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Extracellular immune responses to ascomycete and oomycete pathogens in Arabidopsis are dependent on vesicle-associated secretion mediated by the SNARE proteins PEN1 syntaxin, SNAP33 and endomembrane-resident VAMP721/722. Continuous movement of functional GFP-VAMP722 to and from the plasma membrane in non-stimulated cells reflects the second proposed function of VAMP721/722 in constitutive secretion during plant growth and development. Application of the bacterium-derived elicitor flg22 stabilizes VAMP721/722 that are otherwise constitutively degraded via the 26S proteasome pathway. Depletion of VAMP721/722 levels by reducing VAMP721/722 gene dosage enhances flg22-induced seedling growth inhibition in spite of elevated VAMP721/722 abundance. We therefore propose that plants prioritize the deployment of the corresponding secretory pathway for defense over plant growth. Interstingly, VAMP721/722 specifically interact in vitro and in vivo with the plasma membrane syntaxin SYP132 that is required for plant growth and resistance to bacteria. This suggests that the plant growth/immunity-involved VAMP721/722 form SNARE complexes with multiple plasma membrane syntaxins to discharge cue-dependent cargo molecules.

Non-thermal plasma technology (NTP) has found widespread applications across several fields, including agriculture. Researchers have explored the use of NTP to improve plant growth and increase agricultural product quality using plasma-activated water (PAW). This technology has shown potential benefits in boosting seed germination, promoting plant growth, as an effective defense against plant pathogens, and increasing systemic plant resistance. An experiment was set up over three different cultivation cycles to investigate the benefits of PAW administration on nursery production. Plasma-activated water was generated using two NTP intensities (PAW-HI = 600 mV; PAW-LI = 450 mV; CTR = tap water control) and manually applied to plants under greenhouse conditions. The species considered in the current study were tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.), cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Longifolia). The following morphological traits were measured at the end of each cycle and for each species: plant height (PH, cm), collar diameter (CD, mm), biomass (g), nutritional status (SPAD index), dry matter (DM, %), and chemical composition. The sturdiness index (SI) was determined by the PH-to-CD ratio. Results indicated a species-specific response to both PAW treatments compared to CTR. The plant height significantly increased in tomato (+11.9%) and cabbage (+5%) under PAW-HI treatment. In contrast, PAW-HI treatment negatively affected the PH in lettuce and basil (−18% and −9%, respectively). Swiss chard showed no significant response to either PAW-LI or PAW-HI treatments. Regarding DM, no significant differences were observed between the PAW treatments and CTR. However, an increase in total N content was detected in plant tissues across all species, except for basil, where no change was observed. The results suggest that PAW treatment has the potential to enhance vegetable nursery production, with species-specific responses observed in crops.

Adversity stress is the main environmental factor limiting plant growth and development, including salt and other stress factors. This study delves into the adaptability and salt tolerance mechanisms of Machilus faberi Hemsl, a species with potential for cultivation in salinized areas. We subjected the plants to various salt concentrations to observe their growth responses and to assess key physiological and biochemical indicators. The results revealed that under high salt concentrations (500 and 700 mmol−1/L), symptoms such as leaf yellowing, wilting, and eventual death were observed. Notably, plant height and shoot growth ceased on the 14th day of exposure. Chlorophyll content (a, b, total a + b, and the a/b ratio) initially increased but subsequently decreased under varying levels of salt stress. Similarly, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, leaf water content, and root activity significantly declined under these conditions. Moreover, we observed an increase in malondialdehyde levels and relative conductivity, indicative of cellular damage and stress. The activity of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase initially increased and then diminished with prolonged stress, whereas peroxidase activity consistently increased. Levels of proline and soluble protein exhibited an upward trend, contrasting with the fluctuating pattern of soluble sugars, which decreased initially but increased subsequently. In conclusion, M. faberi exhibits a degree of tolerance to salt stress, albeit with growth limitations when concentrations exceed 300 mmol−1/L. These results shed light on the plant’s mechanisms of responding to salt stress and provide a theoretical foundation for its cultivation and application in salt-affected regions.

Expansive growth is a culmination of many biological processes. It is fundamental to volume growth, development, morphogenesis, sensory responses, and environmental responses of plants, fungi, and algae. Expansive growth of walled cells and plant tissue can be accurately described by a set of three global biophysical equations that model the biophysical processes of water uptake, wall deformation, and turgor pressure. Importantly, these biophysical equations have been validated with the results of pressure probe experiments. Here, a systematic method (scheme) is presented that iterates between analyses with the biophysical equations and experiments conducted with the pressure probe. This iterative scheme is used to determine altered growth processes for four cases; two after changes in the environment, one after a change in development, and another after changes by mutation. It is shown that this iterative scheme can identify which biophysical processes are changed, the magnitude of the changes, and their contribution to the change in expansive growth rate. Dimensionless numbers are employed to determine the magnitude of the changes in the biophysical processes. The biological meaning and implication of the biophysical variables in the biophysical equations are discussed. Further, additional sets of global biophysical equations are presented and discussed.

In the current study, efforts were made to standardize fertigation for providing the recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) i.e., 300, 260, and 200 g/plant/year for N, P, and K, respectively, together with optimization of irrigation scheduling so that guava plants could avoid the frequent episodes of nutritional stress, water scarcity, or overwatering. The experiment’s execution was confined to a three-factor randomized block design, with a total of 19 treatments that were replicated four times. Briefly, these treatments included drip irrigation and nutrient (NPK) application through fertigation dosages (RDF; 100, 80, and 60%) with and without silver-black plastic mulching. Different applied fertilizer dosages, together with different levels of irrigation and soil mulching, had a significant impact on the guava plant’s vegetative, reproductive, and nutritional aspects. Under silver-black plastic mulch, drip irrigation at cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) 80 and 100% of the prescribed dosage of fertilizers, better macronutrient availability in the soil, and improved plant development were recorded (M1DI2F1). Overall, using drip fertigation to provide NPK fertilizers close to the root zone increased the availability of nutrients to the plants as compared to the traditional fertigation and irrigation methods. Thus, this sustainable high-tech horticultural approach could be analyzed for its efficacy or applied to other crops to obtain adequate economic outcomes.

Rising temperatures and precipitation are important climate change processes around the world. The responses of plants to these trends are still unclear in semi-arid regions, especially in areas with degraded sandy grassland. To provide insights into the response in these regions, we investigated responses of vascular plants to warming and increased precipitation in mobile dunes, fixed dunes and grassland, which represent the series of sand dune stabilization by plants in semi-arid northeastern China. Plant biomass, especially the aboveground biomass, varied significantly ( P  < 0.05) among dune categories. Total plant density in the fixed dunes and grassland was 1.9 and 1.7 times that in the mobile dunes. Species richness differed slightly but significantly ( P  < 0.05) among the habitats. Increasing precipitation in a drought year (65.5% of the long-term average annual precipitation) by 30% did not significantly affect any plant variable. By contrast, warming significantly decreased the belowground biomass, total biomass, species richness and plant total density. In summary, in semi-arid region with sandy soil, additional precipitation slightly improved plant performance, but increased temperature decreased plant performance. Soil texture, which determines the balance between moisture retention and evaporation, may be a key factor in determining these responses when precipitation is unusually low.

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), comprising carbon dots, graphene‐related materials, and carbon nanotubes, have significant potential for enhancing agricultural productivity. Their compositional compatibility and exceptional properties intrigue a great deal of explorations in agricultural applications, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and regulators of plant growth. However, the evaluation of their agricultural applicability often lacks quantitative sustainability metrics, with insufficient scrutiny on the carbon footprint and scalability of the manufacturing. This review attempts to provide a quantitative ranking system for evaluating the manufacturing processes of the CNMs by applying the twelve principles of Green Chemistry, particularly in the context of agriculture applications. The review also offers a systematically organized account of CNMs' effects on plant systems, encompassing nutrient enhancement, photosynthesis, soil amelioration, disease resistance, and phytotoxicity, which can provide design rationales for the further development of CNMs. Green assessments on carbon nanomaterials based on given 12 principles from environmental protection agency (EPA).

Although insect herbivory can modify subsequent quantity and quality of their host plants, change in plant quantity following herbivory has received less attention than plant quality. In particular, little is known about how previous herbivore damage determines plant growth and biomass in an insect species-specific manner. We explored whether herbivore species-specific food demand influences plant growth and biomass. To do this, we conducted a series of experiments and field survey using two specialist butterflies, Sericinus montela and Atrophaneura alcinous , and their host plant, Aristolochia debilis . It is known that A. alcinous larva requires four times more food resources to fulfill its development than S. montela larva. Despite that A. alcinous larvae imposed greater damage on plants than S. montela larvae, plant growth did not differ due to herbivory by these species both in single and multiple herbivory events. On the other hand, total aboveground biomass of the plants was reduced more by A. alcinous than S. montela feeding regardless of the number of herbivory events. Feeding on plants with a history of previous herbivory neither decreased nor increased larval growth. Our results suggest that food demand of the two butterfly species determined subsequent plant biomass, although the plant response may depend on tolerance of the host plant (i.e., ability to compensate for herbivore damage). Such difference in the effects of different herbivore species on host plant biomass is more likely to occur than previously thought, because food demand differs in most herbivore species sharing a host plant.

Diversity and colonization levels of naturally occurring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in onion roots were studied to compare organic and conventional farming systems in the Netherlands. In 2004, 20 onion fields were sampled in a balanced survey between farming systems and between two regions, namely, Zeeland and Flevoland. In 2005, nine conventional and ten organic fields were additionally surveyed in Flevoland. AMF phylotypes were identified by rDNA sequencing. All plants were colonized, with 60% for arbuscular colonization and 84% for hyphal colonization as grand means. In Zeeland, onion roots from organic fields had higher fractional colonization levels than those from conventional fields. Onion yields in conventional farming were positively correlated with colonization level. Overall, 14 AMF phylotypes were identified. The number of phylotypes per field ranged from one to six. Two phylotypes associated with the Glomus mosseae-coronatum and the G. caledonium-geosporum species complexes were the most abundant, whereas other phylotypes were infrequently found. Organic and conventional farming systems had similar number of phylotypes per field and Shannon diversity indices. A few organic and conventional fields had larger number of phylotypes, including phylotypes associated with the genera Glomus-B, Archaeospora, and Paraglomus. This suggests that farming systems as such did not influence AMF diversity, but rather specific environmental conditions or agricultural practices.

A pot experiment was conducted under glasshouse conditions to evaluate response of some cowpea genotypes to Arbuscular Mycorrhiza. It was a 2 x 6 factorial experiment comprising factors of mycorrhizal inoculation (M) with AM fungal inoculum (M1) and without AM fungal inoculum (M0), and of plant genotypes (G) with Gf (a cowpea inbred line), Gm (a mung bean inbred line), Gh1, Gh2, Gh3 and Gh4 (the 1st, 2sd, 3rd and 4th generation of cowpea hybrids, derived from cross-breeding Gf x Gm as female and male parents, respectively), and arranged in a completely randomized design with 9 replicated pots, where plants were grown up for 14, 28 and 42 days before harvested serially. Responses of cowpea genotypes to colonization and contribution of mycorrrhizal symbiosis varied greatly. The intensity of plant roots colonized by mycorrhizal fungi was highest on Gf, and it was descent on the cowpea hybrids following their generation order. On the other hand, the highest in plant growth response to mycorrhizal function was on Gm, followed by Gh1 and Gh2. These results indicated that the cross-breed of cowpea and mung bean lines has generated cowpea hybrids that tend to benefit less from mycorrhizal symbiosis for their growth.