The Impact of Inoculum Preparation Media on Pollutant Removal through Phycoremediation of Agricultural Drainage Water by Desmodesmus sp.

Water is the most essential natural resource for the future development.Agriculture production is extensively water-dependent and a significant polluter of water resources.So,this work investigated the effect of two different preparation media[Bold’s Basal Medium(BBM)and Domiati cheese whey(DCW)]for agricultural drainage water(ADW)remediation.All treatments were incubated for 6 days.According to the results of biomass productivity,specific growth rate,photosynthetic pigments,and biochemical composition,Desmodesmus sp.can grow in drainage water without dilution.The two treatments significantly reduced the concentration of nitrate,phosphate,chemical oxygen demand,and sodium in ADW.Finally,using cheese whey with BBM as inoculum preparation media enhanced the lipid accumulation in the algal biomass(25.4%w/w)and gave the best biodiesel properties among treatments.Therefore,combining remediation of drainage water with microalgae mass production can achieve the sustainability of agriculture.

Effects of Paclobutrazol Seed Priming on Seedlings Quality,Physiological and Bakanae Disease Index Characteristics of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)is one of the most important cereal crops in the world.Bakanae disease is a significant rice disease widely distributed in rice-growing regions worldwide.Therefore,the present investigation aimed to assess the optimal concentrations of paclobutrazol(PBZ)as a treatment for rice grains(cv.Sakha 108)to control bakanae disease,also evaluating its impact on grain germination,seedling growth parameters as well as disease index.Paclobutrazol concentrations had no significant impact on seed germination,regardless of whether the seeds were incubated with Fusarium fujikuroi or not.Application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with fungal pathogens,negatively impacted the rice seedlings’height.Paclobutrazol at 25,50 and 100 mg/L,combined with the fungal pathogen positively impacted root length.Paclobutrazol at 3 and 6 mg/L mitigated the adverse impact on chlorophyll pigments content in infected seedlings.The highest proline contents were achieved by 100 mg/L PBZ alone or in combination with fungal pathogens.It has been observed that the application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with a fungal pathogen,leads to the enhancement of catalase,peroxidase,and polyphenol oxidase activities.The median lethal concentration of PBZ was 0.874 mg/L;applying low concentrations of paclobutrazol effectively increased the percentage of fungal growth suppression.Application of PBZ,at higher concentrations(50 and 100 mg/L),decreased infection percentage and disease severity index(DSI)significantly.These findings suggest that PBZ can be an effective treatment for controlling bakanae disease and enhancing resistance in rice plants.

Potassium-Induced Regulation of Cellular Antioxidant Defense and Improvement of Physiological Processes in Wheat under Water Deficit Condition

Drought is the most common form of abiotic stress that reduces plant growth and productivity.It causes plant injuries through elevated production of reactive oxygen species(ROS).Potassium(K)is a vital plant nutrient that notably ameliorates the detrimental effect of drought stress in the plant.A pot experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Plant Stress Responses,Faculty of Agriculture,Kagawa University,Japan,under controlled environment of green house to explore the role of K in mitigating drought severity in wheat(Triticum asevitum L.)seedlings.Three days after germination,seedlings were exposed to three water regimes viz.,100,50,and 20%field capacity(FC)for 21 days.Potassium was adjusted in Hoagland nutrient solution at 0,6 and 12 mM concentration and applied to pot instead of normal water.Results show that,water deficit stress notably reduced plant growth,biomass accumulation,leaf relative water content(RWC)along with reduced photosynthetic pigments.Increased amount of biochemical stress markers viz.,malondialdehyde(MDA),hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2)),methylglyoxal(MG),proline(Pro)as well as an impaired antioxidant defense system were observed in drought affected wheat plants.On the contrary,K supplementation resulted in improvement of biochemical and physiological parameters that worked behind in improving growth and development of the wheat plants.In addition,enzymes of ascorbateglutathione(AsA-GSH)cycle were also enhanced by supplemented K that accelerated the ROS detoxification process in plant.Although glyoxalse system did not performed well till MG was detoxified might following another short stepped pathways.Our results revealed that drought stressed plants showed better performances in terms of biochemical and physiological attributes,antioxidant defense and glyoxalase system,as well as ROS detoxification due to K supplementation with better performance at 12 mM K added in 50%FC growing condition.

Physical, Chemical and Biochemical Changes of Sweetsop （Annona squamosa L.） and Golden Apple （Spondias citherea Sonner） Fruits during Ripening

This study aimed at the physical, chemical and biochemical changes during ripening of Sweetsop （Annona squamosa L.） and Golden Apple （Spondias citherea Sonner） fruits during ripening as important features to better understand their postharvest handling. It was carried out physical analysis such as firmness and chemical analysis such as total chlorophyll, total carotenoids, soluble solids, pectins and titrable acidity and biochemical analysis such as pectin methyl esterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, and peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities in crude extract. Fruits were harvested at different stages of ripening. Experimental design was completely randomized and was carried out analysis of variance and Tukey tests, Total chlorophyll was decreasing in later stages of ripening, total soluble solid contents increased as the fruits ripen, while the acidity expressed percentage of citric acid decreased during fruits ripening. The loss of firmness and soluble solids content increased as the fruit get ripped stage, while the content of pectin decreased. Activity was observed for pectin methyl esterase and polygalacturonase enzymes during all stages of maturation, presenting the highest activity for both enzymes in the mature state. No cellulase activity detected at any stage during the ripening of these fruits. Activity of the enzyme polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase, associated with pulp browning was higher in the last stages of ripening of these fruits. Physical, chemical and biochemical patterns during ripening were different according to fruit species suggesting differential postharvest handling requirements.

Effect of Different Fertilizer Formulations on Growth and Chlorophyll Content of Greenhouse Grown Macadamia Plants in a Micro Drip-Irrigation System

A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Mahidol University, Thailand from January to May 2009. Macadamia plants were planted in pots with mixed substrate of soil： sand： coconut-coir： rice-husk： charcoal; 3.0： 1.0： 0.5： 1.0, respectively. Micro drip-irrigation system was operated 10：00 to 16：00 h daily with a controller scheduled to pump 12 minutes at 12 intervals. The study showed that application of Enshi tablet （18 tablets/plant/year） in a drip-irrigation system enhances growth of Macadamia compared to the application of OsmocoteTM tablet, Modified-enshi and Enshi solution. Significant variation in chlorophyll （a ＋ b） content was observed in Enshi tablet treatment. Soil chemical analyses indicated that the nutrient content in Enshi tablet appeared low compared to other formulations but nutrient removal was considerably brought down by the system, which gives a balance between nutrient removals by crops and addition through fertilizers. Hence, application of Enshi tablet is suggested for Macadamia in a drip-irrigation system.

Scanning Electron Microscopically Study of Sesame Seeds Infected with Macrophomina phaseolina

The direct impact of seed-borne fungi on seed is considerable. Many fungi are serious parasites of seed primordial and maturing seeds and reduce yield of seed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Other fungi, including saprophytes and very weak parasites, may lower the quality of seeds by causing discoloration which may seriously depreciate the commercial value of seeds, particularly of grain when graded for consumption. Studies by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） confirmed the importance of the seed coat, and seed cells as infection sites as well as location of the mycelium of the investigated fungus. Macrophominaphaseolina The present investigation is undertaken to study the colonization, infection and fungal establishment on different sesame seed parts by （SEM）. A successful colonization of M. phaseolina to seed tissues was also detected. Different forms of pycnidial shapes were also observed.

Study on the Yield and Yield Contributing Characters of Aus Rice Varieties in Various Soil Moisture Levels

The experiment was conducted at the Plant Physiology Laboratory (central laboratory) and Shade house of Field Laboratory of Agricultural Botany Department, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh under a field experiment was also carried out on yield contributing parameters. There were three rice genotypes namely BRRI dhan55 (V1), BR6976-2B-15 (V2) and tolerant check Hashikalmi (V3) and seven water stress were imposed as treatments. The treatments were arranged for 0 days of water stress (control) irrigated continuously throughout the experimental period (T0). When the seedlings were 20 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T1), when the seedlings were 35 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T2), when the seedlings were 55 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T3), when the seedlings were 75 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T4). When the seedlings were 95 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T5) and when the seedlings were 115 days old, water deficit was imposed for seven days (T6). BRRI dhan55 and Hashikalmi produced the highest tillers, grains, number of spikelets and yield. The grain sterility percentage is much higher in BR6976-2B-15 due to water stress treatment compared to other genotypes. Grain yield was the highest in BRRI dhan55 and Hashikalmi and gradually decreased with increased water stress treatment compared to other genotypes. Decreased grain yield per plant under water stress treatment reduction of tillers, panicle, filled grains, root, shoot, spikelet/panicle, panicle dry matter content, and with other causes. The harvest index was decreased due to water stress conditions in all the genotypes while less affected in BRRI dhan55 and Hashikalmi.

Water Stress Effect on Biochemical Processes of Aus Rice Genotypes

An experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from March to July 2014. Plants were grown in the rain-protected polyethylene shelter or shed to avoid rain under natural conditions. The experiment was conducted on biochemical characters of aus rice varieties in various soil moisture levels in three rice genotypes as BRRI dhan55 (V1), BR6976-2B-15 (V2), and tolerant check Hashikalmi (V3), and seven water stress were imposed as treatments. Treatments were 0 days of water stress (control) irrigated continuously throughout the experimental period (T0). From twenty days onwards water stress was imposed for seven days when the age of the seedling was 20 days (T1), 35 days (T2), 55 days (T3), 75 days (T4), 95 days (T5), and 115 days (T6). Our findings suggest that the proline, starch, and sugar content were also found comparatively higher in BRRI dhan55 and Hashikalmi among the genotypes under water stress conditions. Under water stress conditions, proline was accumulated, sugar, and starch were decreased. The soluble sugar content was much lower under water stress conditions due to lower RWC, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and higher leaf rolling. Leaf accumulates anthocyanins under drought conditions and the red color increased as the intensity of water stress increased.

Improvement of Selected Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Banana (Musa acuminata L.) Using Potassium Silicate under Drought Stress Condition Grown in vitro

Drought stress has become more common in recent years as a result of climate change impacts on the production of banana crops and other fruit trees.The growth and productivity of Musa spp are severely impacted by the gradual degradation of water resources and the erratic distribution pattern of annual precipitation amount.The aim of the work includes increased drought tolerance in light of water scarcity in the world as a result of the bananas’being gluttonous for water needs.This investigation was carried out from 2019 to 2020 to study the effect of potassium silicate on morphological growth and biochemical parameters of Musa acuminata L under drought stress by PEG.As a result,drought stress reduced the morphological characteristics such as shoots number,shoot length,roots number,and survival percentage and biochemical characteristics such as chlorophyll a,b,carotenoids,stomatal status,and RWC.While proline content increased in the leaf of M.acuminata L.Media complemented with K2SiO3(2 to 6 mM)either individually or in combination with PEG led to an improvement in all morphological and biochemical characteristics.The activities of CAT,POD,and PPO enzymes increased significantly compared to control.Furthermore,the lowest PPO,CAT,and POD activity were achieved.Additionally,K2SiO3 treatments under drought stress successfully enhanced the leaf stomatal behavior.Our results suggest that K2SiO3 can help to maintain plant integrity in the tested cultivar under drought stress.

Anatomical and Molecular Identification of Ornamental Plant Ficus L.Species

This present study includes twelve species that represent the Ficus genus,namely;aspera,carica,tinctoria subsp.gibbosa,hirta,hispida,neriifolia,palmata,pumila,racemosa,septica,sur,and sycomorus,belonging to the Moraceae family.The species samples were collected from various locations in Egypt.The study focused on the anatomical and molecular characteristics of mature foliage leaves.Since the identification and classification of taxa are highly dependent on the anatomical features of leaves,the anatomical characteristics were recorded in the form of a comparison between the examined plants in the data matrix.This study aims to contribute to the identification of the studied species based on the anatomical details of the matured leaves.Anatomical characterization includes the variations in upper and lower epidermal layers that are covered by a thin or thick cuticle;the number of palisade and spongy layers;crystals;secretory elements;lithocysts;the midrib zone has parenchyma associated with mechanical tissue,vascular system,and investigation of trichomes;on the other hand,in the current study,the phylogenetic analysis was conducted by using the ITS and 5.8 S sequences.From the analysis of all the available data,it could be stated that there is an overall agreement with the anatomical character dendrogram.

Using Environmentally Friendly Hydrogels to Alleviate the Negative Impact of Drought on Plant

The use of natural hydrogels in agriculture provides solutions to many problems without threatening the environment. This study aims to evaluate the potential impact of environmentally friendly hydrogels (pectin, starch and pectin + starch) in reducing the negative effects of drought stress on tomato yield and quality. Two different peels (orange peel and banana peel) are used to prepare environmentally friendly hydrogels. The water retention efficiency of hydrogels has been studied. Greenhouse experiment for tomato under drought stress was conducted during 2019. These hydrogels were used under several level of irrigation (100%, 75%, and 50% FC), soil without hydrogel was used as a control. The results showed that the eco-friendly hydrogels (starch, pectin, and pectin + starch) had capacity retention of water for a long time. The obtained data from the greenhouse experiment showed that the eco-friendly hydrogel showed a positive effect on retention of water and increase the soil moisture content compared to control. The highest increase was observed at pectin + starch treatment. This increase reached to 2.8-, 2.4- and 2.0-fold for 100%, 75% and 50% FC compared to the control. Eco- friendly hydrogel application under different drought conditions led to improve yield and quality of tomato fruits. Moreover, conversion of agricultural wastes to hydrogels and the use of these eco-friendly materials instead of synthetic hydrogels are necessary to utilize the limited natural resources and decrease the harmful impact of agricultural wastes on the environment and pave the way for the transition to a sustainable agriculture system.

Rice-wheat comparative genomics:Gains and gaps

Rice and wheat provide nearly 40%of human calorie and protein requirements.They share a common ancestor and belong to the Poaceae(grass)family.Characterizing their genetic homology is crucial for developing new cultivars with enhanced traits.Several wheat genes and gene families have been characterized based on their rice orthologs.Rice–wheat orthology can identify genetic regions that regulate similar traits in both crops.Rice–wheat comparative genomics can identify candidate wheat genes in a genomic region identified by association or QTL mapping,deduce their putative functions and biochemical pathways,and develop molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding.A knowledge of gene homology facilitates the transfer between crops of genes or genomic regions associated with desirable traits by genetic engineering,gene editing,or wide crossing.