Crop Zea Mays Research Articles

Management of the Yellow Corn Stem Borer, Sesamia cretica Led. Using Some Pesticides and Their Alternatives and Their Effect on Production Constituents of Yellow Corn Crop Zea mays in Kirkuk Governorate

Our study, the spring cultivar of the yellow corn crop was adopted in the experimental land, the aim of which was to know the best materials used in managing the corn stalk borer insect. Environmentally friendly materials were used (ash - remnants of burnt materials, in addition to table salt). In addition to our use of effective and approved pesticides in the control of stem borer in a field experiment to see the effect of the materials used on insect infestation rates It also had an effect on the killing rate of corn stalk borer larvae achieved by spraying with the experimental materials, in addition to its effect on the height of infected plants compared to the control treatmen Field surveys were conducted to find out the extent of infection with this insect in the center of Kirkuk Governorate. The experiment was repeated for the fall season 2022, with field surveys conducted for the purpose of confirming the economic importance of the insect.t. The results indicated the spread of the corn stalk borer insect in all corn-growing areas, for which tables were prepared regarding the infection rate. In the autumn season 2021 in Kirkuk Governorate. The results indicated that there was a clear effect of the materials used in the treatments, with a relative superiority of the ash and table salt treatments over the pesticide treatments (Diazinon 10% granular and Aktara EC 25).

Effects of diverse irrigation with wastewater in soil and plants: assessing the risk of metal to the animal food chain

In District Jhang, farmers use municipal wastewater to irrigate fodder crops as an alternative source to the deficient availability of fresh water. Therefore, the present study selected the three irrigation sources in District Jhang (canal water, ground water and municipal wastewater) to study the iron (Fe) concentration in the soil, fodder crops and ultimately their transfer into the animal body. Analysed Fe concentration varied as 16.40-27.53mg/kg in soil samples, 19.72-30.34mg/kg in fodder crops and 2.49-5.11mg/kg in animals. Analysed Fe concentration in soil was higher on the wastewater irrigation site while canal water-irrigated fodder crop Zea mays exhibit the higher Fe concentration. In animal samples, higher Fe concentration was observed in the cow blood (4.09mg/l), cow hairs (3.39mg/kg) and cow faeces (5.11mg/kg). Results of pollution load index (0.288-0.484mg/kg) and enrichment factor (0.112-0.197mg/kg) indicated that Fe concentration was minimally dispersed and enriched in these sites. Health risk and daily intake values were observed between the 0.029-0.059 and 0.042-0.084mg/kg/day. Bio-concentration factor (0.834-1.47mg/kg) for Fe which was greater than 1 explains that Fe contamination was transferred from the soil to fodder tissues and may raise health issues in the grazing animals if they are continuously exposed to these contaminated forages. Wastewater irrigation in study area has increased the Fe content in soil-plant environment that is a risking factor for animal and human health. Hence, this study recommended that wastewater should be treated prior to their irrigation on agricultural lands.

Effects of Exhaust Pollutants and Garden Soil on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Aim: This study was conducted to examine the effects of exhaust pollutants and garden soil extract on seed germination and seedling growth of some economically important crops, maize and sunflower.
 Study Design: The in-vitro experimental design was completely randomized.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experimental site was Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Pakistan and the experiment was lasted for 10 days in Ecology laboratory.
 Methodology: The seeds of maize and sunflower were placed in front of the generator to exposed exhaust pollutants daily, 10 minutes, for 10 days. After the exposure of exhaust gas seeds were shifted into Petri dishes. The garden soil was obtained from mini garden of the Department of Botany, University of Karachi. The different concentrations of garden soil with distilled water were made and filtered. This filtered solution was assumed as the standard solution, which was 100%. From this standard solution, further dilution of 25%, 50% and 75% were made. Distilled water was used as a control for the experiment. Three best seedlings were selected from each Petri dish for the determination of mean values of seed germination (percentage), root, shoot and seedling length and seedling dry weight. 
 Results: This publication will help to understand the importance of exhaust pollutant impact and soil on crop growth and productivity. The soil quality influences plant growth and identifies the impact of exhaust emission on plant growth. The effects of exhaust pollutants of the generator and different concentration of garden soil on seed germination and seedling growth of two important crops Zea mays (L.) maize and sunflower Helianthus annuus (L.) were recorded. The treatment of different concentration of garden soil extract (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) affected seed germination percentage, root, shoot, and seedling length and seedling dry weight of both crop species. The soil extract at 25% significantly (p<0.05) affected the seed germination percentage of H. annuus as compared to control. The treatment of soil extract also decreased seedling growth performance of Z. mays and H. annuus as compared to control. A significant (p<0.05) decrease in seedling length of Z. mays becomes evident that exhaust treatment affected the seedling dry weight performance of maize as compared to control. Similarly, exposure of exhaust pollutant affected the seedling dry weight of Z. mays and H. annuus as compared to control treatment. The effects of garden soil extract on seed germination and seedling growth of Z. mays was found higher as compared H. annuus.
 Conclusion: It was concluded that the treatment of exhaust emissions from a portable power generator fueled negatively affected the seed germination and seedling growth performance of maize and sunflower as compared to control treatment. A comparison between the seed germination percentage, seedling growth and biomass production performance of maize was found highly affected as compared to sunflower.

Chemically Enhanced Phytoextraction of Risk Elements from a Contaminated Agricultural Soil Using Zea Mays and Triticum Aestivum: Performance and Metal Mobilization Over a Three Year Period

Enhanced phytoextraction using EDTA for the remediation of an agricultural soil contaminated with less mobile risk elements Cd and Pb originating from smelting activities in Příbram (Czech Republic) was assessed on the laboratory and the field scale. EDTA was applied to the first years crop Zea mays. Metal mobilization and metal uptake by the plants in the soil were monitored for two additional years when Triticum aestivum was planted. The application of EDTA effectively increased water-soluble Cd and Pb concentrations in the soil. These concentrations decreased over time. Anyhow, increased concentrations could be still observed in the third experimental year indicating a low possibility of groundwater pollution after the addition of EDTA during and also after the enhanced phytoextraction process under prevailing climatic conditions. EDTA-applications caused phytotoxicity and thereby decreased biomass production and increased Cd and Pb uptake by the plants. Phytoextraction efficiency and phytoextraction potential were too low for Cd and Pb phytoextraction in the field in a reasonable time frame (as less than one-tenth of a percent of total Cd and Pb could be removed). This strongly indicates that EDTA-enhanced phytoextraction as implemented in this study is not a suitable remediation technique for risk metal contaminated soils.

Phytotoxic Effects of Cyanamide on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Weed and Crop Species

We examined the response of plants of various crop and weed species to cyanamide in order to evaluate allelochemical-mediated interactions between the species. We studied germination and seedling growth in the common weeds Galium aparine L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L., and the crops Zea mays L., Triticum aestivum L., Lactuca sativa L., Solanum lycopersicum L. and Sinapis alba L. as acceptor plants. Concentration-dependent phytotoxic effects of cyanamide were noted during seed germination and in the root and shoot growth of the tested plants. The monocotyledonous plants generally were less sensitive to cyanamide treatment. Seed germination and seedling growth of the dicotyledonous plants were strongly inhibited by the allelochemical at both tested concentrations (1.2 mM, 3 mM). We conclude that cyanamide has potential for use as a natural herbicide only in specific field systems of cyanamide-tolerant monocotyledonous crops accompanied by cyanamide-sensitive dicotyledonous weeds.

Significant improvement of stress tolerance in tobacco plants by overexpressing a stress-responsive aldehyde dehydrogenase gene from maize (Zea mays)

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play a central role in detoxification processes of aldehydes generated in plants when exposed to the stressed conditions. In order to identify genes required for the stresses responses in the grass crop Zea mays, an ALDH (ZmALDH22A1) gene was isolated and characterized. ZmALDH22A1 belongs to the family ALDH22 that is currently known only in plants. The ZmALDH22A1 encodes a protein of 593 amino acids that shares high identity with the orthologs from Saccharum officinarum (95%), Oryza sativa (89%), Triticum aestivum (87%) and Arabidopsis thaliana (77%), respectively. Real-time PCR analysis indicates that ZmALDH22A1 is expressed differentially in different tissues. Various elevated levels of ZmALDH22A1 expression have been detected when the seedling roots exposed to abiotic stresses including dehydration, high salinity and abscisic acid (ABA). Tomato stable transformation of construct expressing the ZmALDH22A1 signal peptide fused with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) driven by the CaMV35S-promoter reveals that the fusion protein is targeted to plastid. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing ZmALDH22A1 shows elevated stresses tolerance. Stresses tolerance in transgenic plants is accompanied by a reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) derived from cellular lipid peroxidation.

Amendment of crude oil contaminated soil with sawdust and chromoleana leaves for optimum plant protection

A study on the effectiveness of sawdust and chromoleana leaves as soil restorative measures to optimize plant growth at two intensities of crude oil contamination showed that both restore parity on the growth parameters (leaf area, leaf ratio, relative leaf growth rate, relative growth rate, and net assimilation rate) of crops tested compared to control. However, chromoleana leaves was found to be more effective than sawdust. The test crops Zea mays and Vigna unguiculata differed with respect to their response to amendments applied. V. unguiculata showed better response than Z. mays in most of the parameters tested

Vegetation response to rainfall variation and human impact in central Kenya during the past 1100 years

Pollen data from a 625 cm sediment core from Crescent Island Crater, a subbasin of Lake Naivasha, Kenya, provide an 1100-year record of vegetation change at a mean time resolution of 15 years. Earlier data from the same core show a record of lake depth (and thus inferred rainfall variation) in the form of changing sedimentary facies, supported by salinity inferences based on diatom and chironomid assemblages. Stratigraphic variation in the abundances of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants and chlorophyte algae generally supports the reconstructed lake depths. Woody Afromontane and woodland plant taxa decreased relative to Poaceae (grasses) during low rainfall periods, and increased during high rainfall periods. A decrease in the extent of lower montane forest coincident with favourable climatic conditions after about ad 1700 was probably caused byKikuyu immigration and population expansion around that time, as indicated by simultaneous appearance of the food crop Zea mays (maize). Increases in ruderal herbaceous and exotic tree pollen during the twentieth century indicate increased local landscape disturbance during the colonial period. There is little direct pollen evidence for accelerating clearance of the montane forest during recent decades.

A comparison of agrisilvicultural systems with plantation forestry in the Atlantic Lowlands of Costa Rica

Survival and growth data (ages 0–5 years) are presented for two timber species (Acacia mangium, Cordia alliodora) planted in monocultures or in association with a sequence of agricultural cropsZea mays, Zingiber officinale andEugenia stipitata (a fruit shrub) in the tropical humid Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Average annual height and diameter growth rates were 3.2 m and 4.0 cm (C. alliodora), 3.5 m and 3.8 cm (A. mangium).C. alliodora associated with crops gave the greatest productivity with an average total stem volume increment of 19 m3 ha−1 yr−1. Root rot ofA. mangium (mainlyRosellinia sp.), leading to tree mortality, was greater in pure plots compared to associated plots.A. mangium can not be recommended for similar sites because of this problem.

Agroforestry systems as an ecological approach in the Brazilian Amazon development

This paper discusses EMBRAPA's agroforestry systems experience in the Brazilian Amazon. The forestry species and fruit trees introduced in shifting cultivation systems had great success, particularly the wood-producing species Cordia goeldiana and Swietenia macrophylla and the fruit trees Musa spp. and Theobroma grandiflorum. In forestry plantations, Vigna unguiculata was mixed with the trees C. goeldiana, Jacaranda copaia and Bagassa guianensis in the first two years to reduce costs of investment and cultural treatment. In this case, Vigna unguiculata did not affect survival of trees and increased tree height and diameter growth. The introduction of wood-producing trees in livestock pastures can represent formation of a system more balanced and stable through nutrient cycling than is possible today. A silvopastoral system has been carried out in the Paragominas region (eastern Para) using the forestry species Eucalyptus tereticornis, B. guianensis and Schizolobium amazonicum, the crop Zea mays and the forage species Branchiaria brizantha, B. humidicola and Panicum maximum. Performance of the forestry and forage species has been satisfactory and the corn yield was more than the regional average. The cattle, at a low stocking rate, graze normally on the site and cause no harm to the planted trees.