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Given the persistent occurrence of foodborne illnesses linked to both raw and processed vegetables, understanding microbial behavior in these foods under distribution conditions is crucial. This study aimed to develop predictive growth models for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in raw (mung bean sprouts, onion, and cabbage) and processed vegetables (shredded cabbage salad, cabbage and onion juices) at various temperatures, ranging from 4 to 36 °C. Growth models were constructed and validated using isolated strains of Salmonella spp. (S. Bareilly, S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium) and L. monocytogenes (serotypes 1/2a and 1/2b) from diverse food sources. The minimum growth temperatures for Salmonella varied among different vegetable matrices: 8 °C for mung bean sprouts, 9 °C for both onion and cabbage, and 10 °C for ready-to-eat (RTE) shredded cabbage salad. Both pathogens grew in cabbage juice at temperatures above 17 °C, while neither demonstrated growth in onion juice, even at 36 °C. Notably, Salmonella spp. exhibited faster growth than L. monocytogenes in all tested samples. At 8 °C, the lag time (LT) and specific growth rate (SGR) for Salmonella spp. in mung bean sprouts were approximately tenfold longer and threefold slower, respectively, compared to those at 10 °C. A decrease in refrigerator storage temperature by 1 or 2 degrees significantly prevented the growth of Salmonella in raw vegetables. These findings offer valuable insights into assessing the risk of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of raw and processed vegetables and inform management strategies in mitigating these risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) varieties that are resilient to climate change is becoming increasingly critical. Our study focused on developing stress-tolerant Chinese cabbage during the summer season to minimize the impacts of global climate change. We evaluated 52 Chinese cabbage accessions grown in the field during the late spring–summer season in Korea. Various phenotypic data of Chinese cabbage in adverse environments were collected from field data. In addition to field screening, we used a controlled-environment chamber to observe the direct impact of heat on young plants, particularly in the root area. A genome-wide association study was conducted using two sets of phenotypic data collected from both chamber and field studies and genotype data acquired from GBS analyses. A total of 57 SNPs distributed across all 10 B. rapa chromosomes were selected to be highly related to the target traits. Several candidate genes were annotated using the flanking sequences of these SNPs. The study revealed that most of the annotated genes seemed to be highly connected with the function of the heat stress response. Other genes were also found to be related to the environmental stress response and flowering. These candidate SNPs and genes can provide valuable tools for breeders to develop summer stress-tolerant Chinese cabbage varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-driven atmospheric water extraction (SAWE) is a sustainable technology for decentralized freshwater supply. However, most SAWE systems produce water intermittently due to the cyclic nature, with adoption hindered by complex design requirements or periodic manual operations. Herein, a fully passive SAWE system that can continuously produce freshwater under sunlight is presented. By optimizing the three-dimensional architecture to facilitate spontaneous mass transport and efficient energy utilization, this system can consistently produce 0.65 L m−2 h−1 of freshwater under 1-sun illumination at 90% relative humidity (RH) and functions in arid environments with an RH as low as 40%. We test the practical performance of a scaled-up system in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia over 35 days across two seasons. The system produces 2.0–3.0 L m−2 per day of freshwater during the summer and 1.0–2.8 L m−2 per day of freshwater during the fall, without requiring additional maintenance. Intriguingly, we demonstrate the system's potential for off-grid irrigation by successfully growing cabbage plants using atmospheric water. This passive SAWE system, harnessing solar energy to continuously extract moisture from air for drinking and irrigation, offers a promising solution to address the intertwined challenges of energy, water, and food supply, particularly for remote and water-scarce regions. Solar-driven atmospheric water extraction (SAWE) systems have the potential to address the ongoing freshwater scarcity, but they can only produce water intermittently. Here the authors developed a SAWE system with optimised architecture to achieve continuous freshwater production under sunlight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Machine vision‐based precision weed management is a promising solution to substantially reduce herbicide input and weed control cost. The objective of this research was to compare two different deep learning‐based approaches for detecting weeds in cabbage: (1) detecting weeds directly, and (2) detecting crops by generating the bounding boxes covering the crops and any green pixels outside the bounding boxes were deemed as weeds. RESULTS: The precision, recall, F1‐score, mAP0.5, mAP0.5:0.95 of You Only Look Once (YOLO) v5 for detecting cabbage were 0.986, 0.979, 0.982, 0.995, and 0.851, respectively, while these metrics were 0.973, 0.985, 0.979, 0.993, and 0.906 for YOLOv8, respectively. However, none of these metrics exceeded 0.891 when detecting weeds. The reduced performances for directly detecting weeds could be attributed to the diverse weed species at varying densities and growth stages with different plant morphologies. A segmentation procedure demonstrated its effectiveness for extracting weeds outside the bounding boxes covering the crops, and thereby realizing effective indirect weed detection. CONCLUSION: The indirect weed detection approach demands less manpower as the need for constructing a large training dataset containing a variety of weed species is unnecessary. However, in a certain case, weeds are likely to remain undetected due to their growth in close proximity with crops and being situated within the predicted bounding boxes that encompass the crops. The models generated in this research can be used in conjunction with the machine vision subsystem of a smart sprayer or mechanical weeder. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased heavy metal pollution worldwide necessitates urgent remediation measures. Phytoremediation stands as an eco-friendly technique that addresses this issue. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of phytoremediation in agricultural practices. Specifically, to evaluate the impact of five soil amendments (chicken manure, sewage sludge, leaf compost, cow manure, and vermicompost) on three cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) varieties (Capture, Primo vantage, and Tiara) yield, quality, and the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn in cabbage heads. The bioaccumulation efficiency of cabbage was determined using an inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Analysis revealed that soil enriched with chicken manure exhibited the highest cabbage yield. Each cabbage variety demonstrated very high bioaccumulation factor (BAF) indicating substantial heavy metal accumulation. These findings underscore the potential of utilizing crops for phytoremediation to mitigate heavy metal pollution. Additionally, the concentrations of metals below the permissible limits suggest that employing crops for phytoremediation can simultaneously ensure food productivity. This study emphasizes the necessity for further research into the use of crops for remediation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beneficial microbes are essential to sustainable agricultural production because they help meet population need for food, preserve the environment, and ensure excellent yields at reasonable prices. This experiment focused on the effects of bio-inoculants and fungicides on growth, yield, quality and disease incidence in cabbage grown in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design replicated thrice with seven treatment combinations comprising different bio-inoculants [Trichoderma asperellum (IIVR strain); Trichoderma (TTV-2-IIVR strain); Bacillus subtilis (CRB-7-IIVR strain); Actinomyces sp. (IIVR N-1.2strain)] either sole or dual application compared with fungicide application and control. The findings showed that compared to other treatment combinations, cabbage responded better to the dual inoculation of T. asperellum (IIVR strain) + B. subtilis (CRB-7). The study also showed that the head yield of the crop, as well as its nutritional value, disease control, and the economic return on its cultivation, were influenced by the dual inoculation with T. asperellum (IIVR strain) + B. subtilis (CRB-7) @ 10 g/kg of seedling and soil drenching with the same bio-inoculant combinations @1% in the root zone at 30 days after transplanting adopted for cabbage production in the Gangetic plains of eastern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beneficial utilization of potentially increasing urban green waste (UGW) is critical for sustainable urban development in China. In this study, UGW was pyrolyzed at different temperatures, and the resulting biochar was used to amend Cd-contaminated soils to grow cabbage. Our results showed that the Cd adsorption capacity of UGW-biochar was positively correlated with the surface area, O/C, and (O+N)/C value of biochar. Furthermore, UGW-biochar was incorporated into three Cd-contaminated soils, including one acidic soil and two neutral soils, to assess its impact on the availability of Cd. The most substantial reduction in the concentration of available Cd was observed in the acidic soil, of the three tested soils. In the neutral soils, a more substantial reduction was found in the heavily Cd-contaminated soil compared to the lightly Cd-contaminated soil. UGW-biochar amendments to the three Cd-contaminated soils resulted in an increase in the cabbage biomass in acidic soil, whereas in neutral soils, it increased in lightly contaminated soils but decreased in heavily contaminated soils. Additionally, the Cd bioaccumulation factor (BCF), translocation factor (TF), and removal efficiency (RE), as impacted by the biochar application, were calculated in the lightly Cd-contaminated soil–cabbage system. The BCF decreased from 5.84 to 3.80 as the dosage of the UGW-biochar increased from 0% to 3%, indicating that the UGW-biochar immobilized Cd and reduced its bioaccumulation in cabbage roots. Based on our investigations, UGW-biochar effectively immobilizes Cd by reducing its mobility and bioavailability in a lightly contaminated environment matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pectobacterium spp. are necrotrophic plant pathogens that cause the soft rot disease in Chinese cabbage, resulting in severe yield loss. The use of conventional antimicrobial agents, copper-based bactericides, and antibiotics has encountered several limitations, such as bioaccumulation on plants and microbial resistance. Bacteriophages (phages) are considered promising alternative antimicrobial agents against diverse phytopathogens. In this study, we isolated and characterized two virulent phages (phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3) to develop a phage cocktail. Morphological and genomic analyses revealed that two phages belonged to the Tevenvirinae and Mccorquodalevirinae subfamilies, respectively. The phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 phages, which have a broad host range, were stable at various environmental conditions, such as various pHs and temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light. The phage cocktail developed using these two lytic phages inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria compared to single-phage treatments in in vitro challenge assays. The phage cocktail treatment effectively prevented the development of soft rot symptom in matured Chinese cabbage leaves. Additionally, the phage cocktail comprising three phages (phiPccP-1, phiPccP-2, and phiPccP-3) showed superior biocontrol efficacy against the mixture of Pectobacterium strains in Chinese cabbage seedlings. These results suggest that developing phage cocktails is an effective approach for biocontrol of soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium strains in crops compared to single-phage treatments. Key points: •Two newly isolated Pectobacterium phages, phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3, infected diverse Pectobacterium species and effectively inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. •Genomic and physiological analyses suggested that both phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 are lytic phages and that their lytic activities are stable in the environmental conditions under which Chinese cabbage grows. •Treatment using a phage cocktail comprising phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 efficiently suppressed soft rot disease in detached mature leaves and seedlings of Chinese cabbage, indicating the applicability of the phage cocktail as an alternative antimicrobial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the natural environment, complex and changeable meteorological factors can influence changes in the internal physiology and phenotype of crops. It is important to learn how to convert complex meteorological factor stimuli into plant perception phenotypes when analyzing the biological data obtained under the natural field condition. We restored the true gradation distribution of leaf color, which is also known as the skewed distribution of color scale, and obtained 20 multi-dimensional color gradation skewness-distribution (CGSD) parameters based on the leaf color skewness parameter system. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between the five corresponding meteorological factors and canopy CGSD parameters of peppers growing in a greenhouse and cabbages growing in an open air environment, built response model and inversion mode of leaf color to meteorological factors. Based on the analysis, we find a new method for correlating complex environmental problems with multi-dimensional parameters. This study provides a new idea for building a correlation model that uses leaf color as a bridge between meteorological factors and plants internal physiological state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serendipita indica, a mutualistic root endophytic fungus, has gained attention for its potential to enhance plant health and resistance to various stresses. This study investigated the impact of S. indica (strain DSM 11827) on plant growth promotion and the management of black rot disease. This is a devastating bacterial ailment caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, which affects cruciferous crops worldwide. The experiment was conducted under sterile conditions in a phytotron for 10 weeks. It involved the substrate and seed inoculation of S. indica in a cabbage crop. The findings suggested that S. indica establishes mutualistic relationships with cruciferous plants, positively influencing their growth while simultaneously reducing their susceptibility to black rot disease. Plant morphological and physiological parameters were enhanced by S. indica application. Additionally, bio stress markers were also enhanced in response to black rot disease. Moreover, disease severity was reduced by 27.9% and 18.8% in the substrate and seeds treated with S. indica, respectively. However, our findings did not report any antagonistic effect between S. indica and two pathogens, i.e., Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and Alternaria brassicicola under the in vitro test, suggesting that the suppression of black rot disease in cabbage seedlings was induced indirectly by S. indica. This study, therefore, underscores the promising prospect of utilizing S. indica to promote crop productivity and combat the destructive impact of black rot disease in cruciferous plants, contributing to more sustainable and resilient agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the impact of integrated nutrient management on cabbage cultivation in Medziphema, Nagaland. The study found that combining organic manures with inorganic fertilizers significantly increased the yield and economic viability of cabbage. The treatment of 25% NPK + 75% FYM + Biofertilizers showed the best results in terms of head diameter, weight, yield, and profitability. The findings suggest that adopting this integrated nutrient management approach can enhance cabbage cultivation in Nagaland, with different treatment combinations depending on the availability of organic manures in specific areas. [Extracted from the article]

The research was conducted at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India during September, 2021-May, 2022 to study the variation of Alternaria brassiciola infecting cabbage. Fifteen isolates of Alternaria brassicicola which infected cabbage were collected from six different districts in Assam and their variability was investigated. Within the in vitro setting, it was observed that all isolates exhibited significant variation in terms of conidial length, breadth, and septal count. The isolates displayed a range of average conidial length and breadth spanning from 20.45μm to 29.74μm and 6.56μm to 9.89μm, respectively. Additionally, the isolates exhibited a variation in transverse septa with counts ranging from 4 to 6 and longitudinal septa, ranging from 0.13 to 0.41. Regarding the colony colour, four distinct variations, ranging from dark grey-green to dark brown-green and from mild olive green to greyish olive green were observed. These colonies featured edges in shades of white, greyish, brownish, or green edges and their shapes varied between round and irregular, accompanied by either a fluffy or compressed growth pattern. The diameter of the radial growth, observed on the fifteenth day after inoculation, varied from 57.3 mm to 84.2 mm. In RAPD analysis it was evident that the Jorhat isolates (AbJor_2) and the Barpeta isolate, (AbBa_1) exhibited the highest genetic similarity, as indicated by the lowest genetic distance with the coefficient of similarity 0.484. Conversely, the Jorhat isolates (AbJor_3) and Barpeta isolate (AbBa_1) shared the least genetic similarity, with the coefficient of similarity 0.021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study is to find relevant analytic fingerprints for plants' structural characterization using spectroscopic techniques and thermogravimetric analyses (TGAs) as alternative methods, particularized on cabbage treated with selenium–baker's yeast vinasse formulation (Se-VF) included in a foliar fertilizer formula. The hypothesis investigated is that Se-VF will induce significant structural changes compared with the control, analytically confirming the biofortification of selenium-enriched cabbage as a nutritive vegetable, and particularly the plant biostimulant effects of the applied Se-VF formulation on cabbage grown in the field. The TGA evidenced a structural transformation of the molecular building blocks in the treated cabbage leaves. The ash residues increased after treatment, suggesting increased mineral accumulation in leaves. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) evidenced a pectin–Iα-cellulose structure of cabbage that correlated with each other in terms of leaf crystallinity. FTIR analysis suggested the accumulation of unesterified pectin and possibly (seleno) glucosinolates and an increased network of hydrogen bonds. The treatment with Se-VF formulation induced a significant increase in the soluble fibers of the inner leaves, accompanied by a decrease in the insoluble fibers. The ratio of soluble/insoluble fibers correlated with the crystallinity determined by XRD and with the FTIR data. The employed analytic techniques can find practical applications as fast methods in studies of the effects of new agrotechnical practices, while in our particular case study, they revealed effects specific to plant biostimulants of the Se-VF formulation treatment: enhanced mineral utilization and improved quality traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-year field trial was conducted to determine the effects of mulching with black polyethylene film and fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers in mid-early cabbage production. The two-factor trial was set up as a split-plot design. The main plots included unmulched and mulched treatments. The sub-plots consisted of unfertilized control and five fertilized treatments. In the first and third trial years, total cabbage yield, total head yield, and average head weight were significantly higher on black polyethylene film plots than on unmulched plots. However, in the second year, the mean air temperature during cabbage growing exceeded the long-term average, and values of the examined parameters did not differ significantly between the mulched and unmulched treatments. In all three years, amounts of removed nutrients were significantly higher in treatment with composted pig manure + mineral fertilizer. Mulching significantly increased fertilizer use efficiency in the first and third years, while the second year saw better results on unmulched plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabbage grown in contaminated soils can accumulate high levels of arsenic (As) in the edible parts, posing serious health risks. The efficiency of As uptake varies drastically among cabbage cultivars, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. We screened out low (HY, Hangyun 49) and high As accumulating cultivars (GD, Guangdongyizhihua) to comparatively study whether the As accumulation is associated with variations in root physiological properties. Root biomass and length, reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein content, root activity, and ultrastructure of root cells of cabbage under different levels of As stress (0 (control), 1, 5, or 15 mg L−1) were measured As results, at low concentration (1 mg L−1), compared to GD, HY reduced As uptake and ROS content, and increased shoot biomass. At a high concentration (15 mg L−1), the thickened root cell wall and higher protein content in HY reduced arsenic damage to root cell structure and increased shoot biomass compared to GD. In conclusion, our results highlight that higher protein content, higher root activity, and thickened root cell walls result in lower As accumulation properties of HY compared to GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt (kimchi cabbage) is a major vegetable cultivated in Korea, and its hairy roots (HRs) are rich in glucosinolates and phenolic compounds. This study aimed to induce HRs from cotyledon explants via the transformation of the Agroacterium rhizogenes strain R1000 and examine the glucosinolate and phenolic compounds present in the HRs of two kimchi cabbage (green and red) cultivars after exposure to 16 h light/8 h dark conditions (photosynthetic photon flux density of 54.6 µmol m−2 s−1) and continuous dark conditions. The highest HR production was achieved in the green kimchi cabbage grown under dark conditions (0.37 ± 0.01 DW g/30 mL). The highest glucosinolate and phenolic contents were neoglucobrassicin and catechin hydrate, which were highest in the green kimchi HRs grown under dark (GKHD) conditions (5268.29 ± 292.84 µg/g DW) and green HRs grown under light (GKHL) conditions (203.49 ± 4.70 µg/g DW), respectively. A heat map showed that the red kimchi HRs grown under dark conditions (RKHD) and the GKHL condition accumulated the highest glucosinolate and phenolic contents. Principal component (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant (PLS-DA) analyses of the 13 identified metabolites showed a clear separation. According to a variable importance in projection (VIP) analysis, quercetin was the most important metabolite, leading to a clear separation. The most suitable conditions for enhancing the glucosinolate and phenolic contents were the GKHD and GKHL conditions, respectively, whereas both compounds were enhanced in the RKHD condition. HRs cultures cultivated under light and dark conditions are a promising method to enhance the production of specific health-promoting bioactive metabolites, which might be helpful in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Soil biofumigation is a widely used farming practice for soil-borne disease management in vegetable crops. Soil biofumigation is the practice of the incorporation of fresh plant materials from the members of the Brassicaceae family into the soil which release antimicrobial volatile organic compounds (VOCs), namely glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products. However, the VOCs may affect non-target beneficial soil biota including microbial biocontrol agents (MBAs) due to their broad-spectrum toxicity. In this study, native antagonistic rhizobacteria were isolated from cabbage plants grown in biofumigated fields and their potential in the management of Pythium aphanidermatum cucumber damping-off was evaluated with and also without biofumigation using cabbage leaf residue. A total of 20 morphologically distinct, culturable bacterial strains were recovered from the rhizosphere soil of cabbage cultivated in a biofumigated field, with the largest fraction of the isolates belonging to the genus Bacillus. The other bacterial genera isolated were Pseudomonas, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, Microbacterium and Priestia. Of the 20 bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa B1-SQU, Pseudomonas indica B2-SQU, Serratia marcescens B3-SQU and Pseudomonas brenneri B4-SQU exhibited inhibitory activity against P. aphanidermatum in a co-culture assay. The deformation and shrinkage of P. aphanidermatum hyphae due to diffusible antimicrobial compounds from these bacterial strains were witnessed through scanning electron microscopy. A biofilm was formed by these bacterial strains in vitro and they exhibited compatibility with each other; however, they had no significant plant growth promotion effect on cucumber. These bacterial strains significantly reduced damping-off in cucumber under greenhouse conditions when applied to soil singly, but failed to show a significant effect when combined with biofumigation treatment, though the bacterial population in the soil was maintained at higher levels. Soil biofumigation alone was also not effective in suppressing the damping-off of cucumber. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed that 1-butanol, n-butyl butyrate and butyl acetate were the predominant VOCs in the soil amended with cabbage leaf residue. The results suggest that soil biofumigation with cabbage leaf residue has no significant effect on P. aphanidermatum under high inoculum levels; furthermore, it affects the efficiency of the bacterial antagonists in controlling damping-off in cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of boron (B) fertilizers to soils with low B content is required for augmenting crop yield. Therefore, it is imperative to have knowledge about the impact of long-term B addition at various dosages on crop yield and soil-B dynamics. A field experiment of a 6-year duration was carried out at Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, India to study the influence of long-term B fertilization in the groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)-cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) cropping system in different rates and frequencies on yield of crops and soil-B dynamics. The direct effect of B addition on groundnut yield and the residual effect on succeeding cabbage crop yield was eval-uated. The treatments of the experiment encompassed various combinations of three frequencies and four rates of B application including one control (no B application). The application of B at different rates and frequencies significantly increased groundnut and cabbage yield in comparison to yield attained under the control. The addition of 1.0 kg B ha−1 in alternate years was found op-timum for enhancing the yield of groundnut and cabbage crops grown on study soil. Boron appli-cation enhanced B content in groundnut pod, haulm, cabbage and available B in soil. Optimal available B content in soil was 1.25 mg kg−1 for both groundnut pod and cabbage-head yield. The application of B with different rates and frequencies significantly enhanced B fractions in soil. The content of different fractions improved with the increase in rates of B application. The percentage contribution of various B fractions towards total B content followed the order: readily soluble B (0.43 to 0.55%) < specifically adsorbed B (0.74 to 0.98%) < organically bound B (0.70 to 1.55%) < ox-ide bound B (1.26 to 3.11%) < residual boron B (93 to 96.8%). Path analysis revealed the highest contribution of total boron towards groundnut-pod yield with a coefficient value of 4.30. Whereas oxide-bound boron fraction contributed to the maximum extent with a coefficient value of 0.91 towards cabbage-head yield. This information will be useful for B management in the ground-nut-cabbage cropping system grown on studied soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies were conducted from 2012 to 2015 at the National Institute of Horticultural Research in Skierniewice, Poland. The aim of the research was to determine the yield of Chinese cabbage, its storage ability and nutritional value, depending on weed management methods used during cultivation. In the field experiments the following methods were compared: mechanical treatments, mechanical treatments + growth stimulators, soil mulching with black polypropylene, black polyethylene and biodegradable foil and hand weeding. After harvest the Chinese cabbage was stored at 0-2°C for 125-126 days depending on the year and after storage marketable and rotten heads were sorted. The percent of yellowed, rotten leaves in the total mass of the stored heads was also determined, as well as the natural weight loss. The chemical composition of Chinese cabbage was analyzed after harvest and after storage. The analyses included: dry matter, total sugars, vitamin C and soluble phenol content. After harvest the highest yield of Chinese cabbage grown in black polyethylene mulch was obtained. After storage the highest yield of marketable heads from cabbage mechanically weeded with additional application of biostimulator AlfaMax during cultivation was obtained. Chemical analyses showed that after harvest the highest dry matter, total sugars and vitamin C content were found in Chinese cabbage mechanically weeded and soluble phenols were the highest in non-weeded Chinese cabbage. After storage the highest content of dry matter was recorded in non-weeded Chinese cabbage, while total sugars were the highest in cabbage mulched with black polyethylene and biodegradable foil. Vitamin C was the highest in mechanically weeded and soluble phenols were the highest in hand-weeded cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Journal of Agricultural Sciences (SJAS) is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Screening for pollution-safe cultivars (PSCs) is a cost-effective strategy for reducing health risks of crops in heavy metal (HM)-contaminated soils. In this study, 13 head cabbages were grown in multi-HMs contaminated soil, and their accumulation characteristics, interaction of HM types, and health risks assessment using Monte Carlo simulation were examined. Results showed that the edible part of head cabbage is susceptible to HM contamination, with 84.62% of varieties polluted. The average bio-concentration ability of HMs in head cabbage was Cd> > Hg > Cr > As>Pb. Among five HMs, Cd and As contributed more to potential health risks (accounting for 20.8%–48.5%). Significant positive correlations were observed between HM accumulation and co-occurring HMs in soil. Genotypic variations in HM accumulation suggested the potential for reducing health risks through crop screening. G7 is a recommended variety for head cabbage cultivation in areas with multiple HM contamination, while G3 could serve as a suitable alternative for heavily Hg-contaminated soils. [Display omitted] • Uptake ability of HMs in head cabbages (HC) was Cd> > Hg > Cr > As>Pb. • Accumulation of multi-HMs in soil-HCs system is positively related. • HCs are susceptible to Hg especially when Cr and Pb are co-occurring. • PSC-HC was selected based on pollution level, transfer ability, risk and yields. • HMs content in soil is not a reasonable evaluation criterion of HC pollution level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Human exposure to heavy metal toxicity has been linked to the consumption of vegetables grown on polluted soils. The goal of this study was to see how much heavy metals accumulated in the soil, irrigation water, and vegetative sections of lettuce and cabbage planted in Wawan Rafi, Jigawa State, Nigeria. The concentrations of potentially harmful metals in soil, water, and crops are in the order Mn > Pb > Zn > Ni > Cd > Cu, except for lettuce, where Pb was found to be greater than Mn. Furthermore, the majority of the hazardous elements analyzed were below the allowed limit. Nevertheless, the presence of high levels of metals revealed evidence of contamination, which was attributed to human activities. The potential ecological risk index values for lettuce and cabbage are 86.488 and 225.463, respectively, and both are considered safe because the RI values for both lettuce and cabbage are below or within the range of 200 ≤ RI ˂ 400. This implies consumption of these vegetables may not pose a high health risk to the local public when individual heavy metal is considered, but the risk could multiply when all of the heavy metals are considered together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological, agricultural and toxicological impact of an excess of Zn in the soil is an important issue, as Zn is a heavy metal and impairs many processes of plants and animals. The novelty of this work is that it is a comprehensive approach to facilitate visualization not only of the condition of cabbage plants under Zn stress, but also prediction of the toxicity associated with consumption of such cabbages. We treated plants of two cabbage cultivars, differing in their earliness, with 50 and 200 mg Zn kg−1 soil (Zn50 and Zn200, respectively) above the natural Zn levels of 118.13 mg kg−1 soil (Zn0). Leaf cell membrane integrity, condition of the photosynthetic apparatus (reflected by relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) and Fv/Fm parameter of chlorophyll a fluorescence), head biomass, and Zn bioaccumulation in the heads were analyzed. Toxicological risk was also assessed by Daily Intake of Metal (DIM) and Health Risk Index (HRI) indicators. The data revealed that plants of the late cultivar were more sensitive to soil Zn than those of the early one. Detrimental effects of Zn (especially at the higher dose, Zn200) were manifested in the seedlings just after three weeks of treatment, and then reflected in the yield. We assume that, due to their fast and prolonged response to Zn, the seedlings of the late cultivar can be used as biomarkers of Zn toxicity. Although Zn plants did not indicate toxicological risk, based on DIM and HRI, Zn concentration in the soil should be taken into account prior to cabbage planting, because plants which do not reveal symptoms of injury can accumulate Zn above the permissible level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trails were conducted in the experimental field of the Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute (MVCRI), Plovdiv with head cabbage variety Bilyan and broccoli variety Marathon F1. The crops were grown according to the scheme 100+60/60cm (2083 plants/da). Two variants have been studied in the experiment: optimal mineral fertilization - 50kg/da phosphate fertilizer, 40kg/da potassium fertilizer and 30kg/da nitrogen fertilizer (control) and combined fertilization with Stimak P - organic soil fertilizer (0,500-1,5kg/da), Stimak - foliar fertilizer (200ml/da) and Simargal - microbial fertilizer (0,5 ml/plant).Cole crops grown for late field production with drip irrigation technology were found to respond positively to combined fertilization with microorganisms and organic fertilizers through the drip system and foliar fertilizer together with the treatment of plants with plant protection products. As a result of combined fertilization the yield, in comparison to the optimal mineral fertilization, was increase with 31,01% and 46,85% Bilyan and Marathon F1 varieties of cabbage and broccoli, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A severe outbreak of foot rot and head rot disease of cabbage was observed during September 2017 to November 2019 in major cabbage growing regions of southern Karnataka state of India. The disease incidence ranged between 3% and 28%. The initial symptoms were observed as tan, water‐soaked lesions at the point of infection and development of mycelia, followed by quick wilting of the whole plant. Subsequently, numerous sclerotia were produced. The pathogen isolated on PDA medium produced white fluffy aerial mycelia and numerous reddish‐brown sclerotia after 7−10 days. A total of 18 fungal isolates were used for mycelial compatibility analysis. Isolate SrBoC28 was used to test for pathogenicity on cabbage, marigold, chilli and brinjal plants. Typical disease symptoms on leaves, stem and roots were evident 5, 8 and 10 days' post‐inoculation respectively. The isolate was pathogenic on all tested hosts, and the identity was confirmed by re‐isolation and morpho‐cultural and molecular studies. The latter were based on amplification of ITS‐rDNA and phylogenetic analysis which showed 100% sequence similarity with reference sequences. The identity was confirmed as S. rolfsii. This is a well‐known pathogen and causes disease on various economically important crop plants. To date, there are no reports on the association between S. rolfsii and foot and head rot disease of cabbage in India and elsewhere. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of foot rot and head rot of cabbage caused by S. rolfsii in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In organic horticulture, living mulches (LM) are used for weed suppression and erosion prevention. In addition, leguminous LM can contribute to higher nitrogen (N) import into vegetable cultivation systems via biological N2 fixation (BNF). In order to investigate the effect of LM systems, a two- as well as three-year field experiment was conducted between 2019 and 2021 at two locations in Southwest Germany. White cabbage was intercropped with two different clover varieties (Trifolium repens cv. 'Rivendel', with regular growth and T.repens cv. 'Pipolina', a micro clover) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. 'Premium'). Bare soil (with spontaneous vegetation) without intercropping was the control treatment. The second factor was the growth management of the LM: incorporation by rototilling before planting the cabbage, intercropping with the cabbage and no LM growth management, and intercropping with mulching of the LM during the cabbage growing. The results show that rototilling LM before planting the cabbage did not lead to higher weight of cabbage residues or differences in total head yield among the treatments for growth management. Intercropping without further LM growth management did not result in a reduced total head yield of cabbage compared to mulching. The micro clover 'Pipolina' showed no reduced competition with cabbage compared to the regular-growing white clover 'Rivendel'. Therefore, we conclude that leguminous LM systems, regardless of growth management, can achieve high yields with sufficient irrigation and additional fertilization while increasing the inputs of N via BNF into the entire cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a low-cost, sensitive, and efficient voltammetric method based on anthraquinone modified carbon paste electrode was developed for determination of ascorbic acid in cabbage samples. After cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid and to study dependence of oxidative peak current on scan rate and pH, square wave voltammetric method was developed for direct determination of ascorbic acid in cabbage samples. In contrast to the unmodified carbon paste electrode, a remarkable enhancement in oxidative peak current at anthraquinone modified carbon paste electrode confirmed electrocatalytic property of the modifier towards oxidation of ascorbic acid. A better correlation coefficient for the dependence of peak current on the square root of scan rate ( R 2 = 0.9963) than on the scan rate ( R 2 = 0.9781) indicated that the oxidation of ascorbic acid at anthraquinone modified carbon paste electrode is predominantly governed by diffusion-controlled process. Square wave amplitude, square wave step potential, and square wave frequency are optimized for the investigation of AA in cabbage. The optimized values are 30 mV, 7 mV, and 35 Hz, respectively. Under the optimized method and solution parameters, an excellent linear response was observed between square wave voltammetric peak current of AQMCPE and concentration of ascorbic acid in the range 5 × 10 − 5 to 4 × 10 − 3 M with a better correlation coefficient ( R 2 = 0.9993) and detection limit (LOD = 1.84 × 10 − 6 M). The ascorbic acid content of the three cabbage samples from three different cabbage growing areas was found in the range 3.686 ± 0.026 – 8.298 ± 0.011 mg/g of powdered cabbage. Excellent recovery results between 95.042 and 96.139% for spiked ascorbic acid in cabbage samples confirmed the potential applicability of the developed method based on AQMCPE for the determination of ascorbic acid in real samples like cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to noncalcareous soils, data on the soil-to-plant transfer of heavy metals and their response to sewage sludge (SS) in calcareous soils with diverse properties are limited. Cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) transfer from soil to cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) under greenhouse conditions in 30 diverse soils amended with two types of sewage sludge (non-spiked and spiked with heavy metals) were investigated. Three transfer factors were calculated for heavy metals in three treated soils including control soils (CS), soils treated with non-spiked SS (NSS), and soils treated with spiked SS (PSS). The bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to root (BCFRoots) in cabbage in three treatments was as follows: CS: Pb > Cu > Co > Zn > Ni; NSS: Pb > Co > Cu ≥ Zn > Ni; and PSS: Pb > Cd > Zn > Co > Cu > Ni. The same order was found for the bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to shoots (BCFShoots) in PSS, and in CS and NSS treatments except that the position of Co, Cu, and Zn was changed. Based on the heavy metals translocation from plant roots to shoots, Cd, Cu, and Zn were the heavy metals that posed the highest risk due to the higher shoot content in all treatments, whereas Ni and Pb posed relatively lesser risk. Generally, the percentage of sand and silt in BCFRoots and BCFShoots was quite effective for Co, Ni, and Zn and it seems that soil texture is an important variable in heavy metals bioavailability. In conclusion, our findings highlight the significance of using SS to increase cabbage growth in soils contaminated with heavy metals. Furthermore, cabbage may be a good choice for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated calcareous soils in terms of soil remediation. Novelty statement In recent years, sewage sludge production has increased as well as related waste disposal strategies because of the increasing population and growing demand for agricultural products. Sewage sludge utilization as a low-cost fertilizer has spread in some parts of Iran and the world. On the other hand, unnecessary and unproductive use of sewage sludge results in the accumulation of heavy metals in soils, adding them to food and the potential risk to human health. Currently, work on the transfer of heavy metals from soil to plant after soil treated with sewage sludge has focused on the bioavailability of heavy metals using specific extractants. The assessment of the transfer of heavy metals from soil to different parts of plants using sewage sludge has been less studied. In this study, the transfer of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from several soils (30 soils samples) having diverse physical and chemical properties to the tissues of the cabbage plant in control soils, and two types of sewage sludge (nonspiked and spiked with heavy metals) were investigated. The novelty of this study is that the measured bio-concentration factor of heavy metals from soil to root and from soil to shoot and translocation of heavy metals from plant roots to shoots and correlations between these parameters and soil properties are reported for the first time in diverse calcareous soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissipation dynamics and residue distribution of imidacloprid, difenoconazole and chlorothalonil in cabbage grown in open field were investigated. The field experiments were carried out and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatograph were used to determine the pesticide residues of cabbage samples at different time intervals after pesticide application. The results showed that the dissipation dynamics of three pesticides were accorded with the first-order kinetics model, and the half-lives were 1.35, 2.28 and 2.47 days, respectively. The dissipation rate of imidacloprid was the fastest, followed by difenoconazole and chlorothalonil. The residues of imidacloprid and chlorothalonil were lower than the maximum residue limits（MRLs） in cabbages on 7 days and 14 days after application, however, the residue of difenoconazole was slightly higher than the MRL on 14 days after application. The residues of three pesticides in different parts of cabbage showed significant differences（P<0.05）. The pesticide residues in cabbage inner bulb were not detected or very low in cabbage inner bulbar leaves. The initial residue in cabbage outer bulbar leaves was low either,and it was reduced below MRL from 1 to 5 d. However, the pesticide residues in cabbage outer leaves were significantly higher than those in other parts. It can be concluded that removing the outer leaves of cabbage could reduce the pesticide residues and improve the safety and quality of cabbage effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important environmental source of boron (B) contamination is irrigation water. The data on the effect of B on the elemental composition in the edible parts of vegetables are scarce. A greenhouse pot experiment investigated the effect of irrigation water containing 0.1 and 0.5 mg/L B on the biomass, elemental (e.g., B, Mg, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn) composition, and photosynthetic parameters of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and cabbage (Brassica oleracea) plants grown on 10 kg of sand, silty sand, or silty soil. The biomass of the edible part was unaffected by B treatment. The soil type determined the effect of B irrigation on the elemental composition of vegetables. The B content increased by 19% in tomatoes grown on silty soil. The 0.1 mg/L B treatment facilitated tomato fruit ripening on all soils, and the 0.5 mg/L B treatment doubled its chlorophyll content index (CCI) on silty soil. The 0.5 mg/L B treatment negatively affected the nutritional value of green beans on all soils, decreasing the Fe and K contents by an average of 83 and 34%, respectively. The elemental composition of potato was unaffected by the treatments, but the CCI of potato leaves increased in the 0.5 mg/L B treatment by 26%. The B content was increased by 39% in cabbages grown on light-textured soils. In conclusion, B concentration of up to 0.5 mg/L in irrigation water had no significant beneficial or adverse effect on the investigated vegetables, but 0.1 mg/L B treatment could shorten tomato fruit maturation time on B-poor soils. The B levels in vegetables remained suitable for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of controlled irrigation in vegetable production is considered a viable option for optimizing input use and productivity. This study aimed at assessing the effects of different drip irrigation schedules on productivity and profitability of three cabbage varieties grown in humic nitisols of Embu County. The study was laid out in a split plot design arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The drip irrigation schedules were allocated the main plots and crop varieties allocated the subplot treatments. Cabbage test varieties investigated were Riana F1 (V1), Gloria F1 (V2), and Triperio F1 (V3). Irrigation schedule one (S1) involved application of irrigation water twice a week, S2 once a week, and S3 once every two weeks. Soil water content was determined before irrigation and then replenished to field capacity using a known volume of water. The data were subjected to Analysis of Variance using SAS version 9.4. Mean separation was done using Fisher's least significant difference at 95% level of confidence. The findings revealed that the yields and net revenue obtained from different cabbage varieties were not significantly different. However, the cabbage yields and subsequent revenue increased as irrigation frequency increased. The study recommends adoption of irrigation schedule S1 whose productivity remained high despite the high cost of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing population of tropical countries has led to a new awareness of the importance of vegetables as a source of essential foods and nutrients. The success of vegetable cultivation depends to a large extent on high-quality seedlings. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of different substrates and different nutrient solution concentrations on the development of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedlings in a semi-arid tropical area. Three independent experiments were conducted at the Soil and Water Research Station at Yezin Agriculture University, Myanmar (Myanmar, 19.83◦ N; 96.27◦ E). In all experiments a randomized block design was implemented with four treatments and three repetitions. In the first experiment the adaptability of lettuce seedling to two substrates (namely a Hulls Manure mix composed by 50% of mature cattle manure and 50% of carbonized rice husk and a soil based substrate constituted by 70% local soil, 20% burned rice husk, and 10% fresh cattle manure) and two nutrient solutions with different electrical conductivities (ECs) (W0.1, stored rainwater with EC = 0.13 dS m−1 and NS1.2, nutrient solution with EC = 1.20 dS m−1 ) were tested. In the second and third experiments, two species (lettuce and Chinese cabbage) were assessed for their response to nutrient solution concentrations. In both crops, 4 fertigation treatments (W0.1; NS0.6; NS1.2; and NS1.8) were supplied, by modulating the concentration of a compound mineral fertilizer (15:15:15) in the following ranges: W0.1: 0 g L−1, electrical conductivity (EC) 0.13 dS m−1, NS0.6: 0.3 g L−1, EC of 0.60 dS m−1; NS1.2: 0.6 g L−1, 1.2 dS m−1 EC, and NS1.8: 0.9 g L−1, 1.8 dS m−1 EC. Adopting different substrates and applying different nutrient solutions significantly affected growth (fresh weight and leaf morphology) and some physiological parameters (stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, and leaf chlorophyll content) of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedling. From the first experiment, the combination of the soil based substrate and NS1.2 treatments allowed us to improve the seedlings’ growth. In the second experiment, highest growth of lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedlings was associated with NS1.2 and NS1.8, respectively. The presented results allow for the optimization of both growing media and nutrient solution management when lettuce and Chinese cabbage seedling are produced in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ornamental cabbages are cultivars of cabbages grown for decorative purposes due to the varied shape and colour of their internal leaves. The aim of the study was to determine the course of growth and to assess the decorative and nutritional value of two cultivars of ornamental cabbage ('Pigeon Red', 'Coral Prince') grown in a flowerbed along with annual plants: the French marigold (Tagetes patula nana L.) and flossflower (Ageratum houstonianum Mill.), using a pine bark mulch. The impact of the marigold and flossflower on the cabbage height and foliage changed with the plant growth. Cabbages growing without the proximity to the other species had the smallest diameter and formed the least leaves; and the plant's height was lower in September. The cabbage height, foliage and leaf colour were modified by the weather in the subsequent years of research. The proximity of the marigold or flossflower and mulching of the soil with bark did not affect the colour of the leaves. The nutritional value of the ornamental cabbage was high, and the content of the mineral components in the leaves depended largely on their colour. The coloured leaves were more abundant in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, while the green leaves contained more calcium and sulfur, and slightly more dry matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Portugal, many abandoned mines are often close to agricultural areas and might be used for plant food cultivation. Soils in the vicinity of two Mn- and Fe-abandoned mines (Ferragudo and Rosalgar, SW of Portugal) were collected to cultivate two different food species (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt and Origanum vulgare L.). Chemical characterization of the soil–plant system and potential risk of adverse effects for human health posed by plants associated with soil contamination, based on the estimation of hazard quotient (HQ), were assessed in a microcosm assay under greenhouse conditions. In both soils, the average total concentrations of Fe and Mn were above the normal values for soils in the region and their concentration in shoots of both species was very high. Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis grew better in Ferragudo than in Rosalgar soils, and it behaved as an excluder of Cu, Mn, Fe, S and Zn in both soils. The HQ for Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in the studied species grown on both soils was lower than unit indicating that its consumption is safe. The high Mn tolerance found in both species might be due in part to the high contents of Fe in the soil available fraction that might contribute to an antagonism effect in the uptake and translocation of Mn. The obtained results emphasize the need of further studies with different food crops before cultivation in the studied soils to assess health risks associated with high metal intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An experiment was conducted in 2018/2019 growth season in the field of Agriculture College, Babylon, Iraq to study the effect of alternative irrigation (irrigation when water capacity reached 50% and the other treatment was skipping from one irrigation to the third irrigation as the plant mature), moisture preservation (with and without) and humus spraying on root zone (with and without) on growth and heads of cabbage. Randomized complete block design with three replications was used. The results showed that water stress by alternative irrigation caused significant reduction in chlorophyll, leaf area, cabbage head diameter, total and marketable heat weight compared with normal irrigation, while moisture preservation caused significant increases in these parameters. Adding humus also significantly increases these parameters. Water stress caused percentage decreasing of marketable cabbage head by 37.3%, while moisture preservation or humus alleviate the reduction of stress to 8.4% and 30.8% respectively. Adding both moisture preservation and humus eliminate the reduction which caused by water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabbage is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in Egypt; Fusarium wilt causes significant crop loss in quantity and quality of most vegetable crops. The most frequency and isolated fungus from cabbage roots growing at Faquose District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt was Fusarium oxysporum, followed by Verticillium albo-atrum. As for pathogenic activities of Verticillium albo-atrum and Fusarium oxysporum isolates on cabbage plants (cv. Balady), Fusarium oxysporum isolate No.5 gave the highest wilt disease severity. Host range of the tested Fusarium oxysporum isolate 5 revealed that cabbage (cv. Balady) was the only infected host. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of Topsin M70%, Microbin, Rhizobactrin, and Weed-Max (blue-green algae extracts in powder phase) and Oligo-X algae (blue-green algae extracts in liquid phase) on vegetative growth (head diameter and stem height), total yield and wilt disease severity on cabbage (cv. Balady), during the two winter growing seasons of 2015 and 2016 in Sharkia Governorate at Faquose District. Results showed that both head diameter and total yield were increased by Topsin M70% and Microbin application followed by Weed-Max as well as Oligo-X, but the lowest one was Rhizobactrin compared with control. Also, wilt disease severity was decreased without significant effect on stem length. Regarding the effects of applied treatments on biochemical changes in cabbage plants (cv. Balady) under field conditions, all tested treatments reduced the activities of polygalacturonase (PG) and cellulase (CX) enzymes as well as, increased total phenols and total chlorophyll compared with control. In this respect, Topsin M70% and Microbin followed byWeed- Max as well as Oligo-X were the most effective treatments in reducing the activities of PG, CX and increased total phenol contents compared with Rhizobactrin treatment and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three simple and accurate spectrophotometric methods for simultaneous determination of pyriproxyfen and chlorothalonil residues in cucumbers and cabbages grown in experimental greenhouse were studied. The first method was based on the zero-crossing technique measurement for first and second derivative spectrophotometry. The second method was based on the first derivative of the ratio spectra. However, the third method was based on mean centering of ratio spectra. These procedures lack any previous separation steps. The calibration curves for three spectrophotometric methods are linear in the concentration range of 1–30 μg·mL−1 and 0.5–7 μg·mL−1 for pyriproxyfen and chlorothalonil successively. The recoveries ranged from 82.12–97.40% for pyriproxyfen and 81.51–97.04% for chlorothalonil with relative standard deviations less than 4.95% and 5.45% in all instances for pyriproxyfen and chlorothalonil, respectively. The results obtained from the proposed methods were compared statistically by using one-way ANOVA, and the results revealed there were no significant differences between ratio spectra and mean centering methods with the zero-crossing technique. The proposed methods are successfully applied for the simultaneous estimation of the residue of both pesticides in cucumber and cabbage samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The effects of phosphorus and zinc applications on phosphorus and zinc concentrations in plants grown in different soil types have rarely been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different soil types and phosphorus and zinc addition on growth and mineral element composition of red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. cv. Red Drumhead).Methods: Plants were grown for six weeks in three different soils (a freely drained Cambisol, an imperfectly drained Cambisol, and a Stagnosol) in a glasshouse. Each soil was amended with one of 25 combinations of phosphorus and zinc fertiliser. Soil characteristics, growth, and mineral element concentrations in shoots were assessed.Results: Soil type significantly affected shoot growth and concentrations of phosphorus, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese, but not iron concentration of red cabbage. Across soils, the observed responses were attributed to soil phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur concentrations, organic matter content, and mineral composition, mainly kaolinite and plagioclase.Conclusions: Soil type effects on mineral element composition of red cabbage could have important implications for increasing mineral element concentration in crops to alleviate mineral element deficiencies in human diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is the most popular leafy vegetable; however, its quality as a vegetable depends on its growth stage. Premature bolting triggered by low temperatures leads to a reduction of yield and quality of cabbage. Late bolting is preferred by growers to increase market value, whereas early bolting plants are ideal for quality seed production. Herein, we reported a gene BolPrx.2 annotated as Q9FLC0 in the SwissPort, involved in bolting time variation in cabbage and designed molecular markers to characterize early- and late-bolting cabbage populations and lines. The BolPrx.2 gene encodes a peroxidase domain and has been identified as a candidate showed almost similar effect as the previously reported MADS-box domain-containing FLC genes for controlling bolting time. An insertion/deletion (InDel) variation in intron1 has been identified as a causal factor for variation between late- and early-bolting inbred lines. By using this InDel, we designed molecular markers for characterizing the bolting time variation and validated them with 141 F2 generation plants. These markers predicted about 84% of the variation within the population and commercial lines. Therefore, it could be a potential genetic tool to predict bolting time variation and support marker-assisted back crossing (MABC) programs for developing desired bolting types of cabbage cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiroplasma citri is a bacterium that causes stubborn disease of citrus and infects other crops, ornamentals, and weeds. It is transmitted by leafhoppers in a circulative manner. Due to limited sequence data on S. citri, the bacterium was isolated from naturally infected Chinese cabbage grown on a farm in Fresno County, CA. DNA from S. citri CC-2 was extracted from a pure culture in LD8 and subjected to PacBio sequencing. Four contigs were obtained with a single circular chromosome of 1,709,192 bp and three plasmids of 40,210, 39,313, and 2,921 bp in size. The genome developed herein extends the sequence database of S. citri and is the first wholegenome sequence record of S. citri from California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has a significant effect on alleviating acid soil aluminum (Al) toxicity and promoting plant growth. The potential effects of aged biochar (long-term applied biochar in soil) on soil amendment have attracted increasing attention. Here, the effects of biochar and aged biochar were evaluated through a pot experiment. The seedlings of cabbage were grown in red soil for 45 days with the following four biochar treatments: CK (0% biochar), PB (2% primary biochar), WB (2% water washed biochar) and AB (2% acidulated biochar) to investigate the potential effect of biochar and aged biochar on mitigating red soil aluminum toxicity and improving cabbage growth. Results indicated that biochar increased the content of available potassium, available phosphorus, and organic carbon in red soil and improved cabbage growth. Biochar not only increased the pH of red soil by 0.42 units, but also reduced exchangeable acid and exchangeable hydrogen (H + ) content by 52.74% and 2.86% respectively compared with CK. Additionally, the amount of the total active aluminum and exchangeable Al 3+ were reduced by 26.74% and 66.09%, respectively. However, water washed biochar and acidulated biochar decreased the effect of relieving the acidity substantially as compared to the primary biochar. Moreover, acidulated biochar treatment increased the Al 3+ content by 8.07% and trend of increasing soil available nutrients was declined with aged biochar. Taken together, it is concluded that biochar can reduce aluminum toxicity by increasing pH of acid soil and available nutrients, thus improves cabbage growth. However, aged biochar had a negative effect on aluminum toxicity reduction and acidic soil improvement, thus inhibited plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]