Number Of Shoots Research Articles

Toward Enhanced Seed Potato Yield: Ultrasonication Techniques for Sustainable Agricultural Development

The study aimed to explore the potential of ultrasonication techniques in seed potato production as a sustainable agricultural innovation. By improving seed potato efficiency and promoting resource optimization, this research aligns with the goals of sustainable agricultural and rural development, addressing challenges such as food security, environmental preservation, and economic viability in rural farming communities. The study was conducted over three years in the central–eastern region of Poland, utilizing a randomized block design with a split-split-plot approach. The main experimental factor was the cultivation technology, which included (a) an innovative ultrasonic pre-sowing treatment method and (b) a traditional cultivation method without such treatment. The secondary factor was the potato varieties. The ultrasonic treatment of tubers was performed using an ultrasonic tub-type device equipped with piezoelectric transducers. Cultivation technology, potato varieties, and weather conditions had a significant impact on the yield of tubers in the seed potato fraction size, the number of tubers in this fraction, and the multiplication coefficient. Additionally, the genetic characteristics of the studied varieties and random environmental factors significantly influenced the weight of a single seed potato tuber and the number of shoots produced by each plant.

Preparing Ground and Excited States Using Adiabatic CoVaR

Abstract CoVarince Root finding with classical shadows (CoVaR) was recently introduced as a new paradigm for training variational quantum circuits. Common approaches, such as variants of the Variational Quantum Eigensolver, aim to optimise a non-linear classical cost function and thus suffer from, e.g., poor local minima, high shot requirements and barren plateaus. In contrast, CoVaR fully exploits powerful classical shadows and finds joint roots of a very large number of covariances using only a logarithmic number of shots and linearly scaling classical \BLUE{computing} resources. As a result, CoVaR has been demonstrated to be particularly robust against local traps, however, its main limitation has been that it requires a sufficiently good initial state. We address this limitation by introducing an adiabatic morphing of the target Hamiltonian and demonstrate in a broad range of application examples that CoVaR can successfully prepare eigenstates of the target Hamiltonian when no initial warm start is known. CoVaR succeeds even when Hamiltonian energy gaps are very small -- this is in stark contrast to adiabatic evolution and phase estimation algorithms where circuit depths scale inversely with the Hamiltonian energy gaps. On the other hand, when the energy gaps are relatively small then adiabatic CoVaR may converge to higher excited states as opposed to a targeted specific low-lying state. Nevertheless, we exploit this feature of adiabatic CoVaR and demonstrate that it can be used to map out the low lying spectrum of a Hamiltonian which can be useful in practical applications, such as estimating thermal properties or in high-energy physics.

A mono-phasic protocol for micropropagation of potato cv. CoochBehar local, its acclimatization, on-field evaluation, and fidelity analysis.

A protocol for micropropagation of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. CoochBehar local retaining the fidelity of the in vitro regenerants was established for the first time. Initially, tuber sprouts were inoculated in Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 0.5-1.5mg/l 6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (Kin), meta-Topolin (mT), and zeatin (Zea). A maximum number of shoots was induced in 0.5mg/l Zea followed by 0.5mg/l mT. For subsequent rooting, the shoots were inoculated in MS medium supplemented with 1.0-3.0mg/l indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), wherein 1.0mg/l IBA-fortified medium recorded the maximum number of roots. The mono-phasic micropropagation, i.e., simultaneous multiple shoots and roots formation was achieved in MS medium with combinations of Zea (0.25-1.0mg/l) with 1.0mg/l IBA, wherein 0.5mg/l Zea + 1.0mg/l IBA exhibited the best results. The micropropagated plantlets were then acclimatized in cocopeat with 100% survival before field evaluation. To ensure the true-to-type nature of the micropropagated plants, the cytology, flow cytometry, intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR), and start codontargeted (SCoT) polymorphism primers based fidelity analyses were carried out. Cytology and flow cytometry confirmed that the micropropagated plants had the same ploidy levels. Likewise, the molecular marker-based genetic fidelity study via ISSR and SCoT primersshowed monomorphic banding patterns. The present protocol has the potential for large-scale propagation, conservation, and commercialization of indigenous potatoes and can also be used to study the response of other potato cultivars to in vitro regeneration.

Density matrix emulation of quantum recurrent neural networks for multivariate time series prediction

Abstract Quantum recurrent neural networks (QRNNs) are robust candidates for modelling and predicting future values in multivariate time series. However, the effective implementation of some QRNN models is limited by the need for mid-circuit measurements. Those increase the requirements for quantum hardware, which in the current noisy intermediate-scale quantum era does not allow reliable computations. Emulation arises as the main near-term alternative to explore the potential of QRNNs, but existing quantum emulators are not dedicated to circuits with multiple intermediate measurements. In this context, we design a specific emulation method that relies on density matrix formalism. Using a compact tensor notation, we provide the mathematical formulation of the operator-sum representation involved. This allows us to show how the present and past information from a time series is transmitted through the circuit, and how to reduce the computational cost in every time step of the emulated network. In addition, we derive the analytical gradient and the Hessian of the network outputs with respect to its trainable parameters, which are needed when the outputs have stochastic noise due to hardware errors and a finite number of circuit shots (sampling). We finally test the presented methods using a hardware-efficient ansatz and four diverse datasets that include univariate and multivariate time series, with and without sampling noise. In addition, we compare the model with other existing quantum and classical approaches. Our results show how QRNNs can be trained with numerical and analytical gradients to make accurate predictions of future values by capturing non-trivial patterns of input series with different complexities.

Morphology and initial development of Hancornia speciosa var speciosa in different substrates

The impact of commercial demand on fruits explored through extractivism requires sustainable production strategies. Among these strategies is seedling propagation for reforestation and/or commercial plantations. The substrate and its impact on the quantity and quality of propagated plants are critical aspects of seedling propagation. Hancornia speciosa, commonly known as mangabeira, is a native fruit species that has been primarily explored through extractivism; thus, the goal of this study was to assess the early development of H. speciosa var. speciosa seedlings in different substrates using morphophysiological parameters. The seeds were processed and sown in six different substrates (sand, sand + powder coconut coir, sand + vermiculite, commercial substrate, commercial substrate + powder coconut coir, vermiculite, commercial substrate + vermiculite). To evaluate seedling development, the parameters First Emergence Count, Emergence Percentage, Emergence Speed Index, Total Seedling Size, Shoot Height, Root Length, Stem Diameter, Number of Leaves, and Shoot and Root Dry Massa were used. The pure vermiculite substrate performed best across all parameters, followed by the commercial substrate + powder coconut coir and the commercial substrate. As a result, substrates containing pure vermiculite are recommended for the propagation of H. speciosa var. speciosa, whereas substrates containing higher concentrations of sand, 50 to 100%, have a negative impact on seedling development for this variety.

Effect of meta-Topolin on morphological, physiochemical, and molecular dynamics during in vitro regeneration of Salix tetrasperma Roxb.

An efficient in vitro propagation protocol has been established for a valuable medicinal plant, Salix tetrasperma using mature nodal explants. The investigation aimed to observe the influence of various combinations and concentrations of cytokinins (mT, BA, and Kn) and auxins (NAA, IAA, and IBA) on regeneration potential using the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Among individual cytokinin treatments, 5.0 µM mT resulted highest response of 92% with maximum shoot number (11.6 ± 0.08) per explant and shoot length (4.5 ± 0.22 cm) after 12 weeks of culture. However, synergistic treatment of mT (5.0 µM) and NAA (0.5 µM) further improved proliferation with (21.3 ± 0.40) shoots per explant and (6.9 ± 0.13 cm) shoot length in 96% cultures after 12 weeks of incubation. Rooting from in vitro raised microshoots was achieved on ½ MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of low-dose auxins. The highest number of roots (10.4 ± 0.20) per shoot with mean root length (5.7 ± 0.11 cm) with maximum rooting frequency (97%) was observed in 0.5 µM IBA, after 4 weeks of culture. The rooted plantlets achieved a remarkable 86% survivability rate, when transferred to ex vitro conditions during acclimatization. Analysis of photosynthetic parameters and their characteristics during the acclimatization phase revealed a gradual decline in photosynthetic attributes during initial weeks; however, a significant improvement was noted as the growth proceeded. SEM analysis revealed the ultra-morphological structural differences between in vivo and in vitro derived leaves of S. tetrasperma. Moreover, DPPH assay observed differential antioxidant activity of in vitro raised plantlets throughout the acclimatization period. The GC-MS analysis from leaf extracts of donor plants and in vitro derived plantlets has revealed a broad spectrum of phytochemical compounds with significant pharmacological properties. No polymorphism in the banding pattern was found when the genetic fidelity of the regenerated plants was evaluated using SCoT primers, indicating the clonal stability of micropropagated plants. This study is the first to explore the use of mT in regeneration of S. tetrasperma, showing its more effectiveness than BA and Kn.

Comparative Study on Growth, Yield and Economics of Potato Production Propagated through Apical Rooted Cuttings

This study investigates the comparative growth, yield and economic performance of potato production propagated through apical rooted cuttings (ARCs) in the Northern Transitional Zone of Karnataka. Eight genotypes, including Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Lima and Kufri Sangam, were analyzed for key growth parameters such as plant height, number of primary shoots, number of compound leaves, stem diameter and tuber yield. Results showed that tuber propagation consistently outperformed ARCs, with Kufri Jyoti (tuber) recording the highest plant height (46.82 cm), number of tubers per plant (6.80) and total yield per hectare (16.45 t/ha). Among ARC-propagated genotypes, Kufri Lima performed best, with a yield of 9.56 t/ha. Economic analysis revealed that Kufri Jyoti (tuber) also achieved the highest net returns (₹256,146.72/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (2.65). While ARCs offer cost savings on seed material, they showed limitations in overall yield and profitability, particularly in genotypes like Kufri Karan. These findings provide crucial insights into optimizing potato production practices.

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ОЦЕНКА МОРФОТИПОВ КОПЕЕЧНИКА АЛЬПИЙСКОГО

The purpose of the study is a comparative assessment of two morphotypes of the cultivated population of Alpine sweetvetch as a rationale for the selection of initial forms for breeding. The studies were carried out on a complex of morphological and economically valuable traits among introduced plants: in terms of growth vigor (plant height and number of shoots), yield structure, and the content of mangiferin in raw materials. In the cultivated population of Alpine sweetvetch in the FSBRI All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR), forms with green and colored stems were identified. The dynamics of the yield structure in the two studied morphotypes, regardless of the year of observation and the age of the plants, has similar indicators. Alpine sweetvetch plants with anthocyanin staining of the stems slightly exceed the unpainted form in height and number of generative shoots. Sweetvetch plants with green stems are characterized by a higher number of complex leaves on one generative shoot. In plants with anthocyanin staining of stems, the share of leaves in the total biomass is 46 %, the share of inflorescences is 10 %, and the share of stems is 44 %. In Alpine sweetvetch plants with green stems, leaves account for 51 % of the total biomass. The presence of anthocyanin staining does not affect the content of mangiferin in the sweetvetch’s organs. Forms with anthocyanin staining contain mangiferin: in leaves – 5.81 ± 0.16 %; in inflorescences – 1.49 ± 0.08; in stems – 0.23 ± 0.002 %. Forms without anthocyanin staining contain mangiferin: in leaves – 5.68 ± 0.13 %; in inflorescences – 1.52 ± 0.08; in stems – 0.19 ± 0.002 %. Alpine sweetvetch plants with green stems have 5 % more leaves than plants with anthocyanin staining. Therefore, this is a better yield structure and a greater potential yield of mangiferin.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ МОРФОЛОГИИ У СОРТОВ ГРЕЧИХИ ПРИ РАЗНЫХ НОРМАХ ВЫСЕВА И СПОСОБАХ ПОСЕВА В ЛЕСОСТЕПНОЙ ЗОНЕ ЮЖНО-МИНУСИНСКОГО ОКРУГА

The purpose of the study is to analyze the influence of seeding rates, sowing methods, meteorological factors on plant height, the formation of internodes on the main shoot and side shoots. The study was conducted in 2019–2021. The experiment involved 2 varieties of buckwheat: Zemlyachka (SSI Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture, Ufa), Zhdanka (Experimental Production Facility Kuraginskoye). Options: 3 seeding rates (2.5, 1.8 and 1.2 million viable seeds per 1 ha); 2 ways of sowing (row with row spacing of 15 cm; inter-row – 30 cm). On 100 plants of each variant in the first ten days of August, the height of plants, the number of internodes of the main shoot and side shoots, inflorescences on the plant and the number of flowers in them were taken into account. Seeding rates and sowing methods were not significant in determining the height of plants. Features of the variety, weather conditions during the growing season, the method of sowing have a significant effect on the process of formation of the number of internodes of the main shoot. Differences in the number of internodes of the main shoot and side shoots were revealed only between the seeding rate of 1.2 and 2.5 million grains/1 ha. In the Zhdanki variety, plant height negatively affects the yield (r = –0.768), in Zemlyachka this relationship is insignificant. A close positive correlation of plant height was with the number of flowers in the inflorescence and internodes of the main shoot, field germination. The number of internodes in Zhdanka significantly correlates with the number of inflorescences (r = 0.534) and field germination (r = 0.743); Zemlyachki – with the number of inflorescences (r = 0.554) and side shoots (r = 0.768), field germination (r = 0.708). The studied traits of Zhdanka and Zemlyachka varieties show approximately the same relationships with precipitation and average daily air temperature over the decades of vegetation. There are general correlations with HTC for both varieties, but specific correlations for some ten-days of the growing season were also determined.

In vitro regeneration and optimization of physical and chemical mutagenesis protocol in tuberose (Agave amica (Medik.) Thiede & Govaerts) cv. ‘Arka Vaibhav’

Purpose Tuberose (Agave amica [Medik.]) is a vegetatively propagated commercial flower crop with limited genetic variability. Crossing barriers prevailing in tuberose necessitates modern breeding techniques like in vitro mutagenesis to generate variability. Hence, this study aimed to establish an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol for the rapid multiplication of tuberose and optimize the method for in vitro mutagenesis using the terminal stem scale as the explant. Results MS medium supplemented with 17.74 µM benzyl aminopurine) (BAP) and 0.57 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) showed the maximum number of multiple shoots (5.0), with optimal shoot length (6.77 cm) and number of leaves (6.07). The shoots formed maximum rooting (99.44%) in MS medium supplemented with 4.90 µM indole-3-butyric acid, with an average of 26.89 roots per shoot. In vitro mutagenesis attempted physically via gamma irradiation led to an LD25, 50, 75 values of 13.21, 20.81, 32.79 Gy, respectively. The incorporation of ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) into the culture media at a concentration of 0.08%, 0.13%, and 0.21% effectively resulted in LD25, 50, 75, respectively. Pretreating explants with 0.13% EMS for 15 min, 0.18% EMS for 30 min, 0.14% EMS for 45, and 0.11% EMS for 60 min were optimal for achieving 50% survival and plant regeneration using the regeneration protocol described above. Conclusion The regeneration protocol and optimized mutagen dose for in vitro mutagenesis developed in this study can be utilized for rapid multiplication of the cultivar and as a tool in genetic improvement programs aimed at inducing variability for commercially significant traits in tuberose.

ВЛИЯНИЕ СПЕКТРАЛЬНОГО СОСТАВА СВЕТА НА МИКРОКЛОНАЛЬНОЕ РАЗМНОЖЕНИЕ ЗЕМЛЯНИКИ САДОВОЙ (FRAGARIA × ANANASSA DUCH.) IN VITRO

The purpose of research is to study the effect of the spectral composition of light on the proliferation and rooting of shoots during microclonal propagation of the garden strawberry of a neutral day, the Cabrillo variety. The study was carried out in 2021–2022 in the Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaika”. The object of the study is the microshoots of garden strawberry of the remontant variety of neutral light day Cabrillo (Cabrillo) in in vitro culture under different light spectrum. The following lighting options were used for strawberry micropropagation: 1 – phyto-rack with white LED lamps (SPB-T5-eco) in combination with LED phyto-lamps (SPB-T8-Fito); 2 – phytoshelf of LLC ELSIS BelGU with LED lighting of the X-bright Fito series; 3 – phytoshelving of LLC AVTech with white fluorescent lamps (TL-D 36W / 33-640, Phillips) in combination with phytolamps (L 36W/77 Fluora, Osram). Illumination was measured with a TKA Luxmeter (Russia), and the irradiance level was measured with a TKA-Spectrum (FAR) spectrophotometer (Russia). The experiment took into account the number of shoots formed, the number of leaves, the number of roots; the height of the plants, the length of the roots were measured under different lighting conditions. Illumination with LED lamps with predominance of red light in the spectrum (option 2) ensured the regeneration of the largest number of garden strawberry shoots; the multiplication factor was 8.0 per explant. For the rooting stage, the best lighting option was also the 2nd option with LED lamps, in which strawberry plants of maximum height (4.5 cm) and a large number of roots (8.5 pieces) were formed. The largest number of roots (8.6 pcs.) was formed in plants under LED lighting with predominance of the blue spectrum (1st variant). In microclonal propagation of remontant garden strawberries of a neutral day, variety Cabrillo, it is more efficient to use LED irradiators for lighting than fluorescent ones.

Optimizing in vitro micropropagation strategies in Santalum album L. through different explants

This study focuses on optimization of in vitro propagation protocols for Santalum album L. (Indian sandalwood) to address the increasing global demand and to aid in conservation aspects. This investigation evaluated various micropropagation parameters including explant types, basal media, disinfection methods and plant growth regulators (PGR). Murashige and Skoog medium consistently outperformed other media, with shoot tips showing the highest morphogenetic response (66.66%). Surface disinfection with 4% NaOCl for 10 min was the most effective and resulted in the explant survival rate of 86%. For shoot induction, 2 mg/L kinetin in MS medium resulted in the highest number of shoots (3.81) and longest shoots (5.39 cm) after 60 days. An effect was observed when PGR was combined with 5.0 mg/L kinetin + 2.0 mg/L BAP, corresponding to a shoot induction rate of 65.75%. Root induction was recorded at 14.79% after 10 days with the best treatment (MS + 1 mg/L IBA). Callus culture showed limited success as only one treatment (MS + 1 mg/L BAP + 25% coconut water) showed a regenerative response of 7.14%. These results provide a foundation for micropropagation of Sandal while highlighting areas that require further optimization, particularly in root induction and acclimation phases.

Correlation Studies in Early Clonal Generation under Water Logging Condition in Sugarcane for Yield and Its Attributing Traits

An experiment was carried out during 2021-22 at Sugarcane Research Institute, Dr. RPCAU, Bihar using 24 clones that were planted in augmented design along with two checks. Data was recorded for the nine characters. There was a positively significant correlation found among cane yield and the following characteristics: cane diameter at harvest, number of millable canes at harvest, germination percentage at 45 days after planting, and number of shoots at 120 days after planting. Whereas, the number of aerial roots per node showed a negative correlation with cane yield. Traits viz., germination % at 45 days after planting, number of shoots at 120 days after planting, cane diameter at harvest, single cane weight, number of millable canes at harvest, HR Brix in November had direct and positive effect on cane yield, among these, number of millable canes at harvest showed highest direct and positive effect followed by single cane weight on cane yield, whereas, plant height at harvest, number of aerial roots per node, HR Brix in December and January showed negative direct effect on cane yield. The characters that showed significant correlation and positive direct effect can be selected further to obtain higher cane yields in sugarcane.

APPROXIMATE METHODS OF RECOVERING THE ANGULAR VELOCITY OF PROJECTILE ROTATION ACCORDING TO DATA OF REFERENCE POINTS

A promising direction for determining individual aerodynamic force coefficients (moments) of a projectile is an approach based on solving the inverse problem of projectile motion dynamics based on experimental data of ballistic firing. In a number of works, the author obtained expressions for calculating the aerodynamic coefficients of the projectile, which functionally depends on the parameters obtained from external trajectory measurements and the angular velocity of the projectile. In addition, the accuracy of determining the aerodynamic coefficients is significantly affected by the change in the angular velocity of the projectile along its entire flight path. In the article, to obtain values of the angular velocity of rotation of the projectile, it is proposed to use a set of reference (pre-reference) points corresponding to the moment of departure from the barrel of the gun at different initial velocities of its flight. Numerical modeling was carried out and the accuracy of the calculation of the angular velocity of rotation of the projectile at reference (pre-reference) points was evaluated using the example of the 155-mm high- explosive fragmentation projectile Assegai M2000. It has been proven that with a relatively small number of shots at different initial speeds of the projectile flight, it is possible to obtain the value of its angular velocity of rotation at reference (pre- reference) points with the average value of the relative error, which is within -(0.01-0.03)%. Procedures for approximating the angular velocity of projectile rotation based on reference (pre-reference) points, as well as procedures for minimizing the error of their approximation, have been developed. It is shown that the obtained approximation functions ensure the passage of their curve through the given extreme reference (pre-reference) points and allow to minimize the errors in the calculation of the angular speed of rotation of the projectile, over the entire trajectory of its flight, in the range of - (0.08-0.3)%.

DEVELOPING A COST-EFFECTIVE MICROPREDATION PROTOCOL FOR TWO CARNATION (DIANTHUS CARYOPHYLLUS L.) VARIETIES UNDER IN VITRO CONDITIONS

A successful attempt was made through this investigation to develop a cost-effective protocol for two varieties of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) ornamental plants named Clove Pink and Scarlet. Healthy and vigorous cultures were established by inoculating axillary buds on MS medium after a successful disinfestation process by sterilizing in 2.5% NaOCl for 10 minutes. The microshoots were multiplied by testing different benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin concentrations. Luckily, the best multiplication parameters were achieved with MS medium free of growth regulators, which will reduce the propagation costs. The higher number of shoots (11.60 shoots/ explant), leaves (59.80 leaves/ explant), and longest shoots (10.90 cm) when grown on MS medium without Plant growth regulators (PGRs), Additionally, the clove pink variety on MS medium with 1.5 mg l-1 BA and Scarlet variety grown on MS-free of PGRs respectively. A 100% percent rooting was achieved for both varieties when 1.5 mg l-1 Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) was added to the culture media. The same NAA concentration for scarlet variety microshoots resulted in the highest number of roots (26.2 roots/explant) and the longest roots (9.0 cm). Successful acclimatization was observed by transferring the well-rooted plantlets to greenhouse conditions while putting them in peat moss

Morphological responses of shoots and fine roots to weed control in Abies sachalinensis and Picea jezoensis seedlings

ABSTRACT A mechanistic understanding of how morphological traits of seedlings are relevant to their functions against competition is the basis for managing vegetation in plantations. This study evaluated the growth responses and functional traits of shoots and fine roots in seedlings of boreal silvicultural species to manual weed control. Aboveground morphological traits reflecting competitive ability, including the total number of shoots per individual, length and weight per current shoot, area and weight per current leaf, and their ratio were evaluated. The fine roots were classified as pioneer roots or fibrous roots and were evaluated for diameter and specific root length (SRL). Compared with Picea jezoensis, Abies sachalinensis has superior competitive ability by reducing the total number of shoots by approximately 40%, preserving shoot length, and increasing specific leaf area by approximately 30% under competition. This finding is partly inconsistent with conventional strategies against shade, and A. sachalinensis is tolerant and partly avoidant of competing vegetation compared with P. jezoensis. The lack of interspecies differences in growth responses to weed control indicates that individual growth cannot be explained by aboveground responses alone. Thinner and higher SRL of fibrous roots in competing conditions were observed only in A. sachalinensis. However, thinner and higher SRL of pioneer roots in competing conditions were observed in both species. Altogether, these results highlighted that the fine root system widely adopts an avoidance strategy against competition regardless of aboveground competitive strategies. Because soil resources can be depleted, the preemptive strategy to access soil space against competition is responsible.

Optimization of exogenous CeO2 nanoparticles on Pak choi (Brassica rapa L. var. chinensis) to alleviate arsenic stress.

Arsenic (As) is a regulated hazardous substance that persists in the environment, causing issues related to environmental health, agriculture, and food safety. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) are emerging sustainable solutions for alleviating heavy metal stress. However, their effectiveness and optimization for foliar application in reducing As stress, especially in Pak choi, has not been reported yet. Hence, this study aims to examine the effects of foliar application of CeO2 NPs (75,000,000, 150,000,000, and 300,000,000 ng/L) on the growth, nutrient availability, and antioxidant enzymatic activities of Pak choi plants under As stress. The findings showed that foliar application of 75,000,000 ng/L CeO2 NPs significantly increased shoot length (77.32%), root length (80.98%), and number of leaves (80.23%) as compared to control without NPs. The lowest dose of CeO2 NPs (75,000,000 ng/L) increased antioxidant enzyme activities such as peroxidase (86.10%), superoxide dismutase (81.48%), and catalase (52.07%), while significantly reducing malondialdehyde (44.02%), hydrogen peroxide (34.20%), and electrolyte leakage (43.53%). Furthermore, foliar application of 75,000,000 ng/L CeO2 NPs significantly increased the content of zinc (81.02%), copper (56.99%), iron (88.04%), manganese (68.37%), magnesium (76.83%), calcium (61.16%), and potassium (84.91%) in leaves when compared to control without NPs. The same trend was observed for shoot and root nutrient concentrations. Most importantly, 75,000,000 ng/L CeO2 NPs foliar application significantly reduced shoot As (45.11%) and root As (20.89%) concentration compared to control, providing a reassuring indication of their potential to reduce As concentration in plants. Our study's findings are of utmost importance as they indicate that lower concentrations of foliar-applied CeO2 NPs can be more effective in enhancing crop nutrition and reducing heavy metals than higher concentrations. This article is intended to present critical issues of As contamination in agricultural soils, which imposes substantial risks to crop productivity and food security.

Cultivation of Siberian Motherwort Plants (Leonurus sibiricus L.) in In Vitro Culture

In this study, an attempt was made to micropropagate the Siberian motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L.) in in vitro cultures. The aim of this study was to compare methods of sterilization of seeds, which served as a source of initial explants to induce in vitro culture and to multiply shoots from explants isolated from them. The primary explants in the experiment were seeds. The seeds were placed on ½ MS medium without PGR and enriched with GA3 at a concentration of 1 mg∙dm−3. The addition of GA3 to the medium stimulated their germination. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and 70% ethanol (C2H5OH) were used to sterilize the seeds. NaClO was used for proper sterilization in concentrations: 0.0% (1), 1.5% (2), 2% (3), and 2.5% (4) for 11 min. As secondary explants in the experiment, single-node fragments of sterile seedlings derived from sterile seeds were used, which were placed on MS medium, with the addition of plant growth regulators (PGR) from the group of auxins and cytokinins. The largest number of sterile and live Siberian motherwort seedlings was obtained in the variant in which 2.5% NaClO was used for proper sterilization of the seeds. To optimize the procedure of in vitro micropropagation, the axillary shoots of Leonurus sibiricus L. were transferred during the third passage onto nine different combinations of MS medium: PGR-free medium, with different concentrations of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) (0.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 mg∙dm−3) and BAP (0.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 mg∙dm−3) with NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid) (1.0 mg∙dm−3). The largest number of shoots (9.62) forming was obtained on the medium supplemented with 4 mg∙dm−3 BAP and 1 mg∙dm−3 NAA, while the longest shoots were on the medium without PGR. Induction of rhizogenesis of Siberian motherwort plants in in vitro cultures was achieved on MS medium with the addition of 0.5 mg∙dm−3 IAA (indole-3-acetic acid). At the stage of adaptation to ex vitro conditions, high plant survival of 90% was achieved by using a solution with MS salts (25%) for irrigation.

Eustress responses of Musa acuminata cv. red banana using LED spectra.

This study examined the impacts of different LED spectra on the growth of in vitro cultures of Musa acuminata cv. red banana and their biochemical profile, including the antioxidant enzymes catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, photosynthetic pigment and accumulation of total carbohydrate content. The far-red LEDs significantly increase shoot elongation (10.04cm). The greatest number of shoots (2.97) and the greatest multiplication rate (80%) were obtained under the treatment with blue + red LEDs. The formation of microshoots were also enhanced by blue and white LED exposure in a range of 2-2.57 shoots per explant. Root formation was also stimulated by dichromatic blue + red (6.00) LED using MS medium with 2µM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The enzymes catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were significantly up-regulated by irradiation with far-red (0.11 ± 0.02 CAT, 0.18 ± 0.04 APX U/mg) and blue (0.08 ± 0.01CAT, 0.10 ± 0.01APX U/mg) LED light. Total chlorophyll (0.45 to 0.80mg/g) was elevated significantly by blue, blue + red and mint-white LED. On the other hand, carotenoids (12.08-14.61mg/g) were significantly boosted by blue + red, red and mint-white LED light. Meanwhile, porphyrin (294.10-350.57mg/g) was highly synthesised after irradiation with mint-white light. Irradiation with LED light significantly increased the accumulation of carbohydrates with the highest carbohydrate content under blue + red LED light (102.22 ± 2.46mg/g) and blue light (91.69 ± 2.10mg/g). In conclusion, these results confirm that the vegetative properties and biochemical profile of red banana in vitro are eustress response to LED spectra.

Evaluating the effectiveness of prompt engineering for knowledge graph question answering.

Many different methods for prompting large language models have been developed since the emergence of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022. In this work, we evaluate six different few-shot prompting methods. The first set of experiments evaluates three frameworks that focus on the quantity or type of shots in a prompt: a baseline method with a simple prompt and a small number of shots, random few-shot prompting with 10, 20, and 30 shots, and similarity-based few-shot prompting. The second set of experiments target optimizing the prompt or enhancing shots through Large Language Model (LLM)-generated explanations, using three prompting frameworks: Explain then Translate, Question Decomposition Meaning Representation, and Optimization by Prompting. We evaluate these six prompting methods on the newly created Spider4SPARQL benchmark, as it is the most complex SPARQL-based Knowledge Graph Question Answering (KGQA) benchmark to date. Across the various prompting frameworks used, the commercial model is unable to achieve a score over 51%, indicating that KGQA, especially for complex queries, with multiple hops, set operations and filters remains a challenging task for LLMs. Our experiments find that the most successful prompting framework for KGQA is a simple prompt combined with an ontology and five random shots.