Growth, Morphological, and Biochemical Responses of Four Native Species to Salinity Stress

Native plants are of great value in landscape maintenance. Despite their importance in the landscape, the salt tolerance of most native plants has received little attention. The present research was designed to assess morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of four Utah-native plants [Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus ‘Coy’ (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), and Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry)] at different salinity levels. Each species was irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m−1 (control) or saline solutions at ECs of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m−1 for 8 weeks. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 10 replications. At 8 weeks after the initiation of the experiment, A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ had slight foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 3.7 (0 = dead, 5 = excellent with no sign of foliar salt damage) when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 5.0 dS·m−1 and were dead at an EC of 10.0 dS·m−1. Similarly, C. ledifolius had an average visual score of 3.2 when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m−1. However, almost no foliar salt damage was observed on S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ during the experimental period. In addition, the shoot dry weight of all species was reduced with elevated salinity levels in the irrigation water. Salinity stress also reduced gas exchange rates of plants and affected their mineral content. Proline accumulated in the leaves of native plants but was species-dependent. In conclusion, S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ was tolerant to salinity stress followed by C. ledifolius; A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ were sensitive to salinity stress

Responses of Utah Native Plants to Saline Water Irrigation

Native plants are of great value in urban landscape as they are drought, disease, and pest tolerant. Use of native plants also helps to reduce air pollution and promote biodiversity. However, limited information exists for salinity stress responses of native plants. Four Utah native plants [Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnikinnick), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus ‘Coy’ (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), and Shepherdia × utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry)] were evaluated for relative salinity tolerance under greenhouse conditions. Plants were irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m-1 (control) or saline solutions at ECs of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m-1 for 8 weeks. At harvest, A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ had a visual score of 3.7 (0 = dead, 5 = excellent without foliar salt damage) when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 5.0 dS·m-1 and were dead at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. Similarly, C. ledifolius had slight foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 3.4 when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. However, no foliar salt damage was observed on S. × utahensis ‘Torrey’ during the experimental period. In addition, with elevated salinity levels in the irrigation water leaf area and shoot dry weight of plants were decreased. In conclusion, A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ were more sensitive to salinity levels tested in this study compared to C. ledifolius and S. × utahensis ‘Torrey’

Morphological and Physio-Biochemical Responses and Gene Expression Analyses of Landscape Plants Under Salinity Stress

Soil salinity is a significant global issue that adversely impacts the growth and development of landscape plants. One of the effective strategies to prevent salinity damage to landscape plants is to cultivate species that are tolerant to the prevailing salinity levels. Salinity tolerance varies among plant species and cultivars. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the salinity tolerance of nine landscape plants [Albizia julibrissin (mimosa tree), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus ‘Coy’ (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), Penstemon barbatus ‘Novapenblu’ (rock candy blue® penstemon), Penstemon strictus ‘Rocky Mountain’ (rocky mountain beardtongue), Punica granatum ‘Wonderful’ (pomegranate), Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry), and Sophora japonica (Japanese pagoda tree)] and determine their responses to salinity stress. These landscape plants were tested for salinity tolerance in four separate greenhouse experiments. The effects of salinity levels ranging from electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.0 to 10.0 dS·m-1 were investigated. During the 8-week experiments, minimal to no foliar salt damage, such as leaf tip burn, leaf burn, or necrosis, was observed on A. julibrissin, P. granatum ‘Wonderful’, S. japonica, and S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’. Whereas A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ were dead when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. Two penstemon species had severe foliar salt damage or were dead when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. Elevated salinity reduced the shoot dry weight and photosynthesis of all plants. Furthermore, sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) contents in plant tissues were affected by the elevated salinity levels. Chloride accumulation was greater in leaves than in stems or roots. However, Na+ accumulation was greater in roots compared to that in stems and leaves. Albizia julibrissin, P. granatum ‘Wonderful’, and S. japonica were able to maintain less Na+ content in their leaf tissue across all treatments. In conclusion, landscape plants exhibited different responses to salinity stress, A. julibrissin, S. japonica, S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’, and P. granatum ‘Wonderful’ were relatively tolerant, while A. uva-ursi, C. montanus ‘Coy’, and two penstemons were relatively sensitive

Propagation of Two Utah Native Plants: Ceanothus velutinus and Cercocarpus montanus

Among various water conservative approaches, the use of native plants in landscape, such as Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush ceanothus) and Cercocarpus montanus (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), is attractive. Efficient propagation methods are required to allow these native species to use in water-efficient landscaping. Sexual (seed) and asexual/vegetative (cuttings and micropropagation) propagation methods were evaluated. Seeds of both C. velutinus and C. montanus were scarified and/or stratified and treated with gibberellic acid (GA3) to break dormancy. The results showed hot water scarification and 2-3 months of stratification effectively broke the dormancy of C. velutinus seeds, and stratification for 2-3 months was needed for C. montanus seeds. Furthermore, GA3 also helped to increase germination of both species. Terminal cuttings of C. velutinus were collected from May to Sept. 2019 and June to Aug. 2020 from the Tony Grove Lake area, Utah. Terminal and stem cuttings were also collected in Aug. 2019 from the same area. Likewise, different rooting hormones were tested using cuttings collected from greenhouse-grown seedlings. Ceanothus velutinus cuttings collected in July tended to have a better rooting percentage than those collected at other times of the year. Hormodin 2 [3,000 mg·L-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)] tended to be the better rooting hormone. Terminal cuttings were good compared with stem cuttings but were not significantly different in terms of rooting percentage. Terminal cuttings of C. montanus ‘Coy’ were collected in mid-July and different rooting hormones were tested. Hormodin 2 tended to be the better rooting hormone. A separate experiment was also conducted using terminal and stem cuttings. Stem cuttings tended to be better for C. montanus. In addition, on 11 May, 2020, hardwood stem cuttings were collected and wounding study was performed. Wounding promoted adventitious root formation of C. montanus. For micropropagation, Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Gamborg’s B-5 (B5) medium supplemented with 1 mg·L-1 benzylaminopurine (BA) were better than other medium for establishment of C. velutinus. In addition, ex vitro rooting study was successful for rooting microshoots of C. velutinus. For C. montanus, MS + 1 mg·L-1 BA tended to be better medium for multiplication stage

Growth, Morphological, and Biochemical Responses of Four Native Species to Salinity Stress

Native plants are of great value in landscape maintenance. Despite their importance in the landscape, the salt tolerance of most native plants has received little attention. The present research was designed to assess morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of four Utah-native plants [Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus ‘Coy’ (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), and Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry)] at different salinity levels. Each species was irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m-1 (control) or saline solutions at ECs of 5.0 or 10.0 dS·m-1 for 8 weeks. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 10 replications. At 8 weeks after the initiation of the experiment, A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ had slight foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 3.7 (0 = dead, 5 = excellent with no sign of foliar salt damage) when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 5.0 dS·m-1 and were dead at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. Similarly, C. ledifolius had an average visual score of 3.2 when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m-1. However, almost no foliar salt damage was observed on S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ during the experimental period. In addition, the shoot dry weight of all species was reduced with elevated salinity levels in the irrigation water. Salinity stress also reduced gas exchange rates of plants and affected their mineral content. Proline accumulated in the leaves of native plants but was species-dependent. In conclusion, S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ was tolerant to salinity stress followed by C. ledifolius; A. uva-ursi and C. montanus ‘Coy’ were sensitive to salinity stress

\u3ci\u3eCercocarpus ledifolius\u3c/i\u3e var. \u3ci\u3eintricatus\u3c/i\u3e ‘DoubleDown’

Bonsai (tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, miniature trees, and rockery) is an artistic horticulture practice of developing aesthetically formed trees and landscapes in miniature with appropriately aesthetic containers. This has been practiced over a few thousand years in oriental cultures, including the ancient Chinese tradition of penzai or penjing, from which the art originated; the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ; and the Japanese variations of bonsai and “tray planting” (Gustafson 1995). To produce bonsai plants that share similar shapes and styles of mature, full-size trees, cultivation techniques are used, including leaf trimming, pruning, wiring, clamping, grafting, defoliation, and deadwood techniques (Zhao 2012). This practice is distinct from dwarfing in that dwarfing is a process to discover, breed, or genetically create a plant cultivar that is a permanent genetic miniature of standard members of its species (Ferrero-Serrano et al. 2019). Bonsai can be created from specimens of woody source materials that include cuttings, seedlings, or small trees. The source specimen should be relatively small and meet the aesthetic standards of bonsai. Nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species is suitable for bonsai development (Owen 1990) if they produce true branches and remain relatively small in a container environment through crown and root pruning. Slow-growing plant species with small leaves or needles are popular bonsai materials

Comparing the Salt Tolerance of Three Landscape Plants Using a Near-Continuous Gradient Dosing System

Screening salinity-tolerant plants is usually time intensive and only applicable to a limited number of salinity levels. A near-continuous gradient dosing (NCGD) system allows researchers to evaluate a large number of plants for salinity tolerance with multiple treatments, more flexibility, and reduced efforts of irrigation. Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), and japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) were irrigated using an NCGD system with eight electrical conductivity (EC) levels ranging from 0.9 to 6.5 dS·m–1. At 11 weeks after irrigation was initiated, there were no significant differences among EC levels in terms of visual score, growth index [(Height + Width 1 + Width 2)/3], stem diameter, number of inflorescences, and shoot dry weight (DW) of rose of sharon. However, the root DW, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), and net photosynthesis rate (Pn) of rose of sharon decreased linearly as EC levels increased. Ninebark and japanese spirea had increased foliar salt damage with increasing EC levels. The growth index, stem diameter, number of inflorescences, shoot and root DW, SPAD, and Pn of ninebark decreased linearly as EC levels increased. The growth index and SPAD of japanese spirea decreased quadratically with increasing EC levels, but its stem diameter, number of inflorescences, shoot and root DW, and Pn decreased linearly with increasing EC levels. The salinity threshold (50% loss of shoot DW) was 5.4 and 4.6 dS·m–1, respectively, for ninebark and japanese spirea. We were not able to define the salinity threshold for rose of sharon in this study. However, rose of sharon was the most salinity-tolerant species among the three landscape plants

Diamondback Moth Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae); A Real Menace To Crucifers And Its Integrated Management Tactics

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a severe and most destructive pest of cruciferous vegetables in many parts of the world, including Nepal. The natural history and ecology of the diamondback moth are summarized here, along with appropriate management options. Caterpillar is the most devastating stage of DBM that matures and causes “windowing” damage, leaving only the epidermis. Biological control, cultural practices, effective chemical control, botanical pesticides, and host plant resistance are the most viable options. Insecticide abuse and resistance concerns are likely to persist, as numerous research-based outcomes have proven that none of these measures will suffice independently. However, these techniques can complement each other and result in a better long-term management system when combined. This review highlights the integrated eco-friendly management strategies for DBM and other cruciferous insect pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which focuses on sustainable production, has shown promising results. Modern management techniques include genetic modification, use of parasitoids, modified cultural methods, the precautionary application of chemicals, resistant cultivars, fungal, bacterial (Bt. based biopesticides), and viral entomopathogens, etc., which are found to be more effective and eco-friendlier

Salt Tolerance of Sego SupremeTM Plants

Sego SupremeTM is a designated plant breeding and introduction program at the Utah State University Botanical Center and the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping. This plant selection program introduces native and adapted plants to the arid West for aesthetic landscaping and water conservation. The plants are evaluated for characteristics such as color, flowering, ease of propagation, market demand, disease/pest resistance, and drought tolerance. However, salt tolerance has not been considered during the evaluation processes. Four Sego SupremeTM plants [Aquilegia barnebyi (oil shale columbine), Clematis fruticosa (Mongolian gold clematis), Epilobium septentrionale (northern willowherb), and Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica (Arizona four-nerve daisy)] were evaluated for salt tolerance in a greenhouse. Uniform plants were irrigated weekly with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.25 dS·m−1 as control or a saline solution at an EC of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10.0 dS·m−1 for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of irrigation, A. barnebyi irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 5.0 dS·m−1 had slight foliar salt damage with an average visual score of 3.7 (0 = dead; 5 = excellent), and more than 50% of the plants were dead when irrigated with saline solutions at an EC of 7.5 and 10.0 dS·m−1. However, C. fruticosa, E. septentrionale, and T. acaulis had no or minimal foliar salt damage with visual scores of 4.2, 4.1, and 4.3, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m−1. As the salinity levels of treatment solutions increased, plant height, leaf area, and shoot dry weight of C. fruticosa and T. acaulis decreased linearly; plant height of A. barnebyi and E. septentrionale also declined linearly, but their leaf area and shoot dry weight decreased quadratically. Compared with the control, the shoot dry weights of A. barnebyi, C. fruticosa, E. septentrionale, and T. acaulis decreased by 71.3%, 56.3%, 69.7%, and 48.1%, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m−1. Aquilegia barnebyi and C. fruticosa did not bloom during the experiment at all treatments. Elevated salinity reduced the number of flowers in E. septentrionale and T. acaulis. Elevated salinity also reduced the number of shoots in all four species. Among the four species, sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl–) concentration increased the most in A. barnebyi by 53 and 48 times, respectively, when irrigated with saline solution at an EC of 10.0 dS·m−1. In this study, C. fruticosa and T. acaulis had minimal foliar salt damage and less reduction in shoot dry weight, indicating that they are more tolerant to salinity. Epilobium septentrionale was moderately tolerant to saline solution irrigation with less foliar damage, although it had more reduction in shoot dry weight. On the other hand, A. barnebyi was the least tolerant with severe foliar damage, more reduction in shoot dry weight, and a greater concentration of Na+ and Cl–

EN-BIRTH Data Collector Training - Handbook and Manual

The EN-BIRTH study aims to validate selected newborn and maternal indicators for routine facility-based tracking of coverage and quality of care for use at district, national and global levels. The item contains the EN-BIRTH_Trainer's Manual (14 June 2017) and EN-BIRTH_Training Handbook (23 May 2017)