Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

{"title":"Integrated cytological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses elucidate the genes and regulatory network underlying sulfur stress responses in melon seedlings","authors":"Junzhuo Yang,&nbsp;Hui Zhang,&nbsp;Tiantian Yang,&nbsp;Sikandar Amanullah,&nbsp;Huilin Wang,&nbsp;Bin Liu,&nbsp;Xuezheng Wang,&nbsp;Shi Liu,&nbsp;Chaonan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.114740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.114740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfur (S) is a vital macronutrient, which plays a crucial role in the plant growth and development of defense, but its excessive usage causes severe phytotoxicity. The melon plant is very sensitive to sulfur stress because of routine-wise applications of sulfur-based fungicide for controlling the powdery mildew. In this experiment, we performed an integrative cytological, physiological, and transcriptomic study to elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms regulating sulfur tolerance in comparative melon lines (‘M531’ as sulfur-tolerant and ‘M446’ as sulfur-sensitive).The relative ultrastructural observations exposed that the ‘M531’ line had tightly organized palisade tissue, intact organelles, and stable chloroplast morphology under sulfur stress, but the ‘M446’ line depicted excessive membranal peroxidation, organelle rupture, and cell destruction. Physiological evaluations also displayed that the ‘M531’ line effectively modulated the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by improved activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), restricting oxidative injury and lipid peroxidation. Transcriptomic profiling across various time intervals (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) exposed a total of 556 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked with redox modulation, cell wall transformation, and secondary metabolism. Pathway enrichment analysis determined the phenylpropanoid activation and biosynthesis of flavonoid in the ‘M531’ line, triggering accumulation of flavonoid and lignin that enclosed the integrity of the cell wall and enhanced scavenging of ROS. The upregulated transcription of the DGAT and other glycerolipid metabolic genes continued membranal homeostasis under the extended stress phase. Further, the pathway suppression in the ‘M446’ line disturbed metabolic symmetry and intensified cell destruction. A total of ten significant DEGs involved in sulfur metabolism, glycerolipid pathways, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were verified through qRT-PCR, confirming the functional transcriptomics regulation through a wide-range systematic framework for sulfur tolerance, linking coordinated cytological resilience, and antioxidative defense. The current study provides fundamental insights into adaptation of sulfur-induced stress and categorizes robust genetic targets for developing sulfur-tolerant cultivars of melon through advanced breeding and sustainable cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 114740"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149021095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenological growth stages of ‘Harlikar’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) according to the extended BBCH scale","authors":"Qiang Wang,&nbsp;Hansong Zhao,&nbsp;Lei Zhang,&nbsp;Yan Zou,&nbsp;Jiashuai Qu,&nbsp;Zhengnan Li,&nbsp;Xiaozhao Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study adopted the internationally recognized expanded BBCH phenological classification system to conduct year-round fixed-point observations of the phenological dynamics of ‘Harlikar’, the primary cultivar grown in the Weihai region of Shandong Province. We systematically defined and described the phenological stages of the growth and development of its various organs and established a standardized coding and morphological description system tailored to this cultivar. Based on the tree’s growth characteristics, the annual growth cycle of ‘Harlikar’ was divided into eight major growth stages: leaf bud development, leaf development, new shoot growth, inflorescence emergence, flowering, fruit development, fruit ripening, and senescence and dormancy-totaling eight major growth stages. By integrating field-photographed phenological atlases, phenological-monthly average temperature correlation charts, and fruit transverse diameter growth curves, this study clarified the typical morphological characteristics and growth rhythms of each sub-stage, as well as observed associations between seasonal temperature variation and phenological processes. The results indicate that the BBCH scale can accurately and systematically characterize the complete phenological process of ‘Harlikar’, with high morphological distinguishability and stable temporal characteristics across all stages; tree growth and development show temporal coupling with changes in ambient temperature, and fruit transverse diameter growth exhibits typical stage-specific patterns. The phenological classification criteria and atlas data established in this study provide a unified reference for the standardized cultivation and management of ‘Harlikar’, the timing of field operations, and the conduct of related scientific experiments. We also serve as a reference for phenological research on similar fruit trees in the same ecological region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115176"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149006361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal cultivar-specific growth promotion of lettuce by Bacillus velezensis","authors":"Zhifei Li,&nbsp;Shuping He,&nbsp;Yinshuang Bai,&nbsp;Guotao Huo,&nbsp;Jiahui Li,&nbsp;Guojun Ge,&nbsp;Yiwen Zhou,&nbsp;Lijun Luo,&nbsp;Jinbin Wang,&nbsp;Shiwei Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L.) is an economically important leafy vegetable worldwide. Improving lettuce yield is vital to stabilize vegetable supply and satisfy market demand in China. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to facilitate crop growth. To uncover cultivar-specific growth responses of lettuce to PGPR and reveal the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms, two <em>Bacillus velezensis</em> strains (JB0319 and SAAS-6–3) were tested on two newly bred lettuce cultivars, Huqian and Binfen-3.</div><div>Our results revealed obvious cultivar-dependent growth phenotypes. Inoculation with either strain significantly improved the biomass of Huqian, with SAAS-6–3 showing superior growth-promoting efficiency compared with JB0319. However, neither strain induced significant growth stimulation in Binfen-3. Physiological measurements demonstrated that bacterial inoculation increased soluble protein concentration in Huqian leaves. Endogenous hormone quantification further confirmed elevated levels of gibberellin (GA₃) and auxin (IAA) upon inoculation.</div><div>To dissect the molecular mechanism, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were carried out on Huqian. We identified 672 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, zeatin biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways. The detected differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were predominantly associated with ABC transporters, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified two core modules (MEblue and MEyellow) closely linked to SAAS-6–3 treatment, forming a coordinated “material supply - signal regulation” cascade supporting lettuce growth.</div><div>Collectively, strain SAAS-6–3 stimulates Huqian growth by activating IAA and GA₃ biosynthetic pathways. The increased endogenous phytohormones synergistically modulate central carbon and nitrogen metabolism as well as transport processes, eventually enhancing biomass accumulation. This work clarifies the cultivar-specific effects of <em>B. velezensis</em> and provides theoretical support for precision application of PGPR agents in sustainable lettuce cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115150"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148916845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylogeographic pattern of Tulipa iliensis and the impact of quaternary climate fluctuations on its population genetic structure","authors":"Douwen Qin,&nbsp;Weiqiang Liu,&nbsp;Jiting Tian,&nbsp;Yue Ma,&nbsp;Xiuting Ju","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Tulipa iliensis</em>, a perennial bulbous plant of considerable ecological and evolutionary significance in the arid regions of Central Asia, exhibits a patchy distribution and limited dispersal capacity, making it an ideal system for phylogeographic investigations. In this study, chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) sequences were used to comprehensively assess the genetic diversity, phylogeographic structure, divergence history, and demographic dynamics of 29 <em>Tulipa iliensis</em> populations from Xinjiang, China. The results revealed 8 cpDNA haplotypes, displaying pronounced regional genetic differentiation with limited haplotype sharing among geographic regions. In contrast, 72 nrITS ribotypes were identified, indicating higher genetic diversity and extensive ribotype sharing across regions, with only the YL group forming a relatively distinct nuclear genetic lineage. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the lineages inferred from both molecular markers originated approximately 31.60 Ma, with major haplotype diversification events occurring primarily from the Miocene to the Pliocene. Ancestral area reconstruction indicated that the ancestral populations likely occupied a relatively broad distribution range, followed by the formation of geographically structured lineages driven by geographic isolation and environmental changes. Historical demographic analyses suggested that <em>Tulipa iliensis</em> as a whole experienced historical population expansion. Among the studied groups, WLMQ exhibited significant signals of demographic expansion, whereas the YL group showed no evidence of recent expansion, suggesting that it may have maintained a relatively stable demographic history over a prolonged period, and served as a refugium for <em>Tulipa iliensis</em> during the Quaternary glacial periods. Integrative analyses indicate that the uplift of the Tianshan Mountains and associated environmental changes during the Miocene established the fundamental framework of the contemporary genetic structure of <em>Tulipa iliensis</em>, while Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles further shaped its population history. The combined effects of restricted seed dispersal and pollen-mediated gene flow ultimately generated the contrasting genetic pattern observed in this species, characterized by pronounced cpDNA phylogeographic structure but relatively weak geographic differentiation in nrITS variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115149"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148932670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated metabolome and transcriptome analysis elucidates reproductive functional divergence and regulatory mechanisms underlying the distinct spatial distribution of female flowers in monoecious figs","authors":"Ying Zhang,&nbsp;Yan Wang,&nbsp;Yunfang Guan,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Yang,&nbsp;Changqi Chen,&nbsp;Zongbo Li,&nbsp;Yuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ficus</em> plants and their pollinating fig wasps have developed a highly specific mutualistic relationship. Figs rely exclusively on their specialized wasps for pollination, while the wasps can only complete their reproductive cycle within the figs<em>.</em> Nevertheless, both fig seed production and the pollinator's offspring development depend on the same pool of female flowers within monoecious fig, which results in competition for the allocation of reproductive resources. Currently, the internal regulatory mechanisms underlying the functional differentiation of female flowers remain poorly understood. To address this gap, our study integrates transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of the monoecious fig species <em>Ficus hookeriana</em> to investigate molecular and metabolic variations in female flowers with distinct reproductive functions and spatial distributions across three developmental phases: pre-female, female, and inter-floral phases. Results indicate that during the pre-female phase, spatially distinct female flowers exhibit differences in nucleotide metabolism-related processes, suggesting an early divergence in molecular programs associated with reproductive functional differentiation. During the female phase, Pollinator entry is associated with spatial variation in flavonoid biosynthesis-related metabolites and gene expression patterns, which may account for inter-individual differences in defense-related chemical profiles among female flowers. During the inter-floral phase, differential accumulation of metabolites and changes in gene expression in the TCA cycle pathway suggest altered energy metabolism and carbon resource utilization, potentially contributing to the balance between seed development and wasp gall formation. This study systematically elucidates stage-specific metabolic and transcriptional variation associated with reproductive resource partitioning in monoecious figs, offering omics-based insights into the molecular basis underlying the functional differentiation of female flowers and advances our understanding of the metabolic processes associated with plant–insect mutualistic interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115163"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148980288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-trait evaluation of Chinese jujube (ziziphus jujuba mill.) germplasm accessions and identification of candidates suitable for fresh consumption and drying in Xinjiang, China","authors":"Xiaolan Wu,&nbsp;Xin Lan,&nbsp;Yulu Liu,&nbsp;Mingyu Li,&nbsp;Chen Yuan,&nbsp;Hange Jiao,&nbsp;Wei Qin,&nbsp;Lei Yang,&nbsp;Wenwen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Xinjiang is a major production region for Chinese jujube (<em>Ziziphus jujuba</em> Mill.), yet integrated evaluations of phenology, phenotypic traits, fruit quality, and end-use suitability remain limited. In this study, 95 jujube accessions were evaluated at a single site during the 2024 growing season for phenological, phenotypic, and fruit-quality traits. Trait diversity was assessed, and an integrated framework for fresh-consumption and drying suitability was developed. Key traits were identified using random forest, partial least squares regression with variable importance in projection (PLSR-VIP), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index for qualitative traits ranged from 0.10 to 1.48, and coefficients of variation for quantitative traits ranged from 1.95% to 55.93%, with fruit-bearing shoot rate and flowers per inflorescence showing the greatest variation. TOPSIS and weighted rank-sum ratio (WRSR) produced highly consistent accession rankings. Based on FreshScore and DryScore, 18 accessions were classified as fresh-consumption types, 22 as drying types, and 55 as dual-purpose types. Dietary fiber, sugar-to-acid ratio, edible rate, fruit weight, and fruit size were the most important traits linked to comprehensive evaluation results. Promising candidates included 'Zanyuzao' and 'Langjiayuanzao' for fresh consumption, 'Mizao' and 'Jinchang No 1′ for drying, and 'Jing 39–2′ for dual use. These results provide preliminary information for jujube germplasm conservation and breeding, and highlight the need for further multi-year and multi-site validation before practical industrial utilization in Xinjiang.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115174"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149006360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics integration reveals the microecological collapse driving primordia degeneration of Dictyophora rubrovolvata in novel organomineral substrate cultivation","authors":"Weijun Zeng,&nbsp;Chao Kang,&nbsp;Wankun Wang,&nbsp;Xuan Zheng,&nbsp;Xiaoli Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The novel organomineral substrate (NOS) cultivation of <em>Dictyophora rubrovolvata</em> promotes rapid mycelial growth but suffers from mass primordia degeneration and necrosis with poorly understood microecological mechanisms. In this study, we employed metagenomics, untargeted metabolomics, and physicochemical profiling to elucidate the spatial-temporal dynamics of the substrate microenvironment across three developmental stages. Results demonstrated that the excessive initial primordia formation triggered rapid nutrient exhaustion, notably alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, accompanied by pH stress. This physicochemical deterioration coincided with a profound functional breakdown of the substrate microbiome, characterized by the sharp downregulation of core carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and nitrogen-cycling genes (e.g., narG, nirK). Topological analysis revealed substantial topological differences and structural fragmentation in the cross-kingdom co-occurrence network observed between T2 and T3 stages, marked by a surge in competitive interactions. This structural collapse facilitated the explosive invasion of keystone pathogens, primarily <em>Clathrus, Amaricoccus</em>, and <em>Chryseobacterium.</em> Furthermore, metabolomic integration indicated that the proliferation of these late-stage opportunistic taxa was highly coupled with the marked accumulation of suspect allelopathic metabolites (e.g., 2,4-dichloro-6-nitrophenol) while simultaneously suppressing bacterial multidrug efflux pumps, thereby paralyzing the microecosystem’s detoxification capacity. Our tripartite network integration suggested that this coordinated biochemical stress and nutritional depletion exhibited strong covariation with the irreversible abortion of fruiting bodies. Conclusively, primordia degeneration of <em>D. rubrovolvata</em> in the organomineral substrate is tightly associated with a coordinated microecological shift characterized by rapid nutrient depletion, network destabilization, and biochemical stress. Importantly, these findings and the proposed mechanistic framework are specific to the high-load NOS cultivation matrix and cannot be directly extrapolated to traditional soil-based systems without longitudinal comparative multi-omics validation. Diagnosing these substrate-specific bottlenecks provides actionable engineering targets for formula optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115137"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148894529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of room-temperature ripening and ethylene-amplified ripening reveals shared ripening outputs but distinct transcriptional intensities in kiwifruit","authors":"Man Zhu,&nbsp;Qiaoyu Zhang,&nbsp;Jing Liu,&nbsp;Zhenzhen Cheng,&nbsp;Zhenfei Zhu,&nbsp;Yunliu Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Kiwifruit is a climacteric fruit that can ripen after harvest through more than one physiological route. In untreated fruit, gradual ripening may occur under room-temperature conditions even when ethylene production remains undetectable, whereas exogenous ethylene triggers rapid ripening and autocatalytic ethylene production. To distinguish these processes, we compared temperature-induced ripening under room-temperature air treatment with ethylene-induced ripening after exposure to 100 μL/L ethylene. Physiological traits, starch content, soluble sugars, amyloplast ultrastructure and transcriptome profiles were analyzed across ripening stages. Temperature-induced fruit showed slow firmness loss, moderate respiration changes and moderate starch-to-sugar conversion while ethylene production remained undetectable. Ethylene-induced fruit showed rapid firmness loss, enhanced respiration, autocatalytic ethylene production, accelerated starch degradation and stronger accumulation of soluble sugars. Relative-change analysis further showed that ethylene induction caused substantially higher firmness-loss, starch-degradation and calculated soluble-sugar-increase rates than temperature induction. Transcriptome profiling separated the two ripening trajectories, with the strongest ethylene-associated transcriptional divergence occurring at 2–3 d after treatment. Functional categorization and representative gene analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolism and cell-wall remodeling were shared ripening outputs, whereas exogenous ethylene strongly amplified genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis/signaling (<em>ACS, ACO</em>/<em>ACO3</em> and <em>ERF</em>), starch and sugar metabolism (<em>BAM, SPS</em> and <em>CINV</em>), and cell-wall remodeling (<em>PG, EXPA, BGAL</em> and <em>XTH</em>/<em>XTR</em>). These results support a model in which room-temperature treatment initiates a slow temperature-induced ripening program under undetectable ethylene production, while exogenous ethylene accelerates ripening by amplifying shared metabolic and structural modules. This comparative framework improves the mechanistic interpretation of kiwifruit ripening and provides physiological and molecular information for controlling ready-to-eat fruit quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115160"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148949420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of organic liquid fertilizer application strategy and substrate type on lettuce growth and nutrient solution dynamics in deep-flow hydroponics","authors":"Shengming Jin,Masahumi Johkan,Akimasa Nakano","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115185","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"32 1","pages":"115185"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149021112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prohexadione calcium enhances physiological and biochemical resilience of a vegetable crop under dual abiotic–xenobiotic stress","authors":"Humaira Yasmeen,&nbsp;Sherjeel Hashmat,&nbsp;Fiza Talat,&nbsp;Umer Farooq,&nbsp;Árpád Székely,&nbsp;Hossam S. El-Beltagi,&nbsp;Usman Zulfiqar,&nbsp;Mohammed S. Alotaibi,&nbsp;Nazih Y. Rebouh,&nbsp;Mashael Daghash Alqahtani","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Abiotic and xenobiotic stresses represent critical agro-environmental challenges that impair crop productivity and food safety<em>.</em> Although their individual impacts are documented, the synergistic effects of dual salinity+aniline stress and the potential mitigating role of prohexadione calcium (PHDC) remain poorly understood<em>.</em> In this study, plants were exposed to a sodium salt mixture (NaCl + Na₂SO₄ in 1:1 ratio; 75 mM each, total 150 mM) (abiotic stress), a mixture of aniline derivatives (50 mg L⁻¹ aniline hydrochloride + 50 mg L⁻¹ aniline sulfate; total 100 mg L⁻¹) (xenobiotic stress), and their combination, with or without foliar application of 100 mg L⁻¹ prohexadione calcium. The experiment was conducted on <em>Brassica oleracea</em> var. italica using popular cultivars such as Green Magic, in a completely randomized design with four replicates per treatment. PHDC was applied as a foliar spray, and data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test to assess main and interaction effects. Physiological and biochemical data revealed that mixed sodium salt stress (NaCl + Na₂SO₄, 150 mM total) and mixed aniline stress (100 mg L⁻¹ total) independently reduced shoot biomass by 28–32%, chlorophyll content by 25–30%, and soluble protein levels by 22–27% relative to the untreated control plants, while elevating malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide accumulation by 40–45%. The combined salinity + aniline stress imposed the most severe damage, reducing shoot biomass by 42%, root biomass by 38%, and leaf area by 45% compared to the control. Application of prohexadione calcium (PHDC; 100 mg L⁻¹ foliar spray) significantly alleviated these impairments. Under combined stress, PHDC-treated plants showed recovery, with shoot biomass increased by 36%, root biomass by 32%, and leaf area by 40% relative to stressed plants without PHDC treatment. PHDC also restored pigment concentrations, elevating chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll by 30–36% compared to untreated stressed plants. In terms of osmolytes, PHDC enhanced proline accumulation by 38% and soluble sugars by 42% relative to stressed plants without PHDC, while reinforcing antioxidant defenses by increasing SOD, CAT, and POD activities by 30–35%. Nutrient status, particularly nitrogen, potassium, and calcium, was also improved under combined stress with PHDC treatment. The protective effect was most pronounced under combined stress, underscoring PHDC’s role in modulating resilience pathways. This study is distinctive because it evaluates prohexadione calcium under dual abiotic–xenobiotic stress, a combination rarely investigated in vegetable crops, thereby providing integrative physiological and biochemical evidence beyond previous single-stress or single-species reports.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"367 ","pages":"Article 115156"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148980285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}