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Leguminous crop Tephrosia candida has high biomass production and contains a substantial quantity of nutrients within its biomass. Starting in 2019, a long-term study was done to find the best Tephrosia candida dose for mulching in guava orchards. The study had four treatments: T1 = 3.0 kg dry biomass m−2 of the plant basin, T2 = 2.0 kg, T3 = 1.0 kg, and T4 = control (no mulch). Every year, the treatments imposed in the month of August. The third year (2021–2022) results indicated that mulching with 3 kg of biomass m−2 increased trunk diameter, fruit yield, fruit weight, specific leaf area, total leaf chlorophyll, and leaf macro- and micro-nutrients. At 3.0 kg m−2, mulching improved soil properties such as EC, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, DTPA extractable micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn), total organic carbon (Ctoc), soil organic carbon (Csoc), organic carbon fractions, and microbial biomass carbon between 0–0.15 m and 0.15–0.30 m. There was an increasing trend in dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The Tephrosia leaf litter exhibited decay constants of 1.27 year−1, and the carbon content was 40.11%. Therefore, applying Tephrosia biomass mulching at a rate of 3.0 kg m−2 is a viable long-term solution for enhancing soil fertility and sequestering carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus fruit yield is essential for market stability, as it allows businesses to plan for production and distribution. However, yield estimation is a complex and time-consuming process that often requires a large number of field samples to ensure representativeness. To address this challenge, we investigated the optimal altitude for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging to estimate the yield of Citrus unshiu fruit. We captured images from five different altitudes (30 m, 50 m, 70 m, 90 m, and 110 m), and determined that a resolution of approximately 5 pixels/cm is necessary for reliable estimation of fruit size based on the average diameter of C. unshiu fruit (46.7 mm). Additionally, we found that histogram equalization of the images improved fruit count estimation compared to using untreated images. At the images from 30 m height, the normal image estimates fruit numbers as 73, 55, and 88. However, the histogram equalized image estimates 88, 71, 105. The actual number of fruits is 124, 88, and 141. Using a Vegetation Index such as IPCA showed a similar estimation value to histogram equalization, but I1 estimation represents a gap to actual yields. Our results provide a valuable database for future UAV field investigations of citrus fruit yield. Using flying platforms like UAVs can provide a step towards adopting this sort of model spanning ever greater regions at a cheap cost, with this system generating accurate results in this manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit supply chain (FSC) involves different stages that need to be planned at least two months in advance. Therefore, having a good fruit yield forecast with anticipation allows making timely correct decisions for providing the resources, transport, and cold storage contracts, among others. Therefore, fruit yield over or underestimation could cause important inefficiencies with regards to FSC. Because of its relevance, a method based on machine learning (ML) techniques that uses spectrometric vegetation data is proposed. This method, known as Spectrometry Based Method for Fruit Production Forecast (SBM-Fruit), allows exploring the georeferenced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), collected in different phenological stages, aiming to capture spatial and temporal dependency in the fruit yield forecast. In the first step of SBM-Fruit, several clusters are obtained in a clustering process using the georeferenced NDVI in all phenological stages as input, while, in the second step, two validation functions are used for determining the best clustering. Finally, in the third step, the predictor variables of the best clustering are incorporated into an artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting the fruit yield. The SBM-Fruit was applied to forecast table grape yield of an orchard located in the Valparaíso Region, Chile. The results show fruit yield estimations with mean errors around 0.013 percent for every spatial zone of the orchard, forecasted at least two months in advance. The use of the SBM-Fruit would allow FSC stakeholders to make better decisions, improving the coordination of the FSC stages, and reducing costs and fruit losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Morocco, red fruit production has thrived, primarily utilizing hydroponic methods to control crops, increase fruit yield and quality, and avoid soil-related problems. However, the irrigation of these expansive hydroponic farms relies heavily on water sourced from dams, many of which are contaminated with Microcystins (MCs). To address this contamination issue, ongoing research is focused on discovering effective and cost-efficient biological solutions for eliminating MCs. In this study, we isolate and identify bacterial strains capable of degrading MCs, evaluate the rate of degradation, and investigate how soil inoculated with these bacteria affects the accumulation of MCs in plant tissue. The partial 16S rRNA analyses of three bacterial sequences were conducted, identifying them through NCBI as follows: Ensifer sp. (B1) isolated from soil, Shinella sp. (B2) from a cyanobacterial bloom, and Stutzerimonas sp. (B3) from water. These bacteria exhibited the ability to degrade MCs, with approximately 34.75%, 73.75%, and 30.1% of the initial concentration (20 µg/L) being removed after a 6-day period for B1, B2, and B3, respectively. Moreover, strawberry plants were cultivated hydroponically in a greenhouse for a duration of 90 days. These plants were subjected to extracts of cyanobacteria containing 10 and 20 µg/L of Microcystins (MC), as well as water from an artificial lake contaminated with MC, both with and without the presence of isolated bacterial strains. Among these strains, Shinella sp. exhibited the highest efficacy in mitigating MC accumulation. Specifically, it resulted in a reduction of approximately 1.159 µg of MC per kilogram of root dry weight, leading to complete elimination in the leaves and fruits. The findings also indicated that the inoculation of perlite with the three MC-degrading bacterial strains significantly enhanced growth, photosynthetic pigments, yield, biochemical constituents, and quality attributes of strawberries (p ≤ 0.05). These promising outcomes suggest the potential of this approach for addressing the adverse impacts of crops irrigated with MC-contaminated water in future agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theobroma grandiflorum is a perennial fruit-bearing species with a long breeding cycle (~ 12 years). In multi-harvest data analyses, one frequently observes heteroscedasticity and genetic/statistical imbalance, which requires adequate statistical methods. This study aimed to (i) compare multi-harvest models with homogenous and heterogeneous residual variance, (ii) define the optimal number of harvests for an accurate genetic selection of T. grandiflorum genotypes, and (iii) select T. grandiflorum hybrid families with high fruit yield and resistance to witches' broom using an additive index. We used a generalized linear mixed model to analyse the resistance to witches' broom. The data refers to an unbalanced trial with 34 triple-cross hybrid families, arranged in a randomized complete block design. We evaluated these families throughout 9 consecutive harvest years regarding fruit yield and resistance to witches' broom. The variance components, genetic parameters and genotypic values were estimated/predicted through residual maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction methodologies. The model with heterogeneous residuals had a better fit than the homogeneous model for the fruit yield trait, according to Akaike information criterion. The results attest to the genetic variability in the evaluated population. To select the best individual for the next breeding cycle, three harvests are enough for selecting accurately for fruit yield and resistance to witches' broom. For commercial release, nine harvests are necessary for both traits. We identified ten high-performance families regarding fruit yield and resistance to witches' broom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) have an eminent role in improving plant yield through improving yield. The present study was conducted to find the effect of Si NPs on plant yield, biochemical attributes, and minerals of different cucumber cultivars. The greenhouse experiment with foliar application of Si NPs (100, 200, and 300 mg L-1) was carried out on cucumber cultivars (Emilie, Mirsoltan, Mitio, and Viola). The application of Si NPs at 300 mg L-1 led to the highest fruit yield, with a 17% increase in fruit production compared to the control. Fruit firmness differed by 31% between Emilie and Si NPs at 100 mg L-1 and Mito at 300 mg L-1. Plants experiencing Si NPs at 300 mg L-1 had the greatest chlorophyll (Chl) a+b. Compared to the other cultivars, Mito had a greater fruit yield and Chl content. The Si NPs increased TSS by 11% while lowering TA by 24% when compared to the control at 300 mg L-1. Foliar application of Si NPs reduced the value of TSS/TA. The largest value of K was reached in the Mito cultivar with Si NPs at 200 mg L-1, with a 22% increase in comparison to the control, indicating that Si NPs considerably boosted the K content. The Si NPs at 200 mg L-1 significantly increased leaf N and P in the Mito cultivar by 16 and 50%, respectively. By using agglomerative hierarchy clustering (AHC), Emilie and Mito were located in two separate clusters, whilst Viola and Mirsoltan were grouped in one cluster. In conclusion, Si NPs at 200-300 mg L-1 enhanced fruit yield, and Mito showed the highest yield when compared to other cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for humans, but its role in plant physiology was debated for nearly a century. Recently its functional involvement in plant nutrition and stress-protection collected the first experimental evidence. This study wanted to examine in depth the involvement of iodine in tomato plant nutrition, also evaluating its potential on salt stress tolerance. To this end, iodine was administered at dosages effective for micronutrients to plants grown in different experimental systems (growth chamber and greenhouse), alone or in presence of a mild-moderate NaCl-salinity stress. Plant vegetative fitness, fruit yield and quality, biochemical parameters and transcriptional activity of selected stress-responsive genes were evaluated. In unstressed plants, iodine increased plant growth and fruit yield, as well as some fruit qualitative parameters. In presence of salt stress, iodine mitigated some of the negative effects observed, according to the iodine/NaCl concentrations used. Some fruit parameters and the expressions of the stress marker genes analyzed were affected by the treatments, explaining, at least in part, the increased plant tolerance to the salinity. This study thus reconfirms the functional involvement of iodine in plant nutrition and offers evidence towards the use of minute amounts of it as a beneficial nutrient for crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge (XSB) is one of the most promising trees for sustainable development, the low fruit yield of which, however, has become a restriction in the fruit product industrialization. The contents of soluble sugar and starch in leaves, two-year-old leaf branch (TYLB), current-leaf branch (CLBr) and flowering branch (FlBr) and the relationship among those carbohydrates and fruit yields were measured to evaluate whether the demand of XSB fruit growth and carbohydrate supplement were synchronized. The contents of soluble sugar and starch in TYLB decreased from germination to leafing stage. The obvious fluctuation of the carbohydrates in the four plant organs were exhibited at flowering stage with the maximal soluble sugar content of 226.93 mg g−1 in leaf and maximal starch content of 82.23 mg g−1 in TYLB. The soluble sugar in FlBr and leaf decreased after fruit ripening, while the content in CLBr increased at that period. The starch contents in TYLB at leafing and fruit formation stages and FlBr at flowering stage exhibited the first three high positive coefficients to the large fruit yield. While the starch contents in leaf, CLBr and TYLB at leafing, flowering and fruit formation stages exhibited the first three high positive coefficients to the middle fruit yield. The results indicated that the shortage of carbohydrate to the fruit cluster at the flowering and fruitlet developing stages resulted in the fruitlet abscission. This study indicates that the loading capacity of nutrients in vegetative organs at the critical period of fruit development should be considered first to ensure the yield target of XSB fruit in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the implications of climate change, the combined responses of olive trees to irrigation amount and warming need to be examined. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effects of moderate deficit irrigation and warming during late winter and spring on vegetative growth and biomass, full bloom timing and intensity, and yield components in young olive trees. Two three month-long experiments were conducted using open top chambers with four treatment combinations: 100% irrigation with a control temperature; 100% irrigation with 4 °C warming; 50% irrigation with a control temperature; and 50% irrigation with 4 °C warming. The trees were potted two-year-old, cv. Arbequina trees in the 2018 experiment and three-year-old, cv. Coratina trees in the 2019 experiment. Flowering was low in the young cv. Arbequina trees in 2018, but it was much greater in the older cv. Coratina trees in 2019. Overall, lower flowering intensity and fruit set or more parthenocarpic fruit contributed to less viable fruit number with warming. These reproductive variables were less affected by deficit irrigation. In contrast, shoot growth and vegetative biomass were decreased by deficit irrigation in cv. Arbequina (2018) when fruit number was low in all trees with less response due to warming. In cv. Coratina (2019), the lower fruit number in warmed compared to control trees contributed to greater individual fruit weight at the end of the experimental period, and few significant effects of either deficit irrigation or warming on shoot growth were observed. Fruit yield was greater in the well-irrigated, temperature control than in the other treatment combinations in cv. Arbequina, while warming reduced fruit yield in cv. Coratina. From a production perspective, it does not appear that many early reproductive responses to warming can be easily counteracted by adjusting irrigation. Further studies with more mature trees and cultivars over several growing seasons are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The application of chemical fungicides is the first strategy to control plant fungal diseases. This approach is highly polluting for the environment and affects human health. The artificial introduction of beneficial rhizobacteria into the soil can be an economical and practical way to control phytopathogenic fungi in commercial greenhouses. Here, we recount the travel of a rare Actinomycete (Amycolatopsis strain 1119) from a maize field to a commercial cucumber greenhouse. Methods and results: Culturable bacteria from rhizosphere and bulk soils of dicot and monocot crops were isolated and screened. About 20% of the representative colonies showed Actinobacteria appearance. 106 Actinobacteria that had antagonistic activity against Phytophthora capsici and were able to produce IAA-like molecules were selected for further analysis. Two Streptomyces strains (432 and 615) and 2 Amycolatopsis strains (3513 and 1119) that showed a positive effect on plant growth in greenhouse conditions were selected to evaluate the biocontrol potential. Strains 432, 3513, 615 and 1119 controlled incidence of the damping-off by 65%, 42%, 83% and 100% respectively. Application of strain 1119 under commercial greenhouse conditions resulted in an increase in fruit yield (20%) and a decrease in fruit nitrate content (70%). Increased antioxidant enzymes activity and increased LOX and APX transcription and also, increased expression of two genes PR1-1a and GLU (SAR genes) showed that strain 1119 could induce both ISR and SAR in cucumber without pathogen exposure. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the Amycolatopsis strain 1119 has a great potential to be used as an active principle for bio-inoculant development because of the ability to improve cucumber fruit yield and induce plant defense responses in a commercial greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homegardens are complex agroforestry systems with a multilayered vertical structure and a horizontal structure with different uses and management intensities. This environmental heterogeneity allows the establishment of wild and cultivated plants with contrasting environmental requirements in a predictable spatial pattern. Wild pepper is a plant associated with the shade of fleshy-fruited perennials in natural vegetation in North America. In the Yucatan, wild pepper is known as maax pepper by the Maya and is a volunteer plant that commonly grows in homegardens, where the fruits are harvested. Here we assessed whether maax pepper is spatially associated with perennial plants or inanimate objects and whether this association affects plant size, fruit yield or viral diseases in traditional homegardens of central Yucatan. According to the results, maax pepper occurred closer to perennials than expected. Although solar radiation beneath the canopy of these perennials was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than in open spaces, this association did not favor the pepper fruit yield. There was a spatial association with inanimate objects (mainly buildings) and peppers were taller and produced more fruits in proximity to these objects. This association was not mediated by reduced solar radiation. We suggest that the amelioration of other environmental stressor(s) and/or the more intensive management of cultivated plants around buildings could underlie this association. We conclude that perennial plants and inanimate objects typically found in homegardens, as well as management of other plants in these gardens, act to influence the distribution and performance of maax pepper in this traditional agroforestry system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate yield estimation of passion fruits is essential for planning acreage and harvest timing. However, due to the complexity of the natural environment and tracking instability, the existing yield estimation methods suffer from excessively large models that are difficult to deploy or repetitive counting of fruit. Therefore, an improved approach for efficient passion fruit yield estimation was proposed using the lightweight YOLOv5s and improved DeepSORT. First, the video is fed into the proposed lightweight YOLOv5s called YOLOv5s-little to obtain coordinates and confidence information about the fruits within each frame. Then, the information obtained from the detection model is input into improved DeepSORT for continuous frame tracking of passion fruit. Considering the frequent error IDs (ID switching), two improvements based on DeepSORT are proposed: delaying the creation of tracks and adding a second round of IoU matching. Finally, to overcome the problem of repetitive counting, a specific tracking counting method based on the track information and state is used for accurate passion fruit counting. Our method achieved a competitive result in tests. YOLOv5s-little detector achieved precision of 98.9%, 98.3% recall, 99.5% mAP, and only 0.9MB model size. The improved DeepSORT algorithm achieved higher order tracking accuracy (HOTA) of 79.6%, multi-object tracking accuracy (MOTA) of 92.58%, identification F1 (IDF1) of 95.02%, and ID switch (IDSW) of 11 respectively. Compared with DeepSORT, it improved by 4.66%, 1.8%, and 9.16% in HOTA, MOTA and IDF1, respectively, and IDSW improved the most with 85%. Compared with FairMOT and TransTrack, the HOTA of YOLOv5s-little + improved DeepSORT achieved improvements of 11.56% and 25.24%, respectively. The statistical average counting accuracy of our proposed counting method reaches 95.1%, which is a 7.09% improvement over the maximum ID value counting method. The counting results from test videos are highly correlated with the manual counting results ( R 2 = 0.96), indicating that the counting method has high accuracy and effectiveness. These results show that YOLOv5s-little + improved DeepSORT can meet the practical needs of passion fruit yield estimation in real scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of iron-efficient rootstocks can be a sustainable way to enhance iron (Fe) fruit content in tomato. A hybrid tomato variety was grafted on a genotyped population of recombinant inbred lines derived from Solanum pimpinellifolium, and compared with self- and non-grafted controls under low iron (5.2 µM) growing conditions. Rootstock effects on total fruit yield, fruit [Fe] and yield Fe content (FeUEc) were the target traits; other minerals were also investigated by quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate gene analyses. The rootstock genotype affected fruit concentrations of Fe, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Si and Al. Most rootstocks increased FeUEc. Fruit and leaf [Fe] and FeUEc were genetically complex, involving epistatic interactions. Six and eight QTLs were detected for these traits, respectively, by multiple QTL mapping. Two kinds of relevant genes were found among candidates within QTLs for iron related traits: those coding for secretory proteins specific of the tomato xylem sap under iron deficiency, and others having a role in iron uptake such as TOMLHA1, FRO1, NRAMP2, FER and MYB72. Detected QTLs might reflect differences in the regulatory regions of those relevant genes, more than in their coding sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field experiment was conducted in Chichu Kebele in the Dilla Zuria area from 2020 to 2023. The objective of the experiment was to determine the optimal mulching strategy for enhancing soil fertility and pineapple production by comparing three treatments (grass mulch, plastic mulch, and farmers' practices without any mulch) using a RCB (Randomized Complete Block) design. The study's findings showed that the treatments with plastic mulch had the greatest soil moisture content values (18.41%), while the treatments with no mulch had the lowest values (11.39%). Compared to mulched treatments, pineapple planted without mulch had the greatest bulk density values (1.43 g/cm3). Total nitrogen and organic carbon has increase by 34 and 25%, respectively due to plastic mulching. However, total nitrogen and organic carbon has increase by 43 and 37.5%, respectively due to grass mulching. Fruit length was larger by 42.7 and 33.2%, respectively due to plastic and grass mulch compared to the control. However, fruit girth was wider by 54.1 and 43.8%, respectively due to plastic and grass mulches compared to the control. The pineapple with the most fruit yield (71.39 t/ha), fruit length (17.4 cm), fruit girth (46.67 cm), and sucker number (15 pieces) was obtained using plastic mulching. However, pineapple grown without mulch had the lowest yield ever noted. Plastic mulch outperformed farmers' practices and grass mulching in terms of conserving soil moisture, which increased yield and yield characteristics. For the baseline, the marginal rate of return generated by the plastic and grass mulch treatments was 118.5 and 93.65%, respectively. Thus, the study's best recommendation for improving soils and achieving a high pineapple fruit yield is to grow pineapples using plastic mulch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbial necromass carbon (C) is a crucial component of the soil organic C pool. The impact of both straw mulching treatments and years on the soil microbial necromass C accumulation remains unclear. We investigated factors driving soil microbial necromass C accumulation and its role in improving yield by analyzing the dynamic response of microbial necromass C, total organic C (TOC) and available nutrients, genes encoding carbohydrate-degrading enzymes and fruit yield of citrus under different straw types of mulching (wheat, rice, oilseed rape, no mulch) from 2019 to 2022. Annual rainfall was the main factor affecting the soil bacterial necromass C (BNC) accumulation. Straw mulching treatments were the main factor affecting the soil fungal necromass C (FNC) accumulation. Increased annual rainfall and high soil moisture levels hindered the soil microbial necromass C accumulation, especially BNC. No correlation was found between BNC and the relative abundance of genes encoding peptidoglycan (bacteria-derived biomass) degrading enzymes. Decreased relative abundance of genes encoding chitin (fungal-derived biomass) degrading enzymes, particularly GH18, favored the accumulation of FNC. Actinomycetes were the most significant contributors of the GH18 gene among microbial phyla. Moreover, oilseed rape and rice mulching treatments reduced the relative abundance of genes encoding enzymes degrading chitin. Microbial necromass C, especially BNC, was key for sustaining TOC, supplying nutrients, and enhancing citrus fruit yield. Our results provide new information for optimizing straw mulch type and application time in citrus orchards to improve soil microbial necromass accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylation, one of most important types of post-translational modification, plays multiple indispensable roles in plant growth and development and abiotic stress responses. However, little information about the roles of histone deacetylase in regulating inflorescence architecture, fruit yield, and stress responses is available in tomato. Functional characterization revealed that SlHDT1 participated in the control of inflorescence architecture and fruit yield by regulating auxin signalling, and influenced tolerance to drought and salt stresses by governing abscisic acid (ABA) signalling. More inflorescence branches and higher fruit yield, which were influenced by auxin signalling, were observed in SlHDT1-RNAi transgenic plants. Moreover, tolerance to drought and salt stresses was decreased in SlHDT1-RNAi transgenic lines compared with the wild type (WT). Changes in parameters related to the stress response, including decreases in survival rate, chlorophyll content, relative water content (RWC), proline content, catalase (CAT) activity and ABA content and an increase in malonaldehyde (MDA) content, were observed in SlHDT1-RNAi transgenic lines. In addition, the RNA-seq analysis revealed varying degrees of downregulation for genes such as the stress-related genes SlABCC10 and SlGAME6 and the pathogenesis-related protein P450 gene SlCYP71A1, and upregulation of the pathogenesis-related protein P450 genes SlCYP94B1, SlCYP734A7 and SlCYP94A2 in SlHDT1-RNAi transgenic plants, indicating that SlHDT1 plays an important role in the response to biotic and abiotic stresses by mediating stress-related gene expression. In summary, the data suggest that SlHDT1 plays essential roles in the regulation of inflorescence architecture and fruit yield and in the response to drought and salt stresses.Key message: SlHDT1 controls inflorescence architecture and fruit yield by mediates auxin signalling and involves in the response to drought and salt stress by regulates ABA signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though many varieties have been recommended across agro-climate zones of Himachal Pradesh, yet the information on stability is lacking in this State. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to identify high yielding stable genotypes among various pre-adapted landraces. The material consists of 20 chilli landraces including check i.e. DKC-8. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD. The data were recorded and analyzed to work out mean performances and the inferences were drawn for parameters of variability, correlation coefficients, path coefficients and stability analysis. As per mean performances, CS7 and CS9 were earliest in flowering, CS13 is earliest in days to ripe maturity, CS10 had highest plant height and CS9 had highest average fruit weight and ripe fruit yield plant−1. High PCV and GCV were recorded for ripe fruit yield plant−1. Heritability and genetic advance were recorded maximum for plant height in summer seasons and were recorded maximum for number of ripe fruits plant−1 in winter season. Correlation coefficients showed that number of ripe fruits plant−1 and average ripe fruit weight were positively and significantly correlated with ripe fruit yield plant−1. Path coefficient analysis in summer and winter seasons showed that average ripe fruit weight had the highest positive direct effect on ripe fruit yield plant−1. The pooled data over environments were analyzed to estimate the interaction effects between genotypes × environment. The mean sum of squares due to genotypes, environments and genotypes × environment interaction were significant for all the characteristics. CS1, CS3, CS6, CS10, CS13, CS15 were adapted to all environments, CS7 and CS9 were specifically adapted to favourable environment and CS2 was specifically adapted to unfavorable environment for 50% flowering, landraces CS1, CS2 and CS3were well adapted to all environments for ripe maturity whereas landraces CS6, CS10 and CS19 were well adapted to all environment for number of ripe fruit and ripe fruit yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing population in the face of water scarcity inevitably necessitates the quest for alternative sources of irrigation water, which integrates them with irrigation strategies for improved agricultural productivity to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. A three-year field experiment was conducted in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to investigate the effect of water quality (reclaimed water (RW) and clean water (CW)), irrigation techniques (subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and furrow irrigation (FUI)), irrigation methods (full irrigation (FI) and alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) (70% ETc)), and their interactions on the fresh fruit yield (FY), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of tomatoes. Further, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and organic matter (OM) of soil were evaluated. The experiments were undertaken over three growing spring seasons in a greenhouse at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Henan Province, China. Throughout the three years of this study, the yield, the IWUE, and the NUE values of all treatments under RW were higher than those corresponding values under CW. The trend was the same under SDI as it was under FUI. Statistical analyses revealed that there was no significant effect (P > 0.05) of water quality, irrigation technique, and irrigation methods on the soil EC, pH, and OM over the three years. In addition, the interaction between the different experimental factors over the three years of the study was not significant. In conclusion, the application of RW under SDI can result in saving CW and increasing productivity without any negative effect on the investigated soil properties. Furthermore, when RW-SDI is used in conjunction with APRI, it can result in increasing IWUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bael is a fruit crop that is extensively distributed throughout South-East Asia and is underutilized in medicine. The potential applications of bael's therapeutic and nutritional qualities in diverse ethnic communities are enormous. This study focuses on evaluating the morpho-pomological and molecular characteristics, utilizing SSR markers, of 80 wild bael genotypes alongside the NB-5 and NB-9 cultivars, derived from the North Western plains of India. Based on the evaluated morpho-pomological features, substantial variations were found between all genotypes. The fruit's inner diameter and pulp weight varied from 4.41 to 11.54 cm and 34.63 to 786.41 g, respectively. Numerous variations in the genotypes were observed in the shell weight/fruit, fruit skull thickness and fruit yield/plant. The bael fruit mucilage's total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugar content varied from 40.10 to 49.60 obrix and 8.11 to 21.17%, respectively. Using ward cluster analysis, the genotypes were divided into two primary clusters. Among the bael genotypes, the population structure analysis identified three subpopulations. SSR markers are used to measure genetic variety; of the 27 polymorphic markers, 17 show allelic diversity between genotypes. Molecular genetic diversity analysis, on the other hand, highlighted the genotypes genetic distinctiveness by classifying them into three major clusters. These findings offer valuable insights into the rich diversity and intricate interactions among the bael genotypes under investigation, paving the way for more strategic future breeding and selection efforts to elevate the quality of this remarkable fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) is part of the search for strategies to achieve food security in a sustainable way. However, its usefulness in crop production has not been sufficiently demonstrated and its consequences on soil microorganisms are still unclear. In this study, the combined effect of ZnO NPs and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on growth, yield, and antioxidant capacity of Capsicum chinense Jacq. was analyzed. Additionally, the effect of ZnO NPs on mycorrhizal colonization and dependency was evaluated. For this purpose, a greenhouse experiment was performed in which 0, 1.2, 12, and 240 mg kg−1 of ZnO NPs were applied to mycorrhized and non-mycorrhized plants. Fresh and dry biomass, fruit yield, and antioxidant capacity were quantified, as well as colonization percentage and mycorrhizal dependency. It was found that the ZnO NPs 240 mg kg−1 dose increased plant fresh aerial biomass and antioxidant capacity, while all ZnO NPs doses increased fruit biomass. On the other hand, the 12 and 240 mg kg−1 doses decreased mycorrhizal dependency, but no ZnO NPs dose affected mycorrhizal colonization. In turn, the inoculation with AMF increased all growth and fruit yield variables, but not the antioxidant capacity of habanero pepper. Besides, an antagonistic effect on fruit biomass was found between the addition of ZnO NPs and the inoculation with AMF. These results demonstrate that the application of ZnO NPs within the dosage range of 1.2 to 240 mg kg−1 enhances the yield of C. chinense without impacting its mycorrhizal interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (Mel) is a multifunctional signaling molecule, quantified in a wide range of higher plants. It acts as a pleiotropic molecule and is involved in numerous signaling and physiological processes, particularly under harsh environmental conditions in plants. In the present study, the defensive role of Mel was explored in salt (NaCl)-stressed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Mel (50 or 100 µM) was supplied to the foliage of tomato plants at 30 days after transplantation (DAT), grown without stress, and in the presence of NaCl (100 or 150 mM) stress. Salt stress negatively affected photosynthetic efficiency, cell viability, plant growth, fruit quality, and impaired root morphology, and stomatal physiology, but induced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species ((H2O2 and O2·−), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage. Interestingly, foliar supplementation of Mel to stressed and non-stressed plants lowered MDA levels, reduced oxidative stress and promoted photosynthesis, improved cell viability, stomatal behavior, and plant growth, and boosted the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and elevated proline content which bestowed endurance and reduced the salt-induced oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread in citrus orchard around the world, which impairs plant growth and fruit yield. Zn fertilization is usually recommended in field orchards, and application strategies toward nutrient use efficiency are key for successful crop management. Methods: Field studies were carried out with sweet orange trees for four growing seasons, testing Zn (nitrate, sulfate or EDTA) applied either via fertigation or foliar spray compared to a control without Zn. Results: The Zn concentrations in the soil increased with nutrient supply by both application methods. Zn-EDTA via fertigation increased soil nutrient availability compared to the control. Likewise, Zn-nitrate via foliar application also increased soil Zn levels. Regarding the plant, Zn-EDTA via fertigation increased leaf nutrient levels only after the third year of fertilization, whereas Zn-nitrate via foliar spray increased leaf levels in the short term, up to 120 mg kg−1. To a lesser extent, Zn-EDTA or sulfate also increased leaf Zn compared to the control. Accumulated fruit yield was ~20% higher in trees with Zn-EDTA via fertigation and ~ 20% higher in trees with Zn-nitrate or sulfate via foliar application compared to the control, with these latter exerting greater responses. Trees supplied with Zn exhibited lower H2O2 and higher CAT activity compared to the control, which correlated with a fruit yield increase. Conclusion: In conclusion, Zn-EDTA via fertigation or nitrate or sulfate via foliar application improved the horticultural performance of trees, supporting the establishment of best nutrient management practices in fruit production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tomato is a major crop worldwide and is one of the five most consumed vegetables in Germany. Stemphylium species including S. eturmiunum, S. gracilariae, S. lycii, S. lycopersici, S. rombundicum, S. simmonsii, S. solani, and S. vesicarium have been identified as tomato pathogens in various countries. In Germany, multiple instances of S. lycopersici and S. solani affecting tomato plants have been documented; however, only one incident of S. vesicarium has been reported in 1972. S. vesicarium is known to cause yellowish-brown spots on tomato leaves, which can ultimately lead to defoliation and reduced fruit yield. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the S. vesicarium that cause this disease accurately. In this study, S. vesicarium was isolated from necrotic tomato plants in organic farms located in northern and southern regions of Germany. Single spore isolates were generated and identified as S. vesicarium based on morphological characteristic and molecular analyses using nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Koch´s postulates were fulfilled and revealed that S. vesicarium is the causal agent of brown spot on the samples adding a new account of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Soil fertility plays a key role in citrus productivity. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the effects of soil amendments on soil fertility and citrus productivity and estimate carbon fractions' suitability, which response to soil fertility and citrus productivity. Methods: A field experiment in a citrus orchard was conducted containing five treatments: local habit fertilization (LF), special fertilizer [25% lower NPK than LF, (SF)], special fertilizer, and rice straw mulching [0%, 12.5%, and 25% NPK higher than LF (SFRS25, SFRS37.5, and SFRS50, respectively)]. Total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (ROC), available N, P, K, fruit yield, and quality were analyzed. Results: Straw mulching and special fertilizer significantly increased soil carbon fractions, such as MBC and ROC. Such treatments also enhanced the soil available N, P, and K, subsequently elevated the fruit yield. MBC, available K, and available P showed a significantly positive correlation with citrus yield. Redundancy analysis indicated that MBC and ROC significantly explained 61.87% of the variation for available nutrients, suggesting that the increase of organic carbon fractions and microbial biomass could accelerate nutrient cycling for the plant. Conclusion: It proved that decrement application of special compound fertilizer with straw mulching raised fruit yield by altering soil carbon fractions to improve soil available nutrients or fertility. The MBC of soil labile carbon responded more sensitively to not only soil fertility but also citrus fruit yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate is one of the major elements that significantly affects fruit yield and quality. The aim of the study was to determine whether using phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria could produce high-quality apple nursery trees. Five different treatments were tested on a "Granny Smith" apple cultivar that was grafted onto an M.9 rootstock. These were 100% P, 50% P, 50% P + Bacillus megatarum (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, PGPR), 0%P, and 0%P + PGPR. The study also identified the SPX gene family, which is essential for plant growth and development and responds to phosphorus (P) stress. A total of 72 SPX genes were identified in different plant species based on structural and phylogenetic analysis. The apple genome contains seven different SPX genes distributed on five of the 17 chromosomes. Gene structure and motif analysis showed that SPX genes show a relatively conserved exon/intron arrangement and motif composition in five different species: apple, strawberry, peach, apricot, and grape. Protein–protein network analysis showed that SPX proteins are closely related to proteins involved in P metabolism in apple. The digital expression profiles of MdSPX genes among 47 apple tissues were characterized to provide insight into their potential functions. RT-qPCR revealed that the expression level of all MdSPXs was significantly downregulated in 50% P + PGPR treatments, indicating that 50% P combined with PGPR is effectively taken up by the plant, saving it from Pi starvation. These results not only confirm the key role of MdSPXs in Pi homeostasis and the Pi signaling pathway but also clarify the importance of Pi-solubilizing bacteria in plant nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most important vegetable crop after potatoes, and global demands have been steadily increasing in recent years. Conventional and modern breeding techniques have been applied to breed and domesticate tomato varieties to meet the need for higher yield or superior agronomical traits that allow them to sustain under different climatic conditions. In the current study, we applied bulk population breeding by crossing eight tomato accessions procured from the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center with three heat-resistant tomato inbred lines from Vietnam and generated ten elite tomato (ET) lines in the F8 generation. The individual F8 lines exhibited robust vigor and adaptability to climatic conditions of North Vietnam. Among the ten lines, ET1 and ET3 displayed indeterminate growth. ET2 showed semi-determinate, while all the other lines had determinate growth. The different ET lines showed distinctive superior agronomical traits, including early maturing (ET4, ET7, and ET10), highly efficient fruit set (ET1), higher yield (ET1, ET8, ET10), jointless pedicels (ET2), and partial parthenocarpy (ET9). Molecular analysis revealed that the ET3 line consisted of Ty-1 and Ty-3 loci that positively contribute to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus resistance in tomato plants. The elite tomato lines developed in this study would contribute significantly to the Vietnamese and Asian gene pool for improved tomato production and would be a valuable resource for various breeding goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to find out high yield and good quality cucumber hybrids which can further be released for cultivation in the tropics under open filed conditions. Therefore, five lines (2 gynoecious, 1 each predominantly gynoecious, parthenocarpic gynoecious and predominantly gynoecious and parthenocarpic) and 11 testers (monoecious) were crossed in a line × tester mating design to develop 55 F1 hybrids at Vegetable Research Farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. All the 71 genotypes were evaluated during spring–summer 2021 under open field conditions for 11 quantitative traits. Gene action study revealed the predominant role of non-additive genetic variance for all traits except for fruit length. On the basis of GCA (general combining ability) effect, lines PK-1, PBRK-11 and 25–46 VNR and testers Punjab Naveen, Pusa Uday and PMC-1were found to be best for fruit yield, quality and earliness which can be utilized as donor parents in future breeding. The maximum heterobeltiosis was recorded for fruit yield followed by fruit number per plant, fruit weight, fruit length and fruit diameter. The significant and positive correlation between GCA and mean of parental lines was observed for fruit yield, fruit number per plant, fruit length, and days to first fruit picking. Exploitation of the top performing hybrids 'PK-1 × AVCU-1205, PK-1 × Swarna Ageti, PK-1 × PMC-1 and PBRK11 × Punjab Naveen', after critical evaluation, could be recommended for commercial cucumber open field production in the tropics. Promising hybrids could also be exploited in segregating generations to identify pure lines having high yield with good fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction in crop productivity due to drought stress, is a major concern in agriculture. Drought stress usually disrupts photosynthesis by triggering oxidative stress and generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). The use of zinc-quantum dot biochar (ZQDB) and proline (Pro) can be effective techniques to overcome this issue. Biochar has the potential to improve the water use efficiency while proline can play an imperative role in minimization of adverse impacts of ROS Proline, functioning as an osmotic protector, efficiently mitigates the adverse effects of heavy metals on plants by maintaining cellular structure, scavenging free radicals, and ensuring the stability of cellular integrity. That's why current study explored the impact of ZQDB and proline on chili growth under drought stress. Four treatments, i.e., control, 0.4%ZQDB, 0.1 mM Pro, and 0.4%ZQDB + Pro, were applied in 4 replications following the complete randomized design. Results exhibited that 0.4%ZQDB + Pro caused an increases in chili plant dry weight (29.28%), plant height (28.12%), fruit length (29.20%), fruit girth (59.81%), and fruit yield (55.78%) over control under drought stress. A significant increment in chlorophyll a (18.97%), chlorophyll b (49.02%), and total chlorophyll (26.67%), compared to control under drought stress, confirmed the effectiveness of 0.4%ZQDB + Pro. Furthermore, improvement in leaves N, P, and K concentration over control validated the efficacy of 0.4%ZQDB + Pro against drought stress. In conclusion, 0.4%ZQDB + Pro can mitigate drought stress in chili. More investigations are suggested to declare 0.4%ZQDB + Pro as promising amendment for mitigation of drought stress in other crops as well under changing climatic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One invasive species that decreases citrus fruit yield is the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. The psyllids are the carriers of Candidatus Liberibacter species, the pathogen that causes citrus greening disease (commonly called huanglongbing, or HLB), which is the most devastating citrus disease in the world. Originally from Southeast Asia, the Asian citrus psyllid, a highly invasive species, is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Regarding geographical distribution and population growth, climate change will aggravate its impacts on many citrus agroecosystems. However, limited information on the mechanisms underpinning the pest's invasion impedes the formulation of biosecurity risk measures. We highlight the potential suitable areas for D. citri, combining their climatic requirements, temperature and humidity, in the CLIMEX model. The model's performance was high, and it can be utilized for biosecurity risk assessment, as only 2.82% of the 496 known occurrence spots were located in areas deemed unsuitable by the model's fit. The potential habitat suitability for D. citri covered all continents except Antarctica, and the suitability ranges from unsuitable (EI < 0) to highly suitable areas (EI ≥ 30). Our model predicted suitable areas outside its known native and invaded regions, especially in Africa, South America, and Oceania. Most of these regions will remain suitable for D. citri in the future. This underscores the importance of our findings as a significant guide for future early detection and the development of climate-smart management strategies against D. citri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter pruning is known to affect aphid infestation and plant growth, but no experimental results have been reported on how this cultural practice affects apple tree–aphid interactions. For this reason, the present field study aimed to assess the effects of increased winter pruning on apple tree–rosy apple aphid interactions. These effects were evaluated by examining tree vegetative growth, aphid dynamics, and fruit yield. The results indicated that vegetative growth increased with increased pruning. The aphid infestation lasted for six weeks in the netted row and became heightened when the pruning level rose, whereas the final growth rate of the shoot was not affected by pruning intensity or aphid infestation index. High levels of infestation induced leaf curling and leaf fall, causing stunted growth. The fruit growth parameters were found to be dependent on pruning intensity and aphid infestation index. Fruit diameter and fresh weight both decreased with increased pruning intensity but were not affected by aphid infestation. Decreases in pruning intensity and aphid infestation elevated fruit yield. Our findings lay a foundation that will help to improve our understanding of the interactions between D. plantaginea and apple trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of high-pressure enzymatic treatment (HPET) on the quality characteristics such as soluble solid content, yield, flavonoid content, and phenolic acid content of mulberry fruits. Of particular note, first, the quality characteristics of the mulberry fruits were most significantly improved under the high-pressure treatment with mixture of Pectinex Be XXL and Ultra color. Second, in the flavonoids, a decrease in rutin content and increases in hyperoside and quercetin contents were confirmed by HPET, which may be the result of the two-step deglycosylation of rutin by pectinase activity. Finally, the extraction yield of mulberry fruits was maintained during HPET 0–36 h, and its bioactive compound profile was variously changed. Therefore, this study provided new clues as to how the HPET may promote changes in the extraction yield and bioactive substance profile of mulberry fruits and suggest the potential for use of natural materials based on mulberry fruit extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest fruit splitting is a significant concern for Daisy mandarin cultivation due to its adverse effects on both fruit quality and yield. This study, which was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, aimed to analyze the anatomical changes in the peel, pedicel and stem end of healthy and split fruits of Daisy mandarin. Light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy were employed to examine the different sections of the peel, stem end and pedicel of the fruits. Significant differences were observed between the healthy and split fruits in terms of peel thickness, epidermal cell arrangement and vascular tissue organization. Split fruits, exhibited structural deformities in vascular bundles with limited functioning of the vascular bundles. Displaced xylem tissues in split fruits formed damaged cell masses in the pith and the parenchymatous cells lacked intercellular spaces. Additionally, pedicel vascular bundles in split fruits were often deformed and fused with adjacent bundles. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis revealed a smooth and uniform epidermis with well-developed oil glands in healthy fruit peels, in contrast to disorganized and ruptured oil glands with empty spaces in split fruits. Thinner, coarser peels with larger oil glands and smaller epidermal thickness were found to be more susceptible to fruit splitting. Disorganized xylem tissue disrupted the flow of water and minerals to growing fruits, potentially due to irregular water transport and pulp expansion, leading to fruit splitting. This disruption of vascular tissues impaired the transport of water and nutrients to the albedo and flavedo, contributing to fruit splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted with the objective to obtain high yielding, early maturing and appropriate fruit size parthenocarpic gynoecious cucumber hybrids for poly-net house cultivation which can further be released for commercial cultivation in the state and this objective can only be achieved by testing the heterotic potential of different cross combinations and their combing ability. Therefore, to achieve this objective, eight new parthenocarpic gynoecious lines of cucumber were crossed in a half-diallel fashion to generate 28 F1 hybrids which were evaluated along with commercial check 'Multistar' in poly-net house for eleven yield and quality traits. The analysis of variance indicated significant difference among all the parental lines for all the traits except number of seeds per fruit. The mean squares due to combining ability were significant for almost all the traits, indicating the role of both additive and non-additive gene action in inheritance of these traits. The parthenocarpic gynoecious line PBRK-10 was the best general combiner for five characters which included fruit weight, total soluble solids, fruit length, vine length and flesh to seed cavity ratio, whereas, PBRK-4 was the best general combiner for number of fruits per plant, days to first fruit harvest and yield per plant. The crosses PBRK-4 × PBRK-12 was found to be the best specific combiner for number of fruits per plant and yield per plant, PBRK-12 × PBRK-7 for fruit weight and fruit diameter and PBRK-10 × PBRK-1 for fruit length. The specific combining ability effects of the crosses and parental lines were found to be positively associated with their per se performance. The magnitude of heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for yield per plant ranged from − 5.73 to 38.75% and − 6.77 to 45.90%, respectively. The crosses PBRK-4 × PBRK-12, PBRK-4 × PBRK-9 and PBRK-9 × PBRK-1 exhibiting high positive heterosis for fruit yield per plant along with high SCA effects and could be used for commercial cultivation after conducting large scale trials at different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of different varieties, planting densities, tree training systems and canopy aspect (north and south) on tree water use efficiency and nitrogen (N) availability in relation to mango fruit yield and fruit size as well as soil fertility (particularly total carbon (C) and total N as well as C and N isotope compositions) in a 5-year-old mango plantation of tropical Australia. Material and Methods: Mango foliar samples were collected from a 5-year-old, factorial field experiment, where we tested the effects of two mango varieties (Calypso vs Keitt); two planting densities (medium vs high); two training systems (single leader vs conventional); and two sampling canopy aspects (north vs south) on foliar total C (%), total N (%), and stable C and N isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N). The 0–10 cm of surface soils were also assessed for total C, total N, and δ13C and δ15N of different varieties, planting densities, and training systems. In addition, mango fruit yield, and fruit size were measured. Results: There were significant genetic effects on foliar total N, tree water use efficiency (WUE) as reflected by foliar δ13C, N availability as indicated by foliar total N and δ15N, mango fruit yield, and fruit size in 5-year-old mango trees in tropical Australia. Overall, Keitt had higher foliar δ13C and N availability (higher total N and lower δ15N) as well as higher mango yield and greater fruit size, compared with those of Calypso. There were also significant environmental influences on foliar δ13C and N availability. In particular, high planting density had higher N availability (higher total N), and lower foliar δ13C as well as higher N loss (higher δ15N), compared with those of medium planting density. High planting density treatment also had higher soil total N, compared with that of medium planting density treatment. The conventional training system had higher N availability and foliar δ13C, compared with those of the single leader training system. The northern side of tree canopy (sunny side) had lower fruit number, compared with that of the southern side (shady side) of tree canopy. Conclusion: There were significant genetic and environmental influences on tree WUE and N availability as well as mango fruit yield and fruit size in the 5-year-old mango trees. Among them, Keitt's fruit was significantly larger than Calypso and had higher foliar δ13C (higher WUE). Although high planting density increased soil total N, it also resulted in lower foliar δ13C and more N loss. Our results highlighted the significant potential for improvement of foliar δ13C and N availability as well as fruit yield and soil fertility with both genetic selection and site management regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield gains in crop plants, such as citron watermelon can be realised through combining ability tests and hybrid breeding. The objective of the study was to determine the combining ability and hybrid performance of citron watermelon genotypes for agronomic traits. Five contrasting and relatively high-yielding citron watermelon genotypes were crossed in a 5 × 5 half-diallel mating design and 10 F1 hybrids were developed. The 15 families (five parents and 10 F1 hybrids) were evaluated across two environments using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data was collected on various agronomic traits and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and combining ability analysis. Significant (P < 0.001) genotype × environment interaction effects were observed for most assessed traits. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were significant (P < 0.001) for most traits. Environment × GCA was non-significant, whereas Environment × SCA effects were significant (P < 0.001) for most traits. The ratios of GCA/SCA variances were less than unity for most traits, indicating non-additive gene action of the traits. Broad-sense heritability varied from low to moderate, implying variable selection response of the assessed traits among the F1 hybrids. The parental genotypes WWM16 with positive GCA effects for fruit and seed yields and WWM66, with positive GCA effects for the number of seeds per fruit and seed yield, were identified for hybrid breeding. The following F1 hybrids: WWM04 × WWM16, WWWM03 × WWM66 and WWM16 × WWM50 with positive SCA effects on total fruit yield per plant and marketable fruit yield per plant, and WWM04 × WWM50, WWM03 × WWM16 and WWM03 × WWM66 with positive SCA effects for number of seeds per fruit and total seed yield were identified. The study identified novel and best-performing F1 hybrids of citron watermelon for economic traits and are recommended for multi-environmental evaluations, variety registration and commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) produced by the decomposition of plastics exist persistently, interfering with soil fertility and plant nutrition. Both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and earthworms are beneficial in terrestrial ecosystems, but their interactions under MPs contamination are unclear so far. Here, the influences of inoculating earthworms (Eisenia fetida) on indigenous AM fungi and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) growth were investigated in a vegetable soil treated with 0.1% low-density polyethylene (LDPE), while the specific interactions of earthworm and AM fungus (Funneliformis caledonium) under LDPE contamination were further resolved in another experiment using sterilized soil. Inoculation of earthworms shifted soil AM fungal community structure, replacing the predominant genus Glomus by Paraglomus, and increased the abundance, diversity (i.e., Shannon) index, and root colonization rate of AM fungi by 108, 34.6 and 45.0%, respectively. Earthworms also significantly decreased soil pH, and significantly increased soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, shoot biomass and fruit yield of pepper by 394, 82.8 and 188%, respectively. In the sterilized soil, both E. fetida and F. caledonium improved pepper growth, while the latter noticeably increased phosphorus (P) translocation efficiency from root to shoot, and the combination induced the highest soil ALP activity and pepper fruit yield. Furthermore, the significantly interactive effects between earthworm and AM fungus were observed in soil pH and available P concentration, as well as in shoot P concentration and fruit yield of pepper. This study revealed the interaction between earthworms and AM fungi under MPs contamination conditions for the first time, indicating that earthworms could facilitate vegetable growth via enhancing the propagation and P-promoting function of AM fungi in LDPE-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress affects the physiological processes and morphological structure of plants, thereby inhibiting plant growth and development and reducing the fruit yield and quality. Most cherry rootstocks are sensitive to excessive salt and alkaline conditions. Salicylic acid (SA) plays a role in the response to various abiotic stresses. To determine the effects of SA on the resistance of cherry rootstocks to salt stress, a salt environment was simulated by watering with a 100-mM NaCl solution and then spraying leaves with 1.0-mM SA. Salt treatment significantly decreased the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) of cherry rootstocks, whereas SA application increased the Pn and Fv/Fm in the salt stress with SA-treat group. Meanwhile, SA reduces the accumulation of Na+ and H2O2 in leaves. Additionally, the activities of antioxidant enzyme (peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase) were increased under salt stress, and this increase was more obvious under salt stress with SA application treatment, indicating SA contribution in improving the salt tolerance. RNA-seq analysis of cherry rootstocks treated with 1.0-mM SA, 100-mM NaCl, and both 1.0-mM SA with 100-mM NaCl, revealed 537, 298, and 521 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. The main DEGs were phytohormone-related genes, stress-related transcription factors, Ca2+ signaling-related genes, and other functional protein-related genes. Overall, our study contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of SA-induced salt tolerance in cherry rootstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-hail nets are the best way to mitigate the effects of hailstorms in the orchards. Apple trees covered with nets may exhibit a variety of vegetative and reproductive responses, inclusive of changes in tree vigour, cropping, sugar contents, and fruit colour. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of timing of installation and colour of anti-hail net on cropping and fruit quality in high-density apple orchard for two consecutive seasons (2021 and 2022). White and blue colour nets of size (9 m × 30 m) 80 GSM (square mesh with non-sliding threaded, leno weave, and < 30% shading factor) were installed at three different time intervals (15 days before estimated full bloom, at full bloom, and 15 days after full bloom) on apple cultivar 'Jeromine'. The installation at different time and colour of anti-hail nets significantly exhibit variability in cropping, fruit quality, and bio-chemical metrics. The significant highest cropping (fruit yield, productivity, and yield efficiency) and fruit biochemical parameters (total soluble solids) were recorded in T3C2 (15 days after full bloom + white colour anti-hail net) followed by T2C2 (installed at full bloom + white colour anti-hail net). Hence, white colour anti-hail nets installed 15 days after full bloom increased fruit production and improved quality in comparison to blue colour anti-hail net in apple under high-density plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is culturally and economically vital in Morocco. However, its sustainability is threatened by aridity and water scarcity. Studying its response to different irrigation strategies is crucial for sustainable cultivation and improved water use efficiency in the face of future drought events. This work aimed to study the responses of sap flow rate, physiological, and agronomic parameters of the Moroccan olive cultivar 'Menara' to Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) and Sustained Deficit Irrigation (SDI) strategies. Seven irrigation regimes were studied based on the sensitivity of phenological phases to water stress, distinguished as (SP) 'Sensitive Period' and (NP) 'Normal Period'. SP involves flowering (SP1) and oil synthesis to harvest (SP2), while NP relates to pit hardening. 'Menara' olive trees were subjected to four RDI treatments: T1 (SP 100- NP 70% ETc), T2 (SP 100- NP 60% ETc), T3 (SP 80- NP 70% ETc), and T4 (SP 80- NP 60% ETc), and two SDI treatments: T5 (70% ETc) and T6 (60% ETc), compared with control (T0) trees under full irrigation (100% ETc). In comparison to the control T0, the deficit irrigation treatments exhibited lower sap flow rates. Specifically, T1 and T2 experienced reductions of 10% and 19% in sap flow rates, respectively, attributed to a decrease in water application of 11% and 14% compared to T0. Despite this decline, T1 and T2 demonstrated fruit yields comparable to T0. Conversely, T4, which received 28% less irrigation, displayed a yield reduction of approximately 23% compared to T0 in 2022. Moreover, adverse effects were observed in Menara olive trees treated with T4 after two consecutive seasons of deficit irrigation in 2023, indicating that prolonged stress effects could be detrimental in subsequent years. T3, under RDI, showed resilience with a 13% reduction in production despite a 37% decrease in sap flow rate and a 24% water restriction. Conversely, T5 and T6, employing SDI, experienced significant yield declines of 50%, with reductions in water application of 30% and 40% and sap flow rate of 51% and 80%, respectively, in 2022. The alternate bearing pattern significantly impacts Menara olive production, as evidenced by reduced sap flow and yield in the "off" year of 2023, regardless of irrigation strategies. A strong correlation (R2 = 0.84) between sap flow and yield indicates that well-irrigated olive trees tend to transpire more, leading to higher yields. Stomatal conductance (gs) notably decreases with increased water deficit, with reductions of 8%, 12%, and 23% observed in T4, T5, and T6, respectively. Furthermore, a significant reduction in FV/FM, indicative of water stress, was observed with a 40% decrease in water supply in the T6 treatment group during both irrigation seasons in 2022 and 2023, with Fv/Fm reaching approximately 0.7. In general, Menara olive trees subjected to deficit irrigation, particularly under the T3 RDI treatment, showed the ability to adapt and cope with low water supply over time. However, the cumulative water shortage effect of the SDI treatment T6 resulted in a decline in both the agronomic and physiological performance of this cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We aimed to identify the optimal combination of selenium (from Na2SeO4) and secondary elements required for obtaining the best nutritive characteristics and quality of 'Qingcui' plums. Methods: Five treatments (Na2SeO4 with MgSO4 and CaSO4) and a control treatment without Se, Mg, Ca, or S were applied to 2-year-old 'Qingcui' plum trees in a greenhouse. Plum leaves and fruit were analyzed for color, nutrient, and quality characteristics during the growing and deciduous seasons as well as the following year. Results: Leaf color parameters, pigment content, and specific weight significantly improved by CaSO4 addition during the growing and deciduous seasons. Ca and Mg contents during the growth, defoliation, and young leaf stages of the following year exhibited consistent trends under the different treatments, whereas Se and S contents differed according to the season and treatment. Thus, Mg and S showed high mobility and reutilization rates, whereas Ca and S showed poor mobility and reutilization rates. Leaf and fruit nutrient contents decreased in the order of Ca > Mg > S and S > Ca > Mg, respectively. The combination of 77 mg Na2SeO4, 10 g MgSO4, and 19 g CaSO4 yielded optimal fruit quality in terms of fruit weight, hardness, and soluble solids and fruit Se content. A large amount of Ca was present in the cell wall, whereas S and Mg were mainly observed as soluble components. Conclusions: Our study revealed the best combination of Se and secondary elements leading to optimal leaf nutrition and fruit Se content and quality in 'Qingcui' plums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately obtaining the length, quantity and distribution of fruit branches plays an important role in orchard irrigation management, disease control and improving fruits' yield and quality. Recently, edge computing has been proposed for digital orchard management as it can increase computing power for computationally intensive applications. However, due to the diversity of fruit tree morphological structures and the complexity of the planting environment, the traditional method of obtaining fruit tree phenotypes with centralized computing on cloud servers faces many challenges in terms of efficiency and accuracy. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical growing method (HG) suitable for deployment at the edge to achieve semantic segmentation and instance segmentation of fruit tree point clouds at the organ scale. Furthermore, extract fruit trees phenotypic trait at the organ scale based on the result of point clouds segmentation. Numerous experiment show that the proposed HG method can efficiently carry on instance segmentation of branches and phenotypic trait extraction by the joint analysis and processing of point cloud data. The MAE, RMSE and IOU of the primary branches reach 0.025 m, 0.113 and 0.720, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil water and nutrients are the two important factors affecting vegetative growth and the reproduction of greenhouse tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), but the effect of the interaction between irrigation and nitrogen (N) rates on fruit yield, root characteristics and N uptake have not yet been studied. Tomatoes were irrigated at 100% (W1), 80% (W2), and 60% (W3) of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) and N fertilizer was supplied at 240 kg N ha−1 (N240), 180 kg N ha−1 (N180), and 120 kg N ha−1 (N120) under drip fertigation in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the fruit yield of the irrigation and N rates varied from 54.1 to 75.9 t ha−1. In 2016 (where the total irrigation amount was higher than in 2015), the fruit yield varied from 55.6 to 78.7 t ha−1. The average fruit yield in W1 was 17.8% and 21.4% higher than W3, in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The mean root weight density in N240 was 13.4% and 10.7% lower than N180, in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Averaging the irrigation levels, the total dry-matter production in N180 and N120 was, respectively, 1.4% and 13.2% lower than N240 in 2015. With the application of the irrigation and N fertilizer rates, plant N uptake increased from 28.7 to 94% in 2015 and from 14 to 92.3% in 2016. The water use efficiency (WUE) of the irrigation and N rates varied from 25.4 to 37.2 kg m−3 and from 20.8 to 36 kg m−3 in 2016. The partial factor productivity of the N fertilizer (PFPN) varied from 274.6 to 529.3 kg kg−1 and from 260.1 to 592.1 kg kg−1 in 2016 with the irrigation and N fertilizer rates. We conclude that the effect of irrigation and N rates on fruit yield, dry-matter production and N uptake significantly changes with the root characteristics. Considering the trade-off among the plant N uptake, WUE and PFPN, W2N180 may give a satisfactory fruit yield for greenhouse tomato in north-west China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increased use of cover crops (CCs) in grain and vegetable agroecosystems, CC effects on soil nutrient availability, fruit yield, and the soil microbiome in fruit orchard agroecosystems have been less explored. To address these issues, we planted two CC-mixtures (legumes and non-legumes and non-legumes only) in the inter-row middles of two commercial Florida citrus orchards (COA and COB) for three years. Traditional weedy row middles under grower standard management were used as a control (GSC). In COA, planting either CC mixture for three years significantly increased soil organic matter content and ammonium compared to the GSC and were related to increased bacteria, archaea, and nitrogen-cycling gene abundances. Planting CCs significantly increased alpha diversity, altered bacterial and fungal community composition, and increased the relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacterial taxa in COA. The use of CCs also increased bacterial and fungal network complexity and increased specific predicted bacterial functions and fungal guilds in COA after three years compared to the GSC. However, limited CC impacts on soil properties and microbial communities were observed in COB, likely due to lower CC establishment compared to COA. During the three years, CCs had no significant impact on fruit yield in both citrus orchards compared to the GSC. Overall, our results illustrate that although CCs promote changes in soil nutrient cycling and the soil microbiome in Florida citrus orchards, these changes can be site-specific and differ between fruit orchards under the same management and soil type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scarcity of fresh water in arid and semi-arid regions means that we must use more saline waters for irrigation and develop tools to improve crop salt tolerance. The objectives of our study were to (1) Evaluate fruit production, salt tolerance and ion composition of eggplant cv Angela, both nongrafted and when grafted on tomato cv Maxifort rootstock and (2) Evaluate eggplant specific toxicity effect of Cl− and Na+ ions under saline conditions. We salinized the irrigation water with either a Na+-Ca2+- Cl− composition typical of coastal Mediterranean ground waters as well as a mixed Na+-Ca2+-SO42− Cl− type water, a composition more typical of interior continental basin ground. For each water type we evaluated 5 different salinity (osmotic) levels of –0.003 (control), –0.15, –0.30, –0.45 and –0.60 MPa. There were no statistically significant differences in the fruit yield relative to the water type, indicating that Cl− ion toxicity is not a major factor in eggplant yield associated with salinity. This conclusion was confirmed by the determination that leaf Cl content was not correlated with relative yield. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) at which yield is predicted to be reduced by 50% was 4.6 dS m−1 for the grafted plants vs. 1.33 dS m−1 for the nongrafted plants. The relative yield was very well correlated to leaf Na concentrations regardless of grafting status, indicating that Na is the toxic ion responsible for eggplant yield loss under saline conditions. The increased salt tolerance of cv Angela eggplant when grafted onto tomato Maxifort rootstock is attributed to a reduced Na uptake and increased Ca and K uptake with Maxifort rootstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is an important underutilized fruit crop. There is currently limited information available on the genetic background of longans, which is a key bottleneck in longan improvement. Studies on the extent of genetic variability and genetic divergence are crucial and it can provide relevant information which can be very useful for crop improvement programmes. In the present study, a total of 54 qualitative and quantitative traits were investigated of 20 different longan genotypes to determine the morphological and physiochemical traits that. Results revealed that the significant variability existed in the studied traits except few. Among the qualitative traits petiole colour, leaflet curvature, young leaf colour, mature leaf colour, branching density, leaflet midrib colour, abundance of flower, trunk surface, fruit maturity group, and tree vigour were showed more than the average value of Shannon's diversity index. Higher PCV and GCV recorded for several traits viz., tree volume followed by aril weight, number of fruits per branch, aril/seed weight ratio, trunk girth, TSS acid ratio, aril thickness, number of days from panicle initiation to flowering, titratable acidity, width of inflorescence, length of inflorescence, petiole length, fruit weight, plant height, crown diameter and rachis length. High heritability estimates coupled with high genetic advance as % of mean were recorded for the traits viz., plant height, trunk girth, crown diameter, tree volume, rachis and petiole length, number of days from panicle initiation to flowering, length and width of inflorescence, number of fruits per bunch, fruit, aril and seed weight, aril thickness, fruit colour-a, titratable acidity and TSS acid ratio which is indicative of additive gene action and selection based on these traits would be more reliable. According to the Mahalanobis D2 statistic, twenty diverse genotypes were grouped into eight groups. The presence of genetic divergence was also tested in cluster means by the significant amount of variability for various variables. Therefore, this study's findings imply that these genotypes have variability in terms of fruit quality traits, yield and traits that contribute to yield, and other agronomic traits that could be useful in future crop improvement initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA marker technology, being an alternative to classical hybrid selection approach, is a rapid method for identifying genes and loci associated with breeding-important traits at the early stages of ontogenesis, and, consequently, represents an approach for intensifying the breeding process. This review presents an overview of the studies on the identification of the economically important traits in the pear genome, as well as the development and use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) techniques. To date, a number of genetic factors have been identified in the pear genome, including the resistance to diseases and pests, namely, the resistance to European pear scab (V. pirina Aderh) and Asian pear scab (V. nashicola), to black spot (Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler) and brown spot (Stemphylium vesicarium) disease, fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyri), pear slug (Caliroacerasi), pear blister mite (Eriophyes pyri), self-incompatibility locus, and dwarf trait gene. Major genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the fruit quality characteristics have also been identified, namely those controlling fruit skin color and fruit russeting, fruit size and weight, taste, the level of ethylene production, and harvest time. It should be noted that Russian studies in this field are limited to the validation and use of MAS techniques developed abroad. According to the experience of Japanese researchers, the use of MAS for several key traits had considerably increased the efficiency of breeding process. Despite the currently limited list of MAS techniques for pears, the high pace of genome research guarantees fairly rapid development of new methods in the future. In combination with new breeding technologies (NBT), the use of MAS for pear is a promising trend in breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual production of strawberry has increased by one million tonnes in the US and 8.4 million tonnes worldwide since 1960. Here we show that the US expansion was driven by genetic gains from Green Revolution breeding and production advances that increased yields by 2,755%. Using a California population with a century-long breeding history and phenotypes of hybrids observed in coastal California environments, we estimate that breeding has increased fruit yields by 2,974-6,636%, counts by 1,454-3,940%, weights by 228-504%, and firmness by 239-769%. Using genomic prediction approaches, we pinpoint the origin of the Green Revolution to the early 1950s and uncover significant increases in additive genetic variation caused by transgressive segregation and phenotypic diversification. Lastly, we show that the most consequential Green Revolution breeding breakthrough was the introduction of photoperiod-insensitive, PERPETUAL FLOWERING hybrids in the 1970s that doubled yields and drove the dramatic expansion of strawberry production in California. Cultivated strawberry is a hybrid species with a 250-year domestication history. Here, the authors use genomic prediction and a historically important breeding population to show that the introduction of photoperiod-insensitive hybrids and genetic gains from breeding have been catalysts for a strawberry Green Revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the contradiction between the shortage of freshwater resources and the rapid development of industries and agriculture in China, field experiments were conducted to study the response of tomatoes to different water salinity (ECi) levels under drip irrigation in coastal semi-humid areas and arid areas. The effects of water salinity on salt accumulation in the root zone, tomato growth, yield, yield components, and quality response were investigated. The results indicated that the electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extract (ECe) increased with the irrigation water salinity. In semi-humid area, the maximum ECe was not higher than 5 dS/m, and the value was lower in wet year, at approximately 2 dS/m. In arid area, the ECe increased in the first year and then tended to balance. The ECe exceeded 4 dS/m when the ECi is higher than 6.6 dS/m. Salinity hindered the yield of tomatoes, which was mainly manifested by a reduced fruit diameter, fruit number, and single fruit weight. The salinity thresholds that tomato can endure without yield reduction 1.8 dS/m in semi-humid area and 2.1 dS/m in arid area, when ECe of root zone exceeded the threshold, for every 1 dS/m increase in ECe, the relative yield decreased by 14% and 12%, respectively. Nevertheless, tomato fruit quality is improved under saline water irrigation. Vitamin C (VC) content shows a significant quadratic curve relationship with ECe, and the maximum appeared at 4.0 dS/m in semi-humid area and 5.9 dS/m in arid area. Total sugar (TS) and total acid (TA) contents were significantly improved in arid area, for every 1 dS/m increase in ECe, the relative TS and TA increased by 12.8% and 20.3%, respectively. From the comprehensive point of saving water, avoiding yield reduction, and improving tomato fruit quality, saline water of about 6.3 dS/m and 4.9 dS/m is suggested for drip irrigation of tomatoes in semi-humid areas and arid areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing the nutritional status of strawberry plants is critical for optimizing yield. This study evaluated the potential of hyperspectral imaging (400–1,000 nm) to estimate nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in strawberry leaves, flowers, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit and to predict plant yield. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were developed to estimate nutrient concentrations. The determination coefficient of prediction (R2P) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were used to evaluate prediction accuracy, which often proved to be greater for leaves, flowers, and unripe fruit than for ripe fruit. The prediction accuracies for N concentration were R2P = 0.64, 0.60, 0.81, and 0.30, and RPD = 1.64, 1.59, 2.64, and 1.31, for leaves, flowers, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit, respectively. Prediction accuracies for Ca concentrations were R2P = 0.70, 0.62, 0.61, and 0.03, and RPD = 1.77, 1.63, 1.60, and 1.15, for the same respective plant parts. Yield and fruit mass only had significant linear relationships with the Difference Vegetation Index (R2 = 0.256 and 0.266, respectively) among the eleven vegetation indices tested. Hyperspectral imaging showed potential for estimating nutrient status in strawberry crops. This technology will assist growers to make rapid nutrient-management decisions, allowing for optimal yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]