Abstract In this study, the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in growth and metabolism of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) was explored in a hydroponic culture system under both normal and nickel (Ni) stress conditions. Exposure of zucchini seedlings to 50 mg/l Ni(NO3)2 reduced root elongation and dry weight of roots and aerial parts. These reductions were attributed to Ni accumulation and depletion of essential

Abstract Abiotic stresses are the prime coercion to sustainable crop production in changing climate scenario. Heat and drought stresses at reproductive as well as vegetative stages of rice cause extensive reduction in its yield. Being a multifunctional amino acid, proline is being used to diminish numerous biotic and abiotic stresses of plants. A pot experiment was conducted in summer season 2018,

Abstract Compact clusters and small berry size are the major problems associated with the commercialization of table grapes. The application of gibberellic acid 3 (GA3) has been a long-followed practice to overcome these issues. To analyze the molecular response of ‘Thompson Seedless’ grapes to GA3 treatment, we investigated the metabolomes of its rachises, clusters, and berries, 6 h and 24 h after

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in Dr. Andrzej Skoczowski’s affiliation. The author would like to correct the error with this erratum.

Abstract Smoke-water (SW) has a positive effect on seed germination in many plant species and its application in various fields of plant science has become popular. The method of preparing SW is relatively easy and inexpensive. However, many researchers working in the field of smoke biology are still unfamiliar with preparing SW and testing it for bioactivity. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop

Abstract The wall-associated kinase (WAK) gene family, a subfamily of the receptor-like kinase (RLK) gene family, is associated with the cell wall in plants, and has vital functions in cell expansion, pathogen resistance, and heavy metal stress tolerance because of their roles of the extracellular environment sensors to trigger intracellular signals in Arabidopsis. In the present study, 96 Chinese

Abstract Understanding cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice is important for the development of plant-based strategies for crop safety. Cd and calcium (Ca) are antagonistic ions competing for uptake in plants when they co-occur in the environment. However, how Ca effect Cd uptake by root and translocation from root to shoot in rice plants is still unclear. Rice seedlings were exposed to different combinations

Abstract The toxicity of increasing heavy metal ion in soil has been threatening the food security and environments. In this study, we used Brassica rapa variety Qinggen #1, a leafy and oil vegetable, to investigate the effects of coper ion (Cu2+) on adaptive defense to understand regulatory molecular mechanisms. The variety exhibited a high tolerance at high Cu2+ concentration (200 mg L−1). More increases

Abstract There is limited knowledge about the effects of the severity and timing of drought stress on oat (Avena sativa) yield and the critical stages at which water management could be effectively implemented. A controlled study was conducted to identify a variety-specific critical stage, and to examine the physiological mechanisms of drought stress on photosynthesis (Pn) and yield formation in two

Abstract Dopamine acts as a strong water-soluble antioxidant that mediates many physiological processes in plants. In the present study, we utilized two cultivars to investigate the effect of dopamine in mitigating chilling stress in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seedlings. Under chilling stress, exogenous application of dopamine (100 μM) increased seedling health index by 23.32% (cv. Xi Nong NO.

Abstract The purpose of current investigation was to explore the role of brassinosteroids (BRs) in Zea mays L. var. DKC 9106 seedlings subjected to salt stress. The seedlings were raised under controlled laboratory conditions and subjected to different concentrations of NaCl (0, 40, 60, 80, 100 mM) for 10 days. The impact of pre-sowing treatment of both 28-homobrassionolide (HBL) and 24-epibrassinolide

Abstract The accumulation of cold temperature is an important factor for the release of bud dormancy in grapevine. The stress generated by cold is related to changes in defense hormones such as salicylic acid (SA). To understand the participation of this hormone during grapevine bud dormancy release, in this study, we evaluated the effects of cold accumulation on the endogenous SA content and expression

Abstract Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of plant steroid hormones with multiple roles in plant growth, development, and responses to stresses. In plants, BR deficiencies impair vital physiological processes and cause phenotypic abnormalities. A large number of studies show that BRs can positively influence plant responses to abiotic stresses such as heat, cold, drought, salinity, pesticides, and

Abstract As the outermost hydrophobic layer, cuticular waxes serve as an essential waterproof barrier to protect plants from desiccation, but the mechanism of wax accumulation still remains unclear. We analyzed the response of cuticular wax composition and deposition to drought in three different watermelon germplasms, namely, M20, M08, and J5F, which showed similar stomatal response, but high, moderate

Abstract Wastewater generated from industries contains numerous contaminants, among which heavy metals (HMs) are non-degradable. This research work highlights the use of commonly used ornamental plants, Nicotiana alata L. and Petunia hydrida L., with compost (C) and peat moss (M), and rhizospheric bacterial augmentation using Pseudomonas japonica, for the phytostabilization of HMs from synthetic wastewater

Abstract The mechanism that causes the difference in carbon (C) turnover rate in root populations is unclear. The carbon utilization strategy is assumed to be the main causal factor responsible for differences in root turnover rate. In this study, we determined the correlations between root turnover rate, production, and proportions of C allocated to roots using 13CO2 as a labeling gas in a 13C pulse

Abstract Abstract Nitrogen (N) is very important for chrysanthemum yield and quality. Nitrate (NO3−) is the main form of N absorbed by chrysanthemum. The NO3− accumulated in the leaf vacuoles can be released for redistribution and reutilization within the plant when the external N source is insufficient. Therefore, understanding the storage mechanism of NO3− in the vacuoles of leaves is essential for

Abstract Germination is a crucial event in plant lifecycle mediated by a complex hormonal crosstalk. In this study, we revealed an antagonistic interaction between phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-retarded germination and early seedling growth in tomato. High concentrations of EGCG (0.5 mM and 1.0 mM) decelerated the seed germination and reduced

Abstract Adverse effects promoted by inadequate manganese (Mn) supply (deficiency or toxicity) causes inefficiency of the antioxidant system and degradation of chlorophylls. However, 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) is a natural steroid that exhibits beneficial effects on antioxidant metabolism, chlorophyll levels and stress indicators. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate whether EBR application via

Abstract microRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in the regulation of large gene networks involved in plant somatic embryogenesis (SEG), but the regulatory mechanism of SEG mediated by miRNAs remains unclear. We used small RNA (sRNA) and transcriptome sequencing methods to identify and profile conserved miRNAs and target genes in five classic embryogenic cultures of Lilium davidii var. unicolor.

Abstract Recent studies have shown that the MdDMR6 is a key gene for the control of columnar growing habit. However, there has been no research report on the function of the MdDMR6 gene. In the present study, the columnar apple shoot cultures exhibited better tolerance than that of the standard apple shoot cultures under the salt stress. The expression of MdDMR6 was remarkably induced by the salt stress

Abstract The study was conducted to investigate the correlation between vase life and biochemical parameters in sunflower. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Plants were sprayed by 50/100 mg L−1 salicylic acid, 50/100 mg L−1 thiamine, 100/200 mg L−1 ascorbic acid, and distilled water as control group at the eight-leaf stage. After one month, the

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterize fluorescent pseudomonads isolates of dryland wheat for salinity and drought tolerance and plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits in the presence or absence of salinity (4% NaCl) and evaluate the effect of two effective strains, Pseudomonas helmanticensis B30 and P. baetica B21, on phosphorus (P) uptake by wheat plant grown in a saline calcareous soil

Abstract Qinghai-Tibet plateau as an alpine and high-altitude area is frequently confronted with freeze-thaw stress. Recently, due to the change of global climate, the drought and salinization of soil in this area have become increasingly serious, together with low temperature, and constitute the main limiting factors for crop growth in this area. Physiological responses of blue barley to salinization

Abstract Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most severe foliar diseases in cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.), but the inheritance of PM resistance remains unclear. The molecular mechanisms underlying PM resistance have been a bottle-neck in the advancement of cucumber cultivars. However, recent findings have provided valuable information on the molecular mechanisms of defense-related genes and signaling

Abstract Crop allelopathy is a useful tool in integrated weed suppression. Although the abiotic stresses affect the produced secondary metabolites, the impact of soil salinity on crop allelopathic potential under field conditions has not been investigated. So, the effect of soil salinity on the allelopathic activity of 18 allelopathic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties was investigated. The allelopathy

Abstract One irreversible consequence of acidic pH for roots is cell death. Growing evidence suggests the role of hormones and cell wall-related enzymes in response to acidic pH that could possibly avoid cell mortality. Here, we have investigated the role of ethylene and class III peroxidases (CIII Prxs) activity on sensitivity to further low pH treatment. Seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana were pretreated

Abstract Nanotechnology now plays a revolutionary role in many applications; nanomaterials have experienced significant importance in both basic and applied sciences as well as in bio-nanotechnology. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have become one of the most important metal oxide NPs in biological applications due to their beneficial impacts. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects

Abstract The differentiated components of alginate-derived oligosaccharides (AOS) lead to different activities on plant. Optimizing AOS use efficiency is, therefore, of major importance for the implementation of precision agriculture. Effects of AOS on biophysical characteristics and growth and development of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) have been investigated. The experiments were conducted by soaking

Abstract Germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.) results in rapid accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but its precise role in the process remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed GABA shunt-related amino acids [glutamate (Glu), alanine (Ala), and GABA] and tricarboxylic acid (TCA)-cycle-related organic acids (pyruvate, citrate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, and malate) in rice, under

Abstract This study was conducted to compare the potential of physical and chemical seed priming with weak microwave radiation (MR) and salicylic acid (SA), respectively, on enhancing photosynthetic performance, leaf water relations and osmotic potential, yield, yield components, and water-use efficiency (WUE), and alleviating oxidative stress damage in two wheat genotypes under well-watered and drought-stressed

Abstract Plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3.) is a proton pump that is necessary to promote cell growth and ion fluxes across the plasma membrane. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the role of PM H+-ATPase isoform OsA7 expression in rice growth and nitrogen (N) accumulation using three genetically engineered lineages with artificial micro RNA (amiRNA) targeting OsA7 (osa7

Abstract Over the last years, cytokinin deficiency has been studied in a variety of plant species, using transgenic expression of cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase genes (CKX). In tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana, overexpression of A. thaliana CKX genes caused changes in plant morphology known as the "cytokinin deficiency syndrome", including stunted shoot growth, decreased apical dominance, and enhanced

Abstract Drought is the main challenge in modern agriculture. The development and utilization of genotypes with a protective mechanism against drought may be crucial for mitigating the impacts on pigeonpea metabolism resulting from water deficit. This study aimed to determine if leaf characteristics and antioxidant enzymes have protective roles and possible benefits to growth by comparing the physiological

Abstract Drought tolerance is defined by several morpho-physiological mechanisms that together improve plant development under water-limiting conditions. Previously, we found root hydraulic redistribution is one of those mechanisms for water stress avoidance. Herein, we aimed to verify the physiological mechanisms associated with root hydraulic redistribution and its consequences for leaf gas exchange

Abstract The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many processes of plant growth and development. ABA receptors have been identified in studies of the ABA response of stomatal movement, but the underlying mechanisms of ABA-regulated root growth and development are unclear. To address these questions, we screened for Arabidopsis thaliana mutants based on the sensitivity of root growth to exogenous

Abstract Fatty acyl-acyl thioesterases (FATs), which hydrolyze the thioester bond linking acyl chains to an acyl carrier protein, thereby terminating their elongation, contribute significantly to the fatty acid (FA) content and composition of seed storage lipids. The peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genome was found to harbor 21 FAT (AhFAT) genes, distributed over 12 of the 20 chromosomes. The length of

Abstract Soil salinity is one among the common environmental threats to agriculture. It adversely affects the physio-biochemical processes of plants that eventually lead to the reduction in growth, development and crop productivity. To cope with such adverse conditions, plants develop certain internal mechanisms, but under severe conditions these mechanisms fail to tolerate the salt stress. To overcome

Abstract Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther is an edible succulent plant that is native to Mexico. When leaves of G. paraguayense are detached from the mother plant, shoots and roots regenerate from the leaf base. To investigate the endogenous hormonal regulation of plant regeneration in G. paraguayense, we evaluated the effects of applying gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and phytohormone

Abstract Coronatine (COR) is a phytotoxin produced by Pseudomonas syringae and is a functional analogue of the bioactive hormone JA-Ile, which is widely involved in plant defence responses. In this study, we explored the effects of exogenous applications of COR on tobacco plants under polyethylene glycol-induced drought stress. Compared with control (CK), COR-treated tobacco plants exhibited higher

Abstract Detoxification of reactive carbonyl compounds (RCC) is crucial to sustain cellular activity to improve plant growth and development. Seedling growth is highly affected by accumulation of RCC under stress. We report non-enzymatic, enzymatic mechanisms of detoxification of RCC in the cucumber, tobacco and rice seedling systems exposed to glucose, NaCl, methyl viologen (MV) induced oxidative

Abstract The promoting effects of both high nitrogen (N) and exogenous gibberellin (GA) supply on regrowth of Lolium perenne have been widely reported. The mobilisation of carbohydrate reserves in response to N is a critical mechanism for promoting plant regrowth. However, our knowledge about GA regulation of carbohydrate metabolism remains limited. Here, we analysed the effects of both N and exogenous

Abstract The current investigation aimed to evaluate the role of silicon forms on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) biomass and essential oil (EO) production, as well as some physiological and ultrastructural modification under different irrigation regimes. Drought significantly decreased plant growth, photosynthetic pigment, ion, relative water content, catalase activity, and EO yield, meanwhile,

Abstract Bacterial species in the plant-beneficial-environmental branch of Alcaligenes characterize an important part of rhizosphere microbes. The effects of plant growth-promoting Alcaligenes sp. AZ9 (accession #KU494828) on soil status and maize (Zea mays L.) performance were evaluated in single or combined applications with soil amendments, such as biochar (BC) prepared through pyrolysis of maize

Abstract A pot study was performed to examine the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) including Azospirillum lipoferum or Azotobacter chroococcum on growth criteria (leaf area and seedlings fresh and dry weight), pigments [chlorophylls (Chl a and b) and carotenoids], osmolytes (soluble sugars, soluble proteins and proline), nutrient uptake, antioxidant enzyme activities, and oxidative

Abstract Plant growth is affected by a plethora of environmental factors including microorganisms. Trichoderma species are free-living fungi which are beneficial to plant by stimulating growth and disease resistance of plant, not only in the rhizosphere but also in the aerial parts. Here, we investigated the role of MAPK-mediated activation of plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase in regulating the leaf colonization

Abstract Male germline specification is a crucial step in double fertilization in flowering plants. Determining which genes are activated in the male germline, and how those genes are regulated, is essential to understand double fertilization. However, transcription activities in the male germline may be not easy to detect due to low-level expression of some genes and technical difficulties of isolating

Salt stress represents the most unfortunate abiotic stress factor in agricultural areas worldwide and contributes a severe reduction in growth, development, and yield of crop plants. Kenaf is a salt-tolerant crop. However, molecular mechanisms of salt stress tolerance in kenaf are not well elucidated. In the present study, seed germination parameters and cytological and transcriptome responses of leaves

Melatonin is a natural phytohormone that occurs in most plants. It can regulate not only plant growth and development but also alleviate biotic and abiotic stress in plants. However, no studies have reported on endogenous melatonin increasing tomato tolerance to salt stress. In the present study, we observed that the overexpression of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase 1 (SlCOMT1) increased melatonin

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important grain crop mainly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Drought is the major factor limiting chickpea growth and productivity. Transcription factors (TFs) genes have been reported as key regulators of drought tolerance in plants. In this study, we determined the relative gene expression of transcription factors of WRKY, DREB2A, and CarNAC3 in

Soil salinity severely affects cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions. It causes, among other things, an imbalance in the mineral nutrition of plants which results in yields’ decrease. One of the research’s approaches to mitigate the effects of these constraints is to look at the interaction between sodium chloride and phosphorus. The aim is to study the action of phosphorus to reduce the harmful

The effects of an exogenous organic carbon source (i.e., glucose) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on root architecture and carbon–nitrogen (C–N) metabolism of apple rootstock were evaluated under soil organic matter (SOM)-restricted conditions. Malus baccata (L.) Borkh. seedlings were exposed to 1.5 g kg−1 glucose (GLC), 0.09 g kg−1 IAA, 0.06 g kg−1 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA, a widely used auxin

The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in Funding section. The authors would like to correct the error with this erratum.

Industrialization and inevitable mining have resulted in the release of some metals in environment, which have different uses on the one hand and also showed environmental toxicity. Lithium (Li) is one of them; however, its excess use in different fields or inappropriate disposal methods resulted in high Li accumulation in soil and groundwater. This subsequently is affecting our environment and more

Inactive auxin conjugates are accumulated in plants and hydrolyzed to recover phytohormone action. A family of metallopeptidase orthologues has been conserved in Plantae to help regulate auxin homeostatic levels during growth and development. This hydrolase family was recently traced back to liverwort, the most ancient extant land plant lineage. Liverwort’s auxin hydrolase has little activity against

The fungal species Trichoderma is reported to have a significant impact on the growth and physiological performance of rice plants. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce these effects remain unspecified. Using next-generation sequencing technology, this study compared the differential expression of genes in rice seedlings that had been inoculated with Trichoderma asperellum SL2 with the gene

The development of woody plants is related to the continuity of the procambium and cambium. Whether such a continuity is present in plants with successive cambia, especially in those, where the first cambium is formed outside the primary vascular bundles, has not been analyzed so far. Therefore, we studied the development of vascular meristem in Celosia argentea, in which the first and successive cambial

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) is a rich source of nutritionally good quality proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. However, environmental stresses adversely affect its productivity. Only limited reports are available on biochemical/physiological responses of pigeonpea under salt stress. The objectives of the present study were to screen pigeonpea germplasm accessions for salt stress tolerance

Selenium (Se) results in primary root shortening and the concomitant induction of lateral roots (LRs) (stress-induced morphogenic response, SIMR). Both ethylene (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) are gasotransmitters interacting with each other during plant growth regulation; however, their involvement and interplay in LR growth have not been examined so far. This study investigates the effect of Se on ET

To investigate the effects of nanofertilizers and biofertilizers on the morpho-physiological and biochemical traits of safflower under full irrigation and water deficit stress, this study was carried out as a split-plot experiment based on a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications at Urmia University in 2015. The main plot was full irrigation (control) and irrigation disruption at