Soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions and soil enzyme activities were effective indicators to represent C changes under different plant densities (PD) and nitrogen (N) application levels, which influenced crop yield in turn. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the impact of PD and N application levels on soil productivity. The experiment conducted in the North China Plain included three plant densities: 1) PD1 - 60,000 plants ha-1, 2) PD2 - 67,500 plants ha-1, and 3) PD3 - 75,000 plants ha-1, and three N application levels: 1) N0 - 0 kg ha-1 N, 2) N1 - 220 kg ha-1 N, and 3) N2 - 290 kg ha-1N. Maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield was higher when N was applied at the N1 and N2 application levels each year. Obviously, the grain yield and its components at the N1 and N2 application levels showed no difference at each PD, and vice versa. Plant densities and N fertilisation rates significantly affected the content of SOC, microbial biomass C (MBC), and dissolved organic C (DOC). Ranged from 1.85 to 1.98 mg d g-1, the sucrase activity was larger in the treatment with a high PD and N fertilisation rate. Higher PD yielded the increase of grain yield (GY) by 19.38%, while the kernel number per ear (KN) and the 1,000-kernel weight (TKW) were decreased by 7.81% and 9.03%, respectively. In addition, the grain yield and yield components were dramatically increased at the N2 application level. The SOC content and its fractions and the sucrase activity were also increased with the PD and N fertilisation rate.These results indicated that the optimum PD and N fertilisation rates were benefits for increasing the grain yield and soil C storage. Considering both soil parameters and grain yield, the PD of 75,000 plants ha-1 and the N fertilisation rate of 220 kg ha-1 N were benefits for crop production and soil sustainability.
Living mulch is the most natural soil cover in the orchard; however, competition with grasses creates stressful conditions for fruit crops.The reaction of plants to stress can be determined by the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the content of lipid peroxidation products in plant tissues.The reaction of trees to coexistence with living mulch (natural grasses that were mowed four times during the growing season) was studied in an organic sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) orchard with chestnut, sandy soil in the warm and arid conditions of Southern Steppe of Ukraine.The aim of the research was to determine how the living mulch (compared to bare fallow) affects the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in sweet cherry fruits at different stages of fruit development.It was determined that living mulch significantly increased the activity of ascorbate peroxidase (by 21-52%), polyphenol oxidase (by 22-42%), and peroxidase (26-34%) in the tissues of sweet cherry fruits.The MDA content was significantly higher in sweet cherry fruits produced under living mulch (compared to the fruits of a bare fallow management system) only at the stage of partial reddening in 2018 (by 41%) and at the stage of stone hardening in 2019 (by 58%).At the picking maturity stage, no significant difference between the treatments of the experiment was found, which indicates the successful overcoming of oxidative stress caused by competition with natural grasses.
Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum, is considered one of the essential diseases of strawberries.The importance of nutrient supply against Fusarium infection has been studied, while the severity of Fusarium wilt under nutrient deficiency remains unknown.The effect of F. oxysporum on strawberries under calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) deficiency was studied.As plant material, the strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) cultivar 'Albion' was used.After growth for two months in the nutrient solution, plants were exposed to Ca, Fe, or Zn deficiency conditions (except control).Next, the plants were exposed to mineral deficiency conditions for two months.Finally, a group of non-deficient (control) and mineral-deficient plants were subjected to Fusarium infection.Disease development and severity were monitored over three weeks.At the end of the experiment, the highest plant decline index was found under Ca deficiency followed by Fe and Zn ones.Fusarium infection caused a decrease in the chlorophyll concentration.Nutrient deficiency or Fusarium infection decreased cell expansion.Fusarium + Ca deficiency decreased xylem conduit diameter.Fusarium + Ca deficiency decreased theoretical stem hydraulic conductivity, while other treatments increased the value.According to the results, the Fusarium wilt severity was higher under Ca deficiency.The results of the experiment suggest that the strawberry growers must deal with Ca deficiency in Fusariuminfected plants.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors on the yield, starch, and dry matter content in tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars belonging to different maturity groups considering cultivars diversity according to SSR markers.Twenty-four very early, early, medium, and late potato cultivars were evaluated.Field experiments were conducted in 2018-2020 in two locations: Forest Steppe and Forest zones of Ukraine.The SSRs analysis was carried out in 2021 using eight markers: STM0019, STM3009, STM2005, STM2028, STM3012, STM3023, STM5136, and STM5148.During this study, it was found that the growing zone and the year weather conditions had the greatest influence on the potato tuber yield -54% and 24%, while the effect of the cultivar genotype on the tuber yield was 8%.It was found that the cultivar genotype and the year weather conditions had the greatest influence on the potato tuber dry matter content -36% and 30%, respectively.The impact of cultivar genotype on the starch content was 31%, while the influence of the year weather conditions reached 21% and the growing zone 3%.Based on the distribution of alleles obtained by SSR markers, the majority of the very early ('Riviera', 'Prada', 'Duma', and 'Vzirets') and one of the early ('Zhytnytsia') tested potato cultivars were included in one cluster group.It was revealed that the 416 bp allele was identified by the STM5148 marker mainly in the very early potato cultivars, and the 424 bp allele was detected only in the very early and early ones.The study of SSRs and their associations with maturity can be considered as a reliable and rapid method for potato genotyping to find favourable combinations of alleles.Thus, to increase the nutritional value and productive potential of potatoes by developing and improving the main elements of cultivation technology, the biological characteristics of the potato cultivars in the agricultural and climatic conditions of Ukraine should be taken into account.
Salinity in soil and irrigation water has negative effects on plant morphology, physiology, and biochemical processes. In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of two plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) growing under salinity stress: 0 (control, without NaCl), 50, and 100 mM NaCl. Increasing salinity significantly decreased plant height, root length, aboveground and root biomass, and photosynthetic pigment content. However, bacterial inoculation reduced the negative effects of salinity. Both antioxidant enzyme activity and antioxidant metabolites were affected by salinity and PGPR inoculation. The activity of catalase was the highest in P. fluorescens-inoculated plants at 100 mM NaCl (0.084 U g-1 FW). The highest activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was observed in B. subtilis-inoculated plants at 100 mM NaCl (2.83 and 0.61 U g-1 FW, respectively), and the highest percentage of essential oils (EOs) was found in plants inoculated with B. subtilis under 50 mM NaCl (0.87%). The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed the main constituents of the basil EOs in all treatments were oxygen-containing monoterpenes. The highest content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (as indicators of stress conditions) was related to non-inoculated plants at 100 mM NaCl (2.675 nmol g-1 FW and 0.8525 mu g g-1 FW, respectively). The highest level of nitrate reductase activity was observed under non-saline conditions and in B. subtilis-inoculated plants: 4.33 mu mol NO2 h-1 g-1 FW. Increasing salinity significantly decreased glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and total protein content in leaves. According to the main effect of inoculation, the highest glutamine synthetase activity and protein content was found in P. fluorescens-inoculated plants: 6.065 mu mol GHA mu g-1 protein h-1 and 31.77 mg g-1 FW. The highest concentration of proline was found at 100 mM NaCl along with P. fluorescens inoculation (6.27 mu g g-1 FW). These results indicate a positive effect of PGPR on plant salt stress and physiology.
The improvement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) can reduce the required N input.As a result, economic benefits will increase, and environmental pollution will decrease due to N loss.The aim of the study was to determine the NUE of potato genotypes and to evaluate the relationship of NUE with the tuber yield, starch yield, and starch content at different N fertiliser rates.During a two-year experiment, the performance of 19 potato genotypes was evaluated by different farming practices involving the varying levels of N fertiliser rates.These practices included the integrated farming (IF) system with three different N fertiliser rates and the organic farming (OF) system without N fertilisation.The N fertilisation in both farming systems was stated as plant-available N in soil and as N added with a fertiliser.A significant effect of the genotype and the farming system on the tested traits was determined.The potato genotype tuber yield correlation with NUE was high or moderate in the farming system with different N fertiliser rates in both years.The tuber yield of potato grown in the farming system with a comparatively higher N fertilisation usually did not increase significantly; therefore, a decrease in genotype NUE was detected.The correlation between starch yield and NUE was high and strong in both farming systems, although high and moderately strong correlation was determined between tuber yield and starch yield.NUE had a weak correlation with the starch content in potato tubers, so genotype characteristics and growing conditions had the greatest influence on this trait.An increase in N fertilisation did not lead to an increase in starch yield due to a decrease in starch content and a slight insignificant increase in tuber yield.However, genotypes with higher NUE produced a higher tuber yield and starch yield than genotypes with relatively lower NUE, even in the farming systems with different N fertiliser rates in both experimental years.
Various forms of organic fertilisers are often used in agriculture. It is useful to have information on how microbial communities in arable land are affected by fertilisation with different types of fertilisers. One of the indicators of the stability and fertility of the soil ecosystem is the population structure and abundance of soil microorganisms. The aim of the study was to determine how fertilisation and biological additives affected the most active soil microorganisms of the studied functional groups in 2021 and 2022. It was found that organotrophic (113 +/- 3 x 103 CFU g-1) and diazotrophic (161 +/- 5 x 103 CFU g-1) bacteria were most abundant in the spring 2021. However, in 2022, the amount of organotrophs decreased, and their abundance was approximately the same throughout the growing season, probably due to a decrease in the amount of free organic matter in the soil. In 2022, the most abundant organotrophs (91 +/- 2 x 103 CFU g-1) and diazotrophs (100 +/- 1 x 103 CFU g-1) were also in the spring. Organic fertilisers and their different rates had a significant or very significant effect on the abundance of organotrophic, mineral nitrogen-assimilating, and non-symbiotic diazotrophic bacteria, except for diazotrophs in treatments with the biological additive Trichoderma spp. In 2021, nitrifiers (162 +/- 5 x 103 CFU g-1) and fungi (2.29 +/- 0.13 x 103 CFU g-1) were most abundant in the autumn. In 2022, nitrifiers were most abundant in the spring (128 +/- 2 x 103 CFU g-1) but less abundant than in the autumn 2021. During the experimental period, the abundance of fungi and yeasts was highest in the autumn, and this trend was not affected by fertilisation. In the treatments with the biological additive Trichoderma spp., organic fertilisers significantly or very significantly affected the abundance of fungi and yeasts. However, no significant differences were found in the treatments with the biological additive Azotobacter spp.
One of the main UN Millennium Development Goals is eradication of poverty and hunger through food security. Unfortunately, this goal is difficult to achieve in Nigeria due to soil degradation, low soil fertility, and other agricultural challenges. The current research on food security in Nigeria is focused on improving soil fertility using low-cost organic amendments. Thus, in 2019, the study investigated the residual effects of the repeated animal manure application on the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) yield, the nutrient uptake, and the soil nutrient status of a coarse-textured Ultisol in a greenhouse at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised design with four treatments: poultry manure (PM30), cow manure (CM30), and manure (PgM30) applied at 30 t ha(-1), and untreated control with five replicates. The experiment was performed (repeated) three times. The results showed that the soil pH increased (p < 0.05) by 33.3% for the PM30 treatment, 13% for the PgM30 treatment, and 11.1% for the CM30 treatment and decreased by -7.4% for the control treatment compared to the initial amount of the soil pH (5.4). The total nitrogen (N-tot) increased by 99.4% (CM30), 63.3% (PgM30), and 56.3% (PM30) compared to the initial N-tot (4.8 g kg(-1)). The available phosphorus (P-avail) in the PM30, PgM30, and CM30 treatments increased by 1204%, 171%, and 164%, respectively, while in the control treatment, it decreased by -59.6% compared to the initial P-avail (7.57 mg kg(-1)). The soil organic carbon (SOC) increased 13.3% (CM30), 3.9% (PM30), and 3.9% (PgM30) compared to the initial SOC content (1.28%) and decreased -18.8% in the control treatment. Cucumber growth parameters: the number of fruits, fruit weight, and biomass (fresh and dry), were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the amended treatments compared to the control treatment. There was a significant correlation between the cucumber yield, N-uptake, P-uptake, and soil nutrients. The results of regression analysis showed that the cucumber yield was increased by 91, 61, 56.4, and 86.4 % due to SOC, N-tot, N-uptake, and P-uptake, respectively.This study indicates that the repeated animal manure application has a positive residual effect on the properties coarse-textured Ultisol and cucumber yield performance.
Fusarium graminearum infects cereal crops of high commercial and nutritional value such as barley, wheat, and maize, and causes various diseases. Due to the increasing world population and changing climatic conditions, the importance of controlling this pathogen is increasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential antifungal effect of the flavonoid compound rutin hydrate (RH) on the F. graminearum PH-1 reference strain at different levels. The EC50 (half effective concentration) value was determined by the agar dilution method on the PDA (potato dextrose agar) medium containing different concentrations of rutin hydrate. To examine the effect of rutin hydrate on cell viability, the WST-1 toxicity test was performed. To determine the effect of rutin hydrate on genomic stability and methylation profiles, the CRED-RA (coupled restriction enzyme digestion random amplification) analysis was performed. To determine the expression levels of atg5, cat, kmet1, sporulation (mgv1), and apoptosis (mst20) related genes, the qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) was performed. To detect the presence of oxidative stress and autophagy, the DCF-DA (2',7'-dichlorofluorescein) and MDC (monodansylcadaverine) staining tests were used. The EC50 value of rutin hydrate was determined as 580 mu g mL(-1). The WST-1 analysis revealed that rutin hydrate caused cytotoxicity (58.53%) in F. graminearum (p < 0.05). In the CRED-RA analysis, genomic template stability (GTS) decreased by 9.53%, and the methylation levels for HapII and MspI enzymes were 11.6% and 5.24%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the atg5 (2.66 +/- 0.48; p < 0.01), cat (3.00 +/- 0.46; p < 0.01), and kmet1 (6.29 +/- 2.24; p < 0.05) expression in the rutin hydrate-treated samples. Autophagy and oxidative stress response with a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the rutin hydrate-treated F. graminearum was confirmed by DCF-DA and MDC tests. This is the first report demonstrating the antifungal effect of rutin hydrate on F. graminearum at physiological, transcript, and epigenetic levels.
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) has a potential to become a new field crop for higher latitudes.Sweet potato was cultivated for the first time in the fields of Estonia.During the study, the photosynthetic characteristics and yields of sweet potato cultivars 'Evangeline' and 'Covington' were investigated under fertilisation with two nitrogen (N) rates (0 and 100 kg ha -1 N) and various fertilisers in 2018, 2019 and 2021.Variation in fertiliser rate and composition had no effect on CO 2 assimilation rate (A) and stomatal conductance (g s ).The negative relationship between photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) among cultivars and treatments indicated that water availability could limit nutrient availability and ultimately reduce the potential yield in northern growing regions.The highest sweet potato tuber yield (t ha -1 ) was obtained from 'Evangeline' and 'Covington' at N0 in 2021.A comparison of yields of 2018 and 2021 experiments suggests that sweet potatoes can be grown in high latitudes.It can be concluded that depending on weather conditions, cultivars and soil properties, fertilisers can promote high plant productivity.Further studies should focus on sweet potato plants traits that enable the efficient use of nutrients and water during a short and potentially dry growing season.
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an endemic annual mucilaginous spicy herb plant of the mint family (Lamiaceae), growing wild in subtropical and tropical areas of America, Africa, Asia, and in southern Europe. Basil belongs to the aromatic plants that are grown all over the world nowadays. To increase the amount of phenolic and other biologically active compounds in plants, safe, effective, and ecological ways to achieve this are constantly being sought. The greatest economic losses worldwide are due to the negative effects of drought stress and extreme temperatures on plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics limiting crop growth and productivity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of phenylalanine and tryptophane on the content of chlorophyll and phenolic, and the antioxidant activity of basil under drought conditions. Foliar spraying with phenylalanine and tryptophane to drought-stressed plants increased the chlorophyll a and b content. Application of phenylalanine significantly increased the total phenolic content (TPC) in the cultivar 'Aromatico Della Riviera Ligure', while foliar spraying with tryptophane increased TPC in the drought-stressed 'Palla Compato' and 'Toscano'. Foliar spraying with phenylalanine and tryptophane to drought-stressed plants increased the antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH method. Principal component analysis showed that the first factor was highly and positively related to all parameters studied. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the first cluster was formed due to drought-stressed 'Aromatico Della Riviera Ligure', 'Cinnamon', and 'Lemon'. The second cluster consisted of well-watered 'Aromatico Della Riviera Ligure', 'Cinnamon', and 'Lemon', and drought-stressed and phenylalanine-sprayed 'Aromatico Della Riviera Ligure' and 'Palla Compato'. The third cluster consisted of the combinations of other cultivars and treatments tested.
Residues differing in quality and incorporation depths are presumed to contribute differently to the improvement of soil properties through decomposition.Understanding the response of residue decomposition at different depths using tillage implements and effective microorganisms can help to develop strategies for improving soil properties.Therefore, three nitrogen (N) supplemented crop residues: wheat (Rw), chickpea (Rc), Rw + Rc, and no residue (R0) as a control, under three different tillage implements: cultivator (CT), mouldboard plough (MBP), and chisel plough (CP), in combination with beneficial microorganisms (BM) applied (BMA) or not applied (BM0, control) were investigated during summer 2018 and 2019.The experiment was conducted in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with a split plot arrangement with four replications.Tillage implements were placed in the main plots, and crop residues and beneficial microorganisms in subplots.The results of the experiment showed that the use of a MBP increased the availability of mineral nitrogen (N min ) by 23% but decreased the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) (14%) and total nitrogen (N tot ) (7%) compared to the CT.The N min availability was more than doubled with Rc either alone (116%) or in combination with Rw (106%) compared to Ro. Decomposition of crop residues was faster with the BMA, especially with chickpea residues compared to wheat residues or its combination.Structural equation modelling indicated that soil fertility and maize phenology were directly affected by most of soil properties with N min having the highest estimated effect (119.5), followed by electrical conductivity (EC) (0.23), and indirectly by soil pH (0.06).It was concluded that the crop residues improved soil fertility and delayed maize phenology when incorporated through mouldboard or chisel ploughing into deeper soil layers with the BMA.Therefore, the application of chickpea residues is recommended for a faster soil mineralisation and N availability, while wheat residues are recommended in combination with deep tillage for long-term carbon stock development.
The aim of the research was to create stable breeding material of rice (Oryza sativa L.) resistant to rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) using the biotechnological method of anther culture in vitro.Anthers from 20 perspective F 2 and F 3 hybrids of carriers of different genes of resistance to rice blast were used.The phytopathological assessment of the rice doubled haploid lines resistance to Pyricularia oryzae was performed in field experiments.Correlation of resistance level to quantitative signs of productivity of the received rice lines was assessed using the statistical analysis.A high sensitivity of all 20 rice genotypes to in vitro conditions was found.The level of callus formation ranged between 3.4% and 82.5% with the average of 23.7%.The level of green plants regeneration from obtained callus varied between 0.16% and 13.3% with the average of 3.3%.The level of albino plants regeneration was 0.6%.On average, approximately 35% of regenerated plants obtained in the culture were able to produce seeds indicating that doubled haploid lines were obtained.Most of them were characterised by a high plant productivity: 21.80-60.42g compared to 10.31 g for the productivity of standard cultivar 'Vikont'.A higher productivity was explained by a higher rate of productive bushiness.Eight lines showed a high level of resistance to rice blast (9 points), and 18 lines had an intermediate level of resistance.As a result of the research, perspective lines with a high level of resistance to P. oryzae and increased productivity were obtained.These lines will be used in a further selection programme aimed at obtaining a rice cultivar resistant to P. oryzae.
The effect of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner on the Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) on two resistant ('King Stone') and susceptible ('Rio Grande') tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars was studied under laboratory conditions. In the bioassay tests, the lethal concentration (LC50) values of Bt were determined for the 2nd- and 3rd-instar larvae of T. absoluta on two cultivars. In another experiment, the effect of sublethal doses of Bt on 2nd- and 3rd-instar larvae on two susceptible and resistant cultivars was determined. Also, the nutritional indices and the enzyme content of larvae on two susceptible and resistant cultivars under the sublethal doses of Bt were investigated. All nutritional indices and the enzyme content of the treated larvae were significantly different compared to those of the control group. The lowest efficiency of the conversion of ingested food (7.82%), the efficiency of the conversion of digested food (4.34%), the relative consumption rate (22.29 mg mg-1 day-1), and the relative growth rate (1.16 mg mg-1 day-1) was determined for the resistant cultivar 'King Stone' at the LC25 concentration of Bt. The lowest amount of alpha-amylase (0.98 nM min-1 mg-1 protein), protease (12.61 mu M min-1 mg-1 protein), and lipase (0.182 nM min-1 mg-1 protein) and the highest amount of phenoloxidase (0.337 mu M min-1 mg-1 protein) were determined for the resistant cultivar 'King Stone' at the LC25 concentration of Bt. The results showed that the integration of Bt application and host plant resistance significantly increased the efficiency of Bt.
The purpose of the research was to study the soil water content (SWC) and water use efficiency (WUE) of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and its aftercrop spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under the influence of crop rotation, fertilisation system, and weather conditions. A long-term field experiment was established in the Central Forest Steppe zone of Ukraine. The experiment included the following six-field crop rotations: (i) cereal, fodder, and tilled, (ii) tilled, and (iii) cereal and tilled. In the experimental field, sugar beet fertilisation was mineral (N100P90K90) and organic-mineral (40 t ha-1 cattle manure + N100P90K90). Regardless of crop rotation, sugar beet plants used water more efficiently under mineral and organic-mineral fertilisation with the WUE reaching 67-76 m3 t-1, which is 2.1-2.5 times lower compared to zero fertilisation (control). The WUE of spring barley was 277-372 m3 t-1 under residual effect of mineral and organic-mineral fertilisation and 428-458 m3 t-1 under zero fertilisation of sugar beet. Fertilisers applied to sugar beet provided an additional 100-122 mm of SWC (0-150 cm soil layer) for its aftercrop spring barley, while with zero fertilisation the SWC was only 58-79 mm. It can be concluded that organic-mineral fertilisation applied to sugar beet is more effective compared to mineral fertilisation, as it provides a significant additional water reserve to the aftercrop spring barley.
Artemisia L. (mugwort) plants are known for their diverse bioactive compounds with different biological activities such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and allelopathic properties.Additionally, endophytic bacteria have been found to provide various benefits to host plants including enhancing nutrient uptake, modulating growth and stress-related phytohormones, and targeting pests and pathogens.While there have been numerous research reports on the phytochemical components and biological activity of Artemisia plant extracts, little is known about the functional diversity of isolated endophytic bacteria from various Artemisia species.The aim of this review was to reveal the potential of Artemisia plant extracts and endophytic bacteria with a positive impact on agricultural plant productivity.The present review has emphasised the significant potential of utilising plant extracts and endophytic bacteria associated with Artemisia spp. to enhance plant growth and increase crop productivity.Through further research and development, this approach could be deemed as a valuable contribution to sustainable agriculture practices by decreasing the dependence on synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Wheat lodging is an agricultural problem causing severe yield loss and quality degradation. Therefore, it is needed to investigate the impact of cultivation practices on lodging to develop effective solutions to reduce yield losses. This study conducted a two-yield field experiment with modifying the nitrogen application time treatments to analyse if it is possible to reduce the risk of lodging without yield loss. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to investigate changes in the expression levels of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis-related genes in node samples. The results of the experiment showed that delaying the nitrogen application time until the Zadoks (Z) 45 (booting) stage significantly reduced the risk of lodging due to the minimal yield loss by 3.9% and 2.9% for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, respectively. The increased lodging resistance at the Z45 stage was associated with a lower plant height and gravity centre height, an increased wall thickness and stem thickness of the two basal internodes, which increased the strength resistance and lodging resistance index (LRI) of the stem. Transcriptomic analysis between the lodging (Z30) and the lodging-resistant (Z45) stages was conducted to illustrate the underlying mechanism on lodging resistance. The total number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was 9,000, and the gene ontology (GO) analysis of DEGs indicated that cellular component biogenesis was the most enriched GO term. Also, 30 and 14 DEGs involved in lignin and cellulose biosynthesis were identified, respectively, indicating that the primary mechanism resulting in a high lodging resistance is the high expression of key genes involved in the phases of lignin and cellulose synthesis processes.The findings of the study indicate not only a potential cultivation approach for reducing lodging risk, but also potential genes for developing lodging-resistant wheat cultivars.
Central Asia, one of the four apple origin regions in the world, has a significant diversity. The apple species in this region are particularly resistant to biotic and abiotic stress. Many of the mixed fruit forests, including apples, in Central Asia have been lost in the last half-century. It is emphasised that these forests can be preserved at the highest rate in mountainous Kyrgyzstan. Scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cke.) Wint.), which is the most important apple disease in the world, causes a high level of production losses. Therefore, the best solution is to develop cultivars resistant to this disease. More than 20 major scab resistance genes have been identified in various cultivars and several wild relatives. In this study, four apple species found in Kyrgyzstan were screened using corresponding molecular markers for scab resistance. A total of 12 markers expressing 8 genes associated with scab resistance were used in the study. The 100 cultivars and genotypes used in the study produced bands for markers between 1-9. One genotype of Malus niedzwetzkyana species carried 7 of 8 resistance genes. This study reveals that Kyrgyzstan apple germplasm is an important resource for scab resistance and breeding with marker-assisted selection.
To investigate the enzymatic, biochemical, and agronomic response of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) to biofertilisers and zinc nanoparticles under different irrigation regimes, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural and mild stress, and severe water stress, were applied (control - without irrigation) in the main plots, and three fertilisation treatments: seed inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), zinc nano-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and AMF + ZnO NPs, were applied (control - without fertilisers) in the sub-plots in two years. The severe water stress reduced the content of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids by 14.53, 8.09, and 22.11 %, respectively, and increased the content of leaf flavonoids and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 34.17% and 33.14%, respectively, compared to normal irrigation. The AMF + ZnO NPs treatment increased the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and SOD by 36.76, 12.61, 10.36, and 10.18 %, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The highest root yield, sugar yield, and white sugar yield provided the AMF + ZnO NPs treatment under normal irrigation. The highest proline content, total phenolic content (TPC), catalase (CAT) activity, sugar content, and white sugar content were found in sugar beets treated with AMF + ZnO NPs under severe water stress. The AMF + ZnO NPs treatment under normal irrigation and mild water stress and ZnO NPs one under severe water stress increased the white sugar yield by 42.67, 55.69, and 20.11 %, compared to the control treatment. Thus, treating with AMF + ZnO NPs under normal and mild water stress and applying of ZnO NPs under severe water stress can be a solution to increase the economic yield of sugar beet.
Sustainable agroecosystems with systematic crop rotation and crop diversity can promote the maintenance of soil fertility and sustainable carbon cycling including CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere and formation of organic matter. To contribute to the implementation of the goals of the European Green Deal course, it is necessary to assess CO2 uptake capacity for the widest possible range of agricultural crops grown in a certain region. This study determined the amount of above-ground (ResidAG) and below-ground (ResidBG) residues of plants and the content of C and N fixed in them looking for relationships with the yield for six alternative crops for cereals grown in Latvia: winter rape (WRa), buckwheat (BW), peas (P), potatoes (PO), maize (M), and green fallow (GF) compared to cereals in two different regions of Latvia over a three-year period. Significant differences were found between alternative species in the amount of total (AG + BG) plant residues (g m-2 DM) left in the field: 1840 +/- 67.8 for winter rape, 740 +/- 30.7 for buckwheat, 767 +/- 54.7 for peas, 323 +/- 11.2 for potatoes, 172 +/- 5.2 for maize, and 470.2 +/- 30.9 for green fallow. The results showed that the winter crops - rape, triticale (WT), and rye (WR) - left the most total plant residues in the field with the most C content exceeding 80 g m-2 C in ResidBG and 600 g m-2 C in ResidAG. A significant variation in the amount of plant residues within the species depending on the year, cultivar, fertilisation, and soil properties was found, so for more accurate calculation of C and N inputs, the data set should be enlarged, or average statistical data be used.
