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Growth habit is a plant architectural trait in grain legumes with no exception of horse gram [Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.]. Determinacy and indeterminacy are the two types of growth habits reported in horse gram. Relative advantages of the two types of growth habit depend on the production systems to which cultivars are targeted. Dependable information on genetics of growth habit provide clues for adopting the most appropriate selection strategy to breed high yielding horse gram varieties with desired growth habit. Taking cues from the past studies, we hypothesize that growth habit in horse gram is controlled by two genes displaying inhibitory epistasis and indeterminacy is dominant over determinacy. To test this hypothesis, we monitored the inheritance of growth habit in F1, F2 and F3 generations derived from two crosses involving parents differing for growth habit. Contrary to our hypothesis, determinate growth habit of F1s of both the crosses suggested dominance of determinacy over indeterminacy. A good fit of observed segregation of F2 plants to that of the hypothesized segregation in the ratio of 13 determinate: 3 indeterminate plants, besides confirming dominance of determinacy, suggested classical digenic inhibitory epistatic control of growth habit. These results were further confirmed in F3 generation based on goodness of fit between observed numbers of plants segregating for determinacy and indeterminacy and those expected in the ratio of 49 determinate: 15 indeterminate plants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the inheritance of growth habit in horse gram.

Plant density defines vegetative architecture and the competition for light between individuals. Brassica napus (canola, rapeseed) presents a radically different plant architecture compared to traditional crops commonly cultivated at high density, and can act as a model system of indeterminate growth. Using a panel of 152 spring-type accessions and a double-haploid population of 99 lines from a cross between the cultivars Lynx and Monty, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for 12 growth and yield traits at two contrasting plant densities of 15 and 60 plants m–2. The most significant associations were found for time to flowering, biomass at harvest, plant height, silique and seed numbers, and seed yield. These were generally independent of plant density, but some density-dependent associations were found in low-density populations. RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis revealed distinctive latent gene-regulatory responses to simulated shade between Lynx and Monty. Having identified candidate genes within the canola QTLs, we further examined their influence on density responses in Arabidopsis lines mutated in certain homologous genes. The results suggested that TCP1 might promote growth independently of plant density, while HY5 could increase biomass and seed yield specifically at high plant density. For flowering time, the results suggested that PIN genes might accelerate flowering in plant a density-dependent manner whilst FT, HY5, and TCP1 might accelerate it in a density-independent. This work highlights the advantages of using agronomic field experiments together with genetic and transcriptomic approaches to decipher quantitative complex traits that potentially mediate improved crop productivity.

As applied to bone, ���determinate growth��� identifies an upper limit to size and the point when normal endochondral ossification ceases. This contrasts with ���indeterminate growth���, which proceeds through the entire life of the animal. In this study, a non-destructive method, epi-illumination surface microscopy of the articular surfaces of long bones, is applied for the first time in 40 taxa of non-avian dinosaurs to determine cessation of endochondral growth. Thereby, the presence or absence of articular vascular channels between the endochondral bone and the cartilage is assessed. As articular vascular channels are the major source of nutrients for continued longitudinal growth, atrophy or loss of those channels would preclude continued growth of bone. We correlated our findings with published histological data and bone length measurements. We found articular vascular channels in all assessed dinosaur groups, but some individuals showed a loss of detectable articular vascular channels ��� what we interpret as evidence of longitudinal skeletal growth cessation. This observation contrasts with the hypothesis of continuous indeterminate growth in dinosaurs, at least for the taxa identified here, in which channels have been documented as closed or closing over. The new method introduced here provides a phylogenetic tool for definitively distinguishing new ���dwarf��� species from juveniles of known species. Furthermore, this study confirms the rarity of skeletally mature dinosaurs discovered to date and indicates that we have only begun to witness the full extent of dinosaur growth. Bruce M. Rothschild [spondylair@gmail.com], Carnegie Museum, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Florian Witzmann* [florian.witzmann@mfn.berlin], Museum f��r Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstra��e 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany.

Over the last few decades, waterlogging stress has increasingly threatened global cotton production. Waterlogging results in reduced soil oxygen, impairing the growth and development of this valuable crop and often resulting in severe yield loss or crop failure. However, as cotton has an indeterminate growth habit, it is able to adapt to waterlogging stress by activating three mechanisms: the escape, quiescence, and self-regulating compensation mechanisms. The escape mechanism includes accelerated growth, formation of adventitious roots, and production of aerenchyma. The quiescence mechanism involves reduced biomass accumulation and energy dissipation via physiological, biochemical, and molecular events. The self-regulation compensation mechanism allows plants to exploit their indeterminate growth habit and compensatory growth ability by accelerating growth and development following relief from waterlogging stress. We review how the growth and development of cotton is impaired by waterlogging, focusing on the three strategies associated with tolerance and adaptation to the stress. We discuss agronomic measures and prospects for mitigating the adverse effects of waterlogging stress.

Post‐maturation growth leading to indeterminate growth patterns is widespread in nature. However, its adaptive value is unclear. Life history theory suggests this allocation strategy may be favored by temporal pulses in the intensity of mortality and/or the capacity to produce new tissues.Addressing the origin of indeterminate growth and the variability of growth patterns, we studied the growth of duck mussels, Anodonta anatina, a pan‐European unionid, in 18 Polish lakes. For each population, the sex, size, and age of collected mussels were measured to estimate Bertalanffy's growth curve parameters. We integrated information on A. anatina mortality rates, lake trophy, biofouling by zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, and the prevalence of parasitic trematode larvae to identify selective conditions in lakes.We found two sources of mortality in A. anatina populations, pertaining to adverse effects of zebra mussel biofouling and trophy state on mussel survival. Additionally, populations with heavier biofouling presented a smaller abundance of parasites, indicative of a relationship between filtering intensity and contraction of water‐borne trematode larvae by filtering A. anatina.Consistently for each sex, populations with a greater trophy‐related mortality were characterized in A. anatina by a smaller asymptotic size Lmax, indicative of a life history response to mortality risk involving early maturation at a smaller body size. In all populations, females featured higher mortality and larger asymptotic size versus males.Our findings support a theoretical view that adaptive responses to selection involve adjustments in the lifetime resource allocation patterns. These adjustments should be considered drivers of the origin of indeterminate growth strategy in species taking parental care by offspring brooding in body cavities., We studied the growth of duck mussels, Anodonta anatina, a pan‐European unionid, in 18 Polish lakes representing different trophic conditions. We found two sources of mortality in A. anatina populations, pertaining to adverse effects of zebra mussel biofouling and trophy state on mussel survival. In all populations, females featured higher mortality and larger asymptotic size versus males, and consistently for each sex, populations with a greater trophy‐related mortality were characterized in A. anatina by a smaller asymptotic size, indicative of a life history response to mortality risk involving early maturation at a smaller body size. Our findings support a theoretical view that adaptive responses to selection involve adjustments in the lifetime resource allocation patterns.

A short stratigraphic interval near Bulin in western Hunan (China) yields multiple specimens of the ~514-Myr-old oryctocarine trilobite Oryctocarella duyunensis. Size data obtained from these specimens indicate that, from meraspid degree 1 onward, degrees represent successive instars. Meraspid growth persisted until a terminal stage was reached, providing the first example of determinate growth in trilobites and, notably, in an early Cambrian species. The sample contains three varieties of such terminal stages, recognized as holaspids, with 9, 10, or 11 thoracic segments, respectively. During the meraspid phase, growth rates were not constant in this species. The pattern of growth seen in the Bulin assemblage differs modestly from that reported in the same species from two other localities, attesting to microevolutionary variation in developmental patterns among these collections.

In India, horse gram [Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.] is generally preferred as a contingent crop when the onset of rain is delayed or region-specific popular crops fail to establish due to early season drought. The uncertain and delayed rainfall very often forces farmers to plant horse gram beyond the recommended month of sowing (September). The productivity of horse gram significantly reduces with delayed sowing. Taking cues from other legumes, we hypothesized that genotypes with in-determinate growth habit perform better and are more stable than those with semi-determinate and determinate growth habits across delayed dates of sowing. To test this hypothesis, we assessed comparative grain yield potential based on best linear unbiased predictor and yield relative to environment maximum, and additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model-based stability of horse gram genotypes differing in growth habit across early (August), recommended (September) and delayed (October) dates of sowing. The genotypes with in-determinate and semi-determinate growth habits produced greater grain yield plant−1 when sown during early and recommended months, respectively. The genotypes, irrespective of their growth habit produced comparable grain yield plant−1 when sown during delayed month. However, across-dates of sowing, the average seed yield and stability of in-determinate genotypes were significantly better than semi-determinate and determinate genotypes. Based on YREM estimates, our study indicated that genotypes with semi-determinate growth habit should be preferred over those with other growth habits even for early or delayed sowing due to low grain yield penalty caused by crossover genotypes × dates of sowing interaction.

The relationship between growth and sexual maturation is central to understanding the dynamics of animal populations which exhibit indeterminate growth. In sequential hermaphrodites, which undergo post-maturation sex change, the size and age at which sex change occurs directly affects reproductive output and hence population productivity. However, these traits are often labile, and may be strongly influenced by heterogenous growth and mortality rates. We analysed otolith microstructure of a protandrous (i.e., male-to-female) fish (barramundi Lates calcarifer) to examine growth in relation to individual variation in the timing of sex change. Growth trajectories of individuals with contrasting life histories were examined to elucidate the direction and extent to which growth rate influences the size and age individuals change sex. Then, the relationships between growth rate, maturation schedules and asymptotic maximum size were explored to identify potential trade-offs between age at female maturity and growth potential. Rapid growth was strongly associated with decreased age at sex change, but this was not accompanied by a decrease in size at sex change. Individuals that were caught as large females grew faster than those caught as males, suggesting that fast-growing individuals ultimately obtain higher fitness and therefore make a disproportionate contribution to population fecundity. These results indicate that individual-level variation in maturation schedules is not reflective of trade-offs between growth and reproduction. Rather, we suggest that conditions experienced during the juvenile phase are likely to be a key determinant of post-maturation fitness. These findings highlight the vulnerability of sex-changing species to future environmental change and harvest.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an ancient oilseed crop with important agronomic, therapeutic, and industrial properties. However, in Morocco, the existing genetic diversity is quite limited. Thus, ...

Cotton is an important cash crop with an indeterminate growth characteristic. The labor costs of multiple management practices, including repeated foliar applications of mepiquat chloride (MC) and ...

Evolutionary theories relating to aging predict that patterns of actuarial and reproductive senescence should be aligned, with a common onset of senescence set at the age of first reproduction. However, a few empirical studies reported asynchrony between actuarial and reproductive senescence. This asynchrony is expected to be particularly pronounced in organisms with indeterminate growth. Yet, this process is still poorly documented due to the lack of long-term demographic data on known-aged individuals. We investigated the asynchrony of actuarial and reproductive senescence in the European whip snake, Hierophis viridiflavus, an oviparous colubrid with indeterminate growth. Using demographic data collected over a 29-year period, we showed that females did not experience any fecundity loss late in life. In contrast, they suffered from an early, severe actuarial senescence. Our findings thus revealed a pronounced asynchrony in actuarial and reproductive senescence processes, a phenomenon that could be widespread across the tree of life.

Summary Cytokinin group of phytohormones regulate root elongation and branching during post‐embryonic development. Cytokinin‐degrading enzymes cytokinin oxidases/dehydrogenases (CKXs) have been deployed to investigate biological activities of cytokinin and to engineer root growth. We expressed chickpea cytokinin oxidase 6 (CaCKX6) under the control of a chickpea root‐specific promoter of CaWRKY31 in Arabidopsis thaliana and chickpea having determinate and indeterminate growth patterns, respectively, to study the effect of cytokinin depletion on root growth and drought tolerance. Root‐specific expression of CaCKX6 led to a significant increase in lateral root number and root biomass in Arabidopsis and chickpea without any penalty to vegetative and reproductive growth of shoot. Transgenic chickpea lines showed increased CKX activity in root. Soil‐grown advanced chickpea transgenic lines exhibited higher root‐to‐shoot biomass ratio and enhanced long‐term drought tolerance. These chickpea lines were not compromised in root nodulation and nitrogen fixation. The seed yield in some lines was up to 25% higher with no penalty in protein content. Transgenic chickpea seeds possessed higher levels of zinc, iron, potassium and copper. Our results demonstrated the potential of cytokinin level manipulation in increasing lateral root number and root biomass for agronomic trait improvement in an edible legume crop with indeterminate growth habit.

In animals with indeterminate growth, such as predatory fishes, mouth size is related to, and increases with, body mass of the organism. As fishes grow in body size, they can consume larger...

Common Bean (Phaseolusvulgaris L) is one of the main food sources in Brazil, hás cultural and nutricional values. Its cultivation can be found mosthy by small producers with small production áreas and some technological types, and extends throughout the national territory. The objective of this research was to elaborate a review about the edaphoclimatic adaptability and agricultural production environments of the bean crop. Since, beans can be sown at three times of the year, in which edaphoclimatic characteristics are defined as: 1 st crop (Sowing performed between August and October); 2nd crop (Sowing performed from January to April); and autumn crop winter crop, in which sowing occurs from May and, characterized as annual crop. In the 3rd harvest the use of irrigatin system, made by sprinkler system. However, sowing in different harvest may be influenced by the type of culivar used, as it hás Type I characterization because it hás a determined growth habit with reproductive terminal buds in the main stem and branches, while the second (types II, III and IV) have indeterminate growth habit with vegetative terminal buds on the main stem and branches. However there is a difference between the three types in the plant, the type III prostrate sinze and type IV plant that hás large climbing capacity. Although it demonstrates these attributes, the bean also hás during its biological cycle the vegetative and reproductive phases, which are divided into tem stages. The vegetative phase (V) consists of stages V0, V1, V2, V3 and V4 and the reproductive phase (R), of stages R5, R6, R 7, R8 and R9 being crucial for the development of the crop. Despite these stages of bean development, it hás wide adaptation and geographical distribuion, the bean is very little tolerant to extreme environmental factors, being a relatively demanding crop with reagard to most edaphoclimatic conditions. Thus, the agroclimatic characteristics of the region and the requirements and limitations of common bean are of fundamental importance for the choice of an environment where the crop can grow and develop well, in order to obtain optimum yield, taking full advantage of the cultivar. and other practices or technologies employed in order to provide positive effects on the crop.Common Bean (Phaseolusvulgaris L) is one of the main food sources in Brazil, hás cultural and nutricional values. Its cultivation can be found mosthy by small producers with small production áreas and some technological types, and extends throughout the national territory. The objective of this research was to elaborate a review about the edaphoclimatic adaptability and agricultural production environments of the bean crop. Since, beans can be sown at three times of the year, in which edaphoclimatic characteristics are defined as: 1 st crop (Sowing performed between August and October); 2nd crop (Sowing performed from January to April); and autumn crop winter crop, in which sowing occurs from May and, characterized as annual crop. In the 3rd harvest the use of irrigatin system, made by sprinkler system. However, sowing in different harvest may be influenced by the type of culivar used, as it hás Type I characterization because it hás a determined growth habit with reproductive terminal buds in the main stem and branches, while the second (types II, III and IV) have indeterminate growth habit with vegetative terminal buds on the main stem and branches. However there is a difference between the three types in the plant, the type III prostrate sinze and type IV plant that hás large climbing capacity. Although it demonstrates these attributes, the bean also hás during its biological cycle the vegetative and reproductive phases, which are divided into tem stages. The vegetative phase (V) consists of stages V0, V1, V2, V3 and V4 and the reproductive phase (R), of stages R5, R6, R 7, R8 and R9 being crucial for the development of the crop. Despite these stages of bean development, it hás wide adaptation and geographical distribuion, the bean is very little tolerant to extreme environmental factors, being a relatively demanding crop with reagard to most edaphoclimatic conditions. Thus, the agroclimatic characteristics of the region and the requirements and limitations of common bean are of fundamental importance for the choice of an environment where the crop can grow and develop well, in order to obtain optimum yield, taking full advantage of the cultivar. and other practices or technologies employed in order to provide positive effects on the crop.

BSA-seq combined with whole-genome resequencing map-based cloning delimited the cucumber det-novel locus into a 44.5 kb region in chromosome 6 harboring a putative candidate gene encoding a phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (CsCEN). Determinate and indeterminate growth habits of cucumber can affect plant architecture and crop yield. The TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) controls determinate/indeterminate growth in Arabidopsis. In this study, a novel mutation in cucumber TFL1 homolog (CsCEN) has shown to regulate determinate growth and product of terminal flowers in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), which is similar to the function of CsTFL1 as previously reported. Genetic analysis in two determinate genotypes (D226 and D082) and indeterminate genotype (CCMC) revealed that a single recessive gene is responsible for this determinate growth trait. With the combination of BSA-seq and whole-genome resequencing, the locus of determinate-novel (det-novel) trait was mapped to a 44.5 kb genomic region in chromosome 6. Sequence alignment identified one non-synonymous SNP mutation (A to T) in the third exon of CsCEN, resulting in an amino acid substitution (Thr to Pro), suggesting that determinate growth might be controlled by a novel gene CsCEN (Csa6G152360) which differed from the reported CsTFL1 gene. The CsCEN expression level in shoot apexes and axillary buds was significantly lower in D226 compared to CCMC, suggesting its essential role in sustaining indeterminate growth habit. Identification and characterization of the CsCEN in the present study provide a new insight into plant architecture modification and development of cucumber cultivars suited to mechanized production system.

Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) is a damaging pest of many crops including soybean, Glycine max (L.), especially in the southern United States. Previous studies have concluded that oviposition and development of H. zea larvae mirror the phenology of soybean, with oviposition occurring during full bloom, younger larvae developing on blooms and leaves, intermediate aged larvae developing on varying tissue types, and older larvae developing on flowers and pods. In a field trial, we investigated the presence of natural infestations of H. zea larvae by instar in determinate and indeterminate soybean varieties. In complementary experiments, we artificially infested H. zea and allowed them to oviposit on plants within replicated cages (one with a determinate variety and two with an indeterminate variety). Plants were sampled weekly during the time larvae were present. In the natural infestation experiment, most larvae were found on blooms during R3 and were early to middle instars; by R4, most larvae were found on leaves and were middle to late instars. In contrast, in the cage study, most larvae were found on leaves regardless of soybean growth stage or larval stage. Determinate and indeterminate growth habit did not impact larval preference for different soybean tissue types. Our studies suggest H. zea larvae prefer specific tissue types, but also provide evidence that experimental design can influence the results. Finally, our finding of larval preference for leaves contrasts with findings from previous studies.

Relationships between the complexity of the cranial sutures and the inferred ecology of dicynodont synapsids are explored. Simple complexity indices based on degree of sutural interdigitation were calculated for 70 anomodont species and indicate that the naso-frontal sutures of Cistecephalidae, a clade inferred to be dedicated fossors based on aspects of postcranial morphology, are substantially more complex than those of other dicynodonts. The elevated complexity of the naso-frontal suture in this clade is interpreted as being related to compressive forces sustained during burrowing, paralleling the condition in some other fossorial vertebrate groups (e.g., amphisbaenians). The most highly interdigitated sutures in the cistecephalid skull are those oriented transversely to its long axis, which would experience the greatest longitudinal stresses from contact with the substrate. Although it is uncertain to what degree cistecephalid burrowing was based on scratch vs. head-lift digging, it is argued that the head played an important role during locomotion in this group. Increased sutural complexity, rather than cranial fusion, as an adaptation to resisting compressive forces during burrowing may be related to indeterminate growth in dicynodonts.

In freshwater temperate environments, waterbodies warmed by power plants can serve as a stepping stone in the spread of tropical and subtropical species. This offers a unique opportunity to acquire an insight into the life history of organisms undergoing range expansions beyond their native habitat. Here, we studied the patterns of offspring production and growth in the Asian mussel Sinanodonta woodiana inhabiting the thermal plume of the Odra River in Central Europe. Compared to the S. woodiana males, females had more convex shells and had a greater tendency to continue post-maturation growth and thus follow an indeterminate growth pattern. Gravid females were observed all-year round, and individuals with either large or more convex shells brooded more offspring. The proportion of incubating females, brood size and glochidia size were linked to gonadal activity and changed seasonally. Females with a higher amount of nutritive substances in the ovaries produced more and larger offspring. The smallest and the largest offspring occurred in the summer and in the winter, respectively. Sinanodonta woodiana incubated different offspring generations simultaneously, constantly releasing them into the environment. Using a life history evolution perspective, we discuss our results in view of allocation trade-offs between growth and offspring production.

The transit from indeterminate to determinate root developmental program compromises growth and causes the differentiation of the meristem, but a direct link between this process with auxin signaling and/or viability of initial cells remains untested. Here, through the isolation and characterization of the halted primary root1 (hpr1) mutant of Arabidopsis, which develops primary and lateral roots with genetically stable determinate growth after germination, we show that the differentiation of the root meristem correlates with enhanced auxin responsiveness and is preceded by the death of provasculature initial cells in both primary and lateral roots. Supplementation of indole-3-acetic acid causes both a dose-dependent repression of primary root growth and an induction of DR5:uidA expression in wild-type seedlings, and these effects were exacerbated in hpr1 mutants. The damage of provasculature initial cells in the root of hpr1 mutants occurred at earlier times than the full differentiation of the meristem, and correlates with a reduced expression domain of CycB1:uidA and PRZ:uidA. Thus, HPR1 plays critical functions for stem cell maintenance, auxin homeostasis, cell division in the meristem, and indeterminate root growth.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar ‘Chookdu 1’ (registration number: No. 7159) and ‘Chookdu 2’ (registration number: No. 6758) were developed as forage soybean cultivars at Kyungpook National University, Republic of Korea. They were grown in tests over three years and compared with a commercial seed cultivar for seed yield and forage productivity planted in the same row in mixed plantings with corn. Chookdu 1 and Chookdu 2 are tall, indeterminate growth habit selections from a cross between wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.), ‘PI 483463’, and cultivated soybean, ‘Hutcheson’ (PI 518664). The plant height of Chookdu 1 and Chookdu 2 were 80.9 cm and 81.4 cm, respectively, compared to 54.7 cm for the ‘Pungsannamul’ commercial seed check. The three-year seed yield of Chookdu 1 and Chookdu 2 was 2.0 and 2.2 t/ha, respectively, and not significantly different from Pungsannamul at 2.4 t/ha. Of the two cultivars Chookdu 2 averaged the most total forage fresh weight (65.0 t/ha). The three year mean forage yield of mixed-planting of corn and Chookdu 2 and Chookdu 1 was 10.4% and 3.8% greater, respectively, than corn monoculture. Results show Chookdu 1 and Chookdu 2 are suitable soybean cultivars for mixed planting in the same row with corn to improve forage yield. They should be useful as parents to use in breeding to develop forage-type soybeans of high quality and yield for use in livestock feed.

Senescence is progressive, age-related bodily deterioration, accompanied at the population level by declines in average survival and fecundity (i.e., ‘demographic senescence’). Demographic senescence of plants has been investigated in only a few species, including small, floating macrophytes in the genus Lemna (family Araceae, subfamily Lemnoideae – the ‘duckweeds’). Unlike most plant species, Lemna ramets exhibit determinate growth, potentially rendering them more likely to experience demographic senescence. Here, our objective was to investigate senescence in a Lemna species not previously studied in this context, L. gibba L., toward the long-term goal of conducting cross-species comparative analyses. In a longitudinal lab study, we investigated a cohort of 334 individual L. gibba fronds, whose survival and reproduction we followed daily from birth (defined by the date a focal frond detached from its parent) to death (defined by the date a focal frond’s last daughter detached). We fit survival data to exponential, Weibull, Gompertz, and logistic models, the first of which represents ‘no senescence’. The logistic model was found to have the greatest support (AICC weight >0.99), indicating strong age-related declines in survival. We fit reproduction data using a generalized estimating equation approach, which showed a significant age-related decline in the predicted probability of daily reproduction – from 0.61 at age 3 days to 0.23 at age 52 days (i.e., after excluding the first two days of reproduction data to account for the initial, pre-reproductive phase of the L. gibba lifecycle). These age-related declines provide strong evidence that L. gibba does exhibit demographic senescence, consistent with evidence from congeneric species.

Although an indeterminate growth habit is attractive to develop high-yield soybean varieties with higher number of pods (Glycine max (L). Merr.), lodging in indeterminate varieties remains a problem in Japan. As the semi-determinate varieties have shorter main stem length than the indeterminate varieties, this trait can be useful to improve varieties with high yield and low lodging risk. We introduced the genes Dt1 and Dt2, which regulate stem growth habit, into three determinate varieties by backcrossing and evaluated the resulting effects on yield and lodging tendency under four different growing environments. The yield and lodging degree of the semi-determinate and indeterminate lines were higher and more severe than those of the determinate lines. Despite the lower overall lodging score, the semi-determinate lines had marginally lower overall yield than that of the indeterminate lines. However, the effect of introduction of semi-determinate traits on yield and lodging degree was different in the three backgrounds, with the yield of semi-determinate lines being the highest and the difference in lodging degree between the semi-determinate and determinate lines being under 1.0 in one background. Therefore, semi-determinate growth habit has potential to develop high yielding varieties with low lodging risk.

Plants monitor environmental cues to balance growth by optimizing their inflorescence architecture. TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) and its orthologues regulate the inflorescence structure in cucumber, yet the mechanisms underlying their responses to environmental factors and the formation of terminal flowers remain elusive. Here, we performed map-based cloning to identify the gene that controls a season-dependent determinate growth phenotype and found that it was caused by the complete deletion of CsTFL1 in the genome of cucumber line WI1983Hde. In the CsTFL1 deletion plants (CsTFL1del ), determinate growth could be partially rescued by high-temperature and long-day conditions. The expressions of CsTFL1 and its orthologue CsTFL1d could be upregulated by long-day and high-temperature signals. Knockdown of CsTFL1d resulted in determinate growth and the formation of terminal flowers in WT. These results indicate that the induction of CsTFL1d expression by long-day and high- temperature might partially rescue determinate growth of CsTFL1del . Furthermore, biochemical analyses showed that CsTFL1d interacts directly with CsNOT2a, which indicated that CsTFL1d and CsTFL1 function via similar regulatory mechanism. Our data suggest that CsTFL1 and CsTFL1d co-contribute to inhibit determinate growth by responding to temperature and photoperiod signals. It provides mechanistic insights into how environmental cues sculpt the inflorescence architecture of cucumber. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The mechanisms that allow cells in the plant meristem to coordinate tissue-wide maturation gradients with specialized cell networks are critical for indeterminate growth. Here, we reconstructed the protophloem developmental trajectory of 19 cells from cell birth to terminal differentiation at single cell resolution in the Arabidopsis root. We found that cellular specification is mediated near the stem cell niche by PHLOEM EARLY DOF (PEAR) transcription factors. However, the PEAR dependent differentiation program is repressed by a broad gradient of PLETHORA (PLT) transcription factors, which directly inhibit PEARs’ own direct targetALTERED PHLOEM DEVELOPMENT (APL). The dissipation of PLT gradient around 7 cells from the stem cell activates APL expression, and a subsequent transitional network that results in a “seesaw” pattern of mutual inhibition over developmental time. Together, we provide a mechanistic understanding of how morphogen-like maturation gradients interface with cell-type specific transcriptional regulators to stage cellular differentiation.

Editors: Victor O. Sadras, Daniel F. Calderini., Faba bean is a cool-season annual grain legume that originated in the southwestern Asia. It is now grown on all continents but on only 2.5 Mha when compared with 5.5 Mha in 1960. The largest production is in Mediterranean environments, but it is also grown in high altitude subtropical environments and extends to cold-temperate areas. Faba bean is a productive C3 species with maximum crop growth rates of 25–30 g m− 2 d− 1, yields of 6–7 t ha− 1, and RUE reaching 1.79–1.85 g MJ− 1 PAR. It is, however, sensitive to moisture stress and to high and low temperature. Temperature range for growth is 5–35°C with optimum temperature for photosynthesis of 25°C. Flowering is destroyed by frost, and few cultivars can tolerate temperatures

Ferns are a representative clade in plant evolution although underestimated in the genomic era. Ceratopteris richardii is an emergent model for developmental processes in ferns, yet a complete scheme of the different growth stages is necessary. Here, we present a developmental analysis, at the tissue and cellular levels, of the first shoot-borne root of Ceratopteris. We followed early stages and emergence of the root meristem in sporelings. While assessing root growth, the first shoot-borne root ceases its elongation between the emergence of the fifth and sixth roots, suggesting Ceratopteris roots follow a determinate developmental program. We report cell division frequencies in the stem cell niche after detecting labeled nuclei in the root apical cell (RAC) and derivatives after 8 h of exposure. These results demonstrate the RAC has a continuous mitotic activity during root development. Detection of cell cycle activity in the RAC at early times suggests this cell acts as a non-quiescent organizing center. Overall, our results provide a framework to study root function and development in ferns and to better understand the evolutionary history of this organ.

The number of branches in male and female plants of Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill, Cycas edentata de Laub., Cycas wadei Merr., and Zamia encephalartoides D.W. Stev. were counted in Guam, Philippines, and Colombia, to confirm earlier reports that female plants develop fewer branches than males. Cycas plants produce determinate male strobili and indeterminate female strobili, but Zamia plants produce determinate strobili for both sexes. More than 80% of the female trees for each of the Cycas species were unbranched with a single stem, but more than 80% of the male trees exhibited two or more branches. The mean number of branches on male plants was more than double that of female plants. The number of branches of the Zamia male plants was almost triple that of female plants. Moreover, the Zamia plants produced 2.8-fold greater numbers of branches than the mean of the Cycas plants. Most of Guam&rsquo, s unsexed C. micronesica trees in 2004 were unbranched, but after 15 years of damage from non-native insect herbivores, most of the remaining live trees in 2020 contained three or more branches. The results confirm that male Cycas and Zamia plants produce more branches than female plants and suggest cycad species with determinate female strobili produce more branches on female plants than species with indeterminate female strobili. Our results indicate that the years of plant mortality on Guam due to non-native insect herbivores have selectively killed more female C. micronesica trees. Horticulture and conservation decisions may be improved with this sexual dimorphism knowledge.

The objective of this study was to characterize genotypes of the salad-type tomato with a determinate growth habit and select genotypes resistant to the two-spotted spider mite for higher productivity and fruit quality. The experiment was conducted at the Horticultural Experimental Station (18°42’43.19” S and 47°29’55.8” W, 873 m altitude) of the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Monte Carmelo campus, from January to June 2018. The experimental design was in randomized blocks containing 16 treatments [12 populations of the F3RC2 generation and four controls: two commercial cultivars (Santa Clara and Rio Grande), the recurrent parent (UFU-057) and the wild species Solanum pennellii (LA-716)] with three repetitions. The accessions UFU-057F3RC210#3.6.1 and UFU-057F3RC213#2.1.2 have high potential for genetic improvement regarding resistance to the two-spotted spider mite. The genotypes UFU-13#4.4.1, UFU-7#4.7.1, UFU-7#4.3.2, UFU-13#2.5.2 and UFU-13#2.1.3 present higher acylsugar concentrations than S. pennellii, in addition to higher productivity and number of fruits per plant. It is suggested to explore combinations between those genotypes previously described with UFU-8#2.4.1 to obtain hybrids with high acylsugar concentrations, two-spotted spider mite resistance, high productivity and increased fruit mass.

By specifying patterns of determinate and indeterminate growth, FLOWERING LOCUS T/SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) and TERMINAL FLOWER 1/SELF-PRUNING (SP) regulate plant architecture. Though well characterized in Arabidopsis, the impacts of these genes on the architectures of diverse crops cultivated in different environments, and their potential to enhance crop productivity and management, are less well addressed. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is naturally a short-day photoperiodic perennial that is now grown primarily as a day-neutral, annual row crop. Different environments and cultivation practices favor specific growth habits to optimize yield, and in cotton, especially in regions that rely heavily on mechanized harvest, the trend has been to more determinate varieties. Identifying and functionally characterizing SFT and SP homologs in cotton uncovered new aspects of how ratios of indeterminate and determinate growth are balanced, and unraveling their genetic networks emphasized how broadly these gene products affect cotton growth habits.

Patterns of indeterminate and determinate growth specify plant architecture and influence crop productivity. In cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) stimulates the transition to flowering and determinate growth, while its closely related antagonist SELF-PRUNING (SP) maintains meristems in indeterminate states to favor vegetative growth. Overexpressing GhSFT while simultaneously silencing GhSP produces highly determinate cotton with reduced foliage and synchronous fruiting. These findings suggest that GhSFT, GhSP, and genes in these signaling networks hold promise for enhancing ‘annualized’ growth patterns and improving cotton productivity and management. To identify the molecular programs underlying cotton growth habits, we used comparative co-expression networks, differential gene expression, and phenotypic analyses in cotton varieties expressing altered levels of GhSFT or GhSP. Using multiple cotton and tomato datasets, we identified diverse genetic modules highly correlated with SFT or SP orthologs which shared related Gene Ontologies in different crop species. Notably, altering GhSFT or GhSP levels in cotton affected the expression of genes regulating meristem fate and metabolic pathways. Further phenotypic analyses of gene products involved in photosynthesis, secondary metabolism, and cell wall biosynthesis showed that early changes in GhSFT and GhSP levels profoundly impacted later development in distal tissues. Identifying the molecular underpinnings of GhSFT and GhSP activities emphasizes their broad actions in regulating cotton architecture.

Reproductive senescence is an age-associated decline in reproductive performance, which often arises as a trade-off between current and future reproduction. Given that mortality is inevitable, increased allocation into current reproduction is favoured despite costs paid later in life. This assumption is violated in organisms with post-maturity growth whose reproductive output increases long after maturity. While reproductive senescence is frequently studied in animals with determinate growth at maturity, such as insects or mammals, we have very limited understanding of reproductive senescence in organisms with an extensive post-maturity growth period. The fact that many post-maturity growers experience strong adult mortality leads to conflicting expectations for reproductive senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate how co-occurrence of rapid life history and post-maturity growth mould reproductive senescence in a short-lived killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, using longitudinal data on laboratory and wild-type populations. We followed the individual fecundity, fertility and fertilization of 132 singly housed fish from the perspectives of chronological and biological age. At the onset of senescence, the sex-specific contribution to decrease in fertilization capacity was investigated. Allocation trade-offs were estimated through the association between reproductive parameters and life span, and between early-life and late-life fecundity. We demonstrate that female fecundity increased steadily after maturity and reproductive senescence occurred long after the growth asymptote. The prime age for fecundity coincided with 50% female survival and consequent decline in fecundity implies an association with somatic deterioration. Reproductive senescence in fertilization rate was stronger in females than in males. Females with high early fecundity experienced a long life span and high late-life fecundity, discounting the role of allocation trade-offs in reproductive senescence. The present study reports a clear case of reproductive senescence in a fish with a long post-maturation growth period, unusually rapid development and short life span. The onset of reproductive senescence was postponed compared to animals that cease growing at sexual maturity. Fish and other animals with post-maturity growth have long been considered insusceptible to ageing but this conclusion may be related to the previous lack of longitudinal data rather than to the absence of reproductive senescence in such organisms.

International audience; Climbing plants are being increasingly viewed as models for bioinspired growing robots capable of spanning voids and attaching to diverse substrates. We explore the functional traits of the climbing cactus Selenicereus setaceus (Cactaceae) from the Atlantic forest of Brazil and discuss the potential of these traits for robotics applications. The plant is capable of growing through highly unstructured habitats and attaching to variable substrates including soil, leaf litter, tree surfaces, rocks, and fine branches of tree canopies in wind-blown conditions. Stems develop highly variable cross-sectional geometries at different stages of growth. They include cylindrical basal stems, triangular climbing stems and apical star-shaped stems searching for supports. Searcher stems develop relatively rigid properties for a given cross-sectional area and are capable of spanning voids of up to 1 m. Optimization of rigidity in searcher stems provide some potential design ideas for additive engineering technologies where climbing robotic artifacts must limit materials and mass for curbing bending moments and buckling while climbing and searching. A two-step attachment mechanism involves deployment of recurved, multi-angled spines that grapple on to wide ranging surfaces holding the stem in place for more solid attachment via root growth from the stem. The cactus is an instructive example of how light mass searchers with a winged profile and two step attachment strategies can facilitate traversing voids and making reliable attachment to a wide range of supports and surfaces

Maize lateral roots exhibit determinate growth, whereby the meristem is genetically programmed to stop producing new cells. To explore whether lateral root determinacy is modified under water deficits, we studied two maize genotypes (B73 and FR697) with divergent responses of lateral root growth to mild water stress using an experimental system that provided near-stable water potential environments throughout lateral root development. First-order laterals of the primary root system of FR697 exhibited delayed determinacy when grown at a water potential of -0.28 MPa, resulting in longer and wider roots than in well-watered (WW) controls. In B73, in contrast, neither the length nor width of lateral roots was affected by water deficit. In water-stressed FR697, root elongation continued at or above the maximum rate in WW roots for 3 days longer, and was still 45% of maximum when WW roots approached their determinate length. Maintenance of root elongation was associated with sustained rates of cell production. In addition, kinematic analyses showed that reductions in tissue expansion rates with aging were delayed in the longitudinal, radial and tangential planes throughout the root growth zone. Thus, this study reveals large genotypic differences in the interaction of water stress with developmental determinacy of maize lateral roots.

Soybean tolerance to defoliation may be affected by relative maturity group (RMG) of the cultivar. For this reason, this study was carried out to evaluate the effects of artificial defoliation at vegetative and reproductive stages on the agronomic performance of soybean cultivars with different RMG. Two experiments were carried out in greenhouse conditions in Lages, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Defoliation was carried out at V6 in the first experiment and at R3 in the second experiment. Three cultivars with contrasting RMG were used: BMX Veloz (RMG of 5.0, indeterminate growth habit), NA 5909 (RMG of 5.9, indeterminate growth habit), and TMG 7262 (RMG of 6.2, semi-determinate growth habit). Each cultivar was submitted to five defoliation levels: 0.0, 16.6, 33.3, 50.0, and 66.6%. Leaf expansion after defoliation, grain yield and its components were determined. The BMX Veloz showed lower leaf expansion capacity and lower grain yield when compared to the other cultivars when defoliated at V6. Grain yield of the three cultivars only showed significant decreases with defoliation levels higher than 16.6% at R3. The cultivar BMX Veloz is less tolerant to defoliation during the vegetative stage when compared to the cultivars NA 5909 and TMG 7262. Cultivar maturity group does not interfere with soybean tolerance to defoliation at the reproductive stage in greenhouse conditions. A tolerância da soja à desfolha pode ser afetada pelo grupo de maturação relativa (GMR) da cultivar. Este trabalho foi conduzido objetivando avaliar os efeitos da desfolha artificial nas fases vegetativa e reprodutiva sobre o desempenho agronômico de cultivares de soja com diferentes grupos de maturação. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos em casa de vegetação, no município de Lages, SC. No primeiro a desfolha foi realizada em V6 e no segundo em R3. Avaliaram-se três cultivares com grupos de maturação relativa (GMR) contrastantes: BMX Veloz (GM 5.0, hábito de crescimento indeterminado), NA 5909 (GM 5.9, hábito de crescimento indeterminado) e TMG 7262 (GM 6.2, hábito de crescimento semideterminado). Cada cultivar foi submetida a cinco níveis de desolha: 0%, 16,6%, 33,3%, 50% e 66,6%. Avaliou-se a expansão foliar após a desfolha, o rendimento de grãos e seus componentes. A cultivar BMX Veloz apresentou menor capacidade de expansão foliar e menor rendimento de grãos do que as demais cultivares quando desfolhada em V6. O rendimento de grãos das três cultivares somente sofreu decréscimos significativos com desfolhas superiores a 16,6% em R3. Portanto, a cultivar BMX Veloz é menos tolerante à desfolha na fase vegetativa do que as cultivares NA 5909 e TMG 7262. O grupo de maturação da cultivar não interfere na tolerância da soja à desfolha na fase reprodutiva sob condições de casa de vegetação. &nbsp

Non-linear systems, such as biological systems, can be simulated by artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. This research aims to use ANN to simulate the accumulated aerial dry matter (leaf, stem, and fruit) and fresh fruit yield of a tomato crop. Two feed-forward backpropagation ANNs, with three hidden layers, were trained and validated by the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm for weights and bias adjusted. The input layer consisted of the leaf area, plant height, fruit number, dry matter of leaves, stems and fruits, and the growth degree-days at 136 days after transplanting (DAT), these were obtained from a tomato crop, a hybrid, EL CID F1, with indeterminate growth habits, grown with a mixture of peat moss and perlite 1:1 (v/v) (substrate) and calcareous soil (soil). Based on the experimentation of the ANNs with one, two and three hidden layers, with MSE values less than 1.55, 0.94 and 0.49, respectively, the ANN with three hidden layers was chosen. The 7-10-7-5-2 and 7-10-8-5-2 topologies showed the best performance for the substrate (R = 0.97, MSE = 0.107, error = 12.06%) and soil (R = 0.94, MSE = 0.049, error = 13.65%), respectively. These topologies correctly simulated the aerial dry matter and the fresh fruit yield of the studied tomato crop.

As sessile organisms, plants must be highly adaptable to the changing environment by modifying their growth and development. Plants rely on their underground part, the root system, to absorb water and nutrients and to anchor to the ground. The root is a highly dynamic organ of indeterminate growth with new tissues produced by root stem cells. Plants have evolved unique molecular mechanisms to fine-tune root developmental processes, during which phytohormones play vital roles. These hormones often relay environmental signals to auxin signaling that ultimately directs root development programs. Therefore, the crosstalk among hormones is critical in the root development. In this review, we will focus on the recent progresses that jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene signaling are integrated into auxin in regulating root development of Arabidopsis thaliana and discuss the key roles of transcription factors (TFs) ethylene response factors (ERFs) and homeobox proteins in the crosstalk.

Today, the Logistic equations are widely applied to simulate the population growth across a range of fields, chiefly, demography and ecology. Based on an assumption that growth-regulating factors within the Logistic model, namely, the rate of increase (r) and carrying capacity (K), can be considered as the functions reflecting the combination of the organism- and environment-specific parameters, here, we discussed the possible application of modified synthetic Logistic equations to the simulation of the changes in (1) population (density per volume) of photosynthetically growing free-living algae and (2) size (mass per individual) of higher plants, by newly composing r value as a function reflecting the photosynthetic activities. Since higher plants are multi-cellular organisms, a novel concept for the carrying capacity K must also be introduced. We brought the a priori assumption that information sharing amongst cells strongly influences the physiology of multi-cellular structures eventually defining the maximum size of plants, into view. A simplest form of ‘synthetic organism’ conformed to test this assumption is a linear chain of cells, and the first physiological phenomenon, modeled in this way, is growth. This combination of information flow along a chain, with exponential growth, produces a simple allotropic relationship. This relationship is compared with results for plants and is found to have excellent predictive power. This theory shows that fast-growing organisms, or multicellular structures, remain small, because of their inability to share information sufficiently quickly and, also, predicts determinate growth. The success of this simple model suggests, firstly, that the inclusion of information flows in theoretical physiology models, which have been, to date, dominated by energetic or metabolic assumptions, will be improved by incorporating information flows. Secondly, the application of more complex information theories, such as those of Shannon, to biological systems will offer deep insights into the mechanisms and control of intercellular communication.

International audience; Reproductive senescence is the decrease of reproductive performance with in- creasing age and can potentially include trans-generational effects as the offspring produced by old parents might have a lower fitness than those produced by young parents. This negative effect may be caused either by the age of the father, mother or the interaction between the ages of both parents. Using the common woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare, an indeterminate grower, as a biological model, we tested for the existence of a deleterious effect of parental age on fitness components. Contrary to previous findings reported from vertebrate studies, old parents produced both a higher number and larger offspring than young parents. However, their offspring had lower fitness components (by surviving less, producing a smaller number of clutches or not reproducing at all) than offspring born to young parents. Our findings strongly support the existence of trans-generational senescence in woodlice and contradict the belief that old individuals in indeterminate growers contribute the most to re- cruitment and correspond thereby to the key life stage for population dynamics. Our work also provides rare evidence that the trans-generational effect of senescence can be stronger than direct reproductive senescence in indeterminate growers.

Protected cultivation has increased over the years. More studies on the benefits of using photoselective agrofilms are necessary. The choice of material to cover the greenhouse is a decisive factor for crop development and production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diffuser and blue-colored agrofilms on the production of different tomato cultivars of indeterminate growth habit under NFT hydroponic system. A completely randomized design in a 2x3 factorial scheme (two environments and three cultivars) was used: two agrofilm types (blue and diffuser) and 3 cultivars (Monterrey, Arendell and Totalle). Each plot consisted of 30 plants per treatment, with four replicates. Commercial tomato seedlings of indeterminate growth habit grafted on rootstock cultivar (Shincheonggang) were used. During the experiment, the electrical conductivity, intensity of radiation inside the greenhouse, gas exchange, soluble solids, lycopene content, pH and fruit production were evaluated. We concluded that the amount of radiation transmitted through the diffuser favors an increase of about 18% in gas exchange, 12% in lycopene content and 9.4% in tomato crop production. RESUMO O cultivo protegido tem aumento ao longo dos anos, havendo necessidade de ampliar as pesquisas que comprovem benefícios da utilização de agrofilmes fotosseletivos. A escolha do material para a cobertura da casa de vegetação é fator decisivo para o desenvolvimento da cultura e produção. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito dos agrofilmes de cor azul e o difusor na produção de diferentes cultivares de tomateiro de hábito de crescimento indeterminado no sistema hidropônico-NFT. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2x3 (dois ambientes e três cultivares): dois tipos de agrofilme (azul e difusor) e 3 cultivares (Monterrey, Arendell e Totalle), sendo cada parcela constituída por 30 plantas por tratamento, com quatro repetições. Utilizaram-se mudas comerciais de tomateiro de hábito de crescimento indeterminado enxertadas em porta-enxerto cultivar Shincheonggang. Foram avaliadas durante a pesquisa a condutividade elétrica, intensidade da radiação dentro da casa de vegetação, trocas gasosas, sólidos solúveis, teor de licopeno, pH e produção de frutos. Conclui-se com a pesquisa que a quantidade de radiação que passa pelo agrofilme difusor favorece um aumento em torno de 18% as trocas gasosas, 12% o teor de licopeno e 9,4% a produtividade da cultura do tomate.

[EN] The floral transition is a critical step in the life cycle of flowering plants, and several mechanisms control this finely orchestrated process. TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) is a floral repressor and close relative of the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). During the floral transition, TFL1 expression is up-regulated in the inflorescence apex to maintain the indeterminate growth of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Both TFL1 and FT are mobile proteins, but they move in different ways. FT moves from the leaves to the SAM, while TFL1 appears to move within the SAM. The importance of TFL1 movement for its function in the regulation of flowering time and shoot indeterminacy and its molecular function are still largely unclear. Our results using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) indicate that TFL1 moves from its place of expression in the center of the SAM to the meristem layer L1 and that the movement in the SAM is required for the regulation of the floral transition. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing demonstrated that TFL1 functions as a cotranscription factor that associates with and regulates the expression of hundreds of genes. These newly identified direct TFL1 targets provide the possibility to discover new roles for TFL1 in the regulation of floral transition and inflorescence development., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovacion y Universidades (grant no. BIO2015-64307-R to F.M.) and FEDER (grant no. PGC2018-099232-B-I00 to F.M.) and by the Knut andAliceWallenberg Foundation (grant no. KAW 2016.0025 toM.Sc.). Additional support was provided by the Umea Plant Science Centre (UPSC) through VINNOVA. M.Si. was supported by an Formacion de Personal Universitario (FPU) contract from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte, and C.M. was supported by a Santiago Grisolia fellowship from the Generalitat Valenciana.

Processing tomato is the second most important worldwide cash crop, generally produced in high-input systems. However, fruit yield and quality are affected by agronomic management, particularly nitrogen (N) fertilization, whose application to indeterminate growth genotypes for canning has yet to be investigated in depth. Hence, the objective of this work was to assess the effects of different N rates (0, 50, 125, 200, 275, and 350 kg ha&minus, 1) on fruit yield and quality characteristics of processing tomato &lsquo, San Marzano&rsquo, landrace. The results of our study showed that 125 and 200 kg of N ha&minus, 1 are the most appropriate rates in soil with high fertility, ensuring the highest values of marketable yield and brix yield. However, plants fertilized with 125 kg of N ha&minus, 1 attained higher values of N efficiency and fruit K and P concentrations than plants fertilized with 200 kg of N ha&minus, 1. Our results suggest that overdoses of N supplies negatively affected fruit yield and quality of San Marzano landrace grown in high soil fertility conditions, also reducing the agricultural sustainability. Hence, specific agronomic protocol and extension services are required to optimally manage tomato crop systems.

A densidade de semeadura na cultura da soja provoca diversas modificações morfofisiológicas nas plantas, podendo alterar o crescimento e a produtividade de grãos. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de densidades de plantas de soja sobre o índice de área foliar (IAF) e índice SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) durante o ciclo de desenvolvimento da cultura, correlacionando esses dados com a produtividade de grãos. O experimento foi conduzido na safra 2015/16, na área experimental da Embrapa Soja, Londrina, PR, em delineamento experimental de blocos completos casualizados, com cinco repetições. Foram avaliadas as densidades de 120, 230, 340 e 380 mil plantas aptas ha-1, em espaçamento de 0,45 m entre fileiras, utilizando a cultivar BRS 359 RR, que apresenta tipo de crescimento indeterminado e arquitetura compacta de plantas. Constatou-se que o aumento da densidade de plantas de soja incrementa o IAF até o estádio R3, mas, após essa fase, o IAF não varia entre as densidades. A densidade de plantas de soja não altera o índice SPAD até o estádio R5.4. Durante o crescimento vegetativo não há correlação entre o IAF e o índice SPAD com a produtividade de grãos, porém na fase de enchimento de grãos há correlações positivas entre essas variáveis.

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of plants to undergo changes in morphology and yield components to adapt themselves to distinct environmental conditions. The knowledge on the changes in yield components of branches and stems at varied plant spatial arrangements needs to be updated due to recent changes in soybean production system. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the yield components of branches and stems, as well as to assess the share of these plant parts in the total grain yield of soybean cultivars with indeterminate growth type, under different spatial arrangements. The experiment was conducted during the growing seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, under a randomized complete-block design and in a4 × 3 × 2 factorial scheme with three replications. Treatments consisted of four row spacing patterns (narrow rows, twin rows, traditional row spacing, and crossed rows), three seeding rates (150, 300, and 450 thousand viable seeds∙ha–1), and two cultivars (BMX Potência RR and BRS 359 RR). Narrow rows reduce pods and grains production in branches in relation to the traditional row spacing. The number of grains per pod of stem and of branches is not altered by the changes in plant arrangement. The increase in seeding rate reduces the number of pods per plant of branches in greater magnitude than that of stems. The rise in seeding rate results in larger thousand-grain mass both of branches and of stems, but varies with the growing season.

Trade-offs in energy allocation between growth, reproduction, and survival are at the core of life-history theory. While age-specific mortality is considered to be the main determinant of the optimal allocation, some life-history strategies, such as delayed or skipped reproduction, may be better understood when also accounting for reproduction costs. Here, we present a two-pool indeterminate grower model that includes survival and energetic costs of reproduction. The energetic cost sets a minimum reserve required for reproduction, while the survival cost reflects increased mortality from low postreproductive body condition. Three life-history parameters determining age-dependent energy allocation to soma, reserve, and reproduction are optimized, and we show that the optimal strategies can reproduce realistic emergent growth trajectories, maturation ages, and reproductive outputs for fish. The model predicts maturation phase shifts along the gradient of condition-related mortality and shows that increased harvesting will select for earlier maturation and higher energy allocation to reproduction. However, since the energetic reproduction cost sets limits on how early an individual can mature, an increase in fitness at high harvesting can only be achieved by diverting most reserves into reproduction. The model presented here can improve predictions of life-history responses to environmental change and human impacts because key life-history traits such as maturation age and size, maximum body size, and size-specific fecundity emerge dynamically.

The pollination of tomatoes in greenhouses using bees (especially Bombus species) has increased worldwide, providing increased productivity. However, no concrete initiative has been carried out with bees for tomato pollination on a commercial scale, in greenhouses in Brazil. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate Melipona quadrifasciata efficiency in pollination and consequent production of tomatoes of different growth habits in greenhouse environment. Two experiments were conducted. The pollen load of the creeping tomato (determined growth) flowers and the fruit quality was quantified in the first experiment, in the greenhouse cultivation treatments with bees, without bees, and in the open environment. In the second experiment, the treatments were carried out with tomato of indeterminate growth in greenhouse with bees and without bees. The bees presented foraging behavior and visitation to tomato flowers. The pollen load for the determined tomato was 433% larger in a closed environment with bees whe...

Natural selection predicts that organisms should maximize reproductive fitness by exhibiting a tradeoff between the quantity and quality of offspring. While many species clearly show this tradeoff, it is not a ubiquitous phenomenon. Indeed, observing this tradeoff in different organisms is contingent on life history traits, reproductive strategy, parental investment, and physiological constraints. We tested for a tradeoff between the number and quality of offspring in the amblypygid Phrynus longipes (Pocock, 1894)—a long-lived, iteroparous arachnid with indeterminate growth, post-ultimate molts, and parental care. We measured the size of gravid females and the mass and number of eggs in their clutches. Egg count, but not mass, was predicted by female size, indicating that we did not detect an offspring quantity-quality tradeoff. We posit that larger female P. longipes are laying more eggs rather than increasing investment in each egg. This study is the first of its kind in any amblypygid species.

In the present study, we aimed to characterize the life history of the land snail Subulina octona integrating information on life-history traits and morphology. We also compared the histology of th...

Fieldwork was supported by the British Associate of Tortoise Keepers, British Chelonia Group, British High Commission in Cyprus, British Residents Society, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Darwin Initiative, Erwin Warth Foundation, Friends of SPOT, Glasgow Uni versity Court, Kuzey Kibris Turkcell, MEDASSET UK, and Natural Environment Research Council.

The SELF PRUNING (SP) gene is a key regulator of growth habit in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). It is an ortholog of TERMINAL FLOWER1, a phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein with antiflorigenic activity in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). A spontaneous loss-of-function mutation (sp) has been bred into several industrial tomato cultivars, as it produces a suite of pleiotropic effects that are favorable for mechanical harvesting, including determinate growth habit, short plant stature, and simultaneous fruit ripening. However, the physiological basis for these phenotypic differences has not been thoroughly explained. Here, we show that the sp mutation alters polar auxin transport as well as auxin responses, such as gravitropic curvature and elongation of excised hypocotyl segments. We also demonstrate that free auxin levels and auxin-regulated gene expression patterns are altered in sp mutants. Furthermore, diageotropica, a mutation in a gene encoding a cyclophilin A protein, appears to confer epistatic effects with sp. Our results indicate that SP affects the tomato growth habit at least in part by influencing auxin transport and responsiveness. These findings suggest potential novel targets that could be manipulated for controlling plant growth habit and improving productivity.