Relationship of Seed Sowing Methods and Feeding Regimen With the Development of Cotton Root

Annotation: According to the obtained 3-year data, changes in planting methods and feeding regime of the "Sultan" variety lead to rapid growth of the root system, early growth of the main root and different levels of (orderly) roots, better absorption activity, 35-38 cm of biomass. Allows to increase by 1.5-1.8 times.

Influence of Amanita muscaria (class Agaricomycetes, fam. Amanitaceae) and Flammulina velutipes (class Agaricomycetes, fam. Physalacriaceae) on the growth and development of seedlings of Picea abies (class Pinophyta, fam. Pinaceae) and Abies sibirica (class Pinophyta, fam. Pinaceae)

The article presents studies of the influence of Amanita muscaria and Flammulina velutipes on the growth and development of seedlings of species of the Pinaceae family. The positive effect of mycorrhization by these fungi species on the growth and development of Picea abies and Abies sibirica was established. Thus, the presence of Flammulina velutipes and Amanita muscaria in the substrate accelerated the appearance of the first shoots by 4–8 days. Mycorrhization of Amanita muscaria influenced the morphometry of the seedlings of Picea abies and Abies sibirica. The main root length changed: in Picea abies it increased by 17.2%, in Abies sibirica it decreased by 12.9%, compared with the control group. In the presence of Amanita muscaria, the length of lateral roots increased by 51.0% in Picea abies seedlings, and by 32.4% in Abies sibirica seedlings, compared with the control group. The height of the aerial part in the presence of Flammulina velutipes increased in comparison with the control group in Picea abies seedlings by 52.2% and in Abies sibirica seedlings by 18.3%. Mycorrhization of Amanita muscaria seedlings caused an increase in the stem diameter at the root collar of Picea abies seedlings by 13.6%, and Abies sibirica seedlings by 12.1%.

Text-Based Language Teaching in the New-Normal Era to Achieve Communicative Competence: Challenges for EFL Teachers

Background: To live in this communicative era, people need to have communicative competence. The main aim of ELT is to enable the students to communicate or to produce a text. Thus, EFL teaching needs to facilitate them to achieve communicative competence so that they can participate actively in their communities. EFL teachers can utilize text-based teaching to realize this. Text-based teaching involves the use of texts, which are context bases for achieving communicative competence. This paper is a reflection, describing the teachers' common problems in implementing text-based teaching, especially under the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This study is qualitative survey research to gain in-depth information about the topic of the study. The goal of this study is to describe the teachers' perception of Text-Based Approach in ELT and to describe their challenges to implement text-based online teaching. Open-ended survey questions were delivered to 15 research participants. To get a comprehensive understanding of the research participants' opinions, the researchers followed up their answers with an interview via a telephone call. Findings: The questionnaire, interview, and teachers’ self-written reflection revealed the teachers’ common problems in implementing text-based teaching, i.e. in selecting texts, in adapting or in modifying texts, in designing tasks, in overcoming students’ boredom, besides the problems of online teaching. Conclusion: The main root of the problems is the teachers' lack of knowledge of text-based approach. Thus, updating the teachers' knowledge can be one of the solutions to the problems.

Variation in Boron Availability Alters Root Architecture Attributes at the Onset of Storage Root Formation in Three Sweetpotato Cultivars

The primary objective of this work was to generate species-specific information about root architectural adaptation to variation in boron (B) availability at the onset of storage root formation among three sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] cultivars (Beauregard = BX; Murasaki = MU; Okinawa = OK). Three B levels were used: 0B (B was omitted in the nutrient solution, substrate B = 0.1 mg·kg−1), 1XB (sufficient B; 0.5 mg·kg−1), and 2XB (high B; 1 mg·kg−1). The check cultivar BX showed evidence of storage root formation at 15 days in 0B and 1XB, whereas cultivars MU and OK failed to show evidence of root swelling. The 1XB and 2XB levels were associated with 736% and 2269% increase in leaf tissue B in BX, respectively, relative to plants grown in 0B. Similar magnitudes of increase were observed in MU and OK cultivars. There were no differences in adventitious root (AR) count within cultivars but OK showed 25% fewer AR numbers relative to BX across all B levels. 0B was associated with 20% and 48% reduction in main root length in BX and OK, respectively, relative to plants grown in 1XB and 2XB. 2XB was associated with a 10% increase in main root length in MU relative to plants grown in 0B and 1XB. 0B was associated with reduced lateral root length in all cultivars but the magnitude of responses varied with cultivars. These data corroborate findings in model systems and well-studied crop species that B deficiency is associated with reduced root growth. These data can be used to further understand the role of cultivar-specific responses to variation in B availability in sweetpotato.

Ferrite (Fe3O4) Nanoparticle in Soil Stimulates the Plant Growth in Peas and Bok Choy

Iron oxide nanoparticles have been known to be non-toxic and are among the most widely used nanomaterials in life, from the medical, agricultural to environmental fields. However, so far, the understanding of the interaction of nanoparticles, in general, and iron oxide nanoparticles, in particular, with the environment and the flora and fauna ecosystems is still limited. This study evaluated the effects of ferrite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles in soil on the growth of peas (Pisum sativum) and bok choy (Brassica rapa). The study showed that the nanoparticle concentration of 25 mg/kg of soil had the best positive effect on peas growth in terms of the main root elongation and root water retention. At a concentration of 25 mg/kg of soil, iron oxide nanoparticles did not affect the dry biomass growth of root and plant in peas and bok choy, respectively, even in the presence of potassium sulfate in soil. This suggests that the effect of ferric oxide nanoparticles could be more dominant than that of potassium sulfate fertilizer while maintaining constant biomass with increasing water uptake. Further studies at the cellular and tissue levels are needed to better understand this issue.

Rhizobial adhesives enhance nodule formation in sunn hemp

ABSTRACTInoculation of legume seed with rhizobacteria before planting is an efficient and convenient way of introducing effective rhizobacteria to soil vicinity of legume root and ensuring nitrogen fixation in cover cropped field. However, there are still challenges in identifying the proper seed coating technique to ensure microbial survival in adverse environmental conditions and maintaining the symbiotic relation with plants. The objectives of this study are firstly, to analyze the effectiveness of different sticking agents aiding inoculation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum L. in sunn hemp seeds to enhance root nodule formation. Secondly, to observe nodulation pattern over time as affected by the treatment and lastly to check if there is significant difference between main root and lateral root nodulation pattern due to the treatments. Two similar field studies were conducted in fall 2019 and summer 2020 using four sticking agents: water, peanut oil, 10% jaggery solution, and 40% gum arabic solution. The fall study showed no significant differences among total nodules across treatments, but percentage of active nodules was highest in the oil treatment and lowest in the water treatment. In the summer study, significantly higher total nodules were seen in the jaggery treatment and the lowest was in water treatment again, however, there were no differences in percentage of total active nodules across treatments. Interestingly, the trend across weeks showed gum arabic treatment exhibiting higher main root nodulation and jaggery treatment exhibiting higher lateral root nodulation. Overall, water as an adhesive was less effective in aiding nodulation compared to other treatments. Peanut oil and jaggery showed better performance as adhesives aiding active nodulation and could be more effective than gum arabic or water.

Identification and Quantification of Naphthoquinones and Other Phenolic Compounds in Leaves, Petioles, Bark, Roots, and Buds of Juglans regia L., Using HPLC-MS/MS

The present study was designed to identify and quantify the major phenolic compounds in different Juglans regia L. (common walnut) tissues (leaves, petioles, bark, roots, buds), to define the compositions and contents of phenolic compounds between these tissues. A total of 91 individual phenolic compounds were identified and quantified, which comprised 8 hydroxycinnamic acids, 28 hydroxybenzoic acids, 11 flavanols, 20 flavonols, 22 napthoquinones, and 2 coumarins. Naphthoquinones were the major phenolic group in leaves, petioles, bark, and buds, as >60% of those identified, while hydroxybenzoic acids were the major phenolic group in side roots, as ~50% of those identified. The highest content of phenolic compounds was in the J. regia main root, followed by side roots and buds, leaves, and 1-year-old bark; the lowest content was in petioles and 2-year-old bark. Leaves, roots, and buds of J. regia represent a valuable source of these agro-residues.

Effect of Different Types of Mulching on Soil Properties and Tree Growth of Magnolia champaca Planted at the Montane Rainforest in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) is among the most vulnerable habitats to fragmentation, deforestation, and global climate change. A successful restoration program requires a comprehensive understanding of variables influencing seedling efficiency. This study was conducted on Sg. Terla Forest Reserve Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia. In this study, we used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and measured the Magnolia champaca height, root collar diameter, diameter at breast height, plant survival, root diameter, main root length, lateral root length, root coiling, root direction, and chlorophyll content. The soil samples were taken to study the effect of different mulching materials on soil characteristics. We also measured soil compaction, soil texture, soil colour, soil moisture content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total sulphur, available phosphorus, and exchanged potassium. This study indicates that mulching had no significant effect on plant height, diameter breast height, root collar diameter, and chlorophyll content between treatments. Although mulching had a significant effect on root diameter, main root length, and root distributions among treatments while for lateral root length and root:shoot ratio did not show a significant effect among treatments. However, oil palm mulching treatment had a greater effect on plant height, root collar diameter, and diameter at breast height growth, among treatments. Mulching significantly affected soil pH, soil moisture content, total sulphur, and potassium exchange. In contrast, mulching did not significantly affect soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, and soil available phosphorus between treatments.