Phases Of Plant Growth Research Articles

Identification of the potential use of sago midrib (Metroxylon sp.) as drip irrigation emitters for chili plants

Drip irrigation is an irrigation system that can save water by releasing a regulated amount of water and nutrients to the roots of plants using emitters. The use of emitters is one of the additional costs in the use of drip irrigation systems. Estimating the potential of fronds as emitters are done by measuring saturated hydraulic conductivity. The method used is falling head to determine the ability of emitter material made from sago fronds to pass water that can be used to meet the water needs of chili plants. The results showed that the average hydraulic conductivity value at the end sample was higher than the middle and base samples. The hydraulic conductivity values of the tip, middle and base are 0.0077 (m/s), 0.0022 (m/s), and 0.0020 (m/s), respectively. So that the tip-sample can be used as a drip irrigation emitter. The discharge produced by the emitters of tip samples 1 and 2 amounted to 1.252 and 1.424 l/day. Based on this discharge, the number of droppers for each phase of chili plant growth using sago frond emitters, namely at the base and center, requires two emitters in months 3 and 4. Meanwhile, the end frond emitter only requires two emitters in month three, and in other growth phases only requires one emitter.

Growth stimulation of two legumes (Vicia faba and Pisum sativum) using phosphate-solubilizing bacteria inoculation.

The application of chemical fertilizers for plant growth and protection is one of the reasons for the environment and ecosystem destruction, thus, sustainable agriculture is gaining popularity in research and among farming communities. Although most soils are high in total phosphorus (P), a large portion is unavailable to plants and regarded as a growth-limiting factor. P-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) exploitation is a newly developed bio-solution for enhancing rhizosphere P availability; however, the effect of these bacteria on soil quality and the different phases of plant growth remains unknown. This study aims to evaluate the impact of five strains of PSB, isolated from legume rhizosphere, on the growth of two plants (Vicia faba and Pisum sativum) and certain soil properties. The efficient strains of PSB used are characterized by the P-solubilization, the ACC deaminase activity, the fixation of N, and the IAA, HCN, and siderophores production. The activity of these bacteria is tested in vitro and in vivo under controlled conditions on the growth of the two plants supplemented with the rock P (RP). According to our findings, all PSBs strains outperformed the control in terms of enhancing the growth of the tested legumes with a percentage ranging from 77.78 to 88.88%, respectively. The results showed that all treatments significantly improved plant parameters like nitrogen- (N) and P-content in the plants (67.50, 23.11%), respectively. Also, an increase in the fresh and dry weights of above- (41.17, 38.57%) and below-ground biomasses (56.6, 42.28%), respectively. Compared to the control, this leads to an increase of 72% in root length, 40.91% in plant dry weight, and 40.07% in fresh weight. Rhizospheric soil in PSBs treatments displayed high levels of N, P, and organic matter. All treatments were found to have significantly higher levels of alkaline phosphatase, basal soil respiration, and β-glucosidase activity than the control. It is concluded that multi-traits PSB can be an alternative for utilizing chemical fertilizers to enhance soil quality and plant growth. Despite the potency of PSBs, its use as a source for the development of sustainable agriculture implies focusing on crop species and adaptation, stress tolerance and climate resilience.

Use of Chlorella vulgaris and Ulva lactuca as Biostimulant on Lettuce

The important purpose of this work is to evaluate the biostimulant activity of the algae Chlorella vulgaris and Ulva lactuca extracts on the crop plants Lactuca sativa, to compare the effect of these two green algae on plant growth and development as a part of a sustainable plant production method and show that these extracts can be a promissory source for replacing chemical fertilization. The study faces all the phases of plant growth, from the germination of the seeds to the greenhouse plant growth and treatment, matched with the chemical characterization of both the green algae used and the lettuce plants. This work is meant to define a tool to be improved by more experiments and studies in order to suggest a sustainable method that could ensure an adequate use of organic fertilizer. After the identification of the best concentration of the respective extracts of C. vulgaris and U. lactuca, the experiment affirmed that a low concentration (15% C. vulgaris and 25% U. lactuca) of the extracts contributed to the production of plants with a satisfying nutritional profile, while a high concentration (75% U. lactuca) is conducive to lettuce production with some parameters not suitable for human diet and health.

Variability of wintering oat hoodness under the influence of external environmental conditions

The article presents the results of assessment of varieties and lines of wintering oats cultivated in the soil and climatic conditions of the Republic of Adygea from the competitive variety trial nursery on the content of the husk depending on environmental factors.For comparison, agricultural years of 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 have been taken; they differ in the phase of plant development before leaving for winter and the amount of precipitation in the springsummer period. In the course of the research, generally accepted methods have been used, including «The Guidelines for the Study and Preservation of the World Collection of Barley and Oats» and GOST 10843- 76. A detailed analytical review of climatic conditions in the study period has been given, weather conditions compared with the main phases of plant growth and development, and their influence on lodging resistance and filminess of wintering oats noted. The rates of onset of heading phase and wax ripeness of grain have been analyzed, the difference in the date of their onset by years determined.As a result, data have been obtained on the husk content in oat grain per year with sufficient and excessive moisture, and the group and range of husk content variation determined. It was established that during the research period, the variability of hoodness from agrometeorological conditions was 7-8%, and from varietal characteristics 1-4%. In a year with excess moisture, the percentage of varieties with an average husk content increases, and the number with a low content of it decreases. All varieties and lines of overwintering oats have low and medium grain hoodness. Samples with low and medium content of husk, which keep this economically valuable trait stable and unchanged in years with different amounts of precipitation and are of interest for further breeding work have been selected.

Expression and inheritance of performance constituents and seed color in winter rye

Purpose. To establish peculiarities of inheritance of major breeding traits in lines - parents of winter rye hybrids; to assess the effectiveness of creating starting material for heterotic winter rye breeding based on lines - donors of purple seed color and a set of valuable economic characteristics. Material and methods. The experiments were conducted in the fields of Verkhniachka Experimental Breeding Station of the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beet (Verkhniachka EBS IBCSB) of NAAS of Ukraine (Umanskyi District of Cherkassy Region) in 2021-2022. The following F1 and F2 simple hybrids were studied: l.471 x l.44 and l.471 x l.4351H.4-1-22. F1 hybrids were sown manually in single-row sections of 1.5 m long by wide-row method (interrow distance = 25–30 cm) to a depth of 3–4 cm in 2020. The sowing design was as follows: female form – F1 – male form, using the female and male forms as references. All fully ripened plants were harvested with roots. For structural analysis, 25 plants of the hybrids, female and male forms were taken; they were evaluated for the following morphological features: plant height (PH), the productive shoot number (PSN), and spike length (SL). We analyzed such performance constituents as the flower number per spike (FMS), kernel number per spike (KNP), kernel weight per spike (KWS), kernel weight per plant (KWP), and thousand kernel weight (TKW). During the growing period, the phases of plant growth and development were monitored. Correspondence of the observed ratio of phenotypic classes to the theoretical one in F2 was assessed by the χ2 test. Results and discussion. Various forms from a genetic collection, carriers of dominant and recessive alleles of one or several marker traits were used as the starting material to explore expression and inheritance of morphological traits. Hybrid combination No. 16/17–743/18 (line 471) with purple seeds, which had been created by selection and self-pollination (inbreeding), was crossed with donors of the dominant ‘short stem’ trait with wild-type (light) color of seeds, l.44 and l.4351H.4-1-22. In F1 hybrids, the quantitative constituents of the plant performance, in particular the productive shoot number, flower number per spike, kernel number per spike, kernel weight per spike, and kernel weight per plant were higher than the parents’ mean values. High degree of dominance indicated that these traits were inherited by dominance and overdominance. In F2 hybrids, dihybrid segregation into genotypes with different colors was observed: purple due to pigments in the caryopsis coat, intermediate and wild-type color of the aleurone layer, with greater number of wild-type plants. The purple color of the caryopsis in the parental lines, l.44 and l.4351H.4-1-22, turned out to be recessive relative to the wild-type color, but at the same time it was dominant in l.471 / l.44 relative to intermediate color, and in l.4351H.4-1-22, on the contrary, it was recessive in relation to intermediate color. Epistasis in l.471 / l.44 was seen in the following sequence: wild-type ˃ purple ˃ intermediate, while in l.471 / l.4351H.4-1-22 the sequence differed: wild-type ˃ intermediate ˃ purple. Conclusions. Regardless of the genotypes of winter rye lines with colored and wild-type seeds included in crossings, the purple color of seeds showed a monogenic recessive inheritance.

Phenomics based prediction of plant biomass and leaf area in wheat using machine learning approaches.

Phenomics has emerged as important tool to bridge the genotype-phenotype gap. To dissect complex traits such as highly dynamic plant growth, and quantification of its component traits over a different growth phase of plant will immensely help dissect genetic basis of biomass production. Based on RGB images, models have been developed to predict biomass recently. However, it is very challenging to find a model performing stable across experiments. In this study, we recorded RGB and NIR images of wheat germplasm and Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of Raj3765xHD2329, and examined the use of multimodal images from RGB, NIR sensors and machine learning models to predict biomass and leaf area non-invasively. The image-based traits (i-Traits) containing geometric features, RGB based indices, RGB colour classes and NIR features were categorized into architectural traits and physiological traits. Total 77 i-Traits were selected for prediction of biomass and leaf area consisting of 35 architectural and 42 physiological traits. We have shown that different biomass related traits such as fresh weight, dry weight and shoot area can be predicted accurately from RGB and NIR images using 16 machine learning models. We applied the models on two consecutive years of experiments and found that measurement accuracies were similar suggesting the generalized nature of models. Results showed that all biomass-related traits could be estimated with about 90% accuracy but the performance of model BLASSO was relatively stable and high in all the traits and experiments. The R2 of BLASSO for fresh weight prediction was 0.96 (both year experiments), for dry weight prediction was 0.90 (Experiment 1) and 0.93 (Experiment 2) and for shoot area prediction 0.96 (Experiment 1) and 0.93 (Experiment 2). Also, the RMSRE of BLASSO for fresh weight prediction was 0.53 (Experiment 1) and 0.24 (Experiment 2), for dry weight prediction was 0.85 (Experiment 1) and 0.25 (Experiment 2) and for shoot area prediction 0.59 (Experiment 1) and 0.53 (Experiment 2). Based on the quantification power analysis of i-Traits, the determinants of biomass accumulation were found which contains both architectural and physiological traits. The best predictor i-Trait for fresh weight and dry weight prediction was Area_SV and for shoot area prediction was projected shoot area. These results will be helpful for identification and genetic basis dissection of major determinants of biomass accumulation and also non-invasive high throughput estimation of plant growth during different phenological stages can identify hitherto uncovered genes for biomass production and its deployment in crop improvement for breaking the yield plateau.

Chilling Resistance and Physio -Chemical Changes during Cold Acclimation in Foxtail Millet Genotypes

Millets are known as poor man crops, because they grow well in rain-fed or dry land conditions with insufficient soil fertility and water. Food shortages could become more severe in the coming years as the world population rises and arable land is depleted. As a result, various strategies are needed to ensure food security. Millets are also notable for their short growth season. They can reach maturity in as little as 85 days after being sowing. Low temperature is a major environmental factor that can limiting the plant anabolic, metabolic processes and yield globally. Temperature is an extremely important growth limiting factor because it regulates plant physiological and biochemical activity throughout the growth cycle. A field study was scheduled to estimate the low temperatures effect on plant processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, water absorption, chlorophyll stability, and yield. It was done in Rabi’ 2020 and 2021 with factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with three replications. The present study was conducted to determine the low temperature effect on growth analysis and yield of tenai genotypes screening at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Vazhavachanur. Temperature stress, particularly high or low temperatures, can disrupt plant metabolism and shorten the time of distinct plant growth phases. Plants' responses to low temperature exposure can have a significant impact on various growth parameters such as leaf area, leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative water content, photosynthetic efficiency, days to 50% flowering, number of tillers, number of grains per tiller, total dry matter production, and yield. Tenai genotypes TNSi 375 and TNSi 375 recorded higher values of specific leaf area, crop growth rate, specific leaf weight, total chlorophyll content and grain yield than other genotypes under low temperature condition, Tiruvannamali district and Jawathu hill region of Vellore district.

Estimation of Rice Plant Growth Phase in Gunung Talang District Based on Vegetation Index

Determining the growth phase of rice plants is an efficient approach to get the right cultivation step. Remote sensing technology can provide solutions and convenience in monitoring the growth phase of rice plants through a spatial analysis covering a relatively large area. One of the remote sensing sensors that can capture images of the location with its specifications is the MODIS sensor carried by satellites, which uses NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values. This research aims to determine the regression equation and the range of NDVI values to predict the growing phase of rice plants in Gunung Talang District. Making a working map for observations in the field is the beginning of the research. Observation location is a grid that covers a rice field area of 45%, data obtained from image processing using ArcGis. Regression analysis between plant age (days after planting) and NDVI values to get the equation and range of NDVI values based on the growing phase. Based on the analysis, the regression equation used to predict the age of plants in determining the phase of rice growth in Gunung Talang District with y as the NDVI value = -0.0001009781 x2 + 0.0134279009 x + 0.2870285679, x as the age of rice plants (days after planting) the value of the coefficient of determination (R2) of the regression equation is 0.82. The range of values of each phase is the aqueous phase <0.4552; vegetative phase (1) 0.4552-0.6910; vegetative phase (2) 0.6910-0.7314; generative phase (1) 0.7314-0.6570; generative phase (2) 0.6570-0.5423 and fallow phase 0.3261-0.443.

Response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to combined application of organic compost along with plant growth promoting Aspergillus fungi

Bio-organic fertilizers can improve soil health and maintain microbial activity. The application of Aspergillus spp. can degrade organic matter, promote plant growth, and improve soil health by accelerating soil nutrients and biological activity. Previously, Aspergillus spp. has shown potential in phosphate solubilization and siderophore production. Still, a study gap remains, and focus has been placed on clarifying the impact of Aspergillus sp. AS2022 on soil microbial biomass and soil nutrient acceleration. For this purpose, a pot experiment was established with four different treatments: cow compost (CC), cow compost + AS2022 (CA), AS2022 (AS) strain only and control-only soil (CK). The amount of cow compost used was 180 mg N kg-1. Results revealed that inoculation of AS2022 with cow compost stimulated nitrogen mineralization and enhanced available nitrogen and accelerated the soil enzyme activities, which proposed that it could contribute to wheat crop production through the initial and later phases of plant growth. Although a single application of AS2022 enhances plant growth compared to the control, it might be the release of secondary metabolites. However, our short-term findings showed that the combined application of beneficial fungal strain AS2022 along cow compost was suitable culture for wheat crop production and improvement of soil quality through organic matter degradation and accelerating soil nutrients.

FORMATION OF BUSHINESS OF SPRING TRITICALE VARIETIES DEPENDING ON THE PREDECESSOR AND FERTILIZER

The article highlights the influence of precursors and levels of mineral fertilization on the formation of productive bushiness of spring triticale of different varieties. Depending on the influence of meteorological factors and weather, the influence of the studied elements of winter triticale cultivation technology, the indicators of the level of bushiness changed. The highest productive bushiness was formed by plants in the variants in which the best conditions were created for this. Triticale is an artificially bred crop that has not been studied enough in the global economy and requires research, but in Ukraine it is a well-known crop that takes its share in the overall crop structure. For example, the use of different norms of nitrogen fertilizers on the background of P60К60 contributed to an increase in the number of productive stems per unit area, and, accordingly, in the productive bushiness in general. When applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (P60К60), the number of productive stems did not exceed 585-591 pcs./m2, and the productive bushiness was 1.58-1.59, respectively. Triticale consumes a lot of nutrients from the soil to form a crop, which requires additional fertilization. It is not customary to apply organic fertilizers to this crop. only under its predecessors. Depending on the soil fertility, 60 to 90 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are applied. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers are scattered under the main cultivation. And nitrogen fertilizers are divided into three fertilizing sessions during the phases of active plant growth. Experts also advise to apply superphosphate 10-15 kilograms per hectare during sowing with seeds. Triticale is very sensitive to sowing dates, which roughly coincide with the middle of the optimal sowing period for winter wheat. For sowing, it is necessary to select seeds with a germination rate of at least 92% and a purity of at least 98%. Treatment with compositions designed for winter wheat has a good effect on the yield. In most farms, the crop is sown using intensive technology in a row with the skipping of technological paths. Some farms use a cross-row or narrow-row sowing method. The seeding rate is usually between 1.5 and 5.5 million germinating grains per hectare. The recommended sowing depth is 4-6 cm, reduced on heavy soils and increased by 1-2 cm on light soils. By selecting the best predecessors, namely soybeans, sunflower and corn, we created optimal conditions for the productivity of this crop. In addition, mineral fertilizers had a positive effect on the formation of bushiness of spring triticale.

Combined effects of dry-wet irrigation, redox changes and microbial diversity on soil nutrient bioavailability in the rice field

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) by United Nations are some of the high-priority areas of research and this article established the sustainable agronomic practices converging soil chemistry, crop productivity and soil microbial involvement in nutrient modulation. Alternate wetting-drying (AWD) cultivation with implications on soil microbiome, nutritional dynamics and rice yield during pre-monsoon (boro) and monsoon (aman) season are not well studied. In the present 4-year field study, the impact of AWD irrigation in pre-monsoon and flooded irrigation in monsoon on soil microbiota and the nutrient pool has been studied. Nutrient-less pond water has been used to avoid any external nutrient input from irrigation water to ensure the sole elemental flux within the soil itself. The release of soil nutrients into the soil-aqueous system, influencing microbial populations and modulating the redox status was explored. Results indicated an increase in total concentration as well as bioavailability of selected nutritional elements (N, P, K, Fe, Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn) by 16–54% in the pre-monsoon cultivation relative to monsoon cultivation. Three plant growth phases (developing, milking and harvest) were considered to check the nutrient modulations in soil and plant tissues along with the plant growth and elemental uptake continuum. Crop plant measurements were improved and grain yields were found to be 5.2–6.46% increased under AWD and microbial activity. Krona charts, relative abundance, rarefaction curve and multivariate analysis of metagenomics data showed that the pre-monsoon soil was more enriched and maintained a balance between soil pH and microbial biomass than the monsoon soil. Microbial community diversity associated with plant growth phases was also found to be different depending on the seasonal alterations. Bacillus sp., Acidothiobacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Rhizobium sp., Burkholderia sp. were predominant in pre-monsoon soil releasing pulses of N, P, K, Ca and Mg whereas Verrucomicrobia was found to be dominant in monsoon soil where Fe was released. This study is a first of its kind that showed the combined effect of season and some specific groups of soil microbes on macro-micro nutritional availability in soil and enhanced plant quality.

Effect of Norms of Complex Fertilizers on the Main Phases of Development and Dynamics of Growth of Corn

The article presents the results of experiments on the influence of the norms of complex fertilizers on the dynamics of corn development. It was revealed that the complex fertilizers used in the study area have a different effect on the beginning of the development phases of the corn plant, as well as on the height and development of the plant. When applying mineral fertilizers (NH4)2HPO4, the vegetation period is 104-105 days. In variants with different doses of fertilizer (NH4)2SO4+(NH4)2HPO4+K2SO4 — 98-100 days. The application of fertilizers in accordance with the phases of plant growth has a positive effect on all structural indicators. In the control variant without fertilizers, the height of the AGAU-80 corn variety was 295.8 cm, which is significantly lower than in the fertilized variant. Fertilizer (NH4)2HPO4 was applied in different doses, the height of the main stem in the phase of milky ripening was 349.4-374.6 cm, and (NH4)2SO4+(NH4)2HPO4+K2SO4 (in different doses) was 342.2-375.2 cm. In all cases, the green and dry weight of corn was significantly higher.

Light quality regulates apical and primary radial growth of Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum

For a horticultural crop such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the initial growth phase of young plants can take place in multi-layer systems to reduce space. Here LEDs form the ideal lighting system, as they decouple light intensity from heating and can thus be placed in close proximity to the plants. Moreover, the spectral quality control of LEDs may be utilized to steer the plants towards a desired compact and sturdy phenotype. To achieve this, we must understand how light quality affects plant elongation and stem thickness during early plant development. Therefore, we assessed apical and radial growth of tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plants grown in white, red, or blue LED conditions. Our analysis revealed that in both species the red LED condition increased cell elongation in hypocotyls and stems, whereas the blue LED condition decreased cell elongation, compared to the white light condition. In seedlings, hypocotyls were thinner in the red LED condition, and thicker in the blue LED condition, compared to white light. However, in flowering plants, Arabidopsis showed sensitivity of primary radial growth to light quality, while tomato plants appeared indifferent. Finally, analysis of Arabidopsis photoreceptor mutants suggested that cryptochromes and type II phytochromes are the main regulators of light-mediated apical and primary radial growth. To summarize, LEDs can be used to regulate both apical and primary radial plant growth, but the resulting phenotypes may be plant age- or species-specific.

Dynamics of Absorbed Nitrogen Forms in Mountain-Chernozem Soils of Gadabay District of Azerbaijan

The article presents the results of a study conducted in 2015-2017 in Chaldash of Gadabay district on mountain-chernozem soils under Solanum tuberosumculture in rainfed conditions. The dynamics of the accumulation of absorbed nitrogen both in the soil and in the plant was studied, according to the phases of development: budding, flowering and the phase of full ripeness. According to the results of 3 years of research, it was revealed that, depending on the diet, the amount N/NH4, N/NO3 in the soil on the N93P98K126 + 20 t manure variant was 41.02-21.06 mg/kg in the budding phase, and in the phase of flowering and maturation 31.06-31.03 mg/kg and 15.17-7.98 mg/kg. The amount of N/NH4, N/NO3 in the soil in different phases of plant growth increased compared to the control variant. This is due to the fact that the applied organic, mineral and complex fertilizers led to the introduction of nitrogen N/NH4, N/NO3.

Level attack of caterpillar on oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantations in Dharmasraya District, West Sumatera Province, Indonesia

Caterpillars are insects that eat oil palm leaves. As a herbivore, its presence and feeding activity will be affected by the growth phase of the host plant. This study aims to determine the percentage and intensity of caterpillar attacks on oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) which have not yet produced fruit in Dharmasraya Regency. The research was carried out in July-September 2022 and the location was determined using a purposive sampling method. The research was conducted in two immature oil palm plantations (Nagari Silago and Timpeh) and two mature areas (Nagari Sitiung and Muaro polite). Determination of sample plants was carried out diagonally and taken ± 10% of the total population of palms. The caterpillars found during the research in the oil palm plantations of Dharmasraya Regency consisted of 2 species, namely Setora nitens and Setothosea asigna. At the four study locations, the average percentage of infected plants, infected midribs, and attack intensity were 43.47; 40.71; and 19.86 %. Immature oil palm plants have a higher rate of fireworm attacks than mature ones.

Availability of Nitrogen in Soil for Irrigated Cotton Following Application of Urea and 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole Phosphate-Coated Urea in Concentrated Bands.

Low nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency for irrigated cotton has been attributed to the limited ability of tap roots to access N from concentrated subsurface bands, or the preferential root uptake of microbially-mineralized dissolved organic N. This work investigated how applying high-rate banded urea affects the availability of N in soil and the capacity of cotton roots to take up N. Soil was analyzed for water-extractable total dissolved N and inorganic N species after urea or urea coated with 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) was applied at concentrations of 261, 455, 461, and 597 mg N kg-1 of (air-dry) soil (mean bulk density: 1.01 g cm-3). A mass balance was used to compare N applied as fertilizer and in unfertilized soil (supplied N) with the N recovered from soil within the cylinders (recovered N) at five plant growth phases. Root uptake was estimated by comparing ammonium-N (NH4-N) and nitrate-N (NO3-N) in soil sampled from within cylinders with soil sampled from immediately outside. Recovered N was up to 100% above supplied N within 30 days of applying urea above 261 mg N kg-1 of soil. Significantly lower NO3-N in soil sampled from immediately outside the cylinders suggests urea application stimulates cotton root uptake. The use of DMPP-coated urea prolonged high NH4-N in soil and inhibited the mineralization of released organic N. These results imply the release of previously sequestered soil organic N within 30 days of applying concentrated urea enhances the availability of NO3-N in the rhizosphere, reducing N fertilizer use efficiency.

Microbiome analysis revealed distinct microbial communities occupying different sized nodules in field-grown peanut.

Legume nodulation is the powerhouse of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) where host-specific rhizobia dominate the nodule microbiome. However, other rhizobial or non-rhizobial inhabitants can also colonize legume nodules, and it is unclear how these bacteria interact, compete, or combinedly function in the nodule microbiome. Under such context, to test this hypothesis, we conducted 16S-rRNA based nodule microbiome sequencing to characterize microbial communities in two distinct sized nodules from field-grown peanuts inoculated with a commercial inoculum. We found that microbial communities diverged drastically in the two types of peanut nodules (big and small). Core microbial analysis revealed that the big nodules were inhabited by Bradyrhizobium, which dominated composition (>99%) throughout the plant life cycle. Surprisingly, we observed that in addition to Bradyrhizobium, the small nodules harbored a diverse set of bacteria (~31%) that were not present in big nodules. Notably, these initially less dominant bacteria gradually dominated in small nodules during the later plant growth phases, which suggested that native microbial communities competed with the commercial inoculum in the small nodules only. Conversely, negligible or no competition was observed in the big nodules. Based on the prediction of KEGG pathway analysis for N and P cycling genes and the presence of diverse genera in the small nodules, we foresee great potential of future studies of these microbial communities which may be crucial for peanut growth and development and/or protecting host plants from various biotic and abiotic stresses.

Innovative Application of Onion Extract to Improve the Quality of Tomato Fruit

Tomatoes are one of the daily necessities for people. In general, consumers favor tomatoes with few seeds. Therefore, there must be efforts made to improve the quality of tomatoes, one of which is to reduce the number of seeds, even if it is possible to make tomatoes without seeds (seedlessness). By applying Gibberellic acid (GA) during the growth phase of tomato plants, it is possible to enhance tomato quality through technology. The application of GA to certain plants can reduce the number of tomato seeds and increase their sweetness. It is necessary to discover a way to use GA-containing natural ingredients to prepare for the high cost of synthetic GA. Onions are one of the natural ingredients that contain GA. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of applying onion extract as a source of GA to obtain the optimum concentration of onion extract that can improve the quality of tomato fruit. The experimental design utilized Randomized-Group Design with five different treatments: no spraying, spraying with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% onion extract. According to the findings, the application of onion extract improved the quality of tomato fruit. This condition is reflected by a decrease in the number and weight of seeds per fruit and an increase in the fruit's vitamin C content. Therefore, it is essential to conduct this research to produce inexpensive, high-quality tomatoes to sustain the economy and increase farmers' income

‘Paedomorphosis’ and ‘juvenility’ in secondary xylem: (not such) useful constructs?

Summary In 1962 Carlquist published “A Theory of Paedomorphosis in Dicotyledonous Woods” based on his observations that some species of non-tree growth forms such as stem succulents, lianas, woody herbs, and tree rosettes exhibit, in their secondary xylem, cellular characteristics more commonly associated with primary xylem. He considered the appearance of these characters an expression of protracted juvenility, and that they reflected paedomorphosis. Since then, many others have observed similar suites of traits across multiple plant lineages, as these traits also characterize secondary and insular woodiness, and have used ‘paedomorphic’ and ‘juvenile’ to describe these traits. In this essay, it is argued that the use of the term paedomorphosis should be restricted to cases where ancestor/descendant relationships are known or used in a comparative sense among closely related taxa, to retain its significance as a descriptor of an evolutionary pattern. Second, it is argued that primary growth, and therefore primary xylem, should not be considered ‘juvenile’ because it is not characteristic only of the young, pre-reproductive phases of plant growth but instead persists for the life of the plant. Because both the concepts of juvenility and paedomorphosis possess more or less well-accepted modern meanings that differ in important ways from Carlquist’s use of the terms, a different approach is suggested that focuses on the functional significance of this suit of traits, in addition to their cellular characteristics.

ПРЕДШЕСТВЕННИКИ И НОРМЫ ВЫСЕВА В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ УРОЖАЯ ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of grain crops in world agriculture, which have important strategic, social, food, agronomic, bio-chemical-physical and environmental significance, the exceptional need for winter wheat grain is to obtain bread, bread products, animal feed and raw materials for industrial processing. In this segment of our scientific research, the influence of individual agro-bio-technological techniques on the yield and quality indicators of the structure and grain of winter wheat of the Batko variety was studied. Field experiments were conducted on leached chernozems in the foothill zone of the RSO-Alania, during the period from 2017 to 2021, we used two types of legumes as precursors, contributing to the resuscitation of soil fertility, an increase in humus content and biological activity of soils, due to the nitrogen-fixing ability of nodule bacteria. It was found that the maximum number of seedlings – 89.5% was provided by the Batko variety when sowing after peas, with a seeding rate of 4.5 million. pcs./ha, at the same seeding rate, after many years of clover, germination was inferior to the best option by 1.1%, according to the other variants of the experiment, the results of field germination were lower; the maximum number of seedlings was recorded - 427 pcs./m2 – after clover and 497 pcs./m2 – after peas, at seeding rates – 4.5 and 5.5 million units/ha, respectively. Plants of the Batko variety with a seeding rate of 3.5 million pcs. / ha formed, on average, over the years of research after clover - 4.1 pcs. stems and 10.1 pcs. secondary roots, after peas, these indicators were 4.2 and 11.8 pcs., respectively. The maximum number of plants per square meter was provided by an option with a seeding rate of 5.5 million units/ha, with quantitative indicators, on average for four years, according to the predecessors: a) perennial grasses (clover) - 423 pcs/m2; b) for peas – 452 pcs/m2, which was 93.6% and 95.0%, respectively, according to the predecessors. It is established that the general trend in the phases of plant growth and development, in terms of the formation of the leaf apparatus, has been preserved. During the spring tillering phase, 9.13 and 9.57 thousand m2/ha of leaf surface were formed on variants with a minimum seeding rate. With a seeding rate of 4.5 million units/ha, the excess over the minimum seeding rate was 1.18 and 1.16 thousand m2/ha, and the indicators of this variant were inferior to the seeding rate of 5.5 million units/ha by 0.83 and 0.82 thousand m2/ha.