Horticulturae
2311-7524
Thụy Sĩ
Cơ quản chủ quản: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) , MDPI
Lĩnh vực:
HorticulturePlant Science
Các bài báo tiêu biểu
Effect of Drought Stress on Chlorophyll Fluorescence Parameters, Phytochemical Contents, and Antioxidant Activities in Lettuce Seedlings This study monitored changes in chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), growth parameters, soil moisture content, phytochemical content (proline, ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, total phenol content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC)), and antioxidant activities in 12-day-old lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings grown under drought stress (no irrigation) and control (well irrigated) treatments in controlled conditions for eight days. Measurements occurred at two-day intervals. Among ten CF parameters studied, effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PSII (Y(PSII)), coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP), and coefficient of photochemical quenching of variable fluorescence based on the lake model of PSII (qL) significantly decreased in drought-stressed seedlings from day 6 of treatment compared to control. In contrast, maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), ratio of fluorescence (Rfd), and quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation in PSII (Y(NO)) were significantly affected only at the end. All growth parameters decreased in drought-stressed seedlings compared to control. Proline started increasing from day 4 and showed ~660-fold elevation on day 8 compared to control. Chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activities decreased in drought-stressed seedlings. Results showed major changes in all parameters in seedlings under prolonged drought stress. These findings clarify effects of drought stress in lettuce seedlings during progressive drought exposure and will be useful in the seedling industry.
Tập 7 Số 8 - Trang 238
Risk of Human Pathogen Internalization in Leafy Vegetables During Lab-Scale Hydroponic Cultivation Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a growing industry for the production of leafy vegetables and fresh produce in general. Moreover, CEA is a potentially desirable alternative production system, as well as a risk management solution for the food safety challenges within the fresh produce industry. Here, we will focus on hydroponic leafy vegetable production (including lettuce, spinach, microgreens, and herbs), which can be categorized into six types: (1) nutrient film technique (NFT), (2) deep water raft culture (DWC), (3) flood and drain, (4) continuous drip systems, (5) the wick method, and (6) aeroponics. The first five are the most commonly used in the production of leafy vegetables. Each of these systems may confer different risks and advantages in the production of leafy vegetables. This review aims to (i) address the differences in current hydroponic system designs with respect to human pathogen internalization risk, and (ii) identify the preventive control points for reducing risks related to pathogen contamination in leafy greens and related fresh produce products.
Tập 5 Số 1 - Trang 25
New Approaches to Irrigation Scheduling of Vegetables Using evapotranspiration (ET) data for scheduling irrigations on vegetable farms is challenging due to imprecise crop coefficients, time consuming computations, and the need to simultaneously manage many fields. Meanwhile, the adoption of soil moisture monitoring in vegetables has historically been limited by sensor accuracy and cost, as well as labor required for installation, removal, and collection of readings. With recent improvements in sensor technology, public weather-station networks, satellite and aerial imaging, wireless communications, and cloud computing, many of the difficulties in using ET data and soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling of vegetables can now be addressed. Web and smartphone applications have been developed that automate many of the calculations involved in ET-based irrigation scheduling. Soil moisture sensor data can be collected through wireless networks and accessed using web browser or smartphone apps. Energy balance methods of crop ET estimation, such as eddy covariance and Bowen ratio, provide research options for further developing and evaluating crop coefficient guidelines of vegetables, while recent advancements in surface renewal instrumentation have led to a relatively low-cost tool for monitoring crop water requirement in commercial farms. Remote sensing of crops using satellite, manned aircraft, and UAV platforms may also provide useful tools for vegetable growers to evaluate crop development, plant stress, water consumption, and irrigation system performance.
Tập 3 Số 2 - Trang 28
Hydroponic Agriculture and Microbial Safety of Vegetables: Promises, Challenges, and Solutions Hydroponics is a farming technique for growing plants with mineral nutrients using a soil-free medium. The plant roots are submerged in soil-free media, such as vermiculite or perlite, or just in mineral nutrient solutions. This allows for high production yields throughout the year with less water and agro-chemical inputs. Consequently, hydroponics is considered a sustainable agriculture technology. Hydroponically grown crops are usually protected from the diseases transmitted through soil or animals in open fields. Therefore, they require fewer chemicals for pest control and are safer than conventionally grown crops in terms of possible chemical contamination. Nevertheless, hydroponics guarantees neither plant health nor the microbial safety of fresh produce. In the case of microbial contamination by human pathogens, unlike soil-grown crops, the pathogens may rapidly spread through the circulating water and simultaneously infect all the plants in the facility. This review summarizes the up-to-date knowledge regarding the microbial safety of hydroponically grown crops and discusses the role of the hydroponic system in reducing the microbial hazards for leafy and fruity crops as well as the potential risks for contamination by human pathogens. Finally, it outlines the approaches and the available science-based practices to ensure produce safety. The contamination risk in hydroponic systems may be diminished by using novel planting materials and the appropriate decontamination treatment of a recirculating liquid substrate; by modulating the microbiota interactions; and by following strict phytosanitary measures and workers’ hygienic practices. There is a timely need to adopt measures, such as the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) guidelines, to mitigate the risks and ensure safe hydroponically grown vegetables for consumers.
Tập 9 Số 1 - Trang 51
Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species (NUS) from the Apulia Region Worthy of Being Rescued and Re-Included in Daily Diet Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are cultivated, semi-domesticated, or wild plant species, not included in the group of the major staple crops, since, in most cases, they do not meet the global market requirements. As they often represent resilient species and valuable sources of vitamins, micronutrients, and other phytochemicals, a wider use of NUS would enhance sustainability of agro-systems and a choice of nutritious foods with a strategic role for addressing the nutritional security challenge across Europe. In this review, we focused on some examples of NUS from the Apulia Region (Southern Italy), either cultivated or spontaneously growing species, showing interesting adaptative, nutritional, and economical potential that can be exploited and properly enhanced in future programs.
Tập 7 Số 7 - Trang 177
Physicochemical Characteristics and Nutritional Composition during Fruit Ripening of Akebia trifoliata (Lardizabalaceae) Akebia trifoliata is a high-value medicinal and edible fruit crop in China, and it has begun to be widely cultivated as a new fruit crop in many areas of China. Its fruits crack longitudinally when fully ripe and should be harvested before fruit cracking. Physicochemical characteristics and nutritional composition of the ripening process are prerequisites to establishing proper harvest maturity windows. In the current study, we have investigated the fruit quality characteristics of two A. trifoliata clonal lines (‘Luqing’ and ‘Luyu’) that were harvested at four time points (S1: 120 days after full bloom (DAFB), S2: 134 DAFB, S3: 148 DAFB, S4: 155 DAFB). An increase in fruit size (fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit diameter) was associated with delayed harvest maturity. The firmness of A. trifoliata fruit exhibited a decreasing trend with delaying the harvest stage. In particular, the firmness decreased sharply from S2 to S3 stage. The TSS, fructose, and glucose content in A. trifoliata fruit continuously increased from the S1 to S4 stage and accumulated sharply from S2 to S3 stage. However, the sucrose and starch content showed an increasing trend from the S1 to S2 stage but declined sharply in the S3 or S4 stage. Ascorbic acid progressively increased with the advancement of A. trifoliata maturity stages, while total phenolics and total flavonoids levels declined with fruit ripening. Considering the results of all quality parameters mentioned above, the A. trifoliata fruit harvested at the S3 maturity stage was the ideal harvest maturity for long-distance transportation and higher consumer acceptability before fruit cracking. Our research reveals the dynamic changes in physicochemical characteristics and nutritional composition during fruit ripening of A. trifoliata. Results in this study reflect the importance of maturity stages for fruit quality and provide basic information for optimal harvest management of A. trifoliata.
Tập 8 Số 4 - Trang 326
Transcriptome Analysis of Berries of Spine Grape (Vitis davidii Föex) Infected by Colletotrichum viniferum during Symptom Development Grape ripe rot (Colletotrichum viniferum) causes huge losses in grape production in vineyards in southern China. However, the molecular mechanism against ripe rot in grape species and the responsive genes implicated in these processes are relatively unknown. Here, we present the transcriptome analysis of berries from a C. viniferum-resistant species (Vitis davidii Föex). Uninfected berries at day zero were used as control samples (CK), an inoculation was made at day zero, and the berries were subsequently analyzed at 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days post inoculation (dpi), which exhibited a sequential disease-progression stage. There were a total of 1810 differentially expressed genes, including 1315 up-regulated and 495 down-regulated transcripts. At 7 dpi, these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predominantly enriched in berries. In addition, in C. viniferum-infected grape fruits at 7 dpi, considerable changes in gene expression were induced, and those up-regulated genes involved in MAPK cascade, calcium ion binding, and serine/threonine kinase activity were enriched. According to our KEGG pathway analysis, numerous enriched biological processes, such as plant–pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and metabolism, were implicated in grape–fungus interactions. Our research also revealed alterations in the expression pattern of phenylalanine-pathway-related transcription factors (TFs) and genes. We proposed a model in which C. viniferum invasion produces intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ deregulation to stimulate the MAPK pathway to activate TFs’ (WRKY, ERF, and MYB) up-regulation, thus initiating disease-resistant responses in the tolerant Vitis species. Our results offer comprehensive transcriptomic data about molecular responses in C. viniferum-infected grape, and these data will aid in understanding of processes underlying plant responses to C. viniferum.
Tập 8 Số 9 - Trang 843