Tomato is the second most important non-cereal crop after potato in terms of consumption and agro-based industries worldwide. In this study, we examined fruit quality characteristics and cell wall-associated fruit softening of three different-coloured tomatoes, ‘Sarikiz’ with yellow, ‘Moda’ with orange and ‘Cherry’ with red colour, harvested at the mature green, breaker, and ripe stages, and stored

High salinity in soil is probably one of the most significant abiotic factors limiting plant/crop growth and development in arid and semi-arid regions. The objective of this study was to screen triticale varieties for tolerance or susceptibility to salt stress. Seedlings from 13 triticale varieties, durum wheat and rye genotypes were subjected to different salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250

Humic acid comprises the major part of humic substances and the most important component of soil organic matter (humus) that increases crop yield and quality. This research aimed to investigate the effects of amount and time of humic acid (HA) application on quantitative (plant height, seed yield, biologic yield and harvest index) and qualitative traits (seed protein yield, moisture, and nutrients)

Biochar (BC) is known to enhance plant growth and may activate plant resistance to various soil borne pathogens. In this experiment, the rice husk (RH) BC was combined with biocontrol agents (BCAs), Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum against Meloidogyne incognita in tomato and the efficacy of BC and BCAs in boosting overall plant biomass assessed side by side. BCAs along with 3% RH BC were

Acid rain is one of the major environmental problems that causes plant morphological and physiological disorders. But there are few studies about the impact of acid rain on vegetable crops. This work aimed to study the various effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) at different levels of pH (5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5 or 3.0) on growth, yield, pigment content, protein, carbohydrate, water content in leaves,

Two field trials were conducted in 2018 and 2019 to develop practical and economically efficient weed control programs in corn. The experiment included six treatments (cowpea, rice straw, sorghum extract, hoeing, foramsulfuron herbicide and weedy check). The treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design with four replicates. Findings showed that reduction in total weed number was evident

Salinity is a complex abiotic stress that affects physiology and biochemistry of plants and significantly reduces both crop yield and quality. Considering the global increase in soil salinity, it is required to develop salt-tolerant cultivars for various crops. Solanum lycopersicum L. is an important Solanaceous crop with a diverse level of genotype dependent salt tolerance. However, the evaluation

Research has shown the occurrence of the hormesis effect in some upland rice cultures resulting from low-dose application of glyphosate. Glyphosate herbicide is widely used in Brazilian agriculture for controlling the large quantity of weeds. The aim of this work was to verify the effects of low-dose application of glyphosate herbicide on agronomic characteristics in upland rice. The experimental design

Der Anbau von Winterraps (Brassica napus L.) wird durch das Auftreten tierischer Schaderreger begleitet, wodurch ein intensiver Insektizid-Einsatz nötig ist. Insbesondere das Anwendungsverbot neonicotinoider Beizen in Winterraps schränkt jedoch die Möglichkeiten der Insektenbekämpfung für landwirtschaftliche Betriebe in der Europäischen Union (EU) ein. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht den Insektizid-Einsatz

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is an economically important nut crop that is prone to drought stress since it is mainly produced in arid and semi-arid regions. Considering the possible impact of salicylic acid (SA) on drought tolerance of pistachio, several physiological and biochemical responses of pistachio seedlings to foliar application of SA under progressive drought treatment were investigated

Phosphites and chitosan were evaluated in target spot control, nutrition and gas exchange in cucumbers. Three weekly sprayings of commercial products were conducted, and Corynespora cassiicola (causal agent of target spot) was inoculated in the second and third true leaves four days after the last spraying. Zn, Mn, K and Cu phosphites reduced the disease severity, but the treatments had no effect on

Soil salinity is one of the ecological problems limiting plant growth and development, especially in semi-arid and arid regions where water availability is very limited. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Asteraceae) is known for its sweetness and non-caloric products (steviol glycosides). It can be considered as a plant for the future sugar industry and human health nutrition. The present work aims to study

Soluble silicon (Si) plays a pivotal role in the nutritional status of a wide variety of field crops and helps them, whether directly or indirectly, counteract fungal diseases. There is a paucity of information about the effect of Si on reducing Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in wheat. This study aimed to evaluate the function of Si supplied to bread (moderately resistant) and durum (susceptible)

Irrigation with saline water can act as an alternate water resource and thus plays an important role in saving freshwater resources as well as promoting agriculture. Furthermore, salinity stress is considered one of the major abiotic stress factors, which strongly reduces crop productivity. In this context, the present work was conducted to examine the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) application

Application of nanoparticles (NPs) in the management of plant diseases may reduce the use of pesticides and enhance food security. In this study, the effects of TiO2 NPs in 100 and 200 mg L−1 concentrations were examined against Meloidogyne incognita (Mi), Pectobacterium betavasculorum (Pb) and Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) under in vitro conditions and in a pot experiment. TiO2 NPs inhibited the growth

In this study, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) inbred lines were grafted onto different rootstock genotypes and tested under saline conditions. A hydroponic experiment was conducted in nutrient solution growth system in a growth chamber of Erciyes University, Agricultural Faculty in Kayseri, Turkey. The experiment was conducted in spring 2017 growth season. Two pepper inbred lines (ERÜ-462 and ERÜ-1227)

Alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWDI) is a water-conserving strategy in rice fields. An experiment, conducted as a split-split plot design and based on a randomized complete block design with three repetitions, investigated the effect of intermittent irrigation and nitrogen on yield and water-use efficiency during 2017 and 2018 crop years in northern Iran. The irrigation intervals (flooding

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) is widely used in food, medicine, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This research was conducted to determine the effect of six different irrigation water salinities (S1 = 0.38, S2 = 1.5, S3 = 2.5, S4 = 4, S5 = 7 and S6 = 10 dS m−1) and two levels of foliar application of salicylic acid (SA1 = 0 mM and SA2 = 2 mM) on yield, yield parameters, and antioxidant

The effect of weed control in chickpea crop was assessed during 2011–12 and 2012-–13 in two-year experimentation at Ahmad Wala Research Station district Karak, Pakistan. Both experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with split-split-plot arrangement, each treatment replicated four times. Five chickpea varieties were selected for this research as factor A that included three Desi

The goal of the present study was to determine whether grafting of watermelon on gourd rootstocks could improve alkalinity tolerance and to investigate the physiological and morphological response mechanisms of the grafted plants under different pH levels. The experiment was carried out in a climate chamber to investigate growth, leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD), leaf area, stem length, shoot and root

To assess whether grafting could improve the nitrogen (N) efficiency of potato cultivars and to determine which physiological and morphological characteristics are predominantly contributing to N efficiency, a hydroponic experiment was conducted. Two contrasting potato cultivars (Agria: N‑efficient and Van Gogh: N‑inefficient) were grafted reciprocally onto each other. Grafted and non-grafted control

Vegetables in the tropics are grown continuously throughout the year due to the favorable climate. Unfortunately, leafy vegetables are often damaged because of slugs and snails. These mollusks and other herbivores cause different levels of defoliation to plants which can significantly impact their growth, production, and quality of the harvested product. A study was carried out in order to artificially

Globally, rationalizing and converting each drop of irrigation water into food is a crucial act in agricultural production, particularly with climatic change concerns. Thus, the current study seeks to find an integral practice between irrigation pattern and weed control for saving the irrigation water in peanut fields with improving the nutritional value of the seeds. In sandy loam soil, under two

A factorial split-plot experiment (2015–17) was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Karaj, Iran, to investigate the quantitative and qualitative responses of rapeseed genotypes to the exogenous application of salicylic acid at various plant densities. Three plant densities (40, 50, and 60 plants m−2) and two levels of application of salicylic acid (non-application

The two-location field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of Thiobacillus and different levels of sulfur fertilizer on growth and physiological indices in the replacement intercropping of sesame and mung bean. A factorial experiment was performed based on a randomized complete block design in 3 replications in 2018. The experimental factors consisted of cropping ratio at five levels:

Foliar application of micronutrients and plant growth regulators (PGRs) is one of the strategies of plant-feeding direct through leaves to allow rapid uptake irrespective of soil condition. This is the best way to enhance nutrient balance and its accumulation in the crops that, in turn, lead to improved crop yield and quality. This research studied the effect of boron (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm) and

In this experiment, Jimai 22 was used as test material to investigate the impacts of acetochlor on the growth characteri*stics of dryland wheat and its residue in wheat grain and soil under field conditions. The results showed that acetochlor at a dosage of 750 g hm−2 could effectively control weeds in wheat fields and benefit the growth of wheat in dryland. The plant height, ear length, number of

The use of herbicides and growth regulators in agricultural crops to reduce vegetative growth is widely studied worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic traits of upland rice subjected to low doses of glufosinate-ammonium applied at different development stages. The treatments consisted of five low doses (0; 15; 30; 60; and 100 g a.i. ha−1; a.i.: active ingredient) of glufosinate-ammonium

Schwellenwerte im Pflanzenschutz sollen einen Anhaltspunkt geben, bei welcher Schaderregerdichte eine Bekämpfung mit Pflanzenschutzmitteln erfolgen soll bzw. wirtschaftlich sinnvoll ist. Für zahlreiche Ackerbaukulturen sind in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten Schwellenwerte erarbeitet bzw. festgesetzt worden. Wirtschaftliche Schadensschwellen, Bekämpfungsschwellen sowie Bekämpfungsrichtwerte sind Begriffe

Management of plant nutrition using fertilizers is an approach to deal with drought and to increase water productivity in paddies. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effects of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers and drought stress on water use efficiency (WUE) and physiological traits of Gilaneh rice in split-plot experiments based on a randomized complete block design with three

Combining tillage with herbicides is an economical and efficient method for weed management and yield improvement in wheat. A two-year study was conducted having three tillage levels viz. 2″ tillage (shallow tillage, ST), 4″ tillage (conventional tillage, CT) and 6″ tillage (deep tillage, DT). The weed control treatments were five including three herbicides i.e. bromoxynil + MCPA (a broad-leaf weed

Die acht allgemeinen Grundsätze des integrierten Pflanzenschutzes (IPS) sind als über die Kulturarten allgemeingültiger Leitfaden zur Umsetzung des IPS auf den landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben gedacht. Sie greifen vorbeugende und aktiv eingreifende Methoden zur Verminderung des Schädlingsdrucks an den Kulturpflanzen auf und zeichnen ein derzeitiges Idealbild des Pflanzenschutzes. Eine Betrachtung der

A six-year experiment was carried out with natural variation in temperature and rainfall during grain filling period between 2011–17 growing seasons to investigate the effects of different environments and cultivars on quantity and quality of bread wheat. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design arranged with three replicates. Eight wheat cultivars (Pishgam, Sirvan, Parsi

Cotton leaf worm (Spodoptera littoralis) is considered one of the most destructive agricultural pests in Egypt. It is overcome by the producer by using chemical pesticides, but that leads to the appearance of new generations and causes environmental pollution. So in the present investigation six soybean genotypes (Giza-82, Giza 22, Giza 83, Giza 21, Giza 35 and Giza 111) were planted under natural

Root-knot nematodes are mainly controlled by using synthetic nematicides, but their excessive use is prohibited due to associated health hazards which demand for suitable alternatives. The overreliance on nematicides can be curtailed by using biological control agents possessing nematicidal or nematostatic properties. Therefore, in the present study, effectiveness of seven indigenous species of Trichoderma

Our research was carried out to determine the effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the yield and quality parameters of tomato plants in organic farming conditions. In our study, Bacillus megaterium M‑3, Paenibacillus polymxa, Burkholderia cepacia, Azospirillum sp-245 bacterial strains were applied by three different applications methods such as to the soil, root region and leaves

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00528-0

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00526-2

Winter triticale (Triticale) cv. Dinaro and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cv. Dańkowskie Diament were grown in 2012 and 2013 in a field-plot experiment in Tomaszkowo near Olsztyn (NE Poland). The experiment consisted of 7 treatments: absolute control (without fertilizers or the growth stimulator), control-NPK fertilizer, NPK fertilizer + micronutrients applied alone or in combination (4 treatments)

During the past few decades, extensive use of herbicides has created ecological and environmental problems such as dominance of minor weeds due to their resistance to herbicides, and human health hazards. Recognising these problems, an experiment was conducted in two consecutive wheat seasons during 2012–2014 in Central Bangladesh to evaluate five weed control methods: (i) control (weedy check), (ii) one

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forages and legume crops in the Mediterranean region, where extensive soil exploitation and low soil fertility are among the factor limiting its production. In this study, a field experiment was carried out in the semi-arid area of Morocco, in order to assess the influence of the individual and combined application of autochthonous arbuscular

Origanum is one of the most important medicinal plants used worldwide due to the economic importance, quantity and quality of essential oil and antioxidant properties. Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that cause deleterious damage to plants. As a bio-elicitor, chitosan prevents severe damage to plants under stress conditions by triggering plant defense mechanisms. To investigate the effects

The present work aimed to study the effect of compost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on soil physicochemical parameters on garlic (Allium sativum L.) growth, physiology, biochemical traits, and yield under environmental conditions. The application of AMF or compost increased both carbonic and mineral contents in soil. An improvement of 92% and 35% was observed in case of total organic carbon

Maximizing the utilization of water unit is of paramount importance in arid zones and worldwide. This is even more significant when plants are subjected to both thermal and water stress. Hence, a two-year (2014 and 2015 seasons) field trial was carried out to study the effect of three sowing dates (April 21, May 21, and June 21); two irrigation levels (I100 and I85) and two ascorbic acid rates, ASA

In this study, an experiment was conducted to describe the effects of using microwaves and chemical fertilization (isolated and combined) on the number of bacteria and fungi in the soil and on the growth of cowpea plants Vigna unguiculata L. Several times of exposure to microwave radiation (0, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 s) and several concentrations of chemical fertilizer NPK (0, 0.9, 1.8 g 3 kg−1 soil) were

Stink bugs are considered limiting pests to important crops worldwide. In Brazil, the green-belly stink bug, Dichelops melacanthus Dallas (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), has become a key pest to the young phase of corn crop, being a problem especially when it succeeds soybean in the field. Injuries caused by this species vary from holes on new leaves to plant death in severe attacks. The main control technique

Nanoparticles are regularly released into our atmosphere, and the study of their effect on edible crop plants is of great interest today. This study accounts the enviro-friendly production of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) using Sarcococca saligna (D.Don) Muell.-Arg. leaf extract and the effect of these SNPs on growth and biochemical attributes of soybean (Glycine max L.). The nanoparticles obtained were

The whitebacked planthopper, Sogatella furcifera Horváth (Homoptera: Delphacidae), is a serious pest of rice crop in Pakistan. In the current study the efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Akanthomyces lecanii was evaluated against whitebacked planthopper (WBPH) under laboratory and field conditions. There were two concentrations of entomopathogenic fungi

Cucumber and other Cucurbitaceae plants have a high transpiration rate and sensitivity to water deficit stress. Ascorbic acid (AsA) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) participate in a variety of plant processes and increase plant resistance to different stresses. The current study was aimed to assess the efficacy of the foliar application of AsA (100, 200 and 300 mg l−1) and GABA (20 and 40 mM) on

To determine the effect of plant density and humic acid on canola yield, a 2-year field experiment was conducted as a factorial split-plot during the 2014–2016 cropping years. The factors included two humic acid levels (humic acid solution at 3/1000 [v/v] concentration and distilled water) and three plant densities (40, 60, and 80 plants per m2) in the main plots and six canola genotypes (Ahmadi, Okapi

Quinoa is a traditional Andean seed crop highly tolerant to abiotic stresses. Since most seed crops cultivars are sensitive to drought stress, quinoa is considered as a valuable candidate for severe environmental conditions to which the plant is exposed. In this study we focused on the impact of hydropriming on drought tolerance in three quinoa cultivars (Q26, Q29 and Titicaca) in two arid regions

Weeds infestation poses huge threat to agricultural crop production systems and their management in modern agriculture. It is imperative to reduce yield losses and ensure food security. In order to minimize herbicide application, a study was carried out to evaluate the allelopathic potential of leaves extracts tested on weed suppression in wheat crop under rainfed conditions. Leaves extracts of Moringa

The superiority of the dynamic ripening and analysis (DRA) system based on a filter for all directions of use compared to the currently valid ripening system with the usage-specific ripening figures separated into silage and grain maize in Germany is demonstrated in a system-biological way. The silage maize ripeness index (SRI) as the sole indicator for the fixation of the harvest time, the evidence

Plants exposed to suboptimal temperatures suffer damage to physiological processes, growth, development and yield. Acting as enhancers of physiological and metabolic performance of plants, biostimulants have been used to mitigate crop damage caused by abiotic stresses. This study aimed to determine which formulation and dosage of FH Attivus® biostimulant have the best effects on the development of

Farmers are facing severe problems with weed competition in cereal crops. Grass-weeds and perennial weed species became more abundant in Europe mainly due to high percentages of cereal crops in cropping systems and reduced tillage practices combined with continuous applications of herbicides with the same mode of action. Several weed populations have evolved resistance to herbicides. Precision weed

The indiscriminate use of synthetic insecticides has led to the emergence of resistant populations of Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), hindering its control and causing economic damage to brassica production. Thus, in order to seek control alternatives, this study aimed at assessing the bioactivity of the ethanolic extracts of Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae), Annona coriacea

A pot experiment was conducted to observe the effect of salicylic acid on qualitative and quantitative attributes of tomato plants under salinity stress at Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab, Peshawar during the summer season 2016. The experiment was conducted in a shade house and laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) having 12 treatments and replicated thrice. After 15 days of transplantation

Herbizide Wirkstoffe werden in kommerziellen Produkten manchmal mit Safenern kombiniert, um die Verträglichkeit des Herbizids für die Kulturpflanze zu gewährleisten. Dabei regen Safener meist die Metabolisierung von Herbiziden in der Kulturpflanze an. Das Herbizid Isoxaflutole (IFT) wird in Mais mit dem Safener Cyprosulfamid (CSA) als Co-Formulierung angewendet. In dieser Arbeit wurde untersucht, ob

Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a substantial pest of Okra crop, Abelmoschus esculentus, that caused substantial losses through sucking cell sap. On the basis of susceptibility, a field experiment was carried out to assess the different genotypes of A. esculentus during growing season (July–August) against B. tabaci. Plant genotype resistance and vigor were also evaluated in this

Considering that some bioactive compounds are more soluble in ethanol than in water, we tried to evaluate the bioactivity of the ethanolic extracts of Alibertia edulis, Alibertia intermedia and Alibertia sessilis leaves at concentrations of 1 and 3% on the biological characteristics of parental and F1 generations of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Thus, the ethanolic