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Objectives: The subsistence system of the first urban centers with monumental architecture from the North-Central Coast of Peru, the core area for the social complexity process of Central Andes, has been debated since the late 1960s. To shed light on this aspect, we report paleodietary data from the two most important sites of the Supe Valley: Caral (3000-200 BC), the major settlement of the middle valley, and Áspero (3000-1800 BC), a notable coastal settlement. Our main objective was to test the Maritime Foundations of Andean Civilization hypothesis., Materials and Methods: Stable isotope values (δ 13 C col , δ 13 C ap , and δ 15 N) from 52 individuals (70 samples: 44 bones and 26 teeth) were analyzed using conventional methods and Bayesian Mixing Models to address the role of marine products and plants in people's diet at both sites over time., Results: Our results suggest high C 3 carbohydrate consumption (55%-68% total calories in Áspero and >70% in Caral). The consumption of marine resources was stable for Áspero between 3300 and 1800 BC, but it decreased for Caral between 2550 and 200 BC., Discussion: Marine protein was more important in Áspero than in Caral over time. C 3 plants, possibly tubers, formed the foundation of the diet in both sites during the Formative period (~3000-200 BC). Maize was a marginal food (<12% of calories) at least until 800 BC (29% of calories). The Maritime Foundations hypothesis does not completely account for these findings. Our results suggest the predominance of crop-focused agriculture during the evaluated period., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this contribution, a selective overview of low field, time-domain NMR (TD-NMR) applications in the agriculture and agrifood sectors is presented. The first applications of commercial TD-NMR instruments were in food and agriculture domains. Many of these earlier methods have now been recognized as standard methods by several international agencies. Since 2000, several new applications have been developed, using state of the art instruments, new pulse sequences and new signal processing methods. TD-NMR is expected, in the coming years, to become even more important in quality control of fresh food and agricultural products, as well as for a wide range of food-processed products. TD-NMR systems provide excellent means to collect data relevant for use in the agricultural environment and the bioenergy industry. Data and information collected by TD-NMR systems thus may support decision makers in business and public organizations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this review, the primary objective was to systematize knowledge about the possibility of improving the health-promoting properties of raw plant products, defined as an increase in the content of bioactive compounds, by using ozone. The greatest attention has been paid to the postharvest treatment of plant raw materials with ozone because of its widespread use. The effect of this treatment on the health-promoting properties depends on the following different factors: type and variety of the fruit or vegetable, form and method of ozone treatment, and dosage of ozone. It seems that ozone applied in the form of ozonated water works more gently than in gaseous form. Relatively high concentration and long contact time used simultaneously might result in increased oxidative stress which leads to the degradation of quality. The majority of the literature demonstrates the degradation of vitamin C and deterioration of color after treatment with ozone. Unfortunately, it is not clear if ozone can be used as an elicitor to improve the quality of the raw material. Most sources prove that the best results in increasing the content of bioactive components can be obtained by applying ozone at a relatively low concentration for a short time immediately after harvest.

Although a high intake of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes has been recommended for chronic disease prevention, it has been unclear what is the optimal amount of intake of these foods and whether specific subtypes are particularly beneficial. The evidence from several recently published meta-analyses on plant foods and antioxidants and various health outcomes is reviewed as well as more recently published studies. In meta-analyses of prospective studies, inverse associations were observed between intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease overall, total cancer, and all-cause mortality. The strongest reductions in risk were observed at an intake of 800 g/d for fruits and vegetables, 225 g/d for whole grains, and 15-20 g/d for nuts, respectively. Whole-grain and nut consumption was also inversely associated with mortality from respiratory disease, infections, and diabetes. Stronger and more linear inverse associations were observed between blood concentrations of antioxidants (vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin E) and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality than for dietary intake. Most studies that have since been published have been consistent with these results; however, further studies are needed on subtypes of plant foods and less common causes of death. These results strongly support dietary recommendations to increase intake of plant foods, and suggest optimal intakes for chronic disease prevention may be ∼800 g/d for intakes of fruits and vegetables, 225 g/d for whole grains, and 15-20 g/d for nuts. Diets high in plant foods could potentially prevent several million premature deaths each year if adopted globally., (Copyright © The Author(s) 2019.)

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Plastics are becoming common environmental pollutants. Plants behave as access routes for plastics in the trophic chain since they can adsorb particles through their roots or on their surfaces. In this review, various methods for sample preparation and analytical methods for plastic isolation and identification from vegetables, fruits, and their seedlings were discussed. The effects that plastic particles have on them were also addressed. All of the studies offer convincing proof that micro and nano plastics already exist in fruits and vegetables, or can easily enter into their seedlings and have a variety of effects. Since most studies have been conducted under strictly controlled conditions using standard plastics, more tests under more environmentally realistic conditions are required to ensure that literature studies are applicable. Also, more fruits and vegetables need to be tested to identify the number of plastics currently there that, when consumed, could harm human health.

Glycosmis pentaphylla, a member of the Rutaceae family, has been extensively studied for its pharmacological activities, focusing mainly on the cytotoxic properties of its roots and stems. Conversely, limited researched has been done in terms of the phytochemical composition of the fruits. The objective of this study is to isolate and identify the bioactive compounds found in the fruits of G. pentaphylla and then evaluate their potential for anti-cancer activity in oral cancer CAL 27 cell lines. The extraction of bioactive compounds from fruits was done by maceration, and the isolation of alkaloids and volatile oil fractions (F1-F5) was performed by column chromatography. The alkaloids, such as 3- O -methoxyglycocitrine II, noracronycine, 1-hydroxy-3-methoxy-10-methyl-9-acridone and kokusaginine, were first isolated from the fruits of G. pentaphylla. Additionally, GC–MS analysis identified 78 metabolites. The isolated compounds and identified volatile oil fractions were explored for their anti-cancer activity by cell viability assay. Results demonstrated that isolated compounds were found inactive, while the volatile fraction F1 was found active in CAL 27 cell line. Fraction F1 impeded wound healing in CAL 27 cells by scratch assay, and significantly inhibited colony formation in colony formation assay. In cell cycle analysis, treatment with fraction F1 redistributed cells to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. α -elemol (2) is the major metabolite identified from the F1 fraction by GC–MS, which could be responsible for the anti-cancer activity. There is potential for future work to further isolate volatile oil metabolites and evaluate their anti-cancer activity through in-vivo techniques. [Display omitted] • Four alkaloids have been first time isolated from fruits of the G. pentaphylla. • 78 metabolites were identified by GC–MS analysis from volatile oil fractions. • Volatile oil fraction F1 showed potent cytotoxicity on CAL 27 cell line. • Fraction F1 treatment redistributes the cells in S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. • α -elemol (2) a major compound of F1, may be responsible for the anti-cancer activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic regulatory guidelines prescribed by the international and national organizations are in effect worldwide to protect humans from immediate health effects. For restricting human exposure to electromagnetic radiation in near field, a quantitative term 'specific absorption rate (SAR) limit' has been coined and well established in literature. In addition, reference power density limit has also been prescribed in far field for human safety. At the same time, plants and fruits also absorb reasonable amount of electromagnetic energy due to high permittivity and electrical conductivity. Unfortunately, there is not much concern regarding electromagnetic energy absorption in plants and fruits, and no prescribed SAR limit in spite of recent reports in literature. Unlike humans, plants and fruits are of asymmetric shapes and sizes; therefore even at a particular frequency and fixed reference power density, electromagnetic energy absorption rate i.e., SAR in plants and fruits is expected to differ depending upon angle of incidence and wave polarization. To address these issues in detail, a typical bunch of three single layered water apples has been prototyped and exposed to plane wave irradiation at five different frequency bands as per the existing Indian electromagnetic regulatory guidelines. Broadband dielectric properties of water apples have been measured using open ended coaxial probe technique; thereafter, measured dielectric properties have been fed into the designed model. At a particular frequency, reasonable variations in magnitude and position of maximum local point (MLP) SAR, 1 g averaged SAR, and 10 g averaged SAR data have been noted for six different combinations of angle of incidence and wave polarization. This whole course of action is repeated over five different frequency bands. Moreover, variations in observed SAR data are also compared with previously reported variations in SAR data for a multilayer fruit structure. Observations indicate different order of changes in SAR for different fruit structures due to similar combinations of frequency, power density, angle of incidence, and wave polarization. Hence, direct definition of SAR limits for plant and fruit structures should be adopted even in far field in conjunction with reference power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrational spectroscopy techniques are the most used techniques in the routine analysis of foods. This technique is widely utilised to measure and monitor the proximate chemical composition (e.g., protein, dry matter, fat and fibre) in an array of agricultural commodities, food ingredients and products. Developments in optics, instrumentation and hardware concomitantly with data analytics, have allowed for the progress in novel applications of these technologies in the field of nutraceutical and bio compound analysis. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated the capability of vibrational spectroscopy to evaluate and/or measure these nutraceuticals in a broad selection of fruit and plants as alternative to classical analytical approaches. This article highlights, as well as discusses, the challenges and opportunities that define the successful application of vibrational spectroscopy techniques, and the advantages that these techniques have to offer to evaluate and quantify nutraceuticals in fruits and plants.

Nature provides us with a large number of fruit plant species with interesting biological properties, which are an important source of new bioactive molecules, which can replace synthetic chemicals, since they are friendly to the environment and are less toxic. Currently there are more than 30,000 publications in which fruits are related to some biological activity, according to the search carried out in different databases until July 2019. This confirms the wide usefulness of fruits as the main source of bioactive metabolites, as active ingredients in different products of great use for humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the lexical and botanical elements of the catalog of plants, flowers and vegetables of Espejo de paciencia by Silvestre de Balboa. The description of the flora follows a model tradition that seeks to renew the description of the ideal landscape from the genre of classical bucolic eclogue, transformed by the Renaissance eclogue. Among the most significant changes appear the use of indigenous lexicons and cumulative descriptions, which by their reiteration, seek to insist on the abundance and richness of Cuban nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRISPR/Cas system is the most promising among genome editing tools. It can provide the development of modified nontransgenic plants with the possibility of simultaneous multiple targeted mutations. The purpose of this review is to analyze published papers describing the utilization of the CRISPR/Cas system for crop gene modification in order to assess the potential of this technology as a new plant breeding technique. The search for “CRISPR & crop name” within article titles, abstracts and keywords in the Scopus database was carried out for 45 crops. Among a total of 206 search results, only 88 have been recognized as original articles describing editing crop genes with the CRISPR/Cas system. A total of 145 target genes of 15 crops are described in these 88 articles, including rice with the largest number of genes modified (78 genes). In these studies, the ability to get transgene-free modified plants was widely demonstrated. However, in most cases research was aimed at the approbation of the technology or was to elucidate target gene function, while modification of just 37 target genes was related with crop improvement. We present here a catalogue of these genes. In most of these cases, modifications resulted in knockout of the genes such as negative growth and development regulators or negative regulators of plant resistance. In most cases, the phenotype of modified plants was assessed, and the presence of desired changes was shown. However, since the estimated number of “negative regulators” is limited in plant genomes, the CRISPR-directed gene knockout has a restricted potential for crop improvement. Intensive application of the CRISPR/Cas system for more complicate modifications such as replacement of defect alleles by functional ones or insertion of a desired gene is required (so far reports about such modifications are very rare in crops). In addition, to provide a basis for broad practical application of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing, more cultivars of crop species should be involved in ongoing studies. Just a few genotypes of crop species have been used for gene modifications thus far. Nevertheless, in spite of the restrictions mentioned, essential success has been achieved over a short period (3.5 years since the first publications on CRISPR/Cas application in plants).

'Huangguogan' (Citrus reticulata × C. sinensis) is a new cultivar of mandarin citrus in China, and the research on fertilization of 'Huangguogan' is very limited. In this study, the effect of N fertilization on 'Huangguogan' fruit quality was determined at ripening. Sugars (sucrose, fructose, and glucose), organic acids (pyruvic, oxalic, citric acid, etc.), and vitamin components were measured at six stages of fruit development, and eight enzymes related to the glycolytic and Krebs cycle were assessed. The 1.81 kg N y-1 treatment group showed the highest total soluble solids concentration and total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio but the lowest titratable acidity (acid content) at ripening, while the N1 treatment (0 kg N y-1) showed the opposite trend. Sucrose and citric acid accumulated to the largest extent during fruit development. Sucrose and ascorbic acid content increased (8.46 to 50.97 mg g-1 and 8.16 to 27.39 mg g-1, respectively), while citric acid content decreased (90.81 to 0.02 mg g-1). Aconitase was the key enzyme responsible for the observed changes in citric acid. The N concentrations in ripening fruit ranged from 2.25% to 4.15%. Curve estimation and principal component analysis revealed that fruit N was positively correlated with the sugars and vitamin components and negatively correlated with the organic acids. The accumulation of these metabolites seemed closely related to the dynamic changes in fruit N concentration at the five N levels tested. In conclusion, we suggest that the 1.81 kg N y-1 treatment represents the most suitable N fertilizer treatment for 'Huangguogan' citrus fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grafting has been widely applied to melon (Cucumis melo L.) production to alleviate obstacles of continuous cropping and control soil-borne diseases. However, grafting often leads to a decline of fruit quality. For example, sometimes bitter fruits are produced on grafted plants. However, the underlying physiological mechanism still remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of different rootstocks on the taste of fruits of the Balengcui, an oriental melon cultivar, during summer production. The results showed that all grafted plants with Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks produced bitter fruits, while non-grafted plants and plants grafted onto muskmelon rootstocks produced no bitter fruits. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and metabonomic analysis were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the occurrence of bitter fruits. Metabolite comparisons of fruits from plants grafted onto Ribenxuesong rootstocks both with non-grafted plants and plants grafted onto muskmelon rootstocks showed that 17 metabolites including phospholipids, cucurbitacins and flavonoids, exhibited changes. The three Cucurbitacins, Cucurbitacin O, Cucurbitacin C, and Cucurbitacin S, increased dramatically. The 10 phospholipids PS(18:1(9Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PS(P-18:0/15:0), PA(18:1(11Z)/18:1(11Z)), PE(16:0/18:0), PS(O-16:0/17:2(9Z,12Z)), PI(16:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PA(15:0/22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)), PS(P-16:0/17:2(9Z,12Z)), PS(22:0/22:1(11Z)), and PA(17:1(9Z)/0:0)) were significantly decreased, while two PA (16:0/18:2 (9Z, 12Z) and 16:0/18:1 (11Z)), two flavonoids (pelargonidin 3-(6''-malonylglucoside)-5-glucoside and malvidin 3-rutinoside) significantly increased in fruits of plants grafted onto Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. These metabolites were involved in the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway, the mevalonate pathway, and the phenylpropanoid pathway. In summary, these results showed that the bitter fruits of grafted Balengcui were caused by Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. Phospholipids, cucurbitacins, and flavonoids were the key contributors for the occurrence of bitter fruits in Balengcui melon after grafting onto Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is one of the most important food crops in the Cucurbitaceae family. Diversification after domestication has led cultivated watermelons to exhibit diverse fruit flesh colors, including red, yellow, and orange. Recently, there has been increased interest in red-fleshed watermelons because they contain the antioxidant cis-isomeric lycopene. We performed whole genome resequencing (WGRS) of 24 watermelons with different flesh colors to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to high lycopene content. The resequencing data revealed 203,894–279,412 SNPs from read mapping between inbred lines and the 97103 reference genome. In total, 295,065 filtered SNPs were identified, which had an average polymorphism information content of 0.297. Most of these SNPs were intergenic (90.1%) and possessed a transversion (Tv) rate of 31.64%. Overall, 2,369 SNPs were chosen at 0.5 Mb physical intervals to analyze genetic diversity across the 24 inbred lines. A neighbor-joining dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis (PCA) based on the 2,369 SNPs revealed that the 24 inbred lines could be grouped into high and low lycopene-type watermelons. In addition, we analyzed SNPs that could discriminate high lycopene content, red-fleshed watermelon from low lycopene, yellow or orange watermelon inbred lines. For validation, 19 SNPs (designated as WMHL1–19) were chosen randomly, and cleavage amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers were designed. Genotyping of the above 24 lines and 12 additional commercial cultivars using WMHL1–19 CAPS markers resulted in match rates of over 0.92 for most validated markers in correlation with the flesh color phenotypes. Our results provide valuable genomic information regarding the high lycopene content phenotype of red-fleshed cultivated watermelons, and the identified SNPs will be useful for the development of molecular markers in the marker-assisted breeding of watermelons with high lycopene content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA methylation through the activity of cytosine-5-methyltransferases (C5-MTases) and DNA demethylases plays important roles in genome protection as well as in regulating gene expression during plant development and plant response to environmental stresses. In this study, we report on a genome-wide identification of six C5-MTases (SmelMET1, SmelCMT2, SmelCMT3a, SmelCMT3b, SmelDRM2, SmelDRM3) and five demethylases (SmelDemethylase_1, SmelDemethylase_2, SmelDemethylase_3, SmelDemethylase_4, SmelDemethylase_5) in eggplant. Gene structural characteristics, chromosomal localization and phylogenetic analyses are also described. The transcript profiling of both C5-MTases and demethylases was assessed at three stages of fruit development in three eggplant commercial F1 hybrids: i.e. ‘Clara’, ‘Nite Lady’ and ‘Bella Roma’, representative of the eggplant berry phenotypic variation. The trend of activation of C5-MTases and demethylase genes varied in function of the stage of fruit development and was genotype dependent. The transcription pattern of C5MTAses and demethylases was also assessed in leaves of the F1 hybrid ‘Nite Lady’ subjected to salt and drought stresses. A marked up-regulation and down-regulation of some C5-MTases and demethylases was detected, while others did not vary in their expression profile. Our results suggest a role for both C5-MTases and demethylases during fruit development, as well as in response to abiotic stresses in eggplant, and provide a starting framework for supporting future epigenetic studies in the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant trichomes originate from epidermal cell, forming protective structure from abiotic and biotic stresses. Different from the unicellular trichome in Arabidopsis, tomato trichomes are multicellular structure and can be classified into seven different types based on cell number, shape and the presence of glandular cells. Despite the importance of tomato trichomes in insect resistance, our understanding of the tomato trichome morphogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we quantitatively analyzed morphological traits of trichomes in tomato and further performed live imaging of cytoskeletons in stably transformed lines with actin and microtubule markers. At different developmental stages, two types of cytoskeletons exhibited distinct patterns in different trichome cells, ranging from transverse, spiral to longitudinal. This gradual transition of actin filament angle from basal to top cells could correlate with the spatial expansion mode in different cells. Further genetic screen for aberrant trichome morphology led to the discovery of a number of independent mutations in SCAR/WAVE and ARP2/3 complex, which resulted in actin bundling and distorted trichomes. Disruption of microtubules caused isotropic expansion while abolished actin filaments entirely inhibited axial extension of trichomes, indicating that microtubules and actin filaments may control distinct aspects of trichome cell expansion. Our results shed light on the roles of cytoskeletons in the formation of multicellular structure of tomato trichomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus bacterial canker (CBC) caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) is a systemic bacterial disease that affects citrus plantations globally. Biotic stress in plants has been linked to a group of important transcription factors known as Basic Leucine Zippers (BZIPs). In this study, CsBZIP40 was functionally characterized by expression analysis, including induction by Xcc and hormones, subcellular localization, over-expression and RNAi silencing. CsBZIP40 belongs to group D of the CsBZIP family of transcription factors and localizes in the nucleus, potentially serving as a transcriptional regulator. In wild type (WT) plants CsBZIP40 can be induced by plant hormones in addition to infection by Xcc which has given insight into its involvement in CBC. In the present study, over-expression of CsBZIP40 conferred resistance to Xcc while its silencing led to Xcc susceptibility. Both over-expression and RNAi affected salicylic acid (SA) production and expression of the genes involved in the SA synthesis and signaling pathway, in addition to interaction of CsBZIP40 with CsNPR1, as detected by a GST pull-down assay. Taken together, the results of this study confirmed the important role of CsBZIP40 in improving resistance to citrus canker through the SA signaling pathway by the presence of NPR1 to activate PR genes. Our findings are of potential value in the breeding of tolerance to CBC in citrus fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical crop models have been developed to predict crop yield and quality, and they are based on physiological and environmental inputs. After molecular discoveries, models should integrate genetic variation to allow predictions that are more genotype-dependent. An interesting approach, Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL)-based ecophysiological modeling, has shown promising results for the design of ideotypes that are adapted to biotic and abiotic stresses, but there are still limitations to attaining a fully integrated model. The aim of this case study is to clarify the impact of choosing different model equations (closely related and with different numbers of parameters) and optimization methods on the detection of QTLs controlling the parameters of crop growth. Different growth equations were parameterized based on a genetic population by following different approaches. The correlations between parameters were analyzed, and two different strategies were adopted to address the correlation issue. QTL analysis was performed on the optimized values of the parameters of the growth equations and on the observed dry mass (DM) data to validate the QTLs detected. Overall, models and strategies resulted in different QTLs being detected. Similar LOD profiles but with peaks of different heights were observed, some of which were significant, resulting in different numbers of QTLs. In some cases, peaks had slightly different positions or were absent. Even closely related growth models led to the detection of different QTLs. The goodness of fit and complexity of the growth models were found to be insufficient to select the best model. Calculating parameters independently of observed data may not be a good strategy, whereas setting parameters independent of the genotype is recommended. Given the large-scale global optimization problem and the strong correlations between parameters, the two algorithms tested showed poor performance. Currently, the lack of effective algorithms is the main obstacle to answering the question posed. The authors therefore suggest testing different model formulations and comparing the QTLs detected before choosing the best formulation to use in an ecophysiological modeling approach based on QTLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quandong or native peach (Santalum acuminatum R.Br.) has been recognised as an important and tasty food resource among Aboriginal Australians in arid and semi-arid areas of southern Australia. It is valued for its fruit that is consumed raw or dried, and for its kernel, which is eaten raw or ground into paste for medicinal and skin care purposes. This paper reports on a study of ground stone implements within the Murray Darling Basin that has identified quandong stones as a distinct type of implement made specifically for the efficient cracking of quandong nuts. Data are presented on 1,327 ground stone implements from collections in 12 different locations in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), an area almost completely devoid of stone sources. Given the paucity of stone, multi-purpose use of implements is widely documented. Although it was common to find pits present in mortars and other ground stone tools demonstrating multiple functions, including use as anvils, a class of single purpose stones with multiple pits and distinctive form was identified. Most of these were found in areas known for groves of quandong and four were analysed for use-wear and residues along with two other ground stone items from the MDB. The results support their identification as specialised anvil stones for cracking quandong nuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biopolymers as elicitors in controlling plant diseases is gaining momentum world-wide due to their eco-friendly and non-toxic nature. In the present study, we have used an algal biopolymer (sodium alginate) and tested its applicability as an elicitor in inducing resistance factors against Alternaria solani, which causes early blight disease in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato plant). We have pre-treated tomato plants with different concentrations of sodium alginate (0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%) before A. solani infection. We found that sodium alginate has effectively controlled the growth of A. solani. In addition, a significant increase in the expression levels of SOD was observed in response to pathogen infection. The increased protease inhibitors activity further suggest that sodium alginate restrict the development of A. solani infection symptoms in tomato leaves. This corroborates well with the cell death analysis wherein increased sodium alginate pre-treatment results in decreased cell death. Also, the expression profile analyses reveal the induction of genes only in sodium alginate-pretreated tomato leaves, which are implicated in plant defense mechanism. Taken together, our results suggest that sodium alginate can be used as an elicitor to induce resistance against A. solani in tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Citrus spp., gibberellic acid (GA) has been proposed to improve different processes related to crop cycle and yield. Accordingly, many studies have been published about how GA affects flowering and fruiting. Nevertheless, some such evidence is contradictory and the use of GA applications by farmers are still confusing and lack the expected results. Purpose: This review aims to collate, present, analyze and synthesize the most relevant empirical evidence to answer the following questions: (i) how does gibberellic acid act on flowering and fruiting of citrus trees?; (ii) why is all this knowledge sometimes not correctly used by farmers to solve yield problems relating to flowering and fruit set? Methods: An extensive literature search to obtain a large number of records about the topic was done. Searches were done in five databases: WoS, Scopus, Google Academics, PubMed and Scielo. The search string used was "Gibberellic acid" AND "Citrus". Records were classified into 11 groups according to the development process they referred to and initial data extraction was done. Records related with flowering and fruit set were drawn, and full texts were screened. Fifty-eight full text records were selected for the final data extraction. Results: Selected studies were published from 1959 to 2017 and were published mainly in Spain, USA, Brazil and Japan. Twelve species were studied, and Citrus sinensis, C. reticulata and C. unshiu were the principal ones. Most publications with pre-flowering treatments agreed that GA decreases flowering, while only 3 out of 18 did not observe any effect. In most of these studies, the effect on fruit set and yield was not evaluated. Studies with treatments at full bloom or some weeks later mostly reported increased fruit set. However, these increases did not imply higher yields. The results on yield were highly erratic as we found increases, decreases, no effects or variable effects. Conclusions: Despite some limitations, the action of GA related to cell division and growth, stimulating the sink ability of the organ and discouraging its abscission, has been clearly established through reviewed studies. GA applications before flowering counteract the floral induction caused by stress reducing flowering. However, on adult trees under field conditions, reducing flowering by applying GA would be difficult because it would be necessary to previously estimate the natural floral induction of trees. During flowering and fruit set, many problems may arise that limit production. Only when the problem is lack of fruit set stimulus can GA applications improve yields. However, much evidence suggests that the main factor-limiting yield would be carbohydrate availability rather than GA levels. GA applications increased fruit set (often transiently), but this increase did not mean improved yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon L.) fruit quality traits encompass many properties. Although visual appearance and fruit nutritional constitution have usually been the most important attributes, cranberry textural properties such as firmness have recently gained importance in the industry. Fruit firmness has become a quality standard due to the recent demand increase for sweetened and dried cranberries (SDC), which are currently the most profitable cranberry product. Traditionally, this trait has been measured by the cranberry industry using compression tests; however, it is poorly understood how fruit firmness is influenced by other characteristics. Results: In this study, we developed a high-throughput computer-vision method to measure the internal structure of cranberry fruit, which may in turn influence cranberry fruit firmness. We measured the internal structure of 16 cranberry cultivars measured over a 40-day period, representing more than 3000 individual fruit evaluated for 10 different traits. The internal structure data paired with fruit firmness values at each evaluation period allowed us to explore the correlations between firmness and internal morphological characteristics. Conclusions: Our study highlights the potential use of internal structure and firmness data as a decision-making tool for cranberry processing, especially to determine optimal harvest times and ensure high quality fruit. In particular, this study introduces novel methods to define key parameters of cranberry fruit that have not been characterized in cranberry yet. This project will aid in the future evaluation of cranberry cultivars for in SDC production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) is threatening banana production worldwide. Despite quarantine efforts, the pathogen continues to spread; thus, early diagnosis plays an essential role for the proper execution of contingency plans. Here, we assess the accuracy of four PCR-based molecular methods described in the literature for the identification and detection of race 4 strains, including Subtropical (Foc STR4) and Tropical Race 4 causing Fusarium wilt of banana. We screened a total of 302 isolates using these four markers, and performed phylogenetic analyses, Vegetative Compatibility Group (VCG) testing, sequence comparison, and pathogenicity tests for selected isolates. Our results show that three out of the four markers tested are not reliable for identification of Foc STR4 and TR4, as DNA from isolates from Ecuador, pathogenic and nonpathogenic to banana, obtained from different banana cultivars, displayed cross-reaction with these methods; that is, false positives can occur during the diagnostic process for race 4. Phylogenetic analyses, VCG testing, sequence comparison, and pathogenicity tests suggest the presence of non-target F. oxysporum isolates that share genomic regions with pathogenic strains but lack true pathogenicity to banana. The findings of this work are of foremost importance for international regulatory agencies performing surveillance tests in pathogen-free areas using the current diagnostic methods. We suggest the use of a genetic locus possibly related to virulence, previously identified by T-DNA, and amplified with primers W2987F/ W2987R, for diagnosis of Foc TR4 as the most reliable alternative. We urge the adoption of a more holistic view in the study of F. oxysporum as a plant pathogen that considers the biology and diversity of the species for the development of better diagnostic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimpanzees hunt cooperatively in the wild, but the factors influencing food sharing after the hunt are not well understood. In an experimental study, groups of three captive chimpanzees obtained a monopolizable food resource, either via two individuals cooperating (with the third as bystander) or via one individual acting alone alongside two bystanders. The individual that obtained the resource first retained most of the food but the other two individuals attempted to obtain food from the "captor" by begging. We found the main predictor of the overall amount of food obtained by bystanders was proximity to the food at the moment it was obtained by the captor. Whether or not an individual had cooperated to obtain the food had no effect. Interestingly, however, cooperators begged more from captors than did bystanders, suggesting that they were more motivated or had a greater expectation to obtain food. These results suggest that while chimpanzee captors in cooperative hunting may not reward cooperative participation directly, cooperators may influence sharing behavior through increased begging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transposable elements in crop plants are the powerful drivers of phenotypic variation that has been selected during domestication and breeding programs. In tomato, transpositions of the LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposon family Rider have contributed to various phenotypes of agronomical interest, such as fruit shape and colour. However, the mechanisms regulating Rider activity are largely unknown. We have developed a bioinformatics pipeline for the functional annotation of retrotransposons containing LTRs and defined all full-length Rider elements in the tomato genome. Subsequently, we showed that accumulation of Rider transcripts and transposition intermediates in the form of extrachromosomal DNA is triggered by drought stress and relies on abscisic acid signalling. We provide evidence that residual activity of Rider is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms involving siRNAs and the RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway. Finally, we demonstrate the broad distribution of Rider-like elements in other plant species, including crops. Our work identifies Rider as an environment-responsive element and a potential source of genetic and epigenetic variation in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplasts significantly influence species phylogenies because of their maternal inheritance and the moderate evolutionary rate of their genomes. Avocado, which is a member of the family Lauraceae, has received considerable attention from botanists, likely because of its position as a basal angiosperm. However, there is relatively little avocado genomic information currently available. In this study, six complete avocado chloroplast genomes from three ecological races were assembled to examine the sequence diversity among the three avocado ecological races. A comparative genomic analysis revealed that 515 simple sequence repeat loci and 176 repeats belonging to four other types were polymorphic across the six chloroplast genomes. Three highly variable regions (trnC-GCA-petN, petN-psbM, and petA-psbJ) were identified as highly informative markers. A phylogenetic analysis based on 79 common protein-coding genes indicated that the six examined avocado accessions from three ecological races form a monophyletic clade. The other three genera belonging to the Persea group clustered to form a sister clade with a high bootstrap value. These chloroplast genomes provide important genetic information for future attempts at identifying avocado races and for the related biological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination and classification of the bruise degree for cherry can improve consumer satisfaction with cherry quality and enhance the industry’s competiveness and profitability. In this study, visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) reflection spectroscopy was used for identifying bruise degree of cherry in 350–2500 nm. Sampling spectral data were extracted from normal, slight and severe bruise samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was implemented to determine the first few principal components (PCs) for cluster analysis among samples. Optimal wavelengths were selected by loadings of PCs from PCA and successive projection algorithm (SPA) method, respectively. Afterwards, these optimal wavelengths were empolyed to establish the classification models as inputs of least square-support vector machine (LS-SVM). Better performance for qualitative discrimination of the bruise degree for cherry was emerged in LS-SVM model based on five optimal wavelengths (603, 633, 679, 1083, and 1803 nm) selected directly by SPA, which showed acceptable results with the classification accuracy of 93.3%. Confusion matrix illustrated misclassification generally occurred in normal and slight bruise samples. Furthermore, the latent relation between spectral property of cherries in varying bruise degree and its firmness and soluble solids content (SSC) was analyzed. The result showed both colour, firmness and SSC were consistent with the Vis-NIR reflectance of cherries. Overall, this study revealed that Vis-NIR reflection spectroscopy integrated with multivariate analysis can be used as a rapid, intact method to determine the bruise degree of cherry, laying a foundation for cherry sorting and postharvest quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern foot of Helan mountain is a famous production area of high-end wine grapes in China. Excessive application of NPK fertilizer induced deficiency in trace elements, such as calcium, and seriously affected the properties of wine grapes. A vineyard in the eastern foot of Helan mountain was selected to investigate the influence of five different concentration treatments of 15 (T1), 30 (T2), 45 (T3), 60 (T4), and 75 (T5) kg·ha-1 of water-soluble calcium fertilizer (Ca(NO3)2·4H2O) application on grape calcium content, yield and fruit properties. The application of calcium fertilizer significantly increased the calcium content in leaves but reduced that in stems and fruits. The highest grape production of 6560.83 kg·ha-1 was achieved at T5 calcium fertilizer application, corresponding to increase of 30.92% than that for the control (CK, normal fertilization) treatment. The minimum titratable acid of 4.63 g·L-1 in grapes was detected at T2 calcium fertilizer application, which was 16.38% lower than CK, however, 13.40% increase in sugar-to-acid ratio was observed at T2. At 45 kg·ha-1 calcium fertilizer concentration, the anthocyanins content was 6.47 mg·L-1, indicating an increase of 53.23% than CK. This study showed that the optimal calcium fertilizer concentration was 30 kg·ha-1 with the lowest °Brix, titratable acidity, anthocyanins, the highest total phenols, reducing sugar, sugar-to-acid ratio, and an acceptable concentration of the soluble sugar and tannins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe strains of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) cause quick decline and stem pitting resulting in significant economic losses in citrus production. A immunocapture reverse-transcriptase loop-mediated amplification (IC-RT-LAMP) assay was developed in this study to detect the severe VT strains that are typically associated with severe CTV symptoms. The sensitivity of RT-LAMP assay was determined by ten-fold serial dilutions of CA-VT-AT39 RNA, in comparison to one-step RT-droplet digital (dd) PCR. RT-LAMP detected up to 0.002 ng RNA with an amplification time of 10:35 (min:sec.), equivalent to 11.3 copies as determined by one step RT-ddPCR. The RT-LAMP assay specifically detected CA-VT-AT39 RNA and did not cross react with other CTV genotypes tested (T36, T30, RB, S1 and T68). To facilitate rapid on-site detection, the RT-LAMP assay was improved by first capturing the CTV virions from citrus crude leaf sap using CTV-IgG (IC-RT-LAMP), thereby eliminating nucleic acid extraction steps. IC-RT-LAMP assay was optimized with two-fold dilutions of CTV-IgG ranging from 1:500 to 1:16,000. The IC-RT-LAMP assay detected the CA-VT-AT39 virions in all dilutions tested. The minimum amplification time was 6:45 (min:sec) with 1:500 and 1:1000 of CTV-IgG dilutions. The limit of detection of IC-RT-LAMP assay with crude leaf sap of CA-VT-AT39 was 1:320 with a maximum amplification time of 9:08 (min:sec). The IC-RT-LAMP assay was validated for VT genotype by comparing to IC-RT-qPCR using the CTV from 40 field tree samples. A 100% agreement was observed between tests, regardless of single or mixed infections of CTV VT with other genotypes. Therefore, the IC-RT-LAMP assay can serve as a useful tool in the management of potentially severe strains of CTV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial leaf scorch, caused by Xylella fastidiosa, is a major threat to blueberry production in the southeastern United States. Management of this devastating disease is challenging and often requires early detection of the pathogen to reduce major loss. There are several different molecular and serological detection methods available to identify the pathogen. Knowing the efficiency and suitability of these detection techniques for application in both field and laboratory conditions is important when selecting the appropriate detection tool. Here, we compared the efficiency and the functionality of four different molecular detection techniques (PCR, real-time PCR, LAMP and AmplifyRP® Acceler8™) and one serological detection technique (DAS-ELISA). The most sensitive method was found to be real-time PCR with the detection limit of 25 fg of DNA molecules per reaction (≈9 genome copies), followed by LAMP at 250 fg per reaction (≈90 copies), AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ at 1 pg per reaction (≈350 copies), conventional PCR with nearly 1.25 pg per reaction (≈ 440 copies) and DAS-ELISA with 1x105 cfu/mL of Xylella fastidiosa. Validation between assays with 10 experimental samples gave consistent results beyond the variation of the detection limit. Considering robustness, portability, and cost, LAMP and AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ were not only the fastest methods but also portable to the field and didn’t require any skilled labor to carry out. Among those two, AmplifyRP® Acceler8™ was faster but more expensive and less sensitive than LAMP. On the other hand, real-time PCR was the most sensitive assay and required comparatively lesser time than C-PCR and DAS-ELISA, which were the least sensitive assays in this study, but all three assays are not portable and needed skilled labor to proceed. These findings should enable growers, agents, and diagnosticians to make informed decisions regarding the selection of an appropriate diagnostic tool for X. fastidiosa on blueberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium canettii is a smooth bacillus related to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. It causes lymph nodes and pulmonary tuberculosis in patients living in countries of the Horn of Africa, including Djibouti. The environmental reservoirs of M. canettii are still unknown. We aimed to further decrypt these potential reservoirs by using an original approach of High-Throughput Carbon and Azote Substrate Profiling. The Biolog Phenotype profiling was performed on six clinical strains of M. canettii and one M. tuberculosis strain was used as a positive control. The experiments were duplicated and authenticated by negative controls. While M. tuberculosis metabolized 22/190 (11%) carbon substrates and 3/95 (3%) nitrogen substrates, 17/190 (8.9%) carbon substrates and three nitrogen substrates were metabolized by the six M. canettii strains forming the so-called corebiologome. A total at 16 carbon substrates and three nitrogen substrates were metabolized in common by M. tuberculosis and the six M. canettii strains. Moreover, at least one M. canettii strain metabolized 36/190 (19%) carbon substrates and 3/95 (3%) nitrogen substrates for a total of 39/285 (13%) substrates. Classifying these carbon and nitrogen substrates into ten potential environmental sources (plants, fruits and vegetables, bacteria, algae, fungi, nematodes, mollusks, mammals, insects and inanimate environment) significantly associated carbon and nitrogen substrates metabolized by at least one M. canettii strain with plants (p = 0.006). These results suggest that some plants endemic in the Horn of Africa may serve as ecological niches for M. canettii. Further ethnobotanical studies will indicate plant usages by local populations, then guiding field microbiological investigations in order to prove the definite environmental reservoirs of this opportunistic tuberculous pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore suitable drip irrigation system on the water saving and high yield of pear-jujube from 2009 to 2012 years in the mountain of northern Shaanxi. The treatments consisted of combinations of 5 drip irrigation systems (DP). The irrigation quota of DP-1, DP-2 and DP-3 treatment was 100 m3 hm-2, 135 m3 hm-2 and 180 m3 hm-2, respectively, irrigated 4 times. The irrigation quota of DP-4 and DP-5 treatment was 135 m3 hm-2 and irrigated 3 and 2times, respectively; and with no irrigation as the control (C). Results indicated that bearing branch length of jujube, fruit set and yield of different drip irrigation system are significantly better than C (P<0.05). Bearing branch length and yield of DP-3 treatment are reached maximum in 2012, which are 22.0 cm and 16772.8 m3 hm-2. And they are increased by 47.7% and 13.2% compared with C, respectively. In addition, the water consumption of different irrigation treatment increases along with the increasing of irrigation amount. And the DP-3 treatment is the highest in different years. The water use efficiency of pear-jujube of low irrigation quota is better than the high irrigation quota. Water use efficiency of 135 m3 hm-2 and irrigated 2 times treatment is the best, which is 1.92 m3 hm-2. Considering the lack of high annual precipitation, we conclude that DP-5 treatment was the best drip irrigation system in the mountain of northern Shaanxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of genomic selection (GS) is currently being evaluated for fruit breeding. GS models are usually constructed based on information from both the genotype and phenotype of population. However, information from phenotyped but non-genotyped relatives can also be used to construct GS models, and this additional information can improve their accuracy. In the present study, we evaluated the utility of single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) in citrus breeding, which is a genomic prediction method that combines the kinship information from genotyped and non-genotyped relatives into a single relationship matrix for a mixed model to apply GS. Fruit weight, sugar content, and acid content of 1,935 citrus individuals, of which 483 had genotype data of 2,354 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, were evaluated from 2009–2012. The prediction accuracy of ssGBLUP for genotyped individuals was similar to or higher than that of usual genomic best linear unbiased prediction method using only genotyped individuals, especially for sugar content. Therefore, ssGBLUP could yield higher accuracy in genotyped individuals by adding information from non-genotyped relatives. The prediction accuracy of ssGBLUP for non-genotyped individuals was also slightly higher than that of conventional best linear unbiased prediction method using pedigree information. This indicates that ssGBLUP can enhance prediction accuracy of breeding values for non-genotyped individuals using genomic information of genotyped relatives. These results demonstrate the potential of ssGBLUP for fruit breeding, including citrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ripening process of olive fruits is associated with chemical and/or enzymatic specific transformations, making them particularly attractive to animals and humans. In olive drupes, including ‘Cassanese’ ones, ripening is usually accompanied by progressive chromatic change, resulting in a final red-brown colourization of both epidermis and mesocarp. This event has an exception in the ‘Leucocarpa’, in which we observed the destabilization in the equilibrium between the chlorophyll metabolism and that of the other pigments, particularly the anthocyanins, whose switch-off during maturation promotes the white colouration of the fruits. Recently, transcription profiling of ‘Leucocarpa’ and ‘Cassanese’ olives along ripening, performed through an Illumina RNA-seq approach, has provided useful insights on gene functions involved in fruit maturation such as those related to the biosynthesis of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Methodology: To assess expression alterations of genes involved in flavonoids and anthocyanins biosynthetic pathways during ripening, possibly caused by small nuclear RNA (snRNA) in olive drupes, snRNA libraries from ‘Leucocarpa’ and ‘Cassanese’ were constructed with RNAs extracted at 100 and 130 Days After Flowering (DAF) and sequenced by an Illumina approach. 130 conserved microRNAs (miRNA) in the Viridiplantae belonging to 14 miRNA families were identified. Regarding the 130 conserved miRNAs, approximately the 48% were identified in all libraries, 5 and 18 miRNAs were shared between the “Cassanese” (C100, C130) and “Leucocarpa” (L100, L130) libraries, respectively. Conclusion: For the remaining reads not-matching with known miRNAs in the Viridiplantae, we combined secondary structure and minimum free energy to discover novel olive miRNAs. Based on these analyses, 492 sequences were considered as putative novel miRNAs. The putative target genes of identified miRNA were computationally predicted by alignment with the olive drupe transcripts obtained from the same samples. A total of 218 transcripts were predicted as targets of 130 known and 492 putative novel miRNAs. Interestingly, some identified target genes are involved in negative regulation of anthocyanin metabolic process. Quantification of the expression pattern of three miRNA and their target transcripts by qRT-PCR assay confirmed the results of Illumina sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]