Increases in fruit weight of cultivated vegetables and fruits accompanied the domestication of these crops. Here we report on the positional cloning of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling fruit weight in tomato. The derived allele of Cell Size Regulator (CSR-D) increases fruit weight predominantly through enlargement of the pericarp areas. The expanded pericarp tissues result from incr...

Fruit development and ripening are unique to plants and represent an important component of human and animal diets. Recent discoveries have shed light on the molecular basis of developmental ripening control, suggested common regulators of climacteric and nonclimacteric ripening physiology, and defined a new role for MADS box genes in this late stage of floral development. Analyses of fruit-rip...

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Seed Science and Technology, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, TNAU, Vriddhachalam, INDIA 2 Special Officer (Seeds), Seed Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore 641 003, INDIA __________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: The main goal of the study is rehabilitation and improving the productivity of land owned by tribals and othe...

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased from 280 ppm (parts per million, mole fraction basis) in preindustrial times to 370 ppm today. As concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases rise, global temperature is anticipated to increase. Elevated CO2 will improve crop yields due to increased photosynthesis. However, at above-optimum temperatures for reproductive growth pr...

African eggplants (Solanum aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon) are among the most economically important and valuable vegetable and fruit crops. They are a major source of biologically active nutritional substances and metabolites which are essential for plant growth, development, stress adaptation and defense. Among these metabolites are the carotenoids which act as accessory pigments for photosyn...

A variety of crops are grown in New York City community gardens. Although the production of many crops benefits from pollination by bees, little is known about bee abundance in urban community gardens or which crops are specifically dependent on bee pollination. In 2005, we compiled a list of crop plants grown within 19 community gardens in New York City and classified these plants according to...

Bael (Aegle marmelos Correa.) is one of the most important minor fruit crops with medicinal and antioxidant properties grown in India from sea level to moderately high altitude [1]. It belongs to the family Rutaceae and it’s type of fruit is amphisarca. Sarkar et al. [2] stated that it was originated from south East Asia. It flowers between April and May months, while harvesting is done in Apri...

BACKGROUND Insect pollinator abundance, in particular that of bees, has been shown to be high where there is a super-abundance of floral resources; for example in association with mass-flowering crops and also in gardens where flowering plants are often densely planted. Since land management affects pollinator numbers, it is also likely to affect the resultant pollination of plants growing in t...

Regulation of agricultural pests managing their natural enemies represents an alternative to chemical pesticides. We assessed the potential of insectivorous birds as pest regulators in woody crops located in central Spain. A total of 417 nest boxes installed in five field study sites (one vineyard, two fruit orchards, and two olive groves) were monitored for use and breeding of insectivorous bi...