Search Results (26)

Ginger is an important spice crop in the north-eastern region of India. Rhizome rot, also called soft rot, is one of the most devastating diseases found in ginger that causes yield losses of up to 100% under favourable conditions. Initially, the disease symptoms appear as a light yellowing of the leaf tips that gradually spreads down to the leaf blade of lower leaves and the leaf sheath along the margin. Under favourable environmental conditions, the disease spreads rapidly, potentially causing significant crop damage. The pathogen can infect at any stage of crop growth, and under favourable environmental conditions, the disease spreads rapidly, failing the crop. Current research emphasises mitigating the losses caused by the devastating disease by using management strategies and biocontrol agents (BCAs). Results revealed that the average highest percent rhizome germination, lowest mean disease incidence, lowest mean disease severity index, lowest coefficient of disease index value, highest rhizome yield and benefit–cost ratio were recorded with Trichoderma harzianum (10 g/kg of rhizomes) + soil application of T. harzianum-enriched well-decomposed farm yard manure (3 kg of T. harzianum mixed with 100 kg FYM at 10–15 days before sowing) + soil drenching with T. harzianum at the rate 10 kg/ha, compared to the untreated control. Furthermore, soil chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, total available nitrogen, total available phosphorus, and total available potassium play critical roles in rhizome rot disease severity. BCAs can suppress the phytopathogenic fungi and modulate different functions in plants. Full article

Phytoliths are widely used in plant taxonomy, paleoecology, soil silicon cycling, and agricultural archaeology. Bamboo has a strong capacity for silicon absorption, and there are some phytoliths in various organs. In this paper, the leaf organs (leaf blade, leaf sheath, culm sheath, and culm blade) of three kinds of bamboos [B. vulgaris (Bambusa vulgaris), B. tulda (Bambusa tulda), and B. dolichoclada (Bambusa dolichoclada)] were studied; the content, concentration, particle size distribution, and morphological characteristics of phytoliths in leaf organs were analyzed to explore the differences of phytoliths in different functional leaf organs of bamboo. The results showed that the content and concentration of phytoliths were the highest in the leaf sheath and the lowest in the culm sheath, and the content and concentration of phytoliths in the leaf blade and culm blade were between them. For different bamboo species, the order of phytolith content was B. dolichoclada > B. tulda > B. vulgaris, while the phytolith concentration was the opposite. The highest values of phytolith particle size peak distribution in the leaf sheaths were the opposite to those in leaf blades, culm sheaths, and culm blades. The particle sizes of phytoliths of the three bamboo species showed a similar trend. Only a few larger phytolith particle sizes were distributed in leaf blades and culm blades when they were larger than 400 μm. A total of 25 types of phytoliths were identified, and the leaf sheaths were mainly elongate and rondel phytoliths. The leaf blades are mainly saddle and rondel phytoliths with a unique phytolith morphology. Culm sheaths are dominated by rondel, scrobiculate, and acute phytoliths. Culm blades are similar to leaf blades but have a characteristic phytolith morphology. In addition, saddle phytoliths were the most abundant in the leaf blade and the least in the culm sheath, while rondel phytoliths were the most abundant in the culm blade and the least in the leaf sheath. The parameters of long-saddle phytoliths are different in different bamboo species and leaf organs. According to the long saddle phytolith parameters of different bamboo species, different bamboo species can be quantitatively distinguished to a certain extent. Therefore, this study not only helps to understand the differences in phytoliths in different bamboo species and leaf organs, but also provides a theoretical basis for bamboo species classification. Full article

Bamboo is an efficient silicon accumulator with diverse phytolith morphotypes and composition. The bamboo culm sheath, traditionally considered as a modified leaf, plays a key role in bamboo taxonomy and provides significant mechanical and physiological support for shoot development, but its silicon deposition and phytolith morphological variation remain underexplored. We investigated silicon variation and phytolith morphology in D. brandisii culm sheaths at different growth stages. The results showed that silicon deposition in D. brandisii culm sheaths at different growth stages was comparable to foliage leaves but significantly greater than branches as in previous research. Phytolith concentration in the culm sheath blades of D. brandisii was higher, associated with their greater silicon content than the sheath bodies. Silicon precipitated and phytoliths were produced as the culm sheath matured. Silicon and phytolith contents were significantly greater in upper culm sheath bodies. D. brandisii culm sheaths were characterized by a high proportion of rondel phytoliths, whereas bilobate and bulliform flabellate phytoliths were not observed. Circular and saddle phytoliths accounted for a very low proportion. Stomata phytoliths were abundant in culm sheaths at the shooting stage and increased with sheath maturation, which supported the transpiration, respiration and photosynthesis in culm sheaths of the shoots. Elongate and acute phytoliths were extremely abundant in D. brandisii culm sheaths and increased with sheath maturation, which enhanced the mechanical and protective role of the culm. The phytolith morphotypes in D. brandisii culm sheaths did not demonstrate a specific trend with sheath position. Saddle phytoliths showed insignificant variation in D. brandisii culm sheaths. Full article

In this study, high-performance gloves were developed from core–sheath yarn. Different materials were used in the core, while Kevlar fibers were used in the sheath. The filaments used in the core included glass, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and stainless steel filaments with 100D and 200D linear densities. Seamless gloves were developed from these yarns with varying characteristics to observe their effect on the performance of seamless gloves. The factors examined were the areal density (GSM) of the gloves, linear density of sheath fibers, core material, and plied structure. The mechanical behavior of the gloves was evaluated by different tests such as blade cut resistance, coupe cut resistance, tear resistance, and puncture resistance. The results demonstrated that the sheath fiber characteristics, core material type, yarn’s plied structure, and fabric’s areal density are statistically significant factors affecting the properties of gloves in relation to mechanical risk. The selection of appropriate levels of these parameters is crucial for better achievement of desired properties in workwear protection applications. Full article

Sweet sorghum is an important sugar crop and forage with a strong tolerance to soil salinity. We have previously analyzed the ion accumulation traits and transcriptome of a sweet sorghum cultivar under NaCl treatments. However, the mechanisms underlying Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, and NO₃⁻ transports and the osmotic adjustment of sweet sorghum under salt stresses need further investigations. In this study, the growth, photosynthesis, inorganic ion and organic solute contents, and leaf osmotic adjustment ability of the sweet sorghum cultivars “Lvjuren” and “Fengtian” under NaCl treatments were determined; meanwhile, the expressions of key genes associated with the Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, and NO₃⁻ transport were analyzed using the qRT-PCR method. The results showed that NaCl treatments more severely inhibited the growth and photosynthesis of “Lvjuren” than those of “Fengtian”. After NaCl treatments, “Fengtian” could more efficiently restrict the overaccumulation of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in leaf blades than “Lvjuren” by withholding large amounts of Na⁺ in the roots or reserving high quantities of Cl⁻ in the leaf sheaths, which could be attributed to the upregulated expressions of SbNHX2, SbHKT1;4, SbHKT1;5, SbCLCc, and SbCLCg or the downregulated expression of SbNPF6.4. “Fengtian” exhibited significantly lower leaf osmotic potential but higher leaf water potential and turgor pressure under NaCl treatments, suggesting that the former possessed a stronger osmotic ability than the latter. The contents of K⁺, NO₃⁻, soluble sugar, and betaine in leaf blades, as well as the contributions of these osmolytes to the leaf osmotic potential, in “Fengtian” were significantly higher than those in “Lvjuren”. In addition, the upregulated expressions of SbAKT1, SbHAK5, SbSKOR, SbNPF3.1, SbNPF6.3, and SbNPF7.3 should be responsible for maintaining K⁺ and NO₃⁻ homeostasis under NaCl treatment. These results lay a foundation for uncovering the salt tolerance mechanisms of sweet sorghum and large-scale cultivation of this species in saline areas. Full article

Recent reports indicate that the development of electricity generation using wind turbines will continue to grow. Despite the long service life of wind turbine blades, their technological life comes to an end at a certain point. Currently, there is no industrial method for recycling them, and the proposed solutions need to consider a complete and comprehensive approach to this material. In many countries, these blades are stored in special landfills and await proposals for rational recycling. It has been proposed that this recyclable yet still troublesome raw material be used in building sheathing boards. Sheathing boards used in the construction industry have a relatively long lifecycle. Three types of polymer chips and two resins, i.e., PF and MUF, were used in the study. The boards’ quality was assessed per the standards specified for particle boards. The resulting boards were characterized by strengths above 20 N/mm² and an elastic modulus close to 4000 N/mm². Slightly better results were obtained with the MUF resin. Full article

Grass species have a range of strategies to tolerate soil water restriction, which are linked to the environmental conditions at their site of origin. Climate change enhances the relevance of the functional role of anatomical attributes and their contribution as water stress tolerance factors. Morpho-anatomical traits and adjustments that contribute to drought resistance in Lolium perenne L. (Lp) and Bromus valdivianus Phil. (Bv), a temperate humid grass species, were analysed. The structure of the leaves and pseudostems (stems only in Lp) grown at 20–25% field capacity (FC) (water restriction) and 80–85% FC (control) were evaluated by making paraffin sections. In both species, water restriction reduced the thickness of the leaves and pseudostems, along with the size of the vasculature. Bv had long and dense leaf hairs, small and numerous stomata, and other significant adaptive traits under water stress, including thicker pseudostems (p ≤ 0.001), a greatly thickened bundle sheath wall (p ≤ 0.001) in the pseudostem to ensure water flow, and a thickened cuticle covering on leaf surfaces (p ≤ 0.01) to avoid water loss. Lp vascular bundles developed throughout the stem, and under water restriction the xylem vessel walls were strengthened and lignified. Lp leaves had individual traits of a ribbed/corrugated-shaped upper surface, and the stomata were positioned to maintain relative humidity outside the leaf surface. Water restriction significantly changed the bulliform cell depth in Lp (p ≤ 0.05) that contributed to water loss reduction via the curling leaf blade. This study demonstrated that the two grass species, through different morphological traits, were able to adjust their individual tissues and cells in aboveground parts to reach similar physiological functions to reduce water loss with increased water restriction. These attributes explain how both species enhance persistence and resilience under soil water restriction. Full article

Dairy farming requires forages with high neutral detergent fiber (NDF) to maximize milk production, sustain cows’ health, and ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the dairy farm. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the brown midrib (BMR) genotype, agronomic environment, and maturity at harvest on the NDF digestibility (NDFD) and the composition of the cell wall of corn plant tissues. In this plot study, one conventional and one BMR corn hybrid were planted and subjected to an abundant (60,000 seeds/ha and 225 kg N/ha) and a limited (90,000 seeds/ha and 180 kg N/ha) environment. The ruminal NDFD was determined in vitro in leaf blades, leaf sheaths, and stem internodes. Cell walls from BMR corn had greater NDFD than cell walls from conventional corn on most tissues. Relative to the abundant environment, the limited environment had minimal effects on NDFD. As maturity advanced, NDFD decreased for various but not all tissues. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, intrinsic characteristics of corn, such as genotype and maturity at harvest, had a greater effect on NDFD than environment or agronomic management. Full article

Sweet sorghum is an important bioenergy grass and valuable forage with a strong adaptability to saline environments. However, little is known about the mechanisms of sweet sorghum coping with ion toxicity under salt stresses. Here, we first evaluated the salt tolerance of a sweet sorghum cultivar “Lvjuren” and determined its ion accumulation traits under NaCl treatments; then, we explored key genes involved in Na⁺, Cl⁻, K⁺ and NO₃⁻ transport using transcriptome profiling and the qRT-PCR method. The results showed that growth and photosynthesis of sweet sorghum were unaffected by 50 and 100 mM NaCl treatments, indicative of a strong salt tolerance of this species. Under NaCl treatments, sweet sorghum could efficiently exclude Na⁺ from shoots and accumulate Cl⁻ in leaf sheaths to avoid their overaccumulation in leaf blades; meanwhile, it possessed a prominent ability to sustain NO₃⁻ homeostasis in leaf blades. Transcriptome profiling identified several differentially expressed genes associated with Na⁺, Cl⁻, K⁺ and NO₃⁻ transport in roots, leaf sheaths and leaf blades after 200 mM NaCl treatment for 6 and 48 h. Moreover, transcriptome data and qRT-PCR results indicated that HKT1;5, CLCc and NPF7.3-1 should be key genes involved in Na⁺ retention in roots, Cl⁻ accumulation in leaf sheaths and maintenance of NO₃⁻ homeostasis in leaf blades, respectively. Many TFs were also identified after NaCl treatment, which should play important regulatory roles in salt tolerance of sweet sorghum. In addition, GO analysis identified candidate genes involved in maintaining membrane stability and photosynthetic capacity under salt stresses. This work lays a preliminary foundation for clarifying the molecular basis underlying the adaptation of sweet sorghum to adverse environments. Full article

In this paper, we present the morphology, taxonomy, anatomy, and palynology of Arundo donax. A detailed morphological description and illustrations of the species are provided, along with information about the identification, distribution, the specimens examined, habitat and ecology, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation assessment, phenology, etymology, vernacular name, and uses. The species can be distinguished by its large, tall rhizomatous perennial reed; cauline leaves; an open, large, plumose panicle inflorescence; subequal glumes as long as the spikelets; glabrous rachilla; all bisexual florets; and a lemma with a straight awn and with long white hairs outside below the middle part. In this study, two names were lectotypified: Arundo bifaria and A. bengalensis, which are synonyms of A. donax. The culm internodes in the transverse section have numerous vascular bundles scattered in the ground tissue, and the parenchyma cells have significantly lignified cell walls. Vascular bundles are composed of phloem and xylem and are enclosed in a continuous sclerenchymatous bundle sheath. The chloroplasts in the transverse section of the leaf blades are found only in the mesophyll cells but are absent in the bundle sheath cells, which indicates that it is a C3 grass. The leaves have stomata on both surfaces and are confined to the intercostal zones. The stomata are typically paracytic, with two lateral subsidiary cells placed parallel to the guard cells. The stomatal density is higher on the abaxial surface [450–839/mm² (606.83 ± 72.71)] relative to the adaxial surface [286–587/mm² (441.27 ± 50.72)]. The pollen grains are spheroidal or subspheroidal [polar axis length/equatorial axis length ratio (P/E ratio) = 0.89–1.16 (1.02 ± 0.07)] with a single pore surrounded by a faint annulus, and the exine sculpturing is granular. Full article

Low Phosphate Root (LPR) encodes a protein localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and cell wall. This gene plays a key role in responding to phosphate (Pi) deprivation, especially in remodeling the root system architecture (RSA). An identification and expression analysis of the OsLPR family in rice (Oryza sativa) has been previously reported, and OsLPR5, functioning in Pi uptake and translocation, is required for the normal growth and development of rice. However, the role of OsLPR3, one of the five members of this family in rice, in response to Pi deficiency and/or in the regulation of plant growth and development is unknown. Therefore, in this study, the roles of OsLPR3 in these processes were investigated, and some functions were found to differ between OsLPR3 and OsLPR5. OsLPR3 was found to be induced in the leaf blades, leaf sheaths, and roots under Pi deprivation. OsLPR3 overexpression strongly inhibited the growth and development of the rice but did not affect the Pi homeostasis of the plant. However, oslpr3 mutants improved RSA and Pi utilization, and they exhibited a higher tolerance to low Pi stress in rice. The agronomic traits of the oslpr3 mutants, such as 1000-grain weight and seed length, were stimulated under Pi-sufficient conditions, indicating that OsLPR3 plays roles different from those of OsLPR5 during plant growth and development, as well as in the maintenance of the Pi status of rice. Full article

Herbicides are widely used to kill weeds and increase crop production all over the world. Nevertheless, some weeds show certain structural modifications in response to herbicide application that impart mostly partial or sometimes complete tolerance to these noxious plants. The present study was focused on morpho-anatomical modifications in the root, stem, and leaves of Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. treated with different herbicides and to examine whether it possesses tolerance against herbicides. Two pre- and four post-emergence herbicides were applied to D. aegyptium at the recommended dose in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Pre-emergence herbicide Bromoxynil enhanced root growth (30%), leaves per plant (3%), and leaf fresh weight (17.2%). Increased stem epidermal thickness (100%) was the most notable feature among anatomical attributes. Post-emergence herbicides generally increased stem epidermal thickness 33–56%), leaf sheath thickness (5%), and root area in roots. Other modifications included increased sclerenchymatous thickness in the stem (133–255%), and epidermal thickness (100–200%) in the leaf blade. These characters assisted D. aegyptium to cope with herbicide toxicity. Collectively, pre-emergence herbicides more effectively controlled D. aegyptium compared with post-emergence herbicides. Full article

Culm sheaths play an important role in supporting and protecting bamboo shoots during the growth and development period. The physiological and molecular functions of bamboo sheaths during the growth of bamboo shoots remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the morphological anatomy of culm sheaths, photosynthesis in sheath blades, storage and distribution of sugars, and the transcriptome of the sheath. Respiration in the base of the culm sheath was higher than that in the sheath blades; chloroplasts matured with the development of the sheath blades, the fluorescence efficiency Fv/Fm value increased from 0.3 to 0.82; and sucrose and hexose accumulated in the sheath blade and the culm sheath. The sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents of the middle sheath blades were 10.66, 5.73, and 8.84 mg/g FW, respectively. Starches accumulated in parenchymal cells close to vascular bundles. Genes related to the plant hormone signaling pathway and sugar catabolism were highly expressed in the culm sheath base. These findings provide a research basis for further understanding the possible role of bamboo sheaths in the growth and development of bamboo shoots. Full article

Sheath blades are the first bamboo organ exposed to sunlight after shoots initially emerge. However, it remains uncertain whether sheath blades affect bamboo shoot growth and quality. Accordingly, this study explores variations in Phyllostachys violascens shoot growth and quality, comparing natural growth conditions to periodic sheath blade removal treatments. Results show that sheath blade removal and interactions between sheath blade removal and duration had no significant effect on the morphology, protein nutritional quality, or value of bamboo shoots. However, the length of bamboo shoot was significantly lower 4 d after treatment compared to 4 d after natural growth conditions. Moreover, sheath blade removal did have a significant effect on soluble sugar, total acid, oxalic acid, tannic acid, and cellulose content as well as sugar–acid ratios of bamboo shoots, while having no significant effect on the content and proportion of amino acid flavor compounds. Interactions between sheath blade removal and duration only had a significant effect on total acid and sugar–acid ratios. Soluble sugar, oxalic acid, tannic acid, and sugar–acid ratios increased significantly 2 d after sheath blade removal, while total acid and cellulose content decreased significantly. Lastly, soluble sugar content and sugar–acid ratios increased significantly 4 d after sheath blade removal. Findings from this study indicate that sheath blades affect shoot quality, particularly taste, which is mainly driven by carbon metabolism, but the effect of nitrogen metabolism was not obvious. This study gave a new perspective for revealing the formation mechanism of shoot quality, and also provided possible methods of improvement for the shoot quality. Full article

Cultivation of crops in salt-affected soils is a major challenge for growers. Despite the use of multiple amendments, salinity stresses adversely affect the crops to some extent. On the other hand, imbalance in the use of boron (B) as a nutrient also creates toxicity. Mismanagement of B fertilizer application decreases the growth and yield of crops. It is necessary to study in depth the adverse effects of salinity and B toxicity. This is why the current research work was conducted in a glass house at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. The aim of study was to investigate the influence of salinity and B toxicity on carbohydrate partitioning, growth, and ionic composition of two Australian wheat varieties. There were four treatments, i.e., control, high B (15 kg ha⁻¹), salinity (15 dS m⁻¹), and B + salinity. The results showed that the salt-tolerant Halberd (HB) variety accumulated more Na⁺, B, and Cl⁻ in their leaf sheath and kept the leaf blades free of these toxic ions as compared to the sensitive variety Westonia (WS). Water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC; i.e., glucose, sucrose, fructose, and fructans) concentration increased in response to individual as well as combined constrains of soil salinity and toxic B in the leaf blade of both tolerant and sensitive wheat varieties, but the increase was higher in the tolerant variety as compared to the sensitive one. The concentration of WSCs in leaf sheath of the salt-tolerant wheat variety was increased in response to stress conditions, but those remained low in salt-sensitive ones. Therefore, the salt-tolerant HB genotype was found to be a good source for future wheat breeding programs or to be grown by farmers in B toxic, saline, and B toxic–saline conditions. Full article