Salinity negatively affects maize growth, a cereal crop and used as a vital source of food production. Seaweeds are macro-aquatic biocatalysts and might act as a promising biostimulant for conferring ...crop salinity resistance by providing essential nutrients and growth-promoting regulators. This study was designed for the first time to examine the effects of two commonly found seaweeds, Iyengaria stellata and Colpomenia sinuosa, on the growth of maize under 0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl application. Plants treated with both salinities reduced plant growth, but the application of seaweed I. stellata and C. sinuosa significantly increased growth parameters, especially plant biomass (fresh and dry), length (root and shoot), and total plant height than other treatments. In addition, higher growth under seaweed amends was supported by improved chlorophyll, carbohydrates, carotenoids, and polyphenols as well as lower electrolyte leakages to escape from oxidative stress. Plants treated with both algal species enhanced Na+ and K+, which is important for osmotic balance and precise ion homeostasis and could be effective for optimum leaf metabolism for growth resilience of maize plants under saline-stress conditions. This study emphasizes the potential of C. sinuosa and I. stellata as effective biostimulants. They offer a sustainable approach to cultivating climate-resilient maize that can thrive in salt-affected environments.
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•Newly emerged algal seaweed derived bio-stimulant can enhance growth and salt resistance in maize for the first time.•I. stellata and C. sinuosa combination could be more effective to enhance maize plant physiological performance.•I. stellata and C. sinuosa could increase secondary metabolites and proper ion fluxes in maize in salinity.
This paper assesses the interrelationship between poverty, climatic and non-climatic shocks, and shock coping strategies adopted by farm-based rural households in Nepal. An analysis is based on a ...comprehensive data set collected from 300 randomly selected households from three purposively chosen villages of Gandaki province. The study utilizes binary and ordered probit regression models to analyze the determinants of poverty, shocks, and coping strategies. Findings reveal that the Dalit (ethnic group), large-sized, and agricultural households are more likely to be characterized as poor. The study further shows that majority of the households are exposed to the severe shock of climatic types. Patterns of shock exposure vary with the household’s characteristics. In particular, poor households in the hills primarily dependent on forest for livelihood are more likely to experience severe shocks. Further analyses indicate that the households ex-post choose dissaving, borrowing, shifting occupation, and migration to cope with severe climatic shocks. The analyses also reveal that the nature of shocks, socio-economic, demographic, geographic contexts, and factor endowments effect adopting a particular coping strategy. Findings suggest household level-specific support should be provided to mitigate the effects of shock, and appropriate measures are taken to protect their means of living.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has emerged as a major global challenge since 2019. With the fast rise in the infected cases and deaths worldwide, many environmental and climate-related myths and ...fallacies spreaded fast. These fallacies include virus cannot spread in hot and humid conditions, cold weather can inhibit the virus, drinking hot water and sunlight can help cure the COVID-19, ultraviolet (UV) disinfectant lamps and UV rays from sunlight can kill the virus, use of hairdryers and hot showers for virus prevention, etc. Social norms and mindset of the people in the world towards a pandemic are quite similar. The primary purpose of this article is to enlighten the readers regarding these climatological misconceptions and social fallacies, helping spread proper knowledge and manage the outbreak of this deadly pandemic.
Previously, external hemipelvectomy was the mainstay of treatment for pelvic tumors. However, with technological advancements, limb salvage procedures such as internal hemipelvectomy have emerged as ...a viable alternative. However, there is limited literature available on long-term outcomes and complications of internal hemipelvectomy, especially from developing countries. Therefore, the objective of this study was to share our experience of internal hemipelvectomy at a tertiary care center in a developing country.
A retrospective review was conducted in which all 24 patients undergoing internal hemipelvectomy from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2015 at our institution were included. Medical record files were reviewed for intraoperative and early and late postoperative complications, and functional outcomes were assessed by contacting each patient on telephone.
Ewing sarcoma was found to be the most common diagnosis, followed by osteosarcoma as the second most common. The mean follow-up period was 18.7±13.9 months. Intraoperatively there were 4 cases of iatrogenic neurovascular injury and 2 cases each of urinary tract injury and dural tear. Four patients developed early wound infections, 7 developed late wound infections, and 2 developed flap necrosis. Three patients developed recurrence, whereas 7 patients developed metastasis postoperatively. The mean survival was calculated to be 28 months and the mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 19.3±5.2.
Outcomes and prevalence of complications shown in this study are comparable to those in the international literature, which suggests that hemipelvectomy is a viable option in developing countries also. However, more such studies are warranted to validate the findings and to identify the challenges and morbidities associated with hemipelvectomy in Asian and developing countries.
Key message
Ca
2+
induces adaptive response to low P stress through increased root growth and expansion, but plays minor or no role in remobilization of P in leaf tissues or in maintaining membrane ...integrity.
The role of calcium (Ca
2+
) in signaling environmental stress has been demonstrated; however, its role in signaling low phosphorus (P) stress and subsequent adaptive responses in trees are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Ca
2+
application on root growth and expansion, seedling growth, remobilization of P, and maintaining membrane integrity in leaf tissues. Thus, a sand culture experiment was set up with five Ca
2+
concentrations (0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 mmol/L Ca(NO
3
)
2
·4H
2
O) under two P treatments (0.0 and 1.0 mmol/L KH
2
PO
4
). After 4 months, growth attributes, P and Ca
2+
accumulations, and biochemical responses were determined. Results showed that (1) low P seedlings supplied with 5 mmol/L Ca
2+
produced longer roots, larger root surface area, higher root diameter, and larger root volume than the control; (2) seedling height and root collar diameter were positively affected by addition of 3 and 5 mmol/L Ca
2+
into the growing media, and whole plant biomass of low P seedlings supplied with 5 mmol/L Ca
2+
was significantly higher than the control; (3) whole plant P accumulation was higher in 3 and 5 mmol/L Ca
2+
treatments in low P seedlings, whereas whole plant Ca
2+
accumulation increased linearly with increasing Ca
2+
concentration; and (4) the effects of Ca
2+
on malondialdehyde and soluble protein contents and acid phosphatase activity did not show consistent trend with increasing or decreasing Ca
2+
concentration. In conclusion, Ca
2+
induces adaptive response to low P stress through increased root growth and expansion, but plays minor or no role in remobilization of P in leaf tissues or in maintaining membrane integrity.
Abiotic stresses, such as high temperature and drought conditions, greatly influence the development of plants and the quality and quantity of products. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) crop production is ...largely impacted by drought, affecting growth, yield, and ultimately the productivity of the crop in hot arid/semi-arid conditions. The current pot experiment was directed to observe the outcome of nicotinic acid (NA) treatments on barley's physiological, biochemical, and production attributes at two capacity levels, i.e., 100% normal range and withholding water stress. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used during the experimentation with the two-factor factorial arrangement. NA was applied exogenously by two different methods, i.e., foliar and soil application (fertigation). NA solution contained various application levels, such as T1 = control, foliar applications (T2 = 0.7368 gLsup.−1, T3 = 1.477 gLsup.−1, T4 = 2.2159 gLsup.−1), and soil applications (T5 = 0.4924 gLsup.−1, T6 = 0.9848 gLsup.−1, and T7 = 1.4773 gLsup.−1). Results depicted that, overall, foliar treatments showed better effects than control and soil treatments. Plant growth was preeminent under T4 treatment, such as plant height (71.07 cm), relative water content (84.0%), leaf water potential (39.73-MPa), leaf area index (36.53 cmsup.2), biological yield (15.10 kghasup.−1), grain yield (14.40 kghasup.−1), harvest index (57.70%), catalase (1.54 mmolgsup.−1FWsup.−1), peroxidase (1.90 gsup.−1FWminsup.−1), and superoxide dismutase (52.60 µgFWsup.−1) were superior under T4 treatment. Soil plant analysis development (54.13 µgcmsup.−2) value was also higher under T4 treatment and lowest under T7 treatment. In conclusion, NA-treated plants were more successful in maintaining growth attributes than non-treated plants; therefore, the NA foliar treatment at the rate of 2.2159 gLsup.−1 is suggested to find economical crop yield under drought conditions. The present study would contribute significantly to improving the drought tolerance potential of barley through exogenous NA supply in water deficit areas.
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