Understanding the factors influencing cacao flower morphology and abundance is essential for optimizing productivity. This study investigated the influence of vertical flower position and associated environmental and physiological gradients on these traits across two cacao genotypes, CCN51 and SCA6, under controlled greenhouse conditions. We measured flower size (lateral area, length, width, and perimeter), shape, and abundance at different developmental stages and vertical tree heights. Significant variations were observed between genotypes and across vertical positions, highlighting the roles of genetic and environmental factors in cacao reproductive biology. For example, CCN51 exhibited significantly larger flowers, with an average area of 18.63 mm compared to 14.88 mm for SCA6. Leveraging machine learning techniques, particularly Support Vector Machine, we successfully predicted genotypes based on flower measurements with high accuracy, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87. These findings emphasize the phenotypic diversity of cacao flowers and demonstrate the potential of machine learning in genotype identification, offering valuable insights for breeding and cultivation strategies to enhance cacao productivity.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11867291 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42407 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A comprehensive in silico genome-wide identification and characterization of SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP) gene family in Musa acuminata.
J Genet Eng Biotechnol
March 2025
Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh. Electronic address:
One of the largest and most significant transcription factor gene families in plants is the SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP) gene family and they perform critical regulatory roles in floral enhancement, fruit development, and stress resistance. The SBP protein family (also known as SPL) has not yet been thoroughly studied in the staple fruit crop, banana. A perennial monocot plant, banana is essential for ensuring food and nutrition security.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResource competition among flowers is expected to influence variation in seed output within inflorescences, but the extent to which flower position affects competitive interactions is still incompletely understood. To investigate position effects on seed output in the perennial, monoecious macrophyte Sagittaria trifolia, we compared components of seed production (fruit set, seed number per fruit, and seed size) in control inflorescences to that in inflorescences from which half of the female flowers were experimentally removed, either from basal positions, from upper positions, or from across the inflorescence. Basal and upper flower removal reduced total seed output per inflorescence, while the throughout removal treatment maintained a seed yield comparable to the control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochemical signatures strongly demarcate phylogenetic groups of plant 14-3-3 isoforms.
Plant J
March 2025
A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia.
Interaction of dimeric 14-3-3 proteins with phosphotargets regulates various physiological processes in plants, from flowering to transpiration and salt tolerance. Several genes express distinct 14-3-3 "isoforms," particularly numerous in plants, but these are unevenly studied even in model species. Here we systematically investigated twelve 14-3-3 isoforms from Arabidopsis thaliana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic variations in FAD3 and its influence on agronomic traits and fatty acid composition in perilla germplasm.
Plant Sci
March 2025
National Agrobiodiversity Center, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:
In this study, we explored the relationship between agronomic characteristics and fatty acid composition in perilla germplasm and examined the potential effects of genetic variations in the FAD3 gene on these traits. Our analysis involved correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering, and path analysis. We discovered the days to flowering (DTF), days to maturing (DTM) number of branches (NB), and stearic acid (SA) content were positively correlated with each other.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCacao floral traits are shaped by the interaction of flower position with genotype.
Heliyon
February 2025
Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States, Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
Understanding the factors influencing cacao flower morphology and abundance is essential for optimizing productivity. This study investigated the influence of vertical flower position and associated environmental and physiological gradients on these traits across two cacao genotypes, CCN51 and SCA6, under controlled greenhouse conditions. We measured flower size (lateral area, length, width, and perimeter), shape, and abundance at different developmental stages and vertical tree heights.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!