Biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi against phytopathogenic nematodes on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are a vital pest that causes significant yield losses and economic damage to potato plants. The use of chemical pesticides to control these nematodes has led to environmental concerns and the development of resistance in the nematode populations. Endophytic fungi offer an eco-friendly alternative to control these pests and produce secondary metabolites that have nematicidal activity against RKNs. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of Aspergillus flavus (ON146363), an entophyte fungus isolated from Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds, against Meloidogyne incognita in filtered culture broth using GC-MS analysis. Among them, various nematicidal secondary metabolites were produced: Gadoleic acid, Oleic acid di-ethanolamide, Oleic acid, and Palmitic acid. In addition, biochemical compounds such as Gallic acid, Catechin, Protocatechuic acid, Esculatin, Vanillic acid, Pyrocatechol, Coumarine, Cinnamic acid, 4, 3-indol butyl acetic acid and Naphthyl acetic acid by HPLC. The fungus was identified through morphological and molecular analysis, including ITS 1-4 regions of ribosomal DNA. In vitro experiments showed that culture filtrate of A. flavus had a variable effect on reducing the number of egg hatchings and larval mortality, with higher concentrations showing greater efficacy than Abamectin. The fungus inhibited the development and multiplication of M. incognita in potato plants, reducing the number of galls and eggs by 90% and 89%, respectively. A. flavus increased the activity of defense-related enzymes Chitinas, Catalyse, and Peroxidase after 15, 45, and 60 days. Leaching of the concentrated culture significantly reduced the second juveniles' stage to 97% /250 g soil and decreased the penetration of nematodes into the roots. A. flavus cultural filtrates via soil spraying improved seedling growth and reduced nematode propagation, resulting in systemic resistance to nematode infection. Therefore, A. flavus can be an effective biological control agent for root-knot nematodes in potato plants. This approach provides a sustainable solution for farmers and minimizes the environmental impact.

Empowering rice breeding with NextGen genomics tools for rapid enhancement nitrogen use efficiency.

As rice has no physiological capacity of fixing nitrogen in the soil, its production had always been reliant on the external application of nitrogen (N) to ensure enhanced productivity. In the light of improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice, several advanced agronomic strategies have been proposed. However, the soared increase of the prices of N fertilizers and subsequent environmental downfalls caused by the excessive use of N fertilizers, reinforces the prerequisite adaptation of other sustainable, affordable, and globally acceptable strategies. An appropriate alternative approach would be to develop rice cultivars with better NUE. Conventional breeding techniques, however, have had only sporadic success in improving NUE, and hence, this paper proposes a new schema that employs the wholesome benefits of the recent advancements in omics technologies. The suggested approach promotes multidisciplinary research, since such cooperation enables the synthesis of many viewpoints, approaches, and data that result in a comprehensive understanding of NUE in rice. Such collaboration also encourages innovation that leads to developing rice varieties that use nitrogen more effectively, facilitate smart technology transfer, and promotes the adoption of NUE practices by farmers and stakeholders to minimize ecological impact and contribute to a sustainable agricultural future.

Phylogenetic Analysis and Comparative Genomics of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Strains in Egypt.

Brucellosis is a notifiable disease induced by a facultative intracellular Brucella pathogen. In this study, eight Brucella abortus and eighteen Brucella melitensis strains from Egypt were annotated and compared with RB51 and REV1 vaccines respectively. RAST toolkit in the BV-BRC server was used for annotation, revealing genome length of 3,250,377 bp and 3,285,803 bp, 3289 and 3323 CDS, 48 and 49 tRNA genes, the same number of rRNA (3) genes, 583 and 586 hypothetical proteins, 2697 and 2726 functional proteins for B. abortus and B. melitensis respectively. B. abortus strains exhibit a similar number of candidate genes, while B. melitensis strains showed some differences, especially in the SRR19520422 Faiyum strain. Also, B. melitensis clarified differences in antimicrobial resistance genes (KatG, FabL, MtrA, MtrB, OxyR, and VanO-type) in SRR19520319 Faiyum and (Erm C and Tet K) in SRR19520422 Faiyum strain. Additionally, the whole genome phylogeny analysis proved that all B. abortus strains were related to vaccinated animals and all B. melitensis strains of Menoufia clustered together and closely related to Gharbia, Dameitta, and Kafr Elshiek. The Bowtie2 tool identified 338 (eight B. abortus) and 4271 (eighteen B. melitensis) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) along the genomes. These variants had been annotated according to type and impact. Moreover, thirty candidate genes were predicted and submitted at GenBank (24 in B. abortus) and (6 in B. melitensis). This study contributes significant insights into genetic variation, virulence factors, and vaccine-related associations of Brucella pathogens, enhancing our knowledge of brucellosis epidemiology and evolution in Egypt.

Genetic improvement of Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) for high yield and fiber quality properties under semi arid conditions.

Between 2016 and 2018, the Agriculture Research Center's Sakha Agriculture Research Station conducted two rounds of pedigree selection on a segregating population of cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) using the F2, F3, and F4 generations resulting from crossing Giza 94 and Suvin. In 2016, the top 5% of plants from the F2 population were selected based on specific criteria. The superior families from the F3 generation were then selected to produce the F4 families in 2017, which were grown in the 2018 summer season in single plant progeny rows and bulk experiments with a randomized complete block design of three replications. Over time, most traits showed increased mean values in the population, with the F2 generation having higher Genotypic Coefficient of Variance (GCV) and Phenotypic Coefficient of Variance (PCV) values compared to the succeeding generations for the studied traits. The magnitude of GCV and PCV in the F3 and F4 generations was similar, indicating that genotype had played a greater role than the environment. Moreover, the mean values of heritability in the broad sense increased from generation to generation. Selection criteria I2, I4, and I5 were effective in improving most of the yield and its component traits, while selection criterion I1 was efficient in improving earliness traits. Most of the yield and its component traits showed a positive and significant correlation with each other, highlighting their importance in cotton yield. This suggests that selecting to improveone or more of these traits would improve the others. Families number 9, 13, 19, 20, and 21 were the best genotypes for relevant yield characters, surpassing the better parent, check variety, and giving the best values for most characters. Therefore, the breeder could continue to use these families in further generations as breeding genotypes to develop varieties with high yields and its components.

Genomic blueprints of soybean (Glycine max) pathogen resistance: revealing the key genes for sustainable agriculture.

Soybean (Glycine max ) is an important oilseed, protein and biodiesel crop. It faces significant threats from bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens, which cause economic losses and jeopardises global food security. In this article, we explore the relationship between soybeans and these pathogens, focusing on the molecular responses that are crucial for soybeans defence mechanisms. Molecular responses involve small RNAs and specific genes, including resistance (R) genes that are pivotal in triggering immune responses. Functional genomics, which makes use of cutting-edge technologies, such as CRISPR Cas9 gene editing, allows us to identify genes that provide insights into the defence mechanisms of soybeans with the focus on using genomics to understand the mechanisms involved in host pathogen interactions and ultimately improve the resilience of soybeans. Genes like GmKR3 and GmVQ58 have demonstrated resistance against soybean mosaic virus and common cutworm, respectively. Genetic studies have identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) including those linked with soybean cyst nematode, root-knot nematode and Phytophthora root and stem rot resistance. Additionally, resistance against Asian soybean rust and soybean cyst nematode involves specific genes and their variations in terms of different copy numbers. To address the challenges posed by evolving pathogens and meet the demands of a growing population, accelerated soybean breeding efforts leveraging functional genomics are imperative. Targeted breeding strategies based on a deeper understanding of soybean gene function and regulation will enhance disease resistance, ensuring sustainable agriculture and global food security. Collaborative research and continued technological advancements are crucial for securing a resilient and productive agricultural future.

Recent Trends and Advances in Additive-Mediated Composting Technology for Agricultural Waste Resources: A Comprehensive Review.

Agriculture waste has increased annually due to the global food demand and intensive animal production. Preventing environmental degradation requires fast and effective agricultural waste treatment. Aerobic digestion or composting uses agricultural wastes to create a stabilized and sterilized organic fertilizer and reduces chemical fertilizer input. Indeed, conventional composting technology requires a large surface area, a long fermentation period, significant malodorous emissions, inferior product quality, and little demand for poor end results. Conventional composting loses a lot of organic nitrogen and carbon. Thus, this comprehensive research examined sustainable and adaptable methods for improving agricultural waste composting efficiency. This review summarizes composting processes and examines how compost additives affect organic solid waste composting and product quality. Our findings indicate that additives have an impact on the composting process by influencing variables including temperature, pH, and moisture. Compost additive amendment could dramatically reduce gas emissions and mineral ion mobility. Composting additives can (1) improve the physicochemical composition of the compost mixture, (2) accelerate organic material disintegration and increase microbial activity, (3) reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia (NH3) emissions to reduce nitrogen (N) losses, and (4) retain compost nutrients to increase soil nutrient content, maturity, and phytotoxicity. This essay concluded with a brief summary of compost maturity, which is essential before using it as an organic fertilizer. This work will add to agricultural waste composting technology literature. To increase the sustainability of agricultural waste resource utilization, composting strategies must be locally optimized and involve the created amendments in a circular economy.

Plant mediated fabrication of silver nanoparticles, process optimization, and impact on tomato plant.

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing markets, but developing eco-friendly products, their maximum production, stability, and higher yield is a challenge. In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using an easily available resource, leaves extract of the Neem (Azadirachta indica) plant, as a reducing and capping agent, determined their effect on germination and growth of tomato plants. The maximum production of silver nanoparticles was noted at 70 °C after 3 h of reaction time while treating the 10 ml leaf extract of Neem plant with 10 ml of 1 mM silver nitrate. The impact of the extract preparation method and solvent type on the plant mediated fabrication of silver nanoparticles was also investigated. The UV-spectrophotometric analysis confirmed the synthesis of silver nanoparticles and showed an absorption spectrum within Δ420-440 nm range. The size of the fabricated silver nanoparticles was 22-30 nm. The functional groups such as ethylene, amide, carbonyl, methoxy, alcohol, and phenol attached to stabilize the nanoparticles were observed using the FTIR technique. SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses were performed to study the physiochemical characteristics of synthesized nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles increased the germination rate of tomato seeds up to 70% while decreasing the mean germination time compared to the control. Silver nanoparticles applied at varying concentrations significantly increased the shoot length (25 to 80%), root length (10 to 60%), and fresh biomass (10 to 80%) biomass of the tomato plant. The production of total chlorophyll, carotenoid, flavonoids, soluble sugar, and protein was significantly increased in tomato plants treated with 5 and 10 ppm silver nanoparticles compared to the control. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles are cost-effective and nontoxic and can be applied in agriculture, biomedical, and other fields.

Mycotoxins in milk: Occurrence and evaluation of certain detoxification attempts.

Milk contaminated with mycotoxins is a significant issue affecting human health, especially in infants. The current study aimed to investigate the presence of mycotoxins in milk collected from women farmers' vendors (WFV), and to evaluate certain herbal plant fibers as green mycotoxin binders. Moreover, explore the binding efficiency ratios of mycotoxins using shaking or soaking process incorporated with herbal extracts. Furthermore, compare the taste evaluations of tested milk are enriched with herbal extracts. Results indicated that the fumonisins were not detected in the collected cow milk samples but realized a 25% occurrence ratio in buffalo's milk samples. A high occurrence ratio of aflatoxin M1 (aflaM1) was observed in buffalo and cow milk samples. The soaking process of plant fibers in contaminated milk overnight significantly degrades and adsorbs mycotoxins particles. The shacking process incorporated with plant fibers exhibited more effectiveness in mycotoxins degradation than soaking or shacking processes alone. The speed of shacking process played an important role in the mycotoxin's binding process. All the tested plant fibers effectively reduced all mycotoxin presence in contaminated milk, especially green tea, during the soaking or shacking process. Moreover, the shacking process incorporated with plant fibers promoted and supported the mycotoxins degradation process.

The changing landscape of agriculture: role of precision breeding in developing smart crops.

Food plants play a crucial role in human survival, providing them essential nutrients. However, traditional breeding methods have not been able to keep up with the demands of the growing population. The improvement of food plants aims to increase yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. With CRISPR/Cas9, researchers can identify and edit key genes conferring desirable qualities in agricultural plants, including increased yield, enhanced product quality attributes, and increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic challenges. These modifications have enabled the creation of "smart crops" that exhibit rapid climatic adaptation, resistance to extreme weather conditions and high yield and quality. The use of CRISPR/Cas9 combined with viral vectors or growth regulators has made it possible to produce more efficient modified plants with certain conventional breeding methods. However, ethical and regulatory aspects of this technology must be carefully considered. Proper regulation and application of genome editing technology can bring immense benefits to agriculture and food security. This article provides an overview of genetically modified genes and conventional as well as emerging tools, including CRISPR/Cas9, that have been utilized to enhance the quality of plants/fruits and their products. The review also discusses the challenges and prospects associated with these techniques.

Estimating the combining ability and genetic parameters for growth habit, yield, and fiber quality traits in some Egyptian cotton crosses.

It is crucial to understand how targeted traits in a hybrid breeding program are influenced by gene activity and combining ability. During the three growing seasons of 2015, 2016, and 2017, a field study was conducted with twelve cotton genotypes, comprised of four testers and eight lines. Thirty-two F1 crosses were produced in the 2015 breeding season using the line x tester mating design. The twelve genotypes and their thirty-two F1 crosses were then evaluated in 2016 and 2017. The results demonstrated highly significant differences among cotton genotypes for all the studied traits, showing a wide range of genetic diversity in the parent genotypes. Additionally, the line-x-tester interaction was highly significant for all traits, suggesting the impact of both additive and non-additive variations in gene expression. Furthermore, the thirty-two cotton crosses showed high seed cotton output, lint cotton yield, and fiber quality, such as fiber length values exceeding 31 mm and a fiber strength above 10 g/tex. Accordingly, selecting lines and testers with high GCA effects and crosses with high SCA effects would be an effective approach to improve the desired traits in cotton and develop new varieties with excellent yield and fiber quality.

Induction of salt tolerance in Brassica rapa by nitric oxide treatment.

Salinity is one of the major plant abiotic stresses increasing over time worldwide. The most important biological role of nitric oxide (NO) in plants is related to their development and growth under abiotic conditions. The present experiment was conducted to study the effect of salt stress (0 and 100 mM) and NO (0 and 80 µM) on two different ecotypes of Brassica rapa (L.): PTWG-HL and PTWG-PK. The different growth attributes, biochemical and physiological parameters, and the mineral contents were examined. The results indicated increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), relative membrane permeability, malondialdehyde (MDA), and Na+ content and decreased plant biomass in both ecotypes (PTWG-PK and PTWG-HL) under salt stress. In contrast, NO treatment resulted in increased plant biomass, chlorophyll content, and total soluble proteins and decreased H2O2, relative membrane permeability, MDA, total phenolic content, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and Na+. The combined effect of salt stress and NO application increased the chlorophyll a content, total phenolic content, and total soluble proteins, but decreased H2O2, relative membrane permeability, MDA, and Na+. The response of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and K+, Ca2+, and Cl- ions varied in both ecotypes under all treatment conditions. The PTWG-PK ecotype showed maximum overall growth response with the application of NO. Henceforth, it is proposed that the molecular mechanisms associated with NO-induced stress tolerance in plants may be exploited to attain sustainability in agriculture under changing climate scenarios.

The impact of chromium ion stress on plant growth, developmental physiology, and molecular regulation.

In recent years, heavy metals-induced soil pollution has increased due to the widespread usage of chromium (Cr) in chemical industries. The release of Cr into the environment has reached its peak causing hazardous environmental pollution. Heavy metal-induced soil pollution is one of the most important abiotic stress affecting the dynamic stages of plant growth and development. In severe cases, it can kill the plants and their derivatives and thereby pose a potential threat to human food safety. The chromium ion effect on plants varies and depends upon its severity range. It mainly impacts the numerous regular activities of the plant's life cycle, by hindering the germination of plant seeds, inhibiting the growth of hypocotyl and epicotyl parts of the plants, as well as damaging the chloroplast cell structures. In this review article, we tried to summarize the possible effects of chromium-induced stress on plant growth, developmental physiology, biochemistry, and molecular regulation and provided the important theoretical basis for selecting remedial plants in chromium-induced contaminated soils, breeding of low toxicity tolerant varieties, and analyzing the mechanism of plant resistance mechanisms in response to heavy metal stress.

Mulberry based zinc nano-particles mitigate salinity induced toxic effects and improve the grain yield and zinc bio-fortification of wheat by improving antioxidant activities, photosynthetic performance, and accumulation of osmolytes and hormones.

Salinity stress (SS) is a challenging abiotic stress that limits crop growth and productivity. Sustainable and cost effective methods are needed to improve crop production and decrease the deleterious impacts of SS. Zinc (Zn) nano-particles (NPs) have emerged as an important approach to regulating plant tolerance against SS. However, the mechanisms of SS tolerance mediated by Zn-NPs are not fully explained. Thus, this study was performed to explore the role of Zn-NPs (seed priming and foliar spray) in reducing the deleterious impacts of SS on wheat plants. The study comprised different SS levels: control, 6 and 12 dS m-1, and different Zn-NPs treatments: control, seed priming (40 ppm), foliar spray (20 ppm), and their combination. Salinity stress markedly reduced plant growth, biomass, and grain yield. This was associated with enhanced electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl) accumulation, reduced photosynthetic pigments, relative water contents (RWC), photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomata conductance (Gs), water use efficiency (WUE), free amino acids (FAA), total soluble protein (TSP), indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), and nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, N, and P). However, the application of Zn-NPs significantly improved the yield of the wheat crop, which was associated with reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA, H2O2 concentration, and EL, owing to improved antioxidant activities, and an increase in RWC, Pn, Tr, WUE, and the accumulation of osmoregulating compounds (proline, soluble sugars, TSP, and FAA) and hormones (GA and IAA). Furthermore, Zn-NPs contrasted the salinity-induced uptake of toxic ions (Na and Cl) and increased the uptake of Ca, K, Mg, N, and P. Additionally, Zn-NPs application substantially increased the wheat grain Zn bio-fortification. Our results support previous findings on the role of Zn-NPs in wheat growth, yield, and grain Zn bio-fortification, demonstrating that beneficial effects are obtained under normal as well as adverse conditions, thanks to improved physiological activity and the accumulation of useful compounds. This sets the premise for general use of Zn-NPs in wheat, to which aim more experimental evidence is intensively being sought. Further studies are needed at the genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic level to better acknowledge the mechanisms of general physiological enhancement observed with Zn-NPs application.

Genetic basis and principal component analysis in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown under water deficit condition.

Cotton is considered as the main crop in the agricultural sector of Pakistan. Water deficiency in this region in recent years has reduced the chances of high yields of cotton. Selection and creation of high-yielding varieties of cotton, even in water deficit conditions, is one of urgent tasks of today. For this purpose, 40 diverse genotypes of upland cotton were screened in normal and water deficit conditions in triplicate arrangement under split plot in a randomized complete block design. All the genotypes showed significant difference under both water regimes. Ten upland cotton accessions were screened out as water deficit tolerant (VH-144, IUB-212, MNH-886, VH-295, IR-3701, AA-802, NIAB-111, NS-121, FH-113, and FH-142) and five as water deficit sensitive (IR-3, CIM-443, FH-1000, MNH-147, and S-12) based on seed cotton yield and stress susceptibility index. These tolerant and sensitive genotypes were crossed in line × tester mating design. For further evaluation of genetic material, the seed of 50 F1 crosses and their 15 parents were field planted under normal and water deficit conditions during next cotton growing season. Traits related to yield under the study showed significant variations among the accessions and their half sibs. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited that total variation exhibited by factors 1 and factor 2 were 55.55 and 41.95%, respectively. PCA transformed the variables into three factors, and only two factors (F1 and F2) had eigenvalue > 1. The degree of dominance revealed that all parameters were highly influenced by non-additive gene action under both water regimes. Furthermore, the line VH-295 and tester CIM-443 had better yield performance under water deficit stress. The cross-combinations, viz., VH-144 × S-12, NIAB-111 × IR-3, and VH-295 × MNH-147, were the best for yield contributing traits. These combinations may be helpful for germplasm enhancement on large scale under water scarcity. All the studied traits have non-additive types of gene action suggesting the usage of these genotypes in cotton hybrid development program against water deficit tolerance.

Silver-Silica nanoparticles induced dose-dependent modulation of histopathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, proinflammatory, and immune status of broiler chickens.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a powerful disinfectant, but little information is available on their potential use as a growth promoter and the safety margin of this. In this study, 480 1-day-old Cobb chicks were assigned to one control and three treated groups. The treated groups were supplemented with silver-doped silica nanoparticles (SiO2@AgNPs) at three dietary levels (8, 16, and 20 mg/kg diet) for 35 days. The results revealed no significant changes in the growth performance and oxidative parameters, and in most of the hematological and biochemical parameters among the control and treated groups. In contrast, dose-dependent adverse effects were exerted on the histopathological structure and immunohistochemical expression of CD45 in liver, kidneys, and lymphoid organs (spleen, bursa, and thymus). In addition, the relative weight of lymphoid organs and the serum levels of immunoglobulins M and G were significantly diminished. Moreover, the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-ß1 and TNF-α) and the ultrastructural morphology in breast muscle showed significant dose-dependent alterations. It could be concluded that the dietary supplementation of SiO2@AgNPs at a level of 8 mg/kg diet or more has dose-dependent proinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects on broiler chickens.

Recent advancement in OMICS approaches to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in legumes.

The world is facing rapid climate change and a fast-growing global population. It is believed that the world population will be 9.7 billion in 2050. However, recent agriculture production is not enough to feed the current population of 7.9 billion people, which is causing a huge hunger problem. Therefore, feeding the 9.7 billion population in 2050 will be a huge target. Climate change is becoming a huge threat to global agricultural production, and it is expected to become the worst threat to it in the upcoming years. Keeping this in view, it is very important to breed climate-resilient plants. Legumes are considered an important pillar of the agriculture production system and a great source of high-quality protein, minerals, and vitamins. During the last two decades, advancements in OMICs technology revolutionized plant breeding and emerged as a crop-saving tool in wake of the climate change. Various OMICs approaches like Next-Generation sequencing (NGS), Transcriptomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics have been used in legumes under abiotic stresses. The scientific community successfully utilized these platforms and investigated the Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL), linked markers through genome-wide association studies, and developed KASP markers that can be helpful for the marker-assisted breeding of legumes. Gene-editing techniques have been successfully proven for soybean, cowpea, chickpea, and model legumes such as Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus. A number of efforts have been made to perform gene editing in legumes. Moreover, the scientific community did a great job of identifying various genes involved in the metabolic pathways and utilizing the resulted information in the development of climate-resilient legume cultivars at a rapid pace. Keeping in view, this review highlights the contribution of OMICs approaches to abiotic stresses in legumes. We envisage that the presented information will be helpful for the scientific community to develop climate-resilient legume cultivars.

Improving crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency using sulfur and zinc-coated urea: A review.

Nitrogen (N) is an important macro-nutrient required for crop production and is considered an important commodity for agricultural systems. Urea is a vital source of N that is used widely across the globe to meet crop N requirements. However, N applied in the form of urea is mostly lost in soil, posing serious economic and environmental issues. Therefore, different approaches such as the application of urea coated with different substances are used worldwide to reduce N losses. Urea coating is considered an imperative approach to enhance crop production and reduce the corresponding nitrogen losses along with its impact on the environment. In addition, given the serious food security challenges in meeting the current and future demands for food, the best agricultural management strategy to enhance food production have led to methods that involve coating urea with different nutrients such as sulfur (S) and zinc (Zn). Coated urea has a slow-release mechanism and remains in the soil for a longer period to meet the demand of crop plants and increases nitrogen use efficiency, growth, yield, and grain quality. These nutrient-coated urea reduce nitrogen losses (volatilization, leaching, and N2O) and save the environment from degradation. Sulfur and zinc-coated urea also reduce nutrient deficiencies and have synergetic effects with other macro and micronutrients in the crop. This study discusses the dynamics of sulfur and zinc-coated urea in soil, their impact on crop production, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), the residual and toxic effects of coated urea, and the constraints of adopting coated fertilizers. Additionally, we also shed light on agronomic and molecular approaches to enhance NUE for better crop productivity to meet food security challenges.

The Antioxidant and Antitumor Efficiency of Litophyton sp. Extract in DMH-Induced Colon Cancer in Male Rats.

One of the most common tumors to cause death worldwide is colon cancer. This study aims to investigate the antitumor potency of Litophyton sp. methanolic extract (LME) against DMH-induced colon cancer in adult male rats. Group (1) normal rats served as the control, group (2) normal rats were ip-injected with LME at a dose of 100 µg/kg/day, group (3) DMH-induced colon cancer animals, and group (4) colon cancer-modeled animals were treated with LME (100 µg/kg/day) for six weeks. The results revealed that injection of LME markedly regenerated the colon cancer pathophysiological disorders; this was monitored from the significant reduction in the values of serum biomarkers (CEA, CA19.9, AFP), cytokines (TNF-α and IL1ß), and biochemical measurements (ALAT, ASAT, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides) matched significant increase of apoptotic biomarkers (CD4+); similarly, colon DNA fragmentation, MDA, and NO levels were down-regulated. In contrast, a remarkable upregulation in colon SOD, GPx, GSH, and CAT levels was noted. Moreover, the colon histopathological architecture showed obvious regenerations. Chromatography of LME resulted in the purification of two polyhydroxylated steroids (1 and 2) with potential cytotoxic activities. LME performed therapeutic potential colon tumorigenesis; therefore, LME may have a promising chemo-preventive feature against colon cancer, probably via enhancement of the apoptosis pathway, improvement of the immune response, reduction of inflammation, or/and restoration of the impaired oxidative stress.

Genetic analysis of yield traits in Egyptian cotton crosses (Gossypium barbdense L.) under normal conditions.

To generate high-yielding cultivars with favorable fiber quality traits, cotton breeders can use information about combining ability and gene activity within a population to locate elite parents and potential F1 crosses. To this end, in the current study, twelve cotton parents (eight genotypes as female parents and four testers) and their F1 crosses obtained utilizing the linex tester mating design were evaluated for their general and specialized combining abilities (GCA and SCA, respectively) of yield traits. The findings showed that for all the investigated variables, variances owing to genotypes, parents, crosses, and parent vs cross showed extremely significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences. Additionally, throughout the course of two growing seasons, the mean squares for genotypes (parents and crosses) showed strong significance for all the variables under study. The greatest and most desired means for all the examined qualities were in the parent G.94, Pima S6, and tester G.86. The best crossings for the qualities examined were G.86 (G.89 × G.86), G.93 × Suvin, and G.86 × Suvin. The parents' Suvin, G89x G86 and TNB were shown to have the most desired general combining ability effects for seed cotton yield/plant, lint yield/plant, boll weight, number of bolls/plants, and lint index, while Suvin, G.96 and pima S6 were preferred for favored lint percentage. For seed cotton yield, lint percentage, boll weight, and number of bolls per plant per year, the cross-G.86 x (G.89 × G.86) displayed highly significant specific combining ability impacts. The crosses G.86 × Suvin, Kar x TNB, G.93 × Suvin, and G.93 × TNB for all the studied traits for each year and their combined were found to have highly significant positive heterotic effects relative to better parent, and they could be used in future cotton breeding programs for improving the studied traits.

Nitrogen use efficiency in cotton: Challenges and opportunities against environmental constraints.

Nitrogen is a vital nutrient for agricultural, and a defieciency of it causes stagnate cotton growth and yield penalty. Farmers rely heavily on N over-application to boost cotton output, which can result in decreased lint yield, quality, and N use efficiency (NUE). Therefore, improving NUE in cotton is most crucial for reducing environmental nitrate pollution and increasing farm profitability. Well-defined management practices, such as the type of sources, N-rate, application time, application method, crop growth stages, and genotypes, have a notable impact on NUE. Different N formulations, such as slow and controlled released fertilizers, have been shown to improve N uptake and, NUE. Increasing N rates are said to boost cotton yield, although high rates may potentially impair the yield depending on the soil and environmental conditions. This study comprehensively reviews various factors including agronomic and environmental constraints that influence N uptake, transport, accumulation, and ultimately NUE in cotton. Furthermore, we explore several agronomic and molecular approaches to enhance efficiency for better N uptake and utilization in cotton. Finally, this objective of this review to highlight a comprehensive view on enhancement of NUE in cotton and could be useful for understanding the physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanism of N in cotton.