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Background: Pistachio twig borer [Kermania pistaciella Amsel, 1964 (Lepidoptera: Tineidae)] is one of the most important pests of pistachio that opens galleries in the shoots and causes blind and sparse-grained clusters and all these damage fruit clusters. However, the infestation rates and cardinal direction preference are unknown for the pest. Methods: This study determined infestation rate and cardinal direction preference of K. pistaciella in pistachio orchards during 2019 and 2020. The orchards located in in 25 different locations, i.e., Birecik, Bozova, Ceylanpınar, Eyyübiye, Halfeti, Haliliye, Hilvan and Karaköprü districts Şanlıurfa province Turkey. Surveys were carried out in three or four orchards representing each district included in the study. Twenty-five trees were randomly selected from each orchard and one shoot from each side of the tree was collected (100 shoots per orchard) for determining infestation and cardinal directional preference. A total 2500 shoots were observed from the study area and infestation was recorded. Results: The highest infestation rate was recorded for Yaslıca village in Bozova district (70%) during 2019, and Göklü village of Halfeti and Akziyaret village in Karaköprü district (29%) during 2020. The lowest infestation rate (2%) was noted for Akrepli village of Ceylanpınar district during both years of the study. Bozova and Halfeti were the most infested districts compared to the rest of the districts included in the study. The highest and the lowest infestation rate was recorded for north and west directions, respectively during both years of study. The average of two years data revealed that infestation rate for the shoots collected from the north direction was 23.68%, while it 20.33% for the shoots collected form west direction. Statistical analysis revealed non-significant difference for infestation rates of the shoots collected from different directions (χ2 = 0,9468; p = 0,8141). Conclusion: The results revealed that all tree directions should be considered for the application of management practices since the pest does not prefer a specific direction. The cost of chemical control is high, but the efficacy is low, which necessitates alternative control methods for the management of the pest.

Wheat production losses due to boron (B) toxicity can be reduced by breeding and growing modern wheat cultivars with a greater tolerance to high B. However, breeding of tolerant genotypes is possible by identifying B-tolerant wheat genetic resources and understanding their underlying molecular mechanism. Triticum dicoccum, despite being one of the oldest cultivated wheat species, mostly remained neglected and has been less explored for its potential towards abiotic stresses. In this study, for the first time, we report a B-toxicity-tolerant T. dicoccum genotype, PI94655, and its transcriptomic response towards high-B treatment (10 mM B) using RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR. More than 450 genes were significantly differentially expressed in the shoots of PI94655 under high B. A total 3237 novel genes and 12,206 novel transcripts were determined in the study. AP2-EREBP, MYB, and C3H were the families with the highest percentages of differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) under B toxicity. Interestingly, KEGG pathway photosynthesis–antenna proteins showed the most significant enrichment. The obtained results suggested potential candidate genes that can be focused on to improve wheat tolerance to high B in future breeding programs. These genes can be functionally characterized to elucidate their role in providing tolerance to high B.

Low availability of native soil phosphorus (P) is a major constraint limiting sustainable crop production especially in alkaline calcareous soils. Application of organic manure in this regard has gained attention of the scientific community. Yet, the potential of fermented animal manure in improving P use efficiency and subsequent crop yield has not been assessed. This pot experiment was designed to study the performance of wheat under application of non-fermented and fermented animal manure in combination with 0, 45 or 90 kg·ha−1 phosphorus in the form of diammonium phosphate (DAP). Results show that non-fermented animal manure and split dose of phosphorus fertilizer improved plant quantitative attributes including plant growth, yield and nutrient uptake parameters. However, the placement of fermented animal manure combined with the full amount of P (90 kg·ha−1) fertilizer gave the mean highest value of fertile tillers per pot (12) and their grain yield (5.2 g). Moreover, plant physiological parameters were enhanced with fermented animal manure and the recommended rate of P fertilizer compared with the control. Likewise, the biochemical properties of wheat grain such as fat, fiber, ash and protein contents were increased by 1.24, 2.26, 1.47 and 11.2%, respectively, in plants receiving fermented animal manure and P fertilizer (90 kg·ha−1). Furthermore, co-application of fermented animal manure with P (90 kg·ha−1) into soil improved phosphorus uptake from 0.72 to 1.25 g·pot−1, phosphorus usage efficiency from 0.715 to 0.856 mg·pot−1, and soil phosphorus extent from 7.58 to 16.1% over controls. It is thus inferred that this new approach resulted in release of P from fermented manure that not only reduced fixation but also enhanced the growth, yield, physiology and nutrient uptake in wheat.

Background: Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the most cultivated cool-season cereal after wheat in Türkiye. This can be attributed to its uses in the malt industry, human consumption, and animal nutrition etc. This study investigated yield, physiological, and quality traits of different barley varieties using heatmap and principal component analysis (PCA) technique to identify the varieties with better yield and superior quality. Methods: A total of 12 barley varieties (8 two-row and 4 six-row) were used in the study. The varieties were sown under natural conditions and data relating to yield, phenology and quality traits (grain yield, heading time, plant height, number of spikes m−2, 1000-grain weight, and starch ratio) were recorded. The recorded data were analyzed by PCA and heatmap techniques to determine the better-performing varieties. Results: Significant variations were observed among the tested varieties for all evaluated traits (p

Abstract Background Several WRKY transcription factors (TFs), including CaWRKY6, CaWRKY22, CaWRKY27, and CaWRKY40 are known to govern the resistance of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants to Ralstonia solanacearum infestation (RSI) and other abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes remain elusive. Methods This study functionally described CaWRKY3 for its role in pepper immunity against RSI. The roles of phytohormones in mediating the expression levels of CaWRKY3 were investigated by subjecting pepper plants to 1 mM salicylic acid (SA), 100 µM methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and 100 µM ethylene (ETH) at 4-leaf stage. A virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) approach based on the Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) was used to silence CaWRKY3 in pepper, and transiently over-expressed to infer its role against RSI. Results Phytohormones and RSI increased CaWRKY3 transcription. The transcriptions of defense-associated marker genes, including CaNPR1, CaPR1, CaDEF1, and CaHIR1 were decreased in VIGS experiment, which made pepper less resistant to RSI. Significant hypersensitive (HR)-like cell death, H2O2 buildup, and transcriptional up-regulation of immunological marker genes were noticed in pepper when CaWRKY3 was transiently overexpressed. Transcriptional activity of CaWRKY3 was increased with overexpression of CaWRKY6, CaWRKY22, CaWRKY27, and CaWRKY40, and vice versa. In contrast, Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) was easily repelled by the innate immune system of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana that overexpressed CaWRKY3. The transcriptions of defense-related marker genes like AtPR1, AtPR2, and AtNPR1 were increased in CaWRKY3-overexpressing transgenic A. thaliana plants. Conclusion It is concluded that CaWRKY3 favorably regulates phytohormone-mediated synergistic signaling, which controls cell death in plant and immunity of pepper plant against bacterial infections.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a comparatively novel class of phytohormones that are involved in the maintenance of plant architecture with key regulation of lateral branching. They are also reported to play an important role in regulating plant responses to various abiotic stresses. The potential of SLs to improve crop resilience and productivity needs to be effectively translated into agriculture. Therefore, both the endogenous biosynthesis of SLs and their exogenous application need to be thoroughly investigated to understand and exploit the mechanism underlying the alleviation of abiotic stress responses. Although several reviews have emphasised the biosynthesis of SLs in plants under abiotic stress, the mechanism underlying the alleviation of stress responses upon exogenous application has been less explored. Accordingly, in this review, although we have briefly discussed the beneficial effects of endogenous production of SLs in different sections, our main focus is to summarise the influence of exogenous SLs on the growth and development of different plant species grown under various abiotic stresses, including drought, nutrient, heavy metal, and salinity stress. Apart from providing an overview of the transcriptomic studies conducted to observe the alleviating effects of SLs on abiotic stress responses, the research gaps in this field were briefly discussed. The review provides insight for researchers to conduct further research on SLs and fill the gap so that they can be effectively used for sustainable agriculture.

Abstract Background Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is a crop with a wide range of uses, from the production of fiber and seeds to the secondary metabolites for medicinal purposes. In addition, it is characterized by high biomass yield and the ability to accumulate heavy metals, which makes this plant convenient for phytoremediation purposes. In this study, the effect of applying exogenous biodegradable chelating agents, citric acid (CA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), to zinc-contaminated soil on zinc (Zn) uptake by two industrial hemp varieties ‘Felina 32’ and ‘Monoica’ was studied. The effect of CA and NTA on available Zn in soils was investigated using an ‘in pot’ experiment under controlled conditions. The effect of both tested compounds on soil microbial activity was simultaneously evaluated. Results After the application of NTA at a concentration of 5 mmol L−1, a > threefold increased accumulation of Zn in the above-ground parts was recorded in the ‘Felina 32’ variety. In the ‘Monoica’ variety, the levels of Zn in the above-ground parts were increased > twofold. NTA affected the soil microbiome negatively, causing decreased enzyme activity (in ‘Monoica’ planted soil) and induced respiration (in ‘Monoica’ and especially in ‘Felina 32’ planted soil). On the other hand, CA application did not lead to significantly increased Zn levels in any of the studied hemp varieties. Together with CA’s negative effects on some soil enzymes, CA enhanced urease activity, dehydrogenase and several respiration types for the ‘Felina 32’ variety and exerted less detrimental effect on the soil microbiome. No toxic effects from increased Zn uptake and accumulation in experimental plants were detected, accounting for the unchanged physiological stress markers (levels of photosynthetic pigments and proline in leaves, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters) and selected growth traits of the above-ground organs and root system. Conclusions From the studied varieties, ‘Felina 32’ seems to be more suitable for Zn-phytoextraction because of its higher tolerance to increased Zn levels, higher biomass production and Zn accumulation capacity. Our results indicate the potential of using the ‘Felina 32’ variety in NTA-assisted Zn phytoextraction from contaminated soils. Graphical Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the rheological and fermentation behavior of doughs prepared from five different colored wheat varieties (black AF Zora, yellow KM 111-18, purple AF Jumiko, blue AF Oxana and red Vanessa – chosen as a standard), which contain polyphenolics in the outer layers of grains. Three wholemeal flour fractions (fine, semi-coarse and coarse) were used for each variety. The flour fractions differed in the particle size of the bran, the ash content and thus the phenolic compound content. The baking trials, texture and sensory analyses of breads were performed, to assess their overall acceptability.The coarser granulation of flour fractions, average hardness (8.587>77%), cohesiveness (78>75>70%) and resilience (35>32>27%) decreased. Moreover, the increase in off-flavors was detected with higher bran content. Regarding the flour granulation, the fine fraction seemed to be the most suitable due to its high gas-retention capacity. The best products in terms of both dough and bread quality reached blue AF Oxana and yellow KM 111-18.Utilization of colored wheat in bakery industry may present a good strategy of providing value-added products to the consumers.