Adaptation test and selection of numbu mutant sweet sorghum lines for character improvement of numbu variety

Sweet sorghum is a potential crop of agro-industry for food, feed and bioenergy. The availability of sweet sorghum varieties in Indonesia is still limited. One of the varieties that have a great demand is Numbu. Numbu has a large seed size, attractive color and contains juice in the stem, however it is still has weaken on small stems and low and unstable brix juice content. The efforts to assemble new superior varieties can be achieved through mutation breeding activities. Mutant lines produced from irradiation of Numbu varieties are expected to experience better character improvements than Numbu varieties. This study aims to find out the character improvements that occur in Numbu mutant lines which are tested in several different locations and to select potential Numbu mutant lines to be released as new superior sweet sorghum varieties. The research was conducted in five environments using 10 Numbu mutant lines and arranged into randomize block design with 3 replications. The results showed that the environment, genetic and interaction of genetic x environment had a significant effect for all observed, while the interaction of genetic x environments value for all observed characters have high variation depend on environment and environement gave the biggest contribution to variation, however generally mutant lines were have a better characters than Numbu variety There is no important characters has stability performance in various environment, but they have a good performance on specific environment. Four mutant lines those have the potential to be released as new superior varieties were MNB3, MNB5, MNB8 and MNB10.

Physicochemical Changes, Peel Colour, and Juice Attributes of Blood Orange Cultivars Stored at Different Temperatures

Changes in physicochemical traits, peel colour, and juice attributes of four blood orange cultivars (‘Moro’, ‘Tarocco’, ‘Sanguinello’, and ‘Sanguine’) were evaluated during 180 days at 2 and 5 °C plus 2 days at 20 °C for shelf life. ‘Tarocco’ had the lowest weight and firmness losses at both temperatures during storage. Titratable acidity (TA) at 5 °C was higher than 2 °C, with ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Tarocco’ showing the highest and lowest TA, respectively. Juice content decreased during storage at both temperatures, although ‘Sanguinello’ had the highest juice content among the tested cultivars. Peel colour parameters including L* (lightness), b*, hue angle (h°), and chroma (C*) decreased during cold storage, while a* and citrus colour index (CCI) increased in all cultivars at both temperatures. The order for CCI was ‘Tarocco’ > ‘Moro’ > ‘Sanguinello’ > ‘Sanguine’. Overall, prolonged storage at 5 °C was considered as optimum temperature for all cultivars, although ‘Sanguinello’ cultivar had a better aptitude for the citrus juice industry.

Effect of Ethephon and Packaging Practices On Ripening of Mango cv. Maldah

The present research was conducted on two factor Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with eight treatments and three replications. A set of experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of postharvest ethephon treatment and packaging on ripening of mango cv. Maldah. The treatments consisted of ripening agent i.e., ethephon and control treatment under different packaging condition i.e., fiber with hole, fiber without hole, plastic with hole and plastic without hole. The result revealed that different packaging condition and ripening agents influenced the ripening behavior of mango. The highest TSS (15.26), sugar-acid ratio (23.66) and juice content (126.05) were recorded with fiber (without hole) and the lowest TSS (12.60), sugar-acid ratio (9.01) and juice content (116.05) with plastic (without hole). The highest TA (1.44) was recorded with plastic (without hole) and the lowest (0.66) with fiber (without hole). Similarly, the highest BT (2.83) was recorded with fiber (with hole) and the lowest (1.66) with plastic (without hole). Firmness, sweetness, TSS and juice content were the highest with the interaction effect of fiber bag (without hole) and ethephon treatment. In conclusion, mango fruits with ethephon treatment packed in fiber bag (without hole) enhances quality and ripening of mango whereas under controlled condition and without hole plastic packaging mangoes had low quality performance in terms of physio-chemical properties. SAARC J. Agric., 19(1): 155-163 (2021)

Effect of Different Edible Coatings on Postharvest Quality of Mandarin Orange (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Although Nepal produces a large amount of mandarin it faces huge postharvest losses due to improper postharvest practices. Treating fruits with different edible coatings can minimize postharvest losses. The experiment was carried out in the horticulture lab of Prithu Technical College, Dang, Nepal to evaluate the effects of different edible coating materials on the postharvest quality of mandarin. The experiment was laid in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and seven treatments in each replication. Mandarins were coated with different edible coating materials i.e. paraffin wax (100%, 75% and 50%), mustard oil, Aloe vera, turmeric paste and control (non-coated). After coating with different edible materials, mandarins were kept at ambient room conditions (18±2℃ and 52.41±14.35%). The lowest physiological loss in weight at 7, 14and 21 days was recorded in mandarin coated with 75% paraffin wax which was 3.10%, 4.83% and 10.33%, respectively. The highest titratable acidity (0.68%), juice content (46.33%) and marketable fruit percentage (81.73%) were recorded in 75% paraffin wax. The highest total soluble solid (14.00 ˚Brix) was recorded in control. Based on the result obtained from our research, it is suggested to use 75% paraffin wax for the storage of mandarin at ambient room conditions (18±2℃ and 52.41±14.35% RH) as it gives a high percentage of marketable fruits and juice content and also minimizes the physiological loss in weight.

Post-harvest quality and quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in fruits of three cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill)

Postharvest quality, quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of peel, pulp, and juice of fruits of three prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivars of Colegio de Postgraduados in México, were measured. The red and orange cultivars showed outstanding features of postharvest quality (size, texture, TSS and pulp and juice content) highest content of betalains and phenolic compounds. Therefore, highest antioxidant activity. In general, the highest content of bioactive compounds was detected in the peel, besides the content in pulp and juice did not show statistically significant differences. Phenolic content is very high in comparison with other fruits. Antioxidant activity was measured by three assays:FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH. Three cultivars showed a high correlation between antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. The methodologies used in this work are a very useful tool for the quantification of bioactive compounds in O. ficus-indica fruit tissues.

Influence of Harvesting Season on Morphological and Sensory Quality, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Three Late-Season Orange Cultivars ‘Barberina’, ‘Valencia Midknight’ and ‘Valencia Delta Seedless’

The genus Citrus amounts to one of the most relevant fruit crops in the world. This work assays overall fruit quality information in order to ascertain the optimal harvest timing of three late-season orange cultivars (‘Barberina’, ‘Valencia Midknight’ and ‘Valencia Delta Seedless’) during two consecutive growing seasons. Thus, morphological and physicochemical parameters, organic acids, polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH) were analyzed. ‘Barberina’ yielded the highest morphological (large and heavy fruits, albeit with lower fruit color index) and physicochemical (high juice content and intermediate but optimal acidity) fruit quality, with April providing the optimal harvest timing. By contrast, ‘Valencia Delta Seedless’ offered the smallest fruits, while ‘Valencia Midknight’ reported the lowest physicochemical juice quality (low juice content and earlier sensory depreciation). Nevertheless, both ‘Valencia Delta Seedless’ and ‘Valencia Midknight’ had higher functional quality than ‘Barberina’, which could be interesting for the industry in terms of obtaining higher added value products. Thus, ‘Valencia Midknight’ fruits recorded the highest organic acids concentration, especially in citric acid, while ‘Valencia Delta Seedless’ fruits showed the highest antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid concentration. In addition, while March-April emerged as the optimal harvest timing in terms of the highest organic acids concentration and antioxidant activity, it was February the optimal harvest timing for polyphenols content. Finally, the 2017/2018 growing season proposed better response of color index, density, polyphenols and antioxidants, but lower results of total organic acids.

Lubang Resapan Biopori untuk Meningkatkan Kapasitas Penyimpanan Air di Daerah Perakaran Jeruk Keprok (Citrus reticulata)

<p>Lubang Resapan Biopori (LRB) dan penambahan bahan organik ke dalam LRB dapat memperbaiki sifat fisik, kimia, dan biologi tanah pada jangka panjang. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mempelajari pengaruh jumlah LRB dan jenis bahan organik pengisi LRB terhadap kapasitas penyimpanan air di daerah perakaran tanaman jeruk keprok dewasa di lahan kering dan pengaruhnya terhadap kualitas buah. Penelitian disusun berdasarkan Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan faktor yang diujikan adalah kombinasi jumlah LRB dan bahan pengisi LRB. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan jumlah LRB, baik 4, 5, maupun 6 lubang dan bahan pengisi baik cocopeat maupun zeolit meningkatkan lengas tanah di daerah perakaran tanaman jeruk pada bulan kering. Penambahan cocopeat, zeolit, atau pupuk kandang ke dalam LRB meningkatkan kandungan jus. Perlakuan bahan pengisi serasah pada LRB dan tanpa LRB meningkatkan kandungan padatan terlarut total (PTT), sedangkan penambahan zeolit dan serasah serta perlakuan tanpa LRB meningkatkan kandungan asam tertitrasi total (ATT). Kadar air pada daerah perakaran yang tinggi menyebabkan peningkatan kandungan jus, serta penurunan kandungan PTT dan ATT pada buah jeruk keprok. Pembuatan LRB pada awal musim hujan dapat dilakukan sebagai upaya menabung air hujan sehingga dapat menghindarkan tanaman dari pengaruh negatif defisit air pada musim kering.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong></p><p>Air; Buah jeruk keprok; Kualitas; Lubang resapan biopori; Rizosfer </p><p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Biopore Infiltration Holes (BIH) and addition of organic matters to the BIH can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of BIH and type of BIH filler on water storage capacity in the rhizosphere of mature mandarin plants on dry land and their effect on fruit quality. The study employed a randomized block design with the tested factors of combination of BIH number and BIH filler material. The results showed that either 4, 5 or 6 holes BIH and fillers of both cocopeat and zeolite increased the soil water content in the rhizosphere in the dry months. Adding cocopeat, zeolite, or manure into BIH increased the juice content. Weeds as fillers and treatment without BIH increased the total soluble solids (TSS), while addition of zeolite and weeds and treatment without BIH increased the total acid (TA). High water content in the rhizosphere caused an increase in juice content, but a decrease in TSS and TA. Making BIH at the beginning of rainy season is an effort to save rainwater so that it can prevent plants from the negative influence of water deficit in the dry season.</p>

Response of Clementine Mandarin to Water-Saving Strategies under Water Scarcity Conditions

Water scarcity is the most constraining factor for crop production, especially in arid and semi-arid areas of Mediterranean countries such as Morocco. Within these conditions, different water-saving strategies using deficit irrigation (DI) were tested on two six-years old clementine varieties (‘Sidi Aissa’ and ‘Orogrande’). These DI strategies were applied during the second part of fruit growth and during fruit maturation and included: the control treatment (Cntl), in which the trees received 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) for the entire irrigation season; regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), with an application of 75% of ETc (RDI-1); partial rootzone drying (PRD), with an alternating irrigation between the two root system halves for 3–4 (PRD-3/4) and 7 (PRD-7) days, with an application of 50% crop water requirements; and RDI-2, with an application of 50% of crop water needs during fruit maturation. The results indicate that the trees preferably absorb the water from the upper 0–30 cm-depth soil profile and that fruit drop was increased by PRD for ‘Sidi Aissa’, whereas RDI-1 had no effect on this parameter. The DI strategies had no effect on fruit drop for ‘Orogrande’. The PRD reduced fruit size, yield and fruit juice content, with the effect being more pronounced on ‘Sidi Aissa’. The RDI-1 had no effect on fruit yield for ‘Orogrande’ but reduced it for ‘Sidi Aissa’. RDI-2 had no effect on yield, fruit size or fruit juice content. The DIs tested increased water use efficiency and enhanced fruit maturation as a result of increased juice sugar content and reduced acidity. The PRD tends to increase salt accumulation in the rootzone. Overall, ‘Orogrande’ was less sensitive to water stress and was more water-use efficient, and, under the semi-arid conditions of the experimental zone, PRD should not be used on clementine.

Assessment of Two Sweet Orange Cultivars Grafted on Selected Rootstocks Grown on an Inceptisol in Puerto Rico

Sweet oranges in Puerto Rico and other citrus-producing areas in the world have been greatly affected by the Huanglongbing disease (HLB). Historically, most of Puerto Rico’s citrus production has been located from 0–600 m above sea level, where fruit acquire a desirable color and flavor due to climatic conditions. However, higher populations of the disease vector Diaphorina citri Kuwayama have been reported at these elevations in Puerto Rico. Although only 6.4% of the land area is located above 600 m, it is composed mainly of environmentally sensitive or non-arable land where Inceptisols are the dominant soil order. For that reason, ‘Marr’s Early’ and ‘Pera’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) scions grafted on ‘Carrizo’, ‘HRS 802’, and ‘HRS 812’ rootstocks were planted in Alonso clay series Inceptisol (Oxic Humudepts) at 649 m in 2010. Tree growth parameters (height, diameter, canopy volume) and yield efficiency were measured. Fruit quality was determined from juice content (%), total soluble solids [°Brix], and pH. Leaf tissue analyses showed an optimum range for Ca, Mg, Na, P, B, Cu, and Zn, an indicator of tree health. A few were high (i.e., N and P) or in excess (i.e., Fe), but no clear connection to specific scions or rootstocks could be established. Tree height, tree diameter, fruit production, and juice content were higher in both sweet oranges grafted on ‘HRS 802’ compared with those on ‘HRS 812’ and ‘Carrizo’. Therefore, ‘HRS 802’ rootstock can be recommended to local farmers growing sweet oranges in Alonso series soil.