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Topic Review
PGRs Improve Post-Harvest Longevity of Florists’ Greens
Florists’ greens are a very important element of floral compositions, and their vase life must match that of the flowers. Florists’ greens include foliage, the leafy and non-leafy stems of herbaceous plants, trees, bushes, and phylloclades. The post-harvest longevity of florists’ greens is influenced by genetics. Also strongly affected by the growing conditions and the conditions of the transport of the florists’ greens and the conditions when supplying them to markets are also significant. Moreover, florists’ greens are not supplied with growth regulators, which play a critical role in their ageing process. The cytokinins (CKs) and gobberellins (GAs) are considered to be inhibitors of ageing; however, unfortunately, their content in plant tissues decreases during the progressive ageing process, while the amount of plant growth regulators (PGRs) that accelerate ageing increases.
  • 907
  • 07 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Breeding for Nutritional/Organoleptic Quality
Due to novel and more demanding consumers’ requirements, breeding of vegetable crops confronts new challenges to improve the nutritional level and overall appearance of produce. Such objectives are not easy to achieve considering the complex genetic and physiological bases. Overtime, plant breeders relied on a number of technologies and methods to achieve ever changing targets. F1 hybrid seed production allowed the exploitation of heterosis and facilitated the combination of resistance and other useful genes in a uniform outperforming variety. Mutagenesis and tissue culture techniques permitted to induce novel variation, overcome crossing barriers, and speed up the achievement of true-breeding lines. Marker-assisted selection was one of the milestones in fastening selection, starting from the early ’90s in almost all seed companies. 
  • 887
  • 14 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Integrated Pest Management Practices
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a wide-ranging strategy that involves tactics for the structural control of pests and diseases, also known as integrated pest control (IPC). The practice of IPM involves adopting ecosystem-based approaches to crop production and protection as it combines diverse management strategies and techniques to promote healthy crop growth while reducing the need for pesticides.
  • 887
  • 11 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Postharvest Diseases Management of Fruits and Vegetables
Sustainable agriculture requires factors to directly stimulate plant growth and induce the plant’s innate immune system to protect against stresses. Protection of plants is one of the main approaches to the supply of food resource. Furthermore, improved techniques for plant disease management must be environmentally sustainable, reliable, acceptable by society, and chemical-free to ensure sustainable food security. Although it is not possible to accurately determine postharvest losses due to diseases and physiological disorders, the use of proper harvesting and transportation methods that minimize damage to the product, along with optimal storage conditions that prevent the development of diseases, will be effective in reducing these postharvest losses. Since handling and storage conditions are potential threats for postharvest spoilage, it is necessary to identify environmentally friendly approaches and their precision mechanisms for postharvest disease management. Biological control, non-chemical, and eco-friendly techniques have been investigated for this purpose.
  • 878
  • 13 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Plant Growth Regulators Used in Ornamental Geophytes
Geophytes are a very important group among ornamental plants, for which more and more plant growth regulators (PGRs) are being used to improve the plant quality, flowering intensity, and vase life of flowers and leaves. PGRs constitute a large group of naturally occurring or synthetically produced organic chemical compounds. There are many factors that influence the efficiency of PGRs, and the method of their application plays a key role in determining their success. In the case of geophytes, the most common method of application is spraying and soaking the storage organs before planting. 
  • 869
  • 20 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Morphological Variation of Euphorbia fulgens
Morphological variation is useful in conservation and genetic improvement programs. Euphorbia fulgens, a range-restricted local endemic species of Mexico, is used locally during the altars in the festivities of different saints and is also cultivated as an ornamental plant mainly in Europe. Thus, in the present study, morphological variation was evaluated in wild populations and cultivated populations. Characterization of 90 individuals from three wild populations (the only ones recorded to date) was done by measuring 30 morphological traits both vegetative and reproductive. Thereafter, seeds were collected, and established under greenhouse conditions, and 39 morphometric variables were evaluated in adult plants. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done for wild and cultivated groups independently, and when significant differences were found, Tukey’s comparison of means was applied (p < 0.05). To identify the traits responsible for the differences between wild and cultivated groups, a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was conducted. Morphological variation was found among wild populations, and this variation decreased in cultivated populations, mainly in reproductive structures. The LDA separated the wild populations from the cultivated groups, according to inflorescence length, petiole length/blade length ratio, and leaf roundness. The variables that determined the separation of individuals between wild and cultivated populations were cyme number, foliar Feret diameter, and inflorescence length, variables that can be important for breeding strategies and artificial selection.
  • 868
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Influence of Drought Stress on Ocimum Species
The genus Ocimum L. belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It exhibits large morphological groups, comprising of 30 to 160 species owing to the ease of cross-pollination which has led to a large number of subspecies and varieties. Ocimum species are annual and perennial herbs/shrubs that are indigenous to Africa, Asia, Central, and South America, but extensively disseminated worldwide. 
  • 860
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Transport of Exogenous GABA in Plants
γ- Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a ubiquitous four-carbon non-protein amino acid. In plants, GABA is found in different cell compartments and performs different metabolic functions. As a signalling molecule, GABA participates in the regulation of tolerance to various abiotic stresses.  GABA transporters were identified for the first time in 1999. Arabidopsis can grow efficiently on media in which GABA is the only nitrogen source, which shows that exogenous GABA can be taken up by plants and verifies the existence of GABA transporters. The transport of GABA in plants includes the transport of GABA between membranes, as well as into the cell membrane to various organelles. This process is affected by many transporters, such as aluminium activated malate transporters (ALMTs), GABA transporters (GATs), bidirectional amino acid transporters (BATs) and cationic amino acid transporters (CATs). These transporters are located on the cell membrane or organelle membrane and control the transport of GABA to the intracellular space and various organelles.
  • 843
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana
Heterosis is an important phenomenon for high-yield crop breeding and is utilized for breeding F1 varieties in horticultural crops. 
  • 787
  • 20 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Crop Fertigation in Closed Soilless Systems
Inappropriate fertilisation results in the pollution of water resources with nitrates and phosphates, eutrophication in surface water, emission of greenhouse gasses, and unwanted N deposition in natural environments, thereby harming the whole ecosystem. Cultivation in closed soilless systems entails recycling of the fertigation effluents thus eliminating nutrient emissions to the environment and concomitantly pollution of water resources with nitrates and phosphates.
  • 776
  • 08 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Management of Colletotrichum orbiculare
The fungus Colletotrichum orbiculare causes watermelon anthracnose and is an important pathogen of watermelon in the United States, causing a significant impact on yield and quality of the produce. The application of fungicides as preventative and post-occurrence control measures is currently being deployed by growers. Further study of the genetic and molecular basis of anthracnose resistance will help in guiding future watermelon breeding strategies. Several conserved virulence factors (effectors) in C. orbiculare have been reported to interact with the host, at times impairing the host immune machinery. 
  • 774
  • 13 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Pre-Harvest Sprouting Trait in Vegetable Crop Seeds
Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a botanical occurrence during which seeds germinate on the plant before harvest without, or after, a short dormancy. Vegetables are rich in essential nutrients that contribute to maintaining human health and fulfilling our nutritional requirements. Vegetable crops often face the challenge of PHS, which can significantly influence the economic viability and the quantity of high-quality vegetable seeds produced.
  • 748
  • 19 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Nitric Oxide as an Inhibitor of Postharvest Senescence
Horticultural products display fast senescence after harvest at ambient temperatures, resulting in decreased quality and shorter shelf life. As a gaseous signal molecule, nitric oxide (NO) has an important physiological effect on plants. Specifically, in the area of NO and its regulation of postharvest senescence, tremendous progress has been made.  The following summarizes NO synthesis; the effect of NO in alleviating postharvest senescence; the mechanism of NO-alleviated senescence; and its interactions with other signaling molecules, such as ethylene (ETH), abscisic acid (ABA), melatonin (MT), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen gas (H2), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and calcium ions (Ca2+). The aim of this text is to provide theoretical references for the application of NO in postharvest senescence in horticultural products.
  • 732
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
PGRs and AMF Stimulate Flowering of Colored Zantedeschia
Species from the Zantedeschia genus, described almost 200 years ago, belong to the numerous picture family Araceae, in which the inflorescence is a spadix with numerous small flowers set on a succulent stem surrounded by a colourful inflorescence spathe. Initially, the cultivation was dominated by Zantedeschia aethiopica /L./ Spreng. Its importance is currently low and cultivars with colourful inflorescence spathes derived from Z. rehmanii Engl., Z. elliottiana (W. Wats.) Engl. and Z. albomaculata (Hook.) Baill, among others, are becoming increasingly important. Their obtainment was possible thanks to intensive breeding work carried out initially in the United States of America and New Zealand, and later in South Africa and the Netherlands. The cultivar range is large. The yield of cut flowers that can be obtained from them is often not very satisfactory and is not compensated by the price that can be obtained from the sale of flowers.
  • 708
  • 12 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Cuttings of Malus Rootstock Resources
Apple (Malus Mill.) is one of the most important fruits in China, and it boasts the world’s largest cultivation area and yield. It needs to be grafted onto rootstocks to maintain a variety of characteristics. China has many apple rootstock resources that exhibit high resistance and strong adaptability; for these reasons, they are highly suited to China’s complex and diverse natural environment. In China, apple rootstock breeding began in the 1970s, and now, several rootstocks, such as the ‘GM256’ and ‘SH’ series, are widely used.
  • 708
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Self-Incompatibility in Brassica Vegetables
Brassica vegetables are very important to human beings. Self-incompatibility (SI) is a common phenomenon in Brassica. Breeding by SI lines is an important way to utilize heterosis of Brassica vegetables. It is believed that the SI inheritance in Brassica species is controlled by three linkage genes on the S-locus, including SRK (S-locus receptor kinase), SCR (S-locus cystine-rich protein)/SP11 (S-locus protein 11), and SLG (S-locus glycoprotein). SRK is the female determinant and SCR/SP11 is the pollen S gene. The expression of SLG is necessary for SRK, and it enhances the SRK-mediated SI reaction. In addition to these three S-locus genes, some other functional molecules also have significant regulatory effects on SI, such as ARC1 (arm repeat containing 1), MLPK (M-locus protein kinase), Exo70A1 (exocyst compounds), THLl/THL2 (thioredoxin H-like), MOD (aquaporin), SLR (S-locus-related glycoprotein), BPCI (pollen calcium-binding protein I), etc. SI is also associated with the dominant/recessive relationship between S alleles.
  • 668
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
MAPK Signaling in Fruit Ripening and Quality Formation
Fleshy fruit ripening is a unique biological process that involves dramatic changes in a diverse array of cellular metabolisms. The regulation of these metabolisms is essentially mediated by cellular signal transduction of internal (e.g., hormones) and external cues (i.e., environmental stimuli). Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways play crucial roles in a diverse array of biological processes, such as plant growth, development and biotic/abiotic responses. Accumulating evidence suggests that MAPK signaling pathways are also implicated in fruit ripening and quality formation.
  • 539
  • 12 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Involvement of Selenium in Regulating Plant Ecosystems
Selenium is an essential trace mineral nutrient for humans and animals and has important functions in enhancing immunity, scavenging free radicals in the body, and preventing cardiovascular diseases. Selenium deficiency poses a great risk to human health, triggering macrosomia, immune deficiency, impaired fertility, Keshan disease, and Kashin–Beck disease. However, excessive Se intake also causes selenosis, the main symptoms of which are respiratory distress, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Selenium is widely but heterogeneously distributed in the natural environment, and soil total Se content is significantly correlated with the soil parent material and climatic conditions. The average total Se content of soil around the world ranges from 0.1 mg·kg−1 to 2.0 mg·kg−1, and the median concentration in Chinese soils is 0.219 mg·kg−1. In the typically Se-rich areas in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province, the Se content in the topsoil is 0.84 ± 1.39 mg·kg−1. Soil Se deficiency zones are widespread across the globe, and currently approximately 0.5–1.0 billion people are at risk of Se deficiency. For example, most of China’s land is a Se-deficient zone. T.
  • 510
  • 25 Oct 2022
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