Search Results (2,302)

In Northeast Brazil, climatic factors and technology synergistically enhance melon productivity and fruit quality. However, the region requires further research on the efficient use of water resources, particularly in determining the crop coefficient (Kc), which comprises the evaporation coefficient (Ke) and the transpiration coefficient (Kcb). Air temperature affects crop growth and development, altering the spectral response and the Kcb. However, the direct influence of air temperature on Kcb and spectral response remains underemphasized. This study employed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with RGB and Red-Green-NIR sensors imagery to extract biophysical parameters for improved water management in melon cultivation in semiarid northern Bahia. Field experiments were conducted during two distinct periods: warm (October–December 2019) and cool (June–August 2020). The ‘Gladial’ and ‘Cantaloupe’ cultivars exhibited higher Kcb values during the warm season (2.753–3.450 and 3.087–3.856, respectively) and lower during the cool season (0.815–0.993 and 1.118–1.317). NDVI-based estimates of Kcb showed strong correlations with field data (r > 0.80), confirming its predictive potential. The results demonstrate that UAV-derived NDVI enables reliable estimation of melon Kcb across seasons, supporting its application for evapotranspiration modeling and precision irrigation in the Brazilian semiarid context. Full article

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is among the most economically significant and nutritionally valuable vegetable crops grown globally. However, fungal diseases such as Early Blight caused by Alternaria alternata are a major factor limiting yield and fruit quality in tomato production. This study investigates the biocontrol potential of locally isolated rhizobacterium Pseudomonas yamanorum against A. alternata, the causal agent of early blight in tomato, under both in vitro and in planta conditions. In vitro assays demonstrated significant antifungal activity; in the dual confrontation assay, P. yamanorum (10⁸ CFU/mL) reduced A. alternata mycelial growth by 68.7%, while spore germination was inhibited by 88.7%. In planta trials demonstrated that plants treated with P. yamanorum (10⁷ CFU/mL) alone exhibited the lowest disease severity (2.5). The treatments also significantly enhanced plant growth, with shoot length reaching 45 cm versus 26 cm in infected controls. Biochemical analyses revealed increased catalase (94.84 units mg⁻¹ protein min⁻¹), peroxidase (5.83), and ascorbate peroxidase (67.01) activities in treated plants. Total polyphenol and protein contents also increased (0.81 mg/g and 15.82 mg/g, respectively). Furthermore, P. yamanorum treatments maintained fruit quality parameters such as firmness (3.13), sugar content (6.43 °Brix), and juice yield (55.88%), while reducing malondialdehyde (2.02 µmol/g Dry Weight) and electrical conductivity (0.59 mS/cm). These findings highlight P. yamanorum as a promising biocontrol agent and plant growth-promoting bacteria that improve disease resistance, which can be combined with salicylic acid to further enhance crop vigor and fruit quality under biotic stress. Full article

Saline-alkali stress seriously affects the growth and development of crops. Sorghum bicolor (L.), a C4 plant, is an important cereal crop in the world, and its growth and geographical distribution are limited by alkali conditions. In this study, sorghum genotypes with different alkaline resistance (alkaline-sensitive Z1 and alkaline-tolerant Z14) were used as experimental materials to explore the effects of alkali on sorghum seedlings. RNA-seq technology was used to examine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alkali-tolerant Z14 to reveal the molecular mechanism of sorghum response to alkali stress. The results showed that plant height, root length, and biomass of both cultivars decreased with time under 80 mM NaHCO₃ treatment, but Z14 showed better water retention abilities. The photosynthetic fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll content also decreased, but the Fv/Fm, ETH, ΦPSII, and chlorophyll content of Z14 were significantly higher than those of Z1. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased in both sorghum varieties under alkali stress, while the enzyme activities of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX were also significantly increased, especially in Z14, resulting in lower ROS compared with Z1. Transcriptome analysis revealed around 6000 DEGs in Z14 sorghum seedlings under alkali stress, among which 267 DEGs were expressed in all comparison groups. KEGG pathways were enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, and RNA transport. bHLHs, ERFs, NACs, MYBs, and other transcription factor families are actively involved in the response to alkali stress. A large number of genes involved in photosynthesis and the antioxidant system were found to be significantly activated under alkali stress. In the stress signal transduction cascades, Ca²⁺ signal transduction pathway-related genes were activated, about 23 PP2Cs in ABA signaling were upregulated, and multiple MAPK and other kinase-related genes were triggered by alkali stress. These findings will help decipher the response mechanism of sorghum to alkali stress and improve its alkali tolerance. Full article

Salt stress is a significant environmental factor that inhibits maize growth and development, severely affecting yield formation. Interestingly, nanomaterials, particularly ZnONPs, can enhance resistance to various stresses and support healthy crop growth. However, the effects of ZnONPs on maize under salt stress remain unclear. This study investigates the effect of foliar and seed exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on reducing NaCl-induced salt stress in two maize inbred lines (NKY298-1 and NKY211). Over a period of seven days, under 120 mM NaCl, we measured growth, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), membrane stability index (MSI), water status (relative water content, RWC), photosynthetic pigments and parameters, selected photosynthetic enzymes, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Then, we propose four composite indices, including stress improvement index (SII), alleviation capacity index (ACI), comprehensive improvement effects (CIE), and comprehensive alleviation capacity (CAC), to rank the effectiveness of ZnONP doses. The findings suggested that 50–100 μM ZnONPs significantly mitigate salt damage, with optimal doses varying by genotype (50 μM for NKY211 and 100 μM for NKY298-1). Notably, the study’s originality lies in its side-by-side composite scoring across 26 traits in two maize genotypes’ seedlings. In conclusion, the findings will provide a new idea for research on the molecular mechanism by which exogenous ZnONPs application improves the salt tolerance of maize seedlings. Full article

Miscanthus, a perennial grass, is renowned for its remarkable tolerance to abiotic stress. Excessive levels of drought severely impair plant growth and yield. Plant nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factors (TFs) play pivotal roles in regulating responses to drought stress in species such as Arabidopsis and maize. However, their functional roles in conferring drought tolerance in Miscanthus remain largely unexplored. This study’s genome-wide analysis and gene expression profiling of Miscanthus under dehydration/osmotic stress identified a transcription factors gene, MsNF-YA4, which was significantly upregulated under dehydration/osmotic stress. MsNF-YA4 overexpression in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced drought tolerance, leading to increased transcription of stress- and antioxidant enzyme-related genes. Compared with the wild type (WT), the transgenic lines exhibited markedly higher relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, proline level, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, the MsNF-YA4/MsNF-YB3/MsNF-YC2 improved the transactivation of the Miscanthus P5CS1, SOD (Cu/Zn) and CAT1 promoters in the transient system. These results offer fresh perspectives on the role of Miscanthus NF-YAs in drought tolerance and offer promising genetic resources for developing drought-tolerant crops through breeding programs. Full article

Plants, as sessile organisms, rely on sophisticated gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to adapt to dynamic environmental conditions. Among the central components of these networks are the interconnected pathways of light signaling and circadian rhythms, which together optimize growth, development, and stress resilience. While light and circadian pathways have been extensively investigated independently, their integrative coordination in mediating climate change adaptation responses remains a critical knowledge gap. Light perception via photoreceptors initiates transcriptional reprogramming, while the circadian clock generates endogenous rhythms that anticipate daily and seasonal changes. This review explores the molecular integration of light and circadian signaling, emphasizing how their crosstalk fine-tunes GRNs to balance resource allocation, photomorphogenesis, and stress adaptation. We highlight recent advances in systems biology tools, e.g., single-cell omics, CRISPR screens that unravel spatiotemporal regulation of shared hubs like phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs), ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), and CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1). Here, we synthesize mechanistic insights across model and crop species to bridge fundamental molecular crosstalk with actionable strategies for enhancing cropresilience. Moreover, we have tried to discuss agricultural implications in engineering light–clock interactions for the enhancement in crop productivity under climate change scenarios. Through synthesizing mechanistic insights and translational applications, this work will help underscore the potential for manipulating light–circadian networks to promote sustainability in agriculture. Full article

In recent years, China’s hilly and mountainous areas have faced widespread farmland abandonment. However, research on farmland abandonment and its driving mechanisms in hilly and mountainous regions is limited. This study proposes a transferable methodological framework that integrates Landsat data, Google Earth Engine, a time sliding-window algorithm, and the interpretable XGBoost–Shapley Additive explanation (SHAP) model. The time sliding-window algorithm is used to robustly detect long-term land cover changes across the entire study period. The SHAP quantifies the contributions of key drivers to farmland abandonment, providing transparent insights into the driving mechanisms. Applying this framework, we systematically analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and driving factors of farmland abandonment in Ji’an City, a typical city located in the hilly and mountainous areas of southern China and ultimately developed a farmland abandonment probability distribution map. The findings demonstrate the following. (1) Methodological validation showed that the random forest classifier achieved a mean overall accuracy (OA) of 91.05% (Kappa = 0.88) and the abandonment maps achieved OA of 91.58% (Kappa = 0.83). (2) Spatiotemporal analysis revealed that farmland area increased by 13.26% over 1990–2023, evolving through three stages: fluctuation (1990–2005), growth (2006–2015), and stability (2016–2023). The abandonment rate showed a long-term decreasing trend, peaking in 1998, whereas the abandoned area reached its minimum in 2007. From a spatial perspective, abandonment was more pronounced in mountainous and hilly regions of the study areas. (3) The XGBoost–SHAP model (R² > 0.85) identified key driving factors, including the potential crop yield, soil properties, mean annual precipitation, population density, and terrain features. By offering an interpretable and transferable monitoring framework, this study not only advances farmland abandonment research in complex terrains but also provides concrete policy implications. The results can guide targeted protection of high-risk abandonment zones, promote sustainable land-use planning, and support adaptive agricultural policies in hilly and mountainous regions. Full article

Salt stress is a major abiotic factor limiting crop productivity worldwide, as it disrupts plant growth, metabolism, and survival. In this study, we report that the genes PvPR10-2 and PvPR10-3 were significantly up-regulated in bean leaves and stems in response to combined salt and jasmonic acid (NaCl–JA) treatment. Foliar application of JA with salt induced physiological alterations, including stem growth inhibition, H₂O₂ accumulation, and activation of antioxidant enzymes. To investigate the role of PvPR10-3 in response to salt and phytohormones, we introduced this gene into Arabidopsis and found that its heterologous expression conferred salt tolerance to the transgenic lines. Interestingly, exogenous JA contributed to salt tolerance by reducing H₂O₂ levels, inducing ROS-scavenging enzymes, and promoting the accumulation of phenolic compounds and ABA. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of the transgenic lines revealed that PvPR10-3 expression under NaCl–JA stress is associated with the induction of JA-related genes like MYC2, JAZ2, JAZ11, and JAZ12, as well as SA-responsive genes, like ALD1 and TGA2, and two ABA-independent components DREB2A and ERD1, suggesting potential coordination between JA, ABA, and SA signaling in salt stress response. Additionally, key flowering regulators (FT, GI) were upregulated in transgenic lines under NaCl–JA treatment, suggesting a previously unexplored link between salt tolerance pathways and the regulation of flowering time. Taken together, our findings suggest a role of PvPR10-3 in enhancing salt stress tolerance and the involvement of exogenous JA in tolerance potentially by modulating ROS balance, hormone-associated gene expression, and protective secondary metabolites. Full article

Accurate assessment of a crop’s water requirement is essential for optimising irrigation scheduling and increasing the sustainability of water use. The crop coefficient (K_c) is a dimensionless factor that converts reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) into actual crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) and is widely used for irrigation scheduling. The K_c reflects canopy cover, phenology, and crop type/variety, but is difficult to measure directly in heterogeneous perennial systems, such as vineyards. Remote sensing (RS) products, especially open-source satellite imagery, offer a cost-effective solution at moderate spatial and temporal scales, although their application in vineyards has been relatively limited due to the large pixel size (~100 m²) relative to vine canopy size (~2 m²). This study aimed to improve grapevine K_c predictions using vegetation indices derived from harmonised Sentinel-2 imagery in combination with spectral unmixing, with ground data obtained from canopy light interception measurements in three winegrape cultivars (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay) in the Barossa and Eden Valleys, South Australia. A linear spectral mixture analysis approach was taken, which required estimation of vine canopy cover through beta regression models to improve the accuracy of vegetation indices that were used to build the K_c prediction models. Unmixing improved the prediction of seasonal K_c values in Shiraz (R² of 0.625, RMSE = 0.078, MAE = 0.063), Cabernet Sauvignon (R² = 0.686, RMSE = 0.072, MAE = 0.055) and Chardonnay (R² = 0.814, RMSE = 0.075, MAE = 0.059) compared to unmixed pixels. Furthermore, unmixing improved predictions during the early and late canopy growth stages when pixel variability was greater. Our findings demonstrate that integrating open-source satellite data with machine learning models and spectral unmixing can accurately reproduce the temporal dynamics of K_c values in vineyards. This approach was also shown to be transferable across cultivars and regions, providing a practical tool for crop monitoring and irrigation management in support of sustainable viticulture. Full article

Lagenaria siceraria is an essential horticultural and medicinal crop that is used for its edible fruits and ornamental purposes. WRKY transcription factors have been extensively studied in plant responses to environmental stress; however, there is limited information on their specific functions in L. siceraria. In this study, 51 LsWRKY genes were identified in the L. siceraria genome. The 51 LsWRKYs were divided into classes I, II, and III based on evolutionary analysis. Members of each class have similar conserved motifs and exon-intron structures, and promoter analysis helped identify many cis-regulatory elements associated with growth, hormones, and stress responses. GO terms and KEGG analyses indicated the potential roles of LsWRKY in the regulation of bottle gourd development and acclimation to various environmental stressors. Significant differences in LsWRKY expression were observed between different tissues. The results of RNA-seq and qRT-PCR showed that LsWRKYs were expressed in a tissue- and development-specific manner under normal growth conditions. LsWRKY abundance showed a clear pattern of change related to stress when L. siceraria was exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions. This study provides new insights into the role of LsWRKYs in the growth and stress responses of cucurbits. Full article

A major challenge in the agricultural industry is finding innovative and sustainable methods that can lead to enhanced crop resistance to abiotic stress factors and increased productivity. Research in recent years has proven the potential of non-thermal plasma in various fields, including agriculture, with relevance in promoting plant growth and development, plant immune response to abiotic stress or pathogen resistance. In the present study, distilled water was activated using dielectric barrier discharge equipment; subsequently, plasma-activated water (PAW) was used to irrigate maize plants subjected to cold stress. Two different maize accessions were studied in this work, SVGB-11742 and SVGB-718, previously identified as highly and moderately resistant to cold stress, respectively. After plant exposure to cold and irrigation with plasma-activated water, morphological, morpho-agronomical and physiological parameters and molecular data were assessed. The two genotypes showed distinct, often opposing, responses to PAW treatment depending on the parameter assessed. Generally, the obtained data at the molecular level showed that treatment with PAW increased the expression of certain genes involved in growth and development of the SVGB-718 variant subjected to cold stress. Irrigation of plants exposed to low temperatures with PAW did not have the predicted effects at the morphological and even the physiological level regarding the concentration of assimilatory pigments and the cold test index. While morphological benefits were limited and genotype-specific, PAW induced significant molecular changes (upregulated stress-responsive genes in SVGB-718), suggesting a priming effect that may not have been captured in the short-term morphological assays. However, the results obtained represent an important background for future studies. Full article

Soil salinization poses a severe threat to agricultural sustainability in the Yellow River Delta, where conventional spectral indices are limited by vegetation interference and seasonal dynamics in coastal saline-alkali landscapes. To address this, we developed an inversion framework integrating spectral indices and vegetation temporal features, combining multi-temporal Sentinel-2 optical data (January 2024–March 2025), Sentinel-1 SAR data, and terrain covariates. The framework employs Savitzky–Golay (SG) filtering to extract vegetation temporal indices—including NDVI temporal extremum and principal component features, capturing salt stress response mechanisms beyond single-temporal spectral indices. Based on 119 field samples and Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) feature selection, three ensemble models (XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM) were constructed under two strategies: single spectral features versus fused spectral and vegetation temporal features. The key results demonstrate the following: (1) The LightGBM model with fused features achieved optimal validation accuracy (R² = 0.77, RMSE = 0.26 g/kg), outperforming single-feature models by 13% in R². (2) SHAP analysis identified vegetation-related factors as key predictors, revealing a negative correlation between peak biomass and salinity accumulation, and the summer crop growth process affects soil salinization in the following spring. (3) The fused strategy reduced overestimation in low-salinity zones, enhanced model robustness, and significantly improved spatial gradient continuity. This study confirms that vegetation phenological features effectively mitigate agricultural interference (e.g., tillage-induced signal noise) and achieve high-resolution salinity mapping in areas where traditional spectral indices fail. The multi-temporal integration framework provides a replicable methodology for monitoring coastal salinization under complex land cover conditions. Full article

Golden thistle (Scolymus hispanicus L.) is a wild edible green of high nutritional value, used in the traditional Mediterranean diet. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand from consumers for golden thistle and concomitantly an increasing interest in integrating it into modern cultivation systems. Soilless culture is a promising cultivation option that can maximize yield and quality of golden thistle. The aim of this study was to examine the combined effect of electrical conductivity (EC) and nitrogen (N) supply level on growth and nutritional quality of golden thistle grown on a substrate in a soilless cropping system. The two experimental factors were examined in a 2-factorial experiment with two EC levels, a low (2.2 dS m⁻¹) and high (2.8 dS m⁻¹), combined with two total-N (NO₃⁻ + NH₄⁺) supply levels, low (13.30 mmol L⁻¹) and high (17.30 mmoL L⁻¹), in the supplied nutrient solution. Root fresh and dry weight (commercial yield) were unaffected by treatments; however, high EC significantly reduced shoot fresh and dry biomass by 21 and 28% compared to low EC. High EC increased K⁺ concentrations in shoots and roots but decreased shoot Ca²⁺ level. Nitrate concentration in the drainage solution and plant tissues was primarily driven by N supply, with high N increasing leaf NO₃⁻ by up to 45% without surpassing the regulatory safety limit. Water productivity did not differ among treatments, but low EC improved agronomic efficiency of K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and S, while low N enhanced N agronomic efficiency by 44%. Overall, low EC promoted vegetative growth and nutrient use efficiency, while increasing N above 13.3 mmol L⁻¹ offered no yield benefit and raised tissue nitrate levels. For optimal yield and quality, a nutrient solution with low EC and N supply is recommended for the soilless cultivation of golden thistle. Full article

Nitrogen (N) is the primary macronutrient that supports global agriculture. The Haber–Bosch process revolutionized the use of synthetic N fertilizers, enabling significant increases in crop yield. However, N losses from fertilization led to negative impacts on the environment. Improving crops’ N use efficiency (NUE) has been constrained by the limited understanding of N uptake and assimilation mechanisms, and the role of plant–microbe interactions. Among biological approaches, N fixation by cover crops and rhizobia symbioses represents a cornerstone strategy for improving NUE. The adoption of plant growth-promoting bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may enhance N acquisition by increasing root surface, modulating phytohormone levels, and facilitating nutrient transfer. Advances in plant molecular biology have identified key players and regulators of NUE (enzymes, transporters, and N-responsive transcription factors), which enhance N uptake and assimilation. Emerging biotechnological strategies include de novo domestication by genome editing of crop wild relatives to combine NUE traits and stress resilience back into domesticated cultivars. Additionally, novel fertilizers with controlled nutrient release and microbe-mediated nutrient mobilization, hold promise for synchronizing N availability with plant demand, reducing losses, and increasing NUE. Together, these strategies form a multidimensional framework to enhance NUE, mitigate environmental impacts, and facilitate the transition towards more sustainable agricultural systems. Full article

Abiotic stressors such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, and high and low temperatures significantly reduce the growth and productivity of rice (Oryza sativa) and soybean (Glycine max), which are vital for global food and nutritional security. These stressors disrupt physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes, resulting in decreased yield and quality. Biostimulants represent promising sustainable solutions to alleviate stress-induced damage and improve crop performance under stressful conditions. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of biostimulants in enhancing rice and soybean resilience under abiotic stress. Both microbial and non-microbial biostimulants including phytohormones such as salicylic acid; melatonin; humic and fulvic substances; seaweed extracts; nanoparticles; and beneficial microbes have been discussed. Biostimulants enhance antioxidant defenses, improve photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, regulate hormones, and activate stress-responsive genes, thereby supporting growth and yield. Moreover, biostimulants regulate molecular pathways such as ABA- and ROS-mediated signaling and activate key transcription factors (e.g., WRKY, DREB, NAC), linking molecular responses with physiological and phenotypic resilience. The effectiveness of biostimulants depends on crop species, growth stage, stress severity and application method. This review summarizes recent findings on the role of biostimulants in enhancing the mechanisms underlying growth, yield, and stress tolerance of rice and soybean under abiotic stress. Additionally, the incorporation of biostimulants into sustainable farming practices to increase productivity in the context of climate-related challenges has been discussed. Furthermore, the necessity for additional research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, refine application methods, and verify their effectiveness in field conditions has been highlighted. Full article