Aims: Food security and safety are current issues around the world. Rice is a staple food for a large portion of the world’s population, and in Malaysia around 2.2 million tonnes of rice were consumed annually. Fertilizer input is the key to increase rice production. Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) has developed multifunctional biofertilizer products in an effort to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers for crop production. Methodology and results: Multifunctional biofertilizer products contain indigenous microorganisms that have desired characteristics, which include plant growth promoting, phosphate solubilising, potassium solubilising and enhancing N2- fixing activity were used in this study. These products were formulated as liquid inoculants, which is suitable for rice production. A greenhouse trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of multifunctional biofertilizer on rice. Multifunctional biofertilizer products were applied singly and in combination with rock phosphate, feldspar and irradiated oligochitosan from a project by Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA), Japan. Plants that were given chemical fertilizers and plants not receiving fertilizer or biofertilizer products were used as controls. Fresh and dry weights of rice seedlings were determined. Application of multifunctional biofertilizer combined with irradiated oligochitosan (T3) resulted in significantly higher fresh weights (97.12 g) and dry weights (84.16 g) as compared to non-treated plants (77.39 g fresh weights and 69.56 g dry weights). The results suggested that application of multifunctional biofertilizer in combination with irradiated oligochitosan could increase rice growth. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Combination of biofertilizer with oligochitosan increased rice growth in greenhouse trial. Further investigation of this interaction phenomenon should be carried out.
Crop Production ; Oryza

Cultivated ginseng in the farmland would become the mainly planting mode of Panax ginseng. However,there are relatively few cultivation ginseng varieties for farmland in China. Correlative analysis of qualitity and agronomic traits of P. ginseng cultivation in the farmland could provide a reference for the selection of excellent germplasm and new variety breeding of P. ginseng. In this study,the main index of saponin and agronomic traits of 4-6 years' samples were analyzed by UPLC and measured. The results show that there was significant difference in agronomic indexes of Damaya. The coefficient of variation of the root length( CV = 41. 97%) and fresh weight( CV = 31. 81%) were maximum,and the coefficient of variation of the stems thickness( 16. 72%) and root thickness were minimum. There was a significant correlation between yield and root thickness( P<0. 05). There was significant difference in drug yield of different harvest years( P<0. 05),and the yield of 6-years was 31. 52%-39. 69% higher than 4-years. However,there wasn't significant difference in total ginsenosides between 4 and 6 years old P. ginseng,but there was significant difference in ginseng Rg2,Rc and Rb2( P<0. 05),and the ginsenoside contents of different harvesting years were accorded with the criterion standards of 2015 Chinese Pharmacopoeia. There was no significant correlation between the saponin and the agronomic trait,while there was positive correlation with root thickness( P < 0. 05). Therefore,the stem diameter was positive correlation with yield of P. ginseng. Selection of the stem thickness of seedlings is beneficial to the increase of the yield and breeding of P. ginseng.
China ; Crop Production ; Ginsenosides/analysis* ; Panax/chemistry* ; Plant Breeding ; Plant Roots/growth & development* ; Plant Stems/growth & development*

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that forms an important regulation mechanism of gene expression in organisms across kingdoms. Aberrant patterns of DNA methylation can lead to plant developmental abnormalities. In this article, we briefly discuss DNA methylation in plants and summarize its functions and biological roles in regulating gene expression and maintaining genomic stability, plant development, as well as plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. We intended to provide a concise reference for further understanding of the mechanism of DNA methylation and potential applications of epigenetic manipulation for crop improvement.
Crop Production ; trends ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genomic Instability ; Plants ; genetics ; Research ; trends ; Stress, Physiological

Contamination with sanitary microorganisms from Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Micrococcaceae and Bacillaceae families in flower bee pollen from Bulgaria after one-year vacuum-packed cold storage has been found. Dried flower bee pollens intended for human consumption were with high incidence rate of contamination with Pantoea sp. (P. agglomerans and P. agglomerans bgp6) (100%), Citrobacter freundii (47%), Proteus mirabilis (31.6%), Serratia odorifera (15.8%) and Proteus vulgaris (5.3%). Bee pollens were also positive for the culture of microorganisms from Staphylococcaceae, Micrococcaceae and Bacillaceae families: Staphylococcus hominis subsp hominis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Arthrobacter globiformis, Bacillus pumilis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. It was concluded that, if consumed directly, the vacuum-packed cold stored dried bee pollen, harvested according hygienic requirements from bee hives in industrial pollution-free areas without intensive crop production, is not problem for healthy human.
Arthrobacter ; Bacillaceae ; Bacillus ; Bacillus subtilis ; Bees* ; Bulgaria ; Citrobacter freundii ; Crop Production ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Flowers* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Micrococcaceae ; Pantoea ; Pollen* ; Proteus mirabilis ; Proteus vulgaris ; Pseudomonadaceae ; Serratia ; Staphylococcaceae ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Staphylococcus hominis ; Urticaria ; Vacuum*

Aims: This study aimed to screen the plant growth-promoting fluorescent bacteria (FLB) which isolated from the healthy rice rhizophere and to evaluate its biocontrol and growth promotion properties against Pyricularia oryzae on aerobic rice seedling of MARDI Aerob 1. Methodology and results: King’s B agar with glycerol was used as the selective medium to isolate FLB from the healthy rice rhizosphere soil. All FLB obtained were in vitro screened for antagonistic activities against P. oryzae using dual culture, volatile substances and hydrogen cyanide productions. The potential FLB isolates were further evaluated on rice seedling early growth promotion before identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 24 FLB were isolated from the healthy rice rhizosphere soil in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia. Isolates: FLB4, FLB5, FLB7 and FLB10 scored the total of percentage inhibition radial growth (PIRG) values ranged 99.5-105.0%. Further seedling growth promotion screening revealed that FLB4, FLB7 and FLB10 were significantly improved seedling growth with vigor index of 378.32%, 461.53% and 335.60% over control (133.31%). 16S rRNA sequencing identified that FLB7 as Bacillus subtilis and the FLB4 and FLB10 as Pseudomonas putida. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The selected FLB isolates (FLB4, FLB7 and FLB10) are potential to be developed as biological control agents against P. oryzae with growth promoting property on aerobic rice seedling.
Plant Breeding--methods

Trollius chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicinal material in China, the wild resource of T. chinensis are now exhausted, and commercial medicinal T. chinensis mainly depends on artificial cultivation. As one of the most severely happened diseases at the seedling period, damping off has been a serious threaten to the breeding of T. chinensis seedlings. However, no related research have been reported so far. So, the authors collected damping-off samples of T. chinensis in 2018 from seedling breeding nursery in Guyuan, Hebei province, and carried out study on taxonomic identification of the pathogen. Damping off occurs in the T. chinensis production area from mid-May to late June every year. At the beginning, brown lesions were observed on the basal stem, then the lesions circumferential expanded and constricted, and finally resulted in the fall and death of T. chinensis seedlings. Pathogenic isolate was growing rapidly on the PDA medium, well developed aerial mycelia were grey white at first, then turned brown gradually, and a great number of small dark brown sclerotia were developed in the middle and periphery of the colony. Mycelial diameter of the pathogen was about 7 to 10 μm, near right angle or acute angle branches, near branches with septa, branches and septa with constriction. After the healthy T. chinensis seedlings were inoculated by pathogenic isolate, damping-off was observed soon, and the symptom was as same as those observed in the field. Through homogenous blast, the rDNA-ITS sequence of the pathogenic isolate shown 99.49% to 99.84% homology with Rhizoctonia solani, R. solani AG-1 IC mycelium anastomosis group and Thanatephorus cucumeris, the sexual type of Rhizoctonia. Furthermore, obvious mycelial anastomosis phenomena were observed when the pathogenic isolate and R. solani AG-1 IC strain were confronting cultured. Based on the results above, the pathogenic isolate causing damping off of T. chinensis was identified as R. solani AG-1 IC mycelial anastomosis group. RESULTS:: in the present work have important significance for further research on basic biology of the pathogen and integrated control of damping off causing by it on T. chinensis.
Basidiomycota ; Plant Breeding ; Plant Diseases ; Rhizoctonia ; Seedlings

Creating new germplasms and breeding new cultivars in peanut by radiation mutagenesis and tissue culture were conducted in this study, aiming to develop new breeding method of peanut. Mature seeds from Luhua 11, the most commonly grown peanut cultivar in Northern China, were treated by fast neutron irradiation. Then the embryo leaflets were separated from the irradiated seeds and inoculated on the media, and the regenerated seedlings were obtained through somatic embryogenesis pathway. The regenerated seedlings were grafted, acclimated and then transplanted into field and the selfed pods were harvested from 83 regenerated plants. The progenies were selected by the pedigree method, and 107 mutants were obtained from the progenies of the 83 regenerated plants. Different mutants showed obvious variation in many agronomic traits, including main stem height, branch number, pod shape and size, seed coat color, inner seed coat color, oil content and protein content etc. Yuhua 7, a new peanut variety with low oil content, early maturity and waterlogging tolerance was obtained. The yield of Yuhua 7 was over 14% higher than that of the mutagenic parent Luhua 11, and the oil content of kernels was 47.0%, lower than that of parent Luhua 11 with 52.1% oil content. Yuhua 7 had passed peanut variety regional multi-location trials in Liaoning Province in 2016 and its average yield was 13.8% higher than that of the control variety Baisha 1017. It had also passed national peanut variety registration, and the registration ID is "GPD peanut (2018) 370105". The results show that irradiation mutagenesis combined with tissue culture is an effective method for creating new germplasm and breeding new varieties of peanut.
Arachis ; Breeding ; China ; Fast Neutrons ; Plant Breeding ; Seeds

To breed new varieties of medicinal plants with high resistance is the premise to ensure the production of high-quality medicinal materials. Molecular breeding using modern molecular biology and genetic technology can save time and effort and realize rapid and accurate breeding. Here we are trying to summarize the difference of breeding characteristics between medicinal plants and crops such as genetic background and breeding purpose. The strategy of molecular breeding of medicinal plants was summarized, and the four-phases breeding based on high-throughput sequencing and target gene mining was emphasized. We put forward the current molecular breeding of medicinal plants in the condition of four phases breeding is the optimal technological way of breeding, and gene editing breeding is the direction of medicinal plants breeding.
Breeding ; DNA Shuffling ; Gene Editing ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics

Aconitum is a kind of important medicinal plant, which has been used in China for more than 2 000 years, with both a good medicinal and ornamental value. However, due to the lack of effective breeding methods and low seed and root propagation coefficients, the comprehensive development and utilization of Aconitum were greatly restricted. Tissue culture is an important basis for seed selection, germplasm conservation and genetic engineering. Therefore, this paper summarized the research on tissue culture of Aconitum, put forward the main problems and corresponding countermeasures, and provided important references for accelerating the seedling breeding of Aconitum and conducting the basic research of molecular biology.
Aconitum ; China ; Plant Breeding ; Plants, Medicinal ; Seedlings

The study is aimed to investigate the reproductive biology characteristics of Polygonatum cyrtonema, especially including phenology, flower bud differentiation, flowering timing, floral traits, pollen vigor and stigma receptivity. The results showed that P. cyrtonema forms inflorescence before the leaves spread. In the wild, P. cyrtonema is mainly pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, with a seed setting rate of 65.12%. The seed setting rate of indoor single plant isolation or self-pollination enclosed by parchment paper bag is 0, indicating that it is self-incompatible. In Lin'an city, seedlings begin to emerge from mid-March to early April(the temperature is higher than 7.5 ℃), buds begin to emerge from the end of March to mid-April, and then undergo the full bloom stage from mid-to-late April, and the final flowering stage from the end of April to mid-May. The whole flowering period lasts 36 to 45 days. There are obvious differences in the phenology of different provenances. The flowers come into bloom from the base to the top along the aboveground main axis, which usually contain 4-22 inflorescences with(2-) 4-10(-21) flowers per inflorescence. The flowering pe-riod for a single plant is 26-38 days. The single flower lasts about 20-25 days from budding to opening and withers 2 days after pollination, and then the ovary will gradually expand. If unpollinated, it will continue to bloom for 3-5 days and then wither. Flower development period is significantly related to pollen vigor and stigma remittance. The pollen viability is the highest when the flower is fully opened with anthers gathering on the stigma, and the receptivity is the strongest when the stigma protrudes out of the perianth and secretes mucus. The fruits and seeds ripen in October, and proper shading can ensure the smooth development and maturity of the seeds. This study provides a basis for the hybrid breeding and seed production of P. cyrtonema.
Flowers ; Plant Breeding ; Pollination ; Polygonatum ; Reproduction