Pakchoi Plants Research Articles

Potential Analysis of the Application of Fuzzy Logic in the Optimization of Pak Choi Hydroponic Cultivation: A Literature Study on Plant Growth Support System

The rapid urbanization and increasing population density in Indonesia have led to a reduction in available land for traditional agriculture, particularly in urban centers. In response to this challenge, urban farming, including hydroponic cultivation, has emerged as a viable solution to meet the food needs of urban communities. This study explores the potential application of fuzzy logic in optimizing hydroponic cultivation practices, focusing on the growth of pak choi plants. Pak choi, a popular vegetable in Indonesia, offers numerous health benefits and is well-suited for hydroponic cultivation. By analyzing relevant literature, this research investigates the influence of water pH and temperature on pak choi plant growth and develops a fuzzy expert system based on Mamdani's method. The study prepares data on optimal temperature and pH ranges for pak choi cultivation and establishes fuzzy sets for water temperature, water pH level, and plant height. The findings provide insights into the effects of water pH and temperature on pak choi plant growth and demonstrate the potential of fuzzy logic in optimizing hydroponic cultivation practices. This research contributes to the advancement of agricultural technology and offers practical solutions for sustainable urban farming.

Development of an agroinfiltration-based transient hairpin RNA expression system in pak choi leaves (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) for RNA interference against Liriomyza sativae

The vegetable leafminer (Liriomyza sativae) is a devastating invasive pest of many vegetable crops and horticultural plants worldwide, causing serious economic loss. Conventional control strategy against this pest mainly relies on the synthetic chemical pesticides, but widespread use of insecticides easily causes insecticide resistance development and is harmful to beneficial organisms and environment. In this context, a more environmentally friendly pest management strategy based on RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool to control of insect pests. Here we report a successful oral RNAi in L. sativae after feeding on pak choi (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) that transiently express hairpin RNAs targeting vital genes in this pest. First, potentially lethal genes are identified by searching an L. sativae transcriptome for orthologs of the widely used V-ATPase A and actin genes, then expression levels are assessed during different life stages and in different adult tissues. Interestingly, the highest expression levels for V-ATPase A are observed in the adult heads (males and females) and for actin in the abdomens of adult females. We also assessed expression patterns of the target hairpin RNAs in pak choi leaves and found that they reach peak levels 72 h post agroinfiltration. RNAi-mediated knockdown of each target was then assessed by letting adult L. sativae feed on agroinfiltrated pak choi leaves. Relative transcript levels of each target gene exhibit significant reductions over the feeding time, and adversely affect survival of adult L. sativae at 24 h post infestation in genetically unmodified pak choi plants. These results demonstrate that the agroinfiltration-mediated RNAi system has potential for advancing innovative environmentally safe pest management strategies for the control of leaf-mining species.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Involvement of Auxin Signaling in the Heat Tolerance of Pakchoi under High-Temperature Stress

Pakchoi is a kind of nonheading Chinese cabbage being widely cultivated not only in China but also all over Asia. High temperature is a major limiting factor influencing the yield and quality of pakchoi, while the mechanism of pakchoi dealing with high-temperature challenges remains largely elusive. In the present study, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis, which was also validated by qPCR, of the heat-tolerant Xinxiaqing (XXQ) variant and Suzhouqing (SZQ) variant, which are heat-sensitive under high-temperature treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses suggest that high-temperature-induced phytohormones signal transduction, especially auxin signal transduction, regulates the heat responses of pakchoi. Our further investigations imply that high-temperature-activated auxin signal plays a positive role in helping pakchoi deal with high-temperature challenge; IAA-pretreated pakchoi plants exhibited greater resistance to the high-temperature treatment, probably due to the induction of antioxidant activity. In addition, our study also identified six heat shock proteins/factors (HSPs/HSFs) whose up-regulation correlates with the elevated heat tolerance of pakchoi. Notably, among these high-temperature-induced heat-responsive factors, HSP20 and HSP26.5 are under the regulation of auxin signal, and this signal cascade contributes to enhancing the thermostability of pakchoi. In the present study, we identified crucial high-temperature-responsive factors and signaling pathways in pakchoi, which help in understanding the mechanism of pakchoi coping with high-temperature challenge.

Deposition, dissipation, metabolism, and dietary risk assessment of chlorothalonil on pakchoi

For the scientific application of chlorothalonil, a thorough understanding of chlorothalonil deposition, distribution, and dissipation on pakchoi is required so as to reduce its application dosage. In this study, the effects of the application dosage, application season, planting environment, initial deposition, field dissipation and metabolism of pakchoi were investigated. The chlorothalonil deposition amount gradually increased with increasing dosage and application frequency. The deposition law in each application strategy was leaf > edible parts > petiole > planting soil. The half-lives of chlorothalonil in pakchoi in May, October, and December were 2.86–5.79, 3.08–5.87, and 6.41–11.32 days, respectively. The deposition concentration and dissipation half-life of chlorothalonil in different parts of pakchoi and the planting soil in greenhouse environments were higher than those in open-field environments. The initial deposition concentration and half-life of chlorothalonil in pakchoi gradually decreased from north to south: Beijing >Hefei >Changsha in April and Hefei >Sanya in December. Chlorothalonil can be converted to metabolite I (C8HCl3N2O) in pakchoi plants, which can gradually dechlorinate to produce metabolite II (C8HCl3N2), metabolite III (C8H2Cl2N2), and metabolite IV (C8H3ClN2). Within an application interval of 7 days, the long-term consumption of pakchoi leaves and edible parts poses unacceptable dietary risks. This study improves chlorothalonil utilization rates and provides technical guidance for its scientific application in the pakchoi planting ecosystem.

Rhizosphere Bacteria Help to Compensate for Pesticide-Induced Stress in Plants.

Although exogenous chemicals frequently exhibit a biphasic response in regulating plant growth, characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the compensatory function of rhizosphere microbiota in assisting plants to withstand pesticide stress. It was observed that pak choi plants, in response to foliar-spraying imidacloprid at both low and high doses, could increase the total number of rhizosphere bacteria and enrich numerous beneficial bacteria. These bacteria have capabilities for promoting plant growth and degrading the pesticide, such as Nocardioides, Brevundimonas, and Sphingomonas. The beneficial bacterial communities were recruited by stressed plants through increasing the release of primary metabolites in root exudates, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and lysophosphatidylcholines. At low doses of pesticide application, the microbial compensatory effect overcame pesticide stress, leading to plant growth promotion. However, with high doses of pesticide application, the microbial compensatory effect was insufficient to counteract pesticide stress, resulting in plant growth inhibition. These findings pave the way for designing improved pesticide application strategies and contribute to a better understanding of how rhizosphere microbiota can be used as an eco-friendly approach to mitigate chemical-induced stress in crops.

Zn Check: Revolutionizing Plant Nutrition with Amino Acid-based Zinc Chelation

Zinc plays a vital role in plant growth and development, impacting essential physiological processes such as cell division, nitrogen, carbohydrate metabolism and chloroplast development. However, zinc deficiency poses a significant challenge in agriculture, particularly in crops grown on calcareous soils. Traditional zinc fertilizers, like Zn EDTA, face limitations in alkaline soils, prompting the need for innovative solutions. This study introduces an amino acid-based chelating agent, Zinc Check, synthesized to address these challenges effectively. The research demonstrates the stability and efficacy of Zinc Check across diverse soil conditions, ensuring zinc availability to plants. Through various analytical techniques and pot trials with Pak choi plants, the study confirms the effectiveness of Zinc Check in promoting plant growth and chlorophyll synthesis, surpassing the performance of conventional zinc fertilizers. Moreover, the investigation explores the pH tolerance of Zinc Check, highlighting its stability across a wide pH range. Overall, this study underscores the importance of innovative solutions like Zinc Check in addressing zinc deficiency and enhancing agricultural productivity, contributing to global food security efforts.

Effects of wollastonite and phosphate treatments on cadmium bioaccessibility in pak choi (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) grown in contaminated soils.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil can strongly impact human health through the food chain due to uptake by crop plants. Inorganic immobilizing agents such as silicates and phosphates have been shown to effectively reduce Cd transfer from the soil to cereal crops. However, the effects of such agents on total Cd and its bioaccessibility in leafy vegetables are not yet known. Pak choi (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) was here selected as a representative leafy vegetable to be tested in pots to reveal the effects of silicate-phosphate amendments on soil Cd chemical fractions, total plant Cd levels, and plant bioaccessibility. The collected Cd contaminated soil was mixed with control soil at 1:0, 1:1, 1:4, 0:1 with a view to Cd high/moderate/mild/control soil samples. Three heavy metal-immobilizing agents: wollastonite (W), potassium tripolyphosphate (KTPP), and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) were added to the soil in order to get four different treatment groups, i.e., control (CK), application of wollastonite alone (W), wollastonite co-applied with KTPP (WKTPP), application of wollastonite co-applied with SHMP (WSHMP) for remediation of soils with different levels of Cd contamination. All three treatments increased the effective bio-Cd concentration in the soils with varying levels of contamination, except for W under moderate and heavy Cd contamination. The total Cd concentration in pak choi plants grown in mildly Cd-contaminated soil was elevated by 86.2% after WKTPP treatment compared to the control treatment could function as a phytoremediation aid for mildly Cd-contaminated soil. Using an in vitro digestion method (physiologically based extraction test) combined with transmission electron microscopy, silicate and phosphorus agents were found to reduce the bioaccessibility of Cd in pak choi by up to 66.13% with WSHMP treatment. Application of silicate alone reduced soil bio-Cd concentration through the formation of insoluble complexes and silanol groups with Cd, but the addition of phosphate may have facilitated Cd translocation into pak choi by first co-precipitating with Ca in wollastonite while simultaneously altering soil pH. Meanwhile, wollastonite and phosphate treatments may cause Cd to be firmly enclosed in the cell wall in an insoluble form, reducing its translocation to edible parts and decreasing the bioaccessibility of Cd in pak choi. This study contributes to the mitigation of Cd bioaccessibility in pak choi by reducing soil Cd concentration through in situ remediation and will help us to extend the effects of wollastonite and phosphate on Cd bioaccessibility to other common vegetables. Therefore, this study thus reveals effective strategies for the remediation of soil Cd and the reduction of Cd bioaccessibility in crops based on two indicators: total Cd and Cd bioaccessibility. Our findings contribute to the development of methods for safer cultivation of commonly consumed leafy vegetables and for soil remediation.

Establishment of an Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of haploid inducer genes in Pak-choi plants (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis)

Establishment of an Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of haploid inducer genes in Pak-choi plants (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis)

Investigating the effects of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in mitigating endoplasmic reticulum stress and cellular responses in Pak choi.

The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within plant cells due to unfavourable conditions leads to ER stress. This activates interconnected pathways involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) and unfolded protein response (UPR), which play vital roles in regulating ER stress. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of tunicamycin (TM) induced ER stress and explore the potential therapeutic applications of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in mitigating cellular responses to ER stress in Pak choi (Brassica campestris subsp. chinensis). The study revealed that ER stress in Pak choi leads to detrimental effects on plant morphology, ROS levels, cellular membrane integrity, and the antioxidant defence system. However, treatment with TUDCA in TM-induced ER stressed Pak choi improved morphological indices, pigment contents, ROS accumulation, cellular membrane integrity, and antioxidant defence system restoration. Additionally, TUDCA also modulates the transcription levels of ER stress sensors genes, ER chaperone genes, and ER-associated degradation (ERAD) genes during ER stress in Pak choi. Furthermore, TUDCA has demonstrated its ability to alleviate ER stress, stabilize the UPR, reduce oxidative stress, prevent apoptosis, and positively influence plant growth and development. These results collectively comprehend TUDCA as a promising agent for mitigating ER stress-induced damage in Pak choi plants and provide valuable insights for further research and potential applications in crop protection and stress management.

INTERACTION OF STOCKING DENSITY AND DIFFERENT PLANT TYPES IN CULTIVATING SANGKURIANG CATFISH (Clarias gariepinus var. Sangkuriang) AQUAPONIC TECHNOLOGY

This study investigated the impact of varying stocking densities and plant species interactions within an aquaponic framework. Conducted over a 45-day period (August-October 2023) at the Experimental Farm of Tadulako University, Palu, Central Sulawesi, the research utilized juvenile Sangkuriang catfish (Clarias gariepinus var. Sangkuriang) as the focal organism. Employing a factorial design, with stocking densities 12, 20, and 28 fish per 40 liters of water and three distinct plant species (Ipomoea aquatica, Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis, and Lactuca sativa), the study aimed to elucidate optimal growth conditions. Key findings revealed that the stocking density of 12 fish per 40 liters of water, coupled with pakchoi plants, yielded the most significant growth enhancements. Specifically, this configuration demonstrated a specific growth rate of 6.66±0.7% and absolute weight growth of 14.06±1.0, along with a specific length growth rate of 2.10±0.6% and absolute length growth of 4.48±0.6%. Notably, water quality parameters remained within acceptable limits across all treatments, ensuring an environment conducive to catfish growth. In conclusion, this research underscores the critical role of stocking density and plant selection in optimizing aquaponic systems. The findings offer valuable insights into enhancing both fish and plant growth dynamics within integrated aquaponic frameworks. Keywords: Catfish farming, aquaponics, growth rate, survival rate.

Cd-contaminated soil remediation using MgFe2O4/chitosan carbon aerogel beads

The immobilization of cadmium in soil to reduce its bioavailability is a common approach in soil remediation. However, fluctuations in soil pH, redox potential, and microbial activity can still lead to cadmium release. To address this challenge, MgFe2O4/chitosan carbon aerogel beads (MCSCA) were synthesized for in-situ remediation to remove Cd from the soil. A two-week remediation period was conducted to assess the effectiveness of MCSCA in Cd-contaminated soil. Different proportions (1%, 2%, and 3% by soil weight) of MCSCA were incorporated into the soil for remediation, followed by MCSCA separation through water flotation. The results demonstrated that after three remediation cycles, 55.46%, 72.27%, and 75.70% of the total cadmium were removed by 1%, 2%, and 3% MCSCA additions, respectively, corresponding to the removal of 76.51%, 87.39%, and 90.28% of bioavailable cadmium. Regeneration of MCSCA was accomplished using 0.1 M HCl, achieving cadmium desorption rates of 97.14%, 96.43%, and 90.48% for 1%, 2%, and 3% MCSCA additions, respectively. The regenerated MCSCA maintained higher remediation efficiency, removing 62.72%, 75.20%, and 80.96% of bioavailable cadmium even after three cycles, with MCSCA recovery rates of 94.40%, 92.30%, and 91.40%, respectively. In a pot experiment, pakchoi plants grown in soil post three rounds of remediation with different ratios (1%, 2%, and 3%) of MCSCA xhibited reductions in total cadmium content by 44.75%, 59.38%, and 69.88%, respectively, compared to plants grown in Cd-contaminated soil. In summary, this study underscores the effectiveness of MCSCA in remediating Cd-contaminated soils, offering a promising approach for soil remediation.

Produção e qualidade de pak choi cultivado em diferentes sistemas hidropônicos e condutividades elétricas

ABSTRACT Pak choi is a leafy vegetable rich in important bioactives for human health. As this vegetable is cultivated predominantly in Europe and Asia, there is little information about it in the Brazilian literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production and quality of pak choi cultivated in hydroponic systems using nutrient solutions of different electrical conductivities. An experiment was set up following a randomized block design, in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, with two hydroponic systems (NFT and Semi-hydroponic) and five levels of electrical conductivity (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 dS m-1). The plants were harvested 35 days after transplanting and evaluated for the following variables: plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area, shoot fresh and dry mass, leaf succulence, specific leaf area, petiole firmness, juice pH and soluble solids. Growth and quality variables were affected by the interaction between EC levels and hydroponic systems. The semi-hydroponic system promoted the greatest development of pak choi plants and greater tolerance to salinity. Plants cultivated in the NFT system had a lower nutritional requirement to reach maximum growth. Increase in nutrient solution EC did not affect the visual quality of pak choi, but reduced the physicochemical quality of its leaves.

Использование бактериальной инокуляции для улучшения вегетативного роста и нутрицевтических качеств китайской капусты в условиях регулируемой агроэкосистемы

Abstract. In recent years, plant inoculation with beneficial plant growth-promoting microorganisms PGPR bacteria in agriculture has been steadily increasing, and they are expected to partially replace chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other growth regulators in the future, providing an environmentally friendly solution for sustainable farming practices. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial inoculation of Bacillus cereus to improve the vegetative growth and nutraceutical qualities of Chinese cabbage pak-choi plants grown by hydroponics under regulated agroecosystem conditions. Objects of the study are the plants of Chinese cabbage pak-choy (Brassica campestris ssp. cheninsis L.). Methods. When conducting research, we measured biometric indicators, determined the indicators of crude, dry matter, dietary fiber and mass fraction of ash of pak-choy plants according to GOST. The contents of vitamins, cations, anions and amino acids in plant products were estimated by capillary electrophoresis using “Kapel’-205” device (Russia). The obtained results were processed statistically by means of analysis of variance. Scientific novelty. The efficiency of root inoculation of Bacillus cereus bacteria in the cultivation of pak-choy plants by hydroponics in closed agro-ecosystems has been determined. The dependence of the improvement of quality indicators in the biomass of bacterial inoculation of pak-choi plants has been established. Results. As a result of studies, it was found that the inoculation of B. cereus had a positive effect on the development of the assimilating apparatus of pak-choi plants. The formation of the main morpho-biometric parameters (crude, dry weight, shoot length and number of leaves) of plants was not significantly affected by bacterial inoculation. All obtained values were at the control level. Pak-choi plants inoculated with bacteria showed a significant increase in concentration of mineral elements (K, S and P), amino acids (proline, phenylalanine, valine, histidine and lysine) and vitamins (ascorbic acid and choline).

Variation in physio-chemical attributes and WUE during growth and development of Pak choi (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis L.) under different drip fertigation and mulching treatments

AbstractIn the modern era, nutraceutical properties of horticultural crops are indispensable to determine their adaptability to different agro-ecological regions. The present study exploits the potential of mulches (P: plastic mulch; S: straw mulch; N: No mulch) in relation to drip irrigation (I1: 100%, I2: 80%, I3: 60% of crop evapotranspiration (Etc)), and fertigation (F1: 100%, F2: 80%, F3: 60% of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF): 125 kg N, 62.5 Kg P2O5, 62.5 kg K2O per ha) on Pak choi at three maturity stages in the North West region of India. Plant fresh weight was the highest at 55 days after transplanting (DAT); however, maximum soil plant analysis development (SPAD) values were registered at 45 DAT. Antioxidant activity, FRAP, DPPH, phenols, flavanols, total sugars, ascorbic acid, free amino acids, and irrigation water use efficiency were observed significantly higher in plants grown on plastic mulch at different levels of irrigation and fertigation. It is envisioned that Pak choi plants had the highest nutritional value at 45 DAT from plots mulched with silver-black, irrigated at 80% Etc, and fertigated at 100% RDF. The nutrient enriched plants are used for green salad and as ingredients for the preparation of many recipes in the semi-arid and sub-tropic areas of India.

Application of Micro-Nanobubble Aeration in Spinach (Amaranthus viridis) and Pakchoi (Brassica rapa Chinensis) Cultivation with the Wick System

This study aimed to determine the effect of micro-nanobubble generator (MNBG) aeration on the cultivation of spinach (Amaranthus viridis) and pakchoi (Brassica rapa chinensis) hydroponic wicks. The basic principle of this system is that the axis capillary action flows nutrients to the planting medium. There are no moving parts so the nutrients can settle rapidly and the dissolved oxygen content is limited. Micro-nanobubbles (MNB) have the characteristics of a long residence time in the water so that their generation can operate intermittenttly. This study aims to determine the effect of applying (MNBG) with a flow rate of 0.98 L/minute on root length, plant height, and wet weight of spinach and pakchoi plants in wick hydroponics. Cultivation was hold on a free environment. There are three kinds of treatment; without aeration (N0), aeration 15 minutes x 4 for 24 hours (N15), and aeration 30 minutes x 4 for 24 hours (N30). Variations in the types of materials used in this study were spinach and pakchoi, as per treatment was repeat five samples. The study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD). The measurement results compared by the One-Way ANOVA test (5% level), then continued with Duncan's test to determine the difference. The results showed that there was an effect of applying intermittentt MNBG aeration on the average weight and height of the spinach plants, N15 treatment was more effective than the N0 and N30. Intermittentt MNBG aeration did not show a significant difference in the average weight of pakchoi. Keywords: Aeration, Hydroponics, Spinach, Pakchoi, wick

Effects of Oxygenated Brackish Water on Pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) Growth Characteristics Based on a Logistic Crop Growth Model

Oxygenated irrigation can improve soil physical and chemical properties and increase vegetable yields. It provides an effective method for safe and efficient utilization of brackish water, but its growth-promoting pathway is unclear. We investigated the effects of brackish water culture at five dissolved oxygen concentrations (9.5 (CK), 12.5, 15.5, 18.5, and 22.5 mg/L) on pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) growth characteristics by hydroponics experiment, and the logistic model to fit and analyze pakchoi growth characteristics. At a brackish water dissolved oxygen concentration of 18.5 mg/L, nitrogen mass fraction was significantly higher than in a control treatment by 43.4%, and pakchoi effective accumulated temperature increment during vigorous plant height and root length growth was significantly lower than other treatments. The logistic model effectively simulated pakchoi plant height and root length growth, and both theoretical maximum plant height and root length reached their maximum values at 18.5 mg/L dissolved oxygen concentration. Path analysis showed that the maximum net photosynthetic rate and nitrogen mass fraction were the main factors affecting aboveground pakchoi fresh weight. In conclusion, a dissolved oxygen concentration of 18.5 mg/L in brackish water is more appropriate for pakchoi to achieve high yield under brackish water hydroponics conditions. Our results provide guidance for the safe and efficient utilization of brackish water in green and efficient vegetable production.

Trichoderma viride establishes biodefense against clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) and fosters plant growth via colonizing root hairs in pak choi (Brassica campestrisspp.chinesnsis)

The significant economic importance of the pak choi crop leads farmers to take numerous measures to combat the club root disease, which is harmful to Brassicaceae plants. The mechanical understanding of clubroot biocontrol, on the other part, is still largely unknown. The fundamental criterion for choosing rhizospheric strains obtained from tomato was the germination inhibitory activity of Plasmodiophora brassicae resting spores. The resting spores of the clubroot causing pathogen were inhibited by 10 fungal isolates. TR-7 had the strongest inhibitory impact, reducing spore germination to 25.3 %. The plant growth promoting and extracellular enzyme activities of the fungal strain TR-7 were investigated. TR-7 produced indole acetic acid (IAA), as well as siderophore and extracellular enzymatic activities. Inoculation with strain TR-7 improved pak choi plant growth in greenhouse settings when compared to plants grown without TR-7 and P. brassicae infected plants. During fungal association, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was dramatically enhanced in clubroot infected plants. Co-inoculation including both P. brassicae and TR-7 showed 56.7 % decline in gall growth when compared to plants only infected with P. brassicae. Multiple treatments of TR-7 were more efficient than one treatment at repressing root hair infestation in clubroot infected plants at 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation (DAI). TR-7 was identified as Trichoderma viride based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis. The findings show that the application of T. viride as bio-fungicides provides another potential promising strategy for suppressing clubroot disease in pak choi.

A real-time smart sensing system for automatic localization and recognition of vegetable plants for weed control.

Tomato is a globally grown vegetable crop with high economic and nutritional values. Tomato production is being threatened by weeds. This effect is more pronounced in the early stages of tomato plant growth. Thus weed management in the early stages of tomato plant growth is very critical. The increasing labor cost of manual weeding and the negative impact on human health and the environment caused by the overuse of herbicides are driving the development of smart weeders. The core task that needs to be addressed in developing a smart weeder is to accurately distinguish vegetable crops from weeds in real time. In this study, a new approach is proposed to locate tomato and pakchoi plants in real time based on an integrated sensing system consisting of camera and color mark sensors. The selection scheme of reference, color, area, and category of plant labels for sensor identification was examined. The impact of the number of sensors and the size of the signal tolerance region on the system recognition accuracy was also evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the color mark sensor using the main stem of tomato as the reference exhibited higher performance than that of pakchoi in identifying the plant labels. The scheme of applying white topical markers on the lower main stem of the tomato plant is optimal. The effectiveness of the six sensors used by the system to detect plant labels was demonstrated. The computer vision algorithm proposed in this study was specially developed for the sensing system, yielding the highest overall accuracy of 95.19% for tomato and pakchoi localization. The proposed sensor-based system is highly accurate and reliable for automatic localization of vegetable plants for weed control in real time.

Occurrence and fate of contaminants of emerging concern and their transformation products after uptake by pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)

Recovery and reuse of nutrients is a major challenge in agriculture. A new process contributing to a circular economy is the anaerobic digestion of food waste, which is a sustainable way of recycling nutrients as the digestate can be used as fertiliser in agriculture and horticulture. However, the digestate may be polluted with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that can be circulated back into the food chain, posing a risk to the environment and human health. In this work, the nutrient solution was spiked with 18 selected CECs frequently detected in food waste biogas facilities, and subsequent uptake and fate of these CECs were evaluated in pak choi grown in two different nutrient solutions (mineral and organic). All spiked compounds except two (propylparaben, fenbendazole) were taken up by pak choi plants, with perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and sertraline displaying the highest concentrations (270 and 190 μg/kg fresh weight, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in uptake between mineral and organic nutrient solutions. Uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was negatively correlated with perfluorocarbon chain length and dependent on the functional group (r = −0.73). Sixteen transformation products (TPs) were tentatively identified using suspect screening, most of which were Phase II or even Phase III metabolites. Six of these TPs were identified for the first time in plant metabolism and their metabolic pathways were considered.

The effectiveness of biofertilizer biofilm formulation in promoting the growth of Pak choi (Brassica rapa L.) plant

One of the climate changes is the El Nino phenomenon, causing the soil to dry out, so it needs to be addressed because it will impact plant growth. Farmers use a lot of inorganic fertilizers (NPK), and in the long term, it can cause soil damage. One alternative treatment is to use organic fertilizers or biological fertilizers. Biofilm biofertilizer is a form of biological fertilizer. This study aims to determine the effect of dosing biofilm biofertilizer on the growth of Pak choi plants so that it can help reduce the use of inorganic fertilizers. This type of research was an experiment in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design (CRD) with six treatments, consisting of A (100% inorganic fertilizer), B (75% inorganic fertilizer and 25% biofilm biofertilizer), C (50% inorganic fertilizer and 50% biofertilizer biofilm), D (25% inorganic fertilizer and 75% biofertilizer biofilm), E (100% biofertilizer biofilm), and F (no inorganic fertilizer and no biofertilizer biofilm). Each treatment was repeated four times. Parameters used in this study included plant height, number of leaves, dry weight and wet weight, and leaf diameter. Data analysis used the ANOVA test with a 95% confidence level, followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results showed that the combination of 25% biofertilizer biofilm treatment with 75% inorganic fertilizer gave the best results compared to the control and other treatments. The treatment of 25% Biofilm biofertilizer with 75% inorganic fertilizer was able to increase plant height by 21.175 cm or 74.24% higher than control, number of leaves by 17.25 strands or 65.62% higher than control, leaf width by 7.125 cm or 61.80% higher than control, wet weight by 28.083 g or 97.29% higher than control, and dry weight by 1.869 g or 95.88% higher than control so that this treatment can be an alternative to reduce the use of inorganic fertilizer.