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Plants being sessile are exposed to different environmental challenges and consequent stresses associated with them. With the prerequisite of minerals for growth and development, they coordinate their mobilization from the soil through their roots. Phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) are macro- and micronutrient; P serves as an important component of biological macromolecules, besides driving major cellular processes, including photosynthesis and respiration, and Fe performs the function as a cofactor for enzymes of vital metabolic pathways. These minerals help in maintaining plant vigor via alterations in the pH, nutrient content, release of exudates at the root surface, changing dynamics of root microbial population, and modulation of the activity of redox enzymes. Despite this, their low solubility and relative immobilization in soil make them inaccessible for utilization by plants. Moreover, plants have evolved distinct mechanisms to cope with these stresses and coregulate the levels of minerals (Fe, P, etc.) toward the maintenance of homeostasis. The present study aims at examining the uptake mechanisms of Fe and P, and their translocation, storage, and role in executing different cellular processes in plants. It also summarizes the toxicological aspects of these minerals in terms of their effects on germination, nutrient uptake, plant–water relationship, and overall yield. Considered as an important and indispensable component of sustainable agriculture, a separate section covers the current knowledge on the cross-talk between Fe and P and integrates complete and balanced information of their effect on plant hormone levels.

Sulfur is a critical element for plant growth and development, serving as a component of amino acids (cysteine and methionine), iron–sulfur clusters, proteins, glutathione, coenzymes, and auxin precursors. Deficiency or low concentrations of sulfur in the soil can lead to significant growth retardation in plants. The objective of our study was to examine the effects of sulfur (S) deficiency and excess on morphological symptoms, sulfur and nitrogen (N) metabolism, as well as antioxidant activity in soybean. We found that S starvation decreased the fine root length, biomass, and activity, and the chlorophyll content was reduced, while excess sulfur promotes lateral root growth. In contrast to sulfur excess, sulfur deficiency inhibits N and S metabolism levels in both subsurface and above-ground parts, and induced the expression of some sulfur transporters (SULTRs). In this study, we created soybean hairy root lines overexpressing the SULTR gene (GmSULTR2;1a) to observe metabolic changes following sulfur deficiency treatment. The results showed that GmSULTR2;1a saved the sulfur-deficient phenotype, and the antioxidant enzyme activity was much higher than that of the wildtype in the absence of sulfur. Our study revealed the important role of sulfur element in soybean growth and development and the regulation of sulfur deficiency by GmSULTR2;1a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the 'Green Revolution' gene, SD1 (encoding GA20ox2), has been widely applied to improve yield in rice breeding. However, research on its transcriptional regulation is limited. Here, we identified a transcription factor OsbZIP01, which can suppress the expression of SD1 and regulate gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis in rice. Knockout mutants of OsbZIP01 exhibited increased plant height, while the over- expression lines showed a semi-dwarf phenotype and diminished germination rate. Furthermore, the semi-dwarf phenotype of OE - bZIP01 , was caused by the reduced internode length, which was accompanied by a thin stem width. The predominant expression of OsbZIP01 was observed in leaves and sheaths. OsbZIP01 protein was localized in the nucleus and showed transcriptional repression activity. In addition, OsbZIP01 could directly bind to the promoter of the OsSD1 gene, and inhibit its transcription. The semi-dwarf phenotype of OE - bZIP01 could be rescued by exogenous GA 3. Meanwhile, the bzip01 sd1 double mutant showed a shorter shoot length compared with the wild type, indicating that OsbZIP01 regulated plant growth mainly through the GA biosynthesis pathway. Collectively, OsbZIP01 negatively regulates GA biosynthesis by restraining SD1 transcription, thereby affecting plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of the ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) binding protein family (AFPs), closely related to NOVEL INTERACTOR OF JAZ (NINJA) proteins, has been revealed in several aspects of plant development related to multifaceted plant abscisic acid (ABA) responses. The abundance of AFP proteins is tightly regulated, and they function as a rheostat for ABA responses through several nonmutually exclusive molecular mechanisms. AFP proteins regulate important biological processes in plants, which are tightly controlled by transcriptional repressors and phytohormone-mediated pathways, specifically ABA, gibberellic acid (GA), and jasmonic acid. In today's world, the most pressing concerns are food security and dynamic climatic conditions. Enriching our knowledge regarding plants' survival and growth strategies through addressing the inherent voids in plant AFP research might foster improvements in various crop species through genetic manipulation. During the course of terrestrial evolution, plants have developed complex networks that involve the coordination of phytohormone signalling pathways in order to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Transcription factors coordinate these responses by engaging in different protein complexes and exerting both positive and negative effects. ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) binding proteins (AFPs), which are closely related to NOVEL INTERACTOR OF JAZ (NINJA)-like proteins, are known for their fundamental role in plants' morphological and physiological growth. Recent studies have shown that AFPs regulate several hormone-signalling pathways, including abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA). Here, we review the genetic control of AFPs and their crosstalk with plant hormone signalling, and discuss the contributions of AFPs to plants' growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur is one of the essential nutrients that is required for the adequate growth and development of plants. Sulfur is a structural component of protein disulfide bonds, amino acids, vitamins, and cofactors. Most of the sulfur in soil is present in organic matter and hence not accessible to the plants. Anionic form of sulfur (SO42−) is the primary source of sulfur for plants that are generally present in minimal amounts in the soil. It is water-soluble, so readily leaches out of the soil. Sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds act as signaling molecules in stress management as well as normal metabolic processes. They also take part in crosstalk of complex signaling network as a mediator molecule. Plants uptake sulfate directly from the soil by using their dedicated sulfate transporters. In addition, plants also use the sulfur transporter of a symbiotically associated organism like bacteria and fungi to uptake sulfur from the soil especially under sulfur depleted conditions. So, sulfur is a very important component of plant metabolism and its analysis with different dimensions is highly required to improve the overall well-being of plants, and dependent animals as well as human beings. The deficiency of sulfur leads to stunted growth of plants and ultimately loss of yield. In this review, we have focused on sulfur nutrition, uptake, transport, and inter-organismic transfer to host plants. Given the strong potential for agricultural use of sulfur sources and their applications, we cover what is known about sulfur impact on the plant health. We identify opportunities to expand our understanding of how the application of soil microbes like AMF or other root endophytic fungi affects plant sulfur uptake and in turn plant growth and development.

Endophytic fungi inhabit various plant tissues and organs without inducing evident disease symptoms. They can contribute positively to the growth of plants, bolster plants resilience to environmental and biological stresses, and facilitate the accumulation of secondary metabolites. These microbial resources possess significant developmental and utilization value in various applications. Hence, this study focused on exploring the plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits of 14 endophytic fungi from Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (CX) and elucidating the effects and mechanisms that facilitate plant growth. According to PGP activity evaluation, the majority of strains demonstrated the capacity to produce IAA (78.57%), siderophores (50.00%), ammonia (35.71%), potassium solubilization (21.43%), nitrogen fixation (57.14%), and phosphate solubilization (42.86%). Further investigations indicated that the levels of IAA ranged from 13.05 to 301.43 μg/mL, whereas the soluble phosphorus levels ranged from 47.32 to 125.95 μg/mL. In cocultivation assays, it was indicated that Fusarium sp. YMY5, Colletotrichum sp. YMY6, Alternaria sp. ZZ10 and Fusarium sp. ZZ13 had a certain promoting effect on lateral root number and fresh weight of tobacco. Furthermore, ZZ10 and ZZ13 significantly enhanced the germination potential, germination index, and vigor index of tobacco seeds. The subsequent potted trials demonstrated that the four endophytic fungi exhibited an enhancement to growth parameters of tobacco to a certain extent. ZZ10 and ZZ13 treatment had the best promotion effect. Inoculation with YMY5 increased the chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content. ZZ10 and ZZ13 treatment remarkably increased the net photosynthetic rate, soluble sugars and soluble protein content, catalase and peroxidase activities, and lowered malondialdehyde content in tobacco leaves. In addition, YMY5 remarkably elevated superoxide dismutase activities. ZZ13 upregulated the expression of growth-related gene. Among them, ZZ13 had a better growth-promoting effect. In conclusion, these endophytic fungi possessing multi-trait characteristics and the capacity to enhance plant growth exhibit promising potential as biofertilizers or plant growth regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of familiar green soybean, edamame is a vegetable that popularly chosen by the richest consumer. The reducing inorganic fertilizers can be realized gradually by transforming the farming from conventional to organic. Related to transformation, we observed the suitable combination of inorganic and organic fertilizers for the edamame growth and production. By a randomized block design, seven combinations of inorganic fertilizers (150 kg/ha Urea, 150 kg/ha SP-36, 100 kg/ha KCl) and organic fertilizers (compost) were applied. Three repeatations was adopted for each treatment and 30 plants per plot was used. The analysis of variance and Tukey HSD at 5% error were chosen. Based on the result, the combination of inorganic fertilizers and compost effect four plant growth and development variables such as the plant height, the number of leaves, the number of productive branches, and the time to produce 50% of a flower. The application of inorganic fertilizers at 50% and 75% combined with compost 10 t/ha increased the plant height, the number of productive branches, and the number of leaves. The number of seeded pods and the pod weight are not affected by all combinations of treatments.

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) is one of the tropical legumes commonly grown for vegetable in Indonesia. Winged bean is a kind of plants that growth on vine so that for cultivation it requires stakes or awnings. It is known that paclobutrazol is a growth retardant that acts by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis and application of paclobutrazol could make plant become semidwarf or even dwarf. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of paclobutrazol on growth, development, some phytochemicals content and yield of winged bean plants. This study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with one factor, namely paclobutrazol, which was applied at four different concentrations, namely 0 ppm (control), 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 75 ppm or 100 ppm. Three replicates were made for each treatment. The results showed that paclobutrazol significantly decreased plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of pods per plant, pod length, fresh weight of fruit, levels of vitamin C and protein in the pods, but increased the leaf chlorophyll content and stomata density on the abaxial (lower) leaf surfaces. Paclobutrazol showed its effect on accelerating flowering time at a concentration of 50 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur (S), one of the crucial macronutrients, plays a pivotal role in fundamental plant processes and the regulation of diverse metabolic pathways. Additionally, it has a major function in plant protection against adverse conditions by enhancing tolerance, often interacting with other molecules to counteract stresses. Despite its significance, a thorough comprehension of how plants regulate S nutrition and particularly the involvement of phytohormones in this process remains elusive. Phytohormone signaling pathways crosstalk to modulate growth and developmental programs in a multifactorial manner. Additionally, S availability regulates the growth and development of plants through molecular mechanisms intertwined with phytohormone signaling pathways. Conversely, many phytohormones influence or alter S metabolism within interconnected pathways. S metabolism is closely associated with phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (AUX), brassinosteroids (BR), cytokinins (CK), ethylene (ET), gibberellic acid (GA), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and strigolactones (SL). This review provides a summary of the research concerning the impact of phytohormones on S metabolism and, conversely, how S availability affects hormonal signaling. Although numerous molecular details are yet to be fully understood, several core signaling components have been identified at the crossroads of S and major phytohormonal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of olive oil generates considerable volumes of an agricultural by-product, olive mill wastewater (OMWW), which is damaging to the environment and biological life. To investigate the effect of fermented OMWW on number of pods, pod length, pod weight, dry weight of plant, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll of common bean, plants were grown and irrigated with various percentages of fermented OMWW (0%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, and 100%) in a greenhouse. The study found that irrigating agricultural land with a water mix containing a specified quantity of OMWW enhanced physicochemical parameters and influenced plant characteristics. The plant characteristics were substantially affected when wastewater irrigated agricultural areas with water polluted with OMWW at concentrations no more than 4%. According to the findings of this study, utilizing 4% OMWW resulted in the best bean plant growth response, with an increase in growth indices and photosynthetic pigments.

In smart greenhouse farming, the impact of light qualities on plant growth and development is crucial but lacks systematic identification of optimal combinations. This study addresses this gap by analysing various light properties' effects (photoperiod, intensity, ratio, light–dark order) on Arabidopsis thaliana growth using days-to-flower (DTF) and hypocotyl length as proxies to measure plant growth and development. After establishing suitable ranges through a comprehensive literature review, these properties varied within those ranges. Compared to white light, a 16-h cycle of blue light reduces DTF and hypocotyl length by 12 % and 3 %, respectively. Interestingly, similar results can be achieved using a shorter photoperiod of 14-h light (composed of 8 h of a mixture of 66.7 μ mol m − 2 s − 1 red and 800 μ mol m − 2 s − 1 blue lights (i.e. blue:red ratio of 12:1) followed by 6 h of monochromatic red light and 10-h dark. These findings offer potential for efficient growth light recipes in smart greenhouse farming, optimizing productivity while minimizing energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】 Autumn droughts have become increasingly frequent in Hubei province in recent years resulting in water stress for fruit corn growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization combine to affect early-stage growth and development of the corn. 【Method】 The field experiment was conducted in 2020; it consisted of three irrigation treatments: conventional irrigation (W1), drip irrigation (W2) and sprinkler irrigation (W3); and three nitrogen fertilizations: no nitrogen application (N0), low nitrogen application of 90 kg/hm2 (N90), and high nitrogen application 180 kg/hm2 (N180). In each treatment, we measured the change in root and shoot traits, as well as acquisition of phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and N by the plant. 【Result】 Irrigation and nitrogen application both showed significant impact on plant growth, root development, absorption and utilization of P and K. When nitrogen fertilization was the same, sprinkler irrigation significantly promoted shoot and root growth, dry matter accumulation, nutrient absorption and growth traits. Compared with conventional and drip irrigation, it also increased the above-ground dry weight by 38.64% and 40.84%, root dry weight by 37.50% and 45.68%, N absorption by 36.61% and 28.83%, P absorption by 45.12% and 40.28%, and P absorption by 45.34% and 30.47%, respectively. When the irrigation method was the same, N application promoted growth of both shoots and roots, in addition to the increased dry matter accumulation and nutrient absorption. Among all fertilizations, N180 fertilization gave the highest growth indices, followed by N90. 【Conclusion】 Irrigation and nitrogen application had a significant coupling-effect on growth of the shoots and roots of the fruit corn during its early growth stage. Our results revealed that sprinkler irrigation combined with 180 kg/hm2 of N fertilization can increase plant dry weight and is hence suggested as an improved agronomic management for fruit corn production in Hubei province.

Global climate change, which has also occurred in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, has led to early sowing starting from the very beginning of the spring season. In this regard, to provide a scientific basis for spring barley cultivation technology, the issue of investigating the processes of plant growth and development before the onset of the tillering phenomenon, i.e., the second and third stages of organogenesis, is of particular relevance. The purpose of this study was to establish the regularities of dependence of spring barley plant growth and development on the influence of vegetation factors at different sowing dates in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. To summarise the findings, the following methods were employed: general scientific methods based on objectivity, evidence, reproduction, and mathematical and statistical methods for processing experimental data. The study found the dependence of the processes of growth and development of spring barley plants based on plant biomass, crude biomass, and dry matter content of the root system and aerial parts of plants, as well as leaf area according to the analysis at the beginning of the tillering phase, on the influence of sowing time. The study estimated the significance of the studied factor under the influence of supply conditions for the maximum realisation of spring barley productivity potential. As a result, a regularity was revealed, according to which a substantial decrease in the productivity potential of barley plants was established with a delay for each subsequent 10 days starting from the first sowing date on 10 March. The maximum data values were obtained at the first sowing date, where the plant biomass was 723.6 mg, the crude biomass of the root system was 67.5 mg, the dry matter of the root system was 18.0 mg, the crude biomass of the aerial part of the plant was 656.1 mg, the dry matter of the aerial part of the plant was 130.8 mg and the leaf surface area was 18.1 cm2. As a result of the scientific substantiation, the practical value of the study lies in the favourability of early sowing dates to ensure maximum realisation of plant productivity potential due to vegetation factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]