Seedling Leaf Research Articles

Characterization of leaf rust resistance in a set of wheat-Thinopyrum amphiploid-derived hexaploid breeding lines

In order to identify new sources of resistance to leaf rust, a globally important disease of wheat, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt), a total of 170 hexaploid breeding lines, which have similar morphology with wheat and were derived from crosses of wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum or wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids with susceptible wheat cultivars, were inoculated with the selected Chinese Pt races for evaluating seedling leaf rust response in the greenhouse. The response of adult plants to leaf rust was assessed on seedling susceptible lines over three cropping seasons from 2017 to 2020. In addition, 24 specific markers for 20 known Lr genes were used. Based on the results from gene postulation and molecular marker detection, two adult plant resistance (APR) genes (Lr34 and Lr37) and nine seedling resistance genes (Lr1, Lr2a, Lr2b, Lr3ka, Lr10, Lr15, Lr17, Lr18, and Lr26) were identified in 118 lines either singly or in combination. Most commonly identified Lr genes were Lr37 in 81 (47.6%) lines and Lr26 in 40 (23.5%) lines. Less frequently detected genes were Lr1 in nine lines; Lr2b and Lr3ka each in eight lines; Lr17 in seven lines; Lr2a and Lr34 each in four lines; Lr10 in three lines; Lr18 in two lines; and Lr15 was found in only one line. Twenty-eight lines were resistant to almost all the races used, but no known resistance gene was identified except Lr26, a gene with widespread ineffectiveness, suggesting that these derivatives could possess uncharacterized seedling Lr gene(s). Eleven seedling-susceptible lines were found to have APR over three cropping seasons, with an average maximum disease severity (MDS) below 15%, and hence could be potential sources of new APR genes. This study showed that these hexaploid breeding lines derived from wheat-Thinopyrum amphiploids could serve as new sources for wheat leaf rust resistance.

English

Fungal pathogens have been investigated previously for biological control of goosegrass (Eleusine indica), but there is little research on the compatibility of herbicides with fungal pathogen Bipolaris bicolor for control of glyphosate-resistant E. indica. The aims of this study were to 1) examine the in vitro compatibility of Bipolaris bicolor and three herbicides (ametryn, flumiozaxin and sodium chlorate) and 2) determine the efficacy of a combination of B. bicolor and ametryn for inhibiting glyphosate-resistant E. indica biotypes in the greenhouse. Mycelial growth inhibition area was measured after B. bicolor spores were treated with ametryn, flumiozaxin, or sodium chlorate at one-fifth of their recommended rates. The findings showed that ametryn had the lowest inhibitory effect (10%), while flumioxazin and sodium chlorate had 80 and 30% inhibition, respectively, indicating that ametryn is the most compatible herbicide with B. bicolor. E. indica seedlings were then subjected to four treatments, including non-treated plants, at the 3 to 4-leaf stage where T1: negative control plant, T2: one-fifteenth of the recommended dose of ametryn, T3: B. bicolor spore suspension and T4: ametryn plus B. bicolor spore suspension. B. bicolor in combination with ametryn was the most effective treatment for E. indica inhibition one week after treatment. The treatment reduced seedling height, leaf greenness and shoot dry weight by 50 to 94% and caused plant death seven days after treatment. These findings suggest that B. bicolor in combination with ametryn is a viable integrated strategy to control the glyphosate-resistant E. indica biotype. © 2022 Friends Science Publishers

Phosphatidylcholine Enhances Homeostasis in Peach Seedling Cell Membrane and Increases Its Salt Stress Tolerance by Phosphatidic Acid.

Salt stress is a major adverse abiotic factor seriously affecting fruit tree growth and development. It ultimately lowers fruit quality and reduces yield. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an important cell membrane component that is critical for cell structure and membrane stability maintenance. In this study, we found that the addition of external PC sources significantly increased the tolerance of one-year-old peach trees, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch., to salt stress and attenuated their damage. The effect of exogenous application of 200 mg/L PC exerted the most significant positive effect. Its use caused seedling leaf stomatal opening, contributing to normal gas exchange. Moreover, beneficial effects were exerted also to the root system, which grew normally under salt stress. Meanwhile, phospholipase D activity in the cell was promoted. The production of phosphatidic acid (PA) was enhanced by increased decomposition of phospholipids; PA serves as a secondary messenger involved in plant biological process regulation and the reduction in the reactive oxygen species- and peroxide-induced damage caused by salt stress. The possible mechanism of action is via promoted plant osmotic regulation and tolerance to salt stress, reducing salt stress-induced injury to plants.

Trade-Off between Facilitation and Interference of Allelopathic Compounds in Vegetation Recovery: The Case of Rosmarinus officinalis in Degraded Gypsum Habitats.

Rosmarinus officinalis advantageously competes with other species in restored gypsum outcrops, and further research is needed to understand the causes. Specifically, we focus on the potential allelopathic effects derived from its terpenes on the emergence of gypsum species. To this end, we established 120 circular subplots in a previously restored gypsum outcrop, and randomly applied four different treatments based on the presence/absence of rosemary plants and their leaves on the soil. Afterwards, we conducted an experimental sowing of native gypsophiles. All subplots were monitored to estimate seedling emergence, and soil and leaf samples were analysed for terpenes. The results show that the treatments had significant effects on the overall emergence of seedlings, and terpenes were found in rosemary leaves and soils, with no significant differences in terpene composition. In particular, we identified a clear negative effect in the treatment where rosemary plants were eliminated but its leaves were left along with allelopathy (2.57 ± 0.54 individuals/subplot). Unexpectedly, the presence of rosemary plants seems to facilitate the emergence of gypsum species (9.93 ± 1.61 individuals/subplot), counteracting the effects of the allelopathic substances in the soil. Consequently, we do not suggest removing rosemary plants in early stages to encourage the emergence of gypsum species in restored areas.

Boron-deficiency and aluminum toxicity activate antioxidant defense and disorganize the cell wall composition and architecture in trifoliate orange leaf

Boron (B)-deficiency and aluminum (Al) phytotoxicity are two main factors that influence the yield and quality of citrus. In this study, we investigated the effects of B-deficiency, Al stress, and double stress of B-deficiency and Al toxicity on antioxidant enzyme system and cell wall components in leaf of trifoliate orange seedlings. Boron deprivation and Al toxicity severely induced morphological and anatomical changes in leaves in terms of higher lipid peroxidation, inhibited photosynthesis and impeded seedling growth, and the damages was more pronounced by double stress. Boron-deficiency disturbed the distribution pattern of pectin in leaves, suppressing the content of alkali-soluble pectin and two types of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctanoic acid (KDO), thus reduced the binding of B to the leaf cell wall. Meanwhile, exposure of Al stress alone resulted in increased content of chelator-soluble pectin and alkali-soluble pectin, whilst an opposite trend was detected in the degree of methylation of the above two pectins. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs of –B and –B +Al-treated leaves showed destruction of chloroplasts and a distinct thickening of cell wall. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR) in conjunction with X-ray diffraction (XRD) exhibited cellulose accumulation while its crystallinity was reduced by Al toxicity and double stress. Taken together, our results reveal that B-deficiency and Al toxicity caused oxidative damage to plants, changed the pectin content and characteristics, and altered the cell wall components and architecture, which could be a major cause of deleterious seedling growth.

Trichoderma harzianum Suşlarının Domates Fide Kalitesine Etkileri

This study was conducted to determine the effects of Trichoderma harzianum on seedling growth and quality as two consecutive experiments during the spring months of 2018. In the first experiment, four different T. harzianum strains and a commercial preparate were used by adding into seed sowing substrate and compared with control group which had no treatment. The most promising strain (strain2), was used with and without foliar fertilizer (20:20:20) and foliar fertilizer itself was considered as control. Emergence period and rate were determined to observe the effects of treatments of germination of seeds. Regarding the seedling growth and quality, seedling length, root length, hypocotyl diameter, leaf thickness, fresh and dry weights of root and shoots, dry matter content, color, chlorophyll index, leaf macro and micro plant nutrient contents and seedling quality index were determined at the planting stage. Data obtained from the first experiment showed that the effects of T. harzianum strains on seedling morphology, physiology and nutrient content were different. Among the tested strains, strain2 showed better performance on seedling length, root and shoot dry matter contents, total fresh weight, chlorophyll, a color value and P, Ca, Mn, Cu and Zn contents of leaves and improved seedling quality. The second experiment result showed that the foliar fertilizer application increased the efficiency of T. harzianum strain2. T. harzianum strain2 without foliar fertilizer remained below the control treament in all measured parameters. When all the data were evaluated together, it was concluded that T. harzianum could be used to increase seedling quality due to its positive effects on seedling biomass, plant nutrition uptake and quality index. Moreover, it can be used in organic seedling production as alternative biostimulant.

Melatonin Improves Drought Stress Tolerance of Tomato by Modulating Plant Growth, Root Architecture, Photosynthesis, and Antioxidant Defense System.

Tomato is an important vegetable that is highly sensitive to drought (DR) stress which impairs the development of tomato seedlings. Recently, melatonin (ME) has emerged as a nontoxic, regulatory biomolecule that regulates plant growth and enhances the DR tolerance mechanism in plants. The present study was conducted to examine the defensive role of ME in photosynthesis, root architecture, and the antioxidant enzymes’ activities of tomato seedlings subjected to DR stress. Our results indicated that DR stress strongly suppressed growth and biomass production, inhibited photosynthesis, negatively affected root morphology, and reduced photosynthetic pigments in tomato seedlings. Per contra, soluble sugars, proline, and ROS (reactive oxygen species) were suggested to be improved in seedlings under DR stress. Conversely, ME (100 µM) pretreatment improved the detrimental-effect of DR by restoring chlorophyll content, root architecture, gas exchange parameters and plant growth attributes compared with DR-group only. Moreover, ME supplementation also mitigated the antioxidant enzymes [APX (ascorbate peroxidase), CAT (catalase), DHAR (dehydroascorbate reductase), GST (glutathione S-transferase), GR (glutathione reductase), MDHAR (monodehydroascorbate reductase), POD (peroxidase), and SOD (superoxide dismutase)], non-enzymatic antioxidant [AsA (ascorbate), DHA (dehydroascorbic acid), GSH (glutathione), and GSSG, (oxidized glutathione)] activities, reduced oxidative damage [EL (electrolyte leakage), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), MDA (malondialdehyde), and O2•− (superoxide ion)] and osmoregulation (soluble sugars and proline) of tomato seedlings, by regulating gene expression for SOD, CAT, APX, GR, POD, GST, DHAR, and MDHAR. These findings determine that ME pretreatment could efficiently improve the seedlings growth, root characteristics, leaf photosynthesis and antioxidant machinery under DR stress and thereby increasing the seedlings’ adaptability to DR stress.

EVALUATING THE PHYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF SOME PLANT SPECIES OF SEMI-ARID REGIONS

The most effective method for weed control is the use of herbicides. However, the scope of this method is narrowing down due to herbicide-resistant weeds and the non-availability of new chemistry herbicides. Hence, to explore natural weed management options, the herbicidal potential of three weed species extracts namely Opuntia ficus-indica, Murraya koenigii and Dryopteris felix-mas were evaluated in lab and wirehouse experiments. A completely randomized design with factorial arrangements was used for lab and completely randomized design was used for wirehouse experiments. Each experiment was repeated twice with four replications each time. Data pertaining to seed germination, seedling growth and physiological traits of crops and weeds were recorded using standard procedures. Data indicated that aqueous extracts of tested species depicted more phytotoxicity than N-hexane extracts against germination and seedling growth of lettuce in the lab experiment. Aqueous extract of Opuntia ficus-indica completely inhibited lettuce seed germination whereas, N-hexane extract of the same species has least effect on germination and germination traits like mean germination time, time taken to 50% germination, germination index. The aqueous extract of O. ficus-indica resulted in minimum lentil, mashbean, mungbean, parthenium and Trianthema portuclacastrum seedling leaf area, chlorophyll content, shoot, root length, dry weight and maximum electrolyte leakage. The foliar application of O. ficus-indica, M. koenigii and D. felix-mas water extracts on seedlings of lentil, mashbean, mungbean, parthenium and T. portuclacastrum followed the phyto-toxicity order O. ficus-indica aqueous extract ˃ D. felix-mas aqueous extract ˃ M. koenigii aqueous extract. The growth-inhibitory demonstrations of O. ficus-indica extract suggest that active substances with herbicidal properties are present in this plant which could be exploited as natural weedicide.

Influência de Trichoderma harzianum e Bacillus thuringiensis na redução das taxas de NPK no crescimento, fisiologia e qualidade de frutos de Citrus aurantifolia

Continuous use of chemical fertilizers gradually shrinks the crop yield and quality, and these adverse effects can be reduced by adopting new sustainable practices such as the use of manure, biofertilizers, and nano fertilizers. Limited information is existed on the application of Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus thuringiensis microbes to improve lemon seedlings growth, physiology, and fruit formation. Therefore, the current study is aimed to evaluate the effects of T. harzianum and B. thuringiensis microbes mixing with low levels of inorganic fertilizer (NPK) on the plant growth, development, and quality of limau nipis (key lemon) fruits. The lemon seedlings growing media were inoculated during transplanting with T. harzianum and B. thuringiensis at various NPK fertilizers under polybagged conditions. The seedlings were grown around eighteen (18) months after inoculation with biofertilizers followed by Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five (5) replications. The results showed that T. harzianum with 50 g of NPK treatment (T2) increased the seedling's height, branch number, leaf height, ground area, and absolute growth rate (AGR) plant height by 50.12%, 107.84%, 17.91%, 17.91%, 116.93%, and 56.02%, respectively, over the control treatment. The number of leaves (60.82%), leaf area (42.75%), stem diameter (27.34%), specific leaf area (SLA) (39.07%), leaf area index (LAI) (54.40%), and absolute growth rate for leaf number (73.86%), leaf area (306.85%) and stem diameter (46.8%) of lemon seedlings increased significantly with B. thuringiensis plus 50 g NPK treatment (T3). The applications of B. thuringiensis with 25 g NPK fertilizer treatment (T5) increased leaf fresh weight (LFW), leaf dry weight (LDW), leaf moisture content (LMC), specific leaf weight (SLW), leaf relative growth rate (RGR), and chlorophyll content by 96.45%, 56.78%, 13.60%, 24.76%, 45.45%, and 16.22%, respectively, over the control group. In addition, T5 treatment increased the fruits number, individual fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit dimension, leaf total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit TSS content of lemon tress by 81.81%, 55.52%, 43.54%, 25.69%, 89.47%, and 70.78% compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, soil inoculation of B. thuringiensis significantly increased the pulp to peel ratio and juice content of lemon fruits. From this study, it can be concluded that soil inoculation of both T. harzianum and B. thuringiensis with 25-50% NPK during transplanting improved plant growth, physiology, and fruit quality of limau nipis trees.

Quantitative Inheritance of Sclerotinia Stem Rot Resistance in Brassica napus and Relationship to Cotyledon and Leaf Resistances

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic fungus causing devastating stem rot and associated yield losses of canola/rapeseed (Brassica napus) worldwide, including in Australia. Developing host resistance against Sclerotinia stem rot is critical if this disease in canola/rapeseed is to be successfully managed, as cultural or chemical control options provide only partial or sporadic control. Three B. napus breeding populations, C2, C5 and C6, including the parents, F1, F2, BC1P1, and BC2P2, were used in a field study with an objective of exploring the inheritance pattern of disease resistance (based on stem lesion length [SLL]) and the genetic relationships of disease with stem diameter (SD) or days to first flowering (DTF), and to compare these new adult plant stem resistances against S. sclerotiorum with those of seedling (cotyledon and leaf) resistances in earlier studies. Heritability (broad sense) of SLL was 0.57 and 0.73 for population C2 at 3 and 5 weeks postinoculation and 0.21 for population C5 at 5weeks postinoculation. Additive genetic variance was evident within all 3 populations for DTF but not for SD. Narrow-sense heritability for DTF was 0.48 (C2), 0.42 (C5), and 0.32 (C6). SD, DTF, and SLL were all inherited independently, with no significant genetic covariance between traits in bivariate analysis. Genetic variance for SLL in populations C2 and C5 was entirely nonadditive, and there was significant nonadditive genetic covariance of SLL at 3 and 5 weeks postinoculation. Generation means analysis in population C2 supported the conclusion that complex epistatic interactions controlled SLL. Several C2 and C5 progeny showed high adult plant stem resistance, which may be critical in developing enhanced stem resistance in canola/rapeseed. Although population C6 showed no genetic variation for SLL resistance in this study, it showed significant nonadditive genetic variance at the cotyledon and leaf stages in earlier studies. We conclude that host resistance varies across different plant growth stages, and breeding must be targeted for resistance at each growth stage. In populations C2, C5, and C6, resistance to S. sclerotiorum in stem, leaf, and cotyledon was always controlled by nonadditive effects such as complex epistasis or dominance. Overall, our findings in relation to the quantitative inheritance of Sclerotinia stem rot resistance, together with the new high-level resistances identified, will enable breeders to select/develop genotypes with enhanced resistances to S.sclerotiorum.

Design of Spaceflight Hardware for Plant Growth in a Sealed Habitat for Experiments on the Moon

Abstract Plant growth experiments on near-term lunar landers need to be relatively small, lightweight, and self-contained. Here, we report on the design of a ~1 liter volume (1U Cubesat size) hermetically sealed habitat suitable for plant growth experiments during the first 10 days of seedling development of Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica nigra. Images from a single interior camera show germination and provide quantitative data on seedling height, leaf area, and circumnutations. After 10 days with illumination from LEDs, the photosynthetic area of Arabidopsis cotyledons per seedling reached 300 mm2. Seedling height, inferred from the overhead camera using reference markers, reached was 15 ± 5 mm. Robust circumnutation in seedlings was observed. CO2 increased as expected due to respiration in the seeds during germination reaching levels of 5000 ppm after 3 days before declining to 3000 ppm on day 10 due to photosynthetic uptake. No CO2 was added to the sealed chamber during the experiments. These results show that fundamental studies of germination and initial growth can be conducted in a small volume (1 L) hermetically sealed unit with only an overhead camera and CO2 sensor. Hardware based on this approach would be suitable for lunar experiments on robotic landers.

Effect of Growing Media on Dry Matter Accumulation in the Seedlings of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana var. rotundifolia)

The media are composed of soil, organic matter, pond soil and sand for the fruit crop seedlings. The aim was to increase the porosity, the supplementation of the sand be carried out while the organic matter particularly, FYM and vermicompost added to enrich adequate nutrients for the seedling. A study on the effect of growing media on seedling growth of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana var. rotundifolia) was conducted during 2018–19 in the nursery at Experimental Orchard of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The media for the study were garden soil and sand with the different proportion of vermicompost, FYM and cocopeat constituting 16 treatments. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design. The results revealed that growing Media T7: Garden soil + FYM + VC + CP (3:1:1:1) improved the seedling height, stem girth, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root. Media T7 having Garden soil + FYM + VC + CP (3:1:1:1) found better in improving the dry matter accumulation in ber seedlings.

Seedlings of zea mays l. (poaceae) and pterogyne nitens tul. (fabaceae): Morphoanatomic and terminological considerations / Plântulas de zea mays l. (poaceae) e pterogyne nitens tul. (fabaceae): Considerações morfoanatômicas e terminológicas

Seedlings of Zea mays L. (maize), Poaceae, and Pterogyne nitens Tul. (wild peanut), Leguminosae, are described morphologically and anatomically in order to characterize the species, but particularly to disseminate the terminology about the seedling, which is little known by non-specialist researchers and undergraduate students. Seedlings were obtained in the laboratory, using Petri dishes. Seedling was considered as the initial plant development phase, which comprises the period from germination to formation of the eophyll. Zea mays seedling is hypogeal and cryptocotyledonous, and it consists of coleorhiza, considered the primary root, endogenous embryonic root, commonly considered in the literature as radicle, reduced hypocotyl, and coleoptile, considered here as eophyll. The second seedling leaf of Z. mays is made up of uniseriate epidermis and homogeneous mesophyll. Pterogyne nitens exhibits epigeal and phanerocotyledonous seedling, and consists of primary root, long hypocotyl, two cotyledons, epicotyl, and opposite eophylls difoliolated or trifoliolated. The hypocotyl has root/shoot transition structure and the eophylls are dorsiventral consisting of one cell layer palisade parenchyma and pluriseriate spongy parenchyma. Seedlings of both species show significant morphological and anatomical differences and specific terminology, especially that of Z. mays.

Warburgia ugandensis Leaf and Bark Extracts: An Alternative to Copper as Fungicide against Downy Mildew in Organic Viticulture?

In organic viticulture, copper-based fungicides are commonly used to suppress Downy Mildew infection, caused by the oomycete Plasmopara viticola. However, the frequent and intensive use of such fungicides leads to accumulation of the heavy metal in soil and nearby waters with adverse effects on the ecosystem. Therefore, alternative, organic fungicides against Downy Mildew are urgently needed to reduce the copper load in vineyards. In this study, the use of Warburgia ugandensis Sprague (Family Canellacea) leaf and bark extracts as potential fungicides against Downy Mildew were evaluated. In vitro (microtiter) and in vivo (leaf discs, seedlings) tests were conducted, as well as field trials to determine the efficacy of the extracts against Downy Mildew. The results revealed an MIC100 of 500 µg/mL for the leaf extract and 5 µg/mL for the bark extract. Furthermore, experiments with leaf discs and seedlings demonstrated a strong protective effect of the extracts for up to 48 h under (semi-) controlled conditions. However, in field trials the efficacy of the extracts distinctly declined, regardless of the extracts’ origin and concentration.

Comparative transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveal glutathione metabolic network and functional genes underlying blue and red-light mediation in maize seedling leaf

BackgroundLight quality severely affects biosynthesis and metabolism-associated process of glutathione. However, the role of specific light is still unclear on the glutathione metabolism. In this article, comparatively transcriptome and metabolome methods are used to fully understand the blue and red-light conditions working on the glutathione metabolism in maize seedling leaf.ResultsThere are 20 differently expressed genes and 4 differently expressed metabolites in KEGG pathway of glutathione metabolism. Among them, 12 genes belong to the glutathione S-transferase family, 3 genes belong to the ascorbate peroxidase gene family and 2 genes belong to the ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase gene family. Three genes, G6PD, SPDS1, and GPX1 belong to the gene family of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, spermidine synthase, and glutathione peroxidase, respectively. Four differently expressed metabolites are identified. Three of them, Glutathione disulfide, Glutathione, and l-γ-Glutamyl-L-amino acid are decreased while L-Glutamate is increased. In addition, Through PPI analysis, two annotated genes gst16 and DAAT, and 3 unidentified genes 100381533, pco105094 and umc2770, identified as RPP13-like3, BCAT-like1and GMPS, were obtained. By the analysis of protein sequence and PPI network, we predict that pco105094 and umc2770 were involved in the GSSG-GSH and AsA-GSH cycle in the network of glutathione metabolism.ConclusionsCompared to red light, blue light remarkably changed the transcription signal transduction and metabolism of glutathione metabolism. Differently expressed genes and metabolic mapped to the glutathione metabolism signaling pathways. In total, we obtained three unidentified genes, and two of them were predicted in current glutathione metabolism network. This result will contribute to the research of glutathione metabolism of maize.

Producción de plántulas de chile habanero con fertilización orgánica y biológica

Chemical fertilization needs to be replaced in cultivation systems. Thus, this study proposes the alternative of combining compost with liquid organic fertilizers and biofertilizers to obtain habanero pepper seedling quality. The objective is to evaluate two liquid organic fertilizers in combination with Purpureocillium lilacinum and Beauveria brongniartii in growth, nutritional concentration and quality of habanero pepper seedlings grown in peat moss/compost substrate to substitute chemistry fertilization. A completely randomized experimental design was used with a bifactorial arrangement: (1) liquid organic fertilizers (vermicompost leachate and the commercial product Pez Terra®, diluted in water in a 1:200 ratio); (2) biofertilizers (B. brongniartii and P. lilacinum) and a control (25% Steiner’s nutrient solution) group were also evaluated. The seedlings treated with the commercial product increased their growth, Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) units, N, P and K concentrations, and quality with P. lilacinum inoculation; seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, N concentration and slenderness index increased, with respect to B. brongniartii. The interaction of the commercial fertilizer and P. lilacinum, and use of peat moss/compost substrate 1:1 (v/v) increased seedling height by 10%, leaf area by 35%, N and P concentrations by 57% and 35%, respectively, and slenderness index by 8% compared to the seedlings that were produced with Steiner’s 25% nutrient solution and peat moss. Therefore, this combination was considered viable for the production of habanero pepper seedlings and may substitute chemistry fertilization.

Assessment of Early Growth Response of Moringa oleifera, Faidherbia albida and Cassia fistula to Liquid Organic Fertilizers in the Nursery

A field experiment was carried out to assess the effects of two Liquid organic fertilizers (Bootstract and White fog) with the aim of investigating early growth response to M. oleifera, F. albida and C. fistula seedlings. The experiment was conducted at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Nursery, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri. It was laid out in 2×3 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD), analyzed with respect to two (2) different Liquid organic fertilizer and three (3) species of trees, the growth variables measured were: seedlings height, seedlings leaf number and seedlings collar girth. The results of the study revealed that seedling height increased with weeks after germination with significant difference between Bootstract White fog from the control. The highest seedling height was the treatment with Bootstract at 6 weeks (12.33 cm). There was significant interaction between species and fertilizer in terms of plant height. The fertilizer treatments also significantly affected the collar diameter with the highest number for Bootstract (0.63) at 6 weeks with control having the lowest value of 0.26 at week 2. The leaf numbers were significantly affected at weeks 2 and 6, however, there was no significant difference (P< 0.05) at week 4. The study revealed that Liquid organic fertilizer demonstrated different growth performance as it supports rapid growth of M. olifera, F. albida, and C. fistula, seedlings more appropriately. In conclusion the result revealed that Liquid organic fertilizer has effect on the physical characteristics of the seedlings after germination emergence. It is evident from this study that Liquid organic fertilizers (White fog and Boostract) significantly enhance M. oleifera, F. albida and C. fistula seedlings growth.

Genome-wide investigation of ZINC-IRON PERMEASE (ZIP) genes in Areca catechu and potential roles of ZIPs in Fe and Zn uptake and transport

ABSTRACT Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) are essential nutrient elements for plant growth and development. Here, we observed the effects of Fe and Zn deficiency in seedlings of Areca catechu L. (areca palm), one of the most cultured palm trees in tropic regions. Results revealed that Fe deficiency causes strong chlorosis with the significantly decreased chlorophyll biosynthesis level and photosynthetic activities in the top third young leaf (L3) of seedlings. Zn deficiency caused light chlorosis in all three young leaves which slightly decreased chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthetic activities. Analysis of the Fe and Zn concentration in leaves and roots indicated that absorption and distribution of these two ions share cooperative pathways, since Zn deficiency caused Fe increasing, and vice versa. Therefore, we focused on the ZINC-IRON PERMEASE (ZIP) genes in areca trees. From the whole-genome data set we obtained, 6 ZIP genes were classified, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed with other 38 ZIP genes from model plants to find their potential functions. We also analyzed the expression pattern of AcZIP1-6 genes under Zn and Fe deficiency by transcriptomic approaches. With these results, we constructed an expression atlas of AcZIP1-6 genes in leaves and roots of areca seedlings with the dynamic expression levels under Fe and Zn deficient conditions. In conclusion, we provide evidence to understand the absorption and transport of nutrient elements, Fe and Zn, in the tropic agricultural plant A. catechu.

Overexpression of Rice OsS1Fa1 Gene Confers Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Small peptides and proteins play critical regulatory roles in plant development and environmental stress responses; however, only a few of these molecules have been identified and characterized to date because of their poor annotation and other experimental challenges. Here, we present that rice (Oryza sativa L.) OsS1Fa1, a small 76-amino acid protein, confers drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. OsS1Fa1 was highly expressed in leaf, culm, and root tissues of rice seedlings during vegetative growth and was significantly induced under drought stress. OsS1Fa1 overexpression in Arabidopsis induced the expression of selected drought-responsive genes and enhanced the survival rate of transgenic lines under drought. The proteasome inhibitor MG132 protected the OsS1Fa1 protein from degradation. Together, our data indicate that the small protein OsS1Fa1 is induced by drought and is post-translationally regulated, and the ectopic expression of OsS1Fa1 protects plants from drought stress.

Obstacle avoidance transplanting method based on Kinect visual processing

In modern facility agriculture, to improve the quality and efficiency of transplanting, the application of transplanting robots based on visual processing is becoming more and more widespread. In order to reduce the damage to plants during the transplanting process and reduce the damage rate of plant stems, leaves and substrates, a transplanting method based on Kinect visual processing combined with an inclined transplanting manipulator was proposed. In the research, the Kinect visual processing was used to obtain and process the seedling height information and leaf edge information, and the working coordinate system of the transplanting manipulator was established and applied to plan the obstacle avoidance path. Combined with the oblique manipulator, the obstacle avoidance transplanting method was proposed. Through the structural design and force analysis of the seedling transplanting device, the key parameters that affect the transplanting quality were obtained, and the optimal transplanting performance parameters were obtained through experiments. In the experiment, with the aid of the Kinect vision processing system, the designed obstacle avoidance transplanting manipulator had a leaf damage degree of 4.70%, a stem bending rate of 16.67%, substrate integrity of 83.45% and a transplanting quality parameter of 87.36%. The time for a single seedling transplanting was (8.32±0.40) s. The experiment result proves that the obstacle avoidance transplanting method based on Kinect visual processing can effectively reduce the damage to seedlings when ensuring the transplanting efficiency. Keywords: Kinect vision processing, oblique-type transplanting robot, path planning, obstacle avoidance DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211405.6451 Citation: Jin X, Li R S, Ji J T, Yuan Y W, Li M Y. Obstacle avoidance transplanting method based on Kinect visual processing. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(5): 72–78.