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Seed dormancy and the formation of a soil seed bank is important plant regeneration strategies, especially if the environment is unpredictable. The present research explores how environmental factors control seed dormancy release, and how seed dormancy is related to the soil seed bank and regeneration of the perennial Aquilegia oxysepala. The effects of incubation temperature, light, cold and warm stratification, gibberellic acid (GA.sub.3) along with the germination phenology of A. oxysepala in the field were used to determine the type of seed dormancy. Seasonal change of seed dormancy was determined by regularly exhuming buried seeds and incubating them in laboratory conditions. A. oxysepala seeds has underdeveloped (small) embryos along with physiological dormancy at dispersal. With the increased amounts of cold stratification, the germination of A. oxysepala increased gradually. GA.sub.3 served as a substitute for cold stratification. Breaking of physiological dormancy under natural temperatures in the field occurred in winter, while growth of embryos and germination of seeds occurred in early spring. Viable seeds that had not germinated in early spring were induced into secondary dormancy by high soil temperatures. A. oxysepala provides one of a few examples of dormancy cycling in seeds with morphophysiological dormancy. Freshly matured seeds of A. oxysepala seeds have non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy. The annual dormancy-non-dormancy cycle maintains the coordination between timing of seedling emergence with favorable seasons, thus increasing the survival chances of seedlings in environments with seasonal changes.

This work aims to report the phytoplankton species composition and cell density in the Mazatlan coastal region (eastern entrance of the Gulf of California (GC), Mexico) during the strong El Nino event of 2023. Surface water samples (at 2 m depth) for phytoplankton cell determinations were collected in December of 2023, a month in which the numerical value of the Oceanic Nino Index was 2.0. The results showed a total of 197 species, including 113 diatoms (with a total cell density of 51,444 cells [L.sup.-1]), 76 dinoflagellates (with a total cell density of 31,260 cells [L.sup.-1]), four silicoflagellates (with a total cell density of 420 cells [L.sup.-1]), two cyanobacteria (with a total cell density of 2,020 cells [L.sup.-1]), one Euglenophyta (with a total cell density of 900 cells [L.sup.-1]) and one ciliate (with a total cell density of 7,820 cells [L.sup.-1]). The diatom Dactyliosolen phuketensis (B.G.Sundstrom) G.R. Hasle, 1996 and the dinoflagellate Gyrodinium fusiforme (Kofoid & Swezy, 1921) presented the highest cell densities with 4,100 and 5,900 cells [L.sup.-1], respectively, species that have been previously reported in high abundances in Mexican waters in years of warming events, including El Nino. The results presented here contribute to understanding the effects of strong El Nino events on the phytoplankton community structure of the southeastern GC. This topic still needs to be fully addressed. This study also provides an update on the taxonomic lists available for the region of a group of organisms whose nomenclature has been constantly changing in recent years.

Submerged macrophytes play a crucial role in lake ecosystems, and their survival is dependent upon their ability to cope with variable environmental stress. Therefore, studying the plastic response of submerged macrophytes' resource allocation and functional traits to the environment may provide insights helpful for ecological restoration practices. In September 2021, a field survey was conducted in the Erhai Lake, where samples of Ottelia acuminata, and functional traits and biomass allocation in relation to water depth were measured. The study found that O. acuminata exhibited large intraspecific variations to adapt to environmental stress, and the average intraspecific variation was 55.86%. In the current environment, this study suggested that the optimal growth depth for O. acuminata is moderate water depth (1-2 m). The results of allometric growth analysis showed that the resource allocation of O. acuminata responded to the water depth with the synergistic effect of leaf area and shoot height. In shallow water, the resource allocation of O. acuminata was mainly used for leaf area growth, while in deep water, the increase of shoot height was mainly used to cope with stress. This research will provide us useful information for the ecological restoration and protection of this endemic and endangered submerged macrophyte.

Understanding the potential habitat of Meconopsis, their species richness distribution patterns, and their influencing factors are critical for the conservation and rational exploitation of this valuable resource. In this study, we applied the MaxEnt model to predict their potential distribution, mapped the distribution pattern of species richness, and analyzed the variation of species richness along environmental gradients. Finally, we calculated the landscape fragmentation indices between the five subregions. Our results found that: (1) the medium- and high-suitable habitats of Meconopsis were mainly distributed in the central and eastern Himalaya, the Hengduan Mountains, and the southeast edge of the plateau platform, with suitable habitats ranged from 3200 m to 4300 m, whose most important factor is precipitation of the warmest quarter; (2) species richness showed a hump pattern along the environmental gradients except for longitude that showed an increasing trend, mainly concentrated in the south and southeast; and (3) the subregions are in the descending order of species richness: plateau platform, Hengduan Mountains, central, eastern, and western Himalaya; the highest and lowest degree of landscape fragmentation were in the western Himalaya and eastern Himalaya, respectively. Our study provides a theoretical background for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of Meconopsis in the wild.

Due to the increasing human population and the decreasing availability of cultivated land, it has become a challenge to fulfill the demand of food. This challenge can only be obtained by achieving higher yield from limited cultivated land. To accomplish this, farmers are adopting various strategies such as the use of fertilizers, plant growth regulators, nutrient foliar sprays and higher yielding cultivars. Among these approaches, plant growth regulators and micronutrients are equally important for enhancing crop productivity as they are cost- effective, readily available and required in only low concentrations. Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) is a plant growth regulator that is widely used for enhancing crop growth and yield in various crops, whereas Boron (B) plays a crucial role for healthy development of crops. In previous studies,, individual (straight) applications of IAA and B have been extensively studied for various crops including maize but its combined (blended) application has not been reported that is revealing an important research gap. To address this gap and the research question about the efficacy of blended IAA + B applications in maize, pot experiments were conducted at the University of Gujrat, Pakistan using two maize varieties i.e. Pak-Afgoi and Golden. There were six treatments of IAA and B (straight and blended) that were applied as foliar sprays after 21 days germination. Foliar applications of IAA and B have shown a significant improved in the growth and productivity of maize plants for straight and blended applications. The most pronounced improvements in morphological traits such as shoot length (65.66 cm), shoot and root fresh and dry weights, number of leaves, leaf area (629.66 cm.sup.2), relative growth rate (1.8 g/g/day) and net assimilation rate (0.335 g/cm.sup.2/day) were observed at the concentrations of 20 and 30 ppm IAA and Boron (blended application). Similarly, straight and blended applications of IAA and B had significant effects on physiological and biochemical parameters including chl-a, chl-b, total chl, carotenoids, antioxidant enzyme activities of catalases (CAT) and peroxidases (POD), as well as carbohydrate and protein contents. Highest total carbohydrates (1.326 µg/g), number of seeds (534 seeds per cob) and total grain yield per plant (182.66 g) was calculated at T5 (30ppm IAA + B). From all the treatments, blended applications of 20 and 30 ppm of IAA + B had shown better results for morphological, physiology and yield attributes as compared to straight treatments. Among the two varieties, the Golden variety outperformed Pak-Afgoi in growth and yield under IAA and B treatments. In conclusion, the foliar applications of IAA combined with Boron (20 and 30 ppm) proved to be more effective than their individual applications (straight), suggesting that their synergistic effects can be utilized to enhance the morphological, physiological, enzyme activities contributing the productivity of maize.

Healthy plants host diverse but taxonomically structured communities of microorganisms, the plant microbiota, that colonize every accessible plant tissue. Plant-associated microbiomes confer fitness advantages to the plant host, including growth promotion, nutrient uptake, stress tolerance and resistance to pathogens. In this Review, we explore how plant microbiome research has unravelled the complex network of genetic, biochemical, physical and metabolic interactions among the plant, the associated microbial communities and the environment. We also discuss how those interactions shape the assembly of plant-associated microbiomes and modulate their beneficial traits, such as nutrient acquisition and plant health, in addition to highlighting knowledge gaps and future directions.In this Review, Trivedi and colleagues explore the interactions between plants, their associated microbial communities and the environment, and also discuss how those interactions shape the assembly of plant-associated microbiomes and modulate their beneficial traits.

This paper presents the results of a research performed on Gargano Promontory (SE-Italy) on the populations of Scabiosa garganica, a species with little herbarium records and whose few morphological descriptions are outdated. S. garganica belongs to the S. holosericea aggr., a group including very similar taxa that still have different taxonomic classifications. Its typical location is Monte Sant'Angelo in the Gargano area. Surveys have ascertained the existence of many populations, whose stational data help to understand the distribution and ecological conditions S. garganica is linked to. The morphological analysis of a large sample (75 plants from 9 sites) allows for the description of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of this species. The new morphological framework highlights the species autonomy of S. garganica and can contribute to clarifying the relationship with S. holosericea and S. taygetea to which it is closer. In addition, for the correct delimitation of the species, the name Scabiosa garganica is lectotypified. Finally, the species was assessed against the IUCN criteria for the evaluation of its conservation status.

Tea is an important global beverage crop and is largely clonally propagated. Despite previous studies on the species, its genetic and evolutionary history deserves further research. Here, we present a haplotype-resolved assembly of an Oolong tea cultivar, Tieguanyin. Analysis of allele-specific expression suggests a potential mechanism in response to mutation load during long-term clonal propagation. Population genomic analysis using 190 Camellia accessions uncovered independent evolutionary histories and parallel domestication in two widely cultivated varieties, var. sinensis and var. assamica . It also revealed extensive intra- and interspecific introgressions contributing to genetic diversity in modern cultivars. Strong signatures of selection were associated with biosynthetic and metabolic pathways that contribute to flavor characteristics as well as genes likely involved in the Green Revolution in the tea industry. Our results offer genetic and molecular insights into the evolutionary history of Camellia sinensis and provide genomic resources to further facilitate gene editing to enhance desirable traits in tea crops. Haplotype-resolved genome assembly of an Oolong tea cultivar Tieguanyin and population genomic analyses of 190 Camellia accessions provide insights into the evolutionary history of the tea plant Camellia sinensis .

(Short Internodes/Stylish/SHI-Related Sequence) genes play a crucial role in plant developments, encompassing organ morphogenesis. However, at present, the biological significance of potato StSRS genes remains unknown. This study comprehensively identified and analysed the potential functions of StSRS genes in potato tuberization. Through phylogenetic and conserved motif analyses, eight members of the StSRS family were successfully identified and classified into five distinct subfamilies. The intraspecies and interspecies collinearity analyses offered insights into the evolutionary clues of the StSRS family, showing closer homology to tomato and tobacco. High-quality RNA-sequencing (Q30 > 97.16%) revealed dynamic gene expression profiles, with 146 to 997 differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs), particularly from the MYB-related, GATA, and bHLH families. Among them, the expression of two StSRS genes, StSRS1 and StSRS8, were dramatically changed during potato tuber formation. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) uncovered stage-specific gene modules and spotlighted hub genes. Specifically, StSRS8 was strongly associated with the Stolon stage, while StSRS1 was evidently linked to the Tuber stage. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the transcripts of both StSRS1 and StSRS8 were predominantly expressed during potato tuberization, as compared to those in other tissues. However, it is scarcely detectable for other six StSRS genes. Furthermore, the transcripts of StSRS8 were repressed under short-day (SD) conditions. These findings yield critical insights into the potato StSRS gene family and furnish essential information for further function investigation of StSRS genes, particularly StSRS1 and StSRS8, in the context of potato tuberization.

Seeds and bark of Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae) are popular products in West and Central Africa. Despite the tree’s economic and cultural importance, little is known about its phenotypic and genotypic variation. This study characterised the morphological and genetic diversity of G. kola in South Cameroon, searching for traits and populations that might be used for domestication. Morphological assessment and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were applied to characterise diversity among geographic populations from Central and South regions, and between managed and wild trees. AFLP-SURV and analysis of molecular variance results indicated that a major part of genetic diversity is harboured within populations rather than between them. Bayesian analysis, principal component analysis and t-SNE identified three clusters where Ebolowa emerged as the transition population combining features from both regions. Trees from the South demonstrated a higher incidence of domestication-related traits, showing higher genetic diversity compared to the Central region. This suggests that individuals from the South might be more suitable for selection as “elite trees” in future breeding strategies for the species. No significant differences in phenotype and genotype were revealed between wild and managed populations, suggesting G. kola is still in the early stages of its domestication process.