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The study compared the leaf count and height of Solanum melongena plants grown in Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC 5%) with those grown in red soil. In a greenhouse shed, the experimental group was alone with a temperature ranging from 20 °C to 28 °C and RH of 68–80%, whereas the control group was exposed to the environment. The experimental group consisted of SMC 5% mixed with 95% red soil and the control group consisted of red soil (100%). Each group was taken as 20 samples, and the total number of samples was 40. The higher results were found in the addition of SMC (5%) over a red soil cultivation on Solanum melongena plant.The t-test for independent sample revealed that both group results are of statistical significance, with p-values (> 0.05) for leaf count (0.011) and plant height (0.03). The current study determined that adding SMC to red soil increases calcium content, which is required for the leaf count and height of solanum melongena plants.The use of Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) also helps to increase the leaf count and height of the Solanum melongena plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way of inheritance, the manifestations of heterosis, transgression and depression, minimal number of genes by which parental forms differ, degree of dominance, manifestations of epistasis and coefficient of heritability and efficiency of selection with regard to plant height and number of leaves, on Burley tobacco samples are established. For the purpose are researched the population of P1, P2, F1 and F2 of seven hybrid combinations. The results show that in the height of plants and number of leaves inheritance is preferably overdominantly and always in the direction of the parent with the higher values of investigated parameters. With respect to the height of the plants was observed and incompletely dominantly, and when the number of leaves and an additive. Manifestations of heterosis and transgression are more pronounced in relation to the number of leaves and have significant values of economic importance, only by this indicator. Data from hybridological analysis showed that the minimal number of genes determining the expression of the trait plant height is greater than the number of leaves. Epistatic interactions are more strongly manifested in the determination of the trait height of plant, but only in the number of leaves negative ones are observed. The relatively low to medium values obtained in terms of the coefficient of heritability in the studied crosses Burley tobacco show that a low share of genotype influence on the manifestation of the studied trait is observed, which means that the selection for plant height will be more effective in the later hybrid generations. The established even lower values for the index number of leaves show the crucial importance of the influence of the environment on the determination of the trait and suggest an effective selection in even later hybrid generations, which makes the selection activity difficult. The study shows that, in general, the selection for the trait number of leaves is more complex and longer than that for the height of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global focus on enhancing sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for biomass-related traits is increasing due to its potential contribution to the growth and sustainability of the ethanol and biogas production chain. Heterosis has been widely used in sorghum breeding, especially in improving biomass yield using efficient crossing and selection methods. The objective of this study was to assess the heterosis potential of elite sorghum accessions. Ten hybrids were established using five reciprocal crosses of seven elite breeding accessions. The hybrids and the parental lines were significant of great variation for plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), number of leaves (NL), and stem diameter (SD). Most hybrids had high positive mid-parent heterosis for biomass-related traits, while better parental heterosis ranged from -7.90 to 31.16 for PH, 17.14 to 79.59 for PL, -39.68 to 13.20 NL, and -19.19 to 104.23% for SD. Four hybrids (P6×P4, P4×P6, P6×P5, and P5×P6) exhibited plant heights greater than the best parent (P5:322.33 cm). Reciprocal cross effects had a significant impact on PH and SD, with a wide range of -10.23 to 39.35% and -37.50 to 30.55%, respectively. The results indicated that heterosis could be come true for the characters of plant height, panicle length, and number of leaves, and stem diameter that contributes great impact on having high biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doses of paclobutrazol that reduce the height of the flower stem or modify the visual appearance may be different for each cultivar. In this research, the effect of eight paclobutrazol concentrations on stem height, visual appearance, anthesis period, and biomass distribution of Asiatic Lilium cv. Litouwen was evaluated. Eighteen bulbs were immersed for 24 h in 5 L of the following solutions: 0 (control), 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 100, 200 mg L-1 of paclobutrazol. After some time, three bulbs were planted in pots with 2.5 L of tezontle and randomly distributed inside a greenhouse. During the 2022 crop cycle, the moisture of the substrate was maintained with a Steiner solution. Results were processed with analysis of variance and Tukey’s mean comparison tests (p# 0.05). The height of the flower stems was 61.5, 56.6, 43.4, 29.1, 18.4, and 14.1 cm with 0 or 2.5, 5 or 10, 20, 40, 100, and 200 mg L-1 of paclobutrazol, respectively. Leaf number and leaf area decreased, but stem diameter, greenness index, dry root biomass, flower buds, time to flowering and anthesis period increased from 40 mg L-1. In Lilium ‘Litouwen’, doses of 40 or 100 mg L-1 of paclobutrazol are required to obtain compact plants with intense green foliage and striking flower buds, which would help their marketing as pot plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effect of different methods and levels of irrigation water on some vegetative and reproductive characteristics of saffron, this research was carried out as a split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Razavi Khorasan Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization Center (Gonabad Research Station) in the crop years of 2019-2021. In this research, irrigation method treatments (including basin, drip (tape), and sprinkler (P-flex) methods) were in the main plot, and different levels of irrigation water (including supply of 100, 75 and 50% of water requirement) were in the secondary plot. The traits studied in this experiment include the number of plants, the number of leaves in a plant, the average length of a leaf, total leaf length per plant, total leaf length in m², total dry weight of leaves per plant, total dry weight of leaves in m², flower number, stigma dry weight and water efficiency. The results of the means comparison showed that in both years of the experiment, changing the irrigation method from basin to drip (tape) and sprinkler (P-flex) increased the number of plants in m², total leaf length in m², number of flowers in m², stigma dry weight and water efficiency. Based on this, changing the irrigation method from basin to sprinkler (P-flex) in the first and second year caused a 61 and 38% increase in the number of plants, 28 and 30% increase in the total length of leaves in m², and 45 and 32% increase in the flower number, 51 and 39% increase in stigma dry weight, 55 and 47% increase in water efficiency. Based on this, the highest values of the measured traits were obtained by providing 100% of the water requirement and reducing the water requirement of saffron from 100 to 50% in the first and second year, respectively, causing a 38 and 46% decrease in the number of plants, 79 and 67% decrease in the total length of leaves in m², 27 and 22% decrease in the flower number, 33 and 30% reduction in stigma dry weight and water efficiency increased by 32% and 37% in the first and second year, respectively. The interaction effects table showed that the effect of increasing the amount of irrigation water is different in each system. Based on this, although the positive effect and relative advantage of modern irrigation systems decreased with the increase in the age of the farm, it seems that it is possible to use sprinkler irrigation (P-flex) while saving water consumption (up to 335 and 407 m³ in the first and second year, respectively), increased water efficiency by two times. The results of this study also showed that although achieving high yield requires 100% supply of water needs, facing the lack of water availability and using modern irrigation systems, part of the water shortage can be covered. During the years investigated in this study, the average actual evaporation and transpiration, effective rainfall, and net irrigation water requirement of saffron were 2386, 734, and 3120 m³ /ha, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot experiment was conducted at the Botanical garden of University of Ilorin to evaluate the influence of different concentration of poultry manure on the growth and yield of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum). The experiment was a Randomized Block Design with six treatments and three replicates. The treatment details include T1 = Control T2 = 0.5 kg poultry dropping, T3 =1.0 kg poultry dropping, T4 =1.5 kg poultry droppings, T5 = 2.0 kg poultry droppings, T6 = 2.5 kg poultry droppings. Data were collected on Plant height, stem girth, Number of leaves, Leaf area, Number of flowers, chlorophyll contents as well as yield parameters was carried out at the end of the experiment. The result depicts a significant increase in the plant height, numbers of leaves per plant, leaf area, stem girth as well as yield parameter in the plant treated with 2.0 kg poultry manure when compared to the control plants. In conclusion, 2.0 kg poultry manure application should be adopted for soil nutrient amendment in bell pepper cultivation if optimum yield is to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabbage is one of the most important vegetables from the Brassicaceae family to which biofertilisers are increasingly applied following the current trend in cabbage organic farming. The main goal of our study was to examine whether solely applicated biofertilisers enhance head weight and other morphological parameters in cabbage. Experiment with three Bejo Zaden cultivars ('Farao' F1, 'Tiara' F1, and 'Excalibur' F1) were conducted under the open field conditions from April to June 2019. Two different microbiological fertilisers, Organic balance and FitoHelp, were applied foliar, six times during the vegetation period, with a battery sprayer. After harvest, several parameters were estimated: head weight, width and height, number of leaves, internal core height and width. The results showed the highest value of head weight (1264.89 g), head width (15.06 cm), head height (15.57 cm), number of leaves (22.56), internal core height (8.01 cm) and internal core width (3.51 cm) in cultivar 'Excalibur' F1 compared to other two cultivars for fresh market. Application of both fertilisers led to increased levels of all tested parameters compared to the control. Furthermore, fertiliser Organic balance showed the highest impact on all tested parameters, resulting in an increasing value of head weight by 78.6%. This study revealed that mixed culture fertiliser showed a greater impact in terms of head weight, number of leaves, and internal core width compared to fertiliser containing a single strain of bacteria. Accordingly, with an exception in head and internal core height, all examined factors showed a statistically significant impact on tested parameters, including their interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way of inheritance, the coefficient of heritability, the manifestations of heterosis, transgression and depression in terms of the height of the plants and the number of leaves in hybrid combinations Burley tobaco are established. For that purpose are studied, the Р1, Р2, F1 and F2 populations of eight crosses Burley tobacco. The obtained results suggest that inheritance of the height оf plants is overdominantly or incompletely dominanlyt, in the direction of the parent with both higher values and lower values. Inheritance of the number of leaves is overdominant in the direction of the parent with higher values, or incompletely dominant in the direction of the one with lower values. The manifestations of heterosis and transgression are of economic importance only in terms of the number of leaves. The minimal number of genes controlling the manifestation of the studied indicators is higher at plant height than the number of leaves. Due to low to medium values of the heritability coefficient obtained for both indicators, it is found that the environmental conditions have a stronger influence than the genotype on the manifestation of the traits plant height and number of leaves This suggests an effective selection in later hybrid generations for both studied parameters. The direction of hybridization influences the inheritance of the height of plants and the number of leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a detrimental factor to gaining higher yields in rice (Oryza sativa L.), especially amid the rising occurrence of drought across the globe. To combat this situation, it is essential to develop novel drought-resilient varieties. Therefore, screening of drought-adaptive genotypes is required with high precision and high throughput. In contemporary emerging science, high throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) is a crucial technology that attempts to break the bottleneck of traditional phenotyping. In traditional phenotyping, screening significant genotypes is a tedious task and prone to human error while measuring various plant traits. In contrast, owing to the potential advantage of HTPP over traditional phenotyping, image-based traits, also known as i-traits, were used in our study to discriminate 110 genotypes grown for genome-wide association study experiments under controlled (well-watered), and drought-stress (limited water) conditions, under a phenomics experiment in a controlled environment with RGB images. Our proposed framework non-destructively estimated drought-adaptive plant traits from the images, such as the number of leaves, convex hull, plant–aspect ratio (plant spread), and similarly associated geometrical and morphological traits for analyzing and discriminating genotypes. The results showed that a single trait, the number of leaves, can also be used for discriminating genotypes. This critical drought-adaptive trait was associated with plant size, architecture, and biomass. In this work, the number of leaves and other characteristics were estimated non-destructively from top view images of the rice plant for each genotype. The estimation of the number of leaves for each rice plant was conducted with the deep learning model, YOLO (You Only Look Once). The leaves were counted by detecting corresponding visible leaf tips in the rice plant. The detection accuracy was 86–92% for dense to moderate spread large plants, and 98% for sparse spread small plants. With this framework, the susceptible genotypes (MTU1010, PUSA-1121 and similar genotypes) and drought-resistant genotypes (Heera, Anjali, Dular and similar genotypes) were grouped in the core set with a respective group of drought-susceptible and drought-tolerant genotypes based on the number of leaves, and the leaves' emergence during the peak drought-stress period. Moreover, it was found that the number of leaves was significantly associated with other pertinent morphological, physiological and geometrical traits. Other geometrical traits were measured from the RGB images with the help of computer vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of shade screens on the physiological activity, growth parameters and fruit characteristics of the paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) plant. Plants were grown in a protected greenhouse and treated under two different shade screens, S1 (single screen) and S2 (double screens; 10% low light intensity compared to S1), during summer at a particular time of the day. The results revealed that the plant height was significantly enlarged by the S2 treatment. However, the number of leaves, leaf fresh weight and leaf dry weight were significantly decreased under S2-treated plants compared to those grown in the S1 treatment. The stem diameter and shoot fresh weight were not significantly different between the treatments. The sap flow and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were higher in S1-treated plants than in those grown in the S2 treatment. The chlorophyll fluorescence fluctuated in both treatments. The fruit fresh weight, number of fruits, fruit pericarp thickness, fruit firmness, fruit volume, sugar content and acidity were significantly higher in S1-treated plants than in S2. Hunter values a and b were significantly higher in S2-treated plants. Moreover, the fruit length and width were not significantly different between the two treatments. The sugar content and acidity of paprika showed a positive correlation. These results suggest that, compared to a double screen for shade in the greenhouse, a single screen is suitable for the growth of paprika plants and enhanced their fruit production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Feed Research is the property of Editorial Board of Feed Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plant growth in a controlled environment system is highly dependent on the availability of light. The light-emitting diode (LED) is capable of providing the needed quality and quantity of light for the plant. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of white LED light intensity on the growth of in vitro propagated apple (M-9) seedlings in a controlled environment system. Seedlings were grown for 30 days under five different white LED light intensities: 100–500 (L1), 250–500 (L2), 500–500 (L3), 250–250 (L4), and 100–100 (L5). Our findings indicate that seedlings treated with L3 grew substantially taller than seedlings treated with L1, L2, or L5. The number of leaves, stem diameter, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, and shoot dry weight of L3 treated seedlings were considerably greater than those growing in other treatments. Furthermore, root length, root dry weight, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis rate were considerably increased in the L3 treatment group compared to the L5 treatment group. However, there was no significant difference in the stomatal conductance or transpiration rate of apple seedlings between the light treatments. Moreover, a positive correlation was seen between stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. These results suggest that light intensity PPFD 500-500 were favorable for the initial growth of in vitro propagated apple seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead is considered a toxic heavy metal and released in the air, water and soils due to auto wheels, industrial and anthropogenic activities which influence on plant growth, fauna and environment. It is hypothesized that plants are capable of showing different responses of toxicity and tolerance to metals stresses. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of one of the highly toxic heavy metal, lead (Pb) on the seedling growth of native plant species, Euphorbia hirta Forsk and Sporobolus coromandelianus (Retz.) Kunth in pots as there are very few data available in the literature on this toxicity subject. It is important to compare both genotype under various level of lead treatment. The seedlings of E. hirta and S. coromandelianus showed different effect when treated with 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 as compared without 0 ppm concentrations of lead. The results of the present studies showed the statistically significant (p<0.05) influences of lead 40 ppm treatment on number of leaves, leaf area and seedling dry weight of S. coromandelianus. Lead treatment at 60 ppm significantly reduced shoot, root and and total seedling height of S. coromandelianus. Lead treatment at 40 ppm also showed significant decreased on shoot, seedling length and number of leaves of E. hirta. The seedlings of E. hirta and S. coromandelianus were also used for the development of tolerance indices percentage to different level of lead. The seedlings of E. hirta and S. coromandelianus showed changes in values of tolerance indices. Lead treatment at 20 ppm showed a positively decreasing influence on the tolerance indices of E. hirta and S. coromandelianus. Increase in lead level at 80 - 100 ppm highly decreased the tolerance indices percentage of E. hirta and S. coromandelianus as compared to control. The seedlings of S. coromandelianus showed tolerance (68.38%) as compared to E. hirta (50.79%) to lead at 100 ppm. The obtained data could be useful for a wide range of researchers working in this aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar made from crop residues has been shown to improve soil texture, soil porosity and soil structure. It can enhance fertilizer utilization, reduce leaching loses and hence improve nitrogen supply for plant growth. Utilization of biochar in preparation of potting substrates can enhance growth and yields of greenhouse tomato. A study was carried out to test the influence of rice husks biochar on substrate properties, growth and yield of greenhouse tomato. The experiment was carried as a factorial in completely randomized design with two factors: four biochar levels and two soil types, replicated three times. The biochar levels were volume ratios of 0 biochar: 1 soil (0Biochar), 0.25 biochar: 0.75 soil (0.25Biochar), 0.5 biochar: 0.5 soil (0.5Biochar) and 0.75 biochar: 0.25 soil (0.75Biochar). The two soil types used were the well drained deep red friable soil and imperfectly drained dark brown clay soil obtained from the University farm. Tomato Anna F1 was grown in four-liter plastic pots containing about 3 kg of soil-biochar mixture. Data were collected on the plant growth parameters of plant height, number of leaves per plant and plant dry weight upto the 8th - 9th week after transplanting, when fruit ripening began. The chlorophyll index of the leaves were measured using the SPAD meter. At harvesting, fresh weight and number of the fruits were determined. Incorporating biochar into potting substrate at 0.25-0.75 levels significantly increased evapotranspiration during early vegetative growth. This was indicative of biochar changing substrate properties mainly through significant reduction of bulk density and possibly increasing porosity. Biochar levels of 0.25-0.75 resulted in significant increases in vegetative growth and fruit yield of tomato. Adding biochar to the pot substrate increased tomato plant height, plant dry weight and fruit fresh weight by 21- 34%, 50-64% and 49%-56%, respectively. The increase in vegetative growth and fruit yield at 0.25-0.75 biochar levels was attributed to the positive effect of biochar on substrate physical properties. Plant height and number of leaves per plant had a significant linear relationship whose slope, the rate of increase in plant height with increase in number of leaves was not influenced by biochar levels. Biochar enhanced growth without changing the ratio of plant height to number of leaves of tomato. It is concluded that incorporation of biochar made from rice husks at 0.25 level can enhance greenhouse production in both red and clay soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To study the effects of different nitrogen levels (0, 70, 140, and 210 mg l'1) on some growh, biochemical, and nutrient uptake (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) characteristics and essential oil content in sage (Salvia officinalis L.) under hydroponic conditions, a pot experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with four replications in the research greenhouse of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2019. The results of means comparison showed that with increasing the nitrogen level, the plant growth characteristics increased, so that the 210 mg l-1 N treatment decreased the stem diameter, number of branches, nodes, and leaves, length of internodes, length and leaf width, fresh and stem dry weight, fresh and aerial parts dry weight, and aerial parts dry weight to root dry weight ratio by 54.19, 72.59, 39.49, 82.52, 51.42, 72.20, 71.46, 95.17, 90.31, 95.82, 92.30, and 83.46%, respectively compared to the no N application. The application of 210 mg l-1 N increased the relative content of leaf water (RWC), proline, and essential oil content by 9.57, 266.6, and 14.87% and decreased the electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde by 30.45 and 51.51%, respectively compared to the no N application. Also, the lowest N level decreased the K, P, and N content by 32.65, 85.13, and 56.89%, respectively compared to the highest N level. The results of this experiment showed that different N levels could have different effects on the growth and essential oil content of sage. Based on the present research findings, the application of 210 mg l-1 N could be recommended for the sage cultivation due to the improving effects on the studied traits of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Caatinga is the property of Revista Caatinga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Crops Improvement / Majallah-i Bih/zirā̒ī-i Kishāvarzī is the property of University of Tehran and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Agrometeorology is the property of Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Agrometeorology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a high demand for non-destructive systems in plant phenotyping which should precisely calculate plant growth and structure parameters. In this study, the growth of chilli plants (Capsicum annum L) was monitored in outdoor conditions. We also proposed a cost-effective and non-destructive solution for reconstruction of plants in 3D using a single mobile phone camera based on a structure from motion algorithm. Various plant growth and structure parameters such as number of leaves, plant height, and leaf area were measured from the reconstructed 3D models at different plant growth periods. The accuracy of our proposed system is measured by comparing the values derived from the 3D plant model with manual measurements. The results demonstrate that the proposed system has potential to monitor plant growth precisely and non-destructively in outdoor conditions when compared with state-of-the-art systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective microorganisms' bokashi fermentation is proposed to upcycle food waste to novel feed supplements, and to (partially) replace traditional composting of food waste (and secondary residues from industrial processes) to facilitate both plant production and soil quality as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose was to assess the influence of bokashi tea treatment on the growth of tomato transplants. There were two treatments: one with bokashi tea and second without bokashi tea (control). Tomato transplants treated with bokashi tea tended to be higher than those in control; while the results were not significantly different. The number of leaves of tomato transplants treated with bokashi tea was not significantly different. The stem diameter of tomato transplants was 13% greater (P = 0.04) in bokashi tea treated plants than in control. Conclusion: Bokashi tea improves the growth of tomato transplants by increasing stem diameter and is allowing for plants to take up more nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study on the effect of organic nutrients on leaf yield and quality of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) cv. PKM-1 was carried out in the vegetable unit, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar during 2018-19. The experiment was carried out with 13 treatments and three replications under randomized block design. The observations on yield characters were recorded at 35 days interval and totally six harvests were made during the study period. Among the different treatments, the treatment T8-Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha+azospirillum and phosphobacteria @ 2 kg/ha+panchakavya @ 3% foliar spray, recorded the maximum values for number of leaves, leaf weight, herbage yield/ha and chlorophyll content and it was closely followed by T12-Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha+azospirillum and phosphobacteria @ 2 kg/ha+neemcake extract @ 10% foliar spray, recorded higher values for yield/ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necessity demands observation and assessment of growth development of Mango ginger plants (with a paucity of or no publication about its agronomy and pathology), as a prerequisite to understanding their nature and avoid incorrect plant disease diagnosis (by taking for an abnormal condition that which is normal). Hence, this study observed the morphological development of Mango ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.) plants, a rare crop, and assessed for its plant height and number of leaves in the years 2016 and 2017. The rhizomes, the most economical part of the plant, was observed to emerge from a corm and appeared finger-like with dome ends. Mango ginger leaves averaged Nine per plant stand and showed curling nastic movement. Sunlight and temperature had a positive and significant effect on the daily curling and uncurling of leaves. Also, the height parameter of Mango ginger plants was inconsistent, when measured from soil level to tip of youngest leaf/apical bud. But when measured from soil level to peak/top (highest point attained at a natural position above soil level), irrespective of what leaf made the upper boundary, plants increased in height with time. A significant difference existed in 2016 between the two different upper boundaries of plant height. The study provides basic understanding of the morphology of Mango ginger plant; and gives original and significant insight on the nastic movement of its leaves, for better understanding of its fundamental botany, which may form bases for its disease identification and further investigation as an under-cultivated and underutilized crop (for colouring and flavouring drinks, and as: food preservative; medicine for cure of bacterial and fungal infection; anti-inflammatory and antipyretic; hypotriglyceridemic and hypoglycemic; anti-cancer with fertility potential). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effect of different organic fertilizers on the morphological parameters and yield in two different onion cultivars. Proper use of organic fertilizers in appropriate amounts could be helpful to growers from the economic point of view. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of three different organic biofertilizers on yield and morphological parameters of two onion cultivars 'Stuttgarter Riesen' and 'Rote Laaer' during 2016 and 2017. The investigated treatments included: B-Stimul® – a mixture of bacterial and algal extracts, EkoBooster 2® – organic matter and NPK, and VermiFit A® – an extract of compost produced by Californian earthworms, peat, nutrients, plant hormones, enzymes, amino acids, and sugars. The following parameters of onion plants were evaluated: number of leaves, bulb diameter, bulb weight, marketable and total yields. The study showed that all the results were affected by the growing season (higher values were recorded in 2016). In 'Stuttgarter Riesen', EkoBooster 2® application resulted in the highest bulb weight in 2016 (67.16 g) and in 2017 (55.17 g) and in the highest number of leaves in 2016 (6.66) and in 2017 (6.30), which led to the highest marketable bulb yield in 2016 (3.47 kg m−2) and in 2017 (2.53 kg m−2). In 'Rote Laaer' in 2016, EkoBooster 2® application resulted in the highest number of leaves (7.06), bulb diameter (54.32 mm) and bulb weight (79.30 g). In 2017, the largest bulb diameter (54.13 mm) and the highest bulb weight (71.79 g) and marketable bulb yield (2.39 kg m−2) were determined after VermiFit A® application. EkoBooster 2® showed the best effect on parameters such as the number of leaves, bulb weight, and marketable bulb yield of the cultivar 'Stuttgarter Riesen' and positively affected the parameters of 'Rote Laaer' during 2016, while in 2017 VermiFit A® showed better results as compared to the other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas is the property of Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In horticultural practice accelerated plant development and particularly earlier flowering, has been reported with microalgae applications. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the effects of foliar spraying with Scenedesmus sp. and Arthrospira platensis hydrolysates on Petunia x hybrida plant development and leaf nutrient status. Three treatments were tested: T1 (foliar application with water, the control), T2 (foliar application with Arthrospira), and T3 (foliar application with Scenedesmus). Foliar spraying was applied five times (0, 14, 28, 35, and 42 days after transplanting). The concentration of both microalgae was 10 g L−1. At the end of the trial biometric parameters and nutrient concentration in photosynthetic organs (the leaves) were measured. The results of this assay show that foliar application of Scenedesmus accelerated plant development in terms of higher rates of root growth, leaf and shoot development, and earliness of flowering. Arthrospira enhanced the root dry matter, the number of flowers per plant, and the water content. Nevertheless, a reduction was found in the conductive tissue (stem + petiole) dry weight with Arthrospira compared with Scenedesmus and the control. The results also show that microalgae hydrolysate supply can improve the plant nutrient status. Based on these results, it is advisable to use Scenedesmus hydrolysates in foliar applications to increase the blooming of Petunia x hybrida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI is the property of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Global Science & Technology is the property of Global Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Field trials were carried out in 2007-2008 including 10 inbred maize lines: 2487В, 2378В, 26А, Мо 17RfC, Н- 108, ХМ 4527, КС 4647, ХМ 4418, К 4652, ХМ 87136 and 7 medium late and late maize hybrids: Кn 509, Кn 517, Кn 546, Кn 619, Кn 620, Кn 621 and Кn М625 under irrigation and without irrigation (water stress simulation). The objective of the study was to screen water stress tolerance of the investigated lines and hybrids at normal conditions and under stress by traits affecting the water regime and biometry of the stem. Lines KС 4647, Н 108 and ХМ 4418 and the hybrids Kn 621 and Kn 517 were relatively more stress tolerant, as they were characterized by low water deficit and high relative turgidity of leaf tissues. The inbred lines K 4652, ХМ 4527, ХМ 87136, 2487 and the hybrids Kn 509, Kn 620 were relatively more susceptible to drought as water deficit was much greatly expressed and the leaf tissues had worse turgor. The inbred lines KС 4647, K 4652, 2378B and the hybrids Kn 546, Kn 620 and Kn 517 were relatively more stress tolerant referring the studied biometrical traits: plant height, number of leaves, ear leaf area. The selected dry-resistant maize lines and hybrids could be used for obtaining new source material in the source selection units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years there has been frequent reference to the significance of strigolactones as a new group of hormones which might have a significant effect on horticultural production. The aim of this work was to find an ideal combination of stable synthetic strigolactones and plant extracts with potential effects on onion plants. The synthetic strigolactone Fenyl 7 (dihydro-3-[[2,5-dihydro-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-furanyl)oxy]-methylene]-5-phenyl-2(3H)-furanone) was tested in a carrot macerate, with citric acid and with salicylic acid. From the results it was confirmed that increasing the pH of the preparation leads to improving the stability of Fenyl 7. Evaluation has repeatedly confirmed the effect of the preparation, combining synthetic strigolactone and a macerate of carrot in a mixture of surfactants with added citric acid. In all the experiments this combination showed a statistically demonstrable influence on leaf weight (increased by 12-31%) and length (increased by 6-13%) in comparison with the controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigacion y Amazonia is the property of Investigacion y Amazonia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) is an annual oil crop that accounts for approximately 1 % of the world's oilseed supplies. It produces seeds that are rich in the health-promoting ω-3 fatty acid, α-linolenic. In Kenya, linseed is grown in the Rift Valley and Western regions, places which often experience drought. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of water stress on growth of three linseed cultivars and to establish the extent of drought tolerance in the three cultivars. A greenhouse pot experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. The pots were well watered until the fourth week when watering was completely withheld to a half of the pots (stressed) while the other half (well watered control) was maintained at 90 % field capacity. Destructive harvesting was done when the stressed pots were at 90, 70, 60, 50, 40 % field capacities and at permanent wilting point. The experiment was replicated thrice and was repeated twice (February-May and August-November 2014). There were no significant differences in production of leaves, plant height, number of tillers and biomass between the three varieties in both seasons. Subjecting the linseed varieties to permanent wilting resulted in reduced production of leaves, growth in height, production of tillers and dry weight by 20-40 %. Decline in all growth parameters begun when 30-80 % of available soil water had been used up. There existed linear relationships between the various evaluated growth parameters. These relationships were not influenced either by the water status of soil or the varieties. Relative water content for the three linseed varieties declined after 25-67 % of available soil water had been used up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) are important determinants of plant productivity, particularly in the tropical grasslands of Brazil. Nutrient deficiency is one of the most important factors limiting plant productivity, decreasing photosynthesis efficiency and plant development. The present study investigates inBrachiaria brizantha(Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf. cv. ‘Marandu’: 1) the gas exchange measurements; 2) the total leaf area development; and 3) the dry matter production due to P and Zn nutrition. Plants ofB. brizanthacv. ‘Marandu’ were grown in nutrient solution under five rates of P (0.1, 0.6, 1.1, 1.6, and 2.1 mmol L−1) and five rates of Zn (0.00, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25, and 3.00 μmol L−1), in a fractioned factorial. Plants were harvested two times. Phosphorus supply increased carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation and stomatal conductance, and decreased intercellular CO2. The interaction P ratesxZn rates were significant for the total leaf area variables and shoot dry matter in the second growth period. The nutrition of P and Zn interfered in theB. brizanthaproductivity by changing the grass photosynthesis and leaf area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Acta Agrobotanica is the property of Polish Botanical Society / Polskie Towarzystwo Botaniczne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Agricultural Sciences / Revista Brasileira de Ciências Agrárias is the property of Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Alpine plants growing along altitudinal gradients have been traditionally considered to have reduced flowering and growth and enhanced clonality toward higher altitudes. This pattern, however, has seldom been studied for multiple characteristics in one plant species and over several years, and thus its generality is uncertain. In the present study, we used annual growth markers on perennial rhizomes (herbchronology) to analyze the long-term growth of Rumex alpinus. By determining the width and length of rhizome segments (annual increments) and the numbers of leaf scars, inflorescence scars, dormant buds, and branches preserved on rhizomes, we analyzed past growth for more than 10 years at seven sites along an altitudinal gradient (950-1,900 m a.s.l.) in the Low Tatra Mts., West Carpathians, Slovakia. We determined where growth was optimum on the gradient and whether the data supported the common opinion that clonal growth is enhanced and flowering is reduced with increasing altitude. Although R. alpinus is a light-demanding species occurring preferentially along small streams above the treeline, the most vigorous growth (highest number of leaves and inflorescences) occurred at low altitudes in forest clearings. According to expectation, R. alpinus exhibited less flowering and growth but increased clonality with increasing altitude. Low temporal inequality in growth indicates that the perennial rhizome system plays a role in buffering year to year climatic variability in the harsh environment along altitudinal gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the growth characteristics of sowthistle ( Ixeris dentata Nakai) under different levels of light intensity (photosynthetic photon flux, PPF), electrical conductivity (EC) of nutrient solution, and planting density for efficient production in a closed-type plant factory system. Growth and yield of the plants were analyzed at EC 1.5 and 2.0 dS·m with PPF 100 and 200 μmol·m·s. Further, growth and yield were measured under four different planting densities: a 15-cm between-row distance with within-row distances of 10, 15, 20, and 25 cm. Shoot dry weight and leaf photosynthetic rate all increased with increasing EC and light intensity. Shoot fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content, and leaf photosynthetic rate were maximal at EC 2.0 dS·m with PPF 200 μmol·m·s. For all planting densities, number of leaves and leaf width were not significantly different. Shoot fresh and dry weights per plant were not significantly different, however, shoot fresh and dry weights per area decreased with increasing plating densities. A linear relationship was observed between the number of leaves and days after transplantation. Based on the results, we suggest a nutrient solution of EC 2.0 dS·m, PPF 200 μmol·m · s, and planting density of 15×10 cm for maximal growth and yield of sowthistle in a closed-type plant factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine plants growing along altitudinal gradients have been traditionally considered to have reduced flowering and growth and enhanced clonality toward higher altitudes. This pattern, however, has seldom been studied for multiple characteristics in one plant species and over several years, and thus its generality is uncertain. In the present study, we used annual growth markers on perennial rhizomes (herbchronology) to analyze the long-term growth of Rumex alpinus. By determining the width and length of rhizome segments (annual increments) and the numbers of leaf scars, inflorescence scars, dormant buds, and branches preserved on rhizomes, we analyzed past growth for more than 10 years at seven sites along an altitudinal gradient (950-1,900 m a.s.l.) in the Low Tatra Mts., West Carpathians, Slovakia. We determined where growth was optimum on the gradient and whether the data supported the common opinion that clonal growth is enhanced and flowering is reduced with increasing altitude. Although R. alpinus is a light-demanding species occurring preferentially along small streams above the treeline, the most vigorous growth (highest number of leaves and inflorescences) occurred at low altitudes in forest clearings. According to expectation, R. alpinus exhibited less flowering and growth but increased clonality with increasing altitude. Low temporal inequality in growth indicates that the perennial rhizome system plays a role in buffering year to year climatic variability in the harsh environment along altitudinal gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substrate composition and container size are considered crucial for apple rootstock grown in a plug seedling system. This study investigated the effect of substrate material's proportion and different container volumes on the growth of apple rootstock (M-9) plants propagated by tissue culture. In substrate composition, three different ratios of peat moss (PM): vermiculite (VL): perlite (PL) at 1:1:1 (S1), 1:2:3 (S2), 3:1:2 (S3) were used. For container size, plants were grown in 1000 mL (C1), 500 mL (C2), and 300 mL (C3) containers filled by 1:1:1 mixture of PM, VL and PL. In both cases, plants were treated eleven weeks in a green house. Our results demonstrate that the plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot fresh weight and root fresh weight of apple rootstock were significantly higher in substrate composition S3 compared with S1 composition. However, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and photosynthesis rate were unaffected by variation of substrate composition. Furthermore, rootstock grown in C1 container showed plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of nodes, root length, shoot and root's fresh and dry weight were significantly higher than those grown in C2 and C3 volume containers. The chlorophyll content and transpiration rate were not significantly affected by the different container volumes. These results suggest that the substrate ratio 3:1:2 of PM:VL:PL and container size 1000 mL were more favorable than other treatments for initial growth and development of the tissue culture propagated apple rootstock plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]