Leaf Concentrations Research Articles

Increase the Efficient Use of Phosphorus Fertilizer for Maize in the Calcareous Soils

ABSTRACT Phosphorus (P) is one of the 17 essential plant nutrients, and it is critical for plant metabolism, photosynthesis, and growth. P fertilizers are also critical for crop production and global food security. Type and application method of P fertilizer may lead to increased P accumulation and crop production in the Ganges delta soils. The aim of the present study is to increase the P use efficiency (PUE) by two different P application methods for maize cultivation. The experiment comprised a factorial combination of two methods (broadcasting and furrow placement) and three rates of P fertilizer (36, 48, and 60 kg P/ha). Considering P application methods, furrow placement gave 8.66–27.92% yield benefit over broadcasting method. Maize yield, PUE by crop plant, partial factor productivity, economic efficiency, and P concentration in leaf were remarkably higher in furrow placement than conventional broadcasting method of P application. The furrow placement exhibited higher yield at lower rate of P application (36 and 48 kg P/ha), while no significant changes were observed for grain yield between two methods for high P rate (60 kg/ha). Thus, it is concluded that furrow placement of P application at 36 and 48 kg/ha would give the best grain yield of maize in the Ganges delta floodplain soils.

Understanding the combining ability of nutritional, agronomic and industrial traits in soybean F2 progenies

Obtaining soybean genotypes that combine better nutrient uptake, higher oil and protein levels in the grains, and high grain yield is one of the major challenges for current breeding programs. To avoid the development of unpromising populations, selecting parents for crossbreeding is a crucial step in the breeding pipeline. Therefore, our objective was to estimate the combining ability of soybean cultivars based on the F2 generation, aiming to identify superior segregating parents and populations for agronomic, nutritional and industrial traits. Field experiments were carried out in two locations in the 2020/2021 crop season. Leaf contents of the following nutrients were evaluated: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. Agronomic traits assessed were days to maturity (DM) and grain yield (GY), while the industrial traits protein, oil, fiber and ash contents were also measured in the populations studied. There was a significant genotype × environment (G × A) interaction for all nutritional traits, except for P content, DM and all industrial traits. The parent G3 and the segregating populations P20 and P27 can be used aiming to obtain higher nutritional efficiency in new soybean cultivars. The segregating populations P11 and P26 show higher potential for selecting soybean genotypes that combine earliness and higher grain yield. The parent G5 and segregant population P6 are promising for selection seeking improvement of industrial traits in soybean.

Performance of some new soybean genotypes against the infestation of the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis Boisd

Cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptra: Noctuidae) is considered one of the most destructive insect pests in Egypt. A field trail was conducted at the experimental farm of Nubaria agricultural research station, Behaira Governorate, Egypt, during 2021 and 2022 seasons to evaluate the performance of 14 new genotypes and two check varieties under the cotton leaf worn natural infestation conditions. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The combined results revealed that there were substantial differences across genotypes for all evaluated parameters. The genotypes (H7L39/2015, H6L49, and H6L28) were considered as more resistant ones over the resistant check variety (Giza 111) which recorded the least infestation (25.86, 27.57 and 32.14 %, respectively), with feeding damage area of 18.52, 19.58 and 18.58 %, respectively. These genotypes gave the highest leaf content of P%, K%, total phenolic compounds, yield, and its components. The correlations between infestation% and leaflet area damage% or N all were positive on one another. All other correlations, with the exception of plant height and branches no plant-1, had negative effects on one another. The results proposed that the genotypes (H7L39/2015, H6L49 and H6L28) are promising and could be planted at Nubaria region and used in the breeding programs.

Enhanced production of anticancer triterpenoids in optimized Pistacia lentiscus L. callus cultures via methyl jasmonate and silver nitrate elicitation

Pistacia lentiscus L. is a traditional medicinal plant from the Mediterranean region with a long history of use. Elicitor-based strategies have proven effective in enhancing the production of secondary metabolites (SMs) with therapeutic potential in callus cultures.In addition, optimizing callus cultures is crucial for the synthesis and stability of SMs production. In this study, we have successfully established practical and optimized callus cultures from the leaves and roots of the mastic tree. Full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium gave the highest callus growth, with the combination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and kinetin (each at 1 mg/l) giving the most favourable results for both explant types (80 % and 84 % callus induction, respectively). Optimal culture conditions were determined to be a sucrose concentration of 15 g/l, a pH of 5.8, a temperature of 25 °C and light intensities of 20 μmol m−2 s−1 for roots and 80 μmol m−2 s−1 for leaves. It is interesting to note that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) positively affected callus biomass, whereas silver nitrate (AgNO3) had the opposite effect. Elicitation with AgNO3 and MeJA significantly enhanced the biosynthesis of anticancer triterpenoids, particularly ursonic acid (UA), ursolic acid (ULA), masticadienolic acid (MDLA), and oleanonic acid (ONNA). Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed a remarkable 26.71-fold and 3.4-fold increase in UA content in leaf and root calli treated with AgNO3, respectively. It is noteworthy that ULA, MDLA and ONNA were not present prior to elicitation but were detected after elicitation. The accumulation of anticancer triterpenoids in callus cultures generated from various P. lentiscus L. explants is first demonstrated in our research. In addition, this research demonstrates a structured methodology for the enhancement of the accumulation of anticancer triterpenoids during callus culture.

Hyperspectral imaging for estimating leaf, flower, and fruit macronutrient concentrations and predicting strawberry yields

Managing the nutritional status of strawberry plants is critical for optimizing yield. This study evaluated the potential of hyperspectral imaging (400–1,000 nm) to estimate nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in strawberry leaves, flowers, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit and to predict plant yield. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were developed to estimate nutrient concentrations. The determination coefficient of prediction (R2P) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were used to evaluate prediction accuracy, which often proved to be greater for leaves, flowers, and unripe fruit than for ripe fruit. The prediction accuracies for N concentration were R2P = 0.64, 0.60, 0.81, and 0.30, and RPD = 1.64, 1.59, 2.64, and 1.31, for leaves, flowers, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit, respectively. Prediction accuracies for Ca concentrations were R2P = 0.70, 0.62, 0.61, and 0.03, and RPD = 1.77, 1.63, 1.60, and 1.15, for the same respective plant parts. Yield and fruit mass only had significant linear relationships with the Difference Vegetation Index (R2 = 0.256 and 0.266, respectively) among the eleven vegetation indices tested. Hyperspectral imaging showed potential for estimating nutrient status in strawberry crops. This technology will assist growers to make rapid nutrient-management decisions, allowing for optimal yield and quality.

Effect of sucrose in strawberry micro-propagation using platform bioreactor under temporary immersion system

The study was carried out in the tissue culture laboratories at the College of Agriculture / University of Kufa during the period from April 2020 to October 2021 where the aim was to assess the efficiency of micropropagation of strawberries by adding different concentrations of sucrose (30, 40 and 50 g.L-1 ) to the nutrient medium in combination with different cultivation systems: Semi-solid media system and temporary immersion system using the Plantform bioreactor. The results showed that both the highest concentration of sucrose and the culture system under the medium immersion, individually or combined, were the highest and significantly effective in increasing the rate of number of shoots (runners), leaf content of macro and minor elements, total soluble sugars, plant pigments and fresh weight of biomass. Generally, the highest values were recorded in the shoots grown in liquid media supplied with 50 g.L-1 sucrose under temporary immersion in the PlantForm bioreactor compared with those grown in semi-solid media. Keywords: Fragaria × ananassa, micro-propagation, plant nutrition, tissue culture, PlantForm bioreactor

Effect of harvest dates, mycorrhiza, and some biostimulants on some vegetative growth properties and yield of volatile oil for sweet scented geranium plant (Pelargonium graveolens L.Herit.)

The experiment was carried out in one of the fields of Research Station B in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences / University of Baghdad - Al-Jadiriya on the fragrant plant for the spring season 2021 in order to study the effect of harvest date, mycorrhiza, bio-stimulants and the interaction among them on some characteristics of vegetative growth and the essential oil yield of sweet-scented geranium plants. The experiment used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a split-plot design with three replications. The experiment included three factors, as the factor of harvest dates represents the main panels with two harvest dates, which are 60 and 90 after planting and symbolized by H1 and H2. In contrast, the secondary panels include the treatment of the mycorrhizal fungal vaccine by two treatments, namely, not adding the mycorrhizal fungal vaccine to the root system and adding it with symbols M1 and M2 As for the sub-secondary panels, the treatments include four stimulating factors: the measurement treatment and the spraying of the vegetative mass with the amino acid phenylalanine at a concentration of 300 mg l ̄¹. The treatment of spraying the foliage with moringa leaf extract at a concentration of 10 gm L ̄¹ and the treatment of spraying the foliage with licorice root powder extract at a concentration of 10gm L ̄¹symbolized by B1, B2, B3, and B4 respectively. The results showed the superiority of the H2 treatment in most indicators of vegetative growth, as well as the increase in the percentages of each of the nutrients and volatile oil in the dried leaves and the volatile oil yield in the dried leaves. Treatment M2 significantly increased all vegetative growth characteristics as well as the percentages of nutrients and volatile oil in dried leaves and volatile oil yield in dried leaves. In contrast, treatment B3 showed an increase in the number of main branches, total number of leaves, total leaf area, fresh and dry weight of leaf yield in the plant and the content of The dried leaves of total chlorophyll as well as the percentages of nutrients and volatile oil in the dried leaves of the plant and the yield of volatile oil in the dried leaves. In contrast, treatment B2 had a significant effect in increasing the plant height rate, the number of main branches and the fresh weight of the leaves. It is one of the most prominent triple interaction treatments recorded. The largest increase in all the traits studied above is the triple interaction H2M2B3 treatment, which was characterized by an Bionatura http://dx.doi.org/10.21931/RB/CSS/2023.08.04.69 2 increase in most vegetative growth characteristics, especially the wet and dry weight of leaves and the percentages of nutrients as well as the percentage of volatile oil and volatile oil yield in the leaves. The triple interaction treatment H2M2B4 was also characterized by its recording of Remarkable superiority in both plant height and leaf content of Total chlorophyll and potassium percentage. Keywords: Sweet-scented geranium plant, Harvest date, Mycorrhizae, Biostimulants, vegetative growth, volatile oil.

Genetic Dissection for Yield and Fruit Quality Traits in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

The genetic variability for yield, its attributing, and fruit quality traits using 38 tomato genotypes was studied. High significant differences among the genotypes were found for all recorded traits. Phenotypic coefficient of variation was greater than genotypic coefficient of variation for all the traits indicating the presence of environmental influences. Most of the traits expressed moderate to high heritability. Plant height, number of seed/fruit, chlorophyll content in top leaf, red fruit weight, number of fruit/plant, soluble solid content in exocarp and endocarp of red fruit, titratable acidity of red fruit juice, lycopene content, beta-carotene and yield/plant had high heritability along with high genetic advance as percentage of the mean. Yield/plant exhibited a significant positive correlation with number of fruit/plant, number of flower/bunch, red fruit girth, red fruit length and red fruit weight. Path analysis revealed soluble solid content in endocarp of red fruit, number of fruit/plant, plant height, number of bunch/plant, number of flower/bunch, number of seed/fruit, green fruit length, red fruit girth, red fruit length, red fruit weight, lycopene and beta-carotene content had direct positive effect on yield/plant. Principal component analysis depicted first eight PCs with Eigen-value higher than one contributing 76.74% of total variability. Thirty-eight genotypes grouped into seven clusters where cluster II contains maximum genotypes. Based on the mean performance, genotypes Tm-131 and WOP-10 for yield and ascorbic acid content; Puli-25, VI005584 and Tm-2 for total soluble solids; VI-063607 and VI-0337183 for lycopene and beta-carotene content may be considered as superior genotypes which can be used as potential genetic resources for the development of nutritionally rich high-yielding tomato variety.

Impact of foliar spray with Se, nano-Se and sodium sulfate on growth, yield and metabolic activities of red kidney bean

Sulfur (S) is an essential microelement for plants. Based on the chemical similarity between Se and S, selenium may affects sulphur uptake by plants. This work aimed at investigating the effect of foliar spray with sodium selenate, gum arabic coated selenium nanoparticles (GA-SeNPs ≈ 48.22 nm) and sodium sulfate on red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants. Each treatment was used at 0.0, 1, 5, 10 and 50 µM, alone or combination of sodium sulfate with either Se or nano-Se, each at 0.5, 2.5 and 5 µM concentrations. The effect of foliar spray on vegetative growth, seed quality, and some metabolic constituents of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants were investigated. Selenium nanoparticles have been synthesized through the green route using gum arabic (as a stabilizing and coating agent. Foliar application of different concentrations of Se, nano-Se, Na2SO4 up to 10 μM and their interaction were effective in increasing the growth criteria (i.e. shoot and root lengths, plant fresh and dry weights, number of leaves and photosynthetic area (cm2 plant−1).There was also a significant increase in photosynthetic pigment contents, yield (i.e., 100-seed weight), total carbohydrate, crude proteins and mineral contents in both leaf as compared to their untreated control plants. Furthermore, interaction between sodium sulfate with nano-Se or Se, each at 5 µM significantly increased the vegetative growth, 100-seed weight, and pigment contents in leaves and improved the nutritional value and quality of red kidney bean seeds.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and ectoine (ECT) impacts with and without AMF on antioxidants, gas exchange attributes and nutrients of cotton cultivated in salt affected soil

Salinity stress is one of the major hurdles in agriculture which adversely affects crop production. It can cause osmotic imbalance, ion toxicity that disrupts essential nutrient balance, impaired nutrient uptake, stunted growth, increased oxidative stress, altered metabolism, and diminished crop yield and quality. However, foliar application of osmoprotectant is becoming popular to resolve this issue in crops. These osmoprotectants regulate the cellular osmotic balance and protect plants from the detrimental effects of high salt concentrations. Furthermore, the role of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMF) is also established in this regard. These AMF effectively reduce the salinity negative effects by improving the essential nutrient balance via the promotion of root growth. That’s why keeping in mind the effectiveness of osmoprotectants current study was conducted on cotton. Total of six levels of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA = 0 mM, 0. 5 mM, and 1 mM) and ectoine (ECT = 0 mM, 0.25 mM, and 0.5 mM) were applied as treatments in 3 replications. Results showed that 0.5 mM γ-Aminobutyric acid and ectoine performed significantly best for the improvement in cotton growth attributes. It also caused significant enhancement in K and Ca contents of the leaf, stem, bur, and seeds compared to the control. Furthermore, 0.5 mM γ-Aminobutyric acid and ectoine also caused a significant decline in Cl and Na contents of leaf, stem, bur, and seeds of cotton compared to control under salinity stress. A significant enhancement in chlorophyll contents, gas exchange attributes, and decline in electrolyte leakage validated the effectiveness of 0.5 mM γ-Aminobutyric acid and ectoine over control. In conclusion, 0.5 mM γ-Aminobutyric acid and ectoine have the potential to mitigate the salinity stress in cotton.

Effect of Inorganic Fertilizers and Biogas Slurry on Content and Uptake of NPK in Wheat Grown under Sodic Vertisols

Conjoint use of inorganic and organic amendments can be a pragmatic solution for improving soil physico-chemical and biological properties and sustaining crop productivity. Keeping in this view a pot experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2015-16 in net house of AICRP on Management of Salt Affected soils and use of Saline Water in Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Indore to study the effect of recommended doses of fertilizer and biogas slurry on uptake and content of NPK in wheat grown under sodic Vertisols. The treatment comprised of T0-Control, T1-100% RDF, T2- 100% RDF + 750 kg BGS ha-1, T3-75% RDF + 750 kg BGS ha-1, T4- 50% RDF + 750 kg BGS ha-1, T5- 100% RDF + 1000 kg BGS ha-1, T6-75% RDF + 1000 kg BGS ha-1, T7-50% RDF + 1000 kg BGS ha-1, T8-100% RDF + 1250 kg BGS ha-1, T9-75% RDF+ 1250 kg BGS ha-1, T10-50% RDF+ 1250 kg BGS ha-1 were laid in completely randomized design with 3 replications. Results showed that the treatment T9 (75% RDF+1250 kg BGS ha-1) gave maximum dry matter production (0.205, 0.434 and 0.821 g plant-1, respectively), N content (2.39, 1.58 and 1.36% respectively), P content (0.41, 0.30 and 0.24%, respectively) and K content (1.24, 0.68 and 1.68%, respectively) in wheat leaf at 30, 60 and 90 DAS. Maximum uptake of N (1.20 and 0.72 g pot-1, respectively), P (0.132 and 0.119 g pot-1, respectively) and K (0.237 and 1.08 g pot-1, respectively) by grain and straw of wheat respectively, were found with the application of T9 (75% RDF+1250 kg BGS ha-1). Thus, it may be concluded that integrated application of T9 (75% RDF+1250 kg BGS ha-1) not only increases dry matter production but also content and uptake by wheat.

Exploring the effect of zinc and boron application on oil contents, protein contents, growth and yield of sunflower

Sunflower is sensitive to boron (B) and zinc (Zn) deficiency when grown on deficient soil, A field experiment was conducted to determine the main and interactive effects of soil applied Zn and B on total production of sunflower at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBI) with factorial arrangement using three replications with net plot size of 6 m x 4.5 m. The soil application of variable levels of Zn (0, 10, 20 and 30 kg ha-1) and B (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha-1) in the form of zinc sulphate and boric acid, respectively were applied at time of sowing. All other agronomic and plant protection practices were kept uniform. The data regarding growth, yield and quality parameters were noted by using standard procedures. Results showed that Zn @ 20 kg ha-1 and B @ 3 kg ha-1 significantly increased the number of plants per plot at harvest, stem diameter, head diameter, number of achenes per head, 1000-achene weight, biological yield and days to maturity, achene yield kg per, harvest index, leaf concentrations or Zn at heading stage, leaf concentrations of B at heading stage (ppm), achene oil content (%), achene protein contents as compared to control. This study concluded that higher growth and yield of sunflower can be achieved by application of Zn at 20 kg ha-1 and B at 3 kg ha-1 under Faisalabad conditions.

Response of Citrus aurantium L. orange seedlings to the addition of NPK complex nanofertilizer and humic and their effect on vegetative traits and nutrients.

The study was carried out at University of Thi-Qar on 02.02.2023; the experience finished on 15.06.2023 on Citrus seedlings at one year age, by three seedlings for each experimental unit. Thus the number of seedlings was 81 at anvils plastic, which was filed by soil and peatmoss at a ratio of 3:1. The experiment included fertilizer treatment Nano NPK which spray on plant leaves at concentrations (0, 0.5, 1) g. l, by three additions at 15 days period between each addition. Humic acid was added to the Spray the plant three times (0, 1, 2) g. The experiment was carried out by three replication according to Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The results were compared according to less difference test than 5 % possibility.
 Spraying treatments with nano-fertilizer npk showed a positive effect on most of the vegetative and chemical indicators of orange seedlings. The spraying treatment at a concentration of 1 gm l-1 was significantly superior by recording the highest rate for the number of plant leaves, stem thickness, leaf content of carbohydrates, and leaf content of the nutrients calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. It reached 61.78 leaves. Seedling-1, 7.77 cm, 10.21%, 155.62%, 0.268%, 38.046%, respectively.
 The average spray treatments with Humic showed a positive effect on most of the vegetative and chemical indicators of Citrus aurantium L. orange seedlings. The spray treatment at a concentration of 1 gm L-1 was superior in recording the highest rates for the number of plant leaves and stem thickness, as they reached 64.78 and 8.77, respectively. The spraying treatment at a concentration of 1 gm L-1 also excelled by recording the highest rate for the leaf content of carbohydrates and the leaf content of the nutrients calcium, magnesium and sulfur, reaching 10.01%, 156.53%, 0.257%, 36.06%.
 The interaction treatments between the two study factors gave a positive, significant effect on most of the vegetative and chemical traits studied. The interaction treatment between the concentration of 1 gm L-1 of nano-NPK and 1 gm L-1 Humic recorded the best results significantly for growth indicators.

Soil Chemical Attributes and Foliar Nutrient Contents of Native Species in Rehabilitation Chronosequence After Iron Ore Mining

ABSTRACT The mineland rehabilitation can be a challenge due to high soil density and low levels of organic matter and nutrients. This study assessed soil chemical attributes and leaf nutritional contents of two native species (Mimosa acutistipula var. ferrea and Vismia baccifera) grown in an iron waste pile under environmental rehabilitation in the Carajás Mineral Province, Eastern Amazon, Brazil. Soil samples were collected close to plant species in three different chronosequences of rehabilitation. Regardless of the rehabilitation stage, the soils have low levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and boron. A tendency of organic matter accumulation was observed at the advanced stage (5–8 years after the onset of rehabilitation process) and it was correlated with other soil nutrients. The leaf nutrient’ contents of M. acutistipula and V. baccifera tend to be distinct from each other, which could indicate that the studied species have different nutritional requirements. The V. baccifera presented higher leaf concentrations of sulfur, copper, and zinc, while M. acutistipula stood out for presenting a higher leaf nitrogen content, which is possibly related to its nitrogen-fixing capacity. In general, an improvement of soil chemical attributes was achieved with the advance of the rehabilitation stages, showing the efficiency of the procedures performed to rehabilitate the studied areas.

Genetic analysis of the variation for mineral accumulation in the leaves and seeds of natural germplasm of Brassica rapa L. (AA) and the its derived forms extracted from an allotetraploid B.juncea L.(AABB)

Brassica rapa L. (2n = 20; AA) is a vegetable and oilseed crop that is grown all over the world. Its leaves, shoots, and seeds store significant amounts of minerals. We used inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to determine the concentrations of eleven minerals in the leaves and seeds of 195 advanced generation inbred lines, of which 92 represented natural (NR) B. rapa and the remaining 103 were derived (DR) from a set of mother genotypes originally extracted from an allotetraploid B. juncea (2n = 36; AABB). The inbred lines differed for the composition of leaf and seed minerals. Leaf concentrations of N, K, Zn, and Se were higher in the DR subpanel as compared to NR subpanel, along with high seed accumulations of K and Se. DArT genotyping and genome wide association mapping led to the identification of SNPs associated with leaf and seed mineral compositions. Chromosomes A03, A05, and A10 harboured the most associated loci. Annotations of the regions adjacent to respective GWAS peaks allowed prediction of genes known for acquisition, transport, and accumulation of minerals and heavy metal detoxification. Transcriptome analysis revealed differential expression patterns of the predicted candidates, with most genes either down-regulated in derived genotypes relative to natural forms or their expression being comparable between the two. General downregulation may be a consequence of extracting B. rapa from allotetraploid B. juncea through genome resection. Some of the identified SNPs may be used as DNA markers for breeding programmes designed to modify the leaf and seed mineral compositions.

Pemanfaatan Kompos Daun Ketapang Sebagai Sumber Hara Pada Tanaman Selada (Lactuca sativa L.) di Tanah Gambut

The potential of ketapang leaves as an organic material for supplying nutrients to lettuce plants through composting is being investigated in this study. The objective is to assess the impact of different dosages of ketapang leaf compost on nutrient content in peat soil and the growth of lettuce plants. The research was conducted between April and June 2020 at the Compost House and Experimental Field of the Faculty of Agriculture. The study utilized a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments: 0, 6.5, 13, and 19.5 tons/ha of ketapang leaf compost. Various variables were observed, including the nutrient content of ketapang leaf compost, nutrient content in peat soil after compost application (pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), and lettuce plant growth indicators (plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, and wet plant weight). The findings indicated that the ketapang leaf compost met the quality standards outlined by SNI, with the exception of pH. The application of ketapang leaf compost enhanced the availability of nutrients (pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in peat soil and promoted the growth of lettuce plants, as evidenced by improvements in plant height, leaf length, leaf number, leaf width, and wet plant weight. The optimal dosage of ketapang leaf compost for promoting lettuce plant growth was determined to be 6.5 tons/ha

Effects of peat based substrate combinations on mineral nutrition, growth and yield of tomato

Study was aimed to examine the effects of growth media (GM) consisted of peat and different domestic materials on nutrition, growth and yield of tomato as alternative to cocopeat in Turkiye. For this, cocopeat(GM1), perlite(GM2), leonardite(GM3), vermicompost(GM4), and peat(GM5) were used as substrates. Each substrate was used as a control in itself, and a total of 17 combinations were tried by keeping the peat constant and mixing in 1:1, 1:2, 1:4 (V/V) ratios. The mixtures were filled in 7-liter pots where seedlings were planted, irrigated with water for the first week, and then irrigated with nutrient solution. The research was established as a 4-replications pot experiment and the Solanum lycopersicum cv.Vitello tomato variety was used as the plant material. The nutrient solution was applied with a drip irrigation. The volume of the applied nutrient solution was adjusted manually to obtain 10-30% leaching ratio. In general, vermicompost and its mixtures with peat were the most effective growth media on leaf and fruit nutrient concentrations. The highest fruit yields were obtained from plants grown in solely peat and 1:1 peat + vermicompost medium. Similarly, the highest biomass weight was recorded from the plants grown under 1:1 peat + vermicompost mixture. In addition to this findings, it was observed that some peat-containing mixtures were also found to be competitive with widely used media in terms of the other parameters studied. As a result, it was seen that most of the peat containing GM especially peat + vermicompost mixtures, can be used in soilless tomato cultivation as alternative to cocopeat.

The Impact of Organic Fertilizers and Growth stimulators on Leaf Chemical Composition of Pomegranate Seedlings (Selimi Cultivar)

The study was conducted in the nursery of the Department of Horticulture and landscape, College of Agriculture, Tikrit University, during the growing season 2022, on one year old pomegranate seedlings cv. Salimi, in order to know the impact of organic fertilizer (sheep waste) with three levels (M0=control, M1=20%, and M2=40%), and some stimuli with eight levels (S0=control, S1=5000 mg L-1 glucose, S2=100 mg L-1 IBA, S3=200 mg L-1 IBA, S4=100 mg L-1 NAA, S5=200 mg L-1 NAA, S6= 6 ml seedlings-1 Taravert Evo and S7=12 ml seedlings-1 Taravert Evo) in the chemical Composition of the leaves of these seedlings. A factorial experiment according to (RCBD) with two factors. The results showed that M2 treatment significant effect in the chemical characteristics of the leaves in N, P, K, carbohydrates and the C:N ratio reached 2.34, 0.24, 1.46, 11.74 and 5.08%. The application of growth stimulators enhanced seedlings growth, where Taravert Evo gave the best results in the leaf content of N, P, and K. As for the interaction between the treatments, the M2S6 interaction treatment achieved a significant superiority in the leaf content of N, P, K, carbohydrates and C:N ratio.

Stoichiometric ratios in soil are relevant to the abundance of constructive species in reed-dominated saline-alkaline marshes

Ecological stoichiometry is an important mediator of the feedback between plant and soil systems, which greatly affects ecosystem processes and functions. However, how carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in plants and soils influence helophytes’ performance to environmental changes remain unclear. In this study, the saline-alkaline marsh dominated by Phragmites australis in the Western Songnen Plain of China was investigated, and soil and plant samples along a saline-alkaline and flooding gradient were collected in 22 marsh sites. The results showed that C, N and P contents of leaf and soil and soil C:N:P stoichiometric ratios decreased significantly with increasing soil salt content (p < 0.05), but increased significantly with increasing flooding depth (p < 0.05). Soil C:N:P ratios decreased by 24.6 %–47.1 % in severely salinised sites (>5 g kg−1) than in unsalinised sites (<1 g kg−1), and they increased by 11.0 %–99.0 % in deeply flooded sites (>5 cm) than in shallowly flooded sites (<5 cm). Changes rates of foliar C:N:P ratios were remarkedly smaller than those of soil C:N:P ratios. Foliar N and P contents increased with increasing soil N and P contents, but foliar C:P and N:P ratios had negative associations with soil C:P and N:P ratios. The abundance of P. australis was explained by soil C:N:P stoichiometric ratios more than individual contents of C, N and P, in which soil N:P ratio played the largest role. These results suggest that maintaining the balances amongst C, N and P in soil is critical when restoring degraded marsh ecosystems.

Melatonin enhances salt tolerance in sorghum by modulating photosynthetic performance, osmoregulation, antioxidant defense, and ion homeostasis.

Melatonin is a potent antioxidant that can prevent plant damage caused by adverse stresses. It remains unclear whether exogenous melatonin can mitigate the effects of salt stress on seed germination and seedling growth of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). The aim of this study was to decipher the protective mechanisms of exogenous melatonin (100 μmol/L) on sorghum seedlings under NaCl-induced salt stress (120 mmol/L). Plant morphological, photosynthetic, and physiological characteristics were analyzed at different timepoints after sowing. Results showed that salt stress inhibited seed germination, seedling growth, and plant biomass accumulation by reducing photosynthetic pigment contents, photosynthetic efficiency, root vigor, and mineral uptake. In contrast, seed priming with melatonin enhanced photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, photosynthetic efficiency, root vigor, and K+ content under salt stress. Melatonin application additionally enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and increased the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione, ascorbic acid) in the leaves. These changes were accompanied by increase in the leaf contents of soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and proline, as well as decrease in hydrogen peroxide accumulation, malondialdehyde content, and electrolyte leakage. Our findings indicate that exogenous melatonin can alleviate salt stress-induced damage in sorghum seedlings through multifaceted mechanisms, such as improving photosynthetic performance and root vigor, facilitating ion homeostasis and osmoregulation, and promoting antioxidant defense and reactive oxygen species scavenging.