Genetic & Breeding·Germplasm Resources·Molecular Biology

• Investigation of the Causes of Seedlessness in‘Gongshui Baiyou’Pummelo
• HU Yu, CAO Zonghong, SUN Yi, LIU Cong, WEN Hao, LIU Huimin, ZHENG Xin, XU Mengmeng, JIANG Xiangdong, ZHANG Youhe, LI Guanghao, YE Junli, DENG Xiuxin, XIE Zongzhou, and CHAI Lijun,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 1-12. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0246
• Abstract ( 119 ) HTML ( 42 ) PDF (5903KB) ( 42 ) 　　　
• The seedlessness cause of‘Gongshui Baiyou’pummelo was investigated through morphological and cytological observations. The results showed that both the female and male gametophytes of‘Gongshui Baiyou’developed normally and were fertile. After self-pollination，pollen tube growth stopped at 1/3 of the stigma，showing incompatibility. The fruit setting rates of unpollinated flowers after 7，14，21 and 49 days were 60%，32%，14% and 9%，respectively，and they could develop into seedless fruits，which indicated that they had parthenocarpic ability. Additionally，the sectioning of ovule tissue development in the early stage showed that the embryo sac tissue of seedless‘Gongshui Baiyou’began to shrink 21 days after emasculation. Its cross with‘Shatianyou’and‘Gongshui Baiyou’pummelos showed affinity and could contain full and normal seeds. In conlution，both self-incompatibility and parthenocarpy are the main reasons for the formation of seedless fruit of‘Gongshui Baiyou’.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Effects of Four Pear Species and Their Biological Characteristics on the Oviposition of Pear Psylla
• GAO Xin, ZHAO Longlong, YU Qiang, JI Jiayue, WEI Jie, LU Haoyue, WEI Mingfeng, and MA Ruiyan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 13-24. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0139
• Abstract ( 53 ) HTML ( 25 ) PDF (938KB) ( 25 ) 　　　
• In this study，a total of 71 pear varieties of Pyrus bretschneideri，P. pyrifolia，P. ussuriensis and P. communis were selected to study the relationship between pear tree phenological periods，cultivars，the number of bud scale scars，the leaf margin serration and egg-laying amount of pear psylla（Cacopsylla chinensis）. The results indicated that the average egg-laying amount of winter form pear psylla in leaf expansion period was significantly higher than that in sprouting and flowering periods. There was no significant difference in egg-laying amount among different cultivars during the sprouting and flowering period. But in the leaf expansion period，the egg-laying amount on P. pyrifolia and P. bretschneideri was significantly higher than that on P. ussuriensis and P. communis. Except for P. communis，the number of bud scale scars of the other 3 species was positively correlated with the egg-laying amount of winter form pear psylla. The summer form pear psylla mainly oviposited on P. bretschneideri and P. pyrifolia，and their egg-laying amounts were significantly higher than that on P. ussuriensis and P. communis. The summer form pear psylla prefer to oviposited on the serration and surface of leaves，and it laid the least amount of eggs in the petiole. The egg-laying amount of summer form pear psylla was a significant correlated with the angle of leaf margin serration. And the egg-laying amount was largest when the serration angle was 20°–40° and 101°–120°. While the density of serration and leaf glossiness had relatively little effects on the egg-laying amount of pear psylla. It demonstrated that，some biological characteristics of pear trees obviously affected the oviposition of pear psylla. In the growing period of pear trees，different species of pear trees and the angle of leaf margin serration both had obvious effects on oviposition of summer form pear psylla. For winter form pear psylla，the pear species had relatively little effect on its oviposition and the number of bud scale scars was the key factors affecting its oviposition.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Functional Analysis of AcRhoGAP in Kiwifruit in Response to Psa Infection
• SU Yanshan, YANG Yiting, YANG Xiaoya, TANG Rongxia, and XI Dehui
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 25-36. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0179
• Abstract ( 49 ) HTML ( 18 ) PDF (2758KB) ( 18 ) 　　　
• As one of the regulatory factors of small G proteins，Rho GTPase-activating protein（RhoGAP）have been reported to play important roles in plant growth and development，cytoskeleton regulation，and signal transduction. However，their function in plant disease resistance response is still largely unknown. This article explores the role of AcRhoGAP（A RhoGAP gene in Actinidia chinensis Planch.）in plant response to Psa（Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae）infection using A. chinensis and Nicotiana benthamiana as materials and Agrobacterium mediated transient overexpression method. The results showed that Psa infection induced up-regulation of AcRhoGAP expression in kiwifruit leaves，and leaves with transient overexpression of AcRhoGAP were more susceptible to Psa infection，resulting in more severe damage to the membrane system. In N. benthamiana，the CFU of Psa in AcRhoGAP transient overexpression leaves is higher，the content of reactive oxygen species is reduced，the membrane system is more severely damaged，and the expression of defense related hormone pathway marker genes changes. Taken together，AcRhoGAP may be a negatively factor in the response of kiwifruit to Psa infection.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Identification of VaSR Gene Family in Vitis amurensis，Verification of Cold Resistance Function of VaSR1 and Screening of Interacting Proteins
• LIANG Guoping, ZENG Baozhen, LIU Ming, BIAN Zhiyuan, CHEN Baihong, and MAO Juan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 37-50. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0109
• Abstract ( 13 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (4732KB) ( 1 ) 　　　
• To investigate the cold-resistance function of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor（SR）in grapevine，the present study selected VaSR1 from the transcriptome data of the phloem of branches treated with various temperature periods during the low-temperature dormancy period of Vitis amurensis Rupr.，and performed cloning，identification of cold-resistant functions，and screening of interacting proteins. Thirteen VaSR family members with the conserved functional domain RRM_SF superfamily were identified from the genome database of V. amurensis. Phylogenetic and collinearity analysis revealed that the majority of the members of the VaSRs were clustered into the SC subfamily and were closely related to the SR proteins of apple. The cold tolerance function of VaSR1 was verified，and the freezing survival rate of transgenic Arabidopsis plants was significantly lower than that of the wild type；the soluble sugar content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes and amylase in the leaf of transgenic plants were significantly lower than those of the wild type after 4 ℃ cold stress，while the starch content was significantly increased；the yeast two-hybridization elucidated that VaU1SNRNP and VaCYP63 were the intercalating proteins of VaSR1 with the ability to promote precursor mRNA splicing and involved in regulating polyadenylation of related genes in cells. Collectively，VaSR1 overexpression reduced amylase activity in transgenic plants，leading to a reduction in soluble sugar content in the leaves and attenuating the low-temperature tolerance of the plants. Furthermore，the presence of VaU1SNRNP and VaCYP63 in mountain grapes was capable of interacting with VaSR1.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Studies on the Efficiency of GRFs/GIFs for Genetic Transformation and Regeneration in Grapevine
• LI Min, LI Siyu, SHI Zihan, CHEN Shuang, XU Yan, and LIU Guotian
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 51-65. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0077
• Abstract ( 92 ) HTML ( 60 ) PDF (7987KB) ( 60 ) 　　　
• In order to study the effect of GRF/GIF family genes on the efficiency of genetic transformation and regeneration，10 VvGRF and 4 VvGIF genes were identified in grape genome. VvGRF contains family conserved domains WRC and QLQ，VvGIF contains conserved domains SNH and QG. The regeneration of tobacco overexpressing VvGRF and VvGIF after one month of cultivation was significantly better than that the empty control. VvGRF8-GIF2 and VvGRF4-GIF2 are overexpressed in tobacco，and the regeneration efficiency is as high as 73.58% and 65.05%，which is 2.4–2.7 times that of control. Overexpression of rVvGRF8-GIF2（VvGRF8-GIF2 after mutation of miR396 binding target site）showed the best regeneration efficiency，reaching 83.43%，which was 3.1 times that of control. Compared with the overexpression transformation of VvGRF8-GIF2 chimera，the promotion effect of constructed VvGRF8，VvGIF2 homologous chimera VvGRF4-GIF2，VvGRF5-GIF2 and VvGRF8-GIF3 after overexpression is relatively weak. According to the experimental results，VvGRF8 and VvGIF2 can improve the regeneration efficiency of plant genetic transformation.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Analysis of the Diversity of Banana Streak Virus Infecting Bananas in South China Using Metagenomic Sequencing
• CHEN Huazhou, LIU Runpei, LU Yongsi, and RAO Xueqin
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 66-72. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0108
• Abstract ( 40 ) HTML ( 14 ) PDF (845KB) ( 14 ) 　　　
• Macrogenomic sequencing was used to analyze virus infecting bananas in South China，and 16 different viruses were found，most of them belonging to the genus Badnavirus of the family Caulimoviridae. Among these，seven were banana streak virus（BSV）. To confirm the findings of macrogenomic sequencing，immunocaptured PCR（IC-PCR）was used. The results indicated that five BSVs were identified，namely banana streak OL virus（BSOLV），banana streak GF virus（BSGFV），banana streak MY virus（BSMYV），banana streak IM virus（BSIMV），and banana streak VN virus（BSVNV）. The nucleotide sequences of these viruses amplified by IC-PCR showed greater than 93% identity with the corresponding viral sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that these BSVs belonged to Clade I and were episomal. Additionally，BSOLV，BSGFV，BSMYV，BSIMV，and BSVNV were detected in 41 banana samples from Guangdong by IC-PCR，and BSOLV was identified as the dominant BSV.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Mechanistic Studies on SlBON1-Regulated Plant Vegetative Growth in Tomato
• LI Rui, WANG Wen, DU Minghui, LIU Genzhong, MA Fangfang, and BAO Zhilong
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 73-87. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0632
• Abstract ( 44 ) HTML ( 22 ) PDF (4409KB) ( 22 ) 　　　
• BONZAI1（BON1）is a conserved calcium-dependent，plasma membrane-binding Copine protein，which is important in regulating plant growth and development. Tomato BON1 homolog（SlBON1）has 66.84% protein sequence similarity to Arabidopsis BON1. Crispr-Cas9 technology was utilized to generate two SlBON1 knockout mutants cr6 and cr8，which have 61-nucleotide missing and one-nucleotide insertion，respectively. The SlBON1 knockout mutants have the stunted growth of both aboveground and underground tissues，decreased endoreduplication in hypocotyls，reduced net photosynthetic rate，and increased starch accumulation in leaves compared to the wild type. Transcriptome analysis reveal that SlBON1 knockout mutants had a number of differentially expressed genes，in which hormone signaling pathway，MAPK signaling pathway and cell cycle regulation pathway are enriched. Taken together，the study suggest that SlBON1 plant hormone metabolism，modulates cell cycle and photosynthesis to promote tomato vegetative growth.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Development of Whole-Genome SNP Markers of Eggplant
• XIAO Xi’ou, NIE Heng, LIN Wenqiu, and WU Caiyu
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 88-100. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0586
• Abstract ( 67 ) HTML ( 34 ) PDF (4181KB) ( 34 ) 　　　
• Eggplant（Solanum melongena L.）is one of the important vegetables in the Solanaceae family in China. It has a very rich genetic diversity，and accurate evaluation of eggplant germplasm resources is the basis for using eggplant germplasm resources. In this study，the resequencing data of 40 eggplant germplasm resources were used to screen 268 SNPs for the development of PARMS-SNP （penta-primer amplification refractory mutation，five-prime amplification refractory mutation system） markers，and finally successfully obtained 120 original PARMS-SNP markers. Using 120 SNP markers for gene typing of 224 high-generation self-crossing lines of eggplant，the population structure，PCA （principal component analysis），and genetic tree results showed that the 224 materials could be divided into two groups. At the same time，48 core PARMS-SNP markers were selected based on the PIC（polymorphic information content）value，and a fingerprint map that can distinguish between 224 materials was constructed.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Cloning and Functional Verification of SmWRKY4 Gene in Cold Tolerance of Solanum melongena
• YANG Yan, LIU Jun, ZHOU Xiaohui, LIU Songyu, and ZHUANG Yong,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 101-110. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0880
• Abstract ( 55 ) HTML ( 26 ) PDF (997KB) ( 26 ) 　　　
• Previous study showed that the expression level of SmWRKY4 was inhibited by cold stress. The full-length sequence of SmWRKY4 was cloned from‘Chengdu Moqie’in this study. Analysis results revealed that the open reading frame of the SmWRKY4 gene was 1 518 bp，encoding 505 amino acids which contained two WRKY domains. Consequently，SmWRKY4 protein belonged to group Ⅰ WRKY transcription factor. SmWRKY4 promoter contained hormone-response elements including MeJA and SA and stress-response elements including oxygen deficit and low temperature. Phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that SmWRKY4 protein was more closely related to its homologous proteins in tomato and potato. Expression pattern analysis showed that SmWRKY4 could respond to ABA，SA，MeJA and cold stress，and was highly expressed in eggplant stem and anther. SmWRKY4 mutation could enhance photosynthesis，reduce cell permeability and improve cold tolerance. These results suggested that SmWRKY4 negatively regulated cold tolerance in eggplant.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Identification of Long Cowpea Lhc Gene Family and Its Expression Analysis Under Salt Stress
• WANG Shanshan, GUO Rui, HE Ling, WU Chunhong, CHEN Chanyou, WAN Heping, and ZHAO Huixia
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 111-122. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0786
• Abstract ( 48 ) HTML ( 20 ) PDF (2228KB) ( 20 ) 　　　
• Light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins（Lhc）can directly affect photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield. To systematically study the characteristics of the Lhc gene family in long cowpea（Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis）and their expression under salt stress，27 Lhc family members were identified from the cowpea genome using Arabidopsis Lhc protein sequences as seed sequences，combined with the conserved domain PF00504. Analyses were conducted on their physicochemical properties，gene structure，phylogenetic relationships，and synteny. The analysis indicated that the VuLhc promoter regions were enriched with light-responsive elements，significantly more than other cis-acting elements. This suggested that the VuLhc gene might be involved in the photoregulation of long cowpea，potentially influencing its growth and development. Additionally，qRT-PCR was employed to examine the expression patterns of 10 VuLhc genes under salt stress，revealing that 9 of them were upregulated，indicating their potential significant role in cowpea’s response to salt stress.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Identification of Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus Variants in Zhejiang and Localization of TGB Proteins
• ZHANG Zixin, CHEN Shuting, ZHOU Weixin, ZHANG Yihan, LU Qian, LI Zhongyi, WU Xinyang, and XU Pei
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 123-135. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0801
• Abstract ( 40 ) HTML ( 9 ) PDF (4900KB) ( 9 ) 　　　
• During the period from October to November 2022，an outbreak of suspected virus-infected common bean occurred in the Qiantang District of Hangzhou City，Zhejiang Province. Subsequent viral genome sequencing and PCR confirmed the presence of cowpea mild mottle virus（CPMMV），cucumber mosaic virus（CMV），milk vetch dwarf virus（MDV）. CPMMV was designated as CPMMV-ZJ（GenBank：OR667247）. By virus identification，genome sequence amplification，phylogenetic analysis and subcellular localization analysis，the sequence structure of CPMMV-ZJ and the localization of the triple gene block proteins（TGB）were elucidated. The genome of CPMMV-ZJ encompassed a total length of 8 226 bp，consisting of six open reading frames. Additionally，both the 3′ and 5′ regions contained non-coding regions（UTRs）of 147 and 75 bp，respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of CPMMV-ZJ revealed the highest sequence identity（98.03%）with the CPMMV Anhui isolate，whereas lower identities（63.71%–82.49%）were observed when comparing to foreign isolates from the United States，India，and Brazil，indicating virus evolution is related to geographical factors. Subcellular localization analysis demonstrated similar localization of TGBs between the Zhejiang and Jiangsu isolates. Notably，overexpression TGB2 of the Zhejiang isolate leads to a clustering of chloroplasts around the nuclei，suggesting its potential involvement in plant defense responses.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Identification of Melon GolS Genes Family and the Expression Analysis in Response to Low Temperature Stress
• HE Dandan, HE Hongtai, WANG Wenting, ZHOU Wenmei, LIU Yanmin, and LIU Sushuang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 136-148. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0111
• Abstract ( 52 ) HTML ( 27 ) PDF (3657KB) ( 27 ) 　　　
• In order to study the characteristics of melon（Cucumis melo L.）GolS family genes and their responses to low temperature stress，members of the melon GolS family of genes were identified using bioinformatics. The chromosomal locations，evolutionary relationships，genetic structure，promoters，cis-acting elements，tissue-specific expressions and expression patterns under low temperature stress were predicted using bioinformatics. After exhaustive analysis，12 CmGolS genes were successfully identified and found to be unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. The analyses of phylogenetic showed that these genes were divided into 5 groups. Physicochemical analysis showed that all CmGolS proteins were hydrophilic proteins. The CmGolS genes were highly conserved and they have 2–5 introns. These genes contain conserved motifs“DxD”“HxxGxxKPW”and many cis-acting elements，which related to stress and hormones such as gibberellin，auxin and abscisic acid. In addition CmGolS genes have tissue specific expressions，most of them are expressed in male flowers. And the relative expression of most of them showa significant up-regulation trend under low temperature stress that indicated CmGolS genes can actively participate in the processes of responding to low temperature stress.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Development of Distinctness，Uniformity and Stability Test Guidelines for New Cultivars of Paphiopedilum
• CHEN Xingyu, WANG Li, GE Hong, ZHAO Xin, KOU Yaping, ZHAO Yue, YANG Shuhua, and JIA Ruidong
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 149-159. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0102
• Abstract ( 55 ) HTML ( 14 ) PDF (1065KB) ( 14 ) 　　　
• Paphiopedilum is a genus of high ornamental value，recognized as a high-grade flower in the international flower market. The genus is rich in germplasm resources，with considerable breeding potential and broad industrial prospects. However，guidelines for the DUS（Distinctness，Uniformity and Stability）test of Paphiopedilum are not available in UPOV（International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants），Japan or China. According to the relevant national standards in China and considering the status of Paphiopedilum resources，breeding advancements，and the current level of industrial development，56 Paphiopedilum materials were gathered and tested. A total of 64 test characteristics were identified，including 37 basic characteristics and 27 optional characteristics，as well as 5 grouping characteristics and 11 standard cultivars.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Cloning，Expression and Functional Identification of CpBEAT Gene in Chimonanthus praecox
• WANG Feilong, LIANG Qianyan, SHANG Junzhong, CHEN Longqing, and XIANG Lin,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 160-170. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0008
• Abstract ( 41 ) HTML ( 15 ) PDF (4408KB) ( 15 ) 　　　
• In this study，the contents of benzyl alcohol and benzyl acetate in the tepals were determined from flower of Chimonanthus praecox at five developmental stages by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry（HS–SPME–GC–MS）. These results showed that the content of benzyl alcohol and benzyl acetate continued to increase along with the development of flowers，and the highest content was in full flowering stage flower. The sequence of CpBEAT was cloned from C. praecox and the GenBank accession number was OQ503489. CpBEAT contained an open reading frame of 1 392 bp encoding a putative protein of 463 amino acids. The expression level of CpBEAT showed a trend of rising during the flower development. The expression pattern was consistent with the volatilization of benzyl acetate in the five stages of flower development. CpBEAT could synthesize benzyl acetate under the condition of external substrate benzyl alcohol in transgenic plants. The promoter sequence of CpBEAT was also cloned. A dual luciferase assay showed that CpMYC2 positively regulated transcription activity on the CpBEAT promoter.
• Related Articles | Metrics

Cultivation·Physiology & Biochemistry

• Physiological Changes Associated with Early Watercore in‘Orin’Apples
• SHI Xingxiu, FENG Beibei, YAN Peng, GENG Wenjuan, and Jumazira Sharshanmukhan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 171-184. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0891
• Abstract ( 51 ) HTML ( 30 ) PDF (1346KB) ( 30 ) 　　　
• To investigate changes in cell membrane integrity and the content and distribution of intracellular sugar fractions，reactive oxygen species metabolism and osmoregulatory substance content during the development of early watercore disease in‘Orin’apple fruits，and to analyse the changes in the expression of sorbitol transporter metabolism genes MdSDH and MdSOT. The results showed that the incidence of early watercore increased with fruit growth and higher ambient temperatures，and that early watercore may be associated with high temperatures. After the occurrence of watercore，the sorbitol content of vesicles，cytoplasm and intercellular space was higher than that of fructose and glucose；the permeability of vesicle membrane was significantly correlated with the sorbitol content of each organelle，the sorbitol content was always higher，the fructose content was decreased significantly；the permeability of vesicle membrane and cell membrane to different sugars was different；the content of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide was significantly elevated compared with that of the watercore-free tissue（4.65% and 20.83% higher），the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as POD，SOD and CAT were significantly reduced，MDA content and relative conductivity were significantly increased，and the level of membrane peroxidation was serious，but the vacuole membrane and cell membrane still maintained a certain degree of permeability；the expression of MdSOT4 was significantly increased，and it was speculated that it might be an important regulator of sorbitol transport as well as metabolism in the tissue of the watercore. Early watercore symptoms can disappear with lower temperatures in October，further suggesting that high temperatures are associated with watery heart occurrence.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Intercropping of Allium，Mustard，and Alfalfa on the Growth Performance and Soil Environment of Replant Soil-Cultivated Peach Plants
• DU Haowei, LIAO Wei, HUANG Xue, YANG Jinzhi, SHEN Wanqi, ZHANG Dongmei, LIU Junwei, and LI Guohuai
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 185-199. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0985
• Abstract ( 34 ) HTML ( 31 ) PDF (4372KB) ( 31 ) 　　　
• To explore the feasibility of using intercropping to mitigate peach replant problem，peach seedlings grown in replanted soil were intercropped with onion，shallot，garlic，Chinese leek，mustard，and alfalfa for 90 days. After this period，the growth characteristics and physiological-biochemical indices of peach seedlings were measured，alongside changes in soil physicochemical properties，enzyme activity and microbial community. Results showed that，except for mustard，intercropping with all other crops improved peach seedlings growth，with garlic having the most significant effect. Garlic intercropping significantly increased seedlings height，stem diameter，leaf number，leaf area，chlorophyll content，aboveground and root biomass，and promoted root growth. Additionally，it increased soil organic matter， available potassium，soil urease，catalase and invertase activity，as well as the abundance of beneficial bacteria like Streptomyces and fungi like Clitopilus，while reducing the abundance of predicted plant pathogenic fungi. In summary，intercropping suitable crops can alleviate peach replant problem by regulating soil microbial community structure，optimizing replanted soil environment，and promoting plant growth. Garlic，in particular，showed the most prominent effects. Thus，intercropping or rotating garlic in peach orchards or in the renewal of old orchards holds potential as an effective strategy for alleviating peach replant problem.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Status of Cadmium Pollution in the Main Citrus Producing Areas of Hunan Province and the Effects of Cadmium Stress on Citrus Development
• YANG Jinlei, LÜ Biwen, CHEN Yuewen, JIN Yan, YANG Junfeng, ZHOU Tie, TANG Jun, CHANG Yuanyuan, YANG Changyao, and LU Xiaopeng,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 200-212. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0717
• Abstract ( 44 ) HTML ( 4 ) PDF (1767KB) ( 4 ) 　　　
• To investigate the soil cadmium（Cd）pollution of Hunan citrus production areas，and reveal the effects of soil Cd pollution on the development of citrus plant，this study aims to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of Cd pollution in citrus production areas. Firstly，the soil pH，organic matters and Cd content in the main citrus producing areas of Hunan Province and Changsha-Zhuzhou- Xiangtan（Changzhutan）area were determined. Meanwhile，the Cd content in fruits of‘Juxiangzao’ Satsuma mandarin（Citrus unshiu Marc）and‘Newhall’navel orange（C. sinensis Osbeck）were also evaluated. And then，three-year-old‘Juxiangzao’Satsuma mandarin and‘Newhall’ navel orange trees were treated with different concentration of CdCl2 • 2H2O（1.0，1.5，3.0 and 10.0 mg • kg-1）after which the physiological and biochemical changes of plants under Cd stress were analyzed. Afterward，the citrus rootstocks，trifoliate orange（Poncirus trifoliata）and Carrizo citrange（C. sinensis × P. trifoliata），were subjected to Cd stress by using 50 mg • L-1 CdCl2 • 2H2O and the Cd tolerance of these two rootstocks were observed. According to the 278 soil samples in which 201 samples were from the main citrus producing areas and 77 samples were from Changzhutan area，soil acidification（pH < 5.5）occurred in 70.5% of citrus orchards，and 48.56% orchards were with optimum soil organic matter（20.0 to 30.0 g • kg-1）. Among them，the Cd contents in 93.03% orchard soils from the main citrus producing area were lower than the environmental soil quality standard（< 0.3 mg • kg-1），but Cd contents in 71.43% orchard soils from Changzhutan area exceeded the standard. In the 55 orchards with Cd polluted soil，the Cd contents in the edible part of citrus fruits（43 Satsuma mandarin and 12‘Newhall’navel orange）were all lower than the national food safety standard（< 0.05 mg • kg-1）. With the Cd treatments for‘Juxiangzao’ Satsuma mandarin and‘Newhall’navel orange trees，the root neck thickness，plant height and chlorophyll showed no significant difference with the control，while the fruit size was significantly impaired relative to the control. Cadmium accumulation varied greatly among plant organs，with a sequential decrease in root，stem，leaf and pulp. Further，the damage of soil Cd pollution to citrus plant was detected after long-term stress. After being subjected to cadmium stress for 180 days，the leaf MDA，Pro，and POD activities increased significantly. After Cd stress treatment（50 mg • L-1 CdCl2 • 2H2O），the leaves of trifoliate orange were reddish and detached，while that of Carrizo citrange showed no significant difference to the control. The results above indicate that most of citrus orchards in the main citrus producing areas of Hunan Province are not polluted by Cd，but the serious pollution is found in Changzhutan area. Citrus fruits produced from the orchard with 0.30 to 7.46 mg • kg-1 soil Cd meet the national standard for food safety. Soil Cd is mainly accumulated in the root of citrus trees，and the tree exhibits the weak ability of Cd transportation to the above-ground. Under Cd stress，Carrizo citrange has better Cd tolerance relative to trifoliate orange.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• Influence of Different Sowing Dates on the Quality of Vegetable Soybeans
• ZHANG Shiqi, HUANG Lu, CHENG Xi, ZHANG Xiaoyan, YUAN Yuting, HOU Yichen, DAI Dongqing, XIA Xiudong, YUAN Xingxing, CHEN Xin, ZHU Yuelin, and XUE Chenchen,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 213-228. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-1029
• Abstract ( 35 ) HTML ( 21 ) PDF (1931KB) ( 21 ) 　　　
• In this study，the effects of different sowing dates on the main qualities of vegetable soybeans were investigated. The cultivars‘Sucheng 4’‘Suxin 6’and‘Xin 3’，which have been popularized in large areas in Jiangsu Province in recent years，were selected as test materials. The effects of different sowing dates（15 April，15 May，15 June）on their nutrient composition（crude protein，crude fat，peptides below 10 kD，free amino acid content，sugar components）and edible quality（taste response value，aroma response value，volatile compounds）of vegetable soybeans were analyzed by the electronic tongue，the electronic nose and the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC–MS）. Results showed that the crude protein content and sucrose content changed in the same trend with the delay of sowing date，showing a trend of increasing and then decreasing. The crude fat content decreased first and then increased，and reached the minimum value under 15 May sowing date. In terms of edible quality，the sweetness and umami response values of the cultivars showed significantly difference under different sowing treatments. Ketones，aldehydes and nitrogenous were detected as main substances by the electronic nose. In addition，GC–MS results showed that hexanal，1-hexanol and 1-octen-3-ol were identified as the main flavor constituents of vegetable soybeans. Affiliation function analysis revealed that the three cultivars had the best combined performance in terms of major quality traits under 15 May sowing period. Correlation analysis showed that sucrose and free amino acid content were positively correlated with e-tongue sweetness response value and umami response value，respectively. In conclusion, sowing in mid-May showed the best quality performance of vegetable soybean cultivars with the highest umami and sweet taste, and the nutritional quality of‘Suxin 6’and the edible quality of‘Sucheng 4’were superior to other cultivars.
• Related Articles | Metrics

Plant Protection

• Identification and Study on Its Biocontrol and Growth Promoting Properties of Bacillus velezensis 1X1Y Against Potato Common Scab
• HUANG Xun, LIU Xia, DENG Linmei, WANG Xingguo, XU Yajin, and YANG Yanli
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 229-246. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0647
• Abstract ( 37 ) HTML ( 24 ) PDF (4379KB) ( 24 ) 　　　
• The strain 1X1Y was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of healthy potato，and it was identified as Bacillus velezensis by morphological characteristics，physiological and biochemical characteristics and multi-gene sequence analysis. The antagonistic strain was screened and its antibacterial activity was verified by the plate confrontation culture method and the inhibition zone method. The culture solution could significantly inhibit the growth of Streptomyces acidiscabies and S. turgidiscabies，and the diameter of inhibition zone was（34.92 ± 0.90）and（35.14 ± 1.56）mm. The relative control effect on scab was 57.52%. It could also significantly inhibit the growth of Phytophthora infestans，Rhizoctonia solani，Alternaria alternata and Colletotrichum coccodes，with inhibition rate of 56.44%–71.47%. The key genes for the synthesis of antimicrobial substances in strain 1X1Y were detected by multiple pairs of specific primers. The strain 1X1Y contains 10 key genes for the synthesis of antimicrobial substances，such as srfAB，bmyB，fenD，bacA，ituC，bioA，beaS，dhbA，dfnA and mycB. The biocontrol and growth-promoting characteristics of extracellular hydrolase，resistance substance content and defense enzyme activity were determined by extracellular enzyme and siderophore production medium，transparent circle method，blood plate，oil discharge and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The strain 1X1Y could secrete protease，β-1,3 glucanase，cellulase，siderophore，lipopeptide and other antibacterial related substances，and could form a complex biofilm structure，which was conducive to colonization in the rhizosphere. At the same time，the plant resistance was enhanced by increasing the soluble protein content of potato and the activities of PAL and PPO defense enzymes and reducing the content of malondialdehyde. In addition，strain 1X1Y has both nitrogen fixation and ACC degradation activity，which can dissolve calcium phosphate，iron phosphate，aluminium phosphate，soybean lecithin，egg yolk lecithin，magnesium carbonate，zinc oxide and other insoluble compounds，and significantly increase potato plant height，chlorophyll relative content，stem diameter and yield per plant.
• Related Articles | Metrics

Review

• The Rapid Development of China’s Chili Pepper Industry Over the Past 40 Years
• ZOU Xuexiao, YANG Sha, DAI Xiongze, HU Bowen, XU Hao, ZHU Fan, PEI Songyu, and YUAN Fang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 247-258. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0805
• Abstract ( 22 ) HTML ( 9 ) PDF (786KB) ( 9 ) 　　　
• In the early 1980s，the annual chili pepper cultivation area was less than 266 700 hm2 in China. After two decades of development，the area reached 1 333 300 hm2 by 2000，reached 21 466 700 hm2 in 2015，maintaining stability and becoming the largest vegetable crop in China. Based on production practices and research surveys，the authors review the major trends in the rapid development of China’s chili pepper industry over the past 40 years and outline the future direction.
• Related Articles | Metrics

New Cultivar

• A New Strawberry Cultivar‘Chunsha’
• YIN Tao, DONG Junxiao, SHAO Yongchun, ZHANG Cuiling, ZHANG Ruifen, HOU Junhe, LI Shaoxuan, YU Fushun, LIU Fangxin, and SUN Hongtao
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 259-260. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0660
• Abstract ( 67 ) HTML ( 32 ) PDF (3433KB) ( 32 ) 　　　
• ‘Chunsha’is a new strawberry cultivar derived from a cross between‘Camarosa’（female parent）and‘Akihime’（male parent）. The fruit is long conical with red peel，good surface with bright luster and less deformed fruits. The flesh and pith is yellow. The average weight of the fruits on the first-order is 36 g，the largest fruit is 46 g. The fruit tastes is sweet with some sour. The contents of soluble solids are 12.8%. The planting time is in early September in Qingdao，Shandong Province，and then the fruits begin ripeness in December. The yield is 43 500 kg • hm-2.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• A New Brassica juncea Cultivar for Edible Stems‘Yuya 702’
• LI Guoliang, ZHANG Shifan, LI Fei, ZHANG Hui, SUN Rifei, and ZHANG Shujiang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 261-262. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0294
• Abstract ( 41 ) HTML ( 17 ) PDF (1061KB) ( 17 ) 　　　
• ‘Yuya 702’is first new Brassica juncea F1 hybrid cultivar for edible stems in China，which is crossed from the cytoplasmic male sterile line 2003031 and the inbred line 2003033. The cultivar has a short growth period，and can be harvested after 35 d of planting. The moss stems are thick，less fiber，good taste，excellent quality，antiviral disease and downy mildew，and yields reaching 22.5 tons per hectare. It is suitable to be planted in Beijing，Ningxia，Gansu，Hubei，Yunnan，Guizhou，Sichuan，Shaanxi，Guangdong，Guangxi，Zhejiang，and Fujian Provinces of China.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• A New Agapanthus praecox Cultivar‘Xingshuo’
• CAO Chunyan, WANG Chengzhong, GU Guohai, LI Shoutian, YIN Yuansen, and ZHANG Yan,
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 263-264. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0396
• Abstract ( 43 ) HTML ( 11 ) PDF (1267KB) ( 11 ) 　　　
• ‘Xingshuo’is a new cultivar bred from the seedlings of Agapanthus praecox. The plant height is low，and the leaves are bicolumnar basal，broadly striated. The diameter of the umbel is 18–20 cm，with 136–160 small flower；The RHS colorimetric values of perianth segments were 91C，and the RHS colorimetric values in the medial and marginal areas of perianth lobes were 91A and 91C，respectively；Stamens are numerous，slightly protruding perianth segments，Stigma equal to anther height，odorless. The flowering period is in mid-June. It is suitable for cultivation in protected areas in southern and central Jiangsu，China.
• Related Articles | Metrics

• A New Syringa vulgaris Cultivar‘Ziyi’
• LIU Jianbin and ZHANG Yan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2025, 52(1): 265-266. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2021-0725
• Abstract ( 38 ) HTML ( 28 ) PDF (1228KB) ( 28 ) 　　　
• The new Syringa vulgaris cultivar‘Ziyi’is selected from the natural hybrid seedling of S. vulgaris‘Downfield’. The flowers are double petal with light purple（RHS，purple group N77 B），the young leaves and shoots are all purple red（RHS，purple group N77A），the initial flowering period starts from April 10–12 and ends on April 25 on Beijing plain region，the color of spring leaves can last for 40–50 days. ‘Ziyi’preformed high ornamental value，robust adaptability，drought，poor soils and cold resistance .‘Ziyi’is suitable for planting in most parts of North China and Northeast China.
• Related Articles | Metrics