Influence of microbial preparations on biomorphological indicators of tulip (Tulipa L.) ‘Anna Krasavitsa’ and soil fertility under steppe Crimea conditions

The data on the study of the effect of treatment of tulip bulbs of the Anna Krasavitsa cultivar before planting with microbial preparations (MP) Aurill and the Complex of microbial preparations (CMP) on the growth, state, ability for vegetative propagation of tulips, as well as the fertility and biological activity of the tulip rhizosphere in Crimea have been presented in the article. The studies were carried out in 2017-2019 in a small-plot field experiment on the tulip collection site of the NBG-NSC (v. Novy Sad, Simferopol district of the Republic of the Crimea) on the southern carbonate chernozem. Tulip bulbs were treated with MP working suspensions before planting with a dose of the preparation equal to 2 % of the bulb mass. The control - treatment with tap water. The study, collection and processing of the obtained data on the state of plants, fertility and biological activity of the soil was carried out by generally accepted methods. As a result of the studies was found that MPs increased the coefficient of vegetative propagation of bulbs, the mass of the nest and replacement bulb by 6-23 %, at the same time, a positive effect of CMP on an increase in the mass of large bulbs was revealed in the axils of the storage scales. The features of the influence of the treatment of tulip bulbs ‘Anna Krasavitsa’ with Aurill and CMP preparations on the morphometric characteristics of the plant have been revealed: the height and size of the flower and the lower leaf were increased. A positive effect of the preparations on soil fertility under tulips was shown: CMP promoted an increase in the organic matter content in the soil by 0.19 %, Aurill - the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen and exchangeable potassium in the rhizosphere of a tulip, and increasing its biological activity. The use of MP increased the number of ammonifying and amylolytic bacterial groups in the rhizosphere of the tulip; to a greater extent, Aurill, CMP increased the number of phosphate-mobilizing (by 58 %), as well as oligotrophic and cellulolytic bacteria by 8 and 78 % respectively. Aurill suppressed the number of micromycetes by 48 %.

First report of Fusarium solani associated with the bulb rot of Tulip (Tulipa spp) in India

Tulip is an ornamental bulbous flowering crop belonging to the Genus Tulipa and family Liliaceae. It is the first ranking bulbous ornamental plant in the world (Nayeem and Qayoom 2015). They are often the first flowers to witness the bloom in the spring. Kashmir valley is located in northern Himalayas in northwestern region of Indian subcontinent. It is the most alluring and fascinating place all over India and the home of famous “Indhra Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden”, the largest tulip garden in the entire Asia. However there are number of constraints in tulip cultivation among which bulb rot occupy a prominent place (Piwoni 2000). Bulb rot is posing problem to all the tulip growers throughout the world (De Hertogh et al. 1983). Rot symptoms were observed on tulip bulbs in field as well as in storage conditions (20-22◦C temperature with a relative humidity of 65%) in the summers of 2018 and 2019 in Shalimar fields of Kashmir. The main disease symptoms are yellow sunken spots on bulbs, purple-yellow coloration of leaves. Causal agent was isolated using tissue bit technique (Pathak 1972) on potato dextrose agar plates which where incubated at 24±2◦C . Single spore technique was used to obtain the pure isolate (Johnston and Booth 1983). The isolate covered the full plate (90mm) in ten days. The colony was dull whitish in color, flat and smooth with concentric ring formation in the culture plate with inner ring having a creamy exudation. The mycelium was septate, branched and hyaline in color and measured 3.50-5.20 µm in width with an average of 4.4 µm. Micro-conidia were hyaline, cylindrical to oval, 0-1 septa and measured 7.50-11.00×2.80-3.75 µm in size. Macro conidia were hyaline with 3-4 septa, fusiform, moderately curved which measured 21.15- 32.00×3.80-4.75 µm in size with an average of 28.50±0.21× 4.30±0.2 µm. On the basis of these morphological and cultural characteristics of the fungus, it was identified as Fusarium solani (Mar.) Sacc.,. To confirm the identity the PCR amplification was carried out for two genes Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS 1, ITS 4)and Translation Elongation factor1-alpha gene (tef1- alpha) (O’Donnell et al. 1998; White et al. 1990). BLAST analysis of the sequence obtained for both the genes showed 99% homology with F. solani sequences in GenBank and Fusarium –ID databases. The sequences were deposited in the GenBank (Accession No MN611433, MW995477). Pathogenicity test was conducted on variety orange emperor both in laboratory and polyhouse. Bulbs were divided into three sets, (three bulbs per set) one set was given injury and dipped in conidial suspension (106 conidia/ml) for 30 min, another set was kept uninjured and dipped in spore suspension of same concentration, the third set was served as control and dipped in sterilized distilled water. All the respective sets were incubated in a moist chamber maintained at a temperature of 22 ◦C to observe symptoms. The injured ones showed symptoms after 7-8 days of inoculation, whereas the uninjured bulbs showed symptoms after 11-12 days. No symptoms were observed in controlled set. A pot experiment was also conducted to carry the pathogenicity tests. Bulbs were injured with the help of sterile needle and were dipped in conidial suspension (106 conidia/ml) for 30 min (Pastrana et al. 2014). The bulbs kept for control were dipped in sterilized distilled water. Bulbs were then planted in pots maintained at 18◦C. The above ground parts of the inoculated bulbs showed symptoms like stunted growth which gradually turned yellow and did not produced flowers. The bulbs after harvesting were rotten .No symptoms were observed in controlled plants. To fulfill the Koch's postulates the fungal pathogen was re-isolated which was identified as F. solani. The pathogen is reported to cause disease in other crops (Gupta et al. 2012) but to our knowledge and on the basis of literature, this is the first report of F. solani causing bulb rot of tulip in India.

Mobility of сarbohydrates in tulip bulbs

Quantitative determination of carbohydrates in Tulip bulbs by spectrophotometry using a method that allows determining the content of monosaccharides, soluble oligosaccharides and starch in a single sample was conducted. The mobility of carbohydrates within the Tulip bulb in conditions of forcing and growing in the open ground is demonstrated.

Study of biomorphological features of tulips (Tulipa L.) in the forcing crop

Relevance. Morphological features of 10 sorts of tulips in the conditions of early-spring forcing explored. An assessment of the influence of tulip bulb preplanting on the rate of plant growth and development as well as final product yield (cut flowers) taken. Material and methods. 10 varieties of tulips of early and middle-early flowering period: Algarve (DHT), Аvocado (TT), Crispion Sweet (FT), Davenport (FT), Destination (TT), Double Price (DVT), Luba (TT), Surrender (TT), Largo (DVT) и Snowboard (TT) were selected as objects of study. Country of origin - Netherlands. Before planting one part of tulip bulbs were completely peeled of cover scale and the other part were left unpeeled. Each variant of bulb preparation for bedding were evaluated by growth and development rate of plants, as well as the number of cut flowers on the plot. During the growing season, we studied the following morphological characteristics: plant height, flower diameter, flower height, number of leaves. Results. Studies conducted have found that all varieties under research are suitable to early spring forcing and they differ in decorativeness and fully correspond to saleable quality standards. It was found out that in case of complete removing of cover scale, the tulip bulbs root faster, start to bloom faster and give much higher percentage of flowering plants in the plots in comparison with unpeeled samples.

Where tulips and crocuses are popular food snacks: Kurdish traditional foraging reveals traces of mobile pastoralism in Southern Iraqi Kurdistan

Background Iraqi Kurdistan is a special hotspot for bio-cultural diversity and for investigating patterns of traditional wild food plant foraging, considering that this area was the home of the first Neolithic communities and has been, over millennia, a crossroad of different civilizations and cultures. The aim of this ethnobotanical field study was to cross-culturally compare the wild food plants traditionally gathered by Kurdish Muslims and those gathered by the ancient Kurdish Kakai (Yarsan) religious group and to possibly better understand the human ecology behind these practices. Methods Twelve villages were visited and 123 study participants (55 Kakai and 68 Muslim Kurds) were interviewed on the specific topic of the wild food plants they currently gather and consume. Results The culinary use of 54 folk wild plant taxa (corresponding to 65 botanical taxa) and two folk wild mushroom taxa were documented. While Kakais and Muslims do share a majority of the quoted food plants and also their uses, among the plant ingredients exclusively and commonly quoted by Muslims non-weedy plants are slightly preponderant. Moreover, more than half of the overall recorded wild food plants are used raw as snacks, i.e. plant parts are consumed on the spot after their gathering and only sometimes do they enter into the domestic arena. Among them, it is worth mentioning the consumption of raw wild crocus corms, also still common in Turkish Kurdistan and that of wild tulip bulbs, which was documented to be popular until the beginning of the twentieth century in the Middle East. Comparison with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted among surrounding populations has shown that Kurds tend to gather and consume the largest number of non-weedy wild vegetables. Conclusion The collected data indicate robust traces of nomadic pastoralism in Kurdish traditional foraging. This finding confirms that studies on wild food plant gathering in the Fertile Crescent and Turco-Arabic-Iranic regions of the Middle East are crucial for understanding the possible evolution of wild food plant gathering through history within the post-Neolithic continuum between pastoralism and horticulturalism.

Development of root system of flowers under the influence of growth regulators produced on the basic of heterylcarboxylic acids

The positive effect of growth regulators made on the basis of heterocarboxylic acids of sodium (potassium) salts on the growth and development of the root system of Saintpaulia (Uzumbar violet) has been shown. It has been established that the new growth regulators accelerate the growth and development of the root system of Saintpaulia. This allows us to conclude that the plants will take root better and will be stronger. As for the tulip bulbs, they developed according to the norm, but no significant growth has been observed, but they were well and quickly enough to bend and bloom. Key words: tulips, bulbs, Saintpaulia, Uzumbar violet, growth regulators, heterocarboxylic acids.

Trichoderma polysporum as possible weak pathogen of tulip bulbs and roots

In the spring 2000, on tulip plantations in south-eastern Poland, spots of died-off plants were observed. The inhibited growth, wilting of leaves and yellowish necrosis on roots and scales surface occurred especially in low-lying areas. Mycological analysis indicated the presence of Trichoderma polysporum (Link ex Pers.) Rifai on the bulbs and roots of all tested plant samples. Pathogenicity test of 7 T. polysporum isolates was carried out on forced tulips cv. Merry Christmas in flower pots. After flowering, brownish necrosis (covering 5–30% of the surface) on the bulbs and roots were observed, as well as white-yellowish mycelium heaps of T. polysporum. Typical Trichoderma symptoms on above-ground plant parts like light-gray leaves tips were not observed.

The role of gum induced by Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. Snyd. et Hans. f.sp. tulipae Apt. in tulip bulbs on growth and development of the pathogen

It was showed that gums induced by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tulipae in tulip bulbs applied to mineral Czapek-Dox Broth with Bacto Agar (CzDA) medium, containing sucrose substantially stimulated abundant growth of mycelium and sporulation of the pathogen. Addition of arabinose, xylose and their mixture, sugars occurring in tulip gum polysaccharide, to CzDA medium caused that mycelium was very sparse and sporulation was only slightly stimulated by arabinose. Mycelium growth on mineral CzDA medium without sucrose, was poor and sparse but addition of gum to the medium caused formation of abundant mycelium and increased sporulation of the pathogen. It is possible that polysaccharide of tulip gum may act mainly as elicitor and partially as substrate in regulation of mycelium growth and sporulation of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tulipae.