Biology and Management of Ragweed Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorous L.) in Tomato, Pepper, Cucurbit, and Strawberry Production

Ragweed parthenium is an herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial weed. It is difficult to manage in many fields due to known resistance to commonly used herbicides. There are a limited number of modes of action that can be used in some vegetable and berry crops. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department provides management recommendations. Written by Nathan S. Boyd, Shaun M. Sharpe, Chris Marble, and Shawn Steed.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep613

Advances and outlook of horticultural bioengineering

A Branch of modern biotechnology for creating unique relevant genotypes is bioengineering that harnesses a spectrum of plant genome modification technologies. The study aimed to analyse the current state of the art in genome modification of fruit and berry crops for more significant (vs. premium pure breeding varieties) deviations of norm in the traits and properties of biotic and abiotic resistance, productivity, fruit quality, etc. First horticultural crop transformation studies aimed at developing protocols based on selectable enzyme marker genes of phosphorylationmediated aminoglycoside antibiotics detoxification. Neomycin phosphotransferase nptII constitutes the most common system of transgenic fruit and berry crop selection. In pome crops, the transgenic selection priorities were resistance to scab (Venturia inaequalis (Wint.) Cke), rust (Gymnosporangium juniper-virginianae Schwein.) and bacterial blight (Erwinia amylovora Burrill, Winslow et al.), higher fruit quality, including bright colouring, and reduced enzymatic browning. In stone crops, it was tolerance to plum pox (PPV), papaya ringspot (PRSV) and Prunus necrotic ringspot (PNRSV) viruses. In berry crops — resistance to Sphaerotheca humuli (DC.) Burrill fungus, grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers.), root rot (Phytophthora cactorum (Lebert & Cohn) J.Schrot.) and powdery mildew (Oidium tuckeri Berkeley), as well as higher fruit quality. In citruses — resistance to bacterial canker (Xanthomonas citri sub sp.), citrus ulcer (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri), greening disease (Huanglongbing (HLB)) and fungi (Trichoderma harzianum Rifai). In tropical crops — resistance to papaya ringspot (PRSV) and banana streak (eBSV) viruses. Unique FT-phenotype transgenic fruit lines are leveraged in the new FasTrack breeding strategy. Nine fruit and berry transgenic crop lines have now been registered worldwide. Transgenic Arctic apples (Golden, Granny, Fuji), plums (Honey Sweet) and papaya (Rainbow, SunUp, Laie Gold) are industry-approved in fresh and processed form. The transgenic list regulated in the Russian Federation does not include fruit or berry crops.

Berry crop productivity assessment in Seltinsky and Vavozhsky forestries in Udmurt Republic

The study of berry crops was carried out on the territory of forest areas located in the southern taiga forests in the European part of the Russian Federation, in the taiga zone and in the area of coniferous-broadleaved (mixed) forests of the European part of the Russian Federation as well as in the zone of coniferous-broadleaved forests. By establishing circular plots in the prevailing types of forest, the dominant berry crops were determined such as cranberries (Vaccinium vítis-idaéa L.), blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca L.). The dependence of their yield on the age and the stand density was revealed. The biological, commercial and economic reserves of berry resources are calculated. It is established that there are sufficient volumes for harvesting berries in the studied forest areas. Recommendations on the rational and sustainable use of these resources are given.

Influence of biological products on the parameters of the root system of wood cuttings of black currant (Ribes nigrum L.)

Black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) is one of the most widespread berry crops in Russia. The need for planting material of black currant is increasing every year, because the area for laying industrial plantations is increasing. The purpose of our research is to assess the effect of combinations of biological products on the rooting rate of cuttings and on the parameters of the root system of black currant. The objects of research are black currant varieties - Dar Smolyaninova, Sevchanka, Yadrenaya. In the research, there are two combinations of biological products: based on Trichoderma viride + water and the combined use Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The experiment was carried out in 2021 in the Moscow region. We found that there is no reliable effect of the products on the increase of the root system volume and the roots length. The coefficients of variation for the studied varieties of the root system volume and along the length are very high, that does not make the planting material leveled according to these indicators. Keywords: BLACK CURRANT, RIBES NIGRUM, CUTTINGS, REPRODUCTION, ROOTING, BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS, TRICHODERMA VIRIDE, PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS

Agroecological Bases of Sustainable Development Strategy for the Rural United Territorial Communities of the Western Polissya Region

The article considers the influence of agroecological indicators on the sustainable development of the rural united territorial communities of the Western Polissya region (Ukraine) based on the current state analysis of crop production. To study the state of crop production and determine its role in the development of rural areas of the Western Polissya region, the authors used their field research, as well as data from the Main Departments of Statistics in Rivne and Volyn regions, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, statistical collection “Crop Production of Ukraine” (2018). The following methods were applied throughout the research process: system analysis, comparison, graphical and statistical methods. The development of crop production was assessed taking into account the dynamics of the following indicators: sown areas of crops (thousand hectares), production volume (gross harvest) of crops (thousand centners), crop yields (thousand hectares-1), sown areas of crops in enterprises and households on the territory of the Western Polissya region in terms of Rivne and Volyn regions for the period from 1995 to 2019. During the study period, changes in the ratio of areas between different crops were discovered: a decrease in the sown area of sugar beet, fruit and berry crops, cereals and legumes, and an increase in sunflower, vegetable crops, etc. An increase in crop yields and a slight decrease in gross harvest were established only for sugar beet in the two regions and fruit and berry crops in the Volyn region. In the region, 51.6% of the sown area of crops is accounted for by households that supply the market with products included in the consumer basket of ordinary citizens: roots and tubers, vegetables, and melons. Enterprises are focused on growing profitable crops (technical, grain, and legumes) for export

Cytoanatomical marker traits of the ploidy level in fruit and berry crops

For use in breeding work, the methods of complex accelerated cytological diagnosis of genotypes of fruit and berry crops with an altered ploidy level were optimized. The proposed diagnostic method was tested on polyploids of the genus Malus, Fragaria, Ribes, Rubus, rowan-pear hybrids and is recommended for wide scientific and practical application in the plant breeding and cytology. The effectiveness of this method is ensured by its availability and reliable statistical differences in accounting parameters. In a comprehensive cytological diagnosis of forms of fruit and berry crops with an increased level of ploidy, it is proposed to first study the morphoanatomical traits (sizes and proportions of stomatal guard cells, the number of chloroplasts in them, the diameter of pollen grains). This will significantly reduce the time of laboratory analysis and field assessment by deleting forms with unchanged indicator values.

Biosensor Devices in the Production of Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

"Smart" multisensors and biosensor systems based on modern information and communication technologies make it possible to qualitatively improve the parameters of testing systems for biologically active, chemical and toxic substances and biological or biophysical objects, improve parameter control, data processing and analysis in digital agriculture, food industry, environmental monitoring and other areas of human activity. These next-generation devices combine biologically sensitive elements with converters of biophysical signals into electrical digital signals. The article reveals the basic principles of construction of biosensor devices, their practical implementation and application. The own results of development of a wireless network of "smart" multisensors and biosensor devices for express diagnostics of a condition of grape and fruit crops and control of process of production of wine are presented. In order to test the capabilities of the unit of measurement, a number of experimental works were performed. To perform such work, it was first necessary to develop a new embedded software for the microprocessor of Analog Devices ADuCM350, and the corresponding user software for the OS Windows 10. Experiments were performed using disposable sensors based on the enzyme glucose oxidase to measure the sugar content in glucose and wine solution. A review and analysis of modern biosensor devices used in the production of alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages were done. The comparative table of analyzers for different studies based on biosensors is made. Development and preparation for mass production of "smart" biosensors, biosensor devices and networks based on them is in line with global scientific and technological trends of today and, of course, the near future. Keywords: biosensors, ammetric transducers, wireless sensor network, express diagnostics of grape and berry crops.

Selection and Validation of Candidate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Analysis by RT-qPCR in Rubus

Due to the lack of effective and stable reference genes, studies on functional genes in Rubus, a genus of economically important small berry crops, have been greatly limited. To select the best internal reference genes of different types, we selected four representative cultivars of blackberry and raspberry (red raspberry, yellow raspberry, and black raspberry) as the research material and used RT-qPCR technology combined with three internal stability analysis software programs (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper) to analyze 12 candidate reference genes for the stability of their expression. The number of most suitable internal reference genes for different cultivars, tissues, and fruit developmental stages of Rubus was calculated by geNorm software to be two. Based on the results obtained with the three software programs, the most stable genes in the different cultivars were RuEEF1A and Ru18S. Finally, to validate the reliability of selected reference genes, the expression pattern of the RuCYP73A gene was analyzed, and the results highlighted the importance of appropriate reference gene selection. RuEEF1A and Ru18S were screened as reference genes for their relatively stable expression, providing a reference for the further study of key functional genes in blackberry and raspberry and an effective tool for the analysis of differential gene expression.

Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 System in Vegetatively Propagated Fruit and Berry Crops

Fruit and berry crops, as well as grapes, are important parts of the human diet and, at the same time, significant objects of genetic, breeding, biochemical and nutritional research. Traditional approaches of crop research and improvement are now complemented by effective modern genetic technologies. In this review, we analyze and summarize the achievements in genome editing of fruit, berry crops and grapes. New approaches accelerate the improvement of genotypes for many groups of traits: plant resistance to unfavorable environmental factors, flowering and ripening time, plant architectonics, fruit shelf time and biochemical composition. Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been successfully tested on the most important vegetatively propagated fruit and berry crops (apple, pear, orange, kumquat, grapefruit, banana, strawberry and kiwi) and grapes. About 30 genes of these crops have been used as targets for the introduction of desired mutations using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The most valuable results are the improvement of important agronomic traits. For 24 genes it has been shown that their knockout can result in the improvement of varieties. In addition, the review pays attention to the comparative analysis of the explant types of vegetatively propagated crops used for the delivery of editing genetic constructs, as well as the comparison of the editing efficiency depending on the variation of the objects used, delivery methods, etc. The article discusses the existing limitations that need to be overcome for a wider application of genomic editing in order to improve varieties of fruit and berry crops, as well as grapes.