IntroductionOryza sativa is one of the most important cereal crops globally.MethodsThe aim of this study was to map areas suitable for the growth and conservation of O. sativa under current and future climatic conditions, and to observe the effects of UV variables on the distribution area of O. sativa.ResultsBased on species distribution records, we used the Biomod2 platform to combine climate data, future shared socioeconomic pathways, and elevation data. The ensemble model (EM) was constructed by screening multiple species distribution models (SDMs), including RF, GBM, ANN, and MARS. The ROC value of the joint model is greater than 0.95, indicating that the model has high reliability and accuracy. Mean annual temperature (bio01), temperature seasonality (bio04), minimum temperature in the coldest month (bio06), mean temperature of coldest quarter (bio11), human footprint and human activity impact index (hfv2geo1) and annual average ultraviolet radiation (uvb1annualmeanuv.b) were the most important environmental variables affecting the suitable distribution area of O. sativa. Under the current climate conditions, the suitable habitats of O. sativa are mainly distributed in the south of the Yangtze River. In the future climate scenario, the total suitable habitat area of O. sativa tended to decrease, but the suitable distribution area under the influence of UV was larger than that without UV.DiscussionClimate change will significantly affect the potential distribution of O. sativa in China and increase its extinction risk. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a reference for the conservation, management, introduction and cultivation of food crops in China.
Argha Chakraborty, M. K. Saroja, Sourav Garai
et al.
Abstract Background India has a rich history of agriculture with its vast biodiversity niches and traditional soil conservation practices. More recently, there have been growing molecular insights into crop-soil management practices and their niche microbial consortia and underlying services. However, harnessing traditional innovations to conserve and promote niche-specific microbiome management in agriculture has not been explored in detail. In an earlier report, we anticipated that the oldest documented microbial technology, Kunapajala, has the indigenous microbiome potential that reinforces its unifying cyclical operation interlinked with agro-waste recycling and valorization to eco-friendly food production. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular signatures of the microbiome–metabolite potential in this traditional liquid manure. Results Our results showed that fish- and livestock waste-derived Kunapajala are dynamic sources of plant-available macronutrients, plant growth regulators, and other bio-active compounds over 90 days of incubation. Besides estimation of microbial loads and dynamics in culture-based assays, whole genome metagenome (WGMG) sequencing data confirmed that bacteria, primarily Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, constitute the dominant kingdom (> 95% of total reads), with over 30% microbial abundance as potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), notably representing Clostridium, Corynebacterium, and Bacillus, in 30-day fermented products. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database further identifies the predominance of enzymatic regulations in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism (> 20%), reflecting high organic matter turnover into different hydrolysates and metabolites in Kunapajala. To further support and validate, liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF-MS) based metabolite screening elucidates their potential roles in plant growth promotion and stress adaptation. We also investigate the plant biostimulant potential of Kunapajala and further establish its function as an organic fertilizer in a controlled pot-based assay in red amaranth. Overall, our microbiome–metabolite data highlight the dynamic co-occurrence of non-microbial and microbial biostimulants to redefine its niche compositional network and potential roles in sustainable agriculture. Conclusions Our study presents the first comprehensive microbiomes and metabolite profiling of Kunapajala, which could further advance and inform strategies for customized optimization of microbial consortia in agroecosystem functioning. Overall, employing metagenomic approaches to harnessing traditional organic amendments brings new molecular insights to strengthen conservative practices in sustainable agriculture. Graphical Abstract
Juan Antonio Herrera-González, Surelys Ramos-Bell, Silvia Bautista-Baños
et al.
Postharvest avocado is susceptible to attack by <i>Neofusicoccum parvum</i>, which has been reported to cause black spot in avocado pulp. Therefore, it is necessary to look for alternatives for its control with products that are low-cost, effective and without risks to human health and the environment, and that also stimulate the defense mechanisms of the fruit. The aim was to evaluate the effect of basic and GRAS substance treatments on the in vitro control of <i>N. parvum</i>, and the induction of enzymes related to the defense mechanisms of the fruit. <i>N. parvum</i> was isolated from avocado fruit. Morphological and molecular identification was performed. In vitro and in vivo treatments were made for the control of pathogens and the induction of defense mechanisms in the fruit with basic and GRAS substance treatments based on chitosan and GRAS substances. The basic and GRAS substance treatments inhibited the development of <i>N. parvum</i> mycelium by 80–100%. In addition, they induced the activation of enzymes related to the defense mechanisms of the fruit (PAL, POD and PPO). The best basic and GRAS substance treatments, both in vitro and in vivo, were those based on chitosan (0.5%) and cinnamon essential oil (2.5%) when they were applied combined in the form of an emulsion.
Mohamed A. Awad, Khalid A. Asiry, Mohamed I. Elsayed
et al.
Open-field-grown tomatoes in Saudi Arabia are stressed by poor soil fertility because of the low organic matter content, low nutrient availability, and high pH. Thus, high chemical fertilizer inputs are crucial for commercial production; however, they cause economic loss as well as negatively affect environmental sustainability. The use of efficient organic fertilizers would be useful for developing more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable agriculture. The current study evaluated the impact of Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) frass (BSFF) fertilizer applications as organic fertilizer on postharvest fruit quality and shelf life of open-field-grown F1 hybrid ‘Sinag Tala’ tomatoes compared with those grown under control treatment (received recommended doses of chemical fertilizers for tomato production under open field conditions). The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The results showed that the application of BSFF fertilizer, especially at the higher rate (5 ton/ha; BSFF3), improved the overall quality of tomato fruit. The BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced weight loss, maintained higher firmness, antioxidants [vitamin C, total phenol content (TPC) and total flavinoid (TFC)], total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA) contents, and lowered the TSS/TA ratio of fruits during shelf life compared with those of the control. The decay incidence was only detected after 9 days of shelf life and was significantly lower in all the BSFF fertilizer treatments (range, 8.40%-12.05%) than in the control (15.9%). In addition, BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced both disease incidence and severity of gray mold following pathogen inoculation during shelf life compared with those of the control. These results might be attributable to the higher antioxidants content (vitamin C, TPC, and TFC) and higher polyphenol oxidase activity in BSFF-fertilized tomatoes. In conclusion, BSFF fertilizer could be used as a potential eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers to improve tomato fruit quality during shelf life.
Caragana korshinskii is a deciduous shrub with large eco-economic value and strong tolerance to abiotic stresses. However, the shortage of reliable genetic transformation technology severely hinders its research on stress tolerance mechanisms and stress-resistant gene mining and application. In this study, the embryonic tip of the C. korshinskii seedling was used as the initiating explant to get regenerated plant through the direct organogenesis pathway, which significantly shortened the culture cycle and set the foundation for investigation of Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Our results suggest that the embryonic tip possesses robust meristem capacity and is an efficient method for transgenic breeding. This research provides a technical basis for asexual reproduction, molecular breeding, and gene function investigation in C. korshinskii by establishing, for the first time, an effective in vitro regeneration system and an Agrobacterium-mediated stable genetic transformation system utilizing the embryonic tip of C. korshinskii as explants.
Fallou Seck, Giovanny Covarrubias-Pazaran, Tala Gueye
et al.
Abstract Genetic improvement is crucial for ensuring food security globally. Indeed, plant breeding has contributed significantly to increasing the productivity of major crops, including rice, over the last century. Evaluating the efficiency of breeding strategies necessitates a quantification of this progress. One approach involves assessing the genetic gain achieved through breeding programs based on quantitative traits. This study aims to provide a theoretical understanding of genetic gain, summarize the major results of genetic gain studies in rice breeding, and suggest ways of improving breeding program strategies and future studies on genetic gain. To achieve this, we present the concept of genetic gain and the essential aspects of its estimation. We also provide an extensive literature review of genetic gain studies in rice (Oryza sativa L.) breeding programs to understand the advances made to date. We reviewed 29 studies conducted between 1999 and 2023, covering different regions, traits, periods, and estimation methods. The genetic gain for grain yield, in particular, showed significant variation, ranging from 1.5 to 167.6 kg/ha/year, with a mean value of 36.3 kg/ha/year. This translated into a rate of genetic gain for grain yield ranging from 0.1% to over 3.0%. The impact of multi-trait selection on grain yield was clarified by studies that reported genetic gains for other traits, such as plant height, days to flowering, and grain quality. These findings reveal that while breeding programs have achieved significant gains, further improvements are necessary to meet the growing demand for rice. We also highlight the limitations of these studies, which hinder accurate estimations of genetic gain. In conclusion, we offer suggestions for improving the estimation of genetic gain based on quantitative genetic principles and computer simulations to optimize rice breeding strategies.
Patricia Liliana Albornoz, Myriam del Valle Catania, Guillermo Martin Suárez
Los hongos micorrícicos arbusculares han sido registrados en distintos representantes de briófitas (sensu lato). En este trabajo se da a conocer la colonización micorrícica arbuscular en Plagiochasma rupestre, encontrada en el Chaco Serrano de la Provincia de Tucumán, Argentina. Además, se describen los tipos morfológicos de colonización Arum y Paris y la co-ocurrencia con endófitos septados oscuros (ESO) y hongos septados desconocidos (HSD).
Accurate and rapid identification of apple diseases is the basis for preventing and treating the apple diseases, and is very significant for assessing disease disaster. Apple disease recognition from its diseased leaf images is one of the interesting research areas in computer and agriculture field. An apple disease recognition method is proposed based on modified convolutional neural networks (MCNN). In MCNN, Inception is introduced into MCNN, global average pooling (GAP) operator is employed instead of several fully connected layers to speedup training model, and modified Softmax classifier is used in the output layer to improve the recognition performance. The modified Softmax classifier uses the modified linear element as the activation function in the hidden layer and adds the local response normalization in MCNN to avoid the gradient disappearance problem effectively. A series of experiments are conducted on two kinds of apple disease image datasets. The results show the feasibility of the algorithm.
Mian Abdur Rehman Arif, Edward Arseniuk, Andreas Börner
Sustainable global wheat production requires wheat varieties, that are sufficiently resistant to the main wheat diseases. The economically important fungal pathogens worldwide include powdery mildew (PM), yellow rust (YR), leaf rust (LR) and blotch causing pathogens including Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) and Septoria tritici blotch (STB). Here, we present the evaluation of winter wheat varieties of diverse origin against the prevalent local populations of PM, YR, LR, STB and SNB under natural infection conditions through image-based phenotyping in two consecutive years (2019 and 2020). We found several varieties to be resistant against multiple diseases. Following the association mapping, we obtained a total of 206 marker trait associations for all the parameters scored which were condensed to 79 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (eight QTLs for PM, 25 QTLs for LR, 11 QTLs for YR, 19 QTLs for SNB and eight QTLs for STB) based on the linkage disequilibrium among the molecular markers. The known genes present at these QTLs are discussed in detail. The varieties resistant to multiple diseases, identified with the QTLs and molecular markers can be considered as elite raw material for future wheat breeding.
Sbulelo Mwelase, Asanda Mditshwa, Lembe Samukelo Magwaza
et al.
This study was conducted to identify reliable science-based maturity indices for ‘Lamb Hass’ avocado fruit and evaluate the effect of harvest maturity on the fruit postharvest performance. Fruits were harvested from outside and inside canopy positions at early and mid-season for quality assessment. The results showed that the canopy position had a highly significant effect (p < .001) on all maturity parameters: dry matter (DM) content, moisture content (MC) and oil content (OC). The outside canopy fruit were more mature (30% DM, 70% MC, 14.9% OC) than those harvested from the inside canopy (28.9% DM, 71.1% MC, 11.75% OC) at minimum maturity. However, fruit DM and MC did not differ significantly (p > .05) between the early and mid-season fruit, whilst significant differences in OC were found between the two harvesting stages. In both harvesting stages, the canopy positions did not affect the rate of fruit mass loss. Nonetheless, the overall analysis showed that early season fruit had a significantly (p < .001) higher fruit mass loss rate than the mid-season fruit. Notably, fruit maturity did not have a significant effect (p > .05) on the fruit softening rate as insignificant differences between the two harvesting stages were observed. In both the harvesting stages, inside canopy fruit were characterized by a higher concentration of mannoheptulose and perseitol than the outside canopy fruit. The early and mid-season fruit also differed significantly (p < .05) in phenolic content; with the mid-season fruit having a high phenolic content (2.7 µm/g) than the early season fruit (1.8 µm/g), suggesting the possibility of increased mesocarp discolouration with the advancement in maturity. These findings will be a valuable tool to assist growers in assessing fruit readiness for harvest and understanding the influence of maturity on the fruit postharvest behavior.
This study was aimed to investigate the different effects of folic acid and/or saccharomyces cerevisiae on different aspects of Japanese quails. Eighty quail chicks were used, divided into four groups (20 chicks each), the first group was the control, treated with normal ration and drinking water. The second group was treated with saccharomyces cerevisiae 2.5% in the ration, the third group was treated with folic acid (5mg/L. in drinking water), whereas the last group was treated with both folic acid and yeast as stated above. All treatments were for seven weeks, then the birds were sacrificed, and blood was collected to undergo the parameters. Results revealed that the treatment with yeast or folic acid significantly (p<0.05) decreased both RBC and Hb while WBC elevated as a result of the treatment in both males and females. Bodyweight decreased as a result of treating quails with yeast and/or folic acid in both males and females. In males, the concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides reduced in all treatment groups compared to control, while in females, the cholesterol elevated in treatment groups, with no effect on triglycerides. Testosterone was elevated in males treated with folic acid and/ or yeast.
Riparian plants are exposed to harmful stress induced by flooding, which is often accompanied by eutrophication in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region. The phenomenon is mainly caused by domestic sewage discharges, slow water flow, and agricultural fertilizer pollution. Simulating abiotic stress, such as flooding at the initial period, can act as a signal and induce positive responses of plants to subsequent severe stress. In addition, eutrophication supplies nutrients, provides a favorable environment in the early stages of plant, and facilitates good performance in later development. However, whether early flooding (with or without eutrophication) acts as positive cue or as stress on plants at different developmental stages remains unclear. To address this question, seeds of Polygonum hydropiper were collected from low and high elevations in the hydro-fluctuation belt of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region. Plants germinated from these seeds were subjected to shallower and shorter early flooding treatments with or without eutrophication. Subsequently, plants were subjected to deeper and longer flooding treatments with or without eutrophication. Early flooding and eutrophic flooding significantly induced generation of adventitious roots, suggesting morphological adaptation to flooding. Although early flooding and eutrophic flooding treatments did not increase plant biomass in subsequent treatments compared with control, stem length, length and width of the 1st fully expanded leaf, and biomass of plants in the early eutrophic treatment were higher than these of the early flooding treatment plants. These results suggest a negative lag-effect of early flooding, and also indicate that nutrient inputs can alleviate such effects. Similarly, subsequent eutrophic flooding also enhanced plant growth compared with subsequent flooding, showing significantly higher values of leaf traits and adventitious root number. Plants originated from low elevation had significantly higher functional leaf length and stem biomass compared with those from high elevation. These results suggest that nutrient inputs can alleviate negative effects of early and subsequent flooding on growth of P. hydropiper with the generation of adventitious roots.
Edward V. Camp, Robert N.M. Ahrens, Angela B. Collins
et al.
A good understanding of stock recruitment is essential for accurate stock assessment and good fisheries management. But recruitment and how it is used can be difficult to understand. This publication uses a recent Florida spotted seatrout stock assessment as an example to show how the stock-recruit relationship allows managers to determine whether or not a given fish population is overfished.
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Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Perseveranca Mungofa
et al.
Visual identification of nutrient deficiencies in foliage is an important diagnostic tool for fine-tuning nutrient management of citrus. This new 2-page article describes a new smartphone app that uses a trained neural network to identify disease and pest symptoms on citrus leaves through your phone's camera. Written by Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Perseveranca Mungofa, and Chris Oswalt, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss691
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Abstract Background Genetically encoded fluorescent proteins are often used to label proteins and study protein function and localization in vivo. Traditional cloning methods mediated by restriction digestion and ligation are time-consuming and sometimes difficult due to the lack of suitable restriction sites. Invitrogen developed the Gateway cloning system based on the site-specific DNA recombination, which allows for digestion-free cloning. Most gateway destination vectors available for use in plants employ either the 35S or ubiquitin promoters, which confer high-level, ubiquitous expression. There are far fewer options for moderate, cell-type specific expression. Results Here we report on the construction of a Gateway-compatible cloning system (SWU vectors) to rapidly tag various proteins and express them in a cell-type specific manner in plants. We tested the SWU vectors using the HISTONE (H2B) coding sequence in stable transgenic plants. Conclusions The SWU vectors are a valuable tool for low cost, high efficiency functional analysis of proteins of interest in specific cell types in the Arabidopsis root.
The striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum F. (Figure 1) is a serious agricultural pest of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae in eastern North America. Crops affected by larval and adult feeding include cucumber, Cucumis sativus L., cantaloupe, Cucumis melo L., pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo L., and other Cucurbita spp. (Dill and Kirby 2016). The striped cucumber beetle is a vector of the plant disease bacterial wilt (Eaton 2016). Though the striped cucumber beetle occurs throughout Florida, it is the least commonly reported among three chrysomelid species on cucurbit crops in the state. The spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, and banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte, are more common in Florida, causing damage symptoms that are similar to striped cucumber feeding damage (Webb 2010). Includes: Introduction - Distribution - Description and Life Cycle - Damage - Monitoring - Management - Selected References.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1215
Also published at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/VEG/BEAN/striped_cucumber_beetle.html
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CARLOS Marcelino Rodriguez Lopez, Mike J Wilkinson
Increasing crop production at a time of rapid climate change represents the greatest challenge facing contemporary agricultural research. Our understanding of the genetic control of yield derives from controlled field experiments designed to minimise environmental variance. In spite of these efforts there is substantial residual variability among plants attributable to Genotype x Environment (GxE) interactions. Recent advances in the field of epigenetics have revealed a plethora of gene control mechanisms that could account for much of this unassigned variation. These systems act as a regulatory interface between the perception of the environment and associated alterations in gene expression. Direct intervention of epigenetic control systems hold the enticing promise of creating new sources of variability that could enhance crop performance. Equally, understanding the relationship between various epigenetic states and responses of the crop to specific aspects of the growing environment (epigenetic fingerprinting) could allow for a more tailored approach to plant agronomy. In this review, we explore the many ways in which epigenetic interventions and epigenetic fingerprinting can be deployed for the improvement of crop production and quality.