Stem Dry Weight Research Articles

Variability in starch granular morphology of Tinospora cordifolia: an important species of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM).

Tinospora cordifolia is an important medicinal plant species known for therapeutic action of starch along with other medicinal ingredients. The starch prepared from the aqueous extract of fresh stems is used in the Indian Systems of Medicines. The plant extract prepared from T. cordifolia is a promising source for the treatment of COVID-19. This investigation explores for the first time, the morphological details of the starch granules and its accumulation pattern along with its variability among the germplasm of T. cordifolia collected from different parts of India. Starch content was 39.80% on dry weight basis and moisture content was about 28.21%. Starch granule recovery based on stem dry weight and starch content ranged from 14.70 to 20.28% and 52.02 to 71.76%, respectively in different starch settling methods. Starch accumulation pattern in the stem was also studied in the species. Even though wide variability in starch granule shapes was observed among the germplasm, majority of the genotypes had starch granules of round or oval shape. Similarly, starch granule size also varied greatly (38.32–88.03 µm) within and among the genotypes. Significantly small sized starch granules (p = 0.05) were present in the genotype, IC 283650 and biggest (p = 0.05) starch granules were present in the genotype, IC 310610. The information generated in the present study will have application in starch industry for the inclusion of T. cordifolia as an alternative source of starch in addition to its use in Traditional Systems of Medicine.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42535-021-00286-y.

Phytochemical and physiological changes in Salvia officinalis L. under different irrigation regimes by exogenous applications of putrescine.

Water stress is the major factor limiting plant productivity and quality in most regions of the world. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of putrescine (Put) on phytochemical, physiological, and growth parameters of Salvia officinalis L. under different irrigation regimes. The highest stem dry weight (56.05 and 65.21 g m−2) plus leaf dry weight (124.51 g m−2) were predicted in irrigation regimes of (20 and 40%) plus 20% available soil water was depleted (ASWD), respectively. Total phenolic content (TPC) was increased significantly under the irrigation regime of 80% with the application of distilled water in spring. TPC showed an increasing trend with increases in Put concentration under all irrigation regimes in both spring and summer. The highest total flavonoids content (TFC) in wavelengths of 415 and 367 nm were predicted in 2.25 mM Put. The highest ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity (0.13 μmol mg−1 protein) was predicted in the irrigation regime of 20% with the application of distilled water in spring and summer. There was a significantly negative correlation coefficient between APX, TPC, and TFC. Indeed, there was a decreasing trend in APX and an increasing trend in TPC and TFC with increases in Put concentration under the irrigation regime of 20% ASWD. The highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA) values were obtained under irrigation regimes of 49.27% and 20% ASWD in spring and summer, respectively. There was an increasing trend in endogenous Put with increases in the Put concentration. The responses of compatible osmolytes to irrigation regime can be expressed by quadratic model, suggesting maximum proline (0.52 mg g−1), total reducing sugars (TRS) (0.37 mg g−1), xylose (0.68 mg g−1), and mannose (0.37 mg g−1) values would be obtained in irrigation regimes of 68.33%, 48.33%, 53.75%, and 56.25% ASWD, respectively.

Interspecific Differences in Physiological and Biochemical Traits Drive the Water Stress Tolerance in Young Morus alba L. and Conocarpus erectus L. Saplings.

Mitigating climate change requires the identification of tree species that can tolerate water stress with fewer negative impacts on plant productivity. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the water stress tolerance of young saplings of C. erectus and M. alba under three soil water deficit treatments (control, CK, 90% field capacity, FC, medium stress MS, 60% FC and high stress, HS, 30% FC) under controlled conditions. Results showed that leaf and stem dry weight decreased significantly in both species under MS and HS. However, root dry weight and root/shoot ratio increased, and total dry weight remained similar to CK under MS in C. erectus saplings. Stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation rate decreased, and intrinsic water use efficiency increased significantly in both species under MS and HS treatments. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radical, malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage increased in both the species under soil water deficit but was highest in M. alba. The concentration of antioxidative enzymes like superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase also increased in both species under MS and HS but was highest in C. erectus. Therefore, results suggest that C. erectus saplings depicted a better tolerance to MS due to an effective antioxidative enzyme system.

Study the effect of two organic fertilizers, methods of fertilization on productivity, pests and predatory insects associated with eggplant under modified climatic condition

This study investigated the effects of two organic fertilizer (compost tea and humic acid) compared to chemical fertilizer on plant growth, productivity, pests and predatory insects associated with eggplant Solanum melongena var. Black beauty under net house in 1st of April at 2019 and 2020 seasons. Application of fertilizers through fertigation enhanced significantly number of leaves, stem fresh weight, average fruit weight and total fruit yield. Moreover, stem diameter, nitrogen content in leaves (%), phosphorus content in leaves (%), potassium content in leaves (%), number of fruits and total yield were enhanced significantly due to using compost tea. However, using the humic acid cause a significant enhancement in number of shoots, number of leaves, stem diameter and leaves fresh weight. In addition, application of compost tea through the fertigation cause a significant superiority in number of shoots, nitrogen content in leaves (%), phosphorus content in leaves (%), potassium content in leaves (%), number of fruits, average fruit weight and total yield. The highest significant values of leaves fresh weight and stem dry weight were mainly due using humic acid through foliar application. Three main pest species and seven different predators' species were recorded associated with pests on eggplant. The application of foliar and fertigation compost tea increased pest populations significantly compared with humic acid and control. But also, increase the predators' population.

Improving quantity and quality of Thymus daenensis Celak. essential oil with application of Myco-Root biofertilizer under different irrigation levels

To determine the effects of Myco-Root biofertilizer and different irrigation levels on the content and essential oil compounds of thyme (Thymus daenensis Celak.), a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replications in the greenhouse of Plant Production and Genetics department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran, in 2020. The factors included drought stress at four levels of without stress (irrigation at field capacity (FC) as a control), mild (irrigation at 75% FC), moderate (irrigation at 55% FC), and severe (irrigation at 35% FC) stresses and biofertilizer at two levels of inoculation and non-inoculation with Myco-Root. The results demonstrated that the fresh and dry weight of leaves, stem dry weight, total dry weight, leaf relative water content, chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll content, and root colonization percentage decreased significantly with increasing the water deficit level. However, the carotenoid content and essential oil percentage showed an increasing trend with increasing drought stress. The highest carotenoid content and essential oil percentage was obtained by using Myco-Root under moderate drought stress. Thymol, carvacrol, p -cymene, 1,8-cineole, (E)-caryophyllene, borneol, γ-terpinene, and α-pinene were identified as the major constituents of essential oil in the all treatments. The highest content of thymol was obtained under mild drought stress with the Myco-Root application. Furthermore, the highest content of carvacrol was recorded under mild, moderate, and severe drought stresses, respectively with the Myco-Root application. On average, the application of Myco-Root biofertilizer increased the content of thymol, carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, E-caryophyllene, borneol, and α-pinene by 4.19, 48.28, 15.93, 16.33, 14.15, and 3.78%, respectively compared to not using this biofertilizer. Overall, the results showed that some morphological and physiological traits of thyme decreased significantly with increasing the water deficit levels, but the application of Myco-Root biofertilizer could amend drought stress and improve the growth, percentage and essential oil quality of the plant. Thus, the use of Myco-Root biofertilizer instead of chemical fertilizers could be recommended to achieve the sustainable agriculture in the thyme cultivation.

Influence of different organic manures on growth, yield and mineral nutrient accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Effects of organic manures on growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and nutrient accumulation in its leaves was examined. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated thrice with ten treatments involving nine organic manures and a control treatment. Growth parameters viz. plant height, leaf number, leaf length, leaf area, leaf area index and fresh and dry weight of leaf, stem and root were assessed. The highest height (23.69 cm), longest leaf (32.18cm), leaf area (5883.43cm2), leaf area index (6.434), fresh weight (85.41 g) and dry weight (42.73 g) were found in Payel organic manure. The maximum leaf number (27) was recorded in Approshika organic manure. The maximum content of nitrogen (6.12%), phosphorus (1.83%), potassium (4.11%) and Sulphur (1.69%) were observed in Payel organic manure. The best growth performance and nutrient accumulation was observed in Payel organic manure.
 Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 159-168, 2021 (July)

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RICE VARIETIES ON IRON STRESS IN NUTRIENT CULTURE MEDIA

Decreased rice productivity due to high iron concentrations especially in the vegetative phase, this causes the morphological character of rice to be affected until the metabolic process is disrupted. This study used 6 varieties, namely Batu Tegi, Inpara 9, Situ Patenggang, Inpara 8, Hawarabunar and Inpago 8, with iron concentrations of 0 and 250 ppm. The seeds were germinated for 3 days, then planted in Kimura B 10% nutrient culture media for 9 days, for 2 weeks then each week the media was changed to 100% Kimura B solution with the addition of 250 ppm iron concentration which was sampled every week until the 35th day. The results of the analysis of variance of the variables of plant height and root length showed that the combination Inpara 8-01 was the best combination and had a significant effect compared to other combinations with an average value of 61.31 cm and 30.77 cm. In the variable number of leaves the best average value was found in the combination of Batu Tegi-01 and Inpara 9-01 which had a significant effect compared to other treatments with an average value of 5.87 strands and 9.60 strands, respectively. On the stem dry weight variable, the combination of Hawarabunar-250 ppm Fe had a significant effect on other treatment combinations with the highest value of 0.17 g and the lowest value of treatment combination Inpara 9-250 ppm with a value of 0.08 g. Based on the results of treatment with 250 ppm Fe stress on plant morphological characters, the Hawarabunar variety had the best response in tolerating Fe stress, while the Batu Tegi variety was the lowest in tolerating Fe stress.

The seed quality of Indonesian cowpea local varieties after storage

The optimum performance of the cowpea plant population in the field could be determined by their seed quality. The research aims to evaluate the seed quality of several cowpea local varieties after being stored in the form of seeds and pods. A total of 18 cowpea local varieties from East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, South Kalimantan, and West Sulawesi were evaluated for their seed vigor and viability after being stored for 30 and 60 days at room temperature using plant material in the form of seeds and pods. The seed multiplication was conducted in the field at Banyuwangi, and the seed quality test using sand media was carried out at the glasshouse of ILETRI Malang. The storage of cowpea in the form of pods and seeds for up to 30 days did not significantly affect the seed quality. Four local varieties (VU 0007, VU 0093, VU 0125, VU 0155) showed good viability at the storage of 30 and 60 days, respectively. The VU 0032 and VU 0076 have optimum viability after being stored for 60 days. The speed of the germination index (SGI) was not only describing the level of vigor but also able to show the type of plant material to be stored. The VU 0007, VU 0093, and VU 0155 were recommended to be stored in the form of seeds, meanwhile, the VU 0125 can be stored for up to 60 days in the form of seeds or pods. The morphological characters of sprouts, namely hypocotyl length, stem dry weight, and root dry weight, could be considered as a benchmark parameter for seed vigor of cowpea.

Genetic variability studies in amaranthus (Amaranthus spp.)

An investigation was carried out to estimate the nature and extent of genetic variability​ ​among twenty Amaranthus genotypes (Amaranthus spp.) under a randomized block designduring the year 2019-20. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic​ ​coefficient of variation for all the traits. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and​ ​phenotypic coefficient variation (PCV) was observed for leaf area, leaf area index, leaf area​ ​duration, AGR, dry weight of leaf per plant, specific leaf weight, speed of germination,​ ​chlorophyll content and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Moderate GCV and PCV were observed​ ​for leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, dry weight of stem per plant, leaf: stem ratio and​ ​foliage yield per plant. The high estimates of heritability coupled with higher values of genetic​ ​advance as per cent mean (GAM) were observed for the parameters like test weight, speed of​ ​germination, germination percentage, seedling dry matter, seedling vigour index-1, seedling​ ​vigour index-2, plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf area index, leaf area​ ​duration, AGR, specific leaf weight, stem weight per plot, dry weight of leaf, dry weight of​ ​stem, leaf: stem ratio, foliage yield per plant, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid and beta- carotene​ ​content which indicates the predominance of additive gene action. Arka Arunima,​ ​Chikmagalur local, IC-551486, IC-551494 and IC-551466 recorded high foliage yield per​ ​plot and these can be utilized in further breeding programmes.

Genetic variability studies in amaranthus (Amaranthus spp.)

An investigation was carried out to estimate the nature and extent of genetic variability​ ​among twenty Amaranthus genotypes (Amaranthus spp.) under a randomized block designduring the year 2019-20. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic​ ​coefficient of variation for all the traits. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and​ ​phenotypic coefficient variation (PCV) was observed for leaf area, leaf area index, leaf area​ ​duration, AGR, dry weight of leaf per plant, specific leaf weight, speed of germination,​ ​chlorophyll content and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Moderate GCV and PCV were observed​ ​for leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, dry weight of stem per plant, leaf: stem ratio and​ ​foliage yield per plant. The high estimates of heritability coupled with higher values of genetic​ ​advance as per cent mean (GAM) were observed for the parameters like test weight, speed of​ ​germination, germination percentage, seedling dry matter, seedling vigour index-1, seedling​ ​vigour index-2, plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf area index, leaf area​ ​duration, AGR, specific leaf weight, stem weight per plot, dry weight of leaf, dry weight of​ ​stem, leaf: stem ratio, foliage yield per plant, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid and beta- carotene​ ​content which indicates the predominance of additive gene action. Arka Arunima,​ ​Chikmagalur local, IC-551486, IC-551494 and IC-551466 recorded high foliage yield per​ ​plot and these can be utilized in further breeding programmes.

Effect of Rhizophagus irregularis on Growth and Quality of Cannabis sativa Seedlings.

Rhizophagus irregularis is an arbuscular mycorrhiza fungus that can enhance plant nutrition and reduce transplant shock on seedlings. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of this fungus on the quality of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) seedlings. A greenhouse float system experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments. The treatments included the application of 40, 80 and 120 fungus spores per L of nutrient solution (AMF1, AMF2 and AMF3, respectively). The evaluation was performed based on the agronomic characteristics of the seedlings (root and stem length and weight, stem diameter), N and P content, survival rate, and the Dickson’s quality index (DQI). Results indicated that root length and stem dry weight were significantly increased (by 34.14% and 21.4%, respectively) in the AMF3 treatment. The biomass of the seedlings’ roots, the fresh weight and the N content were not affected by the AMF. On the contrary, survival rate, P content and DQI were significantly increased in AMF3 (by 5%, 24.3% and 12.4% respectively). Overall, our findings suggest that the application of high doses of Rhizophagus irregularis (AMF3) on float system-produced cannabis seedlings results in a considerable increment of their quality.

Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) Mediated Amelioration of Lead (Pb) Stress- Physiological Indices of Mung Bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Background: Heavy metals have their adverse effects on growth and physiology of plant. Plant growth regulators help in improving the growth and physiological phenomenon in plants. A pot culture experiment was devised to explore the ameliorative potential of Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) for toxicity of rhizospheric lead (Pb) on two varieties of Mung bean [Vigna radiate (L.) Wickzek]. Methods: Seeds of two varieties i.e., M- 8 and MN-92 were grown in earthen pots filled with sandy loam soil and were arranged under complete randomization. Fifteen days after germination, the lead (Pb) was added @ 10mg/kg and 20mg/kg soil as solution Pb NO3. Indole Acetic Acid @100.0mM was foliarly sprayed twice at 15 and 30 days of plants emergence. Physiological parameters i.e., Photosynthetic Rate, Transpiration Rate, Stomatal conductance, Sub Stomatal CO2 Concentration and biomass production in the form of stem, root and leaf dry weights were determined at the age of physiological maturity for three replicates. Result: By application of IAA, photostnthetic rate reduction was declined from 24.61% to 17.78% under 10mg Pb stress and from 55.54% to 27.35% under 20mg Pb stress. Stomatal conductance reduction was declined from 0.56% to 0.28% under 10mg Pb stress and from 3.37% to 1.68% under 20mg Pb stress. Alleviation of Pb stress by IAA for transpiration rate was non significant. Similarly, the role of IAA for alleviation of Pb stress in term of dry weights of stem,root and leaves were non significant statistically.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles ameliorate yield, leaf photosynthetic pigments, and essential oil composition of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) exposed to UV-B stress

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles has drawn attention due to their application in different scientific and industrial fields. Various types of green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are produced from medicinal and agricultural plant species. The effects of AgNPs on yield, selected morphological traits and biochemical composition of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) exposed to UV stress were explored in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design in three replications with two factors including biosynthesized AgNPs at three rates of 0, 50, and 100 mg L− 1 and UV-B exposure for 0, 30 and 60 min in 2018–2019. The effect of UV radiation was significant on morphological and biochemical traits. The comparison of means revealed that as UV-B exposure time was increased from 0 to 60 min, shoot length, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, and total dry weight were adversely influenced, but essential oil percentage was increased. The interaction of UV-B radiation and AgNPs significantly affected root length, root weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and essential oil yield. Meanwhile, UV-B enhanced the biochemical composition in some of the studied traits, but it is a sort of stress that decreased plant growth and yield. On the other hand, AgNPs had an alleviating impact on UV-B stress and improved plant growth and yield. Eventually, the interaction of the two factors improved growth and yield in addition to increasing biochemical compounds.

Growth and dry matter partitioning response in cereal-legume intercropping under full and limited irrigation regimes

The dry matter partitioning is the product of the flow of assimilates from the source organs (leaves and stems) along the transport route to the storage organs (grains). A 2-year field experiment was conducted at the agronomy research farm of the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan during 2015–2016 (Y1) to 2016–2017 (Y2) having semiarid climate. Four summer crops, pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoidum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) and four winter crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), fababean (Vicia faba) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) were grown under two irrigation regimes (full vs. limited irrigation) with the pattern of growing each crop either alone as sole crop or in combination of two crops in each intercropping system under both winter and summer seasons. The result showed that under full irrigated condition (no water stress), all crops had higher crop growth rate (CGR), leaf dry weight (LDW), stem dry weight (SDW), and spike/head dry weight (S/H/PDW) at both anthesis and physiological maturity (PM) than limited irrigated condition (water stress). In winter crops, both wheat and barley grown as sole crop or intercropped with fababean produced maximum CGR, LDW, SDW, S/H/PDW than other intercrops. Among summer crops, sorghum intercropped either with pigeon pea or with mungbean produced maximum CGR, LDW, SDW, and S/H/PDW at both growth stages. Sole mungbean and pigeon pea or pigeon pea and mungbean intercropping had higher CGR, LDW, SDW, S/H/PDW than millet and sorghum intercropping. On the other hand, wheat and barley grown as sole crops or intercropped with fababean produced maximum CGR, LDW, SDW, and S/H/PDW than other intercrops. Fababean grown as sole crop or intercropped with wheat produced higher CGR, LDW, SDW, and S/H/PDW at PM than intercropped with barley or rapeseed. From the results it was concluded that cereal plus legume intercropping particularly wheat/fababean in winter and sorghum/pigeon pea or sorgum/mungbean in summer are the most productive intercropping systems under both low and high moisture regimes.

The effects of increased exposure time to UV-B radiation on germination and seedling development of Anatolian black pine seeds.

Exhaustion of stratospheric ozone found at a height of 10-30 km around the world causes the solar UV-B (280-320 nm) radiation to penetrate through the atmosphere more, and thus to reach the Earth's surface quicker. The protective ozone layer gets damaged by human activities constantly, and the increasing levels of UV radiation present threats to all life forms, plants, animals, and even microorganisms. However, the studies conducted on the effects of UV radiation on plants, and especially forest trees, are rather limited. In this study, it was aimed to identify the effects of UV-B radiation on some germination and seedling characteristics of Anatolian black pine seeds. Within the scope of the study, seeds were exposed to UV-B radiation for 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min for germination experiments; and the germination speed (GS) was calculated as the ratio of the germinated seeds to the solid seeds at the end of the 7th day, whereas the germination percentage (GP) was calculated as the ratio of the germinated seeds to the solid seeds at the end of the 35th day. The seeds reserved for the seedling experiment were exposed to UV-B radiation for 1, 3, 5, and 7 h. With the measurements made at the end of the day, the seedling length (SL), the terminal bud length (TBL), the branch number (BN), the root collar diameter (RCD), the stem fresh weight (SFW), the root fresh weight (RFW), the stem dry weight (SDW) and the root dry weight (RDW), and the rooting percentage (RP) were determined. Variance analysis and Duncan test were applied to the obtained data with the help of SPSS package program. The study results revealed that the exposure time to increased UV-B radiation significantly affected all characters; the least affected character was RP, and that the most affected characters were RDW, SDW, and RCD. As a result of the study, it was found that even the applications with the lowest intensity took effect in most of the characters, that the seedling development decreased by more than 80% in terms of some characters at the end of 7-h application, and that even the decrease in the RP character, which was the least affected by the 7-h UV-B application, was above 50%.

Growth and nutrients uptake of soybean (Glycine max L.) in response to cajeput waste compost and inorganic fertilizer

Productivity of Soybean in sandy soils is still low and cajeput waste is increasing in number. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the use of compost from cajeput waste and inorganic fertilizers to increase the growth and nutriens uptake of soybean. This research was conducted using a randomized block design, with treatment : control, NPK 150 kg/ha, compost 6 t/ha, compost 6 t/ha + NPK 50 kg/ha, compost 6 t/ha + NPK 100 kg/ha and compost 6 t/ha + NPK 150 kg/ha The results showed that soybeans fertilized by compost alone have dry weight of stem, N uptake and K uptake higher than without fertilizing at 26.19%, 23.21% and 36.11% respectively. Increasing the dose of NPK fertilizer combined with compost can increase N and K uptake, but reduce the number of root nodules. The highest dry weight of stem, N uptake and K uptake in compost fertilizer combined with NPK of 150 kg/ha were respectively 2.31 g / plant, 0.076 g / plant and 0.056 g / plant.

Evaluation of Arsenic and Nutrients Uptake of Tomato Plant at Various Arsenic Concentrations of Irrigation Waters

ABSTRACT Under various Arsenic (As) loads, growth of the tomato plant and changes in elemental uptake were investigated in this experimental study. Plants were transplanted into the As free soils and the loads of As were increased gradually with irrigation. The root and stem dry weights (DW) steadily increased with the increase of As concentration up to 1.5 mg L−1, while the DW dropped to lower than the control plant’s DW when the As concentration was higher than mg L−1. Although the leaves DW variations for the studied As concentrations were negligible, As application to the tomato plants positively affected the biomass amount of leaf. Considering the decrease in root/shoot ratio, the root growth was more promoted at low As concentrations, while the effect of As on the production rate of aboveground biomass could be neglected. When the As concentration was increased from 0.5 mg L−1 to 3.0 mg L−1, average 90% of the total applied As to the plants was accumulated in the root and As content in the root was enhanced about four times. Significantly higher levels of N, K, Mg, and Ca in the aerial parts of tomato than in roots were determined while the level of P was about equal in the tissues. Among the tissues, the lowest microelements; Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn concentrations were determined at the root of control plant. However, especially at high As loads, the increase in the amount of microelements in the root was considerably higher compared to the stem and leaf.

Early growth of Cotton is affected by increasing concentration of fresh leaves extract of Calotropis procera

An experiment was conducted to explore the effects of C. procera fresh leaves extract on cotton growth and vigor during seedling and early establishment stage. The trial was carried out in randomized complete block designed (RCBD) with 3 replications and 4 treatments viz., distilled water, 15%, 30% and 45% solution of Calotropis procera fresh leaves extracts. Data regarding the cotton seedling vigor and growth was collected and mean value of each trait were statistically compared through HSD Tukey’s test (P ≤ 0.05). The highest shoot length seedling-1 (252.25 mm), root length seedling-1 (98.33 mm), stem diameter seedling-1 (0.35 mm) and dry weight of the shoot seedling-1 (0.85 g) was noticed in distilled water treatment. Leaf extract treatments caused significant reduction in seedling vigor and growth. The highest reduction was noticed when treated with 45% aqueous extract of C. procera. The above-mentioned treatment caused significant reduction in various seedling traits, which may hinder early establishment of cotton crop. Therefore, the farmers should remove the dense population of C. procera around cotton fields to avoid allelopathic effects of weed and to reduce damaging effects on early growing cotton plants.

Foliar application of polyamines improve some morphological and physiological characteristics of rose

Abstract Objective This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar spray of polyamines on some morphological and physiological characteristics of rose. Materials and methods Experimental variants involved the type (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) and concentration (0 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM and 4 mM) of polyamines. In this research, the plant height, number of leaves and shoots, leaf area and thickness, fresh and dry weight of leaf and stem, the content of anthocyanin, soluble sugar, phenol and antioxidant capacity were measured 2 weeks after the end of experiment. Results Results indicated that among all polyamine types, putrescine has the highest effect on the morphological characteristics. Among different concentrations of polyamines, the concentration of 1 mM resulted in the highest increase in shoot fresh and dry weight. Putrescine application at 2 mM and 4 mM concentrations increased soluble sugar content. In the present study, polyamine treatment reduced the content of anthocyanin, phenol and antioxidant capacity. Conclusions It can be cocluded that application of polyamines improved some morphological and physiological traits in various ways.

Diversity in Phenological and Agronomic Traits of Miscanthus sinensis Collected in Korea and Eastern Asia

Four-year field experiments were conducted to investigate phenotypic traits associated with the biomass yield of 173 Miscanthus sinensis accessions collected from Korea and neighboring East Asian countries. Nine phenological and agronomic traits associated with biomass yield were assessed to investigate their phenotypic diversity and relationships with biomass yield as well as the latitudes of the M. sinensis accessions collection sites. Correlation analyses among phenological and agronomic traits, biomass yield, and collection site revealed that heading date, vegetative growth duration, leaf area, and stem growth traits (stem height, stem diameter, and stem dry weight) were closely related to biomass yield. The latitude of collection site exhibited a significant negative correlation with heading date, and heading date showed a significant positive correlation with biomass yield, indicating the high biomass potential of the accessions originating from lower latitude due to longer vegetative growth. The best biomass yield was mainly observed in M. sinensis accessions from the southern parts of Korea, such as Jeolla and Jeju provinces, with over 20 Mg DM ha−1. Agronomic traits measured in the second year after planting also showed a high correlation with biomass yield measured in the fourth year after planting. In particular, vegetative growth duration, leaf area, stem diameter, and stem dry weight measured in the second year were significantly related to the fourth-year biomass yield. Therefore, these findings suggest that agronomic traits measured in the second year can be used for screening M. sinensis genetic resources and breeding lines with high biomass yield potential.