Comparison of physico-chemical characteristics of myrtle at different ripening stages

The fruits of myrtle at different stages of development, namely green (G), colour break (C) and mature (M), were used to investigate the changes of fruit quality and anthocyanin composition during its development. Five anthocyanin components, such as delphinidin (Dp), cyanidin (Cy), pelargonidin (Pg), peonidin (Pn) and malvidin (Mv), were detected. Among them, the content of Dp glucoside was the highest (2.12 μg · g−1) and the content of Pn glucoside was the lowest (0.17 μg · g−1) at the green stage. The content of Cy glucoside was the highest (120.94 and 1,200.03 μg · g−1), and the content of Mv glucoside was the lowest (19.50 and 62.72 μg · g−1) at the colour break and mature stages. The single fruit weight, vertical diameter and transverse diameter at the mature stage were significantly higher than those at the colour break and the green stages by 0.87 g, 1.27 mm, 1.53 mm and 1.54 g, 3.4 mm, 3.55 mm, respectively. Fruit quality, the contents of soluble sugar and carotenoids, gradually increased with the development of fruit; and the contents were the highest at the mature stage (17.68% and 16.90 μg · L−1). The contents of titratable acidity, total phenol, flavonoids, chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll gradually decreased with the development of fruit, the content was the lowest at the mature stage (2.71 mmol · 100 g−1, 9.29 μg · g−1, 0.1%, 0.37 μg · L−1, 0.9 μg · L−1) and the content was the highest at the green stage (5.25 mmol · 100 g−1, 21.07 μg · g−1, 0.17%, 8.86 μg · L−1, 15.47 μg · L−1). The difference between the green period and the colour break period was significant.

Effect of duration of night interruption on growth and flowering of Chrysanthemum cv. Kikiobiory

The study was conducted to determine the effect of duration of night interruption using incandescent bulbs on sustained quality flower production of potted standard Chrysanthemum cv. Kikiobiory. The different night interruption (NI) treatments i.e. control, <5 sec. flash, 30-, 60-, 90- and 120- min. significantly (p<0.05) affected allthe vegetative and floral parameters. The plant height, number of leaves and root suckers per plant increased with the increase duration of NI treatments with maximum at 120- min. NI (90.42 cm, 34.75 and 12.10, respectively). The days taken to flower bud appearance, colour break stage and full bloom were delayed, whereas flower quality with respect to duration of flowering and flower diameter were deteriorated with increase in duration of NI treatments. The days taken to flower bud appearance, colour break stage and full bloom were highest at 120- min. NI (136.84, 183.22 and 202.25 days, respectively) which delayed the flowering by 63.94 days, where full bloom flower appeared in March. There was reduction in duration of flowering and flower diameter with increased NI duration with lowest at 120 min. NI (7.83 days and 15.69 cm). It was observed that increase (120 min.) in night interruption increased the vegetative growth and delayed the flowering; however, flower quality was deteriorated. Thus, it was concluded that 60 min. NI improved flower quality with sustained flower production in potted Chrysanthemum cv. Kikiobiory.

Characteristics of virus and virus-like rose degeneration and dieback diseases

Presented review of rose diseases, associated with the plant degeneration symptoms, includes rose streak, rose colour break, rose rosette or rose witches' broom, rose dieback, rose wilt, rose stunt, rose leaf curl, rose spring dwarf, rose little leaf, rose "frisure", rose bud proliferation and rose flower proliferation. Most of these disorders are characterized by stunting or dwarfing of plants accompanied by a partial wilt and dieback of shoots. Proliferation and epinasty often occurred. Apart from detected viruses (TSV. SLRSV) parts of degeneration syndrome have been transmitted by grafting other have failed to achieve any transmission of the causal agent. It seems likely that rose degeneration disorders in spite of symptom similarities are due to a complex of interacting factors including probably viruses.

A New HI Ring: LGG 138

A complete ring of neutral hydrogen gas (HI) in the LGG 138 group of galaxies has been found. The HI mass of the ring is greater than 109, and the gas appears to be rotating with a projected circular speed of ∼200 km s−1. Two bright galaxies are enclosed by the ring, both having radial velocities consistent with membership of the group. Faint stellar emission extends to the radial distance of the HI ring, where a small but distinct colour discontinuity of between 0·05 and 0·20 magnitudes is detected. Three simple models for the formation of the system are briefly described, the most likely appearing to be a past gas-sweeping collision between one of the two bright galaxies and an outside intruder, with the colour break being partly due to an expanding density wave that is triggering star formation, and partly to a different stellar population that has been collected from the outskirts of the intruder.