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Volume 5 Special Issue 2 2011
Focus on sweet potato
ISBN 978-4-903313-82-5
How to reference: Antonio GC, Takeiti CY, de Oliveira RA, Park KJ (2011) Sweet Potato: Production, Morphological and Physicochemical Characteristics, and Technological Process. In: Focus on sweet potato. Fruit, Vegetable and Cereal Science and Biotechnology 5 (Special Issue 2), 1-18
CONTENTS AND ABSTRACTS
Graziella Colato Antonio, Cristina Yoshie Takeiti, Rafael Augustus de Oliveira, Kil Jin Park (Brazil) Sweet Potato: Production, Morphological and Physicochemical Characteristics, and Technological Process (pp 1-18)
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ABSTRACT
Invited Review: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) shows great socio-economic importance, providing a supply of calories, vitamins and minerals for human nutrition. Roots present a carbohydrate content varying between 25 and 30%, which 98% is easily digested. Sucrose is the most abundant sugar in raw roots, with a small amount of glucose and fructose. They are also excellent sources of carotenoids, potassium, iron and calcium and phenolic compounds. Sweet potato roots vary in shape, size and color, depending on the cultivar and environment conditions. This crop is amongst the 15 largest agricultural productions and can be used as raw material for several industrialized products, considering its composition and agricultural potential. Its shelf life is no longer than a few weeks and therefore it is difficult to stockpile in farms. Industrial processes is required to reduce its moisture content and osmotic dehydration is a technique that can be used for concentrating the solids by immersing roots in the solution of sugar and/or salt increasing osmotic pressure. However, a complementary process is required such as drying or freeze-drying to obtain a product with a lower water activity. High temperature short time (HTST) drying is also highly appropriate for processing of high starch content foods such as tubers. This method promotes the formation of a porous structure and consequently crispy food, thus making it possible to compete with high quality and makes it possible to industrialize differentiated products, which can be consumed directly or used as part of formulas, such as instant soups. This chapter is divided into: (i) description of physical-chemical and morphological characteristics, botanical aspects, production and consumer market information, (ii) conservation methods applied for maintaining nutritional and organoleptic properties of this biological product for longer periods, and (iii) sweet potato starch as a food ingredient.
Elyana Cuevas Montilla, Silke Hillebrand, Peter Winterhalter (Germany) Anthocyanins in Purple Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Varieties (pp 19-24)
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Invited Mini-Review: Anthocyanins from purple sweet potatoes can serve as natural colorants due to their high heat and light stability and are commonly used in juices, alcoholic beverages, jams, confectioneries, bread, snacks and noodles. There are several commercially available varieties of purple sweet potatoes, which can vary in storage root size, shape, and color. During the last decade sweet potato cultivars with purple flesh were mainly grown in Japan and new varieties with high contents of anthocyanins have been developed due to the low anthocyanin accumulation in indigenous purple-fleshed sweet potatoes. Among them, important cultivars are the 'Yamagawamurasaki' and 'Ayamurasaki' varieties. Chromatographic analyses show a very complex anthocyanin composition. Ten major pigments with non-, mono- or diacylated structures of 3-O-(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside)-5-O-β-D-glucosides of cyanidin and peonidin were characterized by ESI-MSn and NMR analyses. A comparison of different Japanese purple sweet potato cultivars shows a remarkable variation of anthocyanin profile. According to this, they can be categorized into two groups (blue and red dominant) based on the shade of color and the peonidin/cyanidin ratio. By means of the four Japanese cultivars 'Chiran murasaki', 'Tanegashima murasaki', 'Naka murasaki' and 'Purple Sweet' the differences in anthocyanin composition will be discussed in detail.
Ana Cristina Figueira, Olawumi Makinde, Margarida Cortez Vieira (Portugal) Process Optimisation of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Puree as an Ingredient in a Formulation of Weaning Food (pp 25-34)
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ABSTRACT
Invited Review: Sweet potato, a tuber crop widely spread across the World (Africa, Asia, America, Caribbean and Europe) and very affordable, supplies the body with major and vital nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, proteins and vitamins) needed for good body development can be used as an ingredient in weaning food for babies. For this purpose it needs to be boiled and mashed into a paste before being served to babies. The cooking conditions of the Lira variety from a Portuguese region (Aljezur) were studied over a temperature range of 80 to 95°C during 10 to 180 min to evaluate its effects on the physico-chemical properties (texture, non-enzymatic browning and ascorbic acid). From the kinetics modelling study, it was concluded that a fractional conversion first order model fitted well the experimental data for these proper-ties and the kinetic parameters estimated were: texture, (kref = 0.1611 ± 0.015 min–1, Ea = 101.13 ± 14.22 KJ/mol with R2adj = 0.9719), non-enzymatic browning (kref = 0.0331 ± 0.004 min–1, Ea = 389.27 ± 26.86 KJ/mol with R2adj = 0.9971) and ascorbic acid (kref = 0.0244 ± 0.023 min–1, Ea = 101.70 ± 14.66 KJ/mol with R2adj = 0.9905). Based on these findings, the optimization of the cooking conditions to obtain a high quality puree was determined as 90% colour retention, 70% ascorbic acid retention and moderately cooked at 90°C, 7 min; this result was further validated. The team that developed this work was composed by Nigerian and Portuguese researchers and though performed in Portugal and with a Portuguese variety of sweet potato; the goal was to use these results in the industrial development of a weaning food product in Africa, more specifically in Nigeria.
Esmaeil Fallahi, Bahar Fallahi (USA), Mohammad Amiri (Iran), Bahman Shafii (USA) Long-Term Fruit Yield and Quality of Various Gala Apple Strain-Rootstock Combinations under an Evapotranspiration-Based Drip Irrigation System (pp 35-39)
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Original Research Paper: In a long-term study in ‘Gala’ apple (Malus × domestica Borkh) between 2004 and 2007, fruit yield and physical quality attributes (fruit weight, skin red color, and incidences of splitting and russeting) of five strains (‘Pacific’, ‘Gale’, ‘Brookfield’, ‘Treco Red #42’ and ‘Buckeye’) on RN29 rootstock and four strains (‘Scarlet’, ‘Royal’, ‘Ultima’ and ‘Crimson’) on Bud9 rootstock were examined under a drip irrigation system using crop evapotranspiration (ETc) adjusted by the percentage of ground shade. The strain-rootstock combinations used in this study represent the most commonly planted ‘Gala’ trees in the United States apple industry. ‘Pacific’, ‘Brookfield’, ‘Treco’ and ‘Buckeye’ strains (all on RN29 rootstock) had higher fruit yield in most years, resulting in significantly higher cumulative yields than ‘Scarlet’, ‘Royal’, ‘Ultima’ and ‘Crimson’ strains on Bud9 rootstock. ‘Brookfield’, ‘Treco’, ‘Gale’, ‘Buckeye’ on RN29 rootstock had similar average fruit weights and their weights were often higher than those in ‘Scarlett’, ‘Royal’, and ‘Ultima’ on Bud9 rootstock. ‘Buckeye’ and ‘Gale Gala’ fruits had higher visual red color ratings compared to the other strains every year. Considering all yield and quality attributes, we recommend ‘Buckeye’ and ‘Gale’ strains on RN29 rootstock under climate conditions of Intermountain west region of the USA. With a drip irrigation system, each young tree received an average of 2921 L (449 mm) and each mature tree received and average of 3996 L (614.1 mm) of water per growing season.
Mahbub Alizade-Dashqapu, Mahmood Esna-Ashari, Jafar Hajiloo, Mohammad Asgharpur (Iran) Effect of CaCl2 and Exogenous Putrescine on Post-harvest Life and Quality of Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) Fruit, cv. ‘J. H. Hale’ (pp 40-45)
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ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: The effect of 40, 60 and 80 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2 ) and 0.5, 1 and 2 mM putrescine (Put) on post-harvest life and quality of peach (Prunus persica L. cv. ‘J. H. Hale’) fruit was studied. This experiment was carried out by immersing fruits in solutions at 25°C for 5 min, then transferring them into storage at 1-2°C and 75% relative humidity, together with untreated fruits (dry) as well as fruits immersed in distilled water only. Ethylene production, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, flesh firmness, weight loss and ascorbic acid (AA) of fruits were measured at regular intervals (5 days for cold storage and 2 days for shelf life) throughout the experiment. Quality of fruits was also tested through a taste panel at the end of experiment. During the whole storage time in which 5 measurements were performed, 60 mM CaCl2 was the best treatment for keeping fruit quality in terms of flesh firmness, SSC, AA, TA, pH and weight loss. The highest score in terms of fruit quality, as given by panelists, corresponded to 60 mM CaCl2 and 2 mM Put. Among the Put solutions, 2 mM could maintain the quality of fruits preventing ethylene production at the highest rate compared to other treatments. The results of a microbiological test showed that 80 mM CaCl2 was the best treatment to control yeast and mold populations significantly (P < 0.05). Put solutions were better than CaCl2 treatments in terms of preventing ethylene production by fruits. Lower quality fruit was observed when fruit was immersed in distilled water only.
Naima Osman Laajimi, Olfa Boussadia, Fethia Harzallah Skhiri (Tunisia), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Salah Rezgui, Rachid Hellali (Tunisia) Anatomical Adaptations in Vegetative Structures of Apricot Tree (Prunus armeniaca L.) cv. ‘Amor El Euch’ Grown under Water Stress (pp 46-51)
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Original Research Paper: Frequent drought events that prevail in central Tunisia represent a major limiting factor of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) orchards that affect plant growth and production. Leaf anatomical variations of cv. ‘Amor El Euch’ using three irrigation levels ranging from rainfed (T0), moderately stressed (T50%) and full irrigation (T100%) were carried out during the 2003 to 2005 cropping seasons. Irrigation levels (T0, T50% and T100%) were estimated using theoretical crop evapotranspiration (ETC) where water supply corresponded to 0, ½ and 1 ETc respectively. The adaptation of ‘Amor El Euch’ to water stress (T0) is attributed to a thickening of leaves, mature branches and new shoot tissues and an increase in the number of leaf stomata that is associated with a reduction in the length of the stomatal aperture. However, minerals were abundant in the foliar palisade spongy parenchyma while the palisade parenchyma was made up of 2-3 cell layers. For the mid-vein, severe water stress reduced the thickness of the upper collenchyma and both the lower and upper sclerenchyma by 19.4, 11.9 and 33.9%, respectively. Significant variation in the thickness of petiole tissues depended on the water treatments. Water stresses (T0 and T50%) negatively affected the thickness of the suber, phelloderma and cortical parenchyma of new shoots. The phloem was thickened by moderate water stress and reduced by severe water stress.
Kalpana NanjaReddy, Manoj Kumar Arthikala (Mexico/India), Manjulatha Mekapogu, Rajanna D. Meenakunte, Abdul Rahiman, Balakrishna Gowda (India) Biochemical, Histochemical and Enzymatic Studies in Relation to Sorghum Downy Mildew Infection of Resistant and Susceptible Genotypes of Maize (pp 52-56)
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Original Research Paper: Biochemical, histochemical and enzymatic studies were conducted on indigenous susceptible, CM-500, NAI-127 and resistant, NAI-129, SKV-10 maize leaves infected with Peronosclerospora sorghi and sampling was done at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after infection with appropriate controls. Biochemical observations revealed high total sugars, starch and amino-acid content in resistant lines compared to susceptible in both inoculated and uninoculated leaves at all times whereas the total phenol and ortho dihydroxy phenols decreased during the first sampling, then later increased consistently in inoculated tissues at all the days. Further evidence, from leaf histochemical analysis draws the same trend as described in the above biochemical analysis. Upon pathogen attack, peroxidase (POX) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity increased drastically and high levels were maintained at all times. Higher levels of carbohydrates, amino-acids, different phenols and also elevated activity of POX and PAL in NAI-129, SKV-10 may play a role in inhibiting P. sorghi.
Roger Djoulde Darman, Jean-Justin Essia Ngang, François-Xavier Etoa (Cameroon) Fermentation of Cocoa Juice (Theobroma cacao L.) and Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) Extracts into a Wine-Like Alcoholic Drink (pp 57-63)
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Original Research Paper: An undistilled alcoholic wine-like drink was prepared by fermenting cocoa juice and roselle extracts with wine yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. bayanus. The wine was strongly reddish because of roselle extracts, acidic in taste [total titrable acidity (TTA) = 8.025 ± 0.9 g tartaric acid/100 ml], and high in ethanol (11.02 ± 0.9%) concentration. The roselle-cocoa wine-like alcoholic drink had a mean polyphenol value of 962 ± 24.4 mg/l, with little variation in volatiles acidity (0.25 ± 0.00). Methanol content was lower than the limit of 1000 g/hl absolute alcohol (AA) and the higher alcohol values satisfy the qualitative demands of 140 g/hl AA. Isovaleric acid was found in high concentrations compared to other fruit-based commercial wines. Substances which can cause health hazards (estragol) or organoleptic faults (acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and diethyl succinate) were lower than their respective recommended limits. High concentrations of iron were also recorded (1.24 ± 0.87 mg/l) and were attributed to roselle extracts. Besides, low concentrations of Cu (0.69 ± 0.03 to 0.93 ± 0.03), Pb (2.5 ± 0.0 to 3.7 ± 0.6) and Ca (6.0 ± 1.0 to 7.5 ± 1.7) were recorded and may not pose a threat to potential consumers. Sensory evaluation rated the cocoa juice wine as quite acceptable as an alcoholic drink. Significant differences (P < 0.01) exist between the cocoa-roselle wine-like drink and commercial grape wine in taste, aroma, flavor and aftertaste probably because of high polyphenol content in the former. A standardization of the process is required to achieve better control of the levels of the above compounds with regard to the observed variations in composition.
Aruah C. Blessing, Uguru M. Ifeanyi, Oyiga B. Chijioke (Nigeria) Nutritional Evaluation of Some Nigerian Pumpkins (Cucurbita spp.) (pp 64-71)
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Original Research Paper: Fruits of 10 accessions of Cucurbita collected from three agroecological regions of Nigeria were evaluated for their proximate values, phytonutrient and anti-nutrient compositions and mineral content. The results indicated that the moisture content of the accessions was high but did not vary significantly (P < 0.05) among the accessions. Protein values were significantly different among accessions and ranged from 8.29 to 12.56%. Crude fat content was low in all the accessions and varied from 1.15 to 2.63%. The genotypes varied significantly (P < 0.05) in carbohydrate content. The β-carotene and lycopene values were comparable to values obtained in a popular but more expensive vegetable, tomato. The presence of these phytochemicals explained the medicinal action of the curcurbita fruits encountered in its therapeutic uses. The anti-nutritional factors analysed in the fruits namely, tannins (0.017 to 0.102 mg/100 g dry matter, DM) and phytates (0.002 to 0.021 mg/100 g DM) were lower than the range of values reported for most vegetables. All the minerals evaluated varied significantly among the cucurbita accessions. Potassium, magnesium, and calcium were the most prevalent minerals. The dendrogam on the bases of proximate evaluation grouped the accessions into two clusters with ‘Awka-RV’ and ‘Uvu-watt’ forming an outlier. However, only one cluster was formed when the characterization and discrimination among the accessions were considered using the mineral, phytonutrient and anti-nutrient content. These results revealed that cucurbita fruits contain appreciable amount of nutrients and therefore, can be included in diets to supplement our daily nutrient needs.
Gbenga Akinwumi, Olagorite Adetula, Temidayo Olofintoye, Isaac Olabode (Nigeria) Effect of Soil Amendment on the Growth and Yield of Grain Amaranth in Southwest Nigeria (pp 72-75)
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Original Research Paper: Grain amaranth is an important leaf and seed vegetable crop in Nigeria. There is scanty information on its nutrient requirements for optimum yield and quality. A nutrient trial was conducted at the National Horticultural Research Institute Ibadan, Nigeria to evaluate the performance of grain amaranth with poultry manure and inorganic fertilizers applied alone or in combination. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Grain amaranth seeds were spot planted and later thinned down to one plant per stand. Cured poultry manure and NPK (15:15:15) were used as organic and inorganic fertilizer, respectively. Treatments imposed were 10 t/ha organic fertilizer only (F1), 80 kg/ha NPK (15:15:15) inorganic fertilizer only (F2), 5 t/ha organic fertilizer + 40 kg/ha NPK (15:15:15) inorganic fertilizer (F3) and control (no NPK or organic fertilizer) F0. Data collection commenced 6 weeks after planting at two weeks interval. Result indicated that organic and inorganic applied solely showed significant influence on the growth and yield of amaranth. Organic fertilizer was the best in terms of plant height and stem girth, while the inorganic fertilizer and their combination have the highest value in number of leaves and leaf area respectively. Yield was significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by different fertilizer treatments. Highest yield (0.66t/ha) was obtained in inorganic fertilizer.
Elham Asl Moshtaghi (Iran), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Ali Reza Shahsavar (Iran) Effects of Foliar Application of Humic Acid and Gibberellic Acid on Mist-Rooted Olive Cuttings (pp 76-79)
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Original Research Paper: Humic substances, as part of humus-soil organic matter, are compounds arising from the physical, chemical and microbiological transformation (humification) of biomolecules. They are important because they constitute the most ubiquitous source of non-living organic materials that nature knows. In this study, the effect of humic acid (HA) (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2%) and gibberellic acid (GA3) (0, 200, 400 mg/L), when applied as a leaf spray individually or in combination, were investigated on the vegetative growth of mist-rooted olive (Olea europaea cv. ‘Zard’, a slow-growing cultivar) cuttings. Application of HA at 0.5, 1, or 2% could increase shoot length, elongate internodes and increase the fresh and dry weights of shoots, leaves, and roots. When HA was combined with GA3, all these morphological parameters increased significantly more than in other treatments. The application of HA and GA3 had the greatest effect on leaf surface area although the chlorophyll content decreased in treatments. The incorporation of HA and GA3 significantly increased the soluble sugars and decreased the starch content relative to controls. The greatest nitrogen content was detected when 400 mg/L GA3 with 0.5, 1 or 2% HA were applied. The effectiveness of HA might be related to its direct action through a hormone-like activity.
Kamel Ben Mbarek (Tunisia), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan) Effects of Septoria Leaf Blotch Infection on Grain Yield and its Components of Three Bread Wheat Genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) (pp 80-85)
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Original Research Paper: Septoria tritici (perfect stage, Mycosphaerella graminicola) is widely spread all over the world and generates serious crop losses in many wheat-growing regions. This study was carried out in situ to determine the effects of infection by S. tritici on grain yield (GY) and its components of three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes (Tanit, Tirant and Sérir2). Two treatments were applied. The first one was a control plot treated with a fungicide (Dithane M45) and the second was an artificially infected plot. The development of infection was evaluated by IL and IP, AUDPC and R. Agronomic parameters were used to study the reaction variability of the studied genotypes and to determine the impact of the infection on GY and its components. Results showed that climatic conditions were favourable to the development of infection and that the tested bread wheat genotypes were sensitive to S. tritici¦. 1000-grain weight was the most negatively affected GY component. On the other hand, IL and IP partly explain the loss in 1000-grain weight. On the protected plots, the positive action of the fungicide enhanced plant tolerance and generated a synergy expressed by the improvement of GY and its components.
Moaed Almeselmani (Syria), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Partap Deshmukh (India) Stability of Different Physiological Characters, Yield and Yield Components under High Temperature Stress in Tolerant and Susceptible Wheat Genotypes (pp 86-92)
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Original Research Paper: High temperature stress is a major environmental stress that adversely affects wheat growth and productivity worldwide. The effect of high temperature stress on different physiological characters and yield attributes of five wheat genotypes differing in their susceptibility to high temperature stress was studied for two constitutive years. Seeds were planted under normal, late and very late dates in order to expose plants to different levels of temperature stress. Chlorophyll content, membrane stability index, rate of photosynthesis, leaf water spin lattice relaxation time, and transverse relaxation time were determined at the vegetative stage, anthesis and 15 days after anthesis. Water potential was determined at the anthesis stage, 7 and 15 days after anthesis. Pooled data of both years showed a significant reduction in all physiological characters under late and very late planting compared to normal planting date at all growth stages. However, heat-susceptible genotype PBW 343, which performed well when planted normally, showed a maximum reduction in all characters at all growth stages compared to heat-tolerant genotypes HDR-77 and HD 2815, which performed better under late and very late planting conditions. Plant biomass, grain yield/plant, 1000-grain weight, grain number/ear and grain weight/ear were significantly reduced under late and very late planting compared to normal planting. The yield attributes of PBW 343 and PBW 175 were most reduced under very late planting. HD 2815 and HDR-77 performed well and maintained higher yield when planted very late compared to other genotypes and a significant association between all physiological characters and yield components was observed. HD 2815 and HDR-77 showed minimum reduction in yield and yield components under late planting conditions while exhibiting stability and minimum reduction in all physiological characters.
Pallab Dutta, Kalyan Chakraborti (India), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Sujit Kumar Roy, Arunava Samanta (India) Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Fruit Quality and Leaf Mineral Composition of Litchi cv. Bombai Grown in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal (pp 93-95)
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Short Communication: An investigation was carried out to study the effect of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on fruit quality and leaf mineral composition of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cv. ‘Bombai’. The treatments consisted of four sprays (applied between September and December at monthly intervals) of three PGRs: α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), gibberellic acid (GA3) and kinetin. Treatment with any PGR significantly increased fruit weight, size, the edible: non-edible ratio, the biochemical constitutents of fruit and also the leaf mineral content (N, P and K). Treatment with NAA at 50 mg/L resulted in maximum fruit weight (24.22 g), size (3.8/3.4 cm) and edible ratio (2.25) followed by NAA at 25 mg/L while GA3 at 100 mg/L recorded maximum TSS (19.8 °Brix), total sugar (14.30%), sugar: acid ratio (23.8) and ascorbic acid (32.25 mg/100 g pulp) content of fruit followed by GA3 at 50 mg/L. Anthocyanin content of fruit peel was maximum with 50 mg/L NAA, although kinetin had little effect. Leaf mineral (N, P and K) contents were influenced by PGR treatments. Both NAA at 50 mg/L and GA3 at 100 mg/L are equally effective in improving the fruit quality and leaf mineral composition of litchi.
Masoomeh Amerian, Mahmood Esna-Ashari (Iran) Effect of NaCl Stress and Sucrose on Potato Microtuberization (pp 96-98)
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Short Communication: In vitro microtuberization of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cvs. ‘Marfona’ and ‘Agria’ was studied by the use of individual excised single-node cuttings cultured on semi-solid MS medium supplemented with 5 mg L-1 BAP and 80 g/L sucrose in the presence of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mM NaCl or 30, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 g/L sucrose. Microtuberization decreased significantly with increasing salinity; the highest NaCl level (150 mM) completely inhibited microtuber development in both cultivars. Microtuber production was significantly increased by increasing sucrose concentration up to 80 g/L then reduced at higher concentrations.
Mahmoud M. Shaaban, El-Shazly M. Hegazy (Egypt), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan) Short-Run Effect of Potassium Source on the Soil Characteristics and Growth of Sugar Beet and Maize (pp 99-102)
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Research Note: A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of muriate of potash (MOP) and sulphate of potash (SOP) on the sandy and clay loam soil characteristics and growth parameters of two successive crops, sugar beet and maize. The anions associated with MOP and SOP caused a net addition of salts that likely produced a slight osmotic potential which was neither harmful nor caused any salinity hazards. Root volume and shoot fresh and dry weights of sugar beet plants were greater following the application of MOP at a rate of 196 kg.ha-1 in both soil types while root diameter and root fresh and dry weights were best when SOP at a rate of 240 kg.ha-1 was applied, although differences were not significant. Fresh and dry weights of maize plants grown on sandy soils were also lower than those of plants grown on clay loam soil. However, SOP and 50% SOP+50% MOP (120 kg.ha-1 + 88 kg.ha1-, respectively) produced higher fresh and dry weights than other treatments for maize plants grown on sandy soil. On the other hand, the fresh weight of plants grown on clay loam soil responded better to MOP+SOP (88 kg.ha-1 + 120 kg.ha1-, respectively) and MOP (196 kg.ha-1) treatments. The results clearly show that both sugar beet and maize plants respond differently depending on soil type and potassium source.
Ahmad Dadashpour, Alireza Talaei, Mohammad Ali Asgari-Sarcheshmeh, Ali Shahi-Gharahlar (Iran) Variation of Physicochemical Fruit Characteristics of Different Apple Cultivars in ‘Gutingen V’ as a Training System (pp 103-105)
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Research Note: A V-shape system represents an efficient and popular option to increase yield and fruit quality. Therefore, this study attempts to compare some physicochemical fruit characteristics of five apple cultivars grown in the Karaj area of Iran. The concerned apple cultivars were ‘Golab-Kohanz’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Gala’, ‘Starking’ and ‘Delbar estival’ that were grafted onto M.9 rootstock trained in a V system. All of these trees were planted in winter 2005. ‘Golab-Kohanz’ (Iranian cultivar) had the highest pH (4.85). Also ‘Delbar estival’ had the highest fruit weight (131.30 g), fruit length (5.91 cm), fruit diameter (6.72 cm) and L/D (0.87). In addition, ‘Fuji’ had the highest dry matter (21.71%) and incidence of fruit sunburn (56.92%). ‘Golab-Kohanz’ had the most ash (0.66) and TSS (16.12) levels. In addition, ‘Starking’ had the greatest fruit firmness (13.60 kg cm-2) and titrable acid (0.73). |
