Growth responses of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev to sheep saliva after defoliation

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Teng ◽  
Lei Ba ◽  
Deli Wang ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Jushan Liu

Many studies indicated that saliva from herbivores might be involved in plant growth responses when plants have been grazed. However, there is currently no general agreement on whether saliva can affect plant growth. Our aims were to determine the growth response of plants to sheep saliva after defoliation under diverse environmental conditions (different sward structures), and whether the effect of saliva is influenced by time (duration) after its application. We conducted field experiments with clipping treatments and the application of sheep saliva to the damaged parts of tillers to simulate sheep grazing on the perennial grass Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev during the early growing seasons. Results demonstrated that clipping with saliva application significantly increased tiller numbers 8 weeks after treatments in comparison with clipping alone. A key finding is that the effect of sheep saliva on plant growth was short-lived. Clipping with saliva application increased leaf weight in the second week, while clipping alone had no effect. Moreover, clipping with saliva application promoted the elongation of new leaves (not the old ones) in the first week whereas clipping alone was ineffective. Results also showed that there were no differences between clipping with saliva application and clipping alone for relative height growth rate and aboveground biomass. Therefore, we concluded that saliva application to clipping treatment would produce an additional effect compared to clipping alone for the plant and the positive effects are time dependent. The additional effects primarily embodied in the individual level of plant, such as the changes of leaf weight and leaf length. Beyond the level, the effects of saliva only produced many more tiller numbers rather than the accumulation of aboveground biomass.

2021 ◽  
pp. 395-402
Author(s):  
Sonia Purin da Cruz ◽  
Kelen Cristina Basso

Brazil is the second world producer of bovine meat, which often relies on preserved forage to decrease seasonality of forage production. Increased forage accumulation may be favored by technologies such as inoculation. Research works on this theme have been conducted with Azospirillum brasilense associated to oats, ryegrass and guinea grass. However, response of jiggs, a widely cultivated perennial grass, to plant growth-promoting microrganisms is poorly understood. Hence this study aimed to assess effects of inoculation on development of Cynodon dactylon cv. Jiggs. Four treatments were tested: T1) control, T2) Inoculation with A. brasilense, T3) Inoculation with Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas and Saccharomyces, T4) Inoculation + Reinoculation with Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas and Saccharomyces. Forage mass, percentage of leaves, stems, dead mass, reproductive structures and leaf/stem ratio were measured. Data were submitted to analysis of variance, and when significant effects were detected, means were separated by LSD Test. Positive effects of inoculation were recorded at all evaluations, mostly concerning percentage of leaves and leaf/stem ratio. A. brasilense improved leaf/stem ratio up to 56%. Also, a 64% increment on this parameter was obtained with Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas and Saccharomyces. Modifications of plant morphology components are important since grasses with more percentage of leaves increase nutritional value of haylage. Morphology of Cynodon dactylon cv. Jiggs is affected by Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Saccharomyces and Pseudomonas, improving aspects related to palatability and preferred grazing of livestock animals.


Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Alaa I. B. Abou-Sreea ◽  
Marwa Kamal ◽  
Dalia M. El Sowfy ◽  
Mostafa M. Rady ◽  
Gamal F. Mohamed ◽  
...  

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient necessary for plant growth, development, and reproduction. Two field experiments were carried out in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 on P-deficient soil to evaluate the impact of foliar fertilization with nanophosphorus (nP) on growth, yield, and physio-biochemical indices, as well as trigonelline content of fenugreek plants under deficient irrigation (dI) stress (a deficit of 20 and 40% of crop evapotranspiration; dI-20 and dI-40). The growth and yield traits, leaf integrity (relative water content and membrane stability index), photosynthetic pigment contents, leaf and seed P contents, and stem and leaf anatomical features significantly decreased under dI-20, with greater reductions recorded under dI-40. In contrast, water-use efficiency, osmoprotective compounds, including free amino acids, soluble sugars, proline, and trigonelline, along with antioxidant contents (ascorbate, glutathione, phenolics, and flavonoids) and their activity increased significantly under both dI-20 and dI-40. However, foliar feeding with nano-P considerably increased plant growth and yield traits, leaf integrity, photosynthetic pigments contents, leaf and seed P contents, and anatomical features. Besides, water-use efficiency, osmoprotectant contents, and antioxidant content and activity were further increased under both dI-20 and dI-40. The positive effects were more pronounced with the smaller nP (25 nm) than the larger nP (50 nm). The results of this study backed up the idea of using foliar nourishment with nP, which can be effective in modulating fenugreek plant growth and seed production.


Author(s):  
Jihong Yuan ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yunfei Yang

The response of plant vegetative reproduction and compensatory growth to herbivory has been widely discussed in biological and ecological research. Most previous research has supported the idea that both vegetative reproduction and compensatory growth are affected by their ontogenic stage. However, in many studies, the effects of foraging at different ontogenic stages was often confounded with the effects of foraging at different phenological periods for perennials. Our experiment was conducted in a natural meadow with a perennial grass, Hordeum brevisubulatum, and four ontogenic stages were chosen as our experimental objects. Three different clipping intensities during three phenological periods were implemented to explore the effects of simulating animal foraging on vegetative reproduction and compensatory plant growth. The results indicated that there were significant effects of ontogenic stage, phenological period, and clipping intensity on vegetative reproduction and compensatory growth. Moderate clipping intensities significantly increased the number of vegetative tillers, the total number of juvenile tillers and buds, and the aboveground biomass at early phenological periods for individuals at early ontogenic stages. Our results suggested that moderate clipping intensities could induce only an over-compensation response in perennial grasses at both the early ontogenic stage and phenological period, and the ability of compensatory growth gradually decreased with the progression of the ontogenic stage. This is of great significance to the primary production of grasslands subjected to herbivory.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1566-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.L. Fleming ◽  
J.-D. Leblanc ◽  
P.W. Hazlett ◽  
T. Weldon ◽  
R. Irwin ◽  
...  

Rising demands for forest biomass have raised concerns that the increased removal of organic residues and harvest impacts may reduce longer term site productivity. Replicated field experiments examining the effects of stem-only harvest with disc trenching (SOT), whole-tree harvest with (WTT) and without (WT) disc trenching, whole-tree harvest with forest-floor removal by blading (WTB), and blading followed by compaction (WTBC) were installed on nine sandy jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) sites in northern Ontario. At year 5, planted-tree diameters, dominant tree heights (HD), and stand aboveground biomass (jPPBio) were smaller without soil disturbance (the WT), but were otherwise similar among treatments. At year 15, planted-tree size and stand yield rankings were WTT = SOT = WT > WTB = WTBC. Biomass production by natural regeneration and total stand aboveground biomass (TotBio) treatment rankings were SOT ≥ WTT ≥ WT > WTB = WTBC. HD, jPPBio, and TotBio showed increasing divergence over time in WTB vs. WTT – SOT response, whereas statistical equivalence of the WTT and SOT treatments was shown for most tree and stand growth responses. There was some evidence of increasingly negative impacts of WTB as site index declined. Overall, negative WTB effects on tree and stand productivity have become increasingly apparent.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Xuan Song ◽  
Shakeel Ahmad Anjum ◽  
Xue-Feng Zong ◽  
Rong Yan ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
...  

Water deficit is an environmental constraint restricting plant growth and productivity, and is further worsened by reduced soil fertility. Plant growth-regulating substances ameliorate damaging effects of abiotic stresses, and their efficacy is improved by application of adequate nutrients. An experiment was undertaken to investigate the influence of foliar-applied nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium: NPK) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) alone and in combination on morpho-physiological indices of the perennial grass Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel under drought and well-watered conditions. Drought stress caused a reduction in growth and photosynthetic pigments while increasing the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and osmolytes compared with well-watered conditions. However, application of NPK and ALA improved plant height, fresh and dry weights, and chlorophyll content. Production of soluble proteins and sugars, proline content, and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase) were increased and MDA accumulation was lowered by application of NPK and ALA relative to the control (no application). Combined application of NPK and ALA proved more advantageous than NPK or ALA alone in exerting ameliorative effect on L. chinensis under drought-stressed conditions. The results suggest that combined application of NPK and ALA improves the growth and development of L. chinensis by modulating physiological processes and aids in sustaining drought.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 660
Author(s):  
Simon Hodge ◽  
Charles N. Merfield ◽  
Wendy Y. Y. Liu ◽  
Heng W. Tan

Organically-derived biofertilizers and biostimulants, developed from harvested materials such as seaweed and waste from animal and fish processing, are currently the subject of much fundamental and applied research. These products have significant potential in reducing synthetic fertilizer inputs to horticultural, arable, and pasture-based agricultural systems, although there is frequently some ambiguity over the magnitude and consistency of any positive effects these products may have on plant performance. This study examined the effects of organically-derived plant growth promoters (PGPs) available in New Zealand on the early vegetative growth of 16 plant species maintained under glasshouse conditions. When applied as a root drench to low nutrient potting mix, the effects of the PGPs on seedling shoot growth were strongly related to the NPK contents of the applied solutions. Any positive effects on shoot growth were, on average, reduced when the seedlings were maintained in higher nutrient growing media. Applying the PGPs at concentrations twice, and four times, the recommended concentration, only caused further growth responses when the PGPs contained high levels of nutrients. Applying the PGPs as a foliar spray had negligible effects on shoot growth. Overall, the results of these trials suggest that the positive effects of applying some organically-derived PGPs on seedling growth are a function of the PGP nutrient content, and not due to any indirect effects related to phytohormone pathways or modification of rhizosphere microorganisms.


1970 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Singh ◽  
A. A. Khan ◽  
Iram Khan ◽  
Rose Rizvi ◽  
M. Saquib

Plant growth, yield, pigment and protein content of cow-pea were increased significantly at lower levels (20 and 40%) of fly ash but reverse was true at higher levels (80 and 100%). Soil amended by 60% fly ash could cause suppression in growth and yield in respect to 40% fly ash treated cow-pea plants but former was found at par with control (fly ash untreated plants). Maximum growth occurred in plants grown in soil amended with 40% fly ash. Nitrogen content of cow-pea was suppressed progressively in increasing levels of fly ash. Moreover,  Rhizobium leguminosarum  influenced the growth and yield positively but Meloidogyne javanica caused opposite effects particularly at 20 and 40% fly ash levels. The positive effects of R. leguminosarum were marked by M. javanica at initial levels. However, at 80 and 100% fly ash levels, the positive and negative effects of R. leguminosarum and/or M. javanica did not appear as insignificant difference persist among such treatments.Key words:  Meloidogyne javanica; Rhizobium leguminosarum; Fly ash; Growth; YieldDOI: 10.3126/eco.v17i0.4098Ecoprint An International Journal of Ecology Vol. 17, 2010 Page: 17-22 Uploaded date: 28 December, 2010  


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1847
Author(s):  
Kristina Vlahoviček-Kahlina ◽  
Slaven Jurić ◽  
Marijan Marijan ◽  
Botagoz Mutaliyeva ◽  
Svetlana V. Khalus ◽  
...  

Novel plant growth regulators (PGRs) based on the derivatives of dehydroamino acids 2,3-dehydroaspartic acid dimethyl ester (PGR1), Z-isomer of the potassium salt of 2-amino-3-methoxycarbonylacrylic acid (PGR2) and 1-methyl-3-methylamino-maleimide (PGR3) have been synthesized and their growth-regulating properties investigated. Laboratory testing revealed their plant growth-regulating activity. PGR1 showing the most stimulating activity on all laboratory tested cultures were used in field experiments. Results showed that PGR1 is a highly effective environmentally friendly plant growth regulator with effects on different crops. Biopolymeric microcapsule formulations (chitosan/alginate microcapsule loaded with PGR) suitable for application in agriculture were prepared and characterized. Physicochemical properties and release profiles of PGRs from microcapsule formulations depend on the molecular interactions between microcapsule constituents including mainly electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The differences in the microcapsule formulations structure did not affect the mechanism of PGRs release which was identified as diffusion through microcapsules. The obtained results opened a perspective for the future use of microcapsule formulations as new promising agroformulations with a sustained and target release for plant growth regulation.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 307
Author(s):  
Angela Libutti ◽  
Anna Rita Rivelli

In recent years, soil addition with organic amendments, such as biochar and compost, has gained attention as an effective agronomic practice to sustain soil fertility, enhance plant growth and crop yield. Well known are the positive effects of compost on yield of a wide crop varieties, while both positive and negative responses are reported for biochar Therefore, the aim of the study was to verify the effect of biochar mixed with three types of compost on quanti-qualitative response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. cycla), a leafy green vegetable rich in dietary antioxidants, largely consumed worldwide. A factorial experiment in pots with two factors, including biochar (without biochar and with biochar from vine pruning residues) and compost (without compost, with compost from olive pomace, with vermicompost from cattle manure, and with compost from cattle anaerobic digestate), was setup. Two growth cycles were considered, and a set of quantitative (height of plants, number, area and fresh weight of leaves) and qualitative parameters (carotenoids, chlorophyll, total N, and NO3−content of leaves) were analyzed. Biochar decreased plant growth and NO3− leaf content; on the contrary, it increased total N leaf content, while compost improved all the considered parameters. The interactive effect of biochar and compost was evident only on total N and NO3− leaf content. In our experimental conditions, the compost showed to be the best option to improve Swiss chard growth and increase the content of phytopigments, while the biochar-compost mixtures did not produce the expected effect.


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