Researchers have tried hard to study the toxic effects of single pollutants like certain antibiotics and nanoplastic particles on plants. But we still know little about how these pollutants interact when they're together in the environment, and what combined toxic effects they have on plants. This study assessed the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), both individually and in combination, on soybean (Glycine max L.) seedlings by various concentration gradients treatments of PS-NPs (0, 10, 100 mg/L) and CIP (0, 10 mg/L). The results indicated that high concentrations of PS-NPs significantly impeded soybean seedling growth, as evidenced by reductions in root length, plant height, and leaf area. CIP predominantly affected the physiological functions of leaves, resulting in a decrease in chlorophyll content. The combined exposure demonstrated synergistic effects, further intensifying the adverse impacts on the growth and physiological functions of soybean seedlings. Metabolomic analyses indicated that single and combined exposures markedly altered the metabolite expression profiles in soybean leaves, particularly related to amino acid and antioxidant defense metabolic pathways. These results indicate the comprehensive effects of NPs with antibiotics on plants and provide novel insights into toxic mechanisms.

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is an antibiotic used in both human and veterinary medicine. Because it is only partially metabolized, it has been found in sewage sludge, manure, and agricultural soils. Therefore, due to the high persistence and low mobility of CIP in soil, we aimed to evaluate its long-term effect on Enchytraeus crypticus. Three multigenerational and one transgenerational test were performed according to OECD 220 guidelines (2016) on sandy clay soil. The concentrations tested were 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, 100.0, 1000.0 and 5000.0 mg kg- 1 dry soil. For F1, statistical analysis showed differences between the control and all concentrations tested, but no differences among the concentrations. For F2, there was a difference between control and 10 mg Kg -1 and for 10.0 mg Kg -1 compared to 0.1, 1.0 and 5000.0 mg Kg -1. For F3, no statistical difference was observed between any of the concentrations. When comparing the generations among themselves, there were significant differences between F1 and F2 and F1 and F3 for all concentrations. For the transgenerational test, there was no statistical difference between the control and the concentrations tested, nor among the concentrations. We verified a negative effect of CIP on the reproduction of E. crypticus for the first generation, which could be related to oxidative stress, DNA damage and clay content. We also verified that the organisms could develop a tolerance to CIP and that the effects of high clay content could outweigh the effects of CIP in long-term exposure. Due to the high persistence and low mobility of CIP on soil, it may affect other organisms and promote antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) regardless of E. crypticus tolerance. Therefore, we strongly recommend further studies focusing on long-term effects on different organisms, with a molecular approach, and in different soil types.

Early water stress detection is important for water use yield and sustainability. Traditional methods using the Internet of Things (IoT), such as soil moisture sensors, usually do not provide timely alerts, causing inefficient water use and, in some cases, crop damage. This research presents an innovative early water stress detection method in lettuce plants using Thermal Infrared (TIR) and RGB images in a controlled lab setting. The proposed method integrates advanced image processing techniques, including background elimination via Hue-Saturation- Value (HSV) thresholds, wavelet denoising for thermal image enhancement, RGB-TIR fusion using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) clustering to segment stress regions. The leaves stressed areas annotated in the RGB image through yellow pseudo-coloring. This approach is predicated on the fact that when stomata close, transpiration decreases, which causes an increase in the temperature of the affected area. Experimental results reveal that this new approach can detect water stress up to 84 h earlier than conventional soil humidity sensors. Also, a comparative analysis was conducted where key components of the proposed hybrid framework were omitted. The results show inconsistent and inaccurate stress detection when excluding wavelet denoising and PCA fusion. A comparative analysis of image processing performed on a single- board computer (SBC) and through cloud computing over 5 G showed that SBC was 8.27% faster than cloud computing over a 5 G connection. The proposed method offers a more timely and accurate identification of water stress and promises significant benefits in improving crop yield and reducing water usage in indoor farming.

Miscanthus is a promising perennial lignocellulosic crop for biomass production. To avoid competing with arable land used for food crops to promote carbon neutrality, cultivating Miscanthus on marginal land, especially in saline soils in China, is a recommended strategy. However, the adaptability of Miscanthus species in saline soil remains largely unknown. In this study, a total of 354 genotypes, including Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus floridulus, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus lutarioriparius and interspecific species hybrids derived from M. sinensis and M. lutarioriparius, were evaluated under different planting times (May and August), salinity levels (low and moderate) and pest damage assessment by Helicoverpa armigera in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), in China. The significant effects of planting time on the adaptability of Miscanthus were observed. Planting in May in the YRD, Miscanthus had a lower establishment survival rate (28.76%) and overwintering rate (72.31%), but a dry weight higher than that of planting in August. In contrast, planting in August in the YRD had a very high establishment survival rate (91.14%) and overwintering rate (80.65%), which indicated August was the optimal month for planting Miscanthus in the YRD, while May could be suitable for screening salinity tolerance in Miscanthus. In addition, using the overall adaptability score calculated by establishment survival, overwintering ability, key agronomic traits and pest damage assessments to evaluate all genotypes in this study indicated that the adaptability of M. lutarioriparius was superior to other species. However, M. lutarioriparius is more sensitive to pest damage than others. Furthermore, interspecific hybrids in Miscanthus exhibited outstanding biomass production and adaptability in this region, indicating that creating hybrids would be the best breeding strategy for marginal lands. These results provide an important theoretical basis for the development of Miscanthus in saline soil in the YRD, China.

Ground subsidence is a common urban geological hazard in several regions worldwide. The settlement of loess fill foundations exhibits more complex subsidence issues under the coupled effects of geomechanical and seepage-driven processes. This study selected 21 ascending Sentinel-1 A radar images from April 2023 to October 2024 to monitor the loess fill foundation in Shaanxi, China. To minimize errors caused by the orbital phase and residual flat-earth phase, this research combined PS-InSAR technology with the three-threshold method to improve the SBAS-InSAR processing workflow, thereby exploring time-series deformation of the loess fill foundation. Compared with conventional SBAS-InSAR technology, the improved SBAS-InSAR technique provided more consistent deformation time-series results with leveling data, effectively capturing the deformation characteristics of the fill foundation. Additionally, geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis techniques and statistical methods were employed to analyze the overall characteristics and spatiotemporal evolution of the ground surface deformation in the study area. On the other hand, the major drivers of the subsidence in the study area were also discussed based on indoor experiments and engineering geological data. The results showed gradual and temporal shifts of the subsidence center toward areas with the maximum fill depths. In addition, two directions of uneven subsidence were observed within the fill foundation study area. The differences in the fill depth and soil properties caused by the building foundation construction were the main factors contributing to the uneven settlement of the foundations. Foundation deformation was also positively and negatively affected by surface water infiltration. This study integrates remote sensing and engineering geological data to provide a scientific basis for accurately monitoring and predicting loess fill foundation settlement. It also offers practical guidance for regional infrastructure development and geological hazard prevention.

Arsenic contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity and food security, especially in Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea). This study evaluates the potential of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) to mitigate arsenic stress in C. arietinum (Noor 2022). The experiment was conducted at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a factorial arrangement and three replications. A pot experiment was conducted using seven treatments comprising various concentrations of SiNPs applied alone or combined with arsenic [T0 (control, no SiNPs), T1 (3.5% SiNPs), T2 (7% SiNPs), T3 (10.5% SiNPs), T4 (3.5% SiNPs + 30 ppm Ar), T5 (7% SiNPs + 30 ppm Ar), and T6 (10.5% SiNPs + 30 ppm Ar)]. SiNPs were applied as foliar sprays in three splits from the second to fourth weeks after sowing. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters were assessed, including chlorophyll content, total soluble proteins, proline, and antioxidant enzyme activities. The results demonstrated that SiNPs significantly enhanced stress tolerance in chickpea plants. At 10.5% SiNPs, chlorophyll content increased by 35%, carotenoids by 42%, and proline by 68% compared to arsenic-stressed plants without SiNPs, indicating improved photosynthetic efficiency and osmotic adjustment. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), increased by 50%, 47%, and 53%, respectively, mitigating oxidative damage. Soluble sugars and phenolic content also rose by 28% and 32%, respectively, under 10.5% SiNPs. However, when combined with arsenic, some antagonistic effects were observed, with a slight decrease in chlorophyll and antioxidant activity compared to SiNPs alone. These findings suggest that SiNPs are a promising tool for improving crop resilience in arsenic-contaminated soils, offering insights into sustainable agricultural practices. Further research is warranted to explore long-term impacts and optimize application strategies.

Heliotropium L. genus belongs to the Boraginaceae family and is represented by approximately 250 species found in the temperate warm regions of the world, and there are 15 species of these species recorded in Turkiye. Heliotropium hirsutissimum Grauer grows in Bulgaria, Greece, N. Africa, Syria, and Turkiye. There is no record showing that H. hirsutissimum is a heat-tolerant plant. However, in our field studies, it was observed that H. hirsutissimum, which is also distributed in Hisaralan Thermal Springs of Sindirgi-Balikesir, Turkiye, grows in the thermal area with extremely high soil temperature (57.6 degrees C (similar to 60 degrees C)). It was thought that it would be useful to investigate the tolerance mechanism of the H. hirsutissimum plant to extremely high temperatures. For this purpose, the plant seeds were obtained from a geothermal area in the thermal spring. Growing plants were exposed to 20, 40, 60, and 80 +/- 5 degrees C soil temperature gradually for 15 days under laboratory conditions. We measured the effect of high soil temperature on some morphological changes, relative water content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, cell membrane stability, and hydrogen peroxide analysis to determine stress levels on leaves and roots. Changes in osmolyte compounds, some antioxidant enzyme activities, ascorbate content, and chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic gas exchange parameters were also determined. As a result of the study carried out to determine the stress level, it was observed that there was not much change and it was understood that the plant was tolerant to high soil temperature. In addition, there was a general increase in osmolytes accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, and ascorbate level. There was no significant difference in photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of plants grown at different soil temperatures. The high temperature did not negatively impact the photosynthetic yield of H. hirsutissimum because this plant was found to enhance its antioxidant capacity. The increase in antioxidant activity helped reduce oxidative damage and protect the photosynthetic mechanism under high temperature conditions, while the significant increase in the osmolyte level helped maintain the water status and cell membrane integrity of plants, thus enabling them to effectively withstand high soil temperatures.

Drought (D) and chromium (Cr) stress co-occur in agricultural fields due to the accumulation of excessive Cr in soils from industrial pollution and increasing frequency of water scarcity. Carrageenan (Car), a compound extracted from red seaweed, is an emerging biostimulant with multifaceted roles in plants. This study investigated the role of exogenous Car in mediating tolerance to D-, Cr-, and DCr-stress in wheat seedlings, aiming to elucidate the potential of Car in mitigating toxicity and promoting plant resilience. Wheat seedlings exposed to DCr-stress exhibited reduced growth and biomass production, along with elevated levels of reactive oxygen, carbonyl, and nitrogen species. Moreover, D-stress exacerbated Cr-toxicity, as demonstrated by principal component analysis (PCA), which showed a strong positive correlation between DCr-stress and stress marker parameters. This suggests that DCr-stress resulted in higher Cr uptake and increased oxidative damage compared to individual D-or Cr-stress, making DCr-stress more detrimental than either stress applied alone. However, Car priming ameliorated the toxic effects of DCr-stress and promoted the growth performance of DCr-stressed wheat seedlings. In PCA, the positive correlation of D + Car, Cr + Car, and DCr + Car treatments with growth and plant defense-related parameters suggests that Car-mediated improvement in stress tolerance can be attributed to reduced accumulation of toxic Cr, increased levels of total free amino acids and soluble sugars, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, elevated non-enzymatic antioxidant levels, higher phenolic and flavonoid content, and improved metal chelation and detoxification. Our results indicated Car is a potential and cost-effective biostimulant for managing D-, Cr-, or DCr-stress in wheat.

Integration of breeding innovations and epigenetic modifications offers the potential to boost productivity and promote sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in tomato production, which accounts for 16 % of global vegetable production. They are susceptible to various stress factors, Both abiotic (light, temperature, water, humidity, nutrients) and biotic (pests, diseases), which can impact fruit quality and reduce yield quantity by 50-70 %leading to food insecurity and economic losses. Climatic factors impact the traditional farming of tomatoes in the open field; innovative technologies aim to tackle the adverse effects of both abiotic and biotic stress factors. It highlights advancements in crop productivity and stress tolerance, including increased phytochemicals biosynthesis, improved water use efficiency, and soil salinity tolerance. However, challenges like photooxidative damage and downregulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes persist. This review provides highlights of promising technologies to mitigate the impact of stress factors on open field tomato production, highlighting both qualitative and quantitative losses. Besides sustainable systematic solutions, such as agroforestry systems, the advantages of using beneficial microbial endophytes, nanomaterials, and exogenous phytohormones in agriculture are discussed.

Balamuthia mandrillaris is an environmentally derived, free-living amoeba that causes fatal meningoencephalitis. We previously isolated B. mandrillaris from soil in the Aomori Prefecture and attempted to culture the cell-free amoeba using liquid medium; however, this was difficult to achieve because of contamination of the medium with endogenous bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of endogenous bacteria in environmentally derived B. mandrillaris and identify bacteria. Two new environmentally derived B. mandrillaris strains were isolated from soil samples collected throughout Japan. Environmentally derived B. mandrillaris was cultured under nutrient-free conditions for 60 days, and the induced cysts contained large amounts of viable bacteria. The sequence of the endophytic bacteria revealed that the genus Chitinophaga was common between the two strains of B. mandrillaris. The opportunistic pathogens Inquilinus and Brevundimonas were also detected. All of these bacteria were pigment-producing species. Bacterial pigment production helps protect organisms from extremes of heat and cold, increases the virulence of pathogenic strains, and protects organisms from protein and DNA damage caused by UV light and ionizing radiation. This suggests that B. mandrillaris preserving bacteria in a viable state for a long time under severe conditions with no nutrition may be the ability of the bacteria to produce pigments.