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Ficus carica Linn. is an important economic tree species with high developmental prospects and scientific research for edible and medicinal value. The F. carica chloroplast genome has recently been reported; however, the mitochondrial genome is still unexplored. We assembled the complete mitogenome of F. carica using reads from PacBio Biosciences sequencing platforms. The circular mitogenome F. carica has a length of 480,902 base pairs (bp), which contain 46 genes, including 27 protein-coding genes, 16 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The base composition, codon usage, sequence repeats, RNA editing, and selective pressure were examined. We also conducted the phylogenetic analysis based on the mitogenomes of F. carica and 21 other taxa to know the evolutionary and taxonomic status of F. carica. Our analyses provided comprehensive information on the F. carica mitochondrial genome, which would facilitate evolutionary research in other fruit trees in the future.
The study here aimed to investigate the effects of pre-winter ditching and freezing-thawing on soil microbial structure in different soil layers of old apple orchards. A total of 30 samples were obtained from 3 Nov. 2016 to 9 Mar. 2017. The relative abundance, alpha diversity, community structure of fungi, and the relationship between environmental factors and microbial community structure were analyzed, and the greenhouse experiments were used for further verification. Results showed that the number of actinomycete and total bacterial colonies decreased, whereas the number of fungi sustained decreased, resulting in a higher bacteria/fungi ratio. The percentage of Fusarium initially decreased, then later increased by 11.38%, 3.469%, 2.35%, 2.29%, and 3.09%. However, Fusarium levels were still 9% lower on 9 Mar. 2017 that on 3 Nov. 2016. Both the abundance and diversity of the community were higher in the upper soil than in the lower. The main environmental factor contributing to the percentage of Fusarium change was average temperature (AT), although highest temperature (HT) and water content (WC) also had an impact. The Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings growing in lower soil were more vigorous than that in upper soil. In sum, pre-winter ditching and freezing-thawing in old apple orchards can reduce the abundance percentage of harmful Fusarium and promote the growth of M. hupehensis Rehd. seedlings.
Salt-affected soils may retard plant growth and cause metabolic alterations. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of salinity in deep soil on root growth and metabolic changes of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Tall fescue seeds (cv. Houndog V) were planted in polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubes (9 cm diameter × 45 cm long) for 2 months with three treatments of growth substances: (1) control, filled with peat-sand mixtures for full tubes (40 cm height, sand:organic fertilizers = 7:3, w/w); (2) T20, 20 cm saline soil covered with 20 cm organic fertilizers and sand; (3) T30, 30 cm saline soil covered with 10 cm organic fertilizers and sand. Turf quality and vertical shoot growth rate (VSGR) significantly decreased in T30, but not for T20, when compared with the control. Salinity in deep soil obviously inhibited the root growth as indicated by the lower root length, root projected area, root diameter, root fresh, and dry weight, but increased the level of amino acids (Asp, Glu, Ser, Gly, etc.) and soluble sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose). Root activity in top layer (0–10 cm) of saline soil increased while decreased in deeper layer (20–40 cm) when compared with the control. The increase of root activity and free amino acids in roots from upper layer and the accumulation of soluble sugars in roots from deeper soil layer under salinity conditions were the adaptive responses and regulative mechanisms that for supporting the above-ground plant growth in tall fescue when exposed to deep soil salinity conditions. These results also suggested that a 20 cm of improved mixture of organic fertilizers with sand on the top of saline soil could be sufficient to supply basic space for the normal growth of turfgrass with regular spray irrigation.
Apple replant disease (ARD) has been reported in all major fruit-growing regions of the world and is often caused by biotic factors (pathogen fungi) and abiotic factors (phenolic compounds). Soil chemical fumigation can kill soil pathogenic fungi; however, the traditionally used fumigant methyl bromide has been banned because of its ozone-depleting effects. There is thus a need to identify greener fumigant candidates. We characterized the effects of different fumigants on the replanted soil environment and the growth characteristics of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. All five experimental treatments [treatment 1 (T1), metham-sodium; treatment 2 (T2), dazomet; treatment 3 (T3), calcium cyanamide; treatment 4 (T4), 1,3-dichloropropene; and treatment 5 (T5), methyl bromide] promoted significantly the biomass, root growth, and root respiration rate of M. hupehensis seedlings and the ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3 –-N) contents of replanted soil. Metham sodium (T1) and dazomet (T2) had stronger effects compared with 1,3-dichloropropene (T4) and calcium cyanamide (T3). At 172 days after T1, the height, root length, and root respiration rate of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings, and the NH4 +-N and NO3 –-N contents of replanted soil increased by 91.64%, 97.67%, 69.78%, 81.98%, and 27.44%, respectively, compared with the control. Thus, dazomet and metham sodium were determined to be the optimal fumigants for use in practical applications.
The relationship between soil texture and the degree of apple replant disease (ARD) was analyzed from the perspective of the microbial community structure and diversity within the rhizosphere soil of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. Three different textured soils were taken from different apple orchards in Laizhou, Yantai. The soils were divided into two parts, one was kept in replanted conditions, and the other was fumigated with methyl bromide to act as a high standard control. The strength of ARD occurrence was examined by measuring fresh and dry weight suppression (%) of the M. hupehensis seedlings. Differences in the fungal community structure (especially in Fusarium) among the three soil texture types were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that replanted loam clay soil had the highest fungal diversity, followed by sandy loam soil and finally loam soil. The richness of fungi between soil textures, however, was not significantly different. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Fusarium was 1.96%, 0.78%, and 10.89% in replanted sandy loam, replanted loam soil, and replanted loam clay soil, respectively. Moreover, the gene copy number of Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and the inhibition rate of fresh weight of M. hupehensis seedlings were the same in the three soil textures. The plant height, photosynthesis (net) (Pn), and stomatal conductance (g S) of the M. hupehensis seedlings were significantly less in the replanted soil compared with the control treatments, with the overall difference being greatest in replanted loam clay soil, followed by replanted sandy loam and then replanted loam soil.