Analysis on the Main Botanical Characters of 41 Cucurbita moschata Varieties

In order to scientifically evaluate the values of Cucurbita moschata cultivars, main botanical characters including the initial flowering date, the first fruiting node, fruit length, fruit stem length, stem diameter, internode length, the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the largest leaf, single fruit weight, flesh thickness and soluble solid content of 41 cultivars were measured for conducting diversity, correlation and cluster analysis. The results revealed that the pumpkin cultivars showed large variations in fruit stem length, single fruit weight, fruit length and flesh thickness, but small variations in initial flowering date. Significant, even highly significant correlations were found among the tested traits. Cluster analysis demonstrated that the 41 old Cucurbita moschata cultivars were divided into three groups, of which multiple traits of Group 1 were better than those in the other two groups. High similarities existed in three groups and the cultivars in each group. This research provided basis for selecting excellent traits and parents for the breeding of hybrids.

The Evaluation Criteria of Some Botanical Quantitative Characters of Peach Genetic Resources

There were two peach descriptors systems： one from IPRGI in 1980 and the other from China in 1990. The former had only reference cultivars without quantity grades; the latter had only a list of some eharacteristics. This makes it difficult sharing of genetic resource information for breeders. To describe the main quantitative characteristics, a new system was established. Ten characteristics of 346-476 peach cultivars were investigated from 1986 to 2002 in the National Peach Genetic Collection in Zhengzhou City, China. These characteristics and their coefficients of variation were as follows： flower diameter 19.55%, vertical diameter of fruit 14.24%, cheek diameter of fruit 10.36%, suture diameter of fruit 11.44%, stone length 19.04%, stone width 10.86%, stone thickness 11.19%, leaf length 7.9%, leaf width 10.55%, and leaf stalk length 19.03%, respectively. Grade index and reference cultivars were given by statistical data for peach description. These grade indexes were recorded on 1-5 grades, and the third grade as a middle one occupied 39% or more of the distribution. In general, two reference cultivars for each grade were chosen, one is USA cultivar and the other is Chinese cultivar. This paper tried to use them as the reference cultivars, which are planted or used widely by Chinese breeders.

Botanical Aspects,Caffeine Content and Antioxidant Activity of Coffea arabica

Brazil is the largest coffee exporter in the world. In addition, it occupies the second position, among the consuming countries of the drink. To investigate the chemical composition and quality of the coffee drink from Coffea arabica species, samples grown in the city of Ourinhos, the third most productive region in the state of Sao Paulo, a study of its properties and characteristics was conducted. The pharmacobotanical characteristics were investigated performed according to usual techniques in these researches through macroscopic and microscopic studies through cross-sections. The oil obtained for analysis was extracted by soxhlet, and the caffeine content was measured for green grains using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) using as stationary phase, column C18 and gradient mobile phase formed by 80% water and 20% methanol. The concentration obtained was 44.983 ± 0.86 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity was measured in triplicate through the DPPH test of the in natura coffee oil, and presented antioxidant action of EC50 25.89 ± 1.16 μg/mL.

Comparison of Spring Radish Varieties with Entire Leaves

[Objectives]This study was conducted to select spring radish varieties with better growth,higher yield and better nutrition.[Methods]A new spring radish combination(2019MUA×Lixiang)was obtained through traditional hybridization methods,and various characters of this line were compared with its parents and commercial spring radish.The radish varieties such as Lixiang radish,2019MUA×Lixiang,2019MUA,commercial variety Zhongluo No.1 and Huangzhou radish were respectively compared and studied in detail in terms of botanical characters,entire leaf bolting ratios,nutritional physiological indexes and so on.[Results]The new radish combination 2019MUA×Lixiang has better indexes,and is more suitable for spring planting.[Conclusions]The study provides a reference basis for the selection on radish planted in Spring.