Cellulose is one of the most abundant natural polymers with excellent biocompatibility, non-toxicity, flexibility, and renewable source. Regenerated cellulose (RC) products result from the dissolution-regeneration process risen from solvent and anti-solvent reagents, respectively. The regeneration process changes the cellulose chain conformation from cellulose I to cellulose II, leads the structure to have more amorphous regions with improved crystallinity, and inclines towards extensive modification on the RC products such as hydrogel, aerogel, cryogel, xerogel, fibers, membrane, and thin film. Recently, RC products are accentuated to be used in the agriculture field to develop future sustainable agriculture as alternatives to conventional agriculture systems. However, different solvent types and production techniques have great influences on the end properties of RC products. Besides, the fabrication of RC products from solely RC lacks excellent mechanical characteristics. Thus, the flexibility of RC has allowed it to be homogenously blended with other materials to enhance the final products’ properties. This review will summarize the properties and preparation of potential RC-based products that reflect its application to replace soil the plantation medium, govern the release of the fertilizer, provide protection on crops and act as biosensors.

Urban agriculture plays a vital role in ensuring the self-sufficiency of a great variety of fresh vegetables and nutrients. It promotes a sustainable food system as well as reducing the dependency on imports for the growing population. Urban farming has made it possible for agriculture practices to be implemented anywhere at any time in a sophisticated way. Hydrogel has been introduced in urban agriculture in the past few decades. However, the application of hydrogel in urban agriculture is still being explored in terms of hydrogel types, structure, physical and chemical properties, change due to external factors, and its suitability for different plant species. This review discusses the potentials and limitations of hydrogel in different application conditions. We present the state of knowledge on hydrogel production and crosslinking methods, hydrogel characteristics, water absorption and release mechanisms of hydrogel, hydrogel advantages and limitations, and current and future applications in urban farming.

The application of miRNA mimic technology for silencing mature miRNA began in 2007. This technique originated from the discovery of the INDUCED BY PHOSPHATE STARVATION 1 (IPS1) gene, which was found to be a competitive mimic that prevents the cleavage of the targeted mRNA by miRNA inhibition at the post-transcriptional level. To date, various studies have been conducted to understand the molecular mimic mechanism and to improve the efficiency of this technology. As a result, several mimic tools have been developed: target mimicry (TM), short tandem target mimic (STTM), and molecular sponges (SPs). STTM is the most-developed tool due to its stability and effectiveness in decoying miRNA. This review discusses the application of STTM technology on the loss-of-function studies of miRNA and members from diverse plant species. A modified STTM approach for studying the function of miRNA with spatial–temporal expression under the control of specific promoters is further explored. STTM technology will enhance our understanding of the miRNA activity in plant-tissue-specific development and stress responses for applications in improving plant traits via miRNA regulation.

This study focuses on the growth and morpho-physiological responses of the Malaysian commercial variety MR219 rice to salinity stress during the early vegetative stages, specifically during germination and the five-leaf stage. For germination responses, MR219 seeds were grown for 10 days in different salt concentrations. Low salinity significantly improves seed germination and increases the total number of germinated seeds. However, higher salinity (160 mM NaCl) inhibits the germination of MR219 seeds and reduces the total number of germinated seeds by 93.3%. The effects of salinity on the five-leaf stage of MR219 were also determined and compared to the salinity-tolerant (Pokkali) and susceptible (IR64) varieties. There were significant reductions in the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf chlorophyll content by 28.1%, 58.6%, 81.1%, and 3.7%, respectively. These reductions could contribute to the significant decrease in growth parameters measured throughout the treatment period. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) result, MR219 is more tolerant to salinity than IR64, but is less tolerant than Pokkali. Further investigation on stress-related gene expression suggests that significant changes in the transcript level of genes involved in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt, ion transport, and reactive oxygen species detoxification could be attributed to the adaptation and tolerance level of each variety to salinity stress.