Fulltext search in archive

Selenium (Se) biofortification of soybean sprouts presents a promising approach for enhancing dietary Se intake. However, the physiological mechanisms of Se promoting growth remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of selenite (Na₂SeO₃) at concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 μmol/L on soybean sprout development over 72 h. The results indicated that 5.0 and 7.5 μmol/L Na₂SeO₃ significantly promoted hypocotyl elongation and biomass accumulation. Se predominantly accumulated in the radicle, followed by the hypocotyl and cotyledon. Moderate selenite levels enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase; increased the concentrations of reduced glutathione, ascorbic acid, and free proline; and effectively suppressed the accumulation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, thereby reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and alleviating oxidative stress. Concurrently, amylase and protease activities in cotyledons were stimulated, accelerating the hydrolysis of storage reserves. The resulting increases in soluble sugars, proteins, and free amino acids in the hypocotyl supported its elongation and biomass increase. In contrast, 10 μmol/L Na₂SeO₃ suppressed antioxidant enzyme activities, elevated reactive oxygen species and MDA levels, and inhibited growth. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that moderate Se enhances soybean sprout growth primarily by increasing antioxidant capacity, reducing oxidative stress, and facilitating the mobilisation of storage reserves toward the elongating hypocotyl, thereby revealing key physiological mechanisms for cultivating high-quality, Se-enriched sprouts.

This study was conducted at the Floriculture Nursery, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt, during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 growing seasons. The experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of two plant growth regulators (PGRs), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), on the root and shoot development of rose, a species known for its poor rooting ability. A split-plot arrangement within a randomised complete block design was used, with PGR type assigned to the main plots and concentrations (control, 500, 1 000, 1 500, and 2 000 ppm) allocated to the sub-plots. Both IBA and NAA significantly improved plant height, root length, and potassium content. The application of 500 ppm IBA and 1 000 ppm of NAA produced the greatest increases in rooting percentage, number of leaves and branches, shoot and root fresh and dry weights, and phosphorus content. Higher concentrations (1 500 and 2 000 ppm) reduced the time required for leaf sprouting and increased stem diameter as well as nitrogen content. Overall, concentrations between 500 and 1 500 ppm enhanced both shoot and root growth. However, soaking stem cuttings in a 2 000 ppm IBA solution for 30 minutes was the most effective for promoting root formation and improving overall plant growth.

The EU has a historical deficit of plant protein and is heavily reliant on imports to sustain domestic livestock production. Using an economic model of global agricultural markets, this article investigates three policy drivers that could have an influence on the increased production of protein-rich crops in the EU, namely coupled payments for protein-rich crops, investment in research and development leading to higher yields, and phasing out of imported high indirect land-use change risk biofuel feedstocks. Results indicate that a one per cent annual increase in yields over the medium-term has a much larger effect on EU domestic protein production than additional coupled payments of EUR 75 per ha. Moreover, phasing out palm-based biodiesel only has a small impact on protein self-sufficiency. A significant unknown is how costly it will be to increase the yields on protein crops grown in the EU.

In Mexico there is an important production of soybeans; however, no evidence of the analysis of organoleptic attributes in Mexican soybean products was found, so the objective of this work was to sensorially characterise soymilk made from commercial beans grown in northern Mexico based on seven organoleptic attributes. A panel of trained judges evaluated 11 soymilks made from commercial soybeans grown in Mexico, two soymilks made from commercial soybeans reported to be free of lipoxygenases, and one control soymilk. Evaluated flavour attributes were beany, milky, greasy, toasted, bitter, metallic and rancid. The results showed that the soymilks from the JP 30790 and JP 28955 genotypes generated low beany notes. The Mexican variety Guayparime S-10 obtained the lowest beany flavour note. Among Mexican soybeans, the soymilks of Huasteca 700 and Vernal varieties got the highest values of the milky flavour and the JP 30790 and JP 28955 materials obtained intermediate values in this attribute; in the rancid attribute, the zero value was given to all the soymilks. The scarce beany notes and the high milky attribute, as well as the zero value in the rancid attribute favour an acceptable flavour in the soymilks.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal, discharged into environments naturally or anthropogenically, where industrial and agricultural revolutions have led to serious Cd pollution into the environment. Poultry feed may be contaminated by Cd due to its presence in concentrates and supplements, and also in the machinery and equipment used in feed production and processing. After absorption in the digestive system, Cd largely accumulates in kidneys, liver, bones and other organs and causes irreversible damage to these organs. Higher doses of Cd in the poultry diet reduced feed intake, body weight, bone mineral density, egg production and eggshell quality. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient and important component of a variety of antioxidant enzymes, with the ability to antagonize metal toxicity including Cd. Hence, in the current review, we try to summarize recent information about the toxicological effects of Cd and provide updated information about the role of Se as an effective strategy in reducing Cd toxicity in poultry.

Extensive microbiological research was carried out in Tbilisi (capital of Georgia) and its surroundings to determine the causes of massive disease and dieback of urban coniferous plantations. The biological material was picked up in June-July 2020 from trees with various degrees of the disease in 42 different localities. 247 conifers (15 species) were examined microbiologically. 1 169 samples of microscopic fungi were isolated. Based on cultural-morphological and molecular-genetic (PCR) studies, 34 strains were identified to the species level, 17 to the genus level, and 1 strain to the family level. Ascomycota were represented by 15 families and 33 species, Basidiomycota by 1 family and 2 species and Zygomycota by 2 families and 2 species. Among the isolated strains, 9 species were clearly dominant and found in all studied coniferous species: Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, Sphaeropsis sapinea (Fr.) Dyko & B. Button, Epicoccum nigrum Link., Sordaria lappae Potebnia, Curvularia spp., Dothiorella spp, Nothophoma quercina (Sydow & P. Sydow) Q. Chen & L. Cai, Phoma odoratissimi Q. Chen, Didymella aliena (Fries) Q. Chen & L. Cai. It may be supposed that massive activation of pathogenic fungi is the result of weakening of plant immunity on the background of increasing abiotic stresses in Tbilisi over the years; which led to an imbalance between latent pathogens and host plants and eventually to the depressing consequences of trees dieback.

In recent years, the cork oak forests that characterise the Mediterranean region have been exposed to various factors that result in their degradation. These cork oak trees, due to increasingly accentuated anthropogenic activity, undergo withering at different scales.The objective of the study is to assess the impact of various factors that degrade cork oak forests in the Mediterranean region located in northeastern Algeria, and this was achieved by prospecting 22 sampling locations. This allowed the creation of a database containing 745 trees that were observed and 27 measured variables. Different readings were then taken into consideration based on measurements and sometimes on ratings. The impact of several biotic and abiotic factors, which affect and damage the health of cork oak, was identified. These factors include in particular the infestations by xylomycetophagous insects such as Platypus cylindrus and Xyleborus sp., which can potentially infest the cork oak trees that we observed one year after bark harvesting. On the other hand, the stationary descriptors such as altitude, slope, exposure, etc., are important for the dendrometric and exploitation characteristics, but their unfavourable values do not necessarily lead to tree mortality; for example, medium to low slopes, associated with average altitudes of 600 m a.s.l., may ensure the healthiest trees like in our case study. Finally, we were able to find that certain decline factors may affect a particular category of trees, either because they are older, taller or have a large girth, or because they are subject to inadequate debarking.

The cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva is a wood-boring pest posing a major threat to the phytosanitary conditions of several coniferous trees. Its unprecedented European expansion has triggered serious plant protection concerns in several new habitats. Parts of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana injured by L. festiva were collected and analysed by computed tomography in order to study the dimensions of the cavities caused by L. festiva larvae as well as the larval positions. It is concluded that computer tomography representing a non-invasive approach is a promising tool for the visual depiction of the position and the physical parameters of the cavities formed. According to our experimental data, the penetration into the cypress caused by larvae and, inherently, its depth depends on the diameter of the branch. Additionally, the developing larvae appeared to keep distance from each other, which also depended on the diameter of the attacked branch. Our approach provides new data to the biological traits of the species. The main benefit that our imaging method furnishes is the exact, stress-free measurement method of the hidden developing stages. Its additional advantage is the indirect pest identification, which is based on the predetermined pest-specific damage characters.

Insect pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services. Pollinator communities are rarely studied across years and crops in the same location. The aim of this study was to investigate the pollinator community structure on five different fruit crops, as well as the activity of different pollinator groups during the day and their temperature preferences. Pollinator activity was observed across two years on apple trees and blueberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. Pollinator community structure varied by plant and year. Honeybees were the most numerous pollinators on all plants except blueberry bushes (39-95% of visits). Bumblebee numbers were high on blackcurrant (up to 28%) and blueberry bushes (up to 61%). Solitary bees visited all plants except blueberries. Honeybees, solitary bees, and hoverflies were most active in the middle of the day, while bumblebees became active earlier in the morning and remained active later in the evening. Pollinators also differed greatly in their temperature preferences. This knowledge gained is necessary for less harmful pesticide application management and the development of more sustainable agriculture to maintain pollinator diversity and thus reliable pollination in extreme weather conditions.

The objective was to expand and update the knowledge on the presence and genotype diversity of porcine circoviruses 2 and 3 (PCV2 and PCV3) in the wild boar populations from the hunting grounds in northeastern Serbia. The presence of PCV3 was not determined, and PCV2 was confirmed in 40.32% of the organ samples from 124 wild boars hunted from 2018 to 2019, indicating their significance in virus circulation since traditional pig farms with irregular PCV2 vaccination strategies are widespread in this region. The most prevalent genotype was PCV2d, followed by PCV2b and PCV2a in 55.6%, 38.9%, and 5.5% of the examined samples, respectively. Nucleotide sequences of the detected strains were homogenous within the genotype and clustered within the subgroups PCV2d-2, PCV2b-1A/B, and PCV2a-2D with high identity to European, Chinese, and Serbian domestic pig sequences suggesting their origin. Wild boars presented with no clinical or pathological signs of infection, implying that these animals might be less susceptible to disease, particularly since the cofactors present in pig farming systems that support the disease development are absent in the wild. The high PCV2 detection frequency demonstrates the importance of wildlife monitoring to track virus population dynamics, especially in regions with free-range pig farming in order to plan adequate disease control strategies.

Phytopathology deals with a branch of biology encompassing pathogens that infect plants. Pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, viroids, and phytoplasmas are notorious and hard to control; preventive measures are important for managing disease as early as possible. Age-old management practices are time-consuming and labour-intensive processes. In the past, nucleic acid-based methods, such as hybridization, amplification, and sequencing, have been used extensively for the preliminary identification of plant pathogens. Recently, PCR-based methods have been widely used for the detection of plant pathogens. However, PCR methods are time-bound and require high-quality DNA extraction because of inhibitors' effects on PCR sensitivity. Several isothermal detection techniques are commonly used for the onsite detection of plant pathogens. Among them, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a paradigm diagnostic tool for early plant pathogen detection. Hence, in this review, we discuss the rapid, reliable, sensitive method of the LAMP assay and the limit of detection (LOD) in different sectors of plant pathology. We also address the advantages and disadvantages of different LAMP approaches and future prospects.

Vegetables are considered as the major source for opportunistic and emerging pathogens due to their diverse microbiome. Utilising bacterial endophytes and other bacterial agents to control a variety of economically important plant diseases is vital for achieving sustainable agriculture. Within internal plant tissues, bacterial endophytes form colonies without apparent injury. These bacteria provide several advantages for plant systems, including the direct stimulation of plant development through the creation of metabolites or phytohormones. Importantly, bacterial endophytes play a dual role by safeguarding their plant host through the biocontrol of pathogens and induction of the plant's innate immune system. This review offers a methodical and inclusive examination of the current state of endophytic diversity of bacteria, their methods of plant colonisation and their potential functions as protective agents against plant diseases. The review concludes by proposing diverse effective strategies for applying endophytic bacteria as a biological agent aiming to safeguard vegetable crop plants and enhancing the resilience of agricultural products.

This research investigates the intricate connection between indigenous knowledge and sustainable forest management, with two main objectives. It seeks to explore and outline indigenous knowledge, elements, and practices that support sustainable forest management (SFM). It aims to uncover the invaluable traditional insights and practices that have helped preserve and ensure the responsible use of forest ecosystems. Also, it investigated global environmental policies that support indigenous knowledge since the inception of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). A narrative review method was employed to review and analyse peer-reviewed contents and reports to deduce ancestral or traditional wisdom, knowledge, practices, and beliefs from existing studies. The paper extracted data from existing literature from scholarly peer-reviewed journals. It aims to provide useful information for policy-makers, forest managers, and indigenous communities, to promote SFM and the sustainable development goals related to a sustainable environment. The study found that indigenous knowledge (IK) which includes ethnobotanical knowledge and plant selection, mixed land use, seed banks, and cultural beliefs such as sacred groves and taboos are some traditional practices, beliefs, and cultural knowledge that support SFM and can be integrated into international and national environmental management policies which the two-eyed seeing framework (TESF) seeks to promote. The framework highlights the potential of implementing IK into SFM. Also, the Akwé: Kon Guidelines, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), are some global environment policies that recognise traditional people and indigenous knowledge since the commencement of the CBD in the nineties. The paper recommends, for a future study, investigating the applicability of the Akwé: Kon Guidelines in international and national projects and programs that impact traditional sacred lands, forests and rivers, and indigenous people. Also, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement need to fully acknowledge the supporting role of indigenous knowledge and people in climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions, especially in Africa, since the majority of the world's population constitutes indigenous people who inhabit healthy standing forests and ecosystems.

Increasing the proportion of broadleaved trees in stands during regeneration raises questions about how these trees will be reflected in the economics of forest owners and whether these owners can influence certain economic aspects during stand management. In this respect, the paper focuses mainly on the revenue side of forestry and, crucially, analyses the selling prices of assortments of tree species groups as offered in public tenders of state forests under the outsourcing business model. The price level of spruce is used as a benchmark for comparisons in the analyses. It is clear that the cultivation of species-diverse forests entails an increase in the representation of a higher number of tree species and, presumably, increased stand stability. However, a concomitant consequence may be an increase in costs and a reduction in returns for forest owners. Here, the revenue from timber sales can be improved by appropriate adjustment of the species composition through educational interventions. All this is in the context of the economic viability of forestry, as declared in a number of strategic and forest policy documents, which essentially depends on the timber production function of forestry and the subsequent processing of timber.

Despite all the complications that arise with root research, such as slow, laborious, and unclear genetics, roots are a promising object of interest for breeders because many root traits are compatible with high yield potential. It is a great challenge for further research that there is a wide demand for information on the “hidden half of plant metabolism” from many research fields. We have summarized the main obstacles in root system research and sketched a solution for breeding in field conditions so that the result was more meaningful to the farmer. (i) The most important challenge in root research is linking the functional identification of root system properties with the aboveground parts. (ii) Field breeding is irreplaceable, and methods allowing the evaluation of roots under field conditions are indispensable. (iii) Low heritability of root system trait discourages breeders. However, root properties show broad genotypic variability, allowing the efficient use of these traits as selection criteria. (iv) The root traits are variable, and many fluctuate under the influence of environmental factors, which complicates efforts to define ideotypes and explains the different conclusions obtained by researchers from different environments. The breeding programs targeting the root system are sporadic even in a global context. This is a great reserve for breeding progress in the era of climate change, water scarcity, a possible shift to extensive farming systems, and in the era of environmental programs.

Long-term human activities substantially altered floodplain regions of temperate Europe. Forest management and extensive changes in hydrology greatly affected natural floodplain soil properties, in which microbes play key roles. This study aims to assess the effects of human activities through a gradient of forest management intensity on soil microbial community (SMC), its biomass, activity, and structure. Soil chemical and physical-chemical properties were used to explain the general associations and within-site variation using principal component analysis (PCA), linear regression (LR) and linear mixed-effect regression (LMER) models. It was found that forest management application, regardless of its intensity, led to significant microbial biomass reduction. PCA revealed that microbial biomass, expressed as a sum of phospholipid fatty acids along with recalcitrant carbon fraction (ROC) best explained the variability in data. LR and LMER highlighted that bacteria are affected by floodplain forest management more than fungi, and that bacterial response to pH was highly diversified. Also, pH was identified as the best predictor of SMC structure and activity but not of its size. The study calls for further investigation in SMC interactions with ROC, soil-available Fe and Mn, and the role of redox-active metals in soil organic carbon degradation.

Crops belonging to the Solanaceae family, including potato, tomato, pepper, and tobacco possess considerable economic importance worldwide. However, their production is continuously under threat from plant pathogens. Farmers typically rely on resistant cultivars carrying one or several disease resistance (R) genes introduced through conventional breeding. Over time, a competitive host-pathogen coevolution can lead to major resistance breakdown. Genome editing is a significant research tool and avenue for the genetic improvement of crop species, as it enables the precise introduction of targeted genetic changes. This technology has been successfully used in various food crops, including those belonging to the Solanaceae family. The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system allows the rapid knockout of desirable genes. Plant pathogens often exploit host genes known as susceptibility (S) genes to facilitate their proliferation. Inactivation of these S genes may reduce the pathogen’s ability to infect plants and confer durable and broad-spectrum resistance. This review provides an overview of the current application of CRISPR/Cas9 to disrupt the S genes for the development of disease-resistant solanaceous crops. The technological limitations and potential strategies for overcoming these challenges are discussed.

Transgenic organisms modified with ancestral genes for nitrogen metabolism are rare. Previously, it was reported that genetically modified Nicotiana tabacum with the ARO4 gene of aromatic amino acid synthesis from the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii increases its growth during moderate salt stress. In this investigation, it was explored if the changes in the expression of the gene DhARO4 in Nicotiana tabacum, during saline irrigation, are related to the chlorophyll content and the total reactive oxygen species production. Seedlings of transgenic and wild type Nicotiana tabacum germinated in standard conditions were divided into two irrigation groups, with 100 mM of NaCl and with tap water; and, after 50 days, in the non-senescent adult leaves of the plants, the total chlorophyll a and b and the total chlorophyll content were determined by spectrophotometry and the reactive oxygen species production (•OH, ¹O₂, H₂O₂) was quantified by a 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein assay. The expression of the DhARO4 gene was verified with a salt shock of 100 mM of NaCl for 24 hours in the transgenic and wild type plants in the tap water irrigation group. The DhARO4 gene transcript increased (P < 0.05) in the transgenic plant; meanwhile, the average concentration of chlorophyll a increased (P < 0.05), and the average production of reactive oxygen species decreased (P < 0.05).

The economic diversification of rural territories specialised in olive growing is key to the sustainability and resilience of these communities. In this context, olive oil tourism is presented as an innovative strategy to add value to the olive sector, attract visitors and promote public–private synergies. This study aims to determine the competitive advantages of olive oil tourism in the province of Jaén, Spain, using strategic analysis tools that align tourism resources with effective management strategies. Hence, in addition to a questionnaire completed by experts and a specialised literature review, we used the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrix, adapted to territorial analysis focused on tourism. This methodology correlates the territorial resources of olive oil tourism (TRs, the ‚what') with management specifications (MSs, the ‚how'). The analysis determines the relative importance of the TRs, the objective values and the technical importance of the MSs, and the direction of improvement. Furthermore, it includes an evaluation of competitiveness and estimates the technical-competitive positioning index. Nine TRs and eight MSs were identified and correlated, and Jaén's performance was compared to that of six other Spanish olive-growing provinces. Nine competitive advantages were identified, linked to five TRs (olive grove heritage landscape, tasting areas, exhibition centres, olive oil mills and greenways) and four MSs (olive mills, environmental education, diversification of supply and heritage promotion and innovation). This work proposes a useful tool to align resources and management, improve decision-making and move towards a more strategic governance in the olive oil tourism sector.

Corrigendum in: J. For. Sci. 2026 Feb 27;72(2):106. doi: 10.17221/16/2026-JFS

The response of forest trees to bark beetle attack involves substantial changes in terpene content, which varies between resistant and non-resistant species. Terpenes serve as crucial chemical defences against pests, and their production can be influenced by prior attack history, water stress, and biotic interactions. Moreover, the effectiveness of terpenes in resisting bark beetle attack is influenced by their chemical composition. Different tree species produce different types and amounts of terpenes that can affect their overall resistance levels. In conifers, acyclic and cyclic monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were significantly present in all samples. Acyclic monoterpenes, ketones, aldehydes, monocarboxylic acids and their esters, and aromatic and cyclic compounds have been identified in beech. A statistically significant decrease of compounds in infested trees was determined in pine (cis-β-ocimene, neo-allo-ocimene, terpinene-4-ol, and δ-cadinene), and fir (acetophenone, benzonitrile, phenol, and zonarene). In addition, increased benzaldehyde production was observed. However, in infested beech trees, only increased production of some aliphatic and aromatic compounds (2-butanone and 3,5-octadien-2-one, 2-methyl-4-pentenal and 2,4-hexadienal, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, 3,4-dimethyl-2,5-furandione, acetophenone, benzeneacetaldehyde, 2-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, β-ionone-5,6-epoxide, β-cyclocitral, and geranyl acetone) was found. We investigated the changes in the terpene composition of surviving trees in bark beetle-infested stands of beech (Fagus sylvatica), pine (Pinus sylvestris), and fir (Abies alba). Our data showed that the distribution of different groups of volatile compounds varied according to the tree species.

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint that limits the growth and productivity of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), a legume adapted to mildly acidic soils but highly sensitive to saline–alkaline conditions. Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding (DREB) transcription factors are key regulators of plant responses to abiotic stresses. In this study, the AhDREB gene from peanut was introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) to examine its functional role under salt stress. The transgenic lines (L32.2 and L37.2) exhibited strong induction of AhDREB expression upon exposure to 150 and 250 mM NaCl, with transcript levels increasing up to 2.34-fold compared with untreated controls (P < 0.001). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that AhDREB enhanced the transcription of two osmolyte-related genes, NtP5CS and NtSUSY. Under saline conditions, the expression of these genes was 1.20–1.89-fold higher in transgenic lines than in wild-type (WT) plants and 4.74–7.66-fold higher than in non-stress conditions (P < 0.001). Consistently, both lines accumulated greater amounts of proline and soluble sugars, showing 2.09–2.30-fold and 2.40–4.70-fold increases, respectively, compared with the WT. Relative to non-stress conditions, proline and sugar contents increased by 3.59–5.47 fold and 3.75–7.65-fold, respectively. Line L37.2 accumulated higher proline levels, whereas L32.2 exhibited greater sugar content, indicating distinct osmolyte regulation patterns. Overall, the AhDREB gene enhances salt tolerance in tobacco by transcriptionally activating osmolyte biosynthetic pathways and improving cellular osmotic adjustment, providing molecular evidence for its potential application in developing stress-tolerant peanut cultivars.

-