Weed resistance to herbicides should be minimized, as this can lead to serious limitations in the food security for people around the world. The aim of the research was to summarize the latest research on the reactions of plants to pesticides, including herbicides, in order to assess the possibility of using jasmonates and brassinosteroids to stimulate the natural, induced systemic immunity of plants, as well as outline the possibility of the interaction of oxylipins with ethylene, salicylates and other compounds. Multiple types of resistance correspond to developed mechanisms of resistance to more than one herbicide, and this resistance has been induced by selection processes. Activation of the mechanisms of systemic immunity depends on the reception of extracellular signals, and their transduction between individual cells of the plant organism. Jasmonic acid (JA), as well as its methyl ester (MeJA), ethylene (ET), salicylic acid (SA) and methyl salicylate (MeSA), are key plant growth regulators that play a fundamental role in this process. JA and ET activate the mechanisms of induced systemic immunity (ISR), while SA determines the acquired systemic immunity (SAR). JA, MeJA and OPDA belong to the family of oxylipins, which are derivatives of linolenic acid (CLA), and are a group of active signaling molecules that are involved in the regulation of many physiological processes, including those that are related to herbicide resistance. Understanding the signaling mechanism in oxylipins, and mainly brassicosteroids (BRs) and jasmonates (Jas), would allow a better understanding of how immune responses are triggered in plants. Full article

Due to climate change, global warming, and reduced radiation, there is an urgent need for research to explore the effects on wheat grain filling and protein-related quality. In this study, two spring and two semi-winter varieties were analyzed. Six sowing dates were set in the experiment, at 10-day intervals from the beginning of the local sowing window. The seedling population of the first sowing date (S1) was 300 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹, which was observed to have increased by about 10% by the subsequent sowing date. During the experiment, due to the different dates of sowing, the treatments were in different growth stages; so, all the treatments were grown under different day and night temperatures and radiation to study the effects on post-anthesis grain filling and protein quality. The results showed that the sowing date decreased the effective accumulated temperature (EAT) and the cumulative radiation after anthesis and increased the daily average, maximum, and minimum temperatures. The decrease in the EAT of 94.99 °C d and the increase in the daily average temperature of 1.59 °C after antrum resulted in a decrease in the wheat grain weight of 4.5 g and an increase in the grain filling rate of 0.029 mg d⁻¹. This may be due to the shortening of the wheat filling time with the increase in the day/night temperatures. Compared with the normal sowing date, the later sowing date caused a decrease in the EAT and an increase in the T_mean, which led to an increase in the wheat protein content, wet gluten content, and sedimentation value. There was a positive correlation between the grain filling rate and the protein content in the wheat. Compared with radiation, temperature significantly regulates wheat grain filling and protein formation. These results can be used to guide the sowing date to obtain a higher quality of wheat protein in the future climate change. Full article

Root rot disease of Cuminum cyminum caused by Fusarium solani is one of the most destructive diseases threatening cumin production. The present study investigates the biocontrol potential of some endophytes against F. solani and their effect on the induction of defense-related enzymes in a greenhouse. The results herein presented illustrate the strong biocontrol potential of three (out of twelve) endophytes. During the in vitro assay, three isolates demonstrated strong mycelial growth inhibition of F. solani: isolates 3, 4, and 9, with 87%, 65%, and 80% reductions, respectively, with respect to the control (100%). These isolates were identified as Trichoderma harzianum, T. longibrachiatum, and Chaetomium globosum, which produce siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Cumin seed priming with the culture filtrates of T. harzianum, C. globosum, and T. longibrachiatum positively affected the seed germination, as a higher germination (%) of culture filtrate-treated seeds was observed followed by infected and healthy control/untreated seeds. In the greenhouse, the application of T. harzianum, T. longibrachiatum, and C. globosum caused a reduction in disease severity (67.7%, 58.1%, and 59.3%, respectively) on cumin plants, with a lower disease severity (20%, 26%, and 25%, respectively) recorded in treated plants compared to the infected control (62%). Furthermore, a significant increase in defense-related enzymes in culture filtrate-treated cumin plants was recorded. Higher peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, and a higher content of phenolic compounds, were found in culture filtrate-treated plants. These results indicate that the culture filtrates of these bioagents not only increased seed germination, but also protected the plants from F. solani infection by acting as important elements of the cellular antioxidant system in plants upon infection, conferring the biocontrol potential of C. globosum and Trichoderma species toward mitigating the root rot disease of cumin plants in a greenhouse. Full article

The use of living mulches (LM) grown in-season together with the cash crop is a potentially important method of organic vegetable production. There are only a few reports on the influence of LM on the biological value of vegetable crops. The impacts of LM of Alexandrian clover on the yields and levels of phenolic compounds in leeks and shallots were investigated. There were three sowing dates for the clover plants: 3 weeks before planting the leeks and shallot, at the planting date, and three weeks from planting the leeks and shallots. The yields of leeks and shallots with LM were higher than without the clover LM; the plants grown with LM accumulated more total phenolic (TP) compounds, and the plant extracts showed significantly higher antioxidant activity (AA). In shallot bulbs, the LM of Alexandrian clover increased the ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid levels, while in leek pseudo-stems the quercetin level was increased. The level of bioactive compounds depended on the date of clover planting. The most favorable sowing dates for clover planting were at the time of planting the leeks and shallots and three weeks after planting the plants. The LM of Alexandrian clover can be considered as a tool that can influence the nutritional value of leeks and shallots. Full article

Potato virus Y (PVY) causes serious loss in the yield and quality of potatoes. The effect of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) on the regeneration response and production of PVY-free plants under in vitro conditions was studied. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L⁻¹ Gibberellic acid (GA₃), 0.1 mg L⁻¹ Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 500 mg L⁻¹ malt extract was used for regeneration of plantlets from sprouts. Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA) and Reverse Transcript Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was used for virus indexing of the mother plant and in vitro-regenerated plantlets. Explants of PVY positive potato plants were cultured on same medium amended with 100, 200, 250, and 300 mg L⁻¹ of (CS-NPs). Shoot regeneration decreased from 100 to 200 mg L⁻¹ as the concentrations of antiviral (CS-NPs) up to 250 mg L⁻¹. It was decreased with the increase in the concentration of the antiviral (CS-NPs) up to 300 mg L⁻¹. Antiviral (CS-NPs) at the concentration of 250 mg L⁻¹ showed a positive effect on shoot regeneration. In vitro-regenerated plantlets were virus free and tested negative in both ELISA and RT-PCR. The level of 100 mg L⁻¹ of (CS_NPs) produced 38.8% PVY-free plants and 30.50% of cultures showed shoot regeneration. The level of 200 mg L⁻¹ of (CS-NPs) produced 49.6% PVY-free plants while 46.8% of cultures showed shoot regeneration. The level of 250 mg L⁻¹ of (CS-NPs) was the most effective and produced 100.0% PVY-free plants and 100.0% of cultures showed shoot regeneration. Histopathological changes simultaneously with elucidation of resistance and growth enhancement were evident in the treated plants with (CS-NPs) than those untreated control. In conclusion, (CS-NPs) treatment is an effective tool to produce PVY-free sprouts explants and has potential for producing virus-free planting material for the potato industry. Full article

Fruit trees grow in complex environments where various environmental factors are related to each other, exerting a comprehensive effect on fruit quality. In this study, diurnal variations in environmental indices in the field and greenhouse were recorded, and the changes of leaf photosynthetic assimilate metabolism and fruit soluble sugar accumulation in peach (Prunus persica) under the influence of a comprehensive environment were explored. The results showed that the field environment was more favorable for peach photosynthesis, and more sucrose, glucose and fructose could be accumulated compared with the greenhouse environment. In addition, more sorbitol was converted into glucose and fructose in field fruits. Therefore, field fruits exhibited a particularly greater increase in the fructose content, which greatly increased the sweetness of field fruits. This study revealed changes in the pattern of sucrose and sorbitol metabolism in peaches grown in the field and greenhouse, and analyzed the possible reasons and mechanisms of fruit intrinsic quality differences. This research will provide a theoretical basis and reference for the regulation of fruit quality in the greenhouse environment. Full article

Grain protein content (GPC) is an important index affecting rice quality and nutrition, and there is a large difference in the GPC among varieties. However, the differences in the grain yield, dry matter production, and nitrogen uptake and transport among varieties with a different GPC and their relationships with the GPC are still unclear. In this study, three japonica varieties with high GPC (H-GPC) and three japonica varieties with low GPC (L-GPC) were compared for their grain yield, dry matter production, and nitrogen uptake and transport, in field experiments under the same nitrogen application level in 2020 and 2021. The results showed that the grain yield of the L-GPC type was 26.87% higher in 2020, and 25.98% higher in 2021 than that of the H-GPC type at the same nitrogen rate, which might be related to the higher spikelet per panicle and larger sink capacity of the L-GPC type. Moreover, the varieties with L-GPC showed more dry matter production and total nitrogen content compared with the varieties with H-GPC at the heading stage and maturity, but the nitrogen uptake during the grain-filling period (NUP-GF) of the L-GPC varieties was lower than that of the H-GPC varieties. The leaf nitrogen translocation amount (L-NTA) of the L-GPC type was significantly higher than that of the H-GPC type. There was no significant difference in the leaf nitrogen translocation efficiency (L-NTE) between the different GPC types. The GPC was mainly determined by the amount of nitrogen available for developing the grain per unit sink capacity (NAV) and had a significant positive correlation with the NAV, indicating that sufficient NAV is necessary to obtain a high GPC. The direct restriction effect of the sink capacity on the NAV was the largest, and the leaf nitrogen content at the heading stage (LNC-H) had the largest direct promotion effect on the NAV, but the indirect restriction effect of the LNC-H on the NAV was also the strongest. The direct and indirect path coefficients of the NUP-GF to the NAV were both positive, indicating that increasing the NUP-GF can promote the improvement of the NAV. Full article

Developing an efficient and high-yielding mechanical rice establishment system is one of the most important approaches for intensive and large-scale rice production. Recently, an orderly mechanical rice seedling throwing system (OMST) was successfully developed; however, the performance of this system is unknown. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was carried out in a split-plot design with three establishment methods arranged in the main plots, and two elite rice cultivars arranged in the sub-plots. The grain yield and growth-related traits were then determined. The results showed that the grain yield of OMST was significantly higher than manual seedling throwing, and was equivalent to that of manual transplanting, which was mainly due to the variances in panicle number and total spikelet number. Further analysis suggested that the orderly mechanical seedling throwing takes advantage of higher biomass accumulation after heading, increased leaf area index and decreased leaf senescence rate against manual seedling throwing, and more tillers and biomass accumulation at vegetative growth stage as compared to manual transplanting. The present study showed that the OMST is an efficient and high-yielding rice establishment method that may be a promising option to replace traditional manual seedling throwing in rice production. Full article

Vanilla is an economically important crop for low-lying humid tropical regions. World demand for natural vanilla is increasing, but cultivated plants face serious phytosanitary problems. The disease known as Fusarium wilt is mainly related to the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae, and for its management, the pathogen–host relationship must be understood. Four in vitro multiplied vanilla accessions were evaluated: two Vanilla planifolia from Colombia and Mexico, one from V. odorata, and one (1) F1 hybrid (V. rivasii × V. trigonocarpa). In addition, three isolates of Fusarium from different symptomatic plants present in small-scale agroforestry systems: (1Fov) F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae from leaf, (2Fov) F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae from root and (3Fs) F. solani also from root. Plants with two months of growth were inoculated in vitro by immersion of roots, and the development of Fusarium wilt was recorded for 15 days, using a severity scale to describe symptoms and to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). No statistical differences were found when analyzing the interaction between Fusarium isolates and vanilla accessions. However, when independently analyzing the design factor Fusarium isolates, there were significant differences; the 1Fov isolate of F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae induced the highest symptoms as well as death in some plants of all accessions, while F. solani was considered a secondary pathogen. There were no statistical differences for the vanilla accessions factor, but the values of AUDPC and symptoms observed suggest a slight resistance in all the accessions. Therefore, it is suggested to explore the vanilla gene pool to generate multiplication material with resistance genes and to contribute with genetic improvement to successfully integrate the management of Fusarium wilt in commercial systems. Full article

Rice production in the karst dryland is still low, due to soil characteristics that lack nutrient availability. Meanwhile, upland rice has received less attention, and it has not been used to its full potential. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of various combinations of inorganic fertilizers, poultry manure, and upland rice varieties on the production and economic value of karst dryland in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. This experiment was arranged in a factorial design, with inorganic fertilizers, poultry manure, and upland rice varieties set in a randomized block design with three replications. The first factor was a combination of inorganic and organic fertilizer rates: 72 N kg ha⁻¹ + 26 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹ + 25 K₂O ha⁻¹ + 3 t ha⁻¹ organic, 92 N kg ha⁻¹ + 36 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹ + 30 K₂O kg ha⁻¹ + 2 t ha⁻¹ organic, 112 N kg ha⁻¹ + 46 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹ + 35 K₂O kg ha⁻¹ + 1 t ha⁻¹ organic. The second factor is the upland varieties of Inpago 8, Inpago 10, and Inpago 12 and lowland variety Inpari 42 Agritan GSR, as checked. Based on the study, we concluded that the combination of 92 N kg ha⁻¹ + 36 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹ + 30 K₂O kg ha⁻¹ + 2 t ha⁻¹ poultry manure fertilizers with Inpago 8 resulted in an IDR profit of 23,586,000 ha⁻¹, and it is the most recommendable fertilizer and variety combination to be developed in the karst dryland, in consideration of land fertility and sustainability. Full article

The aeroponic production of certified seed potatoes is a booming alternative for arid and semi-arid areas where fresh water is scarce and soil-borne diseases and nematodes preclude field production. Although widely used in aeroponics, nutrient-solution salinity effects have not been evaluated in potatoes. This study aimed to (1) establish the best of two nutrient solutions (Otazú vs. modified Furlani) at 20, 50, 100, and 150% of the crop-recommended dose for seed-potato production, (2) evaluate growth indexes to diagnose plant-N status, and (3) establish a prognosis for the yield of nuclear seed potatoes under aeroponics. At 21 days after transplanting, there was a significant correlation between the nitrate-N petiole-sap test and some of the parameters measured. The 4th leaf indexes correlated with yield parameters indicating that they can be used to prognosticate the final minituber yield. The best parameters to diagnose the N status in potato plants were: 4th leaf area, length, and dry weight (Otazú’s), SPAD, and 4th leaf area (modified Furlani’s). Although both nutrient solutions had similar nitrogen concentrations, Otazú’s nutrient solution at 100% of the recommended nitrogen dose had lower salinity than the modified Furlani’s solution and was the best to produce nuclear seed potatoes. Full article

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) fruit has attracted consumer interest due to its health benefits, especially the consumption of coconut water produced from 6–7-month-old coconut fruit. Consequently, by-products from young coconut fruit are also being expanded, including coconut mesocarp containing phenolic compounds. Therefore, this study aimed to provide new applications for young coconut mesocarp wastes. Specifically, optimizing the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds from coconut mesocarp using a Box–Behnken design in conjunction with response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of three extraction variables, such as temperature (10–70 °C), solvent-to-sample ratio (20:1–10:1 mL g⁻¹), and pulse duty cycle (0.4–1.0 s⁻¹) were examined on the level of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the extract. Subsequently, the optimum UAE condition was predicted using RSM models with coefficients of determination (R²) higher than 0.94, low prediction errors (less than 2.34), and non-significant lack-of-fit values (p < 0.05) for the two responses. Extraction time was evaluated through kinetic (5 to 25 min) studies applying the optimum extraction temperature (70 °C), solvent-to-sample ratio (20:1 mL g⁻¹), and pulse duty cycle (0.55 s⁻¹). An efficient extraction was achieved within 5 min, resulting in an extract with 47.78 ± 1.24 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹ DW for the total phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity (87.28 ± 1.01% DPPH). Extraction by ultrasound was then concluded to facilitate a fast extraction rate with high reproducibility (coefficients of variation were less than 3% in the levels of antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds). Full article

In low-input farming systems, where plant nutrition strongly depends on either organic matter inputs or nitrogen fixation by legumes, it is crucial to understand the effects of different crop residue management strategies on microbially mediated processes that influence nutrient dynamics. To evaluate different straw management options, we conducted a pot experiment with the following treatments: (1) control with no straw added (CON), (2) applying straw to the soil surface (SRF), simulating no-till, and (3) straw incorporating straw to the top 10 cm (INC), simulating minimum tillage. Another factor was slurry fertilization (with 3.2 t d.m. ha⁻¹ or without). Throughout the experiment, CO₂ efflux (µmol/m²/s) was measured regularly over a period of four months. Soil sampling was performed to monitor the abundance of the total bacterial, crenarchaeal and fungal communities, as well as nitrogen cycle microbial guilds and the dynamics of labile N and C fractions in the soils at different depths. Among straw treatments, significantly higher soil respiration was observed in INC and SRF compared to CON. Slurry fertilization increased soil respiration in all straw treatments. In the top 10 cm soil layer, the fungal abundance increased in INC compared to SRF and CON, whereas bacteria and crenarchaea did not respond. This effect was even more pronounced with slurry addition. The slurry also stimulated the abundance of certain N-cycle guilds, with the greatest increase in bacterial amoA-bearing nitrifiers and nirS, nosZI and nozII-bearing denitrifiers, particularly in the uppermost 0–1 cm soil layer. Straw treatment effects on N-cycle microbial guilds were less pronounced, while the coupled effect of straw incorporation and slurry was beneficial mostly for nosZ, again mainly in the top 1 cm soil layer. Compared to straw management, slurry fertilization had more potent effects on the abundance and performance of the investigated microbial communities. Full article

This experiment evaluated the effects of various vermicompost amounts (0%, 10%, 20%, 25%, and 50%) of the total weight of the mixture of soil and vermicompost) and red worms (0, 10, and 20 individuals/pot) on carrot phytomass and macroelements concentration when applied to soil. Increasing the quantity of vermicompost (Vc) raised the weight of carrot roots and leaves. When we increased the dose of Vc, differences in phytomass growth were diminished gradually. Fifty percent of Vc in the soil did not have a negative impact on the formation of carrot roots and leaves. Vc increased the water content in roots and decreased it in leaves. Earthworms (EWs) in soil increased the weight of both carrot roots and leaves. The positive impact of EW on roots and leaves was higher when the vermicompost content in the soil was lower. EWs showed positive effects on the potassium concentration in whole carrot phytomass. Both EWs and Vc increased the value of the tetanic ratio in the carrot roots, which lowers their quality. EWs showed positive effects on the potassium concentration in whole carrot phytomass. Relationships found between K × Ca and Mg × S were antagonistic. Positive dependencies were detected between the carrot root yield and N, P, K concentration in both leaves and roots. Full article

Rhizomes of ginger are commonly used as a spice and for home remedies in either fresh or dry form. This study aimed to assess the effect of sun drying on the volatile constituents, total phenolic and flavonoid content, and the antiviral activity of ginger against low-pathogenic human coronavirus. The antiviral effect of the major volatile compounds was predicted through molecular docking. GC/MS was employed for profiling the volatile constituents of both fresh and dry ginger oils. Moreover, chemometric analysis was applied to discriminate between fresh and dry ginger and to investigate the correlation between their volatile constituents and the antiviral activity using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares regression (PLS-R). GC/MS analysis revealed that the major effects of the drying process were an increase in α-curcumene and β-sesquiphellandrene. Moreover, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of dried ginger decreased considerably. A PCA score plot revealed significant discrimination between fresh and dry ginger, with α-curcumene and 4-thujanol identified as the main discriminating markers. These findings were validated by in silico molecular docking studies, which revealed that the compounds under consideration had good drug-like characteristics. Thus, ginger is rich in valuable phytoconstituents which showed promising therapy in viral infections such as COVID-19. Full article