Afforestation of agricultural land with Pinus radiata D. don and Betula alba L. in NW Spain: Effects on soil PH,understorey production and floristic diversity eleven years after establishment

Afforestation of abandoned agricultural lands has been the main change in land use over the past decade in Europe. However, the impact of tree species and understorey management on production and plant diversity over the medium‐ and long‐term has not been thoroughly studied. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of an afforestation of Pinus radiata D. Don and Betula alba L. on soil pH, understorey production and plant diversity and life cycle type (annuals vs. perennials) managed with different soil fertilisation treatments over a period of 11 years. The results show an acidification of the soil 11 years after establishment, better vertical growth and diameter of pine compared with birch as usually happens in the region and important variation in the biomass production and composition of the understorey below both tree species. Understorey species remained similar during the first 5 years below both canopies. However, species richness (S) was drastically reduced under Pinus radiata D. Don plantation compared to Betula alba L. (S_pine = 2 vs. S_birch = 17) after 11 years of tree establishment at a very high density (2500 trees ha⁻¹). Inorganic and organic fertilisation also caused a reduction in floristic diversity. Soil pH, pasture production and floristic understorey plant diversity are better preserved under autochthonous broadleaves, which increased the multiple uses of recently afforested lands in the short‐ and medium‐term. In the European context of high need for sawn wood, the use of autochthonous broadleaved tree species like Betula should be promoted due to their better sustainability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bioaccumulation of Copper by Zea mays: Impact on Root, Shoot and Leaf Growth

In the present study, the growth and the Cu²⁺accumulation by roots, shoots and leaves of Zea mays were examined using copper sulphate in the range of 10^?4 to 10^?2 M. Plants of Z. mays did not show inhibition of growth in the presence of 10^?4 to 10^?2 M Cu²⁺; however, it was observed growth effects on root when different Cu²⁺ solution concentrations were used. Only the seedlings exposed to 10^?2 M exhibited substantial root growth reduction, yielding only 56% of length with respect to the control. Seedlings exposed to 10^?4 M Cu²⁺ exhibited 16% and 42% growth increase in shoots and leaves, respectively, when compared with the controls. The seedlings treated with 10^?3 and 10^?2 M Cu²⁺ were inhibited in shoot and leaf growth. The fresh weights in roots, shoots and leaves significantly decreased at 10^?2 M Cu²⁺. The tolerance index, based on root length, was not significantly different for the three different treatments with copper. However, the total accumulation rate was very low at 10^?4 and 10^?3 M compared to 10^?2 Cu treatments. The capacity of copper accumulation by roots, shoots and leaves of Z. mays plants increased concomitant to the copper concentration, arriving to 382 times more in roots, 157 in shoots and only 16 in leaves, all compared to the controls. Cu could be accumulated by roots, shoots and leaves when the initial concentrations were 10^?3 and 10^?4 M. However, when it was 10^?2 M, the metal could not be accumulated by leaf and shoot levels; the roots could increase their copper accumulation capacity three times compared to the control. Z. mays has potential ability to accumulate Cu without being overly sensitive to Cu toxicity.     

Granular Cold Water Gelling Starch Prepared from Chickpea Starch Using Liquid Ammonia and Ethanol

Granular cold water gelling (GCWG) starch was obtained by treatment of native chickpea starch with liquid ammonia at low temperature and atmospheric pressure. A free‐flowing powder of the gelatinized starch granules was produced by adding ethanol to the mixture of starch and liquid ammonia. Four ratios of liquid ammonia to starch (A/S) (2:1, 4:1, 6:1 and 8:1) and four ratios of starch ethanol (S/E) (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) were tested for production of GCWG starch. Homogenous mixtures of liquid ammonia and starch granules appeared when the A/S ratio was >4:1. Treating starch with a 4:1:3 ammonia‐starch‐ethanol (A/S/E) ratio on a w/w/v basis resulted in a free‐flowing powder of gelatinized starch, that formed a gel on addition of water at 23°C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of the GCWG starch, regardless of A/S/E ratio, displayed enthalpy values of 2.2–3.1 J/g compared with 15.5 J/g for native starch, indicating disappearance of crystallinity due to modification.     

Crop phenology modifies wheat responses to increased UV-B radiation

Ozone layer depletion increases the level of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth's surface affecting both natural and agricultural ecosystems, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Considering the harmful effects UV-B radiation has on plant growth the future productivity of wheat crops in Southern Chile could be challenged by both (i) the forthcoming level of UV-B increase and (ii) the sensitivity of this crop to higher UV-B radiation. In this study the effect of increased UV-B radiation at different phenophases on a spring wheat cultivar (Pandora) was investigated in two experiments at plant and crop levels under out-door conditions. The experiments consisted of controls, increased UV-B radiation at specific phenophases (from 3 leaf stage to booting 3L-Bo, and from booting to maturity Bo-PM), and increased UV-B radiation for the majority of the crop cycle (from 3 leaf stage to maturity). UV-B radiation was increased by Q panel UV-313 lamps set in plastic framed structures. Control plants were grown either without frames or below the same framed structures as those which received increased UV-B treatments. Phenology, above-ground biomass, grain yield, components, grain protein concentration, leaf area index (LAI), Fv/Fm and pigments were measured at booting and/or at harvest. Above-ground biomass and yield decreased by 11–19 and 12–20%, respectively, when UV-B radiation was increased at the 3L-Bo phase, while no effect was observed when irradiation was applied later in the crop cycle (Bo-PM). No additional UV-B effects to those observed at booting were detected in plants irradiated during the majority of the entire crop cycle (3L-PM). Biomass variation was strongly associated (r = 0.99; P < 0.01) with UV-B/PAR ratio in the sensitive treatments to UV-B increases (3 L-Bo) of both experiments. Flour protein was not affected by UV-B increases at any phenophase evaluated in this study. In both experiments, leaf green area and weight were negatively affected by increased UV-B radiation and no effect on specific leaf area (SLA) was found. Lower Fv/Fm, chlorophyll, carotenoid concentration and carotenoid:chlorophyll ratio were found at crop level (experiment 2) under higher UV-B in the 3L-Bo and 3L-PM treatments. The flavonoid concentration responded differently in the two experiments, probably due to the optimum responses these pigments had to expose UV-B doses.     

Impact of effective microorganisms and other biofertilizers on soil microbial characteristics,organic‐matter decomposition,and plant growth

Incubation and pot experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of commercially distributed biofertilizers (effective microorganisms [EM], BIOSTIMULATOR, BACTOFIL‐A, and BACTOFIL‐B) on soil microbial‐biomass content and activity, net N mineralization in soil, and growth of Lolium perenne. According to the manufacturers, the products tested are based on microbial inoculants or organic growth stimulants, and are supposed to influence soil microbial properties and improve soil conditions, organic‐matter decomposition, and plant growth. In the incubation experiment (40 d, 20.6°C, 50% maximum water‐holding capacity), EM was repeatedly applied to soil together with different organic amendments (nonamended, chopped straw, and lupine seed meal). Under the experimental conditions of this study, no or only marginal effects of EM on organic C, total N, and mineral N in soil could be observed. In soil treatments without any organic amendment, EM suspension slightly enhanced microbial activity measured as soil CO₂ evolution. In soil with easily degradable plant residues (lupine seed meal), EM suspension had a suppressive effect on microbial biomass. However, comparisons with sterilized EM and molasses as the main additive in EM suspension showed that any effect of EM could be explained as a pure substrate effect without the influence of added living organisms. In the pot experiment with Lolium perenne (air‐conditioned greenhouse cabin, 87 d, 16.8°C, 130 klxh d^–1 light quantity), the products EM, BIOSTIMULATOR, BACTOFIL‐A, and BACTOFIL‐B were tested in soil with growing plants. The products were repeatedly applied for a period of 42 d. Within this study, no effects of the different biofertilizers on mineral N in soil were detectable. There were clear suppressive effects of all tested biofertilizers on microbial‐biomass content and activity. Comparisons with sterilized suspensions showed that the effects were not due to living microorganisms in the suspensions, but could be traced back to substrate‐induced processes.     

Arsenic accumulation by rice grown in soil treated with roxarsone

Poultry litter is widely used as a fertilizer for lowland rice in Taiwan and China. However, the organic‐arsenic compound roxarsone (additive of poultry feed) in poultry litter can be absorbed by the plants and the resulting arsenic (As) contamination may pose a serious threat to human health. This study used various amounts of poultry litter contaminated with roxarsone in pot experiments to evaluate the effect of roxarsone on rice agronomic parameters and the bioaccumulation of total and inorganic As in rice‐plant tissues. Rice‐grain yield decreased significantly with increasing As content of the soil, and the critical threshold that killed rice was 200 mg roxarsone (kg soil)^–1. The As concentrations in root, straw, leaf, husk, and grain increased with increasing soil As (p < 1%). At 100 mg roxarsone per kg of soil, the As concentration in the rice grain exceeded the statutory permissible limit of 1.0 mg As (kg dry weight)^–1 and at 25 mg roxarsone (kg soil)^–1, the inorganic As concentrations in grains exceeded the statutory limit of 0.15 mg of inorganic As kg^–1 in China. For all treatments, the As concentrations in various plant tissues at maturity follow the order: root > stem > leaf > husk > grain. Arsenite was the predominant species in root, straw, and grain, while arsenate was the predominant species in leaf and husk. No significant difference existed between the amounts of arsenite and arsenate when various amounts of poultry litter were applied. This result illustrates that large amounts of added roxarsone are not only toxic to rice but also accumulate in grains in the inorganic As forms, potentially posing a threat to human health via the food chain.