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A pot study was performed under greenhouse condition to check the possibility that using Trichoderma harzianum could improve the growth, production and quality of watermelon genotype. Plant growth medium inoculated with T. harzianum at 1 × 104 cfu, 1.25 × 104 cfu and 1.50 × 104 cfu respectively, while un-inoculated with fungi used as control treatment. Plant growth medium inoculated with higher concentration (1.50 × 104 cfu) of T. harzianum significantly increased plant root and shoot length and brings early flowering. The higher values of plant fresh and dry weight, leaf area, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, net photosynthesis rate and number of fruit per plant of watermelon was obtained with 1.50 × 104 cfu. However, T. harzianum levels of 1.50 × 104 cfu and 1.25 x 104 cfu produced statistically similar results for carbohydrate content, total soluble solids, vitamin A content and ?-carotene of watermelon. It was observed that plant grown in growth medium inoculated with T. harzianum has direct relation with growth and quality of watermelon. Compared to all tested levels, the higher level of T. harzianum 1.5 × 104 cfu is the most effective in improving growth, yield and quality of watermelon genotype (cv. Sugar baby). Um estudo em vasos foi realizado em casa de vegetação para verificar a possibilidade do uso de Trichoderma harzianum para melhorar o crescimento, a produção e a qualidade da melancia ‘Sugar baby’ (Citrullus lanatus). Para tanto, foram utilizados meios de crescimento vegetal inoculado com T. harzianum a 1 × 104 ufc, 1,25 × 104 ufc e 1,50 × 104 ufc, respectivamente, enquanto o meio não inoculado com fungos foi utilizado como tratamento controle. O meio de crescimento das plantas inoculado com maior concentração (1,50 × 104 ufc) de T. harzianum aumentou significativamente o comprimento da raiz e da parte aérea das plantas e promoveu o florescimento precoce. Os maiores valores de peso fresco e seco da planta, área foliar, condutância estomática, taxa de transpiração, taxa líquida de fotossíntese e número de frutos por planta de melancia foram obtidos com 1,50 × 104 ufc. No entanto, os níveis de T. harzianum de 1,50 × 104 ufc e 1,25 × 104 cfu produziram resultados estatisticamente semelhantes para o teor de carboidratos, sólidos solúveis totais, teor de vitamina A e ?-caroteno de melancia. Observou-se que as plantas cultivadas em meio de crescimento inoculado com T. harzianum têm relação direta com o crescimento e a qualidade da melancia. Comparado a todos os níveis testados, o nível mais alto de T. harzianum 1,5 × 104 ufc é o mais eficaz para melhorar o crescimento, o rendimento e a qualidade do genótipo da melancia ‘Sugar baby’.

To characterize transcriptional regulation of the abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction pathway during peach fruit early development and ripening, genes encoding the core components of the pathway, including 7 PpPYR (ABA receptor), 10 PpPP2C (type 2C protein phosphatase), and 7 PpSnRK2 (subfamily 2 of SNF1-related kinases), were identified from the peach (Prunus persica) reference genome. PpPYRs, PpPP2Cs, and PpSnRK2s from peach were putative homologous to proteins from tomato and Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PpPYRs and PpSnRK2s were clustered into three subfamilies/subclasses. Transcript profile indicated that PpPYR2, PpPYR6, and PpPYR7 expression decreased sharply while ABA concentration increased during peach fruit ripening. Expression of PpPP2C4, PpPP2C9, and PpPP2C10 increased along with ABA concentration during fruit ripening. Expression of PpSnRK2.4 and PpSnRK2.6 also increased together with ABA concentration during fruit ripening. Furthermore, PpPP2C10 could interact with PpSnRK2.6 was determined by Yeast two-hybrid and BiFC analyses. The results will improve our understanding of ABA signal transduction genes in peach and lay the foundation for further exploring the mechanisms underlying peach fruit ripening.

In fleshy fruits, sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose and sorbitol) are most important for fruit growth and development but also play a central role in fruit quality. In Peach (Prunus persica), we observed the sugars content at six developmental stages through high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was variation during fruit development and ripening, sucrose first increased then decreased; glucose and fructose first decreased, and then increased while sorbitol always decreased. In past, understanding about the mechanisms which control the sugar metabolism and accumulation in peach remains quite limited. We studied the transcript profiles of total 30 genes encoding key enzymes and transporters, which were involved in sucrose metabolism, resynthesis and transport. 13 putative genes including sucrose phosphatase synthase (PpSPS4 and PpSPS2), Hexokinases (PpHK1 and PpHK3), neutral/natural invertase (PpNINV1and PpNINV2), vacuolar acid invertase (PpVAINV2), sucrose transporter (PpSUT2), vacuolar glucose transporters (PpVGT1, PpVGT2 and PpVGT3) and tonoplast monosaccharides transporters (PpTMT1 and PpTMT2) highly expressed during peach fruit ripening. PpSPS4 had significantly positive correlation with glucose and fructose. Our results suggested that more sucrose accumulated in cytosol because of upregulation of (PpSPS4 and PpSPS2), that sucrose imported into vacuole through upregulation of PpSUT2, PpVGT1, PpVGT2, PpVGT3, PpTMT1 and PpTMT2 transporters, where cleaving of sucrose is done by upregulation of PpVAINV2. Hence, level of sucrose decreased as fruit ripe. As a result, the concentration of glucose and fructose increased at ripening stage (S4 II to S4 III). So, these marker genes can be involved in peach fruit ripening. This study will improve our understanding and lay foundation to explore the function of these genes and improvement of peach fruit quality.