Lilium sp. is one of the most commercially important ornamental species; however, improving its ornamental quality remains a challenge for production systems. In this context, nanoparticles have been proposed as an innovative alternative to optimize the agronomic performance of ornamental crops. The objective of this study was to determine how the foliar application of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) modifies the physiological response and stem morphoanatomy of Lilium cv. Concador. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions using conventional agronomic management for commercial Lilium production. We evaluated vegetative growth variables, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), root biomass, flowering characteristics, and quantitative stem anatomy using histological, morphometric, and multivariate statistical analyses. Most agronomic variables, including plant height, number of leaves, shoot biomass, and flower opening, did not differ significantly between treatments, indicating that the nanoparticles did not compromise vegetative development. In contrast, root biomass and stem anatomical organization responded differently depending on nanoparticle type and applied dose. SeNPs, particularly at the highest dose, promoted greater development of parenchyma and vascular tissue, while TiO2NPs induced dose-dependent anatomical responses, with less parenchyma expansion and less pronounced vascular remodeling. Taken together, these results demonstrate that foliar application of nanoparticles induces early remodeling of the stem’s functional architecture without affecting vegetative growth and show that quantitative anatomy is a sensitive tool for detecting early responses to nano-inputs in ornamental species.
Distinguishing crop from weed species at the seedling stage is a fine-grained morphological discrimination problem. We study it on the public Plant Seedlings benchmark, which contains twelve species (three crops and nine weeds) imaged at the seedling stage. Automated classifiers report near-ceiling accuracy on this benchmark. Yet its images are acquired in controlled trays containing soil, gravel, rulers, barcodes, and printed labels, so a model may identify a species from its acquisition context rather than its morphology. We audit two architectures, EfficientNet-B7 and ViT-B/16, trained on the V2 dataset (5539 images) and probed with plant-only, background-only, and background-swapped inputs. Near-ceiling models (96.1% and 96.4% over three seeds) recover the correct species for up to 47.7% of samples from the background alone (chance 8.3%) and lose about 60 points under background swapping. Context reliance is therefore a property of the benchmark, not any single architecture. Tracing this to its source, an independent learned representation of the plant-free background alone identifies the species at 72.4%. The reliance is correctable end to end: a consistency-regularisation scheme retains 92.1% full-image accuracy for the transformer with no segmentation at inference, at an architecture-dependent cost. Reported accuracy thus partly measures acquisition context, not morphology; morphological grounding should be measured and reported alongside accuracy.
Biological invasions threaten tropical biodiversity, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying successful invaders remain poorly understood. Thunbergia alata (Black-eyed Susan) is an aggressive “genomic orphan” invader in Andean forests, causing significant ecological disruption. This study contributes as one of the few transcriptomic profiles of light vs. shade responses in T. alata, providing a foundational molecular resource for this species. We performed differential expression analysis under varying light conditions, revealing a massive transcriptomic shift involving over 4000 differentially expressed genes. Our findings suggest a robust and stable homeostatic adaptation mechanism, characterized by the up-regulation of SnRK1 subunits for energy sensing and strategic management of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) within the thylakoid membrane. Furthermore, the fine-tuning of PIF/Auxin modules and the condition-specific induction of NAC and WRKY transcription factors facilitate shade avoidance and rapid vertical growth. The identification of a substantial reservoir of species-specific “not classified” genes suggests that novel genetic elements contribute to T. alata’s adaptive success. By elucidating these key regulatory networks, this research provides an important genomic baseline for future studies on adaptive evolution and the development of molecularly informed strategies for managing and controlling this invasive species in new environments.
Photosynthesis is the fundamental biological process underlying plant growth, crop productivity, and global food security. However, its efficiency is highly vulnerable to abiotic stresses, which disrupt chlorophyll biosynthesis, electron transport, carbon assimilation, stomatal regulation, and photoprotective mechanisms, ultimately reducing crop yield. Improving photosynthetic resilience under adverse environments has therefore become a major objective of modern crop improvement. Recent advances in phenomics and high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) have transformed the evaluation of photosynthesis-related traits by enabling rapid, non-destructive, and large-scale assessment across diverse environments, while facilitating quantitative characterization of structural, physiological, biochemical, and thermal responses to abiotic stress. Technologies including chlorophyll fluorescence, gas-exchange analysis, thermal imaging, hyperspectral imaging, LiDAR, and UAV-based sensing provide comprehensive insights into plant physiological responses and stress adaptation. Integration of these phenomic approaches with genomic information and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytical frameworks has strengthened genomic and phenomic prediction, enabling more accurate identification of candidate genes, selection of superior genotypes, and accelerated genetic gain. This review critically synthesizes recent advances in photosynthesis-related traits, phenomics, HTP technologies, and their integration with genomics and AI-assisted breeding, highlighting current challenges, knowledge gaps, and future opportunities for developing climate-resilient wheat and rice cultivars and promoting sustainable crop production.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of abiotic stresses, including salinity, drought, heat, and heavy metal toxicity, which strongly threaten productivity, quality, and market value in horticultural crops. Although plant biostimulants have been widely reviewed in agronomic crops, their role in horticultural systems remains less comprehensively synthesized, particularly across different crop groups, stress types, application methods, and molecular response mechanisms. This review addresses this gap by systematically compiling current evidence on the use of biostimulants to improve abiotic stress resilience in horticultural crops, with particular emphasis on morphological, physiological, biochemical, and recently emerging molecular responses, especially transcriptomic evidence with supporting metabolomic information where available. Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using two searches covering 2016–2025 for morphological/physiological responses and 2021–2025 for molecular/genetic responses. Of 780 records initially identified, 134 studies met the inclusion criteria. Across these studies, the most frequently evaluated biostimulants were seaweed extracts, humic and fulvic substances, protein hydrolysates, and microbial inoculants, particularly PGPR and AMF. Biostimulant application consistently improved stress tolerance by enhancing antioxidant capacity, osmotic adjustment, nutrient use efficiency, cell wall strengthening, and hormonal regulation. Foliar applications were frequently used for rapid mitigation of drought- and heat-induced canopy-level physiological responses, whereas soil/root-zone application was more common for salinity and heavy metal stress. Emerging molecular evidence, dominated by transcriptomic studies and supported by limited metabolomic data, indicates that biostimulants may induce molecular priming through stress-responsive gene networks and associated metabolic adjustments. Overall, biostimulants show strong potential to improve abiotic stress resilience in horticultural crops, but broader adoption is constrained by variable efficacy, limited mechanistic validation, and inconsistent regulatory frameworks. Future research should prioritize multi-environment validation and functional genetics to support more reliable and targeted biostimulant use.
Calibrating the mutagenic dose is the first practical step of any radiation mutation-breeding programme, and it is usually summarised by the median lethal dose (LD50) or the median growth-reduction dose (GR50). We asked whether an accessible, image-based phenotyping pipeline can quantify the early radiation response of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) seedlings finely enough to estimate GR50 and to rank organ- and pigment-level sensitivities. Seeds of the traditional Paraguayan landrace kumandá pyta’i were exposed to Cobalt-60 gamma rays at 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 Gy, grown in a greenhouse, and photographed at the early seedling stage. A single calibrated photograph (5.1 px mm−1) of 83 seedlings was segmented in Fiji/ImageJ 1.54p and analysed with Python to extract morphometric traits (total, root, and shoot length, root:shoot ratio, tortuosity, and a two-dimensional biomass proxy) and colorimetric traits (CIE L*a*b*, a normalised greenness index, and colour-class pixel fractions). Because the data departed from normality, dose effects were tested with Kruskal–Wallis, Spearman rank correlation, and Dunn post hoc tests, and GR50 was estimated by regression of each trait expressed as a percentage of the control. Total length, shoot length, and the biomass proxy declined significantly with dose (Spearman ρ = −0.40, −0.51, and −0.47; all p < 0.001), preceded by a low-dose stimulation at 100 Gy. Estimated GR50 values were ≈390 Gy for shoot length, ≈510 Gy for total length, and ≈550 Gy for the biomass proxy, within the range reported for other cowpea genotypes. Shoot elongation was more radiosensitive than root elongation, so the root:shoot ratio did not decline; tortuosity showed no dose response. Among pigment traits, the loss of greenness was the most robust signal (a* increased, ρ = +0.62, p = 5 × 10−10; green pixel fraction fell from 0.32 to near zero by 500 Gy). These results show that single-photograph phenotyping resolves a coherent, statistically supported dose response and yields a GR50 estimate usable for dose calibration. For kumandá pyta’i, doses of roughly 300–400 Gy (below GR50) are the most defensible starting window for mutation induction. The framework is reproducible and low-cost, but it is based on one greenhouse experiment and a single genotype, and should be validated across independent trials and cultivars.
Waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.) are ecologically and ornamentally important aquatic plants, yet their micropropagation remains challenging due to endophytic contamination and the recalcitrant nature of tuber explants. This study established an efficient in vitro protocol for Nymphaea pubescens using field-collected tubers. Surface sterilization with 0.2% mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for 15 min achieved complete sterility with 80% explant viability, and an “escape technique” of excising newly emerged shoots from the maternal tuber reduced latent bacterial contamination. Liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 1.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.1 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ), and 0.5 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) produced greater shoot multiplication (17.20 ± 2.53 shoots/explant) and elongation (1.03 ± 0.22 cm) than semi-solid medium (9.70 ± 2.11 shoots/explant; 0.70 ± 0.13 cm) (p < 0.01). Transfer to semi-solid maturation medium with glutamine and casein hydrolysate produced the highest survival rate (100%) and significantly improved shoot quality (p < 0.01), mitigating hyperhydricity from prolonged liquid culture. Rooting on semi-solid medium with 0.5 mg/L NAA yielded 90% rooting, and over 80% of acclimatized plantlets established successfully in the field within two weeks. These results provide a practical, reproducible protocol for conservation and mass propagation of N. pubescens and a foundation for future in vitro mutation breeding in ornamental waterlilies.
The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a highly polyphagous and economically important pest affecting a wide range of crops worldwide. This study evaluated the potential of four rhizobacterial isolates—Leucobacter aridicollis (IQR1), Paenochrobactrum sp. (IQR2), uncultured bacterium IQR3, and marine bacterium AK6_052 (IQR5)—as candidate biological control agents against T. urticae. The rhizobacterial isolates were obtained from the tomato rhizosphere at the INRA experimental farm (Agadir, Morocco) and evaluated for their acaricidal and repellent activities against T. urticae. Corrected mortality and repellency index were assessed after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure. All four isolates exhibited acaricidal activity, with IQR3 and IQR5 showing the greatest efficacy. Corrected mortality reached 69.9% with IQR3 at the highest concentration after 72 h of exposure. The isolates showed no statistically significant repellent activity. Under greenhouse conditions (108 CFU mL−1), IQR3 was associated with the lowest infestation incidence (64%), the lowest infestation severity (13.3%) and the lowest adult density (1.8 adults leaf−1); IQR5 showed a comparable trend. Overall, IQR3 and IQR5 represent promising rhizobacterial candidates for the sustainable management of T. urticae in tomato production. Further studies are needed to optimize their formulation, elucidate their mechanisms of action, and validate their efficacy under field conditions.
Knowledge of pollen viability, pollen longevity, and stigma receptivity in Zephyranthes remains limited despite their importance for successful hybridization. Therefore, this study evaluated these reproductive traits in four Zephyranthes species (Z. traubii, Z. candida, Z. grandiflora, and Z. citrina) and one cultivar, ‘Pim Chomphu’, to provide baseline reproductive information for controlled pollination. Pollen viability was evaluated using tetrazolium staining at different collection times and storage conditions, whereas stigma receptivity was assessed using 6% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), with reproductive outcomes following controlled self-pollination evaluated at the corresponding time points. Tetrazolium-based pollen viability exhibited taxon-specific temporal patterns; however, viability was generally high at 11:00, corresponding to 1 day after anthesis (1 DAA) in Z. traubii and the day of anthesis (0 DAA) in the remaining taxa. The combined protocol of desiccation followed by storage at −5 °C or −20 °C maintained tetrazolium-based pollen viability for up to 120 days. Although all taxa showed positive H2O2-based stigma responses across the evaluated time points, reproductive outcomes following self-pollination differed markedly among taxa. Z. citrina set fruit at all pollination times, whereas Z. candida failed to set fruit. The remaining taxa showed variable fruit set and seed germination depending on pollination timing. These results indicate that positive H2O2-based stigma responses should be interpreted as biochemical indicators of potential stigma receptivity and considered together with subsequent reproductive outcomes. These findings provide baseline reproductive information to support pollen management and controlled pollination in Zephyranthes.
The jalapeño pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a crop of great economic and nutritional importance worldwide; however, increasing yield and quality under conditions of reduced synthetic inputs remains a significant challenge, mainly due to restrictions in plant nutrition and stress response capacity; in this context, plant-based biostimulants, such as Ricinus communis extracts, are of particular interest due to their potential to modulate plant metabolism, promote growth, and favor the accumulation of bioactive compounds. In this study, the effect of a foliar-applied biostimulant derived from a methanolic extract of Ricinus communis L. on the physiological, agronomic, and biochemical parameters of jalapeño peppers was evaluated under open field conditions. A randomized complete design with five treatments was established: three extract concentrations (T50: 50 mg L−1, T75: 75 mg L−1, and T100: 100 mg L−1), a commercial biostimulant (Pepton 85/16 ®), and an absolute control. Significant differences (α ≤ 0.05) were observed between treatments T50, T75, and T100 with the application of castor bean and the absolute control in stem diameter, fruit number, yield, and polar and equatorial fruit diameter, as well as phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH). The application of R. communis extract (T50, T75, and T100) significantly improved plant performance compared to the control, particularly in yield (up to 270%), fruit number (73%), shoot biomass (up to 38%), and root development (up to 32%). Furthermore, increases in chlorophyll content and in antioxidant-related compounds were observed, including phenols, flavonoids, ABTS, and DPPH (up to 17%). Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong associations between structural and metabolic variables, highlighting the relationship between stem diameter, fruit traits, and bioactive compound accumulation, as well as the link between chlorophyll content and reproductive performance. The 1H NMR analysis indicated the presence of secondary metabolites such as ricin, unsaturated fatty acids, and phenolic compounds; however, their isolation and relationship with the biostimulant activity of the extract require further specific studies. Overall, foliar application of R. communis extract improved the growth, productivity, and biochemical attributes of jalapeño pepper, highlighting its potential as a sustainable alternative for crop management.
The frequency and intensity of heatwaves are increasing annually worldwide due to climate change. Combined with the urban heat island effect, elevated heat stress episodes threaten the survival and performance of urban trees, in turn reducing their ecosystem benefits. For this reason, the foliar heat tolerance of 35 Malus genotypes (two species, 32 cultivars, one variety, one hybrid) was evaluated under controlled laboratory assays. Heat injury to foliar tissue was quantified using chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) to assess photosystem II (PSII) damage and an electrolyte leakage index (ELI) to evaluate cellular membrane integrity. A preliminary dose–response experiment using six genotypes exposed to a temperature gradient (40–50 °C) was conducted to establish thermal response curves and derive LT50 values (temperature at 50% decline in Fv/Fm). These analyses confirmed substantial genotypic variation in thermal tolerance and identified 45 °C as an optimal discriminatory temperature for large-scale screening. This temperature was subsequently applied to assess heat injury across all 35 genotypes. Measurements were conducted in May (spring foliage) and August (summer foliage) to evaluate ontogenetic influences. In some instances, only one genotype was available for experimental purposes. Consequently, conclusions regarding genotypic differences in heat tolerance are based on replicated datasets, whereas genotypes represented by single-tree sampling are presented for descriptive purposes only. Heat stress significantly affected Fv/Fm and ELI, with strong genotype and seasonal effects recorded. In most genotypes, foliar damage was greater in spring than in summer. Good correlations between Fv/Fm and ELI confirmed their value as complementary physiological measures of heat tolerance in plants. Of the 35 genotypes evaluated, Malus sargentii, M. ‘Prairifire’, M. baccata ‘Jackii’, M. ‘Royal Fountain Huber’ and M. Donald Wyman were the most heat tolerant. The substantial variation in foliar heat tolerance detected across the 35 genotypes tested demonstrates potential for selecting Malus genotypes with superior foliar heat tolerance and highlights opportunities for identifying heat resilient candidates among other under-utilized urban tree taxa.
Epiphytic and leafless orchids possess specialized root structures and host diverse associated microorganisms, which may contribute to their adaptation to limited access to water, nutrients, and photosynthetic tissues. Microscopic, anatomical, and molecular analyses of aerial and substrate roots of Chiloschista lunifera (Rchb.f.) J.J.Sm. revealed consistent phototrophic microbial biofilms on the velamen surface. These biofilms comprised filamentous and unicellular cyanobacteria, singular bacterial cells, and green algae. Morphological characterisation identified cyanobacteria belonging to five taxonomic orders, which are Chroococcales, Chroococcidiopsidales, Nostocales, Leptolyngbyales, and Synechococcales. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing confirmed cyanobacterial dominance, with Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC 7203 strongly prevalent in root wash samples (up to 99.99% relative abundance), while root homogenate samples harboured a more diverse assemblage including Phormidiaceae, Leptolyngbya, Scytonema, and Calothrix. In addition, a green alga from Watanabeales (Jaagichlorella sp.) was identified based on morphological characteristics. TEM showed diverse cyanobacterial forms and unicellular green algae with well-developed photosynthetic structures. Root anatomy differed between root types. Substrate roots exhibited an inverted kidney-shaped transverse profile, whereas aerial roots were circular, with differences in velamen distribution reflecting adaptation for water retention and substrate attachment. Branched root hairs occurred on substrate roots, while aerial roots possessed unbranched root hairs, indicating functional specialization. Autofluorescence analysis revealed lignified tissues and abundant cortical chloroplasts, suggesting a photosynthetic role of the roots that may compensate for leaflessness. These findings enhance our understanding of the anatomical and ultrastructural features of epiphytic leafless orchid roots and may support future conservation and propagation efforts.
Soil salinity as a major abiotic stressor has significantly affected crop production worldwide. However, plants have developed complex signaling networks that enable them to adapt and cope with such environmental shifts. Recent research has demonstrated the involvement of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in signaling cascades that link plant development with stress tolerance management. Similarly, glutathione (GSH), a non-enzyme antioxidant, and a vital tripeptide, has been found to protect plants from oxidative damage and regulate metabolic functions under abiotic stress. As a potential scavenger of ROS, GSH maintains cellular redox homeostasis through the ascorbate-GSH cycle and acts as a signaling molecule for the sulfur-status of plants. This review focusses on: (i) revisiting the concept and current status of soil salinity; (ii) highlighting its impact at cellular and whole-plant levels; (iii) elucidating the role of a H2S and GSH in plant salt stress tolerance; and (iv) exploring the potential interactive roles of H2S and GSH in mitigating salinity impacts. This review will provide valuable insights into the complex network involving H2S and GSH, suggesting pathways for developing climate-resilient crops.
The availability of water is a limiting factor for the growth and productivity of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims). The use of bioregulators has been investigated as a strategy to mitigate the effects of abiotic stress. Different concentrations of SNP were evaluated on growth, gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, and enzymatic activity in Passiflora edulis seedlings under different water conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, with two irrigation conditions (80 and 30% of field capacity), combined with three concentrations of SNP (50, 100 and 250 µM) and water (control), with five replications. Water deficit reduced morphological, physiological, and enzymatic parameters. The application of SNP increased root fresh mass (23.56 g at the 100 µM dose) and leaf dry mass (8.21 g at 250 µM SNP), with increases of 24.52% and 30.52% compared to the values obtained under the 50 µM dose, respectively. The highest number of leaves (14) and leaf area (1183.3 cm2) was observed at 250 µM SNP, corresponding to increases of 7.70% and 17.27%, respectively, compared to plants without SNP application. Water deficit reduced growth, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and enzymatic activity. SNP promotes improvements in growth; however, it does not mitigate water deficit effects in Passiflora edulis seedlings.
Champereia manillana (Bl.) Merr. var. longistaminea is an evergreen small tree. It belongs to the genus Champereia Griff. (Opiliaceae), and its tender leaves or flower buds can be eaten. It also has important medicinal and nutritional values. Wild populations of C. manillana are small and has a phenomenon of deforestation. Market development is hindered by propagation constraints, including low seed germination rates and poor rooting of cuttings. Standardized cultivation protocols are currently lacking. This paper systematically reviews the current status of propagation and cultivation research on C. manillana and analyzed the primary challenges. Recent research indicated that seed germination obstacles had been preliminarily overcome, and 50% shading was identified as the optimal cultivation condition. However, challenges remain, including slow growth, lack of standardized water and fertilizer management, and unclear molecular mechanisms regulating development. Future research should focus on improving vegetative propagation efficiency, elucidating growth mechanisms via multi-omics, and establishing standardized cultivation protocols from breeding to harvest. These strategies are essential for the sustainable utilization of C. manillana resources.
Effective utilization of plant genetic resources requires agro-morphological evaluation of collections across diverse growing regions. The objectives of this study are to assess genetic diversity and estimate genetic parameters through morphological traits of Bambara groundnut. The study was conducted over two growing seasons at the SUSTLIVES project site in Gampela (Central Burkina Faso) using an RCBD with three replicates. A total of eight qualitative and eight quantitative traits were used to estimate variability within a collection of 153 landraces. The results revealed a substantial variability in all the qualitative traits, with the number of modalities ranging from 2 to 10, seed color being the variable trait. Based on qualitative traits related to seed, the landraces were grouped into 12 morpho-groups. The analysis of variance showed the presence of significant variation between landraces and across years and their interactions for all of the quantitative traits. The heritability values ranged from 46.12% (seed weight per plant) to 88.66% (days to 90% maturity). The landraces KKou4, KKou2, ODap3, ODap4, KLay68, BPle2, KTog6, KSag11, ZMag4 and ODap1 were identified as high-yielding landraces. Future selection efforts for Bambara groundnut should therefore continue to evaluate the genotypes that have a high potential for grain yield under various pedoclimatic environments of the country.
Pathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum are major soilborne fungal pathogens responsible for Fusarium wilt in tomato, leading to significant yield losses worldwide. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of rhizospheric bacterial isolates from argan (Argania spinosa) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) soils through an integrated approach combining in vitro screening, greenhouse validation, and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 27 bacterial isolates were screened for antifungal activity using dual culture assays, of which ten exhibited more than 50% inhibition of fungal growth. Selected isolates were further evaluated for volatile organic compound (VOC)-mediated inhibition. Despite strong in vitro performance for several isolates, greenhouse experiments revealed that antifungal activity in vitro was not a reliable predictor of in planta efficacy. Among the tested isolates, BSA25, BSA23, and BSF8 significantly reduced disease severity and incidence under greenhouse conditions, with BSA25 achieving the greatest suppression. In addition to disease control, certain isolates promoted plant growth under pathogen stress, indicating dual functionality as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis (Neighbor-Joining, Kimura 2-parameter) revealed that the isolates belong to PGPR-associated genera, including Bacillus and Pseudomonas, while also highlighting functional variability among closely related taxa. Overall, this study demonstrates that multi-trait evaluation, integrating mechanistic screening and in planta validation, provides a more reliable framework for selecting effective biocontrol agents. The identified isolates, particularly BSA25, represent promising candidates for further evaluation for sustainable management of Fusarium wilt in tomato production systems.
In response to the need for a simple, non-destructive method for evaluating avocado ripeness, we measured chlorophyll-related fluorescence and chromaticity of the outer skin using simple optical equipment and evaluated their relationship with whole-fruit compression (wfc), which was used as a firmness-based ripeness index. A compact system consisting of a blue LED excitation source and a small spectrometer was used to measure fluorescence spectra, and a commercially available colorimeter was used to evaluate chromaticity. Hass avocado samples purchased from multiple retail stores in Japan and stored for different periods were examined. The combination of the fluorescence intensity ratio I740/I685 and the lightness parameter L* showed a moderate correlation with wfc, with R2 = 0.48. The fluorescence ratio I740/I685 was treated not as a direct measure of chlorophyll content, but as a spectral index associated with ripening-related changes in avocado skin, including chlorophyll-related fluorescence and skin optical properties. These results suggest that the combination of simple blue LED-excited fluorescence and chromaticity measurements may be useful as a practical screening approach for roughly estimating avocado ripeness in commercially available fruit.
Argan tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels), an endemic Moroccan species, is widely recognized for its traditional medicinal and nutritional uses. It has long been employed to promote skin and cardiovascular health, regulate blood glucose levels, and support overall wellbeing. Traditionally, different parts of the argan tree, including argan oil, leaves, and other plant-derived preparations, have been used to manage various health conditions such as diabetes, gastritis, gastric ulcers, rheumatism, joint and muscle pain, skin disorders including acne, eczema, and inflammation, as well as wound healing and dental problems. This narrative critical review compiles and evaluates current knowledge on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of argan tree to support its evidence-based application. Relevant literature was collected from major English and French scientific databases, focusing on studies addressing the plant and its principal bioactive constituents. Ethnobotanical data indicate the extensive use of argan oil, leaves, and other plant parts in traditional remedies and dietary practices. Phytochemical investigations reveal a rich composition dominated by unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and polyphenolic compounds. Experimental studies highlight a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and anti-obesity effects, along with emerging applications in nanotechnology. Toxicological findings generally suggest low toxicity and good safety profiles under tested conditions. Overall, A. spinosa exhibits substantial ethnopharmacological relevance and diverse bioactivities, supporting its continued exploration for nutraceutical and therapeutic applications.
Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) rootstocks play a key role in modern intensive orchard systems, where their accurate identification is essential for breeding, nursery production, and certification of planting material. This is particularly important in Kazakhstan, a recognized center of origin of cultivated apple, where local germplasm remains insufficiently characterized at the molecular level. In this study, we integrated simple sequence repeat (SSR) genotyping and morphological trait analysis to develop a reliable approach for the identification of clonal apple rootstocks cultivated in Kazakhstan. Five widely used rootstocks (Zhetysu 5, ARM-18, B-7-35, M9, and B9) were analyzed using 17 polymorphic SSR markers and 30 vegetative traits. SSR analysis revealed moderate genetic polymorphism (PIC = 0.28–0.54; He = 0.35–0.58) and enabled clear discrimination among all studied genotypes. Cluster analysis based on genetic distances grouped rootstocks according to their genetic similarity, reflecting their origin and differentiation. Morphological evaluation demonstrated significant phenotypic variability and identified correlations among key vegetative traits related to plant vigor and leaf development. The integration of molecular and morphological data allowed the development of comprehensive genotype profiles (“molecular–morphological passports”) for each rootstock, ensuring their reliable identification. The proposed approach provides a practical framework for the certification of planting material and the management of apple genetic resources in Kazakhstan. It can be applied to improve nursery systems, support breeding programs, and ensure the production of true-to-type planting material in modern horticulture.
