Factorial Design Research Articles

Understanding vibration exposure in wheelchair users: Experimental insights

Addressing the complexities of manual wheelchair (MWC) vibrations is crucial for the well-being of users and their integration into society. This study investigates the experimental choices influencing the assessment of vibration exposure, aiming to contribute for enhanced MWC developments and standardized design principles. By conducting a comprehensive full factorial experiment, the impact of various factors, including four MWC loads, two speeds, five floor types, and two MWC models was examined. Notably, findings highlight the predominant influence of floor type on vibration exposure, followed by speed and, to a lesser extent, MWC properties. Furthermore, the study suggests that enlisting an able-bodied participant is more representative than using a dummy when loading the MWC, providing valuable insights into the genuine MWC/user dyad response to vibrations. This research sets the stage for a more informed and standardized approach to address the vibration exposure faced by MWC users.

Phosphorus addition severely exacerbates the inhibitory effect of the increased diurnal temperature range on the invasive plant Solidago canadensis.

This study investigates how variations in diurnal temperature and phosphorus concentration affect the growth of native Artemisia argyi and invasive Solidago canadensis under intraspecific and interspecific competition. We conducted factorial experiments to assess the impacts of warming, including an increased diurnal temperature range (DTRinc), a symmetric increase in diurnal temperature range (DTRsys), a decreased diurnal temperature range (DTRdec) and phosphorus application (5 g and 10 g P m2 yr-1) on both intra- and inter-specific competition among plants. The results indicated that (1) the DTRsys for A. argyi was -48.95% and for S. canadensis, it was -31.49% and overall had a more pronounced inhibitory effect on the biomass of both plant species than other warming treatments after comprehensive analysis. (2) Under intraspecific competition, phosphorus promoted the growth of A. argyi and S. canadensis on plant height, root length, and biomass. The biomass of A. argyi (22.75% and 53.61%) and S. canadensis (11.49% and 27.76%) increased under low and high phosphorus, respectively. Under interspecific competition, the plant height and biomass of the two plant species showed different response trends to phosphorus. Still, the competitiveness of S. canadensis increased compared with the untreated group. (3) Plant adaptability in biomass was more sensitive to warming than phosphorus treatments, and warming reduced the promoting effect of phosphorus, indicating that warming and phosphorus have interactive effects on plants. Phosphorus exacerbated the inhibitory effect of DTRinc on the biomass of S. canadensis, which was more pronounced than other warming methods. The different responses of the two plants mention the species to warming and phosphorus treatments under different competition scenarios reflect the differences in their ecological strategies for adapting to the environment.

Revisiting the problem of learning long-term dependencies in recurrent neural networks

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are an important class of models for learning sequential behavior. However, training RNNs to learn long-term dependencies is a tremendously difficult task, and this difficulty is widely attributed to the vanishing and exploding gradient (VEG) problem. Since it was first characterized 30 years ago, the belief that if VEG occurs during optimization then RNNs learn long-term dependencies poorly has become a central tenet in the RNN literature and has been steadily cited as motivation for a wide variety of research advancements. In this work, we revisit and interrogate this belief using a large factorial experiment where more than 40,000 RNNs were trained, and provide evidence contradicting this belief. Motivated by these findings, we re-examine the original discussion that analyzed latching behavior in RNNs by way of hyperbolic attractors, and ultimately demonstrate that these dynamics do not fully capture the learned characteristics of RNNs. Our findings suggest that these models are fully capable of learning dynamics that do not correspond to hyperbolic attractors, and that the choice of hyper-parameters, namely learning rate, has a substantial impact on the likelihood of whether an RNN will be able to learn long-term dependencies.

The influence of learning models and learning motivation in improving social skills of vocational high school students in physical education

This study aims. (1) Differences in the effect of STAD learning model and peer teaching in improving social skills of vocational high school students. (2) Differences in the effect of high learning motivation and low learning motivation in improving social skills of vocational high school students. (3) Interaction between STAD learning model, peer teaching, and learning motivation in improving social skills of high school students. Material dan methods. This type of research is a quasi-experiment using a 2 x 2 factorial design. The subjects in this study were students at State Vocational High School Depok, totaling 20 students. Results. (1) Based on the results of the study, there is a significant difference in the effect between the STAD learning model and peer teaching in improving the social skills of vocational high students with a p significance value of 0.000. The peer teaching learning model group is higher (better) than the STAD learning model. (2) Based on the results of the study, there is a significant difference in the influence of high learning motivation and low learning motivation on students’ social skills, as evidenced by a p-value of 0.004. Students who have a high level of learning motivation have better social skills than students who have a low level of learning motivation. (3) Based on the results of the study, there is a significant interaction between STAD learning model and peer teaching with learning motivation in improving social skills of vocational high school students with a significance p of 0.000. Conclusions. Research on the effect of STAD learning and peer teaching models in improving social skills of vocational high school students in physical education has a significant positive impact on improving social skills of vocational high school students and has important implications for the development of education at the vocational high school.

Improving Peanut (Arachis hyphogaea L.) Productivity by Optimizing Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilization

Due to their high nutritious, peanuts (Arachis hyphogaea L.) are a popular kind among consumers. For growth and productivity, peanut plants need vital nutrients including N, P, K, Ca, Mg and K. P is especially necessary for the development of blooms, pods, and seeds. A 2 × 4 factorial design was employed in the study, and it was repeated three times. Factor II consists of P fertilizers (SP36: 36 % P2O5), specifically 0, 50, 100, and 150 kg P2O5/ha. Factor I sources of N are NO3- (potassium nitrate) and NH4+ (ammonium sulfate). The criteria that were observed were the amount of chlorophyll in the fifth leaf from the tip of the plant, NR activity, yield of the peanut pod, height of the peanut plant, and biomass of the peanut. The nitrogen source treatment has a major impact on ANR levels, yield, plant height, and chlorophyll. There is a greater interaction when using nitrate as a N fertilizer. Higher P2O5 NR yields, P up to 150 kg, Chlorophyll, height of peanut plants, peanut biomass, and yield of peanut pods are observed. Similarly, increased application of N fertilizer (ammonium, P up to 150 kg P2O5) results in higher NR yields. Height of the peanut plants, biomass, yield of the peanut pods, and chlorophyll.

Optimizing low-protein diets with edible dock powder: Integrated effects on growth performance, slaughter quality, Organ weights, Muscle quality, and Cecal microbiota in growing Sanhua geese

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing low-protein diets with Edible Dock Powder (EDP) on the growth performance, slaughter traits, serum biochemical parameters, muscle quality, and cecal microbiota of Sanhua geese. A total of 288 healthy, five-week-old Sanhua geese were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial design, with three crude protein levels (16.00 %, 14.50 %, and 13.00 %) and two levels of EDP supplementation (0 % and 2.50 %). Two-way ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range test were used for statistical analysis. EDP supplementation significantly increased average daily gain (ADG) and improved feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) during both growth phases (P<0.01). Lower protein levels significantly reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) and increased the apparent digestibility of gross energy (ADGE) (P<0.01). EDP significantly improved slaughter rate and eviscerated yield (P<0.05), while reducing liver weight and webbed feet yield (P<0.01). Reduced protein levels decreased serum globulin (GLB) and increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels (P<0.05), with significant interactions between protein levels and EDP supplementation (P<0.05). EDP also significantly altered the cecal microbiota composition, reducing the relative abundance of Actinobacteria, Megamonas, and Collinsella (P<0.05), and affecting KEGG pathways related to protein modification and secondary metabolite degradation (P<0.05). In conclusion, EDP supplementation in low-protein diets improved growth performance, slaughter characteristics, and cecal microbiota, showing potential as a sustainable feed additive for reducing environmental impact and improving the economic efficiency of poultry production.

Encouraging Users to Change Breached Passwords Using the Protection Motivation Theory

We draw on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to design interventions that encourage users to change breached passwords. Our online experiment ( \(n=1{,}386\) ) compared the effectiveness of a threat appeal (highlighting the negative consequences after passwords were breached) and a coping appeal (providing instructions on changing the breached password) in a 2 \(\times\) 2 factorial design. Compared to the control condition, participants receiving the threat appeal were more likely to intend to change their passwords, and participants receiving both appeals were more likely to end up changing their passwords. Participants’ password change behaviors are further associated with other factors, such as their security attitudes (SA-6) and time passed since the breach, suggesting that PMT-based interventions are useful but insufficient to fully motivate users to change their passwords. Our study contributes to PMT’s application in security research and provides concrete design implications for improving compromised credential notifications.

Nano Chelated Iron and Boron Effect on Their Rates of Absorption and Transport by Moringa Plant

An experiment was carried out under a plastic house during 2019/2020 in Al-hindiya Herticaullare Station, Kerbala Province, Iraq. Seeds of Moringa Were sown in black polyethylene bags 5 kg soil capacity. Factorial experiment within Completely Randomized Design (C.R.D) with three replicates was adopted. The aim was to assess the effect of three Levels of the nano chelated Fe i.e. 0 ,180 and 360 mg. L-1, and Four Levels of B i.e. 0, 25 ,50 and 75 mg. L-1 spraying either once or twice – on the Fe and B rates of absorption and transport.

Conversational Breakdown in a Customer Service Chatbot: Impact of Task Order and Criticality on User Trust and Emotion

While chatbots are increasingly used for customer service, there is a knowledge gap concerning the impact of Conversational Breakdown in such chatbot interactions. In a 2 \({\times}\) 4 factorial design online experiment, we studied how Conversational Breakdown impacts user emotion and trust in a chatbot for customer service, given variations in task criticality and breakdown task order. Here, 257 participants were randomly assigned to complete high- or low-criticality tasks with a prototype chatbot for customer service, experiencing Conversational Breakdown for the first, second, third or none of their tasks. The task set was decided from a 63-participant pre-study. We found significant impact of Conversational Breakdown, including a marked order effect on overall trust, as well as a bounce-back effect on task-specific trust and emotion after subsequent successful task completion. We found no post-interaction effect of Task Criticality. Based on our findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications and suggest future research.

Pengaruh Jenis dan Konsentrasi Anti-Browning Agent Terhadap Mutu Fisik Tepung Jewawut (Foxtail Millet)

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of the type and concentration of anti-browning agents (sodium metabisulfit and citric acid) on the physical quality of millet flour, especially the degree of whitness and calor (lightness, redness, yellowness) and determine the best treatment. This study used experimental method. The reseach design used was a Completely Randomized Factorial Design (RALF) with two factors, namely faktor A was the type of anti-browning agent consisting two levels (sodium metabisulfite and citric acid), faktor B was concentration of the anti-browning agent consisting three levels (1,5%, 2%, 2,5%). Fromthe two factors, six treatments were obtained, and each treatment was repeated three times. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and then continued with Duncan`s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) at 5% level. Results of the research showed that the type of anti-browning agent significantly affected the degree of whiteness, lightness, redness, and yellownes of millet flour. Concentrasion has a significant effect on the lightness value and redness value, but doesn’t have a significat effect on the degree of whitness and yellowness value. The interaction of the two factors (type and concentration) has a significant effect on the lightness value, redness value, and yellowness value, but has no significant effect on the degree of whitness. Based on the physical quality of millet flour produced in this study, namely the degree of whiteness, lightness, redness, and yellowness, the best treatment is sodium metabisulfite soaking.

Influence of Project Based Learning Models and Learning Interest on Critical Thinking Skill Students of Class X SMAN 4 Wajo

This study is a true experiment which employs 2x2 factorial design. The purpose of this study is to analyze the difference in critical thinking skills of students who are taught using the Project Based Learning model and those taught with the Discovery Learning model are reviewed as a whole and reviewed from those who have high and low interest in learning. The sample in this study is 61 students from classes taught using Project Based Learning, and 61 students taught using Discovery Learning. The hypothesis test was carried out with a two-track anava, showing the average score of critical thinking skills of students who were taught using the Project Based Learning model of 21.64 and those who were taught using the Discovery Learning model of 19.13. The difference in the average score of critical thinking skills of students who were taught using the Project Based Learning model and the Discovery Learning model for students who had high interest in learning was 24.82 and 21.35. Meanwhile, the average scores of critical thinking skills of students who were taught using the Project Based Learning model and those taught using the Discovery Learning model for students who had low interest in learning physics were 19.12 and 17.35. Based on the description of the hypothesis test, it can be concluded that there is a difference between the Project Based Learning model and the Discovery Learning model on students' critical thinking skills, there is a difference between the Project Based Learning model and the Discovery Learning model on the critical thinking skills of students with high interest in learning, there was a difference between the Project Based Learning model and the Discovery Learning model on the critical thinking skills of students with low learning interest, and there was no interaction between the learning model and learning interest on the critical thinking skills of students.

Effect of Altitude and Dose of Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Growth of Ruskus Plants (Ruscus hypophyllum L.)

Ruscus hypophyllum is an ornamental plant leaves that serve as cut foliage and herbal medicine. It is growth very slow, only two rods per month, so that is necessary to optimization cultivation, one of them with treatment of altitude (environment) and fertilization This research aimed to determine the effect of nitrogen fertilizer dose altitude for growth of ruskus. The study was compiled using a factorial design nested prepared using RAK and repeated 3 times. The first factor is altitude of 500 m asl (T1), 800 m asl (T2) and 1500 m asl (T3). The second factor is nitrogen fertilization: 0 g/plant (N0), 2 g/plant (N1), 4 g/plant (N2) and 6 g/plant (N3). Based of the research, there was a very real interaction between altitude and dose of nitrogen fertilization on some parameters of observations include: shoot length, number of buds, young leaf chlorophyll, number of roots and root length. The best treatment was a combination of T3N1 (altitude 1500 m asl and nitrogen fertilizer 2 g / plant), separately treatment of altitude very significant effect on the parameters of the number of leaves and shoots appear, and the best treatment is T3 (altitude 1500 m asl). There is a very real correlation between treatment of observations include: the number of long shoots with leaves (0.75), long shoots with the number of shoots (0.64), long shoots with a number of roots (0.79), long shoots with long roots (0, 84), number of leaves with the number of shoots (0.76), young leaf chlorophyll with long roots (0.75) and the number of roots with root length (0.65). The results of path analysis, there are two parameters that have a direct influence on the observation that young leaf chlorophyll (0.094) and the old leaf chlorophyll (0.335).

Non-Linear Saturated Multi-Objective Pseudo-Screening Using Support Vector Machine Learning, Pareto Front, and Belief Functions: Improving Wastewater Recycling Quality

Increasing wastewater treatment efficiency is a primary aim in the circular economy. Wastewater physicochemical and biochemical processes are quite complex, often requiring a combination of statistical and machine learning tools to empirically model them. Since wastewater treatment plants are large-scale operations, the limited opportunities for extensive experimentation may be offset by miniaturizing experimental schemes through the use of fractional factorial designs (FFDs). A recycling quality improvement study that relies on non-linear multi-objective multi-parameter FFD (NMMFFD) datasets was reanalyzed. A published NMMFFD ultrafiltration screening/optimization case study was re-examined regarding how four controlling factors affected three paper mill recycling characteristic responses using a combination of statistical and machine learning methods. Comparative machine learning screening predictions were provided by (1) quadratic support vector regression and (2) optimizable support vector regression, in contrast to quadratic linear regression. NMMFFD optimization was performed by employing Pareto fronts. Pseudo-screening was applied by decomposing the replicated NMMFFD dataset to single replicates and then testing their replicate repeatability by introducing belief functions that sought to maximize credibility and plausibility estimates. Various versions of belief functions were considered, since the novel role of the three process characteristics, as independent sources, created a high level of conflict during the information fusion phase, due to the inherent divergent belief structures. Correlations between two characteristics, but with opposite goals, may also have contributed to the source conflict. The active effects for the NMMFFD dataset were found to be the transmembrane pressure and the molecular weight cut-off. The modified adjustment was pinpointed to the molecular weight cut-off at 50 kDa, while the optimal transmembrane pressure setting persisted at 2.0 bar. This mixed-methods approach may provide additional confidence in determining improved recycling process adjustments. It would be interesting to implement this approach in polyfactorial wastewater screenings with a greater number of process characteristics.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Sugarcane Bagasse and Straw: Effect of Operational Conditions on Product Fractionation and Bio-Oil Composition

In the energy transition process, aiming for zero disposal and clean production in the elimination of waste is crucial; consequently, agricultural residues have significant potential for reduction in the use of fossil fuels. This study investigates the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sugarcane bagasse (BSC) and straw (SSC), examining the products’ distribution and bio-oil composition relative to the reaction conditions. The experiments used a 23 factorial design, evaluating the temperature (300–350 °C), constant heating time (0–30 min), and the use of the K2CO3 concentration as the catalyst (0–0.5 mol/L−1). The main factor affecting the biocrude yield from BSC and SSC was the use of K2CO3. Statistically significant interaction effects were also observed. Milder conditions resulted in the highest bio-oil yields, 36% for BSC and 31% for SSC. The catalyst had no impact on the biocrude production. The bio-oils were analyzed by GC/MS and FTIR; a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate the samples’ variability. The FTIR highlighted bands associated with common oxygenated compounds in lignocellulosic biomass-derived bio-oils. The GC-MS results indicated a predominance of oxygenated compounds, and these were highest in the presence of the catalyst for both the BSC (90.6%) and SSC (91.7%) bio-oils. The SSC bio-oils presented higher oxygenated compound contents than the BSC bio-oils. Statistical analysis provided valuable insights for optimizing biomass conversion processes, such as determining the optimal conditions for maximizing product yields.

Comparación de características testiculares mediante ultrasonografía B mode y Doppler en alpacas (&lt;i&gt;Vicugna pacos&lt;/i&gt;) tui y adultos

The aim of this study was to compare testicular characteristics using B mode and Doppler ultrasonography in tui and adult alpacas. The study was carried out at the Chuquibambilla Experimental Center of the National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru, during the reproductive season (March). In total, 15 male tuis (G1) from 12 to 14 months of age and 14 adults (G2) from 24 to 36 months of age were used. B mode ultrasonographic characteristics (length [mm], width [mm], area [cm2] and testicular volume [cm3]) and Doppler (resistance index [RI], pulsatility index [PI] and testicular vascular area [ AVT]) were registered with a Draminski 4Vet® device and a a micro convex and linear transducer with a frequency of 9 MHz. The data were analysed using a 2x2 factorial design. The length, width, volume and testicular area within each age group did not present significant differences between the right and left testicle, however, the measurements of the adult alpacas were significantly greater than those of the tuis (p&lt;0.05). The IR was similar in both age groups, but AVT was higher in tuis compared to adults.

A Study on the Allelopathic Effects of Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum) Residue Incorporated with Soil on Growth of Some Plant species

This study examines the allelopathic effects of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) on the growth and yield of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Shamamar-Hawler/ Kurdistan Region of Iraq using a complete randomized factorial design (CRD) within 3 replications. The roots, shoots, and seeds of wild barley were dried, powdered, and added to the soil at different concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) in 500 g pots. Each pot was planted with 5 seeds, which were later reduced to 3 seedlings. Growth parameters such as shoot and root lengths, dry weights, number of tillers, weight of spikes, seeds number per plant, and biological yield was measured. The results indicated significant effects of wild barley residues on the studied crops. Wheat showed the highest roots, shoots and total lengths were (29.56 cm, 17.05 cm and 46.58 cm, respectively) and the highest shoots and roots dry weights were (0.24 g and 0.30 g). Barley showed the highest number of stems (1.96) but the lowest shoots and dry weights of roots were (0.11 g and 0.23 g). Wild barley had the highest biological weight and harvest index (HI). Among the plant parts, seed extracts significantly enhanced growth parameters, while roots and shoots extract had the greatest inhibitory effects as wild barley residue concentrations increased. Nevertheless, the HI showed a decline as the concentrations increased, suggesting a detrimental effect on growth efficiency. The study shows the potential of wild barley as a bio-herbicide, emphasizing its allelopathic effects. This suggests that agricultural practices should be carefully considered to maximize the efficiency of crops. Incorporating these results into precision agriculture can greatly improve crop management and increase yield.

Changes in Soil Chemical Attributes in an Agrosilvopastoral System Six Years After Thinning of Eucalyptus.

The changes in soil chemical attributes in agrosilvopastoral systems after the thinning of trees are unclear. To address this gap, this study evaluated the effects of the thinning of eucalyptus hybrid Urograndis H-13 (Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake × E. grandis W. Hill ex Maiden) on soil chemical fertility in an agrosilvopastoral system in an Arenic Hapludalf in Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block with a 3 × 4 factorial design comprising three treatments (thinning of 0%, 50%, or 100% of the eucalyptus trees) and four sampling positions relative to the eucalyptus line (0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 m). Six years after eucalyptus thinning, soil acidification was observed in the 0% and 50% eucalyptus thinning treatments, especially at 0 and 2 m from the eucalyptus line. Decreases in soil pH were associated with increases in the total acidity pH 7.0 (H+ + Al3+) and Al3+ content and decreases in the K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ contents and base saturation over the soil profile (0-1.0 m).

Effect of stimbiotic on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, oocyst shedding, blood profiles, and intestinal microbiota in necrotic enteritis-challenged broiler

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of stimbiotic (STB) in broilers with necrotic enteritis (NE). A total of 180 one-day-old Arbor Acres (initial body weight of 34.81 ± 1.04 g) were used in this experiment for 32 days. All broilers were randomly allocated into six treatments, and each experimental group had 10 replicate cages with three broilers per cage. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 3 factorial design consisting of two levels of challenge (challenge and non-challenge) and three levels of STB (0, 0.05, and 0.1%). The NE challenge significantly decreased (P < 0.05) growth performance, heterophil levels in blood, and intestinal lesion scores compared to the non-challenge group. Supplementation of 0.05% STB significantly decreased (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and the number of oocysts per gram of feces compared to the supplementation of 0 and 0.1% STB. At the genus level, the supplementation of 0.05% STB significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Enterobacterales compared to the other groups on d 32. In conclusion, supplementation with 0.05% STB in a diet could positively regulate the fecal microflora and alleviate the decline in growth performance and nutrient digestibility caused by NE.

Patterns of foliar fungal diseases and the effects on aboveground biomass in alpine meadow under simulated climate change

1.Global warming and changes in precipitation patterns significantly affect plant fungal diseases, especially plant foliar fungal diseases. Research surrounding the effects of climate change on plants are mostly concentrated on aboveground vegetation and belowground soil microorganisms, with limited attention given to foliar fungal disease. Additionally, little is known whether climate change experiments can simulate the impact of variations on foliar diseases within real natural communities.2.We conducted a long-term experiment to investigate the effect of warming and altered precipitation on plant disease in an alpine grassland on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Our study tracked foliar disease across 26 species of plants including non-legume forbs, legumes, grasses and sedges from 2019 to 2021. Each species was included in a two-factor full factorial experiment manipulating both temperature and precipitation.3.In our study the non-legume forb functional group carried the primary pathogen load, sedges maintained a near zero pathogen load across all investigated scenarios. Warming significantly elevated the pathogen load in legumes and non-legume forbs, while it reduced the pathogen load of grasses. Conversely, decreased precipitation significantly increased the pathogen load of non-legume forbs and increased the pathogen load of grasses. Notably, we found that pathogen load was primarily influenced by the direct effects of warming and precipitation, rather than indirectly through changes in plant community structure. Meanwhile, interannual climate variability exhibited a strong correlation with plant community pathogen loads. Areas experiencing increased temperature and precipitation showed lower fungal disease pressure, whereas regions with elevated temperatures combined with decreased precipitation faced a heightened risk of disease in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.4.Our findings reveal that warming and decreased precipitation led to a reduction in above-ground biomass associated with increased the pathogen load of legumes. This underscores the importance of pathogen effects in both climate change prediction and ecological management.

Investigating the positive effects of salicylic acid on peppermint (Mentha piperita l.) under different soil salinity conditions: comprehensive morphological, mineral, and biochemical analyses

This study explored the effects of salicylic acid on the growth and biochemical responses of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) under different soil salinity levels, a major challenge in agricultural productivity. The experiment was conducted using a factorial design with salicylic acid applied at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 50 ppm, combined with sodium chloride-induced salinity at 0, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 mg kg–1 soil. Results demonstrated that increasing soil salinity negatively impacted plant growth, reducing plant height, leaf number, and the dry weight of aerial parts. Salinity stress also led to reduced nutrient uptake, particularly for essential elements like calcium and potassium, while increasing sodium levels in plant tissues. However, the foliar application of salicylic acid, especially at 50 ppm, significantly improved growth parameters and mitigated the detrimental effects of salinity. Notably, at the highest salinity level (3,000 mg kg–1), salicylic acid enhanced plant height by 11.1% and leaf number by 30.9% compared to untreated plants. Salicylic acid also boosted biochemical responses, such as increasing total phenolic and flavonoid content, which are critical for stress tolerance. This study underscores the potential of salicylic acid as a stress mitigator, promoting better growth and physiological resilience in peppermint under saline conditions, offering valuable insights for improving crop performance in salinity-affected regions.