Plant-environment interactions (Hoboken, N.J.)最新文献

Riparian vegetation plays a critical role in maintaining ecological integrity along river corridors, yet it is highly sensitive to changes in hydrological and geomorphic conditions, particularly in sediment-influenced tropical river systems. In many Philippine rivers, increased sediment deposition and landscape disturbance have altered riparian structure and floristic composition, underscoring the need for site-specific baseline assessments. This study aimed to document the floristic composition, vegetation structure, and spatial patterns of riparian vegetation along the downstream reach of the Amnay River in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, as a baseline for understanding current riparian conditions in a sediment-influenced river corridor. Vegetation surveys were conducted using transects and quadrats established along the riverbanks, where species composition, growth form, and structural attributes were recorded. Species importance values and diversity indices were calculated to characterize vegetation dominance and diversity patterns across sampling sites. Riparian vegetation communities were mapped to describe spatial distribution and fragmentation. A total of 125 plant species representing 40 families were recorded, with vegetation dominated by herbaceous and disturbance-tolerant taxa, particularly members of Poaceae and Fabaceae. Woody vegetation was limited and occurred mainly as isolated remnant patches, resulting in low vertical complexity and fragmented spatial structure. Species diversity varied among sampling sites, reflecting localized differences in substrate stability and vegetation cover. The findings provide a baseline characterization of riparian vegetation in a sediment-influenced tropical river system and highlight the persistence of remnant woody vegetation within an otherwise simplified riparian corridor. This baseline information is essential for future monitoring, comparative studies, and the evaluation of riparian management and restoration efforts.

This study investigates the foliar secondary metabolite profiles of four Mitragyna species naturally occurring in Thailand: M. diversifolia, M. hirsuta, M. rotundifolia, and M. speciosa (kratom). Using untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 409 secondary volatile metabolites were annotated across the four species. M. diversifolia exhibited the highest number of detected volatile metabolites (87 ± 7), followed by M. hirsuta (75 ± 7), M. rotundifolia (74 ± 15), and M. speciosa (49 ± 11). Despite its lower overall metabolite count, M. speciosa had the highest number of unique compounds distinguishing it from the other species. Ten key volatile metabolites, including mitragynine, speciogynine, speciociliatine, paynantheine, isopaynantheine, and ajmalicine, were identified as major discriminants by Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Leaf traits such as chlorophyll content and leaf pH showed positive correlations with metabolite abundance (r = 0.49 and 0.47; p-value < 0.0001), while specific leaf area showed a negative correlation (r = -0.51; p-value < 0.0001). Constrained ordination indicated that T _max (28.04%), vapor pressure deficit, drought, and wind (13.56%) significantly influenced metabolite composition (p-value < 0.001). Given the presence of isomeric volatile metabolites, compound identifications remain putative and will require confirmation through targeted analyses using authenticated standards and orthogonal techniques. These results highlight distinct metabolomic signatures among Mitragyna species and provide a foundation for further research and exploration of these species in various scientific and medicinal contexts.

Elymus sibiricus L., a perennial tufted herbaceous species native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, serves as a crucial forage resource and plays a vital role in ecological restoration of degraded vegetation. To discover beneficial microorganisms that promote its growth and enhance its stress resistance, this study isolated two novel Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, Bacillus mycoides GN-1 and Bacillus sp. MQ-5 from rhizospheric soils of wild E. sibiricus populations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Both strains demonstrated plant growth-promoting traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis and siderophore production. In pot experiments, MQ-5 treatment increased aboveground fresh biomass by 25.90% (p < 0.05), increased root biomass by 270.51% (p < 0.001), while GN-1 treatment increased 19.29% (p < 0.05) and 54.38% (p < 0.001), respectively, compared to the control. Furthermore, MQ-5 alleviated salinity and drought stress in E. sibiricus, highlighting its potential for improving forage productivity and resilience in fragile high-altitude ecosystems.

Fusarium verticillioides is a common fungal pathogen of maize that causes significant losses in seed quality and seedling performance. Despite the high prevalence of this fungus in Ghanaian maize varieties, there is relatively little knowledge of the impact of F. verticillioides on seedling performance of Ghanaian maize varieties. The aim of this study was to isolate F. verticillioides isolates in the Bihilifa maize variety and to evaluate the effects of these isolates on germination- and biochemical-linked traits. Six fungal cultures were isolated from the maize seeds. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic analysis using translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1-α) gene, three isolates were identified as F. verticillioides: Fv-B12024, Fv-B22024, and Fv-B32024, and were used in the germination and biochemical assay. All three isolates significantly reduced the germination-linked traits: germination percent (GP), root length (RL), shoot length (SL), seedling vigor (SV), and whole seedling length (WSL). These changes resulted in increased carotenoid, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the roots and shoots of the inoculated seedlings. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a clear separation between the control and the inoculated seedlings, with the biochemical traits showing a strong association with isolate Fv-B12024. Additionally, the shoot traits were less responsive to the fungus effects and exhibited low discriminatory power compared to the root biochemical traits. Overall, these findings demonstrated that F. verticillioides infection shifted Bihilifa maize seedlings from a high-vigor physiological state toward a stress-dominated biochemical state.

Lathraea is a peculiar genus of holoparasitic plants in the Orobanchaceae. In addition to their unusual early development, plants in this genus remain below ground during most of their life cycle, deriving nutrients from the roots of various deciduous trees. In Lathraea squamaria, known as common toothwort, plants can persist underground for up to a decade before initiating flowering aboveground. To assess the effects of climate variability on the reproductive phenology and seed output of this species, we conducted a 14-year population monitoring study. Our data show that the average onset of flower anthesis and seed dispersal have shifted -0.4 and -0.3 days/year over time, respectively. This resulted in these phenophases stating 5 days (anthesis) and 9 days (seed release) earlier in 2021 compared to 2007. Nevertheless, these phenological changes were not significantly correlated with local temperature and precipitation, suggesting that developmental timing in L. squamaria may be more influenced by host-derived physiological cues. Indeed, early flowering has also been reported by one of the most common host species in the region, Carpinus betulus, the European hornbeam. Earlier flowering of common toothwort may also lead to temporal mismatches with pollinators, such as bumblebees. These findings underscore the importance of host-parasite synchrony in understanding the ecological resilience of holoparasitic plants under changing environmental conditions.

Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, supporting bioenergy production, and providing green jobs that sustain the livelihoods of billions worldwide. However, in recent decades, forests have become increasingly vulnerable to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses that impede forest yield and development, thereby threatening environmental stability, food security, and global human well-being. Key challenges include climate change, water scarcity, soil-related constraints, overcutting, and pathogenic infestations, all of which hinder successful growth and productivity. Emerging nanotechnology, particularly the application of nanoparticles (NPs) ranging from 1 to 100 nm, offers innovative solutions in forestry. This review analyzes published research over the past 25 years on the applications of NPs in forest production, with a particular focus on enhancing reforestation efforts and stress resilience. Out of the 64 researches reviewed, the key areas of investigation include improvements in seed germination (14%), plant growth (36%), and physiological tolerance to drought (18.6%), salinity and toxicity (9.7%), pests and diseases (8.6%), and wildfire stressors (13%). Approximately 97% of NP applications have shown beneficial effects on critical growth and physiological parameters, although a small number of studies report adverse outcomes. Future applications in forestry should emphasize the optimization of commonly used NPs, including silver (AgNPs), zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), silicon dioxide (SiO₂ NPs), and iron-based NPs. Notably, the current literature remains limited in its coverage of global tree species. This review advocates for a synergistic, interdisciplinary approach to advance the sustainable integration of nanotechnology into forestry practices and to broaden its application across a wider diversity of tree species. Collaborative research efforts will be essential to further develop this promising field.

Cassava is a crucial staple crop in Africa, but its productivity is increasingly threatened by the worsening impacts of drought caused by climate change. To address this challenge, an integration of "omics" and genome editing technologies has emerged as indispensable tools for understanding the complex mechanisms that govern cassava's response to drought stress. This article provides an overview of the progress and significant contributions of "omics" technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, in elucidating the molecular basis of cassava's ability to withstand drought stress. Through the integration of multiple "omics" approaches, researchers have identified key genes, single nucleotide polymorphisms, proteins, and metabolites that are associated with drought stress, offering promising opportunities for the development of drought-tolerant cassava varieties. Moreover, this review emphasizes the adoption of "omics" technologies to accelerate breeding programs, enhance crop resilience, and ensure food security throughout Africa. By synthesizing current research findings and technological advancements, this review underscores the transformative potential of "omics" technologies in understanding and mitigating the detrimental effects of drought on cassava production, ultimately strengthening food security in Africa.

Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt, severely disrupts the vascular function of tomato plants, leading to significant yield losses. This study aimed to investigate the metabolomic shifts in tomato plants treated with garlic (Allium sativum) crude extract, Bacillus subtilis, and their combination, to assess their roles in enhancing resistance to R. solanacearum. Metabolomic profiling was conducted using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS) to identify and quantify key metabolites associated with stress response. Multivariate statistical analysis (MVDA) tools, viz. principal component analysis (PCA) and the orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) loading scatter plot were used to identify the metabolites that are positively and negatively correlated to bacterial wilt infection. The profiling revealed that garlic extract up-regulated key phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid and caffeoyl glucaric acid, which contribute to pathogen defense by reinforcing cell structures and mitigating oxidative stress. Chlorogenic acid accumulation was notably prominent in garlic-treated plants, while caffeoyl glucaric acid exhibited variable regulation across the treatments. Flavonoid levels were generally down-regulated, indicating a metabolic shift favoring phenylpropanoid pathways in response to disease stress. Additionally, lipid-related metabolites, such as 12-dienoate, were reduced in the combined treatment, whereas Juniperoside III was up-regulated in B. subtilis-treated plants, suggesting selective regulation of saponin metabolism. These findings indicate that garlic extract enhances plant defense primarily through phenylpropanoid-mediated structural reinforcement, while B. subtilis contributes to disease suppression through microbial interactions rather than significant metabolic shifts. Understanding these metabolic trade-offs offers valuable insights into optimizing bacterial wilt management strategies, ultimately improving tomato resilience and productivity.

Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum, the wild progenitor of cultivated barley, shares the same chromosome number with domesticated forms and exhibits no significant biological barriers to interspecies crossing. Roots are essential for water uptake, nutrient acquisition, and structural support, making them key determinants of plant performance under drought stress. The present study aimed to investigate the diversity in root group responses to water deficit across 114 genotypes of wild barley. The experiment was conducted in an Augmented Block Design with two soil moisture regimes: normal conditions at 90%-95% field capacity (FC) and water stress at 50%-55% FC. Genotypes were classified into nine groups based on mean root length and root tissue density, calculated within a 95% confidence interval, under both moisture regimes. Discriminant analysis revealed that the three main discriminant functions explained 95.3% and 94.2% of the total variance under normal and water stress conditions, respectively. Analysis of variance revealed that the genotype × stress interaction effect was not significant for root diameter under drought stress. However, seedling length, root dry weight, root surface area density, and chlorophyll content were significant at p < 0.05, while all other measured traits were significant at p < 0.01. Mean root trait analysis demonstrated considerable variation among genotypes, indicating broad genetic diversity in root and shoot characteristics. Cluster analysis classified the root groups into three clusters under both water stress and normal conditions. These findings provide insights into the adaptive potential of wild barley roots under drought, supporting their use in breeding for stress tolerance.

Onion productivity is sensitive to dry conditions. Breeding tolerant onion genotypes could improve productivity in regions vulnerable to water deficit stress. In this study, morphophysiological and yield parameters were used to evaluate the effects of drought on 14 genotypes at different growth stages. Three replications and two treatments-control and drought-were used in the split-plot design experiment, which was carried out in a greenhouse. For 10, 25, and 25 days during growth, bulb initiation, and bulb development, respectively, drought was applied. The findings showed that onions' susceptibility to drought depends on the growth stage and stress level. Morphological and physiological parameters decreased dramatically as plant developmental stages varied and the stress duration increased. After 25 days of stress during bulb development, all parameters demonstrated a significant decrease (p < 0.001). Onions' proline content did, however, rise as a result of the drought. The study found that drought during bulb development considerably decreased yield by 33.85% (p < 0.001). Responses to drought stress varied among the various onion genotypes. Goudami, Prema, and Red_Jewel F1 were drought-tolerant, while Red_Creole, AVON_1074, and Safari were sensitive, and Local, AVON_1317, and Dayo displayed intermediate tolerance. The tolerant genotypes may be useful for improving regions vulnerable to drought.