M. Tech. Agriculture / Leafy vegetables, Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and mustard spinach (Brassica juncea), are widely grown in South Africa. These leafy vegetables are popular owing to their availability and nutritional properties. Optimisation of crop nutrition is essential to maximize yield and quality of vegetables. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of nitrogen application on growth and quality parameters of leafy vegetables when grown in a non-circulating hydroponic system. The objective of this study is two-fold: primarily, to determine the influence of nitrogen on growth, yield and overall quality of Swiss chard, lettuce and mustard spinach grown in a non-circulating hydroponic system, and secondly, to determine the effect of nitrogen applications on bioactive compounds and antioxidants, such as antioxidant scavenging activities, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and flavonoids.

This study was undertaken in order to determine whether the extracts of common garden vegetables could be incorporated into simple, economical culture media which might be used for the growth and cultivation of at least some of the more commonly used microorganisms.

Previous work has shown that despite the lack of oxygen limitation, transformed roots of Artemisia annua had lower biomass productivity in a nutrient mist bioreactor than in a liquid-phase bubble column reactor where the roots demonstrated metabolic signs of oxygen stress. Mathematical modeling suggested that the roots were too sparsely packed to capture mist particles efficiently and to achieve high growth rates. In this study, higher packing fractions were tested, and the growth rate increased significantly. Similarly, higher sucrose concentrations increased the growth rate. Growth kinetics for 2, 4, and 6 days showed an unexpected decrease or stationary growth rate after only 4 days for both 3% and 5% sucrose feeds. Residual media analyses indicated that carbon was not exhausted, nor were other major nutrients including phosphate. Increasing the misting frequency such that the total amount of carbon delivered from a 3% sucrose feed was equivalent to that delivered in a 5% sucrose feed showed that growth was affected by the modified cycle. These studies showed that both the concentration of carbon source and alteration of misting frequency can significantly increase growth rates of hairy roots in mist reactors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: page 256-281.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Toledo, 2009. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Master of Science Degree in Biology (Ecology-track)." "A thesis entitled"--at head of title. Bibliography: leaves 44-55.

Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], v, 38 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-38).

Thesis (MscAgric (Horticulture))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Protea, Leucadendron and Leucospermum belong to the Proteaceae family. These three genera form an important part of the floriculture industry in South Africa and are commonly used as fresh cut flowers or dried flowers for both the local and international market. The distribution of macro and micro - nutrients was investigated in Protea ‘Cardinal’ using rooted cuttings grown from October 2001 to March 2002. The plants were divided into 1st flush leaf and stem, 2nd flush leaf and stem, basal leaf and basal stem, roots and the flower bud. These tissues were analysed to determine N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, S, Na, B and Mn concentration. Results indicated that N decreased over time in all tissues and accumulated more in leaves than in stems. P in leaves and stems increased with time, while K increased in leaf tissues and remained stable in stem tissue. Ca did not change in young leaves but was high in old leaves. Mg in leaves increased but in basal stem, 1st flush stem and roots Mg decreased over time. Fe in leaves and roots increased with time and not a less significant change occurred in stems. In most tissues, B and Na decreased with time. S increased in leaves and decreased in stems with time. Mn was relatively stable in most tissues except in basal leaves where it increased. Nutrient concentration in tissues, especially in leaves, showed no distinct pattern in the distribution of nutrients. Eleven cultivars from the three genera, namely Protea, Leucadendron and Leucospermum, were used to develop deficiency symptoms of macro - nutrients by using different nutrient compositions. The plants were grown in 20cm pots from December 2002 to September 2003. The eleven cultivars were chosen because of their high market value. Visual symptoms were recorded in two stages with a five - month interval for each stage. The first stage was recorded from December 2002 to April 2003 and the second stage was recorded from May 2003 to September 2003. Observed symptoms indicated significant differences between the control and treatments in which specific nutrients were withheld. Some cultivars exhibited some symptoms that are commonly noticed under field conditions, e.g. in the N deficiency treatment the upper leaves of Protea ‘Sylvia’ were reddish and the lower leaves were chlorotic especially at the later stage. Protea ‘Red Rex’ in the P deficiency treatment had random red tints around the leaf including the petiole, these symptoms are also commonly noticed in Protea ‘Red ‘Rex’ in field conditions. Leucadendron ‘Rosette’ also showed some uncommon symptoms of accumulating “sugar” on leaf tips in Ca deficiency treatment that was not observed in any other cultivar. In some cultivars the symptoms were systematic e.g. Leucadendron ‘Chameleon’ while in other cultivars the deficiency affected a certain leaf age e.g. Leucospermum ‘High Gold’ in the Ca deficiency treatment. The buds in 'High Gold' died prematurely in the Ca deficiency treatment. Protea ‘Cardinal’ was used to determine the optimal N and P source and concentrations for optimal growth. Protea ‘Cardinal’ was grown in a temperaturecontrolled glasshouse for seven months using silica sand as growth medium. Different levels and sources of N and P were applied. The N was applied in a complete nutrient solution as NH4 +, NO3 -, NH4 +: NO3 - (1: 1, 1: 4 and 4: 1 ratios) and Urea, at different concentration levels: 5 mM, 1 mM and 0.1 mM. P was applied at 1 mM, 0.1 mM and 0.01 mM. The plants were fertigated manually with 1L nutrient solution on every second day of the week. P at 0.01 mM and 0.1 mM resulted in optimal plant growth. The 1 mM P resulted in marginal leaf scorching or dryness. When N was applied at 5 mM plant growth was more optimal than when N was applied at 1 mM and 0.1 mM. More dry weight was accumulated at 5 mM than at 1 mM or 0.1 mM N. The dry weight of leaves, stem and roots tissues at 5 mM were higher in the NO3 - treatment.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-02-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:58:18Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 merlino_lcs_me_jabo.pdf: 954027 bytes, checksum: 7cffcf8160e7b786bb37f3d11262e76b (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Rico em matéria orgânica e nutrientes, o lodo de esgoto tem despertado interesse na utilização agrícola com o intuito de substituir total ou parcialmente o uso de adubos minerais. Embora a utilização agrícola seja uma alternativa para sua disposição final, o lodo de esgoto pode conter elevadas concentrações de metais pesados, que são elementos potencialmente tóxicos às plantas, aos animais e aos homens, exigindo assim, uma avaliação cuidadosa da sua aplicação continuada ao solo. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar os efeitos da aplicação do lodo de esgoto complementado com K por onze anos consecutivos em Latossolo Vermelho distrófico na produtividade do milho, no fornecimento de nutrientes à cultura, na concentração de Ba, Cd, Cr e Pb na folha para diagnose foliar, planta inteira (parte aérea + raiz) e nos grãos de milho, na distribuição de Ba, Cd, Cr e Pb no perfil do solo e na distribuição dos mesmos metais nas frações do solo (solúvel+trocável, adsorvida à superfície, matéria orgânica, óxidos de manganês, óxidos de ferro amorfo, óxidos de ferro cristalino e residual). O experimento foi desenvolvido em condições de campo, utilizando-se o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com 4 tratamentos e 5 repetições. Os tratamentos foram: T1= testemunha (sem lodo de esgoto e com fertilização mineral), T2= 5, T3= 10 e T4= 20 t ha-1 de lodo de esgoto, base seca, complementado com K. As amostras de folha para fins de diagnose foliar, solo, planta inteira e grãos foram obtidas, respectivamente, aos 60, 68, 80 e 123 dias após a emergência das plantas. A utilização do lodo de esgoto complementado com K, por onze anos consecutivos, em Latossolo Vermelho distrófico como fertilizante para a cultura do milho proporcionou produtividade superior a obtida com a fertilização mineral e também, ótima condição nutricional para as... / Rich in organic matter and nutrients, sewage sludge has attracted attention for agricultural use in order to fully or partially replace the use of mineral fertilizers. Although agricultural use is an alternative to its final disposal, sewage sludge may contain high concentrations of heavy metals that are potentially toxic to plants, animals and men, and thus requiring a careful assessment for continuous application to the soil. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of eleven annual applications of sewage sludge supplemented with K to a Typic Hapludox to maize productivity, nutrient supply to the plants, Ba, Cd , Cr and Pb concentration in maize diagnosis leaf, plant (aerial part + root) and grains, Ba, Cd, Cr and Pb distribution in the soil profile and the metals distribution in the soil fractions (soluble+exchangeable, surface adsorbed, organic matter, manganese oxides, amorphous iron oxides, crystalline iron oxides and residual fraction). The experiment was developed under field conditions, using a randomized block design with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments want: T1= control (no sewage sludge and with mineral fertilization), T2= 5, T3= 10 and T4= 20 t ha-1 sewage sludge, dried basis, complemented with K. The samples of diagnosis leaf, soil, plants and grains were obtained at 60, 68, 80 and 123 days after seedling emergence, respectively. The sewage sludge supplemented with K utilization for eleven consecutive years to a Typic Hapludox provided maize productivity similar to that achieved with mineral fertilizers and also promoted optimal nutritional condition for the plants, confirming its potential as a source of agricultural nutrients. The rates of 10 and 20 t ha-1 sewage sludge supplemented with K increased soil Ba, Cr and Pb concentration in the topsoil (0-0.10 m), but did not affect Cd. The tested sewage sludge rates did not increase Cd, Cr and ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)