Botany Commons^™

Joint Use Of Genome, Pedigree, And Their Interaction With Environment For Predicting The Performance Of Wheat Lines In New Environments, Réka Howard, Daniel Gianola, Osval Montesinos-Lopez, Philomin Juliana, Ravi Singh, Jesse Poland, Sandesh Shrestha, Paulino Pérez-Rodriguez, José Crossa, Diego Jarquin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Genome-enabled prediction plays an essential role in wheat breeding because it has the potential to increase the rate of genetic gain relative to traditional phenotypic and pedigree-based selection. Since the performance of wheat lines is highly influenced by environmental stimuli, it is important to accurately model the environment and its interaction with genetic factors in prediction models. Arguably, multi-environmental best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) may deliver better prediction performance than single-environment genomic BLUP. We evaluated pedigree and genome-based prediction using 35,403 wheat lines from the Global Wheat Breeding Program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). We implemented …

A World Of Cobenefits: Solving The Global Nitrogen Challenge, Benjamin Z. Houlton, Maya Almaraz, Viney Aneja, Amy T. Austin, Edith Bai, Kenneth G. Cassman, Jana E. Compton, Eric A. Davidson, Jan Willem Erisman, James N. Galloway, Baojing Gu, Guolin Yao, Luiz A. Martinelli, Kate Scow, William H. Schlesinger, Thomas P. Tomich, Chao Wang, Xin Zhang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen is a critical component of the economy, food security, and planetary health. Many of the world's sustainability targets hinge on global nitrogen solutions, which, in turn, contribute lasting benefits for (i) world hunger; (ii) soil, air, and water quality; (iii) climate change mitigation; and (iv) biodiversity conservation. Balancing the projected rise in agricultural nitrogen demands while achieving these 21st century ideals will require policies to coordinate solutions among technologies, consumer choice, and socioeconomic transformation.

Optimum Droplet Size Using A Pulse-Width Modulation Sprayer For Applications Of 2,4-D Choline Plus Glyphosate, Thomas R. Butts, Chase A. Samples, Lucas X. Franca, Darrin M. Dodds, Daniel B. Reynolds, Jason W. Adams, Richard K. Zollinger, Kirk A. Howatt, Bradley K. Fritz, W. Clint Hoffmann, Joe D. Luck, Greg Kruger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The delivery of an optimum herbicide droplet size using pulse-width modulation (PWM) sprayers can reduce potential environmental contamination, maintain efficacy, and provide more flexible options for pesticide applicators. Field research was conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2018 across three locations (Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Dakota) for a total of 6 site-years. The objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of a range of droplet sizes (150 μm [Fine] to 900 μm [Ultra Coarse]) using a 2,4-D choline plus glyphosate pre-mixture and to create novel weed management recommendations using PWM sprayer technology. A pooled site-year generalized additive model explained less than 5% …

Benchmarking Irrigation Water Use In Producer Fields In The Us Central Great Plains, Katherine E. B. Gibson, Justin E. Gibson, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Efficient use of freshwater resources is necessary to balance food production and long-term sustainability of irrigated agricultural systems. Here we developed a framework to benchmark irrigation water use relative to crop yield for individual fields based on site-specific weather and soil. Subsequently, we used the framework to diagnose on-farm irrigation management, in relation to crop production, in maize and soybean producer fields in Nebraska (USA).We found actual irrigation to be similar to estimated irrigation water requirement in about half of the fields (i.e. small water surplus). Remarkably, these fields attained yields similar to fields where actual irrigation exceeded water requirements …

Comparing Infiltration Rates In Soils Managed With Conventional And Alternative Farming Methods: A Meta-Analysis, Andrea D. Basche, Marcia S. Delonge

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Identifying agricultural practices that enhance water cycling is critical, particularly with increased rainfall variability and greater risks of droughts and floods. Soil infiltration rates offer useful insights to water cycling in farming systems because they affect both yields (through soil water availability) and other ecosystem outcomes (such as pollution and flooding from runoff). For example, conventional agricultural practices that leave soils bare and vulnerable to degradation are believed to limit the capacity of soils to quickly absorb and retain water needed for crop growth. Further, it is widely assumed that farming methods such as no-till and cover crops can improve …

History Of Grass Breeding For Grazing Lands In The Northern Great Plains Of The Usa And Canada, Kenneth P. Vogel, John Hendrickson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

• In the early 1930s there were millions of acres of extensively degraded grazing lands and abandoned and eroded cropland in the Northern Plains of the United States and Canada.

• Grass breeding and plant materials programs were established by both the US and Canadian governments and cooperating universities to develop revegetation materials.

• Efforts of a small number of research locations and people resulted in grass cultivars or varieties that were used to revegetate and preserve the soil on millions of acres of land.

• This is a brief history of the people, agencies, and universities that developed these …

Context-Specific Genomic Selection Strategies Outperform Phenotypic Selection For Soybean Quantitative Traits In The Progeny Row Stage, Christopher J. Smallwood, Arnold M. Saxton, Jason D. Gillman, Hem S. Bhandari, Phillip A. Wadl, Benjamin D. Fallen, David L. Hyten, Qijian Song, Vincent R. Pantalone

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Evaluating different breeding selection strategies for relative utility is necessary to choose those that maximize efficiency. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed yield and fatty acid, protein, and oil contents are all commercially important traits that display complex quantitative inheritance. A soybean population consisting of 860 F₅–derived recombinant inbred lines (RILs), genotyped with 4867 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) was used to compare phenotypic and context specific genomic selection (GS) strategies. To simulate progeny rows, each RIL was grown in a single plot in 2010 in Knoxville, TN, and phenotype was recorded. A subset of 276 RILs …

Do Cover Crops And Corn Residue Removal Affect Soil Thermal Properties?, Michael Sindelar, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Virginia L. Jin, Richard B. Ferguson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soil thermal properties govern the transport and storage of heat in the soil. How management practices such as crop residue removal and cover crop (CC) use affect these soil properties is not well understood. For example, CCs could provide physical cover and improve soil properties after main crop residue removal and thus ameliorate the negative effects of residue removal on soil thermal properties. We measured changes in soil thermal properties including soil thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, volumetric heat capacity, and related properties under corn (Zea mays L.) residue removal with and without winter cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) …

Cover Crops And Corn Residue Removal: Impacts On Soil Hydraulic Properties And Their Relationships With Carbon, Michael Sindelar, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Virginia L. Jin, Richard B. Ferguson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Large-scale crop residue removal may negatively affect soil water dynamics. Integrating cover crop (CC) with crop residue management can be a strategy to offset potential adverse effects of residue removal. We studied: (i) the impact of corn (Zea mays L.) residue removal (56%) with and without the use of winter rye (Secale cereale L.) CC on soil hydraulic properties, (ii) whether CC would ameliorate residue removal effects on hydraulic properties, and (iii) relationships of hydraulic properties with soil organic C (SOC) and other properties under irrigated no-till continuous corn on a silt loam in south central Nebraska after …

Predicting Longitudinal Traits Derived From High-Throughput Phenomics In Contrasting Environments Using Genomic Legendre Polynomials And B-Splines, Mehdi Momen, Malachy T. Campbell, Harkamal Walia, Gota Morota

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Recent advancements in phenomics coupled with increased output from sequencing technologies can create the platform needed to rapidly increase abiotic stress tolerance of crops, which increasingly face productivity challenges due to climate change. In particular, high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) enables researchers to generate large-scale data with temporal resolution. Recently, a random regression model (RRM) was used to model a longitudinal rice projected shoot area (PSA) dataset in an optimal growth environment. However, the utility of RRM is still unknown for phenotypic trajectories obtained from stress environments. Here, we sought to apply RRM to forecast the rice PSA in control and water-limited …

Dedicated Bioenergy Crops And Water Erosion, Bharat Sharma Acharya, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Robert B. Mitchell, Richard Cruse, David Laird

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Information on the water quality impact of perennial warmseason grasses (WSGs) when grown in marginal lands as dedicated energy crops is limited. We studied how WSGs affected runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses and related near-surface soil properties to those of no-till corn (Zea mays L.) on an eroded soil in southwestern Iowa and a center pivot corner in east-central Nebraska. The experiment at the eroded soil was established in 2012, and treatments included ‘Liberty’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and no-till continuous corn. The experiment at the pivot corner was established in 2013 with ‘Liberty’ switchgrass, ‘Shawnee’ switchgrass, low-diversity grass …

Shifting Avian Spatial Regimes In A Changing Climate, Caleb P. Roberts, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Dirac Twidwell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In the present era of rapid global change, development of early warnings of ecological regime shifts is a major focus in ecology. Identifying and tracking shifts in spatial regimes is a new approach with potential to enhance understanding of ecological responses to global change. Here, we show strong directional non-stationarity of spatial regimes identified by avian community body mass data. We do this by tracking 46 years of avian spatial regime movement in the North American Great Plains. The northernmost spatial regime boundary moved >590 km northward, and the southernmost boundary moved >260 km northward. Tracking spatial regimes affords decadal …

Rapid Metabolism Increases The Level Of 2,4-D Resistance At High Temperature In Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus Tuberculatus), Chandrima Shyam, Amit J. Jhala, Greg Kruger, Mithila Jugulam

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Common waterhemp emerges throughout the crop growing season in the Midwestern United States, and as a result, the seedlings are exposed to a wide range of temperature regimes. Typically, 2,4-D is used in the Midwest to control winter annual broad-leaf weeds before planting soybean and in an early post-emergence application in corn and sorghum; however, the evolution of 2,4-D-resistant common waterhemp in several Midwestern states may limit the use of 2.4-D for controlling this problem weed. Moreover, temperature is one of the crucial factors affecting weed control efficacy of 2,4-D. This research investigated the effect of temperature on efficacy of …

The Mitochondrial Genome Of Eleusine Indica And Characterization Of Gene Content Within Poaceae, Nathan D. Hall, Hui Zhang, Jeffrey P. Mower, Joseph Scott Mcelroy, Leslie R. Goertzen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Plant mitochondrial (mt) genome assembly provides baseline data on size, structure, and gene content, but resolving the sequence of these large and complex organelle genomes remains challenging due to fragmentation, frequent recombination, and transfers of DNA from neighboring plastids. Themt genome for Eleusine indica (Poaceae: goosegrass) is comprehensibly analyzed here, providing key reference data for an economically significant invasive species that is also the maternal parent of the allotetraploid crop Finger millet (Eleusine coracana). The assembled E. indica genome contains 33 protein coding genes, 6 rRNA subunits, 24 tRNA, 8 large repetitive regions 15 kb of transposable elements across a …

Adaptation Of Photosynthesis To Water Deficit In The Reproductive Phase Of A Maize (Zea Mays L.) Inbred Line, H.F. Zheng, L.F. Xin, J.M. Guo, J. Mao, X.P. Han, L. Jia, B.Y. Zheng, C.G. Du, Roger W. Elmore, Q.H. Yang, R.X. Shao

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Photosynthesis is sensitive to water deficit (WD) stress. Maize (Zea mays L.) yield is vulnerable to water stress, especially if it occurs during the reproductive stage. In this study, the expression patterns of photosynthesis-related genes, together with photosynthetic gas-exchange and fluorescence parameters were investigated in a maize inbred line exposed to 50% of field water capacity (moderate WD) for 15 d after tassel emergence. The results demonstrated that WD down-regulated expression of psbA, psbB, psbC, psbP, psaA, psaB, and cab, especially at later periods of WD stress. Besides, with the increased WD stress, the steady decline in the value of …

United States Midwest Soil And Weather Conditions Influence Anaerobic Potentially Mineralizable Nitrogen, Jason D. Clark, Kristen S. Veum, Fabian G. Fernandez, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, David W. Franzen, Daniel E. Kaiser, Newell R. Kitchen, Carrie A. M. Laboski, Emerson D. Nafziger, Carl J. Rosen, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen provided to crops through mineralization is an important factor in N management guidelines. Understanding of the interactive effects of soil and weather conditions on N mineralization needs to be improved. Relationships between anaerobic potentially mineralizable N (PMN_an) and soil and weather conditions were evaluated under the contrasting climates of eight US Midwestern states. Soil was sampled (0–30 cm) for PMN_an analysis before pre-plant N application (PP_0N) and at the V5 development stage from the pre-plant 0 (V5_0N) and 180 kg N ha−1 (V5_180N) rates and incubated for 7, 14, and …

Sunflower Pollinators In South Dakota: An Evaluation Of Species Composition, Abundance And Influence On Yield, Mackenzie Mattern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2017 and 2018, South Dakota was the largest producer of sunflowers, Helianthus annuus L. (Asterales: Asteraceae) in the US, grossing approximately $178 million per year. In South Dakota, both confection and oilseed sunflower cultivars are grown. Despite breeding efforts to increase sunflower's ability to self-pollinate there is evidence that pollinator visitation results in increased sunflower yields. In addition, there is evidence that sunflower pollen is beneficial for pathogen resistance in various bee species, suggesting the importance of a mutualistic relationship between pollinators and sunflowers. In some areas, observed increases in sunflower yield is attributed to the presence of Apis …

Evaluation Of Spray Pattern Uniformity Using Three Unique Analyses As Impacted By Nozzle, Pressure, And Pulse-Widthmodulation Duty Cycle, Thomas R. Butts, Joe D. Luck, Bradley K. Fritz, W. Clint Hoffmann, Greg R. Kruger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The increasing popularity of pulse-width modulation (PWM) sprayers requires that application interaction effects on spray pattern uniformity be completely understood to maintain a uniform overlap of spray, thereby reducing crop injury potential andmaximizing coverage on target pests. The objective of this researchwas to determine the impacts of nozzle type (venturi vs. non-venturi), boom pressure, and PWMduty cycle on spray pattern uniformity. Research was conducted using an indoor spray patternator located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, NE, USA. Coefficient of variation (CV), root mean square error (RMSE), and average percent error (APE) were used to characterize spray pattern …

Thiamin-Induced Variations In Oxidative Defense Processes In White Clover(Trifolium Repens L.) Under Water Deficit Stress, Adeel Ghaffar, Nudrat Aisha Akram, Muhammad Ashraf, Yasin Ashraf, Muhammad Sadiq

Turkish Journal of Botany

Vitamins are regarded as vital growth substances. They act as cofactors of various key enzymes involved in metabolism and also have vital influence on metabolic activities of plants. They are believed to play a significant role in plants against abiotic stresses, particularly during water stress. The current experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of exogenously applied thiamin on two white clover cultivars, Super Late Fsd and Layalpur Late, at varying [100% (control), 80%, and 60% field capacities] water regimes. A significant suppression was noted in plant biomass, plant height, chlorophyll a and b contents, total soluble proteins, and shoot …

In Silico Comparative Proteomic Analysis Of Enzymes Involved In Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Castor Bean (Ricinus Communis) And Soybean (Glycine Max), Qudsia Yousafi, Hafsa Ahmad Ali, Hamid Rashid, Muhammad Saad Khan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Plant oils are very important for domestic and industrial use. Biodiesel can be obtained from plant seed oil. Biodiesel is currently popular and in demand due to the high cost of petroleum and to avoid pollution. It is time to increase plant seed oil production and conduct research to find ways of enhancing its production. We studied two species of oil seed plants, i.e. Ricinus communis and Glycine max, with varying amounts of oil content. Proteins from six categories of enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis were selected for study. The 3D structures were predicted using different structure prediction tools. …

The Effects Of Different Mowing Regimes On Diversity Of Grasses In Lowland Meadows, Anna Bomanowska, Wojciech Adamowski, Kamil Kwiecien, Agnieszka Rewicz

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study addresses the question of how changing the mowing regime influences the floristic composition and floristic diversity of grasses in an experimental lowland meadow. The study location is Bia?owie?a Forest, NE Poland. To achieve the aim we used phytosociological data from long-term studies in Bia?owie?a Forest on the course of secondary succession. The relationship between the biodiversity of grasses and type of mowing was determined using statistical analysis. Changes in the dominance and frequency of individual grass species have occurred during the last 28 years of observations. The analysis of floristic similarity demonstrated a turnover of species between the …

Determination Of Trophic Weight And Indicator Values Of Diatoms In Turkish Running Waters For Water Quality Assessment, Abuzer Çelekli̇, Assane Toudjani, Emi̇ne Yonca Gümüş, Seda Kayhan, Haciömer Lekesi̇z, Tolga Çeti̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study, the first such attempt in Turkey, aimed to investigate the distribution of diatom species related to the variation of total phosphorus (TP) in eight basins to determine trophic weight and indicator values of diatom species and to develop the Trophic Index-Turkey (TIT) for assessing the ecological status of freshwaters. The distribution of the diatom species in 225 running water bodies from 8 basins of Turkey was determined in 2014 (summer and fall) and 2015 (spring and summer) in association with TP variation. Trophic values for 219 species were determined during this study and many of these are presented …

Fungal Dna Barcode (Its Nrdna) Reveals More Diversity Than Expected In Tulostoma From Macedonia, Katerina Rusevska, Franciso De Diego Calonge, Mitko Karadelev, María Paz Martín

Turkish Journal of Botany

With the aim of clarifying the number of Tulostoma species in Macedonia, and to verify some previous collections, molecular analyses were carried out on four morphologically identified species collected in different habitats (at the edges of oak or juniper forests, pine plantations, meadows, rocky places, roadsides). Sixty-two new sequences were generated and compared with recently published sequences included in public databases. According to the barcoding sequences fourteen Tulostoma species are identified in Macedonia and ten of them were assigned to known species: Tulostoma brumale , T. fimbriatum/, T. lusitanicum, T. cf. moravecii, T. melanocyclum, T. punctatum, T. simulans, T. squamosum, …

New Records From Artabel Lakes Nature Park (Gümüşhane/Turkey) To The Freshwater Algal Flora Of Turkey, Bülent Şahi̇n, Bülent Akar

Turkish Journal of Botany

Six newly recorded taxa, Chlamydomonas pertusa Chodat, Coenochloris pyrenoidosa Korshikov, Coenocystis tapasteana Komárek, Katagnymene accurata Geitler, Phormidium stagninum Anagnostidis, and Scytonema coactile Montagne ex Bornet & Flahault, were described from epipelic, epilithic, and epiphytic materials of the 17 high mountain lakes and a pond in Artabel Lakes Nature Park. The morphology of all species was examined by light microscopy. In this paper, the morphology, ecology, and distribution of these species are discussed. Photos of the species are also provided.

Genetic Diversity And Agronomic Performance Of Slovenian Landraces Of Proso Millet (Panicum Miliaceum L.), Marko Flajsman, Natasa Stajner, Darja Kocjan Acko

Turkish Journal of Botany

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) has many favored nutritional and agronomic traits, which makes it appropriate for cultivation and consumption all around the world. Genomic resources for proso millet are still very limited but the set of genomic data is improving. In this study, we genotyped six Slovenian landraces of proso millet (P. miliaceum L.) along with one Slovene autochthonous cultivar, Son?ek. The chosen set of 11 SSR markers showed that there is low overall heterozygosity (0.561) among Slovenian landraces of proso millet. However, we were able to determine distinct groups on the dendrogram for different landraces and the cultivar …

Genome Size Variation Among Natural Populations Of Brachypodium Distachyon And B. Hybridum Collected From Different Regions Of Turkey, Gülsemi̇n Savaş Tuna, İsmet Başer, Meti̇n Tuna

Turkish Journal of Botany

Brachypodium distachyon (L.) P.Beauv. is a model grass species that is useful for studying temperate cereal, forage, and energy crops. In this study we aimed to determine the genome size and species identity in the collections of the B. distachyon complex that included samples from 56 different locations in Turkey, applying chromosome counting and nuclear genome size evaluation by flow cytometry method (FCM). Moreover, the study examined whether diverse geographical conditions at the collecting sites influence the genome size. Chromosomal analysis revealed that the number of B. distachyon (x = 5, 2n = 10) genotypes was 48 and the number …

Competitiveness Of Generalist Plant Populations At A Mine Site, Justin S.H. Wan, Fati̇h Fazlioğlu, Stephen P. Bonser

Turkish Journal of Botany

Plants inhabiting extremely stressful mine site environments tend to be specialized and localized, where they express lower performance than nonmine site plants from adjacent areas. However, such a cost may be concealed. In a previous study at a mine site, we found mine and adjacent nonmine plants of multiple species expressed similar performances in the absence of competition. However, a lower competitive ability may be a concealed driver. We aim to test whether costs under competition could explain specialization. In a glasshouse experiment, we measured the performance (i.e. vegetative and reproductive growth) of mine and nonmine potted plants under competition. …

Karyotype Analyses Of 25 Turkish Taxa Of Astragalus From The Sections Macrophyllium, Hymenostegis, Hymenocoleus, And Anthylloidei (Fabaceae), Esra Marti̇n, Gi̇zem İçyer Doğan, Seher Karaman Erkul, Hali̇l Erhan Eroğlu

Turkish Journal of Botany

The karyotype analyses and chromosomal data of 25 taxa belonging to the sections Macrophyllium, Hymenostegis, Hymenocoleus, and Anthylloidei of the genus Astragalus naturally distributed in Turkey are described. The cytogenetic data obtained were evaluated systematically. The following somatic chromosome numbers were found: 2n = 16 for A. oleaefolius, A. dipodurus, A. cephalotes, and A. yukselii; 2n = 32 for A. longifolius; and 2n = 48 for A. isauricus in the sect. Macrophyllium; 2n = 16 for A. zohrabi, A. sosnowskyi, A. velenovskyi, A. trifoliastrum, and A. uraniolimneus; 2n = 18 for A. hymenocystis; 2n = 48 for A. lagopoides, A. …

Cloning Of Lipase Cdna From Olea Europaea Cv. Gemlik Leaves And Expression Analysis Inresponse To Cold Stress, Muni̇se Yurtsever, Şenay Vural Korkut

Turkish Journal of Botany

The cDNA encoding lipase enzyme was cloned from Olea europaea var. europaea cv. Gemlik leaves using the RACE method. The full nucleotide sequence was 1546 bp long and encoded a putative protein of 412 amino acid long protein. The amino acid sequence showed identity to Triacylglycerol Lipase 1 sequences from different plants. A phylogenetic tree was constructed showing relations with various plant lipases. Multiple sequence alignment analysis of the putative protein sequence revealed that the enzyme contains conserved GXSXG pentapeptide motif, and the catalytic triad was predicted as Ser-182, His-379, and Asp-350 with bioinformatics tools. Real-time PCR was used to …

Cellular Patterns And Metabolic Changes During Tepal Development In Lilium Tsingtauense, Jiang Xinqiang, Chi Xiufeng, Li Wei, Wang Jianping, Liu Qingchao, Wang Kuiling, Liu Qinghua

Turkish Journal of Botany

Lilium tsingtauense is an endangered bulb plant in China that has curved leaves and orange flowers. Little is known about the opening of the L. tsingtauense flower. In this paper, the blooming process of L. tsingtauense flowers was sampled in five stages according to characteristic tepal morphology. The center of the tepal has an increasing elongation rate compared with the upper and lower parts. Tepal growth from closed buds at the greenish tepal stage (CBS) to the completely opened buds at the horizontal tepal stage is mainly due to cell division, cell elongation, and obvious longitudinal cellular growth. The fructose …