The heterogeneity of horticultural substrates makes basic physical characteristics, such as total porosity and particle density, difficult to estimate. Due the material source, inclusion occluded pores, hydrophobicity, density values reported from using liquid pyknometry, vary widely. Gas pycnometry was used determine coir, peat, perlite, pine bark, wood substrates. Further precision examined b...

The Asian cycads are mostly allopatric, distributed in small population sizes. Hybridization between allopatric species provides clues in determining the mechanism of species divergence. Horticultural introduction provides the chance of interspecific gene flow between allopatric species. Two allopatrically eastern Asian Cycas sect. Asiorientales species, C. revoluta and C. taitungensis, which a...

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck) and caulifl ower (B. oleracea var. botrytis DC) are closely related botanical varieties. The underlying genetic bases of their phenotypic differences from each other are not well understood. A molecular genetic marker enabling B. oleracea germplasm curators and breeders to predict phenotype from seeds or seedlings would be a valuable tool. Mut...

Synthetic chemicals have been successfully used to control economic postharvest pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus etc., thus reducing losses. However, their active ingredient and co-formulants resulted in use being restricted internationally due health concerns consumers’ requests for safe natural alternatives. As an alternative chemicals, green synthesized nanomate...

Polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels are commonly employed to ensure soil hydration in horticulture, but studies have shown that they have a minimal effect on crop life and quality. The reasons for this poor performance are not understood since the commercial hydrogels have not been adequately characterized. PAAm hydrogels were synthesized and their properties were measured along with those of comme...

The relations between salinity and mineral nutrition of horticultural crops are extremely complex and a complete understanding of the intricate interactions involved would require the input from a multidisciplinary team of scientists. This review addresses the nutrient elements individually and we emphasise research directed towards the organ, whole-plant and field level. We have attempted to s...

This paper is adapted from the text of a seminar of the same title presented as part of the Workshop on Sustainability of Vegetable Breeders’ Genetic Resources, 26 July 1993, at the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science. It represents the distillation of a more extensive treatment of genetic markers and germplasm management (Bretting and Widrlechner, 1995). Disci...