Genetius

The study presents a low‑input, radiation‑driven model to predict daily irrigation demand for greenhouse tomato grown in soilless systems, testing both radiation‑only and electrical conductivity‑adjusted versions across four water‑salt management scenarios. Cross‑validation shows strong correlations between cumulative radiation and irrigation volume, with the EC adjustment providing modest improvements under low‑water high‑EC conditions. The framework offers a scalable tool for integrated water‑salt management in greenhouse tomato production.

The study evaluated cold‑stress adaptation in 60 quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) accessions from highland and coastal ecotypes across three sowing dates in Germany, finding that early sowing delayed emergence but yielded the most seed, with highland types showing superior germination under low temperature. Laboratory germination assays at 4.4 °C confirmed the highland accessions’ advantage and demonstrated strong concordance between manual scoring and a Mask R‑CNN image‑analysis pipeline. These results support breeding strategies that combine the rapid maturity of coastal ecotypes with the cold‑tolerant germination of highland varieties for cultivation in cool climates.

The study demonstrates that short‑term low phosphate exposure delays leaf senescence in rice by enhancing photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzyme activities, and reducing oxidative damage, whereas high phosphate accelerates senescence. CRISPR/Cas9 editing of MIR827 that lowers Pi content similarly postpones senescence, while MIR827 or MIR399 overexpression that raises Pi levels hastens it. Transcriptomic analysis reveals multiple senescence‑associated and metabolic pathways underlying these responses, offering insights for sustainable rice production.

The study used CRISPR/Cas12a to edit the FAD and cytokinin‑binding domains of the rice CKX2 gene, producing knock‑out and in‑frame mutant lines that modestly increased yield. Five lines with combined domain mutations, especially the KAMALA line, showed up to 19% higher grain yield across diverse field conditions without affecting grain quality, leading to its registration as the first genome‑edited rice variety for Indian cultivation.

The study characterizes a conserved RNA structural element called DEAD in DEAD-box helicase genes of land plants, showing it acts as a sensor that modulates alternative splicing of DRH1 and its paralog in Arabidopsis thaliana. By opening the structure, splicing shifts toward non‑coding isoforms, creating a negative feedback loop that balances helicase transcript and protein levels, while its disruption leads to widespread splicing defects and severe stress phenotypes.

The study examined how environmental cues, particularly temperature and light, synchronize the circadian clock in a natural plant population, using field experiments combined with genome‑wide and machine‑learning analyses. It revealed that temperature cues shift circadian timing, with distinct and seasonal effects of light and temperature on clock entrainment, leading to flexible modulation of clock outputs. The findings highlight the plasticity of circadian timing that enables adaptive responses to fluctuating environments.

The study optimized speed‑breeding parameters—photoperiod, light intensity, and blue‑red light quality—to accelerate the life cycle of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and its diploid relative Medicago truncatula. A combined regime (20 h light/4 h dark at 450 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) cut harvest time by 17% in alfalfa and 28% in M. truncatula while maintaining viable seed production, and chlorophyll fluorescence revealed species‑specific photosynthetic constraints.

The study reveals that transcription factors GLK1/GLK2 and ABI4 antagonistically regulate protochlorophyllide accumulation during seedling etiolation, where loss of ABI4 or GLK2 overexpression leads to excess Pchlide, inefficient photoreduction, elevated singlet oxygen, and reduced seedling survival upon light exposure. ABI4 suppresses GLK activity via physical interaction rather than transcriptional control, preventing photodamage in dark-grown seedlings.

The study provides the first single‑nucleus RNA‑sequencing dataset of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots colonized by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, revealing distinct transcriptional programs in epidermal and cortical cells across arbuscule development stages. Using MINI‑EX network inference, candidate transcription factors driving these stage‑specific responses were identified, offering new hypotheses on coordinated developmental and nutritional processes during symbiosis.

Phosphite (Phi) shares the same root transport system as phosphate (Pi) and, unlike Pi, can inhibit the growth of certain fungal pathogens and modulate plant disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis thaliana, Phi triggers a hypersensitive‑response‑like cell death that enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice (Oryza sativa) it reverses Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptomic reprogramming.