Highlights • Drought stress across all stress levels resulted in a reduction in dry matter production, leaf area index, number of seeds per plant, number of pods per plant, seed size and finally grain yield. • The highest WUE was found in the treatment which was irrigated on fortnightly bases from 36 DAP. The results suggest that drought stress towards the end of the growing season may not cause serious harm in grain yield. • The results suggest that drought stress can be practiced in dry bean production in areas where there is a challenge of irrigation water with consideration of the growth stage of the crop. • The results of the study indicate that drought stress effects on photosynthetic rate were highly significant. • Chlorophyll fluorescence was also affected by drought stress.

Recent trends in soil microbiology suggest that fungal inoculants such as Trichoderma harzianum or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the potential to improve yield and fruit quality of crops. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of inoculating tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with T. harzianum and the AMF (Glomus mosseae) on yield and nutrient content of tomato fruit. A factorial experiment (3 × 3) with three application timings for each of T. harzianum and AMF, namely uninoculated control, inoculated before sowing and two weeks after sowing, giving nine treatment combinations was conducted in a greenhouse. Both T. harzianum and AMF increased total yield and marketable yield of tomato (P >0.05). Inoculating tomato with AMF before sowing significantly increased the percentage of extra-large fruit, while inoculation with T. harzianum two weeks after sowing lowered the Ca and Mg contents of tomato fruit. Trichoderma harzianum and AMF inoculation increased the lycopene content, but did not affect the antioxidant activity, total flavonoids or vitamin C of the tomato fruit. Results of this study suggested that T. harzianum and AMF have the potential to influence yield and nutrient content of tomato in a greenhouse.

The effect of nursery inoculation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with Trichoderma harzianum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae on fungal root colonization, plant growth, yield and quality of field-grown tomato was investigated. The four treatments included T. harzianum, AMF, T. harzianum'AMF, and uninoculated control. At mid-harvest, 84 days after transplanting, no interactive effect of the fungi on the external mycelium growth was observed. Inoculation with AMF alone or in combination with T. harzianum increased dry shoot weight by 35% and 30%, respectively, during the first season, and by 30% and 21%, respectively, during the second growing season. Trichoderma harzianum increased the percentage of large fruit by 76% in 2008Á2009, whereas AMF increased the percentage of extra-large fruit by 44% in 2009Á2010. Similarly, AMF increased total soluble solids by 10%. Inoculated tomato seedlings with T. harzianum and/or AMF significantly increased early yield of tomato, by 10%, 65% and 70%, respectively, during 2008Á2009, and by 27%, 36% and 37%, respectively during the 2009Á2010 growing season. In conclusion, results of the study suggested that T. harzianum and AMF have the potential to improve growth, early yield and fruit quality of field-grown tomato.

Ginger species play an important economic role as medicinal plants, food flavourings, and dietary supplements. Products from ginger, including oil and fresh and dried rhizomes can be used to treat malaria, asthma, headaches, and act as anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. The cultivation of wild plant species can alleviate the pressure from harvesting from the wild. Under cultivation, the major constraints on crop yield and quality are water availability and plant nutrition. Therefore, the impact of water stress on commercial and African ginger was assessed in the rain shelter study. Irrigation treatments were based on the maximum allowable depletion (MAD) levels of plant available water in the root zone (T1: 20–25% MAD, the control; T2: 40–45% MAD; T3: 60–65% MAD; T4: 80–85% MAD). As water stress decreased, the plant height and number of stems per plant of both plant species were positively affected. The number of open stomata was higher for well-watered and less stressed treatments in both ginger species. Higher fresh and dry rhizome yields were recorded for commercial ginger at all water treatments as compared to those from African ginger. In general, water use efficiency (WUE) of fresh and dry rhizome yield was higher for commercial ginger as compared to the indigenous African ginger, while moderately stressed treatments generally resulted in the highest WUE for both species.

The study evaluated responses of Alternaria solani infected (IN) and non-infected (NIN) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaf anatomy to moringa leaf extract (MLE) application and correlated responses to fruit yield. IN and NIN relates to the infection status of the plants used in the study. MLE concentrations of 0.5, 0.75 and 1.5 kg L -1 (w v -1 ) were prepared.Controls were distilled water (negative) and 50 mg L -1 benzylanimopurine (BAP) cytokinin (positive). Significant interactions were observed for stomatal density (P < 0.001). MLE increased lamina thickness, stomatal density, stomatal size and yield. There was a strong positive correlation between yield, stomatal density, stomatal size and lamina thickness.Stomatal density had the greatest correlation (P value, r = 0.7979) with fruit yield.