Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
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Performance of two cotton interspecific hybrids (Gossypium hirsutum L. × G. barbadense L.) in Greece: A comparative case study
Get PDFCotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the most prominent and important industrial crops. In Greece, cotton farming occupies a significant share of the agricultural sector. However, the adverse effects of climate change have raised concerns regarding its performance in the near future, thus it is crucial to develop adaptation strategies for the production of cotton in Greece. One such alternative is the adoption of interspecific hybrids (G. hirsutum × G. barbadense). These hybrids have been suggested to be more resilient and to outperform their parental varieties. In order to evaluate the potential of such hybrids, a field experiment was conducted in two sites in Greece. Two novel cotton hybrids (1432 and 701) and a conventional variety (‘Elpida’) were farmed in two different plant densities (8 and 13 plants m2) and their agronomic traits (biomass, LAI), yield and yield components (seed cotton yield, lint yield, seed yield, ration lint/seed cotton, and ratio seed/seed cotton), and quality traits were assessed. The agronomic traits and the yield of the hybrids were equal or superior in comparison to ‘Elpida’. Similar findings were also observed in the majority of the quality traits. Based on our results, interspecific cotton hybrids are promising for the European cotton sector.
Inhibition of seed germination and seedling growth of Coix lacryma-jobi L. in leachate prepared from rhizosphere soil under different continuous cropping years and concentrations
Get PDFContinuous planting of Coix lacryma-jobi L. has expanded, causing yield and quality drops. A key issue is autotoxicity due to unbalanced root-microbe interactions, but this is not well understood. In this study, we hypothesized that root exudates from C. lacryma-jobi impede seed germination and young plant growth, which is exacerbated in continuous cropping systems. Autotoxicity was simulated using rhizosphere soil leachate prepared from Xingren C. lacryma-jobi cultivated for different durations to investigate the effects on seed germination and young plant growth and explore the relationship between continuous cropping and autotoxicity. Four concentrations, 0.025 (C1), 0.050 (C2), 0.100 (C3), and 0.200 g/ml (C4), and three continuous cropping years, rotation (P0), continuous cropping for 4 years (P1), and continuous cropping for 6 years (P2), were set, with distilled water as the control, totaling 13 treatments. Seed germination and young plant growth tests were conducted. The results showed that the rhizosphere soil leachate significantly affected seed germination and young plant growth depending on continuous cropping years and leachate concentration. The inhibitory effect of P2 at C4 was the strongest. The synthesis effect (SE) of the rhizosphere soil leachate under different continuous cropping years and concentrations was P2 < P1 < P0, C1 < C2 < C3 < C4. The research results reveal key factors contributing to continuous cropping obstacles and provide a scientific basis for developing sustainable agricultural strategies. This will help increase crop yields in C. lacryma-jobi planting areas, improve soil health, and promote the development of more resilient agricultural systems
Deciphering the drought tolerance mechanisms in citrus rootstocks
Get PDFAn increasing amount of land is becoming unsuitable for citrus cultivation, mainly due to water scarcity. This study evaluated the physiological and biochemical performance of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) and rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri) seedlings subjected to water deficit for 12 days. Under these conditions, trifoliate orange was more sensitive than rough lemon and exhibited significant changes in LRWC (64.8% vs 36.7%), gas exchange parameters (71.7% vs 54.3% on average), leaf surface area (18.2% vs 4.9%), chlorophyll fluorescence in dark- and light-adapted leaves (44.5% vs 33.3% on average) and non-photochemical quenching (94.3% vs 28.2%). Moreover, oxidative stress indicators, such as malondialdehyde or hydrogen peroxide, indicated significantly higher values in trifoliate orange than in rough lemon seedlings. They also showed lower antioxidant defense activation. Other biochemical parameters, such as proline, glycine betaine, antioxidant capacity, phenolic content, and total soluble proteins, showed higher levels in rough lemon than in trifoliate orange seedlings. Overall, the better performance of rough lemon in arid conditions could be attributed to its improved ability to prevent water loss and maintain tissue water content. In addition, rough lemon has a more robust antioxidant defense to keep production of reactive oxygen species at low levels
CP's differential role in mono- and bipartite begomovirus movement and its role in phloem access for monopartite begomoviruses
Get PDFBegomoviruses (family Geminiviridae), the most wide-spread and devastating single-stranded DNA viruses, rely heavily on their coat protein (CP) for essential functions including encapsidation, DNA binding (both single-stranded and double-stranded), in planta movement, insect transmission, and virus transport inside the insect. This study aimed to assess whether the continuous provision of CP is an essentiality in the begomovirus movement. To do so, the CP genes of two monopartite begomoviruses (pedilanthus leaf curl virus and cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus), and a bipartite begomovirus (tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus), were mutated by introducing a stop codon in the N-terminal region, non-overlapping region to the (A)V2 gene, to disrupt CP function. To ensure continuous CP provision (expression) at the site of inoculation and within the phloem, the CPs of these three begomoviruses were cloned under the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and within potato virus X vector. The CP mutant viral clones were agro-infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana plants to verify the objectives. The results demonstrated that CP mutation abolished the viral infectivity and spread in monopartite begomoviruses but not in bipartite begomoviruses. Notably, transient expression of CP, particularly through PVX and 35S promoter, significantly increased the presence of viral DNA in newly developing leaves, suggesting improved viral movement. This suggests that the continuous presence of CP is necessary for efficient spread, particularly in monopartite begomoviruses, likely by facilitating plasmodesmatal access to phloem cells for systemic infection. However, these findings are preliminary and require further investigation to draw definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, they have significant implications for understanding begomovirus biology and developing novel control strategies
Determination of efficiency degrees on vigor and antioxidant content of after ripening treatment in eggplant seeds
Get PDFThe research was carried out over a period of two years to study the effects of ripening treatments at different temperatures on the viability, vigour and antioxidant composition of seeds of eggplant varieties ‘Kemer 27’, ‘Aydın Siyahı’ and ‘Manisa Kır Çizgili’ harvested at different periods. In the study, the controlled deterioration tests were kept at two different moisture content and the measurements of the electrical conductivity test were carried out in four different times. Antioxidant analyses were conducted individually for each maturity period. In both years, there were statistically significant differences in all maturation treatments of the cultivars ‘Aydn Siyah’, ‘Kemer 27’, and ‘Manisa Kır Çizgili’ as determined by the controlled deterioration test with 18% and 20% seed moisture content, electrical conductivity, and antioxidant tests for all ripeness seed groups (p<0.05). In the germination test of the control group seeds at 30 °C, the best results were between 58% and 99%, while the highest germination rates at the end of the controlled deterioration test ranged between 97% and 100%. After analysing the test results, it was found that the seed groups subjected to the 20/35 °C and 35 °C ripening processes performed better than the control group. Furthermore, it was found that the seeds obtained from the fruits harvested on the 75th day after anthesis (DAA) had higher viability than the other groups
Changes in mango postharvest quality due to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium dose and production season
Get PDFThis study analysed the impact of two production seasons (PS): off-season (OS) and main-season (MS); plus, three fertilization doses (FD): proposed (PR), regional (RE) and no fertilization (NF); and the PSxFD interaction, on the quality of ‘Ataulfo’ mango produced in a commercial orchard. A completely randomized factorial design with four replications was used. The experimental unit was a 12-year-old mango tree. The variables evaluated at physiological maturity and maturity of consumption were firmness, color, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/TA ratio, total sugars (TS), reducing sugars (RS), β-carotene, total phenols, vitamin C and weight loss (5, 10 and 15 days) only at the stage of maturity of consumption. PS and FD differentially affected (according to fruit maturity stage) the physicochemical and nutraceutical quality. A similar behavior was observed for the PSxFD interaction. The outstanding results were, at physiological maturity, the PR dose elevated TSS, phenols and TSS/TA ratio; in PS, OS increased Hue, TA, TSS and phenols. At maturity of consumption, the RE dose increased TSS, TSS/TA ratio, phenols, β-carotene and RS; at PS, OS increased TS, luminosity, TSS/TA ratio, β-carotene and vitamin C. The best fruit quality is achieved with the MS:PR combination at physiological maturity and OS:RE at maturity of consumption. Depending on the degree of maturity of the fruits, this study showed how the fertilization dose, the production seasons, and their interaction modify the physicochemical and nutraceutical quality of mango fruits
Analysis of genetic relationships between broomrape populations from different countries using ISSR markers
Get PDFOrobanche cumana, commonly known as sunflower broomrape, poses a significant risk to sunflower cultivation in areas located along the Black Sea and across Europe. A study was conducted to analyze the genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of this parasitic plant originating from Bulgaria, Turkey, Republic of Moldova, and Romania. A total of 269 individuals from 23 populations were genotyped using 13 ISSR markers. The frequency distribution of alleles in the broomrape populations from Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria is more homogeneous than that from Moldavian populations. However, according to genetic diversity parameters O. cumana populations from Moldova and Turkey were more variable (total gene diversity Ht=0.188; 0.214), than those from Bulgaria and Romania (Ht=0.112; 0.067). The highest values of gene diversity within populations (Hs = 0.138) were found in Turkish broomrape. The value of Gst ranged between 0.359-0.516, indicating a very high level of genetic differentiation among populations. These results are consistent with low Nm values (0.468-0.895). Pairwise differentiation index (PhiPT) and Nei’s unbiased measures of genetic distance (GD) showed similar patterns, indicating a maximum (PhiPT=0.500; GD=0.261) and, respectively, minimum (PhiPT=0.238; GD=0.079) values between broomrape from Turkey and Romania, respectively, Romania and Moldova. Dendrogram constructed using the UPMGA method based on Nei's genetic distances and Pearson's dissimilarity clustered together Moldavian and Romanian broomrape and grouped in two separate clusters populations belonging to Bulgaria and Turkey. The PCA analysis confirmed the results of UPGMA clusterization. Overall, both methods suggest that the groupings of broomrape are partly determined by its geographical origin, as well as by the genetic differences and similarities accumulated over time, and are not related to virulence
Grafting in Capsicum peppers as a strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change on yield and quality factors
Get PDFClimate change in the Mediterranean areas is increasing problems on droughts, water availability and salinization of irrigation water. These are probably some of the most limiting factors on farming, especially in vegetables production. Capsicum peppers, one the most valuable vegetables in Spain, are quite sensitive to water deficit and particularly to salinity. The use of rootstocks tolerant to these abiotic stresses could be explored as a short/mid-term solution. In this work, we evaluated the ability as rootstocks of several accessions, together commercial F1 ‘Robusto’ and ‘Oscos’, with the cultivar ‘Herminio’ as scion, under control, drought (30% decrease irrigation) and salinity (5.8 dS m-1) in Campo de Cartagena area (Murcia, Spain). Yield and fruit weight, and water content, ascorbic acid content (AAC) and total phenolics (TP) at the unripe and fully ripe commercial stages were evaluated. Under control conditions, our rootstocks did not provide extra vigour and yield as none showed higher performance than the non-grafted ‘Herminio’ in yield (10 kg m-2) and fruit weight (215 g). However, drought and salinity conditions revealed that some accessions might be useful as rootstocks, providing higher yields and/or fruit size than ‘Herminio’, particularly yield under drought, i.e. 5-7 kg m-2 while ‘Herminio’ only achieved 4 kg m-2, and fruit weight in both stress conditions (i.e. 190-223 g vs 173 g under drought, 187-209 g vs 158 g under salinity). On average, drought increased the levels of antioxidants at both ripening stages, while salinity decreased them, specially AAC. Also, remarkable rootstock × treatment interactions, particularly in phenolics, enabled identifying several rootstocks providing high levels of antioxidants at both ripening stages and under both abiotic stresses, improving those from non-grafted ‘Herminio’
Exploring the effects of the assisted transfer of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provenances in the Romanian Carpathians
Get PDFThe genetic inheritance of a tree species is fully expressed in the phenotype only when its ecological requirements are accomplished. Therefore, genetic tests provide the opportunity to simulate the change in the environment and determine the most suitable site conditions for specific populations. In light of the unpredictable climate conditions resulting from rapid environmental changes, the current study investigated possible signs of adaptation and productivity of European beech in the Romanian Carpathian region. For this purpose, the tree growth and stability performances, as well as the transfer effect, were examined in 17 international beech provenances tested in two different environments for 27 years. Growth and stability performances were evaluated using tree height (Th), breast height diameter (DBH), and survival (S). In the case of the transfer analyses, the ecodistance approach was applied. According to the results, the average of S was 13% higher in the Carbunari provenance trial, and DBH was higher in the Sacele trial by 15%, while no noticeable differences were registered for Th. The best-performing provenances were those originating from similar site conditions to the Romanian test sites, and the transfer function detected the sensitivity of beech provenances to increasing temperature. The general transfer response of provenances revealed a similar performance across sites and suggested that provenances exhibited adaptation and acclimation to the test environments from Romanian Carpathians
Biological and phytochemical analysis of fractionated extracts of Ziziphus nummularia against pathogenic bacteria, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity
Get PDFIn modern medicine, synthetic drugs are predominant, yet they often pose health hazards. So, there is a need to find natural alternatives. Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. F.) Wight & Arn., belongs to family Rhamnaceae, is well known for its traditional value such as its fruits have been used as natural appetizer and orally consumed around the world. This study investigated the phytochemical composition and bioactivity of crude and fractionated extracts from the stem bark of Ziziphus nummularia. Crude extracts were prepared using cold maceration, followed by partitioning based on polarity into n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions. These extracts were subjected to phytochemical analysis and evaluated for antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. The crude methanolic extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 136.49 μg/mL in DPPH and 78.9 μg/mL in ABTS assays. Antibacterial tests using the agar well diffusion method revealed that the methanolic extract, ethyl acetate, and chloroform fractions demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis, with inhibition zones ranging from 0 to 8.43 ± 0.23 mm at 400 mg/mL. The brine shrimp lethality assay indicated significant cytotoxicity in the methanolic, ethyl acetate, and chloroform extracts, compared to the negligible effect of the n-hexane fraction. These findings highlight the potential of Z. nummularia as a source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic applications against infectious diseases, toxins, and oxidative stress. Further isolation of pure compounds and animal trials are recommended to explore its potential in drug discovery