Explore the vast range of titles available.

In this investigation, the effect of salt stress on Portulaca oleracea L. was monitored at salinity levels of 100 and 300 mM NaCl. At a concentration of 100 mM NaCl there was a decrease in stomatal conductance (gs) simultaneously with an increase in CO2 assimilation (A) at the beginning of salt exposure (day 3). However, the leaf water potential (ψw), the substomatal concentration of CO2 (Ci), the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and the proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) content remained unchanged. Exposure to 300 mM NaCl caused a decrease in gs from day 3 and a decrease in water potential, CO2 assimilation, and Fv/Fm from day 9. There was a large increase in proline content and a significantly higher MDA concentration on days 6 and 9 of salt stress compared to the control group. After 22 days of exposure to 300 mM NaCl, there was a transition from the C4 cycle to crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), manifested by a rapid increase in substomatal CO2 concentration and negative CO2 assimilation values. These results document the tolerance of P. oleracea to a lower level of salt stress and the possibility of its use in saline localities.

Micronutrient malnutrition is a global health issue and needs immediate attention. Over two billion people across the globe suffer from micronutrient malnutrition. The widespread zinc (Zn) deficiency in soils, poor zinc intake by humans in their diet, low bioavailability, and health consequences has led the research community to think of an economic as well as sustainable strategy for the alleviation of zinc deficiency. Strategies like fortification and diet supplements, though effective, are not economical and most people in low-income countries cannot afford them, and they are the most vulnerable to Zn deficiency. In this regard, the biofortification of staple food crops with Zn has been considered a useful strategy. An agronomic biofortification approach that uses crop fertilization with Zn-based fertilizers at the appropriate time to ensure grain Zn enrichment has been found to be cost-effective, easy to practice, and efficient. Genetic biofortification, though time-consuming, is also highly effective. Moreover, a Zn-rich genotype once developed can also be used for many years without any recurring cost. Hence, both agronomic and genetic biofortification can be a very useful tool in alleviating Zn deficiency.

There are 11 different varieties of Beta vulgaris L. that are used in the food industry, including sugar beets, beetroots, Swiss chard, and fodder beets. The typical red coloration of their tissues is caused by the indole-derived glycosides known as betalains that were analyzed in hypocotyl extracts by UV/Vis spectrophotometry to determine the content of betacyanins (betanin) and of betaxanthins (vulgaxanthin I) as constituents of the total betalain content. Fields of beet crops use to be also infested by wild beets, hybrids related to B. vulgaris subsp. maritima or B. macrocarpa Guss., which significantly decrease the quality and quantity of sugar beet yield; additionally, these plants produce betalains at an early stage. All tested B. vulgaris varieties could be distinguished from weed beets according to betacyanins, betaxanthins or total betalain content. The highest values of betacyanins were found in beetroots ‘Monorubra’ (9.69 mg/100 mL) and ‘Libero’ (8.42 mg/100 mL). Other beet varieties contained less betacyanins: Sugar beet ‘Labonita’ 0.11 mg/100 mL; Swiss chard ‘Lucullus,’ 0.09 mg/100 mL; fodder beet ‘Monro’ 0.15 mg/100 mL. In contrast with weed beets and beetroots, these varieties have a ratio of betacyanins to betaxanthins under 1.0, but the betaxanthin content was higher in beetcrops than in wild beet and can be used as an alternative to non-red varieties. Stability tests of selected varieties showed that storage at 22 °C for 6 h, or at 7 °C for 24 h, did not significantly reduce the betalain content in the samples.

Synthetic fertilizer and herbicides encompass the largest share in nutrient and weed management on food grain crops that create serious environmental issues. Integrated nutrient and non-chemical weed management approaches may help to reduce the chemical load in the environment, maintaining higher weed control efficiency and yield. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive monsoon seasons during 2015 and 2016 in farm fields to develop a profitable and sustainable rice production system through integrated nutrient and weed management practices. A varied combination of nutrients either alone or integrated with chemical and non-chemical weed management were tested on transplanted rice in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The results showed that the integration of concentrated organic manures with chemical fertilizer effectively inhibited weed growth and nutrient removal. Integration of nutrient and weed management practices significantly enhanced 9% biomass growth, 10% yield of the rice crop along with 3–7% higher nutrient uptake. Brassicaceous seed meal (BSM) and neem cake also had some influence on weed suppression and economic return. Thus, the integrated nutrient and weed management practices in rice cultivation might be an effective way to achieve economic sustainability and efficient rice cultivation in eastern India. Shortages of farmyard manure and vermicompost could be supplemented by BSM and neem cake in the integrated module.

Salt stress severely reduces growth and yield of plants. Considering the positive effects of selenium (Se) and chitosan (Cs) separately against abiotic stress, in these experiments, we synthesized chitosan–selenium nanoparticles (Cs–Se NPs) and investigated their ability to reduce the negative effects of salt stress on growth and some biochemical parameters of bitter melon (Momordica charantia). Bitter melon plants were grown at three NaCl salinity levels (0, 50, and 100 mM) and a foliar spray of Cs–Se NPs (0, 10, and 20 mg L−1) was applied. Some key morphological, biochemical, and physiological parameters in leaf samples and essential oil from fruit were measured at harvest. Salinity decreased growth and yield while foliar application of Cs–Se NPs increased these critical parameters. Furthermore, Cs–Se NPs enhanced bitter melon tolerance to salinity by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity, proline concentration, relative water content, and K+, and decreasing MDA and H2O2 oxidants and Na aggregation in plant tissues. Yield was also improved, as the highest amount of essential oils was produced by plants treated with Cs–Se NPs. Generally, the greatest improvement in measured parameters under saline conditions was obtained by treating plants with 20 mg L−1 Cs–Se NPs, which significantly increased salinity tolerance in bitter melon plants.

In the era of rapid climate change, abiotic stresses are the primary cause for yield gap in major agricultural crops. Among them, salinity is considered a calamitous stress due to its global distribution and consequences. Salinity affects plant processes and growth by imposing osmotic stress and destroys ionic and redox signaling. It also affects phytohormone homeostasis, which leads to oxidative stress and eventually imbalances metabolic activity. In this situation, signaling compound crosstalk such as gasotransmitters [nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), calcium (Ca), reactive oxygen species (ROS)] and plant growth regulators (auxin, ethylene, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid) have a decisive role in regulating plant stress signaling and administer unfavorable circumstances including salinity stress. Moreover, recent significant progress in omics techniques (transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have helped to reinforce the deep understanding of molecular insight in multiple stress tolerance. Currently, there is very little information on gasotransmitters and plant growth regulator crosstalk and inadequacy of information regarding the integration of multi-omics technology during salinity stress. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the crucial cell signaling crosstalk mechanisms and integrative multi-omics techniques to provide a more direct approach for salinity stress tolerance. To address the above-mentioned words, this review covers the common mechanisms of signaling compounds and role of different signaling crosstalk under salinity stress tolerance. Thereafter, we mention the integration of different omics technology and compile recent information with respect to salinity stress tolerance.

This study evaluated the effects of foliar silicon (Si) application on physiological and biochemical traits in three buckwheat lines (La Harpe, Panda, Smuga) grown under optimal (control) and drought stress conditions. Plants were cultivated under controlled conditions with four treatments: Control (80% water availability), Drought (40%), Control + Si, and Drought + Si (0.5 mM Na 2 SiO 3 ·9H 2 O applied to foliage). Water stress significantly reduced relative leaf water content (RWC), osmotic potential (Ψ s ), photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange parameters ( A , E , g s ) in all varieties. It also increased malondialdehyde (MDA), total flavonoid content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and 5-methylcytosine (5mC), while Fv/Fm remained unchanged, indicating sustained photosystem II activity. However, varietal differences were evident. La Harpe and Panda showed lower RWC, Ψ s , A , E , and g s under drought than Smuga. La Harpe had the highest MDA accumulation in roots, increased 5mC levels in leaves, and was the only line with decreased water use efficiency (WUE). Smuga exhibited the highest natural proline level and the strongest proline increase under drought. Foliar Si application reduced MDA and enhanced antioxidant activity (TFC, TAC) in both roots and leaves across all varieties, under both water regimes. The strongest antioxidant response was observed in La Harpe. Si also improved photosynthetic pigment levels, likely contributing to the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus under drought stress. Its effects on RWC, Ψ s , and gas exchange under drought were variety-specific: La Harpe and Panda responded positively, while Smuga showed minimal changes. Group correlation analysis under drought showed that Smuga had the strongest positive correlations between plant health traits and stress responses, suggesting effective physiological coordination. Panda showed moderate, and La Harpe negative, correlations. After Si application, these relationships improved most in Smuga, moderately in Panda, and least in La Harpe. Overall, the results reveal clear genotype-specific responses to foliar-applied Si in buckwheat. Silicon improved antioxidant defenses, mitigated drought-induced oxidative stress, and supported physiological functions, particularly in Smuga. These findings support using Si as a promising tool to enhance drought resilience in buckwheat cultivation.

Lipoic acid (LA) and melatonin (MT) are pleiotropic molecules participating in plant stress resistance by modulating cellular biochemical changes, ion homeostasis, and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, the combined role of these two molecules in counteracting the detrimental impacts of salinity stress is still unknown. In the present study, we determined the effects of exogenous LA (0.5 µM), MT (1 µM) and their combination (LA + MT) on growth performance and biomass accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities, and ions homeostatic in canola (Brassica napus L.) seedlings under salinity stress (0, 100 mM) for 40 days. The results indicate that exogenous application of LA + MT improved the phenotypic growth (by 25 to 45%), root thickness (by 68%), number of later lateral roots (by 52%), root viability (by 44%), and root length (by 50%) under salinity stress. Moreover, total soluble protein, chlorophyll pigments, the concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase peroxidase (CAT), and ascorbic peroxidase (ASA) increased with the presence of salt concentration into the growth media and then decreased with the addition of LA + MT to saline solution. Leaf protein contents and the degradation of photosynthetic pigments were lower when LA + MT treatments were added into NaCl media. The proline and phenol contents decreased in the exogenous application of LA + MT treatments more than individual LA or MT treatments under the salinity stress. The incorporation of LA or MT or a combination of LA + MT to saline solution decreased salinity-induced malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage. In conclusion, the alteration of metabolic pathways, redox modulation, and ions homeostasis in plant tissues by the combined LA and MT application are helpful towards the adaptation of Brassica napus L. seedlings in a saline environment. The results of this study provide, for the first time, conclusive evidence about the protective role of exogenous LA + MT in canola seedlings under salinity stress.

Crops, such as white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata (L.) f. alba), are often infested by herbivorous insects that consume the leaves directly or lay eggs with subsequent injury by caterpillars. The plants can produce various defensive metabolites or free radicals that repel the insects to avert further damage. To study the production and effects of these compounds, large white cabbage butterflies, Pieris brassicae and flea beetles, Phyllotreta nemorum, were captured in a cabbage field and applied to plants cultivated in the lab. After insect infestation, leaves were collected and UV/Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC used to determine the content of stress molecules (superoxide), primary metabolites (amino acids), and secondary metabolites (phenolic acids and flavonoids). The highest level of superoxide was measured in plants exposed to fifty flea beetles. These plants also manifested a higher content of phenylalanine, a substrate for the synthesis of phenolic compounds, and in activation of total phenolics and flavonoid production. The levels of specific phenolic acids and flavonoids had higher variability when the dominant increase was in the flavonoid, quercetin. The leaves after flea beetle attack also showed an increase in ascorbic acid which is an important nutrient of cabbage.

Drought is a major abiotic stressor that limits crop growth and is often associated with oxidative stress. We evaluated whether foliar silicon (Si) application affects primary root anatomy, plant height, and phenolic metabolism in three common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) cultivars (La Harpe, Panda, and Smuga) exposed to water deficit. Plants were grown under controlled conditions in four treatments: control; drought; control + Si, and drought + Si. Qualitative anatomical assessment revealed that Si promoted more advanced development of the primary root central cylinder, most notably in La Harpe under drought conditions, where a continuous ring of secondary xylem and a well-developed pith were observed. Drought significantly reduced plant height in all cultivars; Si partially alleviated this reduction in La Harpe and Panda, but not in Smuga. Drought generally increased total phenolic content (TPC) and phenolic acid content (PAC) in both leaves and roots, and Si further enhanced these responses, with the highest values under drought + Si. Overall, the results indicate cultivar-dependent effectiveness of foliar silicon (Si) and suggest that Si contributes to coordinated structural and biochemical adjustments under water deficit conditions. To assess the transferability of these responses, further verification across a broader range of genotypes and under different intensities and durations of drought is warranted.