Acta Physiologiae Plantarum最新文献

This paper presents data on the seed germination ecophysiology of three Arabis species endemic to Cyprus: Arabis cypria, Arabis kennedyae and Arabis purpurea. Final seed germination in the dark, as a function of temperature, presented different responses among species and among seed lots of the same species. Different degrees of seed dormancy were also identified among different seed lots. In all cases, maximum final germination was achieved between 10–20 °C. Red light irradiation is the most efficient treatment for dormancy breakage in all three species, which implies phytochrome control of seed germination. As a result, seed germination in nature is expected to take place on the soil surface and not under canopy cover. The small seed size, the light requirement for germination and the variable germination patterns among different seed lots of the three studied species imply the formation of soil seed banks, perhaps as an essential part of their survival strategy. The value of the data presented in this paper is discussed in relation to the ex-situ conservation of the studied species.

Soil salinization limits the crop yield. Strigolactone GR24 is a plant growth regulator regulating environmental responses and enables the plant to tolerate stress by modulating morphology and physiology. Ajwain is a medicinal crop as well as a seed spice. The current experiment was designed to inspect the possible potential of GR24 as seed priming in mitigating the disastrous consequences of salinity in ajwain. Two ajwain populations, one from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and the other from Peshawar were used for this study. Pre-sowing seed treatments (0, water-soaked, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/L GR24) were given for 3 h. Salt stress at 100 mM NaCl was applied after 77 days of seed sowing. Salt stress reduced the yield and disturbed the distribution of ions in ajwain plants. The GR24 seed priming inhibited shoot Na⁺ uptake (33.81%), increased Ca²⁺ uptake and use efficiency (71.41%, 37.24%), K⁺ uptake and use efficiency (72.13%, 31.25%) and yield parameters including umbels/plant (31.22%), total seed weight (165%), and total number of seeds per plant (16.45%). Faisalabad population exhibited more umbels per plant and 1000 seed weight while Peshawar population accumulated less shoot Na⁺. Of different levels used for seed soaking, GR24 at 0.1 mg/L more effectively enabled the plant to adjust with elevated salt levels in the soil.

To investigate the effects of varying climate conditions on the commercial production and shelf life of pomegranate, the main qualitative characteristics of fruit were compared in two pomegranate cultivars in their traditional habitats and a new location. Our results revealed that most fruit traits were influenced by growing zones. Specifically, the content of anthocyanin, red color (a*) in aril and fruit peel, as well as titratable acidity in both cultivars were significantly decreased. In contrast, the antioxidant content experienced a more moderate reduction in the new climate condition. On the other hand, the fruits grown in the new climate condition had substantially higher maturity index and hardness, as well as L* and b* indices. However, the two cultivars responded differently to traits such as 100 arils fresh weight and total soluble solids. The mineral content of fruit was also affected by growing conditions; specifically the Ca level of fruits experienced a significant increment in the new climate. The new climate condition improved the postharvest quality of fruits, and substantially lower electrolyte leakage and chilling damages were detected in this region. In general, the fruits produced from the new warmer climate condition were superior to those obtained in their moderate traditional habitats owing to their long-term cold storage, taste index, and nutrients. These results enhance our knowledge regarding the expression of fruit traits in connection with the environment and they can be beneficial for making sound-planting decisions and crop-improvement programs with the aim of improving the quality and postharvest life of fruit.

Ethylene management and manipulating storage conditions are crucial elements that impact the postharvest quality of apple fruit. This study demonstrated the optimal approach for preserving the quality of ‘Cripps Pink’ apple fruit during storage by minimizing ethylene production and action, respiration rate, physiological loss of weight (PLW), and textural changes. Ethylene antagonist treatment had the greatest impact on suppressing ethylene and respiration peaks, while storage duration notably influenced fruit firmness and PLW. Fumigation treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP), 1H-cyclopropabenzene (BC), and 1H-cyclopropa[b]naphthalene (NC) effectively reduced ethylene and respiration peaks. Storage conditions (cold, controlled atmosphere, and photocatalytic oxidation) affected ethylene production and respiration, with ozonized storage showing higher rates. Prolonged storage led to increased PLW, ethylene production, and decreased fruit firmness. The most effective treatment combination for ethylene action antagonism and maintaining fruit quality was MCP treatment in ozonized cold storage for 120 d.

The study seeks to contribute novel insights into the efficacy of rhizobacteria, simultaneous Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus subtilis inoculation as a means to not only mitigate the detrimental impacts of salt stress but also to potentially achieve superior results in terms of wheat biomass production. The experimental design involved a pot experiment where wheat plants were subjected to nine treatments {T₀ = Control [No seed inoculation with any bacterial strain + Non-saline soil (2.16 dS/m)], T₁ = Saline soil (6.0 dS/m), T₂ = Saline soil + Azospirillum brasilense, T₃ = Saline soil + Bacillus subtilis, T₄ = Saline soil + A. brasilense + B. subtilis, T₅ = Highly saline (10 dS/m), T₆ = Highly saline + Azospirillum brasilense, T₇ = Highly saline + Bacillus subtilis, T₈ = Highly saline + A. brasilense + B. subtilis}. A. brasilense and B. subtilis individually exhibited positive effects in alleviating the detrimental influence of salt stress but combined application of both rhizobacteria showed superior effectiveness, particularly in saline and highly saline environments. A. brasilense and B. subtilis were found to enhance wheat plant growth by fostering improvements in photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and crop growth rate, particularly in stressful conditions. Both rhizobacteria were improved biomass of wheat crop and other growth parameters. This study demonstrated the potential of A. brasilense and B. subtilis as beneficial rhizobacteria for enhancing wheat biomass production in the face of salt stress. Combined application of A. brasilense and B. subtilis could be a promising strategy for improving wheat growth under saline soils.

Studying photosynthetic and growth-related characteristics of invasive plants under water stress is an important way to reveal their biological invasiveness. Rorippa amphibia native to Europe has invaded extensively the Liaoning Province, China, in recent years. Rorippa amphibia was cultured under waterlogging (flooded 2 cm over the soil surface), wet (25 ~ 30%, which means the soil water content corresponding to this treatment is 25 ~ 30% and the same goes for the following), CK (15 ~ 20%), or drought (5 ~ 10%) conditions in Shenyang for 1 month. Afterward, the chlorophyll fluorescence and growth indexes were measured. The results showed that in drought treatment, the V_J, V_K, M₀, Sm, φDo and DI₀/RC were significantly higher than CK, while Fm, Fv/Fo, Ψo, φPo and PI_ABS declined significantly. In waterlogging treatment, only V_J increased significantly and Fm, Ψo, φEo, ET₀/RC and PI_ABS decreased significantly. However, no significant difference between wet treatment and CK was found in chlorophyll fluorescence. Waterlogging, wet and CK treatments were conducive to Rorippa amphibia growth, while drought treatment harmed its growth. But some growth indexes including total leaf number and fresh and dry weight per leaf were higher than CK and root length, and fresh and dry weight of underground part and root-weight ratio increased with the decrease of soil water gradients. Rorippa amphibia showed a good performance under waterlogging and wet conditions, and it could also adapt to drought stress by adjustment of biomass allocation between the aboveground and underground parts. This may be the mechanism by which Rorippa amphibia successfully invades different habitats.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a globally important fruit. However, the gene expression in differently colored cherry tomato fruits is not well understood. In this study, three typical cherry tomato fruit colors (yellow, green, and red) were selected to explore genes related to color transformation through transcriptome analysis. The results showed that the soluble solid content was highest in the yellow fruits (5.5%), followed by the green and red fruits at 4.9 and 4.5%, respectively. A total of 1547 genes were upregulated and 2752 genes were downregulated in the yellow fruits compared with the green fruits; further, 913 genes were upregulated and 1863 genes were downregulated in the yellow fruits compared with the red fruits. The most upregulated pathways obtained through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis included photosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis in the yellow fruits compared with the red fruits. Our observations suggest that the three cherry tomato fruits utilize different pathways in color determination. The genes LOC101257857 and LOC101253805 were upregulated in the yellow fruits, while LOC101246495, LOC101248036, and LOC101260960 were upregulated in the green fruits. This work contributes to the understanding of the gene expression and pathways in fruit color change, providing new insights into improving the quality of cherry tomato fruits.

Walnut (Juglans spp.) trees hold immense significance in both economic and ecological contexts within agri-horticultural ecosystems. The comprehension of the intricate mechanisms underpinning walnut growth and development stands as a pivotal endeavor, essential for advancing sustainable yield practices. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted factors that contribute to the growth and development of walnuts, encompassing hormonal, biochemical, and genetic dimensions. Notably, hormones such as gibberellic acids (GAs) and sugars assume pivotal roles in the initiation and maturation of walnut flowers, with specific investigations demonstrating that the application of GAs has the capacity to augment male flower counts. The levels of endogenous auxins and gibberellins exhibit variations across distinct phases of walnut development, with the highest concentrations observed in young tissues. The molecular underpinnings of walnut growth and development involve a complex interplay of genetic regulation, hormonal dynamics, and environmental factors. Distinct sets of genes exhibit activation at discrete developmental stages, thereby influencing fundamental processes such as cell division, differentiation, and food reserve metabolism. Several key regulatory genes, including ACC, ASMT, SAD, FAD, SOC, and TFL1, emerge as pivotal orchestrators, steering essential processes encompassing cell division, differentiation, flowering, and fruit development. Conclusively, this article provides a detailed exploration of the diverse aspects of walnut growth and development, from genetic regulation to hormonal and biochemical processes. This will provide a valuable resource for researchers, horticulturalists, and biotechnologists aiming to improve walnut productivity and resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Despite the sensitivity to climate change in the alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, comprehensive information on the elevational variation patterns of plant intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) and plant nitrogen (N) availability in this region is still lacking. To explore the elevational patterns and their drivers of plant iWUE (calculated from leaf δ¹³C) and plant N availability (assessed by leaf δ¹⁵N) of different plant growth forms, plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N of 654 observed samples of 158 species from seven typical vegetation types distributed along the elevation were investigated, and the effects of taxonomic identity, leaf functional traits, soil and climatic factors on them were explored by linear mixed-effects model. It was found that both plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N differed significantly among different plant growth forms, with plant iWUE showed shrubs > herbs > trees and leaf δ¹⁵N showed herbs > shrubs > trees. The plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N showed a U-shaped pattern along elevation, and the elevation patterns of different plant growth forms were consistent. The plant iWUE of different growth forms first decreased and then increased with increasing humidity index, and the humidity index breakpoints of different plant growth forms were different. The leaf δ¹⁵N of herbs and shrubs showed a significantly positive correlation with humidity index, whereas the leaf δ¹⁵N of trees had an insignificant correlation with humidity index. The elevation variations of plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N of different plant growth forms were jointly influenced by biotic (i.e., plant taxonomy and leaf functional traits) and abiotic (i.e., soil and climate) factors, but were mainly determined by biotic factors. Our results showed that the significant coupling between plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N did not vary by plant growth forms, thereby suggesting a close link between carbon and N cycles. This study deepens our knowledge regarding elevation variations and their drivers of plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N, and confirms the importance of biotic factors on plant iWUE and leaf δ¹⁵N variations along elevation gradients in the alpine-gorge region.

Mesona chinensis Benth (MCB), also known as Platostoma palustre, is a highly significant medicinal and edible plant in China and Southeast Asian countries. The cultivated seedlings of MCB are primarily local farm varieties propagated through cuttings, with many being domesticated from wild species. This has led to an unclear and mixed source, as well as uneven quality of MCB. Hence, it is imperative to collect, preserve, evaluate, and identify the germplasm resources of MCB. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and identify the germplasm of eight core MCB resources using morphology, cytology, and EST-SSR molecular markers. Morphological observations showed significant variation in the inflorescences, leaves, stems, and corolla tissues. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations demonstrated significant differences in the number of stomata between the abaxial and adaxial sides of leaves. Furthermore, out of 192 primer pairs of EST-SSR molecular markers, 9 were suitable for constructing fingerprints. A total of 31 alleles were detected, with an average of 3.444 alleles per locus. The number of effective alleles (Ne) of 9 EST-SSR loci ranged from 1.473 (TDF139) to 3.877 (TDF166), while the Shannon Information index (I) per locus ranged from 0.601 (TDF139) to 1.461 (TDF166). The average value of observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.681, while the expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.523. The mean value of fixation index (F) was -0.294, while the mean heterozygosity within populations (Hs) was 0.762. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.295 (TDF139) to 0.701 (TDF166) across the 9 loci, with an average PIC value of 0.466. These results indicated that the selected EST-SSR primers exhibited high levels of polymorphism. Notably, TDF166 played a prominent role in exploring the genetic diversity of MCB. Furthermore, the Nei’s genetic distance among the eight germplasm resources exhibited significant variation, resulting in the division of all germplasm resources into six subclades. This suggested the presence of abundant genetic diversity within the MCB germplasm resources used in this study. This study provided a foundation for the conservation, management, and future breeding of MCB germplasm resources.