Nitrogen Treatments Research Articles

Impact of nitrogen rates on biosynthesis pathways: A comparative study of diterpene synthases in clerodane diterpenoids and enzymes in benzylisoquinoline alkaloids

Tinospora sagittata is rich in secondary metabolites used in traditional medicine. However, environmental factors impact key enzymes in metabolite synthesis, highlighting the need for improved growth conditions. This study employs transcriptomics and metabolomics to assess nitrogen's impact on enzymes in secondary metabolites biosynthesis pathways. The gene expressions of berberine bridge enzymes (BBEs) like TsBBE2 had peak expression in low nitrogen treatments (A0 and A1) but were absent in higher nitrogen treatments (A2 and A3). Similar trends were observed for other enzymes such as (S)-scoulerine 9-O-methyltransferase (TsCMT3), Tetrahydroberberine oxidase (TsSTOX), and Columbamine O-methyltransferase (TsCoCOMT2-4) in response to nitrogen levels. In examining gene families related to diterpene synthases (diTPS), 1-deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate synthase (TsDXR1) expression increased with higher nitrogen fertilizer, while TsDXR2 peaked at maximal nitrogen levels. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (TsGGPP3 and TsGGPP5) decreased with nitrogen levels. (−)-kolavenyl diphosphate synthase (KPS) genes had higher expression in treatments, while ent-kaurene synthase (KSL) genes, especially TsKSL1 and TsKSL2, showed higher expression in control conditions with lower nitrogen fertilizer. Metabolite analysis confirmed more upregulated compounds in A3 compared to A0. These findings have practical implications for agriculture and pharmaceuticals, highlighting the link between nitrogen fertilization and specialized metabolism in medicinal plants.

The Effect of Different Doses of Nitrogen and Seed Treatment with Biofertilizers on Growth, Yield and Seed Quality of Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.)

Aims: To study the effect of Different Doses of Nitrogen and Seed Treatment with Biofertilizers on Growth, Yield and Seed Quality of Sunflower. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with eleven treatments replicated thrice. Place and Duration of Study: The field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-2023 in the Instructional Farm of Ramkrishna Ashram Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nimpith, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Methodology: The experiment was carried out in randomized block design with eleven treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments were Control, 50% N, 100% N (90 kg N/ha), Azospirillum (seed treatment), Azatobacter (seed treatment), Azospirillum +Azatobacter (seed treatment), 50% N + Azospirillum (seed treatment), 50% N + Azatobacter (seed treatment), 50% N +Azospirillum + Azatobacter (seed treatment), 75% N + Azospirillum + Azatobacter (seed treatment) and 100% N + Azospirillum + Azatobacter (seed treatment). A common dose of Nitrogen@ 90kg/ha, phosphorus @90kg/ha and potash @40kg/ha were applied. Results: Higher head diameter (13.82 cm), 1000 seed weight (65.50 g), seed yield (1830 kg/ha), oil yield (628.80 kg/ha), gross return (Rs.48581), net return (Rs.26368) and B:C (2.19) than all other treatment followed by T10 (75% N + Azospirillum + Azotobacter) and T3 (100% N) which were statistically at par with each other. Conclusion: On the basis of all parameter as well as economics it can be concluded that treatment T10 (75% N + Azospirillum + Azotobacter) can be recommended for better benefit and sustainable production of sunflower. The results of this experiment showed that use of chemical fertilizers can be reduced by using a combination of bio-fertilizers and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer.

Transcriptome and metabolome reveal the role of different nitrogen treatments for volatile organic compounds accumulation in tomato leaf

Transcriptome and metabolome reveal the role of different nitrogen treatments for volatile organic compounds accumulation in tomato leaf

Coupling Image-Fusion Techniques with Machine Learning to Enhance Dynamic Monitoring of Nitrogen Content in Winter Wheat from UAV Multi-Source

Plant nitrogen concentration (PNC) is a key indicator reflecting the growth and development status of plants. The timely and accurate monitoring of plant PNC is of great significance for the refined management of crop nutrition in the field. The rapidly developing sensor technology provides a powerful means for monitoring crop PNC. Although RGB images have rich spatial information, they lack the spectral information of the red edge and near infrared bands, which are more sensitive to vegetation. Conversely, multispectral images offer superior spectral resolution but typically lag in spatial detail compared to RGB images. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of crop PNC monitoring by combining the advantages of RGB images and multispectral images through image-fusion technology. This study was based on the booting, heading, and early-filling stages of winter wheat, synchronously acquiring UAV RGB and MS data, using Gram–Schmidt (GS) and principal component (PC) image-fusion methods to generate fused images and evaluate them with multiple image-quality indicators. Subsequently, models for predicting wheat PNC were constructed using machine-selection algorithms such as RF, GPR, and XGB. The results show that the RGB_B1 image contains richer image information and more image details compared to other bands. The GS image-fusion method is superior to the PC method, and the performance of fusing high-resolution RGB_B1 band images with MS images using the GS method is optimal. After image fusion, the correlation between vegetation indices (VIs) and wheat PNC has been enhanced to varying degrees in different growth periods, significantly enhancing the response ability of spectral information to wheat PNC. To comprehensively assess the potential of fused images in estimating wheat PNC, this study fully compared the performance of PNC models before and after fusion using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB). The results show that the model established by the fusion image has high stability and accuracy in a single growth period, multiple growth periods, different varieties, and different nitrogen treatments, making it significantly better than the MS image. The most significant enhancements were during the booting to early-filling stages, particularly with the RF algorithm, which achieved an 18.8% increase in R2, a 26.5% increase in RPD, and a 19.7% decrease in RMSE. This study provides an effective technical means for the dynamic monitoring of crop nutritional status and provides strong technical support for the precise management of crop nutrition.

High-yield rice with rich nutrition and low toxicity can be obtained under potato-rice cropping system.

Rice is often rotated with dryland crops to produce sufficient foodstuff, as rice is the main food crop of humans. In order to verify whether under the intensive rice-based cropping system, high yield and good quality of rice can be achieved simultaneously to ensure food security. Five long-term paddy-upland rotations - wheat-rice (WR), rapeseed-rice (RR), garlic-rice (GR), broad beans-rice (BR) and potato-rice (PR) - were conducted from 2014 to investigate rice yield, along with the profiling of 24 elements in rice grain. Mg, Zn, Cu, As, Mo and Sb concentrations were highest in the aleurone layer, and Ag and Cd concentrations showed little variation among different parts of the rice grain. Al, Ti, V, Si, Fe and Tl concentrations in the endosperm under GR were higher, while the Se concentration under PR was the highest. Furthermore, the yield of GR and PR were higher than the other three rotations with N supplementation, and the sustainable yield index of PR and WR were larger than 0.8. When we consider the concentration of toxic (As, Cd and Pb) and nutrient elements (Ca, Fe, Zn, Se, Cu and Mg) in the endosperm and grain yields, PR can simultaneously achieve high yield, high nutrition and low toxicity with different nitrogen treatments. Here we provide novel insights regarding the selection of rice-based cropping systems, focused on producing nutritious and safe rice with high grain yield. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Interactive effects of nitrogen and genotype on maize rough dwarf disease

AbstractNitrogen and genotype play vital roles in modulating plant disease resistance. Maize (Zea mays L.) rough dwarf disease (MRDD) is a global viral disease that has caused serious yield losses. However, it is not clear how nitrogen and genotype interact to affect MRDD. We conducted field experiments in 2011 and 2013 to investigate the MRDD incidence, yield, and yield loss rate of 59 maize hybrids under high nitrogen (HN) and low nitrogen (LN). Compared with HN, the MRDD incidence and yield loss rate of S‐sensitive hybrids (nitrogen significantly influenced MRDD incidence in susceptible genotypes) could be significantly reduced by 50.6% and 35.5%, respectively, in LN without compromising maize yield. In contrast, R‐insensitive types (resistant hybrids in which MRDD incidence was unresponsive to nitrogen treatment) could maintain high MRDD resistance and yield at HN. US hybrid 78599 and inbred line Dan340 were the main parental resources of the resistant genotypes, and inbred lines Huangzao4 and Ye478 were the main parental resources of the susceptible genotypes. The physiological mechanism leading to increased MRDD incidence was thought to be higher nitrogen concentrations in the stalks. This study provided theoretical support for using reasonable nitrogen management to control MRDD and breeding MRDD‐resistant maize hybrids.

Efficient removal of ammonia from aqueous solution using coal-based carbon membrane via electrochemical oxidation in the present of chloride ion

To tackle the escalating issue of ammonia nitrogen water pollution, developing efficient removal technologies holds paramount significance. In this work, an electrochemical membrane reactor (EMR) was constructed for the decontamination of ammonia nitrogen wastewater using the coal-based carbon membrane (CCM) as the flow-through anode. The removal efficiency and degradation mechanism of ammonia nitrogen by EMR during the treatment were investigated. It was found that, under applied voltage and in the presence of chloride ions, the CCM exhibited excellent chlorine evolution performance, and as a result, the EMR had excellent ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency. The removal of ammonia nitrogen by the flow-through EMR was following the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Analysis revealed that various operating parameters, including applied voltage, chloride ion concentration, flow rate, pH value, and initial ammonia concentration, all significantly influenced the ammonia nitrogen treatment performance of EMR. At optimal operation conditions (feed concentration of 30 mg/L, applied voltage of 2.8 V, NaCl concentration of 0.1 mol/L and flow rate of 2 ml/min), the EMR achieved a removal rate of 100 % for ammonia nitrogen with a low energy consumption (EC) of 0.0380 kW•h/g-NH4-N. The degradation mechanism analysis revealed that the primary means of ammonia removal relied on indirect oxidation mediated by OCl·, which was generated by the oxidation of Cl- on the surface of CCM within the solution under the influence of the electric field. Furthermore, the EMR demonstrated good applicability across various water matrices. In conclusion, the EMR holds considerable potential for the decontamination of ammonia nitrogen-containing wastewater.

Nitrogen use efficiency of open-pollinated maize cultivars and topcrosses under low nitrogen soil

The study was conducted to evaluate the nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) of open-pollinated maize cultivars under low nitrogen soil conditions. It took place at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin, Nigeria, during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. The nitrogen treatments (0, 45, and 90 kg N ha⁻1) were assigned as the main plots, while the genotypes were designated as sub-plots in a split-plot design. The NUE of open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) and Topcrosses significantly increased with the application of 45 kg of nitrogen per hectare compared to 0 kg. Similarly, the maize grain yield for both OPVs and Topcrosses ranged from 1.40 to 3.57 t ha⁻1 and from 1.07 to 2.64 t ha⁻1 across the two years with the application of 45 kg of nitrogen per hectare compared to 0 kg. With the exception of days to 50 % silking, all other traits tested exhibited a significant correlation with grain yield. A gene pool for tolerance to low nitrogen may have been present in the cultivars Dmr-Esr Y Cif 2 and Acr 95 Tze Comp 4C3, which combined well with other cultivars to produce high grain yield and NUE. Topcrosses, including Ev Dt-Y 2000 Str C0 × Tze-W Dt Str C4, Dmr-Esr Y Cif 2 × Acr 95 Tze Comp 4C3, Ak 95 Dmr-Esrw × Tzb Rel D4 CO-W, Dmr-Esr Y Cif 2 × Tze-W Dt Str C4, and Br 9922 Dmr Sr × Ev Dt-Y 2000 Str C0, also demonstrated strong potential for maize grain yield and NUE. This suggests that these crosses could serve as promising candidates for developing low nitrogen tolerance in maize for low nitrogen soil environments. A positive relationship between fertilizer levels, NUE, and grain yield indicates that proper nitrogen fertilizer management can enhance both NUE and the grain yield of maize genotypes. Genetic analysis revealed that both phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and environmental variance (δ2p) were higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and genetic variance (δ2g), suggesting that environmental influences were more significant than genetic factors for the tested traits. Consequently, improving these traits may be achieved by manipulating environmental conditions.

Response of Root Respiration to Warming and Nitrogen Addition Depends on Tree Species.

Roots contribute a large fraction of CO2 efflux from soils, yet the extent to which global change factors affect root-derived fluxes is poorly understood. We investigated how red maple (Acer rubrum) and red oak (Quercus rubra) root biomass and respiration respond to long-term (15 years) soil warming, nitrogen addition, or their combination in a temperate forest. We found that ecosystem root respiration was decreased by 40% under both single-factor treatments (nitrogen addition or warming) but not under their combination (heated × nitrogen). This response was driven by the reduction of mass-specific root respiration under warming and a reduction in maple root biomass in both single-factor treatments. Mass-specific root respiration rates for both species acclimated to soil warming, resulting in a 43% reduction, but were not affected by N addition or the combined heated × N treatment.Notably, the addition of nitrogen to warmed soils alleviated thermal acclimation and returned mass-specific respiration rates to control levels. Oak roots contributed disproportionately to ecosystem root respiration despite the decrease in respiration rates as their biomass was maintained or enhanced under warming and nitrogen addition. In contrast, maple root respiration rates were consistently higher than oak, and this difference became critical in the heated × nitrogen treatment, where maple root biomass increased, contributing significantly more CO2 relative to single-factor treatments. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for the root component of respiration when assessing soil carbon loss in response to global change and demonstrate that combining warming and N addition produces effects that cannot be predicted by studying these factors in isolation.

ASSESSMENT OF WHEAT GENOTYPES FOR THEIR LOW NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY UNDER SEMI-ARID CONDITIONS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Nitrogen is one of the most important and critical macronutrients needed by plants for their optimal growth and development. The current experimental study was designed to examine the response of wheat variety Akbar-2019 under different nitrogen levels keeping the levels of phosphorus and potassium constant. The study was conducted in Chak No. 169/7.R Fort Abbas, District Bahawalnagar under the supervision of the Department of Soil Fertility (Field) during the crop year 2022-23. The experimental material was comprised of a wheat variety Akbar-2019 and five different treatments of nitrogen consisted of (i) N = 160 kg ha-1 (ii) N = 145 kg ha-1 (iii) N = 131 kg ha-1 (iv) N = 117 kg ha-1 and (v) N = 103 kg ha-1. The experiment was laid out under a randomized complete block design with three replications and 170 m² net plot size par treatment per replication. The results revealed the presence of highly significant variations among nitrogen treatments in wheat variety based on the agronomic and morpho-physiological parameters including flag leaf area, thousand-grain weight, grains per spike, relative water contents, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, biological yield and gain yield. Furthermore, the results also unveiled that treatments with higher nitrogen dosage produce better results for almost all the study parameters including grain yield. These results were also confirmed through correlation coefficient analysis and bar graph graphical representation based on mean data, where correlation coefficient analysis showed a strong positive correlation of grain yield with studied plant traits except biological yield for which the correlation was positive but non-significant. The results suggest that nitrogen in higher amounts up to a certain level is necessary for obtaining maximum output from wheat crops under semi-arid conditions.

Integrating Suspended Sludge and Fixed Film into a Biological Wastewater Treatment System to Enhance Nitrogen Removal

Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) technology greatly enhances nitrogen removal effectiveness and treatment capacity in municipal wastewater treatment plants, addressing the issue of limited land availability. Hence, this method is appropriate for treating household wastewater from office buildings. The research was conducted at the wastewater treatment plant in an office building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Experiments were conducted to ascertain the most favorable working conditions, including hydraulic retention time (HRT), alkalinity dosage, and dissolved oxygen (DO). According to the study, the IFAS system had the highest nitrogen removal effectiveness when operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7 h, an alkalinity dose of 7.14 mgCaCO3/mgN-NH4+, and a dissolved oxygen (DO) value of 6 mg/L. The nitrification efficiency ranges from 89.2% to 98.8%. The N-NO3− concentration post-treatment is within the range of 27–45 mgN-NO3−/L, which is lower than the allowable discharge limit of 60 mg/L as per Vietnam’s wastewater discharge requirements. The research findings have enhanced the efficiency of the office building management process, thereby promoting the sustainable growth of society.

Monitoring and Optimization of Potato Growth Dynamics under Different Nitrogen Forms and Rates Using UAV RGB Imagery

The temporal dynamics of canopy growth are closely related to the accumulation and distribution of plant dry matter. Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with various sensors have been increasingly adopted in crop growth monitoring. In this study, two potato varieties were used as materials, and treated with different combinations of nitrogen forms (nitrate and ammonium) and application rates (0, 150, and 300 kg ha−1). A canopy development model was then constructed using low-cost time-series RGB imagery acquired by UAV. The objectives of this study were to quantify the variation in canopy development parameters under different nitrogen treatments and to explore the model parameters that represent the dynamics of plant dry matter accumulation, as well as those that contribute significantly to yield. The results showed that, except for the thermal time to canopy senescence (t2), other parameters of the potato canopy development model exhibited varying degrees of variation under different nitrogen treatments. The model parameters were more sensitive to nitrogen forms, such as ammonium and nitrate, than to application rates. The integral area (At) under the canopy development curve had a direct effect on plant dry matter accumulation (path coefficient of 0.78), and the two were significantly positively correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.93). Integral area at peak flowering (AtII) was significantly correlated with yield for both single and mixed potato varieties, having the greatest effect on yield (total effect of 1.717). In conclusion, UAV-acquired time-series RGB imagery could effectively quantify the variation of potato canopy development parameters under different nitrogen treatments and monitor the dynamic changes in plant dry matter accumulation. The regulation of canopy development parameters is of great importance and practical value for optimizing nitrogen management strategies and improving yield.

Enhanced Estimation of Crown-Level Leaf Dry Biomass of Ginkgo Saplings Based on Multi-Height UAV Imagery and Digital Aerial Photogrammetry Point Cloud Data

Ginkgo is a multi-purpose economic tree species that plays a significant role in human production and daily life. The dry biomass of leaves serves as an accurate key indicator of the growth status of Ginkgo saplings and represents a direct source of economic yield. Given the characteristics of flexibility and high operational efficiency, affordable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been utilized for estimating aboveground biomass in plantations, but not specifically for estimating leaf biomass at the individual sapling level. Furthermore, previous studies have primarily focused on image metrics while neglecting the potential of digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) point cloud metrics. This study aims to investigate the estimation of crown-level leaf biomass in 3-year-old Ginkgo saplings subjected to different nitrogen treatments, using a synergistic approach that combines both image metrics and DAP metrics derived from UAV RGB images captured at varying flight heights (30 m, 60 m, and 90 m). In this study, image metrics (including the color and texture feature parameters) and DAP point cloud metrics (encompassing crown-level structural parameters, height-related and density-related metrics) were extracted and evaluated for modeling leaf biomass. The results indicated that models that utilized both image metrics and point cloud metrics generally outperformed those relying solely on image metrics. Notably, the combination of image metrics obtained from the 60 m flight height with DAP metrics derived from the 30 m height significantly enhanced the overall modeling performance, especially when optimal metrics were selected through a backward elimination approach. Among the regression methods employed, Gaussian process regression (GPR) models exhibited superior performance (CV-R2 = 0.79, rRMSE = 25.22% for the best model), compared to Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) models. The common critical image metrics for both GPR and PLSR models were found to be related to chlorophyll (including G, B, and their normalized indices such as NGI and NBI), while key common structural parameters from the DAP metrics included height-related and crown-related features (specifically, tree height and crown width). This approach of integrating optimal image metrics with DAP metrics derived from multi-height UAV imagery shows great promise for estimating crown-level leaf biomass in Ginkgo saplings and potentially other tree crops.

IMPACT OF VARIED AMOUNTS OF NITROGENOUS FERTILIZERS ON GRAIN YIELD AND RELATED AGRO-PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS IN SPRING WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

The application of nitrogen (N) is a critical factor influencing grain yield and agro-physiological traits in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of varied nitrogen levels on grain yield and associated traits under field conditions. The study was conducted in Chak No. 136 / 6.R Haroonabad, District Bahawalnagar under the supervision of the Institute of Soil Fertility (Field) during the crop year 2022-23. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used, with five N treatments (160, 145, 131, 117 and 103 kg ha⁻¹) applied across three replicates. Key parameters, including flag leaf area, thousand-grain weight, spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, chlorophyll a, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, biological yield and gain yield, were measured. The results showed a significant increase in flag leaf area, thousand-grain weight, spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, chlorophyll a, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, biological yield and gain yield with increasing nitrogen application, with the highest yield observed at 160 kg ha⁻¹. The results unveiled the presence of highly significant variations among nitrogen treatments in wheat variety based on the agro-physiological parameters including flag leaf area, thousand-grain weight, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, chlorophyll a, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, biological yield and gain yield. Furthermore, the results also unveiled that treatments with higher nitrogen dosage produce better results for almost all the study parameters including grain yield. The correlation coefficient analysis also confirmed the results and suggested that any wheat breeding program aimed at improving wheat yield must select its parental genotypes based on traits having the highest correlation with yield i.e., flag leaf area, thousand-grain weight, number of grains per spike, chlorophyll a, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate except the number of spikelets per spike and biological yield for which the correlation was positive but non-significant. The results suggest that nitrogen in higher amounts up to a certain level is necessary for obtaining maximum output from wheat crops under semi-arid conditions.

Respuesta morfológica de plántulas de maíz nativo (Zea mays L.) a ambientes contrastantes de nitrógeno

Nitrogen plays a vital role in plant metabolism, influencing growth and development, particularly in crops like maize (Zea mays L.). This study aimed to evaluate the morphological response of maize seedlings to different nitrogen levels. The design was a completely randomized factorial arrangement of 4 x 2, involving four maize cultivars and two nitrogen levels.The variety Sb 302 Berentsen and three native varieties originating from Tecamachalco, Puebla, Mexico were studied. For a period of 14, 21, 28 and 35 days, seedlings were grown in nutrient solution with 10 % and 100 % nitrogen levels under hydroponic conditions. The results revealed significant variability in seedling morphology, particularly in root architecture and dry weight, between the 10 % and 100 % nitrogen treatments. High coefficients of variation were observed in the lengths of crown and seminal roots, alongside significant correlations between root and seedling dry weights at both nitrogen levels. Additionally, a strong correlation was found between root length and number under the 10 % nitrogen treatment. The results highlight the critical role of nitrogen in maize seedling development and the interaction between nitrogen concentration and maize variety, particularly in primary root length. The study improves understanding of nitrogen's role in optimizing maize growth and suggests strategies to enhance nitrogen use efficiency across different maize varieties. Keywords: cereals, nitrogen use efficiency, root architecture, native varieties.

Plasma-assisted surface modification of MXene/carbon nanofiber electrodes for electrochemical energy storage

Inferior ion diffusion and relatively low electrochemically active sites of MXene-based electrodes make them becoming a major challenge to develop advanced electrode. Surface modification of electrodes using non-thermal plasma is a great way to suppress these challenges through providing more space for energy storage and facilitating the diffusion of electrolyte ions. Herein, the effect of nitrogen and oxygen plasma treatments on MXene/carbon nanofiber electrode is reported to enhance the electrochemical performance. In this work, Ti3C2Tx MXene/CNF composites were fabricated using a hybrid needleless electrospinning/plasma method for the electrochemical energy storage. Surface modification of the composites was performed by a DBD plasma reactor under N2 and O2 gases at low-pressure glow discharge as a two-step plasma treatment process. The results revealed that total pore volume and the surface area of the plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF composite increased considerably due to the N2 and O2 plasma treatments. It was found that the electrochemical active surface area of the N2/O2-plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF electrode enhanced by approximately two times compared to the non-treated one, leading to the specific capacitance of 162 F/g at 1 A g−1 in a 2 M KOH electrolyte. The increase in electrochemical activity arises from separate doping of N2 and O2 plasma, which not only improves the pore structure and wettability, but also modifies the electrical conductivity and capacitance of the electrode. The N2/O2-plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF electrode achieved excellent cycling stability with 124 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles, while the capacitance retention of the pure N2 and O2-plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF electrodes as well as the non-treated one were 111 %, 105 % and 98 %, respectively. Additionally, an asymmetric supercapacitor N2/O2-plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF//AC based on the N2/O2-plasma-treated Ti3C2Tx/CNF as a positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as a negative electrode was successfully constructed, which demonstrated an energy density of 26.3 Wh kg−1 with a power density of 750 W kg−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1 with excellent capacitance retention (102 %) after 5000 cycles. This work provides a highly efficient method for the surface modification of MXene-based electrodes through non-thermal plasma treatment.

Effect of Date of Sowing and Nitrogen Level on the Yield of Wheat

An experiment to evaluate the growth and production of BARI Gom-26 was carried out at Bangladesh Agricultural University's Agronomy Field Laboratory from November 2022 to March 2023. The experiment compared various nitrogen amounts and planting dates. Five nitrogen levels (90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 kg N ha-1) were taken into consideration along with three planting dates (November 15, November 25, and December 5, 2022). Three replications of a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) were used in the trial. On March 1, March 18, and March 28, 2023, respectively, harvesting was done independently. According to the findings, November 25th with 110 kg N ha-1 produced the highest grain yield (3.92 t ha-1). Furthermore, on November 25, 2022, 110 kg N ha-1 produced the highest scores of tillers per hill (6.11), effective tillers per hill (5.74), number of spikelets per spike (12.46), number of grain-1 (23.89), straw yield (7.07 t ha-1), and biological yield (11.00 t ha-1). On the other hand, on December 5 with 130 kg N ha-1, the lowest number per total tiller (3.54), number of effective tillers per hill (3.36), straw yield (3.46 t ha-1), and biological yield (6.22 t ha-1) were noted. As a result, November 25, 2022, was linked to the highest grain yield. On November 25, 2022, it was also observed that all three planting dates and all five nitrogen treatments worked effectively with 110 kg N ha-1. The best date to sow wheat was determined to be November 25, 2022, and this date is advised for wheat cultivation in Bangladesh in different agro-ecological zones.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Alfin-like Genes in Brassica napus and Functional Analyses of BnaAL02 and BnaAL28 in Response to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Deficiency.

Alfin-like proteins (ALs) form a plant-specific transcription factor (TF) gene family involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, and abiotic stress response. In this study, 30 ALs were identified in Brassica napus ecotype 'Zhongshuang 11' genome (BnaALs), and unevenly distributed on 15 chromosomes. Structural characteristic analysis showed that all of the BnaALs contained two highly conserved domains: the N terminal DUF3594 domain and the C-terminal PHD-finger domain. The BnaALs were classified into four groups (Group I-IV), supported by conserved intron-exon and protein motif structures in each group. The allopolyploid event between B. oleracea and B. rapa ancestors and the small-scale duplication events in B. napus both contributed to the large BnaALs expansion. The promoter regions of BnaALs contained multiple abiotic stress cis-elements. The BnaALs in I-IV groups were mainly expressed in cotyledon, petal, root, silique, and seed tissues, and the duplicated gene pairs shared highly similar expression patterns. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analysis showed that BnaALs were obviously induced by low nitrogen (LN) and low phosphorus (LP) treatments in roots. Overexpressing BnaAL02 and BnaAL28 in Arabidopsis demonstrated their functions in response to LN and LP stresses. BnaAL28 enhanced primary roots' (PRs) length and lateral roots' (LRs) number under LP and LN conditions, where BnaAL02 can inhibit LR numbers under the two conditions. They can promote root hair (RH) elongation under LP conditions; however, they suppressed RH elongation under LN conditions. Our result provides new insight into the functional dissection of this family in response to nutrient stresses in plants.

Residue retention and precision nitrogen management effects on soil physicochemical properties and productivity of maize-wheat-mungbean system in Indo-Gangetic Plains

Maize-based crop systems are promoted in large scale in South Asia because they are more sustainable and efficient than rice-based systems. In the present study, using two combinations of crop residue management practices (CRM) with four precision nitrogen (N) management (PNM) systems, we assessed the impacts on soil physicochemical characteristics [soil organic carbon (SOC), bulk density (BD), soil penetration resistance (PR)] and crop yields in 6 years old continuous zero tillage (ZT) practices under maize-wheat-mungbean cropping system in a sandy loam soil of northwestern India. The highest SOC (5.73 g/kg) was observed in Zero Tillage with Residue Retention (ZT + R) plots. Zero-tillage with residue retention (ZT + R) significantly reduced the bulk density over the zero-tillage with no residue retention (ZT-R) across the soil depth. The bulk density in ZT + R was 6.5 and 10.7% lower at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm soil depth, respectively, than under ZT-R. The penetration resistance (PR) was significantly lower in ZT + R than in ZT-R across the soil depth. Soil organic carbon (SOC) in ZT + R was 7.4% higher at 0–15 cm depth and 11.9% higher at 15–30 cm depth than under ZT-R treatment. Among PNM treatments, the sequence of treatments in SOC content was 50%N + Green Seeker (GS) >33%N + GS > RDN > 70%N + GS. The system productivity (maize equivalent yield) under ZT + R in combination with 50%BN + GS was 15.0% higher than crops grown under ZT-R with RDN. The wheat equivalent yield under the ZT + R treatment is found to be higher (5.97) in the 50%BN + GS, which was 18% higher than the recommended dose of nitrogen treatment (5.04) and 28% higher than the 70%BN + GS treatment (4.68). Results demonstrated that plots with residue retention performed better, showing a 10% increase in system productivity. The study concludes that a ZT-based system with maize-based crop rotations (MWMb) with crop residue retention and precision nitrogen management can improve soil properties and system productivity in northwestern India.

Light condition during grain-filling stage of main crop strongly influences ratooning ability of low-stubble ratoon rice

Compared with high-stubble ratoon rice (RR), low-stubble RR is superior in yield potential, grain quality, and economic benefit. However, the unstable ratooning ability limits the grain yield of low-stubble RR production. Light condition during the grain-filling stage of main crop (GFMC) may be important for rice ratooning. To elucidate the role of light condition during GFMC in affecting ratooning ability, the key response periods, and their underlying mechanisms, field experiments were conducted using two indica cultivars in 2021 and 2022. To create varied light conditions at the canopy base during GFMC, two planting density treatments combining three nitrogen (N) treatments were established in 2021, and three density treatments combining two N treatments and four shading treatments were established in 2022 for the main crop. Light intensity (LI), light quality as reflected by the ratio of red light/far red light (R/FR), and light transmission ratio (LTR) at the canopy base during GFMC and ratooning ability were dramatically altered by N fertilization but not by planting density. With increased N application, LTR, root bleeding rate, and maximum ratooning rate significantly decreased in 2021. In 2022, low N rate increased LI, R/FR, and maximum ratooning rate by 155.7-241.4%, 47.4-65.3%, and 15.6-27.5%, respectively, but reduced missing hill percentage (proportion of hills without regenerated tillers to the total number of hills) by 30.0-62.1% compared with high N rate. The missing hill percentage was negatively correlated with the indices of light condition, while the maximum ratooning rate was positively correlated with them for both cultivars. Root activity and the ratios of abscisic acid (ABA) to cytokinins (CTK), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and IAA+CTK could explain the effect of light condition during GFMC on ratooning ability. Shading experiment confirmed the effect of light condition on ratooning ability and further revealed that only shading during middle and late GFMC affected ratooning ability. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of ratooning ability, which are useful for developing management practices to increase the grain yield and yield stability of low-stubble RR.