Plant Characteristics Research Articles

Characterization of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of plant leaves in the riparian zone of Dahuofang Reservoir.

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients that promote plant growth and development and maintain the stability of ecosystem structure and function. Analyzing the C, N, and P characteristics of plant leaves aids in understanding the plant's nutrient status and nutrient limitation. Seasonal water-level fluctuations in riparian zones lead to various ecological problems, such as reduced biodiversity and decreased ecosystem stability. Therefore, comprehending the stoichiometric characteristics of riparian zone plants and their nutrient response to plant traits is important for a deeper insight into riparian zone forest ecosystems. This study analyzed the C, N, and P contents of the leaves of 44 woody plants in the riparian zone of the Dahuofang Reservoir to investigate the stoichiometric characteristics of C, N, and P of trees in the region. The results showed that the average C content of the leaves in woody plants was 446.9 g kg-1; the average N content was 28.42 g kg-1; and the average P content was 2.26 g kg-1. Compared to global and regional scales, woody plants in the riparian zone of the Dahuofang Reservoir exhibited higher N and P contents but lower N:P ratios. Compared to other riparian zones, woody plant leaves in the riparian zone of Dahuofang Reservoir had relatively high N content and N:P ratios. Variations in plant stoichiometric characteristics across different life forms were minimal, with only tree leaf P content significantly lower than its in shrubs. There was no significant correlation between leaf C, N, and P in woody plants, while specific leaf area showed a negative correlation with leaf C content. Trees in the riparian zone have high leaf N and P content and are primarily N-limited during the growing season. This study reveals the stoichiometric characteristics of leaves of woody plants in the riparian zone, which can contribute to an in-depth understanding of leaf stoichiometric patterns and the factors influencing them among plant life types in the riparian zone.

Local versus outsider developers: Impact on development duration and its’ implications for community acceptance of solar PV plants in South Korea

This study focused on community acceptance of small to medium solar PV plant projects in South Korea, which has rarely been the subject of research despite reports of disputes. It set out to determine whether there is a difference in community acceptance based on a project being developed by local residents or by outsiders. We used the duration of development for each plant as a proxy variable for the level of acceptance. We interpreted longer development duration as corresponding to a lower level of community acceptance when other characteristics of solar PV plants were controlled for. Analyses using a censored regression model indicated that the development duration was shorter (with statistical significance) when plants were developed by local residents rather than by outsiders. Further investigation revealed local resident involvement had more effect on reducing the development duration for plants exploiting forested land, the type for which community acceptance was known to be low. The effect was not evident when the plants were developed using existing buildings.

Ion-exchange resins improve the analysis of metal nanoparticles in wastewater using single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Improved measurement and analysis technologies are needed for investigating nanoparticle generation characteristics in sewage treatment plants. Single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) can be used to analyze metal nanoparticle characteristics. However, during spICP-MS analysis of environmental samples, high concentrations of ionic materials obscure the signals of particulate materials by increasing background signals. This can increase the threshold value for separating background and particle signals and increase the background-equivalent diameter (BED). In this study, particle size distributions in influent and effluent collected from sewage treatment plants were investigated using an improved spICP-MS method combining spICP-MS with ion-exchange resin (IER) column pretreatment. The ion removal effect of the IER column was first examined using a synthetic mixture of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) and ions. The method was then applied to wastewater from six different sewage treatment plants using an optimal IER packing of 5g. The ion removal efficiency for samples containing a proper mixture of AgNPs and Ag ions was 99.98%, and the BED significantly decreased from 73.0 ± 1.0 to 6.1 ± 0.3nm. Particle size distributions measured in the treatment plant influent and effluent ranged from 28.5nm (Co) to 220.3nm (Mg) and from 26.8nm (Co) to 291.8nm (Mg), respectively. spICP-MS/IER enabled the detection of smaller particles by removing ions from the sample and significantly decreasing the size detection limit. The results of this study offer a reference for developing predictive models for removing metal nanoparticles during sewage/wastewater treatment.

Role of Bioactive Compounds in the Regulation of Hemostasis: Lessons from Nature

Abstract: The maintenance of hemostasis is a crucial component of the healing process for wounds. Hemostasis may be disrupted when there is a genetic abnormality in the process of platelet production or blood coagulation. The use of herbal remedies derived from plants native to India that exhibit a broad range of physicochemical qualities is becoming more common. This study uses an electronic database to investigate the hemostatic action of commonly accessible medicinal herbs, as well as the bioactive components and potential mechanisms behind this activity. It is possible that the transformation of traditional medicine into pharmaceuticals might be facilitated by taking into account the therapeutic characteristics of spices, garden plants, and wild plants. This review discusses a variety of topics related to plants, including their bioactivities, clinical uses, Indian traditional medicinal approaches, and modern developments. It includes several herbs and spices that have therapeutic and hemostatic properties. Extensive study is required prior to the use of herbal treatments within the context of the present healthcare system. This study deals with making a strategy to discover new medical plant-based therapeutic compounds and keeping track of the ones you already have.

Enhancing the phytoremediation efficiency of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. using LED lights: a sustainable approach for heavy metal pollution control.

In this study, the impacts of LEDs on the phytoremediation of arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) by Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. were investigated, along with the examination of the biochemical characteristics of plants exposed to metal-induced toxicity. In vitro multiple and rapid plant propagations were successfully achieved by adding 1.0mg/L 6-Benzyl amino purine (BAP) to the Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salt and vitamin culture medium. For plant-based remediation experiments, different concentrations of As (0-1.0mg/L) and Hg (0-0.2mg/L) were added to the water environment, and trials were conducted for four different application periods (1-21days). White, red, and blue LEDs, as well as white fluorescent light, were preferred as the light environment. The results revealed that LED lights were more effective for heavy metal accumulation, with red LED light significantly enhancing the plant's phytoremediation capacity compared to other LED applications. Moreover, when examining biochemical stress parameters such as levels of photosynthetic pigments, protein concentrations, and lipid peroxidation, plants under red LED light showed better results. Generally, the lowest results were obtained under white fluorescent light. These findings contribute to phytoremediation studies by highlighting the integration of LED lights, thereby enabling the development of a more effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally sustainable remediation system compared to other treatment methods.

Anti-seasonal flooding drives substantial alterations in riparian plant diversity and niche characteristics in a unique hydro-fluctuation zone.

Human-induced disturbances such as dam construction and regulation have led to widespread alterations in hydrological processes and thus substantially influence plant characteristics in the hydro-fluctuation zones (HFZs). To reveal utilization of limited resources and mechanisms of inter-specific competition and species co-existence of plant communities based on niche breadth and overlap under the different HFZs of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in China, we conducted a field investigation with 368 quadrats on the effects of hydrological alterations on plant diversity and niche characteristics. The results showed anti-seasonal flooding precipitated the gradual disappearance of the original diverse niches, resulting in the reduction of plant species richness and functional diversity and more obvious competition among plant species with similar resource requirements. Annuals, perennials and shrubs accounted for 71.23%, 27.39% and 1.37%, respectively, suggesting that annuals and flood-tolerant riparian herbs were favored under such novel flooding conditions. A consistent increase in species number, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Simpson dominance index with altitude was inconsistent with hump-shaped diversity-disturbance relationship of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, while the opposite trend was observed for the Pielou evenness index. This species distribution pattern might be caused by several synergetic attributes (e.g., the submergence depth, plant tolerant capacity to flooding, life form, dispersal mode and inter-specific competition). Vegetation types shifted from xerophytes to mesophytes and eventually to hygrophytes with the increasing flooding time in the HFZs. Hydrological alterations proved to be the paramount driver of vegetation distribution in the different HFZs. The niche analysis provided the first insights on the mechanisms of resource utilization and inter-specific competition, of which annuals could germinate quickly after soil drainage to achieve the greatest competitive advantages and occupy a larger niche space than other plants. Vegetation was still in the early stage of primary succession in the novel riparian forests. Therefore, vegetation restoration strategies should be biased towards herbaceous plants, due to annuals with better environmental adaptability, supplemented by shrubs and small trees. To establish a complete reference system for vegetation restoration, natural vegetation monitory plots in the different succession stages should be established in the different HFZs of the TGR, and their environmental conditions, community structures and inter-specific relationships further analyzed.

Isolation, screening, and molecular characterization of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from West Java, Indonesia and their plant growth-promoting capability on rice plants (Oryza sativa L.)

Trichoderma species are widely acknowledged as growth-promoting fungi that have been utilized to enhance the growth and yield of numerous crops. This research examined the capacity of 30 Trichoderma strains, isolated from two organic rice fields in West Java, Indonesia, to enhance the germination, growth, and physiological characteristics of rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). In general, Trichoderma strain TM10 demonstrated the greatest ability to increase seed germination (97.25 %), vigor index (3122.83), and germination speed (59.91 seeds/day). This strain also increased seedling root length and seedling height by 101.62 % and 112.20 %, respectively. Plants treated with TM10 exhibited a notable improvement in root length, plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight compared to control plants, demonstrating increases of 188.68 %, 69.90 %, 157.41 %, and 159.38 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total chlorophyll content and stomatal number in TM10-treated plants exhibited increments of 75.23 % and 75.53 %, respectively. Five selected isolates (TM7, TM10, SB2, SB8, and SB14) were evaluated for their potential to produce plant growth-promoting compounds, including phosphatase enzyme (ranging from 0.54 to 11.14 µg pNP g−1h−1), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (ranging from 28.96 to 63.91 µg/mL), ammonia (ranging from 1.96 to 5.79 µg/mL), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) (ranging from 221.76 to 274.82 ppm). The best strain, namely TM10, was then molecularly identified as Trichoderma yunnanense. This investigation demonstrates that Trichoderma spp. isolated from organic rice fields could be used as a bioinoculant in sustainable rice production.

Influence of Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus Fertilizers with Foliar Application of Micronutrient of Iron, Zinc and Manganese on Bulb Characteristics of Single Flower Tuberose Plants (Polianthes Tuberosa, L.)

The global market for flowers and ornamental plants is expected to expand at a rate of approximately 6.3% over the next five years, reaching an estimated value of $57.4 billion USD by 2024. Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), a summer flower cultivated by small-scale growers primarily for export. The study was aimed to cultivate tuberose plants in Al-Jabal Al-Khader region, introducing them as a new cut flower crop, as a source for tuberose, and leveraging their economic potential. A field experiment was conducted over two summer growing seasons to investigate the impact of different levels of compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, NPK 4:4:4) in application rates (0, 500, 1000, and 1500 kg.ha-1) and foliar sprays of micronutrients iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and a )mixture of these three elements) on tuberose bulbs. The experimental design was a completely randomized block design split-plot with three replications. The NPK fertilizer levels were randomly assigned to the main plots, while the micronutrient treatments were allocated to the subplots. The study found that varying rates of NPK fertilization did not significantly affect the number of bulbs per plant over the two growing seasons. In contrast, the application of micronutrient foliar sprays had a notable impact, with the mixture of Fe, Zn, and Mn yielding the highest significant increase in bulb number per plant in both seasons. It is recommended to apply a mixture of the three micronutrients (Fe, Zn, and Mn) as fertilizer to produce high-quality Tuberose plants for various decorative purposes in landscaping.

Effect of Planting Ground Treatments Using Artificial Rainfall Slope Simulating Degraded Forestland on Drought Stress Susceptibility of Pinus densiflora

Trees in degraded forest areas are generally exposed to water stress due to harsh environmental conditions, threatening their survival. This study simulated the environmental conditions of a degraded forest area by constructing an artificial rainfall slope and observing the physiological responses of Pinus densiflora to control, mulching, and waterbag treatments. P. densiflora exhibited distinct isohydric plant characteristics of reducing net photosynthetic rate and stomatal transpiration rate through regulating stomatal conductance in response to decreased soil moisture, particularly in the control and waterbag treatments. Additionally, the trees increased photochemical quenching, such as Y(NPQ), to dissipate excess energy as heat and minimize damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. However, these adaptive mechanisms have temporal limitations, necessitating appropriate measures. Under extreme drought stress (DS45), mulching treatment showed 4.5 times and 2.2 times higher in PIabs and SFIabs than in the control, and after the recovery period (R30), waterbag and mulching treatment showed similar levels, while PIabs and SFIabs in the control were only 45% and 75% of those in the mulching and waterbag treatments, respectively. Specifically, mulching extended the physiological mechanisms supporting survival by more than a week, making it the most effective method for enhancing the planting ground in degraded forest areas. Although the waterbag treatment was less effective than mulching treatment, it still significantly contributed to forming better growth conditions compared to the control. These findings highlight the potential for mulching and waterbag treatments to enhance forest restoration efforts, suggesting future research and application could lead to more resilient reforested areas capable of withstanding climate change-induced drought conditions.

Isotope and morphometrical evidence reveals the technological package associated with agriculture adoption in western Europe

This study aimed to reconstruct the environmental conditions and the crop management practices and plant characteristics when agriculture appeared in western Europe. We analyzed oak charcoal and a large number of cereal caryopsides recovered from La Draga (Girona, Spain), an early (5300 to 4800 cal. BC) agricultural site from the Iberian Peninsula. The carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) values of oak, the dominant forest species in the region, indicates prevalence of a wet climate at the site. Further, we reconstructed crop management conditions, achievable yield, and crop characteristics through the analysis of Δ13C, nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N), nitrogen content, and the reconstructed weight of wheat and barley caryopsides, following protocols developed by our team [Araus et al., Nat. Commun. 5, 3953 (2014)] and comparison of these parameters with present-day organic agriculture in the region. In parallel, a regional perspective was achieved through the study of wheat and barley grains of seventeen Neolithic sites from the western Mediterranean. The results suggest that rather than small-garden cultivation, a more extensive agriculture was practiced under good water availability and moderate manuring. Moreover, results from La Draga evidence that grain weight and spike morphology were comparable to contemporary cereals. Growing conditions and the prevalence of improved crop traits indicate that agriculture was fairly consolidated at the time it reached the western edge of Europe.

Understanding FABA composition in coal-fired power plants: Impact of operating conditions and combustion efficiency on ash characteristics – A case study in PT Bukit Asam, South Sumatra, Indonesia

Coal-fired power plants are integral to global electricity production due to their cost-effectiveness and widespread availability of coal. This research investigates the operational dynamics of these plants, emphasizing the production of fly ash and bottom ash (FABA) as crucial by-products. The study focuses on three power plants in South Sumatra, Indonesia, operated by PT Bukit Asam Tbk. Fly ash and Bottom ash (FABA) and feed coal samples were collected to determine how the operational conditions of a power plant impact the composition of FABA. The mineralogical composition of FABA has been determined accurately with X-Ray diffraction analysis. Significant feed oxides in coal and FABA were identified using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The primary characteristics of FABA mostly consist of unburned carbon, which may exceed levels as high as 76.05 %. The existence of unburned carbon residues is evidence of an inefficient coal grinding operation and low combustion efficiency of carbon in the boiler. The abundance of quartz in the FABA corresponds to its condition of being unmelted when heated to a temperature of 850 °C. A decrease in operating temperature results in a lower percentage of amorphous glass. The presence of quartz and reduced plagioclase concentration in FABA components correspond to the utilization of boiler-incompatible sand as bed material. In addition a consequence of a decrease in combustion temperature, pyrite exhibits partial decomposition, resulting in the formation of a tiny amount of hematite, while the other pyrite is still into its original form. A relatively small amount of spinel was associated to a mineral composed of Fe-oxide. Spinel is formed as a secondary mineral through the decomposition of Fe sulfides and other Fe-bearing minerals that exist in coal. This study evaluates the combustion efficiency and operational characteristics of power plants by applying the shrinking reactive core model by the assistance of Matlab®. The results demonstrate that since the efficiency of coal combustion increases, the concentration of unburned carbon in the FABA decreases. The modeling corresponds with the current findings in the field.

Application of graphical analysis and principal components to identify the effect of genotype × trait in maize hybrids

AbstractIn order to identify the effect of genotype × trait, 20 maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were cultivated and investigated in a randomized complete block design in three replications in the Karaj region. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of genotype in terms of all traits except for the traits of days until the tassel dries, peduncle outside the flag leaf, tassel length, the number of fill seeds, and the depth of the seeds are significantly different. Based on the mean comparison done by Duncan's method, G3, G6, G7, and G4 genotypes were identified as favorable hybrids. Based on the graphic analysis, the genotypes G5, G4, G6, G3, G9, and G14 can be identified as desirable hybrids. The correlation diagram indicated that the grain yield trait has a positive correlation with tassel length, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf surface traits. Based on the principal component analysis, the first 10 components explained more than 74% of the data variance. The traits were classified into 10 components: components of ear characteristics, time characteristics in terms of maturity, leaf characteristics, characteristics of maize plant 1 (cob corn diameter, peduncle length, and grain yield traits), characteristics of maize plant 2 (number of tassel branches, leaf surface, and grain yield traits), physiological characteristics and germination, the crown part of the ear characteristics, grain characteristics, grain yield, and characteristics of the ear head. The experiment results indicated that G8, G15, G1, and G6 hybrids were more favorable in terms of grain yield trait.

Exploring the Effective Management Strategy to Sustain Cowpea Production under High Temperature Stress

Background: Abiotic stress negatively impacts the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants leading to loss of yield and quality. The substantial increase in population and global surface temperature extends to global food insecurity hence it is important to maintain a sustainable yield of crops. Cowpea being a protein-rich legume and a nodule-forming crop facilitates not only meeting food insecurity but also creates a sustainable environment. The objective of this study was to explore the suitable management practice for cowpea to attain sustainable yield under the elevated temperature of +2°C from ambient. Methods: An experiment in cowpea variety Co 7 was carried out in Temperature Gradient Tunnel (TGT) located at Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The research trial was carried out during the year 2021 and 2022 with Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD). In this study, we have investigated the effect of different treatments on growth, yield, quality and available nutrients in soil. Result: The application of vermicompost with foliar spray of 3% Panchagavya at 30, 45 and 60 DAS stimulated the plant height, number of leaves and leaf area index (LAI). The increase in availability of soil nutrients exhibited higher dry matter production, pod length (10.46 cm), number of seeds per pod (7.56), test weight (12.56 g), seed yield (13.25 g plant-1) and seed protein (21.82%). These results suggest that vermicompost application with 3% foliar spray of Panchagavya has a positive effect on improving the high-temperature tolerance of cowpea plants.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in the “Soil–Bacterial Community–Plant” System: Impact on the Stability of Soil Ecosystems

The use of man-made nanoparticles (NPs) has increased exponentially in recent years, many of which accumulate in significant quantities in soil, including through use in agriculture as nanofertilizers and nanopesticides. ZnO NPs are more environmentally friendly but have specific antimicrobial activity, which can affect soil microbiota, thereby influencing key microbial processes such as mineralization, nitrogen fixation and plant growth-promoting activities. Their behavior and persistence in soil depend on their chemical nature and soil characteristics. This review summarizes the applications of ZnO NPs in soil systems and their effects on various plants and soil microorganisms, particularly rhizobacteria that promote plant growth. A stimulating effect of ZnO NPs on the morphometric and biochemical characteristics of plants, as well as on soil microbiota and its activity at relatively low concentrations of up to 500 mg/mL and 250 mg/kg, respectively, is observed. As the concentration of ZnO NPs increases above these limits, toxic effects appear. The different effects of ZnO NPs are related to their size, dose, duration of exposure, solubility in water, as well as soil type, acidity and organic matter content. The review substantiates the need to study the behavior of ZnO NPs in the “soil-plant-microbiota” system for the possibility of using nanotechnologies in the agricultural industry and ensuring the safety of agricultural products.

A novel framework to generate plant functional groups for ecological modelling

An effective way to reduce complexity in ecological modelling is by grouping species that share similar characteristics into functional groups or types. Often, the creation of plant functional groups (PFGs) is carried out for each case study in an ad-hoc way using a small set of traits. This limits the transferability of these PFGs to other geographical areas or study systems. We propose a novel generic framework to generate PFGs that considers the most important ecological dimensions, is applicable to case studies globally, and that emerges from patterns of functional redundancy across species. Based on most relevant and measured plant characteristics, we designed a multi-step process that includes: i) data harmonisation and missing values imputation; ii) species clustering based on multiple characteristics encompassing the main ecological dimensions featured in plant community ecological models (i.e., dispersal, competition, and demography) and iii) the combination of ecological dimension-specific groups into comprehensive PFGs. We demonstrate this framework by applying it to a global dataset of plant characteristics including a functional traits dataset and a plant-soil co-occurrence dataset for 19,102 species. Lastly, to test the ability of generated PFGs to summarise species’ functional variation within plant communities, we correlate taxonomical and functional diversity indices calculated at the species and at the PFGs level across a global dataset of plant communities (sPlotOpen). Our framework generated 465 global, robust data-driven PFGs with non-overlapping combinations of traits for each ecological dimension divided by growth form. The validation returned positive correlation values between PFGs and species-level diversity metrics, supporting the ability of the obtained PFGs to capture functional and taxonomic diversity patterns across a variety of plant communities worldwide. The framework allows for the easy integration of newly available species characteristics data. The obtained global PFGs, covering all main known ecological processes and environmental conditions at small resolution, can increase the predictive power and accuracy of process-based models and help furthering varying-scale ecological studies.

Whole-genome sequencing of 13 Arctic plants and draft genomes of Oxyria digyna and Cochlearia groenlandica

To understand the genomic characteristics of Arctic plants, we generated 28–44 Gb of short-read sequencing data from 13 Arctic plants collected from the High Arctic Svalbard. We successfully estimated the genome sizes of eight species by using the k-mer-based method (180–894 Mb). Among these plants, the mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna) and Greenland scurvy grass (Cochlearia groenlandica) had relatively small genome sizes and chromosome numbers. We obtained 45 × and 121 × high-fidelity long-read sequencing data. We assembled their reads into high-quality draft genomes (genome size: 561 and 250 Mb; contig N50 length: 36.9 and 14.8 Mb, respectively), and correspondingly annotated 43,105 and 29,675 genes using ~46 and ~85 million RNA sequencing reads. We identified 765,012 and 88,959 single-nucleotide variants, and 18,082 and 7,698 structural variants (variant size ≥ 50 bp). This study provided high-quality genome assemblies of O. digyna and C. groenlandica, which are valuable resources for the population and molecular genetic studies of these plants.

Small Stomates and Xylem Vessels Associated With Freeze Tolerance in Winter Barley

ABSTRACTFreeze tolerance is a complex agronomic trait that is difficult to evaluate in the field because of year‐to‐year variation in weather. Discovering plant characteristics closely related to freeze tolerance would enable more effective selection for this important trait. To explore possible physiological mechanisms and search for useful characteristics related to freeze tolerance in winter barley, we conducted field and growth chamber experiments with seven freeze‐tolerant and seven freeze‐susceptible genotypes that exhibited contrasting winter survival in preliminary field screenings. In a 2‐year field experiment, malondialdehyde, proline and water‐soluble carbohydrate concentrations were measured during cold acclimation and deacclimation to investigate differences in osmoregulation and membrane stability between freeze‐tolerant and freeze‐sensitive genotypes. All parameters varied by sampling year, and significant differences between freeze tolerance groups were found mainly during cold deacclimation in the spring. In growth chamber experiments, the size of xylem vessels and stomates was measured with and without cold acclimation. Freeze‐tolerant genotypes had smaller xylem vessels and stomates than freeze‐sensitive genotypes with and without cold acclimation, and small stomatal length was associated with a small xylem vessel area. Thus, it may be possible to improve freeze tolerance in winter barley by selecting smaller xylem and stomate cells. This study also validated germplasms of winter barley with differential freeze tolerance for future projects on breeding for improving winter hardiness and on plant physiology and genetics in response to freezing stress.

Plant Characteristics and Bulb Yield of Onion as influenced by Farmyard Manure and Potassium Application Under Maize-based Cropping System at Dailekh

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of farm yard manure (FYM) (0, 10 and 20 t/ha) and potassium (K2O) fertilization (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha) on plant characteristics and bulb yield of onion cv. ‘Red Creole’ at Horticulture Research Station (HRS), Dailekh during two consecutive years (2019 and 2020). Experiments were laid out in factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. The combined analysis revealed that FYM significantly affected on plant height, number of leaves/plant, leaf length, bulb diameter, bulb weight and bulb yield. But the significant effect of K2O was observed on plant height, number of leaves/plant, leaf length, bulb weight and bulb yield. The highest bulb yield (37.4 t/ha) was recorded at the treatment of 10 t/ha FYM, whereas K2O fertilization at 90 kg/ha produced the highest (39.9 t/ha) bulb yield. The combined application of 10 t/ha FYM and 30 kg/ha K2O produced the highest (41.7 t/ha) bulb yield and found the best treatment combination from the benefit cost ratio analysis. Therefore, the combination of 10 t/ha FYM with 30 kg/ha K2O can be recommended to apply at the soils having medium organic matter and high K2O content to get the highest bulb yield at maize-based cropping system of upland condition in Dailekh.

Dual-time scale optimal dispatch of the CSP-PV hybrid power plant considering dynamic operation

The concentrating solar power (CSP) plant, renowned for its flexibility, environmental friendliness, and energy storage capabilities, has become integral components of large-scale renewable energy projects in China. However, the grid connection methods for CSP plants, wind farms, and photovoltaic (PV) plants are independent. To enhance renewable energy consumption and improve the revenue of CSP and PV plants, this paper proposes a dual-time scale dispatch model for the dynamic operation of the CSP-PV hybrid plant. This model considers the actual startup conditions and dynamic switching models of the subsystems involved in the receiver, thermal storage subsystem, and power cycle. Based on the dynamic operation characteristics of the CSP-PV hybrid power plant, different time scales are used for prediction during day-ahead and intraday periods, improving the efficiency of the hybrid power plant and adapting to weather changes. The dispatch optimization outcomes of the CSP-PV hybrid plant serve as the reported curve for the day-ahead and intraday rolling optimal scheduling process, aiming to minimize the operating costs of the power system. A simulation is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, utilizing data from the Dunhuang area, Gansu Province, China.

Enhancing genomic prediction with Stacking Ensemble Learning in Arabica Coffee.

Coffee Breeding programs have traditionally relied on observing plant characteristics over years, a slow and costly process. Genomic selection (GS) offers a DNA-based alternative for faster selection of superior cultivars. Stacking Ensemble Learning (SEL) combines multiple models for potentially even more accurate selection. This study explores SEL potential in coffee breeding, aiming to improve prediction accuracy for important traits [yield (YL), total number of the fruits (NF), leaf miner infestation (LM), and cercosporiosis incidence (Cer)] in Coffea Arabica. We analyzed data from 195 individuals genotyped for 21,211 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. To comprehensively assess model performance, we employed a cross-validation (CV) scheme. Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), Quantile Random Forest (QRF), and Random Forest (RF) served as base learners. For the meta-learner within the SEL framework, various options were explored, including Ridge Regression, RF, GBLUP, and Single Average. The SEL method was able to predict the predictive ability (PA) of important traits in Coffea Arabica. SEL presented higher PA compared with those obtained for all base learner methods. The gains in PA in relation to GBLUP were 87.44% (the ratio between the PA obtained from best Stacking model and the GBLUP), 37.83%, 199.82%, and 14.59% for YL, NF, LM and Cer, respectively. Overall, SEL presents a promising approach for GS. By combining predictions from multiple models, SEL can potentially enhance the PA of GS for complex traits.