Growth Period Research Articles

Genotypic difference in green stem disorder severity and vegetative storage protein accumulation affected by different degrees of sink limitation in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) merr.]

ABSTRACT Green stem disorder (GSD) delays leaf and stem senescence even after pods mature in soybean. In this study, the relationship between GSD severity and vegetative storage protein (VSP) dynamics was investigated under different timings and intensities of depodding treatments. Short growth period (Yukihomare, Yu), GSD-susceptible (Tachinagaha, Tc), and GSD-resistant (Touhoku 129, Th) cultivars were grown under repeated depodding treatments from the R3 growth stage by half [R3 (1/2)] or by one-third [R3 (1/3)], under a single-time depodding treatment at the R5 growth stage by half [R5 (single)], and under no depodding (control). Depodding from R3 decreased the pod number and induced GSD for both Yu and Th. However, the pod weight and stem weight per plant were statistically unchanged from those in control, indicating that remaining pods partially served as a surplus source reservoir in Yu and Th. Tc reduced the pod number and pod weight and unchanged the stem weight in depodding treatments from R3 but induced GSD regardless of the treatments. The growth of single-time depodding at R5 was not different from that of control except the growth parameters of Yu. The relative VSP content temporarily increased 14 days after R3 (DAR3) in all the treatments and cultivars. Although the relative VSP content decreased afterward in Yu and Th, that of Tc increased according to the depodding intensity. In the depodding experiments over three years, a negative correlation tended to be found after 28 DAR3 between VSP accumulation and GSD severity in Th but not in Tc, suggesting that the mechanism underlying N metabolism and GSD occurrence was different between cultivars.

Interferon-β-Induced Injury During Pediatric Muscle Differentiation: Insight Into Juvenile Dermatomyositis Pathogenesis.

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) involves up-regulated type I interferons (IFNs), including IFNβ, yet pathologic mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to characterize the functional and structural effects of IFNβ on in vitro human pediatric myoblast growth and differentiation in a three-dimensional skeletal muscle model (myobundles). Myobundles fabricated from myoblasts of a healthy pediatric donor were exposed to IFNβ at 0 to 5,600 IU/mL during growth (days 1-4), differentiation (days 4-11), and/or mature (days 11-18) periods. To assess myobundle structure and function, contractile force, kinetics, and fatigue were measured at day 18 with subsequent immunohistochemistry. Myobundles were not functionally affected by IFNβ exposure during growth period alone. However, when IFNβ exposure continued through differentiation, myobundles became dysfunctional (P < 0.0001). IFNβ during differentiation or mature periods alone resulted in dose-dependent decreases in contractility, with greater decrease in the differentiation alone group (P < 0.0001). Twitch kinetics and fatigue remained largely unchanged when myobundles were exposed to IFNβ only during growth, yet twitch time slowed (P < 0.005) and fatigue decreased (P < 0.002) when myobundles were exposed during differentiation or mature stages alone. Nuclei density and myofiber size and organization also decreased when IFNβ was added during differentiation period alone. IFNβ decreases pediatric myobundle contractile function most significantly during differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes. Function is not affected when IFNβ exposure is limited to myoblast proliferation alone. These findings implicate a pathologic role for IFNβ in JDM by impairing myoblast differentiation, leading to subsequent loss of function and ongoing need for muscle regeneration and repair.

Design and evaluation of an active vineyard heating system to simulate temperature increase in the context of climate change

The current study introduces an innovative direct and active heating system designed for precise temperature control in vineyards. This system serves as a valuable tool for investigating the influence of climate change on grapevine physiology and, consequently, the characteristics of the resulting wine. The research took place in an experimental vineyard located in Mendoza, Argentina, with V. vinifera cvs. trained to a vertical shoot positioning trellis system over two consecutive growing seasons. The system design utilized electric hot water tanks and polypropylene pipes attached to the foliage catch wires. Over two growing seasons, the system consistently elevated the ambient air temperatures within the canopy by 2.5 ± 0.12 °C compared to the control group. This temperature increase emulated the temperature projections for Mendoza as forecasted by the IPCC by the end of this century. The system displayed heating uniformity, as evidenced by the absence of both vertical and horizontal temperature gradients. Additionally, the significant variation in mean daytime and night-time temperatures between the control and heated treatments highlighted the effectiveness of the system in modifying temperature conditions on a diurnal basis. The heated treatment applied with this system proved to have an effective biological impact on the physiology of grapevines. In both seasons, plants under the heated treatment advanced their bud break and harvest dates. The study showed a significant growth enhancement in the heated treatment, with apical shoots extending significantly longer than those in the control treatment. Additionally, the total soluble solids content increased in the heating treatment, while yield decreased, for both experimental seasons. These results illustrate the robust performance of the system throughout the entire growth period, regardless of fluctuations in atmospheric conditions. This study establishes a new foundation for future research on grapevine responses to climate change. It also opens the door to the implementation of effective adaptation strategies in vineyards, promising a more resilient and adaptable future for grape cultivation.

Biological Acclimatization of Micropropagated Al-Taif Rose (Rosa damascena f. trigintipetala (Diek) R. Keller) Plants Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Rhizophagus fasciculatus

Tissue culture is used to multiply Al-Taif rose (Rosa damascena f. trigintipetala (Diek) R. Keller) plants in order to meet the demands of the fragrance, cosmetic, and floriculture industries. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) could potentially improve plant growth and acclimatization performance to ex vitro conditions. Thus, in the current study, we investigated how AMF Rhizophagus fasciculatus influences the growth, establishment, and physiological performance of micropropagated Al-Taif rose plants during the acclimatization stage. The growth and physiological parameters of the AMF-treated plants were evaluated after a 12 week growth period in the growth chambers. The plants treated with AMF exhibited greater height (25.53 cm) and biomass growth values for both shoot fresh weight (0.93 g/plant) and dry weight (0.030 g/plant), more leaves (11.3/plant), more leaf area (66.15 cm2), longer main roots (15.05 cm/plant), total root length (172.16 cm/plant), total root area (64.36 cm2/plant), and biomass from both fresh weight (383 mg/plant) and dry weight (80.00 mg/plant) of the plants. The plants treated with AMF also exhibited increased rates of net CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and transpiration compared to the control plants. The proline content in the leaves and roots was significantly lower in the AMF-treated plants than untreated plants. The Fv/Fm ratio, which serves as an indicator of the intrinsic or maximal efficacy of Photosystem II (PSII) demonstrated a notable decline in the untreated Al-Taif rose plants. These results elucidate the advantageous impact of AMF colonization on micropropagated Al-Taif rose plants, thereby enhancing their resilience against adverse ex vitro conditions.

Classification of Corn Diseases and Pests Using Fuzzy Naïve Bayes Method

Corn is an essential dietary source for humans and animals. In addition to being a food source, corn has numerous benefits as a manufacturing commodity. The quality of grain crops must be considered to minimise the likelihood of disease and pest infestations. Therefore, the diseases and pests that attack corn plants must be classified so that farmers can control them during the growth period of corn plants. The fuzzy naive Bayes method is a statistical machine learning method that can be used to classify the diseases and pests of corn crops based on colour space-transformed digital images. This study aims to classify corn plant diseases and pests using the fuzzy naive Bayes method. Digital images of corn plant diseases and pests were transformed into a red, green and blue colour space model. The following seven classes of corn plant diseases and pests were classified: leaf rust disease, downy mildew disease, leaf blight disease, Locusta pest, Heliotis armigera pest, Spodoptera frugiperdita pest and non-pathogenic pest. With this method, the classification model achieves an accuracy of 87.83%, a macro precision of 34.91%, a macro recall of 35.90% and a macro f-score of 33.82%.

Inversion of biophysical parameters of potato based on an active learning pool-based sampling strategy

ABSTRACT Timely estimations of leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and leaf area index (LAI) can provide critical information for potato field management. We employed a hybrid method that integrated machine learning with a radiative transfer model to estimate potato growth parameters. A look-up table was generated using the PROSAIL model, which was used as an unlabelled sample set. Measurements were taken from a potato field, and the data were labelled according to growth period and variety. Then, training samples for potato LCC, LAI, and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) were selected from the simulated unlabelled sample set using the Euclidean distance-based diversity algorithm based on different labelled data sets. The training sample size required to accurately estimate the parameters varied considerably depending on the parameter, variety, and growth period, despite using the same labelled data set. Moreover, our results indicate that the growth period has a substantial impact on model accuracy and needs to be considered when constructing the labelled data set. The study results indicate that the hybrid method combined with the radiative transfer model and active learning can effectively select informative training samples from a data pool and improve the accuracy of potato parameter estimation, which provides a valid tool for accurately monitoring crop growth and growth health.

Dynamics of Free Radical Oxidative Processes During the Latent Period of Experimental Metastasizing to the Liver

Purpose — to investigate the dynamics of the content of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPO1), glutathione reductase (GR) and lipid peroxidation products diene conjugates (DC), malondialdehyde (MDA) in the spleen and liver during the latent period of growth and metastasis of experimental tumor.Materials and methods. Using 28 white male rats, a model of hematogenous liver metastasis was created by transplanting sarcoma 45 cells (S45) into the spleen, previously lead out under the skin 3 weeks before. Previously, was determined that a tumor visualized in the spleen at 5 weeks, and liver metastases at 7 weeks after transplantation S45. Levels of SOD1, GPO1, GR and MDA were determined using ELISA and DC by biochemical method in spleen and liver homogenates during the latent period of tumor growth and metastasis (1–2 weeks post-transplantation).Results. Significant changes (1.5–5.2 times, р &lt; 0.050–0.001) in studied factors levels were observed compared to intact rats and rats with the spleen lead out. Activation of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system was noted in the spleen (tumor-carrying organ) during tumor growth and metastasis. At the same time, in the liver (the target organ of metastasis) observed also increased lipid peroxidation but simultaneously a pronounced decreased GR levels (5 times, p &lt; 0.001) without affecting SOD1 levels.Conclusion. Liver tissue exhibited the inferiority of antioxidant protection and the formation of pro-oxidant condition during the latent period of tumor growth, which may prepare the soil for metastasis.

Grouper bone nano-calcium and substitution long-chain triglyceride (LCT) into medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) enhanced calcium bioavailability and rat’s bone density

BACKGROUND: The most effective strategy to prevent osteopenia or osteoporosis in the old life is to consume an adequate amount of calcium from childhood through adulthood. OBJECTIVE: This study compared the bioavailability of CaCO3 which is the standard non-dairy calcium supplementation with grouper bone nano-calcium (GBN) combined with various percentages of Long-Chain Triglyceride (LCT) into Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) on calcium bioavailability and rat’s bones density. METHODS: This study was carried out during the rat’s growth period, from the weaning until the rats reached 16 weeks. Thirty-five weaned rats were separated into seven groups and fed varied feeds for 12 weeks. The seven groups of feed were (1) CCa: standard feed AIN-93G, (2) C0: standard calcium deficient feed (without calcium), (3) G0: GBN + MCT:LCT 0 : 100%, (4) G25: GBN + MCT:LCT 25 : 75%, (5) G50: GBN + MCT:LCT 50 : 50%, (6) G75: GBN + MCT:LCT 75 : 25%, and (7) G100: GBN + MCT:LCT 100 : 0%. Parameters observed were serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase, femur bone characteristics, bone microarchitecture by histomorphometry, micro computed-tomography (μCT), and mechanical strength. RESULTS: The CCa and G100 groups had the best dietary results based on all parameters. The G100 group was superior to CCa in calcium and phosphorus bioavailability, rat’s bone strength and density. CONCLUSIONS: G100: GBN + MCT:LCT 100 : 0% group feed beneficially affected the bioavailability of calcium, was letting he rat’s bones to develop properly, had high density, and been strong throughout the growth phase.

Research on the Investment Value of BYD Based on SWOT, Financial, and Valuation Methods

Against the backdrop of environmental degradation, green energy transformation is a strategic measure to address climate change and promote green development. The new energy vehicle industry is experiencing an unprecedented period of rapid growth. As a leading player in this sector, BYD's development is virtually representative of the Chinese new energy vehicle industry. SWOT analysis, financial analysis, and valuation analysis are crucial criteria for assessing the development status of a company. Through the analysis of profitability, operational capability, and P/E ratio data, the development status, operational capability, market competitiveness, and growth potential of a company can be directly reflected. The results show vertical integration of supply chain and cost advantage is the main strength of BYD, however it has the weakness of excessive dependence on Chinese government subsidies. From the perspective of financial performance, it has great profitability and its operating capacity situation is good. Moreover, the valuation shows it is worth for investment. This provides decision-makers with information and suggestions on enterprise management, investment, and financing, helping investors and managers make rational decisions.

Flexible Capacity Road Passenger Transport: History, Current, Future

Regular passenger transportation plays an important role in the life of modern society. At the same time, the financial burden of paying for its operation falls on the state budget and is the subject of periodic measures aimed at reducing this budgetary burden. Implementation of such goals is usually carried out by reducing the number of flights, which leads to a decrease in the quality of passenger service and their outflow to the personal car, which leads to an increase in motorization with all the negative attributes inherent in this phenomenon. This publication gives a literature review of scientific publications on the subject of the use of road passenger transport of dynamic capacity - trailer passenger vehicles, which in the period of growth of passenger traffic are coupled, increasing capacity, and in periods of decline - uncoupled, reducing capacity. Modern scientific and practical tendencies of this direction abroad are shown. A new approach to the organization of regular passenger transport operation in the Republic of Belarus is proposed, which consists in the daily forecasting of passenger capacity for each trip of each route with the subsequent assignment of passenger vehicles of flexible capacity to such trips, maximally corresponding to the available passenger capacity.

From Convention to Contention: La Famille de Saltimbanques and Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

In 1905 and 1907 Pablo Picasso worked on two large canvases for which multiple preparatory studies exist. These paintings marked quite different stages in the Spaniard's career. If the first one symbolized his final acceptance into the French modernist establishment, which is usually known as his Rose Period; the second was meant to be a radical break from those conventions, and a determined push to distance himself from established practices. More specifically, what took place between the two canvases was a transition from a fusion of realism and metaphor/allegory to a neo-primitive (and modern) perspective leading to quasi-abstraction. Not surprisingly, the first painting was auction for a record-breaking price in March of 1914, despite the growing political tensions between the great powers, particularly France and Germany, caused by colonial competition and old territorial grievances. Conversely, the second painting sold for much less in 1923, even though France was experiencing a period of rapid economic growth and social change: the so-called "Roaring 20s."

Growth Rate and Nutrient Uptake of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as Influenced by Organic Manures in Laterite Soils of Kerala, India

A field experiment was conducted to understand the effect of organic manures on the crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), and nutrient uptake of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) from April to August of 2022 and 2023 at the Agronomy farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with 7 treatments replicated thrice which consisted of different levels of organic manures viz., three levels of farmyard manure (FYM@ 5, 10, 15 t ha­-1), three levels of vermicompost (VC@ 2.5, 5, 7.5 kg ha-1) and a control. The organic manure treatments significantly affected crop growth rate (CGR) and relative growth rate (RGR) in all the growth periods. The two-year pooled mean of CGR of stevia was significantly superior in FYM@15 t ha-1 over control in all the three growth periods i.e., at 0-30 DAP, 30-45 DAP and 45 DAP to harvest. Whereas, the two-year mean of RGR of stevia was found statistically higher in FYM@15 t ha-1 over control in the first two growth periods only. The organic manure treatments had a significant influence on the plant nutrient (NPK) uptake as well in both the years. The two-year pooled mean data regarding plant uptake of nitrogen and phosphorous was found significantly higher in FYM@15 t ha-1 over control whereas statistically higher pooled mean potassium uptake by stevia was found in VC@7.5 kg ha-1 over control. Overall, the higher levels of organic manure, especially FYM, significantly improve growth and nutrient uptake in stevia.

GAME BOARD TO IMPROVE CHILDREN'S DENTAL AND ORAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

Background: The five-year period in the stage of child development is the golden age, which is a golden period in the period of growth and development of children. During this period, everything that is poured out and absorbed in the child will become the basis and sharp memory in the child, including the maintenance of dental health. The growth of 3 to 5-year-olds has some skills such as color naming. Children do tend to prefer to play. Children's activities while playing while learning can support growth and development and absorb learning optimally. Games that can be played while learning are putting together simple puzzles, drawing and coloring, composing and stacking block games, playing sand, clay or toy candles, singing, role-playing, playing music and board games. Objectives: To develop dental and oral health game boards for kindergarten children aged 3-5 years in kindergartens in the Kersamenak sub-district, Kawalu Tasikamalaya District. Methods: The research method is carried out by research and development (R&amp;D) methods and Quasi experiments with non-equivalent pre and post test designs. The research was conducted by conducting FGD with kindergarten teachers in the Kersamenak sub-district area, Kawalu District, Tasikmalaya City using a total sampling technique of 30 teachers. Results: The description of the conclusion to the respondents' answers is the development of dental and oral health game boards for kindergarten children aged 3-5 years in kindergartens in the Kersamenak sub-district, Kawalu Tasikamalaya District. Conclusion: Production of dental and oral health game boards and game board manuals.

Cellulose synthase-like OsCSLD4: a key regulator of agronomic traits, disease resistance, and metabolic indices in rice.

Cellulose synthase-like OsCSLD4 plays a pivotal role in regulating diverse agronomic traits, enhancing resistance against bacterial leaf blight, and modulating metabolite indices based on the multi-omics analysis in rice. To delve deeper into this complex network between agronomic traits and metabolites in rice, we have compiled a dataset encompassing genome, phenome, and metabolome, including 524 diverse accessions, 11 agronomic traits, and 841 metabolites, enabling us to pinpoint eight hotspots through GWAS. We later discovered four distinct metabolite categories, encompassing 15 metabolites that are concurrently present on the QTL qC12.1, associated with leaf angle of flag and spikelet length, and finally focused the cellulose synthase-like OsCSLD4, which was pinpointed through a rigorous process encompassing sequence variation, haplotype, ATAC, and differential expression across diverse tissues. Compared to the wild type, csld4 exhibited significant reductions in the plant height, flag leaf length, leaf width, spikelet length, 1000-grain weight, grain width, grain thickness, fertility, yield per plant, and bacterial blight resistance. However, there were significant increase in tiller numbers, degree of leaf rolling, flowering period, growth period, grain length, and empty kernel rate. Furthermore, the content of four polyphenol metabolites, excluding metabolite N-feruloyltyramine (mr1268), notably rose, whereas the levels of the other three polyphenol metabolites, smiglaside C (mr1498), 4-coumaric acid (mr1622), and smiglaside A (mr1925) decreased significantly in mutant csld4. The content of amino acid L-tyramine (mr1446) exhibited a notable increase, whereas the alkaloid trigonelline (mr1188) displayed a substantial decrease among the mutants. This study offered a comprehensive multi-omics perspective to analyze the genetic mechanism of OsCSLD4, and breeders can potentially enhance rice's yield, bacterial leaf blight resistance, and metabolite content, leading to more sustainable and profitable rice production.

Evaluation of Hospitalized Pediatric Patients in Terms of Anemia: Single-Center Experience

Introduction: Anemia, characterized by reduced hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, affects roughly one-third of the global population and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form, particularly prevalent during childhood, a period of rapid growth. This study aimed to assess the frequency of anemia in pediatric patients hospitalized for various reasons. Material and methods: This study was conducted at SBU Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, from September 1 to November 30,2021. The records of pediatric patients treated during this period were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with hematologic diseases were excluded from the study. Demographic data and laboratory results were recorded, and patients were grouped by age (0-2, 2-6, 6-12, 12-17 years) to compare laboratory values across these groups. Results: The study included 100 children, with an equal distribution of 50 girls (50%) and 50 boys (50%), hospitalized between September 1 and November 30, 2021, at SBÜ Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital. The patients' ages ranged from 1 month to 16.2 years, with a mean age of 3.34±3.90 years. The majority (59%) of patients were in the 0-2 age group, followed by 19% in the 2-6 age group, 19% in the 6-12 age group, and 3% in the 12-17 age group. It was observed that 31% of patients had chronic diseases. Hemoglobin levels were measured at 11.11±1.84 g/dL, hematocrit at 33.71±4.85%, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) at 81.35±8.48 fL, red cell distribution width (RDW) at 15.08±2.67%, iron (Fe) at 64.70±38.89 g/dL, ferritin at 228.50±200.04 μg/L, vitamin B12 at 554.83±389.46 ng/L, and folate at 11.34±6.23 ng/L. Conclusions: Anemia is a prevalent issue during childhood in our country and should be carefully considered in hospitalized pediatric patients. Upon detection, a cause-specific treatment plan must be developed to address this condition effectively.

Tropical Intraseasonal Variability as a Leading Moisture Dynamic Mode of the Warm-Pool Background State

Abstract Tropical intraseasonal variability (ISV) is dominated by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), and its spatiotemporal characteristics vary with the Indo-Pacific warm-pool background on seasonal and longer timescales. Previous works have suggested ISV dynamics in various frameworks, whereas a unifying view remains challenging. Motivated by the recent advance in moisture mode theory, we revisit the ISV as a leading moisture mode modulated by varying background states derived from a reanalysis, using a moist linear baroclinic model (mLBM) improved with a simple convective scheme relating convective precipitation to tropospheric and boundary-layer moisture anomalies and simple cloud–radiative feedback representations. Under a boreal winter background state, this mLBM yielded a large-scale but local eastward-propagating mode with a phase speed of 3–5 m/s over the warm-pool region, resembling the MJO. Background lower-tropospheric winds and thermodynamic fields are important in determining the growth rate and periodicity of the leading mode, whose stability depends on cloud–radiative feedback and background state variations. We further demonstrate why the MJO is locally contained in the Indo-Pacific warm-pool region. The local thermal/moisture condition and Walker circulation greatly enhance its instability, but outside this region, this mode is heavily damped. Thus, the expansion/contraction of this warm-pool condition may enhance/reduce its instability and expand/reduce its domain of activity. Prescribing El Niño background causes eastward displacement of the wintertime ISV activity, reminiscent of the observed MJO modulations by El Niño. Under a summer background state, the eastward-propagating leading mode resembles the boreal summer ISV but biased, requiring further model improvements.

Effects of maize residue and biochar applications on soil δ13C and organic carbon sources in a subtropical paddy rice ecosystem

AbstractThis study investigates the utility of plant δ¹3C natural labeling in predicting the impacts of environmental shifts on carbon cycling within ecosystems, particularly focusing on paddy fields treated with maize (Zea mays L.) residues and biochar. Specifically, it examines how soil δ¹3C and the sources of soil organic carbon (SOC), respond in paddy fields (which cultivate C3 plants like rice) when amended with maize residues, maize biochar, and silica‐enriched biochar (derived from C4 plants). Conducted in the Fuzhou paddy fields, the experiment included control groups and treatment groups with maize residue (4 t ha⁻¹), maize biochar (4 t ha⁻¹), and silicon‐modified maize biochar (4 t ha⁻¹) during both the early and late rice growth periods. The results indicate that all soil treatments increased soil δ¹3C. The application of maize residues notably affected the δ¹3C of the upper soil profile (0–15 cm) differently from the deeper layers (15–30 cm), and it increased soil organic C more than biochar or silicon‐modified maize biochar. Soil available P (AP) and pH emerged as significant factors linking δ¹3C, influencing rice yield through changes in soil physicochemical properties. Unlike maize residues, which reduced rice yields, applications of biochar and silicon‐modified maize biochar increased rice yields. The latter, which was particularly effective in lowering SOC decomposition rates and addressing rice's silica needs, emerged as the preferred option. The study highlights maize biochar and silicon‐modified maize biochar as sustainable alternatives to maize residues for rice cultivation, enhancing soil fertility, carbon pool stability, and yields.

Effects of nutritional stress on soil fertility and antioxidant enzymes of rice in different growth periods.

Stress in plants denotes the detrimental impact of alterations in external environmental conditions on regular plant growth and development. Plants employ diverse mechanisms to mitigate or evade nutritional stress-induced damage. In order to investigate the physiological response mechanism of plants to nutritional stress and assess its impact on soil nutrient content and antioxidant enzyme activity in rice, a field experiment was conducted applying five treatments: control, nitrogen (N) deficiency, phosphorus (P) deficiency, potassium (K) deficiency, and full fertilization. Rice leaf and soil samples were concurrently gathered during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages of rice. Analysis was conducted on soil N, P, and K levels, as well as leaf antioxidant enzyme activities, to investigate the impact of nutrient stress on rice antioxidant enzymes and soil fertility. The research findings indicate that full fertilization treatment enhanced the agronomic properties of the soil compared to the control treatment. In the N-deficiency treatment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased by 16.53-33.89% during the reproductive growth period compared to the vegetative growth period. The peroxidase (POD) activity decreased by 41.39% and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased by 36.22% under K-deficiency treatment during the reproductive growth period compared to the vegetative growth period. Consequently, applying N and P fertilizer during the vegetative growth period can decrease membrane lipid peroxidation levels by 7.34-72.53%. The full fertilization treatment markedly enhanced rice yield compared to other treatments and increased the Nitrogen activation coefficient (NAC) and Phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) in the soil, while decreasing the PAC. Elevating NAC levels can stimulate the activity or content of PRO, MDA, and RPS during the vegetative growth stage, whereas in the reproductive growth stage, it will decrease the content of ROS, PRO, and MDA. This data offers valuable insights and theoretical support for nutritional stress research.

Inter- and Intra-Annual Variations in Oak Tree Ring δ13C Values across Different Elevations and Their Climatic Responses in Qinling Mountains

The Qinling Mountains, serving as a natural geographical and climatic boundary in China, require comprehensive climatic records to elucidate the trends in climate changes across the country. While stable isotopes in tree rings are widely employed to indicate historical environmental changes, investigations into tree ring isotopes in the Qinling Mountains, particularly within the widespread broad-leaf oaks, remain limited. In this study, we investigated both intra- and inter-annual variations in the δ13C values of tree rings and their correlations with climatic signals over the past two decades for Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata, a dominant species among oak trees on the main peak of the Qinling Mountains. Our results reveal that responses to climate differ among altitudes and individual trees, with trees at higher altitudes exhibiting higher sensitivity to extreme climate, which is low temperatures and rainfall fluctuations during the growth period in intra-annual δ13C variations. Furthermore, the positive correlations are observed between temperature during growing season and both tree growth and the inter-annual δ13C variations. However, the climate signal appears to be hampered by oak-specific factors, such as intense competition among individuals and the age of trees. Therefore, we suggest a more rigorous selection of sampling and propose further investigations into isotopic fractionation processes in oaks for future studies.

Effects of different ratios of nitrogen base fertilizer to topdressing on soil nitrogen form and enzyme activity in sugar beet under shallow drip irrigation

Sugar beets account for 30% of global sugar production each year, and their byproducts are an important source of bioethanol and animal feed. Sugar beet is an important cash crop in Inner Mongolia, China. To achieve high yields and sugar content, it is essential to supply nitrogen fertilizer in accordance with the growth characteristics of sugar beet, thereby enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer utilization. A two-year experiment was carried out in the experimental field of the Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural &amp; Animal Husbandry Sciences. The impact of varying ratios of nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing on nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen levels in the 20–60 cm soil layer, as well as the activities of protease, urease, catalase, and sucrose in the 20–40 cm soil layer were investigated during the rapid leaf growth period and root and sugar growth period. Results indicated that different ratios of nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing significantly influenced the levels of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen, and the activities of protease and urease in the 0–20 cm soil layer, with these effects diminishing as soil depth increased. The activities of catalase and sucrose were minimally impacted. Nitrogen was applied at 150 kg/ha during the growth period of sugar beet, according to the growth characteristics of sugar beet to maximize nitrogen utilization efficiency. Topdressing was completed with irrigation at the rapid growth stage. The nitrogen-based fertilizer to topdressing ratio of 6:4 resulted in optimal crop yield and sugar yield of sugar beet under shallow drip irrigation. Additionally, the activities of protease and urease in different soil treatments were significantly different, and the activities of protease and urease in the 0–40 cm soil layer were identified as useful soil physiological indicators for nitrogen utilization in sugar beet.