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• Foldscope is an efficient, low-cost, lightweight, and portable microscope. • Foldscope is an alternative for a conventional compound microscope for monitoring of the pollination process. • Foldscope can be used for field-level real-time in vivo monitoring of the pollination process. An efficient, low-cost, lightweight, and portable paper microscope can be used to monitor real-time in vivo pollination, which is not feasible with a conventional compound microscope. The advantages of paper microscopes (foldscopes) remain unexplored for in vivo field-oriented assessment of pollination. In this study, experiments were carried out to calibrate and validate the capability of foldscopes to investigate in vitro pollen traits and to understand the feasibility of using in real-time in vivo field-level investigations. Comparison of optical images of pollen morphological traits (color, size, and shape) of diverse plant species (including crops) captured using a foldscope and a compound microscope revealed little to no differences. In addition, foldscopes were calibrated to monitor and estimate in vitro pollen viability in wheat, sorghum, sunflower, chickpea, soybean, and periwinkle and to determine in vitro pollen germination in chickpea, maize, and periwinkle. Pollen tube growth was observed by time-lapse imaging of pollen from periwinkle. The foldscope efficiently captured genotypic variation in in vitro pollen germination of twelve chickpea genotypes under drought revealing the possibility of foldscopes as a tool for field level, real-time in vivo monitoring of pollination under drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of yield response to the N-fertilizer strategies highlights the importanceproper timing of N-fertilizer application for potatoes which will allow reduction of N-fertilizer rate without compromising tuber yield. Two potato cultivars (Vigor and Lady Claire) were used in this study and potato tubers were collected from a potato farm in Alberta, Canada. A thorough understanding of such changes is required to optimize quality and yield potential.. A study consisting of five contrasting potato cultivars was undertaken to investigate the physiological and biochemical response of potato cultivars to N rate in terms of tuber dry matter accumulation, partitioning and quality. One method for reducing N loss to the environment is growing potatoes that require less added N. Identifying Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) potato varieties and characterizing their response to N stress are necessary steps to breeding for NUE in potato. Three potato-based cropping sequences, wheat-potato-wheat, canola-potato-wheat, and fababean-potato-wheat were evaluated under irrigation at the Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre at Carberry, Manitoba, Canada. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; cotton; plant sciences category; VOSviewer; Web of Science; ; ; ; EN Bibliometric analysis cotton plant sciences category VOSviewer Web of Science ZH 7579 7593 15 11/21/22 20221220 NES 221220 Introduction Cotton ( I Gossypium spp i .) Cotton fibers are natural hollow fibers; they are soft, cool, known as breathable fibers and absorbent. VOSviewer co-occurrence Network visualization mapping of most frequent all keywords (minimum of 5 occurrences) in cotton research from Plant Sciences category during 1990 to 2021 The same data were then arranged by a period of cotton research from Plant Sciences category as overlay map (Figure 6). [Extracted from the article]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops in the world. Drought is recognized as a major challenge limiting alfalfa production and threatening food security. Although some literature reviews have been conducted in this area, bibliometric reviews based on large amounts of published data are still lacking. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis of alfalfa drought stress from 1998-2023 was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database in order to assess global trends in alfalfa drought stress research and to provide new directions for future research. The results showed that the annual publication output maintained an increase in most years, with China and the United States contributing significantly to the field. Most of the journals published are specialized journals in botany, environmental science, soil science and crop science, as well as related agribusiness journals. "plant growth" and "yield" were the most frequently used keywords, reflecting the important purpose of research in this field. And two main research directions were identified: research on drought response mechanism of alfalfa and exploration of drought-resistant technology. In addition, physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of drought tolerance and high yield in alfalfa, transgenics, and microbial fertilizer research have been hot research topics in recent years and may continue in the future. The ultimate goal of this paper is to provide a foundational reference for future research on alfalfa's drought resistance and yield optimization mechanisms, thereby enhancing the crop's application in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The use of sound wave technology on different plant species has revealed that variations in the Hz, sound pressure intensity, treatment time, and type of setup of the sound source significantly impact the plant performance. For example, a study conducted on cotton plants treated by Plant Acoustic Frequency Technology (PAFT) highlighted improvements across various growth parameters. In particular, the treated samples showed increases in the height, leaf area, and number of boll-bearing branches, as well as other plant anatomical parts. In other cases, such as in transgenic rice plants, GUS expression was upregulated or downregulated concerning the Hz employed. This paper presents a complete, rationalized and updated review of the literature on the effects of sound waves on the physiology and growth parameters of sound-treated plants. The application of sound wave technology to different plant species has revealed that variations in the Hz, sound pressure intensity, treatment duration, and type of setup of the sound source significantly impact the plant performance. A study conducted on cotton plants treated with Plant Acoustic Frequency Technology (PAFT) highlighted improvements across various growth metrics. In particular, the treated samples showed increases in the height, size of the fourth expanded leaf from the final one, count of branches carrying bolls, quantity of bolls, and weight of individual bolls. Another study showed how the impact of a 4 kHz sound stimulus positively promoted plant drought tolerance. In other cases, such as in transgenic rice plants, GUS expression was upregulated at 250 Hz but downregulated at 50 Hz. In the same way, sound frequencies have been found to enhance the osmotic potential, with the highest observed in samples treated with frequencies of 0.5 and 0.8 kHz compared to the control. Furthermore, a sound treatment with a frequency of 0.4 kHz and a sound pressure level (SPL) of 106 dB significantly increased the paddy rice germination index, as evidenced by an increase in the stem height and relative fresh weight. This paper presents a complete, rationalized and updated review of the literature on the effects of sound waves on the physiology and growth parameters of sound-treated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the journal Frontiers in Plant Science titled "The role of lipids in abiotic stress responses." It discusses the importance of lipids in plant responses to environmental stress, such as drought and high temperatures. The editorial highlights the complex relationship between lipids and stress adaptation in plants and emphasizes the need for further research in lipidomics and lipid signaling pathways. The document also mentions specific research papers included in the journal issue, which explore topics such as lipid remodeling in maize hybrids under drought, lipid modulation in peanuts under heat stress, the effect of temperature on lipid accumulation in microalgae, and the identification and expression analysis of KCS genes in soybean in response to abiotic stress. Overall, understanding the role of lipids in stress response is crucial for developing resilient and stress-tolerant crops. [Extracted from the article]

Cuphea pulchra Moric. is a species native to the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes that grows in environments with high temperatures and low rainfall and can be adapted as an ornamental plant for pots. Tests were carried out on C. pulchra seeds, as well as the cultivation of plants from both seeds and cuttings in a greenhouse. Seeds at different stages of maturity (green, almost ripe, and mature) were placed on agar and paper for germination tests. The cultivated plants were pruned as necessary. Two cutting tests were carried out according to the age of the donor plant. The flowering period was monitored. Germination was successful with the almost ripe seeds. Drastic pruning was able to produce compact plants in pots. Cutting tests had greater sprouting with younger donor plants. Cuphea pulchra stood out in terms of the length of the flowering period, which lasted up to ten months. Greenhouse cultivation produced viable plants for the ornamental plant market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensifying global warming trend, extreme heat and drought are becoming more frequent, seriously impacting potato yield and quality. To maintain sustainable potato production, it is necessary to breed new potato varieties that are adaptable to environmental changes and tolerant to adversity. Despite its importance, there is a significant gap in research focused on the potential mechanisms of potato resistance to abiotic stresses like drought and high temperatures. This article provides a comprehensive review of the recent research available in academic databases according to subject keywords about potato drought tolerance and high temperature tolerance with a view to providing an important theoretical basis for the study of potato stress mechanism and the selection and breeding of potato varieties with drought and high-temperature resistance. The suitable relative soil moisture content for potato growth and development is 55% to 85%, and the suitable temperature is 15 °C to 25 °C. The growth and development of potato plants under drought and high-temperature stress conditions are inhibited, and plant morphology is altered, which affects the process of potato stolon formation, tuberization and expansion, ultimately leading to a significant reduction in potato tuber yields and a remarkable degradation of the market grade of tubers, the specific gravity of tubers, and the processing quality of tubers. In addition, stress also adversely affects potato physiological and biochemical characteristics, such as reduction in root diameter and leaf area, decrease in net photosynthetic rate of leaves, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increase in membrane lipid peroxidation. In addition, various types of genes and transcription factors are involved in the response to drought and heat at the molecular level in potato. This paper illustrates the effects of stress on potato growth and development and the molecular mechanisms of potato response to adversity in detail, which is intended to reduce the damage caused by drought and high temperature to potato in the context of global warming and frequent occurrence of extreme weather to ensure potato yield and quality and to further safeguard food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Cannabis is a herbaceous annual plant that belongs to the Cannabaceae family, which is used in the production of fibre, paper, oil and pharmaceutical products. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify drought-tolerant ecotypes and medicinal and industrial populations. Methods: Due to the medicinal and industrial importance of cannabis, 12 cannabis ecotypes were collected from different regions of Iran. Then, their agronomic and phytochemical characteristics were evaluated under different soil moisture conditions. Key results: The soil moisture levels had significant effects (P < 0.01) on the studied traits except for the 1000 seed weight. Based on duration of the growth period, the Tabas and Dasht-e-Moghan ecotypes were identified as early and late maturing ecotypes, respectively. Also, the highest stem dry weight and stem height/diameter ratio and the lowest seed yield were related to the Dasht-e-Moghan ecotype, which is valuable for fibre production. Based on seed yield (relative reduction) and some tolerance indexes, the Tabas and Tabrize ecotypes were shown to be the most tolerant and sensitive ecotypes, respectively. As soil moisture decreased, tetrahydrocannabinol levels increased and cannabidiol levels decreased. The highest amount of tetrahydrocannabinol was related to the Qom ecotype at 50% soil moisture and the highest amount of cannabidiol was related to the Rasht ecotype at 100% soil moisture. Conclusions: Generally, these ecotypes had different responses to soil moisture. Some ecotypes were valuable in terms of the production of pharmaceutical metabolites and some in terms of fibre production. Implications: Tolerant and sensitive ecotypes might be considered in production and also breeding programs. Cannabis is a herbaceous annual plant that belongs to the Cannabaceae family, and is used in the production of fibre, paper and oil. This plant has been used for the treatment of rheumatism, epilepsy, asthma, skin burns, gastrointestinal activity, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disorders, cancer and metabolic syndrome-related disorders. Generally, our findings showed that these ecotypes had different responses to soil moisture, and some ecotypes were valuable in terms of the production of pharmaceutical metabolites and some in terms of fibre production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water stress (drought and waterlogging) leads to an imbalance in plant water distribution, disrupts cell homeostasis, and severely inhibits plant growth. Melatonin is a growth hormone that plants synthesise and has been shown to resist adversity in many plants. This review discusses the biosynthesis and metabolism of melatonin, as well as the changes in plant morphology and physiological mechanisms caused by the molecular defence process. Melatonin induces the expression of related genes in the process of plant photosynthesis under stress and protects the structural integrity of chloroplasts. Exogenous melatonin can maintain the dynamic balance of root ion exchange under waterlogging stress. Melatonin can repair mitochondria and alleviate damage caused by reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species; and has a wide range of uses in the regulation of stress-specific genes and the activation of antioxidant enzyme genes. Melatonin improves the stability of membrane lipids in plant cells and maintains osmotic balance by regulating water channels. There is crosstalk between melatonin and other hormones, which jointly improve the ability of the root system to absorb water and breathe and promote plant growth. Briefly, as a multifunctional molecule, melatonin improves the tolerance of plants under water stress and promotes plant growth and development. Melatonin, as an exogenous hormone, has been widely used in improving plant stress resistance. This paper systematically describes how melatonin improves the ability of plants to resist water stress (drought and waterlogging) in the processes of photosynthesis, antioxidation and osmosis at the physiological and genetic levels. Melatonin can also improve plant stress resistance with other hormone crosstalk, which has high application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinins (CKs) are among the hormones that regulate plants' growth and development, and the CKX and IPT genes, which are CK degradation and biosynthesis genes, respectively, play important roles in fine-tuning plants' cytokinin levels. However, the current research on the function of IPT and CKX in cucumber's growth, development, and response to abiotic stress is not specific enough, and their regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we focused on the IPT and CKX genes in cucumber, analyzed the physiological and biochemical properties of their encoded proteins, and explored their expression patterns in different tissue parts and under low light, salt stress, and drought stress. Eight CsCKX and eight CsIPT genes were identified from the cucumber genome. We constructed a phylogenetic tree from the amino acid sequences and performed prediction analyses of the cis-acting elements of the CsCKX and CsIPT promoters to determine whether CsCKXs and CsIPTs are responsive to light, abiotic stress, and different hormones. We also performed expression analysis of these genes in different tissues, and we found that CsCKXs and CsIPTs were highly expressed in roots and male flowers. Thus, they are involved in the whole growth and development process of the plant. This paper provides a reference for further research on the biological functions of CsIPT and CsCKX in regulating the growth and development of cucumber and its response to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey poplar (Populus× canescens Smith.) is a natural hybrid of white poplar (Populus alba L.) and Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula L.). It can be found throughout Europe, where both parents are present. The above mentioned species of poplars (under the term of 'domestic poplars') cover approximately 5% of the forests of Hungary. Of these species, grey poplar holds significance in forestry, and its role in afforestation shows a growing tendency. For this reason, improving the growing technology of grey poplar is a timely topic. In this paper we introduce algorithms which help estimate grey poplar tree volumes without having to use volume tables. Based on the performed evaluations, both equations can be used for single tree volume estimation with an error of less than 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heilongjiang Province is the main grain producing region in China and an important part of Northeast China Plain, which is one of the three black soil belts in the world. The cultivated region of black soil accounts for 50.6% of the black soil region in Northeast China. Due to the obvious rise of temperature and uneven distribution of precipitation in the 20th century, it has been considered to be one of the important reasons for agricultural drought and aridity. Under the background of climate change, understanding the multiyear changes and occurrence characteristics of cultivated land drought in different agricultural regions in Heilongjiang Province is of great significance for the establishment of agricultural drought prediction and early warning system in the future, guiding agricultural high-standard farmland irrigation in different regions, promoting black soil protection, and then improving grain yield. This paper calculates the temperature vegetation drought index (TVDI) based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface temperature (TS) product data of MODIS from 2000 to 2021. Taking TVDI as the drought evaluation index, this paper studies the temporal and spatial variation distribution characteristics and occurrence frequency of drought in the whole region and four agricultural regions of Heilongjiang Province: Daxing an Mountain and Xiaoxing an Mountain (region I), Sanjiang Plain (region II), Zhangguangcai Mountains (region III), and Songnen Plain (region IV). The results show that medium drought generally occurred in Heilongjiang Province from 2000 to 2021, accounting for about 70% of the total cultivated land. The drought was severe from 2000 to 2009 and weakened from 2010 to 2021. In the 110 months of the crop growing season from 2000 to 2021, about 63.84% of the region suffered more than 60 droughts. It is found that the frequency of drought varies from region to region. More than 80 droughts occurred in the west of region IV and the middle of region II. The characteristics of region IV are large sandstorm, less precipitation, and lack of water conservancy facilities, resulting in frequent and strong drought. It is also found that the occurrence frequency, degree grade and regional distribution of drought are closely related to seasonal changes. In spring, the occurrence grade and frequency of drought in region IV are the strongest and the drought phenomenon is serious. In autumn, drought is frequent and distributed in all regions, but the grade is not strong (mainly medium drought), and the drought phenomenon is medium. It is humid in summer. Crops in Heilongjiang Province are one crop per annual. Spring drought seriously restricts the water content of crops. Long-term drought will lead to poor crop development and reduce yield. Therefore, only by clarifying the characteristics of regional time drought, monitoring accurate drought events and accurately predicting the occurrence of drought, can we guide high-standard farmland precision irrigation, improve crop yield and ensure national food security. At the same time, severe drought will affect the terrestrial ecosystem, resulting in the distribution of crops and microorganisms, and the transformation between carbon sink and carbon source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of drought disasters is an important factor restricting regional agricultural and economic development. The existing literature has conducted extensive research on drought risk, drought vulnerability, and drought losses, while less research has been done on the evaluation of drought resistance. This paper establishes the evaluation index system of drought disaster defense ability from five aspects: monitoring and early warning ability, disaster information communication ability, engineering defense ability, economic defense ability, and social defense ability. For the subjective evaluation model that relies too much on expert experience and the objective weighting method that cannot overcome the limitations of random errors of samples, this study builds an evaluation model for regional drought defense capability based on the combined weighting-gray cloud method. In addition, a barrier model was used to identify key factors affecting the resilience of regional agriculture to drought. This study uses Henan Province in China as an example to verify the validity of the model. The results show that the drought disaster defense capability evaluation system established in this paper can better reflect the regional agricultural drought defense capability, and that the evaluation process is objective and scientific. The obstacle analysis shows that the cultivated land area and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are the most important obstacle factors, of which the average obstacle degree of cultivated land area is 7.428% and the average obstacle degree of per capita GDP is 7.239%. The research results can provide scientific reference for the prevention and control of agricultural drought in local government departments. The government should coordinate the distribution of agricultural water resources and increase the construction of water infrastructure according to the area of arable land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a major abiotic stress which affects plant growth and productivity. It is proven in recent years, that microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) which can symbiotically inhabit the plant system and impart tolerance against abiotic stresses. In the present study, 58 bacterial endophytes isolated from Himalayan cold deserts were screened in-vitro using Polyethylene glycol (PEG MW-8000) against drought tolerance at different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%). Out of 58 isolates, 8 isolates showed drought tolerance up to 20 per cent PEG. The drought tolerance of sensitive crops like, Rice (var. IR-64) seedlings were standardized by paper towel method using pre-germinated seeds. Further, pre-germinated seeds of rice seedings inoculated with the eight-drought tolerant endophytic bacteria were grown at 14.3 per cent PEG in paper towel method, of which one endophyte (CBE 11) significantly showed increased seedling length compared to uninoculated seeds. The endophyte was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by 16S rRNA gene sequence. It was found that this bacterial endophyte can impart drought tolerance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drumstick" tree is native to India, usually mentioned in literature as MORINGA. Moringa oleifera is one of the most useful trees and it has an enormous number of benefits. All the recent research shows its multipurpose use. That is why it is cultivated across the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Moringa has been used as a medicine since 150 B.C. by ancient kings and queens to ameliorate mental alertness and healthy skin. The Horseradish tree is one of the rich sources of vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K and it is also a good source of minerals like calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. It also contains over 40 antioxidants that are naturally synthesized. Moringa is a very important food crop due to its high nutritive value, grows very fast, and it is also drought resistance. More than 80 countries (including India) use the tree's leaves, pods, seeds, bark, and flowers for their medicinal and neutraceutical properties to prevent mineral and vitamin deficiency, maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, regulate normal blood glucose levels, support the immune system, and have anti-inflammatory properties. Further, it neutralizes free radicals, which reduces the risk of cancer. It has potent benefits in reducing malnutrition, general weakness, menopause, depression and osteoporosis. It also contains antibacterial and anti-diabetics properties. It also improves eyesight, mental alertness and bone strength. The article with this review paper was keenly reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine the adequate method for justifying the present aim of this study. This review paper will answer the following issues such as production, nutritional, functional property and utilization of moringa for human and animal consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is affecting all regions of the world with different climates, and the scale of damage is increasing due to the occurrence of various natural disasters. In particular, maize production is highly affected by abnormal climate events such as heat waves and droughts. Increasing temperatures can accelerate growth and shorten the growing season, potentially reducing productivity. Additionally, enhanced temperatures during the ripening period can accelerate the process, reducing crop yields. In addition, drought stress due to water deficit can greatly affect seedling formation, early plant growth, photosynthesis, reproductive growth, and yield, so proper water management is critical to maize growth. Maize, in particular, is tall and broad-leaved, so extreme drought stress at planting can cause leaves to curl and stunt growth. It is important to understand that severe drought can have a detrimental effect on the growth and reproduction of maize. In addition, high temperatures caused by drought stress can inhibit the induction of flowering in male flowers and cause factors that interfere with pollen development. It is therefore important to increase the productivity of all food crops, including maize, while maintaining them in the face of persistent drought caused by climate change. This requires a strategy to develop genetically modified crops and drought-tolerant maize that can effectively respond to climate change. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of climate change and drought tolerance on maize growth. We also reviewed molecular breeding techniques to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties in response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes play a significant role in the alleviation of food insecurity, maintaining soil fertility, and achieving sustainable crop production under adverse environmental conditions. The increased demand in legume production contemplates that attention on the genetic improvement of these crops through various means such as genetic engineering and mutation breeding should take a centre stage in global agriculture. Therefore, this paper provides a succinct analysis of the currently available literature on morphological and physiological traits in polyploidised leguminous plants to counter the adverse effects of drought stress. The effects of colchicine on various morphological and physiological traits of polyploidised legumes compared to their diploid counterparts were examined. Numerous reports revealed variations in these traits, such as improved root and shoot growth, plant biomass, chloroplastidic content, protein, RNA, and DNA. The differences observed were also associated with the strong relationship between plant ploidy induction and colchicine application. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that polyploidisation remains dose-dependent and may be achievable within a shorter space of time as this antimitotic chemical interferes with chromosome separations in somatic plant cells. The efficiency of this process also depends on the advancement of treatment conditions (in vitro, in vivo, or ex vitro) and the successful regeneration of polyploidised plants for adaptation under drought stress conditions. As such, the improvement in metabolite profile and other essential growth characteristics serves as a clear indication that induced polyploidy needs to be further explored to confer resilience to environmental stress and improve crop yield under drought stress conditions in leguminous plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the expression profiles of the three I TdDRF1 i gene transcripts, from durum wheat genotypes during different plant growth stages. The second group includes two other papers: one written by Arianna Latini et al. regarding functional genomics research into the expression profiles of a drought-responsive transcription factor gene I (DRF1) i of durum wheat in fields under full- and reduced-irrigation conditions. Now more than ever, the understanding of the genetics and evolution of the gene mechanisms and the networks of different molecular pathways acting on plant abiotic stress tolerance has an important role in the finding of new solutions and approaches mitigating the effects of global climate changes, thus contributing to a correct equilibrium among human needs, food security and human health and wellbeing. [Extracted from the article]

RETRACTED ARTICLE: The specific MYB binding sites bound by I Ta MYB in the GAPCp2/3 i promoters are involved in the drought stress response in wheat. 5A (WT; drought 25d and 7d after re-watering) of their I BMC Plant Biology i paper [2]. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an editorial from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences discussing recent advances in plant somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryogenesis is a process in which somatic cells undergo changes to form structures called somatic embryos, which can develop into plants. The article explores the applications of somatic embryogenesis in clonal propagation, genetic modification, and plant genome editing. It also discusses the use of somatic embryos in cryopreservation and the study of molecular mechanisms in plant development. The editorial highlights various studies on the induction of somatic embryogenesis, the role of transcription factors, the influence of auxins, and the practical applications of somatic embryogenesis in forest management and breeding programs. The authors conclude that while somatic embryogenesis is a powerful tool in plant biotechnology, further interdisciplinary research is needed to address remaining challenges. [Extracted from the article]

The fungi did not affect Si uptake, but increased soil Si led to greater plant growth and phosphorus (P) uptake. Silicon and carbon Possibly the most controversial area of plant Si research at the moment is that concerning various aspects of the way Si interacts with C in plants and soils. Silicon fertilisers As scientists have realised how significant Si is in plant nutrition the deployment of Si fertilisers has been increasing in many parts of the world and for a wide range of crops. 'A greater awareness of the importance of Si in plants, especially on the part of experimental plant biologists, is bound to have beneficial synergistic effects beyond plant biology I per se i '. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Seed orientation is widely known to affect shoot growth, but the effects on root growth and crop drought tolerance are unclear. Thus, one germination paper experiment, two soil pot experiments and one field experiment were conducted to study the effects of seed orientation (Brush-up, Brush-down, Crease-up and Crease-down) on crop root and shoot growth under two water treatment levels (full and deficit) using winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as an example. Methods: Seedling root traits, early shoot growth, mature root distribution, soil water consumption, root/shoot ratio, harvest index and grain yield were measured. Results: The results showed that under full irrigation, the control Brush-up orientation allowed for the highest grain production, mainly due to shoot growth. However, Crease-down resulted in the highest yield under limited-water supplies because root biomass was optimally related to grain yield in the pots, and a reasonably deep root system (lower root biomass and longer specific root length) benefitted yield production in the field. The higher shoot biomass, lower root/shoot ratio and higher harvest index also contributed to a higher grain yield under deficit irrigation, suggesting that sowing seeds lying flat with the crease down can optimize root and shoot growth and improve drought tolerance. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report verifying that seed orientation can significantly regulate root growth under dry conditions, providing a possible new mechanism underlying crop drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress remains one of the most detrimental environmental constraints that hampers plant growth and development resulting in reduced yield and leading to economic losses. Studies have highlighted the beneficial role of carbon-based nanomaterials (NMs) such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene, fullerene, and metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) (Ag, Au, Cu, Fe2O3, TiO2, and ZnO) in plants under unfavorable conditions such as drought. NPs help plants cope with drought by improving plant growth indices and enhancing biomass. It improves water and nutrient uptake and utilization. It helps retain water by altering the cell walls and regulating stomatal closure. The photosynthetic parameters in NP-treated plants reportedly improved with the increase in pigment content and rate of photosynthesis. Due to NP exposure, the activation of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants has reportedly improved. These antioxidants play a significant role in the defense system against stress. Studies have reported the accumulation of osmolytes and secondary metabolites. Osmolytes scavenge reactive oxygen species, which can cause oxidative stress in plants. Secondary metabolites are involved in the water retention process, thus improving plant coping strategies with stress. The deleterious effects of drought stress are alleviated by reducing malondialdehyde resulting from lipid peroxidation. Reactive oxygen species accumulation is also controlled with NP treatment. Furthermore, NPs have been reported to regulate the expression of drought-responsive genes and the biosynthesis of phytohormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin, which help plants defend against drought stress. This study reviewed 72 journal articles from 192 Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed papers. In this review, we have discussed the impact of NP treatment on morphological, physio-biochemical, and molecular responses in monocot and dicot plants under drought conditions with an emphasis on NP uptake, transportation, and localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A genome-wide analysis for two families of key transcription factors (TF; WRKY and NAC) involved in drought response revealed 46 WRKY and 66 NAC members of the Carica papaya genome. A phylogenetic analysis grouped the CpWRKY proteins into three groups (I, II a, b, c, d, e and III), while the CpNAC proteins were clustered into 15 groups. The conserved domains, chromosomal localization and promoter cis-acting elements were also analyzed. In addition, from a previous transcriptome study of two contrasting genotypes in response to 14 days of water deficit stress (WDS), we found that 29 of the 46 CpWRKYs genes and 25 of the 66 CpNACs genes were differentially expressed in response to the WDS. In the present paper, the native wild genotype (WG) (collected in its center of origin) consistently showed a higher expression (transcripts per million; TPM and fold change; FC) than the commercial genotype (CG) in almost all the members of the CpWRKY and CpNAC gene families. To corroborate this, we selected CpWRKY50 and CpNAC83.1 for further evaluation by RT-qPCR. Consistently, the WG showed higher relative expression levels (REL) after 14 days of WDS than the CG, in both the leaves and roots. The results suggest that the CpWRKY and CpNAC TF families are important for drought tolerance in this species. The results may also suggest that, during the domestication process, the ability of the native (wild) C. papaya genotypes to respond to drought (including the overexpression of the CpWRKY and CpNAC genes) was somehow reduced in the current commercial genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

35328810 9 Wani K.I., Naeem M., Castroverde C.D.M., Kalaji H.M., Albaqami M., Aftab T. Molecular mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO) signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis during abiotic stresses in plants. Given the significance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in plant fitness and performance, it is not surprising that a major goal of the plant research community is to elucidate the mechanisms by which plants regulate ROS levels, maintain the redox balance and respond to stressors. Climate insecurity and extreme weather events have stimulated efforts to enhance plant resilience and productivity in adverse environmental conditions. They expand our knowledge on components of the antioxidant defenses like peroxidases and ascorbate peroxidase [[2]], transcriptional regulators from different plants that exert roles in the responses to various stresses [[4], [6]], common and specific responses to various abiotic stress stimuli in a susceptible and tolerant plant [[7]], and even the transgenerational pervasiveness of stress memory induced by spaceflight [[8]]. [Extracted from the article]

Global agricultural demand and the impact of fluctuating climatic conditions including global warming have catastrophically limited crop productivity and immensely outstretched the market value of agricultural products leading to acute inflation. The effect of desiccation or drought stress in plants is manifested at three levels viz. morphological, biochemical, and molecular and plants possess their own molecular and signaling arsenal to combat or ameliorate various stresses. For decades, stress-tolerant cultivars have been investigated and modulation of polyamine (PA) signaling was found to play a major role in attenuating environmental stresses including drought as major abiotic stress. PA metabolism pathways with their ability to crosstalk with both primary and secondary metabolic pathways have been correlated with several other responses such as seed germination, plant growth, development, defense, hormonal regulation, stress tolerance, and crop yield. Recent transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches have expanded the knowledge on the regulation of stress-induced biochemical, molecular, and physiological alterations. To fully comprehend the intricate biochemical network of plant stress physiology, it is necessary to identify exact responses against specific stress stimuli, interpret concurrent epigenetic alterations, and use molecular switching. The present review encompasses recent updates on drought tolerance mechanisms mediated by diverse polyamines playing significant roles in metabolic regulation, oxidative stress management, and systematic stress-reversal signaling. Besides, the drought stress-reversal role of polyamines and their cross-talks with other signaling molecules have also been documented. Gene, enzyme, and transcription factor (TF) functional features were retrieved from the published papers involving transgenic or mutant plants with over-expression or loss-of-function investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low rainfall rates are becoming increasingly frequent because of climate change, causing droughts and threatening world food security. For popcorn, drought is the most limiting abiotic factor for plant's growth and development. Thus, the water deficit directly impacts for crop productivity. Based on knowledge of the genetic basis of traits involved in stages of popcorn germination and seedling development under water stress, genotypes with potential for adaptation to adverse growing conditions can be selected early. Therefore, data on genetic effects and combining ability of 10 popcorn parents were compiled to propose breeding strategies for the development of cultivars with greater adaptation to water stress in the early stages. Forty-five diallel hybrids were evaluated under two different water regimes, that is, water stress and full irrigation. This corresponded to a water retention capacity of 25% and 70% of the germination paper. The plants were watered daily as needed for seven days. A range of factors were evaluated, that is, germination traits including the germination speed index and germination on the seventh day; shoot traits including length and dry weight; and root system including length, dry weight, root-to-shoot ratio, maximum root number, root network area, specific and root network length, and root volume. Breeding for drought adaption in the early stages of popcorn development can be successful when hybrids are used, because of the genetic effects of dominance (Φs). These control the traits evaluated at the seedling stage. The combinations L61 x P2 and L71 x P3 were recommended, in view of the more successful performance estimated for traits related to the shoot and root system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate fungi (DSE) were simultaneously colonized in the root cells of maize. Single AMF and DSE symbiosis have been proven to improve the drought tolerance of maize. However, the effects of both fungi coexisting in maize roots under drought stress are not yet known. In this study, pot experiments of maize seedlings were conducted through four inoculation treatments (single AMF inoculation of Rhizophagus irregularis, single DSE inoculation of Exophiala pisciphila, co-inoculation of AMF + DSE and non-mycorrhizal inoculation) under well-watered (WW) and drought-stressed (DS) conditions. AMF and DSE colonization status, maize physiology and aquaporin gene expression in maize roots were investigated. The objective of this paper was to evaluate whether AMF and DSE had competitive, independent or synergistic effects on regulating the drought tolerance of maize. When maize seedlings of three inoculation treatments were subjected to drought stress, single AMF inoculation had the highest shoot and root dry weight, plant height, root length, osmotic root hydraulic conductivity and hydrostatic root hydraulic conductivity in maize seedlings. However, co-inoculation of AMF + DSE induced the highest stomatal conductance in maize leaves and the lowest H2O2 and O2•− concentration, membrane electrolyte leakage, intercellular CO2 concentration and gene expression level of ZmPIP1;1, ZmPIP1;2, ZmPIP2;1, ZmPIP2;5 and ZmPIP2;6. In addition, co-inoculation of AMF + DSE also obviously down-regulated the GintAQPF1 and GintAQPF2 expression in R. irregularis compared with single AMF inoculation treatment. Under DS stress, there were competitive relationships between AMF and DSE with regard to regulating mycorrhizal colonization, maize growth, root hydraulic conductivity and the gene expression of aquaporins in R. irregularis, but there were synergistic relationships with regard to regulating membrane electrolyte leakage, oxidative damage, photosynthesis and the aquaporin gene expression of maize seedlings. The obtained results improve our knowledge about how the mechanisms of AMF and DSE coexist, promoting the drought tolerance of host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Journal Ukrainian Journal of Forest & Wood Science is the property of National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wheat production and productivity are challenged by recurrent droughts associated with climate change globally. Drought and heat stress resilient cultivars can alleviate yield loss in marginal production agro-ecologies. The ability of some crop genotypes to thrive and yield in drought conditions is attributable to the inherent genetic variation and environmental adaptation, presenting opportunities to develop drought-tolerant varieties. Understanding the underlying genetic, physiological, biochemical, and environmental mechanisms and their interactions is key critical opportunity for drought tolerance improvement. Therefore, the objective of this review is to document the progress, challenges, and opportunities in breeding for drought tolerance in wheat. The paper outlines the following key aspects: (1) challenges associated with breeding for adaptation to drought-prone environments, (2) opportunities such as genetic variation in wheat for drought tolerance, selection methods, the interplay between above-ground phenotypic traits and root attributes in drought adaptation and drought-responsive attributes and (3) approaches, technologies and innovations in drought tolerance breeding. In the end, the paper summarises genetic gains and perspectives in drought tolerance breeding in wheat. The review will serve as baseline information for wheat breeders and agronomists to guide the development and deployment of drought-adapted and high-performing new-generation wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcriptome analysis revealed that I OsERF83 i regulates drought response genes, which are related to the transporter, lignin biosynthesis, terpenoid synthesis, cytochrome P450 family, and abiotic stress-related genes. This Special Issue, "Drought-Stress Induced Physiological and Molecular Changes in Plants", presents twelve excellent articles, ten research papers and two reviews, that discuss the latest findings that elucidate the molecular basis of how plants adapt to drought stress. Soil drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that inhibits the growth, development, and yield of crops all over the world. TFs play a significant role in signal transduction that spans the perception of a stress signal and the expression of stress responsive genes. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Drought and salt stresses are the two major abiotic constraints on plant growth and development, as well as crop production. Previous studies have shown that several of 11 OsOSCAs complement hyperosmolality-induced [Ca2+]cytincreases (OICIcyt), salt stress-induced [Ca2+]cyt increases (SICIcyt), and the associated growth phenotype in the Arabidopsis mutant osca1. However, their biological functions in rice are still unclear. In this paper, we found that OsOSCA1.1 mediates OICIcyt and SICIcyt in rice roots, which are associated with stomatal closure and seedling survival, in response to hyperosmolality and salt stress. The transcriptomic analysis revealed the following three types of OsOSCA1.1-regulated genes in shoots: 2416 sorbitol, 2349 NaCl, and 1844 osmotic-stress response genes. The GO enrichment analysis showed that these OsOSCA1.1-regulated genes were enriched in transcription regulation, hormone responses, and phosphorylation terms, consistent with the enrichment of cis-regulatory elements, i.e., ABRE, ARE, MYB, and MYC binding elements, in the 2000-bp promoter regions of these genes. Our results provide important clues for dissecting calcium regulated gene expression networks in response to drought and salt stresses in rice. OSCA (reduced hyperosmolality-induced [Ca2+]i increase) is a family of mechanosensitive calcium-permeable channels that play a role in osmosensing and stomatal immunity in plants. Oryza sativa has 11 OsOSCA genes; some of these were shown to complement hyperosmolality-induced [Ca2+]cyt increases (OICIcyt), salt stress-induced [Ca2+]cyt increases (SICIcyt), and the associated growth phenotype in the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant osca1. However, their biological functions in rice remain unclear. In this paper, we found that OsOSCA1.1 mediates OICIcyt and SICIcyt in rice roots, which are critical for stomatal closure, plant survival, and gene expression in shoots, in response to hyperosmolality and the salt stress treatment of roots. Compared with wild-type (Zhonghua11, ZH11) plants, OICIcyt and SICIcyt were abolished in the roots of 10-day-old ososca1.1 seedlings, in response to treatment with 250 mM of sorbitol and 100 mM of NaCl, respectively. Moreover, hyperosmolality- and salt stress-induced stomatal closure were also disrupted in a 30-day-old ososca1.1 mutant, resulting in lower stomatal resistance and survival rates than that in ZH11. However, overexpression of OsOSCA1.1 in ososca1.1 complemented stomatal movement and survival, in response to hyperosmolality and salt stress. The transcriptomic analysis further revealed the following three types of OsOSCA1.1-regulated genes in the shoots: 2416 sorbitol-responsive, 2349 NaCl-responsive and 1844 common osmotic stress-responsive genes after treated with 250 mM of sorbitol and 125 mM NaCl of in 30-day-old rice roots for 24 h. The Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that these OsOSCA1.1-regulated genes were relatively enriched in transcription regulation, hormone response, and phosphorylation terms of the biological processes category, which is consistent with the Cis-regulatory elements ABRE, ARE, MYB and MYC binding motifs that were overrepresented in 2000-bp promoter regions of these OsOSCA1.1-regulated genes. These results indicate that OsOSCA-mediated calcium signaling specifically regulates gene expression, in response to drought and salt stress in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The karst carbon sink caused by rock outcrops results in enrichment of the bicarbonate in soil, affecting the physiological process of plants in an all-round way. Water is the basis of plant growth and metabolic activities. In heterogeneous rock outcrop habitats, the impact of bicarbonate enrichment on the intracellular water metabolism of plant leaf is still unclear, which needs to be revealed. In this paper, the Lonicera japonica and Parthenocissus quinquefolia plants were selected as experimental materials, and electrophysiological indices were used to study their water holding, transfer and use efficiency under three simulated rock outcrop habitats, i.e., rock/soil ratio as 1, 1/4 and 0. By synchronously determining and analyzing the leaf water content, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, the response characteristics of water metabolism within leaf cells to the heterogeneous rock outcrop habitats were revealed. The results showed that the soil bicarbonate content in rock outcrop habitats increased with increasing rock/soil ratio. Under the treatment of a higher concentration of bicarbonate, the leaf intra- and intercellular water acquisition and transfer efficiency as well as the photosynthetic utilization capacity of P. quinquefolia decreased, the leaf water content was lower, and those plants had low bicarbonate utilization efficiency, which greatly weakened their drought resistance. However, the Lonicera japonica had a high bicarbonate use capacity when facing the enrichment of bicarbonate within cells, the above-mentioned capacity could significantly improve the water status of the leaves, and the water content and intracellular water-holding capacity of plant leaves in large rock outcrop habitats were significantly better than in non-rock outcrop habitats. In addition, the higher intracellular water-holding capacity was likely to maintain the stability of the intra- and intercellular water environment, thus ensuring the full development of its photosynthetic metabolic capacity, and the stable intracellular water-use efficiency also made itself more vigorous under karstic drought. Taken together, the results suggested that the water metabolic traits of Lonicera japonica made it more adaptable to karst environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) superfamily is a large gene family in plants that regulates organelle RNA metabolism, which is important for plant growth and development. However, a genome-wide analysis of the PPR gene family and its response to abiotic stress has not been reported for the relict woody plant Liriodendron chinense. In this paper, we identified 650 PPR genes from the L. chinense genome. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the LcPPR genes could roughly be divided into the P and PLS subfamilies. We found that 598 LcPPR genes were widely distributed across 19 chromosomes. An intraspecies synteny analysis indicated that duplicated genes from segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of the LcPPR gene family in the L. chinense genome. In addition, we verified the relative expression of Lchi03277, Lchi06624, Lchi18566, and Lchi23489 in the roots, stems, and leaves and found that all four genes had the highest expression in the leaves. By simulating a drought treatment and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, we confirmed the drought-responsive transcriptional changes in four LcPPR genes, two of which responded to drought stress independent of endogenous ABA biosynthesis. Thus, our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the L. chinense PPR gene family. It contributes to research into their roles in this valuable tree species' growth, development, and stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Pesticide Science / Nongyaoxue Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Pesticide Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the potential of nano seed priming with calcium oxide nanoparticles in maintaining the redox status in carom (Trachyspermum ammi L.) plants by modulating non-enzymatic antioxidants and enzymatic antioxidants. Calcium oxide nanoparticles were prepared in four testing regimes comprising 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm along with the control treatment of 0 ppm (distilled water). Priming was performed by soaking the carom seeds in the aerated water, and plants were grown under split plots corresponding to drought and water. Seed priming with 75 ppm CaONPs reduced hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde contents and electrolyte leakage by 23.3%, 35.9% and 31.6%, respectively, in the water-stressed carom plants. The glutathione s-transferase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase functions improved under water stress by 42.3%, 24.1% and 44.8%, respectively, in the carom plants raised through 100 ppm primed seeds with CaO_NPs. Priming induced better Ca2+ signaling, which affected the enzymes of the ascorbate glutathione cycle, enabling them to maintain redox status in the carom plants exposed to drought stress. The morpho-agronomic traits of carom plants in terms of number of umbels, hundred seeds weights, shoot and root length and biomass improved significantly upon seed priming treatments. Seed priming with CaO_NPs is a viable strategy to combat reactive oxygen species-mediated damages in the carom plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued population growth together with current climate change will threaten global food security in the near future. Wheat is a staple cereal crop for many countries, including Romania. Therefore, to obtain high yields, it is necessary to choose wheat cultivars with drought tolerance. Research has been done out during two growing seasons: 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 in the experimental field of ARDS Simnic, the purpose of this study being the evaluation of the drought tolerance of ten wheat varieties. The obtained results confirmed the strong positive relationships between the grain yields obtained both in drought (Ys) and non-stress conditions (Ys) and STI, MPI, GMP and YI indices, these selection indices expressing a high power of discrimination between varieties at a moderate level of drought stress (SI =0.53). Based on the rank sum (RS) of all selection indices, three drought tolerant varieties were identified, namely Miranda, Simnic 60 and Glosa. These varieties can be considered as the most suitable for cultivation in the study area and other areas with similar agroclimatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locally adapted landraces are the major barley varieties welcomed in the desert climate regions of Iran. These germplasms have potentials in terms of yield and drought tolerance which makes their evaluation worthwhile. To this end, fifty barley landraces along with six check varieties (Nosrat, Yoused, Nimroz, Goharan, Mehr and Khatam) were evaluated under well-watered and drought conditions during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 growing seasons. The data were analyzed by GT (genotype by trait) biplot and GYT (Genotype by yield*trait) biplot method. Additionally, drought stress tolerant and susceptibility indices, including TOL, SSI, YSI, HM, GMP, MP and STI, were calculated and utilized in the GYT biplot which denominated as GYSI (Genotype by yield*stress index) biplot in this paper. Referring to ATC view and SI ranking of GYT data, 27 genotypes under well-watered and 27 genotypes under drought stress were selected which all were above average with the positive SI values. Likewise, 25 above average drought-tolerant genotypes were identified based on GYSI methodology. Based on the results, plant height and YSI were defined as ideal trait and stress index in combination with grain yield to identify superior genotypes, respectively. Overall, our study determined 12 genotypes which meet all the criteria to achieve high yield and drought tolerance. It could be concluded that combination of GT, GYT and GYSI methodologies led us to simultaneous selection of high-yielding and drought-tolerant genotypes accurately among locally adapted barley landraces of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin is a hormone-like substance that promotes plant growth and development and alleviates stress levels. Although the physiological roles of melatonin and the underlying mechanisms have been qualitatively reviewed in plants, we do not fully understand when and how to apply melatonin to maximize its benefits. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to quantitatively evaluate the effect of melatonin on abiotic stress tolerance in plants and to determine the number of parameters modulated by melatonin. Melatonin significantly alleviated the growth inhibition induced by drought stress compared with other abiotic stresses, including salt, cold, heat, nitrogen deficit, and heavy metal toxicity, mainly owing to higher photosynthesis efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, melatonin modulated plant growth in a concentration-dependent manner and was more effective when applied to plants under moderate drought stress at an early stage via root irrigation. In addition, the impact of melatonin was greater in monocots than in dicots. Moreover, endogenous melatonin levels could be significantly increased via transgenic strategies. Among melatonin biosynthesis-related gene members, ASMT has tended to have the most influence on melatonin content in plants. In light of the rapidly developing genome editing technology, quantitatively increasing endogenous melatonin level in plant would be quite useful for moderating climatic conditions and combating desertification. Taken together, our results provide guidelines for melatonin application in crops plants for improving productivity under ongoing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rock & Mineral Analysis is the property of Editorial Board of Rock & Mineral Analysis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects of the foliar application of plant growth regulators (PGRs), salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (AA) were studied on yield and some qualitative traits of corn silage under drought stress in a field experiment conducted in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Khoy in two consecutive years. The experiment was performed in four replications as a split plot in a randomised complete blocks design. Irrigation treatment was in two levels, ir75 and ir150, and the foliar applications of SA and AA at seven levels (100, 200, and 300 ppm, as well as a control treatment). The amount of water consumed in ir75 and ir150 during 10 and 7 times irrigation was 6 000 and 4 200 m³/ha, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was increased over the plant growth period in both ir75 and ir150, but with the difference that its range was 3.72 to 12.9 nmol/g FW (fresh weight) under ir75 and 12.5–109.5 nmol/g FW under water shortage conditions. The results show that ir150 decreased plant height, forage yield, ear weight, and nitrogen uptake versus ir75. In plants treated with SA and AA, nitrogen uptake and chlorophyll content increases (45–33%) were observed compared to the control plants under ir75. In most traits, there was no significant difference between AA and SA levels, but plants treated with SA100 showed higher protein yield, dry forage yield, and ear yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic/biotic stresses pose a major threat to agriculture and food security by impacting plant growth, productivity and quality. The discovery of extensive transcription of large RNA transcripts that do not code for proteins, termed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with sizes larger than 200 nucleotides in length, provides an important new perspective on the centrality of RNA in gene regulation. In plants, lncRNAs are widespread and fulfill multiple biological functions in stress response. In this paper, the research advances on the biological function of lncRNA in plant stress response were summarized, like as Natural Antisense Transcripts (NATs), Competing Endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and Chromatin Modification etc. And in plants, lncRNAs act as a key regulatory hub of several phytohormone pathways, integrating abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonate (JA), salicylic acid (SA) and redox signaling in response to many abiotic/biotic stresses. Moreover, conserved sequence motifs and structural motifs enriched within stress-responsive lncRNAs may also be responsible for the stress-responsive functions of lncRNAs, it will provide a new focus and strategy for lncRNA research. Taken together, we highlight the unique role of lncRNAs in integrating plant response to adverse environmental conditions with different aspects of plant growth and development. We envisage that an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate plant stress response may further promote the development of unconventional approaches for breeding stress-resistant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is one of the major threats to food security in the climate change scenario. Reducing the deleterious impacts of drought stress on the productivity of cereal crops is crucial. Hence, limited information has been available about the effect of the combined use of plant growth regulators and mineral fertilisers on promoting drought tolerance in maize seedlings. In this study, a pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of sole or combined application of silicon (Si) and putrescine (Put) to mitigate the detrimental effects of drought on maize. The experimental treatments were, i.e. control (CK), water spray, 4.0 mmol Si, 0.5 mmol Put, and 4.0 mmol Si + 0.5 mmol Put on maize crop grown at two different water-holding capacity levels (80% well-water condition and 40% drought stress). The experiment was arranged in a complete randomised design with factorial arrangements having three replications. Exposure of maize plants to drought stress at the reproductive phase (VT-tasseling) reduced the photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll a + b, relative water contents, leaf area, yield and yield attributes. However, foliar application of Si and Put individually and Si + Put dramatically reduced these negative effects by improving photosynthetic pigments, relative water contents, and activities of enzymatic antioxidant defence. Drought stress-induced lipid peroxidation in the form of more production of malondialdehyde content, hydrogen peroxide and electrolyte leakage significantly declined due to the combined application of Si and Put compared to the respective control. Drought stress boosted the activities of key enzymatic antioxidants (catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase) irrespective of the treatment application. Moreover, it was noted that the accumulation of osmolytes (proline and soluble protein) contents was increased by the combined application of Si and Put. Under drought stress conditions, combined foliar application of Si and Put considerably improved 22.70% cob length, 12.77% number of grains per cob, and 18.30% 100-grain weight, which ultimately enhanced maize's 10.29% grain yield. From the current study's findings, it was concluded that a combined foliar spray of silicon and putrescine at the reproductive phase is an effective strategy to enhance the maize yield in drought-prone areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have demonstrated that brassinolide improves the drought tolerance of plants. This study aims to test whether the drought tolerance of chrysanthemums can be improved by brassinolide and to clarify the underlying physiological mechanism. An own-root chrysanthemum and a corresponding grafted-root line (Artemisia annua rootstock) were treated with brassinolide under three water levels in a randomised complete block design with five replications. The results showed that brassinolide increased the relative water content, net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters, Rubisco, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase and monodehydroascorbate reductase activities, ascorbate/dehydroascorbate, glutathione/oxidised glutathione and dry mass, and reduced the H2O2 content in the own-root and grafted-root chrysanthemums, especially under drought stresses. The magnitude of the changes to the parameters was greater in the own-root line than in the corresponding grafted-root line under brassinolide treatment. The above parameters showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the brassinolide chrysanthemums and the corresponding non-brassinolide chrysanthemums under drought stresses. This might be the physiological mechanism of improved drought tolerance by brassinolide in chrysanthemums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]