Potting Media Research Articles

First report of peanut root rot caused by Fusarium acuminatum in Shandong Province, China.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most economically important crops as a major source of edible oil and protein. In July 2021, a root rot disease was observed on peanut in Laiwu (36º22' N, 117º67' E), Shandong Province, China. Disease incidence was approximately 35%. Disease symptoms included root rot, vessels with a brown to dark brown discoloration, plus progressive yellowing and wilting of leaves from the base leading to whole plant death. To determine the causal agent, symptomatic roots with typical lesions were cut into small pieces, surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s, and 2% NaClO for 5 min, rinsed three times in sterile water and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25℃ (Leslie and Summerell 2006). After 3 days of incubation, whitish-pink to red colonies growing from the roots were observed. Eight single-spore isolates had identical morphological traits that were similar to those of Fusarium spp. A representative isolate (LW-5) was used for morphological characterization, molecular analysis, and pathogenicity test. On PDA, the isolate formed dense aerial mycelia, which were initially white, then became deep pink with age and formed red pigments in the medium. On carnation leaf agar (CLA), macroconidia with 3 to 5 septa were abundant, relatively slender, curved to lunate, that measured 23.7 to 52.2 × 3.6 to 5.4 μm (n=50). Microconidia were oval, 0 to 1 septa. Chlamydospores were globose with a smooth outer wall in chains or single. Following DNA extraction of isolate LW-5, primers EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone et al., 1999), RPB1U/RPB1R, and RPB2U/RPB2R (Ponts et al., 2020) were used to amplify the partial translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1-α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) regions for DNA sequencing, respectively. BLASTn analysis of TEF1-α (GenBank accession No. OP838084), RPB1 (OP838085), and RPB2 (OP838086) sequences, revealed 99.66, 99.87, and 99.09% identity with those of F. acuminatum (OL772800, OL772952 and OL773104), respectively. Isolate LW-5 was identified as F. acuminatum based on morphology and molecular analysis. Twenty Huayu36 peanut seeds were each planted in a 500-ml sterile pot containing 300 g of autoclaved potting medium (nutritive soil: vermiculite=2:1 in volume). Two weeks after seedling emergence, 1 cm depth of the potting medium was dug around the plants to expose the taproot. Two 5-mm wounds per taproot were scratched with a sterile syringe needle. Potting medium in each pot of 10 inoculated plants was mixed with 5 ml of conidial suspension (106 conidia per ml). The other 10 plants were used as non-inoculated controls and treated with sterile water in the same manner. The seedlings were placed in a plant growth chamber maintained at 25°C, RH >70%, 16-h light per day, and irrigated with sterile water. After 4 weeks, inoculated plants exhibited yellowing and wilting symptoms that were similar to those observed in the field, while non-inoculated control plants had no symptoms. F. acuminatum was re-isolated from diseased roots and confirmed using morphological features and DNA sequence analysis of TEF1-α, RPB1 and RPB2. F. acuminatum was reported to cause root rot on Ophiopogon japonicus (Linn. f.) (Tang et al., 2020), Polygonatum odoratum (Li et al., 2021), and Schisandra chinensis (Shen et al., 2022) in China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of root rot on peanut caused by F. acuminatum in Shandong Province, China. Our report will provide crucial information for studying the epidemiology and management of this disease.

Influence of Different Potting Media on Growth and Quality of Aglaonema (Aglaonema commutatum) var. Red Lipstick under Prayagraj Agro Climatic Conditions

The present investigation entitled, Influence of different potting media on growth and quality of aglaonema (Aglaonema commutatum) var. Red Lipstick under Prayagraj agro climatic conditions was under taken in the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj. During kharif season (2022). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 12 treatments and each treatment replicated thrice. The potting mixture T5 (soil : sand : FYM : vermicompost : perlite 1:1:1:1:1 v/v) reported significantly better performance compared to other potting mixtures, in terms of growth parameters like plant height (36.17 cm), leaf length (17.35 cm), leaf width (6.08 cm), number of leaves (11.50), chlorophyll content (SPAD estimation) (32.87), plant growth index based on plant height (0.148), plant growth index based on number of leaves per plant (0.048), number of suckers/plant (2.67) and survival rate of aglaonema in different potting media (100%).

Effects of Plant Growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on Morpho-Physiological Parameters of Strawberry cv. Chandler under Different Moisture Levels

Drought stress is one of the challenges that can affect the growth and quality of strawberries. The present study aims to determine the effect of PGPR and AMF on the growth of the strawberry cultivar Chandler under different moisture levels. This study was conducted under polyhouse at the Horticulture Research Center, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, during 2021-2022 and 2022-23. The experiment was arranged in a factorial CRD design (FCRD) with three replications. The experiment included moisture levels (100% field capacity (FC), 75% FC and 50% FC) and bioinoculants: control (without PGPR or AMF), PGPR, AMF and combination of PGPR+AMF. The results showed that water stress significantly reduced all the growth and biochemical characteristics of leaves. Plants treated with PGPR and AMF either alone or in combination showed higher survival rate of plants as compared to control. The numbers of leaves, petiole length, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids were found to increase in all the treatments where bioinoculants were incorporated in the potting media. The increase in chlorophyll content suggests improved photosynthetic efficiency which eventually enhanced stress tolerance of the plants. The use of PGPR and AMF provides a ray of hope for sustainable agricultural cultivation of strawberry particularly in regions affected by water scarcity.

Influence of container, potting media and nutrients on production and post-production consumer acceptance of potted marigold (Tagetes patula L.)

Production of potted plants is influenced by factors viz., type of container, potting medium, nutrient dose. A study was conducted to standardize these factors for potted French marigold var. Arka Pari. The treatments comprised of two type of containers (plastic and coir), three potting media [red soil + FYM + sand (1:1:1 v/v), Arka fermented cocopeat (AFC), AFC + vermicompost (1:1 v/v)] and four nutrition concentrations (160:30:180 ppm N:P: K, 128:24:144 ppm N:P: K, 96:18:108 ppm N:P:K and 3% Jeevamrutha) laid out in factorial completely randomized design replicated thrice. Plants grown in potting media combination of Arka fermented cocopeat (AFC) + vermicompost (1:1 v/v) along with weekly application of nutrient solution (128:24:144 ppm NPK) produced maximum number of flowers plant-1 (147.61) and registered highest uptake of nitrogen (2.87 g plant-1), phosphorus (0.53 g plant-1), potassium (3.24 g plant-1), magnesium (0.85 g plant-1) and sulphur (0.21 g plant-1). Based on the attributes of the potted plants, this treatment combination also registered the highest score (81.2 on a scale of 100), willingness of the consumers to purchase (4.5 on a scale of 5), overall acceptability (2.7 on a scale of 3) and the benefit cost ratio of 1.18.

Influence of Potting Media and GA3 on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Guava (Psidium guajava) cv. Allahabad Safeda under Shade Net Condition

The results of present investigation revealed that among the different potting media treatments, M1: Vermiculite + Garden soil + Sand was found to be most beneficial for improving took days to germination, germination percentage, height of the seedling, number of leaves seedling-1, stem diameter, primary roots length (cm), number of secondary roots, fresh and dry shoots weight, fresh and dry roots weight, seed vigor index – I and II and leaf area (cm). In present investigation, application of G3: GA3 600 ppm significantly enhanced the seed germination and seedling growth viz., Days to germination (25.12), germination percentage (91.52%), height of the seedling (32.78cm), number of leaves seedling-1(18.61), stem diameter (3.53), primary roots length (7.59cm), number of secondary roots (21.68), fresh and dry shoots weight (16.71g and 6.51g), fresh and dry roots weight (1.93g and 1.31g), seed vigour index – I (3000.11) and II (699.87) and leaf area (66.33 cm2). The effect of interaction of different level of GA3 (0.00, 400, 500 and 600ppm) and different level of potting media viz., vermicuilite, garden soil, sand, FYM, cocopeat and vermincompost (1:1:1 ratio) on seed vigour index - I. The maximum seed germination, days to germination, and seedling growth, seed vigour index I & II and leaf area was found in treatment GA3 600 PPM + Vermiculite + Garden soil + Sand. The effect of interaction of GA3 and potting media was found significant for seed germination, days to germination, and seedling growth, seed vigour index I & II and leaf area of guava cv. Allahabad safeda seedling under shade net condition.

Synergistic Effect of Different Soilless Substrates on the Hardening of In- vitro Raised Banana (Musa sp.) Saplings of Grand Naine

The present study was carried out to investigate the impact of different substrates on the primary and secondary hardening of tissue culture raised banana plantlets. Among eight different treatment combinations of potting mixtures, treatment PHT7 which contained cocopeat with the combination of perlite and vermiculite (2:1:1) emerged as the best potting media with the survival percentage of 98.90% with comparative better growth during primary hardening. Simultaneously maximum growth and development including plant height (15.36 cm), number of leaves (5.71), pseudostem girth (3.88 cm), maximum number of roots (5.90), maximum root length (3.69 cm) has been observed during primary hardening. For secondary hardening, eight combinations of substrates were used in conjunction with soil. Among all the treatments in the secondary hardening, SHT4 (soil+ bonemeal; 3:1) along with the application of Jeevamrit have shown highest field survivability (100%). Moreover a maximum shoot length (33.40 cm) has been observed during secondary hardening with maximum number of leaves were recorded (9.25) with pseudo stem girth 6.98 cm. The outcome of the present study suggested that the treatment PHT7 performed better growth during primary hardening. However the treatment SHT4 has shown comparatively higher growth during secondary hardening.

Vermicompost Leachate a Viable Bio-stimulant for Tomato Growth and Yield (Solanum lycopersicum)

Background: The influence of inorganic fertilizer has posed considerable challenges on increasing food production worldwide. A careful plan is required to increase the yield and quality of crops. A profound knowledge on the use of organic manure involvement in plant growth and development could be beneficial for food production. The use of acceptable inorganic and different concentrations of vermicompost has been used in an attempt to enhance crop growth and development with the aim of increasing food production. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of vermicompost tea concentrate extracted from cow manure and grass cutting on physiological responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).Vegetative growth and yield of tomato was stimulated by mineralization of organic waste coupled with the mesophilic action of earthworm. Vermicompost is a by-product of earthworm tissues. It is a nutrient source rich in essential components for plant growth and development. Methods: An investigation was conducted in pot media under exposed natural conditions from August 2020 to November 2020 at Mangosuthu University of Technology. In this experiment, the growth of tomato plants were subjected to different vermicompost concentrations and amended with NPK fertilizer were studied. Sandy loam soil of about 5 kg were weighted into pot media (2.0mheight, 2.3m diameter). The experiment was set up in a completely randomized block design consisting of five treatments with five replicates per treatment. Treatments included: Positive control (PC), 5%VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK, 20%VCL+NPK and the inorganic (NPK). Result: revealed that there were significant differences at (P less than 0.01) among the treatments with respect to plant height and number of leaves from week three to week eight. Similar trends were found with 5% VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK, 20% VCL+NPK and the NPK treatments. This may be due to phytohormone release from earthworm tissue. Tomato flower inflorescence was significant at (P less than 0.01). Tomato fruit, different components at harvest which were, weight wet and dry weight were higher with NPK treated at (P less than 0.01) than the 5% VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK. Root length in 20% concentration was considerably higher than the other treatments. The results showed that minimum supplementation with inorganic fertiliser may be necessary with vermicompost leachate in order to successfully grow crops in nutrient deficient soil.

Effects of root pruning on seedling growth and other parameters in Juniperus polycarpos under nursery condition

A nursery trial was conducted to study the effects of root pruning on the seedling growth and other parameters of Juniperus polycarpos. Roots of two-year-old seedlings of J. polycarpos were pruned at different levels and transplanted in polybags of size 9’’ × 5” filled with potting media comprising soil, sand, and farm yard manure (2:1:1). Maximum growth of various seedling parameters, viz., shoot length (42.90 cm), root length (38.40 cm), collar diameter (6.16 mm), number of roots (45.93) and biomass, viz., fresh shoot biomass (24.03 g), fresh root biomass (6.35 g), total fresh biomass (30.38 g), dry shoot biomass (10.21 g), dry root biomass (2.48 g), total dry biomass (12.69 g), weight of secondary + tertiary roots (0.61 g) were recorded in seedlings in which 5 cm roots were retained after pruning, whereas, minimum growth of seedling parameters and biomass was recorded in seedlings in which no root pruning was done. The maximum value of seedling quality parameters, viz., volume index (1627.86), Quality index (1.14), and ratio of secondary + tertiary roots to total root biomass (0.08) was also observed in seedlings in which 5 cm roots were retained after pruning. The study suggests that roots of J. polycarpos may be pruned up to 5 cm in length for production of quality nursery stock.

Propagation of Antidesma alexiteria and Syzygium caryophyllatum, two underexploited fruit plants in Sri Lanka: Effect of cutting types, potting media and auxin application

Antidesma alexiteria and Syzygium caryophyllatum are two fruit species found in Sri Lanka of which the commercial development potential has not been fully identified. To bring these fruit species back into cultivation, establishment of suitable propagation systems for mass propagation is important. Therefore, this research was designed to identify suitable potting media, stem cutting types and requirement of auxin for successful vegetative propagation of the two fruit species. Softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings of the fruit trees were planted in three potting media (M1 – topsoil, sand 1:1, M2 – topsoil, sand, compost 1:1:1 and M3 – topsoil, sand, coir dust 1:1:1) under two treatments; T1 – with plant growth reg­ulator indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and T0 – controls without IAA. Each treatment was conducted with 15 replicates. The cuttings were planted in individual propagators and were kept in a net house of 50% shading under room temperature. Growth performance of the cuttings was monitored in regular intervals (every 28 days) for a period of six months. According to sprouting, survival, and growth performance, both softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings are suitable for vegetative propagation of A. alexiteria. The M3 medium showed 100% sprouting and survival but with respect to overall growth performance, the M1 medium was the most suitable for softwoods of A. alexiteria without auxin. Sprouting and survival of semi-hardwood cuttings were 100% with high values of growth parameters in M3 under T1 treatment. The M1 medium without auxin can be recommended for better performance of softwoods while M3with auxin is for semi-hardwoods of A. alexiteria. Softwoods, semi-hardwoods and hardwoods can be recommended for vegetative propagation S. caryophyllatum in M1 medium. Both softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings under T1 treatment expressed higher sprouting and survival percentages while semi-hardwood cuttings under T1 treatment have shown the highest sprouting and growth performance. Hence, semi-hardwood cuttings with auxin can be con­sidered as the best planting material for vegetative propagation of S. caryophyllatumwhile M1 is the best medium. The vegetative propagation of S. caryophyllatum and A. alexiteria through stem cuttings can be recommended as suitable mass propagation method for the purpose of commercialization.

Impact of Nutrient Profiles in Soils Amended Using Composts and Nano-Gel Water Accumulator for the Cultivation of Amaranthus Spinosus Grown in Them

The depletion of minerals in agricultural soils through subsistence farming has been a major food security challenge in many parts of the world. To curtail this problem, farmers use inorganic fertilizer to boost soil fertility even though it poses a lot of environmental challenges. In this research, an alternative route to soil nutrient amendment was explored via the use of compost and nano-gel water accumulator for blending different soil samples derived from rock side soil and spent farm soils blended in different ratios of 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1using a suitable potting media for the greenhouse production of A. spinosus L. Physicochemical values, mineral, and heavy metals concentration were evaluated on the soil and compost samples while mineral, proximate, anti-nutrients and vitamins compositions were analyzed on A. spinosus L. grown on the soils. Data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 95% confidence limit using SPSS 20.0 software. The properties of the prepared compost (PC) and commercial compost (CC) varied significantly (P

Molecular and histological validation of modified in ovulo nucellus culture based high-competency direct somatic embryogenesis and amplitude true-to-the-type plantlet recovery in Kinnow mandarin.

Kinnow (Citrus nobilis Lour. × Citrus deliciosa Ten.) needs to be genetically improved for traits such as seedlessness using biotechnological tools. Indirect somatic embryogenesis (ISE) protocols have been reported for citrus improvement. However, its use is restricted due to frequent occurrences of somaclonal variation and low recovery of plantlets. Direct somatic embryogenesis (DSE) using nucellus culture has played a significant role in apomictic fruit crops. However, its application in citrus is limited due to the injury caused to tissues during isolation. Optimization of the explant developmental stage, explant preparation method, and modification in the in vitro culture techniques can play a vital role in overcoming the limitation. The present investigation deals with a modified in ovulo nucellus culture technique after the concurrent exclusion of preexisting embryos. The ovule developmental events were examined in immature fruits at different stages of fruit growth (stages I-VII). The ovules of stage III fruits (>21-25 mm in diameter) were found appropriate for in ovulo nucellus culture. Optimized ovule size induced somatic embryos at the micropylar cut end on induction medium containing Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut (DKW) basal medium with kinetin (KIN) 5.0 mg L-1 and malt extract (ME) 1,000 mg L-1. Simultaneously, the same medium supported the maturation of somatic embryos. The matured embryos from the above medium gave robust germination with bipolar conversion on Murashige and Tucker (MT) medium + gibberellic acid (GA3) 2.0 mg L-1 + ά-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) 0.5 mg L-1 + spermidine 100 mg L-1 + coconut water (CW) 10% (v/v). The bipolar germinated seedlings established well upon preconditioning in a plant bio regulator (PBR)-free liquid medium under the light. Consequently, a cent percent survival of emblings was achieved on a potting medium containing cocopeat:vermiculite:perlite (2:1:1). Histological studies confirmed the single nucellus cell origin of somatic embryos by undergoing normal developmental events. Eight polymorphic Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) markers confirmed the genetic stability of acclimatized emblings. Since the protocol can induce rapid single-cell origin of genetically stable in vitro regenerants in high frequency, it has potential for the induction of solid mutants, besides crop improvement, mass multiplication, gene editing, and virus elimination in Kinnow mandarin.

Influence of potting media composition on quality flower production of petunia (Petunia hybrida)

An experiment was conducted at Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda to evaluate the effect of different growing media compositions containing cocopeat, Vermicompost, FYM, Leaf Mold, Perlite, and vermiculite in different ratios on vegetative growth and flowering of petunia plant. The results revealed that, the maximum root length and root spread were observed in media composition T5 [Cocopeat + Vermicompost + Vermiculite (2:1:1)] whereas, vegetative growth with no of leaves per plants, no of branches per plant and plant spread in T4 [Cocopeat + Perlite + Vermicompost (2:1:1)]. The better flower quality parameters like flower diameter, flower bud diameter, stalk length of flower were observed in T5 media containing Cocopeat + Vermicompost + Vermiculite (2:1:1) while minimum days taken to bud initiation (60.75) and first flower opening (66.66) in T2 [Soil + Sand + Vermicompost (2:1:1)]. However, plants showed the significant root growth, vegetative growth with better flowering time and quality was highest in media containing Cocopeat + Vermicompost + Vermiculite (2:1:1). Therefore, the findings suggest that for quality flower production of potted petunia growing media composition of T5 [Cocopeat + Vermicompost + Vermiculite (2:1:1)] was ideal with better plant morphological development and sustained flowering for display.

Performance of Pleomele (Dracaena reflexa) Varieties in Different potting MEDIA under Prayagraj Agro-climatic Conditions

The experiment was conducted in the Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (UP),during February, 2022 to May, 2022 with two varities of Dracaena reflexa and seven potting mix. The objective of the experiment is to find out the better performance of pleomele (dracaena reflexa) varieties in different potting media under prayagraj agro- climatic conditions. The experiment was laid out in FCRD with 14 Treatment combination replicated thrice. The results revealed that treatment combination V1T7 i.e. Song of India in medium of - Cocopeat: sand: FYM: vermicompost: perlite(1:1:1:1:1v/v) – performed significantly better in terms of plant height, plant spread, number of leaves, root length, leaf width, leaf length and stem girth.

Large-Scale In Vitro Propagation and Ex Vitro Adaptation of the Endangered Medicinal Plant Eryngium maritimum L.

The endangered medicinal plant Eryngium maritimum L. faces significant natural and anthropogenic threats. Therefore, in vitro propagation is recommended for both conservation and commercial purposes. The aim of the study was to develop a series of protocols for seed disinfection, in vitro multiplication and rooting, and ex vitro and field adaptation. For explant disinfection, the length and temperature of three consecutive disinfectants were investigated. Macrosalt modifications of MS medium and plant growth regulator addition to media effect on axillary bud propagation rate and rooting was studied. Survival and leaf growth during ex vitro and field adaptation in response to potting media, pot cell diameter, and light spectrum were tested. Seeds treated with diluted detergent at 40 °C for 180 min, followed by 0.01% KMnO4 for 3 h and commercial bleach for 11 min, achieved a lower rate of contamination and high germination rate. Axillary bud proliferation and rooting were enhanced by reducing nitrogen content in media and adding plant growth regulators. Potting media and pot size affect survival and growth ex vitro. Timely transplantation to field conditions before overwintering increases plantlet survival. In the present work, a suitable foundation is laid to scaleup the production of E. maritimum by micropropagation.

Transport (Vegetable Plants in Pots) Optimization Solutions for Narrow Yards to Increase Food Security and Family Economy

TRANSPOT cultivation is the cultivation of vegetable plants in pots, which because it has several advantages including the use of narrow yards or yards, serves as a provision for vegetable plants, is easy to move without damaging the plants and can adjust the harvest period. TRANSPOT (Planting Vegetables in Pots) is one of the solutions for optimizing narrow yards to increase food security and the family economy carried out in Gampong Baroh Langsa Lama, located in Langsa Lama District. Service partners are housewives in Baroh Langsa Lama village/gampong. One of the partner's problems is the lack of partner skills and knowledge in utilizing the yard. By equipping partners with the skills to use the yard, they will be able to bring benefits, besides meeting the family's food needs, they are also able to increase family income. Growing vegetable plants in sustainable pots includes the use of narrow yards to become creative and innovative TRANSPOTs, such as taboo lampot vegetables, taboo lampot fruits, and green environmental innovations. This activity of planting vegetables using pot media has a positive impact on the availability of independent food for each family, besides that this activity can also be a source of family economic income and assist the government in providing healthy food sources for the community. Vegetable plants in pots are expected to be a solution to increase the community's economy

Influences of Organic Additives on Asymbiotic Seed Germination of Dendrobium cruentum Rchb. f. for In Vitro Micropropagation

Dendrobium cruentum Rchb. f., a commercial orchid in Thailand, faces the risk of extinction and should be conserved, and propagated for commercial. Therefore, the aim of this research was to identify a suitable VW medium supplemented with organic additives for the micropropagation of D. cruentum through asymbiotic seed germination. The VW media supplemented with separate organic additives (coconut water (CW) (100 mL/L), ‘Hom Thong’ banana homogenate (BH) (1000 mg/L), and potato homogenate (PH) (1000 mg/L) or its combination was determined, and the seed germination rate (%), protocorm formation, and plantlet development were observed. The results showed that a combination of BH and PH resulted in the highest seed germination (94.69 ± 1.55 %) when compared to basal VW (control). Protocorm formation was highest with CW alone (47.38 ± 7.17 %) and a combination of CW and PH (52.13 ± 6.20 %). Additionally, after 10 weeks of culture, supplementation with BH yielded the highest number of plantlets. However, after 24 weeks of culture, each organic additives gave the different developments of healthy plantlets. To investigate suitable potting media for acclimatization of well-grown plantlets in greenhouse conditions, 2 pieces of foam, dried coconut husk, and a combination of peat moss: Sphagnum moss: Pumice: Perlite (3:1:1:1) were investigated. The highest survival rate percentage was found in foam-planted plantlets (80 %). Ultimately, the effectively simple mediums containing organic additives and a one-step protocol were provided for the micropropagation of D. cruentum via seeds, and the derived information could be used for D. cruentum conservation and production. HIGHLIGHTS The effects of organic additives on asymbiotic seed germination for in vitro micropropagation of Dendrobium cruentum Rchb. f. was firstly reported The media supplemented with organic additives yield significantly the highest seed germination, protocorm formation, and plantlet formation and development of D. cruentum when compared to basal media In greenhouse conditions, 2 pieces of foam gave the highest survival rate percentage of plantlets (80 %) The practical and beneficial media supplemented with organic additives for micropropagation of D. cruentum was provided GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Zeolite amendment reduces lead accumulation and improves growth and yield in tomato plants irrigated with sewage water.

Although sewage water (SW) is a source of nutrients, it also causes heavy metal accumulation in soil; especially, lead (Pb+) contamination of soil is a serious concern in agriculture. Soil contaminants limit the bioavailability of nutrients to plants. So, they affect plant growth and produce quality. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of zeolite soil amendment on the accumulation of Pb+ in tomato crop grown with SW irrigation. The pot media of SW-irrigated plants was amended with different concentrations of zeolite, viz., 0.75%, 1.50%, and 2.25%. The results showed that the application of 0.75% zeolite increased leaf area, plant height, fruit number, and plant fresh and dry biomasses by 37%, 17%, 14%, 24%, and 7% compared to freshwater irrigation. Moreover, the lowest zeolite dose also led to higher chlorophyll content (68.02 SPAD) compared to SW-irrigated plants (55.13 SPAD). Similarly physiological traits, such as A, gs, and E, were higher (17.68µmolm-2s-1, gs 0.28mmolm-2s-1, and 7.88mmolm-2s-1, respectively) in 0.75% zeolite-treated plants than in SW-irrigated plants (12.99µmolm-2s -1, 0.19mmolm-2s-1, and 7.00mmolm-2s -1, respectively). On the contrary, a reduced level of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes were observed in low-dose zeolite applied plants. Zeolite reduced Pb+ accumulation in tomato plants as compared to SW-irrigated plants, whereby Pb accumulation in the fruits of SW-irrigated plants was 80% more than those of zeolite + SW-treated plants. Conclusively, this study has revealed the improvement in morphological and physiological growth attributes of the SW-irrigated tomato plant in response to zeolite application.

Translocation of Loline Alkaloids in Epichloë-Infected Cereal and Pasture Grasses: What the Insects Tell Us.

Aphids are major pests of cereal and pasture grasses throughout the world, vectoring disease and reducing plant production. There are few control options other than insecticides. Epichloë endophytes that produce loline alkaloids in their hosts provide a possible mechanism of control, with both meadow fescue and tall fescue naturally infected with loline-producing endophytes showing a resistance to Rhopalosiphum padi. We screened Elymus spp. naturally infected with endophytes that produced loline alkaloids at concentrations known to affect aphids on fescue but found no effect on these insects infesting Elymus. A synthetic loline-producing endophyte association with rye also had no effect on the aphids. After hypothesizing that the lolines were being translocated in the xylem in Elymus and rye rather than the phloem, we tested the rye and meadow fescue infected with loline-producing endophytes against a xylem feeding spittlebug. The endophyte in rye inhibited the feeding of the insect and reduced its survival, whereas the endophyte-infected meadow fescue had no effect on the spittlebug but reduced the number of aphids. Lolines applied to the potting medium of endophyte-free and endophyte-infected rye, ryegrass, and tall fescue resulted in a decrease in the aphid populations on the endophyte-free pasture grasses relative to the untreated controls but had no effect on aphid numbers on the rye. We tentatively conclude that lolines, produced in both natural and synthetic association with Elymus and rye, are partitioned in the xylem rather than the phloem, where they are inaccessible to aphids.

Local and non‐local soil microbiota impede germination of the endangered Acacia whibleyana

AbstractInoculating soils with microbiota that benefit the germination and growth of endangered plant species could improve their revegetation success and conservation status. While ecosystem degradation can disrupt beneficial plant–soil‐microbial interactions, the prospect of reintroducing native plant‐associated soil microbiota during revegetation could help to restore these important ecological links and assist the recovery of key species. We address the role of soil microbiota on germination and seedling fitness traits of the endangered Acacia whibleyana (Fabaceae) through a 17‐week greenhouse experiment. Soil treatments included local soil, potting medium, three inoculation ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3 local soil: potting medium), sterilized local soil and sterilized potting medium. Soil sterilization reduced the time to first seed germination, indicating a role of soil microbiota on germination. The 1:1 whole soil inoculation saw reduced germination rates compared with either pure local or potting‐medium treatments, and the slower germination times observed in live soils confirmed the strong influence of soil microbiota on the timing of germination. We report evidence that poor inoculation strategies can adversely impact germination of this endangered Acacia. Furthermore, our findings suggest that careful assessment of microbiota associated with A. whibleyana could help to improve germination and recruitment during its revegetation and conservation management.

Evaluating the Effects of Biochar and Organic Soil Amendments on Seedling Development of Annona muricata. Linn

The importance of appropriate growth media for propagation of Annona muricata seedlings cannot be over emphasized. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochar and organic soil amendments on seedling development of Annona muricata using different potting media. The treatments were Control; Topsoil only (T0), Mineralized goat dung (T1), Mineralized saw dust (T2), Mineralized poultry dropping (T3) and Mineralized biochar (T4). The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Parameters accessed include seedling height (cm), collar diameter (cm) and number of leaves. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and significant means were separated using Duncan multiple range test at 0.05 significant level. Result shows that Mineralized biochar had the best performance in seedling height, collar diameter and number of leaves with mean values of 26.703±1.5488, 4867±0.22904 and 4.4451±1.55031 respectively. While the least performance in seedling height, collar diameter and number of leaves was recorded in the control with mean values of 19.986±1.1265, 0.3230±0.17363 and 3.6765±1.14724 respectively. However, there were significant differences in seedling heights and collar diameter among the treatment types at 5% level of probability, but the number of leaves was not significant. Annona muricata seedlings thrives excellently in biochar potting media. Hence, the use of biochar potting media should be adopted as the best growth media for early growth and development of Annona muricata seedlings.