Low temperature has negative effects on seed performance and seedling growth in soya bean, reducing stand establishment. It was hypothesised, that seed treatment with plant hormones could improve seed imbibition and performance at low temperature. Therefore, the effects of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and gibberellic acid (GA3) on soya bean seed germination were studied. Seeds of ‘CM60’ and ‘CM0701-24’ were imbibed with 0.25 or 0.50 ppm EBL, 50 or 100 ppm GA3, or distilled water at 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. The seed imbibition patterns of the two soya bean varieties followed a similar trend. Low temperature delayed seed imbibition resulting in longer time to reach the end of phases 1 and 2 of seed germination as compared with high temperature. Soya bean seeds treated with 50 or 100 ppm GA3 showed increased germination index, shoot and root length and reduced mean germination time. Thus, 50-100 ppm GA3 could be used as a pre-soaking seed treatment to improve soya bean seed and seedling performance under low temperature.

Gibberellin (GA3) and brassinosteroid (EBL) interactions can stimulate germination, extend seedling growth and induce low temperature stress tolerance. The effects of GA3 and EBL on seed quality, α-amylase and total dehydro­genase activities of soya bean seeds at different vigour and temperature levels were studied. The results showed that medium vigour seeds dressed with 100 ppm GA3, 0.25 ppm EBL plus 50 ppm GA3, and 0.50 ppm EBL plus 100 ppm GA3 had significantly higher germination (GP) and seedling vigour rates (SVR) than those of untreated seeds. Similarly, 0.50 ppm EBL resulted in higher SVR of low and medium vigour seeds when compared to the control under low temperature. All soya bean seeds dressed with 100 ppm GA3 had higher GP, vigour, shoot and root lengths, and SVR under both temperatures than those of the untreated seeds, and mean germination time decreased. At 15°C, all seeds dressed with 0.50 ppm EBL plus 100 ppm GA3 had higher α-amylase activity than the untreated seeds, whereas seeds with low and medium seed vigour dressed with 100 ppm GA3 and 0.25 ppm EBL plus 50 ppm GA3 had higher total dehydrogenase activity than the untreated seeds.

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising bioenergy crop. To increase the productivity of this crop, marker-assisted breeding will be important to advance its genetic improvement. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with several bioenergy-related traits in sweet sorghum that include owering time, plant height, total biomass, stem diameter, stem moisture percentage, and brix. We used 188 F 7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between a sweet sorghum (Wray) and a grain sorghum (Macia). The RILs and their parental lines were grown at two locations. Genotyping-by-sequencing analysis of the RILs allowed for the construction of a map with 979 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Using the inclusive composite interval mapping of additive QTL, a major QTL for owering time was detected on chromosome 6, and explained 29.45% of the phenotypic variances (PVE). Major QTL for plant height (29.51% PVE) and total biomass yield (16.46% PVE) were detected on chromosome 7, and QTL for stem diameter (9.43% PVE) were detected on chromosome 1. Several QTL for brix were associated with sugar transporter genes, providing candidate genes for further study. For example, a major QTL for brix (39.92% PVE) was detected on chromosome 3 consistently across four environments. In total, 21 QTL for ve traits were detected across four environments using ICIM-ADD. The identi ed QTL in this study should aid in the development of lines and hybrids of sorghum that are suitable for the production of bioenergy.

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising bioenergy crop. To increase the productivity of this crop, marker-assisted breeding will be important to advance its genetic improvement. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with several bioenergy-related traits in sweet sorghum that include flowering time, plant height, total biomass, stem diameter, stem moisture percentage, and brix. We used 188 F7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between a sweet sorghum (Wray) and a grain sorghum (Macia). The RILs and their parental lines were grown at two locations. Genotyping-by-sequencing analysis of the RILs allowed for the construction of a map with 979 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Using the inclusive composite interval mapping of additive QTL, a major QTL for flowering time was detected on chromosome 6, and explained 29.45% of the phenotypic variances (PVE). Major QTL for plant height (29.51% PVE) and total biomass yield (16.46% PVE) were detected on chromosome 7, and QTL for stem diameter (9.43% PVE) were detected on chromosome 1. Several QTL for brix were associated with sugar transporter genes, providing candidate genes for further study. For example, a major QTL for brix (39.92% PVE) was detected on chromosome 3 consistently across four environments. In total, 21 QTL for five traits were detected across four environments using ICIM-ADD. The identified QTL in this study should aid in the development of lines and hybrids of sorghum that are suitable for the production of bioenergy.

The amount of antibiotics and personal care products entering local sewage systems and ultimately natural waters is increasing and raising concerns about long-term human health effects. We developed an adsorptive photocatalyst, Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles, utilizing co-precipitation and calcination with melamine, and quantified its efficacy in removing paraben and oxytetracycline (OTC). During melamine calcination, Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 recrystallized, improving material crystallinity and purity for the adsorptive–photocatalytic reaction. Kinetic experiments showed that all four parabens and OTC were removed within 120 and 45 min. We found that contaminant adsorption and reaction with active radicals occurred almost simultaneously with the photocatalyst. OTC adsorption could be adequately described by the Brouers–Sotolongo kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models. OTC photocatalytic degradation started with a series of reactions at different carbon locations (i.e., decarboxamidation, deamination, dehydroxylation, demethylation, and tautomerization). Further toxicity testing showed that Zea mays L. and Vigna radiata L. shoot indexes were less affected by treated water than root indexes. The Zea mays L. endodermis thickness and area decreased considerably after exposure to the 25% (v/v)-treated water. Overall, Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles exhibit a remarkable adsorptive–photocatalytic performance for the degradation of tested antibiotics and personal care products.