The purpose of the presented study was to determine the best mineral composition of media and plant growth regulators in the micropropagation of the ‘Gisela 5’ (Prunus cerasus × P. canescens) dwarf sweet cherry rootstock. Nodal explants from young healthy shoots were excised and cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium without growth regulators. In vitro raised shoot tips were transferred to three culture media including Murashige and Skoog (MS), Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW) and Lloyd and McCown (WPM) containing benzyl adenine (BA) (0.5, 1 or 2 mg·l−1) in combination with kinetin (Kin) at 0 or 0.5 mg·l−1. WPM and DKW media were proving to be the most effective, resulting in a higher percentage of shoot multiplication and shoot number as compared to MS. BA in concentration 2 mg·l−1 resulted in the highest number of microshoots per explant (3.1). For rooting, 0, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg·l−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on MS, DKW and WPM media were tested. WPM medium containing 2 mg·l−1 IBA was most effective for rooting (93.7%) in comparison to MS (53.1%) and DKW (14.0%). Rooted plantlets were successfully hardened and established in pots.

AbstractThe present study describes a protocol for micro-propagation, callus induction, and shoot regeneration of ginger (Zingiber officinale). The rhizomes were surface-sterilized with ethanol (70%) for 45 s, sodium hypochlorite (2.5%) for 10 min, and mercuric chloride (0.1%) for 10 min. Multiple shoots were induced from sprouting bud explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzyladenine (BA) combined with kinetin (Kin). The maximum shoot number was obtained from MS medium containing 10 mg/l BA with a mean of 20.6 shoots per explant. The leaf explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), Dicamba, or BA for callus culture. Green-red compact calli were induced using 2,4-D, Dicamba or BA. Also, BA successfully induced plant regeneration. The multiplied shoots that were transferred to the rooting medium (½MS supplemented with 0, 1 and 2 mg/l IAA, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or NAA) showed development of roots (100%). The rooted plantlets were transferred to pots containing a 1:1 mixture of cocopeat and perlite, and acclimatization was successful, resulting in 85% survival of the plantlets in the greenhouse.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of wax, polyethylene film (19 μm thickness) and storage time on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics and shelf life of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin fruit (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. ‘Kinnow’) stored at 5°C for 90 days. The mandarins were analyzed for physicochemical characters such as weight loss, weight of fruit, flesh, pulp, juice and peel, as well as total soluble solids (TSS) content, titratable acidity (TA), and pH. Polyethylene film wrapping reduced fresh weight loss and resulted in the highest fruit weight at the end of the 90-day cold storage period. No significant differences were found among coating treatments in pH, TSS, TA content and TSS/TA. The results revealed an increasing trend in TSS and TSS/TA during storage. It is recommended to use polyethylene coating on ‘Kinnow’ mandarins to prevent weight loss and preserve quality during storage at low temperature (5°C) up to 90 days.

An investigation was carried out to determine the ability of foliar fertilizers and growth regulators to prevent pre-harvest drop and enhance navel orange fruit quality. Fifteen year old trees of the Thompson Navel orange variety were sprayed with aqueous solutions of one of the following: methanol (0.13%), calcium nitrate (0.25%), zinc sulfate (1%) + urea (0.5%), fermented sugar- cane extract (2.8%), salicylic acid (1 or 3 mM), citric acid (5 mM), or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (0.002%). Results indicated that foliar treatment with 2,4-D reduced fruit drop (2.6%) as compared to the control (15.2%). Fruit decay was delayed and flavor improved by 5 mM citric acid. Weight loss was reduced after 3mM salicylic acid applica- tion, while methanol (0.13%), salicylic acid (1 and 3 mM) and citric acid (5 mM) caused a delay in fruit coloring.

Hybrid cultivars are commercially and economically important; hence, too much effort needed to improve the quality and quantity of hybrids. In this research project, general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability of 32 doubled haploid (DH) lines of sweet pepper produced via microspore embryogenesis were evaluated. The DH lines were crossed with the top cross parent as the tester to evaluate general combining ability (GCA). Traits including morphological and yield-related characteristics to assess the general combining ability of lines were recorded and analyzed. The half-diallel mating crosses were performed using GCA based on the selected seven DH lines for SCA evaluation. Mean squares of GCA and SCA values were highly significant for most of the characters. DH55 line indicated the highest positive GCA for average yield per plant, moreover, the highest positive SCA was obtained for 55×64 hybrid. The ratio of \(\frac{MS \left(GCA\right)}{MS \left(SCA\right)}\) showed the non-additive gene actions in controlling all traits except fruit width and length and seed fresh weight. According to the results of specific combining ability of DH lines, four F1 hybrids were selected for new cultivar registration. The results obtained in the present study are applicable to release new F1- hybrids, which can be more reliable than those hybrids introduced by conventional selfing programs in sweet pepper due to 100% genetic purity of DH lines.