The amounts of taste components, including those for pungency, in chili pepper fruit change depending on environmental factors. Our previous study revealed that the amount of capsaicinoid was significantly increased in chili pepper fruits that were cultivated under a drought stress condition. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to determine the effect of drought stress on pungency and the

We applied the New Root-zone Environmental Control System (N.RECS), which comprises floor heating panels with chilled or heated water flow and heat-insulating pot trays, to cool the root zone of pot-grown strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) nurseries in late summer, and investigated the effects on the subsequent flowering and yield in a super-forcing culture. Cooling at around 20°C with short-day

There is a long-lasting flower trait with a temporal color change, known as “misome-shō”, in Japanese evergreen azalea. This trait has been found in several wild Japanese evergreen azalea species, such as Rhododendron kaempferi ‘Nikkō-misome’, R. macrosepalum ‘Kochō-zoroi’, R. indicum ‘Chōjyu-hō’, and R. × hannoense ‘Amagi-beni-chōjyu’. The corollas of long-lasting flower cultivars undergo a conversion

Blossom-end rot (BER) in paprika (Capsicum annuum L.), as in tomato fruits, is a physiological disorder caused by calcium (Ca) deficiency in fruits. While studies have revealed that excessive nitrogen and potassium fertilization and high temperatures affect Ca transport to fruits and induce BER, few studies have investigated the effects of other elemental concentrations in paprika fruit and their association

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt and undergoes spontaneous phenotypic conversion (PC) from its wild-type to an avirulent form. In previous studies, we reported that pre-inoculation of plants with PC mutants suppressed bacterial wilt and Verticillium wilt in eggplants. In addition, we previously revealed bacterial differences in the control effects in eggplant among PC mutants; 8107PC and

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), one of the most widely consumed herbs globally, is used in raw or processed food, and for aromatic essential oils. We investigated the effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD; 150, 225, and 300 μmol·m−2·s−1, herein, referred to as P150, P225, and P300) and red to blue light ratios (R/B ratio) (R:B = 1:4, 1:1, and 4:1, herein, referred to as R/B 0.25, 1

Yellow color in dahlia flowers is conferred from chalcones, butein and isoliquiritigenin. The color intensity of yellow dahlia cultivars is diverse, but a detailed study on this has not yet been performed. In this study, we first identified structures of flavonoids by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in ray florets of the red-white bicolor ‘Shukuhai’, which contains chalcones, flavones and anthocyanins

Here, we describe the current status of energy-saving techniques in greenhouse heating and countermeasures for high summer temperatures, and then introduce an outline and the performance of a newly developed New Root-zone Environmental Control System (N.RECS) and the effects of this system on flower production. Temperature control techniques used in protected horticulture include those that control

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

The effects of End-of-Day (EOD)-cooling on floral differentiation and cut flower characteristics in carnation were verified using both short-term model-based experiments in a growth chamber and long-term demonstrative experiments in a greenhouse. In the model experiment, flower buds were undifferentiated until 43 days after pinching in both control and End-of-Night-cooled plants. In contrast, in the

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

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

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

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

Brassica napus L. is an important oil crop in China. Most of the oil from B. napus is stored in oil bodies. In this study, the biogenesis of oil bodies and variations in the gene expression levels of oil body proteins and fatty acid synthesis transcription factors were characterized during embryogenesis using ultrastructural observations and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. When comparing the

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

The tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) is a bipartite begomovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) that was originally isolated in India, but has become a serious threat to various horticultural crops in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, and western Mediterranean Basin. In Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the western Mediterranean Basin, ToLCNDV has caused

Bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) contains several functional components such as quercetin glycosides, a type of flavonoid. The quercetin content of bulb onion has been determined at harvest and storage; however, little is known about the changes in quercetin accumulation during development. In this study, two yellow onion varieties, ‘Momiji No. 3’ and ‘Quergold’, which differ in quercetin content at harvest

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

Many cut flowers are treated with an ethylene action inhibitor, silver thiosulfate (STS), to delay senescence and are shipped by dry transport that involves relatively easy loading. In addition, cut flowers are often treated with a mixture of sugar and germicide to improve their vase lives. Exogenous treatments of these compounds or drying by transport are thought to have various effects on cut flowers

Genetic diversity analysis of worldwide Cucurbita genetic resources preserved in the Japanese Genebank can provide valuable information for breeding. In this study, 612 Cucurbita accessions of six species, including 40 accessions with no identification information, were genotyped with 30 SSR markers; 378 alleles were detected (12.6 alleles per marker; range, 4–24). By cluster analysis, the 40 unidentified

Current carnation cultivars have a wide range of flower colors, which is one of the important traits for the flower market. Since large numbers of commercial carnation cultivars bearing various flower colors and flower color patterns have been developed over the last few decades, a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of flower color characteristics has become difficult to achieve. In this

Split pit in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] fruit is an internal disorder characterized by the splitting or fracture of the lignified endocarp known as the stone or pit. It is empirically known that split-pit peach fruit mature earlier than normal fruit on trees, thereby leading to frequent preharvest fruit drop in split-pit fruit. However, studies that accurately compare split-pit and normal fruit

A non-flowering natural cabbage mutant among the open-pollinated line ‘T15’ was found 42 years ago. The mutant was named ‘nfc’ (non-flowering cabbage) and has been propagated vegetatively by cuttings. ‘nfc’ hardly flowers during the spring season even after plenty of low-temperature periods. This study characterized the non-flowering trait of ‘nfc’ and assumed the mechanism. In the first experiment

Cut dahlia (Dahlia Cav.) flowers have recently become popular in Japan, but their marketability is limited by their poor vase life. During the postharvest period, the senescence of petals initiates from the outermost whorl and then proceeds into the inner petals. We found that the drawing resistances of petals in the dahlia ‘Kokuchou’, ‘Nesshou’, and ‘Saisetsu’ decreases with time because the petals

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

Pear (Pyrus spp.) is one of the most important edible fruits belonging to the family Rosaceae. DNA markers, molecular genetics and genomics, and molecular breeding of pear have greatly progressed over the last few decades. The development of reliable DNA markers, such as simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms, has allowed DNA profiling of pear accessions, assessment of the genetic

The aim of the present study was to clarify the interaction between ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) and maturation in highbush blueberry. We investigated the berry quality, ethylene evolution, and ABA concentration of berries treated with ethephon, an ethylene-generating compound; aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), an ethylene synthesis inhibitor; ABA; and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), an ABA synthesis

Pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) is a tropical fruit grown in Okinawa prefecture, Japan. In this study, we developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to assess the genetic diversity of pitaya accessions collected in Okinawa prefecture. SSR markers were developed with next-generation sequencing, using the Roche 454 GS FLX+ platform. Seventy primer sets were tested for the genetic identification of pitaya

The production of yellow-skinned apples has increased in recent years; however, they are less acceptable to consumers than red-skinned apples. Therefore, the production of high-quality fruit is essential. In the present study, we applied a girdling treatment at 1) different times (June or August), and 2) different widths (2 cm, 5 cm, and 8 cm). We compared the effect on tree growth, flower bud formation

The emergence of flowering disorder, specifically the bud break disorder observed in flower buds, has become a serious problem for Japanese pear ‘Kosui’ greenhouse production in southern Japan. To understand the mechanism behind this problem, the expression of genes related to endodormancy and flowering were investigated in “flowering disorder trees” (FDTs). In 2017 and 2019, remarkably warm temperatures

The pungency-variable sweet chili pepper ‘Shishito’ (Capsicum annuum) is widely cultivated in Japan. While ‘Shishito’ is generally used as a vegetable because of its relatively low pungency, it sometimes exhibits high pungency depending on cultivation conditions. Although the occurrence of pungent ‘Shishito’ fruits is a problem in retail distribution and utilization, the responsible mechanism is largely

Environmental factors influence the contents of taste components, such as capsaicinoid compounds, in the fruit of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). The present research was conducted to evaluate the effect of water supply and harvesting date after flowering on sugar and capsaicinoid contents in fruit of the Japanese chili pepper cultivars ‘Botankosho’, ‘Fushimiamanaga’, ‘Manganji’, and ‘Sapporo Oonaga

Parthenocarpy is a trait in which fruit set and development are induced without fertilization, thereby contributing to labor saving in fruit production. In Cucurbita species, parthenocarpic cultivars have been reported in Cucurbita pepo, but not in Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata. In this regard, the identification of parthenocarpic cultivars and clarification of their characteristics will

The demand for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is rapidly growing in Japan, and a new production system to increase broccoli yield is required. During processing, broccoli florets are separated from the head, and floret yield may be increased by enlargement of heads beyond existing retail standards. Therefore, we conducted four cultivation tests over two years and investigated floret yields

Matthiola incana is a popular winter-flowering plant, and white is considered a valuable flower color for marketed cultivars. In this study, we aimed to identify the genes responsible for white flower coloration in six commercial cultivars of M. incana used as cut and potted flowers. The expression levels of chalcone synthase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase

Portulaca umbraticola, an important ephemeral summer bedding plant, may be a model system for studies on flowering behavior under heat stress. Herein, we report the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis of P. umbraticola by RNA-sequencing. We generated 22.15 G bases which were assembled into 68,928 unigenes, and a total of 43,880 coding sequences (CDS) were detected. We also detected 13,603 simple

In order to solve the problems of commercial orchid growers, who need to force Vanda flowering for both blooming on demand and uniformity, an appropriate environment to control flower development is a key factor. However, little research has been conducted on this topic. This research aimed to determine the effects of short day cycles on the flowering of Vanda ‘Manuvadee’, which usually has high productivity

The putative parents of the Hirado azalea (Rhododendron × pulchrum) are R. scabrum, R. ripense, R. × mucronatum, and other related cultivars. Hirado azalea shows a wide range of flower color variation, but the genetic basis for this color variation is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the anthocyanin pathway gene, flavonoid 3', 5' hydroxylase (F3'5'H), by genomic DNA analysis, cDNA

Crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes economic loss in ornamental production in Japan. To breed a resistant rootstock, we used crown gall resistant Rosa ‘PEKcougel’ to hybridized with tetraploid of R. multiflora ‘Matsushima No. 3’. In this study, we investigated the crown gall resistance characteristics in their progenies. In the needle prick test, eight tested progenies showed

Reconstruction of cell wall polysaccharide is necessary for fruit development and ripening. Arabinose is the one of neutral sugars constituting wall polysaccharides and arabinose-containing polysaccharides play an important role in cellular attachment. In this study, expression patterns of α-l-arabinofuranosidase genes were examined in three tomato cultivars, the processing type ‘OSKAR’, fresh market

To elucidate the profiles of plant hormones involved in growth and ripening of grape fruit at various stages, grape bunches of Campbell Early grape bunches (Vitis labrusca ‘Bailey’) which were harvested from 14 to 63 days after full bloom (DAFB) were divided into skin, pulp and seeds. Endogenous plant hormones, which included indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), trans-zeatin (Z), isopentenyl

Red mangos (Mangifera indica L.) accumulate appreciable amounts of cyanidin-based anthocyanins in the skin, and previous studies showed that these anthocyanins contain galactose as a sugar moiety. To date, two UDP:flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase (UFGT)-like genes named MiUFGT1 and MiUFGT3 (MiUFGalT3) have been isolated from mango ‘Irwin’ peel as anthocyanin-related UFGT genes, but the function of

Yield optimization of young Japanese ‘Nanko’ apricot (Prunus mume Siebold et Zucc.) trees requires adequate and timely irrigation. Here, different irrigation amounts (5, 10, 15, and 20 mm) were applied to three-year-old trees from July (initiation of flower bud differentiation stage) to March (fruit setting stage), when the pF meter reading was 2.7. Then, the effects on flower buds and fruit setting

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) productivity is negatively impacted by extreme weather events such as heatwaves, flooding and drought. This study evaluated the individual and additive effects of heat and water stress on reproductive traits and yield in the commercial tomato variety ‘Roma-VF’. Five weeks after sowing, five stress treatments were introduced consisting of combinations of heat and/or moderate

Recent studies aimed to investigate five phenolic substrates’ reactivities in terms of PPO activity compared with browning symptom occurrence, as well as the efficiency of sericin extracted from ‘Nam Dok Mai Si-Thong’ mango in vitro on polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and the efficiency of sericin coating on browning inhibition of fresh-cut ‘Nam Dok Mai Si-Thong’ mango during storage. The specificity

To date, different approaches have been applied to measure the internal parameters of mangoes by destructive and non-destructive techniques. Recently, real-time evaluation of the internal parameters has become important assessment for fruits in high demand. This research aims to develop an online prototype system to measure the total soluble solids (TSS) in mangoes using a fiber optic diode array Visible-Near

Cultivated strawberry is one of the important commercial fruits not only in Japan, but around the world. Even so, analyzing regions responsible for fruit quality traits of cultivated strawberry has been very challenging due to the alloploidy and octoploidy of genome conformation. In order to solve this problem, we previously developed a strawberry multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC)

Intumescence injury of tomato leaves is a physiological disorder in which white surface spots rise on the abaxial side of the leaf and then turn brown; when it worsens, the leaf dies. Scanning electron microscope observations showed individual cells were enlarged and raised due to intumescence injury. Vein epidermal cells and stomatal guard cells were also enlarged. Hypertrophy was observed by light

Tomato grafting is an important agricultural technique to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses and increase plant growth and productivity. Breeding and selection of resistant and vigorous rootstocks are necessary to achieve grafting goals. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate eight tomato interspecific hybrids between accession Solanum lycopersicum L. LA1221 ‘VFNT cherry’, as the female

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide. In Japan, it is grown using two different cultivation methods (spring-sowing and autumn-sowing). The traditional cultivation method for onion in the Tohoku region in northeast Japan has been autumn sowing; however, onion productivity has been low. Recently, spring sowing of onion has been established in this region to improve