATE

Photosynthetic enhancement, lifespan extension, and leaf area enlargement in flag leaves increased the yield of transgenic rice plants overproducing Rubisco under sufficient N fertilization

Background: Improvement in photosynthesis is one of the most promising approaches to increase grain yields in crop plants. In our previous research using an isolated experimental paddy field, transgenic rice plants overproducing Rubisco by 30% (RBCS-sense rice plants) showed up to 28% increase in grain yields under sufficient nitrogen (N) fertilization. Furthermore, the plant N contents above-ground sections and Rubisco contents of the flag leaves were higher in the RBCS-sense rice plants than the wild-type rice plants during the ripening period, which may be reasons for the increased yields.Result: In this research, the photosynthetic capacity and canopy architecture were analyzed to explore factors for the increased yields of RBCS-sense rice plants. It was found that N had already been preferentially distributed into the flag leaves at the early ripening stage, contributing to maintaining higher Rubisco content levels in the enlarged flag leaves and extending the lifespan of the flag leaves of RBCS-sense rice plants throughout ripening periods under sufficient N fertilization. The higher amounts of Rubisco also improved the photosynthetic activity in the flag leaves throughout the ripening period. Although the enlarged flag leaves of the RBCS-sense rice plants occupied large spatial areas of the uppermost layer in the canopy, no significant prevention of light penetration to leaves below the flag leaves was observed. Additionally, since the CO2 assimilation rates of lower leaves between wild-type and RBCS-sense rice plants were the same at the early ripening stage, the lower leaves did not contribute to an increase in yields between the two genotypes.Conclusion: It was concluded that improvements in the photosynthetic capacity by higher leaf N and Rubisco contents, enlarged the leaf area, and extended the lifespan of flag leaves, causing an increase in grain yields of RBCS-sense rice plants grown under sufficient N fertilization.

‘Pinore’: The New Red Wine Variety Cross-Bred between ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Regent’ Vines

Renewed interest in varieties that are more tolerant to diseases has emerged, which is mainly due to increased awareness by producers and consumers regarding the impact of phytochemicals in the environment. This paper describes the first Slovenian grapevine variety ‘Pinore’ crossed between the Vitis vinifera L. ‘Pinot Noir’ clone Mf and ‘Regent’ vines. The aim was to create an early ripening grape cultivar that has a good tolerance to biotic stress (e.g., downy and powdery mildew, botrytis) combined with the benefits of established cultivars and their intense wine colors. Some ampelographic characteristics of young shoots, mature leaves, bunches, and berries are presented, and its major agronomic traits, ripening time, grape yield, quality performances, and disease resistance were evaluated over a three-year period (2014–2017). Wine sensory analyses were performed and compared with the international variety ‘Pinot Noir’. The examined genotype showed good agronomic performance and a high wine quality as far as the content of polyphenols is concerned, especially in terms of anthocyanins and tolerance to diseases (Ren3/9 and Rpv3.1); it is significantly different compared to the reference variety ‘Pinot Noir’. In terms of ampelographic characteristics, the main differences are in the number of leaf lobes, the depth of the lateral sinuses, and the content of anthocyanins in its flesh. The investigated genotype has been proposed to the Committee of new varieties in Slovenia for the variety recognition procedure, and completion of the procedure planned for the end of 2023.

Effect of growing season, Trichoderma and clinoptilolite applications on potentially toxic elements (PTEs) uptake by Cucumis melo L.

Aim: The extent at which different agricultural strategies may affect the uptake of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by cropped plants is not completely understood at a field scale. This study dealt with the effect of seasonality, Trichoderma inoculation alone or combined to different applications of commercial grade clinoptilolite (i.e., foliar action, fertigation, and pellet) on the PTEs content of early- and late-ripening cultivars Cucumis Melo L. Methods: Two similar field experiments were performed in spring and summer. For each cultivar/treatment combination, the input of PTEs (namely, Cr, Cu, and Pb) to the soil-crop system through irrigation water, fertilizers, pesticides, and treatment products (i.e., Trichoderma and clinoptilolite products), as well as the PTE content of melon stem, leaves and fruit, were assessed through Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optic Emission Spectrometry. Results: Neither Trichoderma alone nor associated with clinoptilolite had visible effect on PTEs uptake by plants, while early season cultivation was strongly associated with lower uptake of Cu and Pb. The high correlation of Cu and Pb content with Ca content in stem and leaves, used as a proxy for different transpiration rates under different growing seasons, indicated a possible uptake of these metals through Ca-nonselective cation channels as a drought stress defence. Lower Cu and Pb concentration were found in early-ripening melon fruit cultivated in spring. Conclusions: To the scope of Cu and Pb risk management, in case of significant contamination in Mediterranean calcareous soils, the use of early-ripening Cucumis melo L. cultivars in place of late-ripening ones is suggested.

Thermal unit requirement of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties under south western Punjab conditions

Weather components have significant impact on the phenology of fruit plants. In order to study the effect of heat, photothermal and heliothermal units on phenology of grapes, an experiment was conducted during 2016 and 2017 on eleven grape varieties. The weather based indices were used for characterizing the thermal response to various phenophases of different grape varieties. Based on the thermal response the eleven varieties were classified into early, mid and late maturing categories. The fruit ripening was differed by 7-9 days for early, 4-8 days for mid and 1-3 days for late ripening groups. For early, mid and late maturing varieties the accumulated range of growing degree days was 1303-1530, 1617-1712 and 1912-1959 °C day, photothermal unit was 15971-19032, 20201-21484 and 24255-24923°C day. Likewise, minimum heliothermal unit was required by early ripening varieties i.e., Himrod(9973 °C days) and Madeliene Anguvine (11235 °C days) but, maximum for long duration varieties like Black Muscat (15000 days) and Angur Early (14579 °C days). Maximum and minimum heat use efficiency was recorded by variety Perlette (1.57) and Black Muscat (0.96), respectively.

Pre-processing Cooling of Harvested Grapes Induces Changes in Berry Composition and Metabolism, and Affects Quality and Aroma Traits of the Resulting Wine

Due to the greenhouse gas increase, grapes are often exposed to high temperatures in several growing areas especially during the final developmental stages, and this is particularly true when early ripening cultivars are harvested. This may cause undesirable effects on berry metabolism and composition and wine quality, particularly concerning the aroma profile. Harvesting at night or keeping the harvested grapes in cold rooms before vinification are empirical protocols applied in specific viticultural areas. To study the effects of decreasing berry temperature after harvest, white-skinned berries (cv Vermentino) were maintained at 4 or 10°C for 24 or 48 h before processing (pre-cooling). Control grapes were kept at 22°C. Grapes cooled at 10°C for 24 and 48 h resulted richer in polyphenols and showed a significant up-regulation of genes involved in polyphenols biosynthesis (i.e., VvPAL, VvSTS2, and VvFLS1). Similar behavior was observed in samples kept at 4°C for 48 h. Pre-cooling induced specific changes in the volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles. In particular, higher amounts of a specific subcategory of terpenes, namely sesquiterpenes, were detected in cooled samples. The induction of the expression of key genes involved in terpenoids biosynthesis (VvHDR, VvDX3, VvTER, VvGT14) was detected in cooled grapes, with variable effects depending on temperature and treatment duration. In both cooled samples, the evolution of alcoholic fermentation followed a regular trend but ended earlier. Higher phenolic content was detected in wines obtained from the 10°C-treated grapes. Higher residual concentration of malic acid at the end of fermentation was detected in wine samples from grapes pre-cooled at 4°C. Sesquiterpenes also showed a general increase in wines from cooled grapes, especially after pre-cooling at 10°C for 48 h. Different sensory profiles characterized the wine samples, with the best scores in terms of general pleasantness obtained by the wine produced from grapes pre-cooled at 4°C for 24 h. These results demonstrate that pre-cooling harvested grapes induces specific effect on the VOC profile and other quality parameters of Vermentino wine, and this appears to be the result of specific metabolic and compositional changes occurring in the berries.

Fertilizers, plant density and nutritional properties of corn grain

The article presents data on the influence of an increasing plant density of an early-ripening corn hybrid on the biochemical composition and fodder properties of grain, depending on the level of mineral nutrition. It is shown that the highest protein supply was noted for the grain obtained in the variants with nitrogen feeding; the increase in crude protein in comparison with the variants on the natural agrobackground was 1.56%. The use of complete mineral fertilization had no advantages over a single application of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers; against these nutritional backgrounds, the increase of 0.97-1.05% was obtained in relation to the unfertilized agricultural background. As the crops crowd, there is a tendency for the crude protein content in the grain to increase. Over the years of testing, the stable influence of the conditions of mineral nutrition and the plants density on the content of crude fiber, crude ash and nitrogen-free extractive substances has not been established. The grain with a higher crude fat content was obtained with the introduction of complete mineral fertilization, and the crowding of the crops led to the decrease in its content in the grain.

The promising variety of European radish Ophelia grown in protected and open ground conditions

Among the existing variety of vegetables, table root crops are very popular both in the Russian Federation and abroad: carrots, beets, radishes, turnips and parsnips. These crops are sources of natural vitamins; due to low prices for marketable products and seeds, they have been cultivated in Russia. Among all vegetables, radish ranks first by the content of potassium, magnesium and calcium salts; it also contains iron and phosphorus. When growing new varieties and hybrids of radish suitable for the mechanized harvesting, one should pay attention to the strength of leaves, the erectness of leaf rosettes, the uniformity of immersion in the soil and the easy pull-out of root crops. The collection of root crops Raphanus sativus L. VIR is annually replenished with numerous samples of the latest selection, primarily from China, Japan, and the Netherlands, as well as samples collected in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The main task of greenhouse vegetable growing is year-round or off-season production of high-quality vegetables (daikon, radish and turnip). As a result of the research, a new variety of European summer radish Ophelia was created for growing in protected and open ground conditions. It is an early ripening variety: it takes 33-38 days from full germination to the beginning of economic ripeness. Leaf rosettes are of medium size, light green. The vegetable has white elliptical roots. The Base is rounded. The pulp is white and opaque