The Yield and Diseases-Pest Performance of Breeding Materials for Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) Sourced from Different Exotic Sources

A study was conducted with 36 tomato germplasm [PGRC (19), The Netherlands (7), Japan (2), and Bangladesh (9)] with 3 check varieties in the research field of the Olericulture Division of Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur during the winter season of 2022-23 to identify promising tomato breeding germplasm. All the germplasm showed differences in most of the parameters studied. Considerable variation was observed for fruit yield per hectare varied from 39 to 144 tons, while the highest fruit yield per hectare was harvested from the germplasm viz., BD 7759B, BD 7757, BD 7751, BD 7301, QM, BD 7759A, BD 7762, QF, BD 7753, BD 8886, BD 10351, NL-1A, SLA-19. The number of locules, total soluble solids (TSS) and plant height at last harvest varied from 2 to 6.6, 2.6 to 5.9%, and 66 to 154cm, respectively. The TYLCV infection (%) and leaf-sucking pest infestation (%) were observed with a 1 to 20% range in the field condition in both cases. So, we can select that germplasm has zero per cent infestation. Considering the plant growth habit, earliness, different yield contributing horticultural traits, virus and pest infestation thirteen germplasm viz., BD 7759B, BD 7757, BD 7751, BD 7301, QM, BD 7759A, BD 7762, QF, BD 7753, BD 8886, BD 10351, NL-1A, SLA-19 were selected as breeding materials for further tomato improvement program.

Effects of planting dates and shading on carbohydrate content,yield,and fiber quality in cotton with respect to fruiting positions

Two cotton（Gossypium hirsutum L.） cultivars, Kemian 1（cool temperature-tolerant） and Sumian 15（cool temperaturesensitive） were used to study the effects of cool temperature on carbohydrates, yield, and fiber quality in cotton bolls located at different fruiting positions（FP）. Cool temperatures were created using late planting and low light. The experiment was conducted in 2010 and 2011 using two planting dates（OPD, the optimized planting date, 25 April; LPD, the late planting date, 10 June） and two shading levels of crop relative light rate（CRLR, 100 and 60%）. Compared with fruiting position 1（FP1）, cotton yield and yield components（fiber quality, leaf sucrose and starch content, and fiber cellulose） were all decreased on FP3 under all treatments. Compared with OPD-CRLR 100%, other treatments（OPD-CRLR 60%, LPD-CRLR 100%, and LPD-CRLR 60%） had significantly decreased lint yield at both FPs of both cultivars, but especially at FP3 and in Sumian 15; this decrease was mainly caused by a large decline in boll number. All fiber quality indices decreased under late planting and shading except fiber length at FP1 with OPD-CRLR 60%, and a greater reduction was observed at FP3 and in Sumian 15. Sucrose content of the subtending leaf and fiber increased under LPD compared to OPD, whereas it decreased under CRLR 60% compared to CRLR 100%, which led to decreased fiber cellulose content. Therefore, shading primarily decreased the ＂source＂ sucrose content in the subtending leaf whereas late planting diminished translocation of sucrose towards cotton fiber. Notably, as planting date was delayed and light was decreased, more carbohydrates were distributed to leaf and bolls at FP1 than those at FP3, resulting in higher yield and better fiber quality at FP1, and a higher proportion of bolls and carbohydrates allocated at FP3 of Kemian 1 compared to that of Sumian 15. In conclusion, cotton yield and fiber quality were reduced less at FP1 compared to those at FP3 under low temperature and low light conditions. Thus, reduced cotton yield and fiber quality loss can be minimized by selecting low temperature tolerant cultivars under both low temperature and light conditions.

Drip fertigation and plant hedgerows significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses and maintain high fruit yields in intensive orchards

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff losses in intensive pear orchards in the Tai Lake Basin.Nitrogen and phosphorus runoff over a whole year were measured by using successional runoff water collection devices.The four experimental treatments were conventional fertilization(CK),drip fertigation(DF),conventional fertilization combined with plant hedgerows(C+H),and drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows(D+H).The results from one year of continuous monitoring showed a significant positive correlation between precipitation and surface runoff discharge.Surface runoff discharge under the treatments without plant hedgerows totaled 15.86%of precipitation,while surface runoff discharge under the treatments with plant hedgerows totaled 12.82%of precipitation.Plant hedgerows reduced the number of runoff events and the amount of surface runoff.Precipitation is the main driving force for the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface runoff,and fertilization is an important factor affecting the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus.In CK,approximately 7.36%of nitrogen and 2.63%of phosphorus from fertilization entered the surface water through runoff.Drip fertigation reduced the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the surface soil and lowered the runoff loss concentrations of total nitrogen(TN)and total phosphorus(TP).Drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows significantly reduced the overall TN and TP losses by 45.38 and 36.81%,respectively,in comparison to the CK totals.Drip fertigation increased the vertical migration depth of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients and reduced the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the surface soil,which increased the pear yield.The promotion of drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows will greatly reduce the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus to runoff and maintain the high fruit yields in the intensive orchards of the Tai Lake Basin.

Water and nutrient management effects on water use and yield of drip irrigated citrus in vertisol under a sub-humid region

Scarcity of water and nutrients in orchards are the major causes of low productivity and decline of citrus in tropics. With a hypothesis that the optimal amount of water and nutrients application through drip irrigation （DI） could save substantial irrigation and fertilizers comparative to that under traditional basin irrigation （BI） with band placement of fertilizer （BPF）, this study was conducted in citrus in vertisol of central India. Three DI regimes： I1, I2 and I3 scheduled at 50% class-A pan evaporation rate （Ep）, 75% Ep, and 100% Ep atong with three fertilizer doses： F1, F2 and F3 at 50% recommended dose of fertilizer （RDF, N：P2Os：K20=600 g：200 g：100 g）, 75% of RDF and 100% of RDF were applied to mandai＇in plants respectively. BI with band placement of fertilizer （BPF） at 100% RDF was taken for comparison. All the drip-fertigation treatments （except I1F1） produced higher plant growth and fruit yield, with better quality fruits compared with BI＋BPF. The highest fruit yield （16.39t ha^-1）, water use efficiency （3.9 kg m^-3） and fertilizer use efficiency （87.3 kg kg^-1） were observed in I2F2. The concentrations of N, K and Fe in leaves were significantly higher in I2F2 compared to other treatments. The leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance （G） and transpiration were the highest in I3F3. However, leaf water use efficiency （LWUE, photosynthesis/transpiration） was the highest in I2F2. The overall results of this study demonstrated that the application of optimum quantity of water and fertilizers （I2F2） through DI could be a productive and water efficient option in citrus production in vertisol.

Predicting Pepper Fruit Yield Based on Temperature and Solar Radiation

Two separate experiments were conducted in bell pepper （Capsicum annum L.） in order to evaluate the effects of temperature and radiation on fruit yield. The results of the temperature experiment were integrated into the radiation experiment to give an overall empirical model for potential pepper fruit yield grown in greenhouse. In the temperature experiment, pepper plants were planted during the summer time of Israel in the Arava region in a commercial, one hectare greenhouse, equipped with a cooling wet-mat system. Eleven plots were assigned along the 80 m down the row from the wet mat. Air seasonal temperatures were affected by the distance from the wet-mat and linearly increased at the rate of 0.036 ℃/m, while relative humidity was not affected. Fruit yield dropped from 19.4 kg/m at a distance of 20 m, to 13.1 kg/m2 at 80 m away from the wet-mat, respectively. Yield regression decreased linearly with increased temperature at -11%/℃. In the radiation experiment, during the summer time of Israel in the Western Negev region, three sweet pepper varieties were grown under six radiation treatments, which accumulated to the following relative global radiation fractions （lint/lout）： 0.72, 0.61, 0.46, 0.38, 0.32 and 0.21 from outside radiation. The three varieties did not differ in their response to radiation. The seasonal temperature normalized yield response to radiation quantity at 21 ℃ （Y21） yielded a linear regression formula with a slope of 7.6 × 10^-3 kg/m^2/MJ. The multiplicative model of temperature and radiation on fruit yield was found to predict well the potential fruit yield for various locations and seasons in Israel.

Evaluation of Tomato Lines against Septoria Leaf Spot under Field Conditions and Its Effect on Fruit Yield

Field studies were conducted at Hazara Agriculture Research Station, Abbottabad to evaluate thirteen AVRDC lines along with one commercial check (Roma) for potential of fruit yield against septoria leaf spot during summer season 2014. The disease established itself by natural infection and disease severity was estimated with the help of 0 - 5 disease rating scale after 15 days interval from the onset of symptoms. The lines showed significant difference in % septoria leaf spot infection. The disease severity % increased up to 100% in line AVTO1314 whereas the lowest % severity was recorded in AVTO1173 which showed the highest yield (468.1 g) with average fruit weight 122.22 g while the significantly lowest mean yield/plant (35.05 g) was calculated in line AVTO1314 with fruit weight 47.92 g. It was concluded that the line AVTO1173 could be useful in genetic programs for incorporating resistant genes in local tomato germplasm against septoria leaf spot disease.

Pre-Breeding Genetic Diversity Assessment of Tomato(Solanum lycopersicum L.)Cultivars Based on Molecular,Morphological and Physicochemical Parameters

Appropriate knowledge of the parental cultivars is a pre-requisite for a successful breeding program.This study characterized fruit yield,quality attributes,and molecular variations of ten tomato cultivars during three consecutive generations under greenhouse conditions.Peto 86,Castle Rock,and Red Star cultivars showed the highest fruit yield(kg/plant),total phenolic compounds(TPC),and sap acidity.Principal component analysis categorized the evaluated fruit yield into three groups based on their quality attributes.A robust positive correlation appeared among traits inside each group.A positive correlation was likewise noticed between the first and the second groups.However,a negative correlation was detected between the first,the second and the third group.Molecular profiling,using seven inter-simple sequence repeat(ISSR)primers,produced 60 loci,including 49 polymorphic loci.The molecular analysis also pinpointed the highest genetic similarity(0.92)between P73 and Moneymaker,while the lowest genetic similarity(0.46)was observed between Castle Rock and Moneymaker.The cultivars P73 and Moneymaker showed the lowest genetic distance(2.24),while the highest genetic distance(5.92)was observed between Super Marmand and Peto86,on the one hand,and between Castle Rock and Moneymaker,on the other hand.The chemical analysis of fruit sap indicated the highest levels of TPC,total flavonoids,anthocyanin,ascorbic acid and total soluble solids in Peto 86 and Castle Rock cultivars.Phylogeny analysis of tomato cultivars based on morphological and molecular attributes indicated four distinct clades.Peto 86,Castle Rock,and Red star cultivars can be recommended for the tomato hybridization breeding programs in the future,with other tomato cultivars as potentially high-yielding parents.

The Effects of Water and Fertilizer Coupling on Plant and Soil Nitrogen Characteristics and Fruit Growth of Rabbiteye Blueberry Plants in a Semi-Arid Region in China

To evaluate the effects of nitrogen(N)and irrigation coupling on the soil N distribution,plant N utilization,and fruit yield of rabbiteye blueberries(Vaccinium virgatum),a field experiment was designed using two factors(water and fertilizer application)with four levels of irrigation and three levels of fertilization,and a control.Under the different water and fertilizer combinations,N primarily accumulated in the leaves.Irrigation and N application within appropriate ranges(pure N≤29 g/plant and irrigation volume≤2.5 L/plant)significantly improved the blueberry fruit yield.Increases in water and N within these ranges promoted the effective accumulation of N in various organs and the absorption and utilization of N in the plants,which ultimately promoted blueberry yield.With increased N application rate,the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm and 20–50 cm soil layers increased.With increased irrigation volume,the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased,while the nitrate content in the 20–50 cm soil layer increased.Low N and moderate water treatments resulted in high fruit yields and reduced nitrate N retention in the soil.Under these conditions,the economic input-output ratio was high and the soil N accumulation was low,and thus the economic and ecological benefits were maximized.

Alternate Furrow Irrigation: A Practical Way to Improve Grape Quality and Water Use Efficiency in Arid Northwest China

Field experiments were conducted for two years to investigate the benefits of alternate furrow irrigation on fruit yield, quality and water use efficiency of grape （Vitis vinifera L. cv. Rizamat） in the arid region of Northwest China. Two irrigation treatments were included, i.e., conventional furrow irrigation （CFI, two root-zones were simultaneously irrigated during the consecutive irrigation） and alternate partial root-zone furrow irrigation （AFI, two root-zones were alternatively irrigated during the consecutive irrigation）. Results indicate that AFI maintained similar photosynthetic rate （Pn） but with a reduced transpiration rate when compared to CFI. As a consequence, AFI improved water use efficiency based on evapotranspiration （WUEEr, fruit yield over water consumed） and irrigation （WUE~, fruit yield over water irrigated） by 30.0 and 34.5%, respectively in 2005, and by 12.7 and 17.7%, respectively in 2006. AFI also increased the edible percentage of berry by 2.91-4.79% significantly in both years. Vitamin C （Vc） content content of berry was increased by 25.6-37.5%, and tritrated acidity （TA） was reduced by 9.5-18.1% in AFI. This resulted in an increased total soluble solid content （TSS） to TA ratio （TSS/TA） by 11.5-16.7% when compared to CFI in both years. Our results indicate that alternate furrow irrigation is a practical way to improve grape fruit quality and water use efficiency for irrigated crops in arid areas.

Reducing nitrogen fertilization of intensive kiwifruit orchards decreases nitrate accumulation in soil without compromising crop production

Excessive nitrogen （N） fertilization of high value horticultural crops is a common problem that not only increases the cost to farmers, but also negatively affects crop growth and the environment. A three-year field experiment was conducted in an intensive kiwifruit orchard in Shaanxi Province, China to compare the effects of reduced N fertilization applied as urea （U）, and controlled release urea （CRU） on the N nutrition of kiwi vines, fruit yield and quality, and nitrate-N accumulation in the soil profile. The three treatments included a conventional N application rate （CF-U, 900 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as urea）, two reduced N fertilization treatments where the amount of N fertilizer applied as U and CRU was reduced by 25％ in 2013 and 2014, and by 45％ in 2015. The 25 and 45％ reduced N treatments had no adverse effects on the N concentrations in leaves and pruning branches and the fruit yield and quality of kiwi vines. However, they significantly enhanced the partial factor productivity of applied N （PFPN） and the economic benefits, and reduced nitrate accumulation in the 0-200 cm soil profile. The same benefits of reduced N fertilization were observed for both the U and CRU treatments, but the CRU treatment had the added benefit of decreasing the loss of nitrate through leaching. We concluded that the current level of N fertilization in kiwi orchards is very excessive, and reducing the N fertilizer rate by 25-45％ could not only guarantee fruit yield, but also reduce N accumulation and loss.

Overexpression of the MADS-box gene SIMBP21 alters leaf morphology and affects reproductive development in tomato

Fruit yield is the most important horticultural trait of tomato.SIMBP21,a SEPALLATA subclass MADS-box gene has been reported to have functions in regulating pedicel abscission zone identity and development and controlling sepal size in tomato.However,we generated transgenic tomato plants which overexpress SIMBP21 and found the transformants displayed curly leaves,abnormally shaped flowers with twisted and opened stamens,reduced yield parameters,and small and light seeds.Our studies on the gain-of-function phenotype and gene expression level showed that its novel aspects played important roles in determining leaf morphology,flower and inflorescence architecture,and seed size,as well as the fruit yield.Overexpression of SIMBP21 in tomato resulted in curly leaves with fewer leaflets due to the regulation of the critical leaf polarity genes that cause an imbalance between the midvein adaxial-abaxial cell growth.Defects in the architecture of flowers and inflorescences resulted in reduced fruit set.Furthermore,we demonstrated that SIMBP21 plays its role through inhibiting the expression of the genes involved in the determination of seed development in tomato and SIMBP21 protein can interact with other MADS-box protein(SIAGL11,TAGL1 and SIMBP3)to control seed size.Thus,these results suggest that overexpression of SIMBP21 causes multiple types of damage to plant growth and development,especially fruit yield,in tomato.

Adjusting the nutrient solution formula based on growth stages to promote the yield and quality of strawberry in greenhouse

To optimize the nutrient supply of strawberry,fertilization was reduced as much as possible on the premise of satisfying the elements needed for strawberry growth.This study put forward a modified nutrient solution formula(NM)by adjusting the ratios of N/K,K/Ca,NO_(3)^(-)-N/NH_(4)^(+)-N in vegetative growth,flowering and fruiting,and fruit expanding stages based on Yamasaki strawberry nutrient solution formula(NY).Taking the NY as the control group,the NM was verified with elevated-grown‘Ssanta’strawberry using three different substrates(Vulcanics-added substrate,Horticultural substrate,Comme rcial substrate)in greenhouse.The results indicated that under the NM treatment,strawberry plants had better photosynthesis in the vegetative growth stage and flowering and fruiting stage,and the first crop yield and total crops yield per plant also increased by 20%.Although the vegetative growth stage was longer,it entered the full fruiting stage earlier so that the maturity stage was advanced one week.Compared to strawberries grown in horticultural substrate irrigated with NY,the fruit yield per plant of‘Ssanta’strawberry grown in horticultural substrate irrigated with NM increased by 26%,and the sugar-acid ratio and vitamin C content of primary fruits reached 10.6 and 74.1 mg/100g,improving by 41%and 34%respectively.The NM based on the growth stage can optimize the element needs of strawberry in all growth and development stages and maintain the substrate’s pH stability,improving the yield and quality of‘Ssanta’strawberry under substrate cultivation.Therefore,it is recommended to use the horticultural substrate irrigated with the modified nutrient solution for the‘Ssanta’strawberries cultivation elevated in greenhouse to improve the economic benefit of strawberry cultivation.

Effects of biofertilizer and water-saving irrigation interactions on the leaf photosynthesis and plant growth of tomatoes

Irrigation and fertilizer interaction is an efficient cultivation management strategy for facility agriculture.However,the effects of irrigation and fertilizer management on tomato growth and its physiological factors remain unclarified.In this study,two irrigation patterns(W1,conventional irrigation;W2,water-saving irrigation)and four fertilizer application patterns(CF,chemical fertilizer;BOF,biological organic fertilizer;NPK,nutrient compound fertilizer;BOF+NPK)were selected to observe the effects of their interaction on cherry tomato plant growth,leaf photosynthesis and fruit quality through pot experiments.The results showed that W2 treatments promoted plant height growth compared to W1 under the same fertilizer addition.Moreover,irrigation and fertilizer management had significant effects on net photosynthetic rate,intercellular oxidation concentration,stomatal conductance and transpiration rate at the first sequence flowering and fruiting stages.The maximum tomato plant height(99.0 cm)was achieved under the irrigation and fertilizer pattern of BOF and W2,along with the highest fruit yield of 1.98 kg/plant,which was approximately 31.1%higher than the minimum yield under the combined CF and W2 treatment.Under W2 treatments,the application of either NPK or BOF increased the soluble sugar content of tomatoes.The structural equation models showed that the soil alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen could directly significantly affect the yield and soluble sugar.The findings suggest that optimization of irrigation-fertilizer interactions positively regulates tomato growth,providing an efficient model for tomato irrigation and fertilizer management and a reference for sustainable development of facility agriculture.

Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Wastewater Sludge Biochar on Growth,Yield and Metal Bioaccumulation of Cherry Tomato

To investigate the potential effects of wastewater sludge and sludge biochar on growth, yield and metal bioaccumulation of cherry tomato （Lycopersicon esculentum L.）, a pot experiment was carried out under greenhouse environment with three different treatments, control soil （CP）, soil with wastewater sludge （SS） and soil with sludge biochar （SB）, to reveal the comparative effect between the amendments of wastewater sludge and sludge biochar. The soil used for pot experiment was Chromosol. Wastewater sludge and sludge biochax produced through pyrolysis process at 550 ℃ were applied at 10 t ha-1. No significant difference was found in growth and production of cherry tomatoes between wastewater sludge and sludge biochar applications to the soil. The accumulation rates of metals in the fruits were lower in the treatment with sludge biochar than in the treatment with wastewater sludge. The study highlights the benefits of risk mitigation from toxic metal accumulation in fruits using wastewater sludge and sludge biochar as soil conditioners.

YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF ALMOND,PEACH AND PLUM UNDER REGULATED DEFICIT IRRIGATION

The effects of regulated deficit irrigation(RDI)on the performance of almond cv.Tuono,peach cv.JH-Hall and plum cv.Stanley were assessed on the Saiss Plain(NW,Morocco)over three consecutive growing seasons(2011–2013).Irrigation treatments consisted of a control,irrigation applied to fully satisfy crop water requirements(100%ETC),and two RDI treatments,irrigation applied to 75%ETC(RDI-75)and 50%ETC(RDI-50).These three treatments were applied during fruitgrowth slowdown periods corresponding to Stages II and III in almond and Stage II in peach and plum.Yield and fruit quality traits were determined.The effect of RDI differed between species.Yield and fruit size were reduced significantly only in peach under RDI-50.Fruit quality improved in this species in the first year of the experiment,with an increase of sugar/acid ratio and polyphenol content.Plum quality also improved but the effects were significant only in the second and third years.Similar results were recorded in almond kernel,but their epidermal grooves were deeper under RDI-50,and this may have affected their commercial value.It is concluded that water can be saved during the fruitgrowth slowdown period by up to 25%in peach and 50%in almond and plum with improvements in fruit quality without affecting total yield.

Spring Bud Project Yields Fruit

The forty-five students of the "Spring Bud" class of Dalangtang Primary School, Miao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, finished their primary school education and graduated with excellent marks. These Miao and Yao ethnic girls, who had previously dropped out of school, were funded by the "Spring Bud Project" to continue their education several years ago. Seven girls have won the second and third prizes in the Liuzhou prefectural math contest, and three girls have won third and consolation prizes in the essay contest of soliciting of contributions with rewards for the subject of "Spring Bud Project and Me."