Rhizosphere effects on Cu availability and fractionation in sewage sludge‐amended calcareous soils

Rhizosphere processes have a major impact on copper (Cu) availability and its fractions in soils. A greenhouse experiment with wheat was performed to investigate availability (using seven chemical procedures) and fractionation of Cu in the rhizosphere of ten agricultural soils (Typic Calcixerepts) amended with sewage sludge (1% w/w) using rhizoboxes. The results show that available Cu concentrations in rhizosphere soils were significantly (P < 1%) lower than in bulk soils. In comparison with the bulk soils, in the rhizosphere soils the concentration of Cu associated with organic matter and residual Cu increased by 24 and 4%, respectively, whereas exchangeable Cu, Cu associated with iron‐manganese oxides, and Cu associated with carbonate decreased by 20, 14, and 12%, respectively. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Cu associated with iron‐manganese oxides and Cu associated with organic matter in the rhizosphere and bulk soils were significantly correlated (P < 5%). The results show that the differences between rhizosphere and bulk soils in chemical conditions such as DOC concentrations can change the proportion of soil Cu fractions and, therefore, Cu availability for wheat in calcareous soils amended with sewage sludge. The results show that the wheat root‐induced modifications of chemical and biological soil conditions do not only lead to Cu depletion in mobile soil Cu fractions, but also to modification in soil Cu fractions which are commonly considered as more stable.     

伊犁河谷土壤含盐量空间变异和格局分析

基于区域变量理论,在GPS和GIS技术支持下,通过地统计学的半变异函数和Kriging空间插值,以察布查尔县为例,定量分析伊犁河谷不同层次土壤盐分的空间异质性.结果表明:0～20 cm、20～40 cm、60～80 cm层土壤盐分的半变异函数符合球状模型,40～60 cm层符合高斯模型.不同层次土壤盐分之间的空间自相关...     

伊犁河谷地下水盐运动规律研究

根据研究区地质地貌,将整个研究区划分为三层阶地,通过对三层阶地的地下水盐动态进行实时监测,运用双因子方差分析方法,详细论述了地下水电导率随地下水位在不同时期及不同分布条件下的变化情况.结果表明,地下水电导率变化与水位变化有很大关系,且表现出很强的区域特征:各阶地电导率(EC)值均随水位的上升而增加,高EC值出现在高水位...     

Effect of Nano Fe-Chelate,Fe-Eddha and FeSO4 on Vegetative Growth,Physiological Parameters and Some Nutrient Elements Concentrations of Four Varieties of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) In NFT System

In order to investigate the effects of different iron (Fe) sources (nano iron (Fe)-chelate, Fe- ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxy phenyl acetic acid (EDDHA) and iron (II) sulfate (FeSO₄)) on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) growth in alkaline solutions, an experiment was arranged in hydroponic system. This study showed that leaf Fe content and overall plant growth was significantly increased by Fe-chelate application, and the highest values of leaf Fe, plant pigments and vegetative growth were recorded in plants treated with nano Fe-chelate. The lowest Fe, chlorophyll, carotenoids and soluble sugars in leaves were observed in FeSO₄ treatment. There were no difference in soluble sugars contents of plants between nano Fe-chelate and Fe-EDDHA treatments. Fertilization of lettuce plants with different Fe-chelate sources had a beneficial effect on the manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) uptake in plants. It is concluded that application of chelated form of Fe (especially nano Fe-chelate) must be performed in hydroponic system with alkaline water, to overcome Fe deficiencies and to make better nutritional status.     

Effects of 15N-labelled ammonium nitrate and urea on soil nitrogen during growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions

We studied the effects of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium nitrate and urea on the yield and uptake of labelled and unlabelled N by wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Mexi-Pak-65) in a field experiment. The dry matter and N yields were significantly increased with fertilizer N application compared to those from unfertilized soil. The wheat crop used 33.6–51.5 and 30.5–40.9% of the N from ammonium nitrate and urea, respectively. Splitting the fertilizer N application had a significant effect on the uptake of fertilizer N by the wheat. The fertilizer N uptake showed that ammonium nitrate was a more available source of N for wheat than urea. The effective use of fertilizer N (ratio of fertilizer N in grain to fertilizer N in whole plant) was statistically similar for the two N fertilizers. The application of fertilizer N increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N by wheat, a result attributed to a positive added N interaction, which varied according to the fertilizer N split; six split applications gave the highest added N interaction compared to a single application or two split applications for both fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate gave 90.5, 33.5, and 48.5% more added N interaction than urea with one, two, and six split N applications. A values were not significantly correlated with the added N interaction (r=0.557). The observed added N interaction may have been the result of pool substitution, whereby added labelled fertilizer N replaced unlabelled soil N.     

Effects of irrigation strategies and soils on field grown potatoes: Root distribution

Root distribution of field grown potatoes (cv. Folva) was studied in 4.32 m² lysimeters and subjected to full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation strategies. Drip irrigation was applied for all irrigations. Irrigations were run in three different soils: coarse sand, loamy sand, and sandy loam. Irrigation treatments started after tuber bulking and lasted until final harvest with PRD and DI receiving 65% of FI. Potatoes irrigated with water-saving irrigation techniques (PRD and DI) did not show statistically different dry root mass and root length density (RLD, cm root per cm³ soil) compared with root development in fully irrigated (FI) potatoes. Highest RLD existed in the top 30-40 cm of the ridge below which it decreased sharply. The RLD was distributed homogenously along the ridge and furrow but heterogeneously across the ridge and furrow with highest root density in the furrow. Most roots accumulated in the surface layers of coarse sand as compared to the other soil types. In the deep soil profile (30-70 cm) a higher root density was found in loamy sand compared with the sandy loam and coarse sand. Approximately twice the amounts of roots were found below the furrows compared with the corresponding layers below the ridges. The RLD values in the soil profile of the ridges and the furrows followed the Gerwitz and Page model: RLD = α × exp(−β × z). The highest value of surface root density (α) and rate of change in density (β) was found in coarse sand while the lowest values of α and β were found in the sandy loam and loamy sand. The model estimated the effective rooting depth in coarse sand and sandy loam quite well but did slightly overestimate it in the loamy sand. Statistical analysis showed that one α and β value can be used for each soil irrespective of the irrigation treatment. Thus, the effective rooting depths corresponding to root length densities of 0.1 and 0.25 cm cm⁻³ for sandy loam, loamy sand, and coarse sand soils were 99, 141, and 94 cm, and 80, 115, and 78 cm, respectively, calculated from top of the ridge. The findings of this study can be used in practice for efficient use of water and nutrients in the field.     

An illustrated review on manifestation of pome fruit germplasm in the historic miniatures of ancient Persia

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Throughout history, territories under the rule of ancient Persian empires, including the plateau of Iran, parts of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, have been...     

Association Study of rs1333040 and rs1004638 Polymorphisms in the 9p21 Locus with Coronary Artery Disease in Southwest of Iran

Background:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial and heterogenic disease. Recently, genome-wide association studies have reported that rs1333040 (C/T) and rs1004638 (A/T) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 9p21 locus have very strong association with CAD. This study aimed to examine these associations in Southwest of Iran.

Methods:

Blood samples were collected from 200 CAD patients and 110 healthy individuals with no CAD. The association of two SNPs with CAD was evaluated by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results:

Chi-square test showed no association between rs1333040 SNP and CAD (X²: 4.66, df: 2, P=0.09). Also, there was no association between rs1004638 SNP and CAD (X²: 0.27, df: 2, P=0.88).

Conclusion:

No association was observed between rs1333040 and rs1004638 SNPs in the 9P21 region and CAD in Southwest of Iran. Key Words: Coronary artery disease, Single nucleotide polymorphisms, Genetic association study, Iran     

Heat inactivation of leafroll virus in potato tuber tissues

Heat inactivation of leafroll virus in tuber tissues of three potato varieties (Russet Burbank, Katahdin, and Mohawk) was studied. Russet Burbank did not tolerate high constant temperatures and a low proportion of tubers and eye-pieces survived the treatments. On the other hand, Russet Burbank eye-pieces survived, with few exceptions, treatment at 40 C for four hours alternating with room temperaure (16–20 C) for 20 hours daily for as long as eight weeks. Inactivation of the virus was complete after six weeks of this treatment. Results obtained with the Katahdin and Mohawk varieties in similar tests were variable, and this possibly may be attributed to the higher room temperature (25–30 C) prevailing during these experiments.     

Ultra-fast separation of wheat glutenin subunits by reversed-phase HPLC using a superficially porous silica-based column

A relatively new, unique column packing material for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was evaluated for rapid separation of wheat glutenin protein subunits. The product named “Poroshell” by the manufacturer consists of a solid core and a porous coat instead of solid silica spheres used in conventional RP-HPLC column packing. This architecture favours rapid mass transfer, facilitating faster reversed-phase separations of biomolecules compared to conventional silica columns. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of separations of glutenin subunits (GS), as well as to optimize conditions to produce the fastest possible run times without sacrificing resolution using a Poroshell 300SB-C₈ 2.1×75 mm column. The stability of GS separations over time was also assessed. Two different bread wheat genotypes were used for optimization of separation conditions and six more common and durum wheat genotypes possessing different subunit combinations were used for further evaluation. Glutenin protein was extracted with 0.08 M Tris–HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing 50% 1-propanol under reducing conditions after pre-extraction of soluble proteins with 50% 1-propanol. Optimization of GS resolution and sample throughput by RP-HPLC was assessed in response to variation in eluent flow rate, acetonitrile (ACN) gradient, and column temperature. The best resolution of both HMW- and LMW-GS was obtained in 13 min using a 23–44% ACN gradient with a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min at 65 °C. Subunit elution times and integrated areas were highly repeatable even after several hundred injections. Highly satisfactory separation of HMW-GS and quantification of ratio of HMW- to LMW-GS were achieved in less than 4 min per sample using a modified HPLC gradient. Ratio of HMW- to LMW-GS was unaffected by the speed of the separations. As well, the elution order of HMW- and LMW-GS was unaffected by the rapid analysis, compared to conventional RP-HPLC separations, so no new learning was required for interpreting chromatograms and classification of subunits. The rapid RP-HPLC method using the Poroshell column appears to be very well suited for routine quantification of HMW-GS and LMW-GS especially for purposes of wheat quality screening and wheat cultivar development activities where large numbers of samples are typically encountered.