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The content of selenium (Se) in most horticultural crops is low. To improve Se uptake in fruit trees, we investigated the impact of water extract derived from Nasturtium officinale R. Br. straw on the growth and Se uptake of peach seedlings under Se‐enriched soil by a pot experiment. The water extract of N. officinale straw exhibited notable effects on various growth parameters and Se accumulation in peach seedlings, with the most significant outcomes observed at a 200‐fold dilution. Specifically, the extract led to substantial enhancements in biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and soluble protein content in peach seedlings. Remarkably, the 200‐fold dilution of N. officinale straw extract resulted in a 60.78% increase in root biomass and a 31.26% increase in shoot biomass when compared to the control. Moreover, the water extract augmented the levels of total Se, inorganic Se, and organic Se, along with the activities of Se metabolism‐related enzymes in peach seedlings. Among various tested dilutions, the 300‐fold and 400‐fold dilutions of N. officinale straw extract exhibited the highest total Se contents in roots and shoots, respectively, indicating increments of 97.26% and 44.08% over their respective controls. Additionally, correlation and gray relational analyses unveiled significant associations between peroxidase activity, soluble protein content, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll a/b ratio, and the total shoot Se content. In conclusion, the water extract of N. officinale straw holds substantial potential for promoting the growth and Se uptake in peach seedlings, with the best concentration of 300‐fold dilution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) has shown promise in enhancing crop tolerance to heavy metal stress. To improve the cadmium (Cd) phytoremediation capacity of hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum var. humile, the effects of exogenous GABA on the growth and Cd accumulation of S. nigrum var. humile were studied. When exposed to Cd stress (0.1 mg/L) through irrigation, S. nigrum var. humile exhibited inhibited growth, characterized by decreased biomass and contents of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid). However, the application of exogenous GABA at 1 and 2 g/L increased various organs biomass and photosynthetic pigment content of S. nigrum var. humile to certain degree under Cd stress. Compared with the Cd treatment, the concentrations of 1 and 2 g/L GABA increased the shoot biomass by 8.24% and 16.62%, respectively. GABA also increased the Cd contents, bioconcentration factors, and Cd extractions in various organs of S. nigrum var. humile. Compared with the Cd treatment, the concentrations of 1 and 2 g/L GABA increased the shoot Cd extraction by 17.66% and 24.47%, respectively. Moreover, correlation and gray relational analyses showed that the shoot biomass, chlorophyll b content, and total chlorophyll content were the top three parameters closely related to shoot Cd extraction. These findings suggest that GABA can alleviate Cd‐induced stress in S. nigrum var. humile, thus enhancing its phytoremediation capacity for Cd‐contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decrease the cadmium (Cd) uptake in rice and study the relationships of phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and Cd uptakes in rice, the effects of four different tea types (green, black, dark, and white teas) on the P, Fe, and Cd accumulation in rice seedlings were studied. The results showed that only the black and dark teas increased the biomass of rice seedlings. The application of green, black, dark, and white teas increased the photosynthetic pigment content to some extent. Only the black tea increased the shoot P content, and the black, dark, and white teas increased the shoot Fe content. Compared with the control, only the black and dark teas decreased the shoot Cd content by 9.51% and 25.02%. Correlation and gray relational analyses showed that the root Cd content, soil pH value and soil exchangeable Cd concentration were the most closely associated with the shoot Cd content. The principal component and cluster analyses also showed the top three close cluster categories with shoot Cd content were root Cd content, soil exchangeable Cd concentration, and soil pH value. These findings indicate that the application of black and dark teas can promote the growth and decrease the Cd uptake of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the selenium (Se) uptakes in fruit trees under Se-contaminated soil, the effects of water extract of Fagopyrum dibotrys (D. Don) Hara straw on the Se accumulation in peach seedlings under selenium-contaminated soil were studied. The results showed that the root biomass, chlorophyll content, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and soluble protein content of peach seedlings were increased by the F. dibotrys straw extract. The different forms of Se (total Se, inorganic Se, and organic Se) were also increased in peach seedlings following treatment with the F. dibotrys straw extract. The highest total shoot Se content was treated by the 300-fold dilution of F. dibotrys straw, which was 30.87% higher than the control. The F. dibotrys straw extract also increased the activities of adenosine triphosphate sulfurase (ATPS), and adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate reductase (APR) in peach seedlings, but decreased the activity of serine acetyltransferase (SAT). Additionally, correlation and grey relational analyses revealed that chlorophyll a content, APR activity, and root biomass were closely associated with the total shoot Se content. Overall, this study shows that the water extract of F. dibotrys straw can promote Se uptake in peach seedlings, and 300-fold dilution is the most suitable concentration. The water extract of Fagopyrum dibotrys (D. Don) Hara straw promoted the selenium (Se) uptake in peach seedlings under selenium-contaminated soil. The concentration of F. dibotrys straw extract showed a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the total root and shoot Se. Furthermore, chlorophyll a content, APR activity, and root biomass were closely associated with the total shoot Se. This study shows that water extract of F. dibotrys straw can promote Se uptake in peach seedlings, and 300-fold dilution is the most suitable concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of spraying an algal biostimulant at different concentrations (0, 600-, 900-, 1200-, and 1500-fold dilutions) on the growth and cadmium (Cd) accumulation characteristics of accumulator plant Nasturtium officinale. In a pot experiment, application of the algal biostimulant at all concentrations promoted the growth of N. officinale by increasing the root and shoot biomasses, and the 600-fold dilution of the algal biostimulant had the strongest effect. At all concentrations, the algal biostimulant had no significant effect on the Cd content in roots of N. officinale, and increased the Cd extraction by roots. However, all concentrations of the algal biostimulant except for the 1500-fold dilution decreased the Cd content in shoots and Cd extraction by shoots. The N. officinale plants treated with the 600-fold dilution of the algal biostimulant had the lowest shoot Cd contents and Cd extraction by shoots. The algal biostimulant also increased the contents of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids) in leaves of N. officinale to varying degrees. Different concentrations of algal biostimulant reduced the superoxide dismutase activity, peroxidase activity, and malondialdehyde content of N. officinale, but enhanced the catalase activity, soluble protein content, and relative conductivity. Overall, the 600-fold dilution had the strongest effect on the growth and Cd accumulation characteristics of N. officinale, but did not enhance the phytoremediation ability of N. officinale for growth in Cd-contaminated soil. These results show that this algal biostimulant can promote the growth and reduce the Cd uptake of N. officinale, which is benefit for N. officinale safety production as a wild vegetable in Cd-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paecilomyces penicillatus is the causative pathogens of white mould on cultivated Morchella. Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of P. penicillatus for the first time. The mitogenome is composed of circular DNA molecules, with the total length of 27,480 bp, which encoded 17 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 24 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The base composition of the P. penicillatus mitogenome is as follows: A (36.69%), T (35.79%), G (15.27%), and C (12.25%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. penicillatus had a close relationship with Epichloe festucae and Epichloe typhina from Clavicipitaceae. This study provided important information on the evolution and taxonomy of P. penicillatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]