Full Bloom Stage Research Articles

Effect of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) on quality, berry set and coloration of ‘Alphonse Lavallée’ table grapes

AbstractThe effect of different concentrations of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG; 0 (control), 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/l), an ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, on grape berry set and fruit quality was evaluated under vineyard conditions. Treatments were performed on ‘Alphonse Lavallée’ grape cultivar at full bloom stage for two years. Cluster and berry growth (length, width and weight), firmness, soluble solids content, yield, berry set, anthocyanin content and colour parameters were determined on treated and untreated (control) fruits. As a result of the study, the effects of AVG concentrations on firmness were not significant. When AVG applications were compared with control, it is determined that some quality properties were statistically affected, the others were not. Fruit set was increased by lower concentrations of AVG (250 mg/l) and anthocyanin content was increased by higher concentrations of AVG (750 mg/l).

Effect of Soil and Foliar Applications of Micronutrients on Flowering and Yield of Mango

The experiment was carried out during the spring and summer seasons of the year 2017-18 and 2018-19 at the Horticultural Research Farm, AAU, Anand to study the “Effect of soil and foliar applications of micronutrients on flowering and yield of mango variety”. The experimentcomprised of 13 treatments of different micronutrients application viz. FeSO4 100 g, ZnSO4 100 g, Borax 100 g and multimicronutrients grade-V 400 g as a soil application; FeSO4 0.5 %, ZnSO4 0.5 %, borax 0.2 % and multimicronutrients grade-IV 1.0 % as a foliar application and its combinassions and control (water spray). Soil application was done at second fortnight of September and foliar sprays of treatments were done at flower bud initiation, full bloom stage and pea stage initiationon 18 years old mango tree cv. Mallika. Experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three repetitions. Numbers of staminate, hermaphrodite and total number of flowers per panicle were found significant with respect to various micronutrients treatments during both the years of experiment. Maximum staminate flowers per panicle, hermaphrodite flowers per panicle and total number of flowers per panicle was found with soil application of multimicronutrients grade-V 400 g followed by foliar application of multimicronutrients grade-IV 1.0 % during both the years of study. The significantly higher number of fruits, average fruit weight and fruit yield per tree were recorded with soil application of multimicronutrients grade-V 400 g followed by foliar application of multimicronutrients grade-IV 1.0 % during the years 2017-18 and 2018-19.

English

Alfalfa is an important legume forage with high nutritional quality. Harvest stage has an essential impact on alfalfa hay yield and nutritional quality. However, there is no clear indication about the effects of harvest time on the production performance, overwintering rate and economic benefits of alfalfa under drip irrigation. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the impact of harvesting at bud stage (FB), 5% flowering stage (F5%), 15% flowering stage (F15%), and full bloom stage (F50%) on hay yield and quality, and economic benefits of two alfalfa cultivars i.e.,WL354HQ and Magnum551. Harvesting time had significant effect on hay yield of both cultivars (P ≤0.05) and the order of total dry matter yield (TDMY)was: F5%> F15%> F50%> FB. The alfalfa crude protein (CP)content of each cutting in alfalfa decreased gradually with the advance of the harvest stage, while the neutral detergent fiber (NDF)and acid detergent fiber (ADF)contents gradually increased. A comprehensive analysis of alfalfa dry matter yield(DMY), quality and overwintering rate was used to analyze the fuzzy similarity priority ratio, and the priority ranking was as follows: FB> F5%> F15%> F50%.Maximum economic benefits of both alfalfa cultivars were obtained atF5%harvest time, reaching 2703$ha-1 (WL354HQ) and 2585 $ha-1(Magnum551), followed by FB, F15%, and F50%. Therefore, in order to get more hay yield and economic returns, harvesting at 5% flowering stage of alfalfa seemed viable option under drip irrigation.© 2021 Friends Science Publishers

Investigation on reproductive characteristics of Polygonatum cyrtonema

The study is aimed to investigate the reproductive biology characteristics of Polygonatum cyrtonema, especially including phenology, flower bud differentiation, flowering timing, floral traits, pollen vigor and stigma receptivity. The results showed that P. cyrtonema forms inflorescence before the leaves spread. In the wild, P. cyrtonema is mainly pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, with a seed setting rate of 65.12%. The seed setting rate of indoor single plant isolation or self-pollination enclosed by parchment paper bag is 0, indicating that it is self-incompatible. In Lin'an city, seedlings begin to emerge from mid-March to early April(the temperature is higher than 7.5 ℃), buds begin to emerge from the end of March to mid-April, and then undergo the full bloom stage from mid-to-late April, and the final flowering stage from the end of April to mid-May. The whole flowering period lasts 36 to 45 days. There are obvious differences in the phenology of different provenances. The flowers come into bloom from the base to the top along the aboveground main axis, which usually contain 4-22 inflorescences with(2-) 4-10(-21) flowers per inflorescence. The flowering pe-riod for a single plant is 26-38 days. The single flower lasts about 20-25 days from budding to opening and withers 2 days after pollination, and then the ovary will gradually expand. If unpollinated, it will continue to bloom for 3-5 days and then wither. Flower development period is significantly related to pollen vigor and stigma remittance. The pollen viability is the highest when the flower is fully opened with anthers gathering on the stigma, and the receptivity is the strongest when the stigma protrudes out of the perianth and secretes mucus. The fruits and seeds ripen in October, and proper shading can ensure the smooth development and maturity of the seeds. This study provides a basis for the hybrid breeding and seed production of P. cyrtonema.

The use of differential thermal analysis in determining the critical temperatures of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) flower buds at different stages of bud burst

Many studies to date on the response of cherry flower buds to frost have focused on visual evaluations by observing tissue browning after frost event in the orchard and laboratory conditions but only little knowledge is available on the consequences of intracellular ice formation on cellular ultrastructure that underlies exothermic reactions during bud burst stages. In this study, the differential thermal analysis (DTA) method was used to investigate critical frost temperatures for the sweet cherry cultivars '0900-Ziraat', 'Erzincan Macar', 'Lambert', 'Vista', 'Stella', and 'Early Burlat' under laboratory-based freeze assays. In the course of our experimental study, frost tolerance or cell death points (CDPs) of flowers of six cherry cultivars were investigated in consecutive phenological stages from the start to the end of blooming, for 2 years. The frost tolerance of flower buds changed according to different developmental stages and cherry cultivars. Our results of frost tolerance tests performed on the cherry blooming stages are rather controversial. Our findings have shown that at the open cluster stage, the frost tolerance of the flower buds is very sensitive (mCDP = -1.18°C for 'Lambert'), while the first white stage has revealed an important increase (mCDP= -9.96°C for '0900-Ziraat') in the frost tolerance of those. Averaged over 2 years, the temperatures causing 50% frost damage for flower buds were -2.08 to -3.76°C at the side green stage, -1.49 to -3.22°C at the green tip stage, -1.18 to -1.98°C at the open cluster stage, -7.92 to -9.96°C at the first white stage, and -6.29 to -9.36°C at the full bloom stage in the range of six cultivars. Based on our test results, '0900-Ziraat' and 'Vista' were regularly classified as frost-tolerant cultivars. The flower buds of 'Lambert' and 'Early Burlat' have been regularly the most sensitive, while 'Erzincan Macar' and 'Stella' were ranked into the group of medium sensitivity. These results can help farmers to estimate possible frost damages on sweet cherry flower buds due to frost events at the investigated phenological stages.

Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of Blue Flower Color Formation in Hydrangea macrophylla cv. "Forever Summer".

Hydrangea macrophylla has a large inflorescence and rich colors, which has made it one of the most popular ornamental flowers worldwide. Thus far, the molecular mechanism of flower color formation in H. macrophylla flowers is unknown. By comparing the pigment content and transcriptome data of the bud period (FSF1), discoloration period (FSF2) and full-bloom stage (FSF3) of infertile blue flowers of H. macrophylla cv. “Forever Summer,” we found that genes associated with anthocyanin production were most associated with the formation of blue infertile flowers throughout development. The anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway is the main metabolic pathway associated with flower color formation, and the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway appeared to have almost no contribution to flower color. There was no competition between the flavonoid and flavonol and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways for their substrate. At FSF1, the key genes CHS and CHI in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were up-regulated, underlying the accumulation of a substrate for anthocyanin synthesis. By FSF3, the downstream genes F3H, C3′5′H, CYP75B1, DFR, and ANS in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were almost all up-regulated, likely promoting the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins and inducing the color change of infertile flowers. By analyzing protein–protein interaction networks and co-expression of transcription factors as well as differentially expressed structural genes related to anthocyanin synthesis, we identified negatively regulated transcription factors such as WER-like, MYB114, and WDR68. Their site of action may be the key gene DFR in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. The potential regulatory mechanism of flower color formation may be that WER-like, MYB114, and WDR68 inhibit or promote the synthesis of anthocyanins by negatively regulating the expression of DFR. These results provide an important basis for studying the infertile flower color formation mechanism in H. macrophylla and the development of new cultivars with other colors.

Evaluation of Physiological Characteristics, Soluble Sugars, Organic Acids and Volatile Compounds in 'Orin' Apples (Malus domestica) at Different Ripening Stages.

‘Orin’ is a popular apple cultivar, which has a yellow-green appearance, pleasant taste, and unique aroma. However, few studies on the fruit quality characteristics of ‘Orin’ apples have been reported before. In this study, changes of the physiological characteristics were measured at different ripening stages, and the soluble sugars and organic acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Volatile compounds were identified using the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). During the fruit ripening, the ‘Orin’ apple fruit weight, size, and total soluble solid were gradually increased by contrast with the titratable acidity, and the firmness decreased. The content of four soluble sugars reached the maximum at the 180 days after full bloom (DAFB) stage. Malic acid was measured as the most abundant organic acid in ‘Orin’ apples. Ethyl butyrate, hexyl propanoate, hexyl acetate and butyl acetate belonging to esters with high odor activity values (OAVs) could be responsible for the typical aroma of ‘Orin’ apples. The aim of this work was to provide information on the flavor characteristics of ‘Orin’ apples and promote this apple cultivar for marketing and processing in the future.

Transcriptomic Analysis of the Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway Reveals the Molecular Mechanism Associated with Purple Color Formation in Dendrobium Nestor.

Dendrobium nestor is a famous orchid species in the Orchidaceae family. There is a diversity of flower colorations in the Dendrobium species, but knowledge of the genes involved and molecular mechanism underlying the flower color formation in D. nestor is less studied. Therefore, we performed transcriptome profiling using Illumina sequencing to facilitate thorough studies of the purple color formation in petal samples collected at three developmental stages, namely—flower bud stage (F), half bloom stage (H), and full bloom stage (B) in D. nestor. In addition, we identified key genes and their biosynthetic pathways as well as the transcription factors (TFs) associated with purple flower color formation. We found that the phenylpropanoid–flavonoid–anthocyanin biosynthesis genes such as phenylalanine ammonia lyase, chalcone synthase, anthocyanidin synthase, and UDP-flavonoid glucosyl transferase, were largely up-regulated in the H and B samples as compared to the F samples. This upregulation might partly account for the accumulation of anthocyanins, which confer the purple coloration in these samples. We further identified several differentially expressed genes related to phytohormones such as auxin, ethylene, cytokinins, salicylic acid, brassinosteroid, and abscisic acid, as well as TFs such as MYB and bHLH, which might play important roles in color formation in D. nestor flower. Sturdy upregulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic structural genes might be a potential regulatory mechanism in purple color formation in D. nestor flowers. Several TFs were predicted to regulate the anthocyanin genes through a K-mean clustering analysis. Our study provides valuable resource for future studies to expand our understanding of flower color development mechanisms in D. nestor.

Zinc biofortification of dual-purpose cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] for enhancing the productivity and nutritional quality in a semi-arid regions of India

ABSTRACT Zinc deficient soils cause low crop production leading to malnutrition in humans and livestock. Two years field experiments were conducted on cowpea crop with six ZnSO4·H2O (33%) treatments viz. no Zn, soil application of 16 kg ZnSO4·H2O ha−1 (SZn), one foliar spray of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at early bloom (EB) stage (F1Zn), two foliar sprays of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at EB and full bloom (FB) stages (F2Zn) and combination of soil application + foliar sprays of ZnSO4.H2O (SZn+F1Zn and SZn+F2Zn) were tested. The results showed that soil application of 16 kg ha−1 of ZnSO4·H2O followed by two foliar sprays of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at EB (R1) and FB (R2) stages recorded maximum increase in grain yield (43.7%) and grain Zn content (22.7%) over control. However, in straw, a three-fold increase in Zn content was recorded. Foliar applications of 0.3% ZnSO4·H2O at EB and EB+FB stages recorded a significant increase in grain (8.2% and 11.4%) and straw Zn content (63.0% and 104.0%) over control. In conclusion, combination of soil (SZn) + foliar (F2Zn) Zn application method was most remunerative with maximum production and monetary efficiencies (15 kg ha−1 day−1 and $7.5 ha−1 day−1) and is an effective approach for grain and straw Zn biofortification in cowpea.

Genome-wide association study identifies novel loci and candidate genes for drought stress tolerance in rapeseed

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is one of the most important oil crops worldwide; however, drought seriously curtails its growth and productivity. Identifying drought-tolerant germplasm is an efficient strategy for addressing water shortages. Here, we phenotyped a panel of 264 B. napus accessions at full-bloom stage using water loss ratio (WLR) as drought-tolerant index. It identified 8 low-WLR and 6 high-WLR accessions, regarded as drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive, respectively. Comparing with drought-sensitive accessions at the seedling stage, drought-tolerant accessions had shown better performance in maintaining fresh and dry weights, and performed the higher expression of drought-induced marker genes under drought stress. Subsequently, a total of 139 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) were identified associated with the WLR using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) among 264 B. napus accessions, with the largest number SNPs at chromosome A10, and 13 SNPs significantly were associated with the WLR (–log10 (p-value) > 6). Furthermore, 4 putative candidate genes (BnaC09.RPS6, BnaC09.MATE, BnaA10.PPD5 and BnaC09.Histone) were screened involving in drought tolerance in B. napus. Together, our results highlight the WLR's importance in drought tolerance and establish the foundation for improving WLR-associated drought tolerance in rapeseed.

Effects of Applying Lactic Acid Bacteria and Molasses on the Fermentation Quality, Protein Fractions and In Vitro Digestibility of Baled Alfalfa Silage

Alfalfa sometimes cannot be harvested in time due to the rainy season. To improve the fermentation quality, protein quality and digestibility of alfalfa silage harvested late, Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and molasses were applied in an actual production process in this study. Alfalfa harvested at the full bloom stage was ensiled with (1) distilled water (control), (2) 1 × 106 colony-forming units LP/g fresh matter, (3) 15 g molasses/kg fresh matter (M) or (4) LP + M (LPM) for 55 days. Alfalfa ensiled with LP and/or molasses showed significantly lower pH and ammonia nitrogen contents than the control silage (p < 0.05). All additive treatments decreased nonprotein nitrogen contents and preserved more true protein (p < 0.05). However, molasses increased the acid detergent insoluble nitrogen content in the protein fractions (p < 0.05). The LP significantly improved the maximal cumulative gas production and the maximum gas production rate (p < 0.05) in the in vitro trial. Finally, both LP and molasses improved the neutral detergent fiber digestibility of the alfalfa silage (p < 0.05). The LP and molasses improved fermentation quality and digestibility and preserved more true protein in baled alfalfa silage harvested late in an actual production process. The LP utilized the excessive molasses and partially ameliorated its negative effects of causing higher acid detergent insoluble nitrogen content.

Survey and surveillance of pollinators in mango ecosystem

A total 13 insect species were observed visiting on mango flowers and maximum population of floralvisitors belonged to order Diptera (Blow flies, Chrysomya megacephala Fab.; Syrphid flies, Syrphus sp., Eristalinus arvorum Fab. and house fly, Musca domestica) followed by Hymenopteran bees (Apis florea Fab.; Apis cerana indica Fab.; Apis mellifera L.; Apis dorsata Fab. and Tetragonula iridipennis Smith), Wasp, Vespula orientalis L.; and Red ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fab.). Maximum intensity of pollinators or visitors was observed during full bloom stage of the crop and highest activity was recorded on the middle portion of the tree canopy (2.05 pollinators or visitors/panicle/5 minutes) followed by lower and top portion of the tree canopy. Whereas, maximum pollinators or visitors was recorded on south direction (2.17 /panicle) followed by north, west and east direction

Yield Response of Determinate Chipping Potato to Artificial Defoliation.

The relationship between canopy defoliation by insects and yield loss in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) has been extensively researched. However, detailed analysis of varieties with different properties and examination of methods of defoliation are still lacking. Absence of research results has led many producers to use a very conservative economic threshold (ET) of 10% defoliation in the management of insect defoliators. A series of leaf removal experiments was conducted on a determinate chipping variety of potato at different plant stages. In 2002, the highest levels of defoliation induced upon the plant canopy were 50, 30, and 75% for tuber initiation, full bloom, and plant maturity stages, respectively. In 2003, defoliation levels were increased to 70, 80, and 90% for tuber initiation, full bloom, and plant maturity, respectively. Total yield was unaffected, and no significant changes in market sized yield, or number of marketable tubers were observed at any growth stage in either year. Because the determinate variety showed remarkable ability to recover from substantial defoliation, two different methods of defoliation: hand cut (cutting the edge of leaves with scissors while avoiding the midrib) and hole punching (hole-punching leaf tissue [15.08-mm diameter] while avoiding midrib) were tested. Although total yield was unaffected, marketable yield and small potato yield were reduced, Thus, although defoliation methods must be considered, a 10% defoliation ET is exceedingly conservative and an ET of 60% for all stages of determinate chipping potato could be adopted by growers.

The Quality of Greek Oregano (O. vulgare L. Subsp. hirtum (Link) Ietswaart) and Common Oregano (O. vulgare L. Subsp. vulgare) Cultivated in the Temperate Climate of Central Europe.

The purpose of the study was to determine the differences between two subspecies: O. vulgare L. subsp. hirtum (Link) Ietswaart (Greek oregano) and O. vulgare L. subsp. vulgare (common oregano) growing in cultivation conditions within temperate climate of Central Europe. The characteristic of the subspecies was undertaken in terms of selected morphological parameters and the quality of the raw material. The herb of both subspecies was evaluated on the content and composition of essential oil by hydrodistillation followed by GC-MS and GC-FID (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and flame ionization detector), the total content of phenolic acids (according to PP 6th ed.) and the content of rosmarinic acid (by HPLC). The sensory evaluation (QDA) was performed, as well. Greek oregano was distinguished by visibly higher number of glandular trichomes on the leaves (up to 4.85 per 1 mm2) followed by higher content of essential oil in the herb (up to 3.36 g × 100 g−1 DW) in comparison to common oregano. Based on the essential oil composition, Greek oregano was classified as mixed carvacrol/γ-terpinene chemotype, while common oregano as mixed sabinyl/cymyl type rich in sesquiterpenes. Greek oregano was also characterized by higher total content of phenolic acids (up to 6.16 g × 100 g−1 DW) and rosmarinic acid (up to 6787.2 mg × 100 g−1 DW) than common oregano. Essential oil content reached the maximum at the beginning of blooming (common oregano) and at the full blooming stage (Greek oregano). In turn, the amount of phenolic acids followed by rosmarinic acid was the highest at the beginning of seed-setting stage, in the case of both subspecies. The differences between subspecies concerning chemical composition (especially essential oil) were reflected in the sensory attributes, where both odor and taste notes were found at higher level for Greek oregano. Results of our work indicate that Greek oregano is well adapted to grow in the temperate zone conditions. Such adaptation was reflected mainly in the satisfied yield and maintaining characters typical for the Mediterranean plant, e.g., a high essential oil content followed by high carvacrol share, traits the most important from practice viewpoint.

Karabuğday (Fagophyrum esculentum Moench)’da Hasat Zamanının Ot ve Tohum Verimi ile Bazı Özelliklere Etkileri

Araştırma Erzurum sulu şartlarında karabuğday (Fagophyrum esculentum Moench)’ın ot ve tohum üretiminde hasat zamanını belirlemek amacıyla 2018 ve 2019 yıllarında yürütülmüştür. Tesadüf blokları deneme deseninde üç tekerrürlü olarak yürütülen çalışmada, ot ve tohum üretimi için ayrı ayrı denemeler kurulmuştur. Ot hasatları çiçeklenme başlangıcı, yarı çiçeklenme ve tam çiçeklenme dönemlerinde; tohum hasatları ise %50 tohum olgunlaştırma, %75 tohum olgunlaştırma ve %100 tohum olgunlaştırma dönemlerinde yapılmıştır. Araştırmada kuru madde verimi, bitki boyu, yaprak oranı, ham protein oranı, ADF ve NDF oranı, tohum verimi, 1000-tane ağırlığı ve hasat indeksi incelenmiştir. Hasat zamanının gecikmesi kuru madde verimi, tohum verimi, bitki boyu, yaprak oranı ve otun ADF ve NDF oranını artırmıştır. En yüksek kuru madde verimi (478.4 kg/da) tam çiçeklenme, en yüksek tohum verimi (162.9 kg/da) tam olgunlaşma döneminde elde edilmiştir. Ot kalitesinde bir miktar kayıp olmasına rağmen ot için hasatların tam çiçeklenme döneminde yapılması uygun bulunmuştur. Tohum üretimlerinde ise salkımlardaki tohumların tamamen olgunlaşmasını beklemek gerekmektedir.

Carbon substrates exert a stronger role than mineral nitrogen application in structuring soil diazotroph communities during Chinese milk vetch growth

Carbon (C) quality and quantity and nitrogen (N) availability are known to play a crucial role in influencing diazotroph community structure in soils and they are commonly affected by crop residue management and fertilizer application. However, a full understanding of how C and N interactions contribute to shaping soil diazotroph communities remains elusive. An experiment comparing two different C substrates (rice straw vs. glucose) plus low to high rates of mineral N application was conducted in two paddy soils with contrasting pH (pH = 6.05 and 7.85) with Chinese milk vetch (CMV) growth. Soils were sampled during the full blooming stage of CMV and diazotroph community structure was characterized using the nifH marker gene. The results showed that the diazotroph community responded differently to C substrates (straw and glucose) depending upon the C availability. In both soils, mineral N addition decreased nifH gene copy numbers in the straw-included treatments, but not in the glucose-included soils. Compared to the straw-included soils, glucose addition resulted in less α-diversity of diazotroph. Meanwhile, diazotroph community structure was clustered into different groups by the C sources, and marginally affected by N levels. These results suggested that the responses of the diazotroph community to N supply were regulated by C availability. Glucose addition decreased the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium compared to straw incorporation (16.0%–25.9% vs. 19.5%–38.2%), but significantly increased the abundance of the second most dominant genus Geobacter (12.8%–23.7% vs. 4.1%–8.7%). In addition, the diazotroph diversity and community structure were less responsive to straw, glucose and mineral N addition in the lower vs. high pH soils. Overall, the results suggest that the responses of diazotrophs to N availability rely on C availability in paddy soils, and that C substrates exert a stronger influence than mineral N application in structuring diazotroph communities.

Nutritional value, bioactivity, and application potential of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) as a neotype feed resource.

The large-scale development of herbivorous animal husbandry in China has increased the demand for forage products. However, due to scarce land resources and poor soil quality, forage is in short supply. In particular, high-quality forage in China heavily relies on imports. The contradiction between supply and demand for forage grass products is increasingly notable. Therefore, the development of indigenous new forage resources with a strong ecological adaptability and a high nutritional value is a key to solving this problem. Jerusalem artichoke (JA, Helianthus tuberosus L.), a perennial herb of the genus Helianthus, has advantageous growth traits such as resistance to salinity, barrenness, drought, cold, and disease. The contents of crude protein, crude fiber, and calcium in the optimal harvest period of forage-type JA straw are comparable to those of alfalfa hay at the full bloom stage and the straw of ryegrass and corn at the mature stage. Inulin in JA tubers is a functional ingredient that has prebiotic effects in the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric animals and young ruminants. In addition, some bioactive substances (e.g. flavonoids, phenolic acids, sesquiterpenes, polysaccharides, and amino acids) in JA leaves and flowers have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant functions as well as toxicities to cancer cells. These functional ingredients may provide effective alternatives to antibiotics used in livestock production. In this review, we summarized the potentials of JA as a feed ingredient from the aspects of nutritional value and fermenting characteristics of the straw, the functions of physiological regulation and disease prevention of inulin in the tubers, and bioactive substances in the leaves and flowers.

Enhancement of antioxidant and storability of Hollywood plum cultivar by preharvest treatments with moringa leaf extract and some nutrients

BackgroundPlum fruit has a short shelf life with a rapid deterioration in quality after harvest. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preharvest treatments by moringa leaf extract (MLE), boric acid (B), and chelated calcium (Ca EDTA) on Hollywood plum fruit quality attributes bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity during cold storage. Plum trees were sprayed twice: at full bloom stage and 1 month later with T1, 5% MLE + 1% B + 2% Ca EDTA; T2, 5% MLE + 2% B + 3% Ca EDTA; T3, 10% MLE + 1% B + 2% Ca EDTA; T4, 10% MLE + 2% B + 3% Ca EDTA; and T5, water only as control. At maturity stage, fruits were harvested and stored at 0 ± 1 °C and RH 85–90% for 8 weeks.ResultsAt the end of storage, all studied treatments exhibited significantly higher sensory quality: firmness, color, soluble solid content:titratable acidity ratio, total anthocyanin content, total flavonoids content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity than control.ConclusionsIt could be concluded that preharvest treatment with moringa leaf extract, boric acid, and chelated calcium could be a safe and eco-friendly to improve and maintain plum quality attributes and especially their content of antioxidant compounds during cold storage periods.

Suitability of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) harvested at two stages of maturity to ensiling and methane production

A sustainable biogas production requires the use of a biomass that is not in competition with food production and does not require a high energy input for its production. Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) was evaluated at ensiling to establish its suitability for methane production. The cardoon was harvested at full bloom (Stage I) and seed ripening (Stage II), and was then treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Higher fermentative products (lactic acid and ethanol) and DM losses were determined at Stage I than at Stage II. The advanced stage of maturity (Stage II) determined a higher fiber content and lower methane yield per tonne of volatile solids than at Stage I. No difference was observed between the methane production at harvesting and that after ensiling, thus indicating the ability of the ensiling process to conserve most of the energy of the crop at harvesting.

Isolation and molecular characterization of NtMYB4a, a putative transcription activation factor involved in anthocyanin synthesis in tobacco.

The MYB transcription factors are involved in the regulation of plant secondary metabolism, cell development and morphogenesis, and stress response. Here, a full-length, 816-bp NtMYB4a cDNA, which encodes a protein comprising 271 amino acids, was isolated from tobacco leaves. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that NtMYB4a is most similar to Nicotiana. attenuata MYB4, followed by Eriobotrya japonica MYB4, and NtMYB4a clustered with transcriptional activators rather than repressors. Subcellular localization assays showed that NtMYB4 localized in the nucleus, membrane, and cytoplasm. Expression analyses revealed differential expression of NtMYB4a among different tissues and organs and between different developmental stages, with most expression occurring in the stems and leaves during the full-bloom stage. Moreover, NtMYB4a expression was induced by cold, NaCl, PEG, abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and dark stressors, and the expression patterns and maximum expression levels varied with the type of stress. Overexpression of NtMYB4a upregulated NtPAL, Nt4CL, NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtDFR, NtANS, and NtUFGT, which resulted in increased anthocyanin content in the tobacco corolla and darker colors. However, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of NtMYB4a downregulated NtPAL, NtC4H, Nt4CL, NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtANS, and NtUFGT, which resulted in reduced anthocyanin content, and lighter corolla colors. These results indicated that NtMYB4a positively regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis and is involved in abiotic stress responses in tobacco plants.