Research Progress on the Growth-Promoting Effect of Plant Biostimulants on Crops

A Plant Biostimulant is any substance or microorganism applied to plants to enhance nutrition efficiency,abioticstress tolerance,and/or crop quality traits,regardless of its nutrient content.The application of Plant biostimulants(PBs)in production can reduce the application of traditional pesticides and chemical fertilizers and improvethe quality and yield of crops,which is conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture.An in-depthunderstanding of the mechanism and effect of various PBs is very important for how to apply PBs reasonablyand effectively in the practice of crop production.This paper summarizes the main classification of PBs;Thegrowth promotion mechanism of PBs was analyzed from four aspects:improving soil physical and chemical properties,enhancing crop nutrient absorption capacity,photosynthesis capacity,and abiotic stress tolerance;At thesame time,the effects of PBs application on seed germination,seedling vigor,crop yield,and quality were summarized;Finally,how to continue to explore and study the use and mechanism of PBs in the future is analyzedand prospected,to better guide the application of PBs in crop production in the future.

Study of Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on Fruit Quality of Table Grape

The effects of different treatments on the seedlessness and fruit quality of‘Miguang’table grape was studied by using plant growth regulators,gibberellin acid(GA 3)and forchlorfenuron(CPPU),under different concentrations and application time.The results showed that the effects of different treatments on the seedlessness and fruit quality were different.Seedless rate,cluster weight,berry weight,berry shape index,soluble solid content,total acid content,soluble solids to acidity ratio,pulling resistance,turgor pressure and flesh firmness without skin were comprehensively evaluated,as a result of which,the optimum treatment on‘Miguang’table grape was to apply with GA 320 mg/L+SM 200 mg/L at one week before bloom and GA 325 mg/L+CPPU 3 mg/L at two weeks after bloom.

The Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Physico-Chemical Properties of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Derived Biodiesel

Global concerns about the environmental impact of combustion emissions from petroleum fuels influence new research to seek for alternative energy sources. The current study investigates the possibility of using safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) as an alternative biodiesel raw material. Four plant growth regulators (PGR) were used to boost the production of safflower. Thirteen treatments were constituted from the four plant regulators and applied to the safflower crop arranged in completely randomised design, repeated three times. The results show that the effect of plant growth regulators was not more than that of the control. More studies have to be channelled towards the relationship between safflower and plant growth regulators.

Influence of Plant Growth Regulators on Pollen Germination and Growth of Xinjiang Apricots

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the influence of different plant growth regulators on apricot pollen germination and pollen tube growth. [Method] Pollens of six kinds of Xinjiang apricots were cultured in solid media supplemented with five plant growth regulators （GA3 , NAA, 2, 4-D, 6-BA, IAA）. Then the rate of pollen germination and the length of pollen tube were respectively measured. [Result] In a certain concentration range, GA3 most significantly promoted the pollen germination and the pollen tube growth of Shushanggan, Kalayulvke, Dayoujia, Yiliakeyulvke and Kabakehuanna; NNA had the strongest improvement function on Kumaiti’s pollen germination and pollen tube growth. [Conclusion] All the five plant growth regulators promoted the pollen germination and the pollen tube growth of apricots at low concentration but inhibited them at high concentration.

Effects of Plant Growth Regulator on Absorption,Circulation and Contents of Potassium in Flue-cured Tobacco

[Objective] This study was to investigate the effects of plant growth regulator on accumulation and circulation of potassium in flue-cured tobacco.[Methods] Hydroponics experiment was adopted to study the effects of plant growth regulator（NAA,GA3,BR） on accumulation and circulation of potassium in flue-cured tobacco.[Results] The BR treatment increased the absorption of potassium,calcium and magnesium in flue-cured tobacco,reduced the potassium emission from the root,enhanced the accumulation and contents and promoted the circulation of potassium in the tobacco plants.There was no statistical difference between the NAA and GA3 treatment.And BR treatment was 0.52%,0.30%,0.28% higher than NAA treatment in enhancing potassium content in tobacco plants at 2,7,12 d after topping.In a word,the results showed that BR treatment was the most.[Conclusion] BR treatment could effectively enhance potassium content in tobacco plants after topping.

Research Progress of Mechanism of Action of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria

The paper first introduces the definition and classification of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria （PGPR）, then reviews the research achievements on the mechanism of action of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, including growth pro-moting mechanism and bio-control mechanism, subsequently lists the use of excel-lent plant growth promoting rhizobacteria strains in recent years, especial y Pseu-domonas and Bacil us strains, and final y discusses problems existing in this area and points out issues requiring further exploration, including PGPR screening meth-ods, preservation methods, mechanism of action, in order to commercialize PGPR as soon as possible and practical y realize its application to production.

Dwarfing effects of plant growth regulators on narcissi

The effects of four kinds of plant growth regulators with different concentrations on narcissi were studied in 2001. The results showed that the regulators could inhibit the growths of height and leaves of narcissi. Of the four regulators, the dwarfing effects of paclobatrazol (PP333) and uniconazole (S3307) on narcissi were better than those of chlorocholine (CCC) and dimethyl amino-sussinamic acid (B9). All of the regulators did not have significant effect on the root length. Moreover, the time of flowering was later for the narcissi treated with regulators than that of the control to a certain extent, and the range delayed was from 2 days to 19 days. The correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant correlation between the time of flowering and the concentrations of regulators. The ornament value of narcissi was obviously improved by using the regulators.

Effects of Planting Density, Duration of Disclosing Plastic Film and Nitrogen Fertilization on the Growth Dynamics of Rapeseed under No-tillage Cultivation

[ Objective] This study was to understend the optimized combination of planting density, duration of disclosing plastic film and nitrogen fertilization under no-tillage cultivation. [ Method] Quadratic polynomial regression and saturated D-optimal design were employed to investigate the effects of planting density, duration of disclosing plastic film and nitrogen fertilization on the dynamics growth of rapeseed under no-tillage cultivation.[ Result] Within the experimental range, the growth dynamics of no-tillage cultivated rapeseed assumed a rise-fall tend. For the effects to the growth dynamics of no-tillage cultivated rapeseed, nitrogen application amount was higher than planting density and duration of disclosing plastic film. The interaction effect between planting density and duration of disclosing plastic film was higher than that between nitrogen application amount and planting density, and between nitrogen application amount and duration of disclosing plastic film. [ Conclusion] The optimized combination of these factors for dynamic growth of rapeseed under no-tillage cultivation was determined to be： planting density of per hectare 154 925 individuals, duration of disclosing plastic film of 110 d, nitrogen application amount of 315 kg/hm^2.

Influences of Carbon Sources and Plant Growth Regulators on Anther Culture Efficiency of Pepper

[Objective]In order to increase anther culture efficiency of pepper.[Method]MS culture media and Bolajiaohong were used in this experiment to study the influences of carbon sources and concentrations on anther callus induction of pepper.Jiayu was taken as a material to study influences of plant growth regulators and concentrations on anther callus induction of pepper according to L16（4^5） orthogonal design.[Result]The average callus and embryoid induction rates of maltose at all concentrations were higher than these of sucrose but the difference was not significant.Taking maltose or sucrose as a carbon source,3% to 6% concentration was good for increasing induction frequencies of calli and embryoids.However,If the concentration was over 6%,the induction rates were declined dramatically with the increase of sugar concentration.The influences of growth regulators on induction rate of calli were listed as 2,4-D﹥ZT﹥NAA﹥KT﹥6-BA;the influences on induction rates of embryoids were listed as 2,4-D﹥NAA﹥ZT﹥KT﹥6-BA.The 2,4-D,ZT,NAA and KT had signficant or extremely significant influences on induction rates of calli and embryoids.2,4-D,ZT at 1.0 mg/L and NNA,KT at 0.5 mg/L had the best effects.The influences of ZT on calli and embryoids were better than those of KT and 6-BA.1.0 mg/L 2,4-D ＋1.0 mg/L ZT ＋0.5 mg/L KT ＋0.5 mg/L 6-BA was the best regulator combination for induction culture of Jiayu anther.[Conclusion]The experiment provided research basis for anther culture of pepper.

Effect of vernalization and plant growth regulators on flowering of Onithogalum ‘Chesapeake Snowflake’

The effect of vernalization and two growth regulators Fascination^TM and Pro-Gibb^R on the growth, inflorescence development and flowering of Omithogalurrt Chesapeake Snowflake＇ was studied. Regardless of growth regulator treatment, chilling bulbs for 3 weeks at 10℃ before planting accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 5 to 6 days, elongated floral stem length by 1.5 to 2 cm and shortened leaf length by 4 to 5 cm as compared with non-chilled bulbs. When bulbs were chilled 3 weeks at 10℃ before planting, Fascination 2% and Pro-Gibb accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 2 to 6 days respectively as compared with the control. When bulbs were not chilled before planting, Fascination 2% and Pro-Gibb accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 6 to12 days respectively as compared with the control. The lengths of the leaves and the inflorescences were not affected by PGR treatment. Higher rates of Pro-Gibb （100 mg.L^-1 and 200 mg.L^-1） and more amount of Fascination 2%（100 μL and 200 μL） can cause abortion of inflorescence.

Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on the Contents of Reducing Sugar and Starch in Potato(Solanum tuberosum L.)

[Objective] The aim was to investigate the effects of plant growth regulators on contents of reducing sugar and starch in potato（Solanum tuberosum L.）.[Method]A potato cultivar named ＇Holand-212＇ with three treatments by spraying Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate（DTA-6）,Uniconazole（S3307）and SOD mimics（SODM）were employed to compare differences of the contents of reducing sugar and starch in potato leaves,stolons and tubers in a field experiment.[Result]DTA-6 treatment could significantly reduce the contents of starch and reducing sugar in potato stolons in the period of 100-110 d after seeding,and it could also reduce the content of reducing sugar in tubers,but there is an opposite result in leaves in the same period,significantly.S3307 could extremely significantly increase the content of starch,and can promote the transfer of starch in stolons,in addition,it also could reduce the content of reducing sugar in tubers,and extremely significantly increase the content of starch in leaves at the 110 d after sowing.Moreover,there is a similar effect between SODM and S3307.[Conclusion]The research results are significant for understanding mechanisms of plant growth regulators and promoting application of plant growth regulator in potato.

对《Plant Growth Modeling and Applications》一书的评介

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A meta-analysis of experimental warming effects on woody plant growth and photosynthesis in forests

Increasing field experiments have been conducted in forests to better understand the response of plant growth and photosynthesis to climatic warming. However,it is still unknown whether there is a general pattern in relation to how and to what extent warming impacts woody plants in forests. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the warming effects. When temperatures increased between 0.3 and 10 ℃, specific leaf area(SLA) was significantly increased by 5.9%, plant height by 7.8%, biomass by 21.9%, foliar calcium(Ca) and manganese(Mn) concentrations by 20.7% and 39.6% and net photosynthetic rate(Pn) by 9.9%. Enhanced growth and Pn may have a relationship with changing SLA, efficiency of PSⅡ(photosystem Ⅱ), photosynthetic pigment concentrations and foliar nutrients. The results will be useful to understand the underlying mechanisms of forests responding to global warming.

Effects of vegetable oil residue after soil extraction on physical-chemical properties of sandy soil and plant growth

Vegetable oil has the ability to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)from contaminated sandy soil for a remediation purpose,with some of the oil remaining in the soil.Although most of the PAHs were removed,the risk of residue oil in the soil was not known.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the vegetable oil residue on higher plant growth and sandy soil properties after soil extraction for a better understanding of the soil remediation.Addition of sunflower oil and column ex...

Advanced Backcross QTL Analysis for the Whole Plant Growth Duration Salt Tolerance in Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Salinity is a major factor limiting rice yield in coastal areas of Asia. To facilitate breeding salt tolerant rice varieties, the wholeplant growth duration salt tolerance（ST） was genetically dissected by phenotyping two sets of BC2F5 introgression lines（ILs） for four yield traits under severe natural salt stress and non-stress filed conditions using SSR markers and the methods of advanced backcross QTL（AB-QTL） analysis and selective introgression. Many QTLs affecting four yield traits under salt stress and nonstress conditions were identified, most（〉90%） of which were clustered in 13 genomic regions of the rice genome and involved in complex epistasis. Most QTLs affecting yield traits were differentially expressed under salt stress and non-stress conditions. Our results suggested that genetics complementarily provides an adequate explanation for the hidden genetic diversity for ST observed in both IL populations. Some promising Huanghuazhan（HHZ） ILs with favorable donor alleles at multiple QTLs and significantly improved yield traits under salt stress and non-stress conditions were identified, providing excellent materials and relevant genetic information for improving rice ST by marker-assisted selection（MAS） or genome selection.

Pure and Mixed Plantations of <i>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</i>and <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i>: Their Growth Interactions and Effect on Diversity and Density of Undergrowth Woody Plants in Relation to Light

Published results on the growth interactions of non-nitrogen fixing mixed plantations species, and their impact on the regeneration of woody plants are scant. This paper addresses the growth interactions of pure and mixed plantations of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Cupressus lusitanica and their impact on the regeneration of woody plants in relation with light. Data on the regenerated woody plants, individual characteristics of the plantation species and light reaching under the canopies were collected using sample plots (n = 4) with a size of 20 m × 20 m for each plantation type. The result showed that, E. camaldulensis was suppressing the growth of C. lusitanica while its growth was favored when it was mixed with C. lusitanica (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the pure and mixed plantations in their diversity and density of undergrowth woody plants (p > 0.05). Density of plantation trees were found not having a significant relationship with diversity of species (p = 0.801). There was a significant but not direct relationship between light reached in the understory of the canopies and diversity of species in the plantations (p = 0.027). Overall, the result indicated that both the pure and the mixed plantations were favoring the recruitment of woody plants.

Effects of plant growth regulators, carbon sources and pH values on callus induction in Aquilaria malaccensis leaf explants and characteristics of the resultant calli

The endangered tropical tree, Aquilaria malaccensis, produces agarwood for use in fragrance and medicines. Efforts are currently un-derway to produce valuable agarwood compoundsn tissue culture. The purpose of this study was to develop an optimal growth medium, specif-ically, the best hormone combination for callus suspension culture. Using nursery-grown A. malaccensis, sterilized leaf explants were first incu-bated on basic Murashige and Skoog （MS） gel medium containing 15g/L sucrose and at pH 5.7. Different auxin types including 1-naphthaleneacetic acid （NAA）, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid （2,4-D）, and indole-3-butyric acid （IBA）, were tested at various concentrations （0.55, 1.1 and 1.65 μM） using the basic medium. Leaf explants were incubated for 30 days in the dark. Callus induced by 1.1 μM NAA had the highest biomass dry weight （DW） of 17.3 mg;however the callus was of a compact type. This auxin concentration was then combined with either 6-benzylaminopurine （BAP） or kinetin at 0.55, 1.1, 2.2 or 3.3 μM to induce growth of friable callus. The 1.1μM NAA＋2.2μM BAP com-bination produced friable callus with the highest biomass （93.3mg DW）. When testing the different carbon sources and pHs, sucrose at 15g/L and pH at 5.7 yielded highest biomasses at 87.7mg and 83mg DW, respec-tively. Microscopic observations revealed the arrangement of the friable cells as loosely packed with relatively large cells, while for the compact callus, the cells were small and densely packed. We concluded that MS medium containing 15 g/L sucrose, 1.1 μM NAA ＋ 2.2 μM BAP hor-mone combination, and a pH of 5.7 was highly effective for inducing friable callus from leaf explants of A. malaccensis for the purpose of establishing cell suspension culture.

Research Progress on Nitrogen Use and Plant Growth

The application of nitrogen （N） fertilizers in agriculture has been increasing dramatically since 1970s. However, the over-fertilization causes could cause environmental problems, as well as low N use efficiency （NUE）. Promoting NUE in plants and minimizing the environmental impacts of N fertilizers had been the focus of the current research. We reviewed the importance of N, N metabolism and plant growth, plant N physiology and the molecular aspect of N metabolism in this paper. The future development of N use and NUE of plants was also discussed.

Plant growth and their root development after inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in coal mine subsided areas

Coal mining often cause serious land degradation, soil erosion, and desertification affecting growth of the local vegetation, especially the roots. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF） inoculation is considered a potential biotechnological tool for mined soil remediation because mycorrhizal fungi could improve plant growth environment, especially under adverse conditions due to their good symbiosis. A field experiment was conducted to study the ecological effects of AMF （Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices） on the growth of Amygdalus pedunculata Pall. and their root development in the regenerated mining subsidence sandy land. The reclamation experiment included four treatments： inoculation of Funneliformis mosseae （F.m）, inoculation of Rhizophagus intraradices （R.i）, combined inoculation of F.m and R.i and non-inoculated treatment. Root mycorrhizal colonization, plant height, crown width, soil moisture, root morphology and certain soil properties were assessed. The results showed that AMF improved the shoot and root growth of Amygdalus pedunculata Pall., and significantly increased root colonization after 1 year of inoculation. Available phosphorus content, activities of phosphatase as well as electrical conductivity in soil rhizosphere of all the three inoculation treatments were higher than that of the non-inoculated treatment. AMF increased the quantity of bacteria and fungi in soil rhizosphere compared with the non-inoculated treatment. Our study indicates that revegetation with AMF inoculum could influence plant growth and root development as well as soil properties, suggesting that AMF inoculation can be effective method for further ecological restoration in coal mine subsided areas.

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation on Plant Growth and Phthalic Ester Degradation in Two Contaminated Soils

A 60-day pot experiment was carried out using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) as a typical organic pollutant phthalic ester and cowpea (Vigna sinensis) as the host plant to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on plant growth and degradation of DEHP in two contaminated soils, a yellow-brown soil and a red soil. The air-dried soils were uniformly sprayed with different concentrations of DEHP, inoculated or left uninoculated with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, and planted with…