Aluminum,manganese, and iron tolerance improves performance of wheat genotypes in waterlogged acidic soils

Waterlogging results in high shoot concentrations of iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and manganese (Mn) in wheat grown in acidic soil. The verification of this observation in several acidic soils, development of screening techniques, and identification of genotypes differing in tolerance made it possible to test whether tolerance of ion toxicities improves performance of wheat in waterlogged acid soils. Six wheat varieties selected for tolerance/intolerance of Al, Mn, and Fe were grown in three acidic soils (pH_CaCl2 4.1–4.3) with or without waterlogging for 40 d. In terms of relative shoot dry weight, Al‐, Mn‐, and Fe‐tolerant genotypes tolerated waterlogging better, outperforming intolerant genotypes by 35%, 53%, and 32%, respectively, across the soils. The Al‐tolerant genotype had up to 1.8‐fold better root growth than the intolerant genotype under waterlogging. Waterlogging increased DTPA‐extractable soil Mn (71%) and Fe (89%), and increased shoot Fe (up to 7.6‐fold) and Al (up to 5.9‐fold) for different genotypes and soils. The Al‐tolerant genotype maintained lower tissue concentrations of Al as compared to intolerant genotypes during waterlogging. Waterlogging delayed crop development but distinctly less so in the tolerant than in the intolerant genotypes, thus jeopardizing the capacity of intolerant genotypes to produce yield in Mediterranean climates with dry finish of the season. Pyramiding multiple ion tolerances into current wheat varieties with desirable agronomic and quality characteristics to enhance their performance under waterlogged acid soils should be considered.     

Nutrient Removal from Simulated Wastewater Using Canna indica and Schoenoplectus validus in Mono- and Mixed-Culture in Wetland Microcosms

In order to understand the bioaccumulation of mercury in fish in the Iranian coastal waters of the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, different fish species were sampled from both regions in January 2002. Mullet fishes were sampled from the Caspian Sea and six other species from the Persian Gulf: Largetooth flounder, Spotfin flathead, Japanese threadfin bream, Greater lizardfish, Elongate sole and Giant seacatfish. In the Persian Gulf, total Hg concentrations in fish ranged from 0.0123 to 0.0867 mg kg^?1 w.w. (0.0614 to 0.433 mg kg^?1 d.w.). Methylmercury accounts for 64–100% of the total mercury. Highest mercury concentrations were observed in the predatory fish: Giant seacatfish, Threadfin bream and the larger Greater lizardfish caught near Mogham Port. In these species the methylmercury fraction is always higher than 90%. A low methylmercury fraction was only observed in the smallest specimen of flounder and Elongate sole. In the Caspian Sea Hg concentrations in Mullet ranged from 0.0102 to 0.108 mg kg^?1 w.w. The observed concentrations are comparable to those found in other areas of the Persian Gulf as well as in other marine environments and are much lower then the WHO guideline of 0.5 mg kg^?1 w.w.     

Phosphorus nutrition alleviates manganese toxicity in Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens

Phosphorus (P) nutrition has been suggested to play a role in the alleviation of manganese (Mn) toxicity in some higher plant species. However, there are few reports on the role of P in regulating Mn accumulation by forage species. We studied the effect of P nutrition on Mn toxicity in Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. An increase in Mn concentration in root and shoot tissues was associated with an increase in both P supply and P tissue concentrations. Nevertheless, in both forage species, especially white clover, plant‐growth inhibition caused by Mn excess was decreased with increasing P additions. Moreover, the carboxylate exudation that had increased in response to high Mn was gradually reduced by increasing P supply. We suggest that P supply may have a beneficial effect in reducing the severity of Mn toxicity in forage species.     

镉在两种菊芋品种中的吸收与转移特性研究

Jerusalem artichoke(Helianthus tuberosus L.) not just can be used for bioethanol production but may be potentially used in phytoremediation for the removal of heavy metal pollutants.Two Jerusalem artichoke cultivars,N2 and N5,were subjected to six cadmium(Cd) concentrations(0,5,25,50,100 and 200 mg L1) to investigate Cd tolerance and accumulation.After 21 days of growth,the effects of Cd on growth,chlorophyll content,net photosynthetic rate,intercellular CO2 concentration and malondialdehyde content were evaluated.Most growth parameters were reduced under Cd stress.The two Jerusalem artichoke cultivars had relatively high Cd tolerance and accumulation capacity(> 100 mg kg1),with N5 being more tolerant and having higher Cd accumulation than N2.Roots accumulated more Cd than stems and leaves.The bioconcentration factors(far higher than 1) and translocation factors(lower than 1) decreased with an increase in Cd applied.The results suggested that Jerusalem artichoke could be grown at relatively high Cd loads,and N5 could be an excellent candidate for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils.     

Endophytic bacteria from selenium-supplemented wheat plants could be useful for plant-growth promotion,biofortification and Gaeumannomyces graminis biocontrol in wheat production

In this study, we isolated putative plant-growth-promoting endophytic bacteria from selenium-supplemented wheat grown under field conditions. These bacterial strains belonged to Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter genera and showed genetic similarly with rhizospheric bacteria isolated in the same Andisol soil and with other endophytic strains previously reported. Strains isolated from selenium-supplemented wheat were highly tolerant to elevated selenium concentration (ranged from 60 to 180 mM), and showed potential plant-growth-promoting capabilities (auxin and siderophore production, phytate mineralization, and tricalcium phosphate solubilization). In addition, some strains like Acinetobacter sp. (strain E6.2), Bacillus sp. (strain E8.1), Bacillus sp., and Klebsiella sp. (strains E5 and E1) inhibited the growth of Gaeumannomyces graminis mycelia in vitro at 100, 50, and 30 %, respectively. These endophytic microorganisms would be useful for dual purposes: selenium biofortification of wheat plants and control of G. graminis, the principal soil-borne pathogen in volcanic soils from southern Chile.     

Decomposition of maize straw in saline soil

The interactive effects of salinity and water on organic matter decomposition in soil are poorly known. A loamy topsoil adjusted to five concentrations of salinity (0, 31, 62, 93 and 124 mmol Na kg⁻¹ soil) using either NaCl or Na₂SO₄ was incubated at a water content of either 17 or 25% (w/w) in the dark at 28.5°C for 47 days, with maize straw added at 20 g kg⁻¹ soil. Comparing with non-saline soil, (1) NaCl salinity at all levels decreased cumulative CO₂ evolved during days 1–3 (averaged across two water levels), increased in the period 4–32 days at both water contents, and thereafter caused variable effects, depending upon water content and salinity; and (2) Na₂SO₄ salinity at various levels mainly caused no effect on cumulative CO₂ evolved during days 1–3 (averaged across two water levels), and thereafter (i.e. in days 4–47) caused mainly positive effects at 17% (w/w) water content and negative effects at 25% (w/w) water content. Cumulative CO₂ evolved over 47 days for both types of salinities was mainly greater at 17% (w/w) and smaller at 25% (w/w) water content compared with non-saline soil. Generally, at 25% (w/w) than at 17% (w/w) water content, there was a greater CO₂ evolved over 47 days, and also during different incubation phases for both types of salinities; the difference at low salinity levels was generally large and decreased as salinity increased. In conclusion, the salinity effect depends on soil water content and incubation period or decomposition phase.     

Variation for tolerance to high concentration of ferrous iron (Fe<Superscript>2+</Superscript>) in Australian hexaploid wheat

High concentration of reduced iron (Fe²⁺) in waterlogged acid soils is a constraint for growing wheat in high rainfall (waterlogged-prone) areas of Western Australia. Growing crop genotypes tolerant to high Fe²⁺ concentrations may be desirable in such situations, but there is no knowledge about the extent of variability in Fe²⁺ tolerance in the wheat germplasm. A bioassay for tolerance to high concentrations of iron in wheat was developed and optimised using Siete Cerros (Fe-tolerant) and BH1146 (Fe-intolerant) as control genotypes and a range of FeSO₄ concentrations (36, 313, 625, 1250, 1875, 2500 and 3125 μM Fe²⁺) in nutrient solution in a controlled-temperature environment. Increasing external concentration of iron decreased both shoot and root dry weight, increased shoot iron concentration and intensified the development of toxicity symptoms to a greater degree in intolerant BH1146 as compared to tolerant Siete Cerros. Increased iron supply negatively affected uptake of Ca (r = −0.41) and Mg (r = −0.40). The tolerant genotype Siete Cerros showed an improved avoidance/exclusion of high external concentration of Fe²⁺ compared with intolerant BH1146. The genotypic discrimination based on relative root dry weight and the development of toxicity symptoms was most pronounced at 625 μM Fe²⁺. This concentration was chosen for screening of 20 bread wheat and one durum genotype chosen from a preliminary screening of 94 Australian wheat genotypes. A relatively narrow but significant variation (22–38%) in terms of relative root dry weight under Fe²⁺ toxicity was observed among Australian advanced breeding lines and varieties. The presence of genotypic variation for Fe²⁺ tolerance across and within the Australian breeding programs could be exploited in a deliberate selection process to enhance Fe²⁺ tolerance in wheat. Durum wheat (Arrivato) and several Australian wheat varieties and advanced lines in this study were as tolerant to Fe²⁺ toxicity as Siete Cerros, a variety representing common parentage of iron-tolerant genotypes.     

Growth and nutrient uptake of temperate perennial pastures are influenced by grass species and fertilisation with a microbial consortium inoculant

Background: The low fertility of sandy soils in South‐Western Australia is challenging for the establishment of temperate perennial pastures. Aims: To assess whether microbial consortium inoculant may improve plant growth by increasing nutrient supply, root biomass and nutrient uptake capacity. Methods: Five temperate perennial pasture grasses–cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Howlong), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L. cv. Atlas PG), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L. cv. Prosper), tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum L. cv. Dundas), and veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina Sm. cv. Mission) were tested in a controlled environment on the growth and nutrition with the microbial consortium inoculant and rock mineral fertiliser. Results: Veldt grass produced the highest shoot and root growth, while tall fescue yielded the lowest. Rock mineral fertiliser with or without microbial consortium inoculant significantly increased root and shoot biomass production across the grass species. The benefit of microbial consortium inoculation applied in conjunction with rock mineral fertiliser was significant regarding shoot N content in tall wheatgrass, cocksfoot and tall fescue. Shoot P and K concentrations also increased in the five grass species by microbial consortium inoculation combined with rock mineral fertiliser in comparison with the control treatment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation decreased with rock mineral fertilisation with or without microbial consortium inoculant except in cocksfoot. Conclusions: The response to microbial consortium inoculation, either alone or in combination with rock mineral fertiliser, was plant species‐dependent, indicating its potential use in pasture production.     

Cadmium Accumulation and Translocation in Four Emergent Wetland Species

Emergent wetland plant species may exhibit different capacity for phytoremediation when used in constructed wetlands. To evaluate cadmium (Cd) remediation capacity of four emergent wetland species [Baumea juncea (R.Br.) Palla, Baumea articulata (R.Br.) S.T. Blake, Schoenoplectus validus (M.Vahl) A. & D.Löve, and Juncus subsecundus N.A. Wakef.], a glasshouse experiment was conducted in hydroponics to investigate the effects of Cd (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg L^?1) on plant growth and Cd uptake and translocation as well as uptake of other nutrients after 14 days. The relative growth rates of the three species changed little in various Cd treatments, but was severely inhibited for B. juncea at 20 mg Cd per liter treatment. Hence, the Cd tolerance index (root length in Cd treatment vs. control) was significantly lower in B. juncea compared to other species. Among the species, the highest concentration of Cd was in the roots of J. subsecundus, followed by S. validus, B. articulata, and B. juncea, while the lowest concentration of Cd was in the S. validus shoots. Of all the species, J. subsecundus had the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) in shoots, whereas S. validus and B. juncea had the lowest BCF in rhizomes and roots, respectively. The translocation factor was significantly lower in S. validus compared to the other species. J. subsecundus had a higher Cd accumulation rate than the other species regardless of the Cd supply. The lowest allocation of Cd in shoots was recorded for S. validus and in roots for B. juncea. The concentrations of other elements (P, S, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in shoots decreased with Cd additions, but the interactions between Cd and other elements in roots varied with the different species. These results indicate that the four wetland species have good tolerance to Cd stress (except B. juncea at high Cd exposure), varying in Cd accumulation and translocation in tissues. These properties need to be taken into account when selecting species for wetlands constructed for phytoremediation.