Horticulturae, Volume 7, Issue 7 (July 2021) – 44 articles

As a representative economic crop with the potential for long-term sustainable development, grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) bring direct economic benefits to the people, and the indirect ecological benefits produced by grapevines cannot be ignored. This study utilized relevant statistical data from the government sectors and data obtained at vineyards and wineries through interviews and surveys. The value of the ecosystem service of the grape industry in soil-burial over-wintering areas was first evaluated from four first-level indicators types and 10 s-level indicators types, using Hongsibu of the eastern foothill of Helan Mountain, Ningxia, as an example. The results show that the total current benefits of the grape industry ecosystem service function in Hongsibu are ¥ 1067 million. The direct economic benefits are ¥ 660 million and indirect ecological benefits are ¥ 407 million. The value ranking of the first-level function types is as follows: supply services > cultural services > support services > regulatory services. The ranking of the value of second-level function types is as follows: food production > ecological poverty alleviation > biodiversity > carbon fixation and oxygen release > ecotourism > air purification > nutrient accumulation > water conservation and efficiency > water holding > soil conservation. Cultivation measures (such as burial-free cultivation technology, inter-row grass technology, and suspending grape branches after winter pruning technology) increased the value of the service function of the grape ecosystem and explored some potential benefits. The results indicated the necessity of assessing ecosystem service value of the grape industry, which could enable people to realize the direct economic benefits as well as the ecological benefits. Meanwhile, the positive effects of cultivation techniques on the value of ecosystem service function were demonstrated in soil-burial over-wintering areas. This study provides important reference value and comprehensive guidance for the healthy and sustainable development of the grape industry. Full article

Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis) have been planted as a landscaping feature plant throughout warm, temperate, and subtropical climates. The physical amenity provisioning of this species (shade effects, microclimate amelioration, water usage, etc.) has so far not been systematically assessed. This paper reports on temperature and humidity measurements in both a suburban and a rural location in SE Australia. The study demonstrates the effects of the palm canopy as regulator of humidity and provider of shade and, thus, amenity values in urban landscape settings. Drawing on published energy savings and growth requirements of the plant, the paper argues that Canary Island date palms are landscaping plants suitable to ameliorate the microclimate in urban neighborhoods with varied socio-economic conditions. Full article

Light and nitrogen strongly affect the growth, yield, and quality of food crops, with greater importance in green leafy vegetables for their tendency to accumulate nitrate in leaves. The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of two greenhouse films (Film A and B) on yield, and quality of spinach grown under different nitrogen regimes (not fertilized—N0%; sub-optimal N dose—N50%; optimal N dose—N100%). Film A and Film B were used as clear and diffused light films, with 75% and 87% thermicity, and 85% and 90% total transmittivity, respectively, where only Film B had a UV-B window. Film B elicited an increase in yield (22%) and soil–plant analysis development (SPAD) index (4.6%) compared to the clear film, but did not affect chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll content. In addition, the diffuse film significantly decreased ascorbic acid in the crop but had no effect on lipophilic antioxidant activity and phenols content, but decreased ascorbic acid content. Finally, nitrate content was strongly increased both by nitrogen dose (about 50-fold more than N0%) and greenhouse films (about six-fold higher under diffuse light film), but within the legal limit fixed by European Commission. Therefore, irrespective of N levels, the use of diffuse-light film in winter boosts spinach yield without depressing quality. Full article

In response to agriculture’s contribution to surface water quality, considerable effort is being made to develop best management practices to reduce nutrient loss. To evaluate the efficacy of gypsum as a horticultural media amendment for controlling phosphorus (P) leaching, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum was added to a standard horticultural growth medium at 0, 2.5, 5, 10 or 15% (v/v). FGD gypsum was either mixed with the growing medium or placed at the bottom of the containers. A fast-release or a control-release fertilizer was top-dressed to containers. The greatest P leaching occurred with the fertilizer-only treatments (no gypsum). Dissolved reactive P (DRP) losses were highest on the initial day of measurement for the fast-release fertilizer and then decreased rapidly. There was a delayed release of DRP from the controlled-release fertilizer. Increasing rates of FGD gypsum addition resulted in decreasing DRP leaching concentration loss and load. The FGD gypsum decreased leachate DRP concentration loss by a maximum of 75%, with an average decrease of 46%. Mixing the FGD gypsum with the medium (an easier/less expensive means of incorporation) was most effective with the fast-release fertilizer. These preliminary results indicate that less gypsum may be needed to reduce P loss from fast-released fertilizer as opposed to control-release fertilizer. FGD gypsum remained effective in reducing DRP loss throughout the experiment. Full article

Valsa canker caused by Valsa pyri is one of the most destructive diseases of commercial pear. For the present analysis, 29 different endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the branches of a healthy pear tree. In dual culture assays, strain ZZ1 exhibited robust antifungal activity against all tested pathogens including Valsa pyri. Microscopic analyses suggested that following co-culture with ZZ1, the hyphae of V. pyri were ragged, thin, and ruptured. ZZ1 also induced significant decreases in lesion length and disease incidence on detached pear branches inoculated with V. pyri. ZZ1 isolate-derived culture filtrates also exhibited antifungal activity against V. pyri, decreasing mycelial growth and conidium germination and inhibiting V. pyri-associated lesion development on pear branches. These results suggest that the ZZ1 isolate has the potential for use as a biological control agent against V. pyri. The strain was further identified as Penicillium citrinum based on its morphological characteristics and molecular analyses. Overall, these data highlight a potentially valuable new biocontrol resource for combating pear Valsa canker. Full article

This study evaluated the use of splice grafting as a propagation strategy for watermelon. In experiment 1, the treatments consisted of sucrose, antitranspirant A, antitranspirant B, auxin (indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)) at two concentrations (10 and 20 mg·L⁻¹), plus a water control. The survival (%) of splice-grafted watermelon plants differed due to the number of days after grafting and treatment (p < 0.0001, for both). At 21 days after grafting, plants treated with sucrose and antitranspirant A, and sucrose and antitranspirant A with 10 mg·L⁻¹ auxin had 90% and 88% survival, respectively, whereas the graft survival was 18% for plants treated with water. Experiment 2 included the three top performing treatments from experiment 1 and a water control treatment, applied to both root-intact and root-excised rootstocks. There was a significant difference in survival (%) of splice-grafted watermelon due to root treatments, exogenous treatments, and the number of days after grafting (p < 0.0001, for all). At 21 days after grafting, survival for root-excised grafted plants was 11% lower compared to root-intact plants. Plants treated with sucrose and antitranspirant A, and sucrose and antitranspirant A with 10 mg·L⁻¹ auxin had 87% and 86% survival, respectively, whereas plants treated with water had 14% survival. The external application of auxin applied to rootstock seedlings does not appear to be cost-effective; however, other products should be evaluated. Full article

Eggplant is a vegetable crop with high economic value that is cultivated worldwide. The dwarf mutant is an important germplasm material that has been extensively used in crop breeding. However, no eggplant dwarf mutants have been reported, and little is known regarding the genes responsible for dwarfism in eggplant. In this study, we isolated an eggplant dwarf mutant (dwf) from an ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS)-induced mutant library. Genetic analysis revealed that dwf was caused by a single recessive gene. A candidate gene SmCPR1, encoding cytochrome P450 reductases (CPR1), was identified by bulked segregant analysis (BSA). Mutation from G to A at 8216 bp of SmCPR1 resulted in mutation of the amino acid from valine to isoleucine. The results of KASP and Sanger sequencing further support the conclusion that SmCPR1 is a candidate gene responsible for the dwarfism of dwf. Moreover, the activity of SmCPR1 was significantly increased in dwf, which might be a response to dwarfism in dwf. Full article

We investigated the influence of different conditions (light composition and plant growth regulators (PGRs) in culture media) on the morphophysiological parameters of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni in vitro and in vivo. Both PGRs and the light spectra applied were found to significantly affect plant morphogenesis. During the micropropagation stage of S. rebaudiana, optimal growth, with a multiplication coefficient of 15, was obtained in an MS culture medium containing 2,4-epibrassinolide (Epin) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 mg L⁻¹, respectively. During the rooting stage, we found that the addition of 0.5 mg L⁻¹ hydroxycinnamic acid (Zircon) to the MS medium led to an optimal root formation frequency of 85% and resulted in the formation of strong plants with well-developed leaf blades. Cultivation on media containing 0.1 mg L⁻¹ Epin and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ IAA and receiving coherent light irradiation on a weekly basis resulted in a 100% increase in the multiplication coefficient, better adventitious shoot growth, and a 33% increase in the number of leaves. S. rebaudiana microshoots, cultured on MS media containing 1.0 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ IAA with red monochrome light treatments, increased the multiplication coefficient by 30% compared with controls (white light, media without PGRs). Full article

In hops (Humulus lupulus L.), irrigation by flooding the inter-row can carry away suspended particles and minerals, causing gradients in soil fertility. The effect of more than 20 years of flooding irrigation on soil and plants was evaluated in two hop fields by measuring soil and plant variables in multiple points along the rows. In a second experiment 1000 kg ha⁻¹ of lime was applied and incorporated into the soil to assess whether liming could moderate any gradient created by the irrigation. At different sampling points along the rows, significant differences were recorded in soil properties, plant elemental composition and dry matter yield, but this was not found to exist over a continuous gradient. The variations in cone yield were over 50% when different sampling points were compared. However, this difference cannot be attributed to the effect of irrigation, but rather to an erratic spatial variation in some of the soil constituents, such as sand, silt and clay. Flooding irrigation and frequent soil tillage resulted in lower porosity and higher soil bulk density in the 0.0–0.10 m soil layer in comparison to the 0.10–0.20 m layer. In turn, porosity and bulk density were respectively positively and negatively associated with crop productivity. Thus, irrigation and soil tillage may have damaged the soil condition but did not create any gradient along the row. The ridge appeared to provide an important pool of nutrients, probably caused by mass flow due to the evaporation from it and a regular supply of irrigation water to the inter-row. Liming raised the soil pH slightly, but had a relevant effect on neither soil nor plants, perhaps because of the small amounts of lime applied. Full article

Fruit and vegetable crops are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are vital to human health. However, many biotic stressors (such as pests and diseases) and abiotic stressors threaten crop growth, quality, and yield. Traditional breeding strategies for improving crop traits include a series of backcrosses and selection to introduce beneficial traits into fine germplasm, this process is slow and resource-intensive. The new breeding technique known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein-9 (Cas9) has the potential to improve many traits rapidly and accurately, such as yield, quality, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and nutritional aspects in crops. Because of its simple operation and high mutation efficiency, this system has been applied to obtain new germplasm resources via gene-directed mutation. With the availability of whole-genome sequencing data, and information about gene function for important traits, CRISPR-Cas9 editing to precisely mutate key genes can rapidly generate new germplasm resources for the improvement of important agronomic traits. In this review, we explore this technology and its application in fruit and vegetable crops. We address the challenges, existing variants and the associated regulatory framework, and consider future applications. Full article

In a pot experiment, we assessed the potential of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) as a phytoremediation species in Cr(VI)-contaminated soils. We focused on the evaluation of phytotoxic Cr(VI) effects at concentrations reaching 150 mg Cr(VI) kg⁻¹ and the possible stress amelioration effect of nitrogen on Cr(VI)-stressed plants. Treatments were T-0 (control), T-1 (25 mg Cr(VI) kg⁻¹), T-2 = 50 mg kg⁻¹, T-3 = 100 mg kg⁻¹, and T-4 = 150 mg kg⁻¹. We measured Cr(VI) concentration in aerial and root tissues, a series of parameters related to photosynthesis and plant growth, phosphorus aerial plant tissue content, and we also calculated indices (ratios) related to leaf growth and above ground tissue water content. Cr(VI) almost exclusively was found in root tissues; all physiological and growth parameters studied were severely affected and plants selectively accumulated phosphorus in aerial plant tissues with increasing Cr(VI) soil concentrations. On the other hand, N amendment resulted in improved plant features in some of the measured parameters: chlorophyll index was improved with added N at T-2, plant height was significantly higher at T-0, T-1, and T-2, and aerial dry weight and leaf area was higher at T-0; these effects indicate that added N did increase P. oleracea potential to ameliorate Cr(VI) toxic effects. We conclude that purslane showed a potential as a possible species to be successfully introduced to Cr(VI)-laden soils, but more research is certainly necessary. Full article

High berry yield and quality of conventionally and organically grown cranberry stands require proper nutrient sources and dosage. Our objective was to model the response of cultivar “Stevens” to N, P, K, Mg, Cu, and B fertilization under conventional and organic farming systems. A 3-year trial was conducted on permanent plots at four production sites in Quebec, Canada. We analyzed yield predictors, marketable yield, and fruit quality in response to fertilization and soil properties. Cranberry responded primarily to nitrogen fertilization and, to a lesser extent, to potassium. Berry yield was closely related to the number of fruiting uprights (r = 0.92), berry counts per fruiting upright (r = 0.91), number of reproductive uprights (r = 0.83), and fruit set (r = 0.77). Nitrogen increased berry yield nonlinearly but decreased berry firmness, total anthocyanin content (TAcy), and total soluble solids content (°Brix) linearly, indicating a trade-off between berry yield and quality. Fertilizer dosage at a high-yield level ranged between 30 and 45 kg N ha⁻¹ in both conventional and organic farming systems. Slow-release fertilizers delayed crop maturity and should thus be managed differently than ammonium sulfate. Berry weight increased with added K. Redundancy analysis showed a close correlation between marketable yield, berry quality indices, and soil tests, especially K and Ca, indicating the need for soil test calibration. Full article

Almond (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] D.A. Webb) represents a model system for the study of epigenetic age-related disorders in perennial plants because the economically important noninfectious bud-failure disorder is well characterized and shown to be associated with the clonal-age of the propagation source. Epigenetic changes regulating disorders such as changes in methylation or telomere-length shortening would be expected to occur in shoot apical meristem initial cells since subsequent daughter cells including those in ensuing shoot axillary meristems show an irreversible advance in epigenetic aging. Because multiple initial cells are involved in meristem development and growth, such ‘mutations’ would be expected to occur in some initial cells but not others, resulting in mericlinal or sectorial chimeras during subsequent shoot development that, in turn, would differentially affect vegetative buds present in the leaf axils of the shoot. To test this developmental pattern, 2180 trees propagated from axillary buds of known position within asymptomatic noninfectious bud-failure budstick sources were evaluated for the disorder. Results demonstrate that relative bud position was not a determinant of successful trait propagation, but rather all axillary buds within individual shoots showed very similar degrees of noninfectious bud-failure. Control is thus more analogous to tissue-wide imprinting rather than being restricted to discrete cell lineages as would be predicted by standard meristem cell fate-mapping. Full article

Delayed harvesting technology is believed to improve the citrus fruit flavor, but improper tree fruit load under delayed harvest might cause puffiness and reduce fruit quality. In order to find out an optimum tree fruit load level to obtain better flavor quality as well as reduce puffiness in delayed-harvest citrus under protected cultivation, experiments were conducted in the present study between 2019 and 2020 to determine the effect of different fruit loads and fruit-bearing per single branch on the soluble sugars and organic acids metabolism in the peel and flesh, the anatomical structure of the matured fruit peel, and fruit texture-related indexes. The results suggested significant negative correlations between leaf N level and flesh sucrose and glucose contents, and between branch P level and flesh citric acid contents; no significant correlation between NPK levels and flesh texture; relatively lower leaf N and branch P under relatively higher load can increase flesh sucrose and glucose accumulation and slow down citric acid degradation to the greater extent, thus optimizing the sugar/acid ratio of fruits during delayed harvest. The lignification of parenchyma cells closely around peel secretory cavities due to ascorbic acid deficiency might be the primary cause for puffiness under low-load treatments. Full article

A combination of room cooling and the use of thermal insulation materials to maintain okra quality under simulated storage and transportation was evaluated. Okra pods were packed in plastic baskets and either cooled at 18 °C or not cooled in a room for 2 h. After either room cooling or no cooling, the okra pods were covered with three different materials: (1) perforated linear low-density polyethylene (P-LLDPE), (2) two layers of heat-reflective sheet with thin nonwoven (HRS+TNNW), and (3) metalized foam sheet (MFS). Typical handling (TP) without cooling and covering with P-LLDPE was used as the control. The six treatments were conducted during simulated storage (18 °C for 48 h) and transportation (30 °C for 15 h). Results showed that MFS gave the best insulation properties (Q_x and R-values), followed by HRS and TNNW. After room cooling, both HRS+TNNW and MFS materials delayed the time for pulp temperature to reach 18 °C (10 h), compared to P-LLDPE (2 h). TP presented the highest mass loss (17.8%) throughout simulated conditions, followed by cooling plus P-LLDPE (15.2%) and either of the thermal insulation materials with or without room cooling (3.6% to 5.2%), respectively. TP, cooling plus P-LLDPE, and no cooling plus MFS (44% to 56%) showed the highest percentage of decay, while cooling combined with both HRS+TNNW and MFS gave the lowest decay incidence (11–21%). Findings demonstrated that room cooling combined with HRS+TNNW had the highest efficiency for preserving cool temperature and reducing decay, compared to TP and room cooling plus MFS. Full article

Capsicum frutescens, one of the domesticated species of pepper grown worldwide, is thought to be highly advantageous due to its strong resistance against plant pathogenesis, high productivity, and intense aroma. However, a shortage of molecular markers limits the efficiency and accuracy of genetic breeding for pepper. With the newly developed next-generation sequencing technology, genome sequences of C. frutescens can be generated, which are now available for identifying SSR markers via data mining. In this study, a total of 278,425 SSRs were detected from the pepper genome using MISA software. It was observed that trinucleotides were the dominant repeat motif. This was followed by dinucleotides, tetranucleotides, pentanucleotides, and the hexanucleotides repeat types. (AT)n (TTG)n (AAAT)n (AAATA)n (TATAGA)n is known to be the most common repeat motifs corresponding to dinucleotide to hexanucleotide repeats, respectively. In addition, a total of 240 SSR primers evenly distributed over all 12 chromosomes were designed and screened against 8 C. frutescens cultivars. Of these, 33 SSR markers that have high polymorphism, have been scrutinized for 147 accessions from 25 countries. The dendrogram constructed clustered these accessions into seven major groups. The groups were found to be consistent with their origins. The results obtained in this study provided resources of SSR molecular markers and insight into genetic diversity of the C. frutescens. Full article

Vegetables and fruits have an interesting nutritional profile, rich in bioactive metabolites, holding a high antioxidant potential and health associated benefits. However, their functional properties, the shorter shelf-life due to their high-water content, and their seasonality nature lead to extensive food losses and waste. The valorization of vegetables and fruits by-products through the development of value-added products and the application of preservation methods is of utmost importance to prevent food losses and waste. In this study, based on a circular economy approach, pulps and powders of baby carrot and cherry tomato by-products were prepared. Freezing, hot air drying and storage time impact on antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds were studied. Microbiological quality and pulps viscosity were also monitored for 6 months. During the freezing storage, TPC and antioxidant capacity by ABTS and ORAC assays decreased. The antioxidant capacity by DPPH method and carotenoid content increased during the first months of freezing, but then decreased. The drying process negatively affected the antioxidant capacity as well as carotenoid and polyphenolic content compared with the fresh vegetables. Both processing methodologies positively impacted the vitamin E content. During drying storage, there were no key variations in antioxidant capacity and bioactive content. Full article

The harvest time of grapes is a major determinant of berry composition and of the wine quality, and it is usually established through empirical testing of main biochemical parameters of the berry. In this work, we studied how the ripening stage of Aglianico grapes modulates key secondary metabolites of wines, phenolics and volatile compounds. Specifically, we analyzed and compared four berry ripening stages corresponding to total soluble solids of 18, 20, 22, and 25 °Brix and related aged wines. Wine color intensity, anthocyanins level and total trans-resveratrol (free + glycosidic form) increased with grape maturity degree. Wines obtained from late-harvested grapes significantly differed from the others for a higher content of aliphatic alcohols, esters, acetates, α-terpineol and benzyl alcohol. The content of glycosidic terpene compounds, such as nerol, geraniol and α-terpineol, was higher in wines obtained with grapes harvested at 25 °Brix compared to the earlier harvests. Our work indicated that the maturity of the grape is a determining factor in phenolic and volatile compounds of red Aglianico wines. Moreover, extending grape ripening to a sugar concentration higher than 22 °Brix improves the biochemical profile of aged wine in terms of aroma compounds and of phytochemicals with known health-related benefits. Full article

As an important gaseous regulator, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is involved in various aspects of plant processes, including seed germination, stomatal movement, and postharvest senescence. The preservation capacity of Lanzhou lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor Salisb) scales fumigated with or without exogenously applied sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a H₂S donor) was investigated in the current study. Results indicate that NaHS fumigation was able to extend storage life and elicit endogenous H₂S production of postharvest Lanzhou lily scales with an optimal concentration at 0.8 mM. Moreover, exogenously applied NaHS (0.8 mM) led to higher soluble sugar, soluble protein, and ascorbic acid levels and lower total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared with those of the control. The application of 0.8 mM NaHS also reduced the lipid peroxidation level and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in scales, as indicated by the lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative conductivity, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, O₂⁻ production rate, and hydrogen per-oxide (H₂O₂) content. Further, scales treated with 0.8 mM NaHS exhibited significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX). Collectively, our data provide new insight into how the postharvest senescence of Lanzhou lily scales might be alleviated by H₂S by enhancing antioxidant defense systems. Full article

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds were germinated to investigate the effect of the fermentation period of oak tree sawdust on germination viability and seedling characteristics. Its germination rate, seedling weight, length, and total vigor index were assessed. The seeds were sown in oak tree sawdust fermented for 0, 30, 45, and 60 days. The germination rates of the seeds in fermented sawdust were significantly different. The seeds in the 45-day fermented sawdust produced the heaviest biomass weight (4.6 g) with the longest true leaf (1.7 cm) and hypocotyl (3.4 cm) resulting in the highest total vigor index (925.8). In contrast, seeds in 0-day fermented sawdust had the lowest total vigor index (18.3). Microbiome analysis showed that the microbial community in the sawdust changed as the fermentation progressed, indicating that the microbial community seems to affect seed germination physiology. Taken together, 45-day fermented sawdust is recommended for optimal peanut seed germination and seedling growth. Full article

Salinity is one of the major problems facing crops worldwide. Salinity can severely affect plants in a negative manner. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of NaCl on morpho–physiological, biochemical, structural and ultrastructural properties in Solanum melongena seedlings under different NaCl concentrations. Plants treated with high concentrations of NaCl showed a nonsignificant decrease in shoot height compared to the controls. However, NaCl concentration of 50 mM and above significantly decreased leaf area, while 75 mM and above significantly reduced the photosynthetic rate (PN) and leaf total sugar content when compared with plants treated with less-concentrated NaCl and the controls. Thick root sections from plants grown in 100 and 150 mM NaCl exhibit severe deformation in the epidermal and cortical layers. Additionally, TEM micrographs of plants treated with 75, 100, and 150 mM exhibited bulgy chloroplasts with loss of integrity thylakoid membranes associated with large starch grains. The changes in plant ultrastructure observed in this study broaden our knowledge about the impact of salinity at the cellular level. Full article

The present work aims to explore the potential to improve quality of purslane microgreens by combining water salinity and LED lighting during their cultivation. Purslane plants were grown in a growth chamber with light insulated compartments, under different lighting sources on a 16 h d⁻¹ photoperiod—fluorescent lamps (FL) and two LED treatments, including a red and blue (RB)) spectrum and a red, blue and far red (RB+IR) LED lights spectrum—while providing all of them a light intensity of 150 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Plants were exposed to two salinity treatments, by adding 0 or 80 mM NaCl. Biomass, cation and anions, total phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total chlorophylls (Chl) and carotenoids content (Car) and fatty acids were determined. The results showed that yield was increased by 21% both in RB and RB+FR lights compared to FL and in salinity compared to non-salinity conditions. The nitrate content was reduced by 81% and 91% when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR, respectively, as compared to FL light, and by 9.5% under saline conditions as compared with non-salinity conditions. The lowest oxalate contents were obtained with the combinations of RB or RB+FR lighting and salinity. The content of Cl and Na in the leaves were also reduced when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR lights under saline conditions. Microgreens grown under RB light reached the highest TPC, while salinity reduced TFC, Chl and Car. Finally, the fatty acid content was not affected by light or salinity, but these factors slightly influenced their composition. It is concluded that the use of RB and RB+FR lights in saline conditions is of potential use in purslane microgreens production, since it improves the yield and quality of the product, reducing the content of anti-nutritional compounds. Full article

This study investigates the preferences for ready-to-eat pomegranate arils in Italy through a discrete choice experiment (DCE) on 264 young consumers in Italy. The aim is to estimate consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the reputational attributes of the product (e.g., the product origin and sales channel) and to discriminate the elicited preferences between tasting and non-tasting situations. To this purpose, a random parameter logit model was employed to assess the heterogeneity in consumer preferences. The results suggest that non-tasters attach a relevant value to the reputational attributes (e.g., +75% WTP for Italian origin). Moreover, considering the sensory features of the products, we found that consumers in this group discriminate against the proposed samples only through their visual characteristics: they prefer the sample with the largest size and red colored arils. In addition, we found that the tasting experience reduced the value attached to the reputational attributes (e.g., −50% WTP for local origin) for consumers, compared to non-tasting situation, thus shifting their preference to the samples that they appreciated the most (high liking). Specifically, we found that consumers in the tasting group preferred the product sample with the highest level of sweetness and the lowest level of sourness and astringency, showing a higher preference for sweetness. The findings contribute to the literature on consumers’ behavior on new food products (NFPs), showing that reputational attributes lose value after the tasting experience. In contrast, the sensory features of the NFPs can help tasters to reduce the information asymmetry, which traditionally represents a hurdle in purchases for new consumers. However, this depends on the individuals’ subjective preferences, as demonstrated by the significant effect of liking levels in discriminating consumers’ choices. To conclude, although these results cannot be extended to the general population, they may give some interesting insights about future trends of NFP demand. Full article

The influence of mycorrhizal inoculum in combination with different phosphorus treatments on growth and flowering parameters of Ajania (Ajania pacifica (Nakai) Bremer et Humphries) plants was investigated in two growing seasons (2015 and 2016). Plants of the cultivar ‘Silver and Gold’ were transplanted into pots either with added mycorrhizal inoculum or without inoculum and assigned to four phosphorus treatments. Mycorrhizal colonization was assessed by evaluating the frequency of colonization, intensity of colonization and density of fungal structures (arbuscules, vesicles, coils and microsclerotia) in the roots. During the growing season, the content of plant available phosphorus in the soil was analyzed, and shoot length, number of shoots, number of inflorescences, number of flowers and flowering time were evaluated. Inoculated Ajania plants were successfully colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytic fungi. In the root segments, hyphae were mainly observed, as well as vesicles, coils, arbuscules and microsclerotia, but in lower density. The density of fungal structures did not differ among phosphorus treatments, but did differ between years, with a higher density of fungal structures in 2016. Mycorrhizal plants developed higher number of shoots in 2016, higher number of inflorescences, higher number of flowers, and they flowered longer compared to uninoculated plants. Full article

Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are cultivated, semi-domesticated, or wild plant species, not included in the group of the major staple crops, since, in most cases, they do not meet the global market requirements. As they often represent resilient species and valuable sources of vitamins, micronutrients, and other phytochemicals, a wider use of NUS would enhance sustainability of agro-systems and a choice of nutritious foods with a strategic role for addressing the nutritional security challenge across Europe. In this review, we focused on some examples of NUS from the Apulia Region (Southern Italy), either cultivated or spontaneously growing species, showing interesting adaptative, nutritional, and economical potential that can be exploited and properly enhanced in future programs. Full article

This work presents quantitative detection of water stress and estimation of the water stress level: none, light, moderate, and severe on potato crops. We use hyperspectral imagery and state of the art machine learning algorithms: random decision forest, multilayer perceptron, convolutional neural networks, support vector machines, extreme gradient boost, and AdaBoost. The detection and estimation of water stress in potato crops is carried out on two different phenological stages of the plants: tubers differentiation and maximum tuberization. The machine learning algorithms are trained with a small subset of each hyperspectral image corresponding to the plant canopy. The results are improved using majority voting to classify all the canopy pixels in the hyperspectral images. The results indicate that both detection of water stress and estimation of the level of water stress can be obtained with good accuracy, improved further by majority voting. The importance of each band of the hyperspectral images in the classification of the images is assessed by random forest and extreme gradient boost, which are the machine learning algorithms that perform best overall on both phenological stages and detection and estimation of water stress in potato crops. Full article

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) is an important traditional Chinese medicine herb. This study aimed to investigate the drought-responsive metabolic profiling in S. miltiorrhiza using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) analysis. Fifty day-old S. miltiorrhiza seedlings were treated with two (moderate drought, MD) and four weeks (high drought, HD) of withholding water. The S. miltiorrhiza leaf and root samples were prepared for the GC-TOFMS analysis. Differential metabolites with substantial changes in content in S. miltiorrhiza leaf and root were identified using multivariate and univariate statistics. A total of 178 and 157 annotated metabolites were detected in S. miltiorrhiza leaf and root, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that significantly discriminant metabolites in S. miltiorrhiza leaf by drought were associated with “galactose metabolism” and “citrate cycle”. In addition, the significantly discriminant metabolites in S. miltiorrhiza root were associated with “starch and sucrose metabolism”. Univariate statistics showed that the content of succinic acid, d-glucose, and oxoglutaric acid in S. miltiorrhiza leaf was increased by drought (fold change, FC > 1.5). Allose, d-xylose, melibiose, mannose, sorbitol, quinic acid, sinigrin, and taurine in S. miltiorrhiza root were decreased by drought (FC < 0.67). There were different metabolic profiles between S. miltiorrhiza leaf and root. However, the influence of drought stress on the pharmacological value and accumulation of bioactive constituents in S. miltiorrhiza should be further investigated. Full article

Fusarium basal rot (FBR) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae (FOC) is a major threat to onion (Allium cepa L.) production and marketing worldwide. Finding new sources of FBR-resistance to develop synthetic cultivars is a priority for onion breeders. As there are no FBR-resistant short-day onion cultivars, 85 U.S. National Plant Germplasm System plant introduction onion accessions that originated from 23 different countries were screened for their FBR susceptibility. To compare FBR susceptibility of these accessions at their seedling and mature bulb stages, a susceptible check cultivar, NuMex Crimson, a partially resistant check cultivar, Serrana and its selected population, Serrana-sel, were included in the study. The seedling screening was performed after inoculating silica-sand media with a virulent FOC isolate ‘CSC-515’ at 1.0 × 10⁴ macroconidia g⁻¹ of sand. Each entry was evaluated twice in growth chambers, and percent survival was adjusted to the number of seedlings that germinated in the uninoculated trays. Mature bulbs produced in the field were screened by inoculating transversely cut basal plates with potato dextrose agar plugs containing spores of the same isolate at 3.0 × 10⁴ macroconidia mL⁻¹. FBR severity and incidence were then calculated after 20 days of incubation. Significant variation was found among the accessions for FBR-susceptibility (p < 0.001) at both the seedling and the mature bulb stages. Two sets of 18 accessions were identified either for their higher seedling survival or higher mature bulb FBR-resistance compared to the checks. Among them, PI 256326 (‘Baia Periforme’, the originator cultivar of ‘Serrana’) had a higher seedling survival than both the checks, and a lower mature bulb severity than the susceptible check. Another accession, PI 656956 (‘S015’), exhibited higher seedling survival than the susceptible check and a low FBR severity (4.3 on a 1 to 9 scale) and incidence (41.7%). These two accessions, which were known previously for their high intra-population heterogeneity and root or bulb resistance for FBR, respectively, show promise for incorporating FBR-resistance into short-day onion cultivars. The cultivar rankings could vary in future studies with a range of FOC isolates due to a high cultivar × isolate interaction as observed in past studies. Full article

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are important secondary metabolites in Brassicales related to insect and disease resistance, flavor formation, and human health. Here, we determined the GSL profile with sinigrin as the predominant GSL in Brassica nigra. A total of 184 GSL biosynthetic genes (BniGSLs) were identified in B. nigra by a genome-wide search for orthologs of 82 of the 95 known GSL genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Transcriptome data demonstrated that at least one BniGSL was highly expressed in stems and leaves at each step of the sinigrin synthesis pathway, which ensured the synthesis of a large amount of sinigrin in B. nigra. Among these key candidates of BniGSLs, the high expression of BniMAM1-2, BniCYP79F1, and BniAOP2-1/2, and the absence of MAM3 and AOP3, may contribute remarkably to the synthesis and accumulation of sinigrin. In addition, the low expression of some key BniGSLs partially explains the low content of indolic and aromatic GSLs in B. nigra. This study provided a genetic explanation for the formation of the unique GSL profile with sinigrin as the main GSL in B. nigra. The results of this study will be valuable for further functional analysis of BniGSLs and genetic improvement of GSLs in B. nigra and other Brassica species. Full article