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<jats:p>A trial was carried out in central Italy in an olive orchard of cultivar Moraiolo, highly infected by <jats:italic>Venturia oleaginea</jats:italic>. The aim of the investigation was to evaluate the effects of autumn and spring applications of copper oxychloride or dodine to control the disease. Non treated trees were used as the control. The effects of the fungal attacks on leaves and inflorescence development confirmed the high susceptibility of the cultivar Moraiolo to the disease. The results show that in trees heavily infected, but with most of the infected leaves at the early stage of the disease (asymptomatic phase), treatments with dodine had a curative effect, with consequent reduction in the appearance of symptomatic leaves and defoliation with respect to the control or copper-treated trees. The use of dodine against the autumnal attacks of <jats:italic>V. oleaginea</jats:italic> allowed most of the old leaves to be maintained until the new ones had formed, which is important for the growth processes during the early part of the growing season. Overall, the results indicate that to efficiently control the pathogen using copper compounds, treatments must start soon after the beginning of the attack and be repeated in order to maintain the infection at a low level. Dodine can be efficiently used if there is a great increase in infected leaves. The use of dodine to solve particular situations and not for normal repeated use is regulated by the fact that in some countries, Italy included, protocols for integrated pest management allow only one dodine treatment/year.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Lettuce (<jats:italic>Lactuca sativa</jats:italic>) germination is sensitive to environmental conditions. Recently, hydrogel has received increased attention as an alternative media to soil for seed germination. Compared to soil seeding, hydrogel-aided germination provides more controlled seeding environments. However, there are still challenges preventing hydrogel-aided seed germination from being widely used in industry production or academic studies, such as hydrogel formulation variations, seeding operation standardization, and germination evaluation. In this study, we tested how the combination of multiple environmental conditions affect lettuce seed germination time, which is measured as the time needed for the first pair of leaves to appear (leaf emergence) or, alternatively, the third leaf to appear (leaf development). We found that germination time and success rate of two lettuce varieties (Iceberg A and Butter Crunch) showed different sensitivities to pH, Hoagland formulations and concentrations, light intensity, and hydrogel content. We have conducted statistical analysis on the correlation between germination time and these environmental conditions.</jats:p>

<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>In the Asian tropics, unpredictable weather increases the risk of abiotic stresses in sorghum areas, making it harder to meet predicted demand. Genotype-by environment interaction (GEI) and the lack of an effective multi-trait-based selection approach make it challenging to breed climateresilient forage sorghum that adapts to nonconventional areas.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>The present investigation carried out to estimate genetic parameters, inter trait associations, genetic gain under selection (SGs) of 95 diverse forage sorghum genotypes. Fourteen forage yield and other secondary traits were evaluated at five different growing seasons at two locations. Negative and positive genetic gains under selection were estimated across different growing seasons including Kharif, Rabi and Summer in the year 2020 and 2021.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results and discussion</jats:title><jats:p>The GEI effects were significant (P &amp;lt; 0.001) for all the studied traits. The multi trait based stability indices have been said to assist breeders in ensuring sustained progress in primary traits likeforage yield without sacrificing genetic advancement in secondary traits. Fourteen genotypes were selected through each evaluation methods including genotype – ideotype distance index (MGIDI), multi-trait stability index (MTSI), multi-trait stability and mean performance (MTMPS) and multi-trait index based on factor analysis and genotype-ideotype distance (FAIBLUP Index), assuming 15% selection intensity. According to MGIDI, the selected genotypes exhibited desired positive genetic gains for dry forage yield per plant, inter-nodal length, green forage yield per plant, and plant height and negative genetic gains for days to 50% flowering. The strength and weakness plot is a potential graphical tool as portrayed by MGIDI, to identify and develop desirable genotype for particular environment. Two genotypes, G36 (302B) and G89 (348B) were found to be common across all four evaluation methods based on all the studied traits.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Multi-trait stability evaluation approaches are reliable and accessible for selecting multiple traits under varied testing environments with low multicollinearity issues. These tools proved effective in enhancing selection strategies and optimising breeding schemes for the development of climate-resilient forage sorghum genotypes. The aforementioned genotypes were found to be the most reliable, high-yielding, and earlymaturing and could be suggested for variety and hybrid development and ideotype breeding programmes to ensure the food and nutritional security.</jats:p></jats:sec>

<jats:p>The improvement of nutrients in soil is essential for using deserts and decertified ecosystems and promoting sustainable agriculture. Grapevines are suitable crops for desert soils as they can adapt to harsh environments and effectively impact soil nutrients; however, the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear. This study explored the impact of the different duration(3, 6, and 10 years) of grape cultivation on soil organic carbon, physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial communities, and carbon cycle pathways in both rhizosphere and bulk soils. Partial least squares path modeling was used to further reveal how these factors contributed to soil nutrient improvement. Our findings indicate that after long-term grape cultivation six years, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and enzyme activities has significantly increased in both rhizosphere and bulk soils but microbial diversity decreased in bulk soil. According to the microbial community assembly analysis, we found that stochastic processes, particularly homogenizing dispersal, were dominant in both soils. Bacteria are more sensitive to environmental changes than fungi. In the bulk soil, long-term grape cultivation leads to a reduction in ecological niches and an increase in salinity, resulting in a decrease in soil microbial diversity. Soil enzymes play an important role in increasing soil organic matter in bulk soil by decomposing plant litters, while fungi play an important role in increasing soil organic matter in the rhizosphere, possibly by decomposing fine roots and producing mycelia. Our findings enhance understanding of the mechanisms of soil organic carbon improvement under long-term grape cultivation and suggest that grapes are suitable crops for restoring desert ecosystems.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Although rice is one of the main sources of calories for most of the world, nearly 60% of rice is grown in soils that are low in phosphorus especially in Asia and Africa. Given the limitations of bioavailable inorganic phosphate (Pi) in soils, it is important to develop crops tolerant to low phosphate in order to boost food security. Due to the immobile nature of Pi, plants have developed complex molecular signalling pathways that allow them to discern changes in Pi concentrations in the environment and adapt their growth and development. Recently, in rice, it was shown that a specific serine–threonine kinase known as <jats:italic>Phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 (PSTOL1)</jats:italic> is important for conferring low phosphate tolerance in rice. Nonetheless, knowledge about the mechanism underpinning PSTOL1 activity in conferring low Pi tolerance is very limited in rice. Post-translation modifications (PTMs) play an important role in plants in providing a conduit to detect changes in the environment and influence molecular signalling pathways to adapt growth and development. In recent years, the PTM SUMOylation has been shown to be critical for plant growth and development. It is known that plants experience hyperSUMOylation of target proteins during phosphate starvation. Here, we demonstrate that PSTOL1 is SUMOylated <jats:italic>in planta</jats:italic>, and this affects its phosphorylation activity. Furthermore, we also provide new evidence for the role of SUMOylation in regulating PSTOL1 activity in plant responses to Pi starvation in rice and <jats:italic>Arabidopsis</jats:italic>. Our data indicated that overexpression of the non-SUMOylatable version of OsPSTOL1 negatively impacts total root length and total root surface area of rice grown under low Pi. Interestingly, our data also showed that overexpression of OsPSTOL1 in a non-cereal species, <jats:italic>Arabidopsis</jats:italic>, also positively impacts overall plant growth under low Pi by modulating root development. Taken together our data provide new evidence for the role of PSTOL1 SUMOylation in mediating enhanced root development for tolerating phosphate-limiting conditions.</jats:p>

<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of naturally occurring steroidal phytohormones mediating a wide range of pivotal developmental and physiological functions throughout the plant’s life cycle. Therefore, it is of great significance to determine the content and the distribution of BRs in plants.Regretfully, although a large number of quantitative methods for BRs by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have been reported, the <jats:italic>in planta</jats:italic> distribution of BRs is still unclear because of their lower contents in plant tissues and the lack of effective ionizable groups in their chemical structures.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We stablished a novel analytical method of BRs based on C18 cartridge solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification, 4-(dimethylamino)-phenylboronic acid (DMAPBA) derivatization, and online valve-switching system coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electro spray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). This method has been used to quantify three structural types of BRs (epibrassinolide, epicastasterone, and 6-deoxo-24-epicastaster one) in different organs of <jats:italic>Brassica napus</jats:italic> L. (rapeseed).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>We obtained the contents of three structural types of BRs in various organ tissues of rapeseed. The contents of three BRs in rapeseed flowers were the highest, followed by tender pods. The levels of three BRs all decreased during the maturation of the organs. We outlined the spatial distribution maps of three BRs in rapeseed based on these results, so as to understand the spatial distribution of BRs at the visual level.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Our results provided useful information for the precise <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> localization of BRs in plants and the metabolomic research of BRs in future work. The <jats:italic>in planta</jats:italic> spatial distribution of BRs at the visual level has been studied for the first time.</jats:p></jats:sec>

<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>Endophytes play a significant role in regulating plant root development and facilitating nutrient solubilization and transportation. This association could improve plant growth. The present study has uncovered a distinct phenotype, which we refer to as "white root", arising from the intricate interactions between endophytic fungi and bacteria with the roots in a sugarcane and bamboo fungus (<jats:italic>Dictyophora indusiata</jats:italic>) intercropping system.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We investigated the mechanisms underlying the formation of this “white root” phenotype and its impact on sugarcane yield and metabolism by metabarcoding and metabolome analysis.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results and Discussion</jats:title><jats:p>Initial analysis revealed that intercropping with <jats:italic>D. indusiata</jats:italic> increased sugarcane yield by enhancing the number of viable tillers compared with bagasse and no input control. Metabarcoding based on second-generation and third-generation sequencing indicated that <jats:italic>D. indusiate</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Bacillus aryabhattai</jats:italic> dominates the fungal and bacterial composition in the “white root” phenotype of sugarcane root. The coexistence of <jats:italic>D. indusiata</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>B. aryabhattai</jats:italic> as endophytes induced plant growth-promoting metabolites in the sugarcane root system, such as lysoPC 18:1 and dihydrobenzofuran, probably contributing to increased sugarcane yield. Furthermore, the association also enhanced the metabolism of compounds, such as naringenin-7-O-glucoside (Prunin), naringenin-7-O-neohesperidoside (Naringin)*, hesperetin-7-O-neohesperidoside (Neohesperidin), epicatechin, and aromadendrin (Dihydrokaempferol), involved in flavonoid metabolism during the formation of the endophytic phenotype in the sugarcane root system. These observations suggest that the “white root” phenotype promotes sugarcane growth by activating flavonoid metabolism. This study reports an interesting phenomenon where <jats:italic>D. indusiata</jats:italic>, coordinate with the specific bacteria invade, forms a “white root” phenotype with sugarcane root. The study also provides new insights into using <jats:italic>D. indusiata</jats:italic> as a soil inoculant for promoting sugarcane growth and proposes a new approach for improve sugarcane cultivation.</jats:p></jats:sec>

<jats:p>Pear brown rot and blossom blight caused by <jats:italic>Monilinia laxa</jats:italic> seriously affect pear production worldwide. Here, we compared the transcriptomic profiles of petals after inoculation with <jats:italic>M. laxa</jats:italic> using two pear cultivars with different levels of sensitivity to disease (Sissy, a relatively tolerant cultivar, and Kristalli, a highly susceptible cultivar). Physiological indexes were also monitored in the petals of both cultivars at 2 h and 48 h after infection (2 HAI and 48 HAI). RNA-seq data and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) allowed the identification of key genes and pathways involved in immune- and defense-related responses that were specific for each cultivar in a time-dependent manner. In particular, in the Kristalli cultivar, a significant transcriptome reprogramming occurred early at 2 HAI and was accompanied either by suppression of key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the modulation of any defense responses or by activation of DEGs acting as sensitivity factors promoting susceptibility. In contrast to the considerably high number of DEGs induced early in the Kristalli cultivar, upregulation of specific DEGs involved in pathogen perception and signal transduction, biosynthesis of secondary and primary metabolism, and other defense-related responses was delayed in the Sissy cultivar, occurring at 48 HAI. The WGCNA highlighted one module that was significantly and highly correlated to the relatively tolerant cultivar. Six hub genes were identified within this module, including three WRKY transcription factor-encoding genes: <jats:italic>WRKY 65</jats:italic> (pycom05g27470), <jats:italic>WRKY</jats:italic> 71 (pycom10g22220), and <jats:italic>WRKY28</jats:italic> (pycom17g13130), which may play a crucial role in enhancing the tolerance of pear petals to <jats:italic>M. laxa</jats:italic>. Our results will provide insights into the interplay of the molecular mechanisms underlying immune responses of petals at the pear–<jats:italic>M. laxa</jats:italic> pathosystem.</jats:p>

<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>Peanut (<jats:italic>Arachis hypogaea</jats:italic> L.), also called groundnut is an important oil and cash crop grown widely in the world. The annual global production of groundnuts has increased to approximately 50 million tons, which provides a rich source of vegetable oils and proteins for humans. Low temperature (non-freezing) is one of the major factors restricting peanut growth, yield, and geographic distribution. Since the complexity of cold-resistance trait, the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance and related gene networks were largely unknown in peanut.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>In this study, comparative transcriptomic analysis of two peanut cultivars (SLH vs. ZH12) with differential cold tolerance under low temperature (10°C) was performed using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) platform.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results and discussion</jats:title><jats:p>As a result, we identified 8,949 novel gene loci and 95,291 new/novel isoforms compared with the reference database. More differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered in cold-sensitive cultivar (ZH12) than cold-tolerant cultivar (SLH), while more alternative splicing events were found in SLH compared to ZH12. Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of the common DEGs showed that the “response to stress”, “chloroplast part”, and “transcription factor activity” were the most enriched GO terms, indicating that photosynthesis process and transcription factors play crucial roles in cold stress response in peanut. We also detected a total of 708 differential alternative splicing genes (DASGs) under cold stress compared to normal condition. Intron retention (IR) and exon skipping (ES) were the most prevalent alternative splicing (AS) events. In total, 4,993 transcription factors and 292 splicing factors were detected, many of them had differential expression levels and/or underwent AS events in response to cold stress. Overexpression of two candidate genes (encoding trehalose-6-phosphatephosphatases, AhTPPs) in yeast improves cold tolerance. This study not only provides valuable resources for the study of cold resistance in peanut but also lay a foundation for genetic modification of cold regulators to enhance stress tolerance in crops</jats:p></jats:sec>

<jats:p>Okra has been widely cultivated worldwide. Consumers appreciate its nutritional value and delicious taste. However, okra is very perishable after harvest because of rapid senescence and high susceptibility to mechanical injuries, which limits its storage life and reduces consumer acceptance. This study examined the influence of melatonin treatment on senescence process and endogenous plant signalling molecules in postharvest okras. The results indicated that melatonin treatment delayed senescence by increasing the endogenous melatonin content through upregulation of its biosynthetic genes. In addition, the treatment increased the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin (GA) due to the positive modulation of their metabolic and signalling genes. Furthermore, treated okras exhibited higher levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) but lower abscisic acid (ABA) content, contributing to the delayed senescence process compared to control. Overall, the findings suggested that melatonin postponed senescence in okras fruit by positively regulating endogenous signalling molecules such as melatonin, IAA, GABA, GA, and ABA.</jats:p>