Category Archives: b_original_articles

Andi Irmadamayanti¹, Syafruddin^1*, Nurasiah Djaenuddin¹, Ramlah Arief¹, Amran Muis¹, Nurnina Nonci¹, Erwin Najamuddin¹, Herawati¹, Fatmawati¹, Suwarti¹, Herniwati¹, Paesal¹, Yustisia¹, Marcia B. Pabendon¹, Lesty Ayu Bidhari¹

¹Research Centre for Food Crops, Research Organization for Agricultural and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency (NRIA), Cibinong Science Center, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM. 46, Cibinong, Bogor, West Java 16911 Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: syaf012@brin.go.id

Received: 24 October 2025 / Revised: 04 March 2026 / Accepted: 14 March 2026 / Published Online: 04 April 2026

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for maize plants; its deficiency reduces growth and yield. The use of zinc-solubilizing rhizobacteria (ZSR) to address Zn deficiency is an eco-friendly alternative. This study aims to select ZSR potential as biofertilizers to enhance corn growth. Rhizobacterial isolates were obtained from maize rhizospheres in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and screened for their ability to solubilize Zn in media supplemented with Zn₃(PO₄)₂, ZnO, and ZnCO₃. Capable isolates of solubilizing Zn in all types of media selected for maize growth testing. It was identified that among 46 Zn-solubilizing isolates, six isolates were active in all three media: Bn.1.7 (Klebsiella sp.), Bn.1.11 (Serratia sp. strain EB340), Btg.1.5 (Citrobacter freundii strain KSSN 2.2), Btg-1.6 (Serratia marcescens strain NPK2), Btg.2.3 (Bacillus sp.), and Jpt.3.7 (Lysinibacillus sp.). Isolates Btg.2.3 (Bacillus sp.) and Jpt.3.7 (Lysinibacillus sp.) demonstrated the greatest dissolution capacity and markedly increased Zn solubility in liquid media across all insoluble Zn forms and incubation periods. These isolates were applied in a pot experiment, and they significantly improved growth parameters, including plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight, compared to the control and other isolates. These findings suggest that Btg.2.3 and Jpt.3.7 have potential as biofertilizers for crop production. Furthermore, Zn₃(PO₄)₂-based media outperformed other media for screening rhizobacteria capable of solubilizing various forms of Zn in the soil.

Keywords: Biofertilizer, Environment friendly, Rhizobacteria, Corn, Zinc

Muhammad Nauman*

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Plant Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, 25130, Pakistan

*Corresponding author’s email: nauman_279@yahoo.com

Received: 17 January 2026 / Revised: 14 March 2026 / Accepted: 26 March 2026 / Published Online: 04 April 2026

Abstract

Brassica juncea is one of the major oilseed crops in the subcontinent and worldwide, with its performance affected by environmental conditions; therefore, understanding the genotype × environment interaction (GEI) is essential for identifying high-yielding and stable genotypes. Forty-five B. juncea genotypes were evaluated across four diverse locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over two years to assess stability and high yield. For this purpose, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis was applied to seed yield and oil content, following a significant GEI. Significant (P≤0.01) GEI was observed for the studied traits, indicating substantial differences among genotypes across tested environments. Overall, higher seed yield was recorded for genotypes AUP-619 and AUP-641, and elevated oil content was found for AUP-1800, as compared to the check cultivars. The AMMI-1 biplot analysis identified relatively stable and high-yielding genotypes for seed yield and oil content. The biplot also revealed that the Kohat and Bannu environments showed limited discriminatory ability for both traits among genotypes, likely due to uniform environmental stress and restricted genetic variation for both traits. Additionally, the AMMI-2 biplot assessment detected two possible mega-environments for seed yield and oil content, along with their associated genotypes, highlighting the significance of environment-specific allocation of genotypes. Moreover, the genotype selection index identified comparatively stable and high-yielding genotypes, such as AUP-618 for seed yield and AUP-625 for oil content. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of AMMI-based approaches in identifying relatively stable and specifically adapted B. juncea genotypes for diverse agro-climatic conditions.

Keywords: Genotype × Environment interaction (GEI), Stability analysis, AMMI analysis, AMMI stability value (ASV), Genotype selection index (GSI)

Alberto Arias-Arredondo^1*, Melina Lopez-Rodriguez^1,2, Juancarlos Cruz-Luis³, Edilson Requena-Rojas¹, Dennis Ccopi¹, Samuel Pizarro¹, Richard Solórzano-Acosta^3,4

¹Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Servicios Estratégicos Agrarios, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria, Carretera Saños Grande-Hualahoyo km 8 Santa Ana, Huancayo, Junín, Perú

²Escuela de Formación Profesional de Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Av. Los Próceres 703, Cerro de Pasco, Pasco, Perú

³Centro Experimental La Molina, Dirección de Servicios Estratégicos Agrarios, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria, Av. La Molina 1981, Lima, Perú

⁴Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Científica del Sur, Av. Nicolás Ayllón 7208, Lima, Perú

*Corresponding author’s email: albertogilmer@gmail.com

Received: 23 October 2025 / Revised: 21 February 2026 / Accepted: 12 March 2026 / Published Online: 20 March 2026

Abstract

This study evaluated nutrient extraction and uptake in native forage grasses (Festuca dolichophylla and Calamagrostis chrysantha) and improved species (Lolium perenne and Dactylis glomerata) at 4,100 m a.s.l. in the Peruvian Andes using a completely randomized design. Results revealed significant interspecific variability in nutrient accumulation. Dactylis glomerata showed superior macronutrient accumulation, particularly Mg, while Lolium perenne achieved highest K extraction (0.07 t ha⁻¹) and biomass production. Native species demonstrated lower nutritional demands: Festuca dolichophylla reached maximum dry matter production (6 t ha⁻¹), while Calamagrostis chrysantha showed elevated Ca and P concentrations. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations among Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn (r = 0.7-1.0), indicating coordinated uptake mechanisms. Nickel exhibited negative correlations with P (r = -0.6) and K (r = -0.5). Improved species require intensive fertilization, while native species offer sustainable alternatives for low-input high-altitude systems.

Keywords: Forage grasses, Nutrient uptake, Mountain grasslands, Soil fertilization

Natalia Naumova^1,3*, Kumushbek Mambetov², Sovetbek Mamytkanov², Musakun Akhmatbekov², Olga Baturina³, Gulnur Dzhainakova¹, Olga Rusalimova¹, Aybek Sydykov², Pavel Barsukov¹, Marsel Kabilov³*

¹Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentieva 8/2, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

²Kyrgyz National Agrarian University named after K.I. Skryabin, Mederova Str., 68, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

³Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentieva 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

*Corresponding author’s email: nnaumova@mail.ru; kabilov@niboch.nsc.ru

Received: 15 November 2025 / Revised: 11 February 2026 / Accepted: 08 March 2026 / Published Online: 18 March 2026

Abstract

Crop rotation, one of the most fundamental agronomic practices, has been widely used to avoid drastically compromising soil quality. From the longest in Central Asia multicrop rotation experiment we collected Calcisol samples with the aim to assess bacteriobiome structure and diversity using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding; in this pilot study we used the plots cropped for winter wheat under different fertilization treatments (no fertilizers, NPK and NPK+manure) and collected soil samples three months after wheat harvest to allow the effects of soil disturbance and post-harvest phytomass residues input in soil to subside. In this first survey all major dominant phyla, namely Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Actinomycetota, Bacillota and Bacteioidota), together accounted for 85%, each having the same abundance under different fertilization. Overall, the long-term fertilization under multicrop rotation was not found to have a notable effect on soil bacteriobiome as only minor or rare taxa had changes in their abundance that were very small in size and hence hardly ecologically and agronomically significant. Soil bacteriobiome α-biodiversity indices were not affected by fertilization as well: the repetitive management practices might have increased the homogeneity of ecological niches for bacteria, thus equalizing biodiversity. Such bacterial genera as Sphingomonas, Stenotrophobacter and Pseudarthrobacter, as the most responsive to changes in soil environment under different treatments and being the drivers of β-biodiversity, warrant further research attention as related to the arable Calcisols functioning.

Keywords: 16S rRNA genes, Illumina Miseq, Metabarcoding, Crop rotation, Calcisol

Geng Wei^1,2, Mulan Zou^1,2, Shuyue Wang³, Bo Liu^1,2*

¹School of Surveying and Geoinformation Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

²Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecological Process and Information (Platform No. 2023SSY01051), East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

³Nanjing Real Estate Registration, Nanjing, 210001, China

*Corresponding author’s email: liubo@ecut.edu.cn

Received: 05 November 2025 / Revised: 01 March 2026 / Accepted: 09 March 2026 / Published Online: 14 March 2026

Abstract

Generating Near-Infrared (NIR) imagery from RGB spectrum offers a low-cost alternative to dedicated multispectral sensors. To investigate whether NIR imagery can be generated from standard visible-light RGB camera, visible-light RGB and multispectral NIR images over a rice field were captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Color space features (including HSV and CIELAB) and texture features (TF) were incorporated, and optimal model inputs were identified through feature screening method. Subsequently, four distinct models were developed for NIR image generation. Results showed that performance of generating NIR images improves substantially when HSV, CIELAB, and TF were included, and further gains were obtained after input feature selection. Pix2Pix achieved the best performance on the test dataset, with the highest determination coefficient (R²) of 0.78 and the lowest normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE) of 6.41%, and the generated NIR images reached the highest Structural Similarity (SSIM) of 0.85 and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 28.48 dB. Moreover, feature importance analysis highlighted V, a, b, red-band contrast, green-band mean and variance as key predictors for NIR image generation. This study demonstrates a practical, low-cost approach to produce NIR imagery from standard visible-light RGB cameras, potentially reducing reliance on dedicated multispectral sensors.

Keywords: NIR generation, UAV, RGB spectra, Color space model, Texture feature

Anis Fahri^1,3, Mariani Br. Sembiring², Setia Sari Girsang^3*, Etty Pratiwi³, Erny Yuniarti⁴, Ana Feronika Cindra Irawati⁵, T. Sabrina^2*

¹Doctoral Program in Agricultural Sciences, University of North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia

²Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia

³Research Center for Food Crops, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

⁴Research Center for Horticulture, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

⁵Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: t.sabrina@usu.ac.id; seti011@brin.go.id

Received: 03 October 2025 / Revised: 16 February 2026 / Accepted: 28 February 2026 / Published Online: 12 March 2026

Abstract

Rice, the staple for nearly half the world’s population, faces production limits in tidal swamp soils due to zinc (Zn) deficiency. This study isolated Zn-solubilizing bacteria from Riau Province tidal rice fields, Indonesia, to enhance soil Zn availability and rice seedling vigour. Twelve isolates showed Zn solubilization, with PS5 achieving 109.68 mg/L efficiency and a vigour index of 1.76475; they also displayed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) traits like nitrogen fixation, phosphate/potassium solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production, and organic acid secretion. 16S rDNA analysis identified top strains as Acinetobacter sp. BHS4 and Bacillus safensis P5.4, positioning them as bioinoculants to combat Zn deficiency and lower chemical fertilizer needs in tidal rice systems.

Keywords: Biofertilizer, Rice vigour, PGPR, Tidal soils, Zinc solubilization

Tingchang Liu¹, Shiming Han^1*, Yuexia Wang^1,2, Yumei Fang¹, Lina Guo¹, Yuxin Wang¹, Jihong Dong²

¹School of Biological Science and Technology, Liupanshui Normal University，Guizhou, Liupanshui, China

²School of Public Administration, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China

*Corresponding author’s email: hanshiliang888@163.com

Received: 20 November 2025 / Revised: 09 February 2026 / Accepted: 17 February 2026 / Published Online: 09 March 2026

Abstract

China has rich genetic resources of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis), the flowering time of kiwifruit is crucial for the yield, quality, and economic benefits, and the mechanisms underlying the earlier flowering time of kiwifruit need to explore. It is unclear for the mechanism of flowering time of kiwifruit to now. A new kiwifruit variety Minihong 1 (M) was approved in 2025, with a flowering time is about ten days earlier than the other two varieties Hanhong (H) and Guichang (G). We selected the folded, unfolded, mature leaves, alabastrum and full-flowering stages of the above three varieties for RNA-seq, and conducted Venn diagram analysis of the high-expression genes (FPKM value > 100) in the alabastrum of these three varieties, and found that 381 genes specifically highly expressed in the early-flowering variety M. Further analysis, it includes 42 genes related to photosynthesis, and most of these genes particularly high expressing in M from the vegetative growth period to the early reproductive growth stage (alabastrum stage). We speculate that the high expression of photosynthetic genes in M leads to increase accumulation of photosynthetic products, which promotes its flowering earlier. This study proposes possible factors that determine the flowering period of kiwifruit, laying a theoretical foundation for the regulation of kiwifruit flowering in the future.

Keywords: Kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis, Photosynthesis, Flowering time

Taha A. Kumosani^1,2,3, Elie Barbour^2,3, Soonham S. Yaghmoor^2,3, Said S. Moselhy^4*  

¹Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

²Experimental Biochemistry Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

³Production of Bio-products for Industrial Application Research Group, King Abdulaziz University. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

⁴Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

*Corresponding author’s email: moselhy6@hotmail.com

Received: 02 January 2026 / Revised: 10 February 2026 / Accepted: 19 February 2026 / Published Online: 08 March 2026

Abstract

Exposure to heavy metals such as nickel can affect many vital organs such as liver, kidney, and nervous system. The current study investigated the neurotoxicity of nickel sulfate in rats and the potential of histidine and its dipeptide derivative (carnosine) in abrogation of this toxicity. The present study was carried out on a total of 48 male Albino rats (100 ±10g). Rats were randomly equally grouped into six (8 rats each). Group I: Control. Group II: Rats received histidine chloride (10 mg/Kg b.w/day) orally for 30 days. Group III: Rats received carnosine (10 mg/Kg b.w/day) orally for 30 days. Group IV: Rats were injected i.p with (20 mg/kg b.w) daily of nickel sulfate for 30 days. Group V: Rats were injected i.p with 20 mg/kg daily of nickel sulfate and histidine chloride orally (10 mg/Kg b.w) for 30 days. Group VI: Rats were injected i.p with (20 mg/kg b.w) of nickel sulfate and carnosine orally (10 mg/Kg b.w) for 30 days. Data showed that nickel administration caused a significant decrease in hemoglobin and GSH levels, elevation of serum MDA, NO, IL-6, TNF-α levels, reduction in the activities of SOD and catalase. In addition, in brain tissue, a significant decrease in the levels of epinephrin, serotonin and ATP levels and acetylcholine esterase activity while increased in glycogen phosphorylase activity. The histidine or carnosine improved and recovered abnormalities induced by nickel significantly compared with untreated. The carnosine showed more effectiveness than histidine. In conclusion, the histidine or its derivative carnosine use is promising in preventing neurotoxicity induced by environmental pollution by nickel via anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and keep energy level of brain tissue.

Keywords: Carnosine, Histidine, Neurotoxicity, Nickel sulfate, Oxidative stress, Rats