Foliar Spray Method Research Articles

Foliar Spray Treatment for Exogenous Application of Hormones in Maize.

Exogenous application of hormones in plants is a valuable technique for studying and manipulating plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stimuli. The foliar spray method is one of the most common approaches for the exogenous application of hormones in plants due to its ease of use on aerial organs (such as leaves and inflorescences) and the rapid absorption of the treated tissue, facilitating subsequent analyses. Here, we provide a protocol to implement this method in maize. The approach consists of preparing dilutions of the hormones or plant growth regulators (PGRs) of interest, usually in an aqueous solution and at low concentrations, followed by application by foliar spraying using a defined treatment regimen. Users can then evaluate effects by measuring different parameters, such as stem size, flowering time, seed production, or others. The foliar spray method can easily be scaled up and automated in greenhouse and field settings, and can be used to treat plants at all developmental stages.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles for antifungal activity against tomato fusarium wilt caused by Fusariumoxysporum

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici is one of the most important diseases in tomatoes, resulting in severe yield loss and mycotoxin infection in food and feed. The management of Fusarium wilt is based heavily on chemical fungicides, but these chemicals have many environmental concerns. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are gaining importance as emerging resistance-free alternatives of chemical fungicides. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized using the aqueous leaf extract of Viola odorata as a green approach. The antifungal activity of these biosynthesised AgNPs was evaluated in vitro against F. oxysporum using the agar well diffusion method. AgNPs were also evaluated against tomato Fusarium wilt diseases using the foliar spray method in the greenhouse. The characterization of AgNPs revealed that AgNPs were of spherical shape, crystalline in nature, and had an average size of 18 nm. In the antifungal assay, 60 mg/l AgNPs strongly inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum with a growth zone of 18 ± 0.89 mm compared to fungicide (23 ± 1.20 mm) and AgNO3 (52 ± 2.33 mm). Similarly, 60 mg/l of AgNPs when sprayed on tomato plants in the greenhouse showed a survival rate of about 80% with no observable phytotoxic effect. This study provides a first baseline to control Fusarium wilt in tomato using biosynthesised AgNPs without affecting the health of crops.

The invasion threat of the emerging alien cactus Cylindropuntia pallida (Rosa), F.M. Knuth in South Africa and the potential for control using herbicides

The emerging alien cactus Cylindropuntia pallida (Rose) F.M. Knuth originates from northern Mexico and introduced into South Africa in 1940s as an ornamental plant. Multiple populations of C. pallida have been detected in various areas of South Africa. C. pallida has effective propagule dispersal and rapid recruitment making it a likely key future invader, and thus, is a target for eradication in South Africa. To eradicate C. pallida populations, a foliar spray (i.e. using a 2% concentration of herbicide with fluroxypyr and triclopyr) has been applied to plants in nine populations, with population sizes ranging between 535 and 2701 plants and populations covering areas of 100 –1000 ha. The aims of the study were to investigate the efficacy of the foliar spray method used to eradicate C. pallida; to investigate the impacts of C. pallida invasions on native vegetation integrity; to apply species distribution models (SDMs) to identify suitable climates for C. pallida in South Africa; and to document the biomes vulnerable to the negative impact of C. pallida in South Africa. Results show that foliar spray killed many C. pallida plants (mean percentage of dead plants ± SE, 83.3 ± 6.4; n = 9; range, 70–96%), with adult plants taking about 2 months to die completely. The efficacy of the herbicide was not affected by plant size or the concentration of the herbicide used. The invaded site had significantly greater vegetation cover which persisted across winter compared to the uninvaded site, but the latter site’s vegetation cover significantly dropped in winter. Also, the invaded site had lower plant species diversity than the uninvaded site and was dominated by species in the Poaceae and Asteraceae plant families. Additionally, a normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis shows that the uninvaded site has higher vegetation cover and health than the invaded site wherein a notable decline in vegetation health was observed between 2019 and 2022. A large area (> 15 million hectares) was predicted to be suitable for invasion by C. pallida in provinces with arid and warm temperate climates - the fynbos and grassland biomes are the most vulnerable. Because of the observed negative impacts, high environmental compatibility, and high cost of clearing large infestations, we advocate for considering the biocontrol method for effectively managing C. pallida invasion in South Africa.

Impact of some boron application methods on yield and nutritional status of pepper plants in a greenhouse experiment

Boron- B is an essential element for the growth and development of plants. Its deficiency in hot, dry areas with calcareous soils can significantly reduce agricultural crop production. To study the impact of B fertilization, an experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with seven treatments, including control, foliar spray (0.5, 1, and 2 g L − 1 boric acid), and fertigation (0.5, 1, and 2 g L−1 boric acid). The experiment, with three replicates, was carried out in greenhouse conditions on pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. Lorca). The highest fruit yield was achieved with foliar spray at a concentration of 0.5 g L−1 and fertigation at 1 g L−1. Overall, the use of B fertilizer increased the concentration of macronutrients such as potassium-K (up to 27.79%), phosphorus-P (up to 59%), calcium-Ca (up to 49.61%), and magnesium-Mg (up to 158%), as well as micronutrients like iron-Fe (up to 59.55%), manganese-Mn (up to 29.03%), zinc-Zn (up to 81.81%), copper-Cu (up to 49.33%), B (up to 180%), and sodium-Na (up to 85.19%). It also decreased the concentration of nitrogen-N (up to 15%), sulfur-S (up to 21.36%), and chlorine-Cl (up to 48.02%) in the leaf tissue of pepper plants compared to the control treatment. These changes were influenced by the B concentration and type of fertilization. The results indicate that in calcareous soils with high pH, both fertigation and foliar spray methods can effectively address B deficiency in pepper plants by enhancing element absorption and increasing yield.

Discovery of Novel Pyrazole Acyl Thiourea Skeleton Analogue as Potential Herbicide Candidates.

To discover novel transketolase (TKL, EC 2.2.1.1) inhibitors with potential herbicidal applications, a series of pyrazole acyl thiourea derivatives were designed based on a previously obtained pyrazolamide acyl lead compound, employing a scaffold hopping strategy. The compounds were synthesized, their structures were characterized, and they were evaluated for herbicidal activities. The results indicate that 7a exhibited exceptional herbicidal activity against Digitaria sanguinalis and Amaranthus retroflexus at a dosage of 90 g ai/ha, using the foliar spray method in a greenhouse. This performance is comparable to that of commercial products, such as nicosulfuron and mesotrione. Moreover, 7a showed moderate growth inhibitory activity against the young root and stem of A. retroflexus at 200 mg/L in the small cup method, similar to that of nicosulfuron and mesotrione. Subsequent mode-of-action verification experiments revealed that 7a and 7e inhibited Setaria viridis TKL (SvTKL) enzyme activity, with IC50 values of 0.740 and 0.474 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, they exhibited inhibitory effects on the Brassica napus acetohydroxyacid synthase enzyme activity. Molecular docking predicted potential interactions between these (7a and 7e) and SvTKL. A greenhouse experiment demonstrated that 7a exhibited favorable crop safety at 150 g ai/ha. Therefore, 7a is a promising herbicidal candidate that is worthy of further development.

Design, Synthesis, and Herbicidal Activity of Pyrazole Amide Derivatives as Potential Transketolase Inhibitors.

The design and synthesis of new herbicidal active compounds based on a new target are of great significance for the development of new herbicides. Transketolase (TK) plays a key role in the Calvin cycle of plant photosynthesis and has been confirmed as a potential candidate target to develop and discover new herbicides. To obtain compounds with ultraefficient targeting of TK, a series of pyrazole amide derivatives were designed and synthesized through structural optimization for lead compound 4u based on TK as the new target. The bioassay results showed that compounds 6ba and 6bj displayed a highly inhibitory effect with the root inhibition of about 90% against Digitaria sanguinalis (DS) and 80% against Amaranthus retroflexus (AR) and Setaria viridis (SV) by the small cup method, which was better than the positive control mesotrione and nicosulfuron. Furthermore, compounds 6ba and 6bj exhibited an excellent inhibitory effect with the inhibition of about 80% (against DS) and over 80% (against SV) at the dosage of 150 g of active ingredient/ha by the foliar spray method. The TK enzyme activity inhibition test showed that the inhibition effect of target compounds against TK was consistent with the results of herbicidal activities. Also, molecular docking analysis showed that compounds 6ba and 6bj went deep into the active cavity of TK, bound to TK by a strong interaction, and might act on the enzyme TK. Above of all, compounds 6ba and 6bj are promising herbicide lead compounds targeting TK. Hence, they could be developed into more efficient herbicides by further structural optimization.

Biochemical Factors Conducive for the Development of Citrus Canker and its Management using Selected Chemicals and Plant Extracts

Citrus belonging to Rutaceae family is one of the most common fruit crops in Pakistan. Citrus canker disease caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. citri is one of the important diseases that causes huge losses to citrus production. The current study was carried out to mitigate this disease by exploitation of four chemicals and plant extracts in-vitro at three different concentrations and in greenhouse with most efficient concentration. The laboratory and greenhouse experiments were performed through inhibition zone technique and foliar spray method, respectively. Four chemicals including streptomycin sulphate, copper oxychloride, kasugamycin and oxytetracycline with different concentrations of 1%, 2% and 3% were evaluated. Under in-vitro environment, streptomycin (2.7 cm) at 3% concentration after 72 hours’ time interval exhibited the most significant results among all chemicals. Similarly, four plant extracts i.e. Moringa (Moringa oleifera), Keekar (Acacia nilotica), Kortuma (Citrullus colocynthis), and Akk (Colotropis gigantia) were evaluated at 25%, 35% and 45% concentrations. Most significant results (1.9 cm) were shown by Moringa extract at 45% concentration after 72 hours’ time interval. Most effective Phytoextract (Moringa oleifera) and chemical (Streptomycin) observed in-vitro were selected for further evaluation in greenhouse which resulted in the reduction of disease incidence by 23% after 45 days’ time interval. Current findings would provide the valuable insights for researchers and the farming community which would prove helpful in the improved management of this particular disease.

Assessing success in attempts to eradicate an emerging invader plant: Tephrocactus articulatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb in arid areas of South Africa

Tephrocactus articulatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb (family: Cactaceae) is an emerging invader plant that is native to Argentina and was introduced as an ornamental plant in South Africa. The South African national regulations and legislation for controlling biological invasions dictate that emerging alien species must be eradicated. We evaluated the effectiveness of foliar spray in clearing the populations of T. articulatus, and determined the management challenges in 16 representative sites. We also applied bioclimatic models to forecast how T. articulatus invasion might respond to climate change. The exposure to climate change forecasts for T. articulatus was quantified using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC (2014) two representative concentration pathways – RCP scenarios (4.5 and 8.5) for the 2061–2080 period. Overall, the foliar spray method significantly suppressed T. articulatus populations in all sites (i.e., 75–99%) except in four sites that did not display the population suppression threshold of X ≥ 75%. The clearing success (i.e., % of dead plants), was significantly and negatively correlated to the size of the site (ha) wherein the bigger sites had relatively low success. Climate suitability projections under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios for T. articulatus produced excellent data fits (i.e., training AUC = 0.939 and test AUC = 0.914). Noteworthy, both future scenarios model projections have shown an expansion of suitable habitat for T. articulatus: 49.9% and 60.4% respectively, of the current estimated total spatial coverage of 219102 km2, and with possible expansion into neighbouring countries, Namibia and Botswana. The significant variation in the projections was contributed by precipitation in the wettest (47.5%) and warmest quarters (48.9%). Our results advance the importance of predictive models in planning optimisation in the management of emerging alien plant species in South Africa: if the ongoing eradication of T. articulatus in the core invasion areas fails, and climate change prevails, a switch from foliar spray to biological control method will be essential.

Assessing the Efficacy of Homoeopathic Medicine Gibberellic Acid 3X in Enhancing Yield Production in Neelam Mango Trees: A Comparative Pilot Study

Aims: Assess the influence of Gibberellic Acid 3X on yield production: Measure the effect of Gibberellic Acid 3X treatment on increasing the overall yield of Neelam mangoes, including the number of fruits, fruit weight, and fruit size, compared to the control group.
 Study Design: A Comparative Pilot Study.
 Place and Duration of Study: MNR Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital premises with good sunlight and ventilation, Sangareddy, between February 2023 to August 2023.
 Methodology: The total sample size was taken as 6 Branches of 2 Trees. Three branches of a tree were divided into 3 groups. This is to ensure that the flowers of the mango tree will be receiving the same amount of water, nutrients, and sunlight. Gibberellic acid 3x was prepared according to rules and regulations of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India (HPI). Foliar application of medicine was done after the flowering of plant. The fruits are taken for analysis once they have matured.
 Results: The "Gibberellic Acid 3X - Alcoholic potency" group had the highest mean weight (563.94 grams) and circumference (18.106 cm), followed by the "Gibberellic Acid 3X - Water potency" group with slightly lower values (556.67 grams for weight and 17.771 cm for circumference). Additionally, the "Gibberellic Acid 3X - Alcoholic potency" group had the longest mean length (18.833 cm), followed by the "Gibberellic Acid 3X - Water potency" group (17.646 cm). Overall, the "Gibberellic Acid 3X - Alcoholic potency" group displayed the highest measurements in weight, circumference, and length among the three groups.
 Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides evidence of the potential of homoeopathic medicine, specifically Gibberellic Acid 3X, as an effective alternative for addressing enhancing yield production in Neelam mango trees when applied via foliar spray method on flowers. It opens doors to exploring more sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to mango cultivation and warrants further investigation and application in agricultural practices.

Mitigating Antimony Toxicity in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Through Exogenous Selenium Supplementation: A Comparative Study of Seed Priming, Hydroponics, and Foliar Spray Methods

Mitigating Antimony Toxicity in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Through Exogenous Selenium Supplementation: A Comparative Study of Seed Priming, Hydroponics, and Foliar Spray Methods

First report of Cephaliophora tropica causing leaf spot on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Picus) in U.S.A

A foliar disease characterized by tiny black spots developed on tomato cv. Picus in a greenhouse at The Ohio State University, Columbus, U.S.A in 2022. The related diseased tomato leaf samples were collected to identify the causal agent of the leaf spot disease. Colonies with consistent morphological characteristics to the genus Cephaliophora were isolated from the diseased lesions of tomato leaves. The pathogenicity test was performed by inoculating the isolates on tomato leaves (Picus variety) using the foliar spray method. The same symptom of black spots appeared on all the inoculated leaves in the greenhouse, which was the same as observed originally. The fungal colonies were re-isolated from the diseased leaves and examined under a microscope for morphological identification. Molecular sequencing was performed by amplifying the 18S rRNA gene and the large subunit (28S) of the rRNA gene of the representative isolates. The phylogenetic comparison was subsequently carried out with the sequences of the recognized species retrieved from Genebank. The phylogenetic analyses provided the basis for identifying the isolates as Cephaliophora tropica. To our knowledge, this is the first worldwide report of C. tropica causing leaf spots on tomato and the first record of this fungal pathogen in plant host in U.S.A.

Effect of methods application of copper nanoparticles in the growth of avocado plants

The aim of this greenhouse study was to evaluate root irrigation, foliar spray, and stem injection in order to find the best method for the nanofertilization of avocado plants with green synthesized CuNPs. One-year-old avocado plants were supplied four times (every 15 days) with 0.25 and 0.50 mg/ml of CuNPs through the three fertilization methods. Stem growth and new leaf formation were evaluated over time and after 60 days of CuNPs exposure, several plant traits (root growth, fresh and dry biomass, plant water content, cytotoxicity, photosynthetic pigments, and total Cu accumulation in plant tissues) were evaluated for CuNPs improvement. Regarding the control treatment, stem growth and new leaf appearance were increased by 25 % and 85 %, respectively, by the CuNPs supply methods of foliar spray>stem injection>root irrigation, with little significant differences among NPs concentrations. Avocado plants supplied with 0.25 and 0.50 mg/ml CuNPs maintained a hydric balance and cell viability ranged from 91 to 96 % through the three NPs application methods. TEM did not reveal any ultrastructural organelle changes induced by CuNPs in leaf tissues. The concentrations of CuNPs tested were not high enough to exert deleterious effects on the photosynthetic machinery of avocado plants, but photosynthetic efficiency was also found to be improved. The foliar spray method showed improved uptake and translocation of CuNPs, with almost no loss of Cu. In general, the improvement in plant traits indicated that the foliar spray method was the best for nanofertilization of avocado plants with CuNPs.

Evaluation of Fungicides and Fungicide Application Methods to Manage Phytophthora Blight of Pigeonpea

Phytophthora, a blight of pigeonpea caused by Phytophthora cajani, has been significantly increasing in major pigeonpea production regions of India. Limited information on infection with this pathogen and its epidemiology, as well as a lack of adequate resistant cultivars, is hampering the management of Phytophthora blight significantly. Therefore, five fungicides, viz., metiram + dimethomorph, cymoxanil + mancozeb, famoxadone + cymoxanil, mancozeb, and metalaxyl-M + mancozeb, were evaluated against P. cajani under control conditions to control zoospore induction, as well as the infection of zoospores, at the seedling stage. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of fungicides for mycelial inhibition was calculated. The lowest EC50 was recorded in metiram + dimethomorph (0.17 µg/mL), followed by the metalaxyl-M + mancozeb (2.49 µg/mL) and cymoxanil + mancozeb (8.23 µg/mL) fungicides. The formation of the sporangium and zoospores was most significantly affected by metalaxyl-M + mancozeb, followed by metiram + dimethomorph and cymoxanil + mancozeb, in terms of sporangia viability and zoospore germination and encystment. Further, under glasshouse conditions, different fungicide application methods (e.g., seed-treatment; soil-drench; foliar-spray, either singly or in combinations) were evaluated with fungicides on susceptible (ICP 7119) moderately resistant pigeonpea (ICPL 99010, ICPL 20135 and ICPL 99048) cultivars. The seed-treatment + soil-drench, soil-drench + foliar-spray, and soil-drench of fungicide application methods were found to be effective in controlling the Phytophthora blight, at p < 0.001. A combination of the seed-treatment + soil-drench and soil-drench + foliar-spray methods, using metalaxyl-M + mancozeb or metiram + dimethomorph fungicides on moderately resistant cultivars (ICPL 99010), has a synergistic effect on the ability to control the Phytophthora blight at the seedling stage.

Nanocarrier spray: a nontransgenic approach for crop engineering.

Genetic modification allows engineering of important traits in crops through expensive and tedious procedures to alter their genetic background. Recently, Thagun et al. developed a nanocarrier-based foliar spray method to translocate bioactive molecules of interest into plant cells to engineer important traits without introducing a transgene.

Thiourea fertilization effect on nutrient content and uptake of soybean cultivar

In the kharif season of 2020, an experimental trial was executed at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology which is situated in Pantnagar, India. The objective of this study was to evaluate how soybean's nutrient content and uptake responded to the application of thiourea through foliar means. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design and comprised of two soybean cultivars viz., PS 1347 and SL 958 and five foliar sprays viz., control, water spray, thiourea spray @ 250 ppm, 500 ppm, and 750 ppm which were replicated four times. This study demonstrates the potential of foliar thiourea application to enhance the sulfur content and uptake of soybean cultivars in the kharif season. The findings of the study indicated that the N, P, and K content of soybean were not impacted by the type of variety used or by the foliar sprays administered. However, it was observed that the highest S content in both seeds (0.375%) and haulm (0.179%) was recorded when thiourea was applied through foliar means at a rate of 750 ppm. This result was statistically equivalent (0.368% in seed and 0.173% in haulm) to the outcome obtained from a 500 ppm foliar spray and both of these treatments were found to be more effective than the other foliar spray methods tested. Regarding the uptake of nutrients, it was observed that the highest levels of N, P, K, and S uptake by both seed and haulm as well as the total uptake, were recorded when a foliar spray containing 750 ppm of thiourea was used.

Effect of zinc application on yield, nutrients uptake and biochemical properties of rice under Inceptisols

A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Karjat during kharif 2016-2019 to study the effect of zinc on soil fertility, yield, nutrients uptake and biochemical properties of rice under Inceptisols. Results revealed that the grain (50.65 q ha-1) and straw (56.74 q ha-1) yield of rice was significantly improved with application of zinc in the form of zinc sulphate @ 15 kg ha-1 at the time of transplanting through soil application (T7) which was better than foliar spray and root dipping methods. Significantly highest values of DTPA-extractable Zn (0.45 mg kg-1) and SO4-S (32.40 kg ha-1) were registered in the treatment T8. The zinc supplied plots led to significant enhancement in total N (93.38 kg ha-1), P (15.55 kg ha-1), K (96.80 kg ha-1) and S (35.54 kg ha-1) uptake in the treatment T7 and Zn (183.40 g ha-1) in the treatment T8. The treatment T7 showed higher hulling (74.28%), milling (63.32%), gel consistency (81mm), alkali spreading value (4.0) as well as the head rice recovery (57.80%), protein (8.96%) and amylose (24.40%) content which was acceptable.Overall, Zn-fertilization assumes great significance in improving soil properties, productivity and quality of rice.

Seed priming with brassinolides improves growth and reinforces antioxidative defenses under normal and heat stress conditions in seedlings of Brassica juncea.

Environmental stresses pose a major challenge for plant researchers to fulfill increasing food demand. Researchers are trying to generate high-yielding and stress-tolerant or resistant varieties using classical genetics and modern gene-editing tools; however, both approaches have limitations. Chemical treatments emerged as an alternative to improve yield and impart stress resilience. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of phytohormones that regulate various biological processes, including stress management. With foliar spray methods, BR treatments showed promising results but are not economically feasible. We hypothesize that priming of seeds, which requires lesser amounts of BRs, could be equally effective in promoting growth and stress tolerance. Owing to this notion, we analyzed the impact of priming seeds with selected BRs, namely, 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and 28-homobrassinolide (HBL), in Brassica juncea under normal and heat shock stress conditions. Seeds primed with BRs and grown until seedlings stage at normal conditions (20°C) were subjected to a heat shock (35°C) for a few hours, relating to what plants experience in natural conditions. Heat shock reduced the growth and biomass with an increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species. As anticipated, BRs treatments significantly improved the growth and physiological parameters with an enhanced antioxidant defense under both conditions. Transcriptional analyses revealed that BRs concomitantly induce growth and oxidative stress-responsive gene expression via the canonical BR-signaling pathway. Transfer of unstressed and heat-shock-treated seedlings to field conditions demonstrated the long-term effectivity of BR-priming. Our results showed seed priming with BRs could improve growth and resilience against heat shock; hence, it appears to be a viable strategy to enhance crop yields and stress tolerance.

Pre-stress salicylic-acid treatment as an intervention strategy for freeze-protection in spinach: Foliar versus sub-irrigation application and duration of efficacy

Exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) to plant tissues has been shown to confer tolerance against various abiotic stresses. Recently, SA application through sub-irrigation was shown to improve plant freezing tolerance (FT). For SA treatment to be employable as an effective intervention strategy for frost protection under field conditions, it is important to study its effect on FT when applied as a foliar spray to whole plants. It is also important to determine for how long the FT-improvement by SA lasts. Present study was conducted to compare SA-induced FT of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. ‘Reflect’) seedlings following SA-application by foliar spray vs. sub-irrigation. Durability of FT-promotive effect of SA was evaluated using three freeze-tests over a 4-d period, i.e., at 10-d, 12-d, and 14-d after the SA application. Freezing stress was applied using a temperature-controlled freeze-thaw protocol, and FT was assessed by visual observations (leaf flaccidness vs. turgidity) as well as ion-leakage assay. Data indicated that both foliar spray and sub-irrigation methods improved FT of the seedlings against a relatively moderate (−5.5 °C) as well as severe stress (−6.5 °C). Moreover, improved FT against moderate stress was sustained over a 4-d period, whereas such benefit waned somewhat against the severe stress. SA-treated leaves' growth performance was similar to the non-treated control based on dry weight, fresh weight, leaf area, and dry weight/leaf area parameters. Our results suggest that SA application as a foliar spray can potentially be used to protect field-grown transplants against episodic frosts.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using Polygonatum geminiflorum efficiently control fusarium wilt disease of tomato.

Nanomaterials are gaining tremendous potential as emerging antimicrobials in the quest to find resistance-free alternatives of chemical pesticides. In this study, stable silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the aqueous extract of medicinal plant species Polygonatum geminiflorum , and their morphological features were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In vitro Antifungal activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and P. geminiflorum extract (PE) either alone or in combination (PE-AgNPs) against Fusarium oxysporum was evaluated using disc-diffusion and well-diffusion methods. In planta assay of the same treatments against Fusarium wilt diseases of tomato was evaluated by foliar spray method. Moreover, plant extract was evaluated for the quantitative investigation of antioxidant activity, phenolics and flavonoids by spectroscopic and HPLC techniques. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of total phenolic and flavonoid contents as 48.32 mg ± 1.54 mg GAE/g and 57.08 mg ± 1.36 mg QE/g, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging of leaf extract was found to be 88.23% ± 0.87%. Besides, the HPLC phenolic profile showed the presence of 15 bioactive phenolic compounds. Characterization of nanoparticles revealed the size ranging from 8 nm to 34 nm with average crystallite size of 27 nm. The FTIR analysis revealed important functional groups that were responsible for the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs. In the in vitro assays, 100 μg/ml of AgNPs and AgNPs-PE strongly inhibited Fusarium oxysporum. The same treatments tested against Fusarium sprayed on tomato plants in controlled environment exhibited nearly 100% plant survival with no observable phytotoxicity. These finding provide a simple baseline to control Fusarium wilt using silver nano bio-control agents without affecting the crop health.

Role of organic nutrient (Tecnokel) and application methods on some productive traits of two cauliflower hybrids (Brassica Oleracea var. botrytis)

The experiment was carried out in the vegetable field of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape/College of Agriculture and Forestry/Mosul University, during the autumn growing season (2021). The experiment included the study of three factors, the first: two hybrids of broccoli (Raheq and Ice ball) ,the second factor included application methods of (foliar spray method and the method of adding to the soil)and third factor included the use of the organic nutrient (Tecnokel) at four concentrations (0, 2 , 4 and 6 g.L-1) plants were treated with the organic nutrient during three stages of plant growth: - the first two weeks after seedling, second and the third with an interval of 15 days between one stage and another. Thus, the experiment included 16 treatments (2x2x4) arranged in a factorial experiment within split-plot using the Randomized Complete Block Design, the hybrids were placed in the main plots and the compatibility between the application methods and the organic nutrient concentrations in the sub-plots. Each treatment was repeated three times, the results were analyzed statistically, according to the design used and the comparison of means according to Duncan's polynomial test at the 0.05 probability level.