Background: The mechanism of iron (Fe) uptake in plants has been extensively characterized, but little is known about how Fe transport to different subcellular compartments affects Fe localization in rice seed. Here, we discuss the characterization of a rice vacuolar Fe transporter 2 (OsVIT2) T-DNA insertion line (osvit2) and report that the knockdown of OsVIT2 and mitochondrial Fe transporter (MIT) expression affects seed Fe localization. Findings: osvit2 plants accumulated less Fe in their shoots when grown under normal or excess Fe conditions, while the accumulation of Fe was comparable to that in wild-type (WT) plants under Fe-deficient conditions. The accumulation of zinc, copper, and manganese also changed significantly in the shoots of osvit2 plants. The growth of osvit2 plants was also slow compared to that of WT plants. The concentration of Fe increased in osvit2 polished seeds. Previously, we reported that the expression of OsVIT2 was higher in MIT knockdown (mit-2) plants, and in this study, the accumulation of Fe in mit-2 seeds decreased significantly. Conclusions: These results suggest that vacuolar Fe trafficking is important for plant Fe homeostasis and distribution, especially in plants grown in the presence of excess Fe. Moreover, changes in the expression of OsVIT2 and MIT affect the concentration and localization of metals in brown rice as well as in polished rice seeds.

Our understanding of the diversity and distribution of living things is crucial to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Because biological invasions by alien species pose a significant threat to native biodiversity, tracking alien species at various geographical scales has recently gained prominence. The current study is designed to evaluate the diversity and composition of invasive plants in different habitats of Mandi Bahuddin, Punjab, Pakistan. The investigation explores the impact of environmental factors on the distribution of alien species in association with edaphic and geographic patterns. Diversity patterns, ecological impact, and the distribution of alien species with respect to environmental variables were recorded. A randomized sampling technique was used taking data from 120 sites with triplet quadrates in each, 360 overall, between 2019 and 2021 to record the data on alien flora and associated environmental variables. Important value indices for each alien species were determined with respect to environmental data, by cluster and ordination analysis. Overall, 43 invasive alien plants from 37 genera and 18 families were documented in the district Mandi Bahuddin. The prominent family was Poaceae with ten species (23.25%) followed by Leguuminosae with six species (13.95%), Compositae with five species (11.62%), Amaranthaceae with three species (6.97%), and Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Polygonaceae, and Scrophulariaceae with two species each (4.65%). Out of 65 alien species comprised herbs 52.13%, grasses 23.25%, shrubs 9.30%, and trees 9.30%. In case life form Therophyte (48.83%) was leading, followed by Chamaephyte with (16.27%) species, Nanophanerophyte and Megaphanerophyte with (11.62%) species each, Geophyte with (6.97%) species, and Hemicryptophyte with (4.65%) species. With leaf size spectra, microphylls (41.86%) were dominating and followed by mesophylls (27.90%), leptophylls (13.95%), nanophylls (11.62%), and macrophylls (4.65%). PCA was applied in order to further understand the species distribution and abundance pattern and to find significant connections among the species with sampling locations comprising various habitats. Ward’s agglomerative clustering technique classified the one hundred and twenty transects into four major groups. Ordination analysis showed that different ecological factors had a significant (p ≤ 0.002) influence on vegetation. The current study provides a foundation from which to comprehend the influences of environmental variables on alien plants’ composition, diversity, structure, and links. These will be useful for developing scientifically informed management strategies for use by administrative agencies in the ecological restoration of the degraded habitat of the studied area.

Documentation the relative influence of ecological dynamics on species diversity patterns can help us better understand spatial distribution patterns and devise a systematically comprehensive base for carrying out environmental explorations. The current attempt aimed at exploring the distribution patterns, diversity and richness of wild grasses with respect to climatic dynamics in the Gujrat district of Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, we applied the randomized sample method and sampled a total of 90 sites across the Gujrat district between 2019 and 2021 to document data on wild grasses and related ecological conditions. After assessment of the significant value index of each grass species with ecological records, we evaluated the data by ordination and cluster analysis. A total of 57 wild grasses from 37 genera were documented from the Gujrat district. The leading genera were Brachiaria, Cenchrus and Setaria, each accounting for 7.02% of all documented species, followed by Aristida and Panicum, each representing 5.76% of the species. Dactyloctenium, Dichanthium, Eragrostis, Polypogon, Poa and Saccharum each accounted for 5.26% of the species, and Digitaria, Pennisetum, Eragrostis, Chrysopogon Poa and Setaria each accounted for 3.51% of the species. Other genera each had a single species. Among all grasses, 75.44% of the species were native and 24.56% species were exotic and introduced to the study area. The leading life forms were therophytes (56.14%), followed by hemicryptophytes (42.11%) and geophytes (1.75%). Microphylls, with a 54.39% share, dominated the leaf size spectra of the wild grasses flora in this research. Other frequent classes included nanophylls (21.05%), macrophylls (19.3%) and leptophylls (5.26%). Flowering phenology of wild grasses showed that mainly species at the flowering phase were recorded during the months of June to August (40.35%) and July to September (19.29%). By applying Ward’s agglomerative clustering method, we classified the ninety transects into four major groups. Ordination analysis showed that different ecological factors had significant (p ≤ 0.002) effects on vegetation relations. The present endeavor provides a basic way to understand the impacts of ecological variables on the structure, diversity, composition and associations of wild grasses, which are helpful to improve the scientific-informed conservation and management measures for the environmental reestablishment of degraded habitat in the studied region.

Bananas are exposed to serious post-harvest problems resulting in agricultural and economic losses across the world. The severity of problem is linked with the process of rapid ripening and pathogens attack. Such problems have led to economic losses as well as a lower yield of nutritionally rich bananas. The global demand to increase the life span of bananas and their protection from pathogens-borne diseases urged the use of antimicrobial edible coatings of nanoparticles. The present experiment has explored the innovative development of green synthesized nanoparticles from Eucalyptus leaf extract (ELE) to increase the shelf life of bananas up to 32 days from the day of collection. Statistically significant results were recorded (P = 0.05) by applying five different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in ranges of 0.01–0.05%. Various morphological and physiological parameters such as color, decay, firmness, weight loss, pulp to peel ratio, pH, titrable acidity (TA), phenolic contents, protein estimation, ethylene production, starch content and total soluble sugars were measured in Cavendish banana (Basrai). Bananas treated with 0.01% AgNPs showed maximum control on its ripeness over morphological and physiological changes. The increase in shelf life was in order 0.01%>0.02%>0.03%>0.04%>0.05%> control. Further, AgNPs reduced the process of ripening by controlling ethylene production. The result has also proved the safety of banana consumption by simple removal of banana peel as penetration of AgNPs from the peel to the pulp was not detected. It is recommended to use 0.01% AgNPs to enhance the shelf life of banana without effecting its nutritive value.

Background: Antifungal activity of slender amaranth (Amaranthus viridis L.) is well documented but such studies are scarce in Pakistan, especially against plant pathogens. It was hypothesized that A. viridis has antifungal activity against fungal phyto-pathogens also. Objective: Identification of antifungal constituents from leaf extracts of A. viridis. Methods: Different organic solvent extracts of A. viridis leaves were evaluated against 5 plant pathogenic fungal species viz. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Drechslera australiensis, Fusarium oxysporum and Macrophomina phaseolina. Antifungal activity of A. viridis was determined by serial dilution method. Six levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg mL-1) of treatments of each n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate were employed against all fungal species in a Completely Randomised Design (CRD). Results: Generally, all organic solvent extracts reduced the fungal biomass significantly with the increase in extract concentration but ethyl acetate leaf fraction exhibited pronounced activity and reduced the fungal growth up to 44% in A. alternata, 39% in A. flavus, 48% in D. australiensis, 48% in F. oxysporum and 45% in M. phaseolina. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) analysis of ethyl acetate leaf fraction revealed 09 compounds. Out of these 9 compounds, one compound identified as 1,2- Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono (2-ethylhexyl) ester) showed 58.5% peak value. Conclusions: It was concluded that 1,2- Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono (2-ethylhexyl) ester) being in the highest concentration in the ethyl acetate leaf fraction of A. viridis may be responsible for antifungal activity. This compound can serve as structural analog to develop ecofriendly fungicides.

Glucoamylase has an essential role as biocatalyst in various important industries of Pakistan. It is synthesized by using various fungal and bacterial strains, and different ecocultural conditions are applied under solid substrate fermentation method (SSF) to get the highest yield of glucoamylase. Alternaria alternata is an important fungus that can grow on industrial raw material like wheat bran, dried potato powder, tea leaves, rice husk, and sugar cane peel which are used as substrate. Among all, dried potato powder (10g) proved the best fermentation media for growth of fungal strain as well as maximum glucoamylase producer. Moreover, several chemical and physical states were also explored through solid substrate fermentation technique on glucoamylase yield. The highest glucoamylase production was recorded after 72 hours incubation in incubation chamber with 10g raw substrate, 1ml inoculum spore solution, 30°C temperature, and 5 pH. Further, phosphate buffer (5 pH) as moistening agent, 5% starch concentration and media additive as nitrogen (yeast extract), and carbon source (maltose) were screened for maximum glucoamylase titer (17.3 ± 0.05^a°U/ml/min) and the highest specific activity (39.2U/mg). These cultural conditions were most appropriate for growth of A. alternata on solid media and production of highest glucoamylase under solid state fermentation procedure that could be utilized for commercial synthesis of glucoamylase.