Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

{"title":"Establishing efficient in vitro tissue culture systems for three types of explants of Gypsophila paniculata","authors":"Mingdong Ran,&nbsp;Yue Xu,&nbsp;Hongjia Zhang,&nbsp;Huameng Huang,&nbsp;Kang Luo,&nbsp;Chao Song,&nbsp;Muhammad Sajjad,&nbsp;Lijuan Ding,&nbsp;Xiaowei Yu,&nbsp;Guoping Zhang,&nbsp;Yun Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Gypsophila paniculata</em>, commonly known as baby’s breath, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus <em>Gypsophila</em> within the Caryophyllaceae family. It encompasses two cultivated varieties: single-petaled and double-petaled. Double-petaled variants exhibit densely layered petals, conferring high ornamental value and physiological significance. However, double-petaled <em>G. paniculata</em> suffers from severe sterility and lacks a stable and efficient regeneration system. This study developed efficient <em>in vitro</em> tissue culture regeneration protocols for three explants, i.e., floral buds, leaves, and stem segments from a double-petaled cultivar of <em>G. paniculata</em>, ‘YX-4’. We found that different types of explants need different plant growth regulators. Unopened floral buds achieved a high shoot induction rate of 75%, and leaf explants achieved the highest callus induction rate of 76%. Leaf-derived callus exhibits the highest shoot induction rate of 50%. These optimized systems provide an important foundation for transgenic research and commercial propagation of double-petaled <em>G. paniculata</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115205"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149202185","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 antioxidant capacity and volatile profiles of yellow-fleshed peach cultivars in the ‘Jinhuangjin’ series","authors":"Yaling Yang,&nbsp;Xu Han,&nbsp;Xiaoming Sun,&nbsp;Jin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phenolics are widely regarded as important antioxidant constituents of fruit, but most comparisons have been made across genetically diverse panels; whether nutritional and volatile traits trade off within a narrow-background breeding family remains unclear. Nine half-sib ‘Jinhuangjin’ (JHJ) series cultivars were analysed for antioxidant indices and volatiles, with the parent ‘Huangjin’ (HJ) analysed for antioxidant indices only. Genotype-level associations (cultivar means, n = 9) were assessed by Spearman's rank correlation with exact permutation P values and Benjamini–Hochberg correction. All nine cultivars exceeded HJ in polyphenol and flavonoid content, DPPH capacity and scavenging rate. Polyphenols and flavonoids were strongly correlated (ρ = 0.850, q = 0.036), whereas phenolic content was not correlated with DPPH scavenging, indicating that DPPH performance cannot be predicted from phenolics alone. Esters, the most abundant class, and alcohols were also strongly correlated (ρ = 0.917, q = 0.004), and, in a semiquantitative screening, 18 of the 24 major volatiles exceeded their odour threshold (OAV &gt; 1) in at least one cultivar, mainly fruity esters, linalool and 3-nonanol. No antioxidant–volatile correlation was significant after correction, so no evidence of a strong trade-off was detected; because only strong associations can be detected with nine genotypes, the existence of a moderate trade-off cannot be excluded. JHJ 2 and JHJ 8 were richest in phenolics and DPPH capacity, whereas JHJ 3 and JHJ 7 were richest in esters and alcohols. Total phenolics did not predict DPPH-based antioxidant capacity in this family, and these contrasting phenotypes provide material for multi-environment evaluation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115249"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149208998","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":"Molecular cloning and heterologous expression of TeGA3ox, a gibberellin biosynthesis gene from Tagetes erecta L.","authors":"Xuejing Ma,&nbsp;Sirangsuo Li,&nbsp;Daocheng Tang,&nbsp;Yufei Zhou,&nbsp;Qiuyue Liang,&nbsp;Xiang Meng,&nbsp;Nan Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant height is a critical agronomic trait of marigold (<em>Tagetes erecta</em> L.). Gibberellins (GAs) are central regulators of plant height, with gibberellin 3-oxidase (GA3ox) serving as a rate-limiting enzyme governing GA biosynthesis. In this study, we characterized the <em>TeGA3ox</em> gene and investigated its functional role in modulating plant height through GA biosynthesis. The full-length cDNA of <em>TeGA3ox</em> is 1343 bp, encoding a hydrophobic, unstable protein of 371 amino acids. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that the GA3ox protein is distributed in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The protein contains two conserved domains, 2OG-FeII_Oxy and DIOX_N, which are highly conserved among members of the Asteraceae family. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that the highest transcript levels of <em>TeGA3ox</em> were predominantly observed at the late growth stage. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed that leaves consistently exhibited the highest expression among all tissues examined in all three lines. To further elucidate its function, overexpression vectors carrying <em>TeGA3ox</em> were constructed and transformed into <em>Nicotiana tabacum</em>. Compared with wild-type plants, transgenic tobacco lines overexpressing <em>TeGA3ox</em> displayed increased plant height, enlarged leaf area, early stem lignification, prominent auricular stipules, and elevated contents of bioactive gibberellins. Anatomical observations of stem and leaf cross-sections revealed that the cellular alterations in transgenic plants were consistent with the observed phenotypic changes. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that <em>TeGA3ox</em> plays a central role in the regulation of plant height in marigold, providing a mechanistic basis for GA-mediated growth regulation in this ornamental species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115215"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149088015","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":"A critical review of innovative technologies for grape quality assessment in support of plant phenomics and precision viticulture","authors":"Vincenzo Cianciola,&nbsp;Gaetano Alessandro Vivaldi,&nbsp;Eve Laroche-Pinel,&nbsp;Luca Brillante","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Viticulture has experienced significant advancements in technologies for assessing grape composition, pivotal for optimizing wine quality. This review critically explores the evolution from conventional destructive sampling and laboratory analyses to innovative, non-destructive, and real-time monitoring approaches in precision viticulture. Focus is placed on key grape quality indicators including sugar content, acidity, phenolic compounds, and aromatic profiles. Emerging technologies such as handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers, hyperspectral and multispectral imaging systems, vehicle-mounted and drone-based remote sensing platforms, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled sensor networks are evaluated for their capability to deliver spatially-resolved compositional data. These tools enable detailed mapping of vineyard variability, supporting improved decision-making in harvest timing and selective harvesting practices. The synthesis provided highlights the integration of advanced sensing technologies with machine learning and geospatial analytics, presenting a pathway towards more precise, rapid, and cost-effective grape quality management. This comprehensive overview offers valuable insights for viticulturists and winemakers aiming to harness digital innovations to enhance productivity and preserve terroir expression while addressing practical challenges related to calibration, environmental variability, and operational scalability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115208"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149092297","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":"Rhizosphere Osmoprotectant Metabolite Accumulation Following Inoculation with a Synthetic Bacillus–Pseudomonas Consortium Associates with Nitrogen Cycling and Heat-Stress resilience Indicators in Tomato","authors":"Samuel Arsene Ntyam Mendo,&nbsp;Françoise Karell Emmanuelle Fouda Onana,&nbsp;Lyzette Womuh Dong,&nbsp;Severin Tchemeni Nguemezi,&nbsp;Laure Brigitte Kouitcheu Mabeku,&nbsp;Modeste Sameza,&nbsp;Rosalie Ngono Ngane","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rising global temperatures threaten tomato productivity, demanding sustainable strategies for thermotolerance without increasing agrochemical inputs. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can alleviate abiotic stress, but single strains often perform inconsistently due to limited functional repertoires. Rationally designed synthetic consortia combining complementary traits offer promise, yet experimental evidence for coordinated rhizosphere osmoprotectant accumulation remains scarce. We assembled a binary consortium of proline- and auxin-producing <em>Bacillus</em> sp. (B. amyloliquefaciens/velezensis operational group) BaC21 and phosphate-solubilizing, trehalose- and glycine-betaine-accumulating <em>Pseudomonas fluorescens</em> DS17R, previously characterized for biocontrol activity, to test whether complementary <em>in vitro</em> traits associate with enhanced rhizosphere osmoprotectant pools and nitrogen cycling under heat stress (38°C) in a tomato microcosm. The consortium sustained rhizosphere colonization (primarily reflecting the more heat-tolerant BaC21) and was associated with significantly higher soil available nitrogen (86% increase) and ammonium nitrogen (70 % increase) than the control, with elevated urease and dehydrogenase activity. Rhizosphere polyamines, soluble sugars, free amino acids, and proline were highest under consortium treatment, consistent with strain profiles, though our design cannot partition bacterial versus plant contributions. These patterns co-occurred with better-preserved chlorophyll (∼2.7 mg g⁻¹ FW), higher relative water content (∼85 %), reduced water loss, and greater shoot/root biomass than single strain treatments. Multivariate analysis revealed a consortium-linked phenotypic syndrome associating osmolyte accumulation with plant growth and soil function, but these hypothesis-generating associations require targeted mechanistic and source partitioning validation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115194"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149085382","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":"Trait-dependent optimization of genotyping effort enhances genomic prediction in Japanese plum","authors":"Igor Pacheco,&nbsp;Arnau Fiol,&nbsp;Freddy Mora-Poblete,&nbsp;Tamara Montenegro,&nbsp;Bruno Ruiz,&nbsp;Pablo Cáceres Refusta,&nbsp;José Manuel Yáñez,&nbsp;Rodrigo Infante,&nbsp;Paulina Ballesta","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Japanese plum (<em>Prunus salicina</em> Lindl.) breeding is constrained by long juvenile phases and the logistical limitations of large-scale genotyping. Single-step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) provides a unified framework to integrate genomic, pedigree, and phenotypic information offering a potential solution under partial genotyping scenarios. In this context, this study evaluated how varying proportions of genotyped individuals influence genomic prediction performance in a multi-family Japanese plum population. Approximately 800 trees were genotyped using a combined low-density SNP panel with imputed high-density markers and phenotyped over two seasons for the flowering date (FD), harvest date (HV), fruit weight (FW), soluble solid content (SSC), and juice acidity (AD). SsGBLUP models were implemented under eight genotyping proportions (10–100%). Prediction accuracy (<span><math><mover><mi>r</mi><mo>^</mo></mover></math></span>) and predictive ability (PA) increased with genotyping effort but exhibited trait-dependent plateaus. For FD, theoretical accuracy exceeded 0.90 with only 15% genotyping, while for HV and FW, PA obtained with 50% genotyping was statistically equivalent to that achieved under full genotyping. In contrast, SSC and AD required higher genotyping proportions to approach maximal performance. These findings suggest that optimal genotyping effort is trait-dependent and that reasonable genomic prediction can be achieved without full population genotyping. The study provides preliminary quantitative guidance for implementing single-step genomic prediction in perennial fruit breeding programs under realistic genotyping constraints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115200"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149085409","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":"Photoperiod and light quality modulate flowering progression and ornamental traits in Dahlia pinnata ‘Cafe au Lait’","authors":"Siyi Ge,&nbsp;Zhen Tian,&nbsp;Rong Liu,&nbsp;Yi Wei,&nbsp;Jinmin Zhou,&nbsp;Qing Duan,&nbsp;Xuewei Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined how photoperiod and light quality affect flowering progression and ornamental traits in <em>Dahlia pinnata</em> ‘Cafe au Lait’. Plants were exposed to seven photoperiods or six light-quality treatments, and growth, floral traits, soluble sugars and endogenous hormones were assessed. Flowering was assessed using one threshold observation per treatment and was not subjected to inferential statistical analysis. Longer photoperiods generally supported greater plant height and stem diameter, while 12–14 h light treatments showed higher values for several floral traits. Light-quality treatments included white light (W), red light (R), blue light (B) and mixed red:blue spectra. White light was associated with greater plant height, the 5R:1B treatment with greater stem diameter, and blue light alone with fewer ray florets. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of vegetative and reproductive shoot apices identified <em>DpELF3</em> as a candidate gene. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed photoperiod-responsive expression of <em>DpELF3</em>. These findings describe cultivar-specific responses to the tested light environments and provide a basis for further evaluation of light management and candidate genes in dahlia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115198"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149085410","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":"Mild deficit irrigation modulates root water uptake patterns and enhances yield and fruit quality of citrus in a red soil hilly region","authors":"Zhenjing Tan,&nbsp;Huaming Zhang,&nbsp;Yao Peng,&nbsp;Zichen Jia,&nbsp;Min Li,&nbsp;You Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how deficit irrigation regulates soil–plant water relations and agronomic performance is critical for optimizing water management in drought-prone subtropical orchards. This study aimed to elucidate how different irrigation deficit levels regulate soil water distribution, root-system responses, plant water-uptake strategies, and ultimately fruit yield and quality in a Nanfeng tangerine orchard.We investigated the effects of three irrigation regimes—severe deficit (W1), mild deficit (W2), and full irrigation (W3)—by integrating soil moisture monitoring, root trait analysis, dual stable isotope techniques (δ²H and δ¹⁸O), and the MixSIAR Bayesian mixing model to characterize soil–plant water interactions and water-source partitioning across the 0–200 cm soil profile.Mild deficit irrigation (W2) consistently maintained higher soil water availability within the 0–120 cm active root zone while effectively preventing deep percolation. Water-source partitioning revealed that W2 promoted progressively increasing reliance on shallow soil water (up to 93 %), whereas full irrigation induced greater late-season dependence on deep soil water. These physiological and hydrological responses translated into significant agronomic benefits: W2 achieved the highest fruit yield (166.6 kg·plant⁻¹), increasing yield by 162.36 % and 28.95 % compared with W1 and W3, respectively. Furthermore, W2 significantly improved fruit quality attributes, including soluble sugars (86.28 mg·g⁻¹), total soluble solids (14.9 %), titratable acidity (0.58 %), and vitamin C content (190.81 μg·g⁻¹).Mild deficit irrigation fostered the most stable and physiologically adaptive water uptake strategy by reducing deep percolation losses and enhancing water use efficiency, thereby improving both yield and fruit quality. These findings demonstrate that mild deficit irrigation represents an effective water-saving strategy for red soil citrus orchards prone to seasonal drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115246"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149232212","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 temporal gene regulatory networks reveal conserved and species-specific regulatory programs driving storage organ development in kohlrabi stems and sugar beet roots","authors":"Jie Xu,&nbsp;Jian Wang,&nbsp;Mei Long,&nbsp;Can Lang,&nbsp;Yutong Wang,&nbsp;Ju Zhang,&nbsp;Kedong Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115182","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115182","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Storage organs have evolved independently across diverse plant lineages. Nevertheless, how morphologically and anatomically distinct organs converge on similar storage functions via divergent developmental programs remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative investigation on the developmental processes of stem‑derived storage organ in kohlrabi and root‑derived storage organ in sugar beet, integrating anatomical characterization and time‑series transcriptomics. Anatomical analyses uncovered divergent developmental trajectories: swelling of the kohlrabi stem is predominantly driven by pith expansion, whereas sugar beet root development is characterized by persistent cambial activity and successive rounds of tertiary growth. To dissect the regulatory mechanisms underlying these distinct developmental strategies, we constructed time‑series gene co‑expression networks for each species. Comparative network analyses revealed a conserved hormone‑centered regulatory framework. The biosynthesis and signaling of auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, and brassinosteroid reside at the upstream of this framework, and likely exert cascading effects to directly or indirectly modulate downstream key developmental events, including meristematic activity, cell proliferation and expansion, cell‑wall remodeling, and vascular tissue development. Despite sharing this conserved regulatory backbone, cross‑species network comparison further uncovered organ‑specific regulatory processes. In kohlrabi, light‑responsive signaling is coupled with pith expansion and vacuolation; by contrast, sugar beet relies more heavily on sustained meristem activity, vascular remodeling, as well as sucrose‑associated metabolism and signal transduction. Hierarchical analysis of the brassinosteroid‑associated subnetwork further identified multi‑layered regulatory cascades that link upstream transcription factors and hormone biosynthetic processes to downstream regulators governing meristem activity, vascular development, and tissue differentiation. Moreover, predicted transcription factor‑target gene interactions further support the inferred architecture of this regulatory network. This comparative framework provides new insights into the developmental and regulatory basis of storage organ formation and identifies regulatory modules with potential relevance to the genetic improvement of storage crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115182"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149085383","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":"Synergistic effects of indigenous moroccan AMF strains and intercropping on soil enzymatic activities, mycorrhizal colonization, and tomato productivity in an agroecological system","authors":"Sahar Bouchboua,&nbsp;Meryem Rehali,&nbsp;Khawla Bouamri,&nbsp;Naima El Ghachtouli,&nbsp;Rachid Bouamri","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tomato (<em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> L.) cultivation is economically important but often relies on excessive chemical inputs that degrade soil health. Agroecological practices, such as intercropping and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), provide sustainable alternatives. However, AMF effectiveness depends on strain–host compatibility and inoculum origin. To address this, a greenhouse experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) evaluated the interactive effects of three companion systems; TT (tomato/tomato), TG (tomato/garlic, <em>Allium sativum</em> L.), and TF (tomato/faba bean, <em>Vicia faba</em> L.) and four AMF inoculants; native Moroccan consortium (Native AMF, <em>Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus etunicatum</em> and <em>Funneliformis mosseae)</em>, a commercial strain (Gi, <em>Glomus iranicum</em>), a collection strain (Ri, <em>Rhizophagus irregularis)</em> and a non-inoculated (Control), on tomato growth and soil microbial activities. Root colonization increased by +40.10% under Native AMF–TF compared to Native AMF–TT. This stimulated soil enzymatic activity and nutrient availability, notably increasing P₂O₅ (+74.04%) under Native AMF–TF compared to Control–TT. Consequently, these improvements enhanced leaf chlorophyll (+41.35%) and fruit set (+199.48%) under Native AMF–TF, while Native AMF–TG maximized stem diameter (+41.10%) compared to Control–TT. These results support the combination of native AMF and intercropping as a sustainable strategy for horticultural tomato production and soil health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"368 ","pages":"Article 115237"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205012","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}