Search

Drought is one of the most important environmental problems we are currently facing, so we must work on using some techniques to mitigate the harmful effects of drought on plants. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of foliar spraying with ascorbic acid on some characteristics of safflower plants under drought stress in Burj Islam village - Latakia, Syria 2024 according to the randomized complete design (R.C.D) with three replications. The treatments consisted of three levels of polyethylene glycol PEG (15, 30 and 45%) and three concentrations of ascorbic acid (50, 150 and 200 mg.l-1). Traits such as plant height, number of branches, (chlorophyll, proline and MDA) content in safflower leaves and seeds number were measured. The results of the study showed that the studied traits decreased significantly under the influence of drought stress except proline and MDA content in leaves. The lowest value for plant height (5 cm), number of branches (51 branch/plant) and seeds number (246 seed/plant) was at P3 45%. Meanwhile, ascorbic acid spraying increased the plant height of safflower plants, especially at 150 mg.l-1 concentrations AS2. The ascorbic acid and PEG treatment significantly increased the plant height (14 cm), number of branches (95 branch/plant) and seeds number (642 seed/plant) at AS2P1 treatment. Hence, a 150 mg.l-1 concentration of foliar ascorbic acid could be used in drought stress for better growth of safflower plants.

Micronutrient elements play a key role in the formation of chlorophyll and function of photosynthesis, respiration, enzyme system and physiological processes of the plant and their deficiency has destructive effects on the growth, production and yield of the plant. This research was conducted in a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications on mung bean plant in the Research Farm of Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran, in 2019-2020 growing season. Two cultivars of Gohar and Partu and foliar spraying of zinc chelate, iron chelate, zinc nano-fertilizer, iron nano-fertilizer, and control (spraying solution with water) were tested. The maximum leaf area index (3.12), maximum growth rate (16.2 g m-2 day-1), and leaf area duration (157 day) were achieved by Gohar cultivar in the presence of foliar application of zinc nano fertilizer. Zinc nano-fertilizer had the greatest effect on the pods/plant (21.7), grains/pod (8.08), and grains/plant (164) of Gohar cultivar, which increased by 62, 22 and 62, 77.6 percent respectively, compared to the control. The highest biological yield (8599 kg ha-1) was obtained with Gohar cultivar when receiving foliar application of iron nanofertilizer and zinc nanofertilizer. The highest grain yield (2657kg ha-1) was obtained with Gohar cultivar subjected to nano-zinc foliar spraying, which was not significantly different from Parto cultivar in foliar spraying with zinc nano-fertilizer and caused 38% and 35% increases in grain yield of the two cultivars compared to the control, respectively. The highest harvest index was also obtained with Gohar cultivar supplemented by foliar spraying of zinc nano fertilizer, which increased the harvest index by 24% compared to the control. Foliar spraying of iron and zinc fertilizers caused significant increases in growth, biological yield and grain yield, as well as the content of these elements in the grain of both cultivars. The effect of zinc and iron nanofertilizers on the studied traits was more pronounced in Gohar variety than in Parto variety.

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) are among the most significant pests of canola, causing damage during the early growth stages, particularly in the seedling or cotyledon stage. Chemical control, including seed disinfection and foliar spray, is considered one of the primary strategies for managing this pest. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of seed disinfection with imidacloprid (Gaucho(R)) on different canola cultivars and foliar spray with imidacloprid (Confidor(R)) and cypermethrin for controlling flea beetles. The experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement as a randomized complete block design in a canola field in Behshahr, Mazandaran province. The treatments included seed disinfection with Gaoucho(R) at a rate of 14 g/kg of seeds for the cultivars Hyola 50, Delgan, and RGS, and the infection coefficient was determined for each treatment. The Henderson-Tilton equation was used to calculate the percentage of insecticide efficiency for imidacloprid and cypermethrin. The results showed that the highest efficiency, with an infection coefficient close to 10%, was observed in the seed-disinfected Delgan cultivar, followed by Hyola cultivars (13.21%) after one week. The evaluation of insecticide efficiency also revealed that cypermethrin had the highest efficiency at approximately 90% after seven and three days of spraying, while the lowest efficiency was observed for Confidor(R) at around 60% three days after spraying. Comparison of the infection coefficients of the sprayed treatments with seed disinfected Hyola cultivars after four weeks indicated that foliar spray with cypermethrin exhibited the best efficiency with an infection coefficient of 15.18%. Based on the results of this study, the Delgan cultivar with seed disinfection and cypermethrin as the most effective insecticide is recommended for controlling flea beetles in canola.

Dry-hot wind stress causes losses in wheat productivity in major growing regions worldwide, especially winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China, and both the occurrence and severity of such events are likely to increase with global climate change. To investigate the recovery of physiological functions and yield formation using a new non-commercial chemical regulator (NCR) following dry-hot wind stress, we conducted a three-year field experiment (2018–2021) with sprayed treatments of tap water (control), monopotassium phosphate (CKP), NCR at both the jointing and flowering stages (CFS), and NCR only at the jointing stage (FSJ) or flowering stage (FSF). The leaf physiology, biomass accumulation and translocation, grain-filling process, and yield components in winter wheat were assessed. Among the single spraying treatments, the FSJ treatment was beneficial for the accumulation of dry matter before anthesis, as well as larger increases in the maximum grain-filling rate and mean grain-filling rate. The FSF treatment performed better in maintaining a high relative chlorophyll content as indicated by the SPAD value, and a low rate of excised leaf water loss in flag leaves, promoting dry matter accumulation and the contribution to grain after anthesis, prolonging the duration of grain filling, and causing the period until the maximum grain-filling rate reached earlier. The CFS treatment was better than any other treatments in relieving the effects of dry-hot wind. The exogenous NCR treatments significantly increased grain yields by 12.45–18.20% in 2018–2019, 8.89–13.82% in 2019–2020, and 8.10–9.00% in 2020–2021. The conventional measure of the CKP treatment only increased grain yield by 6.69% in 2020–2021. The CFS treatment had the greatest mitigating effect on yield loss under dry-hot wind stress, followed by the FSF and FSJ treatments, and the CKP treatment only had a minimal effect. In summary, the CFS treatment could be used as the main chemical control measure for wheat stress resistance and yield stability in areas with a high incidence of dry-hot wind. This treatment can effectively regulate green retention and the water status of leaves, promote dry matter accumulation and efficient translocation, improve the grain-filling process, and ultimately reduce yield losses.

Zinc deficiency is one of the most widespread nutritional problems, affecting nearly one-third of the world population. In addition, it is known that zinc deficiency not only reduces crop yield but also its quality. The effect of different methods of zinc application on the growth, yield, and quality of safflower seeds under regular irrigation and interruption of irrigation from flowering to harvest (82 and 80 DAS in the first and second years, respectively) was evaluated. Zinc sulfate was applied in both soil and foliar methods. The zinc sulfate treatments include no zinc sulfate, soil application of 20, 40, and 60 kg ha−1 at the planting stage; spraying 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g L−1 in the rosette stage; and spraying 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g L−1 in the flowering stage. The end-season drought caused a decrease in the chlorophyll index, leaf area index, relative water content, plant height, yield components, biological yield, seed yield, harvest index, seed oil content, oil harvest index, and seed element content compared to regular irrigation. The decrease in yield occurred with a decrease in the capitol number and diameter, seed number per capitol, and 1000-seed weight. The severity of the damage of the end-season drought stress in the second year was higher than in the first year due to the higher temperatures and the decrease in the rainfall. In both years, the application of zinc sulfate in different ways had an increasing effect on the studied traits in both normal and stress conditions. The application of zinc sulfate reduced the negative effects of unfavorable environmental conditions and improved the yield and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron element content in the seed. In both application methods of zinc sulfate, the increment in the zinc sulfate concentration decreased the seed phosphorus content. However, the phosphorous content was more than that of the treatment of non-zinc application. The application of zinc increased the biological, seed, and oil yield of the treated plants, but the seed and oil yield were more affected. This effect was shown in the seed and oil harvest index increment. Under regular irrigation, higher concentrations of zinc sulfate enhanced plant performance, but under stress conditions, medium and lower concentrations were more effective. The highest 1000-seed weight and potassium and zinc content were obtained by spraying zinc sulfate at 5 g L−1 in the flowering stage under normal irrigation conditions. A comparison of the two methods of applying zinc sulfate showed that foliar spraying was more effective than soil application in improving the seed yield. The soil application is more effective on biological yield than seed yield.

The cultivation of medicinal plants plays a crucial role in promoting human health benefits. However, the production of these plants can be affected by drought conditions. This research aimed to investigate the impact of differing water status (non-drought and drought during the flowering to harvest stage) and various iron treatments on the performance of black cumin. The iron treatments included no iron as the control (nFe), no iron with seed hydro-priming (nFe + P), seed iron priming (pFe), seed iron priming with iron foliar spraying (pFe + sFe), and double iron foliar spraying (sFe + sFe). The purpose of these treatments was to assess the effect of iron application methods on plant response under different water conditions. The findings revealed that drought significantly reduced the levels of Chla (15%) and RWC (5.9%), plant height (7%), follicle number (16.7%), seed number (4.6%), 1000-seed weight (3.2%), and seed yield (30.1%). Additionally, drought increased the proline content (90.9%), electrolyte leakage (9.2%), and MDA levels (23.9%). Interestingly, applying iron amendments reduced electrolyte leakage and increased seed yield under both water conditions. The drought-induced increase in proline content was more pronounced in the nFe treatment than in the other treatments. The amount of MDA in the nFe and nFe + P treatments was significantly higher under drought conditions compared to non-drought conditions. In conclusion, the addition of iron amendments helps black cumin plants recover from the effects of drought and reduces damage to seed growth. This means that using both seed iron priming and iron foliar spraying can significantly improve yields. Alternatively, focusing on either seed iron priming or double iron foliar spraying can also boost black cumin production compared to not using iron amendments.

Abstract The search for an effective zinc fertilizer and its application method to effectively increase zinc content and enhance aroma in rice grains is a crucial objective. In this study, a 2-year field plot experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of ZnO NPs foliar spraying on rice quality, grain zinc and aroma content, along with exploring the physiological mechanisms underlying these effects. Our results demonstrated that the rice breakdown value and taste value of foliar spraying zinc oxide nanoparticles were improved by 31.0–41.7% and 8.2–13.0% compared with CK (control treatment involved spraying water), improving the tasting and steaming quality of rice. While Fe and Cu content in grains decreased for the application of zinc oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles foliar spraying significantly increased the zinc content and accumulation of grains by 33.6–65.1% and 37.8–74.7%, respectively. Further analysis showed that the sprayed zinc oxide nanoparticles achieved effective enrichment of zinc in edible parts and increased the final bioavailability of Zn. In addition, foliar spraying of zinc oxide nanoparticles significantly increased activities of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase in leaves, which elevated nitrogen content in leaves and grains, and ultimately enhanced 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) content in grains at maturity by 6.1–21.4% compared to CK. Our findings indicated that zinc oxide nanoparticles can be practically applied as a foliar fertilizer at the gestation for quality improvement, zinc enrichment and aroma enhancement of rice grains.

Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria (PPFM) isolated from cotton leaves was identified based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics as Methylobacterium rodiotolerance. Two field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of PPFM, methanol (10 and 30%) and a combination of bacteria and methanol on the growth, fruit quality, and yield of two strawberry cultivars (Florida and Festival). The main differences between the two cultivars are greater foliage fresh weight and early yield in cv. Florida while Festival cv. had a higher total yield per plant and greater anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents. The greatest vegetative growth, dry matter percentage, potassium content, and carbohydrate content besides the earliest yield per plant were observed following spraying with PPFM or PPFM mixed with 10% methanol. Spraying with PPFM resulted in the highest total yield per plant, highest yield per feddan, and fruit quality. Spraying cv. Florida with PPFM resulted in the best early yield while spraying cv. Festival with PPFM resulted in the highest total yield and fruit quality. Spraying with PPFM appears to be the most efficient treatment for enhancing the total yield of Festival cv. by an average of 23.02 and 24.06 tons per feddan in the first and second seasons, respectively.

Abstract Background Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated medicinal plants, as well as it is rich with medicinal antioxidant components. The effect of foliar spraying with molybdenum, cysteine on growth, quality and productivity of fenugreek was evaluated in a conducted greenhouse experiment during 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 growing seasons. Results Results showed that there were different effects of molybdenum, cysteine and their interaction on morphological characters, photosynthetic pigments, seed yield and yield components and some chemical components of fenugreek plants. However, there was a variety of polypeptide bands with different molecular weights ranging from 18.94 to 250 kDa and was detected with polymorphic ratio 61.91%. Moreover, multiple bands varied in their molecular weight were detected in all tested plants using ISSR primers. The polymorphic percentage reached 70.00, 73.33, 76.19, 72.22, 77.77 and 70.59% in all tested plants with primer IS-01, Is-02, IS-03, IS-04, Is-05 and IS-06, respectively. Conclusions It was cleared that foliar spraying with molybdenum, cysteine and their interaction enhanced and improved growth, quality and productive characters of fenugreek. Moreover, there were molecular changes in fenugreek under study and generated bands using the six ISSR primers.

Nanoparticles, due to their extensive production and application, can have significant consequences for the environment, including soil and plant pollution. Therefore, it is very important to assess how nanoparticles will affect plants depending on the exposure pathways. The effect of gold nanoparticles in a concentration range of 1–100 mg/L on Mentha spicata L. during a 28-day experiment was investigated. Two routes of nanoparticles exposure were applied: root and foliar. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize nanoparticles and their effect on plant leaves’ ultrastructure. Gold content in soil and plant segments was determined using k0-neutron activation analysis. For root exposure, gold was mainly accumulated in soil (15.2–1769 mg/kg) followed by root systems (2.99–454 mg/kg). The maximum accumulation of gold in leaves (5.49 mg/kg) was attained at a nanoparticle concentration of 100 mg/L. Foliar exposure resulted in the maximum uptake of gold in leaves (552 mg/kg) and stems (18.4 mg/kg) at the highest applied nanoparticle concentration. The effect of nanoparticles on the Mentha spicata L. leaves’ biochemical composition was assessed. Nanoparticles affected the content of chlorophyll and carotenoids and led to an increase in antioxidant activity. Root exposure to gold nanoparticles resulted in an increase in the number of starch grains in chloroplasts and also suppressed the activity of the soil microbiota. Gold extraction from mint leaves into herbal infusion varied from 2 to 90% depending on the concentration of nanoparticles in the solution and the exposure route. The health risk as a result of gold exposure via herbal tea intake was assessed through estimated daily intake. The hazard quotient values were found to be less than the cutoff, indicating that a cup of tea infusion should not cause a serious impact to human health.

Exogenous addition of IAA has the potential to improve the metal tolerance and phytostabilization of plants, but these effects have not been systematically investigated in naturally tolerant plants. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a typical indigenous plant in the Lanping Pb/Zn mining area with high adaptability. This study investigated the phytostabilization ability and Pb tolerance mechanism of ryegrass in response to Pb, with or without foliar spraying of 0.1 mmol L−1 IAA. The results indicated that appropriate IAA treatment could be used to enhance the phytostabilization efficiency of naturally tolerant plants. Foliar spraying of IAA increased the aboveground and belowground biomass of ryegrass and improved root Pb phytostabilization. Compared to Pb-treated plants without exogenous IAA addition, Pb concentration in the shoots of ryegrass significantly decreased, then increased in the roots after the foliar spraying of IAA. In the 1,000 mg kg−1 Pb-treated plants, Pb concentration in the shoots decreased by 69.9% and increased by 79.1% in the roots after IAA treatment. IAA improved plant growth, especially in soils with higher Pb concentration. Foliar spraying of IAA increased shoot biomass by 35.9% and root biomass by 109.4% in 1,000 mg kg−1 Pb-treated plants, and increased shoot biomass by 196.5% and root biomass by 71.5% in 2,000 mg kg−1 Pb-treated plants. In addition, Pb stress significantly decreased the content of photosynthetic pigments and anti-oxidase activities in ryegrass, while foliar spraying of IAA remedied these negative impacts. In summary, foliar spraying of IAA could increase the biomass and improve the Pb tolerance of ryegrass.

The tea plant accumulates elevated levels of fluoride (F) from environmental sources. Drinking tea containing high F levels poses a potential threat to human health. Selenium (Se) was applied by foliar spray to investigate its effects on F accumulation and physiology in tea plant. Foliar application of different forms of Se, i.e., Na2SeO3, Kappa-selenocarrageenan, Selenomethionine and Nanoselenium, reduced F content in tea leaves by 10.17 %−44.28 %, 16.12 %−35.41 %, 22.19 %−45.99 % and 22.24 %−43.82 %, respectively. Foliar spraying Se could increase F accumulation in pectin through increasing pectin content and pectin demethylesterification to bind more F in the cell wall, which decreased the proportion of water-soluble fluoride in tea leaves. Application of Se significantly decreased the contents of chromium (39.6 %−72.0 %), cadmium (48.3 %−84.4 %), lead (2.2 %−44.4 %) and copper (14.1 %−44.6 %) in tea leaves. Foliar spraying various forms of Se dramatically increased the Se content and was efficiently transformed into organic Se accounting for more than 80 % in tea leaves. All Se compounds increased peroxidase activity by 3.3 %−35.5 % and catalase activity by 2.6 %−99.4 %, reduced malondialdehyde content by 5.6 %−37.1 %, and increased the contents of chlorophyll by 0.65 %−31.8 %, carotenoids by 0.24 %−27.1 %, total catechins by 1.6 %−21.0 %, EGCG by 4.4 %−17.6 % and caffeine by 9.1 %−28.6 %. These results indicated that Se application could be served as a potential efficient and safe strategy diminishing the concentration of F in tea leaves.

Rice is a popular food in Africa, but current yield achieved is far lower than the yield potential due to abiotic/biotic stresses. We recently demonstrated that commercially formulated products of Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma asperellum strains increased rice yield when applied as transplant dipping or post-transplanting foliar sprays in Tanzania (Africa). Further experiments were conducted to investigate: (1) synergies in alternate use of B. subtilis and T. asperellum products as dipping or foliar spray in Tanzania, and (2) effects of coating seeds with Serratia nematodiphila in Kenya (Africa). In Tanzania, using formulated B. subtilis and T. asperellum products led to > 100% increase in yield. Furthermore, alternative use of B. subtilis and T. asperellum as transplant dipping or post-transplanting foliar spray led to further yield increase (ca. 32%) over the use of single-organism products at both times. Microbial treatments led to significant reductions in rice blast. In comparison with the fungicide treatment, increased yield with using microbial products appeared to have resulted mostly from improved plant development rather than reduced rice blast per se. At the Kenyan site where current yield is relatively high, the overall yield increase associated with microbial products was limited although statistically significant. Coating seeds with one specific S. nematodiphila strain led to grain yield comparable to applying microbial products as transplant dipping and post-transplanting foliar spray. The present study suggests that the formulated microbial products can significantly improve rice productivity in subsistence farming and should be applied in alternation over time to exploit their synergies.

Introduction Nowadays, the application of chemical compounds is limited due to their harmful effects on human and the environment health. The benefits of seaweeds as sources of organic matter and fertilizer nutrients have been known to agriculture for centuries, especially in coastal areas extracts of these seaweeds have been used for decades as foliar- and soil-applied treatments in crop production systems due to the presence of a number of plant growth-stimulating compounds. Unlike chemical fertilizers, extracts derived from seaweeds are biodegradable, non-toxic and non-hazardous to humans, animals and birds. Therefore, it is required to find a safe compound that is utilized in the postharvest technology of fruit and vegetables. Pre-harvest application of nutrient solutions such as seaweed increases the quality and quantity of crop and also enhance their storage life and marketability. Various researchers reported that aqueous extracts of seaweed increased the yield and quality of tangerine and orange, strawberry, grape, apple, and watermelon fruit. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of pre-harvest foliar application of Seaweed extract on quality and quantity values, antioxidant properties, and storage life of kiwifruits.Material and Methods This experiment was carried out on 10-year-old kiwifruit vines, in a commercial orchard located in Gilan Province. Vines were selected with uniform size in terms of growth, yield and fruit load, then sprayed with seaweed extract at four levels of 0, 1, 2 and 3 g.l-1 as a foliar spray and control vines only received water. Foliar spraying was performed in three stages, (110, 125 and 140 days after full bloom stage) and Tween 20 was used as a surfactant. This experiment was designed as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The fruits were harvested in November with soluble solids content (TSS) of 6.5-6.2% and then transferred to the post-harvest physiology laboratory of the University of Zanjan. The treated fruits were stored for 90 days at 1 ° C with 90% RH. Sampling was done at harvest time and after 30, 60 and 90 days of storage and some quantity and quality traits such as weight loss, tissue firmness, TSS, ascorbic acid, total phenol and flavonoids, antioxidant capacity and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzymes were evaluated.Results and Discussion The ANOVA results showed that seaweed extract, storage time, and interaction of seaweed extract × storage time had a significant effect (p≤0.01) on evaluated traits. All treatments maintained the antioxidant capacity, total phenol and flavonoids content and PAL activity at a higher level compared with control. The amount of fruit tissue firmness, TA and ascorbic acid decreased by increasing the storage time, and at the third month of storage, the lowest amount was observed in the control fruit. Also, comparing the interaction of the mean of treatments and storage time showed that pH, weight loss, TA, TSS, antioxidant capacity, total phenol, flavonoids and PAL enzyme activity increased by increasing the storage time. At the end of the storage time, the highest level of TSS, weight loss and pH were observed in the control fruit. The lowest antioxidant capacity (48.14 %) was observed in the control treatment at harvest time and the highest antioxidant capacity was observed in 3 levels of brown algae extract treatment at the end of storage period. Comparison of means showed that at the first 30 days of storage, the highest PAL enzyme activity was observed in the treatment of 3 g / l of brown algae. PAL enzyme activity significantly increased after the experiment. At the end of storage period, the lowest PAL enzyme activity was observed in control fruit. Treatment of 3 g / l brown algae had higher PAL activity. PAL, as a key enzyme in phenylpropanoid metabolism, catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, which is the first step in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids and leads to the production of secondary metabolites such as lignin, phytolaxoids, and flavonoids. The direct and positive relationship of this enzyme with the synthesis of phenols and flavonoids has been discovered in the fruits of blood orange, strawberry and blueberry. The results of the comparison of the mean showed that the total phenol and flavonoids increased by increasing the storage time. The lowest phenol (23 mg GAE.100 g-1 FW) was observed in control fruit at harvest and the highest (8.88 mg GAE.100 g-1 FW) content of total phenol was observed in 3 levels of brown algae extract at the third month of storage. Plants release phenolic compounds in response to some messenger compounds that play an important defense role. Studies show that there is a positive relationship between total phenol content and their antioxidant activity. Flavonoids are also polyphenolic compounds and are the most important secondary compounds of plants. Under oxidative stress, in plants, the activity of propanoid pathway increases, especially the pathway of flavonoids biosynthesis. Flavonoid compounds are abundant in plants and show antioxidant activity. Seaweed extract enhances the antioxidant capacity of the fruit and thereby inhibits oxygen-free radicals Treatment of 3 g/l seaweed extract had the best effect among the treatments applied in maintaining firmness, fruit weight loss, TA, antioxidant capacity, total phenol and flavonoids and PAL enzyme activity. All three levels of seaweed extract increased the amount of total phenol, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity all over the storage time, but no significant difference was observed among the treatments levels. Based on the results, the application of 3 g/l seaweed extract effectively increased the antioxidant capacity and PAL enzyme activity during 90 days of storage time. As a result, seaweed extract treatment had positive effects on maintaining the quality and increasing the shelf life of kiwifruit during 90 days of storage.ConclusionSeaweed extract is one of the natural compounds and compatible with human health and nature has medicinal and nutritional value that can increase the shelf life and maintain fruit quality in the postharvest period. In summary, foliar application of seaweed extract has a significant effect on fruit firmness, total soluble solids, total acid, vitamin C, phenol and total flavonoids, total antioxidant activity and the enzyme phenylalanine ammonialyase. The appropriate treatment for kiwifruit cultivar ‘Hayward’ is introduced. Among the applied treatments, 3 g/l of seaweed extract had the best effect on firmness (40.40%), fruit weight loss percentage (41.87%), titratable acid (25.37%), vitamin C (33.26%), antioxidant capacity (26.70%), total phenol (81.17%), total flavonoids (103.67%) and PAL enzyme activity (153.75%) compared to the control in 90 days of storage.

The experiment was carried out in one of the private orchards in the Saqlawiya sub-district of Fallujah district for the spring season 2021 to study the effect of foliar spraying with potassium silicate and Agri-fertilizer under the trade name IQ COMBI, which contains some microelements on some vegetative and chemical growth characteristics of the Apple cv. Ibrahimi. The spraying with potassium silicate included four levels (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5 ml. L-1) represents the first factor is symbolized by (S0, S1, S2 and S3) sequentially, while spraying with Agri-fertilizer IQ COMBI, represent the second factor included three levels its symbol is (Q0, Q1 and Q2) sequentially. The results can be summarized as follows: The foliar spraying with potassium silicate had a significant effect in improving the vegetative and chemical growth characteristics, as the level S2 gave the highest area per leaf of 32.13 cm2, while the level S3 gave the highest content of chlorophyll in leaves of 64.61 mg.100gm-1 fresh weight and highest content of carbohydrate in the branches was 9.73% compared to the level S0. The foliar spraying with Agri-fertilizer IQ COMBI had a significant effect on improving the vegetative growth and chemical characteristics, as Q2 gave the highest increase in the most studied traits. The interaction between the two factors of the study had a significant effect on all studied traits.

In this study, the effects of the soil application and foliar spraying with magnesium fertilizers on rice yield and quality in Liaoning Province were investigated. Field experiments were conducted at Kaiyuan, Xinmin, and Dawa in 2022 and 2023. Magnesium fertilizers were used in the soil as magnesium sulfate monohydrate and silicon–magnesium fertilizer and on leaves was magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. The results showed that the application of 12 kg magnesium hm−2 in the soil at the Kaiyuan site can significantly increase rice yield by 14.8% compared with sites without magnesium fertilizer. The use of silicon–magnesium fertilizer showed a more obvious yield increase of 22.2%. The application of 3 kg magnesium hm−2 or 6 kg magnesium hm−2 on the leaf surface increased the rice yield at Kaiyuan by 19.4% and 21.6% and at Xinmin by 17.8% and 5.4%, respectively. The yield increase was more significant under the optimal fertilization treatment compared with the conventional fertilization treatment. The application of magnesium fertilizer increased the magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents in rice shoots and the potassium and crude protein contents in rice grains. The effect of foliar spraying with magnesium fertilizers was more obvious than soil application. Therefore, the magnesium fertilizer used on the leaf surface plays an important role in improving rice yield and quality in rice-growing areas with relatively rich soil magnesium content. Magnesium fertilizer can compensate for the yield decrease caused by the reduced use of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers by promoting nitrogen and phosphorus absorption in rice. Conclusively, the application of magnesium fertilizer is a promising measure to improve rice production in Liaoning province under a reduced nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer background.

The present experiment addressed the effects of foliar sprays of different iron (Fe) concentrations (mg L−1), i.e., 2.8 (Fe I), 4.2 (Fe II), and 5.6 (Fe III), as well as an ionic derivative of salicylic acid (iSal) in two doses (10 and 20 mg L−1) on lettuce yield, chlorophyll and carotenoids content, and fluorescence parameters. Chemicals were used individually and in combinations two times, 23 and 30 days after the plants were transplanted. This experiment was carried out in a climate chamber. The Fe and iSal applications generally (except Fe I iSal, 10 mg L−1; Fe I iSal, 20 mg L−1; and Fe III iSal, 20 mg L−1) did not influence the fresh and dry matter content. The concentration of chlorophylls and carotenoids was reduced for all treatments in comparison to the control (without spraying). The Fe content in leaves was promoted in the Fe-treated plants (+70% for Fe III + iSal, 10 mg L−1, and Fe I). The iSal treatment promoted the Mn content. For most combinations, the Zn and Cu accumulations, as well as the fluorescence parameters, decreased after the foliar spray applications. Overall, our study revealed the effectiveness of Fe-DTPA chelate, but not iSal, in increasing the Fe content of lettuce grown in soilless cultivation systems.

This research evaluated the effect of foliar spraying of different elicitors on modulating the effect of water stress on the stevia. The experimental design was the split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with three repetitions. Experimental treatments included different irrigation regimes (90% FC, 65% FC, and 40% FC) and foliar application of different elicitors (control, chitosan, salicylic acid, and melatonin). In this study, the content of chlorophyll A and b was reduced by intensifying the water deficit stress. Also, the highest content of the two pigments was allocated to the treatment of melatonin application. In the present study, melatonin foliar application under 90% FC irrigation conditions had the highest plant height, leaf area index, biomass, and carotenoid content, Moreover, the highest content of proline, phenol, DPPH, rebaudioside A, and steviosid was assigned to melatonin foliar application treatment under 40% FC irrigation conditions. Results revealed, although water stress reduced plant height, leaf area index, and plant biomass, the application of melatonin and salicylic acid under different irrigation conditions moderated the effect of water stress on these traits. Application of melatonin and salicylic acid under water deficit stress conditions also increased the content of proline, phenol, DPPH, rebaudioside, and steviosid.

IntroductionBasil (Ocimum basilicum) is an herbaceous medicinal plant from the Lamiaceae family with a wide range of applications in the culinary, cosmetic, food, perfumery, and medical industries. The presence of more than 200 chemicals, including flavonoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, and aromatic compounds in basil oil, have been identified. The main components of its oil are eugenol, methyl eugenol, linalool, estragole, and anethole, varying by chemotype. Basil is one of the most important medicinal plants in Iran, which is widely used in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, sanitary, and food industries, and it is considered an anti-fluff and appetizer in traditional medicine. Therefore, to maximize yield and increase the length of the basil production period, the appropriate management of this product is necessary. Among these, the use of suitable nutritional elements is one of the useful ways to improve the performance of this plant. The centers of origin of basil are the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and South America. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of vermicompost and copper sulfate and their interaction on vegetative, reproductive growth, and yield of basil's medicinal plant.Materials and MethodsTo investigate the effect of vermicompost and copper sulfate on some vegetative and reproductive characteristics of the basil plant, an experiment was carried out as factorial based on a randomized completely block design with three replications in the research farm of Birjand University, Iran, during the growing season 2017-2018. Treatments were three levels of vermicompost (0, 5, and 10 t.ha-1) and three levels of copper sulfate (0, 3, and 6 per thousand) with three replications. The measured indices include vegetative characteristics (plant height, lateral number, plant fresh and dry weight, leaf fresh and dry weight, number of leaves and node per plant, lateral branch length internally spaced, and diameter stem) and reproductive characteristics (inflorescence number and length, number of plant seeds, the weight of one thousand seeds, harvest index, grain performance, and biological function).Results and DiscussionThe results showed that the studied treatments had a significant effect on the number of lateral branches, plant dry weight, number of leaves per plant, lateral branch length, number of seeds, 1000-seed weight, harvest index, grain yield, and biological yield so that the highest number of lateral branches (17.33), Plant dry weight (14.83 g.m-2), Number of leaves per plant (167), Lateral branch length (26.83 cm), Number of seeds (3854.3), 1000-seed weight (1.80 g), Seed yield (3350 kg.m-2) and biological yield (20968.3 kg.m-2) basil was obtained in the treatment of 5 t.h-1 of vermicompost and 6 per thousand of copper sulfate and its advantage over the control was 67, 51, 16, 43, 79, 26, 87 and 26%, respectively. Harvest index in the treatment of 5 t.h-1 of vermicompost and 3 per thousand of copper sulfate with 13.01 in its maximum amount.ConclusionIn general, the results indicated a positive and incremental effect of the combined application of the chemical and organic fertilizers on the yield of the basil plant, and according to the results, treatment with 6 per thousand copper sulfate and five t.ha-1 vermicompost was recommended as the best treatment for increasing yield. But always in agricultural products, especially in the production of basil as a medicinal and vegetable plant, the best results in terms of crop production and health, as well as essential oils and medicinal compounds, were related to the combined treatments of organic and chemical fertilizers, because these treatments are relative compared to organic treatments alone, they increased the yield and on the other hand, compared to chemical fertilizers, they had a healthier product and more medicinal compounds.Acknowledgments: Authors are grateful to Ebrahim Ebrahimabadi for their help with the field experiments.

Sulfate is taken up from the soil solution by the root system; and inside the plant, it is assimilated to hydrogen sulfide, which in turn is converted to cysteine. Sulfate is also taken up by the leaves, when foliage is sprayed with solutions containing sulfate fertilizers. Moreover, several other sulfur (S)-containing compounds are provided through foliar application, including the S metabolites hydrogen sulfide, glutathione, cysteine, methionine, S-methylmethionine, and lipoic acid. However, S compounds that are not metabolites, such as thiourea and lignosulfonates, along with dimethyl sulfoxide and S-containing adjuvants, are provided by foliar application—these are the S-containing agrochemicals. In this review, we elaborate on the fate of these compounds after spraying foliage and on the rationale and the efficiency of such foliar applications. The foliar application of S-compounds in various combinations is an emerging area of agricultural usefulness. In the agricultural practice, the S-containing compounds are not applied alone in spray solutions and the need for proper combinations is of prime importance.

Zinc deficiency in rice can lead to reduced nutritional value and taste. This study investigates the potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a foliar fertilizer during the jointing stage to improve rice yield, quality, and grain zinc enrichment. Over a two-year field experiment (2019–2020), six doses of ZnO NPs (ranging from 0 to 12 kg hm−2) were applied during the jointing stage (46 days after transplanting). The results revealed that foliar spraying of ZnO NPs increased the number of spikelets per spike and the thousand-grain weight by 7.4% to 9.2% and 4.2% to 7.1%, respectively, resulting in a substantial increase in rice yield. Furthermore, it led to a reduction in chalky white and chalky whiteness by 6.23% to 23.6% and 2.2% to 27.9%. ZnO NPs effectively boosted zinc content in rice grains while decreasing the phytic acid to zinc ratio, indicating improved zinc enrichment. Remarkably, protein and amylose content remained unaffected. These findings underscore the potential of ZnO NPs as a foliar fertilizer to enhance rice production, quality, and zinc enrichment. Further research can explore optimal application strategies and long-term effects for sustainable rice production.

A pot experiment was consummated on Rhaphiolepis umbellata seedlings grown under seran greenhouse at Al-Zohriya Garden, Hort. Res. Inst., ARC, Giza, Egypt during the two consecutive seasons 2017 and 2018, to study effects of five foliar spray treatments of a mixture containing three growth regulators (PGR), at the same concentration for each, on plant growth and chemical composition. The three-tested PGR were NAA, GA3 and BA, while the five concentrations for each were 0 (control treatment), 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm. Obtained results indicated that, generally, all recorded vegetative and root growth traits; i.e., plant height, stem diameter, numbers of branches and number of leaves/plant, leaf area, root length and number of roots/plant increased significantly under the effect of all tested PGR treatments, compared to the control plants. The highest increases in this regard were recorded in plants sprayed with PGR at 200 ppm, while the least values were found in the untreated control plants, followed by plants sprayed with the highest PGR concentration of 400 ppm for the two seasons. The same trend was noticed in respect of leaf chemical constituents, as plants that recorded the highest vegetative and root growth (treated 200 ppm PGR) also contained the highest values of total chlorophyll and carotenoids (mg/g f.w.) as well as percentages oftotal carbohydrate, N, P and K in leaf tissues. Accordingly, it could be recommended to apply the mixture of these three growth regulators 200 ppm on seedlings of Rhaphiolepis umbellata, two times monthly during the growing season to get the best plant growth and quality.

To study the synergistic effects of water management and silicon (Si) foliar spraying on the uptake and transport of cadmium (Cd) in rice, we designed four treatments: conventional intermittent flooding + no Si foliar spraying (CK), continuous flooding throughout the growth stage + no Si foliar spraying (W), conventional intermittent flooding + Si foliar spraying (Si) and continuous flooding throughout the growth stage + Si foliar spraying (WSi). The results show that WSi treatment reduced the uptake and translocation of Cd by rice and significantly reduced the brown rice Cd content, with no effect on rice yield. Compared with CK, the Si treatment increased the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of rice by 6.5–9.4%, 10.0–16.6% and 2.1–16.8%, respectively. The W treatment decreased these parameters by 20.5–27.9%, 8.6–26.8% and 13.3–23.3%, respectively, and the WSi treatment decreased them by 13.1–21.2%, 3.7–22.3% and 2.2–13.7%, respectively. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity decreased by 6.7–20.6% and 6.5–9.5%, respectively, following the W treatment. Following the Si treatment, SOD and POD activity increased by 10.2–41.1% and 9.3–25.1%, respectively, and following the WSi treatment, they increased by 6.5–18.1% and 2.6–22.4%, respectively. Si foliar spraying ameliorated the detrimental effects of continuous flooding throughout the growth stage on photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity. We conclude that synergistic continuous flooding throughout the growth stage, combined with Si foliar spraying, can significantly block Cd uptake and translocation and is therefore an effective means of reducing the accumulation of Cd in brown rice.

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, but its production is usually limited by boron (B) deficiency, which can be mitigated by applying B via foliar spraying. In plants with nutrient mobility, the residual effect of foliar fertilization increases, which might improve its efficiency. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the concentration and mobility of the B isotopic tracer (10B) in different organs of cowpea plants, after the application of this micronutrient in the growing media and also to leaves. Treatments were designed based on B fertilization as follows: without B in the growth media, with 10B applied via foliar spraying (10B-L), with B in the growth media (substrate) and 10B via foliar spraying (10B-L + B-S), and with 10B in the growth media (substrate) without foliar spraying (10B-S), and a control without fertilization. A redistribution of 10B was observed in new leaves when the element was supplied via foliar spraying, resulting in greater leaf area, dry mass and dry matter production of aerial parts, and also the whole plant. 10Boron was redistributed when applied via foliar spraying in cowpea plants, regardless of the plant's nutritional status, which in turn might increase internal B cycling.

Pistachio is an important economic crop in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. A major problem leading to a reduction in crop quality and reduced marketability is extreme air temperature in summer, which causes sunburn of pistachio leaves and fruit. A solution proposed to deal with the negative effects of high temperatures and increase water consumption efficiency in pistachio orchards is use of light-reflecting compounds. This study investigated the effect of foliar application of gypsum, sulfur, and NAX-95 (calcium-based suspension coating) to trees in a pistachio orchard (150 ha) in central Iran. The effect of these foliar products is assessed at plot scale, using control plots sprayed with calcium sulfate, based on temperature and evapotranspiration changes analyzed through remote sensing. Landsat 8 sensor images and RGB images collected by UAVs (spatial resolution of 30 m and 20 cm, respectively), on the same dates, before and after foliar spray application, were merged using the PCA method and bilinear interpolation re-sampling. Land surface temperature (LST) was then estimated using the split-window algorithm, and daily evapotranspiration using the surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL) algorithm. A land use map was prepared and used to isolate pistachio trees in the field and assess weed cover, whose effect was not accounted. The results showed that temperature remained constant in the control plot between the spraying dates, indicating no environmental changes. In the main plots, gypsum had the greatest effect in reducing the temperature of pistachio trees. The plots with foliar spraying with gypsum displayed a mean tree temperature (47–48 °C) decrease of 3.3 °C in comparison with the control plots (>49 °C), leading to an average decline in evapotranspiration of 0.18 mm/day. NAX-95 and sulfur reduced tree temperature by on average 1.3 °C and 0.6 °C, respectively. Thus, gypsum is the most suitable foliar-spraying compound to lower the temperature of pistachio trees, reduce the water requirement, and increase crop productivity.

Eggplant is one of the most popular and vital vegetable crops in the world. Various plant bio-regulators have been used in different crops to increase uptake of nutrients thereby leading to improvement in growth, flowering, fruit quality, storability and yield. The scope of this study was to evaluate the effects of calcium lactate and salicylic acid foliar application on growth parameters, physiological characteristics and shelf-life of eggplant fruit. Obtained results showed that the highest applied concentrations of calcium lactate (4 mM or 0.8 g l-1) and salicylic acid (1.5 mM or 0.2 g l-1) foliar application led to the highest values of measured growth parameters and yield. Applying of calcium lactate and salicylic acid foliar treatments could increase tissue firmness and ascorbic acid content of fruits. Foliar application of calcium lactate 4 mM (0.8 g l-1) and salicylic acid 1 mM (0.13 g l-1) was the best treatment to decrease percentage of fruit decay. In conclusion, our results showed that foliar application of calcium lactate and salicylic acid can be useful and inexpensive treatment to improve growth parameters, physiological characteristics and post-harvest properties of eggplant fruit

At appropriate concentrations, selenium (Se) is beneficial for humans. Tomato appears to be one of the best commodities for producing Se-biofortified fruit for dietary supplementation. To assess the efficacy of different enrichment protocols, a total of four on-plant and off-plant trials were conducted. Hydroponically grown tomato plants were sprayed with: (i) chemically synthesized Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) at 0, 1, and 1.5 mg Se L−1 at blooming; (ii) sodium selenate (Na2SeO4) or SeNPs solution at 0, 5, and 10 mg Se L−1 when the fruit entered the immature green stage. With regard to the off-plant trials, harvested mature green fruit were immersed in Na2SeO4 solution: (iii) at 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg Se L−1 for 15 s under a vacuum; (iv) at 0, 40, and 80 mg Se L−1 for 1 h. Spraying Na2SeO4 induced higher Se accumulation in plant tissue than SeNPs: both protocols were effective in enriching tomatoes. Postharvest Se enrichment via vacuum infiltration caused textural damage, whereas passive immersion in solution induced fruit Se accumulation without causing any damage. SeNPs appear to be quantitatively less effective than Na2SeO4, but might be environmentally safer. Elemental Se carried by NPs may be more easily incorporated into organic forms, which are more bioavailable for humans. Passive immersion may represent an alternative Se-enrichment strategy, allowing for the biofortification of harvested tomato fruit directly, with lower risks of environmental pollution.

Cyanobacteria can play an important role in sustainable agriculture by improving crop growth and production, as well as environmental quality. The current study was conducted to evaluate the role of Spirulina platensis extract in the improvement of growth, photosynthetic capacity and yield of Lupinus luteus. Different concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0%) of S. platensis methanolic extract were used for priming seeds and foliar spraying applications. Growth, photosynthetic pigment content and activity were recorded at 35 days of cultivation. The yield measurements and protein profile of seeds were performed at 60 days. For both treatments, the lower concentration (0.25%) of the extract was the most successful in improving all growth metrics and the phytohormonal level of L. luteus. Photosynthetic pigment and capacity, nutrient content and yield components of L. luteus were improved with the extract of 0.25% concentration. However, the growth was significantly inhibited at the higher concentration (1.0%), recording lower values of the measured characters than the control. A positive correlation was observed between the total chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, yield parameters and carbohydrate accumulation by the application of the S. platensis extracts. The protein profile of seeds revealed that spraying treatment triggered the appearance of a new band of 30.56 KDa. The promotion of growth could be attributed to the nutrients, bioactive molecules and phytohormones in the extract. The use of Spirulina-based stimulators is reliable with the concept of sustainable agriculture by enhancing photosynthetic pigment content and rate ensuring the correlation between the yield and those measured parameters of L. luteus.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an increasingly popular food in Africa. As much as 30% of yields are lost due to blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. Several commercial biopesticides of Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma asperellum, and Serratia sp. strains were evaluated under field conditions for their effects against rice blast and yield at one site in Kenya and three sites in Tanzania in 2020 and 2021. Each biopesticide was applied as a dipping treatment at transplanting, post-transplanting foliar spraying, or both. Using biopesticides not only achieved blast control but also increased grain yield, particularly in low-production regions in Tanzania, with a yield increase of >100%. For higher-production sites with low disease pressure, the yield increase through biopesticides over the untreated control was limited, although significant disease suppression was achieved. Dipping alone was sufficient to suppress disease and improve yield unless disease pressure was high. The differences among the three biopesticides varied with site/year but generally were small. Improved yield using biopesticides is unlikely to result solely from reduced blast development, but also from improved plant development. The present study suggests that these commercial biopesticides should be applied in rice production, particularly in subsistence farming.

Limited water stress is one of the most important environmental stresses that affect the growth, quantity and quality of agronomic crops. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of foliar applied salicylic acid (SA) on physiological responses, antioxidant enzymes and qualitative traits of Cucurbita pepo L. Plants exposed to water-stressed conditions in two years of field studies. Irrigation regimes at three soil matric potential levels (−0.3, −1.2 and −1.8 MPa) and SA at four levels (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/L) were considered as main plot and sub-plots, respectively. The soil matric potential values (MPa) was measured just before irrigation. Results showed that under water stressed conditions alone, the amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ion leakage were higher compared with control treatment. However, spraying of SA under both water stress and non-stress conditions reduced the values of the above parameters. Water stress increased CAT, APX and GR enzymes activity. However foliar application of SA led to the decrease of CAT, APX and GR under all soil matric potential levels. The amount of carbohydrates and fatty acids increased with the intensity of water stress and SA modulated this response. By increasing SA concentration both in optimum and stress conditions, saturated fatty acids content decreased. According to our data, the SA application is an effective approach to improve pumpkin growth under water stress conditions.

Endophytic Trichoderma inoculated into roots have been known to colonize above ground tissues of cacao. In this study, we evaluated Trichoderma asperellum spread and impact on endophytic fungi occurring naturally in leaf, stem and root tissues after application through foliar spraying, stem infusion, and soil drenching into cacao seedling of two, four, and five months old respectively. This fungus was isolated from all plant tissues, although by stem infusion was not detected in leaf tissues, and regulated different co-occurring fungal endophytes influenced by seedling age. Dominant endophytes detected were Fusarium 1 and 3 in seedlings used for foliar spraying, morphospecies 1 and 3, and Lasiodiplodia 1 in seedlings used for stem infusion, and Lasiodiplodia 2, 3 and 4, and Paecilomyces in seedlings used for soil drenching. In general, these dominant fungi were more numerous in tissues of the control than in those inoculated with T. asperellum over three weeks post inoculation, but instead four weeks post inoculation. The pattern changed in tissues following soil drenching where higher colonization of dominant fungi in treated seedlings began earlier. These data showed that T. asperellum can deploy systemically, through the application of foliar spraying, infusion, and soil drenching, to almost all parts of the cacao plant even in the presence of endogenous fungal endophytes and the last fungi their self can reach high colonization in the presence of T. Asperellum. Therefore, this presence together of introduced and co-occurrence of endophyte fungi could potentially be used to develop a method for suppressing cacao pathogens.

Available information associated with Calotropis procera posted its phytotoxic effect as bio-herbicide scarce works studied its stimulatory/nutritive effect. A pot experiment was performed to assess the validity of using Calotropis procera (C. procera) leaves extract as a bio-stimulant for the growth and quality of a medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) evaluated by some physio-biochemical indices. Different types of C. procera leaves extracts (CLEs) (methanolic, cold water and autoclaved water extracts) were delivered by two different modes of application. The results revealed that application of CLEs as irrigation or foliar spraying caused a stimulation effect on C. roseus plant. Root and shoot length, dry and fresh weight were significantly improved due to CLEs applications. C. roseus bioactive molecules such as anthocyanins, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione and α-tocopherol were abundance increased significantly with CLEs applications. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreased explaining the involvement of CLEs in induction of antioxidant enzymes catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase for modifying cell oxidative status witnessed by lower lipid peroxidation that kept below the untreated plants’ baseline reflected the improvement of growth and quality rather than phytotoxic effect. The promotion of wholesome-promoting secondary metabolites by CLEs was closely correlated to elevated phenylalanineammonialyase activity. The comparable efficient effect induced by all treatments might be judged by the relation between C. procera phytochemicals and C. roseus metabolism (donor-receiver relation). It is concluded that application of CLEs can be a promising approach for improving the yield and quality of plants despite using polluting fertilizers. The current investigation may provide a matrix for coming studies to seek illustration of numerous plants’ response to C. procera extracts.

Because of waterlogged conditions in rice cultivation, much of the surface-broadcasted urea dissolves in paddy water and is unreachable to the rice crop for this reason. A field experiment was conducted to estimate the influence of urea fertilisation on yield and yield components of hybrid rice ‘Bahar 1’. Three doses (N0, N10, N20 kg N ha-1) of nitrogen from urea sources were foliar-sprayed once at active tillering and booting stages. Grain yield, the number of panicles per unit area, and the number of grains per panicle in the tillering stage of rice were significantly (p < 0.01) increased in a linear fashion when N rates increased from 0 to 20 kg ha-1. The rate of panicle fertility was negatively/positively influenced with increasing N rates in the tillering and booting stages, respectively, indicating the creation of more number of non/partial productive tillers per hill in the vegetative stage than in the reproductive stage. In line with panicle fertility (%), the grain yield was also significantly affected by N treatments with urea fertilisation in the booting stage. Maximum grain yield was obtained with the application of 20 kg N ha-1 at both the tillering and booting stages. Foliar spraying of urea at tillering (20 kg N ha-1) and booting (10 kg N ha-1) stages had a pronounced effect on achieving higher yields as compared to other combinations. The study suggests that foliar application of urea for hybrid rice cultivation might have a potential role in improving nitrogen use efficiency.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate nitrogen management alternatives using Azospirillum brasilense inoculation in wheat (Triticum aestivum) by seed and foliar applications. Treatments consisted of the inoculation or not of A. brasilense, via seed and leaves, associated with topdressing with 0, 70, and 140 kg ha-1 nitrogen. Three wheat cultivars were tested: BRS Parrudo, TBIO Quartzo, and TBIO Sinuelo. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with three replicates. The following traits were evaluated: number of emerged plants, tillers, spikelets per ear, grains per ear, and grains per spikelet; 1,000-grain mass; hectoliter mass; and grain yield. The foliar management of A. brasilense showed a better association with the TBIO Sinuelo cultivar. The foliar application of A. brasilense, whether alone or combined with seed treatment, increases the grain yield and yield components of the evaluated cultivars.

In the present study, the effect of foliar application of micronutrient fertilizers on okra plants was examined. Four okra cultivars (‘Boyiatiou’, ‘Veloudo’, ‘Clemson’ and ‘Pylaias’) were sprayed weekly throughout the duration of the cultivation with two commercial micronutrient fertilizers (F1 and F2) [e.g. M1= control (0 ml); M2= 40 ml (20 ml of each fertilizer); M3 = 80 ml (40 ml of each fertilizer). From the results of the present study, it was observed that plant height of ‘Boyiatiou’ and ‘Pylaias’ was increased by application of M2 whereas plant height of ‘Clemson’ and ‘Veloudo’ was either unaffected or reduced. Flower induction increased at both micronutrient levels (M2 and M3) only in ‘Pylaias’. Pod set was higher in treatment M3 in ‘Veloudo’ and ‘Pylaias’ and resulted in higher seed yield. Pod length and diameter were not affected by micronutrient application, as well as 100-seed mean weight and moisture content; however the number of seeds per pod in ‘Pylaias’ was significantly lower in M2 and M3 than in M1, whereas the percent seed germination of all cultivars was higher following micronutrient application. Germination differed between the control and the micronutrient treatments at all times of harvest and plant parts. In conclusion, the main value of foliar application of micronutrients was to increase germination percentage and reduce hardseedness, especially for cv. ‘Veloudo’, since the occurrence of hard seeds in susceptible cultivars reduces germination, and therefore seed quality. In some cultivars (‘Pylaias’ and ‘Veloudo’ here) micronutrients may also increase seed yield by increasing pod set.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is the most expensive spice and 95% of its global production is in Iran. In order to study the effects of cow manure and foliar spraying on criteria of daughter corms and flower yield in six year-old saffron, an experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during two growing seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Treatments were Yaramilla complex (A), Humestar (B), True fertilizer (C), Delfard (D), manure fertilizer as composted cow manure (E), A+E, B+E, C+E, D+E and control. Twenty t.ha-1 of cow manure were applied at the end of fall on the soil surface. Foliar nutrient treatments were sprayed at three times during vegetative stage of saffron (7 mg.kg-1). The results showed that the effects of cow manure and foliar spraying were significant on dry weight of tunic, dry weight of leaf, dry weight of corm, leaf length, leaf appearance rate, flower emergence rate, flower number, fresh weight of flower and dry weight of stigma for saffron (p≤0.01). The highest leaf appearance rate and flower emergence rate were observed in C+E with 7.34 leaves per day and 11.7 flowers per day, respectively. The maximum fresh weight of flower and stigma dry weight were obtained in C+E with 69.77 and 0.66 g.m-2, respectively. These lowest amounts were obtained in control with 27.30 and 0.26 g.m-2, respectively. The application of cow manure resulted in enhanced growth and yield of corm and flower. Also, foliar spraying improved flowering rate, flower yield and stigma yield of saffron due to increasing in production assimilates and their translocation to corm and below ground organs.

Three cytokinin derivatives (CKd) designated as RR-G, RR-O, and RR-V applied by foliar spraying at tillering, and one compound previously described as a cytokinin antagonist (CKa) designated as RR-P applied as a seed coating were tested in winter wheat and spring barley in field trial experiments. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the compounds that were tested on the number of productive tillers, grain yield, and endogenous CK content. With the exception of the compound RR-V, the measured parameters clearly showed the stimulatory effects of CKd on tillering and grain yield in spring barley and winter wheat. The RR-V showed a stimulatory effect on the number of productive tillers and yield in spring barley, but not in winter wheat. Although in winter wheat CKa stimulated both the number of productive tillers and the grain yield, there was an inhibitory effect in terms of the number of productive tillers observed in spring barley. The results of the endogenous cytokinin analysis suggested, among others, the importance of the role of isopentenyl-adenine types of cytokinins in the tillering of spring barley. In conclusion, the cytokinin derivative compounds with an agonistic or antagonistic role showed strong potential for application in the future development of plant growth regulators.

The inoculation methods, the fungal strains, and several other factors are known to influent the success of fungal entomopathogens colonization in plants. The physiological status of the plant could also be another determinant. In the present study, the ability of three strains of Beauveria bassiana and one strain of Metarhizium anisopliae to successfully colonize Citrus limon plants and the influence of seedling age on endophytic colonization success was examined. Three, 4, and 6 months old seedlings were inoculated with 10 mL of 1 × 108 conidial·mL−1 suspensions of each of the four fungal strains via foliar spraying. All fungal strains successfully colonized citrus seedlings and were sustained up to 2 months in colonized plants irrespective of the seedling age, with differences in the mean percentage colonization recorded at various post-inoculation periods among the fungal strains. The highest percent endophytic fungi recovery rate was recorded in the 3 months old seedlings, where fungal mycelia of inoculated fungi were successfully re-isolated from 65.6% of the untreated newly developed leaf and stem tissues. One strain of B. bassiana, BB Fafu-12, significantly improved seedling height and leaf number. The study demonstrates the influence of seedling age on B. bassiana and M. anisopliae successful colonization in the citrus plant.

Safflower is one of important crop in semi-arid regions of the world, where the precipitations are limited. In order to investigate the effect of foliar spray of nano-silicon dioxide (10 and 20 mM) and nano titanium dioxide (25 and 50 mM) and water-deficit stress (irrigation after 110 mm evaporation) on growth parameters and yield components of spring safflower a field experiment was carried out at the highland semi-arid region, in, North West of Iran. Water deficit stress significantly reduced morpho-physiological traits such as ground cover, canopy width, leaf fresh mass, leaf are and plant height) as well as yield components (e.g. capitulum diameter, seed mass and seed number per capitulum). However, the plants grown under water deficit condition showed the higher harvest index than well irrigated plants. Comparison of the foliar treatments showed that the both nano-particles (silicon and titanium) improved the plant growth and yield components over the control. However, the effect of nano-silicon was more prominent than titanium. The highest amount of seed oil was recorded under well irrigated condition (irrigation after 60 mm evaporation) with foliar application of nano-titanium. The percentage of palmitic acid, arachidic acid and myristic acid in seed increased by nano-titanium application. Altogether, principal component analysis indicated that spray of 10 mM nano silicon dioxide was best foliar treatments under all moisture regimes.

Trichoderma asperellum, composted plant residues, and its combination can control vascular-streak dieback (VSD) disease caused by fungus Ceratobasidium theobromae in laboratory conditions. In this trial, we evaluated these treatments in two years through the application of foliar spraying and stem infusion for T. asperellum alone, through soil amendment for compost alone, and T. asperellum plus this organic fertilizer in the field on susceptible cacao clone. The disease is characterized by full-leaf chlorosis and necrosis that can develop rapidly to the entire branch, with around 70% incidence in seven months, and we detected the pathogen in branches showing light symptoms. All treatments except for T. asperellum plus composted plant residues three and seven months post application did not have any impact on the reduction of VSD incidence in the first year. In the second year, we observed a significant reduction of the disease by both T. asperellum in combination with compost and compost alone in a time span of three to seven months, and with T. asperellum spraying and infusion in a time span of five to seven months. By comparing to the control, the efficacy of these treatments in controlling the VSD disease seven months post-first application in the last year was 44.4%, 23.5%, 23.1%, and 15.1%, respectively. Detection of trees inoculated with T. asperellum indicated that this fungus was present in root and branch tissues except for treatment through infusions, while in the uninoculated trees, Trichoderma was not present or was present at a very low level. These data showed that combination of T. asperellum and composted plant residues applied through soil amendment was able to control VSD disease effectively and could potentially be used at large scale to control this disease and other diseases infesting aerial parts of cacao, and to improve soil fertility.

Foliar spraying was found to be an effective method to rapidly increase boron levels in most vegetative and reproductive tissues in grapevines. The reduction of fruit-set deficiency symptoms with a pre-bloom or bloom spray was immediate but not complete. Foliar sprays applied during the previous fall were more effective in reducing such symptoms than pre-bloom or bloom sprays. This may be due to the earlier incorporation of boron in reproductive tissues, especially dormant buds. Grapevine foliage is also more tolerant to boron postharvest in the fall, when 1 pound per acre of actual boron can be safely applied. Spring and summer sprays of boron should be limited to 1/2 pound per acre per application to avoid phytotoxicity.