Search Results (797)

(1) Background: This study used Qingjian No. 1 forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) as a plant material to study its metabolic mechanisms in response to different stresses, given that saline–alkali stress and drought stress often occur simultaneously in natural environments and severely affect the growth and yield of forage pea, while the regulatory network underlying the adaptation of forage pea to combined stress remains poorly elucidated. (2) Methods: The metabolic mechanisms of forage pea in response to different stresses were elucidated by integrating phenotypic, physiological, and metabolomic analyses. (3) Results: The results show that compared to the control, all stress treatments significantly inhibited seed germination and seedling growth, with the combined saline–alkali and drought stress exhibiting the strongest inhibitory effect. In terms of physiological and biochemical responses, peroxidase (POD) activity increased with the complexity of the stress, with the highest POD activity observed under combined saline–alkali and drought stress, showing a 61.71% increase compared to the control (p < 0.05). Non-targeted metabolomic analysis revealed that isoflavone biosynthesis, nucleotide metabolism, and cutin–suberin–wax biosynthesis are the core responsive pathways. Correlation analysis revealed that isocorydine and phosphatidylinositol phosphate showed strong positive correlations with the vigor index, main root length, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glycerophospholipid metabolites were positively correlated with ferric ion-reducing antioxidant capacity. (4) This study deepens understanding of the stress resistance mechanisms in forage peas and provides a theoretical basis for stress-resistant forage pea breeding. Full article

This study addresses the challenge of automating cocoa pod ripeness classification from drone imagery through a comprehensive and statistically rigorous investigation conducted on data collected from Ghanaian cocoa fields. We perform a direct comparison by subjecting a curated set of seven deep learning models to an identical, advanced algorithmic framework. This pipeline incorporates high-resolution ($384\times 384$) imagery, aggressive TrivialAugmentWide data augmentation, a weighted loss function with label smoothing, a unified two-stage fine-tuning strategy, and validation with Test Time Augmentation (TTA). To ensure statistical robustness, all experiments were repeated three times using different random seeds. Under these demanding experimental conditions, modern architectures demonstrated strong and consistent performance on this dataset: the Swin Transformer achieved the highest mean accuracy ($79.27\%\pm 0.56\%$), followed closely by ConvNeXt-Base ($79.21\%\pm 0.13\%$). In contrast, classic architectures such as ResNet-101 ($55.86\%\pm 4.01\%$) and ResNet-50 ($64.32\%\pm 0.94\%$) showed substantially reduced performance. A paired t-test confirmed that these differences are statistically significant ($p<0.05$). These results suggest that, within the evaluated setting, modern CNN- and transformer-based architectures exhibit greater robustness under challenging, statistically validated conditions, indicating their potential suitability for drone-based agricultural monitoring tasks. Full article

This study evaluated the efficiency of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in promoting the growth, yield, protein, and phytochemical contents of Glycine max cv. Morkhor 60. A completely randomized pot experiment was conducted for 90 days in non-sterile soil with nine replications. Three AMF species were tested and compared with two non-mycorrhizal controls, with and without NPK fertilizer. All AMF treatments enhanced plant growth, photosynthetic rate, and water-use efficiency compared with the unfertilized control. Inoculation with Acaulospora dilatata KKU-SK202 produced the highest pod number and increased 100-seed weight by 27.00% and 4.13% over the non-inoculated and NPK treatments, respectively. Gigaspora margarita KKU-SK210 yielded the highest total protein and phenolic contents, while A. dilatata KKU-SK401 showed the highest antioxidant activity (72.09%). Metabarcoding analysis revealed that AMF inoculation reduced root colonization by pathogenic fungi, with G. margarita KKU-SK210 and A. dilatata KKU-SK202 being the most effective. These results suggest that AMF inoculation can enhance soybean productivity and seed quality while reducing chemical fertilizer dependency and pathogenic fungal incidence. Full article

The goal of this study was to elucidate the genetic and molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying agronomic traits in elite alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Through the analysis of 44 varieties and lines, we measured 19 yield-related traits and performed transcriptome sequencing to investigate the factors driving yield variation. The results indicated extensive variation in agronomic traits among the tested accessions, with the coefficients of variation (CVs) ranging from 7.85% to 42.66%, suggesting substantial potential for genetic improvement. Correlation analysis revealed that seed yield was significantly and positively correlated with the number of reproductive branches and inflorescences at maturity, whereas early vegetative growth was negatively correlated with 100-seed weight. The 44 accessions were categorized into three clusters: Cluster II (the largest group) exhibited balanced traits; Cluster I showed vigorous early growth but low pod yield; and Cluster III was characterized by the highest pod and branch numbers. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 65.88% of the total variation (first six components), identifying GNS31 and GNS43 as the superior and inferior genotypes, respectively. Furthermore, transcriptome profiling detected the highest number of differentially expressed genes (10,089 DEGs) in pod tissues, with 66% being upregulated. Functional enrichment analyses (GO and KEGG) highlighted that varietal differences were primarily enriched in secondary metabolism, lipid metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. Notably, within the auxin pathway, the SAUR and GH3 families displayed significant tissue-specific expression in pods. Full article

Peanut, as an important economic crop, is widely cultivated and rich in nutrients. Classifying peanuts based on the number of seeds helps assess yield and economic value, providing a basis for selection and breeding. However, traditional peanut grading relies on manual labor, which is inefficient and time-consuming. To improve detection efficiency and accuracy, this study proposes an improved BTM-YOLOv8 model and tests it on an independently designed pod detection device. In the backbone network, the BiFormer module is introduced, employing a dual-route attention mechanism with dynamic, content-aware, and query-adaptive sparse attention to extract features from densely packed peanuts. In addition, the Triple Attention mechanism is incorporated to strengthen the model’s multidimensional interaction and feature responsiveness. Finally, the original CIoU loss function is replaced with MPDIoU loss, simplifying distance metric computation and enabling more scale-focused optimization in bounding box regression. The results show that BTM-YOLOv8 has stronger detection performance for ‘Quan Hua 557’ peanut pods, with precision, recall, mAP50, and F1 score reaching 98.40%, 96.20%, 99.00%, and 97.29%, respectively. Compared to the original YOLOv8, these values improved by 3.9%, 2.4%, 1.2%, and 3.14%, respectively. Ablation experiments further validate the effectiveness of the introduced modules, showing reduced attention to irrelevant information, enhanced target feature capture, and lower false detection rates. Through comparisons with various mainstream deep learning models, it was further demonstrated that BTM-YOLOv8 performs well in detecting ‘Quan Hua 557’ peanut pods. When comparing the device’s detection results with manual counts, the R2 value was 0.999, and the RMSE value was 12.69, indicating high accuracy. This study improves the efficiency of ‘Quan Hua 557’ peanut pod detection, reduces labor costs, and provides quantifiable data support for breeding, offering a new technical reference for the detection of other crops. Full article

As a coastal brush, Atalantia buxifolia is a good rootstock of citrus plants around sea shores, but its salt tolerance has not been studied. In order to explore the salt tolerance of A. buxifolia, its seeds and seedlings were subjected to NaCl stress treatment, followed by phenotypic observation and biochemical and transcriptome analysis. Results showed that the increase in NaCl concentrations resulted in the decrease in germination rates, germination potential, germination index, and vigor index of A. buxifolia seeds, as well as growth of epicotyl and radicle, and biomass of A. buxifolia seedlings. However, the seeds of A. buxifolia could adapt to the growth of 100 mM NaCl concentration to a certain extent. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative electrolyte leakage increased with the increase in NaCl concentrations. However, under treatment of 100 mM NaCl, the biomass, POD, CAT, APX, GSH, AsA, H₂O₂, MDA, and relative electrolyte leakage of A. buxifolia seedlings did not show significant changes compared with the control treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that expression of differential genes increased with the increase in NaCl concentrations. GO enrichment showed that the most annotated genes were metabolic process, cell and cell composition, and binding. The KEGG pathway annotation shows that differential genes were mainly enriched in some pathways, such as photosynthesis antenna proteins, plant hormone signal transduction, glutathione metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism. In addition, differentially expressed genes had been annotated into 45 transcription factor families, including the largest number of bHLH, NAC, WRKY, MYB, and bZIP families. The results provide a basis for further understanding the salt tolerance mechanism and exploring related salt tolerance genes of A. buxifolia. Full article

Climate change exacerbates soil moisture deficits, necessitating efficient water retention strategies. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) offer a potential solution to enhance water availability for crops during dry periods. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) were selected as model legumes due to their high nutritional value, agricultural importance in temperate regions, and sensitivity to drought stress This study evaluated the effects of different SAP application rates on the yield and physiological performance of two legume species: faba bean (cv. Granit) and pea (cv. Batuta). The two-year (2017–2018) field experiments employed a randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments included three SAP doses: 0 (control, SAP0), 20 (SAP20) and 30 (SAP30) kg·ha⁻¹. The study was conducted over two years with contrasting weather: 2017 was wetter but had uneven rainfall distribution, while 2018 was drier and characterized by moisture deficits during critical growth stages. SAP application significantly increased seed yield in faba bean and pea, with the most favorable effect observed at 20 kg ha (average yield increase of 23.6% and 17.3%, respectively). SAP did not affect yield components in faba bean. However, in peas, an increase in pod number and seed number per plant was observed with the SAP30 dose compared to the SAP20 dose. Application of superabsorbent at a dose of 20 kg ha⁻¹ significantly increased photosynthesis rate in faba bean, the Fv/Fm index in the tested species, and the PI in peas compared to the control. However, the superabsorbent did not affect transpiration rate or the WUE coefficient in the tested legume species. Significantly higher yields in faba bean and pea and all tested plant structure parameters in pea were recorded in 2018 compared to 2017. The tested parameters of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were higher in pea in 2018 (except for transpiration intensity) and in faba bean in 2017. The findings suggest that SAPs can be a useful tool to mitigate water stress effects in legumes, although their effectiveness depends on environmental conditions. Therefore, SAP application may be a promising agronomic strategy in regions prone to irregular rainfall or moderate drought. 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

Seed germination of celery (Apium graveolens L.) is notoriously slow and asynchronous, which severely constrains uniform seedling establishment and crop yield. Seed priming is an effective technique to improve germination, and acidic electrolyzed water, characterized by low pH and high oxidation–reduction potential, has emerged as a novel priming agent. However, the effect of acid electrolyzed water priming (EWP) on celery seed germination and the underlying mechanisms still need to be explored. The present study aimed to investigate the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which EWP promotes celery seed germination, with a focus on the roles of the phenylpropane metabolism and the antioxidant enzyme system. Celery seeds were treated with EWP, hydro-priming (HYD), and untreated (CK). It was found that the EWP treatment significantly enhanced germination characteristics compared to both CK and HYD. Transcriptome analysis revealed that EWP triggered more extensive transcriptional reprogramming than HYD, and EWP specifically enriched “Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis” and “Flavonoid biosynthesis” pathways, downregulating upstream genes (PAL, 4CL) while upregulating downstream genes (CCR, CHI, F3H) in the phenylpropane pathway. Physiologically, EWP significantly increased CHI activity and the contents of total phenols and flavonoids at all sampling time points, and enhanced the activities of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX. Consequently, the DPPH and FRAP free radical scavenging capacities were significantly strengthened in EWP-treated seeds. In conclusion, it is believed that EWP activation promotes celery seed germination by coordinating the phenylpropane pathway and antioxidant enzyme system, ensuring effective radical scavenging activities and cell protection. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of EWP and highlight the potential as a novel priming technology for celery and other horticultural crops. Full article

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. subsp. culinaris) is a Mediterranean legume crop of high value due to nutritional quality and adaptability; however, its cultivation is increasingly threatened due to climate uncertainty and reduction in genetic diversity in modern cultivars. The present research study evaluated 31 Greek lentil accessions (twenty-two landraces and nine commercial cultivars of both small and large seed types) in a semi-arid environment of Central Greece, over two cropping seasons, focusing on phenological, morphological, yield, and quality traits. The great diversity observed at the morpho-phenological and qualitative levels implies the high genotypic diversity of these genetic resources. Small-seeded landraces performed better in seed and biological yield, harvest index, and protein content, having greater phenological stability and tolerance to the Mediterranean environments. In particular, the highest seed yield was observed in LAX small-seeded landrace (1930 kg ha⁻¹), followed by TSO (1559 kg ha⁻¹), DIG (1449 kg ha⁻¹), and EGL (1437 kg ha⁻¹) small-seeded landraces. As for the regression analysis, seed yield was positively correlated with days to flowering (TF: r = 0.076, p < 0.01), plant height (PH: r = 0.143, p < 0.05), number of pods per plant (NPP: r = 0.941, p < 0.001), number of seeds per pod (NPP: r = 0.432, p < 0.001), number of branches (NPB: r = 0.234, p < 0.01), biological yield (BY: r = 0.683, p < 0.001), and harvest index (HI: r = 0.650, p < 0.001). Principal component analysis (PCA) distinguished small-seeded landraces associated with adaptive and yield traits from large-seeded cultivars associated with seed size. Greek lentil landraces, especially the small-seeded genotypes (e.g., LAX and DIG), have great potential for use in the development of climate-tolerant and high-yielding lentil varieties adapted for sustainable Mediterranean production. Breeding programs can target the crossing of landraces with large-seeded cultivars (e.g., IKAm and THEm) to develop varieties that combine stress tolerance, adaptation, and high productivity with adaptation to different seed sizes. Subsequent studies on drought tolerance and heat resistance are still important for continued improvement in lentil productivity in a changing climate. Full article

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of cultivar and nitrogen fertilization on the morphological and physiological traits and yield of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) grown in central-eastern Poland. In a strict, two-factor field experiment, four soybean cultivars were used: ‘Abelina’, ‘Malaga’, ‘Coraline’, and ‘Petrina’, and three nitrogen rates: 0, 30, and 60 kg N ha⁻¹. The moderate rate (N30) was applied before sowing, while the higher rate (N60) was divided into two parts, with 50% applied before sowing and 50% top-dressed at BBCH 61. The studies were conducted during two growing seasons. It was shown that both the cultivar and nitrogen fertilization significantly affected plant height, leaf area index (LAI), leaf greenness index (SPAD), and chlorophyll fluorescence indices (Fv/Fm, PI). The interaction among cultivar, fertilization, and years was significant for SPAD and Fv/Fm index, indicating a strong influence of environmental factors on plant response. Nitrogen fertilization increased plant height and chlorophyll content but reduced fluorescence indices. Among the cultivars studied, the late-season cultivar ‘Malaga’ was characterized by the highest SPAD index (502), Fv/Fm (0.800), and PI values (4.3), and achieved the highest seed yield (5.06 t ha⁻¹) and thousand-seed weight (230 g). In contrast, the medium-season cultivar ‘Abelina’ showed the lowest SPAD (454), and significantly lower Fv/Fm and PI values (0.790 and 3.51, respectively), resulting in the lowest yield (4.25 t ha⁻¹) and TSW (169.7 g). The application of a moderate rate of nitrogen (N30) improved the physiological indicators of plants and elements of yield structure without reducing the potential photochemical efficiency of PSII, while a higher rate (N60) did not result in a significant increase in yield, despite a greater number of pods and seeds per plant, which may have been due to a reduction in thousand-seed weight. The results highlight the importance of cultivar selection and moderate N fertilization of soybean grown in temperate climates and indicate the need for further research on the physiological mechanisms that determine cultivar-specific nitrogen use efficiency and yield stability under environmental stress. Full article

Understanding how insects adapt to temperature is crucial to elucidating the ecological factors shaping their life history traits. Phenological models are influenced by temperature, allowing researchers to examine how temperature affects population dynamics, geographical distribution, and the management of various insect species. This study was conducted at seven constant temperatures (15.3, 20.8, 25.0, 27.0, 30.1, 35.0, and 40.0 °C) under temperature-controlled conditions in an incubator to assess temperature-dependent development of D. baccarum. Clusters of eggs were put into Petri dishes and kept in a humidity chamber. The humidity chamber was then placed inside the incubator. Temperature affected the developmental parameters and mortality of D. baccarum reared on sesame seed pods. Stage-specific parameters, including the lower developmental threshold (LDT) and thermal constant (K, in degree days [DD]), were estimated using linear (GLM) and nonlinear (Lactin2) models, respectively. Total development time from egg to adult decreased with increasing temperature. Successful development occurred between 20.8 and 35.0 °C, and failed under 15.3 and 40.0 °C (100% nymph mortality). Egg stage duration ranged from 30.56 days at 15.3 °C to 2.07 days at 40 °C, while nymphal development ranged from 64.75 days at 20.8 °C to 21.17 days at 35.0 °C. The estimated LDT and K-values were 14.22 °C and 492.22 degree days (DD), respectively. Based on these thermal requirements, we developed a predictive model to better understand population dynamics and inform pest management strategies, which can help predict the spring occurrence, number of generations, and population dynamics of D. baccarum. Full article

Cold stress during early growth can severely impact nodulation, growth, and yield in legumes. This study evaluated cold plasma (CP) seed treatment as a strategy to enhance growth and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) under cold stress during early growth. CP-treated and non-treated seeds were grown at 8 °C (cold) or 15 °C (control) for 5 weeks, after which half of the plants were harvested for nodulation and growth assessments. The remainder were transferred to greenhouse conditions until maturity. The cold stress suppressed nodulation and reduced biomass in both legumes. Soybean recovered under greenhouse conditions; however, pea yield remained suppressed. At maturity, SNF traits in both legumes were not significantly affected by early cold stress. CP seed treatment showed little effect under severe cold (8 °C) but at 15 °C, improved root growth in pea and enhanced root and shoot biomass and pod and seed yield in soybean. These findings suggest that CP seed treatment can improve legume performance under moderate cold. However, the current CP seed treatment conditions did not improve the stress resistance of both crops under severe cold stress. Full article

The germination rate of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds is a key indicator of their vitality, which is complexly regulated by genetic and environmental factors. This study aims to elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in germination rates among different pepper germplasm resources and identify the key genes regulating this trait. Three representative pepper materials (‘22HL6’, ‘22HL14’, ‘22HL2’) with significantly different germination rates were selected for this study. Key physiological and biochemical parameters during their germination process were systematically evaluated, including germination rate, vigor index, water absorption characteristics, amylase activity, antioxidant enzyme activity, and soluble sugar and protein content. Based on this, candidate genes related to germination rate were screened through transcriptome sequencing, and core candidate genes were preliminarily functionally validated using the Arabidopsis thaliana heterologous overexpression system. Materials with fast germination rates (‘22HL6’, ‘22HL14’) exhibited higher water absorption efficiency, amylase activity, antioxidant protection (such as lower MDA content and higher POD activity), and more active material metabolism (soluble sugar and protein) during the critical 72-h period. Transcriptome analysis successfully identified seven candidate genes closely related to germination rate. Among them, gene Capann_59V1aChr03g048850 had extremely high expression levels in fast-germinating materials but was almost not expressed in slow-germinating materials, and was identified as a core candidate gene. Heterologous overexpression of Capann_59V1aChr03g048850 in A. thaliana significantly promoted seed germination, with transgenic lines exhibiting earlier germination initiation, more developed taproot and lateral root systems, larger rosette diameter, and earlier bolting and flowering compared to wild-type plants. This study reveals the basis for the differences in germination rates of pepper seeds from the physiological and biochemical to molecular mechanism levels, and for the first time links the function of Capann_59V1aChr03g048850 gene to promoting seed germination and early seedling development. This gene provides valuable genetic resources for improving the germination uniformity and seedling vitality of pepper and even other crops through molecular breeding in the future. Full article

Herbicide treatment for agricultural crops may cause dramatic damage to production amount and quality. The aim of the present investigation was to compare different silicon formulations to assess their efficiency in maintaining faba bean plant growth with the herbicide spray Dicameron. Soil pollution due to Dicameron caused an intensive oxidant stress, decreasing bean pods, seed number and weight, antioxidant activity (AOA) and polyphenol content (TP), leaf chlorophyll, and carotene, sharply increasing proline level, and creating pod and leaf anomalies. All the Si formulations, i.e., ionic Si forms in the presence of microelements (Siliplant) or terpenes (BioSi), Si nanoparticles, and organic silicon adjuvant siloxane polyalkylene oxide (Atomic), significantly restored bean antioxidant status and leaf photosynthetic pigment accumulation, enhancing plant defense, as indicated by the proline level decrease. Only the ionic form of Si in the Siliplant formulation, containing essential microelements, facilitated the recovery of pod form and seed weight, while nano-Si was the most effective treatment for bean AOA restoration, and Atomic was the best in rebalancing chlorophyll and the worst in decreasing proline content. A strong beneficial effect of ionic Si in the presence of terpenes (BioSi) was recorded only on the yield of the control plants which did not undergo herbicide spraying. The results indicate a moderate beneficial effect of siloxane adjuvant on plant performance and antioxidant defense level and the highest positive impact on broad bean protection in response to the ionic Si (Siliplant formulation) supply also containing Cu, Zn, Mo, Mn, Fe, and B. Full article