Search Results (1,030)

Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC), leads to widespread yield losses and quality deterioration in cucumber. Endophytes, as environmentally friendly control agents that enhance pathogen resistance in their host plants, may mitigate these problems. In this study, we isolated 14 endophytic bacteria from invasive Ambrosia artemisiifolia and screened the strain Bacillus subtilis TCX1, which exhibited significant antagonistic activity against FOC (inhibitory rate of 86.0%). TCX1 killed Fusarium oxysporum by being highly likely to produce lipopeptide and producing wall hydrolytic enzymes including protease, cellulase, and β-glucanase, thereby inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination and causing peroxidation of FOC’s cytoplasmic membrane. In addition to its direct effects, TCX1 exerts indirect effects by inducing cucumber resistance to FOC. When cucumber seedlings were inoculated with TCX1, antioxidant enzymes related to disease resistance, including Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD), Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and Phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) in cucumber, were significantly increased. The marker genes involved in induced systemic resistance and the salicylic acid signaling pathway, such as npr1, pr1a, pr2, pr9, lox1, and ctr1, were also dramatically upregulated, indicating these pathways played an important role in improving cucumber resistance. Notably, TCX1 can also promote cucumber growth through producing indole-3-acetic acid, solubilizing phosphate, and secreting siderophores. Given that TCX1 has dual functions as both a biological control agent and a biofertilizer, it offers an effective strategy for managing cucumber seedling blight while enhancing plant productivity. Full article

High temperature stress is a critical factor affecting the growth and yield of melons (Cucumis melo L.), and improving heat tolerance is therefore crucial for stable production. While the overexpression of the CmDUF239-1 gene is known to improve salt tolerance in melons, its impact on heat tolerance remains unexplored. The role of the CmDUF239-1 gene in enhancing heat tolerance and its underlying mechanisms was investigated in this study. Melon seedlings overexpressing CmDUF239-1 (OEDUF239-1), generated via root transformation, exhibited significantly lower reductions in fresh and dry mass under heat stress compared to controls, indicating enhanced heat tolerance. One day post-stress, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, APX, and GR) increased significantly in OEDUF239-1, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased. Additionally, proline content and the activity of its synthesizing enzyme (P5CS) rose, whereas the activity of proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) dropped. Transcriptomic and qPCR analyses revealed that CmDUF239-1 overexpression upregulated antioxidant enzyme-related genes (e.g., CmCSD1, CmPOD1) and proline-related genes (e.g., CmP5CS), as well as Heat Shock Protein (HSP) genes (e.g., CmHSP17.6II, CmHSP18.2). In summary, the enhancement of heat tolerance in melon by the CmDUF239-1 gene was mediated through the upregulation of genes involved in antioxidant defense and proline metabolism, together with increased accumulation of HSPs, providing a mechanistic basis for heat-resilient breeding programs. Full article

Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation is often affected by pest infestations, which contaminate the bag by eating nutrients and mycelium. This contamination eventually leads to a decline in the quality and yield of edible mushrooms and affects farmers’ income. Therefore, pesticides are commonly used for pest control. To examine the impact of insecticides on the growth of P. ostreatus, this study quantified the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine deaminase (PAL), in the mushroom under different insecticide treatments. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing was performed to investigate the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The findings indicated that dinotefuran, diflubenzuron, chlorantraniliprole, and beta-cypermethrin treatments resulted in a significant reduction in catalase and peroxidase activities in P. ostreatus. Conversely, the application of beta-cypermethrin and chlorantraniliprole significantly enhanced PAL and SOD activities in the mycelium. PAL activity was significantly increased in all the mixed substrates, whereas only spray treatments with diflubenzuron resulted in a significant increase in PAL activity. SOD activity in the substrates was reduced by diflubenzuron in the mixed treatment and chlorantraniliprole in the spray treatment. In contrast, all other treatments resulted in a significant increase in SOD activity in the substrates. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that differential genes were predominantly enriched in valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation, fatty acid degradation, tyrosine metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and histidine metabolism, among others. These biological processes are hypothesized to be involved in the growth regulatory effects of insecticides on the mycelium and ascospores of P. ostreatus. The reliability of the transcriptomic data was also validated through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Full article

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital food crop for majority of the world’s population. However, its yield potential is significantly threatened by insect pests, which adversely affect production, quality, and overall food security. The diverse array of insect pests throughout wheat’s growth stages necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their interactions with wheat cultivation. This review critically assesses the diversity, biology, ecology, and management strategies of major insect pests in North India, including aphids, termites, pink stem borer, gram pod borer, armyworm, and brown wheat mite. These pests infest wheat at various growth stages, posing significant challenges to sustainable production. Moreover, existing pest control strategies are challenged by evolving agronomic practices in the region and climate change globally. As agricultural systems worldwide aim for sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change, this review advocates for the adoption of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach combining innovative and traditional pest control strategies to enhance ecosystem services and fortify the resilience of agricultural systems. By interlinking these pivotal elements, this review presents a valuable perspective on the important pests affecting wheat and the currently used IPM practices, emphasizing the need for adaptive management in the context of evolving climate challenges. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is one of the most important global economic crops, extensively utilized in the production of food, animal feed, and industrial raw materials. As the demand for soybeans continues to rise, improving both the yield and quality of soybeans has become a central focus of agricultural research. To accelerate the genetic improvement of soybean, genome selection (GS) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have emerged as effective tools and have been widely applied in various crops. In this study, we conducted GWAS and GS model evaluations across five soybean phenotypes (Glycitin content, Oil, Pod, Total isoflavone content, and Total tocopherol content) to explore the effectiveness of different GWAS methods and GS models in soybean genetic improvement. We applied several GWAS methods, including fastGWA, BOLT-LMM, FarmCPU, GLM, and MLM, and compared the predictive performance of various GS models, such as BayesA, BayesB, BayesC, BL, BRR, SVR_poly, SVR_linear, Ridge, PLS_Regression, and Linear_Regression. Our results indicate that markers selected through GWAS, when used in GS, achieved a prediction accuracy of 0.94 at a 5 K density. Furthermore, Bayesian models proved to be more stable than machine learning models. Overall, this study offers new insights into soybean genome selection and provides a scientific foundation for future soybean breeding strategies. Full article

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is well adapted to high temperatures, water deficits and low fertility soils, being widely cultivated in regions less favorable to common beans. Its grains are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, representing an important food source and a promising alternative for producing protein at low cost, in a short space of time, given the precocity of its cycle. However, in the state of Minas Gerais there is only a recommendation for one cowpea cultivar, the Poços de Caldas cultivar. In addition to being quite old, it is no longer found in crop production fields. Our objective was to provide local farmers with new cultivar options that exhibit high yield potential, appropriate plant architecture for mechanized cultivation, and superior grain health and quality. The experiments were conducted in Passos city, Brazil, during the second cropping season of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 years. Ten commercial cowpea cultivars were assessed in a randomized block design with five replications, considering morphophysiological traits and phytotechnical yield components. Treatment effects were analyzed using the Scott-Knott test, a statistical method that compares treatments and identifies significant differences among them. The thousand-seed weight and grain index showed a positive correlation with grain yield. The least productive cultivars had the longest pods and, consequently, the highest number of grains per pod. The 2022 and 2023 years provided the most favorable morphophysiological conditions for cowpea cultivation, which significantly enhanced productivity. Among the tested cultivars, BRS Xique-Xique, BRS Novaera, BRS Tumucumaque, and BRS Pajeú were the most suitable for a second cropping season cultivation in the Southwest region of Minas Gerais, while BRS Marataoã, BRS Itaim, and BRS Rouxinol were the least. We emphasize the need for further studies to support the establishment and expansion of cowpea cultivation in this region. Full article

Understanding trait relationships is fundamental in soybean breeding because the goal is to maximize simultaneous gains. Standard multi-trait genome-wide association studies (MT-GWAS) identify variants linked to multiple traits but fail to capture phenotypic structures or interrelations. Structural Equation Models (SEM) account for covariances and recursion, enabling the decomposition of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects into direct or indirect components and identifying pleiotropic regions. We applied SEM to analyze morphology (pod thickness, PT) and yield traits (number of pods, NP; number of grains, NG; hundred-grain weight, HGW). The dataset comprised 96 soybean individuals genotyped with 4070 SNP markers. The phenotypic network was constructed using the hill-climbing algorithm, a class of score-based methods commonly applied to learn the structure of Bayesian networks, and structural coefficients were estimated with SEM. According to coefficient signs, we identified negative interrelationships between NG and HGW, and positive ones between NP and NG, and HGW and PT. NG, HGW, and PT showed indirect SNP effects. We also found loci jointly controlling traits. In total, 46 candidate genes were identified: 7 associated exclusively with NP and 4 associated with NG. An additional 15 genes were common to NP and NG, 3 were common to NP and HGW, 6 were common to NG and HGW, and 11 were common to NP, NG, and HGW. In summary, SEM-GWAS revealed novel relationships among soybean traits, including PT, supporting breeding programs. Full article

Sustainable agriculture supports environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and forage security to meet the growing demands of livestock production. Given the critical role of macro- and microelements in animal health, diversified and balanced feed production is essential and can be achieved through the sustainable integration of legumes and cereals. This research evaluated the impact of soybean–common millet intercropping and biofertilizer application on the elemental composition and yield performance of forage biomass. Three intercropping patterns were tested: S1M1—alternating rows, S2M2—alternating two-row strips, and S2M4—alternating two-row soybean with four-row millet strips, alongside monoculture controls. The biofertilizer Coveron (BF) was also assessed. The S2M2 combination provided the highest land equivalent ratios for both fresh and dry biomass (1.10 and 1.12, respectively), despite a reduction in millet yield. Considering the elements, the S2M2 combination notably enhanced the accumulation of Ca and B (by 13.4% and 13.0%, respectively, compared to S1) in the soybean vegetative part and Cr and Mn in the reproductive part (by 53.0% and 17.1%, respectively). In contrast, sole soybean showed the highest P levels in both vegetative (3.45 mg kg⁻¹) and reproductive parts (4.56 mg kg⁻¹). Al accumulation was reduced in intercropped millet. The S1M1 combination increased Mg and S concentrations in both parts of millet biomass (up to 17.3% and 18.4% in the vegetative part, compared to M1). While BF generally had a limited impact on forage biomass yield and elemental accumulation, it increased Mg, P, and S concentrations in soybean pods, as well as concentrations of B, Mn, and Mo in the panicle, simultaneously decreasing P, Cr, and Zn concentrations in the vegetative part of millet. Accordingly, soybean–common millet intercropping in the S2M2 configuration offers a sustainable solution for efficient land utilization and element-enriched forage production. Full article

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) has the potential to be utilized for polyphenol extraction to be used in functional food formulations and pharmaceutical formulations due to its health benefits. However, polyphenols are sensitive to environmental factors that reduce their stability and functionality. Therefore, encapsulation is necessary to protect their antioxidant capacity, mask undesirable flavours and smells, and, at the same time, allow the release of polyphenols in the gastrointestinal phases. This study encapsulated polyphenols using complex coacervation (CC) and spray drying (SD) with gum arabic (GA), sodium alginate (SA), chitosan (C), and gelatine (G), and evaluated yield (EY), encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading efficiency (LE), and bioaccessibility through in vitro digestion. The results showed that in the encapsulation using CC, the highest LE of 36.95 ± 7.63% was obtained using SA-G. In SD, significant differences in LE were observed among the tested encapsulant ratios, with the highest LE of 34.77 ± 1.2% achieved using GA (1:3). Bioaccessibility varied significantly depending on the encapsulation technique and encapsulating agent (EA) used. Using GA and spray drying (SD), the highest polyphenol release was achieved at 76.55 ± 5.10%, in contrast to only 6.41 ± 1.61% for the non-encapsulated extract. In conclusion, both techniques for encapsulating polyphenols extracted from CPH are efficient. However, SD allows for greater polyphenol bioaccessibility. Full article

Endophytic bacteria play an important role in the growth, stress tolerance, and metabolic function of salt-tolerant peanuts, yet their community assembly across different saline–alkali soils and plant organs remains poorly characterized. In this study, the V3–V4 variable region of the endophytic bacteria 16S rRNA gene in three organs (roots, leaves, and pods) of high-oleic-acid peanut variety Huayu9118 from three saline–alkali locations (Xinjiang, Jilin, and Shandong, China) was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. A total of 1,360,313 effective sequences yielded 19,449 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), with Proteobacteria (45.86–84.62%), Bacteroidota (6.52–13.90%), and Actinobacteriota (3.97–10.87%) dominating all samples. Niche strongly influenced microbial diversity: the roots exhibited the highest level of richness (Chao 1/ACE indices), while the leaves showed the greatest diversity (Shannon/Simpson indices) in XJ samples. Significant compositional differences were observed between aerial (leaves) and underground (roots/pods) organs. Geographic location also markedly shaped endophytic communities, with stronger effects in roots and pods than in leaves—a pattern supported by PCoA combined with ANOSIM (R (roots) = 1, R (pods) = 0.874, R (leaves) = 0.336, respectively, p < 0.001). Saline–alkali adaptation led to a marked enrichment of Novosphingobium in roots and pods and of Halomonas in leaves compared to non-saline–alkali-grown peanuts. Furthermore, the endophytic communities within the same organ type varied significantly across the three saline–alkali sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified the key environmental factors shaping bacterial community composition in the root samples from each location: available phosphorus (AP) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) were the strongest predictors in XJ; available potassium (AK) and chloride (Cl⁻) in DY; and hydrolyzed nitrogen (HN), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) in JL. These findings demonstrate that niches and geographical conditions determined the composition and relative abundance of endophytic bacteria in salt-tolerant peanuts, providing new insights into microbial ecological adaptation in saline–alkali ecosystems. Full article

Water deficit during reproductive development is one of the main constraints on pea (Pisum sativum L.) productivity in tropical highlands. In this study, five varieties with contrasting leaf architectures were evaluated under controlled greenhouse conditions, with and without water deficit applied from the time of pod formation. Key ecophysiological variables, including leaf area index (LAI), radiation extinction coefficient (k), interception efficiency (RIE), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and water use efficiency (WUE), along with yield components, were measured. Deficit significantly reduced biomass, RUE, and yield, although the harvest index (HI) remained relatively stable. Varieties with the afila gene showed greater stability in LAI and WUE, but lower biomass accumulation. Correlation analyses revealed that, under optimal conditions, yield was closely associated with structural and functional traits, a relationship that weakened under stress. These results demonstrate the importance of integrating morphophysiological characteristics into breeding and agronomic management programs to develop more efficient and resilient varieties under water deficit conditions in the high tropics. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max) is a predominantly self-pollinating crop; however, its flowers exhibit traits associated with insect pollination. While several studies report yield benefits from floral visitation, others suggest little or no effect, and few have assessed pollen limitation through direct hand-pollination experiments. Here, we assess pollinator contribution and pollen limitation through two manipulative common garden experiments using different soybean cultivars. First, we assessed the contribution of pollinators by comparing reproductive variables between caged (pollinator excluded) and open-pollinated plants over two growing seasons. Second, we supplemented flowers with cross-pollen to test for pollen limitation, evaluating pollen-tube growth, pod set, seed number per pod, and seed weight. Pollinator exclusion did not significantly reduce total pod or seed production per plant, but open pollination increased seed set (seeds per flower) by ~16%. In contrast, hand supplementation substantially improved reproductive success at the flower level, tripling pod set probability and increasing seed number per pod by 40%. Additionally, both open-pollinated and hand-pollinated flowers exhibited higher pollen-tube growth relative to autonomous selfing. These findings highlight that even in largely self-compatible crops like soybean, additional pollen input can enhance reproductive success and help bridge the gap between the ecological and agronomic dimensions of pollination. Full article

As one of the major oil crops worldwide, peanuts play a crucial role in ensuring the stability of global oil production and quality. Seed quality, a direct determinant of yield, is influenced by various factors, among which storage temperature and moisture content are critical. However, the mechanisms by which storage conditions affect peanut seedling development and final yield remain unclear. To address this, we conducted field plot experiments using different storage temperature regimes (0 °C, −10 °C, −20 °C, −40 °C) and seed moisture contents (5%, 10%, 15%) to evaluate their effects on seed quality, subsequent growth, and yield. The results showed that, at the same storage temperature, seed vigor declined with increasing seed moisture content. Conversely, at the same seed moisture content, seed vigor decreased with lower storage temperatures. Overall, the highest germination rate (99.21%) and emergence rate (96.79%) were observed under the 0 °C/5% treatment. Nutrient composition analysis revealed that, at a constant storage temperature, protein content was negatively correlated with seed moisture content, whereas linoleic acid content was positively correlated. After sowing, antioxidant enzyme activities in leaves were monitored throughout seedling development. Enzyme activities initially increased and then declined as plants matured. At the early seedling stage, the highest activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were detected under the 0 °C/5% treatment. In contrast, malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased significantly with decreasing storage temperature and increasing seed moisture content. From a yield perspective, these factors collectively influenced yield components under different treatments, with the maximum yield (6187.5 kg/ha) obtained under the 0 °C/5% treatment. In summary, the increase in nutrient content and peroxidase activity during the seedling stage of peanut seeds treated with 0 °C/15% water content improved seed quality and vitality, making seed preservation more suitable under these conditions. On the other hand, we conducted transcriptome sequencing on peanut varieties with different cold tolerance levels and identified a cold tolerance gene AhCOLD1, which was preliminarily validated to be involved in cold stress response. In summary, we have determined the optimal storage method for local peanut seeds and identified a cold resistant gene, providing effective technical support for stabilizing local peanut production. Full article

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a key legume crop of global economic and nutritional importance, yet its cultivation in Kazakhstan is constrained by a narrow genetic base and exposure to stress-prone environments. To characterize the diversity available for breeding and conservation, 27 accessions (22 kabuli and 5 desi) were evaluated for phenotypic and molecular diversity to assess its potential for use in breeding programs. Seven agronomic traits were assessed, including plant height, the first pod’s height, the number of main stems per plant, and seed yield components. The collection showed considerable variability across traits, with the plant height ranging from 37 to 75 cm and hundred-seed weight ranging from 21 to 42 g. Strong positive correlations between the number of fertile nodes, number of seeds per plant, and yield per plant (r > 0.83) highlighted their utility as indirect selection criteria. Genotyping with 28 SSR markers revealed 110 alleles (mean 3.9 ± 0.4 per locus) with moderate polymorphism (PIC = 0.493 ± 0.089). Loci CaM00495 and TAI71 were highly informative (PIC > 0.804), while two accessions showed low polymorphism, indicating genetic uniformity. Population structure analysis grouped accessions into four highly admixed clusters. Overall, Kazakh chickpea germplasm exhibits substantial phenotypic and genetic diversity under optimal conditions, providing valuable preliminary data for selecting parental lines for future breeding programs, which should include targeted stress screening to evaluate resilience. Full article

Climate change, marked by increasing temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, presents a significant challenge to the sustainable cultivation of runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus L.). These conditions underscore the urgent need for efficient resource management. Therefore, it is crucial to establish suitable irrigation regimes and nutritional conditions for runner bean cultivars. Furthermore, since genotype performance is strongly influenced by water availability and nutrient supply, understanding their interactive effects is essential for developing technologies that are adapted to climate change and sustain high yields of garden beans. In this context, the individual and combined effects of three runner bean cultivars (Cozia1, Cozia2, and Cozia3), two irrigation regimes (2000 and 2500 m³·ha⁻¹), and three fertilisation strategies (chemical, organic, and unfertilised) on some physiological, morphological, and biochemical parameters were assessed in this study. The field experiment was carried out in the north-eastern part of Romania over two consecutive growing seasons, following a randomized split–split plot design with three replications. The results showed that genotype had the most significant influence on the majority of traits, highlighting its dominant role over fertilization and irrigation. Under chemical fertilization and 2500 m³·ha⁻¹ irrigation, Cozia2 achieved the highest grain yield (3427.60 kg·ha⁻¹) and pod number (48.13), while Cozia1 combined with chemical fertilization under 2000 m³·ha⁻¹ irrigation recorded the highest total phenolic content (0.47 mg GAE·100 g⁻¹ d.w.). Among cultivars, Cozia2 was highly responsive to fertilisation and irrigation variation, showing both the highest and lowest values for pod number, seed weight, and seeds per pod depending on treatment. Notably, the highest photosynthetic assimilation rates were observed in Cozia2 × IR2 × UF and Cozia3 × IR1 × OR combinations. Based on the results of this study, Cozia3 under chemical fertilization is best suited for high yields under limited water (2000 m³·ha⁻¹), while Cozia2 is best suited when chemical fertilization is combined with higher irrigation (2500 m³·ha⁻¹). However, in the context of organic cultivation, Cozia3 is identified as the most suitable cultivar. Full article