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Powdery mildew (PM) of chilli is one of the major diseases affecting the yield and quality of chilli. Pathogen perpetuates in the infected crop debris and produce airborne conidia for rapid secondary spread. Prophylactic application of fungicides is admissible to keep the disease under threshold. Therefore, an experiment was designed to determine bio-efficacy and phytotoxicity of different doses of a new molecule combination (i.e KK-21: Sulphur 84% + Azoxystrobin 6% SC) along with optimization of its number of sprayings. This molecule was also compared with the most popularly used fungicides against PM of chilli. Additionally, influence of weather variables on the initiation and progression of the disease were also studied and prediction model developed by stepwise regression equation for timely forecasting and managing the disease. Study revealed, depending upon the prevailing weather the disease first appears between 44 to 64 days after transplanting then progress gradually at a rate varied from 0.0012 to 0.0139. Among the fungicides applied, three spraying of KK-21 @ 2500 ml/ha at 15 DI just after initiation of the disease was most effective with lowest disease severity index (5.00) and highest yield 150.24 q ha^-1 and no phytotoxic effect was recorded even at higher dose. Result also showed, maximum temperature and relative humidity had significantly positive and negative correlation with the disease severity and the prediction equation demonstrated that these two factors could explain 78.2 - 87.6% of the variation in disease severity.

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Some safer strategies were designed and evaluated for management of apical leaf curling (ChiLCV) in chilli Capsicum annum L. and its vectors. The strategies were designed emphasizing on the repellent crop theory and the components like physical barrier, adult-trapping, plant sanitation, foliar application of phytochemicals and minimal application of synthetic organic pesticide. The crop was infested by some sucking pests namely, Chilli thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, yellow mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) and whitefly Bemsia tabaci (Gennadius). However, the populations of aphid and whiteflies were low and leaf curl virus which is vectored by any of the above creatures, did not appear in the present studies. Some management strategies were devised to suppress the pest populations as well as their damage and obtain good yields. However, strategies with phytochemical-based treatments which utilized neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) and rose apple Syzygium Jambos leaf extract (rose apple LE), could not offer satisfactory protection and yield was also quite low. But when these treatments had the support of a limited quantity of synthetic/semi-synthetic pesticides like emamectin benzoate (one application) and chlorfenapyr (one application) along with the plant fractions, showed much better suppression of pest populations like thrips and yellow mite as well as apical leaf curling intensity (0.94–1.12%). In all the treatments except chemical check and untreated check, some components were utilized as common part and these were: yellow sticky trap, repellent cropping with coriander and holy basil and plant sanitation. The strategies effectively suppressed the landing response and development of the pest populations which resulted in lower crop damages and sponsored good yields. These were safer to non-target beneficial creatures, cost-effective and comparable to chemical method.

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Many plants of tropical and subtropical areas are severely damaged when exposed to chilling temperatures between 2 and 15°C. Arabidopsis thaliana is chilling tolerant and, therefore provides an alternative model plant system for the identification of chilling tolerance traits. To determine whether the expression of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase 2 (CSD2) would increase superoxide-scavenging capacity and thereby improve the survival rate of chilling sensitive (chs) mutants of Arabidopsis, four chs mutant (chs1-1, chs1-2, chs2-1 and chs2-2) and wild-type plants were grown under low (chilling at 13 °C and 4 °C) and normal growth (23 °C) temperatures. The expression of CSD2 was not detected during cold stress treatments, while the wild plants showed the expression of CSD2 under cold stress. The increase of antioxidant enzymes activities (POX and SOD) showed the role of these enzymes in the protection of the chs mutants under chilling treatment, also the increase in polyphenol oxidase activity shows the role of that in the emergence of chlorosis phenotype. The lack of expression of CSD2 gene in chs mutants grown at chilling temperature would support the hypothesis that the expression of these genes was affected due to mutation in CHS genes, when they are chilled.

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In recent years, the use of natural and healthy compounds has been considered as a new method to control chilling and maintain postharvest quality of horticultural products. In this study, for the first time, pomegranate fruits were immersed in L-arginine solution at concentrations of 0, 1 and 2 mM and Its effects on the quality of pomegranate fruits ‘Malas-e-Saveh’ grown in Sari region was evaluated during 120 days in cold storage. Based on the obtained results, the treatment significantly increased the total phenol and antioxidant properties of the fruit compared to the control. Fruits treated with 1 mM L-arginine showed more antioxidant activity compared to the control. Moreover, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, APX) as well as PAL enzyme increased accordingly. Whereas, H₂O₂ accumulation and PPO enzyme activity in fruits treated with 1 mM L-arginine were significantly reduced. Based on our results, L-arginine treatment can be used as a useful and practical method to maintain nutritional quality and increase the pomegranate storability due to its safety and effectiveness.

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The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg L^-1) of postharvest AminoethoxyVinylGlycine (AVG) on fruit quality, chilling injury, and bioactive compounds in cold-stored plum fruit (Prunus salicina L. cv Friar). Fruit were stored at 0-1°C with 90±5% Relative Humidity (RH) for 60 days. Weight loss, flesh firmness, Soluble Solids Content (SSC), titratable acidity, total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, respiration rate, and chilling injury were determined at the harvest and during the storage period at 15-day intervals. As compared to the control, AVG treatment delayed ripening and prolonged storage life, as indicated by prevented fruit softening, and retarded the increase in SSC. The 200 and 300 mg L^-1 AVG treatments considerably reduced respiration rate and maintained higher bioactive compounds contents than other treatments. The severity of the chilling injury was reduced by AVG treatments compared to the control during storage. The results indicated that postharvest 200 and 300 mg L^-1 AVG treatments could be an effective tool for prolonging storage of 'Friar' plums.
 

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This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dipping solutions [Moringa Leaf Extract 5% (MLE), Olive Leaf Extract 5% (OLE) and Calcium Chloride 5% (CaCl₂)] on fruit quality of two peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) cultivars (Blanvio 10 and Plagold 15). The treatments consisted of dipping fruits for 5 min in the corresponding solution followed by 30 minutes drying at room temperature. Then, fruits were stored at 5°C and 95% relative humidity for 2 and 4 weeks of cold storage followed by 2 days at room temperature. Physicochemical traits, antioxidant compounds, sugar content and chilling injury symptoms were analyzed. There were significant improvements in fruits storability resulting from the CaCl₂, MLE (5%) and OLE (5%) dipping solutions. These treatments improved firmness, maintained the Soluble Solids Content, and increased the ripening index (SSC/TA). The lowest fruit weight loss was observed in the OLE treatment, whereas the untreated fruits showed the highest loss. The flavonoids, total phenolics, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity showed a gradual decrease during the storage periods. Mealiness and internal browning were the major chilling injury symptoms observed in the two peach cultivars after 4 weeks of cold storage. The applied treatments were efficient and delayed the presence of chilling injury symptoms and fruit decay during the two cold storage periods.

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The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of two concentrations of Aloe vera gel (7.5 and 15%) on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of lime during storage time (20, 40, and 60 days). The study was performed as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with four replications. After dipping (5 minutes) and drying, the fruits were packaged in low-density polyethylene containers and transferred to cold storage at 4±1°C and 85±2% relative humidity. The results showed a decrease in fruit sourness and aroma and an increase in fruit bitterness during storage. The highest rate of chilling injury and decay belonged to the control. Aloe vera gel 15% had the lowest fruit bitterness (30%), decay, and malondialdehyde compared to the control on day 60 of storage. The Aloe vera gel enhanced peroxidase activity as an antioxidant enzyme and decreased defense-related enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. The maximum vitamin C was related to Aloe vera gel 15%. According to the results, Aloe vera gel, could not effectively control weight loss and firmness. During 60 days of storage, compared to the control, Aloe vera gel 15% increased Chroma index (2.07%) and vitamin C (26.37%), and prevented decay (100%), chilling injury (25.75%), bitterness (42.85%), and malondialdehyde (35.80%) of lime fruit.