Multifunctional rhizobacteria can promote enhanced root development and increase grain yield in agricultural crops. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of rhizobacteria application on the root growth of soybean, common bean, corn, and upland rice seedlings. The experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and ten replicates for each crop. The treatments in the four experiments consisted of the microbiolization of seeds from each crop with the following rhizobacteria isolates: BRM 32111 (Burkholderia sp.), BRM 63523 (Serratia sp.), BRM 63524 (Bacillus sp.), and a control treatment (without microorganisms). For each experimental unit, containers with a capacity of 500 mL were filled with soil and sand, and two seeds were used. After 14 days, the roots of the seedlings of the studied cultures were removed, washed, and photographed with a digital camera. The images were analyzed using WinRHIZO 2012 software to determine the total length, diameter, total surface area, and volume of roots. Afterwards, the roots were taken to a drying oven and weighed to determine the dry mass. Overall, the results of this study indicate that multifunctional rhizobacteria provide greater initial root development in soybean, common bean, corn, and upland rice. Treatment with the isolate BRM 63524 resulted in greater total root length compared to the control treatment, standing out in the evaluated crops. Seedlings not inoculated with rhizobacteria tend to present lower root development than those inoculated.

The growing world population requires increased food and fodder quantity and quality production. Circularity in agriculture could support this demand, decreasing the use of chemical fertilizer by applying organic amendments. We hypothesize that green manuring of oat--vetch mixture will support fodder barley (Hordeum vulgare var. Zemela) growth and yield better under different fertilization schemes than those sowed after fallow. Vermicompost from agricultural wastes, oat biochar, their combination, mineral fertilizer, and an untreated control were applied. The results showed increased barley grain yield, with a mass of 1000 seeds, and hectoliter weight in the treatments after fallow compared to those after green manure. In combined and biochar treatments of this field, the highest CO₂ emission from soil was found, whilst the increased SPAD index showed improved chlorophyll content in the field after green manure.

Soil microbial activity was altered differentially depending on the barley antecessor, showing higher β-glucosidase and lower dehydrogenase activity in the amended treatments after green manure. At the same time, the expression of phosphatase was ambiguous. Additionally, rhizosphere communities expressed the highest metabolization rate of polymers, carboxylic acids, and amino acids in both fields and similar diversity indexes. Finally, we did not find significant differences among treatments concerning the organic matter content and composition.

Acknowledgements. This research was funded by the Bulgarian National "Science Fund", grant number KP-06-DO 02/5. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the partners of the Joint Call of the Cofund ERA-Nets SusCrop (Grant N° 771134), FACCE ERA-GAS (Grant N° 696356), ICT-AGRI-FOOD (Grant N° 862665), and SusAn (Grant N° 696231).

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is an important cereal crop in the arid and semiarid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, growing in high temperatures and irregular rainfall. It can tolerate harsh conditions and grow in low-fertility soil sets it apart from other crops. Pearl millet has been known for its high nutrient composition, which makes it a decent supply of energy for both food and fodder. Despite its value and contribution, pearl millet does not receive sufficient attention due to some anti-nutritional elements such as phytic acid, polyphenols, and tannins. Also, the rapid development of rancidity after the milling of pearl millet grains is another reason for the underutilization of pearl millet. Higher amounts of C-glycosyl flavones, including vitexin, orientin, glycosyl vitexin, and glycosyl orientin, contribute to off-flavor issues during storage and are also responsible for health problems. In this study, a genome-wide search identified 191 UGT genes in pearl millet, focusing on gene characteristics, subcellular localization, phylogenetic relationships, and protein structure. This study also aims to investigate the C-glycosyl flavone content variations among diverse varieties by HPLC. The production of C-GFs depends on the activity of the key enzyme C-glycosyltransferase (CGT) that belongs to the family 1 glycosyltransferase. Furthermore, the identification, characterization, and heterologous expression analysis of a gene coding for a C-glycosyltransferase, a key enzyme involved in C-glycosyl flavones synthesis, was done. Also, the expression analysis of this gene in different parts of the pearl millet plant was done in the present work. The results showed that a higher C-GF content was associated with a darker color and off odor of the flour. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the biosynthetic pathway of C-GFs in pearl millet and provides potential interventions to improve the crop's nutritional content, ensuring its role in sustainable and resilient food systems.

The combination of low water requirements and exotic fruit production makes vine cacti a promising crop for developing agricultural economies in semi-arid regions. This research aimed to develop autopolyploid plants through the application of two antimitotic agents (colchicine and oryzalin) to both germinating seeds and axillary vegetative buds. The diploid Hylocereus Cultivar 04.25, S.91, 70.11.04, 98.338 and GA.127 were studied. Preliminary work using a water solution with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as concentrations as low or lower than 0.1%(w/v) with the triton and Colchicine were treated in auxillary vegetative buds. Survival rate were recorded and calculated after 30 days of the treatment and exposure periods. Flow Cytometery Analysis was performed in that analysis average value of S.91 is 6.30381, 04.25 - 5.24041, 04.25 - 5.67403 the chimera effect of 3n is produced yet still more samples to be analyzed. This study documents the successful creation of artificial autopolyploids in vine cactus species, generating important new resources for future advanced breeding efforts.

The use of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria can lead to significant increases in crop productivity and reduce the use of synthetic inputs and production costs and is considered a sustainable practice. This study aimed to biochemically characterize bacteria with the potential to promote plant growth. For each biochemical characteristic (nitrogen assimilation; the solubilization of phosphate, zinc oxide, and potassium; and the production of hydrogen cyanide, indole acetic acid, and biofilms), an experiment was conducted using twenty-nine treatments, namely M01 (Bacillus sp.), M02 (Priestia megaterium), M03 (Pseudomonas sp1.), M04 (Pseudomonas sp2.), M05 (Enterobacter hormaechei), M06 (Bacillus toyonensis), M07 (Serratia nematodiphila), M08 to M28 (a combination of microorganisms), and M29 (the control, without microorganisms). All of the microorganisms, except for M01, assimilated nitrogen. Phosphorus was solubilized by all of the microorganisms, both when isolated and in mixtures. The microorganisms in treatments M01, M06, M08, M11, M12, M17, and M26 solubilized zinc. Potassium was solubilized by the microorganisms in treatments M02, M03, M04, M06, M08, M09, M10, M12, M14, M15, M17, M19, M21, and M24. Microorganisms M01, M05, and M07, both when isolated and combined, produced biofilms. Except for the microorganisms in treatments M01, M06, M12, and M13, all of the others produced HCN. All of the microorganisms produced indole acetic acid. Overall, the data suggest that combining certain bacterial strains can enhance their biochemical functions. The selection of specific bacterial combinations can be strategically tailored to improve plant-growth-promoting activities.

Flower opening is a vital process for reproductive success and fruit set, while a detailed understanding of mechanisms controlling this phenomenon still not clear. Although an internal circadian clock is held to regulate flower opening rhythms in several species, these mechanisms are likely influenced by environmental factors, including those exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, we hypothesize that the mechanism controlling flower opening is regulated by endogenous hormonal levels change. To test this hypothesis, we studied the heterodichogamous species Ziziphus jujuba under different light-dark regimes, analysing endogenous hormone levels alongside exogenous hormone treatments and inhibitors during the flower opening period. Furthermore, transcriptome analyses were conducted to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our findings reveal significant increases in ABA and IAA levels at or following the time of flower opening. Exogenous auxin application accelerated flower opening, while auxin inhibitors reduced the number of opened flowers. The research provide that hormonal interactions play a critical role in flower opening regulation, as evidenced by transcriptome analysis correlating hormone pathways with gene expression. These findings from the study will extend the current knowledge of how the regulation of the time of flower opening in heterodichogamy plants and highlights the importance of understanding plant reproductive adaptations in climate change.

Sesquiterpene lactones play various roles in plants, including allelopathy, antimicrobial activity, and protection against stressors. Higher concentrations of lactones are found in milky latex compared to leaves. Lactones contribute to the bitter taste of lettuce, balance human nutrition, and offer pharmaceutical benefits. This study aimed to examine the effect of biofertilisers on the sesquiterpene lactones content and overall taste of lettuce. Six Rijk Zwaan lettuce cultivars ('Kiribati', 'Murai', 'Aquino', 'Gaugin', 'Aleppo', and 'Carmesi') were grown in fertile soil using two biofertilisers (EM Aktiv and Vital Tricho), and a combination of the two during three successive growing seasons (autumn, winter, and spring). Preliminary UPLC-MS analysis of latex collected in autumn from all cultivars showed the presence of lactucin, deoxylactucin derivate, lactucopicrin, and lactucopicrin oxalate, with the lactucopicrin derivate being the prevailing form of sesquiterpene lactones. Concerning edible parts, the red cultivar 'Carmesi' exhibited the highest level of lactucopicrin (0.37 mg/g DW), with lactucopicrin being the predominant lactone in the autumn trial. Applying EM Aktiv and Vital Tricho alone resulted in significantly higher dihydrolactucopicrin content, while the combination of the two fertilisers led to significantly enhanced levels of all lactones. The results of the sensory analysis showed an overall taste score of 2.83-3.08 using a five-way hedonic scale. Cultivar and biofertiliser did not affect the overall taste, while a more pleasant taste was reported in winter/spring trials. Correlation coefficients revealed a negative impact of higher levels of lactucopicrin on overall taste (r=-0.16^*), suggesting a less bitter taste was associated with a lower concentration of this compound. Three-way ANOVA showed that the cultivar, fertiliser, and season jointly affected all of the tested parameters, indicating the need to consider multiple factors. Our findings are significant for applied and sustainable agriculture, showing that biofertilisers can affect lactones content and, at the same time, contribute to consumer acceptance of different cultivars regarding taste.

Seed germination and early development of the seedling are essential processes in plant growth. These processes are strictly regulated at the molecular level. Various abiotic stress factors such as salinity, overheating, and drought affect seed development during this highly vulnerable period of the plant's life. Subtilases are the most numerous group of proteases in the extracellular fluid of plants, and these proteases play a specific role in many aspects of the plant's growth and development. An increase in the activity of subtilases in barley grains (Galotta et al., 2019), as well as in wheat, rice, sorghum, and maize seeds (Galotta and Roberts, 2019) during germination has been shown. Among all subtilases, phytaspases are classified as a separate group of plant defense subtilases that participate in the development of stress in plants, including abiotic and biotic stresses (Chichkova et al., 2010). Recently, we have found the influence of abiotic stress factors on phytaspase activity in green parts of plants. Here, we show the relationship between the level of phytaspase activity in Nicotiana benthamiana seedlings and the course of germination and seedling development under some abiotic stresses, like salt stress, drought, and overheating. The study was funded by Shenzhen Municipal Government and Shenzhen MSU-BIT University.

Chichkova, N. V. et al. (2010) ‘Phytaspase, a relocalisable cell death promoting plant protease with caspase specificity’, EMBO Journal, pp. 1149–1161.

Galotta, M.F. et al. (2019) ‘Subtilase activity and gene expression during germination and seedling growth in barley’, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 139.

Galotta, M.F. and Roberts, I.N. (2019) ‘A method for in vivo determination of subtilase activity in germinating seeds’, Journal of Cereal Science, 85.

An alternative for more sustainable agriculture is the cultivation of soybeans in agricultural systems that include multifunctional microorganisms, as well as the diversification of crops in these agricultural systems. The objective of this work was to determine the production and carry out an economic analysis of soybeans affected by the inoculation of beneficial microorganisms, the application of phosphorus, and the previous crop. The field experiment was conducted for two agricultural crops at Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, in randomized blocks, in a 2x2x4 factorial scheme with four replications. The treatments were composed of a combination of four uses of multifunctional microorganisms (Burkholderia sp. (BRM 32111), Serratia sp. (BRM 63523), Bacillus sp. (BRM 63524), and the control (without microorganisms), with two levels of phosphorus, 50 % (45 kg ha^-1 of P₂O₅) and 100% (90 kg ha^-1 of P₂O₅) of the recommended dose, and two agricultural systems (soy/rice/common beans or soy/corn/common beans) cultivated in the summer (Nov–Jan). Corn or rice were cultivated in the off-season (Jan–May), and common beans were cultivated in the winter (Jun–Sep). The use of rhizobacteria BRM 32111 and BRM 63523 resulted in the highest soybean crop yields. This management not only maximized crop productivity but also provided the highest economic returns compared to other treatments. In addition, the cultivation of rice in the off-season, combined with the use of phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria, shows significant potential as a sustainable agricultural practice. This integrated system can help reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and improve the nutritional efficiency of crops, promoting agroecological sustainability.

Biostimulants contribute to the physiological growth of plants by enhancing the quality characteristics of fruit without harming the environment. In addition, biostimulants applied to plants strengthen nutritional efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and fruit biochemical traits. This research aimed to elucidate the effects on the growth, physiology, and quality of Chardonnay grapevine plants and fruits under the conventional cultivation and biostimulant (nano-products) formulation. Plants were subjected to different treatments during the whole cultivation period of the grapes (April to October) in Northern Greece (Drama-Adriani, Lazaridis Domain) under natural environmental conditions. Measurements such as mass, color, texture, and consistency (fruits) were performed on the fruits that had ripened on the grapevine, while chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were performed on the foliage at harvest. Chlorophyll fluorescence indices measured by IRGA and Imaging PAM revealed the highest photosynthetic efficiency of plants treated with biostimulants. Beneficial effects were also observed under the application of biostimulants in the maintenance of flesh consistency, ascorbic acid concentration, and phenols. In conclusion, the application of innovative nano-products serving as biostimulants is a sustainable tool to improve productivity, which aligns well with the strategy of the European Green Deal.