Abstract Background As a grain and oil crop, soybean presents a much lower yield than other staple crops. However, crop yields can be improved by applying modern agricultural technology, such as diethylaminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) and mepiquat chloride (MC), which are important plant-growth regulators that substantially affect crop growth and yield. Methods This study examined the effects of DA-6 (30, 60, or 90 mg L−1) and MC (100, 200, or 400 mg L−1) on soybean growth, development, root structure, photosynthetic physiology, osmotic regulation, and yield via field and pot experiments. Results The results showed that DA-6 effectively promoted the growth of soybean and increased parameters such as plant height, leaf area, and leaf dry weight in different growth stages by 21.0%, 18.7%, and 66.4%, respectively. In contrast, MC inhibited the growth and other parameters, decreasing the plant height, leaf area, and leaf dry weight in different growth stages by up to 15.7%, 11.9%, and 10.1%, respectively. Both DA-6 and MC promoted root development by increasing the dry weight, length, surface area, volume, tip number, branch number, and cross number. In terms of physiology, DA-6, and MC increased photosynthetic parameters, such as steady-state fluorescence (Fs), maximum fluorescence (Fm'), and photosynthetic system II (Phi2), increased the soluble protein contents, with maximum increases of 27.7% and 28.1% at different periods, and increased the soluble sugar contents by 38.2% and 58.3%. Regarding yield characteristics, DA-6 and MC considerably increased the yield, 100-grain weight, and number of effective pods. DA-6 increased the number of two- and three-seed pods, whereas MC increased the number of one-, two-, and three-seed pods. MC performed better than DA-6; however, they exerted different effects on the two varieties and at different concentrations. DA-6 was most effective at 30–60 mg L−1, while MC was most effective at 100–200 mg L−1. Conclusions This study revealed the effects of DA-6 and MC on soybean morphology, physiology, and yield characteristics and the appropriate concentrations for application in soybean productions. Thus, these findings provide guidance for the rational application of the two regulators for soybean high-yield cultivation and stress resistance.
E. G. H. Oliver, Nigel Forshaw, Inge M. Oliver
et al.
Species identification is fundamental to all aspects of biology and conservation. The process can be challenging, particularly in groups including many closely related or similar species. The problem is confounded by the absence of an up-to-date taxonomic revision, but even with such a resource all but professional botanists may struggle to recognise key species, presenting a substantial barrier to vital work such as surveys, threat assessments, and seed collection for ex situ conservation. Genus Erica: An Identification Aid is a tool to help both amateurs and professionals identify (using a limited number of accessible characteristics) and find information about the 851 species and many subspecific taxa of the genus Erica. We present an updated version 4.00, with new features including integrating distribution data from GBIF and iNaturalist, links to taxonomic resources through World Flora Online, and a probability function for identifications, that is freely available for PCs. It remains a work in progress: We discuss routes forward for collaboratively improving this resource.
Mayya P. Razgonova, Muhammad A. Nawaz, Elena A. Rusakova
et al.
A comparative metabolomic study of three varieties of wild Rosa (<i>Rosa acicularis</i>, <i>Rosa amblyotis</i>, and <i>Rosa rugosa</i>) from a Kamchatka expedition (2024) was conducted via extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide modified with ethanol (EtOH), and detection of bioactive compounds was realized via tandem mass spectrometry. Several experimental conditions were investigated in the pressure range 50–350 bar, with the used volume of co-solvent ethanol in the amount of 2% in the liquid phase at a temperature in the range of 31–70 °C. The most effective extraction conditions are the following: pressure 200 Bar and temperature 55 °C for <i>Rosa acicularis</i>; pressure 250 Bar and temperature 60 °C for <i>Rosa amblyotis</i>; pressure 200 Bar and temperature 60 °C for <i>Rosa rugosa</i>. Three varieties of wild <i>Rosa</i> contain various phenolic compounds and compounds of other chemical groups with valuable biological activity. Tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI–ion trap) was applied to detect the target analytes. A total of 283 bioactive compounds (two hundred seventeen compounds from the polyphenol group and sixty-six compounds from other chemical groups) were tentatively identified in extracts from berries of wild <i>Rosa</i>. For the first time, forty-eight chemical constituents from the polyphenol group (15 flavones, 14 flavonols, 4 flavan-3-ols, 3 flavanones, 1 phenylpropanoid, 2 gallotannins, 1 ellagitannin, 4 phenolic acids, 1 dihydrochalcone, and 3 coumarins) were identified in supercritical extracts of <i>R. acicularis</i>, <i>R. amblyotis</i>, and <i>R. rugosa</i>.
Abstract Background Salt is an important factor that affects crop productivity. Plant hexokinases (HXKs) are key enzymes in the glycolytic pathway and sugar signaling transduction pathways of plants. In previous studies, we identified and confirmed the roles of GmHXK2 in salt tolerance. Results In this study, we analyzed the tissue-specific expression of GmHXK2 at different growth stages throughout the plant’s life cycle. The results showed that GmHXK2 was expressed significantly in all tissues at vegetative stages, including germination and seedling. However, no expression was detected in the pods, and there was little expression in flowers during the later mature period. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the GmHXK2 (OE) had more lateral roots. The OE seedlings also produced higher levels of auxin and ascorbic acid (AsA). Additionally, the expression levels of genes PMM, YUC4/YUC6/YUC8, and PIN/LAX1,LAX3, which are involved respectively in the synthesis of AsA and auxin, as well as polar auxin transport, were upregulated in OE plants. This upregulation occurred specifically under exogenous glucose treatment. AtHKT1, AtSOS1, and AtNHX1 were up-regulated in OE plants under salt stress, suggesting that GmHXK2 may modulate salt tolerance by maintaining ion balance within the cells and alleviating damage caused by salt stress. Additionally, we further confirmed the interaction between GmHXK2 and the protein GmPMM through yeast two-hybridization and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, respectively. Conclusion The expression of GmHXK2 gene in plants is organ-specific and developmental stage specific. GmHXK2 not only regulates the synthesis of AsA and the synthesis and distribution of auxin, but also promotes root elongation and induces lateral root formation, potentially enhancing soil water absorption. This study reveals the crosstalk between sugar signaling and hormone signaling in plants, where GmHXK2 acts as a glucose sensor through its interaction with GmPMM, and sheds light on the molecular mechanism by which GmHXK2 gene is involved in salt tolerance in plants.
Elia Pagliarini, Francesca Gaggìa, Maurizio Quartieri
et al.
Members of <i>Bacillus</i> spp. have been widely used to enrich the soil/root interface to provide plant growth promoting activities. A new isolate, namely to <i>Bacillus</i> sp. VWC18, has been tested under greenhouse conditions in lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> L.) pots at different concentrations (10<sup>3</sup>, 10<sup>5</sup>, 10<sup>7</sup>, and 10<sup>9</sup> CFU·mL<sup>−1</sup>) and application time (single inoculum at transplant and multiple inoculum every ten days) to evaluate the best application dose and frequency. Analysis of foliar yield, main nutrients, and minerals evidenced a significant response for all applications. The lowest (10<sup>3</sup> CFU·mL<sup>−1</sup>) and the highest doses (10<sup>9</sup> CFU·mL<sup>−1</sup>), applied every ten days until harvest, had the greatest efficacy; the nutrient yield (N, K, P, Na, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, and B) increased more than twice. A new randomized block design with three replicates was then performed in lettuce and basil (<i>Ocinum basilicum</i> L.), with the two best performing concentrations applied every ten days. In addition to previous analysis, root weight, chlorophyll, and carotenoids were also examined. Both experiments confirmed the previous results: inoculation of the substrate with <i>Bacillus</i> sp. VWC18 promoted plant growth, chlorophyll, and mineral uptake in both crop species. Root weight duplicated or triplicated compared to control plants, and chlorophyll concentration reached even higher values. Both parameters had a dose-dependent increase.
<i>Panax notoginseng</i> (Burk.) F. H. Chen, a species of the genus Panax, radix has been traditionally used to deal with various hematological diseases and cardiovascular diseases since ancient times in East Asia. <i>P. notoginseng</i> produces recalcitrant seeds which are sensitive to desiccation and difficult to store for a long time. However, few data are available on the mechanism of the desiccation sensitivity of <i>P. notoginseng</i> seeds. To gain a comprehensive perspective of the genes associated with desiccation sensitivity, cDNA libraries from seeds under control and desiccation processes were prepared independently for Illumina sequencing. The data generated a total of 70,189,896 reads that were integrated and assembled into 55,097 unigenes with a mean length of 783 bp. In total, 12,025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified during the desiccation process. Among these DEGs, a number of central metabolism, hormonal network-, fatty acid-, and ascorbate-glutathione-related genes were included. Our data provide a comprehensive resource for identifying the genes associated with the desiccation sensitivity of <i>P. notoginseng</i> seeds.
Samik Bhattacharya, Franziska Gröne, Felix Przesdzink
et al.
Successful plant establishment in a particular environment depends on the root architecture of the seedlings and the extent of edaphic resource utilization. However, diverse habitats often pose a predicament on the suitability of the fundamental root structure of a species that evolved over a long period. We hypothesized that the plasticity in the genetically controlled root architecture in variable habitats provides an adaptive advantage to worldwide-distributed wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum, Rr) over its close relative (R. pugioniformis, Rp) that remained endemic to the East Mediterranean region. To test the hypothesis, we performed a reciprocal comparative analysis between the two species, growing in a common garden experiment on their native soils (Hamra/Sandy for Rr, Terra Rossa for Rp) and complementary controlled experiments mimicking the major soil compositions. Additionally, we analyzed the root growth kinetics via semi-automated digital profiling and compared the architecture between Rr and Rp. In both experiments, the primary roots of Rr were significantly longer, developed fewer lateral roots, and showed slower growth kinetics than Rp. Multivariate analyses of seven significant root architecture variables revealed that Rr could successfully adapt to different surrogate growth conditions by only modulating their main root length and number of lateral roots. In contrast, Rp needs to modify several other root parameters, which are very resource-intensive, to grow on non-native soil. Altogether the findings suggest an evo-devo adaptive advantage for Rr as it can potentially establish in various habitats with the minimal tweak of key root parameters, hence allocating resources for other developmental requirements.
Antonio J. Moreno-Pérez, José M. Santos-Pereira, Raquel Martins-Noguerol
et al.
Histone modifications are of paramount importance during plant development. Investigating chromatin remodeling in developing oilseeds sheds light on the molecular mechanisms controlling fatty acid metabolism and facilitates the identification of new functional regions in oil crop genomes. The present study characterizes the epigenetic modifications H3K4me3 in relationship with the expression of fatty acid-related genes and transcription factors in developing sunflower seeds. Two master transcriptional regulators identified in this analysis, VIV1 (homologous to Arabidopsis ABI3) and FUS3, cooperate in the regulation of WRINKLED 1, a transcriptional factor regulating glycolysis, and fatty acid synthesis in developing oilseeds.
For the effective management of economically and ecologically valuable tree species, it is crucial to understand pollination and resource allocation particularly in biotic pollinated species. Gmelina arborea Roxb. growing in moist tropical forest of Indo-Burma region has high economic value for the pulp and paper, quality timber, medicines and a valuable component of agroforestry systems. We studied floral morphology, pollinating vectors and the reproductive potential of the species in natural forest during the flowering and fruiting seasons (March-June) of the years 2012 and 2013, which covered about one month period in each year. Floral morphometric traits, pollinating vectors, pollination and fruit formation were observed during the flowering season on ten randomly selected individuals within the population. Floral characters exhibited strong adaptations towards entomophily with emerging adaptation towards ornithophily. G arborea flowers were mainly visited by two legitimate functional groups of pollinators’ i.e. insects (e.g. Xylocopa violacea, Amegilla cingulata, Mylabris pustulata) and five birds species belonging to 2 families of order Passeriformes. Additionally, one species of squirrel (Callosciurus pygerthus) was noted to legitimately foraging the flowers. Xylocopa violacea ascertained highest visiting frequency over other pollinators. Xylcopa bee also exhibited high level of functional synchronization with floral morphology of G. arborea and ascertained as most important pollinator in the study region. However, long billed trait of passerines birds were important determinant for the bird species to act as potential pollinators in the species. Ornithophilic adaptation in G. arborea is key feature of the species to attract the birds and facilitates reproductive effort. There is significant role of both flower and pollen production (resource allocation) and availability of pollinating vectors (pollination limitation) in reproductive success. G. arborea shall be vital for insects and birds conservation through providing floral resources in natural forest and agroforestry land setting.
Blackgram (Vigna mungo) is an important pulse widely consumed in India. Area and production under this crop are declining in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh due to non-adoption of improved varieties and recommended practices. Krishi Vigyan Kendra Shimla conducted cluster frontline demonstrations on blackgram with an objective to demonstrate and popularize the improved technologies on farmers’ fields for effective transfer and fill the gap between recommended practices and farmers’ practices. Frontline demonstrations on blackgram during Kharif season were studied for four years (Kharif 2016-17, Kharif 2017-18, Kharif 2018-19 and Kharif 2019-20) in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. Data revealed that there was a wide yield gap between the potential and demonstration yields mainly due ineffective transfer of technology. Increase in blackgram yield over farmers practice ranged from 7.22 to 54.84%over four years. Improved technology package has also improved the profitability of blackgram crop in terms of gross and net returns besides enhanced benefit cost ratio ranging from 1.62 to 2.68. The technology index in blackgram (13.20 to 36.00%) has revealed that demonstrated improved crop technology is feasible under prevailing farming situations in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, but there is urgent need to aware the farmers to adopt the technologically feasible and economically viable farm technologies.
Kovtonyuk Nataliya, Han Irina, Gatilova Evgeniya
et al.
Two herbarium collections (NS and NSK) of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS keep about 740,000 specimens of vascular plants, collected in Siberia, Russian Far East, Europe, Asia and North America. Genus Allium s. lat. Is presented by 6224 herbarium sheets, all of them were scanned using international standards: at a resolution of 600 dpi, the barcode for each specimen, 24-color scale and scale bar. Images and metadata are stored at the CSBG SB RAS Digital Herbarium, generated by ScanWizard Botany and MiVapp Botany software (Microtek, Taiwan). Datasets were published via IPT at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility portal (gbif.org). In total 207 species of the genus Allium are placed in the CSBS Digital Herbarium, which includes representatives from 13 subgenera and 49 sections of the genus. 35 type specimens of 18 species and subspecies of the genus Allium are hosted in CSBG Herbarium collections.
Aline das Souza, Oscar Jose Smiderle, Cassia Angela Pedrozo
The aim of this study was to evaluate the vigour and physiological quality of seeds of Pochota fendleri in two weight classes, stored in different types of packaging over a period of 28 months. The experimental design was completely randomised, with treatments arranged in a 2 x 3 x 4 factorial scheme (2 seed sizes x 3 types of packaging x 4 storage periods), with four replications. The stored seeds were evaluated for germination percentage and germination speed index every six months up to 28 months. At 28 months, the percentage incidence of fungi on the seeds was also determined. The seeds of Pochota fendleri remain viable and of high quality for a period of 28 months storage. A PET bottle kept in the refrigerator is recommended to store Pochota fendleri seeds.
Abstract Background It is important to explore renewable alternatives (e.g. biofuels) that can produce energy sources to help reduce reliance on fossil oils, and reduce greenhouse gases and waste solids resulted from fossil oils consumption. Camelina sativa is an oilseed crop which has received increasing attention due to its short life cycle, broader adaptation regions, high oil content, high level of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, and low-input requirements in agriculture practices. To expand its Camelina production areas into arid regions, there is a need to breed for new drought-tolerant cultivars. Leaf cuticular wax is known to facilitate plant development and growth under water-limited conditions. Dissecting the genetic loci underlying leaf cuticular waxes is important to breed for cultivars with improved drought tolerance. Results Here we combined phenotypic data and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from a spring C. sativa diversity panel using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology, to perform a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) on leaf wax compositions. A total of 42 SNP markers were significantly associated with 15 leaf wax traits including major wax components such as total primary alcohols, total alkanes, and total wax esters as well as their constituents. The vast majority of significant SNPs were associated with long-chain carbon monomers (carbon chain length longer than C28), indicating the important effects of long-chain carbon monomers on leaf total wax biosynthesis. These SNP markers are located on genes directly or indirectly related to wax biosynthesis such as maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) morphology and enabling normal wax secretion from ER to plasma membrane or Golgi network-mediated transport. Conclusions These loci could potentially serve as candidates for the genetic control involved in intracellular wax transport that might directly or indirectly facilitate leaf wax accumulation in C. sativa and can be used in future marker-assisted selection (MAS) to breed for the cultivars with high wax content to improve drought tolerance.
Abstract Background Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is considered the most globally important sugar-producing crop and raw material for biofuel. Insect attack is a major issue in sugarcane cultivation, resulting in yield losses and sucrose content reductions. Stem borer (Diatraea saccharalis F.) causes serious yield losses in sugarcane worldwide. However, insect-resistant germplasms for sugarcane are not available in any collections all over the world, and the molecular mechanism of insect resistance has not been elucidated. In this study, cry1Ac transgenic sugarcane lines were obtained and the biological characteristics and transgene dosage effect were investigated and a global exploration of gene expression by transcriptome analysis was performed. Results The transgene copies of foreign cry1Ac were variable and random. The correlation between the cry1Ac protein and cry1Ac gene copies differed between the transgenic lines from FN15 and ROC22. The medium copy lines from FN15 showed a significant linear relationship, while ROC22 showed no definite dosage effect. The transgenic lines with medium copies of cry1Ac showed an elite phenotype. Transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing indicated that up/down regulated differentially expressed genes were abundant among the cry1Ac sugarcane lines and the receptor variety. Foreign cry1Ac gene and endogenous borer stress-related genes may have a synergistic effect. Three lines, namely, A1, A5, and A6, were selected for their excellent stem borer resistance and phenotypic traits and are expected to be used directly as cultivars or crossing parents for sugarcane borer resistance breeding. Conclusions Cry1Ac gene integration dramatically improved sugarcane insect resistance. The elite transgenic offspring contained medium transgene copies. Foreign cry1Ac gene integration and endogenous borer stress-related genes may have a synergistic effect on sugarcane insect resistance improvement.
The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Viburnum opulus L. fruit extract against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced oxidative stress
during the lung transplantation. For this purpose, 30 female rats were firstly randomized to form of donor and recipients. After then, the rats were divided into
three groups named as control, I/R, and V. opulus + I/R. Experimental rats were subjected to lung transplantation with ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion.
Transplantation-related lung injury was evaluated by multiple parameters. A significant decrease was observed in the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase
(SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), and the levels of glutathione and total antioxidant status (TAS), whereas the levels of malondialdehyde
(MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and protein carbonyl were significantly increased in lung tissue samples of I/R group in comparison to the control group.
However, treatment with V. opulus fruit extract resulted in significant reduction of MDA and protein carbonyl levels and increment of the antioxidant system. In
conclusion, V. opulus fruit extract showed protective effects against I/R-induced oxidative stress during lung transplantation probably by the radical scavenging
and antioxidant activity. Therefore, this fruit extract can be efficient in the prevention of I/R-related lung toxicity.
The results of the study of Iris sibirica L. coenopopulations in the Crimean Mountains are elucidated. The Iris sibirica localities in the peninsula are supposed to be an exclave in the whole area. The coenotic conditions of localities, spatial and age structures of coenopopulations, morphometric parameters of Iris sibirica specimens are presented.