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Nanotechnology and nanomaterials have gained much attention in recent years due to their remarkable features. Among nanoparticles, photocatalytic material, such as zinc oxide, have shown tremendous applications in each and every field of science. In the present research, investigators have synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using Scallion’s peel extract. ZnONPs were both spherical and rod-shaped, where the size for spherical particles was 40–100 nm and rod-shaped, particles size was more than 200 nm as confirmed by microscopic techniques. The typical trademark bands of ZnONPs at 400–800 cm−1 were revealed by infrared spectroscopy, which also showed bands of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. The hydrodynamic size by particle size analyzer (PSA) shows a size near about 200 nm in diameter. Furthermore, the synthesized ZnONPs were used to assess their potential as a micronutrient for the plant and nano adsorbent for the removal of antibiotics (ampicillin) and methylene blue dye from the simulated wastewater. The antibiotic and dye removal were observed under UV light and visible light against contact time. In comparison to control seeds, seeds grown with ZnONPs have shown better germination and seedling. It could be concluded that ZnONPs acted as an important nanosized source of nutrition for agricultural applications. Thus, the effect of ZnONPs has been proven as a nano-based nutrient source for agricultural purposes. The remediation study found that remediation of both ampicillin and methylene blue dye was efficient under UV light under similar experimental parameters from the simulated wastewater by the ZnONPs.

Carotenoids are natural antioxidants, affecting apoptosis, absorbing active forms of oxygen, and improving visual performance through their blue light filtering capabilities. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids of the macular pigment that play a significant role in protecting against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. We analyzed the dietary sources of lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin of young adults living in a megapolis. We analyzed 431 food frequency questionnaires and used two different criteria for comparison: age (groups A1 and A2) and season (groups S1, spring, and S2, autumn). Raw red tomatoes and eggs are the main sources of carotenoids for the majority of respondents regardless of age and season. Significant differences between age groups were found for parsley, carrot, cheeseburger, and spring onion. Foods with high levels of carotenoids (tomato juice, pumpkin, spinach, and sprouts) were absent in the diets of most of the study participants. Watermelons and persimmons are seasonal sources of lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Dietary sources of carotenoids are present in insufficient quantities in the diets. Foods with high levels of lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are absent or only occasionally included in the diet.

Kitchen gardening is emerging as a sustainable and economic option to meet the food and health demands of a family. Conventionally these have been established in Indian homes since ages. Globally air pollution has become one of the major health and environment hazards and is accelerating at an alarming rate. Delhi being the capital of India experiences inferior air quality as compared to other Indian cities. Plants are known to alleviate air pollution by clarifying, interrupting and riveting pollutants. Classifying such types of plants as sensitive or tolerant groups assumes importance as the former can act as bio-indicators and later as sinks for atmospheric particulates and hence might help to mitigate air pollution. A significant contrivance to screen plant species based on sensitivity or tolerance to air pollutants is Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI). Four biochemical parameters, namely, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, relative water content and leaf extract pH were determined to calculate APTI of eleven plants whose leaves are habitually consumed in Delhi. These plants are Spinacia oleracae (Spinach), Chenopodium album ( Bathua), Murraya koenigii (Curry leaves), Coriandrum sativum (Coriander), Mentha piperita (Mint), Brassica oleracea (Cabbage), Trigonella foenum-graecum (Methi), Anethum graveolens (Dill), Petroselinum crispum (Parsley), Allium fistulosum (Spring onion) and Moringa oleifera (Drumstick). The results of the study indicated that Moringa oleifera (Drumstick) has the highest APTI of 14.89 and Chenopodium album (Bathua) has the lowest of 5.25. It was recommend that Moringa oleifera followed by Murraya koenigii (APTI=12.89), Petroselinum crispum, Trigonella foenum-graecum (APTI=12.85) and Coriandrum sativum (APTI=11.09) as most appropriate plant species for household plantations as well as kitchen gardens.

Metabolome analysis of flavored vegetables, green spring onion (Allium fistulosum), Chinese chive (A. tuberosum), and their interspecies hybrid Negi-Nira chive, was conducted using liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry, with ca. 2 ppm mass accuracy. Ion peaks in the chromatograms of four biological replicates of the vegetable leaves were processed using the alignment software PowerGet for metabolite comparison, from which we obtained the potential chemical formulae. In total, 860 ion peaks were reproducibly detected; of these, 506, 525, and 336 peaks were found in the hybrid, A. tuberosum, and A. fistulosum, respectively. There were 130 peaks specific to the hybrid; from these, 31 metabolites were annotated by searching compound databases. The sulfur-containing compounds and flavonoids were further analyzed using bioinformatics, to examine the sulfur metabolism of Allium volatiles and the flavonoid pathways in these species. In conclusion, our metabolome analysis of this interspecies hybrid and its parents provides a unique opportunity to elucidate their metabolic background.

Spring onion was a type of food plant that has long been known and cultivated in developing countries. Bergas District, Semarang Regency, has an area that makes scallions a leading agricultural sector. This study aimed to determine the factors that affect the income of leek farming. The method of determining the location used was purposive with simple random sampling for Collecting samples. Data analysis using OLS with the Cobb Douglas function. The results showed that the factors of land area, labor, seeds, and manure had a significant effect on the income of leek farmers. More efforts are needed to innovate and have the courage to cultivate leeks not only with an intercropping system so that income from farming can be higher.

Background Sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) attacks stems and storage roots of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, and is a major pest of this globally significant crop. To minimize the immigration of weevils into sweet potato fields from nearby donor habitat, we assessed scope for a barrier plant approach. Here, we report a novel, two-stage, multiple choice olfactometer method to screen candidate barrier plant species and a field study of the effects of shortlisted barrier plants of weevil movement and plant damage. Results Initial work established that a combination of sweet potato foliage and storage root was significantly more attractive to adult C. formicarius than either tissue alone in the distal chamber of choice arms. Among 15 candidate barrier plant species in intermediate chambers in arms, spring onion, oregano, chilli, basil, sweetcorn, fennel, lime mint and lemongrass significantly reduced passage of C. formicarius. Of these, sweetcorn and lime mint significantly reduced the numbers of oviposition holes in sweet potato storage roots. A field study showed that basil and chives were effective barrier plants for reducing weevil damage to sweet potato storage roots. Conclusion Our method has utility for screening additional candidate plants, and suggests that weevil dispersal and subsequent oviposition are affected by passage through some plants, suggesting scope for barrier plants to contribute to the management of this major pest. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Because of high perishability, leafy vegetables and fresh herbs are transported to the market soon after harvest. It is very likely that most of the damage due to inadequate handling at the farm and during transport will result in food discard only later in the retail market or in the household. Inadequate handling and marketing strategies in the store are expected to further contribute to waste. The study was designed to address the following questions: 1) what is the visual quality of leafy vegetables and fresh herbs received in the retail market; 2) what is the volume of discard of this produce in the retail market 3) what are the main causes of discard and 4) how these variables are influenced by the vegetable species, the suppliers and the stores evaluated. The study was conducted in 4 stores of a regional supermarket chain in Federal District, Brazil, for a period of 6 months. We evaluated: 1) number of produce items received and discarded; 2) visual quality of produce at reception and 3) cause of discard. The operations in each store were described based on observations and discussion with the store staff. When considering the sum of all produce, the discard (expressed as units per day and corrected for quantity purchased) was influenced by all the factors studied, namely store, supplier and day of the week. Delivery of produce with any signs of wilting and yellowing was negligible but produce with bruised and old leaves which should have been trimmed in the farm were frequent. Visual quality was important to determine shelf life and preference by the consumer but how important it was depended on other factors such as the vegetable or herb considered and the workflow in the store. The discard varied from 8.7% to 97.0% of the number of units purchased. Smaller waste volume was observed for spring onion, parsley, coriander, collard, leek and green leaf lettuce. Waste volume equal to or above 50% was observed for baby romaine lettuce, broad-leaved endive, wild chicory, mustard greens, sage and thyme. The vegetables and fresh herbs discard in the Brazilian retail market is in great measure the result of technological constraints together with bad management practices in the store. The implications of this situation for the definitions of food waste and food loss are discussed. RESUMO Devido à sua alta perecibilidade, hortaliças folhosas e ervas frescas são transportadas para o mercado logo após a colheita. É de esperar que parte dos danos sofridos durante a colheita e o transporte desses produtos resultem em perda somente nos elos seguintes da cadeia, quais sejam, varejo e consumo. O manuseio inadequado e o uso de estratégias de comercialização pouco eficientes no varejo se somam como causas de perda desse grupo de alimentos. O presente estudo foi delineado para responder às perguntas: 1) qual a qualidade visual das hortaliças folhosas e ervas frescas recebidas no mercado varejista; 2) qual o volume de descarte desses produtos no varejo; 3) quais as causas do descarte ; 4) como essas variáveis são influenciadas pela espécie hortícola, fornecedores e lojas avaliadas. O estudo foi realizado em 4 lojas de uma rede regional de supermercados no Distrito Federal, Brasil, pelo período de 6 meses. Foram avaliados: 1) a quantidade de produtos recebidos e descartados na loja; 2) a qualidade visual dos produtos na recepção; 3) a causa do descarte; 4) como essas variáveis foram influenciadas pelas espécies hortícolas, fornecedores e lojas avaliadas. As operações em cada loja foram descritas com base em observações e discussão com os funcionários das lojas. Quando se considerou a soma de todos os produtos, o descarte (expresso em número de unidades por dia e corrigido pela quantidade comprada) foi influenciado por todos os fatores, quais sejam, loja, fornecedor e dia da semana. A entrega de produtos murchos e amarelados foi rara, mas eram frequentes os produtos com danos mecânicos e/ou com folhas velhas que deveriam ter sido removidas na colheita. A durabilidade e a preferência do consumidor foram influenciadas pela qualidade visual mas também pela espécie hortícola em questão e pelo fluxo de trabalho na loja. O descarte variou de 8,7% a 97,0% do número de unidades compradas. Menor descarte foi observado para cebolinha, salsa, coentro, couve, alho porró e alface crespa. Descarte igual ou superior a 50% foi observado para alface mini-romana, chicória, almeirão, mostarda, sálvia e tomilho. O descarte de hortaliças folhosas e ervas frescas foi em grande medida resultante de deficiências tecnológicas juntamente com más práticas gerenciais na loja. Os conceitos de perda e de desperdício de alimento face a essa situação são discutidos.

Nitrogen (N) management is important for farmers to balance production, economic and environmental performance of their farms. This is particularly true in the intensive cropping systems of northwest Europe where tuber, root and bulb crops are cultivated in rotation with cereal crops and where an intensive livestock sector makes organic manures available at low cost for arable farmers. Here, we build upon a large database of farmer field data to assess mineral and organic fertiliser N performance, and its determinants, for the major arable crops in the Netherlands according to the guidelines provided by the EU N Expert Panel (EUNEP). The EUNEP framework quantifies N outputs and N inputs, N-use efficiency as the ratio between N outputs and N inputs (NUE in kg N output harvested per kg N input) and N surplus as the difference between N inputs and N outputs (Ns in kg N ha−1). As a next step, biophysical and crop management determinants of N performance were explored using data from different years, soil types and N management in relation to the amount, source, time and method of N applied. NUE was on average ca. 0.95 kg N kg−1 N for seed potato, sugar beet and spring onion, 0.87 kg N kg−1 N for ware potato, ca. 0.80 kg N kg−1 N for starch potato and winter wheat and, ca. 0.70 kg N kg−1 N for spring barley, all within or above the target range of 0.50–0.90 kg N kg−1 N proposed by the EUNEP. Ns was on average below the EUNEP threshold of 80 kg N ha−1 for all crops: 78 kg N ha−1 for ware potato and winter wheat, ca. 70 kg N ha−1 for starch potato, ca. 50 kg N ha−1 for spring barley, ca. 25 kg N ha−1 for sugar beet and spring onion and less than 20 kg N ha−1 for seed potato. Although average Ns was below 80 kg N ha−1, ca. 40% of the ware potato, starch potato and winter wheat fields analyzed had Ns above this threshold. The relatively high NUE combined with high Ns for most crops are the result of high N outputs (yields) combined with high N application rates. Moreover, high NUE and small Ns were mostly associated with smaller N application rates and with the use of mineral fertilisers instead of organic fertilisers, while there were no clear relationships between the two indicators on the one hand with N application time or method on the other. We conclude NUE and Ns were on average within the EUNEP target range for most crops, but there are still a considerable number of under-performing farms where increases in NUE and reductions in Ns are possible through reducing N inputs. We recommend future research to assess the benefits of organic fertilisers from a circularity perspective at regional and national levels and to cross-validate the crop-specific results presented in this study with NUE assessments at cropping systems level., This research was conducted as part of the WaterFARMING project “Improvement of water and nutrient retention and use efficiency in arable farming systems from field to catchment scale in Europe and North Africa” funded by the Netherlands Science Foundation (NWO) with grant agreement ALWWW20161.

Objective Parasitic diseases have created numerous health and economic problems in developing and developed countries. One of the most prevalent ways of transmitting diseases is by consuming raw vegetables that are contaminated with parasites. With respect to the importance of healthy vegetable consumption, an awareness of vegetable status helps prevent infection. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the level of parasitic contamination of vegetables consumed in Tehran. Methods This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on vegetable samples spread in Tehran from October 2017 to September 2018. The samples included 240 vegetables selected from 10 types of vegetable including leek, basil, mint, spring onion, radish, parsley, lettuce, cress, tarragon and coriander. Each sample was examined after passing through washing and centrifuging. Parasitic agents such as unicellular, egg and larva of the worms were studied. The data were analysed using SPSS software. Conclusion Parasitic infection was observed in 62 samples (25.8%). The highest and lowest rates of contamination were observed in coriander and lettuce, respectively. Rhabditoid larva (12.5%; 15 cases) and Physaloptera egg (1.6%; 2 cases) were the most and least observed parasites, respectively. Other parasites such as Entamoeba, Giardia, Blastocystis, Hymenolepis, Ascaris and the egg and larva of hookworms were also observed. Despite the relative improvement of social, agricultural, economic and health conditions in Tehran, the prevalence of parasitic infections still persists. Factors such as developing modern waste collection methods, improving urban sewage systems, preventing domestic animal traffic on pastures and promoting the knowledge of different classes of people could reduce the prevalence of these types of diseases.

Main conclusion Storage at an elevated partial pressure of oxygen and classical artificial ageing cause a rapid loss of seed viability of short-lived vegetable seeds. Abstract Prolonging seed longevity during storage is of major importance for gene banks and the horticultural industry. Slowing down biochemical deterioration, including oxygen-dependent deterioration caused by oxidative processes can boost longevity. This can be affected by the seed structure and the oxygen permeability of seed coat layers. Classical artificial seed ageing assays are used to estimate seed 'shelf-life' by mimicking seed ageing via incubating seeds at elevated temperature and elevated relative humidity (causing elevated equilibrium seed moisture content). In this study, we show that seed lots of vegetable Allium species are short-lived both during dry storage for several months and in seed ageing assays at elevated seed moisture levels. Micromorphological analysis of the Allium cepa x Allium fistulosum salad onion seed identified intact seed coat and endosperm layers. Allium seeds equilibrated at 70% relative humidity were used to investigate seed ageing at tenfold elevated partial pressure of oxygen (high pO2) at room temperature (22 ºC) in comparison to classical artificial ageing at elevated temperature (42 ºC). Our results reveal that 30 days high pO2 treatment causes a rapid loss of seed viability which quantitatively corresponded to the seed viability loss observed by ~ 7 days classical artificial ageing. A similar number of normal seedlings develop from the germinating (viable) proportion of seeds in the population. Many long-lived seeds first exhibit a seed vigour loss, evident from a reduced germination speed, preceding the loss in seed viability. In contrast to this, seed ageing of our short-lived Allium vegetable seems to be characterised by a rapid loss in seed viability.

Vegetable production is an important activity, source of food and income for farmers. Vegetables are grown in many regions in Lao PDR. There is a large range of agro-climatic conditions between the two seasons - wet and dry. The dry season is suitable and favourable for vegetable production. However, the wet season has high temperature, high relative humidity, high soil moisture content and heavy rain. These conditions cause several negative impacts for vegetable production such as, low vegetable productivity and poor quality. Higher application of pesticides can also lead to food safety issues and high input cost of cultivation. These challenges could impact to inadequate domestic supply of vegetables in rainy season, low economic returns from vegetable production, and increased imports of vegetable from other countries. NAFRI and ACIAR have cooperated to research and develop a design of greenhouse structure that is economical and provides suitable growing conditions in the wet season to help farmers to mitigate the multiple constraints and successfully grow vegetables year-round. The new design was constructed and tested with several types of vegetable crops including coriander, lettuce, spring onion and tomato during 2015–2018. Evaluation was made against ambient conditions, crop needs and also a comparison with several other protected cropping designs was conducted. The new design provides improved, cooler and more suitable growing conditions for a range of crops, increasing productivity and quality of vegetable in the wet season.

Background: Healthy diets including fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This study was aimed at detecting parasitic contamination caused by consuming raw vegetables sold in Hamadan, west of Iran. Methods: A total of 380 vegetable samples consisting of parsley, coriander, basil, savory, mint, cress, tarragon, leek, radish and spring onion were evaluated microscopically after conducting sedimentation and flotation from April 2017 to March 2018. Results: Parasites were detected in 95 out of 380 of vegetable samples (25%). The organisms identified included Entamoeba coli (8.15%), Ascaris lumbricoides (7.1%), Chilomastix mesnili (5%), and Giardia lamblia (1.5%), Blastocystis hominis (0.78%), Toxocara canis (0.26%) and Hymenolepis nana (0.26%). High level of contamination was obtained for parsley (5.52%) while radish was the least contaminated (0.78%). Vegetable contamination was higher in spring and summer (20.6%) (P

Red pepper is one of the most important spices in the Republic of Korea, and fraudulent practices during manufacturing of red pepper products can cause social concerns. In this study we conducted the regulatory survey to verify the labeling compliance of red pepper products sold on the South Korea commercial market. We designed species-specific primer sets for five common ingredients (red pepper, garlic, onion, spring onion, and ginger) and developed reliable real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods using SYBR Green I dye to identify the ingredients used in red pepper products. Sixty-six commercial red pepper products were analyzed using our real-time PCR methods for the presence of potential mislabeling. The results of fifty-one samples were consistent with their labeling information, whereas the results for fifteen samples, described as red pepper powder and seasoned red pepper sauce, did not satisfy their manufacturing criteria. Our findings demonstrated that the developed real-time PCR methods could be efficiently utilized for rapid monitoring of commercial red pepper products.

Environmental pollution caused by the discharge of mutagenic and carcinogenic nitrofurans to the aquatic and soil environment is an emerging public health concern because of the potential in producing drug-resistant microbes and being uptaken by food crops. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis and with spring onion (Allium wakegi Araki) as the plant model, we investigated in this study the plant uptake and accumulation of nitrofuran from a contaminated environment. Our study revealed for the first time high uptake and accumulation rates of nitrofuran in the edible parts of the food crop. Furthermore, results indicated highly efficient plant metabolism of the absorbed nitrofuran within the plant, leading to the formation of genotoxic hydrazine-containing metabolites. The results from this study may disclose a previously unidentified human exposure pathway through contaminated food crops.

Yield gaps and water productivity are key indicators to monitor the progress towards more sustainable and productive cropping systems. Individual farmers are collecting increasing amounts of data (‘big data’), which can help monitor the process of sustainable intensification at local level. In this study, we build upon such data to quantify the magnitude and identify the biophysical and management determinants of on-farm yield gaps and water productivity for the main arable crops cultivated in the Netherlands. The analysis focused on ware, seed and starch potatoes, sugar beet, spring onion, winter wheat and spring barley and covered the period 2015–2017. A crop modelling approach based on crop coefficients (kc) and daily weather data was used to estimate the potential yield (Yp), radiation intercepted and potential evapotranspiration (ETP) for each crop. Yield gaps were estimated to be ca. 10% of Yp for sugar beet, 25–30% of Yp for ware, seed and starch potato and spring barley, and 35–40% of Yp for spring onion and winter wheat. Variation in actual yields was associated with water availability in key periods of the growing season as well as with sowing and harvest dates. However, the R2 of the fitted regressions was rather low (20–49%). Current levels of crop water productivity ranged between 13 kg DM ha−1 mm−1 for spring barley, ca. 15 kg DM ha−1 mm−1 for seed potato, spring onion and winter wheat, 23 kg DM ha−1 mm−1 for ware potato and ca. 25 kg DM ha−1 mm−1 for starch potato and sugar beet. These values are about half of their potential, but increasing actual water productivity further is restricted by rainfall amount and distribution. However, doing so should not be prioritized over reducing environmental impacts of these intensive cropping systems in the short-term and may require large investments from farm to regional levels in the long-term. Although these findings are most relevant to similar cropping systems in NW Europe, the underlying methods are generic and can be used to benchmark crop performance in other cropping systems. Based on this work, we argue that ‘big data’ are currently most useful to describe cropping systems at regional scale and derive benchmarks of farm performance but not as much to predict and explain crop yield variability in time and space., This research was conducted as part of the WaterFARMING project ‘Improvement of water and nutrient retention and use efficiency in arable farming systems from field to catchment scale in Europe and North Africa’ funded by the Netherlands Science Foundation (NWO) with grant agreement ALWWW20161to NPRA.

A New Guinea Orchid, Dendrobium antennatum Lindl urgently needs to conserve. The availability of in vitro germination technique for this orchids is significantly important to present the useful tool for conservation effort. This study aimed to find a simple media that consists of Growmore 10-55-10, a foliar fertilizer and complex organic i.e. coconut water, banana pulp, onion spring extract, and carrot juice. Five in vitro medium for seed germination and four in vitro sub-culture medium for planlet growth were formulated and used in this study. Our findings revealed that seed germination in vitro of Dendrobium antennatum well occured on the medium of Growmore 10-55-10 supplemented with 10% coconut water (GCw) and of Growmore 10-55-10 supplemented with 50 g/l extract spring onion. The seed germination process from sowing the seed to plantlet production ready to transfer to sub-culture medium for further growth took time 140 days. The embryo became pale green at the day 11 on the germination media. It could be used as a tool for detection of viability of the seeds. Both seed germination medium could be used also as sub-culture medium for enhancing the growth of the plantlets but not for multiplication of shoots.

Aquaponics is the integration of farming fish with plants where the excreted nutrients from fish are taken up by plants. Thus, aquaponics may enhance aquaculture sustainability and productivity. In this study, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides juveniles were cultured in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) or aquaponic system for two months. Each system was identical, but within the aquaponic system, lemongrass and spring onion were cultured with or without gravel in a 2x2x2 factorial design. After 2 months, there was no difference in the survival, growth, feeding efficiencies or condition indicator of fish in either system, despite nitrate-N being consistently higher in RAS, particularly from day 48 onwards. Water iron and total phosphorus were similar among each system. Bacterial diversity was lower in RAS, but Streptomyces was only detected in RAS which contributes to off-flavors. Spring onion wet weight and leaf width values were significantly greater when cultured with media but had significantly shorter roots. Lemongrass leaf length and width values were also significantly greater when cultured with media, but had significantly shorter roots. There were various significant main effects on the mineral composition, particularly for iron. Generally, both zinc and iron accumulated in the roots of both plant while potassium was higher in the leaves. Spring onions were a richer source of potassium and calcium than lemongrass. Magnesium and iron were generally higher in the leaves and roots when cultured without media and might be due to the roots having a greater surface area for nutrient uptake. Overall, M. salmoides is a suitable high value fish species to grow with aquaponics while using media enhanced the productivity of both plant species as well as their magnesium and iron contents. The absence of Steptomyces in the aquaponic system may have implications to post-harvest fish quality that should receive additional attention.

Bacterial pathogens of onion (Allium cepa) plants and their undetected presence in seed can cause substantial losses to onion producers. In this study, 23 Pseudomonas syringae strains were isolated from five onion plants and 18 onion seeds. The symptoms on leaves and seed stalks were irregular lesions with necrotic centres and water soaked margins. The aim of the study was to characterize these P. syringae strains using Biolog GN III carbon source utilization, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) based on partial sequences of four housekeeping genes (cts, gapA, gyrB and rpoD), and to determine whether or not the strains were pathogenic on onion (cv. Granex 33), chive (Allium schoenoprasum cv. Grasiue), leek (Allium porrum cv. Giant Italian) and spring onion (Allium fistulosum cv. Salotte) plants. Both Biolog analysis and MLST analysis separated onion strains into two clusters, one supporting the existence of a new pathovar of P. syringae, and the other corresponding to P. syringae pv. porri. Pseudomonas syringae strains belonging to the new pathovar we pathogenic only on onion plants of the Allium spp. tested. The results of this study revealed that bacterial blight of onion in South Africa is caused by two pathovars of P. syringae sensu lato, namely, the newly described pathovar, allii, and P. syringae pv. porri. The symptoms caused by these two pathovars in the field were indistinguishable.

A method was validated for estimating fluopyram and tebuconazole in onion on LC-MS/MS using dispersive QuEChERS. Three sprays of a combination fungicide fluopyram + tebuconazole (Luna experience, 400 SC) were applied @ 75 + 75 and 150 + 150 g a.i. ha−1 at an interval of 10 days on onion using Knapsack sprayer. First spray was made at bulb setting stage. Spring onion samples were drawn at 0 (1 h), 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 days and matured onion bulb at harvest (52 days) after the last spray. Soil samples were also drawn at harvest. Foliar application of the combination product resulted in 1.14 and 2.86 mg kg−1 fluopyram residues on spring onion at standard and double dose, respectively, one hour after the last application. The levels of fluopyram residues gradually declined and recorded 0.25 and 0.58 mg kg−1 on 20th day of application with half-lives of 8.8 and 9.1 days at standard and double dose, respectively. For tebuconazole, the corresponding residues observed after 1 h (0 day) of application were 0.92 and 2.29 mg kg−1. The levels declined gradually to 0.12 and 0.33 mg kg−1 on 20th days with half-life of 6.7 to 7.7 days at standard and double dose, respectively. Here, we are proposing a pre-harvest interval of 7 day for fluopyram and tebuconazole in spring onion when applied at 75 + 75 g a.i. ha−1 (400 SC). Risk assessment was done by calculating hazard quotient and by comparing theoretical maximum residue intake (TMRI) with maximum permissible intake (MPI). In all the cases, results of the study showed that HQ (Hazard Quotient) ≤1 and TMDI

Many dumpsites in the urban communities in Ghana are used for cultivation of crops, especially vegetables. However, these dumpsites may serve as potential sources of soil heavy metals that could enter the food chain mainly through cultivated food crops with serious consequences on human health. This study investigated the levels of two heavy metals, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), in the soil and tissues of vegetables grown on such dumpsites. Soil and tissue (lettuce, cabbage, spring onion, tomato and the leaves of Xanthosoma sagitifolium) samples were collected from ten locations with two of these locations used as control. The samples were acid-digested and the metal concentrations determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Pb and Cd contents of soils from all the eight dumpsites and one of the control locations were above the guidelines recommended by FAO and WHO. The highest Cd level in the soil (13.6 mgkg-1 of Cd) was found at Aketego dumpsite and the highest soil Pb (36.1 mgkg-1 Pb) was recorded at Meduma dumpsite. The leafy vegetables, cabbage, lettuce and X. sagitifolium (locally called ‘kontomire’) recorded relatively higher amounts of Pb and Cd in the edible parts. Further studies are required to determine how much of the daily diet these vegetables contribute to the total diets of the population and special attention to calculating the overall daily doses of Cd and Pb to pregnant mothers and children

Metarhizium brunneum is a generalist entomopathogenic fungus known to be virulent against Acari. We investigated Metarhizium brunneum-7 (Mb7) interactions in three systems of phytophagous mites and their respective plant hosts: Volkamer lemon (Citrus volkameriana) and the citrus rust mite Phyllocoptruta oleivora, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae, and spring onion (Allium cepa) and the bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini. All three mite species were susceptible to directly applied Mb7 conidia. Results obtained using the standard method for studying endophytic colonization vs. live confocal imaging of plant tissues using the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transformed fungus differed markedly, demonstrating that microscopy validation was more definite than the standard process of recovery from plant tissue. Endophytic colonization was observed in conidium-infiltrated citrus leaves and in roots of onion plants treated with soil-drenched conidia, but not in common bean treated by either spray or drench of conidia. Endophytic colonization of citrus leaves did not affect the citrus mite population. Drench application in common bean reduced two-spotted mite population. Similarly, drench application in onion reduced bulb mite population. This study emphasizes the importance of the host plant effects on Mb7 control efficacy of mite pests, and the merits of live-imaging techniques in studying endophytic interaction.

Plants modulate their growth rates based on the environmental signals; however, it is difficult to experimentally test how natural temperature and light fluctuations affect growth, since realistic outdoor environments are difficult to replicate in controlled laboratory conditions, and it is expensive to conduct experiments in many environmentally diverse regions. In partnership with BBC Terrific Scientific, over 50 primary schools from around the UK grew spring onions outside of hydroponic growth chambers that they constructed. Over 2 weeks, students measured the height of the spring onions daily, while the hourly temperature and visibility data were determined for each school based on the UK Meteorological Office data. This rich time series data allowed us to model how plants integrate temperature and light signals to determine how much to grow, using techniques from functional data analysis. We determined that under nutrient‐poor hydroponic conditions, growth of spring onion is sensitive to even a few degrees change in temperature, and is most correlated with warm nighttime temperatures, high temperatures at the start of the experiment, and light exposure near the end of the experiment. We show that scientists can leverage schools to conduct experiments that leverage natural environmental variability to develop complex models of plant‐environment interactions.

Onions (Allium cepa L.) are a medicinally and economically important vegetable species rich in sulphur compounds, polyphenols, and antioxidants. In Korea, most of the onion cultivars are of the open-pollinated, heterozygous, short duration, and early spring type, which are generally harvested in April. Precise varietal identification is crucially important to warrant the authenticity of supreme onion genotypes, which aid in affirming the genetic identity of breeding materials at both the breeders and farmers levels. A set of markers identified from the double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) database of Allium cepa L. and involving single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were deployed for genotyping deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples extracted from seven genetically diverse onion cultivars collected in Korea and Japan. The validation process led us to designating 43 SNPs out of 48 that unequivocally identified all seven genotypes with high statistical validity (p &lt, 0.001). Phylogenetic relationships and varietal identity among the cultivars were ascertained by Bayesian clustering and ordination analyses. Two genotypes, Singsingball and Taegeukhwang of Korean origin, showed a greater genetic distance from the five other onion cultivars. The SNP markers deployed in this study effectively authenticated the DNA fingerprints of the early spring onion cultivars utilizing a high-throughput genotyping protocol. The method exploited in this study provides an efficient pathway of verifying genetic identity of onion genotypes for their quality control. The markers developed are highly useful in the management and conservation of elite onion breeding materials at the farmers&rsquo, level.

AIM The present study aimed to investigate and identify the association between the intake of allium vegetables and colorectal cancer (CRC) in population. METHODS A hospital-based matched case-control study was conducted between June 2009 and November 2011 in three hospitals. Eight hundred thirty three consecutively recruited cases of CRC were frequency matched to 833 controls by age (within 2.5 years of difference), sex, and residence area (rural/urban). Demographic and dietary information were collected via face-to-face interviews using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by using unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS A decreased CRC risk was observed for the consumption of total (aORs of high total allium intake compared with low total allium intake = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.14-0.30, P trend

Emerging evidence has suggested aristolochic acids (AAs) are linked to the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a chronic renal disease affecting numerous farmers living in the Balkan peninsula. However, the pathway by which AAs enter the human food chain and cause kidney disease remains poorly understood. Using our previously developed analytical method with high sensitivity and selectivity (Chan, W.; Lee, K. C.; Liu, N.; Cai, Z. J. Chromatogr. A 2007, 1164, 113-119), we quantified AAs in lettuce, tomato, and spring onion grown in AA-contaminated soil and culture medium. Our study revealed that AAs were being taken up from the soil and bioaccumulated in food crops in a time- and dose-dependent manner. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify one of the possible pathways by which AAs enter our food chain to cause chronic food poisoning. Results also demonstrated that AAs were resistant to the microbial activity of the soil/water.

The dissipation and removal of the etofenprox residue was studied in spring onion grown under greenhouse conditions. Samples of spring onion were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 days after last application, and removal rates of etofenprox by washing and drying processes were measured. Samples were extracted with acetone and partitioned with dichloromethane. The dichloromethane layer was then concentrated, cleaned up with florisil column chromatography, and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UVD). At the fortification levels of 0.5, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg, recoveries ranged from 92.0 to 107.7%, with a coefficient of variation of 4.3-7.9% (n = 3). The method limit of quantification (MLOQ) was found to be 0.05 mg/kg in spring onion. The half-lives of etofenprox in spring onion were found to be 9.5 and 7.9 days, at the single or double application rates. Removal rates of etofenprox were 21.6-43.9 and 66.6-88.5% by various washing or drying processes, respectively.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a gaseous signalling molecule with multiple biological functions in the human body. Previous research demonstrates that diallyl trisulphide (DATS) and diallyl disulphide (the two major compounds of garlic oil) can be metabolized to generate H2S in biological conditions and modulate cell signalling. In this paper, a fluorescent method for quantification of H2S releasing capacity in cell lines was developed. MCF-7 cells in 96 well plate were incubated with a H2S probe BCu for 3 h, then treated with H2S donors for 2 h, which would be metabolized by the cells and produce H2S. The resulting H2S was captured by the probe and turn on its fluorescence, which was measured with a microplate reader. Linear dose response could be established between organosulphur concentration and fluorescence intensity, and the H2S releasing capacity of a sample was determined by comparing the slope of the regression curve with that of a DATS standard obtained in parallel. With this method, the H2S releasing capacity of ten organosulphur rich fruits and vegetables (garlic, red onion, yellow onion, scallion, shallot, leek, spring onion, Chinese chives, durian, and stinky beans) were evaluated and ranked. Stinky beans (a vegetable from Southeast Asia) topped the ranking with very high H2S releasing capacity, followed by garlic and yellow onion. Our work provides new thinking on the health benefits of organosulphur-rich foods.

Background Transmission of infectious agents, such as parasites, is associated with consumption of raw vegetables. Thus, the health of vegetables reflects the health status of a region. Objectives Due to considerable parasitic contamination in Hamadan province and lack of information about health of vegetables in this region, this study was conducted in Malayer city, west of Iran. Methods This investigation was a cross-sectional study carried out on 383 samples of different vegetables including leek, parsley, coriander, radish, spring onion, tarragon, basil, mint, cress, and savory. The samples were randomly collected from 38 farms around Malayer city and subjected to parasitic contamination analysis using sedimentation and floatation methods. Results The results showed that 14.6% of the vegetable samples were contaminated with various pathogenic (5.2%) and non-pathogenic (9.4%) parasites including protozoan cyst (3.7%), worm eggs (3.9%), and free-living larvae (7%). Giardia intestinalis (1.3%) and Entamoeba coli (2.3%) were the only protozoa that were detected in the samples. Frequencies of worm egg contamination were 1.6% for Taenia/Echinococcus spp., 0.5% for Dicrocoelium dendriticum, 0.8% for Toxocara spp., 0.5% for Hymenolepis nana, 0.3% for Trichostrongylus spp., and 0.3% for Fasciola spp. Leek was the most contaminated vegetable (31.7%), although there was no contamination in tarragon (P < 0.001). Significant relationships were observed between parasitic contamination and fertilizer (P = 0.018) and water consumption (P < 0.001) used in the farm vegetables. Conclusions The results demonstrate the potential role of raw vegetables consumption in the transmission of parasitic infections in the area. Therefore, it is recommended for some necessary hygienic measures to be applied to increase the public health of the community.

Bio-concentration of elements such as Mo, As, Se, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb was analyzed in spring onion (Allium fistulosum L.) in three different locations of central Punjab, Pakistan. At location GW, relatively low level of hazardous elements was found in spring onion, suggesting that groundwater is a safe source of water for irrigating food crops. The pH of soil at wastewater irrigation was found less acidic (pH 7.4) than the other sites. The range of concentration in the different samples of spring onion was as follows: 6.15–8.16 mg kg−1 for Mo, 2.77–4.28 mg kg−1 for As, 0.395–0.705 mg kg−1 for Se, 36.73–48.17 mg kg−1 for Fe, 10.58–16.26 mg kg−1 for Cu, 28.87–39.79 mg kg−1 for Zn, 6.66–8.75 mg kg−1 for Ni and 4.33–6.09 mg kg−1 for Pb, respectively. High bio-concentration of Zn (15.37) from soil to spring onion was found at canal water irrigated location. The estimated daily intake of metal for spring onion was less, but the health risk index was higher than 1 for Mo, As, Cu, Pb and Ni, respectively. This was due to higher proportion of spring onion in diet, which consequently increased the health risk index for metals. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid growing vegetables in untreated urban and rural wastewater containing elevated amounts of metals.

The shelf life of green (spring) onions was short (from 3 to 4 weeks). Therefore, the aim of this investigation is to elongate green onion shelf life by freezing at −18 °C with slight changes in antioxidant activities and pungency for each spring onion Allium cepa L. varieties (Giza 6 and Photon) which cultivated in Egypt. This study included leaves and bulbs in each varieties of spring onion. Results showed high contents of total phenols and flavonoids in leaves compared with bulbs either of Giza 6 or Photon types, therefore Giza 6 had high content of total phenols and flavonoids than Photon variety, in parallel the results were obtained of total chlorophyll and total carotenoids contents. While, chlorophyll a content showed higher than chlorophyll b in leaves than in bulbs for each variety. Results indicated that the diversity in kind of polyphenolic and flavonoids components either leaves or bulbs in each spring onion types. Benzoic acid showed the major polyphenolic compounds in the bulbs of either Giza 6 or Photon spring onions varieties (11.92% and 27.43%), while salicylic acid (8.37%) and ellagic acid (9.10%) were major ones of the leaves of Giza 6 and Photon variety. The major components of flavonoids were myricetin, quercitin and rutin in leaves and bulbs for each variety. Myricetin which was the highest flavonoids components was the major; it also showed higher percentage in the leaves than bulbs of two varieties (Giza 6 and Photon). It also was higher in Photon leaves than Giza 6 leaves. Giza 6 bulbs was highest content of pungency, then Photon bulbs followed by Giza leaves and Photon leaves at zero time till 3 months of storage at freezing. Also, results of pungency and antioxidants activity by DPPH method in leaves and bulbs for each variety indicated that there were slightly decrease during storage (3 months). Results indicated that export onion spring can be stored under freezing at −18 °C during 3 months without high changes in pungency.