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Nitrification inhibitors, such as nitrapyrin (NI), are increasingly co‐applied with nitrogen (N) fertilizers as part of sustainable agricultural practice. Several studies in temperate regions have documented the effectiveness of NI in retaining soil ammonium (NH4+), minimizing N loss and increasing crop yields. However, less is known about the effects of NI in Mediterranean regions, where agricultural production is challenging and requires intensive irrigation and fertilization. We investigated the short‐term impact of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin (2‐chloro‐6‐(trichloromethyl)pyridine) in a two‐factor mesocosm experiment, using a typical Mediterranean soil, where NI was co‐applied with a selection of urea‐based fertilizers: urea (U), U with urease inhibitors (U + UI), methylene urea (MU) and zeolite‐coated urea (ZU). NI co‐applied with urea fertilizers resulted in higher availability of soil NH4+ and a concurrent increase in NH3 volatilization. Net cumulative soil NH4+ availability was 1.5–3.3 fold greater when NI was applied. Concurrently, net cumulative nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) availability was reduced by 10%–60%; this was found for all the tested fertilizer types except MU fertilizer, where the net cumulative soil NO3− and NO2− doubled. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from urea fertilization were reduced by 40% with UI, 50% with NI and 66% with NI + UI. Interestingly, after 28 d, the composition of soil microbial communities was distinctly different, due to NI application. Specifically, NI application dramatically reduced the abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing and denitrifying bacterial functional groups. NI was effective in reducing N2O emissions in this calcareous soil; however, NH3 emissions were remarkably enhanced. These findings have important implications for the large‐scale adoption of inhibitor technologies in Mediterranean agroecosystems and for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a crop of enormous economic and cultural importance. Over the years, the worldwide production of olive oil has been decreasing due to various biotic and abiotic factors. The current drop in olive oil production resulting from climate change raises concerns regarding the fulfillment of our daily demand for olive oil and has led to a significant increase in market prices. In the future, there will be a higher chance that we will face a severe shortage of olive oil, which could harm both the economic sector and the food supply. As olive groves cover more than 5 million hectares in the European Union alone, the need to preserve the crop in the context of extreme climatic events is imperative. As drought is considered one of the most limiting factors in agriculture, drought-resistant varieties and sustainable irrigation strategies are being developed to mitigate the impact of drought on crop productivity and secure the future supply of olive oil. This review focuses on recently gained insights into drought stress in olive trees through omics and phenomics approaches to unravelling mechanisms that may lead to developing new varieties that are tolerant against drought elicited by changes in growing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited knowledge about the relationships of epiphytic microbiomes associated with the phyllosphere of different Vitis vinifera cultivars in the same vineyard and terroir. To address this research gap, we investigated the microbiome compositionof 36 grapevine genotypes grown in the same vineyard in different plant sections during the growing season. Using high-throughput NGS-based metagenomic analysis targeting the ITS2 and the V4 regions of the 16S ribosomal gene of fungal and bacterial communities, respectively, weassessed the impact of grapevine genotypes on microbial assemblages in various parts of the phyllosphere. The results indicated that different phyllosphere tissues display high microbial diversity regardless of the cultivars' identity and use. The selected three phyllosphere parts representing three distinct phenological stages, namely bark and bud, berry set, and fruit harvest, had almost a similar number of fungal OTUs, while a difference was recorded for the bacterial species. The fruit harvest stage hosted the highest number of bacterial OTUs, whereas the bark and bud stage contained the lower. Bacterial dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, and the genera were Gluconacetobacter, Erwinia, Gluconobacter, Zymobacter, Buchnera, Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Hymenobacter, Pedobacter, Frigoribacterium, Sphingomonas, and Massilia. For fungi, the dominant phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, and the genera were Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Davidiella, Phoma, Epicoccum, Rhodosporidium, Glomerella, Botryosphaeria, Metschnikowia, Issatchenkia, and Lewia. Both the genotype of the cultivar and the phenological stage appeared to considerably impact the shape of microbial diversity and structure within the same terroir. Taken together, these results indicate that microbiome analysis could be proved to be an important molecular fingerprint of cultivars and provide an efficient management tool for the traceability of wine and grape end products. Moreover, the unique identity of cultivars' microbial signatures highlights the need for further development of precision management to support viticulture sustainability in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cat3 gene of maize exhibits a transcriptionally regulated circadian rhythm. In the present study we examined the following: (1) the extent of the circadian Cat3 expression between maize genotypes of diverse origin; (2) the functional significance of a Tourist transposable element located in the Cat3 promoter of the inbred line W64A, which harbors putative regulatory elements (GATA repeat, CCAAT boxes) shown to be involved in the light induction and circadian regulation of the Arabidopsis CAB2, as well as other plant genes; and (3) aspects of the physiological role of CAT-3 in maize metabolism. Results confirm that the circadian Cat3 expression is a general phenomenon in maize. Regulation of Cat3 gene expression is not dependent on the presence of the Tourist element in the promoter of the gene nor on the presence of motifs similar to those found significant in the circadian expression of the Arabidopsis CAB2 gene. Structural diversity was revealed in the Cat3 promoters of maize genotypes of diverse origins. However, highly conserved regions with putative regulatory motifs were identified. Relevance of the conserved regions to the circadian regulation of the gene is discussed. Possible physiological roles of CAT-3 are suggested.

Few studies have reported on the flowering time mechanism of tropical maize under short-day conditions. Drought, another important factor that affects flowering time, has been reported to delay the silking date in tropical maize. However, due to the lack of genetic information related to flowering in maize, the mechanism by which drought delays flowering is unclear. To further understand this process, we analyzed drought-responsive genes using RNA sequencing and identified genes related to flowering time, including contigs from de novo assembly. The results revealed changes in the expression of flowering-time genes, including INDETERMINATE1 (ID1), Heading date 3a (Hd3a), CONSTANS-like genes, and ZEA MAYS CENTRORADIALES8 (ZCN8), which are known to be crucial factors in flowering. In particular, Hd3a, CONZ1, and ZCN8, which have been reported to accelerate flowering under short-day conditions, were downregulated by drought stress. Changes in gene expression appear to play an important role in changes in flowering time under drought. These expression profiles will help to further understand the flowering-time genes of tropical maize and the delayed flowering time resulting from drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) is a key global issue in production and end-use quality of cereals, particularly in regions where the rainfall season overlaps the harvest. To investigate transcriptomic changes in genes affected by PHS-induction and ABA-treatment, RNA-seq analysis was performed in two wheat cultivars that differ in PHS tolerance. A total of 123 unigenes related to hormone metabolism and signaling for abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and cytokinin were identified and 1862 of differentially expressed genes were identified and divided into 8 groups by transcriptomic analysis. DEG analysis showed the majority of genes were categorized in sugar related processes, which interact with ABA signaling in PHS tolerant cultivar under PHS-induction. Thus, genes related to ABA are key regulators of dormancy and germination. Our results give insight into global changes in expression of plant hormone related genes in response to PHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular plant breeding usually overlooks the genetic variability that arises from the association of plants with endophytic microorganisms, when looking at agronomic interesting target traits. This source of variability can have crucial effects on the functionality of the organism considered as a whole (the holobiont), and therefore can be selectable in breeding programs. However, seeing the holobiont as a unit for selection and improvement in breeding programs requires novel approaches for genotyping and phenotyping. These should not focus just at the plant level, but also include the associated endophytes and their functional effects on the plant, to make effective desirable trait screenings. The present review intends to draw attention to a new research field on functional hologenomics that if associated with adequate phenotyping tools could greatly increase the efficiency of breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]