Editor’s Choice Articles

The fungus Colletotrichum orbiculare causes watermelon anthracnose and is an important pathogen of watermelon in the United States, causing a significant impact on yield and quality of the produce. The application of fungicides as preventative and post-occurrence control measures is currently being deployed by growers. Further study of the genetic and molecular basis of anthracnose resistance will help in guiding future watermelon breeding strategies. Several conserved virulence factors (effectors) in C. orbiculare have been reported to interact with the host, at times impairing the host immune machinery. A single dominant gene conferring race 1 anthracnose resistance was reported independently on two watermelon germplasm. The recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics could facilitate a better understanding of the interaction between C. orbiculare effectors and host resistance genes in the already sequenced watermelon genome. In this review, we encompass and discuss (i) the history of watermelon anthracnose, taxonomy, morphology, and diversity in races of C. orbiculare; (ii) the epidemiology of the anthracnose disease and host resistance; (iii) the genetics behind the pathogenesis; and (iv) the current advances in breeding and molecular efforts to elucidate anthracnose resistance. Full article

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) is a widely produced and consumed fruit vegetable worldwide. Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) can promote crop growth and development. However, the effects of these elements on tomato fruit quality have not been investigated comprehensively, nor are their combined effects on yield and quality clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of foliar application of Si and Se on tomato growth, yield and fruit quality. The tomato plants were foliarly applied with 1 mM Si and 25 μM Se individually or in combination, and the experiment was carried out in a plastic arch shed at Yangling in spring. Our results demonstrated improved plant growth by application of Si and Se, with the effect of combined treatment being more obvious. Application of Si individually or in combination with Se increased the yield. Se addition increased the concentrations of soluble sugars, vitamin C, phenols, anthocyanin, lycopene, carotenoids, Se and protein, and decreased the nitrate level, but did not affect the concentration of total organic acids in the fruit. Si application induced similar changes to Se addition in the levels of sucrose and protein in the fruit, but had no effect on other quality traits. The combined Si and Se treatment did not show significant superior effects on the fruit quality over their individual applications. Our results suggest that Si and Se application improved the tomato plant growth. Si and Se application, respectively, had obvious effects in the yield increase and quality improvement, and the combined treatment had positive effects on both aspects. The study may provide a theoretical base for the application of Se and Si fertilizers in tomato production. Full article

In apricots and other stonefruit, chilling injury (CI) symptoms like mealiness, rubberiness, and gel formation are associated with cell wall properties. Apricots were stored at 0 °C for 5 weeks and ripened at 20 °C to induce CI and compared with fruit ripened at 20 °C from harvest at similar firmness. In those apricots without CI, degradation of middle-lamella pectin during softening weakened cell-cell adhesion and intercellular junctions. Pectin was still present in middle lamella regions but pectin that filled the intercellular spaces at harvest had disappeared. Fruit with combinations of CI symptoms showed different pectin solubilities, molecular weight distribution, and differences in pectin staining compared with fruit that were severely chilling-injured, exhibiting all symptoms. The perception of mealiness correlated with the presence of pectin in the cell lumen, and rubberiness with the presence of pectin in tricellular corners. We concluded that in chilling-injured apricots, the normal softening process is not being resumed after fruit have been taken out of cold storage. Cell wall degradation is disrupted, affecting the normal weakening of cell walls during softening. Hence, cell walls were less likely to break open during chewing, and when cells did break, any juice released might be bound by pectin present in the cell walls and cell lumen, leaving a sensation of rubberiness and mealiness. Full article

Rose is a widely favored floriculture crop that is commercially propagated through the application of tissue culture techniques. Here, we report an effective method for axillary shoot proliferation in Al-Taif rose, an important cultivar for rose oil industry. Stem nodes were excised from an adult donor Al-Taif rose shrub and cultured for 4 weeks on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or gibberellic acid (GA₃) at 0 and 3 mg·L⁻¹ to induce the sprouting of axillary shoots. Al-Taif rose shoots were cultured in vitro for 6 weeks on MS medium fortified with different concentrations of cytokinins, light/dark incubation and different culture types (gelled and liquid/bioreactor culture). The culture conditions that were applied had a noteworthy impact on the responses of Al-Taif rose shoot proliferation. The supplementation of the medium with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) resulted in an augmented rate of shoot proliferation in comparison to other cytokinins. Additionally, dark incubation limited foliage growth, leaf yellowing and abscission and favored shoot proliferation compared with light incubation. Liquid culture using bioreactors provided higher axillary shoot proliferation and growth as compared with gelled culture. A continuous immersion system with a net provided the highest axillary shoots (four shoots per explant) and shoot length (16.5 cm), whereas an immersion system without a net provided the highest fresh weight of axillary shoots (499 mg per explant). These findings will improve commercial propagation and contribute to the rose oil industry of Al-Taif rose. Full article

In recent years, a significant impediment to the advancement of China’s agricultural sector is the noteworthy challenge posed by diminished crop yields and quality due to ongoing continuous cropping obstacles. Numerous studies have consistently showcased the potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and biochar in augmenting the alleviation of continuous cropping barriers. Nevertheless, the potential of PGPR and biochar to remediate and improve continuous cropping peppers in the karst yellow soil area remains unclear. A 2-year field experiment was implemented to examine the impact of PGPR and biochar, when applied alone or in combination, on the production potential of continuous cropping peppers. The results revealed that PGPR and biochar significantly elevated the yield of fresh and dry pepper compared with TF treatment. The utilization of PGPR and biochar resulted in an augmentation of free amino acids, soluble sugar, and vitamin C content in pepper fruits, but a reduction in the nitrate content, which proved advantageous in enhancing the overall quality of peppers. Furthermore, the use of PGPR and biochar demonstrated significant benefits in enhancing NPK accumulation, fertilizer utilization, and economic efficiency. Nevertheless, the co-application of PGPR and biochar yielded significantly better results compared to their individual application. In conclusion, the utilization of PGPR and biochar demonstrated a favorable impact on the productivity and economic benefits of continuous cropping peppers. The simultaneous application of PGPR and biochar represents a promising approach to enhancing yield and improving the quality of peppers in the karst yellow soil region of Southwest China. Full article

Sustainable agriculture requires factors to directly stimulate plant growth and induce the plant’s innate immune system to protect against stresses. Protection of plants is one of the main approaches to the supply of food resource. Furthermore, improved techniques for plant disease management must be environmentally sustainable, reliable, acceptable by society, and chemical-free to ensure sustainable food security. Although it is not possible to accurately determine postharvest losses due to diseases and physiological disorders, the use of proper harvesting and transportation methods that minimize damage to the product, along with optimal storage conditions that prevent the development of diseases, will be effective in reducing these postharvest losses. Since handling and storage conditions are potential threats for postharvest spoilage, it is necessary to identify environmentally friendly approaches and their precision mechanisms for postharvest disease management. Recently, biological control, non-chemical, and eco-friendly techniques have been investigated for this purpose. Full article

It has been well documented that far-red radiation (FR; 700–799 nm) elicits a shade-avoidance/shade-tolerance response across a wide range of plant species. Most sole-source lighting is relatively low in FR compared to sunlight (i.e., 2% vs. 20% of photons, respectively, integrated between 400 and 799 nm). The objective of this experiment was to determine if the photomorphogenic response to FR is a useful strategy during the seedling stage to promote leaf expansion in the hopes that subsequently transplanted seedlings would increase radiation capture resulting in higher harvestable biomass. Lettuce (cv. ‘Rex’, ‘Red Oak’, and ‘Green Grand Rapids’) seedlings were exposed to 5, 10, 20, or 30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of supplemental FR for a duration of 10 d in a growth chamber for 20 h daily. During this stage, all seedlings received background light levels of 195 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR light from white LEDs for 20 h daily. Seedlings were transplanted into a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system in a separate growth chamber with LED fixtures that supplied white light at 295 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ for 16 h daily (DLI = 17 mol·m⁻²·d⁻¹) until they were harvested at 35 d from seeding. At transplant, fresh weight, leaf area, and plant height were significantly greater for all cultivars exposed to 30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of supplemental FR radiation compared to the 5 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ control. Fresh weight increased by an average of 35% under 30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ FR. Mature plant dry biomass increased by 14% when seedlings were exposed to 30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of supplemental FR radiation. Increasing far-red radiation consistently increased plant growth at the seedling stage, but these increases were generally overcome by maturation. Full article

The present study was carried out to evaluate and characterize, for the first time, the genetic potential of a collection of onion (Allium cepa L.) local accessions from the arid region of southern Tunisia. The genetic diversity among 135 onion individuals, belonging to 23 accessions, was evaluated using microsatellite (SSR) markers and phenotypic information. A total of 35 alleles were generated with 11 SSRs. The polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.08 to 0.95, with an average PIC of 0.43. The expected heterozygosity averaged 0.37, and the observed heterozygosity averaged 0.42. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 79% of genetic variation existed within individuals. Structure and cluster analysis grouped the accessions into two major clusters: landraces and pre-breeding lines. For the phenotypic traits evaluated, field trials were conducted in two different environments. Significant differences among accessions were shown, and for most traits, there was also a significant environmental effect and a significant interaction between environment and accession. Great variability was found for all the traits that could be exploited to create new varieties of onion adapted to local conditions by selecting appropriate parents in hybridization breeding. Full article

Utilizing multi-source remote sensing data fusion to achieve efficient and accurate monitoring of crop nitrogen content is crucial for precise crop management. In this study, an effective integrated method for inverting nitrogen content in apple orchard canopies was proposed based on the fusion of ground-space remote sensing data. Firstly, ground hyper-spectral data, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) multi-spectral data, and apple leaf samples were collected from the apple tree canopy. Secondly, the canopy spectral information was extracted, and the hyper-spectral and UAV multi-spectral data were fused using the Convolution Calculation of the Spectral Response Function (SRF-CC). Based on the raw and simulated data, the spectral feature parameters were constructed and screened, and the canopy abundance parameters were constructed using simulated multi-spectral data. Thirdly, a variety of machine-learning models were constructed and verified to identify the optimal inversion model for spatially inverting the canopy nitrogen content (CNC) in apple orchards. The results demonstrated that SRF-CC was an effective method for the fusion of ground-space remote sensing data, and the fitting degree (R²) of raw and simulated data in all bands was higher than 0.70; the absolute values of the correlation coefficients (|R|) between each spectral index and the CNC increased to 0.55–0.68 after data fusion. The XGBoost model established based on the simulated data and canopy abundance parameters was the optimal model for the CNC inversion (R² = 0.759, RMSE = 0.098, RPD = 1.855), and the distribution of the CNC obtained from the inversion was more consistent with the actual distribution. The findings of this study can provide the theoretical basis and technical support for efficient and non-destructive monitoring of canopy nutrient status in apple orchards. Full article

Tea leaf components are affected by environmental factors such as insect feeding, and metabolites have been studied using specific insect and tea leaf model systems. However, in gardens, tea leaves are eaten by various insects. Because the components of tea may affect human health, the effect of insect damage on metabolites needs to be clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of insect feeding on the nonvolatile components of tea in a field experiment. Furthermore, we determined the effects of insect damage on the composition of black tea products. Tea leaves were sampled from insect-attacked and moderately insect-attacked areas. Catechins were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Tea leaves were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, followed by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis and molecular networking analysis. The nonvolatile components in insect-attacked leaves were significantly affected. The amounts of gallate-type catechins in highly attacked leaves were approximately 1.2 times higher than in moderately attacked leaves. Furthermore, highly attacked leaves had increased levels of afzelechin gallate, procyanidins, and hydrolyzable tannins. These results varied with previous reports that used model systems with specific insects. In addition, some of these compounds were also detected as characteristic components in black tea from highly attacked leaves. Full article

Aquaponics is currently undergoing a transformation into an intensive food production system. The initially applied systems focused on small-scale, fish-centric coupled (CAP, the aquaculture, and the hydroponic units are arranged in a single loop, and the water flows continuously from the fish tanks to the plant unit and back) aquaponics. More recently, the primary area of research interest has shifted toward larger-scale, plant-centric decoupled (aquaculture and hydroponics units are arranged in a multi-loop setup as separate functional units that can be controlled independently) systems, aiming to achieve greater economic benefits and employ more environmentally friendly practices. The objective of this study was to address gaps in the expansion of decoupled larger-scale aquaponics and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the water and nutrient flow in the system. For this purpose, experiments were performed in a greenhouse on CAP and DCAP systems, while this study also included measurements in a pure hydroponic system (HP). This study presents an assessment of the water and nutrient flow in four different crops: basil; cucumber; parsley; and tomato, all co-cultivated with a tilapia aquaculture system. Significant nutrient deficiencies and imbalances were identified in the CAP solution, leading to pronounced impacts on nutrient assimilation, particularly for fruiting vegetables. However, the average nutrient use efficiency (NUE) for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and calcium was found to be 42% higher in the CAP treatment compared to HP and DCAP treatments. The nutrient solution in the DCAP treatment did not exhibit differences in water quality parameters and nutrient efficiency when compared to HP, resulting in similar effects on nutrient assimilation. Nonetheless, it was observed that DCAP plants exhibited superior NUE compared to HP plants. Full article

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are convenient and retain maximum nutrients. However, even minimal processing accelerates product deterioration and reduces food safety due to microbial infection. In this study, the effects of UV-C irradiation, low temperature treatment, and their combination on the microbial risk of fresh-cut bitter gourd were evaluated. Firstly, next-generation sequencing technology was utilized to identify microorganisms on the surface of fresh-cut bitter gourd after 12 h of exposure to room temperature, and a total of 34 bacterial species were identified. Subsequently, fresh-cut bitter gourd treated with UV-C or/and 4 °C and then kept at room temperature for 6 h was assessed for its viable bacterial count. The results showed that both 0.5 and 1.5 kJ·m⁻² UV-C irradiation significantly inhibited microbial growth compared to 4 °C and the no treatment control. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed between UV-C and the combined treatments. Lower doses of UV-C irradiation reduced hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content, increased the proline level, and improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and critical enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway, such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol oxidase. This suggests that UV-C irradiation alone can effectively reduce bacterial contamination in fresh-cut bitter gourd to an acceptable level. Full article

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a valuable economic crop that is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions but has a short storage and shelf life. Exploring effective strategies to improve the postharvest quality of papaya is important. This study explored the effect of humidity-triggered controlled-release 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) sheets on the postharvest quality of papaya fruit. ‘Rainbow’ papayas underwent cold storage at 10 ± 0.5 °C, RH 85% ± 2% for 14 days, and then were transferred to 20 ± 0.5 °C, RH 85% ± 2% for 10 days to simulate shelf life. The 1-MCP sheets were cut into different sizes and placed in storage containers in advance to create corresponding concentrations at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 ppm. Results showed that 1-MCP treatment inhibited fruit softening, and reduced weight loss and peel color deterioration without causing any physiological disorders. The 1.0–2.0 ppm 1-MCP-treated fruit received the highest score for papaya flavor and sweetness respectively and the lowest score for off-flavor. The humidity-triggered controlled-release 1-MCP sheets are effective and convenient, and they can serve as an important tool for regulating postharvest papaya ripening with economic benefits. Full article

Hail, known as an agricultural meteorological disaster, can substantially constrain the growth of the apple industry. Presently, apple orchards use a variety of colored (photo-selective) hail nets as a preventative measure. However, it is unclear which color proves most effective for apple orchards. This study provides a systematic investigation of the impact of four photo-selective colored hail nets (white, blue, black, and green; with white being the control) on the microenvironment of apple orchards, fruit tree development, fruit quality, and yield over a two-year period (2020–2021). Different photo-selective nets do not evidently alter the intensity of light, although the nets’ shading effects decrease in the order from black to green to blue. Among them, blue nets increased the proportion of blue light, while green nets enhanced the proportion of green light. On the other hand, black, green, and blue nets diminished the proportion of red and far-red light. Such photo-selective nets effectively lowered soil temperature but did not have an impact on relative humidity and air temperature. Encasing apple trees with blue nets promoted growth, increasing shoot length, thickness, leaf area, and water content, while simultaneously decreasing leaf thickness. Black nets had comparable effects, although the impacts of green nets were inconsistent. Different photo-selective nets did not significantly influence the leaf shape index or overall chlorophyll content. However, black and green nets reduced the chlorophyll a/b ratio, while blue nets slightly boosted this ratio. Additionally, blue nets proved beneficial for apple trees’ photosynthesis. With the employment of a principal component analysis and comprehensive evaluation, this study concludes that blue nets offer the most favorable environmental conditions for apple growth while protecting apple orchards against hail, compared to black, white, and green nets. Full article

Grafting techniques represent an efficient tool to enhance plant growth and development. The study aims to explore the effects of different grafting combinations on the growth of eggplants under diverse greenhouse conditions. Eggplant cultivar Black bell (Bb) was employed as scion, while the hybrid F₁ Beaufort (Be) and Solanum torvum (To) were utilized as rootstock. The hypothesis behind this study pertains to grafting incompatibility with Beaufort F1. It postulates that this incompatibility can be mitigated by manipulating soil and greenhouse temperatures. The experimental factors encompassed plant combinations (Bb, Be/Bb and To/Bb), as well greenhouse and substrate temperature (both cold or heated). The Be/Bb combination showed higher values of plant vegetative traits, but it exhibited low grafting compatibility. Additionally, physiological analysis confirmed the presence of excessive growth and vegetative disorder within the Be/Bb combination. Examination of the xylem vessels revealed notable differences between the grafting combination involving Bb and the rootstock F1 hybrid Be/Bb, compared to the one with To/Bb and the non-grafted Bb. Specifically, the area, diameter and number of xylem vessels were approximatively 45% higher in Be/Bb than in To/Bb and the non-grafted Bb. Furthermore, a robust linear correlation was observed between plant height with morphometric and physiological traits, except fruits sets. This study lays the basis for a novel protocol for agriculture, addressing the excessive vegetative growth in rootstocks regulating air and substrate temperatures. Full article

Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) are native to the southeastern U.S., where they are valued for their unique flavor and fruity aroma. Despite having a diverse aroma profile, muscadine germplasm is virtually unexplored in terms of its aroma volatile content and composition, which is crucial in determining the value of its products. The aim of this research was to characterize 24 muscadine genotypes with distinct uses and origin for their aroma-related volatile profiles using the headspace solid-phase microextraction method coupled with gas-chromatography mass spectrometry. In total, 63 volatile compounds were detected, and genotypes significantly differed for 43 of the volatile compounds. We also profiled the aroma volatile content and composition of the commercially cultivated muscadine cultivar Carlos at various stages of berry ripeness. Characteristic differences were observed in the composition of the volatile compounds as ripening progressed. This is the first study to have evaluated the aroma volatile composition of a wide variety of muscadine germplasms, including juice and fresh fruit cultivars, as well as the related species Vitis popenoei and its complex hybrids between V. rotundifolia and Vitis vinifera. The results obtained from this study will help identify muscadine genotypes and better design crosses to produce fresh fruit and wine selections with the desired aroma profiles. This knowledge will lead to the development of new muscadine cultivars and significantly contribute to the expansion of muscadine use in the future. Full article

In 2022, a test performance study (TPS) assessing the influence of different master mixes on the performance of the tetraplex real-time PCR (TqPCR) assay was organized. TqPCR allows for the specific detection and identification of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) subspecies in a single reaction. Eighteen official laboratories of the Italian National Plant Protection Organization received a panel of 12 blind samples, controls, primers, probes, and different master mixes to participate in the TPS. Furthermore, the Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics performed an intra-laboratory study (ITS) on spiked plant matrices to evaluate the analytical sensitivity of TqPCR employing the selected master mixes with the best performance. Naturally infected samples were analyzed for subspecies identification via TqPCR compared with the official multilocus-sequence-typing (MLST) method. The best results in this comparative study were obtained using Fast Universal PCR Master Mix (Applied Biosystems) and Brilliant multiplex QPCR Master Mix (Agilent), and they confirmed that the TqPCR test is reliable, offering the advantage of identifying this subspecies at the same time, thus saving time and resources. The TqPCR assay is suggested among the tests to be used by laboratories performing the official diagnosis of Xf to support the activities of official monitoring. Full article

Global warming has led to irregular precipitation patterns and various abiotic and biotic stresses, resulting in unforeseen consequences for wildlife. Plant species are particularly vulnerable to these global climate changes, struggling to adapt to the increasing stressors. Urban environments exacerbate these challenges, further hindering plant survival and growth. The declining number of climate- and urban-tolerant plant species is a direct consequence of escalating stresses. However, resistance breeding approaches coupled with environmentally friendly technologies like biostimulants offer hope by expanding the pool of adaptable species. Urban vegetation plays a vital role in mitigating the urban heat island effect, supporting mental well-being among residents, and preserving biodiversity. In this study, we comprehensively review recent research findings on these topics with a focus on publications from the past 5 years. Emphasizing stress-tolerant ornamental urban plants including trees and herbaceous species becomes crucial for establishing sustainable living practices. By incorporating resilient plant varieties into urban landscapes, we can enhance ecological balance while improving the overall quality of urban environments for both human inhabitants and wildlife populations. Full article

Plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis provides a solution for maintaining and genetically improving crop or fruit varieties with desirable agronomic traits. For the fruit tree pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), despite some successful applications, the existing somatic embryogenesis protocols are limited by low availability of explants and susceptibility to browning. To address these problems, in this study, we developed an effective system for induction of high-vigor pomegranate somatic embryos derived from stem explants. The usage of stem explants breaks through the difficulty in obtaining material, thus making our system suitable for widespread commercial production. To enhance the performance of our system, we identified the optimal explants, subculture cycles and combination of basal media and plant growth regulators for each step. The results showed that inoculating stem explants onto a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 1.0 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) achieved the best induction rate and growth status of pomegranate calli (induction rate = ~72%), and MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L 6-BA and 1.0 mg/L NAA was the optimal condition for the induction of embryogenic calli and somatic embryos (induction rate = ~74% and 79%, respectively). The optimal subculture period for embryogenic calli was found to be 30–35 days. Strong roots were then induced in the developed somatic embryo seedlings, which survived and grew well after transplantation to the natural environment, indicating the good vitality of the induced pomegranate somatic embryos. Together, our system provides a solution to mass somatic embryo induction and plant regeneration of pomegranate and lays a foundation for future genetic transformation and bioengineering improvement of pomegranate with favorable agronomic traits. Full article

Postharvest cherry tomatoes are prone to senescence, decay and nutrient loss during the storage period owing to microbial invasion and their own metabolism. In this work, postharvest cherry tomatoes were treated with a composite coating of 1% chitosan and 1% curdlan, and the characteristics of postharvest cherry tomatoes during storage were investigated. Compared to control samples, after 21 d of storage under ambient conditions, the cherry tomatoes treated with the chitosan and curdlan coatings showed less rottenness, less weight loss, a lower respiration rate, reduced ethylene production, lower malonaldehyde (MDA) content and reduced membrane permeability. After the samples were treated with the composite coating, the activities of free radical scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were maintained at higher levels; the activities of related disease-resistant enzymes such as chitinase (CHI) and glucanase (GLU) were also maintained at higher levels. The soluble solids, titratable acidity, firmness, vitamin C content, lycopene content and antioxidant activities of postharvest cherry tomatoes treated with the composite coating exhibited higher levels as well. The composite coating of chitosan and curdlan might be a potentially promising method for preserving postharvest cherry tomatoes and other fruits. Full article

In image classification of tomato leaf diseases based on deep learning, models often focus on features such as edges, stems, backgrounds, and shadows of the experimental samples, while ignoring the features of the disease area, resulting in weak generalization ability. In this study, a self-attention mechanism called GD-Attention is proposed, which considers global pixel value distribution information and guide the deep learning model to give more concern on the leaf disease area. Based on data augmentation, the proposed method inputs both the image and its pixel value distribution information to the model. The GD-Attention mechanism guides the model to extract features related to pixel value distribution information, thereby increasing attention towards the disease area. The model is trained and tested on the Plant Village (PV) dataset, and by analyzing the generated attention heatmaps, it is observed that the disease area obtains greater weight. The results achieve an accuracy of 99.97% and 27 MB parameters only. Compared to classical and state-of-the-art models, our model showcases competitive performance. As a next step, we are committed to further research and application, aiming to address real-world, complex scenarios. Full article

This study investigates the potential use of Lolium perenne L. as a cover crop to improve vineyard soils with varying levels of copper (Cu). Cu-based fungicides are commonly used to control fungal diseases in vineyards, but their accumulation in soils poses environmental risks. This study aims to address this issue by evaluating the influence of soil properties on Cu availability and L. perenne growth. A total of 42 vineyard soils from different Designations of Origin (D.O.s) in Galicia were sampled and their physicochemical properties were analyzed. The results showed most soils exceeded recommended Cu limits due to fungicide applications. Pot experiments were conducted to assess L. perenne growth and Cu accumulation. L. perenne biomass did not vary significantly with total soil Cu content, indicating that other factors such as organic matter and cation exchange capacity were more important for plant growth. While L. perenne showed Cu tolerance, its aerial Cu accumulation was inversely correlated with available Cu. This study provides insight into the potential of L. perenne as a cover crop for sustainable vineyard management and soil improvement and emphasizes the importance of considering Cu accumulation from fungicide applications. Full article

Fusarium wilt, mainly caused by Fusarium oxysporum, affects ginger yield and quality worldwide. To explore a safe and sustainable method of preventing and controlling Fusarium wilt, the inhibitory effects of eugenol on F. oxysporum FOX-1 were analysed in this study. The results showed that eugenol inhibited the reproductive and vegetative growth of F. oxysporum FOX-1 in vitro. Microscopic observations revealed that eugenol disrupted the hyphal morphology of F. oxysporum. In addition, eugenol destroyed the cell membrane integrity of the pathogenic fungi, resulting in the leakage of F. oxysporum FOX-1 intercellular contents, including electrolytes, soluble proteins, nucleic acids, and malonydialdehyde. Results of an in vivo inoculation test showed that eugenol exerted a strong inhibitory effect on Fusarium wilt in ginger seedlings. In summary, eugenol had an inhibitory effect on the growth of F. oxysporum FOX-1 and controlled Fusarium wilt in ginger seedlings. These findings provide a foundation for future development of botanical antifungal agents to manage Fusarium wilt. Full article

Advances in measurement systems and technologies are being avidly taken up in perennial tree crop research and industry applications. However, there is a lack of a standard model to support streamlined management and integration of the data generated from advanced measurement systems used in tree crop research. Furthermore, the rapid expansion in the diversity and volumes of data is increasingly highlighting the requirement for a comprehensive data model and an ecosystem for efficient orchard management and decision-making. This research focuses on the design and implementation of a novel proof-of-concept data ecosystem that enables improved data storage, management, integration, processing, analysis, and usage. Contemporary technologies proliferating in other sectors but that have had limited adoption in agricultural research have been incorporated into the model. The core of the proposed solution is a service-oriented API-driven system coupled with a standard-based digital orchard model. Applying this solution in Agriculture Victoria’s Tatura tree crop research farm (the Tatura SmartFarm) has significantly reduced overheads in research data management, enhanced analysis, and improved data resolution. This is demonstrated by the preliminary results presented for in-orchard and postharvest data collection applications. The data ecosystem developed as part of this research also establishes a foundation for early fruit traceability across industry and research. Full article

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel, 1912) (Diptera: Tephritidae), commonly known as the oriental fruit fly, is a highly destructive pest that globally infests fruits and vegetables, resulting in significant annual economic losses. Initially detected in Taiwan Island, it has rapidly expanded its distribution range to various regions in mainland China since the 1980s, with a continuous northward spread. To mitigate the damage caused by this pest, extensive efforts have been undertaken to comprehend its ecological and physiological adaptations and develop management strategies. This review article provides an overview of the invasion history of B. dorsalis in China, its ecological and physiological mechanisms facilitating its invasion, and the progress made in understanding its major biological characteristics. Moreover, the key approaches for managing B. dorsalis that have been or are likely to be implemented in China are presented, including quarantine measures, monitoring procedures, physical controls, biological controls, the sterile insect technique, RNA interference, and CRISPR-Cas-9. Finally, some suggestions for future research directions are provided. Full article

(1) Background: The oil stability of tree nuts during storage can be influenced by storage conditions such as temperature, humidity, and moisture concentration. However, few studies have assessed how the presence of testa and shell affects the oil stability of tree nuts during storage. We aimed to determine how storage conditions affect oil stability in almond and canarium, in particular, the presence of testa and storage time of nut-in-shell (NIS). (2) Methods: We measured peroxide value (PV), free fatty acid (FFA) and hexanal concentrations of almond and canarium (blanched vs. kernel-in-testa) stored at 45 °C for 24 days. We also measured PV, FFA and fatty acid composition of canarium samples at days 0 and 140 stored as NIS under ambient conditions. (3) Results: The presence of testa in almond and canarium decreased hexanal and PV concentrations at day 24 of incubation. Canarium PV and FFA concentrations increased over 140 days of storage in the shell compared to day 0. However, both PV and FFA concentrations remained within the acceptable threshold during storage. No changes in fatty acid composition were found during NIS storage. (4) Conclusions: Testa and shell could act as a natural coating, slowing down oxidation rates. Hence, long-term storage on nuts in testa or nuts in shell are recommended for tree nuts. Full article

Fire blight of fruit crops is one of the most dangerous diseases for apple trees and other plants of the Rosaceae family, and in Kazakhstan, it is subject to quarantine. To study the spread of fire blight, a phytopathological evaluation of 59 apple varieties of domestic and foreign breeds was carried out in various regions of the south and southeast of Kazakhstan while also considering climatic conditions. The susceptibility of an apple tree to fire blight is influenced by the climatic conditions prevailing in a particular fruit region of Kazakhstan. Samples were collected from various varieties of apple trees with fire blight symptoms for molecular genetic analysis. The phytopathological evaluation and results of the PCR analysis made it possible to identify the causative agent of the disease and its spread to apple varieties in the main fruit regions of Kazakhstan. A molecular study of the resistance to the fire blight pathogen was carried out using the most effective molecular markers. A set of 10 (FBE-1_Y320; FBE-2_Y192; FBE-2_Y495; FBE-2_Y551; FB-MR5-K35; FB-MRS-R240; FB-MR5-R249; FB-MR5-rp16k15_M106; RLP1a; and RLP1b) SNPs was selected, including SNPs reported to be associated with three trait loci, as well as the two markers AE10-375 and GE-8019. Interestingly, the SNP analysis revealed that for all ten markers linked to fire blight resistance, the genotypes of all 59 apple cultivars were identical. No differences in the presence or absence of these markers were observed among the studied varieties. The 26 apple varieties of domestic and foreign breeds most resistant to fire blight were identified in the molecular analysis using the markers AE-375 and GE-8019. Among the studied 59 apple varieties, 23 varieties were identified using the AE-375 marker and 7 varieties with the GE-8019 marker. Samuret, Honeycrisp, Pinova, and Red Topaz were found to be resistant using markers AE-375 and GE-8019. The most promising apple varieties for further breeding for resistance to fire blight programs were selected. Full article

As the sensitivity of perennial crops to climate change becomes more pronounced, clonal selection, which is already very time-consuming for grapevine, may take even longer, while its importance is increasing. In the case of indigenous grapevine varieties, the purpose of clonal selection is twofold: to mitigate problems of cultivation and at the same time, to preserve the varietal character. The cultivation technique issue of ‘Kéknyelű’ is the low fertility (functionally female-flowered variety), and as for ‘Juhfark’ it is the significant susceptibility to grey rot. Based on daily meteorological data of 11 years, the years were classified into 3 groups and harvest data were analyzed within each group. Significant difference in yield was found between clone B.2. and the base ‘Kéknyelű’. Both clones of ‘Kéknyelű’ matured with significantly lower pH compared to the base variety. Given the acidic character of ‘Kéknyelű’ wine and the predicted rise in must °Brix and pH as a result of climate change, these differences may be useful in the future. Botrytis infection only showed statistically significant differences between year groups for ‘Juhfark’. It is intriguing that in most years, the rate of grey rot infection was lower in both clones compared to the base variety, especially in year groups 1 and 3 when the overall rate of Botrytis infection was quite low. Full article

Plants face various biotic and abiotic stress factors during their growth and development, among which, drought is a serious adverse factor that affects yield and quality in agriculture and forestry. Several transcription factors are involved in regulating plant responses to drought stress. In this study, the B-box (BBX) transcription factor CoBBX24 was cloned from Camellia oleifera. This gene encodes a 241-amino-acid polypeptide containing two B-box domains at the N-terminus. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that CoBBX24 and CsBBX24 from Camellia sinensis are in the same branch, with their amino acid sequences being identical by 96.96%. CoBBX24 was localized to the nucleus and acted as a transcriptional activator. The overexpression of CoBBX24 in Arabidopsis heightened its drought tolerance along with a relatively high survival rate, and the rate of water loss in the OX-CoBBX24 lines was observably lower than that of the wild-type. Compared to the wild-type, the root lengths of the OX-CoBBX24 lines were significantly inhibited with abscisic acid. Leaf senescence was delayed in the OX-CoBBX24 lines treated with abscisic acid. The expression of genes related to leaf senescence and chlorophyll breakdown (e.g., SAG12, SAG29, NYC1, NYE1, and NYE2) was downregulated in the OX-CoBBX24 lines. This study indicated that CoBBX24 positively regulates the drought tolerance in Arabidopsis through delayed leaf senescence. Full article

Decay caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is an important postharvest disease of blueberries that seriously affects the commercial value of blueberry fruit. In this paper, we studied the inhibitory activity and mode of action of thymol against the pathogenic fungus of blueberries caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora. The results demonstrated that thymol administration could limit mycelial growth in vitro; the inhibitory effect was positively connected with thymol mass concentrations, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 100 mg/L. Further investigations revealed that MIC thymol treatment dramatically reduced the germination of pathogenic spores and led to an increase in the conductivity of the pathogen, leakage of contents, and a decrease in pH. Propidium iodide (PI) staining experiments demonstrated that MIC thymol caused damage to mycelial cell membranes. Additionally, MIC thymol treatment promoted mycelium malondialdehyde content accumulation, inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities, decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) content and energy charge levels, and the fluorescence intensity of mycelium caused by MIC thymol treatment was significantly increased by the 2,7-Dichlorodi-hydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. The results of this study indicate that thymol suppresses the proliferation of Neopestalotiopsis clavispora by compromising the integrity of their cell membranes, promoting the accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and interfering with energy metabolism. Full article

Foxtail lily (Eremurus), as a medicinal-ornamental geophyte, has recently emerged in the cut flower market as a novel, commercially significant specialty cut flower (SCF). However, there is limited information about the sensitivity to ethylene of foxtail lily species for managing the ethylene-mediated senescence to prolong the vase life and maintain the ornamental quality of this flower. The purpose of the current study was to compare the ethylene production rates and patterns, as well as the responses to exogenous ethylene and ethylene inhibitors, between two species, E. spectabilis and E. persicus, to better understand the role of ethylene in Eremurus inflorescence senescence. The results revealed that exogenous ethylene (10 μL L⁻¹), as a pulsing or continuous method, dramatically accelerated petal wilting in E. spectabilis and petal abscission in E. persicus. Furthermore, the rate and patterns of endogenous ethylene production varied significantly among the two investigated species. Interestingly, E. persicus exhibited a higher rate of ethylene production than E. spectabilis on the first day after harvesting, but the reverse was true at the end of the vase life (Day 4 of the vase period). The results revealed that the treatments with ethylene inhibitors considerably improved the water relations and vase longevity of both foxtail lily species. The vase life of E. spectabilis was dramatically enhanced by silver thiosulfate complex (STS) treatment (0.2 mM pulse for 24 h) from 5 d (control) to 7 d. Furthermore, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) at 0.5 and 1.0 μL L⁻¹ markedly improved water uptake, relative fresh weight, and water balance and extended the vase life of cut inflorescences by ~2 d in E. spectabilis and E. persicus, compared with those of control cut inflorescences, respectively. This research revealed that ethylene is involved in controlling the senescence of foxtail lily flowers, and two tested species exhibited distinct forms of ethylene sensitivity, including abscission type in E. persicus and wilting-type in E. spectabilis. Collectively, these findings suggest that ethylene is involved in the senescence of cut foxtail lily inflorescence and that ethylene inhibitors can prolong vase life. Full article

The complete chloroplast genomes of red currant cultivar ‘Belaya Potapenko’ and gooseberry cultivar ‘Nekrasovskij’ were sequenced and assembled for the first time. The plastomes are 157,802 bp and 157,559 bp in length for Ribes rubrum and R. uva-crispa, respectively. The R. rubrum cp genome is 243 b.p. longer. It has one more protein-coding gene ycf1, which is pseudogenized in the R. uva-crispa cp genome. In total, 56 and 54 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified within the assembled plastid genomes. The SSR content of plastid genomes was assessed for the 18 Saxifragales species. Phylogeny inference based on plastome data of 18 Saxifragales revealed that all Ribes species are clustered together on the phylogenetic tree, though R. fasciculatum seems to be the most distant from the other analyzed Ribes species. The position of taxa inside the Ribes genus clade does not support the concept of its division into five subgenera. All Ribes species share approximately the same set of protein-coding genes in their plastome sequences. There was multiple independent pseudogenization of the ycf1 gene within the Ribes genus as well as other Saxifragales taxa. Negative selection was observed for most of the genes in both the Ribes group and Saxifragales. A positive selection ratio was observed only inside the Ribes group for the ycf4 and clpP genes. Together with positive selection signatures, pseudogenization events of ycfs genes perhaps reflect that these genes’ evolution was important for Ribes’ adaptation. Thus, our study provides genomic resources and valuable reference for marker development, and makes some clarifications of the phylogenomics of the Ribes genus. Full article

Cauliflower is a nutritious vegetable with inflorescences that are specialized to form the edible organs called curds. Uncovering key genes underlying important traits is crucial for the genetic improvement of this important crop. However, the genetic basis of many important agronomic traits, including curd performance and plant architecture in cauliflower, remains unclear. GWASs have proved to be powerful tools to study agronomic traits in many crops. To reveal the genetic basis of four important agronomic traits, namely, the main stem height (MSH), purplish curd (PC), external leaf wing (ELW) and weight of a single curd (WSC), we selected 220 core accessions of loose-curd cauliflower for resequencing, phenotypic investigation and GWAS. The approach revealed significant novel loci. We detected several significant associations: on C02 for MSH and PC, on C06 for ELW and on C01 for WSC. More interestingly, we identified a significant single-peak signal for the weight of a single curd (WSC), an important yield trait, and within this signal interval, we identified the BOB01G136670 gene with five SNPs encoding nonsynonymous mutations in the CDS region; these mutations resulted in two haplotypes with significant differences in curd weight. The weight of a single curd was significantly increased in the varieties with the BOB01G136670 ^Hap1 allele compared to those with BOB01G136670 ^Hap2. BOB01G136670 was highly conserved with the homologous genes that encode serine carboxypeptidase and belong to the S10 family in other species, including GS5, which functions as a positive regulator of grain size in rice, wheat and maize. Additionally, BOB01G136670 was highly expressed specifically at the curd enlargement stage, with low or even no expression at all in other tissues and stages, indicating that BOB01G136670 is a plausible candidate gene for WSC. Overall, this study identified genomic loci for four important agronomic traits that are relevant for accelerating biological breeding and the improvement of cauliflower varieties. Full article

For a long time, species of the genus Salix have been widely utilized and studied as medicinal plants; however, the biological activity and phytochemical composition of Salix schwerinii (SS) and S. kochiana (SK) have not been studied at all. This study investigated the antioxidant properties of SS and SK extracts and detected phytochemical compounds in the extracts. The results showed that the antioxidant activities (IC₅₀) of SS extract, SK extract, and ascorbic acid (reference) were as follows, respectively: 169.8, 79.8, and 71.2 μg mL⁻¹ for ABTS cation radical scavenging and 38.4, 26.2, and 9.3 μg mL⁻¹ for DPPH free radical scavenging. The results imply that SK has a high potential as a natural antioxidant. The phytochemical compositions of extracts (mg g⁻¹) were analyzed as follows: SS extracts, 217.7 phenolics (1.54 catechin, 0.86 syringic acid, 0.46 luteolin, and others) and 5.06 salicin; SK extracts, 71.0 phenolics (0.54 catechin, 0.28 myricetin, 0.12 salicylic acid, and others) and 2.11 salicin. Compared to previous studies, the present findings go further to highlight that SS deserves attention as a novel source of salicin. The present study highlights the need for further studies on the aspects of medicinal functions of the extracts, bioprocess design for efficient phytochemical extraction, and applications of bioactive substances. Full article

Herbs are considered substantial sources of antioxidant compounds, playing an important role in medicines, cosmetics, and distillates. Although they have been used in wine since ancient times, especially in Mediterranean regions, there is limited scientific evidence on how the addition of herbs into wine affects its properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of three herbs, Salvia officinalis, Melissa officinalis and Cannabis sativa, with direct extraction in two different conditions: in must (pre-fermentation addition) and in wine (post-fermentation addition) and investigate potential differences between them. Three Greek indigenous grape varieties of Vitis vinifera L. were evaluated (Roditis, Muscat, Fokiano). The extractability of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of the produced wines were determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu and DPPH methods, respectively. Moreover, HPLC analysis was conducted to identify and quantify rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, two main components of many Lamiaceae plants. The results indicate that the post-fermentation addition of herbs leads to a significant increase in antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds compared to blank wine. In most cases, the increase is significantly higher in comparison with pre-fermentation addition. Wine, upon the addition of Melissa officinalis, was found to extract the highest amount of total phenols compared to the other two herbs. Full article

Sweet cherry may develop surface pitting during prolonged cold storage, and susceptibility among varieties is related to metabolites in response to cold and mechanical damage. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic changes in sweet cherry fruits subjected to melatonin treatment and induced surface pitting. Melatonin (400 µM) was applied to sweet cherries before pitting induction and then stored at 1 °C for 20 d. Melatonin treatment attenuated the severity of pitting damage during cold storage, with an average severity value of 3.1 for cherries with melatonin and 2.6 without melatonin. In addition, melatonin application appeared to modulate metabolic responses due to the regulation of metabolic pathways related to abiotic stress. Upregulation of different secondary metabolites was observed after 16 h of melatonin treatment and cold storage. Moreover, some metabolites of the sphingolipid and sulfur metabolism were upregulated after 10 d. This research is the first to show that melatonin may influence the response of sweet cherries to cold and mechanical damage. Full article

Citrus fruits are vulnerable to green mold (caused by Penicillium digitatum) and blue mold (caused by Penicillium italicum) during storage, posing significant challenges to the industry. Therefore, biological control utilizing antagonistic bacteria has emerged as a dependable strategy for managing postharvest diseases. In this study, halophilic bacterial isolates were carefully selected from diverse saline ecosystems, including the Dead Sea, the Agadir Sea, the Rabat Sea, saline soil, and water of the Amassine Oued in Taounate, based on rigorous in vitro and in vivo antagonism bioassays. Out of 21 bacteria from different saline environments, 10 were chosen for further characterization based on the 16S rDNA gene. Notably, the EAM1 isolate demonstrated exceptional inhibitory effects, reaching a 90% inhibition rate against P. digitatum, while the ER2 isolate closely followed with an 89% inhibition rate against P. italicum. Furthermore, in bacterial supernatant experiments, six bacterial isolates effectively curbed the growth of P. digitatum, and three demonstrated efficacy against P. italicum development. In an in vivo trial spanning ten days of incubation, three highly effective isolates against P. digitatum displayed zero severity, and two of these isolates also demonstrated zero severity against P. italicum. Interestingly, a comparison of bacterial filtrates revealed that all isolates exhibited a severity level of over 50% against the pathogen causing green rot (P. digitatum), while the severity was lower than 50% for the supernatants of the two isolates used against P. italicum. In conclusion, this study highlights the promising role of halophilic bacteria, specifically Bacillus amyloliquefaciens EAM1 and B. amyloliquefaciens ER2, in controlling postharvest fruit pathogens. The findings shed light on the potential of utilizing these bioprotective agents to address the challenges posed by green and blue citrus molds, providing valuable insights for the citrus industry. Full article

The Munake grape is a local variety of grape that is widely distributed in Xinjiang, China. This study aims to clarify the genetic structure of the Munake grape population, characterize genetic differentiation and gene flow among populations, gather germplasm, and establish the core germplasm collection. In total, 144 samples were collected from eight geographic populations. Twenty-two SSR markers were used to characterize the genetic diversity as well as the genetic structure of Munake grape germplasm and to establish the core germplasm collection. At each site, the average number of effective alleles (Ne) was 5.019. Overall, genetic diversity was high in the various geographic populations of Munake grapes. Polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.501 to 0.908, with an average of 0.728. Estimates of genetic differentiation and gene flow indicated that the Artux population had significant genetic differences from the other populations. Screening results indicated that a sampling proportion of 95% of the sample was required to achieve 100% allelic coverage, or a sampling proportion of 65% for 95% allelic coverage. This analysis was based on conventional genetic diversity indicators, with a core germplasm diversity index of 95% coverage. Characterization of the genetic diversity of germplasm from 144 Munake grapes not only provides valuable resources for future genetic mapping and functional genome research, but also facilitates the utilization of core germplasm and molecular breeding of Munake grapes. Full article

Peat is the major constituent of horticultural growing media. Due to its high climate footprint, its extraction and use are controversial and the need to limit its use is widely recognised. The Peat Use Reduction Strategy of the German government aims to phase out its use and replace it with renewable materials. Despite large potential, stakeholders consider the availability of peat substitutes in sufficient quantity and quality as a critical issue. The goal of this research is to systematically investigate the challenges and opportunities for substituting peat in the resource base of the growing media industry. Based on deep-dive interviews with German growing media producers, the factors determining the supply and use of the main growing media constituents—peat, green compost, wood fibres, composted bark and coir products—were analysed. The results show the critical role of the processing infrastructure on transportation distances and the quality and quantity of the market supply. Additionally, competition with other sectors affects the availability of materials for the growing media industry. Moreover, peat is still economically advantageous compared with its substitutes. Even if this advantage declines due to consumer awareness and the end of domestic extraction, the end of peat use would probably imply new policy measures. Full article

The human intake of selenium (Se), which is an essential element in animals and humans, can be increased through the consumption of vegetables that have been biofortified during cultivation. There is increasing interest in wild edible plants (WEPs) due to their positive effects on health. In fact, many WEPs are rich in microelements, vitamins, dietary fibers, and several antioxidant compounds. Among WEPs, sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) is the wild ancestor of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla). The present study investigated the potential of fortifying Swiss chard and sea beet with Se. The two subspecies were cultivated in a floating system with a nutrient solution enriched with four concentrations of Se (0, 1, 3, and 5 mg L⁻¹), and the production and quality of the baby leaves were evaluated. The addition of Se to the nutrient solution resulted in a higher leaf concentration of this microelement in both subspecies, with a positive effect on the yield (+20%) and leaf chlorophyll concentration (+25%) at the Se concentration of 1 mg L⁻¹. The leaf concentration of nitrates was reduced by the Se treatment in sea beet regardless of the Se concentration (−24%, on average). Selenium biofortification was more effective in sea beet plants than in Swiss chard due to the higher ability of the wild species to acquire readily available minerals from the hydroponic nutrient solution. In conclusion, both subspecies accumulated a significant amount of Se without negative effects on yield or leaf quality, thus proving them to be suitable for the production of Se-enriched baby leaves. Full article

Apple replant disease (ARD) is seriously hindering the development of the apple industry. This experiment assessed the effects of two different root-growth-promoting agents (Indoleacetic acid and nutrient elements) on the microbial environment of apple-replanted soil and the growth of apple rootstock Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings after fumigation with crystal lime sulfur. The results showed that the simultaneous application of crystal lime sulfur, indoleacetic acid, and nutrient elements (T4) improved the biomass of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. It also enhanced the activities of soil enzymes and root antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT). Their activities were significantly higher than in the individual treatments and resulted in a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The T4 treatment significantly increased the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of the plant, thus effectively increasing the plant growth status. After fumigation, the amount of soil microorganisms was reduced, and the amount of bacteria and actinomycetes was increased after mixed application with the root-growth-promoting agent. The abundance of different species such as Pseudallescheria, Guehomyces, Trichoderma, Bacillus, Gaiella, and Sphingomonas was effectively increased, and the amount of Fusarium oxysporum was reduced. Through correlation analysis between different species and plant and soil enzymes, we found that the different species were positively correlated with root respiration rate and SOD activity and negatively correlated with MDA content. The differentially accumulated microbial species may be the key microorganism that promotes plant growth. Therefore, the simultaneous application of crystal lime sulfur, indoleacetic acid, and nutrient elements can optimize the apple replant soil environment and promote the growth of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings, and can be used to control apple replant disease. Full article

Grass cultivation is widely used as an effective soil management method in pear orchards. A Korla fragrant pear orchard with clean cultivation (CK) and natural grass planting for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years was examined in this study. We analyzed the differences in soil fertility and shoot and leaf nutrient content under different grassing years. Compared with the clean cultivation, grass cultivation reduced the soil fertility and nutrient content of shoots and leaves at the early stage of natural grass planting (1–2 years). With the increase in grassing years, the overall level of the nutrient content of soil, shoots, and leaves gradually increased; the shallower the soil layer, the more significant the effect. Furthermore, grass cultivation significantly increased the contents of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. The nutrient contents of shoots and leaves were also significantly increased after grass cultivation. The contents of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium in shoots were significantly increased by 7.32%, 154.84%, and 219.29% in 5, 4, and 5 years, respectively, and their contents were also increased by 69.57%, 22.86%, and 26.45% in leaves. The correlation analysis showed that there was a significant or extremely significant positive correlation among the shoots, leaves, and soil nutrient contents. In conclusion, continuous grass cultivation significantly improved the soil quality, health status, and nutritional status, and effectively solved the problem of harm to the pear orchard caused by long-term clean cultivation. This study will provide the scientific basis for the construction of a reasonable orchard soil management mode. Full article

Because of the vast information on health benefits and the urbanization impact changes in eating habits, the demand for ready-to-use shelled walnuts as a convenient, healthy, and nutritious snack food is increasing all over the world. However, shelled nuts sold as halves or pieces in ‘ready-to-use’ small packages are more susceptible to pellicle darkening and rancidity than their in-shell equivalents. Currently, about two-thirds of the USA crop is exported, and ~66% of these exports are sold as shelled ‘ready to use’, and its demand is increasing. Yet, this package style is generating quality challenges due to the darkening and rancidification of the kernel pellicle. Protection against kernel color quality loss and rancidity during postharvest handling, even at warm temperatures, can be accomplished at 6 kPa (%) oxygen or less for ‘Chandler’ and 3 kPa or less for ‘Howard’ and ‘Tulare’. The application of the ‘cold chain’ principle and/or low oxygen technology is unpractical for large cropping systems. Thus, a useful quality control system to rank the lots based on their potential visual and sensory quality is important. Then, the lots can be selected based on their potential quality, match market destinations, and are subjected to proper postharvest technologies. Full article

Peel color is one of the most important appearance qualities of eggplant. The main pigment in the peel of green-fruited eggplant is chlorophyll, while white-fruited eggplant is a mutant of chlorophyll biosynthesis. A dominant gene Gv controls chlorophyll biosynthesis in eggplant peel, but none of its genes have been mapped. In this study, the white-peel inbred line 19141, the green-peel inbred line 19143, and their F₂ progeny with 3:1 segregation ratio of green-peel plants to white-peel plants, were used to map the Gv1 locus by whole genome re-sequencing combined with bulked segregant analysis (BSA). The Gv1 gene was mapped in a region spanning 7.66 Mb on chromosome 8, which was narrowed down to 173.2 kb interval by screening recombinant plants with InDel and SNP markers. Sixteen candidate genes were annotated in the above closely associated region. With the aid of RNA-Seq data, it was speculated that SmAPPR2-like is the candidate gene for Gv1. The results of cloning and sequencing of SmAPPR2-like showed that there might have been three types of mutation (large deletion, frameshift variant and premature stop codon) in white-peel accessions, and of these, the deletion mutation, such as that in inbred line 19141, was the most common. Based on the sequence difference of SmAPPR2-like, molecular markers were developed to distinguish the white and green-peel accessions in natural eggplant populations, and the other types of genetic variations of SmAPPR2-like leading to white-peel accessions were elucidated. The present study not only provided reliable markers for MAS (marker-assisted selection) breeding for eggplant peel color, but also paved the way for understanding the molecular mechanism of SmAPPR2-like on chlorophyll biosynthesis in eggplant fruit. Full article

Black tea (Fuyun 6) samples collected from three regions, Youxi, Fu’an, and Datian, were analysed by automatic thermal desorption-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (ATD-GC–MS) combined with the electronic nose (E-nose) technique to investigate the aroma composition differences between black teas from different regions. The response surface methodology was used to optimize the ATD conditions for extracting the aroma components from the black tea. The results revealed that the optimal conditions for aroma component accumulation from black tea samples included a sample weight of 2.8 g, an adsorption time of 39 min, an adsorption temperature of 75 °C, and a cold trap temperature of −30 °C. The ATD-GC–MS analyses identified a total of 71 aroma components in the black tea samples, of which 31 were utilized to differentiate the origins of the black teas. Additional aroma activity analyses indicated that benzyl alcohol, linalool, hexanal, octanal, and nonanal had odour activity values (OAVs) greater than 10. Additionally, the OAV of decanal exceeded 100, indicating its significant contribution to the aroma profile of Fuyun 6 black tea. The E-nose results demonstrated the ability to differentiate the black tea samples from the three different origins. This study successfully identified the specific aroma substances associated with different tea origins, providing valuable insights into the aroma characteristics of black teas from various regions. Full article

Precision crop load management of apple requires counting fruiting structures at various times during the year to guide management decisions. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the accuracy of and compare different commercial computer vision systems and computer applications to estimate trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), flower cluster number, thinning efficacy, and yield estimation. These studies evaluated two companies that offer different vision systems in a series of trials across 23 orchards in four states. Orchard Robotics uses a proprietary camera system, and Pometa (previously Farm Vision) uses a cell phone camera system. The cultivars used in the trials were ‘NY1’, ‘NY2’, ‘Empire’, ‘Granny Smith’, ‘Gala’, ‘Fuji’, and ‘Honeycrisp’. TCSA and flowering were evaluated with the Orchard Robotics camera in full rows. Flowering, fruit set, and yield estimation were evaluated with Pometa. Both systems were compared with manual measurements. Our results showed a positive linear correlation between the TCSA with the Orchard Robotics vision system and manual measurements, but the vision system underestimated the TCSA in comparison with the manual measurements (R²s between 0.5 and 0.79). Both vision systems showed a positive linear correlation between nubers of flowers and manual counts (R²s between 0.5 and 0.95). Thinning efficacy predictions (in June) were evaluated using the fruit growth rate model, by comparing manual measurements and the MaluSim computer app with the computer vision system of Pometa. Both systems showed accurate predictions when the numbers of fruits at harvest were lower than 200 fruit/tree, but our results suggest that, when the numbers of fruits at harvest were higher than 200 fruit/tree, both methods overestimated final fruit numbers per tree when compared with final fruit numbers at harvest (R²s 0.67 with both systems). Yield estimation was evaluated just before harvest (August) with the Pometa system. Yield estimation was accurate when fruit numbers were fewer than 75 fruit per tree, but, when the numbers of fruit at harvest were higher than 75 fruit per tree, the Pometa vision system underestimated the final yield (R² = 0.67). Our results concluded that the Pometa system using a smartphone offered advantages such as low cost, quick access, simple operation, and accurate precision. The Orchard Robotics vision system with an advanced camera system provided more detailed and accurate information in terms of geo-referenced information for individual trees. Both vision systems evaluated are still in early development and have the potential to provide important information for orchard managers to improve crop load management decisions. Full article

This study was designed to bridge extant research gaps regarding the vulnerable and protected local endemic Campanula pelviformis, a wild edible green traditionally consumed in Crete (Greece) with agro-alimentary and medicinal interest as well as ornamental value. The C. pelviformis ecological profile was generated using the climate and temperature conditions prevailing in its wild habitats through mapping of natural distribution linked with online bioclimatic databases in geographical information systems. We tested the germination of seeds from five wild-growing populations at four different temperatures (10, 15, 20 and 25 °C) and under different light conditions (light/dark and darkness), and we performed fertilization trails [integrated nutrient management (INF), chemical fertilization (ChFe), control] examining morphological and physiological characteristics, above- and below-ground macro- and micronutrients and phenol contents, as well as their antioxidant capacity. We found population and temperature effects on seed germination with their interaction being statistically significant. Campanula pelviformis germinated better at 10 and 15 °C (>85% for all populations) with no preference on light conditions (98.75% and 95% in light and dark conditions). The INF application increased root dry mass, chlorophyll content index and chlorophyll fluorescence compared to other treatments and was beneficial for macro- and micronutrient concentrations in above-ground parts compared to previously studied wild-growing material, while below-ground parts were positively impacted by both fertilization types. Total phenols and antioxidant capacity were both increased by ChFe fertilization. The data furnished herein permitted the re-evaluation and upgrade of its sustainable exploitation potential in different economic sectors. Full article

Tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) frequently suffer severe damage as a result of freezing temperatures in early spring, which severely affect tea quality and tea production in China. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that the ethylene signaling pathway plays an important role in tea plants’ freezing responses. However, how ethylene modulates the response to freezing in sprouting tea shoots is not clear. This study verified that the measurement of relative electrolyte leakage in young shoots after 1 h at −5 °C is a rapid way to evaluate their freezing tolerance in the laboratory. Further exploration of the mechanism involved in increasing tea-shoot freezing tolerance by monitoring changes in the transcription of ethylene-related genes and cold signaling-related genes, and the physiological and biochemical changes after the application of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid, an ethylene release reagent), revealed that exogenous ethephon significantly increased the freezing tolerance of tea shoots within 3 days of treatment, while concomitantly altering the expression of the ethylene signaling pathway-related genes (i.e., CsETR1, CsETR2, and CsEBF1). Moreover, antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, were uniformly upregulated, which might constitute a major physiological change induced by ethylene signaling and may be responsible for the observed increase in freezing resistance. Nevertheless, soluble sugars and starch, trehalose metabolism, and cold signaling-related genes did not appear relevant to the freezing tolerance increase following ethephon application. This study demonstrated that the freezing tolerance of sprouting tea shoots can be rapidly increased by the exogenous activation of the ethylene signaling pathway and upregulation of the plant’s antioxidant system. Full article

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) is an important fruit tree in East Asia. ‘Nanko’, the primary cultivar of Japanese apricots, usually suffers from scab, a disease caused by Venturia carpophila. However, there have been few reports on the phenotypic variation in scab resistance/susceptibility and the underlying genetic factors. In this study, we investigated the severity of naturally occurring scabs based on fruit lesions in 108 Japanese apricot accessions over four consecutive years. In each year, both resistant and susceptible accessions were observed, and significant annual correlations were detected among the ratios of diseased fruits (Rt; 0.52–0.76) and among the disease severity indices (Sv; 0.55–0.79). We also conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on exon-targeted resequencing, and significant peaks were detected in the data from 2017 and 2018. The candidate genes involved in disease resistance are located near nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms. These genes may be associated with the susceptibility of ‘Nanko’ lineages to scab. These findings shed light on the phenotypic and genetic profiles of scab resistance in P. mume and will assist future breeding programs with improving scab resistance. Full article

Low temperatures commonly delay flowering in cut roses but enhance final flower quality, i.e., biomass, petal doubling, and flower size. However, this information remains unclear for spray-type cut roses. This study was conducted to understand the effect of suboptimal temperatures on flower quality in the spray-type cut rose ‘Pink Shine.’ The 6-month-old rooted cuttings were cultivated in environmentally controlled growth chambers at four temperature levels: 25/20 °C (optimal temperature, OT) and 20/20 °C, 20/15 °C, and 15/15 °C (suboptimal temperatures, SOTs). As expected, SOTs significantly delayed the flowering time (11.2–25 days) but enhanced flower quality, with 51% and 160% increases in flower size and biomass, respectively. SOTs did not statistically amplify petal numbers, as expected, compared with OT. Instead, SOTs significantly increased stamen and carpel numbers by 1.3 and 2 times, respectively, resulting in a 1.4-fold increase in total floral organ formation. Moreover, SOTs increased the mRNA levels of A-function genes (RhAP1** and RhFUL**) and C-function genes (RhSHP*) but suppressed the B-function gene (RhPI*), which is linked to the development of plant reproductive structures (stamen and carpel) in spray-type cut roses. Conclusively, the growth temperature was more effective for quantity accumulation than for the number of petals but was similar in carpels. These results suggest that SOTs enhance carpel differentiation during flowering, implying that flowers may choose a reproductive strategy through carpels over petals. Full article