Main Stem Length Research Articles

Anatomical Feasibility of Endobentall Strategies for Management of Acute type A Aortic Dissection.

This study assesses the feasibility of acute type A dissections treatment with a dedicated aortic root endograft concept and introduces a new aortic classification. Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) remains a catastrophic aortic condition with perioperative mortality ranging from 12% and 20%. Total Aortic root endovascular repair, "Endobentall concept", has been explored as an alternative but only documented on case report. Imaging study of all consecutive patients treated in three French centers were achieved. The study introduces an adapted aortic classification to report entry tear locations. Measurements included aortic annulus mensuration, coronary height, and several aortic lengths. Two treatment concepts were described "fenestrated Endobentall" and "branched Endobentall". Patients were eligible to the "fenestrated endobentall" design if their aortic root dimensions fitted the Edwards Sapien® and Corevalve Medtronic® instruction for use. Eligibility for the "branched Endobentall" required meeting the criteria for a "fenestrated Endobentall" and having a left coronary main stem length exceeding 5mm. "Branched Endobentall" was mandatory when the entry was located in the aortic root. A total of 250 CT scans for acute type A aortic dissection were reviewed, 116 were finally included for analysis. The primary entry tear was found in the aortic root in 9% of patients, and in 31% of cases, it was located within the first centimeter distal to the sinotubular junction (STJ). 63.7% of the patients were eligible for an Endobentall procedure, even 73.3% when considering extended criterion. Fenestrated Endobentall accounted for 2/3 of cases. In our study, 63.7% of patients with aortic type A dissections are deemed eligible to an "Endobentall repair", increasing to 73.3% when considering extended anatomical criteria.

Evaluation of Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilization on Vegetative Parameters of Acroclinium (Helipterum roseum)

The present investigation entitled “Effect of N and K fertilization on vegetative growth of Acroclinium (Helipterum roseum)” was carried out at the laboratory of floriculture and experimental farm of Mata Gujri college, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with twelve treatments and three replications. The treatments were T1 i.e., 125 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP, T2 i.e., 175 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP, T3 i.e., 225 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP, T4 i.e., 125 kg/acre urea + 80 kg/acre MOP, T5 i.e., 175 kg/acre urea + 80 kg/acre MOP, T6 i.e., 225 kg/acre urea + 80 kg/acre MOP, T7 i.e., 125 kg/acre urea + 0 kg/acre MOP, T8 i.e., 175 kg/acre urea + 0 kg/acre MOP, T9 i.e., 225 kg/acre urea + 0 kg/acre MOP, T10 i.e., 0 kg/acre urea + 80 kg/acre MOP, T11 i.e., 0 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP and T12 i.e., control. Observations were recorded for vegetative, flowering and seed yield parameters. Among all treatments maximum plant height (44.86 cm and 59.91 cm ), leaf length (5.01 cm and 5.33 cm), plant spread (17.68 cm2 and 32.37 cm2) and diameter of main stem (6.13 mm and 10.77 mm) were found maximum in T3 i.e., 225 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP and maximum number of leaves per stem (37.28 and 54.98) and number of leaves per plant (645.67 and 1055.13) was observed in T9 i.e., 225 kg/acre urea + 0 kg/acre MOP at 45 and 90 days respectively. Best vegetative parameters were recorded in 225 kg/acre urea + 60 kg/acre MOP and 225 kg/acre urea + 0 kg/acre MOP are best dosage for Acroclinium flower.

Variability of morphological and phenological traits in <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp. accessions contrasting by growth type in different ecological and geographical conditions

Background. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a thermophilic crop that occupies the third place in the world in terms of cultivation area among leguminous crops. Vegetable cowpea cultivars are successfully cultivated in the open ground in Russia, in its southern regions and the south of the Far East. The creation of new cultivars adapted to cultivation in different regions and suitable for widespread industrial production, is extremely relevant. Materials and methods. The variability of 20 morphological and 3 phenological traits of six cowpea accessions with different growth habit types and architectonics was assessed in various ecological and geographical conditions at VIR experiment stations (in Astrakhan Province, Primorye Territory and Krasnodar Territory) in 2019-2022. The variability and interrelationships of the traits were estimated using basic and multivariate statistical methods. Results. The analysis revealed a significant influence of the factor complex (genotype/accession, research location) on the variability of traits. Phenological traits, the length of internodes and leaflets, depended most strongly on the research location. The range of variation in the number of nodes, branches, peduncles and beans per plant, stem thickness and bean size were determined by the genotype to a larger extent. The range of stem length variability was significantly influenced by the research location and the genotype, though the genotype had a stronger influence. The genotypes responded differently to changes in growing conditions. For the most of the studied accessions, an increase in the main stem length was noted in the monsoon climate conditions of the Primorye Territory, for some of them the type of growth habit changed from determinate to indeterminate. In our research, the plant length was positively correlated with the amount of precipitation and with the average relative air humidity. Excessive humidity and precipitation had minimal effect only on cv. ʻLyanchiheʼ, whose plants retained dwarfness and compact architectonics. Factor analysis (principal factors analysis) revealed 4 factors responsible for the main part of the variance of the analyzed traits. The characteristics of the leaf were combined in the first factor, those of architectonics and time of plant development in the second, features of the seedling and the juvenile stage in the third, and those of the bean in the fourth factor. These complexes of traits (factors) determined the variability of cowpea in our research. Conclusion. The performed analysis of morphological and phenological traits revealed a significant increase of stem length and changes in plant architectonics under conditions of high relative humidity and a large amount of precipitation. In some cases, even the type of growth habit was changed. The further research on the studied characters variability involving more accessions and the determination of molecular mechanisms that control stability of the growth habit type and length of the stem will allow us to proceed to a more efficient and rapid creation of new cultivars suitable for mechanized cultivation. This is extremely important for the development of new areas by cultivating species, the demand in which as a source of food and feed is increasing in the Russian Federation.

A deep learning-based method for estimating the main stem length of sweet potato seedlings

The length of sweet potato seedling main stems is critical for harvest decisions, but accurately measuring it is challenging due to leaf occlusion and self-curvature. This study proposes a method for stem reconstruction and length estimation using a two-stage classifier, feature extraction, and semantic segmentation to obtain stem masks. Image processing separates clustered skeletons into singular lines for detailed analysis. Object detection identifies roots, stem-leaf intersections, and establishes a search relationship among segments. Stems are reconstructed based on directional, distance, and curvature constraints, then divided into four parts for length estimation using stereo depth information. Experimental results demonstrate effectiveness under various conditions: un-occluded, partially occluded, curved stems, and low-density clusters. Median length estimation error is 1.7 cm, with maximum and minimum errors of 3.2 cm and 0.3 cm respectively. This automated method provides a reliable solution for sweet potato seedling harvest and grading.

Design of experiment approach to identify the dominant geometrical feature of left coronary artery influencing atherosclerosis

Background and Objective. Coronary artery geometry heavily influences local hemodynamics, potentially leading to atherosclerosis. Consequently, the unique geometrical configuration of an individual by birth can be associated with future risk of atherosclerosis. Although current researches focus on exploring the relationship between local hemodynamics and coronary artery geometry, this study aims to identify the order of influence of the geometrical features through systematic experiments, which can reveal the dominant geometrical feature for future risk assessment. Methods. According to Taguchi’s method of design of experiment (DoE), the left main stem (LMS) length (l LMS), curvature (k LMS), diameter (d LMS) and the bifurcation angle between left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) artery (α LAD-LCx) of two reconstructed patient-specific left coronary arteries (LCA) were varied in three levels to create L9 orthogonal array. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations with physiological boundary conditions were performed on the resulting eighteen LCA models. Average helicity intensity (h 2) and relative atheroprone area (RAA) of near-wall hemodynamic descriptors were analyzed. Results. The proximal LAD (LAD proximal) was identified to be the most atheroprone region of the left coronary artery due to higher h 2, large RAA of time averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS < 0.4 Pa), oscillatory shear index (OSI ∼ 0.5) and relative residence time (RRT > 4.17 Pa−1). In both patient-specific cases, based on h 2 and TAWSS, d lms is the dominant geometric parameter while based on OSI and RRT, α LAD-LCx is the dominant one influencing hemodynamic condition in proximal LAD (p < 0.05). Based on RRT, the rank of the geometrical factors is: α LAD-LCx > d LMS > l LMS > k LMS, indicating that α LAD-LCx is the most dominant geometrical factor affecting hemodynamics at proximal LAD which may influence atherosclerosis. Conclusion. The proposed identification of the rank of geometrical features of LCA and the dominant feature may assist clinicians in predicting the possibility of atherosclerosis, of an individual, long before it will occur. This study can further be translated to be used to rank the influence of several arterial geometrical features at different arterial locations to explore detailed relationships between the arterial geometrical features and local hemodynamics.

Effect of Foliar Spraying with Organic Compounds on Progeny of True Potato Seeds

The research was conducted during the agricultural season of 2022-2023 in a protected greenhouse at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering at Idlib University. The study focused on potato plants derived from true seed cultivation of the Naeema potato variety, planted during the spring season of 2022. Two foliar spray treatments were applied to the cultivated potato plants: amino acids and dry yeast, in addition to a control group that was sprayed with water only. The experiment followed a completely randomized design (CRD). The results showed that the foliar spray treatment with amino acids significantly outperformed the control group in all studied characteristics, including marketable tuber number, main stem length, tuber count per plant, tuber length, tuber diameter, tuber weight, and total tuber yield per plant. Similarly, the foliar spray treatment with dry yeast outperformed the control group in marketable tuber number, main stem length, tuber count per plant, tuber length, and total tuber yield per plant. However, the two treatments had no significant differences in tuber diameter and weight. Finally, the foliar spray treatment with amino acids showed superior results to the foliar spray treatment with dry yeast in marketable tuber number, length, diameter, weight, and total tuber yield per plant. No significant differences were observed between the two foliar spray treatments in main stem length and tuber count per plant.

Phenotypic detection of flax plants based on improved Flax-YOLOv5.

Accurate detection and counting of flax plant organs are crucial for obtaining phenotypic data and are the cornerstone of flax variety selection and management strategies. In this study, a Flax-YOLOv5 model is proposed for obtaining flax plant phenotypic data. Based on the solid foundation of the original YOLOv5x feature extraction network, the network structure was extended to include the BiFormer module, which seamlessly integrates bi-directional encoders and converters, enabling it to focus on key features in an adaptive query manner. As a result, this improves the computational performance and efficiency of the model. In addition, we introduced the SIoU function to compute the regression loss, which effectively solves the problem of mismatch between predicted and actual frames. The flax plants grown in Lanzhou were collected to produce the training, validation, and test sets, and the detection results on the validation set showed that the average accuracy (mAP@0.5) was 99.29%. In the test set, the correlation coefficients (R) of the model's prediction results with the manually measured number of flax fruits, plant height, main stem length, and number of main stem divisions were 99.59%, 99.53%, 99.05%, and 92.82%, respectively. This study provides a stable and reliable method for the detection and quantification of flax phenotypic characteristics. It opens up a new technical way of selecting and breeding good varieties.

High-Throughput Phenotyping of Soybean Biomass: Conventional Trait Estimation and Novel Latent Feature Extraction Using UAV Remote Sensing and Deep Learning Models.

High-throughput phenotyping serves as a framework to reduce chronological costs and accelerate breeding cycles. In this study, we developed models to estimate the phenotypes of biomass-related traits in soybean (Glycine max) using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing and deep learning models. In 2018, a field experiment was conducted using 198 soybean germplasm accessions with known whole-genome sequences under 2 irrigation conditions: drought and control. We used a convolutional neural network (CNN) as a model to estimate the phenotypic values of 5 conventional biomass-related traits: dry weight, main stem length, numbers of nodes and branches, and plant height. We utilized manually measured phenotypes of conventional traits along with RGB images and digital surface models from UAV remote sensing to train our CNN models. The accuracy of the developed models was assessed through 10-fold cross-validation, which demonstrated their ability to accurately estimate the phenotypes of all conventional traits simultaneously. Deep learning enabled us to extract features that exhibited strong correlations with the output (i.e., phenotypes of the target traits) and accurately estimate the values of the features from the input data. We considered the extracted low-dimensional features as phenotypes in the latent space and attempted to annotate them based on the phenotypes of conventional traits. Furthermore, we validated whether these low-dimensional latent features were genetically controlled by assessing the accuracy of genomic predictions. The results revealed the potential utility of these low-dimensional latent features in actual breeding scenarios.

Source-Sink Relationsionship Studies in Multicapsule Genotypes of Sesame

A study was conducted to determine the source and sink relationship in multicapsule genotypes of sesame. Thirty-six multicapsule genotypes along with two single capsule genotypes as checks were used in this study. Data on source characters such as number of leaf axils, leaf area, SPAD chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, plant height, stem girth was recorded at capsule formation stage. Similarly, data on sink related characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil, capsule length, breadth, seed weight, seed yield per plant, and oil content were recorded. There were 1 to 3 capsules per axil, genotypes, SC-500-1, PI-154298, JCS-1020, exhibited 3 capsules at every axil. The results indicated the source characters such as number of leaf axils per plant was significantly positively correlated with seed yield per plant, leaf area was significantly positively correlated with number of flowers per main stem, total capsule number per main stem and seed weight of the right capsule in the bunch of the capsules. SPAD chlorophyll was positively associated with, number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil and seed yield per plant. Photosynthetic rate was significantly associated with total number of capsules per main stem of the plant, oil content and test weight. There were 7 principal components which explained 80 of the variation presents in the genotypes. Characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of leaf axils per plant, number of capsules per axil in the main stem and capsule length, weight, seed weight of left and right capsules contributed for the variation. Variation in these characters distributed the genotypes across the axis in the PCA biplot. Genotypes such as SC-500, PI-154298 exhibited high capsules number per plant, capsules per axil, capsule length and capsule seed weight. This study indicated that the genotypes showing more than 1 capsules per axil have high leaf area, stem girth. These genotypes are potential source for utilization in yield improvement programmes.

Effectiveness of multiple culture of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) from the rhizosphere of cocoa on host plant Pueraria javanica

The utilization of single Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) is constrained by the propagation of the single spore and usually depends on the host plant. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of single culture propagation of several genera of AMF from the rhizosphere of cocoa and the concentration of NPK on the host Pueraria javanica. The study was designed with a completely randomized design with two factors. The first factor was the genus FMA which consisted of Acaulospora sp1 (M1), Acaulospora sp2 (M2), Glomus sp1 (M3), Glomus sp2 (M4), Glomus sp3 (M5). The second factor was that the concentration of liquid fertilizer was five levels: control (P0), 0.5g/l water (P1), 1.0g/l water (P2), 1.5g/l water (P3), 2.0g/l water (P4), and repeated four times. Parameters observed: root infection, spore number, main stem length, root length. The study showed that the highest number of spores resulted from the interaction of Acaulospora sp1 with 0.5g/l NPK. The most extended stem and root lengths were produced at 1.0g/l NPK with Acaulospora sp2, 27.40 cm, and 2.0 g NPK fertilizer with Acaulospora sp2, which had a root length of 8.8 cm. The highest colonization rate was found in plants not given NPK and infected with Glomus sp1. This study showed that the Pueraria Javanica plant is a suitable plant to be used as a host plant for the development of spore types Acaulospora and Glomous in single culture.

Prediction of Areal Soybean Lodging Using a Main Stem Elongation Model and a Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index That Accounts for the Ratio of Vegetation Cover

In soybean, lodging is sometimes caused by strong winds and rains, resulting in a decrease in yield and quality. Technical measures against lodging include “pinching”, in which the main stem is pruned when excessive growth is expected. However, there can be a decrease in yield when pinching is undertaken when the risk of lodging is relatively low. Therefore, it is important that pinching is performed after the future risk of lodging has been determined. The lodging angle at the full maturity stage (R8) can be explained using a multiple regression model with main stem elongation from the sixth leaf stage (V6) to the blooming stage (R1) and main stem length at the full seed stage (R6) as the explanatory variables. The objective of this study was to develop an areal lodging prediction method by combining a main stem elongation model with areal main stem length estimation using UAV remote sensing. The main stem elongation model from emergence to R1 was a logistic regression formula with the temperature and daylight hours functions f (Ti, Di) as the explanatory variables. The main stem elongation model from R1 to the peak main stem length was a linear regression formula with the main stem length of R1 as the explanatory variable. The model that synthesized these two regression formulas were used as the main stem elongation model from emergence to R8. The accuracy of the main stem elongation model was tested on the test data, and the average RMSE was 5.3. For the areal main stem length estimation by UAV remote sensing, we proposed a soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVIvc) that takes vegetation cover into account. SAVIvc was more accurate in estimating the main stem length than the previously reported vegetation index (R2 = 0.78, p &lt; 0.001). The main stem length estimated by the main stem elongation model combined with SAVIvc was substituted into a multiple regression model of lodging angle to test the accuracy of the areal lodging prediction method. The method was able to predict lodging angles with an accuracy of RMSE = 8.8. These results suggest that the risk of lodging can be estimated in an areal manner prior to pinching, even though the actual occurrence is affected by wind.

The Effect of Immersing the Bud Cuttings with a Combination of NAA and BA Growth Regulators and the Addition of Optimus Plus Nanofertilizer in Improving some Vegetative Qualities of Ber Seedlings Apple Variety

The study was carried out during the growing season 2022 in one of the orchards located in Al-Sajla area / Al-Khairat district / Holy Karbala governorate On seed Sidr varieties two years old. To find out the effect of immersing bait pens, an apple cultivar was treated with a combination of growth regulators in three concentrations (0, 40 + 20, 40 + 80 mg.L-1) and symbol (A0, A1, A2) in sequence, and the addition of Optimus Pius nano fertilizer in three concentrations (0, 20, 40 m. L-1) and its symbol (B0, B1, B2) sequentially and the overlap between them in the vegetative traits of Sidr seedlings, apple cultivar. The experiment was carried out according to the randomized complete block design (RCBD) as a factorial experiment with three replications. The results showed that immersing the grafting pen with a combination of growth regulators at A1 concentration had a significant effect on vegetative traits (percentage of vaccination success, main stem length, main stem diameter, number of lateral branches, number of leaves and leaf area) amounted to (88.900%, 142.567 cm, 40.047 mm 17.447 branch. Sapling, 827 leaf. Sapling, 22.567 cm2. sapling-1) sequentially compared to the comparison treatment, Ground fertilization with nano-fertilizer at a concentration of B2 also led to a significant increase in (percentage of vaccination success, main stem length, main stem diameter, number of lateral branches, number of leaves and leaf area) amounting to (88.900%, 144.900 cm, 40.150 mm, 17.667 branch. Sapling, 828 leaves. Seedling-1, 22.967 cm2. sapling-1) sequentially compared with the comparison treatment. The bilateral interaction between the two study factors also led to a significant effect on all vegetative characteristics of Sidr seedlings of an apple variety, especially when treated (A1 B2) compared to the comparison treatment of the overlap.

Evaluation of Genetic Variability of Some Local Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) Genotypes Using Different Statistical Analysis

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the variation among local grass pea varieties in Türkiye by using some statistical analysis. Methods: The investigation was carried out according to the randomized block design with three replications during the growing season of 2018 and 2019 with 9 different genotypes and 2 registered varieties of grass pea at the Batý Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute. Days to flowering, green herbage yield, dry herbage yield, seed yield, thousand seed weight, plant main stem length, the number of pods per plant, the number of seeds per pod, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index were determined. Furthermore, the results of investigated features were subjected to correlation, regression, path and cluster analysis. Result: The results showed sufficient variability in seed yield based on characteristics among the tested genotypes. Regression analysis showed that days to flowering, harvest index, number of pods per plant, straw yield and biological yield should be given more importance during selection. This study resulted in three clusters with the maximum intergenetic distance between genotypes Ls17 and Ls23. According to the results of the research, it was determined that genotypes Ls15 and Ls32 were equivalent to commercial cultivars in terms of the investigated characteristics.

A fast phenotype approach of 3D point clouds of Pinus massoniana seedlings.

The phenotyping of Pinus massoniana seedlings is essential for breeding, vegetation protection, resource investigation, and so on. Few reports regarding estimating phenotypic parameters accurately in the seeding stage of Pinus massoniana plants using 3D point clouds exist. In this study, seedlings with heights of approximately 15-30 cm were taken as the research object, and an improved approach was proposed to automatically calculate five key parameters. The key procedure of our proposed method includes point cloud preprocessing, stem and leaf segmentation, and morphological trait extraction steps. In the skeletonization step, the cloud points were sliced in vertical and horizontal directions, gray value clustering was performed, the centroid of the slice was regarded as the skeleton point, and the alternative skeleton point of the main stem was determined by the DAG single source shortest path algorithm. Then, the skeleton points of the canopy in the alternative skeleton point were removed, and the skeleton point of the main stem was obtained. Last, the main stem skeleton point after linear interpolation was restored, while stem and leaf segmentation was achieved. Because of the leaf morphological characteristics of Pinus massoniana, its leaves are large and dense. Even using a high-precision industrial digital readout, it is impossible to obtain a 3D model of Pinus massoniana leaves. In this study, an improved algorithm based on density and projection is proposed to estimate the relevant parameters of Pinus massoniana leaves. Finally, five important phenotypic parameters, namely plant height, stem diameter, main stem length, regional leaf length, and total leaf number, are obtained from the skeleton and the point cloud after separation and reconstruction. The experimental results showed that there was a high correlation between the actual value from manual measurement and the predicted value from the algorithm output. The accuracies of the main stem diameter, main stem length, and leaf length were 93.5%, 95.7%, and 83.8%, respectively, which meet the requirements of real applications.

Effects of planting density on branching habit in common and Tartary buckwheat

This study investigated the effects of planting density on the branching habit of common and Tartary buckwheat. A field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replicates, comparing sparse (67 plants m−2), moderate (111 plants m−2), and dense (222 plants m−2) planting densities in ‘Kitawasesoba’ (common) and ‘Manten-Kirari’ (Tartary) buckwheat varieties. Growth characteristics were examined at the stages of flower bud appearance, full flowering, and maturity. Results revealed that planting density had no significant effect on main stem length but showed significant effects on the number of branches in both species. As planting density increased, the number of branches decreased, with Tartary buckwheat exhibiting more significant changes in response to planting density than common buckwheat. The number of flower clusters on branches also decreased with increasing planting density. These findings suggest a potential role for branching plasticity in adapting to different planting densities while maintaining stable yields and indicate the importance of developing ideotypes with optimal branching habits for both species. This research contributes to a better understanding of buckwheat ideotypes and can contribute to future breeding efforts and crop management practices.

Allometric Models to Estimate the Biomass of Tree Seedlings from Dry Evergreen Forest in Thailand

Seedlings are an important stage for plant populations, as the abundance and rigor of seedlings can indicate a changing forest structure in the future. Studying the different traits of the seedling can represent how the plant grows. Biomass is one of the traits that can represent the plant’s performance and many other growth processes of the seedling. Several allometric equations have been developed to estimate tree biomass. However, allometric equations for the biomass of seedlings remains poorly studied, especially those from the tropics. The objective of this research is to create and develop a model that can be used to predict the biomass of seedlings, including total biomass, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass, from root collar diameter, shoot height, main stem length, and wood density from 205 two-year-old seedlings from twenty tree species found in dry evergreen forest in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani, Thailand. The results showed that the root collar diameter, shoot height, and wood density could be used to create a model to best predict the seedling biomass. This model should be tested with other seedlings in the wild and other datasets to evaluate the performance of the model. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to provide the first allometry for seedlings in tropical dry evergreen forest. The results from this study will allow ecologists to monitor and examine the growth of the seedlings at all stages of life in dynamic tropical environments in the future.

Hydrogels improved parsley (Petroselinium crispum(Mill.) Nyman) growth and development under water deficit stress.

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing problems facing countries in the semi-arid and arid regions of the world. Data predicts that by 2030, global water consumption will increase by 50%, leading to severe water shortages. Today, agricultural production consumes more than 70% of fresh water in many parts of the world, increasing the pressure on water scarcity. For these reasons, agricultural production models and approaches should be developed to reduce water consumption. One developed approach is the use of hydrogel to reduce water consumption and have a positive effect on plant growth. This study investigated the use of hydrogels as chemical components that can be used in water shortage conditions and against the expected water scarcity. Parsley was used as the model organism. The method used was as follows: two different water treatments (50% and 100%) and four different hydrogel concentrations (0%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were applied, and root width and length, leaf width and length, main stem length, and the number of tillers were measured. According to the results, while no improvement was observed in the plants with 100% hydrogel concentration, the best results were obtained from 50% hydrogel application. The results obtained from 75% hydrogel application were found to be higher than those of 100% hydrogel but lower than 0% hydrogel application. With 50% hydrogel (water-restricted), all plant growth parameters were higher compared to the plants with 100% (full irrigation) water application. It was determined that the average value of the I1 (50%) irrigation was the highest (3.6), and the average value of the I2 (100%) irrigation (2.4) was the lowest. It was determined that the highest average value (6.2) in all measured traits was the average value of the H1 (50%) application, and the lowest average value (0.0) was in the H3 hydrogel applications (100%). In conclusion, this study suggested that hydrogel application is beneficial on a large scale, can optimize water resource management for higher yields in agriculture, and has a positive effect on agricultural yield under water deficit stress.

Morphophysiological changes in black pepper under different water supplies

The center of origin and domestication of Piper nigrum L. are in high rainfall regions. But when grown in regions with irregular or insufficient rainfall, irrigation becomes essential. This study evaluated the impact of irrigation levels on the physiological and growth characteristics of black pepper plants, cv. Bragantina. It was carried out from April 2019 to May 2020, using automatic activation irrigation. We used emitters with different flow rates to apply water depths corresponding to 100, 81, 62, and 42% of the crop water requirement. The parameters evaluated comprised main stem length (MSL), stem diameter (SD), number of leaves (NL), leaf area (LA), chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, and some photosynthetic parameters. The treatments significantly influenced (p &lt; 0.05, F-test) MSL and NL. Plants submitted to the control treatment showed MSL (65.8%) and NL (123%) greater than those irrigated with the smallest volume (p &lt; 0.05, F-test). However, the treatments had no significant effect on SD. Moreover, chlorophyll b levels decreased by 26% and chlorophyll a/b ratio increased by 22% at 120 and 180 DAT, respectively. Some photosynthetic parameters such as FV/FM, ABS/RC, and DI0/RC were affected by water deficit at 120 DAT. Our results suggest the sensitivity of black peppers to water deficit and contribute to the proper management of this crop.

Use of Graphical and Numerical Approaches for Diallel Analysis of Grain Yield and Its Attributes in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Varying Environmental Conditions

Improving yield is the main aim of plant breeders. In the case of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), a major challenge in this regard is genotype–environment interactions, and a knowledge of these is required to successfully select high-yielding genotypes. In this study, graphical and numerical approaches of diallel analysis have been used to reveal such interactions. Ten different wheat genotypes were crossed using a half-diallel approach. The parents, hybrids, and standard checks were evaluated at the Regional Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, Anand, India under both standard and late-sown conditions in two separate years (E1 and E2 (normal-18 November 2018 and late sown-10 December 2018, respectively, Rabi 2018–2019), E3 and E4 (normal-18 November 2019 and late sown-10 December 2019, respectively, Rabi 2019–2020)). For each sowing, ‘t2’ values were calculated for eleven phenotypic characteristics: days to 50% heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of effective tillers per plant, length of main stem, number of spikelets per main spike, number of grains per main spike, grain yield per main spike, grain yield per plant, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. Components of the gene effect revealed that the number of spikelets per main spike in E2 and E4, and the number of grains per main spike in E2 were governed by both additive and dominance gene action across the environments. Other characteristics were the greater influence of the dominance gene effect, except for days to 50% heading in E1, E2, E3, and E4; days to maturity in E2, E3, and E4; grain yield per main spike in E4. Many characteristics exhibited overdominance, an asymmetrical distribution of positive–negative, dominance–recessive genes, and narrow-sense heritability in all environments. In graphical analysis, regression value ‘b’ was unity for days to 50% heading (E1 and E4) and 1000-grain weight (E3 and E4), which revealed an absence of digenic interactions for these characteristics in the respective environments. Therefore, a given population may be improved to isolate superior recombinants for the development of desired parents in future breeding programs.

The influence of genotype and year conditions on the transgressive variability of stem length in popu-lations of the second generation of soft winter wheat

In 2019–2020, in the conditions of the experimental field of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, populations of F2 hybrids, created by crossing soft winter wheat varieties that differ in the duration of the growing season, were studied. The aim of the work was to establish the degree and frequency of transgressions in the length of the main stem depending on the meteorological conditions of the year and the parental forms selected for hybridization, and to select selectively valuable recombinants for further research. In 2019, in 40 out of 42 F2 populations, only a positive degree of transgression was established in terms of the length of the main stem, from 2.5 % (Myronivsk early/Kolchuga) to 53.8 % (Zolotokolosa/Shchedra nyva). With the use of maternal cytoplasm of early ripening varieties in four populations, all plants exceeded the extreme maximum values of the parents, and with the hybridization of mid-early, mid-ripening, mid-late varieties, 13 such combinations were studied. In the conditions of 2020, positive transgressive recombinants were isolated only in six out of 20 populations based on hybridization with the maternal form of early-ripening varieties, and negative ones – in nine. Negative transgressive recombinants were selected in 13 of 21 populations created by crossing mid-early, mid-maturing, mid-late varieties. At the same time, no positive transgressions were found. The selection of parental pairs differing in precociousness before hybridization expands morphogenesis in F2 populations of soft winter wheat and promotes the selection of both positive and negative transgressive recombinants by the length of the main stem. A significant influence of meteorological conditions and initial forms of hybridization on the formation of stem length and the manifestation of extreme maximum and minimum values in populations of the second generation of soft winter wheat was established. The use of early-ripening cytoplasm in hybridization has a greater effect on the positive transgressive variability of the length of the main stem in F2 populations compared to medium-early, medium-maturing and medium-late maternal forms. Key words: degree and frequency of transgressions, soft winter wheat, maturity groups, parent forms, main stem length, F2 populations.