Search Results
Abstract
Samples of sweet potatoes [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] grown in field trials during 4 seasons in 1981 and 1982 were analyzed for trypsin inhibitor levels and protein concentration. A significant positive correlation between trypsin inhibitor levels and protein concentration was found in each season and between trypsin inhibitor level and dry matter content in 3 of the seasons. Clones were identified which had less trypsin inhibitor activity than predicted by multiple linear regression.
Abstract
The distribution of 14C-photosynthates was examined in pot-grown Tainan-1 mung bean plants (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek var. radiata). Whole plants were assimilated with 14CO2 at anthesis, and at 7 and 17 days after anthesis. The 14C-photosynthate fixed at anthesis was retained mostly in the vegetative tissue. However, of the 14C-photosynthate fixed at early pod development stage (i.e. 7 days after anthesis), 15-26% of the assimilated 14C was detected in the reproductive tissue within 24 hours after exposure, whereas about 43% was detected at maturity (i.e. 38 days after anthesis). When plants with full grown pods (i.e. 17 days after anthesis) were treated, 70% of the 14C was detected in the reproductive tissue 24 hours after exposure and at maturity.
Abstract
Steamed roots of promising breeding lines of sweet potato (Ipomoea batastas (L.) Lam) and cultivars were evaluated for flavor, dryness, stickiness, color, and general acceptability to determine selection criteria that influence general acceptability. The acceptability ranking of roots varied according to the nationality of the panel member. Based on the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis, it appeared that flavor and color would be good eating quality characteristics for predicting general acceptability of steamed sweet potato roots. Alcohol insoluble solids and total soluble solids after steaming contributed 85% to the variation of dryness in sweet potato roots.
Abstract
A drip-irrigation study was conducted at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) to determine its effectiveness on yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Four drip-irrigation treatments, with moisture levels maintained above 25, 50, 65, and 80% available water, produced 20% to 40% more marketable yield than the treatment with monthly furrow irrigation, and 80% more than the nonirrigated control. Plots with 25% available water produced fewer nonmarketable fruits with similar yields to other drip-irrigation treatments and required 30% less water than the furrow irrigation control. Electrical conductivity of the root-zone soil extracts was lower for drip-irrigation treatments than for the furrow-irrigated plot. Leaf chloride content during the growing stages was not significantly different among various drip-irrigation treatments but was less than the furrow-irrigation treatment. No differences in fruit quality were measured between treatments.
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is among the most widely consumed vegetables worldwide and an important source of certain antioxidants (AO) including lycopene, β-carotene, and vitamin C. Improvement of tomato for content of AO and overall antioxidant activity (AOA) could potentially benefit human health in many countries. We evaluated 50 L. esculentum and three L. pimpinellifolium (L.) Mill. entries for contents of lycopene, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and two assays for antioxidant activity [anti-radical power (ARP) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (ILP)] for 2 years during the same period in south Taiwan. We detected high levels of genetic diversity for the AO and AOA measured in this study. Group means of the L. pimpinellifolium entries were significantly higher than L. esculentum group means for ARP, ILP, lycopene, ascorbic acid, phenolics, and soluble solids concentration, suggesting that introgression of alleles from L. pimpinellifolium may have potential to improve cultivated tomato for these traits. Ranking of entries for ILP and ARP were consistent between years, particularly for those entries with the highest means and these assays could be adopted by tomato breeders. Results from ILP and ARP assays were highly correlated (r = 0.82**) and it would be unnecessary to use both assays for tomato. Lycopene, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, soluble solids, and total phenolics were all positively correlated with ARP. Among AO, total phenolics content was most closely associated with ARP (r = 0.90**) and ILP (r = 0.83**); this suggests that phenolics make a major contribution to AOA in tomato fruit. Fruit size was negatively correlated with ARP (r = -0.74**) and ILP (r = -0.71**), indicating that combining large fruit size and high AOA will be challenging.