Plant Vegetation Research Articles

Intraspecific karyotypic variability among 12 Indian accessions of Momordica charantia L. (bitter gourd): a medicinally important vegetable crop

Abstract Bitter gourd is a highly nutritious vegetable and important medicinal plant of economic importance. The present study is focused on cytogenetical characterization of 12 accessions of bitter gourd from different parts of India, aiming to differentiate their karyotypes and outline diagnostic features of the chromosomes within each accession's haploid complement. All the accessions possess 2n = 22 numbers of chromosomes. The chromosomes mainly were metacentric (16‒22 chromosomes), and the presence or absence of sub-metacentric (0‒6 chromosomes) chromosomes. The length of the chromosomes varied from 0.83 to 1.93 μm among the accessions studied. Significant differences were obtained for the seven intra-chromosomal indices and four inter-chromosomal indices among the accessions. Principal component analysis and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean study revealed relatively distant positioning of individuals that advocated intraspecific phylogenetic relationships and higher karyoevolutionary affinity in bitter gourd accessions. In the meiotic study, regular meiotic behaviour indicates genetic stability and a stable sexual cycle in different accessions. The percentage of pollen viability of all the studied accessions was very high (89.41–94.11%), and these accessions can be considered to be good pollinators. The results obtained will guide characterizing the elite genotypes, genotypes management and designing effective breeding programmes and crop improvement programmes.

Method of corn contamination decreasing after later harvesting predecessors under energy-storage soil maintenance system in irrigation landscapes

The research was carried out at Agrofirm Chokh of the Gunibsky district in the Kizilyurt transhumance zone of the Republic of Dagestan on light chestnut soil. The humus content in the arable layer is 2.77%, P2O5 – 2.21, K2O – 32.8 mg/100 g of soil, the density of the arable layer is 1.24 g/cm3, the lowest moisture capacity (MC) of the soil layer 0–0.6 m is 29.2%. We studied the influence of two corn predecessors: sunflower and corn itself during the main tillage for corn based on plowing to a depth of 28–30 cm without skimmers and with skimmers. During the autumn period, after harvesting the predecessors, the soil was not cultivated, and in the spring, upon the onset of its physical ripeness, two treatments were carried out in a layer of 0–15 cm with disk cultivators to crush the plant residues of the previous crop and plowing to 28–30 cm with a PLN-4-35 plow when physical ripeness of the soil in this layer. It has been established that a radical way to reduce the weediness of corn crops and increase its yield in the irrigated conditions of the Western Caspian region when placed after late-harvested predecessors, including repeated sowings in the same field, is to carry out basic tillage and moisture-recharging irrigation in the spring of the year of sowing. To chop the plant mass remaining after harvesting the predecessor, double processing with disc implements should be carried out before plowing. Plowing is carried out with skimmers, which ensure uniform distribution of weed seeds in the surface layer and their simultaneous germination at a later date than when plowing without skimmers. Subsequently, their life activity is limited to vegetative corn plants. The infestation of corn crops with such soil treatment is reduced three times, the corn yield for the predecessor corn increases by 1.12 t/ha of grain (16.3%), after sunflower – 1.32 t/ha (17.8%).

Effect of seasonal shift on the proximate nutritional composition of some plant materials from the aquaponics farming

This study intends to evaluate the variations of the proximate nutritional makers of some vegetable plants [red chili (RCH), red tomato (RTO), green spinach (GSP), and green lettuce (GLE)] from aquaponics farming in relation to seasons. The resesarch was carried out for the duration of four (4) periods (winter, spring, summer, and autumn). The proximate nutritional parameters determined were total moisture (TMO), crude ash (CAS), crude fibre (CFI), total carbohydrate (TCA), and soluble protein (SPR). The study results showed a significant (P

Ecological construction status of photovoltaic power plants in China’s deserts

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the most environmental-friendly and promising resources for achieving carbon peak and neutrality targets. Despite their ecological fragility, China’s vast desert regions have become the most promising areas for PV plant development due to their extensive land area and relatively low utilization value. Artificial ecological measures in the PV plants can reduce the environmental damage caused by the construction activity and promote the ecological condition of fragile desert ecosystems, therefore yield both ecological and economic benefits. However, the understanding of the current status and ecological benefits of this approach in existing desert PV plants is limited. Here we surveyed 40 PV plants in northern China’s deserts to identify the ecological construction modes and their influencing factors. We quantified the ecosystem service value (ESV) provided by these PV plants using remote sensing data and estimated the potential for ESV enhancement. Our results show that PV plant construction in desert regions can significantly improve the ecosystem, even with natural restoration measures (M1) alone, resulting in a 74% increase in average fractional vegetation cover (FVC) during the growing season, although the maximum average FVC of only about 10%. The integrated mode M4, which combined artificial vegetation planting M2 and sand control measures M3, further enhance the average growing season FVC to 14.53%. Currently, 22.5% of plants lack ecological measures, 40% employ only a single measure, but 92% of new plants since 2017 have adopted at least one ecological construction mode. The main influencing factors include surface type, policy support, water resources, ecological construction costs, and scientific management guidance. If artificial ecological construction were incorporated, a significant ESV could be achieved in these PV plants, reaching $8.9 million (a 7.7-fold increase) if assuming a targeted 50% vegetation coverage. This study provides evidence for evaluating the ecological benefit and planning of large-scale PV farms in deserts.

Bioecological Characteristic and Uses of Spinacia tetrandra Steven

The flora of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic can be considered as a source of vegetable raw materials rich in herbal, medicinal, technical and, in general, biologically active substances. From this point of view, it is very important to study the modern state of wild vegetable plants in Nakhchivan MR biodiversity, to search for new opportunities and traditional ways of their use. In the article, biomorphological features and directions of use of Spinacia tetrandra, were investigated. Plant specimens are found in saline areas, sandy soils, roadsides and settlements. It spreads from plains to lower mountainous belts. Plant samples were collected from Gahab, Zeyneddin, Jamaldin etc. regions. It is usually used cooked. Spinach is used in the preparation of beetroot soup, soups and various vegetable dishes. Dried spinach is slightly inferior to meat in the amount of protein it contains. Spinach is used not only fresh, but also canned and frozen.

PEMENUHAN GIZI DAN PENINGKATAN PENDAPATAN MASYARAKAT DENGAN BUDIDAYA SAYURAN DI LAHAN PEKARANGAN

Fulfilling people's food needs faces many obstacles, especially due to changes in environmental conditions, such as climate change, land conversion, and the increasing number of cases of pest attacks and plant diseases which cause a decrease in crop yields. The solution offered is to use yard land for cultivating plants. Apart from being able to be used for daily consumption, the harvest from the yard can also be sold as a side business for family members. The community service program aims to assist the target community in increasing their knowledge and skills in optimally utilizing yard land for cultivating vegetable crops. The method used is community empowerment with activities: counseling, training and participatory mentoring of target community groups. The results of the implementation of the community service program show an increase in community knowledge and skills in cultivating vegetable plants in their yards. Planting vegetable plants in the yard can be a source of food, medicine and environmental beauty, as well as increasing people's income.

Greenness of moss biocrusts derived from RGB image is a reliable indicator to estimate biocrust carbon-fixation rates in drylands

Biocrusts are common living covers found across drylands worldwide, and their photosynthesis substantially contributes to carbon input in these ecosystems. However, direct monitoring of biocrusts’ photosynthetic carbon fixation is challenging due to their scattered distribution, dark pigments, and lower CO2 exchange rate. Current studies have limited monitoring frequency and the results are difficult to extend to a broader spatial scale. Greenness typically functions as an indicator of both vegetation cover and plant photosynthesis. Monitoring biocrust greenness is expected to be able to provide insights into their environmental responses and estimate carbon fixation rates, particularly for moss biocrusts. Here, we monitored greenness, soil moisture and temperature, and gross primary productivity (GPP) of moss biocrusts, as well as climatic factors over two years in the northern China’s Loess Plateau. The results indicated that moss biocrust greenness was highly sensitive to changing environmental conditions and exhibited significant temporal variability. Moss biocrust greenness exhibited a notably higher value in wet season (0.384) than in dry season (0.259). According to these greenness values, we proposed moss biocrust activity and classified it into high (>0.403), medium (0.334–0.403), low (0.271–0.333), and dormancy (<0.270). Soil moisture, relative humidity, and wind speed were the three main determinates of moss biocrust greenness. Higher soil moisture and relative humidity were linked to increased greenness, whereas elevated wind speed led to a reduction. In dry seasons, soil moisture contributed 23.4 % to the variation in moss biocrust greenness, while in wet seasons relative humidity contributed 16.1 %. A significant and positive correlation between moss biocrust greenness and GPP was found, and annual GPP prediction based on greenness using machine learning performed well. Our study highlights the significance of moss biocrust greenness and their potential as indicators for moss biocrust photosynthetic carbon fixation rates and possibly other ecological functions in drylands.

Characteristics of microplastics and their effects on phthalates and microbial activity in greenhouse soil after long-term planting

As an exogenous pollutant, the microplastics accumulated in soil could alter microbial activity. The use of plastic mulch in greenhouse vegetable planting not only enhances vegetable yield and quality, but also leads to the formation and accumulation of microplastics in the soil over time. It is essential to determine the characteristics of microplastics and microorganisms in soils with varying years of planting is crucial for ensuring vegetable quality and quantity. Therefore, this study investigated the abundance and particle size of microplastics, the concentration of phthalates (PAEs), and the dynamics of soil microbial activity in greenhouse soils with different planting years (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years). Results showed that microplastics increased in abundance, particle size, and PAEs concentration as planting years progressed. Specifically, the abundance of microplastics rose from 70.0 ± 8.7 to 224.0 ± 10.4 items/kg, with the proportion of microplastics sized 0–2 mm increasing from 14.02 to 69.11 %, and the total PAEs concentration in the soil escalating from 0.31 to 1.89 mg/kg. Additionally, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria levels increased, correlating with organic matter degradation. Metabolic pathway linked to degradation were enriched according to KEGG analysis. Correlation analysis revealed that microplastics notably decreased soil pH, creating an acidic environment that boosted urease activity and the relative abundance of Nitrospirae. This study sheds light on the accumulation characteristics of microplastics and their impact on soil microbial activity following prolonged planting.

Environmental changes impact on vegetables physiology and nutrition – Gaps between vegetable and cereal crops

Projected changes in climate patterns, increase of weather extreme, water scarcity, and land degradation are going to challenge agricultural production and food security. Currently, studies concerning effects of climate change on agriculture mainly focus on yield and quality of cereal crops. In contrast, there has been little attention on the effects of environmental changes on vegetables that are necessary and key nutrition component for human beings, but quite sensitive to these climatic changes. Therefore, we reviewed the main changes of environmental factors under the current scenario as well as the impacts of these factors on the physiological responses and nutritional alteration of vegetables and the key findings based on modelling. The gaps between cereal crops and vegetables were pinpointed and the actions to take in the future were proposed. The review will enhance our understanding concerning the effects of environmental changes on production, physiological responses, nutrition, and modelling of vegetable plants.

Weed Identification Using Deep Learning in Vegetable Farming

Weed identification in vegetable plantation is more challenging than crop weed identification due to their random plant spacing. So far, little work has been found on identifying weeds in vegetable plantation. Traditional methods of crop weed identification used to be mainly focused on identifying weed directly; however, there is a large variation in weed species. This paper proposes a new method in a contrary way, which combines deep learning and image processing technology. Firstly, a trained CenterNet model was used to detect vegetables and draw bounding boxes around them. Afterwards, the remaining green objects falling out of bounding boxes were considered as weeds. In this way, the models focus on identifying only the vegetables and thus avoid handling various weed species. Furthermore, this strategy can largely reduce the size of training image dataset as well as the complexity of weed detection, thereby enhancing the weed identification performance and accuracy. To extract weeds from the background, a colour index-based segmentation was performed utilizing image processing. The employed colour index was determined and evaluated through Genetic Algorithms (GAs) according to Bayesian classification error. During the field test, the trained CenterNet model achieved a precision of 95.6%, a recall of 95.0%, and a F1 score of 0.953, respectively. These experiment results demonstrate the feasibility of using the proposed method for the ground-based weed identification in vegetable plantation.

Vegetation Restoration Technology and Plant Selection in Mine Ecological Restoration

Vegetation Restoration Technology and Plant Selection in Mine Ecological Restoration

Effectiveness of Eco Farming as Organic Fertilizer on Vegetative Growth Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.)

The Indonesian people are familiar with the herbaceous vegetable plant known as basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). The leaves of the basil plant are typically used to flavor cuisine and as fresh vegetables. This study set out to determine how applying liquid organic fertilizer from eco farming affected basil plants' ability to grow vegetatively (Ocimum basilicum L.) as well as the optimal dosage for this growth. August and September of 2023 saw the completion of this study. Using three treatments and five replications, the research employed a Randomized Block Design (RAK) methodology. Treatment A0 was the control, receiving no fertilizer; treatment A1 received 4 milliliters of eco-farm fertilizer; and treatment A2 received 6 milliliters of eco-farm fertilizer. The characteristics that need to be taken into account include plant height, number of branches, leaf area index, number of leaves, initial and final soil analysis, and chlorophyll content. The study data will be analyzed using statistical products and services solutions (SPSS) software version 25. The administration of 6 milliliters of eco-farm fertilizer to plants, or treatment A2, had a significant effect on the vegetative development of Ocinum basilicum L. basil plants, according to the research findings. Measurements of plant height are affected by a concentration of 6 ml. The highest average value for number of leaves is 30.00, while the highest average value for height is 39.60, the highest average value of 3.35 for leaf area index, and the highest average for leaf area index. 4.0 for number of branches.

Large-Scale Experimental Model Of Edge Treatments For Constructed Salt Marshes

Large stretches of Canada’s coastlines are lined with legacy dykes (or levees) to provide protection against coastal flooding and erosion. However, future sea-level rise presents a risk to these structures, which may result in the dykes being under designed when exposed to future water levels and wave conditions. Under certain conditions, these dykes can be augmented with a coastal saltmarsh to create a living dyke, which allows for the existing dyke to be more resilient against sea level rise without the need to retrofit the dyke with a higher crest elevation or larger armour stone. The coastal saltmarsh is able to attenuate storm waves, resulting in lower wave energy at the dyke, while also attracting and retaining sediment to combat coastal erosion. The Living Dyke project in Boundary Bay, Canada is a pilot project being used to test the living dyke concept by placing sediment and planting salt marsh vegetation in the foreshore combined with upgrades to the existing dyke. Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. prepared a preliminary design which incorporated four different edge treatment features that are to be installed at the offshore edge of a newly constructed salt marsh platform in order to attenuate wave energy and retain the placed sediment before the planted vegetation can be established. The proposed edge treatment features included a natural sand edge, a rounded gravel berm, an oyster-shell filled bag berm, and a brushwood dam. Large scale (full scale for all edge treatment feature tests except for the brushwood dam which was conducted at half-scale) physical model experiments were carried out by the National Research Council of Canada’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre in their Large Wave-Current Flume to investigate the performance, including stability of the edge treatment features, wave attenuation ability, and stability of the salt marsh platform, of these edge treatment features under varying water level and wave conditions that are present at Boundary Bay.

Effect of Visible Light Blocking Ratio, Irrigation Intervals and Free Amino Acids on Vegetative Growth Parameters of Chrysanthemum

Objectives: An experiment was conducted under plastic shades set up for this purpose in the Mashroo Almussaib area (45 km north of Babil Province) to improve vegetative growth indicators for chrysanthemum plants Minngopher cultivar with red flowers. Methods: Use 3 factors in the experiment include the first factor different percentages of visible light blocking (50 and 75) %, The second factor treating plants with three Irrigation Intervals (daily, every 24 hours, and every 48 hours) as for the third factor spraying plants with several concentrations of free amino acids (0,1, 1.50 and 2.00) mg L-1. The experiment design in a (2x3x4) factorial design using a R.C.B.D. with three replicates per treatment. Each replicate contained three pots, each with one plant. The results: Showed the study factors have significant impact of the studied parameters, the interaction (75% shading, daily irrigation, and 150 mg L-1) give significant impact in the number of leaves (129.0 leave) and the length of the vegetative branch (15.33 cm) while achieved the triple treatment (75% shading, daily irrigation, and 200 mg L-1) significant impact in number of vegetative branches (7.67 vegetative branches) and the main stem diameter (6.76 mm), as for the height of the plant, the interactions treatment was impact (75% shading, daily irrigation, and 100 mg L-1). Conclusions: From here we conclude that shading ratios play an important role in reducing the impact of stress intensity humidity and thermal associated with treating plants with free amino acids spraying on vegetative plant.

Geographical distribution, population density, and fruit damage due to pest, Silba adipata McAlpine (Diptera: Lochaeidae) on cayenne pepper in Bali, Indonesia

Cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L). is one of the leading vegetable plants in Bali. The black fruit fly is a new pest species that strips fruit before it is ripe. Initially, the symptoms of fruit dropping were caused by fruit flies of the Bactrocera dorsalis (Tephritidae), however, preliminary survey results showed that the type of pest that attacked was the black fruit fly Silba adipata from the Lonchaidae family. This study aims to determine distribution, population density, and fruit damage caused by Silba sp. in Bali. Field research was carried out in nine districts/city in Bali. Meanwhile, laboratory research was carried out at the Integrated Pest Management Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Udayana University. The results showed that the S. adipata pest has spread evenly throughout all districts/city in Bali. The highest population was found in the Bangli district, with 22.09 individuals per plant, and the lowest population was found in Denpasar city, with 1.92 individuals per plant. Altiduinally, the highest population density was in altitude areas between 500-750 m above sea level. The highest percentage of attack and damage to small chilies due to fly attack was in Bangli at 41.33%, and the lowest was found in Denpasar City.

Incidence of the tussock moth attack: Issue, crop damages and management strategies to support sustainable oil palm plantation

The problem of insect pests in the palm oil industry has shown a considerable shift during the second decade of the twenty-first century due to ecosystem and technological changes. The interaction between palm oil as a host plant and the behaviour of insect pests undergoes an adaptation process. Defoliating insects of oil palm in Central Kalimantan, at certain times, experience explosions, such as the tussock moth species Dasychira inclusa (Walker, 1856) and Calliteara horsfieldii (Saunders, 1851). Several factors led to the tussock moth explosion, including environmental factors, human resources, and management strategies. The percentage of crop damage caused by the tussock moths from mild, moderate, severe to very severe categories was 43.48%, 15.57%, 21.74% and 10.87%. The tussock moth outbreak is giving rise to restoration efforts to keep the ecosystem balance in the landscape back to normal. Efforts to maintain ecosystem balance through regular and accurate monitoring, introducing and withdrawing beneficial insects, and planting proper plant vegetation. This action is one of the keys to dealing with small pest outbreaks or significant pests. Ultimately, a diversified ecosystem provides more crop protection opportunities.

Heavy metal content in dumpsite soils and vegetables: A case study of Ondo Town, Nigeria

The investigation scrutinized the levels and distribution of five heavy metals (iron, cadmium, copper, lead, and nickel) at two dumpsites (Site A and Site B) and a control zone in Ondo Town, Nigeria. Moreover, the examination assessed the presence of these heavy metals in vegetable plants (Talinum triangulare and Chromolaena odorata) commonly encountered in these areas, employing atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Buck AAS 210 VGP). Conventional methodologies were utilized to evaluate specific soil physicochemical characteristics. In the control region, minimal levels of each metal were identified, with the exception of nickel. The quantities of metals varied, with lead at 0.02 mg/kg in the control area and iron at 3.54 mg/kg in Site A. The metal levels in both soil and vegetables investigated generally remained below the maximum thresholds established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for soil and vegetables, except for cadmium in Site A. The dumpsites and the associated vegetables displayed elevated levels of the heavy metals in comparison to the control area, suggesting a gradual accumulation of these metals in the vegetable flora. Hence, the consumption of vegetables cultivated near the examined sites and the use of these areas for agricultural activities should be discouraged.

Pelatihan Pemanfaatan Limbah Rumah Tangga untuk Penanaman Sayuran dan Mikroorganisme Lokal (Mol) sebagai Ketahanan Pangan Keluarga

The aim of this community service is to encourage people to use household waste to plant vegetables and local microorganisms for food security for families and communities and to make planting media in the form of pots. The method of service is the community service method. The approach to implementing this service is asset or resource-based community empowerment. Data collection techniques use documentation, questionnaires and focus group discussions. Data analysis in this service is qualitative descriptive data analysis. The result of this service is that activities are carried out in three stages, namely the first is socialization related to the use of unused materials to make something useful, namely socialization on the manufacture and use of local microorganisms and making pots, the second is training in making and the third is monitoring and also evaluation. The activity was carried out by making planting media in the form of pots with gallons and used aqua bottles, then continuing with making fertilizer using stale rice, namely local microorganisms (MOL), then continuing with planting vegetables.

The ING protein Fng2 associated with RPD3 HDAC complex for the regulation of fungal development and pathogenesis in wheat head blight fungus

ING proteins display a high level of evolutionary conservation across various species, and play a crucial role in modulating histone acetylation levels, thus regulating various important biological processes in yeast and humans. Filamentous fungi possess distinct biological characteristics that differentiate them from yeasts and humans, and the specific roles of ING proteins in filamentous fungi remain largely unexplored. In this study, an ING protein, Fng2, orthologous to the yeast Pho23, has been identified in the wheat head blight fungus Fusarium graminearum. The deletion of the FNG2 gene resulted in defects in vegetative growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction, plant infection, and deoxynivalenol (DON) biosynthesis. Acting as a global regulator, Fng2 exerts negative control over histone H4 acetylation and governs the expression of over 4000 genes. Moreover, almost half of the differentially expressed genes in the fng3 mutant were found to be co-regulated by Fng2, emphasizing the functional association between these two ING proteins. Notably, the fng2 fng3 double mutant exhibits significantly increased H4 acetylation and severe defects in both fungal development and pathogenesis. Furthermore, Fng2 localizes within the nucleus and associates with the FgRpd3 histone deacetylase (HDAC) to modulate gene expression. Overall, Fng2's interaction with FgRpd3, along with its functional association with Fng3, underscores its crucial involvement in governing gene expression, thereby significantly influencing fungal growth, asexual and sexual development, pathogenicity, and secondary metabolism.

Hydroponic Ecoprenaurship Training at AWH Tebuireng Middle School

AWH Tebuireng Jombang Middle School is a boarding school-based school with a superior program of instilling student character. concern for the environment, especially the use of waste in schools and the character of entrepreneurship. This service intends to conduct hydroponic cultivation education at AWH Tebuireng Jombang Middle School. The target of the service is the teachers and students of SMP AWH Tebuireng Jombang. This service aims to provide environmentally oriented waste utilization training based on hydroponic plant entrepreneurship. The method of this activity is delivery of material, discussion and practice. The benefit of this dedication is a means of knowledge and entrepreneurial practice by utilizing environmental preservation. The results obtained in the activity were that students and teachers at SMP AWH Tebuireng Jombang received education and practice about vegetable hydroponic ecopreanaurship by utilizing school waste. Lectures and practices on ecoprenaurship, hydroponic vegetable cultivation, utilization of waste for nutrients and hydroponic growing media, procurement of seeds and seedlings for hydroponic vegetables, management of hydroponic vegetable plants, hydroponic harvesting and sales of hydroponic crops. From the results of the questionnaire, 78% of service participants stated that they wanted to practice ecoprenaurship activities in hydroponic vegetable cultivation.