Search Results (1,085)

Calligonum polygonoides is a rare desert shrub that is of high ecological importance in Egypt, yet its habitat requirements and physiological responses to environmental variability remain poorly understood, particularly under increasing climatic and anthropogenic pressures. To address this knowledge gap, this study integrates GIS-based habitat suitability modeling with hyperspectral leaf spectroscopy to evaluate the environmental factors associated with species distribution and leaf optical responses across two ecologically contrasting wadis (Wadi El-Galala and Wadi El-Assiuty). Environmental layers (DEM, EC, TSS, pH, temperature, rainfall, humidity, evaporation) were integrated using a multi-criteria evaluation framework, while plant cover, density, and spectral measurements were collected from 14 field plots. The results show that C. polygonoides favors moderately elevated zones characterized by low salinity, slightly alkaline soils, and intermediate climatic conditions. Approximately 24.3% of the landscape was classified as highly suitable, primarily along channel belts and alluvial fans with improved drainage and reduced salt accumulation. Spectral signatures showed descriptive differences between the two wadis. Plants from Wadi El-Galala showed relatively higher NIR reflectance and more pronounced SWIR water-absorption features compared with Wadi El-Assiuty, which may reflect differences in leaf structure and water status under contrasting habitat conditions. These spectral patterns were broadly consistent with the spatial suitability outputs and provide complementary descriptive information on leaf optical properties. Habitat suitability modeling showed that 91.7% of the recorded field occurrence points (33 out of 36 shrubs) were located within high-suitability zones, while no occurrences were recorded in low-suitability areas. This pattern indicates spatial agreement between observed occurrences and predicted suitability classes, but it should not be interpreted as formal model validation because absence data and independent validation records were not available. Overall, the findings provide preliminary spatial and spectral information that may support future field verification and site-specific conservation planning for C. polygonoides in the investigated wadis. Full article

Drying is widely used to stabilize foods, but long processing times and thermal exposure increase energy demand and can impair color, texture, nutrients, and flavor. Cold plasma (CP) pretreatment has attracted interest as a nonthermal strategy for accelerating moisture removal while maintaining product quality. This critical review examines CP pretreatment-assisted drying across food materials by linking structural remodeling with redox regulation and metabolic responses. Current evidence shows that changes in surface wettability, cuticular barriers, cell-wall and membrane integrity, and pore connectivity can facilitate water migration and shorten drying. CP-associated modulation of browning enzymes, oxidative status, and bioactive or flavor-related metabolites may also influence color, antioxidant capacity, nutrient retention, and flavor. However, these effects vary with discharge mode, treatment intensity, gas composition, pressure, temperature, and food-matrix properties. Excessive exposure can instead aggravate oxidation and diminish product quality. Current mechanistic evidence is strongest for plant foods and edible fungi and remains limited for animal-source foods. Together, these findings link plasma-generated chemical and physical agents to structural, biochemical, and drying responses. They provide a basis for defining material-specific operating windows and developing reproducible, safe, and scalable CP pretreatment-assisted drying of foods. Full article

Impervious surfaces create heterogeneous planting sites for urban trees, but whether crown-scale sealing is associated jointly with leaf economics and reproductive dispersal morphology remains unclear. We aimed to test these associations in mature female Populus tomentosa while treating impervious surface area (ISA) as a composite indicator of site context rather than a direct measure of thermal or hydrological stress. In a single-season, cross-sectional survey of 180 trees in Beijing (60 per low-, mid-, and high-ISA descriptive stratum), we measured crown-scale ISA, short-term midday ground-surface temperature, a pervious-soil access-moisture index (PSAMI), eight leaf traits, and five reproductive traits, and analyzed continuous associations, group contrasts, effect sizes, and multivariate patterns. Greater ISA was associated with lower PSAMI (R² = 0.581) and higher land surface temperature (R² = 0.845). Compared with low-ISA trees, high-ISA trees had lower specific leaf area (117.5 ± 29.1 vs. 90.9 ± 19.0 cm² g⁻¹; Hedges’ g = −1.07, 95% CI [−1.50, −0.71]) and longer seed hairs (0.564 ± 0.067 vs. 0.727 ± 0.078 cm; g = 2.24, 95% CI [1.82, 2.78]), together with greater fuzz biomass and lower seed mass. Multivariate analyses showed coordinated shifts in mean leaf and reproductive phenotype without stronger within-stratum cross-module integration. We conclude that the study’s principal contribution is the joint description of vegetative economics and reproductive dispersal morphology on the same mature urban trees. Because ISA co-varied with land use and management and PSAMI includes structural zeros, the findings are preliminary and do not establish causal stress mechanisms, plant-available water status, airborne exposure, or management effects; multi-year matched-site validation is required. Full article

Cereal production is increasingly constrained by soil degradation, water scarcity, climate variability, and rising disease and weed pressure. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of regenerative agronomic practices in cereal production, with particular emphasis on soil health, plant disease management, water-use efficiency, and yield stability. Available evidence consistently indicates that the greatest benefits arise not from individual practices but from integrated systems combining reduced tillage, crop residue retention, diversified crop rotations including legumes, cover crops, organic fertilization, and biologically based pest management. Such practices can increase soil biological activity and its ability to limit disease by enriching functionally beneficial microbial communities and limiting pathogens through competition for resources and niches, antibiosis, hyperparasitism, and the induction of plant resistance. They can also improve soil structure, water infiltration, water retention, and crop resilience to drought stress and, under certain conditions, reduce erosion, nutrient losses, and yield variability. However, the effects of regenerative practices are strongly dependent on soil type, climate, nitrogen balance, pest pressure, and the extent of adoption of regenerative practices. Risks may arise during the transition period, including yield declines, nitrogen immobilization, weed infestation, and increased disease pressure. Evaluation of these systems should encompass not only yield but also the grain quality and phytosanitary status, soil organic carbon stocks throughout the soil profile, N₂O emissions, and production profitability. The review covers cereal systems from temperate, humid, arid and semi-arid zones, and the results were interpreted considering climate, soil quality, water availability, and agronomic practices, as the same practice can produce different effects in different agroecological zones. Further research should prioritize long-term, multifactorial experiments conducted across diverse agroecological environments that integrate agronomic performance, environmental sustainability, and crop quality. Full article

Drought and constrained municipal budgets are increasing demand for establishment practices that conserve water and labor. This study quantified trade-offs between inputs (water, labor, cost) and tree outcomes across irrigation methods and root-ball correction practices during establishment of American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.). In December 2022, forty-five 45-gal trees were planted in Gainesville, Florida, in a completely randomized design combining three root treatments (control, shaved, sliced) with three irrigation methods (hand watering, hydrogel bag, conventional slow-release bag). Over 23 months, trunk caliper, height, midday stem water potential, and anchorage (bending stress at 1° inclination) were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models; survival, labor, water, and cost inputs were compared descriptively. Labor differed by two orders of magnitude, but total cost ranked nearly opposite. All trees survived; irrigation method affected no measured response: trees receiving no scheduled irrigation after an initial hydrogel charge were indistinguishable from those hand-watered 48 times (differences within 10–12%). Shaving increased the bending stress required to tilt the trunk 81% over controls, indicating firmer anchorage, without altering growth or water status; slicing had no effect. Under the dormant-season, average-rainfall conditions tested, shaving improved anchorage at negligible cost, and irrigation method had no measurable effect on tree performance. Full article

Early establishment is a critical filter in restoration plantings, especially when seedlings must face seasonal water limitation after outplanting. This study evaluated whether nursery-derived functional trait profiles are associated with early field performance of Pinus devoniana Lindl. seedlings in restoration plantings. Six profile codes were built from contrasting combinations of rooting space, nutrient supply, and water regime. Seedling traits were grouped into structural development, belowground investment, allocation quality, nutritional status, stress expression, and field establishment. Functional scores were calculated from standardized variables, and profile responses were examined through conservative comparisons, descriptive principal component analysis, and trait–performance associations. The large-rooting-space, fertilized, continuously irrigated profile (LFI) showed the most balanced pattern, combining positive structural development, high belowground investment, favorable allocation quality, low stress expression, and the highest survival. The large-rooting-space, fertilized, reduced-irrigation profile (LFR) reached the highest field establishment score, but this response was accompanied by stronger stress expression. The large-rooting-space, non-fertilized, reduced-irrigation profile (LNR) had the highest nutritional status, although this did not translate into superior establishment. Under the evaluated conditions, larger rooting space and coordinated belowground investment, allocation quality, and low stress expression were most consistently associated with better early field performance. Full article

Waterlogging restricts root-zone oxygen availability and can impair seedling growth and leaf quality in mulberry. Root-zone aeration may reduce waterlogging injury, but its effects on root anaerobic metabolism, photosynthesis, oxidative stress, and leaf functional quality have not been well integrated. In this study, Morus alba L. ‘Longsang No. 1’ seedlings were subjected to four treatments: normal moisture without aeration (CK), normal moisture with intermittent root-zone aeration (RA), waterlogging without aeration (WL), and waterlogging with intermittent root-zone aeration (WL+RA). Waterlogging was maintained with a water layer 1–2 cm above the substrate surface, and root-zone aeration was supplied using an air pump and microporous aeration stones for 30 min every 4 h. Root-zone dissolved oxygen, growth traits, root activity, root fermentative indicators, root and leaf oxidative injury, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, antioxidant enzyme activities, and leaf quality-related traits were measured after 14 d of treatment. Waterlogging decreased root-zone dissolved oxygen from 6.62 to 1.69 mg L⁻¹. It also reduced plant height, total leaf area, shoot and root dry weight, root activity, Pn, Fv/Fm, Y(II), and ETR. In contrast, WL increased ADH and PDC activities, lactate and ethanol contents, MDA, H₂O₂, electrolyte leakage, and NPQ. Leaf 1-DNJ, polysaccharides, total phenolics, total flavonoids, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP were also reduced under WL. Intermittent aeration increased root-zone dissolved oxygen to 4.64 mg L⁻¹ under waterlogging and partially alleviated many of these changes. WL+RA showed higher growth, root activity, photosynthetic performance, PSII photochemical efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activities, and leaf functional quality than WL. These results indicate that intermittent root-zone aeration was associated with better mulberry seedling performance under waterlogging, together with changes in root-zone oxygen status, fermentation metabolism, photosynthesis, oxidative balance, and leaf quality. Full article

Accurate estimation of canopy water content (OWC) is essential for precision irrigation, crop growth monitoring, and yield prediction. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based multispectral remote sensing provides a rapid and non-destructive approach for monitoring crop water status; however, the selection of effective spectral features and appropriate machine learning algorithms for robust OWC estimation remains insufficiently investigated, particularly across multiple growing seasons. This study evaluated the potential of UAV multispectral imagery for estimating oilseed rape canopy water content using two feature selection strategies and four representative machine learning algorithms. Field experiments were conducted during two consecutive growing seasons (2023–2024 and 2024–2025). Different sowing dates, nitrogen application rates, and planting densities were used to create a broad range of canopy water conditions. UAV multispectral images were acquired at ten representative growth stages during the reproductive period, from stem elongation to physiological maturity. Fourteen vegetation indices (VIs) were extracted from the multispectral imagery. Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to select informative features. These features were then used to develop multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models. Model performance was evaluated using each single-year dataset and the combined two-year dataset to assess robustness under different seasonal conditions. The RF model consistently achieved the highest prediction accuracy. The correlation-based RF model developed from the combined two-year dataset produced the best performance. It achieved an R² of 0.966, an RMSE of 1.734%, and an RRMSE of 2.360% for the training dataset. For the independent testing dataset, the corresponding values were 0.901, 2.794%, and 3.830%, respectively. The PCA-based models showed similar performance and effectively reduced feature redundancy. However, they did not consistently outperform the correlation-based models. These results indicate that combining UAV multispectral imagery with appropriate feature selection and machine learning algorithms can accurately estimate oilseed rape canopy water content under field conditions. Integrating data from multiple growing seasons further improves model robustness and provides a practical basis for UAV-assisted crop water monitoring and precision agricultural management. Full article

Mulberry leaves are used as functional food materials, but drought can reduce leaf production and physiological stability. This study evaluated whether foliar sodium selenite application could partially alleviate drought injury while increasing total selenium and selected functional-quality indicators in mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves. Seedlings were assigned to four treatments: normal water supply with the surfactant-containing control spray (CK), normal water supply with sodium selenite application (Se), drought stress with the control spray (D+CK), and drought stress with sodium selenite application (D+Se). Drought reduced plant growth, leaf water status, leaf pigment status, gas exchange, and PSII photochemical performance while increasing oxidative damage and membrane injury. Under drought stress, sodium selenite application partially maintained growth, water status, photosynthetic performance, and antioxidant enzyme activities and was associated with lower oxidative-damage indicators. Drought alone increased several stress-responsive secondary metabolites but reduced biomass, polysaccharides, and soluble protein, indicating a trade-off rather than a uniform improvement in leaf quality. Compared with D+CK, D+Se increased total selenium, several functional compounds, and in vitro antioxidant capacity. Overall, foliar application of 10 μM sodium selenite was associated with partial drought-stress alleviation and higher functional-quality indicators under controlled pot conditions. Further studies are required to optimize the application dose and evaluate selenium speciation, bioaccessibility, intake safety, and field performance. Full article

Arid sandy soils are characterized by poor water retention, low nutrient availability, and limited productivity, posing major constraints to sustainable date palm cultivation under increasing water scarcity. A three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of bentonite (BN), humic substances (HS), and Bacillus polymyxa (BP) under three irrigation regimes (70, 85, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)) on soil hydro-physical properties, nutrient uptake, and fruit quality of ‘Siwi’ date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Twelve treatment combinations (3 irrigation regimes × 4 soil amendment treatments) were evaluated over three consecutive growing seasons. The integrated application of BN, HS, and BP significantly improved soil hydro-physical properties by increasing field capacity and plant-available water while reducing bulk density. These improvements were associated with enhanced leaf N, P, and K concentrations and greater accumulation of total soluble solids, total and reducing sugars, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and β-carotene compared with the untreated control. The combined application of BN (12 kg palm⁻¹) + HS (1 L palm⁻¹) + BP (28 mL palm⁻¹) produced the most favorable overall responses. Moderate deficit irrigation (85% ETc) provided the best balance between fruit quality and water conservation, maintaining superior fruit biochemical quality while reducing irrigation water use by approximately 15% compared with full irrigation. Multivariate analyses further supported these findings by revealing strong positive associations among soil water availability, nutrient status, sugars, and antioxidant-related compounds, while climatic variables were closely associated with seasonal variation in fruit biochemical characteristics. Overall, the integrated application of bentonite, humic substances, and B. polymyxa under 85% ETc irrigation represents an effective management strategy for improving soil performance, enhancing fruit nutritional quality, and increasing water-use irrigation efficiency in sandy soils under arid conditions. Full article

Water availability is the primary environmental factor limiting plant establishment in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, and increasing drought-stress due to climate change is making forest restoration efforts in the Mediterranean basin increasingly critical. The Eastern Mediterranean region of Türkiye, particularly Kahramanmaraş Province, is characterized by increasingly severe drought stress resulting from low natural precipitation and rising temperatures under global warming. This study comparatively evaluates the ecophysiological responses of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Crataegus orientalis Pall. ex M. Bieb., under adequate irrigation and drought-stress conditions. To determine plant water status, pre-dawn and midday leaf water potentials were measured, and leaf gas exchange was characterized by measuring net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E); water-use efficiency (WUE) was then derived from these parameters as the ratio of net photosynthesis to transpiration (A/E). Both species sustained positive net photosynthesis under drought, although at rates significantly below those of the well-watered controls in the driest months, and both attained higher WUE than the controls in most months, with marked seasonal variation. However, significant differences in physiological adaptation strategies emerged between the species. Ailanthus altissima exhibited a water-saving strategy, restricting stomatal conductance to maintain a stable leaf water status, whereas Crataegus orientalis adopted a water-spending strategy, sustaining high leaf gas exchange while tolerating pronounced tissue dehydration. Modeling results, supported by spatial drought stress indices, have shown that both species have high adaptation potential in arid and semi-arid rehabilitation areas. The findings reveal that ecophysiological characteristics play a critical role in the selection of drought-tolerant woody species and provide a scientific basis for sustainable forest restoration under climate change. Full article

Fruit and vegetable by-products can be interpreted more usefully as postharvest crop-derived tissue fractions than as generic waste streams or sources of recoverable compounds. This integrative review synthesizes evidence on plant tissues, postharvest quality, stabilization, safety, and analytical characterization to develop a tissue-to-raw-material framework for plant-based food development. The framework begins with crop source, cultivar or maturity, organ/tissue identity, and postharvest history, and then links these variables to stabilization, safety screening, analytical evidence, intended-use specifications, and route assignment. Brassicaceae crops—including napa cabbage, radish, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower—serve as representative cases because their leafy, root, stem, core, stalk, and trimming fractions differ in water status, tissue fragility, sulfur-related traits, sensory constraints, and stabilization needs. Application suitability is therefore assessed from tissue identity, postharvest condition, stabilization history, safety status, and intended-use specifications rather than compound richness alone. Within this framework, zero-waste development means assigning a documented tissue fraction to a supported food, fermentation, coating/film, or selected secondary-material route, while using lower-risk assignment, downgrading, or exclusion where traceability, safety, stability, or specification evidence remains insufficient. Full article

Plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are key components in defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, yet their functional diversity in Panax ginseng remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize LTP and evaluate its role in stress tolerance. The gene was identified from ginseng transcriptome data and analyzed using bioinformatics tools to determine its structural and physicochemical properties. Panax ginseng lipid transfer protein (PgLTP) was then heterologously expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana). Transgenic lines were evaluated under fungal infection, drought, and salt stress conditions. Physiological and molecular responses, including reactive oxygen species(ROS) accumulation, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline levels, electrolyte leakage, and stomatal behavior under abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, were assessed. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that PgLTP encodes a small protein of approximately 12 kDa containing ten conserved cysteine residues, four α-helices, a signal peptide, and a transmembrane region, suggesting structural divergence from typical LTPs. Functional assays showed that transgenic plants exhibited significantly reduced disease indices under Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum) and Cylindrocarpon destructans (C. destructans) infection. Under drought and salinity stress, transgenic lines demonstrated higher germination and survival rates, enhanced proline accumulation, reduced oxidative damage, and lower electrolyte leakage compared with the wild type. Additionally, PgLTP exhibited enhanced ABA-responsive stomatal closure, which was associated with reduced water loss. These findings indicate that PgLTP contributes to plant tolerance against both biotic and abiotic stresses, which is associated with changes in redox status, osmotic adjustment capacity, and stomatal responses. Full article

Cereal crops, including wheat and barley, are essential for global food security, but their productivity is strongly affected by nitrogen availability and water limitation. This study investigated the phenotypic responses of two commercially significant spring wheat cultivars, Videodur (DU) and Sensas (SW), and two spring barley cultivars, Tiroler Imperial (SG1) and Amidala (SG2), exposed to two nitrogen regimes, low nitrogen at 25 kg N/ha (N25) and high nitrogen at 130 kg N/ha (N130), under drought and well-watered conditions. Plants were monitored from the late vegetative stage through maturity under controlled multivariable climatic conditions similar to field settings. A high-throughput phenotyping workflow was applied, combining precision watering, RGB imaging, infrared thermography, and VNIR–SWIR hyperspectral imaging to quantify plant growth, projected digital biomass, plant temperature, water use efficiency, and spectral vegetation indices associated with pigment dynamics, water status, maturation, and senescence. The results revealed cultivar-specific responses to combined nitrogen and drought stress. Under drought conditions, the high nitrogen treatment (N130) increased plant temperature (Tplant) for barley (cv. SG1) and wheat (cv. SW) compared to N25, thereby accelerating early maturation. However, the decline in chlorophyll was not uniformly faster across all cultivars tested. The DU cultivar exhibited superior chlorophyll absorption and reflectance, indicating better drought adaptation compared to other tested species. The high nitrogen treatment (N130) reduced water use efficiency (WUE) in the SW and SG2 cultivars compared to N25, implying that these cultivars used more water. Enhanced nitrogen did not consistently improve water use efficiency but did accelerate the growth cycle. SG2 was particularly sensitive to drought, showing declines in vegetation indices, except for the Water Content Index, highlighting the need for precise water and nitrogen management. Overall, the integration of hyperspectral, thermal, RGB, and water use measurements enabled the identification of trait signatures linked to drought adaptation, nitrogen response, maturation, and senescence. These findings provide practical insights for optimizing nitrogen and irrigation management and for supporting breeding strategies aimed at improving cereal crop resilience under climate-change-associated stress conditions. Full article

Efficient nitrogen (N) management is essential for sustaining crop productivity while minimizing environmental impacts associated with nitrogen losses. However, the high spatial and temporal variability of soil nitrogen dynamics and crop nitrogen status makes field-scale monitoring challenging, while conventional soil and plant sampling methods are labor-intensive, destructive, and provide limited spatial coverage. Recent advances in remote sensing technologies and machine learning (ML) offer promising alternatives for high-throughput, non-destructive monitoring of crop nitrogen status and related nitrogen dynamics in agroecosystems. This review synthesizes current progress in the use of proximal and remote sensing platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellites, and ground-based sensors for assessing crop nitrogen status and inferring soil nitrogen availability. We examine spectral, thermal, and structural indicators, together with emerging sensor-fusion and time-series approaches. We also evaluate ML algorithms, including emerging foundation model approaches, for estimating crop nitrogen status and inferring soil nitrogen indicators, highlighting their performance, limitations, and transferability across environments. Particular emphasis is placed on field-scale applications in heterogeneous and water-limited systems, where nitrogen-water interactions critically influence crop responses. Finally, we discuss current challenges, including data scarcity, model generalization, and operational constraints, and outline future directions toward integrated, real-time decision support systems for precision nitrogen management. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive framework for leveraging remote sensing and data-driven approaches to improve nitrogen monitoring and enhance nitrogen use efficiency in diverse cropping systems. Full article