Search Results (23)

Environmental concerns regarding synthetic herbicides have sparked interest in plant-derived bioactive compounds as eco-friendly alternatives. This study investigated the cellular targets of sweet flag essential oil (Acorus calamus L., SEO at IC₅₀ concentration) in root meristem cells of Fabaceae (Vicia faba, Lupinus luteus) and Brassicaceae (Brassica napus, Arabidopsis thaliana), focusing on reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation (DAB, NBT staining), DNA replication dynamics (EdU labeling), and genome integrity (γ-H2AX immunocytochemistry, TUNEL assay, and DNA electrophoresis). SEO induced oxidative stress (200–250% of control depending on the species) and replication stress, causing DNA double-strand breaks in 50% of proliferating cells, confirmed by γ-H2AX/TUNEL. Consequently, cells were prolonged in the G₁ phase, replication activity dropped to 70% of control in Fabaceae and 80% in Brassicaceae, and EdU incorporation intensity decreased to 80% and 70% of control, respectively. An increased proportion of cells replicating heterochromatin indicated slowed S-phase progression. Despite genotoxic effects, SEO did not trigger endoreplication, apoptotic DNA fragmentation, or extensive cell death. All species exhibited a uniform stress response, although sensitivity varied, which previously enabled the establishment of selective SEO doses between Fabaceae and Brassicaceae. These findings suggest that SEO exerts phytotoxicity by disrupting S-phase progression, supporting its potential as a selective bioherbicide. Full article

The agricultural sector plays one of the pivotal roles in fulfilling the objectives set forth by the EU Green Deal. However, the extensive use of synthetic fertilizers has contributed to nutrient over-enrichment in aquatic ecosystems, promoting eutrophication due to excess nitrogen inputs from fertilizers. This phenomenon is a key driver of rapid and excessive algal blooms in rivers, lakes, and seas. In this study, three globally cultivated crop species—oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.)—were selected for experimental analysis, including the assessment of biochemical parameters such as proline content, lipid peroxidation levels, hydrogen peroxide production, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity, which were evaluated to determine the potential of phytoplankton biomass as a substitute for synthetic fertilizers. Various quantities of lyophilized phytoplankton biomass, collected from the Curonian Lagoon, a biologically productive and ecologically sensitive brackish water body in the southeastern Baltic region, were incorporated into the growth substrates of the studied plants. The findings indicate that utilizing excess phytoplankton biomass can serve not only as a plant growth biostimulant but also as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers, thereby contributing to improved water quality and more environmentally responsible agricultural practices. Full article

Natural plant- and algae-based extracts used in crop cultivation offer numerous advantages, including the potential to positively affect plant growth, exhibit hormonal activity, increase stress resistance, improve crop quality as environmentally benign alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals and help combat oxidative stress. The presented experiments aimed to compare the effectiveness of extracts from brown algae such as Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus, as well as the plant Sideritis scardica, on the germination and initial growth of red kale (Brassica napus var. Pabularia) microgreens. Microgreens treated with aqueous extracts of A. nodosum, F. vesiculosus, as well as the control group, had the highest growth, whereas the lowest growth was observed in plants treated with water–ethanol extracts at the highest tested concentration (10%). The 10% water–ethanol extracts of brown algae reduced plant biomass, while aqueous extracts increased it. Applying water extracts of algae at concentrations (10, 1, 0.1%), as well as the water extract of S. scardica (10, 1%), led to an increase in the total phenolic content in the tested experimental groups. A significant influence on increasing total flavonoid content was noted for water extracts of F. vesiculosus at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 10%. An opposite effect was observed for the water–ethanol extracts, where the lowest TFC was found in plants grown on mats soaked with 0.1% F. vesiculosus and 1% A. nodosum. All water–ethanol extracts tended to reduce the antioxidant activity of the tested red kale microgreens. In microgreens treated with water extracts of F. vesiculosus at concentrations of 1% and 10%, an increase in antioxidant activity was observed. Examining the impact of plant and algae extracts on kale germination and growth may provide valuable information on ways to improve the quality and health-promoting properties of kale microgreens. Full article

Accurate, real-time, and dynamic monitoring of crop planting distributions in hilly areas with complex terrain and frequent meteorological changes is highly important for agricultural production. Dual-polarization SAR has high application value in the fields of feature classification and crop distribution extraction because of its all-day all-weather operation, large mapping bandwidth, and easy data acquisition. To explore the feasibility and applicability of dual-polarization synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data in crop monitoring, this study draws on two basic methods of dual-polarization decomposition (eigenvalue decomposition and three-component polarization decomposition) to construct time series of crop dual-polarization radar vegetation indices (RVIs), and it performs a full coverage analysis of crop distribution extraction in dryland mountainous areas of southeastern China. On the basis of the Sentinel-1 dual-polarization RVIs, the time-series classification and rapeseed distribution extraction impacts were compared using southern Hunan Province’s principal rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) production area as the study area. From the comparison results, $RV{I}_{3-c}$ performed better in terms of single-point recognition capability and area extraction accuracy than the other indices did, as verified by sampling points and samples, and the OA and F-1 score of rapeseed extraction based on $RV{I}_{3-c}$ were 74.13% and 81.02%, respectively. Therefore, three-component polarization decomposition is more suitable than other methods for crop information extraction and remote sensing classification applications involving dual-polarized SAR data. Full article

Salt stress adversely impacts plant physiology by causing ionic, osmotic, and oxidative stress, ultimately hindering growth and yield. The genus Deinococcus contains unique stress resistance genes, and previous studies have shown that proteins such as IrrE, Csp, and WHy enhance stress tolerance in plants and microbial cells. However, their role in Brassica napus L. (oilseed rape) remains unexamined. In this study, a synthetic stress-resistance module, DICW, was constructed using the Deinococcus-derived genes IrrE, Csp, and WHy and heterologously overexpressed in B. napus to assess its impact on salt tolerance. The results demonstrated that the DICW module significantly improved seed germination and seedling growth under salt stress. Transgenic B. napus plants exhibited reduced membrane damage, higher leaf relative water content, enhanced accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, and elevated antioxidant enzyme activity compared to wild-type plants. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis revealed the upregulation of stress-related genes (BnRD29A, BnP5CS, BnKIN1, BnLEA1, BnNHX1, and BnSOS1) and antioxidant enzyme-related genes (BnSOD, BnPOD, and BnCAT) in transgenic lines. In conclusion, the DICW module plays a crucial role in enhancing salt tolerance in B. napus by regulating stress responses and antioxidant mechanisms. This study provides valuable molecular insights into improving the survival and growth of B. napus in saline environments. Full article

6-Aryl-2-picolinic acid herbicides are an important subclass of auxin herbicides, characterized by their good absorption and conductivity, broad weed control spectrum, and excellent herbicidal activity against some resistant weeds. Based on previous studies from our group and the distinct characteristics of physico-chemical properties and biological activities of active skeleton structure containing fluorine atoms, this paper introduces the design and synthesis of 41 novel 4-amino-6-(5-aryl-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)-3-chloro-5-fluoro-2-picolinic acid compounds. The test of inhibiting A. thaliana roots growth showed that most of the S-series compounds exhibited superior inhibitory effects compared to picloram, with six compounds demonstrated even better inhibitory capability than the new herbicidal molecule florpyrauxifen. For example, compound S202, at a concentration of 0.5 µmol/L, exhibited a 78.4% inhibition of A. thaliana root growth, whereas florpyrauxifen showed only a 33.8% inhibition. Root growth inhibition tests on weeds showed that 28 compounds, at a concentration of 250 µM, demonstrated a greater than 80% inhibition of Brassica napus (BN) root growth. Post-emergence herbicidal activity tests showed that most compounds exhibited good inhibitory effects on broadleaf weeds, with 10 compounds achieving a 100% inhibition of the growth of Amaranthus retroflexus L (AL). These results demonstrate that some of the 4-amino-6-(5-aryl-substituted-1-pyrazolyl)-3-chloro-5-fluoro-2-picolinic acid compounds could be used as potential lead structures in the discovery of novel synthetic auxin herbicides. Full article

Weeds cause a decrease in the quantity and quality of agricultural production and economic damage to producers. The prolonged use of synthetic pesticides causes problems of environmental pollution, the possible alteration of agricultural products and problems for human health. For this reason, the scientific community’s search for products of natural origin, which are biodegradable, safe for human health and can act as valid alternatives to traditional herbicides, is growing. Essential oils can have useful implications in agriculture by acting as effective alternatives to chemical herbicides. In this work, the chemical composition of an EO from Artemisia herba-alba and its herbicidal properties were studied on two weeds (Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium pratense) and two crops (Brassica napus and Hordeum vulgare) and its environmental safety was also assessed using three model organisms: Chaoborus sp., Tubifex tubifex and Eisenia foetida. The principal component of the EO was camphor (26.02%), with α- and β-thujone (9.60 and 8.38%, respectively), 1,8-cineole (8.02%), piperitenone (5.29%) and camphene (4.95%) as the main components. The EO demonstrated variable phytotoxic effects with a dose-dependent manner, inhibiting both the germination and the radical elongation of the tested seeds, and was also found to be environmentally safe for the selected organisms. The results lay the foundation for considering this EO as a potential weed control agent. Full article

Progressive climate change increases drought frequency, severely impacting crop growth and yield. New eco-friendly alternatives to chemical protection agents and fertilisers are needed to reduce pollution and enhance plant health. This study evaluated the effects of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and the hydrogel (potassium polyacrylate) on Brassica napus L. during drought conditions. After in vitro and pot experiments, Serratia plymuthica was selected from six PGPR candidates based on its ability to enhance plant biomass, shoot length, and number of internodes. The seed viability test, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and SOD activity showed no adverse effects of applying hydrogel to canola seeds. Moreover, the hydrogel did not show toxicity towards tested bacterial strains. Field trials during the drought demonstrated that inoculation with S. plymuthica significantly increased the number of siliques (16.48%) and yield (19.93%), compared to controls. Plants grown from inoculated seeds were also taller (3.28%) and had more branches (39.99%). We also analysed seedling emergence, number of internodes, thousand seeds’ weight, and seed moisture. The hydrogel applied to the soil delayed seedling emergence and dampened the growth-promoting effect of S. plymuthica, resulting in reduced yield. Compared with plants inoculated with S. plymuthica, there was a decrease in the yield of plants treated solely with hydrogel and in plants treated with hydrogel and the bacterium of 23.61% and 27.79%, respectively. Our results indicate that S. plymuthica has a high potential for use in commercial canola farming, especially as an ingredient added to seed coatings. Full article

In the packaging materials sector, increasing globalization has created the need for increased efforts to develop consumer protection measures. Consequently, new packaging materials are being sought to replace petroleum-based materials in the future. For this reason, global awareness of the environmental problems associated with the use of synthetic and non-degradable packaging has increased the attention paid to bio-packaging based on natural and biodegradable polymers. The bio-packaging sector is developing innovations to address the sustainability issues facing the food packaging industry. Our research has shown that green matcha extract can be a promising source of antioxidants for the production of bioactive pectin films. This study further confirmed that green matcha extract can be a promising source of antioxidants for the production of bioactive pectin films. The antioxidant activity test showed high activity of films containing matcha extract. The antioxidant activity of films without matcha addition, P, PJ, PC, PJC, was negligible. The addition of matcha to the polymer matrix did not significantly affect the mechanical properties (TS, EB) of the films obtained. The addition of cellulose had the greatest effect on changing the mechanical properties. It caused a twofold increase in the mechanical properties of the obtained packaging films. The addition of matcha significantly improved the barrier properties (for PM films, the WVTR was 3.40 [g/m²d]; for PJM films the WVTR was 1.70 [g/m²d]). The green packaging films showed no toxic effects on the plants (Phacelia tanacetifolia, Salvia hispanica, Brassica napus) and invertebrates (Daphnia pulex, Chaoborus, Chironomus aprilinus) tested. The half-solubility time of the membranes in a solution mimicking gastric acid was also determined. The longest half-dissolution time of the films was about 2 min. Our research has therefore shown that the biodegradable and environmentally safe green packaging films with antioxidant activity that we have developed can be used as edible functional casings in the future, e.g., for sausages and other food products. Full article

Seaweed polysaccharides can act as substitutes for synthetic compounds present in commercial stimulants and fertilizers used in agriculture to improve crop yields and vigor. In this study, three different polysaccharides (alginate, agar, and carrageenan) were extracted from one brown seaweed, Saccorhiza polyschides, and two red seaweeds, Gracilaria gracilis and Chondrus crispus, respectively, and applied to potted turnip greens (Brassica napus L.), with the intention to analyze their impact on plant growth, development, and metabolism. Turnip greens treated with polysaccharides, especially carrageenan of C. crispus, showed the best results in improving the crop productivity in terms of plant length and weight, number of leaves, nutrient and pigment content, and soil fertility compared with turnip greens from the negative control or those treated with a commercial leaf fertilizer. λ-carrageenan extracted from the tetrasporophyte generation of C. crispus had the highest bioactivity and positive effect on turnip greens among all treatments. λ-carrageenan has been shown to improve plant growth; increase the plant’s biomass (plant leaves: CC(T) (40.80 ± 5.11 g) compared to the positive control (15.91 ± 15.15 g)) and root system; enhance photosynthetic activity; increase the uptake of soil nutrients; and protect plants against abiotic and biotic stresses, stimulating the production of secondary metabolites and managing its defense pathways. Seaweed-extracted polysaccharides have the potential to be used in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Rhizosphere microbiota is important for plant growth and health. Domestication is a process to select suitable plants to satisfy the needs of humans, which may have great impacts on the interaction between the host and its rhizosphere microbiota. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an important oilseed crop derived from the hybridization between Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea ~7500 years ago. However, variations in rhizosphere microbiota along with rapeseed domestication remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized the composition and structure of the rhizosphere microbiota among diverse rapeseed accessions, including ten B. napus, two B. rapa, and three B. oleracea accessions through bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. B. napus exhibited a higher Shannon index and different bacterial relative abundance compared with its wild relatives in rhizosphere microbiota. Moreover, artificial synthetic B. napus lines G3D001 and No.2127 showed significantly different rhizosphere microbiota diversity and composition from other B. napus accessions and their ancestors. The core rhizosphere microbiota of B. napus and its wild relatives was also described. FAPROTAX annotation predicted that the synthetic B. napus lines had more abundant pathways related to nitrogen metabolism, and the co-occurrence network results demonstrated that Rhodoplanes acted as hub nodes to promote nitrogen metabolism in the synthetic B. napus lines. This study provides new insights into the impacts of rapeseed domestication on the diversity and community structure of rhizosphere microbiota, which may highlight the contribution of rhizosphere microbiota to plant health. Full article

The use of biological control agents as opposed to synthetic agrochemicals to control plant pathogens has gained momentum, considering their numerous advantages. The aim of this study is to investigate the biocontrol potential of plant bacterial isolates against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium verticillioides. Isolation, identification, characterization, and in vitro biocontrol antagonistic assays of these isolates against Fusarium species were carried out following standard protocols. The bacterial endophytes were isolated from Glycine max. L leaves (B1), Brassica napus. L seeds (B2), Vigna unguiculata seeds (B3), and Glycine max. L seeds (B4). The bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA PCR sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis shows that the bacterial isolates are closely related to Bacillus subtilis (B1) and Bacillus tequilensis (B2–B4), with an identity score above 98%. All the bacterial isolates produced a significant amount (p < 0.05) of indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and protease activity. In vitro antagonistic assays of these isolates show a significant (p < 0.05) growth inhibition of the fungal mycelia in the following order: F. proliferatum > F. culmorum > F. verticillioides > F. oxysporum, compared to the control. The results suggest that these bacterial isolates are good biocontrol candidates against the selected Fusarium species. Full article

Using wastewater in agriculture is a desirable alternative source of irrigation and is gaining attraction worldwide. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the effect of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) and groundwater (GW), along with half and full doses of the recommended NPK dose on the plant growth, total biomass, gross energy, and macro- and trace element content and uptake of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), and triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) grown in old and virgin soil as potential bioenergy crops. The results showed that crops planted in old or virgin soil irrigated with TWW had higher values of plant height, leaf area per plant, total chlorophyll content, total biomass, and gross and net energy contents compared to those irrigated with GW grown in virgin soil. Similarly, crops grown in old soil irrigated with TWW showed higher concentrations in dry matter and uptake for both macronutrients (N, P, and K) and trace elements (B, Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni) compared to those planted in virgin soil and irrigated with GW. Furthermore, the application of the recommended half dose of NPK in old and virgin soil irrigated with TWW showed occasionally comparable results to that of a full recommended dose of NPK for most of the measured parameters. Importantly, the recommended half dose applied to old soil irrigated with TWW resulted in a significant improvement in all measured parameters compared to virgin soil irrigated with GW, along with a full recommended dose of NPK. Briefly, TWW can be used to irrigate crops grown for bioenergy purposes, since it did not pose any harmful effect for energy crops. In addition, it provides additional nutrients to soil and thus decreases the required rate of synthetic fertilizer by up to 50% without any significant decreases in the final production of crops. Full article

Distant hybridization usually leads to female sterility of the hybrid but the mechanism behind this is poorly understood. Complete pistil abortion but normal male fertility was shown by one Brassica napus-Orychophragmus violaceus monosomic alien addition line (MA, AACC + 1 I_O, 2n = 39) produced previously. To study the effect of a single O. violaceus chromosome addition on pistil development in different genetic backgrounds, hybrids between the MA and B. carinata (BBCC), B. juncea (AABB), and two synthetic hexaploids (AABBCC) were firstly produced in this study which show complete female sterility. A microspore culture was further performed to produce the haploid monosomic alien addition line (HMA, AC + 1 I_O, 2n = 20) and disomic addition line (DA, AACC + 2 I_O, 2n = 40) together with haploid (H, AC, 2n = 19) and double haploid (DH, AACC, 2n = 38) plants of B. napus from MA to investigate the dosage effect of the alien O. violaceus chromosome on pistil development and gene expression. Compared to MA, the development of the pistils of DA and HMA was completely or partially recovered, in which the pistils could swell and elongate to a normal shape after open pollination, although no seeds were produced. Comparative RNA-seq analyses revealed that the numbers of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly different, dosage-dependent, and consistent with the phenotypic difference in pairwise comparisons of HMA vs. H, DA vs. DH, MA vs. DH, MA vs. DA, and MA vs. HMA. The gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that a number of genes involved in the development of the gynoecium, embryo sac, ovule, and integuments. Particularly, several common DEGs for pistil development shared in HMA vs. H and DA vs. DH showed functions in genotoxic stress response, auxin transport, and signaling and adaxial/abaxial axis specification. The results provided updated information for the molecular mechanisms behind the gynoecium development of B. napus responding to the dosage of alien O. violaceus chromosomes. Full article

Allopolyploidy is an evolutionary and mechanistically intriguing process involving the reconciliation of two or more sets of diverged genomes and regulatory interactions, resulting in new phenotypes. In this study, we explored the gene expression patterns of eight F2 synthetic Brassica napus using RNA sequencing. We found that B. napus allopolyploid formation was accompanied by extensive changes in gene expression. A comparison between F2 and the parent shows a certain proportion of differentially expressed genes (DEG) and activation\silent gene, and the two genomes (female parent (AA)\male parent (CC) genomes) showed significant differences in response to whole-genome duplication (WGD); non-additively expressed genes represented a small portion, while Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that it played an important role in responding to WGD. Besides, genome-wide expression level dominance (ELD) was biased toward the AA genome, and the parental expression pattern of most genes showed a high degree of conservation. Moreover, gene expression showed differences among eight individuals and was consistent with the results of a cluster analysis of traits. Furthermore, the differential expression of waxy synthetic pathways and flowering pathway genes could explain the performance of traits. Collectively, gene expression of the newly formed allopolyploid changed dramatically, and this was different among the selfing offspring, which could be a prominent cause of the trait separation. Our data provide novel insights into the relationship between the expression of differentially expressed genes and trait segregation and provide clues into the evolution of allopolyploids. Full article