Ripening of Tomatoes

Experiments were carried out with aldrin, dieldrin, isodrin, endrin and DDT to ascertain whether, employed as insecticides, these compounds had any effect on cell division in onion root-tips. The doses used were equal to, or greatly in excess of, the recommended rates of application. By germinating onion seeds in direct contact with the insecticide under investigation, it has been shown that none of the compounds had any effects on germination or growth rate. High doses of aldrin, dieldrin or isodrin had a slight toxic effect on the resting cell, which, with aldrin, was also caused by the recrystallized compound. Aldrin and dieldrin had no effect on the dividing cell. Isodrin and endrin caused slight stickiness between chromatids in anaphase, which was insufficient to prevent the completion of division in the cell, and DDT caused a delay in the early stages of prophase and a shortening of chromosomes in metaphase.

Pot experiments, with high doses of each compound, showed that germination and growth rate were unaffected by any of the compounds. Resting cells were not affected and dividing cells were affected only by slight stickiness in anaphase, except with DDT, which also caused a slight delay in metaphase.

Attention has been drawn to the advantages of these compounds over gamma-BHC, chlordane and toxaphene as insecticides, from the point of view of causing less damage to the plant.     

Growth Regulator Effects on Quality and Pre-Harvest Drop of Worcester Pearmain Apples

The application of 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (CEPA) at 750 or 1500 ppm improved the colour of early harvested Worcester Pearmain apples but greatly increased pre-harvest drop. The drop-promoting effect of CEPA could be overcome by applying succinic acid 2,2-dimethyl hydrazide (aminozide) at 2000 ppm or a-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)-propionic acid (2,4,5-TP) at 20 ppm. The combination of CEPA 750 ppm+2,4,5-TP 20 ppm appeared to be particularly promising for improving the attractiveness, flavour and texture of Worcester Pearmain picked on 1st September and 7th September. No damage was seen on the trees either in the year of application or the following year.     

The emergence and early growth of French and runner beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Phaseolus coccineus h.) sown on different dates

The results are reported of an investigation into the effects of sowing on different dates on the emergence and growth of various cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris and P. coccineus under field conditions. In 1969 five cultivars of French bean and three of runner bean were sown in the field at fortnightly intervals from April onwards. The experiment was repeated, with the addition of two cultivars, in 1970. Consistent differences were found between and within species for a number of growth parameters.

(1) Especially in the early sowings, seedlings of runner beans emerged before those of French beans, and small-seeded cultivars of French bean (in particular Comtesse de Chambord) before larger-seeded cultivars.

(2) The mean relative growth rates measured after emergence were greater in French beans than in runner beans, but differences within species were not significant. Very early sowing appeared to have a lasting depressive effect on the growth rates of seedlings of both species.

(3) The estimated weights of seedlings at emergence (estimated from regressions of seedling weight on time since emergence and on seed weight) were lower in the early sowings than in later sowings, and especially so in the cultivar Comtesse de Chambord.

The main results in each year were similar, but some differences in detail were found. In particular there were differences between years in the emergence of cultivars as affected by soil temperature. The discrepancies were attributed to a difference in the temperature regimes of the two sites.     

Distribution and Phytoavailability of Lead in a Soil Contaminated with Lead Shot

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution - This paper presents a study of Pb contamination of soil at a clay target shooting facility in Canterbury, New Zealand. The spatial distribution of Pb...     

Kinetic study of the thermal hydrolysis of Agave salmiana for mezcal production

The kinetics of the thermal hydrolysis of the fructans of Agave salmiana were determined during the cooking step of mezcal production in a pilot autoclave. Thermal hydrolysis was achieved at different temperatures and cooking times, ranging from 96 to 116 °C and from 20 to 80 h. A simple kinetic model of the depolymerization of fructans to monomers and other reducing sugars and of the degradation of reducing sugars to furans [principally 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, HMF] was developed. From this model, the rate constants of the reactions were calculated, as well as the pre-exponential factors and activation energies of the Arrhenius equation. The model was found to fit the experimental data well. The tradeoff between a maximum fructan hydrolysis and a critical furan concentration in allowing for the best ethanol yield during fermentation was investigated. The results indicated that the thermal hydrolysis of agave was optimal, from the point of view of ethanol yield in the ensuing fermentation, in the temperature range of 106-116 °C and the cooking range time of 6-14 h. The optimal conditions corresponded to a fructan hydrolysis of 80%, producing syrups with furan and reducing sugar concentrations of 1 ± 0.1 and 110 ± 10 g/L, respectively.     

Median Lethal Concentration (LC50) of Piscicidal Plants and Their Utilization in Aquaculture

Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Acacia pennata (bark), Catunaregam uliginosa (fruit), Diospyros lenceofolia (fruit), and Sapindus mukorossi (fruit) were evaluated as piscicides on the freshwater fish Danio dangila, Danio rerio, and Puntius shalynius, and the air-breathing Heteropneustes fossilis. Catunaregam uliginosa (fruit) possessed relatively higher piscicidal potency followed by Sapindus mukorossi (fruit), Acacia pennata (bark), and lastly Diospyros lanceofolia (fruit). Catunaregam uliginosa can thus be used for eradicating unwanted wild fishes in a short time span at low concentrations so that the health of aquatic environment is maintained.