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Cucumis melo is an annual dicotyledonous trailing herb. It is fruity, cool, and refreshing to eat and is widely loved by consumers worldwide. The single fruit weight is an important factor affecting the yield, and thus the income and economic benefits, of melon crops. In this study, to identify the main QTLs (quantitative trait locus) controlling the single fruit weight of melon and thereby identify candidate genes controlling this trait, specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF) analysis was performed on the offspring of female 1244 plants crossed with male MS-5 plants. A total of 115 individual plants in the melon F2 population were analyzed to construct a genetic linkage map with a total map distance of 1383.88 cM by the group in the early stages of the project, which was divided into 12 linkage groups with a total of 10,596 SLAF markers spaced at an average genetic distance of 0.13 cM. A total of six QTLs controlling single fruit weight (sfw loci) were detected. Seven pairs of markers with polymorphisms were obtained by screening candidate intervals from the SLAF data. The primary QTL sfw2.2 was further studied in 300 F2:3 family lines grown in 2020 and 2021, respectively, a positioning sfw2.2 between the markers CY Indel 11 and CY Indel 16, between 18,568,142 and 18,704,724 on chromosome 2. This interval contained 136.58 kb and included three genes with functional annotations, MELO3C029673, MELO3C029669, and MELO3C029674. Gene expression information for different fruit development stages was obtained from 1244 and MS-5 fruits on the 15d, 25d, and 35d after pollination, and qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcription–PCR) indicated that the expression of the MELO3C029669 gene significantly differed between the parents during the three periods. The gene sequences between the parents of MELO3C029669 were analyzed and compared, a base mutation was found to occur in the intronic interval between the parents of the gene, from A-G. Phylogenetic evolutionary tree analysis revealed that the candidate gene MELO3C029669 is most closely related to Pisum sativum Fimbrin-5 variant 2 and most distantly related to Cucumis melo var. makuwa. Therefore, it was hypothesized that MELO3C029669 is the primary major locus controlling single fruit weight in melon. These results not only provide a theoretical basis for further studies to find genes with functions in melon single fruit weight but also lay the foundation for accelerating breakthroughs and innovations in melon breeding.

This experiment was conducted in a private orchard at Aldaraman, Kirkuk Governorate on \"Khalobaziani\" local fig trees. This study aimed to investigate the effect of spraying with Moringa leaf extract (MLE) at (0, 2, and 4 ml.l-1) and Garlic cloves extract (GCE) at (0, 10, and 20 ml.l-1) on growth and productivity of fig trees. Results showed that trees sprayed with MLE 4 ml.l-1 led to a significant increase in the leaf area, total chlorophyll content, average leaf dry weight, minerals (NPK) content in leaves, average fruit weight and size, and average yield per tree, while significantly decreased fruit cracking percentage compared to control. Furthermore, significant increase in the leaf area, total chlorophyll content, average leaf dry weight, minerals (NPK) content in leaves, and average fruit weight and size in the trees sprayed with GCE 20 ml.l-1 compared to control. The interaction between MLE 4 ml.l-1 and GCE 20 ml.l-1 showed a significant increase in the leaf area, total chlorophyll content, average leaf dry weight, and minerals (NPK) content in leaves, also significantly decreased fruit cracking percentage compared to most of the other treatments.

Single fruit weight is an important goal of crop production and horticultural species domestication, but its genetic mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the fruits of different peach fruit types in their first rapid development period were used as materials. First, the differentially expressed genes were analyzed by RNA-seq data. Secondly, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to calculate the correlation between genes and modules, the genes with different expression patterns were divided into 17 modules, the modules were correlated with the phenotype of single fruit, and a highly correlated blue module was obtained. Then, the possible differentially expressed genes and signal pathways among different fruit types were compared by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and 43 significant pathways were obtained. Finally, 54 genes found to be repeatedly expressed in 3 of the methods were screened, and 11 genes involved in plant hormone signal transduction were selected for subsequent analysis according to their functional annotations. Combined with the changing trend of phenotype, three genes (Prupe.7G234800, Prupe.8G079200 and Prupe.8G082100) were obtained as candidate genes for single fruit weight traits. All three genes are involved in auxin signal transduction, with auxin playing an important role in plant growth and development. This discovery provides a new perspective for revealing the genetic law of single fruit weight in peach.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of nine treatments on tomato plants and their planting location within a randomized complete block design. The treatments included gene silencing of the PL enzyme (RNAi-SlPL) and application of organic pectin and calcium to extend the marketability of tomato fruits and improve their quality. The RNAi-SlPL treatment outperformed others, revealed the lowest weight loss (41.4%) and highest firmness (4.89 kg·cm⁻²) after 36 days of cold storage, along with strong performance after 21 days at room storage (41.31% weight loss, 4.29 kg·cm⁻²). This was followed by CaP1P2 treatment, with 43.7% weight loss and 4.48 kg·cm⁻² firmness after 24 days of cold storage, and 45.87% weight loss with 4.15 kg·cm⁻² firmness after 14 days at room storage. Both treatments significantly boosted carotenoid (2.640 and 2.728 mg/100ml respectively) and lycopene (4.62 and 4.81 mg/100ml) levels post- cold storage. These findings highlight the effectiveness of RNAi technology and the use of organic pectin and calcium in extending the marketability of tomato fruits.

In newly reclaimed sandy lands, plants face substantial environmental challenges, affecting their productivity, yield, and quality. Gibberellic acid (GA3) is a plant growth regulator physiologically involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses. As agricultural activities expand in desert regions, applications of GA3 could help address adverse plant growth and developmental effects. Here, we investigated the impact of exogenously applied GA3 on the growth of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) in newly reclaimed sandy lands in the arid Nubaria region of the West Delta of Nile, Egypt. Different GA3 concentrations of 100, 150, 200, and 250 ppm were foliar-applied to the plants. The application of GA3 in our study significantly improved the vegetative growth, plant height, leaf and branch count, and the fresh weight and yield of Cape gooseberry plants. Fruit weight, quality soluble solids, and leaf chlorophyll content were also improved. The most pronounced effects were achieved with concentrations of GA3 at 200 and 250 ppm, with the 200-ppm concentration displaying superiority in most parameters. Notably, GA3 treatments enhanced relative water content (RWC), an indicator of water status in arid conditions. Maintaining optimal RWC is crucial for essential processes like photosynthesis, promoting growth, and productivity. This research underscores GA3’s potential in enhancing Cape gooseberry growth, yield, and quality, providing a practical strategy for mitigating environmental challenges in arid regions, a concern exacerbated by climate change.

Key message Using newly developed euchromatin-derived genomic SSR markers and a flexible Bayesian mapping method, 13 significant agricultural QTLs were identified in a segregating population derived from a four-way cross of tomato. So far, many QTL mapping studies in tomato have been performed for progeny obtained from crosses between two genetically distant parents, e.g., domesticated tomatoes and wild relatives. However, QTL information of quantitative traits related to yield (e.g., flower or fruit number, and total or average weight of fruits) in such intercross populations would be of limited use for breeding commercial tomato cultivars because individuals in the populations have specific genetic backgrounds underlying extremely different phenotypes between the parents such as large fruit in domesticated tomatoes and small fruit in wild relatives, which may not be reflective of the genetic variation in tomato breeding populations. In this study, we constructed F 2 population derived from a cross between two commercial F 1 cultivars in tomato to extract QTL information practical for tomato breeding. This cross corresponded to a four-way cross, because the four parental lines of the two F 1 cultivars were considered to be the founders. We developed 2510 new expressed sequence tag (EST)-based (euchromatin-derived) genomic SSR markers and selected 262 markers from these new SSR markers and publicly available SSR markers to construct a linkage map. QTL analysis for ten agricultural traits of tomato was performed based on the phenotypes and marker genotypes of F 2 plants using a flexible Bayesian method. As results, 13 QTL regions were detected for six traits by the Bayesian method developed in this study.

Water scarcity and salinity pose significant challenges for agriculture in the Galapagos Islands, severely limiting crop yields needed to sustainably meet the growing demands of the human population in the archipelago. To address this issue, environmentally friendly water-saving technologies such as Hydrogel and Groasis Growboxx were considered to be potential solutions. This study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of Hydrogel application on five crops: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), Cucumber (Cucumis melo), Pepper (Capsicum annuum), Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), from 2017 to 2018. The experiment stopped due to the pandemic in 2019–2020. When the study continued in 2021, Growboxx® was introduced as a treatment for Pepper and Tomato. This study revealed that the application of Hydrogel resulted in enhanced yields, with the degree of improvement varying across different crops and cultivation periods. Notably, when comparing Hydrogel and Growboxx treatments, differences of up to 30% in fruit weight were observed. However, it is important to note that these results can vary in different environments. For example, in Tomato cultivation, Growboxx exhibited 10% higher fruit weight in San Cristobal compared to Santa Cruz Island. Our findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the Galapagos Islands, offering crop-specific guidance to support informed decisions on adopting the most appropriate technologies for their farms.

The Cucurbitaceae family hosts many economically important fruit vegetables (cucurbits) such as cucumber, melon, watermelon, pumpkin/squash, and various gourds. The cucurbits are probably best known for the diverse fruit sizes and shapes, but little is known about their genetic basis and molecular regulation. Here, we reviewed the literature on fruit size (FS), shape (FSI), and fruit weight (FW) QTL identified in cucumber, melon, and watermelon, from which 150 consensus QTL for these traits were inferred. Genome-wide survey of the three cucurbit genomes identified 253 homologs of eight classes of fruit or grain size/weight-related genes cloned in Arabidopsis, tomato, and rice that encode proteins containing the characteristic CNR (cell number regulator), CSR (cell size regulator), CYP78A (cytochrome P450), SUN, OVATE, TRM (TONNEAU1 Recruiting Motif), YABBY, and WOX domains. Alignment of the consensus QTL with candidate gene homologs revealed widespread structure and function conservation of fruit size/shape gene homologs in cucurbits, which was exemplified with the fruit size/shape candidate genes CsSUN25-26-27a and CsTRM5 in cucumber, CmOFP1a in melon, and ClSUN25-26-27a in watermelon. In cucurbits, the andromonoecy (for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase) and the carpel number (for CLAVATA3) loci are known to have pleiotropic effects on fruit shape, which may complicate identification of fruit size/shape candidate genes in these regions. The present work illustrates the power of comparative analysis in understanding the genetic architecture of fruit size/shape variation, which may facilitate QTL mapping and cloning for fruit size-related traits in cucurbits. The limitations and perspectives of this approach are also discussed.

Background Human selection has a long history of transforming crop genomes. Peach ( Prunus persica ) has undergone more than 5000 years of domestication that led to remarkable changes in a series of agronomically important traits, but genetic bases underlying these changes and the effects of artificial selection on genomic diversity are not well understood. Results Here, we report a comprehensive analysis of peach evolution based on genome sequences of 480 wild and cultivated accessions. By focusing on a set of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), we provide evidence supporting that distinct phases of domestication and improvement have led to an increase in fruit size and taste and extended its geographic distribution. Fruit size was predominantly selected during domestication, and selection for large fruits has led to the loss of genetic diversity in several fruit weight QTLs. In contrast, fruit taste-related QTLs were successively selected for by domestication and improvement, with more QTLs selected for during improvement. Genome-wide association studies of 11 agronomic traits suggest a set of candidate genes controlling these traits and potential markers for molecular breeding. Candidate loci for genes that contributed to the adaption to low-chill regions were identified. Furthermore, the genomic bases of divergent selection for fruit texture and local breeding for different flavors between Asian and European/North American cultivars were also determined. Conclusions Our results elucidate the genetic basis of peach evolution and provide new resources for future genomics-guided peach breeding.

Buzz-pollinated plants require visitation from vibration producing bee species to elicit full pollen release. Several important food crops are buzz-pollinated including tomato, eggplant, kiwi, and blueberry. Although more than half of all bee species can buzz pollinate, the most commonly deployed supplemental pollinator, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae; honey bees), cannot produce vibrations to remove pollen. Here, we provide a list of buzz-pollinated food crops and discuss the extent to which they rely on pollination by vibration-producing bees. We then use the most commonly cultivated of these crops, the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), as a case study to investigate the effect of different pollination treatments on aspects of fruit quality. Following a systematic review of the literature, we statistically analyzed 71 experiments from 24 studies across different geopolitical regions and conducted a meta-analysis on a subset of 21 of these experiments. Our results show that both supplemental pollination by buzz-pollinating bees and open pollination by assemblages of bees, which include buzz pollinators, significantly increase tomato fruit weight compared to a no-pollination control. In contrast, auxin treatment, artificial mechanical vibrations, or supplemental pollination by non-buzz-pollinating bees (including Apis spp.), do not significantly increase fruit weight. Finally, we compare strategies for providing bee pollination in tomato cultivation around the globe and highlight how using buzz-pollinating bees might improve tomato yield, particularly in some geographic regions. We conclude that employing native, wild buzz pollinators can deliver important economic benefits with reduced environmental risks and increased advantages for both developed and emerging economies.