Biologia plantarum, 2026 (vol. 70)
Reviews
Humic substances: their role in improving plant growth and resilience in sustainable agriculture
Nouf O. ALSHAREEF
Biologia plantarum 70:65-77, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.008 
Background: Many concerns have been raised about the extensive use of agrochemicals and their impacts on environment and soil. Some serious issues include increased soil salinization, toxicity and decrease in soil microbial biodiversity. Biostimulants have emerged as a promising ecofriendly alternative to agrochemicals. Humic substances (HSs) are biostimulants with many beneficial effects in plants physiology and productivity. Aims: This review aims to synthesize current evidence on the role of HSs in supporting sustainable agriculture that improves crop productivity while maintaining good soil health in changing environmental conditions. Methods:...
Original Papers
Optimized protocol for in vitro indirect organogenesis and shoot regeneration of Platycladus orientalis
Luis LUCENA-SORIANO, Ana María FERNÁNDEZ-OCAÑA
Biologia plantarum 70:1-10, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.001
Background: Platycladus orientalis L. is a drought-tolerant conifer valued for its ornamental and medicinal properties. However, efficient regeneration systems for this species remain limited, hindering its propagation and conservation. Aims: The aim of this study was to develop a reliable protocol for indirect organogenesis of Platycladus orientalis under in vitro conditions, evaluating the influence of explant type, culture medium, light exposure, and pretreatment on regeneration efficiency. Methods: Cotyledon, hypocotyl, and radicle explants were cultured on different media formulations. The effects of light and darkness during...
RT-qPCR analysis of genotype-specific beet yellows virus accumulation in sugar beet
Emad IBRAHIM, Dilara BOZDOĞAN, Jiban KUMAR KUNDU
Biologia plantarum 70:11-17, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.002
Background: Rapid and objective characterisation of viral accumulation requires methods combining fast detection and temporal resolution. Aims: Develop a two-phase approach for screening sugar beet genotypes for beet yellows virus (BYV) accumulation dynamics. Methods: Phase 1 employed one-enzyme RTX-PCR for rapid BYV detection, followed by single-time-point RT-qPCR at 30 days post-inoculation (dpi) to screen ten genotypes. Phase 2 performed time-course RT-qPCR at six time points (10-60 dpi) on two contrasting genotypes selected from Phase 1, with assay performance validated by a standard curve. Results: One-enzyme RTX-PCR confirmed BYV infection, enabling...
Composition of organic acids secreted by alpine shrub roots and its influencing factors
Chen-Kang XI, Ling ZHU, Naveed AHMED, Yong-Heng GAO
Biologia plantarum 70:18-26, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.003
Background and aims: There appears to be a strong correlation between the rapid proliferation of shrubs in the alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the root exudates of these plants. The dynamics of root exudates during shrub development, however, have been the subject of few investigations. Methods: This work examined Lonicera thibetica, a plant found on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It focused on the root systems of 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year-old L. thibetica plants and how their primary organic acid components changed with the seasons and other circumstances. Results: The findings revealed that the primary...
Integrated molecular and serological diagnostics for surveillance of the quarantine virus tomato brown rugose fruit virus
Hana HOFFMEISTEROVÁ, Emad IBRAHIM, Jakub DUŠEK, Qinhai LIU, Min ZHU, Xiaorong TAO, Noemi ČEŘOVSKÁ, Tomáš MORAVEC, Jiban Kumar KUNDU
Biologia plantarum 70:27-37, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.004
Background: The tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus fructirugosum, ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus that has quickly become a significant obstacle to the production of tomatoes and peppers worldwide. It is now classified as a regulated quarantine pathogen. Effective containment requires rapid, reliable, inexpensive, and safe diagnostic protocols for routine screening in laboratories and production systems. Aims: We aimed to thoroughly evaluate integrated molecular and serological diagnostic methods for ToBRFV and develop biosafe positive controls suitable for high-throughput and decentralized applications. Methods: We...
Study about factors affecting Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression by vacuum infiltration
Honghong YANG, Yuting CAI, Yi RU, Jianggong DUAN, Ying LI, Li LI, Kun SUN, Ji ZHANG, Hanqing FENG
Biologia plantarum 70:38-46, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.005
Background: In the last decades, vacuum infiltration had been applied for the Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of foreign gene in plants. However, the relevant influencing factors have not been fully studied yet. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of vacuum infiltration pressure, time of vacuum infiltration, concentration of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (A. tumefaciens), and incubation time post infiltration on the transient expression of foreign gene in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana). Methods: Two A. tumefaciens strains, LBA4404 and EHA105, carrying a reporter gene of...
Photosynthetic dysfunction and antioxidant defense disruption in rice seedlings induced by tire wear microplastics
Zailin ZHANG, Dongyi WANG, Zhangtianxiao LI, Chaoyang WEI, Chuanling ZHANG, Liyan YIN
Biologia plantarum 70:47-55, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.006
Background and aims: Tire wear microplastics (TWMs) are emerging environmental contaminants, but their ecological risks to agricultural systems remain poorly understood. Methods: Rice seedlings were exposed to 0, 10, 100, and 1 000 mg L-1 TWMs for 10 days. Growth parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured. Results: TWMs promoted growth; exposure to 1 000 mg L-1 TWMs increased plant height and root length by 8.06% and 57.38%, respectively. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis revealed that TWMs significantly suppressed rETRmax by 32.53 - 43.62% and altered qP and NPQ. TWMs inhibited...
Rapid in vitro propagation of elite female plants of Idesia polycarpa var. vestita Diels
Feng Ying CAO, Ting XIE, Jie LI, Yong Bin OU, Fu Rong LIU, Jian Xun LUO
Biologia plantarum 70:56-64, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.007
Background: Idesia polycarpa var. vestita Diels is an oil-bearing woody plant of significant economic value. Aims: To accelerate the propagation of its elite germplasm, this study aimed to establish an efficient and stable in vitro rapid propagation system using one-year-old stem segments from elite plants. Methods: Young stem explants were disinfected with 75% ethanol for 40 s, followed by 0.1% HgCl2 for 6 min. MS or 1/2 MS served as basal media, and various combinations of plant growth regulators were tested for axillary bud induction, proliferation, and rooting. Results: The optimal disinfection protocol yielded a...
Division of labor between seed plant RAB GDI paralogs: insights from genetic analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana
Hana SOUKUPOVÁ, Fatima CVRČKOVÁ, Viktor ŽÁRSKÝ, Michal HÁLA
Biologia plantarum 70:78-85, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.010
Background: RAB Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors (RAB GDIs) are important vesicle transport regulators in eukaryotes, participating in the functional cycle of RAB GTPases by stabilizing their non-active GDP-conformation. Aims: We address the importance of the three Arabidopsis thaliana RAB GDI paralogs by genetic and developmental analyses and put these results into the seed plants evolution context. Methods: We use methods of genetics, microscopy, and phylogenetics. Results: Our genetic analyses of Arabidopsis T-DNA insertional mutants confirm recent CRISPR alleles data indicating lethality of double gdi1 gdi2 mutants,...