Optimizing oilseed rape growth: Exploring the effect of foliar biostimulants on the interplay among metabolism, phenology, and yield.

The current agricultural system is in search of new strategies to achieve a more sustainable production while keeping or even increasing crop yield and quality. In this scenario, the application of biostimulants constitutes a potent solution. In the current study, the impact of a blue-green microalgal extract (MB) and a pig tissue hydrolysate (PTH) on rapeseed plants' development was characterized.

Differential Effect of Free-Air CO Enrichment (FACE) in Different Organs and Growth Stages of Two Cultivars of Durum Wheat.

Wheat is a target crop within the food security context. The responses of wheat plants under elevated concentrations of CO ([CO]) have been previously studied; however, few of these studies have evaluated several organs at different phenological stages simultaneously under free-air CO enrichment (FACE) conditions. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of [CO] in two cultivars of wheat (Triumph and Norin), analyzed at three phenological stages (elongation, anthesis, and maturation) and in different organs at each stage, under FACE conditions.

Traffic restrictions during COVID-19 lockdown improve air quality and reduce metal biodeposition in tree leaves.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a great global impact on human health, the life of people, and economies all over the world. However, in general, COVID-19´s effect on air quality has been positive due to the restrictions on social and economic activity. This study aimed to assess the impact on air quality and metal deposition of actions taken to reduce mobility in 2020 in two different urban locations.

Differential Flag Leaf and Ear Photosynthetic Performance Under Elevated (CO) Conditions During Grain Filling Period in Durum Wheat.

Elevated concentrations of CO (CO) in plants with C photosynthesis metabolism, such as wheat, stimulate photosynthetic rates. However, photosynthesis tends to decrease as a function of exposure to high (CO) due to down-regulation of the photosynthetic machinery, and this phenomenon is defined as photosynthetic acclimation. Considerable efforts are currently done to determine the effect of photosynthetic tissues, such us spike, in grain filling.

Assessing the evolution of wheat grain traits during the last 166 years using archived samples.

The current study focuses on yield and nutritional quality changes of wheat grain over the last 166 years. It is based on wheat grain quality analyses carried out on samples collected between 1850 and 2016. Samples were obtained from the Broadbalk Continuous Wheat Experiment (UK) and from herbaria from 16 different countries around the world.

Photosynthetic Metabolism under Stressful Growth Conditions as a Bases for Crop Breeding and Yield Improvement.

Increased periods of water shortage and higher temperatures, together with a reduction in nutrient availability, have been proposed as major factors that negatively impact plant development. Photosynthetic CO assimilation is the basis of crop production for animal and human food, and for this reason, it has been selected as a primary target for crop phenotyping/breeding studies. Within this context, knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the response and acclimation of photosynthetic CO assimilation to multiple changing environmental conditions (including nutrients, water availability, and rising temperature) is a matter of great concern for the understanding of plant behavior under stress conditions, and for the development of new strategies and tools for enhancing plant growth in the future.

Effect of Water Stress during Grain Filling on Yield, Quality and Physiological Traits of Illpa and Rainbow Quinoa ( Willd.) Cultivars.

The total area under quinoa ( Willd.) cultivation and the consumption of its grain have increased in recent years because of its nutritional properties and ability to grow under adverse conditions, such as drought. Climate change scenarios predict extended periods of drought and this has emphasized the need for new crops that are tolerant to these conditions.