Wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense is currently the most serious disease affecting the sustainable and healthy development of the global banana industry. To screen superior arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that significantly promote the growth and disease resistance of banana tissue culture seedlings, this study compared the effects of five dominant AM fungi isolated from the main banana producing areas in Guangxi on the growth and Fusarium wilt of banana tissue culture seedlings under pot conditions. The results showed that the mycorrhizal infection rate of banana tissue culture seedlings inoculated with AM fungi ranged from 15.00% to 95.00%, they were as follows: BNMJ-1 (C. etunicatum) > BNTJ-6 (G. mosseae) > HTJ2-60 (C. lamellosum) > BDQJ-2 (G. fulvum) > GZXJ-10 (Paraglomus sp.). All the inoculation treatments significantly promoted the growth of banana tissue culture seedlings except for the GZXJ-10 treatment, and the results of membership function comprehensive analysis showed that the BNMJ-1 treatment had the most significant growth-promoting effect, which increased plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, maximum root length and total biomass by 68.60%, 44.54%, 40.67%, 12.05% and 65.15%, respectively, compared with the control, followed by the BNTJ-6 treatment. BNMJ-1 treatment was the most effective in wilt control, followed by BNTJ-6 treatment, which decreased the disease index by 93.37% and 89.03% compared to the control and the preventive efficacy reached 93.64% and 88.85%. In summary, among the five AM fungi for testing, the strains with better disease-promoting resistance to banana seedlings grown in tissue culture were BNMJ-1 and BNTJ-6. Therefore, screening to obtain the advantageous AM fungal strains for banana tissue culture seedlings lays the foundation for the later development of banana mycorrhizal seedlings as well as special mycorrhizal fungal fungicides and fungal fertilizers.

Fici Hirtae Radix, a Chinese herbal medicine, is prepared from the dry roots of Ficus hirta Vahl. This study aimed to provide theoretical and empirical support for the genetic diversity analysis, genetic map construction, and assisted breeding of F. hirta Vahl. by developing SSR molecular markers. Four typical leaves of F. hirta Vahl. were selected as the samples, and site feature analysis and molecular marker development were performed after transcriptome sequencing. A total of 16 851 SSR loci were identified from 34 375 transcriptome unigene sequences, distributed across 12 094 unigene sequences, resulting in a distribution frequency of 35.18%. The average frequency was one SSR locus every 2638 bp, with a density of 3.68 kb. Five distinct nucleotide motifs were observed, with the motif repeating six times being the most prevalent, constituting 20.92% of all SSRs, and typically less than 29 bp in length. Di-nucleotide repeats were predominant, followed by tri-and tetra-nucleotide repeats. (AG/CT)n was the most abundant repeat motif, representing 26.05% of all SSRs, while (AT/AT)n was the second most common, accounting for 18.69%. 100 EST-SSR primers were randomly selected to amplify target product using genomic DNA from four different leaf types of F. hirta Vahl. 89 primers exhibited polymorphism across the germplasms. Nine primer pairs, distinguished by the high definition and clarity, were selected to perform DNA amplification and construct DNA fingerprints for 31 specimens sourced from different regions. The average percentage of polymorphic bands observed across these primers was 72.04%. The substantial degree of polymorphism facilitated the unambiguous identification of each of the 31 germplasm samples, and robust DNA fingerprint profiles were successfully established for each specimen. This study demonstrated that SSR loci within the transcriptome of F. hirta Vahl. were rich in information and highly utilizable, offering valuable data support for future research endeavors.

This study investigated the impact of different netting methods on the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) industry. Specifically, it compared the degradation characteristics of three pesticides-matrine, spinosad, and difenoconazole-under two netting conditions (fully enclosed and semi-enclosed), the accumulation changes of pectin, cellulose, total phenols, and flavonoids, and analyzed the economic benefits of cowpea cultivation under the netting methods. The results indicated that under semi-enclosed netting conditions, the half-life of the pesticides was 1.13 days for matrine, 0.42 days for spinosad, and 1.96 days for difenoconazole. In contrast, under fully enclosed netting conditions, the half-life of the pesticides was 1.53 days, 0.83 days, and 2.51 days, respectively. Compared to fully enclosed netting, the degradation rate of the pesticides was significantly faster under semi-enclosed netting conditions. Regarding the accumulation of key substances, there was no significant difference in the contents of pectin [(15.88±2.025)mg/g] and cellulose [(1.75±0.128)mg/g] between semi-enclosed and fully enclosed conditions. However, total phenol content under semi-enclosed netting [(0.42±0.125)mg/g was 40.00% lower than that under fully enclosed netting [(0.70±0.091)mg/g], and flavonoid content [(6.08±2.509)mg/g] was 55.91% lower under semi-enclosed netting than under fully enclosed netting [(13.79±0.876)mg/g]. Economic analysis showed that considering field management, pest control investment, and market conditions, cowpea cultivation under fully enclosed netting yielded higher input and output compared to semi-enclosed netting. When the purchase price of cowpea reaches 5.11 yuan/kg (for fully enclosed netting) and 3.85 yuan/kg (for semi-enclosed netting), the profit and loss break even. This study would provide both theoretical and practical guidance for selecting appropriate netting methods for cowpea cultivation.

Bletilla striata var. Alba is a variant of B. striata which possesses high ornamental and medicinal value. However, there have been no reports on its seed germination and propagation to date. In this study, using the seeds of B. Striata var. Alba as the experimental material, indoor seed germination tests and pot tests were carried out to investigate the effects of mycorrhizal fungi from different sources (MB-15, MB-18, MH1-E and YDLXB) on seed germination and seedling growth. The results demonstrated that various mycorrhizal fungi had different effects on promoting the germination of B. striata var. Alba seeds. Among them, the Sebacina fungus MB-18, derived from the roots of B. striata, exhibited an extremely significant promotional effect. Compared with the control treatment, the germination rate and seedling formation rate in the petri dish experiment increased by 10.76% and 20.55% respectively, while in the pot validation test was 36.95% and 355.78%, respectively. Moreover, when sown directly, the seeds of B. striata var. Alba could germinate, but the seedling formation process was hindered. However, compatible mycorrhizal fungi (MB-15, MB-18, MH1-E and YDLXB) effectively promoted the formation of seedlings. The results are of great significance for the germplasm conservation, large-scale seedling breeding and sustainable utilization of B. striata var. Alba.

Taking the chloroplast genomes of five coffea plants, namely Coffea liberica, C. canephora, C. arabica, C. eugenioides, and C. racemosa, as the research objects, a series of statistical and comparative analyses were carried out. The results demonstrated that the lengths of the chloroplast genomes varied from 154 751 bp to 155 189 bp, with C. arabica a possessing the longest genome and C. canephora having the shortest. The average GC content was determined to be 34.98%. Both C. liberica and C. arabica encoded 130 genes, while C. eugenioides had the largest number of genes, totaling 138, and C. racemosa had the least, with only 121. Upon comparing the border regions of the chloroplast genomes of the five coffee plants, it was observed that the directional sequence arrangements were consistent, thereby reflecting the high conservation of the chloroplast genome structure. The analysis of SSR sequences indicated that the five coffee plants exhibited a pronounced AT bias, and the types and quantities of SSRs differed among them. Through the analysis of nucleotide diversity variation sites, five segments with relatively significant nucleotide variations were identified, namely PetN-PsbM, accD, accD-PsaI, rpl16 and ndhF-rpl32. Furthermore, based on the combined analysis of the chloroplast genomes and the five highly variable nucleotide regions, a phylogenetic tree of 19 Coffea plants was successfully constructed, which shed light on their genetic relationships. This study can serve as a valuable reference for the identification of germplasm resources, the exploration of origin and evolution, as well as the hybrid breeding of Coffea plants.

Melon is an important cash crop in Hainan, and its pollination is mainly hormone pollination, which is easy to cause fruit deformity and accompanied by different degrees of flavor and quality decline, affecting commodity rate and planting efficiency. Melon Jiyoumi 29 was used as the experimental material. Different artificial pollen combinations were used to pollinate to compare with hormone pollination. The growth status of plants and fruits, the internal quality of fruits and the activities of key enzymes for sucrose accumulation, and analyzed the effects of pollination on the growth of plants and fruits were studied. Different pollination methods had great effects on plant height, stem diameter and biomass, fruit weight and hardness, and the stem diameter and biomass and fruit weight treated with T₁ were significantly higher than those of the other treatments. The plant height and fruit hardness treated with CK were significantly higher than those of the other treatments. There were significant differences among different pollination methods on each index of melon fruit internal quality, and T₁ treatment had the best effect, and its soluble solids, soluble sugar, sucrose content, fructose content and glucose content were significantly higher than CK treatment. The activity of sucrose synthase (SS) treated with T₄ was relatively high during fruit growth and development. The sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) in T₁ treatment maintained a high level during the fruit growth and development, and the acid invertase activity in T₁ and T₂ treatment reached the highest at the 40th day after pollination, which were 93.69 U/g and 88.54 U/g respectively. The treatment of T₁ (strong pollen vitality × high stigma receptivity) has the best effect on the growth and fruit quality of melon plants after artificial pollen pollination.

The mini-seedling graft method of Hevea brasiliensis is widely used in the breeding of high-quality rubber tree seedlings due to its advantages such as a short nursery period, low labor intensity, large number of seedlings per unit area, and well-developed main roots of seedlings. However, the seedlings of rubber trees budded in autumn and winter require more time for the scions to germinate after graft survival, and the grafted mini-seedlings grow weakly, which diminishes the advantages of the mini-seedling graft method. Therefore, it is crucial to find appropriate technical measures to improve the germination rate and growth rate of the seedling scions. In this study, the effects of grafting time and topping time on the sprouting and growth of scions in grafted seedlings of rubber tree were investigated, specifically focusing on the seedlings grafted in winter with the variety H. brasiliensis reyan879. Grafting time significantly affected the survival rate, sprouting rate, seedling height, and nursery release rate of the grafted seedlings (P<0.05), with seedlings grafted in November showing significantly higher survival, sprouting, and release rates than those grafted in October, while the seedling height at the two leaf-umbrellas was significantly lower for November-grafted seedlings. Topping time significantly influenced the height of the scions at the stage of two leaf-umbrellas, without significant impact on the survival rate, sprouting rate, withering rate, nursery release rate, or scion stem thickness. The interaction between grafting time and topping time did not significantly affect the survival rate, sprouting rate, withering rate, growth volume, and nursery release rate of the grafted seedlings. It is advisable to adopt a strategy of overwintering with the stalks for mini-rubber seedlings grafted in winter, and to perform topping from February to March after the beginning of spring in the next year, which could significantly shorten the time of budding, reduce the number of times the rootstock debudding, and ensure higher scion growth quality, and this timing aligned well with the planting period of the year, offering significant practical value for production. For seedlings with rootstocks that have reached two leaf-umbrellas, topping just above the first pair of true leaves did not affect the survival rate and could control the withering rate below 4%, demonstrating good technical stability. It is recommended that in practical production, the grafting and topping times for rubber tree seedlings should be strictly controlled to ensure the rootstock reaching an appropriate growth state before topping, and management measures should be adjusted as needed to achieve the best nursery results. The application of the findings would help improve the production efficiency of rubber tree seedling cultivation.

Sodium alginate (SA) edible composite film incorporated with different amounts of galangal essential oil (EO)/curcumin (Cur) was prepared by solvent casting method and applied to fresh-cut pineapple in this study. The results showed that 0.3% EO could improve the thickness and thermal stability of the composite film, and reduce the water vapor penetration rate. SA-0.3%EO and SA-0.3% EO-Cur film groups had significant fresh-keeping effect on fresh-cut pineapple, while the control group showed obvious browning after three days of storage at 4 ℃. The fresh-cut pineapple in SA-0.3% EO-Cur group maintained the best appearance, followed by SA-0.3%EO group. When the storage time was extended to eight days, the weight loss of fresh-cut pineapple in the SA-0.3%EO coating group was the lowest (2.12±0.08)%, the total number of colonies (lgCFU/g) was 3.48±0.00, the number of molds and yeast (lgCFU/g) was 3.89±0.19 were the lowest. However, the appearance color of the SA-0.3% EO-Cur coated group was the best, and the antibacterial effect was second only to that of the SA-0.3%EO coated group, which was obviously better than the control group. However, when the EO content increased to 0.5%, the appearance of fresh-cut pineapple also showed browning and other quality deterioration, indicating that the concentration of essential oil would affect its preservation effect and have a negative impact on the quality of fruit. In conclusion, this study would provide a new idea for the development of a new edible film system, and provide data support and theoretical support for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut pineapple.

The technology of secondary somatic embryo cyclic multiplication has realized the large-scale propagation of somatic embryo plantlets (self-rooted juvenile clones) of Hevea brasiliensis. This technology needs to cut the cotyledon embryo into 2 mm×2 mm pieces. A large amount of ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) will be produced at the wound site, and much ethylene and ROS will also formed during culture process. Ethylene and ROS have adverse effects on somatic embryogenesis of H. brasiliensis. Silver nitrate (AgNO₃) is an ethylene inhibitor and also affects enzyme activity. In this paper, the effects of different AgNO₃ concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0 mg/L) and different time (7, 14, 21, 28 days) on the embryo block browning and secondary somatic embryogenesis of H. brasiliensis were studied, and the phenotype and ploidy of regenerated plantlets were evaluated. AgNO₃ significantly reduced the browning of embryo blocks and the production of ROS. The effect of 5-15 mg/L was better than that of 2.5 mg/L, and the effect of 21 days treatment was better than that of the other three treatments. 2.5-15.0 mg/L AgNO₃ treated 7-28 days did not significantly increase the number of embryonic blocks, but the number of cotyledon embryos in 5.0 mg/L AgNO₃ treated for 21 and 28 days, 10.0 mg/L AgNO₃ treated for 21 days, and 15.0 mg/L AgNO₃ treated for 7-21 days were significantly higher than those in the control. The number of embryonic blocks was negatively correlated with browning, but not significantly, the number of cotyledon embryos was significantly negatively correlated with browning. The phenotype of regenerated plantlets from AgNO₃ treatments had no obvious difference compared with the control, and the chromosome ploidy was the same as the control. The results would provide technical support for improving the efficiency of secondary somatic embryogenesis in H. brasiliensis.

Cowpea Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tracheiphilum occurs in almost all cowpea growing areas, and the yield loss can be as high as 70% in major domestic producing areas such as Hainan. Currently, chemical control measures are the primary management strategy in China. The use of microbial biocontrol agents can reduce the application of agrochemicals and mitigate the risks of pesticide residues, and has been widely adopted for the management of soil-borne diseases. However, there is limited research on the use of multi-functional microbial consortia for the biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in cowpea. In this study, we screened highly efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) using the molybdenum-antimony colorimetric method, and evaluated the synergistic effects of the selected PSB strain and the antagonistic Bacillus velezensis strain on cowpea growth and Fusarium wilt control. From 10 phosphate-solubilizing bacterial isolates, we identified B. cereus LMSY3PSB-2-2 (abbreviated as P) as a highly efficient PSB strain. The optimal ratio of the PSB strain P to the biocontrol strain B. velezensis X5 was determined to be 2∶1. Compared to the individual application of the PSB strain P or the biocontrol strain X5, the composite inoculum at this ratio significantly enhanced cowpea seed germination, plant growth, and root vigor. Under pot experiments, the composite inoculum achieved a 96% disease control effect against Fusarium wilt and increased the available soil phosphorus content by 19%. The results would provide a theoretical guide for utilizing the PSB strain P and the antagonistic strain X5 in a microbial consortium to promote cowpea growth and control Fusarium wilt, laying a foundation for the development of multi-functional composite microbial products to support sustainable agriculture.