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Studies on some seed traits of Iris pumila L., Adonis vernalis L., Primula veris Huds. and Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch.
36-40.Views:250In this study we summarize the results of a five-years period concerning seed traits examinations on Iris pumila, Adonis vernalis, Primula veris and Alkanna tinctoria, with special attention to seed dimensions, seed mass and other traits concerning plant fitness, to their variability and the relationship among them. We found tight correlation between seed weight and seed dimensions in Adonis and Primula, at the same time no correlation exists among the same characters in Alkanna tinctoria. Consequently, the seed weight and seed dimensions can be used as synonyms in the form of „seed size" only after preliminary detection of correlations among them.
The variability of seed traits is higher in natural categories (individuals, morphs) than in seed mass categories as speculative groups. When we need homogeneous plant stand (e.g. for an introduction experiment) it is suggested to use seeds pre-selected in this way. For ex situ conservation, where the central goal is to maintain the genetic variability, seeds originated from different individuals are preferred.
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Impact of planting dates on yield and pod quality traits of snap bean under short-temperate season climates
57-63.Views:346Snap bean, a warm-season crop, have low frost tolerance. The optimal temperature for seed emergence and plant growth is important. Therefore, appropriate planting dates for adapted varieties has paramount significance in improving pod yield and quality of snap bean under short cool season climates. Three snap bean cultivars planted at 3 different dates were examined to evaluate the effects of planting dates on snap bean pod yield and quality traits in a 2-year study in a short season climate in Manitoba, Canada. Results of this study showed that three, two weeks apart, planting dates had a non- significant effect on marketing yield of three different cultivars tested in this study. Planting dates showed significant effect on un-marketable yield, pod fresh weight, pod length and total soluble solids. Higher marketable and un-marketable yields along with longer pod length and soluble solids, in all three cultivars, were more profound when seeded at mid and late planting dates. Snap bean grew under higher temperature and accumulated more growing degree days (GDD) when planted in mid June and early July when compared to early June planting. These results conclude that marketable yields of snap bean were not significantly affected by planting dates when seeded-two weeks apart-in shorter growing environments which allow commercial and market gardeners, in northern areas with shorter growing seasons to optimise planting snap bean, without reducing pod yield and quality.
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Phytobiome management in horticultural systems: beyond the rhizosphere toward whole-plant microbiome optimization
85-101.Views:63The plant microbiome is not confined to the soil. Across every anatomical compartment, the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, endosphere, anthosphere, spermosphere, and carposphere, structurally distinct and functionally specialized microbial communities orchestrate processes fundamental to plant health, productivity, and resilience. Yet horticultural science has remained disproportionately anchored to the rhizosphere, leaving the vast microbial landscape inhabiting aerial, floral, seed, and fruit tissues largely unexplored and unmanaged. This blind spot carries profound consequences at a time when global horticultural production confronts an unprecedented convergence of pressures: accelerating climate instability, stringent restrictions on synthetic agrochemicals, mounting soil degradation, and escalating consumer demand for sustainably produced, chemical-free, premium-quality produce. The biological potential embedded within the whole-plant phytobiome to address these intersecting crises remains critically underutilized. A fundamental barrier to progress is the absence of a unifying scientific framework. Existing reviews address plant-associated microbiomes in disciplinary silos, focusing narrowly on rhizosphere bacteria, individual crop species, or single microbial kingdoms, without synthesizing the full cross-compartment, cross-kingdom phytobiome in the horticultural context. No comprehensive framework has yet integrated microbial community dynamics spanning bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses across fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops within a single, coherent, and practically applicable model. This review addresses that gap directly. Through critical synthesis of compartment-resolved phytobiome research across major horticultural systems, we characterize the taxonomic composition, ecological assembly drivers, and agronomic functional roles of microbial communities inhabiting each plant compartment. We demonstrate that phyllosphere microbiomes confer photoprotection and pathogen exclusion; endophytic communities directly modulate secondary metabolite profiles and systemic immunity; anthosphere microbiomes influence pollinator attraction and fruit set; spermosphere communities determine seedling establishment success through vertical microbial inheritance; and carposphere microbiomes govern post-harvest storability and food safety outcomes. We further establish how host genotype, crop developmental stage, management-induced dysbiosis, and climate-driven perturbations collectively shape phytobiome assembly and functional integrity across compartments. Building on this synthesis, proposing to introduce the Whole-Plant Phytobiome Optimization (WPPO) framework, the first integrative, three-tier conceptual model designed specifically for horticultural systems. WPPO encompasses whole-plant phytobiome profiling using multi-omics platforms, identification of functional microbial modules linked to target agronomic traits, and precision compartment-targeted intervention through synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), encapsulated biostimulants, and digitally guided delivery systems integrated with IoT sensor networks and machine learning decision-support tools. Applied across the full crop life cycle, from spermosphere conditioning at seed priming to carposphere biopreservation at post-harvest, WPPO offers a scalable, evidence-based, and technologically integrated roadmap toward substantially reduced agrochemical dependence, enhanced crop resilience, superior produce quality, and the deployment of ecologically precise next-generation biocontrol and biostimulant strategies.
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Age-dependent physiological responses of Corchorus olitorius to aqueous extracts of Murraya koenigii and Tithonia rotundifolia
61-66.Views:124Sustainable crop production increasingly utilizes allelopathic plants as sources of bioactive compounds, yet their bimodal inhibitory–stimulatory effects and oxidative mechanisms require further elucidation. This study investigated the concentration-, tissue-, and stage-dependent effects of aqueous shoot extracts from Murraya koenigii and Tithonia rotundifolia on the germination, growth, and oxidative defense of Corchorus olitorius. Seed emergence and elongation of radicles and plumules were monitored in the laboratory using 50% and 100% aqueous extracts, while potted seedlings were treated separately with 100% extracts. Laboratory bioassays demonstrated a dose-dependent response: a 50% M. koenigii extract transiently increased germination by 4%, while higher concentrations of both species inhibited germination by 7–25%. Juvenile growth inhibition was tissue-specific, with 100% M. koenigii primarily suppressing plumule elongation and 100% T. rotundifolia significantly reducing radicle growth. Conversely, pot experiments using 100% extract concentrations of both plants significantly enhanced vegetative growth, physiological traits, and biochemical constituents, including protein and ascorbic acid. These extracts bolstered the antioxidant defense system—increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activities—while markedly reducing malondialdehyde levels. These findings provide evidence of allelopathic hormesis, where initial inhibitory effects transition into growth stimulation and oxidative stress mitigation during later developmental stages. The results suggest that M. koenigii and T. rotundifolia shoot extracts serve as effective eco-friendly biostimulants that improve crop performance by modulating antioxidant responses.
