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Delayed sowing of wheat is a common problem in Punjab that exacerbates serious yield loss. However, individual or combined applications of seed rate and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer significantly impacted their efficacy in improving crop growth and productivity. In this regard, the present study explored the potential of slow-release nitrogen fertilizers (control (CK), simple urea (SU), neem-coated urea (NCU), and sulfur-coated urea (SCU)) to improve the growth, yield, and physiological and biochemical attributes of delayed sown wheat with three seed rate [(100 kg ha−1 (S1), 125 kg ha−1 (S2), and 150 kg ha−1 (S3)]. The study was carried out at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in 2018–19 and 2019–20. The study findings revealed that the sulfur-coated urea performed better under S3 seed rate. Combining SCU with S3 significantly increased leaf area index by 0.99 cm2 and plant height by 8.24% compared to simple urea, maximum spikelets, and spike length by 3.9 and 3.8 cm, respectively. The SCU with S3 treatment also increased the biological yield by 43% and 41% and the grain yield by 46% in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively, compared to CK. Similarly, higher N contents in straw and grain were recorded in the interaction of SCU with S3 treatment. Likewise, the SCU with S3 treatment enhanced the physiological attributes, i.e., chlorophyll contents and transpiration rate, by 18% and 25%, respectively, and decreased internal CO2 by 25.5%, compared to CK. In conclusion, applying sulfur-coated urea with a seed rate of 150 kg ha−1 could be considered a potential strategy for improving the growth and productivity of delayed sown wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) can significantly enhance plant metabolism and improve their nutritional quality. Although several studies addressed the effect of eCO2 on plants, to our knowledge, there are no studies that have applied eCO2 to improve growth, chemical composition, and biological properties of ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) during sprouting. Herein, eCO2 (620 µmol mol−1) was employed to enhance photosynthetic reactions. Improved photosynthesis induced primary and bioactive secondary metabolism, which led to improved biological activities of T. ammi sprouts in comparison with control sprouts and seeds. eCO2-treated sprouts showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of most measured nutritional primary and secondary metabolites like soluble sugars, essential amino acids, organic acids, essential oils, phenolics, and flavonoids than control sprouts, which had significantly higher values than control seeds. eCO2 significantly improved the antimicrobial properties of T. ammi sprouts against 11 out of 13 microbial species than control sprouts, which had more potent antimicrobial activities than seeds. The significant increase in the antioxidant potential of treated sprouts was indicated by improved levels of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). In addition, the anticancer activity against four different human tumor cell lines was significantly (p < 0.05) boosted by both sprouting and eCO2 exposure. Thus, the present study confirms the synergistic effect of sprouting with eCO2 exposure as promising approaches to produce ajwain sprouts with rich nutraceuticals, effective phytochemicals, and enhanced biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity has greatly increased the need for research into alternative irrigation methods. Irrigation with treated wastewater (TW) is considered an important alternative in terms of reducing our dependence upon groundwater and freshwater. In this study, we examined the effects of irrigation with TW on the nutrient contents of two alfalfa cultivars and compared them with the nutrient contents of plants irrigated with well water (WW). The two cultivars (Alhassawy—a local cultivar and CUV101) were cultivated from 2013 to 2015 and sampled twice. For both cultivars and in both sampling periods, irrigation with TW significantly affected the macronutrient and micronutrient contents of alfalfa tissues. Plants irrigated with TW had higher K and Ca contents, but lower N, P, and Mg contents. No significant variation in S content was noted between plants irrigated with WW and TW. Furthermore, cultivar and cutting time had significant effects on nutrient contents, and these variables interacted with the effect of the water type used for irrigation. However, before TW can be regularly used in irrigation processes, further long-term studies are needed that consider the variations in water treatment efficiency and differences between cultivated sites in addition to the crop being irrigated with TW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]