Arfan Ali

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a significant source of N in growing and filling grain legumes, but its contribution to the seed N economy and its possible links to seed longevity, germination ability, and vigour remain poorly understood. This narrative review discusses how reproductive-phase BNF affects seed nitrogen supply, remobilisation, N assimilation, storage protein accumulation, maturation, and seed quality. Isotope-based nitrogen partitioning studies show that reproductive BNF can contribute a significant amount of N to the N economy of developing legume seeds, and that vegetative N remobilisation is an important additional source. Nitrogen availability may influence seed development through the GS/GOGAT pathway for nitrogen assimilation and subsequent incorporation into storage proteins. Concurrently, ABA-induced maturation, LEA proteins, raffinose family oligosaccharides, redox balance and genome-protective mechanisms are known factors linked to seed desiccation tolerance, emergence and longevity. Direct evidence linking variation in reproductive BNF to these downstream seed-protection systems and mature-seed vigour remains limited. Therefore, we suggest a mechanistic model in which reproductive BNF affects the seed nitrogen pool and influences developmental and environmental cues during seed filling, and we propose that the BNF-to-seed-protection relationship is a major area for future research. This framework needs to be tested in future studies using multiple analyses of seed vigour and longevity, combined with molecular profiling, nitrogen partitioning and isotope tracing, across con-trasting BNF environments. This synthesis provides a framework for considering reproductive BNF as a potential component of seed quality and seedling establishment, with implications for future crop improvement strategies.

Mango is a climacteric fruit, which means its shelf life is limited and its quality can deteriorate rapidly. This study intended to examine the effects of Aloe vera gel (AV) enriched with salicylic acid (SA) in preharvest bagged fruits (PBF) to maintain quality during storage for 12 days (27°C ± 2°C and 80% ± 5% relative humidity). Fruits are bagged in a brown paper bag during the marble stage and harvested at commercial maturity. PBF coated with AV (20%) and SA (2 mM) as treatments and used non‐bagged mangoes (NBF) as a control. The study used a CRD with three replications. The results indicated that the treated fruits exhibited better quality compared with the control, with the highest profitability observed in the PBF + AV + SA treatment. Additionally, the PBF + AV + SA‐treated fruits showed greater firmness, ascorbic acid content, acidity, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. They also showed less weight loss, a slower respiration rate, and less ethylene production. On the12th day of storage, the total soluble solids, pH, and incidence of diseases were also lower. The AV + SA‐treated PBF displayed increased activity of CAT (catalase) and POD (peroxidase), while showing lower activity of PPO (polyphenol peroxidase), MDA, and H ₂ O ₂ . Furthermore, the pulp color of these fruits was comparable with that of other treatments, exhibiting higher values for L ^∗ , a ^∗ , b ^∗ , h ^o , and C ^∗ . These findings suggest that applying SA + AV to PBF may effectively preserve mangoes, enhancing their quality and improving consumer acceptance.

Supernumerary B chromosomes (Bs) have been documented in over 2000 species across the plant, animal, and fungal kingdoms, representing one of the most intriguing components of the genome that have consistently garnered significant attention in the past. These Bs form a distinct category of chromosomes that are not deemed essential. While coexisting with the standard set of chromosomes in an organism, the copy numbers of Bs can vary among individuals within a population or even among cells within a single organism. Multiple processes, including chromosomal rearrangement, uneven segregation, chromatid non-disjunction, and deletion in specific regions, lead to the formation of the Bs from the A chromosome. These dispensable Bs possess their own genetic content and do not undergo recombination with A chromosomes. Although various roles of Bs in breeding have been explored in the literature, their specific role in wheat improvement remains unclear. The understanding of their origins, composition, and evolutionary history in wheat is still incomplete. Therefore, this review discusses the current knowledge of the genetic makeup of Bs, their functions, their relationship with A chromosomes, and the morphogenetic consequences in the context of wheat.

Carob fruit is widely known for their abundance of health-boosting compounds like polyphenols, ascorbic acid, organic acids, and micronutrients. These compounds offer various benefits, including antioxidative, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, liver-protective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and heart-protective effects. In this research, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods were employed to assess sugar and organic acid levels in mature fruit pods of three distinct carob genotypes from the Kahramanmaras region in Turkey. The findings revealed that genotype-2 had the highest concentrations of glucose (1301 mg/100g) and fructose (875 mg/100g), genotype-3 exhibited the highest level of xylose (1548 mg/100g), while genotype-1 displayed the highest levels of sucrose (9183 mg/100g) and total sugars (12457 mg/100g). Regarding organic acids, genotype-1 exhibited the highest levels of oxalic acid (17.62 mg/100g), citric acid (612.50 mg/100g), and fumaric acid (8.0 mg/100g), while genotype-3 showed the highest levels of malic acid (234.92 mg/100g) and succinic acid (1089.76 mg/100g); however, genotype-2 had the highest amount of ascorbic acid (8.17 mg/100g). In conclusion, genotype-1 demonstrated the most favorable performance in terms of having the highest levels of total sugar and organic acids compared to the other two genotypes.

Globally, drought and salinity stress critically constrain potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. Considering the impact of these stresses on crops and increasing food demand, insight into both tolerance and susceptibility is essential. The present study screens two potato cultivars, BARI-401 and Spunta, for their tolerance to simulated salinity and drought by in vitro LiCl and mannitol exposure. Plantlets treated with a range of LiCl (0, 10, 30, and 40 mM) and mannitol (0, 50, 100, 200, and 250 mM) concentrations were biochemically and physiologically characterized to assess their tolerance capacity. Shoot number, shoot length, root number, and root length were affected in both cultivars under higher LiCl and mannitol concentrations, even though Spunta was able to better maintain a higher shoot length under the 40 mM of LiCl and 250 mM of mannitol compared to BARI-401. The total phenol contents (TPC) in both cultivars were increased at the highest treatment concentration and the total flavonoids content (TFC) was decreased in BARI-401 as compared to Spunta. Higher free radical scavenging capacity (FRSC, low IC₅₀ value) was recorded in Spunta as compared to BARI-401 with increasing treatment concentrations, which supports the high antioxidant capacity of Spunta. An inverse correlation between polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and TPC was noted in both cultivars. Peroxidase dismutase (POD) activity was increased significantly in both cultivars for all treatments, but activity was highest overall in Spunta. These physiological and biochemical analyses of both cultivars suggest that cultivar Spunta is more tolerant to salinity and drought stress. Further open-field experiments are required to confirm these results.