Volume 28 (2016): Issue 1 (June 2016)

Priming is one of the most common methods of improving seed quality. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of hydro- and osmopriming on the germination, vigour and hydrolytic enzymes (α-amylase, β-glucosidase, exopeptidase and lipases) activity of zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) seeds. Seeds of three cultivars: Jowita, Kirke and Orys, and Z. elegans fl.pl., a mixture of cultivars (Mix), were tested. The seeds were hydroprimed in a restricted volume of water (200 μl H₂O g⁻¹ seed, 24 h at 15°C) and osmoprimed in a polyethylene glycol solution (−1.0 MPa PEG 8000, 5 days at 20°C). Untreated seeds served as the control. The cultivars differed significantly in terms of seed quality as well as response to priming. On average, ‘Jowita’ seeds were characterised by the highest quality, expressed by the total number of germinating seeds (G_max) and germination at the 1^st and 2^nd counts. Mix seeds showed the lowest quality, expressed by germination at the 1^st and 2^nd counts and vigour. Generally, an increase in α-amylase activity and a decrease in lipase activity was found in hydroprimed and osmoprimed seeds, and α-amylase activity was significantly higher in ‘Jowita’ seeds than Mix seeds. The applied treatments did not affect β-glucosidase and exopeptidase activity in the tested seeds. Osmopriming accelerated seed germination and influenced α-amylase and lipase activity to a greater extent than hydropriming. Among the assayed enzymes, only the activity of α-amylase may be potentially useful for the seed industry as a physiological marker of zinnia seed vigour and the effectiveness of osmopriming.

Intercropping, or the use of different aspects of the interaction between organisms in ecosystems, can be classified as an ecological method that limits harmful human interference in the environment, especially the consumption of chemicals. The impact of intercropping carrot with coriander Coriandrum sativum L. and summer savory Satureja hortensis L. on the occurrence of select carrot pests was estimated in the years 2010-2011. Intercropping had a significant effect on the decrease of the number of roots damaged by carrot rust fly Psila rosae. During harvest, the least number of damaged roots was observed in combination with summer savory S. hortensis L. The number of carrot psyllid Trioza viridula Zett. and aphids on carrot leaves and roots damaged by nematodes was significantly lower on plots where carrot was intercropped. Intercropping both herbs had a positive influence on the number of beneficial insects. In all of the years of the study, the highest number of Coccinellidae and Syrphidae were observed on plots where carrot was intercropped with coriander.

The field production of eggplant in moderate climates is difficult as it depends heavily on thermal conditions. Eggplant is a species that is sensitive to low temperatures, and temperatures below 16°C constrain the growth of young plants. Other disadvantageous factors include: temperatures that are too high, water shortage and excessive soil humidity. The growth conditions for eggplant can be improved by using mulches. The purpose of the experiment was the assessment of eggplant cropping while using synthetic mulches of polyethylene foil and polypropylene textile. The research took five years (2008-2012) and on the basis of the obtained results it was possible to determine the influence of weather conditions on the yielding of this species. It was proven that eggplant cropping significantly depended on the air temperature and the amount of rainfall during the vegetation period. The highest yield was observed when the average air temperature was high and at the same time rainfall was evenly distributed throughout the vegetation season. It also turned out that the agro-technical procedure which significantly increased eggplant fruit cropping was mulching the soil with polyethylene black foil, or transparent foil, previously having applied a herbicide.

Endive (Cichorium endivia L.) is a leaf vegetable with high vitamin and nutritional values. Therefore, an increase of its cultivation in Poland and other European countries has been observed in recent years. The aim of this research was to study the effect of different growth media on the quality and photosynthetic efficiency of different endive cultivars. The experiment was conducted in controlled greenhouse conditions. Endive was grown in three independent NFT cultivation systems: a standard culture medium (control, A1), a culture medium concentrated three-fold (A2) and a medium concentrated five-fold (A3). Four cultivars were used: ‘Kethel’, ‘Barundi’, ‘Galanti’ and ‘Perceval’. The plants were examined for the number and weight of fully-grown leaves and the weight of roots, dry matter content and chemical quality attributes of endive such as ascorbic acid (AA), total soluble solids (TSS), chlorophyll and proline. In addition, several physiological traits such as modulated chlorophyll a fluorescence were measured.

Both three-fold and five-fold increases of ion concentration in the nutrient solution induced stress in the endive plants. Our results showed that the photosynthetic efficiency of the tested endive plants was affected by the cultivar factor and only the highest (five-fold) ion concentration in the nutrient solution. Growth under a medium of three-fold ion concentration did not affect the photosynthetic efficiency, despite observed changes in the growth and quality parameters of the endive plants. This study suggests that the type of fluorescence measurements used in this experiment (modulated) cannot be recommended as a sufficient bioindicator during endive production.

In order to evaluate flower yield and essential oil content of Rosa damascena, 49 landraces were studied in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Sanandaj (Iran) during 2004-8. An analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) for the number of flowers per plant, flower and petal weight, flower and petal yield per plant, essential oil ratio and essential oil yield per plant among landraces (G), years (Y) and for landrace × year (GY). The landraces of FA1, KR2, KR3, FA2, AR1 and YZ2 with 3291.9, 2526.4, 2298.7, 2239.8, 2077.6 and 1978.7 kg ha⁻¹, respectively, produced the highest flower yield and the landraces of IS3, IS2, KR2, IS4 and FA2 with 413.25, 378.11, 364.31, 315.30 and 296.10 g ha⁻¹, respectively, produced the highest essential oil among all of the landraces. In accordance to this, cluster analysis also classified high flower and essential oil yield landraces in distinct groups at an 87% similarity. According to the results, most landraces that originated from temperate, warm temperates and arid regions such as the FA2, YZ2 and Isfahan group of landraces produced higher flower yield and essential oil than those from cool, cool temperate, semi-arid and humid regions. Taking into consideration flower yield and essential oil, the landraces of KR2, YZ2, IS3, IS2 and FA2 with 2526.4, 1978.7, 1659.8, 1663.2 and 2239.8 kg ha⁻¹ flower yield, respectively, and 364.31, 265.31, 413.25, 378.11 and 296.10 g ha⁻¹ essential oil, respectively, produced the highest flower yield and essential oil content among the landraces and are recommended for semi-temperate and cool areas.

The effects of genotype and vase solutions on the vase lives of waxflower cultivars were studied. The vase life of 16 cultivars derived from different genetic backgrounds showed a variation. The vase life of Chamelaucium uncinatum cultivars held in deionised water was generally the shortest, with four cultivars averaging 9.5 and 8.9 days for flowers and leaves while the vase lives of C. uncinatum × megalopetalum hybrids were on average 16.0 and 25.0 days for flowers and leaves, respectively. The hybrid ‘Southern Stars’ with C. uncinatum × Verticordia plumosa as parents had the longest flower vase life of 24.9 days, although another Verticordia × Chamelaucium had a 9.5-day flower vase life and other hybrids of the cultivars of C. uncinatum and Verticordia grandis Desf. (‘WX73’), C. sp. Gingin Marchantii (‘WX97’) and C. floriferum (‘Lady Stephanie’) as a parent had intermediate to short vase lives of 11.4 to 15.5 days. The cultivars responded most to 8-hydroxyquniline sulphate (HQS) + sucrose or HQS + sucrose + silver thiosulphate (STS), being 1.5- to 1.6-folds higher than in deionized water. The cultivars showed a varied response to a vase solution of sucrose + HQS + STS, with which C. uncinatum vase life increased 1.9-fold compared to 1.7-fold for C. megalopetalum. Waxflowers were found to be susceptible to water stress, causing flowers to close and shortening vase life. On average for the 80 cultivar-vase solution combinations tested, flower vase life ended when the stems reached 75.5 ± 5% fresh weigh. Longer vase life cultivars had a greater ability of maintaining a water balance at or above 75% for longer.

Florists’ greens are becoming increasingly important in contemporary floristry. Numerous studies conducted on cut flowers have led to the development of technologies for their post-harvest handling; however, in the case of florists’ greens they are still insufficient. Moreover, the extensive range of florists’ greens lacks leaves and the leafy culms of grasses. The aim of this study was to determine the post-harvest longevity of the leaves and leafy culms of ornamental grasses conditioned in water solutions of gibberellic acid and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate. The post-harvest longevity of leaves was examined in cultivars of the following species: Glyceria maxima Hartm. ‘Variegata’, Miscanthus sinensis Thunb. ‘Zebrinus’ and Spartina pectinata Link. ‘Aureomarginata’. The post-harvest longevity of leafy culms was investigated in Alopecurus pratensis L. ‘Aureovariegatus’, Chasmanthium latifolium Michx., Miscanthus sinensis Thunb. ‘Silberspinne’, Pennisetum alopecuroides L. and Phalaris arundinacea L. ‘Picta’. Conditioning in gibberellic acid had a positive effect on the post-harvest longevity and fresh weight loss and the index of leaf greenness of leaves in the case of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’, while conditioning in 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate improved fresh weight loss and the index of leaf greenness of the leafy culms of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’, Pennisetum alopecuroides and the leaves of Glyceria maxima ‘Variegata’.

Establishing an aseptic in vitro culture for Dendrobium, or for any plant in fact, is the most important step towards developing an effective in vitro tissue culture including micropropagation protocol. Success in initial aseptic culture will contribute to the successful production of in vitro cultures that may involve the initiation or formation of callus and/or protocorm-like bodies (PLBs), the induction, regeneration or multiplication of shoots, and the preparation and proliferation of plantlets suitable for acclimatization. The initiation of an aseptic culture is closely related to the appropriate selection of an explant source and its preparation, including its (in vivo) pre-treatment if necessary and subsequent disinfection procedures. Care in the choice of explant and the application of an appropriate disinfection protocol can successfully reduce, or eliminate, contamination in in vitro cultures while reducing the negative impact on plant tissues and plantlet regeneration. Many unique aseptic culture procedures for Dendrobium genus have been reported in the literature, very often specific to particular tissues or genotypes, and this review not only highlights the details of such protocols, but also provides practical advice for novice – and even seasoned – orchidologists who wish to research Dendrobium in vitro, although it is cautioned that there is currently no universal aseptic culture procedure that can be applied to all conditions, all explants or all genotypes.

A study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of cranberry cultivation on mineral soils and to assess the influence of vegetative biomass development, generative growth and yield components on the yielding of three cranberry cultivars originating in the USA (Stevens, Pilgrim and Ben Lear) at two locations in Poland. The key biometrical traits involved in yield formation were taken into account, and the soil and plant chemical conditions were evaluated. All of the measured biometrical characteristics were strongly influenced by the location and the year of cultivation, and varietal differences were also noted. The most important determinants that explained yield variation were: the number of uprights per square meter, floral induction and berry set. However, the participation of each component in yield variation was strongly affected by the location, age of plantation and to a minor extent by the cultivar. The study confirmed the possibility of cranberry cultivation on mineral soils with a low pH. The biggest average yield of the three years was collected from cv. Stevens as cultivated on sandy soil in contrast to the same cultivar grown on sandy loam soil. In the case of sandy loam soil after acidification, cv. Pilgrim appeared to be a relatively better yielding cultivar.

The effect of different methods of NANO-GRO^® application on tomato plant growth and yield and its quality was determined. Four treatments were used: soaking seeds with NANO-GRO^®, plants spraying, double application: soaking seeds + plants spraying and a control without NANO-GRO^®. The cultivar Mieszko F₁ was used for the study. A significant influence of NANO-GRO^® application method on tomato plant growth, yield and quality was observed. Pre-sowing application positively influenced plant height and the thickness of the stems. The highest total and marketable yield was observed in plants whose seeds were soaked with NANO-GRO^® (respectively 87.02 and 53.13 t ha⁻¹) and in those with double application (respectively 73.48 and 45.67 t ha⁻¹). The lowest marketable yield was found in the plants from the control (37.01 t ha⁻¹). The highest lycopene content compared to the control was measured in fruits from plants sprayed with NANO-GRO^®.

This research was carried out to evaluate the phenolic composition, antioxidant capacities, sugars and organic acids content of sweet cherry cultivars (Bianca, Burlat, Johanna 1, Johanna 2, Kordia, Kunzes Kirsche, Merton Premier, Napoleon, Orleans, Regina, Rivan, Schneiders Spate Knorpelkirsche, Summit, Trebnitzer Lotkirsche) grown in Poland. Significant differences were observed between tested cultivars for all studied parameters.

The sum of total soluble solids ranged from 14.3 (‘Burlat’) to 20.9 g 100 g⁻¹ FW (‘Bianca’) and that of organic acids from 0.43 (‘Burlat’) to 0.76 g 100 g⁻¹ FW (‘Napoleon’). Fruit of Bianca cultivar showed the highest levels of anthocyanin (108.5 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW) while ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Kunzes Kirsche’ contained the lowest levels (1.5 and 1.8 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW, respectively). Total phenolic contents ranged from 101 (‘Napoleon’) to 558 (‘Bianca’) mg 100 g⁻¹ FW, tartaric esters from 26.2 (‘Summit’) to 66.5 (‘Bianca’) mg 100 g⁻¹ FW and flavonoids from 7.9 (‘Summit’) to 49.1 (‘Bianca’) mg 100 g⁻¹ FW. Bianca cultivar has also the highest free radical scavenging activity assayed by ABTS and DPPH methods 88 and 90% respectively.