The effects of cluster pruning and the K:N ratio on greenhouse tomato yield and quality

Majid Fallah,Mojtaba Delshad,Hossein Sheikhi 한국원예학회 2021 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.62 No.5

Both the number of fruit in a cluster and the K:N ratio in the nutrient solution can aff ect the yield and quality of greenhousegrowntomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum L.). To prevent the loss of photoassimilates to fruit at the end of clusters, which rarelymature and ripen, it is necessary to know the optimal number of fruit in a cluster under diff erent nutritional conditions. In thisstudy, we investigated the eff ects of cluster pruning and the K:N ratio in the nutrient solution on yield, yield components, andquality of tomato fruit grown in a greenhouse. The treatments consisted of fi ve levels of cluster pruning (control or unpruned,and retaining 4, 6, 8, and 10 fruit per cluster), and two levels of the K:N ratio in the nutrient solution (2:1 and 4:1). Underboth K:N ratios, the unpruned and ten-fruit cluster treatments had the highest yield. These treatments also had the highestunripe fruit weight. The highest ripe fruit dimensions and weight were found in four-fruit clusters fed by the solution with aK:N ratio of 2:1. Fruit fi rmness was higher than in other treatments in four-fruit clusters when the K:N ratio was 4:1. Fruitharvested from the four-fruit cluster treatment had the highest titratable acidity compared to the other treatments, while theK:N ratio did not have a signifi cant eff ect on this trait. The highest total soluble solids were found in fruit obtained fromfour-fruit clusters grown with the 2:1 K:N solution. In general, we concluded that under our growing conditions, keepingten fruit in a cluster and adjusting the K:N ratio to 2:1 in the nutrient solution is advisable for the cultivar of cherry tomatoused in this study, although some fruit quality factors may be improved when the number of fruit in clusters is manipulated.

Effects of Salt Stress on Physiological and Postharvest Quality Characteristics of Different Iranian Genotypes of Basil

Farzaneh Bekhradi,Mojtaba Delshad,Alicia Marín,Maria C Luna,Yolanda Garrido,Abdolkarim Kashi,Mesbah Babalar,Maria I Gil 한국원예학회 2015 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.56 No.6

This study examined the effects of salt stress on the physiological responses and postharvest quality characteristics of fresh sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Plants were treated with 40 and 80 mM NaCl for 25 days during cultivation in 2014. Two green genotypes, Green Iranian and Genovese basil, were studied after harvest, and while two Iranian genotypes, Green and Purple Iranian basil, were compared during storage. Yield and the stem length were significantly reduced under salt stress only in the two Iranian cultivars. Salinity significantly reduced leaf thickness and the area of parenchyma cells in both Green Iranian and Genovese basil. As salt concentration increased, transpiration and the content of chlorophylls decreased significantly while the lipid peroxidation increased in the Genovese genotype. During storage at 12°C, the respiration rate of salt-stressed leaves was similar to that of control leaves. The visual quality of Purple Iranian basil was better preserved during storage than the Green Iranian basil. However, salt stress positively affected the visual quality of Green Iranian basil, decreasing darkening and maintaining the quality above the limit of marketability after 7 days of storage. The total content of phenolic acids and anthocyanins did not show significant differences between growth conditions. However, during storage of Green Iranian basil, salt stress increased the content of individual and total phenolic acids compared to the control. To summarize, the positive or negative effects of salt stress on basil depend on the degree of tolerance of the different genotypes.

Effect of Grafting on Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Single and Double Stemmed Tomato Plants Grown Hydroponically

Amir Rahmatian,Mojtaba Delshad,Reza Salehi-Mohammadi 한국원예학회 2014 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.55 No.2

Vegetative growth traits, and fruit yield and quality of ‘Synda’ tomato plants were compared with thosegrafted onto ‘King Kong’ rootstock or self-grafted. All experimental plants were trained to have either one stem(single stemmed) or two stems (double stemmed). Values of stem diameter, leaf area, leaf and root fresh weight (FW),and root dry matter (DM) increased with grafting onto ‘King Kong’. Stem length, stem and root FW, and stem DMin double stemmed plants increased. Mean fruit weight, number of fruits, and yield were significantly increased by11, 17.8, and 27%, respectively, in the grafted plants. Number of fruits and fruit yield increased, while mean fruitweight decreased by 12%, in double stemmed plants. Contents of total soluble solids (TSS) and vitamin C increasedin the fruits harvested from the grafted plants. Grafted and double stemmed plants resulted in significant increase indry matter allocation to different tomato organs.

Leaf Gas Exchanges and Mineral Ion Composition in Xylem Sap of Iranian Melon Affected by Rootstocks and Training Methods

Salehi, Reza,Kashi, Abdolkarim,Lee, Jung-Myung,Babalar, Mesbah,Delshad, Mojtaba,Lee, Sang-Gyu,Huh, Yun-Chan American Society for Horticultural Science 2010 HortScience Vol.45 No.5

<P>Photosynthetic characteristics, concentrations of mineral elements in xylem sap, and some vegetative traits of ‘Khatooni’ melon were compared with those of melons grafted onto three <I>Cucurbita</I> rootstocks cvs., Ace, Shintozwa, and ShintoHongto, and trained with three methods: T1) no pinching and fruit thinning; T2) pinched to produce two lateral branches; and T3) pinched to two branches and all the flowers and lateral branches from lower nodes thinned. Internal CO2 and water use efficiency varied with rootstocks. Stem diameter of scions, aerial fresh and dry weights, mean fruit weight and yield, electric conductivity, pH, and sap volume per plant of grafted plants were higher in grafted melons than in the nongrafted ones. These traits were unaffected by training methods. Mineral concentrations varied considerably depending on the rootstocks and training methods used. Xylem sap collected from the decapitated stem base of grafted melons trained with T2 and T3 methods contained a higher amount of mineral ions, especially NO3<SUP>−</SUP>, PO4<SUP>3−</SUP>, and K<SUP>+</SUP>, than did the sap from own-rooted plants. The increase in the mineral levels in sap resulting from grafting was most apparent in ‘Khatooni’ grafted onto ‘ShintoHongto’ rootstock.</P>

Assessing the Survival and Growth Performance of Iranian Melon to Grafting onto Cucurbita Rootstocks

Reza Salehi-Mohammadi,Abdolkarim Kashi,Sang Gyu Lee(이상규),Yun Chan Huh(허윤찬),Jung-Myung Lee(이정명),Mesbah Babalar,Mojtaba Delshad 한국원예학회 2009 원예과학기술지 Vol.27 No.1

이란의 대표적인 멜론 품종인 ‘Khatooni’ 멜론을 한국에서 사용하고 있는 신토홍토, 에이스, 신토좌 대목에 접목하여 접목 친화성과 생육특성을 조사하였으며 접목하지 않은 자생묘를 대조구로 두었다. 조사항목은 근활력, 줄기길이, 대목직경, 접수직경, 엽수, 엽록소함량, 엽면적, 생체중과 건물중을 접목후 30과 60일에 조사하였다. 대목별로 97% 이상의 친화성을 보였으며, 신토좌 대목을 제외하고 접수보다 대목의 유관속이 많았다. 근활력은 신토좌 대목에 접목한 처리에서 높았고, 줄기 조절에서는 적심을 하지 않은 처리(T1)에서 높았다. 이 실험 결과, 이란 멜론에서도 한국에서 사용되고 있는 대목을 사용하여 접목재배를 적용할 수 있을 것으로 생각되었다. ‘Khatooni’ melon was grafted onto three Cucurbita rootstocks including interspecific hybrids to examine scion-rootstock compatibility and to correlate plant performance under greenhouse conditions. Commercial cultivars, ‘ShintoHongto’, ‘Ace’, and ‘Shintozwa’, were used as rootstock and non-grafted plants used as controls. Root activity, stem length, rootstock hypocotyl diameter, scion hypocotyl diameter, leaf number, chlorophyll content, leaf area, length and width of leaf, fresh and dry weight of top organs and roots were recorded 30 and 60 days after grafting. The rootstocks showed high compatibility of up to 97% with scions. The rootstocks except ‘Shintozwa’ had more vascular bundles than scion plants. Vegetative growth of the grafted melon plants varied markedly, indicating differences in compatibility between the scion and rootstocks. Significant differences in vegetative growth were found in melons grafted onto rootstocks and trained with different training methods and T1 treatment (non-pinched) had higher values. In the grafted melon, root activity was the highest in the ‘Shintozwa’ rootstock. Grafted melon plants trained with T1 treatment in the second measuring time showed higher root activity than other training methods plants. Among the grafted seedlings, all the rootstocks exhibited similar effects. According to the results, practical use of the tested rootstocks can be advisable for Iranian melon.