| 1. |
- Alsanius, Beatrix, et al.
(författare)
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Light and Microbial Lifestyle: The Impact of Light Quality on Plant-Microbe Interactions in Horticultural Production Systems-A Review
- 2019
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Horticultural greenhouse production in circumpolar regions (>60 degrees N latitude), but also at lower latitudes, is dependent on artificial assimilation lighting to improve plant performance and the profitability of ornamental crops, and to secure production of greenhouse vegetables and berries all year round. In order to reduce energy consumption and energy costs, alternative technologies for lighting have been introduced, including light-emitting diodes (LED). This technology is also well-established within urban farming, especially plant factories. Different light technologies influence biotic and abiotic conditions in the plant environment. This review focuses on the impact of light quality on plant-microbe interactions, especially non-phototrophic organisms. Bacterial and fungal pathogens, biocontrol agents, and the phyllobiome are considered. Relevant molecular mechanisms regulating light-quality-related processes in bacteria are described and knowledge gaps are discussed with reference to ecological theories.
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| 2. |
- Berg, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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A Comparison between Organic and Conventional Olive Farming in Messenia, Greece
- 2018
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 4:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Olive farming is one of the most important occupations in Messenia, Greece. The region is considered the largest olive producer in the country and it is recognized as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Kalamata olive oil, which is considered extra fine. In response to the declining trend of organic olive farming in Greece, this study assesses to what extent organic olive farming in Messenia provides a financially and environmentally competitive alternative to conventional olive farming. In this study, 39 olive farmers (23 conventional and 16 organic) participated in interviews based on questionnaires. The results showed that organic olive farming is significantly more profitable than conventional farming, primarily because of a higher price for organic olive oil. Despite this, the majority of the conventional farmers perceived a low profit from organic farming as the main constraint to organic olive farming. All farmers agreed that organic olive farming contributed to a better environment, health and quality of olive oil. Organic farmers used fewer synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and applied more environmentally-friendly ground vegetation management techniques than conventional farmers. Overall, organic farming was found to provide a competitive and sustainable alternative to conventional olive farming in Messenia.
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| 3. |
- Hosseini, Hadis, et al.
(författare)
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Nutrient Use in Vertical Farming : Optimal Electrical Conductivity of Nutrient Solution for Growth of Lettuce and Basil in Hydroponic Cultivation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI. - 2311-7524. ; 7:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the past few decades, vertical farming has attracted a lot of interest as an alternative food production method. Vertical farms use engineered growth environments and hydroponic cultivation techniques for growing plants indoors. One of the important factors in vertical farming for the cultivation of different plants is the amount of nutrients, which can be measured as electrical conductivity (EC). Studying the optimal EC is important for avoiding nutrient loss and deficiency in vertical farms. In this study, we investigated the effect of five EC levels (2, 1.2, 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5 dS m(-1)) of Hoagland nutrient solution on the growth and development of basil cultivar Emily and lettuce cultivar Batavia-Caipira. During the study, the environmental parameters were kept fixed using an automatic dosing machine. The experiment was done in automatic vertical farms using the hydroponic ebb-flow cultivation technique with a temperature of 20 +/- 1 degrees C, relative humidity of 50-60%, CO2 concentration of 450 ppm, pH = 6, the PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) of 215 +/- 5.5 mu mol m(-2) s(-1), and the photoperiod of 16:8 h (day/night). Each treatment was replicated four times. We studied the effects on several growth parameters (including the dry and fresh weight of leaves and roots, number of leaves, and leaf area) as well as the chlorophyll and nitrogen concentration of the leaves. According to the results, the basil and lettuce growth parameters among the five treatments have been significantly higher in the treatment with EC of 1.2 and 0.9 dS m(-1). These EC values are lower than the recommended EC value given as the optimum in the previous studies. However, the concentration of chlorophyll and nitrogen show different trends and were higher in full strength of nutrient solution with EC = 2 dS m(-1).
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| 4. |
- Lana, Marcos
(författare)
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The application of mycorrhizal fungi and organic fertilisers in horticultural potting soils to improve water use efficiency of crops
- 2017
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, the addition of microorganisms such as Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) and mycorrhiza are becoming more popular, both in research as well as in practical use. While inoculants are usually not necessary for plants cultivated outdoors on biologically active soil, they can be useful on sterile substrates, newly created artificial landscapes, and also in soils that have been managed using non-selective sterilization methods, such as fumigation. In a multi-year lysimeter experiment, we investigated the influence of a commercial mycorrhizal inoculum on water use efficiency and biomass production of maize (Zea mays), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), cup-plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and tall wheatgrass (Elymus elongatus subsp. ponticus cv. Szarvasi-1) when exposed to high or low ground-water levels. Results showed that all plants benefited from the mycorrhizal association. Mycorrhizal-inoculated plants were more successful in terms of dry matter production and water use than the non-mycorrhizal plants. The source of the mycorrhiza—autochthonous or introduced—made no significant difference. The results indicate that inoculation with mycorrhiza and promotion of the naturally abundant mycorrhiza in agricultural production systems can significantly contribute to a sustainable production of crops. Effects depended on plant species, cultivar, soil type, ground-water level and the mycotrophy of the individual crop species.
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| 5. |
- Mohammed Saifur, Rahman, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of Biological Approaches for Controlling Shoot and Fruit Borer (Earias vitella F.) of Okra Grown in Peri-Urban Area in Bangladesh
- 2021
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Irrational applications of insecticides on vegetable crops are very common in Bangladesh, resulting in harmful consequences for the environment and human health. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biological and botanical insecticides on okra shoot and fruit borer grown in open fields. Four insecticides were used in this study, namely Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Spinosad 45 SC, Abamectin 1.8 EC, and Azadirachtin 1% EC an untreated control. The experiment used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that the rate of shoot infestation was the lowest in the Spinosad-treated plot (3.80%), and the highest was in the control (20.67%). The lowest fruit infestation (3.56%) was recorded in the treated plot of Spinosad. The rate of reduction of fruit infestation over control was 80.69, 60.14, 56.45, and 55.58% in the plots treated with Spinosad, Bt, Azadirachtin, and Abamectin, respectively. Consequently, the Spinosad-treated plot attained the highest yield (8.65 t ha(-1)), which was followed by the plots treated with Azadirachtin (6.74 t ha(-1)), Bt (6.28 t ha(-1)), and Abamectin (6.12 t ha(-1)). The highest net return and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) were 542.36 US$ and 2.64, obtained respectively from the Spinosad-treated plot. The second highest BCR (1.70) was obtained from the Azadiratin-treated plot, and the lowest BCR (1.18) was recorded in the Abamectin-treated plot. Therefore, the studied insect management practices could be incorporated to attain higher yields and economic benefits for growing okra in Bangladesh.
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| 6. |
- Mohammed Saifur, Rahman, et al.
(författare)
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Stimulatory Effect of Seed Priming as Pretreatment Factors on Germination and Yield Performance of Yard Long Bean (Vigna unguiculata)
- 2020
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seed priming is a technique that can potentially facilitate rapid and consistent germination and subsequent plant growth. The present study investigates the effect of different seed priming treatments and processing times on germination and growth efficiency for the effective cultivation of Yard-long bean. Thirteen different primings were used to determine the stimulatory effect on the germination and yield performance of the Yard-long bean. The priming treatments included control (without priming); hydro priming for 12, 18, 24, and 30 h; halo priming (1% CaCl2) for 12, 18, 24, and 30 h; and halo priming (2% KNO3) for 12, 18, 24, and 30 h. Studies showing the highest level of germination (86.66%), germination index (35.69), seedling vigor index (1833.80), number of branches (7.20), and pod yields per plant (1836.00 g) were recorded from halo priming with 1% CaCl2 at 12 h treatment. Halo priming with 1% CaCl2 at 12 h is thus considered to be a compatible priming technique for the germination of seeds and a higher yield of Yard-long bean.
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| 7. |
- Naznin, Most Tahera
(författare)
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Evaluation of Compatibility, Growth Characteristics, and Yield of Tomato Grafted on Potato ('Pomato')
- 2019
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to evaluate the grafting compatibility of different varieties of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) scions on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) rootstocks to develop a 'pomato' plant. In this study three potato varieties; Diamant (P1), Cardinal (P2) and Asterix (P3), and two tomato varieties; Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) tomato-2 (T1) and BARI tomato-11 (T2) were used to make the grafted combinations T1P1, T1P2, T1P3, T2P1, T2P2 and T2P3, designated G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6, respectively. Tomato seedlings aged 25 (S1) and 35 days (S2) were selected as scions. Graft compatibility was analyzed based on the growth and yield of the pomato plants. The results revealed that varieties and scion age had a significant effect on the pomato fruit and tuber yield. The initiation of flowering was not affected by the various graft combinations; however, plant height, leaf number, branch number, number of clusters per plant, number of fruit per cluster, number of fruit per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, single fruit weight and total fruit yield per plant were higher in G5S1 among the combinations. On the other hand, the number of tubers per plant, single tuber weight, and tuber yield per plant were highest for a few combinations. Overall, it was concluded that Cardinal (P2) and Asterix (P3) potato were the most compatible for grafting with BARI tomato-11 (T2) at the scion age of 25 days (S1), based on vegetative growth and fruit and tuber yield of pomato plants.
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| 8. |
- Samad, Samia, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Temperature and Photoperiod on the Flower Potential in Everbearing Strawberry as Evaluated by Meristem Dissection
- 2021
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growing interest in using everbearing (EB) strawberry cultivars to extend the cultivation period has faced some challenges. These include poor runner production due to its perpetual flowering nature; irregular flowering behavior and extended periods of high temperature have caused floral inhibition and reduced yield. As flowering is an interplay between temperature and photoperiod, it is important to investigate the effects of this interaction on the cultivation. Therefore, this study used meristem dissection as a tool to study the effect of temperature and photoperiod on meristem development. Tray plants of two EB strawberry cultivars 'Florentina' and 'Favori' were grown at 20 & DEG;C, 25 & DEG;C, and 30 & DEG;C under short day (SD) conditions, and subsequently at 20 & DEG;C under long day (LD) conditions. The meristem development was analysed every 6 weeks for a 15-week period in SD and for 14 weeks in LD conditions using meristem dissection. The plants showed similar flowering patterns to previously studied everbearing cultivars, which was qualitative LD plants at high temperatures and quantitative LD plants at lower temperatures. Our results show that meristem dissection can be used to determine the temperature and photoperiodic effect on meristem development, and for the occurrence of cropping peaks, and can therefore be used to decide the environmental input and to evaluate yield potential.
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| 9. |
- Tigabu, Mulualem
(författare)
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An Overview of the Practices and Management Methods for Enhancing Seed Production in Conifer Plantations for Commercial Use
- 2021
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 7
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flowering, the beginning of the reproductive growth, is a significant stage in the growth and development of plants. Conifers are economically and ecologically important, characterized by straight trunks and a good wood quality and, thus, conifer plantations are widely distributed around the world. In addition, conifer species have a good tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, and a stronger survival ability. Seeds of some conifer species, such as Pinus koraiensis, are rich in vitamins, amino acids, mineral elements and other nutrients, which are used for food and medicine. Although conifers are the largest (giant sequoia) and oldest living plants (bristlecone pine), their growth cycle is relatively long, and the seed yield is unstable. In the present work, we reviewed selected literature and provide a comprehensive overview on the most influential factors and on the methods and techniques that can be adopted in order to improve flowering and seed production in conifers species. The review revealed that flowering and seed yields in conifers are affected by a variety of factors, such as pollen, temperature, light, water availability, nutrients, etc., and a number of management techniques, including topping off, pruning, fertilization, hormone treatment, supplementary pollination, etc. has been developed for improving cone yields. Furthermore, several flowering-related genes (FT, Flowering locus T and MADS-box, MCMI, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENCES and SRF) that play a crucial role in flowering in coniferous trees were identified. The results of this study can be useful for forest managers and for enhancing seed yields in conifer plantations for commercial use.
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| 10. |
- Tigabu, Mulualem
(författare)
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Genetic Diversity and Population Differentiation of Pinus koraiensis in China
- 2021
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Ingår i: Horticulturae. - : MDPI AG. - 2311-7524. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pinus koraiensis is a well-known precious tree species in East Asia with high economic, ornamental and ecological value. More than fifty percent of the P. koraiensis forests in the world are distributed in northeast China, a region with abundant germplasm resources. However, these natural P. koraiensis sources are in danger of genetic erosion caused by continuous climate changes, natural disturbances such as wildfire and frequent human activity. Little work has been conducted on the population genetic structure and genetic differentiation of P. koraiensis in China because of the lack of genetic information. In this study, 480 P. koraiensis individuals from 16 natural populations were sampled and genotyped. Fifteen polymorphic expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were used to evaluate genetic diversity, population structure and differentiation in P. koraiensis. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of the EST-SSR marker data showed that 33% of the total genetic variation was among populations and 67% was within populations. A high level of genetic diversity was found across the P. koraiensis populations, and the highest levels of genetic diversity were found in HH, ZH, LS and TL populations. Moreover, pairwise Fst values revealed significant genetic differentiation among populations (mean Fst = 0.177). According to the results of the STRUCTURE and Neighbor-joining (NJ) tree analyses and principal component analysis (PCA), the studied geographical populations cluster into two genetic clusters: cluster 1 from Xiaoxinganling Mountains and cluster 2 from Changbaishan Mountains. These results are consistent with the geographical distributions of the populations. The results provide new genetic information for future genome-wide association studies (GWAS), marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) in natural P. koraiensis breeding programs and can aid the development of conservation and management strategies for this valuable conifer species.
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