Types Of Plants Research Articles

The Role of Plants in Contemporary Swedish and Norwegian Picturebooks

The plant kingdom is vital to all other life on earth and is a fundamental part of children’s culture. Yet, we have little knowledge about how plants are currently represented in picturebooks aimed at children. In this article, I conduct a quantitative analysis of plant motifs in picturebooks published in Sweden and Norway in 2020. Inspired by concepts drawn from ecocritical children’s literature research and critical plant studies, the article investigates which plant species and types the books contain and how they are presented through text and pictures. Although the study finds that plants are prevalent motifs in contemporary Swedish and Norwegian picturebooks, it also shows that vegetal entities are often backgrounded and depicted as generic plant types.

Ecological assessment of pastures semi-deserts and dry steppes of Azerbaijan

The absence in the scientific literature of criteria for assessing the ecological status of pasture lands, insufficient knowledge of the use of predictive methods and technology for carrying out special agrochemical measures, as well as issues of permissible loads, served as the basis for choosing the topic of research work. For the first time, in the conditions of pastures in Azerbaijan, an environmental and energy assessment of soil-landscape complexes was carried out. A detailed and final quality assessment was drawn up on soil scale, and the coefficient of their comparative merit was determined. A scientifically based system of agrochemical measures for the superficial and fundamental improvement of pastures has been developed. The final bonitet scale, reflecting the level of fertility of soil varieties, showed that the soils of the Jeyranchol massif turned out to be the most fertile at 62 points, compared with them, the pasture soils of Ajinohur on average across the massif received 53 points, Gobustan 51 points, and the Kura-Araz lowland 55 points. On average, pasture lands in Azerbaijan are valued at 55 points, which indicates the need for agro-reclamation measures. The types of forage plants are distributed as follows: i) Cereals 116, 12%; ii) Asteraceae 109, 11.2%; iii) Legumes 82, 8.4%; iv) Brassicas 59, 6.2%; 6%; v) Cloves 50, 5.3%; vi) Lamiaceae 42, 4.6%; vii) Linear 40, 4.2%; viii) Goosefoot 6, ix) Gimletaceae 32 species, 3.4%; x) Umbrellas 38, 4.4%; xi) Other 339 types, 35.5%.

Novel Low Tunnel Coverings and Plant Type Affect Productivity of Day-neutral Strawberries

Growers producing day-neutral strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) in temperate climates face challenges when attempting to extend the season and mitigate the effects of rain. Conventional plastic coverings over low tunnels have been used for these purposes, but they often exacerbate heat-induced problems in summer. We examined two approaches for addressing this challenge. The first was to start dormant bare root ‘Albion’ strawberry plants in small pots in the greenhouse, then plant them into the field in spring so they could begin production before the onset of consistently high temperatures. Plants set in small pots on 26 Feb in the greenhouse and field planted on 6 May were compared with bare root plants set directly into the field on 6 May. The second approach used various low tunnel coverings to modify the light and temperature environment around the plants. Three coverings were woven nets embedded with reflective strips at various densities that allowed 50%, 60%, and 70% light transmission, and these were intended to lower temperatures under the covers by reflecting infrared radiation. A fourth covering was a polyethylene plastic embedded with optically active additives that shift incident light into wavelengths that are more photosynthetically active. Two other covers were standard commercial polyethylene plastics, and the final treatment was an uncovered control. Over the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons (hot and dry vs. moderate and wet, respectively), plots were harvested once or twice a week from June through October and fruit yield, size, and marketability were assessed. In both years, strawberry plants started in the greenhouse produced significantly higher yields than bare root plants over the season (30.5% and 43.7%). Bare root plants were less responsive to cover type than greenhouse plants. In 2020, yields tended to be higher in the middle of summer in plots with reflective coverings that reduced temperature and higher later in the season with coverings of wavelength-shifting film. Polyethylene covers that increased temperature without shifting the light spectrum had lower yields. Under the cooler conditions of 2021, plants under covers that increased temperature tended to have higher yields. In a third year (2023), bare root plants were covered with a reflective covering from 29 Jun until 1 Sep, then this cover was replaced with polyethylene with optical additives as the weather cooled and light levels dropped. This sequenced treatment was compared with uncovered plots and plots covered with standard commercial polyethylene plastic. Plants under the two-phase sequential covering performed significantly better than uncovered plots or those covered with standard polyethylene plastic alone.

Regiodivergent biosynthesis of bridged bicyclononanes

Medicinal compounds from plants include bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives, the majority of which are polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs). Prototype molecules are hyperforin, the antidepressant constituent of St. John’s wort, and garcinol, a potential anticancer compound. Their complex structures have inspired innovative chemical syntheses, however, their biosynthesis in plants is still enigmatic. PPAPs are divided into two subclasses, named type A and B. Here we identify both types in Hypericum sampsonii plants and isolate two enzymes that regiodivergently convert a common precursor to pivotal type A and B products. Molecular modelling and substrate docking studies reveal inverted substrate binding modes in the two active site cavities. We identify amino acids that stabilize these alternative binding scenarios and use reciprocal mutagenesis to interconvert the enzymatic activities. Our studies elucidate the unique biochemistry that yields type A and B bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane cores in plants, thereby providing key building blocks for biotechnological efforts to sustainably produce these complex compounds for preclinical development.

Blocking miR396 activity by overexpression MIM396 improved switchgrass tiller number and biomass yield.

MicroRNA396 (miR396) plays an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development by repressing the expression level of its target growth-regulating factor (GRF) family genes. In our previous study, we found that overexpression of miR396 negatively regulated both tillering and biomass yield in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). We, therefore, speculated that blocking the expression of miR396 could enhance switchgrass tillering and biomass yield. Here, we produced transgenic switchgrass plants overexpressing a target mimicry form of miR396 (MIM396) in wild type (WT) and Os-MIR319b overexpressing switchgrass plant (with higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency, but reduced tillering), in which the expression of miR396 was blocked. The phenotype and biological yields of these plants were analyzed. Blocking miR396 to improve its target PvGRFs expression in switchgrass improved the tiller number and dry weight of transgenic plants. Further morphological analysis revealed that MIM396 plants increased the number of aerial branches and basal tillers compared to those of wild-type plants. The enzymatic efficiency of MIM396 plants was reduced; however, the total sugar production per plant was still significantly higher than that of wild-type plants due to the increase in biomass. In addition, blocking miR396 in a transgenic switchgrass plant overexpressing Os-MIR319b (TG21-Ms) significantly increased the PvGRF1/3/5 expression level and tiller number and biomass yield. The miR156-target gene PvSPL4, playing a negative role in aerial and basal buds outgrowth, showed significant downregulated in MIM396 and TG21-Ms. Those results indicate that miR396-PvGRFs, through disrupting the PvSPL4 expression, are involved in miR319-PvPCFs in regulating tiller number, at least partly. MIM396 could be used as a molecular tool to improving tiller number and biomass yield in switchgrass wild type and miR319b transgenic plants. This finding may be applied to other graminaceous plants to regulate plant biological yield.

Phytotesting as a method for soil quality assessing

Phytotesting is used for environmental monitoring of soil objects. The purpose of the work is to evaluate phytotesting to determine the quality of artificially created soils. Two samples were examined: Soil 1 with sewage sludge and Soil 2 with pit soil, a small amount of peat and sapropel. Control is soil that ensures free growth of test crops in the natural conditions of a certain soil-climatic zone where it is planned to supply the finished soil. Tests were carried out with seeds of three types of test plants: a monocot – oats (Avena sativa) and two dicotyledons – white mustard (Sinapis alba), creeping white clover (Trifolium repens). They were sown in containers with soil/ground and placed in a climate control system for 14 days (daytime – 20°C, night – 15°C). It was found that in Soil 1 all the studied biometric indicators of oats and white mustard are statistically significantly higher than in the control soil, and the development of creeping white clover is suppressed (wet weight is 8.9 and 2.1 times less compared to the control soil, respectively for seeding rates 10 and 30 g/m2). At the same time, in Soil 1, an excess of the content of gross forms of zinc by 2.5 and copper by 1.4 times was revealed. When testing Soil 2, the biometric indicators of oats and white mustard were at the control level, the wet and dry weight of clover sprouts was 2.9 and 1.7 times higher, respectively. Phytotesting can be considered as a qualitative reaction of the studied soil to plants and an integral indicator of its fertility. A prerequisite is the use of test plants with small seeds. This will allow us to evaluate their response to stimulating and toxic soil components.

Predictive modeling of green water availability: The role of annual plants as an ecological indicator in dryland ecosystems

Green water is primarily associated with the appearance of annual plants and plays a significant role in biomass production in both arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Herein, we aim to estimate the optimal threshold for determining the presence or absence of annual plants and use them as an ecological indicator to assess potential green water areas in Kuwait as a case study. We integrate remote sensing techniques and MaxEnt modeling. The AUC for the annual plant distribution with all examined factors is 0.847, and the standard deviation is 0.050. The results demonstrated that potential locations with high levels of green water cover <20% of the country. The annual plant distribution was significantly correlated with several types of perennial plants, maximum temperature, precipitation, and sandy soils. It was also found that annual plants are controlled by the spring and winter temperature decline and the timing of precipitation occurrence, especially the pattern and amount of rainfall received in November. Sandy loam and loam soils were found to be ideal for annual plants, although land depressions and soil types are crucial factors in determining annual plant distribution. Additionally, annual plants enhanced the growth of several perennial communities. To reiterate, our study's model helped to comprehend the significance of annual plants as an ecological indicator in sustaining soil moisture over a prolonged period, as well as factors controlling the distribution of annual plants. The developed model and indicators could support decision-makers in determining appropriate locations with adequate levels of green water for revegetation planning in arid landscapes.

Effects of Drying Methods on Morphological Characteristics, Metabolite Content, and Antioxidant Capacity of Cordyceps sinensis

Cordyceps sinensis is a rare and endangered medicinal herb in China and a typical medicinal and food plant. Most of the research related to Cordyceps sinensis focuses on its pharmacological effects, artificial cultivation and clinical applications. However, there are few comprehensive evaluations on the quality of Cordyceps sinensis under different drying methods. In this study, the effects of vacuum freeze-drying (DG), oven-drying (HG) and air-drying (YG) on the morphological characteristics, microstructure, antioxidant activity and metabolites of Cordyceps sinensis were investigated using wild Cordyceps sinensis as the research object. The results showed that in their appearance and morphology, the YG- and HG-method Cordyceps sinensis samples were darker in color and wilted, while the DG- method Cordyceps sinensis samples were golden yellow in color and had better fullness. In terms of microstructure, the stomata of the YG and HG method Cordyceps sinensis samples were relatively small and irregularly shaped, whereas those of the DG method Cordyceps sinensis samples were larger and neat. In terms of antioxidant capacity, the HG-method samples were the lowest, followed by the YG group, and the DG group had the highest total antioxidant capacity. A correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between antioxidant capacity and lipids, lipid molecules, nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogs. A metabolomics analysis identified 1937 metabolites from 18 superclasses, with lipids, lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, organoheterocyclic compounds, and organic oxygen compounds being the predominant metabolites in Cordyceps sinensis. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in DG samples showed higher levels of lipids and lipid molecules, organic oxygen compounds, organic acids and derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compounds compared to the other drying methods, suggesting DG as the optimal preservation method for Cordyceps sinensis. These findings offer insights for selecting appropriate drying methods and maintaining the post-drying quality of Cordyceps sinensis.

Restoration Strategies in the Heidaigou Open-Pit Mine Dump Based on Water Sources and Plant Water Utilization

In this study, three typical plants capable of restoring in the Heidaigou open-pit mine dump, namely, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Caragana korshinskii, and Medicago sativa, were taken as the research objects. The δ2H and δ18O values of atmospheric precipitation, soil water, stem water, and leaf water were measured using the stable isotope technique, and the distribution characteristics of the δ2H and δ18O values of different water sources were identified. The IsoSource model (version1.3.1) was used to calculate the contribution rate of different water sources to the plants, and the differences and dynamic changes in the water sources for P. sylvestris var. mongolica, C. korshinskii, and M. sativa during the rainy season were examined. Results showed that the water source of the three plants was found to be mainly soil water, and the utilization of each potential water source varied in different periods of the rainy season. In June, when SWC was sufficient, P. sylvestris var. mongolica and M. sativa primarily absorbed and utilized shallow and middle soil water, with relative utilization ratios of 55.5% and 59%, respectively, while C. korshinskii has a more balanced utilization ratio of soil water in each layer, with shallow soil water utilization at 33.7%, middle soil water at 34.2%, and deep soil water at 32.2%. In August, when SWC decreased, P. sylvestris var. mongolica, C. korshinskii, and M. sativa were all transferred to deep soil water, with utilization ratios of 75.8%, 78.8%, and 71.1%, respectively. The values showed that these three typical plants are capable of restoring can respond to external water changes through the plastic transformation of water absorption sources. Among them, C. korshinskii can flexibly use soil water in each layer, has stronger survival competitiveness in drought, and can better adapt to the fragile ecological environment of a mining dump.

Stoichiometry of litter decomposition under the effects of climate change and nutrient enrichment: A meta-analysis

Abstract Aims The cycling of nutrients from plant litter has key implications for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems by controlling nutrient availability and net primary production. Despite extensive research on the effects of global change on ecosystem functioning, the direct implications of global change on stoichiometry and nutrient dynamics during litter decomposition remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis. Methods We analysed 178 experiments that simulated (i) warming, (ii) drought, (iii) increased water availability, (iv) N enrichment, (v) P enrichment, and (vi) combined N and P (N + P) enrichment. We compared earlier (approximately six months) and later (approximately one year) stages of decomposition and analysed the specific effects taking into account climate and plant type. Results The C:N and C:P ratios decreased in most warming and nutrient enrichment scenarios, leading to losses of litter C content, while the N:P ratio remained more resilient and affected by water availability. Furthermore, the abundance of resources (water and N + P) fosters the decomposition of litter. The nutrient mobilisation increases for both P and N under non-limited nutrient enrichment and it is faster for N than for P when water increases its availability. Nutrient enrichment was relevant in later stages of decomposition. Conclusions Our study provides insights into the fate of litter decomposition and its stoichiometric dynamics in response to drivers of global change. Concerning scenarios of C release and N and P immobilisation were identified. However, further experimentation and analysis are necessary to consider all interacting drivers.

A novel plant type, leaf disease and severity identification framework using CNN and transformer with multi-label method.

The growth of plants is threatened by numerous diseases. Accurate and timely identification of these diseases is crucial to prevent disease spreading. Many deep learning-based methods have been proposed for identifying leaf diseases. However, these methods often combine plant, leaf disease, and severity into one category or treat them separately, resulting in a large number of categories or complex network structures. Given this, this paper proposes a novel leaf disease identification network (LDI-NET) using a multi-label method. It is quite special because it can identify plant type, leaf disease and severity simultaneously using a single straightforward branch model without increasing the number of categories and avoiding extra branches. It consists of three modules, i.e., a feature tokenizer module, a token encoder module and a multi-label decoder module. The LDI-NET works as follows: Firstly, the feature tokenizer module is designed to enhance the capability of extracting local and long-range global contextual features by leveraging the strengths of convolutional neural networks and transformers. Secondly, the token encoder module is utilized to obtain context-rich tokens that can establish relationships among the plant, leaf disease and severity. Thirdly, the multi-label decoder module combined with a residual structure is utilized to fuse shallow and deep contextual features for better utilization of different-level features. This allows the identification of plant type, leaf disease, and severity simultaneously. Experiments show that the proposed LDI-NET outperforms the prevalent methods using the publicly available AI challenger 2018 dataset.

CHROMATOMASS SPECTROMETRIC STUDY OF LEAVES OF RUBUS IDAEUS L. AND SORBUS AUCUPARIA L. SOUTH OF THE TOMSK REGION

The features of the distribution of fat-soluble organic compounds in the leaves of deciduous shrubs Rubus idaeus and Sorbus aucuparia growing in identical weather conditions in mixed and pine forests of the southern taiga of Western Siberia are shown. The composition of n-alkanes, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, n-aldehydes, n-alkane-2-ones, n-alkanols, acyclic isoprenoids, steroids and pentacyclic triterpenoids was studied by chromatomass spectrometry. It was found that the microclimate of pine forest and mixed forest influences the composition of organic compounds in the leaves of single-species plants. In a mixed forest, among acyclic compounds, the total proportion of n-alkanes and the relative content of high-molecular homologues of n-alkanes, n-aldehydes and n-alkane-2-ones in rowan and raspberry leaves were increased. The composition of steroids is dominated by sitosterol, while in the bushes of mixed forest, unlike pine forest, there is a higher proportion of keto-substituted stigmast-4-en-3-one and the hydrocarbon stigmast-3,5-diene. Pine raspberries are distinguished by the presence of cholesterol, lanosterol and lanost-8-en-3-one, an increased content of cycloartenol. The leaves of ash among the pentacyclic triterpenoids identified a- and β-amerins, and the leaves of the raspberry a-, β- and d-amerins, among which in the pine forest increased the proportion a- amerin, and in the mixed forest – d-amerin. Raspberry leaves are dominated by neolup-12-en-3-ol, whereas in the leaves of mountain ash of mixed forest – lupeol, and pine forest – presumably 28-norneogop-18-en-3-ol. It is shown that the distribution of fat-soluble compounds depends not only on the type of plant, but also on the conditions of its growth, which must be taken into account when planning the practical use of plant raw materials.

Improvement of the clonal micro-propagation technology elements for raspberries of various fruiting types

The results of research on clonal micropropagation of 17 raspberry varieties of the Altai and European selection are presented. Recently, researchers have been focusing on creating a universal nutrient medium that would be equally suitable for any variety of a particular plant species. This is especially important for mass clonal micropropagation in production nurseries. The regeneration potential of the raspberry varieties of different types of fruiting at each stage of reproduction has been assessed. At the stage of actual micropropagation, it was found that Driver and Kuniyuki medium in our modification was superior to the Murashige and Skoog medium in terms of the shoot length and averaged 9.0 mm for common type varieties and 12.3 mm for remontant varieties. This made it possible to eliminate the additional stage of elongation of the microshoots. Also, the appearance of microshoots improved on the new medium. It was found that for raspberry, regardless of its type, the optimal concentrations of the growth regulators lie in the following range: cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) 2.5–3.5 μM together with auxin ß-indolyl butyric acid (IBA) 0.5–0.7 μM. At the stage of rhizogenesis, the best results were shown by the Driver and Kuniyuki medium with 2-fold reduced content of all main components and with the addition of 2.0 μM IBA at the passage duration of 21 days. After that, all microcuttings with and without roots underwent the adaptation stage – growth completion in neutral substrates for 56 days under ex vitro conditions in a vegetation room. In most cases, there were no statistically significant differences in the length and number of leaves regardless of the presence or absence of roots at the initial stage of adaptation. By the end of this stage, 100% of the adapted raspberry plants of the usual type of fruiting and 98% of the remontant type were obtained.

BRAIN - Holocene archaeo-data for assessing plant-cultural diversity in Italy and other Mediterranean regions

In the field of botany applied to archaeological and palaeoecological studies, the multi- and inter-disciplinary nature of this research produces a lack of data sharing and scattered articles in the specialty literature or in national and international journals. The vast production of archaeobotany and palynology data makes it necessary to develop a tool for the availability, accessibility, and dissemination of existing research. Many databases exist on palaeoecology, archaeobotany or pollen data. There are no collections focused on archaeological sites and human-induced environments and centred on Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. BRAIN - Botanical Records of Archaeobotany Italian Network is the first database listing sites from which all types of plant records are available in Italy and nearby Mediterranean regions. BRAIN represents the largest integrated collection of archaeo/palaeo-botanical data and a range of descriptive information that makes data recovery FAIR ready. This unique network hosts data on the availability of anthropogenic pollen, palynomorphs and plant macroremains in the same database, and experts of different research fields may contribute to it.

Effect of seed husk waste powder on the PLA medical thread properties fabricated via 3D printer

Abstract With the increasing use of medical equipment, threads are the catchy choice for medical personnel to solve wound closures. One raw material used in medical surgical threads is polylactic acid (PLA), which is appropriate for its environmentally friendly and biodegradable properties. However, the weakness of PLA is in mechanical properties. This work used extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing (fused deposition modeling) to fabricate medical threads from PLA. The effect of adding seed husk waste powders (SHWPs) to PLA filament (1.75 mm) and its manufacture by the 3D printer was studied. Four types of SHWP waste plants were used: pistachio, coffee, chestnuts, and walnuts crushed and milled by ball-milling after chemical processing and drying. The structural, particle size, and physical properties of the prepared powders were studied. The results of SHWPs show that the particle size is near the nano-size range of NPs and of low density. Different SHWP weight mixing ratios (5–15 wt%) were coated to PLA threads (0.4–0.45 µm) by grafting to study the mechanical (surface hardness and roughness) properties. The result shows that 15 wt% was the best ratio that combined the mechanical properties. The coated layer thickness was less than 5 µm. This ratio was adopted to fabricate grafted PLA and SHWPs/PLA medical threads by 3D printing with a radius of 400 ± 5 µm. The structural and biological properties of the fabricated medical threads were investigated. The results of SHWP-coated PLA show a significant improvement in structural and physical properties besides the mechanical properties. The results adopted this percentage from thread SHWP-coated PLA for medical applications, creating a new benefit for agricultural SHW and accelerated healing.

Improving plant miRNA-target prediction with self-supervised k-mer embedding and spectral graph convolutional neural network.

Deciphering the targets of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plants is crucial for comprehending their function and the variation in phenotype that they cause. As the highly cell-specific nature of miRNA regulation, recent computational approaches usually utilize expression data to identify the most physiologically relevant targets. Although these methods are effective, they typically require a large sample size and high-depth sequencing to detect potential miRNA-target pairs, thereby limiting their applicability in improving plant breeding. In this study, we propose a novel miRNA-target prediction framework named kmerPMTF (k-mer-based prediction framework for plant miRNA-target). Our framework effectively extracts the latent semantic embeddings of sequences by utilizing k-mer splitting and a deep self-supervised neural network. We construct multiple similarity networks based on k-mer embeddings and employ graph convolutional networks to derive deep representations of miRNAs and targets and calculate the probabilities of potential associations. We evaluated the performance of kmerPMTF on four typical plant datasets: Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Solanum lycopersicum, and Prunus persica. The results demonstrate its ability to achieve AUPRC values of 84.9%, 91.0%, 80.1%, and 82.1% in 5-fold cross-validation, respectively. Compared with several state-of-the-art existing methods, our framework achieves better performance on threshold-independent evaluation metrics. Overall, our study provides an efficient and simplified methodology for identifying plant miRNA-target associations, which will contribute to a deeper comprehension of miRNA regulatory mechanisms in plants.

Improving Wetlands Entrepreneurial Orientation With Problem-Based Learning (PBL) At The Purun Crafts Center in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Objective: Purun Danau (Lepironia articulata Retz.) is a typical wetland plant that can be used as high-value craft materials. Efforts to increase wetland entrepreneurial competency in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) expressed in entrepreneurial orientation (EO) are a crucial step to achieve community welfare and play a role in environmental sustainability. This study aims to measure and analyze the effectiveness of training on EO using the Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Theoretical Framework: EO is characterized by innovativeness, proactive attitude and risk-taking that supports the growth and development of MSMEs. Method: This study uses a quantitative method with quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS Statistics version 26. Results and Discussion: Results of the study show there is significant difference in the level of EO before and after the implementation of PBL. There has been an increase in the level of EO from pre-test scores ranging between 1,630 and 2,982 and post-test scores between 2,364 and 3,498. Research Implications: This study has strong implications in building wetland MSME entrepreneurs, creating added value to natural wetland resources, and encouraging the creation of eco-friendly products. Originality/Value: This study has originality which focuses on increasing the entrepreneurial orientation of MSMEs with learning and training interventions using Problem-Based Learning (PBL).

Restricted responses of AcMYB68 and AcERF74/75 enhanced waterlogging tolerance in kiwifruit.

Most of kiwifruit cultivars (e.g. Actinidia chinensis cv. Donghong, "DH") were sensitive to waterlogging, thus, waterlogging resistant rootstocks (e.g. Actinidia valvata Dunn, "Dunn") were widely used for kiwifruit industry. Those different species provided ideal materials to understand the waterlogging responses in kiwifruit. Compared to the weaken growth and root activities in "DH", "Dunn" maintained the relative high root activities under the prolonged waterlogging. Based on comparative analysis, transcript levels of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDCs) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADHs) showed significantly difference between these two species. Both PDCs and ADHs had been significantly increased by waterlogging in "DH", while they were only limitedly triggered by 2 days stress and subsided during the prolonged waterlogging in "Dunn". Thus, 19 differentially expressed transcript factors (DETFs) had been isolated using weighted gene co-expression network analysis combined with transcriptomics and transcript levels of PDCs and ADHs in waterlogged "DH". Among these DETFs, dual luciferase and electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated AcMYB68 could bind to and trigger the activity of AcPDC2 promoter. The stable over-expression of AcMYB68 significantly up-regulated the transcript levels of PDCs but inhibited the plant growth, especially the roots. Moreover, the enzyme activities of PDC in 35S::AcMYB68 were significantly enhanced during the waterlogging response than that in wild type plants. Most interestingly, comparative analysis indicated that the expression patterns of AcMYB68 and the previously characterized AcERF74/75 (the direct regulator on ADHs) either showed no responses (AcMYB68 and AcERF74) or very limited response (AcERF75) in "Dunn". Taken together, the restricted responses of AcMYB68 and AcERF74/75 in "Dunn" endow its waterlogging tolerance.

Overexpression of sweetpotato glutamylcysteine synthetase (IbGCS) in Arabidopsis confers tolerance to drought and salt stresses.

Various environmental stresses induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have deleterious effects on plant cells. Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant used to counteract reactive oxygen species. Glutathione is produced by glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS). However, evidence for the GCS gene in sweetpotato remains scarce. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of IbGCS isolated from sweetpotato cultivar Xu18 was 1566bp in length, which encodes 521 amino acids. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed a significantly higher expression of the IbGCS in sweetpotato flowers, and the gene was induced by salinity, abscisic acid (ABA), drought, extreme temperature and heavy metal stresses. The seed germination rate, root elongation and fresh weight were promoted in T3 Arabidopsis IbGCS-overexpressing lines (OEs) in contrast to wild type (WT) plants under mannitol and salt stresses. In addition, the soil drought and salt stress experiment results indicated that IbGCS overexpression in Arabidopsis reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced the levels of GCS activity, GSH and AsA content, and antioxidant enzyme activity. In summary, overexpressing IbGCS in Arabidopsis showed improved salt and drought tolerance.

Reproductive biology of Capparis decidua (Kair): A potential underutilized multipurpose plant of arid and semi arid region

Foliation and flowering of Capparis decidua occurs three times a year i.e. from January to November months. Flowers are bracteate, pedicellate, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, hypogynous with slender pedicel, usually light red, scarlet red and yellow in colour. Anthesis was maximum between 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 PM and 6.00 to 10.00 AM. Pollen grains are prolate, tricolporate, trilobed, with costae, colpal membrane sparsely granulated. Anther dehiscence takes place after 20–30 minutes of anthesis at 6.00 to 8.00 PM by the time the flowers starts antehsizing, the anthers are almost mature. The viability of pollen grains ranges from 38–52%, and starts decreasing in the stored pollen. The percentage fruit set decreases with the collection time of the pollen grains and plant type. According to visual observation stigmatic surface change in the appearance i.e. green coloured stigma was considered receptive while dull and brown was accounted non-receptive. Pollen germination in-vivo showed 80 per cent stigma receptive and 90 percent of fruit set in the flowers pollinated on the time of anthesis. Pollen grains per anther were ranging from 331–369, fully developed and mature anthers differing significantly among the plant types. The mean number of pollen grains per ovule was 4309 thus the pollen-ovule ratio was 431:1. There is 17–23% fruit set observed under self pollination (autogamy and geitonogamy) and 52–72% as a result of cross pollination. The cross pollinated nature of C. decidua is due to entomophilic nature of flowers, insect visitors which play the main role of pollination are from Apidae and Papilionidae.