<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an important beverage crop cultivated in the tropics and subtropics under acid soil conditions. Increased awareness of the health-promoting properties of the tea beverage has led to an increase in its level of consumption over the last decades. Tea production contributes significantly to the economy of several tea-cultivating countries in Asia and Africa. Environmental constrains, particularly water deficiency due to inadequate and/or poorly distributed rainfall, seriously limit tea production in the majority of tea-producing countries. It is also predicted that global climate change will have a considerable adverse impact on tea production in the near future. Application of fertilizers for higher production and increased quality and quantity of tea is a common agricultural practice, but due to its environmental consequences, such as groundwater pollution, the rate of fertilizer application needs to be reconsidered. Cultivation of tea under humid conditions renders it highly susceptible to pathogens and pest attacks. Application of pesticides and fungicides adversely affects the quality of tea and increases health risks of the tea beverage. Organic cultivation as an agricultural practice without using synthetic fertilizers and other chemical additives such as pesticides and fungicides is a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to producing healthy tea. A growing number of tea-producing countries are joining organic tea cultivation programmes in order to improve the quality and to maintain the health benefits of the tea produced.</abstract>

Environmental and nutritional requirements for tea cultivation

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>There are about 40 species in the <italic>Pleurotus</italic> genus, including those with high economic significance, i.e. <italic>P. ostreatus</italic> and <italic>P. pulmonarius</italic>. The fruiting bodies of oyster mushrooms are of high nutritional and health-promoting value. In addition, many species belonging to the <italic>Pleurotus</italic> genus have been used as sources of substances with documented medicinal properties, such as high-molecular weight bioactive compounds (polysaccharides, peptides and proteins) and low-molecular weight compounds (terpenoids, fatty acid esters and polyphenols). The bioactive substances contained in the mycelium and fruiting bodies of <italic>Pleurotus</italic> species exhibit immunostimulatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-oxidative properties. Their multidirectional positive influence on the human organism is the result of interaction of bioactive substances. Extracts from individual <italic>Pleurotus</italic> species can be used for the production of dietary supplements increasing the organism’s immunity. They are also used for the production of cosmetics. They can be added to functional foods as probiotics, or used as natural preservatives or ingredients of special foodstuffs for patients with specific diseases.</abstract>

Bioactive compounds and medicinal properties of Oyster mushrooms (<italic>Pleurotus</italic> sp.)

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Gladiolus is one of the most important lucrative cut flower crops that is commercially cultivated worldwide due to its various spike forms, size, and shape and color combinations. In order to further increase the commercial and horticultural value by improving the ornamental traits of gladiolus ‘White Prosperity’, polyploidy was induced by soaking gladiolus corms in different colchicine concentrations (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) for 24 h. Different colchicine concentrations had a little effect on sprouting and survival percentage but it significantly delayed the emergence of sprouts. About one third decreases in plant height along with reduction in number of leaves per plant, leaf area, length and width, chlorophyll content, diameter and number of cormlets per corm was observed in treated plants. Colchicine at 0.1% concentration improved the ornamental value of gladiolus by increasing vase life whereas colchicine at 0.3% was effective in increasing floret diameter. However, the colchicine treated plants exhibited delayed and reduced percentage of flowering corms. Pollen and stomatal study was done for the identification of polyploidy and it showed that both pollen and stomata size were increased while stomatal density and pollen fertility was significantly reduced in polyploid plants. Induction of polyploidy (mixoploids + octoploids) was achieved in all concentrations, however 0.2% and 0.3% concentrations of colchicine were effective for producing large number of polyploid plants. But at 0.1% concentration of colchicine, majority of plants did not show any change in their original ploidy level (tetraploid). These putative polyploids may be helpful for further improvement in ornamental and horticultural value of gladiolus.</abstract>

Induction and identification of colchicine induced polyploidy in <italic>Gladiolus grandiflorus</italic> ‘White Prosperity’

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In this review, we present genetically modified (GM) horticultural events that have passed the regulatory process and have been approved for cultivation or food use in different countries. The first authorization or deregulation of a GM horticultural plant issued 25 years ago initiated a fast expansion of GM organisms (GMO) engineered by using gene transfer technology. The list of GM horticultural species comprises representatives of vegetables, fruit plants and ornamentals. We describe their unique characteristics, often not achievable by conventional breeding, and how they were developed, and the approval process. Information on the adoption of GM horticultural cultivars and sale is accessed if commercialization has occurred. The review comprises, among others, Flavr SavrTM and other tomato cultivars with delayed ripening and improved shelf-life, insect-resistant eggplant (or brinjal), as well as virus-resistant squash, melon and the common bean, and also fruit trees, plum and papaya. Cultivation of the latter was particularly valuable to farmers in Hawaii as it ensured restoration of papaya production devastated earlier by the <italic>Papaya ringspot virus</italic> (PRSV). In contrast, a plum resistant to sharka (<italic>Plum pox virus</italic>; PPV) deregulated in the USA is still awaiting commercialization. GM events with improved quality include the recently marketed non-browning apple and high-lycopene pineapple. We also present orange petunia, blue ‘Applause’ rose and Moon-series carnations with a modified purple and violet flower colour. Finally, we discuss prospects of GM horticultural plants, including their development using promising new breeding technologies relying on genome editing and considered as an alternative to the transgenic approach.</abstract>

Approved genetically modified (GM) horticultural plants: A 25-year perspective

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Establishing an aseptic <italic>in vitro</italic> culture for <italic>Dendrobium</italic>, or for any plant in fact, is the most important step towards developing an effective <italic>in vitro</italic> tissue culture including micropropagation protocol. Success in initial aseptic culture will contribute to the successful production of <italic>in vitro</italic> cultures that may involve the initiation or formation of callus and/or protocorm-like bodies (PLBs), the induction, regeneration or multiplication of shoots, and the preparation and proliferation of plantlets suitable for acclimatization. The initiation of an aseptic culture is closely related to the appropriate selection of an explant source and its preparation, including its (<italic>in vivo</italic>) pre-treatment if necessary and subsequent disinfection procedures. Care in the choice of explant and the application of an appropriate disinfection protocol can successfully reduce, or eliminate, contamination in <italic>in vitro</italic> cultures while reducing the negative impact on plant tissues and plantlet regeneration. Many unique aseptic culture procedures for <italic>Dendrobium</italic> genus have been reported in the literature, very often specific to particular tissues or genotypes, and this review not only highlights the details of such protocols, but also provides practical advice for novice – and even seasoned – orchidologists who wish to research <italic>Dendrobium in vitro</italic>, although it is cautioned that there is currently no universal aseptic culture procedure that can be applied to all conditions, all explants or all genotypes.</abstract>

Tissue disinfection for preparation of <italic>Dendrobium in vitro</italic> culture

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Flow cytometry (FCM) has been used for plant DNA content estimation since the 1980s; however, presently, the number of laboratories equipped with flow cytometers has significantly increased and these are used extensively not only for research but also in plant breeding (especially polyploid and hybrid breeding) and seed production and technology to establish seed maturity, quality and advancement of germination. A broad spectrum of horticultural and medicinal species has been analyzed using this technique, and various FCM applications are presented in the present review. The most common application is genome size and ploidy estimation, but FCM is also very convenient for establishing cell cycle activity and endoreduplication intensity in different plant organs and tissues. It can be used to analyze plant material grown in a greenhouse/field as well as <italic>in vitro</italic>. Due to somaclonal variation, plant material grown in tissue culture is especially unstable in its DNA content and, therefore, FCM analysis is strongly recommended. Horticultural species are often used as internal standards in genome size estimation and as models for cytometrically studied cytotoxic/anticancer/allelopathic effects of different compounds. With the growing interest in genome modification, increased application of FCM is foreseen.</abstract>

Flow cytometry – a modern method for exploring genome size and nuclear DNA synthesis in horticultural and medicinal plant species

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
This article describes benefits of the application of zinc oxide submicron particles (ZnO SMPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and ZnO NPs combined with silver NPs (ZnO + Ag NPs) in chrysanthemum micropropagation. Single node explants of <italic>Chrysanthemum</italic> × <italic>morifolium</italic> (Ramat.) Hemsl. ‘UTP Burgundy Gold (UBG)’ and ‘UTP Pinky Gold (UPG)’ were inoculated on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and treated with 100 mg · L−1, 200 mg · L−1, or 400 mg · L−1 ZnO SMPs, ZnO NPs (1.5% H2O), ZnO NPs (6% H2O), ZnO + 0.1% Ag NPs (1.5% H2O), ZnO + 0.1% Ag NPs (6% H2O), ZnO + 1% Ag NPs (1.5% H2O) and ZnO + 1% Ag NPs (6% H2O). Generally, the tested materials stimulated the growth and development of plantlets. In ‘UBG’, the most prominent treatments affecting increases in the number of leaves, micropropagation coefficient, shoot length and shoot FW/DW weight included 400 mg · L−1 ZnO SMPs and 100 mg · L−1 ZnO NPs (6% H2O). In ‘UPG’, the treatments with 200 mg · L−1 ZnO + 0.1% Ag NPs (6% H2O) and 200 mg · L−1 ZnO + 1% Ag NPs (6% H2O) were the most successful. The latter treatment stimulated an intensive development of root systems in the two studied cultivars. High values of leaf area, perimeter and width were reported in both cultivars for 400 mg · L−1 ZnO + 1% Ag NPs (6% H2O). As compared to the control, the treated plants were characterised by a similar or, most often, lower content of chlorophylls and carotenoids. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) marker system analyses of the 400 mg · L−1 ZnO SMPs/ZnO NPs/ZnO + Ag NPs-treated chrysanthemums confirmed their genetic fidelity with the control plants. The obtained results can be implemented in the commercial large-scale production of chrysanthemums.
</abstract>

Zinc oxide and silver effects on the growth, pigment content and genetic stability of chrysanthemums propagated by the node culture method

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
The effectiveness of apricot cultivation is greatly threatened by frost damage to flower buds during the dormancy period. One of the most important aspects of the evaluation of cultivars is therefore the determination of their frost tolerance. In this paper, the frost hardiness of flower buds of 16 apricot cultivars was investigated in three dormancy periods, applying a standardised artificial freezing test protocol and determining LT50 values. The results showed that both the genotypes and the yearly climatic conditions had a significant effect on frost tolerance. A genotype generally determines the potential maximum of its frost tolerance (‘Sweet Red’ and ‘Primaya’ were very sensitive to frost every year, while ‘Harlayne’ and ‘Rózskajszi C.1406’ could be considered as frost hardy). Flower buds can reach different levels of frost resistance each year depending on the temperature conditions during the hardening and dehardening periods. From the point of view of yield security, it is essential when planning an orchard, to take into account and harmonise the frost hardiness of the cultivars selected and the growing site conditions. Therefore, it is very important to have adequate information about the frost hardiness of different apricot cultivars, which should be included in cultivar descriptions. This paper is intended to contribute to this goal.
</abstract>

Frost hardiness of flower buds of 16 apricot cultivars during dormancy

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
Strawberry production is facing a serious decline with the increase in global temperature as a result of climate change. Improving the heat tolerance is imperative for the strawberry plants to remain productive under high temperature conditions. The present work aimed to study the effect of heat acclimation on the thermotolerance of strawberry plants subjected to severe heat stress. Tissue cultured <italic>Fragaria</italic> ‘Taoyuan No. 1’ plantlets were subjected to four heat-acclimation treatments with gradual increase of temperatures from 30°C to 42°C for 1.25 hr to 10 hr before exposing them to the lethal temperature of 48°C for 4 hr. Survival, new leaf emergence and root growth, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll and proline contents, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities were compared between the control, acclimated and non-acclimated plantlets. Results indicated that heat acclimation was required for the strawberry plantlets to survive under lethal temperature conditions. The acclimated plantlets registered a lower degree of electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll degradation, and a higher proline content compared to the non-acclimated plantlets. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes increased with the elevation of acclimation temperature and peaked at 42°C except for ascorbate peroxidase (APX) whose activity peaked at 39°C. Higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), APX, glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were observed in the acclimated plantlets compared to the non-acclimated plantlets. This study demonstrates that heat acclimation improved the thermotolerance of <italic>in vitro</italic> strawberry plantlets by reducing electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll degradation, as well as by enhancing proline content and antioxidant enzyme activities under severe heat stress.
</abstract>

Effect of heat acclimation on thermotolerance of <italic>in vitro</italic> strawberry plantlets

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
The vase life of <italic>Narcissus poeticus</italic> flowers collected at the white bud stage was investigated in 13 different concentrations of NaCl (0–5–10–15–20–30–40–…–100 mM). Every 12 hr, the opening stage of the flowers was recorded, divided into 4 main categories (bud, opening flower, full open (FO) flower and wilting flower) and 14 subcategories. The salinity did not affect the flower opening speed, diameter or weight. The duration of the full flowering stage decreased from 92 hr to 44 hr, the sum of the daily ornamental value score (OVS) decreased from 120 by 3 scores per each 10 mM concentration increase. The scape chlorophyll content increased at low salinity (10–15 mM) and then decreased significantly. The carotenoid content in the scapes of wilted flowers increased in 30–100 mM solutions compared to the values in the flowering stage and flowers grown at lower salt concentrations. The Na and Cl contents in the plant parts increased significantly with the increase in salinity (at the end of the experiment, 100 mM NaCl: scapes: 44.1 g · kg-1 and 67.2 g · kg-1 Na and Cl; flowers: 16.8 g · kg-1 and 24.8 g · kg-1 Na and Cl, respectively). There was an inverse correlation between the Na and K contents in the scapes. The EC value of the vase solutions decreased during the experiment.
</abstract>

Effect of saline water on the vase life of <italic>Narcissus poeticus</italic> L. flowers

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
Recently, a growing interest in fruits having a high content of health-promoting compounds has become a trend among consumers around the world. Wild berries have received special attention based on the high levels of healthy compounds present in them. In this work, we elaborate on the qualities of the murta (<italic>Ugni molinae</italic> Turcz) fruit such as the colour, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present, its antioxidant capacity and the phenolic compound content (including those of flavonols and anthocyanins) with respect to the different ripening stages. Four stages were established based on the skin colour parameters, which were consistent with the changes in the weight and size of the murta fruits. In addition, the total phenolic and flavonols content showed a decrease during fruit ripening, in contrast with the total anthocyanins content that increased at the final stages of ripening. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity was evaluated via two approaches: ferric reducing antioxidant power and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl discolouration assay; higher levels of antioxidants at the final stages were consistently observed. Furthermore, the VOCs profile showed terpenoids to be the main compounds, with the highest relative abundances in fully ripe fruits. These results allow us to propose a classification of the different ripening stages of the murta fruits. This would enable us to have better knowledge of this interesting fruit, which possesses highly healthy nutraceutical compounds.
</abstract>

Analysis of the contents of <italic>Ugni molinae</italic> Turcz fruits across the ripening stages

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title>
Magnetic field (MF) treatment, as an efficient and pollution-free treatment method, has received extensive attention from researchers and found broad prospects in horticultural and agricultural development. According to relevant studies, mainstream research direction is aimed at utilizing MF treatment to improve the economic traits of horticultural and agricultural crops. MF has positive effects, for example, on seed germination, seedling growth, crop yield and quality and plant tolerance to stress. In recent years, more and more researchers have focused their work on using seed MF or magnetised water (MW) irrigation treatment to improve plant tolerance to salt or heavy metal stresses, to achieve the purpose of soil restoration by plant heavy metal accumulation. In this review, the most commonly utilised MF or MW treatment methods have been described in detail, and the effects of MF treatment on horticultural and agricultural crops have been presented. Furthermore, new prospects for MF treatment and the associated molecular basis have been presented. Since different species or cultivars have different optimal dose requirements for MF treatment, it is still a challenge presently to promote MF treatment use in commercial applications. For successful implementation of MF treatments, it is essential to conduct a large number of screening experiments and more in-depth research on the effects of MF on cultivated plants.
</abstract>

Magnetic field treatment on horticultural and agricultural crops: its benefits and challenges

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of spraying with Aminoplant on the yield of two spinach cultivars in the spring and autumn cultivations. The experiment was carried out in 2008 and 2009 in the experimental station of the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. Three factors were taken into consideration: (1) cultivar: ‘Rembrandt F1’ and ‘Spiros F1’; (2) time of cultivation: spring and autumn; (3) dose of Aminoplant: control (without Aminoplant), 1.5 dm3 ha-1 and 3.0 dm3 ha-1. The spinach yield was dependent on the time of production and cultivar type, and ranged between 18.6-44.8 t ha-1. Both cultivars yielded better in autumn cultivation. Spraying with Aminoplant had no effect on spinach yield. Dry matter content in spinach leaves was between 6.3-11.2 g 100 g-1. Spinach grown in the autumn had a greater content of dry matter in comparison to the spring cultivation. In 2009, ‘Rembrant F1’ was characterized by greater dry matter content than ‘Spiros F1’. Aminoplant in a dose of 3.0 dm3 ha-1 lowered dry matter content in spinach leaves as compared to the control. The nitrate content in spinach was differentiated (558-3506 mg NO3 kg-1 f.m.) and depended on the time of cultivation, the cultivar, and the Aminoplant dose.</abstract>

The effect of cultivar type, time of cultivation, and biostimulant treatment on the yield of spinach (<italic>Spinacia oleracea</italic> L.)

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Melatonin, as an indoleamine molecule, regulates a wide range of physiological functions during the growth, morphogenesis and response of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this research, the effect of exogenous application of melatonin (0 (distilled water), 50, 100 and 150 µM) to the leaves of Moldavian balm plants grown under different levels of drought stress (100% (control), 80%, 60% and 40% of field water capacity) was investigated. The results indicate that plants which were treated with 100 µM melatonin showed the greatest leaf surface area, lateral branching, flower length and activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase). Foliar application of 100 µM melatonin had no significant difference in catalase activity in comparison with the control and other concentrations of melatonin under normal, moderate and severe drought stress conditions. The lowest H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation (electrolyte leakage, concentrations of malondialdehyde and other aldehydes) were obtained at the concentration of 100 µM melatonin under severe drought stress. This concentration also significantly increased the chlorophyll content and enhanced the relative water content; however, foliar application of 100 µM melatonin had no significant effect on leaf length and proline content compared with the control under normal and stress conditions. The obtained results suggested that foliar application of 100 µM melatonin was more effective than the concentrations of 50 and 150 µM melatonin in reducing the adverse effects of moderate and severe drought stress.</abstract>

Foliar application of melatonin induces tolerance to drought stress in Moldavian balm plants (<italic>Dracocephalum moldavica</italic>) through regulating the antioxidant system

<abstract><title style='display:none'>ABSTRACT</title> The effect of silicon (Si) supplementation (0.35 g Na2SiO3 kg-1 soil, 2.73 mmol Si kg-1 soil) was studied in drought-stressed pistachio (Pistacia vera L. ‘Ahmadaghaii’) plants under field conditions. Silicon treatment significantly increased plant dry weight and relative water content under drought stress. The application of Si for drought-stressed plants improved the maximum quantum yield of PSII. A reduction in the net assimilation rate due to drought stress was alleviated by Si application, accompanied by an increase in stomatal conductance. Silicon treatment resulted in higher catalase and superoxide dismutase activities and lower lipid peroxidation in the leaves of drought-stressed plants. The results suggest that supplementation of water-deficient pistachio plants with Si alleviates the adverse effects of drought due to its enhancement of photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic gas exchange, as well as an activation of the antioxidant defence capacity in this species.</abstract>

Alleviation of drought stress by silicon supplementation in pistachio (<italic>Pistacia vera</italic> L.) plants

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Turkey is one of the most important centres of mulberry genetic resources and mulberries grow naturally almost everywhere in Turkey. This study was carried out to determine the most important phenolic compounds and phytochemical properties of mulberry (<italic>Morus nigra</italic> L.) genotypes collected from natural resources in 2016-2017 in the province of Uşak (Turkey). The investigated biochemical characteristics included: total soluble solids content (TSS), pH, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity (DPPH). The highest values of phenolic compounds, i.e. ellagic acid, rutin, quercetin, gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, were as follows: 5.89, 133.60, 11.25, 40.90, 10.54, 97.59 and 21.93 g 100 g−1, respectively. The highest values of total phenolics, vitamin C content and antioxidant capacity determined in the investigated mulberry genotypes were 2977.30 mg GAE g−1, 31.34 mg 100 g−1 and 26.80%, respectively. The genotypes 64USA08, 64USA06 and 64USA10 can be recommended in terms of the most valuable chemical composition and used for future breeding purposes. It is desirable to take steps to implement an intensive programme for the preservation of <italic>Morus nigra</italic> L. biodiversity in Turkey.</abstract>

Phenolic compounds and phytochemicals in fruits of black mulberry (<italic>Morus nigra</italic> L.) genotypes from the Aegean region in Turkey

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