Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important grain legume crop, mostly grown on marginal soils which hamper its productivity. Improvement of salt tolerance in cowpea is contemplated as a useful strategy to economically utilize salt-affected lands. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of seed priming and biochar application in improving salt stress tolerance in cowpea. Cowpea seeds

White rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, has recently become a serious threat to tuber mustard (Brassica juncea var. tumida) cultivation in Hangzhou and other mustard growing parts of Zhejiang province, China. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of sirolimus, a natural macrolide compound, against white rot of mustard tuber caused by S. sclerotiorum in vitro

Grafting is a common practice used in tomato to control soil pathogen problems, confer tolerance against abiotic stresses and, when possible, increase yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the grafting development and interaction of a commercial tomato cultivar (cv. Giuliana) grafted onto the S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme genotype RVTC-66, and self-grafted, with four acclimation environments

Invasive plant species are a global issue impacting many local ecosystems and economies in the world. A large number of invasive plants were originally introduced as ornamentals. Developing genetic tools to reduce or eliminate invasiveness has become an important objective of ornamental plant breeding. This study intended to develop an effective technique to induce tetraploids, the critical and much

Strawberry fruit is extremely perishable at least partially because of excessive softening, which can be inhibited by edible chitosan coating during ripening, but the biochemical and molecular mechanisms are not completely understood in the fruit under cold conditions. Here, changes in levels of quality attributes, cell wall constituents, activities and expression of cell wall modifying enzymes, were

Many commercially grown fruits and vegetables benefit substantially from biotic pollination, worth more than US$ 316 bn to the global economy. Watermelon is one of the most economically important global food crops both in terms of production quantity (118.4 million tons (MT)) and production value (GDP US$ 33.9 million). Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the pollination ecology of seeded

The fatty acid composition of olive oil is greatly affected by geographical origin, and olive oil is often promoted by health experts because of its high oleic acid concentration. Unfortunately, recent evidence has shown that oleic acid (%) can be low in many non-Mediterranean regions due to high temperatures. Thus, management tools related to irrigation, fertilization, and canopy management are being

The Castanea Miller (Fagaceae) family are commercially important trees in the word, grown for their nuts that are rich in starch and nutrients. The production of nuts is related to pollen fertility, but little is known about pollen viability and germination of the family. In this paper, we investigated the staining and in vitro germination traits of Chestunt (Castanea mollissima Blume) and Chinese

Pleurotus tuoliensis (Bailinggu) is a precious mushroom species cultivated industrially in eastern Asia. The long cropping cycle, high deformity rate, and low yield are the major bottlenecks for its widespread cultivation. There is thus a need for improved P. tuoliensis cultivars. In the present study, interspecific crossing of monokaryons between P. tuoliensis and P. eryngii was carried out. Six out

Low temperature is one of the stresses which threaten eggplant during its whole growth period, resulting in the inhibition of growth and development and the loss of yield. It is essential to realize the key genes and pathways in response to low temperature for eggplant breeding. To compare the transcriptomics profiling of two eggplant varieties with differential low temperature tolerance, we conducted

Mexico is the main producer and exporter of Persian lime worldwide. Oleocellosis is one of the main physiological disorders of acid limes which affects visual quality of the fruit and cause economic losses. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of Sour orange, Volkamerian lemon, Flying dragon, Swingle citrumelo and C-35 citrange rootstocks on the anatomy of the flavedo and its correlation

Fusarium wilt is a serious soil-borne disease for cucumber production; however, intercropping with celery and using resistant cultivars could alleviate this problem. The aims of the study were to verify whether cucumber Fusarium wilt resistance induced by intercropping with celery differs from that induced by the cucumber genotype and whether celery synthesizes organosulfur allelochemicals to inhibit

Guava is an important climacteric fruit that exhibits short shelf life at ambient conditions. Due to short shelf life, marketing and subsequent storage of guava is difficult. Therefore, some treatments that can extend shelf life and conserve quality of guava fruits are required. In the present work, the effect of ginger extract, garlic extract, gum arabic and Aloe vera gel coating (in combinations)

Asparagus has a high respiration rate and short shelf-life. The loss in quality is observed through the wrinkling of stems, loss of green colour and toughening. The objective of this study was to reduce the spear lignification and maintain the quality of asparagus using electrostatic atomised water particle (EAWP) treatment. Asparagus were treated with EAWPs for 0 (control) and 90 min and kept at 4 °C

Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) represents an examplar rootstock in modern training programmes to escalate pear production worldwide because of its dwarfing characteristic and precocity. However, iron deficiency often poses a hard hurdle to overcome for developing quince grafted pears in calcareous and alkaline soils. In North China, we observed that the high-quality pear cultivar Huangguan (Pynus bretschneideri

Anthocyanins, which commonly exist in fruits, have substantial benefits for human health. Fragaria nilgerrensis and F. pentaphylla are two species of wild strawberry with white and red fruits, respectively. To understand the molecular mechanism that underlies the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in strawberry, combined analyses of transcriptomics and metabolomics were conducted between the two species

Pumpkin seed protein hydrolysate (PH) is a biostimulant product that contains high antioxidant activities, peptides and amino acids. This biostimulant is able to improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, including salinity. A pot experiment was conducted during summer season of 2018, with the aim of determining growth and productivity, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant system components

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter is the largest gene family and is associated with the transport of various molecules, such as heavy metal ions, secondary metabolites, and phytohormones. Strawberry is an important berry fruit and a model plant for studying fleshy fruits. However, the ABC gene family has not been identified in strawberry. In present study, 115 putative ABC genes were identified

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of proline in relieving the growth inhibition of lettuce grown under low potassium conditions. Lettuce was hydroponically grown in a half-strength Enshi formula nutrient solution containing 2 mM K+ and treated with exogenous prolines (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mM). The results revealed that exogenous proline applications with 1.0 and 1.5 mM alleviated

In order to study the effect of soil texture and irrigation management on flower and corm yield of saffron (Crocus sativus L.), an experiment was conducted at research field of Agricultural Faculty of Sarayan, University of Birjand during two growing seasons (2013–2015). The study was performed as factorial based on Randomized Complete Block Design. Experimental factors were irrigation intervals (every

The objective of this research was to determine the role that ethylene plays in superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene expression of apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) during ripening. Apple fruit at commercial maturity were treated with ethylene antagonists 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and stored at shelf temperature of 20 °C. Our data indicated that application of 1-MCP resulted in a reduced rate of

Two-year-old pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) plants of the commercial cultivars Wonderful (W) and Parfianka (P) were subjected for 47 days in the substrate to four salt concentrations (0, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl), in order to evaluate their strategies in terms of Na+/Cl− translocation and tissue/organ compartmentalization, as well as of antioxidant and osmoprotectant mechanisms. Regardless of salt

The apple (Malus × domestica) fruit consists of two main fleshy tissues, cortex and pith, that are of diverse origins and contribute differentially to final fruit size. The contribution of these fruit spatial constituents to variation in fruit morphology has not been determined previously. We developed an image-analysis based method that uses two-dimensional images of the fruit sectioned in the proximo-distal

The aim of the study was to examine the responses of mature ‘Red Jonaprince’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) trees/M.26 to molybdenum (Mo) sprays. The experiment was conducted in Central Poland in 2017-2018 at high-density orchard growing on strongly acidified coarse-textured soil with low Mo availability. Trees were sprayed with Mo in the form of sodium molybdate before bloom (at pink bud), at bloom

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is distributed in all grapevine-growing regions worldwide, resulting in significant economic losses. In this study, ribavirin (15 and 25 μg/mL, R15 and R25), high temperature (37 °C, T), and a combined treatment (R15 + T and R25 + T) were used to eliminate the virus from in vitro GLRaV-3-infected Vitis champini plantlets. The phytotoxicity of ribavirin

When the natural photoperiod is short, electric lighting can be used to promote flowering of a wide range of ornamental long-day plants (LDP) grown inside greenhouses. A combination of red (R; 600–700 nm) and far-red (FR; 700–800 nm) radiation is effective when delivered at a low intensity (1–2 μmol m−2 s−1), but recent research shows blue (B; 400–500 nm) radiation can also be effective. We performed

Salt stress negatively impacted growth and physiological processes in plants, and the effects involved oxidative damages within cell and cell organelles. In this study, four different genotypes (CG, KM, XX, and ZM-H) of Actinidia germplasm resources were exposed to CK, 0.3 %, and 0.6 % NaCl concentrations for 15 days. We measured the growth, physiological and biochemical indicators in leaves, shoots

As a powerful technique, gene transformation can produce new lily cultivars with specific characteristics such as new flower colors and resistance to pathogens. However, it is difficult to use this technique in monocot plants like lilies. A new phenolic compound called ‘chloroxynil’ has been introduced to replace ‘acetosyringone’ and is considered to improve transformation efficiency of Lilium. Our

To evaluate the effect of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) on the growth, some physiological traits, essential oil (EO) content and composition of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum cv. Keshkeni luvelu) under salinity stress, a pot factorial experiment in randomized complete design with three replications was done. Treatments included salinity stress levels (0, 40, 80, and 120 mM NaCl) and superabsorbents

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the phenolic acids and flavonoids contents from flower bud to flower senescence stages (7 stages) in cut H3O roses every other day. Some phenolic acids (Gallic, Caffeic, Caftaric, Chlorogenic, Chiconic, Coumaric, Sinapic, and Ferulic) and flavonoids (Catechin, Pelargonidin chloride, Cyanidin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin) were detected in the methanolic extract

Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for growth and development of crop plants and are required in large quantities for crops. However, nitrogen is less available to plants due to leaching, volatilization and denitrification and phosphorus due to insolubility that result in even higher fertilizer input. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have the potential to improve nutrient availability

Brassica is a key agricultural genus, containing oilseed and vegetable crops, which includes three major genomes (A, B and C), distributed in diploid (genomes: AA, BB and CC) and allotetraploid species (genomes: AABB, AACC and BBCC). Interspecific hybridization between Brassica species is an important way to combine valuable characters from the different species. In the present study, distant hybridization

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone that acts in different physiological plant processes and is considered an efficient elicitor in the production of secondary metabolites, including essential oils. The effects of SA on biomass production, primary metabolites contents and nutrients in leaves of Achillea millefolium L. plants were evaluated. Additionally, the effect of SA on the quantity

In Colombia, Tahiti acid lime production value ranks among the most important fruits in the country. Despite its economic importance, productivity loss in Tolima department orchards has been reported due to a physiological disorder or “phisiopathy”, related to water and nutrition stress which causes descending tissue death. This study aimed to assess the response of Tahiti acid lime trees to three

The postharvest longevity and quality of cut flowers are affected by floral senescence and petal abscission, which primarily result from both ethylene production in the floral organs (such as the petals and gynoecium) and microbial growth in the xylem vessels in ethylene-sensitive flowers, while microbial growth plays a more crucial role in ethylene-insensitive flowers. Several approaches have been

Chromoplast differentiation during flesh development in different watermelon varieties was observed by optical and transmission electron microscopy. Carotenoid analyses by LC–MS/MS revealed that red-fleshed watermelon mainly accumulated lycopene, which eventually shaped into a crystalloid chromoplast near maturation, while the accumulation of other carotenoids led to the formation of globular chromoplasts

Genetic basis of melon morphology has been well-studied over the past few years. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based genetic markers are widely being used for QTLs and gene(s) detection. In this study, we reported genetic linkage mapping and QTLs detection of ovary-related traits in melon using whole genome re-sequencing and newly developed SNPs based cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence

Angiosperms exhibit a wide diversity of fruit with different anatomical traits which reflect their main characteristics, such as metabolism and dispersal system. Fruit pericarp, which in true fruit derives exclusively from ovarian tissues, is always composed by three portions known as exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp; nevertheless, relevant differences exist between and within the different fruit types

The fine details of freezing behavior in flower buds during deacclimation and their exothermic characteristics are poorly understood with the use of differential thermal analysis (DTA). Understanding how spring frosts affect cold tolerance of flower buds is a fundamental question in deciduous fruit species and will be useful in developing cold-tolerant varieties and species. The occurrence of cell

The Sardinian pear germplasm is an important resource of genetic diversity that can be used for increasing data on European pear germplasm, to optimise the efficiency of the association studies within the genome and to identify genomic regions that control the main horticultural traits. A set of 108 Sardinian pear genotypes, composed of 81 Pyrus communis cultivars, 24 wild populations of P. spinosa

Soils and irrigation waters contain multiple types of salt, each of which may exert different effects on plant cultivation. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of different salt sources (CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2, MgCl2, MgSO4, NaCl and Na2SO4) in irrigation water with different salinity levels (0.7, 1.5, 2.5 and 4.0 dS/m) on growth, yield and quality parameters of stevia in addition to soil

The microRNA (miRNA) molecules class is the most studied class of non-coding RNA. These molecules regulate the developmental program in plants including fruit ripening. Therefore, a rapid increase in the miRNA discovery rate has been reported. MiRNAs are mainly registered in the miRBase database, in spite that such database had been out of maintenance and update since 2014 to 2018. However, the miRBase

Off-season flowering in red pitaya (Hylocereus sp.) can be achieved by night-breaking (NB) with artificial light in a noninductive season. To ensure abundant flowering, 4–6 h of NB is applied and often resulted in over flowering. This study compared the effects of four NB durations (4 h [2200–0200HR], 2 h [2300–0100HR], 1 h [2330–0030HR], and 0.5 h [2345–0015HR]) on floral bud formation in late autumn

High bicarbonate concentration in alkaline and calcareous soils as well as irrigation water is the most important inducing factor of Fe chlorosis in plant species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Fe chlorosis induced by sodium bicarbonate (15 (Moderate bicarbonate, MB) and 30 (High bicarbonate, HB) mM) as well as using different Fe sources (FeEDTA(FE) and FeSO4 7 H2O (FS))

To characterize transcriptional regulation of the abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction pathway during peach fruit early development and ripening, genes encoding the core components of the pathway, including 7 PpPYR (ABA receptor), 10 PpPP2C (type 2C protein phosphatase), and 7 PpSnRK2 (subfamily 2 of SNF1-related kinases), were identified from the peach (Prunus persica) reference genome. PpPYRs

Polyamines (PAs), including putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), play key roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic/biotic stress tolerance. Their functions appear to be intimately related to their synthesis, which occurs via arginine/ornithine decarboxylase (ADC/ODC), Spd synthase (SPDS) and Spm synthase (SPMS) etc. Previously, the transcriptional regulation of cherry under

Utilizing inorganic nitrogen (N) derived from cover crop decomposition by subsequent plant cultivation is important. Its correlation with microbial β-glucosidase enzyme (BG) activity and soil microbial biomass (SMB) as well as cover crop types remains poorly known. Hence, we evaluated the effects of rye, hairy vetch (HV), and their mixture (rye+HV) on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by lettuce and soil

Flammulina velutipes is a commercially important mushroom that widely cultivated in East Asia. Sawdust spawn is extensively adopted in the cultivation of mushrooms including F. velutipes. Recently, the use of liquid spawn has become increasingly popular in mushroom cultivation in China and many other countries. Owing to the high risk of bacterial contamination in a submerged culture of mushroom mycelium

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of varying levels of irrigation and fertilizer on the growth and development of potted sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. ‘Choco Sun’). Irrigation was applied automatically to maintain targeted rootzone water potentials representing excess (−5 kPa), normal (−10 kPa), or limited (−15 kPa) irrigation. Controlled-release fertilizer (15N-3.9P-10K) was applied

The present study was conducted on onion variety ‘Punjab Naroya’ in a factorial randomized block design during 2016−17 and 2017−18 in a loamy sand alluvial soil of semi-arid region. There were 14 treatments consisting of two factors. Factor I comprised two levels of mineral fertilizers (100% NPK and 75% NPK) and factor II consisted of six combinations of microbial inoculants along with a control. Microbial

Salinity stress remains a major global impediment to agricultural productivity. Recent studies have shown that pre-exposure to mild stress primes plants against subsequent stress events, this is termed acclimation. However, it is not well-known if cultivar differences influence the salinity acclimation process. Moreover, the key regulatory physiological processes underlying salinity acclimation in

Hypericum ericoides is a rock plant of potential ornamental use in sustainable gardening in Mediterranean urban environment. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of temperature, light, salinity and soil moisture at the stage of plant life most sensitive to abiotic stresses (seed germination). The results indicate that light is not a germination requirement, while temperature the main