Search Results (5,875)

In the intelligent tomato-picking scenario, challenges such as insufficient accuracy in recognizing the growth pose of target tomatoes and inaccurate positioning of picking and grasping points have led to low efficiency in automated picking. To address these issues, this paper introduces an object detection optimization model based on Yolov8s, termed YOLOv8S-ECC. The model focuses on “Judging tomato pose by the spatial vector of the relative position between the calyx and the center point of the fruit,” aiming to enhance high-precision positioning of both the tomato calyx and fruit, thereby laying the groundwork for subsequent pose judgment and picking point positioning. We have integrated the ECA (Efficient Channel Attention) and Coordinate attention mechanisms into the Backbone network and introduced the CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention mechanism into the Neck network. The combined effect of these attention mechanisms effectively overcomes the recognition challenges posed by the calyx’s color texture, which closely resembles the environment. This integration has also enhanced the model’s robustness in complex field environments. Test results indicate significant improvements: the accuracy rate, recall rate, and mAP@50 for detecting tomato fruits and calyces are 81.7% and 87.5%, 92.7% and 85.9%, and 89.7% and 91.3%, respectively, compared to the original model. By encapsulating the algorithm and integrating it with the picking robot, tests in a simulated environment (different lighting conditions and foliage occlusion situations) show picking success rates of 93.02%, with an average picking operation time of 14.2 ± 0.855 s, including an image recognition and processing time of 0.035 s. This research offers an effective technical solution for high-precision visual perception and pose judgment in fruit and vegetable picking robots, contributing to improved quality in tomato industry picking operations. Full article

Polyamines, such as spermidine (Spd), are small aliphatic amines that play critical roles in plant growth, fruit development, and stress responses. Spermidine synthase (SPDS) is the enzyme responsible for catalyzing Spd biosynthesis. However, the functional characterization of SPDS genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has been less studied. In this study, four SlSPDS genes (SlSPDS1-4) were identified and analyzed for their physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, promoter cis-acting elements, subcellular localization, responses to various abiotic stresses, and effects on polyamine content in tomato leaves. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of multiple hormone and stress-responsive elements. Simultaneously, the overexpressing lines were subjected to osmotic stress treatment. Subcellular localization experiments demonstrated that SlSPDS1 and SlSPDS2 were distributed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, while SlSPDS3 and SlSPDS4 were specifically localized to the nucleus. SlSPDS1-3 exhibited significant responses to high/low temperature stress, salt stress, and ABA stress. Meanwhile, only SlSPDS1 and SlSPDS4 exhibited responses to drought stress. Transient expression of SlSPDSs in tomato revealed changes in the accumulation levels of spermine, putrescine, tyramine, and tryptamine, whereas the contents of spermidine and phenethylamine showed no significant changes. Simultaneously, we successfully obtained four SlSPDS-overexpressing transgenic tomato lines, OE-SPDS1-4. Phenotypic analysis confirmed that these transgenic lines exhibited significantly reduced wilting and chlorosis compared with WT plants under drought and salt stress. Functional validation indicates that overexpression of these genes enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity in transgenic tomatoes, thereby potentially improving their tolerance to drought and salt stress. These findings highlighted the potential function of SlSPDS genes in tomato, providing valuable targets for improving stress tolerance. Full article

Plant viruses can cause substantial yield losses, yet disease severity often varies between seasons because plants frequently experience heat or cold episodes before infection. In this study, we tested whether such temperature conditions affect the plant’s redox balance and alter its response to Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) infection in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plants were exposed to short-term heat and cold stress, after which they recovered before virus inoculation. Following this, we assessed the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, lipid peroxidation (LPO), oxidative DNA damage, stress-related proteins, redox-associated enzymes, and antioxidant metabolites. TBSV led to non-parallel ROS responses during infection, with consistently elevated hydrogen peroxide in infected plants but reduced superoxide relative to corresponding mock controls. Heat pre-exposure caused pronounced LPO that decreased further after infection, whereas cold pre-exposure stabilized malondialdehyde near levels observed at 25 °C. Both thermal stress and infection increased 8-oxo-dG and were associated with distinct changes in 8-oxoguanine glycosylase abundance. Infection strongly induced heat shock protein 90 (and moderately heat shock protein 70), while prior heat limited further chaperone induction by TBSV. These results indicate that viral infection develops within and is limited by the host’s oxidative state, where redox homeostasis may restrict infection-related processes, and infection leads to changes in this redox environment that are favorable for its development. Full article

Sustainable irrigation planning under increasing water scarcity requires efficient allocation of limited water resources while simultaneously considering land suitability and agricultural productivity. In this study, we aim to identify optimal cropping patterns for sustainable irrigation management using an optimization-based decision-support framework applied to the Nam Mang 3 Irrigation Project in Lao PDR, based on data from 2022. Focusing on the dry season (November–April), we evaluated six major crops—rice, beans, maize, tomato, cucumber, and watermelon—under six irrigation scenarios to assess the impacts of land suitability and water availability. The analysis incorporated a water availability range from 17.70 to 18.10 mm³ to evaluate system robustness. Linear Programming (LP), the Genetic Algorithm (GA), and the African Vultures Optimization Algorithm (AVOA) were employed to determine optimal crop allocation. The proposed framework explicitly incorporates varied soil types and land-use constraints, providing a more realistic representation than conventional homogeneous assumptions. The results indicate that AVOA outperformed other models in terms of stability. Under the evaluated scenarios, the optimal cultivated area ranged from 3192 to 3200 ha, with total profits fluctuating between 34,125,930 and 34,314,900 US$. These findings demonstrate that integrating soil variability and sensitivity-based optimization significantly enhances irrigation planning, providing a practical, robust decision-support tool for planners to design adaptive and sustainable cropping strategies in water-scarce regions. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of thermocomposting followed by vermicomposting on the physicochemical properties of insect frass and its suitability as a germination and growth substrate for kale, tomato, and bell pepper. Vermicomposting improved frass stability by reducing pH, electrical conductivity, carbon content, and the C/N ratio, while increasing total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and calcium and magnesium availability, indicating enhanced maturity and nutrient retention. Peat–frass mixtures (20–100%), increased pH from acidic conditions in the control to near neutral in 100% frass and raised electrical conductivity from 0.67 dS m⁻¹ to the highest values in the pure frass treatment. Tomato seedlings exhibited strong tolerance and enhanced growth at all frass proportions, with seedling heights exceeding 33 cm compared with the control. Kale showed optimal growth at 20–60% frass, while 80–100% reduced early development. In bell pepper, emergence declined at high frass proportions, although seedlings grown with ≥40% frass reached heights of approximately 8.3–8.6 cm. Vermicomposted frass also influenced plant metabolism, increasing flavonoid accumulation and modifying antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrate that stabilized frass can serve as a sustainable substrate component, contributing to organic waste valorization and improved seedling production when applied at crop-specific proportions. Full article

This study presents AgroNova—a hybrid IoT architecture for autonomous monitoring and management of microclimate in greenhouse environments. The system combines a capillary wireless sensor network, gateway-level rule-based agents, a server agent, cloud services and an advisory component based on a large language model (LLM) that supports local decision-making by incorporating external contextual information from meteorological services. The proposed architecture was validated through a seven-month deployment in an unheated tomato greenhouse, during which more than 380,000 environmental measurements were collected from five sensor nodes. The system operated continuously under real agricultural conditions, including during temporary internet connectivity interruptions, due to the autonomous gateway-level control and deterministic fallback mechanisms. The analysis of the collected data includes 3110 environmental threshold exceedance events, in which recovery dynamics, reaction latency, and actuator activation frequency were evaluated. The results show that the architecture supports stable autonomous operation under limited actuation conditions, with an average local reaction latency of less than 1 s, while physical actuator operations occur in approximately 2.3% of all control decisions. This behavior reflects a conservative control strategy that limits unnecessary mechanical operations and contributes to stable system operation. The experimental integration of a consultative LLM module within the server-side agent demonstrates the potential for context-enriched decision support using external meteorological data, while final control decisions remain under the authority of the gateway-based deterministic control mechanism. The main contribution of this study is the demonstration of a hybrid IoT architecture that combines edge-level autonomy with context-assisted reasoning, validated through deployment in a real greenhouse environment. Full article

This work presents the synthesis, characterization, and application of zirconium oxide (ZrO₂)-based catalysts, modified with macro (silica nanospheres, NSP-SiO₂) and mesopore templates (Pluronic 123), impregnated with tungstophosphoric acid (TPA), in the catalytic pyrolysis of tomato agro-industrial residues. The NSP-SiO₂ (SXX) and P123 (PYY) amount mainly influences the ZrO₂SXXPYY-specific surface area (S_BET) and average pore diameter (D_p). ³¹P MAS NMR and FT-IR characterization results show that TPA (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀) was partially transformed into [P₂W₂₁O₇₁]⁶⁻ and [PW₁₁O₃₉]⁷⁻ during the synthesis steps. The acidic properties of ZrO₂SXXPYY samples containing 25 and 50 wt% of TPA (ZrO₂SXXPYYT25 and ZrO₂SXXPYYT50, respectively) are dependent on both the TPA content and the support nature. Bio-oil composition and product selectivity were strongly influenced by the textural and acid-based properties of the catalysts. Notably, non-catalytic pyrolysis favored pathways leading to C2 compounds, with a high content of acetic acid and hydroxyacetone. In contrast, the use of catalysts promoted the formation of higher molecular weight oxygenated compounds (C5–C6), specifically furans, aldehydes, and ketones. Full article

The recurrent influx of pelagic Sargassum spp. along Caribbean coastlines poses a significant environmental challenge while offering potential as a resource-recovery agricultural input. However, agricultural reuse of Sargassum biomass raises concerns regarding salinity and trace-metal distribution within the soil–plant–food continuum. This study evaluated the short-term elemental response to a Sargassum-Based Liquid Biofertilizer (SBLB) produced via controlled anaerobic fermentation, using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown under greenhouse conditions. Raw biomass, fermented biofertilizer, irrigation water, soils, vegetative tissues, and fruits were chemically characterized. Elemental concentrations were quantified by ICP–OES and ICP-MS and treatment effects were analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Anaerobic fermentation resulted in lower measured concentrations of sodium, arsenic, and selected trace elements in the liquid fraction relative to raw biomass. SBLB application increased soil macronutrient availability (N, P, K, Ca, Mg), while soil trace-metal concentrations remained within international reference ranges during the experimental period. Metals of concern (As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr) showed no detectable short-term enrichment in soils, vegetative tissues, or fruits relative to controls. In tomato fruits, arsenic, cadmium, and lead were below the limit of quantification across all treatments. Within the experimental timeframe, SBLB application was not associated with detectable trace-element accumulation in the soil–plant system. Long-term field studies and detailed soil physicochemical characterization are required to evaluate cumulative effects under repeated applications. Full article

In desert regions, frequent aeolian dust events lead to rapid dust accumulation on greenhouse films, critically compromising light transmittance and inhibiting crop growth. To address this challenge, this study integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Phase Model (CFD-DPM) simulations with field experiments to conduct a comprehensive investigation spanning from microscopic deposition mechanisms to macroscopic physiological responses. Particle characterization revealed a distinct aerodynamic sorting effect, wherein fine particles (<65 μm) preferentially adhered to film surfaces driven by airflow, contrasting sharply with the gravitational settling of coarse ground particles. Numerical simulations further confirmed that as wind speeds increased from 2 to 7 m/s, dust deposition rates exhibited a significant exponential reduction, with accumulation predominantly concentrated in the windward and wake zones. The dust layer covering the film induced a substantial reduction in the indoor daily light integral (DLI), which leads to influence tomato growth that stunted plant height and suppressed the net photosynthetic rate. Physiologically, antioxidant enzyme activities exhibited an initial surge followed by a decline, reflecting photosynthetic constraints and oxidative stress. Consequently, a high-frequency cleaning interval of 7–14 days is recommended to significantly enhance photosynthetic capacity and stress resilience. Full article

Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) is an intracellular non-oxidizing enzyme that relies on thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), which is important for plant survival under anaerobic conditions and increasingly recognized for its role in broader stress reaction. However, the PDC gene family of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), an important waterlogging-sensitive agricultural product, has not yet been discovered. In this study, eight SlPDC genes were discovered within the tomato genome. Gene structure analysis revealed that SlPDC members exhibited varying intron–exon configurations, with SlPDC8 possessing the most complex structure containing seven introns. Promoter analysis revealed a multitude of cis-acting elements responsive to light, hormones, and various stresses. Particularly, the promoter of SlPDC8 contains both ABRE and TGACG/CGTCA-motif. Tissue-specific expression profiles showed that SlPDC8 was mainly highly expressed in the roots. Expression profiling demonstrated that SlPDC genes respond divergently to different abiotic stresses, including salt, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), drought, waterlogging, cold, heat, darkness, and UV radiation stresses. Notably, SlPDC1, SlPDC7, and SlPDC8 were significantly upregulated by waterlogging, with SlPDC8 showing the most robust induction. Functional validation through VIGS proved that SlPDC8-silenced plants exhibited significantly impaired growth, decreased photosynthetic pigment content, severe leaf wilting, and poor root development under waterlogging conditions compared to control plants. Furthermore, silencing SlPDC8 led to increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, indicating heightened oxidative damage under waterlogging stress. We conclusively demonstrate that SlPDC8 plays a critical positive regulatory role in waterlogging tolerance by maintaining cellular homeostasis and enhancing antioxidant capacity. Full article

The Dof transcription factor family plays crucial roles in plant growth and stress responses. In this study, we identified 24 Dof genes (CcDof1–CcDof24) from the genome of Citrus clementina (Hort. ex Tan.). Phylogenetic analysis classified these proteins into six distinct clades, revealing evolutionary conservation with Dof members from Arabidopsis and tomato. Analysis of gene structure and conserved motifs showed that most CcDof genes are intronless or contain only a few introns, and their motif compositions are largely consistent with their phylogenetic relationships. Promoter analysis revealed a variety of cis-regulatory elements associated with light responsiveness, hormone signaling, and abiotic/biotic stress responses. Expression profiling demonstrated that CcDof genes exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns and are differentially regulated by various phytohormones (including ABA, SA, GA, and MeJA), low temperature stress, and infection by Phytophthora parasitica. Notably, transient overexpression of CcDof4 and CcDof6 in citrus leaves significantly enhanced resistance to P. parasitica, accompanied by upregulation of SA pathway markers NPR1 and PR1. Our findings provide a systematic characterization of the CcDof family and highlight the important roles of CcDof4 and CcDof6 in mediating citrus disease resistance, likely through modulation of the SA signaling pathway. Full article

In recent years, phosphorus (P) nanoparticles have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional fertilizers. This study evaluated zeolite-fixed hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) for greenhouse tomato cultivation, comparing their efficiency with phosphate rock (positive P input) and quartz sand (negative P Carrier). Material characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and zeta potential analysis revealed that zeolite was identified predominantly as clinoptilolite, phosphate rock as phosphate-bearing aluminosilicates, and quartz sand as crystalline quartz; in all cases, the materials exhibited negatively charged surfaces. Hybrid fertilizers were formed through electrostatic interactions between zeolite and nHAP, confirming the successful development of a zeolite-based carrier for nanohydroxyapatite delivery. Application of 0.01 g·L⁻¹ nHAP increased the effective quantum yield of Photosystem II by 0.64 compared to the control at midday. Fruit firmness showed no significant differences among treatments. The highest sugar and soluble solids content was observed with 0.1 g·L⁻¹ nHAP (6.84 °Brix), whereas the 1 g·L⁻¹ treatment enhanced pigment concentrations, reaching 5.9 mg·g⁻¹/g chlorophyll a, 2.92 mg·g⁻¹ chlorophyll b, and 2.82 mg·g⁻¹ carotenoids. The 0.01 g·L⁻¹ dose of nHAP maintained quality characteristics and marginally increased yield; however, yield decreased at higher nHAP concentrations, opening new research opportunities to optimize this nanofertilizer. Full article

The extensive diversification of flower shape and organs underpins the adaptive success of angiosperms. Despite substantial knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling flower induction and development, few studies have quantified the variability in floral traits within species or explored their correlation with other reproductive traits. In cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), human selection has driven fruit diversification in terms of size and shape. In the present study, 48 landraces representing tomato diversity in reproduction-related characteristics were phenotyped for 18 flower structural or dimensional traits. Flower traits exhibited lower coefficients of variation compared to other reproductive traits, though organ numbers showed high heritability values. Flower organ number and size were tightly correlated, but the correlation between dimensional traits was weaker. This likely reflects the selective pressures on pistil traits during domestication, including specific mutations affecting carpel number and ovary morphology. While ovary and fruit size were positively correlated, no relationship was found between ovule and seed size, suggesting that genes related to seed size generally act after fruit set. The collection was genotyped at the Fasciated (Fas) locus, and 13 floral traits were significantly different in fas mutants. The phenotypic variability described in this study could help breeders select for more fertile flowers and assist reproductive biologists in linking genes to flower development. Full article

Heat stress, intensified by global warming, poses a great threat to plant growth and crop production. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress response (HSR) remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized SlFBX38, an F-box gene in tomato. SlFBX38 was predominantly expressed in leaves and fruits, and its expression levels were induced by heat stress and various phytohormones, including ABA, JA and SA. Subcellular location analysis revealed that SlFBX38 resides in both the nucleus and cytoplasm in N. benthamiana leaf cells, but it displays no transcriptional activity. Overexpression of SlFBX38 (OE) lines conferred enhanced heat stress tolerance, as evidenced by improved photosynthetic efficiency, elevated accumulation of ascorbic acid (AsA), stronger protective enzyme activities, and upregulation of HSR-related genes in SlFBX38-OE lines under heat stress condition. To identify potential interacting proteins, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library screening and further Y2H verification indicate that SlFBX38 may interact with SlbHLH058. Collectively, these findings establish SlFBX38 as a positive regulator of thermotolerance in tomato and provide a basis for further mechanistic studies of its role in HSR. Full article

Supplemental lighting is essential for overcoming low-light stress and enabling overwintering tomato production in greenhouses. This study investigated the effects of LED supplemental lighting with different spectral qualities in the upper and lower canopy on the fruit weight and quality of tomatoes. Six treatments were established: upper-red/lower-blue (R_UB_L), full red (R), full blue (B), upper-blue/lower-red (B_UR_L), red–blue mixture (RB), and a non-lit control (CK). The results demonstrated that: (1) All supplemental lighting treatments increased tomato fruit weight. During the early overwintering stage (October–December), the highest fruit weight was observed under the RB treatment, representing an increase of 22.62–24.02% compared to CK at the same truss positions. The light gain coefficient (LGC) under RB treatment reached up to 4.41 times that of other treatments. During the later phase (January–February), the B_UR_L treatment achieved the highest LGC, reaching 1.28 to 5.30 times that of other treatments, and it increased the fruit weight by 48.2–72.88% compared to CK. (2) Regarding fruit quality, R and B_UR_L promoted lycopene accumulation the most, followed by RB treatment. Additionally, lycopene was found positively correlated with key color parameters (a, a*/b*, CCI, and C). (3) Compared to CK, all supplemental lighting treatments increased the soluble sugar content in tomato fruits (ranging 5.36~95.35%), with the highest sugar–acid ratios typically observed under R or B_UR_L treatments. The RB treatment yielded the highest VC levels during the later overwintering stage, exceeding the control by 29.97–39.65%. In summary, for overwintering greenhouse tomato production, application of the RB treatment during the early phase (October to December) and transition to the B_UR_L treatment in the late phase (January to February) could be considered. This phased strategy may help achieve synergistic improvements in yield, fruit coloration, and quality. Full article