•Autotoxicity inhibited growth and yield of strawberry plants in recycled hydroponics.•LED and amino acid improved growth and yield of strawberry in recycled hydroponics.•Strawberry fruit yield ...increased significantly with Glu spray than water spray.•Growth and yield of strawberry improved under R : B = 8:2 LED with 567 μmol m−2 s−1.
Strawberry plants in recycled hydroponics exhibit growth and yield reduction due to autotoxicity. Strawberry plants were grown under light-emitting diodes (LED) and sprayed with amino acids to investigate their influence on the growth and yield under autotoxicity. In the first study, plants were grown under three LED light conditions Red : Blue (R : B) = 8:2, 5:5, and 2:8 adjusted to similar light intensity of 106–117, 107–125, and 105–121 μmol m−2 s−1, respectively and under white light provided by fluorescent lamps 104–129 μmol m−2 s−1 and also treated with two amino acids hydroxyproline (Hyp) and glutamic acid (Glu) and water (control). This study was conducted under relatively high temperature (30/25 °C; day/night) in order to enhance the occurrence of autotoxicity. Further, the nutrient solution was recycled for the duration of the crop cycle to allow the accumulation of autotoxic compounds. Greater growth and fruit yield, higher ascorbic acid content in fruits and also higher calcium and iron content in leaves, crowns and roots of strawberry plants were observed due to R : B = 8:2 LED lighting and Glu spray. In the second study, the selected LED (R : B = 8:2) from the first study was used with three different intensities (i.e., 149, 269, and 567 μmol m−2 s−1) and either with or without Glu spray under controlled environment condition (25/20 °C; day/night). Results showed that plants exposed to 567 μmol m−2 s−1 of R : B = 8:2 LED showed greater performances on growth and minerals content in leaves, crown and roots of strawberry plant supplied either with or without Glu whereas higher number of fruits per plant and fruit yield were observed with Glu spray. Therefore, we propose that combining Glu spray with exposure to R : B = 8:2 LED light of 567 μmol m−2 s−1 may improve the growth, yield and quality of strawberry cultivated in a hydroponic system with a recycled nutrient solution.
•In recycled hydroponics growth and yield of strawberry plants inhibited by autotoxicity.•Strawberry plant roots exudates benzoic acid during autotoxicity.•Benzoic acid degradation was faster in ...electrode using alternate current than direct current.•AC-ED in non-renewed solution improved growth, yield and quality of strawberry.
Strawberry plants grown in closed hydroponics accumulate root exudates and cause autotoxicity-a form of intra-specific allelopathy. Root exudate contains several allelochemicals and among them benzoic acid (BA) found as the most potent growth inhibitor. In this study, we applied electro-degradation (ED) to the culture solution in order to degrade their root exudates and improve growth, yield and quality of strawberry. There were four types of nutrient solution used in this study viz. renewed, non-renewed, non-renewed with direct current electro-degradation (DC-ED) and non-renewed with alternative current electro-degradation (AC-ED). Every three weeks interval, culture solutions were changed with fresh 25% standard Enshi nutrient solution in renewed treatment, while DC- and AC-ED treatment were applied in non-renewed solutions. Significantly greater fruit yield (225.9 g plant−1) was obtained from renewed nutrient solution, which was statistically similar to fruit yield in non-renewed solution with AC-ED application. Compared to renewed solution, fruit yield was decreased to about half (114.0 g plant−1) in non-renewed solution while non-renewed with DC-ED produced intermediate yield between non-renewed and renewed solution or non-renewed with AC-ED. In general, growth performance was greater in renewed solution followed by non-renewed with AC-ED, while it was decreased significantly in non-renewed solution with DC-ED similar to non-renewed solution. A similar trend was also observed in vitamin C content while brix and citric acidity was not varied. Minerals such as calcium and iron concentration in the culture solution were significantly decreased in DC-ED, consequently their contents were also found lower in crowns and roots compared to other solutions used. Therefore, it is evident that growth, yield and quality of strawberry can be improved through application of AC-ED in non-renewed solution.
Microbial-assisted rhizoengineering is a promising biotechnology for improving crop productivity. In this study, lettuce roots were bacterized with two lead (Pb) tolerant rhizobacteria including ...Pseudomonas azotoformans ESR4 and P. poae ESR6, and a consortium consisted of ESR4 and ESR6 to increase productivity, physiology and antioxidants, and reduce Pb accumulation grown in Pb-contaminated soil i.e., 80 (Pb in native soil), 400 and 800 mg kg−1 Pb. In vitro studies showed that these strains and the consortium produced biofilms, synthesized indole-3-acetic acid and NH3, and solubilized phosphate challenging to 0, 100, 200 and 400 mg L−1 of Pb. In static conditions and 400 mg L−1 Pb, ESR4, ESR6 and the consortium adsorbed 317.0, 339.5 and 357.4 mg L−1 Pb, respectively, while 384.7, 380.7 and 373.2 mg L−1 Pb, respectively, in shaking conditions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed that several functional groups Pb–S, M − O, O–M–O (M = metal ions), S–S, PO, CO, –NH, –NH2, C–C–O, and C–H were involved in Pb adsorption. ESR4, ESR6 and the consortium-assisted rhizoengineering (i) increased leaf numbers and biomass production, (ii) reduced H2O2 production, malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakages, and transpiration rate, (iii) augmented photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, total antioxidant capacity, total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, and minerals like Ca2+ and Mg2+ in comparison to non-rhizoengineering plants grown in Pb-contaminated soil. Principal component analysis revealed that higher pigment production and photosynthetic rate, improved water use efficiency and increased uptake of Ca2+ were interlinked to increased productivity by bacterial rhizoengineering of lettuce grown in different levels of Pb exposures. Surprisingly, Pb accumulation in lettuce roots and shoots was remarkably decreased by rhizoengineering than in non-rhizoengineering. Thus, these bacterial strains and this consortium could be utilized to improve productivity and reduce Pb accumulation in lettuce.
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•ESR4, ESR6 and consortium produced multiple PGP traits responding to Pb levels.•Strains and consortium adsorbed 79.3–89.4% from 400 mg/L Pb in static conditions.•Pb–S, M − O, O–M–O (M = metal ions), S–S groups involved in Pb biosorption.•RE improved lettuce productivity, physiology and antioxidants in Pb polluted soil.•RE reduced Pb uptake in roots and shoots of lettuce grown in Pb polluted soil.
Discharge of untreated dyeing wastewater nearby water-bodies is one of major causes of water pollution. Generally, bacterial strains isolated from industrial effluents and/or contaminated soils are ...used for the bioremediation of Methyl orange (MO), a mutagenic recalcitrant mono-azo dye, used in textiles and biomedical. However, MO degradation by biofilm producing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (BPPGPR) was not studied yet. In this study, 19 out of 21 BPPGPR strains decolorized 96.3-99.9% and 89.5-96.3% MO under microaerophilic and aerobic conditions, respectively from Luria-Bertani broth (LBB) followed by yeast-extract peptone and salt-optimized broth plus glycerol media within 120 h of incubation at 28 °C. Only selected BPPGPR including Pseudomonas fluorescens ESR7, P. veronii ESR13, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ESR20, Staphylococcus saprophyticus ESD8, and P. parafulva ESB18 were examined for process optimization of MO decolorization using a single factor optimization method. This study showed that under optimal conditions (e.g., LBB, 100 mg L
MO, pH 7, incubation of 96 h, 28 °C), these strains could remove 99.1-99.8% and 97.6-99.5% MO under microaerophilic and aerobic conditions, respectively. Total azoreductase and laccase activities responsible for biodegradation were also remarkably activated in the biodegraded samples under optimal conditions, while these activities were repressed under unfavorable conditions (e.g., 40 °C and 7.5% NaCl). This study confirmed that MO was degraded and detoxified by these bacterial strains through breakage of azo bond. So far, this is the first report on bioremediation of MO by the BPPGPR strains. These BPPGPR strains are highly promising to be utilized for the bioremediation of dyeing wastewater in future.
Chronic kidney disease patients are restricted to foods with high potassium content but our daily diets including melon are rich in potassium. Therefore, we investigated the production of ...low-potassium melon through hydroponic nutrient management in soilless culture using perlite substrate during autumn season of 2012, 2014 and spring season of 2016. In the first study, melon plants were supplied with 50% standard 'Enshi' nutrient solution until first 2 weeks of culture. In 3rd and 4th week, amount of applied potassium was 50, 75, 100, and 125% of required potassium nitrate for each plant per week (based on our previous study). It was found that, melon plants grown with 50% of its required potassium nitrate produced fruits with about 53% low-potassium compared to control. In the following study, four cultivars viz. Panna, Miyabi shunjuukei, Miyabi akifuyu412, and Miyabi soushun banshun309 were evaluated for their relative suitability of low-potassium melon production. Results showed insignificant difference in fruit potassium content among the cultivars used. Source of potassium fertilizer as potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate and their restriction (from 1 or 2 weeks after anthesis) were also studied. There were no influences on fruit potassium content and yield due to sources of potassium fertilizer and restriction timings. In our previous studies, it was evident that potassium can be translocated from leaves to fruits at maturity when it was supplied nutrient without potassium. Thus, we also studied total number of leaves per plant (23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 leaves per plant). It was evident that fruit potassium, yield, and quality were not influenced significantly due to differences in number of leaves per plant. These studies showed that restriction of potassium nitrate in the culture solution from anthesis to harvest could produce melon fruits with low-potassium (>20%) content compared to potassium content of greenhouse grown melon (340 mg/100 g FW). Quality testing and clinical validation of low-potassium melon also showed positive responses compared to greenhouse grown melon.
This paper presents the feasibility of using solar photovoltaics (Solar PV) as the energy source for cooking with special focus on the loss mechanisms and possible remedial measures. If the heat loss ...is minimized, to reduce the temperature losses, it is possible to cook with a low power source less than 500 W. A slogan has been adopted by the researchers—‘It is temperature that cooks food not heat’, meaning that it is not the flow of energy that cooks food, but rather, that food is cooked when held at a key temperature for a time. The slogan draws attention to the core concept that if heat loss is minimized, maintaining the temperature inside the cooker and the cooking pan, then the cooking process becomes very energy efficient. The paper considers ways to maintain temperature, but with due reference to the ‘art of cooking’, those all-important cultural processes that determine how meals are made. A prototype solar home system e-cooker was designed, fabricated and tested for cooking different foods in Bangladesh. Experimental results are presented to show that cooking is possible using much less power and energy than is commonly thought. A cost analysis is also presented to show that such a cooker can be cost effective in off-grid areas if connected to a properly designed Solar Home System.
Background Rearranged during transfection (RET), an oncogenic protein, is associated with various cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), pancreatic ...cancer, medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. Dysregulation of RET contributes to cancer development, highlighting the importance of identifying lead compounds targeting this protein due to its pivotal role in cancer progression. Therefore, this study aims to discover effective lead compounds targeting RET across different cancer types and evaluate their potential to inhibit cancer progression. Methods This study used a range of computational techniques, including Phase database creation, high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS), molecular docking, molecular mechanics with generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) solvation, assessment of pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to identify potential lead compounds targeting RET. Results Initially, a high-throughput virtual screening of the ZINC database identified 2,550 compounds from a pool of 170,269. Subsequent molecular docking studies revealed 10 compounds with promising negative binding scores ranging from −8.458 to −7.791 kcal/mol. MM-GBSA analysis further confirmed the potential of four compounds to exhibit negative binding scores. MD simulations demonstrated the stability of CID 95842900, CID 137030374, CID 124958150, and CID 110126793 with the target receptors. Conclusion These findings suggest that these selected four compounds have the potential to inhibit phosphorylated RET (pRET) tyrosine kinase activity and may represent promising candidates for the treatment of various cancers.
Recycled hydroponic solutions used for growing crops can accumulate allelochemicals that inhibit plant growth. We applied alternating current electrodegradation (AC-ED) to fresh nonrenewed nutrient ...solutions (i.e. solutions remaining unchanged throughout the culture period) and once-used nonrenewed solutions (i.e. solutions that had been used for a previous culture) for detoxifying autotoxic chemicals. Four experiments were conducted in which lettuce plants were grown in different nonrenewed solutions treated with AC-ED and in renewed solution that was not treated with AC-ED. Renewed solution (50% 'Enshi' solution) was changed at 14-day intervals. In fresh starting solutions, no substantial difference was found in shoot fresh weight (SFW) between renewed and AC-ED-treated nonrenewed solutions at different intervals (experiment I) and frequencies (experiment III), but notably, the lowest yield was recorded in non-renewed solution. In contrast, in the case of once-used nonrenewed solution, weekly (experiment II) and thrice-weekly and continuous (experiment IV) AC-ED application showed significantly higher SFW compared to values for other solutions, and the lowest value was also found in nonrenewed once-used culture solution. Therefore, we recommend the application of AC-ED to non-renewed solution either thrice weekly or continuously for efficient detoxification of accumulated allelochemicals to improve the growth, yield and quality of lettuce under two or more successive cultivations in recycled hydroponics.
Purpose
Fungi attributed to enhance enzyme activities would be suitable for fast degradation of organic wastes. The present project was undertaken to get fungi from indigenous sources might have ...higher enzyme activities as well as non-phytopathogenic for fast degradation of organic wastes for the purpose of soil health improvement and reduction of fertilizers load for crop production as safe food approach.
Methods
Accordingly, eight organic wastes were used for fungal species isolation and evaluated it in production of extracellular enzymes activities (amylase, cellulase, lipase and protease) and three crops seeds (mustard, mung bean and barley) germination.
Results
Thirty-nine distinct fungal isolates were tested against extracellular enzymes activities and the isolates of 2(1), 2(4), 2(6), 3(1), 3(7), 4(1), 4(2), 4(4) and 6(5) exhibited remarkable positive response to amylase, cellulase, lipase and protease enzymes activities. Subsequently, five fungal isolates 2(4):
Trichoderma
sp., 2(6):
Trichoderma
sp., 3(7):
Aspergillus
sp., 4(4):
Trichoderma
sp., and 6(5):
Penicillium
sp. were selected based on superior performance in enzyme activities and used for seeds germination. Applied fungal suspension significantly (
P
≤
0.05
) increased percent germination, radicle and plumule length but in most of the cases those values were insignificant to the results obtained in control treatment (tap water). The germination indices were higher at the treatments of 2(6), 3(7) and 6(5) isolates to mustard, mung bean and barley, respectively but closer to control treatment. Moreover, none of the applied fungi induced any pathogenic symptoms to any seeds.
Conclusion
Perhaps these fungal isolates might play encouraging roles in proper management of organic wastes into compost for agronomic usages in future.
Graphic Abstract
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