Search Results (232)

Macrofungal resources are abundant in Northeast China, but those from Shenyang and its surrounding areas remain insufficiently investigated. In this study, morphological and phylogenetic analyses were carried out on specimens collected from the vicinity of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Phylogenetic trees were inferred using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods based on sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU). Three new species, Descolea laevis (Bolbitiaceae), Leucocoprinus shenyangensis (Agaricaceae), and Tephrocybe umbonata (Lyophyllaceae), are described herein. Descolea laevis is characterized by pale yellow to light yellow basidiomata, a nearly smooth pileus surface, clavate to narrowly clavate cheilocystidia, fusiform to clavate pleurocystidia, and amygdaliform to limoniform, verrucose basidiospores. Leucocoprinus shenyangensis is distinguished by white to yellowish-white basidiomata, a pileus covered with light grey squamules, narrowly clavate to subcylindrical cheilocystidia, a hymenidermal pileipellis, and amygdaliform to limoniform basidiospores. Tephrocybe umbonata is characterized by orange-white to greyish-orange basidiomata, a pileus with a blunt umbo, a smooth or slightly finely fibrillose pileus surface, lageniform pleurocystidia with slightly acute apices, and amygdaliform to limoniform basidiospores. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations of microscopic structures, and phylogenetic evidence for the three new species are provided. The diagnostic characteristics separating the new taxa from their closely related species are also discussed. Full article

This study investigated the influence of harvest timing on the quality of navel oranges by the use of hand-held near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device. ‘Newhall’ navel oranges were harvested in seven batches from 200 to 249 days after full bloom (DAFB). The samples were stored under cold storage (5 °C) and at room temperature (25 °C), respectively. Harvest-stage SSC and weight loss during storage were analyzed, and SSC-related trends in stored fruit were further evaluated at the 49-day endpoint. The results indicated that cold storage helped reduce weight loss in navel oranges. SSC exhibited a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with harvest date, reaching a peak at DAFB of 228. The NIRS model corrected by external parameter orthogonalization (EPO) achieved the best prediction performance for SSC, with R²p = 0.60, RMSEP = 1.38%, and RPD = 1.58 under room temperature, and R²p = 0.49, RMSEP = 1.46%, and RPD = 1.40 under cold storage. The EPO method reduced temperature-related interference and improved the robustness of SSC prediction under different storage conditions. Separately, based on measured postharvest weight loss and SSC changes, navel oranges harvested at 214–228 DAFB showed relatively better storage behavior under 5 °C conditions, with an estimated storage duration of approximately 62 days. Early-harvested fruit exhibited stronger storability but lower flavor quality, whereas late-harvested fruit had better eating quality but shorter storage life. It should be noted that these results correspond to different optimization objectives, including storability-oriented and quality-balanced criteria. This study provides preliminary evidence for the potential application of handheld NIRS in navel orange quality monitoring during storage, and offers an exploratory framework rather than a decision-making system for investigating the relationship between harvest timing and storage conditions. However, its predictive performance is moderate and further validation is required before practical application in production or decision-making systems. Full article

Citrus fruits are widely cultivated all over the world. Due to climatic conditions, citrus fruits are frequently exposed to periodic low temperatures, which poses a serious threat to their yield and quality. Cold not only restricts plant growth and deteriorates fruit quality but also leads to fruit abscission and tree mortality, posing severe constraints on large-scale citrus production. The TIFY family gene plays crucial roles in plant development and stress adaptation. However, the genome-wide identification and functional analysis of TIFY genes in cold stress adaptation of citrus plants remain largely unexplored. Here, we performed a systematic genome-wide analysis of the TIFY family in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) and identified 14 CsTIFY members. We conducted a comprehensive study on the protein characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, chromosome distribution, promoter cis-acting elements, and subcellular localization of these genes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the CsTIFYs into ZML (ZML1–ZML4), JAZ (JAZ1–JAZ7), PPD (JAZ8, JAZ9), and TIFY (TIFY1) subfamilies, and they are distributed on seven chromosomes. Collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication is the primary driver for CsTIFY family expansion. Expression profiling under cold stress identified JAZ1, JAZ2, and JAZ3 as the most cold-inducible members. All three CsTIFY proteins are targeted to the nucleus, as confirmed by subcellular localization analysis. Overexpression of JAZ1, JAZ2, or JAZ3 in citrus calli significantly enhanced cold sensibility. Collectively, this study elucidates the gene function of CsTIFYs under cold stress and provides new insight for molecular breeding of cold-tolerant citrus varieties. Full article

Rootstock strongly influences citrus tree performance, but information remains limited for some regionally important cultivars. ‘IAPAR 73’, an early-season sweet orange commonly grown in Paraná, Brazil, has not been previously evaluated for rootstock responses. This study assessed the long-term effects of nine rootstocks, including ‘Rangpur’ lime, ‘Swingle’ citrumelo, ‘Volkamer’ lemon, ‘Caipira DAC’ and ‘Trifoliate’ oranges, ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Sunki’ mandarins, ‘Carrizo’ and ‘Fepagro C-13’ citranges, on vegetative growth, yield, production stability, and fruit quality under Brazilian subtropical conditions. Tree growth was monitored annually for 10 years (2003–2013) and analyzed at establishment (5 years) and full production (10 years) phases of the orchard. Yield and fruit quality were evaluated across multiple harvests, and total soluble solids (TSS) stability was quantified using the coefficient of variation. Rootstock effects were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models in a randomized complete block design, considering rootstock and year as fixed effects and blocks as random effects. Rootstock significantly influenced all evaluated traits. ‘Carrizo’, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘Sunki’, and ‘Caipira DAC’ induced vigorous canopy growth and higher cumulative yields to the scion, while ‘Volkamer’ showed high yield efficiency and production stability. ‘Swingle’ and ‘Trifoliate’ enhanced TSS, TSS/TA ratios, and juice quality stability but induced lower vigor and yield, similar to ‘Rangpur’. This study provides the first evidence-based guidance for ‘IAPAR 73’ production, demonstrating that rootstock diversification can maximize productivity, stability, and sustainability in citrus orchards. Full article

The identification of standing tree species, timber logs, and on-site assessment of their quality and value using images holds significant potential for forestry applications, including inventory management, traceability under EU regulations like the Deforestation Regulation, and market valuation amid growing demands for sustainable practices. This study addresses this by classifying images of timber logs by tree species and market value using the Orange data mining software, which leverages pre-trained convolutional neural networks (Inception v3 and SqueezeNet) to generate embeddings from a dataset of 5549 images collected at a real timber auction in Slovenia, followed by logistic regression image classification. Results show high accuracy for tree species classification (up to 92.6%), but substantially lower accuracy for market value classification (40%–55%), reflecting the greater complexity of value determination from visual features. These findings underscore the promise of deep learning for species identification while indicating the need for further methodological advancements to enhance value classification reliability, which offers the practical impact for operational forestry and bioeconomy value chains. Full article

Liquidambar formosana Hance, a tree species in subtropical broad-leaved forests, exhibits a striking autumn leaf coloration. However, how drought stress during this period influences leaf color change remains poorly understood. In this study, two-year-old seedlings were subjected to four drought gradients. Leaf color parameters, pigment contents, cellular structure, photosynthetic physiology, and hydraulic properties were systematically measured throughout the leaf color transition period. The results show that, with increasing drought severity, leaf red-green coordinate a* increased significantly during early-to-middle stress (S1–S3), while lightness L* and yellow-blue coordinate b* increased at late stress (S4). Chlorophyll (Chl) content continuously decreased, anthocyanins (Ant) peaked at mid-stress, and carotenoids (Car) became enriched at late stress. Leaf cellular structure and hydraulic parameters declined, photosynthetic function was inhibited, and antioxidant enzyme activities showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. Correlation analysis and Random Forest models revealed that L* was strongly associated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, carotenoid-to-chlorophyll (Car/Chl) ratio, and net photosynthetic rate (P_n); a* was closely linked to osmotic potential at full saturation (Ψ_sat), relative water content at the turgor loss point (RWCtlp), SOD activity, Car/Chl ratio, anthocyanin-to-chlorophyll (Ant/Chl) ratio, Ant content, transpiration rate (T_r), P_n, and main vein thickness (Mvt), while b* was primarily correlated with Ψ_sat, Car/Chl ratio, SOD activity, Ant/Chl ratio, and P_n. These statistical associations suggest multiple physiological processes are involved in leaf color change. Based on these findings, we propose a hypothetical sequence: drought initially disrupts leaf water status, leading to structural atrophy and hydraulic decline, followed by photosynthetic inhibition, activated antioxidant defense, and altered pigment accumulation, which are correlated with the sequential leaf color transition from green to red to yellow-orange in this species. Full article

ABC transporters (ATP-binding cassette transporters) constitute one of the largest known protein families and are widely distributed in plants. Their primary function involves utilizing energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to transport substrates across membranes against concentration gradients. These transporters play crucial roles in the translocation and accumulation of metabolites, stress tolerance, disease resistance, and plant defense. Lotus is an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb and contains active ingredients primarily composed of secondary metabolites, whose transport and accumulation require the involvement of ABC transporters. However, the function of these ABC transporters remains unexplored in lotus. In this study, 122 ABC transporter genes were predicted within the lotus genome. We identified 1~15 conserved motifs among the NnABC proteins and most of them were stable proteins predominantly located on the plasma membrane with ExPASy-ProtParam, ProComp and WoLF PSORT analysis. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the lotus ABC transporter gene family could be divided into eight subfamilies, from ABCA to ABCI, and the evolution was predominantly driven by purifying selection. Comparative transcriptome analysis between the cultivar ‘Yindu Zhimi’ with orange-reddish stamen and ‘Weishan Hong’ with yellowish stamen, along with quantitative real-time PCR results, showed that the NnABCG25 gene is highly specifically expressed in the orange-reddish stamen. Molecular docking demonstrated that NnABCG25 has a stable affinity for lycopene, β-carotene and β-apocarotenal, suggesting its potential involvement in the transport of carotenoids in the stamen. These findings expand our understanding of the role of ABC transporters in the transport and accumulation of carotenoids, as well as providing a valuable reference for research on the ABC transporter gene family in other plants. Full article

To identify the most suitable rootstocks for bergamot production in Italy, vegetative growth, yield performance, and fruit quality were assed in “Femminello” bergamot trees grafted onto eight different rootstocks under the Mediterranean edaphoclimatic conditions of Reggio Calabria (Southern Italy). Rootstock selection significantly affected tree vigor, productivity, and fruit quality. Alemow induced the greatest vegetative growth, producing trees with canopy volumes up to 60% larger than those grafted onto Sour Orange, whereas Flying Dragon caused a strong dwarfing effect, reducing canopy volume by approximately 80%. Carrizo Citrange and Swingle Citrumelo exhibited the highest yield efficiency (9.7 and 9.5 kg m⁻³, respectively), about 30% higher than Sour Orange, while Alemow showed the lowest efficiency (1.8 kg m⁻³). Cumulative yield over seven cropping seasons was highest on Carrizo Citrange (196 kg tree⁻¹), with comparable values recorded for Sour Orange, Swingle Citrumelo, and Trifoliate Orange. In contrast, Alemow and Flying Dragon yielded 55% and 85% less, respectively. Rootstock selection significantly influenced fruit size, peel characteristics, and juice quality. Rootstock selection had a marked effect on fruit size, peel characteristics, and juice quality. Fruit weight ranged from under 170 g on Sour Orange, Volkameriana, and Alemow to approximately 196 g on Trifoliate Orange, while at full maturation, most rootstocks produced fruits weighing between 213 and 223 g, except for Alemow (<200 g). Trifoliate Orange and its hybrids promoted thinner peel and higher juice content, whereas Alemow and Volkameriana produced fruits with thicker peel and up to 15% lower juice content than Carrizo Citrange. Juice titratable acidity decreased during maturation, ranging from over 50 g L⁻¹ on Sour Orange and Alemow to around 39–41 g L⁻¹ on Trifoliate Orange, Carrizo Citrange, Troyer Citrange, and Flying Dragon at harvest. Overall, Trifoliate Orange, Carrizo Citrange, and Swingle Citrumelo emerged as promising alternatives to Sour Orange, combining high yield efficiency, satisfactory fruit quality, and improved yield precocity. Full article

Traditional scheduling theory optimizes initial task assignments under static assumptions, yet operational systems face repeated disruptions requiring both immediate rescheduling and long-term structural adaptation. Existing approaches treat each disruption independently, failing to capture how organizations learn and evolve through repeated challenges. This paper presents a unified framework bridging cascading rescheduling with network evolution, formally modeling how dependency structures adapt over time to improve resilience. The framework consists of three integrated components: (1) immediate rescheduling algorithms with provable complexity bounds—O(n) for tree-structured dependencies, fixed-parameter tractable for bounded treewidth—enabling real-time response; (2) five adaptation strategies (redundancy, buffering, decoupling, reshuffling, and control) with convergence guarantees showing exponential improvement rate $O\left(e^{-(\sigma -\lambda )t}\right)$; and (3) computable resilience metrics quantifying organizational capacity to absorb disruptions. Comprehensive validation through 5200 simulated weeks (52 weeks × 100 replications) demonstrates substantial performance improvements. Redundancy-based adaptation achieves 109% resilience improvement and 66% disruption reduction compared to non-adaptive baselines ($p<0.001$, Cohen’s $d>1.8$). The framework is implemented as Orange3 visual programming widgets, achieving 92% user acceptance among non-technical practitioners with 7-month payback periods. While the framework is domain-agnostic and applicable to any operational network with dependency constraints, validation focuses on healthcare scheduling contexts where disruption patterns are well documented. The approach demonstrates that organizations can systematically build resilience through principled adaptation rather than reactive responses, with quantifiable performance improvements and accessible implementation tools. Full article

Several members of the Rutaceae (citrus) family are widely cultivated and processed. Tocopherol (T) synthesis and composition are well-documented, while tocotrienols (T3) in most plant families remain underreported. To amend this, mass screening of Rutaceae species’ seed tocochromanols were analysed. Of the 53 analysed species, seed tocochromanols were tocotrienol-dominated in 22 species, including a majority of species Zanthoxyloideae (Choisya, Dictamnus, Melicope, Ptelea, Skimmia, Tetradium, Zanthoxylum) and the Cneoroideae (Cneorum) subfamily. Total tocochromanol content ranged from 0.20–25.98 mg 100 g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) seeds. The highest tocochromanol content was observed in Murraya paniculata, Ruta graveolens seeds, the highest tocotrienol (T3) content was observed in Skimmia anquetilia and Dictamnus albus—19.80 and 19.70 mg 100 g⁻¹ dw, respectively. The major tocochromanols in the seeds were γ-T and γ-T3, while others were present in low concentration or absent. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), principal component analysis (PCA) and non-hierarchal cluster analysis (N-HCA) identified similar tocochromanol content trends in the Rutoideae subfamily species and the Bergera and Murraya genus, while the Zanthoxyloideae subfamily species’ seed tocochromanol composition was highly variable. The efficient extractability of tocochromanols using sustainable solvent–ethanol is demonstrating suitability of this approach for daily samples screening and bioactive extraction. Full article

This study focuses on obtaining lignin-based hydrogels from pruning residues of orange trees in the Safor region (Valencia) using an alkaline extraction method. The structural analysis of the obtained lignin was carried out using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which revealed the characteristic functional groups of lignin, as well as its structural monolignols: syringyl and guaiacyl. The thermal properties were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. The DSC thermogram revealed a relatively low glass transition temperature (T_g) of 67 °C, which may be attributed to partial lignin chain degradation during alkaline extraction. Soda lignin was obtained at 190 °C with an approximate yield of 10.8% relative to the initial biomass and subsequently used to synthesize poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogels for ibuprofen encapsulation. Finally, the release experiments of the encapsulated ibuprofen were carried out in an aqueous phosphate buffer medium (pH = 7) at room temperature. A multi-curve response analysis (MCR) algorithm using the Korsmeyer–Peppas (KP) concentration model was used to analyze the release curves, which concluded that the drug and water-soluble lignin fraction (SLF) were released at different rates. For both components, a good correlation was obtained between the measured responses and those provided by the KP model. The release profile indicated that approximately 87% of the initial ibuprofen load was released from the hydrogel within 5 h, highlighting the promising potential of lignin-based hydrogels for drug delivery applications. Full article

Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is the causative agent of the yellow vein clearing disease (YVCD), a worldwide and highly destructive disease in lemon (Citrus lemon) and sour orange trees (C. aurantium). The typical symptoms of vein clearing are believed to be associated with CYVCV infection in citrus, so virus-specific diagnostic systems are currently used to confirm infection. In the present study, virome analysis based on high-throughput sequencing (HTS) on a lemon plant showing YVCD revealed mixed infection of CYVCV, iris domestica betaflexyviridae 1 (IDBV), and hop stunt viroid (HSVd). This multiple infection was confirmed in other two lemon plants with similar symptoms using virus/viroid specific primers. This is the first report of IDBV in lemon. Through molecular characterization and the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships, a possible origin of the viruses/viroid identified in lemon has been hypothesized. Such mixed infections raise new questions about their role in the expression of YVCD symptoms observed on lemon. Full article

Spatial monitoring of olive systems in arid regions is essential for understanding agricultural expansion, water pressure, and productive sustainability. This study aimed to map coverage and estimate olive plantation density (Olea europaea L.) in the Atacama Desert, Tacna (Peru) through the integration of UAV-satellite multispectral images and machine learning algorithms (CART, Random Forest, and Gradient Tree Boosting). Forty-eight optical, radar, and topographic covariates were analyzed. Fifteen were selected for coverage classification and 16 for plantation density, using Pearson’s correlation (|r| > 0.75). The classification maps reported an area of 23,059.87 ha (38.21%) of olive groves, followed by 5352.10 ha (8.87%) of oregano cultivation and 725.74 ha (1.20%) of orange cultivation, with respect to the total study area, with overall accuracy (OA) of 86.6% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.81. Meanwhile, the RF and GTB regression models showed R² ≈ 0.89 and RPD > 2.8, demonstrating excellent predictive performance for estimating tree density (between 1 and 8 trees per 100 m²). Furthermore, the highest concentration of olive trees was found in the central and southern zones of the study area, associated with favorable soil and microclimatic conditions. This work constitutes the first comprehensive approach for olive mapping in southern Peru using UAV–satellite fusion, demonstrating the capability of ensemble models to improve agricultural mapping accuracy and support water and productive management in arid ecosystems. Full article

The citrus spiny whitefly Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance), recently found in Greece, causes severe damage to the leaves and fruits of tree crops, and treatment against it is urgent. In this work, integrated treatments for the management of the A. spiniferus pest on Citrus sinensis (L.) trees, which causes intense damage to orange orchards, were studied. The experiment was carried out in an orange orchard on the Aitoloakarnania plain, an agroforestry ecosystem, and three treatments were set up: (i) a combined treatment comprising the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps fumosorosea, (ii) treatment with the application of a tetramic acid-based formulation, (iii) the control treatment. The damage caused by A. spiniferus was estimated by determining the pest stages on the C. sinensis leaves, samples of which were collected and examined at the entomology laboratory of the Agriculture Faculty of the University of Ioannina for the calculation of populations. The experimental results of this work encourage us to further investigate the use of the treatments against whiteflies, highlighting the potential of EPF for integrated pest management (IPM) in citrus trees. Full article

‘Pera’ sweet orange is a key variety for the Brazilian citrus industry, but orchards rely on a limited number of clonal selections, which restricts adaptability and productivity across diverse environments. This study assessed the agronomic performance of 13 ‘Pera’ selections grafted on Rangpur lime, cultivated under rainfed conditions in subtropical Brazil. From 2002 to 2010, trees were assessed for vegetative growth, cumulative yield, alternate bearing, and fruit quality. Market-specific performance indices were calculated to determine suitability for fresh fruit or juice processing. Substantial genotypic variation was observed across traits, particularly during early orchard stage. Selections such as ‘Morretes’, ‘Seleção 11’, ‘Seleção 27’, ‘Seleção 37’, and ‘IPR 153’ demonstrated high cumulative yield, stable productivity, and favorable canopy traits, supporting their use in both conventional and high-density systems. ‘IPR 153’ combined compact growth with high yield efficiency and excellent fruit quality, while ‘Morretes’ had the highest juice content and broad market adaptability. In contrast, ‘IPR 159’ showed low vigor and yield under rainfed conditions. The results emphasize the value of regionally targeted clonal selection to improve orchard performance and market alignment. The identification of dual-purpose genotypes offers a pathway to diversify citrus production and improve profitability under subtropical growing conditions. Full article