Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

Aligned to exploring the physiological and molecular complexity of grape berry development, there is a need to characterize the influence of the source:sink relationships on the genetic regulation of fruit composition. Crop load, as defined by the amount of fruit produced per unit vegetative growth at dormancy, is a common measure of source:sink relationships used to evaluate vineyard production efficiency. We studied the impact of varying crop load on the transcriptome and metabolome of Pinot noir grape berries by comparing the development and ripening of fruit grown on vines with either 50 % or 75 % of their grape clusters removed immediately following fruit set compared to unthinned vines for three consecutive vintages. A clear impact on the general phenylpropanoid pathway resulting in a redistribution between stilbenes and anthocyanins was revealed under varying crop loads and consistent with the transcriptomic profiles of the corresponding branches. Moreover, we identified genes, such as LBDIa3 and AG2, modulated by crop load around veraison, representing putative transcriptional key triggers of the berry ripening phase responding to differences in the vine source:sink ratio generated by the application of cluster thinning. Genes, specifically EXPA1 and EXPA18, involved in softening and other crucial events of ripening initiation responded to crop load and likely influenced the progression of the ripening process. Beyond the major impacts represented by a shift of the onset and completion of ripening, we were able to highlight more subtle effects of the crop load, related to the rate at which the molecular and metabolic changes occur. This study asserts that grape metabolism and transcriptome are remarkably flexible, and that manipulations such as cluster thinning induce extensive, genome-wide changes in expression during berry development. The insights gained here pave the way to progress towards the construction of robust models depicting the molecular network that characterizes berry development and the impact of crop load on its molecular regulation.

Chitosan is considered an eco-friendly plant protection agent. Chitosan hydrolysate (CH) with an average molecular weight (MW) of the main fraction of 135 × 10³ Da, with a deacetylation degree (DD) of 93 % is an unfractionated product of nitric acid hydrolysis of high molecular weight chitosan. The effect of the CH on gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea in tomato fruit stored at 25 °C was investigated. Chitosan provided effective control of B. cinerea on tomato fruit. The CH treatment of wounded tomato fruit had a protective effect, reducing the percentage of infected fruit on the 7 d after treatment to 50 %, compared with untreated wounded fruit (69 %) and water-treated fruit (88 %). The protective effect of the CH in tomato fruit may be due to a direct fungitoxic action against the pathogen. It was found that the CH induced an immune response in tomato fruit via the accumulation of phenolic compounds. The level of phenolic compounds in the CH group was higher than in the untreated wound group from day 1 to 5, with a maximum reached on day 3 (113 mg-eq GA kg^-1). No significant differences were found in the activities of peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, polyphenol oxidase, β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase. Thus, the CH affects the processes occurring during fruit damage and contributes to the preservation of the consumer qualities of fruit.

Nano-enabled approach has become the promising option for resolving heavy metal (HMs) contamination and improving the crop production. Here, current study explored mechanism involved in how green silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) alleviating the chromium (Cr) induced toxicity in tomato. Green SiNPs in spherical shape with size 8–40 nm were synthesized with artemisia annua leaves extract and characterization performed by modern characterization method. The results of the green house experiment demonstrated that SiNPs at dose of 150 mg kg⁻¹ surprisingly improved the biomass and root architecture of tomato plants. SiNPs supplementation also positively enhanced the photosynthesis pigments and leaf gas exchange attributes of Cr-stressed plants. Besides this, SiNPs150 mg kg⁻¹ elevated antioxidant enzymes activities which scavenging ROS and reduced Cr-caused oxidative destruction. Furthermore, qPCR assay showed upregulation of the antioxidant defense related genes with the application of SiNPs under Cr stress. Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis showed that SiNPs application effectively alleviated Cr-induced damage to leaf ultrastructure and had a substantial impact on Cr and Si accumulation in plants. In conclusion, the utilization of green SiNPs as nano-fertilizers exhibits great potential as a strategy for agriculture to alleviate the adverse effects of HMs stress, safeguard food safety, and sustainable agriculture in the future.

Drought stress poses a significant threat to global food security, impacting grapevine growth and development through physiological, biochemical, and molecular alterations. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) have recently gained attention as a potential solution to environmental challenges, yet their application in grapevines remains understudied. This study examined the interaction between foliar-applied CeO₂ NPs (at concentrations of 0, 5, 50, and 500 mg L⁻¹) and drought stress (at 30% and 70% of field capacity humidity) in grapevine saplings. Among the different concentrations tested, 50 mg L⁻¹ CeO₂ NPs significantly improved the agronomic traits (e.g., shoot length, leaf area, shoot and root dry weights), photosynthetic parameters (stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b) and RWC of the grapevine saplings under drought stress. In parallel, CeO₂ NPs significantly induced the activity of compatible solutes and SOD, CAT and APX under drought stress conditions. Moreover, the availability of CeO₂ NPs alleviated drought stress-induced damage in grapevine saplings, as evidenced by decreased H₂O₂ (32.63%), EL (40.35%) and MDA (50.63%) levels. The molecular results revealed that CeO₂ NPs caused significant changes in gene expression under drought stress by reducing the expression of the VvCLH1, VvCu/ZnSOD, VvRD29A and VvRBOHA genes by 4.54-fold, 27.73-fold, 14.6-fold and 46.12-fold, respectively. These findings suggest that CeO₂ NPs applied via leaves enhance grapevine sapling resistance to drought-induced oxidative stress through cooperative enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant mechanisms, influencing gene regulation. As a result, these findings revealed that CeO₂ NPs could be promising elicitor candidates for alleviating drought stress in grapevines.

The stimulation of adventitious root formation from laser-wounded rose cuttings in our previous study suggests that exposing the phloem proximities is one of the most relevant aspects for a positive effect on rooting response. But, the specific dimensions that wound patterns must fulfill to optimize rooting promotion remain unknown. This study analyzed the effect of wounded area and wound perimeter of laser marking patterns on the development of phloem, xylem, and callus using cross sections of single-leaf cuttings of Rosa canina 'Pfänder'. Four distinct laser patterns were designed and marked along the cutting base. Among these, three patterns were based on longitudinal strips, while one pattern was characterized by small squares, resulting in two distinct wound area levels and four wound perimeter levels. Periodic evaluations of stem sections showed that the development of phloem and xylem was significantly influenced by the pattern's geometry. Larger dimensions of xylem were associated with patterns of greater area and a smaller perimeter, while an increase in phloem was related to patterns of longer perimeter distributed in smaller areas. The maximum rooting success in wounded cuttings reached 44% in contrast to 9% observed in the control group in the absence of additional wounds. The development of vascular tissue was significantly correlated with adventitious rooting, with phloem being more closely linked with a Pearson coefficient of 0.92 compared to 0.30 for xylem. Additionally, a negative Pearson coefficient of −0.92 between the ratio area: perimeter and adventitious root formation showed that laser patterns with large wounded area with less borders led to a reduced rooting response. The results provide evidence of how wounded tissue contributes to the intrinsic development of adventitious roots and reveal the importance of proper wound dimensions.

Effects of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and ABA signal transduction on anthocyanin and photoreceptors in grape berries (Vitis labruscana) were examined using NDGA, the inhibitor of the rate-limiting ABA biosynthesis enzyme in grapes, and PANMe, an ABA receptor interaction antagonist. Both NDGA and PANMe treatments decreased anthocyanin concentrations. The expressions of VvSnRK2.6, VvABF2, and VvPP2C9 in NDGA treatment were not significantly different from the untreated control; by contrast, PANMe treatment decreased the expressions of VvSnRK2.6, VvABF2, and VvPP2C9. Both NDGA and PANMe treatments decreased the expressions of VvPhot2 and VvCRYa. These results suggest that both endogenous ABA concentrations and ABA signaling affect anthocyanin synthesis and photoreceptor genes such as VvPhot2 and VvCRYa in grape skins.

The application of novel and cost-effective methodologies to prolong the vase life and improve the quality of harvested flowers, while reducing post-harvest loss, has become increasingly important. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of seaweed extract (SWE), oxygen nanobubble (NB), and nano-silicon (NSi) in a hydroponic system to improve the pre-harvest and post-harvest qualities of cut rose flowers. The experimental design comprised four variables: two cut rose cultivars, namely Samurai and Jumilia; the utilization of NB at two different concentrations (0 and 20 mg L⁻¹); the foliar application of NSi at two different concentrations (0 and 2 ml L⁻¹); and foliar application of SWE at two different concentrations (0 and 1 ml L⁻¹). The quality and longevity of the flowers post-harvest were significantly enhanced by the treatments that were implemented. Comparing Jumilia cv to the control (31 days), the application of NB increased post-harvest life by 47.6 %. In addition, the petals exhibited the lowest Malondialdehyde concentrations. When NSi was applied to the flower, its quality improved by 43.7 % in comparison to the control. The combined treatment of NSi and SWE or individual application of NB resulted in the Samurai cv flower reaching its maximum length of 111.3 cm and 110.7 cm, respectively. The combined application of NB, NSi, and SWE resulted in a significant increase in some nutrient concentrations (N, P, Ca, and Mg) of two cut rose flowers. The utilization of NB, and NSi treatments increased N by 16.5 % and 11.5 %, respectively, compared to the absence of these treatments. The utilization of SWE resulted in a 3.82 % rise in N and a 46.4 % increase in Zn, as compared to the control plants. Based on our findings, the combined application of NB, NSi, and SWE in hydroponic cultivation for cut flowers may improve the flowers' quality and postharvest life. In protected cultivation, NB are an additional promising treatment.

The agroecological transition is an important step in changing from a conventional to agroecological production system. The cactus-sorghum intercropping can be recommended for the agroecological transition in a semi-arid environment depending on the cultivation configuration, that is, the type of forage cactus clone and sorghum cultivar. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intercropping forage cactus clones (Nopaleae spp. and Opuntia spp.) with sorghum cultivars (Sorghum bicolor) on water use efficiency compared with single crops, to recommend the use of intercropping systems in conventional production units under agroecological transition. The study was conducted in the district of Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil over three crop seasons between 2017 and 2022, using cactus clones and sorghum cultivars in single-crop and intercropping configurations. The forage cactus clones evaluated were: IPA Sertania (IPA, Nopalea cochenillifera), Miuda (MIU, Nopalea cochenillifera), and Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM, Opuntia stricta), while the sorghum cultivars evaluated were IPA 467, IPA SF11 and IPA 2502. The components of the soil water balance and dry matter yield were determined to calculate the following water indices: water use efficiency (WUE), water productivity of the production system (WPc_R+ID), crop water productivity (WP_CETa), and irrigation water productivity (WP_ID). Including sorghum and cactus production system under water deficit increased the water productivity of the system due to the increase in dry matter (616 %). Regardless of the cactus clone or sorghum cultivar, there was an increase of 593 % in terms of WPc_R+ID, 597 % in terms of WP_CETa and 593 % in terms of WP_ID, with little reduction in WUE (−2 %). The intercropping systems comprising the OEM clone and sorghum 288, OEM clone and sorghum 467, and the IPA clone and sorghum 467 showed a high level of crop water productivity due to the reduction in actual evapotranspiration. It can therefore be said that optimising the use of water in cactus systems under agroecological transition and water restriction depends on the type of cactus clone and sorghum cultivar.

In this study, the molecular pathways of SlERF7 in regulating the synthesis and accumulation of phenolic compounds induced by postharvest UV-C in tomato fruit was deeply investigated by constructing transgenic plants. The findings revealed a pronounced induction of phenolic compounds accumulation following UV-C irradiation, coupled with heightened activities of PAL, 4CL, C4H, CHS, and CHI enzymes, alongside upregulated expression levels of SlPAL5, SlC4H, Sl4CL, SlCHS2, and SlCHI within SlERF7 overexpressed fruit. Conversely, SlERF7 knockout fruit exhibited diminished levels of phenolic compounds, enzyme activities, and gene expression after UV-C irradiation. Furthermore, subcellular localization analysis showed that SlERF7 was localized in the nucleus. Dual luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that SlERF7 directly bound to the GCC-box in the SlPAL5 promoter and activated its transcriptional activity. Therefore, it was confirmed that SlERF7 might positively promote UV-C-induced phenolic biosynthesis in postharvest tomato fruit by targeting the promoter of SlPAL5.

So far, many studies have examined the effects of drip irrigation and water-fertilizer integration on crop yield indices, nutrient use efficiency (NUE), and water use efficiency (WUE). However, they are carried out under different conditions. Due to the scattered research results and the lack of general conclusions from published results, it is necessary to use meta-analysis as a structured method to draw a conclusion. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the effects of water–fertilizer integration with drip irrigation (WFI_DI) on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), water use efficiency (WUE), and crop yield to explore the most suitable application strategy of WFI_DI, further discussion of its impact mechanism_. A total of 352 studies in the Chinese region were included, of which 84 studies met the entry criteria for the meta-analysis, and 779 pairs of data were finally obtained. The meta-analysis results showed that WFI_DI improved NUE (31.3 %), WUE (34.5 %) and crop yield (12.5 %) by changing soil physical and chemical properties (SOC increased by 36.4 %, TN increased by 9.3 %, and ET_C decreased by 11.5 %). In order to screen the key influencing factors and determine the applicable conditions, PCA and win-win analysis were carried out. The results showed that WFI_DI was suitable for food crops and fruit trees in medium-textured soils. It is recommended to use subsurface drip irrigation with a lower flow rate (≤1Lh⁻¹) and nitrogen fertilizer (10–25 % lower than the traditional nitrogen application rate of farmers). This study provides inspiration for efficient and economical agricultural water management.