Copper (Cu) is an important micronutrient for a plant’s normal growth and development. However, excess amount of Cu in the soil causes many severe problems in plants—which ultimately affect crop productivity and yield. Moreover, excess of Cu contents causes oxidative damage in the plant tissues by generating excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present experiment was designed to investigate the phytoextraction potential of Cu, morpho-physiological features and biochemical reaction of jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) seedlings using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) of 3 mM under different Cu levels (0 (control), 50 and 100 μM) in a hydroponic nutrient solution (Hoagland). Our results showed that elevated Cu rates (50 and 100 μM) in the nutrient solution significantly reduced plant height, fresh and dry biomass, total chlorophyll content and gaseous exchange attributes in C. capsularis seedlings. As the concentration of Cu in the medium increased (50 and 100 μM), the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidative stress in C. capsularis seedlings also increased, which could have been controlled by antioxidant activity in particular plant cells. In addition, rising Cu concentration in the nutrient solution also increased Cu uptake and accumulation in roots and leaves. The addition of EDTA to the nutrient solution significantly alleviated Cu toxicity in C. capsularis seedlings, showing a significantly increase in plant growth and biomass. MDA contents was not significantly increased in EDTA-induced plants, suggesting that this treatment was helpful in capturing ROS and thereby reducing ROS in in C. capsularis seedlings. EDTA modification with Cu, although the bioaccumulation factor in roots and leaves and translocation factor for the leaves of C. capsularis seedlings has significantly increased. These results indicate that C. capsularis has considerable potential to cope with Cu stress and is capable of removing a large quantity of Cu from the Cu-contaminated soil while using EDTA is a useful strategy to increase plant growth and biomass with Cu absorption capabilities.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Cuscuta reflexa extract (CRE) on the activities of germination enzymes, seed germination vigor, biomass production, physio-biochemical attributes, and seed yield of water-stressed wheat plants. Different levels of CRE (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%), including water soaking, were used as seed priming. Water stress negatively affected the seed germination, germination enzyme activities, growth, yield, and different physio-biochemical attributes of wheat plants. Low doses of CRE (10, 20, and 30%) ameliorated the adverse effects of water stress on seed germination attributes, and activities of germination enzymes, but negative impacts were recorded at higher doses (40 and 50%) of CRE. Water-stressed wheat plants grown from seeds pre-treated with low doses of CRE also showed better growth and yield as compared with non-treated ones, and that was associated with an improvement in water relations, photosynthetic pigments, nutrient acquisition, reduced lipid peroxidation, and better antioxidative defense mechanisms. The maximum increase in seed yield was 14.77 and 12.32%, found in plants grown from seeds treated with 20% and 10% CRE, respectively. In conclusion, it is suggested that using low doses of CRE as seed priming can contribute to better wheat yield under water stress, especially in semi-arid and arid areas.

The boron (B) concentration surpasses the plant need in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, resulting in phyto-toxicity. Salicylic acid (SA) is an endogenous signaling molecule responsible for stress tolerance in plants and is a potential candidate for ameliorating B toxicity. In this study, the effects of seed priming with SA (0, 50, 100 and 150 µM for 12 h) on the growth, pigmentation and mineral concentrations of maize (Zea mays L.) grown under B toxicity were investigated. One-week old seedlings were subjected to soil spiked with B (0, 15 and 30 mg kg⁻¹ soil) as boric acid. Elevating concentrations of B reduced the root and shoot length, but these losses were significantly restored in plants raised from seeds primed with 100 µM of SA. The B application decreased the root and shoot fresh/dry biomasses significantly at 30 mg kg⁻¹ soil. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents decreased with increasing levels of B, while the contents of anthocyanin, H₂O₂, ascorbic acid (ASA) and glycinebetaine (GB) were enhanced. The root K and Ca contents were significantly increased, while a reduction in the shoot K contents was recorded. The nitrate concentration was significantly higher in the shoot as compared to the root under applied B toxic regimes. However, all of these B toxicity effects were diminished with 100 µM SA applications. The current study outcomes suggested that the exogenously applied SA modulates the response of plants grown under B toxic conditions, and hence could be used as a plant growth regulator to stimulate plant growth and enhance mineral nutrient uptake under B-stressed conditions.

Rising environmental concerns toward the use of synthetic chemicals as well as global acceptance of natural products has emphasized the need for exploring novel and sustainable sources of eco-friendly dyes for the textile sector. Our study was conducted to explore the natural colorant potential of black carrot (Daucus carota L.) plant residue for textile processing and optimizing conditions for cotton dyeing. Cotton fabric was dyed using black carrot-based dye, extracted in varying media. The results revealed that black carrot colorants produced darker shades when extracted in acidified methanol media. Excellent color strength of cotton fabrics were found at 70°C by coloring for 55 minutes using 4.0 g of salt (NaCl) as an exhausting agent. The bio mordants as well as chemical mordant were employed to improve color strength properties. In the case of chemical mordanting, 6% tannic acid and 8% iron sulphate as pre-mordant and 8% tannic acid and 2% iron sulphate as post-mordant showed maximum color strength values. Similarly, using bio mordanting, 2% of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and 6% of henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) extracts as pre-mordant, as well as 8% of turmeric and 4% of henna extracts as post-mordant showed maximum color strength values. Dyed cotton fabrics exhibited best color fastness properties in term of light, washing, dry and wet rubbing fastness.