For establishment and growth of newly planted seedlings it is essential to overcome environmental stress at the planting site. Adding the amino acid arginine at planting is a novel treatment aiming at increased establishment success, so far tested in a limited number of applied studies. We examined the effects of adding arginine-phosphate (arGrow (R)), mechanical site preparation (MSP), and planting time on survival and growth of Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings in two field experiments in boreal southeastern Norway. After three growing seasons, survival for spring planted seedlings of both species was significantly better following MSP, while addition of arginine-phosphate did not have any effect. Autumn planted pine seedlings with MSP and arginine had higher survival and also larger diameter than spring planted ones with MSP but without arginine. Spruce and pine seedlings with MSP were taller and had larger diameter than those without MSP. For spring planted seedlings of both species, dry weight of roots and shoots was positively affected by MSP, but not by arginine. To conclude, arginine-phosphate had neutral to modestly positive effects on survival and growth, while MSP had clear positive effects. The effect of planting time varied with species.

Salinity stress disrupts water uptake and nutrient absorption, causing reduced photosynthesis, stunted growth, and decreased crop yields in plants. The use of indole acetic acid (IAA), arginine (AN), and mango fruit waste biochar (MFWB) can be effective methods to overcome this problem. Indole acetic acid (IAA) is a natural auxin hormone that aids cell elongation and division, thereby increasing plant height and branching. L-arginine, an amino acid, is crucial for plant defense mechanisms, forming proline, polyamines, and nitric oxide, which regulate biological activities and prevent oxidative damage. Mango fruit waste biochar enhances soil fertility and water retention, thereby enhancing fruit development and yield. This study investigates the effects of combining IAA and AN as amendments to fenugreek, with and without MFWB. Four treatments (control, 2mM IAA, 250 mg/L AN, and 250 mg/L AN + 2mM IAA) study were conducted in four replications using a completely randomized design. Results demonstrate that the 250 mg/L AN + 2mM IAA with MFWB treatment led to a significant rise in fenugreek plant length (30.26%), plant fresh weight (36.37%), and plant dry weight (15.78%) over the control under salinity stress. There was a notable increase in chlorophyll a (5.13%), chlorophyll b (14.06%), total chlorophyll (7.79%), and shoot N, P, K from the control under salinity stress also showing the potential of 250 mg/L AN + 2mM IAA with MFWB. In conclusion, applying 250 mg/L AN + 2mM IAA with MFWB is a strategy for alleviating salinity stress in fenugreeks.

In the study, JL-BC, an environmentally friendly shale inhibitor with a temperature tolerance of 220 degrees C was synthesized by grafting modified nano biochar (BC) onto polyarginyl lysine (JL) for the first time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric (TGA) tests indicated that JL-BC had been successfully synthesized and had good thermal stability. The inhibition performance of JL-BC was experimentally evaluated by linear swelling test, hot-rolling recovery test and sodium bentonite (Na-BT) block immersion test, and the inhibition mechanism of JL-BC was studied by various experimental characterization methods. The experimental results showed that compared with potassium chloride (KCl), polyether amine (PEA), bionic inhibitor dopamine (DA), 2, 3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (EPTAC), and poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDMDAAC), Na-BT had the lowest linear swelling height of 4.49 mm in 4 % JL-BC solution at 150 degrees C. The recovery rates of shale cuttings were highest in 4 % JL-BC solution at 200 degrees C and 220 degrees C, which were 96 % and 92 %, respectively. The Na-BT block was immersed in 4 % JL-BC solution for 16 h basically retained its original morphology. The excellent inhibition performance of JL-BC was mainly attributed to the positive charge of JL-BC in aqueous solution at pH 9, which was strongly adsorbed on Na-BT, lowering the zeta potential of Na-BT, destabilizing Na-BT and causing it to aggregate. With the increase of JL-BC concentration, NaBT gradually aggregated into larger flocs, increasing the particle size of Na-BT. Nano BC reduced water intrusion to a certain extent by physically blocking micropores. In addition, the EC50 value of JL-BC was 2.93 x 105 mg/L, indicating that it was non-toxic. The addition of JL-BC to the soil effectively increased the content of organic matter, ammonium nitrogen and available potassium, and promoted the growth of wheat seedlings. This work may open a new avenue for the development and use of environmentally friendly treatment agents.