Flower color, which is an important ornamental trait, is largely attributed to the accumulation of flavonoids, carotenoids, and betalains in petals. Cyanidin, pelargonidin, and peonidin are the three main anthocyanidins in roses. Although anthocyanins are known to influence pollinator attraction, they are also associated with tolerance to abiotic stressors such as extreme temperatures, reduced precipitation, and ultraviolet (ultraviolet) radiation. Using a comparative study under controlled conditions (growth chambers), we investigated the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation (ultraviolet-B, 280–320 nm) on four anthocyanin pigments (cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, pelargonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside) in flower petals of three rose genotypes derived from autotetraploid biparental populations: a transitioning-type rose (a rose with flowers that change color from yellow to dark pink at different stages of flower development because of the accumulation of anthocyanins), a white-type rose (a rose with stable white flowers over different stages of flower development), and a pink-type rose (a rose with stable pink flowers over different stages of flower development). Cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside was the most abundant pigment in the pink-type rose. In the white-type rose, only a small amount of pelargonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside was detected. Exposure to ultraviolet-B in addition to visible light did not cause any significant changes in anthocyanin biosynthesis in either the white-type rose or the pink-type rose. In the transitioning-type rose, no pigment was accumulated under white light conditions. However, upon exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation and visible light, the accumulation of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside increased significantly in freshly open flowers (stage S3) and flowers 1 to 2 days after anthesis (S4 stage). Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was the most abundant pigment in the transitioning-type rose in these experiments as well as plants grown under field conditions. The pink-type rose mainly synthesized anthocyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, whereas petals of the transitioning-type rose were predominantly abundant in anthocyanidin-3-O-glucosides. Thus, our results indicate that the flower color transition phenotype is mediated by the ultraviolet-B-inducible accumulation of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside.
For alternate bearing mandarin trees (Citrus reticulata), high ON-crop yields alternate almost annually with low OFF-crop yields. In this study, effects of crop load on floral gene expression during the 6 months before full bloom (MBFB) and inflorescence number the following spring in early-maturing ‘Nules Clementine’ and late-maturing ‘Pixie’ mandarin were compared. The OFF-crop trees of both cultivars flowered profusely in April. In these trees, bud FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) expression was first detected only when the air temperatures decreased to the floral-inductive low temperature (LT) range (4 °C < minimum temperature ≤10 °C) at 4 and 6 MBFB for ‘Nules Clementine’ and ‘Pixie’ mandarin, respectively. Despite occurring on different calendar dates, maximum FT transcript levels corresponded to a similar number of accumulated LT degree-days (56 days at 1 MBFB and 52 days at 3 MBFB) in respective orchards. LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1) were upregulated to maximum levels at a similar number of accumulated warm temperature (WT) degree-days (2 days and 5 days with a maximum temperature ≥24 °C following sufficient LT accumulation) at 1 MBFB for ‘Nules Clementine’ and at 2 MBFB for ‘Pixie’ mandarin. Subsequent maximum expression of downstream APETALA2 (AP2), SEPALLATA1 (SEP1), PISTILLATA (PI), and AGAMOUS (AG) occurred at 1 MBFB for both cultivars, consistent with the initiation of floral organogenesis just before bloom as a result of successful meristem determinacy. The results also provided evidence supporting that the regulation of FT and LFY/AP1 in citrus buds is quantitatively dependent on LT and WT accumulation under the OFF-crop condition. In contrast, ON-crop trees of both cultivars did not produce any inflorescences the following spring. Buds of these trees never expressed FT during the 6 MBFB, LFY expression dropped below the detection limit at 3 MBFB through bloom, and upregulation of AP1 expression did not occur. Consequently, downstream floral organ identity gene expression was significantly lower in ON-crop trees than in OFF-crop trees at 1 MBFB for both cultivars. Early harvest of ON-crop fruit at 3 MBFB or 2 MBFB failed to restore floral gene expression or spring flowering; instead, it increased vegetative shoot number during return bloom, indicating buds were not determined as late as 2 MBFB (February). Collectively, the results suggest that repression of FT during 4 MBFB by the ON crop prevented successful completion of the induction process in floral meristem determinacy by inhibiting LFY and AP1 upregulation, thereby preventing activation of the floral organ identity genes AP2, SEP1, PI, and AG and flower formation.
Dieffenbachia Schott is a widely grown ornamental foliage genus used extensively in interior environments. However, exposure to plant sap can cause skin irritation and inflammation, responses commonly associated with calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals. Information on the types, densities, and tissue distribution of CaOx crystals in Dieffenbachia remains limited, particularly across leaf and stem developmental stages. The objectives of this study were to characterize the types, densities, and tissue distribution of CaOx crystals in three commercial cultivars, Carina, Rebecca, and Star Bright, and to determine whether crystal occurrence differed among tissues and developmental stages. Tissue-culture liners were grown in an ebb-and-flow system in a shaded greenhouse using the same nutrient solution, and leaves, stems, and spadices were sampled for examination by polarized light microscopy. Three forms of CaOx crystals were identified: raphides, druses, and crystal sand. Raphides and druses were present in leaves, stems, and spadices of all three cultivars, whereas crystal sand occurred only in stems. In leaves, druses greatly outnumbered raphides at all stages, with raphide-to-druse (R/D) ratios ranging from 0.068 to 0.197. Druse density was highest in furled leaves and declined with leaf maturation. In stems, raphides predominated, with R/D ratios ranging from 1.03 to 18.23, whereas druse density increased with internode maturation. Raphide density also increased at sites of axillary bud initiation and in developing male flowers. In spadices, crystals were concentrated primarily in anthers and staminodes. Crystal density differed significantly among cultivars. 'Star Bright' had lower stem druse density, whereas 'Rebecca' had lower raphide densities in the first and third internodes and lower druse densities in leaves than 'Carina'. The higher crystal densities observed in young leaves and actively growing tissues suggest that CaOx crystal formation is closely associated with developing organs and may serve multiple functions during plant growth. The observed cultivar differences further suggest that CaOx crystal traits are genetically variable and may be useful targets in future Dieffenbachia breeding programs.
The study of fruit microbiomes, defined as the microbial community in and on fruit, is a novel frontier that provides the potential for contextualizing pathogen infection and biocontrol in a more holistic and ecological approach. Differences in sample year tend to explain the greatest variation in fruit microbiome studies, with geography, preharvest management regime, and cold storage also resulting in pronounced shifts. However, effects of cultivar and fungicides can be more subtle, with some studies identifying minor or no shifts. This highlights that while agricultural management is important in shaping fruit microbiomes, environmental and spatiotemporal factors are also important to consider. Additionally, there is a need for more studies that delve deeper into the functional roles of the fruit microbiome, which require extension of ‘omics technologies such as shotgun metagenomics and metabolomics to move beyond taxonomic composition and begin to determine what important roles fruit microbial communities can play. Some studies are investigating the role of native microbiota in biocontrol and how native fruit microbiomes influence the fermentation process, and the field must build on these experiments to gain a more complete understanding of how the fruit microbiome is related to pathogen dynamics and modulation of fruit quality.
Heat stress increasingly limits lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production in subtropical regions such as Florida, where high temperatures and contrasting soil systems challenge crop establishment and marketable yield. To evaluate the effect of heat stress in Florida conditions, 312 Lactuca accessions (including breeding lines, plant introductions, cultivars, and wild relatives) were first screened for germination under high temperatures. Several accessions maintained high germination (up to 98%) at 30 to 32 °C, indicating genetic variation for thermotolerance at the germination stage. Based on germination performance, up to 102 accessions were initially evaluated in field trials across multiple locations, soil types, and seasons. As a result, 48 accessions were advanced to replicated multienvironment trials. Field experiments revealed significant effects of accession, environment, and their interaction on head weight, bolting, and marketability. While higher yield and marketability were generally observed in muck soils, increased bolting was seen under sandy soil and warmer conditions. Tipburn incidence was minimal across environments. A genotype × environment analysis indicated both crossover and noncrossover interactions in the investigated heat tolerance-related traits and lettuce types, emphasizing the need of multienvironment selection for stable performance. These results demonstrate heritable variation for heat tolerance from germination to mature plants in lettuce and identify germplasm with the potential to improve adaptation and yield stability under warmer subtropical production systems.
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) refers to the practice of growing crops within regulated, enclosed systems where factors such as light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients can be precisely controlled. These systems generate vast amounts of operational and biological data as sensors continuously monitor plant and environmental conditions. Artificial intelligence (AI), a field focused on creating systems that learn from data and make informed decisions, can then be used to process this huge data set, including environmental adjustments to forecasting crop growth and yield, ultimately improving productivity while reducing waste. Technologies such as machine learning, image processing, robotics, deep learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and neural networks are embedded in AI to address agricultural challenges. AI monitors agricultural parameters such as crop genetics, health and disease, livestock, soil moisture, soil quality and moisture, climate, autonomous machinery, resource efficiency, weed control, genetics, harvest timing and market forecasting to enable real-time monitoring of factors like weather, temperature, water usage, and soil conditions, thus enabling farmers to minimize losses and boost yields. Individual farmers are likely to operate with more than 75 million interconnected devices, with an average farm producing 4.1 million data points on average per day by 2050. This review critically examines the successes and challenges of AI in redefining CEA productivity and sustainability. As AI technologies continue to evolve, their integration into CEA systems will become increasingly vital in building resilient, data-driven, and adaptive agricultural systems for the future. Ultimately, AI-enhanced CEA convergence represents a critical frontier for research and innovation in agri-food systems.
Grape (Vitis spp.) is an economically and culturally significant crop grown in a wide array of climates, including cooler areas that regularly experience freezing temperatures. To better adapt grapes for cultivation in cooler climates, wild grape relatives and hybrids have been and continue to be used in breeding efforts. The US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service maintains a collection of cultivated and wild cold-hardy grapes in Geneva, NY, USA. This collection contains more than one dozen species, mostly of North American origin, as well as an extensive set of hybrid breeding lines and cultivars. We demonstrate the genetic variation present in the collection using newly developed rhAmpSeq markers to explore phylogenetic relationships. Our findings match those of previous analyses that showed Eurasian species nested within the North American species, suggesting a North American origin of the Vitis genus. In addition, an analysis of ancestry and genetic distance suggested taxonomic identities of 18 previously unidentified accessions and 36 putatively misidentified accessions. The data presented here advance the understanding of the Vitis clade and provide support for ongoing research, conservation, and breeding efforts.
Intraspecific hybridization provides opportunities for trait improvement in scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea), a species with limited cultivar diversity and unknown interspecific compatibility. Previous research established single-gene simple dominance inheritance for red and pink flower colors. However, the inheritance of purple flowers remained unknown. This study investigated flower color inheritance by crossing elite red and pink selections with purple cultivars and assessed flower size improvements across generations. Controlled crosses were conducted between red, pink, and purple parents, producing 300 F1 and 429 F2 individuals. All F1 plants displayed red flowers regardless of parental colors. The F2 generation segregated into red, purple, pink, and a novel white phenotype with variable pink or purple tones. The pink and purple cross progeny fit a 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio (P > 0.05), consistent with two-gene recessive epistasis based on observed phenotypic relationships and predicted parental genotypes. Mean flower sizes were 14.6 mm in the F1 and 13.9 mm in the F2, with individual improvements in the F2 of 9.7% for purple, 25.8% for pink, and 22.9% for red compared with parents. Results demonstrate that flower color inheritance in S. coccinea follows a two-gene recessive epistatic pattern rather than single-gene inheritance, explaining previous observations while revealing a new white flower phenotype. This refined genetic understanding facilitates more targeted breeding strategies for ornamental improvement.
Growers implement a variety of strategies to manage soilborne pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes, arthropod pests, and weeds. These strategies include chemical, cultural, biological, and physical means. One of the physical techniques available is soil solarization, which heats moist soil to high temperatures by trapping solar radiation under transparent plastic tarps. Soil solarization is a chemical-free method that is relatively low-cost compared with other strategies. This technique has been shown to be effective for managing many soilborne pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes, and weeds, but it has had mixed results for arthropod pests and improving crop yield and quality. This review discusses the basics of soil solarization, its use in vegetable production, the temperatures that can be reached, and the effects on various biotic pressures. The considerations of implementing soil solarization in high tunnels compared with open fields, its influence on temperature, and the economics of soil solarization, are also addressed.
While unmanned aircraft system (UAS)-based photogrammetry and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) are increasingly used for canopy height estimation in forestry and other orchard systems, their application to pecan orchards remains limited. Accurate measurements of tree height and canopy structure are essential in pecan production for assessing tree growth and health, and for supporting precision orchard management. This study provides one of the first systematic evaluations of UAS-based structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry and UASmounted LiDAR for estimating pecan tree height. A rotary-wing UAS equipped with RGB and near-infrared (NIR) cameras collected imagery at 60 and 120 m aboveground over two pecan orchards containing 480 and 308 trees, and LiDAR data were acquired at 70 m. UAS imagery was processed to generate three-dimensional (3D) point clouds, digital surface models (DSMs), digital terrain models (DTMs), and orthomosaics. DTMs were derived using point cloud classification and DSM filtering, and tree heights were calculated relative to these terrain models using canopy height models (CHMs) and point cloud-based approaches. LiDAR data were processed to produce calibrated point clouds, DSMs, and DTMs, from which tree heights were extracted using comparable methods. Image-based tree heights showed strong agreement with manual measurements, with point cloud-derived high percentiles or maxima [R2 = 0.982-0.996; root mean square error (RMSE) = 14 to 25 cm] consistently outperforming CHM-based estimates across ground elevation methods, camera types, and flight altitudes. LiDAR-derived tree heights exhibited similarly high accuracy. Image-based and LiDAR-derived heights were strongly correlated across all trees at 120 m (R2 = 0.982-0.995; RMSE = 18-25 cm), confirming the reliability of SfM photogrammetry. However, incomplete canopy reconstruction in some 60 m datasets led to underestimation, highlighting the importance of sufficient image overlap for accurate 3D canopy modeling. These results demonstrate that UAS image-based point clouds can provide pecan tree heights comparable to LiDAR, offering a cost-effective approach for tree growth monitoring, orchard management, and precision agriculture applications.
Salinity stress can depress tomato yield in diverse environments. Tomato wild relative Solanum sitiens displays notable abiotic stress tolerance, as evidenced by its distribution in the highly arid Atacama Desert of northern Chile and its presence in highly saline soils. We performed a series of greenhouse experiments to characterize sodium chloride salinity tolerance in S. sitiens accession LA4331, tomato fresh-market line LA4354, and 27 introgression lines (ILs) that each contain a chromosomal segment of S. sitiens in the background of LA4354. In response to fertigation with an increasing series of salt doses ranging from 0 mM NaCl (total solution electrical conductivity of 2.5 dS/m) to 150 mM NaCl (17.5 dS/m), LA4354 and processing tomato hybrid SVTM9033 demonstrated significant fruit yield declines and LA4331 demonstrated significant and consistent reductions in vegetative biomass. ILs and their tomato parent largely demonstrated reductions in yield, marketable fruit fraction, and vegetative biomass as well as increases in soluble solids and fruit dry matter content under a 10 dS/m salt treatment compared with a 2.5 dS/m control. However, 21 of 27 ILs displayed smaller relative declines in yield under salt compared with LA4354, suggesting that multiple genes distributed across the S. sitiens genome contribute to yield stability under salt stress in the background of domesticated tomato. Three ILs identified for further characterization in a validation experiment, LA5265, LA5289, and LA5297, displayed relative yield declines of 20% to 45% compared with 54% for LA4354. Furthermore, LA5265 and LA5297 out-yielded LA4354 under salt stress by 92% and 105%, respectively. However, evaluation of crosses between the three ILs and LA4354 indicated that the superior yield stability conferred by introgressions was largely lost in heterozygous state. Future steps required to translate findings to breeding applications include fine-mapping causal genes within introgressions and validating introgression effects in field settings.
. A citizen-science project was conducted in 2024 across four states in the United States (Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, and North Carolina) to evaluate participant preferences, well-being outcomes, and behavioral changes resulting from container gardening. Two strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cultivars-'Berries Galore' (pink flowered) and 'Elan' (white flowered)-and two French marigold (Tagetes patula) types-'Durango Outback' (mixed color) and 'Queen Sophia' (orange/gold)-were distributed to 214 participants along with a plant kit containing all materials required to complete the project. Engagement was maintained using a social media community page, monthly online educational sessions, and frequent e-mail communications. Among the 109 participants who completed pretest and posttest surveys, the demographic skewed toward older, well-educated, female, and experienced gardeners. 'Berries Galore' was preferred over 'Elan', likely because it yielded twice the fruit, was harvested earlier, and provided ornamental value. Marigold cultivar preferences were generally evenly split. Participants were price sensitive, showing similar willingness-to-pay despite performance and preference differences between strawberry cultivars, suggesting that effectively communicating value-added traits is important for consumers. Plant stress (e.g., heat and drought) and critter (e.g., wildlife) damage were reported as common challenges, leading to some plant mortality. Significant improvements in well-being were reported, evidenced by an increase in six positive affects. Participants also showed enhanced confidence in practical skills involving garden pest management and healthy eating habits, a result likely influenced by the online educational sessions. Long-term follow-up revealed sustained behavioral change. For example, 1 year later, 66% of participants had started a home garden, and 77% had purchased more gardening supplies as compared with the previous year. Findings demonstrate that citizen-science gardening programs can effectively generate plant-performance and preference data while enabling assessments of gardening effects on human well-being and lifestyle habits.
. Rheum webbianum Royle is a valuable medicinal herb in China. However, the mitochondrial genome of Rheum webbianum has not yet been reported. In this study, the mitochondrial genome of R. webbianum was assembled by using the reads from the Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing platforms. The R. webbianum mitochondrial genome is circular and 326,286 bp in length. It contains 57 annotated genes, including 35 protein-coding genes, 19 transfer RNA genes, and 3 ribosomal RNA genes. Codon usage, repeated sequences, nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratios, RNA editing, synteny, and phylogenetic relationships were all examined. Additionally, 27 homologous segments between the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes totaling 70,780 bp were found, and their presence was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The results of our analyses provide valuable information and a theoretical basis for future research on R. webbianum.
Woody plants have evolved a suite of winter survival traits. Supercooling species are constrained to temperatures above similar to-40 degrees C, whereas non-supercooling species can survive colder temperatures. In midwinter 1986, we observed that starch was present in the xylem of supercooling species but not in non-supercooling species. To explore the relationship between tissue starch and freezing damage in woody plants, we monitored xylem starch and cold hardiness in eight supercooling and three non-supercooling species in Fall/Winter 2023-24. We confirmed that supercooling species retain starch granules within xylem parenchyma (XPC) cells in midwinter whereas non-supercooling species do not. We also observed strong positive correlations between tissue starch content and susceptibility to freezing damage: supercooling species were injured at temperatures ranging from -26 degrees C to -45 degrees C, whereas non-supercooling species survived below -55 degrees C. From Oct through Dec 2023, the percent of starch-filled XPCs in red osier dogwood tissues (non-supercooling) fell from similar to 90% to <3%; during this period, xylem became extremely cold tolerant until March, when starch reserves rapidly recovered. In contrast, the percent of starch-filled XPCs in Red Delicious apple shoots (supercooling) remained high (86% to 98%) through the winter, and xylem suffered freezing damage below -40 degrees C. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that starch granules within XPCs, which can contain freezable water, play an important role in the cold hardiness of woody plants. More work is needed to understand the mechanisms of cold hardiness in supercooling and non-supercooling woody plants and the role of xylem starch reserves.
Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is a major threat to papaya production, with no natural resistance identified in Carica papaya L. In several crops, resistance to potyviruses is conferred by mutations in host translation initiation factors, particularly eIF4E and its isoform eIF(iso)4E. In the present study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to edit CpeIF4E and CpeIF(iso)4E using three guide RNAs (gRNAs) per gene, although only CpeIF(iso)4E-edited transform-ants were recovered. Agrobacterium-mediated as well as biolistic methods were used for transformation. Hygromycinresistant callus lines were first screened for Cas9 transgene integration by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify putative transformants, and editing/mutations were confirmed by difference in amplicon size and PacBio HiFi sequencing. Several indels at gRNA5 and gRNA6 target sites were detected in four transformants out of 13, leading to frameshift mutations and loss of functional alleles, whereas no mutations were found within the gRNA4 target region. Successful knockouts were generated for CpeIF(iso)4E, whereas CpeIF4E-edited transformants consistently failed to regenerate, suggesting that CpeIF4E may be essential for papaya viability under tissue culture conditions. Zygosity analysis identified homozygous knockouts in some lines, whereas others were mosaic or hemizygous. This study demonstrates CRISPR-Cas9 as a viable tool for targeted genome editing in papaya and establishes a foundation for the engineering of PRSV resistance and the improvement of economically important traits in this crop.
Polyethylene (PE) mulch is widely used in specialty crop production because it suppresses weeds, conserves soil moisture, modifies soil temperature, and enhances crop yield and quality. However, PE mulch generates substantial end-of--season waste, incurs removal and disposal costs, and can leave persistent plastic residues in agricultural soils. Soil-biodegradable plastic mulch films (BDMs) provide agronomic benefits comparable to PE mulches while allowing for end-of-life incorporation into soil, thereby reducing labor requirements, landfilled plastic, and overall environmental burden. Over the past decade, research has expanded from short-term performance trials to multiyear field studies evaluating BDM degradation dynamics, soil impacts, and environmental tradeoffs. Meta-analyses show that BDMs generally provide agronomic benefits comparable to PE mulch across many specialty crops. Multiyear studies report limited or transient effects of BDMs on soil physical and biological indicators under realistic management, while also demonstrating that degradation rates vary by site and micro-and nanoplastics can form during deterioration. Consequently, credible evaluation requires integration of standardized laboratory biodegradation tests with field-relevant monitoring of degradation and residue fate. Standards and certification frameworks such as EN 17033 and ISO 23517 define requirements and test methods, biodegradation thresholds, and ecotoxicity safeguards for BDMs and are used by third-party certification programs. The US National Organic Program (NOP) added 100% biobased BDMs to their list of allowed synthetic substances in 2014, and further required that no genetically modified organisms be used in their feedstocks or fermentation. However, no commercially available BDMs are currently approved for use in US-certified organic production, although many BDM products meet laboratory-based biodegradability criteria ($90% biodegradation within 2 years). Knowledge regarding BDM feedstocks, additives, degradation mechanisms, and assessment methods will help identify research and policy priorities needed to support responsible adoption of BDMs in sustainable specialty crop production systems.
This review paper aimed to evaluate bokashi composting formulations, nutrient composition, and their effects on seedling and plant growth. Bokashi compost is derived from organic wastes, such as maize stalks, rice straw, agro-processing by-products, and animal manures, with the addition of effective microorganisms (EMs) including lactic acid and photosynthetic bacteria, yeasts, fermenting fungi, and actinomycetes. The EMs accelerate the decomposition of organic waste, producing high-quality compost within ∼60 days. The nutrient composition of bokashi compost varies with the type of organic waste used, with EMs enhancing macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Bokashi has demonstrated positive effects on seed germination and seedling and plant growth, improving vegetative growth, including plant height, stem diameter and leaf area, and crop yield of tomato, okra, onion, and pepper. It also enhances soil health by improving chemical and physical properties. However, information on plant-material–based bokashi composting remains limited, with most studies focusing on combinations of plant waste and animal manures. Minimal attention has been given to the effects of bokashi-amended soils or substrates on postharvest shelf life in crops grown. Thus, future studies are required to investigate applicability of bokashi across diverse plant species, optimize composting processes, and establish guidelines for raw material proportions to maximize benefits. Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions during aerobic and anaerobic bokashi composting is also recommended to comprehensively assess their environmental impact.
Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is an important crop across sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to income generation and culturally significant cuisines. However, assessing production trends and market dynamics remains difficult due to limited differentiation in global data sets and frequent taxonomic misclassification among Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense, and Capsicum frutescens. Current knowledge on the diversity, distribution, and regional importance of major Capsicum species is limited. However, trends indicate an expansion of bell pepper markets in East and Southern Africa, a strong culinary and economic role of aromatic C. chinense types, especially in West and Central Africa, and a localized importance of C. frutescens in informal production systems. Consumer preferences for fruit color, aroma, and capsaicinoid content shape market segmentation and breeding priorities, while weak seed systems and reliance on farmer-saved seed constrain productivity and varietal purity. Strengthening breeding pipelines, improving crop classification, and integrating participatory market assessments with formal statistics will be essential to support climate-resilient pepper value chains and enhance livelihoods across sub-Saharan Africa.
Aquaporin (AQP) genes are involved in regulating stress tolerance in plants. In this study, we investigated the function of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) in Solanum pseudocapsicum under salt stress. The SpPIP gene, which encodes a membrane protein aquaporin, was cloned successfully. SpPIP gene expression was downregulated under salt stress. Seedlings in which the SpPIP gene was silenced recovered from wilting. The malondialdehyde and soluble sugar contents, in addition to the catalase activity, were lower in the silenced seedlings under salt stress than those in the NaCl-treated empty vector (EV) seedlings. Moreover, the water potential of the silenced seedlings was higher than that of the EV controls in the presence of salt. Transgenic plants overexpressing SpPIP were sensitive to salt stress. In the presence of salt, the germination rate of the overexpression (OE) seeds and fresh weight of the OE seedlings were lower than those of the EV seedlings. Additionally, the length of the primary roots of the OE seedlings was shorter than that of the EV controls under salt stress. Overall, these results indicated that the downregulation of SpPIP was involved in enhancing salt stress tolerance in S. pseudocapsicum.
. Increasing temperatures and reduced rainfall are intensifying water limitations in many fruit production systems, particularly for water-deficit, stress-sensitive crops such as southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids). Grafting onto rootstocks with robust and well-adapted root systems can enhance plant performance during water-deficit stress. Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum Marsh.) is a woody perennial tree species native to the southeastern United States. It has been studied as a potential rootstock for blueberry production because of its deep and expansive root systems. We compared the drought responses of own-rooted blueberry plants and blueberry plants grafted onto sparkleberry rootstocks. We hypothesized that grafted blueberry plants would exhibit better fitness than own-rooted plants in water-limiting conditions. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the physiological and metabolic responses of grafted and own-rooted plants during predrought, drought, and rehydration periods. Grafted plants maintained greater stem water potential, stomatal conductance, and assimilation during water deficit compared with own-rooted plants. Stomatal morphology and leaf osmolyte concentrations were similar in both plant types. Destructive root sampling confirmed that grafted plants developed deeper root systems. Our findings suggest that sparkleberry rootstocks allow grafted plants to take up water from deeper soil strata, avoiding water-deficit stress and promoting primary productivity. Grafting might be useful to expand blueberry cultivation to new areas and to reduce the water footprint of blueberry farming.
