Effect of tebuconazole-tolerant and plant growth promoting Rhizobium isolate MRP1 on pea–Rhizobium symbiosis

Seed dressing with fungicides adversely affects the structure and function of beneficial soil microbial communities and consequently crop yield. This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of technical-grade fungicide tebuconazole on plant growth promoting potentials of tebuconazole-tolerant Rhizobium isolate MRP1. The performance of the isolate MRP1-inoculated pea plants grown in tebuconazole treated soils was also assessed. Generally, the three concentrations [100 (recommended dose), 200 and 300 μg kg⁻¹ soil] of tebuconazole when used alone, adversely affected the growth, symbiosis, grain yield and nutrient uptake by pea plants. Concentration dependent phytotoxicity of tebuconazole was observed for all the measured parameters. On the contrary, fungicide tolerant Rhizobium sp. MRP1 in the presence of fungicide increased the measured parameters at all tested concentrations. As an example, when inoculant MRP1 was also used with 300 μg tebuconazole kg⁻¹ soil, it substantially increased the root nitrogen, shoot nitrogen, root P, shoot P, seed yield and grain protein by 20, 19, 50, 31, 15 and 7%, respectively, when compared with uninoculated plants grown in fungicide-treated soils. The study suggests that the plant growth promoting Rhizobium sp. MRP1 can be used as bacterial inoculant to increase the production of pea in soils polluted with fungicides.     

Biological activity of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) phytoalexins and selected natural and synthetic Stilbenoids

The peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea L.), when infected by a microbial pathogen, is capable of producing stilbene-derived compounds that are considered antifungal phytoalexins. In addition, the potential health benefits of other stilbenoids from peanuts, including resveratrol and pterostilbene, have been acknowledged by several investigators. Despite considerable progress in peanut research, relatively little is known about the biological activity of the stilbenoid phytoalexins. This study investigated the activities of some of these compounds in a broad spectrum of biological assays. Since peanut stilbenoids appear to play roles in plant defense mechanisms, they were evaluated for their effects on economically important plant pathogenic fungi of the genera Colletotrichum, Botrytis, Fusarium, and Phomopsis. We further investigated these peanut phytoalexins, together with some related natural and synthetic stilbenoids (a total of 24 compounds) in a panel of bioassays to determine their anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities in mammalian cells. Several of these compounds were also evaluated as mammalian opioid receptor competitive antagonists. Assays for adult mosquito and larvae toxicity were also performed. The results of these studies reveal that peanut stilbenoids, as well as related natural and synthetic stilbene derivatives, display a diverse range of biological activities.     

Pseudomonasaeruginosa strain PS1 enhances growth parameters of greengram [Vignaradiata (L.) Wilczek] in insecticide-stressed soils

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to increase growth and vigor of legumes in conventional cropping systems. Considering this as a basis, this study was aimed at identifying phosphate-solubilizing (PS) rhizobacterial strains expressing higher tolerance to insecticides, fipronil and pyriproxyfen, and synthesizing plant growth regulators even amid insecticide stress. The impact of selected rhizobacteria endowed with multitude of activities was investigated on greengram, grown in soils treated with different concentrations of insecticides. The fipronil and pyriproxyfen tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PS1 produced plant growth promoting substances, both in the presence and absence of the insecticides. Both insecticides at recommended and higher rates, in general, had phytotoxic effects and decreased phytomass, symbiotic properties, nutrients uptake, and seed yield of greengram plants. Interestingly, P. aeruginosa PS1 even when used with all concentrations of the two insecticides significantly increased the measured parameters at 50 and 80 days after sowing, compared to the plants grown in soils treated with the same concentration of each insecticide but without inoculants. P. aeruginosa PS1 can be used as biofertilizer to augment the growth of greengram exposed to insecticide-stressed soils.     

Insecticide-tolerant and plant-growth-promoting Rhizobium improves the growth of lentil (Lens esculentus) in insecticide-stressed soils

BACKGROUND: Application of insecticides in modern agriculture in order to enhance legume production has led to their accumulation in soils to levels that adversely affect soil microflora such as rhizobia and exert a negative impact on the physiological activities associated with them. This study was therefore designed to identify rhizobial strains expressing higher tolerance to insecticides fipronil and pyriproxyfen and synthesising plant growth regulators even amid insecticide stress. RESULTS: The fipronil‐ and pyriproxyfen‐tolerant Rhizobium sp. strain MRL3 produced plant‐growth‐promoting substances in substantial amounts, both in the presence and in the absence of the insecticides. In general, both insecticides at recommended and higher rates reduced plant dry biomass, symbiotic properties, nutrient uptake and seed yield of lentil plants. Interestingly, when applied with any concentration of the two insecticides, Rhizobium sp. strain MRL3 significantly increased the measured parameters compared with plants grown in soils treated solely with the same concentration of each insecticide but without inoculant. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that Rhizobium strain MRL3 may be exploited as a bioinoculant to augment the efficiency of lentil exposed to insecticide‐stressed soils. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Insecticidal activity of Arum maculatum tuber lectin and its binding to the glycosylated insect gut receptors

Mannose binding approximately 50 kDa homotetrameric lectin, purified from edible Arum maculatum tuber, was analyzed through SDS-PAGE and studied for its agglutination property using rabbit erythrocytes. Cross reactivity of the purified lectin was verified through western blot using Colocasia esculantum(Family, Araceae) tuber lectin antibody. The insecticidal activity of Arum maculatum tuber lectin (ATL) was tested against two economically important sucking pests, Lipaphis erysimi and Aphis craccivora, in an artificial diet. The LC(50) values for L. erysimi and A. craccivora were determined to be 21 microg/mL and 16 microg/mL, respectively. Addition of alpha-d-mannose in ATL-supplemented diet reduced the aphid mortality. Two major receptor proteins of ATL (approximately 40 kDa and approximately 35 kDa) were detected from the brush border membrane vesicle (BBMV) protein of L. erysimi and A. craccivora guts, respectively, using ligand-binding assay. Alpha-d-Mannose was found to be a deterrent to such binding of ATL to the BBMV receptors.     

Structure and stability of soil aggregates

The formation and disintegration of macroaggregates into water-stable particles in a wide range of soil water contents—from the hygroscopic moisture to the capillary saturation moisture—were analyzed. It was found that the disintegration of macroaggregates into water-stable particles follows an exponential law. As the system becomes a three-phase system, neighboring particles in the macroaggregate are pressed together due to capillary pressure, and strong molecular bonds are formed. The disintegration curve of macroaggregates is an integral informative characteristic, which reflects the dynamics of changes in the strength properties of the macroaggregates.     

New alkamides from maca (Lepidium meyenii)

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has been used as a food in Peru for thousands of years. More recently a wide array of commercial maca products have gained popularity as dietary supplements, with claims of anabolic and aphrodisiac effects, although the biologically active principles are not fully known. In an earlier chemical investigation, two new alkamides and a novel fatty acid, as well as the N-hydroxypyridine derivative, macaridine, were isolated from L. meyenii. Further examination has led to the isolation of five additional new alkamides, namely, N-benzyl-9-oxo-12Z-octadecenamide (1), N-benzyl-9-oxo-12Z,15Z-octadecadienamide (2), N-benzyl-13-oxo-9E,11E-octadecadienamide (3), N-benzyl-15Z-tetracosenamide (4), and N-(m-methoxybenzyl)hexadecanamide (5). Their structures were established by spectrometric and spectroscopic methods including ESI-HRMS, EI-MS, (1)H, (13)C, and 2D NMR, as well as (1)H-(15)N 2D HMBC experiments. In addition, the identity of N-benzyl-15Z-tetracosenamide (4) was confirmed by synthesis. These compounds have been found from only L. meyenii and could be used as markers for authentication and standardization.     

Development of Empirical Formulae to Determine Emission Rate from Various Opencast Coal Mining Operations

All major mining activities, particularly opencast coal mining,directly or indirectly contribute to the problem of air pollution.Therefore, air quality assessment and prediction arerequired to prevent and minimize the air quality deteriorationdue to various opencast coal mining operations. Determination ofemission rates for these activities is the first and foremostconcern. In view of the above, this study was undertaken to determinate emission rates and to develop empericalformulae to calculate emission rates of various opencast coalmining activities.To achieve the objectives, seven coal mining sites were selectedto generate site-specific emission data by considering miningpractices, method of working, geographical location,accessibility and above all resourceavailability. The study covers various mining activities andlocations including drilling, overburden loading and unloading,coal loading and unloading, the coal handling plant, the exposedoverburden dump, the stock yard, the workshop, the exposed pit surface roadsand haul roads.Based on the study, a set of twelve emperical formulae have beendeveloped for calculation of suspended particulate matter (SPM)emission rates from various opencast coal mining activities. Theemission of gaseous pollutants (sulphur dioxide and nitrogenoxide) has been found negligible for various mining activities.Therefore, observation for gaseous pollutants has been consideredfor overall mine activities and empirical formulae have subsequently beendeveloped.The developed empirical formulae were calculatedby a field study at another coal mine. The measured andcalculated values of emission rate were compared for eachactivity. Average correlation between the measured andcalculated values for different activities was estimated to be 85.6–99.9%, which indicates fairly good accuracy.Validation of the study was also carried out by means of thefugitive dust model (FDM) using the calculated emissionrate data from the empirical formulae for each mining activity of amine, meteorological data and other details as input.The average accuracy between measured and predictedvalues of concentration of SPM at certain receptor locations wasfound to be 79%. A user-friendly emission software called`EmissCalc' was developed to calculate emission rate, whichcan be used as input for different air quality models.