Effects of Broomrape Parasitism on Sunflower Plants: Growth,Development, and Mineral Nutrition

Sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) is a parasitic plant that infects sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. In this work, sunflower plants were grown under greenhouse conditions in pots with the substrate infested or non-infested with broomrape seeds. At different numbers of days after sowing, plant height, internode lengths, number of leaves, head diameter, mineral composition of leaves, and potassium (K) concentration in stem were measured. The negative effects of broomrape parasitism were assessed from 57 d after sowing, when broomrape started to emerge. Parasitized plants exhibited lower shoot dry weight, height, and head diameter than control plants. The reduction in internode lengths was associated with a decrease in the gradient of K concentration from basal to apical stem. The mineral composition of leaves was also affected in parasitized plants. The concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in leaves of parasitized plants were lower than those of the control plants, while there were few differences for K, phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu). The effects of parasitism are discussed in relation to their competition for resources and to perturbations of the host physiology such as hormonal and water balance.     

MODELING GROWTH AND ION CONCENTRATION OF LILIUM IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN:POTASSIUM:CALCIUM MIXTURE SOLUTIONS

Nutrient solution composition plays an important role in root uptake rate due to interactions among nutrients and internal regulation. Studies to determine the optimum nutrient solution concentration are focused on individual ions, ignoring the adaptation mechanisms triggered by plants when growing in a varying external nutrient concentration. The objective of the present study was to determine the response in growth and tissue ion concentration of lilium cv. ‘Navona’ to nutrient mixtures of varying proportions of nitrogen (N), potassium (K⁺), and calcium (Ca²⁺) in solution using mixture experiments methodology in order to determine the optimum concentration. Bulbs of lilium were transplanted in plastic crates and drip-irrigated with the treatment solutions, which consisted of a mixture of N, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ whose total concentration was 340 mg L^?1 and minimum concentrations of each ion was 34 mg L^?1. Chlorophyll concentration (SPAD), shoot fresh weight (FW), leaf FW, and leaf area were measured 60 days after transplanting and ion analysis was performed on shoot tissues from selected treatments. Lilium exhibited a moderate demand for N and K⁺ (136–170 mg L^?1 N and 116–136 mg L^?1 K⁺) and a very low demand for Ca²⁺ (34–88 mg · L^?1). This low demand may be due to the remobilization of the nutrients stored in the bulbs. Integrating the predictions of the models estimated to produce >90% of maximum growth, the optimum nutrient solution should contain Ca²⁺ at a concentration between 34 and 126 mg · L^?1, K⁺ between 119 and 211 mg · L^?1, and N between 92 mg · L^?1 and 211 mg · L^?1. Increasing external N concentration affected internal N concentration but not internal K⁺ or Ca²⁺ concentrations, despite that the increase in external N was associated with a decrease in external K⁺ and Ca²⁺. Similar trends were observed for external K⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentration. In conclusion, lilium was able to maintain a relatively constant K⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentration regardless of the lower concentration in the nutrient solution when N was increased (similar response was observed for K⁺ and Ca²⁺) and it has a low Ca²⁺ demand and moderate N and K⁺ supply.     

A Greener UV and Peroxide-Based Chemical Oxygen Demand Test

Water quality assessment typically includes the determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) by oxidation of organic matter with Cr(VI) in an acidic medium followed by digestion. Unfortunately, the required reagents are harmful and the reaction times are rather long. We investigated earlier the use of H₂O₂ as a more environmentally friendly oxidizing agent to replace the hazardous chromates. In the present study, we have furthered this possibility by incorporating the use of H₂O₂ in the presence of UV light. A protocol has been devised and tested with standards and real samples that replaces toxic Cr(VI), halves the amount of silver sulfate required, and greatly reduces the necessary reaction time, thus yielding a faster and more environmentally sound method.     

Weed abundance and soil seedbank responses to tillage systems in continuous maize crops

Weed abundance in crops undergoes frequent changes, often due to changes in tillage practices. Annual species, with quick germination, a short vegetative stage, profuse seed production and long-lived seeds become problematic under zero-tillage systems. Portulaca oleracea L. and Amaranthus blitoides L. are widespread weeds in the Mediterranean area, prominent in irrigated crops. We studied the total weed abundance in the field, and specifically these two species (Portulaca oleracea and Amaranthus blitoides) with high frequency of occurrence in monoculture maize, from 2012 to 2014, in the field and soil seedbank. Results showed significant differences between zero-tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems on total weed abundance and relative abundance of Portulaca oleracea. Total weed abundance decreased in ZT plots (from 136 plants m^?2 to 25 and 46 plants m^?2, in 2013 and 2014 respectively). The same trend was observed in Portulaca oleracea recorded in ZT plots, but the abundance of Amaranthus blitoides did not vary in this system. Weed seedling germination and weed seed numbers both of total weed seedbank and Portulaca oleracea, were greater in ZT plots compared to CT, regarding Amaranthus blitoides seedling germination and seed count, the values did not increase with ZT, in continuous maize crops.     

Fate of phosphorus in soil during a long‐term fertilization experiment in Finland

Accumulation and depletion of soil phosphorus (P) was studied in a long‐term (37 y) field experiment in Southern Finland. The loam soil had a high pH (7.5–7.7) due to an earlier liming. Spring barley, spring wheat, oat, and ryegrass, grown in rotation, were annually fertilized with 0, 32, or 67 kg P ha^?1 y^?1 (P₀, P₁, and P₂K) and sufficient N. The average dry matter grain yield 2,600 kg ha^?1 of the P₀ plots increased by about 500 kg ha^?1 at P₁ treatment and another 600 kg ha^?1 by P₂K. Soil samples were collected in 1978 (beginning), 1995, 2005, and 2015. According to the Chang and Jackson sequential extraction, the P₂K and P₁ treatments increased the inorganic soil P by 732 and 32 kg P ha ^?1 in 37 years, respectively, while the P₀ plots were depleted by –459 kg P ha ^?1. The P₂K treatment increased all four P fractions, extracted with NH₄Cl (easily soluble), NH₄F (Al‐P), NaOH (Fe‐P), and H₂SO₄ (Ca‐P). Continuous depletion (P₀) decreased the NH₄Cl‐P and NH₄F‐P pools, NaOH‐P and H₂SO₄‐P pools remaining stable. None of the P pools changed significantly at P₁. The remarkable gap between the measured change and the balance for the P₂K and P₁ treatments cannot be explained solely by lateral soil movement, meaning that a significant proportion of the applied P was lost either in surface runoff or transported below the investigated depth of 40 cm. Despite large P applications, the degree of P saturation reached only 20% in the P₂K topsoil, assuming a 50% reactivity of Fe and Al oxides. As derived from sorption isotherms, a high EPC₀ (i.e., equilibrium P concentration at zero net P sorption or desorption) of 1.30 mg L^?1 had been built up in the P₂K treatment, while in the P₁ treatment EPC₀ (0.33 mg L^?1) had remained unchanged and P depletion (P₀) had caused a decrease to 0.12 mg L^?1. These results demonstrate that P sorption and desorption properties respond strongly to both P fertilization and null fertilization treatments and that in a long‐term field experiment only a low proportion of the residual fertilizer P can be recovered from soil.     

Interaction of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia: Effects on flax yield in spoil‐bank clay

This study focused on the application of native strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Sinorhizobium in effective crop production during reclamation of coal‐mine spoil banks. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted in spoil‐bank clay with a low dose of organic amendment to determine whether the microbial inoculation improves growth and utility qualities of two cultivars of Linum usitatissimum L. (oil and fiber flax). Inoculation with two native AMF isolates (Glomus mosseae, G. intraradices, and their mixture) significantly increased growth and shoot phosphorus (P) concentration of both flax cultivars. Inoculated fiber flax plants produced fivefold more fibers than the uninoculated ones. In oil flax, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly but quantitatively to a minor degree decreased the concentration of nonsaturated fatty acids in the seed oil. A mixture of five native Sinorhizobium sp. strains supported growth and P uptake of oil flax only in the absence of AMF. However, these beneficial effects of the bacteria were significantly lower as compared to AMF. No synergic action of Sinorhizobium strains and AMF was observed, and their interactions were often even antagonistic. Inoculation with AMF significantly decreased population density of Sinorhizobium in the soil. These results suggest that a careful selection of suitable bacterial strains is necessary to provide effective AMF combinations and maximize flax‐growth support.     

Portable surface plasmon resonance immunosensor for the detection of fluoroquinolone antibiotic residues in milk

An inexpensive and portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor, SPReeta Evaluation Kit SPR3, has been used to develop a biosensor for the determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) and to demonstrate its performance analyzing FQ residues in milk samples. The SPReeta three-channel gold chips were activated with a mixed self-assembled monolayer (m-SAM) and functionalized with a FQ haptenized protein. Binding of the antibody produced a concentration-dependent increase of the SPR signal as a result of the change in the refraction index. Similarly, the presence of the FQ produced a dose-dependent decrease of the response, which allowed a good limit of detection (LOD) to be obtained (1.0 ± 0.4 μg L(-1) for enrofloxacin in buffer). The response was reproducible in all three channels, on different injections and days, and also between chips. Milk samples could be analyzed after a simple sample treatment involving fat removal by centrifugation and dilution with water. Under these conditions calibration curves were obtained showing that FQ residues can be analyzed in milk samples with an IC(50) value of 26.4 ± 7.2 μg L(-1) and a LOD of 2.0 ± 0.2 μg L(-1) (for enrofloxacin), far below the European Union regulations for this antibiotic family in this matrix. Finally, the paper also demonstrates that the biosensor is able to selectively detect the presence of FQs in milk samples, even in the presence of other antibiotics. Enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin residues were detected in blind samples supplied by Nestle? Co.     

Tomato fruit quality as influenced by the interactions between agricultural techniques and harvesting period

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill) is an important crop in terms of its economic and nutritional value. Many factors, including cultivar, climate, geography, geochemistry, and agricultural practice, can affect its nutrient concentrations. An HJ‐biplot study was performed to examine the effects of cultivar (Dorothy, Boludo, Dominique, Thomas, and Dunkan), agricultural practices, climatic factors, and their interactions. Significant differences were analyzed using a one‐way ANOVA. All samples were collected and assayed at the same degree of ripeness. In the conventional and organic tomato samples, those harvested from December to April had the highest concentrations of fructose, glucose, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, protein, Na, and Mg, while those harvested in October had the highest concentrations of lycopene and hydroxycinnamic acid. There were high concentrations of Ca, P, Zn, and Cu in the no‐soil tomatoes. Conventional and organic cultivation practices showed similar results with respect to the collection period, both presenting high organic compound concentrations, while high mineral concentrations seemed to correspond to the no‐soil practice. No clear pattern was observed among the different cultivars, perhaps due to all the samples having been collected at the same degree of ripeness.     

Influence of Salinity in the Bioavailability of Zn in Sediments of the Gulf of Cádiz (Spain)

This study assesses the effect of salinity in bioavailability and toxicity of Zn by means of laboratory bioassays by observing contamination in both sediment and water, accumulation of Zn in biological tissues, and histopathological damage in the gills and guts tissues of Ruditapes philippinarum clams, which were exposed to different types of sediments from the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Spain) as well as two dilutions of toxic mud coming from an accidental mining spill. With this objective, the coefficients of distribution (K _D) for Zn between overlying water and sediments were calculated, the histopathological frequencies in the tissues of the gills and guts of clams were determined, and the biota-sediment bioaccumulation factors as well as the bioaccumulation factors were quantified in the different stations. Results showed that the greatest histopathological damages appeared when the salinity values decreased. Statistical results showed that salinity was inversely correlated with histopathological damage (p?<?0.01) for the lesion index for gills. The most outstanding results were observed in the two dilutions of toxic mud (0.3% and 7.9%) at a salinity value of 10. Salinity was inversely correlated with the concentration of Zn in biological tissues (p?<?0.05) and inversely correlated with the concentration of Zn in water and sediment. Zn mobilization to the overlying water is produced when salinity values decrease.