Standardization of an efficient regeneration system for each strawberry genotype is generally an indispensible pre-requisite for the successful development of transgenic plants. In this paper, we review some key factors affecting the regeneration of strawberry plants via adventitious organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis, such as type of explant, growth regulators or dark/light treatments. Sin...

BACKGROUND: Chemical control of spider mites and thrips in everbearer strawberry is difficult as few efficient chemicals are available and residues represent a risk. In the north the success of biocontrol of mites and thrips in open fields compared with tunnels needs to be evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the need for control of spider mites and thrips and evaluate the effectiveness of bio...

Strawberry softening is characterized by an increase in the solubilization and depolymerization of pectins from cell walls. Galactose release from pectin side chains by β-galactosidase enzymes has been proposed as one reason for the increase in soluble pectins. A putative β-galactosidase gene, FaβGal4, has been identified using a custom-made oligonucleotide-based strawberry microarray platform....

Increased homogeneity of agricultural landscapes in the last century has led to a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, management practices such as wildflower borders offer supplementary resources to many beneficial arthropods. There is evidence that these borders can increase beneficial arthropod abundance, including natural enemies of many pests. However, this increase in loc...

In this study, the impact of four food disinfectants including hydrogen peroxide, free chlorine, and gaseous- and aqueous-phase ozone with industrial doses on the concentration of biothiol compounds gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine (GSH) and cystein (CYS) in strawberry was investigated for 1, 5, 15, 30, and 60 or 120 min. Additionally, the amount of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) was analyzed for ca...

On missions to other planets, astronauts will be exposed to galactic cosmic rays which are composed of heavy particles (such as 56Fe) and protons. Exposure to these particles can affect the ability of rats to perform a variety of tasks, indicating that there is the possibility that the performance capabilities of astronauts may be affected. Previous research has shown that diets containing blue...

An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method was applied to introduce the luciferase reporter gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter in the pGreen0049 binary vector into strawberry cv. Camarosa. The in vitro regeneration system of strawberry leaves to be used in the transformation was optimized using different TDZ concentrations in MS medium. TDZ at 16 µM showed the highest percentag...

We investigated if elevated CO(2) could alleviate the negative effect of high temperature on fruit yield of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. cv. Toyonoka) at different levels of nitrogen and also tested the combined effects of CO(2), temperature and nitrogen on fruit quality of plants cultivated in controlled growth chambers. Results show that elevated CO(2) and high temperature caused a f...

The study shows the results of an inventory of place names connected to Arbutus unedo L., a Mediterranean species, widespread throughout Sardinia. The main aim was to compare the past distribution of place names, referring to the strawberry tree, to the current distribution of the species on the island. In addition, we investigated the meaning and the diversity of these local place names in the...

Validated protocols for DNA purification and PCR amplification are reported for detection of Phytophthora cactorum in diseased strawberry plants. To remove PCR inhibitors, necrotic strawberry tissues were soaked in 5% alconox solution for >12 h before DNA extraction, and the extracted genomic DNA was embedded in an agarose gel chamber and subjected to electrophoresis. The purified DNA was ampli...