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BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BPCs) transcription factors are important regulators of plant growth and development. However, the regulatory mechanism of BPC2 in roots remains unclear. In our previous study, we created Csbpc2 cucumber mutants by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and our studies on the phenotype of Csbpc2 mutants showed that the root growth was inhibited compared with wide‐type (WT). Moreover, the surface area, volume and number of roots decreased significantly, with root system architecture changing from dichotomous branching to herringbone branching. Compared with WT, the leaf growth of the Csbpc2 mutants was not affected. However, the palisade and spongy tissue were significantly thinner, which was not beneficial for photosynthesis. The metabolome of root exudates showed that compared with WT, amino acids and their derivatives were significantly decreased, and the enriched pathways were mainly regulated by amino acids and their derivatives, indicating that knockout of CsBPC2 mainly affected the amino acid content in root exudates. Importantly, transcriptome analysis showed that knockout of CsBPC2 mainly affected root gene expression. Knockout of CsBPC2 significantly reduced the gene expression of gibberellins synthesis. However, the expression of genes related to amino acid synthesis, nitrogen fixation and PSII‐related photosynthesis increased significantly, which may be due to the effect of knocking out CsBPC2 on gibberellins synthesis, resulting in the inhibition of seedling growth, thus forming negative feedback regulation. Generally, we showed for the first time that BPC2 is a key regulator gene of root growth and development, laying the foundation for future mechanisms of BPC2 regulation in roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the comprehensive effects of straw returning on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as cotton growth in Jiangsu, China, and to determine suitable high-yield and efficient straw returning measures, this study implemented three different straw returning methods: straw mulching (SM), straw incorporation (SI), and straw biochar (BC), with no straw returning served as a control (CT). The study aimed to assess the impact of these straw-returning measures on soil nutrients, soil moisture content, soil water storage, and deficit status, as well as primary indicators of cotton growth. The findings revealed that the total available nutrient storage under SM, SI, and BC showed an increase of 11.93%, 11.15%, and 32.39%, respectively, compared to CT. Among these methods, BC demonstrated a significant enhancement in soil organic carbon content, available phosphorus, and available potassium. Furthermore, SM exhibited a considerable increase in soil moisture content across all layers (0–40 cm), resulting in an average water storage increase of 7.42 mm compared to CT. Consequently, this effectively reduced the soil water deficit during the cotton development period. Moreover, the height of cotton plants was increased by SM, SI, and BC, with SM promoting the greatest growth rate of up to 66.87%. SM resulted in an 11.17 cm increase in cotton plant height compared to CT. Additionally, SM contributed to higher chlorophyll content in leaves at the end of the growth period. Overall, the indicators suggest that straw mulching is particularly effective in enhancing soil moisture and nutrient distribution, especially during dry years, and has a positive impact on promoting cotton development. Based on the results, straw mulching emerges as a recommended straw-returning measure for improving soil quality and maximizing cotton production in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the bioherbicidal activity of the fungal phytopathogen, Albifimbria verrucaria (AV), formerly Myrothecium verrucaria, on glyphosate-resistant and –susceptible Conyza canadensis (horseweed) were examined in greenhouse and field studies. Spray applications of mycelial formulations of AV infected both glyphosate-resistant and -susceptible C. canadensis plants at various growth stages. Young plants in the rosette leaf stage of growth were controlled more efficaciously than were older plants that had bolted or that were in the inflorescence stage; nevertheless, severe injury and mortality also occurred in mature plants. The results indicate that this bioherbicidal fungus can infect and control C. canadensis, thereby demonstrating the potential of this fungus as a bioherbicidal agent against this troublesome weed, which has become resistant to various herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fermented broccoli stem and leaf residue (FBR) on the growth performance, serum biochemical characteristics, and meat quality of growing pigs. A total of 72 growing pigs (Durox × Landrace × Yorkshire) were subjected to three dietary treatments with different levels (0%, 5% and 10%) of FBR with three replicates for an experimental period of 70 day. The average daily feed intake of growing pigs was higher (p < 0.05) in the 5% FBR treatment compared with the control group (0% FBR). The serum urea nitrogen content in growing pigs was lower (p < 0.05) in the 5% and 10% FBR treatments. The lightness value was higher (p < 0.05) in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs fed 5% and 10% FBR diets compared with the control group, and the yellowness value was increased in pigs fed the 10% FBR diet compared with pigs fed the control diet. Overall, the beneficial effects of FBR supplementation on serum biochemical parameters, and meat colour without undermining the growth performance indicate that up to 10% FBR could be used in diets to enhance the production of growing pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high concentration of bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) in irrigation water or soil is a limiting factor for the growth and production of kiwifruit vineyards. Especially the high concentration of bicarbonate in irrigation water can cause negative effects on the development of many plants at different rates. In this study, the effects of different concentrations (0, 170, 350, and 550 mg L-1) of bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) in irrigation water on six kiwifruit seedlings (DA1, DA2, CK1, CK2, CK3, AA) were studied in the greenhouse condition. The six kiwifruit seedlings used in the study belong to a total of 3 different species (A. deliciosa, A. chinensis, and A. arguta) and also have different ploidy levels (2n, 4n, and 6n). The highest (16.6%) leaf abscission was found in AA (A. arguta) seedlings when exposed to HCO3- stress, and the lowest value (1.19%) was found in DA1 (A. deliciosa cv. 'Bruno') seedlings. Depending on the cultivar or species, bicarbonate caused leaf chlorosis at different rates in kiwifruit seedlings. CK1 (A. chinensis) seedlings showed the highest (38.46%) leaf chlorosis and DA2 (A. deliciosa) seedlings showed the lowest (6.95%) leaf chlorosis. Bicarbonate reduced chlorophylls and carotenoid content in all kiwifruit genotypes. Furthermore, it induced leaf iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) deficiency. Seedlings of 'Bruno' showed the lowest decline of leaf iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) content when exposed to HCO3- stress. In contrast, a high level of Manganese (Mn) was found in seedlings of CK3. Overall, it was detected a close relationship between bicarbonate stress and nutrient homeostasis in different kiwifruit genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of light quality on growth, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and antioxidant defense system of rice seedlings. Six light conditions were employed, including white (W), red (R), blue (B), combined LED of R and B at 3:1 (R3B1), combined LED of R and B at 1:1 (R1B1), as well as combined LED of R and B at 1:3 (R1B3). Combined application of red light and blue light could promote the growth of rice seedling leaves and roots under low light stress to varying degrees, increase the photosynthetic area by increasing the leaf area, improve the root characteristics by increasing the root volume, and increase the dry matter accumulation of rice seedlings. In addition, the combination of red light and blue light could increase carbon and nitrogen metabolites in rice seedling leaves, regulate the expression of genes related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism and enzyme activity, and enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity of rice seedlings. These results indicate that red light and blue light directly have synergistic effects which can regulate the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of rice seedlings, promote the morphogenesis of rice seedlings under low light stress, and promote growth, which has never been reported in previous studies. This study is a new discovery in the application of light quality in crop production and provides new avenues to enhance crop stress resistance. However, further study is needed to explore the physio-biochemical and molecular mechanisms of light quality in crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the possibility of improvement of yield, yield components and the concentration of some nutrients in rice leaves (Tarom variety) by using rice straw and its biochar, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in nine treatments and three replications in the farm of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, north of Iran, in 2021. The first factor was rice straw (S) at three levels of zero, 2 and 4 tons/ha and the second factor was rice straw biochar (B) at three levels of zero, 1 and 2 tons/ha. The maximum concentration of potassium (1.22%), nitrogen (4.73%) and iron (208 mg/kg) in the flag leaf was observed when rice was grown in the high levels of rice straw and particularly its biochar. Also, the concentration of silicon, manganese and zinc in the flag leaf increased with the increase in the levels of rice straw and its biochar. By increasing the use of rice straw and its biochar, the number of tillers, plant height, panicle length, weight of 1000 seeds and the number of filled seeds increased significantly. The combined use of rice straw and its biochar increased the rice grain yield, indicating a 1.78 times increase in the treatment of 2 tons/ha of rice straw biochar + 4 tons/ha of rice straw (S2B2) compared to the control. Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of 2 tons/ha of biochar and 4 tons/ha of rice straw can lead to the maximum grain yield by increasing the concentration of nutrients in the flag leaf and improving the growth and yield components of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the desirable aesthetic performance, zirconia abutments attract tremendous attention in implant related restoration of the anterior zone. However, the inadequate soft tissue integration originated from the inertia surface of zirconia severely limits its application. Fabricating bionic-patterned zirconia abutments is believed to be a promising strategy to solve this puzzle. The main obstacle to fabricating bionic-pattern lies in that conventional zirconia manufacturing technology cannot precisely engineer complex micro-pattern. Notably, modern 3D printing presents a feasible way to obtain various sophisticated topological architecture. In the present study, series of bionic-patterned zirconia were fabricated by 3D printing, simulating lotus leaf, butterfly wings, shark skin, and gecko foot. The features of micro-patterns and quality of 3D printing were systematically characterized. In addition, the effect of various bionic-patterned zirconia on the behaviors of gingival fibroblasts was investigated. Results showed that zirconia with various micro-scale bionic patterns was successfully and precisely fabricated by 3D printing. Among the four types of bionic patterns, the ones that resembled the geckos' feet or lotus leaves were the most recommended topography for cell growth and spreading, while the pattern mimicked shark skin upgraded the expression of fibroblast functional genes including Col-I, Fn, and Itgb- 1 most obviously. The bionic-patterned zirconia can efficiently promote adhesion, proliferation, and related gene expression of gingival fibroblasts, indicating that bionic-patterned zirconia has great potential to promote soft tissue integration. [Display omitted] • Constructing micro-bionic patterns via 3D printing from zirconia slurry was proved to be possible. • The printed bionic-patterned zirconia rendered great potential to enhance soft tissue integration used as dental abutments. • The micro-patterns facilitated proliferation, spreading, and increased the related gene expression of gingival fibroblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 60 days experiments was conducted to assess the effect of inclusion of dried powder of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaves in feed on growth performance and survival rate in Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings. Tilapia fingerlings were stocked at the rate of 10 fishes per tank. In this experiment, 5 experimental diets were prepared by using fresh leaves of tulsi. T0 diets were considered as control. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) was added at the rate of (2%) 5g, (4%) 10g, (6%) 15g and (8%) 20g per kg of feed in T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. During the experimental period growth parameters were significantly (P<0.05) highest as weight gain (49.342±4.022 g) comparison to T0 (control) experimental fishes (38.192±1.088), percent weight gain (141.085±7.320 %), specific growth rate (5.857±0.202 %) and gross conversion efficiency (GCE) (0.497±0.017) in T4 and lowest value was recorded in T0 (control). Compared to the other treatments, T4 shows better food use with the lowest food conversion ratio (FCR) (2.015±0.069. In the present study, the water quality parameters remained suitable during experimental period and were suitable for fish growth and survival. The result shows that 8% of tulsi leaves powder added in experimental diet showed highest relative percent survival and growth in (Oreochromis niloticus). By this study, we can conclude that by added tulsi powder in the diet had shown positive impact on fish growth and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the context of climate change, future patterns of precipitation are expected to increase the intensity and frequency of drought and flooding stress. This is also likely to result in more frequent flooding–drought alternation events. Drought and flooding stress can have negative effects on tree morphology, physiology, and biochemistry, which can potentially pose long-term threats to tree survival and further disrupt the stability of forest ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how trees would cope with these stressors and their alternations through growth and physiology responses. Potted seedlings of C. camphora were grown under a rainout shelter in the field with four water treatments for 40 days: well-watered (WW), drought stress (DS), flooding stress (FS) and flooding–drought alternation (FDF). Growth, leaf gas exchange, water potential, and biochemical traits were measured. Results show different seedling growth patterns under drought and flooding stress. Drought increased the root-to-shoot ratio (+25%) but flooding favored leaf growth (+33%). Decreases in photosynthesis under drought and flooding were mainly related to stomatal limitations, accompanied by abscisic acid accumulation under drought but not under flooding. Drought reduced water potential, and flooding–drought alternation only decreased water potential in its drought phase. Flooding treatment had no effect on water potential. Drought treatment increased the proline concentrations (+74%) and carbon isotopic composition (+3.7%), but all treatments had no effect on the concentrations of elements in leaves. Drought stress led to carbon depletion in both stem and root, whereas flooding stress primarily induced carbon depletion in the root. Flooding–drought alternation was accompanied by complex physiological responses, including physiological recovery when the stress (flood, drought) was relieved. Our results have shown the different effects of drought and flooding on the growth and physiology of C. camphora seedlings, emphasizing the need to consider specific water stress conditions in future studies and providing a theoretical basis for better management of this tree species in urban areas under variable rainfall patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phoebe sheareri is an excellent roadside tree with a wide distribution range and high ornamental value. Excessive moisture can affect the external morphology, the microstructure, and the ultrastructure of the leaf. Little is known at present regarding the leaf structure of P. sheareri under waterlogging stress. In this paper, the external morphology of leaves, the microstructure of leaf epidermis, and the ultrastructure of mesophyll cells of P. sheareri seedlings under waterlogging stress and drainage were dynamically observed. Waterlogging stress contributed to the yellowing and wilting of P. sheareri seedling leaves, the gradual closing of leaf epidermal stomata, increasing density of leaf stomata, gradual loosening of the arrangement of leaf cell structure, and merging of leaf palisade tissue cells. Waterlogging stress forced the structure of the chloroplast membranes to blur, gradually causing swelling, and deformation, with plasmolysis occurring in severe cases. During waterlogging, the basal lamellae were disorganized, and the mitochondrial membrane structure was damaged. The damaged state of the leaves was not relieved after drainage. Waterlogging stress not only inhibited the growth of leaves, but also accelerated the closure of stomata, disordered the arrangement of palisade tissue and spongy tissue gradually, and damaged the internal organelles of mesophyll cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouses provide a controlled environment where temperature, humidity, and light can be optimized for tomato growth. The present study was carried out to estimate the growth, biochemical, and physiological responses of cherry tomatoes to some environmental conditions. Data was collected on different dates during the period extending from December 2022 to March 2023. Based on collected data, the potential growth rate of plants has been predicted: plant height, 2.43 cm/day to 2.98 cm/day; leaf growth, 0017 cm/day; three leaves per week. Plants with a high day length were high in height and produced more leaves. A significant relationship found between the inflorescence and the data collected for total mass/inflorescence, average size of fruits/inflorescence, diameter of fruit/inflorescence, and fruit height/inflorescence. A non-significant interaction found between the fruit keeping quality, fruit size, and inflorescence number. Regarding their biochemical responses, every inflorescence differs significantly from the others. A nonsignificant relationship was also found between fruit acidity and inflorescence order. The current study confirms a direct relationship between biochemical, growth, and productivity indicator under greenhouse conditions. An analysis of variance was used to statistically assess the collected data at a confidence level of p 0.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TIFYs are plant-specific transcription factors that contain the TIFY structural domain and play an important role in plant leaf growth and development. However, the role played by TIFY in E. ferox (Euryale ferox Salisb.) leaf development has not been investigated. In this study, 23 TIFY genes were identified in E. ferox. Phylogenetic analyses of the TIFY genes showed clustering into three groups (JAZ, ZIM, and PPD). The TIFY domain was shown to be conserved. JAZ was mainly expanded via wholegenome triplication (WGT) in E. ferox. Based on analyses of the TIFY genes in nine species, we found that JAZ has a closer relationship with PPD, in addition to appearing the most recently and expanding most rapidly, leading to the rapid expansion of TIFYs in Nymphaeaceae. In addition, their different evolution types were discovered. Different gene expressions showed the distinct and corresponsive expression patterns of the EfTIFYs in different stages of tissue and leaf development. Finally, The qPCR analysis revealed that the expression of EfTIFY7.2 and EfTIFY10.1 showed an upward trend and high expression throughout leaf development. Further co-expression analysis indicated that EfTIFY7.2 might be more important for the development of E. ferox leaves. This information will be valuable when exploring the molecular mechanisms of EfTIFYs in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants allocate growth to different organs as a strategy to obtain limiting resources in different environments. Tree seeds that fall from a mother tree settle on, within, or below the forest floor and litter layer, and their relative positions can determine seedling biomass and nutrient allocation and ultimately affect survival to the sapling stage. However, how emerged seedling biomass and nutrients of each organ are affected by seeds in different positions is not yet completely understood in subtropical forests. Therefore, an experiment was conducted with seeds positioned above the litter layers of different thicknesses, on the forest floor, and beneath the litter layer, and the influences of seed position on biomass allocation and nutrient use efficiency of emerged seedlings of Castanopsis kawakamii was examined. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal seed position to promote regeneration. Allocation strategies were well coordinated in the emerged seedlings from different seed positions. Seedlings from seeds positioned above litter layers of different thicknesses (~40 and 80 g of litter) allocated growth to leaf tissue at the expense of root tissue (lower root mass fraction) and increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation and nutrient use efficiency. Seedlings from seeds positioned beneath a deep litter layer allocated most growth to roots (high root: shoot ratio, root mass fraction) to capture available resources at the expense of leaf growth. Seedlings from seeds positioned on the forest floor allocated most growth to roots to obtain limiting resources. Further, we also found that these traits were clustered into three groups based on trait similarity, and the cumulative interpretation rate was 74.2%. Thus, seed relative positions significantly affected seedling growth by altering the allocation of resources to different organs. The different strategies indicated that root N:P ratios (entropy weight vector was 0.078) and P nutrient use efficiency were essential factors affecting seedling growth in the subtropical forest. Of the seed positions analyzed, beneath a moderate litter layer (~40 g of litter) was the most suitable position for the growth and survival of Castanopsis seedlings. In future studies, field and lab experiments will be combined to reveal the mechanisms underlying forest regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: NIN-like protein (NLP) transcription factors (TFs) compose a plant-specific gene family whose members play vital roles in plant physiological processes, especially in the regulation of plant growth and the response to nitrate-nitrogen. However, no systematic identification or analysis of the NLP gene family has been reported in alfalfa. The recently completed whole-genome sequence of alfalfa has allowed us to investigate genome-wide characteristics and expression profiles. Results: 53 MsNLP genes were identified from alfalfa and renamed according to their respective chromosome distributions. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these MsNLPs can be classified into three groups on the basis of their conserved domains. Gene structure and protein motif analyses showed that closely clustered MsNLP genes were relatively conserved within each subgroup. Synteny analysis revealed four fragment duplication events of MsNLPs in alfalfa. The ratios of nonsynonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates of gene pairs indicated that the MsNLP genes underwent purifying selection during evolution. Examination of the expression patterns of different tissues revealed specific expression patterns of the MsNLP genes in the leaves, indicating that these genes are involved in plant functional development. Prediction of cis-acting regulatory elements and expression profiles further demonstrated that the MsNLP genes might play important roles in the response to abiotic stress and in phytohormone signal transduction processes. Conclusion: This study represents the first genome-wide characterization of MsNLP in alfalfa. Most MsNLPs are expressed mainly in leaves and respond positively to abiotic stresses and hormonal treatments. These results provide a valuable resource for an improved understanding of the characteristics and biological roles of the MsNLP genes in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) leaf extract (GLE) on the growth, oxidative enzymatic activities, immunity, and expression of antioxidant genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Three hundred and sixty zebrafish were supplied and fed with different levels of GLE: 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 g kg−1. The dietary administration of 1 g kg−1 of GLE significantly increased growth parameters in fish. Fish fed diets with GLE showed increased total protein. The total Ig and lysozyme activity significantly changed in the whole-body serum, but not in skin mucus. GLE significantly increased Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activities compared to the control diet. GLE treatments caused a significant decrease in the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. In the skin mucus, only CAT and SOD activities significantly increased. The highest expression of Toll-like receptor-1 (TLR-1) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNFα) genes was achieved in fish fed 2 g kg−1 of GLE. CAT and SOD gene expressions were significantly higher in fish fed 1 and 2 g kg−1 of GLE. GPx gene expression was significantly higher in fish fed 1 g kg−1 of GLE. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that GLE affects growth performance and regulates antioxidant and immune gene expression. The determination of the optimum dosage merits further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method to design the internal stiffeners layout of the supporting parts of a machine tool. This method skillfully adopts the natural growth law of leaf veins. Firstly, the similarity between the growth law of leaf veins and the layout of stiffeners in the supporting parts is dealt with in detail. The mechanical properties of different growth types of leaf veins are compared and analyzed by the finite element simulation. In addition, the optimality of the adaptive growth law of leaf veins is also analyzed. Then, a parameter optimization method of stiffeners layout based on a variable cross-section structure is proposed. Distinct from the traditional design of stiffeners layout, the method proposed in this paper not only adopts the idea of a variable cross-section structure, but also simulates the adaptive growth law of leaf veins through a parametric method. In the process of establishing a meta model, three modeling methods are compared, and the excellent performance of the genetic algorithm and BP neural network (GABPNN) method in meta model accuracy is determined. And a marine predator algorithm is implemented to optimize the meta model. Finally, the method proposed in this paper is applied to the design of the column part of a machine tool, and the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation and experiments, which provides a good idea for the design of stiffeners layout of the supporting parts of a machine tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The establishment of micropropagation protocol for Cameron Highlands White Strawberry. • High multiplication rate in full-strength MS medium + 8 µM TDZ. • No damage to the cellular arrangement was observed on the treated in vitro plants in any of the light treatments using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). • Maximum acclimatization efficiency in hydroponic solution (100% survival rate). White strawberry is botanically a member of the Fragaria genus, which is a part of the Rosaceae family, which is primarily found in Japan, where it is a well-known premium fruit. Experiments were conducted to develop a micropropagation method for Cameron Highlands white strawberries (Fragaria x Ananassa). Freshly extracted achenes were surface sterilised with 30 and 40% Clorox®. Achenes germination was studied in vitro under various light spectra [cool white LED (17.0 μ mol/s), red LED (29.30 μ mol/s), blue LED (15.70 μ mol/s), red + blue LEDs (44.80 μ mol/s)] to study how light and different LED spectra affected shoot, root, and leaf growths of seedlings in the culture. Because both treatments have a 0% contamination rate and the same germination rate which is 78.77%, the 30% Clorox® treatment was chosen as the best surface sterilisation protocol for white strawberry achene germination. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of seedlings germinated under various light treatments demonstrated that no damage to the cellular arrangement was observed in any of the light treatments. However, the stomata of seedlings treated with blue LED were found to be damaged and exhibit uneven structures. Shoot multiplication in the culture was determined by testing various concentrations of 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) using shoot tips (0.5 to 0.8 cm) from the 5-leaf stage of the in vitro plants. The highest mean number (6.50 ± 1.05) of shoots differentiated on MS medium with 8 µM TDZ. The regenerated plantlets were rooted on MS medium with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, and 5 µM. Rooting (50%) was the highest success with 1 µM IBA. All the rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized using hydroponics and field transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst.) is a perennial leafy vegetable. Since the leaf blade is the most crucial component of the Chaya, it should be advantageous to estimate the leaf area nondestructively. This research aimed to (a) develop a beneficial nondestructive model for leaf area estimation, and (b) ascertain the impact of stem cutting diameter when used as planting material on chaya growth rate. The results demonstrated that utilizing the length x width (LW) of the middle lobe as the predictor and the zero intercepts linear regression LA = 1.679 LW with R2=0.947 determination coefficient was the most dependable model for Chaya plant leaf area estimation. The stem diameter, which ranged from 9.9 to 17.3 mm, had affected the shoot length, number of leaves, and canopy area between 5 and 7 weeks after planting (WAP). The variations in growth metrics diminished along with the age of plants. The diameter of the stem cutting used as planting material had no effect on the fresh weight of young edible shoot tip at 11 WAP. On Chaya plants that were cultivated with larger stem cutting diameters, the fresh leaf weight at the branch tips was heavier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein carbonylation is an irreversible form of post-translational modification triggered by reactive oxygen species in animal and plant cells. It occurs either through the metal-catalyzed oxidation of Lys, Arg, Pro, and Thr side chains or the addition of α, β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones to the side chains of Cys, Lys, and His. Recent genetic studies concerning plants pointed to an implication of protein carbonylation in gene regulation through phytohormones. However, for protein carbonylation to stand out as a signal transduction mechanism, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, it must be controlled in time and space by a still unknown trigger. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the profile and extent of protein carbonylation are influenced by iron homeostasis in vivo. For this, we compared the profile and the contents of the carbonylated proteins in the Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type and mutant-deficient in three ferritin genes under normal and stress conditions. Additionally, we examined the proteins specifically carbonylated in wild-type seedlings exposed to iron-deficient conditions. Our results indicated that proteins were differentially carbonylated between the wild type and the triple ferritin mutant Fer1-3-4 in the leaves, stems, and flowers under normal growth conditions. The profile of the carbonylated proteins was also different between the wild type and the ferritin triple mutant exposed to heat stress, thus pointing to the influence of iron on the carbonylation of proteins. Consistent with this, the exposure of the seedlings to iron deficiency and iron excess greatly influenced the carbonylation of certain proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction, translation, and iron deficiency response. Overall, the study underlined the importance of iron homeostasis in the occurrence of protein carbonylation in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is highly conserved in eukaryotic cells and plays an essential role in the biogenesis of multivesicular bodies and cargo degradation to the plant vacuole or lysosomes. Although ESCRT components affect a variety of plant growth and development processes, their impact on leaf development is rarely reported. Here, we found that OsSNF7.2, an ESCRT‐III component, controls leaf rolling in rice (Oryza sativa). The Ossnf7.2 mutant rolled leaf 17 (rl17) has adaxially rolled leaves due to the decreased number and size of the bulliform cells. OsSNF7.2 is expressed ubiquitously in all tissues, and its protein is localized in the endosomal compartments. OsSNF7.2 homologs, including OsSNF7, OsSNF7.3, and OsSNF7.4, can physically interact with OsSNF7.2, but their single mutation did not result in leaf rolling. Other ESCRT complex subunits, namely OsVPS20, OsVPS24, and OsBRO1, also interact with OsSNF7.2. Further assays revealed that OsSNF7.2 interacts with OsYUC8 and aids its vacuolar degradation. Both Osyuc8 and rl17 Osyuc8 showed rolled leaves, indicating that OsYUC8 and OsSNF7.2 function in the same pathway, conferring leaf development. This study reveals a new biological function for the ESCRT‐III components, and provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf rolling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】 The present paper aimed to explore the physiological and biochemical response of Nymphaea minuta to low light environment, and to provide theoretical basis for seedling breeding and potted flower production management of micro-tropical water lily represented by N.minuta. 【Method】 A completely random experimental design was conducted. The shading treatments were set to 0(total illumination control, CK), 30% (light shading), 50% (medium shading), 70% (heavy shading) respectively by constructing shading nets with different layers. The number of leaves, leaf dry weight, leaf area and other growth indicators were measured by shading treatment for 120 days. The content and composition of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugar, soluble protein and starch contents were measured by shading treatment for 30, 60, 90 and 120 days respectively. The effects of different shading conditions on leaf growth, photosynthetic pigment content and primary metabolites content of N.minuta were analyzed. 【Result】 During the shading period of 30-120 days, there were no significant differences between the average leaf area, photosynthetic pigment content, and soluble protein content of N.minuta treated with shading rate of 30%, 50% and CK (P＞0.05). After shading treatment for 120 days, the leaf number, average leaf dry weight, specific leaf weight, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and starch content of N.minuta decreased with increasing shading rate, while total chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content, chlorophyll a/b content and carotenoid content all increased with increasing shading rate. Comparing with CK, the shading rate of 70% at 120 days treatments, the leaf number, average leaf dry weight and specific leaf weight of N.minuta were significantly decreased by 52.9%, 81.3% and 57.8%, respectively (P＜0.05, the same as below), total chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content and carotenoid content were significantly increased by 108.7%, 81.6%, 237.5% and 88.2% respectively, chlorophyll a/b content was significantly decreased by 39.1%, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and starch content were significantly decreased by 43.4%, 56.2% and 53.2% respectively. The results of correlation analysis showed that the leaf number and average leaf dry weight were extremely positively correlated with soluble protein content (P＜0.01, the same as below), and the average leaf dry weight was negatively correlated with total chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content and carotenoid content. 【Conclusion】 N.minuta grew well in light and medium shading environments with shading rates of 30% and 50%, showing good light adaptive response and regulation ability. These two shading methods can be used for reference in the breeding of micro-tropical waterlily seedlings and potted flower production management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SEPALLATA (SEP) genes encode E-class floral homeotic transcriptional factors involved in regulation of flowering. In the present work, artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technology was adopted to downregulate the expression levels of SEP3-2, SEP3-3 and SEP4. Silencing of SEP3-2 and SEP3-3 did not generate obvious phenotypic changes in the four types of floral organs. However, knockdown of SEP3-2 and SEP3-3 resulted in suppression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and GIGANTEA (GI), accompanied by a delay in flowering time. SEP3-2 can directly bind to CArG-boxes existing in the promoter of AGL17, AGL20, AGL42, CCA1, FT, TCP3, TCP12, while SEP3-3 can directly interact with CArG-boxes existing in the promoter of AGL15, AGL24, CUC2, MAF5 and TCP2, indicating the encoded products of two alternative splicing variants of SEP3 can affect distinct target genes. These results suggest that SEP3-2 and SEP3-3 are probably involved in controlling different developmental processes. Compared to wild-type plants, the vegetative growth of amiRNA-SEP3-2 and amiRNA-SEP3-3 transgenic plants was more vigorous, and the morphology of leaves was changed significantly, including a widening the blade, increased surface area, longer petiole and serrated margin. In amiRNA-SEP4 transgenic plants, sepals were converted into petaloid structures, and the number of floral organs in the outside three whorls was reduced. In addition, amiRNA-SEP4 transgenic plants presented a late-flowering phenotype, illustrating the important roles of SEP4 in floral transition. These results showed that SEP3-2 and SEP3-3, two splicing variants of SEP3, involved in morphogenesis of leaves and floral organ development by conferring transcriptional activity. Moreover, SEP4 genes participate in development of sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. All these results indicated that SEPALLATA genes of Arabidopsis possessed diversified functions. In addition to the roles in reproductive growth, these genes can also influence the vegetative growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of copper (Cu)–pH interactions on the levels of hormones and related metabolites (HRMs) in Citrus sinensis leaves and roots were investigated. Our findings indicated that increased pH mitigated Cu toxicity-induced alterations of HRMs, and Cu toxicity increased low-pH-induced alterations of HRMs. Increased pH-mediated decreases in ABA, jasmonates, gibberellins, and cytokinins, increases in (±)strigol and 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid, and efficient maintenance of salicylates and auxins homeostasis in 300 μM Cu-treated roots (RCu300); as well as efficient maintenance of hormone homeostasis in 300 μM Cu-treated leaves (LCu300) might contribute to improved leaf and root growth. The upregulation of auxins (IAA), cytokinins, gibberellins, ABA, and salicylates in pH 3.0 + 300 μM Cu-treated leaves (P3CL) vs. pH 3.0 + 0.5 μM Cu-treated leaves (P3L) and pH 3.0 + 300 μM Cu-treated roots (P3CR) vs. pH 3.0 + 0.5 μM Cu-treated roots (P3R) might be an adaptive response to Cu toxicity, so as to cope with the increased need for reactive oxygen species and Cu detoxification in LCu300 and RCu300. Increased accumulation of stress-related hormones (jasmonates and ABA) in P3CL vs. P3L and P3CR vs. P3R might reduce photosynthesis and accumulation of dry matter, and trigger leaf and root senescence, thereby inhibiting their growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architectural plasticity in traits should be useful for understanding morphological and allocation plasticity at the whole-plant level and associated growth strategies of plants in dealing with variation in emergence time. To investigate how plants respond to emergence timing via dynamic architectural plasticity, we conducted a field experiment by sowing plants of Abutilon theophrasti on different dates to make them emerge in spring, late spring, summer and late summer, as four treatments of emergence time (ET1–ET4), and measured a series of mass and morphological traits in different vertical layers (with an inter-distance of 10 or 20 cm per layer) of plants at three stages. The 'vertical arch' and 'inverted-cone' shapes displayed at reproductive stage by plants emerged between spring and summer (ET1–ET3) and in late summer (ET4), respectively, revealed that they had contrasting timing schemes for vegetative and reproductive growth. Plants emerged earlier had relatively isolated vegetative and reproductive stages, while late-summer emerged plants had overlapped vegetative and reproductive stages due to accelerated leaf and reproductive growth simultaneously, as a result of shortened lifetime. In spite of this, plants emerged earlier were still able to adopt different optimal strategies in dealing with their corresponding circumstances. Architectural analysis should be a useful approach to better understanding diverse plant strategies in the context of varying environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports tests in the Adrar region of the promising woody species, Balanites aegyptiaca, in 2014. The species behaviour at different development stages (nursery, juvenile stage and adult stage) was monitored and evaluated. The evaluation took the criteria into account. The obtained results showed a significant correlation between the number of leaves and growth in height; showing that direct seeding is the most appropriate planting technique. Dendrometric parameters are positively related, resulting in a slenderness factor of 60% with a yield of 799.9 ± 481 fruits per tree. These preliminary results suggest that the work should be replicated, with a view to domesticating the species in southern Algeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is a major adverse environmental factor limiting plant growth. Nitrogen (N) application is an effective strategy to alleviate the negative effects of salt stress on plants. To improve the knowledge of the mechanism of N application on alleviating salt stress on rapeseed seedlings, a pot experiment was conducted with four N application treatments (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g N kg-1 soil, referred to as N0, N1, N2, and N3, respectively) and exposed to non-salt stress (0 g NaCl kg-1 soil, referred to as S0) and salt stress (3 g NaCl kg-1 soil, referred to as S1) conditions. The results indicated that in comparison with non-salt stress, salt stress increased the Na content (236.53%) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (30.26%), resulting in cell membrane lipid peroxidation characterized by an increased content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (122.32%) and suppressed photosynthetic rate (15.59%), finally leading to inhibited plant growth such as shorter plant height, thinner root neck, lower leaf area, and decreased dry weight. N application improved the plant growth, and the improvement by N application under salt stress was stronger than that under non-salt stress, suggesting that rapeseed seedlings exposed to salt stress are more sensitive to N application and require N to support their growth. Moreover, seedlings exposed to salt stress under N application showed lower ROS accumulation; increased photosynthesis; higher antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and ascorbic acid (AsA); and greater accumulation of osmotic substances including soluble protein, soluble sugar, and proline, as compared with seedlings without N application. In particular, the best improvement by N application under salt stress occurred at the N2 level, while too high N application could weaken the improvement due to inhibited N metabolism. In summary, this study suggests that moderate N application can improve photosynthesis, antioxidants, and osmoregulation to alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress in rapeseed seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng is a famous valuable folk herb, the price of which particularly depends on its cultivation age. Since the classical chemical analysis usually needs to destroy the plants which is not suitable for the old wild ginseng due to the huge cost, in the current study, we employed the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) GC-MS methodology which has the advantage of time-saving, nondestructive, and green to analyze the growth age of ginseng (roots) via determining the volatile components of ginseng stem and leaves (GSLs) combined with metabolic profiles way. 100 mg of finely ground GSL samples (3–7 years) were extracted by a 65 μm PDMS-DVB fiber in the headspace and then analyzed within 20 mins. The content assay of total saponins, crude polysaccharides, and total protein was also included. As a result of GC-MS-based profiling, the orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis' (OPLS-DA) score plots showed excellent classification of four comparison groups (the 3- and 4-, 3-and 5-, 3- and 6-, and 3- and 7-year-old GSL) with 100% discrimination rate, respectively. 263 common differential variables were gained referring to the VIP and P values. 32 volatile metabolites were identified and showed good age discrimination capacities with an area under the curve (AUC) value of more than 0.8 by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Remarkably, there was one volatile component of sesquiterpenes, 1-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde, 2, 6, 6-trimethyl-, which showed an excellent prediction with the AUC value of 1.0 among all the four compared groups, which could be the potential biomarker to distinguish all the four compared groups. The total contents of different growth ages of components of ginseng stems and leaves were distinct. The contents of total protein (4.80 ± 0.27%) and crude polysaccharide (24.15 ± 0.89%) in the 4th year of GSLs were the highest among the five cultivation years. The content of total saponins (4.66 ± 0.38%) in the 5th year of GSLs was the highest. These results could provide a novel reference for the GSLs' harvest and application periods. Moreover, the current study could also supply a promising way to set up a nondestructive, in situ, and green approach to discriminate the growth age of Panax ginseng rapidly without digging the roots out instead of detecting the VOCs of GSLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Salt stress inhibits the beneficial effects of most plant growthpromoting rhizobacteria. The synergistic relationship between beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms and plants helps achieve more stable growthpromoting effects. This study aimed 1) to elucidate changes in gene expression profiles in the roots and leaves of wheat after inoculation with compound microbial agents and 2) to determine the mechanisms by which plant growthpromoting rhizobacteria mediate plant responses to microorganisms. Methods: Following inoculation with compound bacteria, transcriptome characteristics of gene expression profiles of wheat, roots, and leaves at the flowering stage were investigated using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. Gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the genes that were significantly differentially expressed Results: The expression of 231 genes in the roots of bacterial preparations (BIO) -inoculated wheat changed significantly (including 35 upregulated and 196 downregulated genes) compared with that of non-inoculated wheat. The expression of 16,321 genes in leaves changed significantly, including 9651 upregulated genes and 6670 downregulated genes. The differentially expressed genes were involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and secondary compounds as well as signal transduction pathways. The ethylene receptor 1 gene in wheat leaves was significantly downregulated, and genes related to ethylene-responsive transcription factor were significantly upregulated. GO enrichment analysis showed that metabolic and cellular processes were the main functions affected in the roots and leaves. The main molecular functions altered were binding and catalytic activities, among which the cellular oxidant detoxification enrichment rate was highly expressed in the roots. The expression of peroxisome size regulation was the highest in the leaves. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that linoleic acid metabolism expression was highest in the roots, and the expression of photosynthesis-antenna proteins was the highest in leaves. After inoculation with a complex biosynthesis agent, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gene of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway was upregulated in wheat leaf cells while 4CL, CCR, and CYP73A were downregulated. Additionally, CYP98A and REF1 genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were upregulated, while F5H, HCT, CCR, E2.1.1.104, and TOGT1-related genes were downregulated. Discussion: Differentially expressed genes may play key roles in improving salt tolerance in wheat. Compound microbial inoculants promoted the growth of wheat under salt stress and improved disease resistance by regulating the expression of metabolism-related genes in wheat roots and leaves and activating immune pathway-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of anthocyanin (Anth) content is very important for observing the physiological state of plants under environmental stress. The objective of this study was to estimate the Anth of maize leaves at different growth stages based on remote sensing methods. In this study, the hyperspectral reflectance and the corresponding Anth of maize leaves were measured at the critical growth stages of nodulation, tasseling, lactation, and finishing of maize. First-order differential spectra (FD) were derived from the original spectra (OS). First, the spectral parameters highly correlated with Anth were selected. A total of two sensitive bands (Rλ), five classical vegetation indices (VIS), and six optimized vegetation indices (VIC) were selected from the original and first-order spectra. Then, univariate regression models for Anth estimation (Anth-UR models) and multivariate regression models for estimating anthocyanins (Anth-MR models) were constructed based on these parameters at different growth stages of maize. It was shown that the first-order spectral conversion could effectively improve the correlation between Rλ, VIC, and Anth, and VIC are usually more sensitive to Anth than VIS. In addition, the overall performance of Anth-MR models was better than that of Anth-UR models. Among them, Anth-MR models with the combination of three types of spectral parameters (FD(Rλ) + OS_VIC + FD_VIC/VIS) as inputs had the best overall performance. Moreover, different growth stages had an impact on the Anth estimation models, with tasseling and lactation stages showing better results. The best-performing Anth-MR models for these two growth stages were as follows. For the tasseling stage, the best model was the FD(Rλ) + OS_VIC + VIS-based SVM model, with an R2 of 0.868, RMSE of 0.007, and RPD of 2.19. For the lactation stage, the best-performing model was the FD(Rλ) + OS_VIC + FD_VIC-based RF model, with an R2 of 0.797, RMSE of 0.007, and RPD of 2.24. These results will provide a scientific basis for better monitoring of Anth using remote sensing hyperspectral techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phalaenopsis orchids are highly economical ornamental potted plants. Controlling their production schedule requires information on the leaf development characteristics of the orchids. Phalaenopsis leaves affect the plant's photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. The leaf growth conditions can serve as a development index for greenhouse management. The use of the growth characteristics of Phalaenopsis leaves as the basis for greenhouse cultivation and management needs to be studied. The allometry of Phalaenopsis leaves is worth studying. The goal of this research was to investigate the allometry of Phalaenopsis leaves and develop prediction models of the total leaf area. Then, these total leaf area models were developed and validated. In this study, five Phalaenopsis varieties (amabilis, Sin-Yuan beauty, Ruey Lish beauty, Ishin KHM1095, and Sogo F1091) were selected. Each sample had five mature leaves. The lengths, widths, and areas of the sequential leaves were measured, and then the length ratios, width ratios, and area ratios were calculated. The top and bottom models were used to calculate the total leaf areas. The results indicate that no significant differences could be found in the length ratios, width ratios, and area ratios of the sequential leaves from the same variety. However, significant differences were found in these leaf characteristics between different varieties. The observation of leaf growth characteristics can be used to provide useful information for Phalaenopsis management. Comparing the predictive criteria of the two models, the top model had a better predictive ability than the bottom model. From a practical viewpoint, measuring the top leaf area is easier than measuring the bottom leaf area in a greenhouse operation. Comparing the effects of the sample numbers on the predictive ability of the model, the sample number of 30 was sufficient to ensure the accuracy of the total leaf area measurements. We provide an easy and accurate method to measure the total leaf area of Phalaenopsis. The calculated values of total leaf areas can be incorporated into decision models for smart management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize, as a glycophyte, is hypersensitive to salinity, but the salt response mechanism of maize remains unclear. In this study, the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of two contrasting inbred lines, the salt-tolerant QXH0121 and salt-sensitive QXN233 lines, were investigated in response to salt stress. Under salt stress, the tolerant QXH0121 line exhibited good performance, while in the sensitive QXN233 line, there were negative effects on the growth of the leaves and roots. The most important finding was that QXH0121 could reshift Na+ from shoots into long roots, migrate excess Na+ in shoots to alleviate salt damage to shoots, and also improve K+ retention in shoots, which were closely associated with the enhanced expression levels of ZmHAK1 and ZmNHX1 in QXH0121 compared to those in QXN233 under salt stress. Additionally, QXH0121 leaves accumulated more proline, soluble protein, and sugar contents and had higher SOD activity levels than those observed in QXN233, which correlated with the upregulation of ZmP5CR, ZmBADH, ZmTPS1, and ZmSOD4 in QXH0121 leaves. These were the main causes of the higher salt tolerance of QXH0121 in contrast to QXN233. These results broaden our knowledge about the underlying mechanism of salt tolerance in different maize varieties, providing novel insights into breeding maize with a high level of salt resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium (Ca) and carbohydrate (CHO) supply in sweet cherry have been associated with fruit quality at harvest and during storage. There is little published information integrating CHO and Ca availability and distribution in sweet cherry and their effects on fruit quality. Accordingly, in the 2019–20 season, vascular restrictions were imposed on the phloem (girdling, G, stopping phloem flow) and xylem (transverse incision, S, cutting 50% of xylem cross–section area) of individual vertical branches of the sweet cherry combination 'Lapins'/Colt trained as Kym Green Bush system to modify mineral and CHO composition in fruit and associate such changes with quality at harvest and storage. The girdling to the phloem was used to induce changes in CHO distribution. The transverse incision to the xylem was a tool to modify Ca distribution. Five treatments (TR) were implemented: TR1–CTL = Control (without vascular restriction), TR2–G, at its base, TR3–G + G: at its base, and G further up at the change of year between the second and the third years of growth TR4––S and TR5–S + G. The vegetative (i.e., shoot and leaf growth), reproductive (i.e., fruit set and yield) development and stomatal conductance were monitored. Each branch was divided into the upper (1–and 2–year–old wood) and the lower (3–and 4–year–old wood) segments of the restriction applied. The quality and mineral composition (Ca, Mg, K, and N) of fruit borne on each segment were measured at harvest. The upper segment of TR3–G + G branches were harvested 10 d before the lower segment. The fruit from the upper segment of TR3–G + G was the largest, the sweetest, and had the higher titratable acidity concentration. However, fruits of this segment were the softest, had the lowest Ca concentrations, and had the highest ratios of N:Ca and K:Ca, compared with the other TRs. TR3–G + G branches developed the highest number of lateral current season shoots including shoots below the second girdling in the lower segment of the branch. This vegetative flow of growth would explain the mineral unbalance produced in the fruit from the upper segment of the branch. TR2–G did not register changes in fruit quality and mineral concentration compared with TR1–CTL. Surprisingly, the fruit from the branches with xylem restriction did not show changes in Ca concentration, suggesting that the xylem stream was enough to supply the fruit in branches without lateral shoot development. Fruit firmness was positively related to fruit Ca concentration and negatively related to the ratios of K:Ca and N:Ca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate fertilization affects the production of quality seedlings, because they need a balanced balance of essential nutrients, in the concentrations required to grow properly. With the above, it was proposed to determine the effect produced by fertilizers calcium triple superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate fertilizers on the variables number of leaves, plant height, plant diameter, root length and root biomass wet seedlings of Eucalyptus deglupta Blume (Myrtaceae). For this, three nutritional schemes were established of N, P, K and Ca (190-35-210-150 ppm) T1; (150-50-250-180ppm) T2; (140-55-300-200 ppm) T3 and a control without T4 solution. After 60 days, the concentrations of N, P, K and Ca (190-35-210-150 ppm) determined greater growth in the number of leaves (22,3 leaves); plant height (157,26 mm); plant diameter (2,41 mm) and wet root biomass (6,6 g). However, the observations indicate that for the root length variable, the treatments supplied with concentrations of N, P, K and Ca, did not show significant differences in their means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multidrug resistance in important food pathogens abounds. • Antimicrobial potential of extracts of Loxostylis alata was explored. • L. alata reduced bacterial cell attachment and biofilm biomass. • Anti-biofilm activity is an alternative mechanism to overcome bacterial infection. Bacterial biofilms pose health challenges both in clinical environments and the food industry. Major foodborne bacterial pathogens form biofilms on surfaces and persist, causing infections in humans that may be difficult to treat. Conventional use of antibiotics is fast becoming ineffective due to emerging resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. Previous studies have demonstrated the antimicrobial potential of Loxostylis alata A. Spreng. ex Rchb. extracts against a range of bacterial pathogens. The inhibitory effects of methanol and aqueous extracts of L. alata and an antibacterial compound (5-demethyl sinensetin) isolated from the leaves on the growth and development of microbial biofilms was investigated against clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and reference strains of Bacillus cereus, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium using the crystal violet (CV) assay. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was utilized to determine antibiotic susceptibility and resistance profiles of the four clinical and three reference isolates. E. cloacae was resistant to tetracycline and doxycycline and P. mirabilis was resistant to colistin while E. coli and K. pneumoniae were pan-susceptible to all the antibiotics screened. The hot water extract reduced biofilm adhesion from 7% to >50% for the clinical isolates and the ATCC strains, except for S. Typhimurium. The methanol extract inhibited the growth of preformed biofilms of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium by >50% and also reduced the biofilm biomass in S. Enteritidis and E. coli by >50%. The plant extracts and compound were able to reduce initial cell attachment and biofilm biomass, although inhibition of growth in a preformed biofilm was not attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abelmoschus manihot L. (A. manihot) has received more and more attention due to its potential edible and medicinal value. It shows higher yield and related fine agronomic traits suitable for disadvantaged areas and low-input planting. However, a systemic description of the phenological growth stages of A. manihot, an alternative, multipurpose crop of worldwide interest, does not exist. This study aims to detail the phenological growth stages of A. manihot based on the BBCH scale. Nine principal growth stages were described from seed germination to senescence, along with 69 secondary growth stages, including germination, leaf development, formation of side shoots, primary stem elongation, inflorescence emergence, flowering, fruit development, maturation of fruit and seed, and senescence. However, the morphology and structure of A. manihot become complex with growth, and some growth stages, like inflorescence development, flowering, fruit development, and fruit maturation, overlap totally or partially with each other. Thus, the three-digit scale is considered necessary for a complementary description of these growth stages and illustrations for clarification. Moreover, the unique morphology and structure features of the pistil, stamen, and ovary and the development process of fruits and seeds were described in detail at different stages. The basic and extended BBCH scales will add new information on defining and identifying A. manihot phenological growth stages. They will help farmers efficiently schedule and manage A. manihot cultivation and improve knowledge dissemination among growers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants adapt to high temperature stresses through thermomorphogenesis, a process that includes stem elongation and hyponastic leaf growth. Thermomorphogenesis is gated by the circadian clock through two evening‐expressed clock components, TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) and PSEUDO‐RESPONSE REGULATORS5 (PRR5). These proteins directly interact with and inhibit PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4), a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor that promotes thermoresponsive growth. PIF4‐mediated thermoresponsive growth is positively regulated by ZEITLUPE (ZTL), a central clock component, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this are poorly understood. Here, we show that ZTL regulates thermoresponsive growth through TOC1 and PRR5. Genetic analyses reveal that ZTL regulates PIF4 activity as well as PIF4 expression. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ztl mutants exhibit highly accumulated TOC1 and PRR5 and unresponsive expression of PIF4 target genes under exposure to high temperatures. Mutations in TOC1 and PRR5 restore thermoactivation of PIF4 target genes and thermoresponsive growth in ztl mutants. We also show that the molecular chaperone heat‐shock protein 90 promotes thermoresponsive growth through the ZTL‐TOC1/PRR5 signaling module. Further, we show that ZTL protein stability is increased at high temperatures. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ZTL‐mediated degradation of TOC1 and PRR5 enhances the sensitivity of hypocotyl growth to high temperatures. Summary statement: A central clock component, ZEITLUPE (ZTL), is known to regulate thermoresponsive growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. This study demonstrates that ZTL regulates PIF4 activity as well as PIF4 expression through TOC1 (TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1) and PRR5 (PSEUDO‐RESPONSE REGULATORS5), thereby promoting thermomorphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants undergo extended morphogenesis. The shoot apical meristem (SAM) allows for reiterative development and the formation of new structures throughout the life of the plant. Intriguingly, the SAM produces morphologically different leaves in an age-dependent manner, a phenomenon known as heteroblasty. In Arabidopsis thaliana , the SAM produces small orbicular leaves in the juvenile phase, but gives rise to large elliptical leaves in the adult phase. Previous studies have established that a developmental decline of microRNA156 (miR156) is necessary and sufficient to trigger this leaf shape switch, although the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here we show that the gradual increase in miR156-targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE transcription factors with age promotes cell growth anisotropy in the abaxial epidermis at the base of the leaf blade, evident by the formation of elongated giant cells. Time-lapse imaging and developmental genetics further revealed that the establishment of adult leaf shape is tightly associated with the longitudinal cell expansion of giant cells, accompanied by a prolonged cell proliferation phase in their vicinity. Our results thus provide a plausible cellular mechanism for heteroblasty in Arabidopsis, and contribute to our understanding of anisotropic growth in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Allelopathy is recognised as a potential technology to control weeds, and could also be a suitable approach for enhancement of crop yield. Aims: The study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic role of Averrhoa carambola leaf extract on growth, anatomical and physiological features of three wheat lines, namely 3094, 7076 and A2011. Methods: Three dilutions i.e. 0% (control), 15% and 30% of the leaf aqueous extract were applied at 15 day intervals (total five applications) on wheat lines until maturity. Key results: All wheat lines showed differential behaviour to allelochemicals of A. carambola leaf extract. Increased root area was accompanied by a high proportion of storage parenchyma tissues and enlarged vascular bundles in line 3094. Disintegration of root cortical parenchyma and complete transformation of chlorenchyma into sclerenchyma in stem was recorded in all wheat lines, particularly at the highest concentration of leaf extract. Line 7076 showed very different behaviour, as it possessed a proportionally enlarged root cortex, enlarged stem vascular bundles and increased leaf thickness, primarily at the highest concentration of leaf extract. Line A2011 was relatively more sensitive, indicating a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in root and stem area and deformed leaves. Conclusions: A low concentration (15%) of leaf extract promoted growth and development, whereas a higher concentration caused significant reduction in growth and anatomical attributes. Implications: A lower dose of Averrhoa leaf extract promoted growth and development in all wheat lines, and hence can be used as a growth promoter. A higher concentration is important for eradicating unwanted plants. Wheat lines were treated with allelochemicals extracted from A. carambola. A low treatment concentration led to increased root area, accompanied by a high proportion of storage parenchyma tissues, and enlarged vascular bundles. Using a high extract concentration, root cortical parenchyma collapsed while stem chlorenchyma was transformed to sclerenchyma. Line 7076 responded differently, as it possessed an enlarged root cortical proportion, enlarged stem vascular bundles and increased leaf thickness. A low concentration (15%) of leaf extract promoted growth, whereas a higher concentration (30%) caused significant reduction in morpho-anatomical traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plants that comprise the vegetation of Chinese subtropics are diverse with respect to geographical distribution patterns. Understanding how the plants with different geographical distribution patterns that live together in this region differ in their ecological niches, would advance our knowledge of species coexistence mechanisms. Here, based on the data of woody angiosperm community composition in eight broad-leaved forest dynamics plots widely distributed in the Chinese subtropics, by adopting statistical methods such as phylogenetic linear model and analysis of variance (ANOVA), we examined the differences in life history traits, including leaf habit and growth form, as well as ecological behaviors (i.e., Ellenberg indicator values), between the plants of temperate distribution pattern genera and the plants of tropical distribution pattern genera. The results were as follows: (1) For the 265 study genera, distribution pattern genus showed a significant phylogenetic signal (i.e., Pagel’s λ = 0.935, P＜ 0.001) . (2) The temperate distribution pattern genera comprised a higher ratio of deciduous broad-leaved plants and trees than the tropical distribution pattern genera, and there were more evergreen broad-leaved plants and shrub in tropical distribution pattern. (3) The plants of temperate distribution pattern genera exist in environments with high light, low temperature and water compared with the plants of tropical distribution pattern genera, regardless of the effects of leaf habit and growth form were controlled or not. (4) For all the plants, or for each leaf habit or growth form group separately, the ratio of species richness of the temperate distribution pattern genera to the tropical distribution pattern genera in the forest was controlled by mean annual temperature (MAT) . The findings imply that the plants of temperate and tropical distribution pattern genera differe in both their life history traits as well as their ecological behaviors, and the geographical turnover of plants of these two distribution patterns in the Chinese subtropical broad-leaved forests is largely controlled by MAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological changes of sugar beet leaves in vegetative growth were monitored in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. In both years leaf samples were collected on 6 dates from late May to September at 20-day intervals, therefore more than 12,000 leaves were measured. On 20 August, the most common leaf length (309 leaves) ranged from 48.7 to 51.3 cm, petiole length was between 20.0 and 21.7 cm (274 leaves) and single leaf area (278 leaves) was between 117 and 139 cm² (278 leaves). The most common leaf blade width was recorded on 10 July, and it ranged from 10.1 to 10.8 cm (279 leaves). Linear regression showed a highly significant relation¬ship for leaf blade length and leaf area (R² = 0.55, p <0.001), leaf blade width and leaf area (R² = 0.87, p < 0.001) and leaf petiole length and leaf area (R² = 0.18, p <0.001). Thus, leaf blade width was the best parameter for predicting leaf area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Populus spp. are among the fast-growing tree species most prone to water deficit. The use of drought-resistant clones allows mitigating the negative effects of water deficit on the establishment and the productivity of unstable irrigated plantations in dryland areas. We evaluated the responses of four Populus × canadensis ('Conti 12', 'Guardi', 'I-214' and 'I45/51') and four Populus deltoides ('Stoneville 67', 'Catfish 2', 'Dvina' and 'Australiano 129/60') clones to a short-term water stress. Three water treatments were imposed on 6-month-old plants: well-watered (WW), 5 days of irrigation withdrawal followed by rewatering (−5 + RW), and 9 days of irrigation withdrawal followed by rewatering (−9 + RW). Populus clones presented different strategies to face water deficit, resulting in variable effects on plant growth. The small-leaved clone 'Australiano 129/60' showed strong stomatal control and maintained a high increase in leaf area during the water-shortage period. These strategies were associated with high relative growth under both water-shortage treatments. 'Australiano 129/60' showed to be a drought-resistant clone with the highest growth under both water-shortage treatments, appearing to be a promising clone for production in environments prone to short-term water stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf traits can reflect plant photosynthetic capacity, resource utilization strategy and adaptability to the environment. However, whether species' leaf traits are tightly related to the functioning of their community and how that relationship varies with environmental gradients remain largely unexplored. We measured 6 leaf traits, including petiole fineness (PF), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), leaf length–width ratio (LLWR), leaf nitrogen content (LN) and leaf phosphorus content (LP), of 733 populations (415 species) of 19 woody angiosperm communities in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau across multiple climatic zones or vegetation types. Through meta-analysis and relative importance analysis, the relationship between leaf traits of species and their community dominance and its change with environments were analyzed. The results showed that species dominance was correlated positively with their LA and LP, suggesting that species with high light interception and resource utilization capacity can easily become dominant species in woody angiosperm communities. Along the altitudinal gradient, the effect of PF and SLA on species dominance increased and changed significantly in their pattern, from positive or nonsignificant in temperate forests to negative in alpine and subalpine shrubs, suggesting that increasing petiole mechanical support and lamina protection cost is a dominant leaf growth strategy in stressful high-altitude environments. Our findings demonstrate that the demand for efficient light acquisition and/or utilization and species adaptability or tolerance to specific environmental stress are key mechanisms by which leaf traits govern community composition and functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium cut-flower producers commonly employ sprinkler systems with high water consumption. Our study aimed to identify a more water-efficient irrigation method for orchids. Specifically, we investigated the optimal timing of water application during a day in the dry season, intending to minimize water usage. The research used a 3x2x2 completely randomized factorial design, factoring in the times of the day for irrigation (dawn, morning, and evening), the type of sprinkler head (standard or large vs. mini), and the duration of irrigation (6 minutes vs. 4 minutes). The study revealed that adjusting these factors could reduce the standard water volume used by 30 to 60% without negatively affecting the orchids' growth or flower quality. Over five months of testing various irrigation techniques, metrics such as the height of the front pseudobulb, leaf count on the front pseudobulb, total leaf number per plant, pseudobulb count, and inflorescence quality (like length, number of flowers, and vase life) remained consistent across different methods. A notable discovery was that irrigating at either dawn or evening using a standard-sized sprinkler led to higher fresh and dry leaf weights and a greater leaf area than morning irrigation. Impressively, these results were observed even when the irrigation time was reduced tojust 4 minutes, a 30% reduction from typical water usage. In summary, our research suggests that during the dry season, Dendrobium orchid growers can potentially reduce irrigation water usage by 30% without sacrificing the growth or quality oftheir plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering of carbon nanotubes in the last decades resulted in a variety of applications in electronics, electrochemistry, and biomedicine. A number of reports also evidenced their valuable application in agriculture as plant growth regulators and nanocarriers. In this work, we explored the effect of seed priming with single-walled carbon nanotubes grafted with Pluronic P85 polymer (denoted P85-SWCNT) on Pisum sativum (var. RAN-1) seed germination, early stages of plant development, leaf anatomy, and photosynthetic efficiency. We evaluated the observed effects in relation to hydro- (control) and P85-primed seeds. Our data clearly revealed that seed priming with P85-SWCNT is safe for the plant since it does not impair the seed germination, plant development, leaf anatomy, biomass, and photosynthetic activity, and even increases the amount of photochemically active photosystem II centers in a concentration-dependent manner. Only 300 mg/L concentration exerts an adverse effect on those parameters. The P85 polymer, however, was found to exhibit a number of negative effects on plant growth (i.e., root length, leaf anatomy, biomass accumulation and photoprotection capability), most probably related to the unfavorable interaction of P85 unimers with plant membranes. Our findings substantiate the future exploration and exploitation of P85-SWCNT as nanocarriers of specific substances promoting not only plant growth at optimal conditions but also better plant performance under a variety of environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant trichomes formed by specialized epidermal cells play a role in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stresses and can also influence the economic and ornamental value of plant products. Therefore, further studies on the molecular mechanisms of plant trichome growth and development are important for understanding trichome formation and agricultural production. SET Domain Group 26 (SDG26) is a histone lysine methyltransferase. Currently, the molecular mechanism by which SDG26 regulates the growth and development of Arabidopsis leaf trichomes is still unclear. We found that the mutant of Arabidopsis (sdg26) possessed more trichomes on its rosette leaves compared to the wild type (Col-0), and the trichome density per unit area of sdg26 is significantly higher than that of Col-0. The content of cytokinins and jasmonic acid was higher in sdg26 than in Col-0, while the content of salicylic acid was lower in sdg26 than in Col-0, which is conducive to trichome growth. By measuring the expression levels of trichome-related genes, we found that the expression of genes that positively regulate trichome growth and development were up-regulated, while the negatively regulated genes were down-regulated in sdg26. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis, we found that SDG26 can directly regulate the expression of genes related to trichome growth and development such as ZFP1, ZFP5, ZFP6, GL3, MYB23, MYC1, TT8, GL1, GIS2, IPT1, IPT3, and IPT5 by increasing the accumulation of H3K27me3 on these genes, which further affects the growth and development of trichomes. This study reveals the mechanism by which SDG26 affects the growth and development of trichomes through histone methylation. The current study provides a theoretical basis for studying the molecular mechanism of histone methylation in regulating leaf trichome growth and development and perhaps guiding the development of new crop varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]