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Purpose: The increasing amounts of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light in our surroundings have sparked worries about the possible effects on humans and plants. The detrimental effects of heightened UV-B exposure on these two vital elements of terrestrial life are different due to their unique and concurrent nature. Understanding common vulnerabilities and distinctive adaptations of UV-B radiation by exploring the physiological and biochemical responses of plants and the effects on human health is of huge importance. The comparative effects of UV-B radiation on plants and animals, however, are poorly studied. This review sheds light on the sophisticated web of UV-B radiation effects by navigating the complex interaction between botanical and medical perspectives, drawing upon current findings. Conclusion: By providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex effects of heightened UV-B radiation on plants and humans, this study summarizes relevant adaptation strategies to the heightened UV-B radiation stress, which offer new approaches for improving human cellular resilience to environmental stressors. UV-B: Ultraviolet-B radiation CPD: Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer UVR8: UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) COP1: CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 ATM/ATR: Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related XPA: Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A XPC: Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C XPD: xeroderma pigmentosum D helicase P53: Tumor suppressor protein 'guardian of the genome' In plants, high doses of UV-B radiation activate the UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) signaling pathway, which results in increased production of flavonoids and enhanced activity of DNA damage-repairing enzymes. In humans, the high UV-B radiation leads to the activation of genes for protection in different pathways, such as tumor suppressor gene p53 and nucleotide excision repair proteins, including xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA), xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C (XPC), and xeroderma pigmentosum D helicase (XPD). The cellular response to UV-induced DNA damage is largely controlled by the activation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protein kinases. Since humans lack cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) photolyase, photolyase from UV-B-tolerant plants could be added to sunscreen extract and dermatological cream to increase their effectiveness in shielding human cells from UV-B damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

UV-B stress can affect plant growth at different levels, and although there is a multitude of evidence confirming the effects of UV-B radiation on plant photosynthesis, there are fewer studies using physiological assays in combination with multi-omics to investigate photosynthesis in alpine plants under stressful environments. Golden 2-like (G2-like/GLK) transcription factors (TFs) are highly conserved during evolution and may be associated with abiotic stress. In this paper, we used Handy-PEA and Imaging-PAM Maxi to detect chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) after UV-B stress, and we also investigated the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on photosynthesis in plants under stress environments. We used a combination of proteomics, widely targeted metabolomics, and transcriptomics to study the changes of photosynthesis-related substances after UV-B stress. The results showed that UV-B stress was able to impair the donor side of photosystem II (PSII), inhibit electron transfer and weaken photosynthesis, and abscisic acid was able to alleviate the damage caused by UV-B stress to the photosynthetic apparatus. Significant changes in G2-like transcription factors occurred in R. chrysanthum after UV-B stress, and differentially expressed genes localized in the Calvin cycle were strongly correlated with members of the G2-like TF family. Multi-omics assays and physiological measurements together revealed that G2-like TFs can influence photosynthesis in R. chrysanthum under UV-B stress by regulating the Calvin cycle. This paper provides insights into the study of photosynthesis in plants under stress, and is conducive to the adoption of measures to improve photosynthesis in plants under stress to increase yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to assess the impact of cell phone radiation effects on green plants. Rapid progress in networking and communication systems has introduced frequency- and amplitude-modulated technologies to the world with higher allowed bands and greater speed by using high-powered radio generators, which facilitate high definition connectivity, rapid transfer of larger data files, and quick multiple accesses. These cause frequent exposure of cellular radiation to the biological world from a number of sources. Key factors like a range of frequencies, time durations, power densities, and electric fields were found to have differential impacts on the growth and development of green plants. As far as the effects on green plants are concerned in this review, alterations in their morphological characteristics like overall growth, canopy density, and pigmentation to physiological variations like chlorophyll fluorescence and change in membrane potential etc. have been found to be affected by cellular radiation. On the other hand, elevated oxidative status of the cell, macromolecular damage, and lipid peroxidation have been found frequently. On the chromosomal level, micronuclei formation, spindle detachments, and increased mitotic indexes etc. have been noticed. Transcription factors were found to be overexpressed in many cases due to the cellular radiation impact, which shows effects at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteospermum ecklonis DC. NORL. is native to South Africa and is fully adapted to the Mediterranean climate. The aim of the study was to elucidate morphological and developmental changes in O. ecklonis plants associated with drought resistance in response to low doses of UV-C. Growth responses under three levels of drought stress (NW: normal watering, MD: moderate drought stress and SD: severe drought) were recorded. The results showed that 1 kJ m−2 UV-C significantly (p < 0.05) increased resistance to water stress without affecting growth and development or damaging photosystem II. Fresh weights of the upper parts and the root system of the irradiated plants were maintained at similar levels to those of the non-irradiated control plants. Fv/Fm values in the irradiated plants ranged from 0.73 to 0.82 depending on the stress level, while in the non-irradiated plants, the values ranged from 0.69 to 0.83. Differences between UV-C irradiated and non-irradiated plants were recorded in electrolyte leakage (EL), in malondialdehyde (MDA) and in relative water content (RWC) at all drought levels. The EL percentage of the non-irradiated plants at SD was 19.7%, while in the irradiated plants, it was 17.8%. RWC rates in the irradiated plants ranged between 60.6 and 76.4%, while in the non-irradiated plants, they ranged from 54.2 to 63.6%. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased with UV-C irradiation, suggesting that antioxidant responses were induced and protected cell membranes from lipid peroxidation and damage. The results of the present study showed that UV-C irradiation at 1 kJ m−2 alleviated the drought symptoms of O. ecklonis by reducing oxidative stress and membrane lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom-up effects modulated by abiotic factors play an important role in influencing plant--herbivorous insect interactions. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation is an important factor that regulates plant resistance to agricultural arthropod pests. Yet, addressing the bottom-up effects of UV-B radiation on plant--insect interactions by a holistic approach from insect development and behavior to plant metabolome analyses has rarely been documented. This study examined how UV-B radiation influences tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum)--aphid (Myzus persicae) interactions. Tobacco seedlings were irradiated with a UV-B lamp for 14 consecutive days, with a daily exposure time of 2 h (UV2h) and 4 h (UV4h). Here, UV-B radiation was found to enhance the resistance of tobacco plants to M. persicae in terms of the development, body size, population growth, and feeding behavior of the pest. Broad targeted metabolome analyses revealed that the tobacco plants produced higher concentrations of defensive secondary compounds, such as salicylic acid, rutin, kaempferol derivatives, and isochlorogenic acid B, after exposure to UV-B radiation. These results suggest that UV-B radiation enhanced the resistance of tobacco to M. persicae; thus, exposing seedlings to UV-B radiation could be utilized to enhance pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outside the protection of Earth's magnetic field, organisms are constantly exposed to space radiation consisting of energetic protons and other heavier charged particles. With the goal of crewed Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long duration space missions is critical for meeting astronauts' nutritional and psychological needs. However, the biological effects of space radiation on plants have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. To that end, 10-day-old Arabidopsis seedlings were exposed to simulated Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and assessed for transcriptomic changes. The simulated GCR irradiation was carried out in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). The exposures were conducted acutely for two dose points at 40 cGy or 80 cGy, with sequential delivery of proton, helium, oxygen, silicon, and iron ions. Control and irradiated seedlings were then harvested and preserved in RNAlater at 3 hrs post irradiation. Total RNA was isolated for transcriptomic analyses using RNAseq. The data revealed that the transcriptomic responses were dose-dependent, with significant upregulation of DNA repair pathways and downregulation of glucosinolate biosynthetic pathways. Glucosinolates are important for plant pathogen defense and for the taste of a plant, which are both relevant to growing plants for spaceflight. These findings fill in knowledge gaps of how plants respond to radiation in beyond-Earth environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylotrophs are a diverse group of bacteria that abundantly colonize the phyllosphere and have great potential to withstand UV irradiation because of their pigmented nature and ability to promote plant growth through various mechanisms. The present study investigated the effects of UVB radiation on plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of methylotrophic bacteria and the growth of Vigna radiata L. A total of 55 methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from desert plants, and 15 methylotrophs were resistant to UVB radiation for 4 h. All UVB-resistant methylotrophs possess a methyldehydrogenase gene. Identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that all 15 UVB-resistant methylotrophs belonged to the genera Methylorubrum (07), Methylobacterium (07), and Rhodococcus (01). Screening of methylotrophs for PGP activity in the presence and absence of UVB radiation revealed that all isolates showed ACC deaminase activity and growth on a nitrogen-free medium. Furthermore, the production of IAA-like substances ranged from 8.62 to 85.76 µg/mL, siderophore production increased from 3.47 to 65.75% compared to the control. Seed germination assay with V. radiata L. (mung bean) exposed to UVB radiation revealed that methylotrophs improved seed germination, root length, and shoot length compared to the control. The present findings revealed that the isolates SD3, SD2, KD1, KD5, UK1, and UK3 reduced the deleterious effects of UVB radiation on mung bean plants and can be used to protect seedlings from UVB radiation for sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers what it means to give plants a voice as witnesses to nuclear events. It examines two texts that attempt to represent the nonverbal testimony of irradiated plants through a hybrid approach of text and image: Sugihara Rieko's Pilgrimage to the A-Bombed Trees (Hibakuju junrei, 2015) and Michael Marder and Anaïs Tondeur's The Chernobyl Herbarium: Fragments of an Exploded Consciousness (2016). Published a year apart, both texts focus on the afterlife of nuclear catastrophes: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Sugihara's book is an account of the hibakujumoku – trees that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and continue to produce new growth to this day. Combining maps, photographs, interviews, and short essays, Pilgrimage to the A-Bombed Trees is intended as an immersive guidebook to the nearly 170 irradiated trees located within a two-kilometer radius around Hiroshima's ground zero. It presents these trees as "living witnesses" whose subsequent flourishing has provided human survivors with a conceptual figuration of destructive plasticity. Marder and Tondeur's The Chernobyl Herbarium formally resembles Sugihara's Pilgrimage to the A-Bombed Trees, and likewise combines text (a combination of short theoretical essays and personal remembrances of the Chernobyl meltdown) and images (Tondeur's photograms of plants grown in the exclusion zone) into a slim volume that calls for a rejection of language as the sole means of bearing witness. According to Marder, Tondeur's photograms "bring out the testimony of the plant," and yet the same procedure renders these plant witnesses "specimens," full of radioactivity but devoid of life (something Sugihara's book avoids through the medium of photography). The Chernobyl Herbarium is an attempt to capture, in fragmentary form, the limits of language in the conceptualization of plant life and in the proper conceptualization of the Chernobyl disaster. Ultimately, both texts are experiments to "think the unthinkable and represent the unrepresentable," to borrow Marder's words, through a deep, speculative engagement with the botanical realm. As wordless testimony is given voice through human–botanical intra-action, the plasticity of plant life (its capacity to adapt and change) is highlighted, and this allows us to locate moments of phytomorphism – the attribution of vegetal qualities to the human – in these two self-proclaimed "guidebooks." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower doses (1–10 Krad) of gamma-rays (γ) are frequently used in obtaining useful mutants in diverse plant species, whereas no report on gamma (γ) irradiation being used to develop new varieties of vanilla from vanilla cuttings. This study assessed the potential of lower doses of gamma-rays for vanilla mutation breeding. We compared the morphological differences between vanilla plants irradiated at different lower doses of gamma radiation (10, 30, 40, and 50 Gy). We quantified protein and compared variation from the extracted protein of vanilla shoots regenerated between treatments. After 44 weeks, the results showed that the growth of M1V1 (mutation 1 in vegetative cycle 1) plants at 0 Gy (control) is highest compared with other doses of gamma radiation in terms of plant height and the number of shoots. However, the highest measurement for root length is at 10 Gy. The slowest growth rate was obtained from 40 to 50 Gy. Based on the unique band of protein that appears on the SDS-PAGE gel, 10 Gy has three unique bands at loci 0.105 RF, two bands lie at loci between 0.164 RF and 0.234 RF. While 30 Gy is absent two unique bands at loci 0.234 RF compared to 0 Gy. Thus, the dose of gamma rays at 10 Gy gave the highest number of protein fragments, which detected polymorphisms between the control (0 Gy) and the plants treated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the protein variation in M1V1 of irradiated vanilla plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing solid‐state luminescent materials with bright long‐wavelength emissions is of considerable practical importance in light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) but remains a formidable challenge. Here, a novel structure engineering strategy is reported to realize solid‐state fluorescence (FL)‐emitted carbon dots (CDs) from visible to near‐infrared region. This is the first report of such an extended wavelength emission of self‐quenching‐resistant solid‐state CDs. Notably, the quantum yields of these CDs are remarkably improved up to 67.7%, which is the highest value for solid‐state CDs. The surface polymer chains of CDs can efficiently suppress the conjugated sp2 carbon cores from π–π stacking inducing aggregation caused FL quenching, and the redshift of FL emissions is attributed to narrowing bandgap caused by an enlarged sp2 carbon core. Using these CDs as conversion phosphors, the fabrication of white LEDs with adjustable correlated color temperatures of 1882–5019 K is achieved. Moreover, a plant growth LED device is assembled with a blue‐LED chip and deep‐red/near‐infrared‐emitted CDs. Compared with sunlight and white LEDs, the peanuts irradiated by plant growth LED lamp show higher growth efficiency in terms of branches and leaves. This work provides high‐quality solid‐state CD‐based phosphors for LED lighting sources that are required for diverse optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro culturing can generate plants with a distorted morphology. Some distortions affect the plant's survival after transfer to an ex vitro environment, while others can affect the aesthetic value. Therefore, exogenous hormones are often applied in in vitro cultures to modulate plant architecture. In this study, it was hypothesised that regulatory effects of UV-B radiation on plant morphology can be exploited under in vitro conditions, and that UV exposure will result in sturdier, less elongated plants with more branches and smaller leaves, mediated by changes in plant hormones. Plants were grown in tissue-culture containers and exposed to ~0.22 W m−2 UV-B for 8 days. Subsequently, plants were transferred to soil and monitored for a further 7 days. Results show that UV induced a marked change in architecture with a significant increase in axillary branches, and reductions in leaf area, plant height and root weight. These changes were associated with significant alterations in concentrations of hormones, including IAA, GA7, GA3 and iP–9–G. Changes in hormone concentrations suggest a regulatory, rather than a stress response to UV-B. Therefore, it is proposed that the application of UV in in vitro culture can be an innovative approach to manipulate plant architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation plays a crucial role for growth and yield of wheat. A field experiment was conducted at the Field Laboratory of Agrotechnology Discipline of Khulna University in Bangladesh during November 2018 to March 2019 to study the effect of radiation levels and plant population on growth and yield attributes of wheat. The study was set out in the randomized complete block design with four radiation levels (full sunlight, 75% light, 55% light, 25% light) and three plant population densities (160 plant/m2, 200 plant/m2, 230 plant/m2) that replicated thrice. Growth and yield attributes of wheat were generally similar between two light levels (full sunlight, 75% light) and two plant densities (200 plant/m2, 230 plant/m2). However, the attributes were usually minimum at 25% light. The interaction effect of full sunlight or 75% light with optimal (200 plant/m2) or maximal (230 plant/m2) plant densities produced statistically similar plant height, leaf number, tiller number, total dry matter, grain yield, straw yield, and biological yield. Therefore, combination of 75% light with 230 plant/m2 is suggested for growing wheat in light limited areas and in agroforestry system with acceptable yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Heavy-ion beam irradiation was performed on the PLB of various Cymbidium cultivars. • Distinguishing heavy-ion beam irradiated strains based on morphology is difficult. • Strain-specific polymorphic patterns can be revealed using random DNA primers. • Polymorphic patterns are maintained in seedlings and individual organ patterns. • Polymorphic DNA marks are a feasible method for intracultivar identification. DNA marker-based discrimination between a wild-type specimen and mutants obtained using heavy-ion beams (because of small genomic and genetic mutations) is challenging in mutation breeding. Protecting the plant breeders' right to mutate cultivars is challenging because tissue culture techniques that use the protocorm-like body (PLB) can quickly propagate. Thus, we present two methods for generating DNA markers in Cymbidium using genomic mutations induced by heavy-ion beams. In the first method, we selected 8–16 plants from three cultivars after irradiation that had no mutations in morphology or traits, followed by genome scanning using 240 sets of 15-mer random amplified polymorphic DNA primers and arbitrarily primed PCR primers based on partial retrotransposon sequences. Three polymorphic patterns were generated in each cultivar. In the second method, cultivar candidates were generated by crossbreeding, and a strain was selected. Genome scanning was performed on 43 plants irradiated by applying a carbon- or neon-ion beam to the PLB and using five random primer sets that allowed many scorable bands. Polymorphic patterns were detected in two strains at all micropropagation steps via the PLB and in second-flowering plants. These data demonstrate that strains with the same appearance after heavy-ion beam irradiation can be distinguished using polymorphic DNA patterns alone. These patterns were defined as "DNA marks" for intracultivar identification. In cases where multiple strains of DNA marks are obtained in one cultivar, DNA marks can realize the feasibility of DNA-level traceability from production to market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atropa belladonna is the most important commercial source of pharmaceutical tropane alkaloids such as Atropine, Scopolamine, and Hyoscyamine. The current study aims to investigate the effects of 6 different helium-neon laser doses (0.0, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 J cm-2) and exposure conditions on callus fresh weight and apply biotechnological tools as alternative approach for increasing the accumulation of active agents (atropine) of A. belladonna plant using abiotic elicitors salicylic acid precursor feeding. After treatment they were analyzed by a photograph illustrating the banding profile produced by the twelve ISSR primers DNA under the six investigated laser radiation doses and HPLC technique was applied to determine Atropine, Scopolamine and Hyoscyamine contents. The results showed that the highest callus fresh weight, callus dry weight was achieved by callus derived from (leaves and stem) explants, which was cultured on (MS) medium supplemented with different combinations among different concentrations of growth regulators as NAA, 2,4-D, Kin and BAP (at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l). On the other hand all treatments of callus tissue had affected the content of medically active constituents of Atropa belladonna. This study suggests a more efficient method for commercially large-scale production of Atropine, Scopolamine, and Hyoscyamine by A. belladonna plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Enhanced UV-B radiation resulting from stratospheric ozone depletion has been documented both globally and on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The response of Kobresia humilis, an important alpine meadow plant species, to enhanced UV-B radiation was experimentally investigated at the Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station (37°29′–37°45′ N, 101°12′–101°23′ E; alt. 3200 m). K. humilis was exposed to UV-B radiation including ambient UV-B and enhanced UV-B (simulating a 14% reduction in the ozone layer) in a randomized design with three replications of each treatment. Enhanced UV-B radiation resulted in a significant increase of both leaf area and fresh weight chlorophyll and carotenoid but had no effect on UV-B absorbing pigments. Similarly, enhanced UV-B radiation did not significantly change the photosynthetic O2 elevation rate while leaf thickness, width, and length significantly increased (p < 0.01). The enhanced UV-B radiation was associated with 2–3 days earlier flowering and a larger number of flowers per spikelet. The enhanced UV-B generally resulted in larger leaves and more flowers but earlier phenology. In summary, these findings suggest that alpine species of K. humilis have adapted to the strong solar UV-B radiation intensity presented on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but the interspecies differences and their influence on trophic level should be more concerning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma irradiation is an effective and widely used method in the agricultural sector to alter the traits of plants especially for commercialization purposes and as a mitigation measure to ensure food security in the future. Vigna radiata (mung bean) is one of the most important legume crops in Asian countries that is not fully exploited. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on the cytology and growth of mung beans. The mung bean seeds were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation; 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 Gy. The increasing dose of gamma irradiation caused an insignificant decrease (p>0.05) in the mitotic index of V. radiata meristematic cells. However, a significant increase at p<0.05 in the percentage of clastogenic chromosomal aberration was observed in the meristematic cells of plants irradiated at 800 and 1000 Gy. The survival percentage, plant height, and root length were inversely proportional to the percentage of chromosomal aberration and clastogenic abnormalities when the irradiation dose exceeded the LD50 (752.50 Gy). In conclusion, gamma rays greatly induced clastogenic abnormalities which have varying impacts on the cytology and growth of V. radiata plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to observe morphological characters and genetic parameters of Benggala grass and its nutritional quality. Research on morphological characters was conducted at the Regional Technical Executive Unit (UPTD) of Tenjo dry land, using a randomized block design with 5 replications. The parents of the M1V3 mutant were from Benggala grass cv Purple guinea from the germplasm collection of the Indonesian Research Institute of Animal Production (Balitnak). The M1V3 plants were derived from 2400 M1V1 plants sorted to 250 M1V2 plants, and finally to 29 M1V3 plants. There were 29 plants planted on the experimental field using pols and control plants. Morphological observations and forage harvests were conducted at harvest/cutting ages 2 and 3 months after planting. Each harvest age was analyzed respectively. Forage quality observations were carried out at the RIAP Laboratory. The results showed that at the ages of 2 and 3 months, almost all characters were significantly different (p<0.05) in each genotype and several mutants of Benggala grass were higher than controls. Broad categorical genetic parameters were found in the characters of fresh weight, fresh weight of leaves, and fresh weight of tillers. Nutritional quality shows that irradiated plants have good nutritional quality because the value of crude protein and digestibility increases, while the value of crude fiber decreases compared to the control plant. In conclusion, the characterization of the M1V3 generation showed high-yielding mutants that were higher than the control and this M1V3 generation could be used as candidates for high-yielding varieties of Benggala grass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effects of additional ultraviolet radiation (UV) on the main growth fluorescent lamp light on pigment content and essential oil accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Three different UV light sources from light-emitting diodes and discharge lamps, which emit UV in the UV-A (315–400 nm), UV-B (280–315 nm) and UV-C (100–280 nm) ranges, were tested for basil plant growing. The plants, growing under additional UV-A and UV-B from mercury lamps, on the 60th growing day were higher than control plants by 90% and 53%, respectively. The fresh leaf mass of the UV-A irradiated basil plants was 2.4-fold higher than the control plant mass. The dry mass/fresh mass ratio of the UV-A and UV-B irradiated plants was higher by 45% and 35% in comparison to the control plants. Leaf area was increased by 40% and 20%, respectively. UV-C affected the anthocyanin content most strongly, they increased by 50%, whereas only by 27% and 0% under UV-A and UV-B. Any UV addition did not affect the essential oil total contents but altered the essential oil compositions. UV-A and UV-B increased the linalool proportion from 10% to 20%, and to 25%, respectively, in contrast to UV-C, which reduced it to 3%. UV-C induced the eugenol methyl ether accumulation (17%) and inhibited plant growth. Moreover, UV increased the proportion of α-guaiene, β-cubebene and α-bulnesene and decreased the proportion of sabinene and fenchone. Thus, we concluded that UV (except UV-C) used jointly with main light with PPFD 120 ± 10 μmol photons·m−2·s−1 for sweet basil cultivation may be justified to stimulate basil growth and optimize the essential oil accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correction notice addresses an error in the original article titled "Review on the impact of cell phone radiation effects on green plants." The correction pertains to the third affiliation, which should be corrected from "Project Engineering and Instrumentation Department, CSIR-Institutes of Minerals and Materials Technology, Sachivalaya Marg, RRL Campus, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar 751013, Odisha, India" to "Process Engineering and Instrumentation Department, CSIR- Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Sachivalaya Marg, RRL Campus, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar 751013, Odisha, India." The correction notice is provided by Dinesh Kumar Panda, Debi Prasad Das, Santosh Kumar Behera, and Nabin Kumar Dhal. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Gamma (γ)-irradiation can induce changes in plant morphology, cellular physiological activities, and genetic material. To date, there has been limited research on the molecular basis of leaf morphological abnormalities and physiological changes in irradiated rose plants. In this study, Rosa multiflora 'Libellula' plants were treated with 60Co γ-rays. The irradiation resulted in the distortion of blade morphology. Additionally, the leaf chlorophyll content decreased, whereas the accumulation of reactive oxygen species increased. The differentially expressed genes between the control and 2–3 plants irradiated with 50 Gy were analyzed by RNA-seq technology, which revealed genes related to chlorophyll metabolism were differentially expressed. The expression levels of genes related to the regulation of antioxidant enzyme synthesis were downregulated. An RNA-seq analysis also identified the differentially expressed regulatory genes involved in leaf morphology development. Four genes (RcYABBY1, RcARF18, RcARF9, and RcWOX8) were selected, and their expression patterns in different leaf development stages and in various plant organs were analyzed. Furthermore, virus-induced gene silencing technology was used to verify that RcYABBY1 is involved in the morphogenesis of R. multiflora 'Libellula' leaves. The results of this study are useful for clarifying the molecular, physiological, and morphological changes in irradiated rose plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing radiation is abiotic stress limiting the growth and productivity of crop plants. Stigmasterol has positive effects on the plant growth of many crops. The role of stigmasterol in alleviating the effects of ionizing radiation on plant metabolism and development is still unclear. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effects of pretreatments with γ-radiation (0, 25, and 50 Gy), foliar application of stigmasterol (0, 100, and 200 ppm), and their interaction on the growth, and biochemical constituents of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. Sids 12) plants. Gamma radiation at 25 Gy showed no significant difference in plant height, root length, no. of leaves, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, Chl a, ABA, soluble phenols, and MDA compared to the control values. Gamma rays at 50 Gy inhibited shoot and root lengths, flag leaf area, shoot fresh and dry weights, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble sugars, proline, and peroxidase activity. However, it stimulated total phenols, catalase activity, and lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, stigmasterol at 100 ppm showed no significant effects on some of the physiological attributes compared to control plants. Stigmasterol at 200 ppm improved plant growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, proline, phenols, antioxidant enzyme, gibberellic acid, and indole acetic acid. Correspondingly, it inhibited total soluble sugars, abscisic acid, and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, the application of stigmasterol caused the appearance of new polypeptides and the reappearance of those missed by gamma radiation. Overall, stigmasterol could alleviate the adverse effects of gamma radiation on wheat plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of gamma irradiations on morphological and biochemical variations of in vitro shoots, regenerated plants and rhizomes of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) var. Himgiri. In vitro established shoot cultures were treated with different doses of gamma irradiations (10–100 Gy). Nonirradiated shoots were used as controls. Radio sensitivity of shoots and in vitro growth parameters were recorded. Surviving shoots along with controls were multiplied, rooted and hardened. Irradiation effect on chromosomes was evaluated by comparing with controls. Various morphological and biochemical observations were recorded in regenerated plants and rhizomes and compared to controls. Irradiated shoots showed decline in survival percentage (95% in 10 Gy to 12.33% in 100 Gy) with increase in dose rate after 4 weeks of irradiation. Shoot survival significantly decreased with irradiation dose rate above 20 Gy. Shoot multiplication rate showed an increase from 1:2 in 1st subculture to 1:9 after 5th subculture, in 10 Gy irradiated cultures with 4.5 cm average length of shoots and 8.19 number of leaves after 5th subculture. Average rooting showed an increase from 15.55% after 2nd subculture to 100% after 5th subculture, in 10 Gy irradiated shoots; however, no multiplication and rooting was observed in higher doses. In vitro rooted shoots were subjected to hardening with 100 percent survival in a mixture comprised of soil, cocopeat and FYM. One-year-old hardened plants when observed for morphological variations showed nonsignificant variations in comparison to controls. Rhizomes obtained from 10 Gy irradiated plants showed enhanced concentration of 6-gingerol and reduced crude fiber content when compared with controls. Gamma irradiation doses up to 10 Gy resulted in nonsignificant phenotypic variations but can positively affect biochemical composition of rhizomes leading to development of biochemically improved mutant lines of ginger with increased 6-gingerol and lowered crude fiber content. Therefore, suggesting the lower doses of gamma irradiations for improvement of biochemical constituents in vegetatively propagated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamps that emit 222 nm short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be safely used for sterilization without harming human health. However, there are few studies on the effects of 222 nm UVC (222-UVC) radiation exposure on plants compared with the effects of germicidal lamps emitting primarily 254 nm UVC (254-UVC) radiation. We investigated the growth inhibition and cell damage caused by 222-UVC exposure to Arabidopsis plants, especially mitochondrial dynamics, which is an index of damage caused by UVB radiation. Growth inhibition resulted from 254-UVC or 222-UVC exposure depending on the dose of UVC radiation. However, with respect to the phenotype of 222-UVC-irradiated plants, the leaves curled under 1 kJ m−2 and were markedly bleached under 10 kJ m−2 compared with those of plants irradiated with 254-UVC. The cellular state, especially the mitochondrial dynamics, of epidermal and mesophyll cells of Arabidopsis leaves exposed to 254-UVC or 222-UVC radiation was investigated using Arabidopsis plants expressing mitochondrial matrix-targeted yellow fluorescent protein (MT-YFP) under the control of Pro35S to visualize the mitochondria. 222-UVC (1 or 5 kJ m−2) severely damaged the guard cells within the epidermis, and YFP signals and chloroplast autofluorescence in guard cells within the epidermis exposed to 222-UVC (1 or 5 kJ m−2) were not detected compared with those in cells exposed to 254-UVC radiation. In addition, 222-UVC irradiation led to mitochondrial fragmentation in mesophyll cells, similar to the effects of 254-UVC exposure. These results suggest that 222-UVC severely damages guard cells and epidermal cells and that such damage might have resulted in growth inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Normalization Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), for many years, was widely used in remote sensing for the detection of vegetation land cover. This index uses red channel radiances (i.e., 0.66 μm reflectance) and near-IR channel (i.e., 0.86 μm reflectance). In the heavy chlorophyll absorption area, the red channel is located, while in the high reflectance plateau of vegetation canopies, the Near-IR channel is situated. Senses of channels (Red & Near- IR) read variance depths over vegetation canopies. In the present study, a further index for vegetation identification is proposed. The normalized difference vegetation shortwave index (NDVSI) is defined as the difference between the cubic bands of Near- IR and Shortwave infrared radiation (SWIR) divided by their sums. The radiances or reflectances are included in this index from the Near-IR channel and WSIR2 channel (2.1 μm). The NDVSI is less sensitivite to atmospheric effects as compared to NDVI. By comparing the one NDVSI index with the two indexes (NDVI, SAVI) of vegetation cover, good correlations were found between NDVI and NDVSI (R²=0.917) and between SAVI and NDVSI (R²=0.809. Accordingly, the proposed index can be taken into consideration as an independent vegetation index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal and spatial variations in ozone levels and temporal changes in solar radiation greatly influence ultraviolet radiation incidence to crops throughout their growth, yet the interactive effects of CO2 and UV-B radiation on Basil production under sunlight environmental conditions has not been studied. Basil ‘Genovese’ plants grown under sunlit plant growth chambers were subjected to a combination of supplemental UV-B (0 and 10 kJ m−2d−1) and ambient (420 ppm) and elevated (720 ppm) CO2 treatments for 38 days after 14 days of germination. UV-B radiation treatments caused a decrease in basil stem branching, fresh mass, and stem dry mass under both CO2 treatments when harvested after 17 and 38 days of treatment. There was also an increase in basil leaf surface wax under UV-B (10 kJ m−2d−1) treatment compared to controls (0 kJ m−2d−1). Elevated CO2 treatments caused a decrease in morphological features, including specific leaf area and fresh mass. Interactive effects between UV-B and CO2 treatments existed for some morphological features, including plant height, root surface area, and average root diameter. Understanding the impacts that CO2 and UV-B radiation treatments have on basilcan improve existing varieties for increased tolerance while simultaneously improving yield, plant morphology, and physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse radiation can promote the vegetation photosynthesis. Radiation use efficiency (RUE = GPP/PAR) simulated by Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Flux GPP Model (TEC), Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM), Eddy Covariance Light Use Efficiency Model (EC‐LUE), and Diffuse Fraction‐Based Two‐Leaf Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Flux Model (DTEC) models were against the measured radiation‐use efficiency (RUE) from FLUXNET under different bins of diffuse photosynthetically active radiation fraction (FDIFFPAR) in this study. Our results showed that the observed RUE increased linearly with FDIFFPAR. The differences of RUE between the first bin and other bin (RUEbin) from two big‐leaf models were underestimated when the FDIFFPAR is higher than 0.5 except in evergreen broadleaf forests and RUEbin from the DTEC model was overestimated when the FDIFFPAR is higher than 0.7. The role of temperature and vapor pressure deficit in the diffuse radiation effects on vegetation photosynthesis was underestimated in EC‐LUE, TEC, VPM. Although many studies applied LUE models to assess the effects of diffuse radiation on vegetation photosynthesis, our results suggested that these models were needed to be improved. Plain Language Summary: Diffuse radiation can improve the efficiency of vegetation carbon uptake. Many models have been applied in evaluating the diffuse radiation effects on terrestrial plant productivity. However, there are no studies to evaluate the performance of these models. In this study, we found that the effects of diffuse radiation on vegetation photosynthesis cannot fully be captured by TEC, VPM, EC‐LUE, and DTEC models. The result showed that the big leaf model can partially consider the diffuse radiation effects on vegetation photosynthesis for low fraction of diffuse radiation days and the two‐leaf model performs better than the big‐leaf model in most conditions. Our findings suggested that the new mechanism about the diffuse radiation effects on the maximum LUE (LUEmax) is needed to be incorporated in LUE models. Key Points: The current LUE models are not suitable for estimating the diffuse fertilization effects (DFE) on vegetation photosynthesisThe big‐leaf model simulates the DFE on vegetation photosynthesis when the fraction of diffuse radiation is lowThe incorporation of diffuse radiation effects on canopy LUEmax could partially improve the performance of models in estimating DFE [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Strawberry powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera aphanis, one of the most important diseases affecting strawberry production in Japan, can be effectively controlled by supplemental ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Here, we investigated disease severity on plants irradiated with UV light at 270–380 nm with/without inoculation and demonstrated significant decreases in disease severity on the UV‐treated plants throughout almost all of the experiment periods. Daily UV irradiation for 3 hr (0.17–0.96 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) significantly reduced the incidence of powdery mildew on UV‐treated strawberry at day 58 after initiation of UV irradiation in a natural infection and at day 168 in artificial inoculation tests compared with non‐UV‐treated controls. Furthermore, we found that two pathogenesis‐related protein (PR) genes were up‐regulated 7 days after initiation of UV irradiation on plants before or after transplantation into raised beds. Transcript levels of five defence‐response genes were estimated using quantitative reverse transcription PCR to determine whether UV irradiation induced a defence response; PR‐3 and PR‐5 transcripts were significantly higher in the UV‐treated strawberry leaves after UV irradiation than in the non‐irradiated controls. In addition, transcript levels of both genes were significantly up‐regulated in plants irradiated with a higher radiant dose (0.90–0.96 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) within 7 days after initiation of UV treatment, compared with plants exposed to a lower dose (0.17 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) and with controls. Thus, PR‐3 and PR‐5 are induced in strawberry leaves as part of a defence response that is induced by UV irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 12C6+ ion radiation enhanced the drought resistance of Malus hupehensis plants. • Drought-resistant mutant were selected from the irradiated plants. • These findings provided a foundation for future radiation breeding research. Heavy ion radiation is widely used in radiation mutation breeding because it usually leads to a high mutation rate of irradiated materials. However, there is a scarcity of reports on heavy ion radiation's effects on apples. In this study, the seeds of Malus hupehensis irradiated by 12C6+ heavy ions were used as materials. Subsequently, the germinated plants underwent two brief drought treatments. The results revealed enhanced drought resistance in the irradiated plants, leading to the selection of four mutants (DR-1, DR-2, DR-3, and DR-27). Under prolonged drought treatment, these four mutant lines exhibited significantly lower stomatal density and higher POD activity than the control. Consequently, they suffered less damage while maintaining consistent growth and development, showcasing substantial drought resistance. Transcriptome analysis indicated higher expression levels of stress-responsive genes and pathways in DR-1 and DR-27 plants under prolonged drought stress compared to the control. Notably, within the starch and sucrose metabolic pathway, mutant plants displayed elevated sucrose synthase expression and significantly higher sucrose content than the control, indicating enhanced osmoregulation of mutants. Therefore, these results demonstrate that, under prolonged drought stress, mutant plants sustain growth and development by reducing stomatal density and boosting antioxidant enzyme activity and osmoregulation. We found that 12C6+ heavy ion radiation could enhance the drought resistance of Malus hupehensis plants, and the drought resistant plants which had been verified by long-term drought were selected from the irradiated plants, which provided a new theoretical and technical basis for 12C6+ heavy ion radiation breeding and was of great significance to the development of apple industry in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, anthropogenic activities contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer, which increased the levels of solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Generally, UV-B is harmful to all living organisms. It damages the cell's Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), proteins, and lipids, and as a consequence, it affects the bio-membranes negatively. In this review, we summarize the major effects of UV-B in the plant's main molecules and physiological reactions, in addition to the possible defence mechanisms against UV-B including accumulating UV-B absorbing pigments to alleviate the harmful impact of UV-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study employed white (W), blue (B: 468 nm), red (R: 629 nm) and green (G: 524 nm) monochromatic LED lights for 26 days, from 11:00 to 18:00 h (7 h per day), with an average photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 26.0 m-2 s-1 on baby spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L.), cvs. Falcon F1 and Viroflay, grown in a hydroponic system. Regardless of the cultivar, the fresh and dry weights were positively influenced when the plants were irradiated by R-light in comparison to W-light. Independent of the cultivar, the leaves treated with B-light reached a significantly higher phenolic compound concentration and antioxidant capacity than plants irradiated with W-light. In addition, the green light increased total phenolic compound concentration. According to the results, the use of LED lights is a promising technique for the production of antioxidant compound-enriched leafy vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After more than nine years since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck Japan, the unresolved situation in FukushimaNuclear Power Plant and long-term effects of radiation continue to situate residents of Fukushima under the post-disaster context. This study examined the influence of Fukushima residents' stigma perception and connectedness to offline and online neighborhood storytelling networks on future outlook. Based on an online survey of 936 Fukushima residents, the study found that residents who perceive higher stigma toward Fukushima from outsiders were more likely to have a negative future outlook than others. On the other hand, residents' connectedness to the neighborhood storytelling network - consisting of interpersonal conversation, connectedness to community organizations andlocal media - was positively related to future outlook. With regard to online communication, people who engage in expressive storytelling about local affairs on social media, such as uploading stories or sharing information, were more likely to have a positive future outlook than others. Moreover, expressive storytelling about local affairs on social media was found to moderate the effect of stigma on future outlook: the negative effect of stigma on future outlook was mitigated for those who engage in expressive storytelling about local affairs. Implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the most used preservation methods and their impact on the content and composition of following plant materials: Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum and Rosmarinus officinalis. The preservation methods used in this work were natural drying, freezing storage and gamma rays irradiation. Steam distillation method was used to extract the essential oils from the preserved samples. Essential oil content varied according to the preservation method tested on the plant materials. Fresh plant distillation yield for peppermint and rosemary were 0.35% and for basil was 0.88%. Dried plant and gamma rays irradiated plant distillation yield for rosemary was 1.94%, for peppermint was 0.55%, and for basil was 0.29%. Frozen plant distillation yield for rosemary was 0.50%, for peppermint was 0.15%, and for basil was 0.05%. Chemical composition of studied essential oils are analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry Detector (GC-MSD). The primary constituent detected in peppermint oil was menthan-ol, in rosemary oil was eucalyptol and in basil essential oil was estragole. As the main conclusion is the preservation methods clearly influence the content and the chemical composition of essential oils obtained from plant material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation directly affects plants and microorganisms, but also alters the species-specific interactions between them. The distinct bands of UV radiation, UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C have different effects on plants and their associated microorganisms. While UV-A and UV-B mainly affect morphogenesis and phototropism, UV-B and UV-C strongly trigger secondary metabolite production. Short wave (<350 nm) UV radiation negatively affects plant pathogens in direct and indirect ways. Direct effects can be ascribed to DNA damage, protein polymerization, enzyme inactivation and increased cell membrane permeability. UV-C is the most energetic radiation and is thus more effective at lower doses to kill microorganisms, but by consequence also often causes plant damage. Indirect effects can be ascribed to UV-B specific pathways such as the UVR8-dependent upregulated defense responses in plants, UV-B and UV-C upregulated ROS accumulation, and secondary metabolite production such as phenolic compounds. In this review, we summarize the physiological and molecular effects of UV radiation on plants, microorganisms and their interactions. Considerations for the use of UV radiation to control microorganisms, pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic, are listed. Effects can be indirect by increasing specialized metabolites with plant pre-treatment, or by directly affecting microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far-red photons regulate shade avoidance responses and can have powerful effects on plant morphology and radiation capture. Recent studies have shown that far-red photons (700 to 750 nm) efficiently drive photosynthesis when added to traditionally defined photosynthetic photons (400–700 nm). But the long-term effects of far-red photons on canopy quantum yield have not yet been determined. We grew lettuce in a four-chamber, steady-state canopy gas-exchange system to separately quantify canopy photon capture, quantum yield for CO2 fixation, and carbon use efficiency. These measurements facilitate a mechanistic understanding of the effect of far-red photons on the components of plant growth. Day-time photosynthesis and night-time respiration of lettuce canopies were continuously monitored from seedling to harvest in five replicate studies. Plants were grown under a background of either red/blue or white light, each background with or without 15% (50 μmol m−2 s−1) of far-red photons substituting for photons between 400 and 700 nm. All four treatments contained 31.5% blue photons, and an equal total photon flux from 400 to 750 nm of 350 μmol m−2 s−1. Both treatments with far-red photons had higher canopy photon capture, increased daily carbon gain (net photosynthesis minus respiration at night), and 29 to 31% more biomass than control treatments. Canopy quantum yield was similar among treatments (0.057 ± 0.002 mol of CO2 fixed in gross photosynthesis per mole of absorbed photons integrated over 400 to 750 nm). Carbon use efficiency (daily carbon gain/gross photosynthesis) was also similar for mature plants (0.61 ± 0.02). Photosynthesis increased linearly with increasing photon capture and had a common slope among all four treatments, which demonstrates that the faster growth with far-red photon substitution was caused by enhanced photon capture through increased leaf expansion. The equivalent canopy quantum yield among treatments indicates that the absorbed far-red photons were equally efficient for photosynthesis when acting synergistically with the 400–700 nm photons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bioscience Journal is the property of Bioscience Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The presence of specific components in the environment can change the state of cenoses. The effect of ionizing radiation on plant communities, animals and humans have been well studied, while the effect on soil microflora has not been insufficiently studied. In this paper investigated the effect of radionuclide contamination on microflora of soil samples from the territory of PTLRW "Red Forest 1" (trench), "Red Forest 2" (outside the trench), "Cooling Pond" and "Zalissia". Phospholipid fa􀆩y acid (PLFA) content was obtained by PLFA analysis. The highest level of total PLFA was observed in the territory of "Zalissia" which was 17.40 ± 10.59 μg / h. From the territory of PTLRW "Red Forest 1" (trench) and "Red Forest 2" (outside the trench) the level of total PLFA was 16.29 ± 3.43 μg / g and 16.40 ± 2.90 μg / h, respectively. The PLFA content of the "Cooling Pond" was significantly different from the "Red Forest" and "Zalissia". The taxonomic groups assessment of the samples, a fungus, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria content increased in PTLRW "Red Forest" relative to the point "Zalissia ". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was found that γ-irradiation under certain conditions accelerates the growth and development of plants, improves their productivity and quality characteristics. Based on this, in the presented article, we tried to determine the range of the seed irradiation dose, which helps to reduce the negative effect of salt. For this, a fairly wide range of both the radiation dose and the salt concentration was used. The response of the plant to salt stress was determined on the basis of changes both in a biometric parameters, and in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and total protein. According to the results, the main biometric indices increased markedly in chickpea upon pre-sowing irradiation at doses of 1-5 Gy and germination under normal conditions. The maximum increase in individual indices was found at a dose of 5 Gy. In the case of non-irradiated seeds grown under salt conditions, even a low concentration (1 mmol) of salt led to inhibition of the plant development. Seedlings, germinated from seeds irradiated in the dose range from 5 to 100 Gy, were shown to grow normally even at high salt concentrations. At a stimulating dose of 5 Gy, an increase in salt concentration from 1 to 50 mmol led to a gradual increase in MDA levels in the leaves. An increase in salt concentrations in the range of 1-200 mmol also led to a marked increase in the proline content. Under high concentrations (from 10 to 200 mmol) of salt, seed irradiation led to a sharp decrease in the total protein content. Irradiation of seeds at doses of 5- 100 Gy is assumed to reduce the effects of salt stress to some extent. At high salt concentrations, proline plays a significant role in protecting the plant from salt stress. It was found that γ-irradiation under certain conditions accelerates the growth and development of plants, improves their productivity and quality characteristics. Based on this, in the presented article, we tried to determine the range of the seed irradiation dose, which helps to reduce the negative effect of salt. For this, a fairly wide range of both the radiation dose and the salt concentration was used. The response of the plant to salt stress was determined on the basis of changes both in a biometric parameters, and in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and total protein. According to the results, the main biometric indices increased markedly in chickpea upon pre-sowing irradiation at doses of 1-5 Gy and germination under normal conditions. The maximum increase in individual indices was found at a dose of 5 Gy. In the case of non-irradiated seeds grown under salt conditions, even a low concentration (1 mmol) of salt led to inhibition of the plant development. Seedlings, germinated from seeds irradiated in the dose range from 5 to 100 Gy, were shown to grow normally even at high salt concentrations. At a stimulating dose of 5 Gy, an increase in salt concentration from 1 to 50 mmol led to a gradual increase in MDA levels in the leaves. An increase in salt concentrations in the range of 1-200 mmol also led to a marked increase in the proline content. Under high concentrations (from 10 to 200 mmol) of salt, seed irradiation led to a sharp decrease in the total protein content. Irradiation of seeds at doses of 5- 100 Gy is assumed to reduce the effects of salt stress to some extent. At high salt concentrations, proline plays a significant role in protecting the plant from salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was investigate the effect of different UV-doses on morphological defending system features of two palm species Phoenix dactylifera L. and Washingtonia filifera (Lindl.) H. Wendl. The results showed that the morphological and biomass traits of both palm species grown for 30 days under UV-B with a rate of 2 hrs.day-1 were almost improved. Where, the highest leaf width was recorded (1.1 and 0.7 cm) respectively. Conversely, UV-treatment (4-10 hrs.day-1) has adversely affected on almost morphological and biomass features of both species. Where, the less leaf widths were recorded 0.95, 0.8, 0.73, 0.45, 0.43 and 0.40 cm in both palm species. Besides, results also spotted changes in leaf’s surface appearances. However, present investigation concluded that morphological features and biomass of both species were unaffected with low dose of UV-radiation (2 hrs.day-1). But, date palm (P. dactylifera L.) was capable to survive at high dose of radiation conditions reaches 8 hrs.day-1 for 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-yielding short-duration cultivars are required due to the development of mechanized large-scale double-season rice (i.e. early- and late-season rice) production in China. The objective of this study was to identify whether existing early-season rice cultivars can be used as resources to select high-yielding, short-duration (less than 115 days) cultivars of machine-transplanted late-season rice. Field experiments were conducted in Yongan, Hunan Province, China in the early and late rice-growing seasons in 2015 and 2016. Eight early-season rice cultivars (Liangyou 6, Lingliangyou 211, Lingliangyou 268, Xiangzaoxian 32, Xiangzaoxian 42, Zhongjiazao 17, Zhongzao 39, and Zhuliangyou 819) with growth durations of less than 115 days were used in 2015, and four cultivars (Lingliangyou 268, Zhongjiazao 17, Zhongzao 39, and Zhuliangyou 819) with good yield performance in the late season in 2015 were grown in 2016. All cultivars had a growth duration of less than 110 days when grown in the late season in both years. Zhongjiazao 17 produced the maximum grain yield of 9.61 Mg ha−1 with a daily grain yield of 108 kg ha−1 d−1 in the late season in 2015. Averaged across both years, Lingliangyou 268 had the highest grain yield of 8.57 Mg ha−1 with a daily grain yield of 95 kg ha−1 d−1 in the late season. The good yield performance of the early-season rice cultivars grown in the late season was mainly attributable to higher apparent radiation use efficiency. Growth duration and grain yield of early-season rice cultivars grown in the late season were not significantly related to those grown in the early season. Our study suggests that it is feasible to select high-yielding short-duration cultivars from existing early-season rice cultivars for machine-transplanted late-season rice production. Special tests by growing alternative early-season rice cultivars in the late season should be done to determine their growth duration and grain yield for such selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of small doses of irradiation on the activity of genes of the photoperiodic pathway were studied. The irradiation of 4 week old plants by X-ray radiation at doses of 3, 6, 9 and 15 Gy with a dose rate of 89 cGy/s and photon energy 6 MeV was carried out. The key genes of the photoperiodic path AP1, GI, FT, CO were selected for the study. The gene expression analysis in real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed. The statistical analysis of the quantitative PCR results was performed using the REST 2009 software. The relative expression was calculated by comparing the time when the experimental and control samples fluorescence curves cross the threshold. The studies indicated that plants irradiated with X-rays in a dose up to 15 Gy started the flowering phase earlier thаn the control group. In addition, the expression of the key flowering genes increased in experimental plants. During the experiments, a nonlinear dependence of the change in the genes expression of the photoperiodic path in plants irradiated with low doses of radiation was found. The reaction from the mechanism of the flowering determination to low doses of radiation is not specific compared with the response to other abiotic stress factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing irradiation is used to preserve foodstuffs and improve food safety, but it is not permitted for organic products, with the exception for using low doses (less than 500 mGy) for detection purposes (e.g. the presence of foreign objects). Analytical verification of irradiation is possible by detection of 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) in products irradiated with 10 Gy or more. Effects of lower doses of radiation on foodstuffs have not been investigated yet, but in blood, irradiation is detectable even at intensities of 1 mGy. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine whether fluorescence excitation spectroscopy (FES), a method which is very sensitive to small changes in the product, could differentiate between bean seeds and wheat grains exposed to X-rays of different intensities. The bean and wheat grain samples were irradiated at 500 mGy (dose limit value for detection purposes), 50 mGy (very low dose) and 0 mGy (control). Measuring the delayed luminescence by FES, effects of irradiation were found in the wheat samples in the FES-parameter Mw1-r, with the highest values for samples irradiated with 500 mGy, intermediate values for 50 mGy and lowest values for 0 mGy (control) (p < 0.001). The effects were less apparent in bean seeds, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the parameter Mw1-r only when comparing irradiation at 500 mGy with the control. The parameter differentiating the irradiation intensities was the same for both seeds and changed in the same way. Thus, systematic dose-specific effects were observed for low-dose irradiation intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface renewal (SR) is a biometeorological technique that uses high frequency air temperature measurements above a crop surface to estimate sensible heat flux (H). The H derived from SR is then combined with net radiation (Rn) and ground heat flux (G) measurements to estimate latent heat flux (LE) as the residual of an energy balance equation. Recent advances in SR theory enabled its use beyond research settings, and led to the development of an inexpensive, stand-alone SR system for use in commercial agricultural settings. However, these commercial applications require replacing expensive net radiometers with clear sky models designed to estimate Rn for the energy balance approach, while also assuming G is zero on a daily basis. The accuracy of substituting Rn measurements with modelled values is unknown, and the assumption of an inconsequential G requires additional testing. Here, we compare the accuracy of the SR derived estimates of H and LE when Rn is either measured directly or modelled, and we compare results to two eddy covariance (EC) LE observations, namely LE measured via EC with an infrared gas analyzer (ECIRGA) and LE solved as a residual in the surface energy balance (ECresid). These measurements were collected at the Grape Remote sensing Atmospheric Profile & Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX) conducted over a vineyard within the Lodi, CA wine growing region. LE from SR using tower Rn data measured directly onsite was significantly correlated with LE from ECresid and from ECIRGA with a least squares regression slope ~ 1. LE derived with the modelled incoming solar radiation (SWi) and DisALEXI Rn approaches were also significantly correlated with LE from ECresid, but both modelling approaches overestimated LE at higher fluxes. Patterns were similar, but with more scatter for correlations between LE from ECIRGA and LE from SR using either modelled or remotely sensed Rn. Incorporating direct measurements of G had minimal impact on the agreement of several SR approaches and LE from both EC approaches, however, when differences did occur direct measures of G reduced scatter and bias especially for the empirical SR approach. Our results suggest that LE derived from the new SR method requires fairly accurate Rn modelling approaches to obtain reliable and unbiased estimates of daily LE in comparison to measured LE using EC techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vineyards' canopy architecture and row structure pose unique challenges in modeling the radiation partitioning and energy exchange between the vine canopy and the interrow area. The vines are often pruned and manipulated to be strongly clumped, while mechanical harvesting requires wide rows, often with vine height to vine spacing ratio > 1. This paper estimates the intercepted radiation by the canopy, and the effect of this interception on the below canopy surface energy balance and evapotranspiration (ET). Measurements were conducted in an east–west oriented vineyard in CA during intensive observation periods as part of the grape remote sensing atmospheric profile and evapotrnspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX). Below canopy incoming shortwave radiation was measured at multiple positions across the interrow, and the surface energy balance/ET below the vine rows was measured for only one growing season (in 2015) using three micro-Bowen ratio (MBR) systems. These MBR systems were deployed across the interrow, in the north, center, and south of the interrow. A significant spatial and temporal variability in radiation was observed since the vines were not significantly pruned or manipulated and thus grew randomly into the interrow. However, when averaged across the interrow using the radiation sensor array, the values appeared to give reliable mean radiation extinction conditions that agreed with model estimates. The variation in the surface energy fluxes were dominated by the amount of transmitted radiation, while soil moisture was a second order effect. Daily estimates of ET from the three micro-Bowen ratio systems, weighted by their respective representative sampling area, yielded estimates similar to values computed by the correlation-based flux partitioning method, which utilizes high-frequency eddy covariance data measured above the canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Exploiting winter wheat productivity and radiation use efficiency through ridge furrow system and supplemental irrigation. • Ridge and furrow with plastic film system have positive effect on improve LAI, radiation use efficiency and grain yield. • Simulated rainfall (200 mm) with 150 mm supplemental irrigation under ridge furrow system was appropriate. • Thus, it increased the yield, LAI and radiation use efficiency. Abstract Agricultural productivity in semi-arid regions of China relies on the ridge furrow (RF) micro rainfall harvesting system, and supplemental irrigation reduces damage caused by drought stress. However, the extent to which the interactive effects of supplemental irrigation and simulated rainfall conditions can further improve winter wheat production and radiation use efficiency (RUE) remains unknown. Therefore, a mobile rainproof shelter was used to explore the potential benefit of the RF system under four supplemental irrigation (150, 75, 37, 0 mm) levels and three simulated rainfall (275, 200, 125 mm) levels. Data collected over two years indicated that the interactive effects of supplemental irrigation (150 mm) with simulated rainfall concentration (200 mm) could significantly improve the LAI (88.8%), Pn value (21.3%), PAR interception efficiency (I n ; 34.1%), interception of PAR accumulation (IPAR) (58.9%), RUE (11.2%), and PAR capture ratio (97.1%), due to reduction in the PAR reflection ratio (45.2%), canopy light transmittance (LT) (78.5%), and PAR penetration ratio (83.8%), and significantly increase the grain yield (60.0%) as compared to that of the RF3 150 treatment. Consequently, this RF system significantly improved the grain yield, with earlier development and rapid plant growth during each growth stage of winter wheat, at each supplemental irrigation and simulated rainfall level. The results suggest that in semi-arid regions of China, where water shortage is a serious problem, the RF2 150 treatment should be adopted as standard farming practice for improving crop growth, LAI, photosynthesis, efficient conversion of intercepted solar radiation by apical dominance, IPAR, RUE, total DMA, and winter wheat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]