The ongoing global spread of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) poses an endemic threat to tomato production in all tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In Oman, TYLCV evolved into the new species Tomato leaf curl Oman virus (ToLCOMV) by recombination with Papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV). In March 2017, during a field survey of Sindh province of Pakistan, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum

The distribution and frequency of potato leaf roll virus in the four most important potato growing regions in Serbia were studied during the seven years (2012–18). One hundred randomly collected potato tubers were sampled from each seed lot. The young leaves that developed in three weeks were sampled and tested to record infection rate. The presence of potato leaf roll virus was detected by double-antibody

Nature exposure during childhood is thought to foster habits and preferences leading to greater nature exposure in adult life, thus providing an indirect route to increased mental and physical well-being, and greater engagement in pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). We explored the relationships between childhood nature experience (CNE) and time spent in nature, landscape preferences, biodiversity exposure

The detrimental effects of Huanglongbing (HLB) on citrus are well known and so is the need for effective methods to combat this disease. Solar thermotherapy (ST), one of the management methods to help alleviate some of the negative effects of HLB, is the process of heating trees to therapeutic temperatures by encompassing the tree within a plastic structure (Visqueen) to harness the sun's natural energy

(2021). Obituary. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology. Ahead of Print.

The fig rust (Cerotelium fici) is the upmost important disease in fig but there are few studies on the effect of temperature and wetness period on the pathogen and on the disease. To improve the epidemiological knowledge of this pathosystem the germination of urediniospores and monocycle components were studied: incubation period (IP), latent period (LP) and number of pustules/leaf area, comparing

This research was investigated to assess the effect of fly ash (FA) on the growth, yield, biochemical attributes, and enzymatic antioxidant response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Avrodhi). After evaluating soil and FA nutrient status by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), different concentrations of FA with soil were applied (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%). Chickpea plants grown at all FA-amended

Grafting is an important practice in mango (Mangifera indica L.) orchard management for propagating elite germplasm but there is limited information on the effect of rootstock-scion interactions on the mineral nutrition of mango. Here, we analyzed the variations in leaf nutrients of commercial (‘B74’ and ‘Kensington Pride’ [KP]) and newly developed cultivars from the National Mango Breeding Program

While ecosystem service (ES) assessments become a more and more important source of knowledge, there is a need for synthesis approaches that make the results usable to support decisions. Effective synthesis approaches can reduce the information burden produced by multiple ES assessments and help decision-makers to compare alternative options and to assess their impacts. In this review, we focus on

Public open space (POS) is a component of the urban built environment that is considered crucial for people’s mental health. Most studies, however, have focused on the quantity of POS, and those investigating the association between POS quality and mental health are limited. Through a 2018 survey of 590 residents and 160 POSs in Zhuhai, this study explored the association between both the quantity

Aspiring towards cities that are sustainable and equitable, as detailed by Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has become increasingly relevant given the growing human population in urban areas. A key part of guaranteeing that cities meet Goal 11 is to ensure equitable access to urban green spaces, and the biodiversity that they support, for all residents. However, there is

ABSTRACT Agriculture needs to supply food for a growing population whilst also minimising the environmental impact, and the adoption of sustainable agriculture systems has been proposed as a solution to achieve this. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of seven fertilisation treatments (FT1-FT6 organic fertilisers, FT7 conventional fertiliser) and two irrigation methods (drenching

ABSTRACT Intercropping medicinal plants with grain legumes provides an excellent opportunity for small-scale farmers to generate more income and move towards sustainable cropping systems. The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on yield, quality and nutrient uptake of isabgol and lentil, when grown as monocrops or in various intercropping ratios, were evaluated. Inoculation with

Both the number of fruit in a cluster and the K:N ratio in the nutrient solution can affect the yield and quality of greenhouse-grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). To prevent the loss of photoassimilates to fruit at the end of clusters, which rarely mature and ripen, it is necessary to know the optimal number of fruit in a cluster under different nutritional conditions. In this study, we investigated

In this study, we investigated the impact of rainfall rate and temperature during fruit development on chilling injury (CI) of Queen pineapples (Ananas comosus L. Merr) after cold storage at 13 °C. The pineapples were induced to flower in October 2016 and May 2017. Rainfall and field temperature during fruit development were recorded. The fruit were harvested in March 2017 and October 2017 (135 d after

Frigida genes play a key role in regulating flowering time in plants. In this study, we identified 12 PmFRL genes and named them according to their chromosomal positions. These genes are unevenly distributed on five chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis of Frigida-like proteins of four Rosaceae species and Arabidopsis thaliana showed that these proteins could be divided into five subfamilies (I–V), and

The pathogenic fungus Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (Nd) is the causal agent of pitaya canker and causes significant yield losses. The mechanism by which Nd invades pitaya stems remains largely unknown. Here, quantitative proteomic analysis was employed to investigate pitaya immune responses against Nd infection. A total of 2766 proteins including 244 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified

Urban areas are quickly expanding in the southeastern United States with varying effects on biodiversity. Maintaining bird richness in cities is essential for conserving ecosystem function. In this study, we determined the relative importance of landscape composition and configuration on urban avian richness in the southeastern U.S. We used linear models to explore the influence of the proportion,

In agriculture, LED light sources have increasingly replaced the standard luminescent lamps and have acquired an important role in plant micropropagation. We studied the effect of different light sources such as narrow-band LEDs (bright blue, blue, green, yellow, deep red, and red) and wide-band LEDs (cold white, white, warm white, full spectrum, and an artificial solar spectrum sun box constructed

Plant viruses are mainly transmitted by insect vectors in the non-persistent, semi-persistent, or persistent modes. In the non-persistent mode, plant viruses are retained in the stylets of their insect vectors. In the semi-persistent mode, plant viruses are carried to vector foreguts or salivary glands, but they cannot spread to salivary glands. In the persistent mode, plant viruses are retained in

Human perception of place refers to residents' psychological feelings about urban areas. Many studies of human perceptions have focused on a specific geographic location. Whether the distribution of human perceptions in continuous city space shows specific characteristics and how to disclose these phenomena remains a direction worth exploring. Due to cities' heterogeneity, quantitatively identifying

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown the conversion of the perennial kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) to continuously flowering allows rapid cycling of generations. These plants are smaller, flower earlier and do not undergo dormancy. They provide a model system to rapidly test gene function in flowers and fruit, and allows for continuous production of fruit rather than seasonal production. In this study

ABSTRACT Diospyros Kaki Cv (Qiyuezao) 117 is an early ripening persimmon cultivar, ready to be harvested in August. One of the pitfalls of this cultivar is the development of cracks on its surface. These cracks turn brown after astringency removal, preventing the commercialisation of this cultivar. Pre-harvest treatment with Superlon™ (containing benzyl adenine (BA) + gibberellic acid (GA4+7) at 40

In contrast to fluorescent lamps and high-power sodium lamps, the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps enables the control of not only photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) at the plant level, but also the relative spectral photon flux density distribution (RSPD) of light because of the variety, even at different times of day, of producible light emitted by LEDs of different types. Effects of

Recently, the number of patients with chronic kidney disease has increased rapidly and kidneys with loss of the K-defecating function have been observed. Thus, providing vegetables with low potassium is an urgent unmet need. In this study, two cultivation methods were used to cultivate lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) with low K concentrations. One method, dubbed LKEC, was based on electrical conductance

Low-potassium crops are required for patients with kidney disease, and research on the production of low-potassium vegetables using hydroponics has been conducted. However, there are few studies on low-potassium fruit trees because the soil is generally cultivated. This study focused on blueberries that can be cultivated in a pot, by examining the production of low-potassium blueberry fruits cultured

Noninvasive diagnosis of internal traits in fruit crops is a high unmet need; however it generally requires time, costs, and special methods or facilities. Recent progress in deep neural network (or deep learning) techniques would allow easy, but highly accurate diagnosis with single RGB images, and the latest applications enable visualization of “the reasons for each diagnosis” by backpropagation

The number of leaves in ‘Delaware’ grape is an excellent indicator to determine the optimal timing for gibberellic acid (GA3) application to fruit clusters to induce seedless berries. To predict the optimal timing for GA3 application to ‘Delaware’ grape, we aimed to develop a method to estimate the accumulated leaf number (LN) on the second shoot (which grows from the second dormant bud from the end

Spring cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) is a crop type in which sowing is performed in fall and harvesting in spring. The flower bud differentiation, explained as the phase transition from the vegetative phase to reproductive phase, is induced by chilling after a certain plant size, then the risk of premature bolting is triggered by long days and high temperatures. Farmers empirically avoid

To elucidate the phytohormone profiles associated with various stages of growing and ripening of small watermelon fruits, small watermelon fruits were collected 7 to 35 days after flowering (DAF) and divided into rind, pulp, and seeds. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), trans-zeatin (tZ), isopentenyl adenine (iP), jasmonic acid (JA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), gibberellin1 (GA1), and gibberellin4

‘Micro-Tom’, a dwarf tomato cultivar, has been used as a convenient model system in tomato research. Previous studies have shown that several genes are involved in the phenotype, but to date no study has focused on the fruit weight. In this study, we tried to clarify genetic factors that regulate the fruit weight of ‘Micro-Tom’ using an F2 population derived from ‘Micro-Tom’ and ‘MPK-1’, a mid-size

Fruit Brix is an important indicator in determining the quality of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), and increasing it is an important objective. The production of high Brix tomatoes requires breeding and genetic studies of fruit. During domestication S. lycopersicum lost genetic variation of some wild tomato relative that could be useful for breeding. In this study, we investigated introgression lines

Evergreen azalea is one of the most important ornamental shrubs and pot plants in temperate zones worldwide. In Japan, hundreds of azalea cultivars have been bred based on the genetic diversity of wild species and various accumulated mutants since the middle of the 17th century. Japanese cultivar groups such as Edo-kirishima, Kurume-tsutsuji, Ryūkyū-tsutsuji, Hirado-tsutsuji, and Satsuki have been

To prevent the decay of satsuma mandarin fruit during the distribution process, we investigated the effect of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation and temperature treatment (TT) on scoparone (a phytoalexin) production in fruits. To this end, the fruits were maintained at 20°C for 24 h following irradiation, and then the scoparone content was measured after export to Singapore by sea freight or after domestic

To improve the yield of sweet peppers in Japan, we investigated the relationships between plant growth characteristics and fruit yield, with a particular focus on dry matter production. Fruit fresh weight (i.e., fruit yield) was highly correlated with fruit dry weight. Aboveground dry matter production was correlated with both light use efficiency and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation

Japanese cucumbers are unique in terms of their production methods, such as steamed cultivation in which the greenhouse is closed to increase the temperature and humidity. Moreover, Japan has strict standards for fruit size. Therefore, most research on greenhouse cucumbers in Japan has focused on pests, diseases and fruit quality, and few studies have focused on increasing yields. Therefore, we aimed

The growth and yield of tomatoes in greenhouses covered by heat insulation film were investigated in Ishigaki, a subtropical area of Japan with high temperature and high solar radiation. High-density planting of tomatoes was carried out in June, July, August, October, and November, with a low node-order pinching system. The plants were grown in two greenhouses, one covered by a thermal barrier film

An in vivo micrografting method was developed to obtain Passiflora latent virus (PLV)-free passion fruit from infected plants. The scion length required to eliminate PLV was ≤ 2 mm. The method required no aseptic handling and the procedure was relatively simple, and resulted in more than 10 micrografts in one hour. Moreover, no special equipment or procedures were necessary, allowing it to be conducted

We used instruments to analyze the texture of compressed samples obtained from the equatorial portion of apples cut in radial and tangential directions. The flesh firmness evaluation of apples using a penetrometer (Magness-Taylor type) showed a year-to-year correlation, and this was highly correlated with mechanical values, including maximum force (N) evaluated using two instruments in both the radial

In this study, we examined sucrose metabolism and expression of invertase, a sucrolytic enzyme, during vegetative and floral development in Eustoma grandiflorum, a widely cultivated ornamental plant. During vegetative growth, sucrose content was relatively lower in roots and unexpanded leaves than in expanded leaves. The activities of cell-wall invertase (CWIN) and vacuolar invertase (VIN) were higher

Asian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an aquatic plant with ornamental, cultural, economic, and ecological values. China has abundant germplasm resources of Asian lotus. However, in many areas, the wild Asian lotuses have been destroyed and the species is now facing extinction. In addition, the knowledge of the genetic diversity of the wild Asian lotus in China is poor. To identify and protect

Exposure to forest environment is beneficial to human health and has complex physiological and psychological effects. Here, we synthesized the results from 40 peer-reviewed publications, and conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the general responses of 15 variables related to physiological and psychological functions to forest exposure. We summarized the evidence that forest exposure was beneficial

ABSTRACT Understanding how strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) nutritional and quality traits are genetically regulated and correlated is an essential step towards improving marker-assisted breeding programmes in this crop. A first step to achieve this goal was to construct a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic map of 140 F1 individuals of a cross between the 2 octoploid parents ‘Redgauntlet’

ABSTRACT Our aim was to screen new hyper-variable mango SSRs (MSSRs) designed from Amrapali genome sequences to find polymorphic ones between Amrapali and Sensation parental genotypes. Out of 253 MSSRs screened against Amrapali and Sensation genotypes, 212 were polymorphic, of which 8 MSSRs showed aa, bb or bb, aa allelic patterns. MSSRs showing polymorphism in terms of homozygous for ‘a’ allele in

The objective of this study was to create a method to evaluate the aging of coir dust. A rainproof plastic house was used to monitor the fresh coir dust for 24 weeks, and the samples were collected every 2 weeks during aging. The aging effects on coir dust were investigated with the changes in mineral nutrient contents and plug seedling growth in four different vegetables. Experiments were conducted

Physical activity in green and blue spaces provide physical and mental health benefits in populations of all ages. In this study, we explored the effectiveness of longer-term green and blue physical activity of improving the quality of life. Medline, Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched in September 2020. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using a random-effects

Urban agriculture is an increasingly popular approach to addressing negative social and health effects of cities. Social benefits of urban agriculture include improved health and wellbeing, economic opportunities, social cohesion, and education. However, the extent to which urban agriculture participants are motivated by or experience these impacts has rarely been measured quantitatively, especially

Human population growth and urbanisation are putting pressure on urban green and blue spaces worldwide. These spaces provide habitat for biodiversity and, as evidence from the Global North shows, can provide health and wellbeing benefits to urban dwellers. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the wellbeing benefits associated with urban green and blue spaces from the Global South,

ABSTRACT In the modern era, technology is continuously and quickly growing. Nanotechnology is one such technology which is of great concern worldwide. It is basically the manufacturing of particles, materials and products within the nano-scale. At nano scale, properties of matter are altered due to reduced molecular size and changed interactions between molecules. Nano formulations enable smaller quantity

We assess the impact of advanced heat-mitigation technologies in a coastal temperate city under heatwave conditions. For the first time urban-heating mitigation scenarios that refer to ‘cool/reflective’ roofs and roads, ‘green/living’ roofs and shading by replacing low urban vegetation with deciduous broadleaf trees are considered at the highly dense-populated city of Athens (Greece). Numerical simulations

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted human health worldwide. In these unprecedented times, the benefits of urban parks for residents have gained attention. However, few studies have explored the effects of urban parks on residents’ expressed happiness from the perspective of big data, and fewer have further deciphered the disparities between residents’ expressed happiness before and during the pandemic

Pitaya is one of the most produced tropical fruits in Turkey because of its high economic value. Seeds of this fruit consumed with fruit are an important source due to nutritional and health benefits. In this study mineral and ash content of pitaya seeds were investigated. The research was carried out with two different species of pitaya, Hylocereus undatus (H. undatus) and Hylocereus polyrhizus (H

In den Jahren 2004 bis 2006 wurden jeweils im Sommer an der Universität Ljubljana Versuche zur Bewurzelung von Grünstecklingen der Birnensorte ‘Uta’ durchgeführt. Dabei bewurzelten zwischen 6,1 und 23,8 % der Langstecklinge. Im Herbst 2007 wurden die so erhaltenen wurzelechten Bäume im Versuchszentrum der Universität für Bodenkultur in Wien gepflanzt und mit wurzelechten Bäumen der Sorte ‘Uta’ aus

The aim of this study was to characterize the changes in berry anatomy during the development of grape (Vitis vinifera L., and Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca) with different shapes. Paraffin sectioning was used to examine the structural parameters of the cells. The results revealed that, with the development of berries, the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the flesh cells gradually increased

Sucrose synthase (SUS, EC 2.4.1.13) is widely considered as a key enzyme involved in plant sucrose metabolism, and the gene family encoding different SUS isozymes has been identified and characterized in several plant species. However, to date scant information about the SUS genes is available in Litchi chinensis Sonn. Here, we identified five SUS genes in litchi. These LcSUSs shared high levels of

Rhynchostylis retusa (L.) Blume is a popular and scarce orchid species with attractive flowers arranged in a racemose cluster. To study this flower’s complex floral perianth formation, MADS-box genes that play an important role in flower morphogenesis were investigated. Four B-class DEF-like MADS-box genes, RrDEF1, RrDEF2, RrDEF3, and RrDEF4, and two E-class AGL6-like MADS-box genes, RrAGL6-1 and RrAGL6-2

An experiment was conducted during 2017 and 2018 at active field gene bank of ICAR-National Research Centre on Litchi to assess the effect of open cross pollination and self-pollination on fruit set and fruit characteristics in litchi. Nine cultivars of litchi were selected for study and result indicated that fruit set ranged from 17.41 to 68.14 per cent with maximum in ‘Ellaichi’ and minimum in ‘Shahi’

This work aimed to develop an edible coating based on Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) pectic extract and essential oil on Haden mango (Mangifera indica L.) to extend its shelf life. Mango cubes were coated by immersion in a lime pectic extract (1% pectin w/v), lime essential oil (0.05% v/v), and glycerol (0.7% v/v) solution for 2, 5, and 10 min. Subsequently, coated and uncoated (control)

This study focuses on the effects of the use of green spaces on the self-reported well-being measures of life satisfaction and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compare two distinct groups of people: garden owners and non-garden owners. We collected quantitative data and data from an open-ended question online from 495 people living in all regions of Germany in May 2020. To analyze

ABSTRACT A novel method for assessing antimicrobial (AMP), colour retainment (CRP) and slice healing properties (SHP) of cucumber fruit (Cucumis sativus L.) was presented. The fruit was sliced in 15 mm slices, foliated in transparent plastic and placed at 23.5°C in a heating cabinet for 14 days. Subsequently, AMP and CRP were scored on scales of 1–9 and 1–7, respectively, with units of one. SHP was