Showing papers on "Potassium nitrate published in 2020"

Chitosan/Starch Matrices Prepared by Ionotropic Gelation: Rheological Characterization, Swelling Behavior and Potassium Nitrate Release Kinetics

Abstract: A controlled-release fertilizer made of biodegradable beads prepared with neat chitosan or chitosan/starch blends loaded with potassium nitrate was obtained using an ionic cross-linking process This study looks at the influence of chitosan/starch mass ratio on the dynamic rheological behavior of the polymeric material without cross-linking Every tested sample showed a viscoelastic behavior corresponding to entanglement networks of concentrated solutions except for the gelatinized starch that presented a gel behavior Two factors affecting the water absorption and the fertilizer release were investigated: the polymeric composition (chitosan/starch mass ratio) and the cross-linking time It was found that the equilibrium swelling degree decreased by increasing the beads’ starch content and/or the cross-linking time When loaded beads were immersed 16 days in water under static conditions, the fertilizer release ratio was greater than 70% of the total loading The hydrogel composition and the cross-linking time defined the mechanism governing the potassium nitrate release which was matrix relaxation controlled Experimental results indicated that it is possible to modify the release profile of the loaded fertilizer which it is a very promising characteristic for the development of a compelling controlled-release fertilizer

Effects of desensitizing products on the reduction of pain sensitivity caused by in-office tooth bleaching: a 24-week follow-up.

Abstract: Objective To clinically assess the effect of desensitizing gels and dentifrices on the reduction in pain sensitivity and color variation during tooth bleaching Methodology A total of 108 volunteers were randomly separated into the following groups of n=12: GT/S-glycerine and thickener/sucralose; NF/S-potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride/sucralose; NA/S-potassium nitrate and arginine/sucralose; GT/AC-glycerine and thickener/arginine and calcium carbonate; NF/AC-potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride/arginine and calcium carbonate; NA/AC-potassium nitrate and arginine/arginine and calcium carbonate; GT/PN-glycerine and thickener/potassium nitrate; NF/PN-potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride/potassium nitrate; and NA/PN-potassium nitrate and arginine/potassium nitrate Sensitivity was assessed with the numerical analogue scale, and color variation (ΔE) was measured with a spectrophotometer The sensitivity values obtained were subjected to a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and color variation values were subjected to a randomized analysis of variance (p<005) Results The NF/AC, NA/AC, NF/PN, and NA/PN groups presented lower sensitivity values and reduced sensitivity compared to those of the other groups throughout the clinical sessions None of the groups showed sensitivity at the 24-week assessment Statistically, no significant difference were observed in the color values among the groups four weeks after the beginning of bleaching (p=0074) Additionally, the color assessment of all groups was statistically similar four weeks (p=0084) and 24 weeks (p=0118) after the beginning Conclusion Our results indicate that adding NF/S, NA/S, NF/AC, and NA/AC desensitizers to tooth bleaching protocols reduces pain sensitivity without affecting its effectiveness

Separation of sodium and potassium using adsorption – elution/crystallization scheme from bittern

Abstract: A process scheme has been developed for the selective separation of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) from the bittern using a combination of adsorption – elution / evaporation / crystallization units. Adsorption – elution stages have been adopted for K enrichment from bittern using clinoptilolite as absorbent material and sodium nitrate as the subsequent eluent for the glass column. Then evaporation and cooling crystallization are appended to separate the sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate from the potassium-enriched solution. Afterwards, the mother liquor was completely recycled, and ten cycle experiments were carried out to determine that the purity of potassium nitrate, which exceeded 99%. Lastly, the endothermic process of preparing eluent and the exothermic process of potassium nitrate crystallization, can be capitalized by implementing a heat exchanger between the two processes and reduce the overall energy consumption. Thus, a heat flow simulation was carried out using Aspen plus software, and a temperature convergence was computed.

Phase Diagram Predictive Model for a Ternary Mixture of Calcium, Sodium, and Potassium Nitrate

Abstract: The development of heat transfer fluids (HTF) and heat storage materials (HSM) is crucial to design concentrating solar plant (CSP). Binary alkaline nitrate mixtures are currently used as sensible thermal energy storage materials. However, multi-component nitrate/nitrite systems were proposed as possible better candidates. In particular, ternaries mixtures containing sodium, potassium, and calcium are extremely promising as thermal fluids, given their reduced toxicity and greater cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, very few data are present in the scientific literature regarding the correspondent phase diagram, and only the properties of specific compositions are reported. For this reason, a regular solution model was developed and employed in this work, and validated by comparing the simulation results with experimentally obtained phase change values. In particular, given that the common calorimetric techniques are impracticable for detecting the transition temperatures of calcium containing nitrate mixtur...

Effect of potassium nitrate and adenosine triphosphate on pre- and post-harvest gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii L.) plants.

Abstract: The pot experiment was conducted during the two consecutive seasons of 2016 and 2017 in plastic house at Horticulture Research Station, Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt as pre-harvest treatments. The main objective of the first experiment was to study the effect of two rates of adenosine triphosphate(0.0 and 7.0 g/l) alone or combined with potassium nitrate at the dose of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 g/pot, on vegetative growth, flowering and chemical constituents of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii). The highest values of plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, number of flowers per plant, flower diameter, stalk length as well as the contents of total chlorophyll, carbohydrates, N, P, and K in plants were achieved with adenosine triphosphate(ATP) at 7 g/l as weekly foliar spray with significant difference compared to control. Also, increasing potassium nitrate from 2.5 up to 10.0 g/pot gradually increased the above mentioned parameters during both seasons. Furthermore, using the highest doses of potassium (7.5 and 10.0 g/pot) in interaction with ATP at 7 g/l significantly increased gerbera growth, flowering and chemical constituents compared to untreated plants and the other interaction treatments. From the first experiment the best interaction treatments were 7.5 and 10.0 g potassium nitrate/pot plus1 7 g ATP/l, these treatments were in the second experiment to study the effect of different pulsing solutions on flower vase life, solution uptake and flower fresh weight of gerbera. The obtained results revealed that, the longest vase life of gerbera and the highest quality cut flowers were obtained by using the combination treatments between (7.5 g potassium nitrate/pot + 7 g ATP/l) combined with 3% sucrose + 8-HQS at 200 ppm as holding solution. By studying simple correlation coefficients, gerbera cut flowers vase life exhibited strong positive relationship with each of water uptake and flower fresh weight which, indicated that the increase in these parameters was accompanied by increasing vase life of gerbera cut flowers under the effect of interaction treatments of pre and postharvest.

Effect of Foliar Application of Different Potassium Forms on the Growth and Flowering of Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) Plants

Abstract: A pot experiment was conducted during 2018 and 2019 seasons in Sakha Horticulture Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt to study the effect of foliar application of potassium sulphate 50%, potassium nitrate 43% (1, 2 and 3 g/l water) and potassium silicate 38% (1, 2 and 3 ml/l water) on growth and flowering of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) plants. The results indicated that foliar spraying with the different potassium treatments significantly affected all the studied parameters in terms of plant height, number of shoots per plant, fresh and dry weight of plant, roots and flower, number of flowers per plant, spike length, total chlorophyll content andnutritional status (N, P, K and Si) as compared with control. Foliar spraying with potassium sulphate at 3 g/l water gave the significantly highest values of plant height, number of shoots per plant, fresh and dry weight of plant, roots and flower, number of flowers per plant, spike length and total chlorophyll compared to other treatments. Data showed also that, growth parameters, flowering characteristics and nutritional status were significantly increased with increasing the levels of potassium from 1 to 3 g/l water or ml/l water under the same source of potassium. So, it can be concluded that potassium foliar spray can be used as a partial substitution of the recommended soil amended potassium for increasing nutrients uptake and thus stimulating growth and flowering characteristics of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) plants and potassium sulphate at 3 g/l water can be used in this respect.

The bleaching efficacy of carbamide peroxide gels containing potassium nitrate desensitizer.

Abstract: Background To evaluate the bleaching efficacy of at-home carbamide peroxide (CP) gels in two concentrations, containing or not a desensitizing agent. Material and methods Forty incisors were divided into four groups (n=10), according to gel concentrations (10% or 22%), and presence or not of 3% potassium nitrate in the gel. A thin layer of gel was applied to the buccal surface of each tooth for 2h/day for 4 weeks. Bleaching efficacy was measured using a spectrophotometer, and ∆E*ab, ∆E00 and ∆WID were calculated. Measurements were performed at baseline, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days following the first gel application. Data were analyzed by two-way RM-ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). Results Regarding gel concentration or potassium nitrate inclusion, both gels resulted in color change above the perceptibility thresholds, which were similar between gels. Regarding time, significant differences were observed between color change values at 7 days and other time periods. ∆WID ranged from 3.8 to 9.6. Significant moderate to strong positive correlation was observed among the parameters. Conclusions Nor the CP concentration, neither the inclusion of potassium nitrate in the gel, had influence on bleaching efficacy. All gels were effective and showed good results from the first weeks' application. Key words:Tooth bleaching, carbamide peroxide, desensitizer, potassium nitrate, color.

Expression of Genes Encoding Manganese Peroxidase and Laccase of Ganoderma boninense in Response to Nitrogen Sources, Hydrogen Peroxide and Phytohormones.

Abstract: Ganoderma produces lignolytic enzymes that can degrade the lignin component of plant cell walls, causing basal stem rot to oil palms. Nitrogen sources may affect plant tolerance to root pathogens while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) play important roles in plant defense against pathogens. In this study, we examined the expression of genes encoding manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase (Lac) in Ganoderma boninense treated with different nitrogen sources (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate), JA, SA and H2O2. Transcripts encoding MnP and Lac were cloned from G. boninense. Of the three GbMnP genes, GbMnP_U6011 was up-regulated by all nitrogen sources examined and H2O2 but was down-regulated by JA. The expression of GbMnP_U87 was only up-regulated by JA while GbMnP_35959 was up-regulated by ammonium nitrate but suppressed by sodium nitrate and down-regulated by H2O2. Among the three GbLac genes examined, GbLac_U90667 was up-regulated by ammonium nitrate, JA, SA and H2O2; GbLac_U36023 was up-regulated by JA and H2O2 while GbLac_U30636 was up-regulated by SA but suppressed by ammonium sulphate, sodium nitrate, JA and H2O2. Differential expression of these genes may be required by their different functional roles in G. boninense.

Foliar Application of Potassium Nitrate and Silicate Can Improve the Fruit Quality of Pomegranate cv. ‘Malase Yazdi’

Abstract: Introduction:Pomegranate is an ancient fruit plant, that nowadays there is an increasing worldwide demand for this fruit owing to its superior pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Foliar nutrient applications could potentially be used in commercial pomegranate production, to improve fruit quality. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the physicochemical properties of pomegranate fruits under foliar spraying of potassium nitrate and silicate. Materials and Methods:The twenty years old uniform pomegranate trees cv. ‘Malase Yazdi’ that have grown on a commercial orchard in Ardakan, Iran were selected during the 2017–2018 growing seasons. Five levels of potassium spraying treatments were used. The foliar spray treatments included: 250 and 500 mg/l potassium nitrate; 250 and 500 mg/l potassium silicate and distilled water (control). The foliar spray was carried out two times. The first stage was after the conversion of most of the flowers to the fruit and when fruits reached about walnut size, from June to July, and the second stage of the foliar application was at the end of the fruit growth, in mid-September. At the time of the harvest, healthy fruits were taken from the middle of the crown of each tree in different directions, and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the harvested fruits were analyzed. Physicochemical properties such as fruit and total aril weight, seed dry weight, peel fresh weight, fruit volume and juice, soluble solids concentration (SSC), maturity index, color, total phenol content, and vitamin C were investigated. Results and Discussion:Results showed that all of foliar treatments increased fruit volume and weight, total aril weight, fruit juice, and color and decreased seed dry weight, compared to control treatment (without nutrient treatment). KNO3 (250 mg/l) increased SSC and maturity index and 500 mg/l KNO3 increased both valuable characteristics: total phenol and vitamin C content. Also potassium silicate improved vitamin C content compared to the control treatment. Conclusion: The nitrogen in potassium nitrate increases the amount of the carbohydrate reserves that affects the fruit growth and development, thus reducing water stress and competition between fruits, which leads to the increased growth and development of fruits. The use of foliar application of potassium silicate has many advantages in enhancing the leaf area and improving the efficiency of photosynthesis and increasing the plant's ability to increase growth and yield and to increase strength, and reduce temperature stress. Therefore, according to these results, and due to the increasing global desire to use pomegranate fruit because of its high nutritional value, foliar application of potassium nitrate and silicate is recommended in pomegranate orchards.

The effect of ZnSO4 and KNO3 on quantitative and qualitative properties of Punica granatum L.

Abstract: We investigated the effect of foliar application of potassium nitrate (KNO3) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) on the fruit quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Malas-E–Torsh in Saveh). Potassium ...

Effect of Potassium Nitrate and Boric Acid on the Bond Strength of Veneering Ceramics to Zirconia.

Abstract: In this study, the effects of boric acid addition to the veneer ceramics and treatment of the ceramic cores immersed in potassium nitrate solution were evaluated to reduce the micro cracks that may occur in the internal structure of the ceramic, increase the mechanical properties and improve the chemical bonding strength of core ceramics. In the data obtained after the experiment, the average MPa values showed statistically significant differences according to the groups (p⟨0.001). The average value in the control group (C) was lower than the others. There was no statistically significant between the mean values of the boric acid application in the veneer ceramic (IB) group and zirconia core immersed in the potassium nitrate solution (IN) group. The highest mean values were observed between the veneer ceramic and the zirconia core by application of boric acid and potassium nitrate (IBN) group. As a result potassium nitrate and boric acid application affects the bond strength between zirconia core and veneer ceramic and increases mechanical properties of ceramics.

Potassium Nitrate Solubility in (Water + Ethanol) Mixed Solvents at Different Temperatures and Hydrochloric Acid Concentrations. Experimental Study and Modeling Using the Extended UNIQUAC Model

Abstract: The solubility of potassium nitrate (KNO3) in water + ethanol (H2O + EtOH) mixed solvents was measured experimentally in the temperature range of 293.15 to 333.15 K and in the presence or absence o...

Synthesis of [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O and its impact on potassium nitrate decomposition temperature

Abstract: In this study, catalyst formation [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O (ATZ = azo tetrazolium anion) was successfully synthesized originally; meanwhile, the single-crystal structure of the compound was cultivated and analyzed by diffraction single-crystal method. The influence of the compound in which [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O was used as combustion catalyst on the decomposition temperature of potassium nitrate was studied by TG–DSC. The result proved that [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O can effectively reduce the decomposition temperature. In other words, [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O can reduce the decomposition temperature of potassium nitrate, so the addition of [Pb(H2O)6][ATZ]·H2O can make potassium nitrate better to be used in the fields of initiating explosive device and fire engineering.

Inorganic-organic bifunctional phase-change microcapsule heat storage material and preparation method thereof

Abstract: The invention discloses an inorganic-organic bifunctional phase-change microcapsule heat storage material and a preparation method thereof The inorganic-organic bifunctional phase-change microcapsuleheat storage material is a microcapsule pellet formed by encapsulating a capsule inner core molten salt energy storage medium in a compact modified polyethylene glycol film layer, wherein the capsuleinner core molten salt energy storage medium is prepared from the following components in percentage by weight: 10-20 wt% of lithium nitrate, 10-20 wt% of sodium nitrate, 10-20 wt% of potassium nitrate, 5-10 wt% of sodium nitrite, 5-10 wt% of potassium nitrite, 5-10 wt% of sodium chloride, 5-10 wt% of potassium chloride, 7-10 wt% of sodium sulfate and 8-10 wt% of potassium sulfate, and the modified polyethylene glycol film layer is a solid-solid phase-change energy storage material layer and is polystyrene/maleic anhydride cross-linked modified polyethylene glycol formed by electron beam irradiation According to the invention, the capsule inner core is a mixed molten salt solid-liquid phase-change material, the shell of the microcapsule is a modified polyethylene glycol solid-solid phase-change material, the phase-change temperatures are 78 DEG C, and the solid-state polymer shell prevents the flowability and the corrosion of the inner core material, so that the unit heat absorptionand energy storage density of the phase-change material is improved, and the continuous hot water supply capacity of the solar water heater is improved

Effect of Potassium Nitrate on Anti-Caking Performance of AN-based NPK Granular Compound Fertilizer

Abstract: Agricultural ammonium nitrate(ANP) is one of the main raw materials for the production of AN-based compound fertilizer. The IV-III phase transition of ammonium nitrate(AN) is one of the main reason...

Potassium compounds-Al 2 O 3 catalyst synthesized by using the sol-gel urea combustion method for transesterification of sunflower and waste cooking oils

Abstract: The nanostructured composite catalyst of potassium compounds-Al2O3, or briefly K/Al2O3, was prepared by using the sol-gel urea combustion method using potassium and aluminum nitrates as precursors, which was applied in the transesterification reaction of sunflower and waste cooking oils to produce biodiesel. The molar ratio of potassium nitrate to aluminum nitrate of 0.5 in the synthesizing solution of the catalyst and calcination temperature of 650 °C were obtained from the optimization experiments of the catalyst. The optimized K/Al2O3 catalyst was characterized by ICP, XRD, SEM, and TGA. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the produced biodiesel confirmed the formation of methyl esters. The effects of the operating conditions like methanol to oil molar ratio, catalyst dose, reaction temperature, and time on the biodiesel production were investigated, modeled, and optimized using the response surface methodology. The results of statistical analysis of the experimental model showed that linear term of temperature and interaction term of temperature and time had the strongest effect on the biodiesel yield. The optimized operating conditions were methanol to oil molar ratio of 17:1, catalyst dose of 8.25 wt.%, temperature of 70 °C, and time of 7 h. Under these conditions, the experimental yield of biodiesel production was 88.74% from sunflower oil and 82.01% from waste cooking oil. The properties of the produced biodiesels like density, pour point, cloud point, cetane number, and acid value were measured, which were comparable with the standards.

Methods and systems for chemically strengthening lithium-containing glass

Abstract: Methods and systems of strengthening lithium-containing glass-based substrates including contacting at least a portion of the lithium-containing glass-based substrates with a first salt bath comprising at least 2 wt. % lithium nitrate and at least one of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate and contacting at least a portion of the lithium-containing glass-based substrates with a second salt bath comprising at least one of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. The methods further include that after contacting 3 m2 of glass per kilogram of molten salt (3 m2/kg salt) to 13 m2/kg salt for the first salt bath, a surface compressive stress imparted to the glass articles by the contacting steps decreases by less than 30 MPa.

Effect of gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate and silicic acid on antioxidative enzymes in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seedling irrigated with saline water

Abstract: Salinity is one of the most serious limiting factors for growth and production in groundnut and silicic an important phenolics, gibberellic acid an important growth hormone, potassium nitrate known to alleviates its adverse effect. Thus, Green house experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate and silicic acid under salt stress on physiological, biochemical parameters and enzymatic activities of groundnut. The observations were recorded for enzymes viz., polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase. The result suggested that the antioxidant enzymes activity was affected due to salinity stress in groundnut. The antioxidant enzymes activities viz., polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase that increased with higher concentration of salt stress. On application of GA3, KNO3 and silicic acid decreased polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase enzymatic activity. This investigation has suggested gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate and silicic acid are potential biomolecules affecting the ROS scavenging enzyme under abiotic stress like salinity.

Safe gunpowder for fireworks

Abstract: Safe gunpowder for fireworks is provided The safe gunpowder is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 20-30 parts of potassium dichromate, 10-15 parts of potassium nitrate, 5-10 parts of nitroguanidine, 20-50 parts of single-base powder, 15-35 parts of diphenylamine and 5-10 parts of charcoal

Effect of Salicylic Acid and Potassium Nitrate on Growth and Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.) under Rainfed Condition

Abstract: Pulses are among the most important crops which are considered as substitutes for animal protein among the vegetarian population and it also occupy special place in diets of the Indian population. They are known to render significant impact on soil health and considered to be key component for sustainable agriculture. Pulses have the capacity to fix the soil atmospheric nitrogen in their root system, which enables the plants to meet the nitrogen requirement on its own. Lentil is one of the major rabi pulses in India which contributes about 6% of the total area under pulse as well as production in India. It International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 11 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com

Ginseng culture solution, and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract: The invention provides a ginseng culture solution, and a preparation method and an application thereof, and belongs to the field of plant cultivation The method comprises the following steps: addinga solvent into rice flour to immerse the rice flour, filtering the obtained solution, taking the obtained filtrate, adding vitamin B12 into the filtrate, and performing mixing until uniformity for later use; taking and uniformly mixing ammonium phosphate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, boric acid and ammonium molybdate, adding water, performing stirring by using an ultrasonic stirrer, standing for layering, and removing the obtained supernatant for later use; taking and uniformly mixingpotassium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, adding an emulsifier, grinding the obtained mixture, and emulsifying the ground mixture for later use; and mixing the mixed solution, the supernatant and the emulsion which are obtained in above three steps, heating for sterilizing,cooling the obtained mixture and filtering the cooled mixture to obtain the product Research and test results show that the ginseng culture solution can promote ginseng growth, improve agronomic traits and improve stress resistance

Concrete for inducing attachment of marine sessile organisms and promoting growth and preparation method thereof

Abstract: The invention relates to a technology for inducing attachment of marine sessile organisms, in particular to concrete for inducing attachment of the marine sessile organisms and promoting growth and apreparation method, and belongs to the field of crossing of the marine sessile organisms and marine concrete. The concrete comprises the following components: a cementing material, gravels, sand, water, dark pigment, calcium carbonate powder, trace elements and a superplasticizer. Zinc sulfate, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, ferric sulfate, zinc phosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, iron phosphate and calcium phosphate are adopted as trace elements to be doped into the concrete, the strength and impermeability of the concrete are basically kept unchangedby modification with the substances, and the oyster larva induced attachment rate is greatly increased.

Polypyrrole Fibre Electrodes for Drug Sensing

Abstract: Polypyrrole (PPy) fibre electrodes and their ability to sense paracetamol (as a model drug) in addition to interferents such as ascorbic acid and dopamine were studied. PPy was electrodeposited onto carbon fibre (CF) through electropolymerisation using cyclic voltammetry in the presence of two different counter anions: potassium nitrate (KNO3) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). PPy with SDS as dopant could sense paracetamol with an oxidation peak at 0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The limit of detection of this fibre sensor was found to be 1 µM with a linear range of 1–100 µM of paracetamol (R2 = 0.985).

Temperature, potassium nitrate, substrate, and harvesting time on the germination of zoysia grass seeds

Abstract: Zoysia japonica grass has commercial importance to Brazil due to its use in golf courses and football stadiums. The main concern about its commercial cultivation is the unevenness on seed germination as well as the ideal seed harvesting time. Therefore, the objective was to measure the effect of temperature and potassium nitrate on dormancy overcoming, and of substrate and harvesting time on germination of zoysia grass seeds (Zoysia japonica Steud). There were three experiments: 1) temperature and potassium nitrate treatments, with six temperature conditions (constants at 20 ˚C, 25 ˚C, 30 ˚C, and 35 ˚C, and alternating at 20-30 ˚C and 20- 35 ˚C), under absence or presence of potassium nitrate; 2) temperature and substrate treatments, with two temperature conditions (alternating at 20-30 ˚C and 20-35 ˚C) and three types of substrates (on paper, between paper, and on sand); and 3) harvesting time treatments, which seeds were obtained by manual harvesting comprising 11 harvesting periods. Seeds germinated more rapidly on the sand and paper, at the alternating temperature of 20-35 °C. The best period for seed harvesting was from 18 to 19 days after ear emergence in the production field.

Role of Nitrogen Source in the Development of Heterocyst

Abstract: In the present study two local strains of Bluegreen algae Nostoc linkia and Anabaena macrospora were selected to observe the effect of nitrogen sources on the development of Heterocyst. Heterocyst frequency was calculated on 7th day, 14th day and 21st day in Allen-Amon medium supplemented with potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate and Ammonium Nitrate. It was observed that Ammonium Nitrate totally inhibited development of heterocyst while very slow development of Heterocyst occurred in medium supplemented with Potassium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrate in comparison to absence of nitrogen source in medium.

Effect of salicylic acid and potassium silicate on shelf life of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Alphonso

Abstract: An experiment was conducted at farmer’s field, near College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta, Andhra Pradesh during the year 2017-2018 under Dr. Y.S.R Horticultural University, to assess the effect of potassium silicate and salicylic acid on fruit shelf life in mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Alphonso. The experiment consisted of nine treatments viz. T1 (control), T2 (potassium nitrate @ 1%), T3 (salicylic acid @ 100 ppm), T4 (salicylic acid @ 200 ppm), T5 (potassium silicate @ 0.1%), T6 (potassium silicate @ 0.2%), T7 (salicylic acid @ 100 ppm + potassium silicate @ 0.1%), T8 (salicylic acid @ 0.2% + potassium silicate @ 200 ppm), T9 (paclobutrazol @ 3 ml m-1). Seven years old mango orchard was selected for experiment and planted with spacing 7.5 m in square system. Results revealed that foliar application of salicylic acid @ 200 ppm + potassium silicate @ 0.2% (T8) found to enhance shelf life of fruits (15.10 days), marketable fruits percentage (88.94%), firmness (4.97 kg/cm2) and reduce physiological loss in weight during storage period.