Assessment Concerning the Role of Foliar Administration of Micronutrients on Growth, Yield, and Quality Characteristics of Vegetable Crops

Vegetables are one of the main elements in terms of ensuring a person's food security and nutritional well-being. Integrated application of macronutrients coupled with adequate incorporation of micronutrients is one of the key factors for quality vegetable production. For ensuring maximum vegetable production with superior quality foliar nutrition is the better alternative in the era of climate change. Foliar application is the easiest and most effective way to administer micronutrients as compared to other methods. Trace elements such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) are essential for vegetable crops. The primary goal of this review article is to investigate the merits of micronutrients and the production potential of various vegetable crops through foliar nutrition. Additionally, this study aims to clarify the role of micronutrients in quality vegetable production. Several studies suggested that the exogenous application of micronutrients has a tremendous effect on overall growth and quality in a variety of crops. Many researchers have demonstrated that applications of Boron @250ppm significantly influenced the fresh weight of fruit, number of fruits per plant, number of seeds per plant, germination%, vigour index and root and shoot lengths of seedlings in sweet pepper. Various researchers also concluded that the application of Zn @1000 ppm + B @200 ppm + Mo @50 ppm provides a significant impact on head diameter, volume of head, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll total in cabbage.

Tissue Culture: Aeon of Micro Propagation in Vegetable Crops

Tissue culture in vegetable crops is a technique that has revolutionized the way we produce and propagate plants. It involves the growth of plant cells, tissues or organs in an artificial nutrient medium under sterile conditions. This method offers numerous advantages, including the production of disease-free plants, rapid multiplication and the ability to grow plants year-round. One of the key benefits of tissue culture in vegetable crops is the production of disease-free plants. By starting with a small piece of healthy tissue such as a leaf or stem, it is possible to grow an entire plant that is free from any pathogens. This is particularly important in vegetable crops, as diseases can significantly reduce yields and quality. By using tissue culture, farmers can ensure that the plants they grow are healthy and resistant to common diseases. Another advantage of tissue culture is the rapid multiplication of plants. Through a process called micropropagation, a single piece of tissue can be used to produce hundreds or even thousands of identical plants within a short period. This is particularly useful for vegetable crops that have a high demand or are difficult to propagate through traditional methods. By using tissue culture, farmers can quickly and efficiently produce large quantities of plants to meet market demands. Furthermore, tissue culture allows for year-round plant production. Unlike traditional methods that are limited by seasonal variations, tissue culture can be done in controlled environments such as laboratories or greenhouses. This means that farmers can grow vegetable crops regardless of the weather conditions outside. This is particularly advantageous for regions with harsh climates or limited growing seasons.

Phytotoxic effect of 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA) against some vegetable crops.

Benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA) is a well known allelochemical that is being explored for its herbicidal activity. However, not much is known about its effect on crop plants. The present study investigated the effect of BOA on germination and early growth of four vegetable crops viz. Pisum sativum L., Raphanus sativus L., Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis and Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata. At 1000 <M, germination of P. sativum, R. sativus and B. oleracea var. botrytis was reduced by more than 50%, whereas that of B. oleracea var. capitata was completely suppressed. Further, BOA reduced the root and shoot length of the test plants by ~ 40-82% and ~55-85%, respectively. In general, the effect was more pronounced on the root (~82% in B. oleracea var. botrytis) than on the shoot growth (~73% B. oleracea var. botrytis). 2- Benzoxazolinone significantly enhanced the contents of proteins (by 6-28%) and carbohydrates (by 61- 189%) in B. oleracea var. capitata and decreased the activities of related enzymes like proteases (by 13- 36%), a-amylases (19-60%) and b-amylase (25-70%). The observed decline in the activities of hydrolytic enzymes amylases suggest that BOA interferes with the vital metabolic processes in the germinating seedlings leading to growth reduction. The study reveals that BOA interferes with the germination and early seedling growth of vegetable crops and induces biochemical alterations.

Assessment of allelopathic properties of Aloe ferox Mill. on turnip, beetroot and carrot

Turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa L.), beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.) are common vegetables in South Africa. The allelopathic potential of aqueous leaf and root extracts of Aloe ferox Mill.- a highly valued medicinal plant- was evaluated against seed germination and seedling growth of the three vegetables in Petri dish experiments. The extracts were tested at concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/mL. Leaf extract concentrations above 4 mg/mL inhibited the germination of all the crops, while the root extract had no significant effect on germination irrespective of concentration. Interestingly, the lowest concentration of leaf extract stimulated root length elongation of beetroot by 31.71%. Other concentrations significantly inhibited both root and shoot growth of the vegetable crops except the turnip shoot. The most sensitive crop was carrot, with percentage inhibition ranging from 29.15 to 100% for root and shoot lengths. Lower percentage inhibition was observed for the root extract than the leaf extract against shoot growth of beetroot and carrot. The results from this study suggested the presence of allelochemicals mostly in the leaves of A. ferox that could inhibit the growth of the turnip, beetroot and carrot.

New hosts of Myrothecium spp. in Brazil and a preliminary in vitro assay of fungicides

Myrothecium roridum and M. verrucaria are two plant pathogenic species causing foliar spots in a large number of cultivated plants. This paper aims to study the causal agents of foliar spots in vegetable crops (sweet pepper, tomato and cucumber), ornamental plants (Spathiphyllum wallisii, Solidago canadensis, Anthurium andreanum, Dieffenbachia amoena) and a solanaceous weed plant (Nicandra physaloides). Most of the isolates were identified as M. roridum; only the isolate 'Myr-02' from S. canadensis was identified as M. verrucaria. All the isolates were pathogenic to their original plant hosts and also to some other plants. Some fungicides were tested in vitro against an isolate of M. roridum and the mycelial growth recorded after seven days. Fungicides with quartenary ammonium, tebuconazole and copper were highly effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth of M. roridum. This paper confirms the first record of M. roridum causing leaf spots in sweet pepper, tomato, Spathiphyllum, Anthurium, Dieffenbachia and N. physaloides in Brazil. We also report M. roridum as causal agent of cucumber fruit rot and M. verrucaria as a pathogen of tango plants.