February 2011

The effect of vermicompost and other fertilizers on cultivation of tomato plants

  Field trials were conducted using different fertilizers having equal concentration of nutrients to determine their impact on different growth parameters of tomato plants. Six types of experimental plots were prepared whereT1 was kept as control and five others were treated by different category of fertilizers (T2-Chemical fertilizers, T3-Farm Yard Manure (FYM), T4-Vermicompost, T5 and T6- FYM...

Author(s): Goutam Kumar Chanda, Goutam Bhunia and Susanta Kumar Chakraborty

February 2011

Fruit yield of virus-resistant transgenic summer squash in simulated commercial plantings under conditions of high disease pressure

  Fruit yield of transgenic crookneck summer squash ZW-20 resistant to Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) and of a susceptible nontransgenic lineage of the same genotype was compared over two consecutive years. Field trials relied on small-scale plantings that reflected commercial settings under conditions of severe disease pressure by ZYMV and WMV with infection achieved via...

Author(s): Ferdinand E. Klas, Marc Fuchs and Dennis Gonsalves,

February 2011

Efficiency of seed extraction methods in the control of loss and low seed quality in egusi melon (Colocynthis citrullus L.)

  This study determines the effect of methods of seed extraction on seed loss and viability on Egusi melon (Colocynthis citrullus L). Three methods of fruit breaking; vertical cut with knife, horizontal cut with knife and hitting with wooden club were tested to determine their effect on seed damage. Three covering materials; grass straw, black polyethylene sheet and no cover were also tested to determine...

Author(s): Ogbonna, P. E. and Odo, L. C.

February 2011

Aqueous ozone in the root zone: Friend or foe?

  Aqueous ozone (O3(aq)) solutions were applied to the rockwool substrate of hydroponically cultured tomato and cucumber plants. Single applications of high concentration solutions (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/L), as well as repeated application of lower concentration solutions (0, 2, 4, 6 mg/L), had no impact on leaf area and shoot dry weight accumulation. Repeated O3(aq) applications were also applied to...

Author(s): Thomas Graham, Ping Zhang and Michael Dixon