Wood ash as a vegetative-growth promoter in soils with subsurface compaction

ABSTRACT Subsurface soil compaction and nutritional stress are among the main factors that limit the yield of crops. Using forest residues, such as wood ash, is a viable option in the chemical recovery of soils and can promote vigorous root development in soils with subsurface compaction. The objective of this study was to indicate the most adequate dose of wood ash for efficient management of this residue applied in rotational crops cultivated in soils with subsurface compaction. Safflower plants (Carthamus tinctorius), a rotational crop with a deep taproot system, were grown in clay soil fertilized with different doses of ash and with induced levels of compaction in the subsurface layer. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, under a 4 × 5 factorial scheme, composed of four doses of wood ash (8.0, 16.0, 24.0, and 32.0 g dm-3) and five levels of soil bulk density (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 kg dm-3), with four replicates. Crop growth variables (plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and SPAD chlorophyll index) were evaluated at 15, 45, and 75 days after emergence. The results indicated that soil compaction was the most limiting factor to the vegetative development of safflower, regardless of the ash dose. The interaction between the wood ash dose and bulk density, when present, showed that the best growth response occurred for ash dose of 25 g dm-3 for a soil bulk density of 1.2 kg dm-3.

Influence of garlic extract on larval performance and survival of juvenile angelfish Pterophyllum scalare during transport

The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of garlic as a growth promoter in larvae of angelfish Pterophyllum scalare and its benefits during transport of juveniles of this species. The experiment was conducted in recirculation aquaculture system, consisting of 20 tanks of 40 L equipped with independent water input and output. We used 1,400 larvae distributed among five treatments, with four repetitions, which totaled 20 experimental units. The treatments were 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg of garlic extract per kilo of feed. The results showed that the inclusion of levels of garlic extract in the feed did not significantly effect the fish’s development or their transport. Neither did the inclusion of levels of garlic extract affect the survival of the larvae during the trial period. New research with extracts of higher dosages should be performed to elucidate the effect of garlic extract as a growth promoter.

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Growth and Quality Flower Production of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Indicum L.)

A field study was conceded to assess the effect of plant growth regulators on growth and quality flower production of chrysanthemum at Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Gazipur, Bangladesh. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with ten (10) treatments and three replications. The treatments of plant growth regulators concentration were T1-50 ppm GA3, T2-100 ppm GA3, T3-150 ppm GA3, T4-400 ppm CCC, T5-600 ppm CCC, T6-800 ppm CCC, T7-250 ppm MH, T8-500 ppm MH, T9-750 ppm MH and, T10-Control. The maximum spreading of plant (27.0 cm) was observed when plants were treated with GA3 @ 150 ppm where the minimum plant spread (16.8 cm) was recorded in plants treated with CCC @ 800 ppm. The higher number of suckers (33) per pot was produced when pots were treated with GA3 @ 150 ppm whereas, application of CCC at three different concentrations produced lower number of suckers. The highest number of flower (40) was recorded with 150 ppm GA3, where minimum number of flowers (25) per pot in 800 ppm CCC. The plants sprayed with 50 ppm GA3 took 48 days to flower initiation, whereas, it took 70 days with 750 ppm MH. the highest plants recorded (7.40 cm) with 800 ppm CCC, whereas, lowest size (6.50 cm) was obtained with the application of 500 ppm MH. The maximum vase life of flowers was recorded for the treatment 800 ppm CCC (15 days), which was at par with 13 days vase life obtained by spraying 600 ppm CCC. Therefore, it is concluded that the GA3 acted as growth promoter and the CCC acted as growth retardants on yield and quality of chrysanthemum.

The Effectiveness of Soil Extracts from Selangor Peat Swamp and Pristine Forest Soils on the Growth of Green Microalgae sp.

Microalgae are widely utilized in commercial industries. The addition of a modified artificial medium (soil extract) could enhance their growth. Soil extract collected from the Raja Musa peat swamp and mineral soil from the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve (AHFR), Selangor, Malaysia, were treated using various extraction methods. Carteria radiosa PHG2-A01, Neochloris conjuncta, and Nephrochlamys subsolitaria were grown in microplates at 25 °C, light intensity 33.75 µmol photons m−2s−1 for 9 days. N. conjuncta dominated the growth in 121 °C twice extraction method AFHR samples, with 47.17% increment. The highest concentrations of ammonia and nitrate were detected in the medium with soil extract treated with 121 °C twice extraction method, yielding the concentrations of 2 mg NL−1 and 35 mg NL−1 for ammonia and nitrate of RM soil and 2 mg NL−1 and 2.85 mg NL−1 for the AH soil. These extracts are proved successful as a microalgal growth stimulant, increasing revenue and the need for enriched medium. The high rate of nutrient recovery has the potential to serve as a growth promoter for microalgae.

Exogenous application of bio-stimulant and growth retardant improved the productivity of cotton cultivars under different planting arrangement

Optimum planting arrangement is an important attribute for efficient utilization of available resources and to obtain high yield of cotton. Application of plant growth promoter and retardant on cotton in improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. Therefore, we planned a field study to assess the role of bio-stimulant and growth retardant in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars planted under variable row spacing at Agronomic Research Area Bahauddin Zakariya University and Usmania Agricultural Farm Shujabad during Kharif 2012. Experimental treatments consisted of cotton genotypes viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) with foliar spray of bio-stimulant (moringa leaf extract) and growth retardant (mepiquate chloride), either sole or in combination, keeping distilled water as a control. Exogenously applied MLE alone and MLE + MC significantly enhanced the number of squares, flowers and green bolls per plant leading to higher cotton seed and lint yield of CIM 598 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. While application of MC alone and MLE + MC produced maximum micronaire value, fiber strength and fiber uniformity ratio of CIM 573 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. The results suggested that application of MLE is a possible approach to enhance the cotton productivity and the use of MC to enhance the fiber quality attributes under conventional row spacing.

The application of ammonium sulphate and amino acid on cotton: effects on can improve growth, yield, quality and nitrogen absorption

A field study was carried out to determine the influence of foliage applied plant growth promoter and retardant in improving soil applied sulphur fertilizer use efficiency in cotton during two consecutive summers 2014 and 2015. Experimental trial comprised of three different sources of sulphur (ammonium sulphate, potassium sulphate and elemental sulphur) and foliar spray of plant growth promoter and growth retardant including tap water was taken as control. Among treatments soil applied ammonium sulphate with foliage applied amino acid produced maximum plant height, sympodial branches, pods per plant, seed cotton yield, fiber yield, biological yield, protein contents, oil contents and leaf nitrogen uptake as compared to the other treatments. Whereas, soil applied potassium sulphate with foliar spray of mepiquat chloride on cotton significantly improved the boll weight and leaf potassium uptake. We conclude that soil applied ammonium sulphate and foliage spray of amino acid was more effective in improving the productivity and quality attributes of cotton.

Keragaan beberapa Varietas Sorgum terhadap Aplikasi Kitosan Iradiasi

Sorghum is a versatile, drought-resistant cereal crop. Increasing sorghum production needs special attention, although Indonesia has the potential for sorghum development. Irradiated chitosan can be used as a plant growth promoter and organic fertilizer to improve the performance of sorghum. This study aims to provide recommendations for sorghum varieties that are suitable for development and planting in dry land and are known to be able to control pests organically with the application of chitosan irradiation with optimum concentration. The experimental design was a separate plot with sorghum varieties (Numbu, Keller, and Kawali) as the main plot and the irradiated concentrations of chitosan (without irradiation, 2, 4, and 6 ml.L^-1) as subplots. The results showed that the sorghum variety and the optimum chitosan irradiation concentration of 2.76 and 5.15 ml.L^-1 increased the dry weight of stover per plant by 93.04 g per plant and increased the sugar content of sorghum with Brix 15.03%. The varieties of Numbu, Keller, and Kawali significantly affected plant height, number of leaves, weight of 100 seeds, and plant fresh weight per plot or forage of sorghum.

Fate of Pharmaceuticals in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor Treating Hospital Wastewater

The fate of 12 pharmaceutical pollutants was investigated to understand their removal mechanism during hospital wastewater (HWW) treatment in submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR). High concentrations of anti-depressant (venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine), analgesic (ibuprofen and hydroxy-ibuprofen), and caffeine were detected in the HWW during the entire study period. The SMBR showed high removal >70% of antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole and clarithromycin), beta-blocker (acebutolol), hormone (estrone), and caffeine via biodegradation. The partial degradation of diclofenac, venlafaxine, and desvenlafaxine in SMBR indicates the growth promoter or agent requirement, which could facilitate the metabolism and co-metabolism of these pharmaceuticals by microorganisms. The study demonstrated that the major removal mechanism of pharmaceuticals in SMBR at optimized treatment conditions was biodegradation for the majority of examined pharmaceuticals. The assessment of SMBR performance at the low temperature of 15 and 10°C resulted in the drop of biodegradation efficiency of SMBR, affecting overall pharmaceuticals removal.

Isolation and Characterization of Plant Growth-Promoting Compost Bacteria That Improved Physiological Characteristics in Tomato and Lettuce Seedlings

Currently, agricultural systems are inadequate to meet the demand of the population, coupled with the constant degradation of natural resources. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternatives to increase the productivity and quality of crops with minimal environmental impact. The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria can provide solutions to some agri-environmental problems and replace or minimize conventional agricultural practices. In this study, a Bacillus pumilus strain with plant growth-promoting properties was isolated from mature compost. In vitro, the ability of Bacillus pumilus to solubilize phosphate, inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, and its effect on the germination of tomato and lettuce seeds was evaluated. In vivo, its effect on stem thickness, height, and the number of leaves of tomato and lettuce seedlings was studied. The results show that, in vitro, Bacillus pumilus solubilizes phosphate, inhibits the growth of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, and increases the germination percentage of tomato seeds. The results, in vivo, demonstrate that the bacteria increases the stem thickness of tomato seedlings, while, in lettuce, it increases the stem thickness and the number of leaves. The outcome implies that Bacillus pumilus has properties as a plant growth promoter and can be used as a promising inoculant to enhance the growth of tomato and lettuce seedlings.