Shoot Fresh Weight Research Articles (Page 1)

Abstract Zinnia, owing to its striking floral colors and high ornamental value, is widely cultivated in landscape designs during the warm seasons. However, increasing water scarcity and intensified drought stress have become major constraints limiting its growth and aesthetic performance in urban green spaces. This study investigated the effects of foliar application of a brassinosteroid, specifically 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, and 4 µM on morphological and biochemical responses of Zinnia elegans L. var. ‘Purple Prince’ under four levels of soil moisture: 100% FC as non-stress control, 80% FC as weak drought stress, 60% FC as moderate drought stress, and 40% FC as severe drought stress. The experiment was conducted in a factorial design with a completely randomized layout and four replications. Results showed that drought stress decreased plant height, biomass accumulation, flower quality, and relative water content, with the most pronounced effect observed at 40% FC. Application of 1 µM EBL effectively alleviated these impacts, improving morphological traits and increasing plant height by ≈ 15–49%, shoot fresh weight by ≈ 9–27%, shoot dry weight by ≈ 6–26%, flower visual quality index by ≈ 3–133%, and relative water content by ≈ 1–7% across FC levels compared to the control. EBL treatment also enhanced total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin contents under all FC levels. In addition, total protein, total phenolic contents, and antioxidant capacity increased significantly in response to BR. Drought stress reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), which were maintained or elevated by BR application. Conversely, levels of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and proline, as well as electrolyte leakage, and polyphenol oxidase activity were enhanced by drought, but markedly reduced by EBL. Moreover, EBL increased endogenous levels of salicylic acid and abscisic acid, indicating its role in reinforcing antioxidant defense and modulating phytohormonal signaling. These findings suggest that foliar application of 1 µM EBL effectively enhances drought tolerance in Z. elegans by improving morphological and biochemical traits, reducing oxidative stress, and strengthening stress-response mechanisms.

This study evaluates the effects of varying potassium sulfate concentrations in the nutrient solution, as well as foliar applications of calcium nitrate and potassium silicate, on growth, physiological traits, nutrient status, and fruit quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Var. Isabella) grown in a greenhouse hydroponic system. A factorial experiment was designed with three potassium sulfate levels (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM) and five foliar spray treatments (control, two levels each of calcium nitrate and potassium silicate). The results showed that combined application of 1.5 mM potassium sulfate with foliar calcium nitrate (0.25 g L−1) significantly enhanced plant height, leaf area, shoot and root biomass, as well as fruit yield, diameter, and vitamin C content, compared to other treatments. Application of potassium sulfate at 1.5 mM combined with foliar spraying of calcium nitrate at 0.25 g/L significantly enhanced overall plant growth. The fresh and dry weights of shoots increased by 4% and 12%, respectively, compared to the control. Additionally, the number of fruits per plant was significantly higher, resulting in a 35% increase in total fruit number per plant with this combined treatment. Calcium nitrate foliar sprays were more effective than potassium silicate in promoting most growth and physiological traits. Potassium treatments increased photosynthetic pigment concentration and nutrient uptake, while both calcium and silicon sprays improved plant vigor and fruit quality. The observed synergistic benefits are attributed to potassium role in stomatal regulation and assimilate transport, calcium contribution to cell integrity and photosynthesis, and silicon enhancement of water-use efficiency and leaf structure. Overall, the study demonstrates that managing the ratio and delivery of potassium, calcium, and silicon, through both nutrient solutions and foliar application, can significantly improve growth and nutrition of hydroponically cultivated tomatoes. These practical findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing tomato productivity and quality in soilless greenhouse agriculture.

The function of salt responsive promoter of Suaeda salsa SsCLCb explains why the species can accumulate large amount of nitrate from saline soils.

Silicon (Si) uptake and deposition in plant cell walls is associated with enhanced strength, water-use efficiency (WUE), and pest/disease resistance, leading to enhanced plant stress resilience. However, the optimal Si concentration and application method, and species-specific responses in a hydroponic system under controlled-environment agriculture, are still not fully understood. We investigated the potential of monosilicic acid, a soluble form of Si, to enhance growth, WUE, and antioxidant capacity of hydroponically cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), even under nonstressful conditions. We investigated two Si application methods [foliar spray (FS) and root application (RA)] and three Si concentrations (C0 = 0 mM, C1 = 0.07 mM, and C2 = 0.14 mM) in two lettuce cultivars: Green Forest and Rouxai. Plants were grown for 4 weeks after transplanting into deep-water culture (DWC) hydroponic systems, with nutrient solutions renewed weekly. Silicon was applied during each renewal using identical concentrations for the FS and RA treatments. RA at C1 produced the most favorable outcomes, increasing shoot fresh weight by 56.2% in ‘Green Forest’ and 36.1% in ‘Rouxai’, while also enhancing root growth, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant compounds such as total phenolic and flavonoid contents, particularly in ‘Green Forest’. In ‘Rouxai’, FS promoted root development and certain antioxidant responses, suggesting it as a viable alternative method. In contrast, the high concentration rate (C2) offered no additional advantage and, in some cases, reduced growth. Weekly growth analysis showed RA at C1 gave the greatest relative growth rates in both cultivars, whereas excessive foliar Si suppressed growth in ‘Rouxai’. Silicon also improved WUE through greater biomass accumulation and reduced evapotranspiration, while enhancing both enzymatic (superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase) and nonenzymatic antioxidant activities, along with chlorophyll and carotenoid levels, even under stress-free conditions. Our results demonstrate that Si supplementation can improve growth, WUE, and biochemical responses significantly in hydroponic lettuce, highlighting its potential to improve crop performance in controlled-environment agriculture.

Micronutrient deficiencies in soil can significantly hinder plant growth and reduce crop production; therefore, foliar application of these micronutrients to plants becomes effective. Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are frequently used in gas storage, adsorption, and catalysis, their application in agriculture has been rather uncommon. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how the growth parameters of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants were affected by nickel (Ni2+), chromium (Cr3+), cobalt (Co2+), and copper (Cu2+) MOFs. Using spectroscopic analysis, frameworks for Ni-BTC, Cr-BTC, Co-BTC, and Cu-BTC were described. These frameworks’ effects on the faba plants’ physiological stress indices, leaf chlorophyll and phenolic contents, fresh and dry weight of the roots and shoots, and shoot and root length were measured. According to our findings, Cu-BTC improved plant growth and development, resulting in a 37.79% increase in fresh shoot weight and a 40.42% increase in dry weight. Additionally, there was a 62.96% rise in the fresh weight of roots and a 75.0% increase in the dry weight of roots. The diameter of the stem was increased by 31.5% and the leaf surface area increased by 46.22%. There was an improvement in the amount of pigments, with carotenoids growing 1.91 times, chlorophyll a an increasing 1.59 times, and chlorophyll b increasing 2.07 times. On the other hand, Cr-BTC showed a negative impact on the growth of the plant; malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 levels were raised by 4.54% and 14.21%, respectively, compared to the control. Although micronutrients are essential for plant growth and development, plants need them in small quantities. MOFs will deliver these micronutrients to plants in a controlled and efficient manner. MOFs can enhance nutrient uptake and reduce environmental impact by minimizing nutrient leaching and pollution.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07478-7.

UV irradiation is known to enhance the activity of keratinases and catalase in microbes. This study aimed to evaluate the decomposing capabilities of wild and UV-irradiated Bacillus subtilis strains. Therefore, wild and UV-irradiated strains (0, 60, 150 and 240 min) were allowed to degrade poultry feathers for 0, 30 and 60 days. The biodegraded products were used as supplements (0 and 3 g/kg soil) for cotton. The best-performing biocompost was chosen based on the correlation between its physical and chemical properties. Selected biocompost (60 days matured by 150 min of UV-irradiated B. subtilis) was applied as a rooting medium to stressed cotton (control and 50 mg K2Cr2O7/kg soil). Chromium (Cr) stress negatively affected growth, fiber and oil quality in untreated and feather-supplemented plants. B. subtilis-degraded biocomposts improved germination rate, index and percentage; leaf numbers, branches, chlorophyll a/b ratio, carotenoids, soluble proteins, amino acids and ascorbic acids; fiber elasticity, fiber uniformity index (FUI) and boll weight; and reduced coefficient of variation (CVt), fiber micronaire, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2. Biocompost prepared from UV-irradiated B. subtilis strain (150 min) was better in terms of carbon/ nitrogen (C/N) ratio of compost, shoot fresh weight, germination percentage, shoot length, dry weight, chlorophyll a/b ratio, carotenoids, boll weight, seed number and unsaturated fatty acids. In summary, to grow cotton in Cr-stressed areas, feathers degraded by B. subtilis can serve as a beneficial, eco-friendly biocompost. UV irradiation can additionally enhance the efficiency of B. subtilis.

Soil salinization severely restricts agricultural production and the sustainable use of soil. While plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and hydrogen-rich water (HRW) have individually been reported to alleviate salt tolerance, their synergistic effects and molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the combined application of a salt-tolerant PGPR strain Cytobacillus firmus L71 and HRW in Pennisetum giganteum under NaCl stress. A factorial pot experiment was conducted under three salt levels (0, 250, and 500 mM NaCl) with or without PGPR-HRW treatment. Growth traits, antioxidant activities, osmotic regulators, and transcriptomic responses were measured. The combined treatment significantly promoted growth under severe salinity, with shoot fresh weight increasing by 148% and root length by 54.60% compared with untreated control. Physiological measurements showed elevated activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD), and Catalase (CAT), and reduced accumulation of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Transcriptome analysis indicated consistent enrichment in plant hormone signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Negative regulators such as CaM/CML (induces stomatal closure), CDPK (triggers hypersensitive response), WRKY25/33 (inhibits DNA defense genes), and JAZ (accelerates stress-induced senescence) were down-regulated, while positive regulators including A-ARR (enhances cell division and shoot growth) were up-regulated, contributing to sustained stomatal function, delayed senescence, and improved reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance. These results demonstrate that PGPR-HRW synergy enhances salt tolerance through coordinated physiological and transcriptional regulation, highlighting the potential of integrating microbial inoculants with HRW for sustainable saline soil remediation and crop improvement.

With the development of microbial fertilizers, efforts have been made to enrich the strain resources of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in maize and to compare the growth-promoting effects of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) with those of single strains. To achieve this, phenotypic measurements and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were performed on maize roots treated with SynComs and single-strain bacterial suspensions, aiming to investigate the regulatory influence of PGPR on differential gene expression and key metabolic pathways in maize roots. In this study, 59 PGPR strains were selected, representing genera including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia sp., Curtobacterium pusillum, Acidovorax, Sphingobium, Mitsuaria, Bacterium, Rhodanobacter, Variovorax, Ralstonia, Brevibacillus, Terrabacter, Flavobacterium, Comamonadaceae, Achromobacter, Paraburkholderia, and Massilia. Based on the growth-promoting effects observed in pot experiments, optimal bacterial strains were selected according to the principles of functional complementarity and functional superposition to construct the SynCom. The selected strains included Burkholderia sp. A2, Pseudomonas sp. C9, Curtobacterium pusillum E2, and Bacillus velezensis F3. The results demonstrated that individual strains exerted measurable growth-promoting effects on seedlings; however, the growth-promoting capability of the SynCom was significantly stronger than that of single strains. The synthetic microbial community ALL group markedly increased root length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, number of branches, and number of root tips in maize seedlings. RNA-seq analysis of maize roots treated with the SynCom (ALL group) was conducted in comparison with CK, A2, C9, E2, and F3 treatment groups. A total of 5245 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which only 133 were common across treatments. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that DEGs were enriched in multiple biological processes, including cellular amide biosynthetic and metabolic processes, flavonoid biosynthetic and metabolic processes, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and translation. The majority of enriched pathways were associated with primary and secondary metabolism, indicating that these bacterial strains promote plant growth by modulating a wide range of metabolic pathways in plant cells. Overall, this study provides a molecular framework for understanding the mechanisms underlying the growth-promoting effects of SynComs on maize roots and offers valuable insights for future research aimed at identifying key regulatory genes.

Pumpkin is widely used as a rootstock to enhance salt tolerance and improve productivity of Cucurbit crops. To date, the morphology and ion parameters of pumpkins at a certain time point under salt stress are well-known. However, the dynamic changes in organ morphology and K+/Na+ content of pumpkin under salt stress and the relationship of them remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated biomass, root morphology, stem structure, and K+/Na+ content in salt-sensitive (JZ-1) and salt-tolerant (JYZ-1) pumpkins under 0 mM and 120 mM NaCl conditions at 2, 5, and 10 days after treatment (DAT). Our results show that at the beginning, NaCl treatment led to a sharp decrease in shoot fresh weight by 30–53% and a slight decrease in root fresh weight, plant dry weight, and total root length and affects the K+ and Na+ content both in JZ-1 and JYZ-1 at 2 DAT. Subsequently, total root volume and number of tips have changed, in which NaCl treatment resulted in a significant increase of 127% in total root volume and a significant decrease of 38.4% in number of tips in JYZ-1 at 5 DAT, but no significant difference in JZ-1 at 5 DAT was found. At the end, root fresh weight and stem structure parameters were significantly decreased by NaCl treatment at 10 DAT both in JZ-1 and JYZ-1, and stem cross-sectional area under NaCl conditions in JZ-1 and JYZ-1 at 10 DAT (2.133 and 2.316 mm3, respectively) was significantly lower than that under control conditions (2.933 and 4.441 mm3, respectively). Additionally, shoot K+ content showed a trend of first upward and then downward in JZ-1 and a slightly decreasing trend in JYZ-1, and shoot Na+ content displayed a trend of first downward and then upward in JZ-1 and a slightly increasing trend in JYZ-1. It is suggested that shoot K+ content, shoot Na+ content, and total root volume be considered as the important parameters for pumpkin salt tolerance assessment. These findings will help us better understand the mechanisms of salt tolerance and improve the efficiency of identification of salt-tolerant pumpkin.

Studying hypoxia in rice is particularly important because oxygen deficiency during germination severely limits seedling establishment. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying hypoxic tolerance is therefore crucial for improving rice yield stability under flooded or waterlogged conditions. Progress in developing rice cultivars that thrive under flooding and low oxygen (hypoxic) conditions has been limited over the past two decades due to a lack of tolerant plant varieties and a limited understanding of genetic mechanisms. This study evaluated hypoxia tolerance in the Cheongcheong Nagdong Double Haploid (CNDH) rice population, along with their parent lines, for hypoxia tolerance. Significant phenotypic differences were identified, with the Cheongcheong and CNDH lines CNDH13, CNDH35, and CNDH91 showing strong hypoxia tolerance, while Nagdong and CNDH lines CNDH14-2, CNDH43, and CNDH50-1 were susceptible to hypoxia. Root length was unaffected by hypoxia, while shoot length and fresh weight were key tolerance indicators. Comprehensive quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis based on logarithm of the odds (LOD) scores above 3.0 identified three QTLs associated with hypoxia tolerance, indicating significant genetic control: qSL-8 and qSL-10 (shoot length) and qFW-2 (fresh weight). The gene expression analysis performed under hypoxic conditions highlighted that 35 candidate genes within these QTL regions exhibited differential regulation: Os02g0184200, Os08g0430200, Os08g0431900, and Os08g0432500 were upregulated, whereas Os08g0439100, Os10g0343400, Os10g0395400, and Os10g0405600 were downregulated in both resistant and susceptible lines. Os08g0431900 displayed significant expression changes correlating with hypoxia resistance. Phylogenetic and protein–protein interaction analyses revealed that Os08g0431900 is highly conserved and interacts with proteins involved in stress responses, suggesting that these proteins are crucial in hypoxia tolerance. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of hypoxia tolerance and identify key genes for future breeding programs to develop hypoxia-resistant rice varieties.

Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is crucial four carbons, non-protein amino acid that plays a key role in regulating plant growth under stress conditions. This study explored the impact of exogenous GABA on morpho-anatomical traits and growth of wheat cultivars, FSD-08 and ANAJ-17 under salinity stress. The experimental setup included two salinity levels, 0 and 120 mM NaCl and four GABA concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 3 mM). Results demonstrated that GABA application enhanced various growth parameters, such as plant height (3.22%, 6.58%), shoot fresh weight (17.4%, 18.5%), shoot dry weight (15.2%, 22.6%), root dry weight (3.67%, 3.79%), root length (9.18%, 4.76%), shoot length (2.80%, 8.46%), leaf area (26.6%, 3.01%), awn length (14.7%, 6.7%), number of leaves and roots (5.89%, 13.6% and 8.1%, 2.32%) for ANAJ-17 and FSD-08, respectively. Anatomical modifications induced by GABA included increases in stem radius, epidermal thickness, sclerenchyma thickness, phloem cell area, root cortical thickness, cortical cell area, endodermal thickness, endodermal cell area, and pith radius were increased (7.53%, 21.1%, 63.3%, 61.4%, 9.30%, 7.30%, 7.69%, 7.31% and 11.7%) for ANAJ-17 at 2 mM and (14.6%, 18.5%, 26.7%, 62.1%, 25.9%, 37.4%, 33.1%, 45.5% and 41.7%) for FSD-08 at 3 mM under saline conditions. Exogenous GABA also reduces the reactive oxygen species (ROS), regulated stomatal aperture, enhanced photosynthesis, and activated antioxidant enzymes and up regulated genes in wheat under salt stress. Overall, the exogenous GABA effectively modulated ion homeostasis, improving the performance of wheat plants under saline conditions.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed germination and productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, including some agricultural zones of Armenia. Using nanoparticles (NPs) offers a promising solution to increase plant resistance to salt stress. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles and silicon dioxide nanoparticles (50 mg/L) on the germination of Armenian wheat genotypes (Vars, Rima) under different level of salt stress and to evaluate their early growth and physiological responses. For the assessment of wheat genotype salt tolerance, we have used the following indices: germination rate (GR), germination energy (GE) and germination stress indices, seedling vigor index (SVI), mean daily germination (MDG), mean germination time (MGT). Stress tolerance was assessed with indices such as Promptness Index (PI), Root Length Stress Tolerance Index (RLSI), Germination Stress Tolerance Index (GSTI), Physiological Index of Plant Height (PHSI), Shoot Fresh Weight Stress Tolerance Index (RFSI), Root Dry Weight Stress Tolerance Index (RDSI), Shoot Dry Weight Stress Tolerance Index (SDSI), Germination Reduction (GR), Shoot Length Reduction (SLR), Root Length Reduction (RLR) and Stress Susceptibility Index (SSI). Various physiological traits of plants such as shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry biomass, and biochemical traits like concentrations of sodium, chloride and potassium ions were also analyzed to evaluate the influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles and silicon dioxide NPs under different levels of salinity. The findings suggest that NPs have a positive impact on seed germination and on salt tolerance in wheat seedling. According to these results the use of NPs can mitigate salinity stress and support wheat growth in saline soils.

The large-scale accumulation of iron tailings poses serious environmental challenges and represents a significant loss of potential resources. Due to the stable silicate mineral structure of iron tailings, essential nutrient elements remain encapsulated, resulting in low bioavailability and limited uptake by plants. This characteristic greatly restricts their direct use in agricultural applications. To overcome this limitation, this study employed three organic acids, namely citric acid, oxalic acid, and acetic acid, to activate iron tailings. The activation efficiency was systematically evaluated, and the effects of activated iron tailings on plant growth were assessed through pot experiments. The results showed that all three organic acids significantly enhanced the release of available silicon and iron from iron tailings, with oxalic acid exhibiting the highest activation capacity, increasing available Si and Fe to 882.99 mg/kg and 395.41 mg/kg, respectively. Pot experiments further revealed that the organic acid–iron tailing composites markedly improved soil nutrient availability, with available potassium, phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, iron, and silicon increasing by 50.03%, 95.99%, 82.59%, 163.21%, and 200.01%, respectively. Consequently, plant growth was substantially enhanced, including increases in plant height (29.49%), shoot fresh weight (41.62%), and shoot dry weight (39.89%). This study provides a novel and sustainable strategy for the valorization of iron tailings as an agricultural resource and soil amendment, demonstrating considerable potential for both environmental remediation and agronomic improvement.

The study was conducted in the Micropropagation laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kufa, from November 2023 to March 2024 to study the in vitro effects of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) in sour orange (Citrus aurantium) seed germination and seedlings growth using growth chamber seed culture. Mature sour orange seeds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented PEG 6000 at concentrations of 0, 0.5, or 1 % and 3 concentrations of melatonin (0, 0.5 or 1 mg L-1) for 45 days to study water stress effect on seed germination percentage, seedling length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight. Results showed that water stress adversely affected these traits: seed germination percentage, seedling height, fresh and dry weight and root length, alongside the increase in PEG concentration compared to PEG 6000 free medium after 45 days of the seed culture. The nutrient medium supplemented with melatonin reduced the negative effect of water stress as it improved seed germination rate, seedling height, shoot fresh and dry weight and root length, as the concentration exceeded 1 mg L-1. All the study indicators were significantly affected by the interaction treatments of PEG and melatonin, especially in the absence of PEG. Particularly, the interaction of 0 % PEG plus 1 mg L-1 melatonin produced the highest values ​​in all plant growth traits studied, while the interaction treatment at 1 % PEG with 1 mg L-1 melatonin gave lower values in the traits abovementioned.

Polyurethane foams (PUFs) utilised in the comfort industry generate substantial trim waste volumes requiring end-of-life management. Rebonding, one form of mechanical recycling, is a technique involving the mechanical breakdown and subsequent adhesion of PUF using polyurethane prepolymers yielding a recycled material. However, the limited investigation into the properties of rebond PUF constrains its potential for novel alternative uses, such as soilless plant-growing media. A laboratory-scale rebond production method has been developed, and a series of rebond PUFs produced to evaluate the influence of crumb size, density, prepolymer chemistry, and prepolymer loading on the properties of the rebond PUFs and their suitability as growing media. The results indicated that higher quality rebonds were obtained with larger crumb sizes (mixed or >7 mm), moderate amounts of prepolymer (4.5 to 7.5% by mass), and higher densities. Increasing density directly influenced plant growth-related properties, including reducing airflow, increasing water uptake through wicking, and increasing water retention through drainage alongside larger crumb sizes [>7 mm]. To demonstrate the method’s utility for rapid screening, a plant growth trial was conducted using density as the key variable. Eruca sativa plants grown in low-density rebonds exhibited comparable growth (leaf length, leaf width, and shoot fresh weight) to mineral wool, whereas medium- and high-density rebonds showed reduced growth. This study validates a lab-scale technique that enables the rapid optimisation of rebond PUFs for novel applications like soilless growing media.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a medicinal plant and edible vegetable from the Lamiaceae family, holds significant therapeutic and culinary value. Endophytic bacterial inoculation is an effective strategy for enhancing the essential oil content and metabolic profile of medicinal plants. This study isolated and molecularly identified two endophytic bacteria, and evaluated their effects on the physiological, biochemical, and essential oil traits of basil using a completely randomized design. The bacterial isolates were identified as Microbacterium foliorum Emf1 and Paenibacillus peoriae ER11. Both isolates significantly improved key growth traits, with M. foliorum Emf1 showing the most substantial impact across various indicators. Notable increases compared to the control included root volume (106.79%), root surface area (60.66%), root fresh (71.81%) and dry weight (77.77%), shoot fresh (81.73%) and dry weight (81.48%), leaf fresh (84.54%) and dry weight (83.59%), membrane stability (400.85%), carotenoid content (200.00%), anthocyanin levels (61.90%), essential oil content (101.43%), total phenol (20.46%), and antioxidant activity (56.6%). This research provides novel insights by demonstrating the beneficial effects of these two endophytic bacterial isolates in enhancing basil’s growth performance, biochemical properties and essential oil content.

Mesosulfuron-methyl (MS), a sulfonylurea herbicide used in wheat, poses significant residual phytotoxicity risks to subsequent maize (Zea mays L.) crops. This study evaluated the protective role of the safener cyprosulfamide (CSA) through physiological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. MS treatment drastically reduced maize shoot length and fresh weight by 80.74% and 74.24%, respectively, while CSA pretreatment significantly relieved these inhibitory effects, with the mitigation rates of shoot length and fresh weight reaching 66.3% and 63.57%, respectively. Physiologically, CSA alleviated MS-induced chlorophyll and carotenoid losses and reduced oxidative stress by lowering malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (23.39% at 6 days after sowing) while enhancing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. Molecularly, CSA upregulated nine GST genes, competitively bound to ZmALS1/2, increasing acetolactate synthase (ALS) activity by 70-146%, and reduced MS residues in shoots (4.02%) and roots (33.78%). These findings demonstrate CSA's multifunctional detoxification mechanism, combining gene activation, antioxidant regulation, and target-site competition, offering a viable strategy to mitigate herbicide carryover in crop rotations. CSA application could significantly reduce MS phytotoxicity, advancing sustainable herbicide management.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important vegetables in Pakistan and worldwide and being affected with root knot nematode in high plastic tunnels. The study was conducted to survey high plastic tunnels at Quetta, Balochistan Pakistan and samples have been disease samples have been collected. The maximum disease incidence in the high plastic tunnels was recorded 30% at Baleli area and minimum 10% at Sariab and Nausar areas. Management experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of various nematicides on the growth, and physiological traits of cucumber plants. Treatment includes chemicals viz., Carbofuran, Fostiazate, Fluopyrum, Oxamyl, and Cadusafos, compared against an untreated control group of cucumber pants. Carbofuran consistently produced the highest values across all parameters, including number of fruits per plant (7.10), fruit weight (28.80 g), fruit length (13.2cm), seed number per fruit (40.0), number of leaves (19.2), plant height (47.8 cm), fresh shoot weight (78.8 g), fresh root weight (23.80 g), dry shoot weight (46.5 g), and dry root weight (14.0 g). Fostiazate and Fluopyrum followed in performance, showing significantly better results than Oxamyl, Cadusafos, and the control for most parameters. Oxamyl and Cadusafos displayed moderate improvements over the control on various parameters. The untreated control consistently recorded the lowest values in growth and yield characteristics. Notably, Carbofuran also induced the lowest number of root galls (6.0), significantly below other treatments, with Cudusaps showing the highest gall count (28.0). These results demonstrate that chemical treatments of Carbofuran followed by Fostiazate substantially enhance cucumber growth and are recommended for management of root knot in green house condition

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a plantation crop that contributes to Indonesia’s economy through export value and serves as the main source of income for farmers in major production centers. Grafting technology is widely used to increase productivity; however, its success rate remains low. The use of biostimulants derived from moringa leaf extract and seaweed extract offers an alternative solution to improve the success and growth of cocoa grafts. This study aimed to determine the effect of type and concentration of biostimulants on the success and growth of cocoa grafts. The research was conducted from December 2024 to February 2025 in Labuhan Dalam, Tanjung Senang District, Bandar Lampung City. A non-factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used, consisting of 7 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments included a control (0 ml/l), moringa leaf extract at 150 ml/l, 300 ml/l, and 450 ml/l, as well as seaweed extract at 150 ml/l, 300 ml/l, and 450 ml/l. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and tested with the Least Significant Difference (LSD) at a 5% significance level. The results showed that the application of biostimulants had a significant effect on the time of shoot emergence, number of shoots, shoot length, shoot diameter, and leaf greenness. However, the treatments did not significantly affect the number of leaves, number of flushes, fresh weight of shoots, or dry weight of shoots. All biostimulant applications resulted in a 100% grafting success rate. The best concentration of both moringa leaf and seaweed biostimulant extracts was 300 ml/l. Key words: Biostimulants, moringa leaves, seaweed, shoot grafting

Light is a critical factor regulating plant development and productivity under controlled environment conditions. However, the light conditions are often kept static throughout the cultivation period, potentially overlooking plants’ dynamic responses to changing environmental stimuli over time. This study proposes a stage-specific optimization strategy to maximize lettuce growth, based primarily on shoot fresh weight by adjusting red:green:blue (R:G:B) light ratio at different growth stages. After transplanting 2-week-old seedlings, their growth period was divided into an early stage (ES, the first 2 weeks) and a late stage (LS, after 2 weeks). To account for potential carry-over effects, the ES optimization was designed to evaluate how early-stage light conditions influence final growth performance. Response surface methodology was then employed to identify the optimal spectral combinations for each stage. The optimal R:G:B light ratios were determined to be 44.2:55.8:0 for ES and 25.2:57.8:16.9 for LS. These results suggest that excluding B light during ES promotes morphological traits favorable for light interception, presumably at the expense of immediate photosynthetic efficiency, and ultimately supporting enhanced biomass accumulation during LS. A sequential-optimized lighting strategy combining these two stage-specific light ratios was then evaluated against other lighting strategies, including a static-optimized, a reference, two white LED treatments with different color temperatures of 2700 and 5000 K. While the static-optimized treatment with an R:G:B ratio of 77:23:0 produced the highest shoot fresh weight during ES, the sequential-optimized ultimately delivered the greatest biomass by the end of the growth stage. These findings highlight the importance of stage-specific light requirements and demonstrate that dynamic light management aligned with developmental physiology can significantly enhance crop productivity. This study provides a practical framework for implementing adaptive light strategies in controlled environment systems.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07295-y.