Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is a popular fruit crop of delight all over the world. Biotechnological interventions in strawberry have been proven pivotal in terms of upscaled micropropagation, germplasm conservation, genetic improvement, secondary metabolite production, and value addition. Different research appraisals highlight in vitro adventitious shoot proliferation, axillary bud regeneration, callus culture-mediated indirect organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, cell suspension culture, its bioreactor-based upscaling, protoplast culture, synthetic seed formation, cryopreservation, mutagenesis, genetic transformation, nanotechnology, omics studies, and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing in strawberry. Enriched inventory of plant growth regulators during in vitro regeneration shapes up the final outcome of the research experiments. Apart from chemical factors, innovations in the physical parameters of culture growth have also added to enhanced tissue culture-based plantlets production in strawberry. The assessment of the clonal fidelity of the in vitro regenerants is imperative to test the trueness of the genetic constitution of the clones, and hence, the utility of different molecular marker systems has proven to be unequivocal. Acclimatization of the tissue culture-derived plantlets under field conditions promulgates the establishment of a complete in vitro regeneration methodology in strawberry. Endeavors to Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in strawberry have been intensively explored owing to small genome size, uncomplicated genetic modification, and high in vitro regeneration frequency. Nanotechnology in the form of nanoparticle-solution application in strawberry exhibited significant improvement in plant growth and development, enhanced plant metabolism, and post-harvest fruit management. Omics approaches in strawberry have generated a comprehensive knowledge database on the genetic composition of this crop, its function, classification, and inter-relatedness that are crucial towards its successful genetic improvement. Hence, based on this backdrop, the present article reviews the depth and extent of biotechnological tools and techniques explored in strawberry over the past 10 years and analyzes the prospects and possibilities of such approaches for future crop improvement, productivity, and sustainability.

Pak choi is a rich source of minerals and health beneficial compounds such as glucosinolates (GSLs). This study is focused on implementing sustainable agronomic approaches to optimize pre-harvest cultivation and improve plant growth and nutritional value. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of foliar and root fertilization of algae capped ZnO and γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles on the growth and content of GSLs, Zn and Fe of Pak choi grown under hydroponic floating system and pot conditions. The foliar application of ZnO (77 nm) and γ-Fe₂O₃ (68 nm) nanoparticles functionalized with an Arthrospira platensis extract increased fresh weight (39.71 %), plant height (42.77 %), leaves number (26.47 %), root length (33.33 %), and Zn (10-fold) and Fe (2-fold) contents in hydroponic plants. The same treatment also improved plant fresh weight (31.73 %), and Zn (6-fold) and Fe (2-fold) in pot cultivated Pak choi. Six GSLs were detected, which were also enhanced by the joint application of nanoparticles and microalgae extract. The results revealed a high synergy between the ZnO- and γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles and the A. platensis extract to increase plant growth and Zn and Fe micronutrients and glucosinolates in Pak choi grown under hydroponic and pot systems.

‘Hasshu’ is a dwarf octoploid (2n = 8x = 120) persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) discovered as a bud sport of the nonaploid ‘Hiratanenashi’ (2n = 9x = 135). Since ‘Hasshu’ produces germinable seeds, unlike the seedless ‘Hiratanenashi’, crosses between it and a hexaploid (2n = 6x = 90) would be expected to produce heptaploid (2n = 7x = 105) progeny. However, no heptaploid persimmons have been found in nature. We tested whether heptaploid persimmons can be bred by artificially pollinating female flowers of ‘Hasshu’ with pollen from hexaploid persimmons, investigated the initial growth of seedlings, and counted the numbers of normal seeds per fruit of hybrids. We counted 2.4 normal seeds per fruit of ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Zenjimaru’ (6x) and 1.4 per fruit of ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Taishu’ (6x), with germination rates of around 40 %. Leaf flow cytometry showed that the nuclear DNA content of ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Zenjimaru’ and ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Taishu’ seedlings was 1.17 × that of ‘Fuyu’ (6x), suggesting that both are heptaploid. The number of somatic chromosomes at the root tips of seedlings of both hybrids was 105, confirming that they are heptaploid. The height of the 2-year-old ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Zenjimaru’ seedling population was approximately 70 % of that of the ‘Saijo’ × ‘Zenjimaru’ seedling population, and leaves were also significantly smaller. Similarly, the tree height of ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Taishu’ seedlings was 42 % of that of ‘Fuyu’ × ‘Taishu’ seedlings, and leaves were also significantly smaller. Later generations of ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Zenjimaru’ and ‘Hasshu’ × ‘Taishu’ produced normal seeds. These results indicate that heptaploids can be produced by crossing octoploid ‘Hasshu’ with hexaploids. The dwarfing phenotype in ‘Hasshu’ was inferred to be dominant. We confirmed that persimmon heptaploids are not seedless.

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.

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.

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.