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Soil microorganisms are key indicators of soil health, and it is crucial to investigate the structure and interactions of soil microbial communities among three different provenances of Pennisetum alopecuroides under varying nitrogen fertilizer and temperature levels in Northwest China. This study aims to provide theoretical support for the sustainable use of artificial grassland in this region. Employing a two-factor pot-control experiment with three nitrogen fertilizer treatments and three temperature treatments, a total of all treatments was utilized to examine the composition and abundance of soil microbial communities associated with Pennisetum alopecuroides using high-throughput sequencing, PCR technology, and molecular ecological network analysis. The results revealed that Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum while Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum in the soil samples from three provenances of Pennisetum. Specifically, Proteobacteria exhibited higher abundance in the N3T2 treatment compared to other treatments under N3T2 (25–30°C, 3 g/pot) treatment conditions in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces; similarly, Proteobacteria was more abundant in the N1T2 (25–30°C, 1 g/pot) treatment in Inner Mongolia under N1T2. Moreover, Ascomycota displayed higher abundance than other treatments in both Inner Mongolia and Gansu provinces. Additionally, Pennisetum Ascomycota demonstrated greater prevalence under (25–30°C, 3 g/pot) treatment compared to other treatments; furthermore, Shaanxi's Pennisetum Ascomycota exhibited increased prevalence under N3T1 (18–23°C, 3 g/pot) treatment compared to other treatments. The richness and diversity of soil microbial communities were significantly influenced by nitrogen fertilizer and temperature changes, leading to notable alterations in their structure. Molecular ecological network analyses revealed strong collaborative relationships among microbial species in Shaanxi Pennisetum and Inner Mongolia Pennisetum under high nitrogen and high temperature treatments, while competitive relationships were observed among microbial species in Gansu Pennisetum under similar conditions. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil pH, total potassium, and total phosphorus were the primary environmental factors influencing microorganisms. In summary, this study offers a theoretical foundation for assessing the sustainable utilization of Pennisetum artificial grasslands in Northwest China by investigating the shifts in soil microbial communities and the driving factors under varying nitrogen fertilizer and temperature levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength and permeability to gas of ceramic shells are key factors affecting the quality of castings. This research aims to improve the properties of alumina-based ceramic shells (i.e., Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2) using a combination of pennisetum fiber and AlF 3 •3H 2 O powder. The pennisetum fiber can improve the green strength of ceramic shells, while AlF 3 •3H 2 O powder can improve the high-temperature strength of ceramic shells by inducing the generation of mullite (3Al 2 O 3 •2SiO 2) whiskers at high temperatures. Meanwhile, the mixture of pennisetum fibers and mullite whiskers can also improve the permeability to gas of the ceramic shell. As a result, the modified ceramic shell shows a clear increase in the above-mentioned properties, including 43 % of the green strength, 100 % of the permeability to gas, and 30 % of the thermal diffusion coefficient. In addition, the high-temperature bending strength and deformation under the weight of the ceramic shells are also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an efficient in vitro rooting and acclimatization method for Pennisetum 'Vertigo®'. For that purpose, the influence of the IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) in MS (Murashige and Skoog) media, and different types of LED light (100% blue, 100% red, a combination of red and blue (70% + 30%), a combination of red, blue with yellow, green, or far-red (35% + 15% + 50%), and white LED) were investigated. A fluorescent lamp and a medium without auxin were used as controls. Subsequently, the plants were transferred ex vitro in trays to the greenhouse and later transplanted into pots. In all tested combinations, the shoots rooted at a high rate of 70–100% (except under blue light). The best results were obtained under white LED or the fluorescent lamp, where the highest number of roots was formed; however, IAA did not increase the rooting rate, the number, or the weight of roots. Shoots rooted under LEDs and on media containing IAA generally exhibited higher soluble sugar content compared to those rooted on auxin-free media. Consistent with the rooting results, the best acclimatization was observed in plants rooted under white LED or fluorescent light on auxin-free media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work aimed to evaluate the effect of ensiling density on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of Pennisetum giganteum silages. The silage was ensiled in laboratory silos (1 L), and three treatments were designed according to different ensiling densities: (1) low density (LD, 750 kg/m3); (2) medium density (MD, 900 kg/m3); and (3) high density (HD, 1050 kg/m3). During ensiling, the silage was sampled for a fermentation quality analysis. All silages were well preserved, as indicated by the high lactic acid (LA) content and low pH (<4.2). The MD treatment had the highest acetic acid content (24.9 g/kg dry matter) and the HD treatment had the lowest ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) content (68.2 g/kg total nitrogen, TN) among all silages after 45 days of ensiling. The aerobic stability of HD, MD, and LD persisted for 51 h, 54 h, and 48 h, respectively. The NH3-N contents of HD and MD were below 80 g/kg TN during aerobic exposure. These results show that the increase in ensiling density improved the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of Pennisetum giganteum silages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock farming in the Peruvian tropics is based on the use of grazing forage, but cutting grasses offers greater productivity and seasonality advantages. In this study, the morphological and productive characteristics of King Grass Morado (KGM), Cuba OM-22 (CU), and Maralfalfa (MA) were evaluated and correlated with chlorophyll content under Peruvian humid tropic conditions. Five plots of 1 ha each were installed for the three Pennisetum varieties (2-1-2), with three samples per plot. No significant differences were found in plant height, leaf length, number of nodes, number of leaves/stem, number of stems, stem circumference, length of nodes, leaf, stems, and total weight, chlorophyll index (atLEAF CLOR), performance index (API), and dry matter. KGM stood out in tillering (12.86) (p<0.01), but CU and MA showed greater leaf width (4.16 and 4.42 cm, respectively) (p<0.05). The calculated biomass production was 40.3 t/ha for KGM, 24.5 t/ha for MA, and 76.5 t/ha for CU. MA had higher nitrogen (0.70%) and protein (4.33%) contents (p<0.01). The correlations were significant between stem height with the number of nodes and leaf width, stem circumference with stem, leaf, and total weight (p<0.05), and nitrogen and protein content were estimated with the atLEAF CLOR and API values of the basal leaves with R2 = 0.548 and R2 = 0.563, respectively (p<0.05). In conclusion, KGM, CU, and MA differed in some morphological and productive variables and were correlated with others; furthermore, the protein content could be estimated with the atLEAF CLOR and API values in these Pennisetum varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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King grass (Pennisetum sinese), also known as sugar cane grass, is being affected by emerging leaf blast pathogen which is responsible for causing foliar disease in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, China. The pathogen was isolated from the typical infected plants showing symptoms like eye-shaped and whitish color in the center with brown-black necrotic borders surrounded by a yellow halo sample on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. The leaves of various plants including maize (Zea mays), hybrid rice (Oryza sativa), and wheat (Triticum aestivum), were inoculated with the pathogen in an in vitro assay to evaluate the infection potential of the pathogen and transmission risk. Our study verified that Psp1 is pathogenic to the king grass leaves and it is considered as the main causal agent of leaf blast in the study area. Further, morphological characterization and molecular analysis based on ITS region and LSU gene confirmed the pathogen as Pyricularia pennisetigena. During pathogenicity assay, both Psp1 and LP11 isolates of a rice blast pathogen induced symptoms of varying severity in a total of different nine plants. Among these, the pathogen Psp1 exhibited significant symptoms, including conidial emergence on king grass leaves (Pennisetum alopecuroides and Pe. flaccidum) indicating high pathogenicity to these plants. This suggests that Psp1 pose a considerable a high pathogenic risk to Pennisetum spp. This work lays a groundwork for future implementation of integrated management strategies for leaf blast in local king grass, offering a theoretical basis and research foundation for such endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive phosphorus (P) levels can disrupt nutrient balance in plants, adversely affecting growth. The molecular responses of Pennisetum species to high phosphorus stress remain poorly understood. This study examined two Pennisetum species, Pennisetum americanum × Pennisetum purpureum and Pennisetum americanum, under varying P concentrations (200, 600 and 1000 µmol·L− 1 KH2PO4) to elucidate transcriptomic alterations under high-P conditions. Our findings revealed that P. americanum exhibited stronger adaption to high-P stress compared to P. americanum× P. purpureum. Both species showed an increase in plant height and leaf P content under elevated P levels, with P. americanum demonstrating greater height and higher P content than P. americanum× P. purpureum. Transcriptomic analysis identified significant up- and down-regulation of key genes (e.g. SAUR, GH3, AHP, PIF4, PYL, GST, GPX, GSR, CAT, SOD1, CHS, ANR, P5CS and PsbO) involved in plant hormone signal transduction, glutathione metabolism, peroxisomes, flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis and photosynthesis pathways. Compared with P. americanum× P. purpureum, P. americanum has more key genes in the KEGG pathway, and some genes have higher expression levels. These results contribute valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing high-P stress in Pennisetum species and offer implications for broader plant stress research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which estimated combining ability and heterosis of pearl millet hybrids for yield, and other yield components and identified superior pearl millet hybrids. Topics include analysis of variance for combining ability and estimation of variance components for grain yield and its components, estimates of general combining ability (GCA) of parents and specialized combining ability (SCA) effects of crosses, and estimates of SCA effects for eight characters in pearl millet.

The aim of the study was to compare the variable costs of planting material production using the example of vitro cultures of Pennisetum × advena 'Rubrum'. In the study, temporary immersion system (TIS)- and agar-based methods were used in innovative workday organisation. The workday structure involved a six-hour passaging period followed by a two-hour break for medium preparation, autoclaving, and maintenance tasks. The TIS was found to be more cost-effective than the agar cultures, with lower labour costs and comparable growing expenses. The most expensive element of agar production was labour which was 43% of the costs. The second biggest cost was materials and reagents which represented 25%. In a TIS, production materials and reagents are the most expensive part of production (44%), while labour represents 24% of costs. A TIS offers a much faster multiplication of plants than agar cultures. Plants obtained in the multiplication phase are two times cheaper using a TIS. Rooting accounted for a significant portion of production costs in both methods. Overall, the TIS demonstrated superior efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to agar cultures in producing Pennisetum × advena 'Rubrum' plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pennisetum, a herbaceous plant belonging to the Poaceae family, is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions and encompasses ~140 species. Its versatility is evidenced by its applications in forage, paper weaving, soil erosion control, and energy production. Current research on Pennisetum spans diverse fields including hay production, molecular breeding, and heavy metal absorption. However, this body of research is marked by redundancy, with a lack of clear focus. This article employs bibliometric methods to analyze the key research areas topics from 1970 to 2023. It also further discusses the future research direction of Pennisetum. Over the past five decades, research on Pennisetum has seen a significant increase, primarily concentrating on cultivation and breeding, ecological restoration, and industrial applications. These domains have become pivotal in advancing Pennisetum-related research. The paper also forecasts future innovations in Pennisetum research, focusing on molecular breeding, agricultural management, and novel material development. As a seminal contribution, this study offers a comprehensive graphical overview of Pennisetum research, establishing a foundational resource for ongoing scientific discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evapotranspiration tank (TEvap) is a 'zero-discharge' ecotechnology for toilet water disposal. This work refers to a preliminary study to evaluate the influence of forages and the addition of a vertical soil strip on evapotranspiration (ET), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH in TEvap receiving fresh water. The factors studied were the forages and the soil strip, resulting in four treatments with three replications. Two plant growing seasons, cycle 1 and cycle 2, were monitored, during which the variables were measured every three and seven days, respectively. Weather variables were used to estimate the reference evapotranspiration and determine the TEvap coefficient (KTEvap). The accumulated ET for TEvap with Capiaçu was 27.93% and 45.89% greater than for TEvap cultivated with Tifton-85 during the first and second cycles, respectively. There were no significant differences in ET for TEvap with and without the soil strip. BRS Capiaçu also showed lower values for EC and pH. High values were obtained for KTEvap: 2.37 and 1.76 for TEvap cultivated with BRS Capiaçu and Tifton-85 grass, respectively. Considering the period of this study, the minimum area for 'zero-discharge' would be 5.70 m2 inhab−1 and 7.77 m2 inhab−1 by TEvap planted with BRS Capiaçu and Tifton-85 grass, respectively. Due to its greater capacity for evapotranspiration, it can be concluded that the BRS Capiaçu forage is suitable for a 'zero-discharge' constructed wetland systems. It is suggested that further, more-thorough studies be carried out to design a 'zero-discharge' TEvap, considering different weather conditions, crops and inlet toilet water. Evapotranspiration tank (TEvap) is a 'zero discharge' ecotechnology for disposing toilet water; A preliminary study was conducted to simulate the evapotranspiration in TEvap receiving fresh water; Two forages – Cynodon spp. (Tifton-85 grass) and Pennisetum spp. (BRS Capiaçu) – were cultivated in the tanks; 5.70 m2 inhab−1 were estimated for evapotranspiration with BRS Capiaçu and 7.77 m2 inhab−1 with Tifton-85 grass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal surplus and putrefactive property of moist forages inevitably increase the pressure on environmental protection and residual grass disposal. In the current work, the anaerobic fermentation approach was adopted to assist the sustainable recycling of leftover Pennisetum giganteum (LP), and its chemical composition, fermentation performance, bacterial community and functional profiles during anaerobic fermentation were studied. Fresh LP was spontaneously fermented for up to 60 d. At the end of anaerobic fermentation, fermented LP (FLP) displayed homolactic fermentation with low pH value, ethanol, and ammonia nitrogen concentrations but high lactic acid concentration. Weissella was dominant in 3-day FLP, yet Lactobacillus was the overwhelming genus (92.6%) in 60-day FLP. The anaerobic fermentation process promoted (P < 0.05) the metabolism of carbohydrate and nucleotide while suppressing (P < 0.05) that of lipid, cofactors, vitamins, energy, and amino acid. The results showed that the residual grass with LP as an example could be successfully fermented even if no additives were added, without signs of clostridial and fungal contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to determine the forage production and nutritional quality of six buffel grass ecotypes in vegetative and physiological maturity stages. The experiment was carried out at the Los Cañones Experimental Station in Zacatecas, Mexico. The ecotypes were as follows: E-42, E-45, E-66, E-72, E-S245, and the Titan variety as a control. The experiment design was a completely randomized block with three replications, and the evaluation years were from 2020 to 2022. The variables measured were as follows: plant height (PH), dry matter yield (DMY), leaf (Lf) and stem-inflorescence (St), crude protein (CP), neutral (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Pearson's correlation and a combined analysis of variance were performed for each growth stage. A correlation analysis showed significant relationships (p < 0.05) between variables. In the vegetative stage, ecotypes E-42, E-45, and E-S45 showed accumulations of over 12% of CP, which were higher (p < 0.05) than the ones for Titan. Low values of E-S245 (p < 0.05) for NDF (63.44%) and ADF (44.49%) stood out among all ecotypes. In the maturity stage, Titan was surpassed by E-45 and E-S245 with CP higher than 4%. The neutral and acid fibers in E-42, E-45, and E-S245 were less than in Titan (p < 0.05). Ecotypes E-42 and E-S245 are alternatives to improve feed efficiency in the dry subtropical climate of Zacatecas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Pearl millet wild relatives harbour novel alleles which could be utilized to broaden genetic base of cultivated species. Genomics-informed pre-breeding is needed to speed up introgression from wild to cultivated gene pool in pearl millet. Rising episodes of intense biotic and abiotic stresses challenge pearl millet production globally. Wild relatives provide a wide spectrum of novel alleles which could address challenges posed by climate change. Pre-breeding holds potential to introgress novel diversity in genetically narrow cultivated Pennisetum glaucum from diverse gene pool. Practical utilization of gene pool diversity remained elusive due to genetic intricacies. Harnessing promising traits from wild pennisetum is limited by lack of information on underlying candidate genes/QTLs. Next-Generation Omics provide vast scope to speed up pre-breeding in pearl millet. Genomic resources generated out of draft genome sequence and improved genome assemblies can be employed to utilize gene bank accessions effectively. The article highlights genetic richness in pearl millet and its utilization with a focus on harnessing next-generation Omics to empower pre-breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between DM yield/cutting and the fermentable organic matter (FOM) content of tropical grasses was appropriately investigated to re-assess optimal grass maturity to feed dairy cattle. Nine different grass species belonging to the genera Brachiaria spp. (Mulato II, Ruzi), Panicum spp. (Guinea, Hamil, Mombasa, TD58), and Pennisetum spp. (King, Napier, VA06) were chemically analysed and subjected to an in vitro gas production (IVGP) test. For 72 h, gas production (GP) was continuously recorded with fully automated equipment. A triphasic, nonlinear, regression procedure was applied to analyse GP profiles. Across all the grasses, it was found that the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) contents increased with increasing maturity of the grass while the CP contents decreased with increasing NDF contents. In all nine grasses, digestible organic matter (dOM) was significantly affected by the week of cutting but IVGP was similar between the weeks of cutting in Ruzi, Hamil, Mombasa, and Napier grasses. Except for Guinea grass, the lowest dOM values were found when the grasses were cut after ≥5 weeks of regrowth. Harvesting grass one or two weeks earlier than the normal cutting time is a practically relevant intervention in increasing forage quality and productivity of dOM and fermentation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halo-alkali soil threatens agriculture, reducing growth and crop yield worldwide. In this study, physicochemical and molecular techniques were employed to explore the potential of halo-alkali-tolerant endophytic bacteria strains Sphingomonas sp. pp01, Bacillus sp. pp02, Pantoea sp. pp04, and Enterobacter sp. pp06 to enhance the growth of hybrid Pennisetum under varying saline conditions. The strains exhibited tolerance to high salt concentrations, alkaline pH, and high temperatures. Under controlled conditions, all four strains showed significant growth-promoting effects on hybrid Pennisetum inoculated individually or in combination. However, the effects were significantly reduced in coastal saline soil. The best growth-promoting effect was achieved under greenhouse conditions, increasing shoot fresh and dry weights of hybrid Pennisetum by up to 457.7% and 374.7%, respectively, using irrigating trials. Metagenomic sequencing analysis revealed that the diversity and composition of rhizosphere microbiota underwent significant changes after inoculation with endophytic bacteria. Specifically, pp02 and co-inoculation significantly increased the Dyella and Pseudomonas population. Firmicutes, Mycobacteria, and Proteobacteria phyla were enriched in Bacillus PP02 samples. These may explain the best growth-promoting effects of pp02 and co-inoculation on hybrid Pennisetum under greenhouse conditions. Our findings reveal the performance of endophytic bacterial inoculants in enhancing beneficial microbiota, salt stress tolerance, and hybrid Pennisetum growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microorganisms are key indicators of soil health, and it is crucial to investigate the structure and interactions of soil microbial communities among three different provenances of Pennisetum alopecuroides under varying nitrogen fertilizer and temperature levels in Northwest China. This study aims to provide theoretical support for the sustainable use of artificial grassland in this region. Employing a two-factor pot-control experiment with three nitrogen fertilizer treatments and three temperature treatments, a total of all treatments was utilized to examine the composition and abundance of soil microbial communities associated with Pennisetum alopecuroides using high-throughput sequencing, PCR technology, and molecular ecological network analysis. The results revealed that Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum while Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum in the soil samples from three provenances of Pennisetum. Specifically, Proteobacteria exhibited higher abundance in the N3T2 treatment compared to other treatments under N3T2 (25–30°C, 3 g/pot) treatment conditions in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces; similarly, Proteobacteria was more abundant in the N1T2 (25–30°C, 1 g/pot) treatment in Inner Mongolia under N1T2. Moreover, Ascomycota displayed higher abundance than other treatments in both Inner Mongolia and Gansu provinces. Additionally, Pennisetum Ascomycota demonstrated greater prevalence under (25–30°C, 3 g/pot) treatment compared to other treatments; furthermore, Shaanxi’s Pennisetum Ascomycota exhibited increased prevalence under N3T1 (18–23°C, 3 g/pot) treatment compared to other treatments. The richness and diversity of soil microbial communities were significantly influenced by nitrogen fertilizer and temperature changes, leading to notable alterations in their structure. Molecular ecological network analyses revealed strong collaborative relationships among microbial species in Shaanxi Pennisetum and Inner Mongolia Pennisetum under high nitrogen and high temperature treatments, while competitive relationships were observed among microbial species in Gansu Pennisetum under similar conditions. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil pH, total potassium, and total phosphorus were the primary environmental factors influencing microorganisms. In summary, this study offers a theoretical foundation for assessing the sustainable utilization of Pennisetum artificial grasslands in Northwest China by investigating the shifts in soil microbial communities and the driving factors under varying nitrogen fertilizer and temperature levels.

The introduction of improved forage varieties could play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for livestock and livestock products in Ethiopia. However, different cultivars exhibit varied performance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the performance of Brachiaria cultivars and other grass cultivars in two subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. Four Brachiaria cultivars (B. brizantha (DZF-13379), B. humidicola (DZF-9222), B. decumbens (DZF-10871), and B. mutica (var. DZF-483), and two local grass cultivars, Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana var. Massaba) and Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium var. Kindu Kosha), were evaluated in Bako and Bishoftu for three years during the rainy season. The experiment was carried out using a completely randomized block design. Results indicated that both cultivars and years had significant (P < 0.001) effects on herbage dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) yield, and plant height, whereas location only affected DM yield. Significant cultivar × year interactions were observed for DM yield, CP yield, and plant height, while cultivar × location interactions had a significant effect on all parameters except for CP yield. Additionally, cultivars significantly (P < 0.001) impacted the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) as well as the nutritional content (CP, ash, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Overall, all cultivars demonstrated potential as alternative ruminant feeds, with B. mutica, followed by B. brizantha, showing superior performance in the subhumid agroecological areas of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green and efficient remediation of soil cadmium (Cd) is an urgent task, and plant-microbial joint remediation has become a research hotspot due to its advantages. High-throughput sequencing and metabolomics have technical advantages in analyzing the microbiological mechanism of plant growth-promoting bacteria in improving phytoremediation of soil heavy metal pollution. In this experiment, a pot trial was conducted to investigate the effects of inoculating the plant growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. VY on the growth and Cd remediation efficiency of the energy plant Hybrid pennisetum. The test strain VY-1 was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics to assess its effects on microbial community composition and metabolic function. The results demonstrated that Enterobacter sp. VY-1 effectively mitigated Cd stress on Hybrid pennisetum, resulting in increased plant biomass, Cd accumulation, and translocation factor, thereby enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. Analysis of soil physical-chemical properties revealed that strain VY-1 could increase soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and available potassium content. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated that strain VY-1 significantly influenced bacterial community composition, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, among others, being the main differential taxa. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that available phosphorus, available potassium, and pH were the primary factors affecting bacterial communities. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) demonstrated that strain VY-1 modulated the metabolite profile of Hybrid pennisetum rhizosphere soil, with 27 differential metabolites showing significant differences, including 19 up-regulated and eight down-regulated expressions. These differentially expressed metabolites were primarily involved in metabolism and environmental information processing, encompassing pathways such as glutamine and glutamate metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and purine metabolism. This study utilized 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics technology to investigate the impact of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. VY-1 on the growth and Cd enrichment of Hybrid pennisetum, providing insights into the regulatory role of plant growth-promoting bacteria in microbial community structure and metabolic function, thereby improving the microbiological mechanisms of phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of Pennisetum on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes and antioxidant indexes of fattening Dezhou donkeys, and determine the appropriate level and proportion of Pennisetum in the ration for fattening Dezhou donkeys. Twenty healthy fattening Dezhou donkeys with similar bodyweights were selected and divided into five treatment groups, with four replicates per group. The rations of each group contained 0 (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% Pennisetum respectively. The results showed that the levels of Pennisetum supplementation significantly influenced the average daily gain and feed conversion ratio of fattening Dezhou donkeys (P<0.05). The average daily gain of the 75% and 100% groups were significantly lower than the other groups, and the feed conversion ratio were significantly higher compared with the other groups (P< 0.05). The serum albumin (ALB) concentration of the control group was significantly higher than the 50%, 75% and 100% groups (P<0.05), and the 25% group was significantly higher than the 75% and 100% groups (P<0.05). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of the control and 25% groups were significantly below than the 50%, 75% and 100% groups (P<0.05). Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of the control group was significantly higher than the 75% and 100% groups(P<0.05), and the 25% and 50% groups were significantly higher than the 100% group (P<0.05). In summary, when the level of Pennisetum in the concentrate ration did not exceed 25%, feeding less than 0.5 kg/d per fattening donkey according to the roughage intake of 2.0 kg/d had no adverse effects on fattening Dezhou donkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of chemical inputs has led to the loss of microbial diversity involved in the N cycle, such as diazotrophic bacteria, which are inhibited by saturation of the receptors responsible for activating nitrogenase. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in forage grasses can be used as an ecosystem service. The aim of this review was to analyze the contribution of forage grasses to BNF and their response to inoculation of non-symbiotic diazotrophs in order to find study opportunities. The analysis of the information was carried out using the prisma methodology of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It should be noted that the main forage species that contribute to BNF are Brachiaria sp. and Pennisetum sp. The inoculation of Azospirillum sp. has generated a growth-promoting effect in grasses, but the response of the inoculated forage depends mainly on the synergy between plant and bacteria, showing neutral, antagonistic, and positive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the impact of mixed silages of biomass sorghum and BRS Capiaçu with cactus pear on the fermentative profile and nutritional value. The silages included forage sorghum cv. Volumax, biomass sorghum cv. ‘BRS 716,’ BRS Capiaçu grass, a mix of 60% biomass sorghum ‘BRS 716’ with 40% Opuntia ficus indica Mill (‘Gigante’) cactus pear (based on fresh matter), and a mix of 60% BRS Capiaçu grass with 40% Opuntia ficus indica Mill (‘Gigante’) cactus pear (based on fresh matter). The experiment followed a randomized experimental design with five treatments and eight repetitions. The highest gas losses (P

Introduction: Maralfalfa grass (Pennisetum spp.) is known for its high dry matter productivity and nutritive value. However, information on agronomic management practices to improve yield and nutritive value in Ethiopia is sparse. Materials and method: The experiment consisted of 7 plant densities (33,333 [75 cm × 40 cm]; 26,667[75 cm × 50 cm]; 25,000 [100 cm × 40 cm]; 22,222 [75 cm × 60 cm]; 20,000 [100 cm × 50 cm]; 16,667 [100 cm × 60 cm]; and 13,333 [125 cm × 60 cm] plants per hectare, and arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results: The results indicated that the year had a significant (P<0.001) effect on measured traits. Plant densities had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the number of nodes and leaves per plant, leaf length, and basal diameters. The number of tillers per plant varied significantly among plant densities only in the first year at the 1st harvest. Plant height in the first year was significantly (P<0.01) greater than in the second year. Discussion: Annual dry matter production and annual crude protein production of Maralfalfa grass were not significantly affected by plant density. Nutritive value parameters (CP, Ash, NDF, ADF, ADL, and IVDMD) were not significantly (P > 0.05) influenced by plant density. Using a lower plant density could reduce the amount of planting material, transport, and labor costs. Conclusion: However, further studies on Maralfalfa grass should be conducted in multi-locations of Ethiopia both under rain-fed and irrigated conditions with various agronomic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of using different fertilizer rates and harvesting heights on morphological characteristics, biomass yield and economic feasibility of desho grass (Pennisetum Glaucifolium) under supplementary irrigation in Southern Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The factors of the treatments were four NPS fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha) and four harvesting heights (25, 50, 75 and 100 cm). Data on morphological characteristics and forage yield at each harvesting height were collected and analyzed using the general linear model procedures of SAS version (9.4) and the Duncan multiple range test was used for mean comparison. The tiller number was higher (P<0.05) when harvested at 100 cm height compared to those harvested at 75,50 and 25 cm height of harvesting after planting and 150 kgNPS/ha applied during the combined analysis. The tiller number found at the second harvest was higher (P<0.05) than at the first harvest. The number of leaves per plant was significantly increased with increasing NPS fertilizer rate (P<0.001), increment of harvesting height (P<0.001) and harvesting cycle (P<0.001). The leaf number per plant counted at 25 cm height was lower (P<0.05) than the other heights of harvest with no significant differences between 75 and 100 cm heights of harvesting at combined analysis. The leaf number was higher (P<0.05) at the application of 150kgNPS/ha than the others at the combined analysis. The leaf number found at the second harvest was higher (P<0.05) than at the first harvest. Leaf length was significantly increased with an increase of NPS fertilizer rate and increment of cutting height (P<0.05) but not affected by the harvesting cycle (P>0.05). At the combined analysis result, the leaf length at 100cm height was longer (P<0.05) than those harvested at 75, 50 and 25 cm heights of harvesting. The leaf length was higher (P<0.05) at the application of 150kgNPS/ha than the others while there was no significant difference between 50 and 100 kgNPS/ha. Days to forage harvest was higher (P<0.05) than those harvested at 75, 50 and 25 cm height when harvested at 100 cm height while lower by application of 150 and 100 kgNPS/ha when compared with unfertilized and 50kgNPS/ha during combined analysis. The leaf stem ratio was higher (P<0.05) when harvested at 25 cm than three harvesting heights while intermediate result was found at 50 and 75 cm during the combined analysis result. A higher (P<0.05) leaf stem ratio was found by application of 150kgNPS/ha when compared with 100 and 50 kgNPS/ha or no fertilizer. Dry matter yield was increased with increasing NPS fertilizer rate and increased with increment of harvesting height (P<0.05). The leaf percentage found at 25cm was higher (P<0.05) than those later three heights of harvesting while the higher leaf percentage was found by application of 150 kgNPS/ha when compared with 100 and 50 kgNPS/ha or no fertilizer. The stem percentage found at 100 cm was higher (P<0.05) than at 75, 50 and 25 cm heights of harvesting. The lower stem percentage was at the application of 150 kgNPS/ha than 100, 50 kgNPS/ha, or no fertilizer. The partial budget analysis result revealed that the net benefit-cost ratio found at the application of 150 kgNPS/ha at 75 cm height was higher than other combinations while the least benefit-cost ratio was at 25 cm height with no fertilizer. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that utilization of 150 kg/ha NPS fertilizer rate combined with 75 cm height of harvesting could be used in the cultivation of desho grass to achieve higher at the most agronomic performance, biomass yield and Cost-benefit ratio (6.04). Further investigation is needed using different organic and inorganic fertilizers in different agroecological zones across years under rain-fed and irrigation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating prices of protein concentrate supplements and increasing demand for dairy products in Ethiopia call for preservation of surplus forage during the growing season, to be fed to dairy cows at time of feed shortage. The objective of this on-farm study was to evaluate the nutritive quality of Napier and Desho grass silages with tree legume (sesbania) and herbaceous legumes (alfalfa, lablab, and faba bean) as legume components. Napier or Desho grasses were ensiled in bags with each legume at 0, 20, 30 and 40% inclusion levels (fresh weight). Replicates included nine and six farms in Mecha and Ad'aa districts, respectively. Silage bags were opened after 60 days, samples were taken for chemical analyses and evaluated for physical features. Data were analyzed using a completely randomized design in SPSS and differences among means separated using Duncan's. Silages were firm at Mecha and fairly firm at Ada'a. No mold appeared. pH values varied from 3.94 to 4.5 and increased (p < 0.001) with increasing levels of legume inclusion. The crude protein values followed a similar pattern to that of the pH. The fiber contents, NDF (p < 0.001) and ADF (p < 0.05/p < 0.01) declined while that of ADL increased (p < 0.001) with increasing legume inclusion levels. The different legume-based silages were assessed as highly palatable and revealed that the use of tree and herbaceous legumes can improve the nutritive quality of grasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the impact of mixed silages of biomass sorghum and BRS Capiaçu with cactus pear on the fermentative profile and nutritional value. The silages included forage sorghum cv. Volumax, biomass sorghum cv. 'BRS 716,' BRS Capiaçu grass, a mix of 60% biomass sorghum 'BRS 716' with 40% Opuntia ficus indica Mill ('Gigante') cactus pear (based on fresh matter), and a mix of 60% BRS Capiaçu grass with 40% Opuntia ficus indica Mill ('Gigante') cactus pear (based on fresh matter). The experiment followed a randomized experimental design with five treatments and eight repetitions. The highest gas losses (P < 0.01) and lowest dry matter recovery (DMR; P < 0.01) were observed in the BRS Capiaçu grass and BRS Capiaçu grass with cactus pear silages. The lactic acid concentration in the biomass sorghum with cactus pear silage was 49.96% higher than in the Volumax sorghum silage . Volumax sorghum and 'BRS 716' biomass silages demonstrated higher DM contents (P < 0.01; mean 33.44%) compared to other silages. There was no significant difference (P = 0.24) among silages regarding the potentially degradable insoluble fraction of the DM, with a mean of 51.75%. The mixed silage of biomass sorghum with cactus pear exhibited lower losses and higher DMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the grazing process and animal response to sward structures (e.g., sward height) is key to setting targets for efficient grazing management. We hypothesized that the short-term intake rate (STIR) of dry matter (DM) and digestible organic matter (OM) by dairy heifers is maximized with Kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus-Hochst. ex Chiov.) of intermediate sward heights. The treatments consisted of five pre-grazing sward heights (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm) randomly assigned to two of ten paddocks. The experimental design included two measurements of each paddock at different periods and times of day. Three Holstein heifers (440 ± 42 kg body weight) were used to determine the STIR, which was estimated using the double-weighing technique with correction for insensible weight losses. The bite mass (BM), bite rate (BR), sward structural characteristics, and nutritional value of herbage samples were assessed. The data were analyzed using mixed models with a factorial arrangement of five sward heights, two times of day, and two evaluation periods. The sward height of Kikuyu grass that maximized both STIRs was approximately 20 cm. The STIR of the DM was 30% and 15% lower than the maximum in the shortest and tallest swards tested, respectively. In swards shorter than 20 cm, the STIR was lower because the BM decreased with sward height, whereas in those greater than 20 cm, the lower BM and STIR of DM was explained by a decrease in bulk density and bite volume. The top stratum was composed mainly of highly digestible leaf blades with similar nutrient content across sward heights; therefore the STIR of digestible OM was also maximized at 20 cm. Hence, the optimal pre-grazing sward height of Kikuyu grass should be managed at 20 cm under rotational stocking systems to maximize nutrient intake rate of dairy heifers.

The aim of the experiment was to study the suitable mixing method of hybrid Pennisetum and different forage in different proportions. Lablab purpureus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Sorghum bicolor were selected as mixed objects, and the mixing ratios were 80 : 20, 70 : 30 and 60 : 40, respectively, according to the fresh weight of raw materials. After 45 d of silage, sensory evaluation, nutrient composition analysis, fermentation quality analysis and kaiser score were performed. The results showed that mixing hybrid Pennisetum and Lablab purpureus at the ratio of 80 : 20 and 70 : 30 could significantly increased the content of CP, NDF, ADF, WSC and RFV of silage (P<0.05). Mixing hybrid Pennisetum with Sorghum bicolor at the ratio of 70 : 30 could significantly decreasedthe content of acetic acid and butyric acid and improve the fermentation quality of silage (P<0.05). The pH value and acetic acid content of mixed silage of hybrid Pennisetum and Amaranthus hypochondriacus were increased which could not improve the fermentation quality of silage. The study indicates that the optimum mixing ensilage ratio of hybrid Pennisetum and Lablab purpureus is 80 : 20 and 70 : 30, and the optimum mixing ensilage ratio of hybrid Pennisetum with Sorghum bicolor is 70 : 30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) has been introduced in many localities of northwestern Mexico for cattle grazing. Recent studies have documented how the conversion of natural vegetation to buffelgrass pastures affects several ecological processes that result in high levels of desertification and the subsequent abandonment of lands. However, no previous study has documented successful restoration in these habitats. In this paper we report the results of several experiments focused on the restoration of these areas using native legume species of the region. We selected a degraded buffelgrass pasture considered unproductive by local ranchers in central Sonora. We carried out experiments to evaluate seed removal, seedling emergence, and seedling establishment of native legumes species (Prosopis glandulosa, Parkinsonia microphylla and P. praecox). Our results showed that P. microphylla had greater emergence (10%) than the other two species despite the high seed removal recorded. In addition, P. microphylla was the species with the highest survival (1.4%). Thus, our results show that ecological recovery using native species is possible in desertified buffelgrass pastures. Considering the ecological benefits of P. microphylla in the Sonoran Desert (i.e., nurse plant, positive associations, plant‐growth promoting), this species could be considered highly valuable in restoration procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a method for ornamental grass Pennisetum 'Vertigo®' in vitro culture initiation and shoot multiplication under different LED light qualities. The culture was initiated from field-cultivated plants collected from the 1st to 30th October at weekly intervals. Later dates of collecting shoot tips increased the effectiveness of surface disinfection (from 46% on the first date to 93% on the fifth one) and the percentage of regenerating explants (from 34% on the first date to 93% on the fifth one). Disinfection and regeneration results were better for the apical buds than the axillary buds. Soaking explants in nystatin before surface disinfection or using a medium with an antibiotic increased the effectiveness of disinfection (even by 27-46%, depending on the combination) and did not inhibit the regeneration of explants. At the shoot propagation stage, the multiplication rate was twice as high for the shoots originating from the apical buds (5.5 per explant) than for those originating from the axillary buds. The addition of yellow light to the red and blue light (RBY) spectrum increased the multiplication rate, and the addition of green light to the red and blue (RBG) spectrum increased the fresh weight of the shoots. The highest content of chlorophyll a was found in the shoots propagated under RB, as well as RBY and RBG light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is considered to be a global problem and a severe danger to modern agriculture since it negatively impacts plants' growth and development at both cellular- and whole-plant level. However, cobalt (Co) and titanium (Ti), multifunctional non-essential micro-elements, play a crucial role in improving plant growth and development under salinity stress. In the current study, Co and Ti impact on the morphological, biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic profile of Pennisetum divisum plants under three salinity levels which were assessed. Two concentrations of Co (Co-1; 15.0 mg/L and Co-2; 25.0 mg/L), and two concentrations of Ti (Ti-1; 50.0 mg/L and Ti-2; 100.0 mg/L) were applied as foliar application to the P. divisum plants under salinity (S1; 200 mM, S2; 500 mM, and S3; 1000 mM) stress. The results revealed that various morphological, biochemical, and metabolic processes were drastically impacted by the salinity-induced methylglyoxal (MG) stress. The excessive accumulation of salt ions, including Na+ (1.24- and 1.21-fold), and Cl− (1.53- and 1.15-fold) in leaves and roots of P. divisum, resulted in the higher production of MG (2.77- and 2.95-fold) in leaves and roots under severe (1000 mM) salinity stress, respectively. However, Ti-treated leaves showed a significant reduction in ionic imbalance and MG concentrations, whereas considerable improvement was shown in K+ and Ca2+ under salinity stress, and Co treatment showed downregulation of MG content (26, 16, and 14%) and improved the antioxidant activity, such as a reduction in glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), Glutathione reductase (GR), Glyoxalase I (Gly I), and Glyoxalase II (Gly II) by up to 1.13-, 1.35-, 3.75-, 2.08-, and 1.68-fold under severe salinity stress in P. divisum roots. Furthermore, MG-induced stress negatively impacted the metabolic profile and antioxidants activity of P. divisum's root and leaves; however, Co and Ti treatment considerably improved the biochemical processes and metabolic profile in both underground and aerial parts of the studied plants. Collectively, the results depicted that Co treatment showed significant results in roots and Ti treatment presented considerable changes in leaves of P. divism under salinity stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production in the Peruvian tropics is mainly based on grazing and cutting grasses, which have variable productive and nutritional characteristics according to the variety of grasses, agronomic management, and climatic conditions. The objective of this research was to compare the agronomic behaviour and chemical composition of three varieties of Pennisetum sp (Pennisetum purpureum Schum cv. Cameroon or Cameroon grass, Pennisetum sp. or Maralfalfa, and Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum typhoides or King grass). The experiment was carried out at the Estación Experimental Agraria "Campo Verde," Ucayali, Peru, under a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a 3 (Pennisetum sp. variety) × 3 (cutting age) factorial arrangement and 4 replicates each. Thirty-six subplots were installed, and treatments were randomly assigned, using vegetative seed with three buds each. Measurements of agronomic behaviour and chemical analysis were carried out in the 8th, 12th, and 16th week. The data were subjected to ANOVA and multiple comparisons with the Duncan and Kruskal–Wallis tests (p < 0.05) and correlations using Pearson coefficients (p < 0.05). The agronomic behaviour did not vary between Pennisetum sp. varieties, but according to cutting age, Cameroon grass produced greater plant height, biomass, dry matter, and Mg content at the 8th week. The highest concentrations of N (2.38 ± 0.11%), P (0.18 ± 0.01%), and Ca (0.70 ± 0.03%) were recorded at the 8th week, Zn (27.33 ± 1.91 mg/kg) at the 12th week, and Mg (0.26 ± 0.02%) at the 16th week. A negative correlation was found between biomass and the stem-leaf ratio at the 12th week because the first leaves of plants died, but the stems increased in size. It is concluded that, at an early cutting age in varieties of Pennisetum sp., lower biomass and dry matter result, but higher content of N, P, Ca, and Fe; and at a late cutting age, it shows greater biomass, dry matter, Cu, and Mg content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This experiment was done to analyze the colchiploids obtained in two bajra napier hybrid genotypes named CO6 and TNCN 1534. Stomatal size is considered as one of the main parameters in analysing the variants developed by colchicine application. Methods: Two methods were adopted for inducing polyploidy BN hybrids. In case of whole immersion method, budded setts were completely immersed in concentrations of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25% for 3 and 6 hours duration. In case of the cotton swab method, the nodded setts were covered with a thin layer of cotton and same five concentrations were given continuously for a period of over two days. After transplanting them in the field for 30 days, evaluation of stomatal length and width was done. Result: The stomatal measurements changed with various range of concentrations and the method of application. In the case of whole immersion method, 0.20% and 0.25% concentration for 3 and 6 hours produced variants having largest width and length of stomata and also covered the largest range for mean values. In cotton swab treatment, highest range for stomatal measurements were seen at 0.20% and 0.25% concentrations. The whole immersion method was able to generate a wide range for stomatal length and width as compared to cotton swab method. Hence, it can be deciphered that whole immersion method was more effective than cotton swab method in this study. The highest concentration of 0.25% was the most effective in inducing changes in the treated plants in both the methods. Through this, we were able to identify some putative colchiploids in the study. These screened polyploids were forwarded for further analysis which were then used to identify genotypes having desirable forage and quality parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing shortage of feed resources, hybrid Pennisetum (HE) shows promise as a potential animal feedstuff. The present study aimed to evaluate the fermentation quality, microbial community and functional shifts in HE during ensiling. HE was ensiled naturally (NHE) for 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days. After 60 days of ensiling, NHE presented acetate-type fermentation with a high pH value (5.02), as well as acetic acid, butyric acid (0.33% DM), ethanol and ammonia nitrogen (14.0% TN) concentrations, while low lactic acid levels. Enterobacter (45.57%), Klebsiella (12.95%) and Lactococcus (10.24%) were dominant in the 3-day NHE, while Enterobacter (26.27%), Clostridium_sensu_stricto_11 (21.15%) and Lactobacillus (18.51%) were the most abundant genera in the 60-day NHE. Spearman's correlation heatmap revealed a positive relationship between Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and ammonia nitrogen, ethanol and butyric acid concentrations. Our analysis of functional profiles obtained from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) showed significant differences between fresh and ensiled HE. The ensiling process suppressed amino acid, cofactors, vitamins and energy metabolism, but promoted metabolism associated with carbohydrates and nucleotides. The results of next-generation sequencing in combination with KEGG functional predictions revealed distinct differences in the initial and late phases of ensiling both in terms of community succession and functional shifts. Additional management measures such as delayed harvest or lactic acid bacteria inoculation are necessary to reduce nutrient loss and improve the fermentation quality of NHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revision of the genus Cenchrus (Poaceae) in Thailand is reported. Seven species, i.e. C. brownii, C. ciliaris, C. clandestinus, C. echinatus, C. pedicellatus, C. purpureus and C. setosus are described in this taxonomic treatment. This genus is an exotic species and distributed throughout the floristic regions. All the species have become naturalised to Thailand as a weed and found growing in wastelands, open areas by the roadside, disturbed sites, the edge of rice fields and the edge of deciduous and evergreen forests at elevations between 0 and 2,650 m alt. Pennisetum macrostachyum, a synonym of Cenchrus purpureus is lectotypified. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations and a key to the species are presented, along with information on distributions, habitats, ecology, phenology, vernacular names and specimens examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pennisetum alopecuroides is an important forage grass resource, which plays a vital role in ecological environment improvement. Therefore, the acquisition of P. alopecuroides genome resources is conducive to the study of the adaptability of Pennisetum species in ecological remediation and forage breeding development. Here we assembled a P. alopecuroides cv. 'Liqiu' genome at the chromosome level with a size of approximately 845.71 Mb, contig N50 of 84.83Mb, and genome integrity of 99.13% as assessed by CEGMA. A total of 833.41-Mb sequences were mounted on nine chromosomes by Hi-C technology. In total, 60.66% of the repetitive sequences and 34,312 genes were predicted. The genomic evolution analysis showed that P. alopecuroides cv. 'Liqiu' was isolated from Setaria 7.53--13.80 million years ago and from Cenchrus 5.33--8.99 million years ago, respectively. The whole-genome event analysis showed that P. alopecuroides cv. 'Liqiu' underwent two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events in the evolution process, and the duplication events occurred at a similar time to that of Oryza sativa and Setaria viridis. The completion of the genome sequencing of P. alopecuroides cv. 'Liqiu' provides data support for mining high-quality genetic resources of P. alopecuroides and provides a theoretical basis for the origin and evolutionary characteristics of Pennisetum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores an easy and economically viable route for cellulose fibre isolation from the stem of Pennisetum polystachion and its utility as reinforcement filler in the polymer matrix for the development of biocomposites. The cellulose fibre was isolated by alkali treatment, followed by chlorine free bleaching using hydrogen peroxide. The SEM and FTIR analyses revealed removal of hemicelluloses and lignin. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed increased crystallinity and the TGA and DTG curves indicated greater thermal stability of the isolated fibre compared to the raw fibre. The cellulose fibre was used as reinforcement in ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber to prepare biocomposites. The cure characteristics and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The maximum torque and the mechanical properties varied by the addition of the filler in the matrix. The SEM images of the composites showed good adhesion of the cellulose fiber in the EPDM matrix. The biodegradability of the composites was confirmed by the soil burial test. The test revealed that the percentage degradation in tensile strength increased with filler loading, indicating that the composites are environmentally friendly and biodegradable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low pasture biomass production and fodder scarcity are among the major challenges affecting productivity of dairy cattle farms in Sri Lanka. As a potential solution to this, two Napier hybrid cultivars, CO-5 and Sampoorna, were recently introduced, and a field experiment was conducted to evaluate their growth, dry matter production, and nutritional composition from May to September 2020 to identify the optimum stage of harvest during the Yala season of the year. Plant measurements and samples were collected at five harvest intervals (4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after planting, respectively), with the plant samples subjected to biomass and nutritional assessments. The number of tillers and leaf length significantly differed (p = 0.01) between the two cultivars at 4 weeks harvesting interval (HI), whilst the number of leaves differed at 12-week HI, respectively. Dry matter yield increased (p = 0.16) almost linearly, whilst crude protein declined exponentially with CO-5 greater than Sampoorna (p = 0.057; 9.3% vs. 8.7%), with increasing harvesting intervals, respectively. In vitro organic matter digestibility and in vitro metabolizable energy contents were similar across weeks 4, 6, and 8 but then decreased. This study demonstrates that higher dry matter yields (12.54 t/ha) can be obtained through harvesting both cultivars at 12 week HIs, but from a nutritional perspective, harvesting at 6 week HIs during Yala season of the year would be optimum for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to estimate the lethal concentration of the polyploidy inducing chemical Colchicine in two genotypes of Bajra Napier hybrid CO 6 and TNCN 1534. Single nodded setts of the genotypes CO 6 and TNCN 1534 were treated with colchicine using two different methods viz., whole immersion with concentrations of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25% for 3 and 6 hours and the cotton swab method using the same five different concentrations. The LC50 values were observed based on growth reduction of seedlings after the planting of treated setts by the two methods. The sprouting percentage and survival percentage of both genotypes gradually reduced with increasing doses of colchicine and it also differed based on the method used. The LC50 values differed for both the methods used. The cotton swab method had the LC50 value of 0.21% for the genotype CO 6 and 0.19% for TNCN 1534. The whole immersion method had the LC50 value of 0.14% in case of CO 6 and 0.15% colchicine concentration was found to be optimum for TNCN 1534 indicating the differential response of genotypes for colchicine treatment. Correlation between different concentrations and stomatal parameters indicated positive correlation when the varieties were treated for 3 hours duration and a negative correlation was observed when they were treated for 6 hour duration in case of whole immersion method. As the duration of exposure increased, the parameters showed decreased growth. In case of cotton swab method, both the varieties showed positive correlation for stomatal width with the increasing concentration while stomatal length was seen having negative correlation when the concentrations were increased.

An experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the effect of shading on the physiology and canopy structural characteristics of tropical grasses under different woody covers in silvopastoral system in the semiarid region of Brazil, in a region known as the Caatinga biome. The experimental area had nine silvopastoral systems arranged in strips of Caatinga vegetation trees (woody component) with dimensions of 6.0 × 100.0 m, positioned in the north–south direction. Among the strips of Caatinga trees, Urochloa mosambicensis, Pennisetum ciliare and Megathyrsus maximus were planted in plots. The treatments were: forage grown under 46.15% of woody cover (SS46), forage grown under 30.00% of woody cover (SS30) and forage grown under 17.64% of woody cover (SS18), each with three replicates. The gas exchange assessments were carried out in 2018 and 2019 for two consecutive days. Structural and production characteristics were evaluated in 2018 and 2019, considering the east, center and west positions. The system SS46 promoted lesser leaf photosynthesis among Pennisetum ciliare and Urochloa mosambicensis. SS46 favored lower tiller population density on grasses. Total forage biomass was lower in SS46 in comparison to SS30 and SS18. Silvopastoral systems SS30 and SS18 can be adopted without compromising the physiological characteristics of Urochloa mosambicensis and Pennisetum ciliare, and the structural and yield characteristics of Urochloa mosambicensis, Megathyrsus maximus and Pennisetum ciliare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pennisetum giganteum (AABB, 2n = 4x = 28) is a C4 plant in the genus Pennisetum with origin in Africa but currently also grown in Asia and America. It is a crucial forage and potential energy grass with significant advantages in yield, stress resistance, and environmental adaptation. However, the mechanisms underlying these advantageous traits remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of the allotetraploid P. giganteum aiming at providing insights into biomass accumulation. Results: Our assembly has a genome size 2.03 Gb and contig N50 of 88.47 Mb that was further divided into A and B subgenomes. Genome evolution analysis revealed the evolutionary relationships across the Panicoideae subfamily lineages and identified numerous genome rearrangements that had occurred in P. giganteum. Comparative genomic analysis showed functional differentiation between the subgenomes. Transcriptome analysis found no subgenome dominance at the overall gene expression level; however, differentially expressed homoeologous genes and homoeolog-specific expressed genes between the two subgenomes were identified, suggesting that complementary effects between the A and B subgenomes contributed to biomass accumulation of P. giganteum. Besides, C4 photosynthesis-related genes were significantly expanded in P. giganteum and their sequences and expression patterns were highly conserved between the two subgenomes, implying that both subgenomes contributed greatly and almost equally to the highly efficient C4 photosynthesis in P. giganteum. We also identified key candidate genes in the C4 photosynthesis pathway that showed sustained high expression across all developmental stages of P. giganteum. Conclusions: Our study provides important genomic resources for elucidating the genetic basis of advantageous traits in polyploid species, and facilitates further functional genomics research and genetic improvement of P. giganteum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different additives on nutritional quality, fermentation variables and microbial diversity of hybrid Pennisetum silages. A control (CK – no additives) and seven treatments were tested, namely, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP), Lentilactobacillus buchneri (LB), propionic acid (PA), calcium propionate (CAP), LP + LB; LP + PA and LP + CAP. In comparison with CK, all treatments increased the contents of crude protein and lactic acid, decreased the content of butyric acid, and altered the bacterial communities of the silage. Except for the CAP and LP + CAP treatments, the additives decreased pH and the ammonia nitrogen:total nitrogen (NH3-N:TN) ratio. The results of principal component analysis revealed that the PA, LP + PA and LP + LB treatments ranked as the top three silages. The PA and LP + PA treatments exhibited higher water-soluble carbohydrate content, but lower pH, and NH3-N:TN ratio than the other treatments. With the PA and LP + PA treatments, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Enterobacter decreased, and of Proteobacteria and Delftia increased, while the carbohydrate metabolism of the microorganisms improved. The LP and LB treatments reduced the Shannon and Simpson diversities. In the beta diversity, PA and LP + PA separated from the other treatments, indicating that there were differences in the composition of bacterial species. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus increased in the LP and LB treatments and of Leucanostoc and Weissella increased in the CAP and LP + CAP treatments. In summary, the addition of L. plantarum, L. buchneri, propionic acid, calcium propionate, and their combinations improved fermentation quality, inhibited harmful bacteria and conserved the nutrients of hybrid Pennisetum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation can help remediate potential toxic elements (PTE) in soil. Microorganisms and soil amendments are effective means to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation. This study selected three microorganisms that may promote phytoremediation, including bacteria (Ceratobasidium), fungi (Pseudomonas mendocina), and arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Funneliformis caledonium). The effects of single or mixed inoculation of three microorganisms on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides were tested under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil (low 10 mg/kg, medium 50 mg/kg, and high 100 mg/kg). The results showed that single inoculation of AMF or Pseudomonas mendocina could significantly increase the biomass of two plants under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil, and the growth-promoting effect of AMF was better than Pseudomonas mendocina. However, simultaneous inoculation of these two microorganisms did not show a better effect than the inoculation of one. Inoculation of Ceratobasidium reduced the biomass of the two plants under high concentrations of cadmium-contaminated soil. Among all treatments, the remediation ability of the two plants was the strongest when inoculated with AMF alone. On this basis, this study explored the effect of AMF combined with corn-straw-biochar on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides. The results showed that biochar could affect plant biomass and Cd concentration in plants by reducing Cd concentration in soil. The combined use of biochar and AMF increased the biomass of Paspalum vaginatum by 8.9–48.6% and the biomass of Pennisetum alopecuroides by 8.04–32.92%. Compared with the single use of AMF or biochar, the combination of the two is better, which greatly improves the efficiency of phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]