Search Results (153)

Given the endangered status and very limited distribution of Barbarea vulgaris R.Br. subsp. lepuznica (Nyár.) Soó in stressful, high-elevation habitats, where these plants must prioritise the resource acquisition and vegetative growth to sustain their survival and persistence, we aimed to reveal possible abiotic/biotic-driven constraints in biomass allocation for flower production. Three functional traits, i.e., the tallest shoot height, leaf mass area (LMA) and number of inflorescences (racemes), were measured in thirty plants in each of the three studied populations differing in altitude and sheep grazing intensity (P1—1700 m, grazed; P2—1900 m, ungrazed; P3—2100 m, ungrazed). The LMA and dominant shoot height were significantly higher and, respectively, lower in P3 compared with P1. Although the mean number of racemes in P1 was lower than in P2 and P3, the differences were not statistically significant. The tallest shoot height, followed by the LMA, displayed the highest contribution to differentiating the three populations. The raceme count decreased significantly with increasing height of the dominant shoot in P1 and P2, and also with increasing LMA in P3. The observed constraint in raceme production within all populations is very likely one facet of the trade-off between reproductive and vegetative allocation under harsh edapho-climatic conditions. The studied plants have adopted a conservative-tolerant strategy to cope with the abiotic stress at higher elevations, but an acquisitive-tolerant strategy in face of grazing. The subspecies lepuznica seems to be in a favourable conservation status, but a close monitoring in grazed areas is recommended. Full article

Accurate rice yield prediction remains a major challenge due to the complex and nonlinear interactions among cultivar, environment, and phenology. Existing approaches often focus on analyzing individual components while ignoring their interdependencies, which results in limited predictive accuracy and generalizability. To overcome these problems, this study proposes a novel interpretable random forest model that integrates cultivar, environmental, and phenological dimensions. Different from conventional approaches, the proposed method incorporates a factor-combination optimization strategy to identify the most effective information for yield estimation. For analysis, 24 key determinants were screened, including the geographical location, meteorological conditions, phenological events, and cultivar traits. The RF models were also evaluated when built with seven factor combinations. The results reveal the following: (1) Meteorological conditions play a dominant role during the vegetative growth period, including net solar radiation (r = 0.42), daylength (r = 0.38), and thermal summation (r = 0.29). On the other hand, thermal summation (r = 0.28), mean minimum temperature (r = −0.23), and mean temperature (r = −0.20) are most relevant during the reproductive growth period. (2) The full-factor model achieves optimal performance (RMSE = 601.45 kg/ha and MAE = 454.98 kg/ha, R² = 0.77). (3) Importance analysis reveals that meteorological factors provide the greatest contribution (53.59%), followed by phenological factors (20.39%), geographical factors (17.20%), and cultivar (8.82%), respectively. The results also reveal that threshold effects of key determinants on yield, and identify mid-April to early May as the optimal sowing window. These findings demonstrate that integrating cultivar, environment, and phenology factors creates a powerful predictive model for rice yields. Full article

As nutrient allocation trade-offs occur between reproductive and vegetative development in crops, optimizing their partitioning holds promise for improving agricultural productivity and quality. Herein, we characterize the phenotypic diversity of the fruitfulness trait and identify associated genes in tea plants (Camellia sinensis). Over three consecutive years, we monitored the fruitfulness of an F₁ hybrid population (n = 206) derived from crosses of ‘Emei Wenchun’ and ‘Chuanmu 217’. A marked variation was observed in the yield of individual plants, ranging from complete sterility (zero fruits) to exceptionally high fertility (1612 fruits). Using the high-resolution genetic linkage map and the fruitfulness data, we identified a stable major QTL designated as qFN5. To fine-map the underlying gene(s), artificial pollination experiments were conducted with extreme phenotype individuals (with the highest vs. lowest fruit numbers). Bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR-Seq) with ovules collected at two and seven days post-pollination (DPP) identified the genomic intervals that exhibit a high degree of overlap with qFN5. Analysis of expression dynamics combined with functional genomics data revealed a prominent candidate gene, CsETR2 (TGY048509), which encodes an ethylene receptor protein. When CsETR2 was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, the transgenic lines exhibited significantly decreased reproductive performance relative to the wild-type plants. Relative to the wild type, the transgenic lines exhibited a significant decline in several key traits: the number of effective panicles decreased by 72.5%, the seed setting rate dropped by 67.7%, and the silique length shortened by 38%. These findings demonstrate its role in regulating plant fruitfulness. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays verified that CsMYB15 (TGY110225) directly binds to the CsETR2 promoter, thus repressing its transcription. In summary, our findings expand the understanding of genetic regulation underlying fruitfulness in tea plants and provide candidate target loci for breeding. Full article

The conservation of plant species requires detailed knowledge of their reproductive behaviour and population demographic structure. This is particularly important for species such as Cardamine bulbifera, which depend on old-growth forest habitats and rely predominantly or entirely on vegetative reproduction through axillary bulbils. Although C. bulbifera has a wide native range, little is known about its population structure and dynamics. The aim of this study was to assess the demographic composition, density and main traits of C. bulbifera individuals in six populations occurring in three types of forest habitats in southern Lithuania: Fennoscandian hemiboreal natural old broadleaved deciduous forests, Fennoscandian herb-rich forests with Picea abies and Galio-Carpinetum oak–hornbeam forests. Field studies were conducted in 2023, during which a total of 20 sampling plots (each 1 m²) were analysed in each population, arranged in a transect. The study revealed an absolute dominance of young (juvenile and immature) individuals in the populations (89.2%), whereas mature individuals comprised only a small fraction (10.8%). The proportion of mature individuals was significantly larger in hornbeam forests than in the other two forest types. The highest density of individuals was recorded in broadleaved forest, while the lowest density was found in spruce forest habitat. Mature C. bulbifera individuals in hornbeam habitats were significantly taller and had longer inflorescences than those in other habitats. The highest mean number of bulbils was produced by individuals of the studied species in spruce habitats, while bulbil production was lowest in hornbeam habitats. The strongest negative contribution to the number of C. bulbifera individuals was the area of bare soil in the sampling plot, whereas herb cover had the strongest positive effect. These results highlight habitat-specific differences in C. bulbifera population structure and suggest that the long-term viability of its populations is closely associated with forest type, as well as stability of the habitat and plant community. The optimum habitat conditions for C. bulbifera are found in old broadleaved forests, and habitats with natural succession are the most favourable for its growth and conservation. Full article

Purple totomoxtle (maize husk) in native maize represents a phenotypic trait of cultural and agronomic significance within traditional Mesoamerican agroecosystems. This study evaluated the phenotypic expression of anthocyanins in vegetative and reproductive tissues of ten native maize genotypes, including inter-parental crosses derived from both pigmented and non-pigmented lines. Field trials were conducted under rainfed conditions in Chiapas, Mexico. Visual and quantitative assessments included pigmentation intensity, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, ear traits and appearance, grain health, and yield performance. Genotypes exhibiting the purple phenotype showed consistent pigment accumulation in stems, nodes, leaf sheaths, tassels, and bracts (totomoxtle), with statistically significant differences compared to non-pigmented controls. Anthocyanin content in totomoxtle increased by 30% during late developmental stages, whereas chlorophyll and carotenoid levels peaked during early vegetative growth. Pigmented materials displayed healthier grain, enhanced ear appearance, and higher yields, with the JCTM × LLMJ cross reaching 6.60 t ha⁻¹. These findings highlight the functional value of purple totomoxtle and its potential in agroecological programs aimed at resilience, genetic conservation, and integral resource utilization, providing useful criteria such as stable pigment expression and superior yield to guide sustainable reproduction strategies. Full article

Plant genders could express different functional strategies to compensate for different reproductive costs, as females have an additional role in fruit and seed production. Secondary sexual dimorphism (SSD) expression is frequently greater under stress than under optimal growth conditions. The early gender identification in papaya may help to reduce orchard costs because the most desirable fruit shape is formed by hermaphrodite plants. We hypothesized that (a) gender ecophysiological phenotyping can be an alternative to make gender segregations in papaya seedlings, and (b) such gender segregation will be more efficient after a short drought exposure than under adequate water conditions. To test such hypotheses, seedlings of two papaya varieties (‘Candy’ and ‘THB’) were exposed to two kind of treatments: (1) water shortage (WS) for 45 h, after which they were well watered, and (2) continuously well-watered (WW). Study assessed the ecophysiological responses, such as stomatal conductance (g_s), SPAD index, optical reflectance indices, morphological traits, and biomass accumulation in females (F) and hermaphrodites (H). In WS treatment, the SSD was expressed in 14 of 18 traits investigated, while in WW treatment, the SSD was expressed only in 7 of 18 traits. As tools for SSD expression, g_s and simple ratio pigment index (SRPI) must be measured on the first or second day after the imposed WS was interrupted, respectively, while the other parameters must be measured after a period of four days. In some traits, the SSD was expressed in only one variety, or the response of H and F plants were of opposite values for two varieties. The choice of the clearest responses of gender segregation in WS treatment will be greenness index, combination of normalized difference vegetation index (CNDVI), photochemical reflectance index (PRI), water band index (WBI), SRPI, leaf number, leaf dry mass, and leaf mass ratio. If the WW conditions are maintained for papaya seedling production, the recommendation in gender segregation will be the analysis of CNDVI, carotenoid reflectance index 2 (CRI2), WBI, and SRPI. The non-destructive optical leaf indices segregated papaya hermaphrodites from females under both water conditions and eventually could be adjusted for wide-scale platform evaluations, with planned space arrangements of seedlings, and sensor’s set. Full article

This study presents an integrative investigation of four rare and threatened plant species—Taraxacum kok-saghyz L.E. Rodin, Astragalus rubtzovii Boriss., Schmalhausenia nidulans (Regel) Petr., and Rheum wittrockii Lundstr.—native to the Ile Alatau and Ketmen ridges of the Northern Tian Shan in Kazakhstan. Combining chloroplast genome sequencing, geobotanical surveys, and anatomical and population structure analyses, we aimed to assess the ecological adaptation, genetic distinctiveness, and conservation status of these species. Field surveys revealed that population structures varied across species, with T. kok-saghyz and S. nidulans dominated by mature vegetative and generative individuals, while A. rubtzovii and R. wittrockii exhibited stable age spectra marked by reproductive maturity and ongoing recruitment. Chloroplast genome assemblies revealed characteristic patterns of plastid evolution, including structural conservation in S. nidulans and R. wittrockii, and a reduced inverted repeat region in A. rubtzovii, consistent with its placement in the IR-lacking clade of Fabaceae. Morphological and anatomical traits reflected habitat-specific adaptations such as tomentose surfaces, thickened epidermis, and efficient vascular systems. Despite these adaptations, anthropogenic pressures including overgrazing and habitat degradation pose significant risks to population viability. Our findings underscore the need for targeted conservation measures, continuous monitoring, and habitat management to ensure the long-term survival of these ecologically and genetically valuable endemic species. Full article

Water scarcity challenges floriculture, which depends on quality irrigation for ornamental value. This study assessed short-term salinity tolerance in eight Asteraceae species by measuring physiological (proline levels, antioxidant enzyme activity) and morphological (plant height, flower number, and size) responses. Plants were irrigated with 0, 50, 100, or 300 mM NaCl for 10 days. Salinity significantly enhanced proline content and the activity of key antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase), reflecting the activation of stress defense mechanisms. However, these defenses failed to fully protect reproductive organs. Flower number and size were consistently more sensitive to salinity than vegetative traits, with significant reductions observed even at 50 mM NaCl. Responses varied between species, with Zinnia elegans and Calendula officinalis exhibiting pronounced sensitivity to salinity, whereas Tagetes patula showed relative tolerance, particularly under moderate stress conditions. The results show that flower structures are more vulnerable to ionic and osmotic disturbances than vegetative tissues, likely due to their higher metabolic demands and developmental sensitivity. Their heightened vulnerability underscores the need to prioritize reproductive performance when evaluating stress tolerance. Incorporating these traits into breeding programs is essential for developing salt-tolerant floriculture species that maintain aesthetic quality under limited water availability. Full article

Wheat is one of the three major staple crops globally. The wheat spike serves as the primary structure bearing wheat grains. Spike architectures of wheat have a direct impact on the number of grains per spike, and thus the grain yield per spike. The development of wheat spike morphology is conserved to some extent in cereal crops, yet also exhibits differences, being strictly regulated by photoperiod and temperature. This paper compiles QTLs and genes related to wheat spike traits that have been published over the past two decades, summarizes the photoperiod and vernalization pathways influencing the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, and organizes the key regulatory networks controlling spikelet and floret development. Additionally, it anticipates advancements in wheat gene cloning methods, challenges in optimizing wheat spike architecture for high yield and future directions in wheat spike trait research. Full article

Recognizing the interrelationship among variables becomes critical in genetic breeding programs, where the goal is often to optimize selection for multiple traits. Conventional multi-trait models face challenges such as convergence issues, and they fail to account for cause-and-effect relationships. To address these challenges, we conducted a comprehensive analysis involving confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Bayesian networks (BN), structural equation modeling (SEM), and genome-wide selection (GWS) using data from 195 arabica coffee plants. These plants were genotyped with 21,211 single nucleotide polymorphism markers as part of the Coffea arabica breeding program at UFV/EPAMIG/EMBRAPA. Traits included vegetative vigor (VV), canopy diameter (CD), number of vegetative nodes (NVN), number of reproductive nodes (NRN), leaf length (LL), and yield (Y). CFA established the following latent variables: vigor latent (VL) explaining VV and CD; nodes latent (NL) explaining NVN and NRN; leaf length latent (LLL) explaining LL; and yield latent (YL) explaining Y. These were integrated into the BN model, revealing the following key interrelationships: LLL → VL, LLL → NL, LLL → YL, VL → NL, and NL → YL. SEM estimated structural coefficients, highlighting the biological importance of VL → NL and NL → YL connections. Genomic predictions based on observed and latent variables showed that using VL to predict NVN and NRN traits resulted in similar gains to using NL. Predicting gains in Y using NL increased selection gains by 66.35% compared to YL. The SEM-GWS approach provided insights into selection strategies for traits linked with vegetative vigor, nodes, leaf length, and coffee yield, offering valuable guidance for advancing Arabica coffee breeding programs. Full article

Microplastic pollution threatens coastal wetland ecosystems, yet its impacts on the dominant plant species and soil properties remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of four microplastic types (PP, PE, PS, PET) at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, 1% w/w) on Scirpus mariqueter, a keystone species in the coastal wetlands of China, and the associated soil physicochemical properties. In a controlled pot experiment, microplastics significantly altered the plant biomass, vegetative traits, and reproductive strategies, with type-specific and concentration-dependent responses. PET and PE strongly suppressed the belowground and total biomass (p < 0.05), with reductions in the belowground biomass of 42.87% and 44.13%, respectively, at a 0.1% concentration. PP promoted seed production, particularly increasing the seed number by 25.23% at a 0.1% concentration (p < 0.05). The soil NH₄⁺-N, moisture, and EC were key mediators, with NH₄⁺-N declines linked to biomass reductions via nitrogen limitation. The Spearman correlations confirmed strong associations between the plant traits and soil properties, particularly nitrogen forms. These findings reveal that microplastics disrupt wetland plant performance and soil environments, potentially impairing carbon sequestration and ecosystem stability. Our study underscores the urgent need for microplastic risk assessments in coastal wetlands and highlights soil–microbe–plant interactions as critical mechanisms for future investigation. Full article

Genome editing has revolutionized plant science, providing an unprecedented ability to precisely manipulate plant genomes. For this study, genome editing was utilized to target and modify the NF-YA8 transcription factor (TF) in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. Heinz 1706). The primary objective of this research was to introduce targeted mutations in a non-transgenic manner to the NF-YA8 gene, which encodes the alpha subunit of the Nuclear Factor-Y (NF-Y) heterotrimeric TF, and explore its potential for developing new and improved tomato varieties. Through the transient expression of custom-engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) in tomato seeds, mutations were successfully introduced in the target gene. The recovered mutant NF-YA8 coding sequences showed a significant level of similarity to the wild type, with a range of 86.9% to 98.21%. Genotyping M2 lines revealed monogenic mutations at or near the intended target site. Phenotypic changes were also evident in both vegetative and reproductive stages of plants. The research revealed that NF-YA8 functions as a high-level regulator, orchestrating a developmental cascade that influences key agronomic traits throughout the plant’s life cycle, including cotyledon development, stem architecture, inflorescence architecture, flowering time, and fruit size and shape. Full article

This study investigates the seasonal and floral phenology, breeding strategies, and floral morphology of Azorina vidalii, an Azorean endemic Campanulaceae with hermaphroditic, protandrous flowers, dichogamy and secondary pollen presentation. Seasonal phenology was recorded in four field populations and floral phenology in a garden population. Reproductive strategies were assessed via controlled hand pollinations in one field population. Floral morphometrics were analysed using 23 floral and five pollen traits from 121 flowers across fourteen populations throughout the Azores archipelago. Non-parametric and parametric tests, discriminant analysis, and reproductive indices were used to infer answers to this study’s goals. Results showed that temperature and humidity influenced vegetative and reproductive phenophases. The male phase was shorter than the female, likely due to pollen dynamics, and some functional overlap suggested incomplete dichogamy. Geographic variation in floral traits indicated morphological differentiation across subarchipelagos, presumably linked to environmental factors or isolation. Reproductive indices suggested a mixed mating system, partial self–incompatibility and signs of inbreeding depression. Fertilisation was absent without pollinators, and spontaneous selfing was excluded due to an absence of pollen–pistil contact during stigma retraction. These findings contribute to understanding the reproductive biology and morphologic variation in A. vidalii. The implications of these findings for the conservation of this insular plant are discussed. Full article

Climate warming and nitrogen (N) deposition have already occurred and will continue to occur, profoundly affecting exotic plant invasion. Most studies on the effects of climate change focus on plant growth, biomass, and leaf traits, with limited reports on reproductive responses. We selected Solidago canadensis from North America and China as focal species and conducted a long-term common garden experiment simulating climate warming and N deposition to examine how climate warming, N addition, and plant origin influence its reproductive traits. Chinese Solidago canadensis exhibited significantly greater ramet height, more robust ramet diameters, longer and wider inflorescences, and higher seed mass compared to North American Solidago canadensis. Long-term warming and plant origin alone or in combination significantly influenced reproductive traits, while N addition did not influence these traits. The vegetative propagation of a native population was sensitive to warming and N addition, while the generative propagation of an invasive population was sensitive to their combined effects. These findings suggest that the reproductive strategies of Solidago canadensis varied with their origin, and plant origin might be important in mediating climate change effects on their reproduction under plant invasion. Full article

The degeneration of germplasm is a key factor limiting the yield and quality of Gastrodia elata Blume. Sexual reproduction is a primary method to address this degeneration, while the number of flowers and capsules is directly related to sexual reproduction. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the high flower/fruit-bearing traits in G. elata remain unclear. We first compared the quantitative and qualitative traits during the flowering to fruiting period of G. elata, including bolting height, flowering quantity, flowering time, fruiting quantity, capsule spacing, seed quality, etc. The natural materials were selected by multi-capsule and few-capsule for transcriptome analysis to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs); the candidate gene GePIF4 was suspected to regulate the formation of multiple flowers and fruits. It was confirmed that GePIF4 has multiple biological functions in the overexpression of transgenic lines, including increasing numbers of vegetative propagation corms (VPCs) and promoting the growth of G. elata. Through comparative transcriptomic analysis of EV and OE-GePIF4 transgenic lines, the transcriptional regulatory network of GePIF4 was identified, and transient expression of GePIF4 was demonstrated to significantly promote gastrodin accumulation. The dual-LUC assay and in vitro yeast one hybrid results showed that GePIF4 could directly bind to GeRAX2 to regulate multi-capsule formation, and GePIF4 could directly bind to GeC4H1 to promote gastrodin accumulation. Therefore, we elucidate the role of GePIF4 in multi-capsule formation and secondary metabolite accumulation, thereby laying the groundwork for the genetic improvement of G. elata germplasm resources. Full article