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Passiflora edulis Sims (2n = 18) is a perennial plant with high utilization values, but its spontaneous polyploidy in nature has yet to be seen. Thus, this study aims to enhance our understanding of polyploidy P. edulis and provide rudimentary knowledge for breeding new cultivars. In this study, colchicine-induced tetraploid P. edulis (2n = 36) was used as experimental material (T1, T2, and T3) to explore the variances between it and its diploid counterpart in morphology, physiology, and biochemical characteristics, and a comparison of their performance under cold stress was conducted. We measured and collected data on phenotype parameters, chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthesis, osmotic substances, and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that tetraploid P. edulis exhibited a shorter phenotype, more giant leaves, darker leaf color, and longer and fewer roots. Moreover, the physiological and biochemical analysis indicated that the tetraploid P. edulis had better photosynthesis systems and higher chlorophyll fluorescence parameters than the diploid P. edulis. Additionally, the tetraploid P. edulis had higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and lower MDA content to maintain better resistance in low temperatures. Overall, we conclude that there were apparent differences in the morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of the tetraploid and diploid P. edulis. The tetraploid plants showed better photosynthesis systems, higher osmotic substance content, and antioxidant enzyme activity than the diploid, even under cold stress. Our results suggest that tetraploids with more abundant phenotype variation and better physiological and biochemical traits may be used as a new genetic germplasm resource for producing new P. edulis cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Animal personalities could affect the behavior and physiology of both native and invasive species during biological invasion. However, little is known about the personality interaction effects on foraging behavior and growth between native and invasive species. We used the red-eared slider turtle and Chinese pond turtle as models to investigate how personality interactions effect the foraging behavior and growth of both these turtle species. The results showed that the foraging behavior of M. reevesii was mainly affected by the personality of T. scripta elegans. However, the foraging behavior of T. scripta elegans was effected by both their own personality and the personalities of M. reevesii. Additionally, the growth of both M. reevesii and T. scripta elegans were not effected by the personality combinations. The results revealed the mechanisms of personality interaction effects on the foraging behavior and growth of both native and invasive species during biological invasion. This study provides empirical evidence to help understand the effects of personalities on invasion dynamics. Animal personalities play a crucial role in invasion dynamics. During the invasion process, the behavioral strategies of native species vary among personalities, just as the invasive species exhibit variations in behavior strategies across personalities. However, the impact of personality interactions between native species and invasive species on behavior and growth are rarely illustrated. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is one of the worst invasive species in the world, threatening the ecology and fitness of many freshwater turtles globally. The Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) is one of the freshwater turtles most threatened by T. scripta elegans in China. In this study, we used T. scripta elegans and M. reevesii to investigate how the personality combinations of native and invasive turtles would impact the foraging strategy and growth of both species during the invasion process. We found that M. reevesii exhibited bolder and more exploratory personalities than T. scripta elegans. The foraging strategy of M. reevesii was mainly affected by the personality of T. scripta elegans, while the foraging strategy of T. scripta elegans was influenced by both their own personality and personalities of M. reevesii. Additionally, we did not find that the personality combination would affect the growth of either T. scripta elegans or M. reevesii. Differences in foraging strategy may be due to the dominance of invasive species and variations in the superficial exploration and thorough exploitation foraging strategies related to personalities. The lack of difference in growth may be due to the energy allocation trade-offs between personalities or be masked by the slow growth rate of turtles. Overall, our results reveal the mechanisms of personality interaction effects on the short-term foraging strategies of both native and invasive species during the invasion process. They provide empirical evidence to understand the effects of personality on invasion dynamics, which is beneficial for enhancing comprehension understanding of the personality effects on ecological interactions and invasion biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which evaluated the variation in fruit morphometric and bio-chemical traits and select superior clones for establishing large scale plantation of tamarind, a multipurpose tree species. The study was conducted in clonal assemblage of tamarind established in randomized complete block design. Significant variations in all the morphology and biochemical characters among the tamarind forms were found.

Passiflora edulis Sims (2n = 18) is a perennial plant with high utilization values, but its spontaneous polyploidy in nature has yet to be seen. Thus, this study aims to enhance our understanding of polyploidy P. edulis and provide rudimentary knowledge for breeding new cultivars. In this study, colchicine-induced tetraploid P. edulis (2n = 36) was used as experimental material (T1, T2, and T3) to explore the variances between it and its diploid counterpart in morphology, physiology, and biochemical characteristics, and a comparison of their performance under cold stress was conducted. We measured and collected data on phenotype parameters, chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthesis, osmotic substances, and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that tetraploid P. edulis exhibited a shorter phenotype, more giant leaves, darker leaf color, and longer and fewer roots. Moreover, the physiological and biochemical analysis indicated that the tetraploid P. edulis had better photosynthesis systems and higher chlorophyll fluorescence parameters than the diploid P. edulis. Additionally, the tetraploid P. edulis had higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and lower MDA content to maintain better resistance in low temperatures. Overall, we conclude that there were apparent differences in the morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of the tetraploid and diploid P. edulis. The tetraploid plants showed better photosynthesis systems, higher osmotic substance content, and antioxidant enzyme activity than the diploid, even under cold stress. Our results suggest that tetraploids with more abundant phenotype variation and better physiological and biochemical traits may be used as a new genetic germplasm resource for producing new P. edulis cultivars.

Animal personalities play a crucial role in invasion dynamics. During the invasion process, the behavioral strategies of native species vary among personalities, just as the invasive species exhibit variations in behavior strategies across personalities. However, the impact of personality interactions between native species and invasive species on behavior and growth are rarely illustrated. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is one of the worst invasive species in the world, threatening the ecology and fitness of many freshwater turtles globally. The Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) is one of the freshwater turtles most threatened by T. scripta elegans in China. In this study, we used T. scripta elegans and M. reevesii to investigate how the personality combinations of native and invasive turtles would impact the foraging strategy and growth of both species during the invasion process. We found that M. reevesii exhibited bolder and more exploratory personalities than T. scripta elegans. The foraging strategy of M. reevesii was mainly affected by the personality of T. scripta elegans, while the foraging strategy of T. scripta elegans was influenced by both their own personality and personalities of M. reevesii. Additionally, we did not find that the personality combination would affect the growth of either T. scripta elegans or M. reevesii. Differences in foraging strategy may be due to the dominance of invasive species and variations in the superficial exploration and thorough exploitation foraging strategies related to personalities. The lack of difference in growth may be due to the energy allocation trade-offs between personalities or be masked by the slow growth rate of turtles. Overall, our results reveal the mechanisms of personality interaction effects on the short-term foraging strategies of both native and invasive species during the invasion process. They provide empirical evidence to understand the effects of personality on invasion dynamics, which is beneficial for enhancing comprehension understanding of the personality effects on ecological interactions and invasion biology.

Background and objectives: Canola is one of the most important oilseeds that plays a major role in providing human edible oil and in this regard, it is in the third place after soybean and palm oil. There are many strategies to improve growth, yield and precocity in plant species including rapeseed. Seed priming is a pre-planting strategy that is very effective in improving germination, grow rate, seedling establishment and early maturity. As a result, considering the importance of increasing the quantity and quality of rapeseed and the positive effects of that treatment on improving germination, increasing yield and early maturity in rapeseed, in this study, the effect of seed priming by gibberellin and salicylic acid on the characteristics of germination, growth and seed yield of canola evaluated. Materials and methods: In this research, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three factors. The first factor of genotype (Lord and Hayola 308), the second factor of salicylic acid (zero, 750, 1500 and 2250 μM) and the third factor of gibberellin (zero, 750, 1500 and 2250 μM) with three replications in the research greenhouses of University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of Sari was done in 2018. Canola seeds were immersed in the solution of the mentioned salicylic acid and gibberellin treatments for 24 hours at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. After passing the desired period, the seeds were washed with distilled water and completely dried on filter paper, which were immediately cultivated after drying. Distilled water was used for the zero level and was considered as a control. Germination percentage, first day of emergence, last day of emergence, time spread of emergence, day to maturity, 1000-seed weight, number of pods per plant, plant height, pod length, number of seeds per pod and yield were measured. At the end, all statistical analysis of the data obtained from this experiment, after ensuring their normality, were performed using SAS and SPSS software. Results: The results of analysis of variance showed that seed priming by salicylic acid and gibberellin treatments had a significant effect on all traits except pod length at the level of one percent. The interaction effect of genotype with salicylic acid and the interaction effect of genotype with gibberellin were significant for all traits. The interaction of salicylic acid with gibberellin and the triple interaction of gibberellin with salicylic acid with genotype were significant for all traits except pod length. The results of mean comparison showed that the use of seed priming of salicylic acid and gibberellin, with increasing germination percentage, reducing the range of emergence and decreasing the day to maturity caused early ripening in rapeseed. In addition, by increasing the yield components such as number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, 1000-seed weight, height and length of pods, also increased grain yield. The results also showed that the combined application of 1500 μM levels from both treatments (salicylic 1500 × gibberellin 1500) has the greatest effect on increasing yield components and grain yield, so that grain yield in Lord genotype from 7.5 (gram per pot) to 12.1 (gram per pot) And in Hayola 308 genotype increased from 4.1 (gram per pot) to 6.89 (gram per pot). Interaction of salicylic acid 2250 × Gibberellin 2250 μM showed the greatest effect in reducing the day to maturity but caused a significant reduction in yield and it’s components of cultivars. Conclusion: In general, the results showed that among the different concentrations of treatment, lower concentrations of these treatments were more effective in inducing prematurity and increasing yield. And among the cultivars used, Lord Genotype has a higher but late yield, which can be solved by treating the problem of late maturity and as the best genotype in terms of early maturity and high yield under the influence of treatments, especially at the level of 1500 salicylic acid × Gibberellin introduced 1500 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between some morphological traits and the invasive potential of invasive alien plants has been reported. Also, biological invasion is often associated with rapid evolution in introduced species. The study aim was to provide the structure of morphological variation of the invasive Solanum elaeagnifolium and to assess if the invasion of Morocco was followed by a rapid evolution that may affect its invasive potential. A total of 709 individuals from 218 sites, sampled across different ecological conditions, were characterized for 12 variables. The structure of the morphological variation by Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Linear Discriminant Analysis has determined four morphotypes. Traits related to the total number of shoots and berries are those that discriminate the most between morphotypes. The description of the four morphotypes implied a rapid evolution in this species in Morocco. This evolution has resulted in large plants with a very high number of berries. However, the smallest morphotype is still predominating and is the most invasive. The geographical distribution of the four morphotypes indicates that S. elaeagnifolium tended to be an R-strategist plant, especially in the most severe ecological conditions. This strategy allows S. elaeagnifolium to allocate most of the energy to reproduction and therefore become more invasive.

Abstract: The objective was to estimate genetic correlations between body weight (BW), scrotal circumference and visual evaluation scores of body conformation measured at standard ages in Guzerat cattle. All measurements were performed at 205 (weaning age), 365, 450 and 550 days of age; for BW, two additional measurements (at birth and 120 days of age) were realized. The data utilized in this study were retrieved from a database of the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders that contained information of registered Guzerat animals born between 1970 and 2013. Genetic parameters were estimated in bi‐trait analyses by using Bayesian inference. Genetic correlations between BW at 205 and 450 days of age with other traits were high and positive, whereas the correlations between visual evaluation scores with other traits were moderate. Based on correlations herein obtained, we conclude that selection based on BW results in increased visual scores and scrotal circumference, leading to improvements in productive performance and animals with best body conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TD, FD and PD of tree communities are compared throughout the Mediterranean France. • Each one of the diversity indices reflects a different spatial pattern. • PD is slightly linked to FD, regardless the type of traits. • Spatial autocorrelation is identified in diversity facets in 30–50 km distances. • TD, FD and PD are complementary indices of tree assemblages' spatial patterns. Adopting a multifaceted approach of biodiversity is believed to capture different aspects of the ecosystem functioning and it is thus advised for conservation prioritisation, especially for anthropogenic ecosystems but this key topic has never been conducted for the Mediterranean tree assemblages, despite their ecological importance. We explored how the multi-faceted diversity of woody plant assemblages, as measured by taxonomic (TD), functional (FD) and phylogenetic (PD) diversities, are distributed over space in the French part of the Mediterranean biome, and to which extend they are spatially correlated to each other, in order to understand whether one facet can be used as a proxy for another, especially for conservation management purposes. We analysed data from 5885 plots over the study area. We estimated several FD types by considering separately (i) regeneration, (ii) morphology traits (iii) modalities on species ecological properties, and finally (iv) considering all traits together. We used the Rao quadratic entropy to estimate the TD, FD and PD diversity facets. We tested for the links and spatial correlation (congruence) levels among these facets, using simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) models and partial Mantel tests. Spatial structure varied among diversity facets and spatial autocorrelation patterns were identified for all diversity indices from 30 to 50 km distances. We observed a functional convergence and a phylogenetic divergence within tree assemblages comparing to the ones expected given the regional species pool, indicating that even in tree communities with functional similarities, phylogenetic diversity may be high. PD was zero to slightly congruent to FD, regardless the type of functional traits considered. The highest SAR slope (=0.3) and partial Mantel test (=0.2) were revealed between the PD and the FD based on species morphological traits, but still remained considerably low. Each one of the diversity indicators reflected a different tree community spatial pattern. Functional diversity patterns varied according to the type of traits considered. Using only taxonomic indices may be misleading for responding to Mediterranean tree assemblages conservation needs and additional information about the species phylogeny and functional responses to disturbance pressures should be considered in large scale analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]