Reduce Water Loss Research Articles

Enzymatic Crosslinking of Amino Acids Improves the Repair Effect of Keratin on Hair Fibre.

Although keratin can effectively repair hair fibres and enhance their moisture content and flexibility, it has a relatively low affinity for hair. In this study, the effects of transglutaminase (TGase)-commonly used to catalyse crosslinking of proteins or amino acids-in crosslinking serine and hydrolysed wool keratin to repair damaged hair and protect healthy hair were studied. Treatment with a repair solution containing hydrolysed wool keratin, serine, and TGase improved the physical and chemical properties of damaged hair samples. The alkali solubility of damaged hair samples decreased by 50.53%, fracture stress increased from 1.031 to 1.806 N, and fracture strain increased from 9.51 to 19.88 mm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray analysis showed that amide bonds increased in damaged hair samples treated with the repair solution and hair crystallinity increased. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the repair solution improved the thermal stability of damaged hair. After five cycles of washing, the effects of the repair solution were still apparent in damaged hair samples. The enzymatic solution had stronger repair effects than general hair care products and reduced water loss rates in damaged hair samples; repaired hair samples were also softer and brighter. The repair solution was effective in protecting healthy hair samples against chemical damage. The materials used to prepare the repair solution are all bio-based, and treatment with this product is safer and longer lasting.

Biofertilizer and reduction of water losses in soil cultivated with tomato irrigated with moderately saline water

In semi-arid regions, agricultural production is often limited due to scarcity and rainfall irregularities, and, therefore, the production system depends on irrigation. In this direction, the research aimed to evaluate the influence of the reduction of water losses in the soil through the coating of the lateral faces of the planting furrows with plastic film, by lateral infiltration of water and bovine biofertilizers for growth in height, production, and chlorophyll responses of tomato cv. Fascínio F1 irrigated with moderately saline water. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks, in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme, with 4 replicates and 21 plants per plot. Different conditions were used and compared with each other: the furrow had side coating or not, and the soil received a common biofertilizer (fresh lactating bovine manure), chemically enriched fertilizer (common biofertilizer, milk, molasses, and gypsum), or no fertilizer at all. The variables evaluated were soil moisture, plant height, a, b, and total chlorophyll content, number and average fruit mass, tomato production, and productivity. The enriched bovine biofertilizer associated with the lateral furrow coating increased the synthesis of chlorophyll pigments, the number of fruits per plant, and the productivity of tomato cv. Fascínio F1. Protecting the faces of the furrows against water losses from the root environment of plants keeps the soil moist, stimulates the synthesis of chlorophyll, and increases the average mass of the fruits. The common bovine biofertilizer promotes greater growth in plant height, and the chemically enriched biofertilizer increases the average weight of tomato fruits.

β-1,3-GLUCANASE10 regulates tomato development and disease resistance by modulating callose deposition.

β-1,3-Glucanases are considered key regulators responsible for the degradation of callose in plants, yet little is known about the role and mode of action of their encoding genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In the present study, we identified the β-1,3-glucanase encoding gene β-1,3-GLUCANASE10 (SlBG10) and revealed its regulation in tomato pollen and fruit development, seed production, and disease resistance by modulating callose deposition. Compared to wild-type or SlBG10 overexpressing (SlBG10-OE) lines, knockout of SlBG10 caused pollen arrest and failure to set fruit with reduced male rather than female fecundity. Further analyses showed that SlBG10-knockout promoted callose deposition in anther at the tetrad-to-microspore stages, resulting in pollen abortion and male sterility. Moreover, loss-of-function SlBG10 delayed degradation of endosperm cell wall calloses during cellularization and impeded early seed development. We also uncovered that Botrytis cinerea infection induces SlBG10 expression in wild-type tomato, and the knockout lines showed increased callose accumulation in fruit pericarps, reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea and enhanced antioxidant capacity to maintain tomato fruit quality. However, expression of genes encoding cell wall hydrolases decreased in SlBG10-knockout tomatoes and thus led to an increase in pericarp epidermal thickness, enhancement in fruit firmness, reduction of fruit water loss and extension of tomato shelf life. These findings not only expand our understanding of the involvement of β-1,3-glucanases as callose regulators in multiple developmental processes and pathogen resistance, but also provide additional insight into the manipulation of multi-agronomic traits for targeted tomato breeding.

Slope and pig slurry rate may increase the transfer of chemical elements by surface water runoff

AbstractThere is a need to evaluate the interference of pig slurry rate and the terrain slope in the chemical elements losses from the soil. This work aimed to quantify water and chemical element losses by surface runoff due to terrain slope and pig slurry rate (PS) in two soils with contrasting textures. Two trials were evaluated in 2018 and 2019 in Cambisol and Nitisol. Rates of 0, 22.5, 45, and 90 m3 ha−1 yr−1 of PS were applied superficially in sites with slopes ranging from 10% to 35%. Perennial forage grass Tifton 85 (Cynodon dactylon) was grown as summer crop and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) was sown in the cold seasons in a field environment. Were determined the runoff, the volume of water, and chemical elements (Al, Ca, P, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, and Zn) lost by the surface runoff after natural rainfall. Increasing land slope elevated water losses substantially, on average 23.4 times in Cambisol and 10.8 times in Nitisol. This increase resulted in average increases of 27.6 and 12.4 times in the losses of the chemical elements analyzed for Cambisol and Nitisol, respectively. There was a reduction in water losses by surface runoff due to increased PS rates applied in both sites. The increased PS rate affected the losses of Cr and Cu in Cambisol and P, Mg, Cd, and Cu in Nitisol. The clayey soil potentiated the water and chemical elements losses by surface runoff in relation to the soil with lower clay content. Regardless of the soil, water and chemical element losses are maximized at higher slopes.

Prospective methods for determining water losses from irrigation systems to ensure food and water security of Ukraine

Purpose. To develop a complex system for technical diagnostics of soil hydrotechnical structures of irrigation systems for operative identification of damaged sites, reduction of nonproduction water losses, and maintaining ecological and economic efficiency of the hydroeconomic national complex in the context of water and food security. Methodology. The result of the represented scientific study is reached by complex application of geophysical methods of the Earth’s natural pulse electromagnetic field (NPEMFE) and vertical electrical sounding (VES). That allows determining qualitative indices and parameters of the damaged sites of hydrotechnical structures and water filtration paths. Mathematical methods for determining quantitative parameters of filtration losses are applied. Analytical and technoeconomic comparison of some most widely used methods with the complex of techniques proposed in the study are performed. Findings. Field studies and analytical calculations helped determine that, depending on the design parameters of retention basins and modes of their operations, water losses are from 50 to 60 m3/month per 1 m of the structure length. In some cases total filtration losses per month can reach up to 100 m3 per 1 m of the length. As for the monetary equivalent, in terms of average water cost being 0.12 EUR/m3, water loss in one standard retention basin with the conventional dimensions of 100  100 m is EUR 2.5 thousand per month (EUR 12.5 thousand per season). Originality. The possibility of using a complex of geophysical methods for diagnosing technical conditions of soil dams of retention agricultural basins has been substantiated scientifically. The complex is of high informativity making it possible to determine rapidly the sites with increased filtration in the hydrotechnical objects. According to the comparison of the available models for evaluating possible filtration losses from the retention basins of irrigation systems, the parameters of estimate indicators, ensuring high reliability of the results, have been substantiated. Practical value. Point determination of the sites with filtration water losses makes it possible to focus the repair and renewal operations on the most damaged sites that reduce considerably the time and costs along with the increase in general efficiency of the irrigation system operation.

Evaluating the effectiveness of different irrigation systems in arid regions: A survey Based Analysis

Low precipitation and high temperatures in arid locations cause a shortage of water supplies and water stress. As it helps maintain and boost crop production, irrigation is an essential tool for agriculture in these areas. However, in arid areas, the efficacy of various irrigation techniques might vary greatly. The purpose of this essay is to assess the efficacy of various irrigation techniques in arid areas, such as conventional surface irrigation, drip irrigation, and spray irrigation. In arid areas, surface irrigation is the most popular type of irrigation, when water is applied to the soil's surface through ditches or furrows. Although this technique is straightforward and low-cost, water losses from evaporation and runoff may happen, leading to inefficient water use and poor crop output. By using a system of pipes and emitters, drip irrigation, on the other hand, feeds water directly to plant roots. Higher water use efficiency and crop yields are the results of this system's reduced water losses and accurate water distribution to the plants.

Comprehensive Effects of Atmosphere and Soil Drying on Stomatal Behavior of Different Plant Types

The soil water supply and atmospheric humidity conditions are crucial in controlling plants’ stomatal behavior and water use efficiency. When there is water stress caused by an increase in saturated water vapor pressure (VPD) and a decrease in soil water content (SWC), plants tend to close stomata to reduce water loss. This affects the gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), subsequently leading to changes in water use efficiency (WUE) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) in plants. However, land–atmosphere interactions mean that water vapor in the atmosphere and soil moisture content causing water stress for plants are closely related. This study aims to compare and estimate the effects of VPD and SWC on the carbon cycle and water cycle for different plant functional types. Based on the fluxnet2015 dataset from around the world, the WUE and CUE of five plant functional types (PFTs) were estimated under varying levels of VPD and SWC. The results showed that high VPD and low SWC limit the stomatal conductance (Gs) and gross primary productivity (GPP) of plants. However, certain types of vegetation (crops, broad-leaved forests) could partially offset the negative effects of high VPD with higher SWC. Notably, higher SWC could even alleviate limitations and partially promote the increase in GPP and net primary production (NPP) with increasing VPD. WUE and CUE were directly affected by Gs and productivity. In general, the increase in VPD in the five PFTs was the dominant factor in changing WUE and CUE. The impact of SWC limitations on CUE was minimal, with an overall impact of only −0.05μmol/μmol on the four PFTs. However, the CUE of savanna plants changed differently from the other four PFTs. The rise in VPD dominated the changes in CUE, and there was an upward trend as SWC declined, indicating that the increase in VPD and decrease in SWC promote the increase in the CUE of savanna plants to some extent.

Effect of magnetic field on quality improvement of medium‐term delivery frozen pepper

AbstractThe water loss of medium‐term delivery frozen pepper is significant, resulting in the decline of product quality and the loss of nutrients. Hydrocolloids have been proved to help reduce the water loss of fruits and vegetables. Applying magnetic field can reduce the size of ice crystals during freezing, thus preventing cell damage and reducing water loss. In this study, the pickled red pepper was first soaked in gellan gum solution, and then frozen by magnetic field assisted freezing method to reduce the water loss of pepper products during storage. The process was accelerated by repeated (2–6 times) freezing and thawing, so as to reach the standard of medium‐term delivery faster. At the same time, the thawing stage was also supplemented by the action of magnetic field to explore its thawing effect. The results showed that freezing at 10 mT and −20°C and thawing at 4°C and 10 mT can better maintain the texture characteristics of pepper products compared to the control group, thereby reducing the water loss from 40% to 5%, increasing the color appeal, and reducing the loss of red pigment.Practical applicationsThis study provides a simple and novel method to reduce the water loss of frozen products during thawing. These steps combine hydrophilic colloid and magnetic field exploration to reduce the water loss of frozen products, and provide new ideas for product freezing and thawing.

GmCIPK29 positively regulates drought tolerance through involvement in the reactive oxygen species scavenging and abscisic acid signaling pathway

The calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-CBL interacting protein kinase (CIPK) signaling pathway is important for plants to response to environmental stresses. However, few academic studies have elucidated CIPKs in soybean, and the mechanism by which CIPKs promote drought resistance is unclear. In this study, the GmCIPK29 was found to interact with GmCBL1, expression analysis and GUS staining showed that transcript level of GmCIPK29 was induced by drought and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). GmCIPK29 increased ABA sensitivity and conferred drought resistance in Arabidopsis. Moreover, GmCIPK29-overexpression (GmCIPK29-OE) Arabidopsis plants showed increased stomatal movement and reduced water loss under water deficit condition, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased under drought stress in the GmCIPK29-OE soybean hairy roots. In addition, soybean hairy roots with GmCIPK29 knocked down via RNA interference showed higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under water deficit conditions. Gene expression analysis showed that stress-related genes, including GmCAT5, GmPOD4, and GmNCED1, were induced in GmCIPK29-OE soybean plants under drought stress. This study revealed an important role of soybean GmCIPK29 in responses to abiotic stress and these findings provide a foundation for additional inquiry into the complex mechanisms of the CBL-CIPK signaling pathway.

Measurement and simulation of irrigation performance in continuous and surge furrow irrigation using WinSRFR and SIRMOD models

The SIRMOD and WinSRFR models were used to model and assess the irrigation performance under continuous and surge irrigation strategies with two furrow lengths of 70 m and 90 m and stream sizes of 0.4 l/s and 0.6 l/s for each length. According to the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) and the relative error (RE), WinSRFR had, on average, excellent accuracy in the continuous and surge irrigation for simulating advance-recession times (NRMSE: 6.15 and 4.24% for advance time, and 2.20 and 5.20% for recession time), infiltrated water depth (NRMSE: 3.37 and 6.38%), and runoff volume (RE: 6.93 and 2.57%), respectively. SIRMOD had also, on average, excellent simulation in the continuous and surge irrigation for advance-recession times (NRMSE: 3.34 and 2.45% for advance time, and 2.28 and 6.41% for recession time), infiltrated water depth (NRMSE: 2.98 and 5.27%), and runoff volume (RE: 5.31 and 17.49%), respectively. The average of irrigation application efficiency (AE), distribution uniformity (DU), deep percolation (DP), and tail-water ratio (TWR) were 61.50, 90.25, 11.75, and 26.75% in continuous irrigation, and 72.03, 94.09, 8.39, and 19.57% in surge irrigation, respectively, which shows that surge irrigation increased AE (irrigation management performance) and DU (irrigation method performance) and reduced DP and TWR compared to continuous irrigation. Moreover, longer furrow lengths increased AE and DP under both irrigation methods, while it decreased TWR and DU. However, increasing the stream size decreased AE and DP and increased TWR under both continuous and surge irrigations. The higher stream size improved DU in continuous irrigation but reduced DU in surge irrigation. The results confirmed that both SIRMOD and WinSRFR are reliable analytical tools to evaluate furrow irrigation strategies for improving irrigation management. In conclusion, this study showed that surface irrigation models could be employed in practice by irrigation engineers and practitioners to design and define the optimized furrow length and stream size in arid and semi-arid areas where efficient and high performance irrigation strategies are required to save water and reduce water loss.

Synergistic effects of vegetation restoration and check dams on water erosion in a slope‐gully system

AbstractRestoring vegetation and constructing check dams are important measures for controlling water erosion in slope‐gully systems. However, percolation through the dam body could lead to shortened runoff paths in the gully. Moreover, the synergistic effects of vegetation patterns and siltation‐induced runoff path length decrease (RPLD) in slope‐gully systems on reducing water erosion remain unclear. In this study, 20 physical models of slope‐gully systems were constructed to quantitatively evaluate the synergistic effect of these measures under simulated rainfall. The models included four slope vegetation patterns (no vegetation, up‐slope, middle‐slope, and down‐slope) and five levels of RPLD in the gully (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 m). Owing to synergistic effects, combined measures led to a more considerable reduction in soil and water loss than a single measure. Furthermore, the synergistic effect was related to vegetation patterns and shorter siltation‐induced runoff paths. The mean synergistic effect produced the following runoff yield order: down‐slope (2.84%) > middle‐slope (2.81%) > up‐slope (1.78%); and 4 m (3.18%) > 3 m (2.66%) > 2 m (2.29%) > 1 m (1.78%). The sediment yields were in the following order: down‐slope (18.15%) > middle‐slope (12.63%) > up‐slope (6.67%), and 4 m (14.56%) > 3 m (12.82%) > 2 m (11.73%) > 1 m (10.82%). These results suggest that revegetation of the lower parts of the slope, along with check dams, will be more effective for controlling soil erosion. Such synergistic effects should be considered in future soil erosion modeling.

Storage allocation rules to meet shared water demands for optimal operation of reservoir water supply

AbstractThe priority principle of storage allocation rules of serial cascade reservoirs within an interbasin water supply can reduce water loss and reduce water supply times. Reasonable balancing curves for reservoirs in parallel are proposed, and the proportional distribution of water is determined to illustrate the optimal allocation rule for different reservoir scheduling periods. The mutation point and slope are used to describe the segmentation of reservoirs in parallel. Finally, the relative optimal water supply rule is obtained. Taking the reservoir groups in the lower reaches of the Luanhe River basin as the research object, the results show that the water supply obtained by the balancing curve is increased by approximately 4% compared with the compensation regulation, and wasted water is reduced by 10%. The results are close to the largest water supply, the annual average wasted water and the guarantee rate obtained by dynamic programming. The suggested method can achieve the operation goal effectively and improve the operation performance of the shared water demands for the reservoir water supply. This article highlights the superior results obtained compared with the current storage allocation rules to meet shared water demands.

Increasing plant resistance with silicon applications

The mineral element silicon, accumulated in the leaves and roots of various plants, plays a crucial role in increasing resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Although considered a mineral element that is not essential for plant life, silicon provides significant benefits. This mineral accumulated in tissues provides increased resistance of cells to mechanical stresses, reduced water loss through transpiration, increased resistance to sunlight, and reduced metal toxicity and salt stresses. Plants accumulate silicon differently, depending on their root type and functionality. Molecular studies have made it possible to identify the genes responsible for silicon accumulation. In the future, advances in this field could improve techniques for studying the mechanisms involved in silicon uptake, not only by increasing its availability within tissues but also by improving its storage capacity. Unfortunately, many plants cannot absorb silicon and, therefore, cannot benefit from the mechanisms that lead to increased resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. This review aims to highlight the benefits obtainable with the use of silicon in those plants capable of absorbing it, particularly in the control of biotic and abiotic stresses.

Effect of Maleic Hydrazide and Waxing on Quality and Shelf-life of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruits

The effect of post-harvest treatment of maleic hydrazide (MH)with and without waxing on the quality and shelf-life of ‘Kitchner’ and‘Abu-Samaka’ mango fruits at 18 ±1°C and 85% - 90% relative humiditywas studied. Maleic hydrazide and wax treatments delayed fruit ripening,reduced losses, maintained quality and extended shelf-life of mangofruits. MH at 500 and 1000 ppm significantly delayed fruit ripening bytwo and four days in both mango cultivars, respectively, compared withthe untreated fruits. The higher the concentration of MH, the more delayin fruit ripening. Waxing in addition to MH treatment resulted in ripeningdelay of six days in fruit ripening than treatment with MH alone. Theeffect of MH and waxing treatments in delaying mango fruit ripening,was indicated in retarded respiratory climacteric, reduced water loss,delayed peel colour development, fruit softening and total soluble solidsaccumulation and retained ascorbic acid content.

The use of silicon and mycorrhizal fungi to mitigate changes in licorice leaf micromorphology, chlorophyll fluorescence, and rutin content under water-deficit conditions

In this study, the effects of water-deficit conditions, silicon (Si) fertilizer (300 ppm), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation by Claroiedoglomus etunicatum were evaluated on several features of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.). The measurable features were photosynthetic parameters, rutin content in aerial parts, and leaf micromorphology. Drought was administered at five levels determined by the percentage of field capacity (FC), i.e. 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% of FC. Leaf extracts were utilized for measuring rutin content (via HPLC), and photosynthetic pigments; measurement of stomatal density, and trichome analysis were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under severe drought stress, leaf area decreased by 50.84%, compared to well-irrigated plants. A significant decrease in leaf numbers (32.52%) was observed because of deficit irrigation. AM and Si improved chlorophyll fluorescence, which corresponded to the maximum efficiency of photosystem II. Rutin content decreased significantly under deficit irrigation. Also, the integration of AM and Si treatments positively affected rutin quantity under various irrigation regimes. Under moderate stress (60% FC), using AM and/or Si treatments reduced the stomatal length by 61.22 and 52.98%, respectively. Interestingly, a significant reduction in stomatal density towards control was observed as a result of the integrated treatments of Si and AM (58.28% at W20 and 59.82% at W100), which helped plants reduce water loss when facing drought stress. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, and rutin changed quantitatively under moderate drought stress, while more variations were observed in leaf epidermal micromorphology under severe drought stress. These findings revealed that Si and AM, by exogenous application, synergistically mitigated the effects of drought stress on licorice.

Robust Cellulose/Carboxymethyl Chitosan Composite Films with High Transparency and Antibacterial Ability for Fresh Fruit Preservation

The packaging of fresh foods is increasingly focusing on biodegradable composites made from natural resources. Environmental worries about traditional plastics can be reduced by developing robust, eco-friendly biocomposites. Here, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was co-solubilized with cellulose to successfully fabricate highly transparent, sturdy composite films (CSCs). All composite films exhibited better thermal stability, high transparency, and robust mechanical strength due to physical cross-linking and hydrogen bonds between homogeneously dispersed CMCS and cellulose molecules. Particularly, compared to CSC-0, the tensile strength and elongation at break of CSC-3 were increased by 68.8 and 23.2%, respectively. Additionally, CSCs showed excellent barrier capacity and good antibacterial ability for suitable food packaging materials. These CSCs with excellent properties can be used to package fruit to reduce water loss from the fruit and increase its shelf life.

Flexible Organic Electronic Ion Pump for Flow-Free Phytohormone Delivery into Vasculature of Intact Plants.

Plant vasculature transports molecules that play a crucial role in plant signaling including systemic responses and acclimation to diverse environmental conditions. Targeted controlled delivery of molecules to the vascular tissue can be a biomimetic way to induce long distance responses, providing a new tool for the fundamental studies and engineering of stress-tolerant plants. Here, a flexible organic electronic ion pump, an electrophoretic delivery device, for controlled delivery of phytohormones directly in plant vascular tissue isdeveloped. The c-OEIP is based on polyimide-coated glass capillaries that significantly enhance the mechanical robustness of these microscale devices while being minimally disruptive for the plant. The polyelectrolyte channel is based on low-cost and commercially available precursors that can be photocured with blue light, establishing much cheaper and safer system than the state-of-the-art. To trigger OEIP-induced plant response, the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in the petiole of intact Arabidopsis plantsis delivered. ABA is one of the main phytohormones involved in plant stress responses and induces stomata closure under drought conditions to reduce water loss and prevent wilting. The OEIP-mediated ABA delivery triggered fast and long-lasting stomata closure far away from the delivery point demonstrating systemic vascular transport of the delivered ABA, verified delivering deuterium-labeled ABA.

A data-intensive documentation of plant ecosystem thermoregulation across spatial and temporal scales.

This article is a Commentary on Guo et al. (2023), 238: 1004–1018.

Smart Water Grids and Digital Twin for the Management of System Efficiency in Water Distribution Networks

One of the main factors contributing to water scarcity is water loss in water distribution systems, which mainly arises from a lack of adequate knowledge in the design process, optimization of water availability, and poor maintenance/management of the system. Thus, from the perspective of sustainable and integrated management of water resources, it is essential to enhance system efficiency by monitoring existing system elements and enhancing network maintenance/management practices. The current study establishes a smart water grid (SWG) with a digital twin (DT) for a water infrastructure to improve monitoring, management, and system efficiency. Such a tool allows live monitoring of system components, which can analyze different scenarios and variables, such as pressures, operating devices, regulation of different valves, and head-loss factors. The current study explores a case study in which local constraints amplify significant water losses. It develops and examines the DT model’s application in the Gaula water distribution network (WDN) in Madeira Island, Portugal. The developed methodology resulted in a significant potential reduction in real water losses, which presented a huge value of 434,273 m3 (~80%) and significantly improved system efficiency. The result shows a meaningful economic benefit, with savings of about EUR 165k in water loss volume with limiting pressures above the regulatory maximum of 60 m w.c. after the district metered area (DMA) sectorization and the requalification of the network. Hence, only 40% of the total annual volume, concerning the status quo situation, is necessary to supply the demand. The infrastructure leakage index measures the existing real losses and the reduction potential, reaching a value of 21.15, much higher than the recommended value of 4, revealing the great potential for improving the system efficiency using the proposed methodology.

The leaf sheath promotes prolonged flooding protection by giving rise to specialized adventitious roots.

This article is a Commentary on Lin et al. (2023), 238: 1403–1419.