The present study aimed to investigate the impact of salinity on vegetative growth, chemical constituents, and yields of cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and the possible benefits of salicylic acid (SA) on these plants after damage from salinity. To achieve these objectives, two pot experiments were carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Egypt, during the two growing seasons of 2019 and 2020. The results revealed that salinity significantly decreased, and SA treatment substantially increased the plant height, number of compound leaves, number of internodes per plant, fresh weights of leaves and stems, productivity, photosynthetic pigments content, and concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the cowpea plants compared with the control. The anatomical structure of stems and leaves of the plants were also investigated, and it was found that positive variations in the anatomical structure of the median portion of the main stems and blades of mature foliage leaves were detected in the stressed and SA-treated plants. In conclusion, SA treatment increased the salt stress tolerance of cowpea plants by improving the morphological and physiological attributes of the plants.
Tomatoes are an important agricultural product because they contain high concentrations of bioactive substances, such as folate, ascorbate, polyphenols, and carotenoids, as well as many other essential elements. As a result, tomatoes are thought to be extremely beneficial to human health. Chemical fertilizers and insecticides are routinely utilized to maximize tomato production. In this context, microbial inoculations, particularly those containing PGPR, may be utilized in place of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this study, we investigated the effects of PGPR (Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and cyanobacteria when utilized alone, and in conjunction with each other, on the growth, quality, and yield of fresh fruits of tomato plants. The results showed that the inoculation significantly increased all measured parameters of tomato plants compared with the control. Combined use of B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens had a positive impact on tomato yield, increasing fruit yield. Moreover, leaflet anatomical characteristics were altered, with increased thickness of the upper epidermis, lower epidermis, palisade tissue, spongy tissue, and vascular bundles. Tomato fruit quality was improved, as measured by an increased number of fruit per plant (76% increase), fruit weight (g; 33% increase), fruit height (cm; 50% increase), fruit diameter (cm; 50%), total soluble solids (TSS; 26% increase), and ascorbic acid (mg/100 g F.W.; 75% increase), relative to the control, in the first season. In addition, fruit chemical contents (N, P, and K) were increased with inoculation. The results suggest that inoculation with B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens could be successfully used to enhance tomato plant growth and yield.
Salinity is among the most limiting factors of crop production worldwide. This study aims to investigate the influence of the exogenous application of zeolite, yeast, and salicylic acid in alleviating the negative effect of salt stress under field conditions. Lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Batavia) were tested in a split-plot arrangement replicated three times. The salt stress was applied as a whole-plot factor in the concentrations (0 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, and 150 mM NaCl). After 28 days of sowing, the plants were sprayed twice during the foliage growth with (control, salicylic acid 0.02%, yeast extract 3%, and zeolite 0.5%) as a split-plot factor. The length of roots and shoots, the number and area of leaves, and the biomass accumulation (dry and fresh weights) were measured 50 days after sowing. The concentrations of total soluble sugars, proline, Chlorophylls a and b in leaves have also been quantified. Salt stress significantly reduced the growth and the total chlorophyll of the lettuce plants (p < 0.05) and increased their proline and sugar contents’. Zeolite application improved the growth of lettuce at 0 and 50 mM NaCl, but at the highest salinity level only the number of leaves was improved by 15%. At a mild salinity stress, the application of salicylic acid has significantly (p < 0.05) increased the root length, height of plant, chlorophyll, and proline contents. Regarding the high stress levels (100 and 150 mM NaCl), yeast application showed the best tolerance to salinity stress by improving significantly most of the growth parameters (p < 0.05) but with lower proline, sugar, and chlorophyll contents. In general, foliar spray of yeast extract may offer a good alternative source of nutrients through leaves, leading to a better tolerance of the high salt stress exerted on roots.
Paronchia argentea is traditionally being used for medicinal purposes in Jordan. The current investigation was designed to check the in vitro efficacy of in vitro and ex vitro P. argentea against selected bacterial and fungal strains. The antimicrobial properties of in vitro plantlets and field (ex vitro) plant extracts of P. argentea were investigated against both bacteria and fungi, after and before heavy metals stress used. In this study, four bacterial species were used: Listeria monocytogen and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive bacteria) Salmonella typhimurum and Coronobacter sakazakii (Gram negative bacteria) and Calvularia lunata as a mold. The obtained results revealed that the in vitro grown plantlets with the supplemented of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) or Cobalt (Co) with methanol and aqueous extract showed significant inhibitory activities within zones of inhibition ranging between 6.7-30.0 mm. All extracts of P. argentea had activity against the fungi and bacteria tested. The maximum inhibition zone was found in Staphylococcus aureus (30 mm inhibition zone) in medium supplemented with 0.3 mg/L Cu followed by Calvularia lunata (30.0 mm inhibition zone). The methanolic and aqueous P. argentea extract indicate that the solvent plays an important role in the solubility of the antimicrobial substance and also affects the activity of the microbe. Both field (ex vitro) and tissue culture plant extract showed similar antimicrobial activity. The present study could be used as an approach for the development of new, alternative and cheap antimicrobial drugs, particularly against the infections caused by the tested microbes through the tissue culture technology.
The interaction of phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) is a crucial factor affecting crop yield in agricultural production called a P-induced Zn deficiency. The application of Zn and P together reduces deficiencies and increases plant growth by more than the sum of the increases from Zn and P alone. This experiment was carried out during two seasons, in consecutive years, to study the effect of P and Zn levels on the physical, physiological and anatomical response in table beet plants. Treatment one was as control; the second treatment was 35 P units with 5, 10, and 20 Zn units; the third treatment was 40 P units with 5, 10, and 20 Zn units; and the fourth treatment was 45 P units with 5, 10, and 20 Zn units. The data showed that the number of leaves and the root diameters were high with the addition of 40 P units and 10 Zn units, and the roots fresh and dry weights were high under 40 P units and 10 Zn units in both seasons. The contents of TSS, AA, TS, ACY, N, P, and K were significantly increased by the use of 40 and 45 P units combined with 5 and 10 Zn units. The anatomical alterations in both leaf blade, epidermal layers, midrib zone, vessel diameter, vascular bundle area, palisade, and spongy tissues were studied. The results recommend that fertilizing table beet plants with 40 P units and 10 Zn units is suitable.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.