Micropropagation of woody plants and fruit crops constitutes a major success in the commercial application of in vitro cultures. An important aspect to be considered when deriving perennial plants from micropropagation is the maintenance of genetic integrity with regard to the mother plant. In this regard, somaclonal variation has been reported at different levels (morphological, cytological, c...

Major insect pests of fresh-market tomato, Lycopersicon esculentumMiller, in eastern Virginia were identified as those responsible for reducing marketable fruit yield from 1998 through 2000. Nineteen arthropod pest species infested springand fall-grown tomato crops, but only thrips, stink bugs, and Lepidopterans, particularly the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea [Boddie]), reduced yield. Fruit inj...

BACKGROUND Fruit and vegetables have health and nutritional value, but can also be a source of toxic contaminants such as pesticide residues. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate presence of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetable crops from the central and eastern region of Poland in order to check the compliance of these products with the maximum residue levels' (MRLs) requirem...

Pollinators provide an important service in many crops. Managed honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are used to supplement pollination services provided by wild bees with the assumption that they will enhance pollination, fruit set and crop yield beyond the levels provided by the wild bees. Recent declines in managed honey bee populations have stimulated interest in finding alternative managed polli...

Tropical fruit crops are predominantly produced in tropical and subtropical developing countries, but some are now grown in southern Japan. Pineapple (Ananas comosus), mango (Mangifera indica) and papaya (Carica papaya) are major tropical fruits cultivated in Japan. Modern, well-organized breeding systems have not yet been developed for most tropical fruit species. Most parts of Japan are in th...

The ability of some crops to accumulate selenium (Se) is crucial for human nutrition and health. Selenium has been identified as a cofactor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which is a catalyzer in the reduction of peroxides that can damage cells and tissues, and can act as an antioxidant. Plants are the first link in the food chain, which ends with humans. Increasing the Se quantity in pla...

Retrotransposon-based molecular markers are powerful molecular tools. However, these markers are not readily available due to the difficulty in obtaining species-specific retrotransposon primers. Although recent techniques enabling the rapid isolation of retrotransposon sequences have facilitated primer development, this process nonetheless remains time-consuming and costly. Therefore, research...

Seed shattering (or pod dehiscence, or fruit shedding) is essential for the propagation of their offspring in wild plants but is a major cause of yield loss in crops. In the dicot model species, Arabidopsis thaliana, pod dehiscence necessitates a development of the abscission zones along the pod valve margins. In monocots, such as cereals, an abscission layer in the pedicle is required for the ...

microRNAs(miRNAs) play critical regulatory roles mainly through cleaving targeted mRNAs or repressing gene translation during plant developments.Grapevine is amongst the most economically important fruit crops with whole genome available, and the study on grapevine miRNAs(Vv-miRNAs) have also been emphasized. mieroRNAs(miRNAs)Play eritieal regulatory roles mainly through eleaving targeted mRNAs...

Citrus crops are considered to be relatively poor hosts for Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), as for other tephritid species. Australian citrus growers and crop consultants have reported observable differences in susceptibility of different citrus cultivars under commercial growing conditions. In this study we conducted laboratory tests and field surveys to determine susceptib...