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Phenolic acids are known to reduce root biomass and hinder plant development, but it is unclear how they affect potato root traits. Over a 10 year field experiment, we found a negative correlation between the potato yield and continuous cropping years. The substantial reduction in adventitious root (AR) numbers was found to be primarily inhibited by soil vanillin accumulation. The study also found that vanillin had a more pronounced inhibitory effect on the potato yield than commonly reported ferulic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The decrease in yield was attributed to the reduction of root indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content, which impeded the formation of AR. Exogenous IAA was found to increase the root IAA content and stimulate AR formation under vanillin stress, ultimately leading to an increase in the potato yield. This study provides valuable insights into potential strategies for the degradation of autotoxic substances and breeding of potato cultivars with enhanced resistance to autotoxicity.

Abstract: The elastic properties of a thermally sprayed coating were determined by a three-point bending (3PB) test and nanoindentation, but different results were obtained by the two methods. The microstructure revealed by scanning electron microscopy shows the existence of pores which decrease the overall resistance of the coating to elastic deformation. Therefore, the overall mechanical properties determined by the 3PB test are influenced by pores. On the other hand, the mechanical properties of the materials determined by nanoindentation are rarely influenced by pores, as indentations are normally made far away from pores. As a result, the Young’s modulus determined by the 3PB test is lower than that determined by nanoindentation. Selection of the method to determine the Young’s modulus of the coating must be carried out with careful consideration.

Abstract: A novel MoB–CoCr alloy coating was deposited onto stainless steel (2Cr13) substrate using a detonation gun (D-gun) spraying technique. Microstructures of the powder and coating were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning election microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a quantitative determination of the adhesion strength of the coating was calculated by combination of modified four-point bending (4PB) test and finite element analysis (FEA) simulation. The results show that the coating mainly consists of ternary transition metal boride matrix phases (CoMo2B2, MoCoB) and binary borides (MoB and CrB). Nanocrystalline grains with a size of 50–100 nm were observed in the coating. The average energy release rate and phase angle are 191.2 J m−2 and 41.7º, respectively, which show strong bond strength compared to other reported values.

Abstract: The interfacial adhesion measurement of a ceramic coating on a metal substrate is studied by three-point bending (3PB) technique. In the measurement, interfacial cracks are induced during the 3PB test, and the interfacial energy release rate is calculated from the released energy per unit crack surface area during crack extension under the fixed displacement conditions. A finite element analysis (FEA) model encompassing the plastic behavior of the metal substrate is developed to simulate the 3PB test and extract the energy data. The inputs to the FEA model include the crack length, the maximum and critical loads corresponding to crack initiation, and the mechanical properties of the coating and substrate. A MoB/CoCr ceramic coating/stainless steel substrate system is investigated by the technique for demonstrating the utility of the technique.