The Organic Amendment Improve the Yield and Quality of Vegetable

Using biotechnology, we can change agricultural wastes into high‐quality organic fertilizers, which leads us in the direction of the development in modern agriculture and act as substitute to the chemical fertilizers. In this chapter, five types of technologies of organic amendment are elaborated. Each method can be selected based on the specific circumstance. The effects of the technology in the production are introduced and the principles of the technologies are explained in a simple manner

Fine mapping and cloning of the sterility gene Bra2Ms in non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis)

The application of a male-sterile line is an ideal approach for hybrid seed production in non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying male sterility in B. rapa are still largely unclear. We previously obtained the natural male sterile line WS24-3 of non-heading Chinese cabbage and located the male sterile locus, Bra2Ms, on the A2 chromosome. Cytological observations revealed that the male sterility of WS24-3 resulted from disruption of the meiosis process during pollen formation. Fine mapping of Bra2Ms delimited the locus within a physical distance of about 129 kb on the A2 chromosome of B. rapa. The Bra039753 gene encodes a plant homeodomain (PHD)-finger protein and is considered a potential candidate gene for Bra2Ms. Bra039753 was significantly downregulated in sterile line WS24-3 compared to the fertile line at the meiotic anther stage. Sequence analysis of Bra039753 identified a 369 bp fragment insertion in the first exon in male sterile plants, which led to an amino acid insertion in the Bra039753 protein. In addition, the 369 bp fragment insertion was found to cosegregate with the male sterility trait. This study identified a novel locus related to male sterility in non-heading Chinese cabbage, and the molecular marker obtained in this study will be beneficial for the marker-assisted selection of excellent sterile lines in non-heading Chinese cabbage and other Brassica crops

The effects of short-term, long-term, and reapplication of biochar on the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil

Biochar, a cost-effective amendment, has been reported to play pivotal roles in improving soil fertility and immobilizing soil pollutants due to its well-developed porous structure and tunable functionality. However, the properties of biochar and soils can vary inconsistently after field application. This may affect the remediation of biochar on heavy metal (HM)-contaminated soil being altered. Therefore, we selected lettuce as a model crop to determine the effects of short-term, long-term, and reapplication of biochar on soil physicochemical properties, microbial community, HM bioavailability, and plant toxicity. Our investigation revealed that the long-term application of biochar remarkably improved soil fertility, increased the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria which was highly resistant to HMs, and reduced the abundance of phylum Acidobacteria. These changes in soil properties decreased the accumulation of Cd and Pb in lettuce tissues. The short- and long-term applications of biochar had no substantial effects on biomass, quality, and photosynthesis of lettuce. Moreover, the short-term and reapplication of biochar had no significant effects on soil bacterial communities but decreased the accumulation of Cd and Pb in lettuce tissues. It showed that the changes in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil after long-term application of biochar promoted the remediation of HM-contaminated soil. Furthermore, microbial community compositions varied with metal stress and biochar application, while the relative abundance of the phylum Actinobacteria in HM-contaminated soil with long-term biochar application was markedly higher than in HM-contaminated soil without biochar application

Isolation and Characterization of 13 New Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers in the Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Common Bean) Genome

In this study, 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated from the Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) by using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequence COntaining Repeats (FIASCO) protocol. These markers revealed two to seven alleles, with an average of 3.64 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.055 to 0.721 over 13 loci, with a mean value of 0.492, and 7 loci having PIC greater than 0.5. The expected heterozygosity (HE) and observed heterozygosity (HO) levels ranged from 0.057 to 0.814 and from 0.026 to 0.531, respectively. Cross-species amplification of the 13 prime pairs was performed in its related specie of Vigna unguiculata L. Seven out of all these markers showed cross-species transferability. These markers will be useful for future genetic diversity and population genetics studies for this agricultural specie and its related species