Factor analysis applied in genomic selection studies in the breeding of Coffea canephora

Euphytica - Head splitting is a major physiological disease in cabbage. The most effective approach for controlling head splitting is to deploy genetic resistance by breeding cabbage cultivars with...     

Identification of resistance of Guangxi (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) to white-backed planthopper with stem evaluation method

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - White-backed planthopper (WBPH) is a devastating pest of rice, which significantly reduces production and causes millions of dollars in losses worldwide...     

Orchid bees respond to landscape composition differently depending on the multiscale approach

Landscape Ecology - Multiscale approaches are essential for understanding ecological processes and detecting the scale of effect. However, nested multiscale approaches retain the effect of the...     

Impact of fungicide application volume on ASIAN rust control and soybean crop yield

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Multisite fungicides are an anti-resistance strategy to control Phakopsora pachyrhizi. Among the protective fungicides, mancozeb is a fungicide that has been...     

Grapevine anthracnose in berries causes biochemical and enzymatic alterations

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Anthracnose (Elsinöe ampelina) is a major fungal disease in humid regions, causing damage to grapevine berries and decreasing fruit quality. Studies...     

Influence of Dehydration Process in Castellano Chickpea: Changes in Bioactive Carbohydrates and Functional Properties

Changes in bioactive carbohydrates, functional, and microstructural characteristics that occurred in chickpea under soaking, cooking, and industrial dehydration processing were evaluated. Raw chickpea exhibited important levels of raffinose family of oligosaccharides (RFOs), resistant starch (RS) and total dietary fibre (TDF), being insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) the main fraction (94%). The dehydration process increased RFOs (43%), RS (47%) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) (59%) levels significantly. In addition, a noticeable increase in both fibre fractions was observed, being higher in soluble fibre in (SDF) (59%). The minimum nitrogen solubility of raw flours was at pH 4, and a high degree of protein insolubilization (80%) was observed in dehydrated flours. The raw and processed flours exhibited low oil-holding capacities (1.10 mg/ml), and did not show any change by thermal processing, whereas water-holding capacities rose to 5.50 mg/ml of sample. Cooking and industrial dehydration process reduced emulsifying activity and foaming capacity of chickpea flour. The microstructural observations were consistent with the chemical results. Thus, the significant occurrence of these bioactive carbohydrate compounds along with the interesting functional properties of the dehydrated flours could be considered useful as functional ingredients for food formulation.     

Comparative Study on the Chemical Composition,Antioxidant Properties and Hypoglycaemic Activities of Two <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> L. Cultivars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acuminatum</Emphasis> small and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cerasiferum</Emphasis>)

The present study aimed to evaluate for the first time the phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin content and the antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties of Capsicum annuum var. acuminatum small and C. annuum var. cerasiferum air-dried fruits. The ethanol extract of C. annuum var. acuminatum small, characterized by the major content of total poliphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids and capsaicinoids, showed the highest radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ of 152.9 μg/ml). On the contrary, C. annuum var. cerasiferum showed a significant antioxidant activity evaluated by the β-carotene bleaching test (IC₅₀ of 3.1 μg/ml). The lipophilic fraction of both C. annuum var. acuminatum and C. annuum var. cerasiferum exhibited an interesting and selective inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC₅₀ of 6.9 and 20.1 μg/ml, respectively).     

The dual crop coefficient approach to estimate and partitioning evapotranspiration of the winter wheat–summer maize crop sequence in North China Plain

An accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ET _c) is very useful for appropriate water management; hence, an accurate and user-friendly model is needed to support related irrigation decisions. In this view, a study was developed aimed at estimating the ET _c of winter wheat–summer maize crop sequence in the North China through eddy covariance measurements, to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model, to estimate the basal crop coefficients (K _cb) for both crops and to partition ET _c into soil evaporation and crop transpiration. Two years of field experimentation of that crop sequence were used to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model and to derive K _cb using eddy covariance measurements. Various indicators have shown the goodness of fit of the model, with estimated values very close to the observed ones and estimate errors close to 0.5 mm d^?1. The initial, mid-season and end basal crop coefficients for wheat were 0.25, 1.15 and 0.30, respectively, and those for maize were 0.15, 1.15 and 0.45, thus close to those proposed in FAO56 guidelines. The soil evaporation represented near 80 % of ET _c for the initial stages of winter wheat and summer maize and decreased to only 5–6 % during the mid-season period. Evaporation during the full crop season averaged 28 % for winter wheat and 40 % for summer maize. The importance of wetting frequency and crop ground coverage in controlling soil evaporation was evidenced.     

Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Cacao Genotypes

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L) is mostly grown on soils with low natural fertility. On such soils nitrogen (N) is one of the most yield limiting nutrients for cacao. Information is lacking on N use efficiency in cacao. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate growth response and N use efficiency by two cacao genotypes. The genotypes used were TSH-565 and ICS-9 and N rates adapted were 0, 120, 240, 360, and 480 mg N /pot. In both genotypes, increasing levels of applied N improved growth (stem girth, dry weight of shoot and roots and shoot/root ratio), and concentration and uptake of N. Genotypes differed significantly for stem girth and ICS -9 produced greater stem girth compared with TSH-565. Nitrogen uptake had a linear relationship with root dry weight of the two genotypes. In both genotypes, increasing levels of applied N overall increased N-uptake efficiency (NEFF = N concentration in shoot x shoot/root), but decreased N-use efficiency by shoot and roots (NUE = g dry matter of shoot or root/mg N) and N-use efficiency of carbohydrate (NUEC = mg of total carbohydrates in shoot/mg of N in shoot). Both genotypes responded differently to applied N, despite the existence of close genetic relatedness between them. The method used here appears to be suitable method for identification of cacao genotypes that are efficient in uptake and utilization of N.     

ALUMINUM TOXICITY IN CORN PLANTS CULTIVATED WITH LOW AND HIGH IONIC STRENGTH NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the phytotoxic effect of aluminum (Al) in corn plants in nutrient solution under high ionic strength (0.0094 uM) and low ionic strength (0.00001 uM). Regarding the low ionic strengths, nutrient solution was added daily until the end of the experimental period. The findings showed that the pH of the nutrient solution reduced with the increase in Al concentration, under both high and low ionic strengths solutions. Electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution increased with Al concentrations only in the solution with low ionic strength, demonstrating that the plant was more sensible to the element toxicity, thus reducing its growth and absorption of nutrients. The production of the total dry mass of corn was affected by the increase of Al concentration in the solution only under low ionic strengths, which reinforces the greater activity and absorption of the element under such condition.