Vanillin, a Newly Discovered Autotoxic Substance in Long-Term Potato Continuous Cropping Soil, Inhibits Plant Growth by Decreasing the Root Auxin Content and Reducing Adventitious Root Numbers.

Phenolic acids are known to reduce root biomass and hinder plant development, but it is unclear how they affect potato root traits. Over a 10 year field experiment, we found a negative correlation between the potato yield and continuous cropping years. The substantial reduction in adventitious root (AR) numbers was found to be primarily inhibited by soil vanillin accumulation. The study also found that vanillin had a more pronounced inhibitory effect on the potato yield than commonly reported ferulic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The decrease in yield was attributed to the reduction of root indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content, which impeded the formation of AR. Exogenous IAA was found to increase the root IAA content and stimulate AR formation under vanillin stress, ultimately leading to an increase in the potato yield. This study provides valuable insights into potential strategies for the degradation of autotoxic substances and breeding of potato cultivars with enhanced resistance to autotoxicity.

Perceptions, Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change Effects among Small Livestock Herders in Punjab, Pakistan.

Pakistan is an agrarian nation that is among the most vulnerable countries to climatic variations. Around 20% of its GDP is produced by agriculture, and livestock-related production contributes more than half of this value. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to determine the vulnerability and knowledge of livestock herders, and particularly the smaller herders. Comprehending individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to climate change (CC) will enable effective formulation of CC mitigation strategies. This study intended to explore individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to CC based on a primary dataset of 405 small livestock herders from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab. The results showed that livestock herders' perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations/patterns coincide with the meteorological information of the study locations. The vulnerability indicators show that Dera Ghazi Khan district is more vulnerable than the other two zones because of high exposure and sensitivity to CC, and lower adaptive capacity. However, all zones experience regular livelihood risks due to livestock diseases and deaths resulting from extreme climatic conditions, lower economic status, and constrained institutional and human resource capabilities, thus leading to increased vulnerability. The results indicate that low-cost local approaches are needed, such as provision of improved veterinary services, increased availability of basic equipment, small-scale infrastructure projects, and reinforcement of informal social safety nets. These measures would support cost-effective and sustainable decisions to enable subsistence livestock herders to adopt climate smart practices.