Dormancy breaking of ‘Kampai’ peach trees with alternative products in subtropical regions

Peach trees initiate flowering and then dense budding when the temperatures in winter are steadily low. When temperatures during the winter are high or when the chilling accumulation needs of the cultivar are not met, it is necessary to apply chemicals that stimulate flowering and budding in a uniform manner. This study aimed to evaluate alternative products for breaking the dormancy of ‘Kampai’ peach trees in a subtropical region. The experiment was conducted with ‘Kampai’ peach trees in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 production with the following treatments: (1) negative control composed only of water (control); (2) positive control composed of hydrogen cyanamide at a dose of 1.5% (commercial product Dormex®) plus 4.5% mineral oil; (3) Erger G® organomineral fertilizer supplemented with calcium nitrate at a dose of 3%; (4) potassium nitrate at a dose of 5%; and (5) copper sulphate at a dose of 0.3%. We evaluated affected budding capacity, flowering, the production cycle, peach production, the quality of peach trees and the enzymatic activities of catalase and guaiacol peroxidase. Hydrogen cyanamide and the organomineral fertilizer Erger G® promoted earlier flowering and an earlier production cycle. On the other hand, hydrogen cyanamide and copper sulphate stimulated flower opening and peach production. The chemicals used decreased catalase activity (24 h after application) and increased guaiacol peroxidase activity (6 h after application). The application of copper sulphate may be an option to break the dormancy of peach trees in the subtropics.

Green Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Annona muricata Stem Extract

Nanotechnology is a rising field of science and technology that deals with the particles having size in the range of 1 to 100 nm. Copper oxide nanoparticles has many properties like antifungal activity, antibacterial activity, optical properties, conductive properties, etc. Due to its demand of diversified use, copper oxide nanoparticles were fabricated using ecofriendly and non-toxic Annona muricata stem extract. The extract with copper sulphate pentahydrate showed gradual change in the colour of the extract from brown to green which indicates the CuO nanoparticles synthesis. The fabrication is followed by characterization of CuO nanoparticles using UV-vis spectroscope, FTIR, XRD and SEM. The characterization showed roughly spherical shaped nanoparticles in the range of 100nm with high crystalline monoclinic phase. FTIR absorption spectra conclude that the compounds attached with copper oxide nanoparticles could be polyphenols with aromatic ring. The CuO nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial activity; it showed the maximum activity against E.coli (18 mm). Keywords: Annona muricata, copper sulphate pentahydrate, FTIR, nanomaterials, SEM, XRD.

Pharmaceutical and Physico Chemical Analysis of Tuttha Bhasma

Rasa sastra is an ancient science dealing with various drugs of mineral and metallic origin Tuttha (copper sulphate) is a mineral useful in various clinical conditions externally as well as internally. According to Rasasastra, through the process of Shodhana (purification) and Marana (incineration) the harmful effects of Tuttha bhasma (incinerated copper sulphate) is nullified resulting in the formation of a newer compound that is therapeutically more potent. To prepare Tuttha Bhasma by adopting standard manufacturing procedure explained in Ayurvedic texts as well as to study it’s physical and chemical characters using traditional and modern analytical tools. The pharmaceutical processing of Tuttha bhasma was carried out in three Kukkuta puta (incineration) with a peak temperature of 6100C according to Rasa Tarangini reference. Physico chemical analysis, Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Particle Size Analysis (PSA) were conducted. The final product shows presence of nano particles which was confirmed by particle analysis. XRD results of Tuttha bhasma revealed the presence of copper sulphide (covellite) with hexagonal lattice and sodium sulphate with orthorhombic structure. All of the preparation stages and changes in the properties were documented and validated, and they may now be used as a valuable tool for standardization and quality assurance of Tuttha bhasma.

Reproductive toxicological changes in avian embryos due to a pesticide and an environmental contaminant

Single and simultaneous toxic effects of glyphosate (Amega Up, 360 g L−1, 4%) and copper sulphate (0.01%) were studied in avian embryos treated either with injection directly into the air chamber or by immersion application for 30 min on day 0 of incubation. Alterations of the chicken embryos were evaluated during necropsy performed on day 19 of incubation, together with mortality, body weight and the type of developmental abnormalities. Based on the results, the injection application appeared to be more toxic than the immersion method, as it induced increased mortality and reduced the average body weight, and resulted in a higher incidence of congenital anomalies. Supposedly, a toxicodynamic interaction occurs between copper sulphate and glyphosate, which may reduce the vitality of embryos and thus decrease the number of offspring in wild birds.

Fasulye Bakteriyel Adi Yanıklık Hastalığına Karşı Farklı Bakırlı Bileşiklerin Etkililiği

Common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli is the most destructive bacterial disease affecting all bean varieties in production areas. In this study, the effectiveness of different copper preparations against CBB disease on dry beans of Alberto variety, which are widely grown in Konya and Afyonkarahisar provinces with different climatic characteristics, were investigated. In field conditions, after 5-week-old bean plants were inoculated with a bacterial suspension of 108 CFU mL-1 of high virulent Xap k133 isolate, and subsequently twice every with 5 days intervals after inoculation, copper hydroxide, copper sulphate pentahydrate, copper oxychloride + copper hydroxide and copper oxychloride were applied at the doses recommended by the manufacturers. Disease severity (%) and disease score were evaluated using the 0-9 scale, and the effectiveness of the chemicals was compared with the control plants sprayed with water and determined with the help of the Abbott formula. According to the statistical data obtained, the most effective copper compound was determined by the application of copper oxychloride with 42.59-47.25% efficiency rates, copper sulphate pentahydrate had the lowest efficiency with about 7.69-12.96%. In addition to the negative effects of excessive use of copper in agriculture on the environment and human health, copper-resistant strains develops in bacterial pathogens. In order to determine the most effective copper compounds against CBB disease in dry beans in our country, the effectiveness of used as common compounds have been investigated for the first time and an organic and environmentally friendly sustainable bean production is revealed by using less copper.