Molecular, physico-chemical, and sensory characterization of the traditional spanish apple variety "Pero de Cehegín"

The "Pero de Cehegín"is an ancient local variety of apple grown in Murcia (Spain). In this study, microsatellites markers showed evidence of a unique profile that has never been reported before in other Spanish apple germplasm collections. Five "Pero de Cehegín"clones were evaluated and compared with two commercial apple varieties, "Fuji"and "Golden Delicious", to assess its marketing potential. For this, the physical (weight, height, and width of the fruit, moisture content, firmness, and color of the fruit, among others), and chemical (total soluble solids, total acidity, and maturity index) properties of the fruits were evaluated. In addition, the content of bioactive compounds such as total polyphenol content, total antioxidant activity using the ABTS+, DPPH, and FRAP methods, and the sugar profile were analyzed, and their sensory profile was also evaluated. Physico-chemical differences were found within the "Pero de Cehegín"clones and between the commercial varieties. "Pero de Cehegín"had a high firmness, high total soluble solids, very low total acidity, high FRAP antioxidant capacity, and more sucrose content in comparison with "Fuji"and "Golden Delicious". These distinctive characteristics and the good appearance of the fruit make this variety a marketable product that will increase the offering of traditional, local, but underutilized fruit varieties

Pearl millet growth and biochemical alterations determined by mycorrhizal inoculation, water availability and atmospheric CO2 concentration

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is an important fodder and is a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production in dry areas. Our objectives were to assess the effect of elevated CO2 and/or reduced irrigation on biomass production and levels of sugars and proteins in leaves of pearl millet and to test whether mycorrhizal inoculation could modulate the effects of these abiotic factors on growth and metabolism. Results showed that mycorrhizal inoculation and water regime most influenced biomass of shoots and roots; however, their individual effects were dependent on the atmospheric CO2 concentration. At ambient CO2, mycorrhizal inoculation helped to alleviate effects of water deficit on pearl millet without significant decreases in biomass production, which contrasted with the low biomass of mycorrhizal plants under restricted irrigation and elevated CO2. Mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced water content in shoots, whereas reduced irrigation decreased water content in roots. The triple interaction between CO2, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and water regime significantly affected the total amount of soluble sugars and determined the predominant soluble sugars in leaves. Under optimal irrigation, elevated CO2 increased the proportion of hexoses in pearl millet that was not inoculated with AMF, thus improving the quality of this plant material for bioethanol production. By contrast, elevated CO2 decreased the levels of proteins in leaves, thus limiting the quality of pearl millet as fodder and primary source for cattle feed

Interactional effects of climate change factors on the water status, photosynthetic rate, and metabolic regulation in peach

Environmental stress factors caused by climate change affect plant growth and crop production, and pose a growing threat to sustainable agriculture, especially for tree crops. In this context, we sought to investigate the responses to climate change of two Prunus rootstocks (GF677 and Adesoto) budded with Catherina peach cultivar. Plants were grown in 15 L pots in temperature gradient greenhouses for an 18 days acclimation period after which six treatments were applied: [CO2 levels (400 versus 700 mol mol-1), temperature (ambient versus ambient + 4°C), and water availability (well irrigated versus drought)]. After 23 days, the effects of stress were evaluated as changes in physiological and biochemical traits, including expression of relevant genes. Stem water potential decreased under drought stress in plants grafted on GF677 and Adesoto rootstocks; however, elevated CO2 and temperature affected plant water content differently in both combinations. The photosynthetic rate of plants grafted on GF677 increased under high CO2, but decreased under high temperature and drought conditions. The photosynthetic rates of plants grafted onto Adesoto were only affected by drought treatment. Furthermore, in GF677-Catherina plants, elevated CO2 alleviated the effect of drought, whereas in those grafted onto Adesoto, the same condition produced acclimation in the rate. Stomatal conductance decreased under high CO2and drought stress in both graftedrootstocks, and the combination of these conditions improved water-use efficiency.Changes in the sugar content in scion leaves and roots were significantly differentunder the stress conditions in both combinations. Meanwhile, the expression of mostof the assessed genes was significantly affected by treatment. Regarding genotypes,GF677 rootstock showed more changes at the molecular and transcriptomic level thandid Adesoto rootstock. A coordinated shift was found between the physiological statusand the transcriptomic responses. This study revealed adaptive responses to climatechange at the physiological, metabolic, and transcriptomic levels in twoPrunusrootstocks budded with 'Catherina'. Overall, these results demonstrate the resilient capacity andplasticity of these contrasting genotypes, which can be further used to combat ongoingclimate changes and support sustainable peach production

Parrel, vinífera aragonesa de la depresión del Ebro. Adaptación a terroir semiáridos de cultivo

En el marco del proyecto VALOVITIS (Programa POCTEFA 2014-2020) de identificación y evaluación de variedades minoritarias en el Piedemonte Pirenaico, se está trabajando y sometiendo a estudio la variedad PARREL. Tras los resultados obtenidos en sucesivas campañas de vendimia y vinificación semi-industrial, la variedad Parrel destaca como una de las variedades autóctonas de la región de Aragón con mayor potencial para su posterior desarrollo comercial atendiendo a sus propiedades agronómicas, enológicas a su resistencia a enfermedades como el oídio y a su capacidad de adaptación a condiciones climáticas continentales caracterizadas por elevadas oscilaciones térmicas a lo largo del año

Prospecting the resilience of several Spanish ancient varieties of red grape under climate change scenarios

Background: Climate change results in warmer air temperatures and an uncertain amount and distribution of annual precipitations, which will directly impact rainfed crops, such as the grapevine. Traditionally, ancient autochthones grapevine varieties have been substituted by modern ones with higher productivity. However, this homogenization of genotypes reduces the genetic diversity of vineyards which could make their ability to adapt to challenges imposed by future climate conditions difficult. Therefore, this work aimed to assess the response of four ancient grapevine varieties to high temperatures under different water availabilities, focusing on plant water relations, grape technological and phenolic maturity, and the antioxidant capacity of the must. Methods: The study was conducted on fruit-bearing cuttings grown in pots in temperature-gradient greenhouses. A two-factorial design was established where two temperature regimes, ambient and elevated (ambient + 4 °C), were combined with two water regimes, full irrigation and post-veraison deficit irrigation, during fruit ripening. Results: There were significant differences among the ancient varieties regarding plant water relations and fruit quality. Conclusion: This research underlines the importance of evaluating the behavior of ancient grapevine varieties that could offer good options for the adaptation of viticulture to future climate condition