Fruit development and performance ofSchoenus nigricansin coastal dune slacks of Europe: an extension of H. G. Baker's seed mass-altitude to a seed mass-latitude relationship

This study identifies the developmental processes contributing to variation in green-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa) fruit dry matter content (DM) and fresh weight (FW) by comparing genotypes with either high or low final DM. Results are compared with the model for fruit development, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Differences in final composition were attributable to a higher rate of starch accumulation from 70 days after anthesis in high DM genotypes, with no other consistent differences in accumulation of soluble sugars or organic acids. High DM genotypes had 70% higher starch content and differed from low DM genotypes in the allocation of carbon between storage and other components. DM was negatively correlated with final fruit FW only in high DM genotypes, whereas starch was a constant proportion of dry weight (DW), suggesting a dilution effect rather than an interaction between fruit size and carbohydrate metabolism. Compared with tomato, the organic acids, particularly quinic acid, contributed more to estimated osmotic pressure during growth in FW than the soluble sugars, regardless of final composition or size. Seed mass per unit FW was highest in high DM genotypes, suggesting a previously unrecognised role for kiwifruit seeds in accumulation of carbohydrate by the pericarp. Anatomical comparisons also identified a role for differences in the packing of the two principal cell types, with an increased frequency of the larger cell type correlated with reduced DM. These genotypes demonstrate that kiwifruit differs from tomato in the role of starch as the principal stored carbohydrate, the reduced importance of dilution by growth in FW and the more minor role of the sugars compared with the organic acids during fruit development.

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Plant diversity and community composition in managed humid coastal dune slacks in NW England

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0256215 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0256215

Author(s):

Margaret A. Connor ◽

Stephanie Tarvin ◽

Megan Quail ◽

Sven Peter Batke

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Water Status ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Coastal Dune ◽

Invasive Shrub ◽

Local Factors ◽

Dune Slacks ◽

Regional Factors ◽

The Uk ◽

Successional Vegetation

Humid coastal dune slacks are an endangered habitat in Northwestern Europe. In the UK, dune slacks are currently classified as being in ‘unfavourable’ condition, with projected decrease in England of up to 30% by 2036. Studies in mainland Europe suggest that regional factors (e.g. slack area, age, and isolation) are more important than local factors (e.g. soil, pH, soil nutrient and water status) in driving successional vegetation processes in coastal slacks. However, this has never been tested for the UK, where approximately 14% of European slacks occur. We used previously established survey protocols to test whether regional factors are more important than local factors in UK coastal slacks, along the Sefton Coast in NW England. We found that slack area and slack age were more important than local factors in driving plant community composition and species richness. We also showed that higher levels of management, such as active grazing and invasive shrub and tree removal, are effective in increasing soil moisture levels in slacks. Our results suggest that similar successional processes are likely to be important in slacks in the NW of England, compared to mainland Europe.

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Soybean yield and performance in response to the industrial seed treatment with biostimulant fertilizer

Agriscientia ◽

10.31047/1668.298x.v36.n2.20629 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 29-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lucas Caiubi Pereira ◽

Thaisa Cavalieri Matera ◽

Alessandro Lucca Braccini ◽

Andreia Kazumi Sukukawa ◽

Danilo Cesar Volpato Marteli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Yield Components ◽

Seed Treatment ◽

Seed Mass ◽

Storage Period ◽

Randomized Experimental Design ◽

And Performance ◽

Lateral Branches ◽

Biological Fertilizer ◽

Number Of Seeds

This study aimed at evaluating, during storage, the yield components and germination of the soybean crop based on seeds industrially treated with mineral- biological fertilizer containing amino acids. To achieve this, the experiment was carried out by using a completely randomized experimental design with the treatments arranged in subdivided plots, with four replications. The plots included the industrial seed treatments (IST), while the storage periods (0 and 45 days) were allocated to the subplots. The following characteristics were assessed: germination, initial stand, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pods, number of lateral branches per plant, thousand-seed mass and yield. Under the conditions tested, the storage period contributed to a reduction in the agronomic parameters herein assessed, especially considering the control. However, compared to the seeds submitted only to the standard IST and, especially in relation to the untreated seeds (control), the use of biostimulant fertilizer in the industrial treatment enabled an increase in the agronomic characteristics during storage.

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Fruit development modelling and performance analysis of automatic greenhouse control

Biosystems Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2021.06.002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 208 ◽

pp. 300-318

Author(s):

Wouter J.P. Kuijpers ◽

Duarte J. Antunes ◽

Silke Hemming ◽

Eldert J. van Henten ◽

Marinus J.G. van de Molengraft

Keyword(s):

Performance Analysis ◽

Fruit Development ◽

And Performance ◽

Greenhouse Control

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Efecto del sitio de procedencia sobre los atributos de las semillas de Cakile edentula (Brassicaceae), especie estabilizadora de duna costera

Botanical Sciences ◽

10.17129/botsci.2050 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (1) ◽

pp. 74 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ricardo Álvarez-Espino ◽

Gabriela Mendoza-González ◽

Candelaria Pérez-Martin ◽

Xavier Chiappa-Carrara

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Seed Mass ◽

Coastal Dune ◽

Northern Coast ◽

Seed Traits ◽

Dune Vegetation ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Cakile Edentula ◽

Study Species

Background: The morphological traits and germinative behavior of seeds vary within a species in response to multiple factors. Knowledge of this variability is important in understanding adaptation of species to environmental conditions.Question: Does the provenance of seeds of Cakile edentula affect seed traits? Does the climate of the sites of origin of the seeds influence their variability? Does the presence of light affect seed germination?Study species: Cakile edentula (Bigelow) Hook.Study site: Coastal dune vegetation on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in August and October 2017.Methods: Seeds of Cakile edentula were collected in different locations on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Under laboratory conditions it was assessed whether the origin of the seeds influenced some traits such as seed mass, moisture content, viability and germinative behavior.Results: Seed provenance significantly affected seed mass and moisture content in C. edentula. Moreover, the seeds of C. edentula collected from hot and humid sites germinate quickly and in greater proportion than the seeds from warm and dry sites of the Yucatan Peninsula. The seeds of C. edentula germinate preferably in darkness, regardless site of provenance.Conclusions: Some seed traits of C. edentula are affected by the site of provenance. Evidence suggests that climatic variation is likely to influence the initial characteristics of the life history in this coastal dune species.

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Design Evaluation and Performance Analysis of a Double-Row Pneumatic Precision Metering Device for Brassica chinensis

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031374 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1374

Author(s):

Bohong Li ◽

Riaz Ahmad ◽

Xindan Qi ◽

Hua Li ◽

Samuel Mbugua Nyambura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influencing Factors ◽

Parameter Optimization ◽

Cone Angle ◽

Seed Mass ◽

Single Factor ◽

Double Row ◽

Brassica Chinensis ◽

Key Dimensions ◽

And Performance ◽

Total Seed

In view of the low seeding efficiency and precision of seeders used for Brassica chinensis in China, a new double-row pneumatic precision metering device for Brassica chinensis was designed, fabricated, and evaluated. With the characteristics of small size and high sphericity of Brassica chinensis seeds in mind, the structure and key dimensions of the metering plate were determined, and a force analysis of the seed-filling process was carried out. The negative pressure (NP), angular velocity (AV) of the metering plate, and cone angle (CA) of the suction hole were selected as the main influencing factors of the experiment. In order to explore the influence of each single factor and the interaction between factors on the seeding performance, a single factor experiment and a central composite design (CCD) experiment were designed, respectively, and the experimental results were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). After optimizing the main influencing factors such that the target of the qualified index (QI) was greater than 94% and the miss index (MI) was less than 2.5%, it was found that when CA was 60°, NP was 1.55–1.72 kPa, and AV was 1.1–1.9 rad/s, the seeding performance was excellent. The bench verification results of seeding performance (94% ≤ Q ≤ 100%, 0 ≤ M ≤ 2.5%) and the coefficient of variation (CV) of seed mass (CV of seed mass in outer and inner circle: 5.15%; CV of total seed mass: 8.60%) under the condition of parameter optimization were analyzed; as a result, the accuracy of the parameter optimization was confirmed.

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