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Introduction: Salicylic acid has shown promise in alleviating water stress in cultivated plants. However, there is a lack of studies confirming its effectiveness in cowpea plants grown in field conditions. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the use of salicylic acid as a water stress mitigator in cowpea cultivars under different irrigation depths in field conditions. Methods: Four cowpea cultivars (BRS Novaera, BRS Tapaihum, BRS Pujante, and BRS Pajeu') were subjected to different treatments: control (W100: 100% replacement of crop evapotranspiration - ETc), W50 (50% of ETc), W50+SA2 (50% of ETc + 276 mg L-1 of SA), and W50+SA4 (50% of ETc + 552 mg L-1 of SA). The treatments were combined in a 4×4 factorial scheme with three replications, arranged in a randomized block design. Results: Water restriction had a negative impact on the water status, growth, gas exchange, and production of the cultivars while also leading to changes in the antioxidant metabolism and osmolyte concentration. The application of SA enhanced antioxidant activity and the synthesis of osmotic adjusters under stress conditions. The most effective concentration was 276 mg L-1 in stage R2 and 552 mg L-1 in stage V7, respectively. The BRS Pujante cultivar showed increased productivity under water restriction with SA application, while the BRS Tapaihum was the most tolerant among the cultivars studied. Discussion: In summary, our findings underscore the importance of using SA to mitigate the effects of water restriction on cowpea cultivation. These discoveries are crucial for the sustainability of cowpea production in regions susceptible to drought, which can contribute to food security. We further add that the adoption of new agricultural practices can enhance the resilience and productivity of cowpea as an essential and sustainable food source for vulnerable populations in various parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a tropical fruit grown in the semi-arid region of Brazil, where problems of quantitative and qualitative scarcity of water for irrigation are frequent. Using alternative water sources, such as fish farming effluents, can increase water availability; however, it presents risks due to its high salinity levels. We aimed to evaluate the effect of irrigation with saline fish farming effluent and NPK doses on soursop seedlings' ecophysiology. We conducted a greenhouse experiment using a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 5 factorial scheme. The factors consisted of two irrigation water sources (local supply water with 0.5 dS m−1 and fish farming effluent with 3.5 dS m−1) and five doses of NPK (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of the fertilizer recommendation of 100:300:150 mg dm−3 of N:P2O5:K2O for soil). The soursop seedlings showed the best growth results for plant height, stem diameter, and shoot dry mass when irrigated with low-salinity water at 95% of the recommended NPK dose. However, under saline stress, the soursop seedlings showed optimal growth when fertilized with 69% of NPK dose. We recommend the following NPK fertilization for soursop seedlings: 95:285:143 mg dm−3 of N:P2O5:K2O for those irrigated with low-salinity water and 69:207:104 mg dm−3 for those irrigated with fish farm effluent. Irrigating with fish farm effluent can be a practical option for soursop seedlings as it can help save fertilizers and promote environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Plant endogenous mechanisms are not always sufficient enough to mitigate drought stress, therefore, the exogenous application of elicitors, such as salicylic acid, is necessary. In this study, we assessed the mitigating action of salicylic acid (SA) in cowpea genotypes under drought conditions. An experiment was conducted with two cowpea genotypes and six treatments of drought stress and salicylic acid (T1 = Control, T2 = drought stress (stress), T3 = stress + 0.1 mM of SA, T4 = stress + 0.5 mM of SA, T5 = stress + 1.0 mM of SA, and T6 = stress + 2.0 mM of SA). Plants were evaluated in areas of leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, proline content, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and dry grain production. Drought stress reduces the leaf area, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and, consequently, the production of both cowpea genotypes. The growth and production of the BRS Paraguaçu genotype outcompetes the Pingo de Ouro-1-2 genotype, regardless of the stress conditions. The exogenous application of 0.5 mM salicylic acid to cowpea leaves increases SOD activity, decreases CAT activity, and improves the production of both genotypes. The application of 0.5 mM of salicylic acid mitigates drought stress in the cowpea genotype, and the BRS Paraguaçu genotype is more tolerant to drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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.)

Soil health is directly related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) and can be affected by inadequate management practices. In this work, soil edaphic respiration and changes in microbial biomass promoted by cover crops in an integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) were evaluated using soil health indicators with the respirometry method. The design was completely randomized in a 3 × 6 factorial arrangement, and multivariate principal components analysis (PCA) was performed according to MANOVA. Edaphic respiration was determined based on the respirometry technique. The results showed that edaphic soil respiration was significant in the nine evaluation periods, demonstrating the importance of grass cover in edaphic respiration arising from the biological activity of microorganisms, which is directly related to the amount of soil organic carbon. The cover crops increased soil organic matter and consequently microbial respiratory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant resistance to drought stress is a parameter that should be studied with more emphasis in the search for higher agricultural yields. In this scenario, research within breeding programs should be directed toward specific mechanisms of action and important agricultural crops in worldwide agribusiness. From this perspective, this study carried out a bibliographic investigation regarding the advances in genetic improvement aimed at drought stress in crops using a hybrid model of analysis of scientific articles. The analysis employed bibliometric parameters for qualitative and quantitative discussion of scientific production and the methodological process of systematic review for the synthesis of the results obtained. The work was divided into four stages: the search for articles in databases, meta-analysis, bibliometric analysis, and systematic analysis. Scientific articles were searched for on the Scopus, Scielo, and Web of Science databases within a 20-year timeframe. Most authors and institutions were from Asian countries, demonstrating the need for global expansion of research on the subject. With regard to the co-occurrence networks between the keywords used in the search, a focus was observed on the following terms: drought resistance, drought stress; drought, and drought tolerance. Evidently, the primary mechanism of tolerance or even resistance studied in breeding programs is associated with the expression of genes and genetically modified organisms that confer resistance to plants. Also, the crops addressed in the research retrieved are highly diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In semiarid regions of Brazil, water and/or soil salinity is one of the limiting factors for sour passion fruit production. Low rainfall rates combined with edaphic conditions (high concentrations of soluble salts) intensify deleterious effects on plants. Thus, strategies that minimize the effects of salt stress, e.g., grafting with tolerant species and soil mulching, are extremely important to ensure the expansion of irrigated fruit farming in this region. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of grafting and mulching on the quantum yield, ionic relations, and fruit production of sour passion fruit irrigated with moderately saline water. The experiment was conducted under field conditions in split plots, in a 2 × (2 × 2) factorial arrangement to evaluate the combination of low and moderate salinity water (main plot) with the propagation method (seeds and grafting on P. cincinnata) and without and with plastic mulching (subplots), with four replications and three plants per plot. The ionic relations in passion fruit leaves were increased with the use of rootstocks and plastic mulching under irrigation with moderately saline water. The use of mulching increased the yield of photosystem II in sour passion fruit. The passion fruit plants propagated by seeds had 187.52% more fruits than those grafted onto P. cincinnata. The use of rootstocks with P. cincinnata in sour passion fruit restricted the uptake of Na and Cl but reduced fruit production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of water of high electrical conductivity has become common in hydroponic systems, especially in regions with water scarcity. However, the use of inferior-quality water can affect crop yields. In this scenario, some studies have tested the use of chemical conditioning agents such as hydrogen peroxide to minimize the negative effects of stress on plants. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the action of priming with hydrogen peroxide as a salt stress attenuator on the nutrient solution uptake and productivity of chives in a hydroponic system. The study was conducted in a protected environment with a randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement. The treatments consisted of a main plot consisting of the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 dSm−1) and a subplot with five hydrogen peroxide concentrations (0.0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60 mM). The increase in the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution reduced bulb length, the solution volume applied, water uptake, total fresh mass, and the solution use efficiency by plants. Throughout the cultivation cycle in the hydroponic system, the consumption of nutrient solution was 459 mm lost by evapotranspiration. Acclimation with 0.60 mM hydrogen peroxide associated with 1 dSm−1 of electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution favors bulb diameter in chives. The increase in electrical conductivity compromises the productive yield of chives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fertilization combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the production and quality of West Indian cherry grown under salt stress in the second year of production. The study was conducted in a protected environment following a randomized block design with treatments distributed in a 2 × 10 factorial arrangement referring to two levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.6 and 4.0 dS m−1) and 10 NPK fertilization combinations (80-100-100; 100-100-100; 120-100-100; 140-100-100; 100-80-100; 100-120-100; 100-140-100; 100-100-80; 100-100-120 and 100-100-140% of the recommendation in the second year of production), with three replicates and one plant per lysimeter. Production and post-harvest variables evaluated were: the total fruit weight, total number of fruits, mean fruit weight, the polar and equatorial diameter, total soluble solids, pulp pH, titratable acidity, maturity ratio, vitamin C, reducing sugars, total phenolic compounds, total anthocyanins, and flavonoids. The results indicate that irrigation with water having a salinity of 4.0 dS m−1 negatively affected all production variables. The interaction between the ECw of 0.6 dS m−1 and the 100-80-120 NPK fertilization combination increased the total number of fruits and the total fruit weight of West Indian cherry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate changes have intensified water stress in arid and semi-arid regions, reducing plant growth and yield. In this scenario, the present study aimed to evaluate the mitigating action of salicylic acid and methionine in cowpea cultivars under water restriction conditions. An experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with treatments set up in a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement corresponding to two cowpea cultivars (BRS Novaera and BRS Pajeú) and five treatments of water replenishment, salicylic acid, and methionine. After eight days, water stress decreased the Ψw, leaf area, and fresh mass and increased the total soluble sugars and catalase activity in the two cultivars. After sixteen days, water stress increased the activity of the superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes and decreased the total soluble sugars content and catalase activity of BRS Pajeú plants. This stress response was intensified in the BRS Pajeú plants sprayed with salicylic acid and the BRS Novaera plants with salicylic acid or methionine. BRS Pajeú is more tolerant to water stress than BRS Novaera; therefore, the regulations induced by the isolated application of salicylic acid and methionine were more intense in BRS Novaera, stimulating the tolerance mechanism of this cultivar to water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strategy using bacilli was adopted aiming to investigate the mitigation of the effects of water deficit in sesame. An experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with 2 sesame cultivars (BRS Seda and BRS Anahí) and 4 inoculants (pant001, ESA 13, ESA 402, and ESA 441). On the 30th day of the cycle, irrigation was suspended for eight days, and the plants were subjected to physiological analysis using an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA). On the 8th day of water suspension, leaves were collected for analysis: superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, proline, nitrogen, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. At the end of the crop cycle, data on biomass and vegetative growth characteristics were collected. Data were submitted for variance analysis and comparison of means by the Tukey and Shapiro–Wilk tests. A positive effect of inoculants was observed for all characteristics evaluated, contributing to improvements in plant physiology, induction of biochemical responses, vegetative development, and productivity. ESA 13 established better interaction with the BRS Anahí cultivar and ESA 402 with BRS Seda, with an increase of 49% and 34%, respectively, for the mass of one thousand seeds. Thus, biological indicators are identified regarding the potential of inoculants for application in sesame cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds negatively influence agricultural production. However, those losses depend on weed specie, its time of emergence, and period of interference on agricultural crops. Synthetic herbicides are commonly used to control these plants species; however, they may cause damage to the environment, human beings and animals health, and this problem justify the need to develop alternative bioherbicides. To evaluate the allelopathic potential of Ricinus communis (Castor bean) and light spectrum variation on the emergence and growth of Cyperus rotundus L., a trial was carried out in a protected environment with 15% of brightness reduction at the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Paraíba State University. Four aqueous extract concentrations of R. communis leaves were tested (0, 5, 10, and 15%) and four light spectrums variations (white, purple, blue, and red lights). Variables such as emergence, length, dry matter accumulation and growth rates of shoots and root of C. rotundus seedlings were assessed. Data were analyzed by normality test, analysis of variance, polynomial regression, and averages test. Soot and root emergence, length, and dry matter accumulation of C. rotundus seedlings were reduced due to the allelopathy caused by R. communis aqueous extract leaves (15% concentration) and under purple or red light spectrum radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental 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.)

Si plays a fundamental role in cotton fibers quality (Boylston et al. [11]), thus, increases in cotton fibers quality, observed in the current research may be associated not only with improvements in physiological attributes and tolerance to stresses but also to the expression of Si transporter genes (Ma et al. [31]) that may have helped its flow for fibers formation and development. Keywords: Gossypium hirsutum; Colored cotton; Potassium silicate; Cotton yield; Fiber technologies; Plant ecophysiology EN Gossypium hirsutum Colored cotton Potassium silicate Cotton yield Fiber technologies Plant ecophysiology 8286 8296 11 11/21/22 20221220 NES 221220 Introduction World's population will be over nine billion people by the year 2050, this prediction indicates a high demand for food, fiber, and energy, which creates a challenge to humanity because climate change causes abiotic stresses and induces several morphophysiological changes, biochemical and molecular factors that reduce the growth, development, and production of plants used for food and bioenergy worldwide (Tahmasebi et al. [43]). Silicon (Si) alleviates cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from zinc (Zn) toxicity stress by limiting Zn uptake and oxidative damage. [Extracted from the article]

Apesar de ser uma planta com necessidades hídricas relativamente baixas, o abacaxizeiro tem demanda permanente de água, variável ao longo do ciclo e dependente do seu estádio de desenvolvimento. Assim, objetivou-se analisar volumes de irrigação no desenvolvimento vegetativo, no rendimento da fruta e na otimização do abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola. O experimento foi realizado na Universidade Federal de Sergipe, município de São Cristóvão (11degrees01'S, 37degrees12'W), no delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos (lâminas de água) (100% da evaporação do tanque Classe A (523,7mm ano-1); 75% da evaporação do tanque Classe A (392,8mm ano-1), 50% da evaporação do tanque Classe A (261,8mm ano-1) e 0% da evaporação do tanque Classe A, seis repetições e 12 plantas úteis por parcela. O sistema de irrigação foi por aspersão convencional disposto em linha, com pressão de 20mca e vazão de 1,33m3 h-1. A área foliar (cm²) mínima atingida de 4552,6cm² foi observada no volume de água de 122,9mm ano-1, enquanto a massa seca das folhas (147,6g) foi constatada com 17mm ano-1. O máximo comprimento da folha D (88,9cm) foi estimado com 532,7 mm ano-1. Já o máximo comprimento do fruto (23cm) foi observado na lâmina de 296,9mm ano-1. A massa do fruto máxima estimado de 1.736g foi constatado na lâmina de 356,4mm ano-1. No contexto, a irrigação contribui de forma positiva no desenvolvimento vegetativo e rendimento da fruta do abacaxizeiro. Ressalta-se remuneração mensal líquida de R$ 1.161,17ha-1, quando se adota lâmina de irrigação de 356,4mm ano-1.

The association between population increase and the exploitation of natural resources and climate change influences the demand for food, especially in semi-arid regions, highlighting the need for technologies that could provide cultivated species with better adaptation to agroecosystems. Additionally, developing cultivation technologies that employ waste materials is highly desirable for sustainable development. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate whether seed priming with glass waste microparticles used as a silicon source under red light irradiation mitigates the effects of thermal and water stress on seedlings of Moringa oleifera. The experimental design was set up in randomized blocks using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of seed priming (NSP—no seed priming, and SPSi—seed priming with glass microparticles under red light irradiation), soil water replenishment (W50—50%, and W100—100% of crop evapotranspiration—ETc), and temperature change (TC30°—30 °C day/25 °C night and TC40°—40 °C day/35 °C night). Seed priming with glass microparticles under red light irradiation mitigated the effects of thermal and water stress on seedlings of Moringa oleifera seedlings through the homeostasis of gas exchange, leaf water status, osmotic adjustment, and the antioxidant mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economically profitable production of crops is related, among other factors, to seed quality, the production system, and the water used in irrigation or preparation of nutrient solutions. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the phenology, production, and vigor of seeds of mini watermelons grown in saline nutrient solution and different substrates. In the fruit and seed production phase, the experiment occurred in a greenhouse with five electrical conductivities of water for nutrient solution preparation, ECw (0.5, 2.4, 4.0, 5.5, and 6.9 dS m−1), and two growing substrates (coconut fiber and sand). We evaluated the physiological quality of seeds previously produced under the five electrical conductivities of water and two substrates. High salinities for the hydroponic cultivation of the mini watermelon cultivar 'Sugar Baby' accelerated fruit maturation and crop cycle, decreasing fruit size. However, in both substrates, the seed production of mini watermelons, seed viability, and seed vigor occurred adequately with a reject brine of 6.9 dS m−1 in the hydroponic nutrient solution. The seed production of 'Sugar Baby' mini watermelons using reject brine in a hydroponic system with coconut fiber and sand substrates is viable in regions with water limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The citrus yield is limited by soil and/or water salinity, but appropriate rootstocks can ensure the sustainability of the production system. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to evaluate the salt content in the soil and the production and physiological aspects of the 'Tahiti' acid lime combined with thirteen rootstocks, irrigated with saline water in the first two production years to identify indicators of salt tolerance. The rootstocks evaluated were: 'Santa Cruz Rangpur' lime, 'Indio', 'Riverside' and 'San Diego' citrandarins, 'Sunki Tropical' mandarin, and eight hybrids, obtained from the Citrus Breeding Program of Embrapa Cassava and Fruits. The waters used had three saline levels: 0.14, 2.40, and 4.80 dS m−1, in a randomized block adopting a split-plot design, with rootstocks in the plots and saline waters in the subplots, with four replicates. From August 2019 to February 2021, fruit harvests and agronomic traits were measured. At the end of each production year, the soil characteristics, leaf gas exchange, and chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis were performed. It was concluded that: (1) the effects of water salinity on citrus are of osmotic nature, reducing gas exchange, (2) the salinity did not significantly damage the photosynthetic apparatus until the second year of production, and (3) using more stable, salt-tolerant rootstocks makes it possible to cultivate 'Tahiti' acid lime under irrigation with waters of 2.4 dS m−1 electrical conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]