Effects of vine water status on dimethyl sulfur potential, ammonium, and amino acid contents in Grenache Noir grapes (Vitis vinifera).

Science.gov (United States)

De Royer Dupré, N; Schneider, R; Payan, J C; Salançon, E; Razungles, A

2014-04-02

We studied the effect of vine water status on the dimethyl sulfur potential (DMSP), ammonium, and amino acid contents of the berry during the maturation of Grenache Noir grapes. Water deficit increased the accumulation of amino acids in berries and favored yeast assimilable amino nitrogen. Similarly, ammonium content was higher in berries from vines subjected to moderate water deficit. DMSP content followed the same trend as yeast assimilable amino acid content, with higher concentrations observed in the berries of vines subjected to water deficit. The high DMSP and yeast assimilable nitrogen contents of musts from vines subjected to water deficit resulted in a better preservation of DMSP during winemaking. The wines produced from these musts had a higher DMSP level and would therefore probably have a higher aroma shelf life, because the DMSP determines the rate of release of dimethyl sulfur during wine storage, and this compound enhances fruity notes.

Comparison of Light Interception and Field Photosynthesis between Vertically and Horizontally Trained Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai] Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, S.; Nakano, Y.; Okano, K.

2001-01-01

The light-interception characteristics and field photosynthetic rates of individual leaves were compared between vertically and horizontally trained watermelon plants to determine why the former produced smaller fruit than the latter. The planting density of the vertically trained plants was 3 times greater than that of the horizontally trained plants, because in the former the shoots were trained upward, whereas the latter were spread on the ground. Although the amount of solar radiation received by the upper leaves was similar in both plots, significantly less light was received by the middle and lower leaves of the vertically trained plants than by those of the horizontally trained ones. In the vertically trained plants, the photosynthetic rate was high at the upper leaves and decreased gradually with lower leaf positions. The photosynthetic rate in the horizontally trained plants was generally high, but the difference in the rate among leaves in different positions varied. We conclude that the main reason for the lighter fruits on the vertically trained watermelon plants is that the middle and lower leaves received less light because of shading compared with horizontally grown vines

Analysis of vineyard differential management zones and relation to vine development, grape maturity and quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez-Casanovas, J. A.; Agelet-Fernandez, J.; Arno, J.; Ramos, M. C.

2012-11-01

The objective of research was to analyse the potential of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps from satellite images, yield maps and grapevine fertility and load variables to delineate zones with different wine grape properties for selective harvesting. Two vineyard blocks located in NE Spain (Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) were analysed. The NDVI was computed from a Quickbird-2 multi-spectral image at veraison (July 2005). Yield data was acquired by means of a yield monitor during September 2005. Other variables, such as the number of buds, number of shoots, number of wine grape clusters and weight of 100 berries were sampled in a 10 rows × 5 vines pattern and used as input variables, in combination with the NDVI, to define the clusters as alternative to yield maps. Two days prior to the harvesting, grape samples were taken. The analysed variables were probable alcoholic degree, pH of the juice, total acidity, total phenolics, colour, anthocyanins and tannins. The input variables, alone or in combination, were clustered (2 and 3 Clusters) by using the ISODATA algorithm, and an analysis of variance and a multiple rang test were performed. The results show that the zones derived from the NDVI maps are more effective to differentiate grape maturity and quality variables than the zones derived from the yield maps. The inclusion of other grapevine fertility and load variables did not improve the results. (Author) 36 refs.

Watermelon and ragweed share allergens.

Science.gov (United States)

Enberg, R N; Leickly, F E; McCullough, J; Bailey, J; Ownby, D R

1987-06-01

A biotin-avidin amplified ELISA was used to measure antigen-specific IgE for ragweed, representative members of the gourd family (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, zucchini, and cucumber), and banana in the sera of 192 allergic patients, each with an IgE greater than or equal to 180 microns/ml. Sixty-three percent (120/192) of the sera contained antiragweed IgE, and of these patients, 28% to 50% contained IgE specific for any single gourd family member. In contrast, no greater than 11% of the sera positive for a given gourd or banana were negative for ragweed. Correlations between ragweed and gourd-specific IgE levels were significant (p less than 0.001), and correlation coefficients between any two gourds exceeded 0.79. In an ELISA system, the extracts of watermelon and ragweed inhibited each other in a dose-dependent manner; the resulting nonparallel inhibition curves indicate that some, but not all, of the allergens in the two extracts are cross-reactive. Isoelectric focusing of watermelon and ragweed extracts in narrow range gel (pH 4 to 6) followed by immunoblotting demonstrated six watermelon allergen bands with isoelectric points identical to those of ragweed allergens. Several remaining bands in the two extracts had differing isoelectric points, however. Six of 26 patients interviewed with watermelon-specific IgE reported developing oropharyngeal symptoms (itching and/or swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat) after ingesting at least one of the study foods, whereas only one of 25 patients interviewed without detectable watermelon-specific IgE reported similar symptoms (p = 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

7 CFR 1210.516 - Exemption for organic watermelons.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Exemption for organic watermelons. 1210.516 Section... SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; MISCELLANEOUS COMMODITIES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WATERMELON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION PLAN Rules and Regulations Assessments § 1210.516 Exemption for organic watermelons...

[Infrared spectroscopic analysis of Guilin watermelon frost products].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Dong-lan; Chen, Xiao-kang; Xu, Yong-qun; Sun, Su-qin; Zhou, Qun; Lu, Wen-guan

2012-08-01

The objective of the present study is to analyze different products of Guilin watermelon frost by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), second derivative infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-IR) under thermal perturbation. The structural information of the samples indicates that samples from the same factory but of different brands had some dissimilarities in the IR spectra, and the type and content of accessories of them were different compared with conventional IR spectra of samples, peaks at 638 and 616 cm(-1) all arise from anhydrous sodium sulfate in watermelon frost spray and watermelon frost capsule; the characteristic absorption peaks of the sucrose, dextrin or other accessories can be seen clearly in the spectra of watermelon frost throat-clearing buccal tablets, watermelon frost throat tablets and watermelon frost lozenge. And the IR spectra of watermelon frost lozenge is very similar to the IR spectra of sucrose, so it can be easily proved that the content of sucrose in watermelon frost lozenge is high. In the 2D-IR correlation spectra, the samples presented the differences in the position, number and relative intensity of autopeaks and correlation peak clusters. Consequently, the macroscopical fingerprint characters of FTIR, second derivative infrared spectra and 2D-IR spectra can not only provide the information about main chemical constituents in medical materials, but also analyze and identify the type and content of accessories in Guilin watermelon frost. In conclusion, the multi-steps IR macro-fingerprint method is rapid, effective, visual and accurate for pharmaceutical research.

Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Harry S.

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Watermelons, Citrullus species (Cucurbitaceae), are native to Africa and have been cultivated since ancient times. The fruit flesh of wild watermelons is watery, but typically hard-textured, pale-coloured and bland or bitter. The familiar sweet dessert watermelons, C. lanatus, featuring non-bitter, tender, well-coloured flesh, have a narrow genetic base, suggesting that they originated from a series of selection events in a single ancestral population. The objective of the present investigation was to determine where dessert watermelons originated and the time frame during which sweet dessert watermelons emerged. Key Findings Archaeological remains of watermelons, mostly seeds, that date from 5000 years ago have been found in northeastern Africa. An image of a large, striped, oblong fruit on a tray has been found in an Egyptian tomb that dates to at least 4000 years ago. The Greek word pepon, Latin pepo and Hebrew avattiah of the first centuries ce were used for the same large, thick-rinded, wet fruit which, evidently, was the watermelon. Hebrew literature from the end of the second century ce and Latin literature from the beginning of the sixth century ce present watermelons together with three sweet fruits: figs, table grapes and pomegranates. Wild and primitive watermelons have been observed repeatedly in Sudan and neighbouring countries of northeastern Africa. Conclusions The diverse evidence, combined, indicates that northeastern Africa is the centre of origin of the dessert watermelon, that watermelons were domesticated for water and food there over 4000 years ago, and that sweet dessert watermelons emerged in Mediterranean lands by approximately 2000 years ago. Next-generation ancient-DNA sequencing and state-of-the-art genomic analysis offer opportunities to rigorously assess the relationships among ancient and living wild and primitive watermelons from northeastern Africa, modern sweet dessert watermelons and other Citrullus taxa. PMID

Development of transgenic watermelon resistant to Cucumber mosaic virus and Watermelon mosaic virus by using a single chimeric transgene construct.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ching-Yi; Ku, Hsin-Mei; Chiang, Yi-Hua; Ho, Hsiu-Yin; Yu, Tsong-Ann; Jan, Fuh-Jyh

2012-10-01

Watermelon, an important fruit crop worldwide, is prone to attack by several viruses that often results in destructive yield loss. To develop a transgenic watermelon resistant to multiple virus infection, a single chimeric transgene comprising a silencer DNA from the partial N gene of Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) fused to the partial coat protein (CP) gene sequences of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) was constructed and transformed into watermelon (cv. Feeling) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Single or multiple transgene copies randomly inserted into various locations in the genome were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Transgenic watermelon R(0) plants were individually challenged with CMV, CGMMV or WMV, or with a mixture of these three viruses for resistance evaluation. Two lines were identified to exhibit resistance to CMV, CGMMV, WMV individually, and a mixed inoculation of the three viruses. The R(1) progeny of the two resistant R(0) lines showed resistance to CMV and WMV, but not to CGMMV. Low level accumulation of transgene transcripts in resistant plants and small interfering (si) RNAs specific to CMV and WMV were readily detected in the resistant R(1) plants by northern blot analysis, indicating that the resistance was established via RNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Loss of the CGMMV CP-transgene fragment in R1 progeny might be the reason for the failure to resistant CGMMV infection, as shown by the absence of a hybridization signal and no detectable siRNA specific to CGMMV in Southern and northern blot analyses. In summary, this study demonstrated that fusion of different viral CP gene fragments in transgenic watermelon contributed to multiple virus resistance via PTGS. The construct and resistant watermelon lines developed in this study could be used in a watermelon breeding program for resistance to multiple viruses.

A Rudimentary Optical System in Detecting Ripeness of Red Watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Ezan Abdullah, Noor; Hashim, Hadzli; Fathullah Sulaiman, Muhammad; Korlina Madzhi, Nina; Faiz Mohd Sampian, Ahmad; Aima Ismail, Faridatul

2015-11-01

The purpose of this project is to detect the ripeness and quality of the watermelon particularly for red watermelon. The ripeness of the watermelon will be evaluated by using near-infrared spectroscopy sensor (NRIS). The color wavelength will classify the ripeness of the watermelon. An infrared light will be used to get the appropriate wavelength from the watermelon either from the rind or inner of it and the signal received will be analyzed. An appropriate algorithm is used to extract the information of the inner of the watermelon. A microcontroller namely Programmable Interface Controller (PIC) will be used to execute the algorithm and the result will be displayed on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Based on the result obtain from the device, the data is computed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). This approach is vital to verify the relationship between unripe and ripeness of red watermelon. The objective of this project is to produce an efficient system to detect the ripeness of the watermelon.

Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Harry S

2015-08-01

Watermelons, Citrullus species (Cucurbitaceae), are native to Africa and have been cultivated since ancient times. The fruit flesh of wild watermelons is watery, but typically hard-textured, pale-coloured and bland or bitter. The familiar sweet dessert watermelons, C. lanatus, featuring non-bitter, tender, well-coloured flesh, have a narrow genetic base, suggesting that they originated from a series of selection events in a single ancestral population. The objective of the present investigation was to determine where dessert watermelons originated and the time frame during which sweet dessert watermelons emerged. Archaeological remains of watermelons, mostly seeds, that date from 5000 years ago have been found in northeastern Africa. An image of a large, striped, oblong fruit on a tray has been found in an Egyptian tomb that dates to at least 4000 years ago. The Greek word pepon, Latin pepo and Hebrew avattiah of the first centuries CE were used for the same large, thick-rinded, wet fruit which, evidently, was the watermelon. Hebrew literature from the end of the second century CE and Latin literature from the beginning of the sixth century CE present watermelons together with three sweet fruits: figs, table grapes and pomegranates. Wild and primitive watermelons have been observed repeatedly in Sudan and neighbouring countries of northeastern Africa. The diverse evidence, combined, indicates that northeastern Africa is the centre of origin of the dessert watermelon, that watermelons were domesticated for water and food there over 4000 years ago, and that sweet dessert watermelons emerged in Mediterranean lands by approximately 2000 years ago. Next-generation ancient-DNA sequencing and state-of-the-art genomic analysis offer opportunities to rigorously assess the relationships among ancient and living wild and primitive watermelons from northeastern Africa, modern sweet dessert watermelons and other Citrullus taxa. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University

Application of Vine Copulas to Credit Portfolio Risk Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Geidosch

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we demonstrate the superiority of vine copulas over conventional copulas when modeling the dependence structure of a credit portfolio. We show statistical and economic implications of replacing conventional copulas by vine copulas for a subportfolio of the Euro Stoxx 50 and the S&P 500 companies, respectively. Our study includes D-vines and R-vines where the bivariate building blocks are chosen from the Gaussian, the t and the Clayton family. Our findings are (i the conventional Gauss copula is deficient in modeling the dependence structure of a credit portfolio and economic capital is seriously underestimated; (ii D-vine structures offer a better statistical fit to the data than classical copulas, but underestimate economic capital compared to R-vines; (iii when mixing different copula families in an R-vine structure, the best statistical fit to the data can be achieved which corresponds to the most reliable estimate for economic capital.

Watermelon juice: potential functional drink for sore muscle relief in athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazona-Díaz, Martha P; Alacid, Fernando; Carrasco, María; Martínez, Ignacio; Aguayo, Encarna

2013-08-07

l-Citrulline is an excellent candidate to reduce muscle soreness, and watermelon is a fruit rich in this amino acid. This study investigated the potential of watermelon juice as a functional drink for athletes. An in vitro study of intestinal absorption of l-citrulline in Caco-2 cells was performed using unpasteurized (NW), pasteurized (80 °C for 40 s) watermelon juice (PW) and, as control, a standard of l-citrulline. l-citrulline bioavailability was greater when it was contained in a matrix of watermelon and when no heat treatment was applied. In the in vivo experiment (maximum effort test in a cycloergometer), seven athletes were supplied with 500 mL of natural watermelon juice (1.17 g of l-citrulline), enriched watermelon juice (4.83 g of l-citrulline plus 1.17 g from watermelon), and placebo. Both watermelon juices helped to reduce the recovery heart rate and muscle soreness after 24 h.

Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based gene knockout in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Shouwei; Jiang, Linjian; Gao, Qiang; Zhang, Jie; Zong, Mei; Zhang, Haiying; Ren, Yi; Guo, Shaogui; Gong, Guoyi; Liu, Fan; Xu, Yong

2017-03-01

CRISPR/Cas9 system can precisely edit genomic sequence and effectively create knockout mutations in T0 generation watermelon plants. Genome editing offers great advantage to reveal gene function and generate agronomically important mutations to crops. Recently, RNA-guided genome editing system using the type II clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) has been applied to several plant species, achieving successful targeted mutagenesis. Here, we report the genome of watermelon, an important fruit crop, can also be precisely edited by CRISPR/Cas9 system. ClPDS, phytoene desaturase in watermelon, was selected as the target gene because its mutant bears evident albino phenotype. CRISPR/Cas9 system performed genome editing, such as insertions or deletions at the expected position, in transfected watermelon protoplast cells. More importantly, all transgenic watermelon plants harbored ClPDS mutations and showed clear or mosaic albino phenotype, indicating that CRISPR/Cas9 system has technically 100% of genome editing efficiency in transgenic watermelon lines. Furthermore, there were very likely no off-target mutations, indicated by examining regions that were highly homologous to sgRNA sequences. Our results show that CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool to effectively create knockout mutations in watermelon.

Water Use for Cultivation Management of Watermelon in Upland Field on Sand Dune

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Iwao; Senge, Masateru; Itou, Kengo; Maruyama, Toshisuke

Early-maturing cultivation of watermelon in a plastic tunnel was invetigated in upland field on sand dune on the coast of the Japan Sea to find water use to control blowing sand and to transplant seedlings. This region has low precipitation, low humidity, and strong wind in March and April, when sand is readily blown in the field. Water is used to control blowing sand on days with precipitation below 5 mm, minimum humidity below the meteorological average in April, and maximum wind velocity above the meteorological average in April. For the rooting and growth of watermelon seedlings, soil temperature needs to be raised because it is low in April. Ridges are mulched with transparent, porous polyethylene films 10 or more days before transplanting the seedlings and irrigated with sprinklers on fine days for the thermal storage of solar energy. The stored heat steams the mulched ridges to raise soil temperature to 15°C or higher on the day of transplanting the seedlings. The total amount of irrigation water used for watermelon cultivation was 432.7 mm, of which 23.6 mm was for blowing sand control and 26.6 mm was for transplanting the seedlings. The combined amount, 50.2 mm, is 11.6% of the total amount of water used for cultivation management.

Accumulation of weathered p,p'-DDTs in grafted watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Isleyen, Mehmet; Sevim, Pinar; White, Jason C

2012-02-01

The grafting of melon plants onto cucurbit rootstocks is a common commercial practice in many parts of the world. However, certain cucurbits have been shown to accumulate large quantities of weathered persistent organic pollutants from the soil, and the potential contamination of grafted produce has not been thoroughly evaluated. Large pot and field experiments were conducted to assess the effect of grafting on accumulation of weathered DDX (the sum of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE) from soils. Intact squash (Cucurbita maxima × moschata) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), their homografts, and compatible heterografts were grown in pots containing soil with weathered DDX at 1480-1760 ng/g soil or under field conditions in soil at 150-300 ng/g DDX. Movement of DDX through the soil-plant system was investigated by determining contaminant levels in the bulk soil and in the xylem sap, roots, stems, leaves, and fruit of the grafted and nongrafted plants. In all plants, the highest DDX concentrations were detected in the roots, followed by decreasing amounts in the stems, leaves, and fruit. Dry weight concentrations of DDX in the roots ranged from 7900 ng/g (intact watermelon) to 30100 ng/g (heterografted watermelon) in the pot study and from 650 ng/g (intact watermelon) to 2430 ng/g (homografted squash) in the field experiment. Grafting watermelon onto squash rootstock significantly increased contaminant uptake into the melon shoot system. In the pot and field studies, the highest stem DDX content was measured in heterografted watermelon at 1220 and 244 ng/g, respectively; these values are 140 and 19 times greater than contaminant concentrations in the intact watermelon, respectively. The xylem sap DDX concentrations of pot-grown plants were greatest in the heterografted watermelon (6.10 μg/L). The DDX contents of the leaves and fruit of watermelon heterografts were 3-12 and 0.53-8.25 ng/g, respectively, indicating that although the heterografted watermelon

Sucrose accumulation in watermelon fruits: genetic variation and biochemical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yativ, Merav; Harary, Idan; Wolf, Shmuel

2010-05-15

Sugar accumulation, the key process determining fruit quality, is controlled by both the translocation of sugars and their metabolism in developing fruits. Sugar composition in watermelon, as in all cucurbit fruits, includes sucrose, fructose and glucose. The proportions of these three sugars are determined primarily by three enzyme families: invertases, sucrose synthases (SuSys) and sucrose phosphate synthases (SPSs). The goal of the present research was to explore the process of sugar metabolism in watermelon fruits. Crosses between the domestic watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and three wild species provided a wide germplasm to explore genetic variability in sugar composition and metabolism. This survey demonstrated great genetic variability in sugar content and in the proportions of sucrose, glucose and fructose in mature fruits. Genotypes accumulating high and low percentage of sucrose provided an experimental system to study sugar metabolism in developing fruits. Insoluble invertase activity was high and constant throughout fruit development in control lines and in genotypes accumulating low levels of sucrose, while in genotypes accumulating high levels of sucrose, activity declined sharply 4 weeks after pollination. Soluble acid invertase activity was significantly lower in genotypes accumulating high levels of sucrose than in low-sucrose-accumulating genotypes. Conversely, activities of SuSy and SPS were higher in the high-sucrose-accumulating genotypes. The present results establish that, within the genus Citrullus, there are genotypes that accumulate a high percentage of sucrose in the fruit, while others accumulate high percentages of glucose and fructose. The significant negative correlation between insoluble invertase activity and fruit sucrose level suggests that sucrose accumulation is affected by both phloem unloading and sugar metabolism. (c) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Modeling stochastic frontier based on vine copulas

Science.gov (United States)

Constantino, Michel; Candido, Osvaldo; Tabak, Benjamin M.; da Costa, Reginaldo Brito

2017-11-01

This article models a production function and analyzes the technical efficiency of listed companies in the United States, Germany and England between 2005 and 2012 based on the vine copula approach. Traditional estimates of the stochastic frontier assume that data is multivariate normally distributed and there is no source of asymmetry. The proposed method based on vine copulas allow us to explore different types of asymmetry and multivariate distribution. Using data on product, capital and labor, we measure the relative efficiency of the vine production function and estimate the coefficient used in the stochastic frontier literature for comparison purposes. This production vine copula predicts the value added by firms with given capital and labor in a probabilistic way. It thereby stands in sharp contrast to the production function, where the output of firms is completely deterministic. The results show that, on average, S&P500 companies are more efficient than companies listed in England and Germany, which presented similar average efficiency coefficients. For comparative purposes, the traditional stochastic frontier was estimated and the results showed discrepancies between the coefficients obtained by the application of the two methods, traditional and frontier-vine, opening new paths of non-linear research.

Genomic Survey and Expression Profiling of the MYB Gene Family in Watermelon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing XU

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Myeloblastosis (MYB proteins constitute one of the largest transcription factor (TF families in plants. They are functionally diverse in regulating plant development, metabolism, and multiple stress responses. However, the function of watermelon MYB proteins remains elusive to date. Here, a genome-wide identification of watermelon MYB TFs was performed by bioinformatics analysis. A total of 162 MYB genes were identified from watermelon (ClaMYB. A comprehensive overview of the ClaMYB genes was undertaken, including the gene structures, chromosomal distribution, gene duplication, conserved protein motif, and phylogenetic relationship. According to the analyses, the watermelon MYB genes were categorized into three groups (R1R2R3-MYB, R2R3-MYB, and MYB-related. Amino acid alignments for all MYB motifs of ClaMYBs demonstrated high conservation. Investigation of their chromosomal localization revealed that these ClaMYB genes distributed across the 11 watermelon chromosomes. Gene duplication analyses showed that tandem duplication events contributed predominantly to the expansion of the MYB gene family in the watermelon genome. Phylogenetic comparison of the ClaMYB proteins with Arabidopsis MYB proteins revealed that watermelon MYB proteins underwent a more diverse evolution after divergence from Arabidopsis. Some watermelon MYBs were found to cluster into the functional clades of Arabidopsis MYB proteins. Expression analysis under different stress conditions identified a group of watermelon MYB proteins implicated in the plant stress responses. The comprehensive investigation of watermelon MYB genes in this study provides a useful reference for future cloning and functional analysis of watermelon MYB proteins. Keywords: watermelon, MYB transcription factor, abiotic stress, phylogenetic analysis

7 CFR 1210.521 - Reports of disposition of exempted watermelons.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reports of disposition of exempted watermelons. 1210... WATERMELON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION PLAN Rules and Regulations Assessments § 1210.521 Reports of disposition of exempted watermelons. The Board may require reports by handlers or importers on the handling/importing and...

Thunder God Vine

Science.gov (United States)

... T U V W X Y Z Thunder God Vine Share: On This Page Background How Much ... This fact sheet provides basic information about thunder god vine—common names, usefulness and safety, and resources ...

VineSens: An Eco-Smart Decision-Support Viticulture System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josman P. Pérez-Expósito

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This article presents VineSens, a hardware and software platform for supporting the decision-making of the vine grower. VineSens is based on a wireless sensor network system composed by autonomous and self-powered nodes that are deployed throughout a vineyard. Such nodes include sensors that allow us to obtain detailed knowledge on different viticulture processes. Thanks to the use of epidemiological models, VineSens is able to propose a custom control plan to prevent diseases like one of the most feared by vine growers: downy mildew. VineSens generates alerts that warn farmers about the measures that have to be taken and stores the historical weather data collected from different spots of the vineyard. Such data can then be accessed through a user-friendly web-based interface that can be accessed through the Internet by using desktop or mobile devices. VineSens was deployed at the beginning in 2016 in a vineyard in the Ribeira Sacra area (Galicia, Spain and, since then, its hardware and software have been tested to prevent the development of downy mildew, showing during its first season that the system can led to substantial savings, to decrease the amount of phytosanitary products applied, and, as a consequence, to obtain a more ecologically sustainable and healthy wine.

VineSens: An Eco-Smart Decision-Support Viticulture System.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Expósito, Josman P; Fernández-Caramés, Tiago M; Fraga-Lamas, Paula; Castedo, Luis

2017-02-25

This article presents VineSens, a hardware and software platform for supporting the decision-making of the vine grower. VineSens is based on a wireless sensor network system composed by autonomous and self-powered nodes that are deployed throughout a vineyard. Such nodes include sensors that allow us to obtain detailed knowledge on different viticulture processes. Thanks to the use of epidemiological models, VineSens is able to propose a custom control plan to prevent diseases like one of the most feared by vine growers: downy mildew. VineSens generates alerts that warn farmers about the measures that have to be taken and stores the historical weather data collected from different spots of the vineyard. Such data can then be accessed through a user-friendly web-based interface that can be accessed through the Internet by using desktop or mobile devices. VineSens was deployed at the beginning in 2016 in a vineyard in the Ribeira Sacra area (Galicia, Spain) and, since then, its hardware and software have been tested to prevent the development of downy mildew, showing during its first season that the system can led to substantial savings, to decrease the amount of phytosanitary products applied, and, as a consequence, to obtain a more ecologically sustainable and healthy wine.

Rhizobacterially induced protection of watermelon against Didymella bryoniae.

Science.gov (United States)

Nga, N T T; Giau, N T; Long, N T; Lübeck, M; Shetty, N P; de Neergaard, E; Thuy, T T T; Kim, P V; Jørgensen, H J L

2010-08-01

To identify rhizobacteria from the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, which can systemically protect watermelon against Didymella bryoniae and elucidate the mechanisms involved in the protection conferred by isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa 23(1-1). Bacteria were isolated from watermelon roots and their antagonistic ability tested in vitro. Of 190 strains, 68 were able to inhibit D. bryoniae by production of antibiotics. Four strains were able to reduce foliar infection by D. bryoniae when applied to watermelon seeds before sowing. Strain Ps. aeruginosa 23(1-1) was chosen for investigations of the mechanisms involved in protection and ability to control disease under field conditions. In the field, the bacterium was able to significantly reduce disease in two consecutive seasons and increase yield. Furthermore, it colonized watermelon plants endophytically, with higher numbers in plants infected by D. bryoniae than in noninoculated plants. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in protection, the infection biology of the pathogen was studied in bacterially treated and control plants. Pseudomonas aeruginosa 23(1-1) treatment inhibited pathogen penetration and this was associated with hydrogen peroxide accumulation, increased peroxidase activity and occurrence of new peroxidase isoforms, thus indicating that resistance was induced. The endophytic bacterium Ps. aeruginosa 23(1-1) can control D. bryoniae in watermelon by antibiosis and induced resistance under greenhouse and field conditions. These findings suggest that rhizobacteria from native soils in Vietnam can be used to control gummy stem blight of watermelon through various mechanisms including induction of resistance.

Comparison of management strategies for squash bugs (Hemiptera: Coreidae) in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Dogramaci, Mahmut; Shrefler, James W; Roberts, B Warren; Pair, Sam; Edelson, J V

2004-12-01

Two watermelon pest management practices, a squash trap crop and a standard recommendation using soil-applied carbofuran, were compared using large-scale field plots to assess trap crop suitability as a replacement for the standard in 2000, 2001, and 2002. In both systems, foliar insecticide applications were used to control squash bugs when populations exceeded threshold levels. During 2001 and 2002, a treatment of untreated watermelon was used. Early season adult insects, from seedling to fruit set, are most critical for watermelon. Significantly fewer early adult bugs were found on watermelon in the trap crop than in the standard recommended practice in 1 of 3 yr. In both years, significantly fewer adult squash bugs were found in watermelon in the trap crop than in untreated fields. The standard recommended practice significantly reduced adult squash bugs in watermelon compared with the untreated in 1 of 2 yr. There was no significant correlation of watermelon yield and squash bug density, indicating that squash bug densities were too low to impact yield. Although squash bugs were reduced significantly by the trap crop, marketable watermelon yields were lower in the squash trap crop than in untreated watermelon, suggesting that pest management treatments may interfere with crop productivity factors other than squash bug colonization. Results suggest that mid-season production squash bug should be managed by monitoring populations and using insecticides as needed rather than using at-plant treatment. Further research is needed to compare treatments during early-season production.

Investigation on Morphological and Physiological diversityof Iranian Watermelon (CitrulluslanatusThunb.) Accessions

OpenAIRE

ahmad hajiali; bahman zahedi; Reza Darvish; jahangr ohpayegani

2017-01-01

Introduction: Watermelon (CitrulluslanatusThunb)belongs to Cucurbita genus and Cucurbitaceaefamily. Some people know Watermelon native to India and othersthought of it as native to African countries. The greatest diversity can be seen in West Africa, China and parts of India. Near East and Mediterranean countries are also good places to find relatives and ancestors of watermelon. Like all Cucurbita genuscrops,, Watermelon has a variety of flowers including base, male and female separately lo...

A tonoplast sugar transporter underlies a sugar accumulation QTL in watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

The molecular mechanism controlling accumulation of soluble sugars in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit, a trait associated with sweet-dessert watermelon domestication, is still unknown. We re-sequenced 96 recombinant inbred lines, derived from a cross between sweet and unsweet watermelon accessi...

Predicting Damage of Meloidogyne incognita on Watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Lijuan; Westphal, Andreas

2012-01-01

Quantitative growth response of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) sensitive to Meloidogyne incognita is poorly understood. Determination of soil population densities of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita with Baermann funnel extraction often is inaccurate at low soil temperatures. In greenhouse experiments, three sandy soils were inoculated with dilution series of population densities of eggs or J2 of M. incognita and planted in small containers to watermelon ‘Royal Sweet’ or subjected to Baermann funnel extraction. After five weeks of incubation in the greenhouse bioassay plants in egg-inoculated soils, gall numbers on watermelon roots related more closely to inoculated population densities than J2 counts after Baermann funnel extraction. In April 2004, perpendicularly-inserted tubes (45-cm diameter, 55-cm deep) served as microplots where two methyl bromide-fumigated sandy soils were inoculated with egg suspensions of M. incognita at 0, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 eggs/100 cm3 of soil in 15-cm depth. At transplanting of 4-week old watermelon seedlings, soils were sampled for the bioassay or for extraction of J2 by Baermann funnel. In the Seinhorst function of harvested biomass in relation to nematode numbers, decline of biomass with increasing population densities of M. incognita was accurately modeled by the inoculated eggs (R2 = 0.93) and by the counts of galls on the bioassay roots (R2 = 0.98); but poorly by J2 counts (R2 = 0.68). Threshold levels of watermelon top dry weight to M. incognita were 122 eggs/100 cm3 soil, 1.6 galls on bioassay roots, or 3.6 J2/100 cm3 of soil. Using the bioassay in early spring for predicting risk of nematode damage appeared useful in integrated pest management systems of watermelon. PMID:23482631

78 FR 10104 - Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan; Importer Membership Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-13

..., advertising, and promotion designed to strengthen the watermelon's position in the market place and to... Service 7 CFR Part 1210 [Document Number AMS-FV-11-0031] Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan; Importer... rule proposes to amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) importer membership...

Nondestructive analysis of sugar content on watermelon using MRI device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miki, Takashi; Saito, Kazuyoshi; Hayashi, Seiji

1996-01-01

So far, the use of superconducting magnets has been limited to chemical analysis and medical inspection. To develop a new use, we have tried to apply common MRI devices as nondestructive sugar content detector of watermelon. To estimate the sugar content, a new technique using multiple regression analysis of two NMR relaxation times was developed. It was found that the coefficient of multiple regression at the center of the watermelon exceeded 0.9 and the standard error of prediction was around 0.5, and that the over-ripened part of flesh called 'nieka' in watermelon could be distinguished because its T 2 was much longer than that of the ordinary part. An evaluation rate of sugar content could be below 6s per watermelon. It is concluded that multiple analysis of T 1 and T 2 on intact watermelon can be applied as a noninvasive, nondestructive indicator of sugar content. (author)

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Cultivated and Wild Watermelon during Fruit Development.

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Guo, Shaogui; Sun, Honghe; Zhang, Haiying; Liu, Jingan; Ren, Yi; Gong, Guoyi; Jiao, Chen; Zheng, Yi; Yang, Wencai; Fei, Zhangjun; Xu, Yong

2015-01-01

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is an important vegetable crop world-wide. Watermelon fruit quality is a complex trait determined by various factors such as sugar content, flesh color and flesh texture. Fruit quality and developmental process of cultivated and wild watermelon are highly different. To systematically understand the molecular basis of these differences, we compared transcriptome profiles of fruit tissues of cultivated watermelon 97103 and wild watermelon PI296341-FR. We identified 2,452, 826 and 322 differentially expressed genes in cultivated flesh, cultivated mesocarp and wild flesh, respectively, during fruit development. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of these genes indicated that biological processes and metabolic pathways related to fruit quality such as sweetness and flavor were significantly changed only in the flesh of 97103 during fruit development, while those related to abiotic stress response were changed mainly in the flesh of PI296341-FR. Our comparative transcriptome profiling analysis identified critical genes potentially involved in controlling fruit quality traits including α-galactosidase, invertase, UDP-galactose/glucose pyrophosphorylase and sugar transporter genes involved in the determination of fruit sugar content, phytoene synthase, β-carotene hydroxylase, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase genes involved in carotenoid metabolism, and 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase, cellulose synthase, pectinesterase, pectinesterase inhibitor, polygalacturonase inhibitor and α-mannosidase genes involved in the regulation of flesh texture. In addition, we found that genes in the ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathway including ACC oxidase, ethylene receptor and ethylene responsive factor showed highly ripening-associated expression patterns, indicating a possible role of ethylene in fruit development and ripening of watermelon, a non-climacteric fruit. Our analysis provides

Quality improvement of oriental melon and watermelon using bioceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, H.K.; Lee, K.J.; Ryou, Y.S.

1996-01-01

Oriental melon and watermelon plants were cultivated in the soil treated with bioceramics in a greenhouse during summer season from June 1st to August 20th, 1995. Two application methods were employed, one was a mixed treatment of soil and bioceramics, and the other was a spray treatment of bioceramic solution on the stems and leaves. And two types of bioceramics were also stopped by five levels. In order to analyze the bioceramic effect on oriental melon and watermelon, the growth rate of stems, leaves and fruits were measured in the greenhouse. After harvest, the sweetness of fruits was measured and the freshness of fruits based on the storage period was tested by human taste and smell sense. The results are summarized as follows. 1. The growth rates of stems, leaves and fruits of oriental melon and watermelon were the largest in the bioceramic treatment of No. 3. 2. The density of oriental melon and watermelon was the largest in the bioceramic treatment of No. 3 and No. 2 respectively. 3. The Brix number of watermelon was 10.6 in non-bioceramic treatment and 11.5 in the bioceramic treatment of No. 2, and that of oriental melon was 8.6 in non-bioceramic treatment and 12.3 in the bioceramic treatment of No. 2. 4. The storage duration of watermelon treated with bioceramics was about 50 days in the condition of the ambient temperature of 25∼30°C. (author)

Quality comparison of hydroponic tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) ripened on and off vine

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, R.; Lee, T. C.; Specca, D.; Janes, H.

2000-01-01

There is a general belief that the quality of tomatoes ripened on vine is better than tomatoes ripened off the vine, influencing among other parameters, the price of this commodity. We compared the quality of hydroponic tomatoes ripened on and off vine by chemical, physical, and sensory evaluation to find what attributes are affected and to what extent. Lycopene, beta-carotene, total and soluble solids, moisture content, ascorbic acid, acidity, pH, texture, and color were analyzed. Tomatoes ripened on vine had significantly more lycopene, beta-carotene, soluble and total solids, higher a* and lower L*, and were firmer. However, a 100-judge panel rated only the color and overall liking of the vine-ripened tomatoes as more intense than the fruit ripened off vine. Therefore, the chemical and physical differences were mostly not large enough to influence the panelist's perception. The characterization of tomatoes ripened on and off vine may help to guide post-harvest handling and treatment and to improve the quality of tomatoes ripened off vine.

Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analyses of Diverse Watermelon Cultivars Reveal the Role of Fruit Associated Microbiome in Carbohydrate Metabolism and Ripening of Mature Fruits

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Thangasamy Saminathan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The plant microbiome is a key determinant of plant health and productivity, and changes in the plant microbiome can alter the tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and the quality of end produce. Little is known about the microbial diversity and its effect on carbohydrate metabolism in ripe fruits. In this study, we aimed to understand the diversity and function of microorganisms in relation to carbohydrate metabolism of ripe watermelon fruits. We used 16S metagenomics and RNAseq metatranscriptomics for analysis of red (PI459074, Congo, and SDRose and yellow fruit-flesh cultivars (PI227202, PI435990, and JBush of geographically and metabolically diverse watermelon cultivars. Metagenomics data showed that Proteobacteria were abundant in SDRose and PI227202, whereas Cyanobacteria were most abundant in Congo and PI4559074. In the case of metatranscriptome data, Proteobacteria was the most abundant in all cultivars. High expression of genes linked to infectious diseases and the expression of peptidoglycan hydrolases associated to pathogenicity of eukaryotic hosts was observed in SDRose, which could have resulted in low microbial diversity in this cultivar. The presence of GH28, associated with polygalacturonase activity in JBush and SDRose could be related to cell wall modifications including de-esterification and depolymerization, and consequent loss of galacturonic acid and neutral sugars. Moreover, based on the KEGG annotation of the expressed genes, nine α-galactosidase genes involved in key processes of galactosyl oligosaccharide metabolism, such as raffinose family were identified and galactose metabolism pathway was reconstructed. Results of this study underline the links between the host and fruit-associated microbiome in carbohydrate metabolism of the ripe fruits. The cultivar difference in watermelon reflects the quantum and diversity of the microbiome, which would benefit watermelon and other plant breeders aiming at the holobiont

7 CFR 319.56-26 - Melon and watermelon from certain countries in South America.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Melon and watermelon from certain countries in South... and Vegetables § 319.56-26 Melon and watermelon from certain countries in South America. (a) Cantaloupe and watermelon from Ecuador. Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) and watermelon (fruit) (Citrullus lanatus...

Wheat Intercropping Enhances the Resistance of Watermelon to Fusarium Wilt

OpenAIRE

Huifang Lv; Huifang Lv; Haishun Cao; Muhammad A. Nawaz; Hamza Sohail; Yuan Huang; Fei Cheng; Qiusheng Kong; Zhilong Bie

2018-01-01

A fungus Fusarium oxysporum F. sp. niveum (FON) is the causal organism of Fusarium wilt in watermelon. In this study, we evaluated the effect of wheat intercropping on the Fusarium wilt of watermelon. Our results showed that wheat intercropping decreases the incidence of Fusarium wilt of watermelon, likely due to the secretion of coumaric acid from the roots of wheat that dramatically inhibits FON spore germination, sporulation, and growth. The secretion of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid...

Fruit and seed characteristics of diploid seedless watermelon (citrullus lanatas) cultivars produced by soft-X-irradiated pollen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sugiyama, Keita; Morishita, Masami [National Research Insti. of Vegetables, Ornamental Plants and Tea, Fukuoka (Japan). Kurume Branch

2000-11-01

We compared the differences in number of seeds, size of normal and empty seeds, and fruit quality of seedless fruit induced by soft- X- irradiated pollen to determine which cultivars are best suited for breeding and producing high quality seedless watermelon. Two wild types, eleven Japanese, one Chinese, and three American watermelon cultivars were studied. We also observed the effect of soft- X- rays on pollen germination and elongation of the pollen tube. The germination rates of pollen treated with 1000 to 2000 Gy of soft-X-ray were almost the same as those of the control, whereas the rate was significantly reduced at 3000 Gy. Soft-X- irradiated pollen germinated on a stigma, and the pollen tube elongated in the embryo sac. Watermelon fruit pollinated with pollen irradiated with 800 Gy of soft-X-ray had no normal seeds but only empty ones. To delineate the varietal differences by the number of empty seeds and seed size in seedless fruit, wild types, Japanese, Chinese, and American watermelon cultivars were investigated. The number and size of empty seeds varied among cultivars. A low correlation (r=0.272) existed between the total number of seeds in the control fruit and the number of empty seeds in the seedless fruit. Whereas, a high correlation (seed length: r=0.943, P<0.001, seed width: r=0.883, P < 0.001) was found between the size of normal seeds in control fruit and empty seeds in seedless fruit. Diploid seedless fruit was similar to control fruit in size, shape, color, rind thickness, sugar content, and days from pollination to maturity. (author)

Fruit and seed characteristics of diploid seedless watermelon (citrullus lanatas) cultivars produced by soft-X-irradiated pollen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, Keita; Morishita, Masami

2000-01-01

We compared the differences in number of seeds, size of normal and empty seeds, and fruit quality of seedless fruit induced by soft- X- irradiated pollen to determine which cultivars are best suited for breeding and producing high quality seedless watermelon. Two wild types, eleven Japanese, one Chinese, and three American watermelon cultivars were studied. We also observed the effect of soft- X- rays on pollen germination and elongation of the pollen tube. The germination rates of pollen treated with 1000 to 2000 Gy of soft-X-ray were almost the same as those of the control, whereas the rate was significantly reduced at 3000 Gy. Soft-X- irradiated pollen germinated on a stigma, and the pollen tube elongated in the embryo sac. Watermelon fruit pollinated with pollen irradiated with 800 Gy of soft-X-ray had no normal seeds but only empty ones. To delineate the varietal differences by the number of empty seeds and seed size in seedless fruit, wild types, Japanese, Chinese, and American watermelon cultivars were investigated. The number and size of empty seeds varied among cultivars. A low correlation (r=0.272) existed between the total number of seeds in the control fruit and the number of empty seeds in the seedless fruit. Whereas, a high correlation (seed length: r=0.943, P<0.001, seed width: r=0.883, P < 0.001) was found between the size of normal seeds in control fruit and empty seeds in seedless fruit. Diploid seedless fruit was similar to control fruit in size, shape, color, rind thickness, sugar content, and days from pollination to maturity. (author)

Transcriptome Profiling of Watermelon Root in Response to Short-Term Osmotic Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongchao; Mo, Yanling; Yang, Xiaozheng; Zhang, Haifei; Wang, Yongqi; Li, Hao; Wei, Chunhua; Zhang, Xian

2016-01-01

Osmotic stress adversely affects the growth, fruit quality and yield of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai). Increasing the tolerance of watermelon to osmotic stress caused by factors such as high salt and water deficit is an effective way to improve crop survival in osmotic stress environments. Roots are important organs in water absorption and are involved in the initial response to osmosis stress; however, few studies have examined the underlying mechanism of tolerance to osmotic stress in watermelon roots. For better understanding of this mechanism, the inbred watermelon accession M08, which exhibits relatively high tolerance to water deficits, was treated with 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. The root samples were harvested at 6 h after PEG treatment and untreated samples were used as controls. Transcriptome analyses were carried out by Illumina RNA sequencing. A total of 5246 differentially expressed genes were identified. Gene ontology enrichment and biochemical pathway analyses of these 5246 genes showed that short-term osmotic stress affected osmotic adjustment, signal transduction, hormone responses, cell division, cell cycle and ribosome, and M08 may repress root growth to adapt osmotic stress. The results of this study describe the watermelon root transcriptome under osmotic stress and propose new insight into watermelon root responses to osmotic stress at the transcriptome level. Accordingly, these results allow us to better understand the molecular mechanisms of watermelon in response to drought stress and will facilitate watermelon breeding projects to improve drought tolerance.

Fruit quality of seedless watermelon grafted onto squash rootstocks under different production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qianru; Zhao, Xin; Brecht, Jeffrey K; Sims, Charles A; Sanchez, Tatiana; Dufault, Nicholas S

2017-11-01

The market demand for seedless watermelon has been continuously increasing because of consumer preference. Grafting is a useful tool to manage soilborne diseases in watermelon production, but the use of squash rootstocks may negatively affect watermelon fruit quality. Currently, most research has focused on seeded cultivars, while grafting effects on seedless watermelons remain largely unknown. This multi-season study was conducted to assess the effects of squash rootstocks, including both Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata and C. moschata cultivars, with intact or excised and regenerated roots, on fruit quality of seedless watermelon 'Melody' using both instrumental and sensory measurements under different production scenarios. The grafted watermelon plants were also challenged by field inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum. A combination of instrumental measurements and consumer sensory analyses suggested that fruit quality of the seedless watermelon 'Melody' was not impacted by the use of the squash rootstocks used in this study, which included soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH and most fruit sensory properties. Watermelon flesh firmness was increased by grafting but the grafting effect on lycopene content was inconclusive. Root excision and regeneration did not influence the grafting effect, whereas the grafting effect on flesh firmness varied among the rootstocks under Fusarium inoculation. Overall, grafting with squash rootstocks did not reduce fruit quality attributes of 'Melody' but improved texture. Our results support incorporating grafting into integrated management programs for seedless watermelon production. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Measurement of internal quality of watermelon by Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Haiqing; Xu, Huirong; Ying, Yibin; Lu, Huishan; Yu, Haiyan

2006-10-01

Watermelon is a popular fruit in the world. Soluble solids content (SSC) is major characteristic used for assessing watermelon internal quality. This study was about a method for nondestructive internal quality detection of watermelons by means of visible/Near Infrared (Vis/NIR) diffuse transmittance technique. Vis/NIR transmittance spectra of intact watermelons were acquired using a low-cost commercially available spectrometer when the watermelon was in motion (1.4m/s) and in static state. Spectra data were analyzed by partial least squares (PLS) method. The influences of different data preprocessing and spectra treatments were also investigated. Performance of different models was assessed in terms of root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient (r) between the predicted and measured parameter values. Results showed that spectra data preprocessing influenced the performance of the calibration models and the PLS method can provide good results. The nondestructive Vis/NIR measurements provided good estimates of SSC index of watermelon both in motion and in static state, and the predicted values were highly correlated with destructively measured values. The results indicated the feasibility of Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance spectral analysis for predicting watermelon internal quality in a nondestructive way.

De novo-based transcriptome profiling of male-sterile and fertile watermelon lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Sun-Ju; Kwon, Taehyung; Seo, Minseok; Jang, Yoon Jeong; Sim, Tae Yong; Cho, Seoae; Han, Sang-Wook; Lee, Gung Pyo

2017-01-01

The whole-genome sequence of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai), a valuable horticultural crop worldwide, was released in 2013. Here, we compared a de novo-based approach (DBA) to a reference-based approach (RBA) using RNA-seq data, to aid in efforts to improve the annotation of the watermelon reference genome and to obtain biological insight into male-sterility in watermelon. We applied these techniques to available data from two watermelon lines: the male-sterile line DAH3615-MS and the male-fertile line DAH3615. Using DBA, we newly annotated 855 watermelon transcripts, and found gene functional clusters predicted to be related to stimulus responses, nucleic acid binding, transmembrane transport, homeostasis, and Golgi/vesicles. Among the DBA-annotated transcripts, 138 de novo-exclusive differentially-expressed genes (DEDEGs) related to male sterility were detected. Out of 33 randomly selected newly annotated transcripts and DEDEGs, 32 were validated by RT-qPCR. This study demonstrates the usefulness and reliability of the de novo transcriptome assembly in watermelon, and provides new insights for researchers exploring transcriptional blueprints with regard to the male sterility.

The draft genome of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and resequencing of 20 diverse accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shaogui; Zhang, Jianguo; Sun, Honghe; Salse, Jerome; Lucas, William J; Zhang, Haiying; Zheng, Yi; Mao, Linyong; Ren, Yi; Wang, Zhiwen; Min, Jiumeng; Guo, Xiaosen; Murat, Florent; Ham, Byung-Kook; Zhang, Zhaoliang; Gao, Shan; Huang, Mingyun; Xu, Yimin; Zhong, Silin; Bombarely, Aureliano; Mueller, Lukas A; Zhao, Hong; He, Hongju; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Zhonghua; Huang, Sanwen; Tan, Tao; Pang, Erli; Lin, Kui; Hu, Qun; Kuang, Hanhui; Ni, Peixiang; Wang, Bo; Liu, Jingan; Kou, Qinghe; Hou, Wenju; Zou, Xiaohua; Jiang, Jiao; Gong, Guoyi; Klee, Kathrin; Schoof, Heiko; Huang, Ying; Hu, Xuesong; Dong, Shanshan; Liang, Dequan; Wang, Juan; Wu, Kui; Xia, Yang; Zhao, Xiang; Zheng, Zequn; Xing, Miao; Liang, Xinming; Huang, Bangqing; Lv, Tian; Wang, Junyi; Yin, Ye; Yi, Hongping; Li, Ruiqiang; Wu, Mingzhu; Levi, Amnon; Zhang, Xingping; Giovannoni, James J; Wang, Jun; Li, Yunfu; Fei, Zhangjun; Xu, Yong

2013-01-01

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, is an important cucurbit crop grown throughout the world. Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of the east Asia watermelon cultivar 97103 (2n = 2× = 22) containing 23,440 predicted protein-coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis provided an evolutionary scenario for the origin of the 11 watermelon chromosomes derived from a 7-chromosome paleohexaploid eudicot ancestor. Resequencing of 20 watermelon accessions representing three different C. lanatus subspecies produced numerous haplotypes and identified the extent of genetic diversity and population structure of watermelon germplasm. Genomic regions that were preferentially selected during domestication were identified. Many disease-resistance genes were also found to be lost during domestication. In addition, integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses yielded important insights into aspects of phloem-based vascular signaling in common between watermelon and cucumber and identified genes crucial to valuable fruit-quality traits, including sugar accumulation and citrulline metabolism.

Comparative transcriptome profiling of chilling stress responsiveness in grafted watermelon seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jinhua; Zhang, Man; Liu, Guang; Yang, Xingping; Hou, Xilin

2016-12-01

Rootstock grafting may improve the resistance of watermelon plants to low temperatures. However, information regarding the molecular responses of rootstock grafted plants to chilling stress is limited. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chilling tolerance in grafted plants, the transcriptomic responses of grafted watermelon under chilling stress were analyzed using RNA-seq analysis. Sequencing data were used for digital gene expression (DGE) analysis to characterize the transcriptomic responses in grafted watermelon seedlings. A total of 702 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were found in rootstock grafted (RG) watermelon relative to self-grafted (SG) watermelon; among these genes, 522 genes were up-regulated and 180 were down-regulated. Additionally, 164 and 953 genes were found to specifically expressed in RG and SG seedlings under chilling stress, respectively. Functional annotations revealed that up-regulated DEGs are involved in protein processing, plant-pathogen interaction and the spliceosome, whereas down-regulated DEGs are associated with photosynthesis. Moreover, 13 DEGs were randomly selected for quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. The expression profiles of these 13 DEGs were consistent with those detected by the DGE analysis, supporting the reliability of the DGE data. This work provides additional insight into the molecular basis of grafted watermelon responses to chilling stress. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Forecasting VaR and ES of stock index portfolio: A Vine copula method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bangzheng; Wei, Yu; Yu, Jiang; Lai, Xiaodong; Peng, Zhenfeng

2014-12-01

Risk measurement has both theoretical and practical significance in risk management. Using daily sample of 10 international stock indices, firstly this paper models the internal structures among different stock markets with C-Vine, D-Vine and R-Vine copula models. Secondly, the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) of the international stock markets portfolio are forecasted using Monte Carlo method based on the estimated dependence of different Vine copulas. Finally, the accuracy of VaR and ES measurements obtained from different statistical models are evaluated by UC, IND, CC and Posterior analysis. The empirical results show that the VaR forecasts at the quantile levels of 0.9, 0.95, 0.975 and 0.99 with three kinds of Vine copula models are sufficiently accurate. Several traditional methods, such as historical simulation, mean-variance and DCC-GARCH models, fail to pass the CC backtesting. The Vine copula methods can accurately forecast the ES of the portfolio on the base of VaR measurement, and D-Vine copula model is superior to other Vine copulas.

Nutritional status of watermelon fertirrigation with nitrogen and phosphorus rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Sobreira de Souza

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of N and P2O5 rates through irrigation water on the uptake of macro and micronutrients by watermelon crop. The study was conducted at the farm Santa Luzia, in Mossoró, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (5° 05’ 57”S e 37° 33’ 16”W. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks with strip cropping (4 x 4 x 2, resulting and thirty two treatments with three replicates. The treatments consisted in the application of four N rates (0; 48; 121; 218 kg ha-1 combined with four rates of P2O5 (0; 88; 220; 397 kg ha-1 with two cultivars of watermelon. No deficiency of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn in the watermelon leaves was found in any treatment, excepting Cu and Zn. The N and P2O5 rates, as well as the interaction, provide significant effect on contents of macronutrients in the watermelon leaves. Macronutrients most absorbed by the leaves of watermelon were N>Ca>K>Mg>P.

Genome-wide identification of SAUR genes in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Na; Huang, Xing; Bao, Yaning; Wang, Bo; Zeng, Hongxia; Cheng, Weishun; Tang, Mi; Li, Yuhua; Ren, Jian; Sun, Yuhong

2017-07-01

The early auxin responsive SAUR family is an important gene family in auxin signal transduction. We here present the first report of a genome-wide identification of SAUR genes in watermelon genome. We successfully identified 65 ClaSAURs and provide a genomic framework for future study on these genes. Phylogenetic result revealed a Cucurbitaceae-specific SAUR subfamily and contribute to understanding of the evolutionary pattern of SAUR genes in plants. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrates the existed expression of 11 randomly selected SAUR genes in watermelon tissues. ClaSAUR36 was highly expressed in fruit, for which further study might bring a new prospective for watermelon fruit development. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed the similar expression profiles of SAUR genes between watermelon and Arabidopsis during shoot organogenesis. This work gives us a new support for the conserved auxin machinery in plants.

Diallel cross analysis for fruit traits in watermelon

OpenAIRE

Gvozdanović-Varga Jelica; Vasić Mirjana; Milić Dragan; Červenski Janko

2011-01-01

Current demands of consumers and thus producers are important when targeting watermelon breeding programs, especially in programs aimed at improvement of fruit traits. A complete diallel set has been investigated for breeding values of six watermelon lines, via general and specific combining ability, relationships between general and specific combining ability, heritability and heterosis for fruit size, rind thickness, soluble solids and fruit shape. The li...

Breeding few-seed/seedless watermelon via chromosome reciprocal translocation induced by gamma-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ming, W.; Xingping, Z.; Xian, Z.; Kechi, N.; Shuai, Z.; Juenlian, Z.

1988-01-01

The development of autotriploid watermelon was a great advance in the field of watermelon breeding. However, some disadvantages still existed with this type of seedless watermelon. Partial sterility may be induced in diploid watermelon via chromosome reciprocal translocation. We used gamma-rays to irradiate the seeds of homozygous translocation strains with one translocation ring composed of 4 chromosomes (symbol (4) ). Watermelon strains were 'Asahi Yamato', 'Mioyaka', and 'Fumin' saent to us by H. Kihara in 1977. In order to further induce multiple reciprocal translocations for developing new few-seed/seedless watermelon strains, the seeds of the above 3 strains were sown for further selfing in 1978. The seeds of each selfed fruit were grown as a single plant line in 1979 for evaluation of their characters. In addition, some crosses between common diploid watermelon cultivars and translocations were carried out to test the seed setting rate of the heterozygous translocation strains. Some of the crosses were 'Sugar Baby' x 'Asahi Yamato AT-1' and 'Akakotama' x Asahi Yamato AT-2'. The plump seed setting rate of the F1 of these crosses were ca. 50%

Watermelon juice: a promising feedstock supplement, diluent, and nitrogen supplement for ethanol biofuel production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruton Benny D

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Two economic factors make watermelon worthy of consideration as a feedstock for ethanol biofuel production. First, about 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or because they are misshapen; currently these are lost to growers as a source of revenue. Second, the neutraceutical value of lycopene and L-citrulline obtained from watermelon is at a threshold whereby watermelon could serve as starting material to extract and manufacture these products. Processing of watermelons to produce lycopene and L-citrulline, yields a waste stream of watermelon juice at the rate of over 500 L/t of watermelons. Since watermelon juice contains 7 to 10% (w/v directly fermentable sugars and 15 to 35 μmol/ml of free amino acids, its potential as feedstock, diluent, and nitrogen supplement was investigated in fermentations to produce bioethanol. Results Complete watermelon juice and that which did not contain the chromoplasts (lycopene, but did contain free amino acids, were readily fermentable as the sole feedstock or as diluent, feedstock supplement, and nitrogen supplement to granulated sugar or molasses. A minimum level of ~400 mg N/L (~15 μmol/ml amino nitrogen in watermelon juice was required to achieve maximal fermentation rates when it was employed as the sole nitrogen source for the fermentation. Fermentation at pH 5 produced the highest rate of fermentation for the yeast system that was employed. Utilizing watermelon juice as diluent, supplemental feedstock, and nitrogen source for fermentation of processed sugar or molasses allowed complete fermentation of up to 25% (w/v sugar concentration at pH 3 (0.41 to 0.46 g ethanol per g sugar or up to 35% (w/v sugar concentration at pH 5 with a conversion to 0.36 to 0.41 g ethanol per g sugar. Conclusion Although watermelon juice would have to be concentrated 2.5- to 3-fold to serve as the sole feedstock for ethanol biofuel production, the results

Effect of rootstocks on fruit quality and aroma characteristics of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus

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Onur Karaağaç

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, grafted watermelon seedling use has been rapidly increasing due to providing tolerance to stress conditions and positively affecting on yield potential. Fruit quality was varied depending on the rootstock used positively or negatively in grafted vegetables. The number of research is limited in this topic. The effect of the rootstocks on fruit quality has not been fully revealed in grafted watermelon production. In this study, the using of the inbred lines (one Cucurbita moschata and four Cucurbita maxima and interspecific cross (five C. maxima × C. moschata rootstocks were investigated for fruit quality and aroma characteristics on the watermelon. Non-grafted Crisby F1 watermelon cultivar, one bottle gourd (Argentario F1 and two interspecific rootstock cultivars (Obez F1, Shintosa F1 were used as control commercial cultivars. In all grafted watermelon, the fruit flesh firmness was higher than non-grafted watermelon (10.73 N. According to the rootstock x scion combinations, the fruit firmness was varied between 13.75 N (K6/C and 22.53 N (M6/C. The rind thickness was changed between 16.05 (K9/C - 18.24 mm (Argentario/C. In the most of the grafted combinations, the rind thickness increased. Rootstocks did not effect on fruit shape. Higher total soluble solids were determined in all graft combinations than non-grafted watermelon. The highest soluble solids contents were determined in the combination of M6/C (12.87%, M3/C (12.53% and B1/C (12.50%. The vitamin C contents were significantly affected by rootstocks. These values in grafted watermelons increased by 30.30% (M3/C and 17.09% (Argentario/C reduction was observed compared to non-grafted watermelon. The lycopene content of eight combinations were found higher and four of them less than non-grafted watermelon. As a result of degustation panel tests, it was determined that M2/C (4.87, M3/C (4.53, B1/C (4.35 Argentario/C (29.4 and Obez/C (4.14 combinations scores were higher than

Characterization of transcriptome dynamics during watermelon fruit development: sequencing, assembly, annotation and gene expression profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shaogui; Liu, Jingan; Zheng, Yi; Huang, Mingyun; Zhang, Haiying; Gong, Guoyi; He, Hongju; Ren, Yi; Zhong, Silin; Fei, Zhangjun; Xu, Yong

2011-09-21

Cultivated watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus] is an important agriculture crop world-wide. The fruit of watermelon undergoes distinct stages of development with dramatic changes in its size, color, sweetness, texture and aroma. In order to better understand the genetic and molecular basis of these changes and significantly expand the watermelon transcript catalog, we have selected four critical stages of watermelon fruit development and used Roche/454 next-generation sequencing technology to generate a large expressed sequence tag (EST) dataset and a comprehensive transcriptome profile for watermelon fruit flesh tissues. We performed half Roche/454 GS-FLX run for each of the four watermelon fruit developmental stages (immature white, white-pink flesh, red flesh and over-ripe) and obtained 577,023 high quality ESTs with an average length of 302.8 bp. De novo assembly of these ESTs together with 11,786 watermelon ESTs collected from GenBank produced 75,068 unigenes with a total length of approximately 31.8 Mb. Overall 54.9% of the unigenes showed significant similarities to known sequences in GenBank non-redundant (nr) protein database and around two-thirds of them matched proteins of cucumber, the most closely-related species with a sequenced genome. The unigenes were further assigned with gene ontology (GO) terms and mapped to biochemical pathways. More than 5,000 SSRs were identified from the EST collection. Furthermore we carried out digital gene expression analysis of these ESTs and identified 3,023 genes that were differentially expressed during watermelon fruit development and ripening, which provided novel insights into watermelon fruit biology and a comprehensive resource of candidate genes for future functional analysis. We then generated profiles of several interesting metabolites that are important to fruit quality including pigmentation and sweetness. Integrative analysis of metabolite and digital gene expression

Sampling methods for titica vine (Heteropsis spp.) inventory in a tropical forest

Science.gov (United States)

Carine Klauberg; Edson Vidal; Carlos Alberto Silva; Michelliny de M. Bentes; Andrew Thomas. Hudak

2016-01-01

Titica vine provides useful raw fiber material. Using sampling schemes that reduce sampling error can provide direction for sustainable forest management of this vine. Sampling systematically with rectangular plots (10× 25 m) promoted lower error and greater accuracy in the inventory of titica vines in tropical rainforest.

Evaluation of Watermelon Germplasm for Resistance to Phytophthora Blight Caused by Phytophthora capsici

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Jeong Kim

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the Phytophthora rot resistance of 514 accessions of watermelon germplasm, Citrullus lanatus var lanatus. About 46% of the 514 accessions tested were collections from Uzbekistan, Turkey, China, U.S.A., and Ukraine. Phytophthora capsici was inoculated to 45-day-old watermelon seedlings by drenching with 5 ml of sporangial suspension (10⁶ sporangia/ml. At 7 days after inoculation, 21 accessions showed no disease symptoms while 291 accessions of susceptible watermelon germplasm showed more than 60.1% disease severity. A total of 510 accessions of watermelon germplasm showed significant disease symptoms and were rated as susceptible to highly susceptible 35 days after inoculation. The highly susceptible watermelon germplasm exhibited white fungal hyphae on the lesion or damping off with water-soaked and browning symptoms. One accession (IT032840 showed moderate resistance and two accessions (IT185446 and IT187904 were resistant to P. capsici. Results suggest that these two resistant germplasm can be used as a rootstock and as a source of resistance in breeding resistant watermelon varieties against Phytophthora.

Neural network modeling of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of watermelon production systems

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Ashkan Nabavi-Pelesaraei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted in order to determine energy consumption, model and analyze the input–output, energy efficiencies and GHG emissions for watermelon production using artificial neural networks (ANNs in the Guilan province of Iran, based on three different farm sizes. For this purpose, the initial data was collected from 120 watermelon producers in Langroud and Chaf region, two small cities in the Guilan province. The results indicated that total average energy input for watermelon production was 40228.98 MJ ha–1. Also, chemical fertilizers (with 76.49% were the highest energy inputs for watermelon production. Moreover, the share of non-renewable energy (with 96.24% was more than renewable energy (with 3.76% in watermelon production. The rate of energy use efficiency, energy productivity and net energy was calculated as 1.29, 0.68 kg MJ−1 and 11733.64 MJ ha−1, respectively. With respect to GHG analysis, the average of total GHG emissions was calculated about 1015 kgCO2eq. ha−1. The results illustrated that share of nitrogen (with 54.23% was the highest in GHG emissions for watermelon production, followed by diesel fuel (with 16.73% and electricity (with 15.45%. In this study, Levenberg–Marquardt learning Algorithm was used for training ANNs based on data collected from watermelon producers. The ANN model with 11–10–2 structure was the best one for predicting the watermelon yield and GHG emissions. In the best topology, the coefficient of determination (R2 was calculated as 0.969 and 0.995 for yield and GHG emissions of watermelon production, respectively. Furthermore, the results of sensitivity analysis revealed that the seed and human labor had the highest sensitivity in modeling of watermelon yield and GHG emissions, respectively.

Performance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L. in response to organic and NPK fertilizers

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Eifediyi Ehiokhilen Kevin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The soil of North-Central Nigeria is home to many plant products that are used as industrial raw materials, and after processing their waste are often left in drainage channels, which ultimately find their way into rivers and streams where they pollute these water bodies, and sometimes some of these materials are burnt, which further aggravates global warming. In addition, the soil of the region is characterized by low organic matter content because of annual bush burnings, which reduce the low humus content of soils. Watermelon requires a fertile soil, which is high in organic matter content, while infertile soils yield an increased production of male flowers at the expense of female flowers, which results in low fruit set. Therefore, a study was carried out at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm, Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria, during the rainy seasons of 2013 and 2014 to assess the effect of different organic materials on the growth and yield of watermelon. The factors imposed were a control, NPK fertilizer and five organic materials (neem seed cake (NSC, jatropha seed cake (JSC, poultry manure (PM, compost manure (CM, and cow dung (CD. The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD replicated thrice. Data collected on soil physico-chemical properties were: organic matter content, soil pH, organic carbon, total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, bulk density (BD, micro porosity (MIP, macro porosity (MAP, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS. Plant parameters evaluated include growth (vine length and number of leaves and yield (number of fruits per plant, fruit weight per plant, and yield ha−1. Results indicated that the organic matter content increased after the first year’s cropping and declined at the end of the study. The amended plots showed significantly higher values (P < 0.05 with respect to most soil physical properties (MIP, (MAP, and (KS, except the BD, where the values were lower. The bulk density particularly

FERTILIZATION OF VINE BY A 5-AMINOLEVULINIC ACID-BASED FERTILIZER AND ITS PROFITABILITY

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VLADIMR IMANSK

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we investigated the effect of different doses of NPKS fertilizer added into the soil for nutrient contents in the soil, as well as the quantity and quality of grapes. During the vegetation of the vine, we tested the 5-aminolevulinic acid-based fertilizer (ALA. We summarize that higher doses of fertilizer added into soil caused higher amounts of available nutrients. During the vegetation of the vine an increase of ALA had a positive effect on the optimal balance of nutrients. Fertilization also increased the grape-vine yield, with the strongest effect (by 68% observed due to the application of ALA during the vegetation period of the vine. Added fertilizers had a statistically significant influence on decreased sugar concentration in the grape-vine however the addition of fertilizer into the soil, mainly the application of ALA during vegetation of the vine (by 57% had a positive effect on increase of the total content of sugar in the grape-vine, produced on 1 hectare. The year had a significant influence on the economical evaluation.

Root exudates from grafted-root watermelon showed a certain contribution in inhibiting Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum.

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Ning Ling

Full Text Available Grafting watermelon onto bottle gourd rootstock is commonly used method to generate resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON, but knowledge of the effect of the root exudates of grafted watermelon on this soil-borne pathogen in rhizosphere remains limited. To investigate the root exudate profiles of the own-root bottle gourd, grafted-root watermelon and own-root watermelon, recirculating hydroponic culture system was developed to continuously trap these root exudates. Both conidial germination and growth of FON were significantly decreased in the presence of root exudates from the grafted-root watermelon compared with the own-root watermelon. HPLC analysis revealed that the composition of the root exudates released by the grafted-root watermelon differed not only from the own-root watermelon but also from the bottle gourd rootstock plants. We identified salicylic acid in all 3 root exudates, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid in root exudates from own-root bottle gourd and grafted-root watermelon but not own-root watermelon, and abundant cinnamic acid only in own-root watermelon root exudates. The chlorogenic and caffeic acid were candidates for potentiating the enhanced resistance of the grafted watermelon to FON, therefore we tested the effects of the two compounds on the conidial germination and growth of FON. Both phenolic acids inhibited FON conidial germination and growth in a dose-dependent manner, and FON was much more susceptible to chlorogenic acid than to caffeic acid. In conclusion, the key factor in attaining the resistance to Fusarium wilt is grafting on the non-host root stock, however, the root exudates profile also showed some contribution in inhibiting FON. These results will help to better clarify the disease resistance mechanisms of grafted-root watermelon based on plant-microbe communication and will guide the improvement of strategies against Fusarium-mediated wilt of watermelon plants.

Vine snake (Thelotornis capensis bite in a dog : clinical communication

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J. Otto

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A vine snake bite in a dog is reported. There was continued minor bleeding from the assumed nose bite site for 4 days. Currently manufactured snakebite antivenom is not effective against vine snake bites and treatment is supportive.

Correlation of Descriptive Analysis and Instrumental Puncture Testing of Watermelon Cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiu, J W; Slaughter, D C; Boyden, L E; Barrett, D M

2016-06-01

The textural properties of 5 seedless watermelon cultivars were assessed by descriptive analysis and the standard puncture test using a hollow probe with increased shearing properties. The use of descriptive analysis methodology was an effective means of quantifying watermelon sensory texture profiles for characterizing specific cultivars' characteristics. Of the 10 cultivars screened, 71% of the variation in the sensory attributes was measured using the 1st 2 principal components. Pairwise correlation of the hollow puncture probe and sensory parameters determined that initial slope, maximum force, and work after maximum force measurements all correlated well to the sensory attributes crisp and firm. These findings confirm that maximum force correlates well with not only firmness in watermelon, but crispness as well. The initial slope parameter also captures the sensory crispness of watermelon, but is not as practical to measure in the field as maximum force. The work after maximum force parameter is thought to reflect cellular arrangement and membrane integrity that in turn impact sensory firmness and crispness. Watermelon cultivar types were correctly predicted by puncture test measurements in heart tissue 87% of the time, although descriptive analysis was correct 54% of the time. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Watermelon consumption improves inflammation and antioxidant capacity in rats fed an atherogenic diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Mee Young; Hartig, Nicole; Kaufman, Katy; Hooshmand, Shirin; Figueroa, Arturo; Kern, Mark

2015-03-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Watermelon, rich in antioxidants and other bioactive components, may be a viable method to improve CVD risk factors through reduced oxidative stress. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of watermelon powder consumption on lipid profiles, antioxidant capacity, and inflammation in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated rats fed an atherogenic diet. We hypothesized that watermelon would increase antioxidant capacity and reduce blood lipids and inflammation through modulation of related gene expression. Forty male-weanling (21 days old) Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups (10 per group, total N = 40) in a 2 diets (control or 0.33% watermelon) × 2 treatments (with or without DSS) factorial design using an atherogenic diet. Watermelon-fed groups exhibited significantly lower serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Pwatermelon-fed rats than the control (P= .001). In addition, oxidative stress as measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was significantly lower in watermelon groups (P= .001). Total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities were greater in watermelon groups (Pwatermelon was consumed (Pwatermelon group without DSS (Pwatermelon improves risk factors for CVD in rats through better lipid profiles, lower inflammation, and greater antioxidant capacity by altering gene expression for lipid metabolism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Algorithm of orthogonal bi-axle for auto-separating of watermelon seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yong; Guan, Miao; Yu, Daoqin; Wang, Jing

2007-11-01

During the process of watermelon seeds characteristic extraction as well as separation, watermelon seeds' major and minor axes, the length and width ratio have played a very important role in appearance regulating degree evaluation. It is quite difficult to find the answer of orthogonal bi-axes because the watermelon seeds are flat and irregular in shape and what's more there is no rule to follow. After a lot of experiments and research, the author proposed the algorithm of orthogonal bi-axes algorithm for granulated object. It has been put into practice and proved in the application of auto-separation system for watermelon seeds. This algorithm has the advantage of lower time complexity and higher precision compared with other algorithms. The algorithm can be used in the solution of other similar granulated objects, and has the widespread application value.

The physiological effect of cobalt on watermelon cultivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Naihua; Jin Yafang; Sun Yaochen; Huang Yiming

1993-01-01

Cobalt has essential physiological action on both animals and plants. For the latter it can raise plant's nitrogen-fixing ability and saccharine content. Spray of cobalt mixed with other nutritive elements can improve the germinatit of seeds and the yield of fruit. For specifying the nutritive function of cobalt upon watermelon, isotope 60 Co was mixed into a complex leaf nutritive aqua and the regularity of transferring and absorbing cobalt in the watermelon's body was investigated

ARBOLITCONCRETE ON SILICATESODIUM COMPOSITE BINDER AND SCRAPS OF VINE

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Z. A. Manturov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim.The results of experimental studies produce siliсatеsodium composite binder of calcareous stone sawing waste, anhydrous sodium silicate, and based on them wood concrete using as an organic filler vine cuttings for the production of heat-insulating, heat-insulating, structural and structural wall material.Methods.The main technological operations of the developed arbalitconcrete are given : preparation of a composite binder; production of organic filler from the vine; preparation of arbolit concrete mass; formation of arbolit concrete mass; low-temperature treatment (drying.Results. It is found that the composite binder derived from waste stone sawing and anhydrous sodium silicate at their joint fine grinding (Ssp = 3000 cm2 / g, acquires binding properties and with the appropriate seal and heat treatment hardens and gains strength characteristics sufficient for making arbolitconcrete using crushed vine.Conclusion. It was determined that arbolitobeton obtained on the basis of the crushed vine and silikatnatrievogo composite binder strength exceeds arbolitobetona from other types of binders and organic fillers of vegetable origin.

Measurement of sugar content of watermelon using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy in comparison with dielectric property

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Xuemei; Bao, Yidan

2006-09-01

The sugar content of watermelon is important to its taste thus influences the market. It's difficult to know whether the melon is sweet or not for consumers. We tried to develop a convenient meter to determine the sugar of watermelon. The first objective of this paper was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a near-infrared reflectance spectrometer (NIRS) to investigate the relationship between sugar content of watermelon and absorption spectra. The NIRS reflectance of nondestructive watermelon was measured with a Visible/NIR spectrophotometer in 325-1075nm range. The sugar content of watermelon was obtained with a handhold sugar content meter. The second objective was to measure the watermelon's dielectric property, such as dielectric resistance, capacitance, quality factor and dielectric loss. A digital electric bridge instrument was used to get the dielectric property. The experimental results show that they were related to watermelon's sugar content. A comparison between the two methods was made in the paper. The model derived from NIRS reflection is useful for class identification of Zaochun Hongyu watermelon though it's not quite accurate in sweetness prediction (the max. deviation is 0.7). Electric property bears little relation to sugar content of watermelon at this experiment and it couldn't be used as non-destructive inspection method.

Survey of mycoflora and ochratoxin A in dried vine fruits from Argentina markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnoli, C; Astoreca, A; Ponsone, L; Combina, M; Palacio, G; Rosa, C A R; Dalcero, A M

2004-01-01

The aims of this work were to identify the mycoflora and to evaluate the natural occurrence of OA in dried vine fruits. Likewise, the capacity to produce OA by Aspergillus section Nigri was studied. Fifty samples of dried vine fruits were obtained from Mendoza and San Juan provinces. The surface disinfection method was used for mycoflora determination using the medium dichloran 18% glycerol agar (DG18) and dichloran Rose Bengal chloramphenicol agar (DRBC). Statistical analysis demonstrated that the species A. niger var. niger and Aspergillus niger var. awamori were isolated in higher frequency from black dried vine fruits from DRBC and DG18 media (P < 0.01). OA was found in 74% of the dried vine fruits samples. Sixty-two strains (28%) of Aspergillus section Nigri, were OA producers. In the species A. carbonarius the highest percentages of ochratoxigenic strains were detected (82.6%). The presence of ochratoxigenic strains of Nigri section in dried vine fruits suggests that they may be an important source of OA in this substrate. Dried vine fruits can also be an important source of OA people who consume large amounts. The dried vine fruits contamination with Aspergillus section Nigri and OA was significant.

A New Method for Rapid Detection of the Volume and Quality of Watermelon Based on Processing of X-Ray Images

OpenAIRE

Zou , Ling; Ming , Sun; Zhang , Di

2014-01-01

International audience; Real-time online detection of fruit quality system has been applied to production practice because online testing and grading of fruits screening technology has matured. However, fruit size and quality online testing have always been difficult. Many detection methods of fruit size and quality are very complicated and time consuming, which cannot meet the needs of real-time detection. In this paper, a new method for rapid detecting small watermelon of volume and quality...

(5) Otunaiya A.O Watermelon

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adeyinka Odunsi

The cost and return analysis shows a high net farm income per hectare of ₦25,. 574.24. The estimated .... Return on Investment: X 100 … .... intermediaries, marketing cooperative and middlemen, play very little role in watermelon marketing.

STUDIES REGARDING THE COLOR EVOLUTION DURING MATURATION OF CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND PINOT NOIR WINES

OpenAIRE

Luminiţa Vişan; Ciprian Nicolae Popa; Radiana Tamba-Berehoiu

2017-01-01

During maturation of red wines their chromatic characteristics change due to degradation reactions of anthocyanin pigments and polymers formation. It was studied the polyphenolic composition of young red wines Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir and its evolution during wines maturation. The wines were obtained in the Ceptura vine center, from the harvest year of 2015. The polyphenolic composition of wines was judged by the content in polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins. A wine tannin structu...

Non-destructive evaluation of bacteria-infected watermelon seeds using visible/near-infrared hyperspectral imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hoonsoo; Kim, Moon S; Song, Yu-Rim; Oh, Chang-Sik; Lim, Hyoun-Sub; Lee, Wang-Hee; Kang, Jum-Soon; Cho, Byoung-Kwan

2017-03-01

There is a need to minimize economic damage by sorting infected seeds from healthy seeds before seeding. However, current methods of detecting infected seeds, such as seedling grow-out, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the real-time PCR have a critical drawbacks in that they are time-consuming, labor-intensive and destructive procedures. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) hyperspectral imaging system for detecting bacteria-infected watermelon seeds. A hyperspectral Vis/NIR reflectance imaging system (spectral region of 400-1000 nm) was constructed to obtain hyperspectral reflectance images for 336 bacteria-infected watermelon seeds, which were then subjected to partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and a least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) to classify bacteria-infected watermelon seeds from healthy watermelon seeds. The developed system detected bacteria-infected watermelon seeds with an accuracy > 90% (PLS-DA: 91.7%, LS-SVM: 90.5%), suggesting that the Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging system is effective for quarantining bacteria-infected watermelon seeds. The results of the present study show that it is possible to use the Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging system for detecting bacteria-infected watermelon seeds. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization during Watermelon Fruit Development.

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Qiusheng Kong

Full Text Available Gene expression analysis in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus fruit has drawn considerable attention with the availability of genome sequences to understand the regulatory mechanism of fruit development and to improve its quality. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR is a routine technique for gene expression analysis. However, appropriate reference genes for transcript normalization in watermelon fruits have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of 12 genes for their potential use as reference genes in watermelon fruits. Expression variations of these genes were measured in 48 samples obtained from 12 successive developmental stages of parthenocarpic and fertilized fruits of two watermelon genotypes by using qRT-PCR analysis. Considering the effects of genotype, fruit setting method, and developmental stage, geNorm determined clathrin adaptor complex subunit (ClCAC, β-actin (ClACT, and alpha tubulin 5 (ClTUA5 as the multiple reference genes in watermelon fruit. Furthermore, ClCAC alone or together with SAND family protein (ClSAND was ranked as the single or two best reference genes by NormFinder. By using the top-ranked reference genes to normalize the transcript abundance of phytoene synthase (ClPSY1, a good correlation between lycopene accumulation and ClPSY1 expression pattern was observed in ripening watermelon fruit. These validated reference genes will facilitate the accurate measurement of gene expression in the studies on watermelon fruit biology.

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization during Watermelon Fruit Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Qiusheng; Yuan, Jingxian; Gao, Lingyun; Zhao, Liqiang; Cheng, Fei; Huang, Yuan; Bie, Zhilong

2015-01-01

Gene expression analysis in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit has drawn considerable attention with the availability of genome sequences to understand the regulatory mechanism of fruit development and to improve its quality. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is a routine technique for gene expression analysis. However, appropriate reference genes for transcript normalization in watermelon fruits have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of 12 genes for their potential use as reference genes in watermelon fruits. Expression variations of these genes were measured in 48 samples obtained from 12 successive developmental stages of parthenocarpic and fertilized fruits of two watermelon genotypes by using qRT-PCR analysis. Considering the effects of genotype, fruit setting method, and developmental stage, geNorm determined clathrin adaptor complex subunit (ClCAC), β-actin (ClACT), and alpha tubulin 5 (ClTUA5) as the multiple reference genes in watermelon fruit. Furthermore, ClCAC alone or together with SAND family protein (ClSAND) was ranked as the single or two best reference genes by NormFinder. By using the top-ranked reference genes to normalize the transcript abundance of phytoene synthase (ClPSY1), a good correlation between lycopene accumulation and ClPSY1 expression pattern was observed in ripening watermelon fruit. These validated reference genes will facilitate the accurate measurement of gene expression in the studies on watermelon fruit biology.

Abscisic acid pathway involved in the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening and quality trait evolution

OpenAIRE

Wang, Yanping; Guo, Shaogui; Tian, Shouwei; Zhang, Jie; Ren, Yi; Sun, Honghe; Gong, Guoyi; Zhang, Haiying; Xu, Yong

2017-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) is a non-climacteric fruit. The modern sweet-dessert watermelon is the result of years of cultivation and selection for fruits with desirable qualities. To date, the mechanisms of watermelon fruit ripening, and the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in this process, has not been well understood. We quantified levels of free and conjugated ABA contents in the fruits of cultivated watermelon (97103; C. lanatus subsp. vulgaris), semi-wild germplas...

Application of selection and estimation regular vine copula on go public company share

Science.gov (United States)

Hasna Afifah, R.; Noviyanti, Lienda; Bachrudin, Achmad

2018-03-01

The accuracy of financial risk management involving a large number of assets is needed, but information about dependencies among assets cannot be adequately analyzed. To analyze dependencies on a number of assets, several tools have been added to standard multivariate copula. However, these tools have not been adequately used in apps with higher dimensions. The bivariate parametric copula families can be used to solve it. The multivariate copula can be built from the bivariate parametric copula which is connected by a graphical representation to become Pair Copula Constructions (PCCs) or vine copula. The application of C-vine and D-vine copula have been used in some researches, but the use of C-vine and D-vine copula is more limited than R-vine copula. Therefore, this study used R-vine copula to provide flexibility for modeling complex dependencies on a high dimension. Since copula is a static model, while stock values change over time, then copula should be combined with the ARMA- GARCH model for modeling the movement of shares (volatility). The objective of this paper is to select and estimate R-vine copula which is used to analyze PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk (JSMR), PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk (WSKT), and PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk (BMRI) from august 31, 2014 to august 31, 2017. From the method it is obtained that the selected copulas for 2 edges at the first tree are survival Gumbel and the copula for edge at the second tree is Gaussian.

Statistical Analysis Of Heavy Metals Concentration In Watermelon Plants Irrigated By Wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Khanjani, M. J.; Maghsoudi moud, A. A.; Saffari, V. R.; Hashamipor, S. M.; Soltanizadeh, M.

2008-01-01

Concentration of heavy metals in vegetables irrigated by urban wastewater is a cause of serious concern due to the potentials health problems of consuming contaminated produce. In this study it is tried to model the concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe,…) as a function of their concentration in watermelon roots and stems. Our study shows there is a good relationship between them for most of collected data. By measuring the concentration in root and stem of watermelon plant samples before harvesting, the concentration of heavy metal in watermelon's fruit can be estimated by presented mathematical models. This study shows the concentrations of heavy metals in fruits, roots and stems of watermelon plants are very high and in dangerous level when irrigated by municipal waste water.

Specialised Sweetpotato Vine Multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: What “Sticks” and What Changes?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McEwan Margaret A.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In Lake Zone, Tanzania, farmers were trained to multiply and distribute quality sweetpotato planting material. The objectives of this study were to assess changes in skills and practices among the trained farmers as vine multiplication became a specialized task. Nine months after the project ended, all 88 decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs operating as groups (72% or individuals (28% were visited and qualitative data on their current multiplication practices collected through a questionnaire, checklists and observations. Results showed that 69% of DVMs were still multiplying vines, but less than half were using the seed production technologies promoted by the project. 34% used rapid multiplication beds; 61% used conventional plant spacing on ridges for roots and vines and 5% used both. As the vine multiplication cycle became a specialised activity, the multiplication and root production cycles were separated. Vines were treated differently in terms of site selection, length of cutting and spacing, depending on whether the objective of their use was for high root or high vine production. Capacity building of specialised vine multipliers and scaling-up seed interventions should consider the implications of skilling and task segregation in a broader context based on society’s choice of technologies and agrarian change.

Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Arturo; Wong, Alexei; Jaime, Salvador J; Gonzales, Joaquin U

2017-01-01

L-Citrulline, either synthetic or in watermelon, may improve vascular function through increased L-arginine bioavailability and nitric oxide synthesis. This article analyses potential vascular benefits of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation at rest and during exercise. There is clear evidence that acute L-citrulline ingestion increases plasma L-arginine, the substrate for endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. However, the subsequent acute improvement in nitric oxide production and mediated vasodilation is inconsistent, which likely explains the inability of acute L-citrulline or watermelon to improve exercise tolerance. Recent studies have shown that chronic L-citrulline supplementation increases nitric oxide synthesis, decreases blood pressure, and may increase peripheral blood flow. These changes are paralleled by improvements in skeletal muscle oxygenation and performance during endurance exercise. The antihypertensive effect of L-citrulline/watermelon supplementation is evident in adults with prehypertension or hypertension, but not in normotensives. However, L-citrulline supplementation may attenuate the blood pressure response to exercise in normotensive men. The beneficial vascular effects of L-citrulline/watermelon supplementation may stem from improvements in the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway. Reductions in resting blood pressure with L-citrulline/watermelon supplementation may have major implications for individuals with prehypertension and hypertension. L-Citrulline supplementation, but not acute ingestion, have shown to improve exercise performance in young healthy adults.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of two contrasting watermelon genotypes during fruit development and ripening

OpenAIRE

Zhu, Qianglong; Gao, Peng; Liu, Shi; Zhu, Zicheng; Amanullah, Sikandar; Davis, Angela R.; Luan, Feishi

2017-01-01

Background Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is an economically important crop with an attractive ripe fruit that has colorful flesh. Fruit ripening is a complex, genetically programmed process. Results In this study, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the regulators and pathways that are involved in the fruit ripening of pale-yellow-flesh cultivated watermelon (COS) and red-flesh cultivated watermelon (LSW177). We first identified 797 novel g...

Watermelon rind-mediated green synthesis of noble palladium nanoparticles: catalytic application

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshmipathy, R.; Palakshi Reddy, B.; Sarada, N. C.; Chidambaram, K.; Khadeer Pasha, Sk.

2015-02-01

The present study reports the feasibility of synthesis of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) by watermelon rind. The aqueous extract prepared from watermelon rind, an agro waste, was evaluated as capping and reducing agent for biosynthesis of palladium nanoparticles. The formation of Pd NPs was visually monitored with change in color from pale yellow to dark brown and later monitored with UV-Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized Pd NPs were further characterized by XRD, FTIR, DLS, AFM and TEM techniques. The synthesized Pd NPs were employed in Suzuki coupling reaction as catalyst. The results reveal that watermelon rind, an agro waste, is capable of synthesizing spherical-shaped Pd NPs with catalytic activity.

Can You Tell the Density of the Watermelon from This Photograph?

Science.gov (United States)

Foong, See Kit; Lim, Chim Chai

2010-01-01

Based on a photograph, the density of a watermelon floating in a pail of water is estimated with different levels of simplification--with and without consideration of refraction and three-dimensional effects. The watermelon was approximated as a sphere. The results of the theoretical estimations were verified experimentally. (Contains 6 figures.)

Characterisation and functional properties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seed proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wani, Ali Abas; Sogi, Dalbir Singh; Singh, Preeti; Wani, Idrees Ahmed; Shivhare, Uma S

2011-01-15

People in developing countries depend largely on non-conventional protein sources to augment the availability of proteins in their diets. Watermelon seed meal is reported to contain an adequate amount of nutritional proteins that could be extracted for use as nutritional ingredients in food products. Osborne classification showed that globulin was the major protein (≥500 g kg (-1)) present in watermelon seed meal, followed by albumin and glutelin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the polypeptides had low molecular weights ranging from 35 to 47 kDa. Isoelectric focusing revealed that the isoelectric point of most proteins was in the acidic range 4-6. These proteins are rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine. An increase in pH (5-9) significantly (P watermelon protein fractions respectively, while surface hydrophobicity ranged from 126.4 to 173.2 and from 125.8 to 169.3 respectively. The foaming and emulsifying properties of albumin were better than those of the other proteins studied. The good nutritional and functional properties of watermelon seed meal proteins suggest their potential use in food formulations. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Measurement of soluble solids content in watermelon by Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique*

OpenAIRE

Tian, Hai-qing; Ying, Yi-bin; Lu, Hui-shan; Fu, Xia-ping; Yu, Hai-yan

2007-01-01

Watermelon is a popular fruit in the world with soluble solids content (SSC) being one of the major characteristics used for assessing its quality. This study was aimed at obtaining a method for nondestructive SSC detection of watermelons by means of visible/near infrared (Vis/NIR) diffuse transmittance technique. Vis/NIR transmittance spectra of intact watermelons were acquired using a low-cost commercially available spectrometer operating over the range 350~1000 nm. Spectra data were analyz...

Analytical characterization of pure and blended watermelon (citrullus lanatus) oil: impact of blending on oxidative stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azeem, M.W.; Nadeem, M.

2015-01-01

Analytical characterization of pure, blended watermelon (Citrulluslanatus) oil and impact of blending on oxidative stability was investigated. Watermelon oil was added with mango (Mangiferaindica L.) kernel oil at four different concentrations 5, 10, 15 and 20% (B 1, B2, B3 and B4) and referenced with a control (100% watermelon oil). All the blends were stored in transparent PET bottles at ambient temperature (25-28 degree C) for 3 months; storage stability was assessed at the interval of 1 month. Free fatty acid, unsaponifiable matter, saponification value, refractive index and iodine value of watermelon seed oil and mango kernel oil was 1.38%, 0.34%; 0.71%, 1.68%; 198, 193; 1.468, 1.457; 107.51, 54.62, respectively. The tocopherol content of watermelon oil, mango kernel oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 127.49, 205.44, 135.24, 144.52, 156.81 and 169.34 mg/kg. delta tocopherol in watermelon oil, mango kernel oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 55.26, 34.81, 53.64, 51.27, 50.14 and 48.23 mg/kg. Concentration of linoleic acid decreased from 50.78% to 30.17% when 40% mango kernel oil was added to watermelon oil. Oleic acid increased from 22.89% in watermelon oil to 25.19%, 28.84% and 30.64% in B1, B2, B3 and B4. The increase in peroxide value of watermelon oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 10.07, 9.56, 7.62, 5.17 and 2.87 (meqO/sub 2//kg) in a time dependent manner. Induction period of pure watermelon oil was less than mango kernel oil and blends. These results suggest that chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of pure watermelon oil can be improved by blending with mango kernel oil. (author)

Analytical Characterization of Pure and Blended Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus oil: Impact of Blending on Oxidative Stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Waqar Azeem

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Analytical characterization of pure, blended watermelon (Citrulluslanatus oil and impact of blending on oxidative stability was investigated. Watermelon oil was added with mango (Mangiferaindica L. kernel oil at four different concentrations 5, 10, 15 and 20% (B1, B2, B3 and B4 and referenced with a control (100% watermelon oil. All the blends were stored in transparent PET bottles at ambient temperature (25-28oC for 3 months; storage stability was assessed at the interval of 1 month. Free fatty acid, unsaponifiable matter, saponification value, refractive index and iodine value of watermelon seed oil and mango kernel oil was 1.38%, 0.34%; 0.71%, 1.68%; 198, 193; 1.468, 1.457; 107.51, 54.62, respectively. The α tocopherol content of watermelon oil, mango kernel oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 127.49, 205.44, 135.24, 144.52, 156.81 and 169.34 mg/kg. δ tocopherol in watermelon oil, mango kernel oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 55.26, 34.81, 53.64, 51.27, 50.14 and 48.23 mg/kg. Concentration of linoleic acid decreased from 50.78% to 30.17% when 40% mango kernel oil was added to watermelon oil. Oleic acid increased from 22.89% in watermelon oil to 25.19%, 28.84% and 30.64% in B1, B2, B3 and B4. The increase in peroxide value of watermelon oil, B1, B2, B3 and B4 was 10.07, 9.56, 7.62, 5.17 and 2.87 (meqO2/kg in a time dependent manner. Induction period of pure watermelon oil was less than mango kernel oil and blends. These results suggest that chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of pure watermelon oil can be improved by blending with mango kernel oil.

Grafting of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Mahbubi) onto different squash rootstocks as a means to minimize cadmium toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirani Bidabadi, Siamak; Abolghasemi, Reza; Zheng, Si-Jun

2018-06-07

To test the possibility that using appropriate rootstocks could improve the tolerance of watermelon to cadmium (Cd) toxicity, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine growth and antioxidant activities of watermelons, either nongrafted or grafted onto summer squash and winter squash. We provided nutrient solutions having four levels (0, 50, 100, and 200 μM) of cadmium to treat the plants. Shoot and root biomass reduction were significantly lower in summer squash rootstock-grafted watermelon than winter squash rootstock-grafted and nongrafted watermelons. Cadmium induced a smaller decrease in leaf area index in grafted watermelons compared with nongrafted plants. The Cd- related reductions in chlorophyll content and efficiency of photosynthesis were more severe in nongrafted watermelons compared with dose grafted onto summer squash. Cd accumulation in shoot at the highest dose (200 µM) of CdCl 2 was significantly lower (19.76 mg/kg) in summer squash rootstock-grafted watermelon compared with winter squash rootstock-grafted (37.58 mg/kg) and nongrafted watermelon (72.12 mg/kg). H 2 O 2 , MDA production and electrolyte leakage of summer squash rootstock-grafted watermelon showed less increase, which was associated with a significant increase in the activities of antioxidant. The improved crop performance of grafted watermelons was attributed to their strong capacity to inhibit Cd accumulation in the aerial parts.

7 CFR 319.56-36 - Watermelon, squash, cucumber, and oriental melon from the Republic of Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Watermelon, squash, cucumber, and oriental melon from... QUARANTINE NOTICES Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-36 Watermelon, squash, cucumber, and oriental melon from the Republic of Korea. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), squash (Cucurbita maxima), cucumber (Cucumis...

Comparative transcriptome profiling of potassium starvation responsiveness in two contrasting watermelon genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Molin; Huang, Yuan; Zhong, Yaqin; Kong, Qiusheng; Xie, Junjun; Niu, Mengliang; Xu, Yong; Bie, Zhilong

2014-02-01

Potassium (K) is one of the essential nutrients for crops, and K⁺ deficiency highly restricts crop yield and quality. Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is an economically important crop that often suffers from K⁺ deficiency. To elucidate the underlying tolerance mechanism of watermelon to K⁺ deficiency and to improve K efficiency of watermelon and other crops in the future, two watermelon genotypes, namely, YS and 8424, that exhibit contrasting K efficiencies were studied to compare their response mechanisms to K⁺ deficiency. YS was more tolerant of K⁺ deficiency and displayed less inhibited root growth than 8424. Roots of YS and 8424 seedlings with or without K⁺ supply were harvested at 6 and 120 h after treatment (HAT), and their transcriptomes were analyzed by Illumina RNA sequencing. Different regulation mechanisms of the root K⁺-uptake genes for short- and long-term stress were observed. Genes involved in jasmonic acid and reactive oxygen species production; Ca²⁺ and receptor-like kinase signaling; lignin biosynthesis; and other stress-related genes were repressed in YS, whereas a large number of such stress-related genes were induced in 8424 at 120 HAT. These results suggested that repressed defense and stress response can save energy for better root growth in YS, which can facilitate K⁺ uptake and increase K efficiency and tolerance to K⁺ deficiency. This study presents the first global root transcriptome in watermelon and provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to K⁺ deficiency of K-efficient watermelon genotypes.

Determination of morphological and cytological differences between diploid and tetraploid watermelon plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İsmail ŞİMŞEK

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In the seedless watermelon breeding programme, firstly, tetraploid parents must be developed by the breeders. When diploid watermelon lines treated with colchicine and oryzaline in vivo and vitro conditions, tetraploid plants could be obtained. The diploid and tetraploid watermelon plants should be selected within the population. For this reason, some markers (morphological, isozyme, cytological and molecular techniques are needed to separate from diploid and tetraploid plants. Chromosome counts and DNA content of diploid and tetraploid plants as a result of measurement of flow cytometry distinction can be made definitively. However, the laboratory infrastructure required to implement each method, is not economical. The purpose of this study is to select the tetraploid watermelon plants at M1 stage from populations applied colchicine and oryzaline with morphological anda cytological investigations in in vivo conditions. In this study, tetraploid plants belong to the four watermelon lines and diploid plants compared with the morphological and cytological dates. Morphological dates; width of the leaf-length (cm, male flower diameter (mm, diameter-length of the ovary (mm, the female flower petal width and length (mm were measured. Cytological assessment of the stoma diameter (μm, stomatal length (μm, stomatal density and chloroplast number were measured. In the present study has shown that the tetraploid plants grow vigorously as compared to diploid plants. Tetraploid plants are the number of chloroplasts increased, but decreased stomatal density were determined. As a result, tetraploid plants could be selected practically and economically by using morphological and cytological data for watermelon plants.

Acceptability of minimally processed and irradiated pineapple and watermelon among Brazilian consumers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martins, Cecilia Geraldes; Aragon-Alegro, Lina Casale; Behrens, Jorge Herman; Oliveira Souza, Katia Leani [Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580 B.14, 05508-900 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Martins Vizeu, Dirceu; Hutzler, Beatriz Weltman [Embrarad Ltda. Av. Cruzada Bandeirante, 269, 06700-000 Cotia, SP (Brazil); Teresa Destro, Maria [Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580 B.14, 05508-900 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Landgraf, Mariza [Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580 B.14, 05508-900 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: landgraf@usp.br

2008-06-15

This study aimed at evaluating the acceptance of MP watermelon and pineapple exposed to 1.0 and 2.5 kGy compared to non-irradiated samples. No significant differences were observed in liking between irradiated and non-irradiated samples, and also between doses of 1.0 and 2.5 kGy. Significant differences in sourness (pineapple) or sweetness (watermelon) and between intention of purchase of irradiated and non-irradiated fruits were not observed as well. Results showed that MP watermelon and pineapple could be irradiated with doses up to 2.5 kGy without significant changes in acceptability.

Acceptability of minimally processed and irradiated pineapple and watermelon among Brazilian consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Cecilia Geraldes; Aragon-Alegro, Lina Casale; Behrens, Jorge Herman; Oliveira Souza, Katia Leani; Martins Vizeu, Dirceu; Hutzler, Beatriz Weltman; Teresa Destro, Maria; Landgraf, Mariza

2008-01-01

This study aimed at evaluating the acceptance of MP watermelon and pineapple exposed to 1.0 and 2.5 kGy compared to non-irradiated samples. No significant differences were observed in liking between irradiated and non-irradiated samples, and also between doses of 1.0 and 2.5 kGy. Significant differences in sourness (pineapple) or sweetness (watermelon) and between intention of purchase of irradiated and non-irradiated fruits were not observed as well. Results showed that MP watermelon and pineapple could be irradiated with doses up to 2.5 kGy without significant changes in acceptability

Acceptability of minimally processed and irradiated pineapple and watermelon among Brazilian consumers

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Cecília Geraldes; Aragon-Alegro, Lina Casale; Behrens, Jorge Herman; Oliveira Souza, Kátia Leani; Martins Vizeu, Dirceu; Hutzler, Beatriz Weltman; Teresa Destro, Maria; Landgraf, Mariza

2008-06-01

This study aimed at evaluating the acceptance of MP watermelon and pineapple exposed to 1.0 and 2.5 kGy compared to non-irradiated samples. No significant differences were observed in liking between irradiated and non-irradiated samples, and also between doses of 1.0 and 2.5 kGy. Significant differences in sourness (pineapple) or sweetness (watermelon) and between intention of purchase of irradiated and non-irradiated fruits were not observed as well. Results showed that MP watermelon and pineapple could be irradiated with doses up to 2.5 kGy without significant changes in acceptability.

Detection of Watermelon Seeds Exterior Quality based on Machine Vision

OpenAIRE

Xiai Chen; Ling Wang; Wenquan Chen; Yanfeng Gao

2013-01-01

To investigate the detection of watermelon seeds exterior quality, a machine vision system based on least square support vector machine was developed. Appearance characteristics of watermelon seeds included area, perimeter, roughness, minimum enclosing rectangle and solidity were calculated by image analysis after image preprocess.The broken seeds, normal seeds and high-quality seeds were distinguished by least square support vector machine optimized by genetic algorithm. Compared to the grid...

Morphological diversity in oleaginous watermelon (Citrullus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gbotto

2016-05-25

May 25, 2016 ... variance showed a significant difference between the four groups and accessions of the ... Afr. J. Biotechnol. ... type watermelon is recognized as C. mucosospermus ... ovoid shape with rugged and thick ends (Zoro Bi et al.,.

The height of watermelons with wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feierl, Thomas

2012-01-01

We derive asymptotics for the moments as well as the weak limit of the height distribution of watermelons with p branches with wall. This generalizes a famous result of de Bruijn et al (1972 Graph Theory and Computing (New York: Academic) pp 15–22) on the average height of planted plane trees, and results by Fulmek (2007 Electron. J. Combin. 14 R64) and Katori et al (2008 J. Stat. Phys. 131 1067–83) on the expected value and higher moments, respectively, of the height distribution of watermelons with two branches. The asymptotics for the moments depend on the analytic behaviour of certain multidimensional Dirichlet series. In order to obtain this information, we prove a reciprocity relation satisfied by the derivatives of one of Jacobi’s theta functions, which generalizes the well-known reciprocity law for Jacobi’s theta functions. (paper)

Nitric oxide protects carbon assimilation process of watermelon from boron-induced oxidative injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Farag, Mohamed; Najeeb, Ullah; Yang, Jinghua; Hu, Zhongyuan; Fang, Zhang Ming

2017-02-01

Nitric oxide (NO) mediates plant response to a variety of abiotic stresses; however, limited information is available on its effect on boron (B)-stressed watermelon plants. The present study investigates the mechanism through which NO protects watermelon seedlings from B deficiency and toxicity stresses. Five days old watermelon seedlings were exposed to B (0, 0.5 and 10 mg L -1 ) alone or with 75 μmole of NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) for 30 days. Both low and high B concentrations in the media altered nutrient accumulation and impaired various physiological processes of watermelon seedlings, leading to a significant reduction in biomass production. The plants exposed to B deficient or toxic concentrations had 66 and 69% lower shoot dry weight, respectively compared with optimum B levels. B toxicity-induced growth inhibition of watermelon seedlings was associated with high B translocation to shoot tissues, which caused lipid membrane peroxidation (12% increase) and chlorophyll destruction (25% reduction). In contrast, B deficiency accelerated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), specifically OH -1 and induced cellular oxidative injury. Exogenously applied SNP promoted leaf chlorophyll, photosynthesis and consequently biomass production in B-stressed watermelon seedlings by reducing B accumulation, lipid membrane peroxidation and ROS generation. It also activated antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, POD and APX, and protected the seedlings from ROS-induced cellular burst. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

In vitro assessment of physiological changes of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) upon iron oxide nanoparticles exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yunqiang; Hu, Jing; Dai, Zhaoyi; Li, Junli; Huang, Jin

2016-11-01

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, developing nano iron fertilizer is an important strategy to alleviate Fe deficiency and elevate Fe fertilization effect in agricultural applications. In this study, watermelon seedlings were grown in soil amended with iron oxide nanoparticles (γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs) at different concentrations (0, 20, 50, 100 mg/L). The content of soluble sugar and protein, content of chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of antioxidant enzymes of watermelon leaves were determined in five successive weeks to evaluate the physiological changes of watermelon plants after γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs exposure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations indicated that γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs could enter root cell of watermelon. Results showed that 20 mg/L γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs didn't cause any oxidative stress on watermelon and 50 mg/L γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs could increase soluble sugar, soluble protein and chlorophyll content in the growth of plants. In addition, 50 and 100 mg/L γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs caused oxidative stress on watermelon leaves, but this NP-induced stress was removed with the growth of watermelon. It is noteworthy that we found γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs might possess an intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. The variation trend of physiological parameters was correlated with the nutritional requirements of plants. It can be concluded that γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs at proper concentrations have the ability to improve iron deficiency chlorosis and promote the growth of watermelon plants. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first holistic study focusing on the impact of γ-Fe 2 O 3 NPs in long-term experiment of watermelon plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Watermelon extract reduces blood pressure but does not change sympathovagal balance in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Massa, Nayara Moreira Lacerda; Silva, Alexandre Sérgio; Toscano, Luciana Tavares; Silva, Joanna D'arc Gomes Rodrigues; Persuhn, Darlene Camati; Gonçalves, Maria Da Conceição Rodrigues

2016-08-01

Previous studies have shown that watermelon extract reduces blood pressure through vasodilation. However, those studies have not verified whether sympathetic nervous activity is influenced by watermelon extract. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with watermelon extract for 6 weeks on blood pressure and sympathovagal balance of prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals. Forty volunteers participated in a randomized, double-blind, experimental and placebo-controlled study. They consumed 6 g of watermelon extract daily (n = 20; age 48.7 ± 1.9 years, 10 men) or a placebo (n = 20; age 47.4 ± 1.2 years, 11 men) for 6 weeks. Blood pressure and cardiac autonomic modulation were measured. Watermelon extract promoted a significant reduction in systolic (137.8 ± 3.9 to 126.0 ± 4.0 mmHg, p watermelon extract reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals, but does not alter the cardiac autonomic modulation of these individuals.

Vine vigor components and its variability - relationship to wine composition

Science.gov (United States)

Lafontaine, Magali; Tittmann, Susanne; Stoll, Manfred

2015-04-01

It was pointed out that a high spatial variability for canopy size and yield would exist within a vineyard but a high temporal stability over the years was observed. Furthermore, a greater variability in grape phenolics than in sugars and pH was detected within a vineyard. But the link between remote sensing indices and quality parameters of grapes is still unclear. Indeed, though in red grape varieties anthocyanins content was spatially negatively correlated to vigor parameters, it seemed that yield, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Plant Cell Density (PCD) indices were poorly correlated. Moreover, the link to quality parameters of wines remains uncertain. It was shown that more vigorous vines would lead to wines with less tannins while anthocyanins in wines would be highest when the vines were balanced but the question is if vine size or architecture, yield or nitrogen assimilation would play major contribution to those differences. The general scope of our project was to provide further knowledge on the relationship between vigor parameters and wine composition and relate these to the information gained by remote sensing. Variability in a 0.15 ha vineyard of Pinot noir planted in 2003 and grafted on SO4 rootstock at Geisenheim (Germany) was followed. Vine vigor was assessed manually for each of the 400 vines (cane number, pruning weight, trunk diameter) together with yield parameters (number of bunches per vine, crop yield). Leaf composition was assessed with a hand-held optical sensor (Multiplex3® [Mx3] (Force-A, Orsay, France) based on chlorophyll fluorescence screening providing information on leaf chlorophyll (SFR_G) and nitrogen (NBI_G) content. A micro-scale winemaking of single vines with a 3 factorial design on yield (L low, M middle, H high), SFRG (L, M, H) and canopy size (pruning weight, trunk diameter) (L, M, H) was performed for 2013 and 2014 to completely reflect variability. Wine tannin concentration represented the highest

Effect of Thermal Treatments on Quality and Aroma of Watermelon Juice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yubin Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of thermal treatments on the quality and aroma of watermelon juice was evaluated. Watermelon juice was pasteurized via ultrahigh temperature (UHT, pasteurized at 135°C for 2 s, low temperature long time (LTLT, pasteurized at 60°C for 30 min, and high temperature short time (HTST, pasteurized at 100°C for 5 min, respectively. UHT and LTLT reduced the total flora count and maintained the color of the pasteurized juice, while the HTST led to a significant color difference. A total of 27, 21, 22, and 21 volatiles were identified in the unpasteurized juice, UHT, LTLT, and HTST, respectively. The typical watermelon aroma, including (3Z-3-nonen-1-ol, (E-2-nonen-1-ol, 1-nonanal, (2E-2-nonenal, and (E,Z-2,6-nonadienal, was abundant in the LTLT. Consequently, the aroma of the LTLT was similar to that of unpasteurized juice. Moreover, the shelf life of the LTLT reached 101 and 14 days at 4 and 25°C, respectively. Hence, the LTLT was the best way to maintain the quality and aroma of watermelon juice.

Physiological effects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles towards watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junli; Chang, Peter R; Huang, Jin; Wang, Yunqiang; Yuan, Hong; Ren, Hongxuan

2013-08-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been exploited in a diverse range of products in the past decade or so. However, the biosafety/environmental impact or legislation pertaining to this newly created, highly functional composites containing NPs (otherwise called nanomaterials) is generally lagging behind their technological innovation. To advance the agenda in this area, our current primary interest is focused on using crops as model systems as they have very close relationship with us. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles towards watermelon seedlings. We have systematically studied the physiological effects of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (nano-Fe2O3) on watermelon, and present the first evidence that a significant amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium can be taken up by watermelon plants and translocated throughout the plant tissues. Changes in important physiological indicators, such as root activity, activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content were clearly presented. Different concentrations of nano-Fe2O3 all increased seed germination, seedling growth, and enhanced physiological function to some degree; and the positive effects increased quickly and then slowed with an increase in the treatment concentrations. Changes in CAT, SOD and POD activities due to nano-Fe2O3 were significantly larger than that of the control. The 20 mg/L treatment had the most obvious effect on the increase of root activity. Ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content, and watermelon biomass were significantly affected by exposure to nano-Fe2O3. Results of statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in all the above indexes between the treatment at optimal concentration and the control. This proved that the proper concentration of nano

(5) Otunaiya A.O Watermelon

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adeyinka Odunsi

China, Turkey, Iran, Brazil, United States,. Egypt and Russian Federation ... higher market demand. Watermelon is popularly used as a ..... Fertilizer Cost. 3,005.63. 1083.12703. 3.83. Labour Cost. 20,660.00. 8761.93725. 26.28. Transportation Cost. 8,275.00. 2715.28724. 10.53. Marketing Cost. 5,901.25. 1759.13484. 7.51.

Presence and characterization of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus in watermelon in Serbia

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Vučurović Ana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The presence of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV in two out of seven watermelon production localities in Serbia during 2011 was investigated by analyzing leaves sampled from symptomatic and asymptomatic watermelon plants and utilizing DAS-ELISA test. In the locality of Gornji Tavankut, ZYMV was detected in 23.08% of tested plants in single infections, and in the locality of Silbas it was detected in 35.29% of tested plants in mixed infections with Cucumber mosaic virus and Alfalfa mosaic virus. ZYMV was successfully mechanically transmitted from naturally infected watermelon plants to Cucurbita pepo 'Ezra F1'. Molecular detection was performed by RT-PCR and amplification of part of the gene for nuclear inclusions, gene of coat protein and part of 3' non-coding region, which confirmed the identification of the ZYMV isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed grouping of the isolate originating from watermelon with other isolates from Serbia and Central Europe within A-I subgroup. Analysis of amino acid sequences of the N terminal end of the CP gene revealed that isolate 550-11 belongs to the Central European branch.

Energetic exploitation of vine shoot by gasification processes

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Ganan, J.; Al-Kassir Abdulla, A. [Dpto. Ingenieria Quimica y Energetica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain); Cuerda Correa, E.M. [Dpto. Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain); Macias-Garcia, A. [Dpto. Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain)

2006-10-15

In this study the energy potential generated by the biomass remnants of vine shoot produced in Extremadura (Spain) by a gasification process is evaluated. The raw material was characterised by elemental and proximate analysis, its Higher Heating Value (HHV) being evaluated as well. In order to determine the optimal gasification temperature for the production of gases, the vine shoots were treated at different temperatures, i.e., 650, 700, 750 and 800 {sup o}C in air atmosphere. The optimal temperature (800 {sup o}C) was selected and the vine shoot remnants were gasified in air stream (200 mL min{sup -1}) and for different times (8 and 50 min). The yield of the so-obtained phases was calculated and the study was focused on solid and gaseous phases. The solid phase was characterised by elemental and proximate analysis as well as by HHV. In order to determine their properties as precursors of activated carbons, the adsorption isotherms of N{sub 2} at 77 K were measured. Finally, the electric power that could be obtained by a combustion process in a vapor boiler was calculated. (author)

Comparative transcriptome analysis of two contrasting watermelon genotypes during fruit development and ripening.

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Zhu, Qianglong; Gao, Peng; Liu, Shi; Zhu, Zicheng; Amanullah, Sikandar; Davis, Angela R; Luan, Feishi

2017-01-03

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is an economically important crop with an attractive ripe fruit that has colorful flesh. Fruit ripening is a complex, genetically programmed process. In this study, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the regulators and pathways that are involved in the fruit ripening of pale-yellow-flesh cultivated watermelon (COS) and red-flesh cultivated watermelon (LSW177). We first identified 797 novel genes to extend the available reference gene set. Second, 3958 genes in COS and 3503 genes in LSW177 showed at least two-fold variation in expression, and a large number of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during fruit ripening were related to carotenoid biosynthesis, plant hormone pathways, and sugar and cell wall metabolism. Third, we noted a correlation between ripening-associated transcripts and metabolites and the key function of these metabolic pathways during fruit ripening. The results revealed several ripening-associated actions and provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening.

Genetic mapping reveals a candidate gene (ClFS1) for fruit shape in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.).

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Dou, Junling; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhang, Lei; Ali, Aslam; Kuang, Hanhui; Liu, Wenge

2018-04-01

A 159 bp deletion in ClFS1 gene encoding IQD protein is responsible for fruit shape in watermelon. Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is known for its rich diversity in fruit size and shape. Fruit shape has been one of the major objectives of watermelon breeding. However, the candidate genes and the underlying genetic mechanism for such an important trait in watermelon are unknown. In this study, we identified a locus on chromosome 3 of watermelon genome controlling fruit shape. Segregation analysis in F 2 and BC 1 populations derived from a cross between two inbred lines "Duan125" (elongate fruit) and "Zhengzhouzigua" (spherical fruit) suggests that fruit shape of watermelon is controlled by a single locus and elongate fruit (OO) is incompletely dominant to spherical fruit (oo) with the heterozygote (Oo) being oval fruit. GWAS profiles among 315 accessions identified a major locus designated on watermelon chromosome 3, which was confirmed by BSA-seq mapping in the F 2 population. The candidate gene was mapped to a region 46 kb on chromosome 3. There were only four genes present in the corresponding region in the reference genome. Four candidate genes were sequenced in this region, revealing that the CDS of Cla011257 had a 159 bp deletion which resulted in the omission of 53 amino acids in elongate watermelon. An indel marker was derived from the 159 bp deletion to test the F 2 population and 105 watermelon accessions. The results showed that Cla011257 cosegregated with watermelon fruit shape. In addition, the Cla011257 expression was the highest at ovary formation stage. The predicted protein of the Cla011257 gene fitted in IQD protein family which was reported to have association with cell arrays and Ca 2+ -CaM signaling modules. Clear understanding of the genes facilitating the fruit shape along with marker association selection will be an effective way to develop new cultivars.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Commercial Watermelon Crops.

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Lima, Carlos H O; Sarmento, Renato A; Galdino, Tarcísio V S; Pereira, Poliana S; Silva, Joedna; Souza, Danival J; Dos Santos, Gil R; Costa, Thiago L; Picanço, Marcelo C

2018-04-16

Spatiotemporal dynamics studies of crop pests enable the determination of the colonization pattern and dispersion of these insects in the landscape. Geostatistics is an efficient tool for these studies: to determine the spatial distribution pattern of the pest in the crops and to make maps that represent this situation. Analysis of these maps across the development of plants can be used as a tool in precision agriculture programs. Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae), is the second most consumed fruit in the world, and the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is one of the most important pests of this crop. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of B. tabaci in commercial watermelon crops using geostatistics. For 2 yr, we monitored adult whitefly densities in eight watermelon crops in a tropical climate region. The location of the samples and other crops in the landscape was georeferenced. Experimental data were submitted to geostatistical analysis. The colonization of B. tabaci had two patterns. In the first, the colonization started at the outermost parts of the crop. In the second, the insects occupied the whole area of the crop since the beginning of cultivation. The maximum distance between sites of watermelon crops in which spatial dependence of B. tabaci densities was observed was 19.69 m. The adult B. tabaci densities in the eight watermelon fields were positively correlated with rainfall and relative humidity, whereas wind speed negatively affected whiteflies population.

A High Resolution Genetic Map Anchoring Scaffolds of the Sequenced Watermelon Genome

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Kou, Qinghe; Jiang, Jiao; Guo, Shaogui; Zhang, Haiying; Hou, Wenju; Zou, Xiaohua; Sun, Honghe; Gong, Guoyi; Levi, Amnon; Xu, Yong

2012-01-01

As part of our ongoing efforts to sequence and map the watermelon (Citrullus spp.) genome, we have constructed a high density genetic linkage map. The map positioned 234 watermelon genome sequence scaffolds (an average size of 1.41 Mb) that cover about 330 Mb and account for 93.5% of the 353 Mb of the assembled genomic sequences of the elite Chinese watermelon line 97103 (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus). The genetic map was constructed using an F8 population of 103 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The RILs are derived from a cross between the line 97103 and the United States Plant Introduction (PI) 296341-FR (C. lanatus var. citroides) that contains resistance to fusarium wilt (races 0, 1, and 2). The genetic map consists of eleven linkage groups that include 698 simple sequence repeat (SSR), 219 insertion-deletion (InDel) and 36 structure variation (SV) markers and spans ∼800 cM with a mean marker interval of 0.8 cM. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 11 BACs that produced chromosome-specifc signals, we have depicted watermelon chromosomes that correspond to the eleven linkage groups constructed in this study. The high resolution genetic map developed here should be a useful platform for the assembly of the watermelon genome, for the development of sequence-based markers used in breeding programs, and for the identification of genes associated with important agricultural traits. PMID:22247776

Molecular cloning, sequence characterization and expression pattern of Rab18 gene from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

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Xinli, Xiao; Lei, Peng

2015-03-04

The complete mRNA sequence of watermelon Rab18 gene was amplified through the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. The full-length mRNA was 1010 bp containing a 645 bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein of 214 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that watermelon Rab18 protein shares high homology with the Rab18 of cucumber (99%), muskmelon (98%), Morus notabilis (90%), tomato (89%), wine grape (89%) and potato (88%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that watermelon Rab18 gene has a closer genetic relationship with Rab18 gene of cucumber and muskmelon. Tissue expression profile analysis indicated that watermelon Rab18 gene was highly expressed in root, stem and leaf, moderately expressed in flower and weakly expressed in fruit.

Thrips collected in watermelon crops in the semiarid of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

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Ewerton Marinho Costa

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to report the occurrence of two species of thrips in watermelon crops in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. From August to September 2011, we performed weekly sampling of thrips in a commercial watermelon production area with 10,000m2, using 20 Moericke traps. We captured a total of 431 thrips, belonging to Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom (Thripidae and Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin (Phlaeothripidae. This is the first report of H. gowdeyi in watermelon crops in Brazil

Vine spacing on cv. Tempranillo in the Appellation of Origin Cigales (Spain: Agronomy and quality effects

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Yuste Jesús

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the vegetative, productive and qualitative behavior of the Tempranillo variety, vertically trellised trained, according to a placement of vines with three different distances (1.04, 1.40 and 1.80 meters in the row and a common distance between rows (2.40 meters, in order to determine the most suitable vine distance for the growing conditions. The experimental test has been developed for the period 2007–2011 in the Appellation of Origin Cigales, in Valladolid (Spain. The reduction of vine distance has favored the vegetative growth, through the shoot weight, while the grape yield has been slightly higher in the intermediate vine distance, 1.40 m, through the cluster weight. Ravaz index showed some increase with the increasing of vine distance, derived from the decrease of pruning wood. In qualitative terms, the variation of the vine distance did not significantly modify the basic composition of the grape. Therefore, the choice of the vine distance involves the convenience to assess both potential effects in terms of production and economic objectives of the new plantations, in accordance with the characteristics of each growing situation.

Morphological diversity in oleaginous watermelon ( Citrullus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A hundred and seventy-one oleaginous watermelon accessions either collected from different countries or obtained from gene banks were evaluated and compared based on 11 quantitative morphological traits. Principal component analysis on 11 traits revealed 81.19% of the total variability and pointed out variations ...

Typical Vine or International Taste: Wine Consumers' Dilemma Between Beliefs and Preferences.

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Scozzafava, Gabriele; Boncinelli, Fabio; Contini, Caterina; Romano, Caterina; Gerini, Francesca; Casini, Leonardo

2016-01-01

The wine-growing sector is probably one of the agricultural areas where the ties between product quality and territory are most evident. Geographical indication is a key element in this context, and previous literature has focused on demonstrating how certification of origin influences the wine purchaser's behavior. However, less attention has been devoted to understanding how the value of a given name of origin may or may not be determined by the various elements that characterize the typicality of the wine product on that territory: vines, production techniques, etc. It thus seems interesting, in this framework, to evaluate the impacts of several characteristic attributes on the preferences of consumers. This paper will analyze, in particular, the role of the presence of autochthonous vines in consumers' choices. The connection between name of origin and autochthonous vines appears to be particularly important in achieving product "recognisability", while introducing "international" vines in considerable measure into blends might result in the loss of the peculiarity of certain characteristic and typical local productions. A standardization of taste could thus risk compromising the reputation of traditional production areas. The objective of this study is to estimate, through an experimental auction on the case study of Chianti, the differences in willingness to pay for wines produced with different shares of typical vines. The results show that consumers have a willingness to pay for wine produced with typical blends 34% greater than for wines with international blends. However, this difference is not confirmed by blind tasting, raising the issue of the relationship between exante expectations about vine typicality and real wine sensorial characteristics. Finally, some recent patents related to wine testing and wine packaging are reviewed.

Characterization of Melon necrotic spot virus Occurring on Watermelon in Korea

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Hae-Ryun Kwak

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV was recently identified on watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris in Korea, displaying as large necrotic spots and vein necrosis on the leaves and stems. The average occurrence of MNSV on watermelon was found to be 30–65% in Hapcheon and Andong City, respectively. Four isolates of the virus (MNSV-HW, MNSV-AW, MNSV-YW, and MNSV-SW obtained from watermelon plants in different areas were non-pathogenic on ten general indicator plants, including Chenopodium quinoa, while they infected systemically six varieties of Cucurbitaceae. The virus particles purified by 10–40% sucrose density gradient centrifugation had a typical ultraviolet spectrum, with a minimum at 245 nm and a maximum at 260 nm. The morphology of the virus was spherical with a diameter of 28–30 nm. Virus particles were observed scattered throughout the cytoplasm of watermelon cells, but no crystals were detected. An ELISA was conducted using antiserum against MNSV-HW; the optimum concentrations of IgG and conjugated IgG for the assay were 1 μl/ml and a 1:8,000–1:10,000 dilutions, respectively. Antiserum against MNSV-HW could capture specifically both MNSV-MN from melon and MNSV-HW from watermelon by IC/RT-PCR, and they were effectively detected with the same specific primer to produce product of 1,172 bp. The dsRNA of MNSV-HW had the same profile (4.5, 1.8, and 1.6 kb as that of MNSV-MN from melon. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein of MNSV-HW gave a different phylogenetic tree, having 17.2% difference in nucleotide sequence compared with MNSV isolates from melon.

Comparative genomics reveals candidate carotenoid pathway regulators of ripening watermelon fruit

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2013-01-01

Background Many fruits, including watermelon, are proficient in carotenoid accumulation during ripening. While most genes encoding steps in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway have been cloned, few transcriptional regulators of these genes have been defined to date. Here we describe the identification of a set of putative carotenoid-related transcription factors resulting from fresh watermelon carotenoid and transcriptome analysis during fruit development and ripening. Our goal is to both clarify the expression profiles of carotenoid pathway genes and to identify candidate regulators and molecular targets for crop improvement. Results Total carotenoids progressively increased during fruit ripening up to ~55 μg g-1 fw in red-ripe fruits. Trans-lycopene was the carotenoid that contributed most to this increase. Many of the genes related to carotenoid metabolism displayed changing expression levels during fruit ripening generating a metabolic flux toward carotenoid synthesis. Constitutive low expression of lycopene cyclase genes resulted in lycopene accumulation. RNA-seq expression profiling of watermelon fruit development yielded a set of transcription factors whose expression was correlated with ripening and carotenoid accumulation. Nineteen putative transcription factor genes from watermelon and homologous to tomato carotenoid-associated genes were identified. Among these, six were differentially expressed in the flesh of both species during fruit development and ripening. Conclusions Taken together the data suggest that, while the regulation of a common set of metabolic genes likely influences carotenoid synthesis and accumulation in watermelon and tomato fruits during development and ripening, specific and limiting regulators may differ between climacteric and non-climacteric fruits, possibly related to their differential susceptibility to and use of ethylene during ripening. PMID:24219562

Differential gene expression and alternative splicing between diploid and tetraploid watermelon.

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Saminathan, Thangasamy; Nimmakayala, Padma; Manohar, Sumanth; Malkaram, Sridhar; Almeida, Aldo; Cantrell, Robert; Tomason, Yan; Abburi, Lavanya; Rahman, Mohammad A; Vajja, Venkata G; Khachane, Amit; Kumar, Brajendra; Rajasimha, Harsha K; Levi, Amnon; Wehner, Todd; Reddy, Umesh K

2015-03-01

The exploitation of synthetic polyploids for producing seedless fruits is well known in watermelon. Tetraploid progenitors of triploid watermelon plants, compared with their diploid counterparts, exhibit wide phenotypic differences. Although many factors modulate alternative splicing (AS) in plants, the effects of autopolyploidization on AS are still unknown. In this study, we used tissues of leaf, stem, and fruit of diploid and tetraploid sweet watermelon to understand changes in gene expression and the occurrence of AS. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed along with reverse transcription quantitative PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR to demonstrate changes in expression and splicing. All vegetative tissues except fruit showed an increased level of AS in the tetraploid watermelon throughout the growth period. The ploidy levels of diploids and the tetraploid were confirmed using a ploidy analyser. We identified 5362 and 1288 genes that were up- and downregulated, respectively, in tetraploid as compared with diploid plants. We further confirmed that 22 genes underwent AS events across tissues, indicating possibilities of generating different protein isoforms with altered functions of important transcription factors and transporters. Arginine biosynthesis, chlorophyllide synthesis, GDP mannose biosynthesis, trehalose biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose degradation pathways were upregulated in autotetraploids. Phloem protein 2, chloroplastic PGR5-like protein, zinc-finger protein, fructokinase-like 2, MYB transcription factor, and nodulin MtN21 showed AS in fruit tissues. These results should help in developing high-quality seedless watermelon and provide additional transcriptomic information related to other cucurbits. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Shrubs and vines for northeastern wildlife

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John D. Gill; William M. Healy

1974-01-01

A non-technical handbook in which 34 authors discuss management of 97 native and 3 naturalized shrubs or woody vines most important to wildlife in the Northeast,-Kentucky to Maryland to Newfoundland to Ontario. Topics include range, habitat, life history, uses, propagation, and management; but not identification.

The Effects of Cattle Manure and Garlic Rotation on Soil under Continuous Cropping of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.).

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Yang, Ruiping; Mo, Yanling; Liu, Changming; Wang, Yongqi; Ma, Jianxiang; Zhang, Yong; Li, Hao; Zhang, Xian

2016-01-01

Continuous cropping of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) can lead to reduced yield and quality. We aimed to determine the effects of cattle manure addition and rotation with green garlic to improve yield and reduce disease incidence in watermelon and to examine the effects on the biological and chemical characteristics of the soil. Field experiments were performed during 2012-2014 on land previously under two years of continuous watermelon cropping in northwest China. We examined three treatment combinations: watermelon and garlic rotation, cattle manure application before watermelon planting, and combined cattle manure addition and crop rotation. Watermelon monoculture was retained as a control. Watermelon yield was significantly higher and disease incidence was lower in the treatments than the control. The populations of soil bacteria and actinomycetes and the bacteria/fungi ratio increased significantly and soil enzyme activities were generally enhanced under treatments. Available nutrients and soil organic matter contents were much higher under experimental treatments than the control. Results suggest both cattle manure application and garlic rotation can ameliorate the negative effects of continuous cropping. The combined treatment of cattle manure addition and green garlic rotation was optimal to increase yield, reduce disease incidence and enhance soil quality.

Effects of intermittent CO2 convection under far-infrared radiation on vacuum drying of pre-osmodehydrated watermelon.

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Chakraborty, Rajat; Mondal, Pijus

2017-08-01

Watermelon, a tropical seasonal fruit with high nutrient content, requires preservation through drying due to its perishable nature. Nevertheless, drying of watermelon through conventional processes has a negative impact either on the drying time or on the final product quality. In this work, osmotic dehydration of watermelon followed by far-infrared radiation-assisted vacuum drying (FIRRAVD) was optimized to develop dehydrated watermelon with minimum moisture content. Significantly, during FIRRAVD, an attempt was made to further intensify the drying rate by forced convection through intermittent CO 2 injection. Drying kinetics of each operation and physicochemical qualities of dried products were evaluated. FIRRAVD was a viable method of watermelon drying with appreciably high moisture diffusivity (D eff,m ) of 4.97 × 10 -10 to 1.49 × 10 -9 m 2 s -1 compared to conventional tray drying. Moreover, intermittent CO 2 convection during FIRRAVD (ICFIRRAVD) resulted in appreciable intensification of drying rate, with enhanced D eff,m (9.93 × 10 -10 to 1.99 × 10 -9 m 2 s -1 ). Significantly, ICFIRRAVD required less energy and approximately 16% less time compared to FIRRAVD. The quality of the final dehydrated watermelon was superior compared to conventional drying protocols. The novel CO 2 convective drying of watermelon in the presence of far-infrared radiation demonstrated an energy-efficient and time-saving operation rendering a dehydrated watermelon with acceptable quality parameters. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon

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Gao, Lei; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhu, Hongju; Dou, Junling

2018-01-01

Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar ‘203Z’ and its near-isogenic line (NIL) ‘SW’ (in the ‘203Z’ background) were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs), insoluble acid invertases (IAI), NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH), aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT), and citrate synthase (CS). This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening. PMID:29324867

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon.

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Lei Gao

Full Text Available Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar '203Z' and its near-isogenic line (NIL 'SW' (in the '203Z' background were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy, sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs, insoluble acid invertases (IAI, NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH, aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT, and citrate synthase (CS. This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lei; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhu, Hongju; Dou, Junling; Liu, Wenge

2018-01-01

Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar '203Z' and its near-isogenic line (NIL) 'SW' (in the '203Z' background) were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs), insoluble acid invertases (IAI), NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH), aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT), and citrate synthase (CS). This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening.

Vine water deficit impacts aging bouquet in fine red Bordeaux wine

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Picard, Magali; van Leeuwen, Cornelis; Guyon, François; Gaillard, Laetitia; de Revel, Gilles; Marchand, Stéphanie

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of vine water status on bouquet typicality, revealed after aging, and the perception of three aromatic notes (mint, truffle, and undergrowth) in bottled fine red Bordeaux wines. To address the issue of the role of vine water deficit in the overall quality of fine aged wines, a large set of wines from four Bordeaux appellations were subjected to sensory analysis. As vine water status can be characterized by carbon isotope discrimination (δ13C), this ratio was quantified for each wine studied. Statistical analyses combining δ13C and sensory data highlighted that δ13C values discriminated effectively between the most- and least-typical wines. In addition, Principal Component Analysis revealed correlations between δ13C values and truffle, undergrowth, and mint aromatic notes, three characteristics of the red Bordeaux wine aging bouquet. These correlations were confirmed to be significant using a Spearman statistical test. This study highlighted for the first time that vine water deficit positively relates to the perception of aging bouquet typicality, as well as the expression of its key aromatic nuances.

Vine Water Deficit Impacts Aging Bouquet in Fine Red Bordeaux Wine

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Magali Picard

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of vine water status on bouquet typicality, revealed after aging, and the perception of three aromatic notes (mint, truffle, and undergrowth in bottled fine red Bordeaux wines. To address the issue of the role of vine water deficit in the overall quality of fine aged wines, a large set of wines from four Bordeaux appellations were subjected to sensory analysis. As vine water status can be characterized by carbon isotope discrimination (δ13C, this ratio was quantified for each wine studied. Statistical analyses combining δ13C and sensory data highlighted that δ13C-values discriminated effectively between the most- and least-typical wines. In addition, Principal Component Analysis (PCA revealed correlations between δ13C-values and truffle, undergrowth, and mint aromatic notes, three characteristics of the red Bordeaux wine aging bouquet. These correlations were confirmed to be significant using a Spearman statistical test. This study highlighted for the first time that vine water deficit positively relates to the perception of aging bouquet typicality, as well as the expression of its key aromatic nuances.

Utilizing Genetic Resources and Precision Agriculture to Enhance Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Watermelon

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Mihail KANTOR

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Originally from Africa, watermelon is a staple crop in South Carolina and rich source of important phytochemicals that promote human health. As a result of many years of domestication and selection for desired fruit quality, modern watermelon cultivars are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stress. The present review discusses how genetic selection and breeding combined with geospatial technologies (precision agriculture may help enhance watermelon varieties for resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Gene loci identified and selected in undomesticated watermelon accessions are responsible for resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. Vegetable breeding programs use traditional breeding methodologies and genomic tools to introduce gene loci conferring biotic or abiotic resistance into the genome background of elite watermelon cultivars. This continuous approach of collecting, evaluating and identifying useful genetic material is valuable for enhancing genetic diversity and tolerance and combined with precision agriculture could increase food security in the Southeast.

Hybridization and adaptation to introduced balloon vines in an Australian soapberry bug.

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Andres, J A; Thampy, P R; Mathieson, M T; Loye, J; Zalucki, M P; Dingle, H; Carroll, S P

2013-12-01

Contemporary adaptation of plant feeding insects to introduced hosts provides clear cases of ecologically based population divergence. In most cases the mechanisms permitting rapid differentiation are not well known. Here we study morphological and genetic variation associated with recent shifts by the Australian soapberry bug Leptocoris tagalicus onto two naturalized Neotropical balloon vines, Cardiospermum halicacabum and C. grandiflorum that differ in time since introduction. Our results show that these vines have much larger fruits than the native hosts (Whitewood tree -Atalaya hemiglauca- and Woolly Rambutan -Alectryon tomentosus-) and that bugs living on them have evolved significantly longer beaks and new allometries. Genetic analyses of mitochondrial haplotypes and amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers indicate that the lineage of bugs on the annual vine C. halicacabum, the older introduction, is intermediate between the two subspecies of L. tagalicus found on native hosts. Moreover, where the annual vine and Whitewood tree co-occur, the morphology and genomic composition of the bugs are similar to those occurring in allopatry. These results show that hybridization provided the genetic elements underlying the strongly differentiated 'Halicacabum bugs'. In contrast, the bugs feeding on the recently introduced perennial balloon vine (C. grandiflorum) showed no evidence of admixture, and are genetically indistinguishable from the nearby populations on a native host. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Grafting of Romanian Melons and Watermelons for Culture from South Area of Romania

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Dorin Sora

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The vegetable grafting is useful in Romania; it is more difficult in watermelons and melons and it is continuously developing. The research was aimed the establishing of the technological stages for seedling producing of scions (Romanian melons and watermelons and rootstocks (F1 hybrids of Lagenaria siceraria and Cucurbita maxima x C. moschata for obtaining of grafted plant seedlings. The experience was realized out on a collection consisting from two Romanian scions, melon (‘Fondant’ variety and watermelon (‘Dochiţa’ variety obtained at Research and Development Station for Vegetable Growing Buzău and two rootstocks, bottle gourd - L. siceraria (‘Emphasis’ F1 and interspecific hybrid squash - C. maxima x C. moschata (‘Cobalt’ F1. The obtaining of scion and rootstock plants was made according to the ecological requirements of the species. The grafting was made by annexation (splice grafting. The plants had optimal diameters for splice grafting. Between scions (‘Fondant’ and ‘Dochiţa’ are no diference, statistical analysis could not be performed. Technological stages for producing grafted seedlings of Romanian melon and watermelon were established. The grafting was performed successfully for cucurbit symbiotes (scions and rootstocks. These technological stages for grafting by annexation of Romanian melons and watermelons are recommended for cultures in the south area of Romania.

CANDIED WATERMELON. INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS (SPECIFICATIONS

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L. V. Pavlov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the standard is the valuation of the indicators of quality of candied fruit watermelon, cooked in sugar syrup, dried and coated in granulated sugar intended for industrial processing and nutrition. This standard is developed for the first time in the Russian Federation.

Fungicide rotation schemes for managing Phytophthora fruit rot of watermelon across southeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Southeastern states produce about 50% of the watermelons in the United States (U.S.) where conditions are optimal for development of Phytophthora fruit rot prevail. Phytophthora fruit rot significantly limits watermelon production by causing serious yield losses to growers before and after harvest. ...

Development of Phytophthora fruit rot caused by Phytophthora capsici on resistant and susceptible watermelon fruit of different ages

Science.gov (United States)

Watermelon is an important crop grown in 44 states in the United States. Phytophthora fruit rot caused by Phytophthora capsici is a serious disease in the southeastern U.S., where over 50% of the watermelons are produced. The disease has resulted in severe losses to watermelon growers, especially in...

Characteristics and composition of watermelon, pumpkin, and paprika seed oils and flours.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Adawy, T A; Taha, K M

2001-03-01

The nutritional quality and functional properties of paprika seed flour and seed kernel flours of pumpkin and watermelon were studied, as were the characteristics and structure of their seed oils. Paprika seed and seed kernels of pumpkin and watermelon were rich in oil and protein. All flour samples contained considerable amounts of P, K, Mg, Mn, and Ca. Paprika seed flour was superior to watermelon and pumpkin seed kernel flours in content of lysine and total essential amino acids. Oil samples had high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids with linoleic and oleic acids as the major acids. All oil samples fractionated into seven classes including triglycerides as a major lipid class. Data obtained for the oils' characteristics compare well with those of other edible oils. Antinutritional compounds such as stachyose, raffinose, verbascose, trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, and tannins were detected in all flours. Pumpkin seed kernel flour had higher values of chemical score, essential amino acid index, and in vitro protein digestibility than the other flours examined. The first limiting amino acid was lysine for both watermelon and pumpkin seed kernel flours, but it was leucine in paprika seed flour. Protein solubility index, water and fat absorption capacities, emulsification properties, and foam stability were excellent in watermelon and pumpkin seed kernel flours and fairly good in paprika seed flour. Flour samples could be potentially added to food systems such as bakery products and ground meat formulations not only as a nutrient supplement but also as a functional agent in these formulations.

Microsatellite markers linked to the locus of the watermelon fruit stripe pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Gama, R N C S; Santos, C A F; Dias, R C S; Alves, J C S F; Nogueira, T O

2015-01-16

Agronomic performance and external and internal appearance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit are important traits that should be taken into consideration during the development of a new cultivar, as well as being the principal identification elements used by the consumer, which are based on the external appearance and quality of the fruit. Externally, the fruit can be characterized in terms of the shape, the color of the lower rind, and the presence of grooves and stripes, the stripes can be classified as clearly defined or diffuse. The objective of this study was to identify microsatellite markers linked to the stripe pattern of watermelon fruit to support watermelon improvement programs, with the selection of this characteristic in the plantlet stage. F1 and F2 populations, result of a cross between the cultivars BRS Opara (clearly defined stripes) and Pérola (diffuse stripes), were phenotyped for their fruit stripe pattern. The CTAB 2X protocol was used for DNA extraction and 116 microsatellite markers were examined in a group of F2 plants that had fruit with well-defined stripes and fruit with diffuse stripes. The microsatellite loci MCPI_05 and MCPI_16 exhibited a linkage to the stripe pattern at a distance of 1.5 and 1.8 cM, respectively, with LOD scores of 39.28 and 38.11, respectively, which were located on chromosome six of the watermelon genome. These markers can be used in marker-assisted selection in watermelon improvement programs, by various research institutions.

Vines and canopy contact: a route for snake predation on parrot nests.

Science.gov (United States)

SUSAN E. KOENIG; JOSEPH M. WUNDERLE; ERNESTO C. ENKERLINHOEFLICH

2007-01-01

Ornithologists have hypothesized that some tropical forest birds avoid snake predation by nesting in isolated trees that do not have vines and canopy contact with neighbouring trees. Here we review two complementary studies that support this hypothesis by demonstrating (1) that an abundance of vines and an interlocking canopy characterized Jamaican Black-billed Parrot...

Measurement of soluble solids content in watermelon by Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Hai-qing; Ying, Yi-bin; Lu, Hui-shan; Fu, Xia-ping; Yu, Hai-yan

2007-02-01

Watermelon is a popular fruit in the world with soluble solids content (SSC) being one of the major characteristics used for assessing its quality. This study was aimed at obtaining a method for nondestructive SSC detection of watermelons by means of visible/near infrared (Vis/NIR) diffuse transmittance technique. Vis/NIR transmittance spectra of intact watermelons were acquired using a low-cost commercially available spectrometer operating over the range 350~1000 nm. Spectra data were analyzed by two multivariate calibration techniques: partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) methods. Two experiments were designed for two varieties of watermelons [Qilin (QL), Zaochunhongyu (ZC)], which have different skin thickness range and shape dimensions. The influences of different data preprocessing and spectra treatments were also investigated. Performance of different models was assessed in terms of root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient (r) between the predicted and measured parameter values. Results showed that spectra data preprocessing influenced the performance of the calibration models. The first derivative spectra showed the best results with high correlation coefficient of determination [r=0.918 (QL); r=0.954 (ZC)], low RMSEP [0.65 degrees Brix (QL); 0.58 degrees Brix (ZC)], low RMSEC [0.48 degrees Brix (QL); 0.34 degrees Brix (ZC)] and small difference between the RMSEP and the RMSEC by PLS method. The nondestructive Vis/NIR measurements provided good estimates of SSC index of watermelon, and the predicted values were highly correlated with destructively measured values for SSC. The models based on smoothing spectra (Savitzky-Golay filter smoothing method) did not enhance the performance of calibration models obviously. The results indicated the feasibility of Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance spectral analysis for predicting watermelon SSC in a

Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of conserved and novel microRNAs in grafted watermelon by high-throughput sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Na; Yang, Jinghua; Guo, Shaogui; Xu, Yong; Zhang, Mingfang

2013-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional gene regulation and play a critical role in plant growth, development and stresses response. However less is known about miRNAs involvement in grafting behaviors, especially with the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) crop, which is one of the most important agricultural crops worldwide. Grafting method is commonly used in watermelon production in attempts to improve its adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses, in particular to the soil-borne fusarium wilt disease. In this study, Solexa sequencing has been used to discover small RNA populations and compare miRNAs on genome-wide scale in watermelon grafting system. A total of 11,458,476, 11,614,094 and 9,339,089 raw reads representing 2,957,751, 2,880,328 and 2,964,990 unique sequences were obtained from the scions of self-grafted watermelon and watermelon grafted on-to bottle gourd and squash at two true-leaf stage, respectively. 39 known miRNAs belonging to 30 miRNA families and 80 novel miRNAs were identified in our small RNA dataset. Compared with self-grafted watermelon, 20 (5 known miRNA families and 15 novel miRNAs) and 47 (17 known miRNA families and 30 novel miRNAs) miRNAs were expressed significantly different in watermelon grafted on to bottle gourd and squash, respectively. MiRNAs expressed differentially when watermelon was grafted onto different rootstocks, suggesting that miRNAs might play an important role in diverse biological and metabolic processes in watermelon and grafting may possibly by changing miRNAs expressions to regulate plant growth and development as well as adaptation to stresses. The small RNA transcriptomes obtained in this study provided insights into molecular aspects of miRNA-mediated regulation in grafted watermelon. Obviously, this result would provide a basis for further unravelling the mechanism on how miRNAs information is exchanged between scion and rootstock in grafted

Determination of acoustic vibration in watermelon by finite element modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Nourain, Jamal; Ying, Yibin B.; Wang, Jianping; Rao, Xiuqin

2004-11-01

The analysis of the vibration responses of a fruit is suggested to measure firmness non-destructively. A wooden ball excited the fruits and the response signals were captured using an accelerometer sensor. The method has been well studied and understood on ellipsoidal shaped fruit (watermelon). In this work, using the finite element simulations, the applicability of the method on watermelon was investigated. The firmness index is dependent on the mass, density, and natural frequency of the lowest spherical modes (under free boundary conditions). This developed index extends the firmness estimation for fruits or vegetables from a spherical to an ellipsoidal shape. The mode of Finite element analysis (FEA) of watermelon was generated based on measured geometry, and it can be served as a theoretical reference for predicting the modal characteristics as a function of design parameters such as material, geometrical, and physical properties. It was found that there were four types of mode shapes. The 1st one was first-type longitudinal mode, the 2nd one was the second-type longitudinal mode, the 3rd one was breathing mode or pure compression mode, and the fourth was flexural or torsional mode shape. As suggested in many references, the First-type spherical vibration mode or oblate-Prolate for watermelon is the lowest bending modes, it's most likely related to fruit firmness. Comparisons of finite element and experimental modal parameters show that both results were agreed in mode shape as well as natural frequencies. In order to measure the vibration signal of the mode, excitation and sensors should be placed on the watermelon surface far away from the nodal lines. The excitation and the response sensors should be in accordance with vibration directions. The correlations between the natural frequency and firmness was 0.856, natural frequency and Young's modulus was 0.800, and the natural frequency and stiffness factor (SF) was 0.862. The stiffness factor (SF) is adequate

The Effects of Cattle Manure and Garlic Rotation on Soil under Continuous Cropping of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Changming; Wang, Yongqi; Ma, Jianxiang; Zhang, Yong; Li, Hao; Zhang, Xian

2016-01-01

Continuous cropping of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) can lead to reduced yield and quality. We aimed to determine the effects of cattle manure addition and rotation with green garlic to improve yield and reduce disease incidence in watermelon and to examine the effects on the biological and chemical characteristics of the soil. Field experiments were performed during 2012–2014 on land previously under two years of continuous watermelon cropping in northwest China. We examined three treatment combinations: watermelon and garlic rotation, cattle manure application before watermelon planting, and combined cattle manure addition and crop rotation. Watermelon monoculture was retained as a control. Watermelon yield was significantly higher and disease incidence was lower in the treatments than the control. The populations of soil bacteria and actinomycetes and the bacteria/fungi ratio increased significantly and soil enzyme activities were generally enhanced under treatments. Available nutrients and soil organic matter contents were much higher under experimental treatments than the control. Results suggest both cattle manure application and garlic rotation can ameliorate the negative effects of continuous cropping. The combined treatment of cattle manure addition and green garlic rotation was optimal to increase yield, reduce disease incidence and enhance soil quality. PMID:27258145

VITICULTURAL POTENTIAL AND VINE TOURISM IN ROMANIA

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Adrian NEDELCU

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Romania, a member of the International Organization of Vine and Wine in 1927, has a wine heritage of European notoriety and worldwide, privileged positions it occupies in economic statistics every year, confirm this fact. Vine are grown, especially in areas traditionally enshrined, located mainly in the hilly area, on the sands, and in other fields with favourable conditions, and disposed as an architectural viticulture landscape grouped in 8 wine regions of the assigned three growing areas of the European Union.Wine tourism is on an incipient phase in Romania, compared to other countries of Europe with significant wine heritage, but it has real chances of development, sustained especially, by the potential value of wine recently indicated, once again, by the studies undertaken in order to implement reform wine sector of the European Union.

A functional-structural kiwifruit vine model integrating architecture, carbon dynamics and effects of the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N; Hanan, Jim

2011-04-01

Functional-structural modelling can be used to increase our understanding of how different aspects of plant structure and function interact, identify knowledge gaps and guide priorities for future experimentation. By integrating existing knowledge of the different aspects of the kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) vine's architecture and physiology, our aim is to develop conceptual and mathematical hypotheses on several of the vine's features: (a) plasticity of the vine's architecture; (b) effects of organ position within the canopy on its size; (c) effects of environment and horticultural management on shoot growth, light distribution and organ size; and (d) role of carbon reserves in early shoot growth. Using the L-system modelling platform, a functional-structural plant model of a kiwifruit vine was created that integrates architectural development, mechanistic modelling of carbon transport and allocation, and environmental and management effects on vine and fruit growth. The branching pattern was captured at the individual shoot level by modelling axillary shoot development using a discrete-time Markov chain. An existing carbon transport resistance model was extended to account for several source/sink components of individual plant elements. A quasi-Monte Carlo path-tracing algorithm was used to estimate the absorbed irradiance of each leaf. Several simulations were performed to illustrate the model's potential to reproduce the major features of the vine's behaviour. The model simulated vine growth responses that were qualitatively similar to those observed in experiments, including the plastic response of shoot growth to local carbon supply, the branching patterns of two Actinidia species, the effect of carbon limitation and topological distance on fruit size and the complex behaviour of sink competition for carbon. The model is able to reproduce differences in vine and fruit growth arising from various experimental treatments. This implies it will be a valuable

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of watermelon ( Citrullus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Transformation of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Zaojia) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 containing the plasmid pRD400 carrying Pti4 gene was studied in this work. Proximal cotyledons as explants were pre-cultivated for two day in the dark and it was found that the best condition for transformation of ...

The FonSIX6 gene acts as an avirulence effector in the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum - watermelon pathosystem

Science.gov (United States)

There are three generally accepted Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) physiological races (0, 1, and 2) that infect watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Among them, race 1 is the most prevalent on watermelon throughout the world, while race 2 is highly aggressive to all commercial watermelon cultivar...

Lycopene and flesh colour differences in grafted and non-grafted watermelon

OpenAIRE

Fekete D.; Stéger-Máté M.; Bőhm V.; Balázs G.; Kappel N.

2015-01-01

The experiment was carried out in three regions in Hungary (Jászszentandrás, Cece, Újkígyós) in 2013 to determine the fruit quality of grafted watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.). The “RX 467” seedless watermelon variety was grafted on two commercial rootstocks “FR STRONG” [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] and “RS 841” (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne × Cucurbita moschata Duchesne). The lycopene and flesh colours are important quality characteristics even of the selfrooted and grafted watermel...

Antibacterial activity of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seed against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Engr Akande

2015-04-08

Apr 8, 2015 ... Also, saponins which have been implicated in antimicrobial activity were found to be ... Key words: Watermelon seed, antibacterial, Soxhlet extraction, cold ..... International Centre for Science and High Technology, Trieste, pp.

Risk Measurement and Risk Modelling Using Applications of Vine Copulas

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David E. Allen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper features an application of Regular Vine copulas which are a novel and recently developed statistical and mathematical tool which can be applied in the assessment of composite financial risk. Copula-based dependence modelling is a popular tool in financial applications, but is usually applied to pairs of securities. By contrast, Vine copulas provide greater flexibility and permit the modelling of complex dependency patterns using the rich variety of bivariate copulas which may be arranged and analysed in a tree structure to explore multiple dependencies. The paper features the use of Regular Vine copulas in an analysis of the co-dependencies of 10 major European Stock Markets, as represented by individual market indices and the composite STOXX 50 index. The sample runs from 2005 to the end of 2013 to permit an exploration of how correlations change indifferent economic circumstances using three different sample periods: pre-GFC (January 2005–July 2007, GFC (July 2007– September 2009, and post-GFC periods (September 2009–December 2013. The empirical results suggest that the dependencies change in a complex manner, and are subject to change in different economic circumstances. One of the attractions of this approach to risk modelling is the flexibility in the choice of distributions used to model co-dependencies. The practical application of Regular Vine metrics is demonstrated via an example of the calculation of the VaR of a portfolio made up of the indices.

Transcriptome profiling of differentially expressed genes in floral buds and flowers of male sterile and fertile lines in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Sun-Ju; Seo, Minseok; Jang, Yoon-Jeong; Cho, Seoae; Lee, Gung Pyo

2015-11-09

Male sterility is an important mechanism for the production of hybrid seeds in watermelon. Although fruit development has been studied extensively in watermelon, there are no reports on gene expression in floral organs. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in two near-isogenic watermelon lines (genic male sterile [GMS] line, DAH3615-MS and male fertile line, DAH3615) to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to male sterility. DEG analysis showed that 1259 genes were significantly associated with male sterility at a FDR P-value of watermelon. This analysis revealed essential genes responsible for stamen development, including pollen development and pollen tube elongation, and allowed their functional classification. These results provided new information on global mechanisms related to male sterility in watermelon.

Lycopene and flesh colour differences in grafted and non-grafted watermelon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fekete D.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The experiment was carried out in three regions in Hungary (Jászszentandrás, Cece, Újkígyós in 2013 to determine the fruit quality of grafted watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.. The “RX 467” seedless watermelon variety was grafted on two commercial rootstocks “FR STRONG” [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol. Standl.] and “RS 841” (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne × Cucurbita moschata Duchesne. The lycopene and flesh colours are important quality characteristics even of the selfrooted and grafted watermelon. Some differences can be attributed to different environments, technological methods and to the type of rootstockscion combination. Lycopene is a strong antioxidant; therefore, we considered to examine the content change. Regardless of growing location, the lycopene concentration and the chroma (C* showed the best result in the case of interspecific rootstock. The result also showed that in two regions (Jászszentandrás, Cece we can find negative correlation between the lycopene concentration and the L* value of the flesh colour.

Intake, digestibility and toxic effects of vine husks and pips fed to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Veekunde

Abstract. The potential of red vine husks and pips as a component of animal feed was investigated. Twenty-five. Dohne Merino ram lambs (mean live weight ± s.d. = 41.4 ± 2.3 kg) were used. A completely randomised design was used and the animals were assigned to five diets including 0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50% vine ...

Recombinant yeast as a functional tool for understanding bitterness and cucurbitacin biosynthesis in watermelon (Citrullus spp.).

Science.gov (United States)

Davidovich-Rikanati, Rachel; Shalev, Lior; Baranes, Nadine; Meir, Ayala; Itkin, Maxim; Cohen, Shahar; Zimbler, Kobi; Portnoy, Vitaly; Ebizuka, Yutaka; Shibuya, Masaaki; Burger, Yosef; Katzir, Nurit; Schaffer, Arthur A; Lewinsohn, Efraim; Tadmor, Ya'akov

2015-01-01

Cucurbitacins are a group of bitter-tasting oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenes that are produced in the family Cucurbitaceae and other plant families. The natural roles of cucurbitacins in plants are probably related to defence against pathogens and pests. Cucurbitadienol, a triterpene synthesized from oxidosqualene, is the first committed precursor to cucurbitacins produced by a specialized oxidosqualene cyclase termed cucurbitadienol synthase. We explored cucurbitacin accumulation in watermelon in relation to bitterness. Our findings show that cucurbitacins are accumulated in bitter-tasting watermelon, Citrullus lanatus var. citroides, as well as in their wild ancestor, C. colocynthis, but not in non-bitter commercial cultivars of sweet watermelon (C. lanatus var. lanatus). Molecular analysis of genes expressed in the roots of several watermelon accessions led to the isolation of three sequences (CcCDS1, CcCDS2 and ClCDS1), all displaying high similarity to the pumpkin CpCPQ, encoding a protein previously shown to possess cucurbitadienol synthase activity. We utilized the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY4743, heterozygous for lanosterol synthase, to probe for possible encoded cucurbitadienol synthase activity of the expressed watermelon sequences. Functional expression of the two sequences isolated from C. colocynthis (CcCDS1 and CcCDS2) in yeast revealed that only CcCDS2 possessed cucurbitadienol synthase activity, while CcCDS1 did not display cucurbitadienol synthase activity in recombinant yeast. ClCDS1 isolated from C. lanatus var. lanatus is almost identical to CcCDS1. Our results imply that CcCDS2 plays a role in imparting bitterness to watermelon. Yeast has been an excellent diagnostic tool to determine the first committed step of cucurbitacin biosynthesis in watermelon. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of cane girdling on yield, fruit quality and maturation of (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Flame Seedless

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Soltekin Oguzhan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the effects of cane girdling on coloration, maturation, yield and some quality characteristics of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Flame Seedless table grape variety. Cane girdling practices were treated at pea-size stage (G2 and veraison period (G1 over two growing seasons, 2013–2014, at the facility of Manisa Viticultural Research Institute in Turkey. Cane girdling was performed on the canes after first shoot was left from the bottom and 4 mm-wide ring of bark was completely removed with a doubleded knife. On the other hand control vines were left untouched. Statistical analyses showed that TSS, berry length, colour parameters, CIRG index and anthocyanin content of Flame Seedless was significantly affected by the cane girdling treatments in both years, 2013 and 2014. In addition it was detected that any effect of girdling treatments cannot be determined statistically significant on total yield, marketable yield, titrable acidity and 50 berry weight. Total and marketable yields of girdled vines had higher value than control vines although they were not statistically significant. Furthermore it was observed 9 and 12 days earliness with G2 treatments compare to the control vines in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

[Study on predicting firmness of watermelon by Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique].

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Hai-Qing; Ying, Yi-Bin; Lu, Hui-Shan; Xu, Hui-Rong; Xie, Li-Juan; Fu, Xia-Ping; Yu, Hai-Yan

2007-06-01

Watermelon is a popular fruit in the world and firmness (FM) is one of the major characteristics used for assessing watermelon quality. The objective of the present research was to study the potential of visible/near Infrared (Vis/NIR) diffuse transmittance spectroscopy as a way for the nondestructive measurement of FM of watermelon. Statistical models between the spectra and FM were developed using partial least square (PLS) and principle component regression (PCR) methods. Performance of different models was assessed in terms of correlation coefficients (r) of validation set of samples and root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP). Models for three kinds of mathematical treatments of spectra (original, first derivative and second derivative) were established. Savitsky-Goaly filter smoothing method was used for spectra data smoothing. The PLS model of the second derivative spectra gave the best prediction of FM, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0. 974 and root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of 0. 589 N using Savitsky-Goaly filter smoothing method. The results of this study indicate that NIR diffuse transmittance spectroscopy can be used to predict the FM of watermelon. The Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique will be valuable for the nandestructive detection large shape and thick peel fruits'.

Transcriptome analysis of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruits in response to Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaodong; An, Mengnan; Xia, Zihao; Bai, Xiaojiao; Wu, Yuanhua

2017-12-01

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) belongs to the Tobamovirus genus and is a major global plant virus on cucurbit plants. It causes severe disease symptoms on infected watermelon plants (Citrullus lanatus), particularly inducing fruit decay. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of CGMMV-induced watermelon fruit decay. For this study, comparative analysis of transcriptome profiles of CGMMV-inoculated and mock-inoculated watermelon fruits were conducted via RNA-Seq. A total of 1,621 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in CGMMV-inoculated watermelon, among which 1,052 were up-regulated and 569 were down-regulated. Functional annotation analysis showed that several DEGs were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, hormone biosynthesis and signaling transduction, secondary metabolites biosynthesis, and plant-pathogen interactions. We furthermore found that some DEGs were related to cell wall components and photosynthesis, which may directly be involve in the development of the symptoms associated with diseased watermelons. To confirm the RNA-Seq data, 15 DEGs were selected for gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR. The results showed a strong correlation between these two sets of data. Our study identified many candidate genes for further functional studies during CGMMV-watermelon interactions, and will furthermore help to clarify the understanding of pathogenic mechanism underlying CGMMV infection in cucurbit plants.

Pemanfaatan Limbah Pulp Buah Semangka (Citrullus vulgaris, Schard) Untuk Pembuatan Nata De Watermelon Pulp Dengan Menggunakan Bakteri Acetobacter xylinum

OpenAIRE

Mawaddah

2011-01-01

This research done to know can or not the waste of watermelon pulp use to produce nata and how the effect of mass variation using to nata’s quality. This research was done with mass variation of watermelon pulp that is 10 g, 20 g, 30 g, 40 g, 50 g, 60 g, and watermelon pulp without adding sugar as control. Statistical analysis count the thickness, water content, ash content, fiber content and organoleptic test of texture, color, aroma, and taste of nata de watermelon pulp. The result show...

Genome-wide identification and comparative expression analysis of LEA genes in watermelon and melon genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Celik Altunoglu, Yasemin; Baloglu, Mehmet Cengiz; Baloglu, Pinar; Yer, Esra Nurten; Kara, Sibel

2017-01-01

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are large and diverse group of polypeptides which were first identified during seed dehydration and then in vegetative plant tissues during different stress responses. Now, gene family members of LEA proteins have been detected in various organisms. However, there is no report for this protein family in watermelon and melon until this study. A total of 73 LEA genes from watermelon ( ClLEA ) and 61 LEA genes from melon ( CmLEA ) were identified in this comprehensive study. They were classified into four and three distinct clusters in watermelon and melon, respectively. There was a correlation between gene structure and motif composition among each LEA groups. Segmental duplication played an important role for LEA gene expansion in watermelon. Maximum gene ontology of LEA genes was observed with poplar LEA genes. For evaluation of tissue specific expression patterns of ClLEA and CmLEA genes, publicly available RNA-seq data were analyzed. The expression analysis of selected LEA genes in root and leaf tissues of drought-stressed watermelon and melon were examined using qRT-PCR. Among them, ClLEA - 12 - 17 - 46 genes were quickly induced after drought application. Therefore, they might be considered as early response genes for water limitation conditions in watermelon. In addition, CmLEA - 42 - 43 genes were found to be up-regulated in both tissues of melon under drought stress. Our results can open up new frontiers about understanding of functions of these important family members under normal developmental stages and stress conditions by bioinformatics and transcriptomic approaches.

Watermelon-stomach og sklerodermi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diederichsen, Axel Cosmus Pyndt; Rasmussen, Jens Møller

2002-01-01

We report here a 72-year-old man with severe, persistent, iron deficiency anaemia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed red stripes radiating to the pylorus, characteristic of watermelon stomach (gastric antral vascular ectasia). The patient was found to have scleroderma with calcinosis......, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasias, but neither Raynaud's phenomenon nor oesophageal dysmotility. The patient was treated with endoscopic Argon laser therapy, repeated six times, but this did not control the bleeding. Altogether the patient received 62 units of blood transfusions. The patient died after 9...

Transcriptome analysis of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruits in response to Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infection

OpenAIRE

Li, Xiaodong; An, Mengnan; Xia, Zihao; Bai, Xiaojiao; Wu, Yuanhua

2017-01-01

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) belongs to the Tobamovirus genus and is a major global plant virus on cucurbit plants. It causes severe disease symptoms on infected watermelon plants (Citrullus lanatus), particularly inducing fruit decay. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of CGMMV-induced watermelon fruit decay. For this study, comparative analysis of transcriptome profiles of CGMMV-inoculated and mock-inoculated watermelon fruits were conducted via RNA-Seq. A ...

Growth and Yield Response of Watermelon to in-row Plant Spacings and Mycorrhiza Respuesta del Crecimiento Vegetativo y Producción de Sandía a Diferentes Distancias entre Plantas y a Micorrizas

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Dean Ban

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Worldwide, a significant increase in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. & Nakai growing areas has been registered in the last few years. In-row plant spacing has a significant effect on the growth and yield of watermelon, and can enhance competition for water and nutrients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of in-row plant spacing (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 m and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM fungi Glomus mosseae inoculations on watermelon growth and yield under field conditions during 2003, 2004, and 2005 year. In 2003, the main vine length, number of leaves, and number of lateral branches were increased quadratically as the in-row plant spacing increased from 1.0 to 2.5. With an increase in the in-row plant spacing the early yield of watermelon decreased in 2004, while the fruit number decreased in 2003 and 2004. The total yield and fruit number decreased with an increase in the in-row plant spacing in all 3 yr; however, the fruit mass increased at wider plant spacings in 2003. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased the main vine length and the number of lateral branches in 2003. Compared to non-mycorrhizal plants, mycorrhizal plants presented higher early yield in 2005 and a higher early fruit number in 2003 and 2005. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased total yield in 2005; however, the fruit weight was not affected by mycorrhizal inoculation during early or total harvest. In this study, an in-row plant spacing of 1.0 m provided the best early and total yield while maintaining high fruit weight. The growth and yield enhancement of watermelon due to mycorrhizal colonization was not consistent; therefore, mycorrhizal inoculation could not be recommended as a standard production practice.En los últimos años se ha registrado un significativo aumento en las áreas cultivadas con sandía (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. & Nakai a nivel mundial. La distancia entre plantas en la hilera tiene un efecto significativo en su

Hepato- and neuro-protective effects of watermelon juice on acute ethanol-induced oxidative stress in rats

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Omolola R. Oyenihi

Full Text Available Chronic and acute alcohol exposure has been extensively reported to cause oxidative stress in hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus is known to possess various beneficial properties including; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcerogenic effects. However, there is a lack of pertinent information on its importance in acute alcohol-induced hepato- and neuro-toxicity. The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of watermelon juice on ethanol-induced oxidative stress in the liver and brain of male Wistar rats. Rats were pre-treated with the watermelon juice at a dose of 4 ml/kg body weight for a period of fifteen days prior to a single dose of ethanol (50%; 12 ml/kg body weight. Ethanol treatment reduced body weight gain and significantly altered antioxidant status in the liver and brain. This is evidenced by the significant elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA concentration; depletion in reduced glutathione (GSH levels and an increased catalase (CAT activity in the brain and liver. There was no significant difference in the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX in the liver and brain.Oral administration of watermelon juice for fifteen (15 days prior to ethanol intoxication, significantly reduced the concentration of MDA in the liver and brain of rats. In addition, water melon pre-treatment increased the concentration of GSH and normalized catalase activity in both tissues in comparison to the ethanol control group. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of phenol, alkaloids, saponins, tannins and steroids in watermelon juice. Our findings indicate that watermelon juice demonstrate anti-oxidative effects in ethanol-induced oxidation in the liver and brain of rats; which could be associated with the plethora of antioxidant phyto-constituents present there-in. Keywords: Watermelon, Neuro-protective, Hepatoprotective, Ethanol intoxication

Identification of suitable reference genes for gene expression normalization in qRT-PCR analysis in watermelon.

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Qiusheng Kong

Full Text Available Watermelon is one of the major Cucurbitaceae crops and the recent availability of genome sequence greatly facilitates the fundamental researches on it. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR is the preferred method for gene expression analyses, and using validated reference genes for normalization is crucial to ensure the accuracy of this method. However, a systematic validation of reference genes has not been conducted on watermelon. In this study, transcripts of 15 candidate reference genes were quantified in watermelon using qRT-PCR, and the stability of these genes was compared using geNorm and NormFinder. geNorm identified ClTUA and ClACT, ClEF1α and ClACT, and ClCAC and ClTUA as the best pairs of reference genes in watermelon organs and tissues under normal growth conditions, abiotic stress, and biotic stress, respectively. NormFinder identified ClYLS8, ClUBCP, and ClCAC as the best single reference genes under the above experimental conditions, respectively. ClYLS8 and ClPP2A were identified as the best reference genes across all samples. Two to nine reference genes were required for more reliable normalization depending on the experimental conditions. The widely used watermelon reference gene 18SrRNA was less stable than the other reference genes under the experimental conditions. Catalase family genes were identified in watermelon genome, and used to validate the reliability of the identified reference genes. ClCAT1and ClCAT2 were induced and upregulated in the first 24 h, whereas ClCAT3 was downregulated in the leaves under low temperature stress. However, the expression levels of these genes were significantly overestimated and misinterpreted when 18SrRNA was used as a reference gene. These results provide a good starting point for reference gene selection in qRT-PCR analyses involving watermelon.

The draft genome of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and resequencing of 20 diverse accessions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Shaogui; Zhang, Jianguo; Sun, Honghe

2013-01-01

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, is an important cucurbit crop grown throughout the world. Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of the east Asia watermelon cultivar 97103 (2n = 2× = 22) containing 23,440 predicted protein-coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis provided an evolut...

Abscisic acid pathway involved in the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening and quality trait evolution.

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Yanping Wang

Full Text Available Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb. Matsum. & Nakai is a non-climacteric fruit. The modern sweet-dessert watermelon is the result of years of cultivation and selection for fruits with desirable qualities. To date, the mechanisms of watermelon fruit ripening, and the role of abscisic acid (ABA in this process, has not been well understood. We quantified levels of free and conjugated ABA contents in the fruits of cultivated watermelon (97103; C. lanatus subsp. vulgaris, semi-wild germplasm (PI179878; C. lanatus subsp. mucosospermus, and wild germplasm (PI296341-FR; C. lanatus subsp. lanatus. Results showed that ABA content in the fruits of 97103 and PI179878 increased during fruit development and ripening, but maintained a low steady state in the center flesh of PI296341-FR fruits. ABA levels in fruits were highest in 97103 and lowest in PI296341-FR, but no obvious differences in ABA levels were observed in seeds of these lines. Examination of 31 representative watermelon accessions, including different C. lanatus subspecies and ancestral species, showed a correlation between soluble solids content (SSC and ABA levels in ripening fruits. Furthermore, injection of exogenous ABA or nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA into 97103 fruits promoted or inhibited ripening, respectively. Transcriptomic analyses showed that the expression levels of several genes involved in ABA metabolism and signaling, including Cla009779 (NCED, Cla005404 (NCED, Cla020673 (CYP707A, Cla006655 (UGT and Cla020180 (SnRK2, varied significantly in cultivated and wild watermelon center flesh. Three SNPs (-738, C/A; -1681, C/T; -1832, G/T in the promoter region of Cla020673 (CYP707A and one single SNP (-701, G/A in the promoter of Cla020180 (SnRK2 exhibited a high level of correlation with SSC variation in the 100 tested accessions. Our results not only demonstrate for the first time that ABA is involved in the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening, but also provide insights into

Abscisic acid pathway involved in the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening and quality trait evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanping; Guo, Shaogui; Tian, Shouwei; Zhang, Jie; Ren, Yi; Sun, Honghe; Gong, Guoyi; Zhang, Haiying; Xu, Yong

2017-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) is a non-climacteric fruit. The modern sweet-dessert watermelon is the result of years of cultivation and selection for fruits with desirable qualities. To date, the mechanisms of watermelon fruit ripening, and the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in this process, has not been well understood. We quantified levels of free and conjugated ABA contents in the fruits of cultivated watermelon (97103; C. lanatus subsp. vulgaris), semi-wild germplasm (PI179878; C. lanatus subsp. mucosospermus), and wild germplasm (PI296341-FR; C. lanatus subsp. lanatus). Results showed that ABA content in the fruits of 97103 and PI179878 increased during fruit development and ripening, but maintained a low steady state in the center flesh of PI296341-FR fruits. ABA levels in fruits were highest in 97103 and lowest in PI296341-FR, but no obvious differences in ABA levels were observed in seeds of these lines. Examination of 31 representative watermelon accessions, including different C. lanatus subspecies and ancestral species, showed a correlation between soluble solids content (SSC) and ABA levels in ripening fruits. Furthermore, injection of exogenous ABA or nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) into 97103 fruits promoted or inhibited ripening, respectively. Transcriptomic analyses showed that the expression levels of several genes involved in ABA metabolism and signaling, including Cla009779 (NCED), Cla005404 (NCED), Cla020673 (CYP707A), Cla006655 (UGT) and Cla020180 (SnRK2), varied significantly in cultivated and wild watermelon center flesh. Three SNPs (-738, C/A; -1681, C/T; -1832, G/T) in the promoter region of Cla020673 (CYP707A) and one single SNP (-701, G/A) in the promoter of Cla020180 (SnRK2) exhibited a high level of correlation with SSC variation in the 100 tested accessions. Our results not only demonstrate for the first time that ABA is involved in the regulation of watermelon fruit ripening, but also provide insights into the

Investigation on Morphological and Physiological diversityof Iranian Watermelon (CitrulluslanatusThunb. Accessions

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ahmad hajiali

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Watermelon (CitrulluslanatusThunbbelongs to Cucurbita genus and Cucurbitaceaefamily. Some people know Watermelon native to India and othersthought of it as native to African countries. The greatest diversity can be seen in West Africa, China and parts of India. Near East and Mediterranean countries are also good places to find relatives and ancestors of watermelon. Like all Cucurbita genuscrops,, Watermelon has a variety of flowers including base, male and female separately located on one slip. In terms of production atglobal level, China is located in the first place followed by America, Iran and the Republic of Korea, respectively. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate genetic diversity among Iranian watermelon landraces by morphological traits, 16 landraces alongwith two commercial watermelon cultivars were planted in completely randomized block design with three replications inAgricultural Research Center of Urmia in 2013. Morphological markers can be an effective means to determine genetic relationsamong cultivars and among selections used in watermelon breeding programs. 18 traits including cotyledon length, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit mass, fruit skin, rind thickness, flesh thickness, yield, seed length, seed width, weight of 100 seeds, vitamin C, pH, TSS, EC, chlorophyll content and plant length were assessed in the studied genotypes. During the fruit ripening,four fruits were selected randomly from each plot and according to the International Institute germplasms (IBPGR / IBGRI,solidscontent (TSSwas measured by using refractometer, pH by using pH meter, and fruit and seed weight by using digital scale. The amount of vitamin C (milligram per 100 grams was measured using iodometry. Results and Discussion: Results of variance analysis showed that there were significant differencesamong watermelon cultivars in terms of cotyledon length, fruit length, fruit weight, flesh weight, yield, seed length, seed width, seed

Relations between Polyphenols Content and Antioxidative Activity in Vine Grapes and Leaves

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Balík, J.; Kyseláková, M.; Vrchotová, Naděžda; Tříska, Jan; Kumšta, M.; Veverka, J.; Híc, P.; Totušek, J.; Lefnerová, D.

2008-01-01

Roč. 26, special (2008), s. 25-35 ISSN 1212-1800. [Quality of Moravian and Czech Wines and their Future. Lednice, 11.09.2008-12.09.2008] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA525/06/1757 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : vine grapes * vine leaves * stems * piceid * resveratrol * caftaric acid * catechin Subject RIV: GM - Food Processing Impact factor: 0.472, year: 2008

Characterization and semiquantitative analysis of volatiles in seedless watermelon varieties using solid-phase microextraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, John C; Lea, Jeanne M

2006-10-04

Seedless triploid watermelons have increased in popularity since the early 1990s, and the demand for seedless fruit is on the rise. Sweetness and sugars are crucial breeding focuses for fruit quality. Volatiles also play an important role; yet, we found no literature for seedless varieties and no reports using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in watermelon. The objective of this experiment was to identify volatile and semivolatile compounds in five seedless watermelon varieties using carboxen divinylbenzene polydimethylsiloxane solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fully ripe watermelon was squeezed through miracloth to produce rapid juice extracts for immediate headspace SPME GC-MS. Aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and one furan (2-pentyl furan, a lipid oxidation product) were recovered. On the basis of total ion count peak area, the most abundant compounds in five varieties were 3-nonen-1-ol/(E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal (16.5-28.2%), (E)-2-nonenal (10.6-22.5%), and (Z)-6-nonenal (2.0-11.3%). Hexanal was most abundant (37.7%) in one variety (Petite Perfection) [corrected] The most abundant ketone was 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (2.7-7.7%). Some sensory attributes reported for these compounds are melon, citrus, cucumber, orange, rose, floral, guava, violet, vegetable, green, grassy, herbaceous, pungent, fatty, sweet, and waxy. Identifying and relating these compounds to sensory attributes will allow for future monitoring of the critical flavor compounds in seedless watermelon after processing and throughout fresh-cut storage.

Antiviral activity of Thuja orientalis extracts against watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) on Citrullus lanatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Elbeshehy, Esam K F; Metwali, Ehab M R; Almaghrabi, Omar A

2015-03-01

Watermelon mosaic potyvirus (WMV) is considered as an important virus infecting watermelon and causing adverse effects on crop productivity. To overcome this problem one of the main objectives of plant breeders is to make these strains less effective in the ability to infect plants by treatment with plant extracts. Due to the advantages of plant tissue culture, in vitro, in the process of the selection of different cultivars under biotic stress, this study was conducted to achieve this aim by evaluating the effect of three concentrations of Thuja extract on the multiplication of WMV in watermelon by measuring callus fresh weight and soluble proteins (mg g(-1) fresh weight) of healthy and infected hypocotyl explants. Also, WMV was isolated from naturally infected watermelon and characterized as potyvirus by serological and molecular analyses. The isolated virus gave a positive reaction with WMV antiserum compared with other antibodies of CMV, ZYMV and SqMV using DAS-ELISA. RT-PCR, with the specific primer for WMV-cp. gene, yielded 825 base pair DNA fragments. The results that belong to soluble protein analysis indicated that infected hypocotyl explants treated with 6 g L(-1) recorded the highest rate in the number of soluble protein bands compared with the rest of treatments. As a conclusion of these results, we can recommend to apply the Thuja extract at 6 g L(-1) as a optimum dosage to decrease the infection caused by watermelon mosaic potyvirus.

Correlations between Natural Radionuclide Concentrations in Soil and Vine-Growth Potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modisane, T.G.D.

2008-01-01

Stellenbosch district is known as one of the best wine-producing regions in South Africa and lies 45 km east of Cape Town. It has a large number of estates, of which one of them was earmarked for vineyard development and is of much importance to this study. Soil plays an important role in the development of the vine and ultimately the grapes harvested from the vine. It is therefore important to characterise vineyard soils (quantitatively and qualitatively) and to study the impact of soil properties on the vine. These properties include among others and of importance to this study, the soil ph, concentrations of trace elements, clay content and natural radioactivity concentrations (1). In this study correlations between radiometric data and traditional chemical data in vineyard soils used to infer growth potential were studied. Discussed below are experimental techniques used in the determination of activity concentration of natural radionuclide ( 40 K, 232 Th and 238 U) in soil, data analysis, results and conclusions

Genetic diversity in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) landraces from Zimbabwe revealed by RAPD and SSR markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mujaju, C; Sehic, J; Werlemark, G; Garkava-Gustavsson, L; Fatih, M; Nybom, H

2010-08-01

Low polymorphism in cultivated watermelon has been reported in previous studies, based mainly on US Plant Introductions and watermelon cultivars, most of which were linked to breeding programmes associated with disease resistance. Since germplasm sampled in a putative centre of origin in southern Africa may harbour considerably higher variability, DNA marker-based diversity was estimated among 81 seedlings from eight accessions of watermelon collected in Zimbabwe; five accessions of cow-melons (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) and three of sweet watermelons (C. lanatus var. lanatus). Two molecular marker methods were used, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and simple sequence repeats (SSR) also known as microsatellite DNA. Ten RAPD primers produced 138 markers of which 122 were polymorphic. Nine SSR primer pairs detected a total of 43 alleles with an average of 4.8 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.47 to 0.77 for the RAPD primers and from 0.39 to 0.97 for the SSR loci. Similarity matrices obtained with SSR and RAPD, respectively, were highly correlated but only RAPD was able to provide each sample with an individual-specific DNA profile. Dendrograms and multidimensional scaling (MDS) produced two major clusters; one with the five cow-melon accessions and the other with the three sweet watermelon accessions. One of the most variable cow-melon accessions took an intermediate position in the MDS analysis, indicating the occurrence of gene flow between the two subspecies. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) attributed most of the variability to within-accessions, and contrary to previous reports, sweet watermelon accessions apparently contain diversity of the same magnitude as the cow-melons.

Bioactive compounds from flesh and by-product of fresh-cut watermelon cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazona-Díaz, Martha Patricia; Viegas, Joana; Moldao-Martins, Margarida; Aguayo, Encarna

2011-03-30

The fresh-cut industry produces thousands of tons of waste in non-edible portions that present an environmental and management problem. These by-products could be reused, in particular, to obtain bioactive compounds. In this study, five different fresh-cut watermelon cultivars were assessed for their flesh and by-product bioactive contents. The amount of by-product varied between 31.27 and 40.61% of initial fresh weight (f.w.) depending on the cultivar. Watermelon cultivars were poor sources of total antioxidant, and the content was similar between rind and flesh samples (46.96 vs 43.46 mg ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity kg(-1) f.w.). However, the rind had a moderate total phenolic content higher than that of the flesh (458 vs 389 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent kg(-1) f.w.) and a much higher content of the amino acid citrulline (3.34 vs 2.33 g kg(-1) f.w.), which has potential bioactive properties. Watermelon rind offers quantitative interest as a natural source of citrulline, particularly Fashion, a dark-skinned, seedless cultivar. More research is required on the efficient extraction of citrulline from watermelon rind and its suitability as an additive to drinks, juices or others products to produce new functional food products with valid health claims. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Rhizosphere microbial communities from resistant and susceptible watermelon cultivars showed different response to fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum inoculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhi, W.F.; Can, C.S.; Ling, C.; Hui, X.W.

2015-01-01

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON), a soil-borne pathogen of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), can cause substantial production losses worldwide. In this study, plate culture and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) methods were used to evaluate the effects of inoculation of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum on rhizosphere microbial communities of different watermelon cultivars to FON. Two methods indicated that the effects of watermelon rhizosphere microbial community of different resistance cultivars to FON were much different. Populations of culturable bacteria and actinomycetes in the rhizosphere of susceptible watermelon cultivar were significantly lower than in the resistant cultivar after inoculation (P<0.05), but the opposite result was observed for fungi. Principal component analysis of bacterial and fungal community structure also showed that the cultivar of FON-inoculated soil treatment were separated from the non-inoculated controls after inoculation, and there was clear discrimination between the susceptible cultivars and the resistant cultivars. Sequence analysis of specific bands from DGGE profiles showed that specific rhizosphere bacterial and fungal groups differed between watermelon cultivars after inoculation . Both methods demonstrated that different resistant watermelon cultivars occupied different rhizosphere microbial communities, and and disease suppression might be correlated with high microbial diversity. F. oxysporum f. sp. Niveum alters the structure and functional diversity of microbial communities associated with watermelon rhizosphere. (author)

Volatile components of vine leaves from two Portuguese grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L.), Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, analysed by solid-phase microextraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Bruno; Correia, Ana C; Cosme, Fernanda; Nunes, Fernando M; Jordão, António M

2015-01-01

The purpose of this work was to study the volatile composition of vine leaves and vine leaf infusion prepared from vine leaves collected at 30 and 60 days after grape harvest of two Vitis vinifera L. species. Eighteen volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in vine leaves and in vine leaf infusions. It was observed that the volatile compounds present in vine leaves are dependent on the time of harvest, with benzaldehyde being the major volatile present in vine leaves collected at 30 days after harvesting. There are significant differences in the volatile composition of the leaves from the two grape cultivars, especially in the sample collected at 60 days after grape harvest. This is not reflected in the volatile composition of the vine leaf infusion made from this two cultivars, the more important being the harvesting date for the volatile profile of vine leaf infusion than the vine leaves grape cultivar.

Lycopene content, antioxidant capacity and colour attributes of selected watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansfeld) cultivars grown in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagal, Shweta; Kaur, Charanjit; Choudhary, Harshawardhan; Singh, Jashbir; Bhushan Singh, Braj; Singh, K N

2012-12-01

The present investigation reports variability in lycopene, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, antioxidant capacity and colour attributes of 12 watermelon cultivars grown in India. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using four in vitro assays, namely ferric reducing antioxidant power, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl. Among watermelon cultivars, significant differences (p watermelon flesh was described by an optimized colour index (CI). Cultivars 'PWM25-4', 'Arun', 'Kiran' and 'Kareena' were found to be the most promising ones with highest lycopene content, antioxidant capacity and CI. Results indicate that watermelon is a good source of dietary lycopene and there exists significant variation that can be exploited to produce high-quality cultivars.

Two weeks of watermelon juice supplementation improves nitric oxide bioavailability but not endurance exercise performance in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Stephen J; Blackwell, Jamie R; Williams, Ewan; Vanhatalo, Anni; Wylie, Lee J; Winyard, Paul G; Jones, Andrew M

2016-09-30

This study tested the hypothesis that watermelon juice supplementation would improve nitric oxide bioavailability and exercise performance. Eight healthy recreationally-active adult males reported to the laboratory on two occasions for initial testing without dietary supplementation (control condition). Thereafter, participants were randomly assigned, in a cross-over experimental design, to receive 16 days of supplementation with 300 mL·day(-1) of a watermelon juice concentrate, which provided ∼3.4 g l-citrulline·day(-1) and an apple juice concentrate as a placebo. Participants reported to the laboratory on days 14 and 16 of supplementation to assess the effects of the interventions on blood pressure, plasma [l-citrulline], plasma [l-arginine], plasma [nitrite], muscle oxygenation and time-to-exhaustion during severe-intensity exercise. Compared to control and placebo, plasma [l-citrulline] (29 ± 4, 22 ± 6 and 101 ± 23 μM), [l-arginine] (74 ± 9, 67 ± 13 and 116 ± 9 μM) and [nitrite] (102 ± 29, 106 ± 21 and 201 ± 106 nM) were higher after watermelon juice supplementation (P watermelon juice (130 ± 11) and placebo (131 ± 9) conditions compared to the control condition (124 ± 8 mmHg; P watermelon juice condition than the placebo and control conditions (P watermelon juice: 550 ± 143 s) was not significantly different between conditions (P watermelon juice supplementation increased baseline plasma [nitrite] and improved muscle oxygenation during moderate-intensity exercise, it increased resting blood pressure and did not improve time-to-exhaustion during severe-intensity exercise. These findings do not support the use of watermelon juice supplementation as a nutritional intervention to lower blood pressure or improve endurance exercise performance in healthy adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water-Yield Relations of Drip Irrigated Watermelon in Temperate Climatic Conditions

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Pejić Borivoj

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study, conducted in Vojvodina a northern part of the Serbia Republic, was to analyse the effect of drip irrigation on yield, evapotranspiration and water productivity of watermelon (Cirullus lanatus Thunb. grown with plasticulture. Irrigation was scheduled on the basis of water balance method. Daily evapotranspiration was computed using the reference evapotranspiration and crop coefficient. The yield of watermelon in irrigation conditions (37,28 t/ha was significantly higher compared to non irrigated (9,98 t/ha. Water used on evapotranspiration in irrigation conditions was 398 mm and 117 mm on non irrigated variant. The crop yield response factor of 1,04 for the whole growing season reveals that relative yield decrease was nearly equal to the rate of evapotranspiration deficit. The values of irrigation water use efficiency and evapotranspiration water use efficiency were 9,93 kg/m3 and 10,29 kg/m3 respectively. The determined results could be used as a good platform for watermelon growers in the region, in terms of improvement of the optimum utilization of irrigation water.

Biological Control of Bacterial Fruit Blotch of Watermelon Pathogen (Acidovorax citrulli with Rhizosphere Associated Bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahesh Adhikari

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB, which is caused by Acidovorax citrulli, is a serious threat to watermelon growers around the world. The present study was conducted to screen effective rhizobacterial isolates against 35 different A. citrulli isolates and determine their efficacy on BFB and growth parameters of watermelon. Two rhizobacterial isolates viz. Paenibacillus polymyxa (SN-22, Sinomonas atrocyanea (NSB-27 showed high inhibitory activity in the preliminary screening and were further evaluated for their effect on BFB and growth parameters of three different watermelon varieties under greenhouse conditions. The greenhouse experiment result revealed that SN-22 and NSB-27 significantly reduced BFB and had significant stimulatory effect on total chlorophyll content, plant height, total fresh weight and total dry weight compared to uninoculated plants across the tested three watermelon varieties. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA sequences revealed that strains SN-22 belong to P. polymyxa and NSB-27 to S. atrocyanea with the bootstrap value of 99% and 98%, respectively. The isolates SN-22 and NSB-27 were tested for antagonistic and PGP traits. The result showed that the tested isolates produced siderophore, hydrolytic enzymes (protease and cellulose, chitinase, starch hydrolytic enzymes and they showed phosphate as well as zinc solubilizing capacity. This is the first report of P. polymyxa (SN-22 and S. atrocyanea (NSB-27 as biocontrol-plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on watermelon.

MELNIK VINE-GROWING REGION – HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

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Radoslava Ganeva

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The region of Melnik (Southwest Bulgaria has exclusively appropriate climate for wine growing. Its borders are defined by the dissemination of the wide Melnik grape vine, revealed by experts as an old local variety. Few are the wine-growing centers that carry such an effective ampelographic tradition. A few are the viticulture centers, bearing such effective tradition. The vine is grown here from the Thracian antiquity and is the basis for a livelihood, preserved and retransmitted for many generations. It is characterized by a specialization in the production and marketing of high quality red dry wines. The article deals with the development of the Melnik vineyard as a result of different political and economic conditions in the course of historical development. Various archival materials, specialized studies and personal fieldwork research have been used.

Nanoparticle synthesis and delivery by an aerosol route for watermelon plant foliar uptake

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei-Ning; Tarafdar, Jagadish C.; Biswas, Pratim

2013-01-01

An aerosol process was developed for synthesis and delivery of nanoparticles for living watermelon plant foliar uptake. This is an efficient technique capable of generating nanoparticles with controllable particle sizes and number concentrations. Aerosolized nanoparticles were easily applied to leaf surfaces and enter the stomata via gas uptake, avoiding direct interaction with soil systems, eliminating potential ecological risks. The uptake and transport of nanoparticles inside the watermelon plants were investigated systematically by various techniques, such as elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and plant anatomy by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that certain fractions of nanoparticles ( d p watermelon plants. The particle size and number concentration played an important role in nanoparticle translocation inside the plants. In addition, the nanoparticle application method, working environment, and leaf structure are also important factors to be considered for successful plant foliar uptake.

Effect of chitosan solution on the inhibition of Acidovorax citrulli causing bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Shi, Yu; Shan, Changlin; Zhou, Qing; Ibrahim, Muhammad; Wang, Yanli; Wu, Guoxing; Li, Hongye; Xie, Guanlin; Sun, Guochang

2013-03-30

The production of watermelon in China has been seriously hampered by fruit blotch disease and limited control measures are now applied. Chitosan has been employed to control a variety of plant diseases and is considered to be the most promising biochemical to control this disease. The in vitro antibacterial effect of chitosan and its ability in protection of watermelon seedlings from bacterial fruit blotch were evaluated. Results showed that three types of chitosan, in particular, chitosan A at 0.40 mg mL⁻¹ significantly inhibited the growth of Acidovorax citrulli. The antibacterial activity of chitosan A was affected by chitosan concentration and incubation time. The direct antibacterial activity of chitosan may be attributed to membrane lysis evidenced by transmission electron microscopic observation. The disease index of watermelon seedlings planted in soil and the death rate of seedlings planted in perlite were significantly reduced by chitosan A at 0.40 mg mL⁻¹ compared to the pathogen control. Fresh and dry weight of watermelon seedlings planted in soil was increased by chitosan seed treatment, but not by chitosan leaf spraying. The results indicated that chitosan solution may have a potential in controlling bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of pesticide residues in tomatoes and watermelons ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated the levels of pesticide residues in selected fruits from major markets in Dar es Salaam city. Samples of tomatoes and watermelons were analysed for eighteen organochlorine, organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide residues. Extraction was performed using acetone followed by dichloromethane: ...

Rooting of jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys A. Gray cuttings treated with indolbutiric acid

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Fabiana Rezende Muniz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys A. Gray, is native plant from Philippines. It has long blue-green pseudoracemes inflorescence, which makes it unique and incomparable. It is considered one of the most admired and sought vines, although rare in gardens. This study evaluated the effect of indolbutiric acid (IBA on the stalks rooting of this ornamental specie. Stem cuttings without leaves and with a couple of leaves cut in half, were collected from branches of a well developed jade vine plant and were immerged into dipping solutions with a concentration range of IBA (0, 500, 1.000, 2.000 and 4.000 mg L-1 for 15 seconds. Subsequently, the bases of the cuttings was planted in polystyrene trays containing vermiculite (one cutting per cell and maintained in an intermittent water mist chamber for a 80 days period. Then the percentage of stem rooting was assessed as well as the number of roots and the length of the main root. Jade vine plants can be produced byr stem cutting treated in a dipping solution containing an IBA concentration of 2.000 mg L-1.

Adsorption study of Ammonia Nitrogen by watermelon rind

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, A.; Yusof, L.; Beddu, N. S.; Galasin, N.; Lee, P. Y.; Lee, R. N. S.; Zahrim, A. Y.

2016-06-01

The utilization of fruit waste for low-cost adsorbents as a replacement for costly conventional methods of removing ammonia nitrogen from wastewater has been reviewed. The adsorption studies were conducted as a function of contact time and adsorbent dosage and it were carried out on four different adsorbents; fresh watermelon rind and modified watermelon rind with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4). Adsorbents were tested for characterization by using zeta potential test and all samples shows negative values thus makes it favourable for the adsorption process. The batch experimental result showed that adsorption process is rapid and equilibrium was established within 40 minutes of contact time. The ammonia nitrogen removal rate amounted in range of 96% to 99%, and the adsorption capacities were in range of 1.21 to 1.24 mg/g for all four different types of adsorbents used.

Utilizing genetic diversity in the desert watermelon citrullus colocynthis for enhancing watermelon cultivars for resistance to biotic and abiotic stress

Science.gov (United States)

Wide genetic diversity exists among the desert watermelon Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (CC) accessions collected in the deserts of northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Because of their resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, there can be a viable source of genes used for enhancing wa...

Utilizing genetic resources and precision agriculture to enhance resistance to biotic and abiotic stress in watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Originally from Africa, watermelon is a staple crop in South Carolina and rich source of important phytochemicals that promote human health. As a result of many years of domestication and selection for desired fruit quality, modern watermelon cultivars are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stress. T...

Quantitating Volatile Phenols in Cabernet Franc Berries and Wine after On-Vine Exposure to Smoke from a Simulated Forest Fire.

Science.gov (United States)

Noestheden, Matthew; Dennis, Eric G; Zandberg, Wesley F

2018-01-24

Smoke-taint is a wine defect linked to organoleptic volatile phenols (VPs) in Vitis vinifera L. berries that have been exposed to smoke from wildland fires. Herein, the levels of smoke-taint-associated VPs are reported in Cabernet Franc berries from veraison to commercial maturity and in wine after primary fermentation following on-vine exposure to simulated wildland fire smoke. VPs increased after smoke exposure were rapidly stored as acid-labile conjugates, and the levels of both free VPs and conjugated forms remained constant through ripening to commercial maturity. An increase in total VPs after primary fermentation suggested the existence of VP-conjugates other than the acid-labile VP-glycosides already reported. This conclusion was supported with base hydrolysis on the same samples. Relative to published results, the data suggested a multifactorial regional identity for smoke-taint and they inform efforts to produce a predictive model for perceptible smoke-taint in wine based on the chemical composition of smoke-exposed berries.

Comparative analysis of genetic diversity among Chinese watermelon germplasmsusing SSR and SRAP markers, and implications for future genetic improvement

OpenAIRE

WANG, PANGQIAO; LI, QIONG; Hu, Jianbin; SU, YAN

2015-01-01

The genetic diversity of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] in China, the world's largest producer of watermelon fruits, has not been examined. Two molecular markers, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR), were used to investigate the genetic variation and genetic relationship among 54 Chinese watermelon accessions, as well as 7 accessions from Africa, the United States, and Japan. SRAP assay generated 312 bands, ...

Antioxidant effect of Citrullus vulgaris (watermelon) extract against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Antioxidant effect of Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) extract was evaluated against lipid oxidation in freshly caught fishes during cooking. GC-MS analysis of Hexane and total phenolic extract of Citrullus Vulgaris flesh reveals that the extracts contain 55 compounds which includes 5- hydroxymethyl furfural, ...

Development of ZYMV-resistant watermelon lines using molecular markers for the eukaryotic elongation factor eIF4E together with phenotypic evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

The aphid-transmitted potyviruses of watermelon, including papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) cause serious damage to the watermelon crop throughout the world. The United States Plant Introduction (PI) 595203 is resistant to ZYMV-FL a...

O vine e o diálogo audiovisual na cultura participativa

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Sheron Neves

2014-12-01

Full Text Available No atual ambiente midiático, a audiência possui ferramentas não apenas para consumir mas para produzir e distribuir conteúdo. Em um mercado onde as fronteiras entre entretenimento e publicidade se tornam cada vez menos claras, o conteúdo audiovisual e as comunidades formadas ao seu redor se tornam temas de estudo relevantes. Dominado pelo YouTube na primeira década do milênio, o mercado do vídeo online vem se ampliando em função da tecnologia mobile, e aplicativos para rápida produção e consumo de vídeo, como o Vine, que se destaca pelo seu caráter social e colaborativo. A proposta deste trabalho é examinar o potencial do Vine na publicidade – não aquela tradicionalmente interruptiva e unilateral, mas sim uma publicidade que entretém, envolve e convida a participar. Para isto, o caso da campanha Hollywood and Vines, da Airbnb, será analisado.

Embryo Localization Enhances the Survival of Acidovorax citrulli in Watermelon Seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Bhabesh; Schneider, Raymond W; Robertson, Clark L; Walcott, Ronald R

2016-04-01

Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of cucurbits has been observed to survive for >34 years in stored melon and watermelon seeds. To better understand this remarkable longevity, we investigated the bacterium's tolerance to desiccation and the effect of bacterial localization in different watermelon seed tissues on its survival. We compared the ability of A. citrulli to tolerate desiccation on filter paper discs and on host (watermelon) and nonhost (cabbage, corn and tomato) seeds to two seedborne (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii) and one soilborne (Ralstonia solanacearum) plant-pathogenic bacteria. A. citrulli survival on dry filter paper (>12 weeks) was similar to that of X. campestris pv. campestris but longer than P. stewartii subsp. stewartii. Ralstonia solanacearum survived longer than all other bacteria tested. On all seeds tested, A. citrulli and X. campestris pv. campestris populations declined by 5 orders of magnitude after 12 weeks of incubation at 4°C and 50% relative humidity, while R. solanacearum populations declined by 3 orders. P. stewartii subsp. stewartii was not recovered after 12 weeks of incubation. To determine the effect of tissue localization on bacterial survival, watermelon seeds infested with A. citrulli by flower stigma inoculation (resulting in bacterial localization in the embryo/endosperm) or by ovary pericarp inoculations (resulting in bacterial localization under the testa) were treated with peroxyacetic acid or chlorine (Cl2) gas. Following these treatments, a significantly higher reduction in BFB seed-to-seedling transmission was observed for seeds generated by ovary pericarp inoculation (≥89.5%) than for those generated by stigma inoculation (≤76.5%) (Pseed coat, suggesting that tissue localization is important for bacterial survival in seed. This observation was confirmed when P. stewartii subsp. stewartii survived significantly longer in stigma

Retracing recurring vine mortality patterns over a long duration: case study of a Mediterranean viticultural estate

Science.gov (United States)

Vaudour, Emmanuelle; Leclercq, Léa; Gilliot, Jean-Marc; Chaignon, Benoît

2017-04-01

This study was aimed at performing both long term historical and spatial tracing, focusing on the vine mortality patterns and their temporal repetition, across a 6 ha-farm, "Domaine des Chauvets", mainly planted with rainfed black Grenache and Syrah varieties in the Southern Rhone Valley in France. In this estate of long-standing wine-growing history, were mortality patterns randomly distributed or were they related to soil or historical management? Along with soil parameters, soil surface condition, vine biological parameters including vigour, presence of diseases, stock-unearthing were collected in the field at a total of 112 sampling locations. A total of 25 aerial photographs in digitized format from the French National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN) were examined over the 1947-2010 period, of which 7 were retained for further rectification and processing. This dataset was used to retrace the landuse and planting history for each plot, and then extract the frequency of missing vines. Within-field terroir units were demarcated using support vector machine classification of a set of present-day very high resolution data, including soil apparent electrical conductivity EM38 maps and very high resolution Pléiades satellite images of May 2014 and July 2015. Field and recent data revealed important soil erosion rates which are likely to ruin terroir sustainability and pointed out those units for which soil restoration practices are urgently needed, while the temporal dataset exhibited a repeated spatial pattern of missing vines, throughout several plantings, uprootings, and vine replacements. The frequency of missing vines was related to within-field terroir units and also to past landuse, particularly forest or orchard dating back the 1940s, and current soil organic carbon content. This brings renewed questions about the determinism of vine decline, suggesting contribution of soil degradation processes.

Technical efficiency of watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) production in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was designed to measure the level of technical efficiency, its determinants in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) production and the constraints in the production system in Yewa North Local Government of Ogun State using a stochastic frontier production function. A combination of purposive and random sampling ...

Identification of gamma-irradiated papaya, melon and watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Huachaca, Nélida S.; Mancini-Filho, Jorge; Delincée, Henry; Villavicencio, Anna Lúcia C. H.

2004-09-01

Ionizing radiation can be used to control spoilage microorganisms and to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables in replacement for the treatment with chemical fumigants. In order to enforce labelling regulations, methods for detecting the irradiation treatment directly in the produce are required. Recently, a number of detection methods for irradiated food have been adopted by the Codex Comission. A rapid screening method for qualitative detection of irradiation is the DNA Comet Assay. The applicability of the DNA Comet Assay for distinguishing irradiated papaya, melon, and watermelon was evaluated. The samples were treated in a 60Co facility at dose levels of 0.0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0kGy. The irradiated samples showed typical DNA fragmentation whereas cells from non-irradiated ones appeared intact. In addition to the DNA Comet Assay also the half-embryo test was applied in melon and watermelon to detect the irradiation treatment.

Identification of gamma-irradiated papaya, melon and watermelon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin-Huachaca, N.S.; Mancini-Filho, Jorge; Delincee, Henry; Villavicencio, A.L.C.H.

2004-01-01

Ionizing radiation can be used to control spoilage microorganisms and to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables in replacement for the treatment with chemical fumigants. In order to enforce labelling regulations, methods for detecting the irradiation treatment directly in the produce are required. Recently, a number of detection methods for irradiated food have been adopted by the Codex Comission. A rapid screening method for qualitative detection of irradiation is the DNA Comet Assay. The applicability of the DNA Comet Assay for distinguishing irradiated papaya, melon, and watermelon was evaluated. The samples were treated in a 60 Co facility at dose levels of 0.0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 kGy. The irradiated samples showed typical DNA fragmentation whereas cells from non-irradiated ones appeared intact. In addition to the DNA Comet Assay also the half-embryo test was applied in melon and watermelon to detect the irradiation treatment

Identification of gamma-irradiated papaya, melon and watermelon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marin-Huachaca, N.S.; Mancini-Filho, Jorge E-mail: jmancini@usp.br; Delincee, Henry E-mail: henry.delincee@bfe.uni-karlsruhe.de; Villavicencio, A.L.C.H. E-mail: villavic@net.ipen.br

2004-10-01

Ionizing radiation can be used to control spoilage microorganisms and to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables in replacement for the treatment with chemical fumigants. In order to enforce labelling regulations, methods for detecting the irradiation treatment directly in the produce are required. Recently, a number of detection methods for irradiated food have been adopted by the Codex Comission. A rapid screening method for qualitative detection of irradiation is the DNA Comet Assay. The applicability of the DNA Comet Assay for distinguishing irradiated papaya, melon, and watermelon was evaluated. The samples were treated in a {sup 60}Co facility at dose levels of 0.0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 kGy. The irradiated samples showed typical DNA fragmentation whereas cells from non-irradiated ones appeared intact. In addition to the DNA Comet Assay also the half-embryo test was applied in melon and watermelon to detect the irradiation treatment.

The effects of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) extracts and L-citrulline on rat uterine contractility.

Science.gov (United States)

Munglue, Phukphon; Eumkep, Graingsak; Wray, Susan; Kupittayanant, Sajeera

2013-04-01

In uterine smooth muscle, the effects of watermelon and its citrulline content are unknown. The aims of this study were therefore, to determine the effects of watermelon extract and citrulline on the myometrium and to investigate their mechanisms of action. The effects of extracts of watermelon flesh and rind and L-citrulline (64 μmol/L) were evaluated on 3 types of contractile activity; spontaneous, those elicited by potassium chloride (KCl) depolarization, or oxytocin (10 nmol/L) application in isolated rat uterus. Inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) and its mechanisms of action, N ω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME, 100 μmol/L), LY83583 (1 μmol/L), and tetraethylamonium chloride (5 mmol/L), as well as Ca signaling pathways, were determined. Both flesh and rind extracts significantly decreased the force produced by all 3 mechanisms, in a dose-dependent manner. The extracts could also significantly decrease the force under conditions of sustained high Ca levels (depolarization and agonist) and when the force was produced only by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca release. L-citrulline produced the same effects on force as watermelon extracts. With submaximal doses of extract, the additive effects of L-citrulline were found. The inhibitory effects of extracts and L-citrulline were reversed upon the addition of NO inhibitors, and pretreatment of tissues with these inhibitors prevented the actions of both extracts and L-citrulline. Thus, these data show that watermelon and citrulline are potent tocolytics, decreasing the force produced by calcium entry and SR release and arising by different pathways, including oxytocin stimulation. Their major mechanism is to stimulate the NO-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) relaxant pathway.

EVALUATION OF TEMPORALVARIATIONS IN MOISTURE AND CALORIFIC VALUE OF VINE AND OLIVE PRUNING

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Pier Riccardo Porceddu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In Italy arboreal crops, in particular vine and olive, cover a surface area of around 19.6×109 m2 from which about 4.6×109 kg of pruning are cut. These by-products are currently ploughed into the soil or else harvested and burned in open fields. On the other hand such materials would be more useful as an energy source. If these materials are to be used as fuel, it is important to know their calorific value. The calorific value is significantly influenced by the moisture content of wood. This work has evaluated the changes in moisture content and calorific value with time for different harvesting and storage systems of vine and olive pruning. The observed decrease in the moisture content of the vine and olive pruning depended on the storage system utilized, in particular on the product compression ratio and air circulation. Some differences were observed between the results obtained for vine and olive pruning. The time required for these materials to obtain their best energetic performance was identified at 32 weeks from their harvesting. Harvesting with balers and forwarding costs are about 6.21×10-2 €/kg for vine pruning and 4.64×10-2 €/kg for olive pruning. They are very similar to the price currently offered for energy biomass in Italy (5.00×10-2 €/kg. While the cost actually paid to plough pruning into the soil amounts to about 2.50×10-2 €/kg. Therefore the energy chain encourages a cost-and-benefit analysis.

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on overall quality parameters of watermelon juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y; Zhao, X Y; Zou, L; Hu, X S

2013-06-01

High hydrostatic pressure as a kind of non-thermal processing might maintain the quality of thermo-sensitive watermelon juice. So, the effect of high hydrostatic pressure treatment on enzymes and quality of watermelon juice was investigated. After high hydrostatic pressure treatment, the activities of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and pectin methylesterase of juice decreased significantly with the pressure (P  0.05). No significant difference was observed in lycopene and total phenolics after high hydrostatic pressure treatment when compared to the control (P > 0.05). Cloudiness and viscosity increased with pressure (P  0.05). a*- and b*-value both unchanged after high hydrostatic pressure treatment (P > 0.05) while L*-value increased but the values had no significant difference among treated juices. Browning degree after high hydrostatic pressure treatment decreased with increase in pressure and treatment time (P hydrostatic pressure had little effect on color of juice. The results of this study demonstrated the efficacy of high hydrostatic pressure in inactivating enzymes and maintaining the quality of watermelon juice.

Volatile profile and physical, chemical, and biochemical changes in fresh cut watermelon during storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andréa Luiza Ramos Pereira Xisto

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Existing data about the aroma of fresh-cut watermelon and the metabolic changes that occur with minimal processing are scarce. Given the close relationship that exists between aroma, texture, and quality characteristics, it is necessary to investigate the changes in the volatile profile and texture of watermelon, a fruit extensively sold in supermarket chains throughout Brazil. The objective of this work was to analyze the volatile profile using solid phase microextraction (SPME as well as texture changes in fresh-cut watermelon stored at 5 °C for ten days. Chromatography associated with sensory analysis (sniffing led us to conclude that 9-carbon (C9 alcohols and aldehydes are the major responsible for the flavor and aroma of minimally processed watermelon stored at 5 ± 1 °C/90 ± 5% RH for ten days, and also that the aroma diminishes in intensity with storage, but it does not affect the final quality of the product. It was noted that the amount of drained liquid, soluble pectin, and weight loss increased during storage concurrently with a reduction in firmness and a structural breakdown of the cells. Pectin methyl esterase activity remained constant and polygalacturonase activity was not detected.

Influence of acidification, pasteurization, centrifugation and storage time and temperature on watermelon juice quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazona-Díaz, Martha Patricia; Aguayo, Encarna

2013-12-01

Watermelon juice has gained increasing popularity among consumers as a rich natural source of functional compounds such as lycopene and citrulline. However, the final quality of the juice depends significantly on its acidification, pasteurization, centrifugation and storage time and temperature. In this study, these characteristics were assessed in watermelon juice pasteurized at 87.7 °C for 20 s and stored for up to 30 days at 4 or 8 °C. The acidifier citric acid provided an adequate sensory quality, similar to natural watermelon juice. Centrifugation and pasteurization significantly reduced the red color, bioactive compounds (lycopene, antioxidant capacity and total polyphenols) and sensory quality of the juice, particularly when the storage time was extended and a temperature of 8 °C was used (P ≤ 0.05). All treated juices were microbiologically safe for up to 30 days when stored at 4 or 8 °C. In terms of sensory acceptability, only non-centrifuged juices stored for up to 20 days at 4 °C remained above the commercial limit. The present results suggest that using a non-centrifugation process and a storage temperature of 4 °C yields a watermelon juice that better retains its sensory and functional qualities. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of rootstocks on fruit yield and some quality traits of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus

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Rana Kurum

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this study the effects of rootstocks on watermelon fruit quality and yield were investigated by comparing grafted plants with non-grafted and self-grafted ones in open field conditions in over two consecutive years (2013-2014. The watermelon cultivar Crimson Tide was grafted onto Ferro RZ, Maximus, Nun 9075, RS 841, No:3, Strong Tosa and TZ 148 rootstocks. Non-grafted and self-grafted plants were used as control. Grafting increased the average fruit yield between 17.45% and 52.56% compared to non-grafted treatment. It was concluded that among the tested rootstocks No:3 along with Nun 9075 and TZ 148 rootstocks can be advised due to the increase in fruit yield, total soluble solids and taste panel test values and that the use of grafted plants can be advantageous alternative in watermelon production for producers.

The effect of watermelon frost on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 in inflamed pulp tissue (in vitro study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Dennis

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Pulp inflammation can be marked by the increase of prostaglandin E2(PGE2 level compared to normal pulp. The increase of PGE2 may lead to vasodilatation, increase of vascular permeability, pain and bone resorption. Watermelon frost has been well known in Chinese society for pain relief and inflammation in oral cavity and teeth. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate that watermelon frost can be used to decrease the PGE2 level. Method: 27 samples of pulp tissues used in this in-vitro study, were extirpated from the patients’ teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis referred to clinic of Conservative Dentistry, RSPGM Faculty of Dentistry, USU. Trial materials were applied to 27 samples i.e. watermelon frost as a trial material and commercial watermelon frost and eugenol to observe their effect on PGE2. PGE2 level of each material was detected through ELISA method by measuring and comparing the absorbance reading of the wells of the samples against standards with a micro plate reader at W1 = 650 nm and W2 = 490 nm. Result: The result showed the biggest effect was found in the third group (eugenol, mean 4.6933, followed by the first group (watermelon frost as a trial material, mean 18,1578 then the second group (commercial watermelon frost, mean 82,2689. OneWay ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences among all trial materials (p < 0.001 on PGE2 level. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that watermelon frost can be used to decrease the PGE2 level in inflamed pulp tissue and led to the acceptance of traditional medicine and natural products as an alternative form of dental care.

An automatized frequency analysis for vine plot detection and delineation in remote sensing

OpenAIRE

Delenne , Carole; Rabatel , G.; Deshayes , M.

2008-01-01

The availability of an automatic tool for vine plot detection, delineation, and characterization would be very useful for management purposes. An automatic and recursive process using frequency analysis (with Fourier transform and Gabor filters) has been developed to meet this need. This results in the determination of vine plot boundary and accurate estimation of interrow width and row orientation. To foster large-scale applications, tests and validation have been carried out on standard ver...

Antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds

African Journals Online (AJOL)

on ethnomedicinal use of the plants [2]. Citrullus lanatus is a plant species that belongs to the family, Cucurbitaceae. It is a vine-like. (scrambler and trailer) flowering plant which originated from West Africa and often cultivated for its fruits. This species has two cultivars namely, watermelons (C. lanatus (Thunb.) var lanatus).

Dielectric spectroscopy of watermelons for quality sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Stuart O.; Guo, Wen-chuan; Trabelsi, Samir; Kays, Stanley J.

2007-07-01

Dielectric properties of four small-sized watermelon cultivars, grown and harvested to provide a range of maturities, were measured with an open-ended coaxial-line probe and an impedance analyser over the frequency range from 10 MHz to 1.8 GHz. Probe measurements were made on the external surface of the melons and also on tissue samples from the edible internal tissue. Moisture content and soluble solids content (SSC) were measured for internal tissue samples, and SSC (sweetness) was used as the quality factor for correlation with the dielectric properties. Individual dielectric constant and loss factor correlations with SSC were low, but a high correlation was obtained between the SSC and permittivity from a complex-plane plot of dielectric constant and loss factor, each divided by SSC. However, SSC prediction from the dielectric properties by this relationship was not as high as expected (coefficient of determination about 0.4). Permittivity data (dielectric constant and loss factor) for the melons are presented graphically to show their relationships with frequency for the four melon cultivars and for external surface and internal tissue measurements. A dielectric relaxation for the external surface measurements, which may be attributable to a combination of bound water, Maxwell-Wagner, molecular cluster or ion-related effects, is also illustrated. Coefficients of determination for complex-plane plots, moisture content and SSC relationship, and penetration depth are also shown graphically. Further studies are needed for determining the practicality of sensing melon quality from their dielectric properties.

EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF WATERMELON, CV. TOP GUN

OpenAIRE

NOWAKI, RODRIGO HIYOSHI DALMAZZO; CECÍLIO FILHO, ARTHUR BERNARDES; FARIA, ROGÉRIO TEIXEIRA DE; WAMSER, ANDERSON FERNANDO; CORTEZ, JUAN WALDIR MENDONZA

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) is the second most important nutrient required by watermelons that can limit their growth and affect fruit quality when deficient. We evaluated the soil (N-nitrate) and foliar N contents and soluble-solid content of the watermelon 'Top Gun' in Brazil at six rates of N fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg ha-1). N-nitrate and foliar N levels increased linearly with rate. Number of total and marketable fruit, weight of total and marketable fruit and total and mar...

EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF WATERMELON, CV. TOP GUN

OpenAIRE

RODRIGO HIYOSHI DALMAZZO NOWAKI; ARTHUR BERNARDES CECÍLIO FILHO; ROGÉRIO TEIXEIRA DE FARIA; ANDERSON FERNANDO WAMSER; JUAN WALDIR MENDONZA CORTEZ

2017-01-01

Nitrogen (N) is the second most important nutrient required by watermelons that can limit their growth and affect fruit quality when deficient. We evaluated the soil (N-nitrate) and foliar N contents and soluble-solid content of the watermelon 'Top Gun' in Brazil at six rates of N fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg ha-1). N-nitrate and foliar N levels increased linearly with rate. Number of total and marketable fruit, weight of total and marketable fruit and total and marketable y...

Application of magnetic resonance imaging to non-destructive void detection in watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, K.; Miki, T.; Hayashi, S.; Kajikawa, H.; Shimada, M.; Kawate, Y.; Nishizawa, T.; Ikegaya, D.; Kimura, N.; Takabatake, K.; Sugiura, N.; Suzuki, M.

A novel application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is described. The possibility of utilizing MRI for non-destructive quality evaluation of watermelons was studied. In this study, we applied MRI to the detection of internal voids in watermelons. In order to increase the measurement rate, we employed a one-dimensional projection profile method instead of observing a two-dimensional cross-sectional image. The void detection was carried out with this technique over 30 samples and 28 samples were correctly evaluated. The measurement rate was 900 ms per sample, which is an acceptable speed for a sorting machine in the agricultural field.

Antibacterial activity of watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) seed against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of extraction methods on the antibacterial activity of Citrullus lanatus seed extract. C. lanatus (watermelon) is a popular fruit consumed all over the world. Three solvents were used for the extraction process: chloroform, methanol and distilled water while two extraction conditions- ...

Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Tomatoes and Watermelons ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

1Chemistry Department, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35061 Dar es Salaam, ... 50% of the tomatoes and watermelons indicating risks and concerns for public health. The ... Keywords: Pesticides, Fruits, Food, Contamination, Tanzania .... 197. 314. 258. 125. 286. 210. 65. 171. 47. 244. 134. 351. 322. 439. 404. 496.

Prototype Design of Smart System as A Vines Medium of Javanese Long Pepper (Piper Retrofractum Vahl)

Science.gov (United States)

Pramudia, M.; Umami, K. K.

2018-01-01

Javanese long pepper is one of the Indonesia’s native medicinal plants which is included in the family Piperaceae. This plant has a characteristic thrives on plains which high rainfall between 1,200 - 3,000 mm per year and the level of soil moisture ranges from 80-100%. In the area of Bluto, Madura, these plants are generally grown on farmland by using a moringa tree as a vines medium. However, in line with technological developments, the vines media plants of Javanese long pepper begin to be replaced by technology that utilizes a concrete cylindrical as the vines media. In this research, the vines media are made from hollow concrete cylindrical with a height of 180 cm which is controlled automatically by the device of Arduino Uno as a microcontroller and its connected with ultrasonic sensors, light dependent resistor sensors, soil moisture sensors, and solar cell as an alternative energy source which called smart system. It has several main functions such as medium vines of Javanese long pepper plants, keep the moisture of plants, store the water as well as being able to do the watering automatically. This prototype design is expected to be an alternative solution to improve the quality of plant growth, especially in the dry season.

Fumonisin contamination and fumonisin producing black Aspergilli in dried vine fruits of different origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, J; Kocsubé, S; Suri, K; Szigeti, Gy; Szekeres, A; Varga, M; Tóth, B; Bartók, T

2010-10-15

Aspergillus niger isolates are able to produce fumonisins in high quantities on agar media with a low water activity. Several agricultural products fit this criterion, including dried vine fruits, dates and figs. Data on the occurrence and role of this species in fumonisin contamination of agricultural products with high sugar content are needed to clarify the importance of A. niger in human health. The mycobiota and fumonisin contamination of various dried vine fruit samples collected from different countries were examined to clarify the role of black Aspergilli in fumonisin contamination of such products. All except two of the examined samples were contaminated with black Aspergilli. Species assignment of the isolates was carried out using sequence analysis of part of the calmodulin gene. The range of fumonisin isomers present in the raisins samples, and produced by A. niger isolates collected from dried vine fruits was also examined using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-ion trap mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/ESI-ITMS). Among the 30 A. niger/A. awamori isolates identified, 20 were found to be able to produce fumonisins (average contamination: 5.16 mg/kg; range: 0.017-19.6 mg/kg). The average fumonisin content of the 7 dried vine fruit samples which were found to be contaminated by potential fumonisin producing black Aspergilli was 7.22 mg/kg (range: 4.55-35.49 mg/kg). The isolates produced several fumonisin isomers also present in the dried vine fruit samples, including fumonisins B(1-4), 3-epi-FB(3), 3-epi-FB(4), iso-FB(1), and two iso-FB(2,3) forms. Fumonisin B(1) was detected for the first time in A. niger cultures. Most of these isomers have previously only been identified in Fusarium species. Our data indicate that A. niger and A. awamori are responsible for fumonisin contamination of dried vine fruits worldwide. The observed levels of contamination are alarming and pose a new threat for food safety. Copyright �

Effect of saffron petal extract on retention quality of fresh-cut watermelon cubes

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hamed kaveh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Saffron is considered as a valuable produce by producers and traders. Unfortunately, the use of its floral by products like petal which have proven to be antioxidant, antimicrobial and nutritional value is limited. In order to investigate the application of saffron petal extracts as an ameliorative on postharvest and processing quality of fresh-cut ‘Crimson Sweet’ watermelon, a completely randomized designed investigation was done on watermelon cubes with 1cm diameter (1±0.5 gram mean weight. Prepared watermelon cubes were divided into four groups and treated with saffron petal extract (10 % V/V for 10 minutes, UV irradiation (maximum wavelength 253.4 nm and 15W for 5 minutes, 10 minutes of saffron petal extract then UV irradiation for 5 minutes and control. After the application of treatments, fresh-cut watermelon cubes were stored at 5±0.5 ºC for 14 days. Sampling and observation of the studied characteristics (physiological loss in weight, soluble solid content, lycopene, microbial load and color quality (Chroma Hue was done every two days to find the trend of changes during the retention period. The results of experiment showed that petal extract of saffron could not decrease weight loss but it was significantly effective in lowering microbial load and increasing color quality, and prevention of lycopene degradation (P≤5%. Although treatment of UV+SPE had better efficiency to suppress microbial load significantly (P≤5%.

Interaction of sodium dodecyl sulfate with watermelon chromoplasts and examination of the organization of lycopene within the chromoplasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Fish, Wayne W

2006-10-18

The properties of plant-derived precipitates of watermelon lycopene were examined in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as part of an ongoing effort to develop simpler, more economical ways to quantify carotenoids in melon fruit. Levels of SDS >0.2% were found to increase the water solubility of lycopene in the state in which it was isolated from watermelon. Electron microscopy and chemical analyses suggested that the watermelon lycopene as isolated is packaged inside a membrane to form a chromoplast. Spectral peaks in the visible region of the watermelon chromoplasts in SDS exhibited a bathochromic shift from those in organic solvent. Watermelon chromoplasts in SDS exhibited pronounced circular dichroic activity in the visible region. Binding measurements indicated that about 120 molecules of SDS were bound per molecule of lycopene inside the chromoplast; likely, the detergent molecules are bound to the chromoplast membrane. Around 80% of the chromoplast-SDS complexes were retained on a 0.45 mum membrane filter. Together, these observations are consistent with lycopene in a J-type chiral arrangement inside a membrane to form a chromoplast. The binding of SDS molecules to the chromoplast membrane form a complex that is extensively more water-soluble than the chromoplast alone.

Morphological observation, RNA-Seq quantification, and expression profiling: novel insight into grafting-responsive carotenoid biosynthesis in watermelon grafted onto pumpkin rootstock.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guang; Yang, Xingping; Xu, Jinhua; Zhang, Man; Hou, Qian; Zhu, Lingli; Huang, Ying; Xiong, Aisheng

2017-03-01

Watermelon is an important and economical horticultural crop in China, where ~20% of the plants are grafted. The development of grafted watermelon fruit involves a diverse range of gene interactions that results in dynamic changes in fruit. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying grafting-induced fruit quality change are unclear. In the present study, we measured the lycopene content by high-performance liquid chromatography and used RNA-Seq (quantification) to perform a genome-wide transcript analysis of fruits from watermelon grafted onto pumpkin rootstock (pumpkin-grafted watermelon, PGW), self-grafted watermelon (SGW), and non-grafted watermelon (NGW). The results showed variation in the lycopene content in the flesh of PGW fruits, first increasing and then decreasing in the four stages, which was different from the trend in the flesh of NGW and SGW fruits. The transcriptome profiling data provided new information on the grafting-induced gene regulation of lycopene biosynthesis during fruit growth and development. The expression levels of 33 genes from 8 gene families (GGPS, PSY, PDS, ZDS, CRTISO, LCYb, LCYe, and CHY) related to lycopene biosynthesis, which play critical roles in fruit coloration and contribute significantly to fruit phytonutrient values, were monitored during the four periods of fruit development in watermelon. Compared with those of NGW and SGW, 14 genes were differentially expressed in PGW during fruit development, suggesting that these genes possibly help to mediate lycopene biosynthesis in grafted watermelon fruit. Our work provides some novel insights into grafting-responsive carotenoid metabolism and its potential roles during PGW fruit development and ripening. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inhibition of seed germination by extracts of bitter Hawkesbury watermelon containing cucurbitacin, a feeding stimulant for corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Phyllis A W; Blackburn, Michael

2003-04-01

Cucurbitacins are feeding stimulants for corn rootworm used in baits to control the adults of this insect pest. Corn rootworm larvae also feed compulsively on cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins are reported to be gibberellin antagonists that may preclude their use as seed treatments for these soil-dwelling insects. The crude extract of a bitter Hawkesbury watermelon containing cucurbitacin E-glycoside significantly inhibited germination of watermelon, squash, and tomato seeds. Although the germination of corn seed was not significantly inhibited, root elongation was inhibited by crude extracts, but not by high-performance liquid chromatography-purified cucurbitacin E-glycoside. Therefore, the effects of the major components in the bitter watermelon extract (e.g., sugars) on seed germination and root elongation were determined. Pure sugars (glucose and fructose), at concentrations found in watermelon extract, mimicked the inhibition of seed germination and root elongation seen with the crude bitter Hawkesbury watermelon extract. Removal of these sugars may be necessary to use this extract as a bait for corn rootworm larvae as a seed or root treatment.

The clinical and endoscopic spectrum of the watermelon stomach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gostout, C. J.; Viggiano, T. R.; Ahlquist, D. A.; Wang, K. K.; Larson, M. V.; Balm, R.

1992-01-01

The watermelon stomach is an uncommon but treatable cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. We report our experience with the clinical and endoscopic features of 45 consecutive patients treated by endoscopic Nd:YAG laser coagulation. The prototypic patient was a woman (71%) with an average age

Effect of biostimulant sprays on Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and esca proper infected vines under greenhouse and fi eld conditions

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S. Di Marco

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Biostimulants are compounds that infl uence physiological processes in plants, producing better growth and enhancing stress tolerance. The effect of some biostimulants on vines was investigated over a number of years to assess their effect both on the incidence of esca leaf symptoms in the vineyard and on the growth of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora artifi cially inoculated into potted vines. Field trials were carried out for 4–7 years in fi ve 15-20-yearold vineyards infected with esca proper. Potted plants were sprayed with biostimulants, after which the vine trunks were inoculated with P. chlamydospora, and then the vines were sprayed again with biostimulants in the following 2 or 3 growing seasons. On the whole, biostimulants in the fi eld did not reduce foliar symptoms. The percentage of symptomatic vines that had shown symptoms in previous years was higher in the biostimulant-sprayed plots. In the greenhouse, a certain reduction of internal necrosis caused by P. chlamydospora was seen with three of the four biostimulants tested. Prospects for biostimulants as a means control esca are discussed.

Feasible sampling plan for Bemisia tabaci control decision-making in watermelon fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Carlos Ho; Sarmento, Renato A; Pereira, Poliana S; Galdino, Tarcísio Vs; Santos, Fábio A; Silva, Joedna; Picanço, Marcelo C

2017-11-01

The silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci is one of the most important pests of watermelon fields worldwide. Conventional sampling plans are the starting point for the generation of decision-making systems of integrated pest management programs. The aim of this study was to determine a conventional sampling plan for B. tabaci in watermelon fields. The optimal leaf for B. tabaci adult sampling was the 6 th most apical leaf. Direct counting was the best pest sampling technique. Crop pest densities fitted the negative binomial distribution and had a common aggregation parameter (K common ). The sampling plan consisted of evaluating 103 samples per plot. This sampling plan was conducted for 56 min, costing US$ 2.22 per sampling and with a 10% maximum evaluation error. The sampling plan determined in this study can be adopted by farmers because it enables the adequate evaluation of B. tabaci populations in watermelon fields (10% maximum evaluation error) and is a low-cost (US$ 2.22 per sampling), fast (56 min per sampling) and feasible (because it may be used in a standardized way throughout the crop cycle) technique. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Role of Blossoms in Watermelon Seed Infestation by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli.

Science.gov (United States)

Walcott, R R; Gitaitis, R D; Castro, A C

2003-05-01

ABSTRACT The role of watermelon blossom inoculation in seed infestation by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli was investigated. Approximately 98% (84/87) of fruit developed from blossoms inoculated with 1 x 10(7) or 1 x 10(9) CFU of A. avenae subsp. citrulli per blossom were asymptomatic. Using immunomagnetic separation and the polymerase chain reaction, A. avenae subsp. citrulli was detected in 44% of the seed lots assayed, despite the lack of fruit symptoms. Furthermore, viable colonies were recovered from 31% of the seed lots. Of these lots, 27% also yielded seedlings expressing bacterial fruit blotch symptoms when planted under conditions of 30 degrees C and 90% relative humidity. A. avenae subsp. citrulli was detected and recovered from the pulp of 33 and 19%, respectively, of symptomless fruit whose blossoms were inoculated with A. avenae subsp. citrulli. The ability to penetrate watermelon flowers was not unique to A. avenae subsp. citrulli, because blossoms inoculated with Pantoea ananatis also resulted in infested seed and pulp. The data indicate that watermelon blossoms are a potential site of ingress for fruit and seed infestation by A. avenae subsp. citrulli.

Biological Control to Protect Watermelon Blossoms and Seed from Infection by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli.

Science.gov (United States)

Fessehaie, A; Walcott, R R

2005-04-01

ABSTRACT The efficacy of biological control seed treatments with Pseudomonas fluorescens (A506), Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (AAA 99-2), and an unidentified gram-positive bacterium recovered from watermelon seed (WS-1) was evaluated for the management of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of watermelon. In growth chamber and greenhouse experiments, seed treated with AAA 99-2 displayed superior disease suppression, reducing BFB transmission by 96.5%. AAA 99-2, P. fluorescens A506, and Kocide also suppressed the epiphytic growth of A. avenae subsp. citrulli when applied to attached watermelon blossoms 5 h prior to inoculation. Watermelon blossom protection reduced seed infestation by A. avenae subsp. citrulli. From blossoms treated with 0.1 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 63% of the resulting seed lots were infested with A. avenae subsp. citrulli. In contrast, for blossoms protected with WS-1, Kocide, P. fluorescens A506, and AAA 99-2, the proportion of infested seed lots were 48.3, 21.1, 24.1, and 13.8%, respectively. The effect of blossom treatments on seed lot infestation was statistically significant (P = 0.001) but WS-1 was not significantly different from PBS. These findings suggest that blossom protection with biological control agents could be a feasible option for managing BFB.

Diallel cross analysis for fruit traits in watermelon

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Gvozdanović-Varga Jelica

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Current demands of consumers and thus producers are important when targeting watermelon breeding programs, especially in programs aimed at improvement of fruit traits. A complete diallel set has been investigated for breeding values of six watermelon lines, via general and specific combining ability, relationships between general and specific combining ability, heritability and heterosis for fruit size, rind thickness, soluble solids and fruit shape. The lines P2 and P4 were good general combiners for fruit size. These lines also had high values of specific combining ability in direct and reciprocal crosses. The lines with negative general combining ability for fruit size (P1 and P5 can be used in breeding for small fruits (4-6 kg, good taste (high sugar content, desired rind thickness, desired fruit form and high fruit ratio. Relationships between general and specific combining ability indicated that the additive effect played an important role in the expression of fruit weight, rind thickness and sugar content, while fruit shape was inherited incompletely dominantly.

Nanoparticle synthesis and delivery by an aerosol route for watermelon plant foliar uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Weining; Tarafdar, Jagadish C.; Biswas, Pratim

2013-01-01

An aerosol process was developed for synthesis and delivery of nanoparticles for living watermelon plant foliar uptake. This is an efficient technique capable of generating nanoparticles with controllable particle sizes and number concentrations. Aerosolized nanoparticles were easily applied to leaf surfaces and enter the stomata via gas uptake, avoiding direct interaction with soil systems, eliminating potential ecological risks. The uptake and transport of nanoparticles inside the watermelon plants were investigated systematically by various techniques, such as elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and plant anatomy by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that certain fractions of nanoparticles (d p < 100 nm) generated by the aerosol process could enter the leaf following the stomatal pathway, then pass through the stem, and reach the root of the watermelon plants. The particle size and number concentration played an important role in nanoparticle translocation inside the plants. In addition, the nanoparticle application method, working environment, and leaf structure are also important factors to be considered for successful plant foliar uptake.

Nanoparticle synthesis and delivery by an aerosol route for watermelon plant foliar uptake

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Weining [Washington University in St. Louis, Aerosol and Air Quality Research Laboratory, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (United States); Tarafdar, Jagadish C. [Central Arid Zone Research Institute (India); Biswas, Pratim, E-mail: pbiswas@wustl.edu [Washington University in St. Louis, Aerosol and Air Quality Research Laboratory, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering (United States)

2013-01-15

An aerosol process was developed for synthesis and delivery of nanoparticles for living watermelon plant foliar uptake. This is an efficient technique capable of generating nanoparticles with controllable particle sizes and number concentrations. Aerosolized nanoparticles were easily applied to leaf surfaces and enter the stomata via gas uptake, avoiding direct interaction with soil systems, eliminating potential ecological risks. The uptake and transport of nanoparticles inside the watermelon plants were investigated systematically by various techniques, such as elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and plant anatomy by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that certain fractions of nanoparticles (d{sub p} < 100 nm) generated by the aerosol process could enter the leaf following the stomatal pathway, then pass through the stem, and reach the root of the watermelon plants. The particle size and number concentration played an important role in nanoparticle translocation inside the plants. In addition, the nanoparticle application method, working environment, and leaf structure are also important factors to be considered for successful plant foliar uptake.

NMR Spectroscopy Identifies Metabolites Translocated from Powdery Mildew Resistant Rootstocks to Susceptible Watermelon Scions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmud, Iqbal; Kousik, Chandrasekar; Hassell, Richard; Chowdhury, Kamal; Boroujerdi, Arezue F

2015-09-16

Powdery mildew (PM) disease causes significant loss in watermelon. Due to the unavailability of a commercial watermelon variety that is resistant to PM, grafting susceptible cultivars on wild resistant rootstocks is being explored as a short-term management strategy to combat this disease. Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolic profiles of susceptible and resistant rootstocks of watermelon and their corresponding susceptible scions (Mickey Lee) were compared to screen for potential metabolites related to PM resistance using multivariate principal component analysis. Significant score plot differences between the susceptible and resistant groups were revealed through Mahalanobis distance analysis. Significantly different spectral buckets and their corresponding metabolites (including choline, fumarate, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetate, and melatonin) have been identified quantitatively using multivariate loading plots and verified by volcano plot analyses. The data suggest that these metabolites were translocated from the powdery mildew resistant rootstocks to their corresponding powdery mildew susceptible scions and can be related to PM disease resistance.

Quality parameters of wine grape varieties under the influence of different vine spacing and training systems

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O. Tkachenko

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Physicochemical and biochemical indices, which characterize quality of white wine grape varieties Zagrey and Aromatnyi of selection of NNC «IV&W named after V. Ye. Tairov», (harvest of 2016 were determined. The field trial which includes various variants of planting density and vine training systems, made it possible to study the influence of viticulture practices on the criteria of carbohydrate-acid and phenolic complex, oxidative enzyme system of grapes. Low-density plantings of Aromatnyi variety (2222 vines per ha were characterized by harvest that slightly exceeded the grapes obtained from dense plantations (4000 vines per ha in terms of carbohydrate-acid and phenolic complexes. The most optimal in terms of the mass concentration of sugars, phenolic substances, polymer forms, macerating ability of must, activity of oxidizing enzyme system was cultivation of this variety on a 160 cm – high trunk. Growing grapes of Zagrey variety with vine spacing, corresponding to 4000 plants per ha, contributed to obtaining harvest with optimal parameters of carbohydrate-acid complex, low technological reserve and mass concentration of phenolic compounds, moderate macerating ability and activity of monophenol monooxygenase in must. Training vines of this variety on a 40 cm high trunk with vertical shoot positioning led to significant deterioration of grape quality due to increased content of phenolic substances and their polymer forms, high macerating capacity of must.

The effect of D123 wheat as a companion crop on soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Hui Xu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The growth of watermelon is often threatened by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon in successively monocultured soil, which results in economic loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of D123 wheat as a companion crop on soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon and to explore the relationship between the effect and the incidence of wilt caused by Fon. The results showed that the activities of soil polyphenol oxidase, urease and invertase were increased, the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP were significantly increased, and the ratio of MBC/MBN was decreased (P<0.05. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the Fon population declined significantly in the watermelon/wheat companion system compared with the monoculture system (P<0.05. The analysis of microbial communities showed that the relative abundance of microbial communities was changed in the rhizosphere of watermelon. Compared with the monoculture system, the relative abundances of Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Sordariomycetes were increased, and the relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Cytophagia, Pezizomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes were decreased in the rhizosphere of watermelon in the watermelon/wheat companion system; importantly, the incidence of Fusarium wilt was also decreased in the watermelon/wheat companion system. In conclusion, this study indicated that D123 wheat as a companion crop increased soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass, decreased the Fon population, and changed the relative abundance of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon, which may be related to the reduction of Fusarium wilt in the watermelon/wheat companion system.

Multifocal Gastric Neoplasia after Recurrent Laser Therapy for the Watermelon Stomach

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Charles N Bernstein

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Repeated laser therapy has become an accepted therapeutic approach in the treatment of watermelon stomach, and to date no important negative sequelae have been reported. The case of a patient who underwent repeated sessions of neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG laser therapy over a five-year period for the treatment of the watermelon stomach is presented. Postlaser therapy the patient developed deep ulcerations that would heal; however, he ultimately developed a nodular antrum. Random biopsies of antral nodules revealed carcinoma-in-situ. A Billroth I gastrectomy revealed two foci of carcinoma-in-situ/high grade dysplasia and multiple foci of lower grades of dysplasia. This case suggests a possible association between use of laser therapy and development of gastric neoplasia.

Development of nutritious snacks by incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour

OpenAIRE

Paul Virginia; Ruchi .; Paul Ajit

2014-01-01

The present study was carried out with the objectives to find out the sensory acceptability, the nutrient content and cost of prepared products. The products prepared were “Biscuits”, “Mathri” and “Laddoo” by incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour in different proportions (10:10, 20:10, and 30:10) served as treatments T1, T2 and T3 respectively T0, without incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour served as control. The products were organole...

Development of nutritious snacks by incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Virginia

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out with the objectives to find out the sensory acceptability, the nutrient content and cost of prepared products. The products prepared were “Biscuits”, “Mathri” and “Laddoo” by incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour in different proportions (10:10, 20:10, and 30:10 served as treatments T1, T2 and T3 respectively T0, without incorporation of amaranth seeds, watermelon seeds and their flour served as control. The products were organoleptically evaluated by using Nine point Hedonic scale. The data obtained during study were analyzed statistically using analysis of variance and C.D techniques. The prepared products were analyzed for nutrient content using the standard method of AOAC (2005.It was concluded that in case of “Biscuits” and “Mathri” with incorporation level 20 percent amaranth seeds flour and 10 percent watermelon seeds flour scored highest while in case of “Laddoo” with incorporation level 20 percent amaranth seeds and 10 percent watermelon seeds scored highest, with regard to colour and appearance, body and texture, taste and flavour and over all acceptability, However all the treatments were found to be acceptable. It is therefore concluded that amaranth seeds and watermelon seeds can be suitably incorporated in various developed products. “Laddoo” had maximum carbohydrate (64.49g/100g, protein (13.59g/100g calcium (100.1mg/100g and iron (3.33mg/100g content. The content of Protein (14.46g/100g, carbohydrate (59.90 Calcium (59.90mg/100g, were increased as compared to control in “Biscuits”. “Mathri” was rich in Protein, Fat, carbohydrate and calcium content (11.10g/100g, 38.56g/100g, 38.83g/100g, and 53.95mg/100g. Cost of products on the basis raw ingredients per 100g ranged between Rs 6.33-12.45 for “Biscuits”, Rs 16.06-30.07, Rs 12.27-18.19 for “Mathri” and Rs.6.42-12.26 for “Laddoo”. On the basis of findings it is concluded

High-resolution genetic map for understanding the effect of genome-wide recombination rate on nucleotide diversity in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Umesh K; Nimmakayala, Padma; Levi, Amnon; Abburi, Venkata Lakshmi; Saminathan, Thangasamy; Tomason, Yan R; Vajja, Gopinath; Reddy, Rishi; Abburi, Lavanya; Wehner, Todd C; Ronin, Yefim; Karol, Abraham

2014-09-15

We used genotyping by sequencing to identify a set of 10,480 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for constructing a high-resolution genetic map of 1096 cM for watermelon. We assessed the genome-wide variation in recombination rate (GWRR) across the map and found an association between GWRR and genome-wide nucleotide diversity. Collinearity between the map and the genome-wide reference sequence for watermelon was studied to identify inconsistency and chromosome rearrangements. We assessed genome-wide nucleotide diversity, linkage disequilibrium (LD), and selective sweep for wild, semi-wild, and domesticated accessions of Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus to track signals of domestication. Principal component analysis combined with chromosome-wide phylogenetic study based on 1563 SNPs obtained after LD pruning with minor allele frequency of 0.05 resolved the differences between semi-wild and wild accessions as well as relationships among worldwide sweet watermelon. Population structure analysis revealed predominant ancestries for wild, semi-wild, and domesticated watermelons as well as admixture of various ancestries that were important for domestication. Sliding window analysis of Tajima's D across various chromosomes was used to resolve selective sweep. LD decay was estimated for various chromosomes. We identified a strong selective sweep on chromosome 3 consisting of important genes that might have had a role in sweet watermelon domestication. Copyright © 2014 Reddy et al.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai) juice modulates oxidative damage induced by low dose X-ray in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammad, Mohd Khairul Amran; Mohamed, Muhamad Idham; Zakaria, Ainul Mardhiyah; Abdul Razak, Hairil Rashmizal; Saad, Wan Mazlina Md

2014-01-01

Watermelon is a natural product that contains high level of antioxidants and may prevent oxidative damage in tissues due to free radical generation following an exposure to ionizing radiation. The present study aimed to investigate the radioprotective effects of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai) juice against oxidative damage induced by low dose X-ray exposure in mice. Twelve adult male ICR mice were randomly divided into two groups consisting of radiation (Rx) and supplementation (Tx) groups. Rx received filtered tap water, while Tx was supplemented with 50% (v/v) watermelon juice for 28 days ad libitum prior to total body irradiation by 100 μGy X-ray on day 29. Brain, lung, and liver tissues were assessed for the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibition activities. Results showed significant reduction of MDA levels and AP sites formation of Tx compared to Rx (P watermelon juice restore the intracellular antioxidant activities by significantly increased SOD inhibition activities and GSH levels compared to Rx. These findings may postulate that supplementation of 50% watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai) juice could modulate oxidative damage induced by low dose X-ray exposure.

Measuring Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall of crude oil portfolio using extreme value theory and vine copula

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wenhua; Yang, Kun; Wei, Yu; Lei, Likun

2018-01-01

Volatilities of crude oil price have important impacts on the steady and sustainable development of world real economy. Thus it is of great academic and practical significance to model and measure the volatility and risk of crude oil markets accurately. This paper aims to measure the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) of a portfolio consists of four crude oil assets by using GARCH-type models, extreme value theory (EVT) and vine copulas. The backtesting results show that the combination of GARCH-type-EVT models and vine copula methods can produce accurate risk measures of the oil portfolio. Mixed R-vine copula is more flexible and superior to other vine copulas. Different GARCH-type models, which can depict the long-memory and/or leverage effect of oil price volatilities, however offer similar marginal distributions of the oil returns.

The use of non-lethal defoliation to minimize the foliar Cs-uptake by vine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carini, F.; Montruccoli, M.; Anguissola-Scotti, I.; Silva, S.

1994-01-01

The chemical non-lethal defoliation of fruit trees might be used to minimize the translocation of radionuclides from the leaves to the fruits and to the internal ligneous tissues, reducing their redistribution in next harvest. The current paper describes a study on vine - a Mediteranian arboreous specie of high economical value. The leaf-fruit translocation of radiocaesium has been analyzed from different points of view, in particular, the possibility of reducing the foliar uptake of such radionuclide by means of a nonlethal defoliation. Vines grown in pots have been directly contaminated in two different years by sprinkling a carrier free solution of 134 Cs on leaves. Grapes have been covered during sprinkling to avoid their direct contamination. Other vines have been defoliated after contamination to evaluate the influence of leaf removal on the radiocaesium translocation to the fruits. The radiocaesium concentration has been determined in grapes at the ripening stage in the must. The radiocaesium interception measured on removed leaves is about 30% of the sprinkled activity. The radioactivity of covered grapes is with 20% lower than uncovered ones. Such a lower activity is likely ascribable only to leaf-fruit translocation without direct contamination of the grapes. The translocation factor expressed as percentage of fruit activity compared to the total intercepted one is about four times lower when the leaf removal treatment is affected just after the contamination. Grapes of plants contaminated a year before have a 134 Cs residual activity about 17 times lower than plants contaminated in the same year. When the vines have been contaminated and defoliated the year before, the residual activity of grapes is about 70 times lower. The ratio between defoliated and non-defoliated plants is still 1:4. Radioactivity of the must is five times lower for defoliated vines than for non-defoliated ones. (author)

Diseases and their management strategies take top research priority in watermelon research and development group member’s survey

Science.gov (United States)

Watermelon is an important crop grown for its delicious fruit in the U.S. and in many countries across the world. A survey of members of Watermelon Research and Development Group (WRDG) was conducted via email and during WRDG meetings in 2014 and 2015 in an effort to identify and rank important rese...

INFLUENCE OF ROOTSTOCKS ON Fusarium WILT, NEMATODE INFESTATION, YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY IN WATERMELON PRODUCTION

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Juan Carlos Álvarez-Hernández

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moschata rootstock are used to prevent infection with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum in watermelon production; however, this rootstock is not effective against nematode attack. Because of their vigor, the grafted plants can be planted at lower plant densities than the non-grafted plants. The tolerance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum and Meloidogyne incognita was assessed in watermelon plants grafted onto a hybrid of Citrullus lanatus cv Robusta or the Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moschata cv Super Shintoza rootstocks. The densities of plants were 2083 and 4166 plants ha-1. Non-grafted watermelons were the controls. The Crunchy Red and Sangría watermelon cultivars were used as the scions, it the latter as a pollinator. The experiments were performed for two production cycles in soils infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum and Meloidogyne incognita. The incidence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum was significantly greater in the non-grafted than in the grafted plants. The grafted plants presented similar resistance to Fusarium regardless of the rootstock. The root-knot galling index for Meloidogyne incognita was significantly lower in plants grafted onto Citrullus lanatus cv Robusta than onto the other rootstock. The yields of plants grafted onto Citrullus lanatus cv Robusta grown at both plant densities were significantly higher than in the other treatments.

Genetic relationships in the desert watermelon citrullus colocynthis as viewed with high-frequency, oligonucleotide–targeting active gene (HFO–TAG) markers

Science.gov (United States)

U.S. Plant Introductions (PIs) of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. are a viable source for enhancing disease and pest resistance in watermelon cultivars. However, there is information about their genetic diversity and relationships to watermelon cultivars. Genetic diversity and relationships were ...

Development of non-destructive sorting technique for viability of watermelon seed by using hyperspectral image processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Hyun Jin; Seo, Young Wook; Lohumi, Santosh; Park, Eun Soo; Cho, Byoung Kwan [Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dae Yong [Logistics institude, CJ Korea Express, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-15

Seed viability is one of the most important parameters that is directly related with seed germination performance and seedling emergence. In this study, a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system having a range of 1000 –2500 nm was used to classify viable watermelon seeds from nonviable seeds. In order to obtain nonviable watermelon seeds, a total of 96 seeds were artificially aged by immersing the seeds in hot water (25°C) for 15 days. Further, hyperspectral images for 192 seeds (96 normal and 96 aged) were acquired using the developed HSI system. A germination test was performed for all the 192 seeds in order to confirm their viability. Spectral data from the hyperspectral images of the seeds were extracted by selecting pixels from the region of interest. Each seed spectrum was averaged and preprocessed to develop a classification model of partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The developed PLS-DA model showed a classification accuracy of 94.7% for the calibration set, and 84.2% for the validation set. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique can classify viable and nonviable watermelon seeds with a reasonable accuracy, and can be further converted into an online sorting system for rapid and nondestructive classification of watermelon seeds with regard to viability.

Development of non-destructive sorting technique for viability of watermelon seed by using hyperspectral image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Hyun Jin; Seo, Young Wook; Lohumi, Santosh; Park, Eun Soo; Cho, Byoung Kwan; Kim, Dae Yong

2016-01-01

Seed viability is one of the most important parameters that is directly related with seed germination performance and seedling emergence. In this study, a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system having a range of 1000 –2500 nm was used to classify viable watermelon seeds from nonviable seeds. In order to obtain nonviable watermelon seeds, a total of 96 seeds were artificially aged by immersing the seeds in hot water (25°C) for 15 days. Further, hyperspectral images for 192 seeds (96 normal and 96 aged) were acquired using the developed HSI system. A germination test was performed for all the 192 seeds in order to confirm their viability. Spectral data from the hyperspectral images of the seeds were extracted by selecting pixels from the region of interest. Each seed spectrum was averaged and preprocessed to develop a classification model of partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The developed PLS-DA model showed a classification accuracy of 94.7% for the calibration set, and 84.2% for the validation set. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique can classify viable and nonviable watermelon seeds with a reasonable accuracy, and can be further converted into an online sorting system for rapid and nondestructive classification of watermelon seeds with regard to viability

Wine and the vine in Upper Moesia archaeological and epigraphic evidence

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Pilipović Sanja

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Vine-growing and winemaking in the area of the Roman province of Upper Moesia are looked at based on the information supplied by the ancient sources, and the archaeological and epigraphic evidence (inscriptions, artistic depictions, vinedressing and winemaking implements, drinking and transport vessels. Viniculture is associated with the Greco-Roman cultural orbit, while the native central-Balkan tribes typically consumed alcoholic beverages made from cereals. Therefore the goal of the research is to shed as much light as currently possible on the significance of vine-growing and wine in the life of the inhabitants of Upper Moesia. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177012: Society, spiritual and material culture and communications in prehistory and early history of the Balkans

Genome-wide identification and comparative expression analysis of LEA genes in watermelon and melon genomes

OpenAIRE

Celik Altunoglu, Yasemin; Baloglu, Mehmet Cengiz; Baloglu, Pinar; Yer, Esra Nurten; Kara, Sibel

2017-01-01

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are large and diverse group of polypeptides which were first identified during seed dehydration and then in vegetative plant tissues during different stress responses. Now, gene family members of LEA proteins have been detected in various organisms. However, there is no report for this protein family in watermelon and melon until this study. A total of 73 LEA genes from watermelon (ClLEA) and 61 LEA genes from melon (CmLEA) were identified in this co...

Energy-use pattern and carbon footprint of rain-fed watermelon production in Iran

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Allahyar Mohammadi-Barsari

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The analysis of energy-use patterns and carbon footprint is useful in achieving sustainable development in agriculture. Energy-use indices and carbon footprint for rain-fed watermelon production were studied in the Kiashahr region of Northern Iran. Data were collected from 58 farmers using a self-structured questionnaire during the growing season of 2013. The Cobb–Douglas model and sensitivity analysis were used to evaluate the effects of energy input on rain-fed watermelon yield. The findings demonstrated that chemical fertilizers consumed the highest percentage of total energy input (75.2%, followed by diesel fuel (12.9%. The total energy input was 16594.74 MJ ha−1 and total energy output was 36275.24 MJ ha−1. The results showed that the energy-use ratio was 2.19, energy productivity was 1.15 kg MJ−1, energy intensity was 0.87 MJ kg−1, and net energy gain was 19680.60 MJ ha−1. Direct and indirect energy for watermelon production were calculated as 2374.4 MJ ha−1 (14.3% and 14220.3 MJ ha−1 (85.7%, respectively. The share of renewable energy was 1.4%. This highlights the need to reduce the share of non-renewable energy and improve the sustainability of rain-fed watermelon production in Northern Iran. The study of carbon footprint showed that the chemical fertilizer caused the highest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG followed by machinery with 52.6% and 23.8% of total GHG emissions, respectively. The results of the Cobb–Douglas model and sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing one MJ of energy input of human labor, machinery, diesel fuel, chemical fertilizers, biocides, and seed changed the yield by 1.03, 0.96, 0.19, −0.97, 0.16, and 0.22 kg, respectively, in the Kiashahr region of Northern Iran. Providing some of the nitrogen required for crop growth through biological alternatives, renewing old power tillers, and using conservation tillage machinery may enhance energy efficiency and mitigate

Impact of pretreatment on colour and texture of watermelon rind

Science.gov (United States)

Athmaselvi, K.; Alagusundaram, K.; Kavitha, C.; Arumuganathan, T.

2012-07-01

The effect of osmotic dehydration pretreatment on water loss, solid gain, colour and textural change was investigated. Watermelon rind 1 x 1 cm size was immersed in sucrose solution of 40, 50 and 60° Brix after pretreatment with microwave and conventional boiling in water for 1, 3, and 5 min, respectively. Water loss and solid gain increased with the time of cooking and sugar concentration. Microwave pretreated samples showed higher water loss and solid gain. Increase in the time of cooking decreased the brightness of all the samples. Microwave pretreated samples showed higher `b' values than conventionally pretreated ones. There was no significant difference (P≤0.05) in texture profile analysis parameters except for hardness. Hardness decreased with increase in time of cooking and sugar concentration. Second order regression model was developed for water loss and solid gain of microwave and conventional pretreated watermelon rind.

A non-destructive genotyping system from a single seed for marker-assisted selection in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Meru, G; McDowell, D; Waters, V; Seibel, A; Davis, J; McGregor, C

2013-03-11

Genomic tools for watermelon breeding are becoming increasingly available. A high throughput genotyping system would facilitate the use of DNA markers in marker-assisted selection. DNA extraction from leaf material requires prior seed germination and is often time-consuming and cost prohibitive. In an effort to develop a more efficient system, watermelon seeds of several genotypes and various seed sizes were sampled by removing ⅓ or ½ sections from the distal ends for DNA extraction, while germinating the remaining proximal parts of the seed. Removing ⅓ of the seed from the distal end had no effect on seed germination percentage or seedling vigor. Different DNA extraction protocols were tested to identify a method that could yield DNA of sufficient quality for amplification by polymerase chain reaction. A sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction protocol with 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone yielded DNA that could be amplified with microsatellite primers and was free of pericarp contamination. In this study, an efficient, non-destructive genotyping protocol for watermelon seed was developed.

[Effects of lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigation and biofertilizer application on Fusarium wilt and biomass of continuous cropping cucumber and watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zong Zhuan; Sun, Li; Wang, Dong Sheng; Lyu, Na Na; Xue, Chao; Li, Rong; Shen, Qi Rong

2017-10-01

In this study, the population size of soil microbes was determined using plate counting method after the application of lime-ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium bicarbonate fumigation. In addition, biofertilizer was applied after soil fumigation and population of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium wilt disease control efficiency and plant biomass were determined in the cucumber and watermelon continuous cropping soil. The results showed that the population of F. oxysporum in cucumber mono-cropped soil fumigated with lime-ammonium bicarbonate or ammonium bicarbonate was decreased by 95.4% and 71.4%, while that in watermelon mono-cropped soil was decreased by 87.3% and 61.2%, respectively compared with non-fumigated control (CK). Furthermore, the greenhouse experiment showed that biofertilizer application, soil fumigation and crop type showed significant effects on the number of soil F. oxysporum, Fusarium wilt disease incidence, disease control efficiency and plant biomass based on multivariate analysis of variance. In the lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigated soil amended with biofertilizer (LFB), significant reductions in the numbers of F. oxysporum and Fusarium wilt disease incidence were observed in both cucumber and watermelon cropped soil compared to non-fumigated control soil applied with organic fertilizer. The disease control rate was 91.9% and 92.5% for cucumber and watermelon, respectively. Moreover, LFB also significantly increased the plant height, stem diameter, leaf SPAD, and dry biomass for cucumber and watermelon. It was indicated that biofertilizer application after lime-ammonium bicarbonate fumigation could effectively reduce the abundance of F. oxysporum in soil, control Fusarium wilt disease and improve plant biomass in cucumber and watermelon mono-cropping systems.

Determination of some organophosphorus pesticides in water and watermelon samples by microextraction prior to high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chun; Wu, Qiuhua; Wu, Chunxia; Wang, Zhi

2011-11-01

A novel method based on simultaneous liquid-liquid microextraction and carbon nanotube reinforced hollow fiber microporous membrane solid-liquid phase microextraction has been developed for the determination of six organophosphorus pesticides, i.e. isocarbophos, phosmet, parathion-methyl, triazophos, fonofos and phoxim, in water and watermelon samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Under the optimum conditions, the method shows a good linearity within a range of 1-200 ng/mL for water samples and 5-200 ng/g for watermelon samples, with the correlation coefficients (r) varying from 0.9990 to 0.9997 and 0.9986 to 0.9995, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) were in the range between 0.1 and 0.3 ng/mL for water samples and between 1.0 and 1.5 ng/g for watermelon samples. The recoveries of the method at spiking levels of 5.0 and 50.0 ng/mL for water samples were between 85.4 and 100.8%, and at spiking levels of 5.0 and 50.0 ng/g for watermelon samples, they were between 82.6 and 92.4%, with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) varying from 4.5-6.9% and 5.2-7.4%, respectively. The results suggested that the developed method represents a simple, low-cost, high analytes preconcentration and excellent sample cleanup procedure for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water and watermelon samples. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Whiteflies: Developing host plant resistance in watermelon from wild sources

Science.gov (United States)

The whitefly (Aleyrodidae) Bemisia tabaci causes serious damage to horticultural crops, including watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) and it is known to transmit many plant viruses. This whitefly is highly polyphagous, with over 1,000 known species, and can adapt to the environment. Yet, th...

Use of radiation for improving vines regarding their resistance to mildew

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutinho, M.P.

1977-01-01

Vines (Vitis vinifera) resistant to mildew (Plasmopara viticola) offer real advantages in Europe, and the problems of producing such vines were studied for a long time. At first conventional techniques were used, obtaining plants with high yield and with resistance persisting under widely differing ecological conditions; moreover, pathogenically different biotypes of Plasmopara have never been found. However, various factors - such as the quantitative nature of this resistance, which is controlled by a polygenic system, certain genetic correlations between resistance and poor quality of the grapes and the lack of resistance sources in V. vinifera - suggested that mutagenesis should be included among the methods used for the improvement of vines. Hence shoots and, more particularly, seeds have been undergoing irradiation with X-rays and neutrons since 1966. The exposure of seeds to low radiation doses (about 1000rad), particularly of X-rays, has in most varieties produced a very welcome increase in the germination percentage. Seedlings from irradiated seeds are selected mainly on the basis of the characteristics of the infection spots which develop on the leaves. In V. vinifera, resistance to mildew is reflected not in necroses but in small and usually not very sporulated spots. Using these criteria, the author has already selected - after natural infections and inoculations - plants representing approximately 0.001-0.0025% of the total number of plants screened. Tables illustrate the selection procedure up to 1976

High-level expression of a novel chromoplast phosphate transporter ClPHT4;2 is required for flesh color development in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jie; Guo, Shaogui; Ren, Yi; Zhang, Haiying; Gong, Guoyi; Zhou, Ming; Wang, Guizhang; Zong, Mei; He, Hongju; Liu, Fan; Xu, Yong

2017-02-01

Chromoplast development plays a crucial role in controlling carotenoid content in watermelon flesh. Modern cultivated watermelons with colorful flesh are believed to originate from pale-colored and no-sweet progenitors. But the molecular basis of flesh color formation and regulation is poorly understood. More chromoplasts and released carotenoid globules were observed in the red-fleshed fruit of the 97103 cultivar than in the pale-colored fruits of the PI296341-FR line. Transcriptome profiles of these two materials identified Cla017962, predicted as ClPHT4;2, was dramatically up-regulated during flesh color formation. High ClPHT4;2 expression levels were closely correlated with increased flesh carotenoid contents among 198 representative watermelon accessions. Down-regulation of ClPHT4;2 expression in transgenic watermelons reduced the fruit carotenoid accumulation. ClPHT4;2 as a function of chromoplast-localized phosophate transporter was tested by heterologous expression into a yeast phosphate-uptake-defective mutant, western blotting, subcellular localization, and immunogold electron microscopy analysis. Two transcription factors, ClbZIP1 and ClbZIP2, were identified, which responded to ABA and sugar signaling to regulate ClPHT4;2 transcription only in cultivated watermelon species. Our findings suggest that elevated ClPHT4;2 gene expression is necessary for carotenoid accumulation, and may help to characterize the co-development of flesh color and sweetness during watermelon development and domestication. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Supplementation with Watermelon Extract Reduces Total Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol in Adults with Dyslipidemia under the Influence of the MTHFR C677T Polymorphism.

Science.gov (United States)

Massa, Nayara M L; Silva, Alexandre S; de Oliveira, Caio V C; Costa, Maria J C; Persuhn, Darlene C; Barbosa, Carlos V S; Gonçalves, Maria da C R

2016-08-01

Dyslipidemia and genetic polymorphisms are associated with increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, and watermelon appears to have the potential to improve hyperlipidemia due to the presence of nutrients such as arginine and citrulline. To test the hypolipidemic effect of watermelon extract (Citrullus lanatus) and the influence of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype (MTHFR C677T) on supplementation response. This is an experimental clinical phase II randomized and double-blind study. Forty-three subjects with dyslipidemia were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental (n = 22) and control (n = 21) groups. The subjects were supplemented daily for 42 days with 6 g of watermelon extract or a mixture of carbohydrates (sucrose/glucose/fructose). The use of watermelon extract reduced plasma total cholesterol (p watermelon extract in reducing plasma levels of lipids in humans. The MTHFR C677T polymorphism did not affect the plasma lipid concentration but made individuals more responsive to treatment with watermelon. The consumption of this functional food represents an alternative therapy in the combined treatment of patients with dyslipidemia, promoting health and minimizing the development of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Occurrence of Diseases and Case of Clinical Diagnosis on Watermelon in South Korea, 2008-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaejong Noh

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The socio-network activities for regional governments, agricultural research institutes, developing agencies and policy makers of any countries are very crucial and important to take into account the root cause of current problems faced by farmers. The survey was conducted in South Korea during the period January, 2008 to August, 2012 in order to shed light on prevalence of different diseases on watermelon in different regions and to better understand farmers’ knowledge and perceptions for following watemelon’s growing procedures and practices. A total of 590 cases were reported on 573 watermelon growers with highest 87.1% in Jeonbuk, 4.7% in Jeonnam, and 8.2% in other regions such as Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Chungnam, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, Daegu, Gangwon, Changwon and Seoul. The maximum percentages of cases recorded were related to diseases and insect pest (38.6% followed by physiological disorder (29.7%, cultural practices (18.8%, soil and fertilizer (9.0%, herbicide (2.9% and others (1.0%. It was observed that the manifestation aspects of the diseases were changed due to increasing in proportion of ‘in-facility’ cultivation to 12,995 ha compared to ‘open-field’ cultivation (2,722 ha. The present survey revealed the necessity to reduce the damages incurred at watermelon farms as soon as possible through the breeding program to develop resistant cultivar, use of pathogen-free propagating plants, and efficient prevention of pathogen by regular monitoring of watermelon plants at farms.

Dynamics of sugar-metabolic enzymes and sugars accumulation during watermelon (citrullus lanatus) fruit development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.

2016-01-01

We analyzed sugar accumulation and the activities of sugar-metabolic enzymes in ripening fruits of three cultivars of watermelon; a high-sugar type w2, a low-sugar type (w1), and their hybrid. In w2, the glucose and fructose contents were higher than the sucrose content in the earlier stage of fruit development, and fruit growth was accompanied by increases in glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents. The sucrose content increased substantially after 20 days after anthesis (DAA) and it was the main soluble sugar in mature fruit (sucrose: hexoses ratio, 0.71). In W, the fructose and glucose contents were significantly higher than the sucrose content in mature fruit (sucrose: hexoses ratio, 0.25). Comparing the two parent cultivars, sucrose was the most important factor affecting the total sugar content in mature fruit, although glucose and fructose also contributed to total sugar contents. The fructose and glucose contents in the fruit of F1 were mid-way between those of their parents, while the sucrose content was closer to that of W (sucrose:hexoses ratio in F1, 0.26). In the early stage of fruit development of W2, the activities of acid invertase and neutral invertase were higher than those of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase. After 20 DAA, the acid invertase and neutral invertase activities decreased and those of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase increased, leading to increased sucrose content. In W1, the activities of acid invertase and neutral invertase were higher than those of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase at the early stage. The sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase activities were lower in W1 than in W2 at the later stages of fruit development. The patterns of sugar accumulation and sugar-metabolic enzyme activities during fruit development in F1 were similar to those in W1. (author)

Influence of leaf number and nodes on the rooting of semiwoody cuttings of flame vine

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Marília Milani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta (Ker-Gawl. Miers is a semihardwood vine, vigorous, native, native, occurring in all Brazilian biomes and ornamental potential. Technical information about the propagation of this species will contribute to the production of seedlings and with that, their greatest use in landscaping. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the number of leaves and nodes in rooting intermediate flame vine. The experiment was conducted under conditions of intermittent mist. The experimental design was a randomized block in factorial 2 x 3, being respectively cuttings with one or two nodes, and zero, one or two leaflets. We used four replicates with plots consisting of 12 cuttings placed in substrate of rice hulls in polystyrene trays with 72 cells. We evaluated at 84 days the porcentage of rooted cuttings, length of shoots, dry weight of shoots and, per cutting, average: number of roots - first order; maximum length of each root of the first order, volume and dry weight of roots. It was observed that cuttings with two leaflets enabled 66% of rooting, greater length and dry mass of shoots. The higher quality of the root system occurs with stakes with two leaflets and two nodes. The spread of flame vine is efficient with semi-hardwood cuttings with two nodes and two leaflets, kept in a greenhouse under intermittent mist.

On-farm yield potential of local seed watermelon landraces under heat- and drought-prone conditions in Mali

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nantoume, Aminata Dolo; Christiansen, Jørgen Lindskrog; Andersen, Sven Bode

2012-01-01

On-farm yield experiments were carried out in the Tombouctou region of Mali in 2009/10 under heat- and drought-prone desert conditions with three local landraces of seed-type watermelons. The landraces, named Fombou, Kaneye and Musa Musa by the farmers, exhibited distinct characteristics for fruit...... responsive. The yields obtained suggest that these local landraces of watermelon are valuable plant genetic resources for securing food supply in arid, heat- and drought-prone areas....

Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chomicki, Guillaume; Renner, Susanne S

2015-01-01

Type specimens are permanently preserved biological specimens that fix the usage of species names. This method became widespread from 1935 onwards and is now obligatory. We used DNA sequencing of types and more recent collections of wild and cultivated melons to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus Citrullus and the correct names for its species. We discovered that the type specimen of the name Citrullus lanatus, prepared by a Linnaean collector in South Africa in 1773, is not the species now thought of as watermelon. Instead, it is a representative of another species that is sister to C. ecirrhosus, a tendril-less South African endemic. The closest relative of the watermelon instead is a West African species. Our nuclear and plastid data furthermore reveal that there are seven species of Citrullus, not four as assumed. Our study implies that sweet watermelon originates from West, not southern Africa as previously believed, and that the South African citron melon has been independently domesticated. These findings affect and explain numerous studies on the origin of these two crops that led to contradictory results because of the erroneous merging of several distinct species. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Evolution of the stability parameters composting two-phase olive mill waste with grape marc and vine branches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gallego, A.; Lopez-Pineiro, A.; Albarran, A.; Rato, J. M.; Barreto, C.; Cabrera, D.; Prieto, M. H.; Munoz, A.; Almendro, J. P.

2009-01-01

Modern olive-oil extraction technology generates a large amount of two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) in Mediterranean countries, with composting being a viable alternative to the traditional disposal of these residues. Vine branches and grape marc also constitute abundant organic residues in these countries. TPOMW was composted with vine branches and grape mar as bulking agents for use as organic amendment. (Author)

Biochemical method for fast affinity diagnosis in grape-vine transplantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lilov, D.

1977-01-01

Long term experiments have proved the affinity of cv. Mavroud in transplantations on various root stocks. Best affinity was observed in the combination cv. Mavroud X Riparia tomanteau, followed, in a descending order, by the combinations Mavroud X Mavroud (autotransplantation), Mavroud X Berlandieri X Riparia Kobber SBB and Mavroud X Riparia 33 EM. In view to establish indices for predicting the transplantation affinity a great number of physiological-biochemical and morphological-anatomical studies were carried out. The results obtained showed that a most clearly expressed positive, statistically significant correlation exists between the amount of 15 N transported from the root stock to the scions, shoots and leaves. As a result, a biochemical method for fast affinity diagnosis in grape-vine transplantation has been developed. The reliability of the method has been checked up also with other cultivars. Up to the present no such method was known in grape-vine science and practice. (author)

Establishment of a comprehensive indicator to nondestructively analyze watermelon quality at different ripening stages

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Shuye Qi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Two nondestructive methods based on visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR spectroscopy and X-ray image have been used for the evaluation of watermelon quality. The prediction performance based on partial least squares (PLS by diffuse transmittance measurement (500–1010 nm was evaluated for chemical quality attributes SSC (Rc = 0.903; RMSEC = 0.572% Brix; Rp = 0.862; RMSEP = 0.717% Brix; RPD = 1.83, lycopene (Rc = 0.845; RMSEC = 0.266 mg/100 gFW; Rp = 0.751; RMSEP = 0.439 mg/100 gFW; RPD = 1.13 and moisture (Rc = 0.917; RMSEC = 0.280%; Rp = 0.937; RMSEP = 0.276%; RPD = 2.79. The X-ray calibration linear equations developed by extracting the appropriate gray threshold were sufficiently precise for volume (R2 = 0.986 and weight (R2 = 0.993. In order to optimize prediction model of watermelon quality in growth period, multivariate multi-block technique factor analysis enabled integration of these traits: chemical information is related to physical information. Applying principle component analysis to extract common factors and varimax with Kaiser normalization to improve explanatory, the comprehensive indicator based on variances was established satisfactorily with Rc = 0.94, RMSEC = 0.244, Rp = 0.93, RMSEP = 0.344 and RPD = 2.00. A comparison of these models indicates that the comprehensive indicator determined only by portable VIS-NIR spectrometer appears as a suitable method for appraising watermelon quality nondestructively on the plant at different ripen stages. This method contributes to infer the picking date of watermelon with higher accuracy and bigger economic benefits than that by experience.

Influence of mating disruption on the reproductive biology of the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), under field conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocco, Arturo; Muscas, Enrico; Mura, Alessandra; Iodice, Andrea; Savino, Francesco; Lentini, Andrea

2018-05-08

Although mating disruption is increasingly being used to control the worldwide grapevine pest vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), its mode of action remains unclear. A three-year field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of mating disruption on the development and reproduction of the vine mealybug. The influence of mating disruption applied over consecutive years on the pest population density was also evaluated. The percentage of ovipositing females was significantly reduced in disrupted plots by 18.8-66.2%, depending on the year. The absence of ovipositing females in disrupted plots in the autumn of the second and third year indicates the effectiveness of mating disruption throughout the whole growing season. Mating disruption consistently prolonged the pre-oviposition period in all years by up to 12.5 days. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the pheromone-based control of the vine mealybug and indicate that the reduction of the pest population density is due to both a decrease and delay in female mating. In addition, the population density of vine mealybugs under mating disruption decreased over years, indicating that consecutive applications of this control strategy would significantly increase the effectiveness of controlling the vine mealybug by mating disruption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The glyoxysomal and plastid molecular chaperones (70-kDa heat shock protein) of watermelon cotyledons are encoded by a single gene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wimmer, Bernhard; Lottspeich, Friedrich; Klei, Ida van der; Veenhuis, Marten; Gietl, Christine

1997-01-01

The monoclonal a-70-kDa heat shock protein (hsp70) antibody recognizes in crude extracts from watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) cotyledons with molecular masses of 70 and 72 KDa, Immunocytochemistry on watermelon cotyledon tissue and on isolated glyoxysomes identified hsp70s in the matrix of

Describing the spatio-temporal variability of vines and soil by satellite-based spectral indices: A case study in Apulia (South Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Borgogno-Mondino, E.; Novello, V.; Lessio, A.; de Palma, L.

2018-06-01

A time series of Landsat 8 OLI (L8 OLI) multispectral images acquired between May 2013 and February 2016 were used to investigate vigour, vine and soil water content in a vineyard of Moscato Reale (syn. Moscato Bianco) sited in the Castel del Monte DOCG area. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) were calculated and compared with vine midday stem water potential (ΨMDstem) and soil volume water content (VWC), to calibrate estimation models. Estimation models were calibrated using already existing ground observation datasets from previous ordinary vineyard management operations: ΨMDstem was measured at two different locations in vineyard at 6 different dates in summer 2014; VWC was continuously measured from June to October 2014 and from January to September 2015. Results showed that: a) vine stem water potential can be locally estimated with an accuracy ranging from ±0.046 (high vigour vines) to ±0.127 (low vigour vines) MPa; b) soil volume water content can be locally estimated with an accuracy of about ±1.7%. Medium resolution satellite imagery proved, therefore, to be effective, at vineyard level, to describe vigour, vine and soil water status and their seasonality. This is an important issue to focus on since, as Landsat 8 images are free, the entire process is economic enough to be consistent with cost and incoming of the farming system.

Host-plant preference and performance of the vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Tol, R.W.H.M.; van Dijk, N.; Sabelis, M.W.

2004-01-01

The relationship between reproductive performance and preference for potential host plants of the vine weevil is investigated, as shown in tests on contact (or feeding) preference, presented herein, and tests on olfactory preference, published elsewhere. Assessment of reproductive performance shows

Host plant preference and performance of the vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tol, van R.W.H.M.; Dijk, van N.; Sabelis, M.W.

2004-01-01

1. The relationship between reproductive performance and preference for potential host plants of the vine weevil is investigated, as shown in tests on contact (or feeding) preference, presented herein, and tests on olfactory preference, published elsewhere. 2. Assessment of reproductive performance

Determination of the Relationship Between Seed and Seedling Leaf Characteristics and Salt Tolerance in Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb. Mansf.] Genotypes

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Özlem ÜZAL

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In order to determine the relationships between salt tolerance, seed and seedling characteristics, 16 watermelon genotypes collected from various regions of Turkey, and 3 standard and 2 F1 hybrid varieties were used as material in the study. The seedlings were grown in Hoaglands nutrient solution in aqua culture in an atmospheric controlled climatic environment, and 100 mM NaCl salt stress was applied when the seedlings had 4-5 true leaves,. It has been understood that watermelon genotypes have different responses to salt stress in seedling growth and ion uptake. The watermelon genotypes 18, 22, 28, 31 and 41, with large seed weights and large cotyledon leaves were less affected from salt damage by being more selective in ion uptake. Watermelon genotypes 33, 38, 39, 40 and 44 with low seed weights and cotyledon leaf weights were not selective on ion uptake and were more affected by salt damage. It has been observed that the parameters used in the study have a high correlation with each other.

Linkage mapping in a watermelon population segregating for fusarium wilt resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh K. Hawkins; Fenny Dane; Thomas L. Kubisiak; Billy B. Rhodes; Robert L. Jarret

2001-01-01

Isozyme, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to generate a linkage map in an F2 and F3 watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum. & Nakai) population derived from a cross between the fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f....

The effect of D123 wheat as a companion crop on soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon.

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Xu, Weihui; Wang, Zhigang; Wu, Fengzhi

2015-01-01

The growth of watermelon is often threatened by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) in successively monocultured soil, which results in economic loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of D123 wheat as a companion crop on soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon and to explore the relationship between the effect and the incidence of wilt caused by Fon. The results showed that the activities of soil polyphenol oxidase, urease and invertase were increased, the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) were significantly increased, and the ratio of MBC/MBN was decreased (P Fusarium wilt was also decreased in the watermelon/wheat companion system. In conclusion, this study indicated that D123 wheat as a companion crop increased soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass, decreased the Fon population, and changed the relative abundance of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of watermelon, which may be related to the reduction of Fusarium wilt in the watermelon/wheat companion system.

Development of Isocratic RP-HPLC Method for Separation and Quantification of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine in Watermelons

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Rasdin Ridwan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus are known to have sufficient amino acid content. In this study, watermelons grown and consumed in Malaysia were investigated for their amino acid content, L-citrulline and L-arginine, by the isocratic RP-HPLC method. Flesh and rind watermelons were juiced, and freeze-dried samples were used for separation and quantification of L-citrulline and L-arginine. Three different mobile phases, 0.7% H3P04, 0.1% H3P04, and 0.7% H3P04 : ACN (90 : 10, were tested on two different columns using Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 and Gemini C18 with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and a detection wavelength at 195 nm. Efficient separation with reproducible resolution of L-citrulline and L-arginine was achieved using 0.1% H3P04 on the Gemini C18 column. The method was validated and good linearity of L-citrulline and L-arginine was obtained with R2 = 0.9956, y=0.1664x+2.4142 and R2=0.9912, y=0.4100x+3.4850, respectively. L-citrulline content showed the highest concentration in red watermelon of flesh and rind juice extract (43.81 mg/g and 45.02 mg/g, whereas L-arginine concentration was lower than L-citrulline, ranging from 3.39 to 11.14 mg/g. The isocratic RP-HPLC method with 0.1% H3P04 on the Gemini C18 column proved to be efficient for separation and quantification of L-citrulline and L-arginine in watermelons.

Genetic variability of watermelon accessions based on microsatellite markers.

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de S Gama, R N C; Santos, C A F; de C S Dias, R

2013-03-13

We analyzed the genetic variability of 40 watermelon accessions collected from 8 regions of Northeastern Brazil using microsatellite markers, in order to suggest strategies of conservation and utilization of genetic variability in this species. These accessions are not commercial cultivars. They were sampled in areas of traditional farmers that usually keep their own seeds for future plantings year after year. An UPGMA dendrogram was generated from a distance matrix of the Jaccard coefficient, based on 41 alleles of 13 microsatellite loci. Analysis of molecular variance was made by partitioning between and within geographical regions. The similarity coefficient between accessions ranged from 37 to 96%; the dendrogram gave a co-phenetic value of 0.80. The among population genetic variability was high ( (^)ϕST = 0.319). Specific clusters of accessions sampled in 3 regions of Maranhão were observed while the other 5 regions did not presented specific clusters by regions. We conclude that watermelon genetic variability is not uniformly dispersed in the regions analyzed, indicating that geographical barriers or edaphoclimatic conditions have limited open mating. We suggest sampling a greater number of populations, so regional species diversity will be better represented and preserved in the germplasm bank.

Characterization of seed oils from different varieties of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)] from Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Mahmood, Z.; Shahid, S. A.; Anwar, F.; Raziq, S.; Nadeem, R.

2012-01-01

This paper reports the physicochemical characteristics of the seed oils from different varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) cultivated in Pakistan, namely Sugar Baby, Q-F-12, D-W-H-21 and Red Circle-1885. The oil and crude protein contents from watermelon seeds, within the range of 28.25 to 35.65% and 20.50 to 35.00%, respectively, varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the varieties tested. The levels of moisture, ash, and crude fiber in the seeds tested were found to be 2.16-3.24%, 1....

Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of grafting-responsive mRNA in watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks by high-throughput sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Na; Yang, Jinghua; Fu, Xinxing; Zhang, Li; Tang, Kai; Guy, Kateta Malangisha; Hu, Zhongyuan; Guo, Shaogui; Xu, Yong; Zhang, Mingfang

2016-04-01

Grafting is an important agricultural technique widely used to improve plant growth, yield, and adaptation to either biotic or abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying grafting-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is an important horticultural crop worldwide. Grafting technique is commonly used in watermelon production for improving its tolerance to stresses, especially to the soil-borne fusarium wilt disease. In the present study, we used high-throughput sequencing to perform a genome-wide transcript analysis of scions from watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks. Our transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling data provided insights into the molecular aspects of gene regulation in grafted watermelon. Compared with self-grafted watermelon, there were 787 and 3485 genes differentially expressed in watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks, respectively. These genes were associated with primary and secondary metabolism, hormone signaling, transcription factors, transporters, and response to stimuli. Grafting led to changes in expression of these genes, suggesting that they may play important roles in mediating the physiological processes of grafted seedlings. The potential roles of the grafting-responsive mRNAs in diverse biological and metabolic processes were discussed. Obviously, the data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the mechanisms of candidate genes function in diverse biological processes and in environmental adaptation in a graft system.

Simultaneous determination of difenoconazole, trifloxystrobin and its metabolite trifloxystrobin acid residues in watermelon under field conditions by GC-MS/MS.

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Kang, Di; Zhang, Haizhen; Chen, Yuling; Wang, Fei; Shi, Lihong; Hu, Deyu; Zhang, Kankan

2017-11-01

An optimized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe method for the simultaneous determination of difenoconazole, trifloxystrobin and its metabolite trifloxystrobin acid residues in watermelon and soil was developed and validated by gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile (1% formic acid) and cleaned up by dispersive solid-phase extraction with octadecylsilane sorbent. The limit of quantification of the method was 0.01 mg/kg, and the limit of detection was 0.003 mg/kg for all three analytes. The recoveries of the fungicides in watermelon, pulp and soil were 72.32-99.20% for difenoconazole, 74.68-87.72% for trifloxystrobin and 78.59-92.66% for trifloxystrobin acid with relative standard deviations of 1.34-14.04%. The dissipation dynamics of difenoconazole and trifloxystrobin in watermelon and soil followed the first-order kinetics with half-lives of 3.2-8.8 days in both locations. The final residue levels of difenoconazole and trifloxystrobin were below 0.1 mg/kg (maximum residue level [MRL] set by China) and 0.2 mg/kg (MRL set by European Union), respectively, in pulp samples collected 14 days after the last application. These results could help Chinese authorities to establish MRL of trifloxystrobin in watermelon and provide guidance for the safe and proper application of both fungicides on watermelon. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Complete nucleotide sequence of watermelon chlorotic stunt virus originating from Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Akhtar J; Akhtar, Sohail; Briddon, Rob W; Ammara, Um; Al-Matrooshi, Abdulrahman M; Mansoor, Shahid

2012-07-01

Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV) is a bipartite begomovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) that causes economic losses to cucurbits, particularly watermelon, across the Middle East and North Africa. Recently squash (Cucurbita moschata) grown in an experimental field in Oman was found to display symptoms such as leaf curling, yellowing and stunting, typical of a begomovirus infection. Sequence analysis of the virus isolated from squash showed 97.6-99.9% nucleotide sequence identity to previously described WmCSV isolates for the DNA A component and 93-98% identity for the DNA B component. Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation to Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the development of symptoms fifteen days post inoculation. This is the first bipartite begomovirus identified in Oman. Overall the Oman isolate showed the highest levels of sequence identity to a WmCSV isolate originating from Iran, which was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. This suggests that WmCSV present in Oman has been introduced from Iran. The significance of this finding is discussed.

Ecological and pest-management implications of sex differences in scarab landing patterns on grape vines.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Chang, Mauricio; Boyer, Stéphane; Lefort, Marie-Caroline; Nboyine, Jerry; Wratten, Steve D

2017-01-01

Melolonthinae beetles, comprising different white grub species, are a globally-distributed pest group. Their larvae feed on roots of several crop and forestry species, and adults can cause severe defoliation. In New Zealand, the endemic scarab pest Costelytra zealandica (White) causes severe defoliation on different horticultural crops, including grape vines ( Vitis vinifera ). Understanding flight and landing behaviours of this pest can help inform pest management decisions. Adult beetles were counted and then removed from 96 grape vine plants from 21:30 until 23:00 h, every day from October 26 until December 2, during 2014 and 2015. Also, adults were removed from the grape vine foliage at dusk 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min after flight started on 2015. Statistical analyses were performed using generalised linear models with a beta-binomial distribution to analyse proportions and with a negative binomial distribution for beetle abundance. By analysing C. zealandica sex ratios during its entire flight season, it is clear that the proportion of males is higher at the beginning of the season, gradually declining towards its end. When adults were successively removed from the grape vines at 5-min intervals after flight activity begun, the mean proportion of males ranged from 6-28%. The male proportion suggests males were attracted to females that had already landed on grape vines, probably through pheromone release. The seasonal and daily changes in adult C. zealandica sex ratio throughout its flight season are presented for the first time. Although seasonal changes in sex ratio have been reported for other melolonthines, changes during their daily flight activity have not been analysed so far. Sex-ratio changes can have important consequences for the management of this pest species, and possibly for other melolonthines, as it has been previously suggested that C. zealandica females land on plants that produce a silhouette against the sky. Therefore, long-term management

Retrospective 70 y-spatial analysis of repeated vine mortality patterns using ancient aerial time series, Pléiades images and multi-source spatial and field data

Science.gov (United States)

Vaudour, E.; Leclercq, L.; Gilliot, J. M.; Chaignon, B.

2017-06-01

For any wine estate, there is a need to demarcate homogeneous within-vineyard zones ('terroirs') so as to manage grape production, which depends on vine biological condition. Until now, the studies performing digital zoning of terroirs have relied on recent spatial data and scant attention has been paid to ancient geoinformation likely to retrace past biological condition of vines and especially occurrence of vine mortality. Is vine mortality characterized by recurrent and specific patterns and if so, are these patterns related to terroir units and/or past landuse? This study aimed at performing a historical and spatial tracing of vine mortality patterns using a long time-series of aerial survey images (1947-2010), in combination with recent data: soil apparent electrical conductivity EM38 measurements, very high resolution Pléiades satellite images, and a detailed field survey. Within a 6 ha-estate in the Southern Rhone Valley, landuse and planting history were retraced and the map of missing vines frequency was constructed from the whole time series including a 2015-Pléiades panchromatic band. Within-field terroir units were obtained from a support vector machine classifier computed on the spectral bands and NDVI of Pléiades images, EM38 data and morphometric data. Repeated spatial patterns of missing vines were highlighted throughout several plantings, uprootings, and vine replacements, and appeared to match some within-field terroir units, being explained by their specific soil characteristics, vine/soil management choices and the past landuse of the 1940s. Missing vines frequency was spatially correlated with topsoil CaCO3 content, and negatively correlated with topsoil iron, clay, total N, organic C contents and NDVI. A retrospective spatio-temporal assessment of terroir therefore brings a renewed focus on some key parameters for maintaining a sustainable grape production.

Chemical, sensory, and functional properties of whey-based popsicles manufactured with watermelon juice concentrated at different temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Carolina P C; Ferreira, Marcus Vinicius S; Esmerino, Erick A; Moraes, Jeremias; Pimentel, Tatiana C; Rocha, Ramon S; Freitas, Mônica Q; Santos, Jânio S; Ranadheera, C Senaka; Rosa, Lana S; Teodoro, Anderson J; Mathias, Simone P; Silva, Márcia C; Raices, Renata S L; Couto, Silvia R M; Granato, Daniel; Cruz, Adriano G

2018-07-30

The effects of the concentration of watermelon juice at different temperatures (45, 55, or 65 °C) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of whey-based popsicles were investigated. Total phenolic content, lycopene, citrulline, VOCs, melting rate, instrumental colour, antioxidant capacity, and the sensory characteristics (hedonic test and free listing) were determined. The temperature led to a significant decrease in bioactive compounds (total phenolics, lycopene, and citrulline). The popsicle manufactured with reconstituted watermelon juice concentrated to 60 °Brix at 65 °C presented higher antioxidant capacity and was characterized by the presence of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones and presented a similar acceptance to the untreated popsicle (except for flavour). It is possible to combine whey and concentrated watermelon juice for the manufacture of bioactive-rich popsicles, using the concentration temperature of 65 °C as a suitable processing condition for potential industrial applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Avaliação de genótipos de melancia para resistência ao Papaya ringspot vírus, estirpe melancia Evaluation of watermelon genotypes for resistance to Papaya ringspot virus, type watermelon

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Jairo V Vieira

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Verificou-se a eficiência de duas metodologias de avaliação em nove genótipos de melancia da resistência a três isolados de Papaya ringspot virus, estirpe melancia (PRSV-W, de três regiões brasileiras. O delineamento do experimento foi em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Cada parcela foi composta de um vaso com 5 kg de substrato com cinco plantas de melancia por vaso. Aos 10 e 13 dias após a semeadura, três isolados do PRSV-W coletados nos estados de Goiás, Pernambuco e São Paulo, foram inoculados mecanicamente. Aos 27 e 37 dias após a semeadura foram feitas avaliações visuais de sintomas de vírus. A confirmação da presença ou não do vírus nas plantas inoculadas foi feita através do teste sorológico Das-Elisa, utilizando anti-soro policlonal. Foram realizadas análises de variância, estimadas as herdabilidades, calculadas as correlações entre os caracteres, e efetuadas comparações das médias dos genótipos e dos diferentes inóculos. Pelo comportamento diferenciado dos genótipos em relação aos isolados avaliados, conclui-se que isolados provenientes de diferentes regiões devem ser testados nos programas de melhoramento de melancia. Os altos valores de herdabilidade para a maioria dos caracteres indicam que a característica em estudo está sob o controle de poucos loci e que, portanto, a possibilidade de seleção de materiais resistentes é alta. Em geral, os genótipos mostraram um nível de tolerância superior ao da cultivar predominante no mercado brasileiro (Crimson Sweet. Portanto, podem servir de base para a produção de cultivares mais tolerantes ao PRSV-W.The aim of this study was to assess the resistance of nine watermelon genotypes against three PRSV-W isolates originated from three Brazilian States (São Paulo, Goiás and Pernambuco. The experiment was carried out at Embrapa Hortaliças, Brasilia, Brazil, in April 2004. Nine watermelon genotypes were appraised, in a randomizated block

Ruth Rendell and Barbara Vine – family matters

OpenAIRE

Peters, F

2017-01-01

This article traces themes and preoccupations that work across Ruth Rendell’s work, writing both as Rendell and also as Barbara Vine. It investigates the ways in which the\\ud use of a pseudonym allows her to delve deeper into areas that she also explores as Rendell – the dysfunctional family and heredity, both in relation to physical disease and the fruitless search for origins, the latter discussed by her through the lens of Freudian psychoanalysis.

Identification of grape cultivars and rootstocks with resistance to vine mealybug

Science.gov (United States)

Vine mealybug, an insect pest capable of causing direct and indirect damage to grape vineyards, costs California growers millions of dollars annually. Insecticide sprays used to manage the pest provide inconsistent results, and sustainable methods of control are needed. A previous study identified a...

Nature’s packaging and organization of carotenoids in watermelon and cantaloupe chromoplasts

Science.gov (United States)

As a means to better understand factors influencing the bioavailability of carotenoids from natural sources, the properties of plant-derived precipitates of watermelon lycopene and cantaloupe B-carotene were examined in an aqueous environment. Electron microscopy and chemical analyses revealed that...

Influence of watermelon seed protein concentrates on dough handling, textural and sensory properties of cookies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wani, Ali Abas; Sogi, D S; Singh, Preeti; Khatkar, B S

2015-04-01

Fruit processing wastes contain numerous by products of potential use in food & allied industry. Watermelon seeds represent a major by-product of the processing waste and contain high amount of nutritional proteins. Protein rich cereal based products are in demand due to their health promoting benefits. With this aim, wheat flour was fortified with watermelon seed protein concentrates (2.5 %, 5 %, 7.5 % and 10 % levels) to prepare cookies with desirable physical, nutritional, and textural and sensory properties. Substitution levels of 5 % and 10 % significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the dough stability and mixing tolerance index, however pasting properties and dough extensibility decreased considerably above 5 % substitution levels. Cookie fracture force (kg) increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) above 5 % fortification levels. Cookie spread factor (W/T) increased from 2.5 % to 7.5 % fortification levels, further increase showed negative impact. Sensory scores of the cookies showed that protein concentrate may be added up to 7.5 % fortification levels. This study revealed that watermelon protein concentrates can be fortified with protein concentrates upto 5-7.5 % levels in cookies to improve their protein quality.

USVL-380, A zucchini yellow mosaic virus resistant watermelon breeding line

Science.gov (United States)

We report the development of a novel watermelon line ‘USVL-380’ [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] resistant to the zucchini yellow mosaic virus-Florida strain (ZYMV-FL). This breeding line is homozygous for the recessive eukaryotic elongation factor eIF4E allele associated with ZYMV-resis...

Antioxidant Effects of Grape Vine Cane Extracts from Different Chinese Grape Varieties on Edible Oils

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Zhuo Min

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study involved the determination of the peroxide value (POV as a measure of the resistance of the oxidation of edible oil with grape vine cane additives to assess their antioxidation potential. The study demonstrated that grape extracts of canes could effectively inhibit the lipid oxidation of edible oils and that this ability varied significantly due to the different extraction solvents employed, as well as to the different varieties of canes used. Lipid oxidation of edible oils was significantly reduced under an accelerated storage condition of 70 ± 1 °C in the presence of Vitamin C (VC, which was chosen as a synergist of grape vine cane extract. A 4:1 ratio of Victoria Blanc-ethyl acetate fraction (EAF and VC led to a significant lowering of the peroxide value and indicated a better antioxidant effect. Thus, these results indicated that some varieties of grape vine cane extracts could be applied as natural antioxidants for elevation of the quality of edible oils in the food industry.

Regulation of Plant Growth, Photosynthesis, Antioxidation and Osmosis by an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus in Watermelon Seedlings under Well-Watered and Drought Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Yanling; Wang, Yongqi; Yang, Ruiping; Zheng, Junxian; Liu, Changming; Li, Hao; Ma, Jianxiang; Zhang, Yong; Wei, Chunhua; Zhang, Xian

2016-01-01

Drought stress has become an increasingly serious environmental issue that influences the growth and production of watermelon. Previous studies found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization improved the fruit yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of watermelon grown under water stress; however, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the effects of Glomus versiforme symbiosis on the growth, physio-biochemical attributes, and stress-responsive gene expressions of watermelon seedlings grown under well-watered and drought conditions were investigated. The results showed that AM colonization did not significantly influence the shoot growth of watermelon seedlings under well-watered conditions but did promote root development irrespective of water treatment. Drought stress decreased the leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentration, but to a lesser extent in the AM plants. Compared with the non-mycorrhizal seedlings, mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching values, which reduced the chloroplast ultrastructural damage in the mesophyll cells and thus maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency. Moreover, AM inoculation led to significant enhancements in the enzyme activities and gene expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase in watermelon leaves upon drought imposition. Consequently, AM plants exhibited lower accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and [Formula: see text] compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Under drought stress, the soluble sugar and proline contents were significantly increased, and further enhancements were observed by pre-treating the drought-stressed plants with AM. Taken together, our findings indicate that mycorrhizal colonization enhances watermelon drought tolerance through a stronger root system, greater protection of photosynthetic apparatus, a more efficient antioxidant system and improved osmoregulation. This study contributes

Phenolic characterization and antioxidant capacity of ten autochthonous vines grown in southern Italy / Caratterizzazione fenolica e potere antiossidante di dieci vitigni autoctoni allevati nel Sud Italia

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Milella Rosa Anna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In plant foods are naturally present some bioactive compounds, that are compounds having or not nutritional value and with biological activity that is expressed in reducing the risk of developing many chronic diseases, therefore leading a key protective effect on our health. Within this group of compounds the antioxidants are included. The importance of antioxidants contained in food is associated with their ability to exert in vivo, in the human body, beneficial effects against chronical- degenerative diseases induced by oxidative stress and age. It has been attributed a positive role to grape polyphenols in terms of increase in endogenous antioxidant defenses, thanks to regulation of genes coding for key enzymes of antioxidant system. For the polyphenols it has also been recognized a specific action of tumor growth inhibition, linked to the modulation of enzymes involved in carcinogenesis or to the inhibition of growth factors and cell proliferation activation. After carbohydrates and acids, the phenolic compounds represent the largest group among grape constituents. The synthesis of these secondary metabolites takes place in two distinct phases of vine growth cycle: fruit set and maturation. The polyphenolic composition contributes to grapes and wine sensory properties, such as color, flavor, astringency, and determines the antioxidant capacity of the extract. These metabolites are mainly related to the variety and their content is influenced by climatic and environmental factors. Among the polyphenols, anthocyanins, hydroxicinnamiltartaric acids, flavonols, flavans, stilbene and resveratrol are of particular interest. Despite numerous studies in the vine-wine industry on polyphenols quantification and qualification, we don't know much about the environmental conditions that affect their synthesis in grapes and how they are extracted from it in wine production. Therefore, the aim of this work has been the study of antioxidant property and

Deep Sequencing Data and Infectivity Assays Indicate that Chickpea Chlorotic Dwarf Virus is the Etiological Agent of the “Hard Fruit Syndrome” of Watermelon

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Takoua Zaagueri

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus (CpCDV, a polyphagous mastrevirus, family Geminiviridae, has been recently linked to the onset of the “hard fruit syndrome” of watermelon, first described in Tunisia, that makes fruits unmarketable due to the presence of white hard portions in the flesh, chlorotic mottling on the rind, and an unpleasant taste. To investigate the etiological agent of this disease, total RNA extracted from symptomatic watermelon fruits was subjected to small RNA sequencing through next generation sequencing (NGS techniques. Data obtained showed the presence of CpCDV and two other viral species. However, following validation through polymerase chain reaction (PCR, CpCDV was the only viral species consistently detected in all samples. Watermelon seedlings were then challenged by an agroinfectious CpCDV clone; several plants proved to be CpCDV-infected, and were able to produce fruits. CpCDV infected and replicated in watermelon fruits and leaves, leading to abnormality in fruits and in seed production, similar to those described in field. These results indicate that CpCDV is the etiological agent of the “hard fruit syndrome” of watermelon.

Carotenoid content and in vitro bioaccessibility of lycopene from guava (Psidium guajava) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) by high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detection.

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Chandrika, U G; Fernando, K S S P; Ranaweera, K K D S

2009-11-01

The carotenoid content and in vitro accessibility of the 'Sugar baby' variety of watermelon and the 'Horana red' variety of guava from Sri Lanka was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The high-performance liquid chromatography chromatogram showed that the Guava 'Horana red' variety contained almost exclusively lycopene (45.3 +/- 8.0 microg/g fresh weight (FW)), with a small amount of lutein (2.1 +/- 0.6 microg/g FW), beta-carotene (2.0 +/- 0.2 microg/g FW) and beta-cryptoxanthin. As far as carotenoids in the sugar baby variety of watermelon are concerned, it contained lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene of 37.2 +/- 4.0 microg/g FW, 2.1 +/- 0.6 microg/g FW and 0.3 +/- 1 microg/g FW, respectively. The studies showed that guava contains more lycopene (45.3+/-8.0 microg/g FW) than watermelon (37.2 +/- 4.0 microg/g FW), and that the in vitro accessibility of lycopene in guava (73%) is more than that in watermelon (25.8%). Therefore it can be concluded that guava can be used as a better lycopene source than watermelon.

Establishment of a transgenic hairy root system in wild and domesticated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) for studying root vigor under drought.

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Kajikawa, Masataka; Morikawa, Kaoru; Abe, Yosuke; Yokota, Akiho; Akashi, Kinya

2010-07-01

Root vigor is an important trait for the growth of terrestrial plants, especially in water-deficit environments. Although deserts plants are known for their highly developed root architecture, the molecular mechanism responsible for this trait has not been determined. Here we established an efficient protocol for the genetic manipulation of two varieties of watermelon plants: a desert-grown wild watermelon that shows vigorous root growth under drought, and a domesticated cultivar showing retardation of root growth under drought stress. Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transgenic hairy roots were efficiently induced and selected from the hypocotyls of these plants. Transgenic GUS expression was detected in the roots by RT-PCR and histochemical GUS staining. Moreover, a liquid culture system for evaluating their root growth was also established. Interestingly, growth of the hairy roots derived from domesticated variety of watermelon strongly inhibited under high osmotic condition, whereas the hairy roots derived from wild variety of watermelon retained substantial growth rates under the stress condition. The new protocol presented here offers a powerful tool for the comparative study of the molecular mechanism underlying drought-induced root growth in desert plants.

Regime Switching Vine Copula Models for Global Equity and Volatility Indices

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Holger Fink

2017-01-01

Full Text Available For nearly every major stock market there exist equity and implied volatility indices. These play important roles within finance: be it as a benchmark, a measure of general uncertainty or a way of investing or hedging. It is well known in the academic literature that correlations and higher moments between different indices tend to vary in time. However, to the best of our knowledge, no one has yet considered a global setup including both equity and implied volatility indices of various continents, and allowing for a changing dependence structure. We aim to close this gap by applying Markov-switching R-vine models to investigate the existence of different, global dependence regimes. In particular, we identify times of “normal” and “abnormal” states within a data set consisting of North-American, European and Asian indices. Our results confirm the existence of joint points in a time at which global regime switching between two different R-vine structures takes place.

A method to identify potential cold-climate vine growing sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Jørgen L; Olesen, Asger; Breuning-Madsen, Henrik

2011-01-01

located on the basis of nation-wide climatic data on the sum of degree days and risk of frost. Within the most suitable areas a detailed survey of the amount of sunshine, topography, drainage and soil was carried out on the Røsnæs peninsula in north western Zealand, and eight well-suited vine growing...

Identification of Appropriate Reference Genes for Normalization of miRNA Expression in Grafted Watermelon Plants under Different Nutrient Stresses.

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Wu, Weifang; Deng, Qin; Shi, Pibiao; Yang, Jinghua; Hu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Mingfang

2016-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a globally important crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. The grafting technique is commonly used to improve its tolerance to stress, as well as to enhance its nutrient uptake and utilization. It is believed that miRNA is most likely involved in its nutrient-starvation response as a graft-transportable signal. The quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is the preferred method for miRNA functional analysis, in which reliable reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy. The purpose of this study was to select appropriate reference genes in scion (watermelon) and rootstocks (squash and bottle gourd) of grafted watermelon plants under normal growth conditions and nutrient stresses (nitrogen and phosphorus starvation). Under nutrient starvation, geNorm identified miR167c and miR167f as two most stable genes in both watermelon leaves and squash roots. miR166b was recommended by both geNorm and NormFinder as the best reference in bottle gourd roots under nutrient limitation. Expression of a new Cucurbitaceae miRNA, miR85, was used to validate the reliability of candidate reference genes under nutrient starvation. Moreover, by comparing several target genes expression in qRT-PCR analysis with those in RNA-seq data, miR166b and miR167c were proved to be the most suitable reference genes to normalize miRNA expression under normal growth condition in scion and rootstock tissues, respectively. This study represents the first comprehensive survey of the stability of miRNA reference genes in Cucurbitaceae and provides valuable information for investigating more accurate miRNA expression involving grafted watermelon plants.

Are temperate mature forests buffered from invasive lianas?

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Pavlovic, Noel B.; Leicht-Young, Stacey A.

2011-01-01

Mature and old-growth forests are often thought to be buffered against invasive species due to low levels of light and infrequent disturbance. Lianas (woody vines) and other climbing plants are also known to exhibit lower densities in older forests. As part of a larger survey of the lianas of the southern Lake Michigan region in mature and old-growth forests, the level of infestation by invasive lianas was evaluated. The only invasive liana detected in these surveys was Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Celastraceae). Although this species had only attached to trees and reached the canopy in a few instances, it was present in 30% of transects surveyed, mostly as a component of the ground layer. Transects with C. orbiculatus had higher levels of soil potassium and higher liana richness than transects without. In contrast, transects with the native C. scandens had higher pH, sand content, and soil magnesium and lower organic matter compared to transects where it was absent. Celastrus orbiculatus appears to be a generalist liana since it often occurs with native lianas. Celastrus orbiculatus poses a substantial threat to mature forests as it will persist in the understory until a canopy gap or other disturbance provides the light and supports necessary for it to ascend to the canopy and damage tree species. As a result, these forests should be monitored by land managers so that C. orbiculatus eradication can occur while invasions are at low densities and restricted to the ground layer.

Genome wide characterization of simple sequence repeats in watermelon genome and their application in comparative mapping and genetic diversity analysis.

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Zhu, Huayu; Song, Pengyao; Koo, Dal-Hoe; Guo, Luqin; Li, Yanman; Sun, Shouru; Weng, Yiqun; Yang, Luming

2016-08-05

Microsatellite markers are one of the most informative and versatile DNA-based markers used in plant genetic research, but their development has traditionally been difficult and costly. The whole genome sequencing with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies provides large amounts of sequence data to develop numerous microsatellite markers at whole genome scale. SSR markers have great advantage in cross-species comparisons and allow investigation of karyotype and genome evolution through highly efficient computation approaches such as in silico PCR. Here we described genome wide development and characterization of SSR markers in the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) genome, which were then use in comparative analysis with two other important crop species in the Cucurbitaceae family: cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and melon (Cucumis melo L.). We further applied these markers in evaluating the genetic diversity and population structure in watermelon germplasm collections. A total of 39,523 microsatellite loci were identified from the watermelon draft genome with an overall density of 111 SSRs/Mbp, and 32,869 SSR primers were designed with suitable flanking sequences. The dinucleotide SSRs were the most common type representing 34.09 % of the total SSR loci and the AT-rich motifs were the most abundant in all nucleotide repeat types. In silico PCR analysis identified 832 and 925 SSR markers with each having a single amplicon in the cucumber and melon draft genome, respectively. Comparative analysis with these cross-species SSR markers revealed complicated mosaic patterns of syntenic blocks among the genomes of three species. In addition, genetic diversity analysis of 134 watermelon accessions with 32 highly informative SSR loci placed these lines into two groups with all accessions of C.lanatus var. citorides and three accessions of C. colocynthis clustered in one group and all accessions of C. lanatus var. lanatus and the remaining accessions of C. colocynthis

Gynogenesis in the vine cacti Hylocereus and Selenicereus (Cactaceae).

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Garcia, Reinerio Benega; Cisneros, Aroldo; Schneider, Bert; Tel-Zur, Noemi

2009-05-01

Gynogenesis was investigated on the allotetraploid Selenicereus megalanthus and the diploid Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus vine cactus species. Unpollinated ovules from developing flower buds containing microspores at middle uninucleate developmental stage were cultured on MS basal medium containing 2,4-D/TDZ with different sucrose concentrations. Ovule size increased under dark culture conditions in all the three species and the level of response was species and sucrose concentration dependent. The best responses were achieved in the two S. megalanthus accessions, E-123 and J-80, at 0.18 and 0.26 M sucrose. Only ovule enlargement was obtained in H. undatus and both ovule enlargement and callus were obtained in H. polyrhizus. Development in both species ceased and embryoids were not formed. Plant regeneration was directly and indirectly obtained in both S. megalanthus accessions. Ploidy level was determined for a total of 29 S. megalanthus gynogenic plants using flow cytometry: 15 were found to be dihaploid (plants with the gametophytic chromosome number) and the other 14 were found to have higher ploidy levels. This is the first report of successful gynogenesis in Cactaceae. The dihaploids of S. megalanthus successfully produced by ovule culture techniques opens new perspectives in vine cacti breeding.

Regulation of Plant Growth, Photosynthesis, Antioxidation and Osmosis by an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus in Watermelon Seedlings under Well-Watered and Drought Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Yanling; Wang, Yongqi; Yang, Ruiping; Zheng, Junxian; Liu, Changming; Li, Hao; Ma, Jianxiang; Zhang, Yong; Wei, Chunhua; Zhang, Xian

2016-01-01

Drought stress has become an increasingly serious environmental issue that influences the growth and production of watermelon. Previous studies found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization improved the fruit yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of watermelon grown under water stress; however, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the effects of Glomus versiforme symbiosis on the growth, physio-biochemical attributes, and stress-responsive gene expressions of watermelon seedlings grown under well-watered and drought conditions were investigated. The results showed that AM colonization did not significantly influence the shoot growth of watermelon seedlings under well-watered conditions but did promote root development irrespective of water treatment. Drought stress decreased the leaf relative water content and chlorophyll concentration, but to a lesser extent in the AM plants. Compared with the non-mycorrhizal seedlings, mycorrhizal plants had higher non-photochemical quenching values, which reduced the chloroplast ultrastructural damage in the mesophyll cells and thus maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency. Moreover, AM inoculation led to significant enhancements in the enzyme activities and gene expressions of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase in watermelon leaves upon drought imposition. Consequently, AM plants exhibited lower accumulation of MDA, H2O2 and O2− compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Under drought stress, the soluble sugar and proline contents were significantly increased, and further enhancements were observed by pre-treating the drought-stressed plants with AM. Taken together, our findings indicate that mycorrhizal colonization enhances watermelon drought tolerance through a stronger root system, greater protection of photosynthetic apparatus, a more efficient antioxidant system and improved osmoregulation. This study contributes to advances

Genetic differentiation of watermelon landrace types in Mali revealed by microsatellite (SSR) markers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nantoume, Aminata Dolo; Andersen, Sven Bode; Jensen, Brita Dahl

2013-01-01

This study describes the genetic differentiation of a collection of 134 watermelon landrace accessions from Mali, representing red fleshed dessert and white fleshed seed and cooking type watermelons from five regions, plus three commercial dessert type cultivars with red flesh. The material...... the accessions into use groups (dessert, cooking, seed processing) explained 25 % of the variation. When categorising the accessions further into 10 landrace types, differentiated on the basis of use groups, local accession name, flesh colour and seed phenotype, these landrace types explained 26......-groups. One group included again the red fleshed dessert types with local and commercial origin, while the remaining seven genetic sub-groups comprised the white fleshed landrace types used for seed processing and cooking, as well as white fleshed types of one dessert type. Some of the seed and cooking types...

Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine: Focus on the Older Adult Learner.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasworm, Carol E.

1978-01-01

Three significant elements should be considered in offering educational programs for the older learner: acceptance (old dogs); support (God bless little children while they're too young to hate); and dependability (watermelon wine). Guidelines are offered for the teacher entering the classroom composed of adult learners. (KC)

Mutation in the gene encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 4 (CitACS4) led to andromonoecy in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Gaojie; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Haiying; Sun, Honghe; Gong, Guoyi; Shi, Jianting; Tian, Shouwei; Guo, Shaogui; Ren, Yi; Shen, Huolin; Gao, Junping; Xu, Yong

2016-09-01

Although it has been reported previously that ethylene plays a critical role in sex determination in cucurbit species, how the andromonoecy that carries both the male and hermaphroditic flowers is determined in watermelon is still unknown. Here we showed that the watermelon gene 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 4 (CitACS4), expressed specifically in carpel primordia, determines the andromonoecy in watermelon. Among four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and one InDel identified in the coding region of CitACS4, the C364W mutation located in the conserved box 6 was co-segregated with andromonoecy. Enzymatic analyses showed that the C364W mutation caused a reduced activity in CitACS4. We believe that the reduced CitACS4 activity may hamper the programmed cell death in stamen primordia, leading to the formation of hermaphroditic flowers. © 2016 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Ecological and pest-management implications of sex differences in scarab landing patterns on grape vines

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Mauricio González-Chang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background Melolonthinae beetles, comprising different white grub species, are a globally-distributed pest group. Their larvae feed on roots of several crop and forestry species, and adults can cause severe defoliation. In New Zealand, the endemic scarab pest Costelytra zealandica (White causes severe defoliation on different horticultural crops, including grape vines (Vitis vinifera. Understanding flight and landing behaviours of this pest can help inform pest management decisions. Methods Adult beetles were counted and then removed from 96 grape vine plants from 21:30 until 23:00 h, every day from October 26 until December 2, during 2014 and 2015. Also, adults were removed from the grape vine foliage at dusk 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min after flight started on 2015. Statistical analyses were performed using generalised linear models with a beta-binomial distribution to analyse proportions and with a negative binomial distribution for beetle abundance. Results By analysing C. zealandica sex ratios during its entire flight season, it is clear that the proportion of males is higher at the beginning of the season, gradually declining towards its end. When adults were successively removed from the grape vines at 5-min intervals after flight activity begun, the mean proportion of males ranged from 6–28%. The male proportion suggests males were attracted to females that had already landed on grape vines, probably through pheromone release. Discussion The seasonal and daily changes in adult C. zealandica sex ratio throughout its flight season are presented for the first time. Although seasonal changes in sex ratio have been reported for other melolonthines, changes during their daily flight activity have not been analysed so far. Sex-ratio changes can have important consequences for the management of this pest species, and possibly for other melolonthines, as it has been previously suggested that C. zealandica females land on plants that produce a

Development of seedlings of watermelon cv. Crimson Sweet irrigated with biosaline water

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José E. S. B. da Silva

2015-09-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTThe limited access and the scarcity of good quality water for agriculture are some of the major problems faced in agricultural areas, particularly in arid and semiarid regions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of watermelon seedlings (cv. Crimson Sweet, irrigated with different concentrations of biosaline water of fish culture. The experimental design was completely randomized with five treatments, corresponding to biosaline water at different concentrations (0, 33, 50, 67 and 100%, and four replicates of 108 seedlings. Watermelon seeds were sown in plastic trays filled with commercial substrate and irrigated with different solutions of biosaline water. Seedlings were harvested for biometric analysis at 14, 21 and 28 days after sowing. The use of biosaline water did not affect emergence and establishment of seedlings until 14 days after sowing, the period recommended for transplantation. However, the use of biosaline water affected the development of seedlings with longer exposure time.

Raman Hyperspectral Imaging for Detection of Watermelon Seeds Infected with Acidovorax citrulli.

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Lee, Hoonsoo; Kim, Moon S; Qin, Jianwei; Park, Eunsoo; Song, Yu-Rim; Oh, Chang-Sik; Cho, Byoung-Kwan

2017-09-23

The bacterial infection of seeds is one of the most important quality factors affecting yield. Conventional detection methods for bacteria-infected seeds, such as biological, serological, and molecular tests, are not feasible since they require expensive equipment, and furthermore, the testing processes are also time-consuming. In this study, we use the Raman hyperspectral imaging technique to distinguish bacteria-infected seeds from healthy seeds as a rapid, accurate, and non-destructive detection tool. We utilize Raman hyperspectral imaging data in the spectral range of 400-1800 cm -1 to determine the optimal band-ratio for the discrimination of watermelon seeds infected by the bacteria Acidovorax citrulli using ANOVA. Two bands at 1076.8 cm -1 and 437 cm -1 are selected as the optimal Raman peaks for the detection of bacteria-infected seeds. The results demonstrate that the Raman hyperspectral imaging technique has a good potential for the detection of bacteria-infected watermelon seeds and that it could form a suitable alternative to conventional methods.

An integrated genetic map based on four mapping populations and quantitative trait loci associated with economically important traits in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Modern watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) cultivars share a narrow genetic base due to many years of selection for desirable horticultural qualities. Wild subspecies within C. lanatus are important potential sources of novel alleles for watermelon breeding, but successful trait introgression into elite cultivars has had limited success. The application of marker assisted selection (MAS) in watermelon is yet to be realized, mainly due to the past lack of high quality genetic maps. Recently, a number of useful maps have become available, however these maps have few common markers, and were constructed using different marker sets, thus, making integration and comparative analysis among maps difficult. The objective of this research was to use single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) anchor markers to construct an integrated genetic map for C. lanatus. Results Under the framework of the high density genetic map, an integrated genetic map was constructed by merging data from four independent mapping experiments using a genetically diverse array of parental lines, which included three subspecies of watermelon. The 698 simple sequence repeat (SSR), 219 insertion-deletion (InDel), 36 structure variation (SV) and 386 SNP markers from the four maps were used to construct an integrated map. This integrated map contained 1339 markers, spanning 798 cM with an average marker interval of 0.6 cM. Fifty-eight previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 12 traits in these populations were also integrated into the map. In addition, new QTL identified for brix, fructose, glucose and sucrose were added. Some QTL associated with economically important traits detected in different genetic backgrounds mapped to similar genomic regions of the integrated map, suggesting that such QTL are responsible for the phenotypic variability observed in a broad array of watermelon germplasm. Conclusions The integrated map described herein enhances the utility of genomic tools over

An integrated genetic map based on four mapping populations and quantitative trait loci associated with economically important traits in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Yi; McGregor, Cecilia; Zhang, Yan; Gong, Guoyi; Zhang, Haiying; Guo, Shaogui; Sun, Honghe; Cai, Wantao; Zhang, Jie; Xu, Yong

2014-01-20

Modern watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) cultivars share a narrow genetic base due to many years of selection for desirable horticultural qualities. Wild subspecies within C. lanatus are important potential sources of novel alleles for watermelon breeding, but successful trait introgression into elite cultivars has had limited success. The application of marker assisted selection (MAS) in watermelon is yet to be realized, mainly due to the past lack of high quality genetic maps. Recently, a number of useful maps have become available, however these maps have few common markers, and were constructed using different marker sets, thus, making integration and comparative analysis among maps difficult. The objective of this research was to use single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) anchor markers to construct an integrated genetic map for C. lanatus. Under the framework of the high density genetic map, an integrated genetic map was constructed by merging data from four independent mapping experiments using a genetically diverse array of parental lines, which included three subspecies of watermelon. The 698 simple sequence repeat (SSR), 219 insertion-deletion (InDel), 36 structure variation (SV) and 386 SNP markers from the four maps were used to construct an integrated map. This integrated map contained 1339 markers, spanning 798 cM with an average marker interval of 0.6 cM. Fifty-eight previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 12 traits in these populations were also integrated into the map. In addition, new QTL identified for brix, fructose, glucose and sucrose were added. Some QTL associated with economically important traits detected in different genetic backgrounds mapped to similar genomic regions of the integrated map, suggesting that such QTL are responsible for the phenotypic variability observed in a broad array of watermelon germplasm. The integrated map described herein enhances the utility of genomic tools over previous watermelon genetic maps. A

Comparison of the effect of saturated and superheated steam on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes on cantaloupe and watermelon surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Sun-Ah; Song, Won-Jae; Kang, Dong-Hyun

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was evaluation of the effectiveness of superheated steam (SHS) on inactivation of foodborne pathogens on cantaloupes and watermelons. Saturated steam (SS) treatment was performed at 100 °C and that of SHS at 150 and 200 °C. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes-inoculated cantaloupes and watermelons were exposed for a maximum of 30 s and 10 s, respectively. Populations of the three pathogens on cantaloupes and watermelons were reduced by more than 5 log after 200 °C steam treatment for 30 s and 10 s, respectively. After SHS treatment of cantaloupes and watermelons for each maximum treatment time, color and maximum load values were not significantly different from those of untreated controls. By using a noncontact 3D surface profiler, we found that surface characteristics, especially surface roughness, is the main reason for differences in microbial inactivation between cantaloupes and watermelons. The results of this study suggest that SHS treatment can be used as an antimicrobial intervention for cantaloupes and watermelons without inducing quality deterioration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction of Fusarium wilt in watermelon by Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 and P. fluorescens WCS365

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G.T. Tziros

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Fusarium wilt of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum is a devastatine soil-borne disease that causes extensive losses throughout the world. Two known Pseudomonas biocontrol strains were used separately and in combination to assess their antagonistic effectiveness against F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum in pot experiments. P. chlororaphis PCL1391 signifi cantly reduced disease severity. P. fl uorescens WCS365 was less effective in disease suppression, while a combination of the two bacteria had intermediate effects. The biological control of Fusarium wilt with P. chlororaphis offers a potentially useful tool in an integrated pest management program to control Fusarium wilt of watermelon.

Redox Signaling and CBF-Responsive Pathway Are Involved in Salicylic Acid-Improved Photosynthesis and Growth under Chilling Stress in Watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Fei; Lu, Junyang; Gao, Min; Shi, Kai; Kong, Qiusheng; Huang, Yuan; Bie, Zhilong

2016-01-01

Salicylic acid (SA) plays an important role in plant response to abiotic stresses. This study investigated the potential role of SA in alleviating the adverse effects of chilling stress on photosynthesis and growth in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Chilling stress induced the simultaneous accumulation of free and conjugated SA in watermelon plants, and the chilling-induced SA production was attributed to the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase pathway. Applying SA at moderate concentrations induced chilling tolerance, whereas inhibition of SA biosynthesis by L-α-aminooxy-β-phenylpropionic acid (AOPP) increased the photooxidation of PS II under chilling stress in watermelon, resulting in reduced photosynthesis and growth. Chilling induced a transient increase in the ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione and reduced ascorbate to dehydroascorbate. Then, the expression of antioxidant genes was upregulated, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were enhanced. Furthermore, SA-induced chilling tolerance was associated with cellular glutathione and ascorbate homeostasis, which served as redox signals to regulate antioxidant metabolism under chilling stress. AOPP treatment stimulated the chilling-induced expression of cold-responsive genes, particularly via C-repeat binding factors CBF3 and CBF4. These results confirm the synergistic role of SA signaling and the CBF-dependent responsive pathway during chilling stress in watermelon. PMID:27777580

Redox Signaling and CBF-Responsive Pathway are Involved in Salicylic Acid-Improved Photosynthesis and Growth under Chilling Stress in Watermelon

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Fei Cheng

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Salicylic acid (SA plays an important role in plant response to abiotic stresses. This study investigated the potential role of SA in alleviating the adverse effects of chilling stress on photosynthesis and growth in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus. Chilling stress induced the simultaneous accumulation of free and conjugated SA in watermelon plants, and the chilling-induced SA production was attributed to the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase pathway. Applying SA at moderate concentrations induced chilling tolerance, whereas inhibition of SA biosynthesis by L-ɑ-aminooxy-β-phenylpropionic acid (AOPP increased the photooxidation of PS II under chilling stress in watermelon, resulting in reduced photosynthesis and growth. Chilling induced a transient increase in the ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione and reduced ascorbate to dehydroascorbate. Then, the expression of antioxidant genes was upregulated, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were enhanced. Furthermore, SA-induced chilling tolerance was associated with cellular glutathione and ascorbate homeostasis, which served as redox signals to regulate antioxidant metabolism under chilling stress. AOPP treatment stimulated the chilling-induced expression of cold-responsive genes, particularly via C-repeat binding factors CBF3 and CBF4. These results confirm the synergistic role of SA signaling and the CBF-dependent responsive pathway during chilling stress in watermelon.

Comparative mapping in watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai].

Science.gov (United States)

Sandlin, Katherine; Prothro, Jason; Heesacker, Adam; Khalilian, Nelly; Okashah, Rebecca; Xiang, Wenwen; Bachlava, Eleni; Caldwell, David G; Taylor, Chris A; Seymour, Danelle K; White, Victoria; Chan, Eva; Tolla, Greg; White, Cathy; Safran, Dolores; Graham, Elaine; Knapp, Steven; McGregor, Cecilia

2012-12-01

The first single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) maps for watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai] were constructed and compared. Three populations were developed from crosses between two elite cultivars, Klondike Black Seeded × New Hampshire Midget (KBS × NHM), an elite cultivar and wild egusi accession, Strain II × PI 560023 (SII × Egusi) and an elite cultivar and a wild citron accession, ZWRM50 × PI 244019 (ZWRM × Citroides). The SII × Egusi and ZWRM × Citroides F(2) populations consisted of 187 and 182 individuals respectively while the KBS × NHM recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisted of 164 lines. The length of the genetic maps were 1,438, 1,514 and 1,144 cM with average marker distances of 3.8, 4.2, and 3.4 cM for the KBS × NHM, SII × Egusi and ZWRM × Citroides populations, respectively. Shared markers were used to align the three maps so that the linkage groups (LGs) represented the 11 chromosomes of the species. Marker segregation distortion were observed in all three populations, but was highest (12.7 %) in the ZWRM × Citroides population, where Citroides alleles were favored. The three maps were used to construct a consensus map containing 378 SNP markers with an average distance of 5.1 cM between markers. Phenotypic data was collected for fruit weight (FWT), fruit length (FL), fruit width (FWD), fruit shape index (FSI), rind thickness (RTH) and Brix (BRX) and analyzed for quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with these traits. A total of 40 QTL were identified in the three populations, including major QTL for fruit size and shape that were stable across genetic backgrounds and environments. The present study reports the first SNP maps for Citrullus and the first map constructed using two elite parents. We also report the first stable QTL associated with fruit size and shape in Citrullus lanatus. These maps, QTL and SNPs should be useful for the watermelon community and represent a significant step towards the

Genetic transformation of watermelon with pumpkin DNA by low energy ion beam-mediated introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Haobo; Guo Jinhua; Huang Qunce; Yu Zengliang

2002-01-01

The No.601 watermelon (citrullus lanatus) seeds were treated with 25 keV N + implantation at the dosage of 7.8 x 10 16 ions/cm 2 . After treatment, watermelon seeds were incubated with 380 μg/μl pumpkin (Cucubita, maxima Duch) DNA solution at 35 degree C for 5 hours. By two-generations of selection and resistance screening at seedling stage, one transformed material was selected out, whose rind color is similar to that of the donor pumpkin and whose size of seeds is between that of the donor and the receptor. Using AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique, two polymorphic DNA fragments were amplified. This primarily testified that the donor DNA fragments/gene were introduced into the receptor cell and integrated into the genomic DNA of the receptor

Genetic Transformation of Watermelon with Pumpkin DNA by Low Energy Ion Beam-Mediated Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao-bo; Gao, Xiu-wu; Guo, Jin-hua; Huang, Qun-ce; Yu, Zeng-liang

2002-12-01

The No.601 watermelon (citrullus lanatus) seeds were treated with 25 keV N+ implantation at the dosage of 7.8 × 1016 ions/cm2. After treatment, watermelon seeds were incubated with 380 μg/μl pumpkin (Cucubita, maxima Duch) DNA solution at 35 °C for 5 hours. By two-generations of selection and resistance screening at seedling stage, one transformed material was selected out, whose rind color is similar to that of the donor pumpkin and whose size of seeds is between that of the donor and the receptor. Using AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique, two polymorphic DNA fragments were amplified. This primarily testified that the donor DNA fragments/gene were introduced into the receptor cell and integrated into the genomic DNA of the receptor.

Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of the Bluff Experimental Forest, Warren County, Mississippi

Science.gov (United States)

Robert L. Johnson; Elbert L. Little

1967-01-01

Nearly 100 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines grow naturally on the 450-acre Bluff Experimental Forest in west-central Mississippi. This publication lists the plants and provides information on silvical characteristics of the tree species.

The toxic effect of alunimium in vines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Roux, E.G.; Peisach, M.; Pineda, C.A.; Pougnet, M.A.B.

1988-01-01

The split-root technique was used to study the effect of varying the growth media on the elemental content of nutrient elements in the roots of grape vines. The varieties 2-1 (R99 x Jacquez) and Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera) were grown in Hoagland water culture with and without added aluminium. The elemental concentrations of Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K and Ca in the dried roots were determined by PIXE. Roots grown in Al-rich media were deficient in Mg and Ca, but enriched in Al. There was a correlation between Al and Si but the uptake differed in the two varieties. (author) 7 refs.; 4 figs

STUDIES REGARDING THE COLOR EVOLUTION DURING MATURATION OF CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND PINOT NOIR WINES

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Luminiţa Vişan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available During maturation of red wines their chromatic characteristics change due to degradation reactions of anthocyanin pigments and polymers formation. It was studied the polyphenolic composition of young red wines Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir and its evolution during wines maturation. The wines were obtained in the Ceptura vine center, from the harvest year of 2015. The polyphenolic composition of wines was judged by the content in polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins. A wine tannin structure was analyzed by their concentration in condensed tannins, astringent tannins and tannin-polysaccharide complex. Analyzes have been carried out in the wine by UV-VIS spectrometry techniques. Total content of polyphenols have been determined by spectrophotometric technique (DO280. Tannins have been determined by the Ribereau-Gayon method (1996, tannin structure after Glories method (1978; anthocyanins were determined by the discoloration technique with SO2. The study on color of red wines analyzed during their evolution referred to the study of chromatic parameters, the content of anthocyanin monomers and polymers (Glories method. Our results showed a decrease of the percent of anthocyanin monomers accompanied by an increase the percent of polymers, in both wines, during their maturation.

Studies on watermelon somatic cell mutant of resistance to fusaric acid (FA) by low energy Ar+ ion beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Haobo; Gu Yunhong; Cheng Guowang; Yu Zengliang

2003-01-01

Three kinds of watermelon seeds irradiated by Ar + ion beam (25 keV, 6.24 x 10 16 ions/cm 2 ) were inoculated in MS medium with 15 mg/L FA. Cotyledons from the sterile seedling as explants were inoculated in MS +BA 2.0 mg/L + FA 15 mg/L. And the adventitious shoots of resistance to FA were cultured in MS + NAA 0.2 mg/L + FA 15 mg/L. The results showed that both the irradiation of Ar + and FA affected the germination rate and seedling of watermelon line 3-27 and YH-5, and the joint effect of Ar + and FA showed an enhanced restraint. The adventitious shoot and rootage induction rate from the seeds irradiated by Ar + were respectively bigger than the unirradiated seeds in 3-27 and YH-5. The increasing ranges were different between two watermelon lines and between the shoot and rootage induction rates

Molecular characterization of a GA-inducible gene, Cvsus1, in developing watermelon seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Joonyul; Jun, Sung-Hoon; Kang, Hong-Gyu; Lee, Jinwon; An, Gynheung

2002-10-31

To understand the molecular mechanisms that control seed development, we isolated a seed-preferential gene from ESTs of developing watermelon seeds. The gene Cvsus1 encodes a protein that is 86% identical to the Vicia faba sucrose synthase expressed in developing seeds. RNA blot analysis showed that Cvsus1 was preferentially expressed in watermelon seeds. We also investigated gene expression levels both in pollinated seeds and in parthenocarpic seeds, which lack zygotic tissues. Whereas the transcript level of Cvsus1 was rapidly increased during normal seed development, the expression was not significantly increased in the parthenocarpic seeds. However, treating the parthenocarpic fruits with GA3 strongly induced Cvsus1 expression, up to the level accumulated in pollinated seeds. These results suggest that Cvsus1 is induced in maternal tissues via signals from the zygotic tissues, and that GA may be one of those signals.

Assessing Efficiency of D-Vine Copula ARMA-GARCH Method in Value at Risk Forecasting: Evidence from PSE Listed Companies

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Václav Klepáč

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article points out the possibilities of using static D-Vine copula ARMA-GARCH model for estimation of 1 day ahead market Value at Risk. For the illustration we use data of the four companies listed on Prague Stock Exchange in range from 2010 to 2014. Vine copula approach allows us to construct high-dimensional copula from both elliptical and Archimedean bivariate copulas, i.e. multivariate probability distribution, created from process innovations. Due to a deeper shortage of existing domestic results or comparison studies with advanced volatility governed VaR forecasts we backtested D-Vine copula ARMA-GARCH model against the VaR rolling out of sample forecast from October 2012 to April 2014 of chosen benchmark models, e.g. multivariate VAR-GO-GARCH, VAR-DCC-GARCH and univariate ARMA-GARCH type models. Common backtesting via Kupiec and Christoffersen procedures offer generalization that technological superiority of model supports accuracy only in case of an univariate modeling – working with non-basic GARCH models and innovations with leptokurtic distributions. Multivariate VAR governed type models and static Copula Vines performed in stated backtesting comparison worse than selected univariate ARMA-GARCH, i.e. it have overestimated the level of actual market risk, probably due to hardly tractable time-varying dependence structure.

A high-density genetic map for anchoring genome sequences and identifying QTLs associated with dwarf vine in pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guoyu; Ren, Yi; Sun, Honghe; Guo, Shaogui; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Haiying; Jia, Zhangcai; Fei, Zhangjun; Xu, Yong; Li, Haizhen

2015-12-24

Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) is an economically important crop belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. However, very few genomic and genetic resources are available for this species. As part of our ongoing efforts to sequence the pumpkin genome, high-density genetic map is essential for anchoring and orienting the assembled scaffolds. In addition, a saturated genetic map can facilitate quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. A set of 186 F2 plants derived from the cross of pumpkin inbred lines Rimu and SQ026 were genotyped using the genotyping-by-sequencing approach. Using the SNPs we identified, a high-density genetic map containing 458 bin-markers was constructed, spanning a total genetic distance of 2,566.8 cM across the 20 linkage groups of C. maxima with a mean marker density of 5.60 cM. Using this map we were able to anchor 58 assembled scaffolds that covered about 194.5 Mb (71.7%) of the 271.4 Mb assembled pumpkin genome, of which 44 (183.0 Mb; 67.4%) were oriented. Furthermore, the high-density genetic map was used to identify genomic regions highly associated with an important agronomic trait, dwarf vine. Three QTLs on linkage groups (LGs) 1, 3 and 4, respectively, were recovered. One QTL, qCmB2, which was located in an interval of 0.42 Mb on LG 3, explained 21.4% phenotypic variations. Within qCmB2, one gene, Cma_004516, encoding the gibberellin (GA) 20-oxidase in the GA biosynthesis pathway, had a 1249-bp deletion in its promoter in bush type lines, and its expression level was significantly increased during the vine growth and higher in vine type lines than bush type lines, supporting Cma_004516 as a possible candidate gene controlling vine growth in pumpkin. A high-density pumpkin genetic map was constructed, which was used to successfully anchor and orient the assembled genome scaffolds, and to identify QTLs highly associated with pumpkin vine length. The map provided a valuable resource for gene cloning and marker assisted breeding in pumpkin and

Characteristics of Watermelon Mosaic Virus Transmission Occurring in Korean Ginseng

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Seung-Kook Choi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng is the most popular herb for medical purpose in Korea. Recently, viral diseases from Korean ginseng showing various degrees of severe mottling, variegation and mosaic symptoms have caused quantity losses of Korean ginseng in a large number of farms. Watermelon mosaic virus (named WMVgin was identified as a causal agent for the disease of Korean ginseng. Interestingly, WMV-gin failed to infect both Korean ginseng plant and susceptible host species including cucurbitaceous plants by mechanical inoculation. However, WMV-gin could successfully infect Korean ginseng by transmission of two aphid species (Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii. It is likely that transmission of WMV-gin was done by both the aphid species during feeding behavior of the two aphid species on Korean ginseng, though the aphids dislike feeding in Korea ginseng. Similarly, a strain of WMV (WMV-wm isolated from watermelon was transmitted successfully to Korean ginseng plant by the two aphid species, but not by mechanical inoculations. Transmission assays using M. persicae and A. gossypii clearly showed both WMV-gin and WMV-wm were not transmitted from infected Korean ginseng plant to cucurbit species that are good host species for WMV. These results suggest WMV disease occurring in Korean ginseng plant can be controlled by ecological approaches.

VINE-A NUMERICAL CODE FOR SIMULATING ASTROPHYSICAL SYSTEMS USING PARTICLES. II. IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Andrew F.; Wetzstein, M.; Naab, T.

2009-01-01

We continue our presentation of VINE. In this paper, we begin with a description of relevant architectural properties of the serial and shared memory parallel computers on which VINE is intended to run, and describe their influences on the design of the code itself. We continue with a detailed description of a number of optimizations made to the layout of the particle data in memory and to our implementation of a binary tree used to access that data for use in gravitational force calculations and searches for smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) neighbor particles. We describe the modifications to the code necessary to obtain forces efficiently from special purpose 'GRAPE' hardware, the interfaces required to allow transparent substitution of those forces in the code instead of those obtained from the tree, and the modifications necessary to use both tree and GRAPE together as a fused GRAPE/tree combination. We conclude with an extensive series of performance tests, which demonstrate that the code can be run efficiently and without modification in serial on small workstations or in parallel using the OpenMP compiler directives on large-scale, shared memory parallel machines. We analyze the effects of the code optimizations and estimate that they improve its overall performance by more than an order of magnitude over that obtained by many other tree codes. Scaled parallel performance of the gravity and SPH calculations, together the most costly components of most simulations, is nearly linear up to at least 120 processors on moderate sized test problems using the Origin 3000 architecture, and to the maximum machine sizes available to us on several other architectures. At similar accuracy, performance of VINE, used in GRAPE-tree mode, is approximately a factor 2 slower than that of VINE, used in host-only mode. Further optimizations of the GRAPE/host communications could improve the speed by as much as a factor of 3, but have not yet been implemented in VINE

MEASURING WORKING HOURS INPUT IN VINE GROWING AT WORK ORGANIZATION BASED ON PHENOLOGICAL PHASES

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J BRAZSIL

2002-05-01

Full Text Available Research was based on phenological phases of Italian Riesling, involving differences in labour and financial input for dry, optimal and wet weather. Worktime demand for certain operations in vine growing was determined with an analytic method, work day survey and We worked out alternatives for dry, optimum and wet weather on the basis of phenological phaseses. The worktime demand for the phenological phases with all their operations were analysed and planned in an itemized way based on our findings. We used them to work out the worktime demand for the given vine land for each operation. To analyse differences coming from diverse methods of cultivation and spacing, the material, operational and total costs of hand and mechanized labour were projected for 1 hectare and variance analysis was made.

Effect of different vine lengths on the growth and yield of orange ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Field experiment was conducted in 2014 cropping season at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Agricultural Education Department, Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe to investigate the effect of different vine lengths on the growth and yield of orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomea batatas(L) Lam) in ultisols of ...

Olfactory antennal responses of the black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) to plant volatiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tol, van R.W.H.M.; Visser, J.H.

2002-01-01

Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to a broad range of volatile plant compounds. The response profile is restricted to a small number of volatiles that evoke substantial EAGs. Large EAG responses were particularly found

Biochemical and histological contributions to textural changes in watermelon fruit modulated by grafting.

Science.gov (United States)

Soteriou, Georgios A; Siomos, Anastasios S; Gerasopoulos, Dimitrios; Rouphael, Youssef; Georgiadou, Soteria; Kyriacou, Marios C

2017-12-15

Increased watermelon fruit flesh firmness is systematically incurred with grafting on Cucurbita hybrid rootstocks (heterografting). Possible differences in mesocarp cell wall constitution and histology between heterografted, homeografted (self-grafted) and non-grafted watermelon were examined, as well as their contributions to fruit texture. Firmness correlated positively (r=0.78, p<0.001) with cell density (cellsmm -2 ) which was higher in heterografts (5.83) than homeografts (4.64) and non-grafted controls (4.69). Mean cell size was smallest in heterografts and correlated negatively (r=-0.75, p<0.001) with firmness. Cell wall material, particularly the water-insoluble pectin fractions associated with firmness, were highest in heterografts. No associations with firmness were found for cell wall neutral sugars and membrane permeability. Higher parenchymatic cell density with higher content of alcohol insoluble residue and more abundant water-insoluble pectin fractions underscore enhanced firmness in heterografts. Possible implication of osmolytes in rootstock-mediated cell pressure regulation warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of watermelon variety Bojura to mutant agents 60Co and EMS

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Nikolay Velkov

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A study on the sensitivity of watermelon variety Bojura to mutagenic agents was carried out in 2013-2014. The goal was to establish effective doses for mutagenic treatment of dry seeds with 60Co gamma rays (80, 100, 200, 250, 350 and 450 Gy and swollen seeds with water for 24 hours were treated with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS at a concentration of 2%. Dominant mutations were not observed in the M1 generation. Morphological changes in 14 of 1395 M2 plants were observed. Phenotypic variations changes were the colour of the seed coat, chlorophyll disorders of cotyledons, leaves, petals, and alterations of the location of the fruit set in the central stem. Visible changes of the morphological characteristics of the fruit were not observed. The doses induced certain morphological changes, however, higher doses or combined gamma rays 60Co and EMS treatments would induce mutations more efficiently. Subsequent experiments are required to obtain mutants with changes that affect flowers and fruits. The results are important for increasing mutation efficiency in watermelon breeding.

A vine copula mixed effect model for trivariate meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies accounting for disease prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikoloulopoulos, Aristidis K

2017-10-01

A bivariate copula mixed model has been recently proposed to synthesize diagnostic test accuracy studies and it has been shown that it is superior to the standard generalized linear mixed model in this context. Here, we call trivariate vine copulas to extend the bivariate meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies by accounting for disease prevalence. Our vine copula mixed model includes the trivariate generalized linear mixed model as a special case and can also operate on the original scale of sensitivity, specificity, and disease prevalence. Our general methodology is illustrated by re-analyzing the data of two published meta-analyses. Our study suggests that there can be an improvement on trivariate generalized linear mixed model in fit to data and makes the argument for moving to vine copula random effects models especially because of their richness, including reflection asymmetric tail dependence, and computational feasibility despite their three dimensionality.

Carbon-13 composition of bulk dry wines by irm-EA/MS and irm-13C NMR: An indicator of vine water status

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Guyon Francois

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Measurements performed on a set of 32 authentic wines (not submitted to any oenological treatment and their ethanol, recovered by distillation, show high correlation between δ13C of bulk wine and its ethanol. These measurements were performed by isotope ratio monitoring by mass spectrometry coupled to an elemental analyzer (irm-EA/MS. Then a series of wines produced by vines of which water status was assessed during the growing season with predawn leaf water potential measurements, was studied by irm-EA/MS. As expected δ13C is correlated to vine water status conditions, as a result of stomatal closure. The ethanol of these specific wines was also analyzed by isotope ratio monitoring and by nuclear magnetic resonance (irm-13C NMR to determine carbon-13 composition on the two specific sites of the ethanol skeleton. If these measurements confirm the correlation between 13C composition and vine growth conditions, the 13C stereospecific information does not make vine water status assessment more precise.

Radiologic findings of gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach): a case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Joo Chang; Park, Kil Sun; Han, Gi Seok; Cha, Sang Hoon; Kim, Sung Jin; Kim, Dae Young [Chungbuk National Univ. College of Medicine, Cheongjushi (Korea, Republic of)

1999-01-01

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach) is characterized by a prominent longitudinal erythematous fold of gastric antrum. Because it has usually been diagnosed by gastroscopy and biopsy, its radiologic findings have not been well described. We report a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia, and describe its findings, as seen on UGIS, ultrasonography, and computed tomography.

Radiologic findings of gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach): a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joo Chang; Park, Kil Sun; Han, Gi Seok; Cha, Sang Hoon; Kim, Sung Jin; Kim, Dae Young

1999-01-01

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach) is characterized by a prominent longitudinal erythematous fold of gastric antrum. Because it has usually been diagnosed by gastroscopy and biopsy, its radiologic findings have not been well described. We report a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia, and describe its findings, as seen on UGIS, ultrasonography, and computed tomography

New highly sensitive method of simultaneous instrumental neutron activation determination of 12 microelements in vine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoniya, N.I.

1977-01-01

The main principles and methods of simultaneous multi-element instrumental neutron activation determination of microelements in vine seeds are presented. The methods permit to carry out quantitative evaluation for every single corn of the seeds. It is shown that the method of instrumental neutron activation analysis with the utilization of a semiconductor spectrometer of high resolution and mini electronic computer permit to carry out serial determinations of 12 microelements in the individual corns of vine seeds of different sorts. This method will permit to determine the missing or excess content of this or that biologically important microelement in soils, plants, fruit and genetic material - seeds, and so to determine the optimum conditions of growing plants by applying microelement fertilizers as extra nutrient means

Intensified removal of copper from waste water using activated watermelon based biosorbent in the presence of ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Harsh; Gogate, Parag R

2016-05-01

Copper is one of the most toxic heavy metals having significant effects on the living organisms and hence effective removal of copper from waste water is crucial. The current work investigates the application of activated watermelon shell based biosorbent for the removal of copper from aqueous solution. The effect of activation using calcium hydroxide and citric acid as well as the effect of operating parameters like contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature, pH, initial concentration and ultrasonic power on the extent of removal has been investigated. Experiments performed in the presence of ultrasound to investigate the degree of intensification as compared to the conventional agitation based treatment revealed that the adsorption rate significantly increases in the presence of ultrasound and also the time required for reaching the equilibrium reduces from 60 min in conventional approach to only 20 min in the presence of ultrasound. The extent of adsorption of Cu(II) on adsorbents was found to increase with an increase in the operating pH till an optimum value of 5. The extent of adsorption also increased with a decrease in the initial concentration and particle size as well as with an increase in ultrasonic power till an optimum. Kinetics and isotherm study revealed that all the experimental data was found to best fit the pseudo second order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model respectively. Maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 31.25mg/g for watermelon treated with calcium hydroxide and 27.027 mg/g for watermelon treated with citric acid. Overall present study established that activated watermelon is an environmentally friendly, low cost and highly efficient biosorbent that can be successfully applied for the removal of copper from aqueous solution with intensification benefits based on the ultrasound assisted approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of features of the biochemical composition of red vine leaves of autochthonous varieties in Russia

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Oganesyants Lev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available One of the fields of processing industries’ activities is the use of secondary resources. The use the vegetative parts of grape plants may become an important component in solving this task. Such vegetative parts, first of all, include red grape leaves, which provide a large reserve of antioxidants and other biologically useful substances. The Russian Research Institute of Brewing and Wine Industry has carried out the detailed study of the features of the biochemical composition of red vine leaves of autochthonous varieties cultivated in the Rostov region of Russia. Cold winters are considered to be the major stress for the grape plants. Under these conditions, leaves accumulate large amount of biologically active substances, including trans-resveratrol, which provide significant advantage compared with the harvest from grapes cultivated in areas where the plants are not protected during winter. Comparative studies on the biochemical composition of red vine leaves of autochthonous and European varieties were conducted, including on the use of bioassay systems in vitro. It was found that extracts of red vine leaves of autochthonous varieties have a marked effect on the rate of glutathione reductase and pyruvate kinase reactions that are demonstrating their angioprotective and energizing properties. The increase in the rate of the catalase reaction indicates the manifestation of antioxidant properties. The technology of CO2 – and highly concentrated hydrophilic extracts production from red vine leaves that preserves biologically active compounds to the maximum extent possible. The extracts are used for the manufacture of soft drinks that have the venomotor action and may be applied in the process of the manufacture of fat products with extended shelf life, as well as the main raw material for the preparations with the pronounced angioprotective effect.

Physiological effects of ozone on cultivars of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo) widely grown in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Bayon, J M; Barnes, J D; Ollerenshaw, J H; Davison, A W

1993-01-01

Two cultivars of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo), which are widely grown in Spain, were exposed to ozone (70 nl litre(-1), 6 h d(-1)) for 21 days. Ozone sensitivity was assessed by recording the extent of visible injury, changes in fast-fluorescence kinetics, the relative-growth rate (R) of root (RR) and shoot (RS), and effects on the number of flowers produced per plant. Leaf gas exchange was measured in order to provide some indication of the factors underlying differential response to ozone. After 9-10 days of fumigation, all the cultivars developed typical visible symptoms of zone injury on the older leaves. However, significant (P watermelon, there was a marked reduction in the rate of CO(2) assimilation as a result of exposure to ozone, and this was accompanied by a parallel decrease in stomatal conductance. Mean plant-relative-growth rate (R) was markedly (P watermelon, but there were no significant effects on R in muskmelon. Ozone reduced root growth relative to the shoot in three out of four cultivars-an effect that may be of considerable ecological significance. Moreover, exposure to ozone reduced flower production in both muskmelon and watermelon, which indicated effects on yield. There was no correlation between a variety of methods used to assess ozone sensitivity and visible injury, and reasons for this are discussed. This observation draws clear attention to the dangers in ranking plants for ozone sensitivity purely on the basis of visible symptoms. It is concluded from this study that ozone-insensitive genotypes should be identified and considered for planting in the major areas of melon production concentrated on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Preliminary study on fractions' activities of red betel vine (Piper crocatum Ruiz & Pav) leaves ethanol extract toward Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Science.gov (United States)

Rachmawaty, Farida Juliantina; Julianto, Tatang Shabur; Tamhid, Hady Anshory

2018-04-01

This research aims to identify the antimycobacterial activity of fraction of red betel vine leaves ethanol extract (methanol fraction, ethyl acetate, and chloroform) toward M. tuberculosis. Red betel vine leaves ethanol extract was made with maceration method using ethanol solvent 70%. Resulted extract was then fractionated using Liquid Vacuum Chromatography (LVC) with methanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform solvent. Each fractionation was exposed to M. tuberculosis with serial dilution method. Controls of fraction, media, bacteria, and isoniazid as standard drug were included in this research. The group of compound from the most active fraction was then identified. The research found that the best fraction for antimycobacterial activity toward M. tuberculosisis chloroform fraction. The compound group of chloroform fraction was then identified. The fraction contains flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid, and terpenoid. The fraction of methanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform from red betel vine leaves has antimycobacterial activity toward M. tuberculosis. Chloroform fraction has the best antimycobacterial activity and it contains flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid, and terpenoid.

Garlic and H2O2 in overcoming dormancy on the vine “Cabernet Sauvignon”

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Saavedra del Aguila Juan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of garlic extract, H2O2 and hydrogen cyanamide on dormancy break, budding and maturation of “Cabernet Sauvignon” in the Campaign Region – Brazil. In late winter 2014 and after drought pruning were performed spraying in the bud: T1 – distilled water (control; T2 – 3.0% of hydrogen cyanamide; T3 – 18.0% H2O2; and T4 – 3.0% garlic extract. It was evaluated in the field: the number of sprouted buds per plant, number of bunches per plant and weight of bunches per plant; and laboratory: on ripening, performed weekly from the color change of 360 berries per treatment for analyzes solids soluble – SS (Brix pH and titratable acidity – TA (% tartaric acid. It was observed that the vines of treatment T4 (3.0% garlic extract, showed higher percentage of buds sprouting (63 shoots plant−1. Already at the number of clusters and weight per plant, there were no statistical differences between all treatments. The results obtained in the laboratory to SS, pH and TA did not differ statistically for the four tested treatments.

Watermelon glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase is sorted to peroxisomes of the methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klei, I.J. van der; Faber, K.N.; Keizer-Gunnink, I.; Gietl, C.; Harder, W.; Veenhuis, M.

1993-01-01

We have studied the fate of the watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) glyoxysomal enzyme, malate dehydrogenase (gMDH), after synthesis in the methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha. The gene encoding the precursor form of gMDH (pre-gMDH) was cloned in an H. polymorpha expression vector

FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF THE N-TERMINAL PREPEPTIDES OF WATERMELON MITOCHONDRIAL AND GLYOXYSOMAL MALATE-DEHYDROGENASES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

LEHNERER, M; KEIZERGUNNIK, [No Value; VEENHUIS, M; GIETL, C

1994-01-01

Mitochondrial and glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase (mMDH; gMDH; L-malate : NAD(+) oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.37) of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) cotyledons are synthesized with N-terminal cleavable presequences which are shown to specify sorting of the two proteins. The two presequences differ in

Dormancy break with garlic extract and hydrogen peroxide in rootstock vine ‘SO4’

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Aguilla Juan Saavedra del

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A synthetic product is used to help overcome dormancy of the buds of vines in tropical and sub-tropical climate, but the product currently available in Brazil has the highest level of toxicity to humans. The objective was to study some alternatives to break the dormancy of the buds of the rootstock vine ‘SO4’. The sprayed treatments were: T1 = water (control; T2 = hydrogen cyanamide (3%; T3 = garlic (33% and; T4 = Hydrogen Peroxide – H2O2 – (3%. The cuttings were immersed in a indole acetic acid (IAA of 5 ppm for 15 seconds and placed in plastic bags (19 cm× 5 cm× 8 cm with 50% sand + 50% commercial substrate (H. Decker® . After 04 months, were evaluated: percentage of live cuttings, aerial part height (cm, length of roots (cm and dry matter of aerial parts and root (g. Regarding the roots, root dry weight and dry matter of aerial parts, stood out the cuttings treated with H2O2 at a concentration of 3% (T4. In the present work conditions, preliminarily concluded that H2O2 at a concentration of 3% can assist in breaking dormancy of the buds of the roostock vine ‘SO4’.

Nitrogen nutrition of the grape-vine (Vitis vinifera spp)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conradie, W.J.

1985-12-01

A thorough knowledge concerning the nitrogen relationship in the grape-vine is essential in order to appreciate how different patterns of uptake, assimilation, storage and utilisation of nitrogen might be advantageous in particular environmental situations. The 15 N-isotope technique has been used to determine the uptake and distribution of nitrogen absorbed during early spring, early summer and autumn. Apart from the total N fraction, protein N and soluble N were determined as well. The utilisation of labelled N applied in the field, was determined for vineyards on heavier and lighter soils

Investigating the potential of an autodissemination system for managing populations of vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with entomopathogenic fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Tom W; Hough, Gemma; Arbona, Charlotte; Roberts, Harriet; Bennison, Jude; Buxton, John; Prince, Gill; Chandler, Dave

2018-05-01

Vine weevil, also known as black vine weevil, (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is an economically important pest affecting soft fruit and nursery stock in temperate regions. We used laboratory and polytunnel experiments to investigate a novel control system based on autodissemination of spores of an entomopathogenic fungus to populations of adult vine weevils. The fungus was applied as a conidial powder, used on its own or formulated with talc, to a simple plastic refuge for vine weevils. The potential for adult weevils to disseminate the fungus was investigated first in polytunnel experiments using fluorescent powders applied to the refuge in lieu of fungal conidia. In this system, 88% of adult weevils came in contact with the powder within 48 h. When the powder was applied to five adult weevils that were then placed within a population of 35 potential recipients, it was transmitted on average to 75% of the recipient population within 7 days. Three isolates of entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana isolate codes 433.99 and 1749.11 and Metarhizium brunneum isolate code 275.86), selected from a laboratory virulence screen. These three isolates were then investigated for efficacy when applied as conidial powders in artificial refuges placed among populations of adult weevils held in experimental boxes in the laboratory at 20 °C. Under this regime, the fungal isolates caused 70-90% mortality of adult weevils over 28 days. A final polytunnel experiment tested the efficacy of conidial powders of M. brunneum 275.86 placed in artificial refuges to increase vine weevil mortality. Overall weevil mortality was relatively low (26-41%) but was significantly higher in cages in which the conidial powders were placed in refuge traps than in cages with control traps. The lower weevil mortality recorded in the polytunnel experiment compared to the laboratory test was most likely a consequence of the greater amounts of inoculum required to kill adult weevils when conditions

Evaluation of watermelon varieties for tolerance to powdery mildew and Phytophthora fruit rot, 2014

Science.gov (United States)

This experiment was conducted at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory farm in Charleston, SC. The soil was Yonges loamy fine sand. This study was undertaken to determine the performance of seeded and seedless commercial watermelon varieties for tolerance to powdery mildew (PM) and Phytophthora fruit rot as...

Extension of raw watermelon juice shelf-life up to 58days by hyperbaric storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemos, Álvaro T; Ribeiro, Ana C; Fidalgo, Liliana G; Delgadillo, Ivonne; Saraiva, Jorge A

2017-09-15

Hyperbaric storage (HS) of raw watermelon juice, at 50, 62.5 and 75MPa, at temperatures of 10, 15 and ≈25°C (room temperature, RT), was studied to evaluate shelf-life comparatively to refrigeration (RF, 4°C). Generally, RF caused an increase of microbial loads to values ≥6.0logCFU/mL after 7days of storage. Contrarily, HS at 62.5/75MPa (15°C) showed a reduction of initial loads, by at least 2.5logCFU/mL, up to 58days, while pH and colour values did not changed under these HS conditions. Additionally, the combination of a lower temperature with HS has beneficial effects to control microbial development, particularly for the lower pressure studied (50MPa/10°C). In conclusion, HS increased watermelon juice shelf-life for at least 58days, indicating a great potential for future RF replacement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insights on the stilbenes in Raboso Piave grape (Vitis vinifera L.) as a consequence of postharvest vs on-vine dehydration.

Science.gov (United States)

Brillante, Luca; De Rosso, Mirko; Dalla Vedova, Antonio; Maoz, Itay; Flamini, Riccardo; Tomasi, Diego

2018-03-01

Grape withering is a process used to produce reinforced wines and raisins. Dehydration is usually carried out postharvest by keeping ripe grapes in special warehouses in controlled conditions of temperature, relative humidity (RH) and air flow. Alternatively, grape clusters can be left on the vines after the canes have been pruned. In general, dehydration increases stilbenes in grape, but there are few studies on the effects of on-vine withering. The stilbene profiles of Raboso Piave grape during postharvest and on-vine dehydration were studied here. High-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) was used to identify 19 stilbenes, including resveratrol monomers, dimers (viniferins), oligomers and glucoside derivatives. The two dehydration methods generally had different effects on the above nutraceuticals in grape. The samples kept in warehouses revealed significant increases in Z-ω-viniferin, E-ϵ-viniferin, δ-viniferin and another resveratrol dimer which were not observed in the plants. Trans-Resveratrol increased significantly only in samples dehydrated in the warehouse at 21 °C and 60-70% RH. The findings increase knowledge of stilbene composition in grapes subjected to withering on-vine. The choice of dehydration method affects the contents of these nutraceuticals in the grape and consequently in wines. Reasonably, it could also affect other secondary metabolites important for wine quality. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Radioecology of the vine. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellmuth, K.H.

1989-01-01

In a field investigation (1983-1985) comprising eight places of the most important viticultural regions in the Federal Republic of Germany, the contents of the radionuclides T, C-14, Sr-90 and Cs-137 in air, soils, leaves of the vine, grapes and wine were measured and site-specific transfer factors were calculated. A relation between transfer of radionuclides and soil parameters and between the contents of grapes and wine was not recognizeable. While cultivar-specific differences were not observed in grapes, red wines contained somewhat more Cs-137 than white wines. Transfer factors soil grapes were 0.027 for Sr-90 and 0.0057 for Cs-137. Site-specific influences such as soil parameters, climate, cultivation, vinification and differences between years led to a relatively small fluctuation of values. An influence of the nuclear power station Neckarwestheim has not been found in any of the radionuclides. (orig./DG) [de

Inheritance of egusi seed type in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusmini, G; Wehner, T C; Jarret, R L

2004-01-01

An unusual seed mutant in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) has seeds with a fleshy pericarp, commonly called egusi seeds. The origin of the phenotype is unknown, but it is widely cultivated in Nigeria for the high protein and carbohydrate content of the edible seeds. Egusi seeds have a thick, fleshy pericarp that appears during the second to third week of fruit development. We studied the inheritance of this phenotype in crosses of normal seeded Charleston Gray and Calhoun Gray with two plant introduction accessions, PI 490383w and PI 560006, having the egusi seed type. We found that the egusi seed type is controlled by a single recessive gene, and the symbol eg was assigned. Copyright 2004 The American Genetic Association

Expression in Arabidopsis of a nucellus-specific promoter from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, Krishna K; Roche, Dominique; Carman, John G

2010-11-01

Though many tissue-specific promoters have been identified, few have been associated specifically with the angiospermous megasporangium (nucellus). In the present study the 2000-bp regulatory region upstream to the watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai, gene WM403 (GenBank accession no. AF008925), which shows nucellus-specific expression, was cloned from watermelon gDNA and fused to the β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS). The resulting plasmid, WM403 Prom::GUS(+), which also contained NPTII, was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Co1-0. Seedlings were selected on kanamycin-containing medium, and transformants were confirmed by PCR. GUS assays of T(3) transformants revealed weak promoter activation in epidermal layers of the placenta and locule septum during premeiotic ovule development but strong activation in the nucellus, embryo sac and early embryo, from early embryo sac formation to early globular embryo formation. Expression in seeds was absent thereafter. These results indicate that the WM403 promoter may be useful in driving nucellus-specific gene expression in plants including candidate genes for important nucellus-specific traits such as apospory or adventitious embryony. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of herbal ointment containing the leaf extracts of Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) for burn wound healing process on albino rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuniarti, Wiwik Misaco; Lukiswanto, Bambang Sektiari

2017-07-01

Skin burn is a health problem that requires fast and accurate treatment. If not well-treated, the burn will cause various damaging conditions for the patient. The leaf extract of Madeira vine ( Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis), or popularly known as Binahong in Indonesia, has been used to treat various diseases. The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of leaf extracts of Madeira vine ( A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) on skin burn healing process in rats as an animal model. In this research, there were four treatment groups: G0, G1, G2, and G3, each consisting of five rats. All these rats were given skin burns, using hot metal plates. Then, sulfadiazine was given to G0, 2.5% leaf extract of Madeira vine was given to G1, 5% extract was given to G2, and 10% extract was given to G3, for straight 14 days topically, 3 times a day. At the end of the treatment period, skin excisions were conducted, and histopathological examination was carried out. Microscopic observation on the wound healing process on the collagen deposition, polymorphonuclear infiltration, angiogenesis, and fibrosis showed that G2 had a significant difference with G0, G1, and G3 (pMadeira vine, which have the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. The ointment from the 5% leaf extract of Madeira vine ( A. cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) has been proven to be effective to be used for topical burn therapy.

Dynamic changes in the leaf proteome of a C3 xerophyte, Citrullus lanatus (wild watermelon), in response to water deficit.

Science.gov (United States)

Akashi, Kinya; Yoshida, Kazuo; Kuwano, Masayoshi; Kajikawa, Masataka; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Hoshiyasu, Saki; Inagaki, Naoyuki; Yokota, Akiho

2011-05-01

Wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a xerophyte native to the Kalahari Desert, Africa. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of drought resistance in this plant, we examined changes in the proteome in response to water deficit. Wild watermelon leaves showed decreased transpiration and a concomitant increase in leaf temperature under water deficit conditions. Comparison of the proteome of stressed plants with that of unstressed plants by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that the intensity of 40 spots increased in response to the stress, and the intensity of 11 spots decreased. We positively identified 23 stress-induced and 6 stress-repressed proteins by mass spectrometry and database analyses. Interestingly, 15 out of the 23 up-regulated proteins (65% of annotated up-regulated proteins) were heat shock proteins (HSPs). Especially, 10 out of the 15 up-regulated HSPs belonged to the small heat shock protein (sHSP) family. Other stress-induced proteins included those related to antioxidative defense and carbohydrate metabolism. Fifteen distinct cDNA sequences encoding the sHSP were characterized from wild watermelon. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the representative sHSP genes revealed strong transcriptional up-regulation in the leaves under water deficit. Moreover, immunoblot analysis confirmed that protein abundance of sHSPs was massively increased under water deficit. Overall, these observations suggest that the defense response of wild watermelon may involve orchestrated regulation of a diverse array of functional proteins related to cellular defense and metabolism, of which HSPs may play a pivotal role on the protection of the plant under water deficit in the presence of strong light.

Antioxidative and antidiabetic activities of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice on oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic male Wistar albino rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Oseni, O A; Odesanmi, O E; Oladele, F C

2015-01-01

The nutritional and medicinal importance of watermelon has been emphasized and its diseases preventive and curative power must be evaluated. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the antioxidative and antidiabetic potentials of watermelon. The in vivo assay was carried out on 15 male albino rats which were divided into groups of three stages. In stage I, all animals received normal feeds and water for 1-week after, which five animals were selected and sacrificed for biochemical analyses which form the nondiabetic control, group. The remaining animals were fasted for 24 h before injected intra-peritoneally with a freshly prepared solution of alloxan at a dosage of 35 mg/kg body weight. Five out of the 10 rats were sacrificed as diabetic group while last five animals were fed with water melon juice for a week after, which they were sacrificed to form the treated group animals. In all the groups, body weights, fasting blood sugar, total protein level in the blood, and other biochemical parameters such as reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration; catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) % inhibition activities were determined. The results of the biochemical analyses showed a significant increase in the concentration of blood glucose level after treatment with alloxan, which indicates that diabetic was induced. Hence, watermelon juice caused increased in weight, hypoglycemia; and increases in GSH, GPx, catalase, and SOD % inhibition activities with reduced MDA concentration after treatments. The watermelon juice resulted in the restoration of impaired conditions of the rats.

CCR4-Not Complex Subunit Not2 Plays Critical Roles in Vegetative Growth, Conidiation and Virulence in Watermelon Fusarium Wilt Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Yi; Cao, Zhongye; Huang, Lihong; Liu, Shixia; Shen, Zhihui; Wang, Yuyan; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Huijuan; Li, Dayong; Song, Fengming

2016-01-01

CCR4-Not complex is a multifunctional regulator that plays important roles in multiple cellular processes in eukaryotes. In the present study, the biological function of FonNot2, a core subunit of the CCR4-Not complex, was explored in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon), the causal agent of watermelon wilt disease. FonNot2 was expressed at higher levels in conidia and germinating conidia and during infection in Fon-inoculated watermelon roots than in mycelia. Targeted disruption of FonNot2 resulted in retarded vegetative growth, reduced conidia production, abnormal conidial morphology, and reduced virulence on watermelon. Scanning electron microscopy observation of infection behaviors and qRT-PCR analysis of in planta fungal growth revealed that the ΔFonNot2 mutant was defective in the ability to penetrate watermelon roots and showed reduced fungal biomass in root and stem of the inoculated plants. Phenotypic and biochemical analyses indicated that the ΔFonNot2 mutant displayed hypersensitivity to cell wall perturbing agents (e.g., Congo Red and Calcofluor White) and oxidative stress (e.g., H2O2 and paraquat), decreased fusaric acid content, and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during spore germination. Our data demonstrate that FonNot2 plays critical roles in regulating vegetable growth, conidiogenesis and conidia morphology, and virulence on watermelon via modulating cell wall integrity, oxidative stress response, ROS production and FA biosynthesis through the regulation of transcription of genes involved in multiple pathways. PMID:27695445

Mobile Application Development for Optimal and Rapid Diagnosis of Vine Diseases

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Liliana Lucia TOMOIAGĂ

2017-05-01

Recent developments in the field of machine learning (Ghahramani, 2015, breakthroughs in computer vision (Krizhevsky et al., 2012 and the availability of cheap computational hardware has led us to look for a way to automatically detect and classify a disease just by having a computer or a mobile phone process a picture of an affected plant. Given the widespread availability of mobile devices, we believe we can help the vine growers further.

Genetic mapping of a major co-dominant QTL associated with beta-carotene accumulation in watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

The common flesh color of commercially grown watermelon is red due to the accumulation of lycopene. However, natural variation in carotenoid composition that exists among heirloom and exotic accessions, results in a wide spectrum of flesh colors. We previously identified a unique orange-flesh waterm...

Bottle gourd rootstock-grafting promotes photosynthesis by regulating the stomata and non-stomata performances in leaves of watermelon seedlings under NaCl stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yanjuan; Yu, Li; Wang, Liping; Guo, Shirong

2015-08-15

Previously, we found that the amelioration of photosynthetic capacity by bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Standl.) rootstock in watermelon seedlings (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Mansf.) with salt treatment might be closely related to the enzymes in Calvin cycle such as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) (Yang et al., 2012). We confirmed this and showed more details in this study that improved photosynthesis of watermelon plants by bottle gourd rootstock was associated with the decreased stomata resistance and the increased photochemical activity and photosynthetic metabolism with or without 100mM NaCl stress for 3 days. The analysis of gas exchange parameters showed that self-grafted plants suffered serious non-stomatal limitation to photosynthesis under salt stress while rootstock-grafted plants were mainly affected by stomata limitation in stress conditions. Further, results showed that NaCl stress markedly reduced the chlorophyll content, damaged the structure of photosynthetic apparatus, and inhibited photochemical activity and CO2 assimilation in self-grafted plants. In contrast, rootstock-grafting increased the chlorophyll content, especially chlorophyll b, and minimized the harmful effects on photosystem II (PSII) reaction center and the thylakoids structure induced by NaCl stress. Furthermore, rootstock-grafting enhanced the content and activity of Rubisco and thus elevated carbon fixation in the leaves of watermelon scions under salt stress. The gene expressions of enzymes related to ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration were also up-regulated by rootstock and this probably guaranteed the sufficient supply of RuBP for the operation of Calvin cycle in watermelon scions under salt stress. Thus, bottle gourd rootstock promoted photosynthesis by the activation of stomatal and non-stomatal abilities, especially the regulation of a variety of photosynthetic enzymes, including Rubisco in grafted watermelon plants under NaCl stress

Vine maple (Acer circinatum) clone growth and reproduction in managed and unmanaged coastal Oregon douglas-fir forests

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dea, Mary E.; Zasada, John C.; Tappeiner, John C.

1995-01-01

Vine maple (Acer circinatum Pursh.) clone development, expansion, and regeneration by seedling establishment were studied in 5-240 yr old managed and unmanaged Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands in coastal Oregon. Stem length, number of stems, and crown area were all significantly (P @10 m long and basal sprouts 1-2 m long; some stems had been pinned to the forest floor by fallen trees or branches and had layered. In stands >120 yr in age, clones were often quite complex, composed of several decumbent stems each of which connected the ramets of 1-10 new aerial stems. Vine maple clone expansion occurs by the layering of long aerial stems. Over 95% of the layered stems we observed had been pinned to the forest floor by fallen debris. Unsevered stems that we artificially pinned to the forest floor initiated roots within 1 yr. Thinning may favor clonal expansion because fallen slash from thinning often causes entire clones to layer, not just individual stems. Clonal vine maple seed production and seedling establishment occurred in all stages of stand development except dense, young stands following crown closure. There were more seedlings in thinned stands than in unthinned stands and in unburned clearcuts than in burned clearcuts.

Thermal tolerance of acid-adapted and unadapted Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe juice and watermelon juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, M; Adler, B B; Harrison, M D; Beuchat, L R

2005-01-01

A study was performed to determine D values of acid-adapted and unadapted cells of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe juice and watermelon juice. Salmonella enterica serotype Poona, S. enterica serotype Saphra, two strains of E. coli O157:H7, and two strains of L. monocytogenes were grown in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and TSB supplemented with 1% glucose for 24 h at 37 degrees C. Decimal reduction times (D values) of cells suspended in unpasteurized cantaloupe juice and watermelon juice were determined. Acid-adapted cells of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, but not L. monocytogenes, had increased thermal tolerance compared with cells that were not acid-adapted. There was no correlation between soluble solids content of the two types of juice and thermal resistance. Growth of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in cantaloupe juice, watermelon juice, or other acidic milieu, either in preharvest or postharvest environments, may result in cross protection to heat. The pasteurization conditions necessary to achieve elimination of pathogens from these juices would consequently have to be more severe if cells are habituated to acidic environments. Insights from this study provide guidance to developing pasteurization processes to eliminate Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes in cantaloupe juice and watermelon juice.

Suppression of Powdery Mildew Using the Water Extract of Xylogone ganodermophthora and Aqueous Potassium Phosphonate Solution on Watermelon under Greenhouse Conditions

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Hyo-Jung Kang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Xylogone ganodermophthora (Xg is an ascomycetous fungus that causes yellow rot on cultivated Ganoderma lucidum. Previously, we reported in vitro antifungal activities of a Xg culture extract against several watermelon pathogens. In 2014, we conducted greenhouse experiments to evaluate the control efficacy of a water extract of cultured Xg on watermelon powdery mildew (WPM. The test material (stock solution, ca. 4,000 µg/ml was prepared by an autoclaved Xg culture in water at a ratio of 800 g of culture per 6 liter of water, and then filtering it through filter paper. Six foliar applications of the solutions (diluted 100- and 1,000-fold significantly suppressed the formation of conidiophores and conidia. The inhibitory effect of aqueous potassium phosphonate solution on the disease and its phytotoxicity was tested. Phytotoxicity on watermelon plants was observed at concentrations of 1,000 and 2,000 µg/ml as irregular brownish spots. The control efficacies against WPM were 91.9% at 2,000 µg/ml, 64.9% at 1,000 µg/ml, and 62.2% at 500 µg/ml.

Effects of different P-sources in soil on increasing growth and mineral uptake of mycorrhizal Vitis vinifera L. (cv Victoria vines

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Nikolaos Nikolaou

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of different P-sources on growth, leaf chemical composition, and fruit soluble solids and acid content was evaluated in mycorrhizal Victoria grapevine variety gralted onto the rootstocks 3309C or 11 OR. Mycorrhizal and non mycorrhizal plants were grown in 20 L pots containing 20 kg soil supplemented with different P-forms: (Calcium bis-dihydrogen-phosphate, tri-calcium phosphate, aluminium phosphate, iron (III phosphate with different solubility, equivalent to 90 kg P.ha-1. The percent of mycorrhizal root colonization was higher in insoluble P-form treatments compared to control or to soluble P-form treatment (CaDP, ranging from 66 to 84 % in treatments receiving insoluble P, from 36.67 to 38.33 % in control and from 25.33 to 27.33 % in soluble P-form treatments. The roots of 110R rootstock showed higher colonization rate compared to the 3309C. Mycorrhizal colonization increased both the pruning weight and number of nodes of the vines, up to 9 and 1.9 times respectively, according to the rootstock- P form combination. Mycorrhizal vines showed increased leaf concentrations in N, P, K, Ca. Fruit total soluble solids of mycorrhizal vines were about 30 % lower compared with those of the non mycorrhizal vines. Both factors, mycorrhizal colonization and P-forms had no significant effect in fruit titratable acidity.

Semi-supervised learning of hyperspectral image segmentation applied to vine tomatoes and table grapes

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Jeroen van Roy

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, quality inspection of fruit and vegetables is typically accomplished through visual inspection. Automation of this inspection is desirable to make it more objective. For this, hyperspectral imaging has been identified as a promising technique. When the field of view includes multiple objects, hypercubes should be segmented to assign individual pixels to different objects. Unsupervised and supervised methods have been proposed. While the latter are labour intensive as they require masking of the training images, the former are too computationally intensive for in-line use and may provide different results for different hypercubes. Therefore, a semi-supervised method is proposed to train a computationally efficient segmentation algorithm with minimal human interaction. As a first step, an unsupervised classification model is used to cluster spectra in similar groups. In the second step, a pixel selection algorithm applied to the output of the unsupervised classification is used to build a supervised model which is fast enough for in-line use. To evaluate this approach, it is applied to hypercubes of vine tomatoes and table grapes. After first derivative spectral preprocessing to remove intensity variation due to curvature and gloss effects, the unsupervised models segmented 86.11% of the vine tomato images correctly. Considering overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and time needed to segment one hypercube, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA was found to be the best choice for in-line use, when using one training image. By adding a second image, the segmentation results improved considerably, yielding an overall accuracy of 96.95% for segmentation of vine tomatoes and 98.52% for segmentation of table grapes, demonstrating the added value of the learning phase in the algorithm.

Effect of heat treatment around the fruit set region on growth and yield of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai].

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Jaejong; Kim, Jeong Man; Sheikh, Sameena; Lee, So Geun; Lim, Jeong Hyeon; Seong, Moon Ho; Jung, Gi Tai

2013-10-01

The present experiment was aimed to study the effect of imposing modulated temperature treatments 14 °C and 18 °C, around the fruiting region of watermelon plants, and to estimate the economic feasibility of the temperature treatments based on energy consumption for heating. Watermelon cultivar 'Sambok-gul' was selected and sown on perlite beds in a plastic house under controlled conditions at Watermelon Farm, Jeongeup-Jeonbuk, longitude 35° 31' 47.51N, 126° 48'48.84E, altitude 37 m during the early spring season (2010-2011). The findings revealed that the temperature treatment at 18 °C caused significant increase in weight (2.0 kg plant(-1)), fruit weight (8.3 kg plant(-1)), soluble solid content (11.5 %), and fruit set rate (96.5 %) at harvest stage. Higher contents of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions were observed in the 1st upper leaf of the fruit set node (79.3 mg L(-1)) and the 1st lower leaf of the fruit set node (12.0 mg L(-1)), respectively at 14 °C. The power consumption and extra costs of the temperature treatment 18 °C were suggested as affordable and in range of a farmer's budget (41.14 USD/22 days). Hence, it was concluded that modulating temperature treatments could be utilized successfully to optimize the temperature range for enhancing the fruit yield and quality in the winter watermelon crops.

Identification and expression analyses of WRKY genes reveal their involvement in growth and abiotic stress response in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaozhen; Li, Hao; Yang, Yongchao; Wang, Yongqi; Mo, Yanling; Zhang, Ruimin; Zhang, Yong; Ma, Jianxiang; Wei, Chunhua; Zhang, Xian

2018-01-01

Despite identification of WRKY family genes in numerous plant species, a little is known about WRKY genes in watermelon, one of the most economically important fruit crops around the world. Here, we identified a total of 63 putative WRKY genes in watermelon and classified them into three major groups (I-III) and five subgroups (IIa-IIe) in group II. The structure analysis indicated that ClWRKYs with different WRKY domains or motifs may play different roles by regulating respective target genes. The expressions of ClWRKYs in different tissues indicate that they are involved in various tissue growth and development. Furthermore, the diverse responses of ClWRKYs to drought, salt, or cold stress suggest that they positively or negatively affect plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In addition, the altered expression patterns of ClWRKYs in response to phytohormones such as, ABA, SA, MeJA, and ETH, imply the occurrence of complex cross-talks between ClWRKYs and plant hormone signals in regulating plant physiological and biological processes. Taken together, our findings provide valuable clues to further explore the function and regulatory mechanisms of ClWRKY genes in watermelon growth, development, and adaption to environmental stresses.

Identification and expression analyses of WRKY genes reveal their involvement in growth and abiotic stress response in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaozhen Yang

Full Text Available Despite identification of WRKY family genes in numerous plant species, a little is known about WRKY genes in watermelon, one of the most economically important fruit crops around the world. Here, we identified a total of 63 putative WRKY genes in watermelon and classified them into three major groups (I-III and five subgroups (IIa-IIe in group II. The structure analysis indicated that ClWRKYs with different WRKY domains or motifs may play different roles by regulating respective target genes. The expressions of ClWRKYs in different tissues indicate that they are involved in various tissue growth and development. Furthermore, the diverse responses of ClWRKYs to drought, salt, or cold stress suggest that they positively or negatively affect plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In addition, the altered expression patterns of ClWRKYs in response to phytohormones such as, ABA, SA, MeJA, and ETH, imply the occurrence of complex cross-talks between ClWRKYs and plant hormone signals in regulating plant physiological and biological processes. Taken together, our findings provide valuable clues to further explore the function and regulatory mechanisms of ClWRKY genes in watermelon growth, development, and adaption to environmental stresses.

Review. Deficit irrigation in fruit trees and vines in Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz-Sanchez, M. C.; Domingo, R.; Castel, J. R.

2010-07-01

Water has become the most precious of natural resources in many areas of Spain and, since agriculture is the major consumer of water, improvements in water use efficiency are increasingly sought. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is an irrigation strategy based on applying only a fraction of the plant water requirements during certain periods of plant development. The paper reviews the available information on RDI strategies, in woody tree crops and vines based on studies by Spanish research groups. Both the promising results obtained and the drawbacks are covered. (Author) 130 refs.

The Ethylene Biosynthesis Gene CitACS4 Regulates Monoecy/Andromonoecy in Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Susana; Aguado, Encarnación; Martínez, Cecilia; Megías, Zoraida; García, Alicia; Jamilena, Manuel

2016-01-01

Monoecious and andromonoecious cultivars of watermelon are characterised by the production of male and female flower or male and hermaphrodite flowers, respectively. The segregation analysis in the offspring of crosses between monoecious and andromonoecious lines has demonstrated that this trait is controlled by a single gene pair, being the monoecious allele M semi-dominant to the andromonoecious allele A. The two studied F1 hybrids (MA) had a predominantly monoecious phenotype since both produced not only female flowers, but also bisexual flowers with incomplete stamens, and hermaphrodite flowers with pollen. Given that in other cucurbit species andromonoecy is conferred by mutations in the ethylene biosynthesis genes CmACS7, CsACS2 and CpACS27A we have cloned and characterised CitACS4, the watermelon gene showing the highest similarity with the formers. CitACS4 encoded for a type ACS type III enzyme that is predominantly expressed in pistillate flowers of watermelon. In the andromonoecious line we have detected a missense mutation in a very conserved residue of CitACS4 (C364W) that cosegregates with the andromonoecious phenotype in two independent F2 populations, concomitantly with a reduction in ethylene production in the floral buds that will develop as hermaphrodite flowers. The gene does not however co-segregates with other sex expression traits regulated by ethylene in this species, including pistillate flowering transition and the number of pistillate flowers per plant. These data indicate that CitAC4 is likely to be involved in the biosynthesis of the ethylene required for stamen arrest during the development of female flowers. The C364W mutation would reduce the production of ethylene in pistillate floral buds, promoting the conversion of female into hermaphrodite flowers, and therefore of monoecy into andromonoecy.

Assessment of DAPG-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens for management of Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium oxysporum on watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates Clinto 1R, Wayne 1R and Wood 1R, which produce the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), can suppress soilborne diseases and promote plant growth. Consequently, these beneficial bacterial isolates were tested on watermelon plants for suppression of Meloidogy...

Identification of unique volatile compounds associated with repelling whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in desert watermelon (Citrullus colocynthis)

Science.gov (United States)

Commercial watermelon cultivars (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) share a narrow genetic base and are susceptible to many insect pests and diseases. The insects include whiteflies which cause serious economic damages to this important cucurbit crop. However, several United States Plant Introduction a...

Construction of a high-density DArTseq SNP-based genetic map and identification of genomic regions with segregation distortion in a genetic population derived from a cross between feral and cultivated-type watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Runsheng; Ray, Rumiana; Li, Pingfang; Xu, Jinhua; Zhang, Man; Liu, Guang; Yao, Xiefeng; Kilian, Andrzej; Yang, Xingping

2015-08-01

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is an economically important vegetable crop grown extensively worldwide. To facilitate the identification of agronomically important traits and provide new information for genetic and genomic research on this species, a high-density genetic linkage map of watermelon was constructed using an F2 population derived from a cross between elite watermelon cultivar K3 and wild watermelon germplasm PI 189225. Based on a sliding window approach, a total of 1,161 bin markers representing 3,465 SNP markers were mapped onto 11 linkage groups corresponding to the chromosome pair number of watermelon. The total length of the genetic map is 1,099.2 cM, with an average distance between bins of 1.0 cM. The number of markers in each chromosome varies from 62 in chromosome 07 to 160 in chromosome 05. The length of individual chromosomes ranged between 61.8 cM for chromosome 07 and 140.2 cM for chromosome 05. A total of 616 SNP bin markers showed significant (P watermelon cultivar K3 allele and 103 were skewed toward PI 189225. The number of SNPs and InDels per Mb varied considerably across the segregation distorted regions (SDRs) on each chromosome, and a mixture of dense and sparse SNPs and InDel SDRs coexisted on some chromosomes suggesting that SDRs were randomly distributed throughout the genome. Recombination rates varied greatly among each chromosome, from 2.0 to 4.2 centimorgans per megabase (cM/Mb). An inconsistency was found between the genetic and physical positions on the map for a segment on chromosome 11. The high-density genetic map described in the present study will facilitate fine mapping of quantitative trait loci, the identification of candidate genes, map-based cloning, as well as marker-assisted selection (MAS) in watermelon breeding programs.

Effects of cluster thinning on vine photosynthesis, berry ripeness and flavonoid composition of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu; He, Yan-Nan; Chen, Wei-Kai; He, Fei; Chen, Wu; Cai, Xiao-Dong; Duan, Chang-Qing; Wang, Jun

2018-05-15

Cluster thinning is a common practice for regulating vine yield and grape quality. The effects of cluster thinning on vine photosynthesis, berry ripeness and flavonoid composition of V. vinifera L. Cabernet Sauvignon were evaluated during two seasons. Half of the clusters were removed at pea-size and veraison relative to two controls, respectively. Both cluster thinning treatments significantly increased pruning weight and decreased yield. No effects of cluster thinning on berry growth, ripeness and flavonol composition were observed. Early cluster thinning decreased the photosynthetic rate at pea-size, but the effect diminished at post-veraison. Early cluster thinning significantly promoted the biosynthesis of anthocyanins but decreased the proportion of 3'5'-hydroxylated and acylated anthocyanins at veraison. Late cluster thinning decreased the proportions of 3'5'-hydroxylated and acylated anthocyanins. Additionally, Cluster thinning showed inconsistent effects on flavan-3-ol composition over the two seasons. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Watermelon used as a novel carbon source to improve the rate performance of iron oxide electrodes for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lin; Zhang, Lin-Chao; Cheng, Jian-Xiu; Ding, Chu-Xiong; Chen, Chun-Hua

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Watermelon is used to synthesize the carbon material via an environmentally friendly process. • The derived carbon materials exhibit high specific surface area and good rate performance. • Good rate performances of these FeO x /C composites in 3.0–0.01 V are achieved. -- Abstract: The pulp of a watermelon consists of watermelon juice and flesh wall. After a hydrothermal process at 160 °C, the pulp turns into a carbon-based composite powder composed of micrometer particles and nanosheets (CPs–CSs). Through a similar hydrothermal process with the mixture of watermelon pulp and an ethanolic solution of ferric nitrate as the precursors, a powder of iron oxide–CPs–CSs composite is also synthesized. X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies and BET surface area measurement are employed to study the compositions and structures of these composite powders. Their electrochemical properties as potential anode materials of lithium ion batteries are also investigated. It is found that after a heat treatment at 700 °C and 800 °C, the CPs–CSs composites are mesoporous carbon materials with a specific surface area of 898 m 2 g −1 and 452 m 2 g −1 , respectively. The iron oxide–CPs–CSs composites after a heat treatment at 700 °C and 800 °C are all Fe 3 O 4 –CPs–CSs. When used as anode materials, both CPs–CSs and Fe 3 O 4 –CPs–CSs show very good rate performance. Thanks to the higher surface area of the carbon component, the 700 °C-treated Fe 3 O 4 –CPs–CSs is superior to others in rate capability. It can deliver a discharge capacity of 350 mA h g −1 even at a high current density of 2500 mA g −1

ACC synthase genes are polymorphic in watermelon (Citrullus spp.) and differentially expressed in flowers and in response to auxin and gibberellin.

Science.gov (United States)

Salman-Minkov, Ayelet; Levi, Amnon; Wolf, Shmuel; Trebitsh, Tova

2008-05-01

The flowering pattern of watermelon species (Citrullus spp.) is either monoecious or andromonoecious. Ethylene is known to play a critical role in floral sex determination of cucurbit species. In contrast to its feminizing effect in cucumber and melon, in watermelon ethylene promotes male flower development. In cucumber, the rate-limiting enzyme of ethylene biosynthesis, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase (ACS), regulates unisexual flower development. To investigate the role of ethylene in flower development, we isolated four genomic sequences of ACS from watermelon (CitACS1-4). Both CitACS1 and CitACS3 are expressed in floral tissue. CitACS1 is also expressed in vegetative tissue and it may be involved in cell growth processes. Expression of CitACS1 is up-regulated by exogenous treatment with auxin, gibberellin or ACC, the immediate precursor of ethylene. No discernible differential floral sex-dependent expression pattern was observed for this gene. The CitACS3 gene is expressed in open flowers and in young staminate floral buds (male or hermaphrodite), but not in female flowers. CitACS3 is also up-regulated by ACC, and is likely to be involved in ethylene-regulated anther development. The expression of CitACS2 was not detected in vegetative or reproductive organs but was up-regulated by auxin. CitACS4 transcript was not detected under our experimental conditions. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence tagged site (STS) marker analyses of the CitACS genes showed polymorphism among and within the different Citrullus groups, including watermelon cultivars, Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus, the central subspecies Citrullus lanatus var. citroides, and the desert species Citrullus colocynthis (L).

Heritability and genetic variance for citrulline, arginine and lycopene content in a diverse set of watermelon cultigens

Science.gov (United States)

Citrulline, arginine, and lycopene are naturally occurring compounds found in watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Matsum & Nakai, with beneficial effects on plant growth and human health. This study evaluated seven commercial cultivars and one breeding line for citrulline, arginine, and lycopene c...

Effect of calcium chloride spraying on BER in two varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb Matsum and Nakai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mohammad salahifarahi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Watermelon, originated from warm regions of Africa, is one of the most important vegetable crops used as human food, forage and for producing alcohol. The area under its cultivation in our province was 1031 ha as irrigated and 3829 ha as rainfed. The average fruit yields under above-mentioned conditions were 23784 and 14888kg ha-1, respectively. Watermelon fruits suffer from a nutritional disorder that is attributed to shortage of calcium in developing fruits. The adsorption and uptake process of calcium by plants is comprised of three main stages; the first stage is passing through root cortex into xylem, the second one is its transport within xylem, and the last one is its distribution into leaves and fruits. Plants obtain calcium preferably from soil solution. Calcium moves upward in apoplastic pathways (with transpiration flow, and reaches different organs of the plants through xylem. Blossom-end rot (BER is a nutritional disorder of watermelon, tomato and pepper that is caused by a shortage of calcium in enlarging fruits. Blossom-end rot of watermelon commonly occurs in our province when fruits are growing rapidly. BER is frequently seen in watermelon genotypes with long fruits, Charleston gray type in particular. Calcium requirement increases at rapidly developing stage of fruit. BER might happen as a result of increased demand of blossom-end rot of fruit (rapidly growing section of the fruits for calcium. It can occur even when there is abundant calcium in the soil, because demand exceeds supply. Since fruits do not transpire as much as leaves, less calcium is deposited when calcium containing water is transpired, resulting in a localized calcium deficiency in the fruit. Materials and methods: In order to investigate the effects of foliar application of calcium on BER of watermelon, an experiment was carried out at the agricultural research station of Gonbad, Gonbad-e Qabus, Iran, in 2008. The soil of the experiment site was

Consumption of Watermelon Juice Enriched in l-Citrulline and Pomegranate Ellagitannins Enhanced Metabolism during Physical Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Sánchez, Ascensión; Alacid, Fernando; Rubio-Arias, Jacobo A; Fernández-Lobato, Bárbara; Ramos-Campo, Domingo J; Aguayo, Encarna

2017-06-07

l-Citrulline is a nonessential amino acid precursor of arginine and indirectly a precursor of nitric oxide (NO), which is a vasodilator and increases mitochondrial respiration. On the other hand, the antioxidant pomegranate ellagitannins are precursors of urolithin A, which has been associated with mitophagy and increased muscle function. To elucidate if a single dose of watermelon enrichment with these compounds could have a positive effect after high-intensity exercise (eight sets of eight repetitions of half-squat exercise), a double-blind randomized crossover in vivo study was performed in healthy male subjects (n = 19). Enrichment juices maintained basal levels of blood markers of muscle damage, such as lactate dehydrogenase and myoglobin, and showed a significant maintenance of force during the exercise and a significant decrease in the rating of perceived exertion and muscle soreness after exercise. A positive effect was observed between l-citrulline and ellagitannins, improving the ergogenic effect of watermelon juice.

Magnetic interaction reversal in watermelon nanostructured Cr-doped Fe nanoclusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaur, Maninder; Qiang, You; Dai, Qilin; Tang, Jinke; Bowden, Mark; Engelhard, Mark; Wu, Yaqiao

2013-01-01

Cr-doped core-shell Fe/Fe-oxide nanoclusters (NCs) were synthesized at varied atomic percentages of Cr from 0 at. % to 8 at. %. The low concentrations of Cr ( 2 O 3 and the Fe core to FeCr alloy. The magnetic interaction in Fe/Fe-oxide NCs (∼25 nm) can be controlled by antiferromagnetic Cr-dopant. We report the origin of σ-FeCr phase at very low Cr concentration (2 at. %) unlike in previous studies, and the interaction reversal from dipolar to exchange interaction in watermelon-like Cr-doped core-shell NCs

Coupling of the chemical niche and microbiome in the rhizosphere: implications from watermelon grafting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang SONG,Chen ZHU,Waseem RAZA,Dongsheng WANG,Qiwei HUANG,Shiwei GUO,Ning LING,Qirong SHEN

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Grafting is commonly used to overcome soil-borne diseases. However, its effects on the rhizodeposits as well as the linkages between the rhizosphere chemical niche and microbiome remained unknown. In this paper, significant negative correlations between the bacterial alpha diversity and both the disease incidence (r = -0.832, P = 0.005 and pathogen population (r = - 0.786, P = 0.012 were detected. Moreover, our results showed that the chemical diversity not only predicts bacterial alpha diversity but also can impact on overall microbial community structure (beta diversity in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, some anti-fungal compounds including heptadecane and hexadecane were identified in the rhizosphere of grafted watermelon. We concluded that grafted watermelon can form a distinct rhizosphere chemical niche and thus recruit microbial communities with high diversity. Furthermore, the diverse bacteria and the antifungal compounds in the rhizosphere can potentially serve as biological and chemical barriers, respectively, to hinder pathogen invasion. These results not only lead us toward broadening the view of disease resistance mechanism of grafting, but also provide clues to control the microbial composition by manipulating the rhizosphere chemical niche.

Watermelon configurations with wall interaction: exact and asymptotic results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krattenthaler, C [Institut Camille Jordan, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon-I, 21, avenue Claude Bernard, F-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France)

2006-06-15

We perform an exact and asymptotic analysis of the model of n vicious walkers interacting with a wall via contact potentials, a model introduced by Brak, Essam and Owczarek. More specifically, we study the partition function of watermelon configurations which start on the wall, but may end at arbitrary height, and their mean number of contacts with the wall. We improve and extend the earlier (partially nonrigorous) results by Brak, Essam and Owczarek, providing new exact results, and more precise and more general asymptotic results, in particular full asymptotic expansions for the partition function and the mean number of contacts. Furthermore, we relate this circle of problems to earlier results in the combinatorial and statistical literature.

Watermelon configurations with wall interaction: exact and asymptotic results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krattenthaler, C

2006-01-01

We perform an exact and asymptotic analysis of the model of n vicious walkers interacting with a wall via contact potentials, a model introduced by Brak, Essam and Owczarek. More specifically, we study the partition function of watermelon configurations which start on the wall, but may end at arbitrary height, and their mean number of contacts with the wall. We improve and extend the earlier (partially nonrigorous) results by Brak, Essam and Owczarek, providing new exact results, and more precise and more general asymptotic results, in particular full asymptotic expansions for the partition function and the mean number of contacts. Furthermore, we relate this circle of problems to earlier results in the combinatorial and statistical literature

Watermelon configurations with wall interaction: exact and asymptotic results

Science.gov (United States)

Krattenthaler, C.

2006-06-01

We perform an exact and asymptotic analysis of the model of n vicious walkers interacting with a wall via contact potentials, a model introduced by Brak, Essam and Owczarek. More specifically, we study the partition function of watermelon configurations which start on the wall, but may end at arbitrary height, and their mean number of contacts with the wall. We improve and extend the earlier (partially nonrigorous) results by Brak, Essam and Owczarek, providing new exact results, and more precise and more general asymptotic results, in particular full asymptotic expansions for the partition function and the mean number of contacts. Furthermore, we relate this circle of problems to earlier results in the combinatorial and statistical literature.

Physiological investigation of gold nanorods toward watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yujie; Li, Junli; Ren, Hongxuan; Huang, Jin; Yuan, Hong

2014-08-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the phytotoxicity and oxidant stress of the gold nanorods toward watermelon, and hence give a quantitative risk assessment of both seeds and plants phase. The seed germination, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the contents of soluble protein and malondialdehyde (MDA) have been measured while the plant roots were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the gold nanorods significantly promoted the root elongation. Furthermore, the results on the enzymes activities of plant indicated that oxidative stress happened in the plant treated with gold nanorods. However, the gold nanorods resulted in the phytotoxicity toward plant especially at high concentration. The TEM images of the plant roots with and without the treatment of gold nanorods showed the significant different size of starch granules. In conclusion, significant physiological changes of plant occurred after treatment with the gold nanorods.

The concentration of trans-lycopene in postharvest watermelon: An evaluation of analytical data obtained by direct methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dimitrovski, D.; Bicanic, D.D.; Luterotti, S.; Twisk, van C.; Buijnsters, J.G.; Doka, O.

2010-01-01

The performance of the newly proposed laser-based optothermal window (OW) method and colorimetry for quantification of trans -lycopene in 10 watermelon homogenates has been evaluated. Reverse phase HPLC served as an established reference method. Both, OW and colorimetry are direct methods as they,

A D-vine copula-based model for repeated measurements extending linear mixed models with homogeneous correlation structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Killiches, Matthias; Czado, Claudia

2018-03-22

We propose a model for unbalanced longitudinal data, where the univariate margins can be selected arbitrarily and the dependence structure is described with the help of a D-vine copula. We show that our approach is an extremely flexible extension of the widely used linear mixed model if the correlation is homogeneous over the considered individuals. As an alternative to joint maximum-likelihood a sequential estimation approach for the D-vine copula is provided and validated in a simulation study. The model can handle missing values without being forced to discard data. Since conditional distributions are known analytically, we easily make predictions for future events. For model selection, we adjust the Bayesian information criterion to our situation. In an application to heart surgery data our model performs clearly better than competing linear mixed models. © 2018, The International Biometric Society.

C-Vine copula mixture model for clustering of residential electrical load pattern data

OpenAIRE

Sun, M; Konstantelos, I; Strbac, G

2016-01-01

The ongoing deployment of residential smart meters in numerous jurisdictions has led to an influx of electricity consumption data. This information presents a valuable opportunity to suppliers for better understanding their customer base and designing more effective tariff structures. In the past, various clustering methods have been proposed for meaningful customer partitioning. This paper presents a novel finite mixture modeling framework based on C-vine copulas (CVMM) for carrying out cons...

Comparison of Three Methods of Planting Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus in Varamin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Jafari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In order to determine the best method of planting for two varieties of watermelon in Varamin (Charleston Gray and Mahbube through the three methods of planting (direct sowing of seeds, germinated seeds and transplanting of seedlings, a factorial experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates during two years (2007-2008 at the Agricultural Research Center, Varamin. The results indicated that planting methods and cultivars had significant effects on all traits including fruit yield, fruit weight and fruit yield of first cutting. Al though the method of transplanting resulted in fruit maturation of 14 days earlier than the direct planting, the mean fruit yield in this method was significantly lower than other methods. Among the various methods of cultivation, the highest mean yield was obtained from the using germinated seed with 30890 kg ha. In the germinated seed method, average fruit weight was significantly higher than the other two methods. The highest number of fruits per plant and the lateral branches were produced in the transplanting method but due to the low weight of fruit, it had the lowest fruit yield per hectare. The highest concentrations of dissolved solids in the fruit (8.2% were obtained in direct planting. Mahbube cultivar with 28,310 kg ha-1 of fruit yield, out yielded the Charleston Gray cultivar with 26250 kg ha-1. For the latter cultivar, first cutting yield and mean fruit weight were also superior compared to the cultivar Charleston Gray. Considering the significant interaction of cultivar and planting methods, maximum fruit yield (31750 kg ha-1 in this study was achieved with Mahbube cultivar when planted with germinated seed method. The results showed that seed germinated seed method is advantage ous compared with the other methods of planting.

The impact of the age of vines on soil hydraulic conductivity in vineyards in eastern Spain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alagna, Vincenzo; Prima, Di Simone; Rodrigo-Comino, Jesús; Iovino, Massimo; Pirastru, Mario; Keesstra, Saskia D.; Novara, Agata; Cerdà, Artemio

2017-01-01

Soil infiltration processes manage runoff generation, which in turn affects soil erosion. There is limited information on infiltration rates. In this study, the impact of vine age on soil bulk density (BD) and hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was assessed on a loam soil tilled by chisel plough. Soil

A mixed C-vine copula model for hedging price and volumetric risk in wind power trading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pircalabu, Anca; Jung, Jesper

2017-01-01

correlation with the much more liquid German market to construct a proxy hedge. We propose a three-dimensional mixed vine copula to model the evolution of the Danish and German spot electricity prices and the Danish wind power production. We construct a realistic hedging portfolio by identifying various...... of not only forwards, but also a basket of e.g. call and put options. Illiquidity and an almost non-existent market for options challenge however the optimal hedging of joint price and volumetric risk in many market places. Here, we consider the case of the Danish power market, and exploit its strong positive...... instruments available in the market, such as real options in the form of the right to transfer electricity across the border and the right to convert electricity to heat. Using the proposed vine copula to determine optimal hedging decisions, we show that significant benefits are to be drawn by extending...

Effects of hot water treatments on dormant grapevine propagation materials used for grafted vine production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soltekin Oguzhan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Agrobacterium vitis is responsible for the crown gall disease of grapevine which breaks the grapevine trunk vascular system. Nutrient flow is prevented by crown gall and it leads to weak growth and death of the plants. It can be destructive disease often encountered in vineyards and it can be spread in cuttings for propagation. Thermotherapy treatment is an alternative method for eradicating A. vitis from grapevine cuttings but effects of thermotherapy treatments on dormant vine tissue, bud vitality, rooting and shooting of the propagation materials are not yet fully understood. In this research, it is aimed to determine the effects of thermotherapy treatment (Hot water treatment on callus formation (at the basal part and grafting point, grafted vine quality (shoot length, shoot width, root number, shooting and rooting development, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots and final take in the grafted vine production. Experiment was conducted in the nursery of Manisa Viticultural Research Institute. Rootstocks (Kober 5BB, Couderc 1613 and 41B and scions (Sultan 7 and Manisa sultanı were hot-water treated at 50°C for 30 minutes which is the most common technique against Agrobacterium vitis. After thermotherapy treatment, all rootstocks were grafted with Sultan 7 and Manisa sultanıvarieties. They were kept for 22 days in callusing room for callus development and then they were planted in polyethlyene bags for rooting. At the end of the study, significant treatment x rootstock interaction were observed for the final take of Sultan 7 variety. Thermotherapy treated of 1613C/Sultan 7 combinations had more final take than the control (untreated group. For instance, hot water treated cuttings of 1613C/Sultan 7 combinations had 75% final take while the control group had the 70%. Also there were not observed any adverse effects of HWT on bud and tissue vitality.

Responses of wild watermelon to drought stress: accumulation of an ArgE homologue and citrulline in leaves during water deficits.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawasaki, S; Miyake, C; Kohchi, T; Fujii, S; Uchida, M; Yokota, A

2000-07-01

Wild watermelon from the Botswana desert had an ability to survive under severe drought conditions by maintaining its water status (water content and water potential). In the analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis of leaf proteins, seven spots were newly induced after watering stopped. One with the molecular mass of 40 kilodaltons of the spots was accumulated abundantly. The cDNA encoding for the protein was cloned based on its amino-terminal sequence and the amino acid sequence deduced from the determined nucleotide sequences of the cDNA exhibited homology to the enzymes belong to the ArgE/DapE/Acy1/Cpg2/YscS protein family (including acetylornithine deacetylase, carboxypeptidase and aminoacylase-1). This suggests that the protein is involved in the release of free amino acid by hydrolyzing a peptidic bond. As the drought stress progressed, citrulline became one of the major components in the total free amino acids. Eight days after withholding watering, although the lower leaves wilted significantly, the upper leaves still maintained their water status and the content of citrulline reached about 50% in the total free amino acids. The accumulation of citrulline during the drought stress in wild watermelon is an unique phenomenon in C3-plants. These results suggest that the drought tolerance of wild watermelon is related to (1) the maintenance of the water status and (2) a metabolic change to accumulate citrulline.

Effect of Seed Priming, Sowing methods and Bio-fertilizers on Yield and Yield Components of Seedy Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Zarandi

2018-02-01

Ghiasabadi (2012 reported that onion and corn leaf area and LAI 50 days after transplanting were higher than the direct sowing According to the results, osmoprimed seeds of watermelon, transplanting and bio-fertilizers and interactions of bio-fertilizers with osmopriming treatment had significant effect on the number of fruits per plant (Table 2. Osmopriming of seeds increased (8% the number of fruits per plant compared to the control (unprimed seeds (Table 4. The number of fruits per plant with grain yield (r= 0.63** and total dry matter (r= 0.71** had a significant correlation. Mature plants resulted from transplanting produced 2.9 fruits per plant, compared to direct sowing, with 2.5 fruits per plant (Table 4. Rahnama and Bakhshande (2005 reported that oilseed rape transplants produced higher numbers of pods per plant in compare with direct sowing. Primed seeds with application of bio-fertilizers caused an increase in the number of fruits per plant. Fertilizer treatments in the primed seeds, with 3.5 fruits, and primed seeds without fertilizer treatment, with 2.2 of fruits per plant, had the highest and lowest fruits per plant, respectively (table 5. Seed yield per plant is one of the most important economic indexes. The results showed that the effect of osmo-priming (at %5 level, transplanting, fertilizers and bio (at 1% level and the triple interactions on grain yield (at 5% level were significant (Table 2. As the results, osmo-priming of seeds, transplanting and fertilizer were superior compared to control treatments (table 4. In this study osmopriming, transplanting and bio-fertilizers increased grain yield up to 13%, 23% and 65%, respectively (Table 4. Conclusions Resowing generally is one of the major problems of farmers in direct sowing of seedy watermelon due to poor germinability and establishment, sowing at heavy soil, low rainfall, irrigation water shortages conditions or lack of ability to absorb water and fertilizers. Osmopriming with saving inputs will lead

Detection and occurrence of Melon yellow spot virus in Ecuador: an emergent threat to melon and watermelon production

Science.gov (United States)

Worldwide, more than fifty viruses have been reported in cucurbit crops. In Ecuador, approximately 3000 Ha of watermelon, melon and cucumbers are cultivated annually. However, very few studies have been conducted to identify viruses responsible for important epidemics in this crop in Ecuador. During...

Vine planting rights, farm size and economic performance: Do economies of scale matter in the French viticulture sector?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Delord

2015-06-01

In summary, the main argument put forward by the European Commission to justify canceling vine planting rights is not adapted to the case of France because it considers wine as a single product sold at a single price.

Survival and growth populations of Salmonella transferred from melon rind surfaces to cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon pulps during preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Consumers are eating more fresh vegetable and fruit due to nutritional and health-related benefits. Whole melons (cantaloupes, honeydew and watermelons) are of particular interest because of their nutrient contents. However, they are frequently contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Conditions neces...

Fungicide rotation schemes for managing Phytophthora fruit rot of watermelon across Southeastern United States (NC, SC, and GA)

Science.gov (United States)

Phytophthora capsici has been documented as a pathogen on a wide variety of vegetable crops in the family Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and plants belonging to 23 other families. Phytophthora fruit rot of watermelons caused by P. capsici is particularly severe in southeastern U.S where optima...

Diversity of landraces and wild forms of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in southern Africa

OpenAIRE

Mujaju, Claid

2009-01-01

The genus Citrullus, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Among the four species in this genus, a single species Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsum. & Nakai, commonly known as watermelon, is grown throughout the drought-prone southern Africa as a staple food (edible seeds), a dessert food (edible flesh), and for animal feed. The fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked and the seeds can be roasted. Its uses are however, multifaceted and vary depending on the customs of the humans growing this crop...

Potential involvement of drought-induced Ran GTPase CLRan1 in root growth enhancement in a xerophyte wild watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Akashi, Kinya; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Kajikawa, Masataka; Hanada, Kouhei; Kosaka, Rina; Kato, Atsushi; Katoh, Akira; Nanasato, Yoshihiko; Tsujimoto, Hisashi; Yokota, Akiho

2016-10-01

Enhanced root growth is known as the survival strategy of plants under drought. Previous proteome analysis in drought-resistant wild watermelon has shown that Ran GTPase, an essential regulator of cell division and proliferation, was induced in the roots under drought. In this study, two cDNAs were isolated from wild watermelon, CLRan1 and CLRan2, which showed a high degree of structural similarity with those of other plant Ran GTPases. Quantitative RT-PCR and promoter-GUS assays suggested that CLRan1 was expressed mainly in the root apex and lateral root primordia, whereas CLRan2 was more broadly expressed in other part of the roots. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed that the abundance of CLRan proteins was elevated in the root apex region under drought stress. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing CLRan1 showed enhanced primary root growth, and the growth was maintained under osmotic stress, indicating that CLRan1 functions as a positive factor for maintaining root growth under stress conditions.

Magnetic interaction reversal in watermelon nanostructured Cr-doped Fe nanoclusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Maninder; Qiang, You, E-mail: youqiang@uidaho.edu [Department of Physics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844 (United States); Dai, Qilin; Tang, Jinke [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071 (United States); Bowden, Mark; Engelhard, Mark [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States); Wu, Yaqiao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725 (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401 (United States)

2013-11-11

Cr-doped core-shell Fe/Fe-oxide nanoclusters (NCs) were synthesized at varied atomic percentages of Cr from 0 at. % to 8 at. %. The low concentrations of Cr (<10 at. %) were selected in order to inhibit the complete conversion of the Fe-oxide shell to Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and the Fe core to FeCr alloy. The magnetic interaction in Fe/Fe-oxide NCs (∼25 nm) can be controlled by antiferromagnetic Cr-dopant. We report the origin of σ-FeCr phase at very low Cr concentration (2 at. %) unlike in previous studies, and the interaction reversal from dipolar to exchange interaction in watermelon-like Cr-doped core-shell NCs.

CLAVATA3-like genes are differentially expressed in grape vine (Vitis vinifera) tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Tominaga-Wada, Rumi; Nukumizu, Yuka; Wada, Takuji; Sawa, Shinichiro; Tetsumura, Takuya

2013-10-15

The CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/endosperm surrounding region [(ESR) CLE] peptides function as intercellular signaling molecules that regulate various physiological and developmental processes in diverse plant species. We identified five CLV3-like genes from grape vine (Vitis vinifera var. Pinot Noir): VvCLE 6, VvCLE 25-1, VvCLE 25-2, VvCLE 43 and VvCLE TDIF. These CLV3-like genes encode short proteins containing 43-128 amino acids. Except VvCLE TDIF, grape vine CLV3-like proteins possess a consensus amino acid sequence known as the CLE domain. Phylogenic analysis suggests that the VvCLE 6, VvCLE25-1, VvCLE25-2 and VvCLE43 genes have evolved from a single common ancestor to the Arabidopsis CLV3 gene. Expression analyses showed that the five grape CLV3-like genes are expressed in leaves, stems, roots and axillary buds with significant differences in their levels of expression. For example, while all of them were strongly expressed in axillary buds, VvCLE6 and VvCLE43 expression prevailed in roots, and VvCLE25-1, VvCLE25-2 and VvCLE TDIF expression in stems. The differential expression of the five grape CLV3-like peptides suggests that they play different roles in different organs and developmental stages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cloning and molecular analyses of a gibberellin 20-oxidase gene expressed specifically in developing seeds of watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, H G; Jun, S H; Kim, J; Kawaide, H; Kamiya, Y; An, G

1999-10-01

To understand the biosynthesis and functional role of gibberellins (GAs) in developing seeds, we isolated Cv20ox, a cDNA clone from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) that shows significant amino acid homology with GA 20-oxidases. The complementary DNA clone was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein, which oxidized GA(12) at C-20 to the C(19) compound GA(9), a precursor of bioactive GAs. RNA-blot analysis showed that the Cv20ox gene was expressed specifically in developing seeds. The gene was strongly expressed in the integument tissues, and it was also expressed weakly in inner seed tissues. In parthenocarpic fruits induced by 1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea treatment, the expression pattern of Cv20ox did not change, indicating that the GA 20-oxidase gene is expressed primarily in the maternal cells of developing seeds. The promoter of Cv20ox was isolated and fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. In a transient expression system, beta-glucuronidase staining was detectable only in the integument tissues of developing watermelon seeds.

Bleeding Sap and Old Wood Are the Two Main Sources of Contamination of Merging Organs of Vine Plants by Xylophilus ampelinus, the Causal Agent of Bacterial Necrosis

OpenAIRE

Grall, S.; Roulland, C.; Guillaumès, J.; Manceau, C.

2005-01-01

The spatial distribution of vine plants contaminated by Xylophilus ampelinus, the agent responsible for bacterial necrosis, was studied over a 5-year period within two vineyards in the Cognac area. Both vineyards were planted with Vitis vinifera cv. Ugni blanc but were different in age and agronomic location. The emission of X. ampelinus in contaminated bleeding sap was observed during vine sprouting. Contaminated bleeding sap is an important source of inoculum for external contamination due ...

Fruit fate, seed germination and growth of an invasive vine - an experimental test of 'sit and wait' strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Cathryn H. Greenberg; Lindsay M. Smith; Douglas J. Levey

2001-01-01

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculutus Thunb.) is a non-indigenous, invasive woody vine in North America that proliferates in disturbed open sites. Unlike most invasive species, C. orbiculatus exhibits a `sit and wait' strategy by establishing and persisting indefinitely in undisturbed, closed canopy forest and...

Mutational analysis of the N-terminal topogenic signal of watermelon glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase using the heterologous host Hansenula polymorpha

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gietl, Christine; Faber, Klaas Nico; Klei, Ida J. van der; Veenhuis, Marten

1994-01-01

We have studied the significance of the N-terminal presequence of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase [gMDH; (S)-malate:NAD+ oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.37] in microbody targeting. The yeast Hansenula polymorpha was used as heterologous host for the in vivo expression of

Uptake of benzyladenine by excised watermelon cotyledons.

Science.gov (United States)

Lampugnani, M G; Fantelli, R; Longo, G P; Longo, C P; Rossi, G

1981-07-01

The uptake of 8-[(14)C]N(6)-benzyladenine (BA) was studied in excised watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) cotyledons 24 hours after the start of imbibition. The passive nature of this uptake is suggested by the following evidence: (a) no sign of saturation on increasing external concentration of BA; (b) no decrease in uptake under conditions that inhibit ATP synthesis; (c) no change in amount of radioactivity absorbed when cotyledons are frozen and thawed before the uptake test. About two-thirds of the radioactivity taken up is released after 12 hours of washing. If the washing is performed at 2 C very little radioactivity is released.There seems to be a correlation between the level of radioactivity (i.e. of BA + derivatives) present in the cotyledons and the magnitude of hormonal responses that are observed four days after uptake. This relationship holds regardless of whether a given level of radioactivity has been reached after a short period of uptake or after a long period of uptake followed by washing.

Chemical composition, nitrogen degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in vines harvested from four tropical sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, R; Mlambo, V; Mangwe, M C; Dlamini, B J

2016-02-01

This study investigated the potential of vines from four sweet potato varieties (Tia Nong 57, Tia Nong 66, Ligwalagwala and Kenya) as alternative feed resources for ruminant livestock. The chemical composition [neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein (CP) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN)], in vitro ruminal nitrogen (N) degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in the vines, harvested at 70 and 110 days after planting (DAP), were determined. Variety and harvesting stage did not (p > 0.05) influence CP and NDF content of the vines. Concentration of CP ranged from 104.9 to 212.2 g/kg DM, while NDF ranged from 439.4 to 529.2 g/kg DM across harvesting stages and varieties. Nitrogen degradability (ND) at 70 and 110 DAP was highest (p ruminal cumulative gas production parameters (a, b and c). The in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins, as measured by increment in gas production parameters upon PEG inclusion, had a maximum value of 18.2%, suggesting low to moderate antinutritional tannin activity. Ligwalagwala vines, with highly degradable N, would be the best protein supplement to use during the dry season when ruminant animals consume low N basal diets and maintenance is an acceptable production objective. Tia Nong 66 and Kenya varieties, with less degradable N, may be more suitable for use as supplements for high-producing animals such as dairy goats. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Observations on the influence of vine covering by means of a transparent plastic sheet on berry ripening and wine quality (Saint-Emilion, 1995 and 1996

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelis van Leeuwen

1998-09-01

On the covered plots, yields were higher. In 1996, on BT, the vines carried more bunches, the bunches carried more berries and berry weight was higher. The control vines were significantly more affected by Botrytis compared to BS ; BT showed almost no rot. Berries on the covered plots showed a tendancy of having more sugar and total phenolics, and less malic acid. Separate microvinifications were done with 50 kg of grapes from each plot. Wine from BT was preferred over BS. Wine from the control plot was the least appreciated.

Rare Earth and other Chemical Elements Accumulation in Vines of Fogo Island (Cape Verde)

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Rosa; Prudêncio, Maria Isabel; Rocha, Fernando; Dias, Maria Isabel; Franco, Dulce

2017-04-01

The Fogo Island is the fourth bigger island of the Cape Verde (central Atlantic Ocean). This archipelago is located 570 kilometres off the coast of West Africa, and is characterized by a semi-arid climate. The volcanic soils of the caldera of this island, with an active volcanism during historical times, have been used for viticulture. The study of uptake of chemical elements by vines - absorption and translocation to grapes - grown in soils developed on alkaline pyroclasts is the main goal of this work. The concentrations of 27 chemical elements in bark, leafs and grapes of two vines, as well as in the corresponding soils ( 50). The bioavailable fraction of Cr and As in these soils may be due to the low percentage of iron oxides (particularly in the form of nanoparticles), which play an important role in the retention of these elements. The factors responsible for the phytoavailability of Sb in soils and its uptake by plants it's still poorly known. Although the Sb concentrations in earth's crust are low, higher concentrations of this element in soils may be related with hydrothermal and volcanic processes. Also, the temperature may influence the accumulation of Sb in plants, with an increase of the Sb uptake by plants at higher temperatures, due to an increased desorption rate of Sb from soil particles. Concerning U, its mobility and dispersion in soils is controlled by its oxidation state, its adsorption capacity in clay minerals or iron oxides, and the ability to form more or less soluble complexes. Although U concentrations in these volcanic soils are low, there is a fraction available for absorption and accumulation by grapes. Concerning the rare earth elements (REE), it should be noted that the light REE are not enriched in any part of the vines studied, and only the heavy REE are enriched in grapes (EF = 20-50); this can be explained by the preferential uptake of the heavy REE, after primary minerals breakdown and the formation of more soluble compounds

Genetic Linkage Mapping of Economically Important Traits in Cultivated Tetraploid Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Massa, Alicia N; Manrique-Carpintero, Norma C; Coombs, Joseph J; Zarka, Daniel G; Boone, Anne E; Kirk, William W; Hackett, Christine A; Bryan, Glenn J; Douches, David S

2015-09-14

The objective of this study was to construct a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic map at the cultivated tetraploid level to locate quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing to economically important traits in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The 156 F1 progeny and parents of a cross (MSL603) between "Jacqueline Lee" and "MSG227-2" were genotyped using the Infinium 8303 Potato Array. Furthermore, the progeny and parents were evaluated for foliar late blight reaction to isolates of the US-8 genotype of Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and vine maturity. Linkage analyses and QTL mapping were performed using a novel approach that incorporates allele dosage information. The resulting genetic maps contained 1972 SNP markers with an average density of 1.36 marker per cM. QTL mapping identified the major source of late blight resistance in "Jacqueline Lee." The best SNP marker mapped ~0.54 Mb from a resistance hotspot on the long arm of chromosome 9. For vine maturity, the major-effect QTL was located on chromosome 5 with allelic effects from both parents. A candidate SNP marker for this trait mapped ~0.25 Mb from the StCDF1 gene, which is a candidate gene for the maturity trait. The identification of markers for P. infestans resistance will enable the introgression of multiple sources of resistance through marker-assisted selection. Moreover, the discovery of a QTL for late blight resistance not linked to the QTL for vine maturity provides the opportunity to use marker-assisted selection for resistance independent of the selection for vine maturity classifications. Copyright © 2015 Massa et al.

Ecological and pest-management implications of sex differences in scarab landing patterns on grape vines

OpenAIRE

Gonz?lez-Chang, Mauricio; Boyer, St?phane; Lefort, Marie-Caroline; Nboyine, Jerry; Wratten, Steve D.

2017-01-01

Background Melolonthinae beetles, comprising different white grub species, are a globally-distributed pest group. Their larvae feed on roots of several crop and forestry species, and adults can cause severe defoliation. In New Zealand, the endemic scarab pest Costelytra zealandica (White) causes severe defoliation on different horticultural crops, including grape vines (Vitis vinifera). Understanding flight and landing behaviours of this pest can help inform pest management decisions. Methods...

Star junctions and watermelons of pure or random quantum Ising chains: finite-size properties of the energy gap at criticality

Science.gov (United States)

Monthus, Cécile

2015-06-01

We consider M  ⩾  2 pure or random quantum Ising chains of N spins when they are coupled via a single star junction at their origins or when they are coupled via two star junctions at the their two ends leading to the watermelon geometry. The energy gap is studied via a sequential self-dual real-space renormalization procedure that can be explicitly solved in terms of Kesten variables containing the initial couplings and and the initial transverse fields. In the pure case at criticality, the gap is found to decay as a power-law {ΔM}\\propto {{N}-z(M)} with the dynamical exponent z(M)=\\frac{M}{2} for the single star junction (the case M   =   2 corresponds to z   =   1 for a single chain with free boundary conditions) and z(M)   =   M  -  1 for the watermelon (the case M   =   2 corresponds to z   =   1 for a single chain with periodic boundary conditions). In the random case at criticality, the gap follows the Infinite Disorder Fixed Point scaling \\ln {ΔM}=-{{N}\\psi}g with the same activated exponent \\psi =\\frac{1}{2} as the single chain corresponding to M   =   2, and where g is an O(1) random positive variable, whose distribution depends upon the number M of chains and upon the geometry (star or watermelon).

Analysis of viral (zucchini yellow mosaic virus) genetic diversity during systemic movement through a Cucurbita pepo vine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, J P; Simmons, H E; Holmes, E C; Stephenson, A G

2014-10-13

Determining the extent and structure of intra-host genetic diversity and the magnitude and impact of population bottlenecks is central to understanding the mechanisms of viral evolution. To determine the nature of viral evolution following systemic movement through a plant, we performed deep sequencing of 23 leaves that grew sequentially along a single Cucurbita pepo vine that was infected with zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), and on a leaf that grew in on a side branch. Strikingly, of 112 genetic (i.e. sub-consensus) variants observed in the data set as a whole, only 22 were found in multiple leaves. Similarly, only three of the 13 variants present in the inoculating population were found in the subsequent leaves on the vine. Hence, it appears that systemic movement is characterized by sequential population bottlenecks, although not sufficient to reduce the population to a single virion as multiple variants were consistently transmitted between leaves. In addition, the number of variants within a leaf increases as a function of distance from the inoculated (source) leaf, suggesting that the circulating sap may serve as a continual source of virus. Notably, multiple mutational variants were observed in the cylindrical inclusion (CI) protein (known to be involved in both cell-to-cell and systemic movement of the virus) that were present in multiple (19/24) leaf samples. These mutations resulted in a conformational change, suggesting that they might confer a selective advantage in systemic movement within the vine. Overall, these data reveal that bottlenecks occur during systemic movement, that variants circulate in the phloem sap throughout the infection process, and that important conformational changes in CI protein may arise during individual infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cloning and Molecular Analyses of a Gibberellin 20-Oxidase Gene Expressed Specifically in Developing Seeds of Watermelon1

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hong-Gyu; Jun, Sung-Hoon; Kim, Junyul; Kawaide, Hiroshi; Kamiya, Yuji; An, Gynheung

1999-01-01

To understand the biosynthesis and functional role of gibberellins (GAs) in developing seeds, we isolated Cv20ox, a cDNA clone from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) that shows significant amino acid homology with GA 20-oxidases. The complementary DNA clone was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein, which oxidized GA12 at C-20 to the C19 compound GA9, a precursor of bioactive GAs. RNA-blot analysis showed that the Cv20ox gene was expressed specifically in developing seeds. The gene was strongly expressed in the integument tissues, and it was also expressed weakly in inner seed tissues. In parthenocarpic fruits induced by 1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea treatment, the expression pattern of Cv20ox did not change, indicating that the GA 20-oxidase gene is expressed primarily in the maternal cells of developing seeds. The promoter of Cv20ox was isolated and fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. In a transient expression system, β-glucuronidase staining was detectable only in the integument tissues of developing watermelon seeds. PMID:10517828

Radio-ecological studies on the air-soil-vine-wine food chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, A.

1987-01-01

The report summarizes the results of the first three years (1983-85) of the radio-ecological studies on wine which were performed on eight sites from major German wine-growing regions involving red and white wine varieties typical of their region. The radionuclides of tritium, carbon 14, strontium 90, cesium 137, radium 226 and sodium 40 were examined for their contents and presence in the food chain of air-soil-vine-wine in order to determine the pollution situation in grapes and wine and to gain information on their behaviour in the food chain. A number of soil parameters important for nutrient uptake were determined to describe the site. (orig./MG) [de

40 CFR 174.514 - Coat Protein of Watermelon Mosaic Virus-2 and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus; exemption from the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coat Protein of Watermelon Mosaic Virus-2 and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus; exemption from the requirement for a tolerance. 174.514 Section 174.514 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANT-INCORPORATED...

Integrating local pastoral knowledge, participatory mapping, and species distribution modeling for risk assessment of invasive rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora in Ethiopia's Afar region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew W. Luizza

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The threats posed by invasive plants span ecosystems and economies worldwide. Local knowledge of biological invasions has proven beneficial for invasive species research, but to date no work has integrated this knowledge with species distribution modeling for invasion risk assessments. In this study, we integrated pastoral knowledge with Maxent modeling to assess the suitable habitat and potential impacts of invasive Cryptostegia grandiflora Robx. Ex R.Br. (rubber vine in Ethiopia's Afar region. We conducted focus groups with seven villages across the Amibara and Awash-Fentale districts. Pastoral knowledge revealed the growing threat of rubber vine, which to date has received limited attention in Ethiopia, and whose presence in Afar was previously unknown to our team. Rubber vine occurrence points were collected in the field with pastoralists and processed in Maxent with MODIS-derived vegetation indices, topographic data, and anthropogenic variables. We tested model fit using a jackknife procedure and validated the final model with an independent occurrence data set collected through participatory mapping activities with pastoralists. A Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface analysis revealed areas with novel environmental conditions for future targeted surveys. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC and showed good fit across the jackknife models (average AUC = 0.80 and the final model (test AUC = 0.96. Our results reveal the growing threat rubber vine poses to Afar, with suitable habitat extending downstream of its current known location in the middle Awash River basin. Local pastoral knowledge provided important context for its rapid expansion due to acute changes in seasonality and habitat alteration, in addition to threats posed to numerous endemic tree species that provide critical provisioning ecosystem services. This work demonstrates the utility of integrating local

Vine-shoot waste aqueous extract applied as foliar fertilizer to grapevines: Effect on amino acids and fermentative volatile content.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Gómez, R; Garde-Cerdán, T; Zalacain, A; Garcia, R; Cabrita, M J; Salinas, M R

2016-04-15

The aim of this work was to study the influence of foliar applications of different wood aqueous extracts on the amino acid content of musts and wines from Airén variety; and to study their relationship with the volatile compounds formed during alcoholic fermentation. For this purpose, the foliar treatments proposed were a vine-shoot aqueous extract applied in one and two times, and an oak extract which was only applied once. Results obtained show the potential of Airén vine-shoot waste aqueous extracts to be used as foliar fertilizer, enhancing the wine amino acid content especially when they were applied once. Similar results were observed with the aqueous oak extract. Regarding wine fermentative volatile compounds, there is a close relationship between musts and their wines amino acid content allowing us to discuss about the role of proline during the alcoholic fermentation and the generation of certain volatiles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lethal and sublethal effects of neem on Aphis gossypii and Cycloneda sanguinea in watermelon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cíntia Ribeiro Souza

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of oil extract of neem, Azadirachta indica, on the watermelon aphid Aphis gossypii and its natural enemy Cycloneda sanguinea. Toxicity bioassays were conducted with the commercial product DalNeem (1,475 g L-1 azadirachtin at 0.0037 µg a.i. mL-1, 0.0074 µg a.i. mL-1 and 0.0148 µg a.i. mL-1, Malathion at 1 µg a.i. mL-1 and distilled water as a control treatment. The products were sprayed to watermelon leaf discs, and the insects were exposed to the product residues. The instantaneous population growth rate of A. gossypii and the survival of C. sanguinea larvae exposed to the different treatments were calculated. A decrease in the instantaneous population growth rate of A. gossypii with increasing concentrations of neem was observed, and the aphids did not reproduce on the leaf discs treated with malathion during the first 24 hours of exposure due to its rapid lethal effect on adult insects. The larvae of the predator C. sanguinea exposed to malathion survived only for 24 hours. The survival of the predator exposed to different concentrations of neem was also significantly reduced compared to the predators exposed only to water. However, laboratory experiments may overestimate the effect of neem on predators because the individuals cannot employ escape behavior caused by neem repellency.

Involvement of ethylene in sex expression and female flower development in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Susana; Martínez, Cecilia; García, Juan Manuel; Megías, Zoraida; Jamilena, Manuel

2014-12-01

Although it is known that ethylene has a masculinizing effect on watermelon, the specific role of this hormone in sex expression and flower development has not been analyzed in depth. By using different approaches the present work demonstrates that ethylene regulates differentially two sex-related developmental processes: sexual expression, i.e. the earliness and the number of female flowers per plant, and the development of individual floral buds. Ethylene production in the shoot apex as well as in male, female and bisexual flowers demonstrated that the female flower requires much more ethylene than the male one to develop, and that bisexual flowers result from a decrease in ethylene production in the female floral bud. The occurrence of bisexual flowers was found to be associated with elevated temperatures in the greenhouse, concomitantly with a reduction of ethylene production in the shoot apex. External treatments with ethephon and AVG, and the use of Cucurbita rootstocks with different ethylene production and sensitivity, confirmed that, as occurs in other cucurbit species, ethylene is required to arrest the development of stamens in the female flower. Nevertheless, in watermelon ethylene inhibits the transition from male to female flowering and reduces the number of pistillate flowers per plant, which runs contrary to findings in other cucurbit species. The use of Cucurbita rootstocks with elevated ethylene production delayed the production of female flowers but reduced the number of bisexual flowers, which is associated with a reduced fruit set and altered fruit shape.

Watermelon-like iron nanoparticles: Cr doping effect on magnetism and magnetization interaction reversal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Maninder; Dai, Qilin; Bowden, Mark E.; Engelhard, Mark H.; Wu, Yaqiao; Tang, Jinke; Qiang, You

2013-06-26

Chromium (Cr) forms a solid solution with iron (Fe) lattice when doped in core-shell iron -iron oxide nanocluster (NC) and shows a mixed phase of sigma (σ) FeCr and bcc Fe. The Cr dopant affects heavily the magnetization and magnetic reversal process, and causes the hysteresis loop to shrink near the zero field axis. Dramatic transformation happens from dipolar interaction (0 at. % Cr) to strong exchange interaction (8 at. % of Cr) is confirmed from the Henkel plot and delta M plot, and is explained by a water-melon model of core-shell NC system.

Non-phytoseiid Mesostigmata within citrus orchards in Florida: species distribution, relative and seasonal abundance within trees, associated vines and ground cover plants and additional collection records of mites in citrus orchards.

Science.gov (United States)

Childers, Carl C; Ueckermann, Eduard A

2015-03-01

Seven citrus orchards on reduced- to no-pesticide spray programs in central and south central Florida were sampled for non-phytoseiid mesostigmatid mites. Inner and outer canopy leaves, fruits, twigs and trunk scrapings were sampled monthly between August 1994 and January 1996. Open flowers were sampled in March from five of the sites. A total of 431 samples from one or more of 82 vine or ground cover plants were sampled monthly in five of the seven orchards. Two of the seven orchards (Mixon I and II) were on full herbicide programs and vines and ground cover plants were absent. A total of 2,655 mites (26 species) within the families: Ascidae, Blattisociidae, Laelapidae, Macrochelidae, Melicharidae, Pachylaelapidae and Parasitidae were identified. A total of 685 mites in the genus Asca (nine species: family Ascidae) were collected from within tree samples, 79 from vine or ground cover plants. Six species of Blattisociidae were collected: Aceodromus convolvuli, Blattisocius dentriticus, B. keegani, Cheiroseius sp. near jamaicensis, Lasioseius athiashenriotae and L. dentatus. A total of 485 Blattisociidae were collected from within tree samples compared with 167 from vine or ground cover plants. Low numbers of Laelapidae and Macrochelidae were collected from within tree samples. One Zygoseius furciger (Pachylaelapidae) was collected from Eleusine indica. Four species of Melicharidae were identified from 34 mites collected from within tree samples and 1,190 from vine or ground cover plants: Proctolaelaps lobatus was the most abundant species with 1,177 specimens collected from seven ground cover plants. One Phorytocarpais fimetorum (Parasitidae) was collected from inner leaves and four from twigs. Species of Ascidae, Blattisociidae, Melicharidae, Laelapidae and Pachylaelapidae were collected from 31 of the 82 vine or ground cover plants sampled, representing only a small fraction of the total number of Phytoseiidae collected from the same plants. Including the

Antioxidant Effects of Grape Vine Cane Extracts from Different Chinese Grape Varieties on Edible Oils

OpenAIRE

Min, Zhuo; Guo, Zemei; Wang, Kai; Zhang, Ang; Li, Hua; Fang, Yulin

2014-01-01

This study involved the determination of the peroxide value (POV) as a measure of the resistance of the oxidation of edible oil with grape vine cane additives to assess their antioxidation potential. The study demonstrated that grape extracts of canes could effectively inhibit the lipid oxidation of edible oils and that this ability varied significantly due to the different extraction solvents employed, as well as to the different varieties of canes used. Lipid oxidation of edible oils was si...

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer Visibility Through Selfies: Comparing Platform Mediators Across Ruby Rose’s Instagram and Vine Presence

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Stefanie Duguay

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the relationship between social media platforms and the production and dissemination of selfies in light of its implications for the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ people. Applying an Actor Network Theory lens, two popular visual media apps, Instagram and Vine, are examined through a comparative walkthrough method. This reveals platform elements, or mediators, that can influence the conversational capacity of selfies in terms of the following: range, the variety of discourses addressed within a selfie; reach, circulation within and across publics; and salience, the strength and clarity of discourses communicated through a selfie. These mediators are illustrated through LGBTQ celebrity Ruby Rose’s Instagram selfies and Vine videos. Instagram’s use expectations encourage selfies focused on mainstream discourses of normative beauty and conspicuous consumption with an emphasis on appearance, extending through features constraining selfies’ reach and salience. In contrast, Vine’s broader use expectations enable a variety of discourses to be communicated across publics with an emphasis on creative, first-person sharing. These findings are reflected in Rose’s Instagram selfies, which mute alternative discourses of gender and sexuality through desexualized and aesthetically appealing self-representations, while Vines display her personal side, enabling both LGBTQ and heterosexual, cisgender people to identify with her without minimizing non-normative aspects of her gender and sexuality. These findings demonstrate the relevance of platforms in shaping selfies’ conversational capacity, as mediators can influence whether selfies feature in conversations reinforcing dominant discourses or in counterpublic conversations, contributing to everyday activism that challenges normative gender and sexual discourses.

Systemic Insecticides Reduce Feeding, Survival and Fecundity of Adult Black Vine Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on a Variety of Ornamental Nursery Crops

Science.gov (United States)

A series of bioassays were conducted to test the systemic activity of clothianidin, chlorantraniliprole, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam against adult black vine weevils (Otiorhynchus sulcatus F.) on Taxus, Heuchera, Astilbe, Sedum, Euonymus, and Rhododendron grown in containers. The insecticides wer...

Evolution of wild and feral vines from the Ega river gallery forest (Basque country and Navarra, Spain from 1995 to 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Meléndez

2016-07-01

Significance and impact of the study : Wild grapevines are a valuable genetic resource for the genetic improvement of cultivated vines. However, our study shows that human impacts and increasing pressure of feral accessions are threatening wild grapevine populations.

Quantitative understanding of nanoparticle uptake in watermelon plants

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Ramesh Raliya

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The use of agrochemical-nutrient fertilizers has come under scrutiny in recent years due to concerns that they damage the ecosystem and endanger public health. Nanotechnology offers many possible interventions to mitigate these risks by use of nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, and nanosensors; and concurrently increases profitability, yields, and sustainability within the agricultural industry. Aerosol based foliar delivery of nanoparticles may help to enhance nanoparticle uptake and reduce environmental impacts of chemical fertilizers conventionally applied through a soil route. The purpose of this work was to study uptake, translocation, and accumulation of various gold nanostructures, 30 to 80 nm, delivered by aerosol application to a watermelon plant. Cellular uptake and accumulation of gold nanoparticles were quantified by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS. Observations suggested that nanoparticles could be taken up by the plant through direct penetration and transport through the stomatal opening. Observed translocation of nanoparticles from leaf to root shows evidence that nanoparticles travel by the phloem transport mechanism. Accumulation and transport of nanoparticles depend on nanoparticle shape, application method, and nature of plant tissues.

The blunt-headed vine snake, Imantodes cenchoa (Linnaeus, 1758, in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil

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Henrique Caldeira Costa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The blunt-headed vine snake, Imantodes cenchoa, has a large distribution, occurring from the east coast of Mexico to Argentina. In Brazil, it is found from the Amazon in the north, to Santa Catarina in the south. In the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, there are only two records of I. cenchoa in the literature. In the present study, a search for I. cenchoa from Minas Gerais was conducted in the main Brazilian herpetological collections, revealing a total of 13 localities with records of this species.

Quantification of Lycopene, β-Carotene, and Total Soluble Solids in Intact Red-Flesh Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Using On-Line Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamburini, Elena; Costa, Stefania; Rugiero, Irene; Pedrini, Paola; Marchetti, Maria Gabriella

2017-04-11

A great interest has recently been focused on lycopene and β-carotene, because of their antioxidant action in the organism. Red-flesh watermelon is one of the main sources of lycopene as the most abundant carotenoid. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in post-harvesting has permitted us to rapidly quantify lycopene, β-carotene, and total soluble solids (TSS) on single intact fruits. Watermelons, harvested in 2013-2015, were submitted to near-infrared (NIR) radiation while being transported along a conveyor belt system, stationary and in movement, and at different positions on the belt. Eight hundred spectra from 100 samples were collected as calibration set in the 900-1700 nm interval. Calibration models were performed using partial least squares (PLS) regression on pre-treated spectra (derivatives and SNV) in the ranges 2.65-151.75 mg/kg (lycopene), 0.19-9.39 mg/kg (β-carotene), and 5.3%-13.7% (TSS). External validation was carried out with 35 new samples and on 35 spectra. The PLS models for intact watermelon could predict lycopene with R² = 0.877 and SECV = 15.68 mg/kg, β-carotene with R² = 0.822 and SECV = 0.81 mg/kg, and TSS with R² = 0.836 and SECV = 0.8%. External validation has confirmed predictive ability with R² = 0.805 and RMSEP = 16.19 mg/kg for lycopene, R2 = 0.737 and RMSEP = 0.96 mg/kg for β-carotene, and R² = 0.707 and RMSEP = 1.4% for TSS. The results allow for the market valorization of fruits.

Seleção de linhagens de melancia resistentes ao Watermelon mosaic virus e ao Papaya ringspot virus Selection of resistant watermelon lines to Watermelon mosaic virus and Papaya ringspot virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Evando Aguiar Beserra Júnior

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Foram avaliadas 20 linhagens de melancia, provenientes do cruzamento da cultivar comercial suscetível Crimson Sweet e da introdução PI 595201 resistente ao Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV e Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W. As linhagens, e os parentais foram inoculados com o WMV ou com o PRSV-W em casa-de-vegetação distintas. Aos 35 e 49 dias após a primeira inoculação (DAI, as plantas foram avaliadas por meio de uma escala de notas, em que 1 (ausência de sintomas a 5 (intenso mosaico e deformações foliares. Pelos resultados infere-se que, aos 35 DAI, as linhagens 1, 2 e 20 apresentaram resistência tanto para o WMV como para o PRSV-W, com médias de 1,95, 1,80 e 2,25 para o WMV, e de 2,50, 2,30 e 2,50 para o PRSV-W, respectivamente. As linhagens 5, 7 e 13 foram resistentes somente ao WMV e as plantas das linhagens 3, 10 e 18 para o PRSV-W. A reação das linhagens permaneceu em geral pouco alterada aos 49 DAI. A existência de linhagens resistentes somente ao WMV e somente ao PRSV-W, ao lado de linhagens resistentes a ambos os vírus, é indicativo de que as resistências ao WMV e ao PRSV-W não são controladas pelos mesmos genes.Twenty advanced watermelon breeding lines, derived from the cross between cv. Crimson Sweet (susceptible and PI 595201 (resistant to WMV and PRSV-W, were screened for resistance to both potyviruses. The twenty lines, among with Crimson Sweet and PI 595201, were inoculated with either WMV or PRSV-W, in two different greenhouse trials. Plants were evaluated for symptoms 35 and 49 days after the first inoculation (DAI, using a scale from 1 (no symptoms to 5 (severe mosaic and foliar distortion. Evaluations at 35 DAI indicated that lines 1, 2 and 20 had good levels of resistance to both WMV and PRSV-W, with ratings of 1,95, 1,80 and 2,25 for WMV, and of 2,50, 2,30 and 2,50 for PRSV-W, respectively. Lines 5, 7 and 13 were resistant to WMV only, whereas lines 3, 10 and 18 were resistant to PRSV-W only. The reaction of

Watermelon germplasm lines USVL246-FR2 and USVL252-FR2 tolerant to fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum race 2

Science.gov (United States)

Two improved germplasm lines of wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) designated USVL246-FR2 and USVL252-FR2 were released in 2012 by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Wechter et al. 2012). These lines are each highly uniform for growth characteri...

The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope boats--providing a dental service on the Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Shona M C

2013-01-01

The Vine Trust's Amazon Hope Project is a medical and dental programme providing healthcare to communities along the Amazon River in Peru. Volunteers from the UK and other countries work alongside Peruvian staff employed by their partner organization, Union Biblica del Peru, to provide a health service from a boat which serves communities on several tributaries who otherwise would have no other access to care. The dental programme involves a basic restorative and extraction service, with scope to develop a preventive programme. Dentists'and DCPs' skills are transferable globally: this article illustrates how one volunteer dental project is working to provide relevant and sustainable dental health care in the Amazon jungle.

134Cs foliar contamination of vine: translocation to grapes and transfer to wine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carini, F.; Anguissola Scotti, I.; Montruccoli, M.; Silva, S.

1996-01-01

Grape vines growing in pots placed in open field were contaminated by sprinkling an aqueous solution of carrier free 134 Cs. Activity was determined in acini and must at the ripening stage. Interception and Translocation Factors (TLF) were quantified. They strictly depend on the state of growth of the crop. Wine was produced by a laboratory process and analysed as to radiocesium. Transfer parameters, F r and P e , were calculated to predict radiocesium concentration in wine: it is 0.6 times the activity found in grapes. The leaf fruit translocation seems to be the dominant process in the contamination of acini when compared to direct deposition. (author)

Genetic mapping of the LOBED LEAF 1 (ClLL1) gene to a 127.6-kb region in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chunhua; Chen, Xiner; Wang, Zhongyuan; Liu, Qiyan; Li, Hao; Zhang, Yong; Ma, Jianxiang; Yang, Jianqiang; Zhang, Xian

2017-01-01

The lobed leaf character is a unique morphologic trait in crops, featuring many potential advantages for agricultural productivity. Although the majority of watermelon varieties feature lobed leaves, the genetic factors responsible for lobed leaf formation remain elusive. The F2:3 leaf shape segregating population offers the opportunity to study the underlying mechanism of lobed leaf formation in watermelon. Genetic analysis revealed that a single dominant allele (designated ClLL1) controlled the lobed leaf trait. A large-sized F3:4 population derived from F2:3 individuals was used to map ClLL1. A total of 5,966 reliable SNPs and indels were identified genome-wide via a combination of BSA and RNA-seq. Using the validated SNP and indel markers, the location of ClLL1 was narrowed down to a 127.6-kb region between markers W08314 and W07061, containing 23 putative ORFs. Expression analysis via qRT-PCR revealed differential expression patterns (fold-changes above 2-fold or below 0.5-fold) of three ORFs (ORF3, ORF11, and ORF18) between lobed and non-lobed leaf plants. Based on gene annotation and expression analysis, ORF18 (encoding an uncharacterized protein) and ORF22 (encoding a homeobox-leucine zipper-like protein) were considered as most likely candidate genes. Furthermore, sequence analysis revealed no polymorphisms in cDNA sequences of ORF18; however, two notable deletions were identified in ORF22. This study is the first report to map a leaf shape gene in watermelon and will facilitate cloning and functional characterization of ClLL1 in future studies.

Amino-acid sequences of trypsin inhibitors from watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) and red bryony (Bryonia dioica) seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Otlewski, J; Whatley, H; Polanowski, A; Wilusz, T

1987-11-01

The amino-acid sequences of two trypsin inhibitors isolated from red bryony (Bryonia dioica) and watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) seeds are reported. Both species represent different genera of the Cucurbitaceae family, which have not been previously investigated as a source of proteinase inhibitors. The sequences are unique but are very similar to those of other proteinase inhibitors which have been isolated from squash seeds. Based on structural homology we assume that the Arg5-Ile6 peptide bond represents the reactive site bond of both inhibitors.

Gelatinous fibers and variant secondary growth related to stem undulation and contraction in a monkey ladder vine, Bauhinia glabra (Fabaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Jack B; Blanco, Mario A

2014-04-01

Some of the most striking stem shapes occur in species of Bauhinia (Fabaceae) known as monkey ladder vines. Their mature stems are flattened and develop regular undulations. Although stems have variant (anomalous) secondary growth, the mechanism causing the undulations is unknown. We measured stem segments over time (20 mo), described stem development using light microscopy, and correlated the changes in stem shape with anatomy. Growing stems are initially straight and bear tendrils on short axillary branches. The inner secondary xylem has narrow vessels and lignified fibers. As stems age, they become flattened and increasingly undulated with the production of two lobes of outer secondary xylem (OX) with wide vessels and only gelatinous fibers (G-fibers). Similar G-fibers are present in the secondary phloem and the cortical sclerified layer. In transverse sections, the concave side of each undulation has a greater area and quantity of G-fibers than the opposite convex side. Some older stems are not undulated and have less lobing of OX. Undulation causes a shortening of the stem segments: up to 28% of the original length. Uneven distribution of G-fibers produces tensions that are involved in the protracted development of undulations. While young extending shoots attach by lateral branch tendrils, older stems may maintain their position in the canopy using undulations and persistent branch bases as gripping devices. Flattened and undulated stems with G-fibers produce flexible woody stems.

Investigation on Genetic Variation of Iran Watermelon Accession

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majid reza kiyani

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In order to determine of genetic variation in germplasm of 120 watermelon accessions, a field trial conducted at agricultural and natural resource research center of khorasan . These Accessions with four commercial cultivars as control were planted in agnomental design with six replications. 15 quantitative morphological traits were measured and some statistical parameter and analysis include of Mean, Coefficient variance, cluster analysis, correlation regression coefficients were determine for this traits. yield, Sugar percent , time between flowering and ripping, fruit length, fruit width, fruit mass to fruit weight ratio , fruit skin to fruit weight ratio , seed weight to fruit weight ratio , 100 seed weight , seed length , seed diameter , seed width were the most useful traits for identifying of genotypes from each other. A one side analysis of variance was performed for different regions genetic diversity detection, which indicated a significant difference between regions for all traits except fruit Ph and fruit skin thickness. Cluster analysis divided genotypes into eight groups based on quantitative data. Correlation analysis between traits showed a significant relation between yield and all traits except fruit ph, time to flowering and seed fruit length.

Adventitious shoots induction and plant regeneration from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aghomotsegin

2015-07-08

Jul 8, 2015 ... the explants from seedling of different development stages (0 to 10 d) were ... Key words: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), cotyledon, growth regulator, ... After the mature seeds coats were removed by a forceps, the seeds.

Effects of rind removal on physicochemical quality characteristics of fresh-cut watermelon [Citrus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum & Nakai] during cold storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrou, P.; Soteriou, G.; Schouten, R.E.; Kyriacou, C.

2013-01-01

The impact of removing the rind from fresh-cut watermelon slices was assessed on the quality of the product during storage at 4 °C for 9 days. Flesh lycopene declined from 55.4 to 47.9 mg kg-1 f.w. and colour lightness (L*) increased from 43.2 to 45.8 after 2 days of storage. Initial heart and

REGULATED DEFICIT IRRIGATION AND DIFFERENT MULCH TYPES ON FRUIT QUALITY AND YIELD OF WATERMELON

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KLEITON ROCHA SARAIVA

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to assess the pulp resistance, soluble solids and yield of watermelon fruits grown under different irrigation managements (determined by the ISAREG model and mulches, and their interactions. After a survey carried out on local producers, two experiments were conducted, using a completely randomized block design in split - plot arrangement with four replications, in the Teaching, Research and Extension Unit (UEPE of the Federal Institute of Ceara (IFCE, Jaguaribe - Apodi Irrigation District (DIJA, State of Ceara, Brazil. The treatments consisted of four irrigation managements in the plots, M1 (100% of the available - water capacity (AWC of the soil, M2 (80%, M3 (60% and M4 (average water depth used by local producers and four mulch types in the sub - plots, without mulching (C0 with rice husk (C1, white plastic (C2 and black plastic (C3 as mulches. The results were subjected to analysis of variance, and significant results were subjected to regression (irrigation managements, average test (mulches and trend graphs (interaction between the factors. The irrigation management practiced during the watermelon crop cycle by the local producers of the Irrigation District of Jaguaribe - Apodi (DIJA in the State of Ceara, Brazil, is not appropriated, since they usually apply more water than the highest water depth determined by the ISAREG model (100% of the AWC. The plants grown under irrigation water depth of 365.20 mm (M1 and soils with mulches of rice husk or white plastic had the highest yields and fruits with better quality of soluble solids and pulp resistance.

Characterization, expression patterns and functional analysis of the MAPK and MAPKK genes in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qiuming; Li, Dayong; Dai, Yi; Liu, Shixia; Huang, Lei; Hong, Yongbo; Zhang, Huijuan; Song, Fengming

2015-12-23

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, which consist of three functionally associated protein kinases, namely MEKKs, MKKs and MPKs, are universal signaling modules in all eukaryotes and have been shown to play critical roles in many physiological and biochemical processes in plants. However, little or nothing is known about the MPK and MKK families in watermelon. In the present study, we performed a systematic characterization of the ClMPK and ClMKK families including the identification and nomenclature, chromosomal localization, phylogenetic relationships, ClMPK-ClMKK interactions, expression patterns in different tissues and in response to abiotic and biotic stress and transient expression-based functional analysis for their roles in disease resistance. Genome-wide survey identified fifteen ClMPK and six ClMKK genes in watermelon genome and phylogenetic analysis revealed that both of the ClMPK and ClMKK families can be classified into four distinct groups. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated significant interactions between members of the ClMPK and ClMKK families, defining putative ClMKK2-1/ClMKK6-ClMPK4-1/ClMPK4-2/ClMPK13 and ClMKK5-ClMPK6 cascades. Most of the members in the ClMPK and ClMKK families showed differential expression patterns in different tissues and in response to abiotic (e.g. drought, salt, cold and heat treatments) and biotic (e.g. infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum) stresses. Transient expression of ClMPK1, ClMPK4-2 and ClMPK7 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in enhanced resistance to Botrytis cinerea and upregulated expression of defense genes while transient expression of ClMPK6 and ClMKK2-2 led to increased susceptibility to B. cinerea. Furthermore, transient expression of ClMPK7 also led to hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death and significant accumulation of H2O2 in N. benthamiana. We identified fifteen ClMPK and six ClMKK genes from watermelon and analyzed their phylogenetic relationships, expression

Correlation between dental maturity and cervical vertebral maturity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianwei; Hu, Haikun; Guo, Jing; Liu, Zeping; Liu, Renkai; Li, Fan; Zou, Shujuan

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dental and skeletal maturity. Digital panoramic radiographs and lateral skull cephalograms of 302 patients (134 boys and 168 girls, ranging from 8 to 16 years of age) were examined. Dental maturity was assessed by calcification stages of the mandibular canines, first and second premolars, and second molars, whereas skeletal maturity was estimated by the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient was used to measure the association between CVM stage and dental calcification stage of individual teeth. The mean chronologic age of girls was significantly lower than that of boys in each CVM stage. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients between dental maturity and cervical vertebral maturity ranged from 0.391 to 0.582 for girls and from 0.464 to 0.496 for boys (P cervical vertebral maturation stage. The development of the mandibular second molar in females and that of the mandibular canine in males had the strongest correlations with cervical vertebral maturity. Therefore, it is practical to consider the relationship between dental and skeletal maturity when planning orthodontic treatment. Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers and a CAPS-based genetic linkage map in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. and Nakai) constructed using whole-genome re-sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shi; Gao, Peng; Zhu, Qianglong; Luan, Feishi; Davis, Angela R; Wang, Xiaolu

2016-03-01

Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers are useful tools for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study detected and converted SNP sites into CAPS markers based on high-throughput re-sequencing data in watermelon, for linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Two inbred lines, Cream of Saskatchewan (COS) and LSW-177 had been re-sequenced and analyzed by Perl self-compiled script for CAPS marker development. 88.7% and 78.5% of the assembled sequences of the two parental materials could map to the reference watermelon genome, respectively. Comparative assembled genome data analysis provided 225,693 and 19,268 SNPs and indels between the two materials. 532 pairs of CAPS markers were designed with 16 restriction enzymes, among which 271 pairs of primers gave distinct bands of the expected length and polymorphic bands, via PCR and enzyme digestion, with a polymorphic rate of 50.94%. Using the new CAPS markers, an initial CAPS-based genetic linkage map was constructed with the F2 population, spanning 1836.51 cM with 11 linkage groups and 301 markers. 12 QTLs were detected related to fruit flesh color, length, width, shape index, and brix content. These newly CAPS markers will be a valuable resource for breeding programs and genetic studies of watermelon.

Characterization of seed oils from different varieties of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.] from Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmood, Z.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the physicochemical characteristics of the seed oils from different varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cultivated in Pakistan, namely Sugar Baby, Q-F-12, D-W-H-21 and Red Circle-1885. The oil and crude protein contents from watermelon seeds, within the range of 28.25 to 35.65% and 20.50 to 35.00%, respectively, varied significantly (p -1 of oil, saponification index (190.20-205.57 mg KOH g-1 of oil, unsaponifiable matter (0.54-0.82% and color (1.12-4.30 R + 12.20-33.40 Y. The oils revealed a reasonable oxidative parameter range as depicted by the determinations of specific extinction at 232 and 270 nm (2.90-4.40 and 2.05- 3.09, respectively, p-anisidine value (5.60-7.70 and peroxide value (2.90-5.06 meqO2 kg-1 of oil. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid found in all the seed oils with contributions of 45.30-51.80% of the total fatty acids (FA. Other fatty acids detected were known to be oleic acid (20.2- 23.5%, palmitic acid (15.1-16.9% and stearic acid (11.5- 14.4%. The contents of α- and δ-tocopherol in the oils accounted for 120.6-195.6 and 9.1-58.3 mg kg-1, respectively. The physicochemical attributes of the watermelon seed oils showed a wider variation among the varieties tested. The results of the present study indicate that the seeds of the tested watermelon varieties from Pakistan are a potential source of high-linoleic oil and thus can be explored for commercial use and value addition.Se presentan las características físico-químicas de aceites de diferentes variedades de semillas de sandías (Citrullus lanatus cultivadas en Pakistán: Sugar Baby, QF-12, DWH-21 y Círculo rojo-1885. El aceite y el contenido de proteína cruda de las semillas de sandía están dentro de los rangos: 28,25-35,65% y 20,50-35,00%, respectivamente y varian significativamente (p -1 de aceite, índice de saponificación (190,20-205,57 mg de KOH g-1 de aceite, insaponificable (0,54-0.82% y color (1.12-4.30 de I + 12.20- 33.40 y

Genetic diversity in the desert watermelon Citrullus colocynthis and its relationship with Citrullus species as determined by high-frequency oligonucleotides-targeting active gene markers

Science.gov (United States)

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. is a viable source of genes for enhancing disease and pest resistance in the cultivated watermelon. However, there is little information in the literature about genetic diversity within C. colocynthis (CC) or the relationship of specific genotypes of CC to C. lanat...

Maturity and maturity models in lean construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claus Nesensohn

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years there has been an increasing interest in maturity models in management-related disciplines; which reflects a growing recognition that becoming more mature and having a model to guide the route to maturity can help organisations in managing major transformational change. Lean Construction (LC is an increasingly important improvement approach that organisations seek to embed. This study explores how to apply the maturity models to LC. Hence the attitudes, opinions and experiences of key industry informants with high levels of knowledge of LC were investigated. To achieve this, a review of maturity models was conducted, and data for the analysis was collected through a sequential process involving three methods. First a group interview with seven key informants. Second a follow up discussion with the same individuals to investigate some of the issues raised in more depth. Third an online discussion held via LinkedIn in which members shared their views on some of the results. Overall, we found that there is a lack of common understanding as to what maturity means in LC, though there is general agreement that the concept of maturity is a suitable one to reflect the path of evolution for LC within organisations.

Hygienization and control of Diplodia seriata fungus in vine pruning waste composting and its seasonal variability in open and closed systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Matei, Petruta M; Sánchez-Báscones, Mercedes; Bravo-Sánchez, Carmen T; Martín-Ramos, Pablo; Martín-Villullas, M Teresa; García-González, M Cruz; Hernández-Navarro, Salvador; Navas-Gracia, Luis M; Martín-Gil, Jesús

2016-12-01

After the ban on sodium arsenite, waste management alternatives to the prevalent burning method, such as the hygienization and biodegradation in solid phase by composting, are required for the pruned material from grapevines affected by various fungi. In this work the dynamics of a fungus associated with vine decay (Diplodia seriata) during the composting process of a mixture of laying hen manure and vine pruning waste (2:1w/w) have been investigated in an open pile and a discontinuous closed biodigester. Through the optimization of the various physical-chemical parameters, hygienization of the infected waste materials was attained, yielding class-A organo-mineral fertilizers. Nevertheless, important differences in the efficiency of each system were observed: whereas in the open pile it took 10days to control D. seriata and 35 additional composting days to achieve full inactivation, in the discontinuous biodigester the fungus was entirely inactivated within the first 3-7days. Finally, the impact of seasonal variability was assessed and summer temperatures shown to have greater significance in the open pile. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preservation of Bioactive Compounds and Quality Parameters of Watermelon Juice Enriched with L-Citrulline through Short Thermal Treatment

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Martha P. Tarazona-Díaz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available L-citrulline is a nonessential amino acid with demonstrated health benefits for humans, and watermelon is a fruit rich in this amino acid. The juice industry is developing functional beverages through the enrichment with external bioactive compounds; this kind of industry uses conventional pasteurization because of its efficiency and simplicity. In this experiment, the effects of pasteurization (80°C for 40 s or 90 s and storage (4°C for 30 days on different parameters were evaluated in a watermelon juice (3.68 g kg−1 of natural L-citrulline enriched with external L-citrulline (12 g kg−1. Enzymatic activity (peroxidase, pectin methyl esterase, and polygalacturonase was inactivated (74 to 89%, 89 to 90%, and 11 to 15%, resp. with the pasteurization treatment, obtaining the highest degradation with the longest heating time. According to the rheology study, the juice’s elasticity was mainly affected by type of heat treatment while its viscosity was more stable and affected by storage time. A reduction in bioactive compounds content, around 10–16% for lycopene and 19–20% for L-citrulline, was observed after the pasteurization treatments, with a higher decrease with increased treatment time. Storage time also induced a reduction in lycopene and L-citrulline. The shelf life was limited by sensorial parameters.

Bio-inspired green synthesis of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using watermelon rinds and their catalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Ch.; Gangadhara, S.; Venkateswarlu, P.

2016-08-01

Novel and bio-inspired magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using watermelon rinds (WR) which are nontoxic and biodegradable. Watermelon rind extract was used as a solvent and capping and reducing agent in the synthesis. The Fe3o4 MNPs were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques (VSM). XRD studies revealed a high degree of crystalline and monophasic Fe nanoparticles of face-centered cubic stricture. FTIR analysis proved that particles are reduced and stabilized in solution by the capping agent that is likely to be proteins secreted by the biomass. The present process in an excellent candidate for the synthesis of iron nanoparticles that is simple, easy to execute, pollutant free and inexpensive. A practical and convenient method for the synthesis of highly stable and small-sized iron nanoparticles with a narrow distribution from 2 to 20 nm is reported. Also, the MNPs present in higher saturation magnetization (Ms) of 14.2 emu/g demonstrate tremendous magnetic response behavior. However, the synthesized iron nanoparticles were used as a catalyst for the preparation of biologically interesting 2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives in high yields. These results exhibited that the synthesized Fe3O4 MNPs could be used as a catalyst in organic synthesis.

[Watermelon stomach: Chronic renal failure and/or imatinib?].

Science.gov (United States)

Montagnac, Richard; Blaison, Dominique; Brahimi, Saïd; Schendel, Adeline; Levasseur, Thomas; Takin, Romulus

2015-11-01

Watermelon stomach or gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome is an uncommon cause of sometimes severe upper gastro-intestinal bleeding. Essentially based on a pathognomonic endoscopic appearance, its diagnosis may be unrecognised because mistaken with portal hypertensive gastropathy, while treatment of these two entities is different. Its etiopathogeny remains still unclear, even if it is frequently associated with different systemic illnesses as hepatic cirrhosis, autoimmune disorders and chronic renal failure. The mechanism inducing these vascular ectasia may be linked with mechanical stress on submucosal vessels due to antropyloric peristaltic motility dysfunction modulated by neurohormonal vasoactive alterations. Because medical therapies are not very satisfactory, among the endoscopic modalities, argon plasma coagulation seems to be actually the first-line treatment because the most effective and safe. However, surgical antrectomy may be sometimes necessary. Recently GAVE syndrome appeared as a new adverse reaction of imatinib mesylate, one of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in chronic myeloid leukemia, and we report here the observation of such a pathology in one patient treated at the same time by haemodialysis and by imatinib mesylate for chronic myeloid leukemia. Copyright © 2015 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Non-Destructive Optical Monitoring of Grape Maturation by Proximal Sensing

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Gwendal Latouche

2010-11-01

Full Text Available A new, commercial, fluorescence-based optical sensor for plant constituent assessment was recently introduced. This sensor, called the Multiplex® (FORCE-A, Orsay, France, was used to monitor grape maturation by specifically monitoring anthocyanin accumulation. We derived the empirical anthocyanin content calibration curves for Champagne red grape cultivars, and we also propose a general model for the influence of the proportion of red berries, skin anthocyanin content and berry size on Multiplex® indices. The Multiplex® was used on both berry samples in the laboratory and on intact clusters in the vineyard. We found that the inverted and log-transformed far-red fluorescence signal called the FERARI index, although sensitive to sample size and distance, is potentially the most widely applicable. The more robust indices, based on chlorophyll fluorescence excitation ratios, showed three ranges of dependence on anthocyanin content. We found that up to 0.16 mg cm−2, equivalent to approximately 0.6 mg g−1, all indices increase with accumulation of skin anthocyanin content. Excitation ratio-based indices decrease with anthocyanin accumulation beyond 0.27 mg cm−2. We showed that the Multiplex® can be advantageously used in vineyards on intact clusters for the non-destructive assessment of anthocyanin content of vine blocks and can now be tested on other fruits and vegetables based on the same model.

Non-Destructive Optical Monitoring of Grape Maturation by Proximal Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Ghozlen, Naïma; Cerovic, Zoran G.; Germain, Claire; Toutain, Sandrine; Latouche, Gwendal

2010-01-01

A new, commercial, fluorescence-based optical sensor for plant constituent assessment was recently introduced. This sensor, called the Multiplex® (FORCE-A, Orsay, France), was used to monitor grape maturation by specifically monitoring anthocyanin accumulation. We derived the empirical anthocyanin content calibration curves for Champagne red grape cultivars, and we also propose a general model for the influence of the proportion of red berries, skin anthocyanin content and berry size on Multiplex® indices. The Multiplex® was used on both berry samples in the laboratory and on intact clusters in the vineyard. We found that the inverted and log-transformed far-red fluorescence signal called the FERARI index, although sensitive to sample size and distance, is potentially the most widely applicable. The more robust indices, based on chlorophyll fluorescence excitation ratios, showed three ranges of dependence on anthocyanin content. We found that up to 0.16 mg cm−2, equivalent to approximately 0.6 mg g−1, all indices increase with accumulation of skin anthocyanin content. Excitation ratio-based indices decrease with anthocyanin accumulation beyond 0.27 mg cm−2. We showed that the Multiplex® can be advantageously used in vineyards on intact clusters for the non-destructive assessment of anthocyanin content of vine blocks and can now be tested on other fruits and vegetables based on the same model. PMID:22163456

Reação de genótipos de melancia ao crestamento gomoso do caule Response of watermelon cultivars to gummy stem blight

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Gil Rodrigues dos Santos

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Face à importância do crestamento gomoso do caule e à escassez de relatos da reação de genótipos de melancia na literatura nacional e internacional, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a resposta de genótipos comerciais de melancia ao crestamento gomoso. No campo, estudou-se o nível de infecção nas folhas em delineamento de blocos ao acaso com nove cultivares de melancia e quatro repetições, com inoculação de duas plantas por parcela aos 43 dias após o plantio (DAP. Foram avaliadas as cultivares Crimson Sweet, Onix, Rubi, Safira, Eureka, Georgia, Sheila, Savana e Riviera. Em casa de vegetação, estudou-se a infecção no caule em vasos, com delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições, em esquema fatorial de 9 x 3, sendo o fator "a" = cultivares e o fator "b" = isolados. Foram avaliadas as mesmas cultivares do ensaio de campo, com inoculação artificial com disco de micélio aos 15 dias após a semeadura, quando do surgimento da primeira folha definitiva. Os isolados de D. bryoniae utilizados na inoculação das plântulas foram: UnB 76 (Melão-DF, UnB 75 (Melancia-PE e UnB 81 (Abóbora-DF. Dentre as cultivares avaliadas no campo, Riviera mostrou-se mais resistente e apresentou menores (PGummy stem blight, caused by Didymella bryoniae, is one of the most important watermelon diseases. Nevertheless, there are relatively few published studies on the response of watermelon genotypes to the disease. This paper reports results of studies on the response of commercially available watermelon cultivars to gummy stem blight. Leaf infection was studied in a randomized complete block field experiment with nine watermelon genotypes and four replicates. Two plants per experimental plot were inoculated 43 days after planting. Cultivars Crimson Sweet, Onix, Rubi, Safira, Eureka, Georgia, Sheila, Savana and Riviera were evaluated. Stem infection was studied in the greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, with three

Genetic mapping and identification of quantitative trait loci associated with resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum races 1 and 2 in watermelon

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Fusarium wilt is a major disease of watermelon caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. f. sp. niveum (E.F. Sm.) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hans (Fon). Fon race 1 is most prevalent throughout the U.S. while race 2 is more virulent. Our overall objective is to identify and utilize ...

Quantification of prominent volatile compounds responsible for muskmelon and watermelon aroma by purge and trap extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination.

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Fredes, Alejandro; Sales, Carlos; Barreda, Mercedes; Valcárcel, Mercedes; Roselló, Salvador; Beltrán, Joaquim

2016-01-01

A dynamic headspace purge-and-trap (DHS-P&T) methodology for the determination and quantification of 61 volatile compounds responsible for muskmelon and watermelon aroma has been developed and validated. The methodology is based on the application of purge-and-trap extraction followed by gas chromatography coupled to (ion trap) mass spectrometry detection. For this purpose two different P&T sorbent cartridges have been evaluated. The influence of different extraction factors (sample weight, extraction time, and purge flow) on extraction efficiency has been studied and optimised using response surface methodology. Precision, expressed as repeatability, has been evaluated by analysing six replicates of real samples, showing relative standard deviations between 3% and 27%. Linearity has been studied in the range of 10-6130 ng mL(-1) depending on the compound response, showing coefficients of correlation between 0.995 and 0.999. Detection limits ranged between 0.1 and 274 ng g(-1). The methodology developed is well suited for analysis of large numbers of muskmelon and watermelon samples in plant breeding programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From producer to consumer: greenhouse tomato quality as affected by variety, maturity stage at harvest, transport conditions, and supermarket storage.

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Verheul, Michèl J; Slimestad, Rune; Tjøstheim, Irene Holta

2015-05-27

Possible causes for differences in quality traits at the time of buying were studied in two widely different red tomato types. Three maturity stages were harvested from commercial greenhouses and transferred immediately to controlled environments simulating different storage, transport, and supermarket conditions. Results show significant differences in development of color, fruit firmness, contents of soluble solids (SSC), titratable acids (TTA), phenolics, and carotenoids from harvest to sale, as related to postharvest conditions. Fruit firmness, SSC, and TTA of vine-ripened red cherry tomatoes was 30, 55 and 11% higher than for those harvested at breakers and ripened to red. Temperature, light, UVC radiation, or ethylene during 4 days transport affected tomato quality traits, and differences persisted during 3 weeks of supermarket storage. Ethylene exposure gave a 3.7-fold increase in lycopene content in cherry tomatoes, whereas UVC hormesis revealed a 6-fold increase compared with the control. Results can be used to update recommendations concerning optimal handling.

A 2D electrical resistivity tomography survey of a vineyard plot of the Gaillac appellation (France: interpretation with respect to possible implications on vine water supply

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Pierre Courjault-Radé

2010-06-01

Significance and impact of the study: Consequently, the water supply regime, which points out a potential risk of drought stress for vine crops, implies a minimization strategy when choosing vegetal material and viticultural management operations

Impact of Temperature Anomalies Associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole Events on Wine Grape Maturity in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvis, C.; Barlow, E.; Darbyshire, R.; Eckard, R.; Goodwin, I.

2016-12-01

Annual grapevine growth and development are intimately linked with growing season weather conditions. Shifts in circulation patterns resulting from atmospheric teleconnections to changes in sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events can alter seasonal weather across Australia. Both ENSO and IOD events tend to peak in austral spring, when vine and berry development is especially critical and susceptible to damage. To investigate the impacts of ENSO and IOD events on the Australian wine grape growing sector, historical gridded climate data and annual vineyard grape maturity data from a variety of wine growing regions was collected and analysed. The greatest impacts on grape maturity were found when La Niña and IOD positive events occurred in tandem. During these events, significantly dry and hot conditions persist throughout the wine grape growing season, suggesting that the IOD overrides the ENSO signal. These conditions lead to a rapid, compressed growing season, which can cause logistical complications during harvest and impact grape and wine quality. Warming of equatorial SSTs in the Indian Ocean are likely to enhance the amplitude of IOD positive events, which has serious implications for wine grape production in Australia, highlighting the importance of this research.

Use of Vine-Trimming Wastes as Carrier for Amycolatopsis sp. to Produce Vanillin, Vanillyl Alcohol, and Vanillic Acid.

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Castañón-Rodríguez, Juan Francisco; Pérez-Rodríguez, Noelia; de Souza Oliveira, Ricardo Pinheiro; Aguilar-Uscanga, María Guadalupe; Domínguez, José Manuel

2016-10-01

Raw vine-trimming wastes or the solid residues obtained after different fractionation treatments were evaluated for their suitability as Amycolatopsis sp. immobilization carriers during the bioconversion of ferulic acid into valuable phenolic compounds such as vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, and vanillic acid, the main flavor components of vanilla pods. Previously, physical-chemical characteristics of the materials were determined by quantitative acid hydrolysis and water absorption index (WAI), and microbiological characteristics by calculating the cell retention in the carrier (λ). Additionally, micrographics of carrier surface were obtained by field emission-scanning electron microscopy to study the influence of morphological changes during pretreatments in the adhesion of cells immobilized. The results point out that in spite of showing the lowest WAI and intermediate λ, raw material was the most appropriated substrate to conduct the bioconversion, achieving up to 262.9 mg/L phenolic compounds after 24 h, corresponding to 42.9 mg/L vanillin, 115.6 mg/L vanillyl alcohol, and 104.4 mg/L vanillic acid. The results showed the potential of this process to be applied for biotechnological production of vanillin from ferulic acid solutions; however, further studies must be carried out to increase vanillin yield. Additionally, the liquors obtained after treatment of vine-trimming wastes could be assayed to replace synthetic ferulic acid.

Antibacterial and Antiproliferative Activities of Plumericin, an Iridoid Isolated from Momordica charantia Vine

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Jutamas Saengsai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Plumericin, an iridoid lactone, was isolated with relatively high yield from Momordica charantia vine using the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE and the separation box (Sepbox comprising dual combination of high-performance liquid chromatography and solid phase extraction. This compound showed antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC values better than cloxacillin. Plumericin potently inhibited proliferation of two leukemic cancer cell lines: they were acute and chronic leukemic cancer cell lines, NB4 and K562, with the effective doses (ED50 of 4.35 ± 0.21 and 5.58 ± 0.35 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the mechanism of growth inhibition in both cell lines was induced by apoptosis, together with G2/M arrest in K562 cells.

Bolos simples elaborados com farinha da entrecasca de melancia (Citrullus vulgaris, sobral: avaliação química, fisica e sensorial Simple cakes elaborated with flour of watermelon inner skin (Citrullus vulgaris, Sobral: chemical, physical, and sensory evaluation

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Renata Rangel Guimarães

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A farinha da entrecasca de melancia (FEM foi obtida, sua composição determinada e utilizada em formulação de bolos. Elaboraram-se bolos sem a FEM (controle e contendo 7 e 30% de FEM em substituição à farinha de trigo (experimentais. A composição química, características físicas, físico-químicas foram determinadas. Na avaliação sensorial, cem provadores não treinados receberam amostras em blocos balanceados e realizaram testes sensoriais, utilizando escala hedônica de 9 pontos e comparação múltipla. Os dados obtidos foram avaliados por estatísticas descritivas, ANOVA, testes de Tukey e Dunnet. Os resultados revelaram que 100 g da FEM continham 9,06 g de umidade, 12,72 g de cinzas, 0,7 g de lipídios, 1,20 g de proteínas, 31,01 g de fibras insolúveis, 45,21 g de glicídios totais e 192,75 kcal. Nos bolos experimentais, os pesos, alturas, diâmetros e rendimentos foram maiores e o índice de expansão menor, bem como, o volume aparente do bolo com 30% FEM foi menor. Os bolos experimentais apresentaram menor pH, maior acidez titulável, maiores teores de fibra e umidade, menores de glicídios totais e reduzido valor energético. Os bolos obtiveram boa aceitação e mais de 60% dos provadores comprariam os bolos. O bolo com 7% FEM foi ligeiramente melhor que o controle, diferindo no aroma e sabor do que continha 30% FEM. Portanto, o uso de FEM para produção de bolos, nas condições dessa pesquisa, é viável do ponto de vista tecnológico, nutricional e sensorial.The flour of watermelon inner skin was obtained, its composition was determined, and it was used in the cake formulation. Cakes without watermelon inner skin (control and others containing 7 and 30% of watermelon inner skin(experimental, a non-wheat flour substitute, were elaborated. The chemical composition, physical, and physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. In the sensory evaluation, one hundred non-trained panelists were assigned blocks of four

THE INTEGRATION OF PIGMEAT MARKETS IN THE EU. EVIDENCE FROM A REGULAR MIXED VINE COPULA

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Vasilis GRIGORIADIS

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work is to investigate the degree of integration of national pigmeat markets in the EU. This is pursued using monthly wholesale prices from seven major markets and the statistical tool of mixed R-vine copulas. The empirical results suggest that the markets considered do not constitute a great pool in which prices move, boom, and crash together. The markets of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands exhibit a higher degree of integration relative to the others, whereas the Italian market exhibits a lower degree of integration. Also, there is an indication that, in certain cases, the benefits of free trade may be unequally distributed between the trading partners.

Maturity group classification and maturity locus genotyping of early-maturing soybean varieties from high-latitude cold regions.

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Jia, Hongchang; Jiang, Bingjun; Wu, Cunxiang; Lu, Wencheng; Hou, Wensheng; Sun, Shi; Yan, Hongrui; Han, Tianfu

2014-01-01

With the migration of human beings, advances of agricultural sciences, evolution of planting patterns and global warming, soybeans have expanded to both tropical and high-latitude cold regions (HCRs). Unlike other regions, HCRs have much more significant and diverse photoperiods and temperature conditions over seasons or across latitudes, and HCR soybeans released there show rich diversity in maturity traits. However, HCR soybeans have not been as well classified into maturity groups (MGs) as other places. Therefore, it is necessary to identify MGs in HCRs and to genotype the maturity loci. Local varieties were collected from the northern part of Northeast China and the far-eastern region of Russia. Maturity group reference (MGR) soybeans of MGs MG000, MG00, and MG0 were used as references during field experiments. Both local varieties and MGR soybeans were planted for two years (2010-2011) in Heihe (N 50°15', E 127°27', H 168.5 m), China. The days to VE (emergence), R1 (beginning bloom) and R7 (beginning maturity) were recorded and statistically analyzed. Furthermore, some varieties were further genotyped at four molecularly-identified maturity loci E1, E2, E3 and E4. The HCR varieties were classified into MG0 or even more early-maturing. In Heihe, some varieties matured much earlier than MG000, which is the most early-maturing known MG, and clustered into a separate group. We designated the group as MG0000, following the convention of MGs. HCR soybeans had relatively stable days to beginning bloom from emergence. The HCR varieties diversified into genotypes of E1, E2, E3 and E4. These loci had different effects on maturity. HCRs diversify early-maturing MGs of soybean. MG0000, a new MG that matures much earlier than known MGs, was developed. HCR soybean breeding should focus more on shortening post-flowering reproductive growth. E1, E2, E3, and E4 function differentially.

Reduction of radio-contamination of vines by the method of 'non-lethal defoliation'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arapis, G.

1998-01-01

This study is included in the European Commission Programme RESSAC (Rehabilitation of Soils and Surfaces after a nuclear Accident). Its objective is to investigate the possibility of using 'non-lethal defoliation' as a countermeasure to mitigate the foliar uptake of radionuclides by plant leaves. We experimented on vines in productive agricultural fields in Spata - Attica, Greece. Interception factors and translocation of radionuclides studies were performed by using 134 Cs as marker. The deposition of 134 Cs was dry. Two pesticides, Harvade 60% FL and Basta 20 S.L., were used as defoliants. Our data showed that the recommended commercial doses of these chemicals resulted in defoliating up to 80% of the plants. We observed a reduction of radioactivity translocation to grapes by half, related to the defoliating degree. The efficacy of Harvade seemed higher than that of Basta. (authors)

Watermelon stomach, hemorrhagic pericarditis, small cell carcinoma of the lung and synchronous squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue base

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A. Murinello

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Based on a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach that was associated with hemorrhagic pericarditis, small cell lung carcinoma with mediastinal lymph node metastases and a synchronous squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue, the authors made a review of the clinical, endoscopic and histopathological aspects of this type of gastropathy, and its association with other diseases, and of the results of its endoscopic therapy. The causes of hemorrhagic pericarditis are considered, emphasizing the necessity to know if the effusion has a malignant etiology. To the best of our knowledge the association of watermelon stomach to small cell lung carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue has not yet been described. Extensive metastases to mediastal lymph nodes are common to small cell lung carcinoma. Resumo: Baseados num caso de gastropatia antral com ectasia vascular (estômago em melancia associado a pericardite hemorrágica e a um carcinoma de pequenas células do pulmão com metástases ganglionares ao longo do mediastino e a um carcinoma pavimentocelular síncrono da base da língua, os autores fazem uma revisão dos aspectos clínicos, endoscópicos e histopatológicos deste tipo de gastropatia, da sua associação a outras doenças e das possibilidades terapêuticas actuais por via endoscópica. Referem-se igualmente as causas mais frequentes de pericardite hemorrágica, salientando-se a necessidade de esclarecer se o derrame é ou não de origem neoplásica. Não está referida na literatura a associação deste tipo de gastropatia ao carcinoma de pequenas células do pulmão nem ao carcinoma pavimento-celular da base da língua. A invasão extensa dos gânglios mediastínicos pelo carcinoma de pequenas células do pulmão é ocorrência frequente. Key-words: Gastric antral vascular ectasia, watermelon stomach, small cell lung carcinoma, oat cell lung carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the base

Optimization of polysaccharides extraction from watermelon rinds: Structure, functional and biological activities.

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Romdhane, Molka Ben; Haddar, Anissa; Ghazala, Imen; Jeddou, Khawla Ben; Helbert, Claire Boisset; Ellouz-Chaabouni, Semia

2017-02-01

In the present work, optimization of hot water extraction, structural characteristics, functional properties, and biological activities of polysaccharides extracted from watermelon rinds (WMRP) were investigated. The physicochemical characteristics and the monosaccharide composition of these polysaccharides were then determined using chemical composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). SEM images showed that extracted polysaccharides had a rough surface with many cavities. GC-FID results proved that galactose was the dominant sugar in the extracted polysaccharides, followed by arabinose, glucose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, mannose, xylose and traces of glucuronic acid. The findings revealed that WMRP displayed excellent antihypertensive and antioxidant activities. Those polysaccharides had also a protection effect against hydroxyl radical-induced DNA damage. Functional properties of extracted polysaccharides were also evaluated. WMRP showed good interfacial dose-dependent proprieties. Overall, the results suggested that WMRP presents a promising natural source of antioxidants and antihypertensive agents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light affects the chloroplast ultrastructure and post-storage photosynthetic performance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plug seedlings.

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Duan, Qingqing; Jiang, Wu; Ding, Ming; Lin, Ye; Huang, Danfeng

2014-01-01

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai] plug seedlings were stored at 15°C in the light at a photosynthetic photon flux density of 15 µmol·m(-2)·s(-1) or in darkness for 6 days, to evaluate their chloroplast ultrastructure, and associated photosynthetic characteristics. Storage in the dark caused swelling, disordered granal arrangement, and starch grain disappearance in the chloroplasts. In contrast, the chloroplasts stored in the light were relatively normal. As a result, the light-stored seedlings had a significantly higher chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, and Pn than did dark-stored seedlings. Regardless of whether the seedlings were stored in light or darkness, the Gs and Ls of the seedlings significantly decreased, while the Ci obviously increased when the Pn decreased after 6 days of storage. This result suggests that the decreased Pn is not solely a stomatal effect, as the effects on the chloroplasts contributed to this photosynthetic inhibition. Six days after transplanting, seedlings that were stored in the light or darkness for 2 or 4 days showed complete recovery of chloroplast ultrastructure, chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, Gs and Pn. When the storage period increased to 6 days, the dark-stored seedlings had a significantly lower Fv/Fm and Pn than the light-stored and control seedlings 6 days after transplanting, which was mainly ascribed to incomplete recovery of chloroplast ultrastructure. Furthermore, the light-stored seedlings exhibited a significantly higher shoot dry weight during storage and a higher percentage dry weight increase after transplanting than the dark-stored seedlings. These effects were enhanced by prolonged storage (4 to 6 days). This study demonstrated that dim light during storage is beneficial for maintaining chloroplast ultrastructure as well as photosynthetic efficiency in watermelon seedlings, thus contributing to the rapid recovery of post-storage photosynthetic performance, which ensures the transplant quality

Bleeding sap and old wood are the two main sources of contamination of merging organs of vine plants by Xylophilus ampelinus, the causal agent of bacterial necrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grall, S; Roulland, C; Guillaumès, J; Manceau, C

2005-12-01

The spatial distribution of vine plants contaminated by Xylophilus ampelinus, the agent responsible for bacterial necrosis, was studied over a 5-year period within two vineyards in the Cognac area. Both vineyards were planted with Vitis vinifera cv. Ugni blanc but were different in age and agronomic location. The emission of X. ampelinus in contaminated bleeding sap was observed during vine sprouting. Contaminated bleeding sap is an important source of inoculum for external contamination due to the high susceptibility of young merging shoots to the pathogen. X. ampelinus emission by bleeding sap was not affected by the age of the plants or the location of the vineyards. However, its emission was irregular with time, and it varied between two fruit canes from individual plants and between plants as well as between years. Moreover, the two vineyards appeared to be entirely contaminated. Consequently, the behavior of the pathogen is not predictable. The distribution of the pathogen inside vine plant organs was analyzed through the four growing seasons. The old wood was contaminated throughout the year and constituted a stock inoculum for endophytic contamination of crude sap during the winter and the spring. Despite the fact that most of the young green shoots were contaminated in May, X.ampelinus was not found in green shoots in June and September, refuting the hypothesis of an epiphytic life of the pathogen under natural conditions. Although all plants were entirely contaminated in both vineyards, symptoms were rare and were observed on different plants each year.

Expression analysis of β-glucosidase genes that regulate abscisic acid homeostasis during watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) development and under stress conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qian; Li, Ping; Sun, Liang; Wang, Yanping; Ji, Kai; Sun, Yufei; Dai, Shengjie; Chen, Pei; Duan, Chaorui; Leng, Ping

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to obtain new insights into the mechanisms that regulate endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels by β-glucosidase genes during the development of watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) and under drought stress conditions. In total, five cDNAs from watermelons were cloned by using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). They included three cDNAs (ClBG1, ClBG2 and ClBG3) homologous to those that encode β-glucosidase l that hydrolyzes the ABA glucose ester (ABA-GE) to release active ABA, ClNCED4, which encodes 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), a key enzyme in ABA biosynthesis, and ClCYP707A1, encoding ABA 8'-hydroxylase. A BLAST homology search revealed that the sequences of cDNAs and the deduced amino acids of these genes showed a high degree of homology to comparable molecules of other plant species. During fruit development and ripening, the expressions of ClBG1, ClNCED4 and ClCYP707A1 were relatively low at an early stage, increased rapidly along with fruit ripening, and reached the highest levels at 27 days after full bloom (DAFB) at the harvest stage. This trend was consistent with the accumulation of ABA. The ClBG2 gene on the other hand was highly expressed at 5 DAFB, and then decreased gradually with fruit development. Unlike ClBG1 and ClBG2, the expression of ClBG3 was low at an early stage; its expression peak occurred at 15 DAFB and then declined to the lowest point. When watermelon seedlings were subjected to drought stress, expressions of ClBG1 and ClCYP707A1 were significantly down-regulated, while expressions of ClBG2 and ClNCED4 were up-regulated in the roots, stems and leaves. The expression of ClBG3 was down-regulated in root tissue, but was up-regulated in stems and leaves. In conclusion, endogenous ABA content was modulated by a dynamic balance between biosynthesis and catabolism regulated by ClNCED4, ClCYP707A1 and ClBGs during development and under drought stress condition. It seems likely that β-glucosidase genes are

Effects of microwave power and irradiation time on pectin extraction from watermelon rinds (Citrullus lanatus) with acetic acid using microwave assisted extraction method

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, A. M.; Ishartani, D.; Dewanty, P. S.

2018-01-01

The aims of this research are to study the effect of microwave power (119.7 W, 199.5 W and 279.3 W) and irradiation time (6, 9 and 12 min) on pectin extraction by using Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) with acetic acid and to do a preliminary characterization of pectin from watermelon rinds. A randomized factorial design with two factors was used to determine the effect of microwave power and processing time on the yield, equivalent weight, degree of methoxylation (DM), galacturonic acid content (GA) and the degree of esterification (DE) of extracted pectin. The results showed that extracted pectin from watermelon rinds using MAE method have yield ranged from 3.925% to 5.766%, with equivalent weight ranged from 1249.702 to 2007.756. Extracted pectin have a DM value ranged from 3.89% to 10.81%. Galacturonic acid content that meets with IPPA standard resulted from extraction condition of 279.3-watt microwave power for 9 min and 12 min. The degree of esterification (DE) value ranged from 56.86% to 85.76%, and this value exhibited a relatively high methoxyl pectin (>50%). The best pectin properties was obtained at a microwave power of 279.3 watts for 12 min.

Tannery Effluent Treatment by Yeast Species Isolates from Watermelon

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Stanley Irobekhian Reuben Okoduwa

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The quest for an effective alternative means for effluent treatment is a major concern of the modern-day scientist. Fungi have been attracting a growing interest for the biological treatment of industrial wastewater. In this study, Saccharomycescerevisiae and Torulasporadelbrueckii were isolated from spoiled watermelon and inoculated into different concentrations of effluent. The inoculants were incubated for 21-days to monitor the performance of the isolates by measurement of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD, nitrates, conductivity, phosphates, sulphates and turbidity. The results showed that Saccharomycescerevisiae had the highest percentage decrease of 98.1%, 83.0%, 60.7%, 60.5%, and 54.2% for turbidity, sulphates, BOD, phosphates and COD, respectively, of the tannery effluent. Torulasporadelbrueckii showed the highest percentage decrease of 92.9%, 90.6%, and 61.9% for sulphates, COD, and phosphates, respectively, while the syndicate showed the highest percentage reduction of 87.4% and 70.2% for nitrate and total dissolve solid (TDS, respectively. The least percentage decrease was displayed by syndicate organisms at 51.2%, 48.1% and 40.3% for BOD, COD and conductivity, respectively. The study revealed that Saccharomycescerevisiae and Torulasporadelbrueckii could be used in the biological treatment of tannery-effluent. Hence, it was concluded that the use of these organisms could contribute to minimizing the adverse environmental risks and health-hazards associated with the disposal of untreated tannery-effluents.

Analysis of fatty acid methyl esters and oxidative stability of seed purpose watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) genotypes for edible oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahla, H R; Rathore, S S; Venkatesan, K; Sharma, R

2018-04-01

World's vegetable oil demand is increasing day by day and oil seed supply is limited to a dozen oil seed crops on commercial scale. Efforts were made to explore the potential of water melon a traditionally grown native crop of Indian arid zone having oil content over 30% and seed yield potential of 500-600 kg per hectare under rainfed conditions. An analysis was carried out to explore the suitability of watermelon [ Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)] oil for human consumption on the basis of fatty acid (FA) composition in selected genotypes. Total oil content ranged between 10.0 and 31.0%. Eleven FA were identified in seed oil. Linoleic, stearic, palmitic and oleic acid were found as major FA while myristic, heptadecanoic, arachidic, 9-hexadecenoic and 14-eicosenoic acid was present in traces. Linoleic acid single polyunsaturated FA contributor found in the range of 43.95% (WM-44) to 55.29% (WM-18). Saturated FA content ranged between 32.24 and 37.61%. Significant genetic variation was observed for mono-unsaturated FA. Metabolic capacity to inter-conversion of FA and nutritive value of watermelon oil was described on the basis of ratio of FA group. Total phenolics, antioxidant activity, peroxide value and oxidizability were also estimated along with oxidative stability of oil. Multivariate analysis showed that, oil content has positive correlation with linoleic acid. The Euclidean based UPGMA clustering revealed that genotypes WM-18 is most suitable for trait specific breeding program for high linoleic acid ( n -6), desaturation ratio and oleic desaturation ratio with higher oil content and lowest palmitic acid.

Techunique to depress seeds formation in small sized watermelon [Citrullus lanatus] by using pollen irradiated with soft X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajiri, K.; Ishida, T.

2005-01-01

Pollen irradiated soft X-rays is effective to depress seed formation in fruits of watermelon. In this investigation, it's effect are disucussed on some varieties of small sized water melon on semi-focing and retarding culture. Results are followed; The radiation of soft X-rays to pollen gave less seeds formation in fruits of wide varieties on both cropping season. The fruit setting was normal on the case of using irradiated pollen, and the growth and quality of fruits were equal or better than that of triploid variety of watermelon. The size of emty seeds remained in fruit was big in the variety whitch had originally big size seeds. On variety comparison under two cropping season. 'hitorijime' , 'summerkids' and ' himekannsen' showed excellent quality and less-formation of residual seeds in their fruits. To determine optimum level of soft X-rays irradiation, three levels of irradiation intensity were te sted. Irradiation intensity to pollen did not affect to the furit setting and the growth of fruit. B ut sugarcontent in fruit was generally higher than that of no-treatment. The effect of radiation int ensity to formation of seeds was different on cropping season. The optimum intensity was 1600Gy on r etarding culture. On semi-forcing culture, depressive effect on seeds formation by soft X-rays irrad iation was incresed as the increment of irradiation intensity between 0 to 800Gy, but irradiation av obe 1600Gy gave opposite result. Then optimum irradiation level is 800-1200Gy

Effects of feeding sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) vines as a supplement on feed intake, growth performance, digestibility and carcass characteristics of Sidama goats fed a basal diet of natural grass hay.

Science.gov (United States)

Megersa, Tadesse; Urge, Mengistu; Nurfeta, Ajebu

2013-02-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of substituting sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam] vines for concentrate on growth performance, digestibility, and carcass characteristics. Thirty yearling bucks (15.3 ± 1.64 kg) were assigned into six treatments in a randomized complete block design: natural grass hay alone (T1) or supplemented with 100 % sweet potato vines (SPV) (T2), 65 % SPV + 35 % concentrate (T3), 35 % SPV + 65 % concentrate (T4), and 100 % concentrate (T5) on dry matter (DM) basis. Supplemented goats (T2, T3, T4, and T5) consumed higher (p goats (349 g/day). The crude protein (CP) intake (32.0, 48.6, 54.7, and 69.2 g/day) increased with increasing levels of the concentrate in the diet for T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively. The DM digestibility in T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively, was higher (P goats lost weight (-19.5 g/day). Slaughter weight, empty body weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, rib-eye muscle area, and total edible offals were higher (P goats compared with nonsupplemented ones. Therefore, it could be concluded that sweet potato vine can replace the conventional concentrate and could be fed with poor quality hay to prevent body weight loss of animal in the absence of other feed supplements.

Inheritance of Resistance to Powdery Mildew Race 1W in Watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Naim, Yariv; Cohen, Yigal

2015-11-01

Powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii is a major disease of watermelon in Israel. In this study, 291 accessions of Citrullus spp. were evaluated for resistance against P. xanthii race 1W. Only eight accessions exhibited high level of resistance. Inheritance of resistance against P. xanthii race 1W was studied by crossing three resistant accession of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides BIU 119, PI 189225, or PI 482312 with the susceptible cultivar 'Malali' or 'Sugar Baby'. Parents, F1, F2, and back cross progenies were evaluated for resistance in growth chambers at the cotyledon stage and the 4-leaf stage and in the field, at the 15-leaf stage. Resistance at the cotyledon stage was controlled by a single, partially dominant gene, whereas at the 4-leaf stage or the 15-leaf stage resistance was controlled by three complimentary, partially dominant genes. Crosses made among these resistant accessions revealed that BIU 119 and PI 189225 carry the same genes for resistance, whereas PI 482312 shares two out of three genes with both BIU 119 and PI 189225. A breeding line with high resistance level and good fruit qualities was developed from BIU 119 × HA5500.

Artificial Neural Network to Predict Vine Water Status Spatial Variability Using Multispectral Information Obtained from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

Science.gov (United States)

Poblete, Tomas; Ortega-Farías, Samuel; Moreno, Miguel Angel; Bardeen, Matthew

2017-10-30

Water stress, which affects yield and wine quality, is often evaluated using the midday stem water potential (Ψ stem ). However, this measurement is acquired on a per plant basis and does not account for the assessment of vine water status spatial variability. The use of multispectral cameras mounted on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is capable to capture the variability of vine water stress in a whole field scenario. It has been reported that conventional multispectral indices (CMI) that use information between 500-800 nm, do not accurately predict plant water status since they are not sensitive to water content. The objective of this study was to develop artificial neural network (ANN) models derived from multispectral images to predict the Ψ stem spatial variability of a drip-irrigated Carménère vineyard in Talca, Maule Region, Chile. The coefficient of determination (R²) obtained between ANN outputs and ground-truth measurements of Ψ stem were between 0.56-0.87, with the best performance observed for the model that included the bands 550, 570, 670, 700 and 800 nm. Validation analysis indicated that the ANN model could estimate Ψ stem with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.1 MPa, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.12 MPa, and relative error (RE) of -9.1%. For the validation of the CMI, the MAE, RMSE and RE values were between 0.26-0.27 MPa, 0.32-0.34 MPa and -24.2-25.6%, respectively.

Inheritance of resistance to watermelon mosaic virus in the cucumber line TMG-1: tissue-specific expression and relationship to zucchini yellow mosaic virus resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wai, T; Grumet, R

1995-09-01

The inbred cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) line TMG-1 is resistant to three potyviruses:zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and the watermelon strain of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W). The genetics of resistance to WMV and the relationship of WMV resistance to ZYMV resistance were examined. TMG-1 was crossed with WI-2757, a susceptible inbred line. F1, F2 and backcross progeny populations were screened for resistance to WMV and/or ZYMV. Two independently assorting factors conferred resistance to WMV. One resistance was conferred by a single recessive gene from TMG-1 (wmv-2). The second resistance was conferred by an epistatic interaction between a second recessive gene from TMG-1 (wmv-3) and either a dominant gene from WI-2757 (Wmv-4) or a third recessive gene from TMG-1 (wmv-4) located 20-30 cM from wmv-3. The two resistances exhibited tissue-specific expression. Resistance conferred by wmv-2 was expressed in the cotyledons and throughout the plant. Resistance conferred by wmv-3 + Wmv-4 (or wmv-4) was expressed only in true leaves. The gene conferring resistance to ZYMV appeared to be the same as, or tightly linked to one of the WMV resistance genes, wmv-3.

Accumulation and distribution of heavy metal in perennials parts of vine in five local varieties (Riling, Smederevka, Hamburg, Kratoshija and Afus-Ali ) from Ovche Pole (R. Macedonia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakasheva, Elizabeta; Jovanova, Sonja; Boev, Blazho

2012-01-01

This work was conducted in vineyards located in Ovče Pole, near the village of Krivi dol , in the eastern part of Macedonia, in order to assess the bio-accumulation and distribution of trace elements in perennial part of grape, in five local varieties (Rizling, Smederevka, Hamburg, Kratošia and Afus-Ali). For this purpose, the content of trace elements in soil and in the perennials parts of the vine: leaves, branches and grapefruit were measured, in all five local varieties.The content of Zn in soils varied from 75.7- 96.33 mg/kg, Ni from 1.69 to 4.45 mg/ kg, Cu from 34.1- 53.6 mg/ kg, Ba from 65.8- 140.5 mg/kg, Sr from 56,3-150,9 mg/kg, As from 5.48 -13.59 mg/kg, Mo from 1.99 to 3.1 mg/kg, Pb from 14.19-26.9 mg/kg, Ti from 119-239 mg/kg, Fe from 2482-3080 mg/kg, Mn from 722-1081 mg/kg and Al from 2646-4012 mg/kg, respectively. The content of Zn in plant varied from 154.8- 188.5 mg/kg, Ni from 145.1 to 191.8 mg/kg, Cu from 31.1 to 51.5 mg/kg, Ba from 15.7 to 24.2 mg/kg, Sr from 186.5 to 287.8 mg/kg, As from 9.78-27.7 mg/kg, Mo from 0.28 to 1.44 mg/kg, Pb from 5.25 to 13.56 mg/kg, Ti from 3.73 to 7.38 mg/kg, Fe from 345 to 464.5 mg/kg, Mn from 352.3 to 400.2 mg/kg and Al from 130.8 to 256.5 mg/kg, respectively. The contents of Zn,Ba, As, Mo, and Pb not exceeded the maximum allowable content (MAC) in all soil (The Now Dutch list). The highest content of Cu and Ni (The Now Dutch list) were founded in all vineyard soil from Ovče pole. Considering the value for bioaccumulation factor (BAF), grape vine for Zn, Sr, Cu and As possessed the characteristics of hyper accumulator. Most of the accumulated metals are mainly concentrated in the leaves of the vine, with the exception of As, which are concentrated in the fruit of the vine. (Author)

CvADH1, a member of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase family, is inducible by gibberellin and sucrose in developing watermelon seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Joonyul; Kang, Hong-Gyu; Jun, Sung-Hoon; Lee, Jinwon; Yim, Jieun; An, Gynheung

2003-01-01

To understand the molecular mechanisms that control seed formation, we selected a seed-preferential gene (CvADH1) from the ESTs of developing watermelon seeds. RNA blot analysis and in situ localization showed that CvADH1 was preferentially expressed in the nucellar tissue. The CvADH1 protein shared about 50% homology with short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase including ABA2 in Arabidopsis thaliana, stem secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase in Forsythia intermedia, and 3beta-hydroxysterol dehydrogenase in Digitalis lanata. We investigated gene-expression levels in seeds from both normally pollinated fruits and those made parthenocarpic via N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N'-phenylurea treatment, the latter of which lack zygotic tissues. Whereas the transcripts of CvADH1 rapidly started to accumulate from about the pre-heart stage in normal seeds, they were not detectable in the parthenocarpic seeds. Treating the parthenogenic fruit with GA(3) strongly induced gene expression, up to the level accumulated in pollinated seeds. These results suggest that the CvADH1 gene is induced in maternal tissues by signals made in the zygotic tissues, and that gibberellin might be one of those signals. We also observed that CvADH1 expression was induced by sucrose in the parthenocarpic seeds. Therefore, we propose that the CvADH1 gene is inducible by gibberellin, and that sucrose plays an important role in the maternal tissues of watermelon during early seed development.

Assessment of cortical maturation with prenatal MRI. Part I: normal cortical maturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogliarini, Celine [Faculte Timone, Centre de Resonance Magnetique Biologique et Medicale, Marseille (France); Chaumoitre, Katia [Hopital Nord, Department of Radiology, Marseille (France); Chapon, Frederique; Levrier, Olivier; Girard, Nadine [Hopital Timone, Department of Neuroradiology, Marseille Cedex 5 (France); Fernandez, Carla; Figarella-Branger, Dominique [Hopital Timone, Department of Pathology, Marseille (France)

2005-08-01

Cortical maturation, especially gyral formation, follows a temporospatial schedule and is a good marker of fetal maturation. Although ultrasonography is still the imaging method of choice to evaluate fetal anatomy, MRI has an increasingly important role in the detection of brain abnormalities, especially of cortical development. Knowledge of MRI techniques in utero with the advantages and disadvantages of some sequences is necessary, in order to try to optimize the different magnetic resonance sequences to be able to make an early diagnosis. The different steps of cortical maturation known from histology represent the background necessary for the understanding of maturation in order to be then able to evaluate brain maturation through neuroimaging. Illustrations of the normal cortical maturation are given for each step accessible to MRI for both the cerebral hemispheres and the posterior fossa. (orig.)

Assessment of cortical maturation with prenatal MRI. Part I: normal cortical maturation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fogliarini, Celine; Chaumoitre, Katia; Chapon, Frederique; Levrier, Olivier; Girard, Nadine; Fernandez, Carla; Figarella-Branger, Dominique

2005-01-01

Cortical maturation, especially gyral formation, follows a temporospatial schedule and is a good marker of fetal maturation. Although ultrasonography is still the imaging method of choice to evaluate fetal anatomy, MRI has an increasingly important role in the detection of brain abnormalities, especially of cortical development. Knowledge of MRI techniques in utero with the advantages and disadvantages of some sequences is necessary, in order to try to optimize the different magnetic resonance sequences to be able to make an early diagnosis. The different steps of cortical maturation known from histology represent the background necessary for the understanding of maturation in order to be then able to evaluate brain maturation through neuroimaging. Illustrations of the normal cortical maturation are given for each step accessible to MRI for both the cerebral hemispheres and the posterior fossa. (orig.)

Diversity of black Aspergilli and mycotoxin risks in grape, wine and dried vine fruits

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Stefania SOMMA

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Mycotoxin risk in the grape product chain is primarily due to ochratoxin A (OTA occurrence in wine and dried vine fruits. Aspergillus carbonarius and the A. niger group are the main agents of Aspergillus bunch rot of grape, and they, especially A. carbonarius, are responsible for OTA contamination worldwide. Fumonisin B2 (FB2 represents an additional potential mycotoxin risk in the grape-wine product chain and A. niger/A. awamori were recently reported as the FB2 producers in grapes. A deeper understanding of the species diversity of black Aspergilli, together with specific knowledge of their ecology and epidemiology, can help to predict their occurrence. From this perspective several studies have been done regarding prevention and control of black Aspergilli and reduction of mycotoxin risk at all stages, from vineyard management to wine-making procedures. In this review a comprehensive overview of all these aspects is presented.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT MATURITY

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Yana Derenskaya

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present article is aimed at developing a set of recommendations for achieving a higher level of organizational project maturity at a given enterprise. Methodology. For the purposes of the current research, the available information sources on the components of project management system are analysed; the essence of “organizational maturity” and the existing models of organizational maturity are studied. The method of systemic and structural analysis, as well as the method of logical generalization, are employed in order to study the existing models of organizational maturity, to describe levels of organizational maturity, and finally to develop a set of methodological recommendations for achieving a higher level of organizational project maturity at a given enterprise. The results of the research showed that the core elements of project management system are methodological, organizational, programtechnical, and motivational components. Project management encompasses a wide range of issues connected with organizational structure, project team, communication management, project participants, etc. However, the fundamental basis for developing project management concept within a given enterprise starts with defining its level of organizational maturity. The present paper describes various models of organizational maturity (staged, continuous, petal-shaped and their common types (H. Кеrzner Organizational Maturity Model, Berkeley PM Maturity Model, Organizational Project Management Maturity Model, Portfolio, Program & Project Management Maturity Model. The analysis of available theoretic works showed that the notion “organizational project maturity” refers to the capability of an enterprise to select projects and manage them with the intention of achieving its strategic goals in the most effective way. Importantly, the level of maturity can be improved by means of formalizing the acquired knowledge, regulating project-related activities

Impact of insecticides on non-target arthropods in watermelon cropImpacto de inseticidas em artrópodes não-alvo associados à cultura da melancia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cíntia Ribeiro Souza

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Watermelon Citrullus lunatus (Thunberg, Matsumura & Nakai is an ecosystem having a variety of arthropods, each one playing a specific role. Although some of them are considered pest to crops, some others are responsible for soil aeration, nutrient release and predation of pest species and are, therefore, considered beneficial to crops. The intensive farming practiced for watermelon cultivation in Brazil is based on the use of tiamethoxam and deltamethrin, which may not only kill target but also nontarget organisms such as beneficial arthropods. Research data regarding the influence of insecticides on arthropods in watermelon cropping is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the insecticides deltamethrin and thiamethoxam on soil surface and watermelon canopy arthropod community. The study was carried out in the State of Tocantins, Brazil. Although the application of thiamethoxam and deltamethrin was efficient in controlling populations of Aphis gossypii (Glover, as we expected, they negatively affected non-target arthropods such as detritivores insects in the canopy and soil surface. Ecological implications of the impact of such pesticides on beneficial arthropod species are discussed.A cultura da melancia Citrullus lunatus (Thunberg, Matsumura & Nakai abriga uma grande diversidade de artrópodes, cada um desempenhando um papel específico. Apesar de alguns desses artrópodes serem considerados pragas, outros são responsáveis pela aeração do solo, liberação de nutrientes e predação das espécies-praga, sendo, dessa forma, considerados benéficos às culturas. A agricultura intensiva praticada no Brasil para o cultivo da melancia é baseada no uso dos inseticidas como tiamethoxam e deltametrina, que pode não só matar as pragas, mas também organismos não-alvo. Pesquisas relacionadas à influência de inseticidas sobre artrópodes benéficos na cultura da melancia são escassas. Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de

Indicators of the church in John’s metaphor of the vine

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Johann Fourie

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This article aims to answer the question of what belongs to the essence of the church, as God intended it to be, by identifying certain indicators of the essence of the church through a study of one of the central metaphors of the New Testament: the vine in the Gospel of John. Through structural analyses, commentary and metaphorical analyses, several indicators of unity as part of the essence of the church emerge in this metaphor. These indicators are the primacy (or authority of Christ, trinitarian balance, equality, interdependence, inclusivity, growth and unity (in diversity. Hierdie artikel poog om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Wat behoort tot die essensie van kerkwees soos God dit bedoel het? Dit word gedoen deur sekere aanwysers van die essensie van kerkwees te identifiseer vanuit ’n studie van een van die essensiële metafore vir kerkwees in die Nuwe Testament, naamlik die Wynstok in die Evangelie van Johannes. Deur middel van struktuuranalise, kommentaar en metaforiese analise kom verskeie eenheidsaanwysers as deel van die essensie van kerkwees in hierdie metafoor na vore. Hierdie aanwysers is die hoër gesag (of outoriteit van Christus, die balans van die Drie-eenheid, gelykheid, interafhanklikheid, inklusiwiteit, groei en eenheid (in diversiteit.

Assessing healthcare process maturity: challenges of using a business process maturity model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tarhan, A.; Turetken, O.; van den Biggelaar, F.J.H.M.

2015-01-01

Doi: 10.4108/icst.pervasivehealth.2015.259105 The quality of healthcare services is influenced by the maturity of healthcare processes used to develop it. A maturity model is an instrument to assess and continually improve organizational processes. In the last decade, a number of maturity models

Diagnostic assessment of skeletal maturity through dental maturation in Hispanic growing individuals

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Alejandra Cisternas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to explore dental maturation as a diagnostic test for skeletal maturation. Materials and Methods: Six hundred and fifty-seven growing individuals were classified according to their cervical vertebral maturity and dental maturity, both determined in lateral cephalograms and panoramic radiographs, respectively. The correlation between cervical and dental stages was established for each gender. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was made, and sensitivity and specificity values were established. Results: Correlation was found between cervical and dental maturation for females (r = 0.73; P<0.001 and males (r = 0.60; P<0.001. Sensitivity for dental Stage F, as an indicator of a postmaturation peak stage, was 87.21% for females and 97.1% for males, whereas specificity for the same stage was 82.92% and 72.3% for females and males, respectively. Conclusions: Dental maturation evaluation could contribute determining whether a patient is in a pre- or post-growth spurt stage.

Correlation between Dental Maturity by Demirjian Method and Skeletal Maturity by Cervical Vertebral Maturity Method using Panoramic Radiograph and Lateral Cephalogram

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Madhusudhanan Mallika Mini

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Radiographs are effective tools in assessing the stages of bone maturation in dentistry. The cervical vertebral maturation method is a proven effective tool in assessing the adolescent growth spurt than hand-wrist radiographs in an individual. Assessment of dental calcification stages are a reliable method for determining dental maturity. Panoramic imaging can be used as the primary imaging modality for assessing maturity if a correlation can be found out between tooth calcification stages and cervical vertebral maturation stages. This study was conducted to determine the correlation between dental maturity stage and cervical vertebral maturity stage and to estimate predictor variables for cervical vertebral maturation stages (CVMS stratified by gender in a tertiary hospital setting. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among patients accessing orthodontic care in radiology outpatient clinic, Oral Medicine and Radiology department, Government Dental College Thiruvananthapuram for a period of 15 months. Participants were selected between the ages of 8 and 16 years. Panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms were used to determine dental maturity stages using Demirjian method and CVMS using Bacetti and Franchi method, respectively. Results: One hundred patients (males = 46, females = 54 were included in the study; the spearman rank order correlation revealed significant relationship. The correlation ranged from 0.61 to 0.74 for females and 0.48 to 0.51 for males. Second premolar showed highest correlation and canine the lowest for both females and males. Stage G of mandibular second premolar signifies the pubertal growth period in this study population. By ordinal regression model, G stage of second premolar was found to be a significant predictor in males and stage H followed by G and F in females for the age group of 12–14 years. Conclusion: Dental maturation stages were significantly correlated with CVMS

[Study on Vis/NIR spectra detecting system for watermelons and quality predicting in motion].

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Hai-Qing; Ying, Yi-Bin; Xu, Hui-Rong; Lu, Hui-Shan; Xie, Li-Juan

2009-06-01

To make Vis/NIR diffuse transmittance technique applied to quality prediction for watermelon in motion, the dynamic spectra detecting system was rebuilt. Spectra detecting experiments were conducted and the effects of noises caused by motion on spectra were analyzed. Then the least--square filtering method and Norris differential filtering method were adopted to eliminate the effects of noise on spectra smoothing, and statistical models between the spectra and soluble solids content were developed using partial least square method. The performance of different models was assessed in terms of correlation coefficients (r) of validation set of samples, root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP). Calibration and prediction results indicated that Norris differential method was an effective method to smooth spectra and improve calibration and prediction results, especially, with r of 0.895, RMSEC of 0.549, and RMSEP of 0.760 for the calibration and prediction result of the first derivative spectra.

Effect of sodium chloride on the growth and fruiting of Cabernet Sauvignon vines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawker, J.S.; Walker, R.R.

1978-01-01

Sodium chloride was supplied to rooted cuttings of Vitis vinifera cv Cabernet Sauvignon grown in a porous growth medium at concentrations of 0, 20, 50 and 75 mM. Shoot and leaf growth and berry set and development were reduced by NaCl, the severity of the effects depending on both NaCl concentration and the age of the plants receiving the treatment. Shoots were not affected by 20 mM NaCl supplied 10 days after flowering but 50 and 75 mM NaCl caused severe stunting of shoots and 75 mM NaCl had a marked effect on berry growth and development. When NaCl was supplied to vines 10 days before flowering, 20, 50 and 75 mM NaCl inhibited shoot growth and reduced berry size and sugar content. Although NaCl caused a decrease in the rate of growth of both leaves and berries, no changes in invertase or pectin methylesterase activities were found in these organs from plants supplied with NaCl.

Artificial Neural Network to Predict Vine Water Status Spatial Variability Using Multispectral Information Obtained from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV

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Tomas Poblete

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Water stress, which affects yield and wine quality, is often evaluated using the midday stem water potential (Ψstem. However, this measurement is acquired on a per plant basis and does not account for the assessment of vine water status spatial variability. The use of multispectral cameras mounted on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV is capable to capture the variability of vine water stress in a whole field scenario. It has been reported that conventional multispectral indices (CMI that use information between 500–800 nm, do not accurately predict plant water status since they are not sensitive to water content. The objective of this study was to develop artificial neural network (ANN models derived from multispectral images to predict the Ψstem spatial variability of a drip-irrigated Carménère vineyard in Talca, Maule Region, Chile. The coefficient of determination (R2 obtained between ANN outputs and ground-truth measurements of Ψstem were between 0.56–0.87, with the best performance observed for the model that included the bands 550, 570, 670, 700 and 800 nm. Validation analysis indicated that the ANN model could estimate Ψstem with a mean absolute error (MAE of 0.1 MPa, root mean square error (RMSE of 0.12 MPa, and relative error (RE of −9.1%. For the validation of the CMI, the MAE, RMSE and RE values were between 0.26–0.27 MPa, 0.32–0.34 MPa and −24.2–25.6%, respectively.

Photosynthesis and growth of young “Niágara Branca” vines (Vitis labrusca L. cultivated in soil with high levels of copper and liming

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Rosa Daniel José

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the photosynthetic response and growth of young grape “Niagara Branca” vines grown in soil with high content of Cu and liming. The experiment was conducted in controlled environment with soil subjected to three levels of liming, with 0, 1.5 and 3.0 Mg ha−1 of lime. The effect of additional 50 mg kg−1 Cu in half of soil treatments was evaluated. The CO2 measurements, assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration were carried out in the tenth cultivation week using the IRGA equipment (Infrared Gaz Analyzer. Plant height, fresh weight and dry weight, concentration of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids were measured. For most variables, the Cu had damaging effect on 0 and 1.5 Mg ha−1 liming treatments however, there was no significant damage in the 3.0 Mg ha−1 treatment. Rates of CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and transpiration were increased with the addition of 50 mg kg−1 Cu. Liming to raise the pH of the soil is an effective practice to reduce the effects of Cu toxicity in young “Niagara Branca” grape vines.