Genetic & Breeding · Germplasm Resources · Molecular Biology

• Comprehensive Evaluation of Fruit Texture in 488 Pear Germplasm Resources
• SU Yanli, GAO Xiaoming, WANG Long, WANG Suke, ZHANG Xiangzhan, WANG Yanan, XUE Huabai
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2213-2223. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0322
• Abstract ( 10 ) HTML ( 7 ) PDF (1151KB) ( 7 ) 　　　

• A total of 488 pear germplasms from National Horticulture Germplasm Resources Center Pear Branch Center（Zhengzhou）were used as test materials. The fruits texture（peel firmness，peel brittleness，peel toughness，pulp firmness，pulp fineness，pulp brittleness）was determined during the ripening period of fruits for two consecutive years，and the distribution characteristics，variation degree and grey relation analysis of the determination results were carried out. The results showed that the data of fruit texture of germplasm resources had good repeatability and stability in two years. A five-level grading evaluation standard of these traits was established. According to the grading standards of three characters of pear pulp，the germplasm resources with pulp firmness value less than 10，pulp brittleness value less than 36，and pulp fineness value less than 17 are important materials for improving the pear pulp texture. The texture traits with larger coefficient of variation of P. bretschneideri are peel toughness and pulp firmness，the texture traits with larger coefficient of variation of P. ussuriensis are peel toughness，pulp firmness and pulp fineness，the texture traits with large coefficient of variation of P. communis are peel toughness and pulp fineness，the texture traits with large coefficient of variation of P. sinkiangensis was pulp firmness and pulp fineness，while the coefficient of variation of each trait of P. pyrifolia was lower. Among the 3 traits of peel，peel toughness had greater coefficient of variation，while among the pulp 3 traits，pulp firmness and pulp fineness had greater coefficient of variation. The genetic background of fruit texture of P. ussuriensis，and P. sinkiangensis is more abundant. Using the grey relation analysis（GRA）method，the high-quality‘Yuluxiang’‘Danxiahong’and‘Yali’were used as reference varieties to screen out ‘Xiangchi’ ‘Hongsumi’ ‘Chonghuada’ ‘Guiguan’ ‘Jinzhou Dayali’ ‘Baixue’ and other cultivars with excellent fruit texture.

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• Genetic Diversity Analysis and DNA Fingerprinting Development of Prunus ferganensis Landrace Germplasm Based on SSR
• SAILAIJIANG Maierhaba, CHENG Ping, MAIMUTIMIN Mieradili, LI Dan, ABDUSALAM Aysajan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2224-2240. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0698
• Abstract ( 3 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (5639KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• Currently，systematic genetic evaluation of Xinjiang peach landrace germplasm remains limited. A total of 153 Xinjiang peach landrace accessions were selected and analyzed using 16 SSR primers for multi-dimensional analyses（genetic diversity，cluster analysis，and population structure analysis）to systematically unravel their genetic variation patterns. Meanwhile，a DNA fingerprint database for Xinjiang peach landrace varieties was successfully constructed based on capillary electrophoresis. The main results are as follows：(1) The 16 SSR primer pairs amplified 121 polymorphic loci across the 153 peach accessions；the effective number of alleles（N_e）ranged from 1.10 to 4.70，Shannon’s information index（I）from 0.23 to 1.78，observed heterozygosity（H_o）from 0.05 to 0.26，expected heterozygosity （H_e）from 0.09 to 0.79，and polymorphism information content（PIC）from 0.09 to 0.76（mean 0.50）. (2) UPGMA cluster analysis divided the 153 accessions into 9 groups with an average genetic distance of 0.50；the clustering showed no significant correlation with geographical origin or peach type. (3) STRUCTURE-based population genetic structure analysis indicated that the 153 accessions could be partitioned into three subpopulations，which were speculated to correspond to wild types，landraces，and cultivated cultivars. (4) Using a core set of SSR primers covering the eight chromosomes of the peach genome，molecular identification codes were successfully established for 128 Xinjiang peach landrace accessions，providing a molecular basis for the standardized construction of core germplasm collections and the mining of elite genes.

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• Analysis of Sugar and Acid Component Contents in Fruit of 100 Southern Plum Germplasm Accessions
• CHEN Fangce, WANG Ning, XIAO Yufei, ZHONG Chuangnan, HOU Ruili, OUYANG Yiqi, LI Haiyan, WAN Baoxiong, YI Xianrong, XU Zhimei, CHEN Jinqing, ZHANG Kunmei, LAI Shouren, LIU Chaoyang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2241-2255. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0324
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• The sugar and acid components and their characteristics in fruits of 100 southern plum （Prunus salicina）germplasms collected from South China，Southwest China，and East China were systematically determined and analyzed. The results revealed that glucose and fructose constituted the predominant soluble sugars，while malic acid was identified as the principal organic acid in southern plum fruits. Significant positive correlations were observed among glucose，fructose，and sorbitol contents，whereas sucrose exhibited no significant correlation with other sugar components. Malic acid content demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation with citric acid，while significant positive correlations were also detected between tartaric acid and malic acid，as well as succinic acid and citric acid. Among them，the malic acid and total acid contents of the South China plums were significantly higher than those of the other southern germplasm，while the total acid content of the Southwest China plums was lower，demonstrating significant regional differences.

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• Identification of Mitochondrial Transcriptional Termination Factor （mTERF）Gene Family and Cold Resistance of VamTERF5 in Vitis amurensis
• FAN Jihong, CHEN Jixian, LI Yangyang, ZENG Baozhen, GUO Yanlan, MAO Juan, CHEN Baihong, LIANG Guoping
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2256-2274. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0302
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• Mitochondrial transcription termination factors（mTERF）are highly conserved DNA- binding proteins in plants that regulate plant growth，development，and responses to abiotic stress. In this study，comprehensive bioinformatics analysis，quantitative real-time PCR（qRT-PCR），and gene function validation were performed on the Vitis amurensis mTERF gene family（VamTERF）. A total of seven VamTERF members were identified in the Vitis amurensis genome，distributed across six chromosomes. The theoretical isoelectric points of the encoded proteins ranged from 4.92 to 9.07. Structural analysis revealed that the proportion of random coils ranged from 27.12% to 44.42%，while α-helices and β-turns accounted for 41.26%-57.55% and 2.18%-7.91%，respectively. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the VamTERF gene family into three subfamilies，with subfamily 3 containing the greatest number of members；Vitis amurensis mTERF genes showed a particularly close evolutionary relationship with those of poplar. Codon usage bias analysis indicated a relatively weak codon usage preference within the VamTERF gene family，and synteny analysis demonstrated co-linear relationships between Vitis amurensis and five other plant species，including strawberry. qRT-PCR analysis showed that all VamTERF members responded to abiotic stresses，with VamTERF2，VamTERF3，VamTERF4，VamTERF5，and VamTERF7 being significantly upregulated under low-temperature stress. Subcellular localization experiments revealed that these five members were predominantly localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of VamTERF5 in grapevine calli significantly enhanced the activities of peroxidase（POD），superoxide dismutase（SOD），and catalase（CAT）following low-temperature treatment. These findings indicate that VamTERF members play important regulatory roles in the response to low-temperature stress.

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• Analysis of Genetic Diversity in Leaf Phenotypic Traits of Hybrid Progenies Between Longan and Litchi
• LIU Liqin, HU Xiaowen, LI Tianzi, LI Xiang, WANG Jiahui, XUE Zhong, ZHU Lifei, WANG Yi, ZHOU Jiannan, SHI Shengyou
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2275-2288. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0283
• Abstract ( 5 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (1777KB) ( 1 ) 　　　

• The genetic diversity of 20 phenotypic traits（10 qualitative traits and 10 quantitative traits）in leaves of 143 intergeneric hybrids between longan and litchi（including the parents）was analyzed. The results showed that hybrids exhibited rich genetic diversity in leaf traits. The 10 quantitative traits exhibited marked directional differentiation of heterosis，the number of leaflet pairs，leaflet thickness，petiole length，leaf length，and rachis length exhibited positive heterosis，whereas leaflet length，leaflet width，leaflet weight，leaflet perimeter，and leaflet area exhibited negative heterosis，showing significant differences in coefficients of variation（CV）and distinct gradient in genetic diversity. The diversity indices of the 10 qualitative traits ranged from 0.040 to 1.339. A total of 29 phenotypic variants were detected，among which leaf surface morphology，leaf tip shape，and leaf arrangement showed higher diversity. Correlation analysis identified 39 pairs of highly significant（P < 0.01）and 14 pairs of significant（P < 0.05）correlations between 20 phenotypic traits，revealing that the presence of complex genetic regulatory networks and ecological adaptation mechanisms among traits. Principal component analysis（PCA）revealed that the first seven principal components cumulatively accounted for a mere 69.70% of the total variance. Among them，quantitative traits associated with biomass accumulation（e.g.，leaf size and weight）exhibited dominant loadings，while qualitative traits（e.g.，shape and color）provided a basis for line classification，and other micromorphological characteristics served as supplementary references for identification. Cluster analysis divided 143 hybrids into 7 clusters at a Euclidean distance of 1.1，including：thin and few leaflets type，notched multi-leaflet type，broad-short leaf type，light-thin-small leaflet types，gigantifoliate type，large leaf type and normal leaf type（including lanceolate-thin-weakly undulate leaflet，elliptical thick leaflet，regular large-leaf，and small-thick leaflet），revealing hierarchical classification patterns of leaf morphology. These results provided a theoretical basis for the phenotypic evaluation and the breeding of new longan-litchi intergeneric hybrid cultivars.

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• Identification and Expression Analysis of the TPP Gene Family Under Stress Response in Pepper（Capsicum annuum L.）
• WANG Meng, ZHENG Xiaomei, LIU Lu, ZANG Qiaolu
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2289-2305. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0351
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• Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase（TPP）is a key enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of trehalose and plays an important role in plant growth and development as well as stress response. To clarify the function of the CaTPP genes in the stress response of pepper，in this study，bioinformatics methods were used to identify the members of the CaTPP gene family in pepper，and their chromosomal localization，physicochemical properties，etc. were analyzed. Furthermore，transcriptome data and quantitative real-time PCR（qRT-PCR）were utilized to investigate the expression patterns of CaTPP genes across different tissues and under various hormone treatments and abiotic stresses. A total of eight CaTPP gene family members were identified in pepper. The physicochemical properties revealed that the CaTPP proteins were hydrophilic，with molecular weights ranging from 26.33 to 43.12 kD. Notably，about half of these proteins were classified as basic proteins. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that the majority of CaTPP proteins were localized in the chloroplast or vacuole. Phylogenetic analysis classified the pepper CaTPP family members into three groups，all of which contained a complete TPP（Trehalose_PPase）domain. Moreover，family members within the same group possessed similar conserved motifs and gene structures. The promoter region of the CaTPP gene contains a variety of cis-acting elements related to light response，hormone response and abiotic stress response. Collinearity analysis revealed one pair of CaTPP genes with fragment duplication in pepper. Besides，the pepper CaTPP family shared one and six pairs of homologous genes with Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum，respectively. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses indicated that the expression pattern of the CaTPP genes were tissue-specific and could play an important role in response to different hormones and stresses. The expression levels of CaTPP1 and CaTPP6 changed significantly under multiple stress conditions，implying their potential key roles in pepper resistance to stress.

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• Cloning of the StTrihelix30 Gene in Potatoes and Functional Analysis Under Low-temperature Stress
• YANG Hongyu, WANG Yan, LIU Taotao, YAO Wenxia, FAN Xiangjun, YU Bin, SHI Guiying
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2306-2318. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0363
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• In order to explore the functional divergence of the Trihelix gene from potato（Solanum tuberosum L.）in low temperature response，the previously identified potato low-temperature-responsive gene StTrihelix30 was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana，and the low-temperature tolerance physiological indices of the overexpression lines were determined. The results showed that StTrihelix30 is non-toxic and exhibits self-activation activity. In cold tolerance assays，transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing StTrihelix30 displayed enhanced cold resistance under low-temperature stress，as evidenced by a 27.3% reduction in relative electrical conductivity and a 34.5% decrease in malondialdehyde（MDA）content compared with the wild type. Furthermore，the activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased，with superoxide dismutase（SOD），peroxidase（POD），and catalase（CAT）activities rising to 1.8-fold，2.1-fold，and 1.5-fold those of the wild type，respectively，indicating a markedly enhanced capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species（ROS）. In conclusion，StTrihelix30 enhances plant adaptability to low-temperature stress by improving its antioxidant capacity.

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• Cloning and Expression Analysis of CmDREB Genes in Cucumis melo
• KELAREMU · Kelimujiang, ZHANG Jian, ZHAO Zhixia, FU Huixin, ZHANG Ting
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2319-2332. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0358
• Abstract ( 6 ) HTML ( 2 ) PDF (3482KB) ( 2 ) 　　　

• DREB（dehydration responsive element binding protein）is a plant-specific family of transcription factors involved in various processes such as plant growth and development，metabolism，and abiotic stress responses. However，the CmDREB genes in melon have not been systematically studied. In this study，using‘Xinmi 3’melon as the experimental material， 10 CmDREB transcription factors through genome-wide sequence analysis were identified，followed by cloning and expression analysis. The results showed that the 10 CmDREB proteins exhibited stable structures，with α-helix and random coil as the predominant secondary structures. Their amino acid lengths ranged from 179 to 428，with molecular weights ranging from 44.1 to 104.2 kD. Except for CmDREB2C，which was localized in the chloroplast，all other members were localized in the nucleus. Promoter analysis revealed that the promoter regions of all 10 CmDREB genes contained cis-acting elements responsive to low temperature，salicylic acid（SA），methyl jasmonate（MeJA），and abscisic acid（ABA）. Expression analysis further demonstrated distinct response patterns among these genes：CmDREB2C and CmDREB4C exhibited higher expression levels under low temperature，whereas CmDREB4A and CmDREB4D showed strong induction upon treatment with SA，MeJA，and ABA.

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• Investigation of OfbHLH105 in Regulation of Carotenoid Metabolism in Osmanthus fragrans
• WANG Yi’nan, PENG Lin, WANG Yiguang, XIAO Zheng, DENG Jinping, ZHAO Hongbo
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2333-2344. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0380
• Abstract ( 3 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (3476KB) ( 1 ) 　　　

• Flower color is one of the important ornamental traits of Osmanthus fragrans. The composition and content of carotenoids in petals directly affect flower color，and their accumulation is regulated by transcription factors. In this study，the transcription factor OfbHLH105 was cloned from the O. fragrans cultivar‘Jinqiugui’. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that OfbHLH105 contains a typical bHLH conserved domain and is most closely related to AtbHLH105 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that OfbHLH105 is a nucleus-localized transcription factor. Expression analysis during the flowering process revealed that OfbHLH105 has the highest expression at the bud cracking stage. In transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing OfbHLH105，the carotenoid content in leaves increased，accompanied by up-regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis genes NtLCYB，and down-regulation of several downstream biosynthesis and degradation genes. Yeast two-hybrid results showed that OfbHLH105 can form homodimers. These findings suggest that OfbHLH105 may be involved in regulation of carotenoid metabolism through homodimer formation.

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• Study on Intraspecific Variation of Chloroplast Genome in Idesia polycarpa
• CAO Yuxiang, WANG Yanpeng, LUO Jing, XU Yang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2345-2362. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0487
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• The chloroplast genome structure and evolutionary variation mechanisms of Idesia polycarpa remain unclear at present. In this study，41 samples of I. polycarpa were used as materials，and the complete chloroplast genome sequences of I. polycarpa were obtained from the National Genomics Data Center（NGDC）for chloroplast genome structure analysis and intraspecific variation research. The results showed that the full length of the chloroplast genome of I. polycarpa ranged from 155 177 bp to 157 133 bp，with a total of 129 to 130 genes annotated，including 85 protein-coding genes，36 to 37 transfer RNA（tRNA）genes and 8 ribosomal RNA（rRNA）genes. The total GC content was between 36.7% and 36.84%. A total of 3 397 simple sequence repeat（SSR）loci and 2 215 long repeat sequences were identified. The variation degree of non-coding regions in the chloroplast genome of I. polycarpa was higher than that of coding regions，and seven highly variable regions were screened. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the population in northern Sichuan is rich in haplotypes，which may be the center of origin of I. polycarpa.

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• Identification of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi Cultivar Groups Based on Numerical Taxonomy and Whole Genome Resequencing
• CHEN Shaomin, ZHOU Haoyang, KONG Qiusheng, LIU Xiuqun
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2363-2380. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0492
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• Based on numerical taxonomy and whole genome resequencing，varietal groups among 108 Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi cultivars in this study. Using 102 Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi cultivars as experimental materials，the results of a numerical taxonomy study based on 37 phenotypic traits showed that the Summer azalea group can be differentiated from other groups by flowering period，while sepal petaloidy and hose-in-hose corolla type served as key traits for distinguishing the East azalea group from others. However，due to the high similarity in phenotypic traits，the classification boundary between the West azalea and Hairy azalea groups remained unclear. 57 commercially representative cultivars of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi were selected for whole genome resequencing. Clustering analysis，PCA，and population structure analysis based on the detected SNPs indicated that the 57 cultivars of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi could be divided into four groups，supporting the existing classification system comprising four major cultivar groups. Furthermore，the analysis about genetic background revealed that the Hairy and East azalea groups are independent，thereby refuting the proposal to merge them under the term“Spring azalea”. Integrating morphological and genomic evidences support the classification of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi cultivars into four variety groups：Hairy azalea，East azalea，West azalea，and Summer azalea. However，outlier individuals were identified within the East azalea，Hairy azalea，and West azalea groups. This study recommends reclassifying the East azalea cultivar R.‘Yudaizhirong’into the West azalea group，and proposes treating the Hairy azalea cultivar R. ‘Shuangjitaohong’as a synonym of the East azalea cultivar R.‘Zhuangyuanhong’.

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Cultivation · Physiology & Biochemistry

• Evaluation of Fruit Quality Traits and Analysis of Characteristic Aroma Compounds in Plum（Prunus spp.）Cultivars
• DING Zhenzhen, SU Tingting, WANG Xueqing, WANG Li, WANG Yutao
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2381-2399. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2026-0203
• Abstract ( 2 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (3855KB) ( 1 ) 　　　

• To systematically evaluate the fruit quality of different plum cultivars and identify core quality indicators and characteristic aroma markers，eight plum cultivars cultivated in Xinjiang，China，were selected as experimental materials. These included locally dominant European plums（Prunus domestica L.）（Fengwei Huanghou，Weidi and Hongbulin）and introduced or hybridized Chinese plums（P. salicina Lindl. and hybrids）（Fengtangli，Qingcuili，Younaili，Yinhongli and Pingguoli）. Comprehensive measurements were conducted on appearance quality，texture attributes，sugar and acid components，phenolic compounds，antioxidant activity，and volatile aroma profiles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）was employed to analyze characteristic spectral peaks，while headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-SPME-GC-MS）combined with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）was used to identify characteristic aroma components. Multivariate statistical analysis was further applied for comprehensive evaluation. The results showed significant differences among the eight plum varieties in terms of single fruit weight，firmness，crispness，sugar-to-acid ratio，total phenolic content，and antioxidant activity. Notably，‘Fengtangli’and‘Weidi’exhibited higher sugar-to-acid ratios（13.65 and 12.69，respectively）with rich flavor，while‘Yinhongli’‘Fengwei Huanghou’，and‘Hongbulin’showed higher total phenolic contents. Principal component analysis（PCA）of the electronic nose response values，which clearly discriminated‘Qingcuili’from ‘Fengwei Huanghou’. Cluster analysis divided the eight varieties into two types：a high-polyphenol dark-colored type and a high sugar/acid ratio and ester-rich aroma type. Based on the variable importance in projection（VIP）threshold of > 1，twelve key indicators were identified，among which fruit shape index（1.24）and total flavonoids（1.19）contributed the most. These findings provide a scientific basis for the evaluation of plum germplasm resources and cultivar breeding.

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• Effects of Fertilizer Reduction Combined with Microbial Inoculants on Rhizosphere Soil Bacterial Community Diversity and Berry Quality in Vineyard
• HU Jin’ge, BAI Shijian, SUN Ruifeng, ZHENG Lijian, SHA Yonglong, WU Guohong
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2400-2414. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0227
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• This study aimed to investigate the effects of reduced chemical fertilizer（10%，20%，30% reduction）application combined with microbial inoculants（Beilaiya agricultural microbial agent containing Bacillus velezensis，B. subtilis，and B. licheniformis，with an effective viable count of 10.0 × 10⁹ CFU · mL^-1）on soil physicochemical properties and fruit quality in the 10-year-old vineyard，meanwhile，high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze structural diversity of rhizosphere bacterial communities under different treatments. The results showed that reduced chemical fertilizer combined with microbial inoculants did not alter bacterial phyla composition or dominant bacterial communities in soil. Proteobacteria，the beneficial phylum，remained dominant. However，the reduced chemical fertilizer combined with microbial inoculants changed the relative abundance of bacterial communities. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria in soils with 20% and 30% fertilizer reduction was higher than that in the control. The highest relative abundance reached 35.90% under 20% fertilizer reduction combined with microbial inoculants. The relative abundance of soil Acidobacteria under 10%，20% and 30% fertilizer reduction combined with microbial inoculants was lower than the control（15.64%），reaching 7.67%，11.64% and 13.59%. Reduced chemical fertilizer combined with microbial inoculants decreased soil pH，available nitrogen，total potassium，total phosphorus and available phosphorus to varying degrees，while increasing soil total nitrogen content. Meanwhile，fruit coloration and comprehensive quality were significantly improved. Among all treatments，the 20% fertilizer reduction coupled with 300-fold dilution microbial inoculants achieved the maximum fruit color index of red grape（CIRG）value，soluble solids content and yield，which were 4.20，18.54 °Brix and 52.59 kg · hm^-2，respectively.

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• Characterization and Comprehensive Evaluation of Cell Wall Components of Jujube Fruit
• SU Wanlong, FU Jiatian, ZHAO Ailing, WANG Yongkang, REN Haiyan, XUE Xiaofang, SHI Meijuan, LIU Li, ZHANG Rui, LI Yi, LI Dengke
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2415-2430. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0340
• Abstract ( 4 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (4227KB) ( 1 ) 　　　

• Using fruits of 71 jujube germplasms at the half-red stage as test materials，this study determined the taste and textural properties as well as the contents of cell wall components including water-soluble pectin，ionic-soluble pectin，covalently-souble pectin，cellulose and hemicellulose in different germplasms. Correlation analysis，principal component analysis and comprehensive evaluation were further conducted to clarify the formation mechanism of textural differences in jujube fruits. The results showed that ionic-soluble pectin and covalently-souble pectin exhibited relatively high coefficients of variation，while the fruit texture index had the lowest variation coefficient. Correlation analysis revealed that taste evaluation indicators were most closely correlated with water-soluble pectin，ionic-soluble pectin，total pectin and fruit texture index. Principal component analysis identified water-soluble pectin，covalently- souble pectin，the ratio of ionic-soluble pectin to covalently-souble pectin，and the ratio of total pectin to the sum of hemicellulose and cellulose as the key factors affecting jujube fruit texture. The total taste scores of the 71 germplasms ranged from 3 to 10，and the comprehensive evaluation H values varied from-1.18 to 1.10，indicating that the comprehensive scores could effectively reflect the fruit taste quality. The cell wall component contents of fresh-eating jujube germplasms were significantly lower than those of dual-purpose and dry germplasmss，whereas no significant difference was observed between dual-purpose and dry germplasmss.

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• Study on the Dynamic Changes of Antioxidant Enzymes in Tomato Roots，Leaves and Fruits Under Low Salt Stress
• KANG Lei, ZHU Yanzhe, LIANG Min, WU Longguo
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2431-2442. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0499
• Abstract ( 2 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (2008KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• Using the‘Xiangfei 3’cherry tomato as the experimental material，four NaCl concentration gradients were set up：0（control），1，2，and 3 g · L^-1，to investigate the effects of low salt stress on the growth of tomato plants and the antioxidant enzyme activity in their roots，leaves，and fruits. The results showed that compared to the control，treatment with 3 g · L^-1 significantly reduced stem thickness，leaf width，chlorophyll content，fruit weight，fruit length and diameter，root length，root surface area，and both fresh and dry root biomass. At the same time，the transpiration rate and net photosynthetic rate of tomato leaves increased significantly，while the maximum photochemical efficiency and initial fluorescence decreased significantly. The results showed that compared to the control，treatment with 3 g · L^-1 significantly reduced stem thickness，leaf width，chlorophyll content，fruit weight，fruit length and diameter，root length，root surface area，and both fresh and dry root biomass. At the same time，the transpiration rate and net photosynthetic rate of tomato leaves increased significantly，while the maximum photochemical efficiency and initial fluorescence decreased significantly. At different stages，the catalase（CAT）activity in tomato fruits was highest under the 2 g · L^-1 treatment，peroxidase（POD）activity was highest under the 2 g · L^-1 treatment，and superoxide dismutase（SOD）activity in the fruits of the 4th and 5th clusters was highest under the 2 g · L^-1 treatment，all showing a significant increase compared to the control. The highest POD activity in tomato roots was seen with the 3 g · L^-1 treatment，while SOD and CAT activities were highest with the 2 g · L^-1 treatment，all significantly higher than the control. POD in the third cluster of tomato fruits was highly significantly correlated with POD in the fourth cluster，and CAT in the fourth cluster was highly significantly correlated with CAT in the fifth cluster.

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• Research on Anther Development and Nutrient Dynamics Changes in Iris lactea
• WEI Yaru, ZHOU Ting, YANG Xiaohui, LIANG Wenyu, YANG Shujuan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2443-2453. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0100
• Abstract ( 2 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (5628KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• The accumulation and distribution of nutrients during anther development are critical for pollen maturation. To investigate the cellular structure of the anther in Iris lactea，and to examine the dynamic changes in polysaccharides and lipid droplets，this study utilized anthers at different developmental stages as experimental material. Slide preparation and semi-thin sectioning techniques were employed to analyze the developmental characteristics of the anther wall and microspores. Histological staining was used to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of polysaccharides and lipid droplets. Results showed that cytokinesis during meiosis of microspore mother cells in I. lactea occurs through multiple pathways，producing tetrads of tetrahedral，bilateral symmetry，and irregular configurations. Small vacuoles were observed in the cytoplasm of microspore mother cells，tetrad microspores，and uninucleate microspores，notably in the uninucleate microspores，which exhibited irregular shapes. Mature pollen grains were bicellular，predominantly elliptical in shape，with a small proportion triangular. The outer wall of the pollen exhibited reticulate ornamentation and prominent elongated germination furrows，characteristic of a distal monocolpate type. The anther wall of I. lactea comprised 3-4 layers of middle layer cells. During late anther development，the middle layer and endothecium cell walls exhibited fibrous thickening，while tapetum cells underwent in situ disintegration and degeneration，indicating a secretory type. In mature anthers，both the tapetum and middle layer disintegrated，leaving only the epidermis and fibrous layer. Microspores in I. lactea contained abundant lipid droplets throughout development. Consequently，mature pollen grains contained both starch granules and lipid droplets，indicating a mixed-type pollen. Tapetum cells began accumulating lipid droplets during the mother cell stage and actively secreted and transported them into the locule to support microspore development，while nutrient accumulation showing spatiotemporal specificity.

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Plant Protection

• Identification，Pathogenicity Analysis，and Biological Characterization of Lasiodiplodia theobromae Causing Grapevine Canker in Ningxia Wine Grape Region
• PU Zhanyue, ZHAO Nan, WANG Yidong, XIN Ying, GU Peiwen
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2454-2468. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0382
• Abstract ( 5 ) HTML ( 1 ) PDF (8767KB) ( 1 ) 　　　

• To clarify the pathogen species，pathogenicity and biological characteristics of grapevine canker in Ningxia，samples of diseased Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wine grape plants from five counties and cities including Yinchuan，Yongning and Qingtongxia were collected. Diseased plant samples from five counties/cities，including Yinchuan，Yongning，and Qingtongxia，covering seven wine grape cultivars：‘Cabernet Sauvignon’‘Syrah’‘Italian Riesling’‘Chardonnay’‘Merlot’‘Marselan’and ‘Viognier’. Pathogen isolation and purification were conducted using tissue isolation method. Pathogenicity of the isolated and purified strains was determined by scalding method and root irrigation method. The pathogen species were identified through morphological observation and multi-gene （ITS-TEF1-TUB2）combined phylogenetic analysis. The optimal carbon and nitrogen sources，pH value， and lethal temperature of the pathogen were determined by measuring mycelial growth and spore production. The results showed that all the strains causing the canker disease of wine grapes in Ningxia were Lasiodiplodia theobromae，among which FR2 had the strongest pathogenicity. The pathogenic strains were pathogenic to grape branches，pedicels and roots. According to the study on biological characteristics，the fungus grew and sporulated well when ammonium oxalate and ammonium acetate are used as nitrogen sources，glucose and sucrose as carbon sources，and the pH value is 5-7，with a lethal temperature of 55  ℃.

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• Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Dasheen Mosaic Virus in Konjac in Southern Shaanxi，China
• YANG Jinfang, LEI Lina, LIU Xiang, LIU Huan, HEI Fei, LI Chuan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2469-2480. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0489
• Abstract ( 3 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (8394KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• Dasheen mosaic virus（DsMV）was identified in konjac（Amorphophallus rivieri）in Ankang，Shaanxi，China，using metaviromic sequencing. To investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of DsMV in this region，207 leaf and bulb samples of Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch were collected from southern Shaanxi and analyzed via RT-PCR，revealing an average virus positive rate of 37.7%. Based on published DsMV genome sequences and metaviromic data，specific primers targeting conserved viral genomic regions were designed. Using long-fragment RT-PCR and RACE technologies，the complete genomes of 9 DsMV isolates from konjac in southern Shaanxi were obtained. Nucleotide similarity among these isolates ranged from 77.6% to 98.9%，while their similarity to published DsMV genomes varied between 76.1% and 98.8%. Sequence analysis indicated significant variation in the P1，P3，VPg，and CP regions. A phylogenetic tree constructed from 34 complete DsMV genome sequences suggested that genetic diversity was not correlated with host species or geographical distribution. Recombination analysis revealed that the nine konjac-derived DsMV isolates participated in 19 recombination events. These findings demonstrate that DsMV infecting konjac exhibits substantial genetic diversity，primarily driven by recombination.

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Reviews

• The Mechanism and Application of MYB Transcription Factors in Regulating Color Formation in Horticultural Crops
• JIANG Fengchao, YANG Li, ZHANG Junhuan, ZHANG Meiling, YU Wenjian, SUN Haoyuan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2481-2501. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0375
• Abstract ( 2 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (1891KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• The coloration of horticultural crops is not only a crucial agronomic trait and quality indicator，but also plays a pivotal role in plant growth，development，reproduction，and ecological adaptation. MYB transcription factors serve as key regulators in the color formation of horticultural crops. This review comprehensively summarizes the structural characteristics and classification of MYB transcription factors，along with their functional diversity across various horticultural species. It provides an in-depth analysis of their regulatory mechanisms in anthocyanin，carotenoid，and chlorophyll metabolism. Additionally，the article explores the synergistic or inhibitory interactions between MYB and other transcription factors，the influence of environmental factors on MYB activity，and their applications in molecular marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering for crop improvement. Finally，future research directions are outlined to advance the understanding of color formation mechanisms in horticultural crops and provide valuable references for related studies.

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• Research Progress on Metabolic Regulation，Genetic Mapping and Genetic Engineering Improvement of Glucosinolates in Cruciferous Vegetables
• LIU Jiachao, GUO Zunyi, YANG Guiling, LI Shijun, CHEN Lin, CHEN Changming
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2502-2528. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2025-0646
• Abstract ( 5 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (2463KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• Glucosinolates（GSL），commonly referred to as glucosinolates，are an important class of secondary metabolites in cruciferous vegetables and play a central role in their nutritional quality，stress resistance，and processing value. This study systematically reviews the research progress on the metabolic regulation，genetic mapping，and genetic engineering improvement of glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables，covering（1）the biological functions，types，and biosynthetic pathways of glucosinolates；（2）key regulatory factors and mechanisms involved in their biosynthesis，transport，and hydrolysis；（3）major achievements in genetic mapping studies and genetic engineering improvement of glucosinolates，aiming to provide a reference for the genetic improvement of glucosinolate traits in cruciferous vegetables.

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New Cultivar

• A Late-ripening Yellow Oil Peach Cultivar‘Zhongyoupan Weidi’
• BU Lulu, NIU Liang, PAN Lei, CUI Guochao, SUN Shihang, DUAN Wenyi, WANG Zhiqiang, ZENG Wen fang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2026, 53(8): 2529-2530. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0460
• Abstract ( 3 ) HTML ( 0 ) PDF (831KB) ( 0 ) 　　　

• ‘Zhongyoupan Weidi’is cultivated through artificial hybridization with‘Meiqiu’（female parent）and‘97-3-9’（male parent）. The flower is bell-shaped，and has a high natural fruit setting rate. The fruit is flat in shape，with a single fruit weight of 190-260 g. When ripe，it is dark red in color，and when bagged，it turns golden yellow. The fruit texture is firm melting-flesh and clingstone，with a strong sweet flavor and pleasant aroma. The soluble solids content is 15.0%-17.0%. In Zhengzhou，the fruits mature in early August and the fruit development period is about 125 days. It is very productive，yielding 37 500-37 740 kg · hm^-2 at full productive age. This cultivar is suitable for popularization and cultivation in peach-producing areas of the Huanghuai region and southern North China，including Henan，Hebei，Shandong，Jiangsu，Anhui and Shanxi provinces.

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