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Horticulturae
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Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for...
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Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for Farmers and Consumers—2nd Edition

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 1199

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberta Bulgari

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: horticulture; abiotic stress; biostimulant; soilless cultivation; microgreens; vegetable quality; ornamentals; postharvest quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ada Baldi

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari Ambientali e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Interests: vegetable crops; microgreens; baby leaf; leafy vegetables; greens; vegetable quality; wild food plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonios Chrysargyris

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3036, Cyprus
Interests: aromatic plants and vegetable cultivation; development of strategies for plant nutrition and response to abiotic stress; soil-less culture; substrates and hydroponics; postharvest storage and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants; essential oil analysis and biocidal activity; evaluation of natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

About 30,000 plant species are considered edible worldwide, but nowadays, very few of them are crops grown or cultivated on a commercially significant scale. On the other hand, several plants or their parts (leaves, shoots, fruits, seeds, hypogeal organs, and flowers) are collected in the wild and consumed as raw or cooked food. Ethnobotany may offer a source of inspiration for agriculture, as wild edible species have the potential to lead food systems to be healthier, more sustainable, and resilient to climate change. A significant tolerance to several abiotic and biotic stresses, as well as a high nutritional value and excellent nutraceutical properties are common traits of wild plants, making them promising candidates as new crops. Novel approaches for the outdoor/indoor cultivation, harvesting, and storage of wild or underutilized species are needed to allow growers to produce new food categories, particularly those appealing to modern consumers. Cultivating wild species is also a way to preserve ethnobotanical heritage and to promote genetic diversity. Furthermore, the cultivation of food plants usually gathered in the wild could reduce the health-related risks associated with pollution and biological contaminations.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and reviews exploring the application of wild or underutilized species as new genetic resources for crop improvement, the agronomic strategies exploitable during pre- and post-harvest stages, as well as the food safety risks and benefits deriving from their consumption.

Dr. Roberta Bulgari
Dr. Ada Baldi
Dr. Antonios Chrysargyris
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • edible species
  • cultivation systems
  • yield and quality
  • new functional foods
  • nutrients
  • secondary metabolites
  • antioxidants
  • food security
  • food safety
  • biodiversity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1386 KiB  
Communication
Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Terminalia catappa Nuts
by Shahla Hosseini Bai, Bruce Randall, Repson Gama, Basil Gua, Doni Keli, Kim Jones, Brittany Elliott and Helen M. Wallace
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050540 - 16 May 2025
Abstract
Indigenous forest foods have great potential to diversify cropping systems and increase food security and the resilience of food systems to climate change. Underutilised indigenous tree nuts in particular can provide health benefits to local communities and improve livelihoods when commercialised. However, for [...] Read more.
Indigenous forest foods have great potential to diversify cropping systems and increase food security and the resilience of food systems to climate change. Underutilised indigenous tree nuts in particular can provide health benefits to local communities and improve livelihoods when commercialised. However, for many tree nut species, there is little knowledge of important kernel characteristics. Kernel size and oil composition are important factors for commercialisation and health benefits, respectively. We assessed kernel attributes of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae), a traditional forest food in the Pacific, in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. We assessed kernel mass and kernel-to-fruit mass ratio, explored the fatty acid profile of oil, and oil stability against oxidation using accelerated ageing at 45 °C for 21 days. The largest kernels were found in the Solomon Islands with an average mass of 1.66 g. Similarly, kernel-to-fruit mass ratios were higher in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu than in Fiji. Terminalia catappa contained higher concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids. Among the unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid and linoleic acid were the two most abundant. Kernels incubated at 45 °C exhibited significantly higher hexanal concentrations on day 7 compared to those on day 0 of incubation. This rapid oil oxidation may be associated with high unsaturated fatty acid concentrations in kernels. These findings may have implications for oil shelf life. Our study suggests T. catappa trees from the Solomon Islands exhibit desirable kernel characteristics that make them suitable for selection and commercialization. The commercialization of an underutilised forest food tree like T. catappa will enhance food and nutrition security for local communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for Farmers and Consumers—2nd Edition)
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28 pages, 3219 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Cropping System and Irrigation Regime on the Plant Growth and Biochemical Profile of Cichorium spinosum
by Beatriz H. Paschoalinotto, Nikolaos Polyzos, Vasiliki Liava, Filipa Mandim, Tânia C. S. P. Pires, Mikel Añibarro-Ortega, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Maria Inês Dias, Lillian Barros and Spyridon A. Petropoulos
Horticulturae 2025, 11(3), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030306 - 11 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 527
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of three irrigation treatments (control (rain-fed plants), deficit irrigation (DI: 50% of maximum field capacity), full irrigation (FI: 100% of maximum field capacity)), and two crop-management treatments (with or without crop rotation with bean, CR, and NCR, respectively) [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the effects of three irrigation treatments (control (rain-fed plants), deficit irrigation (DI: 50% of maximum field capacity), full irrigation (FI: 100% of maximum field capacity)), and two crop-management treatments (with or without crop rotation with bean, CR, and NCR, respectively) on the plant growth and chemical composition of C. spinosum. The results indicated that deficit irrigation combined with crop rotation increased the weight of leaves per plant, followed by rain-fed plants for the same crop-management treatment. Additionally, these two factors significantly influenced the nutritional profile, free sugars, and organic acid content in a variable manner. Moreover, the control treatment and deficit irrigation increased the content of K, Na, and Mg, which are highly mobile nutrients, whereas the levels of moderately mobile nutrients such as Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn decreased. Deficit irrigation without crop rotation significantly increased the content of total tocopherols, followed by deficit irrigation with crop rotation and full irrigation without crop rotation. The main fatty acids were α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3), followed by palmitic acid (C16:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6), while the control and deficit irrigation treatments combined with crop rotation increased PUFA and decreased SFA content. Furthermore, deficit irrigation and crop rotation induced the accumulation of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, especially the content of the major compounds (e.g., chicoric acid, quercetin-O-hexurunoside, and luteolin-O-hexurunoside). The leaf extracts exhibited varied antioxidant activity (assessed by TBARS and OxHLIA assays), and antimicrobial activity. On the other hand, no antifungal, antiproliferative (except for AGS cell line), hepatotoxic, or anti-inflammatory effects were recorded. In conclusion, the combination of deficit irrigation and crop rotation with bean positively affected the quality traits and the fresh weight of leaves, thus suggesting that such eco-friendly practices could have beneficial effects in the cultivation of C. spinosum plants within the context of climate-change mitigation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for Farmers and Consumers—2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 672 KiB  
Article
Biochemical and Morphological Traits of Wild Myrtle Populations for Horticultural Use
by Donya Shahbazian, Akbar Karami and Nazim S. Gruda
Horticulturae 2025, 11(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11030233 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 314
Abstract
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), an evergreen shrub belonging to the Myrtaceae family, is widely valued for its applications in the cosmetic, hygienic, and medicinal industries. This plant produces berries in two colors—white and black—with black berries receiving increasing attention due to their [...] Read more.
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), an evergreen shrub belonging to the Myrtaceae family, is widely valued for its applications in the cosmetic, hygienic, and medicinal industries. This plant produces berries in two colors—white and black—with black berries receiving increasing attention due to their superior antioxidant properties. This study investigates black myrtle berries’ morphological and biochemical characteristics from eight prominent natural habitats in Fars Province, southwestern Iran. The results reveal significant variations in the morphological (such as fruit length and diameter, fruit length-to-diameter ratio, seed length and diameter, fruit weight, pulp weight, seed weight, pulp-to-seed ratio, and number of seeds) and biochemical attributes among the studied populations. The longest fruit was from the Kherqeh (KH) (8.29 mm) population, while the shortest was from the Baghnari (BN) (5.85 mm) population. The largest fruit diameter was also from KH (6.83 mm), which did not show a significant difference compared to the Zanjiran (ZF) population, while the smallest fruit diameter was from BN (5.12 mm), which did not differ significantly from the Kavar (KA), Simakan (SM), Kouhmareh Road (JK), or Atashkadeh (AT) populations. Notably, all populations exhibited high levels of phenolic compounds, ranging from 660 to 1846 mg per 100 g of fresh weight, and potent antioxidant activity, as indicated by low half-maximal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.018 to 0.187 mg per gram. Correlation analyses further demonstrated that altitude and specific soil properties influenced the biochemical traits of the berries to varying degrees. These findings offer valuable scientific insights for selecting and utilizing specific myrtle populations in horticulture, particularly for breeding programs to maximize antioxidant properties and phenolic content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for Farmers and Consumers—2nd Edition)
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