Plant Weight Research Articles

Potential of entomopathogenic fungi to control insect pests and disease at lettuce and arugula crops

The lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) (Asteraceae) and arugula (Eruca sativa Miller) (Brassicaceae) crops are attacked by various pests and diseases, but the control is usually done with agrochemicals. We evaluate the control of pests and diseases by systematic applications of the entomopathogenic fungi strains Metarhizium anisopliae IBCB425 and Beauveria bassiana IBCB66 both 300g c.p. in the planting groove and 200 g c.p. ha-1 on the foliage, in weekly applications at lettuce and arugula crops planted in association. For the evaluation of pests and diseases, 15 plants were evaluated at random in three beds per treatment. In the lettuce crop occurred the presence of aphids (Myzus persicae Hemiptera:Aphididae), whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), thrips (Frankliniella schultzei Thysanoptera:Thripidae), leafhoppers Agallia albidula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and septoria disease (Septoria lactucae). In the arugula crop the same pests occurred, but with any disease. The fungi B. bassiana and M. anisopliae controlled F. schultzei and S. lactucae at lettuce crop, B. tabaci in both crops, but did not control M. persicae and A. albidula in both crops. The fungus B. bassiana decreased the mean number of leaves per plant and the mean of dry mass weight of arugula plants in relation to the control treatment, but the sample size may have interfered with these results. The two fungi could be used as biological control agents of pests and diseases at lettuce and arugula crops, especially in organic farming.

Prediction of Feed Quantity for Wheat Combine Harvester Based on Improved YOLOv5s and Weight of Single Wheat Plant without Stubble

In complex field environments, wheat grows densely with overlapping organs and different plant weights. It is difficult to accurately predict feed quantity for wheat combine harvester using the existing YOLOv5s and uniform weight of a single wheat plant in a whole field. This paper proposes a feed quantity prediction method based on the improved YOLOv5s and weight of a single wheat plant without stubble. The improved YOLOv5s optimizes Backbone with compact bases to enhance wheat spike detection and reduce computational redundancy. The Neck incorporates a hierarchical residual module to enhance YOLOv5s’ representation of multi-scale features. The Head enhances the detection accuracy of small, dense wheat spikes in a large field of view. In addition, the height of a single wheat plant without stubble is estimated by the depth distribution of the wheat spike region and stubble height. The relationship model between the height and weight of a single wheat plant without stubble is fitted by experiments. Then, feed quantity can be predicted using the weight of a single wheat plant without stubble estimated by the relationship model and the number of wheat plants detected by the improved YOLOv5s. The proposed method was verified through experiments with the 4LZ-6A combine harvester. Compared with the existing YOLOv5s, YOLOv7, SSD, Faster R-CNN, and other enhancements in this paper, the mAP50 of wheat spikes detection by the improved YOLOv5s increased by over 6.8%. It achieved an average relative error of 4.19% with a prediction time of 1.34 s. The proposed method can accurately and rapidly predict feed quantity for wheat combine harvesters and further realize closed-loop control of intelligent harvesting operations.

Ketersediaan Nitrogen dan Pertumbuhan Selada (Lactuca sativa L.) pada Tanah Podsolik yang Diaplikasikan Azola (Azolla pinnata)

Podzolic soil is marginal land for agriculture because low N availability and low lettuce plant growth production can be overcome by appropriate fertilization. This study aimed to determine the effect of fresh Azola application on nitrogen availability, number of leaves, and fresh weight of lettuce plants on Podzolic soil. This research employed a single factor of completely randomized design (CRD), in which the treatments were: A0= control, A1= fresh Azola 4 t ha-1, A2= fresh Azola 8 t ha-1, A3= fresh Azola 12 t ha-1, A4= fresh Azola 16 t ha-1. Soil chemical characteristics: soil pH, contents of total N, NH4+, NO3-, organic C, and cation exchangeable capacity were determined on the 21st after incubation, while plant height and plant fresh weight were observed at harvest. The research results showed that increasing the amount of fresh Azola applied to the soil resulted in a tendency to increase soil pH, total N-content, N-NH4+, N-NO3-, number of plant leaves, and fresh weight of lettuce plants.

Foliar spraying with amino acids and their chitosan nanocomposites as promising way to alleviate abiotic stress in iceberg lettuce grown at different temperatures

We analyzed the effects of foliar spraying with amino acids, chitosan (CHS) and nanocomposites (NCs) of chitosan with the amino acids proline, l-cysteine and glycine betaine (CHS-Pro NCs; CHS-Cys NCs, CHS-GB NCs, respectively) on the changes in the physiological and biochemical parameters of iceberg lettuce grown at the control temperature (20 °C) and under chilling conditions (4 °C). The physicochemical parameters of the phospholipid monolayers (PLs) extracted from plants showed the effects of the treatments on the properties of the monolayers, namely, the packing density and flexibility. We observed increased accumulation of proline at 4 °C, and differences in the concentrations of sugars in most of the analyzed variants were a consequence of the lowered temperature and/or the use of organic compounds. A temperature of 4 °C caused a significant increase in the l-ascorbic acid level compared with that at 20 °C. Differences were also found in glutathione (GSH) content depending on the temperature and treatment with the tested organic compounds. CHS NCs loaded with Pro and GB were effective at increasing the amount of phenols under stress temperature conditions. We noted that a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of plants at 4 °C occurred after priming with Cys, CHS-Cys NCs, Pro and CHS-Pro NCs, and the CHS nanocomposites were more effective in this respect. Both low-temperature stress and foliar spraying of lettuce with various organic compounds caused changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Two forms of dismutase (SOD), iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD), were identified in extracts from the leaves of iceberg lettuce seedlings. The application of the tested organic compounds, alone or in combination with CHS, increased the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plants grown under controlled temperature conditions. Chilling caused an increase in the content of MDA, but some organic compounds mitigated the impact of low temperature. Compared with that of plants subjected to 20 °C, the fresh weight of plants exposed to chilling decreased. However, the tested compounds caused a decrease in fresh weight at 4 °C compared with the corresponding control samples. An interesting exception was the use of Cys, for which the difference in the fresh weight of plants grown at 20 °C and 4 °C was not statistically significant. After Cys application, the dry weight of the chilled plants was greater than that of the chilled control plants but was also greater than that of the other treated plants in this group. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that engineered chitosan–amino acid nanocomposites could be applied as innovative protective agents to mitigate the effects of chilling stress in crop plants.

Influence of Growth Regulators on Growth, Seed Yield and Qualty of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

The present investigation was carried out during 2021 at the experimental farm of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, DAV University, Jalandhar. Radish is an important crop of Punjab region. Use of Plant Growth Regulators is one of the most recent trends in the field of agriculture science. Plant growth regulators are signal molecules, which occurs in plants naturally in very low concentration. In an attempt to find out the influence of growth regulators on growth, seed yield and quality of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) the experiment was planned and executed. It consisted of nine treatments viz., T1 (Control), T2 (GA3 @ 5 ppm), T3 (GA3 @ 10 ppm), T4 (GA3 @ 15 ppm), T5 (GA3 @ 20 ppm), T6 (NAA @ 5 ppm), T7 (NAA @ 10 ppm), T8 (NAA @ 15 ppm), T9 (NAA @ 20 ppm) and was laid in Randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Punjab Safed Mooli variety was used for the experiment. Observations were recorded on number of leaves per plant, leaf area per plant (cm2), root length (cm), root diameter (cm), root weight (g), fresh weight of plant (g), dry weight of plant (g), plant height (cm), 100 seed weight (g), seed yield plant-1 (g), seed yield plot-1 (g), seed yield ha-1 (q ha-1), TSS (°Brix), ascorbic acid (mg 100 g-1), chlorophyll content (mg 100 g-1) and germination percentage (%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significantly differences among treatments for all the characters under study. It was concluded that the application of GA3 @ 20 ppm showed superior performance in all growth, seed yield and quality parameters of radish.

Silicate Application Alleviated the Depressive Impacts of Nighttime Warming on the Rice Growth, Yield and Quality in Southern China

ABSTRACTNighttime warming decreased single rice production in southern China, while silicate supply increased the yield and stress resistance. It is still unclear regarding the impacts of silicate application on the growth, yield and quality in rice under nighttime warming. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of silicate application on the growth, yield and quality during rice growing period under nighttime warming. The warming was set at two levels, that is, ambient temperature (CK) and nighttime warming (NW). The open passive nighttime warming was used in this study, that is, rice canopy was covered with aluminium foil reflective film at night (19:00–6:00). Silicate fertiliser (steel slag) was applied at two levels, that is, Si0 (0 kg SiO2·hm−2) and Si1 (200 kg SiO2·hm−2). The results indicated that, compared with the control, the average nighttime temperature on rice canopy and at 5 cm soil layer increased by 0.51°C–0.59°C and 0.28°C–0.41°C during the rice growing period, respectively. Under nighttime warming, silicate supply increased the dry weight of shoot, total dry weight of the whole plant and yield by 64.1%, 55.3% and 7.1% at the filling‐maturity stage, respectively. Silicate application significantly reduced dry matter translocation rate with 15%–18%, but significantly increased the root‐shoot ratio with 0.39–0.41 in rice. Under nighttime warming, silicate supply significantly increased milled rice rate, head rice rate and total starch content by 2.3%, 2.5% and 41.8%, respectively. Nighttime warming reduced the yield by decreasing the number of effective panicle, seed setting rate and 1000‐grain weight, but increasing empty chaff grain. Silicate supply increased the yield by increasing the number of effective panicle, filled grains per panicle, seed setting rate and 1000‐grain weight, but reducing empty chaff grain. This study suggests that silicate supply can effectively alleviate the suppressive effects of nighttime warming on single rice growth, yield and quality in Southern China.

Impact of Phosphorus and Sulphur Levels on Growth Parameters of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Background: Groundnut, a well-recognized oilseed crop belonging to the Leguminosae family, faces several challenges in India that results in lesser productivity compared to the global average. The principal underlying cause of India’s diminished groundnut production lies in the irregular and inadequate utilization of essential nutrients. Given its status as a leguminous oilseed crop, it exhibits a heightened demand for phosphorus, calcium and sulphur, which often remains unmet, further exacerbating the problem. Methods: In a field experiment, split-plot design was employed to investigate the impact of four phosphorus levels (Control, 40, 50 and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1) and four sulphur levels (Control, 25, 50 and 75 kg S ha-1) on the growth parameters of groundnut. Results: The findings demonstrate that the utilization of phosphorus and sulphur fertilizers yielded significant improvements in various aspects of groundnut growth parameters. These improvements encompassed increased plant height, root length, improved root-to-shoot ratio on a length and weight basis, greater numbers of root nodules per plant and dry weight of root nodules per plant.

TiO2 nanoparticles: Green synthesis and their role in lessening the damage of Colletotrichum graminicola in sorghum.

Fungal pathogens pose a persistent threat to crop plants, risking global food security. Anthracnose of sorghum caused by Colletotrichum graminicola causes a considerable loss in sorghum production. This study aimed to manage the anthracnose disease in sorghum using green-synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles using pomegranate peel and to assess their impacts on the agroeconomic attributes of sorghum. Synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles showed strong dose-dependent antifungal activity against C. graminicola and significantly reduced mycelial radial growth, comparable to commercial fungicides. Foliar application of TiO2 at concentrations of 150 and 200 ppm reduced the disease index >60% in pot trials. Additionally, the effect of TiO2 NPs on the growth and yield of sorghum plants and the possible mechanism(s) behind the suppression of anthracnose disease were deciphered. TiO2 NPs also improved shoot and root length, biomass accumulation, penile size, number of grains, and grain weight in sorghum plants infected with C. graminicola. Application of TiO2 NPs significantly increased the content of defense-related biochemicals, including total phenolic contents, activities of defense-related enzymes (PO, PPO, and PAL), photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll contents and carotenoids), and total protein contents. Collectively, our study verified the potential of green-synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles to suppress anthracnose disease by activating a defense system and stimulating growth and yield promotion under pathogen stress.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOME SOYBEAN GENOTYPES BASED ON BIOMETRIC PARAMETERS

The study made a comparative analysis regarding the behavior of some soybean genotypes in non-irrigated crop system. Experiments were carried out within ARDS Lovrin, on a chernozem type soil with medium fertility. The following genotypes were cultivated: 'Calma', 'Caro', 'Isa', 'Karavukovo', 'Perla', and 'Ziana'. Sowing was done at the optimal time, at a distance of 70 cm between rows, and the crop technology ensured favorable conditions for plant growth. At physiological maturity, plant samples were taken and determinations were made regarding: plant density (PD, plants/m2), plant weight (PW, kg/m2), soybean pod weight (SpW, kg/m2), soybean grain weight (SgW, kg/m2), soybean pods shells weight (SpsW, kg/m2). Based on the recorded values, the yield of soybeans in relation to pods (Y, %) was calculated. PW/SpW, PW/SgW, and PsW/SgW ratios were also calculated. Very strong, positive correlation was recorded between SgW and SpW (r = 0.998), between Y (%) and SpW (r = 0.923), and between Y and SgW (r = 0.944). According to PCA, PC1 explained 74.369% of variance, and PC2 explained 14.769% of variance. The Cluster Analysis generated the dendrogram of soybean genotypes based on similarity (Coph.corr = 0.972), and a high level of similarity was recorded between 'Calma' and 'Isa' genotypes (SDI = 1.6926). In relation to the average value of the experiment, the 'Perla' genotype stood out for the PW parameter, the 'Ziana' genotype for the SpW parameter, the 'Ziana' genotype for the SgW parameter, and the 'Perla' genotype for yield (Y, %).

Application of Coffee Grounds Organic Fertilizer on The Growth and Production of Cucumber Plants (Cucumis sativus L)

Cucumis sativus L, commonly known as cucumber, is a creeping vine plant and a member of the Cucurbitaceae family known for producing fruit-bearing vegetables. Cucumis sativus plants originate in the Asian continent, specifically in North and South Asia. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the development and yield of cucumber plants, focusing particularly on the impact of varying doses of organic fertilizer derived from liquid coffee grounds. Specifically, the study seeks to assess the effects of these treatments on plant height, time to flowering, time to harvest, and the weight of the fruit produced by cucumber plants. This study was conducted within the idyllic housing complex from March to May 2024. The research used a factorial randomized block design (RAK) with a single factor. The dosage parameters for coffee grounds fertilizer are as follows: P0 serves as the control group, P1 involves a dosage of 25 ml per plant, P2 utilizes a dosage of 50 ml per plant, and P3 applies a dosage of 75 ml per plant. The findings indicated that the various fertilizer treatments had a noteworthy impact on plant height, flowering age, harvest time, and fruit weight, suggesting a significant interaction between the two variables. Applying 75 ml of coffee grounds fertilizer per cucumber plant yields the best outcomes in promoting increased plant height, earlier flowering, shortened harvest time, and greater fruit weight in cucumber plants.

Prediction of Chinese suitable habitats of Panax notoginseng under climate change based on MaxEnt and chemometric methods

Notoginseng saponin R1; ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd; the sum of the five saponins; and underground-part fresh weight (UPFW) of single plants were used as quality evaluation indices for Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (P. notoginseng). Comprehensive evaluation of P. notoginseng samples from 30 production areas was performed using that MaxEnt model. Spatial pattern changes in suitable P. notoginseng habitats were predicted for current and future periods (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) using SSP126 and SSP585 models. The results revealed that temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were important environmental variables. Suitable habitats were located mainly in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan Provinces. The distribution core of P. notoginseng is predicted to shift southeast in the future. The saponin content decreased from the southeast to the northwest of Yunnan Province, which was contrary to the UPFW trend. This study provides the necessary information for the protection and sustainable utilization of P. notoginseng resources, and a theoretical reference for its application in the quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal products.

CARACTERIZACIÓN AGROMORFOLÓGICA Y DIVERSIDAD FENOTÍPICA DE LA COLECCIÓN DE GERMOPLASMA DE PALLAR (Phaseolus lunatus L.) DEL INIA, PERÚ

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Pallar (<em>Phaseolus lunatus</em>) is a grain legume of great socioeconomic importance in Peru, which has been domesticated in the past by pre-Hispanic cultures. <strong>Objective:</strong> Carry out the agromorphological characterization of 36 accessions from the Pallar National Collection of the Germplasm Bank of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (Peru). <strong>Methodology:</strong> 16 qualitative characters and 10 quantitative characters were compared using descriptive analysis, ANOVA and Scott Knott test, correlation, principal components and hierarchical grouping. <strong>Results:</strong> There was a positive correlation between the length of the main stem and the average number of mature pods per plant, average number of seeds per plant, average weight of seeds per plant and average weight of seeds; Likewise, a negative correlation was found between the number of locules per mature pod and the length and average weight of the seeds. <strong>Implications: </strong>The agromorphological characterization of the pallar is necessary for the conservation of genetic resources originating in Peru. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Phenotypic variability was found among the Pallar accessions; Thus, the existence of three groups was established among the accessions in relation to quantitative characters, highlighting the high values of average number of seeds per plant, seed thickness, number of locules per mature pod, length of the main stem and average number of seeds. mature pods per plant. The promising accession was 14ac with respect to the highest average number of mature pods, average number of seeds and average weight of seeds per plant.</p>

Moderately Elevated Temperature Offsets the Adverse Effects of Waterlogging Stress on Tomato.

Global warming and waterlogging stress due to climate change are expected to continue influencing agricultural production worldwide. In the field, two or more environmental stresses usually happen simultaneously, inducing more complex responses in plants compared with individual stresses. Our aim was to clarify how the two key factors (temperature and water) interacted and influenced physiological response and plant growth in tomatoes under ambient temperature, moderately elevated temperature, waterlogging stress, and moderately elevated temperature and waterlogging stress. The results showed that leaf photosynthesis was inhibited by waterlogging stress but enhanced by elevated temperature, as shown by both the light- and temperature-response curves. The elevated temperature decreased leaf water-use efficiency, but enhanced plant growth and fresh and dry weights of plants under both normal water supply and waterlogging stress conditions. Elevated temperature generally decreased the anthocyanin and flavonol index in tomato leaves compared with the control temperature, regardless of water status. The increase in the optimal temperature was more pronounced in plants under normal irrigation than under waterlogging stress. Waterlogging stress significantly inhibited the root length, and leaf number and area, while the moderately elevated temperature significantly enhanced the leaf number and area. Overall, the moderately elevated temperature offset the effects of waterlogging stress on tomato plants, as shown by leaf gas exchange, plant size, and dry matter accumulation. Our study will improve the understanding of how tomatoes respond to increasing temperature and excess water.

Impact of alternate partial root-zone irrigation on the rhizosphere microbiota of alfalfa plants inoculated with rhizobia.

Water is an important constraint on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) production in arid and semiarid areas, and alternate irrigation in root areas has water-saving potential for alfalfa production. To investigate the impact of alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) on the rhizosphere soil microorganisms of alfalfa, this study subjected alfalfa plants to different irrigation methods and irrigation levels. The growth status and rhizosphere soil microbial community diversity of alfalfa plants under alternate root-zone watering treatment were analyzed through laboratory experiments and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that at soil moisture levels of 80% field moisture capacity (FMC) and 60% FMC, APRI had no significant impact on the biomass or nodule number of alfalfa. However, 40% FMC significantly reduced the individual plant dry weight, chlorophyll content, and nodule number of the alfalfa plants. APRI increased the relative abundance of Actinomycetes in the alfalfa rhizosphere soil. Moreover, at 60% FMC, the MBC and MBN of rhizosphere, relative abundance of Actinobacteria and unclassified K fungi and Chao 1 index of bacteria significantly increased under APRI treatment. While relative abundance of Ascomycetes and Proteobacteria in the alfalfa rhizosphere significantly reduced under 60% FMC + APRI treatment. In summary, under the same irrigation conditions, APRI did not significantly affect the growth of alfalfa in the short term. And 60%FMC + APRI treatment did significantly affect the groups, structure and diversity of the rhizosphere soil microbial communities.

Evaluation of five soil nutrient extraction methods for practical assessment of phosphorus and potassium availability for tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) fertilization in Andisols-Garut, Indonesia

Phosphorus and potassium are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. Plants will achieve optimum biomass and production if phosphorus and potassium needs are met through fertilization. Determining the availability of phosphorus and potassium in the soil is essential because it is related to decisions on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rate recommendations. In this study, we evaluated 5 common phosphorus and potassium extraction methods by correlating the indicated soil nutrient levels to the relative biomass dry weight of tomato plants. The phosphorus and potassium extraction methods used were Mehlich-1, Bray-1, Morgan-Wolf, Ammonium acetate, and HCl-25%. Mean Root Error (MRE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were used to determine the precision of the linear regression equation model in predicting the relationship between phosphorus and potassium soil extraction methods and the relative biomass dry weight of tomato plants. The correlation of the soil extraction methods used in Andisols with the relative biomass dry weight of tomato was highly significant and very strong (r > 0.75) suggesting that Bray-1 was the best soil-phosphorus extraction method (P<sub>r</sub> = 0.88; P<sub>MRE</sub> = 0.10; P<sub>RMSE</sub> = 4.44), while HCl-25% was the most suitable for soil-potassium extraction (K<sub>r</sub> = 0.90; K<sub>MRE</sub> = 0.05; K<sub>RMSE</sub> = 2.95). The results of the two extraction methods will be used to determine the dosage of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (<i>nutrient sufficiency approach</i>) for tomato plants grown in Andisols.

Correlation and Path Analysis in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

This study, conducted at Horticultural Research Farm of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India, over 2020-21 and 2021-22, aimed to examine coefficient of correlation and direct and indirect effects of yield contributing traits on economic yield among 30 diverse cowpea genotypes. The research employed a Randomized Block Design (R.B.D.) with three replications, assessing twenty-six quantitative traits. Genotypic correlations exceeded phenotypic correlations, underscoring genetic influence over environmental factors. Key findings included plant height's positive correlation with branches per plant and days to first flowering, while negatively correlating with nodes on main branches and pod diameter. Traits such as number of pods per plant and average pod weight showed strong positive correlations with pod yield, highlighting their importance in breeding programs. Path coefficient analysis revealed significant positive direct effects on pod yield per plant from traits including plant height, branches per plant, and average pod weight. Indirect effects through traits like days to first flowering and non-reducing sugars also contributed to pod yield. These insights into trait correlations and effects are crucial for developing superior cowpea genotypes with enhanced yield and agronomic traits. The findings emphasize the importance of genetic variability in breeding programs, enabling the selection of superior genotypes to improve cowpea productivity.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: An Influential Element in Alleviating Salt Stress in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L. Cv Atlas)

Climate change has intensified abiotic stresses, notably salinity, detrimentally affecting crop yield. To counter these effects, nanomaterials have emerged as a promising tool to mitigate the adverse impacts on plant growth and development. Specifically, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have demonstrated efficacy in facilitating a gradual release of zinc, thus enhancing its bioavailability to plants. With the goal of ensuring sustainable plant production, our aim was to examine how green-synthesized ZnO-NPs influence the seedling growth of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L. Cv Atlas) under conditions of salinity stress. To induce salt stress, solutions with three different NaCl concentrations (0, 100, and 200 mM) were prepared. Additionally, Zn and ZnO-NPs were administered at four different concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 ppm). In this study, plant height (cm), plant weight (g), plant diameter (mm), chlorophyll content (SPAD), K/Na value, Ca/Na value, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD: EU g−1 leaf; CAT: EU g−1 leaf; POD: EU g−1 leaf), H2O2 (mmol kg−1), MDA (nmol g−1 DW), proline (µg g−1 FW), and sucrose (g L−1), content parameters were measured. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline structure of ZnO nanoparticles with identified planes. Salinity stress significantly reduced plant metrics and altered ion ratios, while increasing oxidative stress indicators and osmolytes. Conversely, Zn and ZnO-NPs mitigated these effects, reducing oxidative damage and enhancing enzyme activities. This supports Zn’s role in limiting salinity uptake and improving physiological responses in quinoa seedlings, suggesting a promising strategy for enhancing crop resilience. Overall, this study underscores nanomaterials’ potential in sustainable agriculture and stress management.

Mitigating Combined Boron and Salt Stress in Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L. Semental) through Salicylic Acid-Modified Rice Husk Biochar

Purpose: This study thoroughly investigates innovative amendment salicylic acid (SA) modified rice husk biochar (SABC) designed to improve boron (B) and salinity tolerance in lettuce, providing a comprehensive exploration of their potential effects in alleviating stress-induced challenges. Methods: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used for the molecular and chemical characterization of the biochar samples. The treatments consisted of control, 40 mM NaCl plus 20 mg B kg-1 (NaCl + B), and 40 mM NaCl plus 20 mg B kg-1 and 5 g kg-1 SA-modified rice husk biochar (NaCl + B + SABC). Results: Under conditions of salt and B toxicity, SABC treatment significantly prevented the decrease in plant weight induced by stress. SABC reduced the concentrations of B, sodium (Na), and chloride (Cl) in plants, while increasing the concentrations of potassium (K) and silicon (Si). The hydrogen peroxide concentration, which increased as a result of B and salt toxicity, was decreased with SABC. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) showed a significant increase under stress, but due to the positive effect of SABC in reducing B and salt stress, there was a decrease in the activities of these enzymes. Conclusions: The results obtained from this study indicate that SABC is effective in reducing boron and salt stress. Testing the SABC molecule in different plants and under various stress conditions could provide significant contributions to the stress literature.

Biological control of soybean charcoal rot by native Trichoderma koningiopsis in Tucumán, Argentina

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. (Mp) is the causal agent of charcoal rot in soybean, an economically serious and potentially destructive disease. Chemical control sometimes has limited effects on disease severity and may pose a threat to the environment, so the use of Trichoderma as a biological product could be a feasible alternative for charcoal rot management. The objective of this research was to isolate and characterize native Trichoderma spp. from northwestern Argentina and study their antagonistic effect against Mp in soybean. Isolations were performed from soil samples followed by cultural and microbiological characterization of the Trichoderma spp. isolates collected. Then, the antagonist effect against Mp was studied in vitro, under greenhouse conditions, and finally under field conditions with pathogen artificial inoculations during two soybean crop seasons (2020 and 2021). The results demonstrated that isolate Tr009 had a biocontrol effect against Mp in soybean. This control was evidenced in vitro and under controlled and field conditions with high emergency of plants compared to the Mp inoculated control. Under field conditions, treatments that included Trichoderma presented lower disease severity, colony-forming unit index and disease severity index values than the pathogen inoculated control. Moreover, Tr009 improved weight and length of soybean plants under greenhouse conditions. Isolate Tr009 was identified as Trichoderma koningiopsis by molecular methods. These results indicate that this biological tool can be used against Mp and thus favor a sustainable management of soybean charcoal rot.

Foliar-applied melatonin and titanium nanoparticles modulate cadmium (Cd) toxicity through minimizing Cd accumulation and optimizing physiological and biochemical properties in sage (Salvia officinalis L.).

Notwithstanding the fact that melatonin (MT) and titanium nanoparticles (Ti NPs) alone have been widely used recently to modulate cadmium (Cd) stress in plants, there is a gap in the comparative impacts of these materials on lowering Cd toxicity in sage plants. The objective of this study was to determine how foliar application of MT and Ti NPs affected the growth, Cd accumulation, photosynthesis, water content, lipid peroxidation, and essential oil (EO) quality and quantity of sage plants in Cd-contaminated soils. A factorial experiment was conducted using MT at 100 and 200μM and Ti NPs at 50 and 100mg L-1 topically, together with Cd toxicity at 10 and 20mg Cd kg-1 soil. The results showed that Cd toxicity decreased plant growth and enhanced lipid peroxidation. The Cd stress at 20mgkg-1 soil resulted in increases in Cd root (693%), Cd shoot (429%), electrolyte leakage (EL, 29%), malondialdehyde (MDA, 72%), shoot weight (31%), root weight (27%), chlorophyll (Chl) a + b (26%), relative water content (RWC, 23%), and EO yield (30%). The application of MT and Ti NPs controlled drought stress by reducing MDA and EL, enhancing plant weight, Chl, RWC, and EO production, and minimizing Cd accumulation in plant tissues. The predominant compounds in the EO were α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, β-thujone, camphor, and α-humulene. MT and Ti NPs caused α-thujone to rise, whereas Cd stress caused it to fall. Based on heat map analysis, MDA was the trait that was most sensitive to treatments. In summary, the research emphasizes the possibility of MT and Ti NPs, particularly MT at 200μM, to mitigate Cd toxicity in sage plants and enhance their biochemical reactions.