The decline in availability of fresh water in the region of Ierapetra, Crete, Greece has resulted in the increased use of saline water for irrigation of greenhouse crops. The aim of this work is to study the responses of four greenhouse pepper hybrids, that are widely used in this region ( Capsicum annuum L., Drago, Sammy, Kappy and Gracia ), to NaCl salinity during in hydroponic culture ( perlite ) and culture in soil of young plants and during in vitro germination and seedling growth. Salinity treatments were imposed by adding NaCl either to the irrigation solution, or the substrate of the in vitro culture, at concentrations of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 mM. High concentrations of NaCl affected the growth of the plants in hydroponic culture and in soil culture and the growth of seedlings in vitro in all four hybrids. Growth parameters such as height, number of leaves, fruits and flowers per plant and plant weight were significantly reduced in all hybrids. The percentage germination in the in vitro culture of the seeds was 100% for all hybrids on all NaCl concentrations. The photosynthetic rate (Po), the stomatal conductance, the intercellular CO2 concentration and the transpiration were significantly affected at high concentrations of NaCl in Drago and in Sammy. The Fv/Fm values of the leaves, which are related to the chlorophyll fluorescence, were significantly reduced at 100-200 mM NaCl, more in Kappy and Gracia and less in Drago and Kappy. The chlorophyll content in the leaves was negatively affected in all hybrids. NaCl caused a decrease in the soluble proteins in all hybrids. The decrease was significant in Drago, Kappy and Gracia in the greenhouse experiment while in vitro the protein content was less affected by the increasing concentrations of NaCl. Soil salinity positively affected the activity of GDH at 100 mM to 200 mM NaCl more in Kappy and Gracia and less in Sammy and Drago. In the vitro experiments there was a small increase in the higher concentrations of salt in all hybrids. The presence of NaCl affected the antioxidant enzyme GPX in Sammy Kappy and Gracia, SOD in Drago and POD in Kappy while APX was not affected. In general Sammy was the least affected by NaCl followed by Kappy , Drago, and Gracia.

The humidification-dehumidification (HD) greenhouse is a relatively new technology. In addition to the humidification process and cultivation normally present in greenhouses in arid countries, the HD greenhouse also integrates a dehumidification process. In these greenhouses, saline or brackish water is evaporated in the ordinary evaporative cooling pads (i.e. 1st humidifier) before passing through the main crop growing section. The air is further loaded with more moisture by passing it through a 2nd humidifier. This humidification process is then followed by a dehumidification process to condense as much water vapour as possible. The main purpose of the HD greenhouses is to find a cheap means of desalinating saline water for the sake of using the condensate for irrigation. Most of previous attempts to improve the performance of the HD greenhouses have used a trial-and-error approach. An alternative approach is to use simulation models. Due to the absence of such models, this research study aims at developing a simulation model capable of simulating the significant processes of the HD greenhouses. The developed model is an integration of three sub-models each of which simulates one element of the HD greenhouse. The simulated elements are humidifiers, cultivation area (i.e. microclimate) and dehumidifiers. The integrated model can be used for design and optimisation purposes. Because it was difficult to find an HD greenhouse where the accuracy of the integrated model can be tested, the three sub-models were tested separately. When the simulation results were confronted against the experimental results, a good accuracy was obtained for the three sub-models. It was found that the HD greenhouse model was able to predict the humidification rate with a good accuracy within the range of conditions used for calibration. The model was, then, used to simulate a hypothetical Quonset-type cucumber-cultivated greenhouse using weather data obtained from the site of the HD greenhouse in Oman. The simulation results were similar to the expected results.The applications and limitations of the HD greenhouse model are discussed in this study. Future investigations to further study and, if necessary, improve the accuracy of the HD greenhouse are highly recommended.

Prospects for the production of new and more tasteful strawberry and blackcurrant fruits may be achieved not only through genetic improvement and release of new varieties but also by adapting current cultivation systems and boosting the development of diagnostics tools for better quality control (QC) by growers and breeders. The balance between sugar and acid content (S/A ratio) and even the content of certain health-related compounds within the fruit, may act as important indices of consumer acceptability or overall berry quality. The S/A ratio, of fruits from 23 blackcurrant and 19 strawberry cultivars ranged from 1.84-4.39 and 3.9-9.6, respectively. S/A ratios generally increased during blackcurrant ripening (up to 1.3-fold higher for certain cultivars), declined slightly during postharvest storage at different temperatures or even changed when the same cultivar was grown at different locations (up to 30% of variation). Synthesis of health-related compounds (i.e. anthocyanins) occurred even after harvest and was strongly influenced by storage temperature and maturity at harvest. Deficit irrigation (DI) at different fruit developmental stages, was investigated as a potential strategy to improve strawberry fruit quality in a range of cultivars. The S/A ratio and the concentration of health-related compounds (viz. individual anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity) were much greater (i.e. 1.4-fold higher antioxidant capacity), for some cultivars, in fruits from DI-treated plants as compared with fully irrigated plants. The taste- and health-related composition of both blackcurrant and strawberries considerably changed from year-to-year demonstrating the influence of agroclimatic conditions on overall fruit quality. Cont/d.

No description available.

No description available.

The profound changes which led to the social, physical and economic separation of the classes and changed Manchester from a small market town to a sprawling metropolis with a deeply damaged environment caused the loss of the town garden, the rise of the suburban villa and the demand for agreeable leisure surroundings. This story of gardens is an element of Manchester’s history which has been neglected despite fundamentally reflecting the social and economic changes accompanying the industrial revolution. Manchester was once renowned for its horticulture and floriculture. At one time it was able to host as many as eight flower shows each year and it lay at the very centre of the gooseberry-growers’ world for more than a hundred years. Professional and amateur growers of plants were known – and their introductions disseminated – nationwide. Examining the various ways in which the love of plants and gardens were experienced reveals how, as in many other areas of life, class divisions grew and were aggravated. The middle classes attempted to impose their values upon the workers, whether through fear or altruism. Leisure was indivisible from gardens and the wider appreciation of nature, whether this was the private grounds of the wealthier, the public gardens with their range of activities, or places visited by the poor during Whit Week. Such activities also led to friction – theft of plants from private gardens; rowdy behaviour in public ones. Gardens exist within a social and economic framework and their story cannot be told without reference to this and how they and it altered over time. Personal and civic prosperity and poverty, social, legal and environmental changes and different philosophical ideas lie behind the story of Manchester’s horticultural heritage.

The purpose of this study was to determine which soil properties have the greatest effect on the production of horticultural, crops in the north of Scotland. The growth and management requirements of crops were found to vary so greatly that the effects of soil properties on crop production were considered on a crop-by-crop basis. Soil properties affecting nutrition, and temperature were found to have little effect on crop growth. The soil moisture deficit in the north of Scotland is relatively low and will not restrict crop growth as frequently or as severely as in major British horticultural districts. Organic matter content and rooting depth were found to have the greatest effect on available water content. Near Aberdeen a soil depth of 300 mm was found by experiment to be sufficient for the growth of lettuce, strawberries and carrots. Root growth in the north of Scotland is frequently restricted to this depth by the presence of pans or horizons of high bulk density. Freely-drained soils were found to be suitable for all crops, but imperfectly-drained soils can be used for crops such as calabrese, which have a short growing.season. Low soil temperatures and soil capping may affect the establishment of some crops. Machinery use in the north of Scotland is difficult because of stones and wet soil conditions, especially in autumn. Soil properties such as available water content and ease of cultivation cannot be considered in isolation; climatic and topographic factors must also be taken into account. A soil which is suitable for production of a crop in one district may not be suitable in a location with a different climate. The existing schemes of land and soil classification are of restricted value in selecting suitable soils for production of specific horticultural crops. A more satisfactory method is described, which is flexible enough to apply to any crop and allow for changes in methods of production.

No description available.

The major problem of salinity n regions of intensive cultivations such as Ierapetra, has started to affect the crop production. This project was designed to study the effects of salinity on several biochemical and physiological parameters in two hybrids of eggplant as grafted and non-grafted. The two hybrids were the Solanum melongena L hybrid Habana and Solanum melongena L hybrid Vernina. The concentrations that were chosen (12.5 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200mM) represent a scale of salt concentration and were cultivated as self rooted plants in soil, hydroponically and hydroponically as grafted. Grafting also seems to play an important role for salinity tolerance. To corroborate the different parameters were used as indicators of salinity affection and quantified. Plant height and number of leaves were affected in all three experiments and for all plant types whether grafted or not. Similar were the results for the dry and fresh weight of stem leaves and fruits. For the physiological function of the plants factors such as chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic rate were affected especially at higher concentrations of NaCL. The chlorophyll content in the leaves, which was also measured, was negatively affected in all hybrids. Biochemical measurements the K and Na concentrations in dry leaves and the enzyme activity of APX, GPX and SOD were also made. The K and Na ion concentrations were similar with other studies presenting a reduction of K and raise of Na as the concentration of salt was rising. Unfortunately the enzyme activity was not affected at the specific experiment so it was not able to find exactly how the salinity affects this factor. Overall the results of grafted plants were better than as self rooted and the Solano torvum plant used as rootstock is more tolerant than the Tomato Resistar also used as rootstock.

potatoes are one of the most important crops in the world. For the protection of environmental and human health (by reducing pesticide inputs), to avoid problems associated with pesticide-resistant crop-plant pathogens and to safeguard global food security, there is a pressing need to develop novel, eco-friendly, and cost-effective control methods for pathogens. The potato-pathogens Phytophthora infestans (late-blight which infects the plant above-soil) and Fusarium species (which typically cause dry-rot of stored tubers) can cause loses of 100 and 25% respectively. The current study was carried out to explore fundamental aspects of microbial ecology that can inform biological strategies for the control of potato-pathogenic microbes. The Introduction (Chapter 1) discusses what is currently known about microbial interactions and solute activities of biologically relevant substances, and outlines current control methods for potato pathogens and current biological controls. Chapter 2 explores the hypothesis that some microbial species can dominate specific habitats, characterizes and defines open habitats of microbes, and determines the traits that can enable some species to dominate open habitats. Chapter 3 reports the development and validation of a new, spectrophotometric method for the quantification of the macromolecule-destabilising (chaotropic) or stabilising (kosmotropic) activities of diverse substances; the method was tested via application to the characterisation of a newly discovered, deep-sea brine lake - Lake Kryos - which has high concentrations of the chaotropic salt, magnesium chloride. Chapter 4 determines the implications of chaotropicity in two types of biotechnological process: product toxicity in biofuel fermentations and mode-of-action of antifungal compounds. Chapter 5 reports a sampling campaign to obtain ecophysiologically diverse potato-associated microbes, and the development of a protocol to quantify their inhibitory potency against potato-pathogenic microbes. Chapter 6 determines (both qualitatively and quantitatively) the nature of interactions between P. infestans or Fusarium species against and the potential biocontrol agents in relation to inhibitory potency and whether the latter can also promote the multiplication of potato pathogens.