MINERAL CONTENT OF MELON FRUIT (CUCUMIS MELO L.)
Melons are highly demanding, thermophilous plants, which is why they are unpopular among fruit growers. Melon cultivation requires special treatment methods for the improvement of microclimatic conditions. Seven Polish melon cultivars are presently grown on the domestic market. They are well adapted to the local climate. The growth rate, vigor, fruit shape, fruit size, rind color and flesh thickness of those cultivars vary. The objective of this study was to determine the mineral content of edible parts of four field-grown melon cultivars in the Warmia region (NE Poland). This study discusses the mineral content of melon fruit subject to the investigated cultivar and cultivation method. In Poland, melon production is difficult and unreliable. The main problem is the selection of an appropriate cultivar and cultivation method. The analyzed material consisted of four Polish melon cultivars: Malaga F1, Melba, Oliwin, Seledyn F1, grown in a field experiment without protective cover, under polyethylene (PE) sheet cover, under non-woven polypropylene (PP) cover, with soil mulching, as well as with soil mulching under PE sheet cover or nonwoven PP cover. The highest concentrations of total N, K, Ca and Cu were determined in melon fruit of cv. Oliwin. Significant variations in total nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the edible parts of melon plants were noted subject to the applied cultivation method. Cucumis melo L. grown in the control treatment without protective cover was marked by significantly higher levels of total nitrogen and phosphorus in the fruit, compared with fruit grown with the use of other cultivation methods. The results of this study indicate that the fruit of melon plants cv. Seledyn grown in mulched soil under non-woven PP cover was characterized by the most favorable Ca:Mg and Ca:P ratios in comparison with fruit from the remaining treatments.
EFFECT OF FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH TYTANIT ON THE CONTENT OF SELECTED MACROELEMENTS AND SODIUM IN CELERY
AbstractFoliar application of growth regulators or fertilizers containing biostimulators can influen-ce the uptake and accumulation of mineral elements by plants. A pot experiment carried out in two annual series (year of experiment I and II) examined the effect of various concentrations of Tytanit applied once or twice against mineral fertilization (NPK), in comparison with the control object (without fertilization) and the object with mineral fertilization (NPK), on the total content of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium in petioles and leaf blades of celery. The experi-ment involved the application of various concentrations of Tytanit, ranging from 0.001% to 3.6%. The content of selected elements in the plant material was determined after dry mineralization, using the ICP – AES method. The total content of potassium in petioles of celery fertilized with NPK + 3.6% was higher or the same as in the control and in plants fertilized with NPK (I and II series). The results were similar in the case of leaf blades (except for series I). The highest concentration of Tytanit (3.6%) resulted in a reduction of the total calcium content in both of the tested parts of celery and magnesium in petioles, compared with the control. On the other hand, the total content of sodium increased along with the growth of the fertilizer concentration. The highest bioaccumulation of calcium was observed in celery cultivated in the object without ferti-lization (control). A significantly higher potassium content (mean from both series of research) and over two-fold higher content of calcium were found in celery leaf blades than in petioles, while a higher content of magnesium and sodium appeared in petioles than in leaf blades. The values of (K+Na) : (Ca+Mg) ratios in leaf blades were found to be over two-fold higher than in petioles of celery fertilized with Tytanit.Key words: petioles and leaf blades of celery, Tytanit concentration, potassium, calcium, mag-nesium, sodium.prof. dr hab. Stanislaw Kalembasa, Chair of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, B. Prusa 14 Street, 08-114 Siedlce, Poland; e-mail: kalembasa@uph.edu.pl
Assessment of some agro-technological parameters of cactus pear fruit ( Opuntia ficus-indica Mill . ) in Morocco cultivars
Cactaceae had always attracted attention by their strange shapes and important adaptability supporting extreme conditions. For this reasons, Fruit traits were measured on 13 cultivars growing in different locations in Morocco. Results show significant differences between the cultivars. The source of this variation was probably genetic without excluding the geographic effects. The Tamri, Berkan, Ait Baha cultivars showed small fruit dimensions and weight. In contrast, Sidi-Ifni M, Nador, Mohammedia and Ben Guerir were greater than 100 g by fruit. Sidi-Ifni M, Hoceima, Mohammedia and Nador, although larger, contained few seeds, about 200 seeds per fruit; while Tamri, Ait Baha, Safi, Meknes and Tafraout contained over than 230 seeds per fruit. High levels of juice about 62 ml/100 g pulp were obtained with Sidi-Ifni M, Nador, Mohammedia and Ben Guerir cultivars. Total sugars of the 13 cultivars were quite similar and pH was low in Tamri and close to neutrality in the rest of cultivars. Therefore, oil extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica seeds constituted 13.6% of the whole seed. Thin-layer chromatography in conjunction with gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed a relatively high degree of unsaturation, 83.32% and 16% for saturated fatty acid, with a linoleic acid content of 63.66% followed by oleic 18.34%, palmitic 12.84% and stearic acid 2.81%. Based on these results, O. ficus-indica seed oil appears to be a good potential source of edible oil for human and (or) animal consumption. Our investigation describes that Tamri and Tafraout cultivars are not really a commercial viable fruit due to low total soluble solids value and highest seeds number per fruit. Against Mohammedia, Sidi Ifni M and Nador cultivars proved to have the highest fruit weight, very good total soluble solids value and low number of seeds, these cultivars can therefore be planted for both fruit production and for harvesting of cladodes for animal feed.