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- Author or Editor: S. Shanmugasundaram x
Abstract
In cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) a recessive gene designated sc (stunted cotyledon) produces small, dark green, concavely curved cotyledons with chlorotic tips with pleiotropic effects of plant weakness and stunting, cupped leaves, and abnormally shaped flowers.
Abstract
Black spine color of fruit in cucumber is controlled by either of two dominant genes B and C. The double recessive (bbcc) is white. No linkage was observed between fruit spine color and cotyledon bitterness.
In the tropics, onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs are usually stored in shelters under ambient conditions resulting in severe storage losses. This study was aimed at determining whether variation in bulb storability exists among short-day onion cultivars and whether the trait can be improved through conventional breeding. Twelve onion cultivars with different degrees of storability were selected from preliminary experiments. Bulbs of selected cultivars were grown and stored for 3 months under ambient conditions. Observations were made on disease incidence at harvest, percentage diseased bulbs, and storage disease incidence of bacterial soft rot [BR (Pseudomonas gladioli pv. alliicola Burkholder)], black mold [BM (Aspergillus niger Tiegh.)], and fusarium basal rot (Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. f. sp. cepae) after 3 months of storage. Data on bulb characteristics such as bulb fresh weight (FW), dry matter (DM) content, total soluble solids (TSS), and pyruvic acid content were recorded at harvest. Mean storage losses of cultivars ranged from 21% to 99% over 3 years. Diseases were the major causes of storage losses, with BR and BM being the most predominant. Performance of most traits (including storage losses) was significantly influenced by year (Y), cultivar (G), and Y × G interaction. Heavy rainfall during bulb development in 1997 may have contributed to higher disease incidence at harvest, higher percentage of diseased bulbs during storage, and lower DM, and TSS of the cultivars. Cultivars with good storability, such as `Red Pinoy' and `Serrana', were less sensitive to stressful environments and high disease pressure. Incidence of storage diseases was significantly correlated with DM (r = -0.65 to -0.84) and TSS (r = -0.66 to -0.87), as well as incidence of BR (r = 0.57 to 0.94) in each year. Thus, they could be good indicators for evaluating storability. Cultivars with good storability tended to have small bulbs, as average bulb FW was positively correlated with incidence of storage diseases. Disease incidences on `Red Pinoy' and `Serrana', both in the field and in storage, were significantly lower than in the other cultivars, indicating they are tolerant to major storage diseases and that they could be used as donor parents for genetic improvement of onion storability.
Abstract
The mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important short-duration annual grain legume. Mungbean is grown principally for its edible dry seeds, which are high in protein, easily digested, and prepared in numerous forms for human consumption; e.g., as a green vegetable and for sprouts. Other attributes of the crop include drought tolerance, high lysine content as compared to cereal grains, low production of flatulence, and wide adaptability. Commercial production occurs throughout Asia, Australia, the West Indies, South America, and tropical and subtropical Africa. In North America, production is centered in northern Texas and Oklahoma. Annual world mungbean production is estimated at 1.4 million t harvested from ≈3.4 million ha (1). In the United States >50 million kg of bean sprouts are produced annually from 8.3 million kg of mungbean seeds (4).