Effects of grafting on some phytochemical traits and elemental composition in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Grafting method in vegetables has been used in common due to positive effects in agriculture. In this context, it is focused that the studies aimed at increasing yield and quality through grafting. This research was carried out to determine the effects of grafting bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) onto pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). Effects of grafting on extract yield, dry matter ratio, ash, and macro and micro elemental content of the fruits and leaves of bitter gourd were determined in greenhouse conditions. Grafting significantly increased the dry matter ratio and extract yield in the bitter gourd fruits and the ash content in young, mature and old leaves. In the fruits, a positive correlation (R = 0.9264) was found only between extract yield and dry matter ratio. The main important effect of grafting in terms of macro and micro elements appeared on the fruits of bitter gourd. The accumulation of Ca2+ in the leaves increased during maturation. The positive effect of grafting in terms of Ca2+ increase in fruits was higher in unripe fruits compared to ripe fruits. In addition to obtaining more extracts from the fruits bitter gourd, the enrichment of its fruits in terms of Ca2+ and K+ and its leaves in terms of Ca2+ increases the importance of these parts in terms of human nutrition.

Pre-breeding study for the enhancement of bioactive fruit attributes in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.)

The strawberry fruit market increasingly demands new cultivars producing berries with enhanced bioactive attributes. In this research the suitability of twelve strawberry cultivars for effective breeding aimed at the enhancement of bioactive fruit attributes was studied. The group of genotypes with different pedigree was examined in respect of variation, breeding parameters, correlation between the content of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity of fruit. Pre-breeding research showed the highly significant differences between genotypes regarding all traits analysed. Relationship between the bioactive phytochemicals content and antioxidant capacity of fruit were mostly positive and significant. Only correlation between vitamin C and flavonoids was negative (−0.482). Path analysis exhibited the highest positive direct effect of total phenolic content on antioxidant capacity (0.609). Heritability of traits was very high, reaching values above 0.90. The highest genetic advance was observed for flavonoids. Results suggested that the genotype plays the main role in shaping of fruit antioxidant potential. This study indicated that the efficient strawberry breeding focused on obtaining the forms with enhanced bioactive berry properties could be highly possible.

The influence of plant essential oils on in vitro growth of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. bacteria

The activity of essential oils from Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus silvestris, Lavandula angustifolia, Juniperus virginiana, Rosmarinus officinalis and Citrus paradise against the soft-rot pathogens Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, Pectobacterium atrosepticum, Pectobacterium parmentieri and Dickeya solani was determined in vitro. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils will be evaluated using the disk-diffusion method by Kirby-Bauer [Bauer et al. 1966]. It was found that all the presented essential oils varied in antimicrobial activity against the four bacterial strains. No differences in the influence of streptomycin on inhibition of growth of the four bacterial strains were observed. Among six tested plants, essential oils from P. sylvestris had the strongest inhibitory effect on the growth of soft rot bacteria from Pectobacterium genus. This paper constitute the first report on the activity of the essential oils obtained from J. virginiana against soft rot bacteria. They are also the first report on the activity of the essential oils obtained from E. globulus, P. silvestris, L. angustifolia and C. paradisi against P. atrosepticum, P. parmentieri and D. solani as well as on the activity of the R. officinalis essential oils against P. atrosepticum and P. parmentieri.

Phenotypic and molecular screening of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) breeding lines for resistance to bean common mosaic virus and bean common mosaic necrosis virus

Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV) are among the most economically important virus species infecting common bean. The use of resistant plant cultivars is the most effective way to control these viruses. National dry bean breeding studies have been conducted by seven different governmental agricultural research institutes in Turkey, and advanced breeding lines have been developed by using the selected local dry bean populations and crossing studies. In this study, 204 breeding lines were tested for resistance levels to BCMV and BCMNV. Initially, BCMNV NL-3 and BCMV NL-4 strains were individually sap-inoculated onto the leaves of bean plants belonging to each breeding lines with 10 replications, and the reactions of plants were evaluated for symptomatic appearance of virus infection 21 days after inoculation. Additionally, phenotypic evaluation was confirmed by molecular markers linked to resistance genes. As a result of the study, 153 breeding lines were found to involve the dominant I gene whereas four and five of the tested lines had the recessive genes bc-1² and bc-2², respectively. In conclusion, it was emphasized that these breeding lines could be registered after evaluating them in terms of yield and quality. Also, the use of seeds of the resistant lines to supply the source of virus-resistance in breeding studies and maintaining their seeds at the national genebank were recommended.

Effect of condit soil improver on growth, yield and leaf mineral content of two summer pear cvs. with interstocks

The study involving 2 pear cultivars was conducted in 2006–2016. ‘Radana’ and ‘Clapp’s Favourite’ were planted in the spring 2006 in the Experimental Station next to Wrocław (south-western Poland) on Quince S1 and Caucasian pear seedlings with 2 interstocks – ‘Doyenne du Comice’ and ‘Pyrodwarf’. An annual dose of 3 tonnes per hectare of Condit Basic bio-fertilizer was applied onto the tree row soil surface at the beginning of March 2012, i.e., starting from the 7th year after the planting. The study objective was to evaluate effect of Condit preparation on summer pear tree cultivars which are not compatible with Quince, and to assess interstock suitability in their context. The yields obtained in the first eleven years following tree planting were the most abundant for ‘Radana’ on Caucasian pear and on Quince with ‘Doyenne du Comice’ interstock. When applied for 5 years, Condit increased the leaf surface area, however a significant difference was exhibited only by ‘Radana’ on the Caucasian pear. This soil improver did not affect tree growth and yielding; total chlorophyll content; foliar Mg, P, Ca, and K; and mean fruit mass across the investigated treatment combinations.

Determination of carbohydrate accumulation and plant growth dynamics in snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii Hook.) response to moisture levels in different substrates

In terms of botany, geophytes are known by their own survival strategy due to have a swollen storage organs. Snowdrops (Galanthus, 20 spp.; Amaryllidaceae) are important type of wild-sourced ornamental bulb genus in all geophyte species. Also, have a great deal of potential for use on landscape designs. Whereas, not much study has been done regarding the growth dynamics of snowdrops at harsh environmental conditions. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of abiotic stress conditions on the performance of snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii Hook.) in soiless culture. Substrates and moisture were the variables. Peat + perlite and cocopeat were used as a substrate in pots. Moisture levels were applied; ML1, ML2 (well-watered and moderately tolerant treatments), ML3 (moderate stress) and ML4 (severe stress). Moisture had a statistically significant effect (P < 0.05) on circumference size, height and weight of the snowdrop bulbs. Plant height and carbohydrate accumulation were also affected by moisture levels in different substrates. The correlation between total carbohydrate (r = 0.95) and starch (r = 0.98) were positively determined. The reduced sugar, total sugar, starch and total carbohydrate values were increased by the severe stress treatment (ML4).

Biostimulants containing amino acids in vegetable crop production

Amino acids can induce defence reactions and reduce the impact of abiotic stresses on plants, yet their impact on the yield of vegetable crops is varied. For this reason, an analysis of the published research on the effect of biostimulants containing amino acids (BCAA) on the quantity and quality of vegetable crop yield was carried out. The results of the research indicate the multidirectional effect of BCAA on vegetable plants and they also show that the use of these biostimulants may increase yield quantity and quality as well as influence biometric features and chemical composition of plants. BCAA may also affect the amount of losses caused by pests and during the storage of vegetables. However, the variability of the effects is very large and depends on many factors: composition of BCAA, time, dose, number and method of application, cultivation cycle, weather conditions, and plant species or even cultivar. Therefore, the effective use of BCAA requires further research, while their proper application in horticultural practice will require taking into account many factors.

Possibilities of using RGB-based image analysis to estimate the chlorophyll content of micropropagated strawberry plants

An image analysis method based on RGB features for rapid estimation of the chlorophyll content of leaves of micropropagated strawberry plants (2 cultivars) was presented in the study. An algorithm describing the relationship between the absolute values of chlorophyll content and the colour components of a leaf image captured with a conventional scanner was developed and tested. The accuracy of the proposed method was compared with that of an optical greenness meters designed for assessing leaf chlorophyll content. The chlorophyll content in the strawberry leaves was correlated with the results of measurements recorded by the two optical meters (SPAD-502, CCM-200) and with RGB values of scans of these leaves. The highest values of correlation coefficients were obtained between the chemical analysis results and mean values of the red colour (R) of the scans. However, varietal differences were evident here, which indicates the need for individual calibrations. In the case of the green colour (G), the accuracy was slightly lower; however, no varietal differences were found, thus one calibration can be used for both cultivars. Three formulas: (R-G)/(R+G), (R-G)/(R+G+B), and R/(R+G+B) were selected and their relationship with the changes in chlorophyll content was tested. These variables did not explain the changes in chlorophyll content better than the variable R. The study confirmed the possibility of using the image capture method for the detection of chlorophyll status in strawberry plantlets cultured in vitro.

Growth promotion of raspberry and strawberry plants by bacterial inoculants

Study on potential mechanisms influencing the growth of raspberry and strawberry plants showed that the most active was Bacillus sp. strain AF75BC producing IAA and siderophores, and having the ability to release phosphorus. The latter feature was also present in the strains Sp115AD (B. subtilis) and SP116AC (Paenibacillus polymyxa). Two of the tested strains: SP116AC and JaFGU (Lysobacter sp.) showed the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, while the AF75AB2 (Bacillus sp.) produced siderophores and IAA. All strains showed an antagonism toward the most important pathogens of strawberry and raspberry, i.e. Verticillium dahliae, Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora cactorum and Colletotrichum acutatum, limiting their growth to a different extent on the PDA medium. Inoculation of raspberry roots with the tested bacteria resulted in an increase of some growth parameters of their above-ground part in cv. Poemat. In the case of cv. Polana, a significant increase was found only in the chlorophyll content in the leaves. All the inoculants caused an increase in dry mass of roots in cv. Polana, and in cv. Poemat similar effect was observed after applying Inoculants 1 and 3. The treatments of strawberry roots with any of the inoculants resulted in a significant increase in the total leaf surface area in cv. Rumba, but they had no effect on the chlorophyll content in the leaves of either cultivar. All the inoculants significantly increased the total length of roots and their total surface area in cv. Rumba. This parameter also increased in cv. Elsanta, and the number of root tips also significantly increased in this cultivar. Our study showed that the tested inocula is a promising alternative as a bio-fertilizer for small fruit production in sustainable and organic agricultural systems.

Collection and evaluation of Iris species in Southwest China

China is known as one of the most diverse centres of wild Iris resources in the world, there are 60 species, 13 varieties, and five forms distributed in southwest, northwest, and northeast China. The goal of this study was to describe the distribution, collection, and evaluation of Iris species collected in southwest China. Wild populations were identified and classified into 23 species, two varieties, and one form based on their morphological characteristics. We discovered some species with new distribution and characteristics. Furthermore, we also used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method with 16 indicator points to evaluate the collected Iris resources based on their ornamental value, utilization potential, and ecological adaptability. The results showed that I. pseudacorus, I. delavayi, I. germanica, I. wilsonii, I. sibirica, and I. tectorum had excellent ornamental characters and best suited for sustained exploitation. This research also provided a good theoretical guidance and an important reference value for the application of Iris plants in landscaping and provided suggestions for the conservation and utilization of wild Iris resources.