Deficit irrigation strategies (PRD, SDI) and titanium nanoparticles improve water use efficiency and flower quality in greenhouse-grown cut roses.

This study explored the use of deficit irrigation techniques for water management in the hydroponic greenhouse cultivation of cut roses. A factorial experiment was conducted using three irrigation treatments: full irrigation (FI), partial root drying (PRD), and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI), and three doses of titanium dioxide nanoparticle foliar application (0, 15, and 30 ppm) as stress alleviation. Results showed that drought stress increased biochemical parameters such as the plants' proline and total phenol content. Compared to SDI treatment, the PRD treatments have an increase in flower number by 40%. The PRD strategy has positive effects on drought tolerance by increasing osmotic and elastic adjustment. Therefore, higher relative water content and longer root length in PRD treatments were observed. Thus, Biomass water use efficiency significantly increased in PRD treatments compared to others. In the PRD treatment, yield WUE increases by 26% and 61% compared to FI and SDI, respectively. The results showed TiO2-NPs positively affected mitigating and even improving some traits in drought stress conditions. These results suggest the superiority of the PRD strategy, which improves growth characteristics and water use efficiency, leading to increased sustainability, reduced environmental impact of greenhouse toxic wastewater, and total profitability of the greenhouse.

Non-specific immunity promotion in response to garlic extract supplemented diets in female Guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

In the present study, the effect of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) extract on skin mucus immune parameters of Poecilia reticulata was evaluated. A total of 240 P. reticulate juveniles, weighing 0.013 ± 0.001 g, were randomly stocked in 12 experimental glass tanks at a density of 30 fish per tank. The fish were fed with diets supplemented with garlic extract at the concentrations of 0, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20 ml kg-1 of diet three times a day at a ratio of 2.5% of their body weight for 80 days. Results of the study showed that, lysozyme activity increased significantly in the skin mucus of garlic-treated Guppy (P < 0.05). Values of ACH50 significantly increased (P < 0.05) in fish by increasing concentration of garlic extract from 0 to 0.15 ml kg-1 in diet. ACH50 also showed a significant declining trend (P < 0.05) by increasing concentration of garlic extract from 0.15 to 0.20 ml kg-1. Total Ig content was enhanced significantly in 0.15 and 0.20 ml kg-1 treatments as well. ALP activity significantly increased in garlic-fed treatments compared to the control. Inclusion of garlic extract in diet was found to have no significant effect on final body weight and weight gain. Results revealed that, administration of 0.15 mL of garlic extract per kg feed is suggested to obtain optimal skin mucus immunity in P. reticulata.