Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.4
3.1
Journals
Horticulturae
Special Issues
Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding
share announcement

Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics, Genomics, Breeding, and Biotechnology (G2B2)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 10928

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhenchang Liang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China
Interests: fruit breeding; genetics; genomics; gene function; grapevine
Prof. Dr. Yongfeng Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen (AGIS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, China
Interests: population genomics and breeding of horticultural crops by combining genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, phenomics, environmental variables and machine learning
Dr. Yi Wang

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China
Interests: genomics and genetics; bioinformatics; evolution; comparative genomics
Dr. Junhua Kong

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China
Interests: anthocyanin; berry; epigenetics; grape
Dr. Chong Ren

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China
Interests: genome editing; cold tolerance; transformation; regeneration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Berry crops include (but are not limited to) the genera Fragaria (strawberry, Rosaceae), Ribes (currant and gooseberry, Grossulariaceae), Rubus (brambles such as raspberry and blackberry, Rosaceae), Vaccinium (blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry, Ericaceae), and Vitis (grapes, Vitaceae). Berries are rich in sugars, amino acids, organic acids, volatiles, and phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanins. These primary and secondary metabolites are greatly affected by both genetics and environmental. Our understanding of how internal or external factors modulate the secondary metabolism and thus berry quality is of crucial importance for breeders and growers to develop plant material and viticultural practices to maintain high-quality fruit and wine production in the context of global warming. The rapid development and application of molecular biology and the completion of berry reference genome sequencing have promoted the development of developmental biology, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in berry crops and ultimately provide an important theoretical and working basis for genetic improvement as well as growth and developmental regulation in berry crops. For this Special Issue, we welcome any original research or review articles that highlight recent advances in different disciplines related to berry crop production, genomics, and breeding.

Prof. Dr. Zhenchang Liang
Prof. Dr. Yongfeng Zhou
Dr. Yi Wang
Dr. Junhua Kong
Dr. Chong Ren
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • berry crop
  • grapewine
  • genomics
  • genome
  • crop production

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 7147 KiB  
Article
Organogenesis of Plant Tissues in Colchicine Allows Selecting in Field Trial Blueberry (Vaccinium spp. cv Duke) Clones with Commercial Potential
by Ricardo Hernández, Alan López, Bárbara Valenzuela, Vivian D’Afonseca, Aleydis Gomez and Ariel D. Arencibia
Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030283 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 722
Abstract
Plants’ genetic improvement continues to be crucial for modern agriculture, while biotechnology can offer efficient tools that enhance the selection and recommendation processes of elite clones. This work established a suitable methodology for the regeneration of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbsum) plants in [...] Read more.
Plants’ genetic improvement continues to be crucial for modern agriculture, while biotechnology can offer efficient tools that enhance the selection and recommendation processes of elite clones. This work established a suitable methodology for the regeneration of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbsum) plants in cultures with colchicine. This could be considered a basis for producing populations for the selection of clones following a genetic improvement program assisted by biotechnology. The factors studied were: (a) explant type (leaf discs; nodal segments); (b) colchicine concentration (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L); and (c) time of exposure to colchicine (1, 2, 3, 5, and 30 days). The basal medium McCown’s Woody Plant (WP) supplemented with 2 mg/L 2iP and 1 mg/L BAP was used with the commercial genotype Duke as a model. A total of 1957 blueberry clones were produced in a medium with 1 mg/L colchicine, distributed at different exposure times. Flow cytometry analyses revealed the following patterns: single patterns for random samples of control plants (Duke donor) and some clones regenerated on colchicine; double patterns for chlorotic plants regenerated on colchicine. Triple and quadruple patterns were observed in callus tissues that did not regenerate plants on colchicine. Populations of plants regenerated in colchicine (6787) and control plants regenerated in in vitro culture without colchicine were adapted under greenhouse conditions. The variables evaluated at this stage were adaptability, height, diameter, number of leaves, incidence of diseases, flowering capacity, and agrobotanical traits. Selected clones demonstrating phenotypic variability (157 clones) were transplanted to field conditions. From the clonal field trial conducted under minimum tillage conditions, 38 clones were selected for improved traits related to the agricultural yield and nutritional quality of the fruits. Of these, six clones showed the highest agronomic performance and adaptability to adverse environmental conditions compared to the Duke donor genotype. It is recommended that these clones continue genotype × environment interaction trials at different locations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3279 KiB  
Article
Influence of Field and Storage Diseases and Pests on Tuber Yield and Quality of Exotic and Local Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Genotypes
by Musa Decius Saffa, Francess Sia Saquee, Prince Emmanuel Norman, Nyasha John Kavhiza, Diakite Simbo, Meisam Zargar, Marina Lyashko, Elena Pakina and Valentin Vvedenskey
Horticulturae 2023, 9(11), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111183 - 30 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1005
Abstract
Field and storage trials were conducted to assess the response of exotic and local yam genotypes to major diseases (anthracnose, yam mosaic virus (YMV) and dry rot) and pests (i.e., mealy bug and nematodes) for the identification of parents with desired complementary traits [...] Read more.
Field and storage trials were conducted to assess the response of exotic and local yam genotypes to major diseases (anthracnose, yam mosaic virus (YMV) and dry rot) and pests (i.e., mealy bug and nematodes) for the identification of parents with desired complementary traits for crossing. The experiment was conducted at the Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) experimental site in Sierra Leone during two cropping seasons, 2020 and 2021. A total of 113 genotypes of yam comprising 15 D. rotundata, 4 D. prahensilis, 7 D. esculenta, 74 D. alata, 7 D. bulbifera, and 4 D. cayenensis were assessed. Results showed a significant (p < 0.001) linear relationship between yield and disease severity among yam genotypes. In-field disease (anthracnose and yam mosaic virus) infection accounted for 38% of the total variation observed in the fresh tuber yield. Findings on fresh tuber yield revealed that for every ton increase in yield of yams, anthracnose and YMV severities at five months after planting (MAP) decreased by 0.5 and 3.1 units, respectively. About 30 genotypes had low infection of disease, of which two belonged to D. rotundata (TDr 205 and TDr 96/00587), two belonged to D. prahensilis (PSLY074-13 and BMSLY085-13), three belonged to D. bulbifera (MOSLY022-12, MOSLY024-12 and KESLY09-12), and one belonged to D. esculenta (WRSLY083-13), while the remaining were D. alata. About 27 genotypes had intermediate infection, and 14 had high disease susceptibility, all of which belonged to D. alata. Storage disease infection had a highly significant (p < 0.002) linear relationship among yam genotypes. Dry rot, mealy bug, and nematode infection accounted for 15.1% of the total variation in fresh tuber weight loss. The findings were relevant for selecting parents with complementary traits of interest targeted at yam population improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 10619 KiB  
Article
Breeding Short-Day Strawberry Genotypes for Cultivation in Tropical and Subtropical Regions
by Israel Felipe Lustosa da Silva, Gabriel Danilo Shimizu, Eduardo Ladislau dos Santos, Lígia Erpen-Dalla Corte, André Ricardo Zeist, Sergio Ruffo Roberto and Juliano Tadeu Vilela de Resende
Horticulturae 2023, 9(6), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9060614 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1256
Abstract
The main strawberry cultivars grown in tropical regions originated from breeding programs developed in temperate countries, which limit the expression of their maximum productive potential when grown in warm climates. Additionally, strawberry cultivation in these regions depends almost entirely on imported strawberry young [...] Read more.
The main strawberry cultivars grown in tropical regions originated from breeding programs developed in temperate countries, which limit the expression of their maximum productive potential when grown in warm climates. Additionally, strawberry cultivation in these regions depends almost entirely on imported strawberry young plants, increasing production costs. Obtaining adapted cultivars with a lower requirement for the accumulation of chilling hours is the main objective of breeding programs in the southern hemisphere. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate short-day strawberry genotypes, pre-selected based on yield and fruit quality components through multivariate analysis, for cultivation in tropical conditions. Two experiments were performed. In the first one, 36 pre-selected genotypes and their parents were assessed based on productive traits (total fruit mass, commercial fruit mass, and mean mass of commercial fruits), soluble solids content, and fruit firmness. For selection, multivariate analysis was applied using the genotype (ideotype) selection index and principal component analysis. In the second experiment, the fruit of the best-ranked genotypes, the parents, and the Camarosa and Dover cultivars were assessed for soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, and total anthocyanins. To identify the most promising genotypes, the data were analyzed using principal component analysis. The RVFS06CR-105, RVDA11CR-61, RVDA11CR-125, and RVCS44CR-130 were the most promising genotypes for cultivation in tropical conditions, based on yield and fruit quality components. The means found for these genotypes were higher than the commercial cultivars Dover, Camino Real, and Camarosa. The use of multivariate analysis was efficient in selecting the genotypes, with repeatability of information between the methods guaranteeing consistency in the information. The selected genotypes had higher yields than those used as the control, which is a promising result considering the independence in relation to genetic material, mainly in the expansion of the cultivation area in the tropical regions of the southern hemisphere. In addition, these genotypes are being evaluated in different tropical climate regions with the aim of validating them for submission to the registration and release process for farmers. Additionally, they are being used as a source of genes for crossings and new selections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3681 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Composition and Content of Red-Fleshed Grape Accessions
by Lizhen Lu, Yingzhen Yang, Gan-Yuan Zhong, Zhenchang Liang and Lailiang Cheng
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050579 - 12 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1258
Abstract
Red-fleshed grapes are important breeding resources, and study of the content and composition of phenolic compounds in red-fleshed grapes is lacking. In this study, the profiles of phenolic compounds in the whole berry, flesh, and peel of thirteen red-fleshed grape (Vitis) [...] Read more.
Red-fleshed grapes are important breeding resources, and study of the content and composition of phenolic compounds in red-fleshed grapes is lacking. In this study, the profiles of phenolic compounds in the whole berry, flesh, and peel of thirteen red-fleshed grape (Vitis) accessions were determined for two consecutive years. The content of total phenolic compounds ranged from 4.795 to 29.875 mg g−1 FW (fresh weight) in berry, from 1.960 to 12.593 mg g−1 FW in flesh, and from 17.067 to 60.182 mg g−1 FW in peel. As expected, anthocyanins were the main phenolic compounds, accounting for 90.4, 89.4, and 94.1% of the total phenolic compounds in berry, flesh, and peel, respectively. Flavanols accounted for 36.2% of the non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds in berry, 35.3% in flesh, and 38.3% in peel. In comparison, flavonols accounted for about 11.6, 5.7, and 15.8% of the non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds in berry, flesh, and peel, respectively. Hydroxycinnamic derivatives were the most abundant non-anthocyanins and accounted for 53.8, 56.1, and 44.3% of non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds in these three tissues. The content of phenolic compounds in peel was significantly higher than that in flesh and whole berry. A significant variation in the content of total and individual phenolic compounds was observed among different red-fleshed grapes, suggesting that genetic background was an important factor affecting the accumulation of these phenolic compounds. This work represents the most comprehensive characterization of phenolic compounds profiles in red-fleshed grapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 4499 KiB  
Article
The First Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum) and Comparative Analyses with Other Vaccinium Species
by Karla E. Rojas López, Carolina E. Armijos, Manuela Parra and María de Lourdes Torres
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030302 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2505
Abstract
Vaccinium floribundum, commonly known as mortiño, is a native high Andean wild species of cultural and economic importance. Genomic resources for V. floribundum are scarce, and a clear phylogenetic and evolutionary history for this species has yet to be elucidated. This study [...] Read more.
Vaccinium floribundum, commonly known as mortiño, is a native high Andean wild species of cultural and economic importance. Genomic resources for V. floribundum are scarce, and a clear phylogenetic and evolutionary history for this species has yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to assemble the complete chloroplast genome sequence of this species and perform an in-depth comparative analysis with other Vaccinium species. The chloroplast genome of V. floribundum was obtained using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). The de novo assembly of the chloroplast genome of V. floribundum resulted in a 187,966 bp sequence, which contained 134 genes (84 Protein Coding Genes (PCGs), 42 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes). The comparative analysis of the V. floribundum chloroplast genome with other nine chloroplast genomes of the Vaccinium species suggested that a contraction/expansion event of the inverted repeat (IR) regions could have occurred, causing the relocation of psbA and rpl32 genes. Additionally, a possible loss of function of the ndhF gene was found. For the phylogenetic analysis based on 87 genes, the chloroplast genome of 19 species (including V. floribundum) was used and revealed that V. myrtillus could be a sister group of V. floribundum. Altogether, our findings provide insights into the plastome characteristics and the phylogeny of V. floribundum. This study describes the complete chloroplast genome sequence of V. floribundum as the first genomic resource available for an Andean species native to Ecuador. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6610 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of USP Gene Family in Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.)
by Tao Xu, Tianchi Chen, Tianye Zhang, Leyi Shen, Zhe Chen, Yue Xu, Yueyan Wu and Jian Yang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 1024; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8111024 - 02 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1462
Abstract
With the frequent occurrence of extreme natural disasters, unfavorable growth environment is a common phenomenon in the life cycle of plants. In recent years, universal stress proteins (USPs) have attracted extensive attention in the field of plant science for their expression patterns and [...] Read more.
With the frequent occurrence of extreme natural disasters, unfavorable growth environment is a common phenomenon in the life cycle of plants. In recent years, universal stress proteins (USPs) have attracted extensive attention in the field of plant science for their expression patterns and functional analysis. However, the characterization of the USP family remains unclear in grape. In this study, we identified 30 VvUSPs in the grape genome, which could be divided into three classes according to their encoded protein sequences, and this classification was reflected by the distribution of conserved motifs. Gene duplication analysis demonstrated that segmental duplication was an important pathway in the expansion of the VvUSP family. The expression patterns of 12 VvUSPs were significantly different between tissues, implying they had different functions in various tissues. Cis-acting element and expression analysis showed that most of the promoter regions of VvUSPs contained sequences responsive to hormones and stress elements, especially the promoter region of VIT_16s0013g01920. In conclusion, our findings provide comprehensive information for the further investigation of the genetics and protein functions of the USP gene family in grape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 5873 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Berry Quality Traits and Metabolites of ‘Beimei’ Interspecific Hybrid Wine Grapes during Berry Development and Winemaking
by Yangfu Kuang, Chong Ren, Yi Wang, Gathunga Elias Kirabi, Yongjian Wang, Lijun Wang, Peige Fan and Zhenchang Liang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060516 - 13 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1935
Abstract
The development of grape varieties with cold resistance can be an advantage for the wine industry. ‘Beimei’, an interspecific hybrid wine grape variety with cold resistance and pleasant rose aroma, is now extensively cultivated in China. In the present study, the berry quality [...] Read more.
The development of grape varieties with cold resistance can be an advantage for the wine industry. ‘Beimei’, an interspecific hybrid wine grape variety with cold resistance and pleasant rose aroma, is now extensively cultivated in China. In the present study, the berry quality traits and metabolites of ‘Beimei’ and other “Bei” varieties were characterized. The sugar (234 g/L–391 g/L) and acid (6.2–8.3 g/L) contents of ‘Beimei’ and four additional “Bei” varieties, i.e., ‘Beihong’, ‘Beixi’, ‘Beixin’, and ‘Xinbeichun’ berries were smilar to that of traditional Vitis vinifera varieties. ‘Beimei’ grapes has the highest volatile compounds composition, especially the content of rose aroma compounds (2-phenyl-ethyl alcohol and neryl alcohol), which was significantly higher than that of the other “Bei” wine grape varieties. After fermentation, ‘Beimei’ wines showed improved quality, with a high resveratrol content (18 mg/L) compared to traditional Eurasian wines. In addition, the high content of main rose aroma compounds (acetic acid 2-phenylethyl acetate, phenylethyl alcohol, neryl alcohol and beta-damascenone) contribute to a pleasant rose aroma in ‘Beimei’ wines. In summary, these results indicate that ‘Beimei’ grapes could be used as a winemaking grape variety considering global climate changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Berry Crops Production, Genomics and Breeding)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop