Combined application of zinc and iron-lysine and its effects on morpho-physiological traits, antioxidant capacity and chromium uptake in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Environmental contamination of chromium (Cr) has gained substantial consideration worldwide because of its high levels in the water and soil. A pot experiment using oil seed crop (rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)) grown under different levels of tannery wastewater (0, 33, 66 and 100%) in the soil using the foliar application of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe)–lysine (lys) has been conducted. Results revealed that a considerable decline in the plant growth and biomass elevates with the addition of concentrations of tannery wastewater. Maximum decline in plant height, number of leaves, root length, fresh and dry biomass of root and leaves were recorded at the maximum level of tannery wastewater application (100%) compared to the plants grown without the addition of tannery wastewater (0%) in the soil. Similarly, contents of carotenoid and chlorophyll, gas exchange parameters and activities of various antioxidants (superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) were also reduced significantly (P < 0.05) with the increasing concentration of tannery wastewater (33, 66 and 100%) in the soil. In addition, a combined application of Zn and Fe-lys reduced the accumulation and uptake of toxic Cr, while boosting the uptake of essential micronutrients such as Zn and Fe in different tissues of the plants. Results concluded that exogenous application of micronutrients chelated with amino acid successfully mitigate Cr stress in B. napus. Under field conditions, supplementation with these micronutrient-chelated amino acids may be an effective method for alleviating metal stress in other essential seed crops.

Variation in Platycladus orientalis (Cupressaceae) Reproductive Output and Its Effect on Seed Orchard Crops’ Genetic Diversity

The genetic efficiency of seed orchards is crucial for determining seed crops’ genetic gain and diversity. Platycladus orientalis is a conifer tree of important ecological value in China. Here, we assessed the reproductive output (fertility) variation for 166 clones in a first-generation P. orientalis seed orchard over five years and across three years for each gender (female: 2017, 2018, and 2020 and male: 2017, 2019, and 2021). Fertility variation and genetic diversity parameters were estimated for each gender-year combination. The reproductive output (fertility) variation differed among years, provinces, clones nested within provinces, and ramets within clones. We observed asymmetry in the gender reproductive output and parental imbalance and determined their profound effects on the genetic diversity of these seed crops. The maleness index revealed the existence of female-biased or male-biased clones. When seeds from multiple individuals and years were blended, we found an increase in the effective number of parents (Np) and in genetic diversity (GD), and a reduced fertility variation (Ψ) in the seed orchard. When we set the effective number of parents (Np) to 30, the GD of the seed orchard could be maintained at more than 95%. Thus, achieving genetic diversity balance in seed production can be accomplished through monitoring the fertility variation of orchards and through the utilization of the thereby generated information for the advanced generation of seed orchards.

Studying the genetic basis of masting

The mechanisms underlying mast seeding have traditionally been studied by collecting long-term observational data on seed crops and correlating seedfall with environmental variables. Significant progress in ecological genomics will improve our understanding of the evolution of masting by clarifying the genetic basis of masting traits and the role of natural selection in shaping those traits. Here, we summarize three important aspects in studying the evolution of masting at the genetic level: which traits govern masting, whether those traits are genetically regulated, and which taxa show wide variation in these traits. We then introduce recent studies on the molecular mechanisms of masting. Those studies measure seasonal changes in gene expression in natural conditions to quantify how multiple environmental factors combine to regulate floral initiation, which in many masting plant species is the single largest contributor to among-year variation in seed crops. We show that Fagaceae offers exceptional opportunities for evolutionary investigations because of its diversity at both the phenotypic and genetic levels and existing documented genome sequences. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants’.

Natural disturbances and masting: from mechanisms to fitness consequences

The timing of seed production and release is highly relevant for successful plant reproduction. Ecological disturbances, if synchronized with reproductive effort, can increase the chances of seeds and seedlings to germinate and establish. This can be especially true under variable and synchronous seed production (masting). Several observational studies have reported worldwide evidence for co-occurrence of disturbances and seed bumper crops in forests. Here, we review the evidence for interaction between disturbances and masting in global plant communities; we highlight feedbacks between these two ecological processes and posit an evolutionary pathway leading to the selection of traits that allow trees to synchronize seed crops with disturbances. Finally, we highlight relevant questions to be tested on the functional and evolutionary relationship between disturbances and masting. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants’.

The ecology and evolution of synchronized reproduction in long-lived plants

Populations of many long-lived plants exhibit spatially synchronized seed production that varies extensively over time, so that seed production in some years is much higher than on average, while in others, it is much lower or absent. This phenomenon termed masting or mast seeding has important consequences for plant reproductive success, ecosystem dynamics and plant–human interactions. Inspired by recent advances in the field, this special issue presents a series of articles that advance the current understanding of the ecology and evolution of masting. To provide a broad overview, we reflect on the state-of-the-art of masting research in terms of underlying proximate mechanisms, ontogeny, adaptations, phylogeny and applications to conservation. While the mechanistic drivers and fitness consequences of masting have received most attention, the evolutionary history, ontogenetic trajectory and applications to plant–human interactions are poorly understood. With increased availability of long-term datasets across broader geographical and taxonomic scales, as well as advances in molecular approaches, we expect that many mysteries of masting will be solved soon. The increased understanding of this global phenomenon will provide the foundation for predictive modelling of seed crops, which will improve our ability to manage forests and agricultural fruit and nut crops in the Anthropocene. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants’.

Understanding mast seeding for conservation and land management

Masting, the intermittent and synchronous production of large seed crops, can have profound consequences for plant populations and the food webs that are built on their seeds. For centuries, people have recorded mast crops because of their importance in managing wildlife populations. In the past 30 years, we have begun to recognize the importance of masting in conserving and managing many other aspects of the environment: promoting the regeneration of forests following fire or other disturbance, conserving rare plants, conscientiously developing the use of edible seeds as non-timber forest products, coping with the consequences of extinctions on seed dispersal, reducing the impacts of plant invasions with biological control, suppressing zoonotic diseases and preventing depredation of endemic fauna. We summarize current instances and future possibilities of a broad set of applications of masting. By exploring in detail several case studies, we develop new perspectives on how solutions to pressing conservation and land management problems may benefit by better understanding the dynamics of seed production. A lesson common to these examples is that masting can be used to time management, and often, to do this effectively, we need models that explicitly forecast masting and the dynamics of seed-eating animals into the near-term future. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants’.

Screening of biological activity of phytopreparations based on secondary metabolites of plants on the culture of Phaseolus vulgaris

Relevance. Currently, the use of secondary plant-orgin metabolites with high biological activity is becoming an important part of a comprehensive plant protection program. The mechanism of their action is aimed at activating molecular biological and physiological systems that increase the ability of the plant organism to withstand the adverse effects of biotic and abiotic nature. The purpose of these studies is to screen the selectivity of the physiological activity of phytoregulators in relation to different varieties of vegetable beans.Methodology. Plants of two mid-ripening varieties of vegetable beans were twice sprayed with solutions of plant biological products of different chemical composition, isolated from 12 plant species of different families. Control – treatment with water, standards - solutions of Pharmayod and Fitolavin. During the growing season, an analysis of the development of diseases of various etiologies on seed crops was carried out. Seed productivity of plants was taken into account after harvesting and threshing the beans, the sowing qualities of the obtained seeds were studied in accordance with the relevant recommendations and GOST 12042-80, and the biological effectiveness (BE) of the action of phytopreparations was calculated.Results. Two-fold treatment of beans with most of the tested preparations reduced the total percentage of affected plants by more than 25%. The protective effect of the studied glycosides differed significantly depending on their chemical structure, disease etiology and cultivar responsiveness. Among them, there are preparations based on steroidal glycosides - Moldstim and Mestim, which have the most pronounced immunomodulatory effect on the resistance of vegetable beans to phytopathogens. Treatment with Mestim in the selected concentration led to a decrease in seed productivity of plants. Other phytopreparations showed a neutral or stimulating effect on this trait, increasing the proportion of germinating seeds in the yield structure by 3-26% relative to control. The certain varietal specificity has been identified by the total effectiveness of the action. Irioid glycosides from Linaria genistifolia and the sum of iridoids and flavonoids from Linaria vulgaris showed the greatest activity on the responsive cultivar Lika. On the SiBemol variety, there is Moldstim, a steroidal glycoside of the furostanol series, isolated from Capsicum annuum. Their biological effectiveness was higher than that of Fitolavin and Pharmayod standards.

The price elasticity of the demand and revenue increase for some Mexican planting seeds

The study of the price elasticity of demand (PED) has been and is a current research topic, as it greatly helps the managers of companies to make decisions about the price of their products and the expected repercussions in changing them. The objective of this study was to estimate PED and its impacts on the variation of income (VI) of six planting seed crops from Mexico, such as yellow corn, other corn (except yellow and sweet corn), sorghum, chickpea, pumpkin and cucumber. The data were gathering from the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) (1998-2018 period) through the tables provided and published on the Internet (secondary data). In this study, the arc method was applied to calculate PED and VI = ((Pf * Qf * 100) / (Pi * Qi)) - 100. Five of six the planting seed products have a relatively elastic demand price in most of the years, on the contrary the revenue increase had positive and negative values, without a defined trend. Sorghum planting seed has in some cases elastic demand and in other inelastic demand. It is concluded that there are no clear effects of the PED on the sales revenue of the aforementioned products; an aspect that contradicts the theory of PED and its impact on income.

USE OF THE APPLE GENE POOL OF NORTH CAUCASUS FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER OF HORTICULTURE, VITICULTURE, WINEMAKING FOR THE BREEDING IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOUTHERN SORTIMENT

The objects of research are representatives of the genus Malus growing in the Kuban zone of the North Caucasus region. The purpose of the research is the breeding improvement of the of apple southern assortment on the basis of the development of the scientific direction “Introduction, variety study and breeding of pome crops in the North Caucasus and the creation of promising domestic varieties with improved adaptability and quality. The history of the creation and development of this scientific direction of the scientific school “Southern Horticulture” in the North Caucasus, the founder of which was Lev M. Sergeev (1886-1980. Under his leadership, the first breeding programs for seed crops (apple, pear, quince) for the North Caucasus region were developed, the priority of which was to improve the characteristics of productivity and quality characteristics of fruits; with his active participation, a network of gossortuchastok was organized in the North Caucasus and by the end of 1947 a zoned assortment of the main fruit crops of the south of Russia was formed. At present, the development of the above-mentioned scientific direction has been continued in the works of L. M. Sergeev, original studies of which are based on the use of a complex of classical and improved methods for creating and evaluating breeding material, modern achievements in molecular genetics, biochemistry, cytology, and are aimed at creating domestic varieties with improved productivity and quality of fruits, with high resistance to abiostressors and the main fungal pathogens of the North Caucasus. In recent years, the gene pool of the apple tree has been significantly updated, numbering 436 specimens of various ecological and geographical origin and ploidy, most of which are from Russia (49 %), Western European countries (18 %), and the USA (17 %). Over the years of research, scientists from North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine-making have created and submitted for State variety testing 81 new apple varieties, including 25 varieties created in collaboration with scientists from All- Russian Research Institute for Fruit Crops Breeding, I. V. Michurin Federal Research Center and others. 36 apple varieties obtained on the basis of the use of spontaneous and induced mutagenesis, an improved method of polyploidy, directed, repeated and geographically distant hybridization were included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the North Caucasus region.

Fruit and berry industry of Belarus: production status, labor productivity and performance

The article draws attention to the relevance of the topic. It is noted that the level of self-sufficiency of Belarus with domestic fruit and berry products in some years does not reach 50%, although the soil and climatic conditions of the republic contribute to the almost universal cultivation and cultivation of various types and varieties of fruit and berry crops. In the fruit and berry industry of all categories of farms for the period 2015–2019, there were significant dynamic changes: if the gross harvest of fruits of seed crops decreased by almost 30%, the production of berries increased by 31%. The main contribution to the total gross harvest of fruits and berries was made by the households of the population – at least 70%. Attention is drawn to the fact that during the study period, the fruit-bearing area of horticultural crops significantly decreased, but their yield significantly increased. The article states that the yield of garden crops is characterized by a significant fluctuation between odd and even years: for even years, the yield indicators are higher compared to odd years. This pattern does not apply to berry crops.An in-depth study of the indicators characterizing the fruit and berry industry was carried out on the example of the agricultural production cooperative (APC) “Progress-Vertelishki” of the Grodno region. In this farm, considerable attention is paid to the cultivation and cultivation of horticultural crops: from a significant fruit – bearing area for the period 2014–2018, from 2.6 to 3.2 thousand tons of fruits and from 31 to 85 tons of berries were collected annually. Using the example of the fruit and berry industry of the APC “Progress-Vertelishki”, the author of the article proves the need to calculate and evaluate labor productivity on the basis of net production (added value) rather than gross output. The main part of the article concludes with an analytical assessment of the economic and financial indicators of the fruit and berry industry in the APC “Progress-Vertelishki”. The content of the article ends with reasoned conclusions.