Micronutrient For Plants Research Articles

Chemistry of Boron in Soil and Management in Different Crops

Boron (B) is an important plant micronutrient with a narrower range of deficit to toxicity than any other plant nutrients. As a result, comprehending the chemistry of born in soil is crucial. Although B inadequacy and toxicity may be linked to total B levels in the soil, these issues are caused by the chemical forms of B present in the soil, notably its solubility and availability to plants. Solution pH, soil texture, soil moisture, temperature, organic matter, and clay mineralogy all impact B availability and its adsorption in soils. Various empirical equations may be used to characterize boron adsorption processes. Due to the latest fertilizer technologies which provide better nutrient dissemination, year-round B availability, and a more adjustable application window in diverse crops boron management has improved dramatically. This paper reviews about different studies and progress of research in dynamics of boron and its management in different horticulture and agriculture crops.

The History of the Molybdenum Cofactor-A Personal View.

The transition element molybdenum (Mo) is an essential micronutrient for plants, animals, and microorganisms, where it forms part of the active center of Mo enzymes. To gain biological activity in the cell, Mo has to be complexed by a pterin scaffold to form the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). Mo enzymes and Moco are found in all kingdoms of life, where they perform vital transformations in the metabolism of nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon compounds. In this review, I recall the history of Moco in a personal view, starting with the genetics of Moco in the 1960s and 1970s, followed by Moco biochemistry and the description of its chemical structure in the 1980s. When I review the elucidation of Moco biosynthesis in the 1990s and the early 2000s, I do it mainly for eukaryotes, as I worked with plants, human cells, and filamentous fungi. Finally, I briefly touch upon human Moco deficiency and whether there is life without Moco.

Status of soil and plant micronutrients and their uptake by barley varieties intercropped with Populus deltoides plantation

In Agroforestry systems, crops grown in interspaces of tree plantations undergo different kind of interactions with the environment, consequently affecting soil fertility in different ways. In the present study, soil and plants micronutrients and their uptake by five barley varieties (BH 946, BH 959, BH 393, BH 885 and BH 902) grown under poplar plantation as well as sole crop were examined. During this investigation, a significant increase in DTPA (Diethylene triamnine penta acetic acid) extractable micronutrients (Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Iron) was observed at all depths (0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm) under poplar plantation than sole crop. Sole crop exhibited higher micronutrient uptake than under poplar plantations. Maximum uptake of soil micronutrients like Zn, Mn and Cu (495.5, 527.06 and 53.8 g ha-1) were recorded in variety BH 946. However, variety BH 959 exhibited minimum uptake of soil micronutrients (401.85, 439.46 and 44.07 g ha-1) during this study.

Effect of mode of Zinc application on yield and yield components of Maize

There are three main methods of adding micronutrients to crops: soil fertilization, foliar spray and seed treatment. Each method has the potential to affect plant micronutrient nutrition. The objective of this research was to evaluate different methods of Zn application in maize. For this purpose, a field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm of NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar during summer 2006. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block design with three replications. Three methods of Zn application, soil application, foliar spray and seed treatment were included in the experiment. Three doses of Zinc sulphate (5, 10 and 15 kg ha-1) were supplied to the maize crop as soil application before sowing. Solutions of 0% (water), 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% Zinc sulphate were sprayed on the crop at 5-6 leaf stage. For seed priming, the maize seed was soaked in 0% (water), 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% Zinc sulphate solutions for 16 h. The control treatment was dry seeds of maize. Soil application of Zinc sulphate at the rate of 15 kg ha-1 resulted in higher grains cob-1, thousand grain weight and grain yield of maize. Planned mean comparison indicated that soil application of Zn was a superior fertilization method as compared to foliar or seed priming. It is concluded that soil application of Zinc sulphate at the rate of 15 kg ha-1 enhances yield and yield components of maize.

Effects of Combined Stresses of Salinity (NaCl) and Heavy Metal (NiCl2) Levels on Seed Germination and Growth of Citrullus colocynthis l.

Salinity and heavy metal stresses are a great hindrance to the germination and development of plants. Nickel (Ni) is an indispensable micronutrient for plants at low concentrations. However, the proficiency depends upon the plant types. Citrullus colocynth is a medicinal cucurbit weed. The contemporary target of the study is to appraise the influence of combined stresses by varying concentrations of sodium chloride and nickel chloride on germination, morphology, biochemical ions, and physiology of C. colocynth. Germination percentage, root length, shoot length, fresh weight, dry weight, number of leaves, Na+, K+, Ca++, Cl-, Ni+, chlorophyll a and b, proline, SOD and CAT of C. colocynth were measured with nine combined levels (100 mM NaCl + 50 uM NiCl2), (200 mM NaCl + 50 uM NiCl2), (400 mM NaCl + 50 uM NiCl2), (100 mM NaCl + 100 uM NiCl2), (200 mM NaCl +100 uM NiCl2), (400 mM NaCl +100 uM NiCl2), (100 mM NaCl + 200 uM NiCl2), (200 mM NaCl + 200 uM NiCl2) and (400 mM NaCl +200 uM NiCl2). This experiment was conceded out in a completely randomized design with four replications. Germination percentage, root length, shoot length, fresh weight, dry weight, and the number of leaves, K+, Ca++, chlorophyll a, and b decreased by increasing stress levels while Na+, Cl-, Ni+, Proline, SOD, and CAT increased with increasing stress levels. This species has a positive morpho-physiological response under low(100mM NaCl, 50 uM NiCl2) and moderate (200mM NaCl, 100 uM NiCl2) combinations of salt and heavy metals while tolerance was observed under high-stress levels(400mM NaCl, 200 uM NiCl2). It is concluded that this species can be recommended for phytoremdiation against combined salt and heavy metal stresses.

THE ASSESSMENT OF SOIL AVAILABILITY AND WHEAT GRAIN STATUS OF MANAGNESE AND IRON IN CALCAREOUS SOILS AND IMPLICATION FOR HUMAN SAFETY IN IRAQI KURDISTAN

Manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) are the two vital micronutrients for plants and moreover essential nutritional health components in humans. Iron deficiency is common in humans and causes many health issues. In this survey, wheat grains of two major wheat cultivars were analyzed for their Mn and Fe concentrations beside the natural gradient of micronutrient availability across Sulaymaniyah province, Iraqi Kurdistan. However only 20% and 7.5% of the soils samples were Mn and Fe deficient or below recommended level. The considered micronutrient concentrations in the grains of wheat were in the acceptable range which are reported globally (range 41.3 and 37.6 mg kg-1 respectively). Furthermore, high application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer in the studied calcareous soils could be strongly affected on the studied micronutrients concentration in the studied grain samples. The results indicate that adequate levels of Mn and Fe in the surveyed grains is a beneficial guide for quality of grains associated with human heal

Effect of Different Levels of Zinc and Compost on Yield and Yield Components of Wheat

Management of organic matter and micronutrients is very important for the sustainable improvement of soil health. Poor soil organic matter usually results in lower availability of zinc (Zn) micronutrients in plants. Such deficiency in Zn causes a significant decrease in the growth and yield of crops. The need at the current time is to balance the application of organic amendments with Zn micronutrients to achieve optimum crop yields. Thus, the current study was conducted to investigate wheat, using compost as organic matter and Zn as a micronutrient. There were three levels of compost (i.e., control (0C), 5 t/ha (5C) and 10 t/ha (10C)) and four levels of Zn (control (0Zn), 2.5 kg Zn/ha (2.5Zn), 5.0 kg Zn/ha (5.0Zn) and 10.0 kg Zn/ha (10.0Zn)) applied with three replicates. The addition of 10C under 10.0Zn produced significantly better results for the maximum enhancement in plant height (8.08%), tillers/m2 (21.61%), spikes/m2 (22.33%) and spike length (40.50%) compared to 0C. Significant enhancements in 1000-grain weight, biological yield and grain yield also validated the effectiveness of 10C under 10.0Zn compared to 0C. In conclusion, application of 10C with 10.0Zn showed the potential to improve wheat growth and yield attributes. The addition of 10C with 10.0Zn also regulated soil mineral N, total soil N and extractable soil P. Further investigation is recommended with different soil textures to verify 10C with 10.0Zn as the best amendment for the enhancement of wheat yield in poor organic matter and Zn-deficient soils.

Azospirillum brasilense Bacteria Promotes Mn2+ Uptake in Maize with Benefits to Leaf Photosynthesis.

Azospirillum brasilense is a prolific grass-root colonizing bacteria well-known for its ability to promote plant growth in several cereal crops. Here we show that one of the mechanisms of action in boosting plant performance is through increased assimilation of the micronutrient manganese by the host. Using radioactive 52Mn2+ (t½ 5.59 d), we examined the uptake kinetics of this micronutrient in young maize plants, comparing the performance of three functional mutants of A. brasilense, including HM053, a high auxin-producing and high N2-fixing strain; ipdC, a strain with a reduced auxin biosynthesis capacity; and FP10, a strain deficient in N2-fixation that still produces auxin. HM053 had the greatest effect on host 52Mn2+ uptake, with a significant increase seen in shoot radioactivity relative to non-inoculated controls. LA-ICP-MS analysis of root sections revealed higher manganese distributions in the endodermis of HM053-inoculated plants and overall higher manganese concentrations in leaves. Finally, increased leaf manganese concentration stimulated photosynthesis as determined by measuring leaf fixation of radioactive 11CO2 with commensurate increases in chlorophyll concentration.

The Effects of Chicken Manure Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Production of Green Bean Plants (Vigna radiata L.) in Peat

Green bean plants (Vigna radiata L.) are one of the bean plant commodities commonly consumed by Indonesians. The domestic demand for green bean plants is increasing every year. This increasing demand is shown by the fact that there is an increase in the need to satisfy the direct consumption and to meet the need for the supply of industrial raw materials, such as the baby food industry, canned drinks, and processed food. Peatland is a fragile area with a low level of productivity. The low productivity level of peatland is due to the low availability of the macro and micronutrients for plants, the high level of acidity, and the low base saturation. This research aims to identify the exact dose of chicken manure fertilizer to increase the growth and production of green bean plants. The method used to conduct this research was Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with five levels of treatment as a first step to identifying site-specific varieties. Each treatment was repeated on two plant samples: the control, five metric tons/ha, ten metric tons/ha, and 20 metric tons/ha. The application of the chicken manure fertilizer showed positive effects on the improvement of the soil structure, the soil biota, and the availability of the macro and micronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The application of the chicken manure fertilizer in this research showed the effect on the growth and production of the green bean plants. The application of the chicken manure fertilizer with the amount of 20 metric tons showed the highest results in terms of the height of the plant, the number of leaves, the number of pea pods, and the weight of the pods if compared to the other treatments with different amount of the chicken manure fertilizer.

New approach to estimate macro and micronutrients in potato plants based on foliar spectral reflectance

Tissue testing used to assess the chemical contents in potato plants is considered laborious, time-consuming, destructive, and expensive. Ground-based sensors have been assessed to provide efficient information on nitrogen using leaf canopy reflectance. In potatoes, however, the main organ required for tissue testing is the petiole to estimate the elements of all nutrients. This research aims to assess whether there is a correlation between the chemical contents of potato petioles and leaf spectrum, and to examine whether the spectrum of dried or fresh leaves have higher correlation values. Petiole chemical contents of all elements were tested as a reference point. Leaves were split equally into dried and fresh groups for spectral analysis (400–2500 nm). Lasso Regression models were built to estimate concentrations in comparison to actual values. The performances of the model were tested using the Ratio of (standard error of) Prediction to (standard) Deviation (RPD). All elements showed reasonable to excellent RPD values except for sodium. All elements showed higher correlation in the dried testing mode except for nitrogen and potassium. The models showed that the most significant wavebands were in the visible and very near infrared range (400–1100 nm) for all macronutrients except magnesium and sulfur, while all micronutrients had the most significant wavebands in full range (400–2500 nm) with a common significant waveband at 1932 nm. The results show high potentials of a new approach to estimate potato plant elements based on foliar spectral reflectance.

Influence of High‐Polyphenol Sorghum on Benzo[a]pyrene‐Metabolizing Enzymes

Colorectal cancer ranks among the top five most common types of cancer in the United States. Lifestyle, diet, and environmental factors are correlated to the increased risk of colon cancer. One of those environmental factors is the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), formed by the incomplete combustion of organic material. Human exposure to BaP occurs through air pollution, tobacco smoke, engine exhaust, and the consumption of BaP‐exposed foods. BaP crosses cellular membranes, and it becomes metabolically activated by Phase I enzymes, primarily cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and Epoxide Hydrolase, and subsequently has the potential to bind to DNA. The binding of BaP to DNA may result in adverse genotypic alterations, which may result in tumorigenesis. On the other hand, cellular Phase II enzymes play a role in the inactivation of BaP and its metabolites, which can facilitate the excretion of these molecules. Polyphenols, a group of plant micronutrients known for their antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, have been suggested to contribute to the prevention of colon cancer. Extracts from two types of Sorghum bicolor were provided by the USDA ARS Kansas. Preliminary studies in our lab suggest that polyphenol‐rich varietals of the grain Sorghumaffect pathways in carcinogenesis. Specifically, mRNA expression of UDP‐glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A1, a Phase II PAH‐bioinactivating enzyme, is significantly increased in high‐polyphenol sorghum treated HCT116 cells. Therefore, we propose to investigate the impact of high‐polyphenol sorghum on BaP‐exposed colon cancer cells, assessing the expression and activity of Phase I and Phase II enzymes in particular. Our hypothesis is that compared to controls, high polyphenol sorghum extracts will decrease expression and activity of Phase I, and increase expression and activity of Phase II enzymes in BaP‐treated colon cancer cells.Human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells were incubated with either 0, 1, 2, or 5 µM BaP alone, Sorghum extracts alone, or in the presence of high‐polyphenol sorghum and Benzo[a] pyrene for up to 48 hours. RNA was extracted and reverse‐transcribed to cDNA. mRNA expression of carcinogen activating and inactivating enzymes was measured using qPCR. BaP alone increased mRNA expression of CYP1A1 as expected. Our high polyphenol Sorghum extract dramatically decreased mRNA expression of the Phase I enzyme CYP1B1, but also moderately increased mRNA expression of Epoxide Hydrolase. We plan to complete assessment of the expression and catalytic activity of Phase I and Phase II enzymes in the presence of high‐polyphenol sorghum and Benzo[a] pyrene. Our initial results suggest that high‐polyphenol Sorghum may be able to shift the balance of Phase I and Phase II enzymes in BaP‐exposed cells, and thus provide an avenue of a dietary approach to support chemoprevention.

Borate Transporters Are Inhibited by the Stilbene‐Derived Inhibitor SITS

Borate transport proteins regulate the availability of borate, an essential plant micronutrient that is toxic in excess. Borate transporters in plants and fungi share sequence and structural homology with the SLC4 transporters, which suggests they might share other key features. The archetypal member of SLC4 transporters is human Band 3, or Anion Exchanger 1 (AE1). AE1 is the most abundant membrane protein in red blood cells where it exchanges bicarbonate and chloride, and mutations in AE1 are linked to several diseases such as hereditary spherocytosis and renal tubular acidosis. We tested whether the S. cerevisiae Bor1 (ScBor1) and A. thaliana Bor4 (AtBor4) transporters share with human AE1 (HsAE1) a sensitivity to inhibitors derived from stilbene. We show that ScBor1 and AtBor4 are both specifically inhibited by SITS, a known inhibitor of HsAE1. We also demonstrate that a poorly conserved N‐terminal region in ScBor1 can be deleted without impeding ScBor1 function in vivo, establishing a common functional core between borate transporters and the membrane transport domains of SLC4 transporters. Lastly, we show that the N‐terminal tail does not contribute to oxidative crosslinking in lipid‐mediated dimerization, which is surprising given a recent structural prediction from the AlphaFold server. These results collectively show important similarities between plant and fungal borate transporters and HsAE1 and demonstrate that borate transporter similarities with SLC4 transporters extend beyond sequence and structure. Further studies will be required to establish the amino acids most responsible for dimerization in SLC4 transporters and their homologs.

Effects of Wastewater use on Soil Physico-chemical Properties and Human Health Status

Freshwater scarcity with an increasing population is a debatable scenario at the present time. Change in rainfall pattern results in agriculture production demanding more water. To be concerned with both problems, irrigation wastewater use is a compatible strategy to overcome both conditions. Wastewater composition depends upon source type (domestic or industrial) and location (area or site) where does the water evolved. Wastewater composition varied from site to site and area to area due to location differentiation. Wastewater helps the farmers to increment in total available plant macronutrients, micronutrients, and replication of microbial community in soil. But wastewater use has some cons that they cause the soil physicochemical properties affection such as soil conductivity, water retention capacity, bulk density, organic carbon ratio and pH. Now, the critical concern is an accumulation of heavy metals in the soil-plant system. In addition, wastewater contains an excessive amount of many heavy metals (zinc, nical, lead and chromium), and if they present in the soil in excessive amounts, then they cause hazards to plants, animals and human life. In this articles discussion are made about the wastewater uses in future prospects for agriculture and how they are important in sustainable agriculture. Wastewater uses have pros and cons, but groundwater levels are decreasing at an alarming rate.

Mapping of the Quantitative Trait Loci and Candidate Genes Associated With Iron Efficiency in Maize.

Iron (Fe) is a mineral micronutrient for plants, and Fe deficiency is a major abiotic stress in crop production because of its low solubility under aerobic and alkaline conditions. In this study, 18 maize inbred lines were used to preliminarily illustrate the physiological mechanism underlying Fe deficiency tolerance. Then biparental linkage analysis was performed to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and candidate genes associated with Fe deficiency tolerance using the recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the most Fe-efficient (Ye478) and Fe-inefficient (Wu312) inbred lines. A total of 24 QTLs was identified under different Fe nutritional status in the Ye478 × Wu312 RIL population, explaining 6.1–26.6% of phenotypic variation, and ten candidate genes were identified. Plants have evolved two distinct mechanisms to solubilize and transport Fe to acclimate to Fe deficiency, including reduction-based strategy (strategy I) and chelation-based strategy (strategy II), and maize uses strategy II. However, not only genes involved in Fe homeostasis verified in strategy II plants (strategy II genes), which included ZmYS1, ZmYS3, and ZmTOM2, but also several genes associated with Fe homeostasis in strategy I plants (strategy I genes) were identified, including ZmFIT, ZmPYE, ZmILR3, ZmBTS, and ZmEIN2. Furthermore, strategy II gene ZmYS1 and strategy I gene ZmBTS were significantly upregulated in the Fe-deficient roots and shoots of maize inbred lines, and responded to Fe deficiency more in shoots than in roots. Under Fe deficiency, greater upregulations of ZmYS1 and ZmBTS were observed in Fe-efficient parent Ye478, not in Fe-inefficient parent Wu312. Beyond that, ZmEIN2 and ZmILR3, were found to be Fe deficiency-inducible in the shoots. These findings indicate that these candidate genes may be associated with Fe deficiency tolerance in maize. This study demonstrates the use of natural variation to identify important Fe deficiency-regulated genes and provides further insights for understanding the response to Fe deficiency stress in maize.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Biosynthesis: Overview

Zinc (Zn) is plant micronutrient, which is involved in many physiological functions, and an inadequate supply will reduce crop yields. Its deficiency is the widest spread micronutrient deficiency problem; almost all crops and calcareous, sandy soils, as well as peat soils and soils with high phosphorus and silicon content are expected to be deficient. In addition, Zn is essential for growth in animals, human beings, and plants; it is vital to crop nutrition as it is required in various enzymatic reactions, metabolic processes, and oxidation reduction reactions. Finally, there is a lot of attention on the Zn nanoparticles (NPs) due to our understanding of different forms of Zn, as well as its uptake and integration in the plants, which could be the primary step toward the larger use of NPs of Zn in agriculture. Nanotechnology application in agriculture has been increasing over recent years and constitutes a valuable tool in reaching the goal of sustainable food production worldwide. A wide array of nanomaterials has been used to develop strategies of delivery of bioactive compounds aimed at boosting the production and protection of crops. ZnO-NPs, a multifunctional material with distinct properties and their doped counterparts, were widely being studied in different fields of science. However, its application in environmental waste treatment and many other managements, such as remediation, is starting to gain attention due to its low cost and high productivity. Nano-agrochemicals are a combination of nanotechnology with agrochemicals that have resulted in nano-fertilizers, nano-herbicides, nano-fungicides, nano-pesticides, and nano-insecticides being developed. They have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and optical capabilities. Green approaches using plants, fungi, bacteria, and algae have been implemented due to the high rate of harmful chemicals and severe situations used in the manufacturing of the NPs. This review summarizes the data on Zn interaction with plants and contributes towards the knowledge of Zn NPs and its impact on plants.

Biogeochemical cycling, tolerance mechanism and phytoremediation strategies of boron in plants: A critical review

Boron (B) is an inimitable plant micronutrient, predominantly distinguished by super-narrow range between its deficiency and toxicity concentrations, which depends upon boron speciation in the growth media and form of living organisms. Moreover, the significant variations in its mobility amid different species, and distinctive inter and intra-species responses to extreme concentrations. Therefore, it is necessary to screen the bioavailability, speciation, biogeochemical cycling and exposure pathways of boron in the environment. The genes involved in the tolerance mechanism of boron in different plants were discussed in the current review paper. The functions related to scarcity and excess of boron concentration are assessed. The diverse plants implicated in phytoremediation of boron contaminated sites that restrict boron accumulation in food crops and health risks associated with soils containing deficit or surplus boron concentration were appraised. Ultimately, a summary of numerous strategies involved in the recovery and repair of boron-contaminated soils have been reviewed.

Effect of zinc and boron management on yield and yield contributing characters of Aus rice (Oryza sativa)

Zinc (Zn) and boron (B) are two of the most important micronutrients for plants which play vital role in various metabolic functions. However, deficiency of these nutrients elements in agricultural soils is very common and it has been associated with lower yield of rice in many regions of the world. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh during the period from May 2019 to August 2019 to study the effect of different levels of Zn and B fertilizers on the yield of Aus rice (cv. BRRI dhan48). The experiment included four levels of Zn fertilizer (ZnSO4.7H2O) management and three levels of boron fertilizer (boric acid) management. The Zn treatments were 0 kg/ha (control), basal application @ 10 kg/ha, basal application @ 5 kg/ha + soil application during active tillering stage @ 5 kg/ha, and foliar application (0.5% solution of ZnSO4.7H2O) during flag leaf stage. The B fertilizer managements were 0 kg/ha (control, 1.5 kg/ha basal application, and foliar application of 2% solution of H3BO3 during flag leaf stage. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Zn and B boosted all studied parameters of rice in comparison to their controls, i.e., no fertilization. The highest values for grain yield and almost all yield contributing characters of rice were obtained from foliar application of H3BO3 during flag leaf stage. The highest number of filled grains/panicle and grain yield were obtained from foliar application of ZnSO4.7H2O. The results also showed that grain yield of rice increased with increasing levels of both Zn and B up to 4.39 t/ha and 4.29 t/ha, respectively. For the maximum grain yield of Aus rice cv. BRRI dhan49, 2% solution of H3BO3 coupled with 0.5% of ZnSO4.7H2O solution should be applied during flag leaf stage. Further research should be conducted on different agro-ecological zones to assess the interaction between Zn and B in different soil types.

Molecular Characterization, Evolutionary Analysis, and Expression Profiling of BOR Genes in Important Cereals.

Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient of plants. Plants grapple with a narrow range of B between its toxicity and deficiency. B homeostasis mechanism is required to rescue plants from such a quagmire. B transporters are specialized proteins involved in the homeostasis of B. In the present study, a total of 29 BOR genes were identified in five major cereals, including three BORs in each Brachypodium distachyon and Sorghum bicolor, four in Oryza sativa, six in Zea mays, and 13 in Triticum aestivum. Multiple sequence alignments, domain structure analyses, and phylogenetic analysis indicated the conserved nature of the BOR protein family. Duplication events and Ka/Ks analysis of TaBORs showed the role of segmental duplication events and purifying selection in the expansion of the BOR family in T. aestivum. Furthermore, in silico expression and co-expression analyses under biotic and abiotic stress conditions depicted their involvement in combating such conditions. Moreover, qRT-PCR of TaBORs in B treatment suggested the roles of BOR genes in B stress management. The present study hints at the conserved nature of BOR proteins and their different aspects. The study will lay down a way for several crop improvement programs.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based metabolomic fingerprinting in contrasting rice varieties for iron (Fe) excess.

Rice is an important cereal which is grown worldwide covering the requirement of 50% of the world population as the staple food. Diverse abiotic factors act as a limiting factor for its yield annually and can challenge sustainable productivity of the crop. Iron is an important micronutrient for plants participating in biochemical reactions including electron transport chain. Under the impact of excess iron in the rhizosphere, plants are posed with iron toxic condition. Most of the lowland rice is cultivated in submerged condition leading to accumulation of Fe2+ in the soil which is the toxic form for uptake and in turn can affect the yield of the crop. Present work is an extension of previously performed transcriptomic analysis of Northeast India lowland rice varieties under excess iron treatment using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). In total 1105 peaks were detected for each root and shoot. Multivariate analysis based upon principal component analysis (PCA; PCA1 and PCA2) are accounted for 70.6% of the total variation in root and 77.2% in shoot. The metabolomics profiling has indicated significant alteration in primary and secondary metabolites. Majority of the secondary metabolites like quercetin, malvin, flavanones, delphinidin are upregulated indicating their role in anti-oxidative properties during iron toxicity. On the other hand, chelators of ferric ion like mugineic acid are down regulated to avoid excess iron uptake. This work is a comparative insight on the metabolic front in case of iron excess tolerance in contrasting lowland rice varieties.

Abstract P214: Plant-based Diets And Risk Of Hospitalization With Respiratory Infection: Results From The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study

Introduction: The benefits of plant-based diets may depend on the type of plant; unhealthy plant foods, such as sugar and refined grains, have detrimental health consequences. Micronutrients in plants decrease inflammation and are essential for proper immune function. Deficiencies in these nutrients can contribute to a pro-inflammatory state and may increase risk of infection. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Participants completed food frequency questionnaires in 1993-1996 (visit 3). We used reported intakes to calculate a plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI), and an unhealthy plant-based diet (uPDI). Active surveillance is conducted for all hospitalizations. We used Cox models to examine the associations of three plant-based diet indices (in quintiles) with risk of pneumonia and influenza, and other infection-related hospitalizations identified by ICD codes. Results: In our sample of 11,956 adults there were 2522 hospitalizations with respiratory infections and 4308 hospitalizations with any infection during a median follow-up of ~22 years. The incidence of hospitalization with respiratory infections and any infection was lower among those adults consuming more plant-based foods (Table) . Higher hPDI was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization with any infection or respiratory infection. Higher PDI was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization with any infection. Significant associations were not observed with the uPDI. Conclusions: Adults who adhere to diets high in any plant foods, as well as healthy plant foods, have a lower risk of hospitalization with infections. Adherence to diets high in healthy plant foods specifically is associated with lower risk of hospitalizations with respiratory infections.