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Purslane has been suggested as an alternative crop suitable for human consumption due to its high content of minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and several health-beneficial compounds. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of salinity stress (tap water (control), 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 10,000 mg L−1), biostimulant application (putrescine and salicylic acid at 200 mg L−1), and the combination of the tested factors (i.e., salinity × biostimulant application) on the growth and chemical composition of purslane plants (Portulaca oleracea L.) over two growing seasons (2022 and 2023). Irrigation with tap water and putrescine application resulted in the highest plant height, weight of aboveground and underground parts, and number of shoots per plant. In contrast, the lowest values of growing parameters were recorded under severe saline stress (10,000 mg L−1), especially for the plants that were not treated with biostimulants. The same trends were observed for macronutrients (N, P, K), total carbohydrates, total chlorophylls, and vitamin C content in leaves. Moreover, nitrate and proline content was higher in plants grown under salinity stress, especially under severe stress (8000–10,000 mg L−1) without biostimulant application. In general, the application of biostimulants mitigated the negative impact of salinity on plant growth and leaf chemical composition, while the effect of putrescine on the tested parameters was more beneficial than that of salicylic acid. In conclusion, this study provides useful information regarding the use of putrescine and salicylic acid as biostimulatory agents with the aim of increasing purslane growth under salinity conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild edible greens are a key ingredient of the so-called Mediterranean diet and they are commonly used in various local dishes in their raw or processed form. Domestic processing of edible greens may affect their nutritional value and chemical profile. In this work, six wild species (e.g., Cichorium spinosum L. (S1); Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta (DC.) Runemark (S2); Picris echioides (L.) Holub (S3); Urospermum picroides (L.) Scop. ex. F.W. Schmidt (S4); Sonchus oleraceus L. (S5); and S. asper L. (S6)) were assessed for the effect of domestic processing (boiling) on chemical composition and bioactivities. Concerning the chemical composition, glucose, oxalic acid, α-tocopherol, and α-linolenic acid were the most abundant compounds, especially in P. echiodes leaves. After decoction, mainly sugars, tocopherols, and oxalic acid were decreased. The species and processing affected the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activities. Specific compounds were not previously detected in the studied species, while hydroethanolic extracts contained a higher total phenolic compound content. Hydroethanolic and aqueous extracts were effective towards a range of bacterial and fungi strains. Therefore, the consumption of leaves has health-promoting properties owing to the bioactive compounds and can be integrated into healthy diets. However, domestic cooking may affect the chemical profile and bioactivities of the edible leaves, especially in the case of free sugars and phenolic compound content where a significant reduction was recorded in leaves after decoction. On the other hand, domestic processing could be beneficial since it reduces the oxalic acid content in edible leaves, which is considered an antinutritional factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portulaca oleracea L. is a wild edible plant with high potential for exploitation in commercial cropping systems due to its nutritional value and great adaptability to abiotic stress conditions. The present study aimed to investigate the response of purslane plants grown under drought stress conditions (100%, 80%, and 60% of field capacity (FC)) and the implementation of biostimulant amendments (control without amendment, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), mycorrhiza, and effective microorganisms (EMs)) for two consecutive years. In the two-year experiment, the greatest height was recorded in plants grown under no-stress conditions and inoculated with PGPR. The highest branch number, and fresh and dry weight of aboveground and underground parts were observed under no-stress conditions at the mycorrhiza treatment. Moreover, mycorrhiza application in plants growing under 100% FC resulted in the highest N, P, total carbohydrates, and vitamin C and the lowest nitrate and proline contents in leaves. Purslane plants grown under 100% FC and inoculated with PGPR treatment resulted in the highest K and total chlorophyll leaf contents. Additionally, growing plants under mild drought stress (80% FC) combined with biostimulant application (e.g., inoculation with mycorrhiza, PGPR, and EM) may improve plant growth characteristics and mitigate negative stress effects. In general, the applied biostimulant amendments alleviated the adverse effects of drought on plant growth and leaf chemical composition indicating the importance of sustainable strategies to achieve high yield and sufficient quality within the climate change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of plastic materials and their improper disposal results in high amounts of plastic waste in the environment. Aging of plastics leads to their breakdown into smaller particles, such as microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics. This research investigates plastics used in agricultural practices as they contribute to MP pollution in agricultural soils. The distribution and characteristics of MPs in agricultural soils were evaluated. In addition, the effect of MPs on soil properties, the relationship between MPs and metals in soil, the effect of MPs on the fate of pesticides in agricultural soils and the influence of MPs on plant growth were analysed, discussing legume, cereal and vegetable crops. Finally, a brief description of the main methods of chemical analysis and identification of MPs is presented. This study will contribute to a better understanding of MPs in agricultural soils and their effect on the soil-plant system. The changes induced by MPs in soil parameters can lead to potential benefits as it is possible to increase the availability of micronutrients and reduce plant uptake of toxic elements. Furthermore, although plastic pollution remains an emerging threat to soil ecosystems, their presence may result in benefits to agricultural soils, highlighting the principles of the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the most valuable horticultural produce, tomato is cultivated for both fresh consumption and processing purposes. Therefore, good agricultural practices secure better production and income for farmers such as the adoption of biostimulant application throughout the growing cycle. The presence of different biostimulants in the market urge its testing to depict wider aftermath on a variety of crops. A field experiment was conducted on processing tomato where a plant growth regulator (PGR; Atonik) composed of phenolic compounds, was applied following a different schedule of field applications to improve growth and fruit setting and quality. Two interventions of this PGR increased tomato marketable yield by 32.1% including fruit number per square meters (+30.8%), while four applications increased few qualitative parameters such as total soluble solids (+15.4%), firmness (+15.3%), total flavonoids (+142.6%) and total polyphenols (+33.5%). However, the added net return was higher when only two applications were done. This finding underlines the utility of testing biostimulants on different crops and depicts the best agricultural practices in term of application number in order to maintain the best net return. However, qualitative aspects should not be underestimated when pricing horticultural commodities, since quality is equally an important target to be reached in food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND 'Minor crops' such as spearmint and peppermint are high added value crops, despite the fact that their production area is comparably small worldwide. The main limiting factor in mint commercial cultivation is weed competition. Thus, field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of weed interference on growth, biomass and essential oil yield in peppermint and spearmint under different herbicide treatments. RESULTS The application of pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen provided better control of annual weeds resulting in higher crop yield. Additionally, when treated with herbicides both crops were more competitive against annual weeds in the second year than in the first year. All pre-emergence herbicides increased biomass yield, since pendimethalin, linuron and oxyfluorfen reduced the density of annual weeds by 71-92%, 63-74% and 86-95%, respectively. Weed interference and herbicide application had no effect on essential oil content; however, a relatively strong impact on essential oil production per cultivated area unit was observed, mainly due to the adverse effect of weed interference on plant growth. CONCLUSION Considering that pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen were effective against annual weeds in both spearmint and peppermint crops, these herbicides should be included in integrated weed management systems for better weed management in mint crops. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]