Does higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels will harm bone mineral density?: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Vitamin D plays a critical role in the prevention and management of osteoporosis. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the most effective vitamin D supplementation strategies for maintaining optimal bone mineral density (BMD) levels in adults. This study sought to establish the correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and total BMD in a substantial population sample.

Variability in cadmium stress tolerance among four maize genotypes: Impacts on plant physiology, root morphology, and chloroplast microstructure.

Cadmium (Cd) is detrimental to both plants and humans. Maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes exhibit variations in Cd accumulations.

Exploring root system architecture and anatomical variability in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings.

Background: The growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is significantly hampered by drought and nutrient deficiencies. The identification of root architectural and anatomical characteristics holds paramount importance for the development of alfalfa genotypes with enhanced adaptation to adverse environmental conditions.

Contrasting patterns of community-weighted mean traits and functional diversity in driving grassland productivity changes under N and P addition.

Fertilization could influence ecosystem structure and functioning through species turnover (ST) and intraspecific trait variation (ITV), especially in nutrient limited ecosystems. To quantify the relative importance of ITV and ST in driving community functional structure and productivity changes under nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) addition in semiarid grasslands. In this regard, we conducted a four-year fertilizer addition experiment in a semiarid grassland on the Loess Plateau, China.

Periodical Progress in Ecophysiology and Ecology of Grassland.

As one of the most important ecosystems on the planet, grasslands serve a variety of purposes in ecology, economy, culture and entertainment [...

Species differences in stoichiometric homeostasis affect grassland community stability under N and P addition.

Unbalanced N and P input has substantially altered the relative importance of N and P limitation in grassland ecosystems, which resulted in profound impacts on species nutrient cycling, community structure, and ecosystem stability. However, the underlying species-specific nutrient use strategy and stoichiometric homeostasis in driving community structure and stability changes remain unclear. A split-plot N and P addition experiment (main-plot: 0, 25, 50, and 100 kgN hm a; subplot: 0, 20, 40, and 80 kgPO hm a) was conducted during 2017-2019 in two typical grasslands (perennial grass and perennial forb) communities in the Loess Plateau.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Alleviate Low Phosphorus Stress in Maize Genotypes with Contrasting Root Systems.

Soil available phosphorus (P) is one of the main factors limiting plant growth and yield. This study aimed to determine the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in P-use efficiency in two maize genotypes with contrasting root systems in response to low P stress. Maize genotypes small-rooted Shengrui 999 and large-rooted Zhongke 11 were grown in rhizoboxes that were inoculated with or without AMF () under low P (no added P) or optimal P (200 mg kg) for 53 days.

Leaf Photosynthetic and Functional Traits of Grassland Dominant Species in Response to Nutrient Addition on the Chinese Loess Plateau.

Leaf photosynthetic and functional traits of dominant species are important for understanding grassland community dynamics under imbalanced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs. Here, the effects of N (N0, N50, and N100, corresponding to 0, 50, and 100 kg ha yr, respectively) or/and P additions (P0, P40, and P80, corresponding to 0, 40, and 80 kg ha yr) on photosynthetic characteristics and leaf economic traits of three dominant species (two grasses: and ; a leguminous subshrub: ) were investigated in a semiarid grassland community on the Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that, after a three-year N addition, all three species had higher specific leaf area (SLA), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value), maximum net photosynthetic rate (), and leaf instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE), while also having a lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC).

Genotypic variation in the tolerance to moderate cadmium toxicity among 20 maize genotypes with contrasting root systems.

Background: Cadmium (Cd) contamination in farmland is a serious environmental and safety issue affecting plant growth, crop productivity, and human health. This study aimed to investigate genotypic variation in root morphology and Cd accumulations under moderate Cd stress among diverse maize genotypes. Twenty maize genotypes with contrasting root systems were assessed for Cd tolerance 39 days after transplanting (V6, six-leaf stage) under 20 μmol L CdCl using a semi-hydroponic phenotyping platform in a glasshouse.

Using Trait-Based Methods to Study the Response of Grassland to Fertilization in the Grassland in Semiarid Areas in the Loess Plateau of China.

Grassland is the dominant vegetation type in the Loess Plateau, and grassland productivity and processes are limited by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Studies have shown that productivity would change following fertilization in the grassland. The response of productivity to fertilization mainly depends on the dominant species traits.

Nitrogen supply improved plant growth and Cd translocation in maize at the silking and physiological maturity under moderate Cd stress.

Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination is a serious problem on agricultural land. Adequate nitrogen (N) may help ameliorate plant fitness under Cd stress. This study examined the role of N application in improving maize tolerance to Cd stress.

Characterization of Root System Architecture Traits in Diverse Soybean Genotypes Using a Semi-Hydroponic System.

Phenotypic variation and correlations among root traits form the basis for selecting and breeding soybean varieties with efficient access to water and nutrients and better adaptation to abiotic stresses. Therefore, it is important to develop a simple and consistent system to study root traits in soybean. In this study, we adopted the semi-hydroponic system to investigate the variability in root morphological traits of 171 soybean genotypes popularized in the Yangtze and Huaihe River regions, eastern China.

Soil Water Availability Changes in Amount and Timing Favor the Growth and Competitiveness of Grass Than a Co-dominant Legume in Their Mixtures.

The grasslands on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China are expected to be particularly responsive to the size and frequency changes of extreme precipitation events because their ecological processes are largely driven by distinct soil moisture pulses. However, the plant growth and competitiveness of co-dominant species in response to the changes in the amount and timing of soil water are still unclear. Thus, two co-dominant species, and , were grown in seven mixture ratios under three watering regimes [80 ± 5% pot soil capacity (FC) (high watering), 60 ± 5% FC (moderate watering), and 40 ± 5% FC (low watering)] in a pot experiment.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses alleviating salt stress in maize is associated with a decline in root-to-leaf gradient of Na/K ratio.

Background: Inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has the potential to alleviate salt stress in host plants through the mitigation of ionic imbalance. However, inoculation effects vary, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Two maize genotypes (JD52, salt-tolerant with large root system, and FSY1, salt-sensitive with small root system) inoculated with or without AM fungus Funneliformis mosseae were grown in pots containing soil amended with 0 or 100 mM NaCl (incrementally added 32 days after sowing, DAS) in a greenhouse.

Effects of plant diversity on semiarid grassland stability depends on functional group composition and dynamics under N and P addition.

Exogenous fertilization could efficiently improve grassland productivity and promote grassland restoration. Increasing fertilization may profoundly affect community stability, whereas the underlying compensatory dynamics among functional groups in regulating grassland stability remain unclear. Three different grasslands, annuals forb (AF) community, perennial grass (PG) community and perennial forb (PF) community, on semiarid Loess Plateau were selected.

[Response of Soil Respiration and Its Components to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition in Farming-Withdrawn Grassland in the Semiarid Loess Hilly-Gully Region].

Understanding the soil respiration characteristics in response to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in farming-withdrawn grasslands within semi-arid loess hilly-gully regions is of great importance for providing a theoretical basis for evaluating the effects of artificial regulation approaches on carbon cycling. We report on a field experiment that was undertaken from May to September 2018 in a farming-withdrawn grassland ecosystem in China, which is dominated by and . Three different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus additions were used, including three main plots of N[0, 50, and 100 kg·(hm·a)] and three subplots of P (PO)[0,40, and 80 kg·(hm·a)].

[Responses of leaf functional traits of dominant plant species in grassland communities to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in loess hilly-gully region.].

To analyze plant functional traits of dominant species to nitrogen and phosphorus addition, three species (Bothriochloa ischaemum, Stipa bungeana, and Lespedeza davurica) were selected in the loess hilly-gully region. A split-plot experiment which included three N treatments (0, 50, and 100 kg N·hm·a) and three P treatments (0, 40, and 80 kg PO·hm·a) was conducted. At the fast-growing stage, leaf length, leaf width, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf N content, leaf P content, and leaf N:P were measured.

Soil Moisture Availability at Early Growth Stages Strongly Affected Root Growth of When Mixed With .

Rainfall is the main resource of soil moisture in the semiarid areas, and the altered rainfall pattern would greatly affect plant growth and development. Root morphological traits are critical for plant adaptation to changeable soil moisture. This study aimed to clarify how root morphological traits of (a C herbaceous species) and (a C leguminous species) in response to variable soil moisture in their mixtures.

Overexpression of alfalfa Orange gene in tobacco enhances carotenoid accumulation and tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses.

The multifunctional Orange (Or) protein plays crucial roles in carotenoid homeostasis, photosynthesis stabilization, and antioxidant activity in plants under various abiotic stress conditions. The Or gene has been cloned in several crops but not in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Accumulation of N and P in the Legume in Controlled Mixtures with the Grass under Varying Water and Fertilization Conditions.

Water and fertilizers affect the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition and allocation among organs in dominant species in natural vegetation on the semiarid Loess Plateau. This study aimed to clarify the N and P accumulation and N:P ratio at organ and plant level of a local legume species mixed with a grass species under varying water and fertilizer supplies, and thus to fully understand the requirements and balance of nutrient elements in response to growth conditions change of native species. The N and P concentration in the organ (leaf, stem, and root) and plant level of (C legume), were examined when intercropped with (C grass).

Small rainfall pulses affected leaf photosynthesis rather than biomass production of dominant species in semiarid grassland community on Loess Plateau of China.

In the semiarid region Loess Plateau of China, rainfall events, typically characterised as pulses, affect photosynthesis and plant community characteristics. The response of dominant species and grassland community to rainfall pulses was evaluated through a simulation experiment with five pulse sizes (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30mm) in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China in June and August of 2013. The study was conducted in a natural grassland community dominated by Bothrichloa ischaemum (L.

Moderate Drought Stress Affected Root Growth and Grain Yield in Old, Modern and Newly Released Cultivars of Winter Wheat.

To determine root growth and grain yield of winter wheat ( L) under moderate drought stress, a nursery experiment and a field trial were conducted with or without water stress using three representative cultivars released in different years: CW134 (old landrace), CH58 (modern cultivar) and CH1 (new release). In the nursery experiment, plants were grown in soil-filled rhizoboxes under moderate drought (MD, 55% of field capacity) or well-watered (WW, 85% of field capacity) conditions. In the field trial, plots were either rainfed (moderate drought stress) or irrigated with 30 mm of water at each of stem elongation, booting and anthesis stages (irrigated).

Overexpressing Arabidopsis ABF3 increases tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses and reduces leaf size in alfalfa.

Arabidopsis ABSCISIC ACID-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR 3 (ABF3), a bZIP transcription factor, plays an important role in regulating multiple stress responses in plants. Overexpressing AtABF3 increases tolerance to various stresses in several plant species. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.

Down-regulation of GIGANTEA-like genes increases plant growth and salt stress tolerance in poplar.

The flowering time regulator GIGANTEA (GI) connects networks involved in developmental stage transitions and environmental stress responses in Arabidopsis. However, little is known about the role of GI in growth, development and responses to environmental challenges in the perennial plant poplar. Here, we identified and functionally characterized three GI-like genes (PagGIa, PagGIb and PagGIc) from poplar (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa).

Eco-Physiological Responses of Dominant Species to Watering in a Natural Grassland Community on the Semi-Arid Loess Plateau of China.

Altered precipitation regimes significantly affect ecosystem structure and function in arid and semi-arid regions. In order to investigate effects of precipitation changes on natural grassland community in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, the current research examined eco-physiological characteristics of two co-dominant species (i.e.