Tripleurospermum disciforme (C.A.Mey.) Sch.Bip., Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip., and Achillea biebersteinii Afan. are the most important species of the Asteraceae family that are used in traditional medicine as antiseptics, analgesics, and anti-ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the yield, chemical profile, and antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oils of these

Soil carbon-rich organic amendments (biochar, humic substances) may improve the quality and fertility of arable soil. Their co-application can additively enhance the beneficial effect on soil. Hypothetically, the pre-treatment of biochar, by aging via soaking in a solution of commercially available humic substances, could result in synergism, which may exceed the benefit from simple co-application

Following the publication of the original article [1], the authors identified that the incorrect Additional file 1 was published. The original article [1] has been corrected. 1. Rahman MA, Ahmed MB, Alotaibi F, Alotaibi KD, Ziadi N, Lee KW, Kabir AH. Growth and physiological impairments in Fe-starved alfalfa are associated with the downregulation of Fe and S transporters along with redox imbalance

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. is a commonly used herb in traditional Chinese medicine, and the main raw material of various Chinese patent medicines. Continuous cropping obstacle (CCO) is the main factor leading to the decline of crop yields and quality. Metagenomics sequencing technology was used to analyze the microbial community and functional genes of continuous cropping (CC) and control (CK)

Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith), or fall armyworm, is one of major migratory agricultural pests with a wide range of hosts. The effect of different hosts (maize and kidney bean) on the growth and reproduction of S. frugiperda were investigated using the age-stage, two-sex life table method. The results showed that S. frugiperda could complete its entire life cycle on both hosts, albeit with significantly

The bacterial-spot disease caused by different Xanthomonas species is one of the major tomato diseases that reduce crop production and quality. Pesticides indiscriminate usage has resulted in an increase in resistant bacterial strains as well as contamination of farmers, consumers and the environment. Plant growth-promoting bacteria and humic acids can act as elicitors of plant defence mechanism causing

Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that adversely affect rice production. Four rice genotypes, Giza177, IR64 (as sensitive genotypes) and Vandana, Orabi3 (as tolerant genotypes) were used to screen and characterize the soil microbes associated with each genotype under drought stress. The soil microbes associated with the tolerant genotypes showed high drought tolerance and high levels

Salinity is one of the major environmental threats to agriculture, limiting plant growth and reducing crop yield. The use of humic substances to alleviate salt stress in plants is well reported, but the mechanisms remain unclear. This work aimed to apply humic acids on seedlings to acclimate plants to tolerate further salt stress exposition as a pre-treatment. Two independent experiments with mono

Taro leaf blight, caused by a severely destructive oomycete fungus Phytophthora colocasiae, is responsible for threatening yield loss worldwide. The pathogen has the ability to germinate and spread rapidly to other plants during favorable conditions resulting in acute decline and even death, causing 100% crop loss. Farmers usually rely on highly toxic systemic fungicides to control the disease, which

Cashew nut shell is a by-product of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) production, which is abundant in many developing countries. Cashew nut shell liquor (CNSL) contains a functional chemical, cardanol, which can be converted into a hydroxyoxime. The hydroxyoximes are expensive reagents for metal extraction. CNSL-based oxime was synthesized and used to extract Ni, Co, and Mn from aqueous solutions. The

Iron (Fe) is an essential plant nutrient. Its deficiency is a major constraint in crop production systems, affecting crop yield and quality. It is therefore important to elucidate the responses and adaptive mechanisms underlying Fe-deficiency symptoms in alfalfa. The experiment was carried out on 12-day-old alfalfa plants grown in hydroponics under Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient conditions. The Fe-starved

Previous literatures revealed that gamma rays have an increasing effect on salt tolerance in different plants. In vitro experiment was conducted to study the effect of gamma rays (20 Gray) on salt tolerance of four potato cultivars (Lady Rosetta, Diamante, Gold, and Santana). Gamma-treated Santana plantlets were more tolerant to salinity as compared to other cultivars. It showed a significant increment

Soil salinity buildup and soil degradation are emerging challenges in cropping systems practicing high chemical fertilization. Application of biostimulants and organic fertilizers are better deserve agricultural sustainability and are generally reflected in more nutritious foods than chemical fertilization. In this study, the growth, quality and antioxidant capacity of coriander (Coriandrum sativum

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors identified an error in the author name of Sara Taherymoosavi. The incorrect author name is: Sara Taherysoosavi. The correct author name is: Sara Taherymoosavi. The original article [1] has been corrected. 1. Kumar A, Joseph S, Graber ER, Taherymoosavi S, Mitchell DRG, Munroe P, Tsechansky L, Lerdahl O, Aker W, Sæbø M. Fertilizing behavior

Plasma agriculture is a promising niche of interdisciplinary research where the physics, of non-equilibrium gases meets surface chemistry and biological responses. Despite numerous scientific papers, the interaction of gaseous plasma with seeds is not understood enough to make the technique useful in practical agriculture. An obstacle is an improper methodology adopted by different authors. In this

Humic substances can be considered as polyelectrolytes with supramolecular character and complicated behaviour in water environment. The fractions of humic substances dissolved in water are the most active ones and determinative for their functioning in nature, where the proton-binding and dissociation ability play a crucial role. The dissociation behaviour of humic and fulvic acids can be affected

Increasing the presence of beneficial soil microorganisms is a promising sustainable alternative to support conventional and organic fertilization and may help to improve crop health and productivity. If the application of single bioeffectors has shown satisfactory results, further improvements may arise by combining multiple beneficial soil microorganisms with natural bioactive molecules. In the present

Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) is one of the largest productions in Asia and its increasing production has generated a huge amount of pineapple wastes. Pineapple plant stem is made up of high concentration of starch which can potentially be converted into value-added products, including amino acids. Due to the increasing demand in animal feed grade amino acids, especially for methionine and lysine

In organic crop farms, growing crop yields are limited by insufficient nitrogen supply to plants and crop weediness. In such farms, legume swards are proposed as a service crop to improve nitrogen cycling. However, a positive effect of nitrogen is not only on cereals but also on weeds. In crop rotation, legume swards can stimulate the competition of cereals using the above-ground mass of legume to

The Essential oils (EOs) are important bioactive secondary metabolites of aromatic plants, such as Basil, and find extensive utilization in pharmaceutical sector as therapeutic agents. A more eco-friendly industrial production of EOs requires new sustainable methods to improve yield and quality of these bioactive compounds in aromatic plants. Here, we evaluated the biostimulation effects of natural

Sparassis crispa polysaccharides (SCPs) have multiple pharmacological activities. Fermentation characteristics of SCPs and its effects on the intestinal microbes in mice remain inconclusive. In this study, SCPs were fermented by the human feces and used to administer the Kunming mice to explore the fermentation characteristics of SCPs in the intestinal tract and the effects on the intestinal microbes

Drought is a major problem limiting the growth and development of plants in the world and especially in Tunisia. Halophytes constitute a renewable wealth and they offer great flexibility with regard to abiotic stresses, and they are evaluated for their ecological and potential food use. The proposed work identifies the response of Atriplex hortensis var. rubra to the germinal stage and the reproductive

Fostering plant growth and improving agricultural yields by adding “macro”-sized biochar to soil has been extensively explored. However, the impact and mechanism of action of aqueous extracts of biochar applied as foliar fertilizer on plant growth and physiology is poorly understood, and was the objective of this study. Extracts were produced from biochars derived from pine wood:clay:sand (PCS-BC;

The increasing demand of food causes an excessive exploitation of agricultural lands, often inducing phenomena of soil sickness accompanied by the development of soilborne diseases. The use of residual biomasses together with inorganic fertilizers can be considered a good agricultural practice for controlling the inoculum density of soilborne phytopathogens since soil conditioners can release inorganic

Barberry fruit is a good source of natural antioxidants and various functional compounds. Different concentrations of maltodextrin (10, 13, and 16% w/w) were used to produce spray-dried barberry juice powder and the powders (50, 60, and 70%) were applied to create effervescent tablets. The results showed that by increasing the amount of maltodextrin concentration, moisture, and water activity decreased

Higher absorption and translocation of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) ions in plant tissue can lead to serious physiological and biochemical changes. However, salicylic acid (SA) is a natural signaling molecule responsible for the induction of environmental stress tolerance in plants. Spraying SA could provide protection against several types of stress such as salinity. This study aimed to show the

Essential oil of Rosa × damascena Herrm. is one of the most valuable and important raw materials for the flavor and fragrance industry. The cultivation of this plant has ancient origins, and Kashan was one of the first mountainous regions of Iran dealing with the cultivation of R. × damascena. In this study, both chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of different rose essential oils obtained

In sustainable agriculture, the use of farmyard manure (FYM) is of great interest to environmental security and is effective as a good nitrogen source for sustainable crop production. Therefore, determining the effective doses of FYM that will be an alternative to chemical fertilizers, is also important to improve soil fertility and produce healthy products. This study aimed to determine the effects

Drought is one of the most important environmental stresses that can adversely influence soil properties, plant growth, and productivity of agricultural crops including eggplant as an important vegetable crop. In recent years, the use of agricultural wastes has been reported as a beneficial and sustainable measure in soil water retention and fertility enhancement. In this study, the effect of date

Weeds are amongst the most impacting abiotic factors in agriculture, causing important yield loss worldwide. Integrated Weed Management coupled with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones), allows for Site-Specific Weed Management, which is a highly efficient methodology as well as beneficial to the environment. The identification of weed patches in a cultivated field can be achieved by combining

Authentication of food and agricultural products is important to trace out the right product and ensure the customer’s preference and their health. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most important crops used for food and medicine in Ethiopia and different varieties and cultivars are produced in different regions of the country. This study was undertaken to determine the total flavonoid content

The root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, a well-known Chinese herbal medicine, has been used historically as hematopoietic and anti-inflammatory agents for thousands of years. Recent phytochemistry and pharmacological studies have proved that polysaccharides are one of the major active ingredients in A. sinensis. It has been demonstrated that ASPs (A. sinensis polysaccharides) had various important

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process to convert biomass in carbon-rich materials (hydrochar). The use of sugarcane industry by-products in HTC has been evaluated, generating a hydrochar rich in nutrients, which could be used as a soil conditioner. We raised the hypothesis that the application of hydrochar in soil can improve its nutrient characteristics, bringing a better environment

The high quality of antibody (Ab) is critical for an immunoassay; usually, an Ab with low affinity is often regarded as a “bad” one in the immunoassay development. How to use a “bad” Ab to develop a highly sensitive immunoassay is still a huge challenge. In this study, a heterologous immunoassay strategy was designed to enhance the sensitivity for the detection of banned dye, rhodamine B (RB), in fraudulent

Vegetable production is an important economic activity and a major source of vitamins, minerals, and income in Ethiopia. However, the production of vegetables is much less developed than the production of food grains in the country. Vegetable production still needs improvement in combating biotic and abiotic threats with innovative technologies. Nowadays, excess use of chemical fertilizers to satisfy

The influence of β-glucan on the human gut microbiota is closely related to the physicochemical structure of β-glucan. We purified a homogeneous water-soluble polysaccharide from Tibetan hull-less barley 25 and studied its structure and the in vitro fermentation profile. Analysis by gas chromatography (GC), Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy

Soybean is a major economic crop worldwide, but its yield and quality are greatly affected by root-knot nematode infection. This study aimed to assess the effects of Meloidogyne javanica parasitism on soybean growth, yield, and quality. Soybean plants were inoculated with 0, 1000, 2000, or 4000 eggs + second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. javanica and evaluated for vegetative and nematode parameters. Grains

In the list of abiotic stresses, salt stress is a main growth retarding factor which affects 7% of rain-fed while 30% worldwide irrigated agriculture. However, various strategies are assumed to manage this problem, but the use of endophytes is cheap and eco-friendly. The goal of this study was to evaluate the behavior of endophytic Aspergillus awamori (EWF) in creating salt tolerance in mung bean in

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Noni (Morinda citrifolia Linn.) is a tropical tree that bears climacteric fruit. Previous observations and research have shown that the second day (2 d) after harvest is the most important demarcation point when the fruit has the same appearance as the freshly picked fruit (0 d); however, they are beginning to become water spot appearance. We performed a conjoint analysis of metabolome and transcriptome

Biochar is widely assumed as an effective soil amendment. It improves soil structure and fertility, thereby enhancing crop growth and development. There is still a knowledge gap in research on the beneficial impact of biochar on root growth and root architecture in perennial woody plants. Therefore, in our 14-week greenhouse study, pinewood-based biochar was applied as soil amendment for muscadine

The jujube is mainly grown in the subtropical and tropical regions of Asia. Due to owning bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, it was considered as medicinal and nutritional plant in traditional medicine. This study aimed to extract phenolic compounds from Ziziphus jujuba using subcritical water (SCW) process. The possible combinations of temperature, time, and fruit-to-solvent ratio were investigated

Mulches are materials applied in a soil surface for different roles and purposes. Plastic mulches with different colour have been developed and utilized in different crop production systems. Using coloured plastic mulches is mainly focused in modifying the radiation budget and decreasing the soil water loss. Besides, it helps to regulate soil temperature, water use efficiency, plant growth, yield,

In this research, the effects of exogenous application of certain biostimulants [amino acid (AA), humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), and seaweed extract (SE)] on the fruit yield and quality, leaf mineral contents, and some critical physio-chemical characteristics of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. ‘Yaghouti’ were investigated under well-watered (WW) and drought-stressed (DS) conditions. Drought stress

Rumex abyssinicus (RA) is one of indigenous plants to Ethiopia having traditional values during butter refinement in rural areas. This paper presents a comparative study of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of RA sample extract to that of Zingiber officinale (ZO) and Curcuma longa (CL). Phytochemical screening tests were, first, done using different confirmatory tests prior to quantitative

The use of biochar-based N fertilizers have been considered among the most effective strategy for reducing nitrogen loss and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, effect and mechanism of biochar-coated urea (BCU) controlling the loss of nitrogen from soil and NUE are rarely reported. In this study, a 65-d culture pot experiment of oilseed rape was used to investigate the impact of BCU on

Plant growth regulators are chemical substances which govern all the factors of development and growth within plants. The application of plant growth regulators to crops modifies hormonal balance and growth leading to increased yield, enhanced crop tolerance against abiotic stress and improved physiological trait of crops. Paclobutrazol (PBZ) [(2RS, 3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)- 4, 4-dimethyl-2-(1H-1, 2

To establish bioplastics as a real alternative to conventional plastics, high production costs must be constrained by using different kinds of wastewater streams as organic substrates and novel microbial strains as material-accumulating bacteria with high performance. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from the effluent of dairy wastewater biodigestion represent a new and inexpensive feedstock, which was

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica can infect beetroots, causing extensive damage to this food crop. As chemical and genetic control tactics have shown limited efficacy, new strategies are needed to improve the integrated management of this parasite. This study assessed the influence of potential defence elicitors and M. javanica infection on the mineral composition of beetroot. Plants were

Barberry has long been used as an herbal remedy since ancient times which is found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Given the short harvesting season and limited shelf life of the barberry, we evaluated the possibility of using modified atmosphere packaging and oxygen-scavenger sachets to increase its storage period. For this purpose, the physicochemical characterization (antioxidant

The ketogenic diet (KD) can promote the anti-inflammatory metabolic state and increase ketone body level in rats. This study was to explore the effects and differences of KD with or without medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) on serum inflammatory factors and mTOR pathway in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Male SD rats were assigned to five groups: control diet (C), 20% caloric restriction diet (LC), 20% caloric

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Plants primed by humic acids showed physiological and molecular response against different abiotic stresses without the presence of stressor agents (salinity, drought, heavy metal toxicity). It is plausible that humic acids themselves can act as chemical priming substances in plants. We hypothesized that humic acids can trigger the weak acids stress response in cell plants acidifying the cytosol and

Generally, zinc (Zn) is an essential element and acts as a plant nutrient, but at higher concentrations, it is toxic. Higher uptake and translocation of Zn into plant tissues can cause serious physiological and biochemical alterations. However, salicylic acid (SA) is an endogenous regulator of growth and signaling molecule responsible for inducing environmental stress tolerance in plants. Therefore

Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) production in Tanzania is constrained by several pre-harvest factors that include pests. Hexanal, sprayed as Enhanced Freshness Formulation (EFF) is a relatively new technology that has been reported to reduce pre-harvest loss in fruits. However, the effects of hexanal on pre-harvest yield loss of orange are not known. We studied the effects of hexanal as EFF on yield losses

Royal jelly (RJ) represents the most valuable product of beekeeping activities. The illegal introduction of RJ of uncertain quality/origin in European agrofood markets is not controlled, since the conventional analytical methods cannot unambiguously distinguish foreign from autochthonous RJ products. Here, we applied liquid-state NMR spectroscopy combined with chemometry to characterize the metabolic

Fumes from high-temperature heated plant leaves containing volatile phytochemicals generated from Lantana camara, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Azadirachta indica and Ocimum sanctum were tested for their insecticidal activity against adult southern cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis L.) and their F1 progeny production/emergence. Volatile phytochemicals containing fume was generated using a flameless

Different approaches have been used to improve mineral nutrient status of plants in absence of chemical fertilization and toward safer products and improved human health. Amino acids have been proposed with such roles in different recent studies. In this study, glycine was applied as foliar (250, 500 and 1000 ppm) or as soil (250 and 500 mg/plant) to cucumber plants compared to unfertilized control

Animal husbandry is one of the agricultural activities that generates economic benefits for agriculture. We detected significant development of these activities in Morocco. Currently, it is stuck between the increase of organic waste polluting the farm environment and the energy needed to ensure the activities. Faced with this challenge, we determined all physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics

An insight into the molecular composition of ombrotrophic peats of different geographical origin and collected at different depths was achieved by the humeomics method. The humeomic fractionation allowed the separation of molecular components in either organic solvents or water on the basis of their progressive binding strength to the humic matrix. The solubilized matter in fractions was analyzed by