Lushan Yunwu tea (LSYWT) is a famous green tea in China. However, the effects of intercropping tea with flowering cherry on the overall aroma of tea have not been well understood. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used for analysis. A total of 54 volatile compounds from eight chemical classes were identified in tea samples from both the intercropping and pure-tea-plantation groups. Principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and odor activity value (OAV) methods combined with sensory evaluation identified cis-jasmone, nonanal, and linalool as the key aroma compounds in the intercropping group. Benzaldehyde, α-farnesene, and methyl benzene were identified as the main volatile compounds in the flowering cherry using headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC–MS). These findings will enrich the research on tea aroma chemistry and offer new insights into the product development and quality improvement of LSYWT.

Wild Camptotheca acuminata Decne (C. acuminata) resources are becoming endangered and face poor growth. Preliminary investigation results found that the growth of C. acuminata in an artificial mixed forest of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (Lemee et Levl.), Cheng et L. K. Fu (T. chinensis var. mairei) and C. acuminata was significantly higher than that in pure forests. Understanding the reasons for the above differences can help create a mixed forest of T. chinensis var. mairei and C. acuminata to solve the problem of depleting C. acuminata resources. In this study, the growth and soil indexes under two different modes (C. acuminata/T. chinensis var. mairei interplanted and monocultured C. acuminata seedlings) were compared. The results showed that plant height, basal diameter, photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content of C. acuminata under the interplanting mode were higher than those under monoculture. The growth rates of plant height and basal diameter that were calculated from interplanted specimens increased by 25% and 40%, respectively, compared with those from specimens that were monocultured. Photosynthetic rates from different light intensities under interplanting were higher than those in seedlings under monoculture. The contents of chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll under interplanting were 1.50, 1.59, and 1.47 times higher than those under monoculture, respectively. The numbers of bacteria and fungi in the interplanted culture were higher than those in the monoculture. Furthermore, the differences in microbial diversity under different planting modes were analyzed via the amplicon sequencing method. Soil enzyme activities increased under interplanting compared with that in the monoculture. Taxane allelochemicals were detected in the range of 0.01–0.67 μg/g in the interplanting mode from April to September. T. chinensis var. mairei may increase the establishment and productivity of C. acuminata seedlings under interplanting mode through improvements in enzyme activity, changes in microorganism population structure, and release of allelochemicals.

Plants face various biotic and abiotic stress factors during their growth and development, among which, drought is a serious adverse factor that affects yield and quality in agriculture and forestry. Several transcription factors are involved in regulating plant responses to drought stress. In this study, the B-box (BBX) transcription factor CoBBX24 was cloned from Camellia oleifera. This gene encodes a 241-amino-acid polypeptide containing two B-box domains at the N-terminus. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that CoBBX24 and CsBBX24 from Camellia sinensis are in the same branch, with their amino acid sequences being identical by 96.96%. CoBBX24 was localized to the nucleus and acted as a transcriptional activator. The overexpression of CoBBX24 in Arabidopsis heightened its drought tolerance along with a relatively high survival rate, and the rate of water loss in the OX-CoBBX24 lines was observably lower than that of the wild-type. Compared to the wild-type, the root lengths of the OX-CoBBX24 lines were significantly inhibited with abscisic acid. Leaf senescence was delayed in the OX-CoBBX24 lines treated with abscisic acid. The expression of genes related to leaf senescence and chlorophyll breakdown (e.g., SAG12, SAG29, NYC1, NYE1, and NYE2) was downregulated in the OX-CoBBX24 lines. This study indicated that CoBBX24 positively regulates the drought tolerance in Arabidopsis through delayed leaf senescence.

Lushan Yunwu tea (LYT) is recognized as one of China's top ten famous teas, with a long-standing reputation. However, the relationship between LYT quality at different altitudes and picking periods remains unclear. Hence, this study systematically explored the synergistic effects of these two factors on LYT quality. The results revealed significant differences in the taste and aroma profiles of LYT across different altitudes and picking periods. This study demonstrated that the first-picked LYT from medium-to-high altitudes exhibited superior quality with distinct characteristics at different elevations. In the first pick, teas from medium to high altitudes contained more umami and sweet amino acids, whereas those from higher altitudes exhibited higher levels of aromatic compounds, contributing to intense floral, woody, and fruity flavors. Furthermore, the caffeine, theobromine, catechin, and gallic acid contents declined with increasing altitude in the first-picked LYT. In contrast, the contents of these four components were significantly higher in the second-picked LYT from medium-to-high altitudes than in the first-picked LYT. Finally, a multi-parameter flavor wheel was developed for LYT quality, incorporating nine key taste-active and 13 key aroma-active compounds. The findings demonstrated that altitude and picking period act as interdependent drivers of tea quality, which jointly shape its characteristics through their combined effects on temperature and light exposure. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of LYT quality formation and offer practical guidance for the cultivation and processing of high-quality LYT.

Ning black autumn tea from Jiangxi, China, is often neglected by farmers due to quality decline under hot and arid autumn conditions. In this study, four soil moisture levels (T1–T4, ranging from 32.75% to 18.36%) were established through different sprinkler irrigation frequencies to investigate their effects on tea quality. T2 (27.98% soil moisture) exhibited the highest content of total free amino acids (13.77 mg/g), which was 13.33% higher than that in T4 (12.15 mg/g). Notably, T2 had the highest content of umami amino acids (6.75 mg/g) and the lowest content of bitter amino acids (3.07 mg/g) among all treatments. The total non-esterified catechin content in T2 (18.92 mg/g) was 2.74-fold higher than that in T4 (6.90 mg/g). Among the 55 volatile compounds identified, trans-nerolidol reached its highest odor activity value in T2 (11.77), contributing to a distinctive fruity and floral aroma. Sensory evaluation confirmed that T2 had the highest taste score (89.7), with significantly reduced bitterness and astringency, consistent with its enriched umami amino acids (6.75 mg/g) and lower bitter amino acids (3.07 mg/g). These findings demonstrate that maintaining soil moisture at approximately 28% through moderate sprinkler irrigation effectively balances flavor-related metabolites and improves autumn tea quality, offering a practical strategy to reduce resource waste and increase economic returns.