Search Results (830)

Pitaya (Selenicereus undatus) is a long-day climbing cactus that blooms in waves mostly on 1-year old, succulent leafless shoots called cladodes. Nonetheless, pitaya can also bloom on new-year growth if the buds of the cladodes are mature enough and competent for flower induction. Here, we tested, during two consecutive years, whether early pruning could have a positive effect on promoting more flowering waves, better fruiting, and heavier yield of ‘Korean White’ pitaya cultivated in unheated greenhouses of Southeastern Spain. The results show that pruning in January instead of March did not consistently modify the reproductive behavior of ‘Korean White’ pitaya in our conditions. Therefore, no significant effects on the number of blooming waves, flowering intensity, fruit set, quality or yield were observed. The only positive effect, not always significant, was an increase in fruit size that led to better fruit distribution into commercial categories in one out of the two experimental seasons. The lack of effect of early pruning was attributed to the prevalent low temperatures during winter in Spain. The results, however, suggest it is worthwhile exploring whether greenhouse heating with temperatures above pitaya’s base temperature may have the desired effects on increasing blooming waves. The profitability of this practice have to be carefully assessed. Full article

Flowering is a key agronomic trait that directly influences the yield of the tea-oil tree (Camellia oleifera). Floral initiation, which precedes flower bud differentiation, represents a critical developmental stage affecting the flowering outcomes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying floral initiation in C. oleifera remain poorly understood. In this study, buds from five key developmental stages of a 12-year-old C. oleifera cultivar ‘changlin53’ were collected as experimental samples. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to identify the stage of floral initiation. UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze endogenous gibberellin (GA) concentrations, while transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the underlying transcriptional regulatory network. Six GA types were detected during floral initiation and petal development. GA₄ was exclusively detected at the sprouting stage (BII), while GA₃ was present in all samples but was significantly lower in BII and the flower bud primordium formation stage (BIII) than in the other samples. A total of 64 differentially expressed genes were concurrently enriched in flower development, reproductive shoot system development, and shoot system development. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified eight specific modules significantly associated with different developmental stages. The magenta module, containing Unigene0084708 (CoFT) and Unigene0037067 (CoLEAFY), emerged as a key regulatory module driving floral initiation. Additionally, GA20OX1 and GA2OX8 were identified as candidate genes involved in GA-mediated regulation of floral initiation. Based on morphological and transcriptomic analyses, we conclude that floral initiation of C. oleifera is a continuous regulatory process governed by multiple genes, with the FT-LFY module playing a central role in the transition from apical meristem to floral meristem. Full article

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important industrial crop, but it is vulnerable to waterlogging stress. The relationship between cotton yields and waterlogging indicators (CY-WI) is fundamental for waterlogging disaster reduction. This review systematically summarized and analyzed literature containing CY-WI relations across 1970s–2020s. China conducted the most CY-WI experiments (67%), followed by Australia (17%). Recent decades (2010s, 2000s) contributed the highest proportion of CY-WI works (49%, 15%). Surface waterlogging form is mostly employed (74%) much more than sub-surface waterlogging. The flowering and boll-forming stage, followed by the budding stage, performed the most CY-WI experiments (55%), and they showed stronger negative relations of CY-WI than other stages. Some compound stresses enhance negative relations of CY-WI, such as accompanying high temperatures, low temperatures, and shade conditions, whereas some others weaken the negative CY-WI relations, such as prior/post drought and waterlogging. Anti-waterlogging applications significantly weaken negative CY-WI relations. Regional-scale CY-WI research is increasing now, and they verified the influence of compound stresses. In future CI-WI works, we should emphasize the influence of compound stresses, establish regional CY-WI relations regarding cotton growth features, examine more updated cotton cultivars, focus on initial and late cotton stages, and explore the consequence of high-deep submergence. Full article

In order to meet the needs for the rapid detection of crop growth and support variable management in farmland, an intelligent chlorophyll content in cotton leaves (CCC) detection system based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was designed and developed. The system includes a near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral image acquisition module, a spectral extraction module, a main control processor module, a model acceleration module, a display module, and a power module, which are used to achieve rapid and non-destructive detection of chlorophyll content. Firstly, spectral images of cotton canopy leaves during the seedling, budding, and flowering-boll stages were collected, and the dataset was optimized using the first-order differential algorithm (1D) and Savitzky–Golay five-term quadratic smoothing (SG) algorithm. The results showed that SG had better processing performance. Secondly, the sparrow search algorithm optimized backpropagation neural network (SSA-BPNN) and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) algorithms were selected to establish a chlorophyll content detection model. The results showed that the determination coefficients $R_p^2$ of the chlorophyll SG-1DCNN detection model during the seedling, budding, and flowering-boll stages were 0.92, 0.97, and 0.95, respectively, and the model performance was superior to SG-SSA-BPNN. Therefore, the SG-1DCNN model was embedded into the detection system. Finally, a CCC intelligent detection system was developed using Python 3.12.3, MATLAB 2020b, and ENVI, and the system was subjected to application testing. The results showed that the average detection accuracy of the CCC intelligent detection system in the three stages was 98.522%, 99.132%, and 97.449%, respectively. Meanwhile, the average detection time for the samples is only 20.12 s. The research results can effectively solve the problem of detecting the nutritional status of cotton in the field environment, meet the real-time detection needs of the field environment, and provide solutions and technical support for the intelligent perception of crop production. Full article

The color of flowers in Osmanthus fragrans is regulated by carotenoid metabolism. The orange-red variety, Dangui, is believed to have evolved from the yellow variety, Jingui, through a natural bud mutation. This study uses the Jingui cultivar ‘Jinqiu Gui’ (JQG) and its bud mutation cultivar ‘Huolian Jindan’ (HLJD) as materials, combining genome resequencing, ultrastructural observation, targeted metabolomics, and transcriptomic analysis to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying flower color variation. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that HLJD is a natural bud mutation of JQG. Ultrastructural observations reveal that during petal development, chromoplasts are transformed from proplastids. In HLJD petals, starch granules degrade more slowly and exhibit abnormal morphology, resulting in chromoplasts displaying crystalline, tubular, and fibrous composite structures, in contrast to the typical spherical plastoglobuli found in JQG. Targeted metabolomics identified 34 carotenoids, showing significant increases in the levels of ε-carotene, γ-carotene, α-carotene, and β-carotene in HLJD petals compared to JQG, with these levels continuing to accumulate throughout the flowering process, while the levels of the cleavage products α-ionone and β-ionone decrease. Transcriptomic analysis indicates that carotenoid metabolic pathway genes do not correlate directly with the phenotype; however, 49 candidate genes significantly associated with pigment accumulation were identified. Among these, the expression of genes such as glycoside hydrolases (LYG036752, etc.), sucrose synthase (LYG010191), and glucose-1-phosphate adenylyltransferase (LYG003610) are downregulated in HLJD. This study proposes for the first time the pathway of “starch degradation delay → chromoplast structural abnormalities → carotenoid cleavage inhibition” for deepening flower color, providing a new theoretical model for the metabolic regulation of carotenoids in non-photosynthetic tissues of plants. This research not only identifies key target genes (such as glycoside hydrolases) for the color breeding of O. fragrans but also establishes a theoretical foundation for the color enhancement of other ornamental plants. Full article

The simplex strategies of fertilizer management and problems caused by simultaneous precipitation and high-temperature (SPH) climate were the main factors that led to yield loss and quality decline in the continuous cropping of tea chrysanthemum (Dendranthema morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’). In this study, with sustainable biofertilizers being proposed as a potential solution. However, their effects under such constraints are underexplored. In this study, we compared different proportions of a sustainable dark tea biofertilizer, made with two commonly used fertilizers, by their contributions to the morphological, photosynthetic, and flowering traits of D. morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’. The results showed that increasing the dark tea biofertilizer application to 4.5 kg·m⁻² significantly enhanced the soil alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen (596.53% increase), available phosphorus (64.11%), and rapidly available potassium (75.56%) compared to the levels in yellow soil. This nutrient enrichment in soil caused D. morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’ to produce more leaves (272.84% increase) and flower buds (1041.67%), along with a strengthened photosynthetic capacity (higher Fv/Fm values and light saturation point). These improvements alleviated the photoinhibition caused by SPH climate conditions, ultimately leading to significantly higher contents of chlorogenic acid (38.23% increase) and total flavonoids (80.28%) in the harvested flowers compared to the control group. Thus, dark tea biofertilizer is a cost-effective and efficient additive for growing tea chrysanthemum in SPH regions due to improving soil quality and causing nutritional and functional components to accumulate in harvest flowers, which greatly promotes the commercial value of rural revitalization industries centered around tea chrysanthemum. Full article

Curcuma spp. is a popular ornamental crop valued for its vibrant appearance and suitability for both regular and off-season production. As global emphasis on freshwater conservation increases and with a demand for compact potted plants, reducing water use while maintaining high aesthetic quality presents a key challenge for horticulturists. Potassium silicate (PS) has been proposed as a foliar spray to alleviate plant water stress. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of PS on growth, ornamental traits, and photosynthetic parameters of off-season potted Curcuma cv. ‘Jasmine Pink’ under deficit irrigation (DI). Plants were subjected to three treatments in a completely randomized design: 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), 50% ETc, and 50% ETc with 1000 ppm PS (weekly sprayed on leaves for 11 weeks). Both DI treatments (50% ETc and 50% ETc + PS) reduced plant height by 7.39% and 9.17%, leaf number by 16.99% and 7.03%, and total biomass by 21.13% and 20.58%, respectively, compared to 100% ETc. Notably, under DI, PS-treated plants maintained several parameters equivalent to the 100% ETc treatment, including flower bud emergence, blooming period, green bract number, effective quantum yield of PSII (ΔF/Fm′), and electron transport rate (ETR). In addition, PS application increased leaf area by 8.11% and compactness index by 9.80% relative to untreated plants. Photosynthetic rate, ΔF/Fm′, and ETR increased by 31.52%, 13.63%, and 9.93%, while non-photochemical quenching decreased by 16.51% under water-limited conditions. These findings demonstrate that integrating deficit irrigation with PS foliar application can enhance water use efficiency and maintain ornamental quality in off-season potted Curcuma, promoting sustainable water management in horticulture. Full article

In modern society, obesity and its associated complications have emerged as serious public health concerns, primarily stemming from sedentary lifestyles and carbohydrate-rich diets. Due to the severe side effects often associated with pharmacological anti-obesity agents, emerging global efforts focus on preventive strategies, e.g., dietary modifications and weight gain-suppressing functional foods. In this context, plant-derived metabolites are extensively investigated for their beneficial anti-obesity effects. In this study, we evaluated how Rosa rugosa Thunb. flower bud extract affects fat metabolism in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. The extract significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation and intracellular triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells, enhanced lipolysis, suppressed lipogenesis, and promoted energy metabolism in differentiated adipocytes. In vivo, it reduced body and organ weights and fat mass in high-fat diet-induced obese rats, along with marked adipocyte size and hepatic lipid accumulation reductions. In the epididymal adipose tissue, the extract similarly enhanced lipolytic activity, suppressed lipogenic enzyme expression, and stimulated energy expenditure. Taken together, our results demonstrate the potential of R. rugosa Thunb. flower bud extract in reducing fat accumulation through lipid metabolism modulation both in cellular and animal models. Further studies are warranted to identify the active constituents and evaluate the safety and efficacy of the extract in clinical applications. Full article

Oncidium has an important market value, with important high-grade cut orchids and potted flowers on the flower market. In the Oncidium cut flowers production industry, there is a common phenomenon that the development of vegetative buds disrupts the normal generation cycle of the inflorescence induction, so-called “bud jumping”. In this study, vegetative bud differentiation and flower bud differentiation were divided into three stages, namely, the initial stage of differentiation, the leaf primordial/flower primordial differentiation stage, and the late stage of leaf bud/flower bud differentiation, as observed by paraffin sectioning. Secondly, we analyzed the differences between the vegetative buds of “bud jumping” plants and the flower buds of normal flowering plants by transcriptome sequencing. The transcriptome analysis results revealed significant differences among plant signaling pathways, particularly in gibberellins, auxins, and cytokinins, which play important roles in this phenomenon’s formation. In conjunction with the transcriptome analysis, the researchers conducted field experiments by applying plant growth regulators on the newborn pseudobulb of young Oncidium plants measuring approximately 49 mm in length. The results showed that the treatment groups of 100 mg/L of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and 100 mg/L GA₃ + 10 mg/L 6-Benziladenine (6-BA) exhibited the highest rate of flower bud differentiation instead of the least “bud jumping” phenomenon, and the “bud jumping” phenomenon was significantly reduced under 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 75 mg/L 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) treatments. The application of exogenous gibberellins, cytokinins, and auxins can effectively reduce the occurrence of “bud jumping”. Full article

Climate change has contributed to a decline in winter chilling accumulation, a critical requirement for budbreak in temperate fruit crops. Its consequence has been a reduction in fruit production. To compensate for insufficient chilling, hydrogen cyanamide (HC) is widely applied, though its effectiveness remains limited. This study investigated the effect of HC application on budbreak in low-chill kiwifruit under warm conditions by correlating phenological responses with changes in carbohydrate and nitrogen concentrations in bark tissues across bud positions. Phenological observations revealed the highest budbreak percentage and total flower buds at the apical position. HC significantly increased budbreak by 58.82% at the apical position and by 375% at the middle position, with corresponding increases in total flower buds by 148.78% and 1066.67%, respectively. Additionally, shoot lengths were uniform among bud positions in HC-treated canes, whereas non-treated canes showed shoot length heterogeneity. Moreover, HC treatment triggered an earlier and more pronounced reduction in soluble sugars (sucrose and hexoses) concentrations along the gradient from apical to basal bud positions, where the response was strongest at the apical position, which was strongly associated with enhanced budbreak percentages and total flower bud formation. While total nitrogen content was highest in the apical position, it was unaffected by HC application. These findings indicate that HC may promote budbreak by enhancing the mobilization and consumption of soluble sugars for bud growth, thereby improving budbreak performance, flower bud production, and uniform shoot development in low-chill kiwifruit under warm conditions. Full article

The establishment of a transient expression system in petals is significant for elucidating gene functions in flowering trees characterized by a prolonged juvenile phase. Genetic improvements in Camellia japonica have been hindered due to the absence of a functional validation platform. In this study, we explored an Agrobacterium-mediated and readily observable transient expression system in camellia petals to systematically optimize four critical factors affecting transformation efficiency. As a result, the bud stage, ‘Banliuxiang’ genotype, OD600 of 1.0, and 1-day co-cultivation achieved the highest intensity of transient expression, and overexpression of the Ruby1 reporter gene induced substantial anthocyanin synthesis, manifested as distinct red pigmentation. Furthermore, the optimized transient expression system revealed that the R2R3-MYB transcription factor CjMYB5, which interacted with CjGL3, promoted anthocyanin biosynthesis in camellia petals by transactivating key DFR structural genes. This transient expression platform not only advances functional genomics studies in ornamental woody species but also lays a foundation for molecular breeding programs in C. japonica. Full article

Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) is an important deciduous fruit tree that requires a specific period of low-temperature accumulation to trigger spring flowering. The warmer winter caused by global warming has led to insufficient winter chilling, disrupting floral initiation and significantly reducing pear yields in Southern China. In this study, we integrated targeted phytohormone metabolomics, full-length transcriptomics, and proteomics to explore the regulatory mechanisms of dormancy in ‘Mixue’, a pear cultivar with an extremely low chilling requirement. Comparative analyses across the multi-omics datasets revealed 30 differentially abundant phytohormone metabolites (DPMs), 2597 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and 7722 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Integrated proteomic and transcriptomic expression clustering analysis identified five members of the dormancy-associated MADS-box (DAM) gene family among dormancy-specific differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Phytohormone correlation analysis and cis-regulatory element analysis suggest that DAM genes may mediate dormancy progression by responding to abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), and salicylic acid (SA). A dormancy-associated transcriptional regulatory network centered on DAM genes and phytohormone signaling revealed 35 transcription factors (TFs): 19 TFs appear to directly regulate the expression of DAM genes, 18 TFs are transcriptionally regulated by DAM genes, and two TFs exhibit bidirectional regulatory interactions with DAM. Within this regulatory network, we identified a novel pathway involving REVEILLE 6 (RVE6), DAM, and CONSTANS-LIKE 8 (COL8), which might play a critical role in regulating bud dormancy in the ‘Mixue’ low-chilling pear cultivar. Furthermore, lncRNAs ONT.19912.1 and ONT.20662.7 exhibit potential cis-regulatory interactions with DAM1/2/3. This study expands the DAM-mediated transcriptional regulatory network associated with bud dormancy, providing new insights into its molecular regulatory mechanisms in pear and establishing a theoretical framework for future investigations into bud dormancy control. Full article

Pear buds exhibit inherent dormancy, during which carbohydrates play a pivotal role in dormancy release and germination. In this study, Pyrus pyrifolia ‘Cuiguan’ was employed as the experimental material to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying flower bud dormancy release. The results revealed that the dynamic balance between starch and soluble sugar is critical for promoting dormancy release and germination in P. pyrifolia ‘Cuiguan’ flower buds. Through transcriptomic and proteomic profiling, a total of 4035 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 1596 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, which were predominantly associated with carbohydrate metabolism, particularly sugar metabolism pathways. Their changes were coordinately regulated at both transcriptional and translational levels. Key structural genes involved in maltose and sucrose biosynthesis, including BAM (LOC103949270), AAM (LOC125479337, LOC103940334, and LOC103941903), SPS (LOC125475683), and INV (LOC125478747), were significantly upregulated during the germination stage, facilitating flower bud sprouting. Integrated multi-omic analysis demonstrated that starch–sugar interconversion may govern dormancy release and sustained bud growth by modulating sugar metabolism-related genes and proteins. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of carbohydrate biosynthesis and associated protein regulation during dormancy release and development of P. pyrifolia ‘Cuiguan’ under natural conditions. Full article

Analyze the quality differences of Magnoliae Flos (MF) at different developmental stages and determine its optimal harvest period. In this study, a detection method for the main chemical components of MF was established based on GC-MS and UPLC, and the volatile oil and lignan components were determined. The quality differences between MF at different developmental stages were compared based on chemical composition. Chromaticity values of MF samples were measured using electronic eye technology, followed by correlation analysis to reveal the relationship between internal compositional changes and external color differences. The results indicated that the harvesting period significantly affected the chemical composition of MF. Specifically, the contents of volatile oils and lignans initially increased and then decreased as the flower buds developed. There are obvious correlations between six different volatile components and some lignans of MF and their chromaticity values (p < 0.05). This study clarified the dynamic changes in relevant indicators during the development of MF, which can provide a reference for the rational utilization and scientific harvesting of MF resources. Full article

Honeysuckle, derived from the dried flower buds or blossoms of Lonicera japonica Thunb, is a traditional Chinese medicine known for its properties in eliminating heat and toxins, reducing inflammation, and alleviating swelling. In this study, we investigated the potential therapeutic and preventive benefits of L. japonica extract on inflammatory diseases induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using Misgurnus anguillicaudatus as a model organism. The fish were fed a diet supplemented with L. japonica extract, followed by LPS injection to induce inflammation. We then analyzed the transcriptional profile to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 6611 DEGs were identified through comprehensive analysis, including Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Our results revealed significant enrichment of DEGs in pathways associated with proteasome function, immune system regulation, and infectious disease response. These findings suggest a strong correlation between L. japonica and immune defense mechanisms, providing valuable insights into the potential anti-inflammatory effects of this plant, particularly in the context of LPS-induced inflammation. This study highlights the potential use of L. japonica in treating inflammatory diseases and underscores its role in immune regulation. Full article