Abstract :

Biochar, produced through pyrolysis of organic materials, has shown potential in improving soil properties and reducing population density of plant parasitic nematodes. Biochar prepared from rice straw, moringa wood and mango bushes were applied in vitro at various concentrations (1, 3 and 5%) against Pratylenchus penetrans. Results indicated that biochar types had significant effect on nematode mortality, the mortality rate increased with increasing the concentration and exposure period. Rice straw biochar had the highest effect on suppressing P. penetrans at concentration 5% for 72h (%90), followed by moringa wood (%86.33) then mango bush (%65.67). In vivo, the highest concentration of biochar was used. Rice straw biochar had the highest effect. It reduced the root lesion and population density of P. penetrans infecting peanut seedlings (%39.50) and (418.88), followed by moringa wood (%59.25) and (497.77) mango bushes came last with (%77.77) and (543.33). The use of biochar also led to an increase in plant height and root weight compared to the control infected (only nematode) and control healthy (without nematode). These findings suggest that biochar from these plant sources could serve as an eco-friendly alternative for nematode management in peanut cultivation. Future research should focus on optimizing biochar and application techniques to enhance its efficiency in sustainable peanut production.

Background

Azo dyes represent a common textile dye preferred for its high stability on fabrics in various harsh conditions. Although these dyes pose high-risk levels for all biological forms, fungal laccase is known as a green catalyst for its ability to oxidize numerous dyes.

Methods

Trichoderma isolates were identified and tested for laccase production. Laccase production was optimized using Plackett–Burman Design. Laccase molecular weight and the kinetic properties of the enzyme, including K_m and V_max, pH, temperature, and ionic strength, were detected. Azo dye removal efficiency by laccase enzyme was detected for Congo red, methylene blue, and methyl orange.

Results

Eight out of nine Trichoderma isolates were laccase producers. Laccase production efficiency was optimized by the superior strain T. harzianum PP389612, increasing production from 1.6 to 2.89 U/ml. In SDS-PAGE, purified laccases appear …

Programmed cell death (PCD) plays critical roles in plant immunity but must be regulated to prevent excessive damage. In this study, a novel spotted leaf (spl11-1) mutant was identified from an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) population. The SPL11-1 gene was genetically mapped to chromosome 12 between the Indel12-37 and Indel12-39 molecular markers, which harbor a genomic region of 27 kb. Annotation of the SPL11-1 genomic region revealed the presence of two candidate genes. Through gene prediction and cDNA sequencing, it was confirmed that the target gene in the spl11-1 mutant is allelic to the rice SPOTTED LEAF (SPL11), hereafter referred to as spl11-1. Sequence analysis of SPL11 revealed a single bp deletion (T) between the spl11-1 mutant and the ‘Shuangkang77009’ wild type. Moreover, protein structure analysis showed that the structural differences between the SPL11-1 and SPL11 proteins might lead to a change in the function of the SPL11 protein. Compared to the ‘Shuangkang77009’ wild type, the spl11-1 mutant showed more disease resistance. The agronomical evaluation showed that the spl11-1 mutant showed more adverse traits. Through further mutagenesis treatment, we obtained the spl11-2 mutant allelic to spl11-1, which has excellent agronomic traits and more improvement and may have certain breeding prospects in future breeding for disease resistance.

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress that has severe adverse effects on the growth, development, yield and quality of crop plants. Molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying salt stress response in maize are still elusive. Understanding salt stress tolerance mechanisms is essential for the development of high-yielding maize cultivars with improved salt tolerance. Here, we identified a gene, INCREASED LEAF INCLINATION1 (ZmILI1), encoding a bHLH transcription factor, which positively regulates maize response to salt stress. Salt stress induces the expression of ZmILI1, and the overexpression of ZmILI1 enhances catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, thus enhancing salt stress tolerance. DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-Seq), RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), dual-luciferase (LUC), yeast one hybrid, and Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays revealed that ZmILI1 positively regulates salt stress response in maize by modulating the expression of the transcription factor family genes (ZmAP2–197), hormone-related genes (ZmLOX6, ZmDHN1, ZmCaDK2C) and antioxidant enzyme system-related genes (ZmPOD5), thus maintaining cellular homeostasis. Moreover, ZmILI1 is directly or indirectly implicated in maize response to salt stress by regulating the expression of genes involved in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, such as ZmLOX6, leading to elevated levels of JA hormone in maize under salt-stressed conditions. Our findings not only provide genetic evidence for the role of the bHLH protein family in agricultural production but also reveal potential regulatory mechanisms for the development of salt-tolerant genetic resources, offering new insights into the breeding of salt-tolerant maize varieties.