Hasil untuk "Plant culture"

W. Gordon-Kamm, T. Spencer, M. Mangano et al.

Azza Al-Salami, Maha Al-Kalili, Hadil Al-Riyami et al.

The application of edible coating is an alternative preservation method to extend fruits shelf life compared to conventional techniques. Due to the seasonal and high perishability natures of date fruits, preservation methods are necessary. Date pits contain bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids that possess several activities, including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, date pits could be used as an edible coating. This work was undertaken to determine the effect of date pits-based coating (1% date pits) on the shelf life and quality of fresh date at Khalal stage (the first edible stage with firm texture) coated by dipping and stored at 4°C. The coated dates showed the lowest weight loss and shrinkage in volume (16.9% and 48.3% respectively). Consequently, the coated samples showed the highest hardness value 230 N as compared to the uncoated dates (53 N) as reported that hardness above 119 N showed higher preference by the consumers considering firm and crispy texture. Besides, color attributes were delayed, indicating that coating plays a significant role in retarding fruit ripening. According to the findings, it could be concluded that the combination of date pits-based coating and cold storage could maintain physicochemical properties and ripening of date fruit, and thus edible coating extended their shelf life.

Li Li, Yibo Yuan, Yin Huang et al.

Suaeda aralocaspica is an annual halophyte that uniquely thrives in a saline niche with high salt concentrations. However, the role and mechanisms of endophytes in S. aralocaspica remain poorly understood. This study was aimed to explore the growth promoting potential of salt tolerant endophytic bacteria isolated from S. aralocaspica and to clarify their role in enhancing tomato tolerance to salinity. To understand this mechanism, we carried out transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses on leaf tissues of Solanum lycopersicum exposed to salinity stress following bacterial inoculation. Our results showed that 77 out of 96 isolates (80.21 %) of endophytic bacteria exhibited at least one plant growth-promoting trait, including nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and proteases production. Two representative strains, Streptomyces olivaceus EGI P1B035 and Priestia filamentosa EGI P1B048, were selected for further evaluation. Inoculation with these strains significantly improved tomato seed germination potential and seedling growth under 0–100 mmol/L NaCl. Further these strains markedly increased stem and root length, as well as the fresh and dry weight under salt stress. Furthermore, the bacterial inoculation of these strains significantly enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), increased proline (Pro) and glutathione (GSH) accumulation, and reduced the activity of peroxidase (POD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in S. lycopersicum, indicating improved antioxidant capacity and membrane stability. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that flavonoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were predominantly regulated, suggesting their key roles in endophyte-mediated salt tolerance. Finally, our findings demonstrate that S. aralocaspica endophytic bacteria enhance tomato tolerance to salinity through coordinated physiological, transcriptional, and metabolic regulation, providing valuable microbial resources and a solid theoretical basis for developing salt-tolerant microbial agents for agricultural applications.

R. N. Kharwar, A. Mishra, S. Gond et al.

Shanwen Zhang, Shanwen Zhang, Shaowen Li et al.

The operation of roller-type pepper harvesters involves striking and pulling the peppers, which may result in incomplete detachment from their stems or cause surface damage or breakage of the peppers. The quality of the harvested peppers is directly influenced by the forces applied during striking and pulling. Therefore, the physical and mechanical properties of peppers are crucial for determining the structural and dynamic parameters of the screw rollers. This study selected Round peppers and the 'Bo 15' line pepper as experimental subjects. Growth parameters such as main stem diameter and fruit diameter were measured. And mechanical properties including tensile, bending, compressive, and shear strength were tested. Results showed that: two pepper varieties had a moisture content of 90% ± 1%. The main stem diameters of Round pepper and 'Bo 15' line pepper were 10.196 ± 1.508 mm and 13.44 ± 0.769 mm. The average diameter of round pepper was greater than that of 'Bo 15' line pepper. For mechanical stress, the 'Bo 15' line pepper exhibited stronger resistance, and the mechanical properties were as follows: tensile strength was 0.83 MPa, bending strength was 0.58 MPa, radial compressive strength was 0.25 MPa, and shear strength was 0.28 MPa. This study provides a basis for the design of low damage harvesting device for fresh peppers and the selection of varieties suitable for mechanical harvesting.

Xueqin Li, Jing Zhang, Caiyan Yuan et al.

<i>Rhododendrons</i> naturally inhabit acidic soils where aluminum (Al) toxicity severely restricts plant growth, yet the molecular basis underlying cultivar-dependent differences in Al tolerance remains poorly understood. In this study, we compared the transcriptional and physiological responses of an Al-resistant cultivar (Kangnaixin) and an Al-sensitive cultivar (Baijinpao) under Al stress. Transcriptome analysis was performed to identify Al-responsive differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses to elucidate functional categories and metabolic pathways involved in stress adaptation. In addition, the Al tolerance-related gene <i>RsALS3</i> was cloned and functionally characterized through heterologous overexpression in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. The two cultivars exhibited distinct transcriptional profiles in response to Al stress, with DEGs significantly enriched in abiotic stress responses, membrane-associated functions, and key metabolic pathways, including starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, and photosynthesis-related processes. These results suggest that Al stress disrupts membrane integrity and alters carbon metabolism in <i>Rhododendron</i>. Functional validation demonstrated that <i>RsALS3</i> overexpression moderately alleviated Al-induced toxicity in <i>A. thaliana</i>, as evidenced by reduced leaf damage and improved photosynthetic efficiency. Although the observed phenotypic differences were modest, and some chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics data did not reach strong statistical significance. The overall physiological trends support a potential role of <i>RsALS3</i> in Al stress adaptation. Collectively, these findings provide insight into cultivar-specific Al stress responses in <i>Rhododendron</i> and identify <i>RsALS3</i> as a promising candidate gene for further investigation aimed at improving adaptation to acidic soils.

Baraza Elena, Hmida Islem, Borràs Joshua et al.

Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has long been recognized for its positive impact on plant health. Today, various companies market AMF-based commercial inoculants as biofertilizers or biostimulants for sustainable agriculture. However, their consistent efficacy in real-world field settings remains uncertain. This study investigated the influence of a commercial AMF inoculant on a newly planted vineyard featuring a local grape cultivar grafted onto a common rootstock (‘Ritcher 110’). Over two years, the physiological well-being, growth, and productivity of 20 inoculated vines compared to 20 control counterparts were monitored. The impact of inoculation on soil bacterial diversity and the infectivity of soil was assessed. Notably, AMF-inoculated plants exhibited consistently lower values in photosynthesis, growth, and grape production, although statistical significance was not always reached. Additionally, the total production remained unaffected, but there was a significant decrease in °Brix and pH values, suggesting delayed grape ripening in mycorrhizal plants, potentially promoting secondary metabolites accumulation. Regarding soil effects, the inoculation's impact was slight, with no substantial changes in soil mycorrhizal infectivity and only slight shifts in the microbial community's metabolic profile. Numerous studies highlight the context-dependent nature of AMF inoculation's effects, making it challenging to predict outcomes in field conditions. Failures found in trials like the present one provides valuable scientific information, contributing to determine the prerequisites for effective biofertilizer use in commercial viticulture. Ultimately, the effectiveness of AMF-based biofertilizers remains contingent on specific conditions, exposing the need for additional research to ensure their consistent and reliable application.

Tara Wade, Kelvin Amon, Zhengfei Guan et al.

In the United States, bell peppers are cultivated for both fresh and processed markets, with California, Florida, and Georgia producing most of the crop. Production varies across states, and, in Florida, bell pepper production varies by region within the state with growing seasons ranging from July to March for northern Florida and August to February for southern Florida. This publication provides information on conventional bell pepper acreage, volume, and pricing for the top three producing states: California, Florida, and Georgia. It will be useful to producers, Extension agents, and others interested in trends concerning specialty crop commodities. It serves as a single location where important information about the specialty crop market and production trends can be found. Accessibility Summary: In accordance with Title II regulations this content meets all points of exemption as Archived web content and/or Preexisting conventional electronic documents.

G. Venkateswara Rao1, M. Pandiyan2*, N. Manivannan3, C. N. Chandrasekhar4 and C. Harisudan5

The study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of heterosis and combining ability effects in groundnut for yield attributing traits. Fifty-six F1 hybrids developed through Line × Tester mating fashion were evaluated along with the parents in RCBD with two replicates during kharif-2022. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among genotypes for all the studied traits. The hybrids K 6 × ICGV 15402, VRI 10 × ICGV 15402, VRI 10 × ICGV 15426 exhibited positive heterosis for traits number of primary branches, pods/plant, kernel yield, 100 kernel weight and shelling percentage. Significant negative heterosis was observed for plant height in these crosses namely, CO 7 × ICGV 15412, VRI 7 × ICGV 15408 and VRI 8 × ICGV 15402. The study recorded significantly higher SCA variances compared to GCA variances, indicating a predominant role of non-additive gene action for all the traits studied. Line VRI 7 showed significant gca effects for all the traits except shelling % and hundred kernel weight and was identified as a best general combiner. The hybrids VRI 8 × ICGV15426 and VRI 7 × ICGV15402 revealed superior performance in terms of pod yield per plant. Notably, the cross VRI 7 × ICGV15402 exhibited outstanding performance across all traits, highlighting the prominence of a parent with strong SCA. Pod yield was significantly correlated with kernel yield/plant and sound mature kernel. Path analysis highlighted the direct and indirect effects of traits on pod yield, emphasizing the importance of kernel yield and sound mature kernel. This study underscores the utility of heterosis breeding in improving groundnut for enhanced yield and suggests specific parent combinations for future breeding.

S. Tringe, E. Rubin

M. E. Schmöger, M. Oven, E. Grill

M. Rai, R. Kalia, Rohtas Singh et al.

Florian Walder, H. Niemann, M. Natarajan et al.

Plants commonly live in a symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). They invest photosynthetic products to feed their fungal partners, which, in return, provide mineral nutrients foraged in the soil by their intricate hyphal networks. Intriguingly, AMF can link neighboring plants, forming common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). What are the terms of trade in such CMNs between plants and their shared fungal partners? To address this question, we set up microcosms containing a pair of test plants, interlinked by a CMN of Glomus intraradices or Glomus mosseae. The plants were flax (Linum usitatissimum; a C3 plant) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; a C4 plant), which display distinctly different 13C/12C isotope compositions. This allowed us to differentially assess the carbon investment of the two plants into the CMN through stable isotope tracing. In parallel, we determined the plants’ “return of investment” (i.e. the acquisition of nutrients via CMN) using 15N and 33P as tracers. Depending on the AMF species, we found a strong asymmetry in the terms of trade: flax invested little carbon but gained up to 94% of the nitrogen and phosphorus provided by the CMN, which highly facilitated growth, whereas the neighboring sorghum invested massive amounts of carbon with little return but was barely affected in growth. Overall biomass production in the mixed culture surpassed the mean of the two monocultures. Thus, CMNs may contribute to interplant facilitation and the productivity boosts often found with intercropping compared with conventional monocropping.

Tim R. Pettitt

Monitoring oomycete populations and communities in bodies of water is vital in developing our understanding of this important group of fungus-like protists that contains many serious pathogens of both crops and wild plants. The methodologies involved in monitoring oomycetes are often presented as a developmental hierarchy, progressing from ‘traditional’ culture-based techniques through immunological techniques and basic PCR to qPCR and metagenomics. Here, techniques are assessed according to the roles they can perform in relation to four stages of the monitoring process: capture, detection and identification, viability determination, and quantification. Possible synergies are then considered for the combined use of different techniques in addressing the various needs relating to different questions asked of monitoring, with an emphasis on the continuing value of cultural and immunodiagnostic procedures. Additionally, the exciting future presented by the ongoing development and improvement of metabarcoding and the use of high throughput sequencing techniques in the measurement and monitoring of oomycete inoculum to determine and mitigate plant disease risks is addressed.

S. Karuppusamy

V. Papageorgiou, A. Assimopoulou, E. Couladouros et al.

Elisha Solowey, M. Lichtenstein, S. Sallon et al.

Plants have been used for medical purposes since the beginning of human history and are the basis of modern medicine. Most chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer treatment are molecules identified and isolated from plants or their synthetic derivatives. Our hypothesis was that whole plant extracts selected according to ethnobotanical sources of historical use might contain multiple molecules with antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing human cancer cells. This study examined the effects of three whole plant extracts (ethanol extraction) on human tumor cells. The extracts were from Urtica membranacea (Urticaceae), Artemesia monosperma (Asteraceae), and Origanum dayi post (Labiatae). All three plant extracts exhibited dose- and time-dependent killing capabilities in various human derived tumor cell lines and primary cultures established from patients' biopsies. The killing activity was specific toward tumor cells, as the plant extracts had no effect on primary cultures of healthy human cells. Cell death caused by the whole plant extracts is via apoptosis. Plant extract 5 (Urtica membranacea) showed particularly strong anticancer capabilities since it inhibited actual tumor progression in a breast adenocarcinoma mouse model. Our results suggest that whole plant extracts are promising anticancer reagents.

B. Dell, Longbin Huang

A. Yadav, Sumeet Singh, D. Dhyani et al.

J. Hernández, M. Almansa