Unraveling metabolic shifts in peach under agrochemical treatments during flower bud endodormancy in the context of global warming

Significant variations were observed in metabolites from the abscisic acid and phenylpropanoid pathways. Notably, six types of phospholipids were identified, with most increasing exclusively in treated samples during endodormancy release. These results were in concomitance with the increased expression of <i>4-coumarate-CoA ligase 1</i>, <i>9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase</i>, and <i>xanthoxin dehydrogenase</i> genes. In a subsequent validation experiment performed in the third year, branches treated with phospholipids and cinnamic, caffeic, and abscisic acids advanced endodormancy release by one to two weeks, which represents the first evidence of endodormancy release modulation by the use of these metabolites. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved in endodormancy release and highlights the potential of phenylpropanoids, phospholipids, and related compounds as targets for developing sustainable agrochemicals, addressing challenges posed by climate change to <i>Prunus</i> spp. cultivation.