International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Winter 2022

To investigate effects of salinity stress on growth, nutrient status, chlorophyll and water consumption, four different saline irrigation waters (S0= 0.3 dS/m-1 control, S1=1.5 dS/m-1, S2=3 dS/m-1, S3=5 dS/m-1) were applied to two-year Chandler saplings which were grafted on Juglans nigra L. (JN), Paradox (PR) and Juglans sieoboldiana L. (JS) walnut rootstocks. Three different salts including NaCl, MgSO4, and CaCl2 were used to prepare saline irrigations. Shoot length change rate (%) was varied between 77.57 (JN) to 81.83 (PR) for S0 salinity treatments and between 55.60 (JS) to 56.84 (PR) for S3 treatments. The plant diameter change rate (%) varied between 75.10 (JN) to 99.22 (PR) for S0 treatments and 60.63 (JN) to 80.97 (PR) for S3 treatments. Average of root length (cm) was between 30.75 cm (JN) to 37.50 cm (PR) for S0 treatments, and 8.91 cm (JN) to 21.50 cm (PR) for S3. Number of roots changed between 19.00 (JS) to 22.16 (PR) for S0 treatments and between 6.41 (JN) and 8.08 (PR) for S3 treatments. Sodium (Na) content (%) in S3 was 1.41, 1.97 and 3.41 in JN, PR, and JS, respectively. Chloride (Cl-) content (ppm) for S3 was 0.88, 0.99 and 0.91 in JN, PR, and JS, respectively. Ca/Na ratios of 0.43, 0.27 and 0.14 and K/Na ratios of 0.24, 0.12 and 0.10 were detected in JN, PR, and JS, respectively. Depending on leaf Na+, Cl- and K contents, K/Na and Ca/Na ratios, the ranking of salinity tolerance of rootstocks were determined as JN˃ PR ˃ JS.

Currently, the use of chemicals is reduced due to environmental problems and their negative impacts on human health. Besides, their use has been prohibited in some cases. Postharvest decay caused by fungal pathogens is one of the most important challenges facing the fresh citrus industry. So, the use of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) at the concentrations of 0, 33, 50, and 100% were used to reduce decay and maintain the postharvest qualitative characteristics of mandarin fruit. After treatment with PPE, the fruits were stored for 20 days. Traits such as weight loss, decay percentage, total soluble solids, total acidity, fruit firmness, color index, and sensory evaluation were investigated every five days. The lowest weight-loss percentage (14.71 %) was obtained for the fruits treated with 100% PPE as compared with the untreated fruits (42.28%). The fruits treated with PPE maintained firmness compared with the untreated fruits. The fruits treated with PPE showed the lowest acidity reduction at the end of the storage period. At the end of the storage period, the fruits treated with 100% PPE and the untreated fruits showed the lowest and highest fruit decay (16.3% and 39.6%), respectively. The results showed that the application of PPE increased the overall acceptance of panelists from the treated samples. By increasing the concentrations of PPE to 100%, all sensory parameters were improved and could gain a better acceptance by panelists. The highest level of utility and final acceptance in pomegranate peel-treated fruits were obtained at 100%. The untreated fruits showed a lower overall acceptance rate. The findings showed that the postharvest application of PPE improved the qualitative characteristics and sensory properties, so it is recommended to use 100% PPE to reduce the decay and extend the postharvest storage of mandarin.

Eggplant has high variation in the world and there are many landraces of the eggplant in Iran. In the previous studies, five landraces of Minab’s eggplant have been collected from the main production regions with the aim to select the pure lines, consequently 15 superior genotypes were selected from these landraces and their stability and compatibility were analyzed. In the present study, 15 eggplant genotypes together with two superior mother landraces were studied for the two successive years in the three regions of Iran including Minab, Karaj, and Jiroft. Based on the results of the means comparison of yield in the studied lines in each region from average of two years, GHE12 line in Minab region, SA13 line in Jiroft region, and AM4, SA15, and SA5 lines in Karaj region had acceptable yield than the other studied lines. According to the results of general compatibility and stability analysis, the three genotypes of Y7, AM7 and SA15 were recognized as the most stable genotypes with having the least interaction; therefore, they categorized as the first ranking of stability. According to the results of special compatibility and stability analysis, AM7, Y7 and GHE12 lines for Minab region; AM5 and SA5 lines for Jiroft region and SA5 and AM4 lines for the Karaj region can be recommended.

Fruit blankness is an important problem of pistachio cultivation, which results from many reasons. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of soil texture, irrigation interval, and cultivar on nut quality and blankness of pistachio. The treatments included soil texture (light and heavy), irrigation intervals (24 and 48 days), cultivar (Kaleghoochi and Ahmadaghaei), and their interactions were studied. Measured traits were flower and small fruit abscission rate, nut weight, blank and semi-blank fruit percentage, splitting percentage, and ounce. Symptoms of fruit blankness were determined by anatomical study of blank fruits. Results showed that a 48-day irrigation interval produced nuts with higher quality, lower blankness percentage, higher weight and size, and higher number of split ones than the other treatments. It is assumed that plants produce more fruits by sufficient water supply, thus the competition for photosynthetic products results in smaller, lower-weight seeds. Light soil was more suitable regarding nut qualities, but flower and small fruit abscission rates were higher in light soil probably because of temperature fluctuations in this soil. Anatomical studies showed that blankness could result from a lack of fertilization (parthenocarpy) or embryo abortion (stenospermocarpy). Parthenocarpy mostly occurred in the more sensitive cultivar, Kaleghoochi, while the more tolerant cultivar, Ahmadaghaei, mostly had stenospermocarpic blank fruits. It was also determined that embryo abortion could occur at different stages of development.

Soil salinity is one of the critical challenges for development of culture area of agricultural crops. In the present study a pot experiment was conducted in factorial based on completely randomized design aimed to investigate the impact of exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA 0, 0.75 and 1.5 mM) and calcium chloride (CaCl2 0, 50 and 100 mM), solely or in combination, on plant growth, photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll (Chl), carotenoids, anthocyanin), and some metabolic parameters (reducing sugars, proline, lipid peroxidation and scavenging ability on DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical) of red bean exposed to salt stress (0, 25 and 75 mM NaCl). Results showed that exogenous application of SA or calcium (Ca) alone improved plant performance under NaCl stress. Growth slowed down under salinity. Malondialdehyde (MDA), DPPH radical, anthocyanin, and proline content were increased under salinity stress. However, application of SA and Ca enhanced the growth parameters, improved the Chl, carotenoids, and reducing sugars content, and significantly reduced MDA and DPPH radical in plants. Therefore, induced tolerance to salinity as the result of SA and Ca application may be related to the regulation of antioxidative responses. Furthermore, the beneficial effect of SA and Ca were achieved by applications of 0.75 mM SA and 50 mM CaCl2, which are recommended to improve red bean performance under saline conditions. In conclusion, exogenous application of SA and Ca improved salinity stress tolerance through the regulation of antioxidant system.

Global warming and the COVID 19 pandemic have imposed a devastating effect on life all over the world. Agriculture faces daunting challenges in the coming decades due to these two issues. The aim of this review paper is to provide pertinent information on mulberry to justify its use in building the resilience of smallholder farmers in the phase of climate change and COVID 19 pandemic. Agricultural production has been constrained by lack of sensitization about crops that could be incorporated for the dual purpose of mitigating the effects of both climate change and COVID 19. Although mulberry has a multiplicity of uses, information on its suitability for climate change mitigation and its nutraceutical potential especially during the times of COVID 19 has not been documented. In this paper the suitability of mulberry in climate change mitigation is also discussed. The paper concludes' that the resilience of mulberry against drought, its multipurpose nature as food, its medicinal properties and the extent of its effect on the environment gives  it priority as a plant that could be incorporated into the farming system as a cushion against the effects of climate change on the conventional crops. Mulberry is therefore a plant that is suitable for building the resilience of smallholder farmers against climate change and COVID 19 pandemic.

Hot air treatment has been applied on a wide range of horticultural crops to control postharvest decay and to maintain quality characteristics. To evaluate the effect of hot air treatment on physio-chemical properties of pomegranate arils, an experiment was carried out in a factorial experiment using a completely randomized design with four replications in 2015. About 200 g of ‘‘Rabab-e-Neyriz’’ pomegranate arils were placed in 350 mg polypropylene boxes with three holes on top for ventilation. Boxes were heated at 35 °C, 40 °C and 45 °C and 80% relative humidity for 30, 60, and 120 min in oven. After being cooled at an ambient temperature, boxes were stored at 5 °C (RH= 70-80%) for 15 days. The scored results of decay assay showed that heated “Rabab” arils at 35 °C till 45 °C decayed lesser than those untreated during storage period. Hot air temperature at 45 °C for 120 min resulted in the highest weight loss at the end of storage period. The highest total soluble solids content was belonged to the arils heated at 45 °C for 30 min. Hot air treatments increased pH and TSS/TA ratio of aril juice. Hot air temperature treatment decreased antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds and total anthocyanin of arils during storage period, whilst hot air treatment had no significant effect on color values. Generally, the application of mild heat treatments could be considered as a non-contaminant postharvest tool to maintain functional and nutritive properties of arils during postharvest storage.

Understanding genetic diversity and germplasm classification are the keys for selection of right parents for breeding purposes. In the present study, the genetic diversity and classification of 45 Iranian and 15 foreign melons were evaluated. A greenhouse experiment was laid out as a randomized completely block design with three replications and five plants in each replicates. Fruit number had a positive correlation with female flower numbers, fruit number, and fruit yield. The fruit number, however, correlated negatively with the leaf area. Genotypes with monoicous flowering habit produced female flowers in lower nodes and formed longer fruit. The number of the female flower, fruit number, yield, high total soluble solids (TSS), leaf area, the first node of female appearance, and flesh firmness were amongst the high weighted and more coefficient in the component analysis. For the breeding purpose, all accessions of cluster 4 were andromonoecious and obtained high TSS, leaf area, and flesh firmness. From the first three clusters, 11 accessions were monoecious, which belonged to TN-93-5, TN 92100, TN 921071, TN 922025 (Cluster1), FLTM 27, and FLTM35 (Cluster2), TN921026, TN-94-21, TN- 94-44, TN-94-28, and TN-94-3 (Cluster3). The characteristic of cluster 3 included melons with high female flower and fruit number and fewer number of the first node of female flower. In conclusion, good genetic resources and foreign types for selection are available for improving the breeding of melons based on the evaluated traits.

In recent years, sulfur has been shown to be effective in controlling pistachio psylla. In this study, the effect of sulfur foliar application as psylla pesticide on fresh fruit and kernel of three cultivars of pistachio was determined and compared with two commercial pesticides. Refinery micronized and mineral sulfur were applied at two concentrations of 30 and 60 kg/1000 L of water. The quality of fresh pistachio hulls and kernels were investigated. In ‘Fandoghi’ cultivar, all sulfur treatments reduced the kernel moisture. The firmness and water activity of hulls and kernels were significantly affected. All sulfur treatments decreased hull lightness in ‘Fandoghi’, while it increased in ‘Akbari’ and ‘Ahmadaghaei’ cultivars. Reduction of hull chroma was observed in some cases in all cultivars. Hue of hulls was not affected by the treatments. Lightness, chroma and hue values of the testa of kernels were not affected in ‘Fandoghi’ and ‘Akbari’. In ‘Ahmadaghaei’, refinery micronized sulfur increased the testa lightness and hue and decreased chroma probably because of the softer texture of hull in ‘Ahmadaghaei’ which breaks more easily during harvest practice. Sulfur treatments positively influenced appearance and general acceptance of ‘Ahmadaghaei’ fruits. The taste and aroma of pistachios were preserved in most of treatments. High concentration (60 kg/1000 L) of both sulfur types enhanced the ethylene production in ‘Ahmadaghaei’ which was almost same as the unripe fruit because sulfur treatments reduced the percentage of unripe fruit. In ‘Ahmadaghaei’, refinery micronized sulfur treatments increased the respiration rate.

The purpose of this study was to estimate heritability, general and specific combining ability and the relationship between traits. Investigated traits were fruit number per plant, total yield per plant, average fruit weight, flesh thickness, flesh firmness, seed cavity size, total soluble solid, fruit length in melon. A complete diallel design was conducted for this purpose five parental genotypes were crossed and the hybrids were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance of traits showed a significant differences between hybrids, therefore the first Griffing method was used to analyze the combining ability. The general combining ability effects were significant for all parents in the evaluated traits. The specific combining ability of yield per plant was higher than the general combining ability, which indicates the dominance and non-additive actions of genes. High narrow-sense heritability for yield per plant, flesh firmness and the number of fruit per plant (0.86, 0.72 and 0.70, respectively) indicated low environmental effect for these traits and the greater role of additive effects. The highest narrow-sense heritability was estimated for yield per plant (0.86). The role of non-additive effects of genes in controlling yield and flesh firmness traits was greater than additive effects. Therefore, the preparation of superior hybrids using breeding methods based on progeny tests will be effective in improving the mentioned traits in melon.