Search Results (456)

Salinity is an emerging constraint for Mediterranean coastal agriculture, where shallow groundwater, seawater intrusion, and summer evapo-concentration generate relevant intra-seasonal variability in soil electrical conductivity. Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] has been proposed as a diversification oilseed for constrained environments, but its field performance under realistic, dynamic salinity in Mediterranean soils remains unexplored. This two season on farm study compared three commercial camelina lines at an inland non-saline site and a coastal saline–sodic site in northeastern Italy, combining agronomic measurements with phenology aligned monitoring of soil saturated paste electrical conductivity (ECe). At the saline site, ECe increased from 1.8 dS m⁻¹ at the vegetative stage to 6.2 dS m⁻¹ at seed filling, while camelina completed its cycle earlier than at the inland site. Despite similar aboveground and root biomass yield at flowering across lines, performance diverged during the reproductive phase. Two lines maintained similar seed yields (1.30 Mg ha⁻¹) at the coastal site compared with the inland site, whereas one line declined from 1.45 Mg ha⁻¹ to 0.40 Mg ha⁻¹. Differences among lines in seed yield under salinity were accompanied by contrasting responses in seed oil composition. Oil yield at the saline site was more strongly associated with the increase in ECe from flowering to seed filling than with absolute ECe at seed filling. These results provide the first field-based evidence of line-specific salinity responses in camelina and highlight its potential to diversify moderately salt-affected Mediterranean coastal cropping systems, while emphasizing the need to account for temporal salinity dynamics in genotype selection and crop planning. Full article

The unique material properties of Cyperus esculentus L. seeds present challenges for precision seeding, as no specialized seed-metering device is currently available. In practice, general-purpose planters such as peanut seeders are often adapted for this crop. However, the dry seeds of C. esculentus exhibit an irregular shape, uneven surface texture, significant size variation, and poor flowability, leading to inadequate seed pickup and suboptimal seeding performance in conventional metering devices. To address these issues, two types of seed pickup devices—one with a V-shaped scoop and the other with an arc-shaped scoop—were designed to improve the seed-filling process and enhance seed agitation within the seed pool. A comparative analysis of the material properties of seeds before and after soaking was conducted, and key structural parameters of the scoops were determined based on the post-soaking characteristics. A mechanistic analysis was performed to clarify the operational principles and influencing factors of the scoop-based pickup mechanism. Using EDEM software (2022 version), the motion characteristics of seeds inside the metering device were observed, and the agitating speed of the seed population was compared with and without the scoop devices. Performance comparison experiments were carried out with two scoop types under varying conditions, including metering disc rotation speed, seed size grade (large, medium, and small), and seed moisture state (dry vs. soaked). Simulation results of seed disturbance indicated that the V-shaped scoop significantly enhanced agitation intensity, with a maximum movement velocity 15.8% higher than that of the arc-shaped scoop. The V-shaped scoop demonstrated superior stability and adaptability across different seed sizes, rotation speeds, and moisture conditions. Seed pickup success rates reached 96%, 96%, and 85% for large, medium, and small seeds, respectively. Under high-speed operation (40 r/min), the V-shaped scoop showed a 9% lower miss-seeding rate compared to the arc-shaped scoop. Full article

Understanding the genetic basis of agronomic traits in quinoa adapted to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is essential for developing high-yield cultivars, as conventional breeding is constrained by limited molecular tools. In this study, 300 cultivated accessions were evaluated for five quantitative traits, and whole-genome resequencing generated 3.69 million high-quality SNPs. Population structure analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) were conducted, with integration of seed developmental transcriptomes to refine trait-associated loci. A highly admixed genetic background (K = 7) was revealed, and 11 significant QTLs across seven chromosomes were identified, involving genes related to metabolism, transport, and cell-wall formation. Among these, CesA4 (CQ042210) showed a strong association with thousand grain weight (TGW) and a distinct expression maximum at the early seed-filling stage. These results provide a genomic framework for understanding trait variation in plateau-adapted quinoa and highlight promising targets for marker-assisted breeding. Full article

Stochastically forced nonlinear wave systems are commonly associated with complex dynamical behavior, although little is known about the general interaction of nonlinear dispersion, irrational forcing frequencies, and multiplicative noise. To fill this gap, we consider a generalized stochastic SIdV equation and examine the effects of deterministic and stochastic influences on the long-term behavior of the equation. The PDE was modeled using a stochastic traveling-wave transformation that simplifies it into a planar system, which was studied using Darboux-seeded constructions, Poincaré maps, bifurcation patterns, Lyapunov exponents, recurrence plots, and sensitivity diagnostics. We discovered that natural, implicit, and unique seeds produce highly diverse transformed wave fields exhibiting both irrational and golden-ratio forcing, controlling the transition from quasi-periodicity to chaos. Stochastic perturbation is demonstrated to suppress as well as to amplify chaotic states, based on noise levels, altering attractor geometry, predictability, and multistability. Meanwhile, OGY control is demonstrated to be able to stabilize chosen unstable periodic orbits of the double-well regime. A stochastic bifurcation analysis was performed with respect to noise strength $\sigma$, revealing that the attractor structure of the system remains robust under stochastic excitation, with noise inducing only bounded fluctuations rather than qualitative dynamical transitions within the investigated parameter regime. These findings demonstrate that the emergence, deformation, and controllability of complex oscillatory patterns of stochastic nonlinear wave models are jointly controlled by nonlinear structure, external forcing, and noise. Full article

Direct seeding of rice reduces labor intensity and cost, helping alleviate labor shortages in cold-region rice production. To investigate the effects of mechanical precision hill-direct seeding versus mechanical transplanting on yield and nutrient accumulation in cold regions, a set of field split-plot experiments were conducted with cultivation method as the main plot and rice variety as the sub-plot. Our comprehensive measurement results indicate that transplanting significantly increased yield by enhancing tiller number, filled grains per panicle, and grain weight per hill, with significant varietal differences observed. No significant difference in 1000-grain weight was found between the two cultivation methods. Except for Zn content, different cultivation methods have no significant effect on other measured nutrients such as N, P, K, Fe, starch, and fat. Transplanting significantly increased effective tiller number (an increase of 2.6 tillers per hill) and filled grains per panicle (an increase of 12.4 grains), with a significant variety–cultivation method interaction. Qijing 2 (QJ2) and Tiandao 261 (TD261) were more suitable for transplanting to achieve high yield potential, whereas Longgeng 3038 (LG3038) and Tianxiangdao 9 (TXD9) obtained relatively high yields under direct seeding. Therefore, appropriate cultivation methods should be selected based on varietal characteristics: transplanting is recommended for high-yield-potential varieties, while simplified direct seeding is advised for varieties tolerant to direct seeding. Overall, this is a comprehensive consideration and rational strategy based on balancing rice yield, revenue, and benefit, as well as ensuring both food security and farmer income of the entire country and society. Full article

Japonica rice is susceptible to cold stress at the booting stage, yet the systematic molecular mechanisms underlying varietal disparities in cold tolerance at this stage remain poorly understood. To fill this research gap, cold-tolerant LG1934 (V3) and cold-sensitive KD8 (V6) were subjected to low-temperature treatment (15 °C) for 0 h (T1), 72 h (T3), and 120 h (T5) at the booting stage, followed by analyses of agronomic traits, antioxidant physiology, metabolome, transcriptome, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Phenotypic results showed that low temperature was the main driver of differences in panicle length, seed setting rate, and grain weight between the two varieties, with V3 exhibiting significantly stronger cold tolerance. Under cold stress, V3 maintained higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), accompanied by lower O₂⁻ accumulation and higher contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), H₂O₂, and proline compared to V6. Metabolomic analysis identified 56 differential accumulated metabolites (DAMs), with amino acids and their derivatives (notably L-aspartic acid) as key contributors. RNA-seq analysis identified 472 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were enriched in alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, with 20 transcription factors (TFs) from TCP, WRKY, and bHLH families screened. The WGCNA revealed nine DEM-correlated modules, with orange and pink modules positively associated with L-aspartic acid. Eleven core TFs were identified, among which OsPCF5 acted as a hub regulator that activated OsASN1 transcription to promote L-aspartate biosynthesis, enhancing ROS scavenging and cold tolerance. This study systematically demonstrated the cold tolerance molecular network in japonica rice at the booting stage, highlighting the antioxidant system and L-aspartate-mediated pathway, and the core genes provided valuable resources for cold-tolerance breeding. Full article

Growers rarely use the grafting method on a double-root system due to limited information on the added advantages for increased plant vigour and yield of soilless-grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The study aimed to investigate the effect of combining rootstock cultivar and the grafting method on the growth, yield, and quality of soilless-grown cucumber in a non-temperature-controlled (NTC) tunnel. Two rootstock cultivars, Flexifort (Flex) (Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata) and Ferro (Fer) (C. maxima × C. moschata), were grafted with scion cultivar Hoplita (H) to either single- (1R) or double- (2R) root systems, and the original scion root system was combined with either a Flexifort or Ferro rootstock (O1R) to two root systems and a non-grafted plant (Hoplita). Plants were grown in 10 L containers filled with sawdust as a growing medium. The leaf number was higher in ‘HO1RFlex’ combinations, while the non-grafted plants had a significantly lower leaf number. Thicker stem diameter was obtained from non-grafted plants. The tallest plants were obtained from HO1Fer combinations at 39, 53, and 101 days after transplanting (DAT), while non-grafted plants at 25 and 101 DAT were the shortest plants. Plants grafted to single- or double-root systems, regardless of rootstock cultivar, had higher early, marketable, and total yield compared to non-grafted cucumber. Many medium-sized fruits were obtained in ‘HO1RFlex’ combinations during the early harvest. The total soluble solids (TSSs) of cucumber juice were higher in ‘H1RFer’ while fruit mineral content was not affected by the combined rootstock cultivar and grafting method. Grafting to a double-root system using the original scion roots combined with rootstock or double rootstock had a limited effect compared to plants grafted to a single-root system. It is recommended that scion be grafted to a single-root system of either rootstock Ferro or Flexifort compared to a double-root system, particularly for the cost effectiveness of seeds and labour used in grafting, as well as for improved vegetative growth, including early marketable and total yield of cucumber. The growing containers of various sizes need further investigation to allow for the root extension and growth of grafted plants. Full article

To address the industry pain points of high seed breakage rate and uncontrollable miss-filling rate, multiple-filling rate in traditional rapeseed roller-type precision centralized seed metering devices—while breaking the adaptation limitation of existing empirical hole designs for different small-particle-size crops—this study innovatively proposes a hole optimization scheme based on the Bezier curve and develops a roller-type precision centralized seed metering device suitable for rapeseed and small-particle-size crops. First, combined with the physical properties of rapeseed seeds (particle size 1.5~2.5 mm, high sphericity, strong fluidity) and agronomic requirements for precision seeding, a multi-mechanical coupling model for seed filling and dropping (synergistic effect of gravity–centrifugal force–air blowing force) was established. The regulatory mechanism of hole geometric parameters (wrap angle, width, height) on seeding performance was clarified, and the enhancement mechanism of the Bezier curve’s curvature continuity on seed movement stability was revealed from the theoretical level. On this basis, a three-factor quadratic orthogonal combination experiment of hole wrap angle, width, and height was conducted using EDEM discrete element software. The optimal hole parameter combination was obtained through multi-objective optimization (minimizing miss-filling rate, multiple-filling rate and maximizing seed-filling qualification rate): wrap angle 2.271° (error ± 0.2°), width 3.407 mm (error ± 0.1 mm), and height 2.254 mm (error ± 0.02 mm). Simulation results showed that under this parameter combination, the seed-filling qualification rate reached 99.122%, with the miss-filling rate and multiple-filling rate as low as 0.448% and 0.416%, respectively. Further bench test verification indicated that when the roller speed was in the range of 10~30 r/min, the seed breakage rate was consistently below 0.5%, and the seed-filling qualification rate remained above 94%. Among them, the comprehensive seeding performance was optimal at a speed of 15 r/min, with a miss-seeding rate of 0.65%, a multiple-seeding rate of 2.06%, and a breakage rate of 0.12%, fully meeting the agronomic requirements for rapeseed precision seeding, providing a theoretical basis and engineering reference for the digital and universal design of key components of precision seeders for small-particle-size crops. Full article

Background: Tree peony (Paeonia section Moutan DC.) seeds, renowned for their rich content of unsaturated fatty acids, hold significant medicinal and nutritional value. Despite their potential, their yield is relatively low, which constrains economic gains and health benefits. Brassinosteroids (BRs), emerging as potent plant growth regulators, have demonstrated efficacy in boosting plant productivity. Methods: This study employed Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’ and administered either water (control group, CKs) or 0.05 mg/L BRs through foliar application during the seed enrichment and conversion phase to assess the effects of BR treatment on seed yield. Results: The BR treatment notably enhanced the protein, starch, and sugar content and yield of P. ostii ‘Fengdan’ seeds, surpassing those of the CKs. Transcriptome profiling identified a plethora of differentially expressed genes in P. ostii ‘Fengdan’ in response to BR treatment, which are implicated in biological processes associated with nutrient reservoir activity. KEGG analysis highlighted the pivotal role of starch and sucrose metabolism in the BR treatment response. WGCNA revealed key gene expression modules that correlate with physiological traits in P. ostii ‘Fengdan’. Furthermore, the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validation of key genes in this pathway revealed that BR treatment enhances yield through a dual mechanism: accelerating the seed-filling process and optimizing developmental timing for earlier maturation. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings offer inaugural comprehensive genomic resources delineating the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of BRs in P. ostii ‘Fengdan’ seeds. Full article

We demonstrate a 1.5 μm methane-filled hollow-core fiber (HCF) amplifier that delivers 7.1 W of narrow-linewidth (<0.1 nm), near-diffraction-limited (M² < 1.2) pulsed Raman output. The system is pumped by a 1064 nm pulsed fiber laser and amplifies a 1543 nm continuous-wave seed via stimulated Raman scattering in methane. Using a 45-m HCF, we systematically investigated the influence of seed injection on key laser characteristics, covering the spectral profile, power scaling, and beam properties. This work provides an effective strategy for realizing high-performance fiber lasers in the 1.5 μm band. Full article

Invasive seed predators can severely affect the reproduction of long-lived trees, especially when host range expansion occurs. The beetle Specularius impressithorax (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), native to Africa, has become established in Hawaiʻi where it attacks the endemic coral tree (Erythrina sandwicensis; Wiliwili). Here, we report the infestation of an African coral tree (E. livingstoniana) by this beetle and assess its performance and oviposition patterns on native and non-native hosts. Field surveys showed that eggs were aggregated on both hosts but more abundant on E. sandwicensis than on E. livingstoniana. Laboratory assays revealed no difference in larva-to-adult survival between the two hosts, although adults emerging from E. sandwicensis were larger. Choice tests indicated no oviposition preference between the two Erythrina species, despite the larger seed size of E. sandwicensis. To explore potential host range expansion, trials were run on economic legumes with varying phylogenetic distance from Erythrina, which showed oviposition on peanut (Arachis hypogaea) with low but successful survival (10.3%), while no development occurred on broad bean or pigeon pea. More E. sandwicensis seeds germinated when infested by a single early-stage larva (70% germination) than when uninfested (20%), suggesting that minimal seed predation may facilitate germination because previously reported greater damage induced by infestation through adulthood reduces germination. Our findings highlight the ecological flexibility of an invasive bruchine, its potential to exploit other Faboideae plants, and the dual role of seed predators as both threats and facilitators of seed germination. These results have implications for conservation of endemic coral trees and for understanding invasion dynamics of shared seed predators. Additionally, we examined non-botanical substrate filled with seed powder for oviposition and compiled global host records of S. impressithorax to contextualize its host range expansion. Full article

The traditional optimization of intumescent flame-retardant polypropylene (PP) relies on large experimental campaigns that scale poorly with compositional dimensionality, limiting the systematic exploration of tradeoffs between fire performance and material economy. We present a Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization (MOBO) workflow that couples Gaussian Process (GP) surrogates with the q-Noisy Expected Hypervolume Improvement (qNEHVI) acquisition to co-optimize two competing objectives: maximize the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) and minimize total flame-retardant (FR) loading (wt.%). Two practical initialization strategies, Space-Filling Design and literature-guided sampling, are benchmarked, and convergence is monitored via dominated hypervolume and uncertainty calibration. Uniform design-space coverage yields faster hypervolume growth and better-calibrated uncertainty than literature seeding. Under a 20-experiment budget, the best formulation attains an LOI = 27.0 vol.% at 22.74 wt.% FR, corresponding to an estimated 8–14% efficiency gain, defined here as LOI improvement at comparable FR loadings relative to representative baselines. The recovered APP/PER stoichiometric ratios (1.69–2.26) are consistent with established intumescence mechanisms, indicating that a data-driven search can converge to physically meaningful solutions without explicit mechanistic priors. The proposed workflow provides a sample-efficient route to navigate multi-criteria design spaces in flame-retardant PP and is transferable to polymer systems in which performance, cost, and processing constraints must be balanced and exhaustive testing is impractical. Full article

This study evaluated the responses of five sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids (Surimi CL, Integral CL, Alexa SU, Neta SU, and Davero SU) to three planting densities (84,034, 68,027, and 57,143 plants/ha) in terms of agronomic performance and photosynthetic efficiency. Higher plant density reduced leaf area and seed weight but enhanced uniformity of head formation. Among the tested hybrids, Integral CL and Surimi CL demonstrated superior performance under high density, maintaining higher chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, and yield stability. In contrast, Davero SU performed best under low density, characterized by greater leaf expansion, seed filling, and overall productivity. These findings highlight the potential of integrating physiological and agronomic traits to inform hybrid-specific planting density optimization under diverse environmental conditions. Full article

Salinity is one of the primary limiting factors in the rice production system in northeast Thailand due to the presence of underground salt rocks, and the situation is expected to deteriorate further in the future since rice is particularly susceptible to salinity. In this study, 382 indigenous lowland rice germplasms were evaluated for salt tolerance under hydroponic conditions at the seedling stage. The stress condition was induced by adding NaCl from 2 dS/m to 22 dS/m. Twenty-two varieties (group 1) were selected based on low leaf salinity scores in 2019 and 2020. Ten varieties, LLR050, LLR054, LLR106, LLR216, LLR309, LLR365, LLR377, LLR402, LLR441, and LLR449, were selected from leaf salt injury scores under hydroponic conditions in 2021 and 2022. The response of ten selected varieties was investigated under both hydroponic and soil media at the seedling stage, as well as soil culture at the tillering and flowering stages. The results revealed that LLR054, LLR365, and LLR216 exhibited low leaf injury scores (less than 4.0) at both the seedling and tillering stages. At the seedling stage, most varieties demonstrated high Na+ accumulation in the root, while high accumulation in the shoot was observed at the tillering stage. Varieties LLR054 and LLR441 displayed low leaf damage scores, root sodium accumulation at the seedling stage, and shoot sodium accumulation at the tillering stage, similar to the tolerant check variety Pokkali. Additionally, LLR365 and LLR216 showed high shoot sodium accumulation but low leaf damage scores at the tillering stage. At the flowering stage, LLR050 and LLR449 maintained high yields and filled seeds per panicle under salt stress. Therefore, early-stage LLR054, LLR441, LLR365, and LLR216 had high tolerance and LLR050 and LLR449 maintained high yields, and these varieties are potential sources of salt tolerance for future rice breeding programs. Full article

Drought stress severely affects the physio-biochemical processes and yield of nutritious crops like vegetable soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), threatening global food security and emphasising the need for effective strategies to improve drought tolerance. This study, conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, investigates the effects of three selenium application methods (seed priming, foliar spray, and soil application) on photosynthesis efficiency, relative water content (RWC), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), antioxidative responses, and yield traits of two vegetable soybean cultivars, UVE14 (drought-tolerant) and UVE17 (drought-susceptible), under drought stress. Among the three Se application methods, soil application was the most effective in improving drought tolerance and yield performance in both cultivars. In UVE17 (drought-susceptible), soil application significantly increased the number of seeds per plant (SPP) and the number of pods per plant (PPP), while in UVE14 (drought-tolerant) SPP increased. Selenium foliar spray and seed priming treatments did not increase yield in drought-stressed UVE14, suggesting that they are unlikely to further enhance tolerance in drought-tolerant cultivars. For UVE17 under drought conditions, selenium soil application improved key physio-biochemical indicators of drought tolerance, including photosynthesis efficiency (total performance of photosystems I and II, total chlorophyll content, and stomatal conductance), water retention (RWC), and carotenoid content. These improved physio-biochemical responses directly impacted yield outcomes. Notably, RWC and total chlorophyll content at the pod-filling stage in drought-stressed UVE17 were positively correlated with an increase in PPP under selenium soil application. Selenium soil application stands out as the most effective method for enhancing drought tolerance in vegetable soybean, presenting a promising and practical solution for enhanced crop production under climate change. Full article