Salinity and drought are two major abiotic stresses that limit plant growth and productivity through their adverse effects on diverse physiological processes in plants, especially their photosynthetic capacity. Application of indigenous stress-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is among the eco-friendly strategies employed to ameliorate the harmful effects of salinity/drought stresses

Cuscuta australis R.Br. is a stem parasite that obtains water and nutrients from host plants, with which it also exchanges proteins and mRNAs with host plants. Recently, a study found that novel miRNAs accumulated during C. campestris Yunk. parasitism of Arabidopsis thaliana L. However, the fate of miRNAs transferred from parasite to host plants as well as their targets has remained unexamined. To

The BRANCHED1 (BRC1) gene has been reported as a key regulator of shoot branching in many model plants. However, its role in the shoot branching process of grapevine has not been described. In this present study, we isolated VvBRC, a member of the Teosinte branched 1/cycloidea/proliferating cell factor 1 (TCP) transcription factor family, from grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). The VvBRC protein was localized

High temperature poses a major threat to sustainable development of the lettuce industry. Investigation of the mechanisms that regulate heat stress responses has great significance. Four lettuce accessions-two thermotolerant and two thermosensitive cultivars-were selected for comparative analysis. Subsequently, the metabolic changes in lettuce in response to heat treatment were investigated using untargeted

Tree peony (Paeonia Sect. Moutan) is widely grown as an ornamental plant and is known for its ‘National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance’. However, the genetic improvement of floral scent traits is fundamentally limited by the paucity of genomic marker resources. Given the large-scale development of microsatellite markers using transcriptome sequences, we conducted an association analysis to identify

In horticultural crop production, accurately estimating the canopy photosynthetic rate (Ac) based on greenhouse climate conditions is of practical value for predicting and controlling crop growth and yield. We developed a method for continuously estimating Ac in a greenhouse from readily obtainable information (i.e., climatic data and canopy photographs) by combining a canopy photosynthesis model with

This study investigated the endogenous phytosulfokine α (PSKα) signaling during opening and senescence in rose flowers. Our results showed that the higher phytosulfokines (PSKs) and tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase (TPST) expression could be responsible for higher endogenous PSKα accumulation in petals during rose flowers opening (stages 2 and 3). By triggering the endogenous PSKα signaling, higher

Anthocyanin is a widely distributed flavonoid pigment that confers plant red color. The biosynthesis of anthocyanin associated with onset of color in developing plants has been well documented. However, whether anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway still functions in fruit at senescent stage remains unclear. In this study we investigated the metabolism of anthocyanin in litchi, a red fruit whose color fades

Atlantic Giant (AG), the world largest pumpkin, was bred through continuously crosses and strict selections from the small fruit ancestor. To understand the change caused by the artificial cross and selection in the recent 100 years, differences of morphology, anatomy and physiology between two cultivars with distinct fruit size in Cucurbita maxima, AG and Hubbard were investigated. Comparing with

Dopamine is produced in plants and plays a vital role in improving plant responses to abiotic stress. Tyrosine decarboxylase (TYDC) synthesizes tyramine from tyrosine, thereby providing the substrate for dopamine production. However, the function of TYDC in response to drought stress in apple plants remains unclear. In this study, transgenic apple plants that overexpressed MdTYDC were exposed to drought

Chilling stress is a type of low temperature stress that occurs when plants are exposed to temperatures below optimum but above 0 °C. It determines the geographical distribution of crop species that are of tropic and sub-tropic origin and causes huge losses every year. Thus, besides developing stress tolerant crop varieties, the use of various substances has become an important way of alleviating the

Fruit ripening is a complicated process that is influenced by diverse factors at different regulation levels. The microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous small noncoding RNAs, are recently demonstrated to regulate several critical biological processes in various aspects of the fruit's life cycle. In this paper, to gain more insights into the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in apple fruit ripening

In the future climate scenario the transient warm spells during winter are predicted to become more frequent and potentially increase the risk of frost damage in perennial horticultural crops. The aim of our study was to examine, whether apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), and raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) cultivars differing in winter hardiness have a different susceptibility

In the present study, three field experiments were conducted to study the effect of sulfur (S) fertilization on yield and biochemical quality of garlic as well as S uptake and thiosulfinate concentration in garlic during the period 2014-17. The experiment consisted of six S treatments (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 kg S ha−1), and each treatment was replicated four times. The yield, total protein concentration

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for human health and functions in preventing cancer, boosting immunity, detoxifying cells. Horticultural plants require Se for people's diet, and its mechanisms in plant metabolism and functions are necessary. This review mainly focuses on five aspects of Se in plants, its content, metabolism, functions in the growth and development of horticultural crops

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in plant growth and development, as well as in response to multiple stresses. In recent years, multiple studies have shown that miRNAs participate in regulating diverse aspects of the plant-pathogen interactions, but little is known about the potential existence and functional roles of pathogen-responsive miRNAs in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh

NAC proteins, as one of the largest plant-specific transcription factors, play key roles in plant growth, development process, and various abiotic/biotic stresses. In this study, 90 NAC transcription factors (TFs) were identified in the eggplant genome, among them, 80 NAC genes from eggplant (SmNAC) were anchored unevenly in 12 chromosomes, but 10 SmNAC genes were mapped on unanchored scaffolds. Phylogenetic

As all perishable fruit, peaches must be stored in cold temperature during transportation for maintenance of fruit quality. Australian peaches exported to China must undergo fumigation quarantine treatments prior to shipment for biosecurity reasons. ‘August Flame’ peaches were fumigated with methyl bromide (MB) at the low dosage of 18 g/m3 for 5.5 h at flesh temperature of 18 °C, as a biosecurity disinfestation

Near eating-stage fruit of ‘Hayward’ and ‘Qihong’ kiwifruit (firmness 20 N) were treated with 0.5 µL L −1 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 12 h at room temperature (23 ±1 °C), and then stored at 23 ± 1 °C for several days. Compared with control fruit, 1-MCP greatly delayed loss of firmness, and extended the room-temperature shelf life of ready-to-eat kiwifruit by an extra 8 d (‘Hayward’) or 10 d (‘Qihong’)

The purpose of the present study was to establish an efficient and stable callus genetic transformation system for Pyrus armeniacaefolia. Fruits 15 days after flowering were used for callus inducing. Major factors that influence growth state of callus (concentrations of plant growth regulators, subculture cycle) and transformation (Agrobacterium tumefaciens concentration, infection time, co-culture

Malus hupehensis is regarded as a superior rootstock in China. In this study, in order to investigate the mechanism by which MeJA promotes and affects lateral root (LR) development, M. hupehensis seedlings were treated with exogenous applications of 1 μM methyl-jasmonate (MeJA). Results indicated that MeJA treatment promoted LR development, but inhibited shoot development. MeJA treatment increased

Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by the soil-borne Ralstonia solanacearum, is a major disease in cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Host resistance provides an environment-friendly and cost-effective strategy to control this disease. To investigate quantitative trait loci (QTL) for BW resistance, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a core collection of 191 tomato varieties.

The production of a single stem, which is a characteristic of most members of the Arecaceae family, is a distinctive feature of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). This feature has been a constant for many palm species since the late Cretaceous period, but rare cases of shoot branching in coconut do occur. This original feature

Breeding for high-yielding genotypes with enhanced fruit quality under challenging environmental conditions such as reduced water supply will be the next target of tomato breeders in the nearby future. In this study, we assessed yield and a broad set of fruit quality attributes in four Solanum pennellii introgression lines, previously selected according to their drought resistance at seed level (IL

The common split-gilled mushroom, Schizophyllum commune Fr., is an edible medicinal mushroom found growing on wood under natural conditions across the globe. The present study was carried out to investigate the morphological and anatomical features of the basidiocarp and the cultural characteristics of S. commune along with identification of locally available agricultural residues as a potential substrate

Phalaenopsis is the most economically important flower crops wildly but hardly tolerated to low-temperature stress. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species was participated in many chilling-response processes. In this study, the efficiency and mechanism of chilling tolerance induced by transient oxidative shock with H2O2 pretreatment were investigated. Phalaenopsis seedlings demonstrated

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are key regulators in the cellular redox state and play pivotal roles in both plant development and responses to stress stimuli. Here, we found 45 GRX gene members in cucumber, 16 of which were classified as CC-type. These CC-type GRXs were shown to be highly conserved among cucumber, Arabidopsis thaliana, and rice, according to our bioinformatic analyzes results. Cucumber CC-type

The present study investigated the influence of environmental conditions (growing regions and/or fruit-harvesting periods) and cultivar on fruit phytochemical content and quality parameters of “salad-type” fresh market tomatoes grown in protected soilless culture under non-temperature-controlled high tunnels. Sixteen high yielding hybrid tomato cultivars of indeterminate growth were grown in three

Antifungal composite edible coatings (ECs) formulated with pregelatinized potato starch (PPS, 1.0–2.0% w/w) as biopolymer, glyceryl monostearate (GMS, 0.5–1.5%, w/w) as hydrophobe, glycerol (Gly, 0.5–1.5%, w/w) as plasticizer, and sodium benzoate (SB, 2%, w/w) as antifungal agent were optimized using the Box–Behnken response surface methodology to extend the postharvest life of ‘Orri’ mandarins. The

Recently, colder weather has been occurring frequently in winter due to climate change, and this has a negative effect on the production of late maturing citrus cultivar such as Shiranuhi mandarin. Therefore, we investigated how freezing at a low temperature affects cold tolerance, fruit characteristics, amino acid content, volatile compounds, and antioxidant activity of Shiranuhi mandarin. A tree

Citrus latifolia is increasingly being cultivated in Mediterranean areas, where the need for precise irrigation implies a sound knowledge of the crop's water requirements, which is carried out by monitoring the tree water status in the plant-soil-atmosphere system. Two year-old lime trees (Citrus latifolia Tan. cv. Bearss) were cultivated in 45 L weighing pot-lysimeters filled with a clay-loam soil

The study focuses on determining the relationship between the degradation of lignocellulosic fractions of substrates used in Hypsizygus ulmarius cultivation and mushroom yield in order to present a wider range of data on the needs of the fungus. In the study, H. ulmarius was cultivated on bean straw (BS), corn silage (CS) and wheat straw (WS), poplar sawdust (PPS), pine sawdust (PS) and spent mushroom

Heavy metals (HMs) are essential to plant life in suitable amounts, but cellular damage might be caused by excess amounts of HMs. In recent years, most reports on unique metal stresses, such as chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), have utilized radish, especially Liwang Liu's laboratory. However, major activated genes related to HM stress shared in Cr, Pb and Cd stress and their related specific

Norwegian plum production is characterized by climatic limitations, different flowering time, deficiently of wholly-adapted cultivars and appropriate pollen donors for cultivars that can be grown in this region. This study evaluated the progamic phase of fertilization and fruit set in four European plum cultivars (´Mallard´, ´Edda´, ´Jubileum´, and ´Reeves´) after crossing with different pollinizers

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a vital vegetable crop worldwide. Mg2+ and NO3− in the surface soil are the major limiting factors to continuous cropping in the main cucumber-producing areas of Shandong province in China. This study aimed to understand the magnesium nitrate- adaption in cucumber. Using a relatively salt tolerant cultivar ‘MC2065’ as experiment material, we analyzed the rate of water

Postharvest broccoli heads undergo yellowing quickly in unsuitable conditions, which diminishes their quality and commercial value. We investigated the pattern and molecular regulatory mechanism of chlorophyll (Chl) degradation in broccoli under elevated O2 controlled atmosphere. As results, the 40% O2 + 5% CO2 treatment accelerated the Chl degradation and the change in color of postharvest broccoli

As water quality and availability decreases in many parts of the world, salinity is becoming a major challenge that reduces crop yield, even in soilless cultivation systems. Therefore, novel strategies are needed to promote plant salt tolerance in these systems. We hypothesized that the non-essential element silicon (Si) and plant-growth promoting Bacillus spp. can alleviate salt stress of cucumber

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a globally popular tropical fruit that can either be used in an unripe, “mature green” state in savory dishes, or consumed when ripe and sweet. In recent years, commercial papaya growers in southern Florida have favored large-fruited accessions often destined for the mature green market. Increased cultivation of papayas for the dessert fruit market, especially varieties

Carotenoids are essential nutrients for the human body and contribute to the coloration and aroma traits of crops. Among plant volatile components, β-ionone has profound effects on scent and aroma due to its very low odor thresholds. In plants, β-ionone is produced from β-carotene (β,β-carotene) by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), especially members of its CCD1 subfamily. In this study, we

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a geophyte plant belonging to the Iridaceae family and it is appreciated for its red dried stigmas used as cooking spice and flavouring agent. Effects of crop cycle length and mother corm dimension, as well as their interaction, have been evaluated on the flowering (morphological traits of flowers, days to flowering, flowering interval and flower production), quantitative

In the present study, we examined the impact of three seed priming agents; H2O2, GA3 and NaCl on the oxidative stress status in primed seed germination dynamics and growth establishment of cauliflower seedlings subsequently grown under salt stress. Results showed beneficial effect of all priming agents in improving plant responses to salinity. However, specific differences, depending on development

The aim of this study was to investigate the metaxenia effect of pollen grain hormones of date palm pollinators on the hormones of different stages of fruit growth. The relationships between auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin and abscisic acid hormones of ‘Shahani’, ‘Kabkab’, ‘Zahedi’, ‘Beraem’, ‘Faryab’, ‘Sheikhali’, ‘Fard’ and ‘Jarvis’ pollen grains with the amount of the same hormones in different stages

B-box (BBX) proteins are one kind of zinc-finger transcription factors that play critical roles in plant development, growth and multiple stress responses. Ipomoea trifida is the closest diploid wild ancestor of sweet potato, and its genome has been released. However, no comprehensive study has yet been carried out on the BBX genes in Ipomoea species. In this study, a total of 34 BBX (ItfBBX) genes

Banana quality and ripening stages were studied at four different temperatures (20, 25, 27.5, and 30 °C) using a smartphone camera and an artificial neural network (ANN). Changes in chemical and physical properties such as firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and ratio of pulp to peel, were determined and the relationship with color features (L*a*b*, hue, saturation, value [HSV], and luminance

The effect of ergothioneine (EGT) on postharvest quality and possible browning mechanisms in button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) was investigated. Mushrooms were sprayed with 0.12 mmol L − 1 EGT solution, and then stored at 4 °C for 17 d Results demonstrated that EGT treatment effectively delayed the decline of lightness (L*) value and firmness, maintained higher levels of total phenolics and ascorbic

The aim of this study was to explore the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in ethanol fermentation during postharvest ripening of Nanguo pear fruit (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.). Pears harvest at commercial maturity were treated with 100 μmol L−1 ABA or its biosynthesis inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). Our data indicated that ABA treatment promoted respiration rate and ethylene production during

Pyrus pyrifolia, which is famous for its delicate flesh, is the most widely cultivated oriental pear. Stone cell content is an important factor affecting P. pyrifolia fruit quality. However, the mechanism underlying stone cell development remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, the content and distribution of stone cells of two cultivars of P. pyrifolia, namely, ‘Twentieth Century’ (TC) and

Ephemeral flower deaths occur within 24 h of flowering in the genus Hemerocallis. The senescence of plant organs is owing to the loss of cell wall cohesion. Pectin is the most structurally complex plant cell wall polysaccharide and has an important role in cell-to-cell adhesion. In this study, we used histological stains, immunolocalization and pectin characterization analyses to examine the dynamic

Shading/dark stress of leaves is a common phenomenon during cultivation of grape. The morphological and photosynthetic characteristics of grape leaves are considerably affected under shading. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of shade/dark inhibition effect on grape leaf area at the transcriptome level. We conducted the transcriptome of dark-treated grape leaves using RNA-Seq

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient to plants, but in most of the vineyard soils, its amount surpasses the threshold value recommended by the European Union. With this work, we intended to evaluate the growth, morpho-histological traits and nucleolar activity in leaves and roots of three grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties (‘Donzelinho Branco’, ‘Verdelho’ and ‘Bastardo’). Forced cuttings of

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important subtropical fruit crop with high economic and nutritional values. Fruit coloration is a sign of litchi fruit ripening and an important external quality traits. Two continuous generations of mutants, named MS1 and MS2, originally derived from cultivar ‘Heli’, exhibited the distinctive characteristic of late maturation of 20 d, with observable delays in

Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, also known as citrus greening, is a severe threat for citrus fruit cultivation industry. Till date, neither any effective radical method to control HLB nor HLB resistant cultivar is developed. The aim of this study was to provide clues for unraveling the molecular regulatory mechanism of citrus in response to HLB, and to provide reference gene for breeding of HLB resistant

Melatonin (MEL) hormone regulates plant growth and development and increases plant resistance against stress conditions. In the present this study, effects of external melatonin treatments (0, 50 µM, 100 µM and 200 µM) under different soil salinity levels (0.27 dSm−1, 2.50 dSm−1, 5.0 dSm−1 and 8.0 dSm−1) on seedling growth parameters, stomatal conductance (gs), chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and

Boron has been described as essential micronutrient for the development of some plants, including the vine. The objective of this study was to determine whether different applications of boron directly to bunches had any effect on vineyard productivity, chemical composition and on grape physical properties. The results obtained after two years trial indicated that boron sprays increased the productive

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of coating treatment using a composite of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), chitosan and natamycin (NATA) on the quality and antioxidant capacity of Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba cv. Junzao) stored at different temperatures (Room temperature and 0 ± 1 °C). Respiration, ethylene release, and decay rates; Malondialdehyde (MDA); total phenol, flavonoid