Predicting the effects of climate change on the latency period of wheat leaf rust in western Poland

Leaf rust caused by Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici belongs to the most important diseases of wheat worldwide. The progress of the disease is highly dependent on meteorological conditions. One of the parameters affecting the disease progress is latency period driven mostly by temperature. Examination of the influence of predicted temperature changes on the monthly sum of the daily latency period expressed as rate (MSLPR) in western Poland was the aim of our study. Experiments in quasi-natural conditions were performed with the aim of validating models describing the influence of temperature on leaf rust latency period in two wheat varieties, Turnia and Ostroga. Both models used for assessment of latency period duration on cv. Turnia and cv. Ostroga performed well. The influence of climate changes on leaf rust latency period was then simulated using meteorological data from three weather stations located in western Poland and virtual data obtained after transformation of the recorded data to reflect a temperature changes under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios according to giss_e2_r climate model. The study shows that without mitigation of greenhouse gas emission latency period of wheat leaf rust is going to decrease which may result in increase of wheat leaf rust incidence.     

Heterotrophic Bacterial Leaching of Zinc and Arsenic from Artificial Adamite

Artificial adamite [Zn₂(AsO₄)(OH)] is a convenient structural model because it is isostructural with other rock-forming minerals in secondary ore deposits formed in cementation zones. Microbial activity in these zones accelerates mineral biogeochemical deterioration and metal release, and our results confirmed that Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and Cupriavidus strains accelerate adamite leaching by 10 to 465 times compared to controls. Here, the Pseudomonas chlororaphis ZK-1 bacterial strain in a static 42-day cultivation proved more effective than Rhodococcus and Cupriavidus by leaching over 90% arsenic and 10% zinc from adamite in one-step in vitro. We evaluated adamite with the VESTA visualization system for electronic and structural analysis, and our results enhance understanding of zinc and arsenic biogeochemical cycles and mobilization, and highlight bacteria’s beneficial natural and biotechnological application in environmental geochemistry and biohydrometallurgy.     

Shoot and root traits in drought tolerant maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids

This study aimed to investigate the differences in shoot and root traits, and water use and water use efficiency (WUE) in drought tolerant (DT) maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids under full and deficit irrigated conditions. A two-year greenhouse study was conducted with four hybrids (one conventional hybrid, 33D53AM, two commercial DT hybrids, P1151AM, N75H, and an experimental hybrid, ExpHB) grown under two water regimes (I₁₀₀ and I₅₀, referring to 100 and 50% of evapotranspiration requirements). Under water stress, the hybids P1151AM, N75, and ExpHB showed more drought tolerance and had either greater shoot dry weight or less dry weight reduction than the conventional hybrid (33D53AM). However, these three hybrids responded to water stress using different mechanisms. Compared with the conventional hybrid, the two commercial DT hybrids (P1151AM and N75H) had a smaller leaf area, shoot dry weight, and root system per plant. As a result, these hybrids used less water but had a higher WUE compared with the conventional hybrid. In contrast, the experimental hybrid (ExpHB) produced more shoot biomass by silking stage at both irrigation levels than all other hybrids, but it had relatively lower WUE. The hybrids demonstrated different drought response mechanisms that may require different irrigation management strategies. More investigation and validation are needed under field conditions and in different soil types.     

Corn Yield and Soil Fertility with Combined Use of Raw or Composted Beef Manure and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Texas Northern High Plains

About 7 million beef cattle are raised annually in the Texas High Plains, producing 16 million Mg of manure, which is land-applied as raw manure (RM) to crops. An interest in aerobic composting prompted a 2-year field study with the primary objective of evaluating corn (Zea mays L.) yield and soil fertility for RM as compared to composted manure (CM). The four treatments (TRT) consisted of low-rate composted manure (CM-L), high-rate composted manure (CM-H), RM, and inorganic fertilizer (IN). All four TRT received equal plant—available N by supplementing the RM and CM with IN. Yield was measured by both machine-harvesting and hand-harvesting methods. Machine-harvested yield was similar among TRT for both years. Hand-harvested yield was lower for IN than RM in the first year, with similar yields among TRT in the second year. Due to drought, yields were considerably lower in the second year for all TRT. After 2 years, CM-H had higher soil P, K, Zn, and organic carbon concentrations than IN, with no differences among TRT for soil NO₃-N, pH, or electrical conductivity. Both CM and RM provided beneficial nutrients for corn production and improving soil fertility. Land application of CM and RM provides long-term benefits to soil health and sustainability in the Texas High Plains region.     

Restoration of Vegetation in Relation to Soil Properties of Spoil Heap Heavily Contaminated with Heavy Metals

The main objectives of our study were to evaluate soil contamination on a zinc-lead spoil heap in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region in southern Poland using pollution indices, and to investigate the relation between soil properties and the natural succession of vegetation. Organic carbon and nitrogen, pH, soil texture, base cations, and heavy metal content were analyzed in soil samples at depths of 0–15 cm below the organic horizon over a regular grid of 14 sampling plots. The contents of Zn, Pb, and Cd exceeded by several times the acceptable thresholds. Measurements of soil enzyme activity were used to evaluate the progress of vegetation development in relation to soil chemical properties. The results indicate that heavy metals had a significant impact on soil enzyme activity and the development of vegetation cover. High contents of Pb and Cd reduced enzyme activity, while this activity increased with increasing amounts of soil organic matter. Further, the accumulative capacities of heavy metals in needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and aboveground biomass of bladder campion (Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke) were examined. A high accumulation of Zn, Pb, and Cd in the aboveground tissues of S. vulgaris indicated an unusual tolerance of this species to heavy metals and the possibility of using this species in phytoremediation of post-industrial sites.     

Effect of storage on quality traits of the semimembranosus muscle of farmed fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks and does

A total of 12 farmed fallow deer bucks and 12 does aged 31–32 months were included in a study on the effect of storage in vacuum packaging on the functionality of venison of the Semimembranosus muscle. All the analyzed meat quality traits were not affected by sex. The storage of meat in vacuum led to: an increase of pH (by 0.13 units; P = 0.001), L* (by 1.85 units; P = 0.002), a* (by 1.15 units; P = 0.013) and chroma (by 1.16 units; P = 0.016), a decrease of free water (by 6.62 percentage points (p.p.); P = 0.001) and water‐holding capacity (cm²) (by 29.61%; P = 0.001), and the increase of dry matter content (by 0.67 p.p.; P = 0.001). The results indicate that the chilled storage of venison caused the stabilization of pH and color, improvement of water‐holding capacity, with no negative effect on the proximate chemical composition. The quality of deer meat obtained from does and bucks was similar.     

Determination of chlorinated pesticides in food and in human adipose tissue]

Residues of chlorinated pesticides in feed for laying hens, in eggs, poultry organs, potatoes, flour, and human fat tissues were determined by means of gas chromatography using electron recording detector. Further the amount of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in potatoes from various parts of the South Moravian Region was stated. HCH amounts in human fat tissues recorded in Czechoslovakia were higher than in some West European countries, DDT content being, however, on the same level.     

Invasive and quarantine pests in forests in Slovakia1

Biological invasions of insects, plants, and fungal pest species often cause substantial disturbance to forest ecosystems and as well as severe socioeconomic impacts. Central Europe acts as a ‘bridge’ between Western and Eastern Europe both ecologically and as an important transit corridor for people. Human activity, including the movement of material goods, increases the risk of invasions. Some species introduced in the past have been established, becoming common and causing serious problems (such as Dreyfusia nordmannianae or Hyphantria cunea). The status, importance and spatial distribution in Slovakia of seven different forest pests recently introduced into Slovak forest ecosystems (Cameraria ohridella, Coleotechnites piceaella, Cryphonectria parasitica, Dothistroma septospora, Ips duplicatus, Parectopa robiniella, Phyllonorycter robiniellus) as well as two others not yet recorded in Slovakia (Anoplophora glabripennis, Phytophthora spp.) is discussed.     

Using place names to interpret former floodplain connectivity in the Morava River,Czech Republic

Toponyms, or place names have been used to reveal historical land-use patterns based on degree of wetness in the Morava River floodplain. Eleven patch types were plotted on three land cover types representing broad ecological niches with different moisture regimes for four time periods. The river’s simultaneous decrease in sinuosity, which underscores the loss of the landscape’s ecohydrological connectivity, was quanified. The results show that long-term human-dominated land use worked in concert with a naturally occuring seasonal flood regime. The findings strongly indicate that high human density and intensive exploitation can co-exist with a functioning floodplain. Landscape change was interpreted by using a new concept, that of the place-name patch, which can be universally applied to interpret historical land use changes in river basins. Our method is reproducible in river basins with a history of intensive human use.