Search Results (3,039)

This study analyzed seven foliar traits of Cedrela odorata L. (Meliaceae) in 87 individuals across three germplasm movement zones in Tabasco, Mexico (VIII: humid; XIV: intermediate; XXI: dry) to assess differentiation and climatic relationships. Leaf length, area, petiolule length, leaflet number, rachis length, width, and stomatal density were measured. Univariate tests, canonical correlation analysis, redundancy analysis, and a relative phenotypic plasticity index were applied. Significant morphological differentiation was found: zone XIV exhibited the largest leaves and longest rachises, zone VIII the highest stomatal density, and zone XXI smaller, more subdivided leaves. The first canonical axis (r = 0.846, p < 0.001) associated long and wide leaves with warm, humid conditions, while the second (r = 0.810, p < 0.001) linked stomatal density and width to temperature minimum. Climate explained 55.7% of morphological variation, primarily through water and temperature gradients. High plasticity in leaf area, rachis length, and stomatal density suggests adaptive flexibility, yet consistent inter-zonal differences indicate local adaptation. These results demonstrate a strong correspondence with Tabasco’s germplasm movement zones and providing morphological evidence to support reforestation and germplasm management strategies under variable climatic conditions. Full article

Climate change and progressive aridification represent a substantial threat to the sustainability of wild medicinal plant resources in Central Asia. Rheum tataricum L.f. (R. tataricum), a mesoxerophytic species with high pharmacological potential and a restricted distribution range, was selected as a model for investigating adaptive responses to combined climatic and edaphic stress. Relationships among climatic parameters, soil agrochemical characteristics, anatomical and morphological traits, and the metabolomic profile of roots and rhizomes were analysed across six ecopopulations distributed along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients in southern and western Kazakhstan. To quantify population-level vulnerability to climatic stress, a Climate Sensitivity Index (CSI) was calculated. All investigated ecopopulations exhibited high climate sensitivity (CSI = 0.30–0.40), indicating persistent climatic stress. Significant altitudinal dependence was detected for such anatomical traits, as primary cortex thickness, as well as for the accumulation of tannins, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. The metabolomic profile was strongly associated with seasonal precipitation, temperature, relative air humidity, soil agrochemical properties, and root elemental composition. These findings demonstrate pronounced anatomical and metabolomic plasticity in R. tataricum, which appears to function as a key adaptive mechanism in arid ecosystems. The results provide a scientific basis for sustainable bioprospecting, conservation of natural populations, and targeted cultivation aimed at obtaining specific metabolomic profiles. Full article

Ascochyta blight remains a major constraint for field pea (Pisum sativum L.) production and a priority for breeding programmes. So far, only moderate levels of incomplete resistance have been identified in pea germplasm and accumulated in pea cultivars by breeding. Resistance identified so far appears to be of complex inheritance, with phenotypic expression strongly affected by plant phenology and morphology and by environ-mental factors. This has slowed down the development and release of resistant elite cultivars. In this work, we describe the development of novel resistant breeding lines derived from targeted intra- and interspecific crosses combined with cycles of selection under high disease pressure at seedling and adult plant stages. The performance of thirteen breeding lines selected for improved resistance and good agronomic traits was further validated in a comparative field trial. Results confirmed the successful combination of competitive yield and good standing ability with good levels of resistance exceeding those of the resistant check. These advanced breeding lines are available on request for research and breeding use. Full article

Seed varietal purity and physiological viability are critical determinants of crop yield and quality. However, non-destructive assessment faces significant challenges in fine-grained variety discrimination and the perception of internal defects. This study proposes S3-Net, an AI-driven multimodal sensing framework that integrates vision–language alignment with dual-spectral sensor fusion for autonomous seed quality evaluation. We introduce a Knowledge–Vision Alignment (KVA) module that incorporates encyclopedic morphological descriptions to guide feature learning, significantly enhancing few-shot generalization. Complementarily, a Dual-Spectral Fusion (DSF) module combines high-resolution RGB textures with penetrative Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensing to jointly characterize external and internal traits. Experimental results on a custom multimodal dataset of 6000 samples across 12 crop categories demonstrate that S3-Net achieves 96.9% accuracy for species identification and 95.8% for viability detection. Notably, S3-Net outperforms ResNet-50 by 40.3% in extreme 1-shot scenarios. With a stable inference throughput of 95 fps, the system meets the high-throughput demands of industrial-scale applications, providing a robust and efficient solution for intelligent agricultural phenotyping. Full article

Light spectral composition plays a central role in regulating plant growth, morphology, nutrient uptake, and pigment biosynthesis, particularly in controlled-environment agriculture. This study investigated the effects of targeted LED spectral modulation, focusing on green light deprivation and different red-to-blue (R:B) ratios at constant photon flux density, on morphological traits, mineral composition, and photosynthetic pigments in Salvia officinalis L. and Cannabis sativa L. grown under controlled conditions. Plants were cultivated under three LED treatments providing equal light intensity but differing in spectral composition. Morphological parameters, mineral nutrients, inorganic anions, and photosynthetic pigments were assessed at harvest. Total biomass production was not significantly affected by the light treatments in either species; however, clear species-specific responses were observed. In S. officinalis, higher R:B ratios promoted stem elongation without affecting leaf number or fresh weight, whereas in C. sativa, the higher R:B ratio significantly increased leaf number. Green light deprivation and red–blue enrichment generally enhanced mineral accumulation and nitrogen content, although the magnitude and direction of these effects varied between species. Photosynthetic pigment responses were more pronounced in hemp, with increased chlorophylls and carotenoids under green light deprivation, while salvia showed a selective increase in carotenoids under higher R:B ratios. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of species-specific LED spectral optimization to improve physiological performance and nutritional quality in indoor cultivation of medicinal plants. Full article

Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl. is the most important resin-producing conifer in Mexico, yet its morphological variation and seed transfer guidelines remain poorly defined for the Sierra Madre del Sur (SMS). This study evaluated variation in cone, seed, fascicle sheath, and needle traits, analyzed their associations with geographic and climatic factors, and delineated altitudinal seed zones and assisted migration distances. Most variation occurred among individual trees, with smaller but significant components among populations and provenances. All traits differed significantly among populations, provenances, and trees (p ≤ 0.0325), except for cone length, which showed no significant differences among populations (p = 0.0714). Multivariate analyses at both tree and provenance levels identified two differentiated population groups within the SMS. Several traits, including needle thickness, seed size, cone length, and seed weight, showed significant associations with environmental gradients. To realign provenances with projected climates for the 2030s, 2060s, and 2090s, upward altitudinal shifts of 165, 255, and 400 m are required. These findings support the implementation of a modified climate-adjusted provenancing strategy to reduce maladaptation risks and enhance climate resilience in reforestation and restoration programs. Full article

Primula vulgaris possesses considerable edible, medicinal, and ornamental value. It is widely applied in food and pharmaceutical development and, as an early-spring flowering plant, is used in landscaping. However, its range of applications and scope are significantly limited due to its inability to withstand high temperatures. This study aimed to investigate the heat tolerance of P. vulgaris under natural high temperatures during summer, identify the most heat-resistant varieties, and determine the optimal conditions for summer outdoor cultivation. Eight P. vulgaris varieties were selected and placed under forest shade with three different shading rates during the summer high-temperature period. Additionally, the heat damage index and the following six physiological indicators were measured: malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content, and relative conductivity. Furthermore, a correlation analysis of the physiological indicators was conducted, and a heat tolerance evaluation was performed using the membership function method. Simultaneously, qRT-PCR was employed to analyze the expression patterns of three heat stress-related genes (PvHSP70, PvNCED6, and PvHSF24) across the different cultivars and experimental sites. Under heat stress conditions, leaf area was found to be positively and highly significantly correlated with stomatal density (p < 0.01). The heat damage index, MDA content, and relative conductivity increased significantly with prolonged stress, and they showed highly significant positive correlations. SOD activity, soluble sugar content, and soluble protein content increased to resist heat damage, while POD activity exhibited no consistent trend. Highly significant positive correlations were observed among protective enzyme activities and osmotic regulatory substances. After a comprehensive evaluation, the eight varieties were ranked according to heat tolerance as follows: “Early Punas Yellow” > “Danova Red” > “Middle Punas Rose Red” > “Middle Punas Blue” > “Middle Punas Red” > “Danova Rose White” > “Middle Punas Crimson” > “Middle Punas Scarlet”. Conclusions: “Early Punas Yellow”, “Danova Red”, and “Middle Punas Rose Red” demonstrated strong heat tolerance. In addition, the expression of PvHSP70 and PvHSF24 was significantly upregulated in heat-tolerant cultivars, while that of PvNCED6 showed a sustained increasing trend with rising temperatures. The results of a three-way ANOVA suggested that P. vulgaris exhibited different regulatory patterns among various traits under natural high-temperature stress. Morphological and integrative damage-related indicators, including leaf area, stomatal density, and the heat damage index, all presented significant “site × time” interaction effects. Meanwhile, some physiological regulatory indicators displayed more complex and inconsistent response patterns. These findings further confirm that a dense forest understory grassland is an ideal environment for the summer outdoor cultivation of P. vulgaris. Full article

Soil nutrients and water are often distributed heterogeneously in space, yet how plant roots forage in response to such heterogeneity and how their strategies relate to functional traits remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted an indoor pot experiment manipulating water and nutrient supply in both homogeneous and heterogeneous patch patterns using seedlings of four tree species, focusing on root functional traits and foraging strategies. The results indicate that root foraging behavior exhibits both resource specificity and species specificity: roots tend to proliferate toward nutrient-rich and low-water patches as an adaptive strategy. Although no strict dichotomy was observed between high foraging scale (low precision) and low foraging scale (high precision) strategies under heterogeneous conditions, fine-rooted species (Acer truncatum and Koelreuteria paniculata) exhibited traits leaning toward “precise foraging”, whereas coarse-rooted species (Prunus davidiana and Quercus variabilis) tended toward a conservative “random walk” pattern, with no trade-off between root foraging scale and precision. Root morphological traits exerted significant nonlinear regulation on foraging scale: root biomass foraging scale (FS_RB) correlated positively with root diameter (RD) but negatively with specific root length (SRL) and specific root area (SRA); root length foraging scale (FS_RL) correlated positively with root length (RL), root tip number (RTN), SRL, and SRA. In contrast, root morphological traits could not explain the variation in foraging precision, suggesting that foraging precision constitutes another distinct dimension in root-trait space. In summary, this study provides key insights into the foraging strategies of plant roots in heterogeneous environments, expanding our understanding of the multidimensionality of root functional traits. Full article

Environmental contamination with fluorinated compounds has increased markedly due to their widespread use in industry, medicine, and agriculture. Fluoride ions and fluoroquinolone antibiotics may enter soils through fertilizers, wastewater, and manure application, where they can interact with plant-associated microbial communities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of inorganic fluoride (applied as sodium fluoride, NaF) and the fluoroquinolone antibiotic pefloxacin on the growth and microbiome composition of Eruca sativa L. Plants were cultivated under controlled conditions and exposed for four weeks to NaF or pefloxacin at equimolar concentrations of 10 and 20 µM/kg soil. Morphological parameters, including biomass accumulation, root length, leaf dimensions, and leaf area, were not significantly affected by either treatment. Nevertheless, increased variability of growth traits was observed, particularly in plants exposed to NaF. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed pronounced, treatment-specific alterations in both rhizosphere and phyllosphere bacterial communities. The rhizosphere microbiome was relatively stable at higher taxonomic levels but exhibited selective enrichment of Actinomycetota, including the class Thermoleophilia, under NaF exposure. In contrast, the phyllosphere microbiome showed strong sensitivity to fluoride, with a marked increase in Betaproteobacteria, dominated by Burkholderiales. Changes induced by pefloxacin were weaker and more diffuse. Our results demonstrate that plant-associated microbiomes respond to fluorinated compounds at concentrations that do not induce visible plant stress. The phyllosphere microbiome, in particular, represents a sensitive indicator of fluoride exposure and may serve as an early-warning system for environmental contamination. Full article

Digital phenotyping is increasingly recognized as an essential tool for the quantitative analysis of fungal morphology, particularly in controlled indoor cultivation systems where large numbers of fruiting bodies must be assessed consistently and non-destructively. While YOLOv8-based deep learning approaches have previously been applied in phenotypic analyses of edible mushrooms, the applicability of newer YOLO architectures to fungal phenotyping remains largely unexplored. In this study, we present a controlled-environment digital phenotyping framework for indoor mushroom cultivation and conduct a systematic benchmarking evaluation of YOLOv11 for phenotypic segmentation in comparison with YOLOv8. Using bottle-cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus and Flammulina velutipes as representative edible basidiomycetes, we performed a controlled comparison of YOLOv8-seg and YOLOv11-seg using identical datasets, preprocessing pipelines, and hyperparameter configurations. The results demonstrate that YOLOv11 achieves segmentation performance comparable to that of YOLOv8 across all evaluated metrics (ΔmAP_50–95 < 0.01) while substantially reducing computational complexity, including fewer trainable parameters, lower FLOPs, and decreased gradient load. Validation against caliper-based physical measurements revealed moderate, trait-dependent agreement, whereas inter-model consistency between YOLOv8 and YOLOv11 remained consistently high across diverse morphological and segmentation scenarios. These findings suggest that recent developments in object detection architectures can improve computational efficiency without compromising phenotypic measurement fidelity. More broadly, this study highlights the importance of periodically evaluating emerging detection architectures within biological phenotyping pipelines to ensure scalable, sustainable, and high-throughput fungal phenotyping under controlled-environment cultivation systems. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable food production has intensified interest in controlled-environment agriculture and soilless cultivation systems. This study evaluated the performance of local chicory (Cichorium intybus L., cultivar “Otrantina”) grown for 45 days in soil, hydroponics, and decoupled aquaponics under two different environments: a fully controlled growth chamber and a naturally variable greenhouse. Morphological, anatomical, biochemical, and physiological traits were analyzed to assess the combined influence of growth environment and cultivation system on plant development and nutritional quality. Across all parameters, the growth environment emerged as the main driver of plant performance. Greenhouse-grown plants exhibited greater leaf expansion, enhanced mesophyll and vascular development, and higher fresh and dry biomass than those cultivated in the growth chamber. Within each environment, hydroponics consistently supported vigorous growth, whereas aquaponics produced smaller leaves and pronounced root elongation, likely reflecting nutrient and pH instability in the decoupled system. Biochemical analyses revealed system-specific adaptive responses. Soilless cultivation promoted higher lipid accumulation and, under growth chamber conditions, increased protein content. Aquaponically grown plants, particularly in the greenhouse, accumulated elevated levels of soluble sugars and phenolic antioxidants, consistent with stress-related metabolic activation. In contrast, soil-grown plants displayed the highest flavonoid concentrations, suggesting a prominent role of rhizosphere–microbiome interactions in modulating secondary metabolism. Overall, these results indicate that, under the tested conditions, environmental control exerts a stronger influence than cultivation systems on chicory growth and metabolism. Hydroponics proved to be the most efficient system for biomass production, whereas aquaponics requires improved nutrient management to ensure stable growth and quality. The distinct metabolic profiles associated with each cultivation system highlight opportunities to tailor chicory nutraceutical traits within sustainable controlled-environment agriculture. Full article

Moringa oleifera Lam. (moringa) is a desirable crop for intensive cultivation because of its multiple uses in human and animal nutrition, medicine, and ecological applications. Its resilience and adaptability to various environmental conditions make it an attractive option for farmers seeking alternative cash crops that can thrive in challenging agricultural environments. While its resilience is well documented in tropical and subtropical climates, limited information exists on its growth dynamics and adaptation mechanisms to prolonged cold stress, which constrains its expansion and cultivation in temperate regions. This review synthesises current knowledge on cold stress adaptation mechanisms and the coordinated functional roles of primary and secondary metabolites in response to cold stress in plants, with a focus on moringa. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding morphological adjustments to cold stress in moringa plants, limited attention has been given to elucidating the physiological, metabolic, and genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying its cold-adaptive responses. Moreover, despite the potential roles of primary and secondary metabolites in coordinating protective functions against cold stress in plants, specific metabolites and their functional roles against cold stress remain insufficiently characterised in moringa. While genetic improvement and selective breeding have improved key agronomic traits, including growth rate, biomass yield, and nutritive value, breeding for enhanced cold stress tolerance remains insufficiently explored. Future studies should focus on integrative metabolite profiling, as well as the identification and selection of cold-tolerant provenances, to support the development of cold-tolerant gene pools to expand the cultivation range of moringa into temperate regions. Full article

Fin erosion is a common condition in aquaculture-reared salmonids used in river restocking programs and may influence multiple biomarkers applied in aquatic biomonitoring. The health status of Salmo trutta from a river with good ecological status was evaluated by analysing biometric traits, glucose concentration, haematological indices, erythrocyte morphometry, and erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities in relation to fin condition. Fish with eroded fins were larger and exhibited pelvic and dorsal fin erosion, suggesting a hatchery origin, but showed lower haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, and glucose levels, together with altered erythrocyte morphology and increased frequencies of cytotoxic nuclear abnormalities. In contrast, leukocyte profiles and overall erythropoietic activity did not differ between fin condition groups. These findings indicate that fin erosion can alter baseline biomarker responses independently of environmental contamination, highlighting the importance of considering fin integrity when interpreting biomonitoring data and evaluating the suitability of fish for restocking programs. Full article

Limonium Mill. species present a polymorphic sexual system associated with flower polymorphisms like ancillary pollen and stigma, with sexual and/or apomictic reproduction. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproductive traits, test for autonomous apomixis, and assess seed formation in triploid Limonium algarvense and Limonium daveaui. Pollen-stigma combinations were determined and the number of flowers and seeds counted. Single-seed flow cytometry was performed using seeds in three phenological stages: immature (stage I), early maturing (stage II) and mature seeds (stage III). The findings revealed that all triploid plants were self-sterile and produced seeds in the absence of pollination. Despite L. daveaui having a higher number of flowers than L. algarvense, a significantly higher ratio of seeds/flowers was observed in the latter species. Stage-dependent endosperm developmental patterns were observed, with nucleated cells present in stage II seeds with a light brown or pinkish coat, and an embryo peak and an endosperm peak with the double ploidy level. Stage III seeds, with a dark brown coat, presented only an embryo peak. Additionally, a single hexaploid endosperm peak was detected in stage I seeds, revealing early initiation of the endosperm with nucleated cells prior to embryo development. The single 6C endosperm peak was always associated with shrunken and wrinkled or underdeveloped stage I seeds but was never detected in stage II seeds. Overall, our results support reproduction via asexually formed seeds with pollen-independent endosperm formation and allow the identification of phenological development stages and seed coat morphological markers associated with single-seed flow cytometric screening patterns in apomictic species. Full article

The Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) testing guidelines for mung beans (Vigna radiata L.) offer a standardized framework for new variety assessment. Although these guidelines are essential for variety management, the actual efficiency and breeding value of the 31 specified DUS characteristics in improving yield potential remain largely underexplored and lack systematic validation. To address this critical research gap, 180 genetically diverse mung bean accessions were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis. The results revealed intrinsic relationships among characteristics and identified key variation dimensions centered on “plant morphology”, “pod characteristics”, and “seed characteristics”. Cluster analysis classified the 180 accessions into four distinct clusters. Cluster 2, in particular, offers a clear selection reference for breeding materials targeting high-yield and quality. The DTOPSIS (Dynamic Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) multi-criteria decision-making model was applied, with index weights assigned using an objective weighting method. Following systematic evaluation, Yingge 2 was identified as an outstanding phenotype. Breeders may refer to its quantitative characteristics in subsequent breeding cycles. Linear regression analysis was employed to construct a yield prediction model, identifying leaf greenness, pod number per plant, and hundred-grain weight as three core DUS characteristics with statistically significant effects on final yield (p < 0.05). This study performed a systematic, multi-dimensional analysis and comprehensive evaluation of mung bean germplasm resources based on DUS characteristics, with the aim of identifying key yield-related DUS traits, screen elite germplasm for high-yield breeding, and providing a theoretical basis and practical reference for the efficient improvement and selective breeding of new mung bean varieties. Full article