Tallest Plant Height Research Articles

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Trichoderma asperellum in association with humic substances to promote the growth of soybean plants

In a scenario where there is growing demand for more sustainable agriculture, biostimulants have gained increasing attention. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens isolated BV03 (BV03) and Trichoderma asperellum isolated BV10 (BV10) in conjunction with humic substances in enhancing the growth of soybean plants. The experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in a greenhouse, with 12 seed treatments: T1 – control (without inoculation and humic substances); T2 – Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BV03; T3 – Trichoderma asperellum BV10; T4 – NHT® Humic; T5 – Fertium® Liquid; T6 – Bioenergy®; T7 – BV03 + NHT® Humic; T8 – BV03 + Fertium® Liquid; T9 – BV03 + Bioenergy®; T10 – BV10 + NHT® Humic; T11 – BV10 + Fertium® Liquid; and T12 – BV10 + Bioenergy®, with eight repetitions. The following parameters were evaluated: plant height (PH), root length (LR), and fresh and dry mass of the aerial part and roots. The data were subjected to multivariate analysis of variance using Wilks lambda, Pillai trace, Hotelling–Lawley trace, and Roy maxim root tests at 5% significance, and then subjected to canonical discriminant analysis. In both years, the tallest PHs were achieved by inoculation with BV10 + NHT® Humic. In 2018 and 2019, the greatest LRs were obtained using Bioenergy® and Fertium® liquid. The interaction between T. asperellum BV10 and humic substances during early soybean development is best established under stressful conditions. Under milder conditions, inoculating microorganisms without association with humic substances yielded more satisfactory results.

AAC Planet field pea

AAC Planet is a semi-leafless and powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe pisi Syd.) resistant field pea ( Pisum sativum L.) variety developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. It has high yielding potential, late maturity, tall plant height with good lodging resistance, medium seed size, round seed shape, and low seed coat breakage. It has maturity of 100 days, and thousand-seed weight of 221 g with seed protein content of 24.6%. AAC Planet has a lodging score of 3.2 on the scale of 1–9. It is moderately susceptible to mycosphaerella blight (caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes) and fusarium root rot (caused by Fusarium avenaceum and F. solani).

Comparative Evaluation of Tomato Varieties: A Comprehensive Analysis of Yield Attributes

This article presents a comprehensive comparative evaluation of tomato varieties. The study focused on key yield attributes, including plant height, fruits per cluster, fruit diameter, fruit length, yield per hectare, days to 50% flowering, and maturity. Significant variations in plant height were observed among the varieties. Monoprecos had the tallest plant height (125.73 cm), while 2-HRDTOM035 was the shortest (83.26 cm). The number of fruits per cluster varied, with HRD109 producing the most (7.33) and HRDTOM084 the least (3.86). HRDTOM084 excelled in fruit dimensions, having the largest fruit diameter (19.88 mm) and fruit length (5.94 cm), whereas HRD109 showed the smallest diameter (10.16 mm). Yield per hectare also differed significantly, with HRDTOM084 delivering the highest yield (11.06 t/ha), and 2-HRDTOM035 recording the lowest (4.84 t/ha). The study also analyzed days to 50% flowering, revealing HRDTOM084 as the slowest to flower (48.60 days) and Monoprecos as the quickest (30.60 days). Days to maturity mirrored these results, with HRDTOM084 taking the longest to mature (93.73 days). In comparison, earlier studies with nine open-pollinated and hybrid varieties in other regions, such as Khajura and Lumle, revealed similar patterns in yield and growth, confirming the genetic diversity in tomato production. Overall, HRDTOM084 emerged as the most promising variety for commercial cultivation due to its superior yield, fruit size, and productivity, while Monoprecos and 2-HRDTOM035 may be suitable for environments that require shorter growth cycles. This review highlights the importance of selecting tomato varieties based on specific traits, such as plant height, yield potential, fruit quality, and adaptability to local growing conditions, to optimize production. Future research could focus on enhancing disease resistance and studying performance under different climatic conditions to further improve tomato cultivation practices in Nepal.

The role of organic amendments combined with nitrogen fertilizers in enhancing nitrogen use efficiency for wheat in saline calcareous soil

This study investigates the effects of combining different nitrogen fertilizers with organic amendments and Azospirillum brasilense on wheat growth, yield, and nutrient uptake in saline calcareous soil, with a goal of enhancing crop productivity while reducing environmental impacts. The objective was to evaluate treatments involving ammonium sulfate (AS), urea, and sulfur-coated urea (SCU), mixed with organic amendments such as Moringa seed residues (MSR), biogas manure (BM), and vermicompost (Ver), along with Azospirillum brasilense (ASB). Among these treatments, SCU emerged as the most effective nitrogen source, especially when combined with Vermicompost and ASB. Key results include the following: the highest Chlorophyll a content of 1.96 mg/g f wt was observed in the SCU treatment with Ver and ASB; Likewise, the same treatment exhibited the highest values of Chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and proline; the tallest plant height (117.50 cm) was also achieved with this combination; and the highest straw and grain weights (2.63 g/plant and 2.22 g/plant, respectively) came from the same treatment. Additionally, this treatment yielded the highest protein content at 19.29%. In terms of nutrient uptake, SCU-based treatments consistently demonstrated the highest values. The SCU with Ver + ASB treatment recorded the highest nitrogen uptake in straw at 78.64 mg plant−1, phosphorus uptake at 12.86 mg plant−1, and potassium uptake at 61.66 mg plant−1. Similarly, this combination yielded the highest N, P, and K uptake in grains, with 68.05, 10.88, and 53.15 mg plant-1, respectively. e

Enhancing rice yields through foliar application of essential micronutrients: A study on zinc, copper, and boron nutrition in context of Nepal

Quantitative data on the effects of essential micronutrients—boron, zinc, and copper—on rice (Oryza sativa L.) are limited, which hampers optimized crop management strategies. This study aimed to enhance rice yields through the foliar application of these micronutrients. Conducted in 2022 at Gokuleshwor Agriculture and Animal Science College using a randomized complete block design with three replications, the research tested different combinations of these elements on the local rice variety Kaljade. The treatments included: T1 (control), T2 (zinc), T3 (copper), T4 (boron), T5 (Zn + Cu + B), T6 (Zn + Cu), and T7 (Zn + B), with doses of 5 kg/ha for zinc and 2 kg/ha each for boron and copper. The results demonstrated significant effects of the micronutrient treatments on all parameters studied. Notably, the combination of zinc, copper, and boron (Zn + Cu + B) led to the most favorable outcomes. This treatment resulted in the shortest maturity duration (116.3 days after transplanting), the highest number of tillers (22.5), and the tallest plant height (107.7 cm). Additionally, Zn + Cu + B produced the greatest leaf area index (0.0724), the highest number of grains per panicle (22.6), and the heaviest thousand-grain weight (21.83 g). Furthermore, Zn + Cu + B achieved the highest biological yield (12.35 t/ha) and grain yield (5.9 t/ha), markedly higher than the control treatment (4.12 t/ha). These findings highlight the significant role of zinc, copper, and boron in rice cultivation. The study underscores the potential of foliar application techniques to optimize micronutrient availability, thereby enhancing rice yields. For future agricultural practices in the study area, focusing on zinc, copper, and boron nutrition is crucial to further augment crop productivity and ensure food security.

Field response and genetic variability of elite spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes for septoria tritici blotch under natural infection in Northwest Ethiopia

AbstractFungal diseases cause significant yield loss to wheat production. Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by the ascomycete fungus Zymoseptoria trtici, is one of the major fungal diseases affecting wheat production worldwide. In Ethiopia, STB is a severe problem that causes significant yield loss in high and mid‐altitude wheat‐growing areas. The use of resistant varieties is one of the sustainable disease management strategies, particularly for resource‐poor farmers in developing countries. Two hundred and fifty bread wheat genotypes were evaluated to identify septoria tritici resistant genotypes and estimate the extent of genetic variability for resistance to STB and other economically important traits using alpha lattice design under natural infestation in two STB hotspot environments. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes, environment, and genotype × environment interaction for all traits measured. The genetic coefficient of variance was lower than the phenotypic coefficient of variance for all traits studied, and both test environments showed the influence of the environment on trait expression. High and moderate heritability values were observed for the septoria disease severity parameters, indicating that the STB resistance trait was less influenced by the environment. The days to heading and plant height were inversely correlated with disease severity. This suggests that genotypes with tall plant height and long maturity period could be resistant to septoria tritici blotch through escape mechanisms. Four of the genotypes, namely, G‐215, G‐255, G‐257, and G‐258, were found to be resistant across all locations. These and other promising genotypes will be used in future breeding programmes to select or develop high‐yielding and STB‐resistant bread wheat genotypes that can be deployed in septoria tritici blotch‐prone areas. Highly susceptible genotypes will also be used as controls for STB resistance breeding programmes.

Effect of Sesbania sesban L. as a Green Manure on Yield of Rainfed-lowland Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important grain crop for more than half of the world's population especially in Asia. Nitrogen (N) plays a crucial role in rice production. The incorporation of the cover crop as a pre- rice crop is the potential to improve the nitrogen used by rice crops. The experiment was conducted on the clay loam of Svay Rieng Province Cambodia in 2022 during the rice cropping season. The trial was designed using Spit-Plot design, with 4 levels of nitrogen (N) as main-plot and Cover Crop (CC) as a sub-plot. The CC was either the absence of CC or the use of incorporated Sesbania sesban L. (30 kg ha-1 ) as a pre-rice crop. The application rate of nitrogen was 0, 35, 70 and 105 kg ha–1 , respectively. Direct-seeded rice (DSR) was 100 Kg ha-1 . The size of each plot was 16 m2 (4 m×4 m). The experiment was conducted in 3 replicates. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) on Plants Height revealed a significant difference at 1% (P < 0.01) effect of nitrogen level. N35 had the greatest average height (82.95 cm) and N0 was the shortest plant height (77.15 cm). Additionally, a significant difference at 1% (P < 0.01) of planting (CC). CC1 was the tallest plant height (81.75 cm), while CC0 was the shortest plant height (78.49 cm). However, the interaction between N level and CC was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) on Plant height. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) on Grain yield showed a significant difference at 1% (P < 0.01) N70 had the highest average yield (4.92 tons/ha) and N0 had the lowest yield averaging (3.53 tons/ha). Planting (CC) was a significant difference at 1% (P < 0.01). CC1 had the highest average yield (4.60 tons/ha), while CC0 had the lowest average yield (4.13 tons/ha). the interaction between N level and CC was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) The results suggested that among 4 levels of nitrogen, The application of any rates of fertilizers increased the grain yield compared to non-N application. The grain yield was even higher with the incorporation of CC as a pre-rice crop.

Testing Alternative Hydroponic Nutrition of Wick System on Vegetable Growth Planted in Limited Land

This research aims to obtain suitable alternative nutrients for vegetable cultivation using the Hydroponic Wick System so that the production costs of hydroponic cultivation can be cheaper and more affordable. The research was conducted in the Tebeng area, Ratu Agung Kodya Bengkulu, at an elevation of 50 meters above sea level. The research method used was a Randomized Block Design with a Factorial pattern (RAKF). The first factor had 3 levels of vegetable types: kailan (S1), caisim (S2), and pakcoy (S3). The second factor had 3 levels of nutrients: AB Mix 100% (N1), alternative 100% (N2), and ABMix 50% + alternative 50% (N3). Thus, there were 9 treatment combinations with 3 replications. The results of the research showed that the plant height, number of leaves, wet weight, and dry weight of plants using Alternative Nutrients for kailan, caisim, and pakcoy vegetables significantly influenced the use of AB Mix nutrients, Alternative Nutrients, and the mixture of both nutrients when grown using the Hydroponic Wick system. The best results were achieved using alternative nutrients. This was evident from the tallest plant height at harvest, which was 34.20 grams at 42 days after planting (HST), 16.62 leaves, 142.69 grams wet weight, and 7.60 grams dry weight. These results were significantly better compared to using other nutrients, offering a potential solution to the high costs of hydroponic cultivation due to the expensive price and limited availability of AB Mix nutrients, especially in the region.

Influence of Various Methods of Sowing and Organic Manures on the Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The study was conducted at the certified organic experimental farm of SHUATS Model of Organic Farm (SMOF) at NAI, Prayagraj, in the winter rabi season of 2020-21. The primary objective was to scrutinize the nuanced impact of diverse sowing methods and organic manures on the yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This comprehensive investigation consisted of nine treatments, each replicated three times and arranged in a randomized block design. Noteworthy findings emerged, revealing that Row sowing coupled with Poultry manure (5 t/ha), Panchagavya 3% FS, and Jeevamrut 500 l/ha FS resulted in the tallest plant height (78.30 cm). Moreover, the optimal combination of SWI with Poultry manure (5 t/ha), Panchagavya 3% FS, and Jeevamrut 500 l/ha FS exhibited the highest number of tillers per plant (10.53) and the maximum dry weight per plant (18.00 g/plant). Better yield performance, however, was achieved by Row sowing in conjunction with Poultry manure (5 t/ha), Panchagavya 3% FS, and Jeevamrut 500 l/ha FS, where it not only showcased the highest grain yield (3.16 t/ha) and straw yield (4.48 t/ha) but also demonstrated superiority in gross return (Rs. 1,44,000.00/ha), net returns (Rs. 95,940.00/ha), and an impressive benefit-cost ratio of 1.99. These outcomes underscore the paramount importance of precision in agricultural practices for achieving enhanced productivity and economic viability.

Potential of Endophytious Fungi from Rice Plant Local Genotype Kuantan Singingi in Improving Rice Plant Growth

This study aims to investigate the potential of endophytic fungi derived from local genotypes of Pulut Karate and white Sisgam rice plants to enhance the growth of rice plants. The research was conducted in a laboratory setting using an experimental approach. Initially, the endophytic fungi were isolated from the rice plants of Pulut Karate and white lionfish genotypes, which were previously collected in another research project. These fungi were then cultured on PDA media and incubated for seven days. Subsequently, the germination and growth of rice seedlings inoculated with each endophytic fungus isolate were examined. The growth parameters of the rice seedlings, including seed height, root length, and number of leaves, were carefully observed. The findings of this research were presented in the form of data and images. The results indicate that the seed germination rate ranged from 90% to 100%. Among all the isolates, isolate PB03 demonstrated the most significant impact on rice plant growth, as evidenced by its taller plant height (8.03 cm) and longer root length (6.27 cm) compared to the other isolates and the control group.

Effect of Late Cultivation under Low Tunnels on the Growth and Productivity of Some Leafy Vegetables

The experiment was carried out in 2022-2023, on agricultural land in Idlib governorate, in the West Northern of Syrie. Experimental treatments were planted under low tunnels and covered with transparent plastic, to study the effect of late planting of spinach and lettuce crops in protected conditions. The seeds of local varieties of spinach and lettuce were used for the research. The experiment was carried out according to a randomized complete block design. The experiment results indicated that using protected cultivation methods led to significantly better outcomes in various aspects compared to open-field cultivation. For both spinach and lettuce crops, protected cultivation resulted in higher seed germination percentage (1.3 times), increased leaf area of seedlings (3.3 times), more marketable plants (1.8 times), greater number of leaves per plant (1.3 times), taller plant height (1.3 times), higher seedling weight (3 times), and greater plant weight at harvest (1.5 times). Overall, the total productivity per unit area increased using protected cultivation. The average increase rate for all studied traits was 1.9 times higher in protected cultivation compared to open cultivation. As a result, we recommend late cultivation of spinach and lettuce crops under low tunnels to shorten the cultivation period after the completion of long-season summer cultivation.

Genetic Diversity Studies in Durum Wheat (Triticum durum L.) Accessions

Genetic diversity among durum wheat tetraploid species has a premium to understand the diversity within the genotypes. This study’s major objective was to learn more about the diversity and relationships between various durum genotypes. The experiment was design randomized complete block design with three replications. In this study, a total of eight durum advance lines, namely DW-1, DW-2, DW-3, DW-4, DW-5, DW-6, DW-7, and DW-8, were included with one Durum check wheat Miki3 and spring wheat Khirman to investigate the interrelationship and genetic diversity of quantitative traits and they ‘reaming these traits. For nearly all of the features, the analysis of variance revealed considerable variations among the durum advance lines, as evidenced by the significant mean squares at a probability level of P≤0.01. The mean performance results indicated variations in genotype performance DW8 exhibited maximum days to heading, tallest plant height (cm), and shortest peduncle length was measured in durum wheat. DW6 attained shorter plant height was recorded as compared to both check varieties. A notable variation was detected among the genotypes concerning the trait "number of tillers per m2". The genotype with the highest number of tillers appeared to be spring wheat and the minimum number of tillers was recorded in DW4, respectively. Significantly maximum number of spikelet’s, per spike-1,biological yield plant-1 and protein content % were observed in DW3, amount of grains spike-1 were significant in DW6, main spike yield per plant (g) was recorded in DW3. Whereas minimum grains spike-1and minimum spike yield was observed in DW9, respectively. Grain yield plot-1 (2.3333 kg) was observed significantly higher in DW6 and minimum Grain yield plot-1 (1.6667 kg) in DW10 was observed. Regards correlation, Grain yield plant-1 revealed there was a positive and significant correlation with respect to the trait "days to75% headline, days to 75% maturity, grains Spike-1, main spike yield-1 and 1000-Grain Weight (g) (r=0.500**, r=0.679**, r=0.316*, r=0.316*, r=0.533** and r=0.308*). Using UPGMA, two members of cluster 1 and cluster 2 were found to have closer relationship with different durum genotypes. However, miki 3 had closer relation with DW-8. The largest positive PCA loadings were observed in grains yield plant-1 and 1000 grains weight for the second, third, fourth and fifth PCA group. Hence, DW-8 was nearer relation with miki3, and DW-3, DW-10 and DW-6 considered the best genotypes according to performance.

Effects of biochar treatments on the elemental composition of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves based on the priming period

This study determined the effects of different doses of biochars (B) on Virginia tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivar, on first and second harvest dependent change in plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and B), leaf color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), chlorophyll value (SPAD), electrolyte leakage (EL), crude ash, number of leaves, and plant height. Pot experiments were conducted with biochar treatments of 10 tons ha−1 (B1), 20 tons ha−1 (B2), 40 tons ha−1 (B3), and 80 tons ha−1 (B4). Tobacco leaf macroelement (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) levels increased with increasing biochar doses. The highest values were obtained for B4 treatments (80 tons ha−1) and the lowest for control (B0) treatments. Microelements (Fe, Zn, Mn, and B) exhibited a non linear change, while Cl and Cu exhibited a linear change. Color parameters (L*, a*, and b*) for the first and second priming showed the highest L* and b* values for B2 and B3 treatments, respectively, and the highest a* values for the B2 treatment. Leaf SPAD values increased with increasing biochar doses; further, the obtained SPAD values were ordered as B4 > B3 > B2 > B1 > B0. Leaf electrolyte leakage values were 25.90 %–37.25 % in the first priming and 26.90 %–40.59 % in the second priming. For both the primings, the highest crude ash values (21.94 % and 19.05 %) were observed for the B4 treatments, whereas the lowest values (17.89 % and 17.01 %) were observed for the B0 treatments. the tallest plant height (121.9 cm) and the highest number of leaves (45.3) were determined in B4 applications. Overall, considering the nutrition and quality of tobacco, B2 application is recommended.

Evaluation of precision nutrient tools and nutrient optimization in maize (Zea mays L.) for enhancement of growth, productivity and nutrient use efficiency

Modern agriculture relies heavily on inputs, with nutrient application being a significant cost factor and a critical driver of crop productivity. Maize, a nutrient-demanding cereal crop, necessitates precise nutrient management to enhance yields. Optimizing nutrient application in maize is essential for timely nutrient supply and improved nutrient use efficiency. Considering these facts, a field study for two consecutive years during 2021-22 and 2022-23 rabi season was conducted by considering 13 nutrient management treatments, which were replicated three times. The treatments included the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) along with its higher and lower levels in combination with nutrients prescribed by different precision nutrient management tools and the foliar application of nano urea. Among different nutrient management practices, the treatment chlorophyll content meter sufficiency index (SI)-based nitrogen management at SI 90-95% resulted in taller plant height (240 cm), leaf area (3259 cm2/plant), dry matter accumulation (2069 g/m2) and stem girth (8.1 cm) at harvest. The yield attributes such as number of cobs/ plant (1.78), number of grains/ cob (239.3), weight of cob (312 g) and number of rows/ cob (14.4) were also significantly superior to RDF with the former treatment. As a result, the treatment consisting of chlorophyll content meter sufficiency index (SI)-based nitrogen management at SI 90-95% produced significantly higher grain (7.74 t/ha), stover (12.40 t/ha) and biological yield (20.12 t/ha) as well as registered higher agronomic nutrient use efficiency. The study concludes that chlorophyll content meter sufficiency index (SI)-based nitrogen management at SI 90-95% can be adopted in maize cultivation for enhancing growth, productivity and nutrient use efficiency.

Drought responses of traditional and modern wheats in different phenological stages

Drought is one of the most pressing issues in many regions worldwide. Selecting wheat genotypes adapted to changing climatic conditions is crucial for sustainable agricultural production, economic development, and food security. In this study, 156 bread wheat genotypes, including landraces from Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, which have adapted to changing climatic conditions for thousands of years, and high-yielding modern wheat varieties, including advanced breeding lines and cultivars were evaluated. The genotypes were subjected to seasonal drought treatments under rain shelters, including pre-heading drought (T1), post-heading drought (T2), irrigation based on long-term precipitation (T3), and seasonal precipitation and supplemental irrigation (T4). Grain yield and physio-morphological and quality traits of the genotypes under seasonal drought and irrigated conditions were evaluated. Drought treatments reduced yield and some physio-morphological traits and increased quality traits. Pre-heading drought treatments had the greatest effect on yield and physio-morphological traits while post-heading drought treatments had the greatest effect on quality traits. Modern wheat cultivars had higher grain yields compared to landraces, but some landraces had a lower yield loss compared to modern wheats under drought stress. The higher tillering rate of the landraces resulted in greater biomass production, taller plant height, and peduncle length. Landraces had higher protein content in all treatments, whereas modern wheats had higher protein content in T2 treatments due to the selection pressure that has been ongoing for years. In summary, given that different drought scenarios will be encountered in the future, landraces should be effectively used in the breeding programs to develop seasonal drought-tolerant modern or climate-resilient wheat varieties.

Assessing the impact of plant growth regulators on anther retention and Fusarium head blight in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) infected by Fusarium graminearum in field conditions

Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance in wheat is often associated with undesirable agronomic traits such as tall plant height and a propensity for lodging. Plant height in wheat is genetically controlled by some semi-dwarfing alleles that alter the plant's sensitivity to gibberellins (GAs). The presence of semi-dwarfing alleles increases the frequency of anther retention, which may contribute to FHB susceptibility by providing an initiation site for infection. The application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) may enable farmers to grow the most resistant cultivars while controlling plant height to minimize lodging risk. In this study, five spring wheat cultivars that differed in level of FHB resistance, height, and semi-dwarfing alleles were tested to determine the effect of PGRs, specifically Manipulator™ and Ethrel™, on plant height, anther retention, and FHB resistance level and the interactions between them in Winnipeg and Carman, Manitoba in 2019 and 2020. Combined field results showed that Ethrel™ significantly reduced plant height. Both PGRs did not affect the anther retention or FHB resistance levels of the tested cultivars under dry conditions. There were significant interactions between variables, but they were relatively small compared to the main treatment and cultivars. Based on the results of this study, producers could benefit from the higher levels of FHB resistance often associated with tall cultivars and use PGRs to manage plant height and lodging without increased risk of FHB.

Effect of Biochar on Growth and Yield of Yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata) Under Salinity Stress

One of the most popular vegetables worldwide is the yard long bean. Salinity is a significant environmental problem that causes lower yields in vegetable crop. Application of biochar is a crucial manure management practice that can be used to increase yard long bean production under saline conditions. An experiment was conducted at the research field of the Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh during the period from 1st March to 2nd June of 2022 to determine the potential of biochar on the growth and yield performance of yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) under salinity stress. The experiment consisted three treatments with two levels of biochar and each replicated three times following randomized complete block design. The treatment combinations were T0= no biochar +recommended doses of chemical fertilizer (RDF), T1= biochar (3 t ha-1) +RDF, T2= biochar (6 t ha-1) + RDF respectively. The tallest plant height (33.33 cm), minimum days of flowering (29.33 days), highest chlorophyll content (63.43), maximum number of leaf (61.43) and pod (56.33) per plant, highest pod weight (17.70 g), pod length (31.77 cm), pod diameter (0.98 cm), maximum number of seeds (13.67) per pod and also yield hectare (5.49 t) were found from T2 = biochar (6 t ha-1) + RDF under the soil with 0.1 M salinity stress, whereas lowest data was found from control T0= no biochar + RDF under the soil with 0.1 M salinity stress . The findings of experiment indicated that the application of biochar at the level of 6 t ha-1+ RDF enhanced the growth and yield performance of yard long bean under salinity stress.

Effects of Shredded Paper Mulch on Komatsuna Spinach under Three Soil Moisture Levels

Mulch has been considered effective for saving water and promoting plant growth. However, little has been investigated about the effect of mulch from recycled shredded paper under different soil moisture conditions on spinach growth. A pot-grown Komatsuna spinach experiment with a factorial design was conducted under two main conditions, with and without shredded paper mulch. Each of these conditions was treated with three different soil moisture levels (SWC) 20%, 25%, and 30%. The smallest evapotranspiration amount was in the mulch-only, no-plant treatment with SWC 20% (92.88 mm), and the largest was in the plant-only, no-mulch treatment (226.19 mm). All biomass yield attributions were negatively influenced by increasing the frequency of irrigation and SWC levels. SWC 20% with shredded mulch resulted in the largest dry matter, although it was statistically non-significant. But it resulted in taller plant heights and a larger leaf area index (LAI) compared to soil with no shredded mulch (p < 0.05). For SWC 25% and 30% treatments, Komatsuna spinach with no shredded mulch resulted in slightly superior plant dry matter and plant height, compared to mulched plants. These results suggest that SWC 20% with shredded paper mulch has the highest potential for saving water among all treatments for growing spinach under limited water availability.

Durum-21: A New High-Yielding and Good Quality Durum Wheat Variety Suitable for Pasta Production

Durum-21 (D-21) is a high-yielding, disease resistant with better-quality traits variety, developed by Wheat Research Institute Faisalabad. This variety is mainly developed for industrial purposes for pasta production. Worldwide, durum wheat is utilized for pasta production; but in Pakistan, due to a lack of research work and non-availability of quality seeds of durum wheat, bread wheat is being utilized for pasta production. D-21 is developed with the breeding code of D-21 having parentage of FKN/3/2*FR//KAD/GB/4/BB/CHA/5/AS-2002 with pedigree as PB20733-1a-2a-2a-0a-0a-19a-0a. The candidate line D-21 was developed by crossing a germplasm accession with approved bread wheat variety AS-02. The genotype was further evaluated over multiple locations in Punjab Pakistan for yield and yield-related attributes in the station, provincial, and national uniform durum yield trials executed by Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Faisalabad during 2015-20. The promising line out yielded the two commercial check varieties D-97 and Fsd-2008 by 1.42 % in the provincial yield trial and 4.2 % in the national yield trial. D-21 had desirably medium to tall plant height (96-100 cm) without anthocyanin pigment. It has erected to semi-erect growth habit at the seedling stage. Its color is green with medium waxiness on stem and yellowish-white at maturity. Its 1000-grain weight ranged from 38.9 to 39 g while the test weight remained from 69 to 78.5 g. The protein contents were 13.1 to 14.95 %; which is higher than the two checks (D-97 and Fsd-2008). Due to its better grain yield and promising nutritional and quality parameters, it was approved in the year 2021 for cultivation all over the country.

Generation Mean Analysis, Heterosis, and Genetic Diversity in Five Egyptian Faba Beans and Their Hybrids

The faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a major legume crop; thus, it is important to apply various biometrical techniques to develop the most efficient breeding procedures to face biotic and abiotic stressors. During the four consecutive winter seasons of 2017–2021, five populations of five faba bean hybrids were studied at Sakha agricultural research station in Egypt. Five basic generations, including two parents (P1 and P2) and the first, second, and third generations, were studied. This analysis found significant variations between generations in all attributes studied in all crosses (P1, P2, F1, F2, and F3). Sakha 4 was the earliest parent (138 days) based on the maturity date, whereas Giza 40 had the most significant number of pods and seeds per plant (25.68–78.94), and Giza 716 had the tallest plant height (124.00 cm). Giza 843 and Sakha 4 had the highest seed yield per plant values (62.84 g and 61.77 g). The data demonstrated highly substantial heterosis in the favorable direction over mid and better parents for all features, except for the number of branches in Cross 3 (Giza 40 × Giza 843) over mid and better parents and a maturity date in Cross 1 over mid parents. Contrarily, opposite-direction dominance and dominance × dominance effects increased narrow-sense heredity. Broad-sense heritability values for all examined characteristics were high in all crosses, ranging from 90.24% to 97.67%. In both Crosses 5 (Giza 716 × Qahera 4) and 3, genetic advance through selection ranged from 1.73% at the maturity date to 95.12% for seed yield per plant. Cross 3 (Giza 40 × Giza 843) had the greatest number of branches, pods, and seeds per plant. In conclusion, this study advances our understanding of employing faba beans in breeding programs.