Advancing rice breeding for drought tolerance: a comprehensive study of traditional and mutant lines through agronomic performance and drought tolerance indices.

Background: Drought stress is a critical challenge to rice production, necessitating the development of drought-tolerant genotypes. This study aimed to evaluate the drought tolerance of rice genotypes, including traditional parental lines (Hashemi, Khazar, Fajr, and Tarom Mahalli) and their corresponding mutant lines, under normal and drought stress conditions.

Methods: Agronomic traits such as plant height, spike number, spike length, seed fertility, and yield were analyzed under both conditions.

Enhancing Photosynthesis and Plant Productivity through Genetic Modification.

Enhancing crop photosynthesis through genetic engineering technologies offers numerous opportunities to increase plant productivity. Key approaches include optimizing light utilization, increasing cytochrome complex levels, and improving carbon fixation. Modifications to Rubisco and the photosynthetic electron transport chain are central to these strategies.

Exploring low-dose gamma radiation effects on monoterpene biosynthesis in Thymus vulgaris: insights into plant defense mechanisms.

Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as thyme, is a plant renowned for producing monoterpenes. This study aimed to understand the effects of low-dose gamma radiation, specifically in the range of 1-5 Gy, on various traits of Thymus vulgaris, providing context on its importance in agricultural and medicinal applications. The research explored morpho-physiological, biochemical, and gene-expression responses in thyme plants under no gamma- and gamma-ray exposure conditions.

Enhancing nutritional status, growth, and fruit quality of dried figs using organic fertilizers in rain-fed orchards: A case study in Estahban, Iran.

The majority of Iranian fig production is exported, making it one of the world's most well-known healthy crops. Therefore, the main objective of the current experiment was to investigate the effects of various types of organic fertilizers, such as animal manure (cow and sheep), bird manure (partridge, turkey, quail, and chicken), and vermicompost, on the nutritional status of trees, vegetative and reproductive tree characteristics, fruit yield, and fruit quality traits in dried fig cultivar ("Sabz"). According to the findings, applying organic fertilizers, particularly turkey and quail, significantly improves vegetative and reproductive characteristics.

Environmental and geographical conditions influence color, physical properties, and physiochemical composition of pomegranate fruits.

The highest quality pomegranate necessitates a tropical or subtropical environment for proper growth and development. This study evaluated two pomegranate cultivars including Rabab Poost Ghermez Neyriz (RPGN) and Makhmal Malas Shahreza (MMS) for physical traits, biochemical properties, and juice quality in their native locations as well as other warm and arid regions during two growing seasons (2019-2020 and 2020-2021) in Iran. The results showed that cultivars with the maximum redness (a*) were more likely to originate in cooler climates, and the cultivar's responses to changing climates were also different.

Genetic diversity in Sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris) and using stepwise regression to identify marker associated with traits.

One of the well-known medicinal plants in the Falcaria genus is Sickleweed. Falcaria species exhibit a high degree of genetic variability, posing challenges in the examination of genetic diversity due to the significant potential for hybridization and introgression among them. Utilizing morphological traits and molecular markers may prove to be a valuable approach in evaluating and harnessing germplasm, considering the current obstacles faced in breeding this medicinal herb.

Evaluation of biochemical, physiological traits and percentage of essential oil of sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris) population in different geographical and climatic regions.

Sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris) is the name of a species of annual, and perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Falcaria. Climate change could negatively influnces the performance of various plant species in plant kingdom. In this study, 15 different sickleweed populations from seven provinces of the country were collected based on an unbalanced nest design with 10 replications and the percentage of essential oil, types of chlorophyll, phenol, proline, protein, and carotenoids were measured on them.

Determination of optimum dose based of biological responses of lethal dose (LD) and growth reduction (GR) in 'Yaghouti' grape due to gamma radiation.

Ionizing radiations are a helpful technique and have improved financial potential in developing new and unique commercially important fruit tree varieties. The 'Yaghouti' grape cuttings were treated with 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 Gy gamma ray (γ) doses. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the effects of γ radiation on the survival rate, leaves, shoots, and root morphometric traits after γ irradiation; (2) Measurement of the 25, 50, and 75% lethal dose and 25, 50, and 75% growth reduction dose based on leaves, shoots, and root morphometric characteristics to estimate grape radiosensitivity; (3) Ultimately, determining the optimum dose of γ irradiation based biological responses (LD and GR) in Yaghouti grape.

Analyses of Lysin-motif Receptor-like Kinase () Gene Family in Allotetraploid L. and Its Progenitor Species: An In Silico Study.

The LysM receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs) play a crucial role in plant symbiosis and response to environmental stresses. , , and are utilized as valuable vegetables. Different biotic and abiotic stressors affect these crops, resulting in yield losses.

Antioxidant gene expression analysis and evaluation of total phenol content and oxygen-scavenging system in tea accessions under normal and drought stress conditions.

Background: Abiotic and biotic stresses induce oxidative processes in plant cells that this process starts with the production of ROSs which cause damage to the proteins. Therefore, plants have increased their antioxidant activity to defend against this oxidative stress to be able to handle stress better. In this research, 14 different tea accessions in a randomized complete block design with two replications were evaluated in two normal and drought stress conditions, and their antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH-free radicals' assay and gene expression analysis.

In Silico Analyses of Autophagy-Related Genes in Rapeseed ( L.) under Different Abiotic Stresses and in Various Tissues.

The autophagy-related genes (ATGs) play important roles in plant growth and response to environmental stresses. () is among the most important oilseed crops, but are largely unknown in this species. Therefore, a genome-wide analysis of gene family () was performed.

Eustress with HO Facilitates Plant Growth by Improving Tolerance to Salt Stress in Two Wheat Cultivars.

In this study, the positive role of hydrogen peroxide (HO) pretreatment in mitigating the adverse impacts of seawater stress has been evaluated in two wheat ( L.) cultivars, namely Gemmiza 11 as a salt-sensitive and Misr 1 as a salt-tolerant cultivar, with contrasting phenotypes in response to the salinity stress. Under normal conditions, wheat seeds eustress with HO have shown significant effects on the improvement of plant growth parameters, such as dry weight and root and shoot lengths.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of the metal tolerance protein (MTP) family in grape ( L.).

Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) play an important role in the transport of metals at the cellular, tissue and whole plant levels. In the present study, 11 genes were identified and these clustered in three major sub-families Fe/Zn-MTP, Zn-MTP, and Mn-MTP, and seven groups, which are similar to the grouping of MTP genes in both and rice. metal tolerance proteins (VvMTP) ranged from 366 to 1092 amino acids, were predicted to be located in the cell vacuole, and had four to six putative TMDs, except for VvtMTP12 and VvMTP1.

Evaluation of tea ( L.) biochemical traits in normal and drought stress conditions to identify drought tolerant clones.

Abiotic stresses, such as drought, can induce different morphological, physiological and molecular responses in the tea plants. Since there have not been any experiments on the screening of tea genotypes in terms of drought tolerance, this study was conducted to screen the drought resistance of 14 tea clones of Iran germplasm in a randomized complete block design with three replications, separately in two stressed and non-stressed conditions at Fashalam tea station. The results of grouping the clones under normal and stress conditions and comparing their results with the results of mean comparison of the agronomic and biochemical traits showed that in all cases, clones 100, Bazri and 399 were in the group that can be identified as the drought-tolerant group.

The expression of monoterpene synthase genes and their respective end products are affected by gibberellic acid in Thymus vulgaris.

Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae), a well-known aromatic medicinal herb, has many important essential constituents in its oil, including γ-terpinene, carvacrol, thymol, and p-cymene. Gibberellins comprise hundreds of components, which regulate several various growths and underlying developmental processes, such as cell division and elongation, shoot elongation, seed germination, and gene expression.

Changes in the expression of some genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in Cuminum cyminum L. under UV stress.

Biotic and abiotic stresses cause special defense reactions in plant organs, which after a series of reactions, these stresses produce secondary metabolites. The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the expression of key genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), GPP synthases, Deoxyribonino heptulosinate 7-phosphate synthase (DAHP), and Deoxy Xylose Phosphate Synthase (DXS)), and the association of these genes with different amounts of secondary metabolites (phenol, terpene, flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, lycopene, and beta-carotene) was investigated in this study. The results of this study showed that the application of UV-B stress significantly increased the expression of GPPs, HMG-CoA reductase, DXS, DAHPs, and PAL genes compared to the control plants.

Biochemical, physiological and molecular evaluation of rice cultivars differing in salt tolerance at the seedling stage.

Changes in the antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, sodium and potassium, chlorophyll, HO and proline content were monitored in the leaves of 42 rice varieties which were not yet well-documented for the salinity tolerance under different salinity levels. The tolerant varieties (FL478, Hassani, Shahpasand, Gharib and Nemat) showed signs of tolerance (lower Na/K ratio, high proline accumulation, less membrane damage, lower HO production, and higher superoxide dismutase and catalase activity) very well. The positive relationship between the level of salt tolerance and the amount of proline accumulation in the rice varieties support the important role of proline under the salt stress.

Different physiobiochemical and transcriptomic reactions of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars differing in terms of salt sensitivity under salinity stress.

Salinity stress is the most important and common environmental stresses throughout the world, including Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of several important genes involved in the salinity tolerance of the rice cultivars differing in salt sensitivity. In this research, the expression of four mitochondrial genes, HO, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, sodium, potassium and superoxide dismutase (SOD), was measured in Iranian rice cultivars and two well-known international varieties as checks in response to 100 mM salt stress.

Investigating the effect of drought stress on expression of WRKY1 and EREBP1 genes and antioxidant enzyme activities in lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis L.).

Drought stress is a severe environmental constraint to plant productivity. In this study, gene expression of WRKY1 and EREBP1 genes and activity of two enzymes were investigated in two genotypes, G9 (as resistance) and G12 (as susceptible) of 10 days-old lemon balm seedlings. Experiments were done according to factorial design on the base of completely randomized design with three replications for expression analysis and enzyme assays.

An efficient protocol for isolation of inhibitor-free nucleic acids even from recalcitrant plants.

For fast and easy isolation of inhibitor-free genomic DNA even from the toughest plant leaf samples, including those high in polyphenols and polysaccharides, a protocol has been developed. To prevent the solubility of polysaccharides in the DNA extract, high salt concentration (1.4 M) was used in the extraction buffer.