Explore the vast range of titles available.

In arid and semi-arid regions, planting drought-tolerant species is the most useful strategy in the reclamation of degraded soils. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of simulated drought by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) on seed germination and seedling growth of three desert plants such as Atriplex canescens, Salsola kali and Zygophyllum fabago. Seeds were subjected to water stress to drought stress by PEG at five stress levels (0, −1, −4, −8, −12, −14 bars). Germination of Z. fabago was completely inhibited at an osmotic potential of −8, −10 and −12 bars and the germination of A. canescens was inhibited only at −14 bar. In contrast, S. kali responded positively to high levels of stress and our results showed the highest final germination percent (71.75, 54 and 18.25%) under three-drought stress −8, −12 and −14 bars, respectively. In addition, increasing PEG concentration adversely affected the germination rate and seedling vigor index as well as the root and shoot length of species. Under high stress levels, S. kali achieved a higher germination rate and seedling vigor index compared to Z. fabago and A. canescens. Among species, S. kali was the only one able to develop roots and shoots at −14 bar. Therefore, S. kali could be considered as a promising plant for the rehabilitation of degraded soils at risk of desertification.

Allelopathy is described as the interference to plant growth resulting from chemical interactions among plants and other organisms mediated through the release of bioactive secondary metabolites. Since only a few studies have been reported about the role of seed allelopathy, an experiment was designed to evaluate the interactions among seeds of Portulaca oleracea L. and the crop species common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), onion (Allium cepa L.), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), broad bean (Vicia faba L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.) on seed and seedling growth parameters. The results indicated that P. oleracea seeds had a negative effect on the germination of P. vulgaris and A. cepa. Conversely, germination of P. oleracea in the presence of P. vulgaris, A. cepa, and B. vulgaris seeds was strongly reduced with a higher inhibitory effect found for the seeds of A. cepa. The highest negative effect on root and shoot length was observed in P. vulgaris. Seedling vigor of all crop species decreased in the presence of P. oleracea. Our results suggest that seeds of P. vulgaris, A. cepa, and B. vulgaris exhibited high allelopathic effects against seeds of P. oleracea and can be used as potential bio-herbicides in future screening programs.

Herbicides are the extensively used class of pesticides, which beside the active ingredient, in their formulation accompanying substances such as emulsifiers, surfactants and others is needed. The potential toxicity of these synthetic chemicals could pose serious risks to the human health, nontarget organism and environment. In this work we developed biodegradable lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) as environmentally friendly and controlled release carriers of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 2,4-D and 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid MCPA. LNPs were synthesized via solvent-free nanoprecipitation, achieving high entrapment efficiencies of 90.7% (2,4-D) and 97.4% (MCPA), confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. In vitro release studies revealed sustained herbicide release in buffer solutions (pH 5.5–7.5), with 68–74% release over 72 h, compared to rapid release from commercial formulations. Bioactivity assays of on Descurainia sophia showed that LNP-encapsulated formulation of herbicides reduced weed dry weight by 62.31% and density by 56.09% compared to untreated controls, statistically matching the weed control efficacy of commercial formulations. Field trials further validated these results. LNP-encapsulated 2,4-D + MCPA reduced Amaranthus blitoides dry weight by 91.10% and density by 65.09%, while this new formulation decreased Chenopodium album dry weight and density by 96.01% and by 66.75%, respectively. Notably, lignin’s inherent biodegradability and non-toxic nature provide a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic adjuvants, significantly reducing the risks of environmental contamination. Our study highlights the potential of lignin-based nanoencapsulation to preserve weed control efficacy while promoting environmentally friendly and safer herbicide formulations.

Global food security requires food production to be increased in the future decades. Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology is a successful approach used in land evaluation studies to support sustainable agricultural development. This approach can facilitate finding suitable areas for wheat production on a global scale. This study was conducted based on a climate zone map, soil data, wheat cultivation area, yield, and production under irrigated and rainfed conditions, worldwide. The results for irrigated wheat indicated that there is an area of 59.5 Mha with an average yield of 4.02 t/ha which leads to the production of about 239.6 Mt of grain yield. Furthermore, climate zones (CZs) of 8002, 5203, 5302, 5403, and 8102 have the highest wheat production with an average of 20.7, 14.2, 13.3, 11.8, 11.5 Mt, respectively. The highest amount of irrigated wheat production has been achieved in soil type code 17 (Loam LF120), which has a cultivation area of around 23.6 Mha and a production of about 106.8 Mt. Rainfed wheat production is 410 Mt, and the cultivation area is 160.2 Mha. The highest rainfed wheat production with an average of 17 Mt was related to the 3702 CZ, followed by the other CZs (3802, 1303, 1203, 3602, 4602, etc.). The soil codes 11 (Loam HF120), 10 (Loam HF180), and 14 (Loam MF120) showed the highest rainfed wheat production. The findings of this study can be useful for agricultural scientists, authorities, and decision-makers around the world to find suitable lands to expand wheat cultivation and also to find new locations for increasing global wheat production to feed the increasing population in the world.

The life cycle and unique biology of broomrape ( Orobanche aegyptiaca ) have made the management of this root- parasitic plant one of the greatest challenges in agriculture. The objective of this investigation was to ascertain whether the efficacy of chemical weed control could be enhanced through the inoculation of tomato plants with mycorrhizal and Talaromyces trachyspermus fungus. The combined effect of utilizing these fungi with the sulfonylurea herbicides (rimsulfuron and sulfosulfuron) with two application methods (herbigation and foliar spraying) was investigated in greenhouse and field trials. The results showed the application of rimsulfuron and sulfosulfuron, respectively, resulted in a 99.5% and 99.9% reduction in production capacity in the presence of the mycorrhizal fungus, as evidenced in the greenhouse experiment. The application of rimsulfuron using the herbigation method resulted in a 50% reduction in seed production in the presence of mycorrhiza in the field experiment. The application of the mycorrhizal fungus resulted in a reduction of the number of broomrape shoots by 17.2% with rimsulfuron and 62.1% with sulfosulfuron in the foliar spraying method in the greenhouse experiment. In the presence of mycorrhizal fungus, sulfosulfuron in the herbigation method demonstrated a 37.8% reduction in the number of broomrape shoots compared to the absence of herbicide in the field experiment. The highest marketable yield of tomato was observed in the mycorrhizal plants, where rimsulfuron was applied in the field experiment. The findings highlight the potential of integrated biological-chemical strategies as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative for the management of this parasite weed. Moreover, they demonstrate the feasibility and potential of such strategies to facilitate the resolution of this pivotal challenge in agricultural practice.

Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) is among the world’s most expensive crops; nevertheless, it struggles to compete with weeds. Non-chemical farming practices, such as intercropping and reduced irrigation, can help to decrease weed problems. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in the weed density, biomass and weed diversity under saffron-chickpea intercropping system with two irrigation regimes. The study’s treatments included two irrigation regimes, namely one-time irrigation and conventional irrigation (carried out four times from October through May), and six planting ratios of saffron and chickpea, namely saffron sole-crop (C1), chickpea sole-crop (C2) in eight rows, 1:1 (C3), 2:2 (C4), 2:1 (C5), and 3:1 (C6)] as main and sub-plots, respectively. The result showed that the conventional irrigation regimes increased weed diversity, however, it didn’t affect the Pielou index. Intercropping ratios decreased weed diversity compared to saffron and chickpea mono-cropping systems. The interaction effect of treatments was significant for weed density and weed biomass. In most intercropping ratios, weed density and weed biomass decreased under one-time irrigation regimes. The lowest values for weed density and biomass were observed with an average of 15.5 plants/m 2 and 37.51 g/m 2 , respectively, under the one-time irrigation regime with C4 intercropping systems. This intercropping system did not show a significant difference with C3. Overall, the results indicate that a one-time irrigation regime and intercropping with chickpea, specifically with a 1:1 saffron-chickpea ratio (C3) and a 2:2 saffron-chickpea ratio (C4), could be effective strategies for weed management in saffron in semiarid cropping systems.

BackgroundThe application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can induce the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites in the tissues of host plants, thus impacting their allelopathic potential.Materials and methodsThe objective of this study was to determine the effect of three AMF species (Rhizoglomus intraradices, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizoglomus fasciculatum) on photosynthetic pigments and secondary metabolites content in roots and reproductive organs of Ipomoea purpurea L., Digitaria sanguinalis L., and Solanum nigrum L. as a problematic weed species.ResultsAmong compared weeds, the roots of D. sanguinalis associated with AMF accumulated the highest level of phenols. Higher content of flavonoids was obtained in roots of S. nigrum (7.46 mg g−1 FW) following colonization with R. intraradices. Berries of S. nigrum inoculated with R. intraradices had a higher concentration of terpenoids (21.45 mg 100 mL−1 of extract) than reproductive organs of D. sanguinalis and I. purpurea. Colonization with R. intraradices improved total phenolics in seeds of D. sanguinalis compared to the reproductive organs of other weeds. These compounds released from seeds help defend against pathogen infection, consequently increasing seed production. In addition, phenylalanine ammonia lyase enzyme activity in leaves of D. sanguinalis colonized by R. fasciculatum and F. mosseae was 55% and 67%, respectively, higher than I. purpurea plants, grown in the same condition.ConclusionsResults suggest that AMF can play a crucial role in enhancing of secondary metabolites in these three weeds, thereby improving their allelopathic potential and competitive ability.Graphic Abstract

The toxicity risks, instability of essential oil, and complex composition are principal obstacles to using essential plant oil for clinical applications. Solving stability-related problems, providing targeted drug delivery, and decreasing plant essential oil toxicity, encapsulation can be used successfully. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family with various healing properties. However, the rosemary essential oil, as volatile oil, is fast evaporated, which limits its applications. This study’s goal is to boost the prevent evaporation and bioactivity of rosemary essential oil by developing zein-NPs as a promising NDS (nano-drug-delivery system) and assessing the effect of NPs on the rosemary essential oil efficacy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed NPs sizes between 70–200 nm. With dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS), the average size of zein nanoparticle-containing rosemary essential oil (NPZLA) was obtained at ca. 154.5 nm. The entrapment efficiency (EE) on rosemary essential oil was ca. 71% inside the zein NPs. The in vitro release suggests that the polymeric barrier can control the rosemary essential oil release. Zein-NPs can be potentially used as NC (nanocarrier) for enhancing the evaporation inhibitor of ether oil of rosemary essential oil to enhance its bioavailability and performance further. It can be concluded that rosemary plant can be used as the core inside the nanoparticle by biological production method due to its medicinal properties and other properties. Based on the stated content, it is clear that in the future, by conducting more extensive research, the necessary platform can be provided for the use of this medicinal plant as much as possible in the pharmaceutical industry.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and compliance of selected Iranian garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivars, including Tuyserkan (TSN), Heydareh (HDH), Mouien (MUN), and Taroom (TRM), during two growing seasons. The TRM cultivar germination rate is higher than the other cultivars studied. The TRM cultivars have quite remarkable values for the dry weight, fresh weight, stem diameter, and the number of leaves present. The fresh weight and dry weight of the TRM cultivar for the second year are 33.8 t/ha and 16.7 t/ha, respectively. However, on average, the HDH cultivar is the tallest plant in the experiments. Average pyruvic acid content in fresh samples of the TRM and HDH cultivars is 78 µm/gfw and 69.3 µm/gfw, respectively. It is observed that there are remarkable differences in the level of pyruvic acid between the different cultivars. The growth, development, and yield of plants are highly dependent on their genetic characteristics; in this experiment, the TRM cultivar shows a good yield (16.7 t/ha), and the evaluated characteristics improve compared to the other cultivars studied, which could be due to the high compatibility of this cultivar to the environmental conditions of the study. The excellent performance on the yield of TRM makes this cultivar more appreciable on a commercial level.

BackgroundTribenuron-methyl is a registered herbicide for broad-leaf weed control in wheat, however, low solubility in water and reacting with hard water's ions could substantially decrease its efficacy. The present work aimed to enhance the dispersing and bioactivity of this herbicide by developing nanoparticles using zein as a promising nano-delivery system and to assess the effects of nanoparticles on the efficacy of tribenuron-methyl in the suppression of Convolvulus arvensis as a problematic weed in wheat fields.ResultsBased on SEM analyses nanoparticles sizes were 80–120 nm. DLS results showed an average size of 170 nm for tribenuron-methyl zein-based nanoparticles (TMZNP-5). The entrapment efficiency (EE%) of tribenuron-methyl inside the zein nanoparticles was ca. 81% ± 3. Five-week after application of tribenuron-methyl nanoparticles on C. arvensis, it was able to reduce the dry weight (53%), acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme activity (82%), and plant height (77%) of C. arvensis as compared with untreated plants. Additionally, tribenuron-methyl used in nanoparticles at the half rate of the recommended dose had the same efficacy as commercial tribenuron-methyl.ConclusionBased on these results, zein nanoparticles can be potentially utilized as nanocarriers for enhancing the solubility of tribenuron-methyl to further enhance its bioavailability and performance on sensitive weeds.Graphic abstractHighlightsTribenuron-methyl-loaded zein nanoparticles synthesized.TM-loaded zein nanoparticles characterized by DLS, FTIR, SEM.The TM’s drug encapsulation efficiency (EE%) within the nanoparticles was ca. 81% ± 3.F127/VPA and lignin/VPA microemulsions were tested for their cytotoxic activity.Use of nanoparticles containing tribenuron-methyl (TMZNP-5) herbicides had a significant effect on weed control.After 5 weeks, TMZNP-5 was able to completely suppress the C. arvensis.