Search Results (46)

(1) Background: The conservation of plant resources is important because many wild plant populations are threatened by various influences. Growing plants from seeds is one way to ensure their survival. Comparing the biological potential of extracts between plants cultivated from seeds and wild plants provides information about their specialized metabolites. For this reason, this study compared the biological potential of phenolic extracts from four wild-collected species of the genus Veronica and the same four cultivated species. The studied species of the genus Veronica are V. anagallis-aquatica L., V. persica Poir., V. polita Fr. and V. hederifolia L. (2) Methods: The phenolic composition was investigated with LC-QTOF (Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight). The main methods for biological activities were as follows: ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical for antioxidant activity, the disk diffusion test for antibacterial activity and the MTS test of cytotoxic activity. (3) Results: The major compound in all extracts was apigenin. Cultivated species showed higher antioxidative activity. Phenolic compounds isolated from the V. anagallis-aquatica species showed the highest cytotoxic effect on all tested lines. The extracts showed antibacterial activity on three bacterial strains: Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes and L. innocua. Extracts of V. anagallis-aquatica showed the highest antibacterial activity, both from the natural habitat and cultivated habitat. (4) Conclusions: A comparison of the different activities tested for phenolic extracts between wild and cultivated species of the genus Veronica showed that cultivated species also have significant biological activity and are suitable for further research and applications. Full article

Veronica nakaiana Ohwi and Veronica pusanensis Y.N.Lee are rare and endemic plants native to Korea, with increasing interest in their cultivation and breeding for industrial applications. Mutation breeding is important for developing horticultural cultivars. Among mutation breeding techniques, chemical mutagenesis is particularly accessible and effective. Colchicine-induced mutagenesis was performed in vivo at various concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) and treatment durations (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h). Both V. nakaiana Ohwi and V. pusanensis Y.N.Lee showed the highest survival (23.4% and 34.8%, respectively) and mutation (1.6% and 0.5%, respectively) rates with 0.2% colchicine. Flow cytometry and chromosome number analyses revealed mutants as tetraploid, with chromosome numbers ranging from 2n = 66 to 2n = 68. Stomatal analysis indicated increased stomatal length and width and decreased stomatal density. Morphological analysis of the mutants revealed that the leaves of V. nakaiana Ohwi and V. pusanensis Y.N.Lee were significantly larger and had different shapes compared to the control. This study successfully generated new mutant plants of two Veronica species using chemical mutagen treatment, which could be utilized as new genetic resources for various Veronica species breeding programs in the future. Full article

Similarly to conventional field crops, weeds often pose significant problems in the cultivation of medicinal plants. To date, no comprehensive documentation exists regarding weed infestation levels in these crops in Serbia. The objective of this study was to provide a valuable foundation for developing effective, site-specific weed management strategies in medicinal crop production. Weeds in five medicinal crops (lemon balm, fennel, peppermint, ribwort plantain, German chamomile), were surveyed based on the agro-phytosociological method between 2019 and 2024, and across 59 plots. A total of 109 weed species were recorded, belonging to 29 families and 88 genera. Among them, 75 were annuals and 34 perennials, including 93 broadleaved species, 10 grasses, and one parasitic species. All surveyed plots were heavily infested with perennial weeds such as Elymus repens, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Lepidium draba, Rumex crispus, Sorghum halepense, Taraxacum officinale, etc. Also, several annual species were found in high abundance and frequency, including Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Galium aparine, Lactuca serriola, Lamium amplexicaule, L. purpureum, Papaver rhoeas, Stellaria media, Veronica hederifolia, V. persica, etc. The most important ecological factors influencing the composition of weed vegetation in investigated medicinal crops were temperature and light for fennel and peppermint plots, soil reaction for lemon balm and ribwort plantain plots, and nutrient content for German chamomile plots. A perspective for exploitation of these results is the development of effective weed control programs tailored to this specific cropping system. Weed control strategies should consider such information, targeting the control of the most frequent, abundant, and dominant species existing in a crops or locality. Full article

Weeds represent increasingly troublesome threats to modern wheat production. Jiangsu Province, China, is one of the largest wheat-planting areas, characterized by a high level of agricultural mechanization, in the country. In 2024, we surveyed weed communities of 924 wheat lands from 308 sites in Jiangsu and compared them with historical data surveyed in 1999–2000 in this province. A total of 156 weed species belonging to 103 genera and 39 families were recorded. Compositae and Poaceae showed the highest species richness, with 26 and 23 species, respectively. Poaceae weeds accounted for 54.3% of the overall weeds in dominance values. Beckmannia syzigachne showed the highest proportion of the overall weeds in dominance values (19.2%). Compared with the historical data, weed diversity increased by 33.3% in species, and by 62.5% in families; grassy weeds such as Beckmannia syzigachne, Alopecurus japonicus, and Alopecurus myosuroides became more dominant, while several low-growing grassy weeds became less dominant. The dominance of broadleaf weeds, such as Galium spp., Vicia spp., and Veronica spp., decreased greatly, and a clear trend of weed homogenization among different areas and types of wheat lands was observed. This is the first investigation of weed community succession against the background of agricultural modernization in China. Full article

This paper assesses the complexity and diversity of vegetation in grassy strips with spontaneous plants between tree rows in three fruit orchards (plum, cherry, apple) in Dolj County, Romania, using structural and biodiversity indices. It addresses the lack of data on spontaneous vegetation in Romanian orchards, supporting improved plantation management and native biodiversity conservation. The study found that grassy strips supported high wild herbaceous diversity and a complex, heterogeneous ecological structure, with the apple orchard showing the highest biodiversity. Species diversity, evaluated through species richness, evenness, and diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson, Menhinick, Gleason, etc.), showed species richness ranging from 30 species in the cherry orchard to 40 in the apple orchard. Several species, including Capsella bursa-pastoris, Geranium pusillum, Poa pratensis, Veronica hederifolia, Lolium perenne, and Convolvulus arvensis, were present in 100% of samples, making them constant species from a phytosociological perspective. Their presence indicates relatively stable plant communities in each orchard. From a phytocoenological view, an ecological plant community is defined not only by species composition but also by constancy and co-occurrence in sampling units. Dominance remained low in all orchards, indicating no single plant dominated, while evenness showed a uniform distribution of species. Full article

Conservation agriculture is increasingly recognized as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming in temperate regions due to its benefits in terms of reducing soil erosion, enhancing water retention, and mitigating climate change. Despite these benefits, these practices are not broadly adopted, partially due to perceived weed management challenges in conservation systems. This paper explores how a conservation system that uses cover crops and non-inversion tillage (chiselling) influences the weed flora abundance and evolution before cover crop termination and over a complete rotation cycle (sunflower–winter wheat–maize–sunflower) in southeastern Romania when compared to conventional tillage (ploughing). Overall, the conservation system significantly reduced weed density by 31%, preserving a higher diversity and evenness (H′ = 0.75, E = 0.46) by the end of the rotation cycle and an evenly distributed weed community compared to the conventional system, where the opportunistic species Veronica hederifolia exhibited dominance. Full article

Sustainable alternatives to peat in horticultural substrates are increasingly sought. This study assessed the use of coffee silverskin (CS), a byproduct of coffee roasting, as a substrate component for rooting and growing ornamental plants—Buddleja, Lythrum, and Veronica. Plants were cultivated in peat-based substrates with 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% CS addition. In order to determine the effect of substrate modification with CS, the following parameters were analyzed: rooting efficiency, plant growth, pigment content, physiological indices (SPAD, Fv/Fm, NFI), and substrate properties. A 25% CS addition supported high rooting success (94.4% on average) without negatively affecting root or shoot traits, and even improved flowering earliness. At 50% CS, Buddleja showed moderate tolerance, while Lythrum and Veronica performed poorly. The substrate with 75% CS addition significantly reduced rooting and growth across all species. Elevated pH and electrical conductivity in high-CS substrates likely contributed to plant stress. Physiological indicators confirmed minimal stress at 25% CS, but increased stress response at 75%. Overall, CS can replace up to 25% of peat in substrates without compromising plant performance, offering a sustainable alternative in nursery production. However, higher CS levels require structural or chemical adjustments to reduce compaction and stress effects. Further research is needed to improve CS-based substrate formulations for broader horticultural use. Full article

Long-term no-till systems have led to shifts in weed communities and reduced the effectiveness of herbicide-based control. Occasional tillage is proposed as an alternative strategy to disrupt weed emergence patterns by redistributing seeds within the soil profile. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of occasional tillage on weed seedbank composition and vertical distribution of viable weed seeds and propagules within the soil profile, after more than 20 years of continuous no-till. A paired-plot experiment was conducted in Carlos Casares, Buenos Aires, Argentina, with three replications. Treatments included continuous no-till and occasional tillage (two disk harrow passes in August 2022 and April 2023) combined with three soil depths (0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm). Soil samples were collected in spring 2022 and fall 2023, and weed emergence was recorded under semi-controlled conditions. Overall species richness did not differ significantly between tillage treatments but was consistently greater in the upper 0–5 cm soil layer. Weed abundance also declined with depth. Five species, Chenopodium album, Stellaria media, Eleusine indica, Oxybasis macrosperma, and Heliotropium curassavicum, were frequent across treatments. Some species were exclusive to either no-till or tilled plots, for example, Datura ferox, Poa annua, and Veronica peregrina were found only in tilled plots, while Portulaca oleracea, Medicago lupulina, and Trifolium repens were exclusive to no-till plots. These results indicate that occasional tillage alters species composition and vertical seed distribution in the seedbank without significantly reducing total richness or abundance, offering an additional, but not always effective, tool to influence weed community structure in no-till systems. Full article

This study analyzed the seed germination characteristics and physiological responses of five Korean Veronica species (V. daurica, V. nakaiana, V. kiusiana var. glabrifolia, V. pusanensis, and V. pyrethrina) under salinity stress. Preliminary experiments on five Veronica species using various NaCl concentrations revealed that treatment with 150 mM NaCl almost completely inhibited seed germination, whereas treatment with >50 mM NaCl significantly decreased seed germination rate and index. Therefore, this study focused on the effects of treatment with 0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl for 7 days on the germination rate, germination index, germination energy, germination vigor index, water content, fresh weight, dry weight, and root length of the plants. When treated with 100 mM NaCl, most species had few survivors after 5 days, even if germination had occurred. Almost all parameters significantly decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. Especially, fresh weight and water content decreased with increasing NaCl concentration, while dry weight did not show a significant response to NaCl concentration, suggesting that salinity stress inhibited water uptake, which is crucial for seed germination. Hormonal analysis revealed the presence of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) and the absence of gibberellic acid. Most species showed no significant changes in IAA and ABA levels with varying NaCl concentrations. However, V. pusanensis showed significantly increased ABA levels with increasing NaCl concentration, and V. daurica showed significantly higher IAA levels at 100 mM NaCl than at other NaCl concentrations. This study demonstrates that salt stress negatively affects Veronica seed germination, with varying intensities among species. Full article

This study explores the relationship between abiotic factors, farming practices, and weed growth in winter wheat fields in Eastern Hungary. It examines the order of weed dominance and the influence of soil, environmental, and agricultural variables on weed composition and diversity before herbicide application. The research was conducted across four sub-regions in the Great Hungarian Plain, each with distinct soil, hydrological, and geographical conditions. Between 2018 and 2021, 103 fields were surveyed and weed species cover was recorded using EPPO-based identification and quadrat sampling. Soil properties, environmental conditions, and farming practices were documented through soil analysis, geographical data, and farmer interviews. Statistical analyses were preformed including ANCOVA, redundancy analysis, and Shannon diversity index calculations. The results show that common weed species include Veronica hederifolia, Stellaria media, and Apera spica-venti, with winter annuals dominating. Soil compaction and salinity affected weed diversity, while increased copper and zinc concentrations had minor effects on weed coverage. Farming practices, particularly tillage systems and fertilizer use, had a significant effect on species richness and diversity. Different regional and annual weed distributions were observed, with correlation between certain tillage systems and specific weed species. The results emphasize the need for climate-conscious farming practices, and we recommend prioritising shallow cultivation and deep loosening over ploughing in order to manage weed populations effectively. These insights contribute to sustainable weed management strategies in cereal production. Full article

Background: One of the greatest challenges to biologists is to understand the adaptive mechanisms of how plants will respond to climate at all levels from individual physiology to whole populations. For example, variation (plasticity) in the composition and concentration of metabolites will determine productivity, reproduction, and ultimately survival and distribution of plants, especially those subjected to rapid climate change. Objectives: Our aim was to study how interspecific and intraspecific metabolic variation in plant species within a single community can be elucidated. Methods: We used a metabolomics approach to study metabolic acclimation (by measuring the metabolome between plants under “common garden” controlled environment conditions) and metabolic plasticity (using field based reciprocal transplant studies) in a set of Atlantic sand dune annual communities along a latitudinal gradient from Portugal to England. Results: In the common garden study, metabolically phenotyping (using a fingerprinting direct injection mass spectrometry approach) five species of annual plants showed that species living together in a community have distinct metabolic phenotypes (high inter-specific metabolic variation). There was low intra-specific metabolic variation between populations growing under standard environmental conditions. The metabolic variation in one species Veronica arvensis was measured in the reciprocal transplant study. Metabolic phenotypes obtained from all samples were similar across all sites regardless of where the plants originated from. Conclusions: This implies that the metabolome is highly plastic and the measurable metabolome in this study was influenced more by local environmental factors than inherent genetic factors. This work highlights that species are fulfilling different niches within this community. Furthermore, the measurable metabolome was highly plastic to environmental variation. Full article

This ethnobotanical study examines the traditional knowledge and usage patterns of wild plants in the western Alps, specifically within the Ubaye and Bellino Valleys, through a comparative analysis of data collected from 1983 (published in 1990) to 2024. Our study aims to assess the change in plant usage, species diversity, and the changing roles of plants in local traditions in the western Alpine mountain ecosystems. While the 1983 survey documented medicinal uses centered around pastoralist practices, the 2024 data highlight a notable increase in the use of synanthropic plants, now utilized both medicinally and as food. Several species such as Allium sativum, Artemisia absinthium, and Urtica dioica have shown resilience and continuity in local cultural practices, maintaining medicinal, culinary, and ritual significance across the four decades. The 1983 survey documented the greatest variety of species (101), a number that decreased in subsequent studies. The 2009 survey identified 36 species not previously recorded in 1983, and the 2024 field study noted an additional 20 species. The study highlights the economic potential of several wild species in these alpine areas, such as Achillea, Artemisia, Verbascum, Veronica, Viola, Polygonum, Bunium, and Sorbus spp., which could be utilized for creating new herbal teas, artisanal beers, liqueurs, ice creams, sweets, and seasoned food products. Expanding the uses of these plants could not only preserve ethnobotanical knowledge but also stimulate local economies and support sustainable development in alpine communities. The documented temporal shifts in plant usage reflect broader cultural, ecological, and socio-economic changes, underscoring the importance of preserving biodiversity and traditional knowledge amidst ongoing environmental and societal shifts. This study underlines the need to conserve ethnobotanical heritage while adapting to the evolving landscape of the region. Future research could focus on exploring the role of these species in broader sustainability initiatives, including conservation strategies, ecosystem services, and community-based tourism while continuing to document the cultural dynamics influencing plant usage. Full article

Extracts from Veronica species (speedwells) are known for the various biological activities they show, such as cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. Also, the plants from this genus are known as medicinal plants used in traditional medicine worldwide. Phenolic compounds are specialized metabolites that contribute to biological activity the most. Therefore, the aim of this research is identification and quantification of phenolic compounds present in three Veronica species (Veronica anagallis-aquatica L., Veronica persica Poir., and Veronica polita Fr.) using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique. All extracts were tested for antioxidant activity with two methods: DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). Also, standards for compounds that were detected in the highest amount in all species were also tested for antioxidant activity. Three different solvents (pure methanol, 80% ethanol, and water) were used for the extraction of phenolic components and their comparison in order to test their antioxidant activity as a final goal. The main compounds present in the tested Veronica extracts were: p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, gentisic acid, and apigenin. V. anagallis-aquatica contained the highest amount of phenolic components in comparison with the two other tested species, V. persica and V. polita. Caffeic acid showed the highest antioxidant activity in both studied methods with an IC₅₀ value for DPPH activity of 1.99 µg/mL. For the plant extracts, in general, methanolic/ethanolic extracts showed higher activity than water extracts in both methods which was expected, as organic solutions extract more phenolic compounds. This research points to the potential application of extracts of different Veronica species for antioxidant activity. Full article

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a molecular cytogenetic technique that enables the visualization and identification of specific DNA sequences within chromosomes, has emerged as a pivotal tool in plant breeding programs, particularly in the case of Veronica species. Veronica, a genus with a complex reproductive system, often poses challenges in accurately identifying hybrids because of its tendency to hybridize, which leads to intricate genetic variation. This study focused on the use of FISH as a prescreening method to identify true hybrids in Veronica breeding programs. FISH analysis was first performed on the parents to identify their 45S and 5S rDNA signals, along with their respective chromosome numbers. The signals were then compared with those of the twenty progenies with reference to their supposed parents. Five true hybrids, seven self-pollinated progenies, and eight false hybrids were identified through FISH. The findings highlight the significance of FISH as a screening method that contributes significantly to the efficiency of Veronica breeding programs by ensuring the preservation of desired genetic traits and minimizing the inadvertent inclusion of misidentified hybrids. To conclude, this study underscores the vital role of FISH in enhancing the precision and success of breeding programs and opens new avenues for improved breeding strategies and crop development. Full article

Disposal of biosolids, the solid fraction of sewage treatment, is a global environmental issue. Biosolids contain valuable organic matter and plant nutrients; however, they also contain contaminants including trace elements, xenobiotics, and pathogens. The quality of the biosolids greatly depends on the source of wastewater (i.e., industrial vs. domestic) and the treatment processes. We aimed to determine the potential of three distinct biosolids and one pond sludge to grow indigenous plants for ecosystem restoration. For each amendment, we tested six indigenous species, Veronica salicifolia, Corokia cheesemanii, Griselinia littoralis, Phormium tenax, Poa cita, and Cordyline australis in bark mixed with biosolids and/or pond sludge at rates of 0–50%. There was a significant positive correlation between plant growth and biosolid addition up to a species-dependent plateau. Growth decreased at the highest rates. At a rate of 10% for fresh biosolids and 30% for aged biosolids provided consistent optimal growth across all species. The pond sludge was unsuitable for the establishment of indigenous seedlings. At the optimal rates, there were significant increases in foliar N, P, K, S, and Zn. None of the trace elements accumulated in the plants at phytotoxic concentrations or levels that presented a risk to ecosystems. Future work should determine how plants raised with biosolids perform once planted out in the field. Full article