Yield structure components of autumn- and spring-sown pea (Pisum sativum L.)

ABSTRACT

Climate change brings increasing attention to winter sowing of traditionally spring sown crops. Crop stand height, soil coverage, grain yield and yield components of six winter pea varieties and one spring pea variety were compared in eastern Austrian growing conditions in 2014 and 2015. Crop stands of winter pea were taller up to the end of May before they declined and crop stands of spring pea were taller from early June on. Winter pea covered the soil at least partly over winter and showed faster soil coverage in spring. At the end of May, just some weeks before harvest, spring pea attained equal soil coverage. Grain yield of winter pea was almost double that of spring pea due to higher pod density whereas spring pea produced more grains pod^?1 than four out of six winter pea varieties and a higher thousand grain weight than all winter pea varieties. Consequently, grain density was higher for winter pea while the single pod yield was higher for spring pea. Growing winter peas in Central Europe might be a good strategy for increasing grain legume productivity and thereby European feed protein production.     

Addition of glycine reduces the content of acrylamide in cereal and potato products

The effects of adding amino acids on the content of acrylamide in potato crisps, French fries, flat breads, and bread crusts were investigated. Addition of glycine or glutamine during blanching of crisps reduced the amount of acrylamide by approximately 30% compared to no addition. No effect was found in French fries. Addition of glycine during doughmaking significantly reduced acrylamide in both flat breads and bread crusts. In bread crusts the reduction of acrylamide ranged from 50 to >90% depending on the baking condition. In flat breads the reduction varied between 60 and >95%.     

Response of oat-triticale mixture to post-emergence weed harrowing

ABSTRACT

In experiments with weed harrowing crops are negatively affected by competing weeds but also by the destructive effect of used implement. This research was carried out to find growth stages during which mixture of oat (Avena sativa L.) and triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.) was resistant to harrowing and was able to effectively recover from this physical disturbance. Plots were harrowed 1–3 times on the same day at six consecutive stages of mixture growth with spring-tine harrow. After the latest harrowing, all plots were sprayed with herbicide to exclude competitive effect of weeds on the mixture. Compared to non-harrowed plots plant density of mixture was significantly reduced after a single cultivation at 1- and 2-leaf stage (20% and 23% respectively), two cultivations at 3-leaf stage (22%) and three at the beginning of the tillering (21%). No yield penalty was noticed for the density reductions, thus showing high ability of mixture to recover from physical disturbance. We recommend plant emergence as an appropriate growth stage for single harrowing of oat-triticale mixture. Two cultivations on the same day should not be planned earlier than at the beginning of tillering.     

Remediation Technologies for Arsenic Contaminated Drinking Waters (9 pp)

-  Arsenic is a toxic metalloid element that is now recognised to be an important contaminant of drinking water – particularly, but not exclusively, in poor regions of southern Asia. In effected regions, many millions are at risk of arsenic-induced disease and strategies are required to provide safe water for consumption. The main strategies available are mitigation (the provision of alternative arsenic-free water) and remediation (arsenic removal from extracted water). Consideration of local conditions suggests that for many areas remediation, at an affordable cost, is the only practical option. Remediation technologies are available, but most have been developed for industrial-scale arsenic removal at central water treatment plants. The options for local / personal treatment of water are less well developed. The available methods include arsenic removal by precipitation / co-precipitation and filtration, removal by adsorption onto artificial and natural sorbents, water softening with lime, ion exchange onto activated alumina, membrane processes and bioremediation. This review considers the technical aspects and the appropriateness of these options.     

Pollution indices and biotests as useful tools for the evaluation of the degree of soil contamination by trace elements

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aim of the study was the calculation of geochemical, ecological, and ecotoxicological indices for the assessment of risk resulting from the presence of trace...     

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the bottom sediments of a dam reservoir,their interaction with organic matter and risk to benthic fauna

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aims of the study were to investigate the interaction between fractions of organic matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bottom sediments and to...     

15Nitrogen Study on Accumulation and Allocation of Nitrogen Applied at Anthesis on Top of Early Nitrogen Applications in Winter Wheat

The objective of this experiment was to assess the effect of interaction between early and late nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain yield, protein content, and distribution of N between organs of winter wheat. Wheat was grown in pots in vegetation house. Experiment has been carried on in three years 2001–2003, each year in four replications. Wheat supplied with 0.9, 1.4, 1.9, 2.4, and 2.9 g N/pot was top dressed at anthesis by 0.85 g labeled nitrogen ¹⁵N/pot. Plants supplied with 0.9 g N/pot enhanced grain yield by 28% and gluten content by 62% and plant supplied with 2.9 g N/pot by 27% and 13%, respectively. The amount of ¹⁵N fertilizer stored in plant organs decreased proportionally to the amount of previously accumulated nitrogen, but the share of ¹⁵N in plant parts was almost constant. Grain accumulated about 86% of total ¹⁵N taken up by plants. Irrespective on nitrogen status prior to anthesis, about 50% of ¹⁵N has been used for gluten formation. The percentage of ¹⁵N recovery fraction ranged from 79% to 86%.     

Community structure of Lumbricidae in beech woodland of the Bieszczady National Park, Southeast Poland

As ecosystem engineers, earthworms play a key role in the soil environment. However, due to increasing anthropogenic pressure, soil organisms,including earthworms, are being threatened by habitat loss. In this study, we undertook a qualitative and quantitative investigation of earthworms of the family Lumbricidae in four types of Carpathian beech woodland(Fagetum carpaticum), characterized by their understory vegetation(I, F. c. festucetosum drymejae; II, F. c. typicum; III, F. c. lunarietosum; and IV, F. c. allietosum), in the Bieszczady National Park(Eastern Carpathians, Southeast Poland). At each investigated site, soil monoliths(25 cm × 25 cm × 25 cm) were examined by hand sorting. Earthworms were expelled from deep soil layers using a weak formalin solution(0.4%). Depending on the phytocoenosis, 7 species of Lumbricidae were identified at each of the sites I, II, and III and 10 at site IV. Site IV(F. c. allietosum) differed significantly(P 0.05) from the other three sites with respect to earthworm biomass(59.71 ± 39.53 g m~(-2))and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index(0.52 ± 0.12). Although present three decades ago, the deep-burrowing species Octodrilus transpadanus and the litter-dwelling species Dendrobaena octaedra were not found at site IV in the present study. We suspect that these two species may have been displaced by the invasive Lumbricus terrestris, which was not found at the same site in the 1980 s. Such observations warrant further investigation to verify the predicted effects of an invasive earthworm, including the potential effects on soils and other fauna and flora, which have been documented in numerous countries.     

Point mutations in BHV-1 Us3 gene abolish its ability to induce cytoskeletal changes in various cell types

The Us3 gene is conserved among alphaherpesviruses and codes for a protein kinase, a multifunctional protein involved in many phases of virus infection, like nuclear egress, modulation of apoptosis and modification of the cellular cytoskeleton. Bovine herpesvirus (BHV-1), a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae, contains an open reading frame homologous to Us3 of other herpesviruses, which has been identified as a serine/threonine kinase (Takashima, Y., Tamura, H., Xuan, X., Otsuka, H., 1999. Identification of the Us3 gene product of BHV-1 as a protein kinase and characterization of BHV-1 mutants of the Us3 gene. Virus Res. 59, 23–34). To study the activity of BHV-1 Us3, we have cloned its sequence under control of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) promoter/enhancer and introduced it into a recombinant baculovirus (Bac Us3). Confocal microscopy analysis showed profound cytoskeletal modifications in various BHV-1-permissive and non-permissive cells transduced with BacUs3. We observed that Us3 expression changed cellular shape and induced formation of long microtubule-containing cell projections, a phenomenon which had also been observed in cells expressing pseudorabies virus Us3. The intracellular localization of Us3 was mostly nuclear but when the protein accumulated it could be detected in the cytoplasm, cell membranes and projections. Mutated forms of BHV-1 Us3 with point mutations near or within the kinase catalytic domain did not affect cell morphology indicating that kinase activity of BHV-1 Us3 is required for its cytoskeleton remodelling function.     

Presence of Caffeic Acid in Flaxseed Lignan Macromolecule

Phenolic compounds were extracted from defatted flaxseeds using ethanol-dioxane (1:1, v/v). The crude extract obtained was purified using Amberlite XAD-16 column chromatography with water and methanol as mobile phases. RP-HPLC and SE-HPLC showed a lignan macromolecule (LM) as a dominant phenolic compound in the purified extract. After the alkaline hydrolysis of LM caffeic acid glucoside (CaAG) was isolated using a semi-preparative HPLC and its structure was confirmed by LC-ESI-MS. In LM of the investigated flaxseed, one molecule of caffeic acid corresponded with five molecules of p-coumaric acid and two molecules of ferulic acid. The presence of caffeic acid in the lignan molecule might be very beneficial due to its high antioxidant activity.