Plant Height Research Articles

Seawater-induced Salinity Enhances Antioxidant Capacity by Modulating Morpho-physiological and Biochemical Responses in Catharanthus roseus

Salt stress impedes plant growth and development due to several factors, including the generation of cellular oxidative stressors. This study aimed to assess the impacts of seawater-induced salinity on the plant development, physio-biochemical responses, and antioxidant capacity of Catharanthus roseus grown in a variety of seawater (4, 8, and 12 dS/m) for varying durations (60, 90, and 120 days). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The results demonstrated that C. roseus successfully endured moderate salinity (8 dS/m) by maintaining plant height, number of leaves, branches, relative water content, and chlorophyll content with a minimum drop in dry biomass (25%) in a time- and dose-dependent approach. Furthermore, greater proline and soluble sugar contents suggested that C. roseus possessed enhanced osmoprotective capabilities to counteract osmotic stress caused by salinity. Conversely, all growth indicators decreased significantly at high salinity (12 dS/m). Increased levels of antioxidant enzyme activity catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, phenol and flavonoid, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid indicate a coordinated function for antioxidant components in regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) at low (4 dS/m) and moderate (8 dS/m) salinities. In contrast, excessive salinity (12 dS/m) led to a burst of ROS, as seen by elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage that greatly reduced total dry matter (72%), especially on days 120. The ion studies on plants subjected to salinity revealed that most Na+ remained in the roots. In contrast, most K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ are deposited more firmly in the leaves than in the roots. The findings imply that C. roseus may tolerate moderate salinity (8 dS/m) owing to its enhanced antioxidant defense system and osmolytes, which trigger antioxidant enzymes and maintain ionic balance.

Bacterial endophyte Pseudomonas mosselii PR5 improves growth, nutrient accumulation, and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) through various application methods

BackgroundPseudomonas spp. have drawn considerable attention due to their rhizospheric abundance and exceptional plant growth-promoting attributes. However, more research is needed on the optimal application methods of Pseudomonas mosselii for rice growth, nutrient accumulation, and yield improvement. This research explored the application of the endophytic bacterium P. mosselii PR5 on rice cultivar BRRI dhan29 with four treatments: control, seedling priming, root drenching, and bacterial cell-free culture (CFC) foliar application.ResultsPR5 led to better rice growth, improved nutrient acquisition, and higher yields compared to the control, regardless of the application method used. The highest results in fresh weight of root (146.93 g/pot), shoot (758.98 g/pot), and flag leaf (7.88 g/pot), dry weight of root (42.16 g/pot), shoot (97.32 g/pot), and flag leaf (2.69 g/pot), and grains/panicle (224.67), were obtained from seedling priming treatment, whereas root drenching resulted in maximum plant height (105.67 cm), root length (49.0 cm), tillers/pot (23.7), and panicles/pot (17.67). In all three application methods, rice grain yield per pot was higher in PR5 inoculated treatments, compared to the control. The amount of P, Mg and Zn in the shoot and N, P, Ca, Mg and Si content in the flag leaf was significantly increased along with effective suppression of naturally occurring blast disease in bacterial CFC foliar application, validated by multivariate analysis.ConclusionOur results indicated that rice seedlings priming with PR5 improved rice growth, yield and nutrient uptake, whereas CFC foliar application significantly increased the concentration of most nutrients in the rice plant and suppressed the naturally occurring rice blast disease. This research highlights the significant potential of P. mosselii PR5 in enhancing rice growth, yield, and nutrient uptake, particularly through seedling priming and CFC foliar application methods.

Biochar Organic Fertilizer Combined with Indigenous Microorganisms Enhances the Growth of Landscape Grass Cultivated in a Substrate Mixed with Iron Tailings and Mining Topsoil

Iron tailings from the mining process occupy vast land areas and pose a significant ecological risk. In order to reuse iron tailings resources and carry out in situ ecological restoration of a mine, in this study, a medium of mixed iron tailings and mining topsoil (m:m = 3:1) was used to plant landscape grasses, including Lolium perenne L. (L. perenne), Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng. (P. alopecuroides), Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. (M. officinalis), and Medicago sativa L. (M. sativa). Biochar and chicken manure were used as biochar organic fertilizers and indigenous microorganisms were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of tested grasses. They were applied to enhance landscape grass growth by regulating rhizosphere microbial communities and nutrient conditions. The results showed that the biochar organic fertilizers significantly promoted the growth of the four landscape grasses, notably P. alopecuroides, increasing plant height, root length, root weight, and leaf fresh weight by 169%, 60%, 211%, and 388%, respectively. Additionally, L. perenne exhibited the greatest height increase (10%) following the application of bacterial solutions. Moreover, indigenous bacterial solutions enhanced chlorophyll content and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, with P. alopecuroides showing the highest chlorophyll increase of 58% and M. sativa exhibiting a 30.58% rise in PAL activity. The biochar organic fertilizer also significantly elevated soluble protein content in P. alopecuroides and M. sativa by 195% and 152%, respectively. It also effectively enhanced peroxidase (POD) activity in Poaceae grasses by 120% to 160%. After adding indigenous microorganisms, the rhizosphere soil of the landscape grass showed the highest Shannon–Wiener diversity index, reaching 3.561. The rhizosphere soil of M. officinalis had the highest microbial richness, with a value of 39. Additionally, the addition of indigenous microorganisms increased the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the four plants by 8–19%, 6–14%, and 8–18%, respectively. This study offers a new approach for managing mining waste and ecological restoration in mining areas.

Performance of bread wheat advanced lines under late sowing and hydric stress during the crop season 2020-2021

Thirty four advanced bread wheat lines and cultivar Borlaug 100 were sown on January 15 and 30, 2021, at the Norman E. Borlaug Experimental Station, in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, México. Plots consisted of 1 bed 2 m long with two rows and 0.80 m apart with two replications, and a seed density of 100 kg ha-1 with two complementary irrigations. Average daily temperature (°C), maximum, minimum, relative humidity, rainfall, heat and cold units were recorded from January 1 to May 15, 2021. The average days for heading of the group was 69 for the first sowing date and 66 for the second one, while days for physiological maturity were 99 and 90, respectively. The average plant height of the group for the first date was 97.5 cm and 94 for the second one; the sister line SOKOLL/5/W15.92/4/PASTOR//HXL7573/2*BAU/3/ WBLL1/6/SOKOLL/3/PASTOR//HXL7573/2*BAU (PTSS12SHB00020T-0TOPB-099Y-099B-25Y-020Y-0B) consistently reached the maximum height with 107.5 and 110 cm in each date, respectively. The average grain yield per plot was 294 g; line BAJ #1*2/4/BETTY/3/CHEN/AE.SQ//2*OPATA showed the highest yield with 345.4 g which was above 4.3 t ha-1, followed by SOKOLL/3/PASTOR//HXL7573/2*BAU/4/ASTREB/5/PIHA//WORRAKATTA/2*PASTOR /3/PRL/2*PASTOR, also above 4.3 t ha-1. The average hourly temperature was 18.4 °C with a maximum of 40.8 °C and a minimum of 3.9 °C, and the number of heat and cold units was 203 and 393, respectively.

Evaluation of selected rice cultivars' phenotypic traits and chlorophyll content under sub-mergence stress

Currently, rice production in Nigeria is on the increase with the aim of meeting the nation’s need but floods (mainly seasonal) has been among the major factors limiting rice production. Rice is generally a semi aquatic plant well adapted to partially flooded fields but flash flooding may leads to complete submergence there by resulting into huge economic losses mainly due to reduction in gases (hypoxia) and light intensity needed for photosynthesis. The research was conducted at the Biological Garden, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University Birnin Kebbi. The experiment was set off in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four rice cultivars with control and three replications. Length of internodes, number of nodes per plant, plant height, root length and chlorophyll contents were evaluated using standard methods and protocols. The study analyzed the impact of flooding on rice cultivars, finding significant differences in node number, internode length, plant height, root lengths, and chlorophyll content. The highest number of nodes was found in CP Yartunga, followed by Faro with 6.33 per plant. The highest plant height was 15.50 cm in Faro, while the highest chlorophyll content was 0.41 mg/g in CP 44. The research reveals that rice cultivars recover from flooding stress, with CP Yartunga having the highest number of nodes per plant and Faro having the highest internode length. No significant differences were found in plant height, root length, or chlorophyll content among the evaluated cultivars. Faro had the lowest chlorophyll content. The study reveals that under stress, chlorophyll content in various locations decreases significantly, with a significant drop in recovery and node numbers. Lastly, node recovery is substantial, suggesting lower injury levels. The present study suggests that cultivars like Faro and CP 44 show better resilience, suggesting potential breeding programs focusing on structural traits.

Variety of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth and Yield in Response to Various Organic Fertilizers in Makurdi, Nigeria

This study was conducted in 2023 at the nursery of the Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop production of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The experimental treatments were two (2) varieties of lettuce (ice berg and Butter head) and three (3) organic manure sources (Poultry dropping, cow dung, goat manure) and a control. An experiment was set up as a 2 x 4 factorial design using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected from the following parameters, plant height, plant diameter, number of leaves, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), roof weight, and fresh weight. All the study parameters of lettuce were significantly (P<0.05) different, on both organic manure, and variety. The iceberg variety surpassed the butter head variety, with statistically significant (P<0.05) differences observed in several parameters: plant height (20.32 cm), number of leaves (23.85), leaf area index (15.19 cm³), сrop growth rate (1.54 g m³ per day), chlorophyll content (23.32 mg/g), fresh weight (83.86 g), root weight (20.23 g), and yield (3.19 t/ha) Similarty, poutry droppings obtained significantly (P<0.05) better results in terms of plant height (21.73 cm), number of leaves (23 92), leaf area Index (16.75 cm²), crop growth rate (3.70 g m³ per day), chlorophyll content (25.73 mg/g), fresh weight (632.02 g), root weight (22.13 g) and yield (3.75 t/ha) as compared to other organic manure sources such as cow dung, goat manure and control. In addition, a significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in the interaction between lettuce varieties selection and organic fertilizers at various levels, particularly with the high level of iceberg x poultry manure

Evaluating the Efficacy of Macropropagation Techniques for Red Banana (Musa acuminata) Using Biocontrol Agents

The corm propagation is an simple, alternative and cheap technique for Banana multiplication. The study on the effect of biocontrol agents on macropropagation of Banana cv.Red Banana was carried out at SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, Chengalpattu. The decapitated and decorticated corms were exposed to various treatments with combination of sawdust and cocopeat media supplemented with different biofertilizers and biocontrol agents comprising 13 treatments in 3 replication adopting Completely Randomized Design and the data recorded underwent analysis of variance (ANOVA). Among the 13 treatments adopted, Cocopeat + Sawdust (1:1) + VAM (30 g/corm) + Pochonia chlamydosporia (60g/corm) showed significantly best result in terms of number of days taken for primary bud emergence (22.7 days), days taken for secondary bud emergence (46.34 days), days taken for tertiary bud emergence (67.35 days), number of primary buds per corm (1.53), number of secondary buds per corm (3.67), number of tertiary buds per corm (4.33), total number of plantlets per corm (9.54), plant height (73.56 cm) and pseudostem girth (12.34 cm). The next better performance was observed in the treatment Saw dust + VAM (30 g/corm) + Pochonia chlamydosporia (60 g/corm) which recorded early emergence of buds and production of more buds. The cormpropagation approach refined in this work is accessible, necessitating less skill and knowledge, making it appropriate for implementation by farmers at the farm level.

Productivity Variables for Adaptability of Cowpea Varieties under Strip Intercropping in Three Locations in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: The performance of five improved cowpea varieties under strip intercropping has been conducted in specific locations to assess their yield but their adaptability has not been determined. This paper presents results that assessed the adaptability of the improved cowpea varieties under strip intercropping in three locations in Limpopo province. Methods: Five cowpea varieties (TVu 13464, IT86D-1010, Glenda, IT82E-16 and IT87K-499-35) and maize were planted under strip intercropping in three locations (UL-Farm, Bela-Bela and Ga-Thaba) and two seasons. Data were collected on maturity, grain yield, land equivalent ratio, pods plant-1, plant height and seed size and were analysed using Genstat 20.1. Result: The ranking plot of grain yield indicates that the principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 96.33% of the total sum of square variation. The results indicate that IT86D-1010 and IT82E-16 matured early and were best yielders. The LER from IT82E-16, IT86D-1010, TVu 13464 and IT87K-499-35 exceedingly performed better that from Glenda (Control) thus indicating that they are superior in adaptation and in resource utilization. The performance and adaptation of the varieties varied across locations: IT82E-16 is adapted to UL-Farm and Bela-Bela while IT86D-1010 and IT87K-499-35 are adapted to Ga-Thaba and their production should be based on their best location(s).

Plant responses to urban gradients: Extinction, plasticity, adaptation

Abstract Biodiversity‐oriented urban management and planning require information on the drivers of wildlife composition and ecosystem function within cities. Urban landscapes impose environmental gradients along which species may be filtered away, or respond by showing adaptive variation in functional trait values. Such trait variation may in turn be due to a species' phenotypic plasticity, or a consequence of microevolution leading to local adaptation. This study investigates three possible plant responses to urban environmental gradients, with different evolutionary consequences: extinction, plasticity and adaptation. We assessed whether individual functional traits (LMA—leaf mass per area, plant height and flower length), population performance traits (seed mass and germination rate), as well as species frequency in the plant community, responded to gradients in mowing frequency, soil fertility and structure, temperature and surrounding mean building height, among four herbaceous plant species present in the metropolitan area of Strasbourg. Using a common garden experiment, we tested whether the observed trait variation was hereditary, and may thus constitute evidence for local adaptation. Our results detected the three types of expected responses. Plantago lanceolata is plastic to urban gradients, and Trifolium pratense showed both plastic and hereditary responses. Dactylis glomerata and Medicago lupulina showed all three responses: they both declined under increasing mowing frequency, were plastic to surrounding mean building height, and showed hereditary responses to different urban gradients. Urban management and planning therefore impact on the evolutionary capabilities of plants in cities. In the case of management this is highlighted by the detected trends in species' traits and frequency in response to mowing. The consequences of urban planning are evidenced by mean building height eliciting most often plastic and adaptive responses. Synthesis. Herbaceous plants often change their morphology in response to urban conditions: grass cutting, altered soils, warmer temperatures and being surrounded by tightly packed buildings. These changes are sometimes hereditary, which suggests that city management and planning affect the ability of plants to survive and evolve in urban environments.

EFFECT OF SIDA CORDIFOLIA LINN. LEAF AND ROOT ETHYL ACETATE EXTRACTS ON THE GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF PANICUM REPENS AND PANICUM MAXIMUM

Due to the incessant application of synthetic herbicides in the agricultural system coupled with a rapid increase in herbicide-resistant weed species across the globe, much attention has been focused on alternative weed management, including allelopathy, which is eco-friendly and reduces reliance on synthetic herbicides. The effect of Sida cordifolia root and leaf ethyl acetate extract was evaluated under field conditions to determine its effects on growth, physiological response, stomatal index and density, and biochemical activity on weed species (Panicum maximum, Panicum repens, and Andropogon gayanus), as well as its effects on soil micronutrients. S. cordifolia root and leaf were collected from the wild in Nigeria and prepared into powder, which was dissolved to obtain the following concentrations 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80%, and distilled water served as the control. The percentage inhibition seems to be correlated with different growth indices as proven by an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione transferase (GST), and peroxidase (POD). Physiological growth indices such as plant height, leaf area, number of leaves, dry weight, stomatal density, and stomatal index were inhibited in both weed species while biochemical parameters such as Chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and chlorophyll stability index were slightly reduced, increase in MDA, GST, ROS and POD were also noticed. In general, Andropogon gayanus showed a high inhibition rate compared to tomato. It is therefore recommended that concentrations of the Sida cordifolia extracts be increased to have a robust effect on the physiological processes of the weed species.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth Parameters of Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt.)

The aim of the study is to identify a suitable nutrient management practice for enhancing the growth characteristics viz. plant height (cm), plant spread (cm), number of tillers per plant and number of leaves per plant of citronella. The study was carried out in Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, between 2023-2024. The experiment comprised of 10 treatments each replicated thrice was executed following the principles of Randomized Block Design. They are (T1) 100% RDF (NPK 75:40:40 kg/ha) (Basal Dose N: 25 kg/ha), (T2) 75% RDF+ Vermicompost 5 t/ha, (T3) 75% RDF+ Vermicompost 5 t/ha + Biofertilizer consortium 2 kg/ha, (T4) 75% RDF+ Vermicompost 5 t/ha + Sea weed extract 2%, (T5) 75% RDF+ Goat Manure 5 t/ha, (T6) 75% RDF + Goat Manure 5 t/ha+ Biofertilizer consortium 2 kg/ha, (T7) 75% RDF + Goat Manure 5 t/ha + Sea weed extract 2%, (T8) 75% RDF + FYM 10 t/ha, (T9) 75% RDF + FYM 10 t/ha + Biofertilizer consortium 2 kg/ha and (T10) 75% RDF + FYM 10 t/ha + Sea weed extract 2 % . The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. This was done by standard procedure of Panse and Sukhatme (1985) and the results were interpreted. The level of significance are used in “F” and “t” tests at P=0.05. Critical differences (CD) were worked out whenever F test was found significant. The WASP 2.0 software was used for the statistical analysis of data. The study showed significant difference in the growth, yield and quality among the different treatments. The highest plant height (cm) (128.30, 131.32 and 132.20), plant spread (cm) (109.80, 112.03 and 115.75), number of tillers per plant (43.78, 45.90 and 48.16), number of leaves per plant (208.46, 212.15 and 210.00) of citronella were recorded with the application of 75% Recommended dose of fertilizer with vermicompost 5 t/ ha and 2% foliar spray of seaweed extract improved the growth, yield and quality of citronella. The application of 75% Recommended dose of fertilizer with vermicompost 5 t/ha and 2% foliar spray of seaweed extract has been identified as the best treatment for maximizing the growth characters of citronella. Hence, could be recommended for satisfactory growth, yield and quality of citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt.).

Synergistic Effects of Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilisation on Maize Photosynthetic Performance and Yield of Rainfed Systems in Drought‐Prone Environments

ABSTRACTMaize, a cereal crop of global significance, encounters cultivation challenges in the subtropical regions of Guangxi, mainly due to variable rainfall and low soil fertility, exacerbating the effects of drought. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilisation on overcoming these challenges and improving maize growth and yield. Between 2020 and 2021, a split‐plot experiment was conducted. The main plots were assigned to two irrigation treatments: irrigated and rainfed. Within each main plot, subplots were treated with different nitrogen levels (0, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg ha−1). The results showed that nitrogen levels and water regime significantly impacted several key factors, including the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), carbon‐metabolising enzymes and total carbon (TC) content accumulation. Under drought‐like rainfed conditions, the application of nitrogen, RN300 (rainfed application nitrogen 300 kg ha−1), IN250 (irrigated application nitrogen 250 kg ha−1) significantly enhanced the Pn (10.0%), Tr (3.17%), Ci (3.41%) and Gs (2.6%). Additionally, PAR was significantly influenced by the water regime and nitrogen levels. Under IN250, the capture ratio (Ca) increased (2.36%), while the penetration ratio (Pe) and reflectance ratio (Re) decreased by 13.12% and 46.36%, respectively, compared to RN300. The levels of carbon metabolism enzymes (sucrose phosphate synthase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase) and the TC content were higher under RN300 compared to IN250; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Path analysis revealed that thousand kernel weight had the most significant impact on yield under both water regimes. The effect was stronger under irrigated conditions, with a path coefficient of 0.647, compared to 0.459 under rainfed conditions. Correlation analysis indicated that plant height (0.938), stem diameter (0.906), ear diameter (0.928) and ear length (0.803) were positively correlated with nitrogen levels. In conclusion, maize under IN250 exhibited superior photosynthetic performance and carbon accumulation. This suggests that balanced irrigation and nitrogen management can effectively mitigate the adverse impacts of drought on maize, optimising growth and yield sustainably.

Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal that GA3ox regulates the dwarf trait in mango (Mangifera indica L.)

BackgroundMango is a tropical fruit with high economic value. The selection of suitable dwarf mango varieties is an important aspect of mango breeding. However, the mechanisms that regulate mango dwarfing remain unclear.ResultsIn this study, we compared the transcriptomes and metabolomes of mango varieties Guiqi (a dwarfed variety) and Jinhuang (an arborized variety). A total of 4,954 differentially expressed genes and 317 differentially abundant metabolites were identified between the two varieties, revealing the molecular mechanism of the gibberellin 3β-hydroxylase gene GA3ox in regulating dwarfing traits in mangoes using joint transcriptome and metabolome analyses. The results showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in the diterpenoid biosynthesis pathway and that differentially abundant metabolites were annotated to their upstream pathway, the terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. A gene regulation network based on these two pathways was constructed, indicating the upregulation of the GA3ox gene and the accumulation of gibberellin in dwarfed mangoes. We then transferred the GA3ox gene to tobacco plants following the application of gibberellin, and the morphology and height of the transgenic tobacco plants largely recovered the phenotype.ConclusionsThese results demonstrated that GA3ox plays a role in the regulation of dwarf traits. Our study provides an important theoretical basis for studying the regulatory mechanisms underlying mango dwarfism to facilitate mango breeding.

RESPONSE OF SUMMER TOMATO WITH EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF SALICYLIC ACID AND CALCIUM

A pot experiment was carried out at Horticulture Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka May to September, 2016 to evaluate the performance of summer tomato production with the supplementation of salicylic acid (SA) and calcium (Ca). The experiment consisted of two factor. Four different levels of SA (S1 = 0 mM SA, S2 = 0.3 mM SA, S3 = 0.6 mM SA, S4 = 0.8 mM SA) and three levels of Ca (C1 = 0 mM Ca, C2 = 4 mM Ca, C3 = 8 mM Ca). Both morphological traits and yield of summer tomatoes were significantly affected by the application of SA and Ca. Exogenous application of SA and Ca influenced the growth including plant height, leaf number, branch number, yield contributing characters and yield. The combined supplementation of 0.8 mM SA and 8 mM Ca resulted the highest yields (0.8 kg/plant) where lowest one (0.3 kg/plant) was recorded from the control treatment (without SA and Ca). These results suggest that SA and Ca can improve the growth and yield of tomatoes during the summer season by alleviating the detrimental effects of extreme heat in the summer.

Native woody species depend on the soil microbiome to establish on burned soils, while non‐native do not

Abstract Wildfires are important natural disturbances with profound ecological impacts. However, our understanding of how to restore plant–soil microbiome interactions following wildfires remains limited, revealing a key knowledge gap in post‐wildfire ecosystem restoration. To assess the restoration of plant‐microbiome interactions in fire‐affected ecosystems, we conducted greenhouse experiments simulating wildfire effects on soil collected from Maulino Coastal Forest of central Chile, a biodiversity hotspot. We measured the plant height and photosynthesis over 90 days, and two‐year survival probability, of three common native (Aristotelia chilensis, Nothofagus glauca and N. alessandrii) and three non‐native species (Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus radiata and Genista monspessulana) planted in three soils (unburned, burned and burned soil inoculated with the native microbiome). Available nutrient concentrations (N, P and K) and activities of microbial enzymes (dehydrogenase, β‐glucosidase and urease) were also measured over 360 days. Available nutrient concentrations were consistently higher in burned and burned‐inoculated soils than in unburned soils. Enzyme activities in unburned and burned‐inoculated soils remained higher than in burned soil, indicating that the native microbiome restored microbial enzyme activities. The increase in height over 90 days was lower in burned soils compared with unburned soils for native species. However, inoculation with the native microbiome mitigated this negative effect, resulting in height increases similar to those in unburned soils. For non‐native species, burning and inoculation had negligible effects on the height increases. Similar patterns were observed for the increase in photosynthetic rate, with native species showing a reduced rate in burned soils, which was offset by microbiome inoculation, while non‐native species were unaffected by both treatments. Survival probability of native species declined in burned soil, but was the same in burned‐inoculated soil as in unburned soil. That of non‐native species was unaffected by burning or by inoculation with the native microbiome. Synthesis and applications. Native microbiomes are evidently promising tools to safeguard ecosystem functionality and mitigate species extinction risks arising from climate change and human‐induced wildfires. We advocate integrating microbiomes into future active restoration strategies for fire‐affected ecosystems.

RESPONSE OF LIQUID MANURES AS ALTERNATIVE NUTRIENT ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATO

An experiment was conducted on response of Liquid Manures as alternate nutrient on growth and yield of tomato at the Horticulture Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from November 2023 to March 2024. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were used in the study were T1; Control, T2; Vermi Tea, T3; SAU-MLM, T4; SAU-NLM, T5; SAU-PLM and T6; RFD (Recommended Fertilizer Dose). In this study, the treatments showed significant variation on growth and yield of tomato production. The tallest plant (109.63cm), highest number of leaves per plant (25.0), maximum fruit weight (127.2g), maximum fruit weight per plant (3.48kg), maximum yield per plot (20.8kg) and maximum yield per hector (56.5t/h) were recorded with treatment T6 (RFD) and it was statistically identical with treatment T5 (SAU-PLM). Whereas the minimum plant height (92.03 cm) and number of leaves per plant (17.0), lowest fruit weight (62.8g), lowest fruit weight per plant (1.53kg), lowest yield per plot (9.1kg) and lowest yield (22.9t/h) were recorded in T1 (Control). Furthermore, treatment 5 (SAU-PLM) produced highest brix (5.7), that is highest sweetness tomato were produced with T5 treatment. That’s why it can be said that different liquid manure has good impact on growth and yield of tomato with environment friendly impact.

Selected Actinomycetes as Potential Biostimulant of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L) in Mali

Aims: This study aims to formulate at least one efficient biostimulant based on actinomycetes that promotes good eggplant growth in Mali. Study Design: The experimental design was a completely randomized block design with three replications and four treatments randomly distributed. The treatments were three Actinomycete strains (Act, S1 and St1) and a non inoculated control and the mode of application (inoculation or spraying) of these treatments were considered as blocking factor. Place and Duration of Study: The trials were conducted in Bamako, in the Greenhouse of the LaboREM-Biotech situated on the colline of Badalabougou. Methodology: Eggplant seeds inoculated or not with Actinomyces sp. Ts1, Actinomyces sp. S1 and Actinomyces sp. Act; were randomly sown in plastic pots filled with approximately 2.50 kg of air-dried soil. The first block sown with coated seeds and the second with non-inoculated seeds and seedlings from them pulverized. Leaf length, leaf area, leaf diameter, leaf area, leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, plant height and root length were determined. Results: Eggplant seed inoculated with all the tested Actinomycetes strains had significantly enhanced leaf length, leaf diameter, leaf area, leaves fresh weight. The highest results were obtained with the strain Act, followed by strain St1. Sprayed treatment improved eggplant leaf length, leaf diameter, leaf area, leaves fresh weight, leaves dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight; compared to the coated treatment Conclusion: Field application of actinomyctes may reduce production cost, by increasing eggplant growth and fruit yield while reducing production cost. The present work showed that Act and Ts1 using spray method were best suited for eggplant. Actinomyces sp. Act produced the highest leaf length, leaf diameter, leaf area, leaves fresh weight. Therefore, Actinomyces sp. Act is suggested as bioinoculant for eggplant.

Characterization of Sulfur Oxidizing Bacteria and Their Effect on Growth Promotion of Brassica napus L.

Oil seeds sector is one of the major dynamic components of the agriculture world. Oil seeds such as canola (Brassica napus) require a higher quantity of sulfur (S), which is supplied through inorganic fertilizers. However, the overapplication of agro-chemicals to get higher yields of crops is harming the soil health. Therefore, the application of bacterial cultures with plant growth-promoting activity as biofertilizers ensures soil health maintenance and enhances crop productivity. To achieve this aim, the present research was initiated by procuring three sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOBs), namely, SOB 5, SOB 10, and SOB 38, from the Microbiology Department, PAU. In the initial assessment, all three SOB cultures showed resilience to pesticide toxicity at the recommended dosage, with the exception of ridomil. These cultures were later characterized morphologically, biochemically, and at the molecular level using 16s rRNA resulting in their identification as Enterobacter ludwigii strain Remi_9 (SOB 5), Enterobacter hormaechei strain AUH-ENM30 (SOB 10), and Bacillus sp. 5BM21Y12 (SOB 38). Functional characterization of these SOB cultures revealed their ability to exhibit multifarious plant growth-promoting traits. Bacillus sp. 5BM21Y12 showed greater functional activity, including high P solubilization (14.903 µg/mL), IAA production (44.28 µg/mL), siderophore production (13.89 µg/mL), sulfate ion production (0.127 mM), ammonia excretion (2.369 µg/mL), and Zn solubilization (22.62 mm). Based on the results of functional and molecular characterization, Bacillus sp. 5BM21Y12 was selected for field trials by formulating different treatments. Composite treatment, T8 (100% S + Bacillus sp. + pesticides) significantly enhanced growth parameters (plant height, root, and shoot biomass), yield attributes (siliqua length, test weight, number of siliqua/plant), yield parameter (total biomass and seed yield), quality parameter (crude protein and oil) as compared to all other sole treatments employed in the field. A combined application of non-pathogenic Bacillus sp. 5BM21Y12, with good functional activity enhanced yield of crop due to synergistic and additive interaction with fertilizer/pesticides. As biofertilizer application reduces the input of pesticides/fertilizers new inoculant formulations with cell protectors and the development of compatible pesticides should be searched to assure the benefits of integrated treatment.

Advanced Plant Phenotyping: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing and CimageA Software Technology for Precision Crop Growth Monitoring

In production activities and breeding programs, large-scale investigations of crop high-throughput phenotype information are needed to help improve management and decision-making. The development of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) remote sensing technology provides a new means for the large-scale, efficient, and accurate acquisition of crop phenotypes, but its practical application and popularization are hindered due to the complicated data processing required. To date, there is no automated system that can utilize the canopy images acquired through UAV to conduct a phenotypic character analysis. To address this bottleneck, we developed a new scalable software called CimageA. CimageA uses crop canopy images obtained by UAV as materials. It can combine machine vision technology and machine learning technology to conduct the high-throughput processing and phenotyping of crop remote sensing data. First, zoning tools are applied to draw an area-of-interest (AOI). Then, CimageA can rapidly extract vital remote sensing information such as the color, texture, and spectrum of the crop canopy in the plots. In addition, we developed data analysis modules that estimate and quantify related phenotypes (such as leaf area index, canopy coverage, and plant height) by analyzing the association between measured crop phenotypes and CimageA-derived remote sensing eigenvalues. Through a series of experiments, we confirmed that CimageA performs well in extracting high-throughput remote sensing information regarding crops, and verified the reliability of retrieving LAI (R2 = 0.796) and estimating plant height (R2 = 0.989) and planting area using CimageA. In short, CimageA is an efficient and non-destructive tool for crop phenotype analysis, which is of great value for monitoring crop growth and guiding breeding decisions.

Effect of center-pivot and subsurface drip irrigation systems on growth and evapotranspiration of volunteer corn in corn, soybean, and sorghum

Abstract Volunteer corn (Zea mays L.) is a competitive weed in corn-based cropping systems. Scientific literature does not exist about the water use of volunteer corn grown in different crops and irrigation systems. The objectives of this study were to characterize the growth and evapotranspiration (ETa) of volunteer corn in corn, soybean [Glycine max (L). Merr.], and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] under center-pivot irrigation (CPI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. Field experiments were conducted in south-central Nebraska in 2021 and 2022. Soil moisture sensors were installed at depths of 0 to 0.30, 0.30 to 0.60, and 0.60 to 0.90 m to track soil water balance and quantify seasonal total ETa. Corn was the most competitive, as volunteer corn had the lowest biomass, leaf area, and plant height compared with the fallow. Soybean was the least competitive with volunteer corn, as the plant height, biomass, and leaf area of volunteer corn in soybean were similar to fallow at 15, 30, 45, and 60 d after transplanting (DATr). Averaged across crop treatments, irrigation type did not affect volunteer corn growth at 15 to 45 DATr. Soil water depletion and ETa were similar across crop treatments with and without volunteer corn, as water was not a limiting factor in this study. The ETa of volunteer corn was the highest in soybean (623 mm), followed by sorghum (622 mm), and corn (617 mm) under CPI. The SDI had higher irrigation efficiency, because without affecting crop yield, it had 3%, 6%, and 8% lower ETa in soybean (605 mm), sorghum (585 mm), and corn (571 mm), respectively. Although soil water use did not differ with volunteer corn infestation, a soybean yield loss of 27% was observed, which suggests that volunteer corn may not compete for moisture under fully irrigated conditions; however, it can impact the crop yield potential due to competition for factors other than soil moisture.