Seedling Growth Rate Research Articles

Assessing the efficacy of utilizing biochar derived from oil palm biomass as a planting medium for promoting the growth and development of oil palm seedlings

The recent adoption of biochar in Malaysia's oil palm industry offers numerous benefits, including soil enhancement, resource efficiency improvement, pollution remediation, and greenhouse gas mitigation. With approximately 66.15% of agricultural land dedicated to oil palm cultivation, a substantial amount of biomass, mainly from empty fruit bunch (EFB) and mesocarp fibre (MF), is generated. This study focused on carbonizing MF and EFB at temperatures ranging from 580 to 695 °C to produce biochar. The assessment of biochar's effectiveness as a planting medium in nurseries revealed significantly accelerated growth rates in seedlings cultivated in a composite of biochar and soil. At 8 months-after-treatment (MAT), the BMF-75 treatment showed remarkable growth enhancements, with the highest increase in height (64.9%), number of leaflets (60.5%), and girth size (55.3%) compared to the initial values at 3 MAT, indicating its effectiveness in promoting growth in oil palm seedlings. Additionally, compared to the control group, the biochar-mixed media resulted in favourable outcomes regarding the assimilation of both macro- and micro-nutrients. For instance, nitrogen uptake increased by 2.7% with BMF-50, magnesium by 25.2%, phosphorus by 24.1% with BEFB-75, calcium by 36.8% with BMF-75, chlorine by 10.5% with BMF-50, iron by 25.5% with BEFB-25, copper by 20.1% with BMF-25, and zinc by 6.3% with BMF-25. Additionally, biochar-treated soil exhibited higher organic carbon content, improved cation exchange capacity (CEC), enhanced nitrogen retention with greater biochar proportions, and likely improved soil fertility due to biochar's porous structure. Further potential research can be explored to investigate its long-term effects on oil palm plantation.

The effects of native seed mix composition and sowing density on plant community reassembly in wetlands

AbstractSeed‐based restoration of wetlands is often necessary to improve important ecosystem functions (e.g., invasion resistance and habitat provisioning) and meet society's need for wetland ecosystem services such as supporting recreational activities and improving water quality. However, persistent questions remain about the composition and sowing density of seed mixes needed to restore robust native wetland plant communities. In Great Salt Lake wetlands (Utah, USA), the revegetation of native species is crucial to recovering critical habitat and preventing reinvasion of the invasive, non‐native grass Phragmites australis and other invasive species (e.g., Typha spp.). In greenhouse and field experiments, we investigated the effects of seed mix composition and sowing density on plant community reassembly. We predicted that seed mixes containing native forb species with resource‐preempting traits (e.g., rapid seedling emergence and high aboveground growth rate) and high sowing densities (>5500 pure live seed m−2), would increase native plant light acquisition and establishment, thereby limiting invasive species. To our surprise, the effect of seed mix composition on native plant performance (cover and biomass) varied among the experiments, with distinct differences between plant functional groups arising. Native forb species had the highest performance in the greenhouse, but native grasses performed better in the field. Although multiple seed mix compositions show promise for establishing high native cover and biomass, these mixes may not always suppress invasive species. Interestingly, seed mix composition most often affected plant performance independent of sowing density. However, in one greenhouse experiment, we found that only slow‐growing mixes required a high sowing density to maximize native cover, an indication that the ideal sowing density may depend on the seed mix composition. Our research also supports the idea that in addition to reducing propagules of invasive species via appropriate management strategies, the application of higher sowing densities (>5500 pure live seed m−2) may lead to more favorable outcomes when a high density of invasive plant seeds remains or stressful field conditions are present. This research contributes to knowledge of plant community reestablishment in wetlands and demonstrates how seed‐based restoration strategies can catalyze native species revegetation and, in some situations, reduce the cover of invasive species.

Seedling dynamics differ between canopy species and understory species in a tropical seasonal rainforest, SW China

We used 11 years of census data from 450 seedling quadrats established in a 20-ha forest dynamics plot to study seedling dynamics in tree species of a tropical seasonal rainforest in Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. We found that overall seedling recruitment rate and relative growth rate were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. Both the recruitment rate of seedlings from canopy tree species (two species) and the relative growth rate of seedlings from understory species (nine species) were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. However, in the rainy season, the recruitment rate of seedlings was higher for canopy tree species than for understory tree species. In addition, relative growth rate of seedlings was higher in the canopy species than in understory seedlings in the dry season. We also observed that, in both rainy and dry seasons, mortality rate of seedlings was higher for canopy species than for understory species. Overall, canopy tree species appear to have evolved a flexible strategy to adapt to the seasonal changes of a monsoon climate. In contrast, understory tree species seem to have adopted a conservative strategy. Specifically, these species mainly release seedlings in the rainy season and maintain relatively stable populations with a lower mortality rate and recruitment rate in both dry and rainy seasons. Our study suggests that canopy and understory seedling populations growing in forest understory may respond to future climate change scenarios with distinct regeneration strategies.

Evaluation of effects of animal dung composites and Bacillus sp in amended bioremediation of Zn-polluted soil on maize seedlings growth

Heavy metal pollution of arable soils reduces their productivity, hence the need for ecofriendly techniques to ameliorate this increasing menace. In this study, cow dung, poultry wastes and their composites were applied as organic supplements, together with Bacillus sp as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria to amend bioremediation of zinc-polluted soil sample. Effects of amendments on physicochemical, mineral contents, and dehydrogenase activity of soil, as well as on corn seedlings growth rate, protein and chlorophyll contents and bioaccumulation of Zn were analyzed. Results demonstrated an increase in pH and nutrient contents including N, organic carbon, soil organic matter, K etc., of amended soil samples. Amendment with composite of two organic supplements produced highest increase in dehydrogenase activity, recording 2.35±2.04 µgTPFg-1h-1 at 33.75 mg/kg, and 2.19±0.04 µgTPFg-1h-1 at 52.55 mg/kg level of Zn pollution. Number of leaves recorded in most samples reduced with increasing Zn pollution, with seedlings grown on soil samples amended with cow dung alone outperforming others and recorded 10.3±0.5, 11.3±0.5 and 12.3±0.5 leaves at 32.75 mg/kg, 42.02 mg/kg and 52.44 mg/kg levels of Zn pollution respectively. Heights of seedlings in most of amendments also decreased with increasing Zn pollution. Also, seedlings grown on samples treated with cow dung alone were tallest, and recorded 109.0±3.4 cm, 115.8±4.3 cm and 127.3±2.6 cm at 32.75 mg/kg, 42.02 mg/kg and 52.44 mg/kg levels of Zn pollution respectively. Zn bioaccumulation different parts of corn seedlings was generally in the order; roots>leaves>stems, while it was; control samples>composite of poultry wastes and cow dung samples>only poultry wastes samples>only cow dung samples, for various treatments. This buttresses the usefulness of organic amendments, especially cow dung, in bioremediation of Zn-polluted soil used for agricultural activities.

The Influence of Minimal Cultivation Techniques on Growth Rate of Robinia pseudacacia L. Seedlings

The seed provenance, the type of substrate and its properties, as well as the watering regime in the first years after sowing are among the most important characteristics affecting the production of containerized seedlings. The objective of this study was to analyse the growth of black locust (Robinia pseudacacia L.) seedlings on different types of substrate (six mineral and two organic) with different textures and pHs under three different regimes of available water content (no-limiting, medium drought, severe drought) over a period of five months (May–October 2023), using seeds from three sources located in the southeast, south, and west of Romania. The highest seedling emergence rate (73.7%) was obtained for the medium seeds with 18.492 g weight (1000 seed weighs) (Bucharest provenance). Direct sowing in the field and containerized seedlings both showed a trend of growing in height during unlimited water and of growing in diameter during low watering. The lowest survival rate of seedlings (86.7%) occurred in the mineral substrate in the case of rendzina with additional sand (pH 8.70), and for the organic substrate, the lowest survival rate (87.0%) occurred for the peat MKS 3 substrate (pH 4.54).

Effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil nutrients by soft rock and sand remodeling

Abstract To explore the mechanism of freeze–thaw cycles on the nutrient release of soft rock and sand-remodeled soils in Mu Us Sandy land of China, and to clarify the adaptation potential of remodeled soils with different proportions to extreme environment, indoor freezer simulation freeze–thaw experiments were carried out. The research results show that during the 2 cycles of freeze–thaw, the remodeled soil organic matter content and total nitrogen content (TNC) of the three treatments reached their peaks. Compared with that before freezing, T1, T2, and T3 treatments increased TNC by 40.9, 90.2, and 118.9%. The freeze–thaw cycle has a significant impact on the emergence rate of maize (P < 0.05). In the soil during the 2 freeze–thaw cycles, the seedling emergence rate of maize is the highest. Compared with non-freeze–thaw treatment, the maize emergence rate of T1, T2, and T3 treatments was increased by 2, 3, and 3 times, and the emergence rate of T2 and T3 treatments was higher than that of T1 treatments under different freeze–thaw cycles. In conclusion, short-term freeze–thaw cycles can promote soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization and improve nutrient availability in Mu Us Sandy land, and T2 and T3 treatments have better adaptability to the environment.

One-Time Contact Application of Controlled-Release Urea and Optimized Method Improved Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency with 50% Nitrogen Input

Excessive nitrogen application is a common phenomenon in rice production in China, which will lead to a low nitrogen utilization rate and increase farmers’ production costs. In Jingzhou, Hubei Province, for two consecutive years (2021, 2022), rice was planted with nursery-box total fertilization (NBTF) technology to provide technical support for rice seedling box contact fertilization technology. The results showed that, compared with the conventional treatment, the seedling emergence rate decreased by 7.70–11.87%, but the seedling quality significantly improved and the plant height significantly increased by 4.38–6.06% in the full-heading stage after the aforementioned treatments. The leaf area index significantly increased by 16.75–34.55%, 10.04–19.30%, and 12.13–18.60% in the tiller, booting, and full-heading stages, respectively, whereas the photosynthetic rate significantly increased by 3.80–5.25% in the booting stage. The rice yield under the 50% CRU and 50% CRU + S treatments was the same as that under the FFP treatment. The rice yield under 50% CRU + BT and 50% CRU + BT + S treatments was 7.50–10.61% higher than that under the FFP treatment; nitrogen partial factor productivity increased by 96.15–123.63%. NBTF combined with Boxingtanzhuang (in Chinese) seedling trays showed an increase in yield, whereas normal seedling trays showed a stable yield. It is suggested that the seedling tray and fertilizer should be specialized in the rice seedling box, and the height of the seedling tray should be increased by 3–5 cm. At the same time, special controlled-release urea should be selected to ensure less N release before emergence and improve the seedling emergence rate so as to popularize NBTF technology in a large area.

Germination patterns and seedling growth of congeneric native and invasive Mimosa species: Implications for risk assessment.

Comparisons of plant traits between native and invasive congeners are useful approaches for identifying characteristics that promote invasiveness. We compared germination patterns and seedling growth of locally sympatric populations of native Mimosa himalayana and two varieties of invasive M. diplotricha (var. diplotricha and var. inermis) growing in southeastern Nepal. Seeds were germinated under a 12-h photoperiod or complete dark, low (25/15°C day/night) and high (30/20°C) temperatures, different water stress levels (0, -0.1, -0.25, -0.5, -0.75 and -1.0 MPa), and soil depths (0, 2, and 4 cm). Plant height, biomass allocations, and relative growth rate (RGR) of seedlings were measured. Invasive M. diplotricha had higher germination percentage, rate, and shorter germination time compared with the native species. Germination of both congeners declined as water stress increased, but the decline was more pronounced in native species. Seedling emergence declined with increasing depth in all taxa. The seedlings of invasive species were taller with higher leaf number and allocated greater proportion of biomass to shoot, whereas the native congener allocated greater biomass to root. The RGR was nearly twice as high in invasive species as it was in the native congener. Seedling height and number of leaves were always higher in invasive than in native species, and the native-invasive differences increased over time. Better germination and higher growth performance of invasive species than the congeneric native one suggests that seed germination and seedling growth can be useful traits for the prediction of species' invasiveness in their introduced range during risk assessment process.

Improving the accuracy of cotton seedling emergence rate estimation by fusing UAV-based multispectral vegetation indices.

Timely and accurate estimation of cotton seedling emergence rate is of great significance to cotton production. This study explored the feasibility of drone-based remote sensing in monitoring cotton seedling emergence. The visible and multispectral images of cotton seedlings with 2 - 4 leaves in 30 plots were synchronously obtained by drones. The acquired images included cotton seedlings, bare soil, mulching films, and PE drip tapes. After constructing 17 visible VIs and 14 multispectral VIs, three strategies were used to separate cotton seedlings from the images: (1) Otsu's thresholding was performed on each vegetation index (VI); (2) Key VIs were extracted based on results of (1), and the Otsu-intersection method and three machine learning methods were used to classify cotton seedlings, bare soil, mulching films, and PE drip tapes in the images; (3) Machine learning models were constructed using all VIs and validated. Finally, the models constructed based on two modeling strategies [Otsu-intersection (OI) and machine learning (Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)] showed a higher accuracy. Therefore, these models were selected to estimate cotton seedling emergence rate, and the estimates were compared with the manually measured emergence rate. The results showed that multispectral VIs, especially NDVI, RVI, SAVI, EVI2, OSAVI, and MCARI, had higher crop seedling extraction accuracy than visible VIs. After fusing all VIs or key VIs extracted based on Otsu's thresholding, the binary image purity was greatly improved. Among the fusion methods, the Key VIs-OI and All VIs-KNN methods yielded less noises and small errors, with a RMSE (root mean squared error) as low as 2.69% and a MAE (mean absolute error) as low as 2.15%. Therefore, fusing multiple VIs can increase crop image segmentation accuracy. This study provides a new method for rapidly monitoring crop seedling emergence rate in the field, which is of great significance for the development of modern agriculture.

Effects of tillage and maturity stage on the yield, nutritive composition, and silage fermentation quality of whole-crop wheat.

Whole-crop wheat (Triticum aestivum, WCW) has a high nutritional value and digestibility. No-tillage (NT) can reduces energy and labor inputs in the agricultural production process, thus decreasing production costs. There are many studies on planting techniques of WCW at present, few being on no-tillage planting. This study aimed to compare the effects of different tillage methods and maturity stages on the yield, nutritive value, and silage fermentation quality of WCW. The experiment included two tillage methods (NT; conventional tillage, CT), two maturity stages (flowering stage; milk stage), and three years (2016-2017; 2017-2018; 2018-2019). Years had a strong influence on the yield and nutritional composition of WCW. This was mainly related to the amount of rainfall, as it affects the seedling emergence rate of wheat. Although tillage methods showed no significant effects on the yield, plant height, and stem number per plant of WCW (P > 0.05), compared to CT, the dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) yields of NT decreased by 0.74 t/ha and 0.13 t/ha. Tillage methods showed no significant effects on the nutritive composition of WCW (P > 0.05). The WCW at the milk stage had greater DM (5.25 t/ha) and CP (0.60 t/ha) yields than that at the flowering stage (3.19 t/ha and 0.39 t/ha) (P< 0.05). The acid detergent fiber concentration of WCW decreased by 34.5% from the flowering to the milk stage, whereas water-soluble carbohydrates concentration increased by 50.6%. The CP concentration at the milk stage was lower than that at the flowering stage (P< 0.05). The lactic acid concentration of NT (17.1 g/kg DM) silage was lower than that of CT (26.6 g/kg DM) silage (P< 0.05). The WCW silage at the milk stage had a lower NH3-N concentration (125 g/kg TN) than that at the flowering stage (169 g/kg TN) (P< 0.05). Wheat sown by NT and CT was of similar yield and nutritional value, irrespective of harvest stages. WCW harvested at the milk stage had greater yield and better nutritional composition and silage fermentation quality than that at the flowering stage. Based upon the results of the membership function analysis, no-tillage sowing of wheat was feasible and harvesting at milk stage was recommended.

Maize emergence rate and leaf emergence speed estimation via image detection under field rail-based phenotyping platform

Accurate and efficient acquisition of maize emergence rate and leaf emergence speed in the field is essential for detecting seed quality, evaluating crop field management plans, and yield assessment. This study constructs a system solution to obtain the maize seedling emergence rate and leaf emergence speed based on the field rail-based phenotyping platform and convolutional neural network. Firstly, we use the field rail-based phenotyping platform to collect a high-temporal sequence visible light images of maize plant during the seedling stage. In the first stage, an improved Faster R-CNN is used to detect maize seedlings in the plot images, and the plant ROI area is cropped as the input for the second stage network. In the second stage, the best performing ResNeSt network out of four backbone networks is chosen, using the Mask R-CNN model to segment the leaves of the input plant image, which is then used to calculate the number of leaves. We propose a quantification index for leaf emergence speed based on a weighted average combination of leaf numbers. Using the method described in this paper, we analyzed the plant images from 52 inbred lines plots of over seven consecutive days. The experimental results show that when the Intersection Over Union (IOU) is 0.50, the bbox_mAP of the maize seedling detection model is 0.969, with an accuracy rate of 99.53%. Compared with manual counting, the calculated R2 is 0.997 and RMSE is 43.382. The segm_mAP of the plant leaf segmentation model is 0.942. The differences in emergence rate and leaf emergence speed across 52 inbred lines were compared, providing new phenotyping reference indices for further exploring the genotypic differences affecting seed emergence and leafing.

Growth and Morphophysiological Responses of Protium heptaphyllum Seedlings to Root Deformation and Light Availability

Abstract J-root deformation caused at the time of pricking out is highlighted in several forest nursery manuals, but there are few reports in the literature on the consequences of this type of root deformation on the physiology and growth of tree seedlings. Protium heptaphyllum is a tropical tree with potential for use in forest enrichment projects and agroforestry systems. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass allocation, root hydraulic conductivity and growth of P. heptaphyllum seedlings subjected to root deformation and three contrasting light levels (44%, 28%, and 2% of full sunlight) over a period of 155 days. Root deformation negatively affected the shoot to root dry mass ratio (S/R), the diameter to root volume ratio (D/RV), the height to root volume ratio (H/RV) and relative growth rate (RGR). Seedlings at 44% and 28% of full sunlight had lower S/R and higher hydraulic conductivity per unit of root volume (Kr/RV), net assimilation rate (NAR), and RGR when compared with seedlings at 2% of full sunlight. No significant interactions were observed between root deformation and light. Root deformation caused at the time of pricking out affects the quality of seedlings, decreasing growth rates and changing morphophysiological characteristics independently of light availability. Study Implications: Poor quality tree seedlings with J-root deformation is a problem frequently pointed out in forest nursery manuals. Despite this, there is scarce information in the literature on how errors in the pricking out process affect the morphology and physiology of tree seedlings. We demonstrated that this type of root deformation decreases the growth rate and changes important characteristics of Protium heptaphyllum seedlings regardless of light environment. We highlight important morphological and physiological effects of errors in the management of tree seedlings, which are frequently pointed out in forest nursery manuals but have not been demonstrated by experimental studies.

Precise colocalization of sorghum’s major chilling tolerance locus with Tannin1 due to tight linkage drag rather than antagonistic pleiotropy

Chilling tolerance in crops can increase resilience through longer growing seasons, drought escape, and nitrogen use efficiency. In sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench), breeding for chilling tolerance has been stymied by coinheritance of the largest-effect chilling tolerance locus, qSbCT04.62, with the major gene underlying undesirable grain proanthocyanidins, WD40 transcriptional regulator Tannin1. To test if this coinheritance is due to antagonistic pleiotropy of Tannin1, we developed and studied near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying chilling tolerant haplotypes at qCT04.62. Whole-genome sequencing of the NILs revealed introgressions spanning part of the qCT04.62 confidence interval, including the Tannin1 gene and an ortholog of Arabidopsis cold regulator CBF/DREB1G. Segregation pattern of grain tannin in NILs confirmed the presence of wildtype Tannin1 and the reconstitution of a functional MYB-bHLH-WD40 regulatory complex. Low-temperature germination did not differ between NILs, suggesting that Tannin1 does not modulate this component of chilling tolerance. Similarly, NILs did not differ in seedling growth rate under either of two contrasting controlled environment chilling scenarios. Finally, while the chilling tolerant parent line had notably different photosynthetic responses from the susceptible parent line – including greater non-photochemical quenching before, during, and after chilling – the NIL responses match the susceptible parent. Thus, our findings suggest that tight linkage drag, not pleiotropy, underlies the precise colocalization of Tan1 with qCT04.62 and the qCT04.62 quantitative trait nucleotide lies outside the NIL introgressions. Breaking linkage at this locus should advance chilling tolerance breeding in sorghum and the identification of a novel chilling tolerance regulator.

Research progress on the method and index evaluating strong seedlings of winter wheat during overwintering stage.

The extreme weather disasters before winter caused by global climate change seriously affect the formation of strong seedlings of wheat. Cultivating strong seedlings is the premise of realizing high yield, high efficiency, and high quality of wheat. The cultivation of strong wheat seedlings is closely related to seed quality, straw returning quality, land preparation quality, sowing quality, water and fertilizer operation and meteorological factors. Seed quality and tillage measures are the primary factors affecting the cultivation of strong wheat seedlings, which determine the quality of wheat seedling emergence. Secondly, meteorological factors determine growth rate and photosynthetic production of wheat seedlings. Mounting studies have addressed the cultivation of strong seedlings and the evaluation of seedling conditions of wheat. This research focused on comparing and summarizing the evaluation methods and indices of strong seedlings of winter wheat, the historical changes of evaluation standards and the main technical measures for cultivating strong seedlings, and proposed the cultivation and evaluation methods of strong seedlings of winter wheat in the future. We aimed to further improve the evaluation method of winter wheat strong seedlings, advance the classification management, precise guidance and fine service of winter wheat seedlings, and realize strong seedlings through scientific and technological ways.

Metabolic Adaptations in Rapeseed: Hemin-Induced Resilience to NaCl Stress by Enhancing Growth, Photosynthesis, and Cellular Defense Ability.

This study aimed to investigate whether presoaking with hemin (5 μmol·L-1) could alleviate NaCl stress during rapeseed seedlings' growth and its role in the regulation of photosynthesis. In this experiment, 'HUAYOUZA 62 (HYZ 62)' and 'HUAYOUZA 158R (158R)' were used as materials for pot experiments to study the morphology, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant activity, and osmoregulatory factors of seedlings under different salt concentrations, as well as the regulatory effects of hemin-presoaked seeds. Our findings revealed that, compared the control, NaCl stress inhibited the growth of two rapeseed varieties, decreased the seedling emergence rate, and increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), the electrolyte leakage rate (EL) and antioxidant enzyme activity. Hemin soaking alleviated the adverse effects of salt stress and increased plant height, root elongation and dry matter accumulation. Compared with all NaCl treatments, hemin significantly enhanced photosynthetic indexes, including a percent increase of 12.99-24.36% and 5.39-16.52% in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), 17.86-48.08% and 8.6-23.44% in stomatal conductivity (Gs), and 15.42-37.94% and 11.09-19.08% in transpiration rate (Tr) for HYZ62 and 158R, respectively. Moreover, hemin soaking also increased antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), reducing the malondialdehyde, and thus resulting in the alleviation of oxidative damage caused by NaCl stress. Furthermore, hemin stimulated the formation of soluble protein, which effectively regulated the osmo-protective qualities. The current findings strongly elucidate that hemin soaking could effectively alleviate the negative impacts of NaCl stress by regulating the morphological, photosynthetic, and antioxidant traits. This study provides a new idea regarding the effect of Hemin on the salt tolerance of rapeseed, and provides a basis for the practical application of Hemin in saline-alkali soil to improve the salt tolerance of cultivated rapeseed.

Exploration and characterization of Gayam (Inocarpus fagifer): Conservation foundation for sustainable tropical ecosystems

The conservation of the Inocarpus fagifer plant, commonly known as Gayam, is a significant focus in protecting important tropical ecosystems. This research aims to assess the preservation and development of Gayam in the Conservation Garden Area of Postgraduate Science Education at Bengkulu University. The study employed a descriptive quantitative and qualitative approach, utilizing primary and secondary data collection methods. The analysis involved examining the growth rate of Gayam seedlings, environmental conditions, and factors influencing preservation. The findings revealed that Gayam has the potential for widespread distribution in Indonesia, with various local names. However, Gayam does not dominate at the seedling stage, making seed preservation crucial. The characteristics of Gayam, including its crown, stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, define this plant. Preservation success is influenced by factors such as moisture content, temperature, storage medium, and light intensity. The observations of light intensity in the conservation area indicated favorable conditions for photosynthesis. To maintain Gayam seedlings, watering, fertilizing, and pest control are necessary. The use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers, as well as organic pesticides, supports the growth of the seedlings. A comprehensive understanding of these aspects is essential for enhancing the preservation and potential expansion of Gayam in the Bengkulu University Master of Science Education Conservation Area. This research contributes significantly to biodiversity conservation efforts and the sustainability of tropical ecosystems in Indonesia, particularly through the preservation of Gayam plants, which play important ecological, economic, and social roles.

Integrated microbiomics and metabolomics analysis reveals the influence of gut microbiota on the growth and metabolism of sea cucumber seedlings.

This study explores the impact of gut microbiota on body metabolites and the growth rate of sea cucumber seedlings. A comprehensive analysis using metabolomics and microbiomics was conducted to ascertain the gut microbiota and body metabolites in sea cucumber seedlings exhibiting varying growth rates. Distinct changes in the intestinal flora were observed in correlation with different growth rates of sea cucumber seedlings. The microbial communities of faster-growing seedlings exhibited greater diversity and evenness of taxa. For example, the abundance of genera Rhodococcus, Woeseia, Lysobacter, Desulfuromonadia_Sva1033, and Flavobacteriaceae_NS5_marine_group was more than 24 times higher in the fast-growing group compared to the slow-growing group. Metabolomics analysis revealed an association between high growth rates of cucumber seedlings and discrepancies in metabolites, such as amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Isorenieratene, possibly synthesized by Rhodococcus, was more than 2.5 times more abundant in the fast-growing group than the slow-growing group. Slow-growing seedlings showed considerable enrichment of environmental pollutants, such as antibiotics and drugs, while their colonies were devoid of bacteria capable of degrading such pollutants. In addition, significant differences were observed between groups in the biosynthesis of amino acids, metabolism of arginine and proline, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and metabolism of linoleic acid. Moreover, significant correlations between the microbial genera and sea cucumber metabolites were identified through correlation analysis. Significant differences exist in the gut microbiota and metabolite composition among seedlings with varying growth rates. Microbes residing in the gut have the potential to influence the growth of seedlings through modulation of their metabolism.

Annual dynamics of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen content by using capsulated carbamide in cassettes of one-year-old seedlings of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Over the past decades of forestry development in Russia, the main trends have been identified, according to which P. sylvestris planting material can be effectively grown in a container method with a closed root system, considering the forest-seed area. The purpose of the study was to study the annual dynamics of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen in a soil with P. sylvestris with a closed root system using encapsulated urea with hydroquinone and mulch. The objectives of the study were based on the study of the effect of mineral fertilizers on the annual dynamics of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen and their effect on the growth of seedlings. The object of the study was the dynamics of the content of these nitrogen compounds in the soil. The study was carried out by methods of agrochemical, biometric and statistical analysis. Thus, the use of extended-form carbamide makes it possible to cover the need of plants for nitrogen nutrition throughout the growing season, having a significant impact on their growth in stem height. The use of encapsulated carbamide with hydroquinone, 0.5 cm pine mulch, potassium monophosphate and phosphorous flour allows the production of the best P. sylvestris seedlings with a maximum height of 188.82±15.41 mm per year due to constant saturation of the soil with available nitrogen, on which a change in the growth rate of seedlings is almost directly dependent (R = 0.99821-0.99988; Multiple R = 0.99643-0.99977; Adjusted R = 0.98928-0.99930; p &lt; 0.01525-0.05978). At the same time, ammonium nitrogen has the greatest effect on it (p &lt; 0.01633-0.05436).

Современное состояние почв лесных питомников таежной зоны Европейской части России

When producing planting material in the taiga zone, it is extremely important to assess problematic sites in forest nurseries. Attention should be paid to poor soil quality, which can significantly affect the growth rate of seedlings and the yield of standard planting material. The article considers a comprehensive assessment of soil conditions in forest nurseries of the taiga zone of the European part of Russia. The research was conducted in six forest nurseries. Agrochemical and physical properties of soils were determined. The content of organic matter in the soils of forest nurseries is low, mobile forms of phosphorus, exchangeable potassium and alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen are insufficient for optimal growth and development of coniferous seedlings. The level of acidity in the soils of nurseries in the taiga zone of the European part of Russia turned out to be favorable. Half of the studied forest nurseries have increased density of soil composition, which can lead to the formation of soils with low pore volume, limiting air intake and moisture retention in the soil. A decrease in the intensity of seedling growth and yield of standard seedlings may occur due to the lack of technological measures such as weed control, lack of irrigation, etc., but one of the most important reasons is the insufficient supply of soils with mineral and organic substances. Equalization of soil fertility parameters in forest nurseries can be achieved by application of necessary fertilizers and by means of cultivation. The results of the presented work will make it possible to draw the attention of specialists engaged in the cultivation of planting material in the taiga zone of the European part of Russia to the problem of low soil fertility.

Condicionamento de sementes com qualidade de luz e extrato de Cyperus rotundus L. modula a germinação e o crescimento inicial de plântulas de Moringa oleifera

Improving plant germination is essential to guarantee better quality seedlings. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate whether the seed priming with light quality (LIQ) and the aqueous extract of Cyperus rotundus (AEC) tuber could modulate the germination and initial growth of Moringa oleifera L. seedlings. The experimental design was a completely randomized in the 4x4 factorial scheme, composed of four LIQ conditions (white, blue, red, and distant red light) and four AEC concentrations (0, 25, 50 and 100%). Seed priming with red light reduced the average emergence time, while blue, red, and extreme red lights associated with 50% of aqueous extract of C. rotundus increased shoot initial length and photosynthetic pigment accumulation. Seed priming with blue light resulted in seedlings with a shorter final shoot length. However, application of 100% of aqueous extract of C. rotundus reversed this. The white light in combination with concentrations of 50 and 100% of AEC promoted a higher relative shoot growth rate of seedlings. The research revealed that seed priming with light quality and aqueous extracts of C. rotundus tubers modulates the germination and initial growth of M. oleifera seedlings. More work needs to be done to determine the responsible compounds in AEC that is responsible for priming growth as phytohormones.