Impact of the female and hermaphrodite forms of Opuntia robusta on the plant defence hypothesis

The optimal defence hypothesis predicts that increased plant defence capabilities, lower levels of damage, and lower investment in vegetative biomass will occur more frequently in sexual forms with higher resource-demanding tissue production and/or younger plant parts. We aimed to examine the effects of sexual form, cladode, and flower age on growth rate, herbivore damage, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), chlorogenic acid, and quercetin (QUE) concentrations in Opuntia robusta plants in central Mexico. Our findings demonstrated that hermaphrodite flowers showed faster growth and lesser damage than female flowers. The effect of cladode sexual forms on 4-HBA and QUE occurrence was consistent with the predictions of the optimal defence hypothesis. However, chlorogenic acid occurrences were not significantly affected by sexual forms. Old cladodes exhibited higher QUE and 4-HBA occurrences than young cladodes, and hermaphrodites exhibited higher 4-HBA concentrations than females. Resource allocation for reproduction and secondary metabolite production, and growth was higher and lower, respectively, in females, compared to hermaphrodites, indicating a trade-off between investment in reproduction, growth, and secondary metabolite production. Secondary metabolite concentrations in O. robusta plants were not negatively correlated with herbivore damage, and the two traits were not accurate predictors of plant reproductive output.

The Effect of NPK-Zeo Fertilizer on Growth and Production of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Iwoimopuro Village, Kolaka District

The Effect of NPK-Zeo Fertilizer on Growth and Production of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Iwoimopuro Village, Kolaka District. This research aimed to determine the effect of liquid fertilizer NPK-ZEO growth and result of cucumbers. This research has taken place in the village Iwoimopuro, District Wolo, Kolaka District. This research is compiled using a Randomized Block Design (RBD). Obser rations were made on plant height, leaf number, age of the plant begins to flower, age of the plant begins to bear fruit, fruit number and fruit weight. The data were processed using the Finger Print Car List (Anova) followed by Least Significant Difference Test (LSD). The results showed that administration of NPK-ZEO significant effect on plant height, leaf number, age of the plant begins to flower, age of the plant begins to bear fruit, fruit number and fruit weight

Environmental and physiological effects on cross-ability and seed production of greenhouse cucumber

Seed production depends on many factors. In this study, two independent experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of pollination time, crossed node spacing, male flower age, number of crossings on each plant and deletion/non-deletion of other fruits in the crossed nodes on the cross-ability and seed production in greenhouse cucumber. In every experiment, three mentioned factors were assayed based on factorial experiment as a randomized complete block design. Crosses were done on 10 plants in every replication of treatments. The results showed that pollination at 8:00‒9:45 AM, led to higher amount of full seed weight in contrast to other times of pollination. Increasing crossed node spacing from 2‒3 to 4‒5 nodes led to an increase in the number of empty seeds, which was ascribed to the reduced seed production. The highest amount of number of seeds per fruit, seed weigh and number of full seeds were obtained when young male flowers were used. Moreover, higher seed production was obtained from five, instead three crossings on each plant, and the non-deletion of fruits on the crossed nodes. Overall, higher percentage of seed production per fruit was obtained when crossing was done with young male flower in early morning and high number of crossing in every plant.

Rasio N-NO3-:P dan Pengaturan Kepekatan Larutan Nutrisi Untuk Pembungaan Waluh Berbasis Hidroponik Substrat

<p>Pumpkin is a promising commodity to be developed as food substitute for flour-based flour. Pumpkin cultivation is currently cultivated by farmers on dry land as secondary crop. Pumpkin cultivation constraints as requires a large area and long time. Pumpkin commodities development can be done by hydroponic substrates cultivation that have advantages to accelerate the plant growth, can be cultivated on limited area, and increase the quality of plant yields. The hydroponic substrate cultivation depends on the quality of nutrients as well as the availability of the nutrients. The aim of this research is to study the response of plant flowering to the composition of nutrients (modification of the balance of Nitrogen and Phosphor) and concentration of hydroponic substrate nutrition solution and interaction between treatments. This research used Completely Randomized Design which consists of 2 factors, nutritional composition and concentration of solution with 3 replications and each treatment consist of 6 plants. Observation variables included flower age, flower position, and number of flowers. The results showed that there were interactions between the treatment of nutrient composition and adjustment concentration on the observing variables flower age appear, and flower position. Nutritional composition with the balance of elements of Phosphorus and Nitrogen shows the higher balance of Phosphorus elements followed by lower Nitrogen elements tend to give a lower response to flowering pumpkin on hydroponic substrate. Adjustment lower concentration of application solutions (20 ml concentrated in 1 L solution) or equivalent to EC 3.8-4.0 mS/cm gives a better response to flowering pumpkin on hydroponic substrate.</p>

PEMBERIAN EKSTRAK REBUNG DAN PUPUK HORMON TANAMAN UNGGUL TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN PRODUKSI KACANG HIJAU (Vigna radiata L)

The objective of this research was to know the effect of giving bamboo shot extract and superior plant hormone fertilizer on growth and yield of mung bean. The research was conducted at the experimental farm Faculty of Agriculture Riau Islamic University Pekanbaru. The research was arranged using a completely randomized design with two factorials. The first factor used bamboo shoot dosage (R) with four level treatment: without extract (R0), 1,5 ml/l water (R1), 3,5 ml/l water (R2), and 4,5 ml/l water (R3), and the second factor used superior plant hormone plant doses (H) with four level treatment: without hormone (H0), 2 cc/l water (H1), 4 cc/l water (H2), and 6 cc/l water (H3). The parameter observed consisted of pant height, flower age, harvest age, pod number per plot, pod weight per plot, and weight of 100 seeds. Data analyzed by using statistic and BNJ test at the 5% significance level. Interactionally, the application of bamboo shot extract and superior plant hormone fertilizer showed a significant effect on shoot height and number of pod per plant with the best treatment 4.5 ml/l water of shoot extract and 6 cc/l water of pant hormone. Individually, the application of bamboo shot extract affected significantly on height plant, harvest age, and weight of 100 seeds with the best dosage of 4.5 ml/l water and the application of superior plant hormone fertilizer influenced significantly on pant height, flower age, and pod weight per plant with the best dosage of 6 cc/l water.

Buzzing Wild Bee Visits Enhance Seed Set in Eggplant, Solanum melongena

Sixty percent of the angiosperms with poricidal anthers are buzz-pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apiformes). Plant taxa with Solanum-type flowers have larger anthers and shorter filaments. Solanum melongena (Solanaceae) is more commonly and efficiently pollinated by buzz pollinators. The present study documented bees and their diurnal pattern of visitation to flowers, relationship between their handling time and flower age, and the effect of bee visits on fruit and seed set in S. melongena in two sites in Kandy District. Efficiency of buzz pollination over pollination in the absence of bees was determined using open buds and buds covered with pollinator exclusion bags. On average, 150 days were taken to complete the life cycle of Solanum melongena. Three buzzing bees and two nonbuzzing bees in site I and five buzzing bees and two nonbuzzing bees in site II were recorded. Handling time of Pachynomia sp. and Hoplonomia westwoodi indicates that bees spend more time at new flowers than at old flowers. Handling time is higher in the smaller bee, Pachynomia sp., than in the larger bee, H. westwoodi. Statistical data on pollinator exclusion experiment revealed that the fruit set and seed set of S. melongena are enhanced by buzz-pollinating bees.