Ornamental Plants Research Articles

Perception and adoption of integrated plant disease management by family farmers in Ribeira Valley (São Paulo State, Brazil)

Family farming, crop diversity and traditional knowledge for plant diseases management characterize Ribeira Valley, São Paulo State, Brazil. Our aim was to diagnose the profile of family farmers from Registro, a municipality of Ribeira Valley, and to determine their perception and adoption of integrated plant disease management (IDM). Semi-structured questionnaire was conducted with farmers and data were analyzed by average, median, mode, Pearson's χ2 test and Monte Carlo simulation. Men and women are involved in farming, but men are prevalent (68%). There are few young people (18% were up to 30 years old), reaffirming their exodus from rural activities. These farmers grow and sell vegetable, fruit, medicinal, and ornamental plants, and they exchange information among themselves, with low demand for farm store sellers. Elimination of symptomatic plants is the main control (13% of strategies adopted). Crop residues elimination, crop rotation and resistant plants were also highlighted (12% each one). Most of the respondents did not know IDM concepts, and after the explanation, they agreed that it is possible put into practice. Dialogue between farmers is strategic for them to obtain information, and rural extension is important for the dialogical transmission of knowledge, and for IDM adoption and maintenance in small properties.

Identification and Characterization of the AREB/ABF Gene Family in Three Orchid Species and Functional Analysis of DcaABI5 in Arabidopsis

AREB/ABF (ABA response element binding) proteins in plants are essential for stress responses, while our understanding of AREB/ABFs from orchid species, important traditional medicinal and ornamental plants, is limited. Here, twelve AREB/ABF genes were identified within three orchids’ complete genomes and classified into three groups through phylogenetic analysis, which was further supported with a combined analysis of their conserved motifs and gene structures. The cis-element analysis revealed that hormone response elements as well as light and stress response elements were widely rich in the AREB/ABFs. A prediction analysis of the orchid ABRE/ABF-mediated regulatory network was further constructed through cis-regulatory element (CRE) analysis of their promoter regions. And it revealed that several dominant transcriptional factor (TF) gene families were abundant as potential regulators of these orchid AREB/ABFs. Expression profile analysis using public transcriptomic data suggested that most AREB/ABF genes have distinct tissue-specific expression patterns in orchid plants. Additionally, DcaABI5 as a homolog of ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) from Arabidopsis was selected for further analysis. The results showed that transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing DcaABI5 could rescue the ABA-insensitive phenotype in the mutant abi5. Collectively, these findings will provide valuable information on AREB/ABF genes in orchids.

Analysis of Customer Satisfaction with Seller of Aglaonema Flower Plants

Ornamental plants are a type of plant that provides additional aesthetic value. One of the ornamental plants that is currently trending and popular with consumers is the aglaonema flower. Humans always need the aglaonema flower ornamental plant to fulfill consumer satisfaction. The research aims to determine the level of consumer satisfaction with the seller of aglaonema ornamental plants in Tulus Rejo Village, Pekalongan District, East Lampung Regency. The research location is in Rejo Ikhlas Village, Pekalongan District, East Lampung Regency with the consideration that this area is a production center for sales of aglaonema flower ornamental plants. The research respondents were 30 consumers who bought Aglaonema flowers from within and outside the Pekalongan area, determined by the census method. The sampling technique was accidental sampling technique. The analysis used is Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA). The results of the research on the sale of decorative aglaonema flower plants in Tulus Rejo Village, Pekalongan District, East Lampung Regency are in the "satisfied" category, this can be seen from the calculation CSI of 71.20 percent, which means consumers are satisfied with the seller of aglaonema ornamental plants on the attributes of aglaonema ornamental plants having good quality and quality so that they succeed in satisfying consumers of aglaonema ornamental plants.

Nutrient availability and plant phenological stage influence the substrate microbiome in container-grown Impatiens walleriana ‘Xtreme Red’

BackgroundThe microbiome plays a fundamental role in plant health and performance. Soil serves as a reservoir of microbial diversity where plants attract microorganisms via root exudates. The soil has an important impact on the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome, but greenhouse ornamental plants are commonly grown in soilless substrates. While soil microbiomes have been extensively studied in traditional agriculture to improve plant performance, health, and sustainability, information about the microbiomes of soilless substrates is still limited. Thus, we conducted an experiment to explore the microbiome of a peat-based substrate used in container production of Impatiens walleriana, a popular greenhouse ornamental plant. We investigated the effects of plant phenological stage and fertilization level on the substrate microbiome.ResultsImpatiens plants grown under low fertilization rates were smaller and produced more flowers than plants grown under optimum and high fertilization. The top five bacterial phyla present in the substrate were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteriodota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Planctomycetota. We found a total of 2,535 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) grouped into 299 genera. The substrate core microbiome was represented by only 1.8% (48) of the identified ASV. The microbiome community composition was influenced by plant phenological stage and fertilizer levels. Phenological stage exhibited a stronger influence on microbiome composition than fertilizer levels. Differential abundance analysis using DESeq2 identified more ASVs significantly affected (enriched or depleted) in the high fertilizer levels at flowering. As observed for community composition, the effect of plant phenological stage on microbial community function was stronger than fertilizer level. Phenological stage and fertilizer treatments did not affect alpha-diversity in the substrate.ConclusionsIn container-grown ornamental plants, the substrate serves as the main microbial reservoir for the plant, and the plant and agricultural inputs (fertilization) modulate the microbial community structure and function of the substrate. The differences observed in substrate microbiome composition across plant phenological stage were explained by pH, total organic carbon (TOC) and fluoride, and across fertilizer levels by pH and phosphate (PO4). Our project provides an initial diversity profile of the bacteria occurring in soilless substrates, an underexplored source of microbial diversity.

Validation of a delivery strategy for reducing nutrient inputs and improving nutrient use efficiency in greenhouse-grown sub-irrigated pot chrysanthemums

Two experiments were conducted in a naturally lit research greenhouse to validate our modified strategy for delivering nutrients to sub-irrigated chrysanthemum plants. A split-plot design was used with four blocks arranged randomly, three nutrient rates as the main plot, and two contrasting cultivars as the subplot. The entire nutrient supply was removed at bud break and markedly reduced during vegetative growth, compared to common commercial fertilizer formulations, without adversely affecting tissue nutrient levels and plant/inflorescence quality, indicating that the plants were functioning in the low nutrient sufficiency zone. Specific nutrients (Nt) were more likely to exhibit improved uptake efficiency (shoot Nt content/Nt supply) than improved utilization efficiency (inflorescence DM/shoot Nt content) with decreasing nutrient supply. Thus, the common practice of delivering superfluous nutrient levels to greenhouse-grown chrysanthemum has little scientific merit in terms of nutrient accumulation and plant longevity. Applying a low‐input nutrient delivery strategy to the cultivation of indoor-grown, potted ornamental plants would improve the overall sustainability of the Canadian floricultural industry.

Multi-locus genome-wide association studies reveal the dynamic genetic architecture of flowering time in chrysanthemum.

The dynamic genetic architecture of flowering time in chrysanthemum was elucidated by GWAS. Thirty-six known genes and 14 candidate genes were identified around the stable QTNs and QEIs, among which ERF-1 was highlighted. Flowering time (FT) adaptation is one of the major breeding goals in chrysanthemum, a multipurpose ornamental plant. In order to reveal the dynamic genetic architecture of FT in chrysanthemum, phenotype investigation of ten FT-related traits was conducted on 169 entries in 2 environments. The broad-sense heritability of five non-conditional FT traits, i.e., budding (FBD), visible coloring (VC), early opening (EO), full-bloom (OF) and decay period (DP), ranged from 56.93 to 84.26%, which were higher than that of the five derived conditional FT traits (38.51-75.13%). The phenotypic variation coefficients of OF_EO and DP_OF were relatively large ranging from 30.59 to 36.17%. Based on 375,865 SNPs, the compressed variance component mixed linear model 3VmrMLM was applied for a multi-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS). As a result, 313 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were identified for the non-conditional FT traits in single-environment analysis, while 119 QTNs and 67 QTN-by-environment interactions (QEIs) were identified in multi-environment analysis. As for the conditional traits, 343 QTNs were detected in single-environment analysis, and 119 QTNs and 83 QEIs were identified in multi- environment analysis. Among the genes around stable QTNs and QEIs, 36 were orthologs of known FT genes in Arabidopsis and other plants; 14 candidates were mined by combining the transcriptomics data and functional annotation, including ERF-1, ACA10, and FOP1. Furthermore, the haplotype analysis of ERF-1 revealed six elite accessions with extreme FBD. Our findings contribute to the understanding of dynamic genetic architecture of FT and provide valuable resources for future chrysanthemum molecular breeding programs.

A feasibility study on indoor therapeutic horticulture to alleviate sleep and anxiety problems: The impact of plants and activity choice on its therapeutic effect

IntroductionTherapeutic horticulture (TH) is increasingly being applied for sub-health or patient mental health care. Whether plant and activity type will affect TH’s effectiveness is unclear. AimTo evaluate the feasibility of an indoor TH for alleviating the anxiety symptoms and sleeping problems of people with poor sleep quality, and explore the potential affection of plant and activity type on health benefits. MethodThirty subjects (all with sleep problems and half with anxiety problems) were randomly assigned to three groups to do horticultural activities with ornamental plants, general aromatic plants, or aromatic plants with reported mental health functions, respectively. Six indoor TH activities were then held sequentially within two weeks. Psychological scales, subjective feedback questionnaires, and physiological indicators were used as evaluation indexes before and after horticulture activities. ResultsThe TH relieved subjects' sleep and anxiety problems and was particularly effective in alleviating anxiety among people with high anxiety levels. Using ornamental plants was more effective in relieving stress while functional aromatic plants performed better in sleep improvement and satisfaction to TH. Each horticultural activity could improve mood state but showed different effects on the vitality of the participants. ConclusionThe above findings provided some basis for the potential benefits of selecting plants and activities based on psychological care needs in the development of TH plans. Future research that expands upon the current project is warranted. A larger sample size is beneficial for obtaining more powerful statistical results.

Status, Gaps and Perspectives of Powdery Mildew Resistance Research and Breeding in Cucurbits

Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family of flowering plants, is a very large and diverse family, the order Cucurbitales, contains 95 genera and 950–980 species of food and ornamental plants, and wild and weedy species mostly with high genetic diversity. This review is focused on the most important cucurbit crops (Cucumis sativus, Cucumis melo, Cucurbita spp., Citrullus lanatus, Momordica charantia, Lagenaria siceraria, and Luffa acutangula) and some their wild relatives as hosts of cucurbit powdery mildews (CPM). Powdery mildews (PM) (Ascomycota, Erysiphales) are one of the most frequently encountered and easily visible groups of plant pathogenic fungi with > 900 species. They are obligate biotrophs, they colonize above-ground plant tissues, mostly leaves, though they may also colonize stems, petioles, flowers and fruits, and they are usually debilitators, not killers. These parasitic fungi have been problematic on cucurbits for a long time world-wide, causing serious economic losses in yield and quality. All economically important cucurbit crops host CPM. Seven PM species with different taxonomic positions, host ranges, geographic distributions and ecological requirements are known on cucurbits. CPM species taxonomy and denomination rapidly changed during last few decades through detailed analyses and clarifications. At least three PM species frequently parasitize cucurbits: the endoparasite Leveillula taurica (Lt) with marginal economic importance; and two ectoparasitic species, Golovinomyces orontii (Go), and Podosphaera xanthii (Px), which are economically important world-wide. The two pathogens differ in ecological requirements and distribution, though they may occur together in mixed infections. They are highly variable at the population level for virulence, race identities, and fast adaptation of pathogens. Cucurbit-CPM species interactions are diverse and complicated, and differ between hosts and their respective pathogen genera and species. Here we present a critical overview of obstacles, gaps and recent progress in these matters for six cucurbit genera with respect to resistance resources, genetics of resistance, genetic mapping and development of molecular markers, physiology and mechanisms of resistance, developments in mlo-mediated resistance, patents, and CPM resistance breeding.

Genomic and transcriptomic studies on flavonoid biosynthesis in Lagerstroemia indica

BackgroundLagerstroemia indica is a widely cultivated ornamental woody shrub/tree of the family Lythraceae that is used as a traditional medicinal plant in East Asia and Egypt. However, unlike other ornamental woody plants, its genome is not well-investigated, which hindered the discovery of the key genes that regulate important traits and the synthesis of bioactive compounds.ResultsIn this study, the genomic sequences of L. indica were determined using several next-generation sequencing technologies. Altogether, 324.01 Mb sequences were assembled and 98.21% (318.21 Mb) of them were placed in 24 pseudo-chromosomes. The heterozygosity, repeated sequences, and GC residues occupied 1.65%, 29.17%, and 38.64% of the genome, respectively. In addition, 28,811 protein-coding gene models, 327 miRNAs, 552 tRNAs, 214 rRNAs, and 607 snRNAs were identified. The intra- and interspecies synteny and Ks analysis revealed that L. indica exhibits a hexaploidy. The co-expression profiles of the genes involved in the phenylpropanoid (PA) and flavonoid/anthocyanin (ABGs) pathways with the R2R3 MYB genes (137 members) showed that ten R2R3 MYB genes positively regulate flavonoid/anthocyanin biosynthesis. The colors of flowers with white, purple (PB), and deep purplish pink (DPB) petals were found to be determined by the levels of delphinidin-based (Dp) derivatives. However, the substrate specificities of LiDFR and LiOMT probably resulted in the different compositions of flavonoid/anthocyanin. In L. indica, two LiTTG1s (LiTTG1-1 and LiTTG1-2) were found to be the homologs of AtTTG1 (WD40). LiTTG1-1 was found to repress anthocyanin biosynthesis using the tobacco transient transfection assay.ConclusionsThis study showed that the ancestor L. indica experienced genome triplication approximately 38.5 million years ago and that LiTTG1-1 represses anthocyanin biosynthesis. Furthermore, several genes such as LiDFR, LiOMTs, and R2R3 LiMYBs are related to anthocyanin biosynthesis. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanisms and alleles responsible for flower color development.

Pastorale urbana. Kampung Admiralty a Singapore e il mito del villaggio

The strategies for the construction of national identity devised by the Singaporean government in the years following independence as a British colony included the evocation of an ideal original landscape, epitomized both by the tropical forests that covered the archipelago of Singapore and by the productive landscape of rural villages, or kampung in Malay. The idealized representations of these two local landscapes were entrusted to the plants selected to shape the greening campaigns accompanying the massive urbanization process that rapidly transformed Singapore into a high-density metropolis. Evolving from that approach is Kampung Admiralty, a large contemporary multifunctional building crowned by roof gardens designed by Singapore-based architectural practice WOHA, with Henning Larsen Landscape as landscape consultant. The architectural and landscape architectural complex appears as a technological celebration of the rural landscape: while the botanical associations employed suggest the varied spaces and lively atmospheres of traditional villages with their distinctive mixture of agricultural, wild, and ornamental plants species, the introduction of nature-based solutions and plant communities promoting biodiversity adapt the operational role of tropical vegetation in sustaining the survival of the community that inhabited the kampung to the needs of the contemporary city.

Expression of Concern: Enhanced phytoremediation of metal(loid)s via spiked ZVI nanoparticles: An urban clean-up strategy with ornamental plants (Chemosphere, Volume 288, Part 2, February 2022 132588)

Expression of Concern: Enhanced phytoremediation of metal(loid)s via spiked ZVI nanoparticles: An urban clean-up strategy with ornamental plants (Chemosphere, Volume 288, Part 2, February 2022 132588)

Review on Phytoremediation: Toxic Heavy Metal Removal

Abstract: Among the environmental contaminants in water, heavy metals and other pollutants are becoming a common occurrence. To solve this issue, the process of phytoremediation was utilized to clear up polluted media. Heavy metal and other pollution contamination of water is becoming more common, which has prompted a conversation that goes beyond heavy metals. These "other pollutants" include a wide range of materials, such as nutrients, suspended particles, bacteria, and organic compounds like pesticides, medicines, and industrial chemicals. There are several removal approaches available to address this complex issue. The removal of specific compounds and suspended materials is the goal of physical techniques like coagulation and chemical treatments like filtering. Biological treatments use natural mechanisms to break down organic contaminants and nutrients, such as bacteria or plants. Reactive agents are used in advanced oxidation procedures like UV irradiation and ozonation to break down pollutants. Technologies, including reverse osmosis and distillation, as well as ion exchange and adsorption, are essential for eliminating contaminants from water sources. The review shows applying the phytoremediation technique with ornamental plants that have the ability to absorb and store such heavy metals in their roots and leaves. The methods were used to determine the intake and the location of accumulation in these plants discussed, respectively. To compare the levels of the heavy metals accumulated in the plant, samples were digested, dried, and subjected to several phytoremediation procedures. The use of biological remediation has drawn a lot of interest recently because of its inexpensive long-term application costs and environmental friendliness. The use of ornamental plants in phytoremediation has received little attention, and the effects of heavy metals on ornamental plants have not been extensively studied as well. Remediation of the heavy metals mediated by ornamental plants can simultaneously eliminate toxins and improve the site's appearance. The current purification techniques used to remove contaminants from wastewater are not only exceedingly expensive, but they also have a detrimental effect on the environment. The environmentally friendly process known as phytoremediation offers a cost-effective and ecologically sound alternative to the present, very expensive cleanup techniques. Some ornamental plants are suited to ingesting heavy metals and other pollutants where the maximal concentration can be determined. This method effectively removes, detoxifies, or immobilizes heavy metals using aquatic plants and ornamental plants. Review highlights include current understanding of heavy metal toxicity to ornamental plants, benefits of their application, ways to increase ornamental plants' tolerance with increased heavy metals absorption, field problems, and potential applications in the future. The assessment has been focused on the interdisciplinary aspects and understanding that this approach brings to the sustainable treatment of heavy metals. The goal of this analysis was to evaluate phytoremediation's status as an innovative technique and to discuss its potential and utility in the treatment of highly polluted water.

The potential of Monstera sp. phytoremediation in various lead-contaminated water samples

Ornamental plants have a variety of commodities which have high economic value, expected to improve the community’s economy. In parts of Southeast Asia today there is a booming of ornamental plants type Pokok (Malaysia) or Janda Bolong (Indonesia), However, data related to its ability to absorb heavy metals does not yet exist. Ornamental plants of the type Monstera sp. has potential in phytoremediation technology, based on this, this study was investigate the potential absorption of leads by monstera sp. This study used the RCBD method. The first factor used of water samples including mineral water (W1), distilled water (W2), and surface water (W3). The second factor used in the form of Monstera types includes Monstera obliqua (M1), Monstera tetrasperma (M2), Monstera sp. Peru (M3), then 9 treatment combinations were 3 replication, so that a total of 27 units were obtained. The results of this research indicate that various of Monstera sp. have different absorption capacities of lead. This is also influenced by several factors such as light intensity, leaf area, and the type of water used as a medium. The results of this study proving that the plant Monstera sp. can reduce heavy metals in fields

Light Quality Effect on Internal N Retranslocation in Podocarpus macrophyllus Precultured with Exponential Nutrient Loading.

Streetlamp light is inevitable in the night landscape of a city and may affect the phenology of newly planted ornamental plants, but it has rarely been fully examined. Newly transplanted ornamental plants probably suffer periodic shocks, which mainly result from the inefficient reuse of internal nutrients for new growth. Exponential nutrient loading (ENL) is well known for its ability to overcome transplant shocks by promoting retranslocation for the reuse of strengthened nutrients from internal reserves in precultured seedlings. Transplantation to urbanized lands is distinct from that of montane areas; this is mainly due to a high frequency of exposure to the artificial illumination of night lighting. It is suspected that this lighting modifies vegetative phenology and generates potential risks by increasing reliance on internal nutrient retranslocation. In this study, Podocarpus macrophyllus seedlings were cultured with ENL at low and high rates of nitrogen (N) deliveries (40 and 120 mg N seedling-1, respectively), and the high-rate treatment was identified as being able to trap seedlings within toxic states. A labeled 15N isotope was pulsed to transplanted seedlings exposed to simulated light qualities in red, green, and blue light spectra. The seedlings harvested at one month showed rare responses to the interactive spectra and preculture treatments, but most of them responded to the low-rate N preculture treatment with stronger abilities in terms of the reuse of internal N and the synthesizing of photosynthetic pigments. In conclusion, it was verified that night light enforces the effect on newly transplanted plants; the red light invoked internal N for reuse, and the blue light promoted the uptake of the current N. The internal N reserve established through preculture ENL rarely made a contribution to the night light effect, except for the enhancement of height growth in the red light. The red light spectrum was recommended for the exposure of newly transplanted seedlings due to its effect on the enhancement of the retranslocation of internal N and the induction of a steady state of uptake from the current N input.

How to illuminate indoor plants sustainably? Tips and tricks to bridge the gap between research and design.

The increasing popularity of biophilic design in architecture and interior design has led to a widespread integration of indoor ornamental plants and green walls. While numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of such integration for people, only a few have focused on the well-being of the plants themselves. Our latest research project aims to address this gap by exploring suitable lighting conditions for indoor plants, seeking an optimal spectral composition that ensures their well-being, robust growth, and visual appeal, while also optimizing maintenance. Building upon previous applied research, we conducted experiments to analyze the lighting requirements of four species of ornamental plants commonly used indoors. Seven identical room boxes were employed, each illuminated with different light spectra falling within the CCT range of 2800K-5000K. The specific light spectra were meticulously tuned with a focus on the red/blue and red/green ratios, while keeping the photosynthetic photon flux (PPFD) and average illuminance consistent. As a result of this research project, practical guidelines were developed to help lighting designers navigating the intricate world of indoor ornamental plants effectively. By carefully considering the lighting spectrum in the suggested ranges, architects and interior designers can create spaces that not only benefit human occupants but also provide an optimal environment for the well-being and flourishing of indoor plants.

Pest categorisation of Lepidosaphes malicola.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Lepidosaphes malicola (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), the Armenian mussel scale, for the territory of the European Union, following commodity risk assessments of Prunus persica and P. dulcis plants for planting from Türkiye, in which L. malicola was identified as a pest of possible concern. L. malicola is a polyphagous insect of temperate and arid areas, feeding on more than 60 plant species belonging to 26 families. Important crops significantly affected by L. malicola in parts of Asia include stone fruits (Prunus armeniaca, P. persica), pome fruits (Malus domestica, Pyrus communis), grapes (Vitis vinifera), pomegranate (Punica granatum), walnuts (Juglans regia) and ornamental plants (Berberis spp., Cornus spp., Jasminum spp., Ligustrum spp.). L. malicola has two generations annually. The overwintered eggs hatch from late May to early June. First-instar nymphs crawl on the host plant for a short period, then settle to feed. Nymphs reach maturity in late summer or early autumn. Plants for planting, fruits and cut flowers provide potential pathways for entry into the EU. Host availability and climate suitability suggest that southern, central and some parts of northern EU countries would be suitable for the establishment of L. malicola. Despite being a pest in Armenia, Iran and Tajikistan, there is no evidence of it being a pest in Türkiye. L. malicola was detected in Bulgaria and Greece over 30 years ago, but there have been no records since, and its status is uncertain. Its ability to cause an impact in the EU is also uncertain. It is not listed in Annex II of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of entry. Except for the criterion of having an economic or environmental impact, for which there is great uncertainty, L. malicola satisfies all other criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

First report of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum kahawae on Hypericum chinensis in China.

Hypericum chinensis is growing in popularity amongst consumers in cut-flower and pop-flower market as an ornamental woody plant for its florid berry and colorful flower. In August 2019, anewleafspot diseasewas observed onH. chinensis in three commercial nurseries in Kunming (25°05'N, 102°72'E), Yunnian province, China. Disease symptoms were observed on approximately 40% of the plants one year after planting and 30% of the leaves were infected. Leaf symptoms began as small, water-soaked lesions on young leaves which later became larger, dark brown and necrotic. The lesion size ranged from 0.2 to 2.8 cm in diameter.For pathogen isolation, three samples of symptomatic leaves were collected from four different nurseries. The leaves were cut into 0.5 mm pieces, surface sterilized using 70% ethanol for 30 s, and 3% NaOCl for 5 min, rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) (Zhou et al. 2023). The plates were incubated at 26°C in the dark for 3 days. Eight isolates with comparable morphological characteristics were obtained. Initially, colonies produced pale gray to white aerial mycelia, turning dark gray after 5 days. The isolates produced hyaline, single celled, straight and cylindrical conidia, with mean size 9.7 to 14.8 μm long × 3.7 to 5.6 μm wide (n = 100). Morphological characteristics were consistent with Colletotrichum sp. (Bailey and Jeger 1992). For molecular analysis, genomic DNA was extracted from three representative isolates (XSD1, XSD3 and XSD5), amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (Yin et al. 2012) and T1/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995) and submitted to sequencing (Weir et al. 2012). DNA sequences of the isolates XSD2, XSD3 and XSD8 were identical. DNA sequences of a representative isolate XSD2 were deposited in GenBank (accession no. MW202334 for ITS, and OR347007 for TUB 2). MegaBLAST analysis of the ITS and TUB2 sequences showed 99.5% and 99.3% similarity withC. kahawae strain ICMP 18539 (accession no. NR_120138.1 for ITS) and strain IMI319418 (JX145227.1 for TUB 2). Pathogenicity tests were conducted by inoculating the pathogen on healthy mature leaves of H. chinensis in the field. Ten leaves (two leaves/plant) were inoculated byspraying conidial suspension (106spores/ml) of isolates XSD1, XSD3 and XSD5, and covered with plastic bags to maintain high humidity for 48 hours, respectively. Leaves treated with sterile distilled water served as a control. All inoculated leaves showed symptoms similar to those observed in the field at 23±5°C 10 days after inoculation. No symptoms developed on non-inoculated leaves. The pathogen was re-isolated from inoculated diseased leaves and identified as C. kahawae based on morphological and molecular characters. C. kahawae has been reported to cause leaf spot on cultivated rocket in Italy (Garibaldi et al. 2016), and anthracnose disease on tree tomato in Colombia (Rojas et al. 2018), to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. kahawae causing anthracnose on H. chinensis worldwide. Due to important ornamental and economic value of H. chinensis, thedistribution of C. kahawae needs to be investigated and monitored for effective disease management strategies to be developed.

Documentation of Honeybees Flora and Blooming Period in Major Horticultural and Agricultural Crops Growing in Dryland Regions of Northern Karnataka, India

The goal of the present study was to determine the variety of nectariferous and polleniferous bee flora in the Koppal district of Northern Karnataka in order to enhance the bees' blooming season. When the blooming plants were visited, the honeybees' presence and foraging activity were documented. In a ten-minute interval when at least three honeybees visited the flowers, the plants were identified as bee foraging species. The various plant groupings that worker bees visit, including as fruit crops, vegetable cops, field crops, plantations, flower and ornamental plants, etc., are included in the identified bee flora. The detected flora was further divided into plants that yielded nectar, pollen, and both. A total of sixty-four crops were identified as forage crops. Of those, the Koppal district had plants that yielded nectar (14), pollen (13), and both (36), according to documentation. The major dearth times were discovered to be mid-April to mid-June, whereas the honey flow seasons were determined to be mid-December to mid-February and mid-July to mid-September. Based on the flora's availability, utility status, and duration of flowering, a floral calendar was established for the study area. The listed species (Syzygium, Cassia, Citrus, Pongamia, Azadirachta, Brassica, Areca, Cocos, Guizotia, Hilianthus, Albezia, Lagerstroemia, Polinathus, Sapindus, Tecoma) and others are some of the common and significant bee food plants.

Some Morphological Characteristics of Boxwoods (B. sempervirens) Distributed Naturally in Kastamonu Province and Evaluations as Ornamental Plants

Şimşirler (Buxus spp.) herdem yeşil bitkilerdir. Farklı kullanımları olmakla birlikte genel olarak süs bitkisi olarak kullanılırlar. Türkiye’de Karadeniz Bölgesi B. sempervirens’in en fazla yayılış gösterdiği bölgedir. Kastamonu ise bu bölge içerisinde en geniş yayılış alanına sahip illerin başında gelmektedir. Ancak ildeki şimşir popülasyonlarının önemli bir kısmı kurumuştur. Kalan son lokasyonlardan örnekler alınarak çoğaltılmış ve koruma altına alınmıştır. Bu araştırmada, Kastamonu ilinde doğal olarak yetişen şimşirlerin bitkisel özellikleri belirlenerek bölgenin şimşir popülasyonu tanımlanmıştır. Araştırmada ortalama bitki boyu 11.0-28.0 cm, bitki eni 8.7-25.7 cm, ana gövde uzunluğu 3.1-11.0 cm, ana gövde çapı 2.1-5.3 mm, ana gövde boğum arası uzunluk 8.5-18.4 mm, yandal uzunluğu 5.7-17.2 cm, yandal çapı 0.81-3.1 mm, yandal boğum arası uzunluğu 8.1-15.4 mm, yandal gövde açısı 41.7°-63.3°, yandal sayısı 2.3-7.7 adet, sürgün uzunluğu 4.1-11 cm, sürgün çapı 0.61-0.96 mm, sürgün boğum arası uzunluğu 7.3-22.6 mm, sürgün sayısı 2-12 adet, yaprak uzunluğu 1.5-2.9 cm, yaprak eni 0.94-1.62 cm, yaprak sapı uzunluğu 0.18- 0.72 mm ve yaprak sapı çapı 0.25-0.71 mm arasında ölçülmüştür. Bitki boyu ile bitki eni, sürgün boyu, ana gövde uzunluğu ve yandal boğum uzunluğu arasında pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Yine bitki eni ile sürgün boyu ve ana gövde çapı arasında, ana gövde uzunluğu ile yandal boğum uzunluğu ve yaprak eni arasında da benzer bir ilişki vardır. Ana gövde boğum uzunluğu ile yaprak sap çapı arasında, sürgün boyu ile sürgün boğum uzunluğu ve yaprak sap uzunluğu ve sürgün çapı ile yaprak sap çapı arasında da pozitif bir ilişkinin olduğu bulunmuştur.

Molecular cloning and characterization of farnesyl diphosphate synthase from Rosa rugosa Thunb associated with salinity stress.

Rosa rugosa, a renowned ornamental plant, is cultivated for its essential oil containing valuable monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and other compounds widely used in the floriculture industry. Farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes and triterpenes for abiotic or biotic stress. In this study, we successfully cloned and characterized a full-length FPPS- encoding cDNA identified as RrFPPS1 using RT-PCR from R. rugosa. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RrFPPS1 belonged to the angiosperm-FPPS clade. Transcriptomic and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that the RrFPPS1 gene had tissue-specific expression patterns. Subcellular localization analysis using Nicotiana benthamiana leaves showed that RrFPPS1 was a cytoplasmic protein. In vitro enzymatic assays combined with GC-MS analysis showed that RrFPPS1 produced farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) using isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) as substrates to provide a precursor for sesquiterpene and triterpene biosynthesis in the plant. Additionally, our research found that RrFPPS1 was upregulated under salt treatment. These substantial findings contribute to an improved understanding of terpene biosynthesis in R. rugosa and open new opportunities for advancements in horticultural practices and fragrance industries by overexpression of the RrFPPS1 gene in vivo increased FPP production and subsequently led to elevated sesquiterpene yields in the future. The knowledge gained from this study can potentially lead to the development of enhanced varieties of R. rugosa with improved aroma, medicinal properties, and resilience to environmental stressors.