Seasonal Abundance and Diversity of Egg Parasitoids of in Kiwifruit Orchards in China.

To develop effective and targeted biocontrol tactics for the brown marmorated stink bug, in crop habitats, a good understanding is essential of the abundance and diversity of its parasitoids in different crop habitats in its native range. To obtain information on the egg parasitoid communities of in kiwifruit, surveys using sentinel egg masses were conducted in 2018 and 2019. These assessed the species composition of egg parasitoids of in green-fleshed 'Hayward' kiwifruit orchards, and quantified their season-long abundances in orchards under two different management systems.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 1182-1283.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: , from , from soil. , as endophyte from healthy leaves of , in fruit of , from stem of , on stems of , from rhizosphere soil of , on living leaves of , , and on living leaves of sp. , from soil.

Aiming off the target: recycling target capture sequencing reads for investigating repetitive DNA.

Background And Aims: With the advance of high-throughput sequencing, reduced-representation methods such as target capture sequencing (TCS) emerged as cost-efficient ways of gathering genomic information, particularly from coding regions. As the off-target reads from such sequencing are expected to be similar to genome skimming (GS), we assessed the quality of repeat characterization in plant genomes using these data.

Methods: Repeat composition obtained from TCS datasets of five Rhynchospora (Cyperaceae) species were compared with GS data from the same taxa.

Long-term comparison between index selection and optimal independent culling in plant breeding programs with genomic prediction.

In the context of genomic selection, we evaluated and compared breeding programs using either index selection or independent culling for recurrent selection of parents. We simulated a clonally propagated crop breeding program for 20 cycles using either independent culling or an economic index with two unfavourably correlated traits under selection. Cycle time from crossing to selection of parents was kept the same for both strategies.

Projected Wine Grape Cultivar Shifts Due to Climate Change in New Zealand.

Climate change has already been affecting the regional suitability of grapevines with significant advances in phenology being observed globally in the last few decades. This has significant implications for New Zealand, where the wine industry represents a major share of the horticultural industry revenue. We modeled key crop phenological stages to better understand temporal and spatial shifts in three important regions of New Zealand (Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, Central Otago) for three dominant cultivars (Merlot, Pinot noir, and Sauvignon blanc) and one potential new and later ripening cultivar (Grenache).

Genotype- and tissue-specific physiological and biochemical changes of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum) varieties following a rapid dehydration.

In nature, plants may suffer rapid dehydration (RD), which causes significant loss of the annual global chickpea production. Thus, ascertaining more knowledge concerning the RD-tolerance mechanisms in chickpea is crucial for developing high drought-tolerant varieties to assure sustainable chickpea production under sudden water deficit. Here, we focused on genotype-driven variation in leaf relative water content (RWC) and associated differences in RD-responsive physiological and biochemical attributes in roots and leaves of two chickpea varieties, FLIP00-21C and FLIP02-89C, subjected to well-watered and RD conditions.

First report of eggplant mottled crinkle virus infecting eggplant in Greece.

During winter 2020-2021, a severe virus-like disease outbreak was observed in eggplant ( L.) hybrids 'Monarca' (F1) and 'Angela' (F1) growing under protected conditions in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. In three greenhouses, the percentage of infected plants reached 100% leading to crop abandonment.

Comparative proteomics analysis reveals differentially accumulated proteins associated with male and female A. chinensis var. chinensis bud development.

Background: Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. Chinensis) is abundant with vitamin C and is a rapidly developing crop in China, New Zealand, and other countries. It has been widely used as a raw material for food and kiwifruit wine.

Type III Effector RipJ Triggers Bacterial Wilt Resistance in .

causes bacterial wilt disease in solanaceous crops. Identification of avirulence type III-secreted effectors recognized by specific disease resistance proteins in host plant species is an important step toward developing durable resistance in crops. In the present study, we show that effector RipJ functions as an avirulence determinant in LA2093.

Balaustium medicagoense Meyer amp; Ryke, 1959 newly discovered in New Zealand (Acari: Erythraeiddae): descriptions of all life stages.

Balaustium medicagoense Meyer Ryke, 1959 is reported from New Zealand for the first time. Field collected specimens were reared successfully on pollen grains of Typha orientalis in the laboratory. All life stages of this species are described and illustrated from laboratory-reared specimens as well as field-collected specimens.

Understanding spatial and temporal variability of N leaching reduction by winter cover crops under climate change.

Winter cover crops are sown in between main spring crops (e.g. cash and forage crops) to provide a range of benefits, including the reduction of nitrogen (N) leaching losses to groundwater.

Wild insect diversity increases inter-annual stability in global crop pollinator communities.

While an increasing number of studies indicate that the range, diversity and abundance of many wild pollinators has declined, the global area of pollinator-dependent crops has significantly increased over the last few decades. Crop pollination studies to date have mainly focused on either identifying different guilds pollinating various crops, or on factors driving spatial changes and turnover observed in these communities. The mechanisms driving temporal stability for ecosystem functioning and services, however, remain poorly understood.

A risk-based approach for the safety analysis of eight trace elements in Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica parachinensis L.) in China.

Background: Most countries set regulatory values for the total trace element (TE) concentrations in soil, although there is growing interest in using a risk-based approach to evaluate the bioavailable TE using dilute salt extractants or other soil parameters, including pH and organic carbon The present study compares the current regulatory system (based on total TEs and pH) and a risk-based approach using 0.01 mol L CaCl to estimate the bioavailable fraction.

Results: In total, 150 paired samples of Chinese flowering cabbages (Brassica parachinensis) and their growth soils were collected, and the total and extractable concentrations of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg), as well as soil pH and organic matter content, were measured.

Lipid-Based Natural Food Extracts for Effective Control of Botrytis Bunch Rot and Powdery Mildew on Field-Grown Winegrapes in New Zealand.

Synthetic controls of crop pathogens are increasingly associated with harm to the environment and human health, and pathogen resistance. Pesticide residues in crops can also act as non-tariff trade barriers. There is therefore a strong imperative to develop biologically based and natural product (NP) biofungicides as more sustainable alternatives for crop pathogen control.

Comparative Analysis of Phenology Algorithms of the Spring Barley Model in APSIM 7.9 and APSIM Next Generation: A Case Study for High Latitudes.

Phenology algorithms in crop growth models have inevitable systematic errors and uncertainties. In this study, the phenology simulation algorithms in APSIM classical (APSIM 7.9) and APSIM next generation (APSIM-NG) were compared for spring barley models at high latitudes.

Estimating the contribution of plant traits to light partitioning in simultaneous maize/soybean intercropping.

Spatial configuration and plant phenotypic plasticity contribute to increased light capture in relay intercropping, but there is little information on whether these factors also increase light capture in simultaneous intercropping. We developed and validated a three-dimensional functional-structural plant model to simulate light capture in maize and soybean sole crops and intercrop scenarios, using species traits observed in sole crops and intercrops. The intercrop maize phenotype had 2% greater light capture than the sole crop phenotype in a pure stand.

A simple and rapid method for imaging male meiotic cells in anthers of model and non-model plant species.

We describe a simple method to view meiotic cells in whole anthers from a range of plants. The method retains spatial organisation and enables simultaneous analysis of many meiotic cells. Understanding the process of male meiosis in flowering plants, and the role of genes involved in this process, offers potential for plant breeding, such as through increasing the level of genetic variation or the manipulation of ploidy levels in the gametes.

Cadmium contamination in agricultural soils of Bangladesh and management by application of organic amendments: evaluation of field assessment and pot experiments.

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils and its subsequent transfer to crops is one of the high-priority environmental and public health issues of global concern, especially in densely populated developing countries like Bangladesh. However, no effective strategy has been introduced or implemented yet to manage Cd-contaminated soils in order to sustain agricultural production with no human health risks. In this study, agricultural soil samples were collected from 60 locations of 10 upazilas from Tangail district to assess the extent of soil Cd contamination.

Transcription-associated metabolomic adjustments in maize occur during combined drought and cold stress.

Although simultaneous drought and cold stress occurs, especially in northwestern and eastern regions of China, and is an important factor limiting agricultural productivity, there are few studies focusing on plant responses to a combination of drought and cold stress. Here, by partially overlapping drought and cold stresses, we characterized the acclimation of maize (Zea mays B73) to these two stresses using physiological measurements, as well as comparative transcriptomics combined with metabolomics and hormonal analyses during the stress treatments and recovery stages. The combined drought and cold stress and drought stress alone were accompanied by a decline in photosynthetic capacity and enhanced transcriptional response, and subsequent recovery of these following removal from stress, whereas cold stress alone was accompanied by irreversible damage to photosynthetic capacity and chloroplast structure.

A complex resistance locus in Solanum americanum recognizes a conserved Phytophthora effector.

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans greatly constrains potato production. Many Resistance (R) genes were cloned from wild Solanum species and/or introduced into potato cultivars by breeding. However, individual R genes have been overcome by P.

Shy Girl, a kiwifruit suppressor of feminization, restricts gynoecium development via regulation of cytokinin metabolism and signalling.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is a dioecious, long-living woody perennial vine. Reduced generation time and induction of hermaphroditism can accelerate crop improvement and facilitate alternative farming for better food security in the face of climate change. Previous studies identified that CENTRORADIALIS genes CEN and CEN4 act to repress flowering, whilst the male-specific Shy Girl (SyGl) gene with homology to type-C cytokinin response regulators could repress gynoecium development in model plants.

Spatio-temporally expressed sorbitol transporters cooperatively regulate sorbitol accumulation in pear fruit.

Sorbitol is the primary substrate translocated from source to sink in pear species. Among the many sorbitol transporters (SOTs), some are known to be involved in sorbitol accumulation in fruit; however, their particular roles are unclear. In this study, we examined the transcriptome and metabolome of a variety of pear samples from six time points to identify those SOTs.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.): A review of chemical diversity and biological activities.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is a commercially important fruit crop. Various species and cultivars, non-fruit plant parts, and agricultural and processing wastes are underutilized.

Significant mercury efflux from a Karst region in Southwest China - Results from mass balance studies in two catchments.

Karst regions have long been recognised as landscapes of ecological vulnerability, however the mass balance and fate of mercury (Hg) in karst regions have not been well documented. This study focused on the largest contiguous karst area in China and investigated Hg mass balance in two catchments, one with high geological Hg (Huilong) and the other representative of regional background Hg (Chenqi). The mass balance of Hg was calculated separately for the two catchments by considering Hg in throughfall, open field precipitation, total suspended particulate matter (TSP), litterfall, fertilizer, crop harvesting, air-surface Hg exchange, surface runoff and underground runoff.