Plant Reproductive Organs Research Articles

Intraspecific variation of multi-elements in seeds of Euptelea pleiospermum and its association with soils, climate, and leaf elements

Abstract Seed mineral nutrition is essential for early seedling establishment, and varies under different environmental conditions. However, the intraspecific variation of multi-elements in seeds and the relative effects of climate and soil on seed elements remain unclear, even though understanding these factors is crucial for predicting plant reproductive responses to global changes. Here, we sampled seeds from Euptelea pleiospermum across 18 populations in China. We quantified the inter-population variation of 12 elements in the seeds and analyzed their relationship with soil characteristics and climatic variables. We also explored the relationship of N and P concentrations between seeds and leaves. Results showed that seed elements were highly variable across different populations, with macroelements exhibiting lower variability than most of the microelements. Along the latitudinal gradient, the concentrations of K, Ca, Fe and Al in seeds increased, while the concentrations of C and Mn decreased. The stoichiometry of seed elements did not significantly correlate with latitude. Seed element concentrations were associated with both soil and climatic variables, and the influence of soil conditions on intraspecific variations is comparable to or even greater than climatic factors. However, seed stoichiometry was less related to environmental factors. Seeds had higher P but lower N than leaves, with no correlation between seed elements and leaf elements. Our findings suggest that mountain tree species respond to different local environments by adjusting seed element concentrations while maintaining relatively stable seed stoichiometry. We emphasize that, in addition to climate change, soil conditions should be considered when predicting the influence of environmental changes on the elemental composition of plant reproductive organs.

The Hole Truth: Why Do Bumble Bees Rob Flowers More Than Once?

Primary nectar-robbers feed through holes they make in flowers, often bypassing the plant's reproductive organs in the process. In many robbed plants, multiple holes are made in a single flower. Why a flower should be robbed repeatedly is difficult to understand: a hole signals that a nectar forager has already fed, which would seem likely to predict low rewards. We tested three explanations for this pattern in Corydalis caseana (Fumariaceae), a bumble bee pollinated and robbed plant: (1) multiple holes appear only after all flowers have been robbed once; (2) individual foragers make multiple holes during single visits; and (3) it is more profitable for bees to rob older flowers, even if they have already been robbed. We tested these hypotheses from 2014 to 2016 in a Colorado, USA population using data on robbing rates over time, floral longevity, nectar accumulation in visited and unvisited flowers, and the accumulation of robbing holes across the life of flowers. Multiple holes were already appearing when two-thirds of flowers still lacked a single hole, allowing us to reject the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis cannot offer a full explanation for multiple robbing holes because 35% of additional holes appeared in flowers one or more days after the first hole was made. Repeated sampling of bagged and exposed inflorescences revealed that flowers filled at a constant rate and refilled completely after being drained. Consequently, young flowers are of consistently low value to foragers compared to older flowers even if they had previously been robbed, consistent with the third hypothesis. While further studies are needed, these results offer a simple explanation for the paradoxical clustering of nectar-robbing damage in this and possibly other plant species.

Characteristics of the Perianthic Endophytic Fungal Communities of the Rare Horticultural Plant Lirianthe delavayi and Their Changes under Artificial Cultivation.

Flower endophytic fungi play a major role in plant reproduction, stress resistance, and growth and development. However, little is known about how artificial cultivation affects the endophytic fungal community found in the tepals of rare horticultural plants. In this research, we used high-throughput sequencing technology combined with bioinformatics analysis to reveal the endophytic fungal community of tepals in Lirianthe delavayi and the effects of artificial cultivation on the community composition and function of these plants, using tepals of L. delavayi from wild habitat, cultivated campus habitat, and cultivated field habitat as research objects. The results showed that the variety of endophytic fungi in the tepals of L. delavayi was abundant, with a total of 907 Amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) obtained from all the samples, which were further classified into 4 phyla, 23 classes, 51 orders, 97 families, 156 genera, and 214 species. We also found that artificial cultivation had a significant impact on the community composition of endophytic fungi. Although there was no significant difference at the phylum level, with Ascomycota and Basidiomycota being the main phyla, there were significant differences in dominant and unique genera. Artificial cultivation has led to the addition of new pathogenic fungal genera, such as Phaeosphaeria, Botryosphaeria, and Paraconiothyrium, increasing the risk of disease in L. delavayi. In addition, the abundance of the endophytic fungus Rhodotorula, which is typical in plant reproductive organs, decreased. Artificial cultivation also altered the metabolic pathways of endophytic fungi, decreasing their ability to resist pests and diseases and reducing their ability to reproduce. A comparison of endophytic fungi in tepals and leaves revealed significant differences in community composition and changes in the endophytic diversity caused by artificial cultivation. To summarize, our results indicate that endophytic fungi in the tepals of L. delavayi mainly consist of pathogenic and saprophytic fungi. Simultaneously, artificial cultivation introduces a great number of pathogenic fungi that alter the metabolic pathways associated with plant resistance to disease and pests, as well as reproduction, which can increase the risk of plant disease and reduce plant reproductive capacity. Our study provides an important reference for the conservation and breeding of rare horticultural plants.

Heterotrimeric Gα-subunit regulates flower and fruit development in CLAVATA signaling pathway in cucumber.

Flowers and fruits are the reproductive organs in plants and play essential roles in natural beauty and the human diet. CLAVATA (CLV) signaling has been well characterized as regulating floral organ development by modulating shoot apical meristem (SAM) size; however, the signaling molecules downstream of the CLV pathway remain largely unknown in crops. Here, we found that functional disruption of CsCLV3 peptide and its receptor CsCLV1 both resulted in flowers with extra organs and stumpy fruits in cucumber. A heterotrimeric G protein α-subunit (CsGPA1) was shown to interact with CsCLV1. Csgpa1 mutant plants derived from gene editing displayed significantly increased floral organ numbers and shorter and wider fruits, a phenotype resembling that of Csclv mutants in cucumber. Moreover, the SAM size was enlarged and the longitudinal cell size of fruit was decreased in Csgpa1 mutants. The expression of the classical stem cell regulator WUSCHEL (WUS) was elevated in the SAM, while the expression of the fruit length stimulator CRABS CLAW (CRC) was reduced in the fruit of Csgpa1 mutants. Therefore, the Gα-subunit CsGPA1 protein interacts with CsCLV1 to inhibit floral organ numbers but promote fruit elongation, via repressing CsWUS expression and activating CsCRC transcription in cucumber. Our findings identified a new player in the CLV signaling pathway during flower and fruit development in dicots, increasing the number of target genes for precise manipulation of fruit shape during crop breeding.

The SEPALLATA-like CaSEP5 gene regulates flower sepal, pedicel, and fruit development in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Flowers are reproductive plant organs that determine final fruit or seed yield. SEPALLATA-like MADS-box genes participate in floral determination and/or flower organ specification. Nevertheless, their molecular mechanisms in bell pepper have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we identified CaSEP5, which encodes a duplicated SEPALLATA-like MADS-box protein grouped in the FBP9/23-subclade. CaSEP5 genes were detected in all whorls of floral organs, and were relatively highly expressed in the sepals and petals. Subcellular localization revealed that CaSEP5 was in the nucleus. This finding aligns with transcription factor characteristics. The physical interactions of CaSEP5 with B-, C-, and other CaSEPs indicated that CaSEP5 act as glue to form protein complexes to regulate flower development by altering the hormones level and distribution. CaSEP5-silenced plants had elongated, leaf-like sepals, rigid, straight pedicels, reduced fruit size, altered expression patterns of other floral homeotic genes, and varied hormone levels. We proposed that CaSEP5 plays an important role in pepper flower and fruit development by means of a complex hormone and genetic network.

AmPHO2 gene expression and interaction protein screening of snapdragon inoculated with AM fungi under low phosphorus stress

Phosphorus (P) is involved in flowering and fruiting in plants. P deficiency inhibits the formation of plant reproductive organs and affects the process of flower bud differentiation, leads to delayed flowering and affects the number and quality of flowers. Our previous experiment showed that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inoculation could promote snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) uptaking P, prolong the flowering period, and increase the number of flower buds and flowers at the full bloom stage under low P stress. The aim of this study is to preliminarily explore the molecular mechanism of AM fungus enhancing P absorption by snapdragon under low P stress. Four treatments were set up in this experiment, namely, low P level (0.1 mmol /L P), low P level (0.1 mmol /L P) +AM fungi, normal P level (0.7 mmol /L P), and normal P level (0.7 mmol/L P) + AM fungi, to evaluate regulation of AM fungi on the phosphate signaling factor PHOSPHATE 2 (PHO2) and the snapdragon flowering. Results showed that the P content in the roots, shoot apical meristem, buds and flowers of snapdragon inoculated with AM fungi increased and the expression of AmPHO2 decreased, suggesting that mycorrhizal symbiosis may inhibit the expression of AmPHO2. Total 28 AmPHO2 interacting proteins were screened by Yeast two-hybrid technique, among which the thioredoxin AmTrx was involved in the flowering process of the plant, and point-to-point validation and dual luciferase assay of AmTrx was further verified. This study showed that inoculation with AM fungi could negatively regulate AmPHO2, promote P uptake, flowering, and improve flower quality of snapdragon under low P stress.

Транслокация тяжёлых металлов в растения из почв вблизи Алавердского горно-металлургического комбината

The levels of heavy metals (HMs) in soil samples and plants grown on experimental plots near the Alaverdi copper smelting enterprise has been studied. The studies were conducted during the period of the enterprise’s operating in incomplete capacity (spring – summer 2022). The wind direction in the region was taken into account. The brown forest soils were taken from the topsoil horizon at a depth of 0–25 cm on the selected pilot plots located within 3; 10; 30 km from the enterprise. Potato, beet, carrot, pepper and eggplant were grown in field plots. The contents of HMs in soil and plant samples were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A comparative series of Cu > Pb > Zn > Co > Mn was established according to the gross HMs content in soil samples from plots close to the enterprise (3 km). In this series of experiments the comparative series of mobile forms of HMs follows the same sequence but with lower values. The mobility of Cu, Pb, Zn and Co in soil samples was on average 15.5%, in the case of Mn – 25.5% (3 km). The highest mobility in soil samples from distant plots (30 km) in the wind-rose direction was detected for Cu, Co, and Mn (14.3% on average), and the mobility of Pb and Zn was 8%. Calculations of bio-ecological and geo-ecological coefficients showed that the studied plants are characterized by individual scenario of metabolic processes, but a common adaptation strategy to the stressor. It has been shown that HMs accumulate more in the reproductive organs of plants than in the vegetative ones. This explains the differences in plant tolerance to chemical elements.

Evaluation of breeding material on the basis of morphological and cytological characteristics of the reproductive organs of plants of the genus Miscanthus

Evaluation of breeding material on the basis of morphological and cytological characteristics of the reproductive organs of plants of the genus Miscanthus

The effect of induced polyploidy on phytochemistry, cellular organelles and the expression of genes involved in thymol and carvacrol biosynthetic pathway in thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Induced polyploidy usually results in larger vegetative and reproductive plant organs. In order to study the effect of chromosome doubling on Thymus vulgaris, three levels of colchicine concentration including 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5% (w/v) were applied for 6, 12 and 24 hours on apical meristem of 2- and 4-leaf seedlings. Ploidy level was evaluated by flow cytometry and microscopic chromosome counting. Chemical composition of essential oils extracted by hydro-distillation was analyzed by gas Chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas Chromatography (GC). The application of 0.3% colchicine at 4-leaf seedling for 6 hours resulted in the highest survival rate and the highest number of tetraploid plants. Cytogenetic and flow cytometry analyses confirmed the increase of chromosome number from 2n=2x=30 in diploids to 2n=4x=60 in induced tetraploids. Tetraploid plants had larger leaves, taller and thicker stems, dense branching, longer trichome, larger stomata, larger guard cells, and decreased number of stomata. The number of chloroplasts and mitochondria increased significantly in tetraploid plants by 1.66 and 1.63 times, respectively. The expression of CYP71D178, CYP71D180 and CYP71D181 increased in tetraploids by 3.27, 7.39 and 2.15 times, respectively, probably resulting in higher essential oil compounds, as tetraploids outyielded the diploid plants by 64.7% in essential oil, 40.9% in thymol and 18.6% in carvacrol content.

Molecular mechanism of microRNA-mediated morphogenesis in plant reproductive organs: a review

Molecular mechanism of microRNA-mediated morphogenesis in plant reproductive organs: a review

Role of Phenylpropanoids and Flavonoids in Plant Defense Mechanism

Phenylpropanoids and flavonoids are specialized metabolites that play a crucial role in plant defenses against biotic and abiotic stresses. Secondary metabolites in plants, such as phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, lignins, monolignols, phenolic acids, stilbenes and coumarins, play a significant role in biotic and abiotic stress responses and interactions with their environment. Under stress-free conditions, flavonoids influence pollen tube growth, seed maturation, dormancy, and the longevity of plant reproductive organs and seeds. Under adverse abiotic conditions, flavonoids can mediate defense responses, such as the accumulation of flavonoids in leaves and glandular trichomes. Metabolomics has identified specialized PPP metabolites correlated with plant resistance to fungi and oomycetes. However, the correlation can be in opposite directions depending on the pathogen and a systemic approach is required to achieve increased resistance without decreasing resistance to another pathogen. The PAL gene is located upstream in the PPP pathway and phenylpropanoids and flavonoids have antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata. Phenylpropanoids have been studied in vitro to develop biological alternatives to synthetic phytoprotectants but the host's defense system is the most effective mode of action. Post-inoculation transcriptomic shifts reveal that some genes encoding enzymes in the PPP are rapidly activated, while others are induced later in the infection response. Insects are the most problematic macroscopic pests on cultivated plants and plants' natural defense mechanisms against herbivores include releasing volatile organic compounds, attracting enemies and producing phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. Increasing the content of flavonoids in infested plants can reduce the population of insects that cause damage to plants and spread viruses. Plant-environment interaction, mediated by secondary metabolites like phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, leads to diversity in gene structures. Systemic biology approach will be realized through sequencing, structural elucidation, and analytical tools. Model plants and crops can be used for exploration.

Weak latitudinal trends in reproductive traits of Afromontane forest trees.

Is the increase in species diversity patterns towards lower latitudes linked to reproductive traits? Plant reproductive organs influence reproductive isolation and hence species divergence. Abiotic differences between temperate and tropical regions can also directly impact on plant reproductive traits. Here we provide a novel overview of southern hemisphere, Afromontane forest tree taxonomical patterns and ask whether reproductive traits relate to latitude, while accounting for environmental (tree height) and evolutionary (biogeographical affinity) selective forces. We compiled a novel dataset with (1) flower colour, size and pollination syndrome and (2) fruit colour, size and dispersal syndrome for 331 tree species found in six Afromontane forest regions. We categorized each species into latitudinal distribution using these six regions, spanning the southern Cape (34º S) to Mount Kenya (0º S). Additionally, we gathered maximum tree height (m) for each species and determined the global distribution of all 196 tree genera (Afrotropical, Palaeotropical or Pantropical). Species, genera and families showed a general decrease in richness away from tropical and subtropical forests towards warm temperate forests. Southern Afrotemperate forests (the furthest south) had the highest tree endemism. There was no relationship between latitude and the reproductive traits tested here. Biogeographical affinity related to fruit colour and dispersal syndrome, with palaeotropical genera showing relative increases in black-purple fruit colour compared with pantropical genera, and palaeotropical genera showing relative increases in biotic seed dispersal compared with Afrotropical genera, which showed higher relative abiotic seed dispersal. Taller trees had a higher chance to be wind or insect pollinated (compared with bird pollinated) and had larger fruits. Latitude explained patterns in Afromontane tree taxonomic diversity; however, tree reproductive traits did not relate to latitude. We suggest that phylogenetic conservatism or convergence, or both, explain the reported patterns.

Genome-wide analysis reveals the crucial role of lncRNAs in regulating the expression of genes controlling pollen development.

The genomic location and stage-specific expression pattern of many long non-coding RNAs reveal their critical role in regulating protein-coding genes crucial in pollen developmental progression and male germ line specification. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200bp with no apparent protein-coding potential. Multiple investigations have revealed high expression of lncRNAs in plant reproductive organs in a cell and tissue-specific manner. However, their potential role as essential regulators of molecular processes involved in sexual reproduction remains largely unexplored. We have used developing field mustard (Brassica rapa) pollen as a model system for investigating the potential role of lncRNAs in reproductive development. Reference-based transcriptome assembly performed to update the existing genome annotation identified novel expressed protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including 4347 long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs, 1058 expressed) and 2,045 lncRNAs overlapping protein-coding genes on the opposite strand (lncNATs, 780 expressed). The analysis of expression profiles reveals that lncRNAs are significant and stage-specific contributors to the gene expression profile of developing pollen. Gene co-expression networks accompanied by genome location analysis identified 38 cis-acting lincRNA, 31 cis-acting lncNAT, 7 trans-acting lincRNA and 14 trans-acting lncNAT to be substantially co-expressed with target protein-coding genes involved in biological processes regulating pollen development and male lineage specification. These findings provide a foundation for future research aiming at developing strategies to employ lncRNAs as regulatory tools for gene expression control during reproductive development.

Biology of the formation of reproductive organs of plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family

In this article, the results of the research carried out for the purpose of researching the biology of the reproductive organs of plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family are presented with a deep scientific analysis. This article provides valuable information about flowering biology, pollination ecology, fruit appearance, formation and ripening stages of members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Also, 70-80% of flowers before blooming, 40-60% of female and bisexual flowers do not form ovaries, and 20-40% of fruits are shed at various stages of self development.

Anthecology of some species ofHamanthus BungeandHalimocnemis C.A. Mey

It is promising to grow the long-vegetating annual halophytesGamanthus BungeandHalimocnemis C.A. Mey. (Chenopodiaceae Vent.) in arid locations since they are important grazing plants for Karakol sheep and camels. These species’ xerothermic periods are when they flower and bear fruit. Research on reproductive biology must first examine how certain traits of plant reproductive organs in harsh environments relate to environmental influences. Identification of reproductive organ adaptation to air temperature and water stress in desert plants is an issue that has not received much attention fromChenopodiaceaefamily members. Such knowledge is crucial for developing perennial agrophytocenoses and boosting the production of pastures in need. The study ofHalimocnemisspecies is particularly interesting since this genus is thought to be confined to the Iran-Turonian floristic zones, with the Central Asian (Turonian) plains being its center of origin. In the studied species, there are signs that ensure the xenogamous type of pollination by entomophilia. These are proterandria in flowers, brightly colored outgrowths of pollen which are secondary attractants, morning type of flowering when insects are in high flight, and autogamous type of pollination by anemophily. Similar conditions eventually lead to funneling ofHalimocnemisandG. gamocarpus.

Role of long non-coding RNAs in rice reproductive development.

Rice is a staple crop, feeding over half of the global population. The future demand of population growth and climate change requires substantial rice improvement. Recent advances in rice genomics have highlighted the vital role of the non-coding part of the genome. The protein-coding regions account for only a tiny portion of the eukaryotic genome, and most of the genomic regions transcribe copious amounts of non-coding RNAs. Of these, the long non-coding RNAs, including linear non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular non-coding RNAs (circRNAs), have been shown to play critical roles in various developmental processes by regulating the expression of genes and functions of proteins at transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. With the advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, a substantial number of long non-coding RNAs have been found to be expressed in plant reproductive organs in a cell- and tissue-specific manner suggesting their reproductive development-related functions. Accumulating evidence points towards the critical role of these non-coding RNAs in flowering, anther, and pollen development, ovule and seed development and photoperiod and temperature regulation of male fertility. In this mini review, we provide a brief overview of the role of the linear and circular long non-coding RNAs in rice reproductive development and control of fertility and crop yield.

THE INFLUENCE OF EXTRA-ROOT NUTRIENTS ON THE DURATION OF THE INTERPHASE PERIOD OF SPRING BARLEY IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE RIGHT-BANK FOREST STEPPE OF UKRAINE

A sufficient amount of precipitation and a moderate air temperature are necessary for optimal growth and development processes, as well as the formation of reproductive organs of plants. Since their excessive or insufficient amount, as well as elevated or low temperature conditions, delay or accelerate the passage of interphase periods and adversely affect the duration of vegetative and generative growth of spring barley plants. In the course of research, it was established that in order to reduce the negative impact of the weather conditions of individual years on the stability of the gross harvest of barley grain, it is necessary to carry out foliar feeding in the phase of tillering and emergence of plants into the tube with biological preparations, such as Help Rost - 2 l/ha, Organic D2-M - 1 l/ha, Azotophyte - 2 l/ha. The duration of the period of earing-full ripeness turned out to be the most contrasting in response to the application of fertilizers. Thus, in the variant with the introduction of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N15Р15К15 and with one-time treatment with biological preparations Help Rost 2 l/ha, Organic D2-M 1 l/ha, Azotophyt 2 l/ha, the duration of this period was extended by 1 day compared to the control variant and by 2 days for two-time feeding with the indicated preparations in the phase of tillering and emergence of plants into the tube. So, in general, the duration of the growing season in spring barley varieties Armaks and Swagor on the control variant were the lowest and amounted to 83 and 79 days, respectively.By carrying out one-time foliar fertilization in the budding phase with biological preparations Help Rost - 2 l/ha, Organic D2-M - 1 l/ha, Azotophyt 2 l/ha against the background of N15Р15K15 fertilizer, the length of the growing season was extended to 85 and 86 days and 81 and 82 days , it is higher than on the control variant by 2 and 4; 2 and 3 days, respectively. With a two-time foliar feeding in the phase of bushing and emergence of plants in the tube with biological preparations Help Rost - 2 l/ha, Organic D2-M - 1 l/ha and Azotophyt 2 l/ha against the background of N15Р15K15 fertilizer, the duration of the growing season was extended to 86 and 87 days.

Evaluation of droplet deposition and efficiency of 28-homobrassinolide sprayed with unmanned aerial spraying system and electric air-pressure knapsack sprayer over wheat field

Brassinolides are plant-specific Polyhydroxylated steroid hormones that play a vital role in plant growth regulation and actively participate in inducing various stress tolerance. Our objective was to investigate the influence of 28-Homobrassinolide (HBR) dosages and compare the droplet deposition of unmanned aerial spraying system (UASS) with electric air-pressure knapsack (EAP) sprayer over the wheat field. Three HBR dosages (19, 24, 30 mg a. i. ha−1) with spray volume (SV) of 15, 30 L ha−1 were applied by UASS, and HBR dosage of 24 mg a. i. ha−1 with a spray volume of 450 L ha−1 was applied by EAP. The droplet deposition of UASS 15 L ha−1 was 15.51 %, 33.57 % higher than UASS 30 L ha−1 and EAP. While spray distribution uniformity in both UASS spray volumes was less than EAP. HBR (24, 30 a. i. mg ha−1) significantly increased the photosynthetic traits, which led to a hastened grain filling rate and increased biomass of reproductive plant organs, yield, and yield components. HBR dosage of 24 mg a. i. ha−1 with a spray volume of 15 L ha−1 significantly increased grain yield by 17.94 %, 16.31 % than CK and 12.13 %, 15.31 % than EAP in two years, respectively. It is concluded that the application of HBR 24 ∼ 30 mg a. i. ha−1 with UASS 15 L ha−1 at the wheat anthesis stage could be an effective approach to improve the wheat yield.

Quality degradation of industrial hemp due to infestation by Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a highly polyphagous pest that causes severe damage to a wide range of hosts by feeding on vegetative and reproductive organs of plants, as well as on seeds. The aim of the present study was to determine if BMSB injures hemp seeds and to what the extent of this injury was, in terms of seed weight and quality. At the growth stage of the formation of female inflorescence, a BMSB individual was inserted into separate sleeve cages that were placed on the top of female industrial hemp plants. The entire procedure was repeated at two more growth stages, 20 and 40 days after the formation of the female inflorescence. According to our results, no differences were observed among infested and non-infested plants regarding seed weight and percentage of empty seeds. Conversely, infested plants displayed significantly lower mean protein content 20 days after the formation of the female inflorescence. Likewise, infested plants exhibited the lowest mean oil content 20 days after the formation of the female inflorescence.

Morphological features and productive potential of plants of the genus Vigna Savi. in the conditions of the Right-Bank ForestSteppe of Ukraine

Aim. To conduct a comprehensive study of morphological features of the genus Vigna plants, to assess their productive potential depending on the species characteristics under the conditions of introduction in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. The main method of work was a comparative morphological analysis of plants grown from seeds. The research was carried out at the introduction sites and in the laboratory of the Department of Cultural Flora of the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine during 2019–2021. Plants of four species of the genus Vigna: V. radiata (L.) R.Wilczek, V. angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H.Ohashi, V. mungo (L.) Hepper, V. unguiculata (L.) Walp were the material for the study. We studied the patterns of growth processes and plant development depending on species characteristics. Soil germination of seeds without prior preparation was determined depen ding on species characteristics. Field, laboratory and me thods of analysis of variance and statistical evaluation of average data using Microsoft Excel (2010) were used. Results. It was revealed that the seeds of plants V. radiata, V. angularis, V. mungo, V. unguiculata being introduced in the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine were characterized by a high level of sprouting energy (from 64.8% in V. angularis to 78.9% in V. unguiculata ) and germination (from 84.3% in V. radiata to 99.6% in V. angularis), the intensity of growth and development of aboveground and underground organs during the growing season and seed productivity (from 468 g/m2 in V. radiata to 585 g/m2 in V. mungo). This indicates the prospects of their cultivation as a source material for breeding research and the advisability of use in crop production, which will expand the potential of the raw material base in addition to traditional legumes and cereals. Conclusions. The morphological characteristics of seeds, vegetative and reproductive organs of plants of the genus Vigna were studied. Peculiarities of formation of seed productivity, aboveground and underground part of plants during vegetation depending on species specificity in the conditions of introduction in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine were determined.