Dry Weight Yield Research Articles

Foliar-applied Amcoton® and potassium thiosulfate enhances the growth and productivity of three faba beans varieties by improving photosynthetic efficiency

Amcoton® [a mixture of 0.45% naphthalene acetic acid and 1.25% naphthalene acetamide] and potassium thiosulfate (KTS) play a crucial role in growth and productivity enhancement of faba beans plants. The current study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of Amcoton® and KTS foliar application on growth, yield, and photosynthetic efficiency in three faba beans varieties (i.e. Giza-843, Nubaria-3, and Sakha-4) during 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Results exhibited that Amcoton® and/or KTS significantly increased growth indices (e.g., plant height, number of leaves and branches, leaves area, shoot dry weight), yield component, and chlorophylls contents and photosynthetic efficiency in comparison with untreated control plants. Giza-843 showed significantly higher growth and productivity when compared to Nubaria-3 and Sakha-4. Seed yield significantly positive correlated with leaves area, chlorophyll content, plant height, number of branches, pods and seeds per plant, pod dry weight and biological yield. Results obtained through this study highlighted the potential impact of Amcoton® and/or KTS on enhancing the growth and productivity of faba beans plants by improving leaf chlorophylls contents and photosynthetic efficiency.

Effect of Micro-Nutrients Foliar Application on Yield and Quality Traits of some Canola Genotypes Under Different Environmental Conditions تأثیر الرش الورقی بالعناصر الصغرى علی انتاجیة وجودة محصول بعض التراکیب الوراثیة من الکانولا تحت ظروف بیئیة مختلفة

In order to evaluate some canola genotypes performance to micro-nutrient foliar spraying. Four field experiments in two different soil types i.e. clayey (S1) and loamy sand (S2) at two experimental farms, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Egypt in the winter season of 2017/18 (Y1) and 2018/19 (Y2). Six canola genotypes i.e., G1 (35/9), G2 (26/18), G3 (Duplo), G4 (Drakkar), G5 (Hanna) and G6 (Serow4) and three micro-nutrient rates were studied. The Y1 has higher significant values of plant height, pods dry weight, seed, oil and protein yields, Mn, Fe and Zn seed content. The S1 significantlyexceeded S2 for most studied traits. The G1 (35/9)line followed by G6 (Serow4) variety recorded significantly the highest values of most growth traits, seed yield and its components as well as seed content of Mn, Fe, Zn, oil and protein. Foliar application of micro-nutrients by the highest rate significantly surpassed tap water (control) for all studied traits. The correlation coefficients showed that the seed, oil, and protein yields have significantly positively correlated with most studied traits. There are three traits, i.e. pods dry weight plant-1, plant height and number of pods plant-1 were significantly (P≤ 0.001) participated in variation in seed yield ha-1. The Results suggested that the G1 line could be promising genotype, have a stable yield in the various environments (years and soil types) and more responsive to micro-nutrients nutrition under different environmental conditions.

Tropical Bacillus Strains Inoculation Enhances Maize Root Surface Area, Dry Weight, Nutrient Uptake and Grain Yield

The rising demand for agricultural commodities in developing countries has put increasing pressure on land resources for higher yields, with associated growth in the demand for phosphate fertilizers. However, there are a number of adverse environmental impacts associated with the use of inorganic P fertilizers that is pushing global fertilizer prices up. In this context, phosphate solubilizing microorganisms, such as Bacillus, are the most eco-friendly and inexpensive option for enhancing P availability for plants, once they are capable of transforming insoluble P into soluble (plant accessible) forms and are regarded as plant growth-promoting microorganisms. This work aimed to understand the effect of tropical Bacillus strains on maize root morphology and growth using a hydroponic system and to evaluate their performance under two phosphorus fertilization conditions in the field. Maize root was inoculated separately with six Bacillus strains and grown in nutrient solution. Several root traits, dry weight and nutrient content were measured in maize seedlings. Moreover, we measured bacterial IAA-like molecules in vitro production and evaluated inoculated maize performance under field conditions with no P added (P0) and triple superphosphate (TSP) soil fertilization. All the Bacillus strains increased shoot and total dry weight and strains B2084, B119 and B32 had the greatest performance, producing the highest biomass, shoot nutrient content and root surface area compared to other strains in hydroponics. All strains that produced IAA-like molecules demonstrated a positive effect on plant growth by stimulating root elongation. In the field experiments, strain B116 inoculation increased maize yield and P grain accumulation by around 36% and 58%, respectively, and B119 increased P grain in 21% in soils with no P added. Even in soils fertilized with TSP, maize yield increase and P grain accumulation was around 20% after inoculation with these two strains comparing to non-inoculated control. Our results indicated that maize plants inoculated with Bacillus strains capable of producing IAA-like molecules and solubilizing phosphate, presented enhanced root system, dry matter and nutrient accumulation in hydroponics and higher yield and grain P content with and without addition of phosphate fertilizer under field conditions.

Foliar Traits in Papaya Plants Intercropped in Coconut

The present study compared the shade adapting traits among the two gynodioecious papaya varieties Arka Surya and Arka Prabhath intercropped in coconut garden. Morphological traits such as internodal length, leaf traits (area, colour attributes, fresh and dry weight), fruit number, fruit weight and yield were analysed. Correlations and step-wise regression equations were used to infer the relationship among the traits and fruit yield. Larger leaf area, greater internodal length, high leaf fresh weight, high leaf dry weight, small fruits and low fruit yield were observed in Arka Surya. Fresh weight, dry weight and lightness of leaf together showed significant regression (R2 = 0.528) with annual fruit yield per plant. Arka Prabhath performed better than Arka Surya under coconut canopy with optimal fruit size and yield.

Nitrogen in Shoots, Number of Tillers, Biomass Yield and Nutritive Value of Zuri Guinea Grass Inoculated with Plant-Growth Promoting Bacteria

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) strains of Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Rhizobium tropici on biomass yield, number of tillers, nitrogen accumulation and nutritive value of shoots of Megathyrsus (syn. Panicum) maximus cultivar BRS Zuri (Zuri Guinea grass). For that, one experiment was performed for 14 months to evaluate inoculation and re-inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CCTB 03 and of co-inoculation with Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT 899 + A. brasilense strain Ab-V6 combined with N-fertilizer (100 kg of N ha-1). Shoot dry weight yield (SDWY), number of tillers (NT), total N concentration (TNC), total N uptake (TNU) and nutritive value of Zuri Guinea grass was evaluated for eight cuts, and inoculation increased all parameters. In the NT, the treatments inoculated with PGPB were superior to the positive non-inoculated control receiving N-fertilizer, by up to 36%. For the accumulated of SDWY the treatment re-inoculated with P. fluorescens CCTB 03 after each cut was statistically superior tin 7% the positive control. The PGPB when combined N-fertilizer also increased SDWY, NT, the relative chlorophyll index, TNC, total N uptake, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, crude protein and in vitro digestibility dry matter of Zuri Guinea grass. The results indicate that PGPB can represent a sustainable alternative for reducing the use of N-fertilizers. The lower effects of re-inoculation with PGPB on the nutrition or yield of Zuri Guinea grass, demonstrating that the determination of the method of application and periodicity of inoculation still require investigation.

Cadmium Accumulation Potential of Brassica Species Grown in Metal Spiked Loamy Sand Soil

ABSTRACT Phytoremediation is an emerging green technology for the management of contaminated soils. Plants that are hyper accumulators are used for in situ removal, degradation or decontamination of pollutant elements. The tolerance of heavy metals is the plant characteristic required for hyper accumulation. Different chelating agents such as Ethylenediamine Tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) facilitate metal uptake by plants growing in contaminated soil. In the present study, a screen house experiment was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of three Brassica species viz. B. juncea L., B. campestris L. and B. napus L. for the removal of cadmium (Cd) from soils. The experiment was conducted on sandy loam soil in 216 pots with Cd applied @ 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg kg−1 soil and EDTA applied @ 0, 1, and 2 g kg−1 soil for 45 days. It was observed that, dry weight yield of shoot in all the three species decreased significantly with combined application of Cd and EDTA. Cd concentration was higher in case of B. campestris followed by B. napus and B. juncea, respectively. Among three species, B. juncea showed highest Cd uptake due to high biomass yield, whereas B. napus showed the lowest Cd uptake.

Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Rimpang Kencur (Kaempferia galanga L.) pada Ketinggian Tempat yang Berbeda

Galanga (Kaempferia galanga L.) is one of the potential medicinal plants with high demand. Therefore, galanga cultivation was still quite promising. To obtain the optimum growth and high rhizome production, the superior galanga accessions are required. The optimal growth and high production of galanga accessions will be obtained if cultivated at the area with appropriate altitude. The purpose of the study was to obtain galanga accession with a better growth and high yield at the area with a suitable altitude. This study used split-plot design; altitude as a main plot and accession as a subplot. The location as a main plot consisted of altitudes of 214 and 780 masl. This study used seven accessions i.e., accession of PBG (Purbalingga), CLP (Cilacap), PWJ (Purworejo), KRA (Karanganyar), PCT (Pacitan), MAD (Madiun), and GAL2 (Galesia 2) as control. The results showed that different altitudes significantly affected the total chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, dry weight, and rhizome yield. The number of leaves was influenced by altitude and accession of galanga. The interaction between altitude and accession of galanga significantly affected the leaf area and the soluble sugar concentration in the galanga rhizome. The rhizome yield at low altitude was higher than in high altitude. PBG (Purbalingga) and PWJ (Purworejo) accessions have the potential to be developed in locations with an altitude of 214 masl. Keywords: altitude, Kaempferia galanga, rhizome

Agrophytocenoses based on promising varieties of meadow clover on drained lands of the Non-Chernozem zone

The article presents data of studies carried out in the northwestern part of the Non-Chernozem zone (Tver region) in 2019. Studied were fodder mixtures based on meadow clover Kretunovsky, Green, Chance, Falensky 86 varieties mixed with variegated alfalfa Vega 87 variety and cereal components − timothy grass VIK 9 and meadow fescue Sakharovskaya varieties. The yield of dry weight of legumes and cereal grass stands of the first year of use during primary mowing in ferti-lized varieties was 4.4-6.9 t/ha at the height of grass stand of 66-77 cm and stalk density of 318-507 pcs/m2. The indicators in variants without fertilizers were lower, the height of the grass stand was 63-69 cm, the density was 334-595 pcs/m2 and the yield of fodder mass was 3.8-4.6 t/ha. Unfavorable climatic conditions during the period between mowings had a suppressive effect on growth and development of herbs, therefore, during the secondary mowing the height parameters of agrophytocenoses decreased by 1.2-1.3 times and did not exceed 32-44 cm against unfertilized background, 43-53 cm against a fertilized one. A decrease in shoot formation ability of herbs during the second mowing was not observed, the density of agrophytocenoses was at the level of 300-500 pcs/m. The yield of dry mass of the second mowing compared to the first mowing decreased by 1.3-1.7 times and was 2.2-5.4 t/ha. In the botanical composition of grass mixtures during the first mowing, leg-ume components prevailed − 35-65 %, during the secondary mowing the percentage of legumes did not exceed 15-30 %. The use of three-component grass mixtures in agriculture will make it possible to get from 6.7 to 9.3 tons per hectare of dry weight of complete feed for cattle for two mowings. Adaptation and cultivation on sod-podzolic soils in the humid zone of the Non-chernozem region of grass mixtures consisting of new-generation forage grasses is one of the reserves for increasing produc-tivity of forage crops by more than 10 %.

Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) essential oil content and composition as affected by sustainable weed management treatments

In sustainable production of medicinal and aromatic plants, reduction in herbicide application rate and using straw mulch could be used as strategies for integrated weed management. The field study was carried out to evaluate the effects of herbicides reduced rate integrated with straw mulch on sustainable weed management, essential oil (EO) content and composition of Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.). The experiment was done in Agricultural Research Station of University of Tabriz, Iran, from April 2016 to July 2017. The treatments were consisted of two herbicide rates including recommended rate (R) and reduced rate (50 % R) of trifluralin and pendimethalin, integration of all herbicide treatments with mulch application (5 t ha−1) and mulch application alone. The effect of weed management treatment was significant on weed density and biomass and Moldavian balm dry weight and EO yield. Among the weed management treatments, the lowest weed biomass (17.1 g m-2) and the highest EO yield (22.51 kg ha−1) were observed in trifluralin R + mulch (TR + M) treatment. Integration of all herbicide treatments with straw mulch reduced the weed density and biomass and increased the Moldavian balm dry weight and EO yield, significantly. Generally the weed control efficacy of trifluralin was higher than that of pendimethalin. Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis showed that the main constitutes of EO were geraniol, geranial, geranyl acetate, neral, nerol and neryl acetate. The contents of main components were influenced by weed management treatments, differently. The highest content of geraniol (41.4 %) and geranial (24.7 %) were obtained in TR + M and pendimethalin R + mulch (PR + M) treatments, respectively. Integration of all herbicide treatments with straw mulch increased the geraniol content and reduced the geranyl acetate content in EO. The weed density and biomass and Moldavian balm EO yield in trifluralin 50 % R + mulch (T50R + M) treatment were not significantly different with those in trifluralin R (TR). Therefore TR treatment could be replaced with T50R + M and recommended to medicinal plants growers as a more sustainable weed management method in Moldavian balm production.

Comparison between Commercial and Nano NPK in Presence of Nano Zeolite on Sage Plant Yield and its Components under Water Stress

Abstract The lucrative approach of nanotechnology and it´s utilizing in the agricultural sector is prospective. Based on this fact a field trial was done through 2018 and 2019 seasons to scrutinize the consequence of nano N, P and K elements application individual or in combination and nano zeolite loaded nitrogen or not on a sage plant grown under water stress compared to the commercial NPK fertilisers at new reclaimed land. Nano NPK elements were prepared from their precursor as potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), calcium phosphate (Ca (H2PO4)2·H2O) and salt NH4NO3, urea (CO (NH2)2), while nano zeolite was hydrothermally synthesized. Water stress was applied via drip irrigation with 15 days intervals. The data revealed that, nanofertilisers and nano-zeolites had a superior effects on the plant itself under stress conditions with concern on nano-zeolite loaded nitrogen and nano-NPK mixture as well which boosted vegetative growth (plant height, branches number, yield fresh weight, health index, herb fresh and dry weight, leaf area and oil yield), also improved photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, CO2 concentration, water use efficiency and relative water content. The chemical composition (plant pigments, total carbohydrates, total phenolic, tannin, total flavonoids, oil constituents, macro and micro-elements) with indigenous hormones (gibberellic acid GA3 and abscisic acid ABA) and antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) were also positively affected. The outcomes of current study emphasis global warning about chemical fertilisers pollution, particularly in new reclaimed areas and safety production of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Yield, yield components and nutrients uptake in Zuri Guinea grass inoculated with plant growth-promoting bacteria

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of strains of Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Rhizobium tropici on biomass yield and nutrients uptake of shoots and roots of Megathyrsus (syn. Panicum) maximus cultivar BRS Zuri (Zuri Guinea grass) inoculated with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Treatments consisted of inoculation and re-inoculation with A. brasilense strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6, P. fluorescens strain CCTB 03 and of co-inoculation with R. tropici strain CIAT 899 + A. brasilense Ab-V6, with or without N-fertilizer (100 mg dm-3). Evaluations were performed on three cuts for the determination of root and shoot dry weight yield, morphological compositions, tiller mass, number of tillers, and nutrient uptake. Inoculation with bacteria in association with N-fertilizer increased N, NH4+, Ca, Fe, Mn and Zn accumulation in shoots and P and K uptake in roots. P. fluorescens and co-inoculation with R. tropici CIAT 899 + A. brasilense Ab-V6 increased the relative chlorophyll index in relation to the non-inoculated control. As expected, PGPB were not able to fully replace N-fertilization. However, when combined with N-fertilizer, the PGPB increased yield, the relative chlorophyll index, and the uptake of N, NH4+, Ca, Zn, Mn and Fe of Zuri Guinea grass. The results indicate that PGPB can represent a sustainable alternative for reducing the use of N-fertilizers. There were no effects of re-inoculation with PGPB on the nutrition or yield of Zuri Guinea grass, demonstrating that the determination of the method of application and periodicity of inoculation still require investigation.

Biochars improve tomato and sweet pepper performance and shift bacterial composition in a peat-based growing medium

We previously observed that the biochars used in this study can replace 15% (v/v) of perlite in a peat-based growing medium (PBGM) without causing any harm to microbial biomass. However, little is known about their impacts on the plant-microbe-soil interactions and crop productivity. Thus, the aim of the present work was to evaluate in greenhouse trials, the effect of substituting perlite in PBGM by three types of biochar on tomato cv. Micro-Tom and sweet pepper cv. Redskin, growth and yield, on their water and fertilizer use efficiency and on the bacterial diversity found in PBGM. Biochars were derived from maple bark pyrolysed at 550 °C (M550) and 700 °C (M700) and from pine chips pyrolysed at 700 °C (P700). Tomato and sweet pepper plants were grown in a greenhouse and fertigated with mineral fertilizer at full or half of the recommended level. Compared to the control without biochar, adding 5, 10 or 15% (v/v) biochar improved plant water use efficiency and increased tomato and sweet pepper fruit dry weight yield respectively, by up to 32% and 54%. Biochar significantly increased N and P uptake efficiency, while reducing loss of NO3− and PO43− in leachates. In PBGM used to grow sweet pepper under full fertigation, the presence of 15% (v/v) M700 or P700 biochars significantly increased bacterial richness probably through the improvement of some ecological micro-niches such as C accessibility. This also allowed the establishment of potential plant growth promoting bacteria particularly Agrobacterium, Cellvibrio and Streptomyces, which showed a positive correlation with plant productivity and the chemical properties of PBGM. Our results suggest that the higher PBGM pH reached by adding 15% (v/v) biochar improved plant growth by increasing carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus availability and by favoring the establishment of plant beneficial bacteria. Therefore, substituting 15% (v/v) of perlite in PBGM with the three tested biochars appears to be a beneficial practice towards sustainable greenhouse production of tomato and sweet pepper, and this practice merit further investigation with other crops such as indeterminate cultivars.

Assessing the potato yield gap in the Peruvian Central Andes

The Peruvian Central Andes is a highly important area for potato production. Assessing the potato yield gap and the potential yield is an essential step towards sustainable crop intensification. Fifty-eight smallholder potato farmer's plots in total were monitored at field level during the 2005–2008 and 2010–2015 rainy cropping seasons. All the main crop management inputs were registered. Three field experiments (on-farm trials) established during the 2014–2017 rainy cropping seasons were used to calibrate (2014–2016) and validate (2016–2017) the SUBSTOR-potato model under potential conditions. Potential potato yield (Yp) was estimated for each individual field pilot plot (in kg ha−1) based on the calibrated and validated crop model. Yield gaps (Yg) were calculated as the difference between Yp and farmers' actual yield (Ya). A classification tree-based model predicting the potato gap quantiles was used to elucidate the main biophysical and crop management components inducing Yg.Performance of the SUBSTOR-potato model showed a close agreement of simulated crop biomass, tuber yield, and N-uptake (i.e. N-demand) with the measured data under potential conditions. Redefined index of agreement were 0.84 and 0.80 while the associated mean square error were 2232 and 916 kg tuber dry weight (DW) ha−1 for the calibration and validation, respectively. The mean farmers' actual DW yield was 7118 kg ha−1, however, a high variability due to heterogeneous biophysical conditions and crop management was found (from 710 to 18,885 kg DW ha−1). The potato Yg ranged from 0.1 to 95.8% of the potential yield (x¯ = 42.1%, x~ = 46.0%, σx = 28.14% and CV = 0.67), hence there is an important difference that needs to be reduced. The classification tree analysis showed that inorganic N is the main yield explaining factor. While large yield gaps (Fourth quantile) are induced by low Inorganic N (< 88 kg ha−1) and scarce Human Labour energy (< 4196 MJ ha−1), small yield gap (First quantile) is mainly attributed to high N-inputs (≥ 139 kg ha−1 inorganic and ≥ 154 kg ha−1 organic). Third and Second quantiles (mid potato yield gaps) were characterized by more intricate nutrient input use, being difficult to classify; the Third quantile was partially explained by Inorganic N (< 139 kg ha−1), while part of the Second quantile by Extractable soil phosphorus (< 7.3 mg kg−1) and Inorganic N (< 139 kg ha−1). This classification can be helpful to diagnose the main site-specific crop management and biophysical recommendations towards closing the potato yield gap.The analysis suggests that there is opportunity to enhance potato actual yields in the study zone. More rational amount of inputs together with best management practices might improve potato productivities. However, sustainable potato intensification should be complemented with the expected quantification of environmental burdens under the local socio-economic constraints.

Consortium of endophyte and rhizosphere phosphate solubilizing bacteria improves phosphorous use efficiency in wheat cultivars in phosphorus deficient soils

Rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria are known to increase phosphorus efficiency (PE) of plant in phosphorus-deficient soils. The purpose of this research was to examine the role of rhizospheric and endophytic bacterial inoculation in increasing phosphorus acquisition efficiency (PAE) and phosphorus utilization efficiency (PUE) by solubilization of phosphate and expanding of root system. A total of 22 isolates were selected from rhizosphere and inside root of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants based on plant growth promoting traits. These isolates significantly solubilized phosphorus from tri-calcium phosphate and produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) under in vitro condition. In pot experiment, we found that rhizospheric and endophytic bacterial inoculation improved root and shoot dry matter, grain yield, length, surface area and volume of roots. At the ripening stage, the consortium treated (co-inoculation with rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria) pots exhibited enhanced the plant height (up to 15.0% and 11.0%), shoot dry weight (up to 5.8% and 7.5%), root dry weight (up to 68% and 58%) and grain yield (up to 58.0% and 42.0%), in Marvdasht and Roshan cultivars respectively. The uptake of P was 3.61 mg pot−1 for Marvdasht cultivar and 6.44 mg pot−1 for Roshan cultivar. Inoculation with rhizospheric isolate increased PE index by 29.5% and 18.7% in Marvdasht and Roshan cultivars, respectively. Noticeable effect was detected in case of consortium treatment, suggesting that plant growth promoting rhizobacteria acted synergistically with plant growth promoting endophytes. Finally, our study highlights the importance of co-inoculation with rhizospheric and endophytic bacterial inoculant in improving P efficiency of wheat cultivars.

Impact of Growth Stage and Biomass Fractions on Cannabinoid Content and Yield of Different Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Genotypes

The medicinal use of cannabinoids renewed the interest in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of growth stage and biomass fractions of seven industrial hemp genotypes. The study focused on biomass yield, content of cannabidiolic acid/cannabidiol (CBDA/CBD), cannabigerolic acid/cannabigerol (CBGA/CBG), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). The experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018. The biomass samples were taken at the vegetative (S1), bud (S2), full-flowering (S3) and seed maturity stage (S4). Plants were fractionated into inflorescence, upper and lower leaves. The average inflorescence dry yield of genotypes Futura75, Fédora17, Félina32 and Ferimon ranged between 257.28 g m−2 to 442.00 g m−2, resulting in a maximum yield of CBDA at S4, with 4568.26 mg m−2, 6011.20 mg m−2, 4975.60 mg m−2 and 1929.60 mg m−2, respectively. CBGA was exclusively found in genotype Santhica27, with a maximum CBGA yield of 5721.77 mg m−2 in inflorescence at growth stage S4 and a dry weight yield of 408.99 g m−2. Although these industrial hemp genotypes are mainly cultivated for fibre and seed production, however, cannabinoids offer an additional value. For an optimized harvest result, yield of extractable material and overall yield of cannabinoids must be considered.

Anticancer Properties of Different Solvent Extracts of Cucumis melo L. Seeds and Whole Fruit and Their Metabolite Profiling Using HPLC and GC-MS.

Honeydew melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an oval-shaped delicious fruit of one cultivar group of the muskmelon with immense nutritional importance and is extensively consumed by many tropical countries. The effect of various organic solvents on the recovery of phytochemicals from honeydew melon plant fruits and seeds was assessed. Further, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to examine and assess the contents of phenolic acid (gallic acid) and flavonoid (rutin) compounds. The use of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis explained the presence of volatile phytocompounds in the extracts. The use of organic solvents had a substantial impact on the total dry weight and extract yield. In general, the solvent-extracted constituents remained in the order of methanol>chloroform>distilled water for both honeydew melon seeds and whole fruit. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to assess the cytotoxicity effect against PC3, HCT116, HeLa, and Jurkat cell lines. The chloroform extract exhibited a good cytotoxic activity against all cell lines as compared to other solvent extracts. HPLC analysis revealed the occurrence of gallic acid content of 0.102 ± 0.23 mg/10 mg of dry whole fruit extract, while 10 mg of dry seed extract contained only 0.022 ± 0.12 mg of gallic acid content. Likewise, rutin content was observed to be 0.224 ± 0.31 mg and 0.1916 ± 0.82 mg/10 mg of dry whole fruit and seed extract, respectively. Further, GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of a total of 37 compounds in chloroform extract of whole fruit, while only 14 compounds were found in seed extract. Nevertheless, more examinations are needed to identify and characterize other metabolites from honeydew melon and evaluate their pharmacological importance.

Effect of Sulfur Sources on Megathyrsus Maximus ‘Mombaça’ Grass Cultivated in a Typic Ultisol

ABSTRACTThe deficiency of sulfur (S) in agricultural soils has been aggravated in recent decades, mainly by the application of high concentration fertilizers that are S-free and intensive agricultural activities. This study evaluated forage yield, nutritional status and inorganic sulfate-S in soil when submitted to levels and sources of sulfur, including elemental sulfur, of the ‘Mombaça’ grass in a Typic Ultisol. The experimental design was completely randomized arrangement in a 5 × 4 factorial design, with five S rates (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg kg−1) and four S sources. The sources were elemental sulfur pastilles (ESPA), phosphogypsum (GY), gypsite (GI), and elemental sulfur powder (ESPO). The results showed that the S-use efficiency with the GI, GY and ESPO sources was obtained with the supply of 50 mg kg−1 of S, and was enough to optimize the ‘Mombaça’ grass yield and promote a better quality for the nutritional status of the forage. The ESPA source had an S leaf concentration below the adequate range and resulted in lower yield values in relation to the other S sources evaluated. The SPAD index in the newly expanded leaves was shown to be an indicator of shoot dry weight (SDW) yield and could be used as a pre-diagnosis of the S-efficiency in ‘Mombaça’ grass. The soil processes associated to the availability of S had a great influence on the granulometry, which drove the SDW yield and S use efficiency with the source ESPO in relation to ESPA.

Soil Water-Salt Dynamics and Maize Growth as Affected by Cutting Length of Topsoil Incorporation Straw under Brackish Water Irrigation

Brackish water has been utilized extensively in agriculture around the world to cope with the global water deficit, but soil salt accumulation caused by brackish water irrigation cannot be ignored. Straw incorporation has been confirmed an effective sustainable means to inhibit soil salt accumulation. An experiment was conducted in growth tanks over two consecutive growing seasons to investigate the effects of wheat straw incorporation on soil moisture and salinity under brackish water irrigation (5g NaCl L−1). Furthermore, the trial investigated the effects of three wheat straw cutting lengths (CK = 0 cm; L1 = 5 cm, L2 = 10 cm, and L3 = 20 cm) on soil water-salt dynamics and summer maize growth. The results showed that soil properties and maize yields were favorably and significantly affected by the shorter straw segments incorporated into the cultivated field (p &lt; 0.05), as indicated in the decrease in soil bulk density (7.47%–7.79%) and the rise of soil organic matter (SOM) content (2.4–4.5g kg−1) and soil total porosity (4.34%–4.72%) under treatment L1. Meanwhile, treatment L1 produced the greatest dry above-ground biomass (14447 ± 571 kg ha−1), 100-grain weight (34.52 ± 1.20 g) and grain yield (7251 ± 204 kg ha−1) of summer maize. Soil water content in the cultivated layer increased 4.79%–25.44%, and the soil salt accumulation rate decreased significantly due to the straw incorporation and the highest value of soil moisture content (19.10%–21.84%), as well as the lowest value of soil salt accumulation rates (2.12–9.06) obtained at treatment L1. Straw incorporation with cutting length in 5 cm is the optimal choice for alleviating the adverse effects due to brackish water irrigation and improving soil properties, which could be helpful for agricultural mechanization and straw field-returning practices.

Floristic diversity and use value of phytocoenoses in a section of the Wieprz river valley in Roztocze National Park for feeding the konik polski horse

The paper describes the floristic diversity and specifies its use value in terms of feeding preferences of konik polski horses and their consumption of permanent grassland in a section of the Wieprz river valley in Roztocze National Park. The flora assessment was conducted by analyzing 79 phytosociological relevés using the Braun-Blanquet method. The results of phytosociological surveys made it possible to distinguish 7 complexes in the Phragmitetea class, 5 complexes and 1 plant community in the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class, and 1 complex in the Nardo-Callunetea class. Natural values of the examined associations were described based on the total and average number of species in a phytosociological relevé, the Shannon-Wiener index, and the phytosociological structure of plant communities. The use value of dry weight of the analyzed meadows and pastures was estimated by means of the use value number (UVN) and taking into account the and yield size. The phytocoenoses identified in the meadows in the section of the Wieprz river valley under study exhibited high natural values (H’ = 3.20–4.62). The dry weight yields of the examined communities varied (from 1.32 to 5.37 t ha–1), but their sward usually had poor and very poor use value (UVN = from –0.55 to 5.8). Furthermore, it should be noted that the sward of wet meadows is readily consumed by the grazing animals, which contributes to the improvement of the natural and use value of meadows.

Bioconversion of Sugarcane Molasses into Bioplastic (Polyhydroxybutyrate) using Bacillus cereus 2156 under Statistically Optimized Culture Conditions

The polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) macromolecule production using cheap substrate is need of today’s life since rate of accumulate of plastic in the environment is million tonnes per year, leading to life threatening pollution problems. In this account, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was implemented for optimization of low cost substrate (molasses) and method parameters for the manufacturing of PHB granules using Bacillus cereus and further refurbishing it into bioplastic. Primary screening of PHB manufacturing was done using Sudan black staining. 67.4 % of PHB yield of dry weight with the predicted percentage yield of 68.78 % was obtained using Box Behnken Design. Present results demonstrated that carbon source and nitrogen source were found to be the critical control factors that affected the PHB production. FTIR was performed for their functional group determination. The existing work demonstrates that produced PHB using low cost molasses is eco-friendly, economically feasible, easily available and promising alternative substrate for commercial production.