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In 2019 and 2020, we investigated the individual and combined effects of two biofertilizers (manure tea and bioinoculant) and one humic acid (HA) product on cannabis biochemical and physiological parameters and soil CO2 evolution under outdoor conditions. Our hypothesis was that HA would increase the microbial activity in the biofertilizers and synergy of both compounds would promote better plant performance and stimulate soil microbial activity. In 2020, the individual and combined application of biofertilizers and HA increased cannabis height, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, aboveground biomass, and bucked biomass by 105, 52, 43, 122, and 117%, respectively. Impacts were greater under suboptimal growing conditions caused by planting delay experienced in 2020. In 2019, planting date occurred in-between the most favorable period and chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency were the only parameters influenced by the application of biostimulants. The discrepancies between the two growing seasons reinforce the evidence of other studies that biostimulants efficacy is maximized under stress conditions. This study could not conclusively confirm that the combined use of biofertilizer + HA is a superior practice since affected plant parameters did not differ from application of the compounds singly. Similarly, only one biofertilizer + HA treatment increased soil microbial activity. More research is needed to define optimum rates and combinations of biofertilizer and stimulants for cannabis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants can suppress the growth of other plants by modifying soil properties. These negative plant–soil feedbacks are often species‐specific, suggesting that some plants possess resistance strategies. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.Here, we investigated whether benzoxazinoids, a class of dominant secondary metabolites that are exuded into the soil by maize and other cereals, allow maize plants to cope with plant–soil feedbacks.We find that three out of five tested crop species reduce maize (Zea mays L.) performance via negative plant–soil feedbacks relative to the mean across species. This effect is partially alleviated by the capacity of maize plants to produce benzoxazinoids. Soil complementation with purified benzoxazinoids restores the protective effect for benzoxazinoid‐deficient mutants. Sterilization and reinoculation experiments suggest that benzoxazinoid‐mediated protection acts via changes in soil biota. Substantial variation of the protective effect between experiments and soil types illustrates context dependency.In conclusion, exuded plant secondary metabolites allow plants to cope with plant–soil feedbacks. These findings expand the functional repertoire of plant secondary metabolites and reveal a mechanism by which plants can resist negative effects of soil feedbacks. The uncovered phenomenon may represent a promising avenue to stabilize plant performance in crop rotations. See also the Commentary on this article by Bass, 241: 2316–2319. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate instability directly affects agro-environments. Water scarcity, high air temperature, and changes in soil biota are some factors caused by environmental changes. Verified and precise phenotypic traits are required for assessing the impact of various stress factors on crop performance while keeping phenotyping costs at a reasonable level. Experiments which use a lysimeter method to measure transpiration efficiency are often expensive and require complex infrastructures. This study presents the development and testing process of an automated, reliable, small, and low-cost prototype system using IoT with high-frequency potential in near-real time. Because of its waterproofness, our device—LysipheN—assesses each plant individually and can be deployed for experiments in different environmental conditions (farm, field, greenhouse, etc.). LysipheN integrates multiple sensors, automatic irrigation according to desired drought scenarios, and a remote, wireless connection to monitor each plant and device performance via a data platform. During testing, LysipheN proved to be sensitive enough to detect and measure plant transpiration, from early to ultimate plant developmental stages. Even though the results were generated on common beans, the LysipheN can be scaled up/adapted to other crops. This tool serves to screen transpiration, transpiration efficiency, and transpiration-related physiological traits. Because of its price, endurance, and waterproof design, LysipheN will be useful in screening populations in a realistic ecological and breeding context. It operates by phenotyping the most suitable parental lines, characterizing genebank accessions, and allowing breeders to make a target-specific selection using functional traits (related to the place where LysipheN units are located) in line with a realistic agronomic background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete submergence, especially deep submergence, poses a serious threat to the growth and survival of plants. One study previously showed that Alternanthera philoxeroides (a herbaceous perennial plant) submerged at depth of 2 m presented fast stem elongation and reduced stem elongation as water depth increased. In the present study, we aimed to figure out from the morphological and anatomical perspective how the differential growth response of the plant to water depth was achieved. We investigated the elongation of different stem parts and the relationship of stem elongation to cell size and number in A. philoxeroides by conducting experiments using a series of submergence depths (0 m, 2 m, 5 m, and 9 m). The results showed that, in comparison with unsubmerged plants, completely submerged plants exhibited enhanced elongation at depths of 2 m and 5 m but suppressed elongation at depth of 9 m in immature stem internodes, and displayed very little elongation in mature stem internodes at any depths. The stem growth of A. philoxeroides at any submergence depth was chiefly caused by the elongation of the basal parts of immature internodes. The elongation of the basal parts of immature internodes was highly correlated to both cell proliferation and cell enlargement, but the elongation of the middle and upper parts of immature internodes correlated nearly only with cell enlargement. This study provided new information on the growth responses of A. philoxeroides to heterogeneous submergence environments and deepened our understanding of the growth performance of terrestrial plants in habitats prone to deep floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasing the weather persistence in the mid‐latitudes, prolonging both dry and wet spells compared to historic averages. These newly emerging environmental conditions destabilize plant communities, but the role of species interactions in this process is unknown. Here, we tested how direct and higher‐order interactions (HOIs) between species may change in synthesized grassland communities along an experimental gradient of increasing persistence in precipitation regimes. Our results indicate that species interactions (including HOIs) are an important determinant of plant performance under increasing weather persistence. Out of the 12 most parsimonious models predicting species productivity, 75% contained significant direct interactions and 92% significant HOIs. Inclusion of direct interactions or HOIs respectively tripled or quadrupled the explained variance of target species biomass compared to null models only including the precipitation treatment. Drought was the main driver of plant responses, with longer droughts increasing direct competition but also HOI‐driven facilitation. Despite these counteracting changes, drought intensified net competition. Grasses were generally more involved in competitive interactions whereas legumes were more involved in facilitative interactions. Under longer drought, species affinity for nutrient rich or wet environments resulted in more negative direct interactions or HOIs, respectively. We conclude that HOIs, crucially depending on species identity, only partially stabilize community dynamics under increasing weather persistence. Keywords: drought, facilitation and competition, grasslands, higher‐order interactions, increasing weather persistence, species interactions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global shift of species' distributions has led to high numbers of noninvasive naturalized plants and the accumulation of invasive species within ecosystems. Competition between species may influence population dynamics, but little is known about the impacts of competition between conspecifics of naturalized and invasive populations. We investigated several plant traits at initial growth and regrowth following artificial defoliation in intra and interpopulation competition. Therefore, we used plants of Bunias orientalis from one noninvasive naturalized and one invasive population grown alone or in competition of two or three. Plants from the naturalized population were expected to be less competitive than plants from the invasive population, reflecting their differential impact in the introduced range. Independent of status, intrapopulation competition was expected to have less negative impacts on plants than interpopulation competition. Our results show that competition impacted mostly growth‐ rather than physiology‐related traits. The relative magnitude of intra and interpopulation competition differed among plant traits at the first and second harvest. Plants of the invasive population outperformed the naturalized population by allocating relatively more resources to the aboveground biomass and producing more and longer leaves particularly when grown in competition against two plants. Moreover, plants of the invasive population were more competitive, which may influence their successful establishment and range expansion in the introduced range, but growth patterns differed after artificial defoliation. Although evolution of intrapopulation competition in naturalized and invasive ranges may be expected, interpopulation competition seems to adversely impact the performance of the naturalized plant population of B. orientalis studied here. Apart from the status (naturalized vs. invasive), other factors may have had an influence on plant performance. Thus, further research is needed with more naturalized and invasive populations to test the generality of our findings and to isolate the specific mechanisms driving differences in competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Coordination between leaf and root traits is crucial to plant performance and ecosystem functioning, but how leaves and roots coordinate in ectomycorrhizal (ECM)-dominated alpine forests remains unclear. Therefore, the covariation patterns of leaf and root traits of ECM-dominated alpine conifers and the environmental drivers were examined. Methods: Five pairs of key leaf (i.e., leaf thickness [LT], specific leaf area [SLA], leaf tissue density [LTD], leaf N and P concentrations) and fine-root traits (i.e., root diameter [RD], specific root length [SRL], root tissue density [RTD], root N and P concentrations) were measured across 49 alpine coniferous populations (including 8 coniferous species) on the Tibetan Plateau. Results: Root traits including RTD, root N and P concentrations and leaf traits such as LT, SLA, LTD, leaf N and P concentrations were correlated. The root-leaf relationships represent a tradeoff between resource conservation and fast plant growth, i.e., plant economic spectrum. RD and SRL were independent from the plant economic spectrum. Temperature drove variations in the leaf traits, RTD, root N and P concentrations, and conifers under low temperature had denser leaves and roots (i.e., larger LT, LTD, RTD) and lower nutrient contents. Precipitation primarily controlled variations in RD and SRL, and roots became thinner with decreasing precipitation. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates divergent roles of temperature and precipitation in driving the coordination of leaf and root economic traits in the ECM-dominated alpine coniferous ecosystems. This is insightful for a comprehensive understanding of the adaptation and responses of alpine forests to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aster leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Macrosteles quadrilineatus Forbes) is a polyphagous insect species that migrates into the upper Midwest of the United States and the Western Canadian Prairies. Populations of this insect are associated with the transmission of a plant pathogen (Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris, 16SrI) to several annual crops and perennial plant species. Previous studies suggest that aster leafhoppers can sometimes prefer less suitable hosts for their development and survival, yet it is unclear if this lower performance on certain plant species is associated with reduced or impaired probing behaviors due to characteristics of the plants. To characterize the probing behaviors of aster leafhoppers, direct current electropenetrography recordings of male and female adults on barley (Polaes: Poaceae: Hordeum vulgare L.) were combined with plant histology, allowing the identification of nine waveforms and their proposed biological meanings. For each waveform, the number of waveform events per insect (NWEI), the waveform duration per insect (WDI), the waveform duration per event per insect (WDEI), and the percentage of recording time were calculated and statistically compared between sexes. Male and female aster leafhoppers exhibited similar behavioral responses for most of these variables, except for the NWEI for waveforms associated with nonprobing activities and the pathway phase. In these cases, male aster leafhoppers exhibited a higher number of events than females. Comparison of the proposed waveforms in this study with previous work on other hemipteran species provided additional support to the interpretation of the biological activities associated with each waveform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropospheric ozone (O3) threatens agroecosystems, yet its long‐term effects on intricate plant‐microbe‐soil interactions remain overlooked. This study employed two soybean genotypes of contrasting O3‐sensitivity grown in field plots exposed elevated O3 (eO3) and evaluated cause‐effect relationships with their associated soil microbiomes and soil quality. Results revealed long‐term eO3 effects on belowground soil microbiomes and soil health surpass damage visible on plants. Elevated O3 significantly disrupted belowground bacteria‐fungi interactions, reduced fungal diversity, and altered fungal community assembly by impacting soybean physiological properties. Particularly, eO3 impacts on plant performance were significantly associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, undermining their contribution to plants, whereas eO3 increased fungal saprotroph proliferation, accelerating soil organic matter decomposition and soil carbon pool depletion. Free‐living diazotrophs exhibited remarkable acclimation under eO3, improving plant performance by enhancing nitrogen fixation. However, overarching detrimental consequences of eO3 negated this benefit. Overall, this study demonstrated long‐term eO3 profoundly governed negative impacts on plant‐soil‐microbiota interactions, pointing to a potential crisis for agroecosystems. These findings highlight urgent needs to develop adaptive strategies to navigate future eO3 scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant–plant interactions are a central driver for plant coexistence and community assembly. Chemically mediated plant–plant interactions are represented by allelopathy and allelobiosis. Both allelopathy and allelobiosis are achieved through specialized metabolites (allelochemicals or signaling chemicals) produced and released from neighboring plants. Allelopathy exerts mostly negative effects on the establishment and growth of neighboring plants by allelochemicals, while allelobiosis provides plant neighbor detection and identity recognition mediated by signaling chemicals. Therefore, plants can chemically affect the performance of neighboring plants through the allelopathy and allelobiosis that frequently occur in plant–plant intra-specific and inter-specific interactions. Allelopathy and allelobiosis are two probably inseparable processes that occur together in plant–plant chemical interactions. Here, we comprehensively review allelopathy and allelobiosis in plant–plant interactions, including allelopathy and allelochemicals and their application for sustainable agriculture and forestry, allelobiosis and plant identity recognition, chemically mediated root–soil interactions and plant–soil feedback, and biosynthesis and the molecular mechanisms of allelochemicals and signaling chemicals. Altogether, these efforts provide the recent advancements in the wide field of allelopathy and allelobiosis, and new insights into the chemically mediated plant–plant interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish protection is a priority in regions with ongoing and planned development of hydropower production, like the Mekong River system. The evaluation of the effects of turbine passage on the survival of migratory fish is a primary task for informing hydropower plant operators and authorities about the environmental performance of plant operations. The present work characterizes low pressures and collision rates through the Kaplan-type runners of the Xayaburi hydropower station. Both an experimental method based on the deployment of Sensor Fish and a numerical strategy based on flow and passage simulations were implemented on the analysis of two release elevations at one operating point. Nadir pressures and pressure drops through the runner were very sensitive to release elevation, but collision rates on the runner were not. The latter showed a frequency of occurrence of 8.2–9.3%. Measured magnitudes validated the corresponding simulation outcomes in regard to the averaged magnitudes as well as to the variability. Central to this study is that simulations were conducted based on current industry practices for designing turbines. Therefore, the reported agreement helps turbine engineers gain certainty about the prediction power of flow and trajectory simulations for fish passage assessments. This can accelerate the development of environmentally enhanced technology with minimum impact on natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant water status is crucial for growth and production, but the current climate change scenario makes it challenging to match the water plant demand. Blueberries are an economically important crop and play an acknowledged role in human health due to their antioxidant compounds. This research aimed to determine whether the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) improves the antioxidant defense mechanisms for protecting the photosynthetic performance in the blueberry plant cultivar 'Brigitta' under the stress condition of a water deficit (WD). A greenhouse experiment was carried out under a 16-h light period, at 20 °C, and 60–80% relative humidity for two weeks before the application of MeJA to the blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum, cultivar 'Brigitta'). The following treatments were maintained for 7-days: (i) 80% field capacity (NoWD), (ii) 80% field capacity plus MeJA application (NoWD + MeJA), (iii) 20% field capacity (WD), and (iv) 20% field capacity plus MeJA application (WD + MeJA). The MeJA was sprayed as an aqueous solution of 10 µM MeJA over the plant's foliar system. At the end of the assay, the blueberry leaves were analyzed for their relative water content, specific leaf area, lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant activity, total phenols, total anthocyanins, anthocyanidin compounds, and photosynthetic performance. The 'Brigitta' cultivar showed a significant decrease in the oxidative stress at leaf levels, with an increase in antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, total anthocyanins, delphinidin, petunidin, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin, and an improvement in photosynthetic performance parameters. The 'Brigitta' blueberry cultivar was shown to be susceptible to WD, which mainly decreased photosynthesis. However, the application of MeJA to the leaves induced metabolic changes through an increase of the antioxidant strategy within the plant to counteract the negative effects of WD and protect the photosynthetic apparatus, which allowed the 'Brigitta' cultivar to withstand the period of a WD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a consequence of the limited availability of fossil fuels, green energy is gaining more and more popularity. Home and business electricity is currently limited to solar thermal energy. Essential receivers in current solar thermal power plants can endure high temperatures. This ensures funding for green thermal power generation. Regular solar thermal power plant testing is arduous and time-consuming. They need expensive installation and take up much space. Many free software and tools can model and simulate solar thermal-producing systems. Some techniques can evaluate and predict the plant's performance, while others can investigate specific components. Nothing using research tools has ever reached the top. Simulated testing may precede power plant construction. This research requires basic visual help. A rudimentary plant model was developed when the computational calculations for thermal performance were obtained. Plus, it may estimate how much power the facility would produce. The program includes hydraulic heat transport fluids, ambient factors, a database, and user input parameters. Free hourly weather data from anywhere is available from the simulator. The simulator calculates the thermal power delivered by each component while running constituent simulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an important environmental problem owing to its widespread use, long residence time, and overall persistence. MPs threaten the health of humans, animals, and plants. However, studies on the effects of MPs on terrestrial plants are less common compared to those conducted in aquatic systems. This review discusses the sources of MPs in terrestrial ecosystems, their effects on C and N cycling in soils, and the impact of MPs on terrestrial plants, and focuses on plant growth and the potential risks to human health. MPs affect plants and their performance by altering soil structure, microbial activity, nutrient immobilization, transporting contaminants, and causing direct toxicity. Chemicals, such as plasticizers, additives, and colorants, in MPs may negatively affect ecosystems and their inhabitants, and MPs may interact with a wide array of pollutants, including pesticides, heavy metals, and antibiotics. These impacts vary as a function of soil type, plant species, and MP type. Future research efforts should focus on interaction complexity, uptake mechanisms, and impacts on plants at multiple spatiotemporal scales, while concurrently considering their effects on food chains and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustainability in manufacturing requires optimizing reliability and productivity while reducing environmental impact. This article introduces a novel approach by integrating Industry 4.0 technologies with reliability centered maintenance (RCM) to create a "smart RCM" model. In an era where Industry 4.0 leverages the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber physical systems (CPSs), cloud computing, and cognitive computing, this integration transforms conventional RCM into a data‐driven and efficient system. A case study conducted in a cement plant illustrates the benefits of smart RCM implementation. Key performance indicators (KPI), including increased production volume, reduced downtime, enhanced mean time between failures (MTBF), and improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), showcase the positive impact of smart RCM. Furthermore, specific environmental performance indicators, such as energy consumption, carbon footprint, and water consumption, exhibit favorable changes, contributing to sustainability. The implementation of smart RCM also presents an attractive payback period, making it an appealing approach for industries looking to optimize maintenance practices and environmental performance. Despite potential challenges in workforce adaptation and resistance, the integration of Industry 4.0 with RCM emerges as a transformative strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocation of rare plant species to their original habitat is an increasingly used conservation approach around the world. However, we lack information on the factors affecting translocation outcomes. Research on the influence of seed provenance on plant fitness is limited in the context of translocations using plug plants. This study aims at exploring the effect of seed origin on vegetative and floral performances of three species (Arnica montana L., Campanula glomerata L. and Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench) in eight populations (of 500 to 700 individuals each from two to five different origins) translocated in Belgium. We recorded for 4 to 8 years the survival of each plant, its fertility, the length of the longest flower stem or rosette diameter (depending on the species), the number of flower stems and the number of flowers (or flower heads) per flower stem. The results show that the origin of the seeds significantly impacted the three species studied for at least three performance variables, but no origin was superior to the others in all the measured variables. A combined effect of seed origin, site and year has also been observed. The seed origin effect persisted over the years, suggesting that this factor is at least as important as habitat suitability or environmental stochasticity. These results show the importance of the choice of the source population in the context of translocations and strongly support a multisource and multisite approach for future translocations of threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Drought stress poses a significant challenge to maize production, leading to substantial harm to crop growth and yield due to the induction of oxidative stress. Deashed biochar (DAB) in combination with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) presents an effective approach for addressing this problem. DAB improves soil structure by increasing porosity and water retention and enhancing plant nutrient utilization efficiency. The CMC provides advantages to plants by enhancing soil water retention, improving soil structure, and increasing moisture availability to the plant roots. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of DAB and CMC amendments on maize under field capacity (70 FC) and drought stress. Six different treatments were implemented in this study, namely 0 DAB + 0CMC, 25 CMC, 0.5 DAB, 0.5 DAB + 25 CMC, 1 DAB, and 1 DAB + 25 CMC, each with six replications, and they were arranged according to a completely randomized design. Results showed that 1 DAB + 25 CMC caused significant enhancement in maize shoot fresh weight (24.53%), shoot dry weight (38.47%), shoot length (32.23%), root fresh weight (19.03%), root dry weight (87.50%) and root length (69.80%) over control under drought stress. A substantial increase in maize chlorophyll a (40.26%), chlorophyll b (26.92%), total chlorophyll (30.56%), photosynthetic rate (21.35%), transpiration rate (32.61%), and stomatal conductance (91.57%) under drought stress showed the efficiency of 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment compared to the control. The enhancement in N, P, and K concentrations in both the root and shoot validated the effectiveness of the performance of the 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment when compared to the control group under drought stress. In conclusion, it is recommended that the application of 1 DAB + 25 CMC serves as a beneficial amendment for alleviating drought stress in maize.

South Carolina's Beaufort‐Jasper Water and Sewer Authority optimized its wastewater systems using Partnership for Clean Water goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a significant global source of vegetable oil, the oil palm’s ability to withstand abiotic stresses, particularly drought, is crucial for sustainable agriculture. This is especially significant in tropical regions, where water scarcity is becoming more common. Nitrogen, a vital nutrient, plays an essential role in various physiological and biochemical processes in plants, directly influencing growth and stress tolerance. This study investigates the interaction between nitrogen sources (ammonium vs. nitrate) and drought stress in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) seedlings, which is critical in enhancing productivity in this economically important crop. The experiment evaluated five commercial oil palm genotypes, which were supplied with nitrogen solutions (15 mM NH4+ or NO3−) for 46 days, followed by 30 days of progressive drought. The results showed that drought conditions universally reduced the biomass, with ammonium-fed plants exhibiting greater shoot biomass sensitivity than nitrate-fed plants. Drought also significantly decreased the chlorophyll a, PhiPS2, and root-reducing sugar levels—critical indicators of photosynthetic efficiency and overall plant health. The effects on the root architecture were complex, with ammonium nutrition differentially influencing the lateral root length under well-watered versus drought conditions, highlighting nitrogen forms’ nuanced role in root development. Importantly, substantial genotypic variability was observed in most traits, affecting the responses to both the nitrogen source and drought stress. This variability suggests that certain genotypes may be better suited to cultivation in specific environmental conditions, particularly drought-prone areas. In conclusion, this study underscores the intricate interplay between nitrogen nutrition, genotypic variability, and drought tolerance in oil palm seedlings. These findings highlight the need to integrate these factors into agricultural management strategies to improve resilience and productivity in oil palm plantations.

Green roofs (GRs) have been widely adopted as an effective Green Infrastructure (GI) practice in cities worldwide, offering ecosystem services such as stormwater management and reduction of the urban heat island effect. However, their widespread implementation is still limited by a lack of local research and uncertain research findings. As a result, the potential benefits of GRs often cannot justify their high investment costs. Previous studies have sought to enhance the effectiveness of GRs by evaluating new GR systems, such as integrating GRs with green walls, blue roofs, photovoltaic (PV) panels, radiant cooling systems, as well as the use of innovative materials in GR substrates. Biochar, a carbon-rich substrate additive, has been recently investigated. The addition of biochar improves water/nutrient retention of GRs, thereby increasing substrate fertility and promoting plant performance. Although studies have examined the effects of biochar on GR plant growth, long-term observational studies focusing on the impacts of various biochar-related parameters remain necessary. Therefore, this research aims to assess the performance of GR plants with different biochar parameters, namely, amendment rates, application methods, and particle sizes. A one-year-long observational data of plant height, coverage area, and dry weight from six GR test beds was collected and analyzed. Results demonstrate the positive impacts of biochar on plant growth in different biochar-GR setups and types of plant species (wallaby grass, common everlasting, and billy buttons). The GR with medium biochar particles at the amendment rate of 15% v/v had the best plant performance. This contributes to increasing the feasibility of GRs by maximizing GR benefits to buildings where they are installed while reducing GR costs of irrigation and maintenance. The conclusions were further supported by observed data indicating reduced substrate temperature, which in turn reduces building energy consumption. Since vegetation is crucial in determining the effectiveness of a GR system, this study will offer valuable insights to GR designers and urban planners for developing optimal biochar-amended GR systems. Such systems provide numerous benefits over traditional GRs, including enhanced plant growth, reduced building energy costs, a shorter payback period, and reduced structural requirements.

This paper is concerned with the management of multi-plant manufacturing networks. Two key concepts in this domain are plant roles and plant autonomy in the context of operations strategy decision-making. We investigate the relationship between these two concepts and their impact on plant performance. We use data from 102 manufacturing plants belonging to multi-plant networks. The results suggest a relationship between plant roles and operations strategy decision-making structures. Plants with high levels of decision-making autonomy typically have high levels of production, supply chain, and development competences, while plants with a low level of decision-making autonomy are primarily those with only production site competences. Integrated structures for operations strategy decision-making, which include both the network level and the plant level, exist for all plant types and are thus not restricted to plants with a certain set of site competences. In accounting for both the plant type and decision-making structure, we were unable to detect any significant differences between groups in terms of performance effects. Instead, it seems that the fit between plant type and decision-making structure is important and that choosing the right type of operations strategy decision-making structure moderates the performance of plants with low site competence levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress poses a significant challenge to maize production, leading to substantial harm to crop growth and yield due to the induction of oxidative stress. Deashed biochar (DAB) in combination with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) presents an effective approach for addressing this problem. DAB improves soil structure by increasing porosity and water retention and enhancing plant nutrient utilization efficiency. The CMC provides advantages to plants by enhancing soil water retention, improving soil structure, and increasing moisture availability to the plant roots. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of DAB and CMC amendments on maize under field capacity (70 FC) and drought stress. Six different treatments were implemented in this study, namely 0 DAB + 0CMC, 25 CMC, 0.5 DAB, 0.5 DAB + 25 CMC, 1 DAB, and 1 DAB + 25 CMC, each with six replications, and they were arranged according to a completely randomized design. Results showed that 1 DAB + 25 CMC caused significant enhancement in maize shoot fresh weight (24.53%), shoot dry weight (38.47%), shoot length (32.23%), root fresh weight (19.03%), root dry weight (87.50%) and root length (69.80%) over control under drought stress. A substantial increase in maize chlorophyll a (40.26%), chlorophyll b (26.92%), total chlorophyll (30.56%), photosynthetic rate (21.35%), transpiration rate (32.61%), and stomatal conductance (91.57%) under drought stress showed the efficiency of 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment compared to the control. The enhancement in N, P, and K concentrations in both the root and shoot validated the effectiveness of the performance of the 1 DAB + 25 CMC treatment when compared to the control group under drought stress. In conclusion, it is recommended that the application of 1 DAB + 25 CMC serves as a beneficial amendment for alleviating drought stress in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a widespread environmental issue. There is a lack of knowledge about the impacts of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biochar, either alone or in their combination, on alleviating Cd phytotoxicity in Ligustrum lucidum. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where L. lucidum seedlings were randomly subjected to four regimes of AMF treatments (inoculation with sterilized AMF, with Rhizophagus irregularis, Diversispora versiformis, alone or a mixture of these two fungi), and two regimes of biochar treatments (with or without rice-husk biochar), as well as three regimes of Cd treatments (0, 15, and 150 mg kg−1), to examine the responses of growth, photosynthetic capabilities, soil enzymatic activities, nutritional concentrations, and Cd absorption of L. lucidum plants to the interactive effects of AMF, biochar, and Cd. The results demonstrated that under Cd contaminations, AMF alone significantly increased plant total dry weight, soil pH, and plant nitrogen (N) concentration by 84%, 3.2%, and 13.2%, respectively, and inhibited soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 42.2%; biochar alone significantly enhanced net photosynthetic rate, soil pH, and soil catalase of non-mycorrhizal plants by 16.4%, 9%, and 11.9%, respectively, and reduced the soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 44.7%; the additive effect between AMF and biochar greatly enhanced plant total dry weight by 101.9%, and reduced the soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 51.6%. Furthermore, dual inoculation with D. versiformis and R. irregularis conferred more benefits on plants than the single fungal species did. Accordingly, amending Cd-contaminated soil with the combination of mixed-fungi inoculation and biochar application performed the best than either AMF or biochar alone. These responses may have been attributed to higher mycorrhizal colonization, soil pH, biomass accumulation, and biomass allocation to the roots, as well as photosynthetic capabilities. In conclusion, the combined use of mixed-fungi involving D. versiformis and R. irregularis and biochar addition had significant synergistic effects on enhancing plant performance and reducing Cd uptake of L. lucidum plants in Cd-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing municipal solid waste (MSW) management scenarios is relevant for planning future policies and actions toward a circular economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is appropriate for evaluating technologies of MSW treatment and their environmental impacts. However, in developing countries, advanced assessments are difficult to introduce due to the lack of technical knowledge, data and financial support. This research aims to assess the main potentialities of the introduction of waste-to-energy (WtE) systems in a developing Argentinean urban area considering the existing regulations about MSW recycling goals. The study was conducted with WRATE software and the proposed scenarios were current management, grate incineration of raw MSW and incineration of solid recovered fuel (SRF). In addition, a sensitivity analysis on the energy matrix was included. It was found that the production of SRF allows increasing the energy generation from waste by 200% and reducing the environmental impact of about 10% regarding the current MSW management system. Acidification Potential and Abiotic Depletion Potential were sensitive to changes in electricity mix. Results showed that if MSW reduction goals are achieved, changes in MSW composition will affect the performance of WtE plants and, in some cases, they will be not technically feasible. The outcomes of this study can be of interest for developing countries stakeholders and practitioners interested in LCA and sustainable MSW management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The leaf angle distribution (LAD) is an important structural parameter of agricultural crops that influences light interception, radiation fluxes and consequently plant performance. Therefore, LAD and its parametrized form, the Beta distribution, is used in many photosynthesis models. However, in field cultivations, these parameters are difficult to assess and cereal crops in particular pose challenges since their leaves are thin, flexible, and often bent and twisted around their own axis. To our knowledge, there is only a very limited set of methods currently available to calculate LADs of field-grown cereal crops that explicitly takes these special morphological properties into account. Results: In this study, a new processing pipeline is introduced that allows for the generation of realistic leaf surface models and the analysis of LADs of field-grown cereal crops from 3D point clouds. The data acquisition is based on a convenient stereo imaging setup. The approach was validated with different artificial targets and results on the accuracy of the 3D reconstruction, leaf surface modeling and calculated LAD are given. The mean error of the 3D reconstruction was below 1 mm for an inclination angle range between 0° and 75° and the leaf surface could be quantified with an average accuracy of 90%. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) of 99.6% (p-value = 1.5 ∗ 10 - 29 ) indicated a high correlation between the reconstructed inclination angle and the identity line. The LADs for bent leaves were reconstructed with a mean error of 0.21° and a standard deviation of 1.55°. As an additional parameter, the insertion angle was reconstructed for the artificial leaf model with an average error < 5°. Finally, the method was tested with images of field-grown cereal crops and Beta functions were approximated from the calculated LADs. The mean CCC between reconstructed LAD and calculated Beta function was 0.66. According to Cohen, this indicates a high correlation. Conclusion: This study shows that our image processing pipeline can reconstruct the complex leaf shape of cereal crops from stereo images. The high accuracy of the approach was demonstrated with several validation experiments including artificial leaf targets. The derived leaf models were used to calculate LADs for artificial leaves and naturally grown cereal crops. This helps to better understand the influence of the canopy structure on light absorption and plant performance and allows for a more precise parametrization of photosynthesis models via the derived Beta distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Turiaçu pineapple cultivar produces fruits of high organoleptic value but has few biotechnological studies on seedling production. However, conventional in vitro propagation can affect the photosynthetic potential of plants when transferred to the field, thus mitigating measures should be undertaken to solve this limitation, for example by decreasing carbohydrate concentration in the growth medium, adopting bioreactors of temporary immersion with forced ventilation, and using gas permeable membranes in the culture flask. The present work focused on evaluating the growth and development of plantlets from Ananas comosus [L]. Merr. cultivar Turiaçu, an important but neglected pineapple cultivar, under different sucrose concentrations and cultivation systems. For that, the impact of the photomixotrophic and photoautotrophic growth on morphophysiological responses of plants and survival during the ex vitro acclimatization was assessed. The plants were grown in four cultivation systems: permanent immersion system with sealed flasks (PIS-SF); permanent immersion system with natural ventilation (PIS-NV); single-flask temporary immersion bioreactors (TIS-PF); and twin-flasks temporary immersion bioreactors (TIS-RALM), combined with sucrose concentrations (0, 5.0, 15.0, and 30.0 g L−1). The results indicate that Turiaçu plants have photoautotrophic potential in vitro, as the photochemical efficiency of the plants increased in cultivation systems with TIS –RALM gas exchange without the addition of sucrose. Furthermore, it also improved the performance and hardening of plants in ex vitro conditions, which constitutes a crucial step towards the diffusion of this cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various technologies for hydrogen production, the renewable energy driven water electrolysis has emerged as a favorable method. In this respect, the present research proposes and analyses a novel and efficient medium-temperature driven geothermal system for green hydrogen production. An alkaline electrolyzer is deployed for hydrogen production which is powered by a double flash steam geothermal power cycle. To boost the power generation (and hence the hydrogen production amount) the double flash cycle is equipped with a self-superheating process, which superheats the saturated vapor at turbine inlet without using another external heat source. Thermodynamic evaluations, based on exergy concept, along with economic analysis are carried out to assess the hydrogen production amount, plant exergy efficiency and total cost rate, and the unit hydrogen price. In order to represent a comprehensive investigation of the plant performance, parametric analyses along with single- and multi-criteria optimizations were conducted. The results revealed that, for 1 kg / s of geothermal brine, the capacity of hydrogen production of the proposed plant is ∼ 1.5 − 3 kg / h under various operating conditions. It is found that, under multi-objective optimum operating conditions, the plant yields 12.63% exergy efficiency and its total cost rate is calculated to be 10.42 $/h. However, if the plant is to be optimized for maximum exergy efficiency, the value of 14.25 % is achievable which will result in increment of total cost rate to 11.97 $/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined abiotic and biotic stresses modify plant defense signaling, leading to either the activation or suppression of defense responses. Although the majority of combined abiotic and biotic stresses reduce plant fitness, certain abiotic stresses reduce the severity of pathogen infection in plants. Remarkably, certain pathogens also improve the tolerance of some plants to a few abiotic stresses. While considerable research focuses on the detrimental impact of combined stresses on plants, the upside of combined stress remains hidden. This review succinctly discusses the interactions between abiotic stresses and pathogen infection that benefit plant fitness. Various factors that govern the positive influence of combined abiotic stress and pathogen infection on plant performance are also discussed. In addition, we provide a brief overview of the role of pathogens, mainly viruses, in improving plant responses to abiotic stresses. We further highlight the critical nodes in defense signaling that guide plant responses during abiotic stress towards enhanced resistance to pathogens. Studies on antagonistic interactions between abiotic and biotic stressors can uncover candidates in host plant defense that may shield plants from combined stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development and evaluation of new lance-leaved caladium cultivars: 'Wonderland', 'Salsa', and 'Pinky Swear'. Topics discussed include the origin and botanical characteristics of these cultivars, their tuber yield potential, and their performance in container trials, highlighting their suitability for both landscape and container plant production.

The intensity, duration, and severity of drought increasing across the American Southwest. Plant restoration efforts are often thwarted by drought‐induced effects (i.e. drought‐induced mortality or failure to reproduce). Careful selection of plant materials to match future environmental conditions could improve restoration success under climate change. Here, we focus on Plantago patagonica, a priority arid land restoration species in the southwestern US. Using experimental drought in a greenhouse and supplemental watering in a common garden experiment, we quantified how the seed‐collection site environment influenced plant growth, performance, phenotypic plasticity, and evidence of local adaptation in 12 populations of P. patagonica. In the greenhouse, we found plants from hotter and drier environments had higher root:shoot ratios, while those from more variable precipitation regimes had greater total biomass in response to drought. Populations sourced from warmer environments exhibited sevenfold greater plasticity in root:shoot ratio compared to those from cooler environments, and there was strong evidence for local adaptation in phenology, as populations sourced from geographic locations nearer the common garden exhibited five times more flowering individuals than those sourced furthest from that garden. In the common garden, we found that plants sourced from wetter locations and those with more consistent precipitation regimes had lower mortality and higher specific leaf area, a proxy for growth, under unwatered ambient conditions. These results suggest plant performance of P. patagonica under reduced water availability is strongly shaped by the seed‐collection site environment and may be a useful tool for improving restoration outcomes in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of spray deposition are fundamental for improving pesticide performance in plant pests. This study evaluated how spray droplet size (1) and spray nozzle type (2) affect the quantity and quality of spray deposition on peanut plants at the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Two greenhouse experiments were performed on peanut plants at the V1 and R1 growth stages. Experiment 1 treatments included three droplet sizes: medium (flat fan XR 11002), very coarse (TT 11002), and extremely coarse (AIXR 11002). Experiment 2 treatments were five spray nozzles: hollow cone (TXA 8002 VK), twin flat fan (TTJ60 11002), air induction flat fan (AIXR 110025), drift guard twin flat fan (DGTJ60 11002), and extended range flat fan (XR 11003). Spray deposition values were determined using a solution of brilliant blue dye sprayed by a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer. The medium droplet size provided higher spray deposition on peanut plants at the V1 and R1 growth stages. Increasing the droplet size from medium to extremely coarse reduces spray deposition at the V1 growth stage. Spray deposition uniformity increased as droplet size increased at the V1 growth stage. The spray uniformity decreased at the R1 growth stage as the droplet size increased. The flat fan XR 11003 (medium droplet) and hollow cone nozzle TXA 8002 VK (fine droplet) provided a higher spray deposition on peanut plants at both growth stages. The spray nozzles that provide a higher spray deposition did not perform well on spray uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis sativa L. is a species of great economic value. It is a medicinal plant that produces several bioactive phytochemicals, and the stems of the industrial cultivars, commonly referred to as "hemp", are sources of both cellulosic fibers and hurds used in textiles and bio-composites. Environmental stresses of biotic and abiotic nature affect plant development and metabolism and can, consequently, impact biomass yield and phytochemical content. Stress factors can be divided into eustressors and distressors; while the former stimulate a positive response in terms of growth, productivity, and resistance, the latter impair plant development. Eustressors are factors that, applied at low–moderate doses, can improve plant performance. Several studies have investigated different types of distress in C. sativa and evaluated the impact on biomass and phytochemicals, while less attention has been paid to the study of eustress. This review discusses the concept of plant eustress by referring to the recent literature and extrapolates it to applications in C. sativa cultivation. The data available on the response of C. sativa to exogenous factors are reviewed, and then, salinity eustress applied to hemp cultivation is taken as a proof-of-concept example. The knowledge developed on plant eustress and the results collected so far are discussed in light of future applications to improve the production of biomass and phytochemicals in plants of economic interest. Emphasis is placed on the potential use of eustress in conjunction with other factors shown to impact both the physiological response and metabolism of Cannabis, among which there are macronutrients and biofertilizers. Perspectives are also drawn with respect to applying the knowledge developed on the elicitation of whole plants to Cannabis cell suspension cultures, which provide a controlled, scalable, and season-independent platform to produce secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoplastics, as a hot topic of novel contaminants, lack extensive concern in higher plants; especially the potential impact and mechanism of nanoplastics on legume crops remains elusive. In this study, the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 200 nm) with diverse doses (control, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 mg/L) to soybean and mung bean plants grown hydroponically for 7 d was investigated at both the macroscopic and molecular levels. The results demonstrated that the root length of both plants was markedly suppressed to varying degrees. Similarly, mineral elements (Fe, Zn) were notably decreased in soybean roots, consistent with Cu alteration in mung bean. Moreover, PS-NPs considerably elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels only in soybean roots. Enzyme activity data indicated mung bean exhibited significant damage only at higher doses of PS-NPs stress than soybean, implying mung bean is more resilient. Transcriptome analysis showed that PS-NPs stimulated the expression of genes associated with the antioxidant system in plant roots. Furthermore, starch and sucrose metabolism might play a key role in coping with PS-NPs to enhance soybean resistance, but the MAPK pathway was enriched in mung bean. Our findings provide valuable perspectives for an in-depth understanding of the performance of plants growing in waters contaminated by nanoplastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling mass and energy is a feature in almost all plants and industries. It is reported as an inevitable characteristic in actual industries due to differences between the designed processes and implementation. When a process is set, engineers identify inefficiencies in the planned performance and utilize recycles to try to reduce this difference. However, although recycles help in improving a plant's overall performance compared with a serial arrangement, its effect on dynamic plant behaviour is seldom considered, and these changes begin to impact the features of processes like controllability and stability. Similarly, even though recycles affect the feasible region of individual equipment, its effect is not verified. Based on the aforementioned background, several studies have demonstrated that advanced control strategies allow for the improvement of the dynamic behaviour of complex plants. Different techniques, such as model‐based predictive control and plant‐wide control (PWC), also show that their implementation reduces the effects of recycles. However, there is no explicit methodology to design these controllers and address the impacts of recycles on dynamic behaviour and feasibility. Additionally, there is no tuning procedure to design controllers that optimize the dynamic performance of plants, including the control system. In this context, this work presents an analysis to characterize the effects of recycles on the dynamic behaviour of plants, including how they affect the feasible operating region. Based on the previous analysis, a control methodology is also proposed to design the PWC strategy, explicitly addressing the dynamical phenomena of recycles in processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Stress due to drought lowers crop yield and frequently leads to a rise in food scarcity. Plants' intricate metabolic systems enable them to tolerate drought stress, but they are unable to handle it well. Adding some external, environmentally friendly supplements can boost plant growth and productivity when it comes to drought-stressed plants. In order to prevent the detrimental effects of drought in agricultural regions, environmentally friendly practices must be upheld. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can exhibit beneficial phytostimulation, mineralization, and biocontrol activities under drought stress. The significant impact of the PGPR previously reported has not been accepted as an effective treatment to lessen drought stress. Recent studies have successfully shown that manipulating microbes can be a better option to reduce the severity of drought in plants. In this review, we demonstrate how modifying agents such as biochar, PGPR consortia, PGPR, and mycorrhizal fungi can help overcome drought stress responses in crop plants. This article also discusses CRISPR/Cas9-modifiable genes, increase plant's effectiveness in drought conditions, and increase plant resistance to drought stress. With an eco-friendly approach in mind, there is a need for practical management techniques having potential prospects based on an integrated strategy mediated by CRISPR-Cas9 editing, PGPR, which may alleviate the effects of drought stress in crops and aid in achieving the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs-2030). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than a half-century has passed since it was discovered that phytohormone cytokinin (CK) is essential to drive cytokinesis and proliferation in plant tissue culture. Thereafter, cytokinin has emerged as the primary regulator of the plant cell cycle and numerous developmental processes. Lately, a growing body of evidence suggests that cytokinin has a role in mitigating both abiotic and biotic stress. Cytokinin is essential to defend plants against excessive light exposure and a unique kind of abiotic stress generated by an altered photoperiod. Secondly, cytokinin also exhibits multi-stress resilience under changing environments. Furthermore, cytokinin homeostasis is also affected by several forms of stress. Therefore, the diverse roles of cytokinin in reaction to stress, as well as its interactions with other hormones, are discussed in detail. When it comes to agriculture, understanding the functioning processes of cytokinins under changing environmental conditions can assist in utilizing the phytohormone, to increase productivity. Through this review, we briefly describe the biological role of cytokinin in enhancing the performance of plants growth under abiotic challenges as well as the probable mechanisms underpinning cytokinin-induced stress tolerance. In addition, the article lays forth a strategy for using biotechnological tools to modify genes in the cytokinin pathway to engineer abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The information presented here will assist in better understanding the function of cytokinin in plants and their effective investigation in the cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resources in water-limited ecosystems are highly variable and unpredictable, and the maintenance of functional diversity among coexisting species is a crucial ecological strategy through which plants mitigate environmental stress. The comparison of differential eco-physiological responses among cooccurring plants in harsh environments could help provide deep insights into the coexistence mechanisms of competing species. Two coexisting desert shrubs with different photosynthetic pathways (Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix ramosissima) were selected in the Gurbantunggut Desert located in northwest China. This study detected variations in the water sources, photosynthetic parameters, stem water status, and non-structural carbohydrates of the two shrubs at three sites with different groundwater table depths during the growing seasons of 2015 and 2016 to identify distinct eco-physiological performances in coexisting plants with different functional types under fluctuating water conditions. The water sources of H. ammodendron shifted from soil water to groundwater, while T. ramosissima extracted watermainly fromdeep soil layers at both sites. Significant reductions in carbon assimilation and stomatal conductance in H. ammodendron with deeper groundwater table depth were detected during most drought periods, but no significant decreases in transpiration rate were detected with declining groundwater table depth. For T. ramosissima, all of these gas exchange parameters decreased with the progression of summer drought, and their relative reduction rates were larger compared with those of H. ammodendron. The stem water status of H. ammodendron deteriorated, and the relative reduction rates of water potential increased with deeper groundwater, whereas those of T. ramosissima did not differ with greater groundwater depth. These findings indicated that prolonged drought would intensify the impact of declining groundwater depth on the eco-physiology of both shrubs, but the extent to which the shrubs would respond differed. The two shrubs were segregated along the water-carbon balance continuum: the C3 shrub T. ramosissima maximized its carbon fixation at an enormous cost of water, while greater carbon fixation was achieved with far greater water economy for H. ammodendron. These results demonstrated that the two shrubs prioritized carbon gain and water loss differently when faced with limited water sources. These mechanisms might mitigate competitive stress and enable their coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance traits of plants can be activated both at the damaged site and undamaged parts. Systemic resistance induced by local exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) application alleviated negative effect of low water availability on growth performance of clonal plant. However, timing of systemic resistance was poorly understood. Timing of systemic resistance refers to its activation and decay time within clonal network. Clonal fragment of Centella asiatica with four successive ramets (including first-oldest, second-older, third-old and fourthyoung ramets) subjected to low water availability (20% soil moisture content) was used to explore effects of local exogenous ABA application on the timing of resistance activation and decay. Systemic resistance activated by local exogenous ABA application after 4 days remained at least 28 days. Compared with control, biomass accumulation of whole clonal fragment, root biomass and ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass significantly increased by local exogenous ABA application after 28 days. It is suggested that rapid activation and delay of resistance response induced by local exogenous ABA application within clonal network may improve fitness of clonal plant subjected to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under all environments, roots are important for plant anchorage and acquiring water and nutrients. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding how root architecture contributes to stress tolerance in a changing climate. Two closely related plant species, maize and sorghum, have distinct root system architectures and different levels of stress tolerance, making comparative analysis between these two species an ideal approach to resolve this knowledge gap. However, current research has focused on shared aspects of the root system that are advantageous under abiotic stress conditions rather than on differences. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge comparing the root system architecture relative to plant performance under water deficit, salt stress, and low phosphorus in maize and sorghum. Under water deficit, steeper root angles and deeper root systems are proposed to be advantageous for both species. In saline soils, a reduction in root length and root number has been described as advantageous, but this work is limited. Under low phosphorus, root systems that are shallow and wider are beneficial for topsoil foraging. Future work investigating the differences between these species will be critical for understanding the role of root system architecture in optimizing plant production for a changing global climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant submergence is a major abiotic stress that impairs plant performance. Under water, reduced gas diffusion exposes submerged plant cells to an environment that is enriched in gaseous ethylene and is limited in oxygen (O2) availability (hypoxia). The capacity for plant roots to avoid and/or sustain critical hypoxia damage is essential for plants to survive waterlogging. Plants use spatiotemporal ethylene and O2 dynamics as instrumental flooding signals to modulate potential adaptive root growth and hypoxia stress acclimation responses. However, how non-adapted plant species modulate root growth behaviour during actual waterlogged conditions to overcome flooding stress has hardly been investigated. Here we discuss how changes in the root growth rate, lateral root formation, density, and growth angle of non-flood adapted plant species (mainly Arabidopsis) could contribute to avoiding and enduring critical hypoxic conditions. In addition, we discuss current molecular understanding of how ethylene and hypoxia signalling control these adaptive root growth responses. We propose that future research would benefit from less artificial experimental designs to better understand how plant roots respond to and survive waterlogging. This acquired knowledge would be instrumental to guide targeted breeding of flood-tolerant crops with more resilient root systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of low-emissions hydrogen can improve the sustainability of certain hard-to-decarbonize sectors, like industrial and residential heating. Gasification of biomass has been identified as a promising production method for high-volume clean hydrogen, but uncertainty around its economic conditions have prevented it from being used in practice. This work evaluates the economics of three potential gasification facilities in the United States to identify the optimal conditions for a successful hydrogen plant. The locations were selected based on local policies that create a need for high volume clean hydrogen by regulating natural gas emissions. Local features, like biomass type, availability, and distance between the biomass and hydrogen market, are taken into account. A novel simulation is used to build upon previous models to determine the effects of biomass composition on hydrogen yield and utility usage. The environmental impact of each location is then assessed using GREET, Argonne's greenhouse gas emissions quantification tool, to determine the plant's qualifications for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ultimately, the cost of transported hydrogen in a 40 metric ton/day facility was calculated to be $3.47/kg H 2 in Klamath County, Oregon (which serves both the Oregon and California markets), $4.11/kg H 2 in Park County, Colorado, and $3.63/kg H 2 in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. A sensitivity analysis found transportation distance and biomass availability to be major factors in these costs. Variability in biomass composition had minimal effects on plant performance. • Identifies three potential US locations for H2 biomass gasification plants. • Novel simulation of gasification for different feedstock compositions. • Evaluates environmental impact to determine qualification for tax credits. • Hydrogen cost sensitive to biomass availability and hydrogen pipeline length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic range limits of species are often a reflection of their ecological niche limits. In many organisms, important niche limits that coincide with distribution limits are warm and warm-dry conditions. We investigated the effects of heat and drought, as they can occur at the warm end of distribution. In a greenhouse experiment, we raised North American Arabidopsis lyrata from the centre of its distribution as well as from low- and high-latitude limits under average and extreme conditions. We assessed plant growth and development, as well as leaf and root functional traits, and tested for a decline in performance and selection acting on growth, leaf, and root traits. Drought and heat, when applied alone, lowered plant performance, while combined stress caused synergistically negative effects. Plants from high latitudes did not survive under combined stress, whereas plants originating from central and low latitudes had low to moderate survival, indicating divergent adaptation. Traits positively associated with survival under drought, with or without heat, were delayed and slowed growth, though plastic responses in these traits were generally antagonistic to the direction of selection. In line, higher tolerance of stress in southern populations did not involve aspects of growth but rather a higher root-to-shoot ratio and thinner leaves. In conclusion, combined heat and drought, as can occur at southern range edges and presumably more so under global change, seriously impede the long-term persistence of A. lyrata, even though they impose selection and populations may adapt, though under likely interference by considerable maladaptive plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants possess the ability to detect, integrate, and react to myriad signals and cues regarding imminent challenges and opportunities. In this study, we investigated whether unstressed plants can adaptively respond to cues emitted by neighbouring plants treated with abscisic acid (ABA) and if they can subsequently induce adaptive responses in additional unstressed neighbours. Triplets of split‐root Pisum sativum plants were grown in rows. The findings reveal that, under drought conditions, cues from ABA‐treated plants enhanced the survival of both immediately adjacent target plants and more distantly located relayed target plants. However, this cueing adversely impacted the performance of plants growing under sufficient water availability. These findings hold potential implications for our understanding of the role of interplant communication in plant interactions, as well as its effects on the survival and performance of plants in both natural and agricultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Trait‐based ecology is built on the notion that traits impact individual performance, but trait–growth relationships have rarely been tested considering the intraspecific variation, trait interactions, and potential nonlinearity in these relationships. Location: Seven tropical dry forests throughout Colombia. Methods: We examined trait–growth relationships in 263 woody species of tropical dry forests in Colombia, including trait and growth information measured in the same individuals. We measured height, stem, and leaf traits related to growth and hydraulic safety–efficiency in 967 individuals in seven permanent plots (1 ha). We assessed trait–growth relationships using random forest models for each plot with different trait resolutions (individual, plot, area) and complexity of trait interactions (low, medium, high). Results: Trait–growth relationships were generally weak without significant differences among trait resolutions or levels of interactions between traits. However, when considering leaf phenology, the proportion of growth variation explained in deciduous species was almost three times higher than in evergreen species. Finally, we found that the effect of traits on growth was consistent across plots and phenological strategies, with both stem (vessel area and pit diameter aperture) and leaf (leaf area and specific leaf area) traits ranked as important predictors, the relevance of which depended on the species' leaf phenology. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that growth is probably limited by different factors depending on the species' physiology according to the leaf habit considered. However, other factors not included in the analysis, such as microenvironmental variability, might influence trait–growth relationships in tropical dry forests. Overall, our results suggest that a trait coordination approach at the whole‐plant level is needed to better understand plants' performance and demographic rates in this ecosystem. Further studies on the traits of regional flora and consideration of longer growth periods would help to elucidate the dynamics governing trait composition in these forests, which is essential for the design of adequate forest restoration and conservation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manila tamarind [Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth] belongs to the family Fabaceae and sub-family Mimosoideae. This tree have multiple uses; fruit, firewood, honey, fodder, soap oil, tannin, hedges and shade. Naturally this plant species can be multiplied by seeds. Apart from genetic variability, the seedling progenies may take long time to first bearing and sometimes irregular bearing also noticed due to its genetic makeup. In order to overcome these drawbacks, vegetative propagation is the only alternate way to get genetically uniform, early bearing and high yielding characters. The age of rootstocks and season of grafting influences the success of the grafts and performance of the grafted plants. With this background, studies on age of rootstocks and season on grafting success in Manila Tamarind was carried out. Methods: An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of season and age of the rootstocks in Manila tamarind (Pithecellobium dulce). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with 15 treatment combinations and four replications. In this study, three rootstocks of different age viz., 6, 9 and 12 months old were grafted during June, July, August, September and October. Result: The main and interaction effects on age of rootstocks and season of grafting had a significant influence on survival percentage, number of days taken to first sprouting, number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content of manila tamarind under controlled conditions. The softwood grafting performed on nine month old rootstocks during September recorded the highest survival percentage and it was significantly different from all other treatments. The same treatment i.e., nine months old rootstock grafted in September was also recorded the less number of days taken to first sprouting with highest number of leaves per plant and chlorophyll content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is an evergreen and a xerophytic shrub that is frequently employed in culinary, decorative, and industrial applications. It shows significant variations in biomass and essential oil (EO) yield due to effects of biotic and abiotic factors. Biostimulants are widely used in agriculture, and in organic agricultural systems, they may contribute significantly to the stability and/or to the increase in crop yields, ensuring respect for the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different types of biostimulants on the yield performance of rosemary. Four commercial formulations of biostimulants based on Eklonia maxima, Ascophyllum nodosum, fulvic acids, and protein hydrolysates were used for the tests. Water was used as a control. Six applications were performed. At harvest, several morphological and productive parameters were determined. All parameters were affected by biostimulant application. The highest fresh and dry yields were obtained with the application of fulvic acids (13.1 t ha−1 of fresh biomass and 4.3 t ha−1 of dry biomass) and protein hydrolysates (13.6 t ha−1 of fresh biomass and 4.4 t ha−1 of dry biomass) with values 60% higher than that of the control. Regarding the EO content in the dry biomass, the highest value (1.72% v/w) was found in control plants, whilst the lowest (1.14%) was observed in plants treated with fulvic acids. In the case of the EO yield, the lowest value (46.5 kg ha−1) per unit area was found in the control. The application of Eklonia maxima and protein hydrolysates produced the highest EO yield values, 65 kg ha−1 and 66.5 kg ha−1, respectively. This study highlights the use of biostimulants to increase the yield performance of rosemary when grown in an organic agricultural system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite plants realistically being affected by vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores simultaneously, fundamental differences in the ecology and evolution of these two herbivore guilds often means their impacts on plants are studied separately. A synthesis of the literature is needed to understand the types of plant traits examined and their response to, and effect on (in terms of forage selection) vertebrate and invertebrate herbivory, and to identify associated knowledge gaps. Focusing on grassland systems and species, we found 138 articles that met our criteria: 39 invertebrate, 97 vertebrate and 2 focussed on both vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores. Our study identified invertebrate focussed research, research conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and research on nondomesticated herbivores was significantly underrepresented based on our search and should be a focus of future research. Differences in study focus (trait response or trait effect), along with differences in the types of traits examined, led to limited opportunity for comparison between the two herbivore guilds. This review therefore predominantly discusses the response and effect of plant traits to each herbivore guild separately. In future studies, we suggest this review be used as a guide for trait selection, to improve comparability and the broader significance of results. Summary statement: Plants are potentially exposed to many different herbivores simultaneously, but we often study the effect of specific herbivore guilds or species on plant performance. In this review, we unpack and explore differences between vertebrate and invertebrate focussed studies which examined how plant traits respond to and affect herbivory. We examined overall trends and biases, differences in the types of traits examined and the relationships between plant traits and herbivory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) in soil affect plant–soil systems depending on their shape and polymer type. However, previous research has not yet considered the effects of degraded plastics, which are the plastic materials actually present in the environment.We selected eight MPs representing different shapes (fibres, films and foams) and polymer types, and exposed them to UV‐C degradation. Each MP was mixed with soil at a concentration of 0.4% (w/w). The phytometer Daucus carota grew in each pot. At harvest, soil properties and plant biomass were measured.Photodegradation altered MP physical and chemical properties, impacting plant–soil systems. MP degradation effects on plant and soil were observed with fibres and foams, but there were negligible effects with films. The latter could be explained by the polymer structure of films and manufacturer's additives, potentially delaying their degradation.Degraded fibres increased soil respiration more than their non‐degraded counterparts, as photodegradation increased the positive effects of fibres on soil water retention. The emergence of oxygenated groups during degradation may have increased the hydrophilicity of fibres, enhancing their ability to retain water. Degraded foams increased soil respiration, which could be related to the possible leaching of organic substances with lower partition coefficients, which may promote soil microbial activity.In contrast, degraded foams decreased soil aggregation, likely as degradation produced larger holes increasing their permeability. Also, the increase in hydrophilic molecules could have decreased soil particle cohesiveness. Degraded fibres and foams increased shoot and root mass as a result of MP effects on soil properties. Photodegraded MPs affected root traits, which could be linked to MP effects on soil water status and plant coping strategies.Synthesis and applications. Photodegradation can intensify the effects that microplastics (MPs) have on plant–soil systems, which would have frequently been underestimated had we only worked with pristine MPs. Plastic companies, agricultural practitioners and researchers should consider that plastics are being degraded as they enter the soil. Policies should promote practices to minimize MP accumulation in soils and ensure their proper disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]