Morphological characteristics of chestnut Castanea sativa from the area of Una-Sana Canton
Una-Sana Canton (USC) has a large forest areas where chestnut Castanea sativa Mill. grows as a self-sprout tree. The aim of this paper was to determine the morphological characteristics of chestnut fruits from four self-sprout locations (Bužim, Bosanska Krupa, Cazin and Velika Kladusa), and plantation where the domestic tree is grafted with Italian Marroni. Number of fruits/kg, the useless fruit, the percentage of kernel, diameter, width, height and weight of fruits were determined. The number of fruit/kg ranged from 160-222.5, percentage of useless fruit varied between 0.88-6.7%. Percentage of kernel ranged from 78.5 to 87.3%. According to the diameter classification, width, height and weight of fruits, chestnuts fruit from USC enters the category of the smallest fruits of the Mediterranean area. Statistical significant differences (p≤0.01) in the number of fruits/kg and weight of fruits was found between locations, as well in the width of the fruit (p≤0.05), while there is no difference in the diameter and height of the fruit. For grafted chestnut, all the characteristics provided better quality.
Selection of Chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) Grown in Nazilli District, Turkey
The Nazilli region of Aydin province in Turkey leads in terms of number of chestnut trees and quantity of chestnuts produced. This research was conducted to determine chestnut genotypes having high yield and superior fruit quality in the Nazilli region. Overall fruit quality, fruit size, precocity, and suitability for paste processing of chestnut genotypes were investigated. The observed characteristics of genotypes were ranked using certain criteria. Number of fruit samples collected from 2001 to 2003 are 80 (2001), 46 (2002), and 38 (2003). The collected data were evaluated using the weighted-rankit method, with total points determined for 38 genotypes during the 3-year study. The results showed that genotype N-3-4 had the highest average points, i.e. 2857, followed by the genotypes N-20-2, N-23-1, N-19-2, and N-2-5 with 2743, 2738, 2735, and 2734 points, respectively. The performance of the selected genotypes that showed the highest performance in this study will be determined within similar growing conditions in subsequent trials.
Production of xylanase by Aspergillus awamori on complex medium in stirred tank and airlift tower loop reactors
Abstract Aspergillus awamori was cultivated on complex medium containing wheat bran as sole carbon source in the precultures as well as in the main cultures in stirred tank and airlift tower loop reactors. The decomposition of the wheat bran particles by α -amylase and xylanase produced by the fungus was investigated by monitoring the enzyme activities, the CO 2 production rate, the concentrations of reducing sugars, glucose, xylose, phosphate and ammonium as well as by applying transmission electron microscopy. By applying synthetic medium in the preculture, the time lag was longer, the growth faster, the xylanase activity higher in the main culture, than by using wheat bran in the preculture. With increasing the stirrer speed the intimate contact between the pellets and the wheat bran was reduced, which caused a decrease of the growth and the xylanase production. By applying ground wheat bran, filamentous mycelium was formed, the growth and the substrate uptake rates increased, but the xylanase production decreased due to the less intimate contact between the fungus and the wheat bran. In the airlift tower loop reactor filamentous mycelium was formed due to the low specific power input. In spite of the high medium viscosity, high xylanase productivity was obtained. With ground wheat bran the particles were completely covered by filamentous mycelium, medium viscosity strongly increased and as consequence the growth and xylanase production decreased.