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Sugar beet fertilization is a very complex agrotechnical measure for farmers. The main reason is that technological quality is equally important as sugar beet yield, but the increment of the root yield does not follow the root quality. Technological quality implies the concentration of sucrose in the root and the possibility of its extraction in the production of white table sugar. The great variability of agroecological factors that directly affect root yield and quality are possible good agrotechnics, primarily by minimizing fertilization. It should be considered that for sugar beet, the status of a single plant available nutrient in the soil is more important than the total amounts of nutrients in the soil. Soil analysis will show us the amount of free nutrients, the degree of soil acidity and the status of individual elements in the soil so that farmers can make a compensation plan. An estimate of the mineralizing ability of the soil, the N min, is very important in determining the amount of mineral nitrogen that the plant can absorb for high root yield and good technological quality. The amount of N needed by the sugar beet crop to be grown is an important factor, and it will always will be in the focus for the producers, especially from the aspect of trying to reduce the N input in agricultural production to preserve soils and their biodiversity but also to establish high yields and quality.

Yield and quality attributes of table grapes are directly depending on water availability. Therefore water is critical factor for the sustainability in the Mediterranean zone. Climate change and water scarcity cause serious problems in these areas. Different strategies that save water in semi-arid regions have gradually gained importance and deficit irrigation treatments have emerged in order to maintain yield and quality in modern viticulture. In this context, the effects of deficit irrigation practices on physiological reactions, vine growth, yield and quality attributes in field grown cv. Fantasy Seedless table grape were examined during 2016 and 2017 seasons in this paper. Three treatments were applied: Ir 100 (control) irrigated to the field capacity, Ir 65 and Ir 35 irrigated of 65% and 35% of Ir 100 treatment, respectively. Significant effects on physiological responses, vine growth, yield and quality attributes were observed depending on soil water content and vine water potential. For all treatments, significant correlation was determined between g(s) and psi(md). As the water stress level increased, stomatal conductivity decreased in both two years. In 2016, the higher yield was obtained from Ir 100, while in 2017 it was obtained from both Ir 100 and Ir 65. There was a significant correlation between psi(md) and pruning wood weight (PWW). Moreover, vine vigor, ravaz index (IR) and PWW reduced much more under Ir 35 (18.6%, 19.7%, 22.6% respectively). Ir 100 had 5.1% and 7.9% higher (significantly) berry weight values than Ir 65 and Ir 35 in 2017. Whereas, there was no significant difference in 2016. On the other hand, Ir 65 had 15% higher WUE and 25% lower ET than Ir 100 while Ir 35 had 50% higher WUE and 47% lower ET than Ir 100. Consequently, to avoid severe reduction in yield, vine performance and quality attributes in this cultivar, we suggested optimization of yield and quality balance considering physiological responses and ET. Therefore Ir 65 treatment displayed more tolerant in comparison to Ir 35., Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, This study is a part of General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (GDAR) project of the corresponding author. It was supported by the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Summary Plants undergo several developmental transitions during their life cycle. In grapevine, a perennial woody fruit crop, the transition from vegetative/green‐to‐mature/woody growth involves transcriptomic reprogramming orchestrated by a small group of genes encoding regulators, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.We investigated the function of the transcriptional regulator VviNAC33 by generating and characterizing transgenic overexpressing grapevine lines and a chimeric repressor, and by exploring its putative targets through a DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP‐seq) approach combined with transcriptomic data.We demonstrated that VviNAC33 induces leaf de‐greening, inhibits organ growth and directly activates the expression of STAY‐GREEN PROTEIN 1 (SGR1), which is involved in Chl and photosystem degradation, and AUTOPHAGY 8f (ATG8f), which is involved in the maturation of autophagosomes. Furthermore, we show that VviNAC33 directly inhibits AUXIN EFFLUX FACILITATOR PIN1, RopGEF1 and ATP SYNTHASE GAMMA CHAIN 1T (ATPC1), which are involved in photosystem II integrity and activity.Our results show that VviNAC33 plays a major role in terminating photosynthetic activity and organ growth as part of a regulatory network governing the vegetative‐to‐mature phase transition., See also the Commentary on this article by Kelly & Allan, 231: 505–507.

17 Pags.- 6 Figs.- 7 Tabls. © The Author(s) 2022. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License., Warm and semi-arid climates are characterized by rainfall scarcity, resulting in the frequent use of low-quality water for irrigation. This work was undertaken to study the effects of water stress and saline irrigation on yield and grape composition of Monastrell grapevines grafted onto 1103P rootstock. The experiment was carried out during three consecutive seasons in a commercial vineyard located in Jumilla (SE Spain) with a loamy-sandy soil. Rainfed vines were compared with five watering regimes including a Control, irrigated with standard water, and four treatments that combined two different schedules for irrigation initiation (pre- and post-veraison) with saline water obtained by adding two types of salts (sulphates and chlorides). Vines from treatments with more severe water stress (i.e., rainfed) showed lower yields and vegetative growth. Moreover, the Rainfed treatment clearly modified grape composition when compared with the Control treatment by increasing berry phenolic content. The application of saline water slightly affected vine performance and grape composition regardless of the type of salts added to the irrigation water. Indeed, the watering regime had a greater effect on yield, vegetative growth and grape composition than the use of different saline waters. Our results suggest that, in the mid-term (3 years), and with a vineyard soil with good drainage, the use of saline waters is not detrimental to vine performance, but does not improve grape composition. Further research is required to assess the long-term effects of saline water application, particularly in view of the important accumulation of chlorides and sodium in leaf tissues observed in vines watered with salty water at the last season of this experiment., Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with FEDER co-financing [grant numbers AGL-2014- 54201-C4-4-R and AGL2017-83738-C3-3-R].

Chrysanthemum is one of the major crops in the word and it is grown for two basic ways for cut flowers and potted plants, depending of market demand. In the last years the cultivated areas with Chrysanthemum have gained a significant growth. Also, due to the progress made in the selection of chrysanthemum, in order to obtain valuable varieties grown in pots, knowledge of characteristics morphology has of major importance, and the enrichment of the existing assortment in our country is the main objective of the growers. The flowers occur in various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompon or buttons. In addition, many colors are available, such as white, yellow, red, purple and green. The present paper aimed to study the main characteristics of Chrysanthemum grown in pots of the following cultivars: `Vanilla`, `Eté Indien`, `Camina Red`, `Pamplona Jogger White`, `Amelia Jogger`, `Avalon Salmon`. The measurements of the experiment were focused on the vegetative growth of the cultivars listed above (plant diameter, circumferences of the plant, height of plant, number of stems/plant, number of branches/stem, number of flowers/plant and the diameter of the flowers) in order to diversify the current Chrysanthemum assortment and to promote the cultivation of the most valuable cultivars. The obtained results shown that `Pamplona Jogger White` cultivar registered increases in the case of the diameter, circumference of the plant, and diameter of the flowers. On the opposite side the 'Camina Red' cultivar recorded the largest number of branches/stem and number of flowers/plant and the 'Avalon Salmon' cultivar has the highest values in terms of plant height and number of stems/plant.

Pinus pinea(stone pine) is an important species for its delicious seeds -the pine nuts-, the most expensive dry fruit worldwide. In native habitats, planting density is a key silvicultural tool in this highly heliophile species due to its impact on growth and cone yield. In Chile, the densities of adult plantations are medium and high. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of density on growth and cone yield in established plantations. Thirty plantations, 15 at high density (1,667 trees ha-1) and 15 at medium density (500 trees ha-1), were matched into 15 pairs of similar plantations regarding age and site characteristics. Planting density had a significant impact onP. pineagrowth and cone yield. The medium density was associated with 46 % higher diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) and 2.8 times higher cone yield than those presented by a high-density plantation scheme. However, at 500 trees ha-1, average tree height might turn cone harvesting difficult and expensive. In humid areas (Chilean South macrozone), the medium planting density had a more important effect on cone yield than on growth. Our study confirms previous research in stone pine native habitats and highlights the need to find an optimum planting density to favor cone yield and harvest., El pino piñonero (Pinus pinea) es una especie importante por sus deliciosas semillas (piñones), el fruto seco más caro del mundo. En su hábitat nativo, la densidad de plantación es una decisión silvicultural clave en esta especie heliófila debido a su impacto en el crecimiento y producción de piñas. En Chile, las densidades de plantaciones adultas son medias y altas. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de la densidad en el crecimiento y producción de piñas en plantaciones establecidas. Treinta plantaciones, 15 con alta densidad (1.667 árboles ha-1) y 15 con densidad media (500 árboles ha-1) se agruparon en pares de plantaciones de similar edad y características del sitio. La densidad de plantación tuvo un impacto significativo en el crecimiento y producción de piñas deP. pinea. La densidad media estuvo asociada con 46 % mayor diámetro a la altura del pecho y 2,8 veces mayor producción de piñas que en el esquema de alta densidad. No obstante, en la densidad de 500 árboles ha-1, la altura media puede dificultar y encarecer la cosecha de piñas. En áreas húmedas (macrozona sur de Chile), la densidad media de plantación tuvo un efecto mayor en la producción de piñas que en el crecimiento. Este estudio confirma investigaciones previas realizadas en hábitats nativos del pino piñonero y subraya la necesidad de encontrar una densidad de plantación óptima para favorecer la producción de piñas y la cosecha.

Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Politeknik Negeri Lampung pada bulan Desember sampai Februari 2019. Rancangan penelitian yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) faktorial dengan 2 faktor. Faktor pertama adalah sumber bud chip yang berasal dari 3 bagian batang yaitu B1 (atas), B2 (tengah) dan B3 (bawah). Â Faktor kedua adalah konsentrasi ZPT IAA dengan 4 taraf yaitu A0 (0 mg ), A1 (150 mg ), A2 (300 mg ), A3 (450 mg ). Â Variabel yang diamati adalah kecepatan tumbuh mata tunas, persentase tumbuh tunas (%), tinggi tanaman (cm), jumlah daun (helai) dan diameter pelepah (mm). Hasil penelitian menunjukan asal bibit bud chip bagian tengah memiliki pertumbuhan terbaik terhadap variabel kecepatan tumbuh, persentase tumbuh, tinggi bibit, jumlah daun, dan diameter pelepah. Pemberian ZPT IAA pada konsentrasi 0-450 mg l-1Â yang telah diterapkan pada sumber bud chip bagian atas, tengah, dan bawah dengan perlakuan perendaman selama 20 menit tidak memberikan dampak yang nyata pada kecepatan tumbuh, persentase tumbuh, tinggi bibit, jumlah daun, diameter pelepah dan tidak terdapat interaksi antara perlakuan asal bibit bud chip (atas, tengah, bawah) dan konsentrasi ZPT IAA (0 mg l-1 ,150 mg l-1Â ,300 mg l-1 dan 450 mg l-1 ).

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T15:38:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 This study aim was to evaluate the agronomic performance and the postharvest of small-sized Coffea arabica cultivars and to indicate the best agronomic variable for indirect selecting genotypes for cultivation in high-temperature regions. The experiment was conducted during the 2014/15 harvest, employing the randomized blocks experimental design, with four replicates. The treatments consisted of 17 small-sized coffee cultivars. The evaluated attributes were growth, yield and postharvest of the coffee cultivars. Considering their morphological attributes, the cultivars Obata IAC 1669-20, Catuai Amarelo IAC 62, Obata Amarelo IAC 4739 and IPR 99 were superior to the others. As for yield, the cultivars Obata IAC 1669-20 (51.90 bags ha(-1)), Catuai Amarelo IAC 62 (48.05 bags ha(-1)) and Catuai Vermelho IAC 99 (47.63 bags ha(-1)) were superior. In the post-harvest evaluations, the cultivar Tupi IAC 125 (Tupi RN) had the best results. Due to their better agronomic performance, the cultivars Obata IAC 1669-20 and Catuai Amarelo IAC 62 are thus recommended for high-temperature regions. Plant height tends to be the best agronomic variable for indirect selecting more adapted cultivars for high-temperature regions. Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Jaboticabal, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Jaboticabal, Brazil

Unreasonable fertilizer and irrigation applications and dosages in orchards in northern China result in poor vegetative growth and fruit quality. To reveal the combined effect of water and fertilizer coupling on vegetative growth and fruit quality, this study used pear as a field experiment material, considering: (1) irrigation lower limits (55%, 65%, 75%θf, θf is field capacity) and (2) nitrogen fertilizer application (162, 324, 486 kg·ha−1). Nine coupling schemes and a control treatment (C) were set up in the orthogonal combination. The results showed that, under the higher irrigation rate and nitrogen dose, the spring shoot length, base diameter, and leaves relative chlorophyll content values were increased by 36.77%, 31.86% and 12.91%, respectively. The response of each coupling scheme was different. However, selected water and nitrogen coupling schemes improved the fruit quality. The evaluation results indicated that medium irrigation and high fertilizer scheme were optimal. In conclusion, integrating the vegetative growth and fruit quality, it is recommended that the water and fertilizer coupling scheme for pear in the northern China is as follows: a lower irrigation limit of 65%θf and a nitrogen fertilizer amount of 486.00 kg·ha−1.

The genus Entomoneis Ehrenberg, 1845 is quite rich in species. Underestimated diversity of this genus requires its deeper morphological and molecular study, as well as an investigation of ecological and physiological characteristics of its species - specifically, their tolerance limits to environmental factors. Considering the distribution of Entomoneis species in water bodies with various salinity, we aimed at studying the tolerance limits and determining optimal salinity for vegetative growth and sexual reproduction of the diatom Entomoneis sp. from the Black Sea. We used reproductively compatible clonal cultures isolated from samples taken on the Crimean and Turkish Black Sea coasts. For Entomoneis sp. clone 7.0906-D, the nucleotide sequence of the rbcL gene was obtained; it is presented in the GenBank database under the number MT424817. Morphologically, the studied species resembles E. paludosa; according to molecular data, it is far from it. In accordance with its ecological and physiological characteristics, this species is a marine one. According to published material available, E. paludosa, unlike Entomoneis sp., inhabits brackish, slightly saline, and even fresh water bodies. Experiments on halotolerance show the following: the Black Sea clones of Entomoneis sp. are viable in a range of at least 40 ‰ (8 to 48 ‰). A salinity range of the medium within which Entomoneis sp. revealed sexual reproduction is much narrower - 18 to 36 ‰. Optimal salinity values for vegetative growth and sexual reproduction were determined (27.4 and 26.4 ‰, respectively); those turned out to be higher in both cases than the values in the natural habitat of this species. As salinity of the medium increased, Entomoneis sp. initial cells resulting from sexual reproduction tended to decrease in size.

In tropical grass seed production fields, reducing plant size can increase the solar radiation to the base of the plant canopy and improve the quantity and quality of the seeds produced. This research studied the responses of the production components, the productivity, and the seed quality of U. brizantha cv. MG-5 to different canopy sequential cuttings under cultivation conditions in rain fed systems. Two experiments were carried out (agricultural year 2015/16 (s1) and 2016/17 (s2)) in a randomized block experimental design with four repetitions. The treatments consisted of sequential cut-off, indicating the month of the last cut and the agricultural year: for the 2015/16 agricultural year: Aug - s1, Sep - s1, Oct - s1, Nov - s1, Dec - s1, Jan - s1, and Feb - s1; for the 2016/17 agricultural year: Aug - s2; Set - s2; Nov - s2; Dec - s2; Jan - s2, and Feb - s2. Plant growth biometrics, seed quality variables, and productivity were evaluated. The sequential cut strategy increased the productivity and quality of pure seeds when the final cuts were done between November and December. Cuts performed after December increased the reproductive components. However, in the region in question, rainfall levels compromised seed filling; and therefore productivity and quality since the flowering of these cuttings (January and February) occurs in May. RESUMO: Em campos de produção de sementes de forrageiras tropicais, a redução do porte das plantas pode ser uma estratégia de melhorar os índices de radiação solar no dossel inferior da lavoura, com possíveis consequências positivas para a produtividade e qualidade das sementes produzidas. Neste contexto, foi desenvolvido um trabalho com propósito de estudar as respostas dos componentes de produção, produtividade e qualidade de sementes de U. brizantha cv. MG-5 em razão de cortes sequenciais da parte aérea, em condições de cultivo em sistema de sequeiro. Para tanto foram implantados dois experimentos (ano agrícola 2015/16 - s1 e ano agrícola 2016/17 - s2), em que se adotou o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por cortes sequenciais da parte aérea, sendo que os cortes mensais e a nomenclatura dos respectivos tratamentos indicam o mês do último corte e ano agrícola: Ago - s1; Set - s1; Out - s1; Nov - s1; Dez - s1; Jan - s1 e Fev - s1 para o ano agrícola 2015/16 (s1) e Ago - s2; Set - s2; Nov - s2; Dez - s2; Jan - s2 e, Fev - s2 para o ano agrícola 2016/17 (s2). Foram avaliadas variáveis biométricas de crescimento da planta, e variáveis de qualidade e produtividade de sementes. O manejo de cortes sequenciais incrementa a produtividade e qualidade de sementes puras para cortes finais realizados entre novembro e dezembro. Cortes realizados posteriormente a dezembro aumentam os componentes reprodutivos, entretanto, na região em questão, os índices pluviométricos comprometem o enchimento das sementes e consequentemente a produtividade e qualidade, visto que o florescimento destas épocas de cortes (janeiro e fevereiro) ocorrem em maio.

Science, Engineering and Health Studies, 16, , 22030011

The cultivation of super-high-density (SHD) olive orchards in the Mediterranean Basin usually faces drought events due especially to low precipitation, high temperature and solar radiation in summer. Hence regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies can be a useful tool for irrigation management to limit yield loss. Therefore, this work aimed to find the most suitable RDI strategy by placing special emphasis on phase II of fruit growth for SHD olive orchards irrigated below theoretical water requirements. Four irrigation strategies were defined according to different water availability scenarios: fully-irrigated, RDI1, RDI2 and RDI3, scaled to respectively supply 450, 350, 250 and 150 mm year-1. Tree water relations, trunk growth, fruit and oil yields, were evaluated. The study was carried out for 5 years in an ‘Arbequina’ commercial orchard (1667 trees ha-1) in Villena, Alicante (Spain). The main results showed that ‘Arbequina’ tree irrigation water productivity (both olive and oil) gradually increased as irrigation dose lowered. Olive yield depended heavily on the applied irrigation dose, with the highest olive yield for the Control trees. However, the oil yield in the RDI1 trees was similar to that of the Control trees, but strategies RDI2 and RDI3 reduced yield. All the RDI strategies diminished vegetative development, and RDI2 was the most efficient strategy for resource distribution (olive yield vs. vegetative growth). Therefore based on oil production, vegetative growth and irrigation water savings, RDI1 was the most recommendable irrigation strategy for the Arbequina’ olive trees cultivated in SHD under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions.

Wheat is one of the main staple cereal crops worldwide. However, drought-induced stress is one of the factors limiting wheat productivity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The present study aims to investigate the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on wheat plant growth under water-deficit conditions. Three Algerian durum wheat varieties—Mohamed Ben Bachir (MBB), Boussellem (BS) and Waha (W)—were grown with (+AMF) or without (−AMF) under water-deficit and non-stress conditions. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses to AMF inoculation under water deficit were quantified. The results showed improved morphological parameters (height of the aerial part (HAP), internode length (LIN), aerial part dry weight (APDW), root dry weight (RDW), length of the ear (LE)), and chlorophyll content in AMF-inoculated plants under water-deficit conditions compared to control plants (−AMF). Moreover, soluble protein content (SPC) and membrane stability index (MSI) significantly increased with AMF inoculation under water deficit by 18% and 10%, respectively, while the proline content decreased after AMF inoculation. In addition, the water deficit significantly increases peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT), but +AMF decreases them considerably in all studied varieties. The results suggest that AMF inoculation can lead to optimized durum wheat production under arid and semi-arid conditions and provide a basis for further studies on its effects under field conditions.

In the context of sustainability, viticulture will address issues related to soil fertility in the coming period. Greater attention will therefore be paid to replacing traditional manure-based fertilisers, such as farmyard manure, with new types of fertiliser in the form of composts, digestate, etc. Experience to date suggests that good-quality composts are not only a source of nutrients that the vines take from the soil each year, but also a source of organic matter. The application of compost and its subsequent decomposition in the soil profile can have a positive effect on the growth of the roots and above-ground parts of the vine. However, optimising the effects and action of compost is linked to determining the necessary doses and methods of application. The aim of this three-year study was to provide an overview of the results aimed at evaluating the effects of the application of compost (CO) and compost enriched with the addition of lignohumate (CO+L20), at a rate of 30 t·ha−1, in the areas around vineyard tree trunks on selected soil chemical properties and the vegetative growth of the vine (Vitis vinifera L.). The unfertilised variant (CWC) was used as a control. Each variant was established in three replicates that were 20 m long. Experimental measurements and evaluation were carried out in the period of 2018–2020 on two sites with different soil conditions (Lednice and Velké Bílovice) and two different grape varieties (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris). Meteorological data were continuously monitored during the period under review. Chemical properties of the soil samples of the three experimental variants were determined (e.g., content of organic carbon, humic acids, humic substances, humification rate, etc.). The evaluations that were carried out confirmed that the addition of organic matter in the form of composts to the soil in the CO and CO+L20 variants positively influenced the quality of organic matter. The organic carbon content increased by 56–139% in variants with deep compost application (CO, CO+L20) during the monitored period compared to the CWC, depending on the location. Similarly, the degree of humification increased by 70–84%, and the soil microbial biomass increased by 38–136% in the treated variants compared to the CWC. In addition to the dynamics of the changes in the chemical properties, the aim of the performed measurements was to evaluate the rate of the growth shoots, which was linked to the fertilizing effects of the applied compost in the experimental vineyard. At the site in Velké Bílovice, the total difference in the length of the shoots was higher in the CO by 2.6–4.6% and in the CO+L20 by 7.5–12.5% compared to the CWC. At the site in Lednice, the situation was similar, and the total difference in the length of the shoots was higher in the CO by 4.6–7.2% and in the CO+L20 by 5.3–13.2%. The results that were obtained may constitute an important basis for the management of organic fertilization on plots with different soil conditions and cultivated varieties in order to optimize the vegetative growth of the vine.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a highly nutritious, desirable green leafy vegetable, which is less tolerant to drought. This study was conducted to establish the impact of a natural bio-stimulant consisting of a mixture of fish protein hydrolysates and kelp extract (trade name, Xcell Boost) on the physiological and biochemical responses as well as vegetative growth of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) under different water levels (100% (full irrigation), 50% (mild drought stress) and 30% (severe drought stress) water holding capacity). Bio-stimulant application at any strength (single, BX1 or double, BX2) had no effect on the photochemical reactions. The application of bio-stimulant at double strength concentration (BX2) increased the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, as well as the activities of antioxidative enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), under drought stress. Application at single strength (BX1) increased the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), stomatal conductance, accumulation of osmoprotectants (proline and total soluble sugars) and reduced electrolyte leakage under drought stress. Furthermore, bio-stimulant applications at either concentration induced remarkable increases in plant height, leaf area, stem dry weight, root length and root moisture. Under BX2, APX and stomatal conductance positively correlated with stem dry weight, while root length positively correlated with total chlorophyll content. These results show that Xcell Boost is a highly advantageous bio-stimulant for increasing the tolerance of spinach to drought stress, which can most likely benefit other crops grown in semi-arid and arid areas.

[EN] Ringing branches is a technique which is widely used to increase the yield of Citrus cultivars with low parthenocarpic ability. When performed during the physiological fruitlet abscission stage it prevents fruitlet drop and increases the number of fruits harvested. This effect has been related with an increased carbohydrate supply, which requires an enhanced photosynthesis efficiency of leafy flowering shoots. Since ringing also reduces vegetative growth, both the number of shoots and the leaves per shoot, the mechanism by which the carbohydrate supply is increased should be revised. Our results show that ringing carried out at this stage maintains the ability of the ovary for cell division mediated by the availability of carbohydrates, as indicated by an increased CcCYCA1.1 expression. But this effect is not linked with an increase in GA(1) biosynthesis (CcGA3ox1 expression), as this occurs during fruit set; hence, hormones other than gibberellin must be controlling the physiological fruitlet abscission in response to ringing. We found that an increased expression of the auxin efflux carrier CcPIN1 gene suggests that ringing induces the auxin export out of the fruitlet and transport to the abscission zone (AZ-C), thus inhibiting its activation and allowing carbohydrates supply to the fruitlet which, thus, prevents abscission and continues growth.

The green seaweed Ulva spp. constitute major primary producers in marine coastal ecosystems. Some Ulva populations have declined in response to ocean warming, whereas others cause massive blooms as a floating form of large thalli mostly composed of uniform somatic cells even under high temperature conditions—a phenomenon called “green tide”. Such differences in population responses can be attributed to the fate of cells between alternative courses, somatic cell division (vegetative growth), and sporic cell division (spore production). In the present review, I attempt to link natural population dynamics to the findings of physiological in vitro research. Consequently, it is elucidated that the inhibition of biomass allocation to sporulation is an important key property for Ulva to cause a huge green tide.

An experiment was carried out in the Cloth Canopy, Agricultural Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah, during the agricultural season 2018-2019, to study the effect of the seaweed extract spray (0, 2 and 4 m.L-1) on vegetative and flowering growth of two Narcissus species. Local white flowers (Narcissus tazetta) and the imported yellow flowers (N. eastertide). A factorial experiment with Randomized Completely Block Design (R.C.B.D) were used, with three replicates, the averages were compared using Least Significant Difference (L.S.D). When the plants reached treated at the emergence completion, leaves were sprayed to wetness full, with three times, the process was repeated every 15 days. The results showed that the white variety was significantly higher as well as plants treated with 4 m.L-1 extract showed significant superiority in all studied traits, the interaction between the white variety and spraying with seaweed extract concentration of 4 m.L-1 had a significant on the number of leaves5.00 leaf plant-1, leaf area 818 cm2, fresh and dry weights (30.16 and 15.70 g) of the vegetative total, flower stem length 45.55 cm, vase life 17.29 day. while the interaction between the yellow species and spraying with seaweed extract concentration of 4 m.L-1 had a significant on fresh and dry weight of the flowers (16.80 and 1.73 g).

This study identified timing (1st, 3rd, or 5th leaf stage) and duration (1, 3, 6, or 10 days) of waterlogging treatment during the vegetative stage that had the most severe effect on yield and elucidated yield determining process. Yield was reduced the most by the waterlogging treatments at the 3rd leaf stage. Among stages, yield was significantly depressed, when the treatment duration was longer than 6 days. Seed weight of the 1st branches declined more under waterlogging treatments than did that of main stem and 2nd branches, accounting for approximately 55% of total seed weight in all treatments. On the other hand, the decline in node and branch numbers was more pronounced for 2nd branches than 1st branches at the ripening stage. The development of the 2nd branches during ripening did not contribute much to increase sink capacity. Development of the main stem and the 1st branches was almost complete until the full flowering stage and shoot dry weight did not increase from the full flowering stage to the ripening stage. Shoot dry weight at the full flowering stage was determined by both leaf number and net assimilation rate (NAR). Flower cluster number at that stage was significantly correlated with total seed weight. These results showed that the critical timing was at the 3rd leaf stage and the critical duration was longer than 6 days and indicated that maintenance of leaf number and NAR and development of flowers on the 1st branches until the full flowering stage would ensure the yield. Abbreviations: NAR - net assimilation rate, SLA - specific leaf area, gs - stomatal conductance.

Survival factor 1 (Svf1) is a protein involved in cell survival pathways. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Svf1 is required for the diauxic growth shift and survival under stress conditions. In this study, we characterized the role of FgSvf1, the Svf1 homolog in the homothallic ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum. In the FgSvf1 deletion mutant, conidial germination was delayed, vegetative growth was reduced, and pathogenicity was completely abolished. Although the FgSvf1 deletion mutant produced perithecia, the normal maturation of ascospore was dismissed in deletion mutant. The FgSvf1 deletion mutant also showed reduced resistance to osmotic, fungicide, and cold stress and reduced sensitivity to oxidative stress when compared to the wild-type strain. In addition, we showed that FgSvf1 affects glycolysis, which results in the abnormal vegetative growth in the FgSvf1 deletion mutant. Further, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in the FgSvf1 deletion mutant, and this accumulated ROS might be related to the reduced sensitivity to oxidative stress and the reduced resistance to cold stress and fungicide stress. Overall, understanding the role of FgSvf1 in F. graminearum provides a new target to control F. graminearum infections in fields.

International audience; The use of polyethylene (PE) mulch at planting ensures the successful and homogeneous establishment of vineyards and also leads them to produce one year earlier. However, as they are rarely removed from the vineyards, the aesthetic and environmental impact of those films is devastating. In addition, the long-term stability of conventional plastics appears disproportionate with respect to the material lifespan required in mulching practices. To face up this issue biodegradable films already used in horticulture would be an environmentally friendly alternative provided that they meet the requirements of the perennial crop and associated farming practices i.e. remain intact in the field long enough to provide its expected positive effects on the crop and then, biodegrade on the soil surface without additional ploughing. The performance and environmental impact of a commercially available biodegradable mulch films displaying different thicknesses were studied through two consecutive fullscale field experiments conducted in the south of France. The impact of mulching on soil properties and agronomic performance was measured during the three first crop cycles by monitoring vine growth and fruiting yield concomitantly with film ageing and fate in field. In parallel, respirometric tests were undertaken to evaluate the impact of field ageing on the biodegradation rate. As a result, the use of biodegradable films for vine mulching provide similar agronomical performances as PE; grapevine growth and harvest yield were found to be significantly higher for the mulched modalities than for the bare-soil. This positive mulch-induced effect appeared from the first growing season and was maintained three years later even if the biodegradable mulch started deteriorating 5 months after planting. Thus, in spite of the early loss of integrity of the studied biodegradable mulch films, a significant positive effect on the vine growth, the rootstock development, the earliness of the first harvest and the yield (and quality) of the two first harvests have been evidenced. This leads to reconsider the required life expectancy of mulch film in the case of vineyard and constitutes encouraging results towards the possibility of substituting PE films with biodegradable ones.

The experiment was conducted during two successive seasons 2016 and 2017 on sweet pepper plants to study the effect of foliar application of some natural extracts (fulvic acid at 2, 4 and 6% or algae at 1, 2 and 4 g.L-1) were applied three times along each season (after 2, 4 and 6 weeks of planting). The influence was evaluated through the response of vegetative growth, and some physical and chemical characteristics of sweet pepper fruits. The results obtained showed that the algae extract at 1 g.L-1 in most cases was better than the other spray treatments investigated to improve most fruit characteristics (length, diameter and yield of fruits), vegetative growth, and chemical properties followed by 6% fulvic acid. With regard to organic acids, malic and citric acids are the main organic acids found in sweet pepper. Malic, succinic and glutaric acids were higher in 1 g.L-1 algae extract treatment, but the concentration of citric acid was higher in 6% fulvic acid treatment. Therefore, algae extract and fulvic acid could be safely recommended as a natural biostimulants application for improving most desirable characteristics of sweet pepper grown under the same experimental condition.

Gesnariad (Primulina yungfuensis) is a popular houseplant species, native to southwest China. However, stunting frequently occurs as a result of limited knowledge about the growth requirements of this plant. Understanding water and fertilizer requirements of gesnariad are important for effective large-scale greenhouse cultivation. Using a response surface methodology (RSM) based on a rotatable central composite design (RCCD; half implementation), a pot experiment was performed in a natural-light greenhouse from June to Sept. 2014. The study assessed the interaction between irrigation volume (W) and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizer rates on plant height, crown diameter, number of leaves, single leaf area, and fresh weight. Results showed that W had a significant positive effect on plant height, crown diameter, single leaf area, and fresh weight. Furthermore, P fertilization resulted in increased leaf number. Combined P and K fertilization reduced individual leaf area, whereas combined N and P fertilization reduced fresh weight. By analyzing the multiobjective decision-making model, we found that a combination of 100.2 mL water, 3.6 mmol·L−1 N, 0.10 mmol·L−1 P, and 1.2 mmol·L−1 K could be used to achieve optimum growth of gesnariad.

The sustainability of woody crop agroecosystems requires continued improvements to water, nutrient and soil management. In this work, the combination of resource availability or fertigation dose with soil management practices was tested in a 2 × 2 factorial design in a drip irrigated young almond orchard. The fertigation doses were: the farmer supply at 60% of crop evapotranspiration and full nutrient requirements and the half-farmer supply at 30% of crop evapotranspiration and half nutrient requirements. The soil management practices were: bare soil and cover crops in the inter-row (mixture of grasses and legumes). Tree growth, yield, water and nutrient status, and cover crop biomass and nutrient status were determined, as well as inter-row soil C and N concentration. Results showed that the effect of resource availability was independent of soil management and vice versa. The half farmer treatment reduced tree vegetative growth and yield compared to farmer treatment, due to a negative effect on the water status, without observing a decrease in the concentration of nutrients in leaves or fruit. Trees with cover crop also reduced growth and yield compared to bare soil management. This was due to a nutritional competition, mainly of Ca, Fe, Mn and Zn, rather than to a decline in tree water status. Cover crops sequester up to 1 t/ha/year of carbon but do not increase soil organic carbon, nor soil total nitrogen. Cover crops proved to be efficient in reducing soil nitrate concentration in the topsoil and therefore has potential to prevent its leaching. Deficit fertigation and the use of cover crops can be effective practices to preserve and save water and nutrient resources in Mediterranean agroecosystems, but should be established with caution so as not to compromise the profitability of the orchard., This research was funded by FUNDACIÓN CAJAMAR; “Uso eficiente del agua en escenarios de cambio climático”, and projects Sudoe ClimAlert SOE3/P4/F0862 e Interreg Atalantic Triple-CEAPA_772/2018.

Nowadays, the production of new mango cultivars is increased in many countries worldwide. The soil application of hydrogel represents a novel approach in the fruit trees industry. This investigation aims to study the effect of adding hydrogel (as soil conditioner) on the growth and yield of Shelly cv. mango trees. The experimental groups were assigned to a control group and three other treated groups, including 250, 500, or 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1. The results demonstrated that all applications of hydrogel composite had higher vegetative growth parameters, yield, and fruit quality characteristics of Shelly cv. mango trees compared to the control. The treatment of 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1 had higher values of vegetative growth parameters such as the leaf area, shoot length and tree canopy volume, compared to the control group and the other treatments. Similarly, higher values for yield and fruit quality were observed in the treatment of 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1. In conclusion, different amounts of hydrogel agent can improve the production and fruit quality of Shelly cv. mango trees in arid and semi-arid conditions in a dose-dependent manner.

Poplar is an important fast-growing tree, and its photosynthetic capacity directly affects its vegetative growth. Stomatal density is closely related to photosynthetic capacity and growth characteristics in plants. Here, we isolated PagSTOMAGEN from the hybrid poplar (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) clone 84K and investigated its biological function in vegetative growth. PagSTOMAGEN was expressed predominantly in young tissues and localized in the plasma membrane. Compared with wild-type 84K poplars, PagSTOMAGEN-overexpressing plants displayed an increased plant height, leaf area, internode number, basal diameter, biomass, IAA content, IPR content, and stomatal density. Higher stomatal density improved the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and transpiration rate in transgenic poplar. The differential expression of genes related to stomatal development showed a diverged influence of PagSTOMAGEN at different stages of stomatal development. Finally, transcriptomic analysis showed that PagSTOMAGEN affected vegetative growth by affecting the expression of photosynthesis and plant hormone-related genes (such as SAUR75, PQL2, PSBX, ERF1, GNC, GRF5, and ARF11). Taken together, our data indicate that PagSTOMAGEN could positively regulate stomatal density and increase the photosynthetic rate and plant hormone content, thereby promoting vegetative growth in poplar. Our study is of great significance for understanding the relationship between stoma, photosynthesis, and yield breeding in poplar.

The S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (Sah1) plays a crucial role in methylation and lipid metabolism in yeast and mammals, yet its function remains elusive in filamentous fungi. In this study, we characterized Sah1 in the phytopathogenic fungus F. graminearum by generating knockout and knockout-complemented strains of FgSAH1. We found that the FgSah1-GFP fusion protein was localized to the cytoplasm, and that deletion of FgSAH1 resulted in defects in vegetative growth, asexual and sexual reproduction, stress responses, virulence, lipid metabolism, and tolerance against fungicides. Moreover, the accumulations of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) (the methyl group donor in most methyl transfer reactions) in ΔFgSah1 were seven- and ninefold higher than those in the wild-type strain, respectively. All of these defective phenotypes in ΔFgSah1 mutants were rescued by target gene complementation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that FgSah1 plays essential roles in methylation metabolism, fungal development, full virulence, multiple stress responses, lipid metabolism, and fungicide sensitivity in F. graminearum. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the systematic functional characterization of Sah1 in F. graminearum.

Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori, one of 13 species of the Moringaceae family widely distributed throughout the dry tropics, has the potential to become one of the most economically important medicinal plants in Egypt. However, despite its tolerance for drought and heat, it is also threatened by increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation. Although the phenophase of this species is well documented, almost nothing is known about its period of cambial activity in desert regions. Ring formation and the general environmental adaptability of trees are affected by the timing of cambial activation. In our study site, we observe a distinct coupling of the development of new green leaves at the onset of vegetative growth in October and the phase of cambial activity (November–January). The onset of cambial activity seems to be related to a drop in temperature in October and the onset of torrential rains in the region. There might even be a short phase between the end of cambial activity and the onset of bud formation without xylem formation, but with photosynthetic activity. If so, we assume that all assimilates are stored as non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in the parenchyma of the new ring. This potential gap opens new questions regarding the correlation between NSC storage capacity and the timing of remobilization for subsequent ring formation.

Crop yield has been maintaining its attraction for researchers because of the demand of global population growth. Mutation of flowering activators, such as florigen, increases plant biomass at the expense of later flowering, which prevents crop maturity in the field. As a result, it is difficult to apply flowering activators in agriculture production. Here, we developed a strategy to utilize florigen to significantly improve soybean yield in the field. Through the screening of transgenic lines of RNAi-silenced florigen homologs in soybean (Glycine-max-Flowering Locus T Like, GmFTL), we identified a line, GmFTL-RNAi#1, with minor changes in both GmFTL expression and flowering time but with notable increase in soybean yield. As expected, GmFTL-RNAi#1 matured normally in the field and exhibited markedly high yield over multiple locations and years, indicating that it is possible to reach a trade-off between flowering time and high yield through the fine-tuning expression of flowering activators. Further studies uncovered an unknown mechanism by which GmFTL negatively regulates photosynthesis, a substantial source of crop yield, demonstrating a novel function of florigen. Thus, because of the highly conserved functions of florigen in plants and the classical RNAi approach, the findings provide a promising strategy to harness early flowering genes to improve crop yield.

A field experiment was carried out to study the vegetative growth and yield performance of Bottle Gourds- All India Coordinated Vegetable Improvement Project (AICVIP) varietal trials (AVT-I) were conducted from 2013 to 2014 at the Department of Vegetable Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, which included the seeds of the Bottle Gourds entries viz. 2012/BOGVAR-1, 2012/BOGVAR-2, 2012/BOGVAR-3, 2012/BOGVAR-4, 2012/BOGVAR-5, 2012/BOGVAR-6, 2012/BOGVAR-7, 2012/BOGVAR-8, NDBG-104 (C) and CO1 (LC) were chosen for this study. Lagenaria siceraria, known as bottle gourd, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Bottle gourd, which is extremely strong climbing, herbaceous and monoecious, is easily distinguished from other members of the Cucurbitaceous family with its large white flowers. The Bottle gourd genotypes were sown with care in the field during the year 2013 to 2014 at the spacing of 300 X 75cm with the plot size of 7.5 m X 3.0 m. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes for growth and yield parameters. Among the different bottle gourds genotypes tested (AVT-I), the highest fruit yield (253.6 q/ha) was recorded in 2012/BOGVAR-5 followed by 2012/BOGVAR-8 (240.3 q/ha). Whereas the checks, NDBG-104 (C) and CO1-(LC) recorded the yield of 225.5 and 226.4 q/ha respectively.

The oil palm (OP) Elaeis guineensis is a robust feeder of nutrients and necessitates the adjustment and adequate allocation of nutrients for optimum growth and yields. Therefore, information on leaf nutrient concentrations during the immature stage is essential for maximal OP yield at the mature stage. Currently, in Malaysia, fertilizer by the standard practice application (Treatment 1; T1) is considered a cost-effective fertilization practice in terms of fertilization cost and the overall cost per palm oil tree per hectare. However, there is an idea to further reduce the costs of fertilizers and labour per hectare to make it more cost-effective. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a novel biochemical fertilizer by testing the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) biochemical fertilizer (Treatment 2; T2) in the immature OP. Since the use of T1 has been well established in Malaysia, the present study is to compare the leaflets’ nutrient levels (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and boron (B)) and vegetative parameters (frond length (FL), frond number of leaves (FNL), frond width (FW), frond thickness (FT), chlorophyll index (CI), and the canopy of immature OP by using T2 to compare with those in T1. This study was conducted 6 to 48 months after planting (MAP) at the Telang OP plantation, Kuala Lipis (Pahang), from January 2015 to December 2018. Based on the chemical levels of the pre-treatment soil samples collected at the weeded circle area in January 2015 in the two depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm), there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in all 11 chemical parameters (pH, total N, organic carbon (Org C), total P, available P (Av P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable K, (Ex K), exchangeable Ca (Ex Ca), exchangeable Mg (Ex Mg), exchangeable aluminium (Ex Al) and B between T1 and T2. This indicated that the chemical levels in the OP soils in both T1 and T2 would not be significant factors when T1 and T2 were applied. All six leaflets’ nutrient levels showed at least ‘Optimum’ or ‘Excessive’ compared to the established guideline using T1 and T2. Overall, there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in all the above six leaflets’ nutrient levels and six vegetative parameters between T1 and T2 based on the t-Test, multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, and correlation analysis. These results suggested that rates of T1 and T2 applied in this study are enough to provide the amount of nutrients needed to support the OP vegetative growth during the immature period. The estimated cost savings for the combination of T2 fertilizers per hectare (RM 1113.43 or 250 USD) and reduction of the number of rounds (RM 133.85; or 30 USD) of T2 fertilizer application would give a sum of total cost savings of at least RM 1247.25 (280 USD) per hectare. If only based on the T2 fertilizer per hectare, the economic benefit of the total cost saving is estimated to be at least 10.6%. In summary, this study recommends the utilization of T2 as a novel, cost-effective, and alternative biochemical fertilizer treatment for better management of immature OP plantations in Malaysia.

Net application in agriculture has a long history. Nets were usually used for the protection of plants against different hazards (hail, wind, birds, pests, excessive sun radiation) and, lately, from insects (nets with smaller mesh size). In recent years, photoselective netting technology has emerged, which adds desired plant responses caused by light quality changes to their basic protective properties. A combination of anti-insect and photoselective net technology (anti-insect photoselective nets) may present a notable contribution to the sustainable food production concept. Notable positive effects of this eco-friendly approach on agroecosystems are mainly achievable due to its non-pesticide pest protection of cultivated plants and, at the same time, promotion of special beneficial morphological and physiological plant responses. Although netting has been extensively studied over the last decade, there is a pronounced lack of publications and analyses that deal with their mode of action on fruit trees, which is especially true for new netting concepts. A better understanding of such mechanisms can lead to improved development and/or utilization of this technology and enhanced generation of value-added products. This review was based on a revision of the literature regarding netting in agriculture, with emphasis on fruit cultivation, and the following databases were used: Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Although this study aims to comprehend a majority of fruit species, it narrows down to those usually net-protected and, hence, studied, such as apple, peach or nectarine, kiwifruit, blueberry, etc. Nets mainly differ in their mesh size and color, which are the parameters that mostly determine their capacity for light quantity and quality modification. Such light modifications, directly or indirectly (e.g., change in microclimate), initiate different fruit tree responses (in some cases, mechanisms) through which the final effect is realized on their vegetative and generative traits. For instance, some of them include a shade avoidance mechanism (initiated by changes in red to a far-red ratio, blue light levels, etc.), source–sink relationship, and carbohydrate availability (actualized by changes in photosynthesis efficiency, vegetative and generative growth, etc.), plant stress response (actualized by microclimate changes), etc. In most cases, these responses are interconnected, which contributes to the complexity of this topic and emphasizes the importance of a better understanding of it.

Recently there have been new trends in global consumption toward fresh foods that are sources of healthy bioactive compounds, as is the case with pitaya. However, pitaya cultivation is a relatively recent phenomenon and little is known about its management. The objective of this work is to determine the most appropriate annual fruiting pruning method for pitaya in order to obtain a regular annual yield of quality fruit and an intense shoot renewal that guarantee future production. This study compared the response of Hylocereus undatus to spur, cane, and combined pruning. As control plants, we left some plants where only sanitary pruning was performed. The results indicate that spur pruning greatly reduced flowering (seven times less than controls) and did not promote intense vegetative growth. Cane pruning, on the contrary, allowed greater flowering which is compatible with a higher number of new shoots (8% more than controls). The vigor of the new shoots was equal in all treatments. Fruit size and quality did not differ either among treatments. Spur pruning only seems applicable as a rejuvenation pruning. Combined pruning gave an intermediate response and seems of no interest given the good shoot renewal provided by cane pruning. Performing sanitary pruning alone may be an interesting option, but only in the first years of cultivation.

Al llarg dels segles xviii i xix la comarca del Pla d’Urgell va experimentar un creixement demogràfic important, atès que va arribar a multiplicar la seva població per sis. Aquest increment es va donar gràcies a un elevat i constant creixement vegetatiu (uns naixements que, amb més o menys intensitat, no van parar de créixer vers unes defuncions que, en termes generals, sempre es van ubicar per sota d’aquests), ajudat, a partir de 1860, per un saldo migratori positiu. Aquest equilibri, però, era molt fràgil. Qualsevol conflicte bèl·lic, inclemència climatològica, període de males collites o l’arribada de qualsevol epidèmia (algunes d’elles endèmiques a la comarca), es traduïa en episodis amb una mortalitat catastròfica elevada., Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries the region of Pla d’Urgell experienced strong demographic growth, multiplying its population by six. This growth was due to high and constant vegetative growth (birth rates that, with more or less intensity, didn’t stop growing, against death rates that generally remained below them) helped, since 1860, by a positive migratory balance. This balance, however, was very fragile. Any war, bad weather, seasons of bad harvests or the arrival of an epidemic (some of them endemic in the region) triggered high episodes of catastrophic mortality., A lo largo de los siglos xviii y xix la comarca del Pla d'Urgell experimentó un crecimiento demográfico importante, dado que llegó a multiplicar su población por seis. Este incremento se dio gracias a un elevado y constando crecimiento vegetativo (unos nacimientos que, con más o menos intensidad, no pararon de crecer verso unas defunciones que, en términos generales, siempre se ubicaron por debajo de estos), ayudado, a partir de 1860, por un saldo migratorio positivo. Este equilibrio, pero, era muy frágil. Cualquier conflicto bélico, inclemencia climatológica, periodo de malas cosechas o la llegada de cualquier epidemia (algunas de ellas endémicas en la comarca), se traducía en episodios con una mortalidad catastrófica elevada.

The conserved Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 microtubule association proteins (MAPs) family plays an important role in microtubule dynamics, nucleation, and kinetochore-microtubule attachments. However, function of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi has not been determined. Here, we identified and investigated the Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog (FGSG_10528) inFusarium graminearum(FgStu2p). Co-localization experiment and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay demonstrated thatFgStu2p is a microtubule associated protein. Besides,FgStu2 could also interact withFgγ-tubulin and presumedFgNdc80, which suggested that theFgStu2 gene might associate with microtubule nucleation and kinetochore-microtubule attachments like Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homologs in other species. Moreover, theFgStu2 promoter replacement mutants (FgStu2-Si mutants) produced twisted hyphae and decreased growth rate. Microscope examination further showed that the microtubule polymerization was reduced inFgStu2-Si mutants, which could account for the aberrant morphology. Although the microtubule polymerization was affected inFgStu2-Si mutants, theFgStu2-Si mutants didn’t show highly increased sensitivity to anti-microtubule fungicide carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate [MBC]). In addition, theFgStu2-Si mutants exhibited curved conidia, decreased number of conidial production, blocked ability of perithecia production, decreased pathogenicity and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Taken together, these results indicate that theFgStu2 gene plays a crucial role in vegetative growth, morphology, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production ofF. graminearum, which brings new insights into the functions of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi.

The negative effects of fruit production during one cycle on reproduction during the following cycle are generally explained by two complementary processes: hormone synthesis and carbohydrate mobilization. Our study focused on mango (Mangifera indica L.) for which it has been shown that reproduction decreases and delays vegetative bud outgrowth. This, in turn, affects flowering and fruiting in the following cycle. Vegetative growth therefore plays a pivotal role in irregular fruit production patterns across consecutive years. Our aim was to decipher the respective roles of hormones and carbohydrates on the negative effects of reproduction on vegetative growth. We analyzed the changes in various hormone (auxin, cytokinin, abscisic acid) and carbohydrate (glucose, sucrose, starch) concentrations in terminal axes with vegetative and reproductive fates of two mango cultivars, Cogshall and José, characterized by different bearing patterns, across consecutive phenological periods during a growing cycle. Auxin concentrations were high in inflorescences, fruit peduncles and axes bearing inflorescences or fruit, suggesting auxin-induced inhibition of vegetative bud outgrowth in the flowering and fruiting axes. Moreover, growing fruits, which are strong sink organs, depleted carbohydrates from non-fruiting axes. During vegetative growth, this starch depletion probably contributed to decreasing the probability of and to delaying vegetative bud outgrowth of reproductive axes for Cogshall, and of reproductive and nonreproductive axes for José. Starch dynamics in quiescent and flowering growth units during early fruit growth and their starch concentrations at fruit maturity differed between the two cultivars, presumably in relation to the observed contrasted crop loads and/or to differences in photosynthetic capacity or carbohydrate allocation. These differences between the two cultivars in terms of starch concentration in terminal axes during vegetative growth could partly explain their different bearing patterns.

Alkaline/neutral invertase (A/N-INV) is an invertase that irreversibly decomposes sucrose into fructose as well as glucose and plays a role in plant growth and development, starch synthesis, abiotic stress, and other plant-life activities. Cassava is an economically important starch crop in tropical regions. During the development of cassava tuber roots, A/N-INV activity is relatively high, which indicates that it may participate in sucrose metabolism and starch synthesis. In this study, MeNINV1 was confirmed to function as invertase to catalyze sucrose decomposition in yeast. The optimal enzymatic properties of MeNINV1 were a pH of 6.5, a reaction temperature of 40 °C, and sucrose as its specific catalytic substrate. VB6, Zn2+, and Pb2+ at low concentrations as well as EDTA, DTT, Tris, Mg2+, and fructose inhibited A/N-INV enzymic activity. In cassava, the MeNINV1 gene was mainly expressed in the fibrous roots and the tuber root phloem, and its expression decreased as the tuber root grew. MeNINV1 was confirmed to localize in chloroplasts. In Arabidopsis, MeNINV1-overexpressing Arabidopsis had higher A/N-INV activity, and the increased glucose, fructose, and starch content in the leaves promoted plant growth and delayed flowering time but did not change its resistance to abiotic stress. Our results provide new insights into the biological function of MeNINV1.

A utilização de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) na produção de porta-enxertos é uma alternativa para promover um desenvolvimento mais acelerado às plantas. Entretanto, sua resposta depende das espécies dos simbiontes. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência de diferentes espécies de FMA no desenvolvimento e fisiologia do portaenxerto citrangeiro ‘Fepagro C37 Reck’. Foram utilizadas quatro espécies de FMA: Scutellospora heterogama, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus etunicatum e Acaulospora sp., bem como um tratamento controle. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso de 5 tratamentos, com 3 repetições e 10 plantas por parcela. A cada quinze dias, foi medida a altura (cm) e o diâmetro do caule (mm) das plantas no viveiro. Aos 330 dias, foram medidos o número de folhas, a área foliar (cm²), a massa fresca e seca das raízes e da parte aérea (g/planta), o teor de reservas da raiz e da parte aérea, o conteúdo nutricional da parte aérea e a colonização de FMA. A inoculação de FMA promoveu um crescimento vegetativo acelerado, resultando em maior altura e diâmetro. Além disso, os fungos promoveram às plantas maior absorção da maioria dos nutrientes e em todos os outros parâmetros testados. Contudo, não se observou efeito no teor de reservas do portaenxerto. As raízes foram colonizadas, com moderada presença de arbúsculos e baixa de vesículas. Os FMA, independentemente da espécie, influenciam no desenvolvimento e na fisiologia do porta-enxerto citrangeiro ‘Fepagro C37 Reck’. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the production of rootstocks is a strategy to promote faster plant growth. However, this response depends on the symbiont species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) on the development and physiology of citrange ‘Fepagro C37 Reck’ rootstock. Four species of AMF were used in the experiment: Scutellospora heterogama, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus etunicatum, and Acaulospora sp., and a control treatment. The experiment was arranged in a randomized blocks design, with 5 treatments, 3 replicates, and 10 plants per plot. Every 15 days, height (cm) and stem diameter (mm) of plants were measured in the nursery. At 330 days, the number of leaves, leaf area (cm²), fresh and dry mass of roots and shoot (g/plant), root and shoot reserve content, and AMF colonization were evaluated. The AMF inoculation promoted an accelerated vegetative growth, resulting in greater height and diameter. The fungi also promoted greater absorption of most of the nutrients and increase in all other parameters evaluated. However, no effect was found on the reserve content of the rootstock. Roots were colonized with moderate presence of arbuscules and low presence of vesicles. AMF, regardless of species, influence the development and physiology of the citrange ‘Fepagro C37 Reck’ rootstock.

The study was designed to improve the quality of the SBP as milled cane planting material by improving the early growth of plants. Research carried out gradually implemented in the Indonesian Sugar Plantation Research Center (P3GI) Pasuruan, using two varieties of sugarcane are varieties Bululawang and PS 862 with numbers 7-16 buds. Germination (%), was observed on the 15th day after planting (DAP) and the growth of the plant include: plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, as well as the production of biomass include: Dry weight (DW) and fresh weight (FW) plant organs (leaves, stems, and roots). Fresh Weight (BS) and Dry Weight (BK) total crop. The results showed the top eye numbers (7,8,9,10) for both varieties provide the same germination potential (> 70%). But the number of buds bottom (11,12,13,14,15,16) Bululawang varieties give a lower percent germination than varieties of PS 862. At PS 862 varieties buds numbers 8 and 9 can generate over 95 percent germination %. Number eye affects plant growth in polybag components which include plant height, leaf area and the number of leaves and observation of the biomass production shows the influence of the number of eyes. These parameters indicate a decrease in the number and size of the eyes of the lower numbers. While the diameter rod eye development is not affected numbers. PS 862 varieties showed faster growth than Bululawang varieties. However, exposure to biomass production, Bululawang varieties showed higher yields than at PS 862 varieties.

The green seaweed Ulva spp. constitute major primary producers in marine coastal ecosystems. Some Ulva populations have declined in response to ocean warming, whereas others cause massive blooms as a floating form of large thalli mostly composed of uniform somatic cells even under high temperature conditions—a phenomenon called “green tide”. Such differences in population responses can be attributed to the fate of cells between alternative courses, somatic cell division (vegetative growth), and sporic cell division (spore production). In the present review, I attempt to link natural population dynamics to the findings of physiological in vitro research. Consequently, it is elucidated that the inhibition of biomass allocation to sporulation is an important key property for Ulva to cause a huge green tide.

Lysimeters are the reference method for determining ETc, but they are expensive and complex, which limits their use. The first objective of this work was to adjust and evaluate the robustness of sap flow sensors in order to determine the transpiration of a vineyard and, together with an evaporation model, to calculate the ETc of the vineyard. For this purpose, we compared water consumption data obtained from a vineyard weighing lysimeter (ETcLys) with the sum of transpiration obtained from sap flow sensors (TSF) and evaporation estimated empirically over four years (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). The second objective was to obtain the relationship between the vegetative growth and transpiration of the vines with different water availability (irrigation and rainfed treatments), as an alternative method for estimating vine water needs adjusted to their real development. The third and last objective was to evaluate the transpiration response of the vines when subjected to water stress. We carried out the work in an experimental vineyard which has a well-established weighing lysimeter. As a result, a good match was obtained between vine sap flow and transpiration (R2 = 0.85) as well as a good relationship between vegetative growth and vine transpiration (FiPAR: R2Irrigation = 0.34. R2Rainfed = 0.54, LAI: R2Irrigation = 0.68. R2Rainfed = 0.53).

The present work evaluates the main adaptive mechanisms developed by young sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) to cope with drought. For this purpose, the young trees were subjected to two drought cycles with different water stress intensities followed by a recovery period. Three irrigation treatments were applied: control treatment (CTL) irrigated to ensure non-limiting soil water conditions, moderate water stress (MS) subjected to two drying cycles whose duration was dependent on the time elapsed until the trees reached values of midday stem water potential (Ψstem) of −1.3 and −1.7 MPa for the first and second cycle, respectively, and severe water stress (SS) similar to MS, but with reference values of −1.6 and −2.5 MPa. In-between drought cycles, MS and SS trees were irrigated daily as the CTL trees until reaching Ψstem values similar to those of CTL trees. The MS and SS trees showed an important stomatal regulation and lower vegetative growth. The decreasing leaf turgor potential (Ψturgor) during the drought periods accounted for 40–100% of the reduction in leaf water potential at midday (Ψmd). The minimum osmotic potential for mature leaves was about 0.35 MPa lower than in well-irrigated trees. The occasional osmotic adjustment observed in MS and SS trees was not sufficient to maintain Ψturgor values similar to the CTL trees or to increase the specific leaf weight (SLW). The leaf insertion angle increased as the water stress level increased. Severe water stress (Ψstem &lt, −2.0 MPa) resulted in clear early defoliation as a further step in water conservation.

This study were conducted on transplant of two fig cultivars "white adriatic" and "aswad diala", which were planting on plastic pags under lauth house conditional Horticulture and Landscape Design, throw 2012 growing season, to know the effect of foliar spray with two levels of each of liquid fertilizer Starter plus (8% N-32% P - 5% K) (1 and 2 ml.L-1), Zn (5 and 10 ml.L-1) and IAA(50,100 mg.L-1) in addition to control treatment. The foliar sprays of all factors were done of three times (21/5, 5/6 and 20/6), 15 days intervals.This study were conducted by using C.R.D Design, with three replicates and with four transplants for each experimental unit, The means were compared by using Duncan multiple range test of probability of 5%. Results indicated that the foliar spray with liquid fertilizer Starter plus of two concentrations (1 and 2 ml.L-1) significantly increased leaves chlorophyll content and increment of main stem height respectively.The foliar spray with zinc with concentration (5mg.L-1) significantly increase the increment of leaves number and with concentration (10 mg.L-1) significantly increase the increment of main stem diameter. The results clearly showed that "white adriatic" cv. Significantly dominated over "aswad diala" cv. in all studied parameters except dry matter percentage. The interaction effect showed that "white adriatic" transplants which were sprayed with 2 ml.L-1 of Starter plus significantly increased all studied parameters compared with other interaction.

Reduction of osa-miR171b contributes to rice stripe virus symptoms by regulating its targets, while overexpression attenuates symptoms, providing direct experimental evidence that a plant miRNA affects the development of virus symptoms., Viral infection affects the pattern of plant miRNA expression. It has been presumed that reduction of miR171 and several other miRNAs influences viral symptoms in plants. We here experimentally demonstrate the association of osa-miR171b with rice stripe virus (RSV) symptoms in rice. Inhibition of osa-miR171b caused stunting with reduced chlorophyll content in leaves similar to viral symptoms. Overexpression of osa-miR171b by an artificial miRNA extended vegetative growth and enhanced chlorophyll accumulation in leaves. Tillers were thicker, and panicles were longer with more spikelets in plants overexpressing osa-miR171b than in controls, but there were no differences in tiller numbers. Targets of osa-miR171b, OsSCL6-IIa, OsSCL6-IIb, and OsSCL6-IIc, were respectively up- and down-regulated in plants where osa-miR171b was inhibited or overexpressed. In plants overexpressing osa-miR171b, five positive regulators for heading development, Ehd1, Ehd2, Ehd3, Ehd4, and Hd3a were up-regulated, while the negative regulator Ghd7 was down-regulated. Plants overexpressing osa-miR171b were less susceptible to RSV and virus symptoms were attenuated. Taken together, the results reveal that a reduction of osa-miR171b in RSV-infected rice contributes to RSV symptoms, and provide more insight into the roles of osa-miR171b in rice.

Trabajo presentado en el X International Symposium on Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management, celebrado en Montpellier del 2 al 5 de junio de 2015., Understanding the mechanisms regulating vegetative and reproductive growth is important for modelling purposes, as the partitioning of carbohydrates is dependent on phenology. In olive trees, floral buds undergo a winter endodormant state that is released once they have been exposed to long enough periods of chilling temperatures. Similarly, the apical vegetative buds stop their activity during winter, but it is unknown so far whether growth cessation is triggered by endodormancy or by unfavourable low temperature conditions (ecodormancy). The aim of the present work was to shed some light on this issue. To this end, an experiment was carried out in Córdoba (Spain) with young potted 'Arbequina' olive trees. Plants were grouped in sets of three individuals that were transferred to a greenhouse with an optimal temperature for growth at different dates over the course of a winter (from late November to early March). The activity of vegetative buds was assessed weekly by counting the number of new leaf pairs generated on market shoots. In all cases, apical buds resumed their activity fairly soon after their entry into the greenhouse (‹2-3 weeks), but both the time for bud brake and rate of new leaf appearance was influenced by the date of entry. In particular, bud break took longer and subsequent growth rates were lower for the plants transferred into the greenhouse in early winter than for those plants moved to the greenhouse on later dates. It is concluded that olive apical buds undergo an easily-reversible endodormant state in winter.

FvatfA from the maize pathogen Fusarium verticillioides putatively encodes the Aspergillus nidulans AtfA and Schizasaccharomyces pombe Atf1 orthologous bZIP-type transcription factor, FvAtfA. In this study, a ΔFvatfA deletion mutant was constructed and then genetically complemented with the fully functional FvatfA gene. Comparing phenotypic features of the wild-type parental, the deletion mutant and the restored strains shed light on the versatile regulatory functions played by FvAtfA in (i) the maintenance of vegetative growth on Czapek-Dox and Potato Dextrose agars and invasive growth on unwounded tomato fruits, (ii) the preservation of conidiospore yield and size, (iii) the orchestration of oxidative (H2O2, menadione sodium bisulphite) and cell wall integrity (Congo Red) stress defences and (iv) the regulation of mycotoxin (fumonisins) and pigment (bikaverin, carotenoid) productions. Expression of selected biosynthetic genes both in the fumonisin (fum1, fum8) and the carotenoid (carRA, carB) pathways were down-regulated in the ΔFvatfA strain resulting in defected fumonisin production and considerably decreased carotenoid yields. The expression of bik1, encoding the polyketide synthase needed in bikaverin biosynthesis, was not up-regulated by the deletion of FvatfA meanwhile the ΔFvatfA strain produced approximately ten times more bikaverin than the wild-type or the genetically complemented strains. The abolishment of fumonisin production of the ΔFvatfA strain may lead to the development of new-type, biology-based mycotoxin control strategies. The novel information gained on the regulation of pigment production by this fungus can be interesting for experts working on new, Fusarium-based biomass and pigment production technologies.Key points• FvatfA regulates vegetative and invasive growths of F. verticillioides.• FvatfA also orchestrates oxidative and cell wall integrity stress defenses.• The ΔFvatfA mutant was deficient in fumonisin production.• FvatfA deletion resulted in decreased carotenoid and increased bikaverin yields. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00253-020-10717-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundIDA (INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION)-like signaling peptides and the associated HAE (HAESA)-like family of receptor kinases were originally reported in the model plantArabidopsis thaliana(Arabidopsis) to be deeply involved in the regulation of abscission. Actually, IDA peptides, as cell-to-cell communication elements, appear to be implicated in many developmental processes that rely on cell separation events, and even in the responses to abiotic stresses. However, the knowledge related to the molecular machinery regulating abscission in economically important crops is scarce. In this work, we determined the conservation and phylogeny of theIDA-like andHAE-like gene families in relevant species of the Solanaceae family and analyzed the expression of these genes in the allopolyploidNicotiana benthamiana,in order to identify members involved in abscission, stem growth and in the response to drought conditions.ResultsThe phylogenetic relationships among theIDA-like members of the Solanaceae studied, grouped the two pairs of NbenIDA1 and NbenIDA2 protein homeologs with the Arabidopsis prepropeptides related to abscission. Analysis of promoter regions searching for regulatory elements showed that these two pairs of homeologs contained both hormonal and drought response elements, althoughNbenIDA2Alacked the hormonal regulatory elements. Expression analyses showed that the pair ofNbenIDA1homeologs were upregulated during corolla abscission.NbenIDA1andNbenIDA2pairs showed tissue differential expression under water stress conditions, sinceNbenIDA1homeologs were highly expressed in stressed leaves whileNbenIDA2homeologs, especiallyNbenIDA2B, were highly expressed in stressed roots. In non-stressed active growing plants, nodes and internodes were the tissues with the highest expression levels of all members of theIDA-like family and their putativeHAE-like receptors.ConclusionOur results suggest that the pair ofNbenIDA1homeologs are involved in the natural process of corolla abscission while both pairs ofNbenIDA1andNbenIDA2homeologs are implicated in the response to water stress. The data also suggest that IDA peptides may be important during stem growth and development. These results provide additional evidence that the functional module formed by IDA peptides and its receptor kinases, as defined in Arabidopsis, may also be conserved in Solanaceae.

Aim: The effects of integrated, organic and biodynamic management on soil quality and the growth and morphological development of Riesling grapevines were assessed during the first 4 years of a long-term field trial in Geisenheim, Germany. The overall aim was to understand the effects of these different viticultural practices on soil quality and plant morphology as the basis for product quality.Methods and results: As indicators of soil quality, earthworm abundance and the activity of selected enzymes were assessed. The vegetative and reproductive development of the grapevines, as well as their susceptibility to fungal diseases in the field, wood and grape composition, and grape yield, were investigated. Individual variables were subjected to analysis of variance. Additionally, all variables were subjected to multivariate principal component analysis. Compared with plots under integrated management, plots under the two biological treatments were characterized by higher soil quality and lower vegetative growth and grape yield, and therefore higher exposure of grapes and lower grape cluster compactness, and, probably as a result of these morphological differences, lower incidence of acetic acid rot. Principal component analysis clearly differentiated the three treatments, and showed that biodynamic management had more pronounced effects than organic management in terms of enhanced soil fertility and reduction of vegetative growth.Conclusions: In the present study, organic and especially biodynamic management resulted in a morphology favouring production of high-quality grapes. The treatments differed in terms of fertilization and plant protection methods as well as choice of cover crops. Therefore, further research is necessary with respect to root growth and the nitrogen and water uptake dynamics of vines and cover crops. The differences between grapes produced under organic and biodynamic management emphasize the need for more research on the mode of action of biodynamic preparations.Significance and impact of the study: In recent years, both winegrowers and consumers have expressed steadily growing interest in organic and especially biodynamic wine production. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the effects on grapevine growth and morphological development of shifting to these methods as a way to increase product quality.