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Variation in growth, production and quality attributes of Physalis species under temperate ecosystem
- Desh Beer Singh, Nazeer Ahmed, Shiv Lal, Anis Mirza, Om Chand Sharma, Arshad Ahmed Pal
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Introduction. Diverse fruit crops with a high value reduce the risk of crop failure and offer alternatives to farmers and the market. The scope of profitable production with such quality crops along with environmental concerns make the evaluation of new species desirable. The aim of our study was to determine the most appropriate species of Physalis for small-scale commercial production in the temperate climate of western Himalayan regions. Materials and methods. Four Physalis species, viz., P. peruviana, P. ixocarpa, P. pruinosa and P. nicandroides, were field-grown during 2010–2011 in the experimental field of the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, India, to determine the most appropriate species of Physalis suitable for a temperate climate. Results and discussion. All the species tested produced vegetative growth, flowered and fruited; however, they differed significantly. The number of basal shoots was found to be maximum for P. pruinosa (6.37), whereas the maximum number of prickles per shoot was recorded as maximum for P. nicandroides (6.48). The number of points of attachment varied significantly with species, and the maximum was recorded for P. pruinosa and P. ixocarpa (7.16 for each); the maximum size of fully developed leaves (146.8 mm) and overall plant height (168.27 cm) were recorded for P. pruinosa. Physalis pruinosa and P. ixocarpa were found to exhibit vigorous growth under a temperate climate. Significant differences were recorded for fruiting, flowering and yield potential among the Physalis species. The minimum days taken for bud burst were reported for P. nicandroides (23.55) and P. ixocarpa (24.41). Similarly, the minimum days taken to reach maturity were reported for P. peruviana (64.96). The maximum number of fruits per plant (260.23), length of fruit (33.83 mm), average fruit weight (37.19 g), husk weight (0.32 g), fruit husk ratio (121.27), maximum fruit firmness (43.96 Relative Index) and yield (9.96 Relative Index) were recorded for P. pruinosa. Significant variation was recorded in quality attributes. The highest total soluble solids were found for P. nicandroides (8.46 °Brix), whereas the minimum total titrable acidity (0.35%) and maximum ascorbic content (38.41 mg·100 g–1) were recorded for P. peruviana. The ‘L’ value of fruits, showing brightness, was recorded as the highest for P. peruviana (58.97), whereas fruits of all the species showed a negative ‘a’ value, indicating that none of them produced redness; however, the ‘b’ value, indicating yellowness, was maximum for P. pruinosa (18.72).
Variability of health and bioactive compounds in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivars grown under an Indian temperate ecosystem
- Shiv Lal, Nazeer Ahmed, Shyam Raj Singh, Desh Beer Singh, Om Chand Sharma, Ramesh Kumar
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Introduction. Strawberry is rich in health as well as bioactive compounds, and benefits resulting from the use of natural products rich in bioactive substances are receiving increased interest from the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Materials and methods. Twenty-two cultivars of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) grown under a temperate ecosystem were screened for ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP assays). The phenolic content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using gallic acid as the standard. Antioxidant activity was determined in terms of DPPH and FRAP assays and expressed as ascorbic acid equivalent. Total anthocyanins and total flavonoid content were determined using a colorimetric method. Titratable acidity (citric acid) was determined by the titration method. The average data of two years was analyzed using SAS 9.2 software. Results and discussion. Significant differences in the health and bioactive compounds were detected among the cultivars. The range of ascorbic acid of the tested samples was (51.03 to 89.40) mg·100 g–1 fresh weight. Titratable acidity varied between 0.73% and 1.44%; however, total anthocyanins ranged between (28.24 and 43.32) mg cyanidin-3-glucoside Eq·100 g–1 fresh weight. Total phenols varied from (380.10 to 888.10) mg gallic acid Eq·100 g–1 and total flavonoids from (31.26 to 55.16) mg catechin Eq·100 g–1. The total antioxidant activity ranged between (203.13 and 471.10) mg ascorbic acid Eq·100 g–1 fresh weight for DPPH, and between (326.06 and 701.13) mg ascorbic acid Eq·100 g–1 fresh weight for FRAP. Total phenols, DPPH and FRAP showed close association; however, PCA clearly categorized the selected cultivars into two broad groups. All of the diverse cultivars were clustered into two clusters which could be exploited for future qualitative breeding programs based on average cluster distance and can act as gene sources for making health foods. Conclusion. The importance of our findings would be significant for farmers, breeders, consumers and industries concerning food quality, disease prevention and healthcare.
Influence of pruning intensity on light penetration and leaf physiology in high-density orchards of mango trees
- Ram Roshan Sharma, Room Singh, Desh Beer Singh
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Introduction. High–density orchards of ‘Amrapali’ mango trees become overcrowded and show progressive decline in yield after 14–15 years of planting; hence, trees require pruning for sustainable production. Reduction in yield in such orchards is due to poor light interception and a low photosynthetic rate, which influence vegetative growth, flower initiation, fruit set and, thereby, the fruit yield. Hence, to help design a tree canopy for optimum plant growth and yield, we studied the effect of pruning on light interception and on different leaf physiological parameters of ‘Amrapali’ mango trees under high density. Materials and methods. Sixteen-year-old trees of an ‘Amrapali’ mango high-density orchard were subjected to tipping and light, moderate and heavy pruning; un-pruned trees were used as control. The available photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) and leaf physiological parameters such as rate of photosynthesis, specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content were measured in pruned and un-pruned tree canopies, following standard procedures. Results and discussion. The percent available PPF was greater in all pruned tree canopies than in un-pruned tree canopies; this could be due to tree openness caused by pruning. The light interception was lower at the lowest height of the tree canopy, probably because the center of the tree canopy was partially blocked by new growth or criss-cross branches. The rate of photosynthesis was greater in leaves that developed in pruned tree canopies than in those developed in un-pruned tree canopies, although there was no difference in SLW; this could be due to better light interception in pruned trees. In contrast, total leaf chlorophyll content was the highest in leaves that developed in un-pruned and tipped tree canopies; this may be due to increased shade owing to overlapping or crowding of tree canopies in these trees, indicating that mango leaves that developed in shade appeared to be more physiologically efficient at synthesizing chlorophyll than leaves that grew in the sun or on the sunny side. Conclusions. The studies indicated that pruning ‘Amrapali’ mango trees by removing about 10–15 cm of the top from old branches improves light penetration, which influences the leaf physiology considerably. Hence, it would be useful for designing high-density ‘Amrapali’ mango orchards to maximize productivity, although it requires additional studies to recommend a particular pruning intensity.