Search Results (131)

The ongoing decade of UN restoration matches with the European goal of bringing nature back into our lives, including in urban systems, and Nature Restoration Regulation. Within such a framework, this work is aimed at highlighting the ecological rationale and strategic value of an NRRP measure devoted to forest restoration in Italian Metropolitan Cities, and at assessing respective preliminary results. Therefore, the measure’s overarching goal (not to create urban parks or gardens, but activate forest recovery), geographic extent and scope (over 4000 ha and more than 4 million planted trees and shrubs across the country), plantation model (mandatory use of native species consistent with local potential vegetation, density of 1000 seedlings per ha, use of at least four tree and four shrub species in each project, with a minimum proportion of 70% for trees, certified provenance for reproductive material), and compulsory management activities (maintenance and replacement of any dead plants for at least five years), are herein shown and explained under an ecological perspective. Current implementation outcomes were thus assessed in terms of coherence and expected biodiversity benefits, especially with respect to ecological and biogeographic consistency of planted forests, representativity in relation to national and European plant diversity, biogeographic interest and conservation concern of adopted plants, and potential contribution to the EU Habitats Directive. Compliance with international strategic goals and normative rules, along with recognizable advantages of the measure and limitations to be solved, are finally discussed. In conclusion, the forestation model proposed for the Italian Metropolitan Cities proved to be fully applicable in its ecological rationale, with expected benefits in terms of biodiversity support plainly met, and even exceeded, at the current stage of implementation, especially in terms of the contribution to protected habitats. These promising preliminary results allow the model to be recognized at the international level as a good practice that may help achieve protection targets and sustainable development goals within and beyond urban systems. 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

Optimized in vitro cultivation offers a sustainable solution to enhance blackberry (Rubus spp.) production while reducing pathogen contamination during propagation. This study developed and validated protocols for in vitro cultivation and ex vitro acclimatization of the Tupy, Brazos, and Kiowa cultivars at the Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Los Reyes, Michoacán. A 20 min treatment with 2% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) reduced contamination by below 10% and achieved explant survival rates exceeding 95%. Temporary Immersion Systems (TIS) with four to six immersion cycles of 5 min each maximized survival (above 95%) while minimizing necrosis and hyperhydricity and increasing fresh mass. Shoot development was significantly enhanced with 2 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine, and 1 mg L⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid promoted optimal root formation. Acclimatization success rates exceeded 90% in covered trays compared to significant losses in uncovered trays during early stages. These protocols enabled robust plant development and yields exceeding 10 t ha ⁻¹ during vegetative and reproductive stages, providing a scalable framework for sustainable blackberry production and broader applications in crop propagation. Full article

Peanut productivity is severely restricted by soil salinization and associated nutrient deficiency in saline soil. The quinoa–peanut relay intercrop pattern (IP) is a promising planting system that utilizes the biological advantages of quinoa to improve soil ecological functions and productivity. However, the effects of IP on soil physicochemical and biological properties and the yield formation of the combined peanut crop are still unclear. Two-year field experiments in coastal saline soil were conducted to explore the effects of IP on peanut growth and pod yield, soil physicochemical properties, and microbial community characterization at different growth stages of peanut based on the traditional monocrop pattern (MP). The results show that IP promoted peanut pod yield, although there was the disadvantage of plant growth at an early stage. Soil water content, electrical conductivity (EC), and Na⁺ content in the peanut rhizosphere were lower, whereas K⁺, NH₄⁺, and total organic carbon (TOC) contents were higher in IP systems at both the vegetative and reproductive stages. The pod yield of peanut was significantly negatively correlated with soil EC and Na⁺ contents at the vegetative stage, but positively correlated with K⁺, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻, and TOC contents at the reproductive stage. IP rebuilt the composition of the soil bacterial community in the peanut rhizosphere and increased the abundance of the beneficial bacterial community, which were positively correlated with soil TOC, K⁺, NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, and PO₄³⁻ contents. These findings suggest that IP can increase peanut pod yield through optimizing soil physicochemical properties and microbial community composition, and it is a promising planting system for improving agricultural production in coastal saline lands. Full article

Producing seeds in the organic production system still requires a lot of information regarding the fertilization and nutritional requirements. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the dry mass and macronutrient accumulation curve in lettuce for seed production, aiming at cultivation in an organic system. The treatments consisted of two phosphorus doses (320 and 800 kg ha⁻¹ of P₂O₅, Yoorin^® thermophosphate source). The crisp lettuce plants, cultivar Solaris, were collected at eight stages (0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, and 98 days after transplanting—DAT) for an analysis of the proposed characteristics. A nonlinear sigmoid regression curve was fitted and the results demonstrated continuous plant growth, accompanied by a gradual increase in dry matter throughout the experimental period, regardless of the phosphorus dose studied. The vegetative part of the lettuce plant shows slow initial growth, followed by acceleration up to the beginning of flowering (70 DAT), and stabilization after this period. The reproductive part of the lettuce plant begins to grow from 56 DAT, increasing the daily nutrient demand until the end of the seed maturation and harvest at 98 DAT. The dose of 800 kg ha⁻¹ of P₂O₅, the lettuce plant accumulated 1527.7, 308.2, 2922.6, 1658.4, 416.0, and 197.6 mg per plant of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, respectively. The dose of 320 kg ha⁻¹ of P₂O₅, the lettuce plant accumulated 1743.1, 256.9, 2575.7, 1210.2, 358.8, and 185.5 mg per plant of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, respectively. The greatest demand for nutrients in the plant occurred between 55 and 88 DAT. 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

This Technical Note presents the design and implementation of a low-cost modular growth chamber developed to keep mother plants under controlled environmental conditions for vegetative propagation. The system was conceived as an accessible alternative to expensive commercial equipment, offering reproducibility and adaptability for small-scale and research-based cultivation. The proposed chamber integrates thermal insulation, LED lighting, forced ventilation through the implementation of extractors, a recirculating irrigation system with double filtration, and a sensor-based environmental monitoring platform operated via an Arduino UNO microcontroller. The design features a removable tray that serves as a support for the mother plant, an observation window covered by a movable dark acrylic that prevents the passage of external light, and a vertical structure that facilitates optimal space utilization and ergonomic access. Functionality was conducted using a Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni mother plant maintained for 30 days under monitored conditions. Environmental parameters—temperature, relative humidity, and illuminance—were recorded continuously. The plant showed vegetative development through new shoot emergence and the growth in height of the plant, and despite a loss in foliage expansion, it confirmed the chamber’s capacity to support sustained growth. Although no statistical replication or control group was included in this preliminary evaluation, the system demonstrates technical feasibility and practical utility. This chamber provides a replicable platform for future experimentation and propagation studies. Complete technical specifications, schematics, and component lists are provided to enable replication and further development by other researchers. The growth chamber design aligns with the goals of open-source agricultural innovation and supports knowledge transfer in controlled-environment plant propagation technologies. Full article

Plant mapping was introduced in soybean, but its illustrative capabilities in stress response are yet to be implemented. Methods to track the soybean physiological response are explained in this note by mapping pods in a coordinate system. A growth chamber study was conducted to measure the specific impact of simulated moisture stress on crop yield and pod development across three stages of crop growth. The treatment growth stages were R2, R3, and R5 (Full Bloom, Beginning Pod, and Beginning Seed, respectively), with two moisture stress durations of 7 and 14 days. A coordinate system was developed to understand soybean pod setting and yield by plotting each unique point on the plant using a set of numerical coordinates. This method summarizes soybean morphology during its vegetative and reproductive growth. Utilizing this method, we found that the growth stages during which moisture stress is experienced and the duration of the stress determined and influenced the location of pods on the soybean plant. The stress level factors impact the yield on the mainstem and branches by pod capacity at different magnitudes. This encoding procedure assists in tracking the location of aborted pods. It protects the yield by retaining pods, thereby leading to a better understanding of the stress experienced by these plants. Full article

Optimizing light conditions in controlled-environment agriculture is critical for enhancing crop yield and energy efficiency, particularly in high-value crops like strawberries, where precise spectral tuning can significantly influence both vegetative growth and fruit production. In this study, a windmill-style vertical farming system was developed to facilitate efficient strawberry cultivation under low-light conditions. A custom LED lighting fixture, measuring 3 m in length, was suspended 30 cm above the canopy to uniformly illuminate a planting zone of 3.0 m × 0.3 m. The lighting system, which combines red (655–665 nm) and full-spectrum white LEDs, was optimized using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to enhance spatial light distribution. The uniformity of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) improved from 71% to 85%, and the standard deviation decreased from 75 to 15. Under a 16 h optimized lighting regime, strawberry plants exhibited a 55% increase in height compared to the non-supplemented control group (Group D), a 40% increase in leaf width, and a 36% increase in fruit weight (69.76 g per plant) relative to the 12 h supplemental lighting group (Group A). The system operates at a fixture-level power consumption of just 160 W, with its spectral output aligned with the absorption characteristics of strawberry foliage and fruit. These results demonstrate that an algorithm-driven lighting layout can significantly enhance both vegetative and reproductive performance in vertical strawberry farming while maintaining high energy efficiency. Full article

Purpose: to identify evidence on the effectiveness of web-based interventions for lifestyle modification among women or couples of reproductive ages wishing to conceive. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in February 2023 across CENTRAL, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Emcare, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP. Data from four randomized controlled trials involving 1965 preconception women were narratively synthesized following risk of bias assessment. Interventions included a web-based conversational agent system, an email-based mobile service, and a mobile app providing lifestyle-related information. Results: Despite diverse assessment tools, benefits were observed for systolic blood pressure, serum folate levels, and physical activity. However, no significant effects were found for intake of vegetables and fruit, folic acid supplementation, smoking, alcohol consumption, waist circumference, weight, BMI, overweight status, HbA1c, total cholesterol, HDL, stress, depression, anxiety, or pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: Web-based interventions show potential in improving certain health behaviors among preconception women. Further high-quality studies are needed to assess their effectiveness on a broader range of outcomes, including dietary habits, physical activity, and substance use, and to inform their integration into preconception care strategies. Registration: We registered the study protocol with PROSPERO (CRD42023488277). Full article

Myricetin is a natural flavonoid with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential commonly found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, and tea. The vital role of this flavonoid in the prevention and treatment of various diseases is evidenced by its ability to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, maintain tissue architecture, and modulate cell signaling pathways. Thus, this review summarizes recent evidence on myricetin, focusing precisely on its mechanisms of action in various pathogenesis, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, osteoporosis, liver, neuro, cardio, and reproductive system-associated pathogenesis. Moreover, it has been revealed that myricetin exhibits anti-microbial properties due to obstructive virulence factors, preventing biofilm formation and disrupting membrane integrity. Additionally, synergistic potential with other drugs and the role of myricetin-based nanoformulations in different diseases are properly discussed. This review seeks to increase the understanding of myricetin’s pharmacological potential in various diseases, principally highlighting its effective mechanisms of action. Further wide-ranging research, as well as more randomized and controlled clinical trial studies, should be executed to reconnoiter this compound’s therapeutic value, safety, and usefulness against various human pathogenesis. Full article

The continued emergence of weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Taiwan poses serious challenges to seed purity and commercial rice cultivation, particularly under transplanting systems. These off-type individuals, often marked by a red pericarp, reduce varietal integrity and complicate seed propagation. This study evaluated the morphological variation among 117 Taiwan weedy rice (TWR) accessions and 55 control cultivars, which include 24 temperate japonica cultivars (TEJ), 24 indica cultivars, and seven U.S. weedy rice (UWR) types. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that TWR shares vegetative traits with modern cultivars but exhibits grain morphology resembling indica landraces—indicating weak artificial selection pressure on grain traits during nursery propagation. TWR was also found to possess a suite of adaptive weedy traits, including semi-dwarfism, delayed heading, high shattering, and superior seed storability, facilitating its persistence in field conditions. These findings provide critical insights for integrated weed management and cultivar purity strategies, emphasizing the importance of certified seed use, stringent field hygiene, and disruption of weedy rice reproductive cycles. Full article

Salinity represents a significant challenge for agriculture, especially in semi-arid regions, affecting the growth and productivity of plants such as nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus), which is valued for its ornamental, medicinal, and food uses. Salt stress disrupts biochemical, physiological, and anatomical processes, limiting plant development. This study investigated the application of attenuators, including salicylic acid, nicotinamide, and proline, to mitigate the effects of salt stress on nasturtium cultivated in a hydroponic system. The treatments involved different combinations of these compounds under saline conditions (40 mM NaCl). The attenuators reduced the negative impacts of salt stress, promoting improvements in gas exchange, such as increased net photosynthesis, water-use efficiency, and stomatal conductance. Additionally, the treatments enhanced vegetative and reproductive growth, increasing the dry biomass of leaves, stems, and flowers, as well as the number of flowers and flower buds. The combination of salicylic acid, nicotinamide, and proline stood out by providing greater efficiency in carbon assimilation, stability of photosynthetic pigments, and higher tolerance to salt stress. These findings reinforce the potential of using attenuators to optimize the cultivation of nasturtium in saline environments, promoting higher productivity and plant quality. Full article

Intercropping is a key cultivation strategy for safeguarding national food and oil security. Accurate early-stage yield prediction of intercropped soybeans is essential for the rapid screening and breeding of high-yield soybean varieties. As a widely used technique for crop yield estimation, the accuracy of 3D reconstruction models directly affects the reliability of yield predictions. This study focuses on optimizing the 3D reconstruction process for intercropped soybeans to efficiently extract canopy structural parameters throughout the entire growth cycle, thereby enhancing the accuracy of early yield prediction. To achieve this, we optimized image acquisition protocols by testing four imaging angles (15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°), four plant rotation speeds (0.8 rpm, 1.0 rpm, 1.2 rpm, and 1.4 rpm), and four image acquisition counts (24, 36, 48, and 72 images). Point cloud preprocessing was refined through the application of secondary transformation matrices, color thresholding, statistical filtering, and scaling. Key algorithms—including the convex hull algorithm, voxel method, and 3D α-shape algorithm—were optimized using MATLAB, enabling the extraction of multi-dimensional canopy parameters. Subsequently, a stepwise regression model was developed to achieve precise early-stage yield prediction for soybeans. The study identified optimal image acquisition settings: a 30° imaging angle, a plant rotation speed of 1.2 rpm, and the collection of 36 images during the vegetative stage and 48 images during the reproductive stage. With these improvements, a high-precision 3D canopy point-cloud model of soybeans covering the entire growth period was successfully constructed. The optimized pipeline enabled batch extraction of 23 canopy structural parameters, achieving high accuracy, with linear fitting R² values of 0.990 for plant height and 0.950 for plant width. Furthermore, the voxel volume-based prediction approach yielded a maximum yield prediction accuracy of R² = 0.788. This study presents an integrated 3D reconstruction framework, spanning image acquisition, point cloud generation, and structural parameter extraction, effectively enabling early and precise yield prediction for intercropped soybeans. The proposed method offers an efficient and reliable technical reference for acquiring 3D structural information of soybeans in strip intercropping systems and contributes to the accurate identification of soybean germplasm resources, providing substantial theoretical and practical value. Full article

Gazania is a genus of herbaceous plants from the Asteraceae (daisy) family. Native to southern Africa, several species of this genus have been introduced to different countries as ornamental garden plants due to their beautiful flowers. In the wild, Gazania species have been observed with flowers of different shades of pink, red, yellow, orange and combination of these colours. Some species of Gazania have escaped the gardens and become highly invasive weeds in their introduced range. Invasive, drought-tolerant and prolific seed-producing Gazania plants are found in Australia, New Zealand, Algeria, Egypt, Europe and California. In particular, two perennial species, Gazania linearis and Gazania rigens, commonly known as gazania, have become a major problem in Australia. They have naturalized and are widespread in a range of environments, such as roadsides, pasture/grassland systems, coastal sand dunes, and natural and managed ecosystems. Their seeds and underground reproductive structures are carried along roadsides by slashers, machinery, wind and water, and spread into native vegetation, pastures, horticultural crops and broadacre agronomic crop production systems. Gazania causes significant environmental, production and economic losses in the infested ecosystems. While limited research has been conducted on their biology and invasion ecology, anecdotal evidence suggests that the ability of gazania plants to produce a large number of seeds form thick, dense populations, and tolerate harsh environments, including drought, heat and sub-optimal soil pH, making them persistent, problematic weed species. In addition, perennial growth habit, high genetic diversity and allelopathic potential have also been suggested to facilitate their invasion success, but no research has been conducted on these aspects. Gazania is very difficult to manage, and currently, there are no effective control options available, including chemical herbicides. The lack of knowledge on their biology, invasion pathways and management is hindering the effective management of gazanias. This review compiles and synthesizes currently available information on the distribution, biology, ecology and management of weedy gazania species, with a particular focus on Australia. We also highlight the key knowledge gaps for future research. We believe this information provides researchers and practitioners with an up-to-date account on the weedy aspects of these popular ornamental plants and will help improve management efforts. Full article