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*Department of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat. Corresponding e-mail: alkaflori@nau.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.73
Key words: Dendrobium, cut spikes, spermine, 8-hydroxyquinoline, sucrose, GA3, lipoxygenase, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, tepal, senescence, vase life
Abstract: An investigation was conducted to study the synergistic effect of spermine, 8-hydroxyquinoline and sucrose on postharvest physiology and flower quality of Dendrobium cut spikes. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomised design with 10 vase-solution treatments including a tap-water control, and three replications. The cut spikes were kept under controlled conditions of temperature 24 ± 2 °C, relative humidity 60–70% and photoperiod 8 ± 2 h day-1. Different chemicals, including 8-hydroxyquinoline, sucrose, ?-lipoic acid, citric acid, aluminium sulphate, spermine and GA3 and their combinations were tested as vase solution treatments. Among all the vase solution treatments, spermine (100 mg L-1) + 8-hydroxyquinoline (300 mg L-1) + sucrose (3%) was found to be most effective in maintaining quantitative parameters like water uptake and total soluble sugars in tepal tissue of orchid cut spikes.The same vase solution treatment maintained higher catalase activity while reducing lipoxygenase activity, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage in tepal cells, thus significantly delaying senescence. The best treatment prolonged vase life up to 29.30 days which is 96% more than the control. Further, qualitative parameters were influenced by vase solution treatments. Also, percentage bud opening per spike and anthocyanin pigment content in tepals of Dendrobium cut spikes held in vase solution treatment comprising of spermine (100 mg L-1) + 8-hydroxyquinoline (300 mg L-1) + sucrose (3%) were significantly improved over control.
¹Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt. ²Manufacturing Engineering and Food Packaging Research Department, Food Technology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt. ³Antoniadis Research Branch, Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Alexandria, Egypt. ?Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt. Corresponding e-mail: dr.taghreed.eissa.2019@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.74
Key words: Rosa hybrida L, modified atmosphere packaging, active MAP, polypropylene film, cold storage, shelf life, carbon dioxide, postharvest quality
Abstract: Roses are among the most commercially valuable cut flowers worldwide; however, their vase life is often limited by petal abscission and rapid deterioration during transport and storage. The current study investigated the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on postharvest quality and shelf life of cut roses (cv. ‘Anna’) during long-distance shipping. The experiments were carried out during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Two factors were investigated: packaging film type (low-density polyethylene, LDPE, and polypropylene, PP) and five atmospheric compositions. The treatments included passive MAP (ambient air), MAP with 5% O? +5% CO?, 5% O? + 10% CO?, and 5% O?, + 15% CO? in addition to an open-package control. The results showed that MAP significantly significantly improved postharvest performance.. To simulate export conditions, a set of flowers was removed after 5 days of cold storage to evaluate vase life, which reached 17.80 and 17.90 days in the first and second seasons, respectively, under active-MAP with PP films. Simultaneously, the maximum total storage life was evaluated for flowers kept under continuous refrigeration, achieving a significant extension of up to 28.87 days under the same treatment. This treatment also enhanced fresh weight, water uptake, total carbohydrate content, and general appearance, and decreased water loss while maintaining higher anthocyanin content. The present results suggest that PP films combined with a modified atmosphere of 5% O2 +15 CO2 can be a practical and practical approach to maintain freshness, reduce physiological damage, and prolong the marketability of cut roses during long-distance transport.
Biology Department, Science and Mathematics Faculty, Diponegoro University, Prof. Jacob Rais Street, Tembalang, Semarang, Central Java 50275, Indonesia. Corresponding e-mail: darmantisri@yahoo.co.id
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.75
Key words: Seed dormancy, ABA signal, GA, germination rate, germination percentage, germination index
Abstract: Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is a horticultural product with high economic value due to its distinctive taste and aroma preferred by consumers. Arabica coffee production is still limited, partly because seedling production from seeds is constrained by seed dormancy due to hard shells. At low concentrations, H2O2 promotes seed germination by regulating GA–ABA signaling, facilitating water uptake, and activating hydrolytic enzymes, whereas excessive H2O2 causes oxidative damage to seed tissues.This study aims to examine the effect of H2O2 treatment at different concentrations and immersion durations on the germination of Arabica coffee seeds. The study was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial (5x3), namely five levels of H2O2 concentration (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mM) and three levels of H2O2 immersion duration (12, 24, and 36 hours), with 5 replicates for each treatment unit. The data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at a 5% level of significance. The treatment method involved germinating seeds that had been treated with H2O2 at different concentrations and immersion durations. The germination medium consisted of five layers of filter paper. Maintenance was carried out by watering 10 mL of distilled water every 2 days for 60 days of treatment. The parameters observed were seed moisture content at the end of germination, germination percentage, radicle emergence time, germination rate index, and seed color. Treatment with 60 mM H?O? for 36 hours resulted in a germination percentage that was twice that of the control rising from 36% in the control to 72%, as well as a 10-day earlier emergence of radicle emergence compared to the control treatment.
Department of Plant Pathology, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra (444 104) India. Corresponding e-mail: roshanc216@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.76
Key words: Antimicrobial, citrus, endophytes, Nagpur mandarin, Citrus reticulata
Abstract: This study was conducted from June 2024 to March 2025 at the AICRP on Fruits Scheme Laboratory and the Department of Plant Pathology, Post Graduate Institute, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The study aimed to investigate endophytic microorganisms associated with Nagpur mandarin (Citrus reticulata) leaves and evaluate their antimicrobial activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Endophytic microorganisms were isolated from healthy, asymptomatic leaves of C. reticulata. The isolates were subcultured on fresh media and identified based on their cultural and morphological characteristics, including colony features, hyphal type, and reproductive structures. Molecular identification was performed by ITS rDNA sequencing for fungal isolates and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for the bacterial isolate. Six fungal species were identified from mandarin leaves: Colletotrichum siamense, Diaporthe miriciae, Colletotrichum gigasporum, Aspergillus oerlinghausenensis, Lasiodiplodia curvata, and Aspergillus fumigatus. One bacterial isolate, Pseudomonas fluorescens, was also identified. Cultural and morphological observations of the fungal isolates focused on the mycelium and conidia. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated in vitro using dual-culture assays against the citrus twig blight pathogen C. gloeosporioides. Pseudomonas fluorescens produced the lowest pathogen colony diameter (29.12 mm) and the highest growth inhibition (67.64%). In contrast, A. oerlinghausenensis and L. curvata showed no inhibitory activity (0.00%). Among the effective isolates, C. siamense recorded the lowest inhibition (61.94%). These findings indicate that selected endophytes have potential for the biological control of citrus twig blight and are candidates for further greenhouse and field evaluation.
1Department of Vegetable Science, SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu 603201, Tamil Nadu, India.2Department of Basic Sciences, SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu 603201, Tamil Nadu, India. Corresponding e-mail: ilakiyat1@srmist.edu.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.77
Key words: Bibliometric analysis, grafting, multivariate analysis, rootstock, Solanum, sustainable production
Abstract: The genus Solanum includes cultivated and wild species with substantial morphological diversity and considerable importance in vegetable production and crop improvement. Wild Solanum species serve as reservoirs of adaptive traits, particularly resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and their use as rootstocks may improve the performance of cultivated Solanum crops. In the present study, 27 standard descriptors were used to evaluate nine wild species of Solanum collected from various agroecological regions of India. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, were conducted. In parallel, a bibliometric analysis of Solanum grafting research published during 2010-2025 was performed using Scopus data and visualised with VOSviewer. Quantitative traits showed substantial interspecific -variation. The first two components explained 72.97 % of total variance, with plant-vigour and reproductive traits having the greatest contribution. The cluster analysis based on vegetative and fruit traits divided the taxa into 3 major clusters. Qualitative traits, such as pubescence and fruit colour, further supported the differentiation of the species. The bibliometric analysis revealed a steady increase in publications, with major contributions from the USA, China, and India. Co word and co-authorship networks revealed links among physiological, molecular and agronomic research themes. Overall, the findings provide a baseline for rootstock selection and evidence-based planning of future Solanum grafting research.
Tarlac Agricultural University, Camiling, Tarlac, Philippines, 2306. Corresponding e-mail: mcaguioa@tau.edu.ph, vimapa@tau.edu.ph, koleenbuenaventura@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.78
Key words: Biofertilizer, hyperthermophilic composting technology, pole sitao, sustainable nutrient management, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis
Abstract: Pole sitao (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.) is an important vegetable crop in the Philippines, but its productivity is often constrained by declining soil fertility associated with prolonged dependence on inorganic fertilizers. A field experiment was conducted from February to April 2024 to evaluate the effects of five rates of hyperthermophilic composting technology (HCT) produced organic biofertilizer on the growth and yield of pole sitao. The experiment was arranged in randomised complete block design with three replications.The treatments were T1, full recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer (RRIF); T2, 50% RRIF + 150 g HCT m?²; T3, 100 g HCT m?²; T4, 300 g HCT m?²; and T5, 500 g HCT m?². The measured variables were plant height, days to flowering, pod length, number of pods per plant, marketable and non-marketable pod yield, and total yield. The 100 g HCT m?² treatment produced plant height and total yield statistically comparable to those obtained with full RRIF, whereas 300 g HCT m?² produced a number of pods per plant and total yield comparable to full RRIF. Full RRIF produced the highest numerical total yield. Overall, appropriately applied HCT-produced organic biofertilizer showed potential to reduce reliance on inorganic fertilizer while supporting pole sitao productivity under the conditions of this study.
¹Department of Pomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, El-Gamaa St., Giza, Egypt. ²Department of Pomology, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Corresponding e-mail: ahmed_khouder@yahoo.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.79
Key words: Date palm, fruit colour, fruit quality, ‘Medjool’, metaxenia, pollen source.
Abstract: The effects of three pollen sources, namely Seedling, Jarvis, and Red-El Ghanamy males, on fruit set, fruit colour and quality attributes of six-year-old ‘Medjool’ date palms were evaluated during 2024 and 2025 seasons in a private orchard in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomised design with three pollen-source treatments and three replicates, each consisting of five palms. Each palm was considered as an experimental unit, giving a total of 45 palms. In both seasons, pollination with pollen from Red-El Ghanamy male palms produced the highest fruit set (81.60 and 83.40%), fresh fruit weight (19.48 and 20.13 g), flesh-to-fruit weight ratio (94.09 and 92.71%), bunch weight (6.84 and 7.35 kg), and yield (47.94 and 51.49 kg palm?¹). It also enhanced biochemical attributes including total soluble solids (71.82 and 71.09 °Brix), total sugars (71.88 and 73.63 100 g?¹ FW) and reducing sugars (51.51 and 52.35 100 g?¹ FW). Moreover, Red-El Ghanamy pollen enhanced fruit colour and reduced skin separation (3.2 and 3.5%) and fruit moisture content (21.1 and 21.5%). These findings indicate that Red-El Ghanamy is a promising pollinizer for improving fruit set, colour, and quality attributes of ‘Medjool’ date palm.
Department of Soil and Water Resources-College of Agriculture-University of Al-Qasim Green, Corresponding e-mail: ali.almasoudi090@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.80
Key words: Azospirillum, potato, nitrogen, semi-arid conditions, microbial activity
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Abstract: Inoculation with Azospirillum spp. is commonly used to improve rhizosphere functioning. Potato growth and productivity may be strongly affected by Azospirillum inoculation and nitrogen application under semi-arid conditions. A field experiment was conducted in an agricultural field in the Al-Azawiya area of Babil Governorate, approximately 40 km north of Al-Hilla, during the spring growing season of 2025. The experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum spp. under different nitrogen levels on soil nutrient availability, soil microbial activity, and the growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The Dutch cultivar Burren was grown in silty loam soil. The study included two factors. The first factor was Azospirillum inoculation applied at three levels (0, 10, and 20 mL per tuber and soil), coded as a0, a1, and a2, respectively. The second factor was nitrogen fertilization applied at four levels (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg N ha-1), coded as n0, n1, n2, and n3, respectively. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, resulting in 36 experimental units. Soil samples were collected to assess biological parameters, including Azospirillum population density after emergence and before harvest. The interaction treatment a2n3 recorded the highest bacterial counts at both stages, reaching 2.436 and 2.69 × 109sup> CFU g-1 dry soil, respectively. Azospirillum spp. inoculation, nitrogen level, and their interaction significantly increased microbial respiration. The highest value was observed under a2n3, reaching 7.40 mg CO2 g-1 soil. Furthermore, Azospirillum counts varied over time and were higher at harvest than after emergence. Nitrogen fertilization at the n3 level significantly increased soil nutrient concentrations, which reached 48.171 mg N kg-1 soil, 26.65 mg P kg-1 soil, and 216.28 mg K kg-1 soil. Inoculation with Azospirillum spp. combined with 300 kg N ha-1 significantly improved most potato growth traits. The highest total tuber yield was obtained under the a2n3 treatment, reaching 47.48 Mg ha-1. We conclude that Azospirillum inoculation rate and nitrogen level are important factors in improving soil biological properties and potato yield under semi-arid conditions, with the magnitude of the response depending on inoculum density and nitrogen application rate.
¹Environmental Science and Technology Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand. Corresponding e-mail: tarntip.r@nrru.ac.th
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.81
Key words: Germination dynamics, Ipomoea aquatica, osmotic stress, salinity stress, salinity tolerance, seedling growth
Abstract: This study investigated germination dynamics and early seedling responses of Thai water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.) cultivars, ‘Khiao Sawoei’ and ‘Riao Phai’, under salinity levels ranging from 0 to 20 dS m-1 in a controlled environment. Salinity primarily delayed germination timing rather than reducing final germination percentage. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with two cultivars and six salinity levels, using three biological replicates per treatment. Each replicate contained 10 seeds, giving 30 seeds per cultivar × salinity treatment combination and 360 seeds in total. Increased salinity extended the lag phase, particularly at early stages 4 days after sowing (DAS), while final germination remained relatively high (73.33–96.67%) at 14 DAS across all treatments. In contrast, seedling growth was more sensitive to salinity. A statistically significant reduction (P < 0.05) in seedling dry weight and root length was first observed at 12 dS m-1, despite high final germination (>80%). Between cultivars, differences in salinity responses were observed depending on the evaluated traits. ‘Riao Phai’ showed higher dry weight retention at 16 dS m-1 at 14 DAS, whereas final germination percentage remained relatively stable in both cultivars. These findings indicate that salinity affects post-germination seedling growth more strongly than final germination, with 12 dS m-1 representing a critical tested level for early growth inhibition in Thai water spinach.
1Amity Institute of Information Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India. 2ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Rehmankhera, Lucknow, India. Corresponding e-mail: msrivastava@lko.amity.edu, srajanlko@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.82
Key words: Artificial intelligence, mango disease detection, deep learning, convolutional neural network, transfer learning, vision transformer, explainable AI, precision agriculture, smart farming
Abstract: Mango (Mangifera indica L.) production is constrained by fungal, bacterial and physiological disorders that reduce yield, fruit quality and market value. The conventional diagnosis is mainly based on visual inspection which is labour intensive and subjective. Moreover, the farmers may not be able to identify subtle or early symptoms. Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) offer non-destructive alternatives by learning disease-related patterns from images and other sensor data. This review consolidates current work on mango leaf disease detection, tracing the progression from handcrafted colour, texture and shape descriptors to convolutional neural networks (CNNs), transfer learning, hybrid classifiers, vision transformers and explainable AI. A systematic narrative search of five databases was conducted to identify studies published until April 2026 that used Boolean terms related to mango leaf disease and artificial intelligence; studies were screened and synthesised due to heterogeneity in dataset, disease classes, models, and validation methods. Reported studies show strong experimental performance for CNN-SVM systems, ResNet and MobileNet variants, severity classifiers and CNN-transformer models. However, headline accuracies frequently reflect curated datasets and do not necessarily demonstrate reliability in orchards, where illumination, background clutter, leaf occlusion, cultivar differences, mixed disorders and disease stage can alter symptom appearance. Beyond just accuracy, review emphasize the importance of quality datasets, independent validation, efficient reporting and deployment. It also encourages mobile and edge AI, severity assessment and integration with precision agriculture, as well as thermal and multimodal imaging. On-going research should be directed towards geographically diverse data, annotations from experts, temporal and multimodal learning, self-supervised representation learning, recurrent model updates, explaining predictions and farmer-focused decision support. Sustainable mango cultivation can only be realized by having AI tools that are accurate, interpretable, and accessible, which will involve interdisciplinary validation and incorporation of such tools with plant pathology and extension.
¹Olive Oil Quality Research Division, National Agricultural Research Center, 639, Baq’a 19381, Jordan. ²Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, 11942 Amman, Jordan. ³ Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, 11942 Amman, Jordan; Corresponding e-mail: misaleh@ju.edu.jo
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.83
Key words: Olive oil, fatty acids, temperature time series.
Abstract: The nutritional and chemical quality of olive oil is largely determined by its fatty acid composition, which is sensitive to environmental fluctuations during fruit development. This study investigated associations between temperature patterns and the concentrations of 13 major fatty acids in olive oil. Environmental temperature data from the 2019, 2022, and 2024 growing seasons were used to identify critical windows of thermal sensitivity. The findings revealed a distinct biphasic temperature response. Higher temperatures in early May (TP 1 and TP 2) were strongly associated with lower oleic acid (C18:1) and higher linolenic acid (C18:3) concentrations. In contrast, higher temperatures in early June (TP 7) was associated with an increase in oleic acid, suggesting that the timing of thermal exposure may be more important to oil composition than the seasonal mean temperature. The model performance was evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD). The overall capacity of the global PLS model was weak, with only 24.6% of the total variance explained. When tested with individual fatty acids, arachidic acid (C20:0) was the best predictive (R2 = 0.487; RPD = 1.53); however, this is not a case of a high level of predictive performance, thus supporting only preliminary or approximate screening. Smaller changes and additions to the model by using a greater and more detailed collection of data from different harvest years, growth conditions, and independent samples could be achieved. Care needs to be taken in interpretation of the observed associations until they can be confirmed under wider circumstances.
Department of Horticulture and Postharvest Technology, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India. Corresponding e-mail: debprld@yahoo.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.15
Key words: Methyl jasmonate, salt stress, antioxidant enzymes, membrane stability, papaya
Abstract: Salinity is a critical abiotic constraint on papaya cultivation in salt-prone regions, as papaya is highly sensitive to ionic and osmotic stress. This study investigated the role of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in mitigating salt-induced physiological and biochemical impairments in papaya seedlings. Uniform seedlings of cv. Red Lady plants were exposed to 100 mM NaCl to simulate moderate salinity (7.0 dS m-¹) and subsequently treated with foliar MeJA @ 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 µM under controlled greenhouse conditions. Salinity significantly reduced chlorophyll content, relative leaf water content (RLWC), and antioxidant enzyme activities, accompanied by elevated proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. The application of MeJA significantly alleviated the adverse effects of salinity, with the 75 µM concentration showing the most effectiveness. This particular concentration facilitated the stabilization of chlorophyll (resulting in an 11.4% increase in total chlorophyll), RLWC (an 83.1% increase), and the accumulation of soluble sugars and phenolic compounds, concurrently elevating the activities of superoxide dismutase (42.6%), catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Furthermore, the application of MeJA corresponded with a reduction in MDA levels (26.6%), suggesting a decrease in lipid peroxidation and an enhancement of membrane integrity. Conversely, a higher concentration of MeJA (100 µM) caused a slight slowdown in growth, which highlights the biphasic nature of jasmonate signaling. In conclusion, applying MeJA at a moderate concentration (75 µM) effectively triggered defense mechanisms, stabilized the balance of cellular redox reactions, and improved salinity tolerance in papaya seedlings.
Assistant Professor (Horticulture), Instructional Farm, Kerala Agricultural University, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, 695522, Kerala, India. Corresponding e-mail: sheena2sa@kau.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.2
Key words: Nymphaea, waterlily, pollen morphology, stigma receptivity, floral biology, SEM, hybridization
Abstract: A study was conducted to examine the flowering phenology, floral biology, and pollen morphology of three tropical Nymphaea cultivars, viz. ‘Blue Whistle’, ‘Carla’s Sonshine’, and ‘Poonsup’ under Kerala conditions. Anthesis behavior varied significantly among cultivars and across seasons, with flowers opening between 07:00 and 09:15 h and closing between 16:00 and 18:15 h. Temperature exerted a more decisive influence than light intensity, resulting in extended anthesis during cooler months (November to February) and shortened durations during the monsoon (June to October). All cultivars were protogynous, exhibiting a female phase on the first day and a male phase over the following three days. Stigma receptivity lasted for 22-25 h and showed cultivar-specific variation in cup diameter and number of appendages. Pollen fertility ranged from 42.16 % to 80.92 %, with ‘Poonsup’ recording the highest viability. Scanning electron microscopy revealed oblate-spheroidal, medium-sized, zonosulcate, and psilate pollen grains consistent among cultivars. The results highlight the combined influence of genetic and environmental factors on reproductive behavior in Nymphaea and provide valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at enhancing floral longevity, fertility, and ornamental potential in tropical waterlilies.
1-2Department of Fruit Science, HCandRI, TNAU, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 3Nammazhvar Organic Farming Research Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 4ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Sunabeda, Odisha, India. 5Department of Horticulture (Fruit Science), School of Agricultural Sciences, Medziphema, Nagaland University, India. Corresponding e-mail: auxcilia@tnau.ac.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.16
Key words: Banana, synthetic banana hybrids, genetic diversity, cluster analysis, ploidy
Abstract: Banana is one of the most important fruit crops, cultivated extensively in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Among these, India emerges as the global leader in banana production, however, it is also accompanied by numerous challenges, especially in the face of biotic and abiotic stresses. These rising threats make the breeding programme focus on increasing the banana gene base to guide informed crosses and breeding programmes for the development of new and improved cultivars. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate 27 synthetic banana hybrids developed through hybridization, along with the 18 parents used to develop them, to explore diversity and assess the effectiveness of characters influencing yield and morphological traits. The result revealed high genetic variability, as indicated by significant GCV and PCV levels, suggesting potential for further improvement. The tetraploid hybrids- H-916 produced the highest bunch weight of 25.86 kg, while H-02-25 and H-02-34 showed better morphological vigour. Correlations between bunch weight and plant characteristics showed strong positive associations, but the number of suckers showed a negative association. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into four distinct clusters, revealing differences between and within ploidy levels. The growth characteristics of diploids and tetraploids displayed greater variability than those of triploids. The multivariate matrix showed how different traits relate to one another, highlighting the significance of additive genetic control. Overall, the research demonstrates that these hybrids have promising breeding potential and that genetic improvement is the most sustainable approach to enhancing hybrid resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as to increasing the gene bank, which can help identify elite lines for specific banana varietal improvement.
National Dendrological Park Sofiyivka, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Cherkasy Region, Uman, Kyivska Street 12 A, Ukraine. Corresponding e-mail: irinaivankovska@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i01.17
Key words: Phenology, morphology, shoots, branching, ontogen?, Helleborus
Abstract: The study is devoted to the investigation of ontogenesis, seasonal rhythm of development, and morphogenesis of shoots in species and cultivars of Helleborus. The phases of shoot development, as well as the order and patterns of their branching, have been established. The type of buds, their number, and the sequence of formation are described. It was found that the pre-generative period in H. purpurascens and H. ‘Red Lady’ lasted 3 years, and the full ontogenetic cycle spans several decades. The transition from monopodial growth of the axial shoot to sympodial branching in H. purpurascens begins during the generative period, whereas in H. ‘Red Lady’ it occurs during the pre-generative period. The pre-generative ontogenetic period in H. foetidus lasts 2 years, with a total development cycle of about 5 years; basiosympodial branching of shoots begins at early stages of the pre-generative period. In representatives of the Acaules group, such as H. purpurascens and H. ‘Red Lady’, lateral monocarpic shoots pass sequentially through the following phases over two years: vegetative bud, vegetative shoot, generative bud, and generative shoot. Vegetative shoots are orthotropic, shortened, with few metamers; renewal buds are formed in the axils of cataphylls, and foliage leaves lack axillary structures. In the representative of the Caulescentes group, H. foetidus, monocarpic shoots sequentially pass through the phases of vegetative bud, vegetative shoot, and mixed vegetative-generative shoot over two years; renewal buds are open, lacking protective scales. All studied species and cultivars exhibited regular mass flowering and fruiting.
