Artificial humic acid promotes growth of maize seedling under alkali conditions

Responsive mechanism of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni to complex saline-alkali stress revealed by photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidant regulation

KEY MESSAGE

Saline-alkali stress induces oxidative damage and photosynthesis inhibition in H. citrina, with a significant downregulation of the expression of photosynthesis- and antioxidant-related genes at high concentration. Soil salinization is a severe abiotic stress that impacts the growth and development of plants. In this study, Hemerocallis citrina Baroni was used to investigate its responsive mechanism to complex saline-alkali stress (NaCl:Na2SO4:NaHCO3:Na2CO3 = 1:9:9:1) for the first time. The growth phenotype, photoprotective mechanism, and antioxidant system of H. citrina were studied combining physiological and transcriptomic techniques. KEGG enrichment and GO analyses revealed significant enrichments of genes related to photosynthesis, chlorophyll degradation and antioxidant enzyme activities, respectively. Moreover, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) found that saline-alkali stress remarkably affected the photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidant system. A total of 29 key genes related to photosynthesis and 29 key genes related to antioxidant enzymes were discovered. High-concentration (250 mmol L-1) stress notably inhibited the expression levels of genes related to light-harvesting complex proteins, photosystem reaction center activity, electron transfer, chlorophyll synthesis, and Calvin cycle in H. citrina leaves. However, most of them were insignificantly changed under low-concentration (100 mmol L-1) stress. In addition, H. citrina leaves under saline-alkali stress exhibited yellow-brown necrotic spots, increased cell membrane permeability and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as osmolytes. Under 100 mmol L-1 stress, ROS was eliminate by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Nevertheless, 250 mmol L-1 stress down-regulated the expression levels of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, and key enzymes in ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle as well as thioredoxin-peroxiredoxin (Trx-Prx) pathway, thus inhibiting the activities of these enzymes. In conclusion, 250 mmol L-1 saline-alkali stress caused severe damage to H. citrina mainly by inhibiting photosynthesis and ROS scavenging capacity.

Bowl effect of irreversible primary salinization driven by geology in Hetao irrigation area, China

Agricultural irrigation areas around the world employ similar planting methods, but there are notable disparities in salinization mechanism and management strategies. Many scholars have focused on human activities as the main cause of secondary soil salinization, while neglecting the underlying issue of primary soil salinization caused by geological factors. This study takes the Hetao irrigation area in China as a case study, delving into the geological forces responsible for primary salinization. Using historical survey data on geological structure, lake evolution, and sedimentation to analyze the stratigraphic distribution and groundwater storage characteristic. Additionally, using groundwater hydrochemistry data from historical literatures to analyze the concentration, distribution patterns, and source issues of salt ions. The research results show that a novel concept called the "bowl effect" can explain the unique cause of primary salinization in Hetao irrigation area. The bowl effect effectively transforms Hetao irrigation area into an enclosed space, which significantly limits the movement of groundwater and hinders the dilution of highly saline or alkaline water. The bowl effect has broad applicability and can serve as a useful framework for studying primary salinization challenges in agricultural irrigation areas worldwide. This research provides a scientifically reference for selecting salinization control methods, and will benefit local stakeholders, government agencies, and water resource managers.

Kitchen compost-derived humic acid application promotes ryegrass growth and enhances the accumulation of Cd: An analysis of the soil microenvironment and rhizosphere functional microbes

Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly and safe approach for remediating environments contaminated with heavy metals. Humic acid (HA) has high biological activity and can effectively complex with heavy metals. However, whether HA affects available Cd storage and the Cd accumulation ability of plants by altering the soil microenvironment and the distribution of special functional microorganisms remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of applying kitchen compost-derived HA on the growth and Cd enrichment capacity of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Additionally, the key role of HA in regulating the structure of rhizosphere soil bacterial communities was identified. HA promoted the growth of perennial ryegrass and biomass accumulation and enhanced the Cd enrichment capacity of ryegrass. The positive effect of HA on the soil microenvironment and rhizosphere bacterial community was the main factor promoting the growth of ryegrass, and this was confirmed by the significant positive correlation between the ryegrass growth index and the content of SOM, AP, AK, and AN, as well as the abundance of rhizosphere growth-promoting bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Steroidobacter, Phenylobacterium, and Caulobacter. HA passivated Cd and inhibited the translocation capacity of ryegrass. The auxiliary effect of resistant bacteria on plants drove the absorption of Cd by ryegrass. In addition, HA enhanced the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil by ryegrass under different Cd levels, which indicated that kitchen compost-derived HA could be widely used for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil. Generally, our findings will aid the development of improved approaches for the use of kitchen compost-derived HA for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Photosynthesis promotion mechanisms of artificial humic acid depend on plant types: A hydroponic study on C3 and C4 plants

It is feasible to improve plant photosynthesis to address the global climate goals of carbon neutrality. The application of artificial humic acid (AHA) is a promising approach to promote plant photosynthesis, however, the associated mechanisms for C3 and C4 plants are still unclear. In this study, the real-time chlorophyll synthesis and microscopic physiological changes in plant leave cells with the application of AHA were first revealed using the real-time chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and Non-invasive Micro-test Technique. The transcriptomics suggested that the AHA application up-regulated the genes in photosynthesis, especially related to chlorophyll synthesis and light energy capture, in maize and the genes in photosynthetic vitality and carbohydrate metabolic process in lettuce. Structural equation model suggested that the photodegradable substances and growth hormones in AHA directly contributes to photosynthesis of C4 plants (0.37). AHA indirectly promotes the photosynthesis in the C4 plants by upregulating functional genes (e.g., Mg-CHLI and Chlorophyllase) involved in light capture and transformation (0.96). In contrast, AHA mainly indirectly promotes C3 plants photosynthesis by increasing chlorophyll synthesis, and the Rubisco activity and the ZmRbcS expression in the dark reaction of lettuce (0.55). In addition, Mg2+ transfer and flux in C3 plant leaves was significantly improved by AHA, indirectly contributes to plant photosynthesis (0.24). Finally, the AHA increased the net photosynthetic rate of maize by 46.50 % and that of lettuce by 88.00 %. Application of the nutrients- and hormone-rich AHA improves plant growth and photosynthesis even better than traditional Hoagland solution. The revelation of the different photosynthetic promotion mechanisms on C3 and C4 plant in this work guides the synthesis and efficient application of AHA in green agriculture and will propose the development of AHA technology to against climate change resulting from CO2 emissions in near future.