Dark Green Color Research Articles

Detection of the Large White butterfly Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) in Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

The Large White butterfly (Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758)) originally from the Palaearctic and previously introduced to South Africa and Chile is detected on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The records correspond to all stages of the life cycle: eggs, caterpillars, pupa and adults. Caterpillars were found feeding on Tropaeolum majus. The introduction is likely to have occurred from mainland Chile, as the species has not been reported in French Polynesia. A dark green coloration present on the underside of the wings is congruent with the one reported from the Chilean population. The origin of colonisation still remains to be tested using molecular tools.

Nanopore-enabled macroscopic alignment of 700 kDa membrane protein complex: Characterization by pulsed EPR

The Photosystem II (PSII) catalytic cycle involves proton transfer as well as rearrangements of hydrogen bonding of sidechains and cofactors and their reorientation. While thought to be critically important for the function, some of the changes including protonation states of the cofactors and metal cluster ligands are inaccessible by x-ray crystallography but can be addressed in EPR experiments with macroscopically aligned PSII embedded in lipid membranes. Previously, we reported on aligning lipid bilayers within anodic aluminum oxide nanopores (AAO) 40 to 90 nm in diameter. The method provides for lipid alignment within 2-3o mosaic spread and worked well for single domain membrane proteins. Here, we successfully address a challenge of aligning a much larger membrane protein complex - ca. 700-kDa dimer of PSII. This was accomplished by developing AAO substrates with 300-400-nm pore diameter and 80 μm in length and forming nanotubular PSII bilayer inside the pores by self-assembly directly from aqueous suspensions. After the deposition, the nanoporous substrates acquired dark green color indicative of PSII complexes in high density. AAO strips were exposed to ambient light for 10 min at room temperature to generate YD⦁ radical species. The shock frozen samples retained macroscopic alignment of PSII as revealed by EPR. The angle dependent hyperfine interactions with 3- and 5-ring protons were measured in 2D HYSCORE experiments at two orthogonal sample orientations in magnetic field, B0. The two spectra exhibited well-pronounced differences caused by intensity redistributions among the cross-peaks arising from different orientations of hyperfine tensors vs. B0 and provided angular restrains for the tensor orientation with respect to the bilayer normal. Spectral resolution was also improved by decreasing HYSCORE peak crowding from the macroscopic alignment.

Variation for turfgrass performance in a set of Lolium perenne germplasm evaluated under limited irrigation

AbstractPerennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major turfgrass species in temperate regions around the world. Unfortunately, it lacks drought tolerance compared with other cool‐season turfgrass species and often requires substantial inputs of freshwater as supplemental irrigation to achieve high turfgrass quality. To address the need for more drought‐tolerant perennial ryegrass, we conducted an evaluation of perennial ryegrass germplasm from the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System under deficit irrigation conditions and two mowing heights at Kaysville and Logan, UT during 2017 and 2018. We characterized turfgrass dark green color, ground cover, density, and quality using digital photography to capture images that we then converted to trait values using the TurfAnalyzer software. The higher mowing height resulted in greater ground cover, density, and quality. The collection of 49 germplasm accessions and 11 cultivars exhibited substantial variation for turfgrass dark green color, ground cover, density, and quality. Cultivars included as checks generally had greater turfgrass color and density, but the germplasm accessions generally had greater turfgrass ground cover and quality. Selection among these germplasm accessions will provide elite germplasm with utility for improving these traits in applied perennial ryegrass turfgrass breeding programs.

First Report of Trichoderma crassum Causing Leaf Spot on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. M82) in Ohio.

Trichoderma is a genus of wood-decaying fungi generally found in soil (Druzhinina and Kubicek 2005). Trichoderma crassum was confirmed to be a sister species to T. virens according to the molecular sequencing results (Chaverri et al. 2003). A foliar disease with ~70% incidence on Solanum lycopersicum was observed in a greenhouse at The Ohio State University (40°0'8'' north latitude, 83°1'36'' west longitude), Columbus, United States, in December 2021. On average up to 60% of the leaves per two-month-old tomato plant were infected. Initially, the dark-grey color and irregular spots appeared at the leaf tips. As the disease progressed, the yellow necrotic lesions were observed surrounding the preformed disease spots. Finally, the infected leaves appeared curled and wilted as a whole. The leaf fragments from three tomato plants 40 inches apart were cut from the diseased lesions and surface sterilized with 75% ethanol (30 seconds) and 1% NaOCl (60 seconds), subsequently rinsed with sterilized deionized water three times. Nine pieces of the sterilized leaf tissues were then placed on the PDA plates at 28℃ in the dark and incubated in one incubator for 4 days. The pure cultures of five isolates were acquired and examined with a light microscope. The fungus from all the isolates changed from white to dark green with the radial pattern and profuse sporulation on the PDA. The produced round conidia were observed under a light microscope (Fig S1). The DNA was extracted from two representative isolates which showed the same morphology. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and a conserved fungal rRNA region were amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3' and 5'-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3') (White et al. 1990) and SR6f/SR7r (5'-TGTTACGACTTTTACTT-3' and 5'-AGTTAAAAAGCTCGTAGTTG-3') (Hirose et al. 2012), respectively. The PCR products were further sequenced by Sanger sequencing (Table S1). Based on the BLAST results through NCBI website, the ITS sequences of the two isolates were 99% (566/572) and 98% (558/572) identical to Trichoderma crassum DAOM 164916 (EU280067). Their SR sequences both showed 99% (290/293; 289/293) identity to the same strain. The phylogenetic tree was also created with the sequences of ITS region by MEGA software (version 11) (Fig S2). Therefore, the fungus was identified as Trichoderma crassum based on its morphological characteristics (green conidia), Sanger sequencing results, and phylogenetic tree. To complete Koch's postulates, the 5-mm-diameter fungal agar discs of 7-day-old pure cultures were used for the inoculation on 18 healthy leaves of six tomato cv. M82 plants with two-month-old. The sterile pure PDA discs of the equal size were used for the mock inoculation as a comparison. Fungal plug method was chosen in this study because it had been widely applied to characterization of the fungal pathogens causing leaf spot disease (Pornsuriya et al. 2020; Yang et al. 2021). Five days later, the same symptom as those that occurred on the previously naturally infected tomato plants were observed on all the inoculated leaves (Fig S3A). However, there were no symptoms on the leaves with the mock inoculation. The fungus re-isolated from the symptomatic leaves showed the consistent morphology (dark-green color with radial sporulation) with the original isolates (Fig S3B). Thus, Trichoderma crassum was verified as the causal agent of the foliar disease on Solanum lycopersicum cv. M82 in our greenhouse. To our knowledge, it is the first report of Trichoderma crassum leading to the leaf spot and wilt on tomato in Ohio. The identification of the causal agent lays the groundwork for the development of necessary disease management techniques. We acknowledge the funding support from CFAES Internal Grants Program 2021009.

Blister Beetle Induced Keratoconjunctivitis

Blister beetle-induced keratoconjunctivitis is the rarest presentation. Blister beetle also known as Rove beetle, belongs to the class insecta and order – coleoptera.[1] The species paedrussabeus which is also called as Nairobi fly is easily recognized by its characteristic red, black and dark green colour.[1] This paedrus genus produces the chemical toxin called paedrin which is responsible for characteristic dermatological and rare ocular manifestations. Dermatitis in the form of violaceus painful blisters with intense itching is its most commonest manifestation. Ocular manifestations are very rare and occur only secondary to accidental contamination of eyes with the fingers which had contact with toxic chemicals from the blister site. Here, in this case report we will be discussing one such rare case of keratoconjunctivitis due to blister beetle.

Characteristics of the starting material of stockolus bezos for lawn use

A small number of species of perennial grasses are used to create lawns in Ukraine. Among the large speciescomposition (the group of fodder grasses includes more than 600 species of plants), the greatest fodder value is thethornless cornflower, which is used for green fodder, silage, hay and grass flour. But increasingly, plants of this cultureare used in garden compositions, planted in gardens, front gardens, along the edge of lawns, in flower gardens. Tallspecimens can play the role of a hedge in the country. This is facilitated by a number of advantages: drought resistance,frost resistance, undemanding to growing conditions. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the samples of theseedless cornflower in order to identify the forms that belong to low-growing (ground) cereals and to select thebreeding material based on a set of productivity and resistance to adverse environmental factors in combination withdecorativeness. In the process of research, field and quantitative methods, the test beam method, weight, and statisticalmethods were used. According to the results of the study of the root forms of the thornless cornflower in the collectionnursery, it is possible to recommend Aeneas, Universe, D07, K35591 as the starting material for creating lawn-typevarieties. Samples of Aeneas have good winter hardiness, quickly restore vegetation in the spring, do not form clumps,have a rich dark green color of the leaf plate, high winter hardiness, resistance to shedding and falling out, and gooddecorativeness. The Universe sample has a high score of decorativeness, green color of the leaves, which havepubescence and are quite soft. The plants of the sample are well established, quickly regenerate vegetation and areresistant to shedding and falling. The sample is quite drought-resistant, resistant to diseases, especially brown rust.The sample is quite durable and does not lose its decorativeness for 4 years. Sample D07 has a good decorativenessscore, a nice light green color of the leaf blade, soft leaves, pubescent. Plants of this form are resistant to seed shedding,grass loss, grow slowly after mowing and do not form clumps. Sample K35591 has good winter resistance anddurability, a high score of decorativeness. Forms a good sod cover, rich green color of the leaves. Plants are resistantto diseases, quickly regenerate vegetation and are quite drought-resistant.

Putting green canopy reflectance by time from colourant and spray oil combination product application

ABSTRACT Multispectral radiometry resolutely quantifies canopy attributes of similarly managed monocultures over wide and varied temporal arrays. Likewise, liquid phthalocyanine-containing products are commonly applied to turfgrass as a spray pattern indicator, dormancy colourant, and/or product synergist. While perturbed multispectral radiometric characterization of putting greens within 24 h of treatment by synthetic phthalocyanine colourant has been reported, explicit guidance on subsequent use is absent from the literature. Our objective was to assess creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. ‘Penn G2’) putting green reflectance and growth one to 14 d following semi-monthly treatment by synthetic Cu II phthalocyanine colourant (Col) and petroleum-derived spray oil (PDSO) combination product at a 27 L ha−1 rate and/or 7.32 kg ha−1 soluble N treatment by one of two commercial liquid fertilizers. As observed in a bentgrass fairway companion study, mean daily shoot growth and canopy dark green colour index (DGCI) increased with Col+PDSO complimented N treatment. Yet contrary to the fairway study results, deflated mean normalized differential red edge (NDRE) or vegetative index (NDVI) resulted from an associated Col+PDSO artefact that severely impeded near infrared (810-nm) putting green canopy reflectance. Regardless of time from Col+PDSO combination product treatment, the authors strongly discourage turfgrass scientists from employing vegetative indices that rely on 760- or 810-nm canopy reflectance when evaluating such putting green systems.

Classification of nutrient deficiency in oil palms from leaf images using convolutional neural network

Oil palm is a perennial plant that thrives well in tropical climate. Apart from humid environment, the plant also requires a wide variety of nutrients. Any deficiencies will directly affect its growth and palm oil production. These can often be detected from the change of leaf colour and texture. Deviations from the standard dark green colour indicates lack of certain nutrients. Therefore, this study proposes convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify nutrient deficiency in oil palms using leaf images. A total of 180 leaf images are acquired using standardized protocol. The samples are evenly distributed into healthy, nitrogen-deficient, and potassium-deficient groups. Residual network (ResNet)-50, visual geometry group-16 (VGG16), Densely connected network (DenseNet)-201, and AlexNet are trained and tested using the randomized samples. Each attained classification accuracies of 96.7%, 100%, 98.3%, and 100% respectively. Despite yielding similar performance, AlexNet is the more computational efficient architecture with less convolutional layers compared to VGG-16.

Formulation and Evaluation of Natural Gel Containing Ethanolic Extract of Pandanus amaryllifolius R. Using Various Gelling Agents

Ethanol extract of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves contains quercetin has anti-inflammatory properties. The gel dosage form is very appropriate for wound healing therapy because it gives a cold sensation to the skin. This study aims to formulate a P. amaryllifolius gel by variation of a gelling agent to compare the effect of a natural gelling agent, semi-synthetic gelling agent, and synthetic gelling agent on the physical characteristics of the gel. The gel formulation was made in three formulas. Evaluations include organoleptic, homogeneity, spreadability, adhesion, pH, and viscosity. The optimum gel formula was tested for release study using a dissolution apparatus 5. Determination of release kinetics model using the kinetics approach of zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas. The organoleptic shows the gel's dark green color, P. amaryllifolius aromas, and good homogeneity. The gel formulas had pH values that matched the physical quality criteria of the gel. Data obtained for the spreadability test for F1, F2, and F3 were 12.16, 14.66, and 10.75 g.cm/sec, respectively. The F1, F2, and F3 adhesion test results were 11.66, 10, and 47.33, respectively. The viscosity of F1 was 15750 cps, F2 was 4807 cps, and F3 was 19380 cps. This study concludes that the optimum formula is obtained from the gelling agent of Na-CMC as a gelling agent. The number of quercetins released from F2 was 42.76%, and the release kinetics model followed the kinetics of Higuchi.

Promotion of tomato growth by Trichoderma sp. under shade mesh conditions

Chemical fertilizers are frequently used in agriculture with harmful effects on ecological components, so the use of microorganisms as growth regulators is an agricultural practice increasingly used today. The aim of this research was to evaluate Trichoderma sp. as growth regulator in tomato plants. Trichoderma sp. isolated from soils was grown on solid PDA medium for morphological characterization of the fungus. An experiment to analyse the interaction between Trichoderma sp. and shade mesh conditions was established, where: T1 = Trichoderma sp.; T2 = without Trichoderma sp. (fertilization recommended for the crop was applied); T3 = shade mesh and T4 = without shade mesh. Several variables were evaluated in the plants and in the fruits. The macroscopic characteristics showed mycelium with a cottony morphology and a dark green coloration, and the microscopic characteristics of the fungus were conidiophores with a branch, phialides and ovoid to ellipsoid conidia. Interaction of Trichoderma sp. and shade mesh had a significant effect on plant height, number of flowers and number of fruits, with the greater values with Trichoderma sp. and shade mesh. Regarding the evaluation of the fruits significant differences were found in the weight, diameter, length, and colour (L and a* value) but not in b* value.

Smart healable and reportable anticorrosion coating based on halloysite nanotubes carrying 8-hydroxyquinoline on steel

Integrating healable and reportable ability to sustain new-generation smart anticorrosion coatings with long-term durability is highly desirable to accommodate the development of marine industries. Herein, a new type of dual-function coating is designed to fulfill the needs. Through introducing the smart nanocontainers based on the core of HNTs loaded with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) and the shell made from sodium tripolyphosphate-chitosan (CS) into conventional epoxy matrix, the smart healable and reportable anticorrosion coating on carbon steel (Q235) was developed. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and salt spray measurement indicated the corrosion inhibition effect of the nanocontainers and healable performance of composite coatings. Benefitting from the 8HQ, the designed waterborne epoxy coating displayed higher low-frequency modulus after 60 days of immersion, confirming the long-term protection ability. Besides, the composite coating exhibited obvious dark-green color at damaged region to timely sense and report the local corrosion in 30 min of immersion tests. This smart coating with sensitive corrosion visualization and well-performed healable properties holds great potential in actual anticorrosion fields.

Digital imaging of coffee leaves under different nitrogen concentrations applied to soil

Brazil is the largest Coffea arabica L. producer and exporter in the world market. In view of the need for nitrogen fertilization, the objective of this work was to evaluate the use of digital images of coffee leaves as a function of nitrogen concentration and cultivars, as well as to evaluate the most adequate sampling of this technique to predict leaf nitrogen. The experiment was set in a greenhouse, at UNESP - Experimental Campus of Registro-SP, using 12L pots with medium sand. A completely randomized design was adopted, in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, with four concentrations of N (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg dm-3), and two coffee cultivars (Mundo Novo and Obatã), with ten replications. The variables evaluated were: hue, dark green color index (DGCI), leaf area and leaf nitrogen content. The hue and DGCI were influenced by N concentration, cultivar and are dependent on the day after treatment application and the number of leaves used. The use of five leaves per replication was more adequate to estimate leaf N content. Hue, DGCI and leaf area were higher in Obatã depending on the day after application of the treatment and N concentration.

Wheat plant –Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) interaction to alleviate the salt stress in vitro and in vivo

The current work studied the mechanistic basis of salt tolerant PGPR bacteria in alleviating salinity stress in wheat.Two experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), 2021-2022, to evaluate the interaction between wheat var. Misr1 and two salt tolerant PGPR bacterial strains, Azospirillum (A.) brasilense NO40 and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) under saline conditions. The staining technique used to detect the colonization effectiveness of applied bacteria. Images of 30-day wheat seedlings were captured and subjected to the following measurements: root area, leaf area, root length, shoot length, and dark green color index (DGCI). TEM was used to look for bacterial colonization in wheat seedling. Chlorophyll, proline, peroxidase activity, rhizosphere dehydrogenase activity and electrical conductivity (EC) were all quantified. Results revealed that the wheat seedling roots inoculated with the salt tolerant bacterial strains produced a highly intense red colour. The colonized bacteria appeared on the outer surface of the root and intercellular space of root tissue. The data showed a significant rise in all measured parameters in the inoculated wheat seedlings with the salt tolerant bacterial strains compared to the non-inoculated wheat seedlings. Additionally, the wheat seedlings inoculated with a mixture of NO40 and Bt showed the best results as compared to that inoculated with only NO40 or with only Bt. Finally, EC values before and after planting with the inoculated wheat seeds revealed a decrease in the salinity of the soil rhizosphere (9.27 mmhos/cm vs. 5.1 mmhos/cm). In conclusion: Salt stress in wheat saline soils was alleviated by bacterial strains studied. Optimum results were obtained from the mixture of A. brasilense and Bt. Results must later be verified in field trials.

Perbandingan Pertumbuhan Pagoda antara Larutan Nutrisi AB Mix dan Pupuk Organik Cair pada Sistem Hidroponik NFT

Pagoda is a leaf vegetable plant that has a unique shape when compared to other types of mustard greens because the shape of this pagoda mustard is similar to a blooming flower, oval leaf shape with a very striking dark green colour, short-lived and has many nutrients and benefits. Vegetable cultivation technique using a hydroponic system that is often used is NFT (Nutrient Film Technology) because the design is quite simple to use. An important factor that must be considered in a hydroponic system to obtain optimal plant growth results is the need for nutrients. AB mix nutrition is a chemical fertilizer which is one of the standard nutrients used in hydroponic systems. The use of Liquid Organic Fertilizer (LOF) is expected to be an alternative hydroponic nutrient solution so that the vegetables produced are healthier, or what we are familiar with organic vegetables. The aim of the study was to compare the growth of pagoda plants against two types of nutrient solutions (AB mix and LOF) in the NFT hydroponic system. The research was carried out from March to April 2019 at Greenhouse, East Jakarta. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design. The treatment was the type of nutrient solution (AB mix and LOF) and was repeated 3 times. Observational data were analysed using t-test at 5% significance level. The results showed that pagoda growth in AB mix treatment was better than LOF so that LOF had not been able to become an alternative to AB mix for hydroponic nutrient solution for pagoda plants.

Silicon modifies C:N:P stoichiometry and improves the physiological efficiency and dry matter mass production of sorghum grown under nutritional sufficiency

Silicon (Si) may be involved in the modification of C:N:P stoichiometry and in physiological processes, increasing sorghum growth and grain production. The objective was to evaluate the effect of Si supply on C:N:P:Si stoichiometry, physiological response, growth, and grain production of sorghum. The experiment was carried out in pots with four concentrations of Si: 0; 1.2; 2.4; and 3.6 mmol L−1 in a completely randomized design, with six replicates. Physiological attributes and dark green color index were measured and grain and biomass production were determined. Posteriorly, the plant material was ground to determine silicon (Si), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents in order to analyze C:N:P:Si stoichiometry. C:Si and C:N ratios decreased at all Si concentrations applied (1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 mmol L−1) and in all plant parts studied, being lower at 3.6 mmol L−1. The lowest C:P ratios of leaves and roots were observed at 3.6 mmol L−1 Si and the lowest C:P ratio of stems was observed at 1.2 mmol L−1 Si. Si concentrations were not significant for the N:P ratio of leaves. The highest N:P ratio of stems was observed at 3.6 mmol L−1, while the lowest N:P ratio of roots was observed at 2.4 and 3.6 mmol L−1. Regardless of photosynthetic parameters, the application of 1.2 mmol L−1 Si enhanced photosynthetic rate. The application of 2.4 and 3.6 mmol L−1 enhanced stomatal conductance and dark green color index. The mass of 1000 grains was not influenced by Si applications, while Si applications at all concentrations studied (1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 mmol L−1) enhanced shoot and total dry matter, not affecting root dry matter and grain production. In conclusion, Si supply modifies C:N:P:Si stoichiometry and increases physiologic parameters, growth, development, and grain production in sorghum.

Chromosomal fragment deletion in APRR2-repeated locus modulates the dark stem color in Cucurbita pepo.

Cp4.1LG15g03420 (CpDsc-1), which encodes a two-component response regulator-like protein (APRR2) in the nucleus, influences dark green stem formation in Cucurbita pepo by regulating the chlorophyll content. Stem color is an important agronomic trait in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) for robust seeding and high yield. However, the gene controlling the stem color has not been characterized. In this study, we identified a single locus accounting for the dark green stem color of C. pepo (CpDsc-1). Genetic analysis of this trait in segregated populations derived from two parental lines (line 296 with dark green stems and line 274 with light green stems) revealed that stem color was controlled by a single dominant gene (dark green vs. light green). In bulked segregant analysis, CpDsc-1 was mapped to a 2.09-Mb interval on chromosome 15. This region was further narrowed to 65.2kb using linkage analysis of the F2 population. Sequencing analysis revealed a 14kb deletion between Cp4.1LG15g03420 and Cp4.1LG15g03360; these two genes both encoded a two-component response regulator-like protein (APRR2). The incomplete structures of the two APRR2 genes and abnormal chloroplasts in line 274 might be the main cause of the light green phenotype. Gene expression pattern analysis showed that only Cp4.1LG15g03420 was upregulated in line 296. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that Cp4.1LG15g03420 was a nuclear gene. Furthermore, a co-dominant marker, G4563 (93% accuracy rate), and a co-segregation marker, Fra3, were established in 111 diverse germplasms; both of these markers were tightly linked with the color trait. This study provided insights into chlorophyll regulation mechanisms and revealed the markers valuable for marker-assisted selection in future zucchini breeding.

Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Association of Mature Fruit Pericarp Color Variation with Chlorophyll and Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Wax Gourd (Benincasa hispida)

(1) Background: Wax gourd is an economically important vegetable crop in many tropical and sub-tropical countries in Asia. Fruit color is an important fruit quality trait, but the genetic, biochemical basis and regulatory network of fruit color variation in wax gourd are rarely studied. (2) Methods: In this study, two wax gourd inbred lines with different pericarp colors were used as materials to conduct joint metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses on mature fruit pericarp: B214 with yellow and B227 with dark green color. (3) Results: It was found that the chlorophyll content in the pericarp of B214 was significantly lower than that of B227, consistent with the down-regulation of several genes involved in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, including hemA, hemB, hemC, hemF, chlH, chlI, chlM, POR, and CAO. The 229 metabolites showed differential accumulation levels between B214 and B227, and 4 anthocyanins, 5 flavanones, 25 flavones, 25 flavone C-glycosides, 12 flavonols, and 3 isoflavones were identified. In particular, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, an anthocyanin contributing to the coloration of dark color, showed higher accumulation in B227 than in B214, probably due to the higher expression of genes of F3′H and glucosyl transferases (GTs) in B227. Transcription factors such as MYBs and bHLHs showed differential expressions between the two lines including bHLH14, a homolog of Arabidopsis AtbHLH14 that had significantly higher expression in B227 than in B214. bHLH14 was located in a region where the pericarp color (pc) locus was mapped, suggesting it may be a candidate gene for the pc locus. (4) Conclusions: This work supports the association of chlorophyll and flavonoid synthesis in wax gourd fruit color variation and also provides a good foundation for understanding the regulatory network for wax gourd coloration.

Response on Phenological, Fruiting Behaviour and Growth Characteristics of F1 Candidates Rootstock Seedlings of Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch

Aim: The aim of present study was to evaluate the flowering and fruiting behaviour of different variety of peach, plum along with growth characteristics of their F1 hybrids and identification hybrid rootstocks for future genetic improvement.
 Study Design: The experiment was designed in Randomized Block Design Factorial with three replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: Rootstock hybridization programme were carried out at main fruit research station Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab during 2016-17 and 2017-18.
 Methodology: Rootstock hybridization programme were carried out with three varieties two peach namely Sharbati and Flordaguard and one plum Kala amritsari and study the phenological, fruiting behavior and growth performance of seedlings of parents and F1 hybrids.
 Results: Higher days from full bloom to maturity take by Sharbati × Flordaguard (129.4 Days) and minimum in Kala amritsari × Flordaguard (111.1 Days). For completion of stratification seeds of Sharbati and Sharbati × Flordaguard took maximum days for stratification (90-105 Days and 30-105 Days, respectively) and minimum in Flordaguard (30-60 Days). Seed germination % higher in Flordaguard (97.15%) and minimum in Sharbati × Kala amritsari (70.81%). Pollen viability in stored and fresh pollen was highest in Flordaguard (96.26 and 97.58%), while, minimum in Sharbati (90.89% and 96.60%). Leaf colour values (L, a, b, chroma and hue) maximum were in Sharbati and minimum in Flordaguard and leaf colour values of both hybrids, were as Flordaguard. Maximum chlorophyll (SPAD units) were recorded in Flordaguard × Sharbati (42.87) which was at par with the SAPD values of Sharbati × Flordaguard. Leaves of Flordaguard and both the hybrids showed dark reddish green colour on upper and light reddish green in lower side of leaves. Seedlings of Sharbati, Sharbati × Flordaguard and Flordaguard × Sharbati showed better growth characteristics as compares to seedlings of Flordaguard.
 Conclusion: The advance candidate hybrid rootstocks may be useful for further exploitation for genetic improvement and development of rootstock with good nursery characters.

Differential Regulation of Amino Acids and Nitrogen for Drought Tolerance and Poststress Recovery in Creeping Bentgrass

Effects of amino acids and nitrogen on plant regrowth or recovery from drought stress remain largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to examine how gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or proline, alone and in combination, or inorganic nitrogen [ammonium nitrate (NN)] may differentially affect turf performance during drought stress and rewatering, and to determine which specific endogenous amino acids regulated by GABA, proline, or NN priming were associated with plant tolerance to drought stress and postdrought recuperation in cool-season grass species. Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera cv. Penncross) planted in porous ceramic fritted clay medium were exposed to well-watered conditions or drought stress by withholding irrigation for 21 days in growth chambers. Plants were treated with water (untreated control), GABA, or proline alone and in combination, or NN through foliar spray before drought stress and every 7 days during the 21-day stress period. For postdrought recovery, at 21 days of drought treatment, plants were rewatered for 14 days to return soil water content to prestress levels. Plants treated with GABA or proline alone or in combination maintained higher turf quality (TQ), dark green color index (DGCI), and stolon length by 21 days of drought stress, whereas proline-treated plants also maintained higher leaf relative water content (RWC) during drought as well as longer stolon length during rewatering. Plants treated with NN maintained higher TQ and leaf RWC during drought and had improved percent canopy cover, DGCI, and stolon length during postdrought rewatering. Accumulation of endogenous amino acids under drought stress, including proline and alanine, for proline-treated creeping bentgrass may have contributed to the enhancement of drought tolerance and postdrought regrowth. Nitrogen-enhanced accumulation of GABA, proline, and glutamic acid may have played a role in active amino acid assimilation and subsequent postdrought regrowth. Results from this study indicate that GABA or proline were mainly effective in promoting the tolerance of creeping bentgrass to drought stress while inorganic NN was effective in promoting rapid postdrought recovery and regrowth potential through the activation of amino acid metabolism. Endogenous amino acids, including GABA, proline, alanine, and glutamic acid, may be used as biomarkers to select for drought-tolerant plants and biostimulant components for improvement of drought stress tolerance and poststress recovery in cool-season turfgrass species.

Plant molluscicide based on Smolevka white (Silene Latifolia) as prevention of pastoral helminthiasis of animals

Soft-bodied is the intermediate host of helminthiases, in the body of which several development stages of larval forms of helminths occur. There is the highest population density of mollusks in the areas of ruminant grazing, which leads to mass infection of animals with trematodes. To destroy the intermediate host of helminths in agricultural production, molluscicidal remedies of synthetic and plant origin are used. The work aimed to determine the molluscicidal effectiveness of a plant remedy based on Silene Latifolia in conditions of natural pastures. The material for work was the green mass of the plant S. Latifolia obtained in the warm season from roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. By grinding this plant, a powder with a particle size of 1-3 mm was obtained. Then, the powder was extracted with ethyl alcohol. The obtained product (concentrate) was an amorphous gel-like mass of dark green color with a specific smell and well soluble in water. Fieldwork in natural pastures was carried out on 5 biotopes with an area of 4-25 m2. Three species of gastropods were recorded from freshwater mollusks in the biotopes: Planorbis planorbis, Planorbarius corneus, Physa fontinalis, Lymnaea truncatula, and L. palustris. The results of experiments conducted in the conditions of pastures indicate a high molluscicidal activity of the studied plant agent on pond fish, intermediate hosts of trematodes pathogens. The effectiveness of the developed molluscicide on gastropods, when treated with a working solution (10.0 g/l) is from 98.1 to 100%.