Low Vigor Research Articles

Grapevine and cover crop spectral response to evaluate vineyard spatio-temporal variability

The use of cover crops in vineyards is considered a management strategy that contributes to improving soil structure. Remote sensing techniques of cover crops provide information on spatial variability that can be useful in precision viticulture. This study aims to investigate soil-plant interactions using biometric data, spectral response and soil physico-chemical parameters measured across 2021-2022, with the scope of assessing spatio-temporal variations of cover crop and vineyard. These evaluations were conducted on an on-farm vineyard in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. During the winter season (T1), the cover crop (Vicia Faba) growth was evaluated. Equally, during the summer season (T2), vineyard monitoring was carried out during the phenological stages of flowering (T2A) and grape ripening (T2B). Multispectral images acquired through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were employed, and subsequently, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated to obtain crops vigor maps. Through bivariate LISA cluster maps, cover crop vigor maps were compared with those of the vineyard, revealing the presence of significant positive spatial autocorrelation between the two crops. Indeed, in areas where the cover crop exhibited higher dry matter accumulation, grapevine high vigor growth was observed. The spatial association identified in surveys conducted in T1 and T2 was examined considering soil parameters. It emerged that in areas where both the cover crop and the vines exhibited high NDVI values, soil factors such as soil organic carbon (SOC) content and total nitrogen (TN) were higher. Conversely, in areas where both crops showed low NDVI values, they were associated with higher soil bulk density (BD). Moreover, in low vigor zones, higher soil penetration resistance (SPR) values were observed in both T1 and T2, contributing to limiting root elongation and thus reducing overall crop growth. Vegetative growth variability observed through vigor maps and soil physicochemical properties was evaluated through principal component analysis (PCA). Soil parameters considered within these components highlighted their influence on crop growth. This study emphasizes how soil factors directly influence the spatiotemporal variability of crops. Monitoring cover crops allows for early detection of spatial variability, supporting vine growers in choosing sustainable vineyard management techniques.

EVALUATION OF THE TREE VIGOUR AND ANNUAL GROWTH OF SOME ROMANIAN WALNUT GENOTYPES FROM RIFG PITESTI COLLECTION

The walnut crop has a long tradition on the territory of Romania. One of the problems of walnut crop is tree size (about 25-30 m high), which makes difficult some technological practices (pruning, spraying and harvesting). The low vigour of the trees is not the most important objective in walnut breeding program, but it is necessary to find the genitors with this trait. The goal of this paper, is to evaluate the trees vigour of 32 Romanian walnut genotypes, from germplasm fund of RIFG Pitesti, Romania in order to identify the most valuable genotypes that will be recommended for spread in commercial orchards or use as genitors in breeding works. The results obtained have highlighted the fact that in walnut collection from RIFG Pitesti there is a large phenotypic diversity. The genotypes 'Sibișel 252', 'Claudia Ioana', 'Ciprian Ion', 'Geoagiu 265', 'Germisara', 'Jupânești', 'M 44-39', 'Orăștie', 'Roxana', 'Sarmis', 'Sibișel 44' were noted with low vigour. Also, 'Dacus' - generative rootstock has had a low vigour and can be recommended for grafting of walnut cultivars intended for intensive orchards.

Assessing the health of wetland using the PSR approach with reference to the Renuka Ramsar Site, India.

Wetlands are important ecosystems, and few of them, owing to unique characteristics, have been designated the status of Ramsar sites under the convention of wetlands. Despite the status, few of these wetlands are under threat owing to their social importance. Renuka wetland is one such important Ramsar site in India, which is culturally an embodiment of the Goddess Renuka ji. An international fair is held every year at the lake which attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. This event is one of the major contributors to anthropogenic risk; other pressures are siltation, pollution, land use activities, and invasive species. Under such a scenario, it becomes important to assess the health of wetlands to take timely decisions about their management. This study evaluates the health of Renuka wetland, using the Pressure State and Response (PSR) model. Relevant data related to the wetland and its catchment from a wide spectrum of sources, namely, field, laboratory, and remote sensing were combined to assess the health of the wetland. Ten indicators were identified, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assign weights to the indicators. The wetland health index of Renuka wetland is 0.35, indicating that the lake is in poor condition exhibiting degraded functioning, high external pressure, low vigor, poor resilience, and stability. The study also revealed that the water quality deteriorates post-fair. Thus, the wetland needs attention in terms of management so that the health of the lake improves and is sustained in the future. The study contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 6.6 which focuses on protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems and aims at healthier ecosystems.

A point mutation in VIG1 boosts development and chilling tolerance in rice

The rice paddy-direct seeding system has been widely adopted due to its low cost and convenience, whereas its application is mainly constrained by low seedling vigor, cold sensitivity, eventually resulting in reduced grain yield. Here, we show vig1a and vig1b, two allelic mutants of OsbZIP01, that both demonstrate greatly enhanced seedling vigor and chilling tolerance but differ in final grain production. The vig1a phenotype can be obtained via simultaneous mutation of the genes OsbZIP01 and OsbZIP18, or by selectively manipulating the basic region of OsbZIP01. Destroying the leucine zipper region of OsbZIP01 in vig1a turns vig1a to be vig1b. Further analysis reveals that OsbZIP01 and OsbZIP18 function cooperatively in diverse crucial biological programs that determine seedling establishment, chilling tolerance, and grain yield through their interactions. These findings provide a strategy toward simultaneously improving seedling vigor, chilling tolerance, and grain yield for rice production.

Branching response to stem density and its impact on yield in hybrid potato grown from true seeds and seedling tubers

ContextHybrid potato crops can be grown from true potato seeds or from seedling tubers. True-seed-grown plants produce lower marketable tuber yield than seedling-tuber-grown plants, because of their low early vigour and distinct growth and development patterns, notably in term of main stem number and stem branching. These differences are pivotal for yield formation but their impacts on crop performance and yield are not well understood. ObjectivesWe quantified the differences between the propagule types (true seeds vs seedling tubers) in their branching responses to stem density and assessed to what extent these differences contribute to differences in crop development and tuber production. MethodsTwo field experiments were conducted in different years, planting transplants from true seeds and pre-sprouted seedling tubers from the same genotype, while controlling their stem density per unit area. Responses in stem branching and biomass partitioning to stem density were quantified on individual main stems, followed by an evaluation of the impact of these responses on crop performance. ResultsOn individual main stems in both propagule types, higher stem density decreased branch development, decreased the number of branches above- and belowground, resulted in shifts in aboveground branch distribution towards lower branching orders, and led to smaller tuber sizes. However, such branching responses were stronger in true-seed-grown plants than in seedling-tuber-grown plants. At crop level, differences between propagule types were significant in canopy duration, number of tubers, tuber size distribution and marketable yield, but there was no stem density effect. ConclusionOur results emphasized the differences between propagule types in branching and its impact on crop development and tuber yield, due to the absence of stem density effects. Propagule type effects could be attributed to intrinsic differences between propagule types in branching control, growth habit and source-sink relations. These effects are relevant for hybrid potato breeding and require further research. Management practices were partly responsible for year-to-year differences in branching and yield formation, which highlights their significance for hybrid potato production.

Identification of Drought Tolerant Chickpea Genotypes under Simulated Drought

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legume crops worldwide, with high protein content. Chickpea productivity is highly threatened by abiotic stresses, of which drought exerts the most crucial role in terms of growth inhibition and yield losses encountered. Since germination is a critical stage that is negatively affected by drought, an experiment was conducted to estimate the genotypic variability among 27 chickpea genotypes and to determine the seed germination and seedling growth ability under water stress conditions. Seeds were subjected to water stress by using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) at five stress levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % PEG). Among the genotype DIBG 205 (94.50%) recorded highest germination percentage compared to other genotypes. Root length recorded was highest in ICCV 4958 (18.48 cm) under 10% PEG -6000 and decreased with increase in osmotic stress. Drought significantly affected germination as well as all other associated traits with the effects of stress being analogous to the stress level applied. Seedling vigour index is a suitable selection criterion for drought tolerance, high seedling vigour index was observed in DIBG 205 and ICCV 4958 showing increased drought tolerance at high stress level, whereas low seedling vigour index was recorded in ICCV 201217 and ICCV 201116 indicating their possible exploitation as valuable genetic material for further breeding programs for drought tolerance.

Aportes a la morfología de semillas de Hibiscus cannabinus L. y ajuste de la prueba de tetrazolio para estimar viabilidad y vigor

Hibiscus cannabinus L. is an annual species cultivated for its fibers. The morphological description of the seeds of the cultivars ‘Endora’ and ‘Tainung' 1’ was broadened, a tetrazolium test procedure was adapted and adjusted, and the embryos were classified according to their viability and vigor. Cells from the seed coat layers participate in the seed coloration and ornamentation. The imbibition cap and the isthmus were identified, and their function wasanalyzed. Lipids and proteins were recognized in the mesophyll of cotyledons and the absence of areoles in the epidermis. Using the tetrazolium test, staining patterns were established to classify the seeds according to their viability. Both cultivars presented acceptable viability values. The germination test supported the proposed methodology for tetrazolium. Novel contributions are made to seed morphology, and structure-function relationships for water intake are proposed. The seeds of both cultivars share the morphological characteristics that are fundamental to the establishment of evaluation criteria in the tetrazolium biochemical test. The adapted tetrazolium viability test protocol allowed the seeds classification as either viable into three categories (high, medium, and low vigor) and non-viable seeds.

Prevalence and associated factors of low vigor in patients living with HIV and hemophilia in Japan: A cross-sectional observational study.

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at high risk of mental health problems. However, little is known about this risk in HIV-infected patients with hemophilia (HPH) who contracted the virus through blood products. This cross-sectional, observational study assessed patients' mood states and the factors associated with them among Japanese HPH to evaluate the need for psychosocial support. HPH completed self-administered questionnaires (Profile of Mood States [POMS] and General Health Questionnaire-28), neuropsychological tests, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography scans. HIV-infected patients with no hemophilia (HPnH) completed POMS and neuropsychological tests. Socio-demographic characteristics and HIV- and hemophilia-related data were obtained from participants' medical records and interviews. A Mann-Whitney U test and chi-squared analyses were conducted. Fifty-six HPH and 388 HPnH completed the questionnaires and neuropsychological tests. HPH had a significantly lower prevalence of tension-anxiety (HPH, 7%; HPnH, 18%; p = 0.049) and a significantly higher prevalence of low vigor (HPH, 63%; HPnH, 32%; p < 0.001). Low vigor in HPH was significantly associated with impaired executive function (low vigor, 66%; high vigor, 33%; p = 0.019) and a social dysfunction score ≥ 3 (moderate; low vigor, 26%; high vigor, 5%; p = 0.047). Our results highlight the high prevalence of low vigor among HPH, leading to impairments in executive and social functions. Therefore, healthcare workers need to pay attention to the vigor, executive function, and social function of HPH.

First report of root rot of strawberry caused by Fusarium cugenangense, a member of the F. oxysporum species complex, in Tennessee, USA.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) in Tennessee is cultivated on plastic mulched beds annually, and production is limited primarily by multiple oomycete and fungal root rot pathogens that result in reduced vigor and black root rot disease symptoms. In early June 2018, plants (cv. Chandler) with reduced shoot vigor and size, and black, necrotic stunted roots were collected from Rhea County, TN. Roots and crowns of 10 plants were cut into 1-3 cm pieces and surface sterilized with 0.6% NaOCl, followed by 70% ethanol for 1 min each, and plated on water agar. White mycelia produced after 3 days were transferred to potato dextrose agar amended with 10 mg/liter rifampicin. After 10 days, fungal colonies were light purple on the surface and dark purple on the colony underside, later developing blue-black pigmentation on the underside. Microconidia on carnation leaf agar were ovoid to ellipsoid, aseptate or septate and 8.0 to 24.2 (13.7) × 3.0 to 4.5 (3.8) μm in size, macroconidia were 3 to 5 septate and falcate to almost straight and 33.7 to 52.8 (44.4) × 4.0 to 5.5 (4.9) μm in size (n=80); both conidia were produced on monophialides. Chlamydospores were globose and subglobose, formed terminally and intercalary on aerial, submerged, and surface mycelium, singly or in pairs and were abundantly produced in sucrose broth and on synthetic nutrient-poor agar (SNA) (diam. 7.6 μm). Morphology was consistent with Fusarium oxysporum (Leslie and Summerell, 2006) and F. cugenangense, a member of the F. oxysporum species complex, as described by Maryani et al. (2019). Fungal mycelia were used for PCR (Phire Plant Direct PCR Master Mix, Thermo Scientific, CA) and the translational elongation factor 1-α (EF1α) region was amplified with primers EF-1/EF-2 (O'Donnell et al., 1998), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions amplified with primers ITS1/ITS2 (White et al. 1990), and the RNA polymerase second largest subunit region (RPB2) with primer pairs 5f2/7cr and 7cf/11ar (O'Donnell et al., 2022). PCR products of isolate SC5 were sequenced, and sequences compared to all sequences in the FUSARIOID-ID database using polyphasic identification (Crous et al., 2021) with EF1α (GenBank Accession No. ON703236) and RPB2 (OR472390) sequences. The highest similarity (100%) was with isolates of F. cugenangense, including ex-type isolate InaCC F984 (99.94% similarity) (Maryani et al., 2019). F. cugenangense is closely related to F. callistephi and F. elaeidis, but both species lack chlamydospores, and F. elaeidis has polyphialides (Lombard et al, 2019). To satisfy Koch's postulates, healthy rooted strawberry plants produced in soilless media were transplanted into 4 plastic pots (1.2-liter) containing 5% (w/v) fungal inoculum (grown on barley grain) and mixed into the top 5-cm of peat-based soilless medium. Pots were incubated at 25°C and 50% RH in a growth chamber. Four pots without inoculum served as controls. The trial was repeated. Within 8 weeks, all inoculated plants had low vigor, with necrotic and stunted roots. Root sections of control and inoculated plants were plated, and the pathogen was re-isolated from diseased roots of all inoculated plants only and confirmed as F. cugenangense based on morphology and sequence analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. cugenangense, or any member of the F. oxysporum species complex, causing root rot of strawberry in Tennessee and could be an important component of the production-limiting black root rot disease complex of strawberry.

Reconstruction of NDVI based on Larix gmelinii tree-rings during June–September 1759–2021

Investigating the long-term dynamics in the canopy proves to be difficult due to the short observational records of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). To explore the linkage between tree growth, NDVI dynamics and large-scale atmospheric circulation in the Greater Khingan Mountain, Northeast China, we established a chronology of Larix gmelinii tree ring width at three elevations (870–920 m, 1,100–1,150 m and 1,270–1,320 m) in the northern foothills of the mountain range. We then calculated the correlations between the tree ring chronologies and NDVI and climate factors, and reconstructed the NDVI time series from June to September 1759–2021 in the region based on the middle-elevation tree ring chronology. The results identify the positive effect of temperature (r = 0.56, p &amp;lt; 0.01) and the negative effect of precipitation (r = −0.44, p &amp;lt; 0.01) in the growing season as the main influencing factors of NDVI for the study period (1981–2019). The 11-year moving average of the reconstructed NDVI series reveals two periods of high canopy vigor (1898–1926 and 2009–2013) and three periods of low canopy vigor (1860–1962, 1882–1888 and 1968–1977) in the last 263 years. These periods correspond to drought events recorded in the historical literature. Wavelet analysis shows that the reconstructed sequences exhibited 11–13, 23–25, and 39–42 years period variations. Integrating this with spatial correlation analysis reveals that tree growth in the Mangui region was impacted by the combined effect of the North Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. The results of this paper provide a reference for the study of vegetation change patterns in the northern foothills of the Greater Khingan Mountains.

A phenotypic integration approach to breeding seedlings for early vigor and drought resistant traits

Silphium is being domesticated as a new perennial biomass and oilseed crop. As a consequence of selection to improve yield, seedling´s growth and survival are expected to be affected indirectly. The phenotypic integration theory predicts that selection acts on the correlation structure among root and leaf traits. In order to assess the possibility of breeding simultaneously for early vigor and drought tolerance in Silphium integrifolium, two goals were proposed: 1) to assess trait coordination within and between plant modules in improved and wild accessions, and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of leaf traits as selection criteria to develop vigorous and drought tolerant seedlings. Improved accessions were selected using three criteria: 1) seed yield (SEED); 2) leaf traits related to fast growth (FAST) or 3) slow growth (SLOW). FAST and SEED accessions accumulated biomass faster and had higher leaf area-root length ratio, than SLOW and wild. FAST´s traits were related to early aboveground vigor such as thinner leaves and higher specific leaf area, but roots were more superficial and their volume smaller, which is linked to low vigor and soil exploration. This has consequences for early outperformance of weeds and soil evaporation reduction, but may also imply tradeoffs, diminishing resistance to drought. We conclude that leaf traits cannot be used to select for vigorous and drought resistant seedlings, because the lack of coordination between leaves and roots. Nonetheless, phenotypic integration suggests that leaf traits can be used to select Silphium varieties for different target environments.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Pruning in an Olive Orchard Using a Drone and a Multispectral Camera: A Three-Year Study

The uses of precision oliviculture have increased in recent years to improve the quality and quantity of extra virgin olive oil. In traditional and intensive systems, biennial pruning is often applied to balance and maintain plant vigour, aiming at reducing management costs. This study presents the results of a three-year experiment with the objective of quantifying the effects of biennial pruning on the vegetative vigour of olive trees, investigating the geometric and spectral characteristics of each canopy determined with multispectral images acquired by UAV. The experiment was carried out in an olive orchard located in western Sicily (Italy). Multispectral images were acquired using a UAV in automatic flight configuration at an altitude of 70 m a.g.l. The segmentation and classification of the images were performed using Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) based on the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and orthomosaic to extract the canopy area, height, volume and NDVI for each plant. This study showed that the technology and image analysis processing used were able to estimate vigour parameters at different canopy densities, compared to field measurements (R2 = 0.97 and 0.96 for canopy area and volume, respectively). Furthermore, it was possible to determine the amount of removed biomass for each plant and vigour level. Biennial pruning decreased the number of plants initially classified as LV (low-vigour) and maintained a vegetative balance for MV (medium-vigour) and HV (high-vigour) plants, reducing the spatial variability in the field.

Effect of Cold Plasma Seed Treatment on Physiological and Biochemical Changes in Aged Mustard Seed Variety-RH0749

The low rate of seed germination is a major problem in modern agriculture. Cold-activated air plasma has been tested as a pre-treatment method to improve the rate and uniformity of the germination. In view of the widespread cultivation of mustard in India and other parts of the world, This study was conducted to determine alternative non-destructive seed treatment method based on cold plasma chemistry would offer a more viable alternative over traditional seed coating technologies Seed physiological characteristics as was modified in aged low vigour mustard seeds by coating the surface of the seeds with cold plasma process using a rotating plasma reactor during 2023-24 at CCS HAU, College of Agriculture Bawal. The source of atmospheric oxygen gas, nitrogen and heliun gas entering the plasma chamber during the reaction process determined the type of coating. Among the different treatments imposed, seed treatment with 300V at 10 Min significantly enhanced seed quality attributes viz., germination ( 92 %), root length ( 4.37 cm), shoot length ( 6.98 cm), mean seedling length (11.0 cm ), Seedling dry weight (2.67 mg) and SVI-I (1115), SVI-II (254), TDH (0.78 A480 nm) with lower electrical conductivity (14.20 dsm-1). The inhibitory effect noticed with a higher dose of plasma of 400v at 10 min suggested the need for judicious usage of these plasma frequencies in such applications. The first-ever report on the effect of new plasma state on seed germination and establishment of mustard revealed the positive influence that could be used as a seed treatment to enhance seed yield and quality.

Abstract PO4-12-09: National Physical Activity Guidelines and It’s Association with Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer Pre- and Post-Chemotherapy in a Prospective, Nationwide Study

Abstract Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most pervasive side effects of cancer and its treatment, reported by nearly 90% of patients. Physical activity (PA) during treatment may prevent or lessen CRF burden. Current aerobic PA guidelines for cancer patients recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate PA or 75 minutes of vigorous PA or some equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA). Many patients have difficulty meeting these guidelines during treatment, however, meeting these guidelines may not be necessary to alleviate CRF. This study evaluated patterns of PA below the recommended guidelines and their association with CRF in cancer patients during treatment. Methods: In a nationwide, prospective cohort study of patients with stage I-IIIC breast cancer (n=580) we assessed the relationship between self-reported PA (Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study PA) and CRF (Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory, MFSI) pre- and post-chemotherapy. Spearman correlations were utilized to evaluate the association of all PA (MET hr/wk) and MVPA (MET hr/wk) with overall CRF (total MFSI) and 5 CRF subdimensions (general, physical, emotional, mental CRF and vigor) at pre- and post-chemotherapy. ANCOVA estimated mean CRF score according to whether patients weekly MVPA (1) met 100% of the PA guidelines, (2) met 50%-99% of the PA guidelines (75-149 minutes), or (3) did not meet 50% of the PA guidelines (&amp;lt; 75 minutes). Results: Pre-chemotherapy, only 34% of participants met the PA guidelines, post-chemotherapy, only 21% of patients met the PA guidelines. At both time points, we observed small to moderate inverse correlations of MVPA with overall CRF and several subdimensions of CRF (Table 1; r = -0.11, -0.19). Pre-chemotherapy, those who did not meet 50% of the PA guidelines report significantly higher total CRF compared to those who met the PA guidelines (12.5 ± 1.2 vs 5.3 ± 1.5; p&amp;lt; 0.001). However, those who met only 50%-99% of the PA guidelines, had comparable total CRF to those who fully met the PA guidelines (7.2 ± 2.2; p=0.474). A similar pattern was observed for the subdimensions general, mental, and physical CRF. Those who met 50% of the guidelines also had significantly lower vigor compared to those who met the guidelines (11.9 ± 0.3 vs 13.8 ± 0.4; p&amp;lt; 0.001), while those who met 50%-99% of the guidelines had comparable vigor to those who fully met guidelines (13.1 ± 0.6; p=0.278). Post-chemotherapy CRF was higher among all patient’s, again there was no significant difference in total, general, physical CRF and vigor between those who met the PA guidelines and those who met 50%-99% of the PA guidelines. Conclusions: All PA was consistently inversely associated with CRF pre- and post-chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer. Current minimum aerobic PA guidelines for patients with cancer are difficult to achieve during treatment. Lower doses of MVPA than the current PA guidelines suggest may provide equal benefit and represent a more achievable goal for patients with cancer. Table 1: Spearman correlations of CRF and physical activity in patients with breast cancer pre- and post-chemotherapy. Table 2: ANCOVA; Mean CRF score according to the PA guidelines. Citation Format: Lindsey Mattick, Hongying Sun, Karen Mustian, Luke Peppone, AnnaLynn Williams, Po-Ju Lin, Evelyn Arana, Jeremy McGuire, Amarinthia Curtis, Alison Conlin, Lora Weiselberg, Michelle Janelsins. National Physical Activity Guidelines and It’s Association with Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer Pre- and Post-Chemotherapy in a Prospective, Nationwide Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-12-09.

Effect concentration and duration of soaking seed with gibberellin on the viabillity of shallot seed

One of the horticultural commodities that has important value in Indonesia is shallots (Allium cepa L). Shallots can be propagated using a vegetative seed (tuber seed) or generative method using (True shallot seed). The use of botanical seeds (TSS) has several obstacles, including low viability and vigor. Providing ZPT can contribute to increasing the growth of shallot botanical seeds (TSS) and increasing the germination percentage. This research aims to obtain the concentration and soaking time of the giberellin on the germination and growth of shallot seedlings. The research was compiled using a completely randomized design (RAK) with two factorials. The treatments were 3 giberellin concentration i.e 0, 100,150, 200 ppm which were immersed for 0; 6; 12; 24 hours, with 3 replication and each replication consisted of 4 sample. Parameters observed include maximum potential growth, seeds germination, plant height, wet weight and dry weight. The result of the research showed that giberellin with a concentration of 150 ppm is the best on parameters and with soaking time 9 ours able to improve maximum potential growth, plant height, wet weight and dry weight.

The Effects of Several Forms of Leaf Area Management and Different canopy heights with vertical shoot positioning on Berry Ripening and Wine Quality

The goal of this research was to investigate different canopy heights and canopy management approaches in VSP-trained vineyards on the production of sugar and other substances present in berries and must, as well as on the resulting wine quality. Two sites, one high vigor and one low vigor, were selected for this study, with the following treatments tested: [1] ‘control’, shoots were topped according to standard practices; [2] ‘without lateral shoots’, all lateral shoots were removed; [3] ‘low canopy’, the canopy was shortened to 50 cm below the height of the ‘control’; [4] ‘twisted shoots’, shoots were not hedged, but instead were horizontally twisted along the upper wires. The ‘low canopy’ treatment revealed little effect on grape ripening parameters, especially in the low vigor trials. Upon sensory analysis, the quality of wine derived from this treatment did not score higher than the control, but rather repeatedly lower. Furthermore, ‘low canopy’ wines exhibited atypical aging notes, and in certain vintages more Berry shrivel was observed during the vegetative season. The ‘twisted shoots’ treatment displayed repeatedly higher YAN values in the must, especially in vineyards with higher vigor, which led to an increase in potential vine fertility. Thus, shortening the canopy was not found to be a suitable technique to delay ripening or improve wine quality.

Microbial dysbiosis in roots and rhizosphere of grapevines experiencing decline is associated with active metabolic functions.

When grapevine decline, characterized by a premature decrease in vigor and yield and sometimes plant death, cannot be explained by pathological or physiological diseases, one may inquire whether the microbiological status of the soil is responsible. Previous studies have shown that the composition and structure of bacterial and fungal microbial communities in inter-row soil are affected in areas displaying vine decline, compared to areas with non-declining vines within the same plot. A more comprehensive analysis was conducted in one such plot. Although soil chemical parameters could not directly explain these differences, the declining vines presented lower vigor, yield, berry quality, and petiole mineral content than those in non-declining vines. The bacterial and fungal microbiome of the root endosphere, rhizosphere, and different horizons of the bulk soil were explored through enzymatic, metabolic diversity, and metabarcoding analysis in both areas. Despite the lower microbial diversity and richness in symptomatic roots and soil, higher microbial activity and enrichment of potentially both beneficial bacteria and pathogenic fungi were found in the declining area. Path modeling analysis linked the root microbial activity to berry quality, suggesting a determinant role of root microbiome in the berry mineral content. Furthermore, certain fungal and bacterial taxa were correlated with predicted metabolic pathways and metabolic processes assessed with Eco-Plates. These results unexpectedly revealed active microbial profiles in the belowground compartments associated with stressed vines, highlighting the interest of exploring the functional microbiota of plants, and more specifically roots and rhizosphere, under stressed conditions.

Vigor of hybrid corn seeds is determinant for the establishment of seedlings in the field

The objective of this work was to determine the importance of vigor during the initial establishment of the maize crop. The work was carried out using 8 lots of hybrid corn seed, in which four lots were characterized as high vigor and four lots characterized as low vigor. After obtaining the seeds, they were sown in the field to determine the association between vigor and seedling performance at 21 days after sowing. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with four replications. Seedling emergence was measured daily up to 21 days, and at the end of the period, the shoot length, root system length, total seedling length and their respective masses, root system volume and stem diameter were determined. Seed vigor was positively associated with all measured variables, except for root system length. All parameters evaluated were superior in the group of seeds characterized as having high vigor. It is concluded that the vigor of hybrid corn seeds is crucial for the higher speed and uniformity of emergence in the field, being essential to form seedlings with superior performance in field conditions.

Seed yield and quality of interspecific hybrids of Paspalum plicatulum × P. guenoarum at different harvest times

AbstractPaspalum guenoarum is a warm‐season perennial grass, with a caespitose growth habit. The species is native to southern Brazilian grasslands and has been used in interspecific hybridizations because of its high palatability, resistance to trampling and grazing, and cold tolerance. Previous studies reported improvements in forage production and the nutritive value of hybrid material. However, there are limited data about seed production and seed quality of these hybrids. The aim of this study was to quantify the optimal time to harvest seed of three Paspalum plicatulum × P. guenoarum hybrids (08Q01, 104026, and 105052). Seed yield and seed quality were determined. Hybrids were harvested at 10, 20, and 30 days after flowering and evaluated for the components of seed yield, vigor, and viability. The optimum time to harvest was 20 days after the beginning of flowering. A &gt;50% yield reduction, due to seed shattering, occurred when harvesting was delayed beyond 20 days. Harvesting &lt;20 days after flowering resulted in a high percentage of empty spikelets and seeds with low vigor and viability. About 75% of the seed shattering took place 10–20 days after flowering, and for the 104026 and 105052 hybrids, &gt;50% of seed was during this period. Hybrid 105052 had superior seed yield (2380 ± 280 kg ha−1) and similar seed quality. These two characteristics, among others, are the most important ones when recommending a new commercial cultivar for release.

RESPONSE OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVAL.) GENOTYPES UNDER TO DIFFERENT PLANTING DATES

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a vital food crop that holds a significant position in the world's economy. It ranks third globally in terms of production, following wheat and maize. Moreover, rice serves as the staple food crop for approximately two-thirds of the world's population. The planting date has a significant impact on rice productivity. When rice is sown under optimal conditions, including favorable air and soil temperatures and adequate soil moisture, the crop's performance shows a notable improvement. Nonetheless, planting rice too early can expose the crop to cold temperatures, which may result in poor germination, low seedling vigor, and seedling mortality. Conversely, planting too late can lead to reduced yields and grain quality since the critical reproductive phase coincides with the peak of summer heat, negatively affecting rice grain yield and quality. During the Khaif season of 2022, the field experiment was conducted at the Rice Research Center (RRC) Dokri. The experiment was laid out in split plot design containing three sowing dates’ viz. 30thJune, 15thJuly and 30thJuly in main plots and four rice genotypes viz. NUYT-M-11, NUYT-M-8, NUYT-M-10 and Latify (check) as sub plot treatments. Nevertheless, rice crops sown on June 30th demonstrated markedly superior performance compared to other sowing dates. These crops exhibited a plant height of 97.27 cm, 19.18 tillers per plant, a panicle length of 20.11 cm, a seed index of 29.82 g, a biological yield of 8964 kg/ha, a grain yield of 5330 kg/ha, and a harvest index of 84.11%. The interaction between genotypes and sowing dates significantly influenced the observed plant height, tillers per plant, panicle length, seed index, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index. Among the genotypes, NUYT-M-11 sown on June 30th displayed the highest values for these parameters.