Enhancing crop photosynthesis through genetic engineering technologies offers numerous opportunities to increase plant productivity. Key approaches include optimizing light utilization, increasing cytochrome b₆f complex levels, and improving carbon fixation. Modifications to Rubisco and the photosynthetic electron transport chain are central to these strategies. Introducing alternative photorespiratory pathways and enhancing carbonic anhydrase activity can further increase the internal CO₂ concentration, thereby improving photosynthetic efficiency. The efficient translocation of photosynthetically produced sugars, which are managed by sucrose transporters, is also critical for plant growth. Additionally, incorporating genes from C₄ plants, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and NADP-malic enzymes, enhances the CO₂ concentration around Rubisco, reducing photorespiration. Targeting microRNAs and transcription factors is vital for increasing photosynthesis and plant productivity, especially under stress conditions. This review highlights potential biological targets, the genetic modifications of which are aimed at improving photosynthesis and increasing plant productivity, thereby determining key areas for future research and development.

The highest quality pomegranate necessitates a tropical or subtropical environment for proper growth and development. This study evaluated two pomegranate cultivars including Rabab Poost Ghermez Neyriz (RPGN) and Makhmal Malas Shahreza (MMS) for physical traits, biochemical properties, and juice quality in their native locations as well as other warm and arid regions during two growing seasons (2019–2020 and 2020–2021) in Iran. The results showed that cultivars with the maximum redness (a*) were more likely to originate in cooler climates, and the cultivar’s responses to changing climates were also different. According to pomegranate characteristics, cultivars in different regions had different fruit, aril, and skin weights. According to these findings, pomegranate fruits cultivated in other climates than the origin climate have a smaller edible fraction. The findings also demonstrate that pomegranate fruits cultivated in mountain climates have more significant biochemical parameters such as total phenol, anthocyanin content, antioxidant capacity, and vitamin C than those produced in desert environment settings. The increased titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), and pH values of pomegranates produced in origin climate than the warm environment; thus, suggest that changes in pomegranate cultivar origin had a clear impact on fruit juice quality. Environmental factors, such as wind speed, altitude, and annual precipitation, had a significant correlation with a* skin, TSS, fruit weight, aril weight, edible portion, pH, TA, phenol, antioxidants, and anthocyanin content.

Ionizing radiations are a helpful technique and have improved financial potential in developing new and unique commercially important fruit tree varieties. The ‘Yaghouti’ grape cuttings were treated with 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 Gy gamma ray (γ) doses. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the effects of γ radiation on the survival rate, leaves, shoots, and root morphometric traits after γ irradiation; (2) Measurement of the 25, 50, and 75% lethal dose and 25, 50, and 75% growth reduction dose based on leaves, shoots, and root morphometric characteristics to estimate grape radiosensitivity; (3) Ultimately, determining the optimum dose of γ irradiation based biological responses (LD_{25, 50, 75} and GR_{25, 50, 75}) in Yaghouti grape. The findings demonstrate that the lethal dose of the ‘Yaghouti’ was 18 Gy for LD₂₅, 30 Gy for LD₅₀, and 48 Gy for LD₇₅, respectively. Furthermore, our findings showed that increasing the γ dose had a harmed ngative effect on vine growth, as evidenced by a decrease in plant height, root number, root volume, leaf area, aerial biomass, root biomass, and internode number of the ‘Yaghouti’ grape plants. Our results showed that between the aerial parts of vines, the leaf area and aerial biomass had higher radiosensitivity than plant height and other aerial parts of the plants based on data from GR₂₅, GR₅₀, and GR₇₅. Moreover, GR studies of root characteristics revealed that root number and biomass root had higher radiation sensitivity than root volume. According to biological responses (LD_{25, 50, 75} and GR_{25, 50, 75}) in the ‘Yaghouti’ grape, 30 Gy of γ radiation is the optimum dose for preliminary mutagenesis investigations.

The dried fig cv. Sabz of Iran, distinguishes out among the several fig cultivars for its unique characteristics and excellent properties. The aims to this study were 1) Carefully monitoring the resulting phenotypic changes in growth patterns, leaf morphology, shoot traits, root characteristics, and other relevant traits after irradiated with different gamma rays; 2) Investigating the LD₂₅, ₅₀, ₇₅ and GR₂₅, ₅₀, ₇₅ values at different gamma radiation doses for chose optimum dose. According to our results, the LD₅₀ was 70 Gy, while the LD₂₅ and LD₇₅ were approximately 48 and 95 Gy, respectively. Data analysis revealed that higher doses, ranging from 50 to 90 Gy, led to a reduction in leaf area for fig hardwood cuttings compared to those exposed to lower doses of gamma irradiation (10, 20, 30, and 40 Gy). In fig cuttings, the plant height gradually decreased in line with increasing irradiation doses up to 60 Gy. Among the root traits, root number was particularly influenced by higher radiation doses. On other hand, when fig cuttings were exposed to a 40 Gy radiation dosage, the average root count dropped by 50%. However, when fig cuttings were subjected to a 90 Gy radiation dose, the average root count surged by 90.7% in comparison to the control treatment. Additionally, the GR₅₀ values were 63 Gy for internode length, 67 Gy for leaf area and 56 Gy for plant height and aerial biomass. However, the GR₅₀ values for root number, root volume, and root biomass were 46 Gy, 57 Gy, and 51 Gy, respectively. An analysis based on the GR₂₅, GR₅₀, and GR₇₅ values indicated that plant height, aerial biomass and root biomass exhibited greater sensitivity to radioactivity in comparison to other plant portions of the fig. According to the biological responses in the ‘Sabz’ fig, 60 Gy of gamma radiation is a suitable dose for initial mutagenesis studies.

Due to limited local knowledge regarding the optimal harvest time for this non-native variety, a two-year study (2021–2022) was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four blocks. This study aimed to determine the ideal harvest time based on quantitative and qualitative fruit characteristics in saveh, which has a semi-arid climate. Twelve similarly sized trees were selected for each orchard, and fruits were harvested at three-time intervals: 155 days after flowering (DAF) (September 27), 170 DAF (October 12), and 185 DAF (October 27). Ten fruits from four sides of the tree canopy were collected and analyzed for physical and biochemical properties. The results showed that harvest time significantly affected fruit weight, aril weight, and juice percentage positively, while it negatively impacted rind percentage. The first harvest date yielded the lowest quantitative and qualitative traits, with incomplete skin and aril coloration. By the third harvest, pomegranate fruits exhibited the highest total soluble solids (17.76 °Brix), pH (3.41), and anthocyanin content (32.56 mg/L), along with the lowest total phenols (17.28 mg GAE/L), antioxidant capacity (79.78%), and titratable acidity (1.11%), resulting in the highest flavor or ripening index (16.31). In addition, cracking rates increased substantially, reaching 30.25% by the third harvest, compared to negligible levels of 20.72% by the second harvest. Juice percentage and aril weight improved significantly with delayed harvest, peaking on October 27. These findings suggest that October 12–27 is the optimal harvest window for superior fruit quality while considering the risk of fruit cracking. This study provides practical insights into harvest timing for maximizing the marketability and nutritional value of ‘Wonderful’ pomegranates in semi-arid climates.