Citrus fruits are prominent crop of tropical and sub-tropical region which require suitable climate for quality production. Kinnow mandarin is dominant cultivated in the plain of the Punjab, Pakistan. Being a perennial crop, citrus is more vulnerable to changing environmental conditions and both physical and biochemical quality parameters are deteriorated by erratic behavior of weather around the year. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of climate change on citrus industry of Pakistan and selected three main citrus groves of the Punjab province. The selected orchards were uniform in age, vigor and planting geometry by using factorial (RCBD) while survey design was performed to assess impact of climate change on Kinnow fruit industry. Climate change has triggered pest's infestation, disease incidence and water use and ultimately increased inputs cost. Heat and drought stress and fog was more observed in Vehari and Toba Tek Singh (TTS) and more yield reduction and low quality was recorded in these districts than Sargodha. Processing cost increased and more export risk was seen with market fluctuation in climate change scenario. Increased in input cost, water requirement of plant, reduction in net return and uncertain market were observed. Climate change has directly affected citrus industry and scientific approach requires addressing these challenges.
In this study, we developed a glycerol-mediated safe and facile method to synthesize colored titania nanoparticles (NPs) via solution route. Our method is considerably effective and greener than other options currently available. Colored titania NPs were produced by hydrolyzing TiCl4 precursor in aqueous solution containing different concentrations of glycerol (0.0, 1.163, 3.834, and 5.815 mol/L) and subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 1 h. Our results highlight firstly that glycerol-mediated synthesis is unlikely to affect the anatase crystalline structure of TiO2, and secondly, that it would lead to coloration, band gap narrowing, and a remarkable bathochromic redshift of the optical response of titania. More importantly, the synthesized colored titania have Ti3+ ions, which, at least in terms of our samples, is the major factor responsible for its coloration. These Ti3+ species could induce mid gap states in the band gap, which significantly improve the visible light absorption capability and photocatalytic performance of the colored titania. The photocatalytic experiments showed that the colored TiO2 NPs prepared in 1.163 mol/L aqueous glycerol solution displayed the best photocatalytic performance. Almost 48.17% of phenolic compounds and 62.18% of color were removed from treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) within 180 min of visible light irradiation.
At earlier maturation, Kinnow mandarin color-break fruits were analyzed for internal quality. Ten fruits were harvested from dark green to fully red or yellow colored at field on visual observation and arranged in order of dark green to deep red or yellow through Chroma meter after being numbered as 1 to 10. Three aliquots were analyzed as per replicate. In red colored fruits juice, a decreasing trend of titratable acidity, ascorbic acid and total soluble salts were found with increasing pattern of sugars, total soluble solid and pH. Similarly in peel, low chlorophyll contents and highest carotenoids were recorded in red colored fruits. Total phenolic contents in juice were similar with declining trend in peel from green to red colored fruits. In juice both flavonoids and flavonols were constant but in peel flavonols increase were noted in red colored fruits. Total anthocyanins exhibited an increasing trend in red colored fruit for both, the peel and juice. Antioxidant activity was increased in juice and decreased in peel for red c olored fruits. Nutritional values of green color peel fruits are alike those of red colored, but with reduced sugars, and sweetness were duly noted regarding their domestic consumers acceptance. Green color fruits have more ascorbic acid, polyphenols and r educing sugars are equally valuable like red colored Kinnow, thus both types are of Kinnow are best for the purpose of export .
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