The color of grapevine berries is one of the most important quality parameters that define the appearance, attracts the consumer, and determines the price, especially in red grape cultivars. Some grape varieties show less color development due to many factors such as temperature, light intensity, and agricultural management. The present study aimed to evaluate diverse phytohormones coupled with grafting on quality and fruit coloration of ’Crimson Seedless‘ grapes. Pre-harvest foliar treatments of abscisic acid (ABA) at 400 mg L⁻¹, methyl jasmonate (MeJ) at 1 mM L⁻¹, ethephon (Eth) at 480 mg L⁻¹, and melatonin (Mel) at 100 μmol were applied after 7 days and repeated after 21 days of ‘Veraison’ (beginning of the coloring phase). The results exposed that the ABA application provided the best anthocyanin accumulation with grafted grapevines whereas Eth displayed the maximum anthocyanin accumulation with ungrafted grapevines. Moreover, the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes (chalcone synthase (CHS), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), and flavanol 3-O-glucosyl transferase (UFGT)) was consistent with the anthocyanin concentration in berry peel. Moreover, Eth treatment revealed the highest total phenols and antioxidant capacity for both grafted and ungrafted grapevines. MeJ phytohormone exhibited the largest total yield, whereas the treatment of Eth increased the weight of 50 berries and the bunch. Furthermore, ABA induced the uppermost firmness and removal force. Regarding the chemical attributes, the Mel treatment revealed the minimum value of titratable acidity (TA) and the highest polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, while the MeJ treatment recorded the superior soluble solids content (SSC), in addition to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and catalase (CAT) enzymes activities. Eth treatment produced the highest activity of the peroxidase (POD) enzyme. Finally, the grafting treatment improved most of the studied fruit attributes.

The current study was carried out over two seasons (2020 and 2021) to assess the effects of preharvest treatments with oregano and thyme essential oils (EOs) as an alternative to the traditional use of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) during cold storage of grape clusters cv. Flame Seedless. Grapevines were sprayed with oregano or thyme essential oils at 2000 or 4000 µL/L two days before harvest. The results confirmed that oregano and thyme EOs treatments reduced the physiological loss in weight, decay incidence, gray mold, rachis browning index, and berry shattering as compared to sulfur dioxide and untreated fruits. In addition, EOs had higher marketable percentage, firmness, and visual appearance cluster scores, while they reduced the deterioration in titratable acidity (TA) and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents, slowing the increases in soluble solids content (SSC) and SSC/TA ratio of berries, and improving total anthocyanin content. Moreover, these EOs delayed berry activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX), and pectin methylesterase (PME) enzymes during cold storage. Results suggest that preharvest application with either oregano or thyme EOs at 2000 µL/L might be a promising eco-friendly and safe candidate as an alternative to conventional SO₂ used to control decay incidence and gray mold rot caused by Botrytis cinerea, and the EOs were effective in maintaining the quality of grape clusters during cold storage for up to 45 days.

The effectiveness of repeated applications of GA3 and streptomycin (SM) to stimulate seedless fruit development or reducing seed number per fruit of mandarin (Citrus recticulata Blanco cv Balady) were evaluated under field conditions at Motobus district, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate during 2014 and 2015 seasons. Trees were sprayed with GA3 at 25 ppm, SM at 250 ppm, SM at 500 ppm, SM at 250 ppm + GA3 at 25 ppm and SM at 500 ppm + GA3 at 25 ppm, while the control trees were sprayed with tap water. Results indicated that GA3 at 25 ppm recorded the highest fruit weight and acidity in both seasons. SM 500 + GA3 reduced seed number per fruit with about 76.66 and 77.46 % reduction in both seasons, respectively compared to the control. Meanwhile, high yield and fruit characteristics; firmness, vitamin C, brix and SSC/Acid ratio, were maintained under this treatment. The addition of GA3 to SM increased its efficacy in this respect.

The increasing global population and progressive soil salinization threaten future food security and sustainable agriculture. Halophytes, as salt-tolerant plants adapted to saline environments, represent promising alternative crops and valuable sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This review presents a structured synthesis of selected halophytes, with emphasis on wild species of ethnobotanical relevance. The nutritional value of halophytes is discussed with respect to proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, minerals, and vitamins, together with their diverse profiles regarding bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, terpenes and terpenoids (including carotenoids), alkaloids, saponins and chlorophylls. In addition, the biological activities and available clinical evidence of halophyte-derived compounds are summarized, with Lobularia maritima presented as a representative example. By organizing nutritional and phytochemical data according to compound classes, this review provides a perspective largely absent from previous studies and highlights the potential of halophytes as innovative ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as outlining future research challenges and prospects.

Effects of partial or total replacement of inorganic fertilizers by liquid compost (LC) and banana pseudostem sap (BPS) on growth, yield and fruit physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Sewy’ date palm were investigated in this study. The recommended inorganic fertilization program (2.985 kg ammonium nitrate -0.5 kg mono calcium superphosphate – 1 kg potassium sulphate /palm/year) was applied as a control, and five rates of LC and BPS (4, 8, 12, 16 and 10 L/palm) in combination with 80, 60 and 20% of the control. Results show that using 60% inorganic fertilizers + 8 L BPS or LC enhanced vegetative growth in terms of leaf and leaflet parameters, leaf nutritional status, fruit set, yield and fruit physical (weight, diameters, length and flesh weight) and chemical properties (TSS, sugars, acidity, crude fiber, nitrate and nitrite contents). However, using 60% inorganic fertilizers+ 8 L BPS showed the highest significant effect on almost all studied parameters in both seasons. The results suggest that in ‘Sewy’ date palm, 40 % of inorganic fertilizers can be saved by using 8 L of BPS as a sustainable agricultural practice with improved yield and fruit quality.

Lateral buds of potted mandarin plants (Citrus reticulata Balnco cv 'Balady') were treated with four concentrations of colchicine (0.0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0%) for five consecutive days in order to investigate colchicine effectiveness in producing tetraploid plants of important mandarin cultivar in Egypt. These tetraploid plants can later be used as parents for producing seedless triploid plants through hybridization with diploid ones. Colchicine treatments decreased bud sprouting percentage and reduced shoot length. Furthermore, increasing colchicine concentration reduced the number of stomata per unit area compared to the control; however, stomatal length and width increased proportionally. Based on chromosome counting, the highest tetraploid percentage (42.2%) was obtained at 1.0% colchicine followed by the treatment of 0.5% (35.6%), whereas 0.1% concentration achieved the lowest tetraploid percentage (11.3%). The tetraploid shoots exhibited a broader leaf area and bigger floral buds expressed in length and width compared to the diploid mother plants. The results indicate that 1.0% colchicine is the most effective concentration for producing tetraploid plants.