Plant Color Research Articles

Collections and expositions of flowering ornamental plants of Donetsk Botanical Garden

The paper gives a brief description of the main collections and expositions of flowering ornamental plants of the Donetsk Botanical Garden. The features of plant exhibition are considered. The collections of the flowering ornamental plants of the Donetsk Botanical Garden at present include 1022 species, 1152 cultivated forms and varieties. The plant range is demonstrated according to a trend of large-scale collection plots and display gardens formation. Large-scale monoculture collections show diversity of ornamental varieties of major flowering crops. The collections of «Dahlia», «Iris», «Chrysanthemum», «Callistephus chinensis», «Paeonia», «Aster dumosum», «Canna», «Hemerocallis», «Rosa» are mostly represented by cultivars and species of the corresponding generic complexes. Those cultivars are exhibited mainly in row plantings and combined according to various characteristics, namely plant height, structure and color of the flower or inflorescence. As the cultivars of Hemerocallis × hybrida hort., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Iris × hybrida hort., Rosa × hybrida hort. are the hardiest in steppe conditions, they are the most widely represented in flower collections. When forming thematic landscape show gardens, we were taking into account biomorphological, environmental and phytocenotic characteristics of plants. These landscaping display flowerbeds show decorative qualities of a wide range of ornamental flowers, trees and bushes with continuous flowering aspect, as well as landscaping design approaches. Over the last five years, the expositions of «Shade Garden», «E.N. Kondratyuk Garden», «Mexico» have been created and have been developing. Other exhibition areas such as «Demonstration Show Garden» and «Ground-Cover Plants» undergo extensive reconstruction. The necessity of introducing new species, intraspecific varieties and modern cultivars into the living collections is still relevant. New varieties are intensively selected: 23 cultivars bred by the Garden-based originators are now present in the collections.

EFFECT OF FOLIAR-APPLIED TANNERY SLUDGE ON GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGY OF PASSIFLORA EDULIS SEEDLINGS

Today, industries are increasingly concerned about the disposal of their waste. One of the proposed solutions to deal with certain wastes is through agriculture in the form of fertilizers. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of liquid tannery sludge as foliar fertilizer on the growth and physiology of passion fruit seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in a randomized block design with six replications. Six treatments were applied to leaves: tannery sludge diluted in water (132, 263, 395 and 527 mL L-1); only water (control); and the conventional treatment. The following growth characteristics were evaluated: leaf production, plant height, crown diameter, stem diameter, total fresh matter and dry matter of the plants. The physiological characteristics evaluated were the indices chlorophyll, nitrogen balance, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and plant color. The flavonoid index increased in plants that received foliar application of 527 mL L-1 without compromising the other characteristics evaluated. The doses 263, 395 and 527 mL L-1 showed the best results for the growth characteristics, equaling those of the conventional treatments. Foliar application of tannery sludge can be recommended for yellow passion fruit seedlings.

The prospects for using haploinducers in maize breeding

The discovery of spontaneous haploid plants and the development of ways to produce them inin vitroculture have set a new direction important for breeding and for theoretical research in reproductive biology. The frequency of spontaneous haploidy in cultivated plants is extremely low and does not exceed 0.01-0.1%, therefore, the search for sources and donors capable of stimulating haploidy in hybrid combinations is of current interest. Expansion of the search for new sources and donors of the haploinduction trait, the creation of new, more effective haploinducers contribute to the accumulation of scientific information and genetic sources, characterized by a high resource potential for selection and genetic research. The causеs of haploidy are not well understood yet. According to the available information, the genes localized in theqhir1,qhir11,qhir12regions of chromosome 1 in maize are responsible for this process. The use of genes that stimulate haploinduction in maize in combination with the marker geneR1-njresponsible for anthocyanin coloration of the caryopsis and embryo, as well as genesA1andB1, which are in control of the entire plant coloration, allowed the creation of haploinducer lines with a frequency of haploid stimulation up to 15%. Phenotypic expression of dominant alleles of the marker anthocyanin coloration genes in different parts of a hybrid plant, as well as in the caryopsis and embryo, contributes to the high-quality selection of haploid kernels in the cob due to the manifestation of recessive alleles of these genes at the haploid level. The presence of anthocyanin synthesis suppressor genes in siliceous maize (C1-I,C2-Idf,In1-D) restricts the use of theR1-njgene in other representatives of siliceous maize. In order to overcome this problem, studies are underway to create other genotypes of haploinducers, which are not associated with the anthocyanin coloration of the caryopsis, but instead have other marker traits, such as the oil content in the kernel, the absence of ligules in the leaves, and root coloration in seedlings. The use of matroclinous and androclinous types of haploinduction allows breeders to obtain highly homozygous dihaploid maize lines, with both the maternal and paternal genomes. These achievements made it possible to cut five or more times the material and time inputs into the creation of inbred lines and their sterile analogs, accelerate the breeding of new maize hybrids, and signifi cantly improve the quality of seed production in terms of typicality and uniformity. The materials presented in the article should help breeders and geneticists to learn more about the innovative directions and problems of hybrid maize breeding.

Multivariate Analysis and Its Application for Characterizing Cowpea Landraces

Background: Several major crops have been genetically eroded due to introduction of new material but cowpea have great potential and wide genetic base of novel significance. A new strategy of cowpea evaluation was adopted to investigate the potential of 71 landraces representing 31 districts of Pakistan through multivariate analysis to devise future plan for germplasm conservation. Methods: Cowpea 71 landraces collected from 31 districts were planted under field conditions in an augmented design. Plant descriptors qualitative traits (plant color, leaf shape, plant type, twining tendency, anthocynin pigment and fodder types) and agronomic traits (plant height, branches, pods, grain yield, biomass and harvest index) were recorded. Protein banding pattern was established. Similarity index, variance were calculated and phylogenetic trees were constructed by software “Statistica”.Result: Four cowpea landraces showed tremendous performance to phenotypic as well as protein banding pattern variation viz., Pk-27154 (Jhang), Pk-27047 (Vehari), Pk-27029 (Sialkot) and Pk-27107 (Bahawalpur). High inter and intra variation suggested further genotype x environmental interaction trials at multi-locations. Sampling from the neglected areas especially Sindh and Baluchistan parts are hereby recommended to gather unique landraces and accessions before the genetic resources might be depleted through various environmental stresses.

The antagonistic MYB paralogs RH1 and RH2 govern anthocyanin leaf markings in Medicago truncatula.

Summary Patterned leaf coloration in plants generates remarkable diversity in nature, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear.Here, using Medicago truncatula leaf marking as a model, we show that the classic M. truncatula leaf anthocyanin spot trait depends on two R2R3 MYB paralogous regulators, RED HEART1 (RH1) and RH2.RH1 mainly functions as an anthocyanin biosynthesis activator that specifically determines leaf marking formation depending on its C‐terminal activation motif. RH1 physically interacts with the M. truncatula bHLH protein MtTT8 and the WDR family member MtWD40‐1, and this interaction facilitates RH1 function in leaf anthocyanin marking formation. RH2 has lost transcriptional activation activity, due to a divergent C‐terminal domain, but retains the ability to interact with the same partners, MtTT8 and MtWD40‐1, as RH1, thereby acting as a competitor in the regulatory complex and exerting opposite effects. Moreover, our results demonstrate that RH1 can activate its own expression and that RH2‐mediated competition can repress RH1 expression.Our findings reveal the molecular mechanism of the antagonistic gene paralogs RH1 and RH2 in determining anthocyanin leaf markings in M. truncatula, providing a multidimensional paralogous–antagonistic regulatory paradigm for fine‐tuning patterned pigmentation.

RETRACTING 1-SIMPLICIAL CHAOTIC GRAPHS WITH DENSITY VARIATION

In this paper we will discuss retraction transformation on chaotic graphs for different cases of density variation, Two types of retraction will be discussed, geometric retraction and chaotic edges retraction, We shall study and discuss the effects of retraction on the shape and density degree of chaotic graphs shown on figures, the adjacent and incidence matrices with be presented. The density character may present many applications in life such as degree of green color in plants, net perturbation resonance, signals in the nerve system and so many, we focus our study on plants, how retraction effects of the degree of green color of plants leaves and shape of the leave its self. The variation of the density character shows the variation of the degree of green color of plant (i.e. Chlorophyll), so we divided in three cases, the first case when the leave of plant is unit and constant everywhere, or varied from level to level or varied even in the same level line of a plant leave, each case will be discussed for two types of retraction and deduce results for both types.

A Research on Herbal and Quality Properties of Lice Local Tobacco as Genetic Source

Tobaccos produced in Turkey are grouped under different names according to the different environmental properties and various characteristics of the regions where they were grown. Lice tobacco is an important local tobacco variety cultivated under Lice-Hazro and Kulp districts conditions. In recent years, a large number of tobacco origin and village populations disappeared from production and faced the danger of extinction. Especially the Lice local tobacco variety has gained a very good adaptation ability against the stress factors of the region. Different environmental factors such as high altitude, stony areas and high temperature, low rainfall and low nitrogen soils have determined the important quality characteristics that distinguish Lice tobacco from other tobacco types. The short plant height and reverse conical plant shape in Lice Tobacco produced in Lice District and around of Diyarbakır draws attention firstly. In Lice tobacco, the number of leaves per plant is 15-17 pieces / plant, the ratio of the length of the leaves to the width (38 cm / 23 cm), the elliptical leaf blade, dark green leaves and plant color, early flowering, the petal color is pinkish red. It is a local variety with high cigarette yield, low nicotine ratio (1-2%), protein nitrogen ratio 1%, total reducing substance ratio 15%, and the highest alkaloid ratio. In this study, the plant and quality characteristics of the local Lice tobacco variety, which has a high degree of genetic diversity, were investigated in farmer conditions and the differences with other Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian tobacco varieties were tried to be revealed.

Functional identification of PsMYB57 involved in anthocyanin regulation of tree peony

BackgroundR2R3 myeloblastosis (MYB) genes are widely distributed in plants and comprise one of the largest transcription factor gene families. They play important roles in the regulatory networks controlling development, metabolism, and stress responses. Researches on functional genes in tree peony are still in its infancy. To date, few MYB genes have thus far been reported.ResultsIn this study, we constructed a comprehensive reference gene set by transcriptome sequencing to obtain R2R3 MYB genes. The transcriptomes of eight different tissues were sequenced, and 92,837 unigenes were obtained with an N50 of 1662 nt. A total of 48,435 unigenes (77.98%) were functionally annotated in public databases. Based on the assembly, we identified 57 R2R3 MYB genes containing full-length open reading frames, which clustered into 35 clades by phylogenetic analysis. PsMYB57 clustered with anthocyanin regulation genes in Arabidopsis and was mainly transcribed in the buds and young leaves. The overexpression of PsMYB57 induced anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco, and four detected anthocyanin structural genes, including NtCHS, NtF3’H, NtDFR, and NtANS, were upregulated. The two endogenous bHLH genes NtAn1a and NtAn1b were also upregulated and may work in combination with PsMYB57 in regulating anthocyanin structural genes.ConclusionsOur study offers a useful reference to the selection of candidate MYB genes for further functional studies in tree peony. Function analysis of PsMYB57 is helpful to understand the color accumulation in vegetative organs of tree peony. PsMYB57 is also a promising resource to improve plant color in molecular breeding.

Use of Sea Fennel as a Natural Ingredient of Edible Films for Extending the Shelf Life of Fresh Fish Burgers.

The growing interest from consumers toward healthy and nutritious products and their benefits for health has increased the consumption of whole and processed fish. One of the main problems of fish is the short shelf life, especially when it is processed as in the case of burgers. The use of edible coating is an interesting strategy to extend the quality and safety of the product, reducing the need for artificial preservatives. This study evaluated the use of chitosan-based edible film formulated with sea fennel plant and sea fennel extracts. The analyses showed than the use of edible film extended the shelf life of fish burgers regardless of the incorporation of sea fennel mainly associated to the gas barrier properties and selective permeability of the film applied to the fish surface. The incorporation of sea fennel in the films did not produce any antimicrobial enhancement, although sea fennel (mostly extract) produced a better pH and enhanced the antioxidant properties and lipid oxidation of fish burgers. However, sensory analyses showed than fish burgers coated with sea fennel film plant had better acceptability than those with sea fennel extracts, probably due to the better odour and colour of the whole plant during storage. The study showed that the use of sea fennel plant at 12.5% extended the shelf life of fish burgers using a safe and clean label strategy.

Analysis of Plant Type and Color Preference and Psychological Assessment for Gardening Activities of Firefighters

Background and objective: This study investigated plant type and color preference and conducted a psychological assessment for gardening activities of fire-fighters in a high-risk occupational group.Methods: A survey was conducted on 117 firefighters aged 39.01±9.17 in Sunchang in March 2020 to examine their preferences in plant type and color and conduct a psychological assessment of firefighters on gardening activities.Results: For plant experience and awareness, plant-related event showed the highest score, followed by plant preference tendency and plant growing experience. The level of plant gardening activities was higher among older age and higher job position. As a result of examining the quality of life according to the demographic characteristic with WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument), it was found that the quality of life was higher among the 20s–30s than 50s, firefighter position than fire lieutenant or higher, those with higher average monthly income, and the singles group than married (p < .05). The administration group showed lower scores than the fire suppression group working in the field, showing statistical significance. Most firefighters showed high preference for herbal plants among the 12 types of flowering plants, in the order of Rosmarinus officinalis > Lavandula spp. > Mentha piperita, Calendula officinalis. Pelargonium spp. was preferred the least out of the flowering plants, Lycopersicon esculentum was preferred the most out of 12 types of vegetable plants, while Angelica acutiloba was preferred the least statistical significance. For the preference of plant colors, yellow was the most preferred color, followed by white, blue, orange, red, and green, showing statistical significance. For the psychological survey responses of emotion words toward 6 plants colors, it was found that ‘bright’ was the emotion felt most strongly by the white, yellow, and orange groups, ‘calm’ and ‘comfortable’ by the green and blue groups, and ‘fancy’ by the red group.Conclusion: The effect of agro-healing programs can be increased by using mostly yellow plants when creating indoor healing gardens at the workplaces of fire officials in a high-risk occupational group, and using herbal plants and Lycopersicon esculentum in the gardens for agro-healing activities.Key words: fancy, fire lieutenant, world health organization quality of life assessment instrument (WHOQOL-BREF)

Interactive effects of boron stress and mycorrhizal (AMF) treatments on tomato growth, yield, leaf chlorophyll and boron accumulation, and fruit characteristics

ABSTRACT High levels of boron (B) in soils cause toxicity in tomatoes, but inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) into plants can reduce it. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of AMF inoculation on morphological parameters (shoot height, plant fresh and dry weights), yield, leaf chlorophyll and boron content, and fruit characteristics (weight, water and soluble solid contents, firmness, color) of tomato plants grown in boron stress (0.06, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 mM). Increased boron concentrations reduced all parameters except leaf boron content, fruit soluble solids and firmness. However, the highest values of the morphological parameters, fruit soluble solid contents and red color values (control, 0.5 and 1.0 mM B), fruit yield (<8.0 mM B), leaf chlorophyll content (≤2.0 mM B), fruit weight (control, 0.5 and 2.0 mM B), fruit firmness (control and 1.0 mM B) were obtained from mycorrhizal plants. No significant differences were found between the fruit water content and color values (brightness and yellow) of non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants in all boron stress levels. The leaf boron concentration in inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi had lower than non-inoculated ones. These results suggest that mycorrhizal-inoculation may limit excessive boron uptake and alternatively be used in boron contaminated soils.

ARADEEPOPSIS, an Automated Workflow for Top-View Plant Phenomics using Semantic Segmentation of Leaf States.

Linking plant phenotype to genotype is a common goal to both plant breeders and geneticists. However, collecting phenotypic data for large numbers of plants remain a bottleneck. Plant phenotyping is mostly image based and therefore requires rapid and robust extraction of phenotypic measurements from image data. However, because segmentation tools usually rely on color information, they are sensitive to background or plant color deviations. We have developed a versatile, fully open-source pipeline to extract phenotypic measurements from plant images in an unsupervised manner. ARADEEPOPSIS (https://github.com/Gregor-Mendel-Institute/aradeepopsis) uses semantic segmentation of top-view images to classify leaf tissue into three categories: healthy, anthocyanin rich, and senescent. This makes it particularly powerful at quantitative phenotyping of different developmental stages, mutants with aberrant leaf color and/or phenotype, and plants growing in stressful conditions. On a panel of 210 natural Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions, we were able to not only accurately segment images of phenotypically diverse genotypes but also to identify known loci related to anthocyanin production and early necrosis in genome-wide association analyses. Our pipeline accurately processed images of diverse origin, quality, and background composition, and of a distantly related Brassicaceae. ARADEEPOPSIS is deployable on most operating systems and high-performance computing environments and can be used independently of bioinformatics expertise and resources.

Image-Based High-Throughput Detection and Phenotype Evaluation Method for Multiple Lettuce Varieties.

The yield and quality of fresh lettuce can be determined from the growth rate and color of individual plants. Manual assessment and phenotyping for hundreds of varieties of lettuce is very time consuming and labor intensive. In this study, we utilized a “Sensor-to-Plant” greenhouse phenotyping platform to periodically capture top-view images of lettuce, and datasets of over 2000 plants from 500 lettuce varieties were thus captured at eight time points during vegetative growth. Here, we present a novel object detection–semantic segmentation–phenotyping method based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to conduct non-invasive and high-throughput phenotyping of the growth and development status of multiple lettuce varieties. Multistage CNN models for object detection and semantic segmentation were integrated to bridge the gap between image capture and plant phenotyping. An object detection model was used to detect and identify each pot from the sequence of images with 99.82% accuracy, semantic segmentation model was utilized to segment and identify each lettuce plant with a 97.65% F1 score, and a phenotyping pipeline was utilized to extract a total of 15 static traits (related to geometry and color) of each lettuce plant. Furthermore, the dynamic traits (growth and accumulation rates) were calculated based on the changing curves of static traits at eight growth points. The correlation and descriptive ability of these static and dynamic traits were carefully evaluated for the interpretability of traits related to digital biomass and quality of lettuce, and the observed accumulation rates of static straits more accurately reflected the growth status of lettuce plants. Finally, we validated the application of image-based high-throughput phenotyping through geometric measurement and color grading for a wide range of lettuce varieties. The proposed method can be extended to crops such as maize, wheat, and soybean as a non-invasive means of phenotype evaluation and identification.

Background-Oriented Schlieren Imaging of Supersonic Aircraft in Flight

This paper describes the development and use of background-oriented schlieren imaging of a full-scale supersonic jet in flight. A series of flight tests was performed in April 2011, October 2014, February 2015, and December 2018 using the flora of the desert floor in the supersonic flight corridor near the Edwards Air Force Base as a background. Flight planning was designed based on the camera resolution, the mean size and color of the predominant plants, and coordination of several aircraft. Image processing was done with both cross correlation and optical flow algorithms. The planning proved to be effective, and the vast majority of the passes of the target aircraft were successfully recorded. Results were obtained that are the most detailed schlieren imagery of an aircraft in flight to date.

How the Color Fades From Malus halliana Flowers: Transcriptome Sequencing and DNA Methylation Analysis.

The flower color of many horticultural plants fades from red to white during the development stages, affecting ornamental value. We selected Malus halliana, a popular ornamental species, and analyzed the mechanisms of flower color fading using RNA sequencing. Forty-seven genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and two genes related to anthocyanin transport were identified; the expression of most of these genes declined dramatically with flower color fading, consistent with the change in the anthocyanin content. A number of transcription factors that might participate in anthocyanin biosynthesis were selected and analyzed. A phylogenetic tree was used to identify the key transcription factor. Using this approach, we identified MhMYB10 as directly regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. MhMYB10 expression was strongly downregulated during flower development and was significantly positively related to the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and anthocyanin content in diverse varieties of Malus. To analyze the methylation level during flower development, the MhMYB10 promoter sequence was divided into 12 regions. The methylation levels of the R2 and R8 increased significantly as flower color faded and were inversely related to MhMYB10 expression and anthocyanin content. Therefore, we deduce that the increasing methylation activities of these two regions repressed MhMYB10 expression.

The Effects of Domestication on Secondary Metabolite Composition in Legumes.

Legumes are rich in secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and saponins, which are important defense compounds to protect the plant against herbivores and pathogens, and act as signaling molecules between the plant and its biotic environment. Legume-sourced secondary metabolites are well known for their potential benefits to human health as pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. During domestication, the color, smell, and taste of crop plants have been the focus of artificial selection by breeders. Since these agronomic traits are regulated by secondary metabolites, the basis behind the genomic evolution was the selection of the secondary metabolite composition. In this review, we will discuss the classification, occurrence, and health benefits of secondary metabolites in legumes. The differences in their profiles between wild legumes and their cultivated counterparts will be investigated to trace the possible effects of domestication on secondary metabolite compositions, and the advantages and drawbacks of such modifications. The changes in secondary metabolite contents will also be discussed at the genetic level to examine the genes responsible for determining the secondary metabolite composition that might have been lost due to domestication. Understanding these genes would enable breeding programs and metabolic engineering to produce legume varieties with favorable secondary metabolite profiles for facilitating adaptations to a changing climate, promoting beneficial interactions with biotic factors, and enhancing health-beneficial secondary metabolite contents for human consumption.

Metabolome and transcriptome analyses of the molecular mechanisms of flower color mutation in tobacco

BackgroundAnthocyanins determinate the flower color of many plants. Tobacco is a model plant for studying the molecular regulation of flower coloration. We investigated the mechanism underlying flower coloration in tobacco by profiling flavonoid metabolites,expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic structural genes and their regulator genes in the pink-flowered tobacco cultivar Yunyan 87 and white-flowered Yunyan 87 mutant.ResultSignificant down-accumulation of anthocyanins, including cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanin, cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside, pelargonidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, cyanidin O-syringic acid, pelargonin, and pelargonidin 3-O-malonylhexoside (log2 fold change < − 10), endowed the flower color mutation in Yunyan 87 mutant. Transcriptome analysis showed that the coordinately down-regulated anthocyanin biosynthetic genes including chalcone isomerase, naringenin 3-dioxygenase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase and UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase played critical roles in suppressing the formation of the aforesaid anthocyanins. Several genes encoding MYB and bHLH transcription factors were also found down-regulated, and probably the reason for the suppression of structural genes.ConclusionThis is the first study of tobacco flower coloration combining metabolome and transcriptome analyses, and the results shed a light on the systematic regulation mechanisms of flower coloration in tobacco. The obtained information will aid in developing strategies to modify flower color through genetic transformation.

Measuring Camellia Petal Color Using a Portable Color Sensor

The color of petals of flowering plants is often determined by comparing one or more of the petals to various Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart cards until a color match is found. However, these cards are susceptible to fading with age and can also provide inaccurate results if lighting is not optimal. The cards also rely on the human eye to determine a match, which introduces the possibility of human error. The objectives of this study were to determine camellia (Camellia japonica L.) petal color using the RHS Colour Chart, to determine camellia petal color with the NixTM Pro color sensor (Nix Sensor Ltd., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), and to compare these measurements using different color measuring approaches. Color measurements of camellia flower petals using the NixTM Pro color sensor were compared to published CIELAB values from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart. Forty-five petal color samples were collected from fifteen different camellia shrubs. The RHS Colour Chart was used for each of the petals, and the RHS identifications were recorded. Measurements using the NixTM Pro color sensor were compared to RHS-provided CIELAB values that corresponded with the recorded identification for each petal to determine accuracy. The NixTM Pro color sensor’s measurements were also compared to a mean of the values, multiple measurements on the same petal location, and multiple measurements on different petal locations to determine precision and variation. The Nix™ Pro color sensor’s readings were precise in petal color determination and provided more nuanced differences between petals of the same plant and plants of the same variety in each of the color categories. The RHS Colour Chart provided an accurate depiction of most petals, but it was difficult to use with petals that had wide color variation over the entire petal. The Nix™ Pro color sensor’s measurements appeared to have more variation in the b* color space. However, overall, the Nix™ Pro color sensor L*, a*, and b* values were highly correlated with the provided RHS values (p &lt; 0.01), showing that the sensor can be used as an accurate and precise substitute for the RHS Colour Chart. The Nix™ Pro color sensor can be a useful, cost-effective tool to measure the petal color of camellia and other flowering plants and rectifies many of the problems associated with the RHS Colour Chart.

Lipid nanostructures create fruit’s metallic blue

Blue is not a common color in plants, and metallic blue even less so. A team of scientists in Europe has now uncovered an unexpected source for the iridescent blue hue of one plant’s berries. The p...

Mutation Mechanism of Leaf Color in Plants: A Review

Color mutation is a common, easily identifiable phenomenon in higher plants. Color mutations usually affect the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, resulting in poor growth and economic losses. Therefore, leaf color mutants have been unwittingly eliminated in recent years. Recently, however, with the development of society, the application of leaf color mutants has become increasingly widespread. Leaf color mutants are ideal materials for studying pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and differentiation, photosynthesis and other pathways that could also provide important information for improving varietal selection. In this review, we summarize the research on leaf color mutants, such as the functions and mechanisms of leaf color mutant-related genes, which affect chlorophyll synthesis, chlorophyll degradation, chloroplast development and anthocyanin metabolism. We also summarize two common methods for mapping and cloning related leaf color mutation genes using Map-based cloning and RNA-seq, and we discuss the existing problems and propose future research directions for leaf color mutants, which provide a reference for the study and application of leaf color mutants in the future.