2nd Leaf Research Articles

Nickel-induced oxidative stress and phospholipid remodeling in cucumber leaves

Nickel phytotoxicity has been attributed, among others, to oxidative stress. However, little is known about Ni-induced phospholipid modifications, including the oxidative ones. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidative enzyme activities, malondialdehyde and the early lipid oxidation products contents, membrane permeability, phospholipid profile as well as phospholipid unsaturation degree were studied in the 1st and the 2nd leaves of hydroponically grown cucumber seedlings subjected to Ni stress. Compared to the 2nd leaf the 1st one showed stronger visual Ni toxicity symptoms, higher Ni, O2.- and H2O2 accumulation as well as greater enhancement in membrane permeability. Enzyme activities were differently influenced by Ni stress, however most pronounced changes were generally found in the 1st leaf. Ni treatment resulted in oxidation of leaf lipids, which was evidenced by appearance of increased contents of MDA and the early produced oxylipins. Among the latter 9-hydroxyoctadecatrienoic acid (9-HOTrE) and 13-hydroxyoctadecatrienoic acid (13-HOTrE) contents showed the most pronounced increase in response to Ni treatment. Exposure to the metal led to the changes in the leaf phospholipid profile and increased degree of phospholipid unsaturation. The obtained results have been discussed in relation to the difference in Ni stress severity between the 1st and the 2nd leaves.

Impact of mycorrhizal inoculants on soil microbiome during sunflower (Helianthus L.) cultivation

The article examines the results of a study on the impact of the biological preparation Mikovital, based on mycorrhizal fungi, on sunflower cultivation. The study revealed a positive effect of the preparation on the growth, development, and productivity of the plants. The application of Mikovital led to a statistically significant increase in sunflower yield from 2.31 t/ha (control) to 2.90 t/ha. Additionally, improvements were observed in the quality parameters of the seeds, including 1000-seed weight and oil content. The preparation influenced the increase in the area of active roots, which facilitated better water and nutrient absorption. During the budding phase, the area of active roots increased by 5.2 cm2, and during the flowering phase, it increased by 4.9 cm2. The increase in leaf area during the appearance of the 2nd trifoliate leaf by 0.5 dm2, in the budding phase by 1.5 dm2, and in the flowering phase by 2.1 dm2 contributed to improved photosynthetic activity and overall plant productivity. Moreover, the study noted an increase in the number of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, such as ammonifying bacteria and actinomycetes, as well as the emergence of new species of micromycetes, including Trichoderma and Glomus. This positively affected biodiversity, improved nutrient synthesis, and provided better nutrient supply to the plants. The enhanced microbial activity in the soil contributed to the overall health and resilience of the sunflower plants, ensuring their stability under stress conditions. Overall, the application of Mikovital proved to be effective in enhancing sunflower growth, development, and yield. It not only optimized the soil microbiome but also improved plant stability under adverse conditions, making it a valuable tool in sustainable agriculture. The study underscores the potential of biological preparations in reducing dependency on chemical inputs while maintaining high productivity and quality in sunflower cultivation.

Delaying panicle nitrogen application to emergence of 3rd leaf from flag leaf increases the grain-filling ability and yield of large-panicle rice by increasing stem nonstructural carbohydrates at heading

The reserve of stem nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) at heading can enhance the sink strength and improve the grain-filling ability of large-panicle rice, which is beneficial to realizing its high-yield potential. Delaying panicle nitrogen (N) application is expected to increase stem NSC accumulation, but the relevant technical parameters and their impact on the yield of large-panicle rice remain unclear. Two-year field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 with two large-panicle rice cultivars (HLY280 and YLY228) and five panicle N treatments: panicle N application at emergence of 4th leaf from flag leaf (TL4), 3rd leaf from flag leaf (TL3), 2nd leaf from flag leaf (TL2), flag leaf (TL1), and no panicle N application (CK) as the control, to study the effect of different panicle N treatments on the accumulation and translocation of stem NSC, as well as their impact on rice yield and its components. The results showed that the panicle N treatments significantly influenced rice yield. Among the panicle N application treatments, TL3 showed the highest yield for both cultivars over two years. Compared with TL4, TL3 significantly increased the percentage of filled grains and grain weight while maintaining a similar number of spikelets per panicle, which increased the yield of HLY280 and YLY228 by 10.1–13.6% and 12.4–12.7%, respectively. Among the panicle N application treatments, TL3 significantly increased the translocation of stem mass (net output of stem mass) and stem NSC (∆NSC) from heading to 15 days after heading (DAH), which led to the highest dry matter accumulation during the initiation of grain filling from heading to 15 DAH. The higher ∆NSC of TL3 was mainly due to the higher stem NSC at heading, which was contributed by the higher stem NSC accumulation from 5 days before heading (DBH) to heading. Additionally, the higher stem NSC accumulation under TL3 from 5 DBH to heading was significantly positively correlated with the higher leaf area duration (LAD) in this period. These results suggest that delaying panicle N application to TL3 can significantly increase the yield of large-panicle rice compared with TL4 by increasing the percentage of filled grains and grain weight, which is the result of increased stem NSC accumulation.

Selectivity of the Premixtures Flufenacet, Diflufenican and Flufenacet, Diflufenican, Metribuzin on Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and Efficacy on ALS/ACCase-Resistant Populations of Lolium rigidum Gaudin

The premixtures flufenacet plus diflufenican and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin are two herbicides recently registered in Greece for weed control in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with application early post-emergence to the crop (1st–3rd leaf growth stage). To evaluate the selectivity of these new herbicides, pot experiments were conducted by applying flufenacet plus diflufenican at 240 + 120 g ai ha−1 and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin at 119.7 + 119.7 + 44.8 g ai ha−1 to bread wheat and barley, at 1st (BBCH-11), 2nd (BBCH-12) and 3rd (BBCH-13) leaf growth stage. The efficacy of the herbicides at the above-mentioned rates in pre-emergence application was also tested on three ALS/ACCase herbicide-resistant populations of Lolium rigidum Gaudin in comparison with the pre-emergence herbicides prosulfocarb and chlorotoluron plus diflufenican at 3200 g ai ha−1 and 1380 + 92 g ai ha−1, respectively. The results revealed decreased selectivity of both premixtures when applied at BBCH-11 for both winter cereals, with flufenacet plus diflufenican being less selective compared to flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin. Both herbicides highly controlled the three herbicide-resistant L. rigidum populations. The results indicated that both premixtures are effective chemical options for the management of herbicide resistant L. rigidum. To ensure crop safety and optimize efficacy, application at BBCH-12 is recommended.

Quality Stock Production of Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk. Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation: Restoration of Agarwood Source

Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk. is a critically endangered and economically important forest tree species of North-east India. In the current study, a biotization experiment was performed to show the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizae on obtaining high-quality agarwood-producing plants. One-month-old seedlings were inoculated in a designed experiment with single and combined endomycorrhizal treatments. All inoculated seedlings showed significant biomass production than control seedlings. The Biovolume index (Bi) was higher in all inoculated plant seedlings than in non-inoculated control seedlings but Acaulospora spp. (EM2) treatment had a higher Bi (78.17±0.024) than the rest of the inoculation treatments. The Quality index (Qi) value was also high (1.22±0.024) in EM2 treatment followed by the Glomus spp. + Acaulospora spp. (EM1+EM2) treatment (1.10±0.031) and Glomus spp. (EM1) (0.83±0.014) treatment. Control seedlings had a lower value (0.14±0.021) of Qi than the rest of the treatments. The plastochrone interval index (Pi) of A. malaccensis after 60 days of inoculation was low in EM1+EM2 treatment as the time interval for initiation of 2nd leaf was 1 day than rest of the treatments in which the time interval was 4 days for initiation of the 2nd leaf primordia. Substantially, the leaf primordia appearance in the EM1+EM2 treatment was impetuous than rest of the treatments. In the control treatment, the 8th leaf primordia appeared on the 36th day and after that, there was no appearance of leaf primordia. Therefore, the EM2 treatment was the best single/alone treatment of mycorrhizal inoculation followed by EM1+EM2 synergistic treatment for quality stock production of A. malaccensis seedlings.

Features of the formation of the height of soybean varieties of different maturity groups

The article presents the results of the analysis of the formation of the height of soybean plants, their weight, attachment of the lower beans on the plant in different groups of soybean maturity. The research was conducted in 2022–2024 at NATASHA AGRO LLC of the Chernihiv region. Soy varieties, early ripening - Diadema Podillia, Tenor, Satalia; mid-early ripening – Churayvna, Sakuza, Mentor; medium-ripe - Pallador, Prescott, Azimuth. The Churayvna soybean variety served as a control. The soil of the experimental site is a meadow-chernozem dusty-loamy soil. The area of the sowing area is 78 m2, the accounting area is 25 m2, repetition three times. The predecessor is corn. The method of sowing is35 cm wide rows. Soybean sowing rate is 550,000/ha of similar seeds. It has been established that the formation of the height of soybean plants is influenced by varietal characteristics. Soybean plants reach their maximum height in the bean filling phase, while the tallest were the mid-ripening varieties Pallador –92,2 cm, Prescott –89,0 cm, and the mid-early - Sakuza –90,4 cm. The lowest height of soybean plants was recorded in early-ripening Tenor soybean varieties –77,1 cmand Diadema Podillya –73,6 cm. In the varieties Pallador, Prescot, Azimuth of the medium-ripening group, the height of the attachment of the lower bean was from 15 to16 cm. For these varieties, this is a positive indicator, which will reduce losses when harvesting with a combine harvester . Varieties Tenor, Satalia had a low bean attachment of 11–11,8 cm, both in favorable and unfavorable years of research. The height of plants of different varieties of soybeans in the phase of the 2nd trifoliate white leaf is almost the same. Differences in indicators are observed in the phase of the beginning of budding, the largest increase is during the flowering period - the filling of beans. Sakuza varieties stood out –86,6 cm, Pallador –96,1 cm, Prescott –81,4 cm.

First Report of Fire Blight on Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) Caused by Erwinia amylovora in Korea.

Fire blight is one of the destructive plant diseases caused by Erwinia amylovora and causes enormous economic losses worldwide. Fire blight was initially reported in apples, pears, and Chinese quince (Park et al. 2016; Myung et al. 2016a, 2016b) in Korea, but recent studies have reported new hosts such as apricot (Lee et al. 2021) and mountain ash (Lim et al, 2023). These reports indicate that fire blight is likely to disperse to new hosts in Korea. During the nationwide survey in June 2021, we observed typical symptoms of blossom blight and shoot blight on a Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) just near an orchard (37°09'21.7"N, 127°35'02.6"E) in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, where fire blight of Asian pear occurred. For identifying its causal agent, bacterial isolates were recovered after incubating at 28 ℃ for 24 hours on tryptic soy agar (TSA) medium (BD Difco, USA) from blighted leaves and shoots that were surface sterilized with 70% alcohol for 30 sec and homogenized in 500 µl of 10mM MgCl2. Pure cultures of white to mucoid colonies were grown on mannitol glutamate yeast extract (MGY) medium, a semi-selective medium for E. amylovora (Shrestha et al, 2003). Two isolates produced 1.5 kb amplicon through colony PCR using amsB primers (Bereswill et al. 1995). Two strains (CPFB26 and CPFB27) from the Chinese hawthorn produced amplicons identical to that from the TS3128 strain of E. amylovora, isolated from the pear tree and identified in 2016 (Park et al. 2016). For the partial 16s rRNA sequences, the total DNA of these two strains was extracted using the Wizard DNA prep kit (Promega, USA), and PCR was performed using fD1 (5'-AGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAG-3') and Rp2 (5'-ACGGCTACCTTGTTACGACTT-3') primer sets and further sequenced (Weisburg et al. 1991). These sequences belonged to the E. amylovora clade and were identified as E. amylovora in phylogenetic analysis (GenBank accession no. OP753569 and OP753570). Based on BLASTN analysis, CPFB26 and CPFB27 showed 99.78% similarity to the sequences of the E. amylovora strains TS3128, CFBP 1430, and ATCC 49946. To confirm pathogenicity of the isolates, 10 ㎕ bacterial suspensions (1.5 ⅹ 108 CFU/ml) was injected through the veins of the upper 2nd leaf of 3-month-old clone of apple rootstock (Malus domestica cv. M29) and incubated for six days at 28 ℃ in a chamber with 12 hours of light per day. Petioles and stems turned red hue, and the shoots finally blighted. To complete Koch's postulates, colonies were recovered on TSA medium from the inoculated apple rootstocks and verified through colony PCR for the amsB and A/B primer set (Powney et al. 2011). Hawthorn has been reported as an epidemiologically important alternate host plant of fire blight (van der Zwet et al. 2012). This study is the first to report fire blight caused by E. amylovora in Chinese hawthorn in Korea. Because Chinese hawthorn is natively distributed in Korea and is widely used as a landscaping tree (Jang et al. 2006), the findings of this study suggest that early monitoring could prevent the spread of fire blight through natural hosts.

Insights on the Nutritional Profiling of Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) via 1-Naphthalene Acetic Acid.

The nutritional components of cantaloupe, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, contribute to overall health, improved immunity, hydration, and protection against chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different concentrations (0 (control), 100, 150, and 200 ppm) of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (1-NAA) on the nutritional components of the cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. Var. Super White Honey). All the studied treatments were applied twice at the 2nd and 4th leaf stages. The applied concentrations of 1-NAA significantly improved the sex expression and fruit yield attributes. Different nutritional components like proximate contents, minerals, vitamins, selected fatty acids, and amino acids were analyzed. The results showed that the maximum moisture content, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and energy were recorded with 100 ppm. The higher lipids were recorded during the supplementation of 150 ppm. Significantly greater fibers were recorded using 200 ppm. Regarding minerals, 100 ppm was found to be the best as it increased calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorous (P), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Vitamins were also found to be the maximum with 100 ppm, including vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Total selected fatty acids and amino acids were also found significantly greater in the fruits administered 100 ppm.

Active and reactive power of solar electric vehicle chargers system

AbstractIncreasing the number of electrical vehicles determine an increasing of electrical vehicle chargers number too. The best situation is reach when the zero emission vehicles are charged with electrical energy produced by solar panels or another green energy. This paper presents a solar electric vehicle charger system with energy storage capabilities. The system should be considered as a combination of three systems: solar energy production system, energy storage system and electric vehicle charger system. One of the novelty of the system is that for energy storage is used a 2nd life Nissan Leaf electric vehicle battery. The paper gives information about, simulation and measurement of the annual solar energy production of the system, measurements results of the currents, voltages and powers of the system, and a distribution of the maximum daily energy production.

Symbiotic propagation of Dendrobium bigibbum Lindl. with selected saprophytic Basidiomycota

Abstract. Bautista NS, Valentino MJG. 2023. Symbiotic propagation of Dendrobium bigibbum Lindl. with selected saprophytic Basidiomycota. Biodiversitas 24: 3519-3527. Compatible mycorrhizal association of orchids with fungi is required for the germination and seedling development. In the present study, the mycorrhizal association of Dendrobium bigibbum with three species of saprophytic Basidiomycota, in particular, Volvariella volvacea, Lentinus tigrinus, and Pleurotus florida were evaluated. Co-culture technique was carried out during rhizoid and seedling development of D. bigibbum. Results revealed that the growth of D. bigibbum in rhizoid and seedling stages was enhanced when symbiotically grown with V. volvacea and L. tigrinus. D. bigibbum grown with V. volvacea had the highest mean length of the 1st leaf during the rhizoid stage. In seedling stage, V. volvacea and L. tigrinus significantly increased the growth of D. bigibbum in terms of length of 2nd leaf and fresh weight of the seedlings. For the length of root, increase in mean length was observed only in D. bigibbum co-cultured with L. tigrinus. In addition, the presence of peloton colonization was observed both in rhizoid and seedling stages. Thus, both V. volvacea and L. tigrinus formed compatible mycorrhizal association with D. bigibbum.

Mapping and validation of a novel major QTL for resistance to stripe rust in four wheat populations derived from landrace Qishanmai.

Wheat yield has been constrained by stripe rust disease globally. A wheat landrace (Qishanmai, QSM) consistently showed lower stripe rust severities in multiple year studies than susceptible check varieties including Suwon11 (SW) at the adult plant stage. To detect QTL for reducing the severity in QSM, 1218 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed from SW × QSM. QTL detection was conducted firstly using 112 RILs selected for similarity in pheno-morphological characters. The 112 RILs were assessed for stripe rust severity at the 2nd leaf, 6th leaf and flag leaf stages under field and greenhouse conditions, and genotyping was done primarily with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, a major QTL (QYr.cau-1DL) was detected on chromosome 1D at the 6th leaf and flag leaf stages. Further mapping was conducted by genotyping 1218 RILs using new simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which were developed by referring to the sequences of the wheat line Chinese Spring (IWGSC RefSeq v1.0). QYr.cau-1DL was mapped within a 0.5 cM (5.2 Mb) interval delimited by the SSR markers 1D-320.58 and 1D-325.79. These markers were applied to select for QYr.cau-1DL by screening F2 or BC4F2 plants of the wheat crosses RL6058 × QSM, Lantian10 × QSM and Yannong21 × QSM. F2:3 or BC4F2:3 families derived from the selected plants were assessed for stripe rust resistance in the fields of two locations and in a greenhouse. Wheat plants carrying the resistant marker haplotype in homozygous state for QYr.cau-1DL showed lower stripe rust severities (by 44% to 48%) than plants lacking this QTL. The trial of RL6058 (a carrier of Yr18) × QSM also indicated that QYr.cau-1DL had larger effect than Yr18 on reducing severity; they acted synergistically, yielding an elevated level of stripe rust resistance.

SWEET transporters of Medicago lupulina in the arbuscular-mycorrhizal system in the presence of medium level of available phosphorus.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi receive photosynthetic products and sugars from plants in exchange for contributing to the uptake of minerals, especially phosphorus, from the soil. The identification of genes controlling AM symbiotic efficiency may have practical application in the creation of highly productive plant-microbe systems. The aim of our work was to evaluate the expression levels of SWEET sugar transporter genes, the only family in which sugar transporters specific to AM symbiosis can be detected. We have selected a unique "host plant-AM fungus" model system with high response to mycorrhization under medium phosphorus level. This includes a plant line which is highly responsive to inoculation by AM fungi, an ecologically obligate mycotrophic line MlS-1 from black medick (Medicago lupulina) and the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis strain RCAM00320, which has a high efficiency in a number of plant species. Using the selected model system, differences in the expression levels of 11 genes encoding SWEET transporters in the roots of the host plant were evaluated during the development of or in the absence of symbiosis of M. lupulina with R. irregularis at various stages of the host plant development in the presence of medium level of phosphorus available for plant nutrition in the substrate. At most stages of host plant development, mycorrhizal plants had higher expression levels of MlSWEET1b, MlSWEET3c, MlSWEET12 and MlSWEET13 compared to AM-less controls. Also, increased expression relative to control during mycorrhization was observed for MlSWEET11 at 2nd and 3rd leaf development stages, for MlSWEET15c at stemming (stooling) stage, for MlSWEET1a at 2nd leaf development, stemming and lateral branching stages. The MlSWEET1b gene can be confidently considered a good marker with specific expression for effective development of AM symbiosis between M. lupulina and R. irregularis in the presence of medium level of phosphorus available to plants in the substrate.

Irrigation at appearance of top 2nd or flag leaf could improve canopy photosynthesis by regulating light distribution and LAI at each leaf layer

Irrigation at appearance of top 2nd or flag leaf could improve canopy photosynthesis by regulating light distribution and LAI at each leaf layer

Effects of phosphorus application rates on photosynthetic and senescence characteristics and yield of diffe-rent stems and tillers of wheat under water-saving supplementary irrigation

To clarify the physiological mechanism underlying grain yield of different stems and tillers of wheat in response to phosphorus application under water-saving supplementary irrigation and to determine the suitable phosphorus fertilization rate, we set water-saving supplementary irrigation (irrigation to the soil water content of 0-40 cm soil layer shall be supplemented to 70% of the field saturation capacity during the jointing stage and flowering stage, W70) and no irrigation (W0) on wheat variety 'Jimai 22', and three phosphorous application rates, low (90 kg P2O5·hm-2, P1), medium (135 kg P2O5·hm-2, P2), and high (180 kg P2O5·hm-2, P3), with no phosphorus application as the control (P0). We examined the photosynthetic and senescence characteristics, the grain yield of the different stems and tillers, as well as water and phosphorus use efficiency. The results showed that under both water-saving supplementary irrigation and no irrigation, the relative content of chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate, sucrose content, sucrose phosphate synthase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, and soluble protein content of flag leaf of the main stem and tillers Ⅰ and Ⅱ (first degree tillers arising from axils of the 1st and 2nd true leaf of the main stem) under P2 were significantly higher than those under P0 and P1, which contributed to the higher grain weight per spike of main stem and tillersⅠ and Ⅱ, but did not differ from P3. Under water-saving supplementary irrigation, P2 increased grain yield of main stem and tillers Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ (first degree tillers arising from axils of the 3rd true leaf of the main stem) compared with that under P0 and P1, and increased grain yield of tillers Ⅱ and Ⅲ compared with P3. Grain yield per hectare under P2 was 49.1%, 30.5% and 8.9% higher than that under P0, P1 and P3, respectively. Similarly, water use efficiency and phosphorus fertilizer agronomic efficiency under P2 were the highest among the phosphorous treatments under water-saving supplementary irrigation. Under no irrigation condition, P2 increased grain yield of main stem and tillers Ⅰ and Ⅱ compared with P0 and P1, yet grain yield of tiller Ⅱ was higher than that of P3. Furthermore, under P2, the grain yield per hectare, water use effi-ciency, and phosphorus fertilizer agronomic efficiency were higher than those under P0, P1 and P3 under no irrigation. Under each phosphorous application rate, grain yield per hectare, phosphorus fertilizer agronomic efficiency, and water use efficiency of water-saving supplementary irrigation treatment were higher than those of no irrigation treatment. In conclusion, medium phosphorus application rate (135 kg·hm-2) under water-saving supplementary irrigation would be the optimal treatment for both high grain yield and efficiency under the experimental condition.

Efficiency of spring wheat seeds treatment with Trichodermin and Sporobacterin

The results of the study to determine the effectiveness of pre-sowing treatment of seeds of medium-early variety Novosibirskaya 31 with biopreparations are presented. The scientific experiment was conducted in the forest-steppe conditions of the Priob'ye region in 2019-2021. The effect of biological preparations on the development of fungal diseases of wheat and on the main parameters of sowing: the density of plants, their height and biomass, flag leaf area, ear structure and grain yield were studied. With the increase of root rot during the growing season from 1,3 to 3,4% to the phase of bushing and up to 10,0% by the end of the growing season the efficiency of seed treatment with Trichodermin, Sporobacterin and Scarlet bio-detergent was 32, 53 and 56% at the beginning of the growing season and 21, 27 and 36% - in the phase of milk-wax ripeness of grain. Trichodermin and Sporobacterin preparations were moderately effective against septoriosis (40 and 34%), against powdery mildew (29 and 24%), and the disinfectant Scarlet suppressed leaf infections by 51 and 43% against 9.3% and 9.0% of the control. The length of the wheat sprouts in the phase of the 2nd leaf in the variants of Trichodermin, Sporobacterin, Scarlet was greater than the control by 7.6; 11.1 and 4.6%. The greatest growth-stimulating effect was observed when the seeds were treated with Sporobacterin. In the phase of milk-wax ripeness the density of the wheat plants increased compared to the control by 8,3, 21,7 and 15,2% respectively, the productive stem structure was higher when using biopreparations by 15,2%, Scarlet dressing - by 17,4%. The grain harvest increased relative to the control (2.31 t/ha) in Trichodermin and Sporobacterin variants by 0.30 and 0.37 t/ha, Scarlet - by 0.22 t/ha. As a result of seed treatment with Scarlet the grain was obtained with protein content of 13,25%, while application of biofungicides Trichodermin, Sporobacterin increased it by 0,14 and 0,28% relative to the control (13,3%). As a result of the studies, it has been shown that the biopreparations Trichodermin and Sporobacterin are able to contain the development of diseases at a relatively low level, slightly inferior to the chemical preparation. With their growth-stimulating properties, they can provide grain yields even higher than when using a dressing.

Inhibition of the Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Family by the Bikinin Alleviates the Long-Term Effects of Salinity in Barley.

Crops grown under stress conditions show restricted growth and, eventually, reduced yield. Among others, brassinosteroids (BRs) mitigate the effects of stress and improve plant growth. We used two barley cultivars with differing sensitivities to BRs, as determined by the lamina joint inclination test. Barley plants with the 2nd unfolded leaf were sprayed with a diluted series of bikinin, an inhibitor of the Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) family, which controls the BR signaling pathway. Barley was grown under salt stress conditions up to the start of the 5th leaf growth stage. The phenotypical, molecular, and physiological changes were determined. Our results indicate that the salt tolerance of barley depends on its sensitivity to BRs. We confirmed that barley treatment with bikinin reduced the level of the phosphorylated form of HvBZR1, the activity of which is regulated by GSK3. The use of two barley varieties with different responses to salinity led to the identification of the role of BR signaling in photosynthesis activity. These results suggest that salinity reduces the expression of the genes controlling the BR signaling pathway. Moreover, the results also suggest that the functional analysis of the GSK3 family in stress responses can be a tool for plant breeding in order to improve crops’ resistance to salinity or to other stresses.

Do aphids maintain differential densities on plant parts? A case study with Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Differential aggregation of aphids on host plant parts may indicate site-specific optimal densities for efficient utilization of plant parts, besides the usual inference of preferential colonization. Differential densities of aphids within the plant were studied using the legume aphid Aphis craccivora Koch in cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. unguiculata. In field-collected infested sample stems and pods (n=60), colonies were demarcated, aphid colony size, length and circumference measured, and colony area and density calculated. The results indicated that colony dimensions and colony size were significantly higher in pod than in stem whereas colony density did not differ significantly between the two plant parts. Colony density was significantly higher in leaflets of top most leaf than in leaflets of top 2nd or 3rd leaf. Overall, the four plant parts could be graded in the descending order as stem>pod>leaflets of top most leaf> leaflets of top 2nd or 3rd leaf for colony density. Significant positive curvilinear and linear relationship between colony size and colony density in both stem and pod indicated that A. craccivora showed a propensity to spread out colonies at low populations but tended to compact them with a rise in population levels. Identical colony density in stem and pod suggested that the aphid may not require differential densities to overcome host defenses or utilize food from these two plant parts. In top most leaf and top 2nd or 3rd leaf, finite leaflet size apparently limits proliferation of the aphid. Higher density on top immature leaves could be more an outcome of nutritional suitability than the need to overcome host defenses. Variable colony densities on the four parts of V. unguiculata indicated differential optimal densities.

Effect of plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality attributes of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.)

Plant growth regulators are called as magic chemicals which are new generation agrochemicals. Exogenous application of plant growth regulators in small quantity can alter the sequence of male and female flowers, if applied at 2 or 4 leaf stages, the critical stage at which the suppression or promotion of either sex is possible. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out during Rabi, 2021 at Horticulture Research Farm, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Parlakhemundi, Odisha to study the influence of plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality attributes of watermelon.Theexperiment was laid out under randomized block design with nine treatments namely 2, 4-D (25 and 50 ppm), NAA (100 and 150 ppm), GA3 (30 and 40 ppm), TIBA (20 and 25 ppm) and control (distilled water)replicated thrice. Two sprays of plant growth regulators were done at 2nd and 4th true leaf stages. The results revealed that, growth characters such as length of the main creeper (2.08 m), number of sub creepers per plant (4.40) and chlorophyll content (61.93 and 48.91 at 30 and 60 DAS) were highest in treatment (GA3 @ 40 ppm). The chlorophyll content at 90 DAS was highest (21.39) in treatment (NAA @ 100 ppm). The highest fruit yield plant-1 (17.51 kg) and fruit yield per hectare (44.17 t) was recorded in treatment (GA3 @ 40 ppm). The quality attributes such as Total Soluble Solid (TSS) (10.66%) and total sugars (15.03 %) were noted highest in treatment (GA3 @ 40 ppm). Among the different plant growth regulators spraying of GA3 @ 40 ppm found effective in enhancing the growth, yield and quality attributes of watermelon.

Influence of GA3 and ethrel on growth, floral and yield parameters of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)

The experiment was conducted in the Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom, University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (UP) during February to May 2021. The experiment was be laid out in randomized block design (R.B.D.) with 10 treatments with 3 replications. the results revealed that treatment T2 (GA3 60 PPM+ETHREL 150PPM)- performs the best in the following parameters, days to 1st true leaf emergence(21.53),days to 2nd true leaf emergence(25.33), days to 1st male flower emergence(34.8), average fruit weight (0.61),average fruit length(10.93), average fruit diameter (11.64), average fruit yield per plant (2.60) average fruit yield per hectare (27.61tn/ha), internode length (10.72),average vine length (1.44), nodes at 1st male flower emergence (2.26), no of leaves (82.20), bcr (2.51: 1). Therefore, the treatment T2 (GA3 60 PPM+ETHREL 150PPM) is the best when compared to other treatments and control.

Characteristics of lodging resistance of high-yield winter wheat as affected by nitrogen rate and irrigation managements

High yields of wheat are mainly obtained through a high level of nitrogen and irrigation supplementation. However, excessive nitrogen and irrigation supplication increase the risk of lodging. The main objectives of this work were to clarify the capacity of lodging resistance of wheat in response to nitrogen and irrigation, as well as to explore the effective ways of improving lodging resistance in a high-yield wheat cultivar. In this study, field experiments were conducted in the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons. A wheat cultivar Jimai 22 (JM22), which is widely planted in the northern of Huang-Huai winter wheat region, was grown at Tai'an, Shandong Province, under three nitrogen rates and four irrigation treatments. The lodging risk was increased with increased nitrogen rate, as indicated by increasing lodging index (LI) and lodging rate across both growing seasons. With nitrogen increasing, the plant height, the basal internode length and the center of gravity height, which were positively correlated with LI, increased significantly. While the density of the basal 2nd internode (for culm and leaf sheath) and cell wall component contents, which were negatively correlated with LI, decreased conspicuous along with nitrogen increased. Increasing irrigation supplementation increased the 2nd internode culm wall thickness, breaking strength and leaf sheath density within limits which increased stem strength. Among the treatments, nitrogen application at a rate of 240 kg ha–1 and irrigation application at 600 m3 ha–1 at both the jointing and anthesis stages resulted in the highest yield and strongest stem. A suitable plant height ensures sufficient biomass for high yield, and higher stem stiffness, which was primarily attributed to thicker culm wall, greater density of the culm and leaf sheaths and higher cell wall component contents are the characteristics that should be taken into account to improving wheat lodging resistance.