VEGETABLE CROPS

For maintaining a healthy germplasm and improvement of any crop, a country needs to document or characterize the existing local genotypes, landraces, cultivars or farmers' variety. With these objectives, the present investigation is carried out to evaluate and characterize twenty one brinjal genotypes during two consecutive autumn-winter season of 2014-2016. A total of forty seven characters viz. growth, yield and morphological, were studied and significant variation observed among the genotypes collected across the country. This variation may be due to the effect of genotype, environment or their interaction. A randomized block design with three replication has been used for this experiment. Mean data pooled over the years has been furnished and statistically analyzed for all the characters except number of fruits per plant, weight of fruits, number of seeds per fruit, yield per plant and yield per hectare. Though genotype BCB-27 followed by BCB-8, is the highest yielder/plant for two seasons, BCB-8 is superior to any other genotypes in total fruiting period, fruit length and number of fruits per plant.

The present investigation was carried out in the plain areas of Chitwan to determine the promising plant growth regulators (PGR) promoting growth and yield of chilli cultivars Jwala and Suryamukhi during the winter-summer season of 2003/2004. Suryamukhi ranked superior to Jwala for most of the yield attributing characters, whereas Jwala was better in vegetative characters than Suryamukhi. Among PGRs, 2,4-D at 2 ppm was better for fruit set, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, number of seeds per fruit, seed weight per fruits, 1000 seed weight and fruit yield where as NAA at 40 ppm gave the highest leaf area index (LAI). PGRs were ineffective in promoting flowering and fruiting during winter season. GA3 at 10 ppm exhibited maximum amount of ascorbic acid content. The treatments, 2 ppm 2,4-D, 5 ppm triacontanol, 40 ppm NAA and 10 ppm GA3 produced 28.75%, 25.70%, 13.61% and 2.30% higher fruit yield over control, respectively. The highest net profit and B:C ratio were recorded in case of 2 ppm 2,4-D. The use of GA3 as foliar spray was not economical.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of fifty six genotypes of tomato collected from different places of India for yield and quality traits during Kharif season of 2014. Among the genotypes used for evaluation 97/754 was the earliest (72.67 days) and EC-538146 had the highest number of fruits per cluster (4.87). Highest number of fruits per plant was recorded in EC-126903. Solan Tomato-1 was having highest average fruit weight (88.13 g); KS-254 gave highest yield per plant (2033.25 g); Best of All was having highest lycopene content (13.26 mg/100 g); TSS was maximum in KS-254; highest pericarp thickness was observed in Punjab Ratta (6.19 mm); plant height was found maximum in KS-254 (123.27 cm) and less number of locules per fruit was observed in EC-5863. Based on their performance the genotypes VL-Tamatar 4, KS-254, Solan Tomato-1, Solan Tomato-2, EC-620410, Punjab Ratta, Punjab Chhuhara and VTG-93 were found superior than check cultivar Solan Lalima. Therefore these genotypes can be used as such or can further be subjected to selection or heterosis breeding to get the desirable variety of tomato suitable for mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh.

ABSTRACT: Fungal phytopathogens cause serious losses of crop production worldwide, which causes serious losses of crop production. Bacteria play a role as the biocontrol agents for plant disease control. For this reason, the present study was conducted to determine the antagonistic potential of rhizosphere soil bacteria against selected phytopathogenic fungi. The screenings of potential antagonist isolated bacteria were applied by the dual culture technique with fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum melongenae. Molecular characterization was performed through 16S rDNA sequencing analysis. Sixteen (16) out of fifty (50) isolated bacteria showed different degrees of antagonism (25-67%) against both fungi F. oxysporum and C. melongenae. Among them, four (4) isolated bacteria (isolates A4, C1, C2, and E2) exhibited strong antagonism (more than 50% mycelial growth inhibition) against both fungi. The 16S rDNA sequences of the isolated bacteria A4, C1, C2 and E2 were 99-100% similar to Providencia sp. TT14, Bacillus subtilis 168, Bacillus subtilis RKP-2, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IBSDG-11, respectively. Based on the capability for the control of mycelial growth against both fungi, B. subtilis IUBTC2 was selected for optimization of growth characteristics and identification the bioactive metabolites which can enhance plant growth and disease control capacity of plants against the phytopathogenic fungi.

The study was conducted at Menschen fur Menschen Foundation Agro Technical and Technology College Demonstration site, Harar, Ethiopia from October, 2015 to February, 2016. The experiment was conducted to determine the yield produced per 50kg sacks filled with a moist and rational mixtures of well fertilized soils for selected vegetable crops grown in multistorey gardening. The experiment consisted of three types of vegetable which were grown each in three 50kg sacks filled with a moist rational mixture of well fertilized soils. Thus, a total of nine 50kg sacks were used for this study. Results of this study indicated that the yield per 50kg sacks filled with moist rational mixtures of soils resulted in 5.0, 4.5 and 7.0 kg for lettuce, Swiss chard and Tomato respectively. As a recommendation, the study suggested that there is a need for more promotion of multi-storey gardens as an urban farming technology to increasing food production for home consumption for disadvantaged groups such as immigrants, HIV-AIDS affected households, disabled people, female-headed households with children, elderly people without pension. This will avert food security problem in the country by having continuous food supply throughout all seasons.

With the objective to find the association of different seed characters with fruit yield in
cucumber, an experiment was conducted with 30 indigenous genotypes, collected from
five different states, at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Dr
YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan during Kharif, 2015.
Results revealed that yield per plant had positive and significant association with all the
seed characters under study viz., seed length, seed breadth, hundred seed weight,
germination percentage, seed vigour index-I and seed vigour index-II. The success or
failure of any crop production programme depends largely upon the potential and quality
of the seed, which is regarded as the most important input in agriculture. From our results,
it is suggested to carry out indirect selection for these seed traits in order to improve fruit
yield in cucumber.

An experiment was conducted at the Experimental Research Farm, RHR&TS, Jachh, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh to estimate heterosis for quality traits in tomato by involving 10 lines and two testers. The results revealed that the cross, EC-620410 × Solan Lalima had maximum heterobeltiosis as well as standard heterosis for fruits shape index. For number of locules per fruit, the crosses EC-191531 × Solan Lalima and EC-37239 × Solan Lalima recorded maximum negative heterobeltiosis and negative standard heterosis, respectively. BT-1-1× FT-5 showed maximum positive heterobeltiosis pericarp thickness and ascorbic acid content, whereas, EC-37239 × FT-5 recorded maximum standard heterosis for pericarp thickness. The cross, LE-79-5 × FT-5 had maximum positive heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for total soluble solids content. Based on the results, these superior hybrids may further be tested in multiple locations for yield and quality traits in order to exploit heterosis at commercial level in tomato.

BACKGROUND: The widespread occurrence of ALS inhibitor-and glyphosate-resistant Amaranthus palmeri has led to increasing use of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides in cotton and soybean. Studies were conducted to confirm resistance to fomesafen (a PPO inhibitor), determine the resistance frequency, examine the resistance profile to other foliar-applied herbicides and investigate the resistance mechanism of resistant plants in a population collected in 2011 (AR11-LAW B) and its progenies from two cycles of fomesafen selection (C1 and C2). RESULTS: The frequency of fomesafen-resistant plants increased from 5% in the original AR11-LAW-B to 17% in the C2 population. The amounts of fomesafen that caused 50% growth reduction were 6-, 13-and 21-fold greater in AR11-LAW-B, C1 and C2 populations, respectively, than in the sensitive ecotype. The AR11-LAW-B population was sensitive to atrazine, dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate and mesotrione but resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides pyrithiobac and trifloxysulfuron. Fomesafen survivors from C1 and C2 populations tested positive for the PPO glycine 210 deletion previously reported in waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus). CONCLUSION: These studies confirmed that Palmer amaranth in Arkansas has evolved resistance to foliar-applied PPO-inhibiting herbicide.

The EWRS (European Weed Research Society) Working Group "Weed Management Systems in Vegetables" collected information about key weeds, new weeds or species tending to spread, critical period of weed competition, weed management strategies and approved ...

A field trial was conducted during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons to study the effect of sowing dates, i.e.1st, 16th of September, 1st, 16th of October, 16th October and 1st of November on growth and productivity of sugar pea hybrids, Sugar Lace, Sugar Snap, Snow Wind, Compados, Brotherton and Snow Green under sandy soil conditions. This experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replicates. Results indicated that sowing on 16th of September for Brotherton hybrid and 1st of October for Compadoss hybrid gave the best  vegetative growth, flowering characteristics, yield and pod chemical constituents.