Search Results (6,200)

Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizer usage in agriculture has prompted the exploration of sustainable strategies to enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) while maintaining crop yield and quality. Processed tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were grown for two years (2023 and 2024) following a two-way factorial randomized complete block (RCBD) design, considering three biostimulants and three N regimes as two factors, to assess their morphophysiological, biochemical, anatomical and yield performances. Nitrogen application significantly influenced biomass accumulation, the leaf area index (LAI), nitrogen uptake and yield with notable comparable values between reduced and optimal nitrogen dose, indicating improved nitrogen use efficiency. Biostimulants showed limited effects alone but enhanced plant performance under reduced nitrogen conditions, particularly improving chlorophyll content, crop growth, N uptake, yield and anatomical adaptations. Moreover, compared to 2024, biostimulant application enhanced tomato growth more evidently in 2023 due to environmental variations, likely due to the occurrence of stress conditions. Importantly, biostimulants, together with N regimes, i.e., optimal and reduced doses, showed improved anatomical traits, especially regarding leaf thickness and thickness between the two epidermises, indicating adaptive responses that may support sustained productivity under N-limited conditions. Among the biostimulants used, the processed tomatoes responded better to protein hydrolysate and endophytic N-fixing bacteria than to seaweed extract. These findings suggest that although biostimulants alone were not affected, integrating them with reduced N fertilization provides a viable strategy for optimizing tomato production, conserving resources and minimizing the environmental impact without compromising yield or quality. Full article

Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting black gram (Vigna mungo) productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Saline soils negatively impact plant growth, nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and yield. This study evaluated the efficacy of co-inoculating salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria Paenibacillus sp. SPR11 and Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense PR3 on black gram performance under saline field conditions (EC: 8.87 dS m⁻¹; pH: 8.37) with low organic carbon (0.6%) and nutrient deficiencies. In vitro assays demonstrated the biocontrol potential of SPR11, inhibiting Fusarium oxysporum and Macrophomina phaseolina by 76% and 62%, respectively. Germination assays and net house experiments under 300 mM NaCl stress showed that co-inoculation significantly improved physiological traits, including germination rate, root length (61.39%), shoot biomass (59.95%), and nitrogen fixation (52.4%) in nitrogen-free media. Field trials further revealed enhanced stress tolerance markers: chlorophyll content increased by 54.74%, proline by 50.89%, and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, PAL) were significantly upregulated. Electrolyte leakage was reduced by 55.77%, indicating improved membrane stability. Agronomic performance also improved, with co-inoculated plants showing increased root length (7.19%), grain yield (15.55 q ha⁻¹; 77.04% over control), total biomass (26.73 q ha⁻¹; 57.06%), and straw yield (8.18 q ha⁻¹). Pod number, seed count, and seed weight were also enhanced. Nutrient analysis showed elevated uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and key micronutrients (Zn, Fe) in both grain and straw. To the best of our knowledge, this is the very first field-based report demonstrating the synergistic benefits of co-inoculating Paenibacillus sp. SPR11 and Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense PR3 in black gram under saline, nutrient-poor conditions without external nitrogen inputs. The results highlight a sustainable strategy to enhance legume productivity and resilience in salt-affected soils. Full article

Insect pests cause severe damage and yield losses to many agricultural crops globally. The use of chemical pesticides on agricultural crops is not recommended because of their toxic effects on the environment and consumers. In addition, pesticide toxicity reduces soil fertility, poisons ground waters, and is hazardous to soil biota. Therefore, applications of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are an alternative, eco-friendly solution to chemical pesticides and mineral-based fertilizers to enhance plant health and promote sustainable food security. This review focuses on the biological and ecological aspects of these organisms while also highlighting the practical application of molecular communication approaches in developing a novel plant health product. This insight will support this innovative approach that combines PGPR and EPNs for sustainable crop production. Several studies have reported positive interactions between nematodes and bacteria. Although the combined presence of both organisms has been shown to promote plant growth, the molecular interactions between them are still under investigation. Integrating molecular communication studies in the development of a new product could help in understanding their relationships and, in turn, support the combination of these organisms into a single plant health product. Full article

Natural enemies commonly probe larval bodies and frass with their antennae for prey hunting. However, the attractants to natural enemies emitted directly from hosts and host-associated tissues remained largely unknown. Here, we used two generalist noctuid species, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith), along with the larval endoparasitoid Microplitis mediator (Haliday) to address the question. Extracts of larval frass of both the noctuid species were strongly attractive to M. mediator females when hosts were fed either maize, cotton, soybean leaves, or an artificial diet without leaf tissues. By using a combination of electrophysiological measurements and behavioral tests, we found that the attractiveness of frass mainly relied on a volatile compound ethyl palmitate. The compound was likely to be a by-product of host digestion involving gut bacteria because an antibiotic supplement in diets reduced the production of the compound in frass and led to the decreased attractiveness of frass to the parasitoids. In contrast, extracts of the larval bodies of both the noctuid species appeared to be less attractive to the parasitoids than their respective fecal extracts, independently of types of food supplied to the larvae. Altogether, larval frass of the two noctuid species was likely to be more important than their bodies in attracting the endoparasitoid species, and the main attractant of frass was probably one of the common metabolites of digestion involving gut microbes, and its emission is likely to be independent of host plant species. Full article

Legumes are among the most important crops globally, serving as a major food source for protein and oil. In tropical regions, the cultivation of legumes has expanded significantly due to the increasing demand for food, plant-based products, and sustainable agriculture practices. However, tropical environments pose unique challenges, including high temperatures, erratic rainfall, soil infertility, and a high incidence of pests and diseases. Indeed, legumes are vulnerable to infections caused by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, and nematodes. This review highlights the importance of legumes in tropical farming and discusses major diseases affecting productivity and their impact on the economy, environment, and lives of smallholder legume farmers. We emphasize the use of legume genetic resources and breeding, and biotechnology innovations to foster resistance and address the challenges posed by pathogens in legumes. However, an integrated approach that includes other cultivation techniques (e.g., crop rotation, rational fertilization, deep plowing) remains important for the prevention and control of diseases in legume crops. Finally, we highlight the contributions of plant genetic resources to smallholder resilience and food security. Full article

Salinization hinders the restoration of vegetation in salt-affected soils by negatively impacting plant growth and development. Halophytes play a key role in the restoration of saline and degraded lands due to unique features explaining their growth aptitude in such extreme ecosystems. Suaeda fruticosa is an euhalophyte well known for its medicinal properties and its potential for saline soil phytoremediation. However, excessive salt accumulation in soil limits the development of this species. Research findings increasingly advocate the use of extremophile rhizosphere bacteria as an effective approach to reclaim salinized soils, in conjunction with their salt-alleviating effect on plants. Here, a pot experiment was conducted to assess the role of a halotolerant plant growth-promoting actinobacterium, Glutamicibacter sp., on the growth, nutritional status, and shoot content of proline, total soluble carbohydrates, and phenolic compounds in the halophyte S. fruticosa grown for 60 d under high salinity (600 mM NaCl). Results showed that inoculation with Glutamicibacter sp. significantly promoted the growth of inoculated plants under stress conditions. More specifically, bacterial inoculation increased the shoot concentration of proline, total polyphenols, potassium (K⁺), nitrogen (N), and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio in shoots, while significantly decreasing Na⁺ concentrations. These mechanisms partly explain S. fruticosa tolerance to high saline concentrations. Our findings provide some mechanistic elements at the ecophysiological level, enabling a better understanding of the crucial role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) in enhancing halophyte growth and highlight their potential for utilization in restoring vegetation in salt-affected soils. Full article

Microbes perform diverse and vital functions in animals, plants, and humans, and among them, plant-associated microbiomes, especially endophytes, have attracted growing scientific interest in recent years. Numerous plant species thriving in diverse environments have been shown to host endophytic microbes. While endophytic bacteria commonly colonize plant tissues such as stems, roots, and leaves, seed-associated endophytes generally exhibit lower diversity compared to those in other plant compartments. Nevertheless, seed-borne microbes are of particular importance, as they represent the initial microbial inoculum that influences a plant’s critical early developmental stages. The seed endophytic microbiome is of particular interest due to its potential for vertical transmission and its capacity to produce a broad array of phytohormones, enzymes, antimicrobial compounds, and other secondary metabolites. Collectively, these functions contribute to enhanced plant biomass and yield, especially under abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Despite their multifaceted roles, seed microbiomes remain underexplored in plant ecology, and their potential benefits are not yet fully understood. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the diversity, community composition, mechanisms of action, and agricultural significance of seed endophytic microbes. Furthermore, it synthesizes current insights into how seed endophytes promote plant health and productivity and proposes future research directions to fully harness their potential in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Fertilization is a critical measure for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction in degraded grasslands. However, little is known about the long-term effects of different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) on plant and microbial communities in degraded grasslands. This study conducted a four-year (2017–2020) N, P, K addition experiment in the Khorchin Grassland, a degraded typical grassland located in Zhalute Banner, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, to investigate the effects of fertilization treatment on plant functional groups and microbial communities after grazing exclusion. Our results showed that the addition of P, NP, and NPK compound fertilizers significantly increased aboveground biomass of the plant community, which is mainly related to the improvement of nutrient availability to promote the growth of specific plant functional groups, especially annual and biennial plants and perennial bunchgrasses. However, the addition of N, P, and NP fertilizers significantly reduced the species diversity of the plant community. At the same time, the addition of N, P, and NP fertilizers and the application of N and NP significantly reduced fungal species diversity but had no significant effect on soil bacteria. Our study provides new insights into the relationships between different types of fertilization and plant community productivity and biodiversity in degraded grasslands over four years of fertilization, which is critical for evaluating the effect of fertilization on the restoration of degraded grassland. Full article

Soil salinization severely restricts crop growth and presents a major challenge to global agriculture. In this study, a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) was isolated and identified as Proteus sp. through 16S rDNA analysis and was subsequently named Proteus sp. JHY1. Under salt stress, exogenous dopamine (DA) significantly enhanced the production of indole-3-acetic acid and ammonia by strain JHY1. Pot experiments revealed that both DA and JHY1 treatments effectively alleviated the adverse effects of 225 mM NaCl on rice, promoting biomass, plant height, and root length. More importantly, the combined application of DA-JHY1 showed a significant synergistic effect in mitigating salt stress. The treatment increased the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, osmotic regulators (proline, soluble sugars, and protein), and reduced lipid peroxidation. The treatment also increased soil nutrients (ammoniacal nitrogen and available phosphorus), enhanced soil enzyme activities (sucrase and alkaline phosphatase), stabilized the ion balance (K⁺/Na⁺), and modulated the soil rhizosphere microbial community by increasing beneficial bacteria, such as Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. This study provides the first evidence that the synergistic effect of DA and PGPR contributes to enhanced salt tolerance in rice, offering a novel strategy for alleviating the adverse effects of salt stress on plant growth. Full article

Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) is a medicinal and edible homologous plant whose roots contain many bioactive substances such as polysaccharides and phenolics. This study explored the integration of burdock powder and lactic acid bacteria fermentation to enhance the nutritional quality, sensory attributes, and flavor profiles of duck sausages. Three bacterial strains, Lacticaseibacillus casei, L. helveticus, and L. plantarum, were selected based on sensory analysis, and their effects on sausage properties were evaluated through combined fermentation trials. The results demonstrated that duck sausages fermented with L. plantarum and L. helveticus and supplemented with 3% burdock powder (PHB group) exhibited > 1.5-fold higher antioxidant activity (ABTS at 85.2 μmol trolox/g and DPPH at 92.7 μmol trolox/g, respectively; p < 0.05) and 15% increase in total phenolic content (8.24 mg gallic acid/g) compared to non-fermented counterparts. The PHB formulation also enhanced color stability (lightness, redness, yellowness), textural characteristics (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness), and sensory acceptability. Volatile compound analysis revealed a reduction in off-odor aldehydes (hexanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-decenal, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal) and increased production of desirable aromatic compounds like tetramethyl-pyrazine. These findings highlight the potential of combining lactic acid bacteria fermentation with burdock powder to develop functional duck sausages with improved nutritional and sensory properties. Full article

Background: The aim of this review is to summarize and evaluate the properties of antibacterial polysaccharides for application in dental implantology to identify knowledge gaps and provide new research ideas. Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, Medline, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were used to search for peer-reviewed scientific publications published between 2018 and 2025 that provide insights to answer research questions on the role of antibacterial polysaccharides in combating pathogens in dental implantology without triggering immune reactions and inflammation. Further research questions relate to the efficacy against various dental pathogens and the understanding of the antibacterial mechanism, which may enable the development of functionalized polysaccharides with long-term antibacterial activity. Results: Biomedical implants have revolutionized medicine but also increased the risk of infections. Implant infections are a major problem in implantology and lead to implant failure and replacement. An antibacterial coating could be an excellent strategy to extend the lifespan of implants and improve the quality of the patient’s life. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics poses significant challenges for researchers, forcing them to search for new ways to prevent bacterial infections in implantology. Antibacterial natural polymers have recently received considerable research attention due to their long-term antibacterial activity. Polysaccharides from marine sources, such as chitosan and alginate, or pectin, xanthan, etc., from various plants, appear to be promising biopolymers for such applications in implantology due to their antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and osteogenic properties. The antibacterial activity of these natural biopolymers depends on their chemical and physical properties. Nanopolysaccharides exhibit higher antibacterial activity than conventional polysaccharides, but their toxicity to human cells must be considered. Their antibacterial activity is based on the disruption of bacterial DNA or RNA synthesis, increased cell wall permeability, membrane disruption, and cytoplasmic leakage. Conclusions: Polysaccharides are a class of natural polymers with a broad spectrum of biological activities. They exhibit antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anticoagulant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral activity. Furthermore, polysaccharides are non-cytotoxic and exhibit good biocompatibility with osteogenic cells. Bactericidal polysaccharides are attractive new antibacterial materials against implant infections and open up new perspectives in implantology. Full article

The escalating global challenges of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and cancer necessitate innovative therapeutic solutions from natural sources. This study investigated the multifaceted therapeutic potential of pigment-enriched plant extracts. We screened diverse plant extracts for antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi. Hibiscus sabdariffa emerged as the most promising, demonstrating potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial and significant antibiofilm activity. Sub-inhibitory concentrations of H. sabdariffa robustly downregulated essential bacterial virulence genes and suppressed aflatoxin gene expression. Comprehensive chemical profiling via HPLC identified major anthocyanin glucosides, while GC-MS revealed diverse non-pigment bioactive compounds, including fatty acids and alcohols. Molecular docking suggested favorable interactions of key identified compounds (Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and 1-Deoxy-d-arabitol) with E. coli outer membrane protein A (OmpA), indicating potential antiadhesive and antimicrobial mechanisms. Furthermore, H. sabdariffa exhibited selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These findings establish H. sabdariffa pigment-enriched extract as a highly promising, multi-functional source of novel therapeutics, highlighting its potential for simultaneously addressing drug resistance and cancer challenges through an integrated chemical, biological, and computational approach. Full article

In plateau wetlands, the interactions of herbaceous roots with ectorhizosphere soil microorganisms represent an important way to realize their ecological functions. Global change-induced aridification of plateau wetlands has altered long-established functional synergistic relationships between plant roots and ectorhizosphere soil microbes, but we still know little about this phenomenon. In this context, nine typical wetlands with three different moisture statuses were selected from the eastern Tibetan Plateau in this study to analyze the relationships among herbaceous plant root traits and microbial communities and functions. The results revealed that drought significantly inhibited the accumulation of root biomass and surface area as well as the development of root volumes and diameters. Similarly, drought significantly reduced the diversity of ectorhizosphere soil microbial communities and the relative abundances of key phyla of archaea and bacteria. Redundancy analysis revealed that plant root traits and ectorhizosphere soil microbes were equally regulated by soil physicochemical properties. Functional genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly associated with functional traits related to plant root elongation and nutrient uptake. Functional genes related to carbon and energy metabolism were significantly associated with traits related to plant root support and storage. Key genes such as CS,gltA, and G6PD,zwf help to improve the drought resistance and barrenness resistance of plant roots. This study helps to elucidate the synergistic mechanism of plant and soil microbial functions in plateau wetlands under drought stress, and provides a basis for evolutionary research and conservation of wetland ecosystems in the context of global change. Full article

This study evaluated the influence of compost and bioinoculants (mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria) on the yield and composition of essential oil extracted from Tanacetum balsamita L. over two growing seasons. The plants were cultivated under four treatments: compost, bioinoculants, a combination (bioinoculants + compost), and a control. At each harvest, essential oil was extracted from fresh leaves via stem-flow distillation and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry. Twenty to twenty-four compounds were identified. Based on the dominant terpene derivative, the results indicated that Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivated in Italy belongs to “camphor” chemotype, a pharmacologically active compound known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. Moreover, three compounds, α-, β-phellandrene and myrtenol, were identified as typical of Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivated in Italy. Treatment effects were significant for some compounds (camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, dehydro sabinene ketone, and 3-thujanol), and the interaction between treatment and year was significant for a few compounds (borneol, terpinen-4-ol, dehydro sabinene ketone, 1,8-cineol, and 3-thujanol). These results emphasize the need to account for seasonal variation and underline the necessity of a deeper understanding of how experimental factors interact with them, especially in long-term essential oil studies. Full article

Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis), a leguminous plant, is an important medicinal and economic plant in saline–alkaline soils of arid regions in China. Its main bioactive components include liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid, and flavonoids, which play significant roles in maintaining human health and preventing and adjuvantly treating related diseases. However, the cultivation of G. uralensis is easily restricted by adverse soil conditions in these regions, characterized by high salinity, high alkalinity, and nutrient deficiency. This study investigated the impacts of four multistrain microbial inoculants (Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd) on the growth performance and bioactive compound accumulation of G. uralensis in moderately saline–sodic soil. The aim was to screen the most beneficial inoculant from these strains, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of plants in moderately saline–alkaline soils of the Hexi Corridor and possess native advantages with excellent adaptability to arid environments. The results showed that inoculant Pc, comprising Pseudomonas silesiensis, Arthrobacter sp. GCG3, and Rhizobium sp. DG1, exhibited superior performance: it induced a 0.86-unit reduction in lateral root number relative to the control, while promoting significant increases in single-plant dry weight (101.70%), single-plant liquiritin (177.93%), single-plant glycyrrhizic acid (106.10%), and single-plant total flavonoids (107.64%). Application of the composite microbial inoculant Pc induced no significant changes in the pH and soluble salt content of G. uralensis rhizospheric soils. However, it promoted root utilization of soil organic matter and nitrate, while significantly increasing the contents of available potassium and available phosphorus in the rhizosphere. High-throughput sequencing revealed that Pc reorganized the rhizospheric microbial communities of G. uralensis, inducing pronounced shifts in the relative abundances of rhizospheric bacteria and fungi, leading to significant enrichment of target bacterial genera (Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium), concomitant suppression of pathogenic fungi, and proliferation of beneficial fungi (Mortierella, Cladosporium). Correlation analyses showed that these microbial shifts were linked to improved plant nutrition and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study highlights Pc as a sustainable strategy to enhance G. uralensis yield and medicinal quality in saline–alkali ecosystems by mediating microbe–plant–nutrient interactions. Full article