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9 pages, 1253 KB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Effect of Far-UVC and Violet Irradiation on the Microbial Contamination of Spinach Leaves and Their Vitamin C and Chlorophyll Contents

by Alexander Gerdt, Anna-Maria Gierke, Petra Vatter and Martin Hessling

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 47(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025047001 - 16 Jul 2025

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Abstract

Microbial contamination of food can lead to faster spoilage and infections. Therefore, disinfection processes are required that have a low detrimental effect on the nutritional content. Concerning radiation disinfection, two spectral ranges have recently become important. The Far-UVC spectral range, with a wavelength below 230 nm and visible violet light. In this study, leaf spinach was used to investigate the extent to which these radiations inactivate Escherichia coli, but also to determine if the vitamin C or chlorophyll content was reduced. Frozen spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea) were contaminated with E. coli × pGLO and irradiated with either a 222 nm krypton chloride lamp or 405 nm LEDs. The achieved bacterial reduction was determined by plating the irradiated samples on agar plates and subsequent colony counting. The vitamin C concentration was determined by means of redox titration, and the concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b were determined using spectrometry. Both irradiations exhibited a strong antimicrobial impact on E. coli. The average log reduction doses were about 19 mJ/cm² (222 nm) and 87 J/cm² (405 nm), respectively. The vitamin C concentration decreased by 30% (222 nm) or 20% (405 nm), and the chlorophyll concentrations decreased by about 25%. Both irradiation approaches are able to substantially reduce microorganisms on spinach leaves by two orders of magnitude, but this is associated with a reduction in the nutrient content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae)

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7 pages, 723 KB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Octanoic Fatty Acid Significantly Impacts the Growth of Foodborne Pathogens and Quality of Mabroom Date Fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

by Elshafia Ali Hamid Mohammed, Károly Pál and Azza Siddig Hussien Abbo

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 47(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025047002 - 24 Jul 2025

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Abstract

Mabroom dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are recognized as one of the most important crops in Qatar. Fresh fruit dates are susceptible to mould and post-harvest spoilage, resulting in a significant financial loss. Octanoic fatty acid (OFA) has been shown to regulate the growth of mould-causing organisms such as fungi and bacteria. It is known to have antibacterial properties. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of OFA on the post-harvest pathogens of Mabroom fruits. Fresh, apparently healthy, and fully ripe Mabroom dates were obtained from the National Agriculture and Food Corporation (NAFCO). The chosen fruits were packed in sterile, well-ventilated plastic boxes and transported to the lab under controlled conditions. The fruits were distributed into five groups (G1 to G5). The groups G1, G2, and G3 received 1%, 2%, and 3.5% OFA, respectively, while G4 was left untreated and G5 was washed only with tap water as a positive control treatment. Each group contained 200 g of fresh and healthy semi-soft dates. The samples were then dried and incubated in a humidity chamber at 25 °C ± 2 for seven days. The signs and symptoms of decay were monitored and recorded. The presence of pathogens was confirmed via phenotypic and microscopic-based methods. The results showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) among the groups. OFA at 3.5% had the strongest inhibitory action against post-harvest pathogens, followed by OFA2%. However, there were no differences (p ≤ 0.05) between OFA1% and the control groups. Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Botrytis spp. were most abundant in the control group, followed by OFA2% and OFA1%, respectively. In conclusion, octanoic fatty acid at 3.5% may improve the quality of date fruits through its high antimicrobial activity, reduce the effect of post-harvest decay, minimize the loss of date fruits during storage, and improve the sustainability of date fruits. Further experiments are necessary to confirm the effectiveness of OFA as a green solution for sustainable date fruit production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae)

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56 pages, 500 KB

Open AccessConference Report

The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae

by Luigi De Bellis, Alberto Pardossi and Yuyang Zhang

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 47(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025047003 - 11 Sep 2025

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Abstract

Yanan Hu ¹, Ruimin Li ² and Guiyan Huang ¹ [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae)

8 pages, 1286 KB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Comparative Evaluation of Ultra-Low-Volume Nozzle Configurations for UAV Spraying in Mango Orchards Under Semi-Arid Conditions in Northern India

by Shefali Vinod Ramteke, Pritish Kumar Varadwaj and Vineet Tiwari

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 47(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025047004 - 12 Sep 2025

Viewed by 327

Abstract

Efficient pesticide delivery in mango orchards is hindered by tall canopies and dense foliage. This study evaluated two ultra-low-volume (ULV) nozzles—TeeJet XR and HYPRO rotary—mounted on an indigenous multirotor drone during flowering and fruit-set stages in ‘Dashehari’ mango. HYPRO achieved 14% higher lower-canopy penetration, while TeeJet provided better upper coverage. Droplet spectra differed by 58 µm. UAV-based ULV spraying reduced carrier water by 97% and CO₂-equivalent emissions by 99% compared to air-blast methods. Results underscore the importance of nozzle selection and support UAV adoption for climate-smart, resource-efficient horticulture in India. Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae)

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8 pages, 3209 KB

Open AccessProceeding Paper

Resource Efficiency of Swiss Chard Crop in Vertical Hydroponic Towers Under Greenhouse Conditions

by Manuel Felipe López-Mora, Calina Borgovan, Carlos Alberto González-Murillo, María Solano-Betancour, María Fernanda Quintero-Castellanos and Miguel Guzmán

Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2025, 47(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025047005 - 26 Sep 2025

Abstract

Resource efficiency is essential in today’s approach to horticulture. The global problems of water scarcity, soil pollution, biodiversity loss, and rapid growth of the global population require increased food production with fewer resources. Resource efficiency is an indicator that allows defining how much biomass an agri-food system can produce per unit of the resource used. Closed hydroponic systems, such as vertical hydroponic towers (VHTs), exhibit high resource efficiency. In these systems, the water use efficiency (WUE) and the nutrient use efficiency (NUE) can be calculated in terms of the water loss through transpiration and the ion concentration in the nutrient solution. The research aimed to determine the WUE and NUE for chard crops in VHT under greenhouse conditions and to evaluate its feasibility as an urban and peri-urban system for leafy vegetable production. Trials were carried out with chard in the fall 2024 in a tunnel-type greenhouse at the facilities of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi. The VHTs were built with a 20 L square lower deposit on which a cylindrical pipeline of 11.5 cm in diameter and 1.6 m in height was vertically placed. Each pipe had 45 growing containers distributed on 15 levels of three containers spaced vertically 9 cm and a density of 25 plants·m⁻². The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments (75, 100, and 125% of Steiner’s nutrient solution) and three replications. The transpiration (Tr) of the crop (recording weight loss in the deposit) and the shoot fresh weight (SFW) of the plants were measured daily using a scale. An ANOVA and Tukey’s test for mean differentiation were performed with p < 0.05. Significant differences were found between treatments for SFW, WUE and NUE obtaining the best results at 75% of Steiner’s nutrient solution. Results show that WUE increased between 3 and 6 times, and NUE between 3 and 12 times compared to chard grown in soil. These results were equal and even higher than horizontal hydroponic systems or vertical farms. Vertical hydroponic closed towers installed in greenhouses are an optimal horticultural production system with high resources use efficiency. The implementation of VHT is feasible in areas where there is water scarcity or have a high population density. Full article

(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Horticulturae)

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