Effects of the commercial product based on Trichoderma harzianum on plant,bulb and yield characteristics of onion

Effects of the commercial product TrichoFlow WP™ (Agrimm Technologies Ltd., New Zealand), based on the fungus Trichoderma harzianum, on quality characteristics and yield of bulb onion was investigated. Bulb sets of the local cultivar Kantartopu was planted in soil with in and between row distances of 0.15 m and 0.40 m, respectively. The product, at considerably high dosages of 5 g m⁻², 10 g m⁻² and 15 g m⁻², was mixed with water and sprinkled once to the plots at planting. Analyses of data at harvest did not show statistical significance for Trichoderma effect on total bulb yield, bulb diameter, leaf length, number of shoot apex, %titratable acidity, number of internal (fleshy) leaves, number of external (papery) leaves, %soluble solids and %bulbs with diameters of 20–39 mm, 40–69 mm and ≥70 mm. The yields obtained from the plots treated with the dosages of 5 g m⁻², 10 g m⁻² and 15 g m⁻² and the control plots were 1063.7 kg da⁻¹, 1051.0 kg da⁻¹, 1066.5 kg da⁻¹ and 985.0 kg da⁻¹, respectively. Our results showed that high dosages of the Trichoderma product were not effective in enhancing onion bulb and yield characteristics under the given conditions.     

Evaluation of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Enrichment of Artemia Nauplii as Food for Striped Bass Morone saxatilis Walbaum Larvae

Three enrichment techniques were evaluated for their efficiency in improving the dietary value of Artemia nauplii to striped bass larvae. Newly hatched Artemia nauplii from the Great Salt Lake (GSL) were enriched for 24 h using the following diets: 1) gelatin-acacia microcapsules containing menhaden oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), primarily 20:5ω3 eicosapen-taenoic acid; 2) an emulsion of Baker's yeast and menhaden oil; and 3) marine Chlorella sp. Unfed San Francisco Bay (SFB) and GSL nauplii were used as controls. Enriched GSL (all three diets) and unfed SFB nauplii had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) levels of 20:503 than the unfed nauplii from GSL. Seven days post-hatched (day 0) striped bass larvae were reared for 21 d on enriched or unfed nauplii. On day 21, wet weight and total length of striped bass larvae fed enriched GSL nauplii and unfed SFB nauplii were significantly greater ( P < 0.05) than those fed unenriched GSL nauplii. The enrichment of the GSL nauplii appeared to increase the eicosapentaenoic acid content and enhance the growth of the striped bass larvae.