MASSAI: Multi-agent system for simulating sustainable agricultural intensification of smallholder farms in Africa.

The research and development needed to achieve sustainability of African smallholder agricultural and natural systems has led to a wide array of theoretical frameworks for conceptualising socioecological processes and functions. However, there are few analytical tools for spatio-temporal empirical approaches to implement use cases, which is a prerequisite to understand the performance of smallholder farms in the real world. This study builds a multi-agent system (MAS) to operationalise the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) theoretical framework (MASSAI).

Is tree planting an effective strategy for climate change mitigation?

The world's forests store large amounts of carbon (C), and growing forests can reduce atmospheric CO by storing C in their biomass. This has provided the impetus for world-wide tree planting initiatives to offset fossil-fuel emissions. However, forests interact with their environment in complex and multifaceted ways that must be considered for a balanced assessment of the value of planting trees.

Two adjacent NAC transcription factors regulate fruit maturity date and flavor in peach.

Although maturity date (MD) is an essential factor affecting fresh fruit marketing and has a pleiotropic effect on fruit taste qualities, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we functionally characterized two adjacent NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 (NAC) transcription factors (TFs), PpNAC1 and PpNAC5, both of which were associated with fruit MD in peach. PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 were found capable of activating transcription of genes associated with cell elongation, cell wall degradation and ethylene biosynthesis, suggesting their regulatory roles in fruit enlargement and ripening.

Chromosome-level genomes of three key Allium crops and their trait evolution.

Allium crop breeding remains severely hindered due to the lack of high-quality reference genomes. Here we report high-quality chromosome-level genome assemblies for three key Allium crops (Welsh onion, garlic and onion), which are 11.17 Gb, 15.

Genomic architecture of resistance to latania scale (H. lataniae) in kiwifruit (A. chinensis var. chinensis).

Background: Latania scale (Hemiberlesia lataniae Signoret) is an armoured scale insect known to cause damage to kiwifruit plants and fruit, which ultimately reduces crop values and creates post-harvest export and quarantine issues. Resistance to H. lataniae does exist in some commercial cultivars of kiwifruit.

The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit.

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records.

Implementation of different relationship estimate methodologies in breeding value prediction in kiwiberry ().

Unlabelled: In dioecious crops such as (kiwiberries), some of the main challenges when breeding for fruit characteristics are the selection of potential male parents and the long juvenile period. Currently, breeding values of male parents are estimated through progeny tests, which makes the breeding of new kiwiberry cultivars time-consuming and costly. The application of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) would allow direct estimation of sex-related traits and speed up kiwiberry breeding.

Micro (nano)plastics and phthalate esters drive endophytic bacteria alteration and inhibit wheat root growth.

Endophytes play an important role in plant growth and stress tolerance, but limited information is available on the complex effects of micro (nano)plastics and phthalate esters (PAEs) on endophytes in terrestrial plants. To better elucidate the ecological response of endophytic bacteria on exogenous pollutants, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to examine the combined impact of polystyrene (PS) and PAEs on endophyte community structure, diversity, and wheat growth. The findings revealed that wheat roots were capable of absorbing and accumulating PS nanoparticles (PS-NPs, 0.

The potential of UAV and very high-resolution satellite imagery for yellow and stem rust detection and phenotyping in Ethiopia.

Very high (spatial and temporal) resolution satellite (VHRS) and high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery provides the opportunity to develop new crop disease detection methods at early growth stages with utility for early warning systems. The capability of multispectral UAV, SkySat and Pleiades imagery as a high throughput phenotyping (HTP) and rapid disease detection tool for wheat rusts is assessed. In a randomized trial with and without fungicide control, six bread wheat varieties with differing rust resistance were monitored using UAV and VHRS.

Exploring Pan-Genomes: An Overview of Resources and Tools for Unraveling Structure, Function, and Evolution of Crop Genes and Genomes.

The availability of multiple sequenced genomes from a single species made it possible to explore intra- and inter-specific genomic comparisons at higher resolution and build clade-specific pan-genomes of several crops. The pan-genomes of crops constructed from various cultivars, accessions, landraces, and wild ancestral species represent a compendium of genes and structural variations and allow researchers to search for the novel genes and alleles that were inadvertently lost in domesticated crops during the historical process of crop domestication or in the process of extensive plant breeding. Fortunately, many valuable genes and alleles associated with desirable traits like disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, plant architecture, and nutrition qualities exist in landraces, ancestral species, and crop wild relatives.

Mycovirus-encoded suppressors of RNA silencing: Possible allies or enemies in the use of RNAi to control fungal disease in crops.

Plants, fungi, and many other eukaryotes have evolved an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism that is key for regulating gene expression and the control of pathogens. RNAi inhibits gene expression, in a sequence-specific manner, by recognizing and deploying cognate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) either from endogenous sources (e.g.

Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth.

Evolutionary radiations of woody taxa within arid environments were made possible by multiple trait innovations including deep roots and embolism-resistant xylem, but little is known about how these traits have coevolved across the phylogeny of woody plants or how they jointly influence the distribution of species. We synthesized global trait and vegetation plot datasets to examine how rooting depth and xylem vulnerability across 188 woody plant species interact with aridity, precipitation seasonality, and water table depth to influence species occurrence probabilities across all biomes. Xylem resistance to embolism and rooting depth are independent woody plant traits that do not exhibit an interspecific trade-off.

Streambank erosion and phosphorus loading to surface waters: Knowns, unknowns, and implications for nutrient loss reduction research and policy.

To monitor and meet water quality objectives, it is necessary to understand and quantify the contribution of nonpoint sources to total phosphorus (P) loading to surface waters. However, the contribution of streambank erosion to surface water P loads remains unclear and is typically unaccounted for in many nutrient loading assessments and policies. As a result, agricultural contributions of P are overestimated, and a potentially manageable nonpoint source of P is missed in strategies to reduce loads.

AcHZP45 is a repressor of chlorophyll biosynthesis and activator of chlorophyll degradation in kiwifruit.

The degradation of chlorophyll during fruit development is essential to reveal a more 'ripe' color that signals readiness to wild dispersers of seeds and the human consumer. Here, comparative biochemical analysis of developing fruit of Actinidia deliciosa cv. Xuxiang ('XX', green-fleshed) and Actinidia chinensis cv.

Comparative transcriptomic and plastid development analysis sheds light on the differential carotenoid accumulation in kiwifruit flesh.

Carotenoids are colorful lipophilic isoprenoids synthesized in all photosynthetic organisms which play roles in plant growth and development and provide numerous health benefits in the human diet (precursor of Vitamin A). The commercially popular kiwifruits are golden yellow-fleshed () and green fleshed () cultivars which have a high carotenoid concentration. Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling the synthesis and sequestration of carotenoids in species is key to increasing nutritional value of this crop via breeding.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques and new breeding strategies in cereals - current status, improvements, and perspectives.

Cereal crops, including triticeae species (barley, wheat, rye), as well as edible cereals (wheat, corn, rice, oat, rye, sorghum), are significant suppliers for human consumption, livestock feed, and breweries. Over the past half-century, modern varieties of cereal crops with increased yields have contributed to global food security. However, presently cultivated elite crop varieties were developed mainly for optimal environmental conditions.

A discovery down under: decoding the draft genome sequence of from Australia's Critically Endangered western ground parrot/kyloring ().

, a plant pathogen, is primarily transmitted through contaminated seeds and insect vectors, with the corn flea beetle () being the primary carrier. is a bacterium belonging to the order and can lead to crop diseases that have a significant economic impact worldwide. Due to its high potential for spread, is classified as a quarantine organism in numerous countries.

Global Brassicaceae phylogeny based on filtering of 1,000-gene dataset.

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) is a scientifically and economically important family, containing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and numerous crop species that feed billions worldwide. Despite its relevance, most phylogenetic trees of the family are incompletely sampled and often contain poorly supported branches. Here, we present the most complete Brassicaceae genus-level family phylogenies to date (Brassicaceae Tree of Life or BrassiToL) based on nuclear (1,081 genes, 319 of the 349 genera; 57 of the 58 tribes) and plastome (60 genes, 265 genera; all tribes) data.

Deteriorating waterways: The effect of nitrate pollution on the development and physiology of the endangered southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis).

Nitrogen-based fertilizers can increase agricultural yields and crop quality, but this comes at the risk of contaminating nearby waterways. Nitrate is the most stable and abundant form of inorganic nitrogen in the environment and chronic exposure can impair performance and fitness in aquatically respiring species. But it remains unknown if these impairments are linked to disruptions in energy homeostasis.

Biofortified Yellow-Fleshed Potatoes Provide More Absorbable Zinc than a Commonly Consumed Variety: A Randomized Trial Using Stable Isotopes in Women in the Peruvian Highlands.

Background: Zinc-biofortified potatoes have considerable potential to reduce zinc deficiency because of their low levels of phytate, an inhibitor of zinc absorption, and their high consumption, especially in the Andean region of Peru.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure fractional and total zinc absorption from a test meal of biofortified compared with regular potatoes.

Methods: We undertook a single-blinded randomized crossover study (using Zn and Zn stable isotopes) in which 37 women consumed 500-g biofortified or regular potatoes twice a day.