Effect of climate warming on seedling growth and biomass accumulation of Acacia modesta and Olea ferruginea in a subtropical scrub forest of Pakistan

Halophytes have been studied as a model for morphological traits of adaptation to saline environments. However, little information has been given on plant growth, chlorophyll fluorescence responses, and change of ion content in halophytes grown in an aniline–salinity coexistent environment. This study hypothesized that aniline could induce alterations in plant growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and ion content in Suaeda salsa, but salinity could promote the tolerance of halophytes to aniline. A 6 (aniline) × 3 (NaCl) factorial experiment (for a total of 18 treatments) was conducted to test the above hypothesis. After 30 d of cultivation, roots and shoots were harvested separately to analyze the effects of salinity on the seedling growth under aniline stress. Biomass accumulation was inhibited by aniline treatment, and the inhibition was significantly alleviated by 200 mM NaCl. The change in chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves with aniline stress was moderated by the addition of NaCl. The removal efficiency of aniline was significantly enhanced by moderate salinity. Aniline stress decreased the accumulation of Mg2+, but various concentrations of NaCl increased the accumulation of Mg2+, especially with 200 mM NaCl in both roots and shoots. Both aniline and salinity decreased the content of Ca2+. There was a negative correlation between the K+ and NaCl concentrations and between the Cl− and aniline concentrations. Our results indicated that Suaeda salsa may be suitable for the remediation of salinity and aniline-enriched wastewater.

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Climate warming and biomass accumulation of terrestrial plants: a meta-analysis

New Phytologist ◽

10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03347.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 188 (1) ◽

pp. 187-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 199

Author(s):

Delu Lin ◽

Jianyang Xia ◽

Shiqiang Wan

Keyword(s):

Climate Warming ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Terrestrial Plants

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Differential suppression of rice weeds by allelopathic plant aqueous extracts

Planta Daninha ◽

10.1590/s0100-83582013000100003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 21-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A Khaliq ◽

A Matloob ◽

M.B Khan ◽

A Tanveer

Keyword(s):

Seedling Growth ◽

Weed Management ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Cyperus Rotundus ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Aqueous Extracts ◽

Weed Species ◽

Test Species ◽

Chlorophyll Contents ◽

Species Specific

Herbicidal potential of different plant aqueous extracts was evaluated against early seedling growth of rice weeds in pot studies. Plant aqueous extracts of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), brassica (Brassica compestris), mulberry (Morris alba), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldunensis), and winter cherry (Withania somnifera) at a spray volume of 18 L ha-1 each at the 2-4 leaf stage of rice weeds viz horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum) [broad-leaf], jungle rice (Echinochloa colona), and E. crus-galli (barnyard grass) [grasses] and purple nut sedge (Cyperus rotundus) and rice flat sedge (C. iria) [sedges]. The results showed significant interactive effects between plant aqueous extracts and the tested weed species for seedling growth attributes depicting that allelopathic inhibition was species-specific. Shoot and root length, lateral plant spread, biomass accumulation, and leaf chlorophyll contents in test species were all reduced by different extracts. The study suggested the suppressive potential of allelopathic plant aqueous extracts against rice weeds, and offered promise for their usefulness as a tool for weed management under field conditions.

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Seed discontinuous hydration does not benefit germination, but improves drought tolerance of Triplaris gardneriana seedlings

Acta Scientiarum Biological Sciences ◽

10.4025/actascibiolsci.v43i1.55992 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. e55992

Author(s):

Rafael Silva Freitas ◽

Marcos Vinicius Meiado ◽

Elizamar Ciríaco da Silva

Keyword(s):

Leaf Area ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Relative Growth ◽

Relative Water ◽

Leaf Relative Water Content ◽

Effects Of Drought ◽

Seedling Leaf

The discontinuous seed hydration enables the acquisition of tolerance to environmental stresses, causing a stress imprint. It may modify metabolic patterns and lead to improved stress responses. This study aims to evaluate the effects of discontinuous hydration on germination and on seedling growth of Triplaris gardneriana Wedd. under intermittent drought. The seeds have gone through cycles (0, 1, 2 and 3) of hydration and dehydration (HD). The seedlings produced were subjected to water deficit (daily watering and intervals of seven and fourteen days between watering). Seed germinability parameters and, relative growth rate (RGR) of seedling, leaf area, dry matter yield and leaf relative water content (RWC) were evaluated. The HD cycles did not benefit germination, but two HD cycles induced a better biomass accumulation and increased leaf area in seedlings under moderate water deficit, while three HD cycles promoted an increase in RGR and influenced the RWC values. Severe stress affects seedling growth, but subjection to HD cycles minimizes the deleterious effects of drought, suggesting discontinuous hydration acts leading stress imprint in plants.

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Germination and Seedling Growth of Zea mays L. under Different Levels of Sodium Chloride Stress

International Letters of Natural Sciences ◽

10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilns.12.5 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 5-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Sozharajan ◽

S. Natarajan

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Salt Stress ◽

Water Uptake ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Petri Dish ◽

Germination Percentage ◽

Yield Reduction

Salt stress is one of the most severe environmental factors that reduces and limits growth and development of plants. Abiotic stresses such as heavy metals, salinity, drought, temperature, UV-radiation, ozone causes drastic yield reduction in most of the crops. Especially salt stress affects around 20 of NaCl on germination and seedling growth of Zea mays L. Seeds of Zea mays were germinated in glass Petri- 100 × 15 mm diameter lined with blotting paper. Ten seeds were placed in each petri-dish. Petridishes were irrigated with 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 mM concentrations of NaCl. A control was moistened with ten milliliters of distilled water. The germination percentage, water absorption of the seeds, water uptake percentage and the growth parameters were observed. The results obtained showed that the inhibition of the germination percentage, germination rate, water uptake, growth and biomass accumulation of the seedlings were observed to decrease with increasing NaCl concentrations. At the highest level of stress both plumule and radical decreased significantly. The salt stress decreased seed germination, biomass and growth of maize seedlings due to ion toxicity, decrease osmotic potential and oxidative stress

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The effects of Solidago canadensis water extracts on maize seedling growth in association with the biomass allocation pattern

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.6564 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e6564 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiao qi Ye ◽

Jin liu Meng ◽

Ming Wu

Keyword(s):

Gas Exchange ◽

Leaf Area ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Biomass Allocation ◽

Water Extract ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Maize Seedlings ◽

Allocation Pattern ◽

Shoot Height ◽

Water Extracts

Background Solidago canadensis L. is an aggressive exotic plant species in China that has potential allelopathic effects on competing plant species. Effects of hormesis are frequently observed in studies of allelopathy; however, the mechanisms of such effects need to be elucidated. Allelopathic compounds may affect the growth of recipient plants via alteration of biomass allocation patterns or photosynthetic capacity. The aim of this study was to determine how water extracts from S. canadensis affected the shoot and root growth of recipient plants and whether the underlying mechanism was related to the biomass allocation pattern or photosynthetic gas exchange capacity. Methods The water extracts from S. canadensis shoots at 12 different concentrations in the range of 0–0.25 g/ml were applied thrice in 9 days to maize seedlings cultivated in silica sand. The growth (shoot height, leaf length and area and root length) and biomass accumulation and allocation (specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area ratio (LAR) and leaf mass ratio (LMR)) were compared among maize seedlings exposed to different treatment concentrations. Gas exchange (photosynthetic light response curve) was measured and compared among maize seedlings exposed to three concentrations of water extract (0, 0.0125 and 0.2 g/ml) before and after the first application, and seedling growth was measured after the third and final application. Results The growth of seedlings (shoot height, leaf length and area and root length) was promoted at concentrations below 0.125 g/ml and inhibited at concentrations above this level (P < 0.05). The pattern of change in biomass accumulation and allocation was similar to that of shoot growth, but biomass accumulation and allocation was not significantly affected by the water extract treatments (P > 0.05). The water extract treatments did not significantly affect the photosynthetic capacity (P > 0.05), but the dark respiration rate was higher in the low-dose treatment than that in the high-dose treatment. Shoot height was positively correlated with the biomass allocation indicators SLA and LAR (P < 0.05) but not with LMR (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results suggested that the effects of the water extracts from S. canadensis were highly dependent on the concentration, with the growth of maize seedlings promoted at low concentrations of water extracts. The effects of the water extracts on the growth of maize seedlings were mainly due to the effects on the LAR, the allocation to leaf area growth, whereas the effects of the water extracts on leaf gas exchange capacity cannot explain variation of seedling growth. Thus, the stimulation of plant growth was very likely due to increased biomass allocation towards the shoot.

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Florida Citrus Nursery Trends and Strategies to Enhance Production of Field-Transplant Ready Citrus Plants

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae6010008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tripti Vashisth ◽

Changpin Chun ◽

Monica Ozores Hampton

Keyword(s):

Seedling Growth ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Plant Production ◽

Peat Moss ◽

Greenhouse Study ◽

Florida Citrus ◽

C 32 ◽

One Year ◽

Field Transplant

The Florida citrus industry is going through major changes and considerable replanting. Many growers are planting varieties, especially rootstocks, that are potentially productive under Huanglongbing (HLB; Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) prevalent conditions. However, the high demand for new plant material has put tremendous pressure on citrus nurseries and has created a bottleneck in production. Often it can take more than one year to produce field-transplant ready plants in nurseries; therefore, there is a critical need to accelerate plant production. This three-part study was conducted with the following objectives: (1) determine citrus nursery trends; (2) evaluate use of compost for rootstock germination; and, (3) evaluate use of compost for rootstock seedling growth. According to the nursery survey, rootstock seed germination and seedling growth were the most time-consuming, taking 6–8 months. Moreover, it was apparent from the survey results that 44% of the citrus nurseries were experimenting with potting mixes to achieve adequate plant growth and quality. Our greenhouse study demonstrated successful use of yard waste compost in place of peat moss in a potting mix. With use of 37% to 50% of compost in the potting mix, the overall germination rate and mean emergence time were improved to 70% in less than four weeks for US-897 rootstock as compared to no compost in the potting mix. In addition, 37% to 50% compost resulted in higher biomass accumulation in seedlings. When seedlings of rootstocks C-32 and Flying Dragon were grown with 37% to 50% compost, the growth rate and, therefore, percentage of successful budding were significantly increased as compared to no compost. In addition, substrate analysis indicated that a high compost potting media was rich in mineral nutrients, hence the use of fertilizer in nurseries could be minimized. Altogether, use of compost in place of peat moss seems promising and could accelerate germination and growth of rootstocks, reducing the production time as well as cost.

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Germination and early establishment of dryland grasses and shrubs on intact and wind-eroded soils under greenhouse conditions

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-021-05005-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Furong Niu ◽

Nathan A. Pierce ◽

Steven R. Archer ◽

Gregory S. Okin

Keyword(s):

Seedling Growth ◽

Perennial Grass ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Larrea Tridentata ◽

Controlled Environment ◽

Bouteloua Eriopoda ◽

Nutrient Contents ◽

Sporobolus Airoides ◽

Early Seedling ◽

Deciduous Shrub

Abstract Aims Grassland-to-shrubland transition is a common form of land degradation in drylands worldwide. It is often attributed to changes in disturbance regimes, particularly overgrazing. A myriad of direct and indirect effects (e.g., accelerated soil erosion) of grazing may favor shrubs over grasses, but their relative importance is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that topsoil “winnowing” by wind erosion would differentially affect grass and shrub seedling establishment to promote shrub recruitment over that of grass. Methods We monitored germination and seedling growth of contrasting perennial grass (Bouteloua eriopoda, Sporobolus airoides, and Aristida purpurea) and shrub (Prosopis glandulosa, Atriplex canescens, and Larrea tridentata) functional groups on field-collected non-winnowed and winnowed soils under well-watered greenhouse conditions. Results Non-winnowed soils were finer-textured and had higher nutrient contents than winnowed soils, but based on desorption curves, winnowed soils had more plant-available moisture. Contrary to expectations, seed germination and seedling growth on winnowed and non-winnowed soils were comparable within a given species. The N2-fixing deciduous shrub P. glandulosa was first to emerge and complete germination, and had the greatest biomass accumulation of all species. Conclusions Germination and early seedling growth of grasses and shrubs on winnowed soils were not adversely nor differentially affected comparing with that observed on non-winnowed soils under well-watered greenhouse conditions. Early germination and rapid growth may give P. glandulosa a competitive advantage over grasses and other shrub species at the establishment stage in grazed grasslands. Field establishment experiments are needed to confirm our findings in these controlled environment trials.

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Use of Microbial Biostimulants to Increase the Salinity Tolerance of Vegetable Transplants

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061143 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1143

Author(s):

Alessandro Miceli ◽

Alessandra Moncada ◽

Filippo Vetrano

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Salinity Tolerance ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Brackish Water ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Promoting Effect ◽

Tomato Seedlings ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Growth Promoting

Vegetable plants are more sensitive to salt stress during the early growth stages; hence, the availability of poor-quality brackish water can be a big issue for the nursery vegetable industry. Microbial biostimulants promote growth and vigor and counterbalance salt stress in mature plants. This study aimed to evaluate the application of plant growth-promoting microorganisms for improving salt tolerance of lettuce and tomato seedlings irrigated with different water salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mM NaCl) during nursery growth. Two commercial microbial biostimulants were applied to the substrate before seeding: 1.5 g L−1 of TNC BactorrS13 containing 1.3 × 108 CFU g−1 of Bacillus spp.; 0.75 g L−1 of Flortis Micorrize containing 30% of Glomus spp., 1.24 × 108 CFU g−1 of Agrobacterium radiobacter, Bacillus subtilis, Streptomyces spp. and 3 × 105 CFU g−1 of Thricoderma spp. Many morpho-physiological parameters of lettuce and tomato seedlings suffered the negative effect of salinity. The use of the microbial biostimulants modified seedling growth and its response to salt stress. They had a growth-promoting effect on the unstressed seedlings increasing fresh and dry biomass accumulation, leaf number, and leaf area and were successful in increasing salinity tolerance of seedlings especially when using Flortis Micorizze that enhanced salinity tolerance up to 50 mM NaCl. The inoculation of the substrate with microbial biostimulants could represent a sustainable way to improve lettuce and tomato transplant quality and to use brackish water in vegetable nurseries limiting its negative effect on seedling growth.

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