Search Results (56)

The promising field of low-temperature plasma treatment, known for its non-invasive and environmentally sustainable nature, is being actively investigated for its ability to enhance germination, emergence, yield, and overall plant development in a broad spectrum of crops. For gene bank requirements, low-temperature plasma technologies can also improve germination parameters and promote the development seeds suitable for long-term storage. Seeds from four selected cultivars of wheat, oats, flax, and rapeseed stored in the gene bank for 1, 10, and 20 years were subjected to plasma treatments for 20, 25, and 30 min. The study evaluated the mean root and shoot length, root–shoot ratio, and seedling vigour index. Additionally, the malondialdehyde level, total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content, and total antioxidant capacity were analysed. Plasma treatment displayed varying effects on the morphological characteristics and antioxidant activity of the tested cultivars, which were influenced by treatment duration and cultivar. A positive effect of plasma treatment on seedling length, seedling vigour index, and root–shoot ratio was observed in flax cultivar ‘N-9/62/K3/B’ in all periods and in variants T2 and T3. Conversely, the wheat cultivar ‘Granny’ showed variable results, and the oat cultivar ‘Risto’ showed variable negative results in regards to mean root length and mean shoot length after plasma treatment. The indicators of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity were affected in all the cultivars studied. A positive effect of plasma treatment on these indicators was observed in the wheat cultivar ‘Granny’, while flax cultivar ‘N-9/62/K3/B’ exhibited inconsistent results. While in cereals, a decrease in malondialdehyde content after plasma treatment was associated with an increase in polyphenol and flavonoid content as the treatment duration increased, small-seeded species responded somewhat differently. The rapeseed cultivar ‘Skrivenskij’ and flax cultivar ‘N-9/62/K3/B’ showed an increase in polyphenol and flavonoid content following a decrease in malondialdehyde levels. This study highlights the potential of low-temperature plasma treatment for long-term-stored seeds and its applicability to plant genetic resources. The findings emphasize the need for the further optimization of low-temperature plasma treatment conditions for different plant species and cultivars. Full article

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is a drought-tolerant, underutilised legume with the potential to improve food security, but its slow, uneven germination due to hard seed coats constrains cultivation. This study investigated the effects of hydropriming (0, 12, 24, and 36 h) on the seed imbibition, emergence, and early seedling growth in four landraces (NW, Nov4, ARC, and 519) under greenhouse conditions. The results showed genotype-specific variation in the water uptake, with Genotype 519 exhibiting the highest water imbibition (17.31%) at 36 h, while NW displayed slower but steadier hydration (13.51%). These differences reflect contrasting seed coat permeability and hydration strategies, which influenced the subsequent emergence patterns. Hydropriming significantly reduced the time to emergence (50% emergence by Day 5 in NW) and increased the seedling vigour. After 9 days of growth, the shoot length increased from 7.8 cm to 12.7 cm, the root length from 11.6 cm to 18.1 cm, and the dry mass from 0.38 g to 0.67 g. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant effects (p < 0.01) of the genotype, the priming duration, and their interaction on traits such as the root length, dry mass, and root-to-shoot ratio. PCA identified the whole-plant dry mass, root dry mass, and root-to-shoot ratio as key contributors to performance. Pearson correlation showed a strong positive association (r = 1.0, p < 0.001) between the priming duration and seedling biomass, although the extended imbibition time may partially explain this trend. Hydropriming, particularly for 36 h, showed promise in promoting early growth, indicating that it is a favourable low-cost intervention. Field-level validation is recommended to assess the practical scalability under diverse environmental conditions. Full article

Maize contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is of significance on a global scale due to its major contribution to food security. It is very probable that substantial amounts of AFB1 may be absorbed by germinating seeds grown in contaminated soil and cause deleterious effects on the growth and development of maize. In this study, the effect of green-synthesised ZnO-CuO hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) on antifungal activity and reducing the toxic effects of AFB1 on seed germination was examined. A notable inhibitory effect of green-synthesised ZnO-CuO nanoparticles (NPs) on A. flavus was observed at a concentration of 0.5 ppm, resulting in 13.1% inhibition, which was more effective than the higher concentration of 1.0 ppm and the control. The results showed that the final germination percentage of the seeds that were inoculated with 320 ppb was significantly increased by the treatment with 125 mg/mL of green ZnO-CuO hybrid NPs. This study indicated the potential of green-synthesised ZnO-CuO hybrid NPs as alternative antifungal agents to control aflatoxin production in maize to improve food security and safety by supressing the threat posed by AFB1. Full article

In Brazil due to the establishment of new orchards, olive seedling production is growing strongly, while the use of biostimulants in agriculture has been gaining attention due to their benefits in root formation and nutrient absorption. This study evaluated the use of biostimulants for promoting the growth of 3-month-old rooted olive seedlings in pots and to assess the nursery quality of the seedlings. Rooted cuttings of Arbequina, Maria da Fé, and Ascolano 315 cultivars were treated with Azospirillum brasilense (Az) and humic substances (HS), alone and in combination. Growth parameters, such as height and stem diameter, were measured every month and after 150 days, seedlings per treatment were also analysed for aerial and root fresh and dry biomasses. Arbequina exhibited the highest growth rate with Az and best absolute growth rate with Az + HS treatment. The total dry matter of the olive seedlings, comprising both the aerial and root part, was influenced by both Azospirillum brasilense and humic substances, enhancing nitrogen availability. The three treatments showed their positive effects on aboveground growth and overall plant vigour. Despite increased biomass, treated olive seedlings showed no significant height advantage over controls, suggesting that the effects may appear in later developmental stages. Full article

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is grown on more arable acreage than any other food crop and has been well documented to produce allelochemicals. Wheat allelochemicals include numerous benzoxazinoids and their microbially transformed metabolites that actively suppress growth of weed seedlings. Production and subsequent release of these metabolites by commercial wheat cultivars, however, has not yet been targeted by focussed breeding programmes seeking to develop more competitive crops. Recently, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO), through an extensive recurrent selection programme investment, released numerous early-vigour wheat genotypes for commercial use, but the physiological basis for their improved vigour is under investigation. In the current study, we evaluated several early-vigour genotypes alongside common commercial and heritage wheat cultivars to assess the impact of improved early vigour on the production and release of targeted benzoxazinoids by field-grown wheat roots over a two-year period. Using UPLC coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS QQQ), we quantified common wheat benzoxazinoids and their microbially produced metabolites (aminophenoxazinones) in soil collected from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of wheat plants over two growing seasons in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The benzoxazolinone MBOA and several aminophenoxazinones were readily detected in soil samples, but actual soil concentrations differed greatly between years and among genotypes. In contrast to 2019, the concentration of aminophenoxazinones in wheat rhizosphere soil was significantly elevated in 2020, a year receiving adequate rainfall for optimal wheat growth. Aminophenoxazinones were detected in the rhizosphere of early-vigour genotypes and also parental lines exhibiting weed suppression, suggesting that improved early vigour and subsequent weed competitiveness may be related to increased root exudation and production of microbial metabolites in addition to changes in canopy architecture or other root-related early-vigour traits. As previously reported, MBOA was detected frequently in both the rhizoplane and rhizosphere of wheat. Depending on the year and genotype, we also observed enhanced biotransformation of these metabolites to several microbially transformed aminophenoxazinones in the rhizosphere of many of the evaluated genotypes. We are now investigating the role of early-vigour traits, including early canopy closure and biomass accumulation upon improved competitive ability of wheat, which will eventually result in more cost-effective weed management. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of treating maize (Zea mays L.) seeds with fish collagen hydrolysate (FC) and keratin (KE) derived from animal waste by-products of leather and meat production, as well as poly(hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (P) and bentonite (B). This research is in line with the search for new, environmentally friendly methods to increase yields of industrial crops in a way that is compatible with sustainable development. The effect of the binders used was investigated by analysing the grown maize seedlings by determining changes in parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments, elemental composition and FTIR analysis on maize shoots. The results indicated a slightly higher fresh weight (FW) of shoots in plants treated with fish collagen, PHMB and bentonite (FC+P+B) and FW of roots in plants treated with keratin, PHMB and bentonite (KE+P+B). Unexpectedly, the FW and dry weight (DW) of both roots and shoots of all bentonite-treated plants were significantly higher than the corresponding non-bentonite-treated groups. In addition, changes in chlorophyll-a fluorescence were observed for the keratin, PHMB and bentonite variants. This study showed that the proposed materials could be promising seed pelleting agents to improve seed growth and yield. Full article

This study investigated the combined effects of novel plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)—Agrobacterium pusense NC2, Kosakonia oryzae WN104, and Phytobacter sp. WL65—and Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract (ANE) as biostimulants (PGPR-ANE) on rice growth, yield, and rhizosphere bacterial communities using the RD79 cultivar. The biostimulants significantly enhanced plant growth, shoot and root length, and seedling vigour; however, seed germination was not affected. In pot experiments, biostimulant application significantly increased the richness and evenness of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere, resulting in improvements in rice growth and yield, with increases in plant height (9.6–17.7%), panicle length (14.3–17.9%), and seeds per panicle (48.0–53.0%). Notably, biostimulant treatments also increased post-harvest soil nutrient levels, with nitrogen increasing by 7.7–19.2%, phosphorus by 43.4–161.4%, and potassium by 16.9–70.4% compared to the control. Principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct differences in bacterial composition between the tillering and harvesting stages, as well as between biostimulant treatments and the control. Beneficial bacterial families, including Xanthobacteraceae, Beijerinckiaceae, Acetobacteraceae, Acidobacteriaceae, and Hyphomicrobiaceae, increased in number from the tillering to harvesting stages, likely contributing to soil health improvements. Conversely, methanogenic bacterial families, such as Methanobacteriaceae and Methanosarcinaceae, decreased in number compared to the control. These findings highlight the dynamic responses of the rhizosphere microbiome to biostimulant treatments and underscore their potential benefits for promoting sustainable and productive agriculture. Full article

Soil salinity results in reduced productivity in field peas, making soil salinity tolerance a critical breeding objective. In this study, four pot experiments were carried out in semi-controlled environments over four consecutive years to assess the contribution of seedling vigour to salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. Split-plot designs were used to assess the effect of salt stress (sodium chloride solution at 16 dSm⁻¹) and control conditions. Extensive sets of advanced breeding lines were used in 2018–2020 to assess growth differences in relation to the treatment, with elemental analysis used on a subset of 15 lines in 2021. A salt tolerance index (STI) was defined as a proportion of shoot biomass under salt stress (DWstress) relative to the shoot dry weight under control (DWctrl). Visual scores of salt stress were recorded on a 1–10 scale (1 = tolerant, 10 = susceptible) from salt stress treatments. The consistent positive and significant correlations (p < 0.01) between shoot DWctrl and DWstress indicated that vigorous genotypes maintained higher shoot DWstress. Both the shoot DWctrl and shoot DWstress had negative and significant (p < 0.01) correlations with visual scores of salt stress. Shoot DWstress showed strong positive correlations with STI (p < 0.01). Both the shoot DWctrl and Shoot DWstress had negative correlations (p < 0.01) with shoot Na⁺ whereas shoot DWstress had a positive correlation (p < 0.05) with root Na⁺ concentration. The results indicated that seedling vigour (measured as shoot DWctrl) contributed to salinity tolerance by maintaining improved shoot DWstress, limiting Na⁺ deposition in shoot and enduring less tissue damage in field pea seedlings. Additional field evaluations are required to establish the correlations of tolerance at seedling stage with yield under saline conditions. The insights obtained from this study may assist field pea breeders in identifying salt-tolerant parent plants, offspring, and breeding lines during the initial growth phases. Full article

Pine stands affected by root and butt rot (Heterobasidion annosum s.l.) contain pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) that can survive for a long time without showing external symptoms of the disease (‘conditionally resistant’ refers to trees that survive without symptoms despite infection). The establishment of stands from the seeds of such trees can significantly increase the effectiveness of artificial afforestation. Since the growth and development of pine trees is determined to a certain extent by the number of cotyledons after seed germination, this article examines this trait in the progeny of trees that are potentially resistant and those that have already been attacked by root pathogens. The number of cotyledons and the resilience of trees is fascinating and not generally known. Presumably, the number of cotyledons can be linked to disease resistance based on increased vigour. Biologically, a larger area for carbon assimilation leads to better photosynthetic efficiency and the production of more assimilates (sugars) necessary to trigger defence processes in the event of infection. From an ecological point of view, this can give tree populations in areas potentially threatened by root system diseases a chance of survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential of using the number of cotyledons and other seedling characteristics to predict the resistance of trees to root and butt rot disease. The collected data show that the seedlings from the group of diseased trees exhibited lower growth rates and vigour. However, the seedlings from the group of potentially resistant trees are similar to the control, meaning the trees that show no disease symptoms because they have not come into contact with the pathogen. Our observations suggest that monitoring germinating cotyledons could serve as an early diagnostic tool to identify disease-resistant pines, although further research is needed. Full article

To explore the application of seed germination biomechanical event(s) in seed vigour tests, a new procedure for the evaluation of maize seed vigour tests based on pericarp–testa rupture (PR) and coleorhiza rupture (CR) during seed germination was developed. Twenty–four lots of hybrid maize were used to determine the feasibility of the rupture test (RT) as a seed vigour test in Zea mays. The results showed that the physiological quality pattern of 24 maize seed lots assessed through RT was similar to that obtained through analysis with other seed test methods. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that the percentage of CR and percentage of PR + CR at “15 ± 0.5 °C for 120 h ± 1 h” and “20 ± 0.5 °C for 72 h ± 15 min” exhibited positive correlations with the field seedling emergence data (p < 0.01). Hence, the proposed method (the rupture test) is cogent and effective, thus providing an important reference for more crops to select for seed germination event(s) and establishing corresponding new methods for seed vigour tests in the future. Full article

Seed weight in lucerne (Medicago sativa) may affect subsequent seedling vigour and stand establishment. A landrace of lucerne (Oman 2) from Oman has a 100-seed weight over 60% larger than the largest seeded parent used in previous studies. Crosses were made between Oman 2 and the smaller-seeded cultivar Titan 9, and segregating families were produced for genetic analysis and measurement of response to selection for seed size. There were significant differences in 100-seed weights between the parents (Oman 2 and Titan 9) and subsequent families. Regression of 100-seed weights of F2 families versus F1 parents was highly significant (p < 0.001), as well as 100-seed weights of the F3 families versus F1 parents. Analysis of diallel crossing among large and small-seeded F1 plants revealed highly significant general (GCAs) and specific (SCAs) combining abilities, as well as highly significant reciprocals. The GCA effect was much greater than the SCA effect with a GCA/SCA ratio of 15.9. This large ratio agrees with the significant regression coefficients and indicates that 100-seed weight in lucerne has high heritability. The significance of reciprocals was due to a large maternal effect in which large-seeded maternal parents produced progenies with significantly larger seeds relative to small-seeded parents. These results indicate that large-seeded plants should be used as the maternal parents in crosses and for recurrent selection to increase the seed size of progenies. Full article

Drought stress poses significant productivity challenges to wheat. Several studies suggest that lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content may be a promising trait to identify drought-tolerant wheat genotypes. However, the optimal polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) concentration for screening seedlings for drought tolerance based on MDA quantification is not clear. The aim of this study was to verify whether a 10% (w/v) PEG-6000 concentration-induced water stress was reliable for discriminating between twenty-two drought-susceptible and drought-tolerant tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum, turanicum, and carthlicum) accessions based on MDA quantification. To do so, its correlation with morpho-physiological traits, notoriously related to seedling drought tolerance, i.e., Seedling Vigour Index and Seedling Water Content, was evaluated. Results showed that MDA content was not a reliable biomarker for drought tolerance, as it did not correlate significantly with the aforementioned morpho-physiological traits, which showed, on the contrary, high positive correlation with each other. Combining our study with the cited literature, it clearly emerges that different wheat genotypes have different “water stress thresholds”, highlighting that using a 10% PEG-6000 concentration for screening wheat seedlings for drought tolerance based on MDA quantification is not reliable. Given the conflicting results in the literature, this study provides important insights for selecting appropriate methods for evaluating wheat seedling drought tolerance. Full article

Crop plant varieties exhibit diverse reactions when subjected to wastewater irrigation in terms of seed germination, seedling development, and overall productivity. Magneto-priming, which involves treating seeds with an appropriate magnetic field, is gaining popularity as the preferred technique due to its effectiveness and environmentally friendly characteristics for improving seed vigour, growth, and plant yield. In this study, magneto-primed and non-primed broccoli seeds were irrigated with distilled or wastewater and kept under observation for a 10-day period to record seedling growth. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the impact of magneto-priming on broccoli seeds with a homogeneous stationary magnetic-field strength of 5.9 mT for 1 h. They were irrigated with two types of water: distilled and wastewater. Another test was performed to evaluate the effect of 1-h and 2-h magneto-priming on seed germination when seeds were irrigated with wastewater. From the results, the broccoli seedlings irrigated with distilled water grew higher and heavier than the ones irrigated with wastewater, probably due to the significant amounts of salts in organic wastewater. Nonetheless, the saline effect of wastewater was ameliorated when seeds were previously magneto-primed. All the germination parameters of broccoli seeds irrigated with wastewater were significantly reduced when seeds were magneto-primed for both periods. Full article

Soil salinization is a critical environmental problem in arid and semiarid regions of the world. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an algae-based biostimulant on germination and seedling vigour of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.), under different saline conditions (0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl). The experiment was carried out under controlled-environment conditions. Seeds were sprayed with a solution containing a combination of fungicide and different concentrations of Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot algae (0%_w/v, 10%_w/v, 20%_w/v, and 30%_w/v). All experimental units were placed in a germination cabinet. The effect of the seaweed extract (SWE) on seed germination and seedling performance under salinity stress was evaluated over a period of 8 days. Coleoptile length and biomass were found to be significantly and positively affected by the application of different SWE doses as compared to the control treatment (0% algae). As for germination traits, seeds treated with SWE showed a final germination (from 82% to 88%), under severe saline conditions, significantly higher than that observed in the control treatment (61%). Our findings indicate that the appropriate dose of biostimulant can markedly improve the germination and the seedlings vigour of durum wheat seeds under saline conditions. Additional studies will be needed to understand the mechanism of action of this biostimulant and its effectiveness in longer studies under field conditions. Full article

A key abiotic stress that negatively affects seed germination, plant development, and crop yield is moisture deficit stress. Achieving higher vigour and uniform germination under stress conditions is essential for crop establishment and productivity and to enhance the yield. Hence, revealing wheat’s capacity to withstand moisture deficit stress during seed germination and early growth stages is fundamental in improving its overall performance. However, the genetic regulation of moisture deficit stress tolerance during the seed germination phase remains largely unexplored. In this study, a total of 193 wheat genotypes were subjected to simulated moisture deficit stress using PEG-6000 (−0.4 MPa) during the seed germination stage. The induced moisture deficit stress significantly reduced various seedling-vigour-related traits. The genetic regions linked to these traits were found using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The analysis identified 235 MTAs with a significance −log10(p) value of >4. After applying the Bonferroni correction, the study identified 47 unique single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are linked to candidate genes important for the trait of interest. The current study emphasises the effectiveness of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in identifying promising candidate genes, improving wheat seedling vigour and root traits, and offering essential information for the development of wheat cultivars tolerant to moisture deficit stress. Full article