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ABSTRACT Extensive foliar shedding in monoculture soybeans post‐anthesis negatively impacts yield, whereas relay strip intercropping prolongs leaf area duration, enhancing productivity. However, little is known about the causes of leaf shedding in monoculture and its impact on physiological functions and plasticity of source and sink organs, we conducted a 4‐year field experiment and leaf‐removal simulations in relay intercropped soybeans. Results revealed that monoculture soybeans experienced severe self‐shading and defoliation, while relay intercropping maintained better light conditions, supporting higher leaf area, nodule numbers, and carbon allocation. Increasing leaf removal initially increased leaf area but eventually reduced it. Extensive leaf‐removal reduced Rubisco and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity, as well as sucrose, malate, ATP, and energy charge (EC) in nodules, revealing a trade‐off between leaf growth and nodule development. Moderate leaf‐removal (L30), however, balanced compensation and consumption, increasing total non‐structural carbohydrates (TNC) in roots and N and ureide in leaves and pods. Network analysis showed that L30 improved the synergies of functional traits in leaves and nodules, ultimately benefiting overall plant growth and nutrient accumulation in pods. This study elucidates a mechanism of foliar shedding and highlights how relay strip intercropping optimizes source‐sink coordination to enhance photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Leaf elongation is vital for productivity of Poaceae species, influenced by atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and climate-induced water availability changes. Although [CO2] mitigates the effects of drought on reducing transpiration per unit leaf area, it also increases total leaf area and water use. These complex interactions associated with leaf growth pose challenges in anticipating climate change effects. This study aims to assess [CO2] effects on leaf growth response to drought in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Methods Plants were cultivated in growth chambers with [CO2] at 200 or 800 ppm. At leaf six to seven unfolding, half of the plants were subjected to severe drought treatment. Leaf elongation rate (LER) was measured daily, whereas plant transpiration was continuously recorded gravimetrically. Additionally, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content along with water and osmotic potentials in the leaf growing zone were measured at drought onset, mid-drought and leaf growth cessation. Key Results Elevated [CO2] mitigated drought impacts on LER and delayed growth cessation across species. A positive correlation between LER and soil relative water content (SRWC) was observed. At the same SRWC, perennial grasses exhibited a higher LER with elevated [CO2], probably due to enhanced stomatal regulation. Despite stomatal closure and WSC accumulation, CO2 did not influence nighttime water potential or osmotic potential. The marked increase in leaf area across species resulted in similar (wheat and tall fescue) or higher (ryegrass) total water use by the end of the experiment, under both watered and unwatered conditions. Conclusions Elevated [CO2] mitigates the adverse effects of drought on leaf elongation in three Poaceae species, due to its impact on plant transpiration. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into CO2 and drought interactions that may help anticipate plant responses to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of biostimulant treatments on Passiflora species was assessed by observing changes in the growth and leaf functional compounds of plants exposed to humic acids (HAs) and seaweed extracts (SEs) to determine their optimal application doses. Four different concentrations of HA irrigation (0, 144, 192, and 285 mg·L-1 per pot assigned as HI-1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively), HA spraying (0, 96, 128, and 192 mg·L-1 as HS-1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively), SE irrigation (SI-1~4 at 0, 1, 1.33, and 2 g·L21 per pot, respectively), and SE spraying (SS-1~4 at 0, 0.5, 0.67, and 1 g·L21, respectively) treatments were applied to 'Tainung No. 1' and Passiflora suberosa cultivars every week to study their responses in plant growth traits and metabolites. Results show that leaf dry weight (DW) and root DW of 'Tainung No. 1' plants under SS-3 and HI-4 treatments, respectively, were significantly increased compared with controls. Both HI-3 and HS-3 treatments remarkably increased vine length, fresh weight (FW), and DW of leaves and shoots in P. suberosa plants compared with controls. Furthermore, 'Tainung No. 1' and P. suberosa plants respectively subjected to HI-2 and SS-4 treatments contributed to developing biostimulant applications for obtaining higher total phenol and flavonoid content per plant. Both Passiflora species are recommended for treatment with SS-4 and SE to maximize orientin and isovitexin content, and for all their beneficial applications and sustainable use in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge in biodiversity research is the incorporation of species interactions into frameworks describing population and community response to global edfnmental change (GEC). Mutualisms are a type of species interaction especially sensitive to changing environmental conditions, and the breakdown of facilitative species interactions could amplify the negative impacts of novel climate regimes on focal species.Here, we investigate how reciprocal interactions between two coastal foundation species, the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and eelgrass (Zostera marina) shift in sign and magnitude in response to ocean warming (+1.5°C) and acidification (−0.4 pH) via a manipulative co‐culture experiment in mesocosms.Under ambient environmental conditions, oysters facilitated eelgrass leaf growth and clonal reproduction by 35% and 38%, respectively. Simultaneously, eelgrass decreased the oyster condition index (the ratio of tissue to shell biomass) by 35%, indicating greater allocation of energy to shell growth instead of soft tissues at ambient conditions. Varying sensitivities of each species to ocean warming and/or acidification treatments led to complex shifts in species interactions that were trait dependent. As such, community outcomes under future conditions were influenced by species interactions that amplified and mitigated species response to environmental change.Synthesis: Given that species interaction effect sizes were similar in magnitude to effect sizes of warming or pH treatments, our results underscore the need to identify key species and interaction types that strongly influence community response to GEC. Specifically, for macrophyte‐bivalve interactions, understanding how physiological limitations on growth are impacted by environmental heterogeneity and co‐culture will support the successful restoration of natural populations and the rapid expansion of aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Drought is one of the most devastating causes of yield losses in crops like maize, and the anticipated increases in severity and duration of drought spells due to climate change pose an imminent threat to agricultural productivity. To understand the drought response, phenotypic and molecular studies are typically performed at a given time point after drought onset, representing a steady‐state adaptation response. Because growth is a dynamic process, we monitored the drought response with high temporal resolution and examined cellular and transcriptomic changes after rehydration at 4 and 6 days after leaf four appearance. These data showed that division zone activity is a determinant for full organ growth recovery upon rehydration. Moreover, a prolonged maintenance of cell division by the ectopic expression of PLASTOCHRON1 extends the ability to resume growth after rehydration. The transcriptome analysis indicated that GROWTH‐REGULATING FACTORS (GRFs) affect leaf growth by impacting cell division duration, which was confirmed by a prolonged recovery potential of the GRF1‐overexpression line after rehydration. Finally, we used a multiplex genome editing approach to evaluate the most promising differentially expressed genes from the transcriptome study and as such narrowed down the gene space from 40 to seven genes for future functional characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined production performance, nutrient intake, digestibility, and carcass traits from ostrich chicks fed with barberry (Berberis Vulgaris) leaves (BVL) as a replacement for alfalfa hay (AH). For 150 days, 30 male ostrich (Struthio camelus) (9.10 ± 0.89 kg live weight, mean ± SD) were randomly grouped into five dietary BVL inclusion levels to replace AH: a control diet based on 100% AH (CTRL), and four groups with BVL as a substitute for AH at varying levels including 25% (BVL25), 50% (BVL50), 75% (BVL75), and 100% (BVL100). The average daily feed intakes (ADFI) were recorded and birds were weighed monthly. The nutrient intake and digestibility were measured for the following final 5 days of the trial. The ADFI was higher (p = 0.025) for BVL100 and BVL75 than for CTRL. Ostriches fed on BVL50 had the highest average daily gain (ADG, p = 0.025) and the lowest feed conversation ratio (FCR, p = 0.0001). Return per kg BW gain was also enhanced (p = 0.018) with BVL50 feeding. Dietary BVL levels did not affect the digestibility of OM (p = 0.257), CP (p = 0.260), EE (p = 0.610), CF (p = 0.427), and Ash (p = 0.461). Also, there were no changes in AME (p = 0.180) or AMEn (p = 0.670). The hot carcass weight (HCW, p = 0.331) and dressing BW (p = 0.237) were not affected. Overall, the results suggest that BVL can replace AH in ostrich diets without deleterious impact on performance, however, its partial substitution (for 50% AH of diet) has been associated with improved ADG, FCR, and reduced feeding costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyketide antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) is a phenolic secondary metabolite produced by Pseudomonas spp. that serves as a biocontrol agent. DAPG is known to inhibit root growth and seed germination in plants. However, the effects of DAPG on leaf growth have not been elucidated yet. In this study, we found that applying DAPG at concentration above 30 µM suppresses the development of Arabidopsis leaves. Using an integrated proteomic analysis approach, we investigated the physio-molecular responses of Arabidopsis leaves under 10–100 µM DAPG treatment. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)-based proteomic analysis identified 46 differentially expressed spots with at least a twofold change, corresponding to 37 proteins involved in stress and defense, metabolism, photosynthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism processes. Furthermore, we found that the expressions of stress and defense-related proteins were upregulated in response to DAPG, while those of photosynthesis-related proteins were downregulated. Additionally, RT-PCR result showed that the identified DAPG-responsive proteins in the proteomic analysis were similarly regulated at the transcriptional level. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism of the response to DAPG in Arabidopsis leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters is very important for understanding plant photosynthesis. Monitoring cotton chlorophyll fluorescence parameters via spectral technology can aid in understanding the photosynthesis, growth, and stress of cotton fields in real time and provide support for cotton growth regulation and planting management. In this study, cotton plot experiments with different water treatments were set up to obtain the spectral reflectance of the cotton canopy, the maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), and the photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) of leaves at different growth stages. Support vector machine regression (SVR), random forest regression (RFR), and artificial neural network regression (ANNR) were used to establish a fluorescence parameter inversion model of the cotton canopy leaves. The results show that the original spectrum was transformed by multivariate scattering correction (MSC), the standard normal variable (SNV), and continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and the model constructed with Fv/Fm passed accuracy verification. The SNV-SVR model at the budding stage, the MSC-SVR model at the early flowering stage, the SNV-SVR model at the full flowering stage, the MSC-SVR model at the flowering stage, and the CWT-SVR model at the full boll stage had the highest estimation accuracy. The accuracies of the three spectral preprocessing and qP models were verified, and the MSC-SVR model at the budding stage, SNV-SVR model at the early flowering stage, MSC-SVR model at the full flowering stage, SNV-SVR model at the flowering stage, and CWT-SVR model at the full boll stage presented the highest estimation accuracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves are the primary harvest portion in forage crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Delaying leaf senescence is an effective strategy to improve forage biomass production and quality. In this study, we employed transcriptome sequencing to analyze the transcriptional changes and identify key senescence-associated genes under age-dependent leaf senescence in Medicago truncatula, a legume forage model plant. Through comparing the obtained expression data at different time points, we obtained 1057 differentially expressed genes, with 108 consistently up-regulated genes across leaf growth and senescence. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses showed that the 108 SAGs mainly related to protein processing, nitrogen metabolism, amino acid metabolism, RNA degradation and plant hormone signal transduction. Among the 108 SAGs, seven transcription factors were identified in which a novel bZIP transcription factor MtbZIP60 was proved to inhibit leaf senescence. MtbZIP60 encodes a nuclear-localized protein and possesses transactivation activity. Further study demonstrated MtbZIP60 could associate with MtWRKY40, both of which exhibited an up-regulated expression pattern during leaf senescence, indicating their crucial roles in the regulation of leaf senescence. Our findings help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of leaf senescence in M. truncatula and provide candidates for the genetic improvement of forage crops, with a focus on regulating leaf senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating plant functions and identifying crop productivity bottlenecks requires the accurate quantification of their performance. This task has been attained through photosynthetic models. However, their traditional focus on the leaf's capacity to uptake CO2 is becoming increasingly restrictive. Advanced bioengineering of C3 plants has made it possible to increase rates of CO2 assimilation by packing photosynthetic structures more densely within leaves. The operation of mechanisms that concentrate CO2 inside leaves can boost rates of assimilation while requiring a lower investment in carboxylating enzymes. Therefore, whether in the context of spontaneous plants or modern manipulation, considering trade‐offs in resource utilization efficiency emerges as a critical necessity. I've developed a concise and versatile analytical model that simulates concurrent leaf and root growth by balancing instantaneous fluxes of carbon and nitrogen. Carbon is made available by leaf photosynthesis, encompassing all types of biochemistries, while nitrogen is either taken up by roots or remobilized after senescence. The allocation of leaf nitrogen between light or carbon reactions was determined using a fitting algorithm: growth maximisation was the only reliable fitting goal. Both the leaf nitrogen pool and the root‐to‐leaf ratio responded realistically to various environmental drivers (CO2 concentration, light intensity, soil nitrogen), replicating trends typically observed in plants. Furthermore, modifying the strength of CO2 concentrating mechanisms proved sufficient to alter the root‐to‐leaf ratio between C3 and C4 types. This direct and mechanistic one‐to‐one link convincingly demonstrates, for the first time, the functional dependence of a morphological trait on a single biochemical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paphiopedilum primulinum and Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum have unique labellum colour and shaped like lady's slippers. These orchids are from the Cochlopetalum section, which is exclusively found in Sumatra and Java. There are so many people that desire to collect these plants illegally. Due to extensive commercial exploitation, Paphiopedilum is in danger of going extinct. Tissue culture techniques are utilised to conserve threatened orchid germplasm in a short time. The success of the in vitro culture depends on the accuracy of the basic media composition used. The Ambon Lumut banana (ALB) can accelerate plant growth and cell division. Banana added to the culture medium was prepared by mashing the ripe flesh (3.5 months old) using a mortar. This research aims to investigate the effect of banana homogenate supplemented media for the orchids P. primulinum and P. glaucophyllum based on the parameters of difference of plant height (calculated from the base of the stem to the tip of the plant stem), number of leaves, and number of roots. The measurement method was carried out using a ruler with a centimetre scale. Observations and documentation were carried out once a week for 7 weeks after planting (WAP) for P. primulinum and P. glaucophyllum. The results showed that V Murashige and Skoog (MS) + ALB homogenate is a better medium for P. primulinum and P. glaucophyllum growth than media without banana homogenate. The highest values of plant height, leaf growth and root growth of P. primulinum with banana homogenate were 0.44 cm, 0.63 leaves, and 0.50 roots, respectively. The highest values of plant height and leaf growth of P. glaucophyllum were 0.75 cm and 1.90 leaves, respectively. Culture medium added banana homogenate was able to support the propagation of plants, some of which are returned to nature and others used for industrial purposes (conventionally cultivated by the community). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) can produce over 150 types of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), including vinblastine and vincristine, which are currently the primary sources of these alkaloids. Exploring the complex regulatory mechanisms of C. roseus is significant for resolving MIA biosynthesis. The Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain (LBD) is a plant-specific transcription factor family that plays crucial roles in the physiological processes of plant growth, stress tolerance, and specialized metabolism. However, the LBD gene family has not been extensively characterized in C. roseus, and whether its members are involved in MIA biosynthesis is still being determined. A total of 34 C. roseus LBD (CrLBD) genes were identified. RNA-Seq data were investigated to examine the expression patterns of CrLBD genes in various tissues and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. The results revealed that the Class Ia member CrLBD4 is positively correlated with iridoid biosynthetic genes (p < 0.05, r ≥ 0.8); the Class IIb member CrLBD11 is negatively correlated with iridoid biosynthetic genes (p < 0.05, r ≤ −0.8). Further validation in leaves at different growth stages of C. roseus showed that CrLBD4 and CrLBD11 exhibited different potential expression trends with iridoid biosynthetic genes and the accumulation of vindoline and catharanthine. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and subcellular localization assays demonstrated that CrLBD4 and CrLBD11 could bind to the "aattatTCCGGccgc" cis-element and localize to the nucleus. These findings suggest that CrLBD4 and CrLBD11 may be potential candidates for regulating MIA biosynthesis in C. roseus. In this study, we systematically analyzed the CrLBD gene family and provided insights into the roles of certain CrLBDs in the MIA biosynthesis of C. roseus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon is crucial in the process of absorbing and transporting nutrients to the plants, which in turn helps to decrease the toxicity of iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn). Plants can better endure drought and salt stress because it strengthens their tissues. Seaweed extracts serve as biostimulants and are considered vital nutrients for sustainable agriculture due to their organic nature and ability to decompose naturally. The present study aimed to compare the nutritional content and growth rate of papaya cv. Red Lady after being treated with silicon and seaweed extract. The papaya plants were moved to new spots 1.5m x 1.5m apart. A Factorial Randomised Block Design with nine treatments and three replications was used for the field experiments. At 6, 7, 8, and 9 months after replanting, silicon (potassium silicate at 0.3% and 0.5%) and seaweed extract at 3% and 5% were made through foliar application. The study showed that the plant's height (278.66 cm), stem width (174.8 cm), number of leaves per plant (33.17), petiole length (127.3 cm), and leaf length (123 cm) were all higher in T8 (SE 5%+PS 0.5%) than in T7 (SE 5%+PS 0.3%) or T5 (SE 3%+PS 0.5%). A study of leaf minerals in synchrony showed that the highest levels of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg were found in the leaves nine months after the crop was transplanted. Thus, using modest concentrations of silicon and seaweed extracts topically enhances growth, nutritional content in leaves, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, as well as Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV), collar rot, and anthracnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is one of the major grain crops in the world. It is of great significance to accurately inverse the chlorophyll content during growth and development in the field. However, there are some deficiencies using conventional interpretability that are driven by data inversion of the physical and chemical parameters. The leaf radiative transfer model can be expected to effectively simulate the spectral information of rice leaves, and then describe the effects of leaf parameters on spectral reflectance. A strong mechanism model can be used for the inversion of chlorophyll content of rice leaves, according to the physically driven method. The PIOSL (PROSPECT considering the internal optical structure of the leaves) model can be utilized to assume that the internal structure of the leaf blade is composed of the superposition of two layers of optical properties, which is much more in line with the actual growth of the plant. This study aims to verify the feasibility of retrieving rice leaf chlorophyll content by the PIOSL model. Firstly, the sensitivity analysis was carried out on each input parameter into the PIOSL model. The parameters Cab and Cab12 were determined as the high sensitivity in the 400-750 nm band. The inversion of chlorophyll content (Cab) was then implemented. The projection (SPA) was used to extract the features of spectral data. Five characteristic bands were sensitive to chlorophyll: 490, 575, 645, 675, and 725 nm. A multiple regression model was constructed to realize the inversion of rice leaf chlorophyll. The inversion performance of the mechanism model was then evaluated using the PIOSL model. The chlorophyll content of rice leaves was also inverted to construct an initial lookup table. LSE (least squares estimate) was used to screen the simulated sample data in the initial lookup table closer to the measured spectra. A classification prediction model was constructed using a support vector machine (SVM), in order to determine whether the combination of the screened sample parameters was in line with the actual growth of the leaves. The improved lookup table was randomly split into the training and test sets in the ratio of 7:3. The hierarchical inversion of chlorophyll content of rice leaves was performed to construct the WOA-ELM (whale optimization, WOA; extreme learning machine, ELM) inversion model. A comparison was made on the commonly-used PROSPECT model with the same data. An improved lookup table was then obtained using the PROSPECT model. The WOA-ELM model was used for the chlorophyll inversion. The results showed that the R² and RMSE of the inversion model using PIOSL-WOA-ELM were 0.977 and 2.356 μg/cm2, respectively, and the inversion accuracies of both models were above 0.9, compared with the PROSPECT-WOA-ELM model. According to the numerically driven inversion model and the physically-driven radiative transfer model, the inversion accuracy of the PIOSLWOA-ELM model was higher than that of the multivariate regression with continuous projection. Therefore, it is feasible for a more effective inversion with the radiative transfer mechanism. The finding can provide new ideas for the accurate inversion of the distribution of rice chlorophyll in the leaf, further effectively retrieving the crop physicochemical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penicillium citrinum is one of the most prevalent tobacco spoilage fungi. However, the mechanisms underlying fungal growth on tobacco leaves remain largely unknown. In this study, transcriptomic analyses were performed to reveal the genome-wide expression profiles of P. citrinum growing on tobacco leaves. First, a comparative analysis was conducted between two sets of transcriptomic data from P. citrinum growing on chemically defined media and tobacco leaves. Enrichment analyses showed that differentially regulated genes were mainly associated with carbohydrate degradation (e.g., cellulose, pectin, and xylan) and the catabolism of fatty acids and aromatic compounds. Comparative transcriptomic analyses between different time points indicated that the fungal transcriptome varied dynamically during the spoilage process, and the enriched terms were associated with small-molecule degradation and fungal development. Enrichment analyses indicated that more up-regulated genes appeared in all enriched Gene Ontology terms. Notably, more organelles significantly contributed to further fungal growth on tobacco leaves. In conclusion, P. citrinum activates a comprehensive transcriptome that changes dynamically when causing tobacco mildew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) are the main bioactive ingredients in bamboo leaves. They have antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and other effects. In this study, the effects of dietary BLF on growth performance, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of broilers were investigated. A total of 288 broilers were divided into three groups with eight replicates and 12 birds in each replicate. Broilers were fed a basic diet or the basic diet supplemented with 1000 or 2000 mg kg−1 BLF for 56 days. RESULTS: The results showed that supplementation of BLF increased body weight (BW) and average daily weight gain (ADG), and reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P < 0.05). The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and interleukin 10 (IL‐10) content of broilers in the BLF1000 group was increased and the interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) content was decreased (P < 0.05). The levels of IgM and IL‐10 in jejunum mucosa were found to be enhanced by BLF (P < 0.05). The BLF1000 group exhibited a significant reduction in the concentration of TNF‐α (P < 0.05). Serum and jejunum mucosa total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) levels in the BLF1000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The serum catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) effects of the BLF1000 group and serum CAT effects of BLF2000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The CON group demonstrated a lower relative abundance of Christensenellaceae_R‐7_group and Oscillibacter than the BLF group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary BLF inclusion enhanced the growth performance, immune, and antioxidant functions, improved the intestinal morphology, and ameliorated the intestinal microflora structure in broiler. Adding 1000 mg kg−1 BLF to the broiler diet can be considered as an effective growth promoter. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In open fields, plants experience dynamic changes in environment, particularly radiation, temperature, wind, and humidity but their short-term responses have not been adequately characterized under natural conditions. In this study, we assessed causal effects of rapid radiation fluctuation on seven plant parameters in open fields of cotton and sweet corn canopies. The parameters are evapotranspiration (ET), canopy photosynthesis indicated by CO2 flux from air to canopy (FCO2), sensible heat energy flux (H), canopy conductance for water vapor (gcw), canopy surface temperature (Ts), shoot and leaf elongation rate, and stem diameter change. The energy and CO2 fluxes were measured with Bowen ratio/energy balance/CO2 gradient (BREB+) technique, using averaging time of 5 min. Shoot + leaf elongation and stem diameter change were monitored with position transducers using averaging time of 1 min. All parameters were all found to respond to change in radiation and transpiration within minutes or sooner. While radiation effects on canopy gas exchanges are expected, illuminating are the indirect but immediate effects on shoot + leaf growth and stem diameter change through radiation effects on transpiration and plant water status. A novel finding is that gcw also responded within minutes or sooner to radiation fluctuations and that FCO2 was related almost linearly to gcw. Results are discussed in terms of soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and interpreted in terms of dynamic interactions between transpiration and plant water status. The clear inverse relationship between ET and elongation rate or stem diameter changes provides additional evidence supporting the validity of 5-min averaging for the BREB + technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'RD6' glutinous rice (Oryza sativa L.), developed from the popular aromatic rice 'KDML105' through gamma irradiation, is a key economic cultivar widely consumed in Thailand and exported throughout Asia. However, cultivation of the 'RD6' faces challenges due to its low grain yield and growth performance. The objective of this study was to use biostimulant chitosan and brassinosteroids to promote growth performance, nutrition, and yield of the 'RD6' rice. Chitosan (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mg L-1) and brassinosteroids (0.00005, 0.0005, 0.001, and 0.002 mg L-1) were sprayed twice at 40- and 75-d-old rice plants in paddy fields. The results demonstrated that foliar spraying with 7.5 mg L-1 chitosan can promote leaf growth of 'RD6' and improve grain yield by 24% as compared with the control. More pronounced effects were observed with 0.002 mg L-1 brassinosteroid, improving not only growth but also 'RD6' yield by 41.8% compared to the control. Moreover, 0.002 mg L-1 brassinosteroids can enhance antioxidant capacities (total phenolic contents), elemental K and Ca contents, and the aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) contents in the rice grains. Furthermore, the use of 0.002 mg L-1 brassinosteroids proved to be a financially sound investment, yielding superior net returns and an advantageous benefit-cost ratio compared with 7.5 mg L-1 chitosan. Therefore, the use of exogenous brassinosteroids on glutinous rice in this study offers promising advantages for promoting the growth and physiological performance of rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of Jatropha gossypiifolia leaf extract (JGE) on the performance and immune response of African sharptooth catfish. Fish (6.43 ± 0.26 g, n = 450, 30/replicate) were fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 g JGE/kg in triplicate for 84 days. Thereafter, the fish were injected with Aeromonas hydrophila and observed for 14 days. Fish fed 1.0–1.5 g JGE had higher (P < 0.05) weight gain, protein efficiency ratio, and villi absorption area, with highest performance at 1.0 g JGE. All the fish fed JGE-supplemented diets had enhanced (P < 0.05) activities of glutathione-s-transferase and glutathione peroxidase, compared to fish fed control diet, while the variations in erythrocyte and leucocyte counts were insignificant (P > 0.05). The post-challenge fish fed JGE-supplemented diets had higher lysozyme, phagocytic, and respiratory burst activities and survival than the control treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar development involves successive phases of cell proliferation and expansion that determine the final leaf size, and is characterized by an early burst of reactive oxygen species generated in the photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC). Introduction of the alternative PETC acceptor flavodoxin in tobacco chloroplasts led to a reduction in leaf size associated to lower cell expansion, without affecting cell number per leaf. Proteomic analysis showed that the biogenesis of the PETC proceeded stepwise in wild-type leaves, with accumulation of light-harvesting proteins preceding that of electron transport components, which might explain the increased energy and electron transfer to oxygen and reactive oxygen species build-up at this stage. Flavodoxin expression did not affect biogenesis of the PETC but prevented hydroperoxide formation through its function as electron sink. Mature leaves from flavodoxin-expressing plants were shown to contain higher levels of transcripts encoding components of the proteasome, a key negative modulator of organ size. Proteome profiling revealed that this differential accumulation was initiated during expansion and led to increased proteasomal activity, whereas a proteasome inhibitor reverted the flavodoxin-dependent size phenotype. Cells expressing plastid-targeted flavodoxin displayed lower endoreduplication, also associated to decreased organ size. These results provide novel insights into the regulation of leaf growth by chloroplast-generated redox signals, and highlight the potential of alternative electron shuttles to investigate the link(s) between photosynthesis and plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, especially on the leaves, have various bioactive compounds capable of becoming natural growth promoters. Plant leaf extracts have been widely studied for their ability as an antibiotic substitute for broiler chickens. This meta-analysis study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of supplementations with leaf extract on the growth performance of broiler chickens, using average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), final body weight (FBW), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) as responses observed criteria. The meta-analysis study was based on the articles published from 2006 to recent years as several countries started to ban in-feed antibiotics. Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals [DOAJ], and ScienceDirect) were searched for peer-reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. The meta-analysis included 19 research papers that met the criteria. Overall results showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in ADFI by 0.56 g/day (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02 to 1.11), in ADG by 1.57 g/day (95% CI = 0.77 to 2.36), and in FBW by 2.28 (95% CI = 1.40 to 3.16). At the same time, the FCR was reduced (P < 0.001) by -1.25 (95% CI = -1.76 to -0.73) relative to controls taking cognisance of publication bias and heterogeneity. Results in the current meta-analysis study indicated that herbal feed additives were proven to be effective as growth promoters in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf is a determinate organ with a final size under genetic control. Numerous factors that regulate the final leaf size have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana ; although most of these factors play their roles during the growth of leaf primordia, much less is known about leaf initiation and its effects on the final leaf size. In this study, we characterized oligocellula6-D (oli6-D), a semidominant mutant of A. thaliana with smaller leaves than the wild type (WT) due to its reduced leaf cell numbers. A time-course analysis showed that oli6-D had approximately 50% fewer leaf cells even immediately after leaf initiation; this difference was maintained throughout leaf development. Next-generation sequencing showed that oli6-D had chromosomal duplications involving 2-kb and 3-Mb regions of chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively. Several duplicated genes examined had approximately 2-fold higher expression levels, and at least one gene acquired a new intron/exon structure due to a chromosome fusion event. oli6-D showed reduced auxin responses in leaf primordia, primary roots and embryos, as well as reduced apical dominance and partial auxin-resistant root growth. CRISPR-associated protein-9-mediated genome editing enabled the removal of a 3-Mb duplicated segment, the largest targeted deletion in plants thus far. As a result, oli6-D restored the WT leaf phenotypes, demonstrating that oli6-D is a gain-of-function mutant. Our results suggest a new regulatory point of leaf size determination that functions at a very early stage of leaf development and is negatively regulated by one or more genes located in the duplicated chromosomal segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-year field experiment was conducted in two consecutive seasons to evaluate the response of wheat to pre-emergence (PRE) and early post-emergence (EPOST) herbicides. The herbicides prosulfocarb (3200 g ai ha−1) and chlorotoluron plus diflufenican (1380 + 92 g ai ha−1) were applied PRE, whereas the herbicides flufenacet plus diflufenican (240 + 120 g ai ha−1) and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin (119.7 + 119.7 + 44.8 g ai ha−1) were applied EPOST at the second leaf growth stage of wheat. Heavy rainfalls that followed the PRE treatments and cold temperatures that occurred during the EPOST applications resulted in crop injuries and reduced yields in prosulfocarb, chlorotoluron plus diflufenican and flufenacet plus diflufenican the first and the second year, respectively. Weather conditions such as heavy rainfalls and low temperatures that may occur during and after herbicide treatments should be considered to avoid crop injuries and increase crop safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polar auxin transport is required for proper plant growth and development. D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) is required for the phosphorylation of PIN‐FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers to regulate auxin transport, while the regulation of D6PK stabilization is still poorly understood. Here, we found that Cytosolic ABA Receptor Kinases (CARKs) redundantly interact with D6PK, and the interactions are dependent on CARKs' kinase activities. Similarly, CARK3 also could interact with paralogs of D6PK, including D6PKL1, D6PKL2, and D6PKL3. The genetic analysis shows that D6PK acts the downstream of CARKs to regulate Arabidopsis growth, including hypocotyl, leaf area, vein formation, and the length of silique. Loss‐of‐function of CARK3 in overexpressing GFP‐D6PK plants leads to reduce the level of D6PK protein, thereby rescues plant growth. In addition, the cell‐free degradation assays indicate that D6PK is degraded through 26 S proteasome pathway, while the phosphorylation by CARK3 represses this process in cells. In summary, D6PK stabilization by the CARK family is required for auxin‐mediated plant growth and development. Summary statement: The AGC VIII kinase D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) phosphorylates PIN‐FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers, which is essential for auxin transport in plant cells. This study uncovers a new mechanism for D6PK stability through Cytosolic ABA Receptor Kinases‐mediated phosphorylation to regulate auxin‐controlled Arabidopsis growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) make up a plant-specific transcription factor family that mainly couples perception of the phytohormone, auxin, and gene expression programs and plays an important and multi-faceted role during plant growth and development. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is a representative Cymbopogon species widely used in gardening, beverages, fragrances, traditional medicine, and heavy metal phytoremediation. Biomass yield is an important trait for several agro-economic purposes of lemongrass, such as landscaping, essential oil production, and phytoremediation. Therefore, we performed gene mining of CfARFs and identified 26 and 27 CfARF-encoding genes in each of the haplotype genomes of lemongrass, respectively. Phylogenetic and domain architecture analyses showed that CfARFs can be divided into four groups, among which groups 1, 2, and 3 correspond to activator, repressor, and ETTN-like ARFs, respectively. To identify the CfARFs that may play major roles during the growth of lemongrass plants, RNA-seq was performed on three tissues (leaf, stem, and root) and four developmental stages (3-leaf, 4-leaf, 5-leaf. and mature stages). The expression profiling of CfARFs identified several highly expressed activator and repressor CfARFs and three CfARFs (CfARF3, 18, and 35) with gradually increased levels during leaf growth. Haplotype-resolved transcriptome analysis revealed that biallelic expression dominance is frequent among CfARFs and contributes to their gene expression patterns. In addition, co-expression network analysis identified the modules enriched with CfARFs. By establishing orthologous relationships among CfARFs, sorghum ARFs, and maize ARFs, we showed that CfARFs were mainly expanded by whole-genome duplications, and that the duplicated CfARFs might have been divergent due to differential expression and variations in domains and motifs. Our work provides a detailed catalog of CfARFs in lemongrass, representing a first step toward characterizing CfARF functions, and may be useful in molecular breeding to enhance lemongrass plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although seagrasses are expected to thrive in future acidified oceans by overcoming low CO2 diffusion into plant tissues, the co‐occurrence of environmental stressors may affect their growth. Volcanic CO2 vents are often associated with toxic gases and metal‐rich fluids representing ideal sites to assess the effects of multiple stressors. We evaluated the response of Posidonia oceanica growing near shallow CO2 vents characterized by H2S spill‐out by comparing meadow structure and phenology to an area with no gas emissions. Seagrass descriptors at meadow, shoot and leaf level indicated that P. oceanica experienced stressful conditions at the vent area, in clear contrast to the flourishing features of P. oceanica previously described at CO2 vents with no evidence of toxic inputs. Furthermore, the reduction in both leaf δ34S and growth at the vent area indicates that sulfide intrusion occurs and affects seagrass growth performance, dampening the expected beneficial effects of high CO2 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Using Chrysanthemum morifolium HETAI, a characteristic medicinal and edible plant in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, as the material, to explore the growth characteristics and nutritional changes of leaves and inflorescences. [Method] The growth of leaves and floral organs from Chrysanthemum morifolium was measured in the field, and corresponding colorimetric methods were used to explore the content changes of effective components. [Result] The Chrysanthemum morifolium HETAI developed from young leaves to mature leaves for about 168 days, with significant morphological changes during the leaf development process. The mature leaves were oval shaped, feathered with shallow or deep cracks, and the leaf edges were round serrated with notches. The growth cycle of flower organs was about 55 days, and it lasted for about 20 days from the initial flowering period to the full-bloom period. The tongue shaped and tubular flower clusters were fully developed; the flower diameter could reach 4.67-4.89 cm. During the development of flower organs, the content of soluble proteins generally showed a downward trend, but the content of total flavonoids and soluble sugars continued to increase, both contents maintain high levels during the development stage of 3140 days. Combined with the growth characteristics of leaves and inflorescences, the initial flowering period and early peak flowering period (31-40 days) were the suitable harvest time for this variety of chrysanthemum. [Conclusion] This study provides a basis for the cultivation standards of advantageous varieties in the characteristic agriculture (Nanyao) science and technology park of Gaoyao District, Guangdong Province [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Non‐structural carbohydrates (NSCs), as the labile fraction and dominant carbon currency, are essential mediators of plant adaptation to environments. However, whether and how NSC coordinates with plant economic strategy frameworks, particularly the well‐recognized leaf economics spectrums (LES) and root economics space (RES), remains unclear.We examined the relationships between NSC and key plant economics traits in leaves and fine roots across 90 alpine coniferous populations on the Tibetan Plateau, China.We observed contrasting coordination of NSC with economics traits in leaves and roots. Leaf total NSC and soluble sugar aligned with the leaf economic spectrum, conveying a trade‐off between growth and storage in leaves. However, NSC in roots was independent of the root economic spectrum, but highly coordinated with root foraging, with more starch and less sugar in forage‐efficient, thinner roots. Further, NSC‐trait coordination in leaves and roots was, respectively, driven by local temperature and precipitation.These findings highlight distinct roles of NSC in shaping the above‐ and belowground multidimensional economics trait space, and NSC‐based carbon economics provides a mechanistic understanding of how plants adapt to heterogeneous habitats and respond to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Intra- and transgenerational plasticity may provide substantial phenotypic variation to cope with environmental change. Since assessing the unique contribution of the maternal environment to the offspring phenotype is challenging in perennial, outcrossing plants, little is known about the evolutionary and ecological implications of transgenerational plasticity and its persistence over the life cycle in these species. We evaluated how intra- and transgenerational plasticity interplay to shape the adaptive responses to drought in two perennial Mediterranean shrubs. Methods We used a novel common garden approach that reduced within-family genetic variation in both the maternal and offspring generations by growing the same maternal individual in two contrasting watering environments, well-watered and drought, in consecutive years. We then assessed phenotypic differences at the reproductive stage between offspring reciprocally grown in the same environments. Key Results Maternal drought had an effect on offspring performance only in Helianthemum squamatum. Offspring of drought-stressed plants showed more inflorescences, less sclerophyllous leaves and higher growth rates in both watering conditions, and heavier seeds under drought, than offspring of well-watered maternal plants. Maternal drought also induced similar plasticity patterns across maternal families, showing a general increase in seed mass in response to offspring drought, a pattern not observed in the offspring of well-watered plants. In contrast, both species expressed immediate adaptive plasticity, and the magnitude of intragenerational plasticity was larger than the transgenerational plastic responses. Conclusions Our results highlight that adaptive effects associated with maternal drought can persist beyond the seedling stage and provide evidence of species-level variation in the expression of transgenerational plasticity. Such differences between co-occurring Mediterranean species in the prevalence of this form of non-genetic inheritance may result in differential vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of synthesized magnesium oxide nanoparticles of Jatropha tajonensis leaf extract on the growth and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.). Materials and Methods. The preparation and planting of the cowpea seeds; The extraction of extract of Jatropha tajonensis leaves in aqueous solution. The synthesis of MgO nanoparticles from the extract, followed by characterization to confirm the formation - UV-VIS, FTIR, SEM-EDX and PXRD. The effects of MgONPs on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) plants were surveyed under field conditions to assess its uses in improving growth and yield of cowpea. Results. The results showed that different doses of MgONPs applied to cowpea plant significantly affected all measured parameters of cowpea plantlets under the field condition in a positive way. The best results in growth, yield and the phonological parameters were cowpea plants treated with high MgONP applications (100 mg/L). It has been observed that different MgONPs applications have significant effects on vegetative growth and yield parameters of cowpea. A significant increase in the number of vegetative parameters was observed in the pots with different doses of nano-20, 40, 60, 80 and 100/MgONPs applications compared to the control. Different MgO (with or without NPs) treatments led to significant differences in shoot formation (P < 0.01). According to the effect of different doses of magnesium NPs applied to the cowpea, plant height varied between 18.88 ± 2.51 and 21.35 ± 3.25. The highest value in the height was obtained from nano-100 mg/L MgONPs application with 21.35 ± 3.25 and the lowest value was obtained from the salt 17.48 ± 3.83 mg/L MgONPs application. Conclusion. This study found that MgONPs greatly influenced the plantlets' growth parameters and other measured traits; in addition. There was an indication that the efficiency of growth and yield of cowpea could be improved by increased application of MgO in the form of nanoparticles. Also, highlighted was the possibility of using MgONPs in increasing another crop yield to cater for the evergrowing world population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial was conducted to discern the influence of dietary incorporation of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on growth performance and nutrient utilization of Japanese quail for 6 weeks. A total 288 day-old Japanese quail chicks were randomly distributed into eight treatments of 36 Japanese quail chicks per treatment with three replicates of 12 quail in each. Japanese quail of treatment T1 (control group) were fed a basal diet (starter and finisher), whereas in treatment group T2 basal diet was incorporated with Vitamin C @200 mg/kg, T3 basal diet was incorporated with Vitamin E @10 IU/kg, and in diets T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8, the basal diet was incorporated with 1.0%, 3.0%, 5.0%, 7.0% and 9.0% Moringa oleifera leaf meal, respectively. Results showed that incorporation of 3.0% Moringa oleifera leaf meal improved the performance of Japanese quail in terms of body weight gain and performance index during the overall period. The maximum crude protein utilization was seen in 3.0% Moringa oleifera leaf meal incorporated group of Japanese quail followed by 1.0%. However, maximum ether extract utilization was seen with 1.0% Moringa oleifera leaf meal while ether extract and crude protein utilization was lower in 9.0% Moringa oleifera leaf meal incorporated group. Average feed cost per kg weight gain differed in Japanese quail offered various dietary treatment. It can be concluded that 3.0 % Moringa oleifera leaf meal can be incorporated in feed for improvement in growth performance of Japanese quail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the growth and physiological response mechanisms of rice under continuous drought stress circumstances can provide a significant scientific foundation and technological assistance for meeting drought difficulties, improving drought resistance and rice (Oryza sativa L.) output, and ensuring food security. In this study, a rice field experiment was conducted under a rain shelter with five different treatments set up: P1 (drought stress from tillering stage), P2 (drought stress from jointing–booting stage), P3 (drought stress from heading–flowering stage), P4 (drought stress from grain filling stage), and CK (adequate water management throughout the growth stage). Continuous drought stress from different growth stages with four levels (mild, medium, moderate, and severe). The results showed that the effects of different drought stress treatments on rice growth varied significantly. Compared with the CK treatment, plant height was reduced by 12.10%, 8.14%, 3.83%, and 1.06% in the P1, P2, P3, and P4 treatments, respectively, and the number of tillers was reduced by 23.83%, 18.91%, 13.47%, and 8.68%, respectively. With the increase in drought stress levels, SPAD values and Rubisco activity of rice leaf continued to decrease; SOD activity showed a decreasing trend, but the decreasing trend of POD and CAT activities was not significant, while MDA content showed an increasing trend. For yield components, continuous drought stress significantly reduced spike length of rice by an average of 3.5%, effective number of spikes by 18.9%, thousand grain weight by 3.7%, grain number per spike by 11.6%, and fruiting rate by 1.8%, respectively, compared to CK treatments during the growth period. In general, continuous drought stress during the early growth period affected the effective spike number and the grain number per spike. Continuous drought stress after the grain filling stage had the least effect on yield (17.62% of yield reduction), and water use efficiency (1.76 kg m−3) was much higher than other treatments. These researchers' findings provide insight into how rice physiology and growth react to continuous drought stress, which is significant for agricultural operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The study aimed to solve the problem of inconsistent flowering periods in hybride production between winter rapeseed and spring rapeseed, thus providing a basis for the utilization of advantages of hybrids between winter rapeseed and spring rapeseed with strong winter hardiness in China.【Method】The strong winter rapeseed (NTS211, NTS304) and spring rapeseed (C05, C19) were used as materials. The seeds were sown in autumn (October 11th), and winter (December 10th, December 30th, January 19th, February 8th and February 28th) . The growth period, emergence rate, and reproductive performance were recorded, and the physiological and biochemical characteristics of leaves in different growth period were analyzed.【Result】The seeds sown in autumn (October 11th) emerged before winter, strong winter rapeseed could safely overwinter, while the overwintering rate of spring rapeseed was 0. The seeds sown after December 10th did not germinate during the winter period. In the early spring of the following year (March 21st to April 6th), after the temperature warmed up, the seeds began to germinate, with a germination ranging from 21.0% to 72.3%. The flowering period of winter-sown winter rapeseed was from June 21st to July 5th and July 3rd to July 20th. The flowering period of winter-sown spring rapeseed was from May 10th to May 12th and May 25th to May 30th. The flowering period of winter-sown winter rapeseed were from May 5th to May 30th. The flowering periods of autumn-sown winter rapeseed and winter-sown spring rapeseed coincided, and the longest overlap time of flowering periods between winter-sown (January 19th) spring rapeseed and autumn-sown winter rapeseed ware up to 18 days. With the delay of sowing time in winter, the flowering process of winter rapeseed was delayed, resulting in an extended growth period. However, the flowering process of spring rapeseed was advanced, leading to a shortened growth period. The fruiting performance of winter-sown winter rapeseed showed a downward trend, while the thousand-seed weight of winter-sown spring rapeseed showed an upward trend. Winter-sown winter rapeseed and spring rapeseed showed an upward trend in gibberellin content during the seedling stage, a downward trend during the bud stage, and a trend of initially increasing and subsequently decreasing during the flowering and silique stages. In the seedling stage, the auxin content of winter-sown winter rapeseed was significantly higher than that of spring rapeseed. The peroxidase activity during the bud stage was significantly higher than that in other growth stages. The content of malondialdehyde was the highest during the seedling stage, and the content of soluble protein was the highest during the flowering stage.【Conclusion】It is feasible to adjust the flowering period by sowing winter rapeseed in autumn and spring rapeseed in winter. The longest overlapping period of flowering between winter-sown spring rapeseed and autumn-sown winter rapeseed are 18 days. Winter sowing may affect the antioxidant enzymes, malondialdehyde, osmotic regulatory substances, and endogenous hormones in the leaves of Brassica napus, ultimately influencing its growth, development and fruiting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How tissue-level information encoded by fields of regulatory gene activity is translated into the patterns of cell polarity and growth that generate the diverse shapes of different species remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate this problem in the case of leaf shape differences between Arabidopsis thaliana, which has simple leaves, and its relative Cardamine hirsuta that has complex leaves divided into leaflets. We show that patterned expression of the transcription factor CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON1 in C. hirsuta (ChCUC1) is a key determinant of leaf shape differences between the two species. Through inducible genetic perturbations, time-lapse imaging of growth, and computational modeling, we find that ChCUC1 provides instructive input into auxin-based leaf margin patterning. This input arises via transcriptional regulation of multiple auxin homeostasis components, including direct activation of WAG kinases that are known to regulate the polarity of PIN-FORMED auxin transporters. Thus, we have uncovered a mechanism that bridges biological scales by linking spatially distributed and species-specific transcription factor expression to cell-level polarity and growth, to shape diverse leaf forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of dry yeast and licorice on the growth and morphology of Stevia rebaudiana. The field experiment on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni under the wooden cover commenced in 2023 at the Department of Horticulture and Gardening Engineering, University of Tikrit, Iraq. Using three different amounts of ground licorice (0, 5, and 10 g) and three varied quantities of dry yeast (0, 2.5, and 5 g) became factors to assess the response of S. rebaudiana Bertoni to them. The highest ratios of plant height, number of leaves per plant, and leaf thickness had ratings at 55.20 cm, 729 leaves, and 0.370 mm, respectively. The results demonstrated that the treatments involving ground addition with licorice (10 g) were considerably superior. However, when adding the dry yeast to the ground up, the optimal ratios of the previously mentioned qualities rose to 87.04 cm, 737 leaves, and 0.620 mm, respectively. The results showed that the treatments significantly improved plant height, number of leaves, and a leaf’s thickness. The interaction between the dry yeast and licorice had the highest impact, resulting in a 97.50 cm plant height, 789 leaves, and 0.740 mm leaf thickness. These findings suggest that dry yeast and licorice combined can be eco-friendly fertilizers to promote Stevia growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pertinent study assessed the different photosynthetic activity parameters in spring soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes based on diverse mineral nutrition levels. The dynamics of leaf area growth, photosynthetic potential, and net crop productivity at various developmental stages reached analysis. The determined average correlation between yield and flag leaf area for three research backgrounds showed that not all wheat genotypes responded equally to the mineral fertilizer due to their varied biological characteristics and genetic backgrounds. It was also evident that enhancement in leaf area and photosynthetic parameters appeared in wheat genotypes when applied with complete fertilizer doses. For instance, the following rates emerged for the maximum flag leaf area (12 300 m2 /ha), the total leaf area (17 700 m2 /ha), photosynthetic potential (0.960 million m2 /day), and the net photosynthesis productivity (6.7 g/m2 per day), with the average grain yield on this background was 3.3 t/ha. The increase in the number of nodal roots of spring soft wheat genotypes mainly responded to the different mineral nutrition levels. In the context of a 0.5 calculated dose of mineral fertilizer, seven out of nine wheat lines had 22% more nodal roots, and the utmost calculated dose of mineral fertilizer was 24% more than the control treatment (unfertilized background), which was crucial for increasing the productivity considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of betel (Piper betle) and amla (Phyllanthus emblica) leaf extracts as feed supplement was studied on the growth and immune functions of the shrimp Penaeus monodon when exposed to a virulent strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Six experimental groups (PB-1, PB-2, PB-3 and PE-1, PE-2, PE-3) of shrimp were fed extract at varying concentrations, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2%, before being compared to a control group that did not receive any extract. After a feeding trial of 4 weeks, each group of shrimp was challenged with V. parahaemolyticus at a concentration of 106 CFU/mL and monitored for 2 weeks. The lowest concentration of P. betle extract and the moderate concentration of P. emblica extract in the diet induced a significant increase in shrimp growth performance parameters (final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate) and feed utilization efficiency (low feed conversion ratio, high protein efficiency ratio). The dietary extracts also exhibited a significant positive influence on the immunological parameters such as total haemocyte count, prophenoloxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity before and after the challenge with V. parahaemolyticus. Compared to the control group, the total Vibrio load was significantly lower in the shrimp groups fed with extracts with the highest Vibrio density found in the hepatopancreas. The cumulative mortality of shrimp fed with extracts during 14 days decreased significantly, whereas control shrimps displayed 100% mortality upon V. parahaemolyticus challenge. In summary, we propose that a diet supplemented with P. betle and P. emblica leaf extract improves the growth of shrimp, and improves their immunity as is evident from their decreased susceptibility to V. parahaemolyticus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary mulberry leaves on the growth, production performance, gut microbiota, and immunological parameters of poultry and livestock. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically analyzed to identify pertinent studies up to December 2022. The effects of mulberry leaf diet was assessed using the weighted mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval was calculated using a random-effects model. Results: In total, 18 studies that sampled 2,335 poultry and livestock were selected for analysis. Mulberry leaves improved the average daily gain and reduced the feed/meat ratio in finishing pigs, and the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in chicken. In production performance, mulberry leaves lowered the half carcass weight, slaughter rate, and loin eye area in pigs, and the slaughter rate in chickens. Regarding meat quality in pigs, mulberry leaves reduced the cooked meat percentage, shear force, crude protein, and crude ash, and increased the 24 h pH and water content. In chickens, it increased the drip loss, shear force, 45 min and 24 h pH, crude protein, and crude ash. Mulberry leaves also affect the abundances of gut microbiota, including Bacteroides, Prevotella, Megamonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Butyricicoccus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli in poultry and livestock. Mulberry leaves at different doses were associated with changes in antioxidant capacity in chickens, and immune organ indexes in pigs. With respect to egg quality, mulberry leaves at different doses improved the shell strength, yolk color, eggshell thickness, and eggshell weight. However, moderate doses diminished the egg yolk ratio and the egg yolk moisture content. Conclusion: In general, dietary mulberry leaves improved the growth, production performance, and immunological parameters in poultry and livestock, although the effects varied at different doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of sea buckthorn meal alone and in combination with bilberry leaves on growth performance, health status and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 90 healthy 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups and housed in digestibility cages under controlled environmental conditions. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (T0), a basal diet +1% sea buckthorn meal (T1) and a basal diet + 1% sea buckthorn meal and bilberry leaves (T2). The results showed that experimental diets did not influenced the growth performance. At 42 d, T2 had the highest serum iron level among the three groups. Compared to T0, T1 and T2 significantly reduced Enterobacteriaceae, E.coli and staphylococci in the cecal and intestinal contents and improved the lactobacilli populations number. The most effective way to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the cecal content was through the diet that contained sea buckthorn meal alone. In conclusion, adding sea buckthorn meal in the diet of broiler chickens can be an effective solution to promote a healthy gut microflora. This aligns with the current strategy of reducing agro-industrial food waste by repurposing it in other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea plant is an acidophilic plant, and soil pH has an important effect on the absorption and enrichment of elements, tea plant growth and quality. In this study, rhizosphere soils and leaves of tea plants from 30 tea plantations were collected to determine soil pH and multi-element content of soil and leaves of tea plants, to obtain and validate key elements that are enriched by pH affecting tea plants, and to analyze the effects of pH on the growth and quality of tea plants. The results showed that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of 15 elements by tea plants, and the enrichment coefficients of 11 elements (C, Mg, Si, N, P, Mn, Sr, Cd, S, Ca and Sb) tended to increase significantly with the increase of soil pH, while the opposite was true for the other four elements (Cu, Rb, Ba and Al). TOPSIS analysis showed that soil pH had the greatest effect on tea plant enrichment of seven elements, namely N (100%), Mn (43.32%), C (39.22%), P (27.66%), Sr (15.30%), Mg (13.41%) and Ba (10.47%). Pot experiments with tea seedlings also verified that soil pH significantly affected the enrichment of tea leaves for seven key elements. Moreover, with the increase of soil pH, the growth indexes, photosynthesis indexes and quality indexes of tea seedlings showed a significant upward trend. Interaction analysis showed that the enhanced enrichment of N, Mn, C, P, Sr and Mg by tea plants was beneficial to increase the photosynthetic capacity of tea plants, promote the growth of tea plants and improve the quality of tea leaves. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the cultivation and management of tea plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest trees adopt effective strategies to optimize nitrogen (N) use through internal N recycling. In the context of more recurrent environmental stresses due to climate change, the question remains of whether increased frequency of drought or defoliation threatens this internal N recycling strategy. We submitted 8-year-old beech trees to 2 years of either severe drought (Dro) or manual defoliation (Def) to create a state of N starvation. At the end of the second year before leaf senescence, we labeled the foliage of the Dro and Def trees, as well as that of control (Co) trees, with 15N-urea. Leaf N resorption, winter tree N storage (total N, 15N, amino acids, soluble proteins) and N remobilization in spring were evaluated for the three treatments. Defoliation and drought did not significantly impact foliar N resorption or N concentrations in organs in winter. Total N amounts in Def tree remained close to those in Co tree, but winter N was stored more in the branches than in the trunk and roots. Total N amount in Dro trees was drastically reduced (−55%), especially at the trunk level, but soluble protein concentrations increased in the trunk and fine roots compared with Co trees. During spring, 15N was mobilized from the trunk, branches and twigs of both Co and Def trees to support leaf growth. It was only provided through twig 15N remobilization in the Dro trees, thus resulting in extremely reduced Dro leaf N amounts. Our results suggest that stress-induced changes occur in N metabolism but with varying severity depending on the constraints: within-tree 15N transport and storage strategy changed in response to defoliation, whereas a soil water deficit induced a drastic reduction of the N amounts in all the tree organs. Consequently, N dysfunction could be involved in drought-induced beech tree mortality under the future climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft matter mechanics generally involve finite deformations and instabilities of structures in response to a wide range of mechanical and non-mechanical stimuli. Modeling plates and shells is generally a challenge due to their geometrically nonlinear response to loads; however, non-mechanical loads further complicate matters as it is often not clear how they modify the shell's energy functional. In this work, we demonstrate how to form a mechanical interpretation of these non-mechanical stimuli, in which the standard shell strain energy can be augmented with potentials corresponding to how a non-mechanical stimulus acts to change the shell's area and curvature via the natural stretch and curvature. As a result, the effect of non-mechanical stimuli to deform shells is transformed into effective external loadings, and this framework allows for the application of analytical and computational tools that are standard within the mechanics community. Furthermore, we generalize the effect of mass change during biological growth to account for its effect on the stress constitution. The theory is formulated based on a standard, stress-free reference configuration which is known a priori, meaning it can be physically observed, and only requires the solution of a single-field equation, the standard mechanical momentum or equilibrium equation, despite capturing the effects of non-mechanical stimuli. We validate the performance of this model by several benchmark problems, and finally, we apply it to complex examples, including the snapping of the Venus flytrap, leaf growth, and the buckling of electrically active polymer plates. Overall, we expect that mechanicians and non-mechanicians alike can use the approach presented here to quickly modify existing computational tools with effective external loadings calculated in this novel theory to study how various types of non-mechanical stimuli impact the mechanics and physics of thin shell structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Simple Summary: Lycium barbarum (Wolfberry) extract is predominantly utilized in livestock and poultry applications. However, the impact of unprocessed branches and leaves of Lycium barbarum as a roughage source on ruminant growth performance, slaughter metrics, and rumen micro-organisms remains not well understood. This investigation examines the effects of incorporating Lycium barbarum branches and leaves into the diet of Hu sheep, specifically assessing growth performance, slaughter results, and meat quality through feeding trials and slaughter tests. Additionally, this study explored the impact on rumen microflora by utilizing 16S rDNA sequencing technology. Findings indicated that diet inclusion of Lycium barbarum branches and leaves could enhance nutrient absorption, which in turn improves growth performance and certain aspects of meat quality. The Lycium barbarum branches and leaves (LBL) are known to contain a range of active substances that have positive effects on animal immunity and antioxidation. This study aimed to examine how LBL impacts the growth and slaughter performance as well as rumen fermentation and microbiota in Hu sheep. A total of 50 male Hu sheep of indigenous origin, aged 3 months, were randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 sheep each. The groups were given different levels of LBL supplementation (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%) to evaluate growth performance and nutrient apparent digestibility. Rumen fluid samples were collected for analysis of the fermentation parameters and rumen chyme was examined to study the rumen microbiota. The slaughter performance, meat quality, and organ index were evaluated at the conclusion of the experiment. The results showed that the final body weight and average daily gain of the LBL1 group were significantly higher than those of the CON group, LBL3 group, and LBL4 group (p < 0.05). The average dry matter intake of the LBL4 group was significantly lower than that of other experimental groups (p < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of CP in the LBL1 and LBL2 groups was higher than that in other experimental groups (p < 0.05). At the same time, the eye muscle area and grade-rule (GR) value of Hu sheep in the LBL1 group significantly increased and the quality of Hu sheep meat improved (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in organ weight and organ index between the experimental groups (p > 0.05). The pH of the rumen fluid in the LBL1 group was significantly lower than that in the CON group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the NH3-N content between the experimental groups (p > 0.05). The propionate and valerate in the rumen fluid of Hu sheep in the LBL2 group were significantly higher than those in other experimental groups (p < 0.05). In addition, this had no significant effect on the structure and abundance of the rumen microbiota (p > 0.05). LBL is a promising functional feed. Adding an appropriate amount of LBL to the diet can improve the feed efficiency, growth performance, and meat quality of Hu sheep but has no adverse effects on the rumen. In this experiment, the appropriate supplemental level of LBL in the diet was 3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to balance the allocation of resources between growth and reproduction as a response to stress factors, can be an advantage for plants in disturbed environments. Invasive alien plants (IAPs) often show high levels of phenotypic variability in resource allocation, a key trait that plays a crucial role in their success to invade new areas. Control management for IAPs must consider this capacity in the development of effective strategies. In this study, we performed continuous measures of leaf growth and reproductive traits of Cortaderia selloana, an IAP of global concern, and applied generalised linear models (GLMs) to evaluate trade‐offs between vegetative growth, leaf composition and reproductive success at different cutting moments. Cutting moment, but not flowering, affected the length of the vegetative growth period (VGP) and average growth rate (AGR), and the interaction with flowering affected AGR and final leaf length (vegetative growth total, VGT). Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) content and the isotopic value of δ13C were affected by cutting, and N was also affected by flowering and the interaction with cutting time. Silica also showed a negative correlation with leaf carbon (C) depicting a trade‐off between both structural components. Cortaderia selloana successfully adapted its leaf growth and composition to cutting moment, but this was also modulated by flowering. Moreover, the species is dioecious, and its response may differ between female and hermaphroditic plants. This suggests flexible trade‐offs in resource allocation, therefore the time for cutting must be precisely scheduled to suppress flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress experienced during development in organisms with bilateral structures could result in developmental instability, which is expressed as subtle non‐directional deviations from perfect symmetry, known as fluctuating asymmetry (FA). As such, FA has been proposed, and extensively used, as a trait indicating stress for many organisms with bilateral structures and many types of stress. However, while this concept may apply to animals, the evidence for plants' main vegetative structures, that is, leaves, remains equivocal, and a comprehensive synthesis on this topic is still missing.We designed observational field and controlled greenhouse studies, combining different growth and leaf forms across multiple stress gradients, comprising 21 species and 80 populations. We measured FA as the difference between the left and right area of the leaf, an approach that accommodates diverse leaf forms. We used high‐precision, blind, single‐person measurements and tested for other forms of symmetry and the effect of leaf size. We further complemented our study with a systematic literature review of FA in plant leaves, compiling 51 studies comprising 72 species, 23 stress types and 131 unique entries (species × stress type).We consistently found no effect of stress on leaf FA in any of the studied species in both our field and experimental gradients. In the systematic literature review, only 39% of the unique entries showed the expected increase in FA with stress, 53% showed no effect, 9% showed an opposite trend of a decrease in FA with stress and 1% showed a unimodal relationship. Importantly, only 40% of all entries fulfilled the crucial step of controlling for a high‐precision measurement, and of these 49% reported the expected increase in FA with stress.Both the results of our observational and experimental approaches and the systematic literature review failed to support a clear relationship between stress and FA in plant leaves. These results clearly show that FA in plant leaves cannot be used as a reliable trait indicating stress during development. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A smart agricultural system is necessary for monitoring crop growth and stress conditions using near-ground-based remote sensing techniques. Crop growth can be estimated using several standard crop growth parameters. However, obtaining timed sequential data for observing leaf area index (LAI) is challenging, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) estimation in crop fields requires the installation of sensors on frames structure that are taller than the crop. Canopy light transmittance (CLT) indicates the degree of decrease in the amount of light passing through some material. It was conventionally used to understand canopy radiative transfer. This study examined the viability of CLT as a novel crop parameter for monitoring crop growth conditions. The CLT, LAI, and NDVI of a garlic field were recorded for five years. The correlation between daily CLT and LAI was higher than that between NDVI and LAI. Thus, CLT has the potential to sequentially estimate crop LAI values, particularly for capturing the temporal patterns of LAI. In addition, like NDVI, CLT showed sensitivity in representing the canopy structure and the amount of biomass because CLT is conceptually related to the sky gap fraction. Thus, CLT has the potential to serve as a novel growth parameter for continuous crop growth monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Leaf thickness, the leaf growth in the third dimension as quantified by the distance between the adaxial and abaxial surface, is an indispensable aspect of leaf development. The fitness of a plant is strongly influenced by leaf thickness via modulation of major physiological processes, including photosynthesis and water use efficiency. The cellular basis of leaf thickness by alterations in either cell size or the number of cell layers is envisaged using Arabidopsis leaf thickness mutants, such as angustifolia (an) and rotundifolia (rot). Environmental factors coordinate with endogenous signaling mechanisms to exhibit leaf thickness plasticity. Plants growing in different ecological and environmental regimes show different leaf thickness attributes. However, genetic and molecular understandings of leaf thickness regulation remain largely limited. In this review, we highlight how cellular growth is transposed to fine‐tune the leaf thickness via the integration of potential cues and molecular players. We further discuss the physiological significance of leaf thickness plasticity to the environmental cues that might serve as ecological adaptation enabling the plants to withstand future climatic conditions. Taken together, we seek to bridge the genetics and molecular biology of leaf thickness to its physiological significance so that leaf thickness can be systemically targeted in crop improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The premixtures flufenacet plus diflufenican and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin are two herbicides recently registered in Greece for weed control in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with application early post-emergence to the crop (1st–3rd leaf growth stage). To evaluate the selectivity of these new herbicides, pot experiments were conducted by applying flufenacet plus diflufenican at 240 + 120 g ai ha−1 and flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin at 119.7 + 119.7 + 44.8 g ai ha−1 to bread wheat and barley, at 1st (BBCH-11), 2nd (BBCH-12) and 3rd (BBCH-13) leaf growth stage. The efficacy of the herbicides at the above-mentioned rates in pre-emergence application was also tested on three ALS/ACCase herbicide-resistant populations of Lolium rigidum Gaudin in comparison with the pre-emergence herbicides prosulfocarb and chlorotoluron plus diflufenican at 3200 g ai ha−1 and 1380 + 92 g ai ha−1, respectively. The results revealed decreased selectivity of both premixtures when applied at BBCH-11 for both winter cereals, with flufenacet plus diflufenican being less selective compared to flufenacet plus diflufenican plus metribuzin. Both herbicides highly controlled the three herbicide-resistant L. rigidum populations. The results indicated that both premixtures are effective chemical options for the management of herbicide resistant L. rigidum. To ensure crop safety and optimize efficacy, application at BBCH-12 is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is a crucial micronutrient needed in many metabolic processes. To balance needs and potential toxicity, plants control the amount of Fe they take up and allocate to leaves and seeds during their development. One important regulator of this process is POPEYE (PYE). PYE is a Fe deficiency-induced key bHLH transcription factor (TF) for allocation of internal Fe in plants. In the absence of PYE, there is altered Fe translocation and plants develop a leaf chlorosis. NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE4 (NAS4), FERRIC-REDUCTION OXIDASE3 (FRO3), and ZINC-INDUCED FACILITATOR1 (ZIF1) genes are expressed at higher level in pye-1 indicating that PYE represses these genes. PYE activity is controlled in a yet unknown manner. Here, we show that a small Fe deficiency-induced protein OLIVIA (OLV) can interact with PYE. OLV has a conserved C-terminal motif, that we named TGIYY. Through deletion mapping, we pinpointed that OLV TGIYY and several regions of PYE can be involved in the protein interaction. An OLV overexpressing (OX) mutant line exhibited an enhanced NAS4 gene expression. This was a mild Fe deficiency response phenotype that was related to PYE function. Leaf rosettes of olv mutants remained smaller than those of wild type, indicating that OLV promotes plant growth. Taken together, our study identified a small protein OLV as a candidate that may connect aspects of Fe homeostasis with regulation of leaf growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]