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Oligosaccharides, as a wide type of polysaccharide, have a broad antimicrobial spectrum and promote development as plant growth stimulants. To investigate the regulation effects of different oligosaccharides on the dynamic changes of chlorophyll content, leaf fluorescence, root activity and morphology, and chloroplast ultrastructure, as well as the yields and yield components of strawberry and cucumber, typical greenhouse experiments were conducted over two years (2021–2022). The experimental plants were foliar sprayed with tap water (CK), chitosan oligosaccharide (CSOS), and mixed oligosaccharides (MixOS) five times before flowering. The conventional management (CM) was conducted as a conventional control. The findings of the present study suggest that the application of MixOS has the greatest regulation effects on delayed leaf senescence, well-developed roots, and higher fruit productions of strawberry and cucumber. Exogenous MixOS resulted in significant increases in SPAD values, maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and photochemical quenching coefficiency (qP); they were increased by 1.94–28.96%, 5.41–33.89%, and 9.93–62.07%, compared to the CSOS, CM, and CK treatments, respectively. The orderly and steady structure of thylakoids in the chloroplast, and the randomly distributed starch grains, could be clearly observed in the MixOS treatment, while the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was correspondingly reduced by 19.04–45.92%. Meanwhile, the remarkable promotion of root activity and root surface morphology indicators (i.e., root length, surface area, average diameter, and volume) could be observed when exposed to the MixOS treatments, and the total yields of strawberry and cucumber were all increased by 12.40–25.57%. These findings suggest that the mixed oligosaccharides mainly promote the coordinated growth of root and shoot, which leads to the improved yields of strawberry and cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic pigments are fundamental for plant photosynthesis and play an important role in plant growth. Currently, the frequently used method for measuring photosynthetic pigments is spectrophotometry. Additionally, the SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter, with its advantages of easy operation and non-destructive testing, has been widely applied in land agriculture. However, the application prospects of its test results in horticultural plants have not yet been proven. This study examines the reliability of SPAD values for predicting chlorophyll concentrations. Using fresh and senescent leaves from four common horticultural plants, we measured SPAD values, photosynthetic pigment concentrations, and leaf color parameters. A generalized linear mixed model demonstrated that SPAD values are a reliable indicator for predicting chlorophyll concentrations, yet interspecific variations exist. Based on the predictive power of SPAD values for chlorophyll, we first propose an Enrichment Index (CEI) and a Normal Chlorophyll Concentration Threshold (NCCT). The CEI can be used to compare SPAD values among different species, and the NCCT value can serve as a more accurate indicator for assessing the growth potential of old trees. However, due to a limited sample size, further research with larger samples is needed to refine the diagnosis of plant growth potential and enhance the management of ornamental plant cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchid flowers have evolved in concert with pollinators to form highly specialized structures resulting in zygomorphy. In dicotyledons, it is widely accepted that CYC-like genes are involved in the dorsoventral polarity establishment of flowers, which determines the development of zygomorphic flowers. However, the function of TCP transcription factors involved in orchid floral development is rarely known. Here, we found 15 unigenes with TCP domain (EpTCPs) from the previously reported Erycina pusilla unigene database. The expression patterns of EpTCPs in various tissues and different floral organs were successively detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The results revealed that the CYC-like gene (EpTCP25) and CIN-like genes (EpTCP11 and EpTCP26) were highly expressed in inflorescences but lowly expressed in leaves and roots. What is more, these three genes were expressed relatively high in the dorsal labellum, and EpTCP26 showed differential expression along the dorsoventral polarity of tepals, which was high in the dorsal and low in the ventral. Ectopic expression of EpTCP25 in Arabidopsis repressed primary root growth and delayed flowering. EpTCP26 overexpression in Arabidopsis promoted primary root growth and leaf growth. In contrast, EpTCP11 overexpression repressed primary root growth and changed the radially symmetric flower to a bilaterally symmetric flower by inhibiting the elongation of one or two adjacent petals. In addition, the homeotic transition of floral organs is generated when these genes are ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis, suggesting their roles in floral morphogenesis. Altogether, our results indicate that CIN-like genes would be associated with the unique flower pattern development of Erycina pusilla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop cultivars have an influence on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and there is variation between varieties. However, there are few reports available on the differences in GHG emissions and their driving factors among vegetable varieties. In this study, we conducted a field experiment to examine the variances in GHG emissions and their contributing factors among eight flowering Chinese cabbage varieties (considering growth period, leaf shape, and colour). The results showed significant differences in GHG emissions within varieties; early-maturing varieties exhibited GHG by 25.6% and 15.3%, respectively, when compared to mid- and late-maturing varieties. Among the different leaf types and color classifications, light-colored and sharp-leafed varieties had the lower global warming potential (GWP) overall. Cumulative CO2 emissions were influenced by leaf SPAD values and biomass, while cumulative N2O emissions were driven mainly by stem thickness, carbon accumulation, leaf SPAD values, and biomass. In summary, the selection of light-colored varieties with pointed leaves and shorter growth periods in actual production contributed positively to the reduction of carbon emissions from flowering Chinese cabbage production. Through efficient variety screening, this study provides a win-win strategy for achieving efficient vegetable production while also addressing the global climate challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The premixtures flufenacet plus diflufenican and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin are two herbicides recently registered in Greece for weed control in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with application early post-emergence to the crop (1st–3rd leaf growth stage). To evaluate the selectivity of these new herbicides, pot experiments were conducted by applying flufenacet plus diflufenican at 240 + 120 g ai ha−1 and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin at 119.7 + 119.7 + 44.8 g ai ha−1 to bread wheat and barley, at 1st (BBCH-11), 2nd (BBCH-12) and 3rd (BBCH-13) leaf growth stage. The efficacy of the herbicides at the above-mentioned rates in pre-emergence application was also tested on three ALS/ACCase herbicide-resistant populations of Lolium rigidum Gaudin in comparison with the pre-emergence herbicides prosulfocarb and chlorotoluron plus diflufenican at 3200 g ai ha−1 and 1380 + 92 g ai ha−1, respectively. The results revealed decreased selectivity of both premixtures when applied at BBCH-11 for both winter cereals, with flufenacet plus diflufenican being less selective compared to flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin. Both herbicides highly controlled the three herbicide-resistant L. rigidum populations. The results indicated that both premixtures are effective chemical options for the management of herbicide resistant L. rigidum. To ensure crop safety and optimize efficacy, application at BBCH-12 is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with phosphate (Pi) starvation, plants trigger an array of adaptive responses to sustain their growth and development. These responses are largely controlled at transcriptional levels. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), PHOSPHATE RESPONSE 1 (PHR1) is a key regulator of plant physiological and transcriptional responses to Pi starvation. PHR1 belongs to a MYB-CC-type transcription factor family which contains 15 members. In this PHR1 family, PHR1/PHR1-like 1(PHL1) and PHL2/PHL3 form two distinct modules in regulating plant development and transcriptional responses to Pi starvation. PHL4 is the most closely related member to PHR1. Previously, using the phr1phl4 mutant, we showed that PHL4 is also involved in regulating plant Pi responses. However, the precise roles of PHL1 and PHL4 in regulating plant Pi responses and their functional relationshipswith PHR1 have not been clearly defined. In this work, we further used the phl1phl4 and phr1phl1phl4 mutants to perform comparative phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses with phr1, phr1phl1, and phr1phl4. The results showed that both PHL1 and PHL4 act redundantly and equally with PHR1 to regulate leaf senescence, Pi starvation induced-inhibition of primary root growth, and accumulation of anthocyanins in shoots. Unlike PHR1 and PHL1, however, the role of PHL4 in maintaining Pi homeostasis is negligible. In regulating transcriptional responses to Pi starvation at genomic levels, both PHL1 and PHL4 play minor roles when acts alone, however, they act synergistically with PHR1. In regulating Pi starvation-responsive genes, PHL4 also function less than PHL1 in terms of the number of the genes it regulates and the magnitude of gene transcription it affects. Furthermore, no synergistic interaction was found between PHL1 and PHL4 in regulating plant response to Pi starvation. Therefore, our results clarified the roles of PHL1 and PHL4 in regulating plant responses to Pi starvation. In addition, this work revealed a new function of these three transcription factors in regulating flowering time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from being utilized as a commercial fiber at maturity, kenaf shoots have potential as a food and feed source because of their diverse bioactivities. Previous studies have focused on mature stems because of their high biomass, whereas the antioxidant activities (AA) and the destination of AA contributors of kenaf stems and their high-yielding byproduct leaves during the growth stage have rarely been studied. Therefore, we investigated changes in AA and its relative components in kenaf leaves and stems during the four vital growth stages. Higher ABTS radical cation and DPPH radical scavenging abilities and ferric reducing antioxidant power, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and total polysaccharide content were observed at all leaf stages and in the late stem stages. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) and kaempferol glycosides, especially kaempferitrin (Kfr), were identified as representative phenolic acids and flavonoids in both kenaf leaves and stems. The content of CGA in both leaves and stems increased corresponding to the plant's growth stage, whereas kaempferol glycosides were enhanced in leaves but declined in stems. The highest correlation was observed between TPC and AA in all organs. Further evaluation of CGA and Kfr verified that CGA was the predominant contributor to AA, surpassing Kfr. These findings suggest that kenaf leaves increase antioxidant levels as they grow and can be a useful source of stem harvesting byproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a prominent viral pathogen that adversely affects tomato plants. Effective strategies for mitigating the impact of TYLCV include isolating tomato plants from the whitefly, which is the vector of the virus, and utilizing transgenic lines that are resistant to the virus. In our preliminary investigations, we observed that the use of growth retardants increased the rate of TYLCV infection and intensified the damage to the tomato plants, suggesting a potential involvement of gibberellic acid (GA) in the conferring of resistance to TYLCV. In this study, we employed an infectious clone of TYLCV to inoculate tomato plants, which resulted in leaf curling and growth inhibition. Remarkably, this inoculation also led to the accumulation of GA3 and several other phytohormones. Subsequent treatment with GA3 effectively alleviated the TYLCV-induced leaf curling and growth inhibition, reduced TYLCV abundance in the leaves, enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and lowered the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the leaves. Conversely, the treatment with PP333 exacerbated TYLCV-induced leaf curling and growth suppression, increased TYLCV abundance, decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, and elevated ROS levels in the leaves. The analysis of the gene expression profiles revealed that GA3 up-regulated the genes associated with disease resistance, such as WRKYs, NACs, MYBs, Cyt P450s, and ERFs, while it down-regulated the DELLA protein, a key agent in GA signaling. In contrast, PP333 induced gene expression changes that were the opposite of those caused by the GA3 treatment. These findings suggest that GA plays an essential role in the tomato's defense response against TYLCV and acts as a positive regulator of ROS scavenging and the expression of resistance-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study evaluated the effect of seed weight and seed treatment on yield and growth parameters in a three-year field trial. Seed weight treatments were tested in three levels of thousand seed weight (TSW): low 4.28 g, medium 5.00 g and high 5.69 g, with and without a biostimulant seed treatment of Lumibio Kelta. Although statistically significant differences were not found in all experimental years, the three-year results showed that sowing seeds with higher seed weight increased the initial and final stand counts, root length, seed yield and oil content. The final stand at harvest time averaged over the three years ranged from 23.0 (low TSW) to 29.5 plants per 1 m2 (high TSW). Plants from high TSW seed had an average of 1.1 cm longer roots than plants from low TSW seed. The average yield increased with TSW: 5.49 t/ha (low TSW), 5.86 t/ha (medium TSW), and 5.94 t/ha (high TSW). High TSW also yielded higher oil content (45.77%) compared to the medium (45.25%) and low TSW (45.27%). No statistical difference could be detected in the initial emergence counts or final seed quality according to seed treatment. Seed treatment with the biostimulant increased root length and seed yield. Plants from seeds treated with the biostimulant had roots with an average of 0.6 cm longer, yielding 0.2 t/ha higher than the non-treated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest–atmosphere exchange of carbon and water is regulated by meteorological conditions as well as canopy properties such as leaf area index (LAI, m2 m−2), photosynthetic capacity (PC μmol m−2 s−1), or surface conductance in optimal conditions (Gs,opt, mmol m−2 s−1), which can vary seasonally and inter-annually. This variability is well understood for deciduous species but is poorly characterized in evergreen forests. Here, we quantify the seasonal dynamics of a temperate evergreen eucalypt forest with estimates of LAI, litterfall, carbon and water fluxes, and meteorological conditions from measurements and model simulations. We merged MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values with site-based LAI measurements to establish a 17-year sequence of monthly LAI. We ran the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange model (CABLE-POP (version r5046)) with constant and varying LAI for our site to quantify the influence of seasonal canopy dynamics on carbon and water fluxes. We observed that the peak of LAI occurred in late summer–early autumn, with a higher and earlier peak occurring in years when summer rainfall was greater. Seasonality in litterfall and allocation of net primary productivity (FNPP) to leaf growth (af, 0–1) drove this pattern, suggesting a complete renewal of the canopy before the timing of peak LAI. Litterfall peaked in spring, followed by a high af in summer, at the end of which LAI peaked, and PC and Gs,opt reached their maximum values in autumn, resulting from a combination of high LAI and efficient mature leaves. These canopy dynamics helped explain observations of maximum gross ecosystem production (FGEP) in spring and autumn and net ecosystem carbon loss in summer at our site. Inter-annual variability in LAI was positively correlated with Net Ecosystem Production (FNEP). It would be valuable to apply a similar approach to other temperate evergreen forests to identify broad patterns of seasonality in leaf growth and turnover. Because incorporating dynamic LAI was insufficient to fully capture the dynamics of FGEP, observations of seasonal variation in photosynthetic capacity, such as from solar-induced fluorescence, should be incorporated in land surface models to improve ecosystem flux estimates in evergreen forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring tree growth processes is relevant for ecological research and understanding the intricate relationship between vegetation and the environment. Time series analyses have revealed a correlation between leaf emergence timing and climate change, with earlier leaf emergence attributed to global warming. While traditional forest inventory methods struggle to quantify growth processes on small scales, terrestrial laser scanning provides a powerful alternative for providing high-resolution 3D information. This study explores the use of high-frequency hyper-temporal terrestrial laser scanning data to quantitatively describe deciduous tree growth, tested on a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). The research aims to address key questions about detecting leaf growth in hypertemporal terrestrial laser scanning data. Additionally, it explores how 3D tree parameters and point cloud comparisons capture leaf and tree growth throughout the year. Results from M3C2 point cloud analyses indicate that the temporary branch movements correlate with precipitation. Over the year, branch movements were detected to increase with growing distance from the trunk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred and eighty Nile Tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) with initial body weight (IBW) 28 ± 0.33 grams were used in the present experiment. The experiment was conducted in glass aquariums. Fish were stocked at a rate of 15 fish in each aquarium. Fish were allocated into four experimental groups (Each group includes three replicates) and one of them was used as a control. The control group was fed on a basal diet free from moringa leaves meal (MLM), whereas 2nd, 3rd and the 4th group were fed on diets containing 3.0, 4.4 and 7.4 % MLM, in replacement of 10, 15 and 25% of soybean meal (SBM), respectively (according to the percentage of crude protein in each). The experimental period lasted for 6 weeks (42 days). Parameters of growth efficiency, blood haematology, immune response, antioxidant status and histopathological changes in internal organs of Nile tilapia were used as indices for the study. The obtained results showed that MLM have high nutritive value. Inclusion of MLM in the fish diet at level 3.0% or 4.4%, significantly (P < 0.5) enhanced the growth performance indices of fish, including final live body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and survival rate (%) either after three or six weeks of feeding MLM diets compared with those fed the control diet. Fish fed 7.4% MLM diet recorded the lowest growth performance traits compared with the control and those fed 3.0% or 4.4 MLM diets. The average of feed conversion ratio after 42 days; recorded:1.84, 1.58, 1.50 and 2.13 g feed per g gain, for fish groups fed the control, 3.0, 4.4 and 7.4% MLM diets, respectively. Survival rate (%) was improved with inclusion of MLM in the diet at level of 3.0 or 4.4%, while it decreased with 7.4% MLM diet. Significant improvement of immunity and antioxidant capacity of fish occurred with feeding MLM in the diet, where levels of IgM, lysozymes, RBCs, GPx, platelets (PLT) and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly increased (p < 0.05 or 0.01), with exception that levels of NO and GPx were decreased in blood of fish fed 7.4% MLM. The levels of WBCs and SOD were not affected significantly by feeding the experimental diets. The histopathological findings revealed normal structure of the liver, kidneys, spleen and intestinal cells of fish fed 3.0 or 4.4% MLM diet, whereas the same organs showed with fish fed 7.4% MLM some lesions ranged between sever diffuse cytoplasmic vacuolation, necrosis, hyperplasia and cell infiltration. In conclusion, Moringa leaves meal have high nutritive value and could be included successfully from 3.0 to 4.4% in the diet of Nile tilapia as enhancer for growth, immunity and antioxidant capacity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is a crucial micronutrient needed in many metabolic processes. To balance needs and potential toxicity, plants control the amount of Fe they take up and allocate to leaves and seeds during their development. One important regulator of this process is POPEYE (PYE). PYE is a Fe deficiency-induced key bHLH transcription factor (TF) for allocation of internal Fe in plants. In the absence of PYE, there is altered Fe translocation and plants develop a leaf chlorosis. NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE4 (NAS4), FERRIC-REDUCTION OXIDASE3 (FRO3), and ZINC-INDUCED FACILITATOR1 (ZIF1) genes are expressed at higher level in pye-1 indicating that PYE represses these genes. PYE activity is controlled in a yet unknown manner. Here, we show that a small Fe deficiency-induced protein OLIVIA (OLV) can interact with PYE. OLV has a conserved C-terminal motif, that we named TGIYY. Through deletion mapping, we pinpointed that OLV TGIYY and several regions of PYE can be involved in the protein interaction. An OLV overexpressing (OX) mutant line exhibited an enhanced NAS4 gene expression. This was a mild Fe deficiency response phenotype that was related to PYE function. Leaf rosettes of olv mutants remained smaller than those of wild type, indicating that OLV promotes plant growth. Taken together, our study identified a small protein OLV as a candidate that may connect aspects of Fe homeostasis with regulation of leaf growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar activity has a significant influence on Earth's climate and may drive many biological processes. Here, we measured growth in 11 tree species distributed along an ≈600‐km latitudinal gradient in South‐Central Chile, recording the width of their growth‐rings among periods of maximum (highest number of sunspots) and minimum (lowest number of sunspots) solar activity. In one of these species, Quillaja saponaria, we experimentally assessed three ecophysiological traits (CO2 fixation through photosynthesis [Amax], growth and leaf production) as well as the expression of five genes related to cell wall elongation and expansion following exposure to high and low levels of UV‐B radiation, simulating scenarios of maximum and minimum solar activity, respectively. We found lower tree growth during the periods of maximum solar activity, with this trend being more evident at lower latitudes, where UV‐B radiation is higher. Exposure of Q. saponaria to higher levels of UV‐B affected the ecophysiological parameters, revealing a decrease in Amax, growth and leaf production. In addition, higher levels of UV‐B led to repression in four of the five genes studied. Our results may help foresee environmental scenarios for different plant species associated with solar activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increased frequency and severity of droughts and heat waves have resulted in increased tree mortality and forest dieback across the world, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We used a common garden experiment with 20 conifer tree species to quantify mortality after three consecutive hot, dry summers and tested whether mortality could be explained by putative underlying mechanisms, such as stem hydraulics and legacies affected by leaf life span and stem growth responses to previous droughts. Mortality varied from 0 to 79% across species and was not affected by hydraulic traits. Mortality increased with species' leaf life span probably because leaf damage caused crown dieback and contributed to carbon depletion and bark beetle damage. Mortality also increased with lower growth resilience, which may exacerbate the contribution of carbon depletion and bark beetle sensitivity to tree mortality. Our study highlights how ecological legacies at different time scales can explain tree mortality in response to hot, dry periods and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] The paper was to study the cutting propagation technique of Pennisetum purpureum Schum and to provide a technical reference for establishing an efficient cutting propagation method. [Methods] Six treatments were set up using P. purpureum cv. Guiminyin and P. purpureum cv. Guimu-1 as test materials, including 1-node oblique insertion, 1-node oblique insertion c rooting powder, 1-node transverse burial, 2-node oblique insertion, 2-node oblique insertion c rooting powder and 2-node transverse burial. The following indices were observed and determined for P. purpureum cuttings: emergence rate, rooting rate, root number, longest root length, fresh root weight, plant height, number of tillers, number of leaves, and fresh stem and leaf weight. [Results] In the 2-node cutting c rooting powder treatment, Guiminyin and Guimu-1 exhibited the highest survival rate, root growth indices, and stem and leaf growth indices, with the emergence rates of 94.29% and 90.26%, respectively. The 2-node cutting treatment followed closely behind, while the 1-node cutting treatment had the lowest indices. Under the same treatment, Guimuyin exhibited higher mean values for plant height, number of leaves, fresh stem and leaf weight, longest root length, and fresh root weight compared to Guimu-1. However, it had lower mean number of tillers, and emergence rate and rooting rate of the 1-node cutting treatment compared to Guimu-1. [Conclusions] The P. purpureum cuttings thrived in the 2-node cutting c rooting powder treatment, and the overall cutting effect of Guiminyin was superior to that of Guimu-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current experiment was performed to investigate the influence of different dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, immune response, caecal microbiota, and carcass characteristics of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) during 7 to 63 d of age. Methods: A total of 240 unsexed 7dold ducklings were distributed into five (treatment) groups; each one contained six replicates with eight ducklings each. Birds of the first group were fed basal diet without MOLM and served as control, while the other four groups were fed basal diet with 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.0%, and 2.0% MOLM inclusion level, respectively. Results: The obtained results revealed that including MOLM in the diets significantly improved body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and economic efficiency compared with the control group. Among the different MOLM inclusion treatments, increasing MOLM inclusion level decreased (p<0.05) such previous parameters. Decreasing MOLM inclusion levels in duckling diets increased (p>0.05) the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and nitrogen free extract, however all MOLM treatments were significantly higher than the control group. Results also revealed that feeding ducks lower MOLM inclusion levels (0.25% or 0.50%) improved blood parameters (p<0.05) compared with the higher inclusion levels (1.0% or 2.0% MOLM) and the control group. Ducks fed different MOLM levels had significantly higher phagocyte index and activity, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity compared with control group. Conclusion: Despite the beneficial effects of all MOLM treatments on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, physiological status, and immune response of duckling, the increasing MOLM inclusion level in the diet had deleterious effects on such studied traits, consequently 0.25% was the best MOLM inclusion level in duckling diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a popular herbaceous annual seed spice crop. It is mainly grown for seed as well as green leaf, the leaf and seed yield is varied with the genetic background of genotypes. Therefore, the selection of genotypes with high leaf yield is highly desired, along with the magnitude of heritability and genetic advance for wider adaptation and cultivation. In this view, the accessions were collected and their genetic variables were assessed. Methods: The experimental material included 48 coriander accessions along with two check varieties CO4 and CO5. The plant materials were obtained from the coriander germplasm repository at the Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with two replications. Result: The results of the analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the accessions. High heritability coupled with high GAM was observed for the economical trait (87% and 48.93% for leaf yield) indicating that, the traits were highly heritable in nature, hence selection breeding is most effective. The PCV and GCV were moderate to high for all traits except the number of days for harvest and moisture content among all the accessions of coriander. The leaf yield was highly significant and positively correlated with all the traits except the number of days for harvest and leaf protein. The genotypic correlation was greater than the phenotypic correlation among the genotypes. Therefore, to increase the leaf yield of coriander accessions, either simple selection or mass selection of desirable traits and their associated traits would be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrients are critical for the development of plants and play major role in enhancing both quantitative and qualitative crop yield. To examine the impact of foliar fertilization with micronutrients on various crop growth attributes, an experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2020 and 2021. Foliar spray with different combinations of zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, and manganese sulfate was done at 20 and 40 days after sowing. Increased plant height, leaf area index, leaf weight ratio, leaf area ratio, specific leaf weight, specific leaf area, crop growth rate, relative growth rate, and net assimilation rate were observed. Positive effect of foliar spray was observed in all parameters through all treatments. But, the overall maximum effect was observed in the treatment of foliar spray with T9 (0.2% FeSO4 +0.5% ZnSO4) followed by T7 (0.2% FeSO4 +0.2% ZnSO4) and T8 (0.5% FeSO4 and 0.2% ZnSO4). Given the positive effect of zinc, iron and manganese micronutrients on leaf and crop growth attributes, these treatments are suggested to be applied for the development of sweet corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus, Fusarium lateritium Nees ex Fr. (FL), has shown potential as a bioherbicide for velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) control. However, to achieve optimal infection and weed mortality, bioherbicide applications must be applied to weeds that are in the cotyledonary growth stage, followed by a dew treatment of at least 16 h. Greenhouse and field experiments were established to discover possible synergistic disease interactions with a phenoxy herbicide to improve the bioherbicidal potential of this fungus, and to mitigate some of the physical and environmental restrictions that limit the utility of this fungus as a bioherbicide. In greenhouse experiments, mortalities of 94% and 94% were recorded from sequential applications of 2,4-DB [4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid] (0.02 kg ae ha−1) followed by FL (1.5 × 106 spores ml−1) at 5 min or 7 days after herbicide treatment. Velvetleaf plants in the fifth-to-seventh leaf growth stage were infected and killed with < 8 hrs. of dew. Similar results occurred under field conditions. Infection and weed control were inhibited by tank mixtures of 2,4-DB and FL, and by sequential applications of FL followed by 2,4-DB. These results suggest that timely applications of 2,4-DB followed by F. lateritium may provide effective control of velvetleaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Smoke–water (1:2500 v/v) foliar application was tested on radish, spinach and turnip seedlings. • Essential mineral elements were determined in the leaves of seedlings of these vegetables. • Smoke–water significantly stimulated the length and weight of seedlings of examined vegetables. • Potassium and zinc levels were markedly improved in leaves with smoke–water. • Smoke–water, a promising technology for growing vigorous vegetable seedlings. Smoke–water, a smoke-saturated solution derived from the smoke generated by burning plant materials, promotes seed germination and growth of various plant species. There are many reported studies where seeds are treated and soils are drenched with smoke–water to explore the beneficial effects of smoke. However, little information is available on the influence of foliar spraying of smoke–water on the seedlings of commercial vegetable crops for better growth prospects. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of standardized smoke–water (1:2500 v/v) foliar application on the seedling growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and turnip (Brassica rapa L.), and determined the mineral elemental composition of leaves. Smoke–water foliar treatment significantly enhanced the length and weight of seedlings compared to the seedlings sprayed with water (control). Mineral elements, potassium and zinc, were increased notably in the leaves of all smoke–water foliar-treated seedlings. This can be attributed to increased photosynthetic activity that resulted in longer and heavier seedlings. The results of the present study provide an opportunity to incorporate the use of smoke–water for raising vigorous and healthier vegetable seedlings for better yield. Moreover, it can minimize the input of conventional chemical sprays that are detrimental to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry is a perennial deciduous woody plant, and its leaves are homologous food of medicine and food, which have been widely used in feed industry in recent years. After fermentation, the content of anti-nutritional factors such as cellulose and tannin in mulberry leaves is reduced, and the content of crude protein, crude fat, amino acids, and minerals is abundant, which has the effect of improving feed conversion rate and animal product quality. The paper mainly introduces the contents of conventional nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in mulberry leaves, the commonly used strains for fermentation, and the changes of nutrients, anti-nutritional factors and bioactive substances in mulberry leaves after fermentation. The effects of fermented mulberry leaves on growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of pigs, ruminants, poultry and fish were summarized. The future research direction of mulberry in the field of feed industry was prospected, in order to provide a reference for the efficient utilization of mulberry in animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, hyperspectral imaging technology, combined with chemometrics methods, was used to detect the nitrogen content of soybean leaves, and to achieve the rapid, non-destructive and in situ detection of the nitrogen content in soybean leaves. Soybean leaves under different fertilization treatments were used as the research object, and the hyperspectral imaging data and the corresponding nitrogen content data of soybean leaves at different growth stages were obtained. Seven spectral preprocessing methods, such as Savitzky–Golay smoothing (SG), first derivative (1-Der), and direct orthogonal signal correction (DOSC), were used to establish the quantitative prediction models for soybean leaf nitrogen content, and the quantitative prediction models of different spectral preprocessing methods for soybean leaf nitrogen content were analyzed and compared. On this basis, successive projections algorithm (SPA), genetic algorithm (GA) and random frog (RF) were employed to select the characteristic wavelengths and compress the spectral data. The results showed the following: (1) The full-spectrum prediction model of soybean leaf nitrogen content based on DOSC pretreatment was the best. (2) The PLS model of soybean leaf nitrogen content based on the five characteristic wavelengths had the best prediction performance. (3) The spatial distribution map of soybean leaf nitrogen content was generated in a pixel manner using the extracted five characteristic wavelengths and the DOSC-RF-PLS model. The nitrogen content level of soybean leaves can be quantified in a simple way; this provides a foundation for rapid in situ non-destructive detection and the spatial distribution difference detection of soybean leaf nitrogen. (4) The overall results illustrated that hyperspectral imaging technology was a powerful tool for the spatial prediction of the nitrogen content in soybean leaves, which provided a new method for the spatial distribution of the soybean nutrient status and the dynamic monitoring of the growth status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is one of the main abiotic stresses that affects plant growth, causing serious damage or even death to plants. The differential expression of the TaEXPA19 gene in the above and underground parts of winter wheat and the implications for cold resistance remain unclear. In this study, the TaEXPA19 gene was cloned and analysed for expression in winter wheat, and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was constructed to investigate the effect of the TaEXPA19 gene in response to low‐temperature stress on plant growth. The TaEXPA19‐A and TaEXPA19‐D genes have different response patterns in the above and underground parts of transgenic A. thaliana. When plants were subjected to low‐temperature stress, the leaves were quickly upregulated and the roots were downregulated, and then upregulated to respond to low‐temperature stress to promote the growth of leaf length and leaf width petiole length. The results indicated that TaEXPA19 genes could improve low‐temperature tolerance in plants. The results of this study laid a foundation for the study of the cold resistance of winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding patterns of variation in functional traits of hardwood trees is crucial for conserving and managing North American temperate forests under climate change. This study examined provenance variation of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) in growth, biomass allocation, leaf morphology, and stable carbon isotope composition. Trees were grown from 10 seed sources originating from across Canada and the northern USA. Height and diameter were not significantly related to climate at seed origin, suggesting that variation may be better explained by site factors, such as soil pH and soil moisture. In contrast, carbon isotope composition and leaf morphological traits were significantly correlated to climate variables including temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Provenances from warmer, drier localities tended to have higher stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C), greater specific leaf area, and narrower leaf width than their counterparts from cooler, wetter climates. Thus, variation in leaf morphological traits appears to be involved in adaptation of yellow birch to variation in temperature and moisture availability across the species' range. Our results suggest that there may exist potential for selection and breeding of drought-resistant yellow birch genotypes to aid in reforestation under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the function of growth-regulating factors (GRFs) in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum) growth and development could assist breeders in selecting desirable plant architectures. However, limited information about GRFs is available in Saccharum due to their polyploidy. In this study, 22 GRFs were identified in the two species and their conserved domains, gene structures, chromosome location, and synteny were characterized. GRF7 expression varied among tissues and responded to diurnal rhythm. SsGRF7-YFPwas localized preferentially in the nucleus and appears to act as a transcriptional cofactor. SsGRF7positively regulated the size and lengthof rice leaves, possibly by regulating cell size and plant hormones. Of seven potential transcription factors binding to the SsGRF7 promoter in S. spontaneum, four showed positive expression patterns, and two showed negative expression patterns relative to SsGRF7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. is a large tree that is native to southern Africa. This species has been used extensively for multiple therapeutic purposes across the southern part of the African continent. Despite this, P. latifolius leaf extracts have not been rigorously examined growth inhibitory properties against many bacteria, including the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activity of P. latifolia leaf solvent extractions was investigated by disc diffusion and growth time course assays against some bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The growth inhibitory activity was further quantified by MIC determination. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: Methanolic and aqueous P. latifolia leaf extracts were good inhibitors of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae. The inhibitory activity of both extracts was particularly noteworthy against the bacterial trigger of ankylosing spondylitis (K. pneumonia), with MICs of 343 and 557 µg/mL determined for the methanolic and aqueous extracts respectively. The extracts also displayed noteworthy activity against a bacterial trigger of rheumatoid arthritis (P. mirabilis), with MICs of 580 and 634 µg/mL respectively. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic and aqueous P. latifolia leaf extracts were further investigated by growth time course assays, which showed significant growth inhibition in cultures of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae within 1 hr of exposure. The extracts were determined to be nontoxic in the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay, indicating their safety for prophylactic use in preventing these autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Conclusion: The lack of toxicity of the P. latifolia leaf extracts and their growth inhibitory bioactivity against the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis indicate their potential in the development of new therapies targeting the onset of these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in subtropical regions faces environmental challenges leading to potential declines in yield. This study explores the efficacy of biostimulants as a solution, specifically investigating spraying treatments with 6­benzylaminopurine (6­BA), chitosan (Ch), triacontanol (TRIA), and potassium silicate (KSi) on the snap bean cv. Paulista. Over two growing seasons with late sowing and elevated summer temperatures, the research assesses growth, flowering, yield, and quality. Notably, 5 ppm TRIA demonstrates the most significant impact on plant growth and leaf nutrient content. Treatments with 40 ppm 6­BA, 5 ppm TRIA, or 200 ppm KSi exhibit notable effects on inflorescence flower count and flowers per plant. These treatments prove most effective for crucial green pod yield measures, including the number and weight of marketable pods. Moreover, 40 ppm 6­BA or 5 ppm TRIA significantly enhances pod characteristics, such as length, diameter, and weight, consistently improving over both seasons. Particularly, 5 ppm TRIA outperforms in enhancing the chemical quality of pods throughout the study. Overall, the findings suggest that the application of 5 ppm TRIA offers the most favorable enhancements for the growth, flowering, productivity, and quality of snap bean plants in subtropical field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: With the global atmospheric CO2 concentration on the rise, developing crops that can thrive in elevated CO2 has become paramount. We investigated the potential of hybridization as a strategy for creating crops with improved growth in predicted elevated atmospheric CO2. Methods: We grew parent accessions and their F1 hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana in ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 and analyzed numerous growth traits to assess their productivity and underlying mechanisms. Results: The heterotic increase in total dry mass, relative growth rate and leaf net assimilation rate was significantly greater in elevated CO2 than in ambient CO2. The CO2 response of net assimilation rate was positively correlated with the CO2 response of leaf nitrogen productivity and with that of leaf traits such as leaf size and thickness, suggesting that hybridization‐induced changes in leaf traits greatly affected the improved performance in elevated CO2. Conclusions: Vegetative growth of hybrids seems to be enhanced in elevated CO2 due to improved photosynthetic nitrogen‐use efficiency compared with parents. The results suggest that hybrid crops should be well‐suited for future conditions, but hybrid weeds may also be more competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of air-dried Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MLM) on the growth and physiology of African catfish. Air-dried MLM was incorporated into a diet D1 (19.64MJ/kg) at 0, 2, and 6% resulting in three diets. Each diet in the D1 group was fed to African catfish fingerlings (13.35 ± 0.02) at 5% body weight in triplicate group for 56 days. Weight gain was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the control diet (0% MLM) compared to MLM-based diets. White blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly (p<0.05) higher in fish-fed 2% MLM relative to those of the control and 6% MLM. Red blood cell (RBC), Haemoglobin (Hb), Mean cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration decreased with increasing MLM inclusion levels. Higher levels of RBC and Hb were related to higher weight gain. Levels of liver enzymes-alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased with increasing MLM inclusion levels. Decreases in ALT, AST, and ALP were not different (p<0.05) among the treatments. Serum total protein, albumin, and globulin levels increased in MLM-based treatments, 2% MLM were similar (p<0.05) to those of the control treatment while 6% MLM was different. Low dietary inclusion of air-dried MLM boosts WBC and increases serum proteins with no negative effect on liver enzymes. Regression of weight gain on MLM levels suggests an optimum range of 0.5 - 1% dietary inclusion can sustain growth making it a suitable feed additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the effect of traffic stress by soil compaction on zoysiagrass by analyzing the aerial and underground parts and hyperspectral analysis. Zoysiagrass plants were subjected to a compaction strength gradient from 35 to 80 kgf/cm² to confirm the compaction resistance and recoverable limit and measure the physiological change during stress. Changes in leaf color, photosynthesis, and hyperspectral reflectance due to continuous weak and strong traffic stress were measured, and vegetation indices were evaluated for the critical traffic stress injury assessment. As a result, the stem of the zoysiagrass was severely damaged up to 70 kgf/cm² based on soil hardness. The recoverable limit strength of soil compaction was 55 kgf/cm² under weak response pressure conditions. Collectively, our results show that the damage of weak compaction strength on the zoysiagrass was quickly recovered after the stop of traffic stress, especially since the growth of the underground part was increased by weak traffic stress. However, if the compaction strength above 65 kgf/cm² lasted for a long time, the growth of the underground part is limited by lowering the energy supply for the recovery occurred, in turn, the recovery occurred slowly after the compaction was stopped. Among the vegetation indices obtained from hyperspectral data, pigment specific simple ratio for chlorophyll a (PSSRa), pigment specific simple ratio for chlorophyll b (PSSRb), and pigment specific simple ratio for carotenoids (PSSRc) were effective in evaluating the damage of traffic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: With the global atmospheric CO2 concentration on the rise, developing crops that can thrive in elevated CO2 has become paramount. We investigated the potential of hybridization as a strategy for creating crops with improved growth in predicted elevated atmospheric CO2. Methods: We grew parent accessions and their F1 hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana in ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 and analyzed numerous growth traits to assess their productivity and underlying mechanisms. Results: The heterotic increase in total dry mass, relative growth rate and leaf net assimilation rate was significantly greater in elevated CO2 than in ambient CO2. The CO2 response of net assimilation rate was positively correlated with the CO2 response of leaf nitrogen productivity and with that of leaf traits such as leaf size and thickness, suggesting that hybridization‐induced changes in leaf traits greatly affected the improved performance in elevated CO2. Conclusions: Vegetative growth of hybrids seems to be enhanced in elevated CO2 due to improved photosynthetic nitrogen‐use efficiency compared with parents. The results suggest that hybrid crops should be well‐suited for future conditions, but hybrid weeds may also be more competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under-canopy afforestation using different tree species is a key approach in close-to-nature management to improve the structural and functional stability of plantation forests. However, current research on understory afforestation mainly focuses on the seedling stage, with limited attention to saplings or young trees. In this study, we evaluated the growth characteristics and leaf traits of 14-year-old Pinus sylvestris var. Mongolica trees under four different upper forest density (UFD) treatments: 0 trees/hm² (canopy openness 100%, CK), 150 trees/hm² (canopy openness 51.9%, T1), 225 trees/hm² (canopy openness 43.2%, T2), and 300 trees/hm² (canopy openness 28.4%, T3). We found that the survival rate of P. sylvestris in the T3 was significantly lower than in the other treatments, with a decrease of 30.2%, 18.3%, and 19.5% compared to CK, T1, and T2, respectively. The growth of P. sylvestris in the T1 treatment exhibited superior performance. Specifically, T1 showed a significant increase of 18.8%, 5.5%, and 24.1% in tree height, diameter at breast height, and crown width, respectively, compared to the CK. The mean trunk biomass ratio in the understory was significantly higher than that in full light by 15.4%, whereas the mean leaf biomass ratio was significantly lower by 12.3%. Understory P. sylvestris trees tended to allocate more biomass to the trunk at the expense of decreasing leaf biomass, which would facilitate height growth to escape the shading environment, although the promotion was relatively limited. Leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf thickness, mesophyll tissue thickness, epidermis thickness, and leaf carbon content were the highest in the CK and tended to decrease with increasing UFD, indicating that a high-light environment favored leaf growth and enhanced carbon accumulation. In summary, young P. sylvestris trees adapted to moderate shading conditions created by the upper canopy, and the T1 treatment was optimal for the growth of understory P. sylvestris. This study provides insights into different adaptive strategies of young P. sylvestris trees to changes in light environment, providing practical evidence for under-canopy afforestation using lightdemanding trees during pure plantation transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growing evidence demonstrates that the synergistic interaction of far-red light with shorter wavelength lights could evidently improve the photosynthesis efficiency of multiple species. However, whether/how far-red light affects sink organs and consequently modulates the source‒sink relationships are largely unknown. Results: Here, equal intensities of white and far-red lights were added to natural light for grape plantlets to investigate the effects of far-red light supplementation on grapevine growth and carbon assimilate allocation, as well as to reveal the underlying mechanisms, through physiological and transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that additional far-red light increased stem length and carbohydrate contents in multiple organs and decreased leaf area, specific leaf weight and dry weight of leaves in comparison with their counterparts grown under white light. Compared to white light, the maximum net photosynthetic rate of the leaves was increased by 31.72% by far-red light supplementation, indicating that far-red light indeed elevated the photosynthesis efficiency of grapes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that leaves were most responsive to far-red light, followed by sink organs, including stems and roots. Genes related to light signaling and carbon metabolites were tightly correlated with variations in the aforementioned physiological traits. In particular, VvLHCB1 is involved in light harvesting and restoring the balance of photosystem I and photosystem II excitation, and VvCOP1 and VvPIF3, which regulate light signal transduction, were upregulated under far-red conditions. In addition, the transcript abundances of the sugar transporter-encoding genes VvSWEET1 and VvSWEET3 and the carbon metabolite-encoding genes VvG6PD, VvSUS7 and VvPGAM varied in line with the change in sugar content. Conclusions: This study showed that far-red light synergistically functioning with white light has a beneficial effect on grape photosystem activity and is able to differentially affect the growth of sink organs, providing evidence for the possible addition of far-red light to the wavelength range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Streptococcus agalactiae Biotype 2 affects Nile tilapia during the grow-out phase, exhibiting a higher virulence with more than 90% mortality compared to Biotype 1, ultimately leading to considerable economic losses in aquaculture. While other therapies are available to treat this bacterium, research on an herbal treatment for a resistance to S. agalactiae Biotype 2 infection in Nile tilapia is limited. In this study, we investigated the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf (MLE) extract-supplemented diets on the growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. Results revealed that the diets supplemented with the MLE-0.5 group showed a significantly higher growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and relative percent of survival of Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2 compared to the control, MLE-1, MLE-1.5, and MLE-2. In conclusion, MLE-0.5 can be employed as an alternative feed supplement in sustainable Nile tilapia farming to protect against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf (MLE) extract-supplemented diets on the growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia against Streptococcus agalactiae Biotype 2. Four hundred and fifty Nile tilapia (32.61 ± 0.2 g/fish) were randomly allocated into fifteen tanks (30 fish/tank). Different concentrations of MLE at 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% were fed to the Nile tilapia for 30 days, and the growth, feed utilization, hematology, and innate immune response of the Nile tilapia were determined. After the feeding trial, the Nile tilapia were challenged with a S. agalactiae Biotype 2 infection, and the relative percentage of survival (RPS) was determined. Results revealed the presence of quercetin, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid in the MLE extract, exhibiting stronger antimicrobial activity against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. The diets supplemented with the MLE-0.5 group showed a significantly higher growth, feed utilization, hematology, and innate immune response in the Nile tilapia compared to the control and other MLE groups. Additionally, the MLE-0.5 group exhibited a significantly higher RPS of the Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. Therefore, MLE-0.5 can be employed as an alternative feed supplement in sustainable Nile tilapia farming to protect against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have demonstrated that epigenetic factors regulate plant developmental timing in response to environmental changes. However, we still have an incomplete view of how epigenetic factors can regulate developmental events such as organogenesis, and the transition from cell division to cell expansion, in plants. The small number of cell types and the relatively simple developmental progression required to form the Arabidopsis petal makes it a good model to investigate the molecular mechanisms driving plant organogenesis. In this study, we investigated how the RABBIT EARS (RBE) transcriptional repressor maintains the downregulation of its downstream direct target, TCP5, long after RBE expression dissipates. We showed that RBE recruits the Groucho/Tup1-like corepressor TOPLESS (TPL) to repress TCP5 transcription in petal primordia. This process involves multiple layers of changes such as remodeling of chromatin accessibility, alteration of RNA polymerase activity, and histone modifications, resulting in an epigenetic memory that is maintained through multiple cell divisions. This memory functions to maintain cell divisions during the early phase of petal development, and its attenuation in a cell division-dependent fashion later in development enables the transition from cell division to cell expansion. Overall, this study unveils a novel mechanism by which the memory of an epigenetic state, and its cell-cycle regulated decay, acts as a timer to precisely control organogenesis. Author summary: Epigenetic changes, such as histone modifications or DNA methylation, can modify gene expression without affecting the genetic code. Such alterations can persist for many cell generations, and often are induced by various environmental inputs in both plants and animals. By contrast, little is known of how intrinsic epigenetic changes can act to regulate the temporal progression of development. Here we showed that the expression of RABBIT EARS (RBE) represses the transcription of its target, TCP5, through inducing a variety of epigenetic changes at the TCP5 locus. These changes dissipated over a period of days, allowing for eventual activation of TCP5 expression and a concomitant shift from cell division to cell expansion during Arabidopsis petal development. The gradual loss of repressive epigenetic marks at the TCP5 locus represents an internal timing mechanism to temporally control the development of the Arabidopsis petal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flower buds of Anthurium andraeanum frequently cease to grow and abort during the early flowering stage, resulting in prolonged planting times and increased commercialization costs. Nevertheless, limited knowledge exists of the mechanism of flower development after initiation in A. andraeanum. Results: In this study, the measurement of carbohydrate flow and intensity between leaves and flowers during different growth stages showed that tender leaves are strong sinks and their concomitant flowers are weak ones. This suggested that the tender leaves compete with their concomitant flower buds for carbohydrates during the early growth stages, potentially causing the abortion of the flower buds. The analysis of transcriptomic differentially expressed genes suggested that genes related to sucrose metabolism and auxin response play an important role during flower bud development. Particularly, co-expression network analysis found that AaSPL12 is a hub gene engaged in flower development by collaborating carbohydrate and auxin signals. Yeast Two Hybrid assays revealed that AaSPL12 can interact with AaARP, a protein that serves as an indicator of dormancy. Additionally, the application of exogenous IAA and sucrose can suppress the expression of AaARP, augment the transcriptional abundance of AaSPL12, and consequently expedite flower development in Anthurium andraeanum. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings indicated that the combination of auxin and sugar signals could potentially suppress the repression of AaARP protein to AaSPL12, thus advancing the development of flower buds in Anthurium andraeanum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf traits are good indicators of ecosystem functioning and plant adaptations to environmental conditions. We examined whether leaf trait variability at species and community levels in Mediterranean woody vegetation is explained by growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. We studied several plant communities across five vegetation types – semi‐closed forest, open forest, closed shrubland, open shrubland, and scrubland – in southwestern Anatolia, Türkiye. Using linear mixed models, community‐weighted trait means, and principal component analysis, we tested how much variability in three leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf thickness, and leaf area) is accounted for species, growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. Despite a large amount of leaf trait variability both within‐ and among‐species existed, functional groups still accounted for a significant part of this variability. Resprouters had higher SLA and leaf area and lower leaf thickness than non‐resprouters. However, further functional separation in regeneration mode, by considering the propagule‐persistence trait and the seed bank locality, explained leaf trait variability better than only resprouting ability. Although no consistent pattern was observed in three leaf traits in the growth form, we found evidence for the difference in SLA and leaf thickness between shrubs and large shrubs, and subshrubs had smaller leaves than other growth forms. Vegetation type also accounted for a substantial amount of leaf trait variability. Specifically, plant communities in closed habitats had larger leaf area than open ones, and those in scrublands had higher SLA, lower leaf thickness, and lower leaf area than other vegetation types. Climate and phylogeny had limited contribution to the results obtained, with the exception of a significant phylogenetic effect in explaining the differences in SLA between resprouters and non‐resprouters. Our results suggest that multiple drivers are responsible for shaping plant trait variability in Mediterranean plant communities, including growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf color mutations provide valuable genetic resources for elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanisms of plant growth and serve as efficient tools for screening offspring in crossbreeding. In this study, a Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) mutant with yellow‐green leaves (yl1) was isolated from 60Co‐γ‐radiation mutation bank. Compared to wild type (WT), yl1 showed similar biomass and yield, despite a lower chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate. However, yl1 displayed significantly higher total phosphorus content after 14 days of medium and low phosphorus treatment. By using yl1 as the maternal parent, hybrid offspring could be visually distinguished at the cotyledon stage. Genetic analysis revealed that the yl1 phenotype was attributed to a single recessive mutation. Combined metabolome and transcriptome analysis identified 205 differential expressed metabolites (DEMs) and 123 differential expressed genes enriched in 30 pathways or metabolisms between yl1 and WT. Remarkably, the upregulation of SPX3, 5PTase2, PHO1, PAP3, PAP2, PAP7, and IPAP16, which are involved in enhancing phosphorus absorption, assimilation, transport, and remobilization, along with PLDζ1, GDPD1, MGD2, and NPC4L, which contribute to improving lipid metabolism, collectively resulted in high accumulation of 41 phosphorus‐containing DEMs (including 37 lipids) in yl1. This study emphasizes the potential of yl1 for effective screening of offspring and uncovers the interplay between photosynthesis and lipid metabolism, providing valuable insights to improve phosphorus use efficiency in Tartary buckwheat. Core Ideas: yl1 was available for efficient offspring screening at the cotyledon stage.Altered lipid metabolism partly compensated for insufficient photosynthesis to sustain yl1 growth.yl1 had candidate genes with potential to improve phosphorus use efficiency.yl1, resulting from a single recessive locus mutation, displayed yellow‐green leaves without growth suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro-propagated potato plantlets are commonly used in potato seed tuber production. Four experiments were carried out to identify how the duration of the last in vitro phase ('age') before planting of in vitro-produced plantlets affects the early growth and development ex vitro, assessed 10–14 days after planting. Experiments included varying ranges in age of the in vitro plantlets at planting (10–40, 15–45, 14–28 and 14–56 days old at the moment of planting in the respective experiments) and different cultivars. Because in vitro plantlet size increases with age, the first experiment studied interactions between age and planting method. Planting 'deep' (the upper four visible leaves above the ground) seemed more robust than planting 'shallow' (all nodes/leaves above ground except the lowest two), and in later experiments, only deep planting was applied. Across experiments, plants grown from younger in vitro plantlets had smaller leaf areas 10–14 days after planting than those from older in vitro plantlets. The increase in leaf area levelled off with increasing age of the in vitro plantlets used, especially when plantlets were older than c. 28 days. Larger leaf areas 10–14 days after planting were related to the older in vitro plantlets having higher absolute growth rates after planting and a larger above-ground leaf area at planting, even though four leaves were kept above ground in all treatments. Below ground, plants from older in vitro plantlets had more stem nodes, initiated stolons earlier after planting and initiated more stolons per plant. Tuber initiation rarely occurred within 14 days after planting, but was observed in some plants from 42- and especially 56-day-old in vitro plantlets of the very early cultivar Gloria and a single plant from 56-day-old in vitro plantlets of the mid-early cultivar Bintje. The data show that planting older in vitro plantlets can enhance early leaf area growth. Plants from older in vitro plantlets also more readily initiate stolons below ground and may be more advanced in the tuber formation process, especially when from early cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C4 photosynthesis outperforms C3 photosynthesis in natural ecosystems by maintaining a high photosynthetic rate and affording higher water-use and nitrogen-use efficiencies. C4 plants can survive in environments with poor living conditions, such as high temperatures and arid regions, and will be crucial to ecological and agricultural security in the face of global climate change in the future. However, the genetic architecture of C4 photosynthesis remains largely unclear, especially the genetic regulation of C4 Kranz anatomy. Haloxylon ammodendron is an important afforestation tree species and a valuable C4 wood plant in the desert region. The unique characteristic of H. ammodendron is that, during the seedling stage, it utilizes C3 photosynthesis, while in mature assimilating shoots (maAS), it switches to the C4 pathway. This makes an exceptional opportunity for studying the development of the C4 Kranz anatomy and metabolic pathways within individual plants (identical genome). To provide broader insight into the regulation of Kranz anatomy and non-Kranz leaves of the C4 plant H. ammodendron , carbon isotope values, anatomical sections and transcriptome analyses were used to better understand the molecular and cellular processes related to the development of C4 Kranz anatomy. This study revealed that H. ammodendron conducts C3 in the cotyledon before it switches to C4 in AS. However, the switching requires a developmental process. Stable carbon isotope discrimination measurements on three different developmental stages showed that young AS have a C3-like δ13C even though C4 Kranz anatomy is found, which is inconsistent with the anatomical findings. A C4-like δ13C can be measured in AS until they are mature. The expression analysis of C4 key genes also showed that the maAS exhibited higher expression than the young AS. In addition, many genes that may be related to the development of Kranz anatomy were screened. Comparison of gene expression patterns with respect to anatomy during leaf ontogeny provided insight into the genetic features of Kranz anatomy. This study helps with our understanding of the development of Kranz anatomy and provides future directions for studies on key C4 regulatory genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) is a highly phosphorus-use-efficient plant native to southwest Australia. It maintains a high photosynthetic rate at low leaf phosphorus (P) and exhibits delayed leaf greening, a convergent adaptation that increases nutrient-use efficiency. This study aimed to provide broad physiological and gene expression profiles across leaf development, uncovering pathways leading from young leaves as nutrient sinks to mature leaves as low-nutrient, energy-transducing sources. Methods: To explore gene expression underlying delayed greening, we analysed a de novo transcriptome for H. prostrata across five stages of leaf development. Photosynthesis and respiration rates, and foliar pigment, P and nitrogen (N) concentrations were determined, including the division of P into five biochemical fractions. Key results: Transcripts encoding functions associated with leaf structure generally decreased in abundance across leaf development, concomitant with decreases in foliar concentrations of 85% for anthocyanins, 90% for P and 70% for N. The expression of genes associated with photosynthetic function increased during or after leaf expansion, in parallel with increases in photosynthetic pigments and activity, much later in leaf development than in species that do not have delayed greening. As leaves developed, transcript abundance for cytosolic and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins generally declined, whilst transcripts for chloroplast ribosomal proteins increased. Conclusions: There was a much longer temporal separation of leaf cell growth from chloroplast development in H. prostrata than is found in species that lack delayed greening. Transcriptome-guided analysis of leaf development in H. prostrata provided insight into delayed greening as a nutrient-saving strategy in severely phosphorus-impoverished landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth exhibits rhythmic characteristics, and gibberellins (GAs) are involved in regulating cell growth, but it is still unclear how GAs crosstalk with circadian rhythm to regulate cell elongation. The study analyzed growth characteristics of wild-type (WT), zmga3ox and zmga3ox with GA3 seedlings. We integrated metabolomes and transcriptomes to study the interaction between GAs and circadian rhythm in mediating leaf elongation. The rates of leaf growth were higher in WT than zmga3ox, and zmga3ox cell length was shorter when proliferated in darkness than light, and GA3 restored zmga3ox leaf growth. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between WT and zmga3ox were mainly enriched in hormone signaling and cell wall synthesis, while DEGs in zmga3ox were restored to WT by GA3. Moreover, the number of circadian DEGs that reached the peak expression in darkness was more than light, and the upregulated circadian DEGs were mainly enriched in cell wall synthesis. The differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were mainly attributed to flavonoids and phenolic acid. Twenty-two DAMs showed rhythmic accumulation, especially enriched in lignin synthesis. The circadian DEGs ZmMYBr41/87 and ZmHB34/70 were identified as regulators of ZmHCT8 and ZmBM1, which were enzymes in lignin synthesis. Furthermore, GAs regulated ZmMYBr41/87 and ZmHB34/70 to modulate lignin biosynthesis for mediating leaf rhythmic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calocybe species possess notable economic and medicinal value, demonstrating substantial potential for resource utilization. The taxonomic studies of Calocybe are lacking in quality and depth. Based on the specimens collected from northeast China, this study provides a detailed description of two newly discovered species, namely Calocybe betulicola and Calocybe cystidiosa, as well as two commonly found species, Calocybe decolorata and Calocybe ionides. Additionally, a previously unrecorded species, C. decolorata, has recently been discovered in Jilin Province, China. The two newly discovered species can be accurately distinguished from other species within the genus Calocybe based on their distinct morphological characteristics. The primary distinguishing features of C. betulicola include its grayish-purple pileus, grayish-brown to dark purple stipe, smaller basidiomata, absence of cellular pileipellis, and its habitat on leaf litter within birch forests. Calocybe cystidiosa is distinguished by its growth on the leaf litter of coniferous forests, a flesh-pink pileus, a fibrous stipe with a white tomentose covering at the base, non-cellular pileipellis, larger basidiospores, and the presence of cheilocystidia. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees using combined ITS , nLSU , and tef1-α sequences, employing maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, showed that C. betulicola formed a cluster with C. decurrens, while C. cystidiosa clustered with C. vinacea. However, these two clusters formed separate branches themselves, which also supported the results obtained from our morphological studies. A key to the Calocybe species reported from northeast China is provided to facilitate future studies of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance seashore paspalum grass growth and quality, bed (28 × 40 cm) experiment was done at Horticulture Department roof of Zagazig University, Egypt during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons. The main factors of this experiment were, firstly bio-fertilizers type (control, nitrobein, phosphorein and nitrobein + phosphorein), secondly nano-micronutrients named Magro NanoMix (0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 g/l) beside their interaction treatments. The experimental design was split-plot design which had 16 treatments in three replicates. The results pointed out that fertilization seashore paspalum with 0.5 g/m² of nitrobein + 0.5 g/m² of phosphorein significantly enhanced plant height, herb fresh and dry weight per area, roots fresh and dry weights per area, covering density (%) and total chlorophyll content (mg/100 g as fresh weight) compared to the other bio- fertilizer types. Nano-micronutrients fertilizer at any tested concentration significantly increased growth traits and leaf greening compared to control. The highest values of all above mentioned traits were obtained by fertilization with 1000 ppm of nano-micronutrients. Generally, to enhance growth of seashore paspalum grasses and increase covering density and their greening it is recommended to fertilize plants with nitrobein + phosphorein each at 0.5 g/ m² and spraying them with nanomicronutrients at 1000 ppm three times during winter season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical priming has emerged as a promising area in agricultural research. Our previous studies have demonstrated that pretreatment with a low concentration of ethanol enhances abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and cassava. Here, we show that ethanol treatment induces heat stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) plants. Seedlings of the tomato cultivar 'Micro-Tom' were pretreated with ethanol solution and then subjected to heat stress. The survival rates of the ethanol-pretreated plants were significantly higher than those of the water-treated control plants. Similarly, the fruit numbers of the ethanolpretreated plants were greater than those of the water-treated ones. Transcriptome analysis identified sets of genes that were differentially expressed in shoots and roots of seedlings and in mature green fruits of ethanol-pretreated plants compared with those in water-treated plants. Gene ontology analysis using these genes showed that stress-related gene ontology terms were found in the set of ethanol-induced genes. Metabolome analysis revealed that the contents of a wide range of metabolites differed between water- and ethanol-treated samples. They included sugars such as trehalose, sucrose, glucose, and fructose. From our results, we speculate that ethanolinduced heat stress tolerance in tomato is mainly the result of increased expression of stress-related genes encoding late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination enzymes, and activated gluconeogenesis. Our results will be useful for establishing ethanol-based chemical priming technology to reduce heat stress damage in crops, especially in Solanaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to categorize the morphological changes during cabbage (B. oleracea ssp. capitata) development, seedling, rosette, folding, and heading, and to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of the leaf curvature, essential for the formation of the leafy head. We followed the growth of two cabbage cultivars with distinct head shapes (round and pointed) and one non-heading collard cultivar; we phenotyped the size and volume of the whole plant as well as the size, shape, and curvature of the leaves during growth. By integrating these phenotypic data, we determined the four vegetative stages for both cabbages. The histological phenotypes of microtome sections from five distinct leaf positions of the rosette, folding, and heading leaves at two timepoints during leaf growth were quantified and revealed variations in cellular parameters among leaf types, between leaf positions, and between the adaxial and abaxial sides. We identified two synergistic cellular mechanisms contributing to the curvature of heading leaves: differential growth across the leaf blade, with increased growth at the leaf's center relative to the margins; and the increased expansion of the spongy parenchyma layer compared to the palisade parenchyma layer, resulting in the direction of the curvature, which is inwards. These two processes together contribute to the typical leafy heads of cabbages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strigolactones are a group of carotenoid-derived phytohormones which are synthesized in plastids and cytosol. Strigolactones also act as molecular cue that assist plants to liaise with surroundings. These active biomolecules are also called as non-traditional phytohormones or plant growth regulators. Strigolactones are generated in roots mainly and released into rhizosphere, although their synthesis has been reported in other plant parts in trace amount. More than one thousand types of strigolactones are reported in plants but only 30 strigolactones have been identified yet. Strigolactones play a significant role in regulation of biochemical processes such as seed germination, plant growth and development (root system architecture, shoot branching and tillering), and delaying leaf senescence during plant survival under environmental constraints. Strigolactones usually involve oxidative responses in plant cells and promote osmolytes production in stressed cells for maintenance of homeostasis under environmental stress, including salt, light, temperature, drought, nutrient deficiency, and heavy metals. The present review highlights biosynthesis and functions of strigolactones, their crosstalk with other phytohormones and functions in abiotic stress resistance mechanism. Application of strigolactones for plant growth under harsh conditions provides channel for development of novel technologies which are environmentally benign and sustainable. Further in-depth investigations are required about the exogenous treatment or transgenic approaches for the accumulation of strigolactones inside the plants which can be a potential strategy for protection of plants against multiple environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]