scholarly journals Effect of Salinity on the Growth Characteristics of Solanum aethiopicum L. (Solanaceae)

Author(s):  
S. I. Mensah ◽  
C. Ekeke ◽  
M. Udom

Salinity affects various morphological and anatomical characters of plants thereby reducing the yield of the plant in the long run. Solanum aethiopicum L. is an economic plant that is versatile for human use ranging from food to traditional medicine. Experiment was conducted to assay the impact of saline irrigation on some growth parameters (plant height, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight and size of stomatal complex). Results of the experiment showed that for most parameters studied that the values obtained for the treatments are reduced compared to the control, thereby establishing that saline water harmed S. aethiopicum L. There is no significant difference in the plant from week 5 (i.e. 2 weeks after application of saline water) but at week 6 and 7 (i.e. 3 and 4 weeks after application of saline water respectively), there was significant difference in the parameters. Therefore it is advised that S. aethiopicum L. be grown on soils with low or no content of salinity to maintain optimum growth and development of the plant.

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. AKOUMIANAKI ◽  
P. KONTOLEFAS ◽  
S. KATSANEVAKIS ◽  
A. NICOLAIDOU ◽  
G. VERRIOPOULOS

Changes in macrofauna community structure, abundance and species richness were examined both before and one year after the deployment of plastic and glass bottles at littered (litter density: 16 items / 100 m2) and non-littered (control) surfaces at three unimpacted coastal areas of the western Saronikos Gulf (Greece). In parallel, LOI% at the adjacent sediments and changes in the composition of feeding types of the megaepifauna that colonized the litter were examined across treatments. Significant changes in macrofauna community structure were demonstrated between before and after littering. At only one of the sites was there detected a significant difference in macrofauna community structure between control and littered plots after littering. This difference was linked with a significant increase in the abundance of opportunistic polychaete species and LOI% levels in the sediment surface due to the entrapment of macrophytal debris within the littered surface. The study did not show a consistent direct response of macroinfauna community to litter and the associated megafauna. Unlike the megafauna attracted by litter items, soft-substratum macrofauna is less responsive to the addition of novel hard substrates in adjacent sediments. Alternatively, it could be that the impact of littering with small items triggers a macrofauna response detectable in the long-run.


2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Ayodele Samuel OLUWATOBI ◽  
Kehinde Stephen OLORUNMAIYE ◽  
Olabisi Fatimo ADEKOLA

<p>Improper intercropping of <em>Elaeis guineensis</em> with other crops has impaired the growth and development of the oil palm due to competition for environmental resources. The study was conducted to investigate the impact of intercropping on the growth of juvenile oil palm for 2 years. The research commenced during the rainy season of 2016 at an established juvenile oil palm plantation in Ala, Akure-North Local Government of Ondo State. Four fruit vegetables were intercropped separately within the alley of the plantation at 1, 2 or 3 m away from the oil palms in a randomized complete block design. Growth parameters of the juvenile oils were assessed. Results revealed that at 16 weeks after intercropping (WAI), the intercropped oil palm recorded better growth performance with higher canopy spread, number of frond, number of leaflets and trunk height (218.20, 37.00, 87.48 and 38.17 cm) respectively, than the sole oil palms (214.67, 32.83, 72.89 and 31.67 cm) respectively. There were no significant difference in all the growth parameters examined except canopy height (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Juvenile oil palm cultivated in rainforest agroecological zone of Nigeria can be intercropped with fruit vegetables without any deleterious effect when intercropped at minimum of 1 m away from the oil palms.</p>


HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shasha Wu ◽  
Youping Sun ◽  
Genhua Niu ◽  
James Altland ◽  
Raul Cabrera

Asteraceae is one of the largest plant families with many important garden ornamental species. Salt tolerance of 10 aster perennials was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment, including the following: damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana), gregg’s mistflower (Eupatorium greggii), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum ×superbum ‘Becky’), blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus), aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), copper canyon daisy (Tagetes lemmonii), four-nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa), skeleton-leaf goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba), and zexmenia (Wedelia texana). Plants were irrigated with nutrient solution at electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m−1 (control) or saline solutions at EC of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m−1 (EC 5 or EC 10) for 5 weeks. Upon termination, growth parameters, foliar salt damage, relative chlorophyll content [Soil-Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) readings], and mineral concentration were measured. Gregg’s mistflower, skeleton-leaf goldeneye, and lavender cotton were the most salt-tolerant species with less reductions in shoot dry weight (DW) in both EC 5 and EC 10. Considering the relatively severe foliar salt damage (visual quality score of 3.1 and 2.7 at EC 5; 2.4 and 1.6 at EC 10) and mortality rate (10% and 40%) in EC 10, aromatic aster and zexmenia should be avoided where poor quality water may be used for irrigation. Gregg’s mistflower and skeleton-leaf goldeneye had relatively lower leaf sodium (Na) concentrations suggesting that both species can selectively exclude Na. Damianita and the four daisies, i.e., blackfoot daisy, copper canyon daisy, four-nerve daisy, and shasta daisy, were salt sensitive as evidenced by their greater growth reduction, foliar salt damage, and high Na and chlorine (Cl) accumulation in leaves, and should be avoided in landscapes where poor quality water may be used for irrigation.


HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Weissbein ◽  
Zeev Wiesman ◽  
Yhonathan Ephrath ◽  
Moshe Silberbush

Selected superior olive cultivars cultivated on a large scale in various countries in the Mediterranean region were tested in a special saline irrigation experimental plot established in 1997 in the center of the semiarid Israeli Negev area. The plot comprised two subplots containing the same 12 olive cultivars in a mirror image design. One subplot was drip-irrigated with tap water (1.2 dS·m−1) and the second with moderate saline water (4.2 dS·m−1). All cultivation practices applied to the two subplots were similar in terms of fertilization, irrigation, soil leaching, and so on. The present study summarizes the vegetative and reproductive response of the tested olive cultivar trees during the 5 years after they reached maturation and full yield. Evaluation of trunk growth, olive yield, oil percentage, olive oil yield, and fatty acid composition of the oil, sodium and chloride leaf levels, and soil fractions up to 90 cm enabled characterization and comparison of the horticultural performance of the various olive cultivars intensively cultivated with the two tested irrigation treatments. The data clearly showed a significant difference between the tested cultivars in terms of growth, yield, and oil parameters. Grouping the tested cultivars in terms of olive oil production yielded the following three groups: Group A—‘Barnea’, ‘Maalot’, and ‘Picholin’—their average oil yield ranged from 8 to 10 kg/tree; Group B—‘Souri’, ‘Frantoio’, ‘Leccino’, ‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’, ‘Kalamata’, ‘Koroneiki’, and ‘Picholin di Morroco’—their average oil yield ranged from 5 to 8 kg/tree; and Group C—‘Picudo’—ranged from 3 to 4 kg/tree. Saline irrigation treatment at 4.2 dS·m−1 demonstrated only a low rate of retardation effect on growth or yield of olive trees compared with water at 1.2 dS·m−1 of the same cultivar in each subplot. The data obtained from the present study suggest that efficient productive cultivation of mature olive cultivars in Israeli Negev semiarid conditions, irrigated with moderate saline water, is closely related to proper soil leaching methodology and maintaining the soil electrical conductivity level in the root zone in a range lower than 6 dS·m−1.


2016 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 078-085
Author(s):  
Amit Tirpude ◽  
M P Fulpatil ◽  
Swapan Kole

Abstract Background and aims : Anterior fontanelle development in children is affected by several factors ranging from physical to geographical. While the impact of factors such as gestational age (GA) and gender are clearly established, the influences of region and ethnicity vary in the published literature. The objectives of the study were: 1. To measure the anterior fontanelle size (AFS) and closure time of babies aging from newborn to two years of age in respect to its gender and term status in Nagpur babies. 2. To evaluate the relationship of our fmdings with growth parameters. Methods : Measurements were done on 808 babies according to Popich and Smith method. Measurements on newborn were done after 48 hours of birth. Z-test of significance and Pearson's correlation coefficient are used for analysis. Results : Mean AFS ranged from 4.95±2.15 to 0.94±0.05 cms in preterm babies and 4.24±2.21 to 1.32±0.21 cms in full term babies. Mean AFS ranging from 4.48±2.26 to 1.31±0.22 and 4.02±2.20 to 1.24±0.13 cms were observed in male and female babies respectively. Study revealed no significant difference in AFS between full term and preterm & male and female babies. Around 20% fontanels are closed around sixth month. Less than 1% fontanels were open around 22-24 months. No significant difference in closure time was found. AF size had significant correlation with growth parameters of full term babies (weight r = - 0.37, p = 0.00) (head circumference r = - 0.30, p = 0.00) (crown heel length r = - 0.39, p = 0.00). AF closure time showed a significant relationship with growth parameters (weight r = 0.77, p = 0.00) (head circumference r = 0.72, p = 0.00) (crown heel length r = 0.85, p = 0.00). Conclusion : AF sizes obtained in this study are recommended for use as local values for reference in assessing term and preterm babies born in Nagpur.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Al-Busaidi ◽  
Jaaman Rabeea ◽  
Mushtaque Ahmed ◽  
Salim Al-Rawahy

The utilization of marginal water resources for agriculture is receiving considerable attention. The lands irrigated with saline water are required to reduce salt accumulations through leaching and/or drainage practices. A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of saline irrigation and leaching fraction on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) growth. For this purpose highly saline water was diluted to the salinity levels of 3, 6 and 9 dS m-1 and applied by drip irrigation at 0.0, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 leaching fractions (LF). The results of the experiment showed that both quantity and quality of water regulated salts distribution within the soil in the following manner: a) the salts were found higher near or immediate below the soil surface; b) an enhanced LF carried more salts down the soil horizon but there was no significant difference in plant yield between different treatments of leaching fractions. Salinity of water significantly impaired barley growth. The good drainage of sandy soil enhanced the leaching process and minimized the differences between leaching fractions. The increment in saline treatments (3, 6 and 9 dS m-1) added more salts and stressed plant growth. However, the conjunctive use of marginal water at proportional LF could be effective in enhancing the yield potential of crops in water-scarce areas. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haowen Luo ◽  
Meiyang Duan ◽  
Leilei Kong ◽  
Longxin He ◽  
Yulin Chen ◽  
...  

2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) is the key compound of rice aroma. However, the responses of 2-AP biosynthesis in fragrant rice under different soil moisture and the corresponding mechanism are little known. The present study evaluated the effects of different soil moisture on 2-AP biosynthesis through a pot experiment. Four soil moisture contents, that is, 50% (SM50), 40% (SM40), 30% (SM30), and 20% (SM20), were adopted, and SM50 treatment was taken as control. The pots were weighed and watered to maintain the corresponding soil moisture content. The results showed no significant difference in growth parameters (plant height, stem diameter, and plant dry weight) among all treatments. Compared with SM50, SM40, SM30, and SM20 treatments significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased 2-AP content by 32.81, 23.18, and 53.12%, respectively. Between 20 to 90% higher proline content was observed in SM40, SM30, and SM20 treatments than in SM50. Enzymes including proline dehydrogenase, ornithine transaminase, and 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase exhibited lower activities with soil moisture declined. Higher diamine oxidase activity was observed in SM40, SM30, and SM20 treatments compared with SM50, and real-time PCR analyses showed that transcript level of DAO1 was greatly increased under low soil moisture treatments, especially in SM20 treatment. Transcript levels of PRODH, DAO2, DAO4, DAO5, OAT, P5CS1, and P5CS2 decreased or maintained in SM40, SM30, and SM20 treatments compared with SM50. We deduced that low soil moisture content enhanced 2-AP biosynthesis mainly by upregulating the expression of DAO1 to promote the conversion from putrescine to 2-AP.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Said Al-Mazroui ◽  
Rashid Al-Yahyai ◽  
Said Al-Ismaily ◽  
Anvar Kacimov ◽  
Hamed Al-Busaidi

Capillary barriers (CBs) as engineered porous composites is novel and promising technology for mitigating salinity and drought stress of plants. This study aimed to imitate a naturally formed CB structure recently discovered in the reservoir bed of Al-Khoud dam at the Governorate of Muscat in northern Oman and to test the impact of this unique CB on mitigating the salinity stress of marigold plants grown under an open field condition. A plot was constructed and divided into “structured” (engineered cascade CB design) and “unstructured” soils and planted with marigold (Tagetes erecta) plants that were subjected to four salinity treatments (control with ECi ≈ 0.6 dS m-1 ; 3 dS m-1; 6 dS m-1; and 9 dS m-1). Plant physiological, vegetative, and reproductive growth parameters were measured in each treatment. The results showed that the structured soil significantly saved irrigation water and reduce salts accumulation. Structured soil improved all vegetative and reproductive plant parameters measured and helped in reducing the effects of salinity stress on the growth and production of the marigold under arid-climate field conditions. The results also showed the capability of structured soil in water saving and improving water use efficiency. This study substantiates a novel method in mitigating salinity problem and in water saving in arid and semi-arid regions, in particular in Oman. Further studies are required to test the use of the engineered cascade CB design with different crops and with alternative (e.g. subsurface) irrigation methods.


HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1888-1891 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kate Lee ◽  
Marc W. van Iersel

As a result of the decreasing availability of high-quality irrigation water, salinity tolerance of greenhouse crops is of increasing importance. Saline irrigation water can have many negative effects on plants, but also has the potential to act as a growth regulator because of its ability to reduce plant height. To determine the effects of NaCl in the irrigation water on the growth, physiology, and nutrient uptake of chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum ×morifolium Ramat.), plants were watered with solutions with different NaCl concentrations (0, 1, 3, 6, or 9 g·L−1). Plants receiving 9 g·L−1 NaCl had a 76% reduction in shoot dry weight, a 90% reduction in stomatal conductance (g S), and a 4-day delay in flowering compared with control plants. Chrysanthemums receiving 1 g·L−1 NaCl had a 4-cm reduction in height with only a small reduction in shoot dry weight. Stomatal conductance and transpiration were reduced by more than 60% by NaCl concentrations of 1 g·L−1 as compared with control plants. The combination of a small reduction in dry weight and a large decrease in transpiration resulted in increased water use efficiency when plants received 1 g·L−1 NaCl. Concentrations of 3 g·L−1 NaCl or higher resulted in poor-quality plants either as a result of wilting of the leaves (3 g·L−1) or severely stunted plants (6 and 9 g·L−1). Our findings indicate that chrysanthemums can be grown successfully with 1 g·L−1 NaCl in the irrigation water without negative impacts on plant quality. This has important implications for the greenhouse industry as the availability of nonsaline water decreases. Saline water may be more readily available and can have the added benefit of reduced plant height, which is an important quality characteristic for floriculture crops.


2003 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania De Pascale ◽  
Celestino Ruggiero ◽  
Giancarlo Barbieri ◽  
Albino Maggio

Production of vegetable crops can be limited by saline irrigation water. The variability of crop salt tolerance under different environmental conditions requires species-specific and environment-specific field evaluations of salt tolerance. Data on field performances of vegetable crops grown on soils that have been irrigated with saline water for many years are lacking. In this study we analyzed the long-term effect of irrigation with saline water on soil properties and on responses of field-grown pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants in these soils. Yield, gas exchanges, water relations, and solute accumulation were measured in plants grown under three different irrigation treatments: a nonsalinized control (ECw = 0.5 dS·m-1) and two concentrations of commercial sea salt, corresponding to ECw of 4.4 and 8.5 dS·m-1, respectively. In addition, a nonwatered drought stress treatment was included. Irrigation water with an EC of 4.4 dS·m-1 resulted in 46% reduction in plant dry weight (leaves plus stem) and 25% reduction in marketable yield. Increasing the electrical conductivity of the irrigation water to 8.5 dS·m-1 caused a 34% reduction in plant dry weight and a 58% reduction in marketable yield. Leaf and root cellular turgor and net CO2 assimilation rates of leaves in salt-stressed plants decreased along with a reduction in leaf area and dry matter accumulation. High concentrations of Na+ and Cl- in the irrigation water did not significantly alter the level of K+ in leaves and fruit. In contrast, drought stressed plants had higher concentrations of leaf K+ compared to well watered control plants. These results indicate that Na+ and K+ may play similar roles in maintaining cellular turgor under salinity and drought stress, respectively. The regulation of ion loading to the shoots was most likely functionally associated with physiological modifications of the root/shoot ratio that was substantially smaller in salinized vs. drought stressed plants. From an agronomic perspective, irrigation with moderately saline water (4.4 dS·m-1) it is recommendable, compared to no irrigation, to obtain an acceptable marketable yield in the specific environment considered.


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