Plasticity Of Plants Research Articles

Introduction of Guizotia abyssinica (L.F.) Cass. in agroecological conditions of the Central region of the Russian Federation

Global climate changes taking place over the past decades make the issue of biodiversification of the food supply of our country more and more urgent, which can serve to strengthen it through the introduction of ecologically plastic plants, and, most importantly, resistant to abiotic stresses of the growing season. In this regard, the Abyssinian herb is of interest, in the world it is considered not only as an oilseed, but also as a fodder crop, the green mass of which is suitable for use both fresh and for silage. In 2023, in the agroecological conditions of the Field Experimental Station of the RGAU-MSHA named after K.A. Timiryazev, we conducted a study of nougat in order to determine the possibility of cultivating this crop in the conditions of the Central region of the Russian Federation for fodder purposes. The object of research was the Lipchanin variety, sowing was carried out with a row spacing of 15 cm, without fertilizing in 4-fold repetition.

Positive and negative plant−plant interactions influence seedling establishment at both high and low elevations

Deciphering how plants interact with each other across environmental gradients is important to understand plant community assembly, as well as potential future plant responses to environmental change. Plant−plant interactions are expected to shift from predominantly negative (i.e. competition) to predominantly positive (i.e. facilitation) along gradients of environmental severity. However, most experiments examine the net effects of interactions by growing plants in either the presence or absence of neighbours, thereby neglecting the interplay of both negative and positive effects acting simultaneously within communities. To partially unravel these effects, we tested how the seedling establishment of 10 mountain grassland plants varied in the presence versus absence of plant communities at two sites along an elevation gradient. We created a third experimental treatment (using plastic plant mats to mimic surrounding vegetation) that retained the main hypothesised benefits of plant neighbours (microsite amelioration), while reducing a key negative effect (competition for soil resources). In contrast to our expectations, we found evidence for net positive effects of vegetation at the low elevation site, and net negative effects at the high elevation site. Interestingly, the negative effects of plant neighbours at high elevation were driven by high establishment rates of low elevation grasses in bare soil plots. At both sites, establishment rates were highest in artificial vegetation (after excluding two low elevation grasses at the high elevation site), indicating that positive effects of above-ground vegetation are partially offset by their negative effects. Our results demonstrate that both competition and facilitation act jointly to affect community structure across environmental gradients, while emphasising that competition can be strong also at higher elevations in temperate mountain regions. Consequently, plant−plant interactions are likely to influence the establishment of new, and persistence of resident, species in mountain plant communities as environments change.

Translocation of Calcium into Spring Rape Plants from Sod-Podzolic Sandy Loam Soil Reclaimed with Conversion Chalk in a Wide Range of Doses. Comparison of Data Preparation Techniques for Building Empirical Models

In a 24-year vegetation precision experiment based on acidic sod-podzolic sandy loam soil reclaimed with conversion chalk (CC) in a wide dose range, the effect of liming on the content of calcium available to plants in the soil and its translocation into rapeseed tissue was established. The results showed that rapeseed is an ecologically plastic plant species. An increase in the amount of chalk introduced from 0.1 to 3 full doses calculated by hydrolytic acidity led to an increase in the Ca concentration in rapeseed in the liming year from 0.81 to 3.14%. Empirical dependences of calcium concentration in soil and plants on the dose of chalk application have been developed. 3 approaches to the analysis of experimental data describing the relationship of calcium content in the soil with its accumulation in plant tissues are considered. It is shown that artificial averaging of the data on the calcium content in the soil with the same dose of meliorant in individual repetitions led to loss of information, which was reflected in the statistical characteristics of the constructed empirical models.

FLEXIBLE FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION OF A FLEXIBLE PLANT MODEL FOR NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Nature-based solutions (NBS) represent a new field of research and engineering applications, becoming increasingly popular in the coastal engineering field. Salt marsh restoration, an example of NBS, is particularly appealing due to the variety of benefits they can provide, especially their capacity to induce sediment accretion, potentially keeping pace with sea-level rise. This study investigates the applicability of the flexible fluid-structure (FSI) interaction module being developed for open-source software REEF3D to the motion of marsh plants under wave action using data from a physical model study performed by Paul et al. (2016). The model consistently overestimates the drag force response of a flexible plastic plant surrogate under wave action. This suggests that this new tool may not be suited for this case. However, further investigation must be performed to test the limits of the model’s application.

Chemical characteristics of artificial plastic plants and the presence of hazardous elements from the recycling of electrical and electronic waste

Because of their convenience, the demand for decorative plastic plants has been increasing over recent years. However, no information exists on the origin or nature of the polymers employed or the type of additives used in order to understand potential environmental impacts and inform safe and sustainable disposal or recycling practices. In this study, 203 parts or offcuts from 175 plastic plants acquired from European shops and venues have been analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine elemental content, while a selection has been analysed by infrared spectrometry to establish polymer type. The (usually green) moulded components (n = 159) were commonly constructed of polyethylene or polypropylene, while leaves and colourful petals (n = 40) were generally made of polyethylene terephthalate fabric that had been glued to the moulded component. However, both components also exhibited evidence of being coated with a resin or adhesive for support, protection or appearance. Barium, Fe, Ti and Zn-based additives were commonly encountered but more important from an environmental and health perspective were variable concentrations of potentially hazardous elements in the moulded parts: namely, Br (6.1 to 108,000 mg kg−1; n = 78), Pb (7.6 to 17,400 mg kg−1; n = 53) and Sb (58.6 to 70,800 mg kg−1; n = 17). These observations suggest that many of the moulded components are derived from recyclates that are contaminated by waste electronic and electrical plastic, introducing brominated flame retardants, the flame retardant synergist, Sb2O3, and Pb into the final product. There are no standards for these chemicals in plastic plants, but regulations for electronic plastic, toy safety and packaging are frequently exceeded or potentially exceeded. Widespread contamination of plastic plants may impose constraints on their recycling and disposal.

Shell starts up its plastics plant in Pennsylvania

Shell starts up its plastics plant in Pennsylvania

Shell starts up its plastics plant in Pennsylvania

Shell starts up its plastics plant in Pennsylvania

The Effect of Substrate on Water Quality in Ornamental Fish Tanks.

Simple SummaryFish kept as pets are almost always held in tanks with substrate such as gravel or sand on the bottom of the tank. This may be added as a form of enrichment to encourage natural fish behaviours, or for aesthetic reasons. However, substrate can also harbour elevated levels of waste products and unwanted bacteria; therefore, whether the use of substrate in home aquaria is advantageous or disadvantageous has not been fully considered. Here, we investigated whether there was a difference in water quality in home aquaria that contained either no substrate (bare tanks), plastic plants as enrichment but no substrate, sand or gravel substrate. Water quality (e.g., temperature, oxygen, pH and ammonia) and the presence of bacteria were measured over a 7-week period. As water quality can also vary with the season, the study was repeated at different times of the year. Addition of both gravel and sand substrate resulted in increased pH and the waste products ammonia and nitrate. Substrate was also associated with a greater presence of bacteria. In conclusion, the use of substrate affected water quality, with further research needed on the use of substrate in home aquaria.Almost all home aquaria contain substrate, either as intentional enrichment or for aesthetic purposes. For fishes, benefits of structural enrichment have been well considered, particularly in research and aquaculture settings. However, our understanding of the impacts of tank substrate as enrichment is limited. While substrate can induce foraging in some species, a major drawback is the potential of substrate to harbour elevated levels of waste and pathogenic bacteria. Here, we considered whether substrate as a form of environmental enrichment significantly altered water quality and bacterial presence in home aquaria. Water quality (temperature, oxygen, pH, TAN, unionised ammonia, nitrate, Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+ and K+) and bacterial presence (Pseudomonas spp.) were measured over two seven-week periods in stand-alone, tropical, freshwater tanks that simulated home aquaria. The following four enrichment conditions were considered: bare tanks, plastic plants, gravel substrate or sand substrate. The addition of both gravel and sand resulted in increased pH, concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen and nitrate. Substrate was also associated with a greater Pseudomonas presence. Decreased pH alongside an increased concentration of ions were also observed depending on the time of year. In conclusion, enrichment type affected the water quality of home aquaria, with further research needed on the role of the tank biome in fish welfare.

Transcriptomics Using the Enriched Arabidopsis Shoot Apex Reveals Developmental Priming Genes Involved in Plastic Plant Growth under Salt Stress Conditions.

In the shoot apical meristem (SAM), the homeostasis of the stem cell population supplying new cells for organ formation is likely a key mechanism of multicellular plant growth and development. As plants are sessile organisms and constantly encounter environmental abiotic stresses, postembryonic development from the shoot stem cell population must be considered with surrounding abiotic stresses for plant adaptation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for plant adaptation remain unclear. Previous studies found that the stem-cell-related mutant clv3-2 has the property of salt tolerance without the differential response of typical stress-responsive genes compared to those in WT Ler. Based on these facts, we hypothesized that shoot meristems contain developmental priming genes having comprehensively converged functions involved in abiotic stress response and development. To better understand the biological process of developmental priming genes in the SAM, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and transcriptome analysis through comparing genome-wide gene expression profiles between enriched shoot apex and leaf tissues. As a result, 121 putative developmental priming genes differentially expressed in the shoot apex compared to the leaf were identified under normal and salt stress conditions. RNA-seq experiments also revealed the shoot apex-specific responsive genes for salt stress conditions. Based on combinatorial comparisons, 19 developmental priming genes were finally identified, including developmental genes related to cell division and abiotic/biotic-stress-responsive genes. Moreover, some priming genes showed CLV3-dependent responses under salt stress conditions in the clv3-2. These results presumably provide insight into how shoot meristem tissues have relatively high viability against stressful environmental conditions for the developmental plasticity of plants.

Remote Sensing Tracks Down “Plastic Plants” in Rivers

Researchers are using remote sensing to track floating mats of plastic trapped in water hyacinth plants.

CO2 supplementation eliminates sugar-rich media requirement for plant propagation using a simple inexpensive temporary immersion photobioreactor

In vitro plant propagation systems such as temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) are valuable tools that enable production of disease-free plants with improved traits. However, TIB systems can be expensive, difficult to implement, and prone to contamination due to sugar rich propagation media. Using rapidly growing chicory root cultures to expedite design-build-test cycles, we report here an improved, low-cost version of a previously reported Hydrostatically-driven TIB (Hy-TIB) that facilitates economical use of gas mixtures. Bioreactor improvements include decreased material costs, expanded modes of operation, and a horizontal orientation of a plastic film plant growth chambers that increase propagule light exposure. To take advantage of these improvements, we describe here experiments that evaluate the impacts of elevated CO2 on propagation of cacao (Theobroma cacao) secondary embryos and nodal cultures of yam (Dioscorea spp.) during both phototrophic and photomixotrophic growth. Our experiments show that elevated CO2 during plant propagation significantly improved both cacao and yam propagule development and eliminated the need for supplemental sugars in tissue culture growth media. Thus, our improved Hy-TIB shows potential as a simple, low-cost, and scalable propagation platform with cost-effective gas composition control and reduced risk of contamination overgrowth. We provide detailed instructions for assembly of this Hy-TIB design and discuss the implications of its adoption in food-insecure regions of the world.

Lignocellulosic Wastes as A Potential Resource for the Production of Sustainable Plant Nursery Polybags

Abstract: In India, lignocellulosic wastes generated from wood-based industries on a large scale are still not utilized effectively. Beyond the conventional disposal strategies, there exists great scope for the utilization of these waste materials as a way to sustainability and economic well-being of the country. The developmental urge that occurred in the agricultural sector resulted in a series of environmental and plant growth impacts. The introduction and use of plastic plant polybag is such a faulty strategy that introduced to the agriculture sector. The environmental impacts from the use of plastic plant polybag have created a renewed interest in this field which mainly focused on sustainable agriculture ensuring environmental well-being and plant growth. This article reports the findings from our study on various easily available bio-wastes from a fibreboard unit of a large wood processing industry, which are used for developing biodegradable nursery polybags to deal with the environmental and other concerns regarding the employment of the plastic nursery polybags. Keywords: Lignocellulosic wastes, nursery polybags, eco-friendly substitutes, biodegradability

STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY OF PRODUCTION OF SLAP PARTS FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS WORKING IN OIL-MINING EQUIPMENT

This article is devoted to the study of the technology of preparation of smooth parts prepared of plastic materials working in oil-field equipment. The strengh of smooth part sin oil-field equipment,the collection of plastic parts, as well as complex properties are studied. Due to the fact that the components of plastic materials have high performance indicators,the usual processing methods are used by preparing them in various constructions. This shows that in the chemical environment,the items prepared of plastic materilas are electrically conductive,heat-resistant additives. This problem is especially important in the use of structures made of plastic materilas,which are widely used in oilfield equipment,and parts made of diferent types of heterogeneous materials.Their quality is formed in the process of design and construction. Ensuring the quality of components made of thermoplastic and thermosetting material sin the production process can be considered a topical issue.If we look at the pros and cons of the plastic materials quality management sector: It is possible to point out to the interested parties whether the existence of processing facilities has not been initiated for collection and segregation. On the downside, the existing standarts do not meet internaitonal standards and we can note that there are technological problems. Plastic materials are superior to metal sin many respects. Their quality indicators,the accuracy,strengh,level of cleanliness,ensure reliability and durability. The production and acquisition of new types of plastic mass is in the focus of attention of many research centers in the world’s leading countries. Soviet scientists were the first to invert endless screwredcers made of plastic. These examples are 10 times cheaper than in previous years, and 5-6 times light. For example, in Russia Karajoyev plastic plant, Lyubucevsk plastic plant, etc. such as large plastic plants are currently operating. Currently, the industry cannot be imagined without plastic mass. We can call the twentieth century the polymer century. The appliciation of plastic materials of plastic materials has many advantages in industry. For example,duet o its low weight and thermal and electrical conductivity,it is used in industries in developed countires. They also have high static and dynamic properties. The advantage of the dynamic feature is the application of plastic material sin areas such as radio engineering and electrical engineering. Examples of areas where smooth parts made of plastics are applied include machine building, aviation, petrochemistry, missile technology and instrument making. Smooth parts made of plastic materials have high reliability, durability and longevity.İn developed countiries, 40-50 percent of the materials used in mechanical engineering,instrument making and other industries are plastics of various brands,Plastics are easy to-process,low-cost and durable parts. Smooth parts made of plastics have high reliability, durability and longevity. The article analyzes the operation of plastic mass components,the analysis of the technology of production of smooth parts made of plastic materials used in oilfield equipment,as well as their strengh and reliability. Keywords: Plastic material, quality indicators, thermoset materials, performance indicators.

Use of Myriophyllum aquaticum to inhibit Microcystis aeruginosa growth and remove microcystin-LR

Harmful algal blooms are one of the greatest challenges when preserving water sources, especially when involving cyanobacteria such as Microcystis aeruginosa. Finding remediation possibilities is needed, and one of them has been the use of macrophytes such as the species Myriophyllum, which have presented allelopathic mechanisms of phytoplankton control. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the inhibition of M. aeruginosa cell growth in a co-exposure with Myriophyllum aquaticum and the influence on microcystin-LR concentration. The experiments were carried out using a culture of M. aeruginosa (1x106 cells mL-1) in a co-exposure with M. aquaticum for seven days. The inhibitory effects were investigated by counting the cells; the effects on photosynthetic pigments were measured and microcystin-LR was quantified in the culture medium on the last experimental day. To evaluate the possible effects of competition for nutrients and space, the concentration of total orthophosphate was quantified and treatment with plastic plants was used. The experiments with Myriophyllum aquaticum achieved the total inhibition of M. aeruginosa growth and a significant reduction of the photosynthetic pigments (> 98%). Additionally, we observed a reduction of microcystin-LR concentration (79%) in the tests with macrophytes when compared to the control. Competition for space and nutrients was not observed, demonstrating that the effects on M. aeruginosa were caused by aquatic macrophyte presence. These results may indicate that M. aquaticum causes inhibitory effects on cyanobacteria growth by allelopathic effects and removes microcystin-LR.

Effect of Different Mulching Materials on the Growth and Yield of Green Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Nfonta the Western Highlands of Cameroon

Mulching is a common technique used across the world by farmers to especially conserve soil moisture in vegetable production but farmers in Nfonta and the entire western highlands of Cameroon have not practiced the uses of mulching. In this experiment, a randomized complete block designe with 5 treatments and 3 replications was set up to study the effect of elephant grass, saw dust and white plastic as mulching materials on the growth and yield of green bean (Phaseolusvulgaris L.) in Nfonta. Data was collected on plant height; number of leaves per plants, leaf area index and yield of mature pods per plant. Data was analyzed using one way ANOVA from stat graphics centurion xv and means were separation using the Fischer least significant difference (LSD) test at 95% confidence interval. Results showed white plastic, and elephant grass mulches to have significantly (P<0.05) affected the growth and yield of green bean. White plastic mulched plants exhibited the highest growth parameters and subsequently produced the highest yield of 12.00 mature pods per plant with average pod length of 11.97cm and average mature pod weight of 4.22g compared to the other mulch treatments. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in yield of green bean grown with no mulch (control), saw dust mulch and corn stalk mulch. Corn stalk mulched bean plants produced the lowest yield of 7.83 mature pods per plant with average pod length of 9.17cm and an average mature pod weight of 2.83 which was not much different from that produced by the control. These results call for more investigations to the potentials of white plastic as best mulch material for achieving optimum green beans yield in Nfonta and the entire western highlands of Cameroon.

The Influence of an Enriched Environment in Enhancing Recognition Memory in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Environmental enrichment is used to increase social and physical stimulation for animals in captivity which can lead to enhanced cognition. Fundamental to the positive effect enrichment has on the brain is that it provides opportunities for captive animals to recognize and discriminate between different stimuli in the environment. In the wild, being able to discriminate between novel or familiar stimuli has implications for survival, for example finding food, hiding from predators, or even choosing a mate. The novel object recognition (NOR) test is a cognitive task that is used extensively in the rodent literature to assess object recognition and memory, where the amount of time an animal spends exploring a novel vs. familiar object is quantified. Enrichment has been shown to enhance object recognition in rodents. More recently, the use of the NOR test has been applied to another animal model, zebrafish (Danio rerio), however, the effects of enrichment have not yet been explored. In the current study we looked at the effects of enrichment on object recognition in zebrafish using the NOR test. Adult zebrafish were housed in either enriched conditions (gravel substrate, plastic plants, shelter, heater and a filter) or plain conditions (heater and filter only) for 6 months before behavioral NOR tests were conducted. Enriched fish showed a preference for a novel object over a familiar one at a distance but did not show a preference during close inspection. Control fish did not show a preference at either distance. Our results suggest that enrichment can enhance zebrafish ability to discriminate between novel and familiar objects, but distance from the object may be an important factor. Future research is needed to determine whether any enhancements in object recognition are a result of an increase in sensory stimulation from being reared with enrichment, or whether it is due to a reduction in stress reactivity.

Community groups score against Formosa in St. James Parish, Louisiana

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced earlier this month that it will require an environmental impact statement (EIS), involving a full environmental review, for the $9.4 billion plastics plant that Formosa Plastics has proposed building in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The decision is being hailed as a victory by community and environmental groups opposed to the plant. The announcement follows the USACE’s decision last November to suspend a permit issued in 2019 for construction of the plant as a result of concerns that alternate sites for the project hadn’t been considered because of inaccurate information. The USACE said at the time that it would reexamine other aspects of the permit. “As a result of information received to date and my commitment for the Army to be a leader in the federal government’s efforts to ensure thorough environmental analysis and meaningful community outreach, I conclude an EIS process is

Household kindling behaviours and potential health risks of dioxins exposure in rural Northern China.

The study aimed to analyse the potential risk behind kindling behaviour in Chinese rural families and to provide insights for policymakers in environmental health. A cluster survey was performed on 113 participant's families who were living in the countryside in the north of China, using solid fuels for cooking and heating purpose. A questionnaire survey on their kindling behaviour and family information was administrated. Harmful kindling materials including plastic bottles, plastic planting plates, plastic film mulches, plastic bags, waste foams, and medium density fibreboard (MDF) are targeted in the survey. About one third of participant's families have ever used the listed harmful material for kindling. Based on literature review and the exposure proportion estimated from the questionnaire, we estimated the population attributable fractions (PAF) for all cancer type (10.48-19.48%) and type 2 diabetes (15.57-27.86%) attributable to dioxin exposure. The PAF estimates were greater than our expectation from the view of the global estimate PAF for cancer and T2D. Moreover, we found farming families are more likely to use their farming-related plastic byproducts as kindling material. There is a huge knowledge gap in environmental health in rural China. Although we were not able to measure the specific exposure data, our survey provided a new research aspect for environmental health research and health education. Strengthened environmental health education, better relevant laws, regulations, and supporting policies for regulating rural and farming waste disposal are highly recommended for policymakers in China.

A Thrilling Finding behind Kindling Behavior in Rural Northern China: dioxins exposure and its related risk alert

BACKGROUND AND AIM: During a field research, we discovered a new phenomenon that rural families in northern China were using harmful materials including plastic bottles, bags, and others as kindling material. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential risk behind kindling behavior among Chinese rural families, and to provide insights for policy makers in environmental health. METHODS: A cluster survey was performed on 113 participant’s families using solid fuels for cooking and heating purpose. An electric questionnaire survey on their kindling behavior and family information was administrated. Harmful kindling materials including plastic bottles, plastic planting plates, plastic film mulches, plastic bags, waste foams, and medium density fiberboard (MDF) are targeted in the survey. The population attributable fractions (PAF) for all type cancer and type 2 diabetes (T2D) attributable to dioxins exposure were estimated. A chi square statistics was used for the analysis of driving forces behind these kindling behaviors. RESULTS:About 1/3 participant’s families have ever used the listed harmful material for kindling. Based on literature review and the exposure proportion estimated from the questionnaire, we estimated the PAF for all type cancer (10.48% to 19.48%) and type 2 diabetes (15.57% to 27.86%) attributable to dioxins exposure. The PAF estimates were greater than our expectation from view of the global estimate PAF for cancer and T2D. Availability, age, ignition frequency and favorite kindling material are significantly different among different behavior groups (p0.05). Moreover, we found farming families are more likely to use their farming related plastic byproducts as kindling material. CONCLUSIONS:There is a huge knowledge gap among environmental health in rural China. Our survey provided a new research aspect for environmental health research and health education. Strengthened environmental health education, better relevant laws, regulations, and supporting policies for regulate rural and farming waste disposal are highly recommended for policy makers in China. KEYWORDS: Dioxins exposure, Solid fuels, Indoor air quality, Kindling materials, Public health, Behaviors

Ontogenetic Change in Behavioral Responses to Structural Enrichment From Fry to Parr in Juvenile Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.).

Enrichment is widely used as a tool for studying how changes in environment affect animal behavior. Here, we report an experimental study investigating if behaviors shaped by stimuli from environmental enrichment depending on the stage animals are exposed to enrichment. We used juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in their first autumn. This is a species commonly reared for conservation purposes. Previous work has shown that environmental enrichment had no effect on long-term survival when the fry stage (smaller than 70 mm) was released, but that if late parr stages (larger than 70 mm) are released, enrichment is reported to have a positive effect on smolt migration survival. Here, we explored the effect of enrichment at two different stages of development. Both stages were reared and treated for 7 weeks (fry at 11–18 weeks and parr at 24–31 weeks after hatching) before tested for behavior. Responses known to be associated with exploratory behavior, activity, and stress coping were quantified by testing 18-week-old fry and 31-week-old parr in a six-chamber maze on 7 successive days after rearing in structurally enriched (plastic plants and tubes) or plain impoverished rearing environments. The data show that Atlantic salmon are sensitive to stimuli from structural enrichment when they are parr, but not when in the fry stage. Parr deprived of enrichment (control treatment) were reluctant to start exploring the maze, and when they did, they spent a longer time frozen than enriched parr, suggesting that deprivation of enrichment at this life can be stressful. Our data suggest that structural enrichment could have the potential to improve welfare for salmonids in captivity and for survival of released juvenile salmon if structural enrichment is provided at the parr stage and the fish reared for conservation are released at the parr stage.