Publications by authors named "Mohamed A Sheikh"

Crop plants are severely affected by heavy metals (HMs), leading to food scarcity and economical loss. Lead (Pb) is outsourced by use of lead-based fertilizers, batteries, mining, smelting and metal processing. It significantly reduces growth, development and yield of crops cultivated on contaminated sites.

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The increasing health and environmental risks associated with synthetic chemical pesticides necessitate the exploration of safer, sustainable alternatives for plant protection. This study investigates a novel biosynthesized antimicrobial peptide (AMP) from strain IT, identified as the amino acid chain PRKGSVAKDVLPDPVYNSKLVTRLINHLMIDGKRG, for its efficacy in controlling bacterial wilt (BW) disease in tomato () caused by . Our research demonstrates that foliar application of this AMP at a concentration of 200 ppm significantly reduces disease incidence by 49.

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Stress tolerance in cereal crops like Sorghum is important to address food security and land development for saline agriculture. Salinity is considered one of the most devastating abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and yield, specifically in water-scared areas of the world. Biogas residue is a good source of plant nutrients with enriched fertilizer for crop yield and productivity.

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The vanadium (V) toxicity predominantly is the primary limitation in restraining pepper growth. The silicon (Si) in pepper plants induced the transcript level of the polyamines metabolism pathway genes, including the arginase (CbARG), ornithine decarboxylase (CbODC), arginine decarboxylase (CbADC), N-carbamoylputrescine amidase (CbNCA), Spermidine synthase (CbSPDS), copper binding diamine oxidase (CbCuAO) to overcome the V toxicity. The polyamines, including the Spm, Spd, and Put, induced with Si about 41.

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Article Synopsis
  • Plant communities consist of species with varying functional traits and evolutionary backgrounds, leading to the expectation that functional diversity increases with phylogenetic diversity.* -
  • Contrary to this expectation, a study of over 1.7 million vegetation plots showed that functional and phylogenetic diversity are weakly and negatively correlated, suggesting they operate independently.* -
  • Phylogenetic diversity is more pronounced in forests and reflects recent climate, while functional diversity is influenced by both past and recent climate, highlighting the need to assess both types of diversity for ecosystem studies and conservation strategies.*
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The harmful influence caused by cadmium (Cd) to agriculture is severe and enduring. Efforts to reduce the damage by Cd to crop is an important topic. In this study, we investigated the effect of MgO NPs on tobacco seedlings' growth under Cd stress and explored its mechanism.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Both spinach varieties experienced similar negative effects from Cd exposure, which included reduced growth and physiological functions, while biochemical markers like malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels increased.
  • * Foliar treatments enhanced growth and gas exchange metrics and mitigated the negative biochemical effects of Cd; Desi Palak responded best to MgO-NPs, whereas Lahori Palak thrived under the combined SNP and MgO-NP treatment, suggesting potential remedies for heavy metal stress
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Salt stress is becoming a major issue for the world's environment and agriculture economy. Different iron [Fe] sources can give an environmentally friendly alternative for salt-affected soil remediation. In this study the effects of Iron sulfate on Luffa cylindrica (Sponge gourd) cultivated in normal and saline water irrigated soil were examined.

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Amidst depleting water resources, rising crop water needs, changing climates, and soil fertility decline from inorganic modifications of soil, the need for sustainable agricultural solutions has been more pressing. The experimental work aimed to inspect the potential of organically activated biochar in improving soil physicochemical and nutrient status as well as improving biochemical and physiological processes, and optimizing yield-related attributes under optimal and deficit irrigation conditions. Biochar enhances soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability, while improving plant nutrient uptake and drought resilience.

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  • Chitosan (CTS) and salicylic acid (SA) are studied for their potential to improve Aconitum napellus plant resilience against chromium (Cr)-induced stress, which has not been extensively researched before.
  • The experiment showed that applying CTS and SA separately or together significantly enhanced growth, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic capabilities of the plants exposed to Cr stress.
  • The combined treatment of CTS and SA led to the most substantial improvements in plant morphology, physiological parameters, and a decrease in harmful enzymatic antioxidants, highlighting their effectiveness in combating Cr-induced stress.
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  • Farmers combat fungal wilt in pigeon pea with chemical fungicides, which can be harmful, leading to a need for safer alternatives like green pesticides.
  • This study aimed to find indigenous bacterial strains effective against the pathogen, using techniques like PCR and MALDI-TOF to identify active components.
  • NBAIR BSWG1 was highlighted as an efficient strain, exhibiting significant antifungal activity (79.84% inhibition) and producing beneficial compounds such as surfactin, fengycin, and iturin.
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Cadmium (Cd) is readily absorbed by tobacco and accumulates in the human body through smoke inhalation, posing threat to human health. While there have been many studies on the negative impact of cadmium in tobacco on human health, the specific adaptive mechanism of tobacco roots to cadmium stress is not well understood. In order to comprehensively investigate the effects of Cd stress on the root system of tobacco, the combination of transcriptomic, biochemical, and physiological methods was utilized.

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Silicon (Si) can significantly improve the salt tolerance of plants, but its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, role of abscisic acid (ABA) in Si derived salt resistance in tobacco seedling was investigated. Under salt stress, the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of tobacco seedlings were reduced by 86.

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Drought is an inevitable environmental stress that drastically hampers the growth, productivity, and quality of food crops. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside and spermidine have decisive functions in the growth enhancement of plants; nevertheless, their specific role in mediating stress responses to improve drought tolerance in sunflowers at the reproductive stage (terminal drought) remains largely unknown. In the present study, we explored the positive effects of sodium nitroprusside and spermidine on physiological responses to increase in sunflower yield during periods of terminal drought.

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Pink bollworm (PBW) Pectinophora gossypiella is an important pest cotton worldwide. There are multiple factors which determines the occurrence and distribution of P. gossypiella across different cotton growing regions of the world, and one such key factor is 'temperature'.

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Numerous studies shown that silicon (Si) enhanced plants' resistance to cadmium (Cd). Most studies primarily focused on investigating the impact of Si on Cd accumulation. However, there is a lack of how Si enhanced Cd resistance through regulation of water balance.

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Cadmium (Cd), which accumulates in tobacco leaves, enters the human body through inhalation of smoke, causing harmful effects on health. Therefore, identifying the pivotal factors that govern the absorption and resistance of Cd in tobacco is crucial for mitigating the harmful impact of Cd. In the present study, four different Cd-sensitive varieties, namely, ZhongChuan208 (ZC) with resistance, ZhongYan100 (ZY), K326 with moderate resistance, and YunYan87 (YY) with sensitivity, were cultivated in hydroponic with different Cd concentrations (20 µM, 40 µM, 60 µM and 80 µM).

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Among the range of severe plant diseases, bacterial soft rot caused by is a significant threat to crops. This study aimed to examine the varying response patterns of distinct potato cultivars to the influence of . Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the potential role of salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in stimulating the antioxidant defence system.

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Bulb rot, a highly damaging disease of tulip plants, has hindered their profitable cultivation worldwide. This rot occurs in both field and storage conditions posing significant challenges. While this disease has been attributed to a range of pathogens, previous investigations have solely examined it within the framework of a single-pathogen disease model.

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The designing of acceptors materials for the organic solar cells is a hot topic. The normal experimental methods are tedious and expensive for large screening. Machine learning guided exploration is more suitable solution.

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Melatonin (MT) is an extensively studied biomolecule with dual functions, serving as an antioxidant and a signaling molecule. Trichoderma Harzianum (TH) is widely recognized for its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent against many plant pathogens. However, the interplay between seed priming and MT (150 μm) in response to NaCl (100 mM) and its interaction with TH have rarely been investigated.

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The adversities of cadmium (Cd) contamination are quite distinguished among other heavy metals (HMs), and so is the efficacy of zinc (Zn) nutrition in mitigating Cd toxicity. Rice (Oryza sativa) crop, known for its ability to absorb HMs, inadvertently facilitates the bioaccumulation of Cd, posing a significant risk to both the plant itself and to humans consuming its edible parts, and damaging the environment as well. The use of nanoparticles, such as nano-zinc oxide (nZnO), to improve the nutritional quality of crops and combat the harmful effects of HMs, have gained substantial attention among scientists and farmers.

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Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems can affect greenhouse gases (GHGs) production by altering microbial and soil structure. Presently, research on the MPs effect on plants is not consistent, and underlying molecular mechanisms associated with GHGs are yet unknown. For the first time, we conducted a microcosm study to explore the impact of MPs addition (Raw vs.

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The emergence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics (MPs) as pollutants in agricultural soils is increasingly alarming, presenting significant toxic threats to soil ecosystems. Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.), a plant of significant medicinal and culinary value, is increasingly subjected to environmental stressors that threaten its growth and productivity.

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