Rejuvenating potato growth and yield in challenging semiarid and saline sandy Cholistan: harnessing PGPB-coated N and P application strategies.

BACKGROUND: Potato serves as a major non-cereal food crop and income source for small-scale growers in Punjab, Pakistan. Unfortunately, improper fertilization practices have led to low crop yields, worsened by challenging environmental conditions and poor groundwater quality in the Cholistan region. To address this, we conducted an experiment to assess the impact of two fertilizer application approaches on potato cv. Barna using plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) coated biofertilizers. The first approach, termed conventional fertilizer application (CFA), involved four split applications of PGPB-coated fertilizers at a rate of 100:75 kg acre-1 (N and P). The second, modified fertilizer application (MFA), employed nine split applications at a rate of 80:40 kg acre-1. RESULTS: The MFA approach significantly improved various plant attributes compared to the CFA. This included increased plant height (28%), stem number (45%), leaf count (46%), leaf area index (36%), leaf thickness (three-folds), chlorophyll content (53%), quantum yield of photosystem II (45%), photosynthetically active radiations (56%), electrochromic shift (5.6%), proton flux (24.6%), proton conductivity (71%), linear electron flow (72%), photosynthetic rate (35%), water use efficiency (76%), and substomatal CO2 (two-folds), and lowered non-photochemical quenching (56%), non-regulatory energy dissipation (33%), transpiration rate (59%), and stomatal conductance (70%). Additionally, the MFA approach resulted in higher tuber production per plant (21%), average tuber weight (21.9%), tuber diameter (24.5%), total tuber yield (29.1%), marketable yield (22.7%), seed-grade yield (9%), specific gravity (9.6%), and soluble solids (7.1%). It also reduced undesirable factors like goli and downgrade yields by 57.6% and 98.8%, respectively. Furthermore, plants under the MFA approach exhibited enhanced nitrogen (27.8%) and phosphorus uptake (40.6%), with improved N (26.1%) and P uptake efficiency (43.7%) compared to the CFA approach. CONCLUSION: The use of PGPB-coated N and P fertilizers with a higher number of splits at a lower rate significantly boosts potato production in the alkaline sandy soils of Cholistan.

Exploring the mechanism of transformation in Acacia nilotica (Linn.) triggered by colchicine seed treatment.

BACKGROUND: Acacia nilotica Linn. is a widely distributed tree known for its applications in post-harvest and medicinal horticulture. However, its seed-based growth is relatively slow. Seed is a vital component for the propagation of A. nilotica due to its cost-effectiveness, genetic diversity, and ease of handling. Colchicine, commonly used for polyploidy induction in plants, may act as a pollutant at elevated levels. Its optimal concentration for Acacia nilotica's improved growth and development has not yet been determined, and the precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon has not been established. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of optimized colchicine (0.07%) seed treatment on A. nilotica's morphological, anatomical, physiological, fluorescent, and biochemical attributes under controlled conditions, comparing it with a control. RESULTS: Colchicine seed treatment significantly improved various plant attributes compared to control. This included increased shoot length (84.6%), root length (53.5%), shoot fresh weight (59.1%), root fresh weight (42.8%), shoot dry weight (51.5%), root dry weight (40%), fresh biomass (23.6%), stomatal size (35.9%), stomatal density (41.7%), stomatal index (51.2%), leaf thickness (11 times), leaf angle (2.4 times), photosynthetic rate (40%), water use efficiency (2.2 times), substomatal CO2 (36.6%), quantum yield of photosystem II (13.1%), proton flux (3.1 times), proton conductivity (2.3 times), linear electron flow (46.7%), enzymatic activities of catalase (25%), superoxide dismutase (33%), peroxidase (13.5%), and ascorbate peroxidase (28%), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-radical scavenging activities(23%), total antioxidant capacity (59%), total phenolic (23%), and flavonoid content (37%) with less number of days to 80% germination (57.1%), transpiration rate (53.9%), stomatal conductance (67.1%), non-photochemical quenching (82.8%), non-regulatory energy dissipation (24.3%), and H2O2 (25%) and O-2 levels (30%). CONCLUSION: These findings elucidate the intricate mechanism behind the morphological, anatomical, physiological, fluorescent, and biochemical transformative effects of colchicine seed treatment on Acacia nilotica Linn. and offer valuable insights for quick production of A. nilotica's plants with modification and enhancement from seeds through an eco-friendly approach.

Combined application of hot water treatment and eucalyptus leaf extract postpones senescence in harvested green chilies by conserving their antioxidants: a sustainable approach.

BACKGROUND: Green chili is the predominant vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions with high economic value. However, after harvest, it exhibits vigorous metabolic activities due to the high moisture level, leading to a reduction in bioactive compounds and hence reduced shelf life and nutritional quality. Low temperature storage results in the onset of chilling injury symptoms. Therefore, developing techniques to increase the shelf life of green chilies and safeguard their nutritional value has become a serious concern for researchers. In this regard, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of the alone or combined application of hot water treatment (HWT) (45 °C for 15 min) and eucalyptus leaf extract (ELE) (30%) on 'Golden Hot' chilies in comparison to the control. After treatment, chilies were stored at 20 ± 1.5 °C for 20 days. RESULTS: HWT + ELE-treated chilies had a significant reduction in fruit weight loss (14.6%), fungal decay index (35%), red chili percentage (41.2%), soluble solid content (42.9%), ripening index (48.9%), and reactive oxygen species production like H2O2 (55.1%) and O-2 (46.5%) during shelf in comparison to control, followed by the alone application of HWT and ELE. Furthermore, the combined use of HWT and ELE effectively improved the antioxidative properties of stored chilies including DPPH radical scavenging activities (54.6%), ascorbic acid content (28.4%), phenolic content (31.8%), as well as the enzyme activities of POD (103%), CAT (128%), SOD (26.5%), and APX (43.8%) in comparison to the control. Additionally, the green chilies underwent HWT + ELE treatment also exhibited higher chlorophyll levels (100%) and general appearance (79.6%) with reduced anthocyanin content (40.8%) and wrinkling (43%), leading to a higher marketable fruit (41.3%) than the control. CONCLUSION: The pre-storage application of HWT and ELE could be used as an antimicrobial, non-chemical, non-toxic, and eco-friendly treatment for preserving the postharvest quality of green chilies at ambient temperature (20 ± 1.5 °C).

Postharvest starch and sugars adjustment in potato tubers of wide-ranging dormancy genotypes subjected to various sprout forcing techniques.

The development of an efficient, safe, and environment-friendly technique to terminate tuber dormancy in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) is of great concern due to the immense scope of multiple cropping all over the globe. The breakage of tuber dormancy has been associated with numerous physiological changes, including a decline in the level of starch and an increase in the levels of sugars during storage of freshly harvested seed potatoes, although their consistency across genotypes and various dormancy-breaking techniques have not yet been fully elucidated. The purpose of the present research is to assess the efficacy of four different dormancy-breaking techniques, such as soaking in 90, 60, or 30 mg L-1 solutions of benzyl amino purine (BAP) and 30, 20, or 10 mg L-1 gibberellic acid (GA3) alone and in the combination of optimized concentrations; cold pre-treatment at 6, 4, or 2 °C; electric shock at 80, 60, 40, or 20 Vs; and irradiation at 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, or 1 kGy on the tuber dormancy period and sprout length of six genotypes. Furthermore, the changes that occurred in tuber weight and endogenous starch, sucrose, fructose, and glucose contents in experimental genotypes following the application of these techniques were also examined. Overall, the most effective technique to terminate tuber dormancy and hasten spout growth was the combined application of BAP and GA3, which reduced the length of dormancy by 9.6 days compared to the untreated control, following 6.7 days of electric current, 4.4 days of cold pre-treatment, and finally irradiation (3.3 days). The 60 mg L-1 solution of BAP greatly reduced the dormancy period in all genotypes but did not affect the sprout length at all. The genotypes showed a weak negative correlation (r = - 0.4) (P < 0.05) of endogenous starch contents with dormancy breakage and weight loss or a moderate (r = - 0.5) correlation with sprout length, but a strong positive correlation (r = 0.8) of tuber glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents with dormancy breakage and weight loss. During 3 weeks of storage, sprouting commencement and significant weight loss occurred as tuber dormancy advanced towards breakage due to a reduction in starch and an increase in the sucrose, fructose, and glucose contents of the tubers. These findings could be advantageous for postponing or accelerating seed potato storage as well as investigating related physiological research in the future.