No abstract

to study the effect of five types of polypropylene packages (non-perforated, perforated with 8, 16, 24 and 32 microholes) on storability and quality of dill during cold storage for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days at 0±1°C, in addition to 2 and 4 days at 10±1°C as shelf life. Weight loss, appearance, off-odor, taste, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, soluble solids content (SSC), total sugars content and total phenolic were measured. The results indicated that the microperforated polypropylene package with 24 microholes had the best taste and appearance, and the highest total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, sugars and phenolic and lowest off-odor during the cold storage period at 0±1 °C for 28 days and shelf life for 4 days at 10 ± 1°C in comparison with the other packages. At the end of cold storage and period of shelf life, the microperforated polypropylene package with 24 microholes maintained the quality of dill.

Spraying pigeon pea plants with Fe, Mn and Zn at 100 or 200 mg/l increased average pod number/plant, total fresh weight and seed yield compared with control (unsprayed). Mn at 100 mg/l gave the highest fresh yield and seed yield/feddan. Also, spraying pea plants with Mn at 100 mg/l increased vine yield as green fresh forage (16.35 ton/fed) followed by spraying pea plants with Zn at 100 mg/l (15.90 ton/fed).

Fertilization of pigeon pea plants with organic, bio and mineral N fertilizers at different rates increased growth and yield compared with control. However mineral N at 80 kg/fed or/with cattle manure at 25 m 3 /fed or with compost at 8 ton/fed were the best treatments for average pod number/plant, fresh yield and seed yield/fed. Fertilization of pigeon pea plants grown in sandy loam soil during summer plantations with cattle manure at 25 m 3 /fed increased vine yield as fresh green forage for animals (21.55 ton/fed) followed by fertilization with mineral N at 80 kg/fed (18.75 ton/fed).

The study aimed to investigate the effect ofmaturity stage on the nutritional quality and determination of the best maturity stage of sugar snap peassuitable for harvesting. Results showed that fresh weight of pods was increasedand then decreased.Length and width increased until 48, 32 days after flowering (DAF), respectively, and then decreased. Dry matter and crude fiber increased while chlorophyll and vitamin C decreased during pod development. Sugar content and SSC increased and then decreased while phenolic content decreased, and then increased with maturation of pod.The obtained results showed that the best maturity stage is at 28 DAF.