Jean Wan Hong Yong

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Verified

Jean verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Ph.D. (Australian National University)
• Professor (Full) at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Calcium (Ca 2+) priming' is an effective strategy to restore efficient carbon assimilation with undergoing unfavourable cold stress (day/night: 25°C/8°C). However, it is unclear how exogenous calcium strengthens the cyclic electron transfer (CET) to attain optimal carbon flux. To assess the nutrient fortification role of Ca 2+ (15 mM) in facilitati...

Improper disposal of organic waste leads to greenhouse gases, pollution, and health risks. Anaerobic digestion offers a sustainable solution by converting this waste into biogas and digestates, which contain valuable nutrients and stimulatory organic compounds that can be recycled to improve plant growth and support food production. Here we review...

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) is an important fruit tree in China, and soil salinity is the main constraint affecting jujube production. It is unclear how arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis supports jujube adaptation to salt stress. Herein, we performed comparative physiological, ion flux, fatty acid (FA) metabolomic, and transcriptomic analy...

Inadequately treated biodegradable waste is considered an environmental, social and economic threat worldwide, which call for great attention. Waste treatment with larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) complies with the concepts of circular economy, as it enables the transformation of these wastes into marketable products, closin...

Mining activities alter soil physicochemical and biological properties which are critical for plant establishment. Revitalisation of soil biological properties via microbial inoculations can potentially be adopted to improve vegetation restoration. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of using beneficial microorganisms in the form of commercially avai...

Elicitors are substances that have potential to modulate stress responses in plants through enhancing the physiological resilience by strengthening photosystem II functionality. In this study, the efficacy of physical (UV-B) and chemical (sodium salicylate) elicitors on the physiological resilience of maize were examined. Seeds were primed with two...

Biochar (BC) and abscisic acid (ABA) may deliver positive physiological effects on heavy metal-stressed plants but their interactive role for regulating cadmium (Cd) availability in agricultural soils is unclear. This study revealed that the Cd-induced oxidative stress significantly reduced the growth of wheat, physiology and antioxidant responses....

Seaweed is becoming increasingly attractive in research because of its fast growth, highly adaptive to a broad range of environmental conditions, and rich in bioactive compounds. It can potentially be harnessed as a biofertilizer for growing plants. Water is an effective and “green” solvent to extract phenolic compounds. However, the aqueous extrac...

To reveal the pattern of heterosis in cadmium (Cd) bio-accumulation of poplar and whether the heterosis can promote the phytoremediation efficiency of Cd-polluted soil, the poplar hybrid variety QB-5 (I-101 × 84K) and its female parent I-101 (Populus alba) and male parent 84K (P. alba × P. glandulosa) were employed in a hydroponic experiment and a...

The comparative effects of reduced glutathione (GSH) and 0.5 % Zn (applied separately or in combination) were assessed on maize in relation to seed metabolite levels, seedling growth, antioxidative defense mechanism, levels of biochemicals and nutrient acquisition under NaCl stress. The level of applied salinity was 120 mM in Hoagland's nutrient so...

Nickel (Ni) is required in trace amounts (less than 500 µg kg−1) to regulate metabolic processes and the immune system and to act as an enzymatic catalytic cofactor. However, it has been recognized as an acute toxic substance. Human nickel exposure occurs through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, ultimately leading to respiratory, cardiovasc...

Drought, a serious global issue and a threat to sustainable agriculture, causing crop inhabitation and hindering agricultural growth and development. Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are essential for growth and development of plants in the face of abiotic stressors. The present study investigated the impact of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2NPs...

The rapid development in agriculture and industrial sectors has raised some serious global issues like heavy metals pollution of water resources. Cadmium (Cd) is amongst the major water pollutants worldwide. In this study, two novel sorbents were prepared by using post-consumer textile waste (PCTW). The waste denim fabric was recycled with environm...

The northeastern part of China is a traditional sugar beet cultivation area where the soils are classified generally as the black and albic soil types with low boron (B) availability. Boron fertilizer can increase soil B content and significantly improve crop yield and quality. At present, the effects of slow-release B fertilizer on beet root yield...

Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), an endemic and endangered wild plant in China, has red-colored autumn leaves of high ornamental and garden application value. Leaf color change serves as a crucial indicator for evaluating garden tree aesthetics; however, research on A. griseum's leaf color change remains limited. This study aims to elucidate the phy...

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major global factor constraining peanut production. Exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Ca²⁺ are essential to improve stress resilience in peanuts growing under low-P conditions. This study therefore examined the detailed physiological effects of GABA-Ca on restoring peanut growth under low-P conditions. These in...

Phytoremediation technology utilises the ability of plants to remove metal toxicity in the soil. Bamboo is one of the fast-growing woody plants that may potentially facilitate the immediate removal of toxic metals from the soil. This study was conducted to identify the potential of Dendrocalamus asper in phytofiltering metal elements from the minin...

Efforts to increase grape yields have focused on using nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, often causing unintended magnesium (Mg) deficiencies. To overcome Mg deficiency, different concentrations of MgSO4·7H2O (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 mM) and GABA (2.5 mM), as foliar sprays, were applied during the fruit enlargement and color transition stages....

Elevated levels of cadmium (Cd) in soils posesignificant challenges to global agricultural crop production. The potential of silicon (Si) nanoparticles (NPs) and biogenic Si sources of different sizes to mitigate Cd stress in wheat remains largely unexplored. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various sizes of biogenic...

Plants are exposed to different types of biotic and abiotic stresses that reduce growth and yield. The review presents the negative effects posed by salinity, water scarcity and phytotoxic metals to the agriculture sector and underscores the protective role of natural and synthetic zeolites to improve the unfavourable growth environment. Furthermor...

Lead is a non-essential and toxic metal for plants. Current study was planned to assess lead induced toxicity with and without NaCl in a halophyte Arthrocaulon macrostachyum. Three month old seedlings (after germination) were grown in pots containing quartz sand and sub-irrigated with 300 mM NaCl and different Pb(NO3)2 concentrations (0, 0.75, 3, 6...

Within the Malaysian context, whilst numerous efforts have been carried out over the years to identify, study, and analyse the extent and state of our coastal and marine ecosystem, these efforts are neither comprehensive nor have the available information been systematically consolidated and made available. To set more ambitious conservation target...

The efficacy of herbal supplements in mitigating heavy metals (HMs) toxicity was investigated using a widely grown fish, the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The experiment was conducted over two phases: during the stress phase, the experimental fishes were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of HMs, including lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper...

Managing agro-waste effectively and sustainably is a significant challenge today. In this study, various waste-derived biochar (BC) derived from agricultural origins such as cotton, wheat, corn, grass, household and green wastes, were used as supplements in the various fish meal formulation. Cyprinus carpio fishes were fed with the different diets...

• NaCl-induced salt stress drastically affected the metabolic profile of the Tagetes erecta L. plants. • Besides reactive oxygen species (ROS), methylglyoxal (MG) equally contributed to salinity-induced oxidative stress. • Lower concentration of cobalt (C1; 10mg/L) resulted in the enhancement of the tolerance against salinity stress tolerance in Ta...

Soil microbial inoculants are increasingly being explored as means to improve soil conditions to facilitate ecological restoration. In southwestern Western Australia, highly biodiverse Banksia woodland plant communities are increasingly threatened by various factors including climate change, land development and mining. Banksia woodland restoration...

Contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals (HMs) poses a significant environmental threat, especially because industrial discharges often irrigate agricultural lands. A prominent source of HM(s) pollution occurs from tannery effluents containing high concentrations of chromium (Cr) in both Cr3+ and Cr6+ forms along with other toxic mater...

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity is a serious environmental threat to living organisms. Nanoparticles (NPs) and plant growth regulators are able to mitigate Cd toxicity and restore crop growth in heavy metals-contaminated soils. However, the synergistic potential of combining 24-epibrassinosteroid (24-epiBRs) and titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) to all...

The prevalence of inorganic pollutants in the environment, including heavy metals (HMs), necessitates a sustainable and cost-effective solution to mitigate their impacts on the environment and living organisms. The present research aimed to assess the phytoextraction capability of spinach (Spinach oleracea L.), under the combined effects of ascorbi...

Fifteen poplar varieties were used in a field trial to investigate the phytoremediation efficiency, stress resistance, and wood property of poplar hybrid varieties with diverse genetic backgrounds under the composite pollution of heavy metals. The coefficient of variation and clone repeatability for growth traits and Cd concentration were large. Th...

This comprehensive review articulates critical insights into the nexus of environmental stressors and their health impacts across diverse species, underscoring significant findings that reveal profound effects on both wildlife and human health systems. Central to our examination is the role of pollutants, climate variables, and pathogens in contrib...

• Green-synthesized iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) from plant-based materials are highlighted in this review. • Characterization techniques for analyzing properties of green-synthesized Fe-NPs are discussed. • Potential applications of Fe-NPs for remediating organic and inorganic environmental contaminants are emphasized. • Future research directions...

Rice is a globally important food crop which is sensitive to the presence of a metalloid, arsenic (As). There is limited research pertaining to identifying relevant As-tolerant rice germplasm in adaptive breeding research initiatives, despite the fact that As contamination in rice has long been known. This study served to identify the growth perfor...

Micronutrient malnutrition is one of the major causes of human disorders in the developing world. Iron (Fe) is an important micronutrient due to its use in human metabolism such as immune system and energy production. Estimates indicate that above 30% of the global population is at risk of Fe deficiency, posing a particular threat to infants and pr...

Water deficit severely limits plant growth especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Sunflower is one of the economically important oil producing crops. It is usually grown in water limited environment due to its moderate biological tolerance towards water stress. Interestingly,sunflower growth was improved in water deficit conditions using a plant...

Nitrogen (N) losses from fertilized fields pose a major concern in modern agriculture due to environmental implications. Urease inhibitors, such as N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), nitrification inhibitors (NI), like dicyandiamide (DCD), and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) could have potential in reducing N losses. For evaluating their e...

Biowaste generation is increasing worldwide and inadequate disposal has strong negative impacts on food systems and ecosystems. Biodigestion of biowaste using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) generates valuable by-products such as animal feed (larval biomass) and organic fertiliser (frass). However, the latter is typically unstab...

Monoterpenoids are interesting hydrocarbons typically found in essential oils and have a significant role in medicinal and biological purposes. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of two monoterpenoids, carvacrol (CAR) and menthol (MEN), supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) based diets on growth parameters, digestib...

Drought stress is a major abiotic stress affecting the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The current study evaluated the effects of drought on wheat phenology, physiology, and biochemistry; and assessed the effectiveness of foliar-applied sulfhydryl thiourea to mitigate drought-induced oxidative stress. The treatments were: wheat varieti...

Cancer and diabetes represent significant challenges in the field of biomedicine, with major and global impacts on public health. Acacia nilotica, commonly called 'gum arabic tree,' is recognized for its unique biomedical properties. The current study aimed to investigate the pharmacological potential of A. nilotica-based zinc-oxide nanoparticles (...

The increasing use of nanoparticles is driving the growth of research on their effects on living organisms. However, studies on the effects of nanoparticles on cellular respiration are still limited. The remodeling of cellular-respiration-related indices in plants induced by zinc oxide nanoparticles (nnZnO) and its bulk form (blZnO) was investigate...

Canola, a vital oilseed crop, is grown globally for food and biodiesel. With the enormous demand for growing various crops, the utilization of agriculturally marginal lands is emerging as an attractive alternative, including brackish-saline transitional lands. Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting growth and productivity of most crops, and ca...

The current study set out to assess and create long-term solutions for improving environmental performance concerning water use, wastewater production, and treatment at Syntan plant (glass-lined vessel unit) and application laboratory (small-scale leather retanning. Based on evaluations and analyses, best available techniques including water gaugin...

Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings (5.15 ± 0.02 g; n = 315) were fed with different types of biochar (BC)-supplemented sunflower meal-based (SFM) diet to investigate the effects of various BC inclusions on their nutritional digestibility, body composition, hematology and mineral status for 60 days. Seven different diets were formulated based on the...

Biochar (BC) is an organic compound formed by the pyrolysis of organic wastes. Application of BCs as soil amendments has many benefits including carbon sequestration, enhanced soil fertility and sustainable agriculture production. In the present study, we acidified the different BCs prepared from rice straw, rice husk, wheat straw, cotton stalk, po...

Sub-optimal temperatures posed significant challenges to leaf photosynthesis and plant growth. This study examined the eco-physiological adaptations of a desert vine (Citrullus colocynthis) to unfavorable temperatures (15/25°C, 25/35°C, and 35/45°C) over 35 days. Plants grown in moderate temperatures increased shoot number and leaf canopy (55%), ch...

Soil salinity is a significant challenge in agriculture, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Pakistan, leading to soil degradation and reduced crop yields. The present study assessed the impact of different salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mmol NaCl) and biochar treatments (control, wheat-straw biochar, rice-husk biochar, and sawdust b...

High temperature stress influences plant growth, seed yield, and fatty acid contents by causing oxidative damage. This study investigated the potential of thiourea (TU) to mitigate oxidative stress and restoring seed oil content and quality in canola. The study thoroughly examined three main factors: (i) growth conditions—control and high temperatu...

Endophytic bacteria, living inside plants, are competent plant colonizers, capable of enhancing immune responses in plants and establishing a symbiotic relationship with them. Endophytic bacteria are able to control phytopathogenic fungi while exhibiting plant growth-promoting activity. Here, we discussed the mechanisms of phytopathogenic fungi con...

•Biochar improved the soil water status and nutrient utilization by wheat plants during drought stress. •Combined biochar and potassium application restored osmotic balance and photosynthetic attributes thereby improving overall growth. •Increased levels of potassium, osmoprotectants, and enhanced ROS scavenging activity were the key features obser...

• Biochar improved the soil water status and nutrient utilization by wheat plants during drought stress. •Combined biochar and potassium application restored osmotic balance and photosynthetic attributes thereby improving overall growth. •Increased levels of potassium, osmoprotectants, and enhanced ROS scavenging activity were the key features obse...

Extreme hot conditions during summers, high poverty rate and continuous electricity load shedding affect commercial manufacturing and sale of ice in many countries. The vendors prepared ice using untreated piped water, tanker water and ground water. These waters may contain hazardous pollutants and ice made from them will pose a potential human hea...

Exogenous application of iron (Fe) may alleviate salinity stress in plants grown on salt-affected soils. This study aims to evaluate the comparative residual effects of iron nanoparticles (FNp) with other Fe sources including iron-sulfate (FS) and iron-chelate (FC) on the maize (Zea mays L.) crop grown under salt stress. All three Fe sources were a...

Ornamental crops particularly cut flowers are considered sensitive to heavy metals (HMs) induced oxidative stress condition. Melatonin (MLT) is a versatile phytohormone with the ability to mitigate abiotic stresses induced oxidative stress in plants. Similarly, signaling molecules such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have emerged as potential options for...

Climate change and cadmium (Cd) contamination pose severe threats to rice production and food security. Biochar (BC) has emerged as a promising soil amendment for mitigating these challenges. To investigate the BC effects on paddy soil upon GHG emissions, Cd bioavailability, and its accumulation, a meta-analysis of published data from 2000 to 2023...

Salinity is a global challenge to sustainable agriculture, impacting plant growth at cellular and functional levels. Nevertheless, silicon (Si), a multifunctional micro-element, plays a vital role in restoring and maintaining growth and development during unfavourable abiotic conditions such as high salinity exposure. Therefore, in the current rese...

Methylene blue (MB) is a toxic contaminant present in wastewater. Here, we prepared various composites of graphene oxide (GO) with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and zinc oxide (ZnO) for the degradation of MB. In comparison to ZnO (22.9%) and g-C3N4/ZnO (76.0%), the ternary composites of GO/g-C3N4/ ZnO showed 90% photocatalytic degradation of MB...

The emergence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics (MPs) as pollutants in agricultural soils is increasingly alarming, presenting significant toxic threats to soil ecosystems. Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.), a plant of significant medicinal and culinary value, is increasingly subjected to environmental stressors that threaten its growth and pr...

Cadmium (Cd) accumulates in the vegetative tissues of rice and wheat crops, posing a serious threat in the food chain. A long-term field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of rice husk biochar (RHB), farm manure (FM), press mud (PrM), and poultry manure (PM) on the growth, yield, and economics of wheat and rice crops grown with sew...

High protein content, excellent amino acid profile, absence of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), high digestibility and good palatability of fishmeal (FM), make it a major source of protein in aquaculture. Naturally derived FM is at risk due to an increase in its demand, unsustainable practices, and price. Thus, there is an urgent need to find affor...

Cadmium (Cd) and drought stresses are becoming dominant in a changing climate. This study explored the impact of Cd and Cd + drought stress on durum wheat grown in soil and sand at two Cd levels. The physiological parameters were studied using classical methods, while the root architecture was explored using non-invasive neutron computed tomography...

Halophytes contain many secondary metabolites that can facilitate the capping and stabilizing of nanoparticles. Synthesis and optimization of zinc oxide nanoparticles from Phragmites karka were performed for the first time in this study to assess the salinity resilience of tomato seedlings in 100 mM NaCl using biotechnological applications and grow...

Microbial inoculation improved photosynthesis and sustained nutrient acquisition in Cr-stressed plants. Microorganisms ameliorate oxidative injury and improved oxidative defense under Cr stress. Microbial inoculation strengthened the glyoxalase system of plants under Cr stress. Selective microbial treatment is an effective strategy for enhancing Cr...

Bacillus genus exhibits antagonistic potential against a broad range of pathogenic fungi. This study presents the antifungal potential of lipopeptides (LPs) produced by a novel strain Bacillus altitudinis TM22A to suppress the infection of Alternaria rot on tomato. We investigated the antifungal effect of ten Bacillus species against Alternaria alt...

The environmental impacts of food systems will increase in tandem with rapid urban population growth, which calls for alternative solutions, such as urban agriculture, to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Among several urban agriculture systems, rooftop farming and its subset, rooftop greenhouses, are promising technologies. T...

Salinity is considered to be a global problem and a severe danger to modern agriculture since it negatively impacts plants’ growth and development at both cellular- and whole-plant level. However, cobalt (Co) and titanium (Ti), multifunctional non-essential micro-elements, play a crucial role in improving plant growth and development under salinity...

Cadmium (Cd) stress in crops has been a serious concern while little is known about the copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) effects on Cd accumulation by crops. This study investigated the effectiveness of CuO NPs in mitigating Cd contamination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation through a pot experiment, presenting an eco-friendly solutio...

This study investigated the physiological and molecular responses of rice genotype '9311' to Cd stress and the mitigating effects of silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO NPs). Cd exposure severely hindered plant growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, and Cd accumulation. However, SiO NPs supplementation, particularly the SiON-P100 treatment, sign...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and coal are primary contributors of greenhouse gases leading to global climate change and warming. The toxicity of heavy metals and metalloids in the environment threatens ecological functionality, diversity and global human life. The ability of microalgae to thrive in harsh enviro...

Tea (Camelia sinensis) is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Research on the nutritional characteristics of tea, particularly lowland tea plantations, is limited in Malaysia. Thus, we aimed to investigate the nutritional characteristics (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe) and antioxidant activity of seven clonal teas (663, 2026, 2024, AT53, TV9...

The greatest challenge for the agriculture sector in the twenty-first century is to increase agricultural production to feed the burgeoning global population while maintaining soil health and the integrity of the agroecosystem. Currently, the application of biochar is widely implemented as an effective means for boosting sustainable agriculture whi...

Globally, many low to medium yielding peanut fields have the potential for further yield improvement. Low phosphorus (P) limitation is one of the significant factors curtailing Arachis hypogaea productivity in many regions. In order to demonstrate the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on peanuts growing under P deficiency, we used a pot-bas...

Rhizosphere microbial communities, have abundant species and a large number, and affect the physiology and growth of plants. By using high-throughput sequencing technology, the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere bacteria and fungi of wild Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi in the Qinling Mountains were analyzed at phylum, class, order, family, a...

Heavy metals and metalloids (HMs) contamination in the environment has heightened recently due to increasing global concern for food safety and human livability. Zinc (Zn²⁺) is an important nutrient required for the normal development of plants. It is an essential cofactor for the vital enzymes involved in various biological mechanisms of plants. I...

Arsenic (As) is a toxic and non-essential metalloid, with known detrimental effects on sustainable agricultural production. Therefore, this study assessed the negative effects of As on lemon grass and how methyl jasmonate (MeJA) mitigated those effects. Interestingly, lemon grass showed no toxicity symptoms under mild As-stress, however plants unde...

This study is the first ever to gather local mangrove scientists, forest managers and policy-makers world-wide to identify the future scientific curiosity-driven and managerial need-driven questions to which science, management, and/or governance needs an answer.

Protein-based biostimulants (PBBs) have a positive effect on plant development, although the biological background for this effect is not well understood. Here, hydrolyzed wheat gluten (HWG) and potato protein film (PF) in two levels (1 and 2 g/kg soil) and in two different soils (low and high nutrient; LNC and HNC) were used as PBBs. The effect of...

We investigated biochar-induced drought tolerance in Leptocohloa fusca (Kallar grass) by exploring the plant defense system at physiological level. L. fusca plants were exposed to drought stress (100%, 70%, and 30% field capacity), and biochar (BC), as an organic soil amendment was applied in two concentrations (15 and 30 mg kg−1 soil) to induce dr...

The coordination/trade-off among below-ground strategies for phosphorus (P) acquisition, including root morphology, carboxylate exudation and colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is not well understood. This is the first study investigating the relationships between root nodulation, morphology, carboxylates, and colonisation by an in...

Calcium nitrate [Ca(NO3)2 ] and sodium chloride (NaCl) are among the main salts used in cultivation and present in salinized soil, respectively. These salts at high levels would reduce photosynthetic capacity and eventually cause a reduction in tomato growth. To better understand the growth disruption caused by Ca(NO3)2 salt (from the fertilizer) a...

Soil salinity is a major constraint limiting jujube production in China. Wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa) is widely used as the rootstock of jujube (Z. jujuba) to overcome the saline conditions. To understand the adaptive mechanism in wild jujube under saline conditions, we combined spatiotemporal and physiological assessments with transc...