Search Results (860)

Precise acquisition of potted plant traits has great theoretical significance and practical value for variety selection and guiding scientific cultivation practices. Although phenotypic analysis using two dimensional(2D) digital images is simple and efficient, leaf occlusion reduces the available phenotype information. To address the current challenge of acquiring sufficient non-destructive information from living potted plants, we proposed a three dimensional (3D) phenotyping pipeline that combines neural radiation field reconstruction with path analysis. An indoor collection system was constructed to obtain multi-view image sequences of potted plants. The structure from motion and neural radiance fields (SFM-NeRF) algorithm was then utilized to reconstruct 3D point clouds, which were subsequently denoised and calibrated. Geometric-feature-based path analysis was employed to separate stems from leaves, and density clustering methods were applied to segment the canopy leaves. Phenotypic parameters of potted plant organs were extracted, including height, stem thickness, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area, and they were manually measured to obtain the true values. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R${}^2$) values, indicating the correlation between the model traits and the true traits, ranged from 0.89 to 0.98, indicating a strong correlation. The reconstruction quality was good. Additionally, 22 potted plants were selected for exploratory experiments. The results indicated that the method was capable of reconstructing plants of various varieties, and the experiments identified key conditions essential for successful reconstruction. In summary, this study developed a low-cost and robust 3D phenotyping pipeline for the phenotype analysis of potted plants. This proposed pipeline not only meets daily production requirements but also advances the field of phenotype calculation for potted plants. Full article

Allelopathic interactions between crops in an intercropping system can directly affect crop yields. Faba beans may release allelochemicals to the cropping system. However, the allelopathic effects in the faba bean–maize relay intercropping system are still unclear. Maize seeds and seedlings were treated with a 50 mL of 100 g L⁻¹ faba bean leaf extract (L1), 150 g L⁻¹ faba bean leaf extract (L2), 100 g L⁻¹ faba bean stem extract (S1), or 150 g L⁻¹ faba bean stem extract (S2) and sterile water (CK) to study the allelopathic effects of faba bean extracts on maize seed germination and seedling growth. The α-amylase activities, antioxidant enzyme activities, phytohormones and allelochemical content in maize seeds were determined to evaluate the allelopathic effects of faba bean extracts on maize seed germination. The agronomic traits, photosynthetic parameters and nutrient absorption characteristics of maize seedlings were determined to explore the allelopathic effects of faba bean extracts on maize seedling growth. High-concentration (150 g L⁻¹) faba bean stem extracts released allelochemicals, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, hydrocinnamic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, and benzoic acid. These allelochemicals entered the interior of maize seeds and increased the abscisic acid, salicylic acid and indole-3-acetic acid content in maize seeds but decreased the aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid in maize seeds. High-concentration (150 g L⁻¹) faba bean stem extracts increased the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity and decreased the α-amylase activity in maize seeds at germination (36 h). Faba bean extracts released nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and increased nitrogen content, phosphorus content, potassium content and photosynthesis of maize seedling. In summary, faba bean extracts released allelochemicals that inhibited the germination of maize seeds but released nutrients and promoted the growth and development of maize seedlings. The research results provide a basis for improving the Faba bean–maize relay strip intercropping. Full article

The number of tillers in rice significantly affects final yield, making it a key trait for breeding and nitrogen-efficient cultivation. By investigating agronomic characteristics, we analyzed phenotypic differences between the wild-type P47-1 and the mutant p47dt1, performing genetic analysis and gene mapping through population construction and BSA sequencing. The p47dt1 mutant, exhibiting dwarfism and multiple tillering, is controlled by a single gene, P47DT1, which is tightly linked to D10. A single base mutation (T to G) on chromosome 1 alters methionine to arginine, supporting D10 as the candidate gene for p47dt1. To investigate nitrogen response in tillering, KY131 (nitrogen-inefficient) and KY131^OsTCP19-H (nitrogen-efficient) materials differing in TCP19 expression levels were analyzed. Promoter analysis of D10 identified TCP19 as a nitrogen-responsive transcription factor, suggesting D10’s potential role in a TCP19-mediated nitrogen response pathway. Further analysis of P47-1, p47dt1, KY131, and KY131^OsTCP19-H under different nitrogen concentrations revealed p47dt1’s distinct tiller response to nitrogen, altered nitrogen content in stems and leaves, and changes in TCP19 expression. Additionally, D10 and TCP19 expression levels were lower in KY131^OsTCP19-H than KY131 under identical conditions. In summary, P47DT1/D10 appears to modulate nitrogen response and distribution in rice, affecting tiller response, possibly under TCP19’s regulatory influence. Full article

Chemical traits (primary and secondary metabolites) are important features of plants. An increasing number of studies have focused on the ecological significance of secondary metabolites in plant parts, especially in pollen. Ericaceae species exhibit significant morphological variations and diverse colors, are widely distributed throughout China and are popular ornamental garden plants. The chemical trait of pollen in Ericaceae species and their potential ecological significance remain unclear. We selected a total of nine Ericaceae species from three nature reserves in southwestern China, which were the predominant flowering Ericaceae plants for each site, and measured their floral characteristics, nectar volume and sugar concentration. We determined the types of pollinators of these species based on a literature review and used UPLC-QTOF-MS to analyze the types and relative contents of primary metabolites (amino acids and fatty acids) and secondary metabolites (terpenoids, phenolics and nitrogenous compounds) in the pollen and other tissues, including the stems, leaves, petals and nectar. The results showed that each species exhibited unique floral characteristics. Enkianthus ruber, Pieris formosa, Rhododendron agastum, R. irroratum, R. virgatum and R. rubiginosum were pollinated by bees, and R. delavayi, R. decorum and R. excellens were pollinated by diverse animals (bees, birds and Lepidoptera). The pollen of these Ericaceae species was rich in phenolics and terpenoids, especially flavonoids. Grayanotoxin, andromedotoxin and asebotin (toxic diterpene compounds) were also detected in the pollen of some of the Ericaceae species in our study, and their response value was low. The relative contents and diversity of secondary metabolites in the pollen were higher than those in the nectar but lower than those in the leaves, petals and stems. The five chemical compounds with the highest content (four flavonoids, one triterpene) in the pollen were also detected in the stems, leaves and petals, and the response value of most of these chemicals in pollen was not significantly correlated with that in other tissues. Rhododendron species has a closer relationship with chemical traits in pollen compared with Enkianthus and Pieris species. The response value of total secondary metabolites in the pollen of species pollinated only by bees was higher than that of species pollinated by diverse animals. Our research indicates that the pollen of ericaceous species contains a wide array of metabolites, establishing a foundation for advancing the nutritional potential of the pollen of horticultural ericaceous species and deepening our understanding of its chemical and ecological significance. Full article

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important cultivated vegetables in the world. However, in some countries such as Mexico the lack of cultivars adapted to different environmental production conditions is a limitation. Moreover, recent studies have indicated that breeding aimed at increasing yield has led to a loss of genetic diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to explore and characterize new sources of germplasms. This study aimed to characterize new sources of germplasm and identify the most transcendental traits for distinguishing tomato types and lines that are useful for the genetic improvement of the species. Sixty characters were evaluated in 16 advanced lines of native tomatoes from Central and Southern Mexico during the fall–winter cycles 2023–2024 at the Bajío Experimental Station, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, based on the guidelines of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and post hoc tests, canonical discriminant analysis, and the Eigenanalysis selection index method (ESIM). Morphological variation showed that five qualitative traits were determinant factors in distinguishing tomato types and lines, whereas agronomic discriminant traits were the equatorial and polar diameters of the fruit and its ratio, number of locules, pedicel length, stem length, and internode distance. In addition, significant positive correlations were found between leaf length and width, equatorial diameter of the fruit, and polar diameter of the fruit. Lines JCM-17, JMC-10, and JCM-01 were the most selectable lines according to the ESIM values. The morphological variation found and the characteristics with higher selection values identified may be valuable for optimizing the tomato genetic improvement process in general. Full article

To propose breeding strategies for drought conditions, we investigated gene expression associated with morphophysiological traits in four S7 popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) inbred lines using a partial diallel cross design with two testers. We evaluated morphological traits (plant height; the dry mass of stems, leaves, and reproductive organs; and root weight density (RWD) across five soil sections), water status indicators (leaf water content, cumulative evapotranspiration, agronomic water use efficiency, and carbon isotope signatures), anatomical traits (stomatal number and index), and leaf pigments. Significant variations were observed between lines and hybrids for plant height, shoot biomass traits, water status indicators, and RWD across all soil sections, particularly under water deficit conditions. Overall, the inbred lines were more adversely affected by drought than the hybrids. Dominance gene effects played a significant role in increasing anthocyanin content, cumulative evapotranspiration, stable carbon isotope signatures, and RWD in most soil sections. The superior water utilization observed in hybrids compared to inbred lines suggests that exploiting heterosis is likely the most effective strategy for developing drought-resilient popcorn plants. Full article

Phenotypic traits, such as plant height, internode length, and node count, are essential indicators of the growth status of tomato plants, carrying significant implications for research on genetic breeding and cultivation management. Deep learning algorithms such as object detection and segmentation have been widely utilized to extract plant phenotypic parameters. However, segmentation-based methods are labor-intensive due to their requirement for extensive annotation during training, while object detection approaches exhibit limitations in capturing intricate structural features. To achieve real-time, efficient, and precise extraction of phenotypic traits of seedling tomatoes, a novel plant phenotyping approach based on 2D pose estimation was proposed. We enhanced a novel heatmap-free method, YOLOv8s-pose, by integrating the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Content-Aware ReAssembly of FEatures (CARAFE), to develop an improved YOLOv8s-pose (IYOLOv8s-pose) model, which efficiently focuses on salient image features with minimal parameter overhead while achieving a superior recognition performance in complex backgrounds. IYOLOv8s-pose manifested a considerable enhancement in detecting bending points and stem nodes. Particularly for internode detection, IYOLOv8s-pose attained a Precision of 99.8%, exhibiting a significant improvement over RTMPose-s, YOLOv5s6-pose, YOLOv7s-pose, and YOLOv8s-pose by 2.9%, 5.4%, 3.5%, and 5.4%, respectively. Regarding plant height estimation, IYOLOv8s-pose achieved an RMSE of 0.48 cm and an rRMSE of 2%, and manifested a 65.1%, 68.1%, 65.6%, and 51.1% reduction in the rRMSE compared to RTMPose-s, YOLOv5s6-pose, YOLOv7s-pose, and YOLOv8s-pose, respectively. When confronted with the more intricate extraction of internode length, IYOLOv8s-pose also exhibited a 15.5%, 23.9%, 27.2%, and 12.5% reduction in the rRMSE compared to RTMPose-s, YOLOv5s6-pose, YOLOv7s-pose, and YOLOv8s-pose. IYOLOv8s-pose achieves high precision while simultaneously enhancing efficiency and convenience, rendering it particularly well suited for extracting phenotypic parameters of tomato plants grown naturally within greenhouse environments. This innovative approach provides a new means for the rapid, intelligent, and real-time acquisition of plant phenotypic parameters in complex backgrounds. Full article

Flower and inflorescence architecture play fundamental roles in crop seed formation and final yield. Sesame is an ancient oilseed crop. Exploring the genetic mechanisms of inflorescence architecture and developmental characteristics is necessary for high-yield breeding improvements for sesame and other crops. In this study, we performed a genetic analysis of the sesame mutant css1 with a malformed corolla and small seed size that was mutagenized by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) from the cultivar Yuzhi 11. Inheritance analysis of the cross derived from css1 mutant × Yuzhi 11 indicated that the mutant traits were controlled by a single recessive gene. Based on the genome resequencing of 48 F₂ individuals and a genome-wide association study, we determined SNP9_15914090 with the lowest p value was associated with the split corolla and small seed size traits, which target gene Sigif1 (GRF-Interacting Factor 1). SiGIF1 contains four exons and encodes a coactivating transcription factor. Compared to the wild-type allelic gene SiGIF1, Sigif1 in the mutant css1 has a splice donor variant at the exon2 and intron2 junction, which results in incorrect transcript splicing with a 13 bp deletion in exon2. The expression profile indicated that SiGIF1 was highly expressed in the flower, ovary, and capsule but lowly expressed in the root, stem, and leaf tissues of the control. In summary, we identified a gene, SiGIF1, that regulates flower organs and seed size in sesame, which provides a molecular and genetic foundation for the high-yield breeding of sesame and other crops. Full article

Evaluating key traits of male sterile mutant accessions in rhizomatous alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is crucial for selecting plants for artificial hybrid breeding of rhizomatous maternal lines. In this study, branch cuttings from four male sterile mutant accessions of ‘Qingshui’ alfalfa were used as experimental samples. We evaluated phenotypic traits, which included pollen viability and stigma receptivity, as well as nutritional quality, using difference analysis, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. Prioritizing pollen viability and stigma receptivity, while considering phenotypic traits and nutritional quality as supplementary factors, allowed us to comprehensively evaluate 24 rhizomatous alfalfa individuals. This evaluation led to the identification of four male sterile mutant accessions with superior traits. The pollen from accession 4-4 was found to be partially fertile, whereas the remaining 23 alfalfa individuals were entirely male sterile. All 24 individuals exhibited stigma receptivity levels suitable for effective pollination. Principal component analysis revealed that among the assessed traits, the leaf–stem ratio contributed most significantly, followed by crude protein content, while neutral detergent fiber content had the least impact on overall quality. Additionally, the number of branches showed a strong positive correlation with individual plant yield (p < 0.01). No significant correlations were detected among plant height, stem diameter, forage grading index, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber content, and yield. Overall, our comprehensive evaluation suggests that accessions 1-2, 2-2, 3-1, and 4-3 are most suitable for use as parental lines in artificial hybrid breeding. Full article

The introduction of alternative crops, including wild edible and medicinal plants, in organic cultivation systems presents an attractive approach to producing healthy and high-quality products due to their content in beneficial compounds and increased nutritional value. The current study evaluated the impact of organic and conventional fertilization on the growth, quality, nutrient status and stress response of the two wild edible species, e.g., purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) and common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.), under field conditions. The fertilization treatments included the following: a control (NoFert) treatment with no fertilizers added, base dressing with conventional fertilization (CoFert), base dressing with organic fertilization (OrFert), base dressing and side dressing with conventional fertilization (OrFert + S_CoFert) and base dressing and side dressing with organic fertilization (CoFert + S_CoFert). Organic fertilization was carried out using a commercial vinasse-based organic fertilizer. In both purslane and common sowthistle, the application of organic fertilizers provided comparable or even enhanced plant growth traits, macronutrient content (i.e., P and K for purslane, and N for sowthistle) and quality (i.e., total soluble solids) compared to the application of conventional fertilizers. On the other hand, conventional fertilization with supplementary fertilization positively influenced the plant growth of purslane (i.e., plant height and stems biomass), as well as its physiological parameters (i.e., chlorophylls content), total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity (i.e., DPPH and FRAP). Similarly, conventional fertilization led to increased total phenolics and antioxidants in common sowthistle, while variable effects were observed regarding plant physiology, stress response and antioxidant capacity indices. In conclusion, the use of organic fertilization in both purslane and common sowthistle exhibited a performance similar to that of conventional fertilization, although further optimization of fertilization regimes is needed to improve the quality of the edible products. Full article

Despite the development of adapted popcorn cultivars such as UENF WS01, strategies such as bacterial inoculation are being explored to enhance plant resilience to abiotic stress. This study investigates the impact of drought stress on popcorn cultivation. Specifically, the aim was to identify the benefits of Bacillus cereus interaction with the drought-tolerant hybrid UENF WS01 for its morphophysiology and growth by comparing inoculated and non-inoculated plants under water-stressed (WS) and well-watered (WW) conditions. This evaluation was conducted using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement. For WS with inoculation samples, there were significant increases in relative chlorophyll content, maximum fluorescence intensity, and agronomic water use efficiency. Chlorophyll content increased by an average of 50.39% for WS samples, compared to a modest increase of 2.40% for WW samples. Both leaf and stem biomass also significantly increased for WS relative to WW conditions. Overall, B. cereus inoculation mitigated the impact of water stress, significantly enhancing the expression of physiological and morphological traits, even when paired with a drought-tolerant hybrid. Full article

Lily is one of the world’s important ornamental flowers. Potted Asiatic lily is a further selected dwarf cultivar suitable for indoor or garden planting. However, there is a lack of relevant research on the cultivation adaptability of potted Asiatic lilies cultivars in the Chongqing region which in the southwest of China. This study selected five potted Asiatic lily cultivars, and the phenological period, stem and leaf characteristics, and flowering traits were assessed through statistical observation. The Asiatic lily ‘Tiny Ghost’ and ‘Tiny Double You’ are well-suited for both spring and autumn planting in Chongqing, while ‘Sugar Love’ and ‘Curitiba’ are best planted in the spring. The ‘Tiny Diamond’ is more appropriate for autumn planting due to its low tolerance to high temperature. The application of exogenous substances, including calcium chloride (CaCl₂), potassium fulvic acid (PFA) and melatonin (MT), can mitigate the detrimental effects of high-temperature stress on ‘Tiny Diamond’ by regulating photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and osmotic substance content. A comprehensive evaluation using the membership function showed that the effect of exogenous CaCl₂ treatment is the best, followed by exogenous PFA treatment. CaCl₂ acts as a positive regulator of heat stress tolerance in Asian lilies, with potential applications in Asian lily cultivation. This study provides reference for cultivation and application of Asian lily varieties in Chongqing region, and also laid the foundation for further research on the mechanism of exogenous substances alleviating heat stress in lilies. Full article

The herbicide fluridone (1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-trifluoromethyl (phenyl)]-4(1H)-pyridone) interferes with carotenoid biosynthesis in plants by inhibiting the conversion of phytoene to phytofluene. Fluridone also indirectly inhibits the biosynthesis of abscisic acid and strigolactones, and therefore, our study indirectly addresses the effect of reduced ABA on the roots and leaf buds development in stem cuttings of Salix babylonica L. ‘Tortuosa’. The stem cuttings were kept in distilled water (control) or in a solution of fluridone (10 mg/L) in natural greenhouse light and temperature conditions. During the experiments, morphological observations were carried out on developing roots and leaf buds, as well as their appearance and growth. After three weeks of continuous treatments, adventitious roots and leaf buds were collected and analysed. Identification and analysis of anthocyanins were carried out using micro-HPLC-MS/MS-TOF, while HPLC-MS/MS was used to analyse phenolic acids, flavonoids and salicinoids. The fluridone applied significantly inhibited root growth, but the number or density of roots was higher compared to the control. Contents of salicortin and salicin were several dozen times higher in leaf buds than in roots of willow. Fluridone increased the content of salicortin in roots and leaf buds and declined the level of salicin in buds. Fluridone also declined the content of most anthocyanins in roots but enhanced their content in buds, especially cyanidin glucoside, cyanidin galactoside and cyanidin rutinoside. Besides, fluridone markedly decreased the level of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the leaf buds. The results indicate that applied fluridone solution reduced root growth, caused bleaching of leaf buds, and markedly affected the content of secondary metabolites in the adventitious roots and leaf buds of S. babylonica stem cuttings. The paper presents and discusses in detail the significance of fluridone’s effects on physiological processes and secondary metabolism. Full article

The leaf morphology is an important agronomic trait in crop production. Our study identified a maple leaf type (mlt) cucumber mutant and located the regulatory gene for leaf shape changes through BSA results. Hybrid F1 and F2 populations were generated by F1 self-crossing, and the candidate mlt genes were identified within the 2.8 Mb region of chromosome 2 using map cloning. Through the sequencing and expression analysis of genes within the bulk segregant analysis (BSA) region, we identified the target gene for leaf shape regulation as CsWOX4 (CsaV3_2G026510). The change from base C to T in the original sequence led to frameshift mutations and the premature termination of translation, resulting in shortened encoded proteins and conserved WUSCHEL (WUS) box sequence loss. The specific expression analysis of the CsWOX4/Cswox4 genes in the roots, stems, leaves and other tissue types of wild-type (WT) and mutant plants revealed that CsWOX4 was higher in the root, but Cswox4 (mutant gene) was significantly higher in the leaf. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that CsWOX4 was localized in the nucleus. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the mitochondrial cell cycle phase transition, nucleosome and microtubule binding pathways. Simultaneously, the quantitative analysis of the expression trends of 25 typical genes regulating the leaf types revealed the significant upregulation of CsPIN3. In our study, we found that the conserved domain of CsWOX4 was missing in the mutant, and the transcriptome data revealed that the expression of some genes, such as CsPIN3, changed simultaneously, thereby jointly regulating changes in the cucumber leaf type. Full article

Ovarian development significantly influences the laying performance of geese. In this study, the transcriptome analysis was conducted on the ovarian tissues of Wanxi White Geese during the pre-laying (KL), laying (CL), and ceased-laying period (XL). Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis and miRNA–mRNA regulatory network construction were performed to identify the key genes and miRNAs regulating laying traits. Comparative analysis of KL vs. CL, CL vs. XL, and XL vs. KL groups resulted in the identification of 337, 136, and 525 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 258, 1131, and 909 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis (p < 0.05) revealed that the main enrichment pathways of DEGs and DEMs at different breeding periods were Neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, GnRH signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway, all associated with ovarian development. According to the three groups of common pathways, four DEGs were screened out, including INHBB, BMP5, PRL, and CGA, along with five DEMs, including let-7-x, miR-124-y, miR-1-y, and miR-10926-z, all of them may affect ovarian development. A miRNA–mRNA regulatory network was constructed through integrated analysis of DEGs and DEMs, revealing nine miRNAs highly associated with ovarian development: miR-101-y, let-7-x, miR-1-x, miR-17-y, miR-103-z, miR-204-x, miR-101-x, miR-301-y, and miR-151-x. The dual-luciferase reporter gene verified the target relationship between WIF1 and miR-204-x, suggesting that these miRNAs may influence ovarian development in Wanxi White Goose by regulating the expression levels of their target genes within ovarian tissue. This study provides a theoretical foundation for analyzing the mechanisms of ovarian development across different breeding periods and accelerating the cultivation of new breeds through post-transcriptional regulation levels. Full article