Search Results (25)

This study evaluated the effects of late pruning and late apical leaf removal on grapevine phenology, fruit composition, yield parameters, xylem sap carbohydrate content, and grape skin polyphenol levels over two consecutive vintages (2022 and 2023). As expected, delayed pruning shifted the phenological stages, with more pronounced delays observed in 2022 than in 2023. However, by August, all the treatments had reached the berry-softening stage, indicating a convergence in ripening. The grape juice composition showed no significant differences in sugar content in 2022; however, in 2023, the °Brix was notably reduced in control vines subjected to late apical defoliation. The titratable acidity and pH remained stable across treatments and years, while the malic acid concentrations were consistently higher in the late-pruned treatments, particularly LP2 (late pruning 2 was performed when the control vines had reached the eight-leaves-folded development stage). Late pruning significantly reduced the yield and bunch size, especially for the 2023 LP2 treatment. In contrast, late apical defoliation had minimal impact on the yield components. Vegetative growth, as assessed by cane diameter and weight, also declined under late pruning. Despite this, the xylem sap analysis revealed no significant changes in the glucose, fructose, or myo-inositol levels, suggesting that the carbohydrate reserves remained unaffected. Notably, LP2 consistently resulted in the highest total polyphenol content in the grape skins across both years, indicating enhanced phenolic maturity. Although the polyphenol concentrations were generally higher in 2023, the treatment effects varied more widely, likely due to the differing environmental conditions. These findings suggest that late pruning—particularly LP2—can be a valuable tool for improving grape phenolic quality, albeit at the cost of reduced yield and vine vigor. This study highlights the importance of site- and season-specific canopy management strategies in balancing fruit quality with productivity under variable climatic conditions. Full article

Preeclampsia (PE), a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity, is a hypertensive pregnancy disorder with poorly defined pathogenesis. While dysregulation of core circadian genes including brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1; also termed ARNTL) and circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) has been implicated in PE, the contribution of their genetic polymorphisms to PE remains unclear. In this case–control study, polymorphisms in BMAL1 and CLOCK were genotyped using MassARRAY in 202 PE patients (97 early-onset [eoPE], 105 late-onset [loPE]) and 400 controls. Following genotyping and linkage disequilibrium-pruning (r² > 0.8) to retain representative tag SNPs, the final set for association analysis comprised three non-redundant BMAL1 SNPs (rs4757144, rs11022780, rs969485) and one CLOCK SNP (rs1048004). After confounder adjustment, no significant associations were detected for CLOCK variants, whereas the BMAL1 rs11022780 variant demonstrated a significant protective effect against PE (TT vs. CC: OR = 0.26 [95% CI 0.09–0.78]; recessive model: OR = 0.25 [95% CI 0.09–0.74]), particularly in the eoPE subgroup. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis confirmed that this SNP correlated with BMAL1 mRNA expression in whole blood, and protein–protein interaction analysis highlighted BMAL1′s central role in circadian networks, implying a genetically influenced regulatory mechanism of PE through BMAL1 expression. Full article

Recent vision–language models (VLMs) achieve strong performance across multimodal benchmarks but suffer from high inference costs due to the large number of visual tokens. Prior studies have shown that many image tokens receive consistently low attention scores during inference, indicating that a substantial portion of visual content contributes little to final predictions. These observations raise questions about the efficiency of conventional token pruning strategies, which are typically applied after all attention operations and depend on late-emerging attention scores. To address this, we propose V-PRUNE, a semantic-aware patch-level pruning framework for vision–language models that removes redundant content before tokenization. By evaluating local similarity via color and histogram statistics, our method enables lightweight and interpretable pruning without architectural changes. Applied to CLIP-based models, our approach reduces FLOPs and inference time across vision–language understanding tasks, while maintaining or improving accuracy. Qualitative results further confirm that essential regions are preserved and the pruning behavior is human-aligned, making our method a practical solution for efficient VLM inference. Full article

Interest in the wine sector focusing on no- or low-alcohol wines is growing. De-alcoholation, typically a post-fermentation process, faces restrictions in some countries and is often quite costly. Using raw materials like low-sugar grapes suitable for this purpose seems logical, yet the literature currently lacks contributions in this area. In this review paper, we outline an ideal ripening process where the goal of producing “low-sugar grapes” can be achieved through various methodologies applied at (i) the whole-canopy level (minimal pruning, hedge mechanical pruning with or without hand finishing, cane pruning combined with high bud load and no cluster thinning, applications of exogenous hormones, late irrigation, and double cropping); (ii) the canopy microclimate level, involving changes in the leaf area-to-fruit ratios (netting, apical or basal leaf removal, late shoot trimming, use of antitranspirants); and (iii) through new technologies (high-yield plots from vigor maps and the adoption of agrivoltaics). However, the efforts in this survey extend beyond merely achieving the production of low-sugar grapes in the vineyard, which is indeed primary but not exhaustive. Therefore, we also explore solutions for obtaining low-sugar grapes while simultaneously enhancing features such as lower acidity, increased phenolics, and aroma potential, which might boost consumer appreciation. The review emphasizes that (i) grapes intended for low-alcohol wine production should not be viewed as a low-quality sector but rather as an alternative endeavour, where the concept of grape quality remains firmly intact and (ii) viticulture for low sugar concentration is a primary strategy, rather than merely a support to dealcoholization techniques. Full article

Caffeine is a weak, nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist. At low-to-moderate doses, caffeine has a stimulating effect; however, at higher doses, it can act as a depressant. It can function both as a neuroprotectant and a neurotoxin. In experimental Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), administration of this psychoactive drug has been associated with beneficial or detrimental effects, depending on the dose, model, and timing. In a healthy brain, caffeine can enhance alertness and promote wakefulness. However, its consumption during late adolescence and early adulthood disrupts normal pruning processes in the context of repetitive moderate TBI (mTBI), leading to changes in dendritic spine morphology, resulting in neurological and behavioral impairments. Caffeine can potentially reduce TBI-associated intracranial pressure, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, cytotoxic edema, inflammation, and apoptosis. It can enhance alertness and reduce mental fatigue, which is critical for the cognitive rehabilitation of TBI patients. Additionally, caffeine positively affects immune cells and aids recovery post-TBI. Antagonizing adenosine receptors involved in controlling synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and synapse toxicity can improve cognitive function. Conversely, studies have also shown that caffeine consumers report significantly higher somatic discomfort compared to non-consumers. This review aims to explore various studies and thoroughly examine the positive and negative roles of caffeine in TBI. Full article

Litter and pruning biomass are integral to nutrient cycling in the plant–soil ecosystem, contributing significantly to organic matter formation and humus development through decomposition and nutrient mineralization, which ultimately influence soil fertility and health. However, the litterfall dynamics in mango orchards are not well understood, and its contribution to nutrient cycling has seldom been measured. This study aimed to estimate litterfall and pruning biomass in mango orchards and assess the nutrient contents of various biomass components. Litter and pruning biomass samples were collected from four commercial mango orchards planted with Kensington Pride (‘KP’) and ‘B74’ (‘Calypso^®’) cultivars in the Darwin and Katherine regions, using litter traps placed on the orchard floors. Samples were sorted (leaves, flowers, panicles, fruits, and branches) and analyzed for nutrient contents. Results showed that most biomass abscissions occurred between late June and August, spanning approximately 100 days involving floral induction phase, fruit set, and maturity. Leaves made up most of the abscised litter biomass, while branches were the primary component of pruning biomass. The overall ranking of biomass across both regions and orchards is as follows: leaves > branches > panicles > flowers > fruits. The carbon–nitrogen (C:N) ratio of litter pruning material ranged from 30 (flowers) to 139 (branches). On a hectare basis, litter and biomass inputs contained 1.2 t carbon (C), 21.2 kg nitrogen (N), 0.80 kg phosphorus (P), 4.9 kg potassium (K), 8.7 kg calcium (Ca), 2.0 kg magnesium (Mg), 1.1 kg sulfur (S), 15 g boron (B), 13.6 g copper (Cu), 99.3 g iron (Fe), 78.6 g manganese (Mn), and 28.6 g zinc (Zn). The results indicate that annual litterfall may contribute substantially to plant nutrient supply and soil health when incorporated into the soil to undergo decomposition. This study contributes to a better understanding of litter biomass, nutrient sources, and nutrient cycling in tropical mango production systems, offering insights that support accurate nutrient budgeting and help prevent over-fertilization. However, further research is needed to examine biomass accumulation under different pruning regimes, decomposition dynamics, microbial interactions, and broader ecological effects to understand litterfall’s role in promoting plant growth, enhancing soil health, and supporting sustainable mango production. Full article

The super high-density (SHD) production system has recently been introduced to the Chilean European plum (Prunus domestica L.) industry, but the potential of applying regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) in this system remains unexplored. As irrigation water availability in Chile has been strongly jeopardized by climate change, there is an urgent need to validate water-conserving practices in modern production systems. A field study was conducted in a commercial SHD European plum orchard (cv. French grafted on Rootpac-20 rootstock) for two consecutive seasons in Peralillo, O’Higgins Region, Chile. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a late water deficit (LD) on water productivity, fruit quality, plant water relations, and soil microbiota. The results showed that implementing LD enhanced water productivity by 40% without compromising fresh and dry fruit quality. Moderate to severe water stress induced no changes in physiological parameters such as stomatal conductance and photochemical efficiency. Additionally, the LD treatment significantly reduced soil moisture but increased the abundance of certain groups of beneficial soil microbiota and fine roots. These results highlight the potential of LD as a viable water-conserving practice in modern SHD European plum orchards, particularly in regions facing water scarcity due to climate change. Full article

Ballota acetabulosa (L.) Benth. (syn. Pseudodictamnus acetabulosus (L.) Salmaki and Siadati), f. Lamiaceae, the Greek horehound, is a compact evergreen small shrub native to Greece, with hairy grey-green leaves, that bears small pink-purple flowers with green conical calyxes along its erect stems in late spring. The species stands out for its high resistance in xerothermic conditions and therefore it is advisable to promote its use in xeriscaping. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient protocol for in vitro propagation of B. acetabulosa for introduction into the horticultural and pharmaceutical industries. Shoot tip and single node explants derived from in vitro seedlings were cultured on MS medium with various cytokinin types and concentrations. Explants responded at almost 100% to produce high number of shoots on a medium with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ zeatin or 6-benzyladenine. However, there was intense hyperhydricity in the cultures, which was addressed in further experiments by increasing agar concentration from 8 to 12 g L⁻¹, preserving high multiplication indices (92% response, 10.2 shoots per explant). Microcuttings with 2–3 visible nodes, either from the apical part, including the apical meristem, or from the basal part of microshoots, as well as microshoot clusters, rooted 100% on full- or half-strength MS medium, respectively, regardless of the addition of indole-3-butyric acid (ΙΒA, 0.5–4.0 mg L⁻¹) in the rooting medium. However, middle level concentrations of IBA increased the number and length of roots produced, while the higher its concentration, the more and longer axillary shoots developed in the microcuttings during the rooting period. The acclimatization of all plantlets was completely successful (100%) in ex vitro conditions on peat/perlite substrate (1:1, v/v). Thus, efficient methods of producing propagation material to promote Ballota acetabulosa as a horticultural and medicinal plant were developed. In particular, rooting of microshoot clusters or microcuttings without the shoot tip, in the presence of 1.0 mg L⁻¹ IBA, leads to a plant of suitable shape for the floricultural market, without the need for further manipulation (pruning) in the nursery. Full article

The Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a key physiological metric in viticulture, associated with vine health, yield, and responsiveness to environmental and management factors. This study, conducted in a Mediterranean Sauvignon Blanc vineyard (2017–2023), examines how irrigation and environmental variables affect LAI across phenological stages, and their impact on yield (clusters per vine, cluster weight, total yield) and pruning parameters (cane weight, pruning weight). Results show that irrigation is the primary driver of LAI, with increased water availability promoting leaf area expansion. Environmental factors, including temperature, vapor pressure deficits, and solar radiation, influence LAI dynamics, with chilling hours playing a crucial role post-veraison. Excessive LAI (>1.6–1.7) reduces yield due to competition between vegetative and reproductive sinks. Early-season LAI correlates more strongly with yield, while late-season LAI predicts pruning weight and cane growth. Machine learning models reveal that excessive pre-veraison LAI in one season reduces cluster numbers in the next. This study highlights LAI as a critical tool for vineyard management. While irrigation promotes vegetative growth, excessive LAI can hinder fruit set and yield, emphasizing the need for strategic irrigation timing, canopy management, and climate adaptation to sustain long-term vineyard productivity. Full article

A three-year study in two Mediterranean peach orchards monitored Auchenorrhyncha species, including the main vectors of plant pathogens causing significant economic losses. The research focused on the management of two polyphagous leafhoppers, Asymmetrasca decedens and Hebata (Signatasca) solani. Yellow sticky traps were used to track species dynamics and assess population trends in relation to meteorological factors such as temperature, rainfall, and humidity. Chemical treatments and early green pruning were evaluated for pest control effectiveness. Fifty-five Auchenorrhyncha species were identified, including vectors of Xylella fastidiosa. H. solani appeared from spring to early summer, and was gradually replaced by A. decedens, which peaked in late summer. Higher temperatures favoured A. decedens, while rainy days significantly reduced its presence. H. solani responded less consistently to meteorological factors, but increased with higher minimum relative humidity, and decreased with higher total humidity. These results highlight the need for targeted chemical control strategies to manage A. decedens during its peak season and the benefits of early green pruning to protect susceptible trees in spring. The results emphasise the role of climate in pest dynamics and provide important insights for IPM programmes to reduce economic losses in Mediterranean peach orchards worldwide. Full article

Traditional winter pruning in dormancy (BBCH-00) as control (C) and three late pruning treatments, LP1 (wool stage—BBCH-05), LP2 (two leaves folded—BBCH-12), and LP3 (four leaves folded—BBCH-14), were applied on Kékfrankos grapevines. The evolution of the phenological growth stages, grape juice, wine analytical parameters, and phenolic composition were evaluated. The quantitative aspects of the grape berry, bunch, yield, and cane were also assessed. Our goal was to reach a decrease in sugar content and an increase in acidity. Delaying or postponing the phenological phases to bring technological and phenolic ripening closer together was also one of our objectives. These were accomplished, but the negative aspects of late pruning, which resulted in a reduction in the diameter and weight of the canes, should also be taken into account. We also found that, the later the late pruning, the more the yield was reduced. By postponing pruning, the phenological phases were also extended. Full article

American plum line pattern virus (APLPV) is the most infrequently reported Ilarvirus infecting stone fruit trees and is of sufficient severity to be classified as an EPPO quarantine A1 pathogen. In late spring, yellow line pattern symptoms were observed on leaves in a few flowering cherries (Prunus serrulata Lindl.) grown in a public garden in Northwest Italy. RNA extracts from twenty flowering cherries were submitted to Ilarvirus multiplex and APLPV-specific RT-PCR assays already reported or developed in this study. One flowering cherry (T22) with mixed prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) infection also showed infection with APLPV. Blastn analysis of PCR products of the full coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) genes obtained from flowering cherry T22 showed 98.23% and 98.34% nucleotide identity with reference APLPV isolate NC_003453.1 from the USA. Then, a LAMP-specific assay was designed to facilitate the fast and low-cost identification of this virus either in the laboratory or directly in the field. The developed assay allowed not only the confirmation of APLPV (PSer22IT isolate) infection in the T22 flowering cherry but also the identification of APLPV in an asymptomatic flowering cherry tree (TL1). The LAMP assay successfully worked with crude flowering cherry extracts, obtained after manually shaking a single plant extract in the ELISA extraction buffer for 3–5 min. The developed rapid, specific and economic LAMP assay was able to detect APLPV using crude plant extracts rather that RNA preparation in less than 20 min, making it suitable for in-field detection. Moreover, the LAMP assay proved to be more sensitive in APLPV detection in flowering cherry compared to the specific one-step RT-PCR assay. The new LAMP assay will permit the estimation of APLPV geographic spread in the territory, paying particular attention to surrounding gardens and propagated flowering cherries in ornamental nurseries. Full article

Pinus yunnanensis (Franch), a species endemic to southwestern China, provides significant ecological and economic benefits. The quality of afforestation can be enhanced by promoting high-quality sprout growth. This study analyzed the effects of six fertilization treatments following top pruning: T1 (N: 0 g/plant⁻¹; P: 0 g/plant⁻¹), T2 (N: 0 g/plant⁻¹; P: 2 g/plant⁻¹), T3 (N: 0 g/plant⁻¹; P: 4 g/plant⁻¹), T4 (N: 0.6 g/plant⁻¹; P: 0 g/plant⁻¹), T5 (N: 0.6 g/plant⁻¹; P: 2 g/plant⁻¹), and T6 (N: 0.6 g/plant⁻¹; P: 4 g/plant⁻¹). The accumulation and allocation of aboveground biomass in roots, stems, and leaves of P. yunnanensis were measured, as well as changes in biomass per plant at 90 days (early stage), 180 days (middle stage), and 270 days (late stage) post-fertilization. At 90 days, root biomass accumulation in T3 was significantly higher, by 13.31%, compared to that in T1 (p < 0.05). The growth rates of stem and plant biomass followed the order T6 > T1 > T3 > T5 > T4 > T2. The biomass of sprouts and individual plants exhibited allometric growth under T1, T5, and T6 treatments. At 180 days, needle biomass allocation in T1 and T4 increased by 7.47% and 8.6%, respectively, compared to 90 days. Combined nitrogen–phosphorus fertilization significantly influenced aboveground biomass allocation, promoting growth more effectively than other treatments. By 270 days, the stem and individual biomass in T2 and T3 treatments showed significant differences (p < 0.01) compared to other treatments. Overall, root, stem, and sprouts were primarily influenced by phosphorus fertilization, while nitrogen fertilization notably promoted needle and leaf growth in later stages. The aboveground components were more affected by phosphorus fertilization. The combination of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers enhanced early-stage stem and sprouts, as well as late-stage root development. Full article

Loquat is an evergreen fruit crop which blooms from autumn–winter, and supports human beings with juicy fruit from late spring to early summer. However, the most traditional cultivars of this crop produce small fruit and bear a much lower yield than its relatives like apple, pear and peach. Large-size cultivars have long been a cherished aim of breeders for improving the production yield of loquat. Agronomic practices like panicle thinning, fruit thinning, growth regulator application, fertilization and so on are easier and more accessible ways for growers to produce large-size loquat fruit on existing production trees. Here, we develop a novel pruning method with an annual double back-cut, which provides vigorous shoot with more leaves and thicker branches for bearing much larger loquat fruit. Cellular observation determined that the vigorous shoot training method motivated cell division to produce larger loquat fruit, and that most of these cell layers were proliferated before the appearance of flower blossoms. Gene expression data of four development stages showed that EjFWL1 and EjFWL2 were notably downregulated in flower buds of the vigorously pruned tree. The data here further confirmed that the cell division capacity during flower development greatly influenced both the flower and fruit size of loquat. More importantly, we developed a novel pruning method to inhibit cell division repressors, promote cell proliferation and enlarge fruit size in loquat. Full article

Global warming is challenging the performances of medium-to-late ripening red Vitis vinifera cultivars whose harvest dates might be consistently anticipated at the detriment of still insufficient phenolic maturity. A 3-year study (2021–2023) was devised to compare cv Croatina—the most grown red cultivar in the Oltrepò Pavese district—with the following five autochthonous genotypes: Croà, Moradella, Mornasca, Ughetta, and Uva Rara. Weather trends, main yield components, and grape composition parameters were recorded each year; in two out of the three trial seasons, ripening curves for total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) were also derived. In terms of yield performance, all minor varieties showed a level of basal node fruitfulness (about 1.1 clusters/shoot) high enough to perform short pruning, which was not possible to achieve in Croatina. As per grape quality at harvest, Uva Rara behaved quite similarly to Croatina, whereas Ughetta, Moradella, and Croà were judged to be unsuitable due to poor berry coloration at harvest (less than 0.7 mg/kg). Conversely, Mornasca’s performance was truly interesting and promising. In 2021 and 2023, Mornasca had delayed sugar accumulation, which was strongly uncoupled with total anthocyanins, which were not limited. In 2022, a hot and dry season, Mornasca outdid Croatina because the required TSS was assured, and the color significantly improved. The conclusion is that Mornasca is less susceptible than Croatina to imbalances in pigment formation or degradation, which typically occurs with berry overheating. Full article