Vermicomposting leachate as liquid fertilizer for the cultivation of sugarcane (Saccharum sp.)

In vermicomposting, the main product is the worm casts, but a leachate is generated that contains large amounts of plant nutrients. This leachate is normally diluted to avoid plant damage. We investigated how dilution of vermicompost leachate combined with different concentrations of nitrogen (N) - phosphorus (P) - potassium (K) triple 17 fertilizer, and polyoxyethylene tridecyl alcohol as dispersant and polyethylene nonylphenol as adherent to increase efficiency of fertilizer uptake, affected sugarcane plant development. The vermicomposting leachate with pH 7.8 and electrolytic conductivity 2.6 dS m^?1, contained 834 mg potassium (K) l^?1, 247 mg nitrate (NO₃^?) l^?1 and 168 mg phosphate (PO₄^3?) l^?1, was free of pathogens and resulted in a 65% germination index. Vermicompost leachate did not inhibit sugarcane growth and mixed with 170 g l^?1 NPK triple 17 fertilizer resulted in the best plant development. No dispersant or adherent was required to improve plant height and stem development.     

Do meadow birds profit from agri-environment schemes in Dutch agricultural landscapes?

Since 1992 the European Union helps member states to reverse the loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes by the financial support of agri-environment schemes. Long-term studies investigating the effects of these schemes are an essential prerequisite for the development of an effective policy to restore biodiversity on farmland. In Dutch meadow landscapes almost all agri-environment schemes focus on the restoration of meadow bird populations by postponement of the mowing date. Between 1990 and 2002 we measured long-term changes in meadow bird densities in areas with and without agri-environment schemes in the Netherlands, both before and after the start of the contract. During these years bird territories were surveyed during five field visits between 15 March and 15 June. Densities of black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), and redshank (Tringa totanus) were higher in the areas with management agreements, but these differences were already present before the start of the contracts. After the start of the management contracts densities of black-tailed godwit and oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) did not increase, while those of lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) and redshank even declined relative to the control areas. It is concluded that the current agri-environment schemes are not sufficient to restore meadow bird populations in Dutch agricultural landscapes. In addition to the prescribed postponement of the mowing date, it is probably necessary to raise groundwater levels and to reduce fertilization to allow for the development of an open vegetation structure that will increase chick survival to sufficiently high levels.     

Source of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons found in sediment in a region of expanding sugarcane cultivation of São Paulo State,Brazil

Purpose

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are unintentional products that are classified as persistent toxic substances. The goal of the present study was to generate data on the presence of 15 priority PAHs that are found in surface sediment and core sediment in the region of the Turvo/Grande watershed, São Paulo State, Brazil, which is an area of expanding sugarcane cultivation, and to correlate these data with the sources of these PAHs and the guiding values for sediment quality analysis.

Materials and methods

Surface sediments and sediment cores were sampled during the rainy and dry seasons in February and July 2010. The extraction of PAHs from sediments was performed using a Soxhlet extractor, and then the extract was cleaned according to the methods of the US EPA 3630C (US EPA 1996) using a silica gel column. Quantification was performed using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

Results and discussion

The concentrations of all 15 PAHs decreased as the depth of the sediment core increased. Overall, the concentrations decreased along the sediment core; however, the RTURARG (region predominantly used for planting sugarcane and livestock) during the rainy season and the CAPRP sampling site (located at part of the Preto River dam) during the dry season showed increased concentrations in the first few sediment fractions, and then the concentrations decreased. Higher concentrations were observed in urban locations, and the concentration of naphthalene was higher than the probable effect level (PEL) determined by the Canadian environmental agency. The obtained diagnostic ratios indicate that the sediment from areas with an abundance of sugarcane was a pyrolytic source of PAHs, which indicates a contribution from burning straw to the PAH concentrations in those areas.

Conclusions

For all sampling sites and all PAHs, we found a decreasing trend in PAH concentrations with increasing sediment core depth, and the locations, such as CAPRP, that experienced a higher level of human activity had the highest total concentrations of PAHs. These locations were the only areas in which the PAH naphthalene was found in higher concentrations than the PEL. The diagnostic ratios reveal that regions with sugarcane plantations had predominantly pyrolytic sources of PAHs, indicating the contribution of PAHs from sugarcane straw burning.

     

Nutritive evaluation of the seed,germinated seed,and string bean of Erythrina americana and the detoxification of the material by boiling

The nutritive and toxicological values of the dry seeds, germinated seeds, and string beans of Erythrina americana were studied using raw and boiled samples. Raw germinated seeds had a higher protein content and lower fiber content than dry seeds. The whole string bean had lower protein content and higher fiber content. However, the seeds of the green pod showed the same protein concentration as the dry seeds (dry basis). Boiling and elimination of broth was beneficial in diminishing the alkaloid concentration in all the samples. The trypsin inhibitors, lectins, and tannins were also diminished as was expected. The raw string bean showed the lowest LD(50). Although the total essential amino acids content of the boiled germinated seeds was increased, the quality of protein, protein efficiency ratio (PER), was lower than in boiled dry seeds, and in these, the PER was similar to the control (casein). The present results suggest that for the protein quality and low alkaloid content, the boiled dry seeds and string beans could be used for animal feeding. It could be interesting to test the raw string beans in ruminants since in this stage E. americana showed the lowest toxicity.     

Mercury Concentrations in Largemouth BASS (Micropterus Salmoides) from Five South Carolina Reservoirs

Mercury concentrations in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) bass were compared among five reservoirs in South Carolina. Three of these reservoirs (Lake Russell, Lake Thurmond, and Lake Marion) are accessible to the public and two (L-Lake and Par Pond) are located on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS), which is closed to public access. Age-adjusted mercury concentrations were significantly higher in SRS bass compared to the offsite reservoirs. In addition, mercury concentrations were significantly higher in bass from Par Pond compared to L-Lake and in bass from Lakes Russell and Thurmond compared to Lake Marion. No mercury concentrations in excess of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration action level (1.0 mg?kg^?1) were found in any bass from the public-accessible reservoirs. However, the majority of fish from these reservoirs had mercury concentrations that fall into or exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consumption category of “no more than one per week". In addition, most fish from these reservoirs had mercury levels in excess of those believed to be detrimental to sensitive avian species.     

Antimicrobial activity of the ornamental species Salvia corrugata, a potential new crop for extractive purposes

As a part of our search for biologically active compounds from cultivated Salvia spp. we investigated Salvia corrugata Vahl. The activity of two isolated icetaxane diterpene quinones, fruticuline A and demethylfruticuline A, was assessed against 46 bacterial pathogens, mostly resistant to several primary antibiotics. The MIC for all the inhibited Gram-positive pathogens tested showed a very narrow distribution and ranged from 32 to 64 mg/L, regardless of their resistance patterns to other antibiotics. Demethylfruticuline A was shown to be highly bactericidal (>3 log(10) CFU decrease within 24 h) against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis and bacteriostatic against Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium. Fruticuline A manifested bacteriostatic activity against all tested strains. S. corrugata can be viewed as an interesting source for these diterpenes, which, if well tolerated in vivo, may represent new medical agents useful for the treatment of serious infections caused by resistant Gram-positive pathogens.     

Suitability of soil microbial parameters as indicators of heavy metal pollution

Several microbial parameters (microbial biomass, respiration, dehydrogenase, phosphatase, sulphatase, glucosidase, protease and urease activities) were measured in soils from five sites located in urban green areas close to roads differing in traffic density. Our aims were to evaluate the suitability of such parameters as field biomarkers of stress induced by heavy metal pollution, and to compare results obtained by single microbial parameters with results given by an index expressing the average microbial (AME) response of the microbial community. Data showed that all parameters were significantly reduced in the sites characterized by the highest load of metals in soil. Dehydrogenase, sulphatase, glucosidase activities and respiration, declined exponentially with increasing metal concentration, whereas phosphatase activity and AME decreased following a sigmoidal type relationship. In contrast, protease, urease and microbial biomass were not significantly correlated with soil metal concentration. Microbial parameters differed both in sensitivity to critical metal concentrations and in the rate of decline at increasing metal loads in soil. Due to the complex interplay of chemical, physical and biological factors which influence microbial activities and biomass, the proposed index (AME) appeared more suitable than single microbial parameters for a biomonitoring study of this type.     

Nomenclature and genetic relationships of apples and pears from Terceira Island

Heritage apple (Malus domestica Borkh. hybrids) and pear (Pyrus communis L. hybrid) trees grow in villages throughout Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal. Some of these pears have different names but similar morphology. The objective of this study was to determine synonymy, homology, and phylogeny of apples and pears from Terceira and to examine potential relationships of the island pears with standard apples and pears of Portuguese or American descent. Nine apple microsatellite markers were used to determine genetic relationships. Distance- and parsimony-based cluster analysis grouped these genotypes into separate apple and pear clades. The Terceira apples were divided into two clades: the maçā and the reineta-reinette. Among the 17 heritage apple genotypes, seven unique accessions were identified and four groups of synonyms, or possibly clones, were detected including: ‘Reineta Agosto’ and ‘Reineta Verde’ from Altares; ‘Reineta Castanha’ and ‘Reineta Verde Miuda’; ‘Maçā Pêra,’ ‘Maçā Calhau’, ‘Pêro Branco’ from Salga and from Terra-Chā and ‘Maçā Marmelo’; and the five genotypes ‘Maçā Sao Joao’, ‘Malápio Rosa’, ‘Maçā Gaspar’, ‘Maçā Branca’ and ‘Maçā Pato’. In addition, two homonyms were detected. ‘Pêro Vermelho’ from Terra Chā was a separate genotype from a tree from Doze Ribeiras of the same name, but Pêro Branco from Terra Chā appears to be a clone that can be distinguished by an additional allele at CH1F07a from a tree with that name from Salga. One pair of apple clones, ‘Reineta Agosto’ and ‘Reineta Verde’ from Altares appear to be derived from an unreduced gamete of ‘Golden Delicious.’ Another apple genotype ‘Maçā Acida’ could be a sibling of the ‘Maçā Pêra’ clonal group. Other tested standard apples from the US genebank were unrelated to Terceira genotypes. Of the seven heritage pears, five unique genotypes and one pair of synonyms were detected. ‘Pêra Papo Pintassilgo’ from Raminho and ‘Pêra Vermelha’ from the nursery of Serviço de Desenvolvimento Agario da Terceira (SDAT) were synonyms. ‘Passans du Portugal’ was related to ‘Pêra Cabaca’ but other standard pears from the US genebank were unrelated to Terceira genotypes. Future studies will include additional apple and pear cultivars from other Islands of the Azores and continental Portugal, and wild Asian species to further explore genetic relationships.     

Redistribution of 10B Absorbed by Leaves and Roots of Cashew Seedlings

Boron (B) is transported mainly in the xylem, but by using isotopic tracers it was possible to verify that B has significant mobility in the phloem of polyols-producing species. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the mobility of ¹⁰B applied to cashew plants. The experiment was conducted from 05/10 to 07/10/2010 in a greenhouse of University of São Paulo State-UNESP, Ilha Solteira Campus, State of São Paulo, Brazil. 0.5 mg of B L^?1 of soil was used in the substrate. A solution of 255 mg of B L^?1 was used in recently mature and fully developed leaves. The total content of B and and percentage of boron in the plant derived from fertilizer (Bppf%) were evaluated in the old and new leaves stemming at 30 and 60 days after the application of ¹⁰B. As evidenced, B applied to leaves had restricted mobility in cashew tree. However, B applied in the substrate was absorbed and translocated to young leaves.