Enriching Iodine and Regulating Grain Aroma,Appearance Quality,and Yield in Aromatic Rice by Foliar Application of Sodium Iodide

Applying iodine fertilizers to cultivate iodine-rich crops for daily intake is an effective approach for iodine supplementation,especially for aromatic rice.Field experiments were conducted during the early growing seasons of 2021 and 2022 to evaluate the impacts of foliar application of iodine fertilizer on aromatic rice and to explore the optimal iodine fertilizer concentration.At the full heading stage,six different concentrations of sodium iodide solutions of 0%(CK),0.010%(T1),0.025%(T2),0.050%(T3),0.075%(T4),and 0.100%(T5)were applied to indica aromatic rice cultivars Meixiangzhan 2 and Xiangyaxiangzhan.The results showed that sodium iodide treatments significantly increased the iodine and sodium contents in both leaves and grains.Compared with the CK,the T1 and T2 treatments increased the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline(2-AP)content in mature grains by 8.41%-101.66%and 13.58%-74.60%,respectively.Improvements in the contents of 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid,proline,1-pyrroline,and methylglyoxal,as well as the activity of proline dehydrogenase were also detected.Additionally,sodium iodide treatments remarkably decreased the chalky grain rate,chalkiness area,and chalkiness degree of aromatic rice,with the T2 treatment exhibiting a 17.79%-47.42%decrease in chalkiness degree compared with the CK.Meanwhile,T1 and T2 treatments showed beneficial impacts on chlorophyll content,photosynthetic characteristics,and yield components,while T3,T4,and T5 treatments exhibited adverse effects on leaf and grain yields.The linear discriminant analysis revealed significant differences between treatments.The correlation analysis and piecewise structural equation modeling showed that the iodine and sodium influenced the photosynthetic characteristics and chlorophyll content of the leaves,thereby regulating the 2-AP biosynthesis and yield components,ultimately affecting the 2-AP content and yield.Overall,this study suggests that foliar application of 0.025%sodium iodide is an effective method to enrich the iodine content in rice grains,improve the grain aroma and appearance quality of aromatic rice,without detrimental effects on grain yield.

The Impact of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria, Iron, and Zinc Foliar Application on Dry Land Yellow Mustard (Brassica juncea) Grain and Oil Production

The study, conducted at the Research Farm of the College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz in 2021, focused on the effects of various nitrogen-fixing bacterial isolates, biofertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as iron and zinc foliar applications on mustard growth under rainfed conditions. The results indicated that biofertilizers, whether used alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers, produced comparable grain and oil outputs compared to chemical fertilizers alone. Additionally, the application of iron and zinc through foliar spraying significantly enhanced both grain and oil production. These findings suggest that integrating nitrogen-fixing bacteria and biofertilizers could reduce reliance on chemical nitrogenous fertilizers, leading to decreased production expenses, improved product quality, and minimized environmental impact. This study highlights the potential for sustainable agricultural practices in dry land farming as a viable alternative to traditional chemical-intensive methods. Substituting chemical nitrogenous fertilizers with nitrogen-fixing bacteria or biofertilizers could result in cost savings in mustard grain and oil production while promoting environmental sustainability.

Foliar Application of Benzothiadiazole and Salicylic Acid to Combat Sheath Blight Disease of Rice

A field study was undertaken to ascertain the effects of elicitors viz. benzothiadiazole （BTH） and salicylic acid （SA） on defense related enzymes viz. peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, superoxide dismutase, chitinase and 13-1,3-glucanase, and phenols in rice （Pusa Basmati I） plants. First foliar spray of BTH （50 mg/kg） and SA （50 mg/kg） was done at the maximum tillering stage and inoculation with Rhizoctonia solani was carried 24 h after elicitor treatment. Elicitors were further sprayed at every growth stage. Time course analysis showed peak accumulation of defense related enzymes and phenols in the rice leaves treated with BTH and SA, and accumulation was the highest at the flowering stage. Higher enzymatic activity was observed in elicitor treated plants inoculated with R. solani. Compared to the untreated control plants, application of elicitors before R. solani inoculation significantly elicited the defense related enzymes and phenols. Moreover, application of elicitors had a positive effect on yield and disease reduction. It is suggested that pretreatment of rice leaves with BTH and SA could be used to enhance the level of protection against sheath blight and to improve rice yield in the fields.

Effect of Foliar Application of Iron on Seasonal Changes of Minerals Composition in Petioles and Berries of Halwani Lebanon and Kamali Grape Cultivars （Vitis vinifera L,）

A field experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 growing seasons, to study the effect of foliar application of iron-chelated ＂Fe-EDTA＂ at concentration 0, 100 and 200 mg/L on the seasonal dynamic of mineral composition of N, P, K, Fe and Zn in petioles and berries of Halwani Lebanon and Kamali grape cultivars, grown on a calcareous soil in Mosul region, Iraq. The results revealed that the foliar application of 200 mg Fe/L caused a significant increase of N, P, K, Fe and Zn concentrations in petioles and berries compared with the control for both seasons. Additionally, the N, P, K, Fe and Zn concentration in petioles were high at the beginning of the growth season, whereas, decrease towards in the end of the growth season in both cultivars and seasons. While the N, P, K, Fe and Zn in berry content was increased towards from berry set to veraison and ripening stage in both cultivars and seasons. So there are various element contents in the cultivars.

Comparative Effect of Foliar Application of Cow Dung, Wood Ash and Benlate on the Disease Initiation and Development of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Coniella musaiensis Var. Hibisci. in Makurdi, Central Nigeria

A study on the comparative effect of cow dung, wood ash and benlate for the control of leaf spot disease of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) was carried out following the preparation and foliar application of the materials on selected Roselle plants of the green and red accessions (Acc1 & Acc3) in the field. The cow dung was fermented for 14 days while sour milk was added to wood ash, dissolved and all filtered and labeled. The spraying commenced soon after the plants were thinned to one and was done weekly until after 50% of the plants had flowered. Results showed significant (p = 0.05) difference between benlate, the synthetic fungicide and the bio-fertilizers (cow dung and wood ash) for the two years of the study. Disease severity was significantly lower in the benlate than in the bio-fertilizers. There was no significant difference in yield between the treatments although higher yield was recorded in benlate. Though the bio-fertilizers could not suppress infection, they aided the growth of the plants by boosting luxuriant growth. The result showed that these bio-fertilizers cannot be used as substitute to the synthetic fungicide for the control of this leaf spot disease caused by Coniella musaiensis var. hibisci. However, since they give equally good yield the bio-fertilizers can still be used to minimize the reliance upon use of chemical fungicides.

Analysis on Demonstration Application of Silicon Fertilizer in Field Cultivation of Rice

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the scientific application of silicon fertilizer in rice cultivation,one of the staple crops.[Methods]In 2022,Yandu District carried out a special experiment and field demonstration study on the effects of foliar application of Zhengda water-soluble silicon fertilizer on rice production.[Results]The preliminary results showed that①Zhengda water-soluble silicon fertilizer could effectively improve the growth and development of rice and improve the population quality.The peak number of tillers,productive tiller percentage,number of effective panicles and number of effective grains per panicle increased by 6.7%,5.8%,5.5%,and 1.2%,respectively.②The yield and processing quality were improved.After applying silicon fertilizer,the yield per unit area increased by about 6.8%,and the unpolished rice yield,milled rice yield and head rice yield increased by 0.7%,1.94%and 2.15%respectively.[Conclusions]The demonstration application of silicon fertilizer in field cultivation of rice in Yandu District further proves previous research conclusions and has important practical significance.

Grain zinc and iron concentrations of Chinese wheat landraces and cultivars and their responses to foliar micronutrient applications

Grain zinc(Zn) and iron(Fe) concentrations and their responses to foliar application of micronutrients in 28 Chinese wheat landraces and 63 cultivars were investigated in a two-year field experiment. The average grain Zn and Fe concentrations were 41.8 mg kg^(-1)(29.0-63.3 mg kg^(-1)) and 39.7 mg kg^(-1)(27.9-67.0 mg kg^(-1)), respectively. Compared with cultivars, landraces had greater grain Zn(11.0%) and Fe(4.8%) concentrations but lower harvest index(HI), grain weight per spike(GWS), grain number per spike(GNS) and thousand grain weight(TGW). Both Zn and Fe concentrations were negatively and significantly correlated with HI, GWS, and GNS, while showed a poor association with TGW, suggesting that lower HI, GWS, and GNS, but not TGW, accounted for higher Zn and Fe concentrations for landraces than for cultivars. Grain Zn concentrations of both cultivars and landraces significantly increased after foliar Zn spray and the increase was two-fold greater for landraces(12.6 mg kg^(-1)) than for cultivars(6.4 mg kg^(-1)). Foliar Fe spray increased grain Fe concentrations of landraces(3.4 mg kg^(-1)) and cultivars(1.2 mg kg^(-1)), but these increases were not statistically significant. This study showed that Chinese wheat landraces had higher grain Zn and Fe concentrations than cultivars, and greater increases occurred in grain Zn concentration than in grain Fe concentration in response to fertilization, suggesting that Chinese wheat landraces could serve as a potential genetic source for enhancing grain mineral levels in modern wheat cultivars.

Effects of micronutrients foliar application on rice (Oryza Sativa L. cv. Shiroodi) morphological traits, yield and yield components

In order to assess the effect of micronutrients(Mn,Zn,Fe,Cu and B)on rice metabolism and performance,research implemented in the form of randomized complete block design with 8 treatments(T0 Control,T1-T7 one to seven spraying)with 3 replications.The location of this research was the Rice Research Institution of Iran(Mazandaran)during two consecutive years(2017 and 2018 cultivation seasons).The results demonstrate that the effect of micronutrients foliar application is significant at the 1%level of probability of some traits such as plant wet weight,12 plants yield,and leaf area.Also,it is significant at the 5%level of probability of some traits such as the number of tillers/plant,80 plants yield,cluster length,leaf color chart and 1000 grains weight.In this relation,the interaction of year*foliar application was significant for the studied traits.The purpose of this study was to evaluation of micronutrients effect on rice plant.Pursuant to the results,it can be significantly concluded that the micronutrients furnish through the leaf application can influence on rice yield and yield components.This event is justifiable by micronutrients role in the plant metabolic procedures and enzymes activation that affects crops vegetative growth and productivity.Furthermore,the postponement time can be decreased by the leaf spraying of the micronutrients and this is vital for rice plant during the rapid growth phase.The results are significantly evident that one leaf spraying of essential micronutrients will impress on rice yield.

Application of Zinc, Iron and Boron Enhances Productivity and Grain Biofortification of Mungbean

Deficiencies of essential vitamins,iron(Fe),and zinc(Zn)affect over one-half of the world’s population.A significant progress has been made to control micronutrient deficiencies through supplementation,but new approaches are needed,especially to reach the rural poor.Agronomic biofortification of pulses with Zn,Fe,and boron(B)offers a pragmatic solution to combat hidden hunger instead of food fortification and supplementation.Moreover,it also has positive effects on crop production as well.Therefore,we conducted three separate field experiments for two consecutive years to evaluate the impact of soil and foliar application of the aforementioned nutrients on the yield and seed biofortification of mungbean.Soil application of Zn at 0,4.125,8.25,Fe at 0,2.5,5.0 and B at 0,0.55,1.1 kg ha−1 was done in the first,second and third experiment,respectively.Foliar application in these experiments was done at 0.3%Zn,0.2%Fe and 0.1%B respectively one week after flowering initiation.Data revealed that soil-applied Zn,Fe and B at 8.25,5.0 and 1.1 kg ha−1,respectively,enhanced the grain yield of mungbean;however,this increase in yield was statistically similar to that recorded with Zn,Fe and B at 4.125,2.5 and 0.55 kg ha−1,respectively.Foliar application of these nutrients at flower initiation significantly enhanced the Zn contents by 28%and 31%,Fe contents by 80%and 78%,while B contents by 98%and 116%over control during 2019 and 2020,respectively.It was concluded from the results that soil application of Zn,Fe,and B enhanced the yield performance of mungbean;while significant improvements in seed Zn,Fe,and B contents were recorded with foliar application of these nutrients.

Distribution and accumulation of zinc and nitrogen in wheat grain pearling fractions in response to foliar zinc and soil nitrogen applications

Increasing zinc(Zn)concentration in wheat grain is important to minimize human dietary Zn deficiency.This study aimed to investigate the effect of foliar Zn and soil nitrogen(N)applications on the accumulation and distribution of N and Zn in grain pearling fractions,N remobilization,and the relationships between nutrient concentration in the vegetative tissues and grain or its fractions in two cropping years in the North China Plain.The results showed a progressive decrease in N and Zn concentrations from the outer to the inner parts of grain,with most of the accumulation in the core endosperm.Foliar Zn application significantly increased N concentration in the pericarp,and soil N application increased N concentration in each grain fraction.Both treatments significantly increased core endosperm Zn concentration.Foliar Zn had no effect on grain N and Zn distribution.Soil N application made N concentrated in the aleurone,promoted Zn translocation to the core endosperm and also increased N remobilization and its efficiency from the shoot to the grain,but no improved contribution to grain was found.N concentration in grain and its fractions were positively correlated with N in vegetative organs at anthesis and maturity,while positive correlations were obtained between N concentration in the pericarp and progressive central area of the endosperm and Zn concentration in the core endosperm.Thus,foliar Zn and soil N applications effectively increased yield and N and Zn concentrations in the wheat grain,particularly in the endosperm,and could be promising strategies to address Zn deficiency.

Interactive Effects of Silicon and Potassium Nitrate in Improving Salt Tolerance of Wheat

Adequate regulation of mineral nutrients might be effective to ameliorate the deleterious effects of salts and help to sustain crop productivity, particularly in glycophytes, under salt stress. In this study, laboratory and greenhouse experiments were carried out at Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Centre in East Azerbaijan, Iran, to investigate the interactive effects of silicon and potassium nitrate in alleviating NaCl induced injuries in wheat（Triticum aestivum L.）. In the laboratory experiment, three winter wheat cultivars Pishgam, Afagh and Alvand were grown on sterile filter paper moistened with 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mmol L-1 NaCl solution. Results revealed that wheat cultivars were significantly different in their growth response to different concentrations of NaCl and Pishgam was found to be the most tolerant to NaCl stress, and used in the second part of study. In the greenhouse experiment, Pishgam was grown in a hydroponic system subjected to different NaCl levels（20, 60 and 100 mmol L-1） and treated by silicon（0, 2 and 4 mmol L-1, final concentration in nutrient solution using K2SiO3） and potassium nitrate（0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mmol L-1, foliar application）. The experimental design was factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. It was found that NaCl stress significantly increased proline accumulation and sodium content in the plant tissues while decreased potassium uptake and accumulation by plants. Moreover, plant weight, 100-seed weight, relative water content, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis were also significantly affected by varying levels of NaCl. However, exogenous application of silicon and potassium nitrate reduced sodium uptake, increased potassium and consequently improved plant weight, 100-seed weight, seed yield, ear length, and photosynthesis rate. This study suggested that utilization of the salt-tolerant cultivar（Pishgam） combined with proper foliar application of potassium nitrate（2 mmol L-1） and silicon（4 mmol L-1） at the wheat booting stage might be a promising approach to obtain higher grain yield on saline lands.

Effect of Different Fertilizing Methods on Zinc Nutrition in Zn-Deficiency Apple Trees

Red Fuji apple trees of Zn-deficiency were used as material in the experiment. The effect of different Zn application methods on the regularity of Zn transportation and nutrition was studied. It was found that the storage of Zn in the branches was greatly increased by foliar application of the solution of 15% ZnSO4·7H2O before abscission. It had advantage to keep suitable Zn content in leaves, branches and roots, as well as between Zn and P and K, which increased Zn transportation and reusability. Zn content in roots increased when Zn was used in soil in autumn. However, the absorbed Zn did not transport to the top of the plant. It was used by the plant next year. Foliar application of ZnSO4·7H2O at early stage of the plant growth enhanced Zn content of the branch. However, the effect was kept for a short time. It had little effect on Zn transportation when Zn was sprayed three weeks after blossoming.

Management of cotton bollworms Helicoverpa armigera and Earias vittella by ento mopathogenic nematodes

Background: The bollworm complex consisting of Helicoverpa armigera and Earias vittella is a major threat in cotton production globally. The habit of developing resistance to many insecticides including Bt transgenic cotton necessitates the exploration of an alternate strategy to manage bollworms. The entomopathogenic nematodes(EPN) Steinernema carpocapsae strain APKS2 and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora strains KKMH1 and TRYH1 at different concentrations of 1 × 10^(9) infective juveniles(IJs)·hm^(-2), 2 × 10^(9)IJs.hm^(-2), and 3×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) in 500 L of water were evaluated as a foliar spray in fields naturally infested with H.armigera and F.vittella located at Eastern Block and and Cotton Research Farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbaotre, India during October 2010–February 2011 and October 2011–February 2012, respectively.Results: In general, all three tested EPN strains reduced the larval population of H. armigera and E. vittella;reduced square and boll damage;and subsequently increased cotton yield compared with the untreated control. The S. carpocapsae APKS2 is most e ective against H. armigera whereas both S. carpocapsae APKS2 and H. bacteriophora KKMH1 were equally effective against E. vittella. The higher dose of 3×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) was highly significant in the reduction of H. armigera larvae. However, the doses 2×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2)and 3×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) were equally effective for E. vittella control. The S. carpocapsae APKS2 at 3×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) caused a 62.2% reduction of H. armigera larvae, 34% reduction of square damage, 58.5% reduction of boll damage, and yielded 45.5% more seed cotton than the untreated control plots. In E. vittella infested field, S. carpocapsae strain APKS2 and H. bacteriophora strain KKMH1 at 2×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2)resulted in 60.6%~62.4% larva reduction, 68.4%~70.7% square damage reduction, 66.6%~69.9% boll damage reduction and 45.9% yield increase over the untreated control. The effective EPN treatments were comparable to the chemical insecticide chlorpyriphos 20% emulsifiable concentrate spraying at 2 mL·L^(-1).Conclusions: This study has shown that EPN have great potential in the management of the bollworm complex in cotton. Foliar spraying EPN strain S. carpocapsae(APKS2) at 3×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) and S. carpocapsae(APKS2) or H. bacteriophora(KKMH1) at 2×10^(9)IJs·hm^(-2) five times at 10days intervals are the best for the management of H. armigera and E. vittella, respectively.

Evaluation of N Fertilizers Effects on Grape Based on the Expression of N Metabolic Genes

In order to study the influence of different types of N fertilizers on grapevine(Vitis labruscana ‘Black Summer') trees were used as experiment materials and fertilizers foliar application trails were conducted in the flowering and veraison stages. The expression levels of five grapevine N metabolic genes, including Vv GHD, Vv Ni R, Vv NR, Vv GS and Vv AS, were analyzed, some physiological traits including the flower and fruit dropping rate, leaves and shoots growth rate, chlorophyll content and the fruit size of grape berry were also investigated. The results showed that,in general, the expression levels of the five N metabolic genes were increased after foliar applied different types of N fertilizers in the two periods.N metabolic genes showed similar expression patterns toward the same type of fertilizer in the two periods, whereas foliar applied different types of N fertilizers, their expression patterns changed. Moreover, the N fertilizer which had stronger and longer influence on the N metabolic genes could enhance the physiology traits more dramatically. Given the gene expression levels and the changes of physiology traits, we conclude that urea and ammonium nitrate have the best effect on grapevine; calcium nitrate can help to reduce the flower and berry dropping rate; ammonium sulphate and sodium nitrate have relatively poor effects on grapevine.