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

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

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

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

Productivity in strawberry is dependent on carbon assimilation in the leaves. The main scenarios for climate change include an increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and an increase in temperature. This review examined the relationship between leaf growth and temperature in strawberry. Leaf growth follows a linear, sigmoid or Gaussian pattern over the season or is variable depending on the weather. There was a linear increase in leaf growth with temperatures below 26°C, and a linear decrease in growth with temperatures above 26°C. In other studies, the mean lower optimum for 90% of maximum growth was 18.3° ± 3.9°C, the median was 19.6°C, and the range was from 7.2° to 22.0°C (N = 11). The mean higher optimum was 27.3° ± 3.6°C, the median was 27.4°C, and the range was from 21.1° to 33.5°C (N = 12). Leaf growth was higher under 30°C and lower above 30°C. Limited studies suggest that elevated CO2 will not counteract the impact of high temperatures on growth. Climate change will increase leaf growth in cool areas and decrease growth in warm areas. The decrease in leaf growth in locations with temperatures above 30°C will contribute to lower yields under global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinus yunnanensis (Franch), a species endemic to southwestern China, provides significant ecological and economic benefits. The quality of afforestation can be enhanced by promoting high-quality sprout growth. This study analyzed the effects of six fertilization treatments following top pruning: T1 (N: 0 g/plant−1; P: 0 g/plant−1), T2 (N: 0 g/plant−1; P: 2 g/plant−1), T3 (N: 0 g/plant−1; P: 4 g/plant−1), T4 (N: 0.6 g/plant−1; P: 0 g/plant−1), T5 (N: 0.6 g/plant−1; P: 2 g/plant−1), and T6 (N: 0.6 g/plant−1; P: 4 g/plant−1). The accumulation and allocation of aboveground biomass in roots, stems, and leaves of P. yunnanensis were measured, as well as changes in biomass per plant at 90 days (early stage), 180 days (middle stage), and 270 days (late stage) post-fertilization. At 90 days, root biomass accumulation in T3 was significantly higher, by 13.31%, compared to that in T1 (p < 0.05). The growth rates of stem and plant biomass followed the order T6 > T1 > T3 > T5 > T4 > T2. The biomass of sprouts and individual plants exhibited allometric growth under T1, T5, and T6 treatments. At 180 days, needle biomass allocation in T1 and T4 increased by 7.47% and 8.6%, respectively, compared to 90 days. Combined nitrogen–phosphorus fertilization significantly influenced aboveground biomass allocation, promoting growth more effectively than other treatments. By 270 days, the stem and individual biomass in T2 and T3 treatments showed significant differences (p < 0.01) compared to other treatments. Overall, root, stem, and sprouts were primarily influenced by phosphorus fertilization, while nitrogen fertilization notably promoted needle and leaf growth in later stages. The aboveground components were more affected by phosphorus fertilization. The combination of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers enhanced early-stage stem and sprouts, as well as late-stage root development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

To investigate the dynamics of stomata, transpiration, and photosynthesis under varying light intensities and CO2 conditions during leaf development, the light response and CO2 response of stomatal conductance (gsw), transpiration rate (Tr), and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) were observed for rice leaves at different days after leaf emergence (DAE). The results showed that (1) as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) increased, leaf gsw, Tr, and Pn initially increased rapidly and linearly, followed by a more gradual rise to maximum values, and then either stabilized or showed a declining trend. The maximum gsw, Tr, and Pn were smaller and occurred earlier for old leaves than for young leaves. The gsw, Tr, and Pn all exhibited a linear decreasing trend with increasing DAE, and the rate of decrease slowed down with the reduction in PAR; (2) as the CO2 concentration (Ca) increased, gsw and Tr decreased gradually to a stable minimum value, while Pn increased linearly and slowly up to the maximum and then kept stable or decreased. The gsw, Tr, and Pn values initially kept high and then decreased with the increase of DAE. These results contribute to understanding the dynamics in gsw, Tr, and Pn during rice leaf growth and their response to varied light and CO2 concentration conditions and provide mechanistic support to estimate dynamic evapotranspiration and net ecosystem productivity at field-scale and a larger scale in paddy field ecosystems through the upscaling of leaf-level stomatal conductance, transpiration, and photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inner Mongolia, a major region in China for growing sugar beet, faces challenges caused by unscientific water and fertilizer management. This mismanagement restricts the improvement of sugar beet yield and quality and exacerbates water waste and environmental pollution. This study aims to evaluate the effects of reduced water and fertilizer on the growth and physiological metabolism of sugar beet taproot. Field experiments were conducted in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, in 2022 and 2023, using a split-plot design with three levels each of fertilization and irrigation. The study analyzed the effects of reduced water and fertilizer treatments on fresh taproot weight, respiration rate, energy metabolism, respiratory enzyme activity, and gene expression in sugar beet taproot. It was found that a 10% reduction in fertilizer significantly increased the beet taproot fresh weight. Further research revealed that during the rapid leaf growth phase and the taproot and sugar growth period, a 10% reduction in fertilizer upregulated HK and IDH gene expression and downregulated G6PDH gene expression in the beet taproot. This increased HK and IDH activities, decreased G6PDH activity, enhanced the activity of the EMP-TCA pathway, and inhibited the PPP. Taproot weight was positively correlated with the respiration rate, ATP content, EC, and ATPase, HK, and IDH activities, thereby increasing the taproot growth rate and taproot fresh weight, with an average increase of 4.0% over two years. These findings introduce a novel method for optimizing fertilizer use, particularly beneficial in water-scarce regions. Implementing this strategy could help farmers in western Inner Mongolia and similar areas improve crop yield and sustainability. This study offers new insights into resource-efficient agricultural practices, highlighting the importance of customized fertilization strategies tailored to local environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate both fruit and different levels of leaf supplementation on the growth performance, organ indices and intestinal microflora of rats. Twenty-five healthy male Sprague--Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The rats in the control (NC) and positive control (PC) groups were fed by gavage a basal diet and a basal diet with 4 g/ kg of L. barbarum fruit homogenate, respectively. The test (LD, MD, and HD) groups were fed basal diets with additional 2, 4, and 8 g/kg of L. barbarum leaf homogenate, respectively. The feeding period was 35 d. The result revealed that the rats in the LD group had the highest average weight gain (p < 0.05). The cardiac and renal indexes in the LD and MD groups were significantly higher than in NC group, respectively (p < 0.05). Diversity analysis revealed that adding low concentrations of L. barbarum leaf homogenates markedly reduced the Shannon index of the rats cecum (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota was higher in the LD group than those in other groups (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Actinobacteriota was found significantly higher in PC group than others (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Akkermansia in LD group was the highest (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Romboutsia in the PC group was considerably higher than that in other groups. The relative abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas in the supplementation groups was appreciably lower than those found in other groups. The relative abundance of Alloprevotella was significantly lower in PC, LD, and MD groups than in NC and HD groups (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Oscillibacter was significantly higher in HD group than in other groups (p < 0.05). Thus, L. barbarum leaf homogenate fed to rats could increase their growth performance, internal organ weights and additionally enhance the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. Therefore, based on the obtained data in the current study, a dose of L. barbarum leaf homogenate supplemented with 2 g/kg in diet is recommended, however, further studies are required to confirm, especially in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Although sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), a C4 grass plant, requires a higher iron (Fe) concentration in its leaves for sufficient growth compared to C3 grass plants, there are differences in Fe-deficiency tolerance among sorghum genotypes. C4 plant sorghum localizes Fe in bundle sheath (BS) cells as a major site for CO2 assimilation; however, the response of chloroplasts in BS cells to Fe deficiency remains unknown. We compared the allocation of Fe and proteins involved in the photosystems between Fe-deficiency-tolerant and Fe-deficiency-susceptible sorghum genotypes. The distribution patterns of the Fe-requiring core proteins of photosystems I and II were the same in both genotypes, whereas the tolerant genotype, line D100, allocated more Fe to the BS thylakoid membranes than the susceptible genotype, regardless of Fe nutritional status and leaf Fe content. These results suggest that the tolerant D100 sorghum line has mechanisms to supply sufficient Fe to the BS thylakoid membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the main reasons limiting plant production of Brassica napus L. Exploring the dynamics of leaf intracellular substances and the correlations with photosynthesis and growth helps to understand the response mechanisms of B. napus L. to P deficiency. This study conducted experiments on B. napus L. plants by measuring the leaf electrophysiological parameters, leaf structure, elastic modulus (Em), photosynthesis, and growth indices under different P treatment conditions. The dynamics of leaf intracellular water and nutrients of B. napus L. were calculated and analyzed by using the electrophysiological parameters, and the plant tolerance threshold to low-P stress was discovered. The results indicated that the status of the leaf intracellular water and nutrients remained stable when the P concentration was not lower than 0.250 mmol·L−1, but maximized the photosynthesis and growth at a P level of 0.250 mmol·L−1. The 0.125 mmol·L−1 P concentration significantly decreased the mesophyll cell volume, and the palisade–sponge ratio and tightness degree of leaf tissue structure were remarkably increased. This led to an increase in cell elastic modulus, and significantly improved the water retention capacity of leaf cells. At the same time, the intracellular water use efficiency and total nutrient transport capacity of leaves remained stable. As a result, the photosynthesis and growth of plants were maintained at the same level as that of the control group. However, photosynthesis and growth were clearly inhibited with a further decrease in P concentration. Therefore, 0.125 mmol·L−1 was the tolerance threshold of B. napus L. to low P. With the help of electrophysiological information, the effects of the dynamics of intracellular substances on photosynthesis and growth of B. napus L. under low-P stress can be investigated, and the plant's adaptive response can be revealed. However, the findings of the current hydroponic study are not directly applicable to field conditions with naturally P-deficient soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the growth patterns, leaf morpho-anatomical traits and physiological characteristics of three ornamental taxa of Alocasia: A. melo, A reginae and Alocasia × morfontanensis 'Bambino'. Using optical and scanning electron microscopy, the research obtained anatomical details of the leaves. Alocasia × morfontanensis 'Bambino' exhibited the highest leaf growth rate among the taxa studied, showing significant leaf number increases from the 8th to the 12th week after planting. Alocasia melo produced 2–3 new basal shoots after 20 weeks, whereas the other two taxa did not produce any. Alocasia melo displayed the greatest relative water content and leaf thickness, while A. reginae showed the highest chlorophyll stability. This study also revealed variations in the adaxial and abaxial leaf color, stomatal width, epidermal thickness, and elemental composition among the taxa involved, with A. melo containing rhodium and high levels of calcium on their leaf surface. These findings contribute to the understanding of the Alocasia leaf morpho-anatomy and growth, which is useful for optimizing Alocasia cultivation and production across diverse ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium chloride (NaCl) can cause oxidative stress in plants, which represents a potential obstacle to the development of monocultures worldwide. Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a famous vegetable consumed and used in world cuisine. In the present study, we analyzed the influence of soil physicochemical profile and the remedial capacity of linalool on seed emergence, roots, and leaf growth in onions subjected to salt stress, as well as its in vivo and in vitro antioxidant potential, Fe2+chelating activity, and reducing power of Fe3+. The outcome of the soil analysis established the following order of abundance: sulfur (S) > calcium (Ca) > potassium (K) > magnesium (Mg) > sodium (Na). NaCl (150 mM) significantly reduced the emergence speed index (ESI), leaf and root length, while increasing the peroxidation content. The length of leaves and roots significantly increased after treatment with linalool (300 and 500 μg/mL). Our data showed negative correlations between seed emergence and K+ concentration, which was reversed after treatments. Linalool (500 μg/mL) significantly reduced oxidative stress, but increased Fe2+ concentration and did not show potential to reduce Fe3+. The in vivo antioxidant effect of linalool is thought to primarily result from an enzymatic activation process. This mechanism underscores its potential as a therapeutic agent for oxidative stress–related conditions. Further investigation into this process could unveil new avenues for antioxidant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

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

Water limitations will pose significant challenges to forest ecosystems across Europe. To gain a deeper understanding of the potential impacts, we investigated the response of the common shrub Crataegus monogyna to two summer droughts, each followed by rewatering. The experimental design consisted of a common garden with potted saplings from a local Belgian (n = 48), a Swedish (n = 47), and a Spanish-Pyrenean provenance (n = 48). We quantified the effects on growth and leaf phenology, focusing on the legacies in the year following the droughts. Responses were influenced by the severity of the drought and by its timing. Most strikingly, height increment was enhanced by 24% (p = 0.046) in comparison to the controls in the year following the droughts in the group of plants that endured the two drought treatments, each time without developing visible stress symptoms. Only one such mild drought, whether early or late summer, did not lead to this response, suggesting stress memory acting as a growth promoter. A late summer drought that resulted in visible drought symptoms led to a reduced diameter increment in the year following the droughts, independent of the preceding treatment (severe, mild, or no drought), whereas this was not the case for a similar drought in early summer. Minor leaf phenological responses were detected in the year following the droughts. Finally, the non-local provenances did not respond in a deviating way to the droughts compared to the local provenance. Our findings contribute to the prediction of carbon sequestration in forests and other woody vegetations in the temperate regions of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crops often face light intensity fluctuations in natural settings. Intercropping is widely used to improve crop yield and resource utilization worldwide, but crops suffer from high-frequency and high-intensity light fluctuations due to mutual crop influence. Soybean is an important legume crop and is often intercropped with other crops, but little is known about soybean's response to light fluctuation environments. Herein, three fluctuation frequencies (1, 10, and 20 min/cycle) were used to analyze soybean photosynthesis responses by measuring leaf growth, chlorophyll content, gas exchange, and electron transfer. Our data revealed that faster fluctuation frequencies led to the stronger suppression of soybean morphology and photosynthesis, with significant reductions of 31.31% and 21.58%, respectively. Damage to photosystems II (PSII) and I (PSI) also intensified, with significant decreases of 18.52% and 18.38% in their effective quantum yields Y(II) and Y(I). Additionally, increased fluctuation frequency exacerbated the consumption of the plastoquinone pool and linear electron flow but enhanced the cyclic electron flow across the thylakoid membrane and, thus, increased heat dissipation in PSII. Our findings indicate that an increased fluctuation frequency inflicted more severe damage on the soybean photosynthesis system. However, PSI-enhanced CEF improved NPQ and coordinated photoprotection to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study evaluated the effect of seed weight and seed treatment on yield and growth parameters in a three-year field trial. Seed weight treatments were tested in three levels of thousand seed weight (TSW): low 4.28 g, medium 5.00 g and high 5.69 g, with and without a biostimulant seed treatment of Lumibio Kelta. Although statistically significant differences were not found in all experimental years, the three-year results showed that sowing seeds with higher seed weight increased the initial and final stand counts, root length, seed yield and oil content. The final stand at harvest time averaged over the three years ranged from 23.0 (low TSW) to 29.5 plants per 1 m2 (high TSW). Plants from high TSW seed had an average of 1.1 cm longer roots than plants from low TSW seed. The average yield increased with TSW: 5.49 t/ha (low TSW), 5.86 t/ha (medium TSW), and 5.94 t/ha (high TSW). High TSW also yielded higher oil content (45.77%) compared to the medium (45.25%) and low TSW (45.27%). No statistical difference could be detected in the initial emergence counts or final seed quality according to seed treatment. Seed treatment with the biostimulant increased root length and seed yield. Plants from seeds treated with the biostimulant had roots with an average of 0.6 cm longer, yielding 0.2 t/ha higher than the non-treated ones.

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

Aluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soils can significantly reduce peanut yield. The physiological response of peanut leaves to Al poisoning stress still has not been fully explored. This research examined the influences of Al toxicity on peanut leaves by observing the leaf phenotype, scanning the leaf area and perimeter, and by measuring photosynthetic pigment content, physiological response indices, leaf hormone levels, and mineral element accumulation. Fluorescence quantitative RT–PCR (qPCR) was utilized to determine the relative transcript level of specific genes. The results indicated that Al toxicity hindered peanut leaf development, reducing their biomass, surface area, and perimeter, although the decrease in photosynthetic pigment content was minimal. Al toxicity notably affected the activity of antioxidative enzymes, proline content, and MDA (malondialdehyde) levels in the leaves. Additionally, Al poisoning resulted in the increased accumulation of iron (Fe), potassium (K), and Al in peanut leaves but reduced the levels of calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and magnesium (Mg). There were significant changes in the content of hormones and the expression level of genes connected with hormones in peanut leaves. High Al concentrations may activate cellular defense mechanisms, enhancing antioxidative activity to mitigate excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and affecting hormone-related gene expression, which may impede leaf biomass and development. This research aimed to elucidate the physiological response mechanisms of peanut leaves to Al poisoning stress, providing insights for breeding new varieties resistant to Al poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) has the most crucial influence on raising agricultural productivity of all other plant nutrients given to crops. However, 50% of the N given to crops is dissipated to the environment globally, resulting in environmental concerns due to leaching. Current research shows that intensive agricultural production systems, which are still used in a large proportion around the world, are prone to N loss. This study aimed to investigate the effect of uptake enhancer applications on N movement in the soil profile based on 10 cm depth intervals, as well as its effects on N uptake and vegetative growth of oats at 4-week intervals over a 16-week period, using sandy soil as a growing medium. Oats were cultivated in a glasshouse setting in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) columns of 60 cm in height. Six treatments were employed at the 3rd leaf growth stage, and each was replicated four times. The experiment had a constructive and a destructive part, which was employed to monitor crop N uptake at four growth stages. Analyses of soil and plant samples were carried out in all the growth stages. The treatments containing the uptake enhancer prevented N from leaching, particularly at the top 20 cm soil depth, with impressive reductions of 194% at 0–10 cm depth and 186% at 10–20 cm depth, during the first 4 weeks after planting. The uptake enhancer also promoted early vegetative growth and crop performance with 15%. In conclusion, the study revealed that employing the uptake enhancer can improve the efficacy of N fertilizer, thereby reducing the application rate of the fertilizer in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana to clubroot, a major disease of Brassicaceae caused by the obligate protist Plasmodiophora brassicae, is controlled in part by epigenetic factors. The detection of some of these epigenetic quantitative trait loci (QTLepi) has been shown to depend on experimental conditions. The aim of the present study was to assess whether and how temperature and/or soil water availability influenced both the detection and the extent of the effect of response QTLepi. The epigenetic recombinant inbred line (epiRIL) population, derived from the cross between ddm1-2 and Col-0 (partially resistant and susceptible to clubroot, respectively), was phenotyped for response to P. brassicae under four abiotic conditions including standard conditions, a 5°C temperature increase, drought, and flooding. The abiotic constraints tested had a significant impact on both the leaf growth of the epiRIL population and the outcome of the epiRIL-pathogen interaction. Linkage analysis led to the detection of a total of 31 QTLepi, 18 of which were specific to one abiotic condition and 13 common to at least two environments. EpiRIL showed significant plasticity under epigenetic control, which appeared to be specific to the traits evaluated and to the abiotic conditions. These results highlight that the environment can affect the epigenetic architecture of plant growth and immune responses and advance our understanding of the epigenetic factors underlying plasticity in response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This study analyzed the leaf spectral properties and photosynthesis rates of greenhouse-grown bell pepper leaves according to the growth period and leaf position to investigate the changes in carbon assimilation function according to leaf aging. Photosynthesis, growth, transpiration, stomatal conductance, light transmittance, and light reflectance were measured. As the plants' growth progressed, the number of leaves, fresh weight, and dry weight increased, but the specific leaf area decreased, likely due to the increased distribution of assimilates to reproductive organs. The average photosynthesis rate, according to the measured dates, exhibited a high value despite a large standard error, which was likely influenced by measurement errors caused by external environmental factors. The reflectance and transmittance increased from the upper to the middle and bottom leaves, and the absorption ratio decreased in the same order. The green light spectrum (500–580 nm) had a lower absorption ratio than other spectra because the green coloration of the leaves increased the light reflectance of this spectrum. As the PPFD increased where the leaf was positioned higher, the photosynthesis rate, transpiration amount, and stomatal conductance also increased. The higher the leaf position, the higher the photosynthesis rate, the amount of transpiration, and the stomatal conductance. As the CO2 concentration increased, the photosynthesis rate increased, but the transpiration and stomatal conductance changed little, indicating that the gas exchange within leaves was hardly affected by CO2, but the light levels promoted photosynthesis. From the results of this study, the optical properties of the leaves indicate that they are consistent with Lambert–Beer's law, which implies that the length of the optical path is linearly proportional to the number of molecules in the absorption layer. We obtained the light saturation point and CO2 saturation point of bell peppers grown in a greenhouse and were able to determine the physiological changes in the leaves with increasing leaf age. Therefore, based on this information, it appears that a leaf removal model based on the productivity of bell pepper leaves could be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]