Longest Shoot Length Research Articles

Effects of plant growth regulators on virus-free plantlet regeneration from Abroma augustum (L.) seeds

Abroma augusta is a popular folk therapeutic plant in Bangladesh, rightly called Devil’s cotton in English. The present study was performed to evaluate the in vitro multiple shoot and root generation of Abroma augustum plants. In vitro seed germination, shoot proliferation and root induction were performed following previous methods. The highest percentage of seed germination was 90±0.0% after seven days of inoculation, after which the plants were sterilized with 0.1% NaOCl for 2 min. The longest shoot length was 7.6±0.6 cm at the MS+2+0.3 mg/L BAP+NAA concentration. The greatest number of roots per shoot was 12.0±1.0 cm, and the greatest length of roots was 6.8±1.6 cm in MS media supplemented with 1.0 mg/L IBA. Both the shoots and roots were vigorous and sufficient in length and number. The present study established an efficient in vitro micropopagation process for Abroma augustum plantlet production through seeds. The findings of the present research will be helpful for rapidly regenerating disease-free plantlets.

Temporary Immersion Bioreactor (TIB) System for Large-Scale Micropropagation of Musa sp. cv Kluai Numwa Pakchong 50

Conventional in vitro propagation using semisolid Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture systems is costly, labor-intensive, and requires substantial space for large-scale plant production. This study investigated the application of a temporary immersion bioreactor (TIB) system for the micropropagation of the banana cultivar Kluai Numwa Pakchong 50, as a promising platform for economical commercial production. The cultivation parameters affecting plantlet multiplication, including plant growth regulator (PGR) use, explant density, and immersion frequency, were examined. Additionally, the ex vitro acclimatization of well-developed in vitro plantlets was also evaluated. Using liquid MS medium supplemented with 7.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) in the TIB system yielded significantly better results than the conventional semisolid MS control system, producing more shoots (5.60 shoots/explant) and leaves (2.80 leaves/explant) with longer shoot length (2.19 cm). Optimal conditions in the TIB system included an inoculum density of five explants per culture vessel and an immersion frequency of once every 6 or 8 h for 2 min. For root induction, 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) proved more effective than 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). After 30 days of ex vitro acclimatization, plantlets regenerated from the TIB system demonstrated high survival rates, vegetative growth performance, and root formation efficiency comparable to those from the semisolid culture system. These findings establish the TIB system as a promising platform for the mass propagation of the Kluai Numwa Pakchong 50 banana. The protocol developed in this study could potentially be adapted for large-scale production of other banana varieties.

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Mass Propagation of Strawberry (Fragaria sp.)

Efficient in vitro regeneration protocols for strawberries are crucial for accelerating the propagation of superior cultivars and improving overall productivity through controlled manipulation of plant growth regulators. This study investigated the influence of different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators on in vitro regeneration process of strawberries. BARI Strawberry-1 runner tips were sterilized and placed on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with various combinations of cytokinins, including 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN), to initiate shoot growth. Notably, the combination of 1.5 mg/L BAP + 1.0 mg/L KIN led to the shortest duration for shoot initiation (9 days), resulting in the highest number of shoots per explants (6.33), longest shoot length (2.87 cm), and maximum number of leaves per shoot (4.00). Additionally, this combination also exhibited the highest rate of shoot regeneration (70.33%). Subsequently, the proliferated shoots were transferred to MS medium supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of auxins, specifically 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), for root induction. The in vitro regenerated shoots cultured in MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L IBA + 1.0 mg/L NAA showed the shortest duration for root formation (8 days), the highest number of roots per explants (4.00), and the longest root length (2.77 cm). Furthermore, this combination also resulted in the highest rate of root regeneration (40%). These findings contribute valuable insights for the mass production of healthy strawberry plantlets using in vitro culture techniques. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 22(2):178-184, 2024

Ameliorative impacts of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on seedling growth, physiological biomarkers, and gene expression in eight wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars under salt stress

Highlights1. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been proven to promote seedling growth in wheat varieties exposed to salt stress. As a result, there was enhanced root growth, longer shoot length, and improved overall health of the seedlings.2. GABA has been shown to enhance physiological indicators (chlorophyll levels and enhanced relative water content) in wheat varieties under salt stress conditions and minimize membrane impairment, all of which indicate improved stress resistance and general plant well-being.3. GABA therapy has been found to increase gene expression in wheat cultivars subjected to salt stress. This includes the upregulation of stress-responsive genes and the downregulation of genes associated with negative stress responses, ultimately leading to improved resilience and adaptation to harsh growing conditions.4. The impact of GABA on seedling growth, physiological biomarkers, and gene expression can change depending on the unique wheat cultivar. Each wheat variety may show distinct reactions to GABA therapy, emphasizing the need for cultivar-specific studies and customized strategies to optimize the advantages of GABA in reducing salt stress in wheat farming.

Effect of Seed Priming on Germination, Seedling Emergence and Development of Spring Rice Var. Hardinath-1

Poor germination percentage and non-uniform seedling emergence and establishment are major causes of low rice yield in water-deficit arid ecosystems. A seed priming study with a low concentration of MoP, DAP, urea, vitamin C, ZnSO4, sucrose, NaCl, and hydro priming was conducted to assess the seed germination, seedling emergence, establishment, and seedling growth of the spring rice variety Hardinath-1. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. Two test sets of experiments were carried out using blotting paper rolls and separate sand trays. Germination was observed at intervals of 24 hours up to 7 days, and germination and growth parameters were monitored. The results showed that germination (88.67%) and seedling emergence (88.67%) were high in vitamin C at 7 days after sowing (DAS). Germination energy (81%), germination speed (91.78%), and vigor index (91.78) were higher with seed priming of MoP. The lowest germination (56.44%) was observed with the priming of urea. At 30 DAS, the longest shoot length (19.93 cm) and longest root length (11.79 cm) were observed with the priming of ZnSO4. The highest seedling fresh weight (0.75 g) and dry weight (0.16 g), the highest number of leaves (3.57), and the longest leaf length (11.97 cm) were found with the priming of MoP, NaCl, and ZnSO4, respectively. However, the lowest seedling growth parameters were observed in the control priming. The overall results revealed that seed priming with MoP is an effective tool to enhance the germination percentage and seedling establishment of rice. SAARC J. Agric., 21(2): 81-93 (2023)

Light-Emitting Diode Light Quality Influences Germination and Sprout Characteristics of Motherwort

Motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt) is an important medicinal plant known for its excellent antioxidant properties. Nonetheless, in South Korea, its availability remains limited due to the challenge of low seed germination rates, affecting field production. To tackle this problem, it is imperative to focus on controlled production methods. In our study, we conducted experiments in a laboratory setting, employing various combinations of light-emitting diode (LED) lights to cultivate motherwort. The influence of LED light quality on seed germination, initial growth, and functionality of motherwort is evaluated. The germination rate of motherwort ranged from 36.1 ± 7.35% to 75.0 ± 1.60%, and the highest value was observed in the red LED 100% treatment. The mean shoot length also varied depending on LED light quality. The longest shoot length (3.45 ± 0.13 g) was obtained in the red LED 100% treatment. The highest shoot weight (0.266 ± 0.011 cm) and root weight (0.051 ± 0.008 cm) were obtained in the red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment. The total phenolic content of the motherwort sprout ranged from 2.50 ± 0.30 mg GAE/g to 3.01 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g, with the highest value from the white LED (control) treatment, but no significant differences were observed among the treatments. The red LED 30% and blue LED 70% mixed treatment showed the highest total flavonoid content (11.62 ± 0.79 mg QE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (57.64 ± 2.95%). The red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment had a similar level of DPPH scavenging activity as the control, and there was no positive or negative effect on the functionality of motherwort sprout. Overall, the results suggest that the red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment can be effectively used to increase productivity in motherwort without decreasing its important quality.

A standardized protocol for genetically stable artificial seed production of Ficus religiosa L. using ISSR fingerprinting

Ficus religiosa LQuery. has several ornamental, medicinal, and economical applications. The in vivo propagation of this species has shown various limitations. Due to this reason, the present study efforts on genetically uniform artificial seed production from in vitro developed shoot tips of this species. The in vivo shoot tips were cultivated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing different growth regulators. The maximum shoot response (93.67%) and the longest shoot length (3.85cm) were exhibited with 0.5mg L-1 6-furfuryl-amino purine (Kn), 0.2mg L-1 benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1mg L-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in combination. A treatment of 3% sodium alginate and 75mM calcium chloride having a polymerization time of 15min was exhibited to be superior for artificial seed production of these in vitro grown shoot tips. Artificial seed-derived micro shoots yielded the highest root response (94.44%) and roots per shoot (4.61) with 0.5mg L-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 0.1mg L-1 BA in combination on ½-strength MS media. In comparison to 4°C-kept artificial seeds, 24°C-stored artificial seeds had superior germination potential across all storage times. The soil:organic manure (1:1) generated 90% of plantlet survival after 28days of primary hardening than other mixtures tested. The secondary hardening displayed 92% of plant survival after 60days. The banding patterns of ISSR analysis between the mother plant and hardened plants were discovered to be monomorphic. This methodology provides a promising and affordable approach to the large-scale plant productionof this significant species.

Spectral quality influence on in vitro morphophysiological responses of Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden and Eucalyptus grandis W.Hill ex Maiden × E. urophylla S.T.Blake

Background: In vitro growth and development of plants in the micropropagation stages are influenced by several factors, including the light spectral quality, which has shown important effects on the photomorphogenesis. The work aimed to evaluate the photomorphogenic effect of spectral qualities on in vitro culture of Eucalyptus dunnii and Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla. Methods: Six light spectral qualities (i.e., red, white, blue, yellow, purple, and green) on in vitro multiplication, elongation, and adventitious rooting stages were evaluated through analysis of variance followed by a Tukey’s test. Results: White spectral quality was most adequate for in vitro multiplication of Eucalyptus dunnii and Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla, as it resulted in less tissue oxidation, longer shoot length, and more buds per explant. Red, blue and yellow spectral qualities increased the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll (a+b) leaf contents of Eucalyptus dunnii. To promote in vitro elongation, white spectral quality was most suitable for Eucalyptus dunnii, and yellow for Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla, as these resulted in more shoot length and shoots per explant. Red, white, blue and purple spectral qualities increased the stomatal density of Eucalyptus dunnii; while the white and yellow were the better for Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla. To promote in vitro rooting, the white and yellow spectral qualities caused the best results for the Eucalyptus dunnii and Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla, with longer root length and more roots per explant. Eucalyptus dunnii showed reduced adventitious rooting, regardless of spectral quality. Conclusions: Light quality influence the morphophysiological responses of Eucalyptus in different stages of in vitro culture. Our results contribute to maximise the in vitro cloning of important eucalypts species.

Intercropping pulses with mulberry on sericulture productivity and profitability

This study was conducted during 2020-2021 in three locations viz: research field of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi, five farmer’s fields of Bholahat, Chapainawabganj and Paba, Rajshahi to evaluate the effect of growing pulses intercrops with mulberry productivity, silkworm rearing, soil properties and economy. The experiments were laid out in RCBD methods with three replications and six treatments.The growth and yield parameters of mulberry like average branch number/plant, total leaf number/plant, total branches length/plant, nodes/ meter/plant, length of longest shoot, leaf present/branch, 10 leaves area, total leaf weight/plant, total shoots weight/plant and total leaf yield were higher in T4. Leaf quality viz: moisture content, total chlorophyll, crude protein, total sugar, reducing sugar and mineral in percentage (%) were significantly greater in T4. The cocoon attributes like weight of 15 larvae, single cocoon weight, shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, highest filament length, renditta and cocoon productivity/100 dfls were better also in T4 (54.68, 33.75, 0.27, 21.98, 990.41, 10.29 and 72.67) as compared to control (51.23, 31.21,0.19, 19.05, 962.96, 12.44, 69.07) respectively. Chickpea as an intercrop was given higher benefit: cost (1.30) due to increased soil fertility, higher leaf yield (except control), leaf quality, cocoon yield and additional income as compared with other intercrops (1.14, 1.07, 1.01, 0.93 and 0.86 for pea, grasspea, mugbean, sole mulberry and lentil respectively). Bangladesh J. Agri. 2022, 47(2): 107-118

In-vitro Propagation of Dendrobium chryseum Rolfe

Dendrobium chryseum is an endangered epiphytic and lithophytic orchid species having medicinal and ornamental value. The objective of the present study is to develop micropropagation protocol for D. chryseum. The immature seeds of D. chryseum were used as an explant for the micropropagation. Protocorms were developed within 90 days in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without plant growth regulators. Protocorms were differentiated into micro shoots after 30 days of transfer to MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L Benzyl amino purine (BAP), 1 mg/L kinetin and 10% coconut water. Among eleven different combinations of plant growth regulators (BAP, á-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), Adenine sulphate, Kinetin and coconut water) treated for shoot multiplication, maximum number of shoots were obtained in 0.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA (5.8 ± 0.53 SE shoots per explant). Longest shoot length was recorded in MS medium with Adenine sulphate (1 mg/L) (2.54 ± 0.03 cm SE). Root induction was carried out by using MS medium with different concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0 mg/L) of Indole butyric acid (IBA) and NAA. The highest numbers of roots and longest root length, both were observed at 2 mg/L IBA (4.63 ± 0.56 SE and 2.09 ± 0.25 cm SE respectively). 2 mg/L NAA showed poor response for root number (0.94 ± 0.21 SE) and root length (0.43 ± 0.07 cm SE). Successful acclimatization of in-vitro grown plantlets was done by wrapping the plantlet with moss kept on fine pine bark and the survival rate of plantlet was about 80% after 30 days. This protocol could be helpful for the effective mass propagation and ex situ conservation of D. chryseum.

Enhancement of shoot organogenesis in Polygonum tinctorium by sucrose and gelling agents

Indigo (Polygonum tinctorium), though it is a medicinal and dye crop, can also be grown in temperate areas, especially because it is commonly disseminated in Japan. To date, much research has been considered under investigation, especially for the regeneration of the indigo plant. Here in this study, we investigated the response of sucroses and gelling agents on the shoot organogenesis of the indigo plant. Micropropagation in terms of shoot regeneration and its growth was highly responded to sucrose and gelling agents. While culturing of internode explants on initial shoot regeneration media supplemented with sucrose and gelling agents of phytagar and gelrite significantly upgraded the regeneration efficiency as well as shoot growth. The regeneration capacity of the shoot was augmented with increased levels of sucrose up to 40 g L-1 and then started to decrease, whereas the increasing pattern continued even at the highest concentration (50 g L-1). The highest shoot regeneration (6.0 ± 0.5) was achieved by the treatment of 40 g L-1 giving 7.5 times higher shoot regeneration compared to the control. The increasing pattern for shoot length was more pronounced than that of shoot regeneration. The shoot length ranged from 10.2 mm to 23.5 mm within the sucrose treatments. In this study, the highest shoot length (23.5± 0.21) was observed by the treatment of 50 g L-1 exhibiting 2.3 times higher shoot length compared to the control. Gelling agent gelrite performed better than phytagar for both regeneration and shoot length growth. The shoot regeneration among the phytagar treatments ranged from 3.8 to 6.0 shoots/explant whereas the shoot regeneration ranged from 6.6 to 7.2 among the gelrite treatments. The highest shoots/explant (7.2) and the longest shoot length (22.4 mm) were observed due to the treatment of gelrite 3. The lowest shoot regeneration and shoot length were denoted when phytagar 9 was applied. It is proposed from our study that sucrose and gelling agent especially gelrite 3 could be applied in shoot organogenesis and plant transformation of any plant species, especially for P. tinctorium.

Clonal fidelity investigation of micropropagated hardened plants of jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) with RAPD markers

BackgroundArtocarpus heterophyllus is an important tropical agroforestry species that bears multiple applications. However, the population of this species is reduced due to various anthropogenic activities. For this reason, in vitro approach is needed to propagate or conserve this species as in vivo propagation methods face various obstacles. In this respect, the present investigation was undertaken to produce genetically stable jackfruit trees through in vitro technology. In vivo grew shoot tips were harvested on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing several plant growth regulators to achieve this. ResultsThe 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at the concentration of 1.5 mg L-1, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 0.5 mg L-1, and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 0.1 mg L-1 in combination on MS media yielded superior shoot response (94.44%), longest shoot length (4.02 cm), and the maximum number of shoots per explant (4.78). They were further multiplied by repeated subculturing on the same media composition and the third subculture resulted in a maximum number of shoots (5.92) with the largest shoot length (5.85 cm). Among the different media screened for rooting, the ¼ MS media yielded 94.44% rooting response, the longest root length (3.78 cm), and the maximum number of roots per shoot (8.44) with 0.1 mg L-1 NAA, 0.5 mg L-1 IBA and 0.1 mg L-1 BAP in combination. Primary hardening showed 88.89% of plant survival under greenhouse conditions after 4 weeks of incubation having a sterilized mixture of garden soil and vermiculite mixture (1:1, w/w). It increased to 90.60% after the secondary hardening process in a vermiculite-soil mixture (2:1; w/w). No polymorphism was detected on random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling between the mother plant and hardened plants, indicating high genetic stability among the clones. ConclusionsThis is the first report of the genetic fidelity study of in vitro grown regenerants of A. heterophyllus. This study established a micropropagation protocol for genetically uniform in vitro regeneration of this species to supply plant resources to various industries or conservation of elite germplasm.

Overexpression of Asr6, abscisic acid stress-ripening protein, enhances drought tolerance and modulates gene expression in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.), being a paddy crop, is particularly susceptible to drought, reducing its yield drastically. Abscisic acid stress-ripening proteins (Asr) are a family of plant-specific ABA-induced low molecular weight hydrophilic proteins encoded by the stress-regulated gene. This work substantiates the biological role of rice Asr6 against drought stress by its overexpression in rice. The Asr6 overexpressing (OE) lines showed better overall growth than wild-type (WT) plants reflected by their longer shoot length with higher biomass and enhanced density of the lateral roots. The decreased level of MDA and electrolyte leakage, higher proline content, less ROS accumulation, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, APX, and CAT) were observed in OE lines as compared to WT plants during drought stress. The OE lines showed better recovery than WT plants after drought stress at the reproductive stage, in the terms of the increased number of panicles and total grain yields. The transcriptome analysis revealed that Asr6 regulates the expression of a wide spectrum of genes related to hormone metabolism, stress (abiotic and biotic), transcription factors, antioxidant activity, photosynthesis, signalling, transport and secondary metabolites. Interestingly, the genes related to jasmonic acid biosynthesis (up-regulation of LOX and AOS) and signalling (up-regulation of COI1 and down-regulation of JAZ proteins) were differentially expressed in OE lines, which were further validated by qRT-PCR analysis. Our findings demonstrate, Asr6 to be a positive regulator commonly involved in tolerance to drought stress and may regulate a novel JA-dependent signalling pathway in rice for drought tolerance. • Overexpression of Asr6 can improve drought stress tolerance in rice. • Asr6 promotes lateral root growth leading to higher root biomass as compared to wild type plants under drought condition. • Asr6 transgenic rice maintains redox homeostasis on exposure to drought. • Asr6 alters the expression of jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signalling pathway genes.

Effect of Different Concentrations and Combinations of BAP and NAA on Micropropagation of Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum Linn.) Red

Anthurium anderanum from Araneae family, is a plant with high commercial value. Tissue culture technique appears as an alternative way propagation to increase Anthurium production. The recent research intended to establish an efficient regeneration method for Anthurium andraeanum tissue culture. Young Anthurium plantlets including young shoots, petioles and leaves were applied for regeneration through in vitro indirect organogenesis method from the undefined plant tissues. Callus proliferation was induced by the use of Morishige and Skoog media along with 0.6 mg/l 2,4- Dichlorophenes acetic acid. Shoot regeneration medium consisted of MS salts with supplemented different combinations of BAP and NAA. The number of shoots per explants was significantly increased in 7 months of culture periods in all different combinations but there were found that 14 shoots/explant and 13.9 shoots/explant in NA+ BAP (0+3mg/l) and (0.2+0mg/l) respectively. The longest shoot length (17.3 cm) was found in NAA+BAP (0+0.5mg/l). Rooting was found automatically in shoot proliferation medium. Regenerated plantlets were potted in mixture of broken brick, coco husk and charcoal and successfully acclimatized.

Study on the Effect of Auxin in In vitro Root Regeneration and Survival of Dendrobium cv. Sonia Earsakul

The investigation was carried out during 2017-2019 at the Tissue Culture Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, NU: SASRD, Nagaland to study the influence of different auxins in varied doses on in vitro root regeneration of Dendrobium cv. Sonia Earsakul. The different treatments used are IBA, NAA and IAA @ 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mgL-1 respectively. The study revealed that among the different treatments IBA @1 mg/l resulted in the longest root length (5.97 cm), longest shoot length (7.8 cm), highest survivability during primary hardening (34.30%) and secondary hardening (94.29%).

A Study on The Determination of Some Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Broadcast Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) Seeds

This study was carried out to determine some morphological and physiological characteristics of common vetch seeds. The study was carried out in the laboratories of Bingöl University, Faculty of Agriculture, Biosystem Engineering and Field Crops departments in 2019-2020. The common vetch Altınoğlu-2001, Aneto, Ankaramoru08, Cumhuriyet-99, Orakefe and Tamkoç-2000 varieties were used as plant material. Morphological features of common vetch seeds are length (mm), width (mm), surface area (mm2), mean arithmetic diameter (mm), mean geometric diameter (mm), sphericity and thousand seed weight (g), and physiological features are germination rate. (%), germination time (day), mean root (cm) and shoot (cm) lengths were considered. Average length of seeds of common vetch cultivars was 4.876 mm, width was 4.403 mm, surface area was 17.808 mm2, arithmetic diameter was 4.639 mm, geometric diameter was 35,599 mm, sphericity value was 7.219 and thousand-grain weight was 58.050 g. In terms of these characteristics, Orakefe variety gave the highest values, while Cumhuriyet-99 gave the lowest values. Average germination rate of seeds of common vetch cultivars was 99.167%, germination time was 1.060 days, shoot length was 7.123 cm and root length was 5.794 cm. The longest shoot length was determined in Cumhuriyet-99 and the shortest shoot length was determined in Orakefe cultivars. The longest root length was determined in Ankaramoru08, and the shortest root length was determined in the Altınoğlu-2001 variety.

Effects of Trichoderma and Foliar Fertilizer on the Vegetative Growth of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Seedlings

Black pepper is a high nutrient-demanding crop; however, high application rates of the chemical fertilizer may give a negative impact on the environment and human health. Coapplication of the chemical fertilizer with biological fertilizers or biological agents is very important to support growth and high yield. This field experiment was carried out to study the effect of Trichoderma harzianum and foliar fertilization on the vegetative growth of black pepper. The study was conducted for 4 months. The research method was arranged in a factorial based on randomized block design (RBD). The first factor was the application of Trichoderma (50 g, 75 g, and 100 g per plant), and the second one was foliar fertilizers (1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and without foliar fertilizer as the control). The treatments were repeated three times. The results showed that the application of both Trichoderma and foliar fertilizer affected the rate of shoot growth, the number of leaves, and the emergence time on black pepper seedlings under the nursery conditions. The application of 50 g/plant of Trichoderma and 1.5% of the foliar fertilizer resulted in 26% longer shoot length and 54% more leaves and accelerated the appearance of shoots 10 days earlier compared to without Trichoderma and the foliar fertilizer.

Evaluation of Algae-Based Fertilizers Produced from Revolving Algal Biofilms on Kentucky Bluegrass

The revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system is a wastewater treatment method that is effective at removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a result produces algae that could be used as a sustainable fertilizer source. A two-year greenhouse study was conducted to investigate if algae-based fertilizers produced from the RAB wastewater treatment system could be used as an effective and sustainable turfgrass fertilizer. Fertilizer treatments included pure algae (PA), algae + cellulosic filler (Blended), Milorganite, urea, and a nontreated control. Overall, in terms of percent green cover (PGC), Blended and PA performed similar to Milorganite and outperformed urea and the nontreated control. At the conclusion of the study, Blended was the only treatment to have an increased PGC relative to urea, which was a 29% increase. On average throughout the duration of the study, Blended and PA resulted in similar dark green color index (DGCI) relative to Milorganite and urea, and outperformed the nontreated control. Blended, PA, and Milorganite resulted in 50% and 111% greater total root length compared to urea and the nontreated control, respectively. Furthermore, Blended and Milorganite resulted in 107% and 136% greater root surface area and root volume, respectively, compared to urea and the nontreated control. Pure algae resulted in 58% greater root surface area relative to urea and the nontreated control. Blended and Milorganite increased the longest root by 22% compared to urea. Additionally, Blended and Milorganite resulted in 114% and 110% greater root and shoot biomass relative to the nontreated control, respectively. Blended and PA had a similar longest shoot length to Milorganite and urea. Overall, Blended and PA performed similar or better compared to Milorganite and urea in terms of turfgrass shoot growth, cover, color, and rooting. Thus, algae-based fertilizers (PA and Blended) produced from the RAB system should be considered an effective, sustainable turfgrass fertilizer.

In vitro Propagation of Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Through Embryo Culture

The chances of shoot-regeneration from embryo culture of Morinda citrifolia L. seeds was investigated. Germination on different strengths of MS and control (Sterile distilled water) started by two weeks after inoculation (WAI). At 6 WAI, 90% of the embryo had germinated from 25% MS followed by 80% in control, 70% from 50% MS and 40% each from 100 and 75% MS. Similarly, the same MS media strengths with basal application of 2.0/1.0 mg/l BAP/Kn affected the growth of regenerated Noni-plantlets. The longest shoot length (3.46 cm) and the number of nodes (1.75) were obtained from 75% MS while the highest number of leaves (7.25) was obtained in 100% MS between 4 and 12 WAI. The lowest value for these parameters were observed in 25% MS. This showed that mature zygotic embryo is good explant for the establishment of highly viable and re-generable plantlets of Noni.
 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 30(2): 199-207, 2020 (December)

Genetic variability and correlation studies of mulberry (Morus alba L.) genotypes in Bangladesh

Morphological, phenotypical and yield attributing characteristics of 20 mulberry genotypes were evaluated. Genotypic and phenotypic variations, heritability, genetic advance and correlation co-efficient were also estimated. It was found that the phenotypic co-efficient of variation (PCV) was higher (97.68%) than genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV, 96.99%). The broad sense heritability for these traits ranged from 98.60 (AL) to 4.69 (LLS). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for the characters apex length (AL), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf petiole ratio (LPR) and petiole length (PL) suggesting the higher genetic control over these traits. Significant positive correlations to leaf yield/plant were observed for the characters, namely total shoot weight (0.817), longest shoot length (0.600), total branch height (0.596) and leaves fresh weight/10 leaves (0.425). Leaf yield showed significantly positive phenotypic and genotypic correlations with all other growth traits (viz., total shoot weight 0.817, length of longest shoot 0.600, total branch height 0.596 and leaves fresh weight/10 leaves 0.425) except total branch number, nodes per meter, leaf width and petiole length. High genetic advance as percentage of mean coupled with heritability was observed on AL, LL, LW, LPR, PL and 10 fresh leaves weight suggesting the prevalence of additive gene action with low environmental influence for the determination of these characters and could be effective in phenotypic selection. Analysis of variances (ANOVA) for characters such as AL, LL, LW, LPR and PL showed significant variations among the genotypes. Since mulberry is mainly cultivated for leaf yield, genotypes having higher AL, LL, LW and LPR and PL must be given importance during parent selection to evolve high yielding varieties across different seasons in mulberry.