In vitro shoot proliferation from stem disc of Allium chinense, a vegetatively propagated plant, was investigated in this experiment. In the present study, shoots were formed directly on stem discs on a medium containing 1 mg/l N 6 -benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 mg/lanaphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). These shoots were further cultured on MS media supplemented with various levels of BA in combination with NAA, and new shoot clusters developed easily from the explants cultured despite considerable differences in the induction of shoot clusters with different levels of BA and NAA. The most productive combination of growth regulators proved to be 1.0 mg/l BA and 1.0 mg/l NAA, in which about 17 shoots were produced per cluster in 8 weeks culture. Most of the formed shoots were rooted 15 days after being cultured on MS media supplemented with 0.1-1.0 mg/l NAA. The survival rate of the plantlets under ex vitro conditions was 95% in pots filled with a peat: sand (2:1 v/v) mixture after two weeks. In vitro bulblet formation were strongly promoted by the high temperature of 30°C compared to that at 25, 20 and 15°C, and 12% (w/v) sucrose appeared to be optimal for bulblet development. Results from this study demonstrated that A. chinense could be in vitro propagated by using stem discs and in vitro bulblet formation could be achieved.

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Fruit quality (soluble solids and acidity) and growth properties of fruiting branches in different canopy positions (upper, middle, and lower) of 'Shiranuhi' mandarin [(C. unshiu × C. sinensis) × C. reticulate] trees were determined during fruit maturation. Length, diameter, and number of leaves per fruiting branch increased in order from the upper, through the middle, to the lower parts of the canopy. Fruit diameter, fruit weight, pulp weight and pulp thickness were also highest in the upper part. Transverse sections of stem end protrusions in fruit from the upper, middle, and lower parts of the tree canopy were 37.3 ± 2.3 mm, 33.2 ± 0.2 mm and 32.1 ± 0.4 mm, respectively. Soluble solid content increased during fruit maturation at all locations within the canopy and was highest in the upper part. Likewise, acid content decreased with fruit maturity and was lowest in the lower part. These results suggested that harvesting be staggered starting with fruit from the upper part of the canopy as part of crop management in 'Shiranuhi' mandarin for direct effect on fruit quality.Additional key words: fruit maturation, fruit shape, pulp weight Hort. Environ. Biotechnol. 52(5):443-447. 2011.

To establish the standard of ripe kiwifruit sorting, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was performed on kiwifruit sampled from three farms. Destructive measurements of flesh firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), and acidity were performed and compared to measurement using NIR reflectance spectrums from 408 to 2,492 nm. NIR predictions of those quality factors were calculated using the modified partial least square regression method. Flesh firmness was predicted with a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 3.32 N and with a correlation coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.88. SSC was predicted with SEP of 0.49 o Brix and with R 2 of 0.98. Acidity was predicted with SEP of 0.28% and with R 2 of 0.91. Kiwifruit ripened at 20 o C for 15 days showed uneven qualities with normal distribution. Considering the SEP of each parameter, kiwifruit after ripening treatment could be non-destructively predicted their qualities and sorted by flesh firmness or soluble solids content through NIR prediction.

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