Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca
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Biochar improves morpho-physiological growth, osmolyte accumulation, nutrients balance, anti-oxidative defense and oil productivity of Brassica under flooding stress
Get PDFSoil flooding is a serious abiotic stress that can repress plant growth and yield. The intensity of flooding stress is continuously increasing owing to rapid climate change and changes in rain intensity and frequency. Biochar (BC) emerges as an important soil amendment to mitigate adverse impacts of abiotic stress. The role of BC against different stresses is well reported, however, its role under flooding stress is not determined yet. Thus, this experiment was conducted to determine the role of BC on the performance of brassica crops under flooding stress. The experiment was comprised of well-watered (WW) and flooding stress (FS) conditions and biochar application: control, 1% biochar, and 2.5% biochar. The results indicated that flooding stress stunted the plant growth and impaired the photosynthetic pigments, leaf water status, osmolytes yield and yield traits, and oil concentration and increased the electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. The application of BC at the rate of 2.5% mitigated the adverse impacts of salinity and upgraded the antioxidant activities (~50-120%), reduced the oxidative stress markets (~70-300%), and increased the leaf water status, photosynthetic pigments, osmolyte accumulation, nutrient uptake, yield traits, and oil contents. In conclusion, BC application can improve the productivity and oil yield of brassica under drought stress by improving plant physiological and biochemical functioning. However, more in depth studies are direly needed to explore the mechanism of BC to induce flood tolerance
Soil test crop response based integrated nutrient management for enhancing agronomic performance of sugarcane with different planting materials
Get PDFThe decline in performance of sugarcane either due to non-availability of suitable planting material or negligence in nutrient management is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years in Bihar, India to study the effect of different planting material and integrated nutrient management strategies on performance and yield of sugarcane. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design replicated thrice with four planting materials (single budded sett, double budded sett, three budded sett and tissue culture plantlets) and seven integrated nutrient management strategies [control, recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), soil test-based RDF, RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO4, soil test-based RDF+ 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO4, RDF + 25% N through FYM + ZnSO4 and soil test-based RDF+ 25% N through FYM + ZnSO4]. Crop growth attributes viz. leaf area index, plant height, tillers, total chlorophyll content was found maximum with tissue culture plantlets followed by three budded setts while the minimum in single budded sett. During both the years of the study, three budded setts increased the cane yield by 33.9 and 34.5% over single budded sett respectively. Application of soil test-based RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO4 significantly enhanced physio-agronomic performance and further, the sugar yield by 39.1, 13.3 and 38.7, 11.6 % as compared to RDF and soil test-based RDF in first and second year of the study respectively. Hence, it was concluded that three budded sett along with soil test-based RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO4 of 25 kg/ha can increase overall growth and productivity of sugarcane
Effect of salinity, nitrogen and phosphorus stresses on growth and photosynthetic activity of the marine microalga Dunaliella parva
Get PDFThe growth of the marine green alga Dunaliella parva was studied and optimized under different salinity levels of NaCl (0.5, 1, 2, 2.5, and 3.5 M). The growth was monitored by cell number pigment content (Chl. a, Chl. b, and carotenoids). The grown alga, under the optimal conditions, was exposed to different stresses (nitrogen, phosphorus starvation, and salinity either singly or combined. Under nitrogen and phosphorus starvation, either singly or combined, the growth rate and the metabolic activities were decreased. Under salt stress (2.5 M NaCl) combined with N starvation and heavy metals stress, glycerol production increased, while glycerol synthesis decreased under salt stress of 1 M NaCl and P starvation. Also, free radicals (total antioxidant, reducing power, DPPH, and Lipid peroxidation), pigment content, and activity of antioxidant enzymes were recorded. D. parva grown under salinity level (2.5 M NaCl) combined with nutrient starvation correlated with more efficient enzymatic antioxidant activity accumulation. This study strongly suggested that the induction of antioxidant defense was one component of the tolerance mechanism of D. parva to salinity, as evidenced by its growth behavior
Chemometric and ICP-OES analyses of Forsythia europaea Degen & Bald. and its extracts
Get PDFForsythia represents a group of plants originating mainly from China and Japan, but one species is endemic and grows in the Balkans (Balkan forsythia, Forsythia europaea Degen & Bald.). Our previous studies on polyphenols in investigated extracts of Balkan forsythia showed that this plant is a good source of polyphenols. Analysis of the various extracts of Balkan forsythia (Forsythia europaea Degen & Bald.) by the application of ICP-OES method showed that they are rich in different macro and microelements. The abundance order of macroelements is K>Ca>P>Mg>Na in all extracts. Among the transition metals iron, manganese, zinc and copper are particularly important, and the order of abundance is Zn>Fe>Cu>Mn. Heavy metals which are the most frequent contaminants of food are lead, cadmium and arsenic, and the determination of their contents is of special importance on the safe use of plant species. The determination shows that aqueous extracts contain the highest quantity of elements, which is especially important. The contents of toxic elements are significantly lower than the permitted values. Statistical methods (Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC)) are useful tools for the grouping of samples and determining relations between investigated elements. This analysis shows that when higher quantities of Cr and Ba are present, the lower quantities of V are present, and vice versa. Based on our studies on polyphenols and minerals, we can expect the anti-inflammatory effects of extracts of Balkan forsythia
Nutrimental modifications in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) caused by vanadium supply
Get PDFBlueberry plants prosper in acid environments with pH 4.5, condition that enhances vanadium (V) bioavailability. In different species, literature reports nutrimental modifications caused by V, nevertheless in blueberry plants this effect remains unknown. This study assessed the impact of six vanadium (V) doses in nutrient solutions (0, 20, 40, 80, 160 µM) and as foliar sprays (20 µM) on blueberry plants, employing a completely randomized experimental design with three replicates. At 66 days after applying the treatments, nutriments concentrations in leaves, stems and roots of each plant were determinate. Except for N, V modified nutrimental concentrations in at least one plant organ. V applied to foliage benefits Mn (67%) in leaf, as Ca (56%), Mg (40%), B (26%) and Mn (46%) did in stems and P (50%) in roots. No matter V concentration in solution, P (51%), Fe (270%) and Cu (230%) in roots are enhanced, but Mo it is reduced up to 6 times. The use of 160 µM of V in solutions increases Mg (40%) concentrations in stems, the same happened in Ca (32%) and Zn (47%) in roots but reduced K (35%) in this organ. V applied from 0 to 160 µM in solution increases 3, 64, 225 times V concentration in leaf, stem and roots respectively. These results show that V applications in solution benefits P levels in leaf, Ca and Mg in stem, P, Ca and Mg in root; while foliar spray enhances K, Ca, Mg concentration in stem and Mg in root
Factors affecting the mass transfer kinetics of osmotically dehydrated chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.)
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to apply osmotic dehydration (OD) to produce minimally processed chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz) slices. Thus, the effect of osmotic solution concentration, temperature, processing time, and vacuum pulse application on mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of the fruit was evaluated. The kinetics of water loss (WL), solids gain (SG), and water activity (aw) were obtained using sucrose solutions with concentrations of 40, 50 and 60 °Bx at 25, 35 and 45 °C. Osmotic solution concentration, temperature, and processing time had a greater influence than vacuum pulse application on WL and SG. The temperature showed an Arrhenius-type dependence on effective diffusivity. The osmodehydrated chayote had lower aw (up to 0.846), higher total soluble solids (TSS) content (up to 31.9 °Bx) and purer and more intense color (up to 18.75 in chroma) compared to fresh chayote. These findings suggest that OD allows for the production of minimally processed chayote that could be included in quick-cook products, such as salads or soup mixes
Effect of the state of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) acorns on the emergence and growth of seedlings
Get PDFIn Algeria, cork oak forests are of great socio-economic and ecological importance due to their great biological and ecosystemic diversity from east to west of the country. Given the decline of these forests and the difficulty of their natural regeneration, this work contributes to knowing some of the causes that affect this regeneration by studying the effect of the state of cork oak acorns (Quercus suber L.) on the emergence and growth of seedlings. The 917 cork oak acorns, collected from the township of Ain Lamcene in the Bissa forest, were divided into four batches according to their apparent condition: HeNPG (healthy non pre-germinated), HePG (healthy pre-germinated), HNPG (holed non pre-germinated) and HPG (holed pre-germinated) with respective rates of 36%, 30%, 21% and 13%. Analysis of the biometric parameters of the acorns reveals that the apparent state of health has no effect on the length and diameter of the acorns of the different batches; on the other hand, there is a difference in the weight. However, the difference is minimal and can be related to the consumption of the reserves of the cotyledons. The emergence of acorns was higher in healthy lots sown with a rate greater than 80%, compared to hose attacked by insects. The growth rhythm of cork oak plants was similar for the four batches of the sown acorns. In addition, seedlings from healthy acorns showed better development regarding height, number of leaves, and diameter at the collar and root growth than those from acorns attacked by insects
Hermetic effect of Moringa oleifera leaf extract mitigates salinity stress in maize by modulating photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant activities
Get PDFSalinity poses a significant constraint to cereal productivity particularly in arid and semiarid regions. The application of allelochemical has shown promising results in mitigating the intensity of abiotic stresses. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of different concentrations of aqueous allelopathic extract derived from moringa leaves in mitigating the adverse impacts of salinity on the germination and growth of maize cultivars via seed priming. The study involved three variables: two cultivars of maize, ‘Pioneer 30Y87’ (salt tolerant) and ‘Pioneer 30T60’ (salt sensitive) e seed priming with moringa leaf extract (MLE) at varying concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, and hydro-priming as control; and different salinity levels of 0, 6, and 12 dS m-1. Salinity had a negative impact on the germination process, leading to delayed and suboptimal growth of seedlings. Additionally, salinity reduced the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments (20-50%), photosynthesis, transpiration, internal carbon, and stomatal conductance. Further, MLE also improved the antioxidant activities (catalase: CAT and peroxidase: POD) by 22-56% which reduced the hydrogen peroxide production. Moreover, ‘P-30Y87’ exhibited favorable performance in terms of better germination, growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities. The application of moringa leaf extract (3%) resulted in a more notable hermetic effect in elevating salinity stress thereby enhancing germination, growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities. In the conclusion, application of MLE (3%) is a promising approach to mitigate the adverse impacts of salinity by improving germination, growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities
Physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic studies reveal the mechanisms promoting tiller bud growth under high temperature conditions in japonica rice
Get PDFHigh temperature (HT) negatively impacts the initiation and development of tiller buds in japonica rice, resulting in a substantial decrease in yield. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms alleviating the inhibition of HT on the growth of tiller buds in japonica rice remain elusive. Hence, this study aimed to dissect the underlying mechanisms of normal tiller buds’ growth under HT in japonica rice through comparative physiological, biochemical and transcriptomics analyses of two contrasting varieties, ‘Changgeng 225’ (‘CG225’, heat-tolerant) and ‘Zhonghua 11’ (‘ZH11’, heat-sensitive). Compared with ‘ZH11’, the tiller number of ‘CG225’ decreased less under HT stress. ‘CG225’ outperformance over ‘ZH11’ was due to higher activities of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD and APX), as well as higher activities of the key enzymes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism (NR, GOGAT, GS, GDH, SS and SPS) in tiller buds. In addition, lower contents of the tiller-inhibiting phytohormone ABA and SLs, and higher contents of the tiller-promoting phytohormone CK in ‘CG225’ also promoted the growth of tiller buds. Most of the significant DEGs between ‘CG225’ and ‘ZH11’ under HT conditions were assigned to chloroplast and photosynthesis. We identified potential candidate genes, including transcription factors (EP2, B3, bHLH, MYB, NAC, and WRKY), phytohormone (auxin efflux carriers and ethylene biosynthesis genes), antioxidant system (peroxidases), and sucrose pathway-related genes. Furthermore, ectopic sucrose application significantly alleviated HT inhibitory effects on tiller bud growth of ‘ZH11’ plants. Our results reveal a synergistic control of heat stress by several metabolic mechanisms in japonica rice during tillering and provide fundamental resources for improving rice HT tolerance and production.
Construction of cotton leaf nitrogen content estimation model based on the PROSPECT model
Get PDFLeaf nitrogen content (LNC) is an important index to measure the nitrogen deficiency in cotton. The rapid and accurate monitoring of LNC is of great significance for understanding the growth status of cotton and guiding precise fertilization in the field. At present, the hyperspectral technology monitoring of LNC is very mature, but it is interfered with by external factors such as shadow and soil, and data acquisition is still dependent on manpower. Therefore, on the basis of clarifying the correlation and quantitative relationship between physiological parameters and cotton LNC, the 400-2500 nm spectral curve was simulated based on PROSPECT-5 model. Combined with the measured spectra, the sensitive bands of leaf nitrogen content were screened, and four machine learning algorithms based on the reflectance of the sensitive bands were compared to construct a model for the estimation of LNC in cotton and determine the optimal model. The results show the following: (1) The parameter with the best correlation with nitrogen content was Cab, and the linear relationship was y=0.3942x+12.521, R2=0.81, RMSE=12.87 g/kg. (2) The shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA) and the successive projections algorithm (SPA) were used to screen the relevant bands sensitive to LNC. SFLA selected nine characteristic bands, mainly distributed between 700 and 750 nm. SPA screened seven characteristic bands, mainly distributed between 670 and 760 nm. The characteristic bands of both screening methods were distributed near the red edge. (3) Based on the sensitive bands, the four machine learning algorithms were compared. Among them, the band modeling of SFLA screening under the random forest (RF) algorithm was the best (modeling set R2=0.973, RMSE=1.001 g/kg, rRMSE=3.41%, validation set R2=0.803, RMSE=3.191 g/kg, rRMSE=10.85%). In summary, this study proposes an optimal estimation model of cotton leaf nitrogen content based on the radiative transfer model, which provides a theoretical basis for the dynamic, accurate, and non-destructive monitoring of cotton leaf nitrogen content