BMC Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Exogenous spermidine (Spd) improves the tolerance to alkaline-salt stress in potato.","authors":"Yuying Fu, Qianqian Wang, Yuwei Ge, Huajun Liao, Chongchong Yan","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09656-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09656-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world's fourth most important staple crop, but its production is increasingly threatened by soil salinization, particularly alkaline-salt stress caused by excessive NaHCO₃. Although exogenous spermidine (Spd) has been reported to alleviate abiotic stresses in various plants, its physiological and molecular mechanisms in conferring alkaline-salt tolerance in potato remain largely unknown.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results demonstrated that exogenous Spd enhances alkaline-salt tolerance in potato by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and maintaining osmotic balance. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed obvious tissue-specific transcriptional reprogramming in potato under Spd-combined alkaline-salt stress, with 5,968 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in leaves and only 187 in roots. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that Spd mainly regulates plant hormone signal transduction, carbon metabolism and photosynthesis pathways in leaves, as well as ribosome and energy metabolism-related pathways in roots. Three candidate hub genes, StHK4, StbZIP27 and StERF106, were screened from key Spd-responsive modules. Among them, StHK4 exhibited the highest upregulation ( Log₂FC = 3.40) and positively mediates the cytokinin-ABA signaling pathway, StbZIP27 functions in bZIP-dependent regulatory pathways to promote osmotic adjustment and antioxidant defense, and StERF106 integrates ethylene signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging pathways. These pathways jointly improve membrane stability, maintain osmotic balance and enhance ROS-scavenging capacity, ultimately improving potato tolerance to alkaline-salt stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates that exogenous Spd enhances alkaline-salt tolerance in potato by modulating multiple physiological processes and transcriptional networks. The screened candidate hub genes (StHK4, StbZIP27, and StERF106) serve as potential pivotal regulators responsible for Spd-induced stress tolerance, providing valuable gene resources and novel mechanistic insights for understanding polyamine-mediated stress adaptation in potato.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13560374/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148918252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative effects of chemical and PGPR-based biostimulants on growth, mineral uptake, and biochemical responses of Rosmarinus officinalis under drought stress.","authors":"Muhammed Said Yolcu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09670-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09670-9","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Rosmarinus officinalis is a medicinal and aromatic plant valued for its high levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and essential oils. However, drought stress can negatively affect plant growth, nutrient uptake, and the accumulation of bioactive compounds. Since biostimulants are increasingly used to mitigate the adverse effects of water deficiency and improve plant performance, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different drought levels and selected biostimulants on the growth, mineral nutrition, physiological characteristics, and phytochemical composition of rosemary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The experiment was conducted as a pot trial in the open field and analyzed as a two-factor completely randomized design (CRD). The two factors consisted of drought stress and biostimulant treatments. The drought factor included three irrigation levels: full irrigation, one-third restricted irrigation, and two-thirds restricted irrigation. The biostimulant factor comprised five treatments: control (without biostimulant), ascorbic acid, gibberellic acid, Bacillus megaterium, and Frateuria aurantia. Restricted irrigation reduced all growth parameters, iron and manganese minerals, total carotenoids, chlorophyll a, total chlorophylls biochemical contents, and phenolic components such as catechine hydrate, vanillin, naringin, and cinnamic acid. it also increased phosphate and zinc, total antioxidant, malondialdehyde, resveratrol, and chrysin parameters. However, biostimulant applications alleviated many of these negative effects. Gibberellic acid was the most effective treatment, significantly enhancing seedling growth (3.06%), root length (11.28%), seedling dry weight (16.17%), potassium uptake (27.19%), total flavonoid content (37.97%), antioxidant activity (37.83%), and the accumulation of phenolic compounds-including vanillin (150%), rutin (4.81%), rosmarinic acid (5.31%), and chrysin (24.01%) compared with the control. Ascorbic acid was the most effective treatment for increasing root fresh weight (33.60%) and resveratrol content (130.00%). Application of Frateuria aurantia markedly increased root fresh weight (26.33%), total carotenoids (11.24%), quercetin (8.69%), and the uptake of calcium (11.50%), magnesium (8.64%), and manganese (2.70%), while also producing the reduction in malondialdehyde levels (22.09%). In contrast, Bacillus megaterium exhibited relatively limited effects and was primarily distinguished by promoting cinnamic acid content (22.22%) and total antioxidant activity (33.34%) to the greatest extent relative to the control.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The findings suggest that biostimulants may help alleviate drought stress in rosemary under pot conditions. Among the tested treatments, gibberellic acid and ascorbic acid showed greater potential for improving plant growth, physiological performance, and phytochemical quality. Overall, biostimulant applications may represent a promising appr","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13602626/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The divergent V2 protein encoded by parsley yellow leaf curl virus is a suppressor of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing and a potential symptom determinant.","authors":"Hasan Zeitooni, Laura Medina-Puche, Rosa Lozano-Durán, Masoud Shams-Bakhsh","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09617-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09617-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Geminiviridae family encompasses over 500 species of economically important plant viruses. A new geminivirus species named parsley yellow leaf curl virus (PYLCV) was first identified in 2020 in Southeastern Iran. The PYLCV genome, comprising 2,779 nucleotides, exhibits a pairwise sequence identity of less than 66% with other geminiviruses and encodes a divergent V2 protein that lacks sequence similarity to known proteins in GenBank. This study explores the functions of this V2 through various analyses. An assessment of the V2 amino acid composition indicates a higher prevalence of acidic residues. By expressing N-terminal and C-terminal GFP fusions (GFP-V2 and V2-GFP) in Nicotiana benthamiana, we demonstrate that V2 localizes to the cytoplasm, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and the Cajal body. Notably, PYLCV V2 suppressed local PTGS and delayed systemic PTGS in GFP-based silencing assays and restored GFP transcript accumulation in a systemic 16c-TGS assay, indicating suppression of transcriptional silencing. Co-immunoprecipitation assays further showed that PYLCV V2 interacts with NbAGO4-1 and with itself, but not detectably with NbSGS3 or NbHDA6, supporting a potential role for PYLCV V2 in targeting the AGO4-mediated transcriptional silencing pathway. Ectopic expression of V2 via a PVX vector induced necrotic lesions with HR-like features, together with systemic mosaic patterns and severe leaf curling in upper leaves. Importantly, PYLCV V2 retains core V2-like biological activities despite extensive primary-sequence divergence, suggesting that functional conservation may rely on structural or biophysical determinants rather than linear sequence similarity. Our findings demonstrate that the divergent V2 protein from PYLCV has the capacity to function as a viral suppressor of RNA silencing (VSR) and as a potential symptom determinant, suggesting relevant roles in viral pathogenicity analogous to those of other geminiviral V2 proteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13435483/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148668355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid visual detection technologies for Botrytis cinerea resistance to QoI and SDHI fungicides based on RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a","authors":"Yafeng Yuan, Mei Liu, Baoyu Wang, Xuncheng Wang, Qikai Xing, Wenwen Liang, Gan Wang, Wei Zhang, Jiye Yan","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09628-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09628-x","url":null,"abstract":"Grape gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the most important fungal diseases affecting grape production and postharvest quality. The extensive use of fungicides has led to the emergence of resistance in B. cinerea , particularly to quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI), which compromises the efficacy of disease control. Therefore, detection techniques for fungicide resistance in B. cinerea are needed to provide scientific guidance for disease management. Based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)–CRISPR/Cas12a technology, this study designed specific RPA primer pairs and crRNA targeting resistance-related mutation sites in fungicide target genes cytb and SdhB , incorporated single-stranded fluorescent reporter molecules, and optimized key reaction components. This study achieved rapid fluorescence-based resistance detection within 1 h, with detection sensitivities of 450 and 430 pg/µL for the two fungicide genes.","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148861232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling tomato defense mechanisms against Bradysia impatiens (Diptera: Sciaridae) feeding: insights from transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses.","authors":"Yumei Shi, Yongxiu Wang, Liangju He, Guantao Li, Qiao Li, Shenxi Mao, Min Feng, Honglong Chu, Changxin Luo","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09645-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09645-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important agricultural crop frequently threatened by pests such as Bradysia impatiens (B. impatiens), a globally distributed sciarid fly whose larvae inflict severe damage on roots, stems, and leaves, leading to substantial yield losses. Despite its economic importance, the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying tomato defense against B. impatiens remain poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches were employed to investigate the responses of tomato leaves to B. impatiens larval infestation at one week post-infestation. In our experimental system, larvae were introduced onto the soil surface and sequentially fed on stem bases (causing seedling lodging), leaves of prostrate plants, and roots. The leaf responses therefore reflect a combination of direct larval feeding on leaf tissues and systemic effects resulting from stem and root damage. Herbivory induced extensive transcriptional reprogramming, with 2,973 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) significantly enriched in pathways related to MAPK signaling, plant hormone transduction, plant-pathogen interactions, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Metabolomic analysis identified 1,462 differentially accumulated metabolites, indicating significant shifts in energy metabolism, antioxidant defense systems, and the biosynthesis of defense-related compounds such as terpenoids and phenylpropanoids. Combined analyses revealed synchronized induction of α-linolenic acid metabolism and jasmonate signaling, accompanied by increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulation of ethylene-responsive factors (ERF), bHLH, and NAC transcription factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings reveal a tiered defensive regulatory network in tomato that integrates signal perception, hormonal regulation, metabolic reconfiguration, and ROS-mediated responses to counteract B. impatiens infestation. This entire defensive cascade embodies herbivory-triggered induced resistance, accompanied by sustained adaptive metabolic remodeling to withstand continuous larval feeding pressure. This study provides a comprehensive perspective on tomato plant-insect interactions and identifies potential targets for enhancing tomato resistance through molecular breeding or ecological management strategies. Notably, the hub transcription factor gene MYC, JA rate-limiting biosynthetic gene 12-oxophytodienoate reductase 3 (OPR3), α-linolenic acid-derived oxylipins and phenylpropanoid metabolites are highlighted as promising molecular biomarkers and core targets for future tomato anti-fungus gnat resistance engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13499341/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148788224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen-water management regimes modulate fatty acid profile, antioxidant defense system, and oxidative status in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) silage.","authors":"Mehmet Alagöz, Mevlüt Türk, Sabri Erbaş, Sercan Önder, Murat Mutlucan, Emre Topçu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09594-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09594-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Optimizing nitrogen and water management in sustainable silage production is critical for both improving biochemical quality and maintaining plant oxidative balance. This study examined the effects of different nitrogen doses and irrigation levels on the oil content and fatty acid composition, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (DPPH and CUPRAC), and antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) and oxidative stress activities as malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) silage. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with five nitrogen doses (0, 80, 160, 240, and 320 kg N ha^- 1) and six irrigation levels (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125% of ET₀). Deficit irrigation applications resulted in increases of 9.42-23.82% in total phenolic content and 1.61-32.26% in antioxidant capacity for DPPH and 4.16-33.33% for CUPRAC compared to full irrigation applications. Medium nitrogen applications (160-240 kg ha^- 1) strengthened the antioxidant defense system, especially under moderate water stress conditions, showing significant increases in SOD and POD activities. Oil content and unsaturated fatty acid ratio were significantly affected by nitrogen-water interactions. Severe water deficit increased MDA content by 81.81% and H₂O₂ accumulation by 32.74%, while the application of appropriate nitrogen doses limited this increase. Multivariate analyses (heat map, PCA, and Pearson correlation) revealed strong positive relationships between total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, while different correlation interactions were observed between antioxidant enzyme activities and oxidative stress indicators. In conclusion, nitrogen and irrigation management were found to be strategic tools for optimizing biochemical quality and oxidative stability by reshaping the coordination between lipid metabolism and the antioxidant defense system in sorghum silage.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13495516/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148788162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A hybrid feature selection-based machine learning framework for robust prediction of parthenocarpy in Hibiscus sabdariffa L.","authors":"Razieh Sheikhpour, Heidar Meftahizade, Mojtaba Heydari-Majd","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09613-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09613-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Modeling the phenotypic expression of parthenocarpy in Hibiscus sabdariffa is important for improving fruit set, enhancing yield stability, and supporting breeding research. This study presents a hybrid feature selection and machine learning framework that integrates filter-based and regularization-based techniques to identify biologically informative phenotypic traits associated with parthenocarpy, improve model interpretability, and reduce feature dimensionality. Regression models, including Support Vector Machine with a radial basis function kernel (SVM-RBF), Decision Tree, Random Forest, Ensemble Learning and Linear Regression, were developed and evaluated using the complete set of 24 experimentally measured morphological, fruit-, capsule-, and seed-related traits, as well as the compact feature subsets identified by the proposed hybrid feature selection framework. Model performance was assessed using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). The results show that high phenotype-based modeling performance can be achieved using fewer, biophysically relevant traits; however, non-linear models consistently outperformed linear models across all evaluated models (test R² values up to 0.983, CCC > 0.99). Among the traits most strongly associated with the final expression of parthenocarpy were seed-related characteristics (i.e., the number of mature and immature seeds, seed weight and seed size), while fruit-related traits (e.g., fruit and capsule volume) provided secondary information. The proposed framework enables dimensionality reduction, improves model interpretability, and provides an interpretable framework for phenotype-based trait prioritization and modeling of complex reproductive traits in Hibiscus sabdariffa. Rather than serving as an early prediction tool prior to seed development, the framework is intended to facilitate phenotype-based analysis and prioritization of traits associated with the observed expression of parthenocarpy.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification classification, and expression profiling of LAC gene family in alfalfa.","authors":"Li Zhao, Haiyue Lei, Zhengqin Xiao, Yuqi Zhang, Xinyue Ma, Fei He, Mingna Li, Xue Wang, Ruicai Long, Junmei Kang, Qingchuan Yang, Lin Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09597-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09597-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Laccases are ubiquitous in nature, and participate in lignin biosynthesis and abiotic/biotic stress responses in plants. However, as a vital leguminous forage grass, Medicago sativa has rarely been reported regarding systematic studies on its LAC gene family.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>To systematically investigate the structural characteristics and evolutionary patterns of the LAC gene family in Medicago sativa, we performed genome-wide identification and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the MsLAC family. A total of 156 MsLAC genes were identified and unevenly distributed on 28 chromosomes. These genes displayed highly conserved gene structures and motifs, indicating functional conservation. Cis-element analysis suggested that most MsLAC genes are involved in responses to various abiotic stresses. Collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication dominated the expansion of the MsLAC family, with strong conservation observed between alfalfa and other legumes. qRT-PCR analysis further verified the expression profiles of candidate MsLAC genes under drought and salt stress, and revealed the potential roles of several MsLAC members in alfalfa abiotic stress response. This study provides a solid basis for exploring the functions of MsLAC genes under abiotic stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A systematic characterization of the MsLAC gene family in Medicago sativa was performed in this study. The results indicated that MsLAC genes might participate in regulating plant growth, development and stress adaptation in alfalfa, which could provide potential candidate genes for future stress-tolerant molecular breeding of alfalfa.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Foliar application of nanoboron fertilizer at different growth stages enhanced the nutrient use efficiency of cauliflower, leading to improve productivity, quality, and profitability.","authors":"Md Abdul Quddus, Razu Ahmed, Khokan Kumer Sarker, Shimul Mondal, Monjila Khatun, Most Sadia Arfin, Md Torikul Islam, Nazneen Ara Sultana, Shamima Aktar, Hela Znazen, Ahmed Gaber, Akbar Hossain","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09638-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09638-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Boron (B) is an essential element for the production of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis); nevertheless, conventional soil or foliar applications frequently suffer from inadequate nutrient uptake and leaching. Nano-boron fertilizers offer a highly efficient alternative due to their small particle size and superior surface-to-volume ratio, which enhances cellular penetration. This study aimed to determine the optimal dose of a foliar application of boron nanoparticles (B-NPs) and to compare the effects of conventional boron (B) and boron nanoparticles on the growth, yield, quality, nutrient dynamics, and profitability of cauliflower.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with 5 treatments involving four concentrations of boron nanoparticles (0, 100, 200 and 300 ppm) and conventional boric acid@1 gL^- 1. Foliar sprays were applied at 30 and 45 days after transplanting.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Foliar application of 200 ppm boron nanoparticles resulted in the highest fresh curd yield (50.2 t ha^- 1), which was 69.6% greater than that of the control and 23.3% greater than that of the conventional boron treatments. This improvement was driven by the superior curd size and an individual curd weight of 1761 g. The same treatment significantly enhanced the quality parameters, yielding the highest vitamin C content (46.9 mg/100 g), protein content (25.1%), and curd firmness (1.23 kgf). This dose also resulted in the highest total B uptake (0.299 kg ha^- 1), maximum agronomic efficiency (45.9 kg g^- 1), and apparent recovery efficiency of B (356%). Economically, the 200 ppm nanoboron application proved most viable, achieving the highest benefit‒cost ratio of 4.14.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results suggest that the foliar application of 200 ppm B nanoparticles can be used for sustainable cauliflower cultivation. However, this method is a highly effective and suitable approach for optimizing cauliflower productivity and quality in B-deficient environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13613850/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149058287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of seed priming using cold argon plasma on enhancement of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) seed germination and growth under salt stress conditions.","authors":"Forough Firouzkoohi, Fatemeh Nasibi, Hadi Noori","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09624-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09624-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Salinity stress is a significant abiotic factor that severely hinders seed germination and early seedling establishment in numerous crop species. This study investigated the effectiveness of cold atmospheric argon plasma as an eco-friendly seed priming strategy to enhance salinity tolerance in guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>An atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system was used for the treatment. Seeds were exposed to argon plasma at four different discharge power levels: 1.2 W (0.40 A, 3 V), 2.04 W (0.51 A, 4 V), 3.05 W (0.61 A, 5 V), and 4.26 W (0.71 A, 6 V) for one minute, while untreated seeds served as the control. Both plasma-treated and control seeds were placed in Petri dishes under three different salinity levels (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl), with each treatment replicated three times. The effects of plasma treatment were evaluated by assessing germination performance, seedling growth traits (including fresh and dry biomass, and shoot and root length), oxidative stress markers (such as malondialdehyde and other aldehydes), photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids), and ion homeostasis (the contents of Na⁺ and K⁺). The results showed that argon plasma treatment significantly improved seed germination and seedling growth in a power-dependent manner under saline conditions. Moderate discharge power levels (2.04 W and 3.05 W) produced the highest germination percentages and the greatest root and shoot elongation. Additionally, plasma-treated seedlings exhibited reduced lipid peroxidation, a lower Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, and enhanced accumulation of photosynthetic pigments, indicating better regulation of oxidative stress and improved ionic balance under salinity stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Cold atmospheric argon plasma priming at optimal discharge power levels effectively enhances early-stage salinity tolerance in guar. This method represents a promising, sustainable, and non-chemical approach for improving crop establishment in saline environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}