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.

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.

Combining ectomycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to enhance salt tolerance of Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Plant growth and productivity are negatively affected by soil salinity.This study investigated the effects of the rhizosphere-promoting bacterium,Bacillus paramycoides JYZ-SD5,and the ectomycorrhizal fungus,Schizophyllum commune Be,on the growth of Metasequoia glyptostroboides under salt stress.Changes in biomass,root growth,root ion distribution and in vivo enzyme activities were determined under different treatments(Be,JYZ-SD5,and Be+JYZ-SD5).The results show that all inoculations increased chlorophyll content,shoot length and root diameter with or without salt stress,and the effect of Be+JYZ-SD5was the strongest.JYZ-SD5 and Be+JYZ-SD5 treatments significantly increased root length,surface area,bifurcation number,tip number,main root length and diameter under salt stress.Normal chloroplast structures developed under both single and double inoculations.Relative to the control,root activities of M.glyptostroboides in the Be,JYZSD5,and Be+JYZ-SD5 treatments increased by 31.3%,17.2%,and 33.7%.All treatments increased the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POD),Na^(+)-K^(+)-ATPase and Ca^(2+)-Mg^(2+)-ATPase.The strongest effect was by Be+JYZ-SD5.Analysis of root ion distribution showed that,under salt stress,Na^(+)and K^(+)decreased and were concentrated in the epidermis or cortex.Na/K ratios also decreased.The Be+JYZ-SD5 treatment increased betaine by 130.3%and 97.9%under 50 mM and 100 mM salt stress,respectively.Together,these changes result in the activation of physiological and biochemical processes involved in the mitigation of salinity-induced stress in M.glyptostroboides.

Effect of Dandelion(Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.)Intercropping with Different Plant Spacing on Blight and Growth of Pepper(Capsicum annuum L.)

Intercropping of crops that can secrete bacteriostatic active substances can not only inhibit the occurrence of disease but also have an important effect on plant growth.However,the effects of dandelion intercropping on pepper blight control and pepper growth remain unclear.In this study,the control effect of dandelion on pepper blight was studied by inoculating the pepper leaves with Phytophthora infestans,and it also discusses the correlation of the occurrence of pepper epidemic disease with the pepper canopy environment,soil environment,pepper photo-synthesis,and yield index.The results showed that best plant distance for dandelion intercropping was 20 cm(P20),and the control effect reached 43.31%.As compared to the CK,SOD enzyme,POD enzyme,and PAL enzyme were significantly up-regulated during the growth of pepper;chlorophyll content in pepper leaves was significantly increased;photosynthetic characteristics were significantly increased;stem diameter and yield of crop pepper were effectively improved;and the quality of the pepper product was better,but intercropping dandelion resulted in a significant decrease of nutrients in the soil environment of pepper,so a reasonable intercropping distance was needed.The correlation analysis shows that the incidence of pepper blight(A)was significantly positively correlated with soil temperature(Q),intercellular carbon dioxide(L),and canopy air temperature(O).The incidence of capsicum blight(A)was significantly negatively correlated with chlorophyll content(F),net photo-synthetic rate(K),stomatal conductance(M),ww rate(N),soil sucrase activity(W),vitamin C(AB),and leaf PAL enzyme(J).Finally,it was deduced that intercropping dandelion could effectively control the occurrence of pepper blight while also demonstrating a complex interaction with the pepper growing environment.

Timing effect of high temperature exposure on the plasticity of internode and plant architecture in maize

The occurrence of high temperature(HT)in crop production is becoming more frequent and unpredictable with global warming,severely threatening food security.The state of an organ’s growth and development is largely determined by the temperature conditions it is exposed to over time.Maize is the main cereal crop,and its stem growth and plant architecture are closely related to lodging resistance,and especially sensitive to temperature.However,systematic research on the timing effect of HT on the sequentially developing internode and stem is currently lacking.To identify the timing effect of HT on the morphology and plasticity of the stem in maize,two hybrids(Zhengdan 958(ZD958),Xianyu 335(XY335))characterized by distinct morphological traits in the stem were exposed to a 7-day HT treatment from the V6 to V17 stages(Vn presents the vegetative stage with n leaves fully expanded)in 2019-2020.The results demonstrated that exposure to HT during V6-V12 accelerated the rapid elongation of stems.For instance,HT occurring at V7 and V12 specifically promoted the lengths and weights of the 3rd-5th and 9th-11th internodes,respectively.Meanwhile,HT slowed the growth of internodes adjacent to the promoted internodes.Interestingly,compared with control,the plant height was significantly increased soon after HT treatment,but the promotion effect became narrower at the subsequent flowering stage,demonstrating a self-adjusting mechanism in the maize plant in response to HT.Importantly,HT altered the plant architectures,including a rising of the ear position and increase in the ear position coefficient.XY335 exhibited greater sensitivity in stem development than ZD958 under HT treatment.These findings improve our systematic understanding of the plasticity of internode and plant architecture in response to the timing of HT exposure.

SPATULA as a Versatile Tool in Plant:The Progress and Perspectives of SPATULA(SPT)Transcriptional Factor

With the rapid development of modern molecular biology and bioinformatics,many studies have proved that transcription factors play an important role in regulating the growth and development of plants.SPATULA(SPT)belongs to the bHLH transcription family and participates in many processes of regulating plant growth and development.This review systemically summarizes the multiple roles of SPT in plant growth,development,and stress response,including seed germination,flowering,leaf size,carpel development,and root elongation,which is helpful for us to better understand the functions of SPT.

Organ Abscission in Plants: With Special Emphasis on Bell Pepper

Bell pepper(Capsicum annuum L.),along with potato and tomato,is one of the three most cultivated vegetables in the world.Bell pepper is worldwide accepted due to its characteristics of color,smell,flavor,and texture.Bell pepper is also considered a nutritious food due to its vitamin and antioxidant contents.In Mexico,bell pepper production has a high value because it is grown for the international markets,particularly the United States of America.Nevertheless,the abscission offlowers and fruits is a factor that limits the yield,hinders the planning of activities,and causes a variation in the prices of peppers.Due to the importance of this process,in this work we did a bibliometric analysis and literature review of scientific advances for the understanding of the abscission pro-cess in plants,and in particular for the bell pepper.Finally,we introduce new perspectives that would help direct future research about organ abscission in plants.Likewise,the lack of research that would further clarify abscis-sion process in the bell pepper plant is discussed.

Differential Expression of Genes Related to Fruit Development and Capsaicinoids Synthesis in Habanero Pepper Plants Grown in Contrasting Soil Types

Habanero pepper(Capsicum chinense Jacq.)is a crop of economic relevance in the Peninsula of Yucatan.Its fruits have a high level of capsaicinoids compared to peppers grown in other regions of the world,which gives them industrial importance.Soil is an important factor that affects pepper development,nutritional quality,and capsaicinoid content.However,the effect of soil type on fruit development and capsaicinoid metabolism has been little understood.This work aimed to compare the effect of soils with contrasting characteristics,black soil(BS)and red soil(RS),on the expression of genes related to the development of fruits,and capsaicinoid synthesis using a transcriptomic analysis of the habanero pepper fruits.Plants growing in RS had bigger fruits and higher expression of genes related to floral development,fruit abscission,and softening which suggests that RS stimulates fruit development from early stages until maturation stages.Fruits from plants growing in BS had enrichment in metabolic pathways related to growth,sugars,and photosynthesis.Besides,these fruits had higher capsaicinoid accumulation at 25 days post-anthesis,and higher expression of genes related to the branched-chain amino acids metabolism(ketol-acid reductisomerase KARI),pentose phosphate pathway and production of NADPH(glucose-6-phosphate-1-dehydrogenase G6PDH),and proteasome and vesicular traffic in cells(26S proteasome regulatory subunit T4 RPT4),which suggest that BS is better in the early stimulation of pathways related to the nutritional quality and capsaicinoid metabolism in the fruits.

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.