Effect of Ozonated Avocado and High-Oleic Palm Oils on “Bolo Verde” Variety Squash

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this work, the authors highlighted the effect of ozonated oils - avocado and palm in three different concentrations, applied by two methods - foliar and drench on 'Bolo 17 Verde' squash.

The conclusions are consistent with the authors' findings and highlighted the biostimulant effect, causing an increase in the height of the plant, an increase in the number of leaves, the length and volume of the root, as well as an increase in the dry weight of the plant, the consequence of stimulating the synthesis of phytohormones. The work is well documented, it refers to the current state of knowledge in the field, but I would recommend the authors to specify more details about the oils used - their source and the ozonation technique, if it was carried out by the team of researchers, authors of the works.

Author Response

1. I would recommend the authors to specify more details about the oils used - their source and the ozonation technique, if it was carried out by the team of researchers, authors of the works.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 3, covering lines 111 through 141.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

After a thorough review of the manuscript entitled “Effect of Ozonated Avocado and High Oleic Palm Oils on ‘Bolo Verde’ Variety Squash”, I highlighted some points that should be taken into consideration by the authors to improve the study.

1. Lines 16-18: Authors must include the scientific name of all species used in this study.

2. Lines 18-25: I suggest including the mean of the main values ​​to improve the understanding of the results reported in the abstract.

3. In the introduction, authors should include information about the chemical properties of avocado and palm oils. What are the chemical compounds identified in these oils? Are there any previous studies that have reported the use of these oils as crop biostimulants?

Furthermore, authors should include a clear justification for the choice of ozonated avocado and palm oils for the development of this study.

4. Information on the economic importance of ‘Bolo Verde’ Squash should also be included in the introduction.

5. Line 78: Were the palm and avocado oils commercially obtained? From which company? How were these vegetable oils ozonated? It is important to include all of this information.

6. Lines 88-89: Authors should provide more details about the commercial product used as a control. Please provide the commercial name of the product, company name, city, and country of acquisition.

7. I suggest performing a chemical analysis of avocado and palm oils using the Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method.

8. Figures 1 and 2 are not very explanatory and make it difficult to visualize the values.

To improve the visualization of the results obtained in this study, I suggest replacing the graphs with tables.

9. In the discussion, the authors took into consideration only aspects related to the influence of ozone on plants. To improve the text, it is necessary to discuss the results obtained in this study taking into account the possible biostimulant properties of palm and avocado oils in the development of squash.

Author Response

Reviewer 2

1. Lines 16-18: Authors must include the scientific name of all species used in this study.

Answer: The scientific name of the pumpkin is listed among the keywords, whereas the remaining species are cited within the body of the text.

2. Lines 18-25: I suggest including the mean of the main values ​​to improve the understanding of the results reported in the abstract.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 1, covering lines 28 through 41.

3. In the introduction, authors should include information about the chemical properties of avocado and palm oils. What are the chemical compounds identified in these oils? Are there any previous studies that have reported the use of these oils as crop biostimulants?. Furthermore, authors should include a clear justification for the choice of ozonated avocado and palm oils for the development of this study.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 2, covering lines 60 through 80. The justification for the application of oils is presented in the text, specifically within lines 65 to 72.

4. Information on the economic importance of ‘Bolo Verde’ Squash should also be included in the introduction.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 2, covering lines 46 through 53.

5. Line 78: Were the palm and avocado oils commercially obtained? From which company? How were these vegetable oils ozonated? It is important to include all of this information.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 3, covering lines 111 through 141.

6. Lines 88-89: Authors should provide more details about the commercial product used as a control. Please provide the commercial name of the product, company name, city, and country of acquisition.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 4, covering lines 154 through 157.

7. I suggest performing a chemical analysis of avocado and palm oils using the Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method.

Answer: The methodology encompasses chromatographic analysis and highlights the principal findings related to the ozonized oils. A detailed description of the methodology is provided on page 6, lines 212 to 215, while the corresponding results are presented on page 9, lines 301 to 319. These analyses are part of a separate study; therefore, the underlying data are not included in this manuscript."

8. Figures 1 and 2 are not very explanatory and make it difficult to visualize the values. To improve the visualization of the results obtained in this study, I suggest replacing the graphs with tables.

Answer: Figures 1 and 2 were revised and subsequently incorporated into the manuscript as Tables 2 and 3, respectively, appearing on pages 7 and 8.

9. In the discussion, the authors took into consideration only aspects related to the influence of ozone on plants. To improve the text, it is necessary to discuss the results obtained in this study taking into account the possible biostimulant properties of palm and avocado oils in the development of squash.

Answer: The response has been duly incorporated into the main body of the document, specifically on page 10, covering lines 366 through 382.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

The paper is an interesting look at how ozonated avocado and high oleic palm oils can help squash grow, but it needs a lot of work to make it academically and professionally acceptable. The abstract, introduction, methodology, and conclusion parts all need major changes to make them clearer, more logical, and more scientific. The abstract lacks precision, uses ambiguous wording, and fails to adequately convey major findings or their statistical significance. The introduction is extremely wide in scope, contains repetitive material, and fails to clearly identify the research gap or justify the oils, concentrations, or crop used. The methodology section requires additional explanation and transparency, particularly in terms of the reasoning for picking treatment doses, application methods, and experimental design. Visual documentation of the experimental layout should be included as an additional file. The conclusion should better reflect the study's primary findings, address its shortcomings, and provide important implications for sustainable agriculture. Please use the particular remarks offered in the full review to guide your modifications. A more academically sound and well-structured paper will greatly enhance the scientific value and readability of this study.

Regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Reviewer 3

1. The paper is an interesting look at how ozonated avocado and high oleic palm oils can help squash grow, but it needs a lot of work to make it academically and professionally acceptable. The abstract, introduction, methodology, and conclusion parts all need major changes to make them clearer, more logical, and more scientific. The abstract lacks precision, uses ambiguous wording, and fails to adequately convey major findings or their statistical significance. The introduction is extremely wide in scope, contains repetitive material, and fails to clearly identify the research gap or justify the oils, concentrations, or crop used. The methodology section requires additional explanation and transparency, particularly in terms of the reasoning for picking treatment doses, application methods, and experimental design. Visual documentation of the experimental layout should be included as an additional file. The conclusion should better reflect the study's primary findings, address its shortcomings, and provide important implications for sustainable agriculture. Please use the particular remarks offered in the full review to guide your modifications. A more academically sound and well-structured paper will greatly enhance the scientific value and readability of this study.

Answer: All comments regarding the abstract and introduction have been addressed. The methodological section has been revised and expanded, including the addition of a figure illustrating the methodology and a detailed description of the oil ozonation process provided by the authors. The discussion has been substantially enriched, and the results are now presented in tables to enhance clarity and interpretation. Finally, the conclusions have been refined, and the entire manuscript has undergone a comprehensive revision. All modifications are highlighted in blue within the text.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors responded to my comments and necessary changes were made to the manuscript. 

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

Thank you for your revised manuscript. We are pleased to inform you that the manuscript is now well organized and presents a sound academic structure. We appreciate your careful attention to the reviewers' comments and the thoughtful revisions you have made.

The manuscript is now suitable for publication.

Best regards,