Analysis of fruit ripening in Theobroma cacao pod husk based on untargeted metabolomics.

The pod husk of Theobroma cacao (CPH) plays an important agronomical role, as its appearance is used as indicator of ripening, guiding the farmers in the harvest process. Cacao harvesting is not a standardized practice because farmers harvest between six up to eight months from flowering, guided by pod's color and shape. The mixture of cacao beans from different ripening stages (RS), negatively affecting the quality and price of grain.

A Crop Modelling Strategy to Improve Cacao Quality and Productivity.

Cacao production systems in Colombia are of high importance due to their direct impact in the social and economic development of smallholder farmers. Although Colombian cacao has the potential to be in the high value markets for fine flavour, the lack of expert support as well as the use of traditional, and often times sub-optimal technologies makes cacao production negligible. Traditionally, cacao harvest takes place at exactly the same time regardless of the geographic and climatic region where it is grown, the problem with this strategy is that cacao beans are often unripe or over matured and a combination of both will negatively affect the quality of the final cacao product.

Integrative Modelling of Gene Expression and Digital Phenotypes to Describe Senescence in Wheat.

Senescence is the final stage of leaf development and is critical for plants' fitness as nutrient relocation from leaves to reproductive organs takes place. Although senescence is key in nutrient relocation and yield determination in cereal grain production, there is limited understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control it in major staple crops such as wheat. Senescence is a highly orchestrated continuum of interacting pathways throughout the lifecycle of a plant.

Emerging Advanced Technologies to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change in Africa.

Agriculture remains critical to Africa's socioeconomic development, employing 65% of the work force and contributing 32% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Low productivity, which characterises food production in many Africa countries, remains a major concern. Compounded by the effects of climate change and lack of technical expertise, recent reports suggest that the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food systems in African countries may have further-reaching consequences than previously anticipated.

Genotypic variations in leaf and whole-plant water use efficiencies are closely related in bread wheat genotypes under well-watered and water-limited conditions during grain filling.

Wheat plants growing under Mediterranean rain-fed conditions are exposed to water deficit, particularly during the grain filling period, and this can lead to a strong reduction in grain yield (GY). This study examines the effects of water deficit after during the grain filling period on photosynthetic and water-use efficiencies at the leaf and whole-plant level for 14 bread wheat genotypes grown in pots under glasshouse conditions. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted, one in a conventional glasshouse at the Universidad de Talca, Chile (Experiment 1), and another at the National Plant Phenomics Centre (NPPC), Aberystwyth, UK (Experiment 2), in 2015.