Seed deterioration is loss of seed quality, viability and vigor due to effect of adverse environmental factors. Many of our crops are reproduced through seeds, and throughout the world large quantities are produced, stored and transported. Seed ageing during storage may cause retardation of field establishment, and may eventually result in seedling abnormalities or even failure of emergence. Du...

abstract iran is among the country that despite the possession of valuable natural resources does not placed in developed countries. expansion of agricultural exports through the development of rural areas, reducing poverty and exclusion zones, in the process of economic development plays a key role. the export of horticultural products can have a positive impact on agricultural development. in...

During the last three decades, the use of modern organic synthetic pesticides has increased about 40-fold. Total U.S. production, for domestic and expert use, in 1976 was about 1.4 million pounds. Crops receiving the most intensive application of various pesticides were cotton for insecticides, corn for herbicides, and fruits and vegetables for fungicides. Examination of use trends of pesticide...

The ability of some crops to accumulate selenium (Se) is crucial for human nutrition and health. Selenium has been identified as a cofactor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which is a catalyzer in the reduction of peroxides that can damage cells and tissues, and can act as an antioxidant. Plants are the first link in the food chain, which ends with humans. Increasing the Se quantity in pla...

Enzymatic browning is a colour reaction occurring in plants, including cereals, fruit and horticultural crops, due to oxidation during postharvest processing and storage. This has a negative impact on the colour, flavour, nutritional properties and shelf life of food products. Browning is usually caused by polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), following cell damage caused by senescence, wounding and the ...

International trade of horticultural commodities is increasingly important in many regions of the world, yet import patterns of key horticultural crops are understudied in the agricultural economics literature. Using data between 1991 and 2005, we estimate the drivers of per capita import demand for six of the most highly traded horticultural commodities. The own price elasticity estimates were...