Non-treated Plants Research Articles

Towards Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: An evaluation of biocontrol effects, nutritional value, and ecological impact of bacterial inoculants

Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) is a novel concept in agriculture that considers not only yield, but also nutritional value of produce, sustainability of production, and ecological impact of agriculture. In accordance with its goals, NSA would benefit from applying microbial-based products as they are deemed more sustainable than their synthetic counterparts.This study characterized 3 plant-beneficial bacterial strains (Paenibacillus pasadenensis strain R16, Pseudomonas syringae strain 260-02, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain CC2) on their biocontrol activity and effect on nutritional and texture quality of romaine lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa) in greenhouse. The pathogens used in the trials are Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum.The obtained results indicate that strain R16 had a significant ability to cause a statistically significant reduction in the symptoms caused by both P. ultimum (reduction of 32%) and R. solani (reduction of 42%), while the other two strains showed a less efficient biocontrol ability.Indices of the nutritional quality (content in phenols, carotenoids and chlorophyll) were unaffected by the treatments, indicating that the product was equivalent to that obtained without using the bacteria, while the texture of the leaves benefits from the biocontrol treatments. In particular, the mechanical resistance of the leaves was significantly higher in non-treated plants affected by R. solani but was restored to the values of healthy plants when the bacterial inoculants were present as well.The ecological impact was evaluated by characterizing the bacterial microbiota in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root in the presence or absence of the inoculants.The composition of the microbiota, analyzed with a Unifrac model to describe beta-diversity, was radically different in the rhizosphere and the root endosphere among treatments, while the bulk soil formed a single cluster regardless of treatment, indicating that the use of these treatments did not have an ecological impact outside of the plant.

The Use of a Plant-Based Biostimulant Improves Plant Performances and Fruit Quality in Tomato Plants Grown at Elevated Temperatures

Abiotic stresses can cause a substantial decline in fruit quality due to negative impacts on plant growth, physiology and reproduction. The objective of this study was to verify if the use of a biostimulant based on plant and yeast extracts, rich in amino acids and that contains microelements (boron, zinc and manganese) can ensure good crop yield and quality in tomato plants grown at elevated temperatures (up to 42 °C). We investigated physiological responses of four different tomato landraces that were cultivated under plastic tunnel and treated with the biostimulant CycoFlow. The application of the biostimulant stimulated growth (plants up to 48.5% taller) and number of fruits (up to 105.3%). In plants treated with the biostimulant, antioxidants contents were higher compared to non-treated plants, both in leaves and in fruits. In particular, the content of ascorbic acid increased after treatments with CycoFlow. For almost all the traits studied, the effect of the biostimulant depended on the genotype it was applied on. Altogether, the use of the biostimulant on tomato plants led to better plant performances at elevated temperatures, that could be attributed also to a stronger antioxidant defence system, and to a better fruit nutritional quality.

Tetraclinis articulata essential oil reduces Botrytis cinerea infections on tomato

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from medicinal plants gained interest in research due to their potential effectiveness as antimicrobial compounds that can substitute chemical pesticides for treatment of plant derived foods. This study aims to use Tetraclinis articulata EO to control Botrytis cinerea pre- and post-harvest infection on tomato. Tetraclinis articulata EOs extracted at vegetative, flowering and fructification stages were rich in α-pinene (8.10–21.52%), β-caryophyllene (5.17–16.10 %) and caryophyllene oxide (5.57–6.83 %) with the main chemical classes were oxygenated monoterpenes (30.50–50.86 %) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (12.19–28.96 %). The in vitro antifungal activity of EOs against B. cinerea varied with the phenological stage, with the highest activity observed at flowering stage which used subsequently. The activity of α-pinene alone or mixed with bornyl acetate according to their natural proportions at 250 μg mL−1 totally inhibited B. cinerea conidia germination. The pulverization of EO on detached leaflets at 2 mg mL−1 reduced B. cinerea necrosis to 14.50 % in comparison to only infected leaflets 76.00 %. Tetraclinis articulata EO applied as preventive treatment on tomato plants under greenhouse conditions enhanced plants growth and reduced B. cinerea infection to 17.72 % in comparison to infected and non-treated plants 52.11 %. The EO applied at 100 μg mL-1 on tomato fruit reduced infection caused by B. cinerea by 64.01 %. Tetraclinis articulata EO constitutes a promising natural product to reduce B. cinerea infections on tomato in pre- and post-harvest conditions during storage and transport.

Influence of a Neonicotinoid Seed Treatment on a Nontarget Herbivore of Soybean (Twospotted Spider Mite) and Diet Switching by a Co-occurring Omnivore (Western Flower Thrips).

Insecticidal neonicotinoid seed treatments are a common agricultural insect pest management strategy; however, effects on nontarget pests and omnivorous arthropods are understudied. We used a series of experiments to evaluate impacts of the neonicotinoid seed treatment thiamethoxam on densities of herbivorous twospotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch [Acari: Tetranychidae]) and feeding behavior of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande [Thysanoptera: Thripidae]), an omnivore that feeds on spider mite eggs but is also a significant plant pest. Spider mite densities were higher on neonicotinoid-treated soybeans, but only when mites were not spatially confined. We then examined how availability of thiamethoxam-treated food items (i.e., eggs from spider mites reared on treated soybeans, soybean leaf discs, or a combination of the two), and previous exposure to thiamethoxam-treated soybean impacted thrips feeding. Regardless of the presence of leaf tissue, thrips consumed fewer spider mite eggs laid by females reared on treated soybeans, suggesting spider mite eggs can serve as poisoned prey. Overall, thrips consumed less treated soybean leaf tissue, and thrips on treated leaf discs had a lower percentage of herbivorous feeding events and consumed more nontreated spider mite eggs, indicating a dietary shift from herbivory to predation. The neonicotinoid status of spider mite eggs and prior exposure of thrips also caused shifts in the number and size of leaf scars, likely as a result of altered foraging behavior and/or movement. Shifts between herbivory and predation have implications for thrips damage, virus transmission, and pest management, especially in systems with mixtures of nontreated and neonicotinoid-treated plants.

Screening of microalgae liquid extracts for their bio stimulant properties on plant growth, nutrient uptake and metabolite profile of Solanum lycopersicum L.

The present study investigates the biostimulant effects of 18 Crude Bio-Extracts (CBEs) obtained from Microalgae and Cyanobacteria on tomato plant growth, chlorophyll content, nutrient uptake and metabolite profile. Significant root and shoot length improvement (112.65%, 53.70%); was recorded at treatment with Aphanothece sp and C. ellipsoidea CBEs respectively. Meanwhile, the highest root and shoot dry weight (DW) (34.81%, 58.69%) were obtained at treatment with Aphanothece sp. The latter also displayed the maximum uptake of Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which increased by 185.17%, 119.36% and 78.04% respectively compared with non-treated plants. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirmed that Phosphorus and Potassium levels in roots were closely related to enhanced Root length, whereas Nitrogen and chlorophyll b were closely related to Shoot and root DW. Additionally, Gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated that treatment with CBEs, induced the production of a vast array of metabolites. Treated plants recorded higher accumulation of palmitic and stearic acids, which could indicate a stimulation in de novo Lipid synthesis. CBEs also triggered the accumulation of pyridine-3-carboxamide (an amide active form of vitamin B3) and Linolenic acid; one of the key precursors in the biosynthetic pathway leading to plant jasmonates. Our results are a first step towards understanding the effects of microalgal extracts on plant physiology and biochemical pathways. Further investigations on biochemical fractionation of microalgal extracts and agronomic tests of their purified bioactive compounds could be a useful principal novelty for in-depth study of CBE action mechanisms. Other useful tools include; Comparative hormone profiling of treated and non-treated plants accompanied with combined High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping, transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis.

Nitrogen Use and Uptake Efficiency and Crop Performance of Baby Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.) Grown under Variable Sub-Optimal N Regimes Combined with Plant-Based Biostimulant Application

An optimized nitrogen (N) fertilization may have a positive effect on leafy vegetables by increasing growth, yield and nutrient content of plants. Nevertheless, crop performance must be coupled with an increase in Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in order to limit external N inputs and to avoid N surpluses associated with environmental and health problems. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of a legume-derived plant hydrolysates (LDPH; Trainer®) and N fertilization levels (0, 2.25 and 4.5 g N m−2 for spinach and 0, 2.5 and 5.0 g N m−2 for lamb’s lettuce; N0%, N50%, N100%, respectively) on agronomical, biochemical, qualitative responses and NUE of these two important greenhouse leafy vegetables. Spinach and lamb’s lettuce were sprayed four times during the growing period (at a concentration of 4 mL L−1 of LDPH). In baby spinach, the LDPH application elicited a significant increase at the three levels of N fertilization: +16.8%, +14.2%, and 39.4% at 0, 2.25 and 4.5 g N m−2, respectively. Interestingly, in lamb’s lettuce, the N50% plants treated with LDPH reached similar values of marketable yield in comparison to treated and non-treated plants under N100% conditions. The presumed mechanism involved in the enhancement of yield response in the two leafy greens could be associated to a better activity of the photosystem II (higher SPAD index), biochemical (higher content of chlorophyll a, b and total) and leaf nitrate status. The foliar application of LDPH produced a major fortification in lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant activities (+11.6 and 6.3% for spinach and lamb’s lettuce, respectively). The biostimulant application also improved N-use efficiency and N-uptake efficiency compared to untreated plants: +17.8% and +18.8%, and +50% and +73.3%, for spinach and lamb’s lettuce, respectively.

Suhu Tinggi Berpengaruh Negatif pada Perkembangan Polen Cabai (Capsicum annum L.) cv. Tanjung-2

The development of male reproductive organ in plants is seriously affected by the adverse abiotic stresses. In this study, we investigated pollen development, particularly at microsporogenesis and micro gametogenesis stages of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) cv. Tanjung-2 upon exposure with high temperature (day/night = 36/33°C). For this objective, anther of different flower sizes ranging from <2.5 mm; 3-4.5 mm; 4.5-7 mm; to 7-11 mm from treated and non-treated plants were collected. The results revealed that the early microsporogenesis stage was highly sensitive to high temperature indicated by a low progression of cells into subsequent process in meiotic division. This result was followed by the inhibition of tetrad formation up to 2%. Consequently, plant produced smaller microscpores and pollens with thin exin that resulted in the decreased pollen viability to 90%. In conclusion, high temperature has negative impact on the development of male reproductive program in chili pepper, including microsporogenesis and micro gametogenesis. Extending approach should be allocated to overcome this problem so that such environmental stress would not decrease the productivity of chili pepper. Keywords: Capsicum annuum, high temperature, microgametogenesis, microsporogenesis

Physiological and transcriptome analyses of the effects of exogenous dopamine on drought tolerance in apple

Water shortage is one of the main limiting factors in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) production. Although dopamine is produced in plants and has been linked with response to abiotic stress, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, physiological analyses revealed that pretreatment with 100 μM dopamine alleviated drought stress in apple seedlings. Dopamine inhibited the degradation of photosynthetic pigments and increased net photosynthetic rate under drought stress. Dopamine also reduced H2O2 content, possibly through direct scavenging and by mediating the antioxidant enzyme activity. Seedlings pretreated with dopamine had higher sucrose and malic acid contents but lower starch accumulation in their leaves. RNA-Seq analysis identified 1052 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between non-treated and dopamine-pretreated plants under drought. An in-depth analysis of these DEGs revealed that dopamine regulated the expression of genes related to metabolism of nitrogen, secondary compounds, and amino acids under drought stress. In addition, dopamine may improve apple drought tolerance by activating Ca2+ signaling pathways through increased expression of CNGC and CAM/CML family genes. Moreover, analysis of transcription factor expression suggested that dopamine affected drought tolerance mainly through the regulation of WRKY, ERF, and NAC transcription factors.

Cover crop response to residual herbicides in peanut-cotton rotation

AbstractCover crops can provide many benefits to peanut and cotton crops planted in rotation including suppressing weeds, conserving soil moisture after termination, increasing soil organic matter, and reducing soil erosion. However, herbicide carryover can affect cover crop establishment. The objective of this study was to investigate the responses of 6 cover crops (daikon radish, cereal rye, oat, crimson clover, winter wheat, and common vetch) to 12 soil residual herbicides. A multiyear (2016–2018), multilocation study was conducted in Macon and Henry counties, Alabama. Herbicide treatments included S-metolachlor, acetochlor, pyroxasulfone, diclosulam, imazapic, chlorimuron-ethyl, bentazon plus acifluorfen, pyrithiobac-sodium, trifloxysulfuron-sodium, diuron, prometryn, and flumioxazin, each applied at 10% of the full-labeled rate. At 42 to 52 and 145 to 149 d after planting (DAP), cover crop plant heights and stand counts were evaluated, as was biomass at 145 to 149 DAP. Treatments varied from year to year but not locations. In 2016, significant stand reductions (P ≤ 0.10) of 36% to 43% in rye and 44% to 75% in wheat were observed at 48 to 52 DAP for S-metolachlor, acetochlor, pyroxasulfone, imazapic, and bentazon plus acifluorfen compared with nontreated plants. Vetch had stand reductions ranging from 14% to 80% for all treatments 50 DAP except for plants treated with prometryn. S-metolachlor, pyroxasulfone, and acetochlor reduced stands of rye, wheat, and vetch more than any other herbicides. In 2017, at 147 to 149 DAP, clover stands were reduced by 29% with diclosulam and by 38% with trifloxysulfuron-sodium. Similarly, radish stands were reduced by 64% with diclosulam treatment. No significant biomass reductions were observed for any cover crop species either year. Oat showed the most tolerance with no treatments reducing any growth parameters either year. Although initial injury and stunting may occur, biomass at termination of cover crops were not affected by herbicide residues evaluated in this study.

The Use of High-Throughput Phenotyping for Assessment of Heat Stress-Induced Changes in Arabidopsis.

The worldwide rise in heatwave frequency poses a threat to plant survival and productivity. Determining the new marker phenotypes that show reproducible response to heat stress and contribute to heat stress tolerance is becoming a priority. In this study, we describe a protocol focusing on the daily changes in plant morphology and photosynthetic performance after exposure to heat stress using an automated noninvasive phenotyping system. Heat stress exposure resulted in an acute reduction of the quantum yield of photosystem II and increased leaf angle. In longer term, the exposure to heat also affected plant growth and morphology. By tracking the recovery period of the WT and mutants impaired in thermotolerance (hsp101), we observed that the difference in maximum quantum yield, quenching, rosette size, and morphology. By examining the correlation across the traits throughout time, we observed that early changes in photochemical quenching corresponded with the rosette size at later stages, which suggests the contribution of quenching to overall heat tolerance. We also determined that 6 h of heat stress provides the most informative insight in plant's responses to heat, as it shows a clear separation between treated and nontreated plants as well as the WT and hsp101. Our work streamlines future discoveries by providing an experimental protocol, data analysis pipeline, and new phenotypes that could be used as targets in thermotolerance screenings.

Plant Growth Promotion and Suppression of Damping Off in Tomato by Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacterium Bacillus amyloliquifaciens

Plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) is a kind of rhizosphere bacterium that increases plant growth and yield by intimately colonizing plant roots. This study was planned to examine the effect of a PGPR strain namely Bacillus amyloliquifaciens PPB10 on growth of tomato plants and suppression of damping off disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. In this study tomato seeds were treated with PPB10 and sown in sterilized soil. The PGPR isolate PPB10 significantly improved seed germination and seedling vigor of tomato plants compared to non-treated control. Three weeks after sowing, plants treated with the PGPR strain displayed significantly enhanced levels of growth in terms of length and yield of shoot and root biomass compared to non-treated control plants. Seed bacterization with the PGPR significantly increased total chlorophyll contents in the shoot. Moreover, the isolate significantly antagonized the mycelial growth of the pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii, while treating tomato seeds with the bacterium significantly suppressed damping off disease. The isolate was found to be an efficient colonizer of the tomato roots. Since the PGPR B. amyloliquifaciens PPB10 displayed traits beneficial to the plants, it has the potential to be utilized in the development of an effective seed treatment.

Efficient elimination of Yam mosaic virus (YMV) from white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) by cryotherapy of axillary buds

Dioscorea rotundata is an economically important food crop in many tropical countries as many people in this region depend on it for food and livelihood. Viral diseases, especially Yam mosaic virus (YMV), constitute a major constraint in the cultivation of this crop as they perpetuate through generations in the vegetatively propagated planting materials. Getting resistant or at least virus-free planting materials for farmers thus becomes crucial. This study was aimed at eliminating YMV in Dioscorea rotundata by cryotherapy of axillary buds. Enlarged axillary buds of YMV-infected TDr 2269 were frozen in liquid nitrogen for 1 h, re-warmed at 40 °C and cultured to regenerate plantlets. Approximately 76.33% plantlet regeneration and 100% YMV eradication were obtained for cryo-treated buds, against 95% and 0% obtained respectively for non-treated buds. RT-PCR and RT-qPCR analyses did not reveal detectable quantity of YMV in treated plants but did in control plants. Plants from cryo-treated buds showed no mosaic symptoms and produced slightly more tubers, and heavier mini-tubers (20.48±3.11 g) under greenhouse conditions contrary to non-treated plants that showed severe mosaic symptoms with significantly smaller tubers (1.91±0.39 g) (P < 0.05). This is the first report showing the elimination of YMV from infected white yam stock plant by cryotherapy and would be useful for producing clean planting materials.

The Protective Role of 28-Homobrassinolide and Glomus versiforme in Cucumber to Withstand Saline Stress.

The strategic role of phytohormones and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to overcome various stress conditions is gaining popularity in sustainable agricultural practices. This current study aims to investigate and identify the protective roles of 28-homobrassinolide (HBL) and Glomus versiforme on two cucumber cultivars (salt sensitive Jinyou 1# and tolerant Chanchun mici (CCMC)) grown under saline conditions (100 mM NaCl). HBL and AMF were applied as individual and combined treatments on two cucumber cultivars and their effects were observed on the morphological growth and physiology under control and saline conditions. Findings revealed that the treated plants showed better performance under saline conditions through improved photosynthesis, leaf relative water content, and decreased electrolyte leakage in tolerant cultivar (CCMC) and to a lesser extent in sensitive (Jinyou 1#) cultivar. Comparable differences were noticed in the antioxidant enzymes activity such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase after every 10 days in both cultivars. Treating the plants with HBL and AMF also improved the mineral uptake regulation and lowered sodium concentration in roots compared to that in the non-treated plants. Current findings suggest that the protective role of HBL and AMF involves the regulation of antioxidants and lowers the risk of ion toxicity in the cucumber and hence enhance tolerance to salinity. These results are promising, but further studies are needed to verify the crop tolerance to stress and help in sustainable agricultural production, particularly vegetables that are prone to salinity.

Adaptation reactions of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and emmer (T. dicoccum Schrank ex Schübl.) seedlings under osmotic stress and treatment with metal nanoparticles

Aim. To study the adaptive reactions of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and emmer (T. dicoccum Schrank ex Schübl.) seedlings using the parameters of oxidative homeostasis under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress and metal (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn) mixture nanoparticles treatment. Methods. Biochemical assays: spectrophotometric measurements of the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT), the content of proline and products of lipid peroxidation; mathematical statistics. Results. The state of oxidative homeostasis of common wheat (cv. Favorytka, cv. Trypilska) and emmer (cv. Holikovska) seedlings under PEG-induced osmotic stress conditions was investigated and analyzed. The development of lipid peroxidation processes under stress conditions was observed only in the cv. Trypilska seedlings. It was established that proline content in common wheat seedlings of both cultivars under stress had signifi cant (10 : 1) predominance in roots, while in roots and shoots of emmer seedlings proline content increased equally. SOD activity in the leaves of the studied cultivars under stress conditions was not changed. At the same time, an increase of SOD activity by 30 % under osmotic stress was shown in the roots of common wheat of cv. Favorytka, while it decreased by 25 % in the roots of cv. Trypilska. It was established that CAT activity in the roots of both cultivars of common wheat decreased by 25 and 38 %, respectively, whereas in emmer of cv. Holikovska this parameter increased by 35 % under osmotic stress. Presowing treatment using a colloidal solution of a mixture of biogenic metal nanoparticles contributed to the induction of SOD activity in the roots of cv. Favorytka, CAT activity in the leaves of cv. Trypilska, and CAT activity in the roots and leaves of cv. Holikovska compared to non-treated plants. It should be noted that the treatment of plants with metal nanoparticles promoted the restoration of CAT activity in the roots under osmotic stress conditions to the level of the control plants in both wheat varieties. Conclusions. It was established that osmotic stress provoked the development of oxidative processes and inhibition of the activities of antioxidant enzymes, in particular, SOD and CAT, in the seedling roots of common wheat cultivars. It was shown that emmer wheat seedlings of cv. Holikovska can maintain redox homeostasis and avoid oxidative damage under osmotic stress conditions. It was found that the seedlings of common wheat and emmer demonstrated different strategies of osmotic regulation under osmotic stress, which is confi rmed, in particular, at the level of proline accumulation. It was shown that the application of colloidal solutions of metal nanoparticles induced an antioxidant protection system and reduced the oxidative processes, which are inevitable effects of drought. The obtained results indicate that common wheat cultivars are more susceptible to drought compared to emmer wheat of cv. Holikovska.

Substrate Drench Applications of Flurprimidol and Paclobutrazol Influence Growth of Swamp Sunflower

Swamp sunflower (Helianthus simulans) is an underused perennial plant native to the southeastern United States that produces an abundance of golden yellow inflorescences in the fall. It is a vigorous grower and tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions, growing in wetland and nonwetland habitats. Swamp sunflower warrants wider use in perennial beds and landscapes, and research on production practices to make plants more suitable for shipping could promote its production. This study evaluated the effects of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on the growth and floral attributes of the swamp sunflower. Treatments were applied to rooted cuttings in 1-gal pots as a substrate drench of 1, 2, 4, or 6 mg/pot paclobutrazol; 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 mg/pot flurprimidol; or water (control)/pot for Expt. 1. A second experiment (Expt. 2) applied 4, 6, or 8 mg/pot paclobutrazol; 2, 4, or 6 mg/pot flurprimidol; or water (control)/pot. Six weeks after treatment (WAT) for Expt. 1, paclobutrazol applied at 4 and 6 mg/pot and flurprimidol at 2 and 4 mg/pot resulted in smaller plants (as reflected by growth index) by 29%, 34%, 22%, and 48%, respectively, compared with the control. Furthermore, at the termination (6 WAT) of Expt. 1, the highest rate of flurprimidol produced the smallest plants, with the exception of the highest rate of paclobutrazol. By 6 WAT, plants treated with the highest rate of paclobutrazol and flurprimidol had lower dry weights and higher chlorophyll measurements than control. All PGR treatments for Expt. 2 resulted in smaller plants than the control by 27% to 36% at 4 WAT and 23% to 41% at 6 WAT. Differences for internode length and flower diameter were observed for Expts. 1 and 2, respectively. Results from these experiments suggest a substrate drench application of 6 mg/pot paclobutrazol or 4 mg/pot flurprimidol can be used for producing smaller plants compared with nontreated plants for swamp sunflower under greenhouse conditions.

Investigations of the sensitivity of ornamental, fruit, and nut plant species to driftable rates of 2,4-D and dicamba

AbstractAn experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018 to determine the sensitivity of driftable rates of 2,4-D and dicamba with or without glyphosate on common ornamental, fruit, and nut species. Three driftable rates corresponding to ½, 1/20th, and 1/200th of the manufacturer’s labeled rate (1 × rate) of 2,4-D (1.09 kg ae ha−1), 2,4-D plus glyphosate (1.09 kg ae ha−1 plus 1.10 kg ae ha−1), dicamba (0.56 kg ae ha−1), and dicamba plus glyphosate (0.56 kg ae ha−1 plus 1.10 kg ae ha−1) were applied to apple, crabapple, dogwood, American elderberry, American elm, grapevine, hydrangea, red maple, pin oak, peach, pecan, eastern redbud, rose, red raspberry, strawberry, sweetgum, nannyberry viburnum, and black walnut plants. Visible estimates of injury were recorded 28 and 56 days after treatment (DAT). Plant measurements included leaf malformation, tree trunk growth, and shoot length. Across all species, the ½ × rate of 2,4-D plus glyphosate resulted in 61% injury 28 DAT, whereas the ½ × rate of dicamba plus glyphosate resulted in 51% injury. Across plant species and herbicides, ½ ×, 1/20 ×, and 1/200 × rates caused injury ranging from 3% to 100%, 0% to 66%, and 0% to 19%, respectively. Hydrangea was the least sensitive species; grapevine was most sensitive. Changes in plant measurements were dependent on the species and herbicide applied. Treatments at the ½ × or 1/20 × rate resulted in shoot length, leaf malformation, and trunk tree diameter differences for 11, 10, and 7 species, respectively, compared with nontreated plants. Collectively, the measurements and visual injury assessments indicated apple, red maple, peach, and pin oak were more sensitive to treatments containing dicamba, whereas black walnut, grapevine, and American elm were more sensitive to 2,4-D. Although the 1/200 × rates of 2,4-D and dicamba did not result in changes to plant measurements, obvious injury symptoms were observed, which could render these plants unsalable.

Tolerance of corn to PRE- and POST-applied photosystem II–inhibiting herbicides

AbstractWeed control in corn traditionally has relied on atrazine as a foundational tool to control problematic weeds. However, the recent discovery of atrazine in aquifers and other water sources increases the likelihood of more strict restrictions on its use. Field-based research trials to find atrazine alternatives were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in Fayetteville, AR, by testing the tolerance of corn to PRE and POST applications of different photosystem II (PSII) inhibitors alone or in combination with mesotrione or S-metolachlor. All experiments were designed as a two-factor factorial, randomized complete block, with the two factors being (1) PSII-inhibiting herbicide and (2) the herbicide added to create the mixture. The PSII-inhibiting herbicides were prometryn, ametryn, simazine, fluometuron, metribuzin, linuron, diuron, atrazine, and propazine. The second factor consisted of either no additional herbicide, S-metolachlor, or mesotrione. Treatments were applied immediately after planting in the PRE experiments and to 30-cm–tall corn for the POST experiments. For the PRE study, low levels of injury (&lt;15%) were observed at 14 and 28 d after application and corn height was negatively affected by the PSII-inhibiting herbicide applied. PRE-applied fluometuron- and ametryn-containing treatments consistently caused injury to corn, often exceeding 5%. Because of low injury levels caused by all treatments, crop density and yield did not differ from that of the nontreated plants. For the POST study, crop injury, relative height, and relative yield were affected by PSII-inhibiting herbicide and the herbicide added. Ametryn-, diuron-, linuron-, propazine-, and prometryn-containing treatments caused at least 25% injury to corn in at least 1 site-year. All PSII-inhibiting herbicides, except metribuzin and simazine when applied alone, caused yield loss in corn when compared with atrazine alone. Diuron-, linuron-, metribuzin-, and simazine-containing treatments applied PRE and metribuzin- and simazine-containing treatments applied POST should be investigated further as atrazine replacements.

Function of miR825 and miR825* as Negative Regulators in Bacillus cereus AR156-elicited Systemic Resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Small RNAs function to regulate plant defense responses to pathogens. We previously showed that miR825 and miR825* downregulate Bacillus cereus AR156 (AR156)-triggered systemic resistance to Pseudomonassyringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Here, Northern blotting revealed that miR825 and miR825* were more strongly downregulated in wild type Arabidopsis Col-0 (Col-0) plants pretreated with AR156 than in nontreated plants upon Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) B1301 infection. Furthermore, compared with Col-0, transgenic plants with attenuated miR825 and miR825* expression were more resistant to B. cinerea B1301, yet miR825- and miR825*-overexpressing (OE) plants were more susceptible to the pathogen. With AR156 pretreatment, the transcription of four defense-related genes (PR1, PR2, PR5, and PDF1.2) and cellular defense responses (hydrogen peroxide production and callose deposition) were faster and stronger in miR825 and miR825* knockdown lines but weaker in their OE plants than in Col-0 plants upon pathogen attack. Also, AR156 pretreatment caused stronger phosphorylation of MPK3 and MPK6 and expression of FRK1 and WRKY53 genes upon B. cinerea B1301 inoculation in miR825 and miR825* knockdown plants than in Col-0 plants. Additionally, the assay of agrobacterium-mediated transient co-expression in Nicotiana benthamiana confirmed that AT5G40910, AT5G38850, AT3G04220, and AT5G44940 are target genes of miR825 or miR825*. Compared with Col-0, the target mutant lines showed higher susceptibility to B. cinerea B1301, while still expressing AR156-triggered induced systemic resistance (ISR). The two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant (P < 0.01) interactive effect of treatment and genotype on the defense responses. Hence, miR825 and miR825*act as negative regulators of AR156-mediated systemic resistance to B. cinerea B1301 in Arabidopsis.

A new strategy to control Cucumber mosaic virus using fabricated NiO-nanostructures

This study was carried out to fabricate nickel oxide nanostructures (NONS) and to evaluate its ability to control Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) by direct antiviral activity as well as induction of systemic resistance in treated cucumber plants. The efficacy of nickel oxide nanostructures for control CMV in cucumber plants was biologically evaluated by a reduction in disease severity, reduction in CMV accumulation and expression of regulatory and defense-related genes. Cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures showed incredible suppression of CMV infection compared with non-treated plants. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed a marked reduction in CMV accumulation in cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures compared to untreated plants. Based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, cucumber plants treated with nickel oxide nanostructures showed increased expression of regulatory and defense-related genes concerned in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET) signaling pathways. NONS nanostructures showed direct antiviral activity against CMV resulted in significant reduction in CMV severity and titer relative to untreated plants. Treatment with nickel oxide nanostructures significantly improved cucumber fresh and dry weights as well as number of leaves. The induction of systemic resistance towards CMV by NONS nanostructures considered a novel strategy and first report.

Effect of Vegetal- and Seaweed Extract-Based Biostimulants on Agronomical and Leaf Quality Traits of Plastic Tunnel-Grown Baby Lettuce under Four Regimes of Nitrogen Fertilization

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers play a crucial role in agriculture, representing a powerful tool for farmers for increasing yields throughout the seasons under both optimal and suboptimal conditions. At the same time, their synthetic/chemical nature could have several influences on ecosystems and human health. For this reason, there is an urgent need to find new and more sustainable means of production to increase plant productivity and optimize nitrogen use. An experiment was conducted in a plastic tunnel to assess the response of baby lettuce crop to the foliar application of three plant biostimulants (PBs): Legume-derived protein hydrolysate (LDPH) ‘Trainer®’, tropical plant extract (TPE) ‘Auxym®’ and seaweed extract (SwE) from Ecklonia maxima ‘Kelpak®’ under different N rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 kg N·ha−1. The responses of baby lettuce plants were assessed in terms of yield, growth parameters and physicochemical composition of the leaves. The fresh yield of baby lettuce in both biostimulant-treated and untreated plants was positively affected by increasing N rates from 0 to 20 kg N·ha−1, reaching a plateau thereafter indicating luxury N conditions at 30 kg N·ha−1. However, high N fertilizer application (20 and especially 30 kg N·ha−1) resulted in undesirable decreases in antioxidant activities and total ascorbic acid (TAA). Under non-fertilized regimens, foliar PBs application boost growth and yield of baby lettuce in comparison to non-treated plants. Foliar spray with LDPH and especially SwE elicited significant increases in marketable fresh yield (averaging 14%, 6% and 7% at 10, 20 and 30 kg N·ha−1, respectively) compared to TPE and untreated plants. Improved agronomical performance of baby lettuce under optimal (10 kg N ha−1) and especially suboptimal N regimens (0 kg N ha−1) was associated with increasing photochemical efficiency and a better activity of photosystem II (higher Soil Plant Analysis Development-SPAD index and chlorophyllous pigments biosynthesis). The application of LDPH enhanced antioxidant capacity and TAA in baby lettuce leaf and did not increased nitrate content as recorded in SwE and TPE treatments. Overall, plant biostimulants may be considered as a sustainable tool of production to increase leafy vegetable productivity in low fertility soils.