Evaluation of Different Combinations of Ornamental Perennials for Sustainable Management in Urban Greening.

Ornamental perennial plants play a strategic role in reducing green areas' management costs, keeping the ground, sparing water, and avoiding weeds. The aim of this research is to evaluate the growing performances of seven combinations of six different ornamental perennial herbaceous species and their role in weed containment under low-maintenance conditions. The experiment was performed for three years (2019-2021) in an open field. The selected species were Hemerocallis "Stella de Oro" (A), Phedimus spurius (M.Bieb.) "t Hart 'John Creech" (B), Tulbaghia violacea Harv. (C), Phlox subulata L. "Trot Pink" (D), Potentilla neumanniana Rchb. (E), and Gaillardia "Kobold" (F). Four replicates for each combination were tested (28 plots, 4 m2 each): AB, CD, EF, AB + CD, AB + EF, CD + EF; AB + CD + EF. No watering or fertilization was performed during the cultivation period. Each year, from April to November, three manual weeding activities were performed and the dry weights of the weeds' aerial parts were measured. The ground cover performance was evaluated through digital image analysis using the mobile device application Canopeo. Dry aerial perennial biomass variations between the end and beginning of the experiment were calculated. As a result, CD showed the best performance for weed containment (0.5 g m-2 weed dry weight in the third year), ground cover (63.1% and 64.3% of plot coverages during the second and third years, respectively), and producing ornamental biomass (4316.8 g m-2). The highest total dry amount of harvested weeds was shown by AB + CD + EF (1114.6 g m-2), demonstrating that combinations with a higher number of species were less efficient in avoiding weeds. The research allowed us to identify the best combinations to always keep the soil covered and to improve the ornamental and environmental values of urban green spaces under low-maintenance regimes.

Sustainable Processing of Floral Bio-Residues of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) for Valuable Biorefinery Products.

Tepals constitute the most abundant bio-residues of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). As they are a natural source of polyphenols with antioxidant properties, they could be processed to generate valuable biorefinery products for applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, becoming a new source of income while reducing bio-waste. Proper storage of by-products is important in biorefining and dehydration is widely used in the herb sector, especially for highly perishable harvested flowers. This study aimed to deepen the phytochemical composition of dried saffron tepals and to investigate whether this was influenced by the extraction technique. In particular, the conventional maceration was compared with the Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE), using different solvents (water and three methanol concentrations, i.e., 20%, 50%, and 80%). Compared to the spice, the dried saffron tepals showed a lower content of total phenolics (average value 1127.94 ± 32.34 mg GAE 100 g-1 DW) and anthocyanins (up to 413.30 ± 137.16 mg G3G 100 g-1 DW), but a higher antioxidant activity, which was measured through the FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays. The HPLC-DAD analysis detected some phenolic compounds (i.e., ferulic acid, isoquercitrin, and quercitrin) not previously found in fresh saffron tepals. Vitamin C, already discovered in the spice, was interestingly detected also in dried tepals. Regarding the extraction technique, in most cases, UAE with safer solvents (i.e., water or low percentage of methanol) showed results of phenolic compounds and vitamin C similar to maceration, allowing an improvement in extractions by halving the time. Thus, this study demonstrated that saffron tepals can be dried maintaining their quality and that green extractions can be adopted to obtain high yields of valuable antioxidant phytochemicals, meeting the requirement for a sustainable biorefining.

Metabarcoding of Soil Fungal Communities Associated with Alpine Field-Grown Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Inoculated with AM Fungi.

Soil fungi strongly influence ecosystem structure and functioning, playing a key role in many ecological services as decomposers, plant mutualists and pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish mutualistic symbiotic associations with plant roots and act as biofertilizers by enhancing plant nutrients and water uptake. Information about the AMF association with Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and their impact on crop performances and spice quality has been increasing in recent years. Instead, there is still little data on the biodiversity of soil microbial communities associated with this crop in the Alpine environments. The aims of this study were to investigate the fungal communities of two Alpine experimental sites cultivated with saffron, and to rank the relative impact of two AMF inocula, applied to soil as single species (R = Rhizophagus intraradices, C. Walker & A. Schüßler) or a mixture of two species (M = R. intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae, C. Walker & A. Schüßler), on the resident fungal communities which might be influenced in their diversity and composition. We used Illumina MiSeq metabarcoding on nuclear ribosomal ITS2 region to characterize the fungal communities associated to Crocus sativus cultivation in two fields, located in the municipalities of Saint Christophe (SC) and Morgex (MG), (Aosta Valley, Italy), treated or not with AMF inocula and sampled for two consecutive years (Y1; Y2). Data analyses consistently indicated that Basidiomycota were particularly abundant in both sites and sampling years (Y1 and Y2). Significant differences in the distribution of fungal taxa assemblages at phylum and class levels between the two sites were also found. The main compositional differences consisted in significant abundance changes of OTUs belonging to Dothideomycetes and Leotiomycetes (Ascomycota), Agaricomycetes and Tremellomycetes (Basidiomycota), Mortierellomycetes and Mucoromycetes. Further differences concerned OTUs, of other classes, significantly represented only in the first or second year of sampling. Concerning Glomeromycota, the most represented genus was Claroideoglomus always detected in both sites and years. Other AMF genera such as Funneliformis, Septoglomus and Microdominikia, were retrieved only in MG site. Results highlighted that neither sites nor inoculation significantly impacted Alpine saffron-field fungal communities; instead, the year of sampling had the most appreciable influence on the resident communities.

Narcea-an unknown, ancient cultivated rose variety from northern Spain.

The present work reports the discovery and the complete characterisation of an ancient cultivated rose variety found growing in a private garden in the southwest of the Principality of Asturias (northern Spain). The variety is here given the name Narcea. The majority of roses currently cultivated belong to the so-called group of 'Modern Roses', all of which were obtained after 1867 via artificial crosses and improvement programmes. All are destined for ornamental use. Until the 19th century, the great majority of the many ancient cultivated roses in Europe were used in perfumery and cosmetics, or had medicinal uses. Rosa damascena and Rosa centifollia are still grown and used by the French and Bulgarian perfume industries. The Asturian Massif of the Cantabrian Mountain Range provides a natural habitat for some 75% of the wild members of the genus Rosa, but until now there was no evidence that this area was home to ancient cultivated roses. A complete botanical description is here provided for a discovered ancient rose. It is also characterised according to a series of sequence tagged microsatellite sites, and its agronomic features are reported. In addition, a histological description (optical and scanning electronic microscope studies) of the petals is offered, along with an analysis of the volatile compounds present in these organs as determined by solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results reveal the uniqueness of this ancient type of rose and suggest it may be of interest to the perfume industry.

Ailanthone inhibition data on seed germination and seedling growth of Lepidium sativum L. and Raphanus sativus L.

Ailanthone is a quassinoid from Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle with allelopathic properties that deserves interest for its potential use as a natural herbicide. Data about seed germination and root and hypocotyl length of two model species (Lepidium sativus L.'Inglese' and Raphanus sativus L.'Tondo Rosso BIO') treated with different concentrations of ailanthone are reported. Data derive from experiments performed in a growth chamber on filter paper, non-sterile urban soil, and a cultivation substrate for horticulture. Part of their elaboration and interpretation can be found in the research article titled "Ailanthone from Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle as potential natural herbicide" (Demasi et al., 2019).

Latitude and Altitude Influence Secondary Metabolite Production in Peripheral Alpine Populations of the Mediterranean Species Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. has a great economic importance in perfumery, cosmetics, food manufacturing, aromatherapy, and pharmaceutical industry. This species finds its phytosociological optimum in the sub-Mediterranean region. Latitudinal and altitudinal gradients are expected to affect species diversification in peripheral alpine populations. In this study, phenotypic traits including morphometric parameters, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and essential oils (EOs) were analyzed in lavender peripheral populations selected in order to explore different ecological conditions. Plants were cultivated under uniform conditions to observe variations due to the genetic adaptation to native environments and to exclude the short-term response to environmental factors. Results showed qualitatively and quantitatively intra-specific variations in secondary metabolites, mainly along the latitudinal gradient, while minor effect was attributable to the altitude. This latter affected more the morphometric parameters. As the latitude augmented, VOCs showed lower content of monoterpene hydrocarbon (mh) and higher content of oxygenated monoterpenes (om); whereas EOs showed higher content of mh and non-terpene derivatives (nt) and lower content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (sh). Lavender aroma and EO composition varied in every population, for a total of 88 and 104 compounds identified, respectively. Eleven and 13 compounds were responsible for 95% of the dissimilarity, with linalool, linalyl acetate and 1,8-cineole as major contributors. As the latitude augmented, linalool decreased and 1,8-cineole increased while linalyl acetate content was unaffected. These results are discussed with regards to the potential adoption of the lavender peripheral alpine populations for the improvement of quality and productivity of lavender cultivations, especially in mountainous areas.

Pollen Grain Preservation and Fertility in Valuable Commercial Rose Cultivars.

In the cut flower market, traditional breeding is still the best way to achieve new rose cultivars. The geographical delocalization of cultivar constitution (generally made in Europe and North America) and plant cultivation (large areas in Africa and South America) represents a limit point for crossing and selection. Rose breeders often need to overcome geographical distances, resulting in asynchrony in flowering among crossing parents, by storing and sending pollen. Hence, a key aspect in breeding programs is linked to pollen availability and conservation, jointly with the identification of parameters related to pollen fertility. In this study we present the results of three different trials. In the first, pollen diameter and pollen viability were chosen as fertility predictors of 10 Rosa hybrida commercial cultivars. In the second trial, aliquots of dried pollen grains of six R. hybrida cultivar were stored under two different temperatures (freezer at T = -20 °C and deep freezer at T = -80 °C) and after a wide range of conservation period, their viability was measured. In the third trial, the effective fertilization capacity of frozen pollen of 19 pollen donor cultivars was evaluated during 2015 crossing breeding plan, performing 44 hybridizations and correlating the number of seeds and the ratio seeds/crossing, obtained by each cultivar, with in vitro pollen germination ability.

Genetic mapping of resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tulipae in tulip.

Fusarium oxysporum is a major problem in the production of tulip bulbs. Breeding for resistant cultivars through a conventional approach is a slow process due to the long life cycle of tulip. Until now, marker-assisted selection (MAS) has been hampered by the large genome size and the absence of a genetic map. This study is aimed at construction of the first genetic map for tulip and at the identification of loci associated with resistance to F. oxysporum. A cross-pollinated population of 125 individuals segregating for Fusarium resistance was obtained from Tulipa gesneriana "Kees Nelis" and T. fosteriana "Cantata." Fusarium resistance of the mapping population was evaluated through a soil infection test in two consecutive years, and a spot inoculation test in which a green fluorescent protein tagged Fusarium strain was used for inoculation. The genetic maps have been constructed for the parents separately. The genetic map of "Kees Nelis" comprised 342 markers on 27 linkage groups covering 1707 cM, while the map of "Cantata" comprised 300 markers on 21 linkage groups covering 1201 cM. Median distance between markers was 3.9 cM for "Kees Nelis" and 3.1 cM for "Cantata." Six putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for Fusarium resistance were identified, derived from both parents. QTL2, QTL3, and QTL6 were significant in all disease tests. For the flanking markers of the QTLs, phenotypic means of the two allelic groups, segregating from a parent for such a marker, were significantly different. These markers will be useful for the development of MAS in tulip breeding.

Development of a rapid LC-DAD/FLD method for the simultaneous determination of auxins and abscisic acid in plant extracts.

Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling plant growth and development. These groups of naturally occurring substances trigger physiological processes at very low concentrations, which mandate sensitive techniques for their quantitation. This paper describes a method to quantify endogenous (±)-2-cis-4-trans-abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-propionic acid, and indole-3-butyric acid. The method combines high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array and fluorescence detection in a single run. Hybrid tea rose 'Monferrato' matrices (leaves, petals, roots, seeds, androecium, gynoecium, and pollen) were used as references. Rose samples were separated and suspended in extracting methanol, after which (±)-2-cis-4-trans-abscisic acid and auxins were extracted by solvent extraction. Sample solutions were added first to cation solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and the eluates to anion SPE cartridges. The acidic hormones were bound to the last column and eluted with 5% phosphoric acid in methanol. Experimental results showed that this approach can be successfully applied to real samples and that sample preparation and total time for routine analysis can be greatly reduced.

Microsatellite-based genetic relationships in the genus Camellia: potential for improving cultivars.

There is a lack of published microsatellite data that characterizes Camellia spp. To address this, an initial study of sequence tagged microsatellite site (STMS) variation was undertaken with 132 accessions of Camellia spp., which included 24 accessions representing 22 different species or varieties as well as 63 cultivars of C. japonica, 33 cultivars of C. sasanqua, 7 cultivars of C. x vernalis, 3 cultivars of C. x hiemalis, and 2 cultivars of C. hybrida. The four primer sets used (MSCJAF37, MSCJAH46, MSCJAF25, and MSCJAH38) successfully amplified polymorphic alleles in all the species analysed, showing cross-transferability. Overall, 96 alleles were scored. MSCJAH38 primers produced the highest number of bands (30), while MSCJAH46 primers yielded the lowest number (15). The genetic distance between pairs of accessions was estimated on the basis of the Nei coefficient and a principal coordinate analysis was performed. The plot revealed a main differentiation between the C. japonica cultivars and the winter camellias. The distribution of the genetic variation, attributed by AMOVA, particularly highlighted genetic overlap among C. sasanqua cultivars and the cultivars belonging to C. x vernalis, C. x hiemalis, and C. hybrida. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that STMS markers offer a suitable method for detection of genetic variability and molecular study of camellia genotypes.