Horticulturae

Editorial

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3 pages, 173 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops

by Yaru Wang and Yuyang Zhang

Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090821 - 7 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2083

Abstract

Molecular vegetable breeding has been progressed intensively in recent years. Huge advances have been made in germplasm evaluation, gene isolation, plant transformation, gene editing and molecular-marker-assisted breeding. The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight, through selected works, frontier research from basic [...] Read more.

Molecular vegetable breeding has been progressed intensively in recent years. Huge advances have been made in germplasm evaluation, gene isolation, plant transformation, gene editing and molecular-marker-assisted breeding. The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight, through selected works, frontier research from basic to applied molecular vegetable breeding. The selected papers published in Special Issue of Horticulturae exhibit a diversity in molecular vegetable breeding. The papers listed in this editorial are especially noteworthy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

Research

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20 pages, 4912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Molecular Markers Associated with Resistance to Gray Mold Disease in Onion (Allium cepa L.) through RAPD-PCR and Transcriptome Analysis

by So-Jeong Kim, Jee-Soo Park, TaeHoon Park, Hyun-Min Lee, Ju-Ri Choi and Young-Doo Park

Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110436 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3011

Abstract

Onions (Allium cepa L.) are one of the most consumed vegetable crops worldwide and are damaged by several fungal diseases in the field or during storage. Gray mold disease caused by the necrotrophic pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis squamosa is a disease [...] Read more.

Onions (Allium cepa L.) are one of the most consumed vegetable crops worldwide and are damaged by several fungal diseases in the field or during storage. Gray mold disease caused by the necrotrophic pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis squamosa is a disease that reduces the productivity and storage life in onions. However, it is difficult to control gray mold disease in onions by using physical and chemical methods. Breeding resistant onions against gray mold disease can reduce the damage caused by pathogens, reduce the labor required for control, and reduce environmental pollution caused by fungicides. However, onions have a large genome size (16Gb), making them difficult to analyze, and have a biennial cycle, resulting in a very long breeding period. Therefore, in this study, markers were developed to shorten the onion breeding period. First, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was performed to confirm the genetic relationship between the gray mold disease-resistant and -susceptible lines through a dendrogram. In addition, the sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR)-OPAN1 marker to select resistant lines was developed using a polymorphic RAPD fragment. Second, the RNA-seq of the gray mold-resistant and -susceptible onion lines were analyzed using NGS technology. Using the RNA-seq results and DEG and GO analyses were performed, and the variants, such as SNPs and indels, were analyzed to develop a selectable marker for the resistant line. This study developed the SNP-3 HRM marker for selecting gray mold disease-resistant lines by using the SNPs present in the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) gene with high expression levels in these lines. The SCAR-OPAN1 and SNP-3 HRM markers developed in this study could be used to select gray mold disease-resistant onions in breeding programs to reduce the damage caused by gray mold disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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23 pages, 3912 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Evaluation of 130 Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Genotypes for Future Breeding Program Based on Qualitative and Quantitative Traits, and Various Genetic Parameters

by Md. Shalim Uddin, Masum Billah, Rozina Afroz, Sajia Rahman, Nasrin Jahan, Md. Golam Hossain, Shamim Ara Bagum, Md. Sorof Uddin, Abul Bashar Mohammad Khaldun, Md. Golam Azam, Neelima Hossain, Mohammad Abdul Latif Akanda, Majid Alhomrani, Ahmed Gaber and Akbar Hossain

Horticulturae 2021, 7(10), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100376 - 8 Oct 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4618

Abstract

Eggplant is an essential widespread year-round fruit vegetable. This study was conducted using 130 local germplasm of brinjal to select diverse parents based on the multiple traits selection index for the future breeding program. This selection was performed focusing on 14 qualitative and [...] Read more.

Eggplant is an essential widespread year-round fruit vegetable. This study was conducted using 130 local germplasm of brinjal to select diverse parents based on the multiple traits selection index for the future breeding program. This selection was performed focusing on 14 qualitative and 10 quantitative traits variation and genetic parameters namely, phenotypic and genotypic variance (PV and GV) and genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation (GCV and PCV), broad-sense heritability (hBS), genetic advance, traits association, genotype by trait biplot (G × T), heatmap analysis and multi-trait index based on factor analysis and genotype-ideotype distance (MGIDI). Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance revealed a wide range of variability for morpho-physiological traits. Estimated hBS for all the measured traits ranged from 10.6% to 93%, indicating that all the traits were highly inheritable. Genetic variances were low to high for most morpho-physiological traits, indicating complex genetic architecture. Yield per plant was significantly correlated with fruit diameter, fruits per plant, percent fruits infestation by brinjal shoot and fruit borer, and fruit weight traits indicating that direct selection based on fruit number and fruit weight might be sufficient for improvement of other traits. The first two principal components (PCs) explained about 81.27% of the total variation among lines for 38 brinjal morpho-physiological traits. Genotype by trait (G × T) biplot revealed superior genotypes with combinations of favorable traits. The average genetic distance was 3.53, ranging from 0.25 to 20.01, indicating high levels of variability among the germplasm. The heat map was also used to know the relationship matrix among all the brinjal genotypes. MGIDI is an appropriate method of selection based on multiple trait information. Based on the fourteen qualitative and ten quantitative traits and evaluation of various genetic parameters, the germplasm G80, G54, G66, and G120 might be considered as best parents for the future breeding program for eggplant improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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16 pages, 3628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomics Analysis of Heat Stress-Induced Genes in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Seedlings

by Fei Wang, Yanxu Yin, Chuying Yu, Ning Li, Sheng Shen, Yabo Liu, Shenghua Gao, Chunhai Jiao and Minghua Yao

Horticulturae 2021, 7(10), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100339 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2848

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Heat stress (HS) can significantly reduce pepper yield and quality. However, changes at a molecular level in response to HS and the subsequent recovery are poorly understood. In this [...] Read more.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Heat stress (HS) can significantly reduce pepper yield and quality. However, changes at a molecular level in response to HS and the subsequent recovery are poorly understood. In this study, 17-03 and H1023 were identified as heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive varieties, respectively. Their leaves’ transcript abundance was quantified using RNA sequencing to elucidate the effect of HS and subsequent recovery on gene expression. A total of 11,633 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and the differential expression of 14 randomly selected DEGs was validated using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the most enriched pathways were metabolic processes under stress and photosynthesis and light harvesting during HS and after recovery from HS. The most significantly enriched pathways of 17-03 and H1023 were the same under HS, but differed during recovery. Furthermore, we identified 38 heat shock factors (Hsps), 17 HS transcription factors (Hsfs) and 38 NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2), and 35 WRKY proteins that were responsive to HS or recovery. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying HS and recovery in different pepper genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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13 pages, 1828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Major Loci and Candidate Genes for Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Broccoli Using QTL-Seq

by Chunqing Liu, Xueqin Yao, Guangqing Li, Lei Huang, Xinyan Wu and Zhujie Xie

Horticulturae 2021, 7(8), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7080246 - 13 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3613

Abstract

Anthcyanins determine the colors of flowers, fruits, and purple vegetables and act as important health-promoting antioxidants. BT 126 represents a broccoli variety with a high content of anthocyanins (5.72 mg/g FW). Through QTL-seq bulk segregant analysis, the present study aimed to determine the [...] Read more.

Anthcyanins determine the colors of flowers, fruits, and purple vegetables and act as important health-promoting antioxidants. BT 126 represents a broccoli variety with a high content of anthocyanins (5.72 mg/g FW). Through QTL-seq bulk segregant analysis, the present study aimed to determine the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in the F2 population (n = 302), which was obtained by crossing BT 126 with a non-anthocyanin-containing SN 60. The whole-genome resequencing of purple (n = 30) and green (n = 30) bulk segregates detected ~1,117,709 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the B. oleracea genome. Two QTLs, tightly correlated with anthocyanin biosynthesis (p < 0.05), were detected on chromosomes 7 (BoPur7.1) and 9 (BoPur9.1). The subsequent high-resolution mapping of BoPur9.1 in the F2 population (n = 280) and F3 population (n = 580), with high-throughput genotyping of SNPs technology, narrowed the major anthocyanin biosynthesis QTL region to a physical distance of 73 kb, containing 14 genes. Among these genes, Bo9g174880, Bo9g174890, and Bo9g174900 showed high homology with AT5G07990 (gene encoding flavonoid 3′ hydroxylase), which was identified as a candidate gene for BoPur9.1. The expression of BoF3’H in BT 126 was significantly higher than that in SN60. Multiple biomarkers, related to these QTLs, represented potential targets of marker-assisted selection (MAS) foranthocyanin biosynthesis in broccoli. The present study provided genetic insights into the development of novel crop varieties with augmented health-promoting features and improved appearance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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14 pages, 2221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Throughput SSR Marker Development and the Analysis of Genetic Diversity in Capsicum frutescens

by Yangmin Zhong, Yuan Cheng, Meiying Ruan, Qingjing Ye, Rongqing Wang, Zhuping Yao, Guozhi Zhou, Jia Liu, Jiahong Yu and Hongjian Wan

Horticulturae 2021, 7(7), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7070187 - 8 Jul 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4880

Abstract

Capsicum frutescens, one of the domesticated species of pepper grown worldwide, is thought to be highly advantageous due to its strong resistance against plant pathogenesis, high productivity, and intense aroma. However, a shortage of molecular markers limits the efficiency and accuracy of [...] Read more.

Capsicum frutescens, one of the domesticated species of pepper grown worldwide, is thought to be highly advantageous due to its strong resistance against plant pathogenesis, high productivity, and intense aroma. However, a shortage of molecular markers limits the efficiency and accuracy of genetic breeding for pepper. With the newly developed next-generation sequencing technology, genome sequences of C. frutescens can be generated, which are now available for identifying SSR markers via data mining. In this study, a total of 278,425 SSRs were detected from the pepper genome using MISA software. It was observed that trinucleotides were the dominant repeat motif. This was followed by dinucleotides, tetranucleotides, pentanucleotides, and the hexanucleotides repeat types. (AT)n (TTG)n (AAAT)n (AAATA)n (TATAGA)n is known to be the most common repeat motifs corresponding to dinucleotide to hexanucleotide repeats, respectively. In addition, a total of 240 SSR primers evenly distributed over all 12 chromosomes were designed and screened against 8 C. frutescens cultivars. Of these, 33 SSR markers that have high polymorphism, have been scrutinized for 147 accessions from 25 countries. The dendrogram constructed clustered these accessions into seven major groups. The groups were found to be consistent with their origins. The results obtained in this study provided resources of SSR molecular markers and insight into genetic diversity of the C. frutescens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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15 pages, 2264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Hsf and Hsp Gene Families and Gene Expression Analysis under Heat Stress in Eggplant (Solanum melongema L.)

by Chao Gong, Qiangqiang Pang, Zhiliang Li, Zhenxing Li, Riyuan Chen, Guangwen Sun and Baojuan Sun

Horticulturae 2021, 7(6), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7060149 - 10 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4181

Abstract

Under high temperature stress, a large number of proteins in plant cells will be denatured and inactivated. Meanwhile Hsfs and Hsps will be quickly induced to remove denatured proteins, so as to avoid programmed cell death, thus enhancing the thermotolerance of plants. Here, [...] Read more.

Under high temperature stress, a large number of proteins in plant cells will be denatured and inactivated. Meanwhile Hsfs and Hsps will be quickly induced to remove denatured proteins, so as to avoid programmed cell death, thus enhancing the thermotolerance of plants. Here, a comprehensive identification and analysis of the Hsf and Hsp gene families in eggplant under heat stress was performed. A total of 24 Hsf-like genes and 117 Hsp-like genes were identified from the eggplant genome using the interolog from Arabidopsis. The gene structure and motif composition of Hsf and Hsp genes were relatively conserved in each subfamily in eggplant. RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expressions of most eggplant Hsf and Hsp genes were increased upon exposure to heat stress, especially in thermotolerant line. The comprehensive analysis indicated that different sets of SmHsps genes were involved downstream of particular SmHsfs genes. These results provided a basis for revealing the roles of SmHsps and SmHsp for thermotolerance in eggplant, which may potentially be useful for understanding the thermotolerance mechanism involving SmHsps and SmHsp in eggplant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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14 pages, 3504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome Wide Characterization, Comparative and Genetic Diversity Analysis of Simple Sequence Repeats in Cucurbita Species

by Lei Zhu, Huayu Zhu, Yanman Li, Yong Wang, Xiangbin Wu, Jintao Li, Zhenli Zhang, Yanjiao Wang, Jianbin Hu, Sen Yang, Luming Yang and Shouru Sun

Horticulturae 2021, 7(6), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7060143 - 8 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3269

Abstract

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are widely used in mapping constructions and comparative and genetic diversity analyses. Here, 103,056 SSR loci were found in Cucurbita species by in silico PCR. In general, the frequency of these SSRs decreased with the increase in the motif [...] Read more.

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are widely used in mapping constructions and comparative and genetic diversity analyses. Here, 103,056 SSR loci were found in Cucurbita species by in silico PCR. In general, the frequency of these SSRs decreased with the increase in the motif length, and di-nucleotide motifs were the most common type. For the same repeat types, the SSR frequency decreased sharply with the increase in the repeat number. The majority of the SSR loci were suitable for marker development (84.75% in Cucurbita moschata, 94.53% in Cucurbita maxima, and 95.09% in Cucurbita pepo). Using these markers, the cross-species transferable SSR markers between C. pepo and other Cucurbitaceae species were developed, and the complicated mosaic relationships among them were analyzed. Especially, the main syntenic relationships between C. pepo and C. moschata or C. maxima indicated that the chromosomes in the Cucurbita genomes were highly conserved during evolution. Furthermore, 66 core SSR markers were selected to measure the genetic diversity in 61 C. pepo germplasms, and they were divided into two groups by structure and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic analysis. These results will promote the utilization of SSRs in basic and applied research of Cucurbita species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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21 pages, 7556 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

CaHSP18.1a, a Small Heat Shock Protein from Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), Positively Responds to Heat, Drought, and Salt Tolerance

by Yan-Li Liu, Shuai Liu, Jing-Jing Xiao, Guo-Xin Cheng, Haq Saeed ul and Zhen-Hui Gong

Horticulturae 2021, 7(5), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7050117 - 18 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3087

Abstract

Pepper is a thermophilic crop, shallow-rooted plant that is often severely affected by abiotic stresses such as heat, salt, and drought. The growth and development of pepper is seriously affected by adverse stresses, resulting in decreases in the yield and quality of pepper [...] Read more.

Pepper is a thermophilic crop, shallow-rooted plant that is often severely affected by abiotic stresses such as heat, salt, and drought. The growth and development of pepper is seriously affected by adverse stresses, resulting in decreases in the yield and quality of pepper crops. Small heat shock proteins (s HSPs) play a crucial role in protecting plant cells against various stresses. A previous study in our laboratory showed that the expression level of CaHSP18.1a was highly induced by heat stress, but the function and mechanism of CaHSP18.1a responding to abiotic stresses is not clear. In this study, we first analyzed the expression of CaHSP18.1a in the thermo-sensitive B6 line and thermo-tolerant R9 line and demonstrated that the transcription of CaHSP18.1a was strongly induced by heat stress, salt, and drought stress in both R9 and B6, and that the response is more intense and earlier in the R9 line. In the R9 line, the silencing of CaHSP18.1a decreased resistance to heat, drought, and salt stresses. The silencing of CaHSP18.1a resulted in significant increases in relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents, while total chlorophyll content decreased under heat, salt, and drought stresses. Overexpression analyses of CaHSP18.1a in transgenic Arabidopsis further confirmed that CaHSP18.1a functions positively in resistance to heat, drought, and salt stresses. The transgenic Arabidopsis had higherchlorophyll content and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase than the wild type (WT). However, the relative conductivity and MDA content were decreased in transgenic Arabidopsis compared to the wild type (WT). We further showed that the CaHSP18.1a protein is localized to the cell membrane. These results indicate CaHSP18.1a may act as a positive regulator of responses to abiotic stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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15 pages, 21597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Different Low-Nitrogen-Responsive Genes in Pepper Cultivars

by Chunping Wang, Yifei Li, Wenqin Bai, Xiaomiao Yang, Hong Wu, Kairong Lei, Renzhong Huang, Shicai Zhang, Qizhong Huang and Qing Lin

Horticulturae 2021, 7(5), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7050110 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2871

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms underlying the variation in N-use efficiency (NUE) in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes are poorly understood. In this work, two genotypes (750-1, low-N tolerant; ZCFB, low-N sensitive) with contrasting low-N tolerance were selected from 100 pepper cultivars on the [...] Read more.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the variation in N-use efficiency (NUE) in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes are poorly understood. In this work, two genotypes (750-1, low-N tolerant; ZCFB, low-N sensitive) with contrasting low-N tolerance were selected from 100 pepper cultivars on the basis of their relative leaf areas, shoot dry weights, root dry weights, and plant dry weights at the seedling stage. Subsequently, using RNA-Seq, the transcriptome of these two pepper genotypes under N starvation for 28 days was analyzed. We detected 2621/2470 and 3936/4218 different expressed genes (DEGs) in the leaves/roots of 750-1 and ZCFB, respectively. The changes in the expression of basic N metabolism genes were similar between 750-1 and ZCFB. However, different DEGs not directly involved in N metabolism were identified between the 750-1 and ZCFB cultivars. In 750-1, 110 unique DEGs were detected in the leaves, of which 103 were down-regulated, including genes associated with protein metabolism, photosynthesis, secondary metabolism, cell wall metabolism, stress response, and disease resistance. In ZCFB, 142 unique DEGs were detected in the roots, of which 117 were up-regulated, resulting in enhancement of processes such as protein degradation, secondary metabolites synthesis, lipid metabolism, endocytosis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), transcriptional regulation, stress response, and disease resistance. Our results not only facilitate an understanding of the different regulatory process in low-N-tolerant and low-N-sensitive pepper cultivars, but also provide abundant candidate genes for improving the low-N tolerance of pepper cultivars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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17 pages, 2810 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Generation of a High-Density Genetic Map of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by SLAF-seq and QTL Analysis of Phytophthora capsici Resistance

by Yi-Fei Li, Shi-Cai Zhang, Xiao-Miao Yang, Chun-Ping Wang, Qi-Zhong Huang and Ren-Zhong Huang

Horticulturae 2021, 7(5), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7050092 - 1 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3495

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically significant global crop and condiment. Its yield can be severely reduced by the oomycete plant pathogen, Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici). Here, a high-density genetic map was created with a mapping panel of F [...] Read more.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically significant global crop and condiment. Its yield can be severely reduced by the oomycete plant pathogen, Phytophthora capsici (P. capsici). Here, a high-density genetic map was created with a mapping panel of F₂ populations obtained from 150 individuals of parental lines PI201234 and 1287 and specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF) that was then utilized to identify loci that are related to resistance to P. capsici. The sequencing depth of the genetic map was 108.74-fold for the male parent, 126.25-fold for the female parent, and 22.73-fold for the offspring. A high-resolution genetic map consisting of 5565 markers and 12 linkage groups was generated for pepper, covering 1535.69 cM and an average marker distance of 0.28 cM. One major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the P. capsici resistance (CQPc5.1) was identified on Chr05 that explained the observed 11.758% phenotypic variance. A total of 23 candidate genes located within the QTL CQPc5.1 interval were identified, which included the candidate gene Capana05g000595 that encodes the RPP8-like protein as well as two candidate genes Capana05g000596 and Capana05g000597 that encodes a RPP13-like protein. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed higher expression levels of Capana05g000595, Capana05g000596, and Capana05g000597 in P. capsici resistance accessions, suggesting their association with P. capsici resistance in pepper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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Review

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18 pages, 378 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in Genetics and Molecular Breeding of Broccoli

by Fengqing Han, Yumei Liu, Zhiyuan Fang, Limei Yang, Mu Zhuang, Yangyong Zhang, Honghao Lv, Yong Wang, Jialei Ji and Zhansheng Li

Horticulturae 2021, 7(9), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090280 - 3 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6343

Abstract

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is one of the most important vegetable crops cultivated worldwide. The market demand for broccoli is still increasing due to its richness in vitamins, anthocyanins, mineral substances, fiber, secondary metabolites and other nutrients. The famous [...] Read more.

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is one of the most important vegetable crops cultivated worldwide. The market demand for broccoli is still increasing due to its richness in vitamins, anthocyanins, mineral substances, fiber, secondary metabolites and other nutrients. The famous secondary metabolites, glucosinolates, sulforaphane and selenium have protective effects against cancer. Significant progress has been made in fine-mapping and cloning genes that are responsible for important traits; this progress provides a foundation for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in broccoli breeding. Genetic engineering by the well-developed Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in broccoli has contributed to the improvement of quality; postharvest life; glucosinolate and sulforaphane content; and resistance to insects, pathogens and abiotic stresses. Here, we review recent progress in the genetics and molecular breeding of broccoli. Future perspectives for improving broccoli are also briefly discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

16 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Advances in Allelopathy of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) of Plants

by Yiqi Xie, Libo Tian, Xu Han and Yan Yang

Horticulturae 2021, 7(9), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090278 - 2 Sep 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 10803

Abstract

Allelopathy is an ecological phenomenon in which organisms interfere with each other. As a management strategy in agricultural systems, allelopathy can be mainly used to control weeds, resist pests, and disease and improve the interaction of soil nutrition and microorganisms. Volatile organic compounds [...] Read more.

Allelopathy is an ecological phenomenon in which organisms interfere with each other. As a management strategy in agricultural systems, allelopathy can be mainly used to control weeds, resist pests, and disease and improve the interaction of soil nutrition and microorganisms. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are allelochemicals volatilized from plants and have been widely demonstrated to have different ecological functions. This review provides the recent advance in the allelopathic effects of VOCs on plants, such as growth, competition, dormancy, resistance of diseases and insect pests, content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enzyme activity, respiration, and photosynthesis. VOCs also participate in plant-to-plant communication as a signaling substance. The main methods of collection and identification of VOCs are briefly summarized in this article. It also points out the disadvantages of VOCs and suggests potential directions to enhance research and solve mysteries in this emerging area. It is necessary to study the allelopathic mechanisms of plant VOCs so as to provide a theoretical basis for VOC applications. In conclusion, allelopathy of VOCs released by plants is a more economical, environmentally friendly, and effective measure to develop substantial agricultural industry by using the allelopathic effects of plant natural products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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19 pages, 1432 KiB

Open AccessReview

CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing for Fruit and Vegetable Crops: Strategies and Prospects

by Lili Wan, Zhuanrong Wang, Mi Tang, Dengfeng Hong, Yuhong Sun, Jian Ren, Na Zhang and Hongxia Zeng

Horticulturae 2021, 7(7), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7070193 - 14 Jul 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 18100

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable crops are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are vital to human health. However, many biotic stressors (such as pests and diseases) and abiotic stressors threaten crop growth, quality, and yield. Traditional breeding strategies for improving crop traits [...] Read more.

Fruit and vegetable crops are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are vital to human health. However, many biotic stressors (such as pests and diseases) and abiotic stressors threaten crop growth, quality, and yield. Traditional breeding strategies for improving crop traits include a series of backcrosses and selection to introduce beneficial traits into fine germplasm, this process is slow and resource-intensive. The new breeding technique known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein-9 (Cas9) has the potential to improve many traits rapidly and accurately, such as yield, quality, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and nutritional aspects in crops. Because of its simple operation and high mutation efficiency, this system has been applied to obtain new germplasm resources via gene-directed mutation. With the availability of whole-genome sequencing data, and information about gene function for important traits, CRISPR-Cas9 editing to precisely mutate key genes can rapidly generate new germplasm resources for the improvement of important agronomic traits. In this review, we explore this technology and its application in fruit and vegetable crops. We address the challenges, existing variants and the associated regulatory framework, and consider future applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Molecular Breeding of Vegetable Crops)

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