Pircinque: new strawberry cultivar for Brazilian producers

ABSTRACT The strawberry cultivar ‘Pircinque’ was developed by the breeding program of Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria - Centro di Olivicoltura, Frutticoltura e Agrumicoltura (CREA-OFA-FRF), an Italian research entity, and introduced in Brazil in 2013 by the Centro de Ciências Agroveterinárias da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (CAV-UDESC). In the breeding program in which it originated, ‘Pircinque’ was selected for plant rusticity and resistance to soil pathogens. It can be cultivated where soil sterilization techniques are not used. In Brazil, the cultivation of ‘Pircinque’ has shown to be promising in the major strawberry producing regions. The main characteristics that allowed the development of this cultivar among the growers were plant vigor, productivity, rusticity, flavor, pulp firmness, crispness, sweetness and fruit color. When grown with excessive nitrogen fertilization fruit sensitivity to Botrytis cinerea fungal attack has been found, and a high vegetative plant growth. Due to fruits peculiarity, many growers make differentiated sales, adding value to quality product. Also, due to the high post-harvest period, many growers allocate part of the production to more distant locations. These characteristics are determinant for the cultivar Pircinque be distinguishable from other strawberry cultivars already marketed in Brazil. The cultivar was registered at the Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) in 2016, and the commercialization of plants started in 2017 with five nurseries accredited to produce and market ‘Pircinque’ plants throughout Brazil.

PHYTOREMEDIATION OF HEAVY METALS BY THE DOMINANT MANGROVE ASSOCIATE SPECIES OF INDIAN SUNDARBANS

The present study aims to investigate the phytoremediation potential of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) by two dominant mangrove associate species, Suaeda maritima, and Salicornia brachiata, found in the high saline supralittoral zone of Indian Sundarbans in four stations of the Hooghly-Matla estuarine complex during the premonsoon season (May 2019). We found that concentrations of biologically available heavy metals (HMs) in the ambient soil and bioaccumulated HMs within the vegetative plant parts occurred as per the order: Sagar South > Bakkhali > Jharkhali > Bali Island. The order of biologically available and bioaccumulated HMs was Zn > Cu > Pb. Interestingly, the selected HMs display high organ-specificity for both species with the highest enrichment in roots, followed by stems and leaves. We propose that these halophytes could be used as agents of phytoremediation and their farming would be effective in the ecorestoration of this deltaic complex in context to conservative pollutants.

ESCALATION IN RICE (Oryza sativa L.) SEED STRENGTH AND SUCCESSIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POTASSIUM HUMATE

Seed strength is an important agronomic traits and considered as an indicator of crop yield and economic value. Different concentrations of potassium humate i.e. 0, 250, 500, 750 and 100 mg per kilogram were applied on the seeds of Basmati rice and their influence was observed. After treatment with the potassium humate various vegetative (plant height; root, shoot length; fresh and dry biomass of root and shoot) and reproductive growth (number of tillers, flowers, grains, weight of 100 grains) parameters were recorded. It was observed that 500 mg/kg concentration of potassium humate has given potential results as compared to rest of the concentrations. It was also observed that an increment in the concentration from 500mg/kg has ceased a number of physiological functions of the rice plants under trial.

Concentration and Soaking Duration Organic Growth Regulators for Stimulated Jati Unggul Nusantara (JUN) Shoots Cuttings

Jati Unggul Nusantara (JUN) is a new teak seedling product that is a teak variety obtained from the selection of superior teak clones from all over Indonesia using DNA selection. Vegetative effort propagation performed of JUN with shoot cuttings. Concentration and soaking duration growth regulators are important aspects in vegetative plant propagation especially by shoot cutting. The research was conducted at Maulafa – Kota Kupang from Mei to August 2020, The experiment was arranged in Complete Randomize Design 2 factorial applications with 3 replication. Factors studied are growth regulator concentration of cow urine 50% (A1), cow urine 100% (A2), green bean extract 50% (A3), green bean extract 100% (A4), shallot extract 50% (A5) and shallot extract 100% (A6) while soaking duration consists of 4 factors, 2 hours (B1), 4 hours (B2), 6 hours (B3) and 8 hours (B4). The measured observation parameters are the percentage of life, the period of appearance of shoots, the number of leaves, shoot lenght,, shoot roots and the number of roots. The experiment result showed that variation of concentration organic growth regulator significant effect of JUN shoot cuttings. The treatment of Shallot extract 50% (A5) which affects the percentage of life parameters, the period of appearance of shoots, the number of leaves and shoot lenght. The treatment of shallot extract 100% (A6) which affects the observation parameters of root length and the number of roots. Interaction among the treatment combination of organic growth regulators A6B2 (ZPT 100%) shallot extract and 4 hours soaking duration significant effect on the number of roots.

Hophornbeam copperleaf (Acalypha ostryifolia Riddell)

Hophornbeam copperleaf (Acalypha ostryifolia Riddell) is an erect, herbaceous, dicot species in the Euphorbiaceae, or spurge, family that constitutes more than 200 genera and some 6,000 species (Mayfield and Webster 2013). Although the euphorbs have a cosmopolitan distribution, none are found in the Arctic (Mabberley 1997). Members of the Euphorbiaceae may be trees, shrubs, herbs (occasionally aquatic), or vines; sometimes succulent and cactus-like; and often have glands on vegetative plant parts (Mabberley 1997; Zomlefer 1994). Genera in the spurge family include Croton, Euphorbia, Ricinus, and Acalypha. Acalypha consists of 450 species that are native to both the Eastern and Western hemispheres (Zomlefer 1994). Acalypha was the name used by Hippocrates because the leaves resemble those of nettles, whereas ostryifolia alludes to the resemblance of leaves to plants in the genus Ostrya (hophornbeam trees; Burrows and Tyrl 2013; Haddock 2014; Hilty 2018). As plants mature in the fall, the leaves can turn reddish-brown, which may indicate why “copperleaf” is included in the species’ common name (Hilty 2018). Hophornbeam copperleaf is native to North America; it occurs in the United States ranging from Arizona east to Florida, north to Pennsylvania, and west to Nebraska (Anonymous 2019). It occurs in a variety of habitats including agronomic fields, cultivated areas, landscapes, roadsides, river and stream banks, thickets, pastures, and waste sites (Bryson and DeFelice 2010; Haddock 2014; Hilty 2018). This plant’s other common names include copperleaf, pineland three-seed mercury, Virginia copperleaf, hornbeam mercury, hornbeam three-seed mercury, mercury, and rough-pod copperleaf (Bryson and DeFelice 2010; Haddock 2014; Hilty 2018; Steckel 2006).

All roads lead to growth: imaging-based and biochemical methods to measure plant growth

We provide a comprehensive description and comparison of the various imaging and non-imaging-based techniques used to measure vegetative plant shoot growth and suggest a terminology for growth rates.