Total Biomass Production Research Articles

Optimization of vegetative growth conditions for submerged cultivation of edible medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus through resonance surface methodology

Edible medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus commonly known as Lion’s mane contains various bioactive metabolites.  These metabolites are associated with many health benefits and used as nutraceuticals and pro-health goods. Therefore, the objective of this study was to optimize vegetative growth conditions at which metabolites production was maximum. In this study, conditions such as pH, temperature, and agitation of the fermenter were used to study the relative effect on biomass in the submerged medium. Initially, the biomass experiments were designed using the Box Behnken Design (BBD). A total of 17 trial runs with varying ranges were carried out. Vegetative growth condition variables were found to play a decisive role in determining the quantity of the total biomass production in submerged conditions. The response surface methodology (RSM) was further used to analyze the results and finally to optimize the relationship of growth conditions. The analysis showed that maximum biomass production (34.44g/l) was optimized at temperature 24.39 ℃, pH 6.38, and 147.42 rpm. The predicted maximal growth was within 0.130-1.49 percent error of the experimental data under these conditions. With R2>0.9, the model produces an acceptable outcome. Therefore, we concluded that these indicator parameters can be used for better production of mycelium biomass and metabolites, used as medicinal and pharmacological products.

Biomass production and carbon stocks of poplar-based agroforestry with canola and wheat crops: a case study

Poplar (Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.) produce a large amount of biomass per unit area and is important fast-growing species in different planting systems. However, the appropriate space between poplar trees is essential to high-performance productivity in diverse regions. The present study monitored the effect of different spacing configurations (A: 4 × 3 m; B: 4 × 3 m (pure poplar); C: 6 × 3 m; D: 8 × 3 m; E: 10 × 3 m and F: pure crop) of poplar-based agroforestry with two canola (Brassica napus L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system on biomass production and carbon storage. Over the eight years, the total poplar biomass production was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) in poplar-based configurations and ranged from 9.1 to 13.4 mg ha–1. The highest carbon storage of 6.5 mg ha–1 was observed in configuration E. Crop production of canola and wheat in configurations B, C, D, and E, did not show a significant difference with pure crop cultivation, while configuration A was significantly lower. Our result indicated that configuration E, with the highest total biomass production but no significant difference in crop production, is the optimum system of poplar-based agroforestry in regions with similar temperate climate conditions of Northern Iran. Finally, poplar-based agroforestry provides high efficiency of carbon sequestration in trees which can conserve all market and non-market benefits. Keywords: aboveground biomass, carbon concentration, crop yield, productivity, Populus deltoides, Northern Iran

Integrated Nutrient Management to increase Productivity and Profitability in Dual Purpose Oat (Avena sativa L.)

Field experiments were carried out to Study the Integrated Nutrient Management to increase Productivity and Profitability in Dual Purpose Oat (Avena sativa L.) at Genetics and Plant Breeding Research Farm, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh (UP), during Rabi season 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in Randomized block design (RBD) with three replications and nine treatments viz., T1: Control, T2: RDF (100 kg N : 40 kg P2O5 : 40 kg K2O ha-1), T3: 75 % RDN + Vermicompost @ 2t ha-1, T4: T3 + PSB (soil application @ 1.5 kg ha-1), T5: T4 + Azotobacter (seed treatment @10g kg-1 seed), T6: T5 + ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1 (soil application as basal ), T7: T5+ ZnSO4 @ 15 kg ha-1 (soil application as basal), T8: T6 + Foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.5%) at just before flowering, T9: T7 + Foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.5%) at just before flowering. Results revealed that higher yield attributes viz. panicle length (37.40cm), panicle weight (9.80g), number of grain panicle-1 (56.33), test weight (48.70g), green forage yield (90.60 q ha-1), dry matter yield (17.51 q ha-1), yield parameters viz. grain yield (16.51 q ha-1), straw yield (72.97 q ha-1) and profitability viz. gross income (INR 82069.5 ha-1), net income (INR 51605.5 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.69) of oat for T8: 75% RDN + Vermicompost @ 2t ha-1 + PSB (soil) @ 1.5 kg ha-1 + Azotobacter (seed treatment) @ 10 g kg-1 of seed + ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1 (basal) + foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.5%) at just before flowering of oat as compared to the control. Whereas, application of organic and inorganic fertilizers in combinations viz., Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Vermicompost, Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), Azotobacter and Zinc had a significant effect on total biomass production, yield attributes, yield and profitability of oat.

Weed community shifts during the aging of perennial intermediate wheatgrass crops harvested for grain in arable fields

The development of a perennial grain offers opportunities to diversify annual crop rotations, with potential benefits in terms of soil protection. Perennials could also reduce weed development over time through year-round soil cover and longer growing seasons. However, whether weeds would actually decrease remains mainly theoretical, with field data on perennial grains remaining sparse. Qualitative changes might also have an effect, because disturbance and modifications to resource regimes drive shifts in weed communities. Here, we analyzed weed abundance, composition, and traits in three arable fields containing perennial grain over a 4-year period. Specifically, intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) perennial grain (Kernza) was cultivated. IWG grain production was maximal during the first and second growing seasons (899 and 854 kg.ha-1 respectively), with total biomass production peaking in the second year (mean: 11.9 t DM.ha-1). However, reproductive effort noticeably dropped in the third and fourth years. Weed biomass also gradually reduced during the fall of all years (mean: ∼0.4–∼0.03 t DM.ha-1), but remained constant in spring (mean: 1–2 t DM.ha-1). During spring, the community composition of weeds shifted from broadleaves to grass species and, to a lesser extent, from annuals to perennials, with weed species having an earlier phenology than IWG. Thus, relative fitness appeared to be the strongest driver of weed community composition in aging IWG stands. Weed species richness systematically declined over the years. Specific leaf area, height, light, and nitrogen requirement index of weed communities provided poor descriptors of community shifts; however, all weed species with high light requirements were excluded from aging IWG stands. IWG capacity to compete with weeds might have been undermined by its late growing cycle, absence of forage harvest during the growing season, and substantial initial weed development during establishment (first year of growth). Thus, before IWG establishment, initial site conditions and land use history should be considered to implement the best management strategies for each field. Important weed development in perennial grain fields could lead to high weeding requirement, either mechanical or chemical, in conflict with the initial principle of increasing sustainability and reducing inputs.

Cereal rye seeding rate does not affect magnitude of weed suppression when planting green within Mid-Atlantic United States

AbstractIn the Mid-Atlantic United States, there is increasing interest in delaying cereal rye termination until after soybean planting (i.e., planting green). Improved understanding of cereal rye seeding rate effects is needed to balance weed and agronomic management goals. We investigated the effects of cereal rye seeding rates on weed control and crop performance when planting green in complementary experiments in two Mid-Atlantic regions. The Pennsylvania experiment was replicated at three site-years and the Delaware experiment at two site-years. In both experiments, population-level weed responses were evaluated across four cereal rye seeding rates: 0, 51, 101, and 135 kg ha−1. The Delaware experiment also implemented a nitrogen treatment factor (0 and 34 kg N ha−1; spring applied). Both experiments showed that integrating cereal rye in the fall significantly improved winter- and summer-annual weed suppression compared with the fallow control, but no differences in total cereal rye biomass production or weed suppression were found among alternative cereal rye seeding rates (51 to 135 kg ha−1). Soybean yield did not differ among treatments in any of the studies. These results show there is no reason to increase cereal rye seeding rates for weed suppression services or to decrease seeding rates for agronomic reasons (i.e., soybean population and yield) when employing planting-green tactics in no-till soybean production within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

Vermicomposting of Lavender Waste: A Biological Laboratory Investigation

In the present work, lavender waste, a residue of the essential oil extract industry, was used to feed Eisenia andrei with mature horse manure at ratios of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 100:0 on dry weight basis. Vermicomposting was carried out for 70 days in laboratory conditions. Biological parameters such as population build-up, total biomass, mortality and cocoon production were observed and measured. Increasing concentrations of waste affected positively the growth and reproduction of worms in a significant way. The 100% lavender waste combination showed the best cocoon production and even tripled their biomass in the first week. A seed germination test was also made, where no evidence of toxicity was found. The germination index range was, in general terms, above 100. The results indicated that the earthworm E. andrei was able to transform lavender waste into compost and thus play a major role in industrial waste management and apply circular economy.

Cell Weight, Chlorophyll a Content and Total Biomass Production of Spirulina platensis: Impact of Culture Media and Affiliated Correlation

This experiment was inquired to apprehend the associated relationship among the cell weight, chlorophyll a and total biomass production of Spirulina platensis grown in different concentration of digested rotten guava medium (DRGM) and kosaric medium (KM). This study was carried out to disclose the culture potentiality of different substrates and their impact on production through the assessment of their consequential correlation. The completely randomized design (CRD) was taken into consideration to accomplish the experiment in laboratory condition. The maximum cell weight was assumed in KM (12.41 ± 0.23) followed by 0.816 ± 0.0017, 0.813 ± 0.0013 and 0.807± 0.0011 mg/L in supernatant of 60%, 20% and 40% DRGM, respectively on the 10th day of culture. The correlation (P< 0.01) with the chlorophyll a content (r = 0.745) and total biomass (r = 0.741) revealed significant association and strong correlation with the obtained cell weight in these culture media. In kosaric medium, the growth performance was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of grown in the different concentration of DRGM (60%, 40% and 20%). The content of chlorophyll a grown in KM (10.54 ± 0.33 mg/L) was significantly higher (P< 0.01) in comparison of 60% (0.863 ± 0.0018), 40% (0.769 ± 0.0015) and 20% DRGM (0.771 ± 0.13). The highest biomass of S. platensis was acquired in KM (705.52 ± 2.59 mg/L) and varied significantly (P < 0.05) than that of cultured in supernatants of 20% (67.76 ± 0.42), 40% (51.45 ± 0.26) and 60% (57.74 ± 0.26) DRGM. The culture techniques in DRG medium may dwindle the cost of production in comparison with KM and might be considered as a media for Spirulina platensis cultivation.

Far-red radiation increases flower and fruit abortion in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

• FR (far-red) applied whole day or end of day stimulates flower and fruit abortion. • FR decreases dry matter partitioned to fruits, due to a reduced fruit number. • FR stimulates total shoot biomass production. • FR increases the fraction of dry matter partitioned to the stem. Fruit set is a crucial plant developmental process, determining yield in many crops. Pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) is a crop with poor fruit set as typically about two-thirds of all flowers abort. A higher light integral improves fruit set. However, the role of light spectrum has hardly been investigated. Opportunities for detailed investigation of light spectrum effects on fruit set have strongly increased with the introduction of narrow-band LED lighting. To investigate whether additional far-red light (FR) influences the fruit set of sweet pepper, a climate chamber experiment was conducted. Four light treatments were applied to pepper plants grown under 130 µmol m −2 s −1 of red/white LED light. Treatments consisted of different intensities of FR (0, 50, 100 µmol m −2 s −1 ) applied throughout the day or applied at the end of day (EOD, 30 min, 30 µmol m −2 s −1 ). Treatments resulted in phytochrome photostationary state (PSS) values of 0.88, 0.77. 0.70 and EOD 0.16, respectively. Fruit set was determined 3 weeks after the last anthesis of the studied flowers. Additional FR light reduced fruit set in sweet pepper, regardless of whether FR light was provided during the whole day or only at the end of the day. Meanwhile, FR led to more stem elongation, more upright branches, and more dry mass partitioning to stems. Additional FR during the daytime increased total shoot dry weight but not when FR was applied at the end of day. Possible reasons for stimulated flower and fruit abortion by additional FR are discussed.

Bioactive Compounds Produced in Leaves of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Transplants under Modified Environments of Root and Aerial Zones.

Different shoot/root micro-environments were investigated for growth performances and nutraceutical compounds in leaves of mulberry (Morus alba L.) transplants. Single-node segments were taken from seedling-grown pots of three cultivars: Myanmar large leaf (MLL), Myanmar medium leaf (MML), and C14. Transplant production was compared in soil, vermiculite (V), or the dynamic root floating technique (DRFT). The highest survival percentage of the transplants was obtained from V-system, and MLL showed a higher shoot/root formation over two tested cultivars. The MLL transplants grown in V-system under white LED light (445 and 554 nm) at 200 μmol·m-2·s-1 gave a fresh weight with superior qualified transplants compared to other treatments. The bioactive compounds in leaves of MLL, MML, and C14 were analyzed using GC-MS after incubation with different LED spectra. Ethanol extracts of the leaves revealed that more than 50% of the bioactive compounds were fatty acids and conjugates and varied according to spectra and cultivar. Blue LED light (445 nm) induced the production of total phenolics, whereas white LED light favored the production of total proteins, soluble sugar, and biomass. The modified environments at the root and aerial zones significantly influenced the growth and biochemical parameters of transplants, and this applied technique can elevate useful functional ingredients of mulberry leaves.

Exploring Ecosystems Health: Effects of Increments of Biodiversity and Trophic Complexity on the Stability of a Simple Gaian Ecosystem Model

The concept of ecosystem health is explored, deepening the analysis on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem stability, both as variables for health evaluation. Ecosystem stability is studied under a systemic approach in terms of resistance and resilience. According to some authors, when ecosystems´s models consider not only the effects of organisms on the environment but also feedbacks from the environment to the organisms, the interactions between biodiversity and ecosystem stability become positive or even synergic. To test this, the “Daisyworld” model is used to simulate the effects of diversity and trophic complexity increments on ecosystem stability. For this, the model was consecutively run with: 1st one species of daisy, 2nd two species of daisy, and 3rd two species of daisy and a herbivore. To study the stability of the system, three perturbations were introduced: 1st, 50% reduction on the daisy population, 2nd, 10% decrease on the solar radiation, and 3rd, 10% increase in the solar radiation regarding the initial value. From the execution of the model, it can be concluded that increments on biodiversity did result in more resistance but less resilience. Nevertheless, it is considered that the system becomes healthier, as its self-regulation is improved, and the total biomass (productivity) increased. However, increments in diversity or trophic complexity are themselves considered positive in evaluating the ecosystemic health.

Luminescent quantum dot films improve light use efficiency and crop quality in greenhouse horticulture.

The spectral quality of sunlight reaching plants remains a path for optimization in greenhouse cultivation. Quantum dots represent a novel, emission-tunable luminescent material for optimizing the sunlight spectrum in greenhouses with minimal intensity loss, ultimately enabling improved light use efficiency of plant growth without requiring electricity. In this study, greenhouse films containing CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots were utilized to absorb and convert ultraviolet and blue photons from sunlight to a photoluminescent emission centered at 600nm. To analyze the effects of the quantum dot film spectrum on plant production, a 25-week tomato trial was conducted in Dutch glass greenhouses. Plants under the quantum dot film experienced a 14% reduction in overall daily light integral, resulting from perpendicular photosynthetically active radiation transmission of 85.3%, mainly due to reflection losses. Despite this reduction in intensity, the modified sunlight spectrum and light diffusion provided by the quantum dot film gave rise to 5.7% improved saleable production yield, nearly identical total fruiting biomass production, 23% higher light use efficiency (g/mol), 10% faster vegetative growth rate, and 36% reduced tomato waste compared to the control, which had no additional films. Based on this result, materials incorporating quantum dots show promise in enabling passive, electricity-free spectrum modification for improving crop production in greenhouse cultivation, but extensive controlled crop studies are needed to further validate their effectiveness.

Biomass Allocation and Competitive Ability of a Semiarid Perennial Grass and a Legume in Mixtures under Periodical Soil Water Decreasing Conditions

Soil moisture is the key factor controlling plant growth in semiarid grasslands. Here, we sought to evaluate the effects of soil moisture decreasing at different growth stages on biomass accumulation, water use efficiency, and plant-plant interaction of a C3 leguminous subshrub Lespedeza davurica (L) and a C4 perennial grass Bothriochloa ischaemum (B) when sown singly and as a mix in five different ratios in a pot experiment. Results showed that soil water decrease significantly reduced total biomass production of the mixtures by 3.7–53.8% compared with well-watered conditions, and plants at the heading and flowering periods were more vulnerable to soil water decline than those at the late stage. The relative yield total (RYT) of the mixtures was mostly greater than those sown singly. Soil water decreasing increased root/shoot ratio and water use efficiency (WUE) of the mixtures, and such effects were mediated by mixture ratio and/or growth stage. In the mixtures, a strong intraspecific competition was observed in B. ischaemum, whereas interspecific competition in L. davurica. The highest overall biomass (86.47 g pot−1) and WUE (6.33 g kg−1) were observed when the mixture ratio was B:L = 10:2 regardless of soil moisture, and thus could be considered an optimal mixture ratio for establishing restored grassland using the two species. Our results suggest that sown seed mixtures of the two species with an appropriate ratio could sustain a relatively high total biomass production and improve WUE under soil water decreasing conditions in the semiarid Loess Plateau.

Incorporating concepts of biodiversity into modern aquaculture: macroalgal species richness enhances bioremediation efficiency in a lumpfish hatchery

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors; however, intensive farming techniques of finfish have raised environmental concerns, especially through the release of excessive nutrients into surrounding waters. Biodiversity has been widely shown to enhance ecosystem functions and services, but there has been limited testing or application of this key ecological relationship in aquaculture. This study tested the applicability of the biodiversity-function relationship to integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), asking whether species richness can enhance the efficiency of macroalgal bioremediation of wastewater from finfish aquaculture. Five macroalgal species (Chondrus crispus, Fucus serratus, Palmaria palmata, Porphyra dioica, and Ulva sp.) were cultivated in mono- and polyculture in water originating from a lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) hatchery. Total seaweed biomass production, specific growth rates (SGR), and the removal of ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup>), total oxidised nitrogen (TON), and phosphate (PO<sub>4</sub> <sup>3-</sup>) from the wastewater were measured. Species richness increased total seaweed biomass production by 11% above the average component monoculture, driven by an increase in up to 5% in SGR of fast-growing macroalgal species in polycultures. Macroalgal species richness further enhanced ammonium uptake by 25%, and TON uptake by nearly 10%. Phosphate uptake was not improved by increased species richness. The increased uptake of NH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup> and TON with increased macroalgal species richness suggests the complementary use of different nitrogen forms (NH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup> vs. TON) in macroalgal polycultures. The results demonstrate enhanced bioremediation efficiency by increased macroalgal species richness and show the potential of integrating biodiversity- function research to improve aquaculture sustainability.

Structural and production characteristics and nutritive value of two tropical grasses submitted to different levels of nitrogen

The objective of this study was to evaluate increasing levels of nitrogen on and production and nutritive value of Andropogon and Massai grasses under the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Brazil denominated Middle Nort Region. The design used was completely randomized, with sixteen replicatios. The treatments consisted of nitrogen rates: 0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 kg N ha-1 and two forages, which were evaluated independently. The grasses used were Panicum maximum cv. Massai and Andropogon gayanus cv. Kunth. For Andropogon grass, there was an effect of nitrogen fertilization on thecharacteristics: leaf elongation rate, stem elongation rate, leaf senescence rate and leaf blade final length and, in all cases, the behavior was quadratic. Nitrogen also influenced the morphogenic characteristics: leaf appearance rate, leaf elongation rate, leaf senescence rate, phyllochron, leaf blade final length, number of live leaves per tiller and It was not significant for tiller population density of Massai grass, but the behavior varied according to the characteristic, in which leaf appearance rate and number of live leaves per tiller had decreasing linear behavior, while in phyllochron it increased linearly as nitrogen doses increased. Most of the productive characteristics of the grasses had increasing linear behavior (total biomass production of forage, leaf biomass and stem biomass in Andropogon grass, while in Massai grass, only the total forage production and dead material accumulation had an increasing linear behavior with increase of N doses. Quadratic effect only for masai leaf biomass behavior and there was practically no production of stems, affecting the leaf-stem ratio ) while the highest efficiency of nitrogen utilization was achieved with the application of 150 kg N ha-1 for the two grasses. Nitrogen fertilization also favored the nutritive value of the two grasses positively, with linear increase for crude protein and mineral matter contents, only in Massai, and reduction in the contents of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and hemicellulose of grasses. Increasing doses of nitrogen fertilization favors the production, structure and chemical composition of the two grasses. However, the highest efficiency of use is obtained with the application of 150 kg N ha-1.

Productivity of ClonalIlex paraguariensisGenotypes in a Semi-Hydroponic System Is Reduced by Shading

AbstractYerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) is a South American tree cultivated in systems with or without shading at different intensities; however, there is no consensus about shading effect on leaf biomass production. Therefore, we evaluated yerba mate clones under different shading levels over one year to determine the influence of shading and genotype on biomass production. Two yerba mate genotypes (EC22 and EC40), cultivated in a semi-hydroponic system, were subjected to five shading levels (0%, 40%, 51%, 76%, and 82%) in a greenhouse. We determined total fresh biomass (branches and leaves) and fresh biomass of young and mature leaves on six harvests. Biomass production was influenced by harvest season, genotype, and shading levels. Spring and summer harvests provided higher biomass production than the other seasons. EC40 genotype produced higher total fresh and young leaf biomass than EC22. Although we observed differences among genotypes and harvest seasons, shading was the factor that most influenced biomass production. Total fresh biomass productivity was reduced 6.8 times between 0% and 82% shading for the EC40 genotype. Thus, we do not recommend high levels of shade, such as 76% and 82%, in this new yerba mate cultivation system.

Do plant communities show constant final yield?

Total biomass production of plant monocultures growing over a range of densities and harvested after a period of growth increases monotonically with density and then levels out at higher densities. This pattern is called constant final yield (CFY) and is considered one of the most general phenomena in plant ecology. If CFY applies to plant communities, it would be a key to understanding and predicting many community-level phenomena. We tested two primary hypotheses experimentally: (1) Mixtures of several species show CFY. (2) If so, the proportion of biomass production by the component species in a mixture does not change at densities above the density that reaches CFY. We performed a series of glasshouse experiments over 3 years using a "community density series," in which the overall density of five species was varied while their proportions remained unchanged. In the first experiment, we grew a mixture of annual and perennial herbaceous species in mesocosms, and all species were also grown in monocultures at the corresponding densities. A similar experiment was performed in the second and third years, but only with annuals. A third experiment with mixtures only was performed in pots over 2 years. In all cases, aboveground biomass was harvested, separated by species, dried, and weighed. Perennials with underground storage organs produced maximum aboveground biomass at low or intermediate densities. In the second experiment, two of the species produced maximum biomass at the second-highest density in monoculture, while mixtures of all five species showed classical CFY behavior, and the contribution of the species to the mixture changed very little above the lowest density producing CFY. The results of the third experiment were also consistent with the hypotheses. In conclusion, CFY in aboveground biomass production was observed in communities of annual species, and the contribution of the individual species was relatively insensitive to an increase in density above that reaching CFY, i.e., competitive performance of the species changed with density until CFY was reached. Evidence for CFY was stronger in mixture than in monoculture. Coexistence theory must include density as well as frequency dependence if densities are below CFY.

The effect of water and nitrogen on drip tape irrigated silage maize grown under arid conditions: Experimental and simulations

Nutrients and nitrate move to the boundary of the wetted zone under drip-tape irrigation (DTI) of row crops, so irrigation depth, wetted width, and irrigation frequency are the most important factors in managing the wetting front and keeping N in the root zone. Many farmers in arid regions who have changed their irrigation systems to DTI, but they are still applying N in two splits as they are used for surface and sprinkler irrigation. Crop models can be used to optimize the timing and amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied to minimize both N leaching and the amount of N remaining in the soil after harvest. The objectives of this study were to calibrate the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CERES-Maize for two maize hybrids and to evaluate the model under DTI with two different soil wetting widths. The single cross Hybrid 704 (SC704) grown in two experimental fields (Exp-1 and Exp-2) and the single cross Hybrid 606 (SC606) grown in one experimental field and two farmer fields (Exp-3, Ff-1 and Ff-2) were evaluated during three years (2016, 2017 and 2019). Plant traits including leaf area index (LAI), total biomass (TB), soil moisture (SM), nitrogen uptake (NU) and water productivity (WP) were measured. Soil NO3-N was measured at three distances from the planting row and three soil depths in Exp-1 and Exp-3 during two maize growth stages. The fraction of the wetted width (fw) along drip-tape was 70% in Exp-1% and 100% in Exp-3 (referred to as fw-70 and fw-100, respectively). The results showed good performance of the model for simulating TB and LAI with NRMSE < 21.9% for the two hybrids in the applied N fertilizer treatments. The accuracy of the simulation of SM and WP in fw-100 was better than that of fw-70. Simulated NO3-N followed the observed trend for fw-100, while model performance varied for the different irrigation and N levels in fw-70. Model accuracy for soil NO3-N prediction decreased for the high N fertilizer application under deficit irrigation management. These differences were related to the wetting pattern volume, the distribution of N in the soil profile, and accumulation of soil N under DTI. Overall, the model can simulate TB and NU with high accuracy, SM with good accuracy, and soil NO3-N with an acceptable accuracy under DTI. The accuracy of the model was also higher for the unlimited wetting width, as compared to the limited one. This study showed that the CSM-CERES-Maize model can be used for evaluation of nitrogen management practices for drip irrigated maize grown under arid conditions.

Trait value and phenotypic integration contribute to the response of exotic Rhus typhina to heterogeneous nitrogen deposition: A comparison with native Rhus chinensis

The temporal heterogeneity of nitrogen availability in soils is increasing due to agricultural deposition. We here compared the effects of gradually increasing nitrogen deposition rate and its increasing temporal heterogeneity patterns on the functional traits of seedlings of exotic species Rhus typhina and the native species Rhus chinensis. Nitrogen deposition rates of 0, 8, 20 g N m−2 year−1 and constant, single-peak, and double-peak nitrogen were added to simulate deposition rate and temporal heterogeneity. After 60 days of treatment, R. typhina seedlings had several advantageous growth trait values, such as higher total biomass production, but lower phenotypic plasticity than R. chinensis seedlings. R. typhina seedlings also had higher phenotypic integration, measured as the correlation among functional traits. The increased nitrogen deposition rate affected several traits of the two species differently. Thus, while R. chinensis seedlings allocated more biomass to leaves and less to roots with increasing N deposition, R. typhina seedlings had stable biomass allocation among all N treatments. Chlorophyll content, leaf phosphorus concentration, and water use efficiency increased, but the maximum net photosynthetic rate decreased, with N availability in R. chinensis, but not in R. typhina. Temporal heterogeneity had no significant effect on the total biomass of R. typhina and R. chinensis seedlings. Overall, the performance of R. typhina is better than that of R. chinensis seedlings under different nitrogen deposition treatments, which is due to the significantly advantageous trait values and greater phenotypic integration of R. typhina seedlings, whereas R. chinensis seedlings have higher phenotypic plasticity.

Screening of salt tolerance traits and the salt tolerance evaluation method in &lt;em&gt;Brassica napus&lt;/em&gt; at the seed germination stage

Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that negatively affect plant growth and agricultural productivity. For many crop species, the germination stage is one of the most sensitive stages to salinity stress. This study evaluated salt tolerance in 200 Brassica napus L. germplasms using hierarchical cluster analysis based on multiple morphological parameters, including germination rate, root length, fresh weight of root, shoot length, fresh weight of shoot, and total fresh weight. Membership function was used as a comprehensive index to select and evaluate salt tolerance of these germplasms, identifying 8 highly salt-tolerant germplasms, 40 salt-tolerant germplasms, 65 moderate salt-tolerant germplasms, 52 salt-sensitive germplasms, and 35 highly saltsensitive germplasms lines. The responses of rapeseed germplasm to salt stress indicate differences in morphological parameters. Furthermore, NaCl showed a positive effect on total fresh weight and biomass production of some germplasms at a concentration of 100 mmol L–1. Since the correlation value of salt tolerance with total fresh weight was highest under 200 mmol L–1 NaCl, it can be considered the most reliable parameter to evaluate salt tolerance. Therefore, the findings of this study can be applied as an effective and reliable method for mass screening and evaluation of Brassica napus germplasm at the germination stage for breeding salt-tolerant rapeseed genotypes. Highlights - The salinity tolerance of 200 varieties of B. napus germplasms was investigated. - B. napus is more vulnerable to saline conditions during the germination and early reproductive stages than the vegetative and flowering periods. - Based on hierarchical cluster analysis, there was a wide variability of salinity tolerance among rapeseed germplasm. - Low concentration of sodium chloride had a positive effect on shoot and root growth, germination and total weight in some B. napus seedlings. - Total fresh weight can be utilized as the most efficient index for mass screening of salt tolerance in B. napus germplasms at the germination stage.

Optimization of Monascus purpureus for Natural Food Pigments Production on Potato Wastes and Their Application in Ice Lolly.

During potato chips manufacturing, large amounts of wastewater and potato powder wastes are produced. The wastewater obtained at washing after cutting the peeled potatoes into slices was analyzed, and a large quantity of organic compounds and minerals such as starch (1.69%), protein (1.5%), total carbohydrate (4.94%), reducing sugar (0.01%), ash (0.14%), crude fat (0.11%), Ca (28 mg/L), Mg (245 mg/L), Fe (45.5 mg/L), and Zn (6.5 mg/L) were recorded; these wastes could be considered as valuable by-products if used as a fermentation medium to increase the value of the subsequent products and to exceed the cost of reprocessing. In this study, we used wastewater and potato powder wastes as a growth medium for pigment and biomass production by Monascus purpureus (Went NRRL 1992). The response surface methodology was used to optimize total pigment and fungal biomass production. The influence of potato powder waste concentration, fermentation period, and peptone concentration on total pigment and biomass production was investigated using the Box-Behnken design method with 3-factors and 3-levels. The optimal production parameters were potato powder waste concentration of 7.81%, fermentation period of 12.82 days, and peptone concentration of 2.87%, which produced a maximum total pigment of 29.86 AU/ml that include, respectively, a maximum biomass weight of 0.126 g/ml and the yield of pigment of 236.98 AU/g biomass. The pigments produced were used as coloring agents for ice lolly. This study has revealed that the ice lolly preparations supplemented with these pigments received high acceptability. Finally, we recommend using wastewater and potato powder wastes for pigment and biomass production, which could reduce the cost of the pigment production process on an industrial scale in the future.