Diurnal High Temperatures Affect the Physiological Performance and Fruit Quality of Highbush Blueberry ( L.) cv. Legacy.

In this study, the physiological performance and fruit quality responses of the highbush blueberry () cultivar Legacy to high temperatures (HTs) were evaluated in a field experiment. Three-year-old plants were exposed to two temperature treatments between fruit load set and harvest during the 2022/2023 season: (i) ambient temperature (AT) and (ii) high temperature (HT) (5 °C ± 1 °C above ambient temperature). A chamber covered with transparent polyethylene (100 µm thick) was used to apply the HT treatment.

Atrazine degradation through a heterogeneous dual-effect process using Fe-TiO-allophane catalysts under sunlight.

This study investigated the novel application of Fe-TiO-allophane catalysts with 6.0 % w/w of iron oxide and two TiO proportions (10 % and 30 % w/w) for degrading atrazine (ATZ) using the heterogeneous dual-effect (HDE) process under sunlight. Comparative analyses with Fe-allophane and TiO-allophane catalysts were conducted in both photocatalysis (PC) and HDE processes.

Large-Scale Production of Specialized Metabolites In Vitro Cultures.

For centuries plants have been intensively utilized as reliable sources of food, flavoring, and pharmaceutical ingredients. However, plant natural habitats are being rapidly lost due to the climate change and agriculture. Plant biotechnology offers a sustainable approach for the bioproduction of specialized plant metabolites.

Genotype × environment × management analysis to define allometric rules between leaves and stems in wheat.

Allometric rules provide insights into structure-function relationships across species and scales and are commonly used in ecology. The fields of agronomy, plant phenotyping, and modeling also need simplifications such as those provided by allometric rules to reconcile data at different temporal and spatial levels (organs/canopy). This study explores the variations in relationships for wheat in terms of the distribution of crop green area between leaves and stems, and the allocation of above-ground biomass between leaves and stems during the vegetative period, using a large dataset covering different years, countries, genotypes, and management practices.

Potential of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Rhodococcus qingshengii LMR356 in mitigating lead stress impact on Sulla spinosissima L.

Mining-related lead (Pb) pollution of the soil poses serious hazards to ecosystems and living organisms, including humans. Improved heavy metal phytoremediation efficacy, achieved by using phytostabilizing plants assisted by plant-growth-promoting (PGP) microorganisms, has been presented as an effective strategy for remediating polluted soils. The objective of this research was to examine the response and potential of the plant-growth-promoting bacterium LMR356, a Rhodococcus qingshengii strain isolated from an abandoned mining soil, under lead stress conditions.

RESISTANCE TO PHYTOPHTHORA1 promotes cytochrome b559 formation during early photosystem II biogenesis in Arabidopsis.

As an essential intrinsic component of photosystem II (PSII) in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, heme-bridged heterodimer cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559) plays critical roles in the protection and assembly of PSII. However, the underlying mechanisms of Cyt b559 assembly are largely unclear. Here, we characterized the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) rph1 (resistance to Phytophthora1) mutant, which was previously shown to be susceptible to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora brassicae.

Cloning and functional analysis of the juvenile hormone receptor gene CsMet in Coccinella septempunctata.

The potential role of the juvenile hormone receptor gene (methoprene-tolerant, Met) in reproduction of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was investigated by cloning, analyzing expression profiles by quantitative real-time PCR, and via RNA interference (RNAi). CsMet encoded a 1518-bp open reading frames with a predicted protein product of 505 amino acids; the latter contained 2 Per-Arnt-Sim repeat profile at amino acid residues 30-83 and 102-175.

A high-efficiency transient expression system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens in Spinacia oleracea leaves.

Background: Optimization of a highly efficient transient expression system is critical for the study of gene function, particularly in those plants in which stable transformation methods are not widely available. Agrobacterium tumefaciens‑mediated transient transformation is a simple and low-cost method that has been developed and applied to a wide variety of plant species. However, the transient expression in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.

A novel plant growth regulator B2 mediates drought resistance by regulating reactive oxygen species, phytohormone signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and starch metabolism pathways in Carex breviculmis.

Drought is one of the most common environmental stressors that severely threatens plant growth, development, and productivity. B2 (2,4-dichloroformamide cyclopropane acid), a novel plant growth regulator, plays an essential role in drought adaptation, significantly enhancing the tolerance of Carex breviculmis seedlings. Its beneficial effects include improved ornamental value, sustained chlorophyll content, increased leaf dry weight, elevated relative water content, and enhanced root activity under drought conditions.

Rice seed germination priming by salicylic acid and the emerging role of phytohormones in anaerobic germination.

This Commentary examines a recent study that identified peroxisomal cinnamate: CoA ligases as key enzymes for salicylic acid biosynthesis, which promotes submerged germination by releasing the inhibition of rice germination by indole-acetic acid. This study thus provides important information for developing rice varieties suitable for direct seeding.

Validation and screening of patulin in apple beverages marketed in Morocco.

Patulin is one of the mycotoxins frequently detected in apples and derivatives, representing a major food safety risk. This study aimed to validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with an ultraviolet (UV) detector for patulin quantification and assess its occurrence in apple beverages marketed in Morocco. The validation parameters showed satisfactory results with adequate linearity (R > 0.

Effects of Foliar Boron Application on Physiological and Antioxidants Responses in Highbush Blueberry ( L.) Cultivars.

Boron (B) is a micronutrient crucial for the growth, development, productivity, and quality of crops. However, in areas characterized by acid soil (pH < 5.0) and high rainfall, soil B concentration tends to decrease, leading to insufficient supply to crops.

Effects of the Salt Stress Duration and Intensity on Developmental and Physiological Features of the Moss .

The two accessions of the polytrichaceous moss species , namely German and Serbian genotypes, were subjected to salt stress, aiming to study the species' developmental and physiological features. Various concentrations of sodium chloride were applied to an axenic culture of the two moss genotypes, and the growth parameters as well as physiological feature changes were followed. As inferred by the morpho-developmental parameters and survival index, the Serbian genotype showed higher resistance to salt stress as compared to the German one.

Comparative Metabolome Profiling for Revealing the Effects of Different Cooking Methods on Glutinous Rice Longjing57 ( L. var. ).

Glutinous rice (GR), an important food crop in Asia, provides prolonged energy for the human body due to its high amylopectin content. The non-volatile metabolites generated by different cooking methods that affect the nutritional value and color of GR are still poorly understood. Herein, a widely targeted metabolomics approach was used to understand the effects of different cooking methods (steaming, baking, and frying) on the metabolite profiles of GR.

The regulatory mechanism of rapid lignification for timely anther dehiscence.

Anther dehiscence is a crucial event in plant reproduction, tightly regulated and dependent on the lignification of the anther endothecium. In this study, we investigated the rapid lignification process that ensures timely anther dehiscence in Arabidopsis. Our findings reveal that endothecium lignification can be divided into two distinct phases.

Exploring lipid signaling in plant physiology: From cellular membranes to environmental adaptation.

Lipids have evolved as versatile signaling molecules that regulate a variety of physiological processes in plants. Convincing evidence highlights their critical role as mediators in a wide range of plant processes required for survival, growth, development, and responses to environmental conditions such as water availability, temperature changes, salt, pests, and diseases. Understanding lipid signaling as a critical process has helped us expand our understanding of plant biology by explaining how plants sense and respond to environmental cues.

Doubled haploid technology and synthetic apomixis: Recent advances and applications in future crop breeding.

Doubled haploid (DH) technology and synthetic apomixis approaches can considerably shorten breeding cycles and enhance breeding efficiency. Compared with traditional breeding methods, DH technology offers the advantage of rapidly generating inbred lines, while synthetic apomixis can effectively fix hybrid vigor. In this review, we focus on (i) recent advances in identifying and characterizing genes responsible for haploid induction (HI), (ii) the molecular mechanisms of HI, (iii) spontaneous haploid genome doubling, and (iv) crop synthetic apomixis.

Maize smart-canopy architecture enhances yield at high densities.

Increasing planting density is a key strategy for enhancing maize yields. An ideotype for dense planting requires a 'smart canopy' with leaf angles at different canopy layers differentially optimized to maximize light interception and photosynthesis, among other features. Here we identified leaf angle architecture of smart canopy 1 (lac1), a natural mutant with upright upper leaves, less erect middle leaves and relatively flat lower leaves.

Arabidopsis cryptochromes interact with SOG1 to promote the repair of DNA double-strand breaks.

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are blue light (BL) photoreceptors to regulate a variety of physiological processes including DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RADIATION 1 (SOG1) acts as the central transcription factor of DNA damage response (DDR) to induce the transcription of downstream genes, including DSB repair-related genes BRCA1 and RAD51. Whether CRYs regulate DSB repair by directly modulating SOG1 is unknown.