Ornamental Plants Research Articles

The use of seaweed in the production of ornamental plants

Ornamental plants play a crucial role in urban green spaces by enhancing aesthetic value and providing ecological and economic benefits. They help improve air quality, support biodiversity, and contribute to environmental purification. The horticultural industry benefits from cultivating ornamental plants, it faces challenges such as soil health and environmental pollution due to high-yielding cultivars and chemical fertilizers. To address these challenges, integrating sustainable practices, such as using seaweed as an organic fertilizer, can provide solutions. Seaweed, rich in essential nutrients and growth hormones, improves soil fertility, plant growth, and resilience against environmental stresses. Studies have shown its effectiveness in enhancing growth parameters, mitigating salinity stress, and increasing yield and quality in various ornamental plants. However, the response to seaweed varies across species and conditions. To optimize its use, tailored application rates, combined sustainable practices, and continuous monitoring are recommended. Further research is also needed to develop comprehensive guidelines for its application in ornamental plant production.

The effect of different cytokinin and auxin source on micropropagation of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Micropropagation is widely used for vegetative propagation of many different ornamental and medicinal plant species under aseptic conditions. This technology has widespread practical applications irrespective of seasonal and time-space constraints. The present study aimed to design in vitro propagation using 1 8 different combinations of BAP, NAA, TDZ, and GA3 supplemented with commercial tea sugar at 30 g l-1 for micropropagation using leaf segments close to petiole of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana as explants and to find its efficiency for viable cultures. The results showed clear discrimination between regeneration on TDZ and BAP-supplemented regeneration cultures. Thus, both BAP-NAA and TDZ-NAA combinations were found suitable for micropropagation. the source medium affected the shoot regeneration and the rooting ability, irrespective of the culture of any shoot regeneration medium. These plantlets were rooted in 0.01-0.05 mg l-1 IBA. The study showed successful rooting under in vitro conditions using 1 ½ or 1×MS medium with 0.5 mg L-1 IBA. These rooted plantlets were then transferred to MS medium with 0.2 mg L-1 gibberellic acid and without BAP or with 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 mg l-1 TDZ and 0.1 mg l-1 NAA or without 0.1 mg L-1 NAA for adaptation. The results of the study are of great importance for K. blossfeldiana plant breeding studies and growers.

First Report of Colletotrichum fructicola Causing Anthracnose on Canna indica L. in Guangxi, China.

Canna indica L., a well-known wetland plant (Lei et al. 2023), was found with leaf spots in a planting area (∼667 m2) in Tiandong, Guangxi, China, in June 2022. 5500 plants were affected by this disease. Symptoms began as yellow lesions, and then developed brown sub-ellipsoid spots with yellow borders, then gradually expanded and encompassed the entire leaves until leaves wilted. 18 diseased leaves were collected and cut into small pieces (3 ×3 mm) from the brown margins. The pieces were moistened with 75% ethanol for 10 seconds, disinfected with 2% NaClO for two minutes and rinsed with sterile water three times. Pieces were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28°C for four days. 15 isolates with similar morphological characterizations were isolated and purified (about 68% isolation frequency) from 18 diseased leaves. Three isolates (CI1-1, CI1-2 and CI1-3) were selected for further morphological and molecular identification. Fungi mycelia on PDA were grayish white initially, and became dark gray after seven days. Conidia were hyaline, guttulate, unicellular, cylindrical, and averaged 15.09 × 5.72 μm. To confirm the identification, genomic DNA was extracted from mycelium of the three isolates, and the partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, intergenic region of apn2 and MAT1-2-1 (ApMAT), fragments of actin (ACT), glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), chitin synthase (CHS-1), and β-tubulin (TUB2) genes were amplified, sequenced and submitted to GenBank (ITS: OR501461 to OR501463; ApMat: OR684455-OR684457; ACT: OR765956-OR765958; GAPDH: OR779527-OR779529; CHS-1: OR797622-OR797624; TUB2: OR820537-OR820539). The sequences of the three isolates were 99%-100% identical (ApMat, 882/882 bp; ACT, 228/230 bp; GAPDH, 278/280 bp; CHS-1, 298/299 bp and TUB2, 298/299 bp) with those of Colletotrichum fructicola isolate ICMP18581 (JQ807838, FJ907426, JX010033, JX009866 and JX010405) (Liu et al. 2015). Compared with C. fructicola isolate ICMP18581 (JX010165), the ITS sequence identities were 94% (556/594 bp). A Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed by using MEGA v. 10.1.5 based on the concatenation of multiple sequences. Based on these results, the three isolates were identified as C. fructicola. Pathogenicity tests of three isolates were conducted on nine one-year-old seedlings. Three leaves per plant (six sites per leaf) were inoculated with the adjusted conidial suspension of each isolate. Ten μl suspension (106 conidia/ml) was dripped on each inoculation site without wounding. Three additional plants were inoculated with sterile water as negative controls. All plants were covered with plastic bags sprayed with sterile water, and cultured in a light incubator at 28°C, with 14:10 h light/dark cycle. After five days, dark-brown spots (0.1-1.4cm×0.2-1.6cm) appeared on the leaves of experimental groups, while no lesions were found in the controls. The pathogen was reisolated from the symptomatic leaves and confirmed as C. fructicola based on molecular and morphological methods, fulfilling Koch's hypothesis. C. fructicola has been reported in various ornamental plants (Silva-Cabral et al. 2019, Guarnaccia et al. 2021, Sun et al. 2020). This is the first report of C. fructicola causing anthracnose on C. indica in China, according to literature analysis. The findings will help growers to prevent and control this pathogen, and improve the landscape effect.

Exploring Natural Infection in Alternative Hosts of Corn Stunt Spiroplasma and Tracking the Temporal Dynamics of Corn Stunt Disease in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome

The corn stunt disease complex, caused by the mollicutes Spiroplasma kunkelii (Css) and the maize bushy stunt (MBS) phytoplasma, is a major phytosanitary issue for corn production in the neotropical region of Brazil. In this study, we investigated the presence of alternative hosts for S. kunkelii (Css) in the Brazilian Cerrado biome and explored the potential for asymptomatic Css infections in maize plants. To identify possible alternative hosts, we collected samples from ornamental and native plants located in Cerrado regions with a high incidence of corn stunt disease. We also monitored the disease’s progression over time and calculated the area under the disease progression curve (AUDPC). Additionally, we sampled healthy, asymptomatic maize plants growing near symptomatic ones and analyzed all the samples using qPCR to detect the pathogen. Our results showed no Css infection in the sampled alternative host species and no asymptomatic infections in the nearby maize plants. The incidence of maize stunting varied significantly among the sample years and counties. In Aparecida do Rio Negro, the infection rate was six times higher in 2020 compared to 2019, while Porto Nacional showed an 11-fold increase. During surveillance from March to July, the infection rate at the Sierra site went from less than 3% in March 2019 to 6% in July (F1,4 = 415.84; p = 0.0003). MBS infection increased significantly, while S. kunkelii remained stable below 3%. In 2020, MBS increased from 3% to more than 12%. A similar trend was observed at the Sede site, where MBS increased from 9% in 2019 to 11% in 2020. An increase in the AUDPC was observed both within individual years and between 2019 and 2020, indicating a worsening trend in disease severity. Overall, our findings reinforce the need for preventive measures in managing maize crop fields.

The prospects for the introduction of a mesoamerican species chia Salvia hispanica L. in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia

Relevance. This article presents the results of breeding work and the introduction of the Mesoamerican culture Spanish sage or chia (Salvia hispanica L.), which is currently one of the most popular pseudo-grain crops from the family of Lamiaceae in Western countries due to its unique seeds rich in nutrients, PUFA, dietary fiber and antioxidants. In 2009, the European Union considered the seeds of the plant to be a promising type of food. There are only 17 registered genotypes of culture in the world, in the collection of GRR VIR there are two forms obtained from European countries. There are no registered varieties of Spanish sage in the state register of breeding achievements approved for use in the territory of the Russian Federation. The research of this culture is limited only by the biological side: the study of morphobiological features, its use for decorative purposes.Material and methodology. The research was conducted in the educational and experimental farm of the Omsk State Agrarian University in 2019-2023. The objects of research were several samples of various ecological and geographical origin and 2 new forms of Spanish sage obtained during local selection. All records and observations were carried out according to the following methods: field experience in vegetable growing (S.S. Litvinov, 2011), State variety testing of agricultural crops (1989), assessment of primary introduction by G.P. Semenova (2001) and variety assessment of floral ornamental plants by V.N. Bylov (1971).Results. As a result of continuous year-round introduction work, the breeders of the Omsk State Agricultural University managed to overcome the photoperiodic sensitivity of the plant and obtain adaptive forms 0/18 and 3/18. An assessment of the decorative value, the success of the introduction and the possibility of introducing new samples into production in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia is given. The first of the locally obtained forms, as more productive, was transferred to the state variety testing in 2023 under the assumed name of the variety "Siberian Emerald". Breeding work in this direction continues.

Non-Structural Carbohydrates Accumulation in Seedlings Improved Flowering Quality of Tree Peony under Forcing Culture Conditions, with Roots Playing a Crucial Role.

(1) Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) is a woody ornamental plant originating from China, and beloved by people worldwide. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) play a crucial role in regulating the flowering quality of tree peonies in both field and potted conditions. However, the effects of NSCs accumulation and allocation in various organs during the vegetative growth stage on the flowering quality of tree peony under forcing culture remains unclear. (2) Two-year-old grafted seedlings of tree peony cv. 'Luoyanghong' were subjected to orthogonal treatments to investigate the role of NSCs accumulation in plants' developmental process. We measured leaf photosynthetic capacity, NSCs accumulation in the organs of seedlings, observed key ornamental characteristics of flowering quality under forcing culture conditions, and evaluated the qualities of seedlings and flowers using the seedling index (SI) and flowering index (FI), respectively. (3) There was a significant positive correlation between leaf photosynthetic capacity and NSCs accumulation in both the whole plant and roots of potted tree peony. Roots were identified as the primary organs for NSCs accumulation in potted tree peonies. Sufficient NSCs accumulation in the plant, particularly in the roots during the defoliation period, was essential not only for enhancing the seedling quality of potted tree peonies but also for improving the flowering quality under forcing culture conditions. Both the seedling index (SI) and flowering index (FI) exhibited a significant dose-response with increasing root NSCs accumulation at defoliation. The T3 group, which involved slight root pruning (by 25%), combined with a high-concentration rooting agent (750 mg·L-1) and Metarhizium anisopliae (20 million U·mL-1), resulted in the highest photosynthetic capacity, SI, FI and NSCs accumulation status (NSCAR), making it the optimal treatment combination. (4) This finding indicates that increasing NSCs accumulation in the roots of potted tree peonies is a crucial biological foundation for producing high-quality potted flowers under forcing culture conditions, which provide new insights into the importance of NSCs in tree peony flowering and may improve the production technology for high-quality potted tree peony flowers under forcing culture conditions.

AMIR: a multi-omics data platform for Asteraceae plants genetics and breeding research.

As the largest family of dicotyledon, the Asteraceae family comprises a variety of economically important crops, ornamental plants and numerous medicinal herbs. Advancements in genomics and transcriptomic have revolutionized research in Asteraceae species, generating extensive omics data that necessitate an efficient platform for data integration and analysis. However, existing databases face challenges in mining genes with specific functions and supporting cross-species studies. To address these gaps, we introduce the Asteraceae Multi-omics Information Resource (AMIR; https://yanglab.hzau.edu.cn/AMIR/), a multi-omics hub for the Asteraceae plant community. AMIR integrates diverse omics data from 74 species, encompassing 132 genomes, 4 408 432 genes annotated across seven different perspectives, 3897 transcriptome sequencing samples spanning 131 organs, tissues and stimuli, 42 765 290 unique variants and 15 662 metabolites genes. Leveraging these data, AMIR establishes the first pan-genome, comparative genomics and transcriptome system for the Asteraceae family. Furthermore, AMIR offers user-friendly tools designed to facilitate extensive customized bioinformatics analyses. Two case studies demonstrate AMIR's capability to provide rapid, reproducible and reliable analysis results. In summary, by integrating multi-omics data of Asteraceae species and developing powerful analytical tools, AMIR significantly advances functional genomics research and contributes to breeding practices of Asteraceae.

Banker Plant Efficacy to Boost Natural Predators for Management of Field Populations of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera Thripidae) in Strawberries.

Since 2015, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood has emerged as the main pest of strawberries in Florida. Given the limited management options, there is a recognized need to expand on the management strategies for this pest. Therefore, we explored the possibility of using banker plants to recruit naturally occurring predators of thrips into strawberry fields to suppress S. dorsalis. The study began in the 2021-2022 strawberry season where five banker plants were screened to determine which ones could consistently attract thrips predators by flowering throughout the strawberry season. Capsicum annum L. (ornamental pepper) and Lobularia maritima L. (sweet alyssum) were selected for further evaluation. In the 2022-2023 strawberry season, using a randomized complete block design we assessed the capability of these banker plants to attract thrips predators into the strawberry field. In addition, we examined how the banker plant distance from the strawberry plants influenced the S. dorsalis pest suppression. Our results showed that strawberries located within 3.7 m of ornamental pepper plants had less leaf damage from S. dorsalis compared with those farther away, which may result from the repellent effect of the ornamental peppers. Additionally, Geocoris spp. and Orius spp. were identified as the main thrips predators in the system, although in relatively low numbers. Therefore, these results highlight the potential of incorporating ornamental pepper as a banker plant in strawberry production. Additional applications of this research are explored below.

Germination of chief fire seeds cockscomb cultivar under saline stress conditions induced by sodium chloride

Cockscomb plant, Chief fire cultivar, is used as an ornamental, medicinal and non-conventional food plant (NCFP) and is cultivated from the north to the center-west of Brazil; however, these areas suffer from adverse environmental factors such as salinity stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the seed germination performance and vigor of Celosia cristata L. var. Chief Fire seedlings exposed to salinity during the germination phase. To carry out the work, C. cristata seeds were sown in gerboxes conditioned to increasing doses of sodium chloride (NaCl), obtained by dissolving the salt in distilled water, obtaining electrical conductivities of 2.0; 4.0; 6.0 and 8.0 dS.m-1, constituting the treatments. An additional group was treated only with distilled water and was used as a control for the experiment. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with a total of five treatments and four replicates of 25 seeds. The parameters assessed were: first germination count, germination, germination speed index (GVI), mean germination time (MGT), length of aerial part and primary root. The data was submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared using the Scott-Knott test at 5% significance. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the conditions of salt stress induced by NaCl were not harmful to the germination of C. cristata, presenting itself as a species tolerant to water salinity during seed germination, since the variables analyzed showed no signs of deleterious effects as the salt concentration was increased.

Facilitators or predators? The role of seed-feeding beetles in the germination of an ornamental and invasive plant in an urban environment

Leucaena leucocephala is a forage legume that provides cellulose, firewood, and shade in cities, although it presents a dangerous allelopathic and invasive potential. Its main natural enemy is the endophytic beetle Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), whose larvae penetrate seeds and can consume the entire endosperm and embryos. However, there is much to explore on how the abundance of larvae inside the seed affects the plant germination, resulting in an antagonistic (predation) or mutualistic (facilitation) interaction. Our goal was to test how these beetles affect the germination of L. leucocephala seeds from an urban environment in Uberlândia, MG. We hypothesized that a single larva inside the seed facilitates germination since the exit holes left break the physical dormancy and enable water imbibition. On the other hand, two or more larvae inside the same seed result in predation, as the amount of endosperm is not enough for beetle satiation before they attack the seed embryo. We collected 100 pods, dissected them, and quantified and qualified the seeds. In the germination experiment, we used healthy seeds (control), scarified healthy seeds (physical treatment), and attacked seeds (one, two, or more larvae). We found that beetles infested 74% of the sampled seeds. Independently of the abundance of larvae inside the seed, attacked seeds did not germinate. The scarified seeds germinate faster and in greater quantity. Therefore, our hypothesis was rejected for the studied plant population. Acanthoscelides macrophthalmus acts only as a predator in an antagonistic interaction that decreases the germination rate of L. leucocephala.

Removal of Nitrogen, Phosphates, and Chemical Oxygen Demand from Community Wastewater by Using Treatment Wetlands Planted with Ornamental Plants in Different Mineral Filter Media

This study aimed to explore the impact of various ornamental plants (Heliconia psittacorum, Etlingera elatior, Spatyphilum walisii) grown in different filter media (porous river rock (PR) and tepezyl (TZ)) on the removal of pollutants in vertical-subsurface-microcosm treatment wetlands (TWs). This study also sought to assess the adaptability of these plant species to TW conditions. Twenty-four microcosm systems were utilized, with twelve containing PR and twelve containing TZ as the filter media. Each porous media type had three units planted with each species, and three were left unplanted. Rural community wastewater was treated in the TWs. The results showed no significant differences in the effects of the porous media on pollutant removal performance (p > 0.05). However, it was noted that while both porous media were efficient, TZ, a residue of construction materials, is recommended for sites facing economic constraints. Additionally, the removal efficiency was found to be independent of the type of ornamental plant used (p > 0.05); however, the measured parameters varied with plant spp. The adaptation of the plants varied depending on the species. H. psittacorum grew faster and produced a larger number of flowers compared to the other species (20–22 cm). S. wallisii typically produced 7–8 flowers. E. elatior did not produce flowers, and some plants showed signs of slight disease and pests, with the leaves turning yellow. In terms of plant biomass, the type of porous media used did not have a significant effect on the production of above (p = 0.111) or below-ground biomass (p = 0.092). The removal percentages for COD in the presence and absence of plants were in the ranges of 64–77% and 27–27.7%, respectively. For TN, the numbers were 52–65% and 30–31.8%, and for N-NO3, they were 54–60% and 12–18%. N-NH4 saw removal rates of 67–71% and 28–33%, while P-PO4 saw removal rates of 60–72% and 22–25%. The difference in removal percentages between microcosms with and without plants ranged from 30 to 50%, underscoring the importance of plants in the bio-removal processes (phytoremediation). These results reveal that incorporating ornamental plants in TWs with TZ for wastewater in rural areas holds great promise for enhancing the visual appeal of these systems and ultimately gaining public approval. Our findings also enable us to offer recommendations for selecting suitable plants and substrates, as well as designing combinations for TWs.

Empowering the Muhammadiyah Kemasan Branch Community: Greening the Environment with Food Plants and Toga

Ranting Muhammadiyah Kemasan, in collaboration with KKNT-T students, focuses on community empowerment and environmental improvement at Masjid Al-Muhtadin. The main challenges are the lack of green space and poor waste management. The program consists of three stages: Observation, Implementation, and Maintenance. The observation stage identifies environmental issues such as disorganized construction materials and insufficient green areas. Implementation includes planting ornamental and TOGA plants and providing waste bins for organic and inorganic waste separation. Maintenance involves watering and educating the community on cleanliness. As a result, the aesthetics and comfort of the mosque environment have improved, TOGA plants offer long-term benefits, and community awareness of mosque cleanliness has increased, strengthening collective responsibility.

Assessing biochar, clinoptilolite zeolite and zeo-char loaded nano-nitrogen for boosting growth performance and biochemical ingredients of peace lily (Spathiphyllum Wallisii) plant under water shortage

BackgroundPeace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii Regel) is an ornamental indoor plant with promising cut flower market, as well as antiviral, pharmacological and ecological potentials. Water deficiency can have sound effects on the growth performance and aesthetic quality of such plant. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of zeolite, biochar, and zeo-char loaded nano-nitrogen application on the growth performance and biochemical components of peace lily under water shortage conditions. An experiment was conducted over two consecutive seasons (2021–2022) at the experimental nursery of Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. Soil amendments; zeolite, biochar, and zeo-char loaded nano-nitrogen were prepared and applied to soil before cultivation.ResultsOur results revealed that the new combination treatment (zeo-char loaded nano-N) had an exceeding significant effect on most of the studied parameters. Vegetative traits such as plant height (35.7 and 35.9%), leaf number per plant (73.3 and 52.6%), leaf area (40.2 and 36.4%), stem diameter (28.7 and 27.1%), root number (100 and 43.5%) and length (105.7 and 101.9%) per plant, and fresh weight of leaves (23.2 and 21.6%) were significantly higher than control (commercially recommended dose of NPK) with the application of zeo-char loaded nano-N during the two growing seasons, respectively. Similar significant increments were obtained for some macro- (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) and micro- (Fe, Zn, Mn) elements with the same treatment relative to control. Chlorophyll (18.4%) and total carotenoids (82.9 and 32.6%), total carbohydrates (53.3 and 37.4%), phenolics (54.4 and 86.9%), flavonoids (31.7% and 41.8%) and tannins (69.2 and 50%), in addition to the phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA3) followed the same trend with the application of zeo-char loaded nano-N, increasing significantly over control. Leaf histological parameters and anatomical structure were enhanced with the new combination treatment in comparison with control. Antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), proline and abscisic acid (ABA) exhibited significant declines with zeo-char loaded nano-N treatment relative to control.ConclusionThese findings suggest that incorporating soil amendments with nano- nutrients could provide a promising approach towards improving growth performance and quality of ornamental, medicinal and aromatic species under water deficiency conditions.

The complete chloroplast genome of Fuchsia standishii J. Harrison, 1840 (Onagraceae) from Yunnan, China

Fuchsia standishii J. Harrison, 1840, a perennial shrub, is renowned for its vividly colored and uniquely shaped blooms, which have an extended flowering season. Commonly cultivated as an ornamental potted plant, it is utilized in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we successfully sequenced and assembled the complete chloroplast genome of F. standishii using high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology. The assembled chloroplast genome displays a typical quadripartite structure, with a total length of 156,391 bp. It consists of a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs), each measuring 25,069 bp, separated by a large single-copy region (LSC) of 87,754 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,499 bp. The overall GC content of the genome is 37.60%. The genome includes a total of 129 genes, comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of 17 complete chloroplast genomes revealed that F. standishii forms a monophyletic group with the entire Circaea. This study provides a molecular foundation for future phylogenetic research on Fuchsia.

Respon Pertumbuhan Bibit Single Bud Tanaman Aglaonema Varietas Donna Carmen Terhadap Aplikasi Zat Pengatur Tumbuh dan Pupuk Daun

Ornamental plants now become a trend among the public. The hobby of growing ornamental plants causes the demand for ornamental plant is increased day by day, especially the Aglaonema ornamental plant. In general, the propagation of Aglaonema plants is carried out by using separation of tillers and stem cuttings of 4-7 segments. Due to the high demand for Aglaonema plants, a new method of plant propagation is needed, in order to produce more plants in a short time, by using the single bud nursery method. Aglaonema stem cuttings are difficult to do because Aglaonema plants has bud's dormancy period. Dormancy of Aglaonema plant buds is triggered by apical dominance. The way to break bud dormancy on Aglaonema cuttings is using zpt auxin (Rootone-f). In addition, plants also need nutrients to grow, by providing fertilizer. Fertilization for ornamental plants generally uses foliar fertilizer (Gandasil D). This research was conducted using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) which consisted of 2 factors, the first factor zpt auxin (Rootone-f) which consisted of 4 levels (0 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 300 ppm), and the second factor was Gandasil D foliar fertilizer which consisted of 3 treatment levels (0 g/l, 1 g/l, 2 g/l) so there are 12 treatment combinations. Each combination was repeated 3 times, thus forming 36 experimental units. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the effect of the treatment and those whose effects were significantly different were further tested using the Ducan Multiple Range (DMRT) with a 95% confidence level. The combination of auxin zpt treatment (Rootone-f) with a concentration of 200 ppm and Gandasil D foliar fertilizer with a concentration of 2 g/l showed the best treatment combination on the parameters of observing fresh weight of Aglaonema plants. The concentration of zpt auxin (Rootone-f) 200 ppm gave the highest average value of shoot length, number of leaves, root length, and number of roots of Aglaonema plants. The concentration of Gandasil D 2 g/l foliar fertilizer gave the highest average leaf length and leaf width of Aglaonema plants.

Biofunctionality of a new vinegar rich in anthocyanin from red-fleshed Niedzwetzky's apple: An ornamental plant.

In recent years, red-fleshed apple has attracted a lot of attention due to its pleasant appearance, taste, and being a valuable source of anthocyanins. Generally, different types of this apple are known as ornamental apple plants that are rarely found in various regions around the world like New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Australia,China, and Turkey. This study focused on the accumulation and changes of the bioactive and aroma-related volatile components at different production stages of a red-fleshed apple vinegar. The aim of this study is to produce an anthocyanin- and vitamin C-rich vinegar (NAV) from red-fleshed Niedzwetzky's apple for the first time. According to the results, in this vinegar, it wasdetermined high concentrations of total phenolic content (904.8mg-GAE/mL), total flavonoid content (0.25mg-EGCE/mL), vitamin C content (3024.3mg-AAE/mL), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (8.33mmol-TE/mL), as well as FRAP (13.57mmol-ISE/mL), respectively. Moreover, total anthocyanin content value was found to be 6.46mg/g. One of the components that provide the specified functional effect in this vinegar is chlorogenic acid, which constitutes the main phenolic compound, and the other one is cyanidin-3-glucoside, which is the major anthocyanin in this vinegar. The main volatile components associated with the aroma of vinegar are -acetic acid, -phenylacetic acid (5067.7µg/100mL), -phenethyl alcohol (3096.1µg/100mL), and -nonanoic acid (2939.0µg/100mL) compounds. Consequently, it is recommended to expand the range of Niedzwetzky's apples in the production and consumption of food products such as functional vinegar. Thus, a new vinegar with high functional properties will be introduced to the worldwide food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, vinegar was produced from the small and dark-red-flesh-colored fruits of Niedzwetzky's apple tree, which is known in a small part of the world and is generally used as an ornamental plant due to its red-pink flowers. It has been determined that the produced vinegar has high bioavailability due to the apples with red inner flesh and high anthocyanin content and has a desirable aromatic content. Thus, a food product with high functional quality and desirable aroma, accessible to consumers all over the world, has been produced from a little-known fruit.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance elemental iron.

The conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authority of the rapporteur Member State Austria for the pesticide active substance elemental iron and the considerations as regards the inclusion of the substance in Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of elemental iron in field and greenhouses (permanent and non-permanent structures) via granule application by spreading on all edible and non-edible crops, ornamental plants and amenity grassland to control molluscs. The reliable endpoints, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment, are presented. Missing information identified as being required by the regulatory framework is listed.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance pirimicarb.

The conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State Sweden for the pesticide active substance pirimicarb are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012, as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2018/1659. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative use(s) of pirimicarb as an insecticide on winter and spring wheat and sugar beet via foliar spray application and on ornamental pot plants in permanent greenhouses. The reliable end points, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment are presented. Missing information identified as being required by the regulatory framework is listed. Concerns are identified.

Using proteomic approaches to predict particulate matter stress response of ornamental plant

Using proteomic approaches to predict particulate matter stress response of ornamental plant

Assessment of Ornamental Plant <i>Ruellia simplex</i> and Bio-Adsorbent for Removal of Amoxicillin and Ciprofloxacin – A Preliminary Test for Constructed Wetlands

Assessment of Ornamental Plant <i>Ruellia simplex</i> and Bio-Adsorbent for Removal of Amoxicillin and Ciprofloxacin – A Preliminary Test for Constructed Wetlands