Browsing by Author "Ndou, Nzumbululo"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Drought Tolerance Mechanisms in Grain and Vegetable Amaranthus Species: Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Insights
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Nkuna, Mulisa; Gavhi, Pfunzo; Kanyerere, Alice Mwanjiwa; Ikebudu, Vivian Chigozie; Ikebudu, Vivian Chigozie; Ndou, Nzumbululo; Faro, Andrew
    Drought limits plant growth, development and productivity, leading to more than 50% crop loss globally. Drought-induced oxidative stress disturbs the plant’s metabolism; however, plants activate signaling pathways to respond and adapt to drought stress. Although drought response mechanisms are well reported in several crops, these mechanisms are poorly understood in Amaranthus. As a highly nutritious crop, rich in antioxidants with the ability to survive in extreme agro-climatic environments, Amaranthus has the potential to serve as a climate-smart future crop. This review provides evidence of some drought response traits in grain and vegetable Amaranthus species. Grain amaranths are the most tolerant species, mainly through improved osmoregulation, antioxidant capacity, and gene expression. While biomass partitioning, efficient water use, and membrane stability have been reported in both grain and vegetable amaranth, the molecular response of vegetable amaranth remains limited. Thus, future research must focus on integrated biochemical, molecular, and multi-omics applications to screen and identify resilient Amaranthus genotypes under drought for sustainable agriculture.
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    Green synthesis of iron oxide (hematite) nanoparticles and their influence on sorghum bicolor growth under drought stress
    (MDPI, 2023) Ndou, Nzumbululo; Rakgotho, Tessia; Nkuna, Mulisa
    Drought is a major abiotic stress that confronts plant growth and productivity, thus compromising food security. Plants use physiological and biochemical mechanisms to cope with drought stress, but at the expense of growth. Green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have gained great attention in agriculture due to their environmental friendliness and affordability while serving as potential biofertilizers. This study investigates the role of hematite ( Fe2O3) NPs, synthesized from Aspalathus linearis (rooibos), to improve Sorghum bicolor growth under drought stress. About 18 nm, spherical, and highly agglomerated hematite ( Fe2O3) NPs were obtained. Sorghum seeds were primed with 5, 10, and 15 mg/L Fe2O3 NPs, and, after seven days of germination, the seedlings were transferred into potting soil, cultivated for fourteen days, and were subsequently water deprived (WD) for a further seven days.
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    Green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles mitigate salt stress in sorghum bicolor
    (MDPI, 2022) Rakgotho, Tessia; Ndou, Nzumbululo; Mulaudzi, Takalani
    Salinity is an abiotic stress that is responsible for more than 50% of crop losses worldwide. Current strategies to overcome salinity in agriculture are limited to the use of genetically modified crops and chemicals including fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; however these are costly and can be hazardous to human health and the environment. Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is an eco-friendly and cost-effective method, and they might serve as novel biostimulants. This study investigated for the first time the efficiency of ZnO NPs, synthesized from Agathosma betulina to mitigate salt stress in Sorghum bicolor. Hexagonal wurtzite ZnO NPs of about 27.5 nm, were obtained. Sorghum seeds were primed with ZnO NPs (5 and 10 mg/L), prior to planting on potting soil and treatment with high salt (400 mM NaCl).